Mbandaka (DR Congo) (AFP) - The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo's northwest is growing, according to health officials, sounding the alarm weeks after the country officially declared an end to a separate Ebola epidemic which claimed over 2,000 lives. There have been 54 confirmed cases since June 1 in Mbandaka, a transport hub in Equateur province, including 22 deaths, according to figures released by the country's health ministry on Friday. There were four additional suspected cases. The outbreak is DR Congo's 11th since Ebola was identified in 1976. On June 25, the vast central African country officially declared an end to an Ebola epidemic that broke out in the east two years ago, which Health Minister Eteni Longondo said was "the longest, most complex and deadliest" in the country's history. The two epidemics have no common viral strain, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO called the latest figures "of great concern", saying that it had identified 56 cases by Thursday. "It is now surpassing the previous outbreak in this area which was closed off and controlled at a total of 54 cases," said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, referring to a 2018 Ebola outbreak in Equateur in which 33 people died. - Remote villages - The epidemic is spreading from Mbandaka's urban centre to surrounding remote villages in forests along the Congo River, some of which can only be accessed by canoe or all-terrain vehicles. "There are infections in several villages," a local official, Moraliste Nembetwa, told AFP. The virus is passed on by contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of an infected or recently deceased person. The death rate is typically high, ranging up to 90 percent in some outbreaks, according to the WHO. Serge Ngalebato, a doctor at the Bikoro hospital, said the epidemic affects "an area with fragile health". Story continues "In 2018, we had the Ebola epidemic. In 2020, the measles epidemic. As I speak, we have five cases of polio," he said. The country is facing a measles outbreak which has killed more than 6,000 people since early last year, as well as recurring flare-ups of cholera and malaria. DR Congo is also struggling with the new coronavirus, with 8,249 cases including 193 fatalities. WHO officials worry that because of these competing health crises, there could be a lack of funding for the Ebola epidemic. "We have less than two million dollars in our account," said WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib about funding for the current Ebola outbreak. - 'Put lives at risk' - DR Congo's partners and donors may be cautious over worries that an injection of money could create fertile ground for conflicts of interest, a source close to the United Nations told AFP. An investigation by The New Humanitarian last month found that payments to security forces and job kickback schemes "may have jeopardised humanitarian operations and put lives at risk". The influx of money to combat the spread of the virus in the east "has raised people's expectations", the source said. Ebola experts said the experience of the eastern outbreak will be vital for informing further action. Officials must "listen and involve communities in time, in dialogue and planning the response... otherwise we risk being counter-productive," said Abdou Dieng, head of the United Nations Emergency Ebola Response. Health authorities have launched a vaccination campaign, as was done in the east where two experimental vaccines were widely deployed and more than 320,000 people received a jab. "More than 8,000 people have been vaccinated," said Alhassane Toure, a vaccination coordinator. "All the affected health zones have been covered by the vaccination." 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Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Export of electrical goods from Turkey to Kazakhstan in the first five months of 2020 grew by 24.4 percent compared to the same period of 2019, having surpassed $26.7 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In May 2020, Turkey exported electrical goods worth $6.1 million to Kazakhstan, which is 17.7 percent more than in May last year. Export of electrical goods from Turkey abroad shrank by 18.2 percent from January through May 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, having amounted to slightly over $3.8 billion. According to the ministry, Turkeys export of electrical goods to foreign markets made up 6.2 percent of the countrys total export for the first five months of this year. "Turkeys export of electrical goods to world markets amounted to $671.8 million in May 2020, which is 35.5 percent less compared to May 2019," the ministry said. In May this year, Turkeys export of electrical goods to world markets amounted to 6.7 percent of the countrys total export. During the last twelve months (from May 2019 through May 2020), Turkey exported electrical goods worth more than $10.3 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Islamabad, July 20 : Pakistan's total population is estimated at 220.9 million and it is growing rapidly with an annual fertility rate of 3.6 children per couple, according to a report. The 2020 World Population Data Sheet, released by the US Population Reference Bureau, also estimates that the world today has a total of 7.8 billion inhabitants, Dawn news reported on Monday. Referring to the COVID-19 crisis, the report warns that "population density in urban areas, household size, and population aging contribute to our vulnerability to pandemics". The report placed South Asia among the fastest growing regions in the world and within the region, it marks Afghanistan and Pakistan as the fastest growing populations. Afghanistan has a faster growth rate than Pakistan, 4.5 per couple. But because of high death rates and low life expectancy, the country's total population is still 38.9 million. At Pakistan's growth rate - 3.6 - a population doubles in 19.4 years. A country needs to bring its growth rate down to 2 per cent a year to reduce its population. The replacement fertility rate is 2.1, the average number of children a couple needs to have to replace themselves, according to the report. With a total of 1.424 billion people, China still has the largest population in the world but has been able to reduce its fertility rate to 1.5. The Asian giant's population is projected to decrease by 2050. With 1.4 billion people, India has the second largest population in the world but has reduced its fertility rate to 2.2, the report revealed. MEXICO CITY Farmers once again clashed with Mexican military forces Sunday to protest releases of water from a dam to repay a water debt owed to the United States. Video posted by congressman Mario Mata Carrasco showed tear gas canisters being fired over the heads of protesters at the Las Virgines dam in in the northern border state of Chihuahua. A line of military police and National Guard trucks could be seen at the dam. Farmers in Chihuahua say they need the water for local crops, and the state government said it had reached an agreement to halt water releases from the dam until talks could be held Tuesday. But Mexicos National Water Commission said there was enough water for local crops like tree nuts, watermelons, chile, onions and alfalfa, and that the releases were ongoing. Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico owes the United States about 415,000 acre-feet (512 million cubic meters) yearly that must be paid by Oct. 24. Payment is made by releasing water from dams in Mexico. Mexico has fallen badly behind in payments from previous years and now has to quickly catch up on water transfers. Mexico receives more water than it gives to the U.S. under the treaty, which governs the flow of border and cross-border rivers including the Colorado to the west. The issue has resulted in clashes before. In March, protesters burned pickup trucks, blocked roads and demonstrated at the La Boquilla dam, also in Chihuahua. Earlier this year, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there was enough water both for local farmers and payments to the United States. We do not want an international conflict, the president said. Treaties have to be lived up to. If we have signed a treaty, we have to comply with it. Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday dismissed as 'baseless and vexatious' the allegations by a party MLA from Rajasthan that the former deputy chief minister had offered him money to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, and claimed that it was an attempt to stifle the 'legitimate concerns' he raised against the party leadership in the state. Pilot said he will be taking 'appropriate and strictest possible legal action' against the MLA who 'was made to' level these accusations. Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga alleged that Pilot had offered him money to join the BJP. In a statement, Pilot said there will more such 'concocted' allegations and the narrative is being redirected to avoid the main issue, but stressed that he will remain firm on his stand. 'I am saddened but not surprised to be at the receiving end of such baseless and vexatious allegations being levelled against me,' he said. 'This is done solely to malign me and to stifle the legitimate concerns that I had raised against the party leadership of the state, as a member and MLA of INC,' he said. Pilot said the allegations were an attempt to defame him and attack his credibility. 'The narrative is being redirected to avoid addressing the main issue...I am sure more such concocted allegations will be thrown at me to cause aspersions on my public image. But I shall be unfettered and remain firm in my beliefs and conviction,' he said. Malinga claimed that talks were held at Pilot's residence and subsequently, he had alerted Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about the conspiracy to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan. He did not disclose the amount that he was allegedly offered to join the saffron party. Asked if it was between Rs 30 crore and Rs 35 crore, Malinga said he was offered the 'going rate'. Pilot's sharp reaction came hours after Gehlot called him 'useless', using the Hindi word 'nikamma' in a no-holds-barred attack on his former deputy. Last week, Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled openly, defying a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings. He was then sacked as deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The showdown came after the state police's Special Operation Group launched a probe into alleged attempts at horse trading to topple the Gehlot government. Gehlot had later alleged that Pilot was part of the conspiracy by the BJP. The opposition BJP has denied the allegations and blamed the Gehlot-Pilot power tussle for the Congress' troubles in Rajasthan. The Rajasthan high court is hearing a plea by Pilot and other rebel MLAs against the disqualification notices issued to them by the Assembly Speaker. In the 200-member state assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including former deputy chief minister Pilot and 18 MLAs loyal to him, who have rebelled against the Gehlot government. Pilot has been upset since the Congress picked Gehlot over him for the chief minister's post, following the December 2018 elections. His supporters insisted that it was Pilot's leadership as the state Congress head which led to the victory. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Millions of workers will keep receiving the JobKeeper wage subsidy until the end of March in a dramatic extension of the $70 billion program under a fresh eligibility test to ensure the payments go to those in genuine need. The Morrison government will also extend a temporary boost to its JobSeeker unemployment benefit on the same timetable to shore up household incomes through the recession. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce the government's plans for JobKeeper and JobSeeker on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But the government will cut the value of both payments from the first week of October and will introduce two tiers to the wage subsidy so part-time workers no longer receive a full-time rate. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will reveal the new rates on Tuesday to replace the JobKeeper payment of $1500 per fortnight and the temporary boost to JobSeeker to $1100 per fortnight. Scranton, PA (18503) Today Sunny skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 39F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Snow showers developing late. Low 23F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Photo: (Photo : pexels.com) The usual night fishing for three best friends turned out to be a horrific event, Friday evening. Damion Tillman, 23 years old, Keven Springfield, 30 years old, and Brandon Rollins, 27 years old, were seen near Lake Streety Friday evening by Rollins' father. The three were beaten and shot by still unidentified perpetrators. Rollins was able to call his dad for help and tell him a few details of what happened before the 27-year-old son died. READ ALSO: The Lori Vallow Story: Missing Children and Mysterious Deaths What happened that Friday night According to investigation, it is believed that Tillman was the first to arrive at the lake that Friday night. He was there to meet his best friends for night fishing. Rollins and Springfield arrived next. There at the lake, they saw Tillman beaten and shot. Rollins initially survived the attack. He was even able to call his father for help. Rollins' dad knew where his son went fishing, so he immediately went there. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a media briefing last Saturday that Rollins' father arrived at the scene but forgot to bring his cellphone with him. He went back to a convenience store where a call to authorities was made. Before Rollins succumbed to his death, he was still able to tell a few details about what happened to his dad. READ ALSO: Family in Texas Found Dead in Their Garage, Police Says It is Not An Accident Judd said, "What the murderers also did not count on was that Brandon had the opportunity to talk to his dad before he died." Authorities believe that there is more than one perpetrator. Although there are no definite details if the victims knew the murderers, authorities believe it is possible that they do. Judd said, "Our intuitive skill tells, 'We don't just stumble upon someone in here.' This is a dirt road." He added, "It's not like there's a lot of people out here." READ ALSO: 6 children [from different incidents] fall victim to gun violence during the 4th of July weekend Authorities call for leads Judd shared that in his years of service as a sheriff, he has seen other murders, but this one is by far the worst. He said, "This is a horrific scene." The Polk County Sheriff has put out 5,000 dollars as reward for anyone who can give any lead on the persons who committed the murder. Judd said, "We are seeking leads. We need help so that we can solve this crime sooner, rather than later." Judd clarifies that the 5,000 dollars will be given to anyone who can give information that can lead to the arrest of the perpetrators. The person who will call the hotline does not need to appear in court. "The victims, the parents, and their families deserve for us to solve this." Judd assures that their department is doing its best to give justice to the three best friends' horrific death. READ ALSO: 3 Family Members Found Dead Near Edmonton: A Possible Murder-Suicide Case The late, great Kenny Rogers had some pretty good advice that plaintiffs' attorneys could heed today about knowing when to hold'em and when to fold'em. As a lawyer and former insurance commissioner and Senator, it is clear to me what our businesses don't need right now: expensive, lengthy litigation. If we're serious about getting meaningful relief for businesses across the country, it's time for the trial bar to stop gambling and fold on these frivolous lawsuits against insurers that waste small businesses' time and resources and get behind a substantial federal response to the economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the chaos of recent months, there have been no shortage of distractions preventing businesses from getting the help they need, including the ongoing litigation surrounding business interruption (BI) insurance policies. Since the first lawsuit was filed in Louisiana in March, hundreds of lawsuits have followed across the U.S., and more are expected to come. But these lawsuits are not only costly and drawn-out, they are also a distraction from the most important issue at hand: bringing key stakeholders together to find a viable solution to support businesses in the upcoming recovery. BI litigation is not only unproductive and unnecessary, it is also a clear attempt to profit off small business owners and disrupt progress toward sustainable, government-backed solutions to the economic challenges our country is facing. Currently, BI policies are only activated when there is proof of direct physical property damage, The COVID-19 virus doesn't trigger that claim. This standard was affirmed by a recent letter sent to the U.S. House of Representatives' Small Business Committee by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, explaining the pandemic "has highlighted that many existing BI policies have specific exclusions for viruses or other diseases, and coverage is generally only triggered by actual physical damage. Therefore, these policies were generally not designed or priced to provide coverage for claims arising from COVID-19." It's important to keep in mind the decision to exclude pandemics from standard policies is not new. Following the SARS pandemic, the International Organization for Standardization, along with state insurance regulators and trade groups, introduced a virus policy exclusion in 2006 to ensure the solvency of the insurance industry wouldn't be threatened by future pandemics like the one we face today. The bottom line is, and as we are seeing now, global pandemics are uninsurable. The cost of underwriting these pandemics would be massive for insurersnearly $400 billion per monthwhich would make such coverage extremely, and likely prohibitively, costly for small business owners. Requiring insurers to pay out for uncovered claims would be unfair to other policyholders who already paid to have their claims insured and would threaten the ability of the industry to serve policyholders and lead to the collapse of the industry, especially as we enter the busy hurricane and wildfire summer season. All that is to state the obvious: only the federal government has the financial capacity to provide the critical relief small businesses need today. I've witnessed first-hand debates regarding whether the government should intervene during an economic crisis. Given the scale of this pandemic and economic recession, a federal response is critical. The government has already taken steps to help provide safety nets for Americans and industriesfrom stimulus checks to bailout moneyand continuing to support small businesses in need is merely the next step. I know the pain many business owners in Nebraska and across the U.S. are experiencing. The insurance industry has shown its commitment to helping customers get back on their feet where possible, but now is the time for Congress to do its part and get the country back to work. We can't waste valuable time and resources on endless litigation that is unlikely to bring businesses the relief they need. With the right government-backed solutions, we can secure a much-needed safety net for business owners today and in the future. Emmy nominee Chris Pine waited behind the wheel of his white Mercedes convertible as his girlfriend Annabelle Wallis stopped by Blue Bottle Coffee in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood on Sunday. The 39-year-old Los Angeles native was not wearing a mask like the British 35-year-old, who carried their to-go drinks while wearing a modest white sundress. California Governor Gavin Newsom made cloth masks or face coverings mandatory for all public outings on June 18. Behind the wheel: Emmy nominee Chris Pine waited in his white Mercedes convertible as his girlfriend Annabelle Wallis stopped by Blue Bottle Coffee in Los Feliz on Sunday Protected: The 39-year-old Los Angeles native was not wearing a mask like the British 35-year-old, who carried their to-go drinks while wearing a modest white sundress As of Sunday, there have been over 153K confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, which has lead to 4,084 deaths - according to Johns Hopkins University. Chris and Annabelle collaborated onscreen for the first time as Westley and Princess Buttercup in Jason Reitman's Princess Bride reboot, which started streaming June 29 on Quibi. Pine and Wallis - who adopted blue-eyed rescue dog Zeus together - began their romance in April 2018, but they've been inseparable throughout quarantine. The Peaky Blinders actress was previously romantically linked to Chris Martin from 2015-2017, while the I Am the Night producer-actor previously dated Zoe Kravitz and Olivia Munn. Started streaming June 29 on Quibi! Chris and Annabelle collaborated onscreen for the first time as Westley and Princess Buttercup in Jason Reitman's Princess Bride reboot Instagram official! Pine and Wallis - who adopted blue-eyed rescue dog Zeus together - began their romance in April 2018, but they've been inseparable throughout quarantine (pictured December 19) On July 11, William Shatner told GalaxyCon's Patty Hawkins that he would want Chris to play him in a biopic: 'Why doesn't he play me? A good looking, talented guy.' Pine famously played Captain James T. Kirk in the three Star Trek movies as well as the July 12th episode of Comedy Central's Robot Chicken titled 'Gracie Purgatory in.' The UC Berkeley grad next resumes his role as WWI pilot character Steve Trevor in Patty Jenkins' highly-anticipated sequel Wonder Woman 1984, which hits US/UK theaters on October 2. On July 11, William Shatner (R) told GalaxyCon that he would want the I Am the Night producer-actor to play him in a biopic: 'Why doesn't he play me? A good looking, talented guy' 'Gracie Purgatory in': Chris famously played Captain James T. Kirk in the three Star Trek movies as well as the July 12th episode of Comedy Central's Robot Chicken (pictured) Hitting US/UK theaters on October 2! Pine next resumes his role as deceased WWI pilot character Steve Trevor in Patty Jenkins' highly-anticipated sequel Wonder Woman 1984 In the junior novel, Chris' character is resurrected from the dead by Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) with a wish-granting Dreamstone, according to Bleeding Cool. The thrice-delayed DC Comics sequel also features Robin Wright, Pedro Pascal, Kristen Wiig, and Connie Nielsen. Meanwhile, Annabelle portrays Sheriff Alice Gustafson opposite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's reformed hunter in Robin Pront's crime thriller The Silencing, which hit US theaters last Saturday. TOKYO - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed into blue skies from a Japanese launch centre Monday at the start of a seven-month journey to Mars on the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this image made from MHI's youtube channel, the H-IIA rocket with United Arab Emirates' Mars orbiter Hope lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, southern Japan, Monday, July 20, 2020. (MHI via AP) TOKYO - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed into blue skies from a Japanese launch centre Monday at the start of a seven-month journey to Mars on the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, starts a rush to fly to Earths neighbour that is scheduled to be followed in the next few days by China and the United States. At the space centre in Dubai, people watching were transfixed by the liftoff, then cheered and clapped, with one woman with offering a celebratory cry common for weddings. An Emirati man watches the launch of the "Amal" or "Hope" space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft, the "Amal" or "Hope" probe, blasted off to Mars from Japan early Monday, starting the Arab world's first interplanetary trip. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) Amal blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket on time at 6:58 a.m. (2158 GMT Sunday) after being delayed five days by bad weather. Mitsubishi later said the probe successfully separated from the rocket and was now on its solo journey to Mars. The probe was sending signals that would be analyzed later but everything appeared good for now, Omran Sharaf, the UAE Mars mission director told journalists in Dubai about an hour and a half after liftoff. Amal is set to reach Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since the countrys formation. In September that year, Amal will start transmitting Martian atmospheric data, which will be made available to the international scientific community, Sharaf said. Emirati men watch the launch of the "Amal" or "Hope" space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft, the "Amal" or "Hope" probe, blasted off to Mars from Japan early Monday, starting the Arab world's first interplanetary trip. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) The UAE is now a member of the club and we will learn more and we will engage more and well continue developing our space exploration program, UAE Space Agency chief Mohammed Al Ahbabi told a joint online news conference from Tanegashima. At Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, Emirati men in their traditional white kandora robes and women in their black abayas watched the liftoff. As its stages separated, a cheer went out from men seated on the floor. They began clapping, one using his face mask, worn due to the coronavirus pandemic, to wipe away a tear. It was great to see everything going according to schedule today. It looks like things are all on track. Its a huge step in terms of space exploration to have a nation like the UAE taking that giant leap to send a spacecraft to Mars, said Fred Watson, Australia's astronomer-at-large. Being on route to a planet like Mars is an exceptional achievement. A newcomer in space development, the UAE has successfully put three Earth observation satellites into orbit. Two were developed by South Korea and launched by Russia, and a third its own was launched by Japan. Omran Sharaf, the project director for the Emirates' Hope space probe to Mars, speaks during an interview at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, July 19, 2020. A Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying a United Arab Emirates Mars spacecraft has been placed on the launch pad for Monday's scheduled liftoff for the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) A successful mission to Mars would be a major step for the oil-dependent economy seeking a future in space, coming less than a year after the launch of the first UAE astronaut, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. He spent over a week at the International Space Station last fall. The UAE has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. It sends a very strong message to the Arab youth that if the UAE is able to reach Mars in less than 50 years, they could do much more, Sharaf told The Associated Press on Sunday as his colleagues prepared for the launch. The Emiratis also acknowledged it represented a step forward for the Arab world, the home of mathematicians and scientists for centuries before the wars and chaos that have gripped wide swathes of it in recent times. Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center attends a news conference at Tanegashima Space Center on a small southern Japanese island after a launch of a United Arab Emirates spacecraft Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. (MHI via AP Photo) So the region has been going through tough times in the past decades, if not centuries, Sharaf said. Now we have the case of the UAE, a country thats moving forward with its plans, looking at the future and the future of region also. For its first Mars mission, the UAE chose partners instead of doing it all on its own. Developing a spacecraft is not easy even if there is ample funding, said Junya Terazono, an astronomer at Aizu University. Emirati scientists worked with researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona State University. The spacecraft was assembled at Boulder and transported to Japan as the two countries looked to expand their ties with the rich and politically stable Middle Eastern nation. The Amal spacecraft, along with its launch, cost $200 million, according to Sharaf. Operation costs at Mars have yet to be divulged. Amal, about the size of a small car, carries three instruments to study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change while circling the red planet for at least two years. It is set to follow up on NASAs Maven orbiter sent to Mars in 2014 to study how the planet went from a warm, wet world that may have harboured microbial life during its first billion years, to the cold, barren place of today. Hope also plans to send back images of weather changes. Japan has long collaborated with the U.S. and other partners in defence and space technology, and the resource-poor country has traditionally kept friendly ties with Middle Eastern countries. Japan's launch services are known for accuracy and an on-time record, but the providers are working to cut costs to be more internationally competitive. Two other Mars missions are planned in coming days. China aims to explore the Martian surface with an orbiter and rover and to search for water and ice with a launch expected around Thursday. The U.S. plans to send a rover named Perseverance to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for return to Earth. Liftoff is targeted for July 30. Japan has its own Mars mission planned in 2024. It plans to send spacecraft to the Martian moon Phobos to collect samples to bring back to Earth in 2029. ___ Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writers Malak Harb and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. As far as Midland Independent School District is concerned, re-entry will take place Aug. 19 as expected, Superintendent Orlando Riddick said during an online update last week. Whether thats all at-home instruction or on-campus instruction remains to be seen, Riddick said. There are still conversations to be had with local health officials, especially when it comes to the citys response to coronavirus. The Midland Health Department on Friday showed an average of more than 40 confirmed cases a day inside Midland County in July. Parents, students and staff can expect to know more specifics about re-entry on Aug. 3, Riddick said. Three options will be part of the MISD re-entry process: traditional on-campus option; Online Academy, a fully virtual school; and a combination of the two, he said. The Online Academy will build upon the work that started last spring to provide a richer, more robust online learning experience for those families who choose this option, Riddick stated in a press release Friday. Midland ISD also reported -- per Texas Education Agency requirements -- that families will not be asked to finalize their commitment to virtual or in-person learning until two weeks before the start of the school year. Moreover, they can switch between in-person and online learning at the end of a grading period. MISD has created a page on its website to provide more information about the re-entry process -- www.midlandisd.net/fall2020. The fall 2020 re-entry page will be updated throughout the summer and fall with information about protocols and procedures to help keep students and staff healthy, safe and learning, according to the district. Information is subject to change based on a number of factors, including Texas Education Agency guidelines and local, state and nationwide directives. Masks and temperature checks The on-campus experience will be changed, Riddick said last week. While the details are not set yet, he expected social distancing in the classrooms. He also said temperature checks and masks will be vital. Temperature checks will take place as kids get on the bus and as they arrive at school, Riddick said. He also said he hopes families will have students prepared to wear masks beginning on the first day of school. If you have little ones, and if you want them in a mask, dont let Aug. 19 be the first day theyre putting a mask on, Riddick said. You want them to get used to how it feels and getting their ears ready. Teachers will have masks and face shields to wear in the classroom. Re-entry chart Riddick said re-entry will be based on the level of coronavirus community spread. There are three categories low/no, moderate and substantial, which are outlined on a chart on Fall 2020. At low or no spread, school buildings are open, and the online academy will be available for families in grades pre-K-12 who choose to enroll in 100 percent online school. At moderate spread, on-campus instruction takes place Monday through Friday for pre-K, Life Skills and self-contained autism students. Dyslexia and speech therapy students are on campus Monday through Thursday. In this second category, there is limited and staggered use of school buildings as part of a blended learning instruction for other students. There will be no change for Online Academy students. During temporary building closures due to confirmed coronavirus cases, all students will access instructions via Google Classroom. In the substantial level of community spread category, all buildings are closed until further notice. All students access instruction via Google Classroom. As a retired secondary school teacher, I would like to contribute to the discussion of September school reopening. Education Minister Stephen Lecce has suggested various options. I am surprised none of these include a shift system, which at one point in my career worked well. The school day was divided into two parts, with some students and staff attending from 8 a.m. to noon and the remainder attending from 1 to 5 p.m. While there are different ways in which to choose who attends when, both staff and students were content with this arrangement. All secondary school students would attend school five days per week, and because most students and staff have a prep period built into their timetable, an actual lunch hour would not be required. Were the day structured in this way, it would also give students the flexibility to continue with co-op programs, apply for part-time jobs and fulfil their volunteer hours. If morning students were instructed to leave the building at noon and afternoon students not allowed to enter until 1 p.m., the vacant hour could be used for cleaning and sanitizing. A shift system would be a creative way to help satisfy not only social distancing but the full return to school philosophy and be somewhat less complicated for all concerned than attending alternate days/weeks/etc. Marketing, Risk, Data Retrieval Tools; Wholesaler News; Rates: Steady as she Goes After the shaman finished my taxes last week over the phone, we struck up a conversation about working from home, pros and cons, since it appears that most will be doing this for the remainder of 2020, if not beyond. (But work from home Monday through Friday, then get together with your twenty closest pals for a Saturday afternoon backyard BBQ?!) Lenders, and others, are concerned with the lack of innovation, brainstorming, serendipity, and idea generation that is lost by not being in the same space and interacting on a daily basis. Hardware and software companies in the Santa Clara Valley are grappling with the same thing: what companies lose if everyone goes remote. Certainly, home buyers continue to snap up homes away from urban cores. For the overall market, some potential sellers are pulling their homes off the market because of health concerns. In many areas, listings continue to be far outweighed by potential buyers. Some real estate agents with whom I have spoken say buyers are desperate. If a property is in a desirable neighborhood, buyers will overpay. Bidding wars, escalations, no inspections, agreement to pay over appraised value, all of thats become the norm. Anything correctly priced is flying off the shelf according to real estate professionals with whom Ive spoken. Lender Services and Products In just its first 3 years, the JFQ team has grown to approximately 120 MLOs, funding upward of $400 million in a given month. JFQ Lendings President, John Kresevic reveals 75%-80% of our growth comes from Monster. Kresevic explains, Weve been successful with the strategies we get from Monster. I know whats certain every week; Monday around 12 oclock Pacific the phones are going to start ringing and theyre going to ring the rest of the week. I know that as long as I spend 'X, my returns going to be Y. If you want consistent phones and predictable ROI from your direct mail like JFQ, go to https://www.monsterleadgroup.com/jfqlending/ right now. Right now, the accuracy of data used by lenders to assess borrower creditworthiness is under immense scrutiny, leading FICO and others to scramble for better models on the fly. FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler writes that borrowers bank account activity and bank statement data contain all the information needed to determine a borrowers ability to pay IF you know how to parse it. According to Chandler, FormFrees AccountChek Plus addresses the current employer data latency issues lenders face with direct source data retrieval methods and advanced algorithms that allow lenders to understand a borrowers financial DNA instantly. Contact Christy Moss or Gregg Palmer to see how AccountChek Plus can give you unprecedented levels of confidence in borrower asset, employment and income information with direct-source, consumer-permissioned data. Lenders can have it all: hot pricing, volume, visibility, fewer overlays, financial inclusion, fast turn-times, better margins, while reducing volatility and risk. Sure, Overstated credit scores will become more common, overall credit risk will remain elevated, and house prices will drop, which is scary. But we got this. The actionable Mortgage Risk & Fairness Score is a powerful, predictive & prescriptive, data-driven intelligence tool that enables lenders, servicers, investors, and MIs to know borrowers holistically. Then, use that deep, incremental risk & behavioral intelligence - propensity, segmentation, ability, resiliency, and willingness to pay - to better manage crisis-cycle credit risk & blind spots, latency, financial inclusion, pricing, capacity, regulation, and servicing. Bottom line: MRS delivers powerful incremental intelligence that makes crisis-cycle mortgage banking easier, fairer, and safer. MRS is plug-n-play, validated (top 10 bank) and vetted (CFPB, OCC, Fed). Click for info. Save the date! Learn how Annie Mac increases business for new LOs by over 20% overnight! It's taking place on Wednesday, July 29th at 1:00 PM EST. The stakes are high for executives at lending companies. Half of borrowers will move forward with the first lender they speak with. Your LOs have to be that lender 100% of the time. The churn rate of loan originators (LOs) is almost double the national average for U.S. workers. Their average tenure is only 2 years! On average, it costs a lending company $27,300 in sunk training costs to lose a Loan Officer, and of course, the huge volume ($MM) a high performer takes with them! To be successful and competitive with retention and recruiting, you need to utilize marketing and borrower intelligence tools that maximize the earning potential of your LOs. Join Larry Masino, Lead Aggregation Marketing Manager at Annie Mac, Alex Kutsishin, CEO at Sales Boomerang, and Chris King, President/Founder at Mortgage iQ CRM, as they give you a borrower intelligence and marketing playbook that retains your top performers, because they know youve got their back. Register now! Broker and Wholesale News The upheaval and subsequent change in leadership at AIME, along with apologies, garnered its share of opinions and public positions. The California Association of Mortgage Professionals weighed in, Dave Stevens weighed in, others had thoughts, some companies such as Flagstar and Plaza made public statements. The broker community motors on, and is well served by wholesalers from coast to coast. loanDepot issued its weekly announcement that covers VA IRRRL Matrix, loanDepot Conventional Lending Guide and State Disclosure Matrix. LoanStream posted Communications Related to COVID-19 and Updated Matrices for Government and Non-QM. In fact, view all the LoanStream Wholesale Bulletins & Announcements. Plaza has begun accepting Cooperatives (Co-ops) in the state of Florida. Plaza currently accepts Co-ops in the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C., with more states coming soon. Effective today Flagstar will be making changes to the Purchase Special and Agency Cash-Out Refinance adjustments. Additional Flagstar announcements include Temporary Rental Income Requirements for Conventional Transactions and Conventional Underwriting Guideline Updates. Effective today, July 20 PRMG will be implementing a new process in regard to Desk Review fees. When the appraisal SSRs are returned and the results reflect a 4 or higher, the Redisclosure team will be sending out a revised Loan Estimate reflecting a Desk Review fee of $100.If the desk review does not support the value, it will result in an another Change of Circumstance triggering an additional revised Loan Estimate that will be sent by the Redisclosure team and will reflect the standard $200 cost of the Enhanced Desk Review that will be ordered, the fee will be collected at closing. Due to current market conditions, however, enhanced desk reviews and field review quotes are being returned from the AMCs at higher amounts, and as such, may result in a charge higher than $200. Questions regarding the new process should be sent to Redisclosures@prmg.net. Angel Oak brought back its Asset Qualifier Program. Orion Lending issued temporary policy adjustments for employment verifications. Most recent paystub containing year to date earnings must be provided for each employed borrower. Paystub utilized to satisfy this condition must be for the pay period immediately preceding the Final Approval. Verbal VOE - Docs for Borrower(s) dated within 3 days (15 for Self Employed) prior to note date. Self Employed borrowers within 15 days. Verbal VOE - Funding for Borrower(s) dated within 1 business day (15 for Self Employed) prior to funding. Self Employed borrowers within 15 days. Capital Markets A couple months ago, the volatility in Treasuries and MBS was nearly unpalatable for many in the mortgage industry. Its been a different story during the past few weeks of summer, with movement minimal as markets still seems to be in a wait-and-see approach with virus caseloads. I felt like a broken record all week last week, talking about low trading as investors attempted to digest corporate earnings, middle-of-the-month economic data and coronavirus news. With cases of the virus spiking across certain states, U.S. consumer sentiment showed emerging confidence around reopenings diminished in July, reversing most of the gain in the index over the past month as it now sits just above the April low. Separately, total housing starts beat expectations in June, increasing more than 17 percent month-over-month, though building permits slightly missed expectations, despite rising. Fortunately for this housing market, which is experiencing short supply, both starts and permits were strong historically. Market movement at the onset of this week will center around any progress on a euro rescue fund that was discussed at the EU leader summit over the weekend. Taking a look at the whole week, as states re-opened many parts of their economies in June, economic conditions quickly began to rebound. Retail sales increased in June, beating most analysts expectations, and were 1.1 percent above the level in June 2019. Housing starts and permits also showed large month-over-month gains, but remained below Februarys peaks. But as new coronavirus cases rise at an increasing pace, many of those states have started to pull-back on their phased re-openings and business may soon need to reduce staff. The stall in economic activity leaves many states facing budget shortfalls due to the drop in tax revenues and many expect another round of federal stimulus to combat mounting economic pressure. Mortgage rates continue to benefit from Federal intervention with the 30-yr fixed rate falling to an average of 3.19 percent according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. This is welcome news for those who are able to refinance, although purchase applications were down 6.1 percent for the week ending July 10 despite the increasing home affordability the lower rate environment has provided. There is no change expected to monetary policy at the upcoming FOMC meeting at the end of the month and it is likely that rates will remain low for the foreseeable future so buyers who may be in a holding pattern due to the virus may still be able to take advantage of the lower rate environment when they are ready. I have nothing of note to report from the economic calendar today or tomorrow (compounded by the Fed currently in its blackout period before the next meeting), but things pick back up Wednesday with July FHFA Housing Price Index, June Existing Home Sales, and 20-year Treasury bond reopening results. Yes, we will have more earnings releases from Wall Street. Thursday brings June Leading Indicators and jobless claims, as well as the Class D 48-hour notification, before the weekly calendar closes with June New Home Sales on Friday. The Desk will purchase up to $23.8 billion this week over 13 operations, including two operations today when they purchase up to $868 million UMBS15 2 percent and 2.5 percent followed by $2.5 billion max UMBS30 2 percent through 3 percent. We begin the day with Agency MBS prices a shade better/higher from Friday and the 10-year yielding .61 percent after closing last week at 0.63 percent. Employment Although there is a Refinance boom going on right now, Caliber Home Loans purchase volume continues to explode! An important element of this growth is Calibers reliable and efficient loan processing time which has remained constant, meeting the needs of our customers as they look to purchase the home of their dreams. Our success is driven by our remarkable Operations and Production team members thriving in our collaborative environment and providing exceptional service to Caliber customers. Looking to join a leader? We have open positions in Retail Operations and if you have a passion for helping customers, we would like to talk to you! If you have an interest in one of our posted job opportunities, please contact Jonathan Staley for consideration. If you are interested in a sales opportunity at Caliber, please contact Brian Miller for immediate consideration. Visit the Caliber Careers website for opportunities across the organization! Citi continues to grow across all Origination Channels in both Mortgage Sales and Operations. If youre looking to join an organization that is expanding, and can provide growth opportunities, join the Citi team! Citi Correspondent is looking for an Account Executive for Northern California/Pacific Northwest. We are also filling Operations positions nationwide, and seeking Direct to Consumer sales professionals for our St. Louis and Dallas markets. St. Louis opportunities: Direct to Consumer Sales Mortgage Representative Dallas opportunities: Direct to Consumer Sales Mortgage Representative Nationwide opportunities in Operations and Support can be found at https://jobs.citi.com/. American Mortgage Network is teaming up with the organization Active Duty Passive Income (ADPI) to help members of the military past and present. ADPI professionals are joining AmNet as employee owners, part of the ESOP. This unique partnership will accelerate AmNets ability to help veterans realize their dreams of home ownership while ADPI helps veterans to become financially independent. With all the talent at ADPI, its an opportunity to train future mortgage bankers: loan officers, processors, underwriters, and closers. As employee owners at AmNet, active military, veterans and their spouses can work from anywhere, no matter where they are stationed. They welcome learning new skills that are transportable regardless of where one works. VA Loans are the bread and butter of AmNets business and what better way to encourage participation in this market. Its a win-win for all! If you would like to join the AmNet team, please click here. Are you ready for VA IRRRL and FHA Streamline refinance opportunities in this market? Learn how to efficiently submit your files once for a final approval! Join Freedom Mortgage Wholesale for live webinar training sessions on VA IRRRL or FHA Streamline mortgage products and origination processes. Ideal for new or experienced government originators. Sign up for a VA IRRRL or FHA Streamline webinar July 20 (today: VA IRRRL) or July 22 (FHA SL). UPDATE (7/21): 1,000 new coronavirus cases push Pa. beyond 102K. Death toll at 7,038. Coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania topped 100,000 over the weekend as the states COVID-19 death toll reached 7,000. The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday reported 711 new positive cases, putting the statewide total at 101,738 with 7,018 deaths. (Cant see the map? Click here.) The statewide case rate continues to trend upward, though locally it remains steady in the Lehigh Valley. Meanwhile, a rumor that Gov. Tom Wolf was planning to move some counties back to the red phase is false, ABC27 reports. Here are your Pennsylvania coronavirus updates for July 20, 2020. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Coronavirus outbreak in Pa. Pennsylvania hit a number of coronavirus milestones on Saturday. That was the day the state surpassed 100,000 cases and 7,000 deaths, both totals since the outbreak began here in March. Pa. also reported its 1 millionth test for the virus, according to daily data provided by the state health department. The state estimates 75% of coronavirus patients have so far recovered. Like most U.S. states, Pennsylvania has seen an uptick in cases. As of Monday, the state averaged 857 new cases a day over the last week, a rate not seen since mid-May. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Daily reports, as usual, slowed over the weekend. The number of new cases dipped into the 700s, down from more than 1,000 on Friday. Deaths reported statewide were in the single digits on Sunday and Monday, which has become typical for weekend data during the week, death reports in July have ranged from 15 to nearly 40 in a given day. The health department continues to report that most hospitalizations and deaths are for patients 65 and older. Residents of nursing homes account for about 18% of total cases but 68% of deaths. However, all regions of the state are seeing a significant increase in cases among 19- to 24-year-olds. Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley Coronavirus case rates in Lehigh and Northampton county remain fairly low and flat. The Lehigh Valley saw a combined 80 new cases and two deaths total in Saturday, Sunday and Mondays state reports. The two-county region now totals 8,213 coronavirus cases and 617 deaths. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) A breakdown of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding Pa. counties as of Monday: (Cant see the table? Click here.) No return to red phase, report says There is no truth to an article circulating online suggesting the Wolf administration is going to return some counties to the red phase, ABC27 has reported. The health department told the news station that any further mitigation beyond new restrictions on bars imposed last week will be targeted and surgical. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Con Edison is conducting a flyover Monday from upstate New York to New York City to inspect its overhead transmission facilities and power lines. A helicopter will run patrols at varying altitudes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a notification Monday from the NYPD. Staten Island will be included in the flyover. The patrols come amid a citywide heatwave, and about one year after multiple power outages across the city impacted customers on Staten Island, in Midtown Manhattan and in parts of Brooklyn. Ahead of what currently are dangerous temperatures across the city, Con Edison said crews were ready to respond to any service interruptions that could come as a result of the searing temperatures. Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler King Salman was admitted to hospital in Riyadh Monday for gall bladder inflammation, the royal court said, prompting the postponement of the Iraqi prime minister's high-profile visit. It is rare for Saudi Arabia to report on the health of the ageing monarch, who has ruled the top oil exporter and the Arab world's biggest economy since 2015. King Salman is the second reigning monarch in the Gulf to be hospitalised after Kuwait's 91-year-old emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was admitted to hospital last week, at a time when the region is gripped by the twin crises of the coronavirus pandemic and a plunge in crude prices. A Saudi royal court statement said King Salman was "admitted today to King Faisal specialist hospital in Riyadh for some medical tests due to cholecystitis," inflammation of the gall bladder. The statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency around 4:30 am (0130 GMT) did not disclose any further details. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia, which was due to start on Monday, has been postponed after the king's hospitalisation, according to the Saudi foreign minister. "In recognition of the extremely important visit and a desire to make it a success, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq have decided to postpone the visit" until the king leaves hospital, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan wrote on Twitter. Hours before Kadhemi was to set off on his first trip abroad as premier, his office said they heard King Salman was suffering from "a sudden health issue". "It was decided to postpone the visit to the earliest possible date agreed upon by the two sides," his office said in a statement. Iraq's oil, finance, electricity and planning ministers arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to begin meetings ahead of Kadhemi's visit, Iraqi officials told AFP. The delegation was set to return to Baghdad after the meetings wrap up on Monday afternoon. Kadhemi's trip to Tehran -- Riyadh's arch-rival -- which had been planned to take place immediately after his Saudi visit, was still on, the officials added. Kadhemi is expected to meet Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Tuesday. In a delicate balancing act, Baghdad, often trapped in the tug-of-war between Riyadh, Tehran and Washington, has sought to maintain relations with regional rivals as it also reels from a slump in energy prices. "I wish @KingSalman a speedy recovery & look forward to seeing him at the earliest possible time, as we'll reschedule my visit soon," Kadhemi wrote on Twitter. "Iraq's relations with (Saudi) are strong & based on mutual strategic interests & brotherly ties. I'm optimistic about the potential & future of our ties," he added, a view echoed by Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs. Under the king's rule, Saudi Arabia has launched ambitious economic reforms for a post-oil era and given more rights to women, but also adopted a more assertive foreign policy and entered a war in neighbouring Yemen. King Salman took the throne after the death of his half-brother Abdullah, who was around 90 years old. In 2017, Saudi Arabia dismissed reports and mounting speculation that the king was planning to abdicate in favour of his young son, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is widely seen as the de facto ruler. "There is no possibility whatsoever that the king will abdicate," an unnamed Saudi official told Bloomberg News, adding that Saudi kings usually remain in power even when poor health prevents them from carrying out their responsibilities. Prince Mohammed's meteoric rise has coincided with a sweeping crackdown on critics and dissenters, as well as royal family members. Saudi Arabia has been engulfed by a series of controversies since he was named crown prince and heir to the throne in June 2017. That includes the brutal October 2018 murder of royal insider-turned-critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Trump in Tweets Rating: Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm Rating: During the 2004 U.S. elections, the Guardian encouraged readers to send letters to American voters in swing states such as Ohio, with a handwritten plea to evict the Republican President George W. Bush. Being from Britain ought to give you a certain leverage, the paper blithely declared, adding that, unless prompted by concerned Guardianistas, some Americans might not vote at all. Inexplicably, folk in the Land of the Free seemed to resent being addressed as rednecks too dumb to be trusted with their own political opinions. They backed Bush in even greater numbers. Three elections later, it was that same insufferable smugness on the Left that helped Donald Trump to power, when his rival Hillary Clinton dismissed his supporters as a basket of deplorables. And even now, the BBC has not learned the lesson: Trump In Tweets (BBC2) was one long condescending sneer at his online outbursts. And even now, the BBC has not learned the lesson: Trump In Tweets (BBC2) was one long condescending sneer at his online outbursts This documentary bombarded us with dozens of The Donalds most offensive, combative and illiterate tweets. It highlighted the ones that were gibberish, where he appeared to have fallen asleep while typing a nonsense word such as covfefe. It raked up his attacks on celebrities calling Bette Midler a washed-up psycho and warning Cher to stop with the bad plastic surgery. All this built to a denunciation of the North Korea crisis in 2017, when many feared Trump would provoke a nuclear conflict with his Twitter taunts to Kim Jong-un, alias Little Rocket Man. Former White House director of communications Anthony Scaramucci savaged Trump, telling the film-makers: He might not have early stage dementia but he has early stage Fascism. The BBC, though it is supposed to be politically impartial as our state broadcaster, cannot hide its delight at comments like that. To provide balance, it also included an interview with a largely unknown rapper called Bryson Gray, who offered up some faint praise: Hes definitely the funniest President we have had. Its fun to watch. Trumps appeal is beyond the comprehension of anyone at Broadcasting House. They can only imagine his supporters are doing it for giggles. This documentary cannot have any effect on the outcome of elections in four months time on the other side of the Atlantic. But as long as the Corporation keeps exhibiting its ingrained sense of superiority, by mocking Trump and the tens of millions who voted for him, it can only harm itself. Auntie, dont be a snob. There was more than a hint of snobbishness in the storytelling style of Rockfield: The Studio On The Farm (BBC4), with its plinky-plonk piano soundtrack and silly cartoon graphics. The idea that some of pops greatest hits were recorded here, while the owners trundled round on a tractor, struck director Hannah Berryman as preposterous. There was more than a hint of snobbishness in the storytelling style of Rockfield: The Studio On The Farm (BBC4), with its plinky-plonk piano soundtrack and silly cartoon graphics (Pictured: Rockfield Studio) To me, the Welsh border countryside seems the perfect backdrop for the creation of masterpieces such as Bohemian Rhapsody (Pictured: Freddie Mercury at Rockfield Studios To me, the Welsh border countryside seems the perfect backdrop for the creation of masterpieces such as Bohemian Rhapsody. It makes complete sense that Noel Gallagher wrote Wonderwall while perched on a farmyard wall outside Monmouth, or that Coldplay came up with Yellow after stargazing on the edge of the Wye Valley. Kingsley Ward and his brother Charles set up the studios in their barns after an audition with George Martin, the Beatles producer, failed to ignite their own pop career. This 90-minute history skirted round tensions between the brothers, and didnt manage to land a chat with Brian May or Roger Taylor of Queen. But it made for a pleasantly eccentric parade of rock trivia. A 24-year-old Texas woman who spent nearly three months in a hospital fighting Covid-19 says she wishes she had listened to the advice of officials and experts and worn a mask. Paola Castillo was discharged from Medical City North Hills Hospital in North Richland Hills on July 15 after 79 days, according to a news release from the hospital. Castillo went to the emergency room on April 27 with difficulty breathing, a cough, and a fever. (Courtesy of Medical City North Hills) The hospital said she had been exhibiting symptoms for six days prior to going to the ER and that she was placed on a ventilator during her first 24 hours there. She then spent over a month in the intensive care unit and on the ventilator, according to the hospital. Her husband and mother were told her condition was touch and go during that time, the hospital said. After being weaned off the ventilator, Castillo had to undergo rehabilitation because her abilities to walk, talk, and swallow had atrophied, the release added. She was able to go outside for the first time 67 days after her admission and took her first steps on July 3. A health care worker talks to a patient in the ER at Oakbend Medical Center in Richmond, Texas, on July 15, 2020. (MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images) What the care team has done for even this one patient is a mark of a life well lived and a purpose served, Andrea Morian, director of rehabilitation services at Medical City North Hills, said in the release. This is a single patient. The impact our teams have on so many more right now is overwhelming. Castillo told CNN affiliate KTVT that she never thought shed get the virus. Maybe if I would have just listened and worn a mask, just a simple thing, I would have avoided all this, she told KTVT. I work at a bank, Im always around people, but I was like, Im fine, Im fine. Never did I think Id catch it. The hospital said Castillo is now negative for Covid-19 and will continue her recovery at home. CNNs Chuck Johnston and Haley Brink contributed to this report. The CNN Wire contributed to this report. Moradabad : , July 20 (IANS) Vikas Tyagi, a Delhi University (DU) assistant professor who had come home to Moradabad during the lockdown, was electrocuted after rainwater entered his house in the city on Saturday night. According to the family, Tyagi, 37, came in contact with a live wire and died on the spot. Tyagi was an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, DU, and is survived by his wife, a 12-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. The family that lives in Dwarka's sector 2 and had come down to their ancestral house in Moradabad during the lockdown. The incident occurred when Vikas was trying to disconnect an inverter kept on the ground floor where rainwater had accumulated following heavy rainfall. He collapsed on the spot and was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. Vikas's cousin Hemant said, "The entire Buddhi Vihar colony remains waterlogged during the monsoon and rainwater enters our houses. Despite repeated complaints to the civic authorities, nothing was done to address the issue. If they had acted in time, my cousin would not have died." Soon after the incident as angry neighbours gathered on the spot alleging the civic body's high-handedness. The municipal officials swung into action and deputed workers to drain out rainwater from the deceased's house and the other parts of the colony. Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week? Monday, July 20, 2020 Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy broadcast on Nashvilles Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio. At the end of the second hour, Swain took listener calls regarding her recent endorsement of Bill Hagerty. She explained her choice by citing the importance of the candidates history and record of service. Leahy: Carol Swain, all-star panelist, and good friend is in the studio. She has endorsed Bill Hagerty for the Senate Republican primary. It has lit up the phones. Rob in Nashville wants to comment on this. Good morning Rob. Caller Rob: I dont like Hagerty at all and Im an openly gay Christian conservative. I believe I have a unique perspective he will not live down begging and the moment he gets in its all over. Plus with Sethi, being in the medical profession and how healthcare is such a huge thing right now, we need someone with his hands on actual experience to be able to help guide proper legislation through the Senate. Leahy: Ok. Swain: First of all, I dont know why the caller needed to indicate his sexual preference. Im not interested in that and I dont think most other people are. And when it comes to Sethi I try to look for the record of the candidates. And so hes running as a Christian conservative. Im being told hes the most conservative candidate in the race. All I can tell you is that I have been on the front lines of fighting conservative battles ever since I moved to Tennessee. Whether it was helping the legislature on issues like Yes On One. Fighting for Christian groups. Getting the heat for being one of the early people to warn about radical Islam. And calling out Black Lives Matter back in 2016. Calling them out as a Marxist group. During all that time that I was fighting those battles, I did not see Manny Sethi. I did not hear from him. And at Vanderbilt, it would have mattered if Christians had stood up and if more people would have stood up for the students. And its not about me, its about other people. So, thats my response. And everyone says they are going to go to Washington and get rid of Obamacare and reform healthcare but they dont. Leahy: Bill in Hendersonville, whats your comment for Carol. Caller Bill: Hey Michael. Leahy: Hey Bill. Bill: Thank you so much, buddy. You are the last conservative voice in the morning in this city and I really appreciate you and I appreciate Miss Swain. Leahy: Bill, by the way, the check is in the mail. So thank you for that comment. (Laughter) Bill: Im always here and I may not agree especially on the second caller. What I wanted to say was I dont think Trump should endorse anybody before the election. I dont think anybody ought to do that. I want to get to the main point that you never had mentioned and I think is glaring omission is that he was Mitt Romneys campaign manager. Now I realize he was the nominee at that time and that was a time. But I cant stand the guy and my disgust for him is so visceral. Swain: You cant stand Mitt? Bill: Exactly. Swain: A lot of us feel absolutely the same way and Mitt has gotten worse and worse over the years. Bill: He was his campaign manager. Excuse me for interrupting. Leahy: Bill, just as a point of fact, Bill Hagerty was not his campaign manager. He helped raise money for him in 2012 when he was the Republican nominee. Swain: There are so many lies out there. And all of us voted for the Republican nominee so you have to look at what the feel was at the time. Bill: Can I say one more thing? Real quickly. Excuse me for interrupting. Manny is hitting illegal immigration and it is not some side issue. That is the main issue besides this Black Lives Matter treachery. This craziness about taking away cops and stuff like that. I dont know how anybody could win anything with that in America unless America has gone farther than I thought. I voted for Manny and I want fresh and somebody new. I dont want another Lamar Alexander. But I was for Sessions too. Heres one thing I want to say. It makes Trump look good with his record of endorsing people and winning so thats the only reason I would. I love Trump. Go Trump! America is in the balance. Were going to lose America after this election if these liars get in. Thank you, Michael. Leahy: Bill, thanks for your comment. Carol, I think hes got a clear point of view. Swain: He certainly does. And I think that a lot of the attacks on Bill Hagerty has been guilt by association. Leahy: John in Nashville wants to weigh in. John, you are on with Carol Swain and we are talking about her controversial endorsement of Bill Hagerty that is lighting up the phones. I havent even got to the comments on our website at tennesseestar.com about it. John welcome. Caller John: Thank you. And thank you Miss Carol for your fight for the conservative message all across America. I have been sharing your videos with as many people as I can. And thank you for your clarity on your position on the candidates. I think that will be helpful for many to choose from. What was it about the conservative or the liberal message that really triggered you to get in the fight many years ago? And I dont know much about your previous history before you got into the conservative fight. I dont know if you were a liberal. What is it about the message that triggered it for you? And what is it about those messages that are preventing liberals and center people from really moving to conservatism? Swain: I can tell you that I was a Democrat up until probably around 2000 I became an Independent and I stopped voting for Democrats but I was not a Republican until 2009. After I had my Christian conversion experience I became increasingly conservative and at some point, I realized that I could not support candidates that stood for policies and positions that were antibiblical. And so my faith guides everything that I do. And I have noticed again and again candidates that say that they are Christian. To win in the South you have to say that you are a Christian and all you have to say is Jesus to get the vote of a lot of people. And they dont use critical thinking skills a lot of times. Its very important to look at candidates and to look at their records and theyve never been in office its a big gamble. Leahy: John, thank you so much for your call. The phone lines are lighting up. Everybody wants to talk to Carol Swain. Well get to some of the comments from our readers. Some of them are really interesting Carol. Published on The Tennessee Star Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 08:28 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b0c6b 1 Editorial Gibran-Rakabuming,Joko-Widodo,PDI-P,Politician Free Indonesias hard won democracy still allows for political dynasties to thrive, a fact resented by many following the euphoric regime change in 1998 for fostering the kind of corruption, collusion and nepotism that characterized the New Order regime. In 2015, the House of Representatives passed the Regional Elections Law that barred family members of an incumbent from running for a regional head post. What was thought to be a breakthrough for this young democracy, however, was overturned by the Constitutional Court, another product of the 1998 political reforms. In its decision, the court said equal opportunity needed to be preserved for all. But equal opportunity does not mean anything without a level playing field. In politics, a son, daughter or spouse of a prominent political figure are the most likely to win an election, benefitting from the latters sphere of influence and the other advantages they enjoy. Political parties, unsurprisingly, support political dynasties because of the lure of power. Read also: KPU presses on with December elections despite turnout concerns The decision of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to nominate President Joko Jokowi Widodos eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka for the Surakarta mayoral election was, therefore, to be expected, although it came a few months late because of internal squabbling. Other parties within and outside the ruling coalition look set to throw their weight behind Gibran. Observing the current political landscape in the Central Java city, Gibran may emerge as the sole candidate for the mayoral post, making the December election simply an expression of how much faith Surkartans have in Gibran to emulate his father, a popular two-term mayor of the city. If elected, Gibran could have the opportunity to follow fathers political trajectory. Few could doubt the sincerity of Gibrans intentions to improve the wellbeing of the people of Surakarta, but the manner in which he was able to enter the race does not bode well for the maturation of the countrys democracy. He would have not secured the ticket had he not been the son of the incumbent president. Indonesias democracy appears not to have moved far from its taking off point. It is a system in which decisions are made based on mass mobilization, like an expression of mob power. Political dynasties prevail in this country because democracy has yet to fully take root and the political system remains prone to manipulation. There have been numerous cases throughout the country of political dynasties breading systematic corruption, and yet many tend to ignore this risk, as in the case of Gibran and perhaps Jokowis son-in-law Bobby Nasution, who the PDI-P may pick as its mayoral candidate for Medan. Read also: What political dynasty? Jokowi's son-in-law says bid for Medan mayor is for development If we truly believe in democracy, we should not give space for political dynasties to grow, as it will lead to the accumulation of power by a small group of families. Worse, it will deprive us of opportunities to find better candidates for leadership positions at the regional and national levels. Now that Gibran has been nominated and more political dynasties are in the making, we have an idea of where this nation is headed. British pharma major AstraZenecas experimental Covid-19 vaccine has been found to be safe and has managed to produce a significant immune response in healthy volunteers in the initial stages of clinical trial, according to data released on Monday. The experimental vaccine did not display any serious side effects and produced antibody and T-cell immune responses in the volunteers on whom it was tested, according to the results of the clinical trials published in The Lancet medical journal. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacting to the success of the clinical trial has said, This is very positive news. A huge well done to our brilliant, scientists and researchers at the University of Oxford. There are no guarantees, were not there yet and further trials will be necessary but this is an important step in the right direction. Scientists involved in the trials have said the vaccine caused minor side effects more frequently than a control group, but some of these effects could be reduced by taking common paracetamol, with no serious harmful effects from the vaccine. Heres all you need to know about Oxfords Covid-19 vaccine candidate: 1. The vaccine has been called AZD1222 and was under development by pharma giant AstraZeneca in collaboration with scientists at Britains Oxford University. 2. The first human trial of the Covid-19 vaccine has indicated it is safe for use on healthy volunteers. 3. The new vaccine is a chimpanzee adenovirus viral vector (ChAdOx1) vaccine that expresses the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. It uses a common cold virus (adenovirus) that infects chimpanzees, which has been weakened so that it cant cause any infection in humans, and then has been genetically modified to code for the spike protein of the human SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to scientists working with the pharma major. 4. The human immune system has two ways of finding and attacking viral pathogens antibody and T-cell responses. This experimental vaccine is intended to induce both, so it can attack the coronavirus when its circulating in the body, as well as attack infected cells. 5. The widely-followed clinical trial is currently at an advanced stage, with ongoing trials in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa. 6. Oxford University has tied up with pharma major AstraZeneca and the British government to produce the vaccine on a mass scale if the final results turn out to be positive. 7. The Serum Institute of India is one of the global partners for the production of the Covid-19 vaccine on a large scale, once it gains regulatory approval. 8. A lot more research is needed before it can be confirmed that the experimental vaccine effectively protects against the Covid-19 infection and for how long that protection is likely to last in an infected patient. .9. AstraZenecas is among the leading vaccine candidates against the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 6,00,000 lives worldwide. 10. Some of the other vaccines candidates being developed and in the forefront of the frantic search for an effective one are Chinas Sinovac Biotech, another from state-owned Chinese firm Sinopharm, and one from the U.S. biotech firm Moderna. 11. The British pharma giant has signed agreements with governments around the world to supply the vaccine should it prove effective and gain regulatory approval. The company has said it will not seek to profit from the vaccine during the Covid-19 pandemic. 12. There is currently no working vaccine against Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and experts say one will be needed to control the pandemic that has infected millions of people around the world. Restart of Production Testing at Reids Dome Brisbane, July 20, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) is pleased to announce the recommencement of production testing at the Company's 100%-owned Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL 231) in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. Gas production testing has recommenced at both the Nyanda-4 the Serocold-1 wells.State Gas is appraising the potential for the Reid's Dome Beds in PL231 to host a significant coal seam gas project.Production tests of the Nyanda-4 and Serocold-1 wells in late 2019 - early 2020 produced very encouraging early results that were interrupted by pump issues in both wells. As announced on 2 June 2020, State Gas undertook an investigation of those issues and arranged for the manufacture in Canada of customised replacement pumps designed for the conditions. The pumps arrived in Australia early this month.The new pumps have now been installed into the Serocold-1 and Nyanda-4 wells. Dewatering recommenced at Nyanda-4 on 16 July and at Serocold-1 on 18 July.Nyanda-4 started producing measurable quantities of gas (10mscf) after only three days of pumping water. At Serocold-1 the casing pressure has increased after 1 day of pumping, a promising indication for gas production. The water levels are being drawn down slowly to maximise producibility with gas expected to flow once downhole pressures are sufficiently lowered.Aldinga East-1AAs announced on 13 November 2019, a new conventional gas pool was discovered during the drilling of the Aldinga East-1A well. Subsequent tests of the gas sand failed to achieve gas flow, suggesting a water block (caused by the drilling fluid) has impeded flow. The Company has been monitoring a pressure build up at the well for several months and has now conducted a productivity test. This test has produced gas, indicating some dissipation of the water block and confirming the gas pool. The well will continue to be monitored for ongoing gas pressure build up and further testing will be considered.State Gas is looking forward to announcing further positive results from Reid's Dome and will provide further updates in the near future.About State Gas Limited State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network. Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4). State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements. The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing. State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells. "As a company, one of our core values is INNOVATION, which means we are continuously focused on developing new ways to support our agents." Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, one of the countrys fastest-growing real estate brokerages, has introduced full contract-to-close transaction management services to their agents with the launch of the companys new Real Estate Concierge Service (RECS). The availability of this new offering allows PenFed Realty agents to delegate a host of administrative tasks to an in-house team of experienced transaction coordinators. Agents can sign up for this new service on a per-transaction basis through the companys new online portal called The RECS Store. As a company, one of our core values is INNOVATION, which means we are continuously focused on developing new ways to support our agents, said Jessica Holt, Senior Vice President of Professional Services. Providing our agents with a means to hand off a long list of administrative tasks to a team of experienced professionals allows our agents to spend more time focusing on meeting their clients needs and growing their business. The RECS Stores in-house team of transaction coordinators have over 30 years of combined transaction management and real estate experience. Located throughout the markets that PenFed Realty serves, members of the RECS transaction management team have knowledge of local real estate trends and contract terms for their specific jurisdictions. Transaction management services are just one of the many offerings available from the RECS Store. For more information, visit whyjoin.penfedrealty.com/recs. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty is a full-service real estate company with an annual sales volume of over $5 billion. The company has over 1,800 agents and more than 55 offices, providing complete real estate services nationwide. PenFed Realty is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PenFed Credit Union and is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, operated by HSF Affiliates LLC. Membership with PenFed Credit Union is not required to conduct business with BHHS PenFed Realty. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. Equal Housing Opportunity. Tributes and honors are being paid to the late Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights icon who died last week. According to CNN, the House of Representatives will have a moment of silence for Lewis Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. "He was just remarkable every single day," Pelosi told CBS. "He, again, challenged our conscience in so many ways in terms of equality and justice." Other memorial service details are forthcoming, Lewis family has said. Lewis died Friday after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80. Lewis had served as the U.S. representative for Georgias 5th Congressional District for more than 30 years. He was part of lunch counter sit-ins, the work of Freedom Riders and a keynote speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. On Bloody Sunday in 1965, during a protest march in Alabama, police attacked Lewis and other marchers with clubs, fracturing his skull. "Sometimes when I look back and think about it, how did we do what we did? How did we succeed? We didn't have a website. We didn't have a cellular telephone," Lewis had said of the civil rights movement. "But I felt when we were sitting in at those lunch counter stools, or going on the Freedom Ride, or marching from Selma to Montgomery, there was a power and a force. God Almighty was there with us." In 1981, Lewis was elected to the Atlanta city council and then to Congress six years later. In Congress, he worked to help younger generations with education and health care access. In 2011, Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Americas first Black 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," Obama said. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pool Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner. Trump named several major cities, including some not experiencing violent protests, as candidates for federal forces. President Donald Trump on Monday said he plans to send law enforcement personnel to some large United States cities, as a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests including use of unmarked cars and unidentified officers that appear to be in military gear, in Portland, Oregon angers people across the country. Were sending law enforcement, Trump told reporters at the White House. We cant let this happen to the cities. Trump, a Republican, mentioned New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California, as possible places for sending in federal forces, noting the cities mayors are liberal Democrats. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot frequently blasts Trump on Twitter. State and local leaders in Oregon, as well as members of Congress, meanwhile, have called for Trump to remove Department of Homeland Security from Portland. They were deployed prior to July 10. Theyve been there three days and they really have done a fantastic job in a very short period of time, no problem, Trump said misstating how long the federal law enforcement officers have been in the historically liberal city to quell protests. They grab a lot of people and jail the leaders. These are anarchists. Trump and members of his administration have blamed Antifa, a loosely organised grouping of left-wing protesters and activists who have been active in sometimes-violent protests since the alleged murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. While the violence has sometimes been deadly, the overwhelming majority of suspects belong to right-wing groups. Trump has previously threatened to designate Antifa, which is short for anti-fascists, as a terrorist organisation, due to alleged violence caused by the group. Federal officers last week began cracking down on Portland protests against police brutality and systemic racism, using tear gas and taking some activists into custody without explanation. The tactics that the Trump administration are using on the streets of Portland are abhorrent, Portlands Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, said in an interview with CNN. Oregon has sued the federal government for the actions of unmarked officers in the city. Governor Kate Brown has asked the officers to leave. 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. https://t.co/PdlZkmW0mQ Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 16, 2020 Despite a national outcry over the tactics, Department of Homeland Security officials on Monday said they would not back down and would not apologise. Acting Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli dismissed local leaders calls to leave the city. We will maintain our presence, Cuccinelli said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 05:46:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Four Islamic State (IS) militants and two paramilitary Hashd Shaabi members were killed on Sunday in two attacks in the Iraqi province of Salahudin, the Hashd Shaabi said. The paramilitary Saraya al-Salam militia, affiliated with the Hashd Shaabi forces, killed four IS militants in the northeast of the city of Samarra, some 120 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, a Hashd Shaabi statement in a brief said. As a militia affiliated with the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Saraya al-Salam, or Peace Companies, is deployed in Samarra to protect the Shitte shrines of the two imams Ali al-Hadi and Hassan al-Askari. Also in Salahudin Province, a roadside bomb exploded on a Hashd Shaabi vehicle during an anti-IS operation in the al-Jazira area in the western part of the province, the Hashd Shaabi said in a separate statement. The explosion destroyed the vehicle and resulted in the killing of two Hashd Shaabi members and the wounding of four others aboard, the statement said. The incidents took place as the extremist IS militants have intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin leaves after a House Small Business Committee hearing on oversight of the Small Business Administration and Department of Treasury pandemic programs on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 17, 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP) Mnuchin Urges Swift Aid Bill; Former Fed Chairs Want Bigger Deal WASHINGTONTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged Congress to quickly enact a new pandemic relief package that focuses on hardest-hit swaths of the economy, as lawmakers race to stand up federal aid in the face of the latest spike in coronavirus cases across much of the Sun Belt and persistent severe unemployment. Deadlines loom as the extra $600 weekly benefits provided by the federal government to tens of millions of unemployed workers are set to expire July 31. Mnuchin, the Trump administrations chief negotiator on economic relief, told a House hearing on July 17 that Congress should pass a new rescue package by the end of the month. Set for partisan negotiations next week, it would be the fifth virus relief bill since the spring, when Congress dispensed and President Donald Trump approved nearly $3 trillion in emergency aid. We anticipate that additional relief will be targeted to certain industries, smaller businesses, and lower- to middle-income families that have been especially hard-hit by the pandemic, Mnuchin said. Our focus will be on jobs and getting all Americans back to work. With the economic picture bleak, former Federal Reserve Chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen urged Congress to do more to help the economy deal with the devastating pandemic, such as extending increased unemployment benefits and providing assistance to hard-hit states and local governments, something many Republicans oppose. The two former Fed leaders, making their first appearances on July 17 before a congressional panel since leaving the central bank, praised the efforts already made by the Fed and Congress but said both should be ready to do more given the severity of the shock the economy has endured. Democrats and Republicans on the committee clashed over the Trump administrations response to the virus, what the next package of support should look like, and whether schools should be required to reopen in the fall. Yellen and Bernanke, in a joint statement, said the new measure should provide substantial support to state and local governments. The administration and many GOP members of Congress are arguing for spending restraint, saying the federal government should not be bailing out states. But Yellen and Bernanke said, The enormous loss of revenue from the recession, together with the new responsibilities imposed by the pandemic, has put state and local budgets deeply in the red. The new relief legislation is expected to extend the $660 billion emergency loan program for small businesses. But the new loans under the Paycheck Protection Program should be awarded on a more focused basis, Mnuchin said, toward smaller businesses and those especially hard-hit by the pandemic and lockdowns of business and commerce. Restaurants, hotels, and other travel and hospitality businesses figure prominently among them. I think its important that we target this to the businesses that are hardest-hit, Mnuchin testified to the House Small Business Committee. Mnuchin and Jovita Carranza, head of the Small Business Administration, parried criticism of the loan program at the hearing. Responding to accusations that the program failed to adequately target the neediest applicants, Mnuchin acknowledged that to correct a current lapse, a revenue test should be applied to businesses seeking aid going forward. He also approved setting aside funds for loans to minority-owned businesses. Data on some $517 billion in taxpayer-funded loans awarded under the program designed to soften job losses from coronavirus give the impression of a rushed, first-come, first-served effort that also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies, some firms owned by celebrities and politicians including governors, and big restaurant chains backed by Wall Street investors. Many in our country are struggling. They are angry and they are hurting, said Committee Chair Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.). She called it a gut punch, for example, the fact that members of Congress and other officials werent subject to ethics rules governing other federal programs and were allowed to receive loans. At least a dozen lawmakers have ties to organizations that received loans. Lawmakers of both parties agreed to rush an additional $300 billion or so into the program in April, after it burned through the initial $349 billion in the first two weeks. Loan awards under the program have slowed to a trickle in recent weeks. After 3 months, the SBA has processed about 5 million loans worth some $500 billion. About $130 billion hasnt been committed. Originally scheduled to end in June, the program was extended through Aug. 8. The low-interest loans are forgivable if the business uses the money to keep employees on the payroll or rehire workers who have been laid off. Companies recently got an extension of the time for them to use the loans, to 24 weeks from eight. By Martin Crutsinger & Marcy Gordon Brenda Allen had been president of Lincoln University for three years before the board this month voted not to negotiate a new contract. Read more The sudden ouster of Lincoln Universitys president has now drawn the ire of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and the states top prosecutor. Wolf and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro sued Lincolns board of trustees and board chairperson, Theresa R. Braswell, late last week for allegedly violating state law and the boards own bylaws in voting against retaining president Brenda A. Allen at a July 10 board meeting. Lincoln, a historically Black university in Chester County, is one of four state-related institutions on which the governor serves as an ex-officio board member. The vote was taken in private in violation of the states Sunshine Act, the lawsuit, filed Friday, says, and five of the trustees appointed by the state were barred from participating in the Zoom meeting. Wolf and Shapiro asked Commonwealth Court to declare the vote invalid. There is no provision in the Sunshine Act authorizing secret ballots or votes in executive session or precluding the right of any member of the board covered by the Sunshine Act to vote during a public meeting, the lawsuit says. The board has not commented on why it didnt renew Allens contract. A university spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Allens lawyer could not be reached for comment. Board members could face fines of $100 to $1,000 if the court determines the law was violated. The controversy erupted at Lincoln earlier this month as rumors circulated that the board planned to not retain Allen, who has led the school for three years, earning widespread support among faculty, students, and alumni. More than 14,000 people signed an online petition backing Allen, whose contract ran out June 30. Allen, a 1981 Lincoln graduate, sued the board last week, saying members illegally voted to end her tenure. Allen, her supporters say, has improved student retention and alumni giving. This marks the second time in six years that a leadership decision at Lincoln has erupted into public view. In 2014, Robert Jennings resigned amid backlash over statements that some saw as blaming women for sexual assault. The universitys bylaws require a 10-day notice of a special meeting and say that only action described in the notice can be taken without unanimous consent of trustees, according to the suit. The notice for the July 10 meeting did not specify that Allens contract would be considered, the suit noted, but instead said: University Leadership - Next Steps. Lincolns board, under its bylaws, should consist of 39 voting members, but at the July 10 meeting, the board said there were 21 of only 23 members present. The state has 12 appointments, including four by the governor, four by the speaker of the House, and four by the president of the Senate. According to the suit, four of the state-appointed trustees and the governors representative had their microphones muted by the Zoom host. They also were denied participation in the private session where the vote was taken, excluded from the roll call, and prohibited from voting, the suit said. During the private session, the board conducted a secret ballot on whether to renew Allens contract and announced later that it failed, the suit said. The board later voted in public session to search for an interim president. The five state-appointed trustees, however, were barred from voting and the motion was passed by 14-7, according to the lawsuit. Braswell, the suit says, excluded the state trustees because they had not been vetted by a board committee, but there is no provision that requires such vetting. Braswells actions, the suit says, were in willful defiance and wanton disregard of the advice of the universitys legal counsel and the universitys bylaws. New Delhi, July 20 : The Indian Commercial Pilot Association has told Air India management that any unilateral change by Air India from agreed upon wage settlement would be illegal and will not be in the interest of the national carrier at this crucial juncture. In a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, ICPA warned that, "Such a situation has the potential to flair to an unprecedented magnitude". "Any unilateral change by Air India from agreed upon wage settlement would be illegal and will not be in the interest of our National Carrier at this crucial juncture. Such a situation has the potential to flair to an unprecedented magnitude," ICPA said. Air India is going through a sale process and final bids submission date is August 31. ICPA said, "In the press conference by Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on July 16, you had stated 'we are in negotiation with the pilots' which is far from reality." "It was not a negotiation, but the diktat of MoCA which was conveyed to us. We would also like to place on record that the so called negotiation was 'not harmonious' in any aspect," ICPA said. "Flying allowance and flying related allowances constitute 70% of our wages. These allowances remain unpaid since April 2020. Furthermore, all the wages are being paid with constant delays. The proposal was verbally explained to us without any written true copy. However, the said proposal is not acceptable to us as it is against the fundamental right, "Right to Equality", guaranteed to us by the Indian Constitution," ICPA said. The management cannot and should not unilaterally implement any restructured wage. ICAP claimed that under Section 9A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, Air India Limited is bound to serve a Notice of Change to the unions. The Bombay HC in the matter ICPA vs. Air India Limited January 27, held, "We are of the view that notice under Section 9A of the ID Act should be given by Air India Limited to the petitioner unions of the change in conditions of service in the prescribed format." The order of the Bombay HC was challenged before the apex court. The Supreme Court has not issued a stay in favour of Air India Limited. Essentially, this means Air India is bound to follow Section 9A of the ID Act, ICPA said. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired the governor of the Far Eastern region of Khabarovsk, Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on murder charges, which sparked massive rallies in his support. The Kremlin said on July 20 that Putin has appointed Mikhail Degtyaryov, who like Furgal is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia led by outspoken nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, as acting governor of the Khabarovsk region. Zhirinovsky said he accepted the move but added that his party will continue to insist that all charges against Furgal be dropped. As the change was announced, hundreds of people marched across the city of Khabarovsk, the region's capital, demanding Furgal's release. While marching through a heavy downpour, the protesters briefly stopped near the regional police headquarters and the regional radio and television corporation, demanding "full coverage of the protests and transparent and detailed information about the investigations of Furgal's case." They also want any possible trial to be held in the region, and not Moscow. The 50-year-old Furgal denies the charges, which his supporters say are politically motivated. Furgal was elected governor of Khabarovsk, which borders China, two years ago in an upset for the longtime incumbent, who represented the ruling United Russia party. Over the weekend police briefly detained two protesters in Khabarovsk and jailed for five days one protester in Vladivostok as thousands of people took part in protests in several cities in Russia's Far East to demand Furgal's release. Organizers said a July 18 protest was attended by some 50,000 people in Khabarovsk, a city of only 600,000 people. Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-05. On July 16, the Moscow City Court in a closed-door decision upheld Furgal's pretrial detention. The continuing protests, far from the Russian capital, are a rare public show of defiance of the Kremlin and come following a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036. The authorities have been unnerved by the protests, with the regional capital's mayor calling for calm and saying such rallies were illegal and could spread the coronavirus. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has also warned of an alleged terrorist threat involving explosives, which it claimed to have already foiled. In addition, authorities in the Khabarovsk region said they were considering a return to strict quarantine and attributed this to the "difficult situation with the spread of coronavirus infection." Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Sunday evening convened a meeting of Congress Legislature Party here to chalk out a strategy to stop the current trend of MLAs deserting the party. The meeting was convened in the wake of two Congress MLAs crossing over to the BJP last week. We will review the situation and evolve a strategy to keep our flock in the CLP together, a senior Congress leader told this newspaper. According to him, the AICC leadership has taken a serious note of the recent development in which two Congress MLAs, Pradyumna Singh Lodhi and Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, resigned from the Assembly as well as the party and later joined the BJP, and asked the state party leadership to take immediate measures to stop further desertions by party MLAs. Sources said at least a dozen Congress MLAs are on the radar of the state party leadership in the wake of reports that the BJP is trying to woo more Congress legislators. Senior leaders like Mr Nath, Digvijay Singh and Suresh Pachuri will have one-to-one meetings with party MLAs to ensure there will be no more desertions, he added. Senior Congress leader and former state minister Sajjan Singh Verma, however, said the CLP meeting was called to deliberate on byelections in 26 Assembly constituencies in the state likely to be held soon. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Weve been writing about Kim Gardner, the incompetent leftist St. Louis prosecutor, who is persecuting the McCloskeys for defending their home against a mob. Weve also been encouraging readers to contribute here to the campaign of Mary Pat Carl, who is running against Gardner in next months primary. The importance of this primary is highlighted by news that a George Soros-linked group has contributed $78,000 to Gardners campaign. This is part of Soros effort to undermine order in the U.S. by electing prosecutors who want to hamstring the police and go easy on criminals. His organization backed Gardner financially in 2016, and its doing so again this year. Gardners relatively brief tenure as St. Louis prosecutor has been a disaster for law and order. Prosecutors have left in droves. Gardners conviction rate in cases that go trial is abysmal. And, not surprisingly, the homicide rate is soaring. Gardners incompetence and, possibly, her corruption were on display in her attempt to nail former Republican Gov. Eric Greitens. Gardner indicted Greitens shortly after she assumed office in January 2017. Months later, she was forced to drop the case for lack of evidence. According to this report, the case against Greitens was built on lies. Indeed, William Tisaby, an out-of-state retired FBI Agent hired by Gardner to construct the case, has been indicted on seven counts of perjury. He is awaiting trial. Gardner is under criminal investigation in the matter. It would be difficult for a prosecutor to do more harm in a lifetime than Gardner has done in three and a half years. George Soros has gotten his moneys worth. Thats why hes investing more of it in her reelection. As Lewis Hamilton blasts Formula 1's anti-racism measures as "not good enough", FIA president Jean Todt has declared that "all lives" matter. After matching Michael Schumacher's single-circuit record by winning in Hungary for the eighth time, six-time world champion Hamilton slammed the "embarrassing" pre-race spectacle as he again kneeled for the Black Lives Matter movement. In part, he blamed Grand Prix Drivers' Association director Romain Grosjean for the shambles. "He doesn't think it's important to do it," Hamilton said of his French rival. "He's one of them that thinks that it was done once and that's all we need to do." Grosjean's fellow GPDA director Sebastian Vettel agrees that Sunday's 'take a knee' moment was not a good look. "You saw what happened," said the Ferrari driver. "There was very little time today, everyone was in a hurry. "In the future, we need to agree on what we will do. Hopefully we will solve this problem by the next race." But Hamilton also hit out at Formula 1's owner, Liberty Media, and the Todt-run governing FIA. "It is lacking leadership," he charged. "We are in a sport and there needs to be leadership from the top and currently there is none of that. "I will get in touch with F1 this week and get in touch with Jean Todt, as no one else is going to do it. I would love to know what Jean thinks and what Chase (Carey) thinks. "You need a leader - where is Jean in that scenario? It should not be for me to call them out." But F1 CEO Chase Carey has pledged $1 million to the anti-racism cause, and the Daily Mail reveals that Todt has also committed about the same amount via the FIA. Todt, whose actress wife Michelle Yeoh is Chinese, says racism affects more than just black people. "Lewis feels strongly about racism. It is a cause dear to him," the FIA president, who says he understands why some drivers do not kneel, said. "People are different," said the Frenchman. "Some are loud, others put their case quietly. But we all aim for the end of racism. "I say life matters. Lives matter. Not just black lives. Or yellow lives. Or white lives. All lives," Todt added. Former Minardi driver, Russian Sergey Zlobin, is highly critical of Hamilton's recent actions. "I'm tired of this circus, to be honest," he told Izvestia news agency. "On his whim, the Mercedes is painted black and the drivers are on a knee. This is no longer Formula 1 but some kind of political rally." (GMM) The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Afia Tenge, has advised the general public to be security-conscious and extra vigilant as some criminals may take advantage of the mandatory wearing of face masks to perpetrate crimes. She said although facial recognition was important in identifying criminals, it had become difficult to recognise faces as everyone was expected to wear a face covering in public. She advised that when crimes occurred, people should also take note of other key features such as physique, type and colour of clothes, type of vehicle used, number of persons who committed a crime, among others. DSP Tenge explained that in the past, aside from facial recognition, the police used other traces to identify criminals, hence it was important for the general public to be extra vigilant in these times. We know criminals will take advantage of the current situation, and so people may not be able to identify someone who attacks them. Even before the compulsory wearing of face masks, some criminals operated in different face masks which completely covered their faces. The police had been able to identify some of them because of the traces they left behind. Crimes in communities are sometimes committed by people living within that same community, so if one is a bit vigilant you may be able to pick up clues like voices, stature or how they walk, which the criminal would not be able to change immediately. These are clues that have helped the police in tracing some criminals, she said. She explained that before the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Ghana Police Service had advised the general public to beware of people who entered bank premises, markets, shops and business areas wearing face coverings. That directive was in response to a trend of robbery cases where the robbers, in order to avoid being captured on the closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), adopted a method of hiding their identities through wearing hoods and helmet. Times have changed, today in the face of this pandemic, we must look beyond the face and pick other clues to help the police identify criminals, she advised. Installation of technological device For business owners and managers of public places, DSP Tenge advised that in addition to security personnel, it was important to install devices such as CCTVs, anti-theft devices and surveillance systems that would assist the police in case a crime was committed. On private security personnel who were employed at such places, she said it was important to ensure that their details were vetted by the Criminal Investigative Department of the police before they were employed. She stated that the government, as part of its policy to ensure the security and safety of citizens, was through the National Security Ministry embarking on the installation of CCTV cameras nationwide. In all, about 7,000 cameras are expected to be installed to monitor the activities of criminals and various traffic offences. Security in public places DSP Tenge noted that these days, most people were distracted by their phones and did not pay attention to happenings in their surroundings. In such instances, she said, it was difficult to give any traces or clues if a crime occurred. Avoid exposing your money carelessly in your front pockets and keep your purses and wallets closed. Anytime you enter a public facility, try and take interest in security awareness around you to reduce your security vulnerability. Keep valuables away from view, lock car doors properly, beware of persons loitering at car parks and only transact business with accredited shops, she cautioned. Police committed to combatting crime DSP Tenge assured the public that the police was committed to ensuring their safety at public places and within their communities. She said the community policing wing also assisted the Police Service in responding rapidly to crimes, gathering intelligence, enforcing the law and ensuring that residents were safe. Once there is an attack, call the police emergency number 18555 or 191 immediately, be sincere and answer all questions without delay. People delay in calling the police when crimes occur and this affects police response time to the crime scene, she stated. Mandatory wearing of face masks It will be recalled that last month, as part of measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo issued an Executive Instrument (EI) that mandated the general public to wear face masks in public places. Leaving our homes without a face mask or face covering is an offence, the President said in his 11th address to the nation on the COVID-19 pandemic. The EI states that a person caught not wearing a face mask is to be punished by the law under the EI. Offenders are to pay either a minimum fine between GH12,000 and GH50,000 or be imprisoned for a four-year minimum or up to 10 years. Following this directive, several people have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service for refusing to wear face masks. For instance, on June 25, graphic.com.gh reported that about 40 people were arrested within the Central Business District for not wearing face masks as prescribed by the law. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 09:51:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged his countrymen to continue fighting COVID-19, noting that the virus remains dangerous. The disease is one of the biggest challenges to the human race, Museveni said in a statement issued on Sunday. He warned that because of the mobility of people traveling from one destination to another, the disease can spread anywhere quickly. "People who are joking with the disease are playing with fire. Over 13 million people have been infected and half a million people have died globally, so this is not a joke," Museveni said. The president revealed that some health workers in the country who were initially infected by the virus and healed were again reinfected when they returned to work in hospital. "This disease is not a joke, apparently it can attack you again," he said, adding that he thanks those who take the disease seriously and avoid endangering those around them. Museveni attributed Uganda's success in the fight against the disease to the public who have continuously heeded the preventive measures issued by the government, adding that health workers who are at the front line fighting the pandemic have also played a great role. As of Saturday, Uganda had registered 1,062 positive cases of COVID-19, 1,023 people have recovered and discharged from hospital with no death yet, according to the ministry of health. Museveni is scheduled to address the country on Tuesday to give an update on the country's efforts of fighting the virus. The country has eased lockdown restrictions, although schools and worship places remain closed and public gatherings are still banned. Enditem Japan published its 2020 Defense White Paper today and in the section on the F-35B, the government has confirmed that the stealth fighter will operate from the Izumo-class helicopter destroyer. Japan published its 2020 Defense White Paper today and in the section on the F-35B, the government has confirmed that the stealth fighter will operate from the Izumo-class helicopter destroyer. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Izumo DDH-183 (Picture source: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) The paper says this is in response to the new security environment and to protect Japans air and sea approaches. Japan previously announced plans to convert JS Izumo and her sister Kaga, of the Izumo helicopter destroyer class, into light aircraft carriers capable of operating F-35B jets. The country also recently increased its order of F-35s, including 42 F-35Bs, making the country the second-largest operator behind the United States, a spot previously held by the United Kingdom. For the record, the JMSDF was allocated US$28.8 million in fiscal year 2020 to perform the first stage of modifications for JS Izumo during its planned overhaul. It will then return to the fleet and receive the remaining conversion work in FY2025. In contrast, JS Kaga is expected to be fully modified during its next scheduled overhaul in FY2022. The picture shows the Izumo DDH-183, the first ship of the Izumo-class helicopter destroyer (22DDH) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Izumo DDH-183). (Picture source: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) About Izumo-class vessels: The two 24,000 tonne Izumo-class vessels JS Izumo and JS Kaga, which were commissioned in 2015 and 2017 respectively, measure 248 metres long and have been built with several features that would support F-35B operations such as the elevators, flight deck, and stowage area although further work is required before the type can be fully qualified. The JS Izumo can carry up to 28 aircraft including 12 F-35B, 8 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and 8 ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) or SRA (Search And Rescue) helicopters, or 14 larger aircraft. Only seven ASW helicopters and two SAR helicopters are planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and 50 3.5-ton trucks (or equivalent equipment) can also be carried. The flight deck has five helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings and take-offs. The Izumo-class is armed with 2 x 11 Cell SeaRAM missiles able to destroy supersonic and subsonic threats including cruise missiles, drones and helicopters, 2 Phalanx CIWS Close-In Weapon Systems and two Triple 324mm torpedoes tubes. Israeli air strikes on Syria are part of a shadow war approved by the US as part of its anti-Iran policy, sources say. Syrian air defences on Monday intercepted a barrage of missiles fired near the capital Damascus, state media reported, in the latest wave of suspected Israeli attacks. Sources said Israeli air raids struck a major Iranian-backed ammunition depot on the edge of the capital and Iranian fighters were reportedly killed. State television said Israeli missiles were fired over the Syrian Golan Heights and live footage showed blasts across the skies of Damascus. The Israelis have targeted a major ammunitions depot. There were several strikes and the blasts were huge. There are reports that Iranian personnel have been killed, said Zaid al-Reys, a Syrian analyst in touch with sources on the ground. A Syrian military spokesman was quoted as saying air defences thwarted most of the missiles that targeted southern Damascus suburbs, areas that Israel has hit in the past, before reaching their targets and inflicted only material losses. Proxy militias Syrian military defectors said the strike targeted a major Iranian-run ammunitions depot in Jabal al-Mane near the town of Kiswa, where Iranian Revolutionary Guards have long been entrenched in a rugged area 15km (9.3 miles) south of the centre of Damascus. The blasts were so severe they were heard in the capital and shook windows of several neighbourhoods there, according to residents. The bases in eastern, central and southern Syria that Israel had hit in recent months are believed to have a strong presence of Iranian-backed militias, according to intelligence sources and military defectors familiar with the locations. Syria never publicly acknowledges the attacks target Iranian assets in a country where Tehrans military presence has covered most government-controlled areas. Western intelligence sources say Israels strikes on Syria are part of a shadow war approved by the United States and part of its anti-Iran policy. Israel has acknowledged conducting many raids inside Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. Israeli defence officials have said in recent months that Israel would step up its campaign against Iran in Syria where, with the help of its proxy militias, Tehran has expanded its presence. Westerly, RI (02891) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High around 45F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Snow may mix in late. Low 32F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. A TEENAGER from Shiplake has won a national journalism award for his feature on organ donations. Sam Penrose, who lives in Orchard Close, has been writing for his student newspaper, The Martlet, at Abingdon School for the last four years and is now its deputy editor. The Lent edition featured his interview with Dr Catherine Penrose, who is a consultant in paediatric intensive care medicine at Leeds General Infirmary and is also his aunt. Sam, 16, entered the Shine Media Awards in March and achieved first prize in the Best Standalone Piece category. It was judged by Liz Hunt, assistant editor at the Daily Mail, who said: I could see this on the health pages of a national newspaper. He also received the award for the best front page from the same edition, which focused on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The law changed in May, meaning that organ donation in England is now handled on an opt out basis, meaning your organs will be donated when you die, unless you are part of an excluded group. His article Organ donation: have you got the guts was inspired by his aunt. Sam said: She has always been talking about the importance of organ donation and it is a topic I hadnt heard much about in mainstream news, but it is such an important subject. I was really excited to win. It was a surprise because this is one of the first pieces I wrote I wasnt expecting it at all. I work on the newspaper mostly in design and page layouts but I have slowly done more pieces of journalism and I have really enjoyed it. I had done bits of creative writing before but nothing like this. I also work on the school magazine, The Abingdonian, and I am now the deputy editor of the newspaper. I enjoy working together as a team and seeing all of the different elements come together. You realise how much effort goes into other newspapers because we just do it every term. The award winners were announced via video message on June 29 due to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. Sam would have otherwise attended a prize-giving ceremony in London. It is a national competition with about 20 categories, recognising secondary school children for excellence in areas such as writing, photography and marketing. As a reward, Sam will be taking part in a journalism masterclass with Simon Heffer and Glenda Cooper of City University in January 2021. Sam lives at home with his parents Chris and Wendy and his older sister Amy, 19, who is studying English Literature at Leeds University. His father is a marketing consultant for Prosper 21, while his mother is a jeweller. Dr Penrose, who is his fathers sister, was one of the founders of the Be A Hero campaign, which was established to encourage more people to join the organ donation register prior to the change in the law. Sam added: I first spoke to her about this when former Prime Minister Theresa May was talking about changing the law a long time ago. I was surprised to learn that you are much more likely to need an organ rather than give an organ. I did the interview with my aunt in February over Facetime and spread her thoughts throughout the article to help it flow a bit better. There are specialised cases where you have to die in specific circumstances and if you arent opted in, there are even fewer people that can give an organ and that is what makes it such an important subject. For the front cover, I just really liked the simplicity of it. We have been trying to make the covers simple to make them stand out because before they have been quite cluttered. In the UK, three people die every day due to a lack of suitable organ donors and a donor has the potential to give up to nine different organs. Sam, who is in Year 12, plans to study Architecture at either Bath or Manchester University, but he hopes to keep up his passion for journalism. He said: It is quite a different direction to take, but I still want to do writing in my free time, I have always liked art and design. I am really interested in the whole design process. I would definitely like to do more journalism before leaving school. I really enjoy doing that and I want to streamline the paper and improve the number of interviews that we do to make a mark in my last year. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chairman of the house of representatives committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has recused himsel... Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chairman of the house of representatives committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has recused himself from the probe. Kemebradikumo Pondei, acting managing director of the NDDC, walked out on the committee last week after alleging that Tunji-Ojo and Peter Nwaoboshi, his counterpart at the senate, padded the 2019 budget of the commission. At the meeting of the house committee on NDDC last Thursday, Pondei stormed out of the session after insisting that Tunji-Ojo, its chairman, would not preside. He said Tunji-Ojo had been fingered in the alleged fraud at the NDDC and so, cannot sit over the same matter in which he is an accused. His statement irked members of the committee which issued an arrest warrant against the NDDC acting MD and other members of the interim management committee. The chairman was alleged to have been awarded a road contract by the NDDC, before the new interim management came on board. But he had denied the allegation which he described as baseless, and challenged anyone with evidence to bring it forward. I am the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC in the House of Representatives and I say without equivocation that I do not have any contract whatsoever at the commission, Tunji-Ojo had said. Jaipur, July 20 : The hearing on a petition filed by Congress rebel Sachin Pilot and 18 other party MLAs against disqualification notices issued to them by the Assembly Speaker will continue in the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday. During the hearing on Monday, Abhishek Manu Singhvi made the arguments on behalf of Speaker C.P. Joshi, saying the Speaker had simply sent a notice to the MLAs, and did not disqualify them. "The petition of the Pilot camp is premature and it should be rejected," he argued. Senior advocate Harish Salve, who represented the Pilot group, said that toppling the government was a different matter and choosing a different Chief Minister was another matter. Earlier on Friday, Salve had said that no activity outside the Legislative Assembly could be considered a violation of the Anti-defection Act. The session was not running, hence the whip issued by the Speaker held no meaning, he had contended. He argued that the dissident MLAs wanted to challenge the anti-defection law enshrined in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. The hearing was then adjourned till Monday and the Speaker was asked not to take any action against the petitioners till Tuesday. It needs to be mentioned here that Joshi had issued a notice on July 14 to 19 MLAs, including Pilot, asking why they should not be disqualified from the Legislative Assembly. The Speaker had taken action on a complaint by Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi. These legislators who have been served the notice include Sachin Pilot, Ramesh Meena, Indraj Gurjar, Gajraj Khatana, Rakesh Pareek, Murari Meena, P.R. Meena, Suresh Modi, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, Vedprakash Solanki, Mukesh Bhakar, Ramnivas Gavadia, Harish Meena, Brijendra Ola, Hemaram Chaudhary, Vishvendra Singh, Amar Singh, Dipendra Singh and Gajendra Shaktawat. While the Pilot camp is being represented by two of India's top lawyers, Harish Salve and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, the Rajasthan Speaker is being represented by Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The rebels have argued that they can't be served such notices when the Rajasthan Assembly is not in session. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Armenian Foreign Ministry: Armenia passes a package of proposals to Azerbaijan France names the main favorite of presidential election Garo Paylan concludes address in Turkey parliament in Armenian Russian Foreign Ministry believes there is no risk of large-scale war in Europe Dollar goes up in Armenia Sharmazanov: Armenia ex-President Sargsyan did not decide to hold press conference, he did not change his mind Blinken: Russia has plans to increase force on Ukraine borders Azerbaijani military participate in Turkish drills Taliban say all conditions for recognizing legitimacy of government are met Azerbaijan MFA statement distorts events of Armenian massacres in Baku 32 years ago Karabakh ombudsmans office: Azerbaijans anti-Armenian, genocidal policy has clear chronology US official, Barzani are photographed against backdrop of Greater Armenia and Kurdistan map Armenia ex-defense minister, army General Staff chief, some others criminal case court hearing kicks off 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 Hovhannes Khachatryan is elected Armenia Central Bank Deputy Governor 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 Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has warned that the Federal Governments Special Works Programme (S... Festus Keyamo, SAN, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has warned that the Federal Governments Special Works Programme (SPW) is for all Nigerians. He said the job scheme is not only for members of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The senior lawyer who is in charge of the project said this in a series of tweets on his handle on Sunday. He said he had never ordered that the forms for the SPW be given to APC members. The Minister said the final list of those for the programme will be from the States Selection Committees. He said, I have NOT directed that forms for the SPW be distributed to APC Ward leaders to give to party members. Any such list will be discountenanced. THIS IS NOT AN APC PROGRAMME but a programme FOR ALL NIGERIANS. We shall ONLY accept final lists from the States Selection Committees. Keyamo further urged Nigerians to disregard messages telling them to visit offices of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to register for the job. This will breach COVID-19 guidelines and it will not ensure we strictly achieve 1000 per LGA, he added. Available Soon: The Albanian Edition of '37 Ways to Work from Home Today: Business Ideas You Can Start Now with Little to No Money or Specialized Training' NEWS PROVIDED BY Goodwill Rights Management Corporation July 20, 2020 TIRANA, Albania, July 20, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the "most severe recession in nearly a century." While governments are being called upon to provide safety nets and support for those economically impacted by the pandemic, Jim Palumbo, President and Founder of EvangAlliance, a non-profit multi-media ministry committed to empowering people around the world with the transformative message of hope, has prepared a free eBook: 37 Ways to Work from Home Today: Business Ideas You Can Start Now with Little to No Money or Specialized Training. Ignis Publishing, a publishing company located in Tirana Albania, will produce an Albanian language edition of 37 Ways to Work from Home Today. This will be a special edition, prepared specifically for Albanians located in Europe and across the globe. "This is an important step for us at Ignis Publishing. Albania is still struggling with COVID-19, and we believe this book is relevant and can assist Albanians with good ideas and inspiration to bring creative solutions for the high unemployment we are currently experiencing. We look forward to our partnership with author Jim Palumbo." - Andi Dina, President, Ignis Publishing Ignis Publishing will distribute the book to more than 200 churches in Albania and will be available from their website and social media channels. The anticipated release date for the Albanian edition of 37 Ways to Work from Home Today is September 1, 2020. For inquiries or purchase information regarding 37 Ways to Work from Home Today, please contact andidina1@gmail.com. 37 Ways to Work from Home Today speaks directly to those suffering from this global business decline, affirming that with hard work and diligence, great ideas can succeed. Readers can and should use the information in 37 Ways to Work from Home Today to start a business and provide for their families in these tough times, using this crisis as an opportunity to begin building their dreams. 37 Ways to Work from Home Today will soon be available in additional languages. About the Author: Jim Palumbo has started over a dozen companies and has advised business owners for over 25 years. He knows how to build businesses without money or advanced training, and teaches entrepreneurs how to succeed in the small-business world while balancing a meaningful life with a profitable business. "I'm sharing my story to inspire you to succeed: to affirm that you can start a business from nothing and grow it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise and that working from home is not necessarily a barrier to your success but may actually be the launch pad for you to fulfill your dreams and aspirations. Let's get started!" Jim Palumbo For enquiries and interviews contact Jim Palumbo: jim@evangalliance.com. SOURCE Goodwill Rights Management Corporation CONTACT: Andi Dina, andidina1@gmail.com Russian police are investigating the death of a popular TV sexologist whose naked body was found at a five-star Moscow hotel. Anna Ambartsumyan, 26, was found dead at the elite Peter 1 hotel with a Prada handbag and black dress on the bed beside her body. Detectives are seeking to identify a male visitor to her room, according to reports which say she had a number of wealthy business admirers and had been gifted two Bentleys and an Aston Martin. A celebrity lawyer says the TV psychologist had also been threatened by debt collectors who had called her up to 20 times a day. Popular TV psychologist and sexologist Anna Ambartsumyan, 26, was found dead at a five-star hotel in Moscow with a Prada handbag and black dress beside her body A celebrity lawyer says TV psychologist Ambartsumyan (pictured) had also been threatened by debt collectors who had called her up to 20 times a day A regular TV pundit in Russia, the celebrity influencer had been dead an estimated eight hours before hotel staff found her. Ambartsumyan was a qualified doctor and psychologist who also claimed to be a psychic. She had 370,000 followers on social media and boasted: 'I will raise anyone from their knees.' A post mortem is being carried out to establish the cause of death, according to reports citing law enforcement sources. Suspected non-prescription pills found in her hotel room were also sent for analysis. Ambartsumyan was a qualified doctor and psychologist who also claimed to be a psychic. She is pictured left with her husband She was reported to be popular with a number of business figures who had gifted her cars and property. The 26-year-old was married to a businessman named Ruslan. Celebrity lawyer Sergey Zhorin said she had been recently threatened by debt collectors who called her up to 20 times a day. 'I'm scared. They are very aggressive,' she told him. 'I recommended her to contact the law enforcement authorities,' he said. Three months after a 30-year-old woman died in mysterious circumstances at her in-laws home in New Gurnam Nagar in Amritsar, the police on Monday registered a murder case against her husband and his three family members. Balwinder Kaur alias Kulwinder Kaur had died on April 21, following which the Division B police of Amritsar commissionerate initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc), and her autopsy was done in Amritsar civil hospital. Division B police SHO Gurwinder Singh said the autopsy report showed that the victim had died of strangulation, and subsequently a case under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC have been registered against the womans husband Tejinder Singh, his father Kulwant Singh, mother Kashmir Kaur and brother Arvinder Singh. He said the victims father had already expressed doubts about daughters in-laws for her mysterious death. She had been complaining to me about harassment by her in-laws over dowry demand, the father said. Police said raids were on to nab the accused who are absconding. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! The big shareholder groups in Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) have power over the company. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership. Halliburton is a pretty big company. It has a market capitalization of US$11b. Normally institutions would own a significant portion of a company this size. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about Halliburton. Check out our latest analysis for Halliburton What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Halliburton? 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 Halliburton. 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 Halliburton's historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Halliburton. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 11% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 7.2% and 5.6% of the stock. Story continues After doing some more digging, we found that the top 16 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no one share holder has significant control over the company. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Halliburton The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Halliburton Company in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$46m of stock. Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public holds a 23% stake in HAL. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Halliburton . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The ICMR and the Union health ministry have suggested short and medium term methods to all states and union territories for enhancing their COVID-19 testing capacity. In a joint letter issued on July 17, Union health ministry secretary Preeti Sudan and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said the evolving scenario demands for enhanced testing capabilities to handle any surge in testing demands. Increasing the testing capacity may be achieved by adding more laboratories for COVID-19 testing and enhancing the existing testing capacity of the approved laboratories, the letter said. "In this regard, a strategy to enhance the COVID-19 testing in the country has been devised, which requires a coordinated effort from the state governments as well as various departments of the central government and scientific bodies such as ICAR, DBT, DST and DSIR under the Union government," it said. In the short term method, the Union health ministry and the ICMR suggested that RT-PCR machines available with the research and educational institutions under the ambit of the state and central governments be temporarily deployed in district hospitals and testing labs so that each of these government labs have an additional machine. "The state governments are requested to prepare a roadmap for such redeployment by factoring in the manpower requirements," it said. It further said that there are 281 government medical colleges approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and at present 263 have been approved for testing by the ICMR and the remaining 12 government medical colleges can also be approved for testing by making available two RT-PCR machines, other ancillary equipment and trained staff. "There are 261 private medical colleges recognised by the MCI. Out of these, 76 have been approved for testing and another 185 private medical colleges with two RT-PCR machines can be added to the testing network. The states shall immediately send the request for their registration as per the criteria of the ICMR mentioned in the link provided," it said. The states and union territories may urgently procure rapid antigen kits to enhance their testing potential. These kits are available on the GeM (Government e Marketplace) portal for ease of access, procurement and cost efficiency, the letter said. Addition of private diagnostic labs with two RT-PCR machines each will enhance the capacity by 48,000 tests per day, it said. "The state governments must endeavour to add at least five laboratories per state into the network," the letter added. In the medium term measures, the Union health ministry and the ICMR said each government laboratory should have at least two RT-PCR machines and one automated RNA extraction machine. "Of the approved government labs for testing, in 123 labs, there is only one RT-PCR machine, therefore 123 RT-PCR machines need to be procured for these labs. This will enhance the testing capacity by 29,520 tests per day," it said "While assuring our continued assistance and facilitation for COVID-19 testing across the states/UTs, a schedule for implementation of the above strategic interventions is enclosed for immediate implementation. "We are sure that you will find this strategy for enhancing COVID-19 testing very pragmatic and highly complementing the need of the hour to strengthen our battle to control COVID-19 in the country," it said. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AmeriVet Securities, Inc (AVI), an institutional broker-dealer, announced today that its CEO, Elton Johnson, Jr., will become a Board member for national investment firm Veteran Ventures Capital, LLC (VVC). Both companies are certified Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned businesses operating within the financial services industry. "I look forward to joining the Board of Veteran Ventures Capital to support another chapter of veteran engagement in financial services and to further explore ways our two firms can work together," said Elton Johnson, Jr., Founder and CEO of AVI. "AmeriVet has always been on the forefront in the service-disabled veteran space and I know my involvement with Derren Burrell and his team will lead to more opportunities between our two firms, in the ever growing segment of the alternative capital space." "With a long and well-respected history, AmeriVet Securities is a great example of a disabled veteran-led business that is committed to furthering the integration of veterans within the financial sector," said Derren Burrell, Founder and CEO of VVC. "We are delighted to have Elton on our Board and look forward to developing ways to leverage the capabilities of both firms and bring more value to our investors and clients." About AmeriVet Securities, Inc. AmeriVet Securities, Inc., is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business broker-dealer and Minority Business Enterprise that specializes in Capital Markets, Public Finance, Institutional Agency Trading, Loan Sales and Investment Banking. Established in 1994, AmeriVet is dedicated to providing the highest level of service in the industry, while providing meaningful employment opportunities to post 9/11 military veterans. About Veteran Ventures Capital Ventures Capital, LLC, is an early-stage investment fund & consulting firm focused on military entrepreneurs. VVC interacts exclusively with companies that have military veteran leadership, recognizing the value of military experience, training, and character in business operations. VVC leverages these military principles to optimize and take those businesses to the next level. Contact Jessica Borriello [email protected] SOURCE AmeriVet Securities, Inc. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro held his hydroxychloroquine pills aloft like a trophy last night as he rallied with a crowd of supporters despite his coronavirus infection. Bolsonaro greeted his fans outside the presidential palace in Brasilia where he has been in quarantine since announcing his positive test result on July 7. Supporters cheered as Bolsonaro showed off the unproven anti-malaria drug which he claims is making him better, before removing his mask to tell the crowd that 'the pandemic was unfortunate, but we will overcome it'. While Bolsonaro kept his distance from across a stream, his supporters were packed on the waterside in spite of social distancing rules which he has repeatedly scorned. The 65-year-old former army captain has raged against lockdowns despite the country's enormous death toll, after dismissing the virus as a 'little flu'. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro shows his hydroxychloroquine pills to a cheering crowd who gathered to greet him outside the presidential palace in Brasilia last night Bolsonaro held up the drug which he claims is making him better, but which is not proven effective against Covid-19 despite its list of prominent backers including Donald Trump Bolsonaro announced on Wednesday that he was still positive for the virus, but says he is not experiencing symptoms and credits his good health to hydroxychloroquine. 'I am not recommending anything. I recommend that you talk to your doctor. In my case, a military doctor recommended hydroxychloroquine, and it worked,' he said. Like Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 but its effectiveness against the disease has not been proven. 'We know that there is no scientific evidence, but it worked with me,' Bolsonaro said on Wednesday. 'The future will say whether that remedy is effective or not. It was for me. I believe in it. If it was, a lot of people were wrong. People with responsibility.' Bolsonaro previously told critics of the drug that 'I regret to inform you I'm very well and will live for a long time'. Besides hydroxychloroquine, Bolsonaro says he is also taking an anti-parasite drug to fight coronavirus. Bolsonaro took off his mask as he spoke to supporters in Brasilia last night, telling them that 'the pandemic is unfortunate but we will overcome it' While Bolsonaro kept his distance from across a stream, his supporters were packed on the waterside in spite of social distancing rules Brazil is adding tens of thousands of new cases per day, as shown on this graph. Last week it became the second country to pile up two million confirmed infections Brazil's daily death toll has been consistently in the hundreds since April and is frequently over 1,000 per day. The total death toll is currently 79,488 Bolsonaro's administration has now gone two months without a full-time health minister after losing two of them during the pandemic. Interim minister Eduardo Pazuello, a military general who had no experience in the field before April, is already facing pressure to leave the job. He took over after his predecessor Nelson Teich, a doctor and health care consultant, quit in protest over Bolsonaro's support for the use of hydroxychloroquine. The president's office says Bolsonaro is still working by video conference at his official Alvorada Palace residence in the capital. He told CNN on Monday that he 'can't stand this routine of staying at home' and said he was waiting 'anxiously' to be given the all-clear to leave the house. He also told the network that he had not suffered had any symptoms such as a fever or respiratory difficulties since July 6. Bolsonaro has also been seen feeding rheas, a bird species native to South America that is related to the ostrich and emu. One of them even pecked him. Before his positive test result, Bolsonaro frequently mingled with crowds in defiance of social distancing rules and sometimes refused to wear a mask. Speaking on Saturday, Bolsonaro declared that 'lockdown kills' and added that curfew measures had 'suffocated' the country's economy. 'Without salaries and jobs, people die,' he said referring to restrictions imposed against his will by some regional leaders in Brazil. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro holds up a dose of hydroxychloroquine in his office earlier this month after revealing he was taking the drug Bolsonaro revealed his positive test result on July 7 in a televised interview, after which he took his mask off and declared he was perfectly well Asked on a previous occasion about the high death toll, Bolsonaro said: 'So what? I'm sorry, but what do you want me to do?' More recently, Bolsonaro has watered down a law that would require citizens to wear face masks in public. Earlier this month he vetoed several articles of the bill such as those requiring employers to supply masks for their staff and another mandating that authorities should provide masks for 'economically vulnerable people'. Later, he also vetoed sections requiring masks be worn in prisons and another obliging businesses to provide information on how to wear masks properly. Some states have already made the wearing of face-coverings mandatory, but this was the first such law on a national level. Brazil has piled up 2,098,389 infections and 79,488 deaths during the pandemic, the second-worst totals in the world after the United States. Infections passed the two million mark on Thursday when Brazil recorded more than 45,000 new cases in the space of 24 hours. The state of Sao Paulo accounts for more than 400,000 infections alone, while the Rio de Janeiro region has seen more than 130,000. It is also feared that the true toll is far higher because of a lack of widespread testing in Latin America's largest country. Bolsonaro has previously referred to the coronavirus as a 'little flu' and railed against the WHO's advice Bolsonaro has frequently made light of the virus and ignored social distancing etiquette (pictured: on horseback during a rally on May 31) Brazil, however, is the sixth most populous country in the world and its per capita deaths are not as high as in some European countries. Bolsonaro's government at one stage tried to remove the majority of virus statistics from its official website, before a judge ordered him to reinstate them. Meanwhile, indigenous leader Raoni Metukire, who has clashed with Bolsonaro over the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, is 'stable' in hospital after having a blood transfusion but testing negative for coronavirus. Raoni, a chief of the Kayapo people in northern Brazil, has been hospitalized since Thursday for weakness, shortness of breath, poor appetite and diarrhea. 'The chief has a stable condition after receiving a blood transfusion,' the Raoni Institute said. Raoni, now in his 90s, then was transferred to Dois Pinheiros Hospital in the city of Sinop on Saturday due to weakness and a worsening condition. He has been an outspoken critic of Bolsonaro and visited European leaders last year to denounce his calls for developing indigenous lands in the rainforest. Bolsonaro rejected a call by French president Emmanuel Macron to meet with Raoni. The Amuwo Odofin Local Government of Lagos State has shut down four markets in the area for non-compliance with guidelines to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four markets which were shut on Monday are Oyinlola and 23 Road markets in Festac Town, OpeOluwa market at Agboju and Arozo Market at Mile 2. When NAN correspondent visited OpeOluwa market at Agboju in Festac Town, there were no business activities going on following the closure. NAN reports that tapes were used to cordon off the stalls at the shut markets while a team from the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) was also on ground to enforce compliance. The Vice-Chairman of the Council, Olusegun Idris, said the action became necessary because of rising cases of COVID-19 in the area in spite of all efforts at curtailing it. Mr Idris, who is also the Chairman of the councils Committee on COVID-19, said there had been a lot of advocacy and sensitisation programmes about the virus but the community refused to adhere to the guidelines. AOLG is one of those with the highest cases of COVID-19 and despite all were putting in place, were still experiencing these high numbers. They think they can continue their normal activities as usual but we cannot condone that because number of those affected is increasing day by day. When you see pictures of how people patronise the traders, theres no social distancing, the provision of soap and water is porous, theyre not using face masks, he said. Mr Idris added that the Council had held several meetings with the market leaders to address the issue but there had been no change. We cannot continue to condone their reckless way of attending to issues. We must find a way to stop it and locking the markets is one. Even when we tell them to open the market at nine oclock in the morning and close by three, they will still come very early and close late at night. We cannot allow people to contract the virus from the markets and take it home, and continue spreading it, he said. The vice-chairman noted that other markets and businesses who didnt comply with guidelines given by the council would also be shut down. Mr Idris said that motor parks within AOLG would also be shut down if the transporters and commuters continued to violate the rules. He said the markets which had been closed indefinitely would only be reopened if they met the requirements. Also, the Chairman of AOLG Task Force on COVID-19, Akindare Adetifa, said all efforts put in place to ensure that the guidelines are adhered to had been flouted. According to him, many people in the community are still in denial about the pandemic and have been frustrating the efforts being made. They will be asking us if weve seen people that died of it or their relatives. Now, we want to do it in a way that people are forced to comply because they are not ready to do it, he said. A trader, Mabel Ewilem, said the closure of the market came as a shock to her because they had been following the guidelines. According to her, the market police team enforces the use of face masks and threatens to close stalls of those who default. Read also: Another trader, Lucy Osigwe, said they looked forward to having a meeting with the market leaders so that they could find out the next step to take. Advertisements The market leader, Osinatu Adebayo, said they would engage the council on required steps for the reopening of the markets. We were there last Thursday for a meeting, I told them of our efforts so far. I even told them that the state government gave us face masks that weve shared with the traders and theyve been using it, those who dont, we fine them. We got containers with taps, soap and water for washing hands. We already do one day on, one day off, she said. (NAN) Six Pakistani pilots spoke to Al Jazeera about allegations of fraud and improper flight certification practices. Islamabad, Pakistan Pakistani pilots claim that fraud and improper flight certification practices at the countrys civil aviation regulator are an open secret, while air safety has routinely been compromised by airlines through faulty safety management systems, incomplete reporting and the use of regulatory waivers. Six Pakistani pilots spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from their employers or the regulator. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the countrys largest airline and only major international carrier, was at the centre of most of the air safety complaints, and denied all of the allegations. Scrutiny of Pakistans commercial aviation sector has increased as pilots have found themselves battling allegations by the countrys aviation minister that almost a third of all licensed Pakistani pilots had obtained their certifications fraudulently. His comments came weeks after a PIA passenger jet crashed in the southern city of Karachi, killing 98 people. The names of three of the six pilots Al Jazeera spoke to were on the list of fake licence-holders. They deny any wrongdoing. State-owned PIA grounded 102 pilots and launched an internal inquiry following the aviation ministers allegations. Pilots at two other Pakistani airlines, SereneAir and Airblue, were also suspended pending clearance. A crash, and its wake On May 22, a PIA Airbus A320 crashed into a residential neighbourhood in the southern city of Karachi, killing 97 of the 99 people on board as well as one person on the ground, according to official data. While releasing the preliminary investigation report into the crash, Pakistani Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the crash appeared to be due to human error. He also announced that a separate, ongoing government inquiry had found that 262 of the countrys 860 licensed pilots had obtained their credentials fraudulently. A list of the pilots was drawn up and sent to airlines. At least 28 pilots have had their licences cancelled since the announcement, while inquiries into the remaining pilots are ongoing, Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) says. Pilots bodies criticised the announcement, claiming the governments list had a number of errors such as including the names of deceased pilots, confusing pilots with similar names, and classifying pilots as belonging to airlines they had never flown with or taking exams they never attempted. [Illustration by Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera] One of the major criteria for being listed having flown a flight on the same day as an exam has also been disputed, including by all six pilots Al Jazeera spoke to, who said that taking an exam in the morning and flying later in the day was routine and within regulations. Pakistani aviation regulations are unclear on the specific issue of taking exams on the same day as a scheduled flight, requiring only that pilots be adequately rested before undertaking flight duties. Within days of the list being released, civil aviation regulators in at least 10 countries and territories, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Bahrain, Turkey and Hong Kong, grounded pilots holding Pakistani licences and asked the PCAA to verify their credentials. At least 166 of those 176 verification requests have been cleared, the PCAA says. Flight safety authorities in the European Union and United Kingdom banned flights by Pakistans state-owned PIA into those territories, while the US Federal Aviation Authority downgraded the airlines safety rating and revoked a limited authorisation for the airline to operate repatriation flights to and from that country. The Pakistan Air Line Pilots Association (PALPA), the countrys main body representing pilots, has disputed the veracity of the list from the beginning, claiming there was no fraud and that the list was built mainly on clerical errors. Now, however, several pilots have revealed to Al Jazeera the existence of a longstanding pay to pass scheme at the countrys aviation regulator. Easier to cheat I am witness to it. I dont even have to think about it, I have witnessed it, said Pilot A, whose name was on the list of suspected licences. Its a well-known thing in the industry that you can either do it the regular way or you can pay someone to [cheat] for you. Pilot A said that he had been approached by colleagues with an offer to help him cheat, with the aid of PCAA officials, in exchange for payment when he had been attempting his commercial pilots licence (CPL) written exams in 2009. Pilot A said that when he and three others reported the fraud to senior PCAA officials, they were repeatedly failed on their final CPL exam until they apologised. Everyone [in our group of whistle-blowers] who apologised to [the PCAA official], the next attempt they cleared their exams. Pilot B, a senior instructor at a flight school and later a commercial pilot at PIA, said that while committing fraud on the tests was not widespread, the availability of the option was well known. It was easier to [cheat] than to not do it, he said. They give you a bank of 40,000 questions. Then you can either study for it and try to pass, or you pay to get the answer key [from someone]. In 2011, the PCAA changed its testing processes, increasing the number of exams from three to eight, based on European Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) standards, and introducing personalised computerised tests for pilots. Pilots say the method of fraud then changed to paying corrupt PCAA officials to allow them to bypass taking the exams altogether. [PCAA employees would] put in the [data] and do the exam and mark you as whatever grade you got, said another pilot, Pilot C. So you give me [a multiple of] 100,000 rupees ($600) and Ill make it happen on my day off. [] They were minting money. Other pilots put the price of passing individual exams at between Rs40,000 and Rs100,000 ($240-$600). Authorities say the current investigation was initiated by a commercial aircraft accident in the southwestern town of Panjgur in November 2018, when an ATR-72 aircraft overshot the runway. An investigation found the lead pilots licence had been issued based on an exam supposedly taken on a public holiday, when the PCAA is closed. [Illustration by Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera] To obtain their licences, commercial pilots are also required to undertake both real-world and simulator check-rides. They regularly repeat those tests to maintain the validity of the licences. Pilots told Al Jazeera that it was routine for instructors and PCAA officials to pass pilots on yearly or biannual simulation check rides, as well as on licensing flight check-rides, based on pressure from the regulator, other parties or the two pilots previous relationship. It was so common to do this, to be told to just sign a licence [without certifying], said Pilot B, of his time as a flight instructor. It was unbelievable to me. Pilot B said he faced punitive action by the regulator if he did not comply with requests to pass pilots, citing the example of one pilot who had not completed the required flight hours. When I refused, my licence was put into audit and I was accused of having a forged logbook, he said. Pilot A said he once witnessed a PCAA official pressure a foreign flight instructor to pass a pilot on a simulator check-ride conducted in Indonesia. In 2018, he crashed an aircraft on a single-engine emergency 11 times [in a row] on a [simulator] check-ride, said Pilot A. And yet was cleared. Later, [that pilot] told me about how to pass papers fraudulently in the PCAA. The PCAA says a full-scale investigation into the allegations is ongoing, and that five officials at the regulator, including two senior officers, have been suspended so far. I can assure we are working day and night, aviation ministry spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar told Al Jazeera. We are not trying to punish someone innocent, or to spare anyone who is guilty. Ticking time bomb Pakistan has had a troubled aircraft safety record, with five major commercial or charter airliner crashes in the last decade alone, killing 445 people. In the same period, there have been numerous other non-fatal safety incidents, including engines shutting down in mid-flight or on takeoff, landing gear failure, runway overruns and on-the-ground collisions, according to official reports and pilot testimony. In 2019, Pakistans aviation industry registered 14.88 accidents per million departures, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), far above the global average of 3.02. [Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera] On June 30, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) identified six areas of concern with the airline, singling out the failure to effectively implement the Safety Management System more than nine months since the EU regulator had first raised the issue as part of its regular audit of PIAs air safety compliance as the primary reason for suspending the operators authorisation. Pilots told Al Jazeera the crashes and accidents were a result of a systematic disregard for air safety protocols in some airlines, including PIA. Many of the concerns centre around allegations that PIAs Safety Management System (SMS) and Flight Data Management System (FDMS), designed to identify unsafe flight manoeuvres or patterns of unsafe flying, are routinely ignored. There have been so many safety violations, said Pilot D, a senior PIA pilot with 13 years of commercial aviation experience. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency report did not come because of the crash or the fake licences, it was a ticking time bomb. [The airline] does not lack the safety management system, it has it, but it has no respect for safety culture, said Pilot D. When the regulator and operator share a bed, then things become very difficult, he said, alleging that PCAA, a government-run agency, routinely turned a blind eye to the actions of the state-owned PIA. If I want to do a violation, there is provision that I can get a waiver from the CAA, for emergency use only. Pilot D, and other pilots, said the use of waivers had become a norm in PIA, for violations such as poorly equipped aircraft being dispatched, or for limitations on how many hours flight crews can operate. Aircraft were getting dispatched without the correct parts on board. Operating with less than the prescribed number of crew. Sending crews who are unqualified to run certain routes. All of this was meant to be covered by PCAA, but because there was collusion with the PIA management, there were no consequences, said Pilot D. Al Jazeera reviewed flight logs showing flight duty time limitation (FDTL) violations on at least eight occasions in 2020 alone, with flight duties ranging from 19 hours to more than 24 hours. The maximum FDTL under PCAA regulations for an aircraft with two full crews onboard is 18 hours, subject to waivers. In a statement to Al Jazeera, PIA denied any regulations had been violated with respect to flight duty times. It said a handful of waivers had been obtained due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PCAA confirmed waivers had been given for the purpose of emergency repatriation flights but denied that they were given routinely. Hot-and-high approaches Pilot B, who also works with the safety department of PIA, said pilots had been encouraged to conduct approaches to airports hot and high meaning flying for longer at higher altitudes, approaching runways at a steep angle of descent and higher speed to save fuel. If you come hot and high then you are cruising higher and saving fuel on the way down, said Pilot B. [Management] started writing emails saying that pilots need to log how much fuel they use and how much they saved. Pilots with the highest fuel savings were given the best routes. David Greenberg, an international aviation consultant with more than 40 years of experience, said such approaches were inherently unsafe. Its like going down an unstable staircase, and the first thing you do is remove the handrail and then see if you can get to the bottom of the staircase before anyone else, he told Al Jazeera. [Illustration by Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera] Pilot B said there had been more than 30 runway overruns where pilots had missed their targeted landing range on the runway and at least three runway threshold overruns where aircraft actually departed the runway in the last year alone, all based on a pattern of hot and high approaches. PIA denied the allegations. In one incident in the northern town of Gilgit in July 2019, a PIA-operated ATR-42 aircraft skidded off the end of the runway, completely wrecking the aircraft. There were no fatalities. We have a full software for safety that is never monitored, said Pilot E, referring to the SMS and FDMS. The airliner that crashed in Karachi in May had refused Air Traffic Control (ATC) guidance on its altitude on approach, registering at 9,780ft (2980 metres) when 15 nautical miles from the runway, according to flight data in the preliminary investigation report, more than 6,700ft (2042m) higher than advised by ATC. It became obvious that this hot-and-high thing was an issue that needs to be handled by the regulator, said Pilot B. Wed had three overruns which were all incidents [in the last year], the fourth one may not be so lucky. We told them that the fourth one could kill people. And the fourth one was [the crash]. There was chaos Pilots said that at PIA and other airlines they were actively discouraged from filing air safety reports (ASRs), a primary means of reporting safety incidents that may have occurred in-flight. In Pakistan, they dont know how to manage ASRs and safety reports, said Pilot C. Now, if there is an ASR, you can get in trouble. So guess what? Youre not going to raise an ASR. Greenberg, the aviation consultant, described the combination of lax reporting, loose regulatory control and inconsistent safety protocols as a recipe for disaster. In a statement to Al Jazeera, PIA denied any wrongdoing regarding safety protocols. It is absurd to even suggest that, said Abdullah Khan, the airlines spokesperson. It is true that the management is pushing reforms in the organisation, which had been plagued by a number of challenges, however, safety always takes precedence over anything else. The issues are not limited to PIA, however, said pilots with experience in other airlines. Pilot A narrated an incident on board a flight operated by a different airline to the capital, Islamabad, in 2018, where the captain refused to follow Pilot As advice as first officer to divert the aircraft to Lahore due to extreme weather. After remaining in a holding pattern for 45 minutes, the captain decided to land the aircraft through the extreme weather, which had seen several other flights divert to other airports, says A. It was turbulent, it was bumpy and there was chaos on approach to runway 12, said Pilot A. The captain froze at the controls and started praying to God. Pilot A was forced to take over control of the aircraft, landing it safely in Islamabad after another argument with the captain approximately six nautical miles out from the runway. No safety report was ever filed, and no disciplinary action was taken following the incident. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. Additional reporting by Alia Chughtai in Karachi, who tweets @AliaChughtai. Beginning Monday, Lincoln residents will be required to wear a mask in some public settings. The decision, part of a new directed health measure announced by Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird at a Friday afternoon news conference, comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Lancaster County has risen in recent weeks. Here's a look at the details of the mandate and how it will impact Lincoln residents in the coming weeks. What's the rule? The mask requirement applies to residents over the age of 5 when indoors in a place that is open to the general public and when a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained between all patrons at all times. Masks must cover the mouth and nose. The mandate will be in effect until Aug. 31. Are there any exceptions? There are several exceptions to this rule, mostly exempting specific places and activities. Controversial boxer Anthony Mundine has gone an incredible rant claiming face masks 'compromise your immune system'. The avowed anti-vaxxer made the bizarre claim after face masks became mandatory for residents in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. 'I can't share a mask picture about how stupid it is to wear one and how it compromises your immune system,' he wrote on Facebook. 'The government want you to get sick so they can manipulate the numbers even more! 'They doing all they can to fool the public to justify this hoax pandemic! Do your own research on mask!! Don't believe what they feed you it's all a LIE.' Controversial boxer Anthony Mundine has gone an incredible rant claiming face masks 'compromise your immune system' The avowed anti-vaxxer (pictured with his daughter) made the bizarre claim after face masks became mandatory for residents in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19 The controversial post promoted a mixed response from fans, with many calling it ridiculous, however, some supported the bizarre theory. 'I'm with you brother the biggest show on earth .. agenda based PLANDemic .. no masks for me,' one person wrote. 'At this stage not wearing a mask compromises your immune system more than wearing one while going to the shops for milk and bread,' another wrote. However, many people questioned his advice. 'Using this logic surgeons must be the most immune-compromised people on the planet,' one wrote. 'The mask is only for wearing in public it won't kill you...in fact quite the opposite,' another wrote. 'I can't share a mask picture about how stupid it is to wear one and how it compromises your immune system,' he wrote on Facebook Mundine (pictured) previously decried the coronavirus as 'bogus' and a sinister government tactic to enforce mass vaccinations Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the drastic new measure on Sunday as the state recorded another 363 cases and three more deaths from the infectious respiratory disease. Those who disobey the new government directive to wear masks outside the home - effective from 11.59pm on Wednesday - will face a $200 fine. Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said universal mask-wearing was 'key' to helping reduce the spread of the virus. The former NRL player has previously spoke out claiming the virus was a 'bogus' pandemic to force mass vaccination. The anti-vaxx delusion stems from a discredited study by disgraced ex-doctor Andrew Wakefield who in 1998 claimed the MMR vaccine caused autism. His 'research' was later found to be falsified and he was stripped of his medical licence, but a disturbing number of people followed his advice. Vaccines protect against more than 25 debilitating or life-threatening diseases including measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis, influenza, tetanus, typhoid and cervical cancer. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into a law a bill that allows moving the date of school opening amid a state of emergency or calamity. Republic Act No. 11480 approved on July 17 but released to the public on Monday amends Republic Act No. 7797, which states that the opening of classes should be between the first Monday of June and the last day of August. In the event of a declaration of state of emergency or calamity, the chief executive, upon the recommendation of the Education Secretary, may set a different date for the start of the school year in the country or parts thereof, according to the new law. Under the measure, the Education Secretary may also determine the end of the regular school year, and may authorize the holding of Saturday classes for elementary and secondary levels of both public and private schools. Malacanang also pointed out that the measure will give the needed leeway to act on certain emergencies like the pandemic. Nagbibigay lang ito ng flexibility kung kailan talaga magbubukas ang klase. Ang desisyon ngayon ay August 24, unless magkakaroon ng rekomendasyon ang ating Secretary of Education, baka hindi po mabago ang school opening, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. [Translation: It only gives flexibility on when to open the classes. The current decision is to open on August 24, unless the Secretary of Education would have another recommendation, the class opening will still push through on the said date.] The agency set school opening on August 24 using blended learning methods in place of face-to-face classes. Current DepEd chief Leonor Briones, for her part, thanked the President and lawmakers for the swift and timely passage of the measure. The Department has been consulted and has conferred with the President and the legislators throughout the process and we will issue the corresponding implementing rules and regulations soonest as required by the law, Briones said in a statement. Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. A vehicle driven by a man who has completed quarantine leaves the Xinfadi market in Beijing, capital of China, July 7, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua) For 52-year-old Beijing resident Tang, July 14 was a memorable day. After 33 days of treatment for COVID-19, he was finally discharged from hospital. As Beijings new patient zero, Tang gained nationwide attention online, with many sending him best wishes for his recovery and lauding him for what he did to help Beijing respond to the outbreak. More than a month ago, Tang was found to have contracted COVID-19, breaking a 56-day run of no new local infections in Beijing. It took Beijing authorities less than 24 hours from the discovery of the first confirmed case to the identification of the source of the epidemic, and Tangs contribution played no small part in that achievement. Nicknamed by Chinese media and netizens as the Grandpa of Xicheng after the district in which he lives, Tang is a textbook example of what to do after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, which bought Beijing precious time to bring the outbreak under control. After feeling cold and exhausted, besides going to the hospital alone on a bike and wearing a mask right to reduce the risk of infecting others, Tang clearly recalled all the places he had visited and people he had come into close contact with since May 31, providing key information for the quick identification of the source of the infection. Netizens say Tang has a super brain. Retracing his steps CDC staff carry out an epidemiological survey with Tang. The potential of Tangs super brain was partly tapped by Beijings Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Right after Tang arrived at Xuanwu Hospital for isolation as required at 1:00 a.m. on June 11, staff from Xicheng Districts CDC rushed to the hospital overnight to carry out an epidemiological survey to trace the source and earlier close contacts. Fully tracing his movements over the past two weeks was no easy task, and staff tried their best to jog his memory. Dou Xiangfeng, an on-duty physician at Beijing CDCs Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, said they first got Tang to recollect some of his main activities over the past few days, and then helped him recall more details with the help of payment records, chat records, and navigation records on his mobile phone. A supplementary epidemiological investigation was carried out by Dou and his colleagues in the morning to obtain further details. 52-year-old Tang in Beijing gives a thumbs up to the camera during treatment at Xuanwu Hospital. For example, when Tang said he had taken his child to the playground, staff asked him what he did when his child was playing. Tang then remembered he played billiards at a billiard room. The staff then asked whether he set the table himself or whether a waiter set it for him, and whether there was anyone else playing near him. When Tang couldnt recall the exact time when he was present at certain places, they helped by checking his payment records on his phone. The location of specific stalls where he bought goods could also be tracked. Supported by payment records, we got a clear picture of the whole process, Dou recalled. We admire him so much for his excellent memory. Identifying the source in 24 hours Staff collect environmental samples at Xinfadi market. (Photo/Beijing Daily) Finally, the CDC compiled a detailed list of 38 people with whom he had close contact and 23 places he had visited, including the beef and mutton trading hall in Xinfadi. The CDC immediately screened and quarantined all close contacts and conducted on-site environmental sampling in those places. On the night of June 11, another person tested positive for COVID-19, and the same hall at Xinfadi market once again appeared on the report of the epidemiological survey. A few hours later, CDC found positive test results in environmental samples taken from the hall at the market, indicating that it was highly suspected to be the source of the virus. Beijing CDC and nine district CDCs then rushed to Xinfadi market to carry out a thorough sampling of the environment and workers. Forty environmental samples and 45 throat swabs tested positive that day. At 3:00 a.m. on June 12, about 22 hours after Tang was found to have contracted COVID-19, Xinfadi market was put under lockdown. Wang Quanyi, Director of Beijing CDC's Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, said Beijings actions were science-based in this race against the virus. There were 12,000 people in the market. If the lockdown had been just one day late, many of them would have left Beijing. In that case, it would have been much more difficult to control the outbreak, noted Dou. Maintaining regular controls On-site sampling at Xinfadi market. (Photo/Beijing Daily) The number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reached a peak in Beijing on June 13 and 14 and then started generally declining. On June 18, Chinas chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou announced that the epidemic situation in Beijing was under control. On July 19, no new cases in Beijing had been reported for 14 consecutive days, and the city announced it was lowering its emergency response to COVID-19 from level II to III starting July 20. Beijings success in containing the new outbreak was attributed to the super brain of the Grandpa of Xicheng, as well as the timely and precise prevention and control measures implemented by local authorities. On July 14, Tang was discharged from the hospital. Our country has made great efforts and responded quickly to the outbreak with precise treatment and accurate virus tracing, Tang said, expressing gratitude fo the hard work of medics and experts. The lights of the CDC laboratories havent been off since Jan. 1, said Wang, noting that his colleagues have been working with a sense of responsibility and mission. Looking back on Beijings response to the new outbreak, Wang said, My team and I have done our work without guilt. Following the downgrading, the city will continue to stick to the strategy of preventing imported cases and local resurgences, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government. French parliamentarian Valerie Boyer has addressed a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron regarding the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. She posted the following on her Facebook page: I addressed a letter to the President of France following the restart of clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I also condemn Turkeys support to the President of Azerbaijan, which is a threat to the peace process in the Caucasus. We ask France and the European Union to confirm the urgent need to reach an ultimate settlement of the conflict." Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Five residents and five employees of Helen Greathouse Manor Assisted Living at Manor Park tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday after rapid testing was conducted for residents and staff, according to a press release from the retirement community. The residents are isolating in the COVID-19 area at Manor Park; three of them are asymptomatic, according to the release. Where should Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and their monumental steeds go if and when they are removed from their pedestals in downtown Charlottesville parks? Should the Lee statue be placed in a museum, or a Civil War battlefield where the history of his life might be made available on site for tourists to gain a fuller understanding of his story? Virginias new laws allowing localities to dispose of Confederate statues give cities and counties a number of options for what to do with discarded metal monuments. In Charlottesville, the Lee and Jackson equestrian statues erected during the Jim Crow era of enforced segregation probably are mere months away from figuratively trotting out of town. Virginias monuments to the Lost Cause heroes of the Confederate States of America are coming down in record numbers this year. Many of Richmonds Civil War monuments have fallen this month to crowds or been taken down on emergency orders by Mayor Levar Stoney. State Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat who has represented the Charlottesville area since 2001, favors moving the citys equestrian statues to a Civil War battlefield in Virginia or elsewhere if they are being removed from the parks. The Gettysburg battlefield has the aura of a cemetery, given that many people died there, and the presence of so much statuary, Deeds said. Perhaps there are battlefields in Virginia, or elsewhere, that would want the statues. Delegate Sally Hudson, a Charlottesville Democrat serving her first year in the House, sponsored successful legislation allowing the city to decide what to do with its statues, which had been protected from removal by state law until this year. Hudson declined to suggest a home for the citys statues when they are removed from their park pedestals. I think the historians, activists, and educators who built the movement that brought us to this decision point should continue steering, she said. They got us here and deserve to write the next chapter. Her bill creating the option to remove statues was rolled into the legislation that went into effect on July 1. It settled a years-long battle over Charlottesvilles previous decision to clear the generals from the parks, which had been fought over in the courts and in the streets. All across Virginia, localities are wrestling with the surprisingly common international phenomenon of what to do with the bronze and marble figures of men no longer held in pedestal-high esteem. Roanoke, Portsmouth, Norfolk and towns across the Old Dominion also are wrestling with what to do with former Confederate heroes. A former mayor of the Southern Virginia town of Crewe, Greg Eanes, made and then quickly withdrew an offer for his economically hurting locality to welcome a Lee statue and others as a potentially lucrative tourism lure. The offer was withdrawn, he wrote, because Crewe residents feared it will bring controversy, pain and vandalism to the area. Internationally, unwanted statues meet different fates. Ukraine has yanked down 1,300 statues of Vladimir Lenin the past five years, leaving one up in Odessa transformed into a stunning likeness of Darth Vader. India offers one viable and legal option to a rude yank. New Delhis Coronation Park, where giant former English monarchs and viceroys sit quietly in stone and metal, is a model graveyard with no truly human remains. The park filled with discarded statues for the past 55 years offers a glimpse of a possible humane solution to Virginias growing discarded Confederate statue problem. New Orleans took down some Civil War statues several years ago and still hasnt found them a home as they sit privately in storage at a secret location. India started moving its unwanted statuary reminders of British rule to an old New Delhi park in 1965, which was 28 years after the nation achieved independence from the British Empire and 54 years after English King George V was installed there as Indias ruler. New Yorker writer and Columbia University journalism school Dean Steve Coll noted 20 days after Charlottesvilles deadly Unite the Right clashes in August of 2017 that a key difference between democracies and dictatorships is that the constructing and revising of public spaces is not a propaganda opportunity for the ruler but a realm of democratic discourse, influenced by popular opinion and competitive electoral politics. After the shock of Charlottesville, as many American cities, towns, and campuses have taken down statues of Confederate leaders and generals, or debated whether to do so, New Delhis example is perhaps a useful one, Coll wrote. Indian leaders initially placed signs to describe the historic figures set there in stone and bronze, but some of those markers remain blank and the forgotten statuary figures sit silently in states of slow disrepair, surrounded by trash and rubble. Coll observed, The original vision for the park, followed by its long neglect, had created an eerie, unintentional beauty; the place feels as mysterious as Stonehenge. New Delhi had not erased its imperial origins; it had collected painful symbols of it and then allowed their potency to dissolve. The land exists at battlefields across Virginia to take the generals leaving city parks and the metal statues of Confederate soldiers that stand guard in courthouse squares. The question remains: who wants them and where can they best find final rest? That might not be as sticky as the next question: Who, or what, now belongs on pedestals, or at eye level, as public art? Bob Gibson is communications director and senior researcher at the University of Virginias Cooper Center for Public Service. The opinions expressed here are his own and not necessarily those of the center. Fine Gael TD Neal Richmond requested that the UN's flag will be flown at Leinster House during the period. The blue flag of the United Nations will fly at Leinster Hosue for the duration of Ireland's tenure on the international organisation's Security Council. Ireland last month won a temporary seat at the UN's top table after years of campaigning in what has been viewed as a major victory for Irish diplomacy. Read More Ireland will join permanent members like the United States, Russia and China on the Security Council for the years 2021 and 2022. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail has agreed to a request from Fine Gael TD Neal Richmond that the UN's flag will be flown at Leinster House during that period. Mr Richmond said: This is an important move to mark Irelands successful election to the UN Security Council, a major achievement for our small state and for our wonderful diplomatic corps. He has also written to OPW Minister Patrick O'Donovan to request the same for all other public buildings. Mr Richmond spoke of the role of Irish peacekeepers that have served under the UN banner for more than six decades. Flying the UN flag at Leinster House will once more show our gratitude for those many Irish men and women who have worn the blue beret of the UN as well as remember the 86 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in such service," he said. The Dublin Rathdown TD added: As parliamentarians, we should be proud of Irelands history at the UN and appropriately mark the success of the election to the UN Security Council. Raising the UN flag at Leinster House is a small, but significant, way to do this." On Sundays season five premiere of CNNs "United Shades of America," W. Kamau Bell tackled the subject of white supremacy in the U.S. One of the experts he spoke with was none other than CNN reporter Sara Sidner. Sidner often covers stories relating to racism and racial tension. While she has been covering the racial equality protests most recently, just last year she was in El Paso covering another tragedy. Last August a terrorist shot and killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart. Two of whom, Andre and Jordan Anchondo, were the parents of a two-month-old baby. The baby survived the ordeal, thanks to his parents sacrifice, but the story has weighed heavily on Sidners conscience. Thinking about that family and what they will have to tell this child, who has no idea why his mother and father are not there, because somebody hated immigrants, said Sidner, fighting back tears. How do you explain that? Sidner believes that president Trumps racist rhetoric is emboldening white supremacists. When that language is used by our leaders, it spreads, said Sidner. Hatred can grow and then turn into not just words, but then actions, and then become deadly. Sidner is haunted by some of the stories she covers, like the El Paso shooting. She said, That will forever bother me. But she also finds inspiration in the perseverance of those most affected by hate crimes. The families that I talk to, they give me life, she said. I see that they're able to function. They're able to move forward in their lives. They have no choice. They're still here. That fills me. Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo Portable or permanent Investments in fire pits may be increasing due to COVID-19, but Weckesser predicts that the enjoyment will far outlast the global pandemic. "People are being more cautious about going out but I do feel like this is a trend that will continue, he says. Fire pits allow for family to get together, and it's a good reason to just gather around and have a good time." Nancy Lubarsky, 63, wanted a small, portable fire pit for her beach house in Long Branch, New Jersey, where she is spending time until it's safe to travel again. "We just wanted to make it as vacation-y as possible and have a place where we could sit around the campfire, she says. Lubarsky ordered a metal fire pit on a stand with a mesh screen cover from Amazon. Her husband assembled it and, within hours, the couple had a cozy campfire on their patio. She looks forward to roasting marshmallows with her 4- and 8-year-old grandchildren on their next visit. Silverman, of New Hampshire, knew she wanted a more permanent structure. She searched Pinterest for inspiration and hired a landscaping crew to bring her vision for a rectangular fire pit with built-in seating to life. She designed a space below the brick benches to store firewood. Silverman plans to use the space all year. "It's not just a summertime thing, she says. We're not afraid to sit outside in the cold." Here are some considerations for constructing or purchasing a fire pit: Sumi Sukanya dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Often accused of unduly favouring drug-makers, Indias drug regulatory system is under glare in the wake of Covid pandemic with three drugs getting the nod as its potential cure despite little scientific evidence of their safety and efficacy. While two drugs got authorisation for emergency use by the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the third an ayurvedic formulation got the nod from the AYUSH Ministry. A medic plays with a child patient at CWG Village Covid Care Centre in New Delhi | PtI For treatment of mild to moderate Covid cases, Favipiravir got the nod for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Favipiravir is manufactured by Fujifilm and is in use in Japan since 2014. In India, Glenmark got the license to manufacture the drug. The evidence cited for the EUA was rather weak an observational trial, without any comparison with a placebo arm, with 160 patients in 10 hospitals which showed that patients with mild symptoms showed some improvement. Similarly, immuno-modulator Itolizumab, which was launched by Biocon for psoriasis in 2013, got the approval for repurposed use in moderate to severe Covid cases to manage cytokine storms. In this case too, researchers express concern over its low-powered, small clinical trial regarding its efficacy in Covid medication. The drug maker was also exempted from phase 3 clinical trial, considered bedrock of scientific evidence for any medical therapy, clearing the way directly for phase 4 or post-marketing assessment. Drug Controller General V G Somani, who heads the CDSCO, did not respond to requests seeking clarification on issues related to the approvals. Even Patanjali allegedly had a similar cakewalk as it got permission to sell Coronil. A group of doctors and researchers had written to the Medical Council of India highlighting how the purported clinical trial undertaken to assess Coronils efficacy grossly violated trials norms. Those who closely follow Indias drug regulation scenario say that CDSCOs chequered past and present is a concern. History informs us that CDSCO makes its decision based on every other factor except sound science and is opaque about how it arrives at its decisions, said activist Dinesh Thakur, who blew the lid off Ranbaxys dubious manufacturing practices. It has been called out by the parliamentary standing committee on health for collusion, corruption and gross incompetence. There seems to be no accountability for its questionable function. Public health researcher Dr Oommen John stressed that the approvals for use of pharmaceutical agents for new indications like Covid need to be based on sound evidence. If the studies are not adequately powered, there is a risk of harm that can be multiplied at scale given the direction the pandemic is moving. One major problem is a near-complete lack of transparency in the way the drug regulator functions. The agency, for instance, does not make public the approval details or composition of the committees behind approvals. It was only after persuasion by All India Drug Action Network that CDSCO released minutes of the meeting of the expert committee that is approving Covid drugs, but a request to reveal the name of the members remains unheeded so far. How a drug in India is approved When a company in India wants to manufacture or import a new drug, it has to apply to seek permission from the licensing authority or the Drug Controller of India by filling in Form 44 also submit required data as prescribed in Schedule Y of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and its rules. In order to prove its efficacy and safety in Indian population, it has to conduct clinical trials in accordance with the guidelines specified in Schedule Y and submit the report of such clinical trials in the specified format. Stages of clinical trials in the country Pre-clinical study - Mice, Rat, Rabbit, Monkeys . Phase 1 Human pharmacology trial - estimation of safety and tolerability. Phase 2 Exploratory trial - estimation of effectiveness and short-term side effects . Phase 3 Confirmatory trial - Confirmation of therapeutic benefits . Phase 4 Post marketing trial - Studies done after drug approval. Two people were hospitalized after being shot while driving down a Northeast Side road Sunday night. San Antonio police were called to the 200 block of Bee Street just before 10 p.m. for the shooting. A man was suffering from a gunshot wound in the back and his female passenger was shot in the cheek. by Veronica Gill - Shafique Khokhar A Christian man was mortally wounded for bathing in a tube-well pool used by Muslims. Although the countrys constitution protects religious freedom, minorities continue to be discriminated in terms of equality, education, and political representation. Theocracy has deep roots in the laws of the land. Lahore (AsiaNews) - I saw my son bleed, bruised, unconscious. I shouted his name, splashed water on his face and gently slapped him to wake him up, but he no longer moved, said Ghafoor Masih, a Christian, father of Saleem Masih, who was beaten to death in Baguyana village on 25 February. The 24-year-old was punished for bathing in a tube-well pool used by Muslims. His father spoke about the incident that led to his sons death in an interview with the British Pakistani Christian Association, a non-profit organisation. Pakistan broke away from India for the sake of religious freedom, but it is now the home of many Ghafoor Masihs, who seek justice for their loved ones; all religious minorities are discriminated against in the country, not only Christians. Why are minorities in Pakistan the victims of repression? Was the country founded only for Muslims? Of course not. Its founder, Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah paid great attention to religious freedom. You are free; Jinnah said, you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State". For not following Jinnah's words, Pakistan has become the 7th most dangerous place in the world for religious minorities, according to Human Rights Watch. The problem goes way back. Discrimination began in 1949, right after the Constituent Assembly approved the Objectives Resolution whereby all laws must conform with Islamic precepts. Pakistans first foreign minister, Zafarullah Khan, an Ahmadi, paid the price and was removed at the request of religious scholars. Ever since the resolution was adopted, minorities have lived in fear as discrimination spread across the land, making life worse for them. According to government statistics, Pakistans minorities dropped from over 20 per cent in 1951 to 3.74 per cent today, as noted in the latest census. Minorities in Pakistan have had to suffer a lot, from rape to forced marriages, verbal abuse to mental torture, physical injuries to brutal killings. Pakistans constitution gives ample space to freedom for minorities. The country is also bound by numerous international treaties that protect their rights. However, there is a huge difference between what is written and what is practised. The states constitutional and international obligations Under Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Pakistan must guarantee every minority the right to freely profess and practise their religion and use their language. Similarly, Article 22 (1) of the Pakistani Constitution bans schools from forcing students to receive instructions or take part in any ceremony other than those of their faith. Despite what is in the law, various school boards impose the teaching of Quranic and Islamic verses. Non-Muslim students are asked not only to read them, but also to memorise them. Ethics has been introduced into the national curriculum as an alternative subject to Islam for non-Muslim students. However, many schools still do not teach this course for lack of trained staff. Equality Article 25 (1) of the Constitution guarantees full equality for all citizens. At the same time, article 18 of the ICCPR recognises the freedom to have and adopt the religion or faith of one's choice. However, according to the Movement for Solidarity and Peace, about a thousand girls and young women, aged 12 to 28, of non-Muslim (mainly Hindu) origin, are converted by force every year and compelled to marry Muslim men. The authorities usually take no serious action against such criminal acts. Religious institutions Article 20 of the Constitution gives every faith community the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institution. Research by the Centre for Social Justice and the National Justice and Peace Commission found more than 50 cases of criminal attacks against minority places of worship in the past two decades. During the same period, almost 40 armed actions by extremist groups were reported. Representation Article 36 of the Constitution protects the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, including their representation in federal and provincial institutions. The problem is that the authorities at various levels of government have failed to ensure the protection of minority interests. The countrys National Assembly reserves them 10 seats out of 342. In Punjabs provincial parliament, 8 seats are reserved out of 371; 9 out of 168 in Sindh; 3 out of 124 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and 3 out of 51 in Baluchistan. Is this a fair share? Many other rights are formally recognised by the laws, but not in everyday reality. The framers of the constitution had established that the state would not be ruled under theocratic principles. Unfortunately, discrimination against minorities shows that theocracy has deep roots in Pakistani laws. The issue must be dealt with seriously, very seriously. Otherwise hundreds of thousands of Saleem Masihs will die every day, and offenders will never pay for their crimes. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Does the July share price for EML Payments Limited (ASX:EML) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for EML Payments The model We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$21.6m AU$40.9m AU$53.8m AU$66.0m AU$77.0m AU$86.5m AU$94.5m AU$101.3m AU$107.1m AU$112.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 31.6% Est @ 22.8% Est @ 16.64% Est @ 12.32% Est @ 9.31% Est @ 7.19% Est @ 5.71% Est @ 4.68% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 8.4% AU$19.9 AU$34.7 AU$42.2 AU$47.8 AU$51.4 AU$53.2 AU$53.7 AU$53.0 AU$51.7 AU$49.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$457m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.3%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.4%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$112m (1 + 2.3%) (8.4% 2.3%) = AU$1.9b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.9b ( 1 + 8.4%)10= AU$828m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$1.3b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$3.1, the company appears about fair value at a 12% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at EML Payments as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.026. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For EML Payments, there are three fundamental factors you should further research: Risks: Be aware that EML Payments is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does EML's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. 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. NYU Shanghai to host more than 3,000 sister campus students - China.org.cn Shanghai New York University (NYU Shanghai) has announced that it would host more than 3,000 Chinese students from New York University and New York University Abu Dhabi for the fall semester in response to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19. The students, consisting of some 2,300 undergraduates and 800 postgraduate students, will join some 1,700 students already registered in NYU Shanghai, according to the university's announcement made public Friday. NYU Shanghai said it would convert seven floors in the nearby WeWork spaces into classrooms to cope with the exceeded capacity of its existing academic building. An additional 75 faculty members from NYU and other universities will join the NYU Shanghai faculty in leading nearly 200 courses for undergraduates, and another 40 for graduate students at the temporary campus. These students may also cross-register for traditional NYU Shanghai courses. Since COVID-19 has largely been brought under control in Shanghai, the majority of the classes will be taught offline, the university said. NYU Shanghai will also take strict epidemic control and prevention measures at the temporary campus to ensure the safety of students from its sister campuses. A "mixed mode" of online and offline teaching will be applied and these students will also be able to take online classes offered by their home campuses. "All of us at NYU Shanghai are looking forward to welcoming these visitors to our community this fall," said Jeffrey Lehman, vice chancellor of NYU Shanghai. "These are challenging times, and it is gratifying to know that our university can continue to promote healthy bridges between China and the rest of the world while we await the restoration of more normal opportunities to travel across national borders," Lehman said. NYU Shanghai was established in 2012 as China's first Sino-U.S. university operated as an independent legal entity. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Monday shot off a letter to CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, alleging that the LDF government in Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,was functioning in a "wayward" manner and seeking action against him. "This primarily concerns corruption, nepotism and criminalisation of the state administration and gross deviation from the CPI(M)'s proclaimed ideology and code of conduct for party leaders holding public office, a position that has been sharpened over the decades by the numerous party congresses and plenums", Chennithala said in the letter. He also referred to the sensational gold smuggling case, in which an attempt was made to smuggle in the yellow metal through diplomatic channel. "The highlight in the case is the alleged links of M Sivasankar, IAS, a confidante of Chief Minister, with the main accused", the Congress leader said. The Chief Minister and his office has come under a cloud over the decisions that have been taken on several issues, even keeping the state cabinet in the dark, he charged. Apart from the unilateral and authoritarian nature of such a decision, Chennithala said he was appalled by the "blatant ideological deviations" that have been committed. "As a party which claims to hold high political moral grounds, the onus is on its leadership, with you as the helmsman, to explain this state of affairs and take necessary action against an erring chief minister", he said adding the silence of the party on crucial issues related to the LDF's functioning was "deafening". FILE PHOTO: General view of Brazil's Petrobras P-66 oil rig in the offshore Santos Basin in Rio de Janeiro By Sabrina Valle and Marianna Parraga RIO DE JANEIRO/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Brazil increased crude exports to Asia in the first half of the year, stealing a slice of a coveted developing market from global rivals who made record cuts to shipments to match the unprecedented fall in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The rise reflects Brazil's growing clout among global oil producers as its massive offshore projects come online. Brazil is expected to deliver one of the biggest increases to global supply in the next five years from nations outside of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, according to the International Energy Agency. State oil firm Petrobras offered Asian refiners competitive deals on relatively high-quality oil just as China and other countries in the region reopened their economies and as Western nations went into lockdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus, traders said. China also took advantage of the lowest oil prices in decades to fill up strategic storage."If we had more oil available, China would buy it," Petrobras Chief Executive Roberto Castello Branco told Reuters in a written response to questions. Castello Branco said there was no more to sell to further boost exports, because demand in Brazil has been recovering. China is now the destination for 70% of the country's exports, Petrobras said in a statement to Reuters. Asia imported an average of 1.07 million barrels per day of oil from Brazil in the first half of the year, 30% year-on-year hike, according to Refinitiv Eikon's trade flows data. A record 1.62 million bpd of Brazilian crude arrived in Asian ports in June, almost triple the volume in June 2019, according to the data. (Graphic showing Asia's oil imports from Latin America: https://graphics.reuters.com/OIL-LATAM/ASIA/azgvorqzjpd) Asian refiners were keen for the low-sulfur oil that Brazil sells, as they sought to comply with new maritime regulations to supply ships with cleaner fuel. The oil is from Brazil's prolific offshore deposits known as pre-salt fields, which Petrobras and oil majors are spending hundreds of billions of dollars to develop. Story continues That offered Petrobras an opportunity to grow its market even as OPEC and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, cut supplies by a record 9.7 million bpd. Petrobras is confident that the quality of its oil will enable it to defend its enlarged market share in Asia even as global producers begin pumping more oil. "There was a well-planned strategy to expand oil sales in the Asian market," the company said. "Even if OPEC+ restores production levels, we believe that this will have little impact on exports." The increased exports also meant Petrobras had no need to lease tankers just to store crude, a costly option that rivals worldwide were forced to take as demand plummeted during lockdowns and refiners no longer wanted their oil. Brazil's rise came as rival Latin American producers ceded ground. Asia's crude imports from sanctions-hit Venezuela fell by 35% in the same period, while purchases from Mexico dropped 9.5%, the data showed. Brazil's crude also displaced some West African supplies in China and India, according to data from those countries. The rebound in consumption in recent months in Brazil is leaving less crude for export, so international sales may not rise further in the second half of the year. "China should stop rebuilding stocks in the coming months and fuel demand in Brazil will recover," said Marcelo de Assis, head of Latin America Upstream Research at Wood Mackenzie. OTHER PRODUCERS International oil companies operating in Brazil followed Petrobras' lead to avoid filling up storage and making supply cuts, traders working with local crudes said. Brazil has boosted total output to a record 2.97 million bpd so far this year, up from 2.6 million bpd in the same period of 2019. That makes it the top producer in Latin America. International companies, including Royal Dutch Shell and Total , produce around a quarter of Brazil's oil. Brazil's production is set to double by 2030, according to the country's National Petroleum Association. Oil companies including Exxon Mobil will see their share of output grow as they develop areas acquired in recent years. In April, Petrobras alone exported more than 1 million bpd to Asia, or 145% above the same month of 2019, with around two thirds bound for China. "Our product is getting lot of recognition in Asia," Petrobras Chief Financial Officer Andrea Almeida said in a webinar earlier this month. NEW BENCHMARK Brazil's Lula crude is slowly replacing Venezuela's Merey and Mexico's Maya crudes as the flagship grade from Latin America in Asia. Brazilian oil is lighter and sweeter than rival grades in Latin America, and the price is closely tied to global benchmark Brent crude. Traders were last week offering Lula for delivery in China at a premium of about $3 per barrel above Brent, according to two sources. Mexico is losing ground in Asia as it tries to increase exports to the United States. It is also refining more of its crude domestically to curb fuel imports.Until the end of 2018, Venezuela was Latin America's largest supplier to Asia. But shipments have plummeted to a nearly 80-year low as U.S. sanctions prevent refiners from buying Venezuelan oil. It made no sense for Brazil, which is not a member of OPEC+, to cut exports just as projects were expanding, said Wood Mackenzie's Assis. "If you're ramping up production in some fields, like Brazil is, it doesn't make sense to cut production to meet lower demand, because it costs more," Assis said. "It is worthy to fight for market share." (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City and Sabrina Valle in Rio de Janeiro, additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez in Mexico City and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Editing by Simon Webb and Marguerita Choy) Hikmat Hajiyev By Hikmat Hajiyev The Armenian armed forces flagrantly violated the ceasefire agreement and used artillery to fire on the positions of Azerbaijan's armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district, along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's armed forces returned fire and took counteroffensive measures, preventing the Armenian armed forces from advancing. Azerbaijan's armed forces remain in control of the operational situation. The Armenian side has failed to make any territorial gains. The attack by Armenia, with the use of artillery, against the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, constitutes aggression, an act of the use of force, and another provocation. The troops of the State Border Service have been deployed along an extensive part of the border in Gazakh and Tovuz districts from Azerbaijan's side, to prevent provocations and reduce incidents that can lead to tensions on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia, on the contrary, has continued to militarize the border between two countries, while deliberately and systematically targeting civilians. Such military recklessness on the part of Armenia pursues an objective of drawing the military-political organizations to which it is a party to into the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and evades the responsibility of occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan. Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, which has lasted for nearly 30 years, and provocations perpetrated along the border also contravene the legal documents of the military-political organizations of which Armenia is a member. In the meantime, by doing so, Armenia's leadership aims to escalate the situation, against the backdrop of socio-economic problems that have deteriorated further due to the spread of COVID-19 in Armenia, caused by its incompetent performance, and to distract attention from the country's domestic problems. In a blatant violation of the U.N. Charter and other legal international obligations, Armenia has carried out military aggression against Azerbaijan and occupied Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The U.N. Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 demand full and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The provocation by Armenia, perpetrated along the border, is yet further evidence that the government there is uninterested in a negotiated settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Armenia launched this offensive and provocation when the international community was fighting COVID-19. That and continued violations of the ceasefire proves that Armenia's support of the initiative by the U.N. Secretary-General on a global ceasefire due to COVID-19 is nothing but hypocrisy. We call on the international community to condemn strongly Armenia's policy of occupation against Azerbaijan and its provocative actions along the border. Armenia's leadership bears full and sole responsibility for the situation. Hikmat Hajiyev is assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and head of the Foreign Policy Issues Department. OTTAWABloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says hes incapable of the kind of sexual misconduct alleged against him in an anonymous Facebook post. In a Sunday news conference on Parliament Hill, Blanchet said the claim that he tried to force himself on a woman in the washroom of a Montreal bar in 1999, when he was a manager in the music business, does a disservice to real victims of sexual assault. He called facing such allegations a form of hell and demanded the page where the allegation was posted retract it. There is no victim, he said in French. I have no idea where this comes from. I have no idea what the intention was behind these allegations. He said the general circumstances described in the allegation, that Blanchet was out at particular bars with Quebec artists, are plausible but the details are false. Blanchet had already denied the allegations categorically in a written statement, in which he urged anyone with a real complaint to take it to the police. He said Sunday he wanted to speak directly to his friends and constituents, as do other Bloc MPs. Those MPs are standing behind their leader. All 31 members of the BQ caucus have their names on a statement issued Sunday. We are convinced that the anonymous allegations made against him are false and we support him without hesitation, the statement says in French. Read more about: Turkey police detain dozens of suspected Daesh members in Istanbul Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 6:06 PM Turkish police have arrested at least 27 suspected members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in a counter-terrorism operation in Istanbul. Media reports cited Turkish police sources as saying on Sunday that the operation targeted addresses in 15 districts of Istanbul after police learned that those arrested were ordered to carry out an attack in retaliation for social media posts with "blasphemous content." In recent years, the Daesh terrorists have carried out a series of gun and bomb attacks in Turkey. On January 1, 2017, the terrorists attacked a nightclub in Istanbul and killed 39 people. Back in October 2015, twin bombings targeted a pro-Kurdish peace rally in the capital, Ankara, killing 103 people and injuring more than 500. The government blamed Daesh. In another attack, the terrorist group launched a bomb attack that killed a dozen people in the city's historic heart in 2016. Turkey has stepped up anti-terror operations against Daesh terrorist network inside the country in recent years, arresting many suspected terrorists and busting several terror cells across the country. Turkey has said that it would surely send captured Western members of Daesh back to their countries of origin even if those countries have stripped them of citizenship. Extremists from across Europe joined Daesh in droves in 2014, when the Takfiri terror group launched its campaign of death and destruction in Iraq and Syria. Back then, many European leaders ignored repeated warnings that the terrorists could return home one day and that they would be a serious security challenge across the continent. They instead allowed their nationals to join the Takfiri terror outfit in the hope that they would help topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. The terror group, which once held large swaths of land in Syria and Iraq, has lost all of the urban areas it had overrun in both Arab countries, thanks to counter-terror operations carried out by the Syrian and Iraqi armies. The Daesh remnants have conducted sporadic attacks against government troops and civilians alike in the war-torn countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UPDATE: Suspect in fatal shooting at federal judges house IDd as anti-feminist lawyer with case before judge, reports say The alleged suspect in the murder of a federal judges 20-year-old son on Sunday evening has taken his own life, according to multiple media reports. The man, still unidentified, was said to be a disgruntled attorney who had appeared before before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas, ABC News reported, adding his body was discovered with a gun in Sullivan County, about two hours from the judges home. The U.S. Attorneys office in New Jersey declined comment. New York State police told NJ Advance Media they are investigating a death in the town of Rockland in Sullivan County, N.Y. Its a death investigation. Were not confirming if its a suicide or homicide at this time. We dont know if its a direct link to a shooting in New Jersey, said Trooper Steven Nevel of the New York State Police. The FBI is en route to our location. Daniel Anderl, a student at Catholic University, was killed and the judges husband, criminal defense lawyer Mark Anderl, 63, was wounded when someone came to the door of their home in North Brunswick and shot both of them. Mark Anderl underwent surgery Sunday evening and is in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Salas had been in the basement at the time of the shooting and was not injured, sources said. The shooting sparked a major manhunt by state and federal authorities, even before anyone knew whether the target had been the judge herself or possibly her husband. Initial reports from several law enforcement sources had said the gunman had been dressed as a FedEx delivery man. This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter, said U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Investigators gather near the North Brunswick home of US District Judge Esther Salas, whose son Daniel was fatally shot and her husband, Mark Anderl, wounded in an attack on Sunday evening.John Jones | For NJ Advance Medi Authorities still will not say what case the alleged shooter had before the judge, whose docket has ranged from the celebrity world to hard-core gang members. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers, including Jeffrey Epstein. Salas, who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. She was nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge in December 2010 and confirmed by the Senate in June 2011. Mark Anderl served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County before entering private practice. He met Salas when she was a second-year law school intern. Daniel, an aspiring lawyer, was the couples only child. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. New Delhi: Electric scooter manufacturing start-up, Okinawa, on Monday announced its decision to increase dealership network to 500 across the country from the present strength of 350. The company also plans to focus on increasing its sub dealer network as well in order to improve sales in post-pandemic days. While Covid-19 has forced a slowdown across the industries, Okinawa had shared the strategy to accelerate its marketing activities and strengthen its dealership network. Recently, the brand also announced a hike in dealership margins from 8% to 11%, to support the partners amid the unprecedented Covid-19 spread, the company said in a statement. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Gurugram-based start-up would focus on states like Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam and other eastern states to increase sales of its electric two-wheelers. According to Jeetender Sharma, managing director and founder, Okinawa, as the Covid-19 curve gets flat, there will be a demand for private vehicles and given the fact that electric vehicles are economically more viable in the longer run, people would want to opt for it. There is no doubt that it will take a little time for the market to pick up. While the things gradually return to normalcy, we plan to grow ourselves across the country to serve the customers better. We are spreading our wings to provide our customers across the cities with easy availability of the products and services," added Sharma. The Narendra Modi government has been pushing for electric mobility as it looks to transform India's energy landscape to keep with its climate change commitments. In 2019, Indian government earmarked 10,000 crore to encourage development, manufacturing and usage of electric vehicles and components in the domestic market though the second phase of the Faster Adoptions and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme. As part of the scheme, Centre decided to incentivize the purchase of 7,090 electric buses with an outlay of 3,545 crore, 20,000 hybrids with 26 crore, 35,000 four-wheelers with 525 crore and 500,000 three-wheelers with 2,500 crore. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics In the race for a vaccine for Covid-19, the Oxford University team was seen to be miles ahead in a fray that now includes 165 teams of researchers. While the first peer-reviewed study of its early-stage trials was published only Monday (two others beat it to that milestone earlier), the advantage the researchers have is in volumes the Oxford team will have involved thousands of people in the trials by next month, a point at which others are likely to only be starting recruitment of such numbers. Its the most advanced vaccine anywhere, Bloomberg Businessweek quoted Kate Bingham, chair of the UK governments Vaccine Taskforce, as having told a parliamentary committee in early July. Behind this feat, however, is research that has spanned over two decades in search for a vaccine first for Malaria, before it was tweaked to target Mers and Ebola. In particular, it involves two Oxford University professors: Adrian Hill and Sarah Gilbert. The two are part of Oxford Universitys Jenner Institute, and Hill who heads the institute has worked with the particular technology behind the Covid-19 vaccine for decades now. The technique involves bioengineering a familiar virus (in this case, its a chimpanzee virus) to make it mimic the pathogen against which the researchers want inoculation. Also read: Vaccine results shot in the arm for Covid fight According to a New York Times report, Hill worked on this with Malaria as his target, and the first breakthrough came in 2014 when a vaccine based on the chimp virus that Hill tested was manufactured in a large enough scale to provide a million doses. Around the time, Gilbert tweaked the same chimpanzee virus technically called an adenovirus -- to make a vaccine for Mers, which was also a coronavirus, the report said. This would lay the foundation on which the Covid-19 vaccine was built, and lessons that allowed the Oxford team to short-circuit some parts of the trial process. This is because most other teams first start with small clinical trials of a few hundred participants to demonstrate safety. But since the platform was already tested, the Oxford researchers let ahead and enrolled thousands of people from the beginning merging Phase 1 and Phase II. We know the adverse event profile and we know the dose to use, because weve done this so many times before, Bloomberg Businessweek quoted Gilbert as saying. Obviously were doing safety testing, but were not concerned, she added, according to a report published on July 15. In addition to being poised to complete late-stage trials sooner than the others, the Oxford vaccine is also likely to race ahead because of the ease with which it can be manufactured, the funding and collaborations involved, and the support it has received. Usually, traditional vaccines use a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response. But this technology comes requires painstaking precautions as well. Also read | Covid-19: What you need to know today The technology used in this case involves a virus that does not infect humans, making it safer and easier to scale up in the production stage. The pandemic, which has exacted a near-unprecedented human and economic toll, also led to a never-before-seen mobilisation of vaccine funding and development efforts. AstraZeneca has inked a $750 million deal with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to manufacture and distribute 300 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2020, the drugmaker said in early June. It also agreed to a licensing deal with the Serum Institute of India to provide one billion doses of the vaccine to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with the goal of 400 million produced by years end. In total, the deals will bring AstraZenecas overall supply capacity for Oxfords vaccine candidate to more than two billion doses per year, the drugmaker said. The agreement will task CEPI with manufacturing the vaccine, while Gavi will handle procurement. While several countries, such as the United States and Russia, have struck separate deals with AstraZeneca, it remains to be seen how the licensing arrangement will work for India, which is among LMICs. Seventy-five countries have submitted expressions of interest to protect their populations and those of other nations through joining the COVAX Facility, a mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines worldwide, according to a statement by WHO last week. With coronavirus cases spiking in several states, Dr. Jerome Adams, the U.S. surgeon general, pleaded with Fox News viewers on Monday to dismiss any notion that Trump administration health officials push for the American public to wear masks amounted to a threat to the republic. Anti-mask rallies - including some in which protesters wore masks - have sprung up at statehouses across the country and globe, with hundreds of people gathering to assert that doctors are wrong, that COVID-19 data is manipulated as part of a grand conspiracy, and that federal, state and local governments and businesses implementing requirements on masks and social distancing are infringing on constitutional freedoms. Patrons without a mask were not permitted in the store at Alfonso's although they were able to place their order from the outside. April 11, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)Jason Paderon CNN reported that hundreds of anti-maskers gathered in London on Sunday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been hospitalized for COVID-19, announced that masks must be worn in shops. Some waved placards depicting masks as mind control devices, and others advocated unfounded conspiracy theories such as COVID-19 being linked to 5G technology and the idea that planet Earth is flat. Im pleading with your viewers, Im begging you, please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering, Adams told the hosts of Fox & Friends. This administration really fights to protect our freedoms, but we want people to know freedom comes with responsibility, and part of that responsibility means wearing a face covering when you go out, washing your hands and trying to watch your distance around other people. Federal guidelines urging restaurants to limit capacities to 50% are also not an attempt to thwart freedoms, Adams insisted. Were saying if we do these things, we can actually open and stay open - we can get back to school, to worship, to jobs, Adams said. More people are wearing face coverings than ever were - a lot of people are doing the right thing. Adams noted that while new coronavirus cases were rising in many spots across the country, the nation was in a very different place than we were in February and March. Weve increased testing, weve topped 40 million tests. Weve increased personal protective equipment. And weve got better treatments. But he cautioned that Americans should focus on prevention rather than treatment, with the hopes of reducing new cases, and, in turn, hospitalizations and deaths. The power to stop this epidemic is in the hands of the American people, he said. While public health officials in the Trump administration have laid out social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus, and urged Americans to wear masks in public, especially in situations when they cannot be 6 feet away from others, Americans have received mixed messages, with some administration officials donning and recommending masks but President Donald Trump reluctant to wear one for several months. In an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace that aired Sunday, Trump said he was a believer in masks, but he did not support a national mask mandate, saying he supported a certain freedom. Trump has only worn a mask in public once, during a recent visit to The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after months of pressure and criticism. Trump also suggested to Wallace that some of his administrations public health officials have been wrong on a number of issues. When Wallace responded that the president had made mistakes as well, Trump said, I guess everybody makes mistakes. Adams, in February, urged Americans on Twitter to STOP BUYING MASKS, claiming they were not effective in preventing the general public from catching coronavirus, but that health care providers needed them. Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers cant get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk! https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9 U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020 Adams and other health officials later urged Americans, many of whom could be infected without symptoms, to wear masks to prevent spreading the virus to others. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association asserting that cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities. There is increasing evidence that cloth face coverings help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others. We are not defenseless against COVID-19, CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said in a statement. Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. Update: On Monday afternoon, the president, using what many experts and many Asian Americans have described as racist language in reference to the virus, tweeted that many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you cant socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! The tweet included a photo of the one time the president wore a mask in public during the pandemic. We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you cant socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2020 Related Content: System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0485974aa0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f048595a758)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0485974aa0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f048595a758)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0485d54958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f048595a758)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f048595a758)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f048595db88)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f048594a208)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f048594a208)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 By Express News Service ERODE: An attempt by a Hindu outfit functionary to wrap a statue of Periyar at Erode with a saffron shawl was thwarted by police personnel posted nearby for security on Monday. The Hindu Makkal Katchi functionary was arrested at Paneerselvam Park in Erode town. He was identified as Prakash, 45. In an attempt to condemn the Karuppar Koottam YouTube channel -- which denigrated a Hindu devotional song 'Kanda Shasti' -- Prakash had brought a saffron shawl to wrap around the social reformer's statue. However, policemen on duty stopped him from doing so. A Hindu Makkal Katchi functionary was arrested by police after he attempted to wrap #Periyar statue at Erode with a saffron shawl to condemn the #KarupparKootam YouTube Channel. READ: https://t.co/U6I6KSCsNd @xpresstn @mannar_mannan pic.twitter.com/VPlmLzM1CO The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) July 20, 2020 Sources said that Prakash had alerted media persons in advance about his plan, following which his dramatic arrest on the spot was recorded live. In the video, which went viral on social media, he was seen raising slogans hailing Hindu deity Lord Muruga. One of the police officials said that the accused was arrested and remanded in custody. It may be noted that after a similar incident came to light in Coimbatore last week, where one youth smeared saffron paint on the statue, police personnel were deployed to provide protection to the Dravidian idealogue's statue and his memorial at Katcheri Street. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:35:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- New COVID-19 cases have been recorded in government-controlled areas and opposition areas, state news agency SANA and activists reported on Monday. Some 26 new cases were reported in government-controlled areas in addition to four new deaths and 10 recoveries. With the update, a total of 522 cases have been reported in government-controlled areas, including 154 recoveries and 29 deaths. Also, 18 cases have so far been reported in rebel-held areas in Idlib Province and the countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UK-based watchdog group said doctors were among the infected in Idlib and Aleppo. The new toll in opposition and government-controlled areas does not include six cases that have been recently recorded in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. The Syrian government has taken several measures to prevent the spread of the virus such as a curfew and shutdown of businesses. However, with the tough economic situation and the new sanctions imposed on the country, the government eased the measures while urging people to adhere to safety measures. China has offered help to Syria to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, China delivered the first batch of medical aid, including 2,016 COVID-19 test kits, to Syria. Syria received in June another two batches of medical supplies donated by China, including test kits, protective suits, masks, goggles, and infrared thermometers. Enditem The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday added to its Entities List 11 Chinese companies involved in alleged human rights abuses in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), barring them from access to U.S.-sourced commodities, technology, and other items, a Department announcement said. The companies added to the list maintained by the Departments Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) had been identified as complicit in what Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in a Monday statement called Beijings reprehensible practice of forced labor and abusive DNA collection and analysis schemes to repress its citizens. This action will ensure that our goods and technologies are not used in the Chinese Communist Partys despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations, Ross said. Companies named on Monday include the Changji Esquel Textile Co. Ltd., Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd., Hefei Meiling Co. Ltd., Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories Co. Ltd., Hetian Taida Apparel Co. Ltd., KTK Group, Nanjing Synergy Textiles Co. Ltd., Nanchang O-Film Tech, Tanyuan Technology Co. Ltd, Xinjiang Silk Road BG1, and Beijing Liuhe BG1. Welcoming the Commerce Department announcement, Nury Turkel, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said Mondays decision will help ensure that the fruits of American innovation and industry are not inadvertently fueling outrageous religious freedom and labor violations. Two of the named firms, Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories and Hetian Taida Apparel, exploit Uyghur and other minority Muslim workers who have been given no choice in where they work, Turkel added. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has already stopped several shipments of clothes and hair weaves made by these companies because of concerns about forced labor. Additional legal authority is needed to prevent products made with forced labor from entering U.S. market, however, Turkel said. We urge Congress to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which would bar imports of all goods mined, produced, or manufactured in Xinjiang, unless proven by clear and convincing evidence that the goods were not produced using forced labor. Also on Monday, the Germany-based exile World Uyghur Congress welcomed what it called this positive step taken by the U.S. Administration at a time when China is committing crimes against humanity in East Turkestan, using the name preferred by many Uyghurs for their historic homeland. At the same time, we urge the European countries along with other democracies to follow the footsteps of the U.S. government and take immediate punitive measures against China, WUC president Dolkun Isa said. There must be a concerted international effort to end Chinas atrocities, Isa said, adding, We call on all nations to stand behind America and take joint actions against China to stop this 21st Century Holocaust. Chinese officials sanctioned This month, 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. China imposes heavy restrictions on Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in the name of stamping out terrorismincluding on the use of native languages, expression of traditional culture, and family planningwhile discrimination abounds in favor of majority Han Chinese. Those who do not adhere to the policies routinely end up jailed or detained in the XUARs vast network of internment camps, where authorities are believed to have held up to 1.8 million people since April 2017. Beijing describes the three-year-old network of camps as voluntary vocational centers, but reporting by RFAs Uyghur Service and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in cramped and unsanitary conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination. Reported and translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Richard Finney. By William James and Andy Bruce LONDON (Reuters) - Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong. "We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation," Raab said. The ban is another nail in the coffin of what then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015 cast as a "golden era" of ties with China, the world's second-largest economy. London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus outbreak. "Extraditions between Hong Kong and the UK are extremely rare, so this is a symbolic gesture, but a very important one," said Nick Vamos, Partner at London law firm Peters & Peters. Raab said he would extend a longstanding arms embargo on China to include Hong kong, meaning no exports of weapons or ammunition and a ban on any equipment which might be used for internal repression, like shackles and smoke grenades. Australia and Canada suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong earlier this month. U.S. President Donald Trump has ended preferential economic treatment for Hong Kong. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered equipment from China's Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] to be purged completely from Britain's 5G network by the end of 2027. China - once courted as the prime source of investment in British infrastructure projects from nuclear to rail - has accused Britain of pandering to the United States. Britain says the new security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an independent judiciary, that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world's most important trade and financial centres since 1997. Story continues Raab was pressed by fellow lawmakers to consider targeted sanctions against individuals, over both Hong Kong and concerns about China's treatment of Uighur Muslims in its Xinjiang region, but he said any such measures were not imminent. "We will patiently gather the evidence, it takes months," he said. Officials in Hong Kong and Beijing have said the law is vital to plug gaps in national security exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests. China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs. On Sunday, China's ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction Chinese officials, as some Conservative Party lawmakers have demanded. (Reporting by Andy Bruce and William James in London and Aakriti Bhala in Bengaluru; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Elizabeth Piper and Giles Elgood) Sometimes painting over the word Stopping has resulted in an acceptable fix for Ms Lubeck. Vandalism has ranged from smashing signs to altering them with manufactured signage materials. Fourteen Labour Party billboards and counting have been broken, defaced or stolen in Rodney in the last four weeks, in what appears to be targeted vandalism. Kaipara ki Mahurangi Labour Party candidate Marja Lubeck says the signs were put up by a team of six elderly volunteers and having them vandalised has been demoralising. It was already challenging to fundraise the hundreds of dollars to put them up in the first place, Ms Lubeck says. It has cost Ms Lubeck $600 so far to replace the billboards, and she says she will soon run out of funds. Eventually you have to say enough is enough. But, then democracy has been undermined. Ms Lubeck says she would have preferred not to put up signs in the first place, but she was encouraged by supporters to do so. She believes vandals are trying to make a statement with their defacing of signs, but says there are more constructive ways to criticise. If you have a political opinion, write to your local newspaper. If you want to contribute to positive change, take some food to your local food bank or donate to Hospice. Ms Lubeck says she was alerted to some of the vandalism by residents who did not believe it was befitting of the community to display defaced images of the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Vandalising election hoardings is illegal and perpetrators can be fined up to $2000 or face up to three months imprisonment under section 11 of the Summary Offences Act 1981. If anyone sees someone vandalising a billboard, they could take down their number plate and let me know, Ms Lubeck says. Some of the signs appeared to be defaced with professionally manufactured signage materials and feature elaborate modifications to the design. Ms Lubeck has drawn some comfort from the fact that occasionally the word Stopping has been pasted over the word Moving, leaving the signs to read Lets keep stopping Labour. Repairing the signs by painting out the word Stopping has left them reading Lets keep Labour a message Ms Lubeck is entirely comfortable with. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (left) listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Read more WASHINGTON President Donald Trump insisted good things were underway on the next COVID-19 aid package Monday as he met with Republican congressional leaders, but new divisions between the Senate GOP and the White House posed fresh challenges as the crisis worsened and emergency relief was soon expiring. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. But the administration criticized more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate quick passage. Weve made a lot of progress, Trump said as the meeting began. But the president acknowledged the big flare up of rising caseloads and deaths in the states. "Unfortunately, this is something thats very tough," he said. Lawmakers were returning to a Capitol still off-limits to tourists, another sign of the nations difficulty containing the coronavirus. Rather than easing, the pandemics devastating cycle is rising again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses are shutting down again, many schools will not fully reopen and jobs are disappearing, all while federal aid will soon expire. Without a successful federal strategy, lawmakers are trying to draft one. We have to end this virus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Monday on MSNBC. Pelosi said any attempt by the White House to block money for testing goes beyond ignorance. The political stakes are high for both parties before the November election, and even more so for the nation, which now has registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count of 140,500 than any other country. McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy huddled with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and acting chief of staff Mark Meadows. Mnuchin vowed passage by month's end, as earlier benefits expire, and said he expected the fresh $1 trillion jolt of business tax breaks and other aid would have a big impact on the struggling economy. Mnuchin said he's preparing to start talks with Democrats. He and Meadows were headed to the Hill later to brief lawmakers. We cant pass the bill in the Senate without the Democrats and were going to talk to them as well, McConnell agreed. The package from McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits and a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits. But as the administration was panning some $25 billion in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks. Trump insisted again Sunday that the virus would disappear, but the president's view did not at all match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the alarming U.S. caseload and death toll. Its not going to magically disappear, said a somber McConnell, R-Ky., last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers. McConnell also faces divisions from some in his ranks who oppose more spending, and he is straining to keep the package at $1 trillion. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned Monday his side will block any effort from McConnell that falls short. We will stand together again if we must, Schumer said in a letter to colleagues. The New York Democrat is reviving his strategy from the last virus aid bill that forced Republicans to the negotiating table after McConnells original bill was opposed by Democrats. This time, the House has already approved Pelosi's sweeping $3 trillion effort, giving Democrats momentum heading into negotiations. Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month at a rally in Oklahoma that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Trump's GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated. The payroll tax break Trump wanted also divided his party because it historically has been used used to fund Social Security and Medicare. Cutting it only adds to the nation's rising debt load at a time when conservatives are wary of any new spending. Some Republicans also see it as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans. This would be the fifth virus aid package, after the $2.2 trillion bill passed in March, the largest U.S. intervention of its kind. While many GOP hoped the virus would ease and economy rebound, it's become clear more aid is needed as the first round of relief is running out. A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits would expire at the end of the month. So, too, would the federal ban on evictions from millions of rental units. With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million usually about 200,000 many households are facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance. Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-at-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remained at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade's Great Recession. Pelosi's bill, approved in May, includes $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funnels $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and calls for $1 trillion to be sent to cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections. In the two months since Pelosi's bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections. If we dont invest the money now, it will be much worse, Pelosi said. ______ Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. According to Sytnyk, it does not matter which court will hear this case. Director of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk says ex-head of Ukraine's State Agency of Automobile Roads (Ukravtodor) Slawomir Nowak will not be extradited to Ukraine. Read alsoUkraine's NABU unveils details of detention of Ukravtodor's ex-head (Video) "Despite the fact that there is Polish citizenship, extradition is not possible under international law, but it does not matter which court will hear this case," he told a briefing on June 20. In his opinion, it is more important what will happen to the seized property. As UNIAN reported earlier, Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained Slawomir Nowak, the former Minister of Transport of Poland and ex-head of Ukravtodor, on charges of corruption. Two more individuals were detained in that country simultaneously with Nowak. Top Democrats in the House and Senate have written a letter requesting that the FBI provide Congress with a defensive counterintelligence briefing regarding what appears to be a "concerted foreign interference campaign" targeting Congress. Why it matters: U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Russia, China and other foreign adversaries are actively seeking to interfere in the 2020 elections. The Kremlin engaged in misinformation and hacking campaigns in 2016 in an effort to tilt the election to President Trump. The specifics of how Congress is being targeted were not immediately clear, but the Democrats said the alleged campaign seeks to "launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November." The July 13 letter, which was released on Monday, was signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.). Between the lines: "To ensure a clear and unambiguous record of the counterintelligence threats of concern, the four enclosed with the letter a classified addendum that draws, in large part, from the Executive Branchs own reporting and analysis," a congressional official told Axios. "The counterintelligence experts at the FBI must provide the full Congress with a defensive counterintelligence briefing on these threats before the August recess." Read the letter via DocumentCloud. The house of federal judge Esther Salas, where her son was shot and killed and her husband was injured, in North Brunswick, N.J., on July 20, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Family of Federal Judge Involved in Epstein Case Shot Inside Home Update: The suspect in the shooting was identified. He is dead, law enforcement officials said. Original story below. The son and husband of a federal judge recently assigned to a case involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were shot in their home Sunday, officials said. A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas at her familys house in North Brunswick, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson said. Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack. Salas, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, was in the basement at the time and wasnt injured, according to a judiciary official. The man who opened fire reportedly posed as a FedEx delivery person and was not in custody. A FedEx spokesman said in a statement to The Epoch Times, Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time. We are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. The FBIs Newark Field Office confirmed that the shooting occurred late Sunday. U.S. District Court of New Jersey Judge Esther Salas in a file photograph. (Courtesy of Rutgers University) Agents were searching for one suspect. Attorney General William Barr offered his condolences to the judge and her family. This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter, he said. Daniel Anderl, Salas son, was studying at Catholic University in Washington. John Garvey, president of the school, said Anderl was a rising junior and preparing to start classes in a few weeks. He turned 20 last week. We all mourn and grieve this loss to our University community, Garvey said in a statement. North Brunswick Mayor Mac Womack called the shootings senseless, adding in a statement, We commit to do all we can to support the family in this time, as well as all law enforcement agencies involved. Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said just before midnight. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said that he knows the judge and her husband well. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, he added. Law enforcement officials are seen outside the home of federal judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick, N.J., on July 20, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Epstein Case Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges when he was found unconscious in his jail cell last year. Epstein was soon declared dead; according to the New York City Medical Examiners office, the manner of death was suicide. Salas was recently assigned a case against Deutsche Bank involving Epstein. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all those who purchased Deutsche Bank securities between Nov. 7, 2017 and July 6, 2020. According to Faruqi & Faruqi LLP, whose lawyers are representing the clients, the lawsuit focuses on whether Deutsche Bank and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose a number of issues, including whether it failed to remediate deficiencies related to internal procedures. That possible failure may have led to the bank failing to properly monitor customers it deemed high-risk, including Epstein. Deutsche Bank settled with the New York State Department of Financial Services earlier this month on charges over its dealings with Epstein. Agreeing to pay $150 million, the bank also issued a statement saying it made a critical mistake taking Epstein on as a client. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Joe Biden is in fact running for president. You might have heard of the guy. Was a senator for pretty much his entire life, opposed busing, routinely bragged about things like how thanks to the leadership of Sen. [Strom] Thurmond you could go to prison for having a piece of crack cocaine no bigger than this quarter without any judicial recourse, then got to be vice president. After that he complained his way through a series of primary debates with roughly 600 other would-be Democratic candidates until they all decided to drop out. Then the DNC gave him the nomination and he disappeared into the sunken place, where the independent candidate who might give him a run for his money in Oklahoma was previously exiled. This is barely an exaggeration. Biden is running probably the most unusual campaign in modern American history, making videos in his basement that serve, if nothing else, to remind us that he is still in fact seeking the office of commander-in-chief. I'm not sure how much of it has to do with lockdown measures, which at most seem to be giving Biden's handlers an excuse to do all the things they wanted anyway. By "do" I mean "not do." In addition to pledging not to hold a single rally, Biden recently went three months without taking a single question from a member of the press. Dorks at the Lincoln Project have pointed out that Trump is the first president since Andrew Jackson not to own a dog. This is true. But Biden himself is also a throwback; like presidential candidates in the Age of Jackson, he refuses to give public speeches or hold events or do anything else that would give the general public the impression that he is actually seeking the office of commander-in-chief. It is possible that, despite his recent protests to the contrary, he will even find an excuse not to debate Trump, as Tom Friedman and others have advised. There are two remarkable things about this strategy. The first is that it essentially triples down on the supposed errors of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Like Hillary four years ago, Biden is making his opponent the focus of the election, with more or less total support from the media. Last time around it seems not to have occurred to anyone that at some point you have to make the case for why you are good alongside the stuff about the all-consuming badness of your opponent. Story continues The second extraordinary thing about what Biden is doing is that it could in fact work. The guy who has decided to run for president by not running might just win. I've said before that Trump Is playing the presidency on All-Madden difficulty. Back in early February it looked as if he had emerged from three years of show-boating hearings and Democratic scandal mongering more or less unscathed, with record-low unemployment figures. This is not the country we live in today. Trump himself might relish the prospect of four more years of total war against the Democrats and the press, but, as my former colleague Lili Loofbourow has observed, the vast majority of the American people would likely prefer something that seems like a return to normal. The fact that "normal" here refers to a country in which more Americans died of drug overdoses each year than were killed during the war in Vietnam, a nation of stagnant wages, rising health-care costs, obesity, depression, pornography addiction, and appalling racial disparities does not matter. This is true for the same reason that it does not matter that the atmosphere of chaos we have spent the last three and a half years reading about was largely a matter of media selectivity. (Ask yourself how CNN would have covered something like Fast and Furious if it had taken place during this administration, much less a tragedy like the one in Benghazi.) Under a Biden administration all of this would disappear. The pipe dreams of a handful of progressive Democrats would give way to Obama-era centrism, and Wall Street would get used to it. We would stop reading stories about the corruption of Cabinet officials (except in the conservative press). It would no longer be assumed that it is unconstitutional for presidents to use leverage to secure desired foreign policy outcomes or that meeting with Russian leaders (as every American president has done for more than half a century) was treasonous. Deportations would continue and income inequality would rise. The news, though, would make for more wholesome reading again. And Twitter would suddenly revert to being simply what journalists do with most of their time and not the focus of their reporting as well. This is a reality Trump and his campaign cannot afford to ignore. Which is why the best argument he can make right now is for the reopening of schools and the end of most lockdown measures. Biden's greatest weakness as a messenger for normal is that his campaign is anything but. More stories from theweek.com China's top COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed weak results among older Phase II test subjects Creator of cognition test Trump brags of acing says it's 'supposed to be easy' for unimpaired people The millennial pandemic JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser New York City needs more arrests. More arrests in the subways. More arrests in housing projects. More drug arrests. More arrests of gang members. And it isnt alone. If theres one lesson from the unrest and anti-police agitation in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, its that poor minorities living in distressed neighborhoods pay the highest price in fear and in blood when the cops retreat and the worst elements feel emboldened. The spikes in shootings in cities around the country havent taken place in high-end neighborhoods, not in Billionaires Row in Manhattan, not in Buckhead in Atlanta, not in Forest Glen in Chicago. No, they blight the most marginal neighborhoods and make everyday life a hazard for people who have no option but to live in a tough place. The last couple of months should have made it obvious that what these people have to fear most is not the cops or white supremacy but the violent, vengeful, and heedless young men in their midst. Stopping or discouraging the cops from disproportionately policing these neighborhoods isnt a blow for justice. Its an obstacle for upstanding, low-income citizens who are trying to lead decent lives and shouldnt have to routinely hear gunshots or worry every day about their kids getting shot. Consider New York City. The New York Times ran an extensive piece the other day on the spike in shootings in the city. Clearly, a driver of the violence is a marked reduction in arrests: Arrests have declined drastically this summer, falling 62 percent across the board for the last four weeks compared with the same period last year, police data show. Narcotics arrests fell 85 percent. Detectives in the gang unit made 90 percent fewer arrests. There were similarly steep drops in the number of arrests by officers that patrol the subways and housing projects. Gun arrests have dropped 67 percent during the same four weeks compared with last year, even as shootings have continued to spiral upward. Story continues So what weve seen is a crude version of Black Lives Matter policing a defund the police approach, in which many fewer African-American males are arrested. Has this made heavily African-American communities better or safer? Emphatically not. The story is the same in cities around the country. The equation is simple: A less robust police presence equals more shootings. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ninety-three people were shot in Atlanta during the four-week period of May 31 to June 27, up drastically from 46 in the same period last year, the latest complete data available. And fourteen people died of homicide in that span, compared to six during the same time frame in 2019. Why? There seems to be withdrawal by police, said Russell Covey, Georgia State University criminal law professor. The lack of a police presence may create something of a vacuum of authority. The president of the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers agreed that theres been a pullback. Officers are afraid to do their job, he said. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported late last month, So far this year, ShotSpotter activations and 911 calls about gunshots in Minneapolis have more than doubled from a year ago, according to a Star Tribune analysis of police data. Out of 3,218 such shots-fired calls this year, nearly half have been filed since George Floyd was killed on May 25. Amazingly enough according to the paper, Some council members and activists see the focus on crime stats as a way to stoke public fears and distract from the issue of police reform. In other words, dont let the number of people getting shot distract you from the need to kneecap the peace officers necessary to keep people from getting shot. We dont need to settle here the dispute over why there is now a less robust police presence in urban neighborhoods. Is it a function of the cops being overwhelmed by work related to the protests on top of their ordinary duties? Are cops overly cautious because of the anti-cop hostility of elected officials? Are they engaging in a deliberate work-slowdown? All of the above? What matters at the most basic level is that if there are fewer cops arresting fewer dangerous people, shootings go up. This dynamic should put paid to the lazy analysis that says that disproportionate police interactions with minorities must be a result of racist policing. Its the opposite: Only people who have no regard for the welfare of poor communities would want fewer, less active cops patrolling them. An expression of this simplistic way of thinking, by the way, was New York Citys decision to disband a plainclothes anti-crime unit that was involved in controversial shootings. Maybe this was because the unit was out of control. But maybe it was because it was engaged in the hard work of keeping communities from being overrun by gangs and illegal guns. Indeed, the unit was reportedly responsible for 50 percent of gun arrests in 2019, and some community leaders are now calling for its reinstatement. (In response to the spate of violence, New York City has launched a new initiative that, in part, puts more cops on the streets of violence-plagued areas of Brooklyn.) Of course, its true that bad cops should be held to account, and the police should have the best relationship possible with the communities they serve. This can and should happen without exposing vulnerable people to the depredations of dangerous malefactors the way weve seen in recent weeks. People who live in the affected communities know this and, to their credit, often say it. But their voices dont get the megaphone of anti-police agitators. The cultural gatekeepers in our country could elevate them and highlight the rise in shootings as a direct threat to black lives. The media could drive home their concerns, not simply in straight news accounts, but with the sympathetic wall-to-wall coverage of the protestors. Celebrities could take up their cause. Corporations could shower little-known activists desperately trying to improve the lot of their neighborhoods with resources. But, no, this isnt the narrative these gatekeepers are interested in for them, black lives can only be put at risk by the cops, never made more secure and safe. More from National Review 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. Related: KFC to 3D Print Chicken Using Lab-Grown 'Meat of the Future' Everything Coming to Disney+ in August How to Market to Consumers At Home Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved T wentieth Century Foxs former headquarters in Soho Square is facing demolition despite a celebrity-backed campaign to save it. Century House is celebrated as the historic heart of Londons traditional film-making district. It was the UK base for the Hollywood studio from its construction in 1937 until Disney bought the studios parent company 21st Century Fox last year. A campaign which organisers say has been supported by Sir Paul McCartney, Rosamund Pike, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and director Mike Leigh prevented the demolition and redevelopment of the building last year. But fresh plans, which part retain the original facade, have been resubmitted by owners Royal London Asset Management. They are recommended for approval by a Westminster planning committee this week. Tim Lord, chair of the Soho Society, said: The building is of huge historical significance in a conservation area in one of Londons oldest squares. Retaining part of the facade isnt enough, the history is also inside the building which is one of the most important in UK cinema history. A spokesperson for Royal London said: All relevant stakeholders have been consulted. The planning officers report states: It is considered that the development would result in some harm to the townscape, however this is less than substantial and is outweighed by the public benefits. Jul. 18Workers with the New Mexico State Land Office discovered massive site of illegal dumping while remediating a former caliche pit near Eunice on State Trust land. The site, which had been buried, was last active in the 1970s, read a news release from the New Mexico State Land Office and was approved for remediation for future use. Caliche is a deposit of limestone often used by industrial operators to form the foundation for roads and oil and gas well pads that support heavy equipment. Since its last lease was active in the 70s, the pit was used illegally to dispose of concrete, trash and tires, the release read. The initial project was intended to clean up and dispose of the waste, while re-contouring the area and plant native vegetation. At the site, workers found 35 tons of trash and 8 tons of tires buried underground, which meant the remediation project would take longer and cost more than expected. An inspection indicated the tires and trash were likely dumped between the 1970s and 1980s, and a report was filed to the New Mexico Environment Department of an Environmental Assessment. The added trash and tires brought the cost of remediation up by $45,000 to be paid from the Land Offices Restoration and Remediation Fund. The work was ongoing. The State Land Office has an obligation to steward state trust land so that it can benefit future generations, said New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said. Projects such as this, a massive trash and tire removal effort, represent an important part of fulfilling that obligation, Garcia Richard said illegal dumping was a problem for years on State Trust land, and the Office would be seeking parties responsible for the dumping at the Eunice site. Illegal dumping is a legacy issue at the State Land Office as well as in New Mexico, she said. Im committed to doing what we can to remedy that issue by pushing funds toward these types of projects, but most importantly by seeking accountability. The State Land Office recently began cracking down on illegal dumping, mineral theft and other illegal use of State Trust land. Accountability includes using the tools at our disposal to find the bad actors responsible for messes on state trust land, Garcia Richard said. This site was likely trashed long before we had high frequency satellite imagery helping us protect state trust land in the Permian, but we have still reported it to the appropriate regulatory agency and are working in partnership to crack down on illegal dumping on state trust land. The Land Office recently completed a pilot project with aerospace company Planet to use satellite imagery to track illegal land practices and hold violators accountable. During that project, the New Mexico State Land Office found eight cases of unauthorized mineral removal from sites on State Trust land between 2017 and 2018 In total, the State Land Officer earned about $435,000 in restitution payments. It was discovered Plains Pipeline trespassed on State Trust land in Lea County in February 2017, and it was ordered to pay $88,350, while SB Weed Control in Eddy County trespassed in June 2017 and was ordered to pay $6,340. Hocker and Sons was also found to have trespassed in Eddy County in December 2018 and paid $25,920, while Cobra Oil and Gas paid $31,200 for a trespass in Chaves County in February 2018 Occidental Petroleum was discovered trespassing on State Trust land in Lea County on October 2018 and paid out $23,400. In December of that year, Loves Travel Centers paid $21,780 for a trespass also in Lea County. Piper Energy was found to have trespassed in January 2019 and paid $3,710. Sun Port South in Bernalillo County was charged $235,000 in a settlement for alleged mineral theft, admitting no wrong doing, per attorneys from the State Land Office. Their success is a testament to how satellite data is a vital tool for governments and supporting agencies to address problems and enact change in a timely manner, said Planet Vice President Garrick Ballantine. In light of recent events, organizations are reevaluating existing workflows and utilizing satellite data to be better prepared for future events. Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter. ___ (c)2020 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Indian Air Force to Discuss Rapid Deployment of Rafale Jets on LAC With China Sputnik News 18:08 GMT 19.07.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): France has committed to delivering the first batch of four Rafale jets by July end despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in 2016. Out of these, 18 jets are to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by February next year. The remaining ones are to be delivered by May 2022. Top Indian Air Force (IAF) commanders will meet in the coming week to discuss a host of issues, including the ongoing tensions with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and the rapid deployment of Rafale jets to the area, which are scheduled to arrive later this month from France. The two-day conference in which the top commanders of the IAF will be meeting is scheduled to begin on 22 July. The conference will be headed by Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria. Among the issues that will be taken up for discussion during the conference is the "rapid deployment and operationalisation" of Rafale aircraft at strategic locations in the country. The IAF will also review the ongoing border standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control in the Galwan Valley sector, where a bloody skirmish took place in the intervening night of 15 and 16 June between patrol parties of India and China. At least 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in the incident. Since the first week of July, dis-engagement has started, with both the Indian Army as well as the People's Liberation Army of China pulling back. Recently, both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Ladakh. Both visits took place amid intense disengagement talks with China. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CAIRO - The coronavirus has infected people inside several Egyptian prisons and killed at least 14 detainees, as authorities seek to stifle news of the spread of the virus behind bars, a leading human rights watchdog said Monday. Human Rights Watch released a report based on letters smuggled from prison and interviews with inmates and their relatives. It documented multiple cases of detainees who died after experiencing suspected virus symptoms without being tested or receiving adequate medical treatment. Tens of thousands of people in Egypt are crammed into what rights groups say are overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. Despite appeals for the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to release thousands of inmates to curb the pandemic, authorities have accelerated a long-running crackdown on dissent, arresting health workers, journalists and critics who voice concerns over the governments handling of the pandemic. One activist Sanaa Seif, was arrested last month after raising the alarm over a possible outbreak in the prison where her brother, prominent political prisoner Alaa Abdel-Fatah, is being held. Her familys fears have grown since authorities suspended visitation rights as a precaution against infection. Prison policies have been applied erratically since the start of the pandemic, said her sister Mona Seif, with guards often refusing to let in disinfectants and medicine for inmates or pass letters to families desperate for information. Instead of providing adequate medical care and health measures needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Egyptian government tries to obscure a serious health crisis in prisons, said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW. An Egyptian press officer did not respond to a request to comment on the report. The group reported that Egypts National Security Agency summoned, interrogated and punished inmates when news media began to crackle with reports of suspected virus cases in prisons. In one case, inmates said they were stripped, beaten with sticks and electric cables for complaining about their conditions. Despite the news blackout, unofficial reports suggest there could be runaway transmission in Egypts prisons. The pandemic has surged in Egypt, with 88,402 reported cases of infections and 4,352 killed, the highest death toll in the Arab world. Even as the daily infection rate in the nation has declined this month, accounts of virus cases in prisons are mounting. Last week, prominent journalist Mohamed Monir died of COVID-19 just days after his release from prison. The HRW report cited the Geneva-based human rights group Committee for Justice saying it has documented over 190 suspected COVID-19 cases across a dozen prisons and 29 police stations, including 160 inmates and 30 employees. Multiple prisoners reported they and their fellow inmates had fever, cough, body aches and loss of taste and smell. Of the 14 deaths, nine died in a hospital after being transferred from detention. Although Hamdy Abdel Aal Ryaan, 58, suffered severe suspected virus symptoms for days, he was rushed to a hospital in the Central Security Forces camp, north of the capital, only when he was dying, the report said, citing a relative. Ryaan, squeezed in a small cell with over 20 others, received almost no medical care. The cause on his death certificate reads: not yet determined. In al-Mahallah First Police Station, in northern Egypt, three political detainees held without trial died last month. The family of one of them, retired math teacher Moawad Mohamed Suleiman, 65, was told he died of a heart attack, but received no medical proof. Later, his relatives learned that Suleiman had suffered virus symptoms. Fellow detainee Hassan Ziadah, 56, was transferred to a health centre designated for COVID-19 patients last month and died handcuffed to his hospital bed. In almost all cases, HRW said, prison authorities have done little to protect prisoners from infection beyond grouping suspected cases in the same cell. Officers in at least three prisons prevented inmates from obtaining or wearing masks, it said. The rights group urged Egyptian authorities to release more detainees, including the many political prisoners excluded from recent gestures of clemency, conduct widespread virus testing and allow inmates regular communication with their lawyers and families. As with any major issue in Egypt, the main concern of authorities is to control any information flow, said Mona Seif, the sister of prisoner Abdel-Fatah, in a recent interview. When her family finally received a letter from Abdel-Fatah after weeks of silence, the content appeared self-censored, she said, mysteriously void of any reference to the health crisis gripping their country. It really is a black hole, she said. 21 Chinese people illegally entering Vietnam quarantined for Covid-19 prevention Authorities of the central province of Quang Nam have found 21 Chinese people who entered the country illegally and quarantined them for Covid-19 prevention. The Chinese people were detected at a residential area in Dien Duong Ward in Dien Ban Town. When seen, the group tried to flee. Four among them were then detained on the spot, while the others were arrested some hours later. One of 21 Chinese people found for the illegal entry in Quang Nam Nguyen Van Hai, director of Quang Nams Department of Health, said that the people consist of 19 men and two women who were all tested negative for Covid-19. They have been sent to a local quarantine site. According to Nguyen Xuan Ha, vice chairman of Dien Ban Town, over the past two days, no more Chinese people have been found in the locality besides the group. Authorities have asked the locals to timely inform people who are suspected of illegal entry. Colonel Le Chi Cuong, head of the provinces Immigration Board, said that the agency did not clearly know how the Chinese could enter Vietnam. Lucknow: The post mortem report of notorious gangster Vikas Dubey, who was gunned down in a police encounter as he tried to flee from police custody on July 20, is finally out. The report, which is in possession of News18, suggests that Dubey was shot six times during the encounter and of the six bullets, three had pierced through his body. The report points at total 10 injuries, including the six bullet injuries. Two bullets pierced through the left side of Dubeys chest and one went through the right side of his shoulder. The report does not mention the distance from which the bullets may have been fired but suggests that that the gangster did fight with the STF men as the entry point of all the bullets is from the front. Other injuries are said to have been sustained while perhaps ran and fell while trying to flee the spot. The report says Dubey died due to haemorrhage and shock due to ante-mortem firearm injuries. It also says that the injuries caused by bullets were enough to cause the death. Dubey was killed by STF in a police encounter on Bhouti Highway while he was being brought to Kanpur after his arrest from Ujjain. Questions were raised about the authenticity of the encounter and the matter is in the Supreme Court. The court will hold an important hearing in this regard on Monday. The petition has questioned the modalities of Dubey's encounter. Dubey was the main accused in the murder of eight policemen in Vikru village under Chaubeypur police station in Kanpur. Six cops were injured in the incident which took place after cops had reached to arrest Dubey in a case related to attempt to murder. Dubey had scores of criminal cases on him for last year and was also accused of political patronage by many politicians. Zarif says Iran, Iraq should get prepared against terrorist threats IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Baghdad, July 19, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that Iran and Iraq should get prepared against security threats, including the threats posed by terrorist groups such as Daesh. Zarif made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein after a meeting earlier in the day. Noting that Tehran-Baghdad relations are based on mutual respect, the foreign minister said that economic ties between the two neighboring countries have to promote to the benefit of both nations. Zarif said that during the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed sea transport, water borders and connecting railway of the two countries in the south. He added that although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exist, the two countries need to mobilize their economic facilities both in the energy and trade sector. The Iraqi foreign minister said for his part that the two sides underlined the necessity to expand bilateral trade relations despite the spread of the coronavirus disease. Hussein also said that he and his Iranian counterpart discussed religious tourism between the two countries while observing health protocols. He said that the two foreign ministers called for protecting Iraq's national sovereignty, adding that the Iranian foreign minister stressed that Iraq's power means the region's power. 9341**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Advertisement Victoria has recorded 275 cases of coronavirus and a woman in her 80s has died as New South Wales recorded 20 cases, its biggest total in three months. Victoria's figure is less than Sunday's total of 363 and well below Friday's record of 428, giving hope the spread is decreasing during Melbourne's six-week lockdown. Premier Daniel Andrews said 147 Victorians are in hospital, including 31 fighting for their lives, and 26,588 tests had been conducted. Ninety-six people are in hospital in New South Wales with two in intensive care, including a person in their 30s. The state conducted 21,167 tests on Sunday. A tram passenger is seen wearing a mask in Bourke street in Melbourne. Victoria has recorded 275 cases of coronavirus and a woman in her 80s has died Medical workers and police are seen at a government commission tower in North Melbourne which was released from hard lockdown on Sunday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews wears a face mask as he walks in to the daily briefing on Monday Victoria has recorded 275 cases of coronavirus It comes as 700,000 Melbourne students start learning from home and residents rush to buy masks before $200 fines for leaving home without one kick in on Thursday. Fabric store Spotlight in Springvale had almost run out of sewing machines as residents prepared to make their own garments - but some locals are still refusing to wear a mask, claiming it infringes their civil liberties. 'They would have to take me to court and I still wouldn't pay the fine,' one man told the Today show. Premier Andrews said: 'I don't think it is too much to ask Victorians to wear a mask so they don't finish up in hospital or contribute to somebody else finishing up in hospital.' Meanwhile, doctors and politicians have said New South Wales must consider harsher restrictions including a return to lockdown as the state's outbreak grows. Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week said she would avoid a second lockdown 'at all costs' to protect jobs - but on Monday she said: 'You never say never in a pandemic'. The state's total of 20 new cases is the highest since 21 cases on April 29. All of the cases were from known sources, Premier Berejiklian said. 'At this stage we are on high alert. Be extra careful, avoid crowds, think about the activity of yourself and your loved ones,' she said. 'Indoor events with large numbers of people are high risk events. We all have to be extra cautious and I appeal to people to consider their actions.' Four more cases were recorded from The Soldiers Club in Bateman's Bay on the south cost - after eight were identified there on Sunday. Anyone who dined at the waterfront venue between July 13 and 17 is being urged to get tested and self-isolate. The other cases included three linked to cluster at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula; eight linked to a cluster at the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park; four returned travellers in hotel quarantine; and one resident who was infected in Victoria and is isolating. The Doherty Institute has estimated that the disease's reproduction number in NSW is 1.28. Pictured: Diners at a cafe in Bronte in Sydney A man wearing a mask walks past a lone anti lockdown protester on the steps of the Victorian Parliament in Melbourne. The sign refers to Australia's flu outbreak of 2018 COVID-19 case locations in NSW: Batemans Bay: Soldiers Club Campbelltown: Plus Fitness Casula: Crossroads Hotel Casula: Planet Fitness Picton: Picton Hotel Wetherill Park: Thai Rock Restaurant Source: NSW Health Advertisement Queensland on Monday recorded first its case since 13 July, a crew-member on a cargo ship who has been taken to hospital. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the NSW-QLD border should be moved south to the Tweed River to make life easier for border communities. Queensland has stopped Sydney residents from Campbelltown and Liverpool from entering due to virus outbreaks in those areas. The Doherty Institute has estimated that the disease's potential reproduction number is 1.09 in NSW, worse than Victoria's figure of 0.92. This means that each patient would give the virus to 1.09 people on average, causing the outbreak to grow by the day. Paul Komesaroff, professor of health sciences at Monash University, said the virus could quickly get out of control in New South Wales. 'Victoria's example is a justification for concern,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'There is a high level of community transmission which started from only a small number of cases. It shows how rapidly the virus can spread.' Professor Komesaroff said the New South Wales government should consider 'multiple strategies' including compulsory mask-wearing and suburb lockdowns. 'Where there are outbreaks in certain areas, localised lockdowns would be appropriate,' he said. 'We have seen this strategy work in China and South Korea. It did not work in Melbourne because the lockdowns were brought in too late.' Early this month the Victorian government shut down 12 Melbourne postcodes but locked down the whole city the following week because the virus had spread too far. Professor Komesaroff said the downside of local shut downs is that they require 'a high degree of militarisation' including police road blocks on main roads. A whole city shut down would be easier to enforce, he said. Premier Berejiklian last week ruled out local shutdowns, saying: 'It's all or nothing.' NSW Opposition leader Jodi McKay said the government should consider making masks mandatory. 'Victoria has mandated masks in Melbourne to contain COVID - it's time for NSW Government to detail our current stockpile and ensure supplies of PPE as we must be ready for anything,' she said. People wear masks as they walk around Melbourne on Sunday. The city has been under a second lockdown for almost two weeks Masks will become mandatory in Victoria starting 22 July. Fabric store Spotlight in Springvale had almost run out of sewing machines as residents prepare to make their own garments NSW must consider harsher restrictions including a return to lockdown as the state's outbreak grows, doctors and politicians have said. Pictured: Bondi Beach on Sunday People walk along Bondi Beach in Sydney. Residents are being urged to avoid public transport and social gatherings as case numbers increase Professor Komesaroff said one option is to make masks compulsory in workplaces after Victorian law firms and abattoirs suffered outbreaks. 'In Victoria transmission appears to be occurring in workplaces as people here are less careful,' he said. 'That's a lesson that NSW should learn too. It could be that people need to wear masks at work.' Sydney residents are being urged to avoid public transport and social gatherings as case numbers increase. NSW is imposing harsher border restrictions with Victoria, tightening the permit criteria for southerners wanting to go north. An inquiry into Victoria's bungled hotel quarantine program will begin on Monday, after breaches by security guards at two Melbourne hotels led to virus outbreaks. They are one of rap music's most powerful couples, having collectively landed two number ones and 11 top 10s on the Hot Billboard 100. And while the music doesn't stop, Saweetie and Quavo made sure to take a break from the studio as they enjoyed an intimate dinner at West Hollywood eatery BOA Steakhouse. ICY GRL hitmaker Saweetie put on an eye-popping display as she sported a crystal-encrusted bra for their date. All that sparkles: Saweetie put on an eye-popping display in a jewel-encrusted bra as she and boyfriend Quavo enjoyed an intimate dinner at West Hollywood eatery BOA Steakhouse The 27-year-old offset the daring eye-catching piece with a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans that accentuated her toned midriff and silver platform heels. She accessorised the look with a statement necklace, large diamond hoops, clutch and watch. Looking glamorous, the rapper worked her flame-coloured locks into a soft curl and a dramatic pink smokey eye as she happily posed for photos with fans outside the restaurant. Saweetie's head-turning display wasn't lost on Quavo, who couldn't keep his hands off her as they left the venue. Eye-popping: ICY GRL hitmaker Saweetie put on an eye-popping display as she sported a crystal-encrusted bra for their date Loved-up: Saweetie's head-turning display wasn't lost on Quavo, who couldn't keep his hands off her as they left the venue Quavo complemented his other half in a grey long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans and face mask as they walked hand-in-hand to their waiting car. Last week, the Migos rapper revealed that their relationship had a bumpy beginning. The 29-year-old Georgia native first spotted the 27-year-old NoCal native on his Instagram explore page and he DM-ed her a snowflake emoji referencing her 2017 hit, ICY GRL. 'I told her, "You an icy girl, you need a glacier boy,"' Quavo (born Quavious Marshall) said in the August edition of GQ. Saweetie (born Diamonte Harper) replied: 'And I sent him the stir-fry [emoji] back' referencing Migos' 2017 hit song. Head turning: The 27-year-old offset the daring eye-catching piece with a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans that accentuated her toned midriff and silver platform heels Hand-in-hand: Quavo complemented his other half in a grey long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans and face mask as they walked hand-in-hand to their waiting car After months of phone calls, the cousin of Gabrielle Union agreed to fly to Atlanta for their first date, which began at Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill where he nearly choked on a crab cake. 'I'm still getting to know him, so I feel awkward because he's, like, choking at the table,' Saweetie said. Quavo then gave her a tour of his recording studio Quality Control Music before capping the night off at the strip club Magic City where a fight broke out - and the pair have been together ever since. All that glitters: She accessorised the look with a statement necklace, large diamond hoops, clutch and watch Mane attraction: She worked her flame-coloured locks into a soft curl Party people: The couple were joined by model Slick Woods (L) and DJ Durel (R) at the eaterry Saweetie is one of rap musics rising stars, with two platinum singles and reaching the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 while her debut album, Pretty B***h Music, drops later this year. The album, which she served as an executive producer on, also sees collaborations with Dr. Luke, J White, The Morgue as well as Danjahandz & Rob Knox and Timbaland. The rapper started to gain attention after releasing her song Icy Grl to Instagram, which garnered a million views in the first week and was covered by MTV, XXL and the source. She followed it up with her 2019 summer single My Type, which debuted on Billboard's Hot 10 chart, making her only the seventh female rapper to do so. Advertisement More and more people are discovering the benefits of practicing yoga, from building strength to relieving stress. 40 percent of women with fertility related issues have anxiety, stress or both. Yoga and mindfulness exercises like deep breathing helps in reducing the cortisol levels in our blood which is a marker for stress. High levels of cortisol damages the fine balance between the hormones which control the brain, heart and reproductive system. Many fertility groups who conduct support group meetings to help the anxious couples trying to conceive- have included yoga in their program. It can improve your sex life.Here's how:Yoga can target your sexual zones. Many forms of yoga refer to the root lock "Mula Bandha," which is the root of the spine, the pelvic floor, the perineum. Bringing awareness to these areas in a yoga class will help you be more in touch with them overall and can help you enjoy having sex more. In the challenging physical postures such as downward dog, chatarunga, supta konasana and plow pose, engaging Mula Bandha actually helps lift the pelvic-floor muscles, which increases core strength, which then functions to support and protect the spine. Engaging Mula Bandha can help with balance in postures such as warrior 3 and crow pose.You'll feel better in your skin: Yoga is a series of physical exercises and postures that are geared toward improving one's flexibility, strength and balance. A regular practice helps to strengthen, and tone your body, and all of these will make you feel better about yourself. Improved self-thoughts about your appearance will boost your body confidence and self-esteem. All of these will help you boost your personal life.Yoga helps reduce stress and anxiety: By transferring focus and attention to breathing and the body, yoga can help to lower anxiety and release physical tension. Lower stress levels at the end of the day can lead to feeling better about being with your partner. If you are not worried about other things and feel mentally balanced, you are more likely to want and be able to give to your significant other. It will allow you to relax and enjoy sex, which makes it even better. The calming, toning practice can be a wonderful escape from the stressors of daily life, while increasing your flexibility and strength to boot. This will also bring increased relationship satisfaction along with improvements in sex life and intimacy levels. It brings overall satisfaction, better communication and trust among couples along with the overall reduction in stress and anxiety.Yoga can increase the beta endorphin hormone release from the brain which gives a sense of well-being, improve immunity and prevents infections in turn increasing our reproductive health. With better hormone balance, there is increased sexual desire and reproductive function, also an increase in sperm production.Regular yoga practice may improve the interaction between the brain and the reproductive system in both men and women. There are many positive and negative feedback systems in our reproductive endocrinology and even a subtle imbalance disrupts the whole system.With better hormone balance, there is increased sexual desire and reproductive function, also an increase in sperm production.Yoga indirectly improves the reproductive health by improving immunity and thereby decreasing infections which damages the vaginal, tubal and uterine bacterial flora and thus preventing pregnancy.It increases the success rates of Assisted Reproductive Technologies like In vitro Fertilisation and Intra uterine Insemination by reducing the stress levels; thereby improving ovulation and sperm production.Women with high levels of stress biomarkers like cortisol have less chance of conceiving during ovulation and also an increased risk of miscarriage. Therefore Yoga can play a major role in these people.Breathing, meditation, asanas can reduce pain levels in people suffering from painful periods and pain during sexual intercourse, thus in turn increasing the odds of conception. The beginners should focus on breathing and poses which are comfortable. Above all it is safe. The key is to start slow.Benefits of Yoga during pregnancyYoga helps you in dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy like morning sickness and mood swings, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth. So, if you want to make your pregnancy and childbirth a peaceful and easy journey, you must go for a prenatal yoga class during and after your pregnancy. Look for a prenatal yoga programme where you are comfortable with the activities, style, and the yoga class environment. Always remember doing "Lamaze" which is a simple breathing yoga techniques, it always encourages you to be active throughout your pregnancy and increases your sense of wellbeing.All the exercises should be started pre pregnancy so as to have the best result during pregnancy. Do not start exercise for the first time in the first trimester except the breathing exercises under the supervision and consultation of your gynaecologist/ fertility expert.(Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in)--IANSpg/tb/Source: IANS TDT | Manama Bahrains ministry of health yesterday announced three new deaths from Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the Kingdom, raising the total toll in the country to 124. A 76-year-old Bahraini woman, a 58-year-old Bahrain man and a 55-year-old expatriate man are the latest casualties, the ministry announced on its twitter handle @MOH_Bahrain. Health ministry officials tweeted their condolences to the families of the deceased. There are currently 4,161 COVID-19 active cases in the Kingdom receiving treatment at various facilities, out of which 47 patients are undergoing critical care. Authorities also carried out 7,684 COVID-19 tests yesterday raising the total tests conducted in the Kingdom, since the detection of the first case back in February, to 710,686. Some 389 new cases were detected yesterday, taking the total number of cases here to 35,476. Out of the total cases, 222 are expatriate workers, 162 are contacts of active cases, and 5 are travel related. Bahrain also recorded379 new recoveries yesterday raising the number of patients who are cured of their infection in the kingdom to 31,188. Contact cases on the rise According to, MoHs contact tracing page there is a concerning increase in the number of positive cases who are contacts of active coronavirus cases. MoH says, during last week, six COVID-19 patients were instrumental in infecting around 80 others. The cases included that of a 21-year-old Bahrain man, who passed the infection on to 26 of his family members, and a 31-year-old Bahraini man from whom 11 others contracted the virus. In another instance, an 85-year-old Bahraini man, who tested positive after admitted to a healthcare facility, passed on the infection to 13 others, including his sons, daughters, and grandchildren. A random community testing conducted by the ministry also resulted in identifying a 34-year-old expatriate male who turned out to be positive. Seven others working with him at a private company also contracted the virus from him. One of his contacts was living in the same household, while the other six cases were from two different households. Separately, the Ministry also announced identifying a total of 10 positive cases - all contacts of a 56-year-old Bahraini woman, who tested positive after developing symptoms. In yet another incident, the ministry said it detected a total of four more positive cases after a 29-year-old Bahraini tested positive after developing symptoms. In total, 1,621 Bahrainis and 2009 expatriates contracted the virus this week, with an average of 518 cases per day, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 3,630. Most of the cases, 1,720 were close contact of known cases. Those tested positive after developing symptoms amounted to 955, while others who tested positive after completing quarantine totalled 141. About 1,500 janitors in San Francisco walked off the job and hundreds of protesters gathered outside City Hall on Monday as part of a national day of strikes for racial justice. The Strike for Black Lives protests organized by unions and other groups extended to more than two dozen U.S. cities. Workers also rallied outside the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan. McDonalds cooks and cashiers in Los Angeles and nursing home workers in St. Paul, Minn., were also striking, according to Fight For $15, a labor group pushing for a higher minimum wage. In San Francisco, Gus Vallejo, president of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, which represents public sector workers, said labor unions stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and noted the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately hurt minority communities. City Hall workers also rallied in opposition to potential staffing cuts as San Francisco faces an estimated $1.7 billion budget deficit over the next two fiscal years. Protesters took a knee as a list of names of victims of police killings was read and painted Defund The Police in yellow letters on Polk Street adjacent to City Hall. Supervisor Shamann Walton called for a moment of silence in remembrance of Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader who died Friday. We have far too long been over-policed and over-criminalized in San Francisco, Walton said, adding that labor stood right with us as lawmakers sought changes. Walton has proposed to amend the Police Code to make it unlawful for someone to fabricate false racially biased emergency reports in 911 calls. Injustice is a union issue, said Rudy Gonzalez, executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council, a labor union coalition group. The movement for Black Lives is entwined with the movement for labor rights. Piper Alldredge, a member of Service Employees International Union Local 1021, said workers are urged to be active but many arent able to strike or protest because of fear of losing their jobs. The labor movement is really reckoning with the role of cops and police and trying to figure out how to deal with that. SEIU positions itself as anti-racist, so members must be on the front lines doing that anti-racist work, said Alldredge, who was furloughed at the California College of the Arts, where she was a studio manager. The coronavirus pandemic and police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, have led to sustained protests around the country since late May. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Health care workers in Santa Rosa also began a five-day strike on Monday as they protest what they say is inadequate protective equipment, unsafe staffing levels and benefit cuts. In Detroit, hundreds of workers are expected to strike at six nursing homes, according to the Service Employees International Union. They are demanding more safety equipment and better wages and benefits. Strike organizers called on corporate leaders and government officials to raise wages and allow workers to unionize to negotiate better health care, sick leave and child care support. Chronicle staff writer Danielle Echeverria and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf Malda: Lightning strike during a thunderstorm in West Bengal's Malda district took away lives of two women and five people other people injured on Sunday (July 19, 2020), said the police. The deceased were identified as Jaya Mondal and Seema Mondal, said the West Bengal police. Strong winds accompanied by lightning strike lashed the Harishchandrapur area of the Chanchal sub-division in the afternoon, killing two women and injuring five other people working in the agricultural fields in Gobra village, they said. They were taken to a local health centre, where the two were declared dead, while the injured people were shifted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital and the Chanchal Super Speciality Hospital. Earlier, on June 4, three persons were killed and one was critically injured in lightning strikes triggered by a thunderstorm in West Bengal's Malda district. Those killed were identified as Mithu Karmakar (33), Pinu Orao (57) and Sultan Ahmed (23). (With PTI input) A self-described anti-feminist lawyer found dead in the Catskills of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound is the prime suspect in the shooting of a federal judges family in New Jersey, the FBI said Monday. Roy Den Hollander, who received media attention including appearances on Fox News and Comedy Central for lawsuits challenging perceived infringements of mens rights, was found dead Monday in Sullivan County, New York, two officials with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. The FBI said Den Hollander was the primary subject in the attack and confirmed he had been pronounced dead but provided no other details. Found among his personal effects was information about another judge, New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, a state court spokesperson said. A day earlier, a gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person went to the North Brunswick, New Jersey, home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and started shooting, wounding her husband, the defense lawyer Mark Anderl, and killing her son, Daniel Anderl. Salas was at home but in another part of the house and was unharmed, said the officials, who could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Den Hollander was involved in a lawsuit, filed in 2015, that was being heard by Salas involving a woman who wanted to register for the men-only military draft. In writings posted online, Den Hollander derided the judge as having traded on her Hispanic heritage to get ahead. A package addressed to Salas was found along with Den Hollanders body, the officials said. In a screed Den Hollander posted online, he also wrote of posing as a FedEx delivery person to speak with a young girl, the same tactic the gunman apparently used at the door to the judges home. Den Hollander was best known previously for unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of ladies night promotions at bars and nightclubs. His litigation, and willingness to appear on television, earned him spots on The Colbert Report and MSNBC. Another lawsuit argued night clubs were violating human rights by charging men hundreds of dollars for bottle service. In 2008, he unsuccessfully sued Columbia University for providing womens studies classes, saying they were a bastion of bigotry against men. Daniel Anderl, Salas son, was set to be heading back shortly to The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he was named to the Deans List this spring. I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderls tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey. Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks, university President John Garvey wrote on Twitter. He turned 20 last week. Salas, seated in Newark, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Prior to that, she served as a U.S. magistrate judge after working as an assistant public defender for several years. In more than 2,000 pages of often misogynistic, racist writings, Den Hollander criticized Salas life story of being abandoned by her father and raised by her poor mother as the usual effort to blame a man and turn someone into super girl. In another section part of a collection posted online that resembled an early draft of a memoir he wrote about being treated recently for cancer, and wanting to use the rest of his time to wrap up his affairs. No more chances now, if there ever really were any, for glory and fortune, but maybe a little old time justice as in all those 1950s television westerns I watched as a kid when the lone cowboy refused to give up without a fight, he wrote. The only problem with a life lived too long under Feminazi rule is that a man ends up with so many enemies he cant even the score with all of them. But law school and the media taught me how to prioritize. Den Hollanders writings also point to a possible connection to the area where he was found dead. He described going to a family cabin in the Catskills community of Beaverkill, about 40 minutes by car from Liberty. Den Hollander filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing more than $120,000 in credit card debt, as well as rent and other expenses. In the filing, Den Hollander estimated he made about $300 a month from his work, with the bulk of his income coming from a $724 monthly Social Security payment. Salas, born in California to a Cuban immigrant mother and Mexican father, spent most of her childhood in Union City, New Jersey. After helping her family escape a devastating house fire, she acted as her mothers translator and advocate, foreshadowing her career in law as she argued her familys case to welfare officials, according to a 2018 magazine profile. In the profile, Salas spoke of her son possibly following his parents into the legal profession. Hes been arguing with us since he could talk practicing his advocacy skills, Salas told New Jersey Monthly. I dont want to dissuade him, but I was pulling for a doctor. Several college friends had spent the weekend visiting Daniel for his birthday, leaving just hours before the shooting, neighbor Marion Costanza said. These are people that will never see their friend again. Then to think of Esther losing her only child. Its just devastating, said Costanza, a lawyer who watched Daniel grow up, and had dinner plans this coming week with his parents. I want the world to know what a beautiful kid this was, she said. Its just devastating. Salas highest-profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife Real Housewives of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Monday that the FBI and the U.S. Marshals will continue investigating the shooting, adding: This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated. ___ Sisak reported from New York and Balsamo from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 10, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Vows to Send Federal Agents Into Cities Facing Violence President names Chicago, Detroit, New York, Baltimore, Oakland, and Philadelphia President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration will send more federal law enforcement personnel to major cities facing a surge in violence. New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore were not going to let this happen in our country, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. We will have more federal law enforcement. That I can tell you. He also said Oakland, California, could see federal agents. All run by Democrats very liberal Democrats, he added. Those cities in recent days, following weeks of Black Lives Matter protests and a wave of anti-police sentiment, have experienced a spike in shootings. Trump on Monday specifically said Chicago is in need of federal help. Over this past weekend, at least 10 people were killed and 70 were shot in separate incidents across the city, while over the Fathers Day weekend last month, more than 100 people were shot. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told the Chicago Tribune that she is concerned about the federal government sending agents to the city. It came after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents were sent to Portland in light of weeks of riots and other civil unrest in the wake of George Floyds death in Minneapolis. They grab em, a lot of people in jail, their leaders, these are anarchists, these are not protesters these are people who hate our country and were not going to let it go forward, Trump said of the arrests made in Portland. Governors, mayors, and senators are physically afraid of these people, he added, referring to individuals that he described as violent anarchists. Chicago police officers investigate the scene of a deadly shooting in Chicago on July 5, 2020, where a 7-year-old girl and a man were fatally shot during a Fourth of July party. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Unconfirmed reports claimed that about 150 DHS officials will be sent to Chicago to deal with the citys crime. The agency, however, has not made an official announcement about the reported plan. We dont need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the streets and holding them, I think, unlawfully, Lightfoot said. Following arrests that were made in Portland, Oregon, the agency said that agents are identifying themselves Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials. The CBP agents identified themselves and were wearing CBP insignia during the encounter, the DHS said in a statement. The names of the agents were not displayed due to recent doxing incidents against law enforcement personnel who serve and protect our country. The agents werent wearing name tags, citing recent attempts online to identify police and other officials as an intimidation strategy. Trump has decried the demonstrators in Portland as anarchists and said on Sunday that he is trying to help Portland, not hurt it. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal! Trump added. Portlands Democratic mayor, Ted Wheeler, alleged that a small group of violent agitators are trying to use the Black Lives Matter protests to cause mayhem. He said that the federal government shouldnt send agents there because it would exacerbate the unrest. Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city, Wheeler said last week. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 10:35:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The key to a more stable and stronger U.S.-China relationship is to identify growing common interests, properly manage any differences between the two countries, and "not allow suspicion, fear, or even hatred to hijack our foreign policy," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "For us, President Trump is President of the United States elected by the American people. So we are ready to work with him and his administration to build a more stable and stronger relation between our two great countries," Cui said in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS Show, which was aired on Sunday. "Of course, any U.S. leaders, any U.S. administration would represent U.S. interests. The same is true for Chinese leaders and the Chinese government," Cui said in response to questions on U.S.-China ties. "But the key is to identify our growing common interests, areas where our two countries can really work together for the common interests of the two peoples and for the broader common interests of the international community." At the same time, "we have to do a good job in managing any possible differences between us in a constructive way. That's been our approach all along," he added. "I think as great powers, big countries with heavy responsibilities not only for ourselves but also for the world, we really have to base our policies on a good perception of the common interests, on growing global challenges and how the international community would expect us to do, and not allow suspicion, fear, or even hatred to hijack our foreign policy," he said. "I think the fundamental question for the United States is very simple -- Is the United States ready or willing to live with another country with a very different culture, very different political and economic systems, whether the United States is ready to live with it in peace and cooperate on so many and still growing global challenges," he said. "I think this is a real choice. This is a fundamental choice people have to make." He noted that people have to "fully recognize the realities of today's world." "Actually, the Chinese civilization has been there for about 5,000 years, much longer than the United States. And there is strong continuity for the Chinese civilization and there are ongoing efforts by the Chinese people to modernize our own country," he said. "This has never changed, whether in the last 70 years or in the last seven years. This is a continuing process. We certainly have the legitimate right to build our country into a modernized, strong, prosperous country, like every other country in the world," he said. "We are always ready and open to work together with the U.S. government, any administration. And especially, we still have confidence in the goodwill of the American people, and we have the same kind of goodwill towards the American people," he said. Enditem Thousands more job losses predicted if AviationKeeper isnt implemented Statement by Transport Workers Union (TWU) The federal government has been warned of another 6,000 aviation job losses beyond September if it does not step in to support the industry, this time in ground handling. The warning follows 6,000 Qantas worker redundancies and urgent appeals from unions and employers across the aviation industry for an AviationKeeper payment scheme to keep people in jobs. As reported in The Australian, an alliance of six ground handling companies raised the alarm to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Michael McCormack three weeks ago, to which he acknowledged that aviation has been one of the hardest hit industries but offered no assurance that the government will take steps to avoid those job losses. Transport Workers Union National Secretary Michael Kaine says the Transport Ministers refusal to listen to the industry he represents will have catastrophic consequences for the economy. Michael McCormack is burying his head in the sand. All evidence points to the aviation industry suffering the longest and being last to recover from this pandemic. No one, not least the Transport Minister, can be under any illusion that the dozens of aviation companies and the thousands of aviation workers will be able to survive the next year without government intervention. On 7th July a cohort of 16 unions and aviation companies wrote to the federal government calling for an AviationKeeper payment scheme to ensure the well-trained, experienced aviation workforce will be ready to fly again when air travel resumes. So far, the federal government has failed to respond to the letter. McCormack was also reported to have said ground handling companies should have been looked after by airlines, citing the tax relief they received months ago. Now is not the time for McCormack to lead the charge back to market-based dogma in a market that is clearly broken. Clarity, certainty and readiness are what this crucial industry needs and AviationKeeper provides it. Platitudes and weak, desperate references to trickle down solutions will not cut it. Virgin Australia went into voluntary administration and Qantas prematurely announced 6,000 redundancies even before a JobKeeper review. Yet McCormack suggests the airlines had the means to not only keep their grounded workforce afloat, but also to prop up ground handling companies suffering the same blow. Airlines, aviation companies and workers have on several occasions appealed to the federal government for support and been knocked back, such as the thousands of Dnata workers excluded from JobKeeper by a last-minute loophole. Those workers have now been without pay for months and fear theyll lose their jobs. How many job losses will it take for the government to step in? Kaine continued. The Australian Aviation Ground Handlers Industry Alliance spokesman Bruce Stokes said a ninety per cent increase in air traffic is needed to keep ground handling companies in business beyond September. Qantas has removed all international flights bar New Zealand from its website until 28th March, 2021. The Transport Workers Union and Australian Services Union are running an AviationKeeper advertising campaign to apply pressure to the federal government in the lead up to a JobKeeper review announcement. The minister said that the action aims at help companies keep their labour, increase productivity and improve Egypts economic performance signs. Egypt has allocated EGP 7 billion in the FY2020/2021 budget for the Export Development Fund (EDF) in order to disburse exporter firms' arrears, which are to be disbursed in monthly tranches, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in a statement on Monday. Maait said that EGP 6 billion, which constitutes 30 percent of exporter firms' arrears, were disbursed from the states budget for the EDF in FY2019/2020 to fulfil dues for 1,677 companies and provide the needed liquidity for them amid the COVID-19 crisis. Maait added the action came in light of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives to disburse the arrears. The minister also said that the action aims at help companies keep their labour, increase productivity and improve Egypts economic performance signs. The Egyptian government has been committed to disbursing the export firms' arrears since 2012, and the government has made a tangible achievement in this regard through fruitful cooperation with the trade and industry ministry, Maait said. The minister added that fulfilling the exporters arrears will contribute to stimulating manufacturing and production, maximising productivity, and expanding the export base, by which the economic cycle can be pushed, growth rates can be increased and new job opportunities can be generated. In May, Egypt's ministers of finance, trade and industry inked a number of settlement agreements with 41 foreign and domestic export firms to resolve the arrears meant to be disbursed to them through the EDF. The total arrears that have been disbursed from the EDF to export firms from January to April recorded EGP 2.133 billion, according to Ministry of Trade and Industry. Export firms have been suffering from the accumulation of their dues, which total EGP 10 billion and have not been disbursed from the EDF for three years. Search Keywords: Short link: Hotel groups are suing San Francisco over a law passed this month that mandates daily, intensive room cleanings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The suit, filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, seeks an injunction to void the Healthy Buildings ordinance, which hotel groups say endangers workers by exposing them to surfaces that may be contaminated. The groups also allege that the law will financially burden hotels that are already struggling and that it improperly overrides state and federal health guidelines. The daily cleanings are the strictest requirements in the country. The lawsuit, filed by the Hotel Council of San Francisco, California Hotel & Lodging Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, escalates a clash over regulations as the city moves to reopen the economy. Hotels would resume business during Phase 3 of the citys reopening plan, which does not have a confirmed date, though some rooms have been converted to house the homeless. This is going to create hardship for an industry that is already suffering, said Kevin Carroll, CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. Its unenforceable. Its overreaching. Well review the lawsuit once weve actually been served with it, and well address it in court, said John Cote, spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera. The law requires the cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces in guest rooms that have been occupied in the previous 24 hours. Hotel groups want rooms to be cleaned after a guest checks out rather than daily. Daily cleaning was previously the norm, but it was never mandated by the city and did not have to be as thorough. Some hotels previously provided incentives to guests who opted out of daily cleaning; the new law also forbids them from offering incentives. The law also requires that common areas of hotels and large office buildings be cleaned and disinfected multiple times a day. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The lawsuit alleges that the law is an unsafely misguided attempt to create work for hotel employees, namely housekeepers, and boost the membership of the hotel labor union Unite Here Local 2, which supported the law. Anand Singh, president of Unite Here Local 2, has said opposition from hotel owners was based on greed, rather than concerns over worker safety. We dont think any traveler wants to hear that San Francisco hotels are trying to lower their cleaning standards right now. That runs against science, the World Health Organization and common sense. But, sadly, it doesnt surprise us, Singh said in a statement, adding that hotel owners have walked away from discussing safety protocols with workers. Singh said coronavirus outbreaks in hotels in other cities such as Las Vegas demonstrated that stronger regulations were required. Hotel groups noted that major outbreaks have yet to be reported in California hotels. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf By Abankula The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, said quite a lot of things today, some of them startling, about the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the former managing director Joi Nunieh and allegations of looting at the agency. Here are some highlights: 1.Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo did not get NNDC contract: At the investigative hearing on the alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure in the NDDC, Akpabio said that he was yet to see contract documents made to Tunji-Ojos company. I am not sure if NDDC awarded contract to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee, Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo. For me to say that, I need to see that contracts were awarded to his company; may be the contract was awarded in the area where he comes from in Ondo, he said. Tunji-Ojo was accused of executing contracts by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC. As a result of the allegation, Tunji-Ojo stepped aside as chairman of the committee to allow for a free and fair hearing and not to be a judge in his own case. The acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, had accused Tunji-Ojo of corrupt practices in the commission. 2. 60 percent of NDDC contracts go to National Assembly members: After refuting the accusation that Tunji-Ojo got contracts from NDDC, Akpabio dropped another bombshell, that 60 percent of contracts by the agency go to you, National Assembly members. A member of the committee took him up on his you people allegation and asked him to clarify. I just told you that we have records to show that most of the contracts in the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly, he said. 3. Joi Nunieh: Akpabio said the former acting Managing Director of NDDC, Ms Joi Nunieh, Akpabio was sacked for insubordination, among other sins. He also claimed Joi does not have the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate. She also did not possess an exemption letter from the NYSC. He said Joi was sacked when he received a letter from the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari that she does not have the requisite qualifications to remain as NDDCs acting Managing Director. He explained that he wrote to the NYSC twice and was told twice that she never served and that she did not have the NYSC certificate or exemption letter. 4. Forensic audit of NDDC: Akpabio said that the forensic audit directed by President Muhammadu Buhari is ongoing and that the process had not been hijacked as alleged in some quarters. 5. NDDC Funding and Budget Control He explained that the NDDC draws its funds from two sources, the Federal Government and the oil companies. Akpabio recommended that the budgeting system for NDDC be changed so that it will reflect budget lines in the Appropriate Act. He also recommended some amendment to the NDDC Act to prevent the management from spending beyond its threshold by splitting big projects into small components. Akpabio said that management of the NDDC had spent N4.2 billion, which is beyond its threshold by splitting projects into small components of N49 million to evade the approval of the supervising minister. The minister said that no member of staff of the NDDC had been sacked under his watch, saying that even those on leave got COVID-19 allowance. 5. NDDC Interim Management did not spend N81.5b in five months Contrary to allegations claiming that the IMC had spent N81.5 billion between February to May, Akpabio said only N23 billion had been spent. The minister said that only three contracts had been approved since he was appointed as minister of the ministry. According to him, the contracts include the procurement of forensic auditors, purchase of official cars for NDDC and the award of emergency project on the control of COVID-19. He told the lawmakers that all contracts were approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC); except of the emergency COVID-19 project. Akpabio said that at the time of his appointment, there was no budget running and could not have compelled the then IMC to pay N10 billion for Christmas largess to all state. He said, prior to the implementation of the of the TSA account, the NDDC had over 300 accounts across commercial banks saying that with such systems, monies could get missing. What Pondei said: Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, the Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Monday, collapsed during investigative hearing while answering questions from lawmakers at the ongoing N40 billion irregular expenditures in the commission. The members had asked Pondie to explain the N642 million paid to a company known as Clear Point Communication. The lawmakers also asked the Pondie to explain the N536 million paid for Save Life Campaign in the oil rich region and to prove that there were all budgeted for in the 2019 Appropriation Act. Pondie told the lawmakers that N642 million paid to Clear Point Communication to train locals and to help locate and identify NDDC projects in the area. Pondie, however, could not confirm that the payments were budgeted for, asking the lawmakers to give him time to provide the budget. In the process, Pondie collapsed, sweating profusely and was carried out for first aid and medical attention. The hearing was then adjourned for 30 minutes to all members and guest go for tea break. Details later. Related New York & Co's collapse will likely dent the performance of Song Hong Garment According to the Washington Post, RTW Retailwinds that owns 400 New York & Co stores across 32 states of the US, filed for bankruptcy last week. Specifically, the company is considering whether to shut down all of its outlets soon. New York & Co is a long-time partner of local garment manufacturer Song Hong Garment (HSX: MSH). As of the end of 2019, the US firm was responsible for 13 per cent of MSHs revenue, according to a company filing to the State Securities Commission of Vietnam. In 2019, MSHs earnings rose by 12 per cent to VND4.412 trillion ($191.83 million) of which New York & Co contributed VND575 billion ($25 million). Facing the COVID-19 breakdown, the local garment firm targets a 27 per cent reduction in revenue to VND3.2 trillion ($139.13 million). The latest financial report of MSH showed that the companys receivables as of March 31, 2020 were VND439 billion ($19 million), including VND166 billion ($7.2 million) from New York & Co, which is more than one-third of the sum. On the verge of losing millions of US dollars, trithuctre.vn quoted a representative of MSH as saying that the firm foresaw the hardships and set aside provisions in the first quarter of this year. Moreover, it also plans to keep making provisions in the following quarters. Regarding the recovery of the $7.2 million, MSH has contacted the partner but has yet to receive a response. Regarding the bankruptcy of New York & Co, the representative said that MSHs finances have yet to see significant impacts, however, if the pandemic lasts in the EU, it will be hard to predict the company's future performance. Currently, the firm maintains operations by manufacturing face masks and protective gear. Two years ago, Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment (TCM) was trapped in a similar situation as its big partner the US-based Sears Holdings filed for bankruptcy in the nation. Sears 49 subsidiaries, including Roebuck, Co. and Kmart Corporation, was a major partner of TCM, making up about 7 per cent of its revenue. At the time, TCM's receivables consisted of VND100 billion ($4.35 million) from Roebuck and Kmart Corporation and more than VND500 billion ($21.74 million) from the parent company. As a result, its revenue last year slightly dropped by 0.5 per cent on-year to VND3.644 trillion ($158.43 million). In addition, net profit from sales spiked by 8 per cent to VND269 billion ($11.7 million) while the profits from the other performance plunged by 93 per cent to VND5 billion ($217,400). That made pre-tax and after-tax profits decline by 15 and 17 per cent to VND274 billion ($11.9 million) and VND217 billion ($9.43 million). Reiterating that China has still occupied Indias territory, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power which has now become Indias biggest weakness as he has to protect the idea of Chhapan Inch. Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader posted a video message and wrote, PM fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power. It was his biggest strength. It is now Indias biggest weakness. In the video message, speaking on Chinas Strategic Game Plan the Congress leader said: What is Chinas strategic and tactical game plan? It is simply not a border issue. The worry I have is that the Chinese are sitting in our territory today. Chinese dont do anything without thinking about it strategically. In their mind, they have mapped out the world and they are trying to shape the world. Thats the scale of what they are doing. Thats what Gwadar is, that is what belt and road is. It is a restructuring of the planet. So when you are thinking about the Chinese you have to understand that that is the level at which they are thinking, he added. Now at the tactical level, theyre trying to improve their position. Whether it is Galwan, whether its Demchok or whether it is Pangong Lake. The idea is to position themselves, he said. They are disturbed by our highway they want to make our highway redundant and if they are thinking larger scale, they want to do something with Pakistan in Kashmir. So it is not simply a border issue. It is a border issue designed to put pressure on the Prime Minister of India, the Congress leader said. And they are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing, is that they are attacking his image. They understand that it in order for Mr Narendra Modi to be an effective politician; in order for Mr Narendra Modi to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of--Chhapan Inch. And this the real idea the Chinese are attacking. They are basically telling Mr Narendra Modi that if you do not do what we say, we will destroy the idea of Mr Narendra Modi as a strong leader, he added. Gandhi continued saying, now the question is, how will PM Narendra Modi react. Will he take them on? Will he take on the challenge and say absolutely not, Im the Prime Minister of India. I do not care about my image Im going to take you on. Or will he succumb to them? The worry I have so far is that the Prime Minister has succumbed. The worry I have is, the Chinese are sitting in our territory today and the Prime Minister has said publicly they are not, which to me tells me that is worried about his image and defending his image, said Gandhi. And if he allows the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the Indian Prime Minister will no longer be worth anything for India, he added. The Rajasthan Congress MLAs, who have backed Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in his tussle with his former deputy Sachin Pilot, were on Monday seen relaxing at Hotel Fairmont and singing the famous song 'Hum Honge Kamyab Ek Din. In the video, around Gehlot along with 10-12 MLAs are seen relaxing on couches and singing the song. The Congress MLAs, who had attended the Congress Legislature Party meetings last week, and advocated for Gehlot to continue as chief minister, were on July 13 whisked away to the hotel. Since then the Congress legislatures have been staying put in the hotel and have not moved out of the premises. Earlier, on Saturday it was reported that Rajasthan Congress MLAs of Ashok Gehlot camp were engaging themselves in various activities at the five-star hotel. In many photos and videos doing the rounds on social media, some of the legislators are seen doing yoga in the hotel lawn, crowding around a chef cooking food, watching movies, playing carrom and celebrating the birthday of an MLA. The Bharatiya Janata Party had reacted strongly to the Congress' MLAs' activities at the hotel. The saffron party accused the ruling party legislators of violating social distancing norms and other COVID-19 guidelines. The leading manufacturer of N95 masks in the U.S. says it has investigated 4,000 reports of fraud, counterfeiting and price gouging in connection with the product and filed 18 lawsuits as a result. 3M, based in Maplewood, Minn., is among the largest global producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and is considered the gold standard in protection against the coronavirus. 3M says courts have issued six temporary restraining orders and four preliminary injunctions so far to stop N95 sales that it says are unlawful. The company says in some cases, it has led to criminal charges. The schemes we shut down were not only unlawful, they also endangered lives and wasted precious time and resources by diverting buyers from legitimate sources of much-needed respirators, said Denise Rutherford, 3M senior vice president of corporate affairs. In one case filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, 3M sued Legacy Medical Supplies and four people connected with the company, claiming they were trying to sell 3M brand N95 respirators at a 75% to 267% markup over 3Ms list price, the Star Tribune reported. That represents price gouging and unconscionable profiteering during a global pandemic, 3M said in the court filing. Legacys Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Reboulet said 3Ms claims are false. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits USA Numbers SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Puerto Ricos governor and other top officials on Monday became the official targets of an in-depth government investigation into recent corruption allegations. The U.S. territorys Special Independent Prosecutors Panel agreed to probe the allegations against Gov. Wanda Vzquez and others following a referral from the islands Department of Justice that ended with the dismissal of two justice secretaries earlier this month and led to calls for impeachment against the governor. This is very serious, Edgardo Romn, president of Puerto Ricos College of Attorneys, told The Associated Press. It means there are already two entities that have independently concluded there is sufficient basis to investigate a governor. The decision marks the first time the special panel investigates a sitting governor in recent history, he said. The panel also will investigate four other government officials including one senator and Chief of Staff Antonio Luis Pabn. Spokespeople for the governor and chief of staff did not immediately return messages for comment. Former Justice Secretary Dennise Longo had issued a statement in early July saying the governor and others were the targets of an investigation that the department had launched earlier this year involving the alleged mismanagement of supplies slated for Puerto Ricans affected by a series of strong earthquakes. Longo was fired the same day she referred the cases to the special panel. The president of that panel told the AP that someone from the Department of Justice was about to drop off files related to the cases slated for investigation but abruptly left after receiving a call from someone at the Department of Justice. Wandymar Burgos, the justice secretary appointed after Longo was fired, later said shes the one who demanded the cases be returned because she had just found out about them and needed to research them. Several top members of the governors party then demanded she resign, which she did. Vzquez has since denied that Longo was fired in retribution for the probe. She said she asked Longo to quit because of purported interference in an unrelated federal probe into possible Medicaid fraud. Meanwhile, the governor defended Burgos, saying her actions were unusual but not illegal. The special panel now has 90 days to investigate the allegations. Independent prosecutors can decide whether to dismiss them or opt to file charges. The decision to investigate comes nearly three weeks before Vzquez competes in the Aug. 9 primary of the pro-statehood Progressive New Party to be its candidate for governor in the islands general elections in November. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Credit: University of Colorado Denver In college, young adults go through a developmental stage in which they experience many waves of success and failures. When failure is not handled properly, students may experience mental health issues, which may be difficult to overcome. But there is an easy tool that college students can use to fight stress, anxiety, and depressionyoga. Yoga: Need of The Hour for Student Mental Health According to a 2018 report from the American College Health Association (ACHA), more than 60 percent of college students said they experienced "overwhelming anxiety." Compared to the average population, university students report having more mental health issues. A recent study done in northern Tanzaniashows factors associated with mental distress among undergraduate students are financial problems, family history of mental illness, use of drugs, lack of break or vacation, the pressure of academic work, limited social support, and conflict with friends. These mental health issues are worsened by low levels of physical activity. Mental health treatment is the need of the hour. Yoga is a physical, metal, and spiritual practice. It includes the practice of yama (personal ethics), niyama (social ethics), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation (science of relaxing the mind). In particular, the last three components can improve student mental health by teaching students to balance success and failure. Yoga is a package that comes with physical and mental practices. Students who are new to yoga may at first focus on asana, the physical exercises or poses. When you practice yoga at a deeper level, you will notice most of its practices are concerned with the mind. Yogic science addresses the entirety of our thought processes: how a thought takes place in the mind, then how emotions magnify the intensity of that thought, and finally how a thought manifests in the form of positive or negative energy. Here's exactly how yoga affects the mind: Relaxing poses such as shavasana (Corpse Pose), meditation, and slow breathing techniques move our sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system, i.e. from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system decreases anxiety and produces a calm feeling in the body and mind. While practicing yoga, our brain releases chemicals that make you feel more relaxed than simply walking or sitting. One of these chemicals is GABA. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine shows that yoga increases GABA levels by 27%. The frontal lobe is the largest part of our brain. Sometimes known as the "control panel," it's responsible for important cognitive skills, including emotional expression, problem solving, memory, and language. The frontal lobe is the area of the brain affected by different mental disorders, because it works behind all our decisions, thoughts, and planning. While doing yoga, the brain slows down the activity of the frontal lobe, thereby preventing and/or alleviating mental health problems. How Yoga Improves Mental Health Apart from relaxation, yoga also does a lot to reduce the symptoms of mental disorders. It helps students develop awareness of their thought process, enabling them to perceive the external as well as the internal world (consciousness, mind, and body). This makes students better able to handle any triggers that usually call up mental illness and/or negative emotions. From body postures to yogic breathing, yoga empowers a student with the ability to remain calm and clear in both unfavorable and favorable situations. Practicing yoga lets the body's owner get entire control in terms of response, whether it is physical, psychological, or emotional. How exactly does yoga help improve mental health? There are multiple ways in which yoga can help a student well-being. Promote Mindfulness In its simplest form, mindfulness is about observing the thought patterns of your mind without any judgment or inquiry. Yoga and mindfulness are two sides of the same coin, as both aim to quiet the mind. So, it can be said, while practicing yoga with a certain level of awareness, you're practicing mindfulness. A mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) study conducted by the University of Bristol found that students who practiced mindfulness reduced their anxiety, excessive worry, and negative thought patterns. Mindfulness training also improved their emotional well-being, professional development, and resiliency to stress. Different meditation techniques practiced in yoga involve mindfulness. For example, pranayama breathing techniques help yoga participants attain a state of mindfulness by focusing on specific ways of breathing. Build Self-Confidence All yoga practices and philosophy bring your scattered awareness from the external world to inside you. In this way, yoga makes you more aware of your existence and teaches you that you're completely in yourself. This sense of internalization boosts the self-confidence of students, which may prevent many mental health issues. In a study to assess attention and self-esteem (SE) in girls using an integrated yoga module (IYM), low-income high school students reported improvement in attention and self-esteem. Practicing yoga enhanced their mental health and led to academic improvement. Yoga poses such as Plank Pose, Tree Pose, Bridge Pose, and Warrior Pose not only strengthen us physically but mentally as well. These empowering poses can help build self-confidence as they strengthen the body. Reduce Stress Stress due to various reasons, including anger, grief, guilt, and low self-esteem, is very common in college students. This stress may lead to many physical and psychological effects, including headaches, muscle aches, nausea, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating. Yoga effectively works on uniting the body and mind as one unit. It alleviates many physical and mental ailments that cause stress at a subtle level. To assess the psychophysiological effects of yoga on stress in college students, a study from India suggests some simple yoga practices to reduce stress. These include: initial prayer kapal bhati (skull shining breathing) Sun Salutation yoga poses like Mountain Pose, Wheel Pose, Cobra Pose pranayama techniques like anulom vilom (alternate nostril breathing), sheetali pranayama (cooling breath), seetkari pranayama (hissing breath) OM meditation and ending prayer In another study conducted on secondary school students in the Vijayapur district of Karnataka (India), the impact of yogic, physical exercises on academic anxiety was assessed. The study found that yoga practice improves positive abilities, emotional competence, and harmonious relationships between each, which reduces stress, anxiety, and negativity among the groups who practiced yoga. Helps Concentration Loss of concentration and mental illness are closely related to each other. Symptoms of mental disorders damage many parts of the brain that affect our ability to concentrate on work. Yoga, especially meditation techniques, helps the brain to recover its ability to concentrate. Furthermore, better concentration can also block anxiety and depression from entering the mind. In a 2018 study conducted by Annapoorana Medical College, researchers found that medical students who practiced yoga have improved attention, concentration, and memory. The suggested result of improved concentration in the yoga group may be due to personality development and relaxation achieved due to yoga training. Improves Social Development Yoga is a great social-emotional learning tool for students. In fact, parents in the United States are encouraging their children to practice yoga in school for their social development. More than 3% of U.S. children (1.7 million) did yoga as of 2012, a Harvard health blog shows. Rapid social change is one of the associated causes of poor mental health. Feeling lonely at college, for example, can lead to symptoms of depression. A study conducted by a yoga school in India shows the effect of yogic practices on the social adjustment of college students in urban areas. Using "social adjustment inventory," the social behavior of students groups (those practicing yoga and the non-practicing students) was measured. The study showed that the yoga group students had improved social behavior and easily adjusted to rapid social changes. Bottom Line Yoga as a mental health practice is a tool for university students to tackle various obstacles in their academics and to support them psychologically. Yoga includes physical activity, breathwork, and mind-calming practices that work to settle down overstimulated minds. Various studies have proven how yoga helps students in critical moments when they most need emotional support. Moreover, the consistent practice of yoga helps students concentrate easily and build self-confidence. Rishita Chandra, Guest Contributor Chandra is pursuing a master's degree in Public Health. She is a key learner of mental health and particularly interested in how yoga affects it in different ways. She has also covered various practices of yoga. Please visit for more info: fitsri.com/ Explore further COVID-19: Managing mental health with yoga More information: Innocent B. Mboya et al. Factors associated with mental distress among undergraduate students in northern Tanzania, BMC Psychiatry (2020). Journal information: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Innocent B. Mboya et al. Factors associated with mental distress among undergraduate students in northern Tanzania,(2020). DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-2448-1 According to Shevchenko, in five years Ukraine will have a real chance to become a regional financial hub. Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kyrylo Shevchenko has said the central bank will continue its policy of effective cooperation with international financial organizations and foreign investors. "The NBU will remain consistent and continue to meet its commitments to the public, businesses, government authorities, and partners. Let me also assure you again that the NBU will retain its institutional independence. Decisions will continue to be professional and economically sound," he said in a speech on the occasion of his official introduction by the president of Ukraine. Shevchenko stressed the NBU would continue its policy of effective cooperation with international financial organizations and foreign investors. Read alsoEBA announces five priority steps that business expects from new NBU governor "I am confident that in five years, Ukraine will have a real chance to become a regional financial hub, where investors from all over the world will seek to invest long-term. The NBU will continue to facilitate the implementation of the main priorities of the Strategy of State-Owned Banks," he said. According to Shevchenko, today, the parliament, the government, and the NBU can and should stand united as a solid mechanism for building out the national economy. "Together, we must create favorable conditions, including monetary and prudential ones, for sustainable economic growth," the central bank chief said. "We cannot achieve this without maintaining an effective dialogue. I will do everything in my power to increase the central bank's role in supporting the national economy of Ukraine and improving the quality of life of Ukrainians," he added. As UNIAN reported earlier, former NBU Governor Yakiv Smolii signed a letter of resignation on July 1, 2020. The move was a result of what he claimed was long-standing political pressure. He forwarded the letter to Zelensky. Under Ukrainian law, Smolii's resignation had to be accepted by the president first and then, his technical dismissal had to be confirmed by parliament. On July 3, Ukrainian parliamentarians voted to back Smolii's exit. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, backed the appointment of Kyrylo Shevchenko, head of state-run Ukrgasbank, as the new governor of the National Bank of Ukraine. Key benchmark indices are trading firm in early trade on buying demand in index pivotals. At 9:21 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 328.08 points or 0.89% at 37,348.22. The Nifty 50 index was up 90.35 points or 0.83% at 10,992.05. The Nifty is currently trading a tad below the psychological 11,000 mark after hitting day's high above that level in early trade. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.55%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.7%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, is strong. On the BSE, 1096 shares rose and 472 shares fell. A total of 85 shares were unchanged. Stocks in news: HDFC Bank gained 2.86% after net profit rose 19.58% to Rs 6,658.62 crore on a 6.46% increase in total income to Rs 34,453.28 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019. Profit before tax (PBT) rose 4.73% to Rs 8,937.75 crore in Q1 FY21 as against Rs 8,533.58 crore in Q1 FY20. Tax expense dropped 23.14% to Rs 2,279.13 crore in Q1 FY21 compared with Rs 2,965.42 crore in Q1 FY20. The private sector lender said that the continued slowdown in economic activity due to COVID-19 outbreak 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. Muthoot Finance dropped 2.36%. 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 decision was taken due to the economic uncertainties amid Covid-19 outbreak and related slowdown in the economy. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company rose 1.13% after the company reported a 28.5% rise in net profit to Rs 398.1 crore in Q1 June 2020 compared with Rs 309.81 crore in Q1 June 2019. The insurance company's total income rose nearly 2% to Rs 2844.17 crore in Q1 June 2020 compared with Rs 2791.08 crore in Q1 June 2019. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services gained 2.21% after the company reported a 302.61% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 431.72 crore in Q1 June 2020 compared with Rs 107.23 crore in Q1 June 2019. The company's total income rose 16.09% to Rs 3,310.65 crore in Q1 June 2020 compared with Rs 2,851.70 crore in Q1 June 2019. The board of directors of the company has approved a proposal to issue equity shares on a rights basis to its existing shareholders for an amount not exceeding Rs 3,500 crore. Cadila Healthcare rose 1.13%. Cadila Healthcare has received final approval from the US drug regulator to market butalbital, acetaminophen and caffeine tablets of various strengths. This combination of medication is used to treat symptom complex of tension (or muscle contraction) headache. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) rose 0.99%. HUDCO said it achieved loan sanctions of Rs 1172.04 crore and loan releases of Rs 2284.76 crore as on 30 June 2020, for the financial year 2020-21. Yes Bank fell 2.53% to Rs 19.30. Yes Bank's FPO ended with 93% subscription on Friday. 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. UCO Bank advanced 3.73%. The meeting of the board of directors of the bank is scheduled on 23 July 2020 to consider and approve the proposal of raising of equity capital during the financial year 2020-21. The capital will be raised through various modes such as Follow on Public Offer (FPO), Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP), Preferential issue, right issue etc. Global Markets: Overseas, Asian stocks were trading lower on Monday as China maintained its benchmark lending rate for the third straight month. China kept both its one-year and five-year loan prime rate unchanged, as its economy continued to recover after reopening following the coronavirus crisis. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept unchanged at 3.85%, while the five-year LPR remained at 4.65%. Japan's exports dived 26.2% in June from a year earlier, data showed. Imports fell 14.4%. In May, Japan's exports had fallen 28.3%, the fastest pace since the global financial crisis as U.S.-bound car shipments plunged. In US, stocks closed Friday mostly along the flatline as investors reacted to disappointing consumer sentiment data and gauged the potential for additional fiscal stimulus in the U.S. and Europe while COVID-19 cases continue to climb. Netflix reported second-quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations, pushing the stock down 6.5%. The company's weak guidance for third-quarter subscriber growth a key metric for the streaming giant also contributed to the steep sell-off in the stock. On the macro front, the early reading of the consumer-sentiment survey in July fell to 73.2 from 78.1 last month, the University of Michigan said Friday. Final results for July will be released in two weeks. The index has fallen close to a pandemic low, erasing almost all the gains in the prior two months. Back home, key barometers ended with strong gains on Friday, extending their winning streak for third consecutive session. Significant buying in the final hour of trade pushed the indices near their day's high. Positive global cues supported buying in domestic shares. The barometer S&P BSE Sensex surged 548.46 points or 1.50% at 37,020.14. The Nifty 50 index jumped 161.75 points or 1.51% at 10,901.70. Both these indices jumped over 2.7% in three sessions. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 697.08 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 209.42 crore in the Indian equity market on 17 July, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vietnam is expected to attract 15 Japanese firms of different sizes that will receive Japanese governments subsidies to shift manufacturing plants out of China to diversify its supply chain. Manufacturing semiconductors at MTEX - a Japanese invested company in Vietnam (Photo: Cao Thang) The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has recently unveiled a list of 87 firms that will receive JPY 70 billion (US$653 million) to implement the scheme, according to Nikkei Asian Review. Thirty firms will shift production to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and Laos, while the remaining 57 firms will head to Japan. The shifting scheme aims to reduce Japans reliance on China and build resilient supply chain, according to Nikkei Asian Review. Meanwhile, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) made a detailed list of 30 Japanese firms that are to move their plants from China to Southeast Asia, with half of which heading to Vietnam. Of the 15 firms, six are large companies and the remaining nine are small and medium-sized enterprises. Most of the firms manufacture medical equipment while the rest produce semiconductors, phone components, air conditioners or power modules. Notably, one of them, Hoya Corporation, which manufactures hard-drive components, is expected to move to both Vietnam and Laos. The Japanese government earmarked JPY220 billion in the fiscal 2020 supplementary budget to support its companies to move plants to Japan. Of that amount, JPY23.5 billion was set aside to promote the diversification of production sites from China to Southeast Asia. Japan was Vietnams fourth largest investor in terms of registered capital last year after the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. Vietnam is considered an ideal destination for attracting foreign direct investment after the country has controlled the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The country has gone through more than three months without locally transmitted infections. VOV Land price escalates on news about FDI 'wave' Someone said the land rent in IZs has surged to $150-200 per square meter. But rent of $100 is considered high already, said Do Nhat Hoang, director of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA). The alleged suspect in the murder of a federal judges 20-year-old son on Sunday evening has taken his own life, according to multiple media reports. The man, still unidentified, was said to be a disgruntled attorney who had appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas. ABC News reported his body was discovered with a gun in Sullivan County, about two hours from the judges home. The U.S. Attorneys office in New Jersey declined comment. New York State police told NJ Advance Media they are investigating a death in the town of Rockland in Sullivan County, N.Y. Its a death investigation. Were not confirming if its a suicide or homicide at this time. We dont know if its a direct link to a shooting in New Jersey, said Trooper Steven Nevel of the New York State Police. The FBI is en route to our location. If the reports about the suspect are true, it would end speculation as to just who had been the target on Sunday, as well as talk it had something to do with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in connection with an ongoing lawsuit now before Salas brought by Deutsche Bank investors that is tied to the dead financier. Daniel Anderl, a student at Catholic University, was killed and the judges husband, criminal defense lawyer Mark Anderl, 63, was wounded when someone came to the door of their home in North Brunswick and shot both of them. Mark Anderl underwent surgery Sunday evening and is in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Salas had been in the basement at the time of the shooting and was not injured, sources said. The shooting sparked a major manhunt by state and federal authorities, even before anyone knew whether the target had been judge herself or possibly her husband. Initial reports from several law enforcement sources had said the gunman had been dressed as a FedEx delivery man. The FBI, the lead agency in the investigation, asked anyone with information to call (973) 792-3000, option 2. Investigators gather near the North Brunswick home of US District Judge Esther Salas, whose son Daniel was fatally shot and her husband, Mark Anderl, wounded in an attack on Sunday evening.John Jones | For NJ Advance Medi Authorities still will not say what case the alleged shooter had before the judge, whose docket has ranged from the celebrity world to hard-core gang members. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers including Epstein. Salas, who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. She was nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge in December 2010 and confirmed by the Senate in June 2011. Mark Anderl served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County before entering private practice. He met Salas when she was a second-year law school intern. Daniel, an aspiring lawyer, was the couples only child. With the drastic changes brought by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, lives have now been shifted as most people try to adapt to the "new normal." We now live in a community where hugs and handshakes are forbidden while wearing masks and observing social distancing are a must. At some point, it is quite exhausting. Hearing all those negative news regarding cases and death tolls while the COVID-19 vaccine is still being developed is not good for our mental health. Although the current situation appears to be displeasing, sometimes we just need a quiet and alone time to distract ourselves from the negative events surrounding us. Having said that, we came up with a list of the top three pick-me-ups and feel-good movies that you can watch on Netflix during this quarantine period. Set It Up If you can relate to the classic 2006 film "The Devil Wears Prada," there's a possibility that you might also see yourself as one of the characters in "Set It Up." The 2018 romantic comedy movie is a Netflix original directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Katie Silberman. It featured Disney alum Zoey Deutch (Harper Moore) and "Scream Queens" actor Glen Powell (Charlie Young) as assistants to two demanding bosses played by Taye Diggs (Ricky Otis) and Lucy Liu (Kirsten Stevens). In the movie, Harper and Charlie are two overworked and underpaid assistants, who are wasting the prime of their lives slaving away for their bosses who treat them like crap at work. Since both of their bosses were successful yet very single individuals, they came up with a plan to get the two off their backs by setting them up with each other. In this way, they would have more free time in their social lives ... or so they thought. Isn't It Romantic Another Netflix original film is the 2019 rom-com movie "Isn't It Romantic" starring Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine and Priyanka Chopra. It is directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson. Wilson portrays the role of an Aussie architect named Natalie, who is living in one of the busiest cities in the world, New York. However, as she tries to achieve her dream to become well-known in her field, she is being treated like a doormat by her co-workers. Unfortunately, Natalie -- who disdains romance and anything about it -- one day wakes up realizing that she's trapped in a romantic comedy of her own. Wine Country Last on our list is the 2019 comedy film "Wine Country" starring Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey, Ana Gasteyer, Tina Fey and Jason Schwartzman. Aside from the fact that this easy-watch film has a powerhouse cast, this is also Poehler's directorial debut. The film depicts the story of six women who are on a trip to Napa Valley, California to celebrate one of their friend's 50th birthday. However, they soon find out that their friendship is about to get tested. READ MORE: Paris Hilton Exercising With Louis Vuitton Bags Is The Most Paris Flex Ever! Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 04:53:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel has recently started to use ambulance buses (AmbuBuses) to evacuate COVID-19 patients, which increases the emergency service's capacity as each AmbuBus can carry up to 13 patients. The first operational trip of AmbuBus was sent by Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) on July 3, evacuating nine residents who were diagnosed with the coronavirus from a nursing home in southern Israel. Uri Shacham, paramedic and director of the Red Cross department at MDA, said these unique vehicles are designed especially to treat patients from nursing homes. "AmbuBuses are capable of transporting two critically ill patients with sophisticated equipment," Shacham told Xinhua. MDA, which runs Israeli national dispatch center for medical rescue, is now facing additional missions amid the COVID-19 outbreak. "MDA's teams spend days and nights in developing means for saving lives and providing medical response efficiently and quickly," said Eli Bin, director-general of MDA. The new AmbuBuses are equipped with cameras inside, through which senior paramedics in MDA can see the patients and instruct the medical workers in the buses. They also have advanced life support equipment, as well as defibrillators, automated chest compression devices and refrigerators used to store blood and medication. It is worth noting that AmbuBuses possess special power outlets that allow additional medical equipment to be connected, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to sustain life and incubators. The intensive care bus also has a particular oxygen exchange system that can replace all the air in the vehicle in just seven minutes. "This special bus was designed with the assistance of the Israeli army for the response to the coronavirus. Nevertheless, we can still use it for other conditions," said Shacham. Enditem Over the weekend, a group of Portland, Oregon, moms confronted federal officers who had fired tear gas at them and other peaceful protesters on Saturday outside of a federal courthouse. The escalation of the Portland protests came as unidentified federal officers in paramilitary uniforms were caught on tape abducting protesters and as President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he might send more federal law enforcement to cities run by liberal Democrats to replicate the Portland tactics against protesters, including efforts to grab them, a lot of people in jail. On Monday, it was reported that the Department of Homeland Security would be sending 150 federal agents to Chicago this week with an unspecified mandate. The apparent legal justification for the abduction of protesters is weak, and it should be vigorously challenged in the courts before Trump can export these tactics to other cities for use against citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, people wearing combat fatigues were seen pulling apparently peaceful protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and hustling them into unmarked vehicles. Their uniforms carried no identifying insignia, but they were clearly military uniforms. Based on the video evidence so far, the people being arrested were not engaged in crime. So we are faced with two questions. First, are these people military personnel, or are they police officers dressed up like soldiers? Second, do these people have the authority to sweep people off the street like this? According to the Department of Homeland Security, the answer to the first question is that the force patrolling the streets of Portland consists of the Federal Protective Service, whose job it is to protect federal property. Personnel from other federal agenciesprincipally the Border Patrolhave also reportedly been deputized to assist in that mission. So these uniformed personnel are a militarized police force, which is always a dangerous thing. The answer to the second question is that, under the Fourth Amendment, this force does not have the authority to detain people like this. But government lawyers will rely on expansive theories of police power that cripple Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful seizures. This would not be the first time the federal government has tried this, though it appears to be one of the first targeting people exercising their First Amendment right to protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Federal Protective Service has the authority to make arrests if the officer or agent has reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing a felony. If that doesnt sound right to you, it shouldnt. People cant be arrested unless the arresting officer has probable causenot merely reasonable groundsto believe a crime has been committed or is underway. Thats required by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, which presumptively prohibits seizures without probable cause. Advertisement Advertisement The problem is that this presumption has been overwhelmed by constitutional semantics. When the Supreme Court decided that the stop-and-frisk tactic was permissible under the Fourth Amendment, it created a category of detention short of an arrest and authorized it where a police officer has reasonable suspicion of a crime, instead of probable cause. Over time, the court has set aside the probable cause requirement for every seizure that doesnt count as the direct enforcement of criminal law. When Border Patrol agents arrest someone for sneaking across the border, for example, they dont need probable cause. They dont even need a reasonable suspicion. They only need to detain the person in a reasonable mannerbecause patrolling the border is not criminal law enforcement. So both of the federal agencies involved here have been told they dont need probable cause to make arrests. And the legal theory behind these dangerous rules is the same: that these federal agents are engaged in protecting national security instead of criminal law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But where the arrests in Portland are concerned, there are two reasons to believe that this wont stand up. First, there is the word felony in the law authorizing the Federal Protective Service to arrest without probable cause. An arrest for a felony is the direct enforcement of criminal law by definition. Nothing in the semantic campaign to drag as many seizures as possible into the national security category can change that definition. And an arrest for a felony requires probable cause. Second, when government agents claim they have made a seizure for some purpose other than criminal law enforcementsuch as national securitythe Supreme Court has allowed the target of that seizure to argue that this purported purpose is an unlawful pretext. In the arrests captured on video so far, no imminent threat to federal property can be seen. More importantly, while Trump occasionally mentions protecting property, he has insisted again and again that city officials have failed to get control over antifa, anarchists, and agitators, and that he will do the job if they cant. If we take the president at his word, then the defense of property is a pretext, and the law allowing arrests on a reasonable basis for that purpose doesnt apply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The uniforms these government agents are wearing are a deliberate attempt to evade accountability. But ultimately, it doesnt matter which federal agency is committing these unlawful seizures. Constitutional search and seizure questions turn on what government officials do, not which agency they work for. The important thing is that federal agents are lawless actors here. Their uniforms are nothing more or less than part of the national security pretext for their actions. It is important to understand the full implications of the governments legal theory as it is playing out in Portland. It is the equivalent of declaring martial law for purposes of national security, based on the lie that military force is needed to keep the peace. Imposing martial law for national security is a tool of dictators, and Donald Trump has been a dictator in waiting for years. We can only hope that the wait isnt over. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. Jammu: Police on Monday (July 20) claimed to have busted a terror funding module of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) tasked to activate its cadres in the Jammu region, with the arrest of one person, officials said. The police received information that LeT has activated a module of its members for carrying out terrorist activities in the Union Territory, particularly in the Jammu region, and in furtherance to this, a delivery of funds was to take place in Jammu, they said. According to the officials, Special Operation Group (SOG) Jammu and the Army have busted the terror funding module. The security forces apprehended Mubashir Bhat, a member of the module who was asked to collect a consignment of Hawala money from Jammu, the officials said. During the search, the police seized a bag containing cash worth Rs 1.5 lakh, they said. Initial questioning revealed that the money was sent by Haroon, a self-styled commander of LeT from Pakistan, to be delivered to terrorists through over ground workers in Doda, they added. A case has been registered at Peer Mitha Police Station and further investigation into the matter is underway, the officials added. India has historically fought and triumphed over huge calamities like the Spanish flu, the catastrophic Bengal and other famines as well as fought several wars including the great wars for independence for herself and distant lands. This could be accomplished only because of our rich cultural heritage of unity across diversity. We were led by a pantheon of illustrious nation builders whose mission was to change the course of history. It is the memory of these icons which needs to be integrated and foregrounded in the commemoration, especially in Delhi. This will not only inspire the collective memory of the nation but will bestir India into realising its potential of becoming a global leader. Known as one of the oldest civilizational nations on the planet, India is home to numerous religions, languages, practices, and cultures. Our rich variegated heritage is the outcome of the gigantic endeavours of many redoubtable visionaries. Each region of India had a galaxy of eminent leaders, rulers, warriors who have contributed to the rich legacy of our glorious nation. Our national capital - New Delhi - which belongs to all Indians, has to showcase this unique heritage by commemorating these national heroes. Instead, our capitals landscape is defined by their complete negation. The most commemorated are, of course, the entitled modern dynasties, members of present and past political ruling class. Most of the buildings, roads, monuments, museums are named after our post independence prime ministers, ministers. The remainder enshrining was distributed amongst prominent leaders- with a caveat - those leaders belonged to a narrow belt of north India alone. The eponymous landscape of Delhi exemplifies this - a Subramaniam Bharti Marg, a Kamaraj and likes are the exception. This landscape of memory needs to be corrected to become inclusive in every respect. Our history is replete with the epochal achievements of famous sons of the soil. Rajaraja Chola valiantly established one of the largest empires of ancient India which extended upto the eastern archipelago and was an epitome of religious tolerance. Or Lachit Borphukan, the commander in the Ahom kingdom in the northeast who defeated the Mughal invaders in the Battle of Saraighat. Have we commemorated southern or eastern rulers or the formidable literary figures of the Sangam era through monumentalisation? Conti, the Italian traveller had stated, their king is more powerful than all the kings of India. We are still ignorant of Deva Raya I and his illustrious successors in Vijayanagar, whose governance was elevated with inclusion of prominent Telugu scholars such as Tenali Ramakrishna. In modern times there are the likes of the sagacious Queen of Travancore, who in 1817 decreed that the State must defray the entire cost of education of its people, the Rajas of Cochin who promoted elementary education - which is why Kerala is the trailblazer in literacy levels and development indices today. A plethora of statues embellish New Delhi - but have precluded many trailblazers. Delhis institutions of remembrance and roads should enshrine the galaxy of icons from all parts of the country (HT Photo/Sanjeev Verma) Our historical amnesia does not discriminate. Rani Rudrama Devi ruled in the Deccan and was even admired by Marco Polo as a lover of justice, equity and peace. Arent these the very virtues that every citizen should aspire to? The indomitable Rani Abbakka Chowta of Ullal, who was the only woman in our history to have repeatedly defeated the Portugeese, Rani Chennamma of Kittur, Durgawatis prowess and Diddas effective rule in Kashmir have literally made history. These fiery markers must broaden our capitals limited memory. The transformation and democratisation of the historical landscape of remembrance is overdue. It is monopolised by mostly political dynasties, leaders of lesser hues belonging to ruling dispensations, past and present. Being a minister has become the only criteria for having public spaces named after you - irrespective of it defeating the very purpose of naming them. Our history is replete with people fearlessly striving towards achieving national greatness. Institutions of remembrance in Delhi especially, should enshrine the galaxy of icons so that they inspire us and the coming generations to imbibe their courage, their passion for public service and into following their idealistic patriotic paths . The time has come to ensure that our titanic icons must be foregrounded in public spaces in New Delhi which must embody the diversity of these exemplars from all regions, religions and sections of society and given their due recognition in having built our nation through the centuries. (VS Pandey is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, and Dr Smita Pandey is author of Visions of the Rebels during 1857) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. The widespread opioid addiction is creating a pressing need for more treatment programs and more professionals to provide services. Purdue Universitys Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Ivy Tech Community Colleges Human Services program have created an optional addiction studies concentration to prepare students who major in human services to become licensed addiction counselors. As the opioid crisis has shown us, the number of people who need addictions or substance abuse services continues to grow, said Tom Gilliom, CEO of Valley Oaks Health, an Indiana-based community health center. However, data shows that there are not nearly enough licensed addictions counselors in the state of Indiana to provide the services that are needed. This unique program will produce graduates to assist in filling this significant void." The program is the first of its kind at a public institution in Indiana to meet the requirements of the states bachelors-level, pre-supervision license in the field of addiction counseling (LACA). Students who complete Purdues human services major with the addiction studies concentration will have the educational qualifications needed to meet the LACA licensing requirements. We wanted to develop this program because we were aware of the serious shortages in the addiction-related workforce, said Jennifer Dobbs-Oates, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, located within the College of Health and Human Sciences. The state of Indiana has a bachelor-level license in addiction counseling, but just because the license exists doesnt mean that there are educational programs that meet all those license requirements. We set out to create a program that would graduate students who were qualified for licensure and who could immediately contribute to solving the addiction crisis facing our state and our nation. The seven-course concentration is an addition to the existing human services major at Purdue. Only students enrolled in the major can add the addiction concentration. Students will enroll in five of the concentrations courses through Ivy Tech. The courses are offered online in eight-week terms. Courses for the concentration are available throughout the fall, spring and summer terms. Students who complete the program will earn an Addiction Studies Certificate from Ivy Tech, in addition to a bachelors degree from Purdue. The partnership with Ivy Tech Community College is key because they already have the addiction-specific expertise that is needed, Dobbs-Oates said. Through this partnership, we take our existing human services program, which provides a really rich general preparation in social services provision plus an in-depth capstone internship, and we pair it with some addiction-specific coursework from Ivy Tech. Although two institutions are involved, the entire program is contained within a typical, 120-credit-hour degree. The program is covered by a consortium agreement, allowing for the Ivy Tech courses to be included in Purdue students financial aid eligibility. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu. Writer: Madison Sanneman, msannema@purdue.edu Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-586-7496 (cell), oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates Sources: Jennifer Dobbs-Oates, 765-494-2931, jendo@purdue.edu, @JenDobbsOates Tom Gilliom, tgilliom-ne@valleyoaks.org Journalists visiting campus : Journalists should follow Protect Purdue protocols and the following guidelines: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:12:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) special summit which aims to decide on the next seven-year budget and a massive recovery fund dragged into the third day on Sunday with disputes over core issues still unresolved. But the heads of state and government of the EU member states, in their first physical meeting since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe, seemed resolved to reach a deal as meetings in small groups continued during a prolonged midnight plenary break. The summit, which kicked off on Friday, had been scheduled to end on Saturday. Officials said the discussion was in the right direction as the leaders were seeking consensus on the proposals to authorize the European Commission to borrow 750 billion euros (857 billion U.S. dollars) and give as grants and loans to the pandemic-hit member states. The long list of disagreements has been reduced to only four points thanks to the brokering efforts made by European Council President Charles Michel, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The most difficult issue was rebates, a term referring to the compensation offered to some wealthy countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, which claim to have made excessive contributions to the EU budget even if based on objective economic criteria. European Parliament Speaker David Sassoli has said the time has come to eliminate the rebates, which are "unfair and difficult to justify." Michel has made a middle-ground proposal allowing countries with long-held rebates on their European contributions to continue to get them. The Netherlands and Austria were said to be tough on the rebate issue during Sunday's negotiation, and called for setting up a new mechanism to supervise the beneficiaries' commitment to the rule of law. Earlier in the day, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said despite some progress, there was still "a long way to go" to reach an agreement. During dinner time, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa tweeted a chart from the European Commission, showing the great benefits achieved by EU member states thanks to the single market against their contributions to the bloc's long-term budget, formally known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). "EU was built on the assumption that you can trust each other to cooperate in good faith. This kind of trust is why countries have opened their borders and their markets and created a single market. Its benefits largely outweigh the cost of contributing to the MFF," said Jansa, referring to the intention of wealthy EU countries to ask for more rebates, an assertion largely rejected by the rest. Besides, the overall size of the fund and the ratio of grants versus loans were also points of contention. The frugal countries asked to lower the total to 700 billion euros (798 billion dollars) with the non-payable grants not exceeding 350 billion euros (399 billion dollars), while the rest of the bloc members preferred the original package of 750 billion euros (857 billion dollars) with two thirds in grants and one third in loans. Enditem A second chance I thought I was alone As many as 500 women represented by disgraced and now-imprisoned S.A. attorney Mark Henry Benavides could have their convictions overturned as Bexar County prosecutors and the public defenders office review their cases. A second chance I thought I was alone As many as 500 women represented by disgraced and now-imprisoned S.A. attorney Mark Henry Benavides could have their convictions overturned as Bexar County prosecutors and the public defenders office review their cases. As many as 500 women who were represented by a disgraced, now-imprisoned San Antonio attorney could have their convictions overturned as Bexar County prosecutors review their cases with the help of the public defenders office. The two agencies, normally on opposing sides, are working together to ensure justice for the victims of disbarred lawyer Mark Henry Benavides, who was once a candidate for state district judge. Its a very important function and a priority in our office, said District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. He threatened that if they did not, he would withhold legal services, sabotage their cases and make sure they went to prison. On ExpressNews.com: Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex It was a case that rattled San Antonio. The intense media coverage prompted a change of venue to Floresville in Wilson County, where a jury heard testimony from six women Benavides had represented in prostitution or drug cases. Their testimony established a pattern Benavides would pick them up from their homes or from jail, then take them to a hotel or a meeting room behind the courtroom to have sex. The evidence against Benavides included portions of 246 videos the lawyer recorded of himself having sex with his clients. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. The juror was replaced by an alternate. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. In this 2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. less Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. In this 2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending ... more Photo: Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close I thought I was alone victims of disgraced San Antonio lawyer Mark Henry Benavides get a second chance 1 / 8 Back to Gallery The jury found Benavides guilty of all six counts and sentenced him to 80 years in prison. Benavides will have to serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. On ExpressNews.com: Four pending sex cases against convicted ex-San Antonio attorney dismissed Alison Dahlberg, director of the DAs Conviction Integrity Unit, has worked with Michael Young, chief defender for the Bexar County Public Defenders Office, to identify potentially hundreds of victims of Benavides and re-evaluate their criminal cases. The cases stretch back to 2000. Both said Benavides actions cast a cloud over the entire legal profession in Bexar County. He ran for judge and he used that as part of his operation, his judicial candidacy, as coercion, Young said. This was someone within our legal community, Dahlberg said. It was important for us to correct a wrong from someone in our bar. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. Both told their stories to the Express-News, on condition their names not be published. Their accounts paint a harrowing picture of how the justice system went awry in their cases. One of the women, now 32, covered her eyes and stifled tears as she recounted her ordeal. On ExpressNews.com: Jury being picked to hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case She was 20 when she found herself facing possible prison time. She had been a passenger in a car when police found marijuana during a traffic stop and no one claimed it. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. The woman said a friend referred her to Benavides in 2008 for legal representation. At first, Benavides would text or call her when he was lonely or bored, she said. He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. I felt like he was coming on to me, and I didnt like it. She said she rejected his overtures. Things changed the day she had a court appearance on her drug charge. He took me to a small room down a back hallway, and at that point he told me if I didnt perform a sexual act on him right then and there, he would not only kill my case, but try to worsen my case, she said, her voice trembling, even 12 years later. So, I did. She told Benavides she did not want to have sex with him, but he still made me, she said. He said he knew police and judges and I didnt know who to try to ask for help, she said. I thought I was alone. I felt young and dumb and powerless. Taken advantage of, really, the woman recalled. Your lawyer is supposed to help you, not hurt you. The woman said Benavides kept trying to meet with her after that episode, but she was afraid. When she had to see him, she would bring her mother along. I was never alone with him after that, she said. The woman said that, eventually, Benavides stopped talking to her about her drug case except to urge her to plead guilty. It dragged on for nearly four years. I felt like he wasnt even trying to help me anymore, but I already had given him $3,000 and I couldnt afford another lawyer, she said. The woman pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana. She was granted probation and successfully completed it. Shes pleased that the conviction is now off her record, thanks to the DAs and public defenders offices. But the experience left her deeply scarred. Clockwise from top: Public Defender Michael Young is working with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit to review hundreds of Benavides cases with an eye toward overturning unfair convictions. (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer | Express-News) ; Marisol Morales is a case manager with the Bexar County Public Defender's Office working with victims of now-disbarred attorney Mark Benavides. (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer | Express-News) ; A now 51-year-old woman was arrested in 2013 on a DWI charge and hired Mark Benavides as her attorney. She said she rejected his advances and later lost her license, her car, job and apartment. She remembers thinking, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. And he did. (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer | Express-News) ; "Theres others out there, I know. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt. He was in the wrong no matter what people did, said a 32-year-old woman who was one of Benavides' victims. She was charged with possession of marijuana when police found the drug in a car she was riding in but she didn't have it on her person. Benavides told her she had to plead guilty to stay out of prison. Her conviction has been overturned based on his ineffectual counsel. (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer | Express-News) The second victim whose record has been expunged met Benavides when she was at the Bexar County Courthouse with her son, who was facing an assault charge. Benavides gave her his card. Six months later, she was charged with driving under the influence, and she hired him to represent her. She said Benavides flirted with her and offered to help her incarcerated son. At first, I thought he was playing around, recalled the woman, now 51. When he started throwing my son in there, I started taking him serious He started to get aggressive. I knew he was serious. He wanted to meet up. Benavides texted and called her, describing in explicit terms the sex acts he wanted her to perform. She was incredulous. Hes a lawyer running for judge! She remembers him saying, If you arent going to play the way I want you to play with me, Im not going to help you. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. He wasnt playing around. He wouldnt help me for anything, she said. One after another, she lost her drivers license, her car, her job, her apartment. She couldnt afford another attorney she was afraid to hire one anyway and she remembers thinking to herself, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. And he did. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. Help for Victims Marisol Morales is a licensed counselor with the Bexar County Public Defenders Office and may be reached at 210-335-0701. She was convicted of the DUI charge and was sentenced to two years probation, which she completed in 2016. Even though her record has been expunged, shes still trying to get her drivers license back and pay off fines and fees associated with the original charge. She said she wont ever be able to forget what Benavides did to her. It was creepy, throwing advances like that, and he wants me to put out for him to help me. Who does that? she asked. But I was thinking of freedom for my son, freedom for me. But why should I have to do that? Marisol Morales, a case manager at the Public Defenders Office, has been working with the two women and others Benavides abused. Its not something thats far in the past, Morales said. Its something that is very present for them. Dahlberg and Young want more of Benavides victims to come forward to have their cases reviewed. Former clients who were victimized by him are asked to call Morales at 210-335-0701. The woman who had been charged with drug possession encouraged victims to make that call. Its the reason she agreed to speak out about what happened, despite her continuing fear of Benavides. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. He was in the wrong no matter what people did. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Design by Chris Quinn CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga County on Monday mailed 766 letters to businesses where the county received mask-violation reports, according to a county spokeswoman. The county also has begun sending twice-weekly email notifications to municipalities where mask violations were reported. The letters and emails reflect the administration of Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budishs response to hundreds of complaints filed with the countys mask violation hotline and website since July 10. The hotline was established as the countys means of enforcing Gov. Mike DeWines mask order, aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus. Municipalities also have enforcement power. The letters sent to businesses of which an example was provided to cleveland.com are standard in nature, and dont provide businesses with the exact complaint filed against them. Rather, the letter states the business was the subject of a complaint related to one of the following scenarios: Employees not masked Shoppers not masked Masks not worn correctly Information posted stating masks are not required Employees not enforcing mask requirement The letter asks businesses to review DeWines mask order and ensure that their operations are compliant. The letter closes by thanking businesses for continued participation in keeping Cuyahoga County healthy in these unprecedented times and hopefully prevent the need for future closures. The twice-weekly emails to cities and villages, which were sent beginning last week, include a list of businesses and other locations within the municipality where complaints were filed. An example email, also provided to cleveland.com, states This is just an FYI for your information to assist in best supporting your residents. The email states that Cuyahoga County will notify businesses of complaints and reach out to anyone who supplied contact information while filing a complaint. As of Thursday, the county had received more than 2,500 complaints, though some were duplicates or crank calls. About 80 percent of complaints filed over the hotlines first weekend in operation were business-related. Other calls related to public spaces, such as parks, and gatherings at private homes. The hotline number is 216-698-5050, and complaints can be filed online at cuyahogacounty.us/maskexperience. Republicans in Texas are turning to a Florida tea party hero from 2010 to lead them into November, despite a push from within to soften the partys tone to better suit suburban voters. Early Monday morning the Republican Party of Texas voted overwhelmingly to replace James Dickey, its chairman since 2017, with former U.S. Rep. Allen West, a 22-year Army veteran who became a leading voice in the tea party movement in 2010 and has been a fundraising dynamo in the party. West is also known for incendiary rhetoric that has included saying Nazis would be impressed with the media tactics deployed by Democrats. A retired Army lieutenant colonel, West made known his frustration with Texas GOP political leaders as he campaigned for the top spot in the party, appearing to take issue with Gov. Greg Abbotts executive orders to control the coronavirus. WEEKEND WARNING: Ted Cruzs 2020 warning to Texas Republicans: This is a real race West decried the tyranny that we see in the great state of Texas in his pitch to Republican delegates. We have executive orders and mandates, people telling us what we can and cannot do, who is essential and who is not essential. That language comes as at least eight county Republican executive committees have voted to censure Abbott for issuing executive orders such as requiring that Texans wear face coverings in public if they are in counties with at least 20 active coronavirus cases. West has also been critical of leading Texas GOP lawmakers who allow Democrats to serve as committee chairs in the state Legislature something that House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have done. He secured the win with the majority of votes in 22 Texas Senate districts, compared with just four for Dickey. After announcing his win early Monday morning, West called on the party to remain united to make sure Texas continues to be the strong red conservative state that it is. The Alamo, Goliad and 2020 elections West, who now lives just outside of Dallas, was elected to represent a Palm Beach County-based district in Congress in 2010. He served one term and lost his reelection campaign despite raising $19 million more than any incumbent House member in the nation. Wests district, which had included President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, had been redrawn, and he was forced to move into a swing district. During his short tenure in Congress, West made a habit of scolding Democrats. In an email to fellow Florida U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, he called her the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the U.S. House of Representatives. At another point he claimed to know up to 81 members of the Democratic Party were members of the Communist Party. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox But for conservatives, West brings an uncompromising message that is often infused with military references. In his video presentation to the GOP activists in Texas, he chose the San Jacinto Battlefield Monument as his backdrop and talked about Sam Houstons victory over the Mexican dictator Santa Anna. There were setbacks, there were disappointments places like the Alamo and Goliad but they persevered, West said. They continued to believe in their cause. West, 59, is originally from Georgia and grew up in Atlantas inner city before joining the military and ascending to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His military career came to an abrupt end after he fired a pistol near the head of an Iraqi detainee during interrogation. West insisted he was only trying to protect his men from an ambush. West, who has lived in North Texas since 2014, has not served as a county or local party chairman within the GOP. With 2020 elections less than four months ahead, West said he will turn to Dickey for counsel, because I know how to jump out of airplanes, but Im going to learn to be a pretty good chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. Shut it down and get it right Texas Republicans are looking to regain their footing after a rough 2018 election cycle marked by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs narrow victory over Democrat Beto ORourke, who came within 3 percentage points. While Cruz survived, Democrats flipped two congressional seats, two seats in the Texas Senate and 12 seats in the Texas House. Many of those seats were in suburban districts where women appeared to break from the GOP. About 57 percent of Texas women voted Republican in 2014. But that began to change in 2016 with a near split in the presidential race, according to CNN exit polling. In the 2018 governors race, 54 percent of Texas women voted for ORourke over Cruz, the exit polls showed. BACKGROUND: How Texas Republicans made their case to women voters in the Legislative session Dickey had campaigned for reelection citing his long experience in Texas Republican politics. He has been a precinct chair, a Travis County party chairman and has served as a delegate on various levels. He said that in 2017, he took over a state party that was in financial disarray. During the partys convention last week, he reported that it has $5 million in the bank the most cash on hand the party has ever had going into a presidential election cycle. I have fought and bled for the Republican Party of Texas, Dickey said in his closing reelection argument. The last few days have brought criticism of Dickey as he was forced to turn the convention into an all-virtual meeting. Last week, Mayor Sylvester Turner blocked the party from holding an in-person convention in Houston. Turner said he worried the estimated crowd of 6,000 would turn the convention into a super spreader for the coronavirus. Forced online, the convention was filled with technical glitches that required convention activities scheduled for Friday to be moved to Saturday. Party business pushed past midnight on both Saturday and Sunday before activists voted Dickey out as party leader. West, on his Facebook page, called the convention a debacle and had accused Dickey of disenfranchising Republican delegates with delays and hassle in getting online voting credentials. Shut it down and get it right, West said. The party still has remaining convention tasks to complete in the weeks ahead. jeremy.wallace@chron.com Any unilateral change by Air India in the salaries of pilots would be illegal and has the potential to flare up into a situation of "unprecedented magnitude", said the ICPA, one of the airline's pilot unions, on Monday. In a letter to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rajiv Bansal, the ICPA said, "In the press conference by Honourable Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri dated 16th July 2020, you had stated 'we are in negotiation with the pilots', which is far from reality." "It was not a negotiation, but the 'diktat' of the MoCA (ministry of civil aviation) which was conveyed to us. We would also like to place on record that the so-called negotiation was 'not harmonious' in any aspect," the Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) noted. Air India has proposed a 60 per cent salary cut for pilots amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected 55 of its cockpit crew members, the ICPA and the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) had said in their joint letter to Bansal last week. "The proposed cut for pilots is almost 60 per cent of gross emoluments. It is hilarious to note that the top management has proposed a meagre 3.5 per cent cut on its own gross salary," the joint letter had said. "Any unilateral change by Air India from agreed upon wage settlement would be illegal and will not be in the interest of our national carrier at this crucial juncture. Such a situation has the potential to flare-up to an unprecedented magnitude," the ICPA stated in its letter to Bansal on Sunday. Meanwhile, Air India issued an internal order on July 14 asking its departmental heads and regional directors to identify employees, based on various factors like efficiency, health and redundancy, who will be sent on compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to five years. Moreover, it said employees can voluntarily opt for the LWP scheme too. Equity infusion of Rs 500-600 crore every year is not sustainable and cost-cutting in Air India is necessary, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said on July 16, justifying the national carrier's decision to send certain employees on leave without pay for up to five years. Air India had said on July 17 that its financial situation is very challenging due to the coronavirus pandemic and its leave without pay scheme for employees is a "win-win" for them as well as the management. The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, LWP and firings of employees in order to conserve cash flow. Air India has a debt of around Rs 70,000 crore and the government started the process to sell it to a private entity in January this year. The national carrier's net loss in 2018-19 was around Rs 8,500 crore. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters. (Natural News) After charges against former officer Derek Chauvin were recently upgraded from third-degree to now second-degree murder in the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd earlier this week by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, he held a press conference in which he discussed the decision. (Article by Haley Kennington republished from Loomered.com) Ellison stressed that pressure from the public did not effect the decision to beef up charges against Chauvin but rather that, I feel a tremendous sense of weight, I feel that this is a very serious moment. I can tell you I feel no joy in this, but I do feel a tremendous sense of duty and responsibility. On Wednesday, the other three officers involved in the Minneapolis police call that resulted in the death of George Floyd, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting murder. Ellison, along with his son has openly admitted their support for Antifa. The photo seen below is from a tweet Ellison posted on his verified Twitter account January 3rd, 2018. At @MoonPalaceBooks and I just found the book that strike fear in the heart of @realDonaldTrump, reads the original tweet (its since been deleted) by Ellison, along with a selfie of him holding the book ANTIFA THE ANTI-FASCIST HANDBOOK. In response to President Trumps declaring Antifa a terrorist organization on Sunday, Ellisons son Jeremiah publicly stated he, too, was in support of the radical far-left group. I hereby declare, officially, my support for ANTIFA Unless someone can prove to me ANTIFA is behind the burning of black and immigrant owned businesses in my ward, Ill keep focusing on stopping the white power terrorist THE ARE ACTUALLY ATTACKING US! Jeremiah Ellison instead points the finger at the white power terrorist, which we have yet to see any evidence of either. Keith Ellisons son, and Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison declares his support for Antifa. I think that was a comment about the absurdity of the presidents comment more than anything else, Ellison told CNN on Monday regarding his sons tweet. We dont see what the president is talking about, I dont think the president sees what hes talking about. MN AG Keith Ellison responds to son's Antifa statement: "That was a comment about the absurdity of the President's comment more than anything else." pic.twitter.com/B72YCULcII The Hill (@thehill) June 1, 2020 In 2018, Congressional candidate Laura Loomer confronted Keith Ellison over his alleged domestic violence allegations outside the Minnesota Attorney General debate. WATCH: On Friday, when asked about Antifas role in orchestrating and taking part in the riots Ellison danced around the question, telling WZFG AM 1100 host Scott Hennen that there was no evidence of Antifa being involved. First of all, I do not support anybody who violates the law, commits acts of arson, looting, property damage, vandalism. You know, Im a law enforcement person. I will enforce the law against those people. But you should also know that people in law enforcement said they dont have any substitive evidence of the political ideology of the people doing some of this violent stuff. They just dont. For anyone to say that its Ku Klux Klan members or some left-wing group, its just not- they dont have any evidence to say that. So, I do disagree with the president by saying that it was some type of political persuasion that these people were operating under. We cant say that until we investigate this, make some arrests, do some investigations and then we can talk about it. And, the truth it is was probably both, right? But why say that until you know. Ellison told Hennen that he was not aware (in 2018) of who Antifa was and that the photo was to troll President Trump. However in making this statement, Ellison stumbled, almost saying hed originally heard of the terrorist group from Obama, before quickly correcting himself and saying he had only heard Trump mention them in passing and had no clue who they were. Now, you asked me about an old picture in which I was there holding a book about Antifa. I did take that picture, but I had never heard that word before I heard Obam- excuse me Trump use it. When I heard Trump use it, I thought wow, thats the same thing Trump said, so I thought it was actually kind of funny. So I just took a picture and said, This is the picture that scares Trump. I took the picture and I tweeted it out. I was really, I mean, quite honestly, in a different time, and in a different place, in a different moment I was sort of trolling the president. But you know what, it wasnt a serious thing. It wasnt advocating for any particular group. And so now, years later for people to try to turn it into some big flaming thing, its not- it was never a big deal, and its not a big deal now. So to try to lift that up is just -I dont know I guess my point of view is like, lets not play small ball. Weve got serious problems ahead of us and we need to come together. Hennen ended the interview by saying, Look look, I can trust ya. Youre saying I dont like Antifa. I denounce it, it was dumb, I was trolling them but Im not carrying out their rules. I didnt even know who they are. Got it We respect you Keith, and wed like to have you back. Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Minnesota Conservative journalist Andy Ngo, who was assaulted and almost lost his life after being attacked by Antifa in 2019 has been posting mugshots of individuals arrested who admit to being members of the terrorist group. Side Note: According to KATU Portland, Ngo is suing those who attacked him in separate incidents in May and June of last year for $900,000 in damages, claiming assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and an injunction barring the group from further harassment. In addition, the suit specifically accuses Rose City Antifa of a pattern of racketeering activities among others claims. Shamrowicz, who is transsexual, told a contact she used an incendiary device to start the fire, according to the affidavit. She was "extremely excited" about being labeled a terrorist & had goal to start more fires. She's from Strongsville, Ohio but lives in Portland. #antifa pic.twitter.com/n7KHfOV1qm Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) June 6, 2020 Ebuka Chike-Morah, 21, Lakaila Mack, 20, and Alvin Joseph, 21, have been charged with first-degree arson for their alleged role in carrying out firebombing attacks in Gwinnett County, Ga. during a riot this week. https://t.co/RjUNv01MdH #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/9rfrfaIAX4 Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) June 5, 2020 Steven A. Richardson, 28, was arrested & charged with felony riot, felony unlawful use of a weapon, felony attempt to elude by vehicle, menacing, reckless driving, reckless endangerment & disorderly conduct II. He's been released. #PortlandMugshots #antifa https://t.co/yvu8WhI1a4 pic.twitter.com/pbRW531Z6Y Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) June 5, 2020 In addition, a group called Antifa Watch has been logging arrests coming from cities all around the country, including Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and others tied to the riots. A comprehensive list, along with specific reports on each individual can be viewed here. Though we see all walks of life, every race and color being arrested during the riots, many of the individuals have direct ties to Antifa. Continuing to deny Antifas role in the destruction were witnessing in cities across the country is reckless and irresponsible. The same can be said for publicly stating your support for the terrorist organization. Read more at: Loomered.com Welcome to a new week. Well get into the KFC science project a little later, but lets start with Samsung. The company typically adds software updates and apps to its Galaxy phones with zeal, and a lot of the time, they go untouched, and we complain about all the bloat. Is that whats happened here? The company has notified German users that its removing weight, calorie (meal tracking) and caffeine tracking from the Samsung Health app through updates due later this month. Was it a case of people not using the features? Or does the company have a new, even more impressive health app waiting in the wings? Its Galaxy Note reveal event is in a few weeks. Lets see. Mat The glass back is peeling off some Pixel 4 XL phones Google has yet to say if it's a recurring problem. Engadget Pixel 4 XL users on Googles forums and Reddit are complaining about their phones glass backs peeling off. This appears to stem from the battery swelling not an unheard of issue, but rarely with this kind of frequency, and its the kind of problem that would usually take months to appear. But this phone launched last October. One Reddit user, who claims to manage a uBreakiFix store, said the Pixel 4 XL had a widely known problem with faulty connectors, which lead to battery swelling. Google hasnt yet responded, but its bad timing. The company is expected to officially unveil the Pixel 4a very, very soon. Continue reading. KFC hopes to develop the first lab-made chicken nuggets 3D bio-printed nuggets could be more eco-friendly and ethical. WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images KFC has teamed up with Moscows 3D Bioprinting Solutions with the goal of producing the worlds first lab-made chicken nuggets. The Russian firm is developing an additive printing technique using chicken cells and plant material that, ideally, recreates the taste and texture of natural chicken while keeping animal involvement to a minimum. KFC, meanwhile, will provide bread, spices and other ingredients to match the restaurants signature flavor. KFC hopes to have a final nugget design ready for testing in Moscow by fall 2020. Mmm, nothing stokes the appetite like bio-printed nuggs. Continue reading. GitHub is done depositing its open-source codes in the Arctic On ice. Last year, GitHub revealed its plan to store all of its open-source software in an Arctic vault as part of its Archive Program. Now the code-hosting platform is done making sure future generations can access them even if civilization collapses within the next 1,000 years and, er, you can still get to the Arctic. The collection now sits inside a chamber within a decommissioned coal mine, under hundreds of meters of permafrost. Continue reading. UAE successfully launches its Hope Probe on a mission to Mars It's the countrys first mission to the red planet. KYODO Kyodo / Reuters The UAEs Mars-bound Hope mission has successfully launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. About an hour after liftoff, the Hope Probe separated from the rocket to rapturous applause from controllers and engineers at the UAE Space Agency. The Hope Probe should reach Mars orbit in February 2021 during the 50th anniversary of UAE unification. Instead of landing on the planet, itll orbit it for an entire Martian year, or 687 days. The aim of the $200 million mission is to get a more detailed picture of weather dynamics on the red planet ahead of future manned Mars missions. Continue reading. But wait, theres more... Microsoft stops offering 12-month Xbox Live Gold memberships Apple fans weigh in with their Watch Series 5 reviews Nintendo is holding a 'Direct Mini' partner game showcase today 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 The Chairman of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election Committee, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi St... The Chairman of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election Committee, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, has insisted he has no power to postpone Mondays primaries. This follows a request from six aspirants for the primaries to be moved. Governor Bello, at a meeting with the aspirants on Sunday, pointedly told them that it was not possible. Ten out the 12 governorship aspirants attended the meeting held in Ijapo, Akure, the State capital. The six aspirants wanted the election postponed because they had not been given the list of delegates that will participate in the primaries. They posited that holding the primaries on Monday is an injustice of the highest order. The aspirants who called for the postponement include Isaac Kekemeke, Sola Iji, Olayide Adelami, Bukola Adetola, Olusola Oke and Jumoke Anifowose. In response, Bello said: I dont have the power to postpone Mondays (today) primaries. We will go ahead with the exercise. (Natural News) The White House has walked back from its attacks on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, following weeks of clashing with the administration over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The move comes after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro openly attacked Fauci in a scathing op-ed in USA Today. The article, published on Wednesday, is the latest and the most public move against the infectious disease chief by a government official. Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on, Navarro wrote in his article. President Donald Trump defended Fauci, saying that Navarro did not get approval or clearance from the White House to publish his piece. Well he made a statement representing himself, Trump told reporters in a briefing Wednesday. He shouldnt be doing that. No, I have a very good relationship with Anthony. According to officials, Navarro ignored orders from White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to cease all criticism directed to Fauci. Speaking to reporters traveling on Air Force One on Wednesday, Meadows said that the article was a violation of protocol and that [it] was not supported overtly or covertly by anyone in the West Wing. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also voiced his support for Fauci, saying that the attacks were absolutely outrageous. Its one of the biggest mistakes, I think, that the administration has made throughout this entire coronavirus response, because Dr. Fauci is, in my opinion, the most respected guy in the administration, and the voice of truth and reason throughout this pandemic, the governor added. A rocky relationship in the middle of the pandemic The White Houses defense of Fauci is the latest development in the tumultuous relationship between the Trump administration, which has been pushing for reopening the economy, and the infectious disease expert, who has been critical of the governments handling of the pandemic. Last week, Fauci said that the U.S. wasnt doing great, in terms of its handling of the pandemic a statement that drew widespread criticism among officials. (Related: Bad fall and bad winter Fauci warns second coronavirus wave inevitable if America reopens too soon.) On Sunday, Adm. Brett Giroir, who leads the federal testing response, challenged Faucis claim, as well as his suggestion for new hotspots to return to lockdown. I respect Dr. Fauci a lot, but Dr. Fauci is not 100 percent right and he also doesnt necessarily, and he admits that, have the whole national interest in mind, Giroir told Meet the Press. He looks at it from a very narrow public health point of view. Trump had also taken aim at Fauci in the past, saying that he disagreed with Faucis assessments. Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but hes made a lot of mistakes, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been, until recently, a leading figure in the administrations coronavirus response. He recently revealed that he has not met the president since June 2, and has not briefed him in over two months. However, he said that he was sure his recommendations to the president were passed on. I have a reputation, as you probably have figured out, of speaking the truth at all times and not sugar-coating things, he added. And that may be one of the reasons why I havent been on television very much lately. The U.S. still leads the global tally for coronavirus cases with 3,576,430 infections, as well as 138,360 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Sources include: BusinessInsider.com FT.com Coronavirus.JHU.edu With the possibility of rising cases (clusters of ME/CFS followed other infectious outbreaks like SARS in Hong Kong in 2003), those in the ME/CFS community are saying now is the time for more study of the early stages of COVID-19. If we can learn about the factors that separate those who regain their health from those who remain sick, better care can be offered to patients if they develop ME/CFS. According to Dr. Leonard Jason, a DePaul University psychology professor who has studied ME in adults for 30 years, an illness like COVID-19 will yield a certain percentage of people who wont recover fully. Navy's Newest Littoral Combat Ship Arrives in Mayport Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200719-01 Release Date: 7/19/2020 9:13:00 AM From Naval Station Mayport Public Affairs JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The newest littoral combat ship, the Freedom-variant the future USS St. Louis (LCS 19) arrived in Mayport, Fla., Jul. 17. After leaving from the shipyard in Marinette, Wis., St. Louis will officially join the fleet in August when it is commissioned in Mayport. "After a long journey from Marinette, we are excited to bring St. Louis home to Mayport. The crew's skill, hard work and perseverance saw her safely through one of the most difficult navigational challenges any ship can experience," said Cmdr. Kevin Hagan, commanding officer, St. Louis. "To say I am proud of this crew would be an understatement!" Homeported in Mayport as the Navy's 22nd littoral combat ship and the 10th Freedom-variant, St. Louis was designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation, to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The St. Louis, designated LCS 19, honors Missouri's largest city. It is the seventh ship to bear the name. The first St. Louis was a sloop of war commissioned in 1828. It spent the majority of its service patrolling the coasts of the Americas to secure interests and trade. In addition, it served as the flagship for the West Indies Squadron working to suppress piracy in the Caribbean Sea, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico region. As part of the surface fleet, LCSs have the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants. Paired with advanced sonar and mine-hunting capabilities, LCSs provide a major contribution, as well as a more diverse set of options to commanders across the spectrum of operations. As an LCS Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Mission Package (MP) ship, St. Louis will have MCM operations through the employment of aviation assets and unmanned surface, semi-submersible and submersible vehicles that are equipped with an array of sensors and systems to detect, localize and neutralize surface, near surface, in-volume and bottom mines. These systems are designed to be employed while the LCS remains outside the mine threat area. The MCM MP also provides the capability to sweep mines, detect beach zone and buried mines. "The St. Louis crew has been working diligently with our LCS shipbuilding team and industry partners to deliver LCS 19 to the Navy, and sail her from Wisconsin to Florida," said Capt. David Miller, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two. "We are excited to add the 9th LCS to the Mayport waterfront, and look forward to formally placing her in commission next month." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NORTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey A gunman, possibly dressed as a FedEx deliveryman, opened fire at a federal judges home Sunday night, killing her adult son and critically wounding her husband, reports say. Authorities tell nj.com that Daniel Anderl, 20, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, died of his wounds in the shooting. Salas husband, Mark Anderl, 63, who is a criminal defense lawyer, was taken to a hospital in critical condition but was listed as stable Sunday night after undergoing surgery. CNN reports that investigators say that it appears Daniel Anderl opened the door with his father standing behind him at about 5 p.m. The gunman, who authorities say appeared to be wearing a uniform for FedEx, immediately opened fire, then fled the area. Salas was home at the time of the shooting but was in the basement and was not wounded, police tell nj.com. CNN reports its unclear if the gunman was a FedEx employee or was just wearing the uniform. The FBI tells the New York Times that investigators are looking for one subject in connection with the shooting. NJ.com reports Salas has been the judge on cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, which are connected to a drug-trafficking network that was broken up in 2015 by the FBI. The New Jersey Globe reports Salas has been the target of threats. The Times reports Salas was assigned last week to a class-action lawsuit a group of investors filed against Deutsche Bank. According to the Times, the lawsuit claims Deutsche Bank failed to flag questionable transactions that were made from the account of the financier Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, who was detained on sex-trafficking charges, died in jail last August while awaiting trial. Daniel Anderl was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., while Mark Anderl was a well-known defense lawyer, reports say. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., tells nj.com. G20 finance ministers and central bankers held talks Saturday aimed at spurring global economic recovery from a coronavirus-triggered recession amid growing calls to widen debt relief for crisis-hit poor countries. The ongoing virtual talks, hosted by Saudi Arabia, 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 seek to "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 before the meeting started on Saturday afternoon. The talks, 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 Fund's 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. "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 GDP to fall by 4.9 per cent this year due to a deeper contraction during lockdowns than previously anticipated. The $11 trillion in 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. In April, G20 nations announced a one-year debt standstill for the world's 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. "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 world's 73 poorest nations have applied for the G20's debt service suspension initiative, saving them up to $9 billion this year, according to charities Oxfam, Christian Aid and Global Justice Now. But the 73 countries are still required to pay up to $33.7 billion 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, 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. "An eight-month freeze on bilateral debt alone does not come close to freeing up enough cash or time for the world's poorest countries to cope with the pandemic and its effects." 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." Argentina's 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 world's 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 Co-operation and Development (OECD) said measures to curtail the disease caused a record 3.4 per cent 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. Oxford Vaccine research team delivered the good news we were all waiting for since last week. Phase 1/2 human trial of the Oxford vaccine against COVID-19, the ChAdOx1 nCoV vaccine has successfully neutralized SARS-CoV2 virus in all infected human hosts, according to latest report in the Lancet -- a medical journal tracking COVID-19 research around the world. Reuters The report said that phase 3 trials are needed to conclude whether this Oxford vaccine can help end COVID-19 pandemic around the world. NEWUKs #COVID19 vaccine is safe and induces an immune reaction, according to preliminary results https://t.co/rDPlB9fDKr pic.twitter.com/z2t9Aubjim The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 20, 2020 The findings of the report said this about the COVID-19 Oxford vaccine, "ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses. These results, together with the induction of both humoral and cellular immune responses, support large scale evaluation of this candidate vaccine in an ongoing phase 3 programme." Oxford COVID-19 Caccine production AstraZeneca, the global biopharmaceutical firm that holds all the attention at present for its upcoming COVID-19 vaccine candidate, is due to announce breakthrough results tomorrow. Once out, the results would showcase the effects of the most advanced vaccine of its kind for the novel coronavirus. Called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the vaccine has been developed by a team from the University of Oxford and has already been backed by Indian ICMR. Once ready, it will also be trialled and mass-produced by Serum India Institute based in Pune, world's largest producer of vaccine doses by volume. The vaccine will then be available starting September at Rs 1,000 per unit. The production plans, however, will only go as desired if the results from the final phase of human tests are positive. Due to be published in the Lancet first, the positive news has already been hinted at in reports. Oxford Vaccine success against COVID-19 (Representative Image: Reuters) Oxfords COVID-19 vaccine has shown a promising effect since the early test phases. In its trials on monkeys, the vaccine was demonstrated on six monkeys which were then exposed to a massive dose of SARS-CoV-2 via multiple routes, 28 days later. Thanks to the vaccine, the animals showed no signs of pneumonia in their lungs even after the exposure. By all indications, they felt fine records the report. So it became evident that the vaccine is generating the kind of antibody and T-cell (killer cell) that the team hoped for. Similar results were also recorded in initial human trials. Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the university, who is spearheading the vaccine development is very confident in the candidate. She said the Oxford vaccine has an 80% probability of being effective in stopping people who are exposed to the novel coronavirus from developing COVID-19. The underlying reasons An assessment to count T cells produced through the vaccination. (Image: John Cairns/University of Oxford) There is a reason why the Oxford vaccine is months ahead of its counterparts. In addition to the fact that the team was able to crunch the development phase of the vaccine to mere four months, it has also used a different approach to its development. Oxfords vaccine candidate is a viral vector type vaccine that uses a harmless virus to deliver the genetic material of a pathogen into cells. In this particular care, Gilbert and team have used a chimpanzee adenovirus (a common cold virus) as the trojan horse. The injected genetic material is then supposed to generate an immune response in the body against the real pathogen, SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine is thus meant to trick the immune system to fight back the COVID-19. The process is different from traditional vaccines that use weakened or inactivated form of the pathogen to stimulate an immune response. This new method is mentioned to be easier and hence quicker to develop. Thus the Oxford vaccine is months ahead in its schedule than all other candidates. With today's positive development news, the vaccine would be the best shot that the human population has against the virus and ending COVID-19 pandemic, at least for now. AstraZeneca's is looking to test two high doses of its experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus in later stage trials rather than focus on approval for single or lower doses of the vaccine, its biopharma chief said on Monday. "Right now, the safe thing to do is go with two doses, and then we'll start exploring single doses or lower doses," Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president for BioPharmaceuticals R&D, told reporters Active cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus disease climbed to new highs in North Dakota on Monday. The state Department of Health also reported the first pandemic-related death in Williams County, where cases have doubled in the past week. The death of a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions raises the state total to 93. Williams County is home to Williston and also to Tioga, where several contract workers at the Tioga Gas Plant recently tested positive. Public testing events were held in both communities last week, and another was planned in Williston in Monday. The county has 157 total coronavirus cases, including 22 new ones reported Monday. Its 84 active cases are fourth-most in the state. State officials reported 107 new cases statewide Monday, raising the total to 5,126 since the start of the pandemic. The daily figure included 17 new cases in Burleigh County and three more in Morton County. Active cases number 49 in Morton and 167 in Burleigh. Cass County, home to Fargo, led the state Monday with 169. Another 24 cases were reported there Monday. The number of active cases statewide rose to 814, up 18 over the previous day and 15 more than the previous daily high on Friday. The number of people hospitalized with the disease increased to 47, two higher than Sunday's record. There have been 305 North Dakotans hospitalized with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Records are based on daily data reported by the state. Health department officials often revise the numbers later as they receive new information, and they reflect the revisions on their website. The increase in active cases in the state has coincided with the reopening of businesses such as bars and restaurants, and an uptick in testing. The number of people in North Dakota tested for coronavirus at least once is at 135,978; total tests number 262,924. Public mass testing is scheduled in both Bismarck and Mandan this week. Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health will host free drive-thru testing at the Bismarck Event Center on Tuesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's open to all ages, on a first-come, first-served basis. Custer Health will conduct free drive-thru COVID-19 testing at its Mandan location on Wednesday. The event from 1-3 p.m. is open to all ages, on a first-come, first-served basis. Preregistration is available at https://testreg.nd.gov/ for both events but is not required. Preregistration does not guarantee test availability, and the testing will end early if supplies are exhausted. Most people who get COVID-19 recover, experiencing only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. Others, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, can experience more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover. For more information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to health.nd.gov/coronavirus. Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G and Reno4 5G hit China in June, but now they are finally ready to begin their global expansion. Or at least in name as the versions for international markets will likely differ from those already launched. The Oppo Reno4 phones will arrive in India on July 31, while Indonesia will follow on August 6 (the date was later deleted, now it says "August 2020"). A device with this name also appeared during a show in Malaysia, but no one in the studio revealed when the phone is expected to arrive. Oppo Reno4 promo images in India Oppo is likely to pull the same move it did back with the Reno3 phones - the global markets will receive different hardware. While the Indian teasers on Amazon and Flipkart showcase only the front, the Oppo Indonesia website showcase the fourth camera sitting in the upper right corner of the setup - the Chinese phones have it in the lower right corner. Oppo Reno4 promo image in Indonesia However, Malaysia will have it even weirder - the phone has four shooters that are manufactured to look identical (likely the same on the outside, but different on the inside), but the front side remains curved - for some reason there is no front cameras in one of the teasers, leaving us guessing if there is going to be one or two front-facing cameras. Oppo Reno4 phone in Malaysia The most likely reason for the different phones in Indonesia and Malaysia is that the former is the regular Reno4, while the latter is the Pro version, and we expect. Reports from India also suggest the Reno4 will be accompanied by the Oppo Watch, as the wearable is already making it to non-Chinese markets. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 It is a pilot project for Russia's transport industry. The express service for COVID-19 diagnostics providing the most reliable result in 60 minutes is being introduced at Sheremetyevo airport ahead of the upcoming opening of international regular air services and meets the requests of passengers. Testing will be available for all passengers from July 20 2020 at the Terminal B health center (domestic flights), and July 27 2020 at Terminal D (domestic and international flights). The test results will be available in Russian and English. The EMG diagnostic system, created with support from RDIF, is one of the fastest and most accurate in the world; adapted for both fixed and unique mobile mini-laboratories (the portable system fits in two small suitcases). The test systems are already used for preventive testing at the production facilities of the largest Russian enterprises and to ensure safety at major events. Notably, the leaders and members of official delegations who arrived in the Russian Federation for the Victory Parade on June 24 were also tested for coronavirus using EMG systems. The express diagnostic system is ready for use everywhere and can be provided as a service for passengers at transport facilities such as airports and train stations. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "Sheremetyevo International Airport has become the first airport in the world where it is possible to take the fastest and most accurate PCR test for coronavirus infection, which is produced by our portfolio Russian-Japanese company EMG. Test results are available within an hour. The launch of a passenger testing service is the first step towards creating coronavirus-free airports. Such air hubs will allow for air communication between countries to be restored and for tourism to resume with passengers protected from the virus. We hope that the successful experience of Sheremetyevo will be an example for other major airports around the world." Mikhail Vasilenko, General Director of Sheremetyevo International Airport JSC, noted: "For Sheremetyevo passengers, the opportunity to be tested for coronavirus and get the result in 60 minutes directly while they are at the airport, will certainly become popular and is another important step in our work to ensure safety and improve the quality of our service." Sheremetyevo is the first airport in Russia to introduce the most relevant and sought after medical services on an international level for all its visitors. When organizing passenger transportation at the airport, special attention is paid to ensuring the safety and health protection of customers, guests and employees. Sheremetyevo is fully implementing a set of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in accordance with the instructions and recommendations of state authorities and medical institutions. One of the key elements of a reliable health protection system is the availability of fast and accurate diagnostics for COVID-19 for all categories of passengers, guests and staff. Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB1.9 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru Sheremetyevo International Airport is one of the TOP 10 hub airports in Europe, it is the largest Russian airport in terms of passenger and freight traffic. The route network comprises more than 230 directions. At the end of 2019, the airport served 49,933 million passengers, which is 8.9% more than in 2018. Sheremetyevo is the best airport in terms of service quality in Europe, the absolute world leader in punctual flights, the owner of the highest 5-star Skytrax rating. Further information can be found at: www.svo.aero A number of preventive measures are implemented at Sheremetyevo Airport to ensure the safety of passengers and personnel, including monitoring the health status of individuals arriving at the airport; disinfection of premises; automatic non-contact hand sanitizers installed. In places where a lot of passengers may gather, bright floor markings have been applied to maintain social distance. A full-scale programme to inform passengers has been organized on the prevention of the spread of coronavirus infection and information with the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor is posted on information desks and on monitors in the airport terminals. Personal protective equipment is available for purchase. Personnel involved in servicing passengers are provided with personal protective equipment. SOURCE Sheremetyevo International Airport Bloomberg photo by Krisztian Bocsi. Netflix Inc., the world's largest paid streaming service, said it remains committed to working in Turkey, in a response to weekend reports that it would shut operations due to government interference in content. "We remain deeply committed to our members and the creative community in Turkey," Netflix said in a statement. "We are very excited about the projects that are ongoing and will soon start shooting." By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad A large protest action was held in front of the UN Headquarters in Geneva in connection with military provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the Armenian- Azerbaijani state border, local media reported with the reference to State Committee for Diaspora Affairs on July 20. Protest action was organized by Swiss Coordination Council and Swiss Cultural Center of Azerbaijan on July 19. The speakers called on the UN to organize a mission to investigate provocations and attacks of Armenia, as well as to take measures against the occupying Armenia. Representatives of Turkish communities stressed once again their readiness to support Azerbaijan, as they have done so far. Moreover, the speakers expressed confidence that independent Azerbaijan, which is peaceful, respects the norms of international law and attaches great importance to human values, will be strong in any trial, and Nagorno-Karabakh will definitely be liberated from the Armenian occupation. Furthermore, daughter of Azerbaijans National Hero Riad Ahmedov, Fariza Ahmedova, speaking at the protest action, emphasized that another military provocation of Armenian armed forces started on July 12 in the direction of Tovuz region on the Armenian- Azerbaijani border, killing of Azerbaijani civilians and continuation of such provocations periodically for several years. Ahmedova noted that as a result of aggression and occupation by Armenia she, like thousands of Azerbaijani children, lost her father in the early 90s. "The Armenian aggression has been going on for 30 years, which still deprives fathers of Azerbaijani children like me. Four resolutions adopted 28 years ago by the Security Council on the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian occupation are still not implemented. We, Azerbaijanis, call on such an influential organization as the UN to stop this arbitrariness, take decisive steps to stop the fact of aggression and such provocations, she stated. Similar protests against Armenias military provocation on the Azerbaijani- Armenian state border were held in various countries of Europe, like The Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Lithuania, Germany etc, as well as in United Kingdom, U.S., Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Israel. The rally of the Azerbaijanis took place following several days of gross ceasefire violations by Armenian armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz region. Participants of the protest actions, support Azerbaijani army, and calls on international organizations to investigate provocations and attacks of Armenia, and reach the settlement of Azerbaijan- Armenian Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. It should be noted that, as a result of cross-border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, started on July 12 with Armenia's firing artillery at Azerbaijan's positions in the direction of Tovuz region, Azerbaijani army lost several officers and soldiers. One civilian was killed as a result of artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:10:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENNA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) daily basket price stood at 43.22 U.S. dollars a barrel on Friday, compared with 43.80 dollars per barrel on Thursday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations released on Monday. Also known as the OPEC reference basket of crude oil, the OPEC basket, a weighted average of oil prices from different OPEC members around the world, is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices. Enditem Control of environmental assessments will be handed to state governments in return for a new system of national standards under a Morrison government plan to speed up major developments. Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the government was consulting with the states over the "one-touch" regime, which would "devolve" the Commonwealth's legal responsibilities to them. Graeme Samuel said the EPBC Act "does not enable the Commonwealth to protect and conserve environmental matters that are important for the nation". Credit:Nick Moir The mining and agriculture sectors welcomed the changes, while environmental groups expressed concern Ms Ley had ruled out an independent watchdog to ensure the states complied with the new standards. Ms Ley revealed the plan as former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Graeme Samuel released the interim findings of his review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which he found was "ineffective and inefficient" and created significant extra costs for business. Sweeping the entire Georgia portion (four consecutive races) of the Southern Nationals mini-series tour, Evans, Ga. racer Brandon Overton (# 76) dominated all but the first four laps Sunday night at the Cochran Motor Speedway. Earning $3,500 for the victory, Overton, one of the hottest Dirt Late Model racers in America in 2020, has pocketed close to $30,000 since Thursday night's first victory in Senoia. Overton leads the points as the tour regroups Tuesday in Brasstown, NC at Tricounty Racetrack before returning to Tennessee to wrap up the 12 race mini-series next Thursday thru Saturday. Michael Page of Douglasville nipped Chris Madden of South Carolina at the finish for second place Sunday night. Monday the series is off, trekking back up the Peach state, just across the state line into North Carolina Tuesday. The World of Outlaw Late Model series tour returned to North Dakota Sunday after being rained out Friday night at Red River Speedway. The other Brandon/hottest racer in America Sheppard (# 1) of Illinois won the $10,000 Sunday nighter over Louisiana's Cade Dillard and Canadian Ricky Weiss. WoO Sprint Car ace Donny Schatz (# 15) raced to an impressive fifth place finish Sunday, while Tennesseean Scott Bloomquist was 12th overall. The Hell Tour Summer Nationals UMP series event Sunday was rain shortened in Missouri at the races halfway point. Second generation racer Bobby Pierce (# 32) of Illinois won the $5,000 prize. After a lengthy rain delay at the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series DIAMOND NATIONALS Sunday (also in Mo.), the $12,000 to-Win 60-lapper was contested after midnight. The track being "heavy" after the rains Sunday, caused viser problems, forcing LODLM officials to throw a red flag to allow teams to restock on tear-offs used on their helmets. Mount Holly, NC racer Chris "Fergy" Ferguson (# 22) held off defending race winner Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville for the win. Tennesseean pole sitter Shannon Buckingham was fifth overall, with LODLM series points leader Jimmy Owens 15th. In yet another incident of taint on khaki, a head constable deputed at Ludhiana Central Jail was arrested for carrying narcotics into the jail premises on Sunday. Assistant jail superintendent Pardyuman Kumar arrested the accused cop, head constable Pushpinder Singh, during a special checking and recovered eight packets of tobacco hidden in his shoes. In his complaint, Kumar said it was suspected that the head constable had brought the tobacco for supply among the jail inmates. Assistant sub-inspector Rajinder Singh, who is investigating the case, said that an FIR under Sections 42 and 54 of the Prison Act was lodged against the accused. He added that more names could be added in the FIR after it is ascertained who were the narcotics intended for. So far, three police personnel have been arrested in three consecutive days for their involvement in criminal activities. On July 18, a constable was held for duping a gas agency employee of an LPG cylinder. Then on July 17, a head constable deputed at Kanganwal police post was arrested on graft charges. The accused had allegedly changed an entire FIR in return for 50,000 to save a drug peddler. ROSEMEAD, Calif., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hartford Great Health Corp. (Hartford or the Company) (HFUS), a company focus on the development of the Sino-U.S. health industry, today announced Hartford International Education Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (HFIE), which is controlled by Hartford Great Health Management (Shanghai) Ltd. (HFSH), the subsidiary of the Company, has successfully signed a Cooperation Agreement (the Agreement) with Shanghai Joint Publishing Company (SJP) on July 6, 2020 who is a famous publisher of Shanghai Newspaper Group and also one of the famous publishers in China. SJP has earned a well-known reputation in China and abroad and its targeted customers mainly focus on the educational intellectuals. The publisher brand and publications of SJP are highly influential within the Chinese academic community. Since 1986, SJP has published more than 3,000 titles of various subjects, of which more than 100 titles have won awards like the "China Book Award". SJP has also published books in a variety of genres and topics, such as humanities, law, philosophy and academic education. Furthermore, many of these publications, including subjects in humanities, social sciences, cultural classics, college textbooks, professional reference books and practical knowledge books, have been sold abroad. In recent years, SJP has added child development to its publication topics through the creation of a research group called the Childrens Mental Health and Growth Research Association. "I am very glad to sign the Agreement with SJP which will highly expand our cooperation area in child education. said Mr. Lianyue Song, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hartford Great Health Corp. The partnership between the Company and SJP aims to use the platform of SJPs "Children's Mental Health and Growth Research Association" to engage in international communication and cooperation on the education and mental health project for children between 2 to 18 years old. The Company will also work with SJP to develop resources and publications related to children's mental health and growth. In addition to publish early education textbooks, the Company and SJP also plan to develop and establish children mental health evaluation standards which would be promoted to over 1,000 early education centers around the world. Moreover, we will organize annual seminar events in the topics of "International Early Education Expo" and "International Forum on Healthy Growth of Children" with these early education centers, and our ultimate goal of the cooperation is to increase the exposure of Companys early education center franchise program through the social influences of SJP. We believe the cooperation of the Company and SJP will bring more economic interests of the Companys early education business in the future. Story continues ABOUT HARTFORD GREAT HEALTH CORP. Hartford Great Health Corp. is a development stage company that focus on the Sino-U.S. health industry through its subsidiaries in China. In 2020, the Company has found another opportunity to expand its market reach in the Chinese childhood education industry. The Company plans to formulate a proprietary early childhood education center management model beginning with the opening of several early childhood education centers in the greater Shanghai area with the goal of demonstrating the management model in action in order to attract interest from potential franchisees. To learn more, please visit www.hartfordgreathealth.com. SAFE HARBOR Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933, are subject to Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbors created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and other results and further events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. Company Contacts: Sheng-Yih (Stanley) Chang Hartford Great Health Corp. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe An Australian manufacturer of medical masks says it is operating around-the-clock to fulfil its contract to boost the Commonwealth stockpile and has no capacity to meet increased demand from the Victorian public. Shepparton-based Med-Con, which has been making up to 3 million mostly medical masks per week for the federal government, "physically cannot make any more masks" to meet rising demand in its home state, company general manager Steve Csiszar said. Leading denim brand Nobody Denim has converted its jeans factory to manufacture facial masks and surgical-grade gowns during the COVID-19 outbreak. Credit:Chris Hopkins Australias Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Nick Coatsworth, said on Monday the government's stockpile of masks would be distributed for medical use and more than 6 million were due to be sent to Victoria, mostly for use in aged care. The Victorian governments mandatory mask declaration on Sunday has created an unprecedented surge in demand for face masks that has crashed websites, backlogged deliveries and even created a shortage of elastic. Hyderabad: In the first instance of its kind in India, a Hyderabad-based renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Prateek Bhatnagar and his team have successfully performed coronary bypass surgery on a 63-year old COVID-19 recovered patient. The patient, Afsar Khan, is a resident of Karwan in Hyderabad's old city and was admitted in the Government Gandhi Hospital in April for 21 days due to coronavirus. He also had a severe heart condition after recovering from coronavirus. "We are sure that this is first of its kind coronary bypass surgery on a COVID-19 recovered patient. The main worry for us was the function of the lungs, particularly in those who had Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI), like this patient. After recovering from COVID-19, the lungs in such patients continue to show some pathological abnormalities like pulmonary fibrosis," said Dr Prateek Bhatnagar, Director, Cardiac Surgery and Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Care Hospital in Hyderabad. The Beating Heart Surgery technique was used in this triple bypass surgery. "By using the technique of Beating Heart Surgery, the use of a heart-lung machine was excluded. This prevented the risks of pump lungs, that may happen in high-risk patients like this one. Use of arterial grafting should provide long term benefits too," commented Dr Prateek Bhatnagar. Afsar Khan was also going through coronary artery and chest pain on exertion for over a year. Earlier in November 2019, he underwent a CT coronary angiography that showed blocks in all the three coronary arteries of the heart. After his successful treatment for COVID-19 in April end, his heart symptoms increased and in May he developed unstable angina. With increased chest pain, he underwent a coronary angiography again in June that showed blocks in the left main coronary artery, 100 % block in the LAD coronary artery, as well as a tight block in the right coronary artery. "We were very scared. It was a double whammy for us. First COVID-19 and immediately followed by a heart condition. Now we are very relieved that within four days of surgery he is being discharged. He is normal right from the second day of surgery," said Syed, son of Afsar. This pioneering surgery is now being sent for publication in several medical journals. As Melbourne enters another six weeks in isolation, one lifeline for parents is the wonderful service Kinderling, a kids radio station and podcast platform. Kinderling, like ABC Kids Listen, provides much needed entertainment for children that is not screen based. As we settle back in for teaching over Google Hangouts and playdates over Zoom, a screen free alternative helps break up the day, and can help calm the little monsters during the hardest hours of parenting. Kinderling offers live radio and podcasts for kids. What separates Kinderling and ABC Kids Listen is the former creates content that can be as fun for parents as it is for children. Kinderling plays music all day, with a mix of daggy parent music thrown in with the standard itsy bitsy spider classics. Thats not a slight on ABC Kids Listen, both stations get equal airtime in my house, but theres only so much Jimmy Giggle you can take in a day. . The audio is always kid friendly, and Im impressed with the amount of old school hip hop and nineties classics that pop up. Within the app, you can download mixtapes that have certain moods or themes, perfect for downloading a few hours of entertainment for a road trip, when we can do those again. (@ChaudhryMAli88) There are seven Russian nationals among crew of the Curacao Trader tanker taken hostage by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, the Russian embassy in Nigeria said on Monday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) There are seven Russian nationals among crew of the Curacao Trader tanker taken hostage by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, the Russian embassy in Nigeria said on Monday. "We inform you that there are seven Russian nationals among 13 crew members kidnapped in a pirate attack on the Curacao Trader vessel on July 17 210 miles off Benin's coast," the embassy said on Facebook. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder in which the nerve cells (neurons) in a person's brain and the connections among them degenerate slowly, causing severe memory loss, intellectual deficiencies, and deterioration in motor skills and communication. One of the main causes of Alzheimer's is the accumulation of a protein called amyloid (A) in clusters around neurons in the brain, which hampers their activity and triggers their degeneration. Studies in animal models have found that increasing the aggregation of A in the hippocampus--the brain's main learning and memory center--causes a decline in the signal transmission potential of the neurons therein. This degeneration affects a specific trait of the neurons, called "synaptic plasticity," which is the ability of synapses (the site of signal exchange between neurons) to adapt to an increase or decrease in signaling activity over time. Synaptic plasticity is crucial to the development of learning and cognitive functions in the hippocampus. Thus, A and its role in causing cognitive memory and deficits have been the focus of most research aimed at finding treatments for Alzheimer's. Now, advancing this research effort, a team of scientists from Japan, led by Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh from the Tokyo University of Science, has looked at oxytocin, a hormone conventionally known for its role in the female reproductive system and in inducing the feelings of love and well-being. "Oxytocin was recently found to be involved in regulating learning and memory performance, but so far, no previous study deals with the effect of oxytocin on A-induced cognitive impairment," Prof Saitoh says. Realizing this, Prof Saitoh's group set out to connect the dots. Their findings are published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication. Prof Saitoh and team first perfused slices of the mouse hippocampus with A to confirm that A causes the signaling abilities of neurons in the slices to decline or--in other words--impairs their synaptic plasticity. Upon additional perfusion with oxytocin, however, the signaling abilities increased, suggesting that oxytocin can reverse the impairment of synaptic plasticity that A causes. To find out how oxytocin achieves this, they conducted a further series of experiments. In a normal brain, oxytocin acts by binding with special structures in the membranes of brain cells, called oxytocin receptors. The scientists artificially "blocked" these receptors in the mouse hippocampus slices to see if oxytocin could reverse A-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity without binding to these receptors. Expectedly, when the receptors were blocked, oxytocin could not reverse the effect of A, which shows that these receptors are essential for oxytocin to act. Oxytocin is known to facilitate certain cellular chemical activities that are important in strengthening neuronal signaling potential and formation of memories, such as influx of calcium ions. Previous studies have suspected that A suppresses some of these chemical activities. When the scientists artificially blocked these chemical activities, they found that addition of oxytocin addition to the hippocampal slices did not reverse the damage to synaptic plasticity caused by A. Additionally, they found that oxytocin itself does not have any effect on synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, but it is somehow able to reverse the ill-effects of A. Prof Saitoh remarks, "This is the first study in the world that has shown that oxytocin can reverse A-induced impairments in the mouse hippocampus." This is only a first step and further research remains to be conducted in vivo in animal models and then humans before sufficient knowledge can be gathered to reposition oxytocin into a drug for Alzheimer's. But, Prof Saitoh remains hopeful. He concludes, "At present, there are no sufficiently satisfactory drugs to treat dementia, and new therapies with novel mechanisms of action are desired. Our study puts forth the interesting possibility that oxytocin could be a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of memory loss associated with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. We expect that our findings will open up a new pathway to the creation of new drugs for the treatment of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease." ### About the Tokyo University of Science Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators. With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field. Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/ About Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh from the Tokyo University of Science Dr Akiyoshi Saitoh is a Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science. A respected and senior researcher with more than 25 years of experience, he has more than 100 research publications to his credit and is the lead author of this paper. His chief areas of interest include medicinal pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, and neuroscience, including the role of the amygdala in the fear extinction memory in rodents and the development of a novel opioid delta receptor agonist for antidepressants/anxiolytics. He also has patents for drugs in this area. Unionised staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), say they will petition the National Media Commission (NMC) today, Monday, July 20 to intervene over plans by Minister of Communications to cede three of its channels. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, in a letter dated June 29th 2020, directed the Director-General of GBC to reduce the Corporations channels on Ghanas Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform from six to three within 60 days. The Union last Friday held a durbar to protest the move, saying it will render some workers jobless. Speaking to Citi News, the Vice Chairman of the Union Mark Agodoa, said the NMC must intervene. Yes, we will petition. We will send a petition to the NMC because we want the NMC to intervene. It is their constitutional mandate to do that. We just want them to talk or maybe negotiate because the workers are resolute with their decision. Whatever the case is, there is a room for dialogue. Protest The GBC staff have already served notice they will challenge moves to reduce the state broadcaster's channels. According to them, the decision could lead to the collapse of the company. Secretary of the GBC Union, Nutor Bibinii had told Citi News the workers will continually protest the government's decision until the Minister of Communication rescinds the decision. We are humbly advising her [Minister of Communications]. She can take ten channels to herself but what belongs to the state, no political activist can come for it. If previous Ministers of Communication were taking one each, how many would have been left? We are saying no. It will not work and we shall challenge this decision at the peril of our lives. he said. Currently, GBC is said to be operating on the DSTV, GBC T1 and DTT transmission platforms. TV users who have access to these platforms are able to watch all of GBC's six channels on either platform. GBC had already written to the NMC to express its dissatisfaction over the matter. Information Ministry clarifies The Minister of Information, Oppong Nkrumah, under whose Ministry the state broadcaster falls, had explained that the managers of the DTT platform want to reduce redundancy hence the directive to GBC. The move has not sat well with some individuals and groups, including the Minority side in Parliament. The Minority said the request from the Communications Ministry was unlawful. In a bid to nullify the proposed move, the GBC has written to the National Media Commission (NMC) for urgent help. ---citinewsroom If you've wondered what it must be like for employees working in stores and having to deal with mask-deniers while trying to enforce social distancing and mask-wearing, wonder no more. This guy from Provo, UT has a Twitter thread of what his life has been like trying to implement a new mandatory mask-wearing policy in the grocery store he works in. As my friend John Bergin commented: "This entire thread reads like a Thomas M. Disch novel with a dash of Kafka. Not even exaggerating." This is a thread of fun times I had while enforcing the new company policy of required masks at the grocery store I work at the unbreakable thomas richins (@RichinsThomas) July 12, 2020 One woman came in with her husband, neither had masks. I offered them free masks. She turned around and waited outside in 101 degree heat (Fahrenheit) instead of just putting on a mask. She stood, arms folded, next to her idling motorcycle until her hubby was done shopping. the unbreakable thomas richins (@RichinsThomas) July 12, 2020 One man looked at the "masks required" sign and power-walked in. We asked him to wear a sign. His face flushed with anger, and he took the mask (which we handed him inside a paper bag) and held the paper bag over his face and continued into the store. the unbreakable thomas richins (@RichinsThomas) July 12, 2020 Image: Mika Baumeister on Unsplash Jonathan Oppenheim, an editor on classic documentary films such as 199os Paris Is Burning, has died at age 67. Oppenehim died of brain cancer in New York City on July 16, according to the Sundance Institute, where he had long served as a fellow and adviser. No cause of death was given. Oppenheim edited and co-produced the second film in director Laura Poitras post-9/11 trilogy, The Oath, which was a psychological portrait of Osama bin Ladens former bodyguard. He won a Peabody Award for the 1987 film Arguing the World, about four Jewish intellectuals educated at New York City College in the 1930s who each became prominent figures with starkly different viewpoints. Among his more notable editing credits are 2001s Children Underground, 2002s Sister Helen, about a nun working with prisoners on death row, 2013s Andre Gregory: Before and After Dinner, about the actor who appears in Louis Malles acclaimed 1981 film My Dinner With Andre. Most recently, he edited the documentaries In the Land of Pomegranates and Blowin Up, both in 2018. Hes also served as a story consultant on such films as 2012s How to Survive a Plague, 2012s Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, 2013s These Birds Walk, 2015s (T)error, 2016s The Cinema Travelers, and 2016s Risk. Also Read: Moonyeenn Lee, 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'Blood Diamond' Casting Director, Dies of COVID-19 Complications at 76 Oppenheim has spoken on the art of documentary editing at The New Museum and has mentored Eastern European filmmakers at the Ex Oriente Lab in Prague. He was also a juror for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary competition and has been an advisor and fellow at the Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Lab, as well as presenting at NYU, Yale, Columbia, and The New School. Jonathan began his life in the arts as a painter which informed his sensibility in film, his wife, Josie Oppenheim, said in a statement. He was a talented and highly original painter but documentary film was his chosen medium. The collaborative dynamic while not always peaceful was one aspect of the work that Jonathan loved. But he found an outlet for his intellectual and artistic talents in all aspects of documentary film. I can say, as well, that the film community was profoundly important to him, and served as a nurturing soil allowing his very great talents to come into flower. But the community was important to us both really; friendships he forged became our friendships and our daughters family; became our community as we moved through our lives together. In addition to Josie, he is survived by his daughter, Netalia. Read original story Jonathan Oppenheim, Paris Is Burning Film Editor, Dies at 67 At TheWrap Kobe: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Saturday for greater participation and engagement of Japanese industries, saying it will benefit Japan and India's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector for which it could prove "transformational". Addressing a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, Modi recalled his association with Hyogo Prefecture and his visits to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, in 2007 and 2012. Modi, who travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house. The governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house. Watch: PM Modi enjoys Shinkansen bullet ride in Japan with Shinzo Abe Simply Shinkansen! Scenes from inside the famed Japanese bullet train, with the two leaders deep in conversation pic.twitter.com/D9gQz73XJ4 Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016 An agreement has been signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo Prefectural Government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection. "A stronger web of state and provincial connections. The leaders witness exchange of MoU of Coopn between Gujarat Govt and Hyogo Prefecture," external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Thanking Governor Ido for valuable efforts two develop relations with Gujarat, Modi said ties between the two sides is characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence. "Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove transformational," Modi said. Read: India, Japan sign 10 pacts including areas like space, agriculture, infrastructure, railways The Prime Minister said the Indian community in Kobe has a long history of trade and commerce. "I congratulate all residents of Kobe on forthcoming 150 years of its port," he said. Earlier in the day, Modi also visited Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant with Shinzo Abe to get first hand information on bullet train technology. #WATCH PM Narendra Modi arrives at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to get first hand info on bullet trains pic.twitter.com/Jn58n9d0WC ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016 PM @narendramodi :We are waiting for this train in India. pic.twitter.com/EZnJJXp7B7 Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Just how Keith Maddog Moody got to be Harahans assistant police chief is a question that has rippled through the city since his jaw-dropping testimony last month at a civil service hearing. Im not proud of my performance, Moody conceded after he was fired on June 29. I got rattled. Police Chief Tim Walker named Moody his second-in-command in March 2019, paving the way for his close friend to run for chief in 2022 behind a four-decade career of military and civilian policing. But Moody, a retired U.S. Marine captain, was confronted at a hearing last month with military records that cast doubt on that resume. The records show Moody left the Marines with an honorable discharge in a 1994 plea deal he signed to avert a court martial on charges that included conduct unbecoming an officer. At the hearing, Moody denied he was ever charged. He said the plea deal never happened. He lied, and then, cornered, tried to shrug it off. Ive been charged probably, counselor, of everything from capital murder to manslaughter to singing out of tune and drunk driving, said Moody, 61. Have I been convicted of any charges? No. At an earlier hearing, Moody had claimed hed served in civilian billets and commissioned billets throughout my entire adult life, spanning 42 years. But there is no indication that Moody ever worked as a full-time police officer before he took charge of Harahan police operations, beyond his service in the Marine Corps. He had been accused there of shilling T-shirts, coffee mugs and bumper stickers in military offices. One police department where Moody had claimed hed worked, in Lexington, Kentucky, had no record of him serving there in any capacity, according to a response sent to Brandon Venegas, the attorney who questioned Moody at the civil service hearing. Moody, who for years owned a local monogram business in Harahan, had a knack for ingratiating himself with many of the town's current and aspiring elected officials. He campaigned for Walker and other city politicians, then became a reserve officer for the city. Moody listed no civilian police agencies on a resume hed sent in 2016 to Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, seeking a job as the hospitals security director. He got the job, but the hospital fired him three weeks later. Hed set up a Facebook page for a safety program without telling anyone, then balked at taking it down, emails show. Mayor Tim Baudier, who attended the June 22 civil service hearing, said questions about Moodys work history were less concerning than his reactions to them. Baudier also pointed to an aggressive email Moody fired off two days before his testimony, pressing the City Council for more money. Moody laid out a plan to pump up traffic ticket revenues. Even with COVID-19, I still believe we will exceed my promised increase in ticket revenue, Moody wrote. Please consider ticket cameras and lets work together to generate the much needed $$$ for (city) projects. Moody also warned that Walker could siphon revenue from the city by directing tickets instead to the parish court if the council didnt step up. A few council members took it as a threat from Moody. But Baudier said Moody took things to a new level two days later at the civil service hearing, when he claimed to be a hostile witness and left the podium. He went to a place I think wasnt healthy, Baudier said. He went to a place where Ive never seen before, and I dont think any of us have seen before. I think we were all breathless and speechless, and to be honest, we still are. In Harahan, the police chief, who oversees a force of about 25 officers, is elected directly by voters. Baudier and Walker, Moodys boss, had been allies. Harahan Police fires assistant chief, who says the move was '1000 percent political' Harahan Police Chief Tim Walker has fired his embattled second-in-command, Keith Moody, though Walker declined to offer reasons for his termination. Walker didnt heed calls to fire his No. 2 right away, though he ran a criminal background check on Moody within hours of the hearings end, police records show. One week later, however, Walker did fire Moody, ending his short but improbably charmed career at Harahan PD and severing the support he had long enjoyed from two of the city's most powerful elected officials. In the weeks since his ouster, Moody has been vocal in laying waste to those ties. Moodys termination letter doesnt explain Walkers reason for firing him, and Moody said his boss didnt offer one. Walker declined to comment through an attorney, Philip Boudousque. But in response to a request for Moodys application for the job, Boudousque said its gone missing. Though the application was apparently once contained in (Moodys) personnel file, that document is now absent from his file for reasons unknown to my client, he wrote. Walker also does not know of its current location, the person who extracted that record from the file or the exact time that record was taken from the custodians control. Moody left in a blaze of online recriminations and whistleblower lawsuit threats that he has kept up since his departure. He broadcasts much of it on his preferred platform, Facebook. As a reserve Harahan officer in 2014, Moody had set up a department Facebook page in lieu of a website. He still controls the page, now under a different name. Lately, Moody has posted some incendiary content. He has trumpeted Blue Lives Matter pledges, mocked calls to defund and reform policing and dissed mask requirements for the coronavirus pandemic. After he was fired, he used the page to demand Walkers resignation. In one post he acknowledged: I fully realize I will never be able to be a cop again and for that I am deeply troubled. It was a different police chief, Mac Dickerson, who put Moody through the Kenner police academy, in 2011. Walker, a former New Orleans cop, was a reference. Moody was a cadet at 52. I think the next oldest guy was 25, he said. Im a fat man. I hate running. Moody ranked dead last of the eight cadets in his class in physical fitness, Kenner academy records show. But he scored well overall to graduate and earn his state certification. Harahan Police Department sued by 2nd officer alleging ticket quota system, retaliation A second officer has sued the Harahan Police Department, alleging that his superiors retaliated against him for reporting the conduct of anoth Moody claims he never intended to join up with the full-time ranks after the academy. He signed on instead as a Harahan reserve. Dickerson, now with Louisiana State Police, declined to comment Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up An Ohio native, Moody had started a mail-order company after he left the Marines and sold military hats and patches at trade shows, he said. He opened up a store in Harahan and would later became a defendant in a legal battle over the rights to display the phrase Who Dat? on merchandise. Moody also planted yard signs and splashed the images of favored candidates across a box truck that he would roll through town during election season. Baudier said Moody worked his heart out for me on the campaign trail. Moody also campaigned for a police millage. Im the guy with the fire truck. Im the guy putting the signs out. Im the guy controlling the social media, Moody said. Im the grunt. Moody said hes known Walker for 25 years. In 2018, when Moody needed quick cash for a house purchase, Walker lent him $120,000. Termed out in two years, Walker is said to be eyeing a city council seat. I was going to run for chief of police in 2022, Moody said. That was the whole plan: the good ol boys would get behind you and you would become the next chief. Despite their friendship, Walker waited until his second term to bring Moody aboard. His whole thing was, As soon as I get in, youre going to be my assistant. Were going to clean up this department and bring it back to the people, Moody said. I was the bad guy. He was the good cop. I was the guy to come in and reform the department and cut out the cancer. In late 2018, Moody authored a Facebook post in which he claimed methamphetamine had been infected with the Zika virus, urging users to bring theirs in for "testing." No one bit, though the post gained national attention and some criticism. Walker finally hired Moody in March 2019 on a $54,000 salary. By then Moody had made a few enemies, including Manuel Adams, the subject of the misconduct complaint that spurred Moodys bizarre testimony. The house-cleaning worked, in a sense. Most high-ranking officers, including Adams, have left the force, some accusing Walker and Moody of cutthroat tactics. One officer, Ronnie Lightell, alleges in a federal lawsuit that he flagged missing evidence, falsified police reports and a quota system for traffic tickets last year. Lightell was fired, then reinstated, then quit after months of what he called excessive scrutiny by Moody. Moody took credit. I did my job exactly, what I was hired to do. I fixed it, he said, lamenting the outcome as a political hit. I got too close to the inner circle, brother. I called out the good old boys. Venegas, Adams attorney, dismissed the idea that Moodys scorched-earth attacks on friends and patrons amount to a revelation. They know full well there have been multiple written complaints. But when it was their political opponents, it wasnt a problem, he said. Venegas also noted that Walker authorized all of the discipline that Moody pressed. Walker also handed Moody the keys to the Facebook page. He could have stopped it over the last year, Venegas said. Im still left to wonder, why would he hire somebody that clearly doesnt have the bona fides he claims. Where is his law enforcement history? And hes going to put him as assistant chief? Why? Within hours of Moodys flameout before the civil service board, Walker ordered up a criminal history check on him that turned up only a 2005 citation for disturbing the peace. Phil Ramon, a former Kenner chief administrative officer who is active in Harahan politics, began raging in emails to city officials about Moodys antics at the hearing, demanding they fire him over that and other alleged misconduct. Ramon also noted that Moody had once printed up T-shirts reading "Comply don't die!" with a bullet ripping through the word "comply." He also was lodging blunt personal attacks, sometimes via text message or e-mail. Some on the council demurred, citing Walkers autonomy over his personnel. But by June 25, Moody was feeling the heat and fired off another email to the mayor and council. I AM NOT GOING TO RESIGN. you want me gone? FIRE ME PLEASE. The next day, Walker and Moody met in the mayors office with Baudier and Councilmen Jason Asbill and Eric Chatelain over Moodys ownership of the police Facebook page, attendees said. Asbill said Moody and Walker refused to cede control of the page but agreed to make it more official-looking. Then, Moody chose a different route. He took the page down. Cancelled the page altogether. Posted some things about corrupt elected officials, Asbill said. Baudier called some of Moodys posts way across the line, way unbecoming of an assistant police chief, or any elected official anywhere in America. The council had asked Moody to turn over the Facebook page, and from there it went crazy, Baudier said. Its the same thing that happened with the Marines. The same thing that happened with Touro. Its identical, man. Baudier said hes asked the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office and state police to keep an eye on Moody. After all of this stuff went down, I called him to apologize, Baudier said. And he pressed harassment charges on me. For now I just want him to leave me alone, stay away from me and my family. Staff writer Chad Calder contributed to this story. Russian mercenaries in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas violated the ceasefire regime and fired on the positions of the JFO units in the area of the settlement of Shumy, the JFO headquarters reports. "The enemy used automatic easel grenade launchers, small arms and sniper weapons. Unfortunately, as a result of enemy shelling attack, during a combat mission, one soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a bullet wound incompatible with life," the JFO said on Facebook. Abbie Chatfield was portrayed as the 'villain' on Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor last year, and she didn't fare much better on Bachelor in Paradise. And after being dumped at the first rose ceremony last week, the 25-year-old influencer has exposed the reality behind so-called 'reality' shows. She told New Idea on Monday that there's a tell-tale sign someone is being unfairly given the 'villain' edit - and once you notice it, you'll never watch The Bachelor franchise the same way again. Behind-the-scenes secrets: After being dumped at the first rose ceremony last week, Bachelor in Paradise star Abbie Chatfield has exposed the reality behind so-called 'reality' shows She explained that when a person is heard speaking in a voice over, rather than on camera, it's likely their words have been taken wildly out of context. 'Unless you see [a statement] come from someone's mouth, word for word on camera, assume it's edited,' she said. 'And when you notice that one thing, you notice all the bad things people say are in voice overs! I only know when I was edited because I knew what I had said. So I was like, "That's not what I said in that context."' Abbie added that editors often cut 'single words' together to form totally new sentences in a practice known as 'frakenbiting'. Editing tricks: Abbie said that there's a tell-tale sign someone is being unfairly given the 'villain' edit - and once you notice it, you'll never watch The Bachelor franchise the same way again 'They turn the music up so you can't notice,' she said, explaining how the soundtrack makes it hard to hear where different soundbites have been pieced together. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. It comes after Abbie recently revealed she would like to return to the franchise as the Bachelorette after her brief stint on Bachelor in Paradise. 'Assume it's edited': She explained that when a person is heard speaking in a voice over, rather than on camera, it's likely their words have been taken wildly out of context 'I would do The Bachelorette because I think it works really well and there are some really good success stories from it,' she told WHO magazine. 'I think it would be fun, but I think I need a year or two off. Im only 25 - I think the right age for it would be late twenties like Angie Kent, even though she and Carlin [Sterritt] broke up, which is really sad.' Abbie was sent home on Thursday's episode of Bachelor in Paradise after Jamie Doran gave his rose to Brittney Weldon at the first rose ceremony - despite promising it to multiple women, including Abbie. Bachelor in Paradise continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 Courtney Herron's grieving father says her battered body was so disfigured after her death he wasn't allowed to see her - as it's revealed her accused killer won't spend a day behind bars over her death. Henry Richard Hammond will instead be transferred to a mental health facility after a court agreed he was unfit to stand trial. The then 26-year-old allegedly bludgeoned Ms Herron, 25, to death and hid her body at a Melbourne park in May 2019. Both were homeless at the time of the attack, and Hammond was charged with her murder the very next day. He pleaded not guilty in late December, and on Monday, a court ruled he would not be held criminally responsible for the crime he is accused of committing. A fresh-faced Courtney Herron - red bow in hair and ready to take on the world. She had ups and downs during her short life and was determined to make something of herself Just three weeks before he allegedly killed Ms Herron, the drug-addled father-of-two was behind bars, sentenced to 10 months in prison for a separate incident involving his ex-girlfriend. In August of 2018, a 'drunk' Hammond arrived on the doorstep of his former partner, threatening to kill her. He found a knife in her kitchen and said: 'Do you want this knife or the bigger knife? I'm going to kill you.' He punched the 42-year-old woman in the face, broke her eye socket, grabbed her by the throat and attempted to strangle her. Hammond told police he wanted to 'shut her up' and said he thought she was trying to steal his soul. At the time of the assault, he was on bail for resisting a police officer. John Herron (pictured with his daughter Courtney) has spoken up on her horrific death in Melbourne last year An image of Courtney Herron put out by Victoria Police after her body was found bashed to death at a park just outside of Melbourne's CBD Her father, lawyer John Herron, told A Current Affair she would not be dead if it weren't for the success of Hammond's appeal He successfully appealed the 10-month sentence, describing it as 'manifestly excessive'. Hammond spent just one more night in prison before he was released with a community corrections order. The court was aware he didn't have a home to return to. Three weeks later, Ms Herron was dead. Her father, lawyer John Herron, told A Current Affair he believed she would still be alive if it weren't for the success of Hammond's appeal. 'My daughter would be alive now if he (Hammond) wasn't released,' Mr Herron said. 'The fact he was released from prison, early, on appeal (and) went straight onto the street.' Mr Hammond appeared in court after the incident with no shoes on. He later pleaded not guilty because he was mentally unstable Hammond (right), who is homeless, was accused of bludgeoning Ms Herron (left) to death A message left by the mother of Courtney Herron at the scene of her death. The note was attached to flowers left there in a gut wrenching scene that brought those who saw it to tears In the days to follow her death, police told Mr Herron that Hammond was 'lucid' in interviews and appeared to understand what he had allegedly done. More recent psychiatric assessments have determined he would not have known what he was doing during the alleged killing. 'We couldn't have an open casket funeral,' Mr Herron said. 'Her head had to be reconstructed such was the brutal nature of the [alleged] crime.' Ms Herron had dreams of becoming a social worker, but had fallen in with the wrong crowd and began experimenting with drugs before she wound up living on the streets of Melbourne in the months leading to her death. Henry Hammond, a 27-year-old homeless man, was charged with Courtney's murder. On Monday, a court ordered he be sent to a mental health facility The mother and grandmother of Melbourne woman Courtney Herron were pictured at the scene of her death to mourn The court's ruling means Hammond cannot be found guilty for the death of Ms Herron, and will instead be sent to a mental institution. Mr Herron described the outcome as 'devastating'. 'He could have days trips be out in 10 years (on) unsupervised day trips,' Mr Herron said. 'She was a really intelligent, vibrant girl. She could have put her mind to anything. 'She doesn't have a voice anymore and to have this conclude in this way where it's a not guilty outcome... it's very devastating to us.' Hammond will appear in the Supreme Court for a Consent Mental Impairment Hearing on August 17. Ms Herron had been sleeping rough and struggling with drugs and mental health issues at the time of her death A bright-eyed and smiling Courtney Herron before the weight of the world crushed her gentle spirit Addis Ababa, July 20 : The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the African continent has reached 701,573, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC in its latest situation update issued on Sunday said that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the continent rose from 683,905 on Saturday afternoon to 701,573 as of Sunday morning, Xinhua reported. The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the death toll from the pandemic surged to 14,937 as of the stated period. The Africa CDC further said that 369,120 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 have so far recovered from the infectious virus. Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, the highly affected African countries in terms of positive cases include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, and Cameroon. The Africa CDC also said that the Southern Africa region is now the most affected area across the continent in terms of positive Covid-19 cases, followed by the North Africa region. The West Africa region is the third most affected area in terms of positive cases, followed by the Eastern and Central Africa regions, respectively. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The coronavirus disease has wreaked havoc around the world. It has so far infected over 14 million people and killed more than six lakh. India is the third worst-affected country, with the Covid-19 tally over a million. Along with other countries, India too is engaged in developing the vaccine for the disease which started from Wuhan in China last year and quickly spread around the world. India is among the biggest manufacturers of generic medicines and vaccines. Many Indian companies are engaged in making vaccines for various disease like polio, meningitis, rotavirus, measles etc. Also Watch | Indias Covid cases cross 1.1 million, AIIMS to start Covaxin trial this week Here is a look at the attempts being made by Indian companies in preparing a vaccine for Covid-19: Covaxin, Bharat Biotech: The vaccine has been developed and manufactured in Hyderabad. Bharat Biotech started human trials of Covaxin last week. The company has received approval to conduct phase I and II clinical trial for its vaccine candidate. Also Read: Indias fatality rate lower than global average, says govt AstraZeneca, Serum Institute of India: The vaccine candidate is undergoing phase III clinical trials. The institute said it will start human trials in India in August 2020 and is hoping that AstraZeneca vaccine will be available by the year-end. ZyCoV-D, Zydus Cadila: The pharma major said that it is looking to complete clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D in seven months. The company had last week started clinical trials with the first human dosing. Vaccine candidate from Panacea Biotec: The yet unnamed vaccine is being developed by this pharma company. Panacea Biotec has set up a joint venture firm in Ireland with US-based Refana Inc for the purpose. It will manufacture over 500 million doses of Covid-19 candidate vaccine. Over 40 million doses are expected to be available for delivery early next year, it said. in Graphics: Coronavirus Live Tracker Indian Immunologicals vaccine: It is a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board. Indian Immunologicals has inked an agreement with Australias Griffith University to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. Mynvax: The company is working on a vaccine candidate which it hopes to develop in 18 months. It will initially start woth two dozen doses. It has petitioned Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) for Rs 15 crore grant. It is currently at pre-clinical trial level. Biological E: The vaccine candidate being developed by the company is currently at pre-clinical trial level. Syria Heads to 3rd Legislative Elections Since 2011 as Economy, Security Top Agenda Sputnik News 03:29 GMT 19.07.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Syria goes to the polls on Sunday for the third legislative elections since 2011 against the backdrop of tangible military gains in the fight against militants, but also the deepening economic crisis beset by the pandemic and unabating Western sanctions. Syria's parliamentary elections occur every four years. The last vote, which was held in 2016, resulted in an alliance led by the ruling Arab Socialist Baath Party winning 200 out of the 250 seats in the unicameral legislature. The 2020 vote was initially slated for April but was postponed to May 20 due to pandemic fears. The elections were later pushed back again to 19 July. Syrian Justice Minister Hisham Shaar told Sputnik said that the government hopes the upcoming elections will take place in a much better atmosphere than any of those that have been held during the years of the war, since most of the country's territory has returned under Damascus' control. Despite significant military gains achieved by the Syrian army, supported by Russia in its counterterrorism fight, security remains a top concern of voters. "It is important to liberate the rest of the lands Idlib and northeastern Syria that are occupied by Turkey and America, work toward the reconciliation between the Syrians and restore peace and calm to the homeland, as safety and security are basic needs," Nidal Hmeidi, a member of the Syrian parliament, told Sputnik. Economy, COVID-19, Sanctions The years of war have taken its toll on the Syrian economy. "The most considerable questions for people are pension-related issues and everyday needs, such as food and services, as people return to normal life and their homes," Hmeidi said. The pandemic crisis and toughening sanctions have further contributed to the economic woes. In June, the national currency hit its record low in the run-up to the United States' "Caesar" act taking effect and targeting anyone doing business with the Bashar Assad government. The Syrian government, however, believes that foreign hopes for the elections to fail will not materialize. "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," Justice Minister Shaar said. According to the official, 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." What next? Another distinct feature of the current elections is that they follow last year's launch of the Syrian constitutional committee in Geneva, which is tasked with rewriting the country's main law to reconcile the country after years of war. The process has been put on hold due to coronavirus, with in-person talks expected to resume once the epidemiological situation allows for it. "These elections will help [the government] in the negotiations of the Intra-Syrian dialogue and in constitutional negotiations but this process is the only way for constitutional changes as the Intra-Syrian dialogue is the only way to bring peace to Syria," Tarek Ahmad, a representative of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), told Sputnik. According to the politician, the SSNP is going to run in the elections, as it wants to have a say in amending the constitution. Ahmed Meree, a Syrian lawmaker and a SSNP candidate from the city of Aleppo, called the elections "an important step toward constitutional changes" that "will certainly help the process." "The time is right, we need to hold the elections now. We have already postponed these elections for 2-3 months. Syria is a democratic state. It is a multi-party parliamentary republic therefore we must held parliamentary elections. We are waiting for constitutional changes and ready to work with the constitutional committee," Meree told Sputnik. In total, over 1,600 candidates are running in the Sunday vote, according to the country's election watchdog. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah and Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 21, 2020 12:08 547 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667aff88 1 National COVID-19,Indonesia,reopening,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,PSBB-transisi,China,Singapore Free After almost a month of taking gradual steps to reopen the economy, Indonesia has seen its COVID-19 cases and deaths double as crowds reemerge in virus epicenters like Jakarta. Experts have cautioned that the country is at risk of becoming one of the worst hit worldwide. Indonesia had recorded 86,521 total cases and 4,143 deaths as of Sunday, twice the cumulative figure from the previous month. The central government and local administrations gradually lifted requirements under large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the first weeks of June. By June 18, the Health Ministry had recorded 41,431 cases and 2,276 deaths nationwide, surpassing Singapore for the first time as the Southeast Asian country with most officially reported cases. The nations provinces have continued to experience a surge of infections and deaths, including Jakarta, where the share of positive test results out of the total tests administered had doubled to 10.5 percent by last week. As of Saturday, the total cumulative reported cases in Indonesia exceeded those officially reported in China, where the virus was first discovered, for the first time. As of the same day, China had recorded 83,644 cumulative cases, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Epidemiologist Riris Andono Ahmad from Gadjah Mada University said Indonesia could see a shortened doubling period for COVID-19 cases, possibly causing the country to become one of the worst hit in the world if there was no intervention. He mentioned several other potential hotspots, such as boarding schools, where a number of people from various regions tended to convene with limited social distancing. Confirmed hotspots have now spread outside of Jakarta to East Java, Central Java, South Sulawesi and South Kalimantan. "There must be tough enforcement from the government and popular awareness if [people] don't want to prolong the pandemic. The problem is that there is sometimes resistance, and with the large number of people there, there has to be bargaining in prevention efforts," he told The Jakarta Post. Indonesia's daily fatality average among confirmed cases increased to 77 deaths per day in the past week from 62 deaths per day in the previous week, according to data compiled by the Post. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a report on July 15 that the deaths of patients under surveillance (PDP) in Indonesia had been substantially higher than the deaths of confirmed COVID-19 patients in most provinces in Java. Nationwide data compiled by volunteer group Kawal COVID-19 shows more than 8,000 deaths among PDPs and people under observation (ODPs), which the government has now renamed probable and suspected cases, respectively. Starting in early June, offices reopened as restrictions were eased. Only Jakarta and its satellite cities and regencies began the transition out of PSBB, which allowed the gradual reopening of several service sectors. Tangerang city and regency, as well as South Tangerang, remained under full PSBB, according to the national COVID-19 task force. Government COVID-19 spokesperson Achmad Yurianto said recently that many of the new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia were found in office settings with poor air circulation and workers who were not wearing masks. An epidemiologist at the University of Airlangga, Laura Navika Yamani, said with no mobility restrictions between provinces and cities that had different levels of risk, there could be a "widening spread of the virus" to areas that were thought to be virus free. "The exponential growth of cases to even double [within a month] is expected when taking into consideration the virus' characteristics. One person may infect two to four other people, depending on how much interaction [the person] has [with others]," she said. The virus has now reached 464 of the country's 514 cities and regencies from 431 on the same date last month. Currently, 269 labs are in operation to conduct COVID-19 tests. Despite a growing network of labs, Indonesia continues to have one of the lowest testing rates in the world, having tested 707,238 people so far. Data compiled by Worldometer shows that Indonesia has tested 439 people per 100,000, while China has tested 6,281 people per 100,000. The WHO report said that only Jakarta had met its minimum surveillance benchmark of 1 test per 1,000 people per week, one of the requisites for loosening restrictions that the government adopted in its latest COVID-19 prevention and handling guidelines. Riris said that without any government intervention, there would be "very big" collateral damage after reopening. "The epidemic is like burning fuel, and the fuel, in this case, is people without immunity. The sooner they're burnt, the sooner it will end. But as a result, the healthcare system will be overwhelmed, fatalities will be high and the economy might collapse," he said. LIMERICK teachers have played their part in the INTO teachers union raising a massive 55,000 for CMRF Crumlin, which is part of the Childrens Health Foundation family. This year due to Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, tickets were available online from 10 with the chance to win incredible prizes up to a value of 10,000. All proceeds from the 2020 draw will provide continued support for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research project in the National Children's Research Centre (NCRC). The INTO is delighted and very proud to once again support CMRF through their annual members raffle, said Mary Magner, president of the INTO. Thank you to our members in County Limerick for their generosity in raising 55,000 in the 2020 raffle. This year despite restrictions with Covid-19, our members got behind the online raffle. It will benefit thousands of children all over Ireland in their most vulnerable sick moments, and their parents through periods of strain and worry. The hospital treats upwards of 150,000 children each year from all over Ireland. Every family in our school communities knows of a child who has received treatment in Crumlin hospital, said Ms Magner. Beirut, July 20 : Ousted Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn said that he failed to appear before a court in France on July 13 due to a "technical obstacle", Lebanese media reported on Monday. Ghosn said that his passport is held by the Attorney General in Lebanon since Japan issued an international arrest warrant on his behalf, reports Xinhua news agency. "My lawyers have discussed the terms of my appearance before the court in France for several weeks," Ghosn was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper in Lebanon. "There is a technical obstacle and I want to secure my safety and freedom of movement." Ghosn noted that he needs to cross other countries to reach France. "No one can assure me that the journey will go smoothly without any incidents. The judge can, for example, interrogate me in Beirut, and I am ready to answer all his questions," he said. Ghosn arrived in Lebanon's capital Beirut at the end of last year after fleeing from Japan on charges of financial misconduct. Nissan accused Ghosn of understating his salary while he was the chief executive, and transferring $5 million of company funds to an account in which he had an interest. Ghosn said in a statement that he had not fled justice, but had escaped "injustice and political persecution". Ramallah, July 21 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Abbas briefed Shoukry over the latest political developments in Palestine, with a focus on diplomatic efforts to prevent the possible Israeli move to annex areas of the West Bank and apply Israeli civil law on settlements in the occupied territory, said WAFA on Monday. After the meeting, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that the visit is part of the ongoing consultations between Palestinians and the Arab countries to confront the Israeli annexation plan and return to peace talks on the basis of international law and legitimacy, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Shoukry reiterated that Egypt is committed to supporting the Palestinian position against the annexation plan. "Egypt has been unequivocal in its rejection of any unilateral measures that may negatively affect the peace process, including any move towards annexing any part of the occupied Palestinian territory," he said. On Sunday night, Abbas received a phone call from his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, during which they discussed issues of joint interests, including international positions regarding Israeli unilateral measures in Palestine. Shoukry is the second Arab official to visit Ramallah since the Palestinian leadership declared its abolition of agreements with Israel and the United States in May in protest of the declared Israeli plan. Last month, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held talks with Abbas in Ramallah. Tensions in the Palestinian territory have mounted since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intention to annex large areas of the West Bank and apply Israeli civil law on settlements in the occupied territory. However, Netanyahu remains at odds with Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White, over the date of the annexation. The Israeli plan received widespread condemnations by Palestinians and the international community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 07:51:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural exports to China and other countries will help Argentina's economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, according to Argentine President Alberto Fernandez. In an interview with the Financial Times, Fernandez said the resumption next year of demand for Argentine grains from countries such as China will help the economy regain its footing after this year's "big fall." Coupled with the resurgence in demand will be a series of government measures, including subsidies to stimulate the domestic market, public works projects and housing construction, Fernandez said in the interview released Sunday. China was Argentina's second-largest trade partner in 2019, and the South American country's largest trade partner in April and May of this year. Its main exports to China's market are soybeans, frozen and deboned beef, shrimp and prawns, and animal or vegetable oils, Guillermo Chaves, the chief of staff of Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, recently told Xinhua. At the end of May, the National Agricultural Food Health and Quality Service highlighted the consistency in beef, poultry and pork exports to China, despite the pandemic, with shipments to China increasing 17 percent in the first four months of 2020 year-on-year. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean on Wednesday estimated Argentina's economy will contract 10.5 percent this year due to the pandemic. To counter the economic impact of the coronavirus, the government has announced several measures, including an Emergency Household Income that granted 10,000 pesos (150 U.S. dollars) in cash transfers to nearly 8 million people in April and May, and the Work and Production Assistance program, which postpones or reduces employer taxes, and calls on the state to pay up to 50 percent of the salaries of workers in the private sector. Argentina detected its first case of COVID-19 on March 3. As of Sunday, 126,755 people have tested positive for the disease, with 2,260 deaths. Enditem White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows walks to the White House after visiting Walter Reed Military Medical Center with President Donald Trump in Washington on July 11, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images) Trump Chief of Staff: Indictments Expected From Durham Probe White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said July 19 that he expects criminal charges to come out of U.S. Attorney John Durhams investigation into the origins of the FBIs counterintelligence Russia probe. Meadows, who replaced Mick Mulvaney as President Donald Trumps chief of staff in March, said during an appearance on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures, that based on what hed seen, he expects federal prosecutor Durham will file criminal charges against people involved in the investigation into supposed TrumpRussia collusion that was said to have swayed the 2016 election. The former House representative sat on the House Oversight Committee throughout then-special counsel and former FBI head Robert Muellers probe into the alleged collusion. Mueller ultimately didnt establish any such collusion. I think the American people expect indictments, Meadows told host Maria Bartiromo. I know I expect indictments based on the evidence Ive seen. [Senate Judiciary Chairman] Lindsey Graham did a good job in getting that out. We know that they not only knew that there wasnt a case, but they continued to investigate and spyand yes, I use the word spyon Trump campaign officials, and actually even doing things when this president was sworn in and after that, and doing it in an inappropriate manner. Meadows also said he expects other damning documents will soon be made public. Youre going to see a couple of other documents come out in the coming days that will suggest that not only was the campaign spied on, but the FBI did not act appropriately as they were investigating, he said. Its all starting to unravel, and I tell you, its time that people go to jail and people are indicted. Attorney General William Barr assigned Durham in early 2019 to investigate the origins of the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign and to assess whether the surveillance of Trump campaign associate Carter Page was free of improper motive. The probe was designated a formal criminal investigation later in 2019. Durham could scrutinize the conduct of several current and former senior FBI officials during his investigation, including former Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and former Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok. Those officials were involved in obtaining a warrant for surveillance on Page and deployed at least two spies to target Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. Two years ago I was one of four witnesses who testified behind close doors about FISA abuse to the house oversight committee in front of Mark Meadows and John Ratcliff. Very sensitive testimony. Its time George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) July 19, 2020 Barr had previously expressed concern over some of the information he had received so far from Durham about the probe, saying that he was very troubled. He said in May that he doesnt expect Durhams probe to result in criminal investigations into former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden, based on the information he possessed at the time. It is stunning, and heres the interesting thing: its not only that it wasnt true, the problem is they knew it wasnt true, and when you know something is not true and you continue the investigation, thats collusion, thats the kind of thing that we must stop, and thats where we need to hold people accountable, Meadows said. >His remarks came after an internal document, declassified on July 16, showed Strzok, the former FBI head of counterintelligence operations, tearing apart a 2017 New York Times article that alleged the 2016 presidential campaign of Trump had contacts with Russian intelligence. The Feb. 14, 2017, New York Times piece titled Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contact With Russian Intelligence was said to rely on information from four unnamed current and former American officials. Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trumps presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the article stated in its opening paragraph. This statement is misleading and inaccurate as written, Strzok said, annotating the article with comments on how it squared with reality as he was portraying it (pdf). We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [Russian] IOs [intelligence officers]. The document was released on July 17 by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Senate judiciary committee. Janita Kan and Peter Svab contributed to this report. This months scratching at mosquito bites came hand in hand with a public lambasting of the citys elected officials and administration for a lack of municipal mosquito fogging. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This months scratching at mosquito bites came hand in hand with a public lambasting of the citys elected officials and administration for a lack of municipal mosquito fogging. As per its policy, the City of Brandon begins fogging when mosquito traps reach a certain threshold, which they only recently hit, prompting last weeks round of fogging. This followed an initial mosquito abatement effort earlier in the year that included a check for mosquito larvae in trouble areas and the use of larvicide to kill them, though we reported at the time that there wasnt a lot of larvae activity in the city. To reach a threshold for fogging means well, we need to reach the threshold. This means we started scratching at mosquito bites, and complaining about them, around the same time city staff were required to get the ball rolling on fogging. The city fogs when counts average more than 1,000 mosquitoes over two days or when a single trap has more than 2,000 mosquitoes. On July 12, a record-setting count of 3,488 mosquitoes was recorded in a trap set out by the Civil Services Complex. Within a few days, this count was verified and fogging began (albeit with a couple hiccups via rain and an equipment malfunction delaying it to near the end of the week). By all accounts, the City of Brandon was expedient in its fogging for mosquitoes. Those who dont believe the citys policies regarding mosquito fogging are adequate should communicate such to Brandon City Council, which can update their policies to reflect a more proactive approach. For now, its safe to say city staff did their jobs. To those naysaying city policies, wed argue their approach is more than adequate. While the chemical used for spraying DeltaGuard 20EW has been deemed by Health Canada to be unlikely carcinogenic, wed argue the fewer chemicals used publicly the better. Theres no lack of chemicals and products governments have determined to be safe and later labelled dangerous, including malathion, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer called "probably carcinogenic to humans" and which the City of Brandon used as recently as six years ago. But, like anything else, its about weighing the risks. Thankfully, in Manitoba anyway, theres little risk to mosquitoes. While rare in Manitoba, they can carry West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases, such as California serogroup viruses. In 2019, there were two human cases of West Nile virus in Manitoba; in 2018, there were 32 and in 2017 there were five, with a historic 540 recorded. There have been no cases of these diseases in Canada so far this year. Paired against the approximately 110,000 cases of COVID-19 in Canada this year, including 8,848 deaths at latest count, it feels a bit lopsided to place much concern on mosquito-spread diseases in Manitoba, but human beings are funny creatures and it wouldnt be unlike us to worry anyway. Globally, mosquito-related concerns are well justified. According to the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, the insects are responsible for the deaths of more than 700,000 people per year and account for 17 per cent of the estimated global burden of infectious diseases. Malaria though its rare in Canada kills approximately 400,000 people globally per year and incapacitates approximately 200 million for days. (An aside about malaria: between an estimated 500 and 1,000 people reportedly died of the disease during the construction of the Rideau Canal near Ottawa in the mid-19th century, and the disease was essentially eradicated from the area within a few decades.) Dengue and yellow fever contribute to the annual death toll alongside Japanese encephalitis and Zika virus, but again these arent in Canada. Regardless of the low risk of mosquito-related disease in Manitoba, it makes sense that some of us are afraid. Not only are we aware of their potential threat as a result of what we read about other areas of the world, but the potential for exposure currently exists. We contend that the citys mosquito policy, bolstered by the occasional spritz of bug repellent, should be enough to keep us safe for now. Things change, and the situation will require constant monitoring, particularly in an age of climate change when natural habitats are constantly changing. Its a privilege to be connected with a storied, forward-looking retail brand like Eddie Bauer and to play a core role in their next-level personalization, customer experience and overarching digital transformation initiatives. Movable Ink, the leading software company powering creative personalization for the worlds largest brands, announced it was selected by Eddie Bauer for its platform that generates data-activated, contextually relevant creative at the time of engagement across email, mobile and web. This relationship underscores Eddie Bauers focus on driving marketing agility and delivering customer-centric shopping experiences. More than 700 of the worlds most innovative brands rely on Movable Inks platform to automate the creation of unique on-brand experiences for each consumer at every moment. This partnership with Eddie Bauer builds upon Movable Inks expertise in retail, having powered countless innovative revenue-generating campaigns for apparel brands supported by a team with deep vertical expertise. As retailers continue to navigate COVID into recovery and reopening, providing superior experiences both digital and in-store is paramount to long-term customer trust and retention, said Julio Lopez, Director of Client Strategy, Retail Practice Lead at Movable Ink. With information constantly changing, its critical for brands to be able to update content in real time at the moment a customer engages. Its a privilege to be connected with a storied, forward-looking retail brand like Eddie Bauer and to play a core role in their next-level personalization, customer experience and overarching digital transformation initiatives. About Movable Ink Movable Ink empowers digital marketers to generate creative that is data-activated and contextually relevant at the time of engagement across email, mobile and web. More than 700 of the worlds most innovative brands rely on Movable Inks platform to automate the creation of unique on-brand experiences for each consumer at every moment. With more than 300 employees, the company is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, and London. Learn more at movableink.com. About Eddie Bauer Eddie Bauer is an outdoor brand offering performance outerwear, apparel, footwear, accessories, and gear. For 100 years, Eddie Bauer has been inspiring and enabling people to live their adventure. Eddie Bauer products are built to last and are available online at https://www.eddiebauer.com, and at more than 400 stores in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and other international markets. Pakistan on Monday resumed vaccinations against polio to protect tens of thousands of children from the crippling disease after months of suspension due to coronavirus outbreak. The door-to-door campaign to vaccinate 800,000 children under the age of five is scheduled to last three days in polio hotspots. Around 32,000 health workers who were trained on preventive measures and safe handling of a child while administering a vaccine will take part in the campaign, an official said. At least 40 million children had missed the periodic vaccinations since March that widened immunity gap among vulnerable children raising fears that more children may contract the disease. Pakistan launched a polio eradication programme in 1994 and the country came very close to eliminating it but recorded 147 new cases, a five-year high, amid vaccine boycotts and attacks on health workers in 2019. This years case count has so far reached 59. Pakistans anti-polio drives have often run into trouble due to attacks on the teams administering the vaccine and campaigns against the treatment. Polio cases peaked at 306 in 2014, the year an offensive against the Taliban began, but there had been a sharp reduction since. READ ALSO: According to official statistics, the case count fell to 54 in 2015 and stood at 20 or less in the three years that followed. The UN-funded drive to vaccinate children faces opposition from Islamist militants and religious conservatives, who believe the vaccine, administered in multiple rounds, is intended to make Muslim children sterile. Pakistan and Afghanistan are among a handful of countries where polio is still prevalent. (dpa/NAN) A Melbourne businesswoman sold out of reusable cotton face masks two hours after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews recommended that residents wear them last week. Charlotte, who did not wish to disclose her surname, started designing cotton masks to pass time after losing her job to the COVID crisis in March. The 25-year-old sold her $20 (AUD) designs on digital marketplace Etsy, but it wasn't until a second wave of infections swept Victoria earlier this month that business really took off. Charlotte told Daily Mail Australia her phone was 'going off with orders' to the tune of $1,511 (AUD) as soon as Mr Andrews announced the government's advice on July 10. Scroll down for video Melbourne businesswoman Charlotte, who made $1,511 in two hours with her reusable cotton face masks One of Charlotte's masks which she started designing to pass time after losing her job to the virus crisis in March A TikTok video captioned 'Thanks Dan Andrews' which shows Charlotte's impressive sales log has gone viral since it was shared 10 days ago, with 616,600 views at the time of writing. 'I didn't expect that to happenyesterday I had to set up a pre-order [option] to keep up with the demand,' she said. Many of her designs are inspired by the Melbourne AFL team Richmond Tigers, with caricatures of star players like Dustin Martin emblazoned across the front of the mask. 'People in Melbourne are passionate about their teams and wearing a mask is like wearing clothes - you want to express yourself and I honestly just want people to do the right thing so we can go back to the footy!' she said. Charlotte's business is likely to boom even further after Mr Andrews on Sunday announced that face masks will become mandatory in public across Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from 11.59pm Wednesday. Charlotte's masks are inspired by Melbourne AFL team Richmond Tigers, with caricatures of star player Dustin Martin (left and right) emblazoned across the front A Melbourne woman wears a Richmond Tigers face mask from Charlotte's online collection, which is currently in pre-order to cope with demand Melbourne's mandatory face masks Face masks will be compulsory for people over the age of 12 out in public in Melbourne and the adjacent Mitchell Shire from 11.59pm Wednesday, July 22. A mask or covering must be worn when leaving the house for one of the four allowed activities: study or work (if you are unable to work from home), medical care and care giving, shopping for essentials and daily exercise. Face masks in regional Victoria are recommended in situations where maintaining 1.5 metres distance is impossible, but are not legally required. Exemptions to the rule are people with a medical condition exacerbated by wearing a mask and children under 12. Masks are not required for people who work in call centres or customers visiting a bank. Runners do not need to wear a mask while running, but must wear one immediately before and after exercise. The penalty for not wearing a face mask in public will be a $200 fine. Advertisement The drastic measure came as Australia's worst-hit state recorded another 363 cases and three more deaths from the respiratory disease. Mr Andrews said 'common sense' would prevail and people would not be required to wear masks while jogging, running or visiting banks. Those who disobey the new government directive will face a $200 (AUD) fine. Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has meanwhile announced the state's state of emergency will be extended to August 16 as case numbers continue to rise. Madurai: In a positive spin-off of the Centre's demonetisation move, local bodies in Tamil Nadu are witnessing a sharp rise in property tax collections, with the authorities allowing payments with scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The Tiruchirappalli and Madurai corporations which usually collect a net average collection of Rs 40 lakhs and Rs 70 lakhs per day respectively have clocked more than Rs 2 crore receipts in the last two days, officials said. The demonetisation of high-denomination currency has come as a boon to local bodies, which had been issuing repeated demands for payment of property tax dues. Long queues were seen in most of the tax counters of the two civic bodies with people realising that it was an easy option to exchange the high denomination notes, with banks witnessing heavy rush. The Tiruchirappalli corporation netted a revenue of Rs 2.35 crores on a single day on Friday and people continue to pay the tax on Saturday also, an official of the civic body said. Property tax collection in the Madurai Corporation on Friday stood at Rs 2.50 crores with the taxes paid ranging from Rs 500 to Rs two lakh, another official said. Madurai Corporation officials said they would accept the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes till the government allowed it. "Repeated demand notices did not evoke any response from the taxpayers. But the demonetisation has worked (resulting in more payments)," said an official. The government has extended use of old defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes, fees and purchases from co-operative stores till November 14. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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 Watch: Police fire teargas to control violent protests in West Bengal Violent protests erupted during protests against the alleged gangrape and murder of a girl in Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. Police had to fire tear gas shells at the protesters after they blocked roads and even set a police vehicle on fire. Heavy security has been deployed in the area after the violence. Watch the full video for all the details. ...read more (Photo : Pixabay) Most people get a gold watch while they are retiring. So much more than James Harrison deserves. Harrison, known as the "Man With the Golden Arm," has been giving blood for 60 years, almost every week. The 83-year-old Australian man "retired" in 2018, after all those donations. The event marked the conclusion of a chapter of monumentality. However, Harrison went trending on Reddit again for his game-changing story. According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, he has helped save the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies. First, a note about antibodies Harrison's blood has unique, disease-fighting antibodies that have been used to produce an anti-D injection that helps combat rhesus disease. This illness is a condition in which the blood of a pregnant woman actually starts attacking the blood cells of her unborn baby. This can cause brain damage, or death, to the babies in the worst situations. It is for this reason: The disease occurs when there is rhesus-negative blood (RhD negative) in a pregnant woman. The baby in the womb has rhesus-positive blood (RhD positive), inherited from the parent. ALSO READ: Allowing blood donations from gay men may help save a million lives How Harrison made a difference Harrison 's extraordinary gift of generosity, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service said, started when he underwent major chest surgery when he was just 14. Donations of blood saved his life, and he decided to become a blood donor. A few years later, physicians found that his blood contained the antibody that could be used to produce anti-D treatments. He turned to make donations of blood plasma to benefit as many patients as possible. Doctors aren't entirely sure why Harrison has this unusual form of blood. After his surgery, they suspect it could be from the transfusions he got when he was 14. He's one of no more than 50 individuals believed to have the antibodies in Australia, the blood service says. "Every bag of blood is precious, but James' blood is particularly extraordinary," Falkenmire told CNN. He added Harrison's blood is used to make a life-saving medication, given to moms whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies. According to Falkenmire, Every batch of Anti-D that has ever been made in Australia has come from James' blood." James has helped save a lot of lives to more than 17 percent of women in Australia are at risk, Falkenmire added. ALSO READ: Coronavirus USA: Is it Safe to Transfer Blood? USA Now Faces 'Emergency Low' Blood Donations Why his donations were a game-changer Anti-D, produced with antibodies from Harrison, protects women with rhesus-negative blood from producing RhD antibodies during pregnancy. Since 1967, more than three million do of Anti-D are issued to Australian mothers with negative blood types. The Anti-D vaccine was also offered to Harrison's own daughter, which led to a healthy birth of his second grandson. "And it makes you feel good that you have saved a life there and that you have saved a lot more and that is fantastic," Harrison told CNN. Harrison's detection of antibodies was an absolute game-changer, Australian officials said. Jemma Falkenmire, of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, told CNN in 2015 there were literally thousands of babies dying each year in Australia, up until about 1967. "Women were having numerous miscarriages and babies were being born with brain damage," Falkenmire said. She added Australia became the first countries to discover a blood donor with this antibody. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In the first major U.S. oil deal since the pandemic hit the industry, supermajor Chevron announced on Monday that lit had entered into a definitive agreement to buy Houston-based Noble Energy in an all-stock transaction valued at US$5 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Noble Energy shareholders will receive 0.1191 shares of Chevron for each Noble Energy share. The total enterprise value of the transaction is US$13 billion, including debt, Chevron said. The rationale for the deal is a low-cost acquisition of quality Noble Energy proved reserves which will fit strategically into Chevrons plans in the U.S. shale patch and abroad. Chevron and Noble Energys boards have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in Q4 2020, subject to shareholder approval of Noble Energy shareholders, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Last year, Chevron bid to buy Anadarko, but was outbid by Occidental in what analysts now see as an ill-timed decision for Oxy to pursue such a huge and leveraged transaction. The Chevron-Noble deal is expected to boost Chevrons portfolio of assets in the Permian, DJ, and Eagle Ford basins, as well as diversify Chevrons portfolio with large-scale producing assets in the Eastern Mediterranean. Our strong balance sheet and financial discipline gives us the flexibility to be a buyer of quality assets during these challenging times, Chevrons chairman and CEO Michael Wirth said in a statement. This combination is expected to unlock value for shareholders, generating anticipated annual run-rate cost synergies of approximately $300 million before tax, and it is expected to be accretive to free cash flow, earnings, and book returns one year after close, Wirth added. The transaction announced today is the first major deal since the oil price plunge in March which hit the U.S. shale patch. Shale firms now have fewer financing options than they did in the 2015-2016 downturn. Thus could drive consolidation in the industry with some attractive M&A opportunities emerging, Robert Polk, principal analyst with Wood Mackenzies U.S. Corporate Research team, said in May. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Xu Tingjiao, marketing manager slash parenting blogger, shares parent-child reading out of her personal experience online. [Xinhua] Slashers refer to those people who have multiple careers. They have different identities in their work and life. But what do they value most? Five Chinese women give answers based on their own personal experience. Marketing Manager/Parenting Blogger "I will not differentiate between a main business and a sideline occupation. I just consider myself as an enterprise, and invest in myself what is valuable," said Xu Tingjiao, marketing manager slash Internet influencer. Quality of life, hobbies and self-development are what Xu pursues in her life. If people face bottlenecks in the workplace, they'd better be more active to look for possibilities, according to her. During the nine-to-five hours, Xu is a manager of an online purchasing platform. At other times, she is a maternal and infant blogger on Xiaohongshu, a popular social media and e-commerce platform featuring recommendations of goods and lifestyles. Xu focuses on sharing tips on family education and interacting with her followers, most of whom are novice mothers. At present, she gets up early every day, shares high-quality picture books with her son and guides more mothers how to read with their children. Meeting her child's needs and the expectations of her followers encourages Xu to step out of her comfort zone and to constantly improve. White-Collar Worker/Dancing Teacher Ren Yujia, a foreign-funded company white-collar worker slash dance instructor, teaches a child to dance at her own studio. [Workers' Daily/Wu Fan] "Just imagine being a CEO managing your own life. Society has given us more choices to do things at the same time," said Ren Yujia, white-collar worker slash dance instructor. In addition to her real name, Ren also has two commonly used form of address, Mandy and Teacher Xiaoyu. When she is called Mandy, she is an employee in a foreign-funded company in Beijing's central business district, and when she is called Teacher Xiaoyu, she is a dancing instructor for children. Ren has kept a balance between her two identities for years. She studied international trade at college, and at that time also took a great interest in dancing. Ren now enjoys her weekends teaching at her own studio. In her view, dancing is not only a talent, but also a good way to build up the body. HR Employee/Tour Leader L: Xue Zhenni poses for a photo while working as an outbound tour leader. R: A photo for Xue Zhenni as a HR professional. [China Comment] "I have three jobs now. The first is a mother with family responsibilities and the second full-time HR job is for a living," said Xue Zhenni. "Being a part-time tour leader fuels my creative soul and makes me happy." Xue abandoned a working schedule dubbed "996" that expects employees to work from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week without overtime pay. She found a HR job requiring her to work only three days a week. Xue recommends a frank talk with the employer, as most companies do not agree with employees to take part-time jobs. "A good choice would be to ensure working hours and performances in the company and use part-time practices to promote the main business," said Xue. SOE Employee/Homestay Owner Dai Anni, white-collar worker in a state-owned enterprise slash homestay owner, clears up a room in her Bed and Breakfast. [Workers' Daily/Wu Fan] "I find a lot of fulfillment in running a side gig. If it's out of genuine interest, it's bound to gain profits," said Dai Anni. Dai works at a large state-owned enterprise. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and writing. She established a WeChat account to share what she sees and hears on trips. Homestay is an important part of the journey. Dai refitted her house into a Bed and Breakfast. She is in contact with many travelers, and gets a lot of inspiration from them. Entrepreneur/Online Musician Zeng Qi, online musician slash entrepreneur, exchanges ideas with her team members. [Workers' Daily/Wu Fan] "To be a slasher requires strong capabilities. They can help others before being recognized by them," said Zeng Qi, a senior college student majoring in programming. Zeng started her slash career with music. When she arrived at university, she often posted songs she performed online and was by chance noticed by a music platform. Later, she became a contracted musician, bringing enjoyment to many people. Apart from an online celebrity, she has also become an entrepreneur based on her experience in an advertising company and being acquainted with the operation mode of the Internet economy. The word "slash" is not only a label, but also the outcome of strength. Women slashers riding winds and breaking waves have reaped diversified and wonderful outcomes in their lives. (Source: Xinhua, Workers' Daily and China Comment/Translated and edited by Women of China) Faith vs safety in burials: COVID-19 remains in dead bodies for 9 days says Centre Appalled that Vikas Dubey was out on bail: Supreme Court India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: The Supreme Court said that it is appalled that Vikas Dubey had been released on bail. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde said that releasing Dubey shows the failure of the system. The UP government submitted that it would reconstitute a judicial probe panel. The court would take up the matter next on Wednesday after the UP government will produce a draft notification on the judicial inquiry. The court also observed that as a state government, UP must maintain the rule of law. Have info on Vikas Dubey? You could share it with SIT The bench said it cannot spare a sitting top court judge to become a part of the inquiry committee. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, sought some time to take instruction and get back to the court on the issue. "We are appalled to the fact that a person like Vikas Vikas Dubey got the bail despite so many cases," the bench said. "This is the failure of the institution and the person, who should have been behind the bars, got bail," the bench observed during the hearing which is going on. Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on July 3. Kanpur ambush: Vikas Dubey's aide arrested, 2 looted rifles recovered, says UP police Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News Dubey was killed in an encounter in the morning of July 10 when a police vehicle carrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape from the spot in Bhauti area, the police had said. Prior to Dubey's encounter, five of his alleged associated were killed in separate encounters. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 Tempeh, a traditional Indonesian soybean-based culinary product, has potential to be the countrys next big export to the United States during the health crisis as the market for meat alternatives continues to grow, government officials and businesspeople have said. Arifi Salman, Indonesian consul general in New York, said that as the US meat supply chain had been disrupted by the unfolding pandemic, there was potential to boost sales of tempeh products in the country. He noted that sales of meat alternative products had increased 53 percent month-to-month (mtm) from April to May, according to data compiled by the consulate. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Redmi Note 9 will launch in India today. Here are the expected specifications, features, and price of the new budget phone. Xiaomis Redmi is going to launch a new smartphone in India today. The new Redmi Note 9 will most likely be the most affordable phone in the popular lineup that features Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. When, where the Redmi Note 9 will launch Just like its recent events, Xiaomi will hold a virtual event to showcase the new phone. The event is scheduled to start at 12 PM IST. The company is going to host a live stream of the announcement on its official YouTube channel. You can also follow Redmis official social media handles to follow real-time updates. Expected price Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is expected to be priced lower than Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. The global price of Redmi Note 9 is 11,900 approximately. In India, the smartphone is likely to be available in the same vicinity. It is worth noting that the RN9 Pro and RN9 Pro Max are available for starting prices of 13,999 and 16,999 respectively. Redmi Note 9 teasers Xiaomis official event page reveals a quad-camera setup on the back. The module is very similar to the one on Poco M2 Pro. The company has also promised a solid gaming experience on the phone as it is confirmed to have high frame rate per second. There will also be a focus on battery optimisation. The moment we've all been waiting for! The #UndisputedChampion, our next #MadeInIndia smartphone arrives on 20th July at 12 noon! Packed with best in class specs and highest quality that's sure to make heads turn. RT & get notified: https://t.co/7Stn3uyFxr pic.twitter.com/EHgqapknO7 Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) July 13, 2020 Redmi Note 9 Specifications Redmi Note 9 features a 6.53-inch full HD+ display. The smartphone runs on a MediaTek Helio G85 processor. On the software front, it has Android 10-based MIUI 11. The phone also comes with a fingerprint sensor as well as an IR blaster. Redmi Note 9 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. Redmi Note 9s quad-camera setup consists of a 48-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, and two 2-megapixel depth and macro sensors. It has a 13-megapixel selfie camera. Iranian Health Officials Play Down President's '25 Million Infected' Estimate 07/20/20 Source: RFE/RL Iranian health officials have tried to play down President Hassan Rohani's estimate that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak. Rohani on July 18 cited a new study by the Health Ministry in offering the unprecedentedly high number of 25 million coronavirus cases. Iran's population is around 81 million people. "Our estimate is that until now 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus and about 14,000 have lost their dear lives," Rohani said in his remarks. There is a shortage of ventilators in Iran Reports Iranian daily Hamshahri A Health Ministry statement carried by Iranian media on July 19 said the figure given by the president was based on numbers produced by a deputy in the ministry. The statement said the estimate was based on serological blood tests that measure exposure to the illness. "It is not possible to rely on serological tests to diagnose the current state of the disease," the statement said. Serological tests determine if a person has been exposed to a disease by showing their antibody response. In the coronavirus pandemic, they have been used by countries to survey samples of the population and estimate overall infection rates -- whether or not people have had severe, mild, or no symptoms of COVID-19. Iran has been hardest hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, with infections and deaths rising sharply since restrictions were eased, beginning in mid-April. Official case numbers rose to 273,788 on July 19, with 14,188 deaths, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said. Authorities on July 18 reimposed one-week restrictions in the capital, Tehran, including banning religious and cultural functions, closing cafes, indoor pools, amusement parks and zoos, in an effort to contain the deadly pandemic. In related news, Turkey has suspended flights to Iran because of coronavirus worries, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, Reza Jafarzadeh, was quoted as saying on July 19 by the official IRNA news agency. With reporting by IRNA and Reuters Government has begun talks with the pharmaceutical industry and suppliers of the National Health Insurance Scheme over the debt owed them with the hope of raising bonds to clear these debts. The initiative which is being spearheaded by the Pharmacy Council is to help reduce the debt burden on members as a result of the insurance scheme. The acting Managing Director, Moukhtar Soalihu, lamented the negative impact of the debt on their operations speaking at the Annual General Meeting of Medical and Pharmaceutical Intravenous Infusions. Mr Moukhtar Soalihu explaining to shareholders disclosed that the Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana is following up on plans by the government to issue bonds to clear the debt. The pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana has actually engaged the government on how to address some of the funding challenges and a number of options have been looked into, he said. One of the main options now is to probably issue a bond to use the bond raised to fix the challenge and the Association is pursuing this agenda because the issue of National Health insurance debt is affecting most of the firms in the country he stressed. The pharmaceutical manufacturer has been affected by the indebtedness of the National Health Insurance Scheme to many of the health facilities in the country. Though government has been making efforts to clear the debt, some suppliers are yet to receive their full payment. Board Chairman of the company, Isaac Osei, is confident that the move will help the company raise funds for its expansion work. The board has approved some dividends payment for shareholders after ending the year with a 14.2 percent increase in revenue. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Dr. David Matsanga in London United Kingdom Stories Continues after ad Today Zimbabwe is faced with an uphill task of serving its people as result of imposed sanctions. These sanctions have created Structural Challenges. The Zimbabwe Land reforms of 1997 sparked off negative reactions from USA and other European Union nations ending up in imposing illegal sanctions. These illegal sanctions have impacted negatively on the economy of Zimbabwe. The Elections of 2002 accelerated the road to sanctions that have created an ECONOMIC MELTDOWN in Zimbabwe. I have written this article not as final solution but as part of the debate on how Zimbabwe can overcome the economic challenges it faces today. Mine is from the bottom of my heart to the Government of Ed Mnangagwa to Change his Economic strategies and perhaps overhaul the Finance docket holistically. The ugly sanctions imposed by the USA government have destroyed Zimbabwes economy as there are no lines of credit for it to use. The suffering of the people of Zimbabwe is not only biting Zimbabweans but to some extent affecting most neighboring African countries that have taken in refugees and economic burden in support of Zimbabwe. Let me return to structural challenges, which could cause structural conflict in Zimbabwe today. There are serious concerns that the ECONOMIC MELTDOWN could trigger chaos in Zimbabwe. This could torpedo the reforms that President Mnangagwa wants for Zimbabwe and change the politics of Zimbabwe. President Emerson Mnangagwa finds himself caught up between a hard legal place and a rock that has been denied transformation and reforms because of sanctions from USA. The President of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe have tried to tackle these structural challenges but year in year out these challenges have turned into a monster called disillusionment of the masses. They have created serious tension and allowed malcontents of regime change called NGOs to subvert a nation. Triggered and logistically supplied by George Soros men that the Government has allowed in cabinet. The time prune the mess out of Government is now. I see a danger where the President of Zimbabwe faces few immoral cartels that have held a country on ransom with never ending corrupt regime change mechanisms supplied by George Soros. Looking at Malawi one sees the wind blowing all over Africa where USA CIA outfit of George Soros could bring chaos in COVID- 19 era. I will say this without fear of contradiction because I love Zimbabwe. My being frank about African issues has earned me enemies but also helped those coloured with political amnesia to seek guidance from my many writings. I have authored many articles on similar subject in Africa. Just as I said in 2002 I will say it again in 2020. Sanctions have destroyed the economy of Zimbabwe and demonized the nation .The economy of Zimbabwe therefore it needs a holistic overhaul strategy. This will give Zimbabwe a breathing space. It will also help the government to stop the gravy train of disaster that has been hatched by WESTERN powers. I understand that GDP is the measure of change in value of goods and services produced by each country like Zimbabwe which is determined and consumed on the basis of structural factors that are within Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe. If the value of the goods produced is poor and due to bad structural management which is part of structu ral challenges within the country, no one will consume goods of such a country outside or inside Zimbabwe or worse still buy them. Zimbabwe needs a combination of good factors in order to increase the GDP. Any moderate African country relies on three factors to survive as a nation: loans and grants from World Bank, IMF, Aid /grants from western countries, and Tax collection. From the three items mentioned here the loans and grants from World Bank and IMF always come with stringent conditions and at times these could lead to more confusion. Aid and Grants from donor community comes with several conditions that could lead to regime change mechanisms that the donor syndrome brings with NGOs in Africa. Taxation is the only assured means that Zimbabwe can get its revenue if structural factors are taken into consideration. Does Zimbabwe have the capacity to collect taxes? Is Zimbabwe having structural challenges in tax collection? Are there items that are taxable in Zimbabwe? Yes and these are issues that Zimbabweans can debate on until the cows come back home. If service delivery in all government outlets and inlets are, corrupted by structural challenges, underhand in procurement become a nightmare or bizarre, duplicity of workforce, inflated ghost workers, failures in counterfeit services, failure by civil servants on procedure are poor, nobody will buy such goods. These factors contribute to structural indicators of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe like South Africa in Africa has become a country of tenderers instead of entrepreneurs. The Minister of Finance whom I thought was going to oversight the economy became an enemy or a conduit of a bad economy. The huge expenditure as opposed to increasing revenue for the government might not stand up and give answers to my readers. Zimbabwe is still faced with insurmountable structural challenges even if huge revenue was collected today that is why Zimbabwe need a COMMAND STRUCTURE OF ECONOMY. Why has it been so bad up to today? Sanctions have created enemies instead of cohesion. From 2002 to date, Zimbabweans have spent more time and more energy on political showdowns in government itself, from an opposition that wants to oppose everything including death and NGOs that have instructions from foreign masters to derail efforts the government. The sanctions factor which was created by external enemies of the people of Zimbabwe muzzles the moral fabric of every citizen of Zimbabwe and has become another factor that Zimbabwe need to do away soonest. I welcome the National Dialogue that President ED Mnangagwa initiated last year as means of resolving some of the contentious challenges that face Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe at the moment needs no wider dialogue to avert a catastrophic regime change route where it is hurtling to. The nations economy needs a fatigue evaluation strategy that will help President ED Mnangagwa to assess most economic experiments and projects that have been undertaken by the current Minister of Finance. Zimbabwe needs to asses as to whether some economic and monetary declarations the have caused disillusionment. I believe that Zimbabwe can spur the dream of economic integration and development on the continent of Africa. Zimbabwe needs to look at structural challenges and do a fatigue evaluation that will discuss the question of corruption and morality in its citizens. The only other solution left fight Zimbabwe economic woos is to holistically overhaul. Then use a COMMAND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE to get rid of the economic malaise .The current proposals dont work and will not work if the Zimbabwe faces sanctions from the countries that must allow it to trade. The type of economics that the current Minister uses is VOODO Economics THAT will never help Zimbabwe. The proposal will help Zimbabwe to check on the needs of its people and gauge what adds benefit and value to the current system, find out whether there is duplicity of services, what quality and quantity such policies bring to Zimbabwe. Let the Government of Zimbabwe seal the loopholes used to perpetuate corruption, and finally work on structural challenges that have overburden Zimbabwe. President ED Mnangagwa and the nation of Zimbabwe must find long term solutions instead of relying on the current Minister of Finance for short term diagnosis of symptoms that have become a monster to the economy of Zimbabwe. Finally, let President Mnangagwa know that such short term dangerous prescriptions by the Minister of Finance could bring the masses on the streets of HARARE and that is the last thing this country needs at the moment. The writer is Political scientist & International Relations with Conflict Resolution Expert bias ,an investigative Journalist and a Pan African based in Surrey London United Kingdom can be contacted via Twitter @Dr.David Matsanga The Advertising Club Bangalore hosted a webinar titled Creativity in OTT times as part of the ongoing web series. The 12th installment in the series had Hardik Mehta and Gurmmeet Singh, masterminds behind acclaimed TV series-PataalLok and Mirzapur as panelists. Kishan Kumar, VP Wavemaker, moderated the panel discussion. The discussions began with the panelist's narrating their journey by far. Gurmmeet recounted his 21-year-old career and his journey as a short film director to Assistant Director to film direction, and OTT platform. Hardik narrated his journey from a Food & Technology student to a script and continuity supervisor to film direction. Gurmmeet said, "A lot of colloquialism and flavors of Mirzapur come from Puneet Krishna, the creator of the show, speaking on Mirzapur web series and its success. He is the reason why Mirzapur stands apart from other OTT series. Puneet is the person who has grown up in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, and that bought a lot of authenticity to the show. He has a whacky sense of humor is the driving force of Mirzapur. The writing stood out in papers, and Mirzapur had a strong life to it already. We tried to underplay the original version. Puneet's version was much more colorful than what we see on the screen. Speaking on the casting of the series, Gurmmeet said, "On paper, we were going to take the harder route in casting, but we decided not to do that as a lot of people would be alienated because of that. We tried to cast enduring people, which is why Divyenndu was cast as Munna. He brings a fondness to such a dark character. Similarly, Ali Fazal and Vikrant Massey, I don't think it would have been the first choice for a lot of people when they would have gone down that route." He added, "We wanted to make the show as guilty, dark, and violent as possible, which we did. We constantly wanted to keep it accessible and wanted people to like these characters. This panned out well for us, and it gave Mirzapur the legs to travel, which other shows/films haven't been able to. These actors brought in a lot of hope to the otherwise dark world." When quizzed about the factors kept in mind for a perfect audience, Gurmmeet said, "The good part for the Mirzapur team was because we're off the block and there were no norms, expectations, and audience to cater to. I think things will start happening now, there will be certain equations, and expectations the platforms would have learned, and they might start pushing filmmakers into that corner. As far as Mirzapur was concerned, we wanted to make it more accessible and likable. Thankfully, there wasn't any pressure from producers or platforms to temper it down or target any specific audience." Recounting his journey behind the creation of PaatalLok, Hardik said, "Ours was a different journey. The base material of PaatalLok was TarunTejpals 2010 novel The Story of My Assassins. Earlier, Navneet Singh was supposed to direct the series. Navneet and Sudeep had the idea of putting it as an investigative neo-noir series. If we wanted to get into neo-noir kind of zone, we would have to go the inspector's route. Then we created the whole world of Hathiram, were we wanted a cop to get into a professional and personal rut. As we started developing the plot, we made changes in the character's age and features. We started watching British crime dramas. When we watch those series, we know that different arcs come together." He continued, "We decided three arcs for PaatalLok, the first arc is going to be Hathiram and his investigation, which is the primary story. The second one about the very idealistic journalist and the changes he adapts over time, the third arc is the personal story of Hathiram and his relationship with his family." "Scriptwriting for series needs craft of Film Writing, but it also requires a great end that will hook the viewers to the series. Through the investigation in the series, we wanted to take the viewers into a journey of India in current times," added Hardik. The panel further discussed why the crime and dark world themes are a massive success on OTT platforms and why the mainstream movie industry is not adopting them. "Gurmmeet said, "Many factors contribute to this, OTT is a personal viewing space and films are communal viewing space. It is very easy to watch hasher content when alone and not applicable in a community. A Market research done before Mirzapur release said that only people who will be viewing the series would be North Indian men aged between 20-35 years old. That was not the case when the series was released. A section of the audience is comfortable exploring it in a personal space. Another reason is censorship. We are very nascent in this nad ten years down the lane, and it will evolve." The panelists further narrated their views on binge-watching. Gurmmmet and Hardik spoke about their future projects and gave hints about the release of second parts for PaatalLok and Mirzapur. Kishan Kumar said , The webinar proved that just like PataalLok and Mirzapur, there's more than what meets the eye when it comes to the process of creation. Years of hardwork goes behind what gets binge-watched in a matter of few hours. However, at the core, it is about recreating a world (that could be known or heard of yet distant) using a narrative that's most real and authentic. For eg: the atmosphere need to be immersed in the narrative and not painstakingly created to stand-out. There we some absolute gems when it came to insights -- the correlation of personal viewing with the acceptance to the kind of edgy content, the balancing of what's right for the society and what's right for the narrative, and the need for advertising to be authentic and less dependent on brand ambassadors. When PataalLok meets Mirzapur, its limitless fun! Like the previous installments, the webinar was a success with over 200 participants on Zoom. The webinar was hosted with the support of Ad Club's Managing Committee and Online partners Medianews4u and AdGully. Arvind Kumar, Executive Director of The Ad Club said, We are trying out new subjects and avenues thanks to a highly versatile Managing Committee that we have. You will see our efforts towards making more such discussions happen on the Adclub Platform. Industry folks who have missed this wonderful session can see the video any time on our facebook page or You Tube channel A vaccine being developed by Oxford University showed promising results in early trials, triggering an immune response, researchers said Monday. The team of scientists published their work in the medical journal Lancet on Monday, stating that an AstraZeneca vaccine prompted a number of immune system responses and increased antibody levels and T-cell levels. This vaccine could potentially provide "a double defense" mechanism against COVID-19, according to Biospace. COVID-19 STRAIN: What does a more contagious COVID-19 strain mean for Houston? A top doctor weighs in "The immune responses observed following vaccination are in line with what we expect will be associated with protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, although we must continue with our rigorous clinical trial programme to confirm this," Oxford professor Andrew Pollard said in a statement. The results released are from Phase I/II trials. The Oxford vaccine appears to be one of the furthest along among vaccines being developed to combat coronavirus. Oxford professor Adrian Hill told CNBC News that a vaccine may be ready this year. "The results are good. We're seeing a good safety profile across a large number of people and very importantly, we're seeing strong immune responses," Hill said. Hill mentioned that timeline was still potentially on track for this fall. "In terms of timeline, it doesn't really change that," Hill said. "We said we're aiming round about 3/4 of this year to get a first read on efficacy. That's still our goal, but we do need to get enough cases, trials to be able to determine it is preventing cases. Maybe October." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.2 billion deal with AstraZeneca for 300 million doses of the vaccines for the U.S., with the first doses "delivered as early as October 2020." In the top tier of leading vaccine candidates, U.S.-based Moderna has also seen progress in vaccine trials. The Moderna vaccine showed positive early results last week and is slated to begin Phase III trial later this month. EXHAUSTED DOCTORS: Houston ICU doc says caregivers are exhausted, describes long-lasting effects of COVID-19 Researchers with the Texas Center for Drug Development are now looking for about 1,000 volunteers across the Houston area to receive the Moderna vaccine. Approximately 30,000 people will receive the vaccine in this Phase III of testing. Houston is one of the 87 locations across the country where the vaccine will be tested. For those interested in signing up for the Moderna trial, apply here at www.houstonfightscovid.com. You must 18 years or older to apply. Vaccine trial participants can receive up to $2,000 to participate in the study. alison.medley@chron.com Southwest says 28% of workers seek leaves or exits, Delta reviewing pilot staffing Outbreak of the coronavs disease (COVID-19) in Oakland, California By Tracy Rucinski and David Shepardson CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines has received interest from 28% of its workers for extended leave or exit deals, Chief Executive Gary Kelly told employees on Monday, while Delta Air Lines said it was reviewing its pilot staffing after 2,234 bids for early retirement. Airlines have warned they must shrink due to the coronavirus pandemic and are encouraging employees to accept voluntary departure deals in the hope of avoiding involuntary furloughs in the fall, when $25 billion in government bailout funds run out. Southwest, with around 60,900 employees in 2019, said it would accept applications from 4,400 for early retirement and evaluate nearly 12,500 requests for extended time off packages. One person who reviewed the numbers said they represented around 24% of Southwest pilots and 33% of flight attendants. Meanwhile, Delta spokesman Michael Thomas said early retirement bids from 2,234 pilots before a Sunday deadline was "meaningful progress as we look to mitigate furloughs." The company is working to determine next steps and its overall pilot staffing outlook, he said. Last month Delta sent furlough warnings to around 2,500 pilots, though airlines are generally reluctant to lose pilots because of the timely and costly training needed to bring them back. If a COVID-19 vaccine is developed and demand returns, airlines want to respond quickly. But for now, many have warned that bookings that began to rise in May and June from dramatic lows in April have leveled off or even fallen due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country. U.S. airline shares lost 3.4% by midday on Monday. <.DJUSAR> American Airlines and United Airlines have also offered voluntary departure deals while together sending more than 60,000 warnings of potential furloughs to their employees, even as discussions heat up in Washington for a new round of government bailouts. United, American and Southwest each publish quarterly results this week. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski and David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler) For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. Europa Oil & Gas Holdings PLC - UK, Ireland and Morocco-focused oil and gas explorer - Finance Director Phil Greenhalgh is to step down from the board on October 14. Europa does not plan on replacing Greenhalgh but will instead divide his responsibilities among existing board members. Company has also asked Executive Chair Simon Oddie to continue as interim chief executive officer for at least a further six months. Adds that Wressle field in North Lincolnshire on track for first oil in the second half of 2020. Estimated breakeven oil price at the asset is USD17.6 per barrel. Current stock price: 1.07 pence Year-to-date change: down 60% By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Contractors have accused the National Assembly management under the immediate past clerk, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, of refusing to pay for vehicles and equipment supplied to the House of Representatives in 2017. The contractors, including 13 companies that supplied Peugeot 508 Special edition for the use of the members of the House and 13 Hilux vans, are threatening legal action if their bills are not settled within a week. Nine of the companies supplied 132 Peugeot vehicles, two supplied 18 units of Toyota Hilux van while two others supplied office equipment. They have now given the National Assembly seven days to either pay them or face legal action. A letter of demand from the legal firm, Otaru Otaru & Co, which has already been received by the office of the clerk to the National Assembly, states that the nine companies supplied 132 units of Peugeot 508, 2017 Executive Edition at N25.5 million each, totalling N3.4 billion; two of them supplied 18 units of Toyota Hilux (4ws Dc pss 2.7 litrs, Shell Spec, 5 Speed, 2017 Model, Japan) at the cost of N31.2 million each, totalling N561.6 million while two others supplied office equipment at the total cost of N211.2 million. The documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show that Three Brothers Concept Nigeria Limited supplied 50 Peugeot vehicles at N25.5 million each and was expecting to be paid N1.28 billion. The lawyers said the company has so far only received N400 million, leaving a balance of over N875 million. Apart from the outstanding balance, Three Brothers Concept is also asking the National Assembly to pay the sum of One Hundred Million Naira only being general damages for breach of contract. 21% prejudgment interest on the unpaid sum of N875,750,000 as well as a 10% post judgment interest n the unpaid sum. Another company, Bunkari Motors Nigeria Limited, which said it supplied 42 units of Peugeot 508 at the same price as Three Brothers, was expecting a total payment of N1.07 billion but said it only received N15 million only, leaving a balance of N1.06 billion. . Like Three Brothers, Bunkari Motors is also making the same demand for payment of damages as well as interests. Another company, Aira Integrated Resources Limited, supplied 10 units of Peugeot vehicles at the same price and was expecting payment of N255.2 million. However, unlike the other two companies, the documents revealed that Aira received N9.05 million each in three instalments on June 14, September 5 and November 30, 2018. Sani Omolori [PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook Page of Omolori] The firm also got N4.5 million twice, on February 1 and April 17, 2019, totalling N36.5 million and leaving a balance of N218,599,524.93. Six other companies supplied five units of Peugeot vehicles each at the same contract price and they were expecting to be paid N127.6 million each. The companies are Kaneen-G ventures Limited, Zipson Ugos Chi Limited, Mohammed Najib and Company Limited, Dombee Nigeria Limited, Futuhati Investment Limited and D C Okika Nigeria Limited. Out of the six companies, three received some payments while the other three have received nothing since 2017. The documents showed that Kaneen-G got N15 million, Zipson got N70 million and Mohammed Najib received N24 million. All the six companies are also asking the National Assembly to pay them N50 million as damages as well as 21 and 10 per cent pre and post-judgment interest on the total contract sum. One of the contractors, Vish Integrated Service Limited, said it supplied six units of Toyota Hilux vehicles 2017 edition at N31.2 million each and was expecting to be paid a total of N187.2 million out of which N40 million was paid on November 17, 2017, N50 million on February 7, 2018 and N10million on April 30, 2018, leaving a balance of N87.2 million. A Toyota Hilux Havilah Motors Ltd which supplied 12 units of Toyota Hilux at a unit price of N31.2 million totalling N374.4 million out of which only N62 million was paid leaving the balance of N312.4 million. Two firms; C L Ukas Investment and Power Zone Limited said they supplied office equipment. Ukas supplied office equipment to the sum of N96.4 million while Power zone supplied office equipment for N114.9 million. Both have not received any payment since 2017. Why we are threatening legal action Some of the contractors who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said they decided to take legal action because they suspect that the National Assembly was out to scam them. In 2019, the same management applied for bail out from the federal government to clear their liabilities, the application was approved and N30 billion was released but the clerk and his management team diverted the funds by initiating new jobs to enable him divert the money said Okika Moses, one of the contractors. Another contractor, Abdulrazaq Hassan, said, In this 9th Assembly, precisely in 2019, the House of Representatives and the clerk of the National Assembly awarded another batch of 400 utility vehicles for the members, this time, Toyota Camry at N50 million per unit, notwithstanding the numbers already procured for the leadership and the principal officers amounting to about N4 billion. This was done while ignoring the liabilities of the 8th Assembly of about more than N15 billion. And many of the members cannot deny knowledge of these liabilities because some of them were returned in this 9th Assembly. Note that the total capital for the House of Representatives is N300 million monthly, which cannot even pay the outstanding liabilities but they still went ahead to incur another liability of N24 billion on Nigerians. There are a lot of scams happening in the National Assembly, particularly with the management, he said. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker house of Reps. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Twitter handle of the House of Reps] Many members of the current House of Representatives, including Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase were members of the 8th Assembly that benefitted from the vehicles and office equipment. National Assembly reacts When contacted, the Director of Information of the National Assembly management, Rawlings Agada, said he does not have the fact on the matter. He also said it is strictly a matter that concerns the House services committee and not the National Assembly management. It is not the clerk who decides if the House of Reps will buy vehicles or not, they decide what they want to buy for themselves and it goes through the official process. If it is purchase of vehicles for management staff, I can find out the details. But on this, contact the House spokesperson or House Services. I will advise that you talk to the House Services because it is not within my purview at all. Advertisements The management cannot go into the Senate account for instance to take money except there is an authorisation from their leadership, he said. The spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, did not respond to enquiries by this newspaper on the issue. He did not return calls and a message sent to his phone. Also, the chairman of the House Services committee in the 8th Assembly, Nasiru Baballe, did not respond to enquiries. Sydney, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Chad outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Chad-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses The country remains one of the least developed on the continent, while telecom infrastructure is particularly poor, with penetration rates in all sectors fixed, mobile and internet well below African averages. Nevertheless, despite difficult operating conditions, large scale poverty and low spending power, Chads telecom market offers some potential for investors to develop services given the low starting base. The tax on mobile operators has been increased in stages in recent years, from 4% in 2014 to 7% in 2016. In January 2018 it was increased again, to 9%. Of this, the Treasury received 4%, the regulator 2.5%, the Information and Communication Technologies Development Agency (ADETIC) 1.5%, the National School of Information and Communication Technologies (ENASTIC) 0.6% and ANSCIE 0.4%. In addition to this tax an 18% excise duty was introduced in 2016 on telecom services, which resulted in lower usage among subscribers and consequently a negative impact on operator revenue. This tax was removed under the 2020 Finance Act. The two main operators Tigo Chad and Airtel Chad have invested in infrastructure and have become the main providers of voice and data services. However, the difficult economic conditions of the country, compounded by taxes on telecom services which have adversely affected customer spend and operator revenue, encouraged these players to consider exiting the market. Tigo Chads parent company Millicom International entered into discussions with Orange Group in April 2017 and with Econet in the following October regarding a potential sale, while in May 2017 Bharti Aircom announced that Chad was one of its regional markets which it considered offloading. Tigo Chad was sold to Maroc Telecom in June 2019 (though the unit retains the Tigo brand for now), marking the latters entry into a market which it has shown an interest in since 2014. The mobile sector has developed steadily under the auspices of these two operators. The national telco and fixed-line operator Sotel Tchad (ST) operates the countrys third mobile network, as Salam Mobile, though it is mainly focussed on voice services since it depends on GPRS and EDGE technologies (which can provide only basic mobile data services). The countrys first 3G/4G mobile licence was awarded in April 2014. Chad finally gained access to international fibre bandwidth in 2012. Its national backbone infrastructure remains underdeveloped. The World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project takes in Chad, while the country is also party to a Trans-Saharan Backbone project which will link a fibre cable to Nigeria and Algeria. Investment in the national backbone is continuing and though progress across all 12 sectors has been hampered by delays a major link was opened in September 2019. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key developments: Government approves three-part telecom infrastructure upgrade project; Chad agrees to mobile roaming regulation along with the G5 Sahal countries; 2020 Finance Act drops the 18% excise duty on internet access charges; N'Djamena - Adre axis fibre link is opened; Council of Ministers adopts draft decree to abolish roaming charges in the G5 Sahel area; Tigo Chad extends LTE services; Report update includes the regulators market updates to December 2018, operator data to March 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Sotel Tchad, TchadNet, Airtel Chad, Tigo Chad, Tchad Mobile (Orascom), Maroc Telecom, Sitcom, Salam Mobile Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Chad-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Global wealth managers are examining whether their clients in Hong Kong have ties to the city's pro-democracy movement, in an attempt to avoid getting caught in the crosshairs of China's new national security law, according to six people with knowledge of the matter. Bankers at Credit Suisse Group AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Julius Baer Gruppe AG and UBS Group AG, among others, are broadening scrutiny under their programs that screen clients for political and government ties and subjecting them to additional diligence requirements, these people said. The designation, called ... A medical worker from the Fourth People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region collects a throat swab from a man at a residential community in Tianshan district, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on July 19, 2020. [Photo by Shi Yujiang/for chinadaily.com.cn] Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has launched mass novel coronavirus screening and restricted the movement of its residents in response to a new outbreak that rose to 30 cases as of Saturday. The city added 13 new locally transmitted cases on Saturday, down from 16 registered a day before. The first patient tested positive for the virus on Wednesday after no new local infections were reported across Xinjiang for nearly five months, according to local health authorities. Nationwide, three other confirmed cases came from overseas and a total of 42 asymptomatic cases were reported on Saturday, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. One of the imported confirmed cases and eight of the asymptomatic carriers are employees of China Petrochemical Corp, or Sinopec, the country's largest refiner and petrochemical producer. They arrived in Qingdao, Shandong province, from Kuwait on a chartered flight on Friday. A total of 350 other passengers traveling on the same plane were identified and isolated for medical observation, according to Qingdao's health commission. The 2020 election between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden is shaping up to be the most litigated in U.S. history, as changes to balloting prompted by the coronavirus pandemic spur lawsuits that could leave the outcome in suspense for days or even weeks. A recent count by Loyola Marymount University law professor Justin Levitt found 154 cases already filed across 41 states and the District of Columbia. Many more are expected in the months ahead as Republicans, Democrats and advocacy groups battle over how to vote during a pandemic. "Everybody is suing about everything," Levitt said. Many of the lawsuits center on the use of mail-in ballots, which is expected to surge to historic highs given concern about catching the virus while voting in person. Trump, who's lagging Biden by double digits in some polls and reorganized his campaign staff last week, frequently claims without evidence that vote-by-mail is rife with fraud and vulnerable to foreign forgeries. These attacks have fueled a broader effort by some Republicans to prevent voting by mail, including millions of dollars earmarked for lawsuits and advertising. But lawsuits have also been filed seeking to halt other coronavirus-related voting measures that aim to consolidate polling places, ease signature requirements for those seeking to put initiatives or third-party candidates on the ballot, and allow more poll-watchers. Levitt said each decision could end up affecting thousands of voters, and the combined effect could be enough to swing a closely fought contest. Here's a look at some of the major arguments in courtrooms across the country: - Consolidating polling places. What's at stake: Elections officials say they need to reduce in-person voting, but voting-rights groups argue that could disenfranchise voters who don't want to cast absentee ballots or can't make it to early voting centers, the operation of which various from state to state. The coronavirus forced many states to dramatically limit polling places during recent primaries. In Wisconsin there were just five polling places in Milwaukee, a city of about 600,000 people, down from 182 in 2016. Louisville's residents, who also number about 600,000, had just a single polling place in Kentucky's primary. Lawsuits have already been filed in six states and in Washington D.C. that sought to limit precinct closures, and legal experts say more are likely to be filed. - Requirements to vote by mail. What's at stake: Some states still require an excuse to vote by mail, and a handful aren't accepting concern about infection as a legitimate one. Voting rights groups argue that fear of coronavirus should count. By law, 34 states plus Washington don't require an excuse to vote by mail. Many others have temporarily relaxed their rules in response to the pandemic. Lawsuits have been filed in nine states seeking to permanently overturn those requirements or acknowledge that the coronavirus is a valid excuse. In Texas, the state Supreme Court upheld a law that allows people over 65 to vote absentee, but requires excuses from younger voters. A federal lawsuit is ongoing. - Requiring a witness. What's at stake: Some states want absentee ballots signed in front of a witness, but voting rights groups say that would be too risky for some voters if the virus is still spreading in the fall. A dozen states have laws requiring a mail-in ballot be either signed by a witness or notarized. Those requirements are being challenged in multiple lawsuits that argue the restriction is too high a barrier when voters are being told to stay at home or reduce social contact because of the coronavirus. - Limits on turning in ballots. What's at stake: Some states limit so-called "ballot harvesting," but Democratic-aligned lawyers are seeking to expand the practice in case of problems with the mail. In 10 states, voters can let a family member drop off their ballot, while in 26 states they can give it to someone else, such as a representative of a political party. Trump has argued without evidence that this practice, sometimes called "ballot harvesting," allows widespread fraud. Republicans have sued in California and Pennsylvania to restrict ballot collection, while Democrats have sued in multiple states to expand it. Elections experts say more lawsuits may be coming. Ballot Drop-Off Sites What's at stake: Pennsylvania allowed voters to drop off ballots at public libraries, but the Trump campaign argued that could lead to voter fraud. Mail-in voting surged in Pennsylvania's recent primary, overwhelming local elections officials charged with collecting ballots. In response, some areas of the state set up drop boxes where voters could securely leave ballots in schools, libraries and community centers. The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee sued, noting that state law required ballots be dropped off at elections offices and arguing that expanding drop box sites "exponentially enhanced" the risk of fraud. - Deadlines for mail-in ballots. What's at stake: Most states require mail-in ballots be received by Election Day, which this year is Nov. 3, but Democratic-aligned lawyers say ballots postmarked by Election Day should count so voters aren't disenfranchised by slow mail service. Most states require mail-in ballots be received by Election Day, although a few count them if they're postmarked by Election Day but received as many as 14 days later. Voting rights groups and Democratic-aligned lawyers are suing states to switch to postmark deadlines, with lawsuits in more than a dozen states, including Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Experts say lawsuits could multiply after the election, especially if problems crop up with slow mail service. - Fixing rejected mail-in ballots. What's at stake: States don't always make it easy to fix problems that lead to a mail-in ballot being rejected. Voting rights groups argue that disenfranchises voters. Many of the lawsuits filed by Democrats have demanded that election officials give voters a chance to fix any problems with mail-in ballots, particularly issues around their signatures on absentee-ballot envelopes. Research has shown that young, Black and Hispanic voters face a much greater risk of having their ballot rejected, and voting-rights groups have long sought to reform the practice of "curing" a rejected ballot. I hope that she's just producing and not acting. Good for them. Reply Thread Link i think she just needs the right role! lol Reply Parent Thread Link Lmaoooo. Tbh I dont think shes a bad actress Reply Parent Thread Link She should hire Storm Reid for a project! I know her brother is dating her. Reply Thread Link It's time for Storm to get another lead role honestly. She's awesome. But at the same time, I'd like to see a dark-skinned girl having a chance too. Reply Parent Thread Link she seems to have a good and supportive family, this is such a huge and awesome deal Reply Thread Link Good for her! Reply Thread Link She's not a good actress but she's gorgeous and so is her mom. Reply Thread Link That awesome. Im glad to see the kids on blackish are investing and doing great work. Reply Thread Link Did she ever actually end up attending Harvard? I realized I never heard anything about it since Michelle Obama wrote her recommendation letter, but it sounds like she's been keeping busy in the ~industry Reply Thread Link I was wondering the same. I think she had decided to defer for a year but idk what happened after that Reply Parent Thread Link The article implies that she is attending Harvard. Reply Parent Thread Link i just watched her episode of To Tell the Truth and she an Anthony were so funny. 'Yara, don't take notes!' lmao. Reply Thread Link omg i love Michelle, my goal is to just watch everything that she is in so thanks for that lmao Reply Parent Thread Link I LOOOOVE Michelle Reply Parent Thread Link This is awesome. Reply Thread Link OK but grown-ish is trash. I can't believe the casting directors hired a biracial caucasian-filipino actor to play an Indian character. Reply Thread Link agreed. also, your fucking icon. kills me everytime Reply Parent Thread Link I can. Hollywood doesn't care about accurate ethnicity when it comes to casting. Reply Parent Thread Link Kenya really is a fucking hypocrite. I hate him so much. Reply Parent Thread Link So happy for her but homegirl cannot act at all. Like, shes the worst part of her own show. Reply Thread Link the tone in posts about black women on ontd... Reply Thread Link she seems very smart from what I've seen of her so I'm really interested in what she'll come up with. would love for her to do something in the vein of The Bold Type with actual female friendships and a boss/mentor figure who supports them, without all the problems behind the scenes that Aisha talked about. Reply Thread Link I lover her. She is very charming. I'm excited to see what kind of projects she chooses to produce and star in. Reply Thread Link I completely forgot about grownish season 3! Reply Thread Link New Delhi: Mars is a primary target in the search for life outside Earth, the surface of Mars is incredibly dry which is one of the most important pre-requisite for life. The lack of liquid water on the surface of Mars has been demonstrated by scientists, and it would be difficult for life to exist on the red planet today. In a study led by the University of Stirling in the UK, an international team of researchers found the lack of rust on the meteorites which indicates that Mars has been dry for millions of years. The discovery provides vital insight into the planet's current environment."Evidence shows that more than 3 billion years ago Mars was wet and habitable. However, this latest research reaffirms just how dry the environment is today," said Christian Schroder, from the University of Stirling."For life to exist in the areas we investigated, it would need to find pockets far beneath the surface, located away from the dryness and radiation present on the ground," Schroder said. Previous research had suggested that very salty liquid water might be able to condense in the top layers of Martian soil overnight."But, as our data show, this moisture is much less than the moisture present even in the driest places on Earth," said Schroder. Using data from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, scientists examined a cluster of meteorites at Meridiani Planum - a plain just south of the planet's equator and at a similar latitude to Gale crater. Researchers have for the first time calculated a chemical weathering rate for Mars, in this case how long it takes for rust to form from the metallic iron present in meteorites. This chemical weathering process depends on the presence of water.It takes at least 10 and possibly up to 10,000 times longer on Mars to reach the same levels of rust formation than in the driest deserts on Earth and points to the present-day extreme aridity that has persisted on Mars for millions of years. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. With PTI input. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. "With a single, high current-density electron beam, the eSL10 system has raised e-beam inspection performance to a new level," said Amir Azordegan, general manager of the e-beam division at KLA. "Before now, e-beam inspection systems have offered either sensitivity or speed, severely limiting practical application. Our talented engineering team has taken an entirely new approach to e-beam architecture and algorithms, designing a system that can solve problems not addressed by existing tools. Today KLA is putting e-beam inspection on the list of equipment critical for leading-edge device manufacturing." The eSL10 e-beam inspection system features several revolutionary technologies that power its ability to close critical defect detection gaps. A unique electron optics design produces the industry's widest operating range for defect capture across a variety of process layers and device types. Yellowstone scanning mode uses 10 billion pixels of information per scan to support high speed operation without compromising resolution, for efficient investigation of suspected hotspots or defect discovery within a broad area. Simul-6 sensor technology collects surface, topographic, material contrast and deep trench information in one scan, reducing the time required to identify different defect types within challenging device structures and materials. With its advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, the eSL10 employs deep learning algorithms that adapt to IC manufacturers' evolving inspection requirements, isolating the defects most critical to device performance. Three-dimensional device architectures such as 3D NAND and DRAM for memory, and finFET and gate all around (GAA) transistors for logic are requiring fabs to rethink traditional defect control strategies. The combination of the eSL10 with KLA's flagship 39xx ("Gen5") and 29xx ("Gen4") broadband optical wafer defect inspection systems creates a powerful defect discovery and monitoring solution for advanced IC technologies. Together these systems accelerate yield and reliability, finding critical defects faster and enabling quicker resolution of defect issues from R&D to production. Extendibility is built in to the new eSL10 platform to allow for application expansion throughout the e-beam inspection and metrology space. Several eSL10 systems are in operation at leading logic, memory, and original equipment manufacturers worldwide, where they are helping to develop, ramp and monitor manufacturing of next-generation processes and devices. To maintain their high performance and productivity, eSL10 systems are backed by KLA's global comprehensive service network. Additional information about the new e-beam defect inspection system can be found on the eSL10 product page. About KLA: KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward. Additional information may be found at kla.com (KLAC-P). Forward Looking Statements: Statements in this press release other than historical facts, such as statements regarding the expected performance of the eSL10, 29xx, and 39xx systems and the economic effects of defect reduction for wafer, equipment, materials and chip manufacturing facilities, are forward-looking statements, and are subject to the Safe Harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such statements due to various factors, including delays in the adoption of new technologies (whether due to cost or performance issues or otherwise), the introduction of competing products by other companies or unanticipated technology challenges or limitations that affect the implementation, performance or use of KLA's products. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/806571/KLA_Corporation_Logo.jpg SOURCE KLA Corporation But this year has seen a dangerous reversal of those trends, with shootings and killings both rising. As of Monday morning, there had been 414 homicides, more than 1,600 shootings and more than 2,000 shooting victims this year, according to Chicago police data all numbers significantly ahead of where they were at the same point last year. Some other major American cities were also seeing increases in homicides over last year, while reports of some other crimes had declined. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Mohammad Amir to join Pakistan squad for England tour Amir had first pulled out due to a clash in the dates between the T20I series and the birth of his second daughter, as well as his subsequent concerns over traveling in that period Mohammad Amir will join Pakistans touring party in England in time for the T20I series, having initially made himself unavailable for the trip. However, following the birth of his second daughter last week, his situation has now changed following initial suggestions that he would be unable to join the tour. Amir had first pulled out due to a clash in the dates with the birth of his child, as well as his subsequent concerns over traveling in that period. He announced the birth on social media on July 17, allowing him to replace right-armer Haris Rauf, who has tested positive in five out of six Covid-19 tests he has undergone. Rauf was meant to leave Pakistan for England on Wednesday until his sixth test came back as positive. Each player had to record two negative results before flying. He is asymptomatic and will now self-quarantine for a ten-day period before taking another test. Once Amir joins the squad, reserve wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir will return to Pakistan. He had originally joined the squad when Mohammad Rizwan tested positive in the first set of tests in June, but Rizwan has since travelled following two negative results. Masseur Mohammad Imran will also join the group on the request of the teams management. Shoaib Malik will arrive in time for the T20I series, which begins on August 28. His departure to England has been delayed until the second week of August after India extended its ban on international flights until July 31, which, in turn, has delayed a planned family reunion. Another player will be released from the squad once Malik arrives. Save 30% when you subscribe to The Cricketers print & digital bundle. 35 for 12 issues PORTLAND, ORE. Angela Foster started showing up in the early days of the protests in Portland as one of the novice activists standing off to the side with no gear to protect herself. Roughly 40 demonstrations later, she has moved toward the front, wearing a mask, goggles and a helmet, and bracing for law enforcement officers to charge. Were not leaving, Foster said in interview on Sunday. While President Donald Trump on Sunday described the unrest in Portland as a national threat involving anarchists and agitators, the protests have featured a wide array of demonstrators, many now galvanized by federal officers exemplifying the militarized enforcement that protesters have long denounced. Gatherings over the weekend grew to upward of 1,000 people, some of the largest crowds in weeks. Some protesters have exhibited the lawless behaviour that federal officials have cited to justify their crackdown: They have thrown cans and bottles, shot fireworks or pointed lasers at officers. One was recently accused of hitting a federal officer with a hammer. On Saturday, protesters set a fire in the police union headquarters. But many others have demonstrated in the streets through peaceful means, appalled by the aggressive responses by federal officers that have left some protesters injured and the air inflamed with tear gas. They have held signs and marched. At times when people have thrown bottles, other demonstrators have rushed to try to stop them. On Saturday, a group of women locked arms and chanted: Feds stay clear. Moms are here. Attending the protests for the first time over the weekend was Christopher David, 53, a former Navy civil engineering corps officer and a 1988 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. I wasnt even paying attention to the protests at all until the feds came in, David said. When that video came out of those two unmarked guys in camouflage abducting people and putting them in minivans, thats when I became aware. He had taken a bus to the Portland courthouse and was about to leave around 10:45 p.m. when federal officers emerged and began advancing on the protesters. He said he felt the need to ask the officers: Why were they violating their oath to the Constitution? Instead of getting an answer on Saturday, David, a six-foot-two, 280-pound former Navy varsity wrestler, found himself being beaten with a baton by a federal officer dressed in camouflage fatigues as another doused him with pepper spray, according to video of the encounter. David was taken to a nearby hospital, where a specialist said his right hand was broken and would require surgery to install pins, screws and plates. Im appalled and disappointed at the feds behaviour that whoever led them and trained them allowed them to become this way, David said. This is a failure of leadership more than it is a failure of their own individual behaviour toward me. Luis Enrique Marquez, a self-described anti-Fascist who has been a fixture at protests in Portland for years, said the purpose of the federal officers arrival had appeared to be to scare the protesters. But he said the officers had instead galvanized them by displaying the types of actions that have concerned protesters for years. With every act of violence they commit, our numbers seem to grow, people seem to get more angry, Marquez said. Demonstrators in Portland, including some who identify as Antifa, the loose coalition of self-described anti-Fascist activists, have had years of conflict with law enforcement. But after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis set off a nationwide movement for racial justice and police accountability, the protest in Portland drew thousands to the streets. That created powerful scenes including one of protesters blanketing the Burnside Bridge, each lying face down on the pavement for eight minutes and 46 seconds in remembrance of Floyd. While those initial mass crowds have waned, hundreds of protesters have continued on with near-nightly confrontations with law enforcement. Unlike demonstrators in Seattle at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, in which they established a permanent location that created tensions over how the police should handle unrest inside the area, protesters in Portland have brought the same feel of communal support throughout the downtown area. Volunteers wearing red crosses hand out ear plugs, eye wash and hand sanitizer. A mobile snack van provides Gatorade and food. Jeremy Vajko, who operates the snack van, said he initially operated in the CHOP zone in Seattle and then came to Portland to support the people on the streets. I noticed there was problems with nutrition, he said. People are sleep deprived. During the daytime, the protests can draw families, businesspeople and political leaders such as Jo Ann Hardesty, a city commissioner. At night, the crowd is made up mostly of young people. Dozens of protesters at the front carry homemade shields made out of materials such as 55-gallon drums. Others stand farther back, shining lasers or gathering materials for building barricades. But protesters tactics have strained the city. Business owners, already struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, have cited the protests as a reason residents have been staying away from downtown. Susan Landa, who for almost 31 years has owned a business selling gems and minerals downtown, said she supported peaceful protests and even defunding and shifting funds from the police. But she said many of the protesters seemed like vandals and restless young people who were taking out rage because of the pandemic. She added: Most of downtown is boarded up. We dont feel safe enough to open up. Its killing our businesses. Some leaders in the Black community have also questioned the tactics, suggesting that some demonstrators have seized the moment in the aftermath of Floyds killing to advance their own causes. Last month, officers from the Portland Police Bureau repeatedly fired tear gas and made arrests of protesters, who have variously called for the abolishment or defunding of the bureau, and for more accountability for law enforcement officers. The citys officers now operate with new limits on the use of tear gas after a judge ordered it to only be used if it is needed to keep people safe. Protesters have focused much of their attention on Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner. Crowds have at times gathered late at night outside Wheelers condo building, shining lights and chanting about the perceived failures of his administration. For weeks, Wheeler has called for an end to destructive demonstrations, saying he is concerned about groups who continue to perpetrate violence and vandalism on our streets. But as federal agencies have moved in to play a role in combating the unrest, Wheeler has said he told the federal officials to stay away. City police leaders have said they are not co-ordinating with federal agencies on the protests. But at one point early Saturday morning, a line of federal officers was moving up one street while a line of local police officers was moving up another, both advancing to keep protesters on the move. It was unclear what level of coordination was involved in that effort. Trump said in a Twitter post on Sunday that federal officials were trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Trump, who has said states need to dominate protesters, said Portland officials had lost control. They are missing in action, Trump wrote. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. Local leaders have grown increasingly vocal in opposition to the federal presence after one protester appeared to have been shot in the head with what was described as a less-lethal munition, severely injuring him in a bloody scene that was captured on video. Federal officers have operated from unmarked vans, at times seizing protesters and pulling them into the vehicles. Joel B. Barker, who runs a marketing agency, said that he had frequently participated in protests during the day, and that he usually left before 9 p.m. at the latest. He said that the protests drew a diverse crowd, reflecting a range of racial backgrounds, age and socioeconomic statuses, and that there was a sense of unity. Barker said he felt rage that the city was being used for what he believed was a ploy for the president in an election year. Its really terrible, he added, and I want America to understand how terrible it is to feel like a city you love is being occupied by your own federal government, because thats how it feels. Oregons attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt some of the detainment tactics used by federal officers. Lisa Reynolds, a pediatrician who is running as a Democrat for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives, said she had tried to keep her distance from the protests, largely because of the coronavirus crisis. But on Sunday, she said, she was going to be fitted for a respirator so she would be safer at protests where tear gas is used. I think my fear kept me away, she said. I think this is a step where I need to put myself out there a little more. Read more about: The schism between sacked Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot deepened on Monday as the Speakers role in disqualifying MLAs was debated in the Rajasthan High Court. Gehlot left no one in any doubt that his aim was to push Pilot out of the Congress as he upped the ante and described the younger leader as naalayak, nikamma and nakara (worthless and useless) and said that in his 7 years as the state unit chief, Pilot had done nothing of any consequence to add value to the prospects of the Congress in the ... JP Nadda, the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) president, on Monday once again tackled jabs from Rahul Gandhi on the border row with China by pointing out what he said were the Congress leaders shortcomings. The BJP president comments, in a series of tweets, came after Rahul Gandhi issued the second of his series of short videos to share his thoughts on national issues. The former Congress president said the Chinese are attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modis image as they understand that for him to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of Chhapan Inch (56-inch). In the nearly two-and-half-minute video, titled Chinas Strategic Game Plan, Gandhi talked about how the Chinese have used the border issue to put pressure on PM Modi. JP Nadda, who has been regularly taking on Rahul Gandhis attack on the Centre over the border standoff with China, once again focussed on the Gandhi family without naming it. We saw yet another (failed) edition of Project RG Relaunch today.@RahulGandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynastys desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India, Nadda said in his first tweet. China, he said, has made strategic investments in one dynasty that has given them rich dividends since the 1950s in an apparent attack on the Congress first family. Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing lot of land to China in the UPA years, MoU Signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more, he posted the list. In recent years, be it Doklam or the present, @RahulGandhi Ji prefers briefings from the Chinese instead of believing Indias armed forces. Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China? Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynastys shenanigans! he posted. The senior BJP leader went on to accuse that one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM Modi for years. Sadly for them, PM Modis connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party, he said. The Congress has targeted the Prime Minister since the June 15 clash in the eastern Ladakhs Galwan Vallery in which 20 Indian Army soldiers were killed, accusing him of giving away Indian territory to China. The attack has mostly been led by Rahul Gandhi and the verbal duel has been on since then. I hate video chat. I hated it before the pandemic, and the explosion of requests from people to hang out virtually has just created this new level of stress: Is my mic working? Why is my video so choppy? Does my hair look okay? Should I set up a silly virtual background? Is anyone judging me? Instead, Ive turned to a more traditional, analog method of keeping in touch: snail mail. Some letter writing, but mostly postcards. I actually started back in December after I sent out my holiday cards, realizing that I didnt have to wait until the end of the year to get in touch with people. But the whole thing took on a deeper meaning once lockdown started back in March. It became the only way I could physically reach out to others and of the few times I allowed myself to go outside, when I needed to drop off my stuff at a mailbox. Kris Naudus The first batch went out to my family and friends, but I quickly realized I wasnt going to get much in return since sending mail wasnt their hobby, just mine. To make my new pastime more gratifying I needed to find like-minded people. And in 2020, that meant going to the internet. I have one friend with whom I regularly exchange postcards. She even posts scans of them online, originally on Tumblr but these days she posts to a dedicated Instagram account. I ended up following her lead, creating a new Instagram account just for my snail mail activities. To populate my feed I searched tags like postcard and stationery, settling on a small list that showcased things I was interested in. This of course, fed the algorithm, showing me even more accounts belonging to mail lovers around the world. Kris Naudus As I browsed these images, one tag that kept coming up was postcrossing, which got me wondering exactly what it had to do with these wonderful postcards people kept posting. A quick Google search took me to the website, which ended up being the solution to my not getting any mail in return problem. Postcrossing was founded 15 years ago last week by two Portuguese postcard lovers, Ana Campos and Paulo Magalhaes. The basic idea is that registering for the site allows you to request the mailing address of random users. You can then send them a card of your choosing from your own stash, making sure to write the Postcrossing ID on it. You mail the card and, once it arrives at its destination, the recipient uses the ID to register the card. For each card you send thats logged in, youll get a postcard in return from another user. Kris Naudus / Postcrossing It isnt a pen pal setup, per se; you may never again correspond with the people who you send you cards to or to whom you send cards. The system is completely randomized and youll be matched up with someone new every time. But it wont be a true worldwide spread of correspondence because of the sheer demographics of the site. Since creating an account in January, Ive received 53 cards and sent 54, interacting with people from 26 countries. Most of the people have either been here in the US or in Germany. All of my cards have been either in North America, Europe or Asia, with only one from Australia. I still havent gotten connected with anyone in South America or Africa. Theres only one user in Antarctica, period, so the odds of connecting them are low and they tend to be inundated with direct exchange requests. Kris Naudus / Postcrossing The sites design is dated but it does the job: All told, the sites users have received 15 million postcards. The lack of a mobile app is a bit of a pain only in that the site asks you to upload an image of the cards you send or receive. Sometimes I use Googles PhotoScan app to do it, which does a good job maybe 75 percent of the time; when it doesnt I have to fire up my scanner. Either way, adding the photos becomes a process, and a lot of people dont even bother. Which sucks, because looking at the galleries of cards people have sent is delightful. As much as I enjoy Postcrossing, its still a test of patience to wait for your cards to arrive at their destination before you can send even more. But instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs, I went back to Instagram to connect with even more people over snail mail. Theres a sizable community over there, many of whom post their mailing addresses right in their bios. So I figured, why not? I dug into my collection of cards, addressed them to a bunch of correspondence clubs I found by searching Instagram, and now I have even more mail coming my way. Some of these people go all out with fancy calligraphy, washi tape and collections of vintage stamps. As long as the postage adds up to the current rate, you can use any stamp made after the Civil War. Its inspired me to step up my game as well: I've ordered custom postcards from Vistaprint, using pictures Ive taken myself around the neighborhood. The cards have my name, Postcrossing and Instagram handles on them, along with a little bit of info of whats shown in the photos. Ive wanted to make my own postcards for a while, as Ive been unsatisfied with the Brooklyn postcards I find, which almost always show the Brooklyn Bridge or Coney Island. I buy the latest stamps regularly from USPS.com which also helps me support a vital organization currently strapped for funds. Kris Naudus Snail mail has ultimately proven itself to me to be a pastime that really can weather the internet era, bringing me closer to people online as well as through their physical letters. Funny thing; a few months back I was in a stationery store (back when things were still open) and got to talking with a young woman about mail, stamps and all sorts of things. We exchanged addresses and Ive sent her two postcards since but got nothing back. Meanwhile, Ive gotten quite a few letters from the correspondence clubs Ive reached out to, as well as a sweet middle-aged housewife in Japan who even sent me a poster for an anime I liked. In this case, the internet ended up better than real life. Protests persist in Khabarovsk, with tens of thousands turning out for a weekend rally and other demonstrations held elsewhere in the Russian Far East. In the northwestern Karelia region, meanwhile, gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev will hear the verdict in a controversial trial that touches on narratives about Russias past and could hold clues about its future. RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss. Patiala: Students from primary to higher secondary classes of Punjab government schools are resorting to widespread cheating during the ongoing online examination, raising questions about the efficacy of such assessments during the Covid-19 pandemic. The students across government schools in Punjab were provided online study material followed by bi-monthly exams that began from July 13. It has been found that most children are using unfair means to attempt the examination. Teachers say most students have answered word for word as mentioned in help books. The students did not adhere to repeated instructions and appeals by teachers to attempt exams with fair means. In most cases, the teachers received fully attempted answer sheets within 15 minutes of releasing the question papers, said a government teacher, requesting anonymity. The students were provided question papers of 20 marks each on official WhatsApp groups. They had to upload the answer sheets in the same group. FAULTY PROCESS OF TESTING Vikram Dev, a government school teacher, who is also a member of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), said, This is a faulty process that makes students bank on unfair means to clear an examination. These cant be called exams, rather they should be termed assignments. What is the point of holding such exams when students have a free hand to copy from guides and textbooks? he said. The online education method can only be used as a teaching aid. It is not possible for teachers to ensure decorum among students virtually, he said. Another teacher said his colleagues were receiving answers-sheets with the cheating material also visible in the photos uploaded by students. Parents are equally at fault as they have failed to keep check on their wards. Teachers will have no option than to make marking of answer-sheets stricter, another teacher said. BE PREPARED FOR STRICT MARKING Education secretary Krishan Kumar said the purpose of providing online study material and conducting exams was to keep students involved with studies. Teachers are well aware of their students performance so they can easily identify those who attempted the exams with unfair means. The teachers have been directed to follow strictness while giving scores, he said. He said that these exams are meant to assess the actual performance of the students so that the teachers can work on their weak areas. The teachers had also sent messages to parents to ensure that the children attempted the exams through fair means, Kumar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The COVID-19 surge in rural Texas has escalated into a deepening public health crisis for Hidalgo County, where officials issued an order Sunday requiring those who test positive for the virus to not leave home for 14 days under threat of criminal prosecution. On Sunday evening, Hidalgo County officials addressed the public in a Facebook Live event, asking the public to please heed the warning. Hidalgo County reported 1,320 new COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths on Sunday. 'WORST OF THE WORST': Houston nurse describes dire situation in ICU surge "Who would ever think back in March 21 when we had the first incident of someone testing positive, that Hidalgo County would be caught in this pandemic with such tragic numbers," Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said. According to health officials, the situation has become dire in the Rio Grande Valley, and measures must be taken. Some patients had to wait for up to 10 hours for ambulances to deliver them to emergency rooms in Hidalgo County, according to The Texas Tribune. The order is not only for residents who test positive, but also for any of those who live with someone who test positive. "This needs to be an all-out effort because we have a tough war ahead of us, but if we come together, we can certainly solve this problem," Dr. Victor Gonzalez said. "If you suspect that you've been infected, and if you've been fortunate enough to go one of those centers to receive the test and are positive, then you need to isolate yourself." EXHAUSTED DOCTORS: Houston ICU doc says caregivers are exhausted, describes long-lasting effects of COVID-19 Hidalgo County Health Authority's Dr. Ivan Melendez added that the Rio Grande Valley had become a COVID-19 hotspot. "During the last 24 hours, we've had again 40+ deaths. " Melendez said. "For the first time ever, we've had over 300 people in the ICU unit. The numbers speak for itself...Not only is Texas a hot point, but the Rio Grande Valley is a hot point." When Hidalgo County officials issued the warning, residents weighed in with concerns. According to Governor Greg Abbott's office, five U.S. Navy teams were deployed to four different locations in South and Southwest Texas, including Harlingen, Del Rio Eagle Pass and Rio Grande City. "The support from our federal partners is crucial in our work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities throughout Texas," Abbott said. Tasmania is investigating a suspected new case of coronavirus, a person in hotel quarantine in the state's south. The island state is free of active cases and last recorded a COVID-19 infection more than two months ago on May 15. Premier Peter Gutwein said further testing was being done and more information was expected later on Monday. Tasmania is investigating a suspected new case of coronavirus , a person in hotel quarantine in the state's south. Pictured: Premier Peter Gutwein Mr Gutwein was unable to say where the person travelled from. More than 600 people are currently in state-government operated quarantine facilities and about 1,000 are undertaking self-isolation at home. Mr Gutwein urged people to maintain social distancing measures. 'For many Tasmanians I think our biggest challenge is complacency,' he told reporters. Tasmania, which was the first jurisdiction in Australia to close its borders, has recorded 226 cases but was declared free of active ones in mid-June. The island state is free of active cases and last recorded a COVID-19 infection more than two months ago on May 15. Pictured: The iconic Wineglass Bay, Tasmania On Monday Victoria recorded 275 cases of coronavirus and a woman in her 80s died as New South Wales recorded 20 cases, its biggest total in three months. Victoria's figure is less than Sunday's total of 363 and well below Friday's record of 428, giving hope the spread is decreasing during Melbourne's six-week lockdown. Premier Daniel Andrews said 147 Victorians are in hospital, including 31 fighting for their lives, and 26,588 tests had been conducted. Ninety-six people are in hospital in New South Wales with two in intensive care, including a person in their 30s. The state conducted 21,167 tests on Sunday. Sudans army has announced legal actions against journalists and activists for insults and accusations that have crossed the bounds of patience. The announcement made Saturday came following massive demonstrations in capital Khartoum last month against the ruling coalition over slow-paced reforms promised by the new administration formed last year. The army, which is part of the coalition, was the target of the demonstrations for blocking investigations into the killing of scores of protesters on June 3 last year when security forces broke up a sit-in outside the defense ministry. The army denied, in a statement, any wrongdoing but said convicts will be dealt with. The army also said it appointed in May one of its officers as a commissioner to file legal complaints and follow them up under the supervision of the military prosecutor. The move according to the statement is not an attempt to restrict freedoms and was in accordance with recently passed laws. Jim Morrell Blueprint Communications is providing strategic PR services for Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co., which has been sanctioned by the Trump Administration for allegedly stealing US trade secrets. Owned by the Government of the People's Republic of China, Fujian Jinhua pleaded not guilty in 2019 to charges that it swiped intellectual property from Americas Micron Technology. The US has put Fujian Jinhua on the export control entity list, banning it from buying US components, software and technology goods. Blueprint, which was founded by two GOP political operatives, represents Fujian Jinhua as a subcontractor for Steptoe Johnson. Its agreement calls for defining communications objectives, identifying media contacts; collaborating with legal & advocacy teams to create narratives and relevant facts which support agreed-upon objectives, conducting media outreach, developing stories and monitoring media. The Alexandria-based firm receives a $17,500 fee for the six-month engagement that began Feb. 18. Blueprints Jim Morrell was White House spokesperson for George W. Bush and deputy chief of staff for Republican Conference chair Rep. Deborah Pryce, while Chad Kolton served as press secretary at the Office of Management & Budget, and PA director at the Office of National Intelligence in the Bush II administration. Five more people died in floods in Assam where the disaster has affected nearly 25.29 lakh people in 24 of the 33 districts of the state, according to an official bulletin issued on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rang up Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take stock of the situation and assured all help and support to the state to deal with the perennial flood havoc. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Toronto police say they are still searching for a man who has threatened women with a hammer in Heather Heights Woods park on three occasions over the last three months. In each instance, the women were targeted while walking alone through the park in the afternoon, Const. David Hopkinson said. The most recent attempted assault happened at the Scarborough park, near Orton Park Road and Ellesmere Road, on Saturday. Two other women were chased on separate occasions in May and June by a man matching the description of the man sought in Saturdays incident, Hopkinson said. The man was seen last on Saturday leaving the park and heading east towards Orton Park Road. These attacks have occurred each time at random, are unprovoked against members of the public, and with no warning, police said in a warning issued to the public. If seen, do not approach. Call 911 immediately. The assailant is described as a Black man in his 20s who stands at approximately 5'8". He has been seen wearing a grey hoodie and black shorts. The hypothesis we had when we started was that if you studied a relatively healthy cohort of patients, there shouldnt be any difference in outcomes, Dr. Nafiu said. The authors, in their paper, acknowledged limitations of the study: They did not explore the site of care where patients received their treatments or the insurance status of patients, which can be used as a proxy for socioeconomic status. This meant they could not account for differences in the quality of care that patients received or the economic backgrounds of the patients. Another limitation was that because mortality and postoperative complications are so uncommon among healthy children, it is possible that most of the cases came from a few hospitals, Dr. Nafiu said. But while Black people are more likely to receive care in low-performing hospitals, that may not be the main factor driving the gap this study found, Dr. Nafiu said. The hospitals examined in the study were all part of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, a voluntary program, meaning they had the resources to be part of the program and the belief that quality improvement is important. Adil Haider, dean of the medical college at Aga Khan University, who was not involved with the study, said that it told a key piece of the story about racial disparities in surgical outcomes, but that there were still many questions about what drives disparities. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Leave it to the likes of Jahana Jones McCoy to put a new spin on an old favorite. She effortlessly transforms "If You're Happy (and you know it)" into an exquisitely crafted Summertime experience. The result is a rhythm filled song full of melody and praise under the banner of the "Happy Song." The song was released on Friday, July 14th via Enon Music Group/Sony/The Orchard and is available on digital outlets and streaming platforms. "Happy Song" tells Jahana's personal story, it is her testimony in lyrics and syncopation. She shares the things she has been through and offers shouts of victory over the things God has delivered her from and candidly relays things she at one time feared to be transparent about! Jahana is excited that she can be a witness for God and is eager to proclaim the great things He has done and continues to do in her life. Music has been a constant in Jahana's life. Her days of song go back to the age of 3. She joined her family group The Jones Family and sang at churches and venues across the East coast, including a performance on Showtime at the Apollo Theater. As she continued to cultivate her gift, doors of opportunity opened for her to travel the country as she has done in her adult life. Jahana is featured on Miracle Worker as recorded by JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise. When not traveling she is content to serve in ministry alongside her husband Steve McCoy in the Worship and Arts Department at the Imago Dei Church in Portland, Oregon. Above all, Jahana wants to be an instrument, ready for the Master's use. She wants to be a direct connection to God and a bridge for people who are searching for God. "I've been there, she says. "Lost, searching, and hungry for God. I want people to know that despite the troubles that life brings, there is joy in the journey, and everybody can have a Happy song." Stay Connected to Jahana Jones McCoy via social media Facebook - Jahana McCoy IG - @jahanamccoy Twitter - @JahanaMccoy Tags : Jahana Jones McCoy Jahana Jones McCoy news Jahana Jones McCoy happy song "Happy Song" The Old Guard is truly one of Netflixs better films that not only delivers on the action but gives viewers a more sombre and solemn take on immortality and the drudgery and apathy that comes with it. The film has apparently been one of the streaming companys most successful releases and for good reason. The Old Guard (review) focuses on Andy and her band of immortal mercenaries as they battle a new and more modern enemy who is determined to harvest their powers for profit. Its a straight forward film, in terms of plot, but does more than make up for it with some great characters. But who are Andy and her band of immortal mercenaries anyway? Well, today well take a deeper look at who these immortal soldiers really are. Andy/ Andromache of Scythia Played by Charlize Theron, Andromache of Scythia or Andy, for short, is basically the default leader of the bunch not because shes a better soldier, but that shes the oldest among the lot. Her story begins 6000 years ago in Siberia. Basically she was a Scythian woman who was killed in a raid and woke up to a whole new existence. There were two other immortals who came after her and before our current merry bunch, but youll have to watch the film to find out more. In the comic book, Andy is 6732 years old, making her almost prehistoric. Booker/ Sebastien Le Livre Masterfully acted by Matthias Schoenaerts, Booker is a master forger who has been convicted for fraud by the French government. His real name is Sebastien Le Livre and he was basically told that he could hang or fight for the Emperperor, Napoleon of Bonaparte. Finding that neither choice was favourable, he attempted to desert the army and was hung for it in 1812. Hes a smart, cunning man who understands modern technology and thus is of great help to the team. Up until the appearance of Nile, Booker was the youngest member of the team. Nicky and Joe/ Nicolo of Genoa and Yusuf Al-Kaysani What can be said about the two lovers in Nicky and Joe. They are some of the coolest and most badass characters in the film. The two met as opposites during the Crusades in 1099. They met each other on the battlefield and found that they were not enemies and were more like soul-mates who found each other. They then paired up and also rescued Andy from a fate far worse than death. The two are extremely loyal to the group and both have very distinct personalities and it shows in the group dynamics. Nile The newest kid on the block, Nile is essentially the baby of the group. As a marine, she has her throat slit during a mission and then comes back to life wondering what the heck just happened. It is then that she meets Andy and thats when her new life begins. Check out The Old Guard on Netflix, right now. Its a great action film that is not only exciting but also makes you think about who and why these characters are doing what theyre doing. Also, check out this awesome animated video that chronicles the history of The Old Guard as they stomp their way through the many wars in human history. Also, if you're a sci-fi geek, you'll want to check out this list of the best sci-fi films on Netflix. And, while you're at it, why don't you check out this awesome list of fantasy shows on Netflix as well. A coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, perhaps the most promising candidate currently in development, appears to be safe and produces an immune response, according to preliminary findings published in The Lancet. Why it matters: The race is on to get a vaccine approved and into circulation. A separate report published today finds that a Chinese candidate also produces an immune response, while American biotech firm Moderna revealed last week that its candidate produces a strong immune response. State of play: The Oxford vaccine is in phase three trials, the last step before possible approval. According to the Economist, it could be cleared for emergency use as early as October. Moderna's vaccine is moving into phase three now, while another candidate from Pfizer is believed to be relatively close behind. China has at least six candidates currently in trials, one of which is in phase three. Russia says a candidate from its state-run Gamaleya Institute will enter phase three trials next month. According to the Milken Institute's tracker, there are 197 candidate vaccines in development, 19 of which are in some stage of clinical trials. What to watch: While it seems increasingly likely that a vaccine will be available by early next year the timeline suggested by Anthony Fauci it remains unclear who will get it first. A barber who went on holiday to his native country just before the Covid-19 lockdown and could not get back to Ireland has brought a High Court challenge to the cutting off of his pandemic unemployment payment. Nicolai Ciaica, a citizen of Romania and Moldova, has worked here since 2013 and lives in Main St, Clongriffin, Dublin. Just before the lockdown, he went on a short holiday to Moldova, where he had to remain until July due to the pandemic restrictions. He had applied for and received the Covid-19 unemployment payment but on June 10 it was withdrawn following a review by a social welfare inspector. Mr Ciaica says this was unlawful and he is seeking court orders that it be restored pending full determination of the matter by a deciding officer in the department. He also seeks declarations that the payment is non-statutory and provides for payment where a person has lost their job due to the pandemic, has been temporarily laid off, worked in the Republic or was a cross-border frontier worker, and lived here. The basis on which the social welfare officer cut off his payment related to provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, whereas pandemic payments are wholly different and apply where job loss/lay off and a number of other conditions are met, it is claimed. Mr Ciaica claims he must be deemed to be currently living here in circumstances where he had worked here and only left the State for a holiday but could not return due to the restrictions. He could not have been deemed to be living in Moldova when he solely went there for a holiday, he says. He seeks a number of declarations, including that unemployment benefits are exportable under the the pandemic payment scheme. He says the decision to cease the payment was made in the absence of jurisdiction by the department. On Monday, Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted Mr Ciaica's barrister, Derek Shortall, leave to bring judicial review proceedings over the matter against the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The application was made on a one-side only represented (ex parte) basis. It comes back to court in September. German luxury vehicle maker BMW this week signed a $2.3 billion long-term deal with Swedish battery maker Northvolt, the latest of such deals, as European carmakers try to compete with Tesla in the burgeoning electric vehicle market. Teslas gigafactories and battery technology have long given it an edge in the EV market (Northvolt was started by two former Tesla execs), but when it comes to the sourcing of raw material for lithium ion batteries, the California company faces the same challenges as traditional carmakers. Which makes another, much smaller, deal BMW struck last week more significant in finding an advantage over Tesla and stealing a march on its German and Japanese competitors. Ride to Agadir Bou-Azzer, the worlds only primary cobalt mine in Morocco. Image: Managem The Munich-based carmaker signed a five-year cobalt supply deal with Moroccan miner Managem worth some $112m. Managem owns Bou-Azzer in the Anti Atlas mountains, the only primary cobalt mine in the world and in operation since 1930. BMW says the offtake agreement, first announced a year ago, covers roughly one-fifth of its requirements for the NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cathodes in its batteries, which together with Teslas NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum) represents more than 90% of the market. The other 80% of the cobalt it needs comes from the Murrin Murrin mine in Australia, a Glencore owned operation, and makes BMW the only carmaker with a direct to mine raw material sourcing approach. Roskill, a metals, minerals and chemical industry research company, estimates approximately 19.6kt cobalt will be required and provided for by the two sole suppliers between 2020-2025. For Managem and Glencore to provide 100% of BMWs cobalt requirements, approximately 85% of each companys respective mine production would need to be assigned to BMW, totalling around 1.5ktpy and 2.4ktpy from Managem and the Swiss giant respectively. Roskill says these volumes are significantly higher than previous estimates may also imply an agreed long-term cobalt metal price at a discount to current market levels. Congo-China-cobalt conundrum Annual cobalt production is only around 130,000 tonnes, mostly as a byproduct of nickel and copper mining. Some two-thirds of supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That proportion may rise as production from the country has largely escaped the effects of covid-19 with workers confined to mine sites (the virus closed another major supplier the Ambatovy mine in Madagascar). In the DRC fears about political instability, the challenges of ethical sourcing and the presence of thousands of artisanal miners combine to supercharge supply concerns. The cobalt from Bou-Azzer and Murrin Murrin is not suitable to enter the battery supply without chemical conversion and downstream the supply chain is even more concentrated. More than 80% of the chemical processing and refining capacity of cobalt is located in China, which after Glencore, is also the largest cobalt miner inside the DRC. Roskil says a core driver of BMWs direct to mine strategy has been to minimise exposure to DRC cobalt production and also to increase control, transparency and auditability of its cobalt supply. Another reason BMW is looking outside central Africa is that much of the DRCs cobalt is already tied up. Core supplier Cobalt briquettes, Nikkelverk, Norway. Image: Glencore Last month Tesla reportedly signed a deal with Glencore for 6,000 tonnes of DRC cobalt destined for its new Shanghai factory. Although the Tesla deal is relatively small and remains unconfirmed (as were previous agreements) it casts doubt on pronouncements from Tesla that its close to eliminating cobalt from its batteries altogether and claims that its current generation NCA technology uses much less than even the most thrifted NCM chemistries (8 parts nickel for every one cobalt). Glencore already has three other large, long term deals in place, with Korean battery manufacturer SK Innovation for 30,000 tonnes (enough to make 2m EVs with todays cathode technology), Belgian chemicals giant Umicore and Chinas GEM, a battery recycler. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a battery supply chain and price reporting company, estimates that even without Tesla on the books already more than 90% of Glencores DRC cobalt production are locked up in long-term agreements. Sisters of the Good Shepherd A proposal from a New York charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd which was supposed to be voted on at Teslas annual shareholder meeting which was scheduled for July 7 but postponed due to covid-19, called for an investigation into Teslas sourcing of cobalt. A representative of the Sisters told S&P Global Market Intelligence a Tesla-Glencore deal seems to be inconsistent with their messaging around reducing their use of cobalt, and what we want to see is stronger implementation of human rights. Roskill says while BMW now has deals in place for 100% of its needs, the company has not shied away from the fact that completely by-passing DRC production is almost unachievable given the scale of cobalt required in future (factors of current production before the end of the decade). This is evident in several initiatives that BMW Group is a part of, such as the Responsible Cobalt Initiative and its Cobalt for Development study in partnership with BASF, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electronics. Its involvement in these projects suggests the automotive manufacturer potentially needs to procure additional cobalt from DRC mines in future, though is focussed on a long-term strategic approach to sustainability in the region. Small batch, artisanal Co Children in Congo are permitted by law to work from the age of 16 if they are deemed fit to do so by labour inspectors (Image: Wise Wanderer) EVs only recently overtook mobile phones and super-alloys for the aviation industry as the main source of demand for cobalt. Related: Singapore's $3 Billion Oil Trading Scandal Tesla, alongside Google, Apple and others, were sued by a human rights group in December about artisanal cobalt mined under unsafe and unethical conditions, including the use of child labour, entering their supply chains. At the beginning of the year the DRC government announced the Enterprise Generale du Cobalt (EGC) whereby state-owned miner Gecamines becomes the monopoly buyer of cobalt from small scale miners. EGC is set to kick-off within two months but Benchmark says few details have been revealed and rather than providing greater transparency particularly in relation to how the material is to be traced and whether independent companies will be allowed to audit the process, the new arrangement is likely to add further opacity to the supply chain and hinder moves to formalise the artisanal sector. Mutatis Mutanda Cobalt remains by far the most expensive component of EV batteries. After hitting near decade highs in early 2018 above $100,000 per tonne, prices for cobalt used in the global battery supply chain are down 70%. Glencores decision to mothball its Mutanda mine in the Congo, the worlds largest responsible for 20% global output, breathed life into the market, but the metal remains stuck in the early $30,000s. Benchmarks June cobalt price index shows prices gaining 3.2% month on month to $31,300 a tonne (100% Cu basis), but the London-based price reporting agency warned of demand weakness and receding supply fears as raw material volumes from the DRC shipped via South Africa returns to the market. By Mining.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2011, file photo, President Barack Obama presents a 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rep. John Lewis (D., Ga.) during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Lewis announced Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer, vowing he will stay in office and fight the disease with the tenacity which he fought racial discrimination and other inequalities since the civil rights era. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) Read more In grainy images from the civil rights movement, we see a young John Lewis clad in tie and trench coat, his face fixed in the earnest expression of a man who knows he is walking into trouble. Good trouble, he would later call it. The kind of trouble that resulted in beatings and arrests. The kind of trouble that could have very well cost Lewis his life. The kind of trouble that ultimately changed America for the better. Lewis, who died Friday from pancreatic cancer, beat the odds more than once in a life marked by good trouble. He beat the odds as a teenager, when he wrote to civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to request help in getting into college. King not only responded. He sent Lewis a round-trip ticket from Troy, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala., to participate in a civil rights march. Lewis beat the odds again when he marched into history by crossing Selmas Edmund Pettus Bridge in a quest for Black voting rights. READ MORE: Ive got a lion heart: Philly remembers John Lewis, congressman and civil rights icon Now, even in death, Lewis must beat the odds again. He must not be reduced to a hashtag, and although renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge for Lewis would be an honor, such gestures are not enough. John Lewis, who marched for voting rights on a day that would later become known as Bloody Sunday, was bigger than that. He was braver than that, and for anyone who doubts that truth, consider the fact that Lewis was arrested some 40 times while challenging racist laws in the South. Consider that he risked his life while taking part in Freedom Rides to challenge segregation on buses. Then, after considering all that, think about what Lewis was facing in the days before he marched across an Alabama bridge in an audacious bid for Black voting rights. It was early March 1965, and the air in Selma was thick with tension. It had been that way since Feb. 18, when civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot by Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler during a peaceful demonstration in a nearby town. Jackson died in a Selma hospital on Feb. 26, just days before Lewis and others would cross a bridge named for a Confederate general. The trooper who murdered Jackson would not be charged for 45 years, and the troopers who confronted Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge likely knew they wouldnt be charged, either. Marching for voting rights under those conditions required a certain kind of gumption. It required the courage of ones convictions. It required guts. Unlike those who march today, Lewis knew there would be no lawsuits after he was teargassed and beaten. Nor could he expect that officials would be fired or forced to resign in the wake of state-sanctioned violence. In fact, if Lewis had died on that bridge while marching for Black voting rights, his killer wouldve likely gotten away with murder, because Black lives did not matter. And the only reason Black people can freely protest today is because John Lewis and other men and women like him risked their very lives to make it so. READ MORE: John Lewis, in his own words, during visits to Philadelphia John Lewis spent 44 days in a Mississippi jail so that I could travel without the burden of segregation. Lewis was abused and arrested at lunch counter sit-ins so that I could eat at the restaurant of my choice. Lewis was beaten so badly on the Selma march that his skull was cracked. He endured that last indignity so that I could vote. It is with those truths in mind that I make this solemn promise: I will vote no matter what obstacles are placed in front of me. Not just because racism was killing Black people when Lewis was fighting against it. I will vote because even after all Lewis gave, racism is killing Black people today. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition has applied to Russia and the EAEU colleagues to take actions over the recent anti-competitive action on banning the sale of Armenian fruits in Russia, the SCPEC told Armenpress. Today SCPEC Chairman Gegham Gevorgyan has sent official letters to Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia Igor Artemev and Member of the Board Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust regulation at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Serik Zhumangarin over the recent ban by the executives of Moscows Food City market on sale of fruits exported from Armenia. In the letters the SCPEC Chairman said the aforementioned actions do not have an economic explanation. They undermine the free sale of goods between EAEU member states and are a demonstration of a discriminative attitude. Thus, unequal conditions are created in the foreign market, with the violation of general competition rules which are enshrined in the EAEU treaty, the SCPEC said in a statement. Gegham Gevorgyan expressed hope that the Russian and EAEU colleagues will discuss the matter and will take actions to restore the equal competition conditions to rule out such anti-competition actions in the future. Trucks loaded with Armenian goods were removed from Moscows Food City market in the night of July 16. There were alarms that the goods are already being spoiled. There were some suspicions that Azerbaijanis stand behind this action and later it was confirmed as one of the owners of the market is an ethnic Azerbaijani. On July 18 hundreds of Russian-Armenians started buying all Armenian apricots existing in the trucks. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan The way in which British life sciences have risen to the challenge of Covid-19 is hugely exciting and an enormous contrast to the stuttering early response to the pandemic from Public Health England. The decision by Astrazeneca (AZ) chief executive Pascal Soriot to place the pharma group's resources behind the Oxford Jenner Institute's vaccine is paying off brilliantly. The first Lancet-published results on the efficacy of the vaccine AZD1222 show a strong immune response in healthy adults to an antibody-based therapy. Masterstroke: The decision by Astrazeneca chief exec Pascal Soriot (pictured) to place the pharma group's resources behind the Oxford Jenner Institute's vaccine is paying off brilliantly Larger scale testing continues in Brazil and South Africa, and optimism is rising that there could be a working vaccine later this year. Earlier pessimism that it could take years to develop a safe vaccine has been turned on its head. Investors who backed Astrazeneca in April have seen healthy gains with the shares advancing more than 20 per cent, making it the most valuable company in the FTSE 100 with a market capitalisation of 133billion. When Soriot spoke to this paper last month and suggested there could be a vaccine ready for use in the UK as soon as September there was scepticism. However, Downing Street and AZ's early backing for the trials means that Britain's most vulnerable populations to Covid-19 will be first in line for protection. Another huge stock market winner is the biotech firm Synairgen, producer of a medicine which shows great efficacy in reducing severe illness among Covid-19 patients. That the firm was founded by professors at the University of Southampton is another demonstration of the dynamism of the UK's research based economy. But savers who put their faith in Neil Woodford's biotech investment prowess will look on with consternation. Just a month ago, authorised corporate director Link Fund Solutions, which is liquidating Woodford's empire, sold a stake in Synairgen when it was worth just 8.1million. After a dramatic rise in the stock those shares would now be worth about 40.5million. Link has new, very serious questions to answer about its terrible timing. Retail therapy Covid-19 has turbo-charged change in commerce and the economy. In retail, the most obvious development has been the way in which the exit from the High Street to online has speeded up. There is a hidden revolution taking place too in terms of shortened and less complex supply chains and in the case of Marks & Spencer more autonomy to store managers. The latest 950 job cuts at M&S in store support functions and central office reflect that. The pandemic has forced the pace of change across the whole economy. Zoom's and Microsoft's 'meeting room' technology has demonstrated that more flexible working is not a pipedream. The switch from use of notes and coins to plastic and electronic currency and payments has become the natural order. In unveiling the latest job cuts, M&S is making the same kind of painful adjustments already seen at Boots and John Lewis. Much of the blame used to be heaped on business rates. The pandemic has shown there are more fundamental reasons why there have been so many insolvencies in retail. Shops are often in the wrong places, the way rents are set dates back to Victorian times, digital connections are transforming supply chains and online shopping is becoming the new norm. What people buy also has changed. At M&S demand for men's suits has tumbled and sales of shorts soared. Kidswear is booming with displays moved to front of store. M&S shares selling at less than one pound, one third of the value of a year ago, have proved a terrible investment. With a market value of less than 2billion, M&S is worth a fraction of 15.3billion Ocado and much less than upstarts Boohoo and Asos. Can the M&S tanker be turned? Transformation is being speeded up with grocery joint venture with Ocado, a streamlined supply chain and store portfolio and the embrace of online. One would hope that M&S's ethical supply chain will have more long-term appeal to consumers than Leicester sweat shops. Sand castles Fancy renting a beach hut for your staycation? It will be pricey. Data firms Howsy and GetAgent report that renting a hut in Mudeford in Dorset would cost 3,860 a month. In contrast a similar hut in fashionable Southwold in Suffolk would cost 832. Families wanting to buy might need a mortgage. One Dorset hut is advertised at 300,000. Jaw dropping. The Republican Party was founded largely to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence that All Men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Republicans cannot represent who we are to the American people if we forget who we are and accept attempts to distort and change our history. Instead of sincerely apologizing, Democrats simply lie about Republicans. Including the conveniently sidelined Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Grand Old Party has actually led the way on civil rights, constitutional rights, and equality before the law. The Civil Rights Acts were important Republican accomplishments that we must not let the country forget. It started with the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Eisenhower endorsed civil rights legislation in his 1956 State of the Union Address. Running on a civil rights platform, the GOP incumbent then easily defeated Democrat candidate Adlai Stevenson and increased his vote totals in the South in 1956 over the 1952 election. In 1957, Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent Congress a proposal for civil rights legislation, which he proposed in his 1957 State of the Union address, designed the bill, engineered it through Congress, and signed the first civil rights bill into law since Reconstruction. Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) introduced the civil rights bill on behalf of the Eisenhower Administration and assumed leadership to move the bill through the Senate. Republican Dirksen declared that Since 1945 I have been introducing bills for civil rights. Back when Republicans actually had backbones, the Republican National Committee issued a press release on August 6, 1957, attacking then U.S. Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson (D-TX) for opposing the Republican civil rights legislation. The RNC exposed how Democrats including LBJ as late as 1957 were fighting against the rights of African-Americans. By this legislation, Eisenhower created the Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, empowered federal prosecutors to get court orders enjoining interference with the right of blacks to vote, and established the Civil Rights Commission. The final act was weakened by Congress from Eisenhowers draft due to lack of support from the Democrats. However, as the Western Illinois Historical Review explains, prior to 1957, Southern congressmen and senators prevented any legislation from passing for decades due to their domination of powerful committees and their use of the filibuster. The 1957 act showed cracks in the system. Eisenhowers Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a game-changer because the Republicans opened the door to getting legislation passed, not because it was the one and only civil rights bill needed. Later that year, Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10730 on September 23, 1957, Desegregation of Central High School, calling out the National Guard to desegregate the South. The President nationalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent in National Guardsmen from the 101st Airborne Division, starting in Little Rock, Arkansas, to escort African-American students into previously whites-only segregated public schools. Next Republicans passed the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Republican Eisenhower proposed measures to strengthen enforcement and the teeth of his Civil Rights Act of 1957, including providing for federal prosecution for interfering with court orders regarding school desegregation. In keeping with the consistent pattern on civil rights, 81.5% of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted for Ikes 1960 Civil Rights Act while only 59% of Democrats did. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Democrat president Lyndon B. Johnson submitted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Congress in Kennedys name. However, Democrats in the U.S. Senate filibustered the 1964 legislation, led partly by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), former West Virginia KKK Exalted Cyclops, as even liberal Slate Magazine admits. It took Republicans to break the filibuster. Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) bypassed the Judiciary Committee chaired by an anti-civil rights Democrat. The filibuster lasted 57 working days and was broken when 27 Republican senators (82% of Republican senators) and 46 Democrat senators (68% of Democrat senators) voted for cloture. Without overwhelming Republican support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it would have died over a Democrat-led filibuster. Illinois Republican Everett Dirksen was critical in delivering the Republican votes necessary to pass the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. During his sixteen years in the House of Representatives, he had voted for anti-poll-tax and anti-lynching measures. In the Senate he had sponsored or cosponsored scores of bills dealing with civil rights. Throughout the 1950s, Dirksen introduced or cosponsored bills to create a Federal Commission on Civil Rights to study and develop programs to eliminate poll taxes and lynching, to increase federal funds to the Negro College Fund, and to establish February 12-19 as National Negro History Week. He carried the banner for the Eisenhower administrations civil rights bills and played an important role in passing civil rights legislation from 1957 through 1968. (See Frank Mackaman, The Long, Hard Furrow: Everett Dirksens Part in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.) Yet, historian Darren Miles opines that Dirksen was an unlikely candidate to champion civil rights legislation, because he was a conservative Republican, despite Dirksens obvious record as a fighter for civil rights. For the 1964 bill, Dirksen, after emerging from the hospital, went to [Republican Senate] members one by one, pleading with them, appealing to their moral sensibilities, reminding them of past favors, and warning of more civil unrest, exercising his beguiling talents to their fullest effect. This earned Dirksen recognition: Time magazine noted when Dirksen appeared on the cover of the June 19, 1964 issue, it is Dirksens bill, bearing his handiwork more than anyone elses. On final passage, in the U.S. House of Representatives, 136 out of 171 Republicans (80%) voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while only 153 out of 244 Democrats (only 63%) voted for it. In the U.S. Senate, 27 out of 33 Republicans (82%) voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while only 46 of 67 Democrats did (69%). (Laughingly, the left-wing media tries to hide these votes by controlling for region. Why would we control for region of the country?) We are told that racists from among Southern Democrats joined the Republican Party Why? Well, um. Democrat President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But. Republican President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and of 1960. And a greater percentage Republicans voted for all those civil rights bills than Democrats. So both Republican and Democrat Presidents signed civil rights legislation. And that would make racists vote Republican. why, exactly? President Donald Trump should make the theme of the Republican National Convention Fulfilling the Dream of Lincoln, Eisenhower, and King. Speakers should highlight each of the Black Republicans elected to Congress after the Civil War. Trump should read the Emancipation Proclamation and Constitutional amendments. Convention speakers should return the nation to the goals of Reconstruction and Republican civil rights efforts. With the state Senates passage of a $50 million commitment to a rail system connecting Western Massachusetts to Greater Boston, proponents can begin to say: Now were talking. Thats because money talks. This investment indicates the state is getting past the talking stage and toward action on the topic of east-west rail service. The $50 million will be set aside as a down payment on preparatory work as a feasibility study wraps up. The rail earmark is part of a much larger Senate borrowing package of nearly $17 billion for our states many transportation needs. Concern has existed that the east-west rail initiative would be pushed aside for other needs, especially those in areas with heavier legislative representation. The timing of the package, though, may work to the projects advantage. Gov. Charlie Baker has moved slowly (to say the least) on east-west rail. However, when it comes to overall transportation needs, the governor has assigned an urgency he compares to the recently completed education bill. The Senate package is a modified version of Bakers proposed bond bill. Passenger rail service connecting the geographic ends of this state has been viewed though the lens of Western Massachusetts, which needs and deserves to be part of the states economic growth. In reality, though, it would help the entire state. State officials finally seem to be coming around to understanding the potential. The state Department of Transportation concluded last month that east-west rail service could attract four to five times more passengers than first thought. Six options are under consideration. Cost estimates of these six range from $2 billion to $25 billion. All sides agree this project will require federal funding, but, again, timing could be favorable as $19 billion for rail expansion is included in a $1.5 trillion federal infrastructrure construction bill introduced last month. House Ways and Means chairman Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, is pushing for the east-west rail line to be part of it. State Sen. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, has worked tirelessly at the Statehouse, rallying support. The project is at a key juncture as it appears poised to move past the necessary study stage and into action. Its critical for our state legislative delegation, along with our federal lawmakers, to keep pitching. The Senate package brings the dream of passenger rail service connecting the state within view. The economic and related benefits make it too important to ease up on the gas pedal now. "Frozen water bottles, cans, other projectiles. There were a number of police officers that were injured as a result of that," Lightfoot said. "That's not peaceful protest. That's anarchy. We are going to put that down. We're actively investigating and we will bring those people to justice." As the calendar ticks closer to the start of a new school year in west-central Illinois, unique this August because it will mark the first time teachers and students have met in person since mid-March, the only certainty is uncertainty. School administrators have been working for the past month to adapt guidelines created by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Many of the checklists of items to help prevent COVID-19 can be done now, such as moving desks to create more separation and doing deep cleaning and disinfecting in buildings, but the larger challenge will come when students, faculty and staff members return to the classrooms. Since March 17, the 4,266 public school buildings across the state have essentially been ghost towns. Gov. J.B. Pritzker directed the nearly 3 million students in 1,070 school districts to switch to remote learning as the pandemic started to spread in Illinois. Online learning has its limitations, though, and Pritzker said at a news conference in June that classroom learning provides necessary opportunities for our students to learn, socialize and grow. That is a message reiterated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which said in a statement that the goal is having students physically present in school. Studies have indicated depression and feelings of isolation can result from extended time away from the support network schools can provide because it is difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression and suicidal ideation. The classroom will be significantly different this year, though. Students and teachers will be screened for coronavirus symptoms each day and will be required to wear face coverings. Gatherings of more than 50 people in classes and hallways will prohibited. The same limit applies to extracurricular activities although field trips are discouraged and although playgrounds can be open, schools are urged to consider whether to allow use of playground equipment. Beyond handling the logistics of the guidelines, some are questioning whether they will be enough to prevent an outbreak in schools. The Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers have expressed concerns about having the resources and being able to reduce class sizes enough to ensure safety. On Monday, the Illinois Federation of Teachers urged state officials to keep classes online this fall. Were in the worst crisis in at least 100 years. As much as anybody, we want to be back with our students, [but] at this time, the safest option is not in-person teaching, federation President Dan Montgomery said during a news conference. Journal-Courier readers who took part in a non-scientific survey about having students return to the classroom largely supported in-person classes resuming, with 50% in favor, 37.5% opposed and 12.5% undecided. Im at a quandary as to physically how it could be done, one person responded, but I do know anyone anywhere close to being at risk will fall off the cliff. Single-parent households with students too young to stay home alone while the parent works will be placed in a tremendous bind. But all those who responded believed there was a risk to students and teachers. The majority, 42.9%, believed the risk was significant. About 29% considered the risk marginal, and the same percentage felt there would be some risk involved. No one responded that there would be no risk, which raised concern among a few respondents. One death is too many, one person commented. A fourth of those who took the survey did not believe there needed to be any safety measures enforced, while most 37.5% said social distancing requirements would be important. Twenty-five percent said schools needed to screen students, faculty and staff each day, and 12.5% said face coverings should be required. At the same time, the majority of those responding did not think remote learning negatively impacted the childs education (50%) or mental well-being (62.5%). More respondents believed there had been a negative impact to education (37.5%) than to well-being (25%). I'm more concerned with the social and physical education disruption. I am lucky enough that my child adapts quickly and is a quick learner, but realize others are not as lucky, one parent said. I think some of the hands-on learning that has really helped kids develop and learn will also take a hit. I do not envy the teachers and administration staff. EDITORIAL Britains fingerprints are all over Saudi Arabias murderous war Getting on for 100,000 people have died in Saudi Arabias war on the Yemeni people and the number of children and infants dying from hunger, malnutrition and other conflict-related afflictions is also close to that number. Faisal II of Iraq, aged 18, taking his oath of office before Parliament in 1953. Imperial Britains exploitative relationship with the Middle East is a long-standing affair. One distinctive mark of imperialisms poisonous legacy is the post-colonial persistence of ethnic and political divisions which have bedevilled Britains former colonies. India, Ireland, Cyprus, Malaya, Sri Lanka, Guyana are all places where independence has been disfigured by divisions that, in the main, owe their toxicity to the tactics of a British ruling class that was and is a past master in the techniques of divide and rule. If the most toxic of the time bombs it left behind is to be found in the irreconcilable expectations engendered by the Balfour declaration, in which a beneficent Britain promised both Palestinians and Zionists the lands on which Palestinians lived, then the dispensation which divided up the neighbouring Arab lands with set square and ruler runs it close. When the British empire still included millions of subject peoples east of Suez, an obscure tribal figure was plucked from the remote Arabian hinterland to rule over the sands that covered the precious oil needed to fuel the Royal Navy in its defence of imperial plunder. And no less important was the Yemeni port of Aden, a way station and refuelling point for their majesties ships. It is that impossibly reactionary regime, driven by its deeply obscurantist Wahhabi brand of primitive religion and today headed by the murderous Mohammed bin Salman, that is responsible for the air war on Yemen. The Saudi air force is trained by Britain, our country and the United States supply the aircraft, the bombs, the replacement parts and maintenance services that keep it flying. Beyond the criminal complicity of our government in this war is the hypocrisy which finds any excuse to clothe imperial ambition in the guise of humanitarian intervention when the local regime is out of favour Syria, Iraq and Libya spring to mind but when the crimes are committed by a favoured ally, no sanctions can be applied. Labour under Jeremy Corbyn established a base line of opposition to the unsavoury alliance of Britain and Saudi Arabia, an alliance sanctified by intimate ties between the two royal families, cemented by massive flows of capital and lubricated with the exchange of oil and armaments. Keir Starmer won office by promising Labour members that he would continue the partys progressive policies and if there is a critical starting point for an ethical foreign policy in the Middle East, it is in ending the supply of aircraft, parts, training and logistic support for this inhuman war. Death in Bahrain The decision by Bahrains Court of Cassation on Monday to reinstate the death sentences for two local Shiite men is a transparently prejudicial act and an illustration of the double standards that Britain displays in its relations with its favoured regimes in the Middle East. Bahrain repays hypocritical words from Britain with more of the same. It was pressure from solidarity and human rights groups that led to the earlier court ruling that the confessions of these two men had followed torture. Reprieve director Maya Foa was spot on when she said: To Western partners, Bahrain promises human rights reform. To citizens, it threatens that if you speak out, you will be imprisoned, tortured and convicted of crimes you did not commit. These unlawful death sentences are intended as a warning to would-be dissidents. It is time to clip the claws of these despotic regimes. Morning Star The majority of the worlds oil producers have been racing to heavily cut back spending and production in response to the oil market crisis, while Mexicos national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), has been acting like the crash never happened, vowing to nearly double drilling activity and, ironically, needing the intervention of Donald Trump to meet its assigned production cut of 400,000 bpd required by OPEC+. But in a true testament of just how brutal the oil price crash has been, Pemex has finally bowed to the pressure and joined its Latin American peers Brazils Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) and Colombias state firm Ecopetrol SA to trim their 2020 capex by 30%, according to a new Moodys report via Natural Gas Intelligence. Big-spending Pemex is set to cut its 2020 capital expenditure by ~$2B, or 20% of its planned capex of $10B with Petrobras lowering spending by $3B while Ecopetrol will cut by $2.3B. The three national oil companies (NOCs) will combine for 88% of the regions planned $8.4B in 2020 spending cuts. Lowering Production In April, recalcitrant Pemex had vowed to nearly double drilling to 423 wells and accelerate development of 15 recent discoveries; grow its production by 9% in the current year and 1 million barrels/day by 2024 in a desperate bid to stem years of production declines. Never mind the fact that experts say that many of those operations are unprofitable at current oil prices. But that will now have to wait. Mexico is the only Latin American country that has continued growing its rig count since the coronavirus hit, with May rig count clocking in at 42 rigs compared with 34 in the year-ago month.Still, the countrys oil production fell to 1.64 million b/d in May compared with 1.66 million b/d during last years comparable period. Meanwhile gas production fell 5.5% to 3.61 Bcf/d down from 3.82 Bcf/d a year earlier. Pemex is responsible for producing the vast majority of Mexicos oil and gas, accounting for 1.59 million b/d of Mays 1.64 million b/d clip. Related: Chevron Acquires Noble Energy In First Major COVID Oil Deal Pemexs decision to cut back spending has definitely been informed by the reality of the oil markets after the company reported a heavy loss last term. The company said it had incurred a staggering loss of 562 billion pesos ($23 billion) during the first quarter, a massive jump from the 35.7 billion pesos ($1.5 billion) loss in the year-ago period in part due to a weakening peso. Moodys has estimated that Pemex will now have to draw completely on its $8.9 billion committed credit facilities to adequately fund its capital spending in the current year just to keep its production stable. Further, Pemexs traditional annual hedge will only yield some 7.5 billion pesos ($311 million) this year. Thats the case because the hedge only covers some 20% of crude exports, with this years hedge fixed at $49 per barrel. Government Support That said, Pemex continues to enjoy the full support of the Mexican government. Its executives have frequently touted the support it receives from the government to strengthen the oil companys financial position. This includes a profit-sharing duty, or DUC by its Spanish acronym, which will cover ~80% of the companys direct fiscal burden to the tune of 65 billion pesos ($2.7 billion) this year. In total, Pemex will receive government support of about 156 billion pesos ($6.5 billion) in measures to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and falling oil prices. Unlike Petrobras, which is genuinely run as an independent entity with generating profits a top consideration, production growth is the Mexican governments top priority. But with the Mexcican economy recently having hit the skids, it would be foolhardy for Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors government to continue throwing good money after bad given how much cash Pemex has been bleeding. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Governor who said this during a meeting with APC ward and local government chairmen on Sunday July 19, said increased attacks by bandits has led to abduction of people for ransom, killings and destruction of property. Masari insisted that politicians are sponsoring the attacks to make the party appear not to be in control so they could be voted out in 2023. He said; Most of the bandits and Boko Haram attacks facing the northern part of the country are sponsored by some politicians who are enemies of the present APC government at both federal and state. During the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, there were multiple bombs in Maiduguri, Kano and even Abuja. The Kano bombing then killed more than 500 people. Mosques, churches and roads were closed due to insecurity but today, God has prevented us from such insecurity but we have forgotten. Today, politicians who are willing or intending to contest 2023 elections are sponsoring banditry because the way the bandits mastered how to operate guns and by how they specialised in ambushing soldiers, we should know that there is someone behind it. They are saying we dislodged the PDP administration because of insecurity, so they want to make use of insecurity to also send APC away, that is why all APC should be vigilante. The military and the police cannot do it alone, they dont have the numbers neither do they have all the equipment required to complete the fight alone. Community members have all that it takes to inform and support the fight against insecurity. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:20:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOHHOT, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) has recognized a Tai Chi patterned crop field in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the world's "largest crop field Tai Chi pattern." The Tai Chi pattern is composed of wheat and rapeseed flowers, with a diameter of 1,301.13 meters and a total area of about 1.33 million square meters. This landscape was created by Shiwei Farm in its manor on the right bank of the Ergune River, the Sino-Russian border river. The manor is a complex project of agriculture, culture and tourism. In recent years, Shiwei Farm has been developing eco-tourism with the local ecological environment and folk culture. Tian Yimin, an official of Shiwei Farm, said the certification of "the largest crop field Tai Chi pattern" will help increase the farm's popularity and turn it into a well-known tourist attraction. Enditem President Donald Trump walks to the White House residence after exiting Marine One on the South Lawn on June 25, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Trump Says Daily Virus Briefings to Resume as Cases Surge President Donald Trump said his White House task force on the COVID-19 pandemic will resume giving daily news briefings following a weeks-long surge in cases. The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he will deliver a briefing at 5 p.m. on July 21. The task force provided briefings during the onset of the CCP virus pandemic in March and April. Over the past month, Vice President Mike Pence, head of the task force, and other members have given several briefings, as cases have risen in some parts of the United States. What were going to do is Ill get involved, and well start doing briefings, Trump said, adding that the focus will be different. The briefings, he said, will be focused on vaccines and therapies for the virus. Well start them again and I think its a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with the vaccines, with the therapeutics, and generally speaking, where we are, he told reporters in televised comments. People wearing face masks walk past a Best Buy store near Union Square in New York on June 25, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) At the same time, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany will continue to provide reporters with updates at an earlier time on a daily basis, Trump said. Ill be discussing theas I call it, the China virus, the China plague. Ill be discussing it and Ill also be discussing perhaps some other things, he said, possibly referring to criticisms of the CCP for covering up the existence and transmission of the novel coronavirus when it emerged in Wuhan late last year. So far, according to researchers, more than 140,000 people have died from the virus in the United States, and more than 3 million cases have been confirmed so far. In recent days, there has been an uptick in cases across Arizona, Texas, California, and Florida. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters last week she hoped the daily CCP virus briefings would resume, adding that they gave Trump a boost in the polls. His approval rating on the pandemic was higher when he was at the podium, Conway said at the time. Trump also mentioned the TV ratings during the briefings. I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching in the history of cable television, and theres never been anything like it, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Toby Sterling (Reuters) Amsterdam, Netherlands Mon, July 20, 2020 09:37 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b9180 2 World Mark-Rutte,EU,recovery-funds,recovery-plan,coronavirus,COVID-19,economic-impact Free As EU negotiations over a coronavirus recovery fund and a new budget for the bloc ran into an impasse, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte was singled out by one leader this weekend as the "man responsible for the whole mess". Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused him of that, while Spanish and Italian diplomats have taken to calling him "Mr. No No No!". Standing up for not spending money on European projects requires a naysayer, and Rutte has taken on the role with calculated determination as leader of a group of smaller "frugal" nations. While he may cut a less colorful figure than Margaret Thatcher a generation ago, Rutte's readiness to don the mantle of parsimony after Britain's departure from the EU is solidly grounded in public opinion and politics at home. The Dutch, who support EU membership by a two-thirds majority, take pride in both their history as a trading nation and their traditional Calvinist thrift. Dutch taxpayers are aware that they are proportionately among the largest contributors to the EU budget, and the idea of giving or lending more is unpopular. The "Mr. No" moniker derives from an April video clip, frequently retweeted, that shows a Dutch waste collector shouting at Rutte not to give money to "those Italians and French". "Oh, no, no, no." Rutte replied. "I will remember this." Critics say the Dutch reluctance to spend now is misplaced, given the country's large trade surplus with the rest of the EU. Unicredit economist Erik Nielsen argued in a note on Sunday that the Dutch 2018 net budget contribution of 2.4 billion euros "tells only a small part of the real financial story". "According to the Tax Justice Network, that same year, the Netherlands tax haven structures helped them grab 6.7 billion euros in tax receipts from Germany, France, Italy and Spain," he wrote. But conversations in the Netherlands more often focus on whether Dutch prosperity is the result of a tougher work ethic, and whether it is fair to share funds with countries that have a lower retirement age. Domestic politics also play a role. With national elections looming in March, Rutte's conservative VVD Party must jockey with far-right parties for exactly those voters most likely to be euro-skeptic. In addition, his current center-right coalition lacks a majority in parliament. Any compromise struck in Brussels now that goes too far in the eyes of the Dutch might not be ratified later in The Hague. This rejection happened in 2005 and again, to a deal Rutte had agreed to, in 2016. Todays piece was inspired by the numerous requests by ardent readers of this column seeking to hear my take on the choice of Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman as the running mate of Candidate Ogwanfunu. I was thus compelled to suspend the 'dziwo fie asem' policy, which had necessitated my silence on the matter. Indeed, I never knew my opinion mattered so much to my readers. This piece is targeted at those with open minds, and not party fanatics. This is because trying to convince party fanatics is like killing a mosquito on your cheeks. You might kill it or not, but you will end up slapping yourself for sure. Was I surprised at the choice of the academic as running mate of President Ogwanfunu? Yes, I was. I was of the belief that choosing someone with a background in economics would have been a better choice. But I think she was his safest and best choice considering the options available to him. With the exception of Dr. Kwesi Botchway, all the other contenders had baggage, which are still fresh in many minds. Some are currently in court struggling to untangle themselves from the legal web, while others are on the verge of being dragged to court to answer for alleged malfeasance in the oil sector during President Ogwanfunus reign. Can you imagine choosing a running mate only for him to spend more time in court than on the campaign trail? If I were in President Ogwanfunus shoes, I would do same. The argument being espoused today about the choice of Prof. Opoku-Agyeman brings a sense of deja vu. We heard similar stories when the late Amissah-Arthur was appointed the vice-president and running mate of the same man. They rubbished Dr. Bawumias former deputy governorship role at the Central Bank and said the real governor and economic guru had arrived. But when the real economic debate started, we all saw how Mr. Deputy Governor taught Mr. Governor useful economic lessons. And that marked the beginning of the end for Mr. Governor. I recall Mr. Governor not being able to answer questions from Mr. Deputy Governor, claiming he had been advised by family and friends not to engage in that kind of discourse. He eventually tried answering some of the questions, which sounded like voodoo economics to even lay persons like my grandmother. In the end, the ticket performed abysmally. Today, it is a debate between a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) holder and a professor. Indeed, it is only ignorance that will make one compare the two. There is no qualification higher than a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). 'PhD' is a terminal degree whereas 'Professor' is a rank related to university teaching. How then can someone who has worked in industry most of his working life ever get a 'professorial' title when such titles are reserved for only those in academia? Well, whether professor or not, weve had the opportunity to see Prof. Opoku-Agyemans work at the Education Ministry and I can bet my last Ghana cedi that a first degree holder could have done better. I cannot remember seeing any significant change at the ministry during her reign as minister. Yes, no scandal was recorded under her watch so her integrity can be said to be intact. But trust me when I tell you that no trainee nurse or trainee teacher will believe her or her partys promise to maintain the trainee allowance after their yen tie obiaa stance when they were in power. In any case, who will rate a running mate higher than the main candidate? A corrupt and incompetent candidate will forever be perceived in that light no matter the choice of running mate. It is in that light I conjecture that this too will be a losing ticket. As I write, Interpol has issued an arrest warrant against Samuel Mahama, President Ogwanfunus brother. Is there still any doubt about the identity of Government Official 1 in the Airbus bribery scandal? Surely, the chickens are gradually coming home to roost. Abusuapanin, one person whose opinion I will like to hear on this matter is Allotey Jacobs, aka 'The Educated Fisherman'. Im yet to hear him speak but Im pretty sure he is not enthused about the professors nomination as running mate because we all know he expected someone who could match Dr. Bawumia boot for boot. Many Zu-za folks will not admit it publicly; but they do concede privately that Dr. Bawumia is a very formidable opponent. The man who has changed Zongo politics from rice and sugar distribution to offering scholarships to Zongo youth to pursue medical studies abroad is indeed not an opponent to toy with. The man who has helped to resuscitate the dying economy Zu-za left behind, and went ahead to digitize it, is definitely a very formidable force to reckon with. With such high performance as vice-president, coupled with his unblemished integrity when it comes to corruption, I cannot help but wonder how the lady professor could be more attractive than 'The Walewale Adam Smith' in the December 2020 polls. But only time, they say, can tell the future; so lets wait for it! See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente! A proposal by San Francisco and Santa Clara County officials to control funds from a November sales tax measure for Caltrain could mean the transit agency never sees a dime, a group of local, state and congressional lawmakers said in a statement Sunday. Like many transit agencies, Caltrain which runs from San Francisco to the South Bay is struggling financially as ridership plunges during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, passenger fares accounted for 70% of Caltrains revenue, but its weekday ridership that averaged 65,000 has dropped by 95%. The sales tax, initially proposed to fund a service expansion for Caltrain, is now needed as its own source of funding to keep the rail line operational, proponents say. Disbursement of the sales tax funds has become contentious, after a new condition was set forth by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, first reported by The Chronicle, stating that funds from the potential tax (an increase of one-eighth of a cent) would go back into the county in which they are collected. The countys transit agency would then control the money, and it would have the authority to give all of it, or a snippet of it, to Caltrain. The condition proposed by San Francisco and Santa Clara officials prompted a handful of Peninsula politicians to say the move violates the law. The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo; Assemblymen Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, and Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto; San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine; and Belmont Vice Mayor Charles Stone. While its wildly popular, Caltrain could shut down without its own funding, the letter said. To prevent this, the legislature passed a statute to allow the public to decide. The statute requires that, if the ballot measure passes, the tax money go to Caltrain. ...All of us need to keep riders first and foremost in our minds. Its really quite simple. A clean deal is what the riders and public deserve. Let the voters decide, the statement concluded. San Francisco and Santa Clara officials have long been frustrated by the governance structure of Caltrain. 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. San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton is on the three-county Joint Powers Board that oversees Caltrain (which is run by the San Mateo County Transit District, or SamTrans). He tweeted Sunday: Its unfortunate that (San Mateo) County leaders think they can continue to extort SF and Santa Clara Counties and maintain 100% decision making, when its a fact that SF and Santa Clara County would make up 80% of the 100 million dollars in revenue from the proposed Caltrain tax. The tax measure is undergoing a complicated approval process via seven government bodies the boards of supervisors in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and four transit boards. After the measure wins approval from the government bodies, it will need to pass by a two-thirds voter majority across the three counties. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika Instagram: @shwanika KFC is set to make history. This week, the company revealed plans to launch the world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets. The project would be part of their "restaurant of the future" concept. In a recently published statement, the famous fast-food company announced it was working with the 3D Bioprinting Solutions laboratory located in Moscow, Russia. The research team aims to develop bioprinting technology that can produce chicken meat by using animal cells and plant material. The world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets would taste and feel like nuggets made from genuine animal meat. Additionally, it would be more environmentally friendly to produce and would not cause harm to animals. KFC plans to maintain their ingredients and spices while using bioprinting to achieve the taste their consumers know and love. Will it be vegetarian? KFC's bioprinting will still use animal materials. Nuggets produced by the bioprinting process would not be vegetarian. However, the fast-food giant offered a vegetarian option at several locations. Last year, KFC became the first fast-food chain in the United States to serve plant-based chicken products from Beyond Meat. The healthier and environmentally friendly product is offered in the forms of nuggets and boneless wings. The fast-food chain plans to roll out the plant-based products to different branches this coming summer. More than 50 locations, including those found in Los Angeles and San Diego, could get a taste of KFC's finger linkin' good chicken. KFC said that the bioprinted nuggets were friendlier to the environment than nuggets produced using chicken meat. They claimed a study by the American Environmental Science and Technology Journal showed growing meat from cells would decrease greenhouse gas emissions. It also consumed less energy compared to traditional farming methods. Bioprinting would also allow KFC to remove various additives used in farming. Yusef Khesuani, the co-founder of 3D Bioprinting Solutions, touted their 3D printing technologies, which is also widely acknowledged in medicine in recent years, The Verge reports. Khesuani said he hopes their company's partnership with KFC could help launch cell-based meat products on the market. How are 3D bioprinted products made? 3D bioprinting is a slow and difficult procedure that has seen some promising developments within the medical community. The University of California at Berkeley researchers are aiming to print human organs ready for transplantation. The team launched the project last year. Initially, the biological materials deteriorated before the 3D printing was completed. The researchers adapted a method where the biological materials would be frozen as it was printed. The 3D bioprinted nuggets will undergo its final testing in Moscow this coming fall, KFC said. Their announcement did not mention how its partnership with the Russian company differed from other bioprinting initiatives. The fast-food chain has yet to announce a date when the printed nuggets would be available for KFC customers to try. Other fast-food chains have also turned to plant-based meat as a way to bring in new customers during the pandemic. Want to read more? Check these out: Following intensive public education and distribution of facemasks and hand sanitizers to registrants, EC officials, security officers and the public at voter registration centres in the Greater Accra Region, the Coastal Development Authority (CODA), has extended support to stakeholders in the ongoing compilation of new voters register by the Electoral Commission in the Central Region. Mfantseman Constituency On Sunday, 19th July, 2020, the CODA Public Education Team was in the Mfantseman Constituency. The Team, led by the CEO and ably supported by the MP for Mfantseman Constituency, Hon. Ekow Hayford visited registration centers to educate stakeholders on the safety protocols laid down by government and the need for all citizens to strictly adhere to these measures to stop the spread of coronavirus. The two leaders also distributed facemasks and hand sanitizers as a gesture to ensure, primarily, that all stakeholders in the voter registration are protected while they go through the process. The Team also went to Saltpond Market, where traders were educated on the protocols and encouraged to protect themselves and their customers by complying with same. Cape Coast South Constituency The CODA Team continued to the Cape Coast South Constituency where Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib was joined by the Mayor of Cape Coast, Hon Ernest Arthur to visit voter registration centers to educate applicants and officials on the government measures on COVID-19 and to distribute facemasks and hand sanitizers to the public. Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme In the course of the public education exercise, the CEO took time off to inspect ongoing CODA-approved constituency-specific projects from allocations under one million dollars per constituency initiative being funded under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI). At Mfantseman Constituency, the CEO inspected the ongoing construction of a modern durbar grounds with user-friendly facilities that will accommodate the needs of all, including persons living with disabilities. The project when completed will be used as venue for major social and cultural events in Mfantseman Constituency. CEO also inspected the ongoing construction of the Anafo Market in Cape Coast South Constituency. The modern market when completed will have 277 lockable and open stalls with paved ground and a creche. At Yamoransa, Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib visited the site of ongoing construction of an insite market for fante kenkey sellers. He also educated them on COVID-19 safety protocols and shared some facemasks and hand sanitizers to them. He encourages them to form a union to qualify for support from the CODA Credit Union. Victoria has ordered millions of face masks as school students and teachers will receive them for free as the state prepares for mandatory face coverings. Prime Minister Scott Morrison insists there will be plenty of masks to go around, as NSW residents are also urged to consider wearing them where social distancing is not possible. The Victorian government has ordered 1.37 million reusable masks to give out to teachers and students, on top of 1.2 million single-use masks. Masks will be mandatory in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from Thursday in a bid to curb community transmission of the virus. Victoria has ordered millions of face masks as school students and teachers will receive them for free as the state prepares for mandatory face coverings. In one Asian-owned Melbourne store masks are selling for $59.99 per 50 (pictured) A view of face masks for sale inside a store in Melbourne on Monday as the city prepares for mandatory face coverings Masks will be mandatory in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from Thursday in a bid to curb community transmission of the virus Residents in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire sprung without a mask in public risk a $200 fine. The federal government is also providing another million masks for Victorian workers in aged care and disability centres. Victoria recorded 275 new coronavirus cases on Monday and another death, a woman in her 80s, bringing the national toll to 123. Premier Daniel Andrews is confident strict lockdowns will be effective, so long as everyone follows the rules. 'We can't afford to ignore the absolute truth of what we face and that is that this virus is not yet contained,' he said in Melbourne on Monday. 'We can't wish it away. We can't ignore it.' People trapped in hotspots have been flocking to chemists to stock up on masks before Thursday. On Monday, some chemists in Melbourne's west were already beginning to run short of supplies, with at least one chemist in the hotspot of Wyndham depleted entirely. While stocks are expected to be quickly replenished, Victorians are being urged to consider making their own reusable masks. A woman wearing a face mask walks past a sign advertising masks in Melbourne on Monday Signage for facemarks and gloves are seen at an entrance to a Priceline Pharmacy in Melbourne Victoria's COVID-19 tally continues to worry authorities and Victorians trapped within the state Down on the streets, confused Melburnians have bombarded their local chemists with questions. A Department of Health and Human Services web page continues to display out-of-date and incorrect information. Prices varied from chemist to chemist, with shoppers in Hoppers Crossing paying anywhere up to $5 a mask. One chemist had completely run out of its 10 for $15 masks and only had $5 face shields left. Chemist Warehouse appeared to offer the best bang for buck, selling a 50 pack of masks for $49. On Werribee's main strip, a 10 pack of masks cost $40. In Wyndham Vale, where shoppers could be seen out in their fluffy slippers and face masks, single masks were selling for about $3 a pop. Premier Daniel Andrews is confident strict lockdowns will be effective, so long as everyone follows the rules At Werribee Pacific shopping centre, people can get a 10 pack of masks for $20 Face masks in the COVID hotspot of Wyndham vary in price from suburb to suburb. At Manor Lakes, in Wyndham Vale, people could pick up a mask for a little under $3 In one Asian-owned Melbourne store masks are selling for $59.99 per 50. The prime minister said mask production had been ramped up to meet demand. 'It might require a bit of patience at the outset, when there's a bit of a rush on,' he said. 'And for the state government who has decided to make that mandatory, I have no doubt that they would have considered the supply issues when they made that decision.' More than masks, the PM said, it was vital for everyone to keep up social distancing and hygeine habits. Twenty new cases were confirmed in NSW on Monday, all linked to three growing clusters and returned travellers. Across the road from the Werribee Pacific shopping centre, people could pick up two masks for $10, which can be worn for about eight hours before they need replacing In Werribee, a 10 pack of masks will set you about about $40 and stocks were getting low on Monday Premier Gladys Berejiklian said businesses had been given a week to comply with tougher restrictions - 'against my better judgment' - but the full letter of the law would apply from Friday. 'Some businesses have been absolutely outstanding ... you can feel when you walk in the door, you can tell they are COVID-safe, but too many aren't taking them seriously enough,' she said in Sydney. She also asked people to limit non-essential travel, avoid crowds and 'if you cannot guarantee people around you will respect that social distancing, you must wear a mask'. Authorities are trying to trace a growing coronavirus cluster on the NSW south coast, with the Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay closed for two weeks after eight people tested positive. Anyone who dined at the waterfront venue between July 13 and 17 is being urged to get tested and self-isolate. Canberrans who were there during school holidays will be required to self-isolate. The disappearance of Jennifer Dulos will once again be the focus of an upcoming episode of "Dateline NBC." The episode, which is entitled "The Day Jennifer Disappeared," will premiere on Monday, July 20, and will focus on how Connecticut police are still actively searching for her over a year after her disappearance. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts during a visit to The Discovery School in Kent, Britain July 20, 2020. Jeremy Selwyn/Pool via REUTERS Jeremy Selwyn/Pool via REUTERS The row between London and Beijing has escalated after Boris Johnson's government suspended the UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong. It comes after China passed a draconian security law in Hong Kong which has already seen hundreds of pro-democracy protestors arrested. The UK infuriated Beijing earlier this month when it offered 3 million visas to Hong Kong residents. Senior Conservative MPs in the UK are pressuring Boris Johnson to ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media giant, in the UK. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The UK government has announced that it will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong amid escalating tensions between Beijing and London. The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that China's imposition of new national security legislation on Hong Kong meant that the UK will have to "immediately and indefinitely" suspend the extradition of Hong Kong nationals from the UK. He said the move was designed to protect Hong Kong activists living in the UK and said it was a direct result of "China's failure to live up to its [international] responsibilities." The UK prime minister Boris Johnson earlier on Monday confirmed reports that the UK would review its extradition arrangements with Hong Kong after China passed a draconian security law on the island which has already seen hundreds of pro-democracy protestors arrested. "We obviously have concerns about what's happening in Hong Kong," Johnson said during a visit to a school in Kent, England. "You'll be hearing a bit later on from the Foreign Secretary about how we're going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about what's happening with the security law in Hong Kong." It comes ahead of a formal statement from Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, later today. Raab on Saturday accused China of "gross and egregious" human rights abuses against Chinese Uighur Muslims amid reports of forced sterilisation and organ harvesting. Story continues He said sanctions against the Chinese government could not be ruled out, while China's UK ambassador said reports of concentration camps in China were "fake." Nathan Law, a prominent pro-democracy activist who fled Hong Kong to London when the security law was introduced earlier this month, told the Daily Mail newspaper he was relieved that Dominic Raab planned to scrap the extradition treaty. 'That's such good news because it means that Britain recognises that Hong Kong's rule of law does not exist,' he told the Mail. Johnson insisted he would not "completely abandon our policy of engagement" with China and said the UK would adopt a "calibrated response." The move nonetheless risks further angering China, with relations between Beijing and London having deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. Last week when Johnson said he was banning Huawei, the tech giant with links to the Chinese government, from building Britain's 5G network, reversing a decision made in January. The UK also infuriated China by offering visas to around 3 million Hong Kong residents in light of the new security law on the island. In scrapping the UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong, the UK follows the example of the US, Canada, and Australia, who have all scrapped their own arrangements with the former British colony in response to China's crackdown there. Read the original article on Business Insider By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the state government's failure to implement its orders on the COVID-19 outbreak and for misleading the public in media bulletins. The Court directed the state chief secretary and principal secretaries of the medical, health and municipal administration departments to appear before it on July 28. Terming the contents of the report submitted by the state on the COVID-19 outbreak 'bald and vague', the Court pulled up the government for fudging figures. The Court also took a serious view of media bulletins mentioning that the "High Court appreciated the government's efforts" and said the government is misleading the people. There is no respect for court orders. It appears that they are falling on deaf ears. The people are left to their fate, the Court remarked and termed the prevailing situation 'alarming'. Further, the Court directed the government to give critical information on all the government and private COVID-19 designated hospitals with regard to availability of beds, ventilators, oxygen beds and so on. It also directed the district collectors to publicise local cases on a daily basis. Besides, the court asked about the government's containment policy. The Court also pointed out that Telangana is far behind in the conduct of tests compared to states like Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. The Court passed these directions on hearing a batch of PILs seeking directions to the state government to provide required medical equipment, medicines and trained staff to the designated COVID-19 hospitals and to take steps to curtail the spread of the virus. An anonymous official who said they possess detailed evidence of Mike Pompeos questionable activities as US Secretary of State was blocked from reporting those issues within the State Department, according to a newly-public whistleblower complaint. The complaint was released during the weekend following legal challenges by the government watchdog group American Oversight, which sued the State Department in an effort to obtain access to whistleblower complaints filed against Mr Pompeo. A heavily-redacted four-page document, the complaint accuses Mr Pompeo of engaging in concerning activities throughout Washington, in New York and Florida and overseas all of which the whistleblower claimed to have witnessed. I directly witnessed much of the behaviour, the complaint read. The anonymous official and State Department employees who tried on several occasions to obtain clarifications and guidance from senior leadership and from the Office of Legal Advisors about Mr Pompeos conduct were ultimately blocked from doing so, according to the complaint. The State Department appeared to confirm the existence of a probe surrounding Mr Pompeos activities as Secretary of State following the release of the whistleblower complaint, attributing the redactions to an ongoing investigation. It was previously reported that State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was close to finishing an investigation into Mr Pompeo and filing his report before President Donald Trump fired Mr Linick at Mr Pompeos request. The Secretary of State has been accused of using State Department employees to run his personal errands, as well as bypassing Congress and approving controversial arms sales without proper government oversight. Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight, said in a statement after the release of the whistleblower complaint: In some ways, this is good news, because theres some indication now that the inspector generals office has not backed off of investigating the secretarys conduct. He added: But in other ways, theres much we still dont know about that conduct. The whistleblower complaint was released just before Mr Pompeo landed in the UK for a two-day visit to discuss everything from the international response and recovery to Covid-19, to trade relations between the two countries. The Independent has asked the State Department for comment. MANILA, Philippines Due to the rise in cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection in Pasig City, the local government unit (LGU) has imposed a 14-day lockdown in selected areas of Barangay Manggahan. The localized enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which took effect Sunday (July 19), covers the streets of Pipino, Labanos, Okra, and Ubas in the Ninoy Aquino Pilot Community or NAPICO area. Barangay Chairwoman Shiela de Asis appealed to her constituents to strictly comply with the health protocols especially the wearing of face masks and physical distancing to curb COVID-19 transmission. She assured that residents affected by the lockdown will be able to get food assistance from the LGU. As of July 19, Barangay Manggahan has recorded around 110 positive cases, 54 of which are active. Death toll in the area stands at seven. The Pasig City Police Office said essential workers and authorized persons outside residence (APOR) are the only ones allowed to go out provided they present their valid company ID and permit to leave premises issued by the PCPO. A P5,000 fine would be slapped on violators of the localized ECQ that will end on August 2. MNP (with inputs from Jun Soriao) The post 4 areas in Pasig City under localized ECQ appeared first on UNTV News. tech2 News Staff In a launch some may call historic, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab nation to launch an interplanetary mission the Hope (Al Amal in Arabic) Mars orbiter mission. In the wee hours of the morning, at 3.28 am IST (1:58 a.m. UAE time) on 20 July 2020, Hope Probe or Amal-1 was finally launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. It was launched in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, using its H2A202 rocket that is apart of the H-IIA launch vehicle family. Originally scheduled to blast off on 15 July at 2.21 am IST, a revised launch date was announced for Friday, 17 July at 2.13 am IST which was also postponed. The launch of the Mars orbiter was delayed on two separate occasions this month due to bad weather around the launchpad in Japan. With the launch of this orbiter, the UAE is striving to develop its scientific and technological capabilities while reducing its reliance on oil. It has also set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. Hope is now set to reach Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since its formation. About the Hope Probe The Mars orbiter was developed through a partnership between Mohamed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and Arizona State University (ASU). The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) has cost the nation $200 million, according to Sarah al-Amiri, the UAE's Minister for Advanced Sciences and the Mars missions deputy project manager. With the mission, UAE hopes to contribute to the study of the Martian atmosphere by mapping daily and seasonal changes of key gases that are thought to quickly escape to space. Just over an hour after launch, the probe successfully separated from the launch vehicle and deployed its solar panels to power its systems. It also was able to successfully established radio communication with ground control on Earth. Launch process complete: The Hope Probe has successfully separated from the launch vehicle. #HopeMarsMission Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 19, 2020 The solar panels of the Hope Probe have been deployed. These panels will charge the onboard batteries of the spacecraft. #HopeMarsMission Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 19, 2020 The first signal from the Hope Probe has been transmitted.#HopeMarsMission Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 19, 2020 According to a report by The Guardian and a live stream of the launch, cheers and claps followed liftoff, and one woman even offered a celebratory cry. Amiri said that seeing the launch blasting off was an indescribable feeling. This is the future of the UAE, Amiri told Dubai TV from the launch site. The ground segment at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, has received and communicated the first signals with the #HopeProbe. #HopeMarsMission pic.twitter.com/1iFgd5248J Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 20, 2020 It was great to see everything going according to schedule today. It looks like things are all on track. Its a huge step in terms of space exploration to have a nation like the UAE taking that giant leap to send a spacecraft to Mars, Astronomer Fred Watson told The Associated Press. Being on route to a planet like Mars is an exceptional achievement. Hope to be the ninth active Mars mission There are currently eight active missions on Mars that are either orbiting the red planet or rovers exploring the surface. The UAE has become the fifth country to send a mission to Mars after the US, Russia, ESA and India. The #HopeMarsMission will reach Mars orbit in February 2021, joining the ranks of these orbiters currently active there: Mars Odyssey - 2001 Mars Express - 2003 Mars Recon Orbiter - 2006 Mars Orbiter Mission - 2014 MAVEN - 2014 Mars Trace Gas Orbiter - 2016 pic.twitter.com/ID0wKR0SlN Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) July 19, 2020 One Martian year is equal to almost two years on Earth i.e. Mars takes two Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun. It is only once every two years that the two planets come into perfect alignment with each other around the Sun. This alignment is the ideal time for an Earth-Mars journey since it saves on time, money and fuel. Interplanetary missions are no joke; in any and all conditions, are an expensive, time-consuming affair that requires a lot of planning. While the orbiter has launched today, it will not be making its way directly to Mars. It will be put into a geosynchronous orbit where both the upper stage and the Hope probe will stay in this orbit till Mars and Earth align just right. Two other Mars missions have also been planned in the upcoming days by the US and China. Japan has its own Martian moon mission planned in 2024. The Rosalind Franklin rover, a joint effort by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), has been postponed to 2022 after the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic affected operations. The launch was met with a lot of enthusiasm and gusto on Twitter. Here are some of our favourite reactions: Hannahs drawing on Hope Mars Mission - Draw Hope Program #HopeMarsMission pic.twitter.com/2bMu7Wr4KR Roshan John (@JohnsroshanJohn) July 15, 2020 There are Muslims who launch rockets to Mars and Muslims who launch rockets at their neighbours. Only an ignorant thinks both are the same. Well done to the UAE on its #HopeMarsMission. This is one great achievement for humanity. pic.twitter.com/qUuc2t8j9R Imam of Peace (@Imamofpeace) July 20, 2020 Congrats to the team that worked on @HopeMarsMission. Its truly amazing what @UAESpaceAgency & @MBRSpaceCentre have accomplished in such a short time. Hope is exactly what the world needs and thank you to the UAE & @MHI_Group for inspiring all of us: https://t.co/cZ389gpzdR pic.twitter.com/ktLsIDzWsq Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) July 19, 2020 Thank you, @MarsCuriosity. Your work on Mars has been a key source of inspiration throughout the Hope Probe journey so far. Coming your way. See you in seven months. Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 19, 2020 @NASAJPL Its been an incredible journey so far, and we cant wait to get there. Earth is getting farther away, as my destination gets closer. Thank you for keeping me connected to home through the Deep Space Network. Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 19, 2020 To the @HopeMarsMission: Congratulations on your launch! I wish you a successful journey and look forward to the sol when we are both exploring Mars. pic.twitter.com/AsnkYINX2C NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) July 19, 2020 Once #HopeMarsMission gets to Mars in February of next year, it will go into a temporary orbit initially as it slows down, and then adjust itself into its happy science orbit. pic.twitter.com/uQNpCIQc81 Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) July 19, 2020 With inputs from wires. Friendly salon for foreigners in Shanghai held to share anti-epidemic experience By:Huang Qingyang, Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-07-20 09:56 The COVID-19 epidemic that occurred in China early this year and has turned into a continuing pandemic has sparked a wide discussion on how to regulate a moderncity, deal with emergencies and improve the public sanitation system. A salon themed around future co-operation on these aspects was held recently in Shanghai, in which foreign experts and residents in Shanghai were invited to have a group discussion. Participants also shared their insights on the possible opportunities as well as challenges Shanghai might face in the future. China has been playing an important role in helping fight this global pandemic. Ever since the epidemic occurred, Shanghai has reacted positively and has made effective achievements. Yu Bin, vice-president of Shanghais Overseas Returned Scholars Association, pointed out that improving the citys scientific governance was the key to having sustainable development and prosperity in the long term. Chua Teng Hoe and Bernard Hamilton, respectively consul general of Singapore and Malta in Shanghai, shared their countriesmeasures taken to fight this epidemic. They argued that promoting multinational cooperation would greatly contribute to the process of curbing the virus. TDT | Manama A company based in Um Al Hassam offering job placement for expatriates was questioned by authorities yesterday. A prominent social worker said that many expatriates from Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda, Kenya and other parts of Africa claimed to have been cheated by the agency. The expatriate social worker alerted MP Ammar Al Bannai of this scam, and the lawmaker later brought the case to legal authorities in Bahrain. The agency is accused of taking money from job seekers for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and providing offer letters to many candidates. Officials from relevant government authorities conducted a surprise inspection and took the accused for questioning. The social worker requested those expatriates who lost money to raise an official complaint at Um Al Hassam Police Station or Nabih Saleh Police Station. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shop owners in the capital city have questioned the efficacy of the governments decision to close down shops for containing the Covid-19 spread. They have also expressed their anguish at the extension of lockdown in the capital. A section of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) pointed out that the community transmission in the capital is still on the rise even after the authorities declared lockdown and triple lockdown. The authorities are not addressing the problem. They are only focusing on closing down shops as a containment strategy, said state senior vice-president of KVVES Kamalayam Suku. According to him, major cities in the world have discarded this strategy as it was not effective. The pandemic can be controlled only if people become more vigilant and the authorities give them more time for shopping, said district general secretary of KVVES S S Manoj. The merchants have incurred a huge loss due to closure of shops. At present, only shops selling essential items are allowed to open in a specific time period in Thiruvananthapuram. The restrictions are stringent in critical containment zones. A nurse who recently recovered from coronavirus has been hospitalized after an angry crowd beat him outside his home in western Argentina over fears he would infect them. Daniel Porro was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 19 and spent 14 days at a Bouquet Roldan Hospital receiving treatment. The medical worker was discharged following a negative test and decided to spend additional time at his mother's home where he recuperated and then returned to his residence in the province of Neuquen. Daniel Porro was beaten last Thursday in Argentina and hospitalized after angry neighbors wanted him to move out of his neighborhood because he had coronavirus Porro said he briefly lost consciousness after he was pummeled outside his home in Neuquen, Argentina But ever since going back to his home in the Neuquen town of Colonia Nueva Esperanza, Porro was on the receiving end of abuse from residents. Residents feared he would spread the virus in the neighborhood since he had been one of the many healthcare workers who contracted the deadly virus due to an outbreak the Ados Clinic where he worked. Daniel Porro decided to confront neighbors who wanted him to move from the western Argentine neighborhood of Nueva Esperanza in the province of Neuquen after he was infected with COVID-19 The medical facility was shut down June 10 following the infection of five workers, four of which required hospitalization. In all, 45 people who at some time visited the clinic, were tested positive for the virus. Ados Clinic finally started receiving patients again on Friday. Porro told Argentine newspaper LM Neuquen from his hospital bed that he decided to confront his angry neighbors last Thursday before he was savagely beaten and momentarily lost consciousness. The nurse told how he stepped out to the sidewalk and a man told him 'leave because you have a positive [coronavirus] case and we are going to burn the house, we do not want people like you in the town'. Porro was then kicked and punched and taken to hospital. While at the hospital, the family of the individual, who instigated the attack, set his home on fire. Porro's vehicle was also stolen before the cops found it abandoned nearby. Authorities have not yet arrested anyone for Porro's beating, the burning of his home or the theft of his car. As of Monday, Argentina has reported 126,755 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,260 deaths. Health officials in Neuquen have reported that 842 residents have been infected during the pandemic, including 22 who died. Former Federal Reserve chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen are raising questions about the role hedge funds played in the March market tumult. The duo pointed out in an essay that says the Fed was pushed into action as a result of a breakdown in market functioning triggered by massive hedge fund selling in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic declaration. As the market became flooded with Treasurys and other long-term securities, buyers bailed out and the Fed had to step in with liquidity facilities and asset purchases aimed at maintaining basic functioning. The Fed's purchases caused its balance sheet to swell past $7 trillion, or nearly double from its size earlier in the year. "Although risk and liquidity premiums in these key markets have returned closer to normal, at some point the Fed and the Treasury will need to review why the market-making facilities in place before the pandemic hit did not work more efficiently," Bernanke and Yellen said in a blog post for the Brookings Institution, where they are both distinguished fellows. Both former central bankers served during the financial crisis, Bernanke as chair and Yellen as president of the San Francisco Fed. Yellen succeeded Bernanke and guided the Fed through the early days of policy normalization after the extraordinary measures taken during the crisis. Their essay touched on a number of points drawing on their crisis experience, largely praising the Fed for its response to the pandemic. The current leaders again dropped overnight borrowing rates to near zero and dusted off multiple credit facilities first introduced during the 2008 crisis. However, this Fed extended its powers even further into direct business lending and purchasing corporate bonds. Bernanke and Yellen said officials may have to do more. For one, they noted that the Fed has restricted banks from buying back shares and limited their ability to pay dividends, and that may not be enough to ensure stability. "Based on our experience in the global financial crisis, we think the Fed may find it needs to go further," they wrote. "Although banks are currently strong, it is possible the pandemic will so damage the economy that credit losses mount rapidly. For a successful recovery, the banking system must remain strong and able to lend." They said the Fed also may have to adjust the terms of some of its other facilities such as the Main Street Lending Program. Considered the most ambitious and complicated of the dozen or so programs unleashed, it has attracted only modest interest from borrowers and lenders thus far. "Broadly speaking, though, the Fed's response has been forceful, forward-looking, and comprehensive," Bernanke and Yellen wrote. The eight weeks since George Floyds killing in Minneapolis police custody have brought protests against police brutality, debates over police budgets and a race to pass police reform legislation on Beacon Hill. The current debate over a trio of police reform bills leaves out a practice that Rep. Liz Miranda says disproportionately harms Black people in Massachusetts who were born outside the U.S.: federal immigration agents cooperating with local police and court officers to detain and deport people without legal immigration status. Its been my hope since I got in the State House that we value immigrant lives as we value Black lives because many of the immigrant communities that are the most challenged, that most interact with police are Black immigrant communities, the Boston Democrat said in an interview with MassLive. They are not immigrants from European countries. Theyre immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Cape Verde, Ghana, the Caribbean. Miranda and the other lead sponsors of a bill that would limit cooperation between federal immigration agents and local officials said the favorable report of their bill last week gives them hope, but the bills movement comes two weeks before lawmakers traditionally close the two-year legislative session. The bill faces other barriers: a coalition of staunch opponents who call it a sanctuary state bill that could prevent law enforcement officers from deporting public safety threats and a governor who raises similar criticisms with the proposal. Beacon Hill is in an unprecedented position in the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. With two weeks before session ends, lawmakers have no fiscal 2021 budget and several priorities including the latest omnibus bills on police reform are still making their way through the House and Senate. Massachusetts State House The Legislature could hold formal session beyond July 31 and might need to do so for the budget but doing so falls on an election year, which lawmakers typically like to spend the fall campaigning instead of legislating. The Safe Communities Act does not fall on the list of high-priority bills legislative leaders have expressed interest in like the transportation bond package or police reform. The immigration bill has been the source of controversy in recent years, passing in the Senate but dying in the House and prompting a statement from the governor, who typically declines to weigh in on pending legislation. The safety and security of our communities is a top priority for our administration, and I oppose this bill that would prohibit law enforcement from enforcing bipartisan policies that have been in place for 10 years and prevented violent and dangerous convicted criminals from being released back onto our streets, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said in a statement issued in June 2017. He said the bill would make Massachusetts a sanctuary state. The bill, H.3573/S.1401, was re-filed this in early 2019 by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, an Action Democrat. The House version was filed by Rep. Ruth Balser, a Newton Democrat, and Miranda. The proposal received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. The legislation bans 287(g) agreements, in which local and state officers are trained by federal agents to enforce immigration laws. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has these agreements with the state Department of Correction, the Barnstable County Sheriffs Office, Bristol County Sheriffs Office and Plymouth County Sheriffs Office. Local law enforcement could not contact ICE about someone leaving their custody unless theyre incarcerated people finishing up a criminal sentence. The bill would also bar police and court officers from asking about a persons immigration status and require that immigrants who are arrested get their Miranda rights read to them before being interviewed by ICE. Asked last week if his position on the bill had changed, Gov. Charlie Baker said no before ending his news conference on COVID-19 updates. Balser called the governors stance disappointing and said dismisses the medical communitys advice, referring to the backing by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Over the past year, doctors and immigration advocates have said multi-jurisdictional immigration enforcement deters people from seeking crucial medical help, reporting domestic violence and calling 911 on other crimes. I would just start with calling on the governor to listen more, Balser said. Miranda said perhaps the governor could be persuaded if more constituents express their support. I think people who believe in this and immigrant communities need to call our governor. They need to let him know why its important, she said. He cant keep hearing from just one perspective. Before the bill could get to the governors desk, it would need to be approved by the House and Senate. Neither the House nor Senate leaders have flagged the Safe Communities Act as a priority for the session that traditionally ends on July 31. The Legislature has several unresolved bills on transportation, health care and, perhaps the most contentious yet, police accountability. I really would hope that it would be taken up soon, Eldridge said. Given the House did not support the Safe Communities Act last session, I would hope they would take that up first. I am hoping that the House will take this bill up and will move it out of Ways and Means and bring it to the house floor in the next two weeks, Balser said. I think its really an important bill and particularly important now more than ever because of the global pandemic that were dealing with. I think communities where many immigrants live were hit particularly hard. Massachusetts is home to an estimated 185,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a liberal think tank. More than one-third have lived in the U.S. for five years or more. The number of immigrants without legal status could be higher, but an exact count does not exist. Federal immigration officials said local sanctuary ordinances have in part driven the number of apprehensions down in New England. ICEs Boston division, which oversees six states, made 2,469 administrative arrests in fiscal 2019, about 15% lower than the previous year. The agency also saw a 5% drop in deportations. Any time a politician or an elected official uses law enforcement as a political tool, it puts the whole community in danger, Marcos D. Charles, acting field director of Enforcement and Removal Operations, said in an interview in December. By limiting law enforcements ability, they are directly affecting the safety of the community. Both immigration advocates and some law enforcement officials argue against cooperation between federal immigration agents and local officials, in part because people have been deported over criminal charge sthey didnt get a chance to fight. Nearly one-fourth of all administrative arrests by ICE nationwide were for people with pending criminal charges, according to the report of local statistics. The report did not include a state-by-state breakdown. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins has argued the deportations not only prevent undocumented immigrants from having their day in court, but prevents victims of crimes committed by those immigrants of getting justice if the person could have been found guilty and sentenced. Instead, that person may be free outside of the United States, rather than behind bars. The contention over multi-jurisdictional immigration enforcement reared its head in the debate over police reforms lawmakers are reviewing. House leaders received thousands of pieces of testimony on the Senate policing bill, including several opposed to a provision barring school resource officers from reporting student information such as immigration status and incidents to gang databases and other agencies. The Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization that seeks to limit immigration into the United States, said provisions for community policing in the bill would be 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. Miranda, the Boston representative, said state leaders need to hear from constituents who represent immigrant communities, but the biggest hurdle remains the lack of time left in the legislative session. In this unique climate, that weve been forced to move fast, and I think its the right decision to move fast because our communities cant wait. Weve never gotten our fair share in resources, Miranda said. I hope my colleagues understand that as theyve learned about Black Lives Matter and want to be supportive that there are Black immigrants that are going through multiple pandemics at once, she added, and we need to alleviate that. Related Content: Sapa, Ninh Binh listed among 14 up-and-coming destinations in Asia (photo: dulich24.com.vn) The site stated that Sapa, which is located in the far north of the country, is one of the best places to visit in Viet Nam. It is surrounded by dramatic beauty with its world-famous terraced paddy fields. The US travel site also highlighted that It sits high up in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains and makes a great base for trekking or mountain biking tours with routes that will bring you past magnificent waterfalls, through rice paddies, and around charming mountain villages which are home to families known for making fantastic local handicrafts. When visitors travel to the villages, they can see how the traditional weavings and carvings are made and purchase some as gifts or souvenirs. Referring to Ninh Binh Province, the TripstoDiscover described it as being incredibly picturesque, yet it remains far less popular than its sister to the northeast, Ha Long Bay located in Quang Ninh Province. It possesses hundreds of limestone monoliths topped by vibrant greenery that rise from the ground scattered throughout the city with rivers flowing through, the site noted. The travel site suggested some activities in Ninh Binh such as visiting caves in the limestone mountains beautiful pagodas, including Bai Dinh and Bich Dong in the Trang An landscape complex. DES MOINES Iowa conservatives religious and political celebrated their shared successes and support for commons goals during an annual leadership conference hosted by The Family Leader. Gov. Kim Reynolds thanked The Family Leader on Friday for all you do on behalf of our state and behalf of Christians after the self-described pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-life organization presented her with its Presidents Award for the second consecutive year. The Republican governor said she is proud to stand beside The Family Leader in defending life, liberty, and religious freedom. Likewise, Sen. Joni Ernst said she takes strength in the support of Iowans who are with her every step of the way, as we take on these challenges. Her values and those of The Family Leader are under threat, Ernst told the in-person audience that was capped by COVID-19 restrictions at 680 and others who were watching the conference online. Our very values and freedoms that made us such a great nation are being challenged every single day by those that want to dismantle the greatest nation on the face of the planet, she said. That theme that the values held by The Family Leader are under attack from what Ernst called fringes of the left that keep going further and further and further ... in really some alarming ways resounded in remarks from civil and religious leaders throughout the day. Pompeo: Under attack The importance of defending those values was underscored by keynote speaker Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was introduced by his wife, Susan, an Iowa City native. America must set set the tone for human freedom and dignity around the world. Pompeos remarks were consistent with his warning that the American way of life and the founding principles upheld by The Family Leader are under attack from the mainstream news media and protesters who have torn down statues of historical figures. The very core of what it means to be an American, indeed the American way of life itself, is under attack, Pompeo said earlier this week when he unveiled the first report of the Commission on Unalienable Rights. Instead of seeking to improve America, leading voices promulgate hatred of our founding principles. Biden response Whats under attack, according to Biden for President spokeswoman Julia Krieger, is Iowa because the minute Donald Trump walked into the White House, he turned his back on Iowa farmers. Sending Pompeo to Iowa only added insult to the injury done by the Trump administration, she said. After inheriting a robust farm economy and strong trade relationships that hes reduced to shambles, Trump cut Iowas ethanol industry off at the knees showering Big Oil with sweetheart deals from the Environmental Protection Agency, she said. Iowa farmers deserve to hear directly from the man who helped cut them that raw deal EPA Administrator Wheeler, but instead, Trump sent them Secretary Pompeo. Scriptures cited The Family Leader audience, however, applauded Pompeos remarks and stood and prayed over him when the secretary completed his remarks. Reynolds said the prayers of Iowans have helped sustain her as she has overseen the state response to the coronavirus pandemic. This is one of those times when were reminded that God tests us and that this is all part of his master plan, Reynolds said. She cited Proverbs 21:31 Do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust God to bring victory. COVID-19 has been a test unlike any other, she said. I can tell you without hesitation, these have been some of the toughest decisions that Ive ever had to make as the governor. For Ernst, it has been Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills, and ask, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, our maker that has given her strength to overcome challenges in her personal life as well as during her deployment to Iraq as an Iowa National Guard commander. Her faith, Ernst continued, will help power her through the challenges ahead. Its not just her campaign for re-election to a second term or defeating the coronavirus pandemic. The values we have as Iowans and as Americans are under threat, she said. Our very values and freedoms that made us such a great nation are being challenged every single day by those that want to dismantle the greatest nation on the face of the planet She promised not to run from the fight. Dont let the smile fool you, the Iowa Republican said. I know that my faith, while Im Iowa nice, my faith tells me its OK to fight. CHurch & abortion Whether its responding to COVID-19, working to end abortion, restore felon voting rights or overcome racial discrimination, Reynolds said The Family Leader and other religious leaders, including the Black Ministerial Alliance, which she met with to discuss race issues, have stepped up to the challenge. They believe like I know many of you do, that theres a valuable role for the church to play in guiding racial healing, said Reynolds, who is developing a commission on faith-based community solutions that she wants The Family Leader to be part of. She expressed disappointment the Iowa Legislature did not have the votes to support an amendment to make clear there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the Iowa Constitution. Efforts to end abortion have tested our faith and our perseverance for decades, Reynolds said. I know with your help, and pro-life majorities in the Legislature, we ultimately will get the job done. Reynolds also made a plug for re-electing President Donald Trump and Ernst. I dont have to tell anyone in this room that our nation is at a crossroads, she said. While its easy to get lost in the noise or the online rage machine, dont get discouraged and dont lose sight of whats at stake. Were blessed to have a president and a vice president, as well as two outstanding United States senators in Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, who are tireless defenders of the values that make this country great life, liberty, equal opportunity and justice for all. America, Pompeo said, is unrivaled in its commitment to those values that are laid out in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Thats the commitment thats made us a shining star of liberty in the world, he said, adding he considers it an enormous privilege to share that promise with the world. Im leaning on my faith each and every day to help me try to get it right, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Pictures of a body lying in the isolation ward of the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), a dedicated Covid-19 government facility in Patna have gone viral in Patna on Monday, a day after a Central team visited it and advised the Bihar government to improve hospital management An attendant of a Covid-19 patient, who shot the pictures from the Covid ward of the NMCH, claimed that the body had been lying there since Sunday. Seven patients were being treated in the room where the body was lying, he said. Follow latest updates on coronavirus here My mother has stopped eating since last afternoon. The body is lying on the bed adjacent to hers, and her condition has begun to deteriorate, said Shatrughan, whose mother is being treated for Covid-19 for the past one week. He said the body had been covered with a thin gumcha (cotton towel) and a large part of it was exposed, causing anxiety among other patients undergoing treatment in the room. The Union health ministrys guidelines on management of the body of a Covid-19 casualty say, Place the dead body in leak-proof plastic body bag. The exterior of the body bag can be decontaminated with 1% hypochlorite. The attendant claimed that he had complained to the nurses and hospital staff and everyone assured him that the body would be taken out of the room in an hour, but it had not been done. This was not the only instance of lapse in patient care at the NMCH. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage Saurabh Gupta, attendant of another patient, alleged that two bodies were lying in yet another isolation ward at the NMCH since Sunday. A total of five deaths were reported at the NMCH on Monday. Gupta claimed that no doctor had come to attend to the patients in the ward since Sunday, compelling him to take a voluntary discharge of his relative from the hospital and shift him to the AIIMS-Patna. Gupta said the immediate relatives of the patient were made to sign a form that they were taking the patient against medical advice, before allowing the patient to leave. We had no other option and we signed the form because we could not have left our patient to die at the NMCH, where there was none to either dispose of the bodies or doctors to personally attend to patients, he claimed. A Hindustan Times photographer was witness to a 62-year-old Danapur woman dying inside a private ambulance van at the portico of the emergency ward of the NMCH after she was reportedly denied admission. Two of her sons had taken her to the NMCH at around 11.30 am on Monday, but she died in about an hour without any doctor attending to her. The woman was on oxygen support following respiratory distress. Asha Garg, 70, who recovered from Covid-19 after undergoing treatment at the NMCH between June 16 and July 3, had also claimed that a body remained in the ward for 24 hours. We were treated as untouchables. Forget doctors, even nurses would not come despite our request in case of emergency. They would keep our medicines outside the ward and call us out to collect them, avoiding any physical contact with us, she said. All through the 17 days of my stay at the NMCH, no physician ever came to attend to me or any of the patients in the ward I was admitted. The doctors enquired about condition of patients on mobile phones and communicated through the nurses, she added. NMCH principal Dr Hiralal Mahto defended the hospital administration. Theres a protocol for disposal of bodies of Covid-19 patients. The five deaths had taken place on Monday morning and we had left the bodies there (on beds in wards) for disposal in the evening, as the crematorium at Bans Ghat receives these bodies only after 8pm, said Dr Mahto. He did not say why the bodies were not immediately put in plastic body bags. Shockingly, the hospital does not even have a mortuary. The hospital does not have a mortuary though there is one at the medical college. The distance between its medical college and hospital is around 3.5 km. He denied allegations that doctors and nurses were not attending to the patients at the Covid-19 hospital. We have sufficient protective gear and all our doctors and nurses are promptly attending to all patients, he added. He also denied that the number of dissatisfied patients leaving the hospital against medical advice was increasing. Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi, who visited NMCH later in the evening, said: The bodies should have been kept in the mortuary. There are some administrative issues, which we are trying to resolve and have extended all possible cooperation to the authorities at the NMCH. A three-member Central team, headed by Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW) had visited the NMCH to assess its condition on Sunday. Other team members were Dr SK Singh, director National Centre for Disease Control, and associate professor of AIIMS-Delhi Dr Neeraj Nischal. A judge has denied a disbarred San Antonio lawyers motion for judicial clemency in a 2007 theft conviction that involved using a legal loophole to extort hush money from his then-wifes lovers. Ted H. Roberts sought a clean slate from state District Judge Velia Meza two weeks ago. Representing himself, he went before her July 7, seeking to have his jury verdict set aside and his indictment dismissed. Speaking via Zoom videoconferencing, Roberts told the judge he accepts full responsibility for his conduct and sincerely regrets it, but said his actions were lawful and stated that threats to file civil claims, and settlement of those claims, are both common. On ExpressNews.com: Disbarred San Antonio attorney involved in extortion scheme seeks judicial clemency, clean slate The accusations involving those civil claims against his then-wifes lovers and subsequent trials of attorneys Ted and Mary Schorlemer Roberts captured local and national attention in the mid-2000s. Mary Roberts, who also was Ted Roberts law partner, used adult Web sites in 2001 to post profiles seeking sex partners, according to court records. Ted Roberts later confronted four men a lawyer, an accountant and two chief financial officers and threatened to file embarrassing civil lawsuits for allegedly destroying his marriage. A total of $115,000 was paid to the couple, which prosecutors at the time described as a shakedown for hush money, as part of a legal proceeding called Rule 202 petitions, something common in civil lawsuits. The use of the Rule 202 petitions put the men on notice that Roberts wanted to investigate the affairs and might expose the trysts to the mens spouses and employers, setting the stage to sue them, according to court records. A Bexar County jury convicted him in March 2007 of theft by deception and coercion, on charges related to two of his wifes four lovers. He was acquitted on two other counts. In December 2007, Mary Schorlemer Roberts also was found guilty by a jury, which ordered her to serve 10 years probation for five felony counts of theft by deception and coercion. After a lengthy appeals process, Ted Roberts was sentenced to five years in prison and started his sentence in December 2009. But after he served about six months, Judge Sid Harle granted him shock probation and he was released. In shock probation, a first-time offender serves a short time in prison in Texas, its usually three to six months then serves the rest of the sentence under community supervision rather than behind bars. The idea is to shock the person with prison experience in hopes that will keep him or her away from a life of crime. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Meza issued her order July 15. She ruled Roberts had satisfactorily fulfilled the conditions of community supervision and hearby discharges defendant, the order said. But she denied his request for dismissal of the conviction, something Roberts said he needed so that he can have a clear record, find a job, and move on with his life. Judicial clemency isnt like the clemency granted by a governor that completely clears a persons record, said Judge Ron Rangel, who is administrative judge for the state district courts. He also presides over the 379th state District Court. Judicial clemency sets aside a conviction, effectively changing the disposition of the case to dismissed, and the person is no longer considered a felon. Its available to people who receive a probated sentence, also known as community supervision. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu on Sunday, the 19th day of July, 2020, visited some registration centres in the Eastern Region to observe the ongoing voter registration exercise in the region. The tour took him to the Akuapem North Constituency where he visited the Presby primary registration centre, Presby JHS registration centre and Temporal Booth registration centres in Amanakrom, and then the Methodist primary school registration centre in Titu. He ended his tour of the constituency at the Otubromu registration centre in Mampong. He proceeded to the Okere Constituency and visited the Aseseso Methodist primary registration centre, then to an EC gazetted Nifa SHS registration centre, Methodist Chapel Square 1 and 2 registration centres in Adukrom. His next stop was the Yilo Krobo Constituency where he visited the Social centre, the Mennonite Church registration centre and the Sawer registration centre. He also went to the Lower Manya Krobo and toured Kodjonya Presby primary 1 and 2 centres at Odumase Krobo and the Accra Station 1 and 2 registration centres in Odumase. The NPP chief scribe ended his eastern regional tour in the Asougyaman Constituency visiting a number of registration centres including Osiabura L/A registration centre, Presby primary registration centre and Asikuma Clinic registration centre in Asikuma. He donated sanitizers and face masks to all the registration centres he visited to augment the supplies made by the EC to its personnel and registrants. Speaking to some pressmen, John Boadu expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the exercise in the region including the level of compliance to Covid-19 health protocols. He was accompanied by Maame Yaa Aboagye and Yaw Preko both of whom are Deputy National Communications Directors of the party as well as some Eastern Regional executives of the NPP led by Umar Bodinga, the regional First Vice Chairman. Human rights groups and journalists have documented a campaign of mass detentions carried out by the Chinese government in Xinjiang, in which one million or more members of Muslim and other minority groups have been placed into large internment camps intended to increase their loyalty to the Communist Party. Some of these detainees are forced to work in factories in or near the camps, often processing Xinjiangs abundant cotton crop into various textiles that may then be funneled into international supply chains. A Times video investigation identified Chinese companies using a contentious labor program for Muslim Uighurs to satisfy demand for face masks and other personal protective equipment, some of which ended up in the United States and other countries. Nine of the companies that the Trump administration cited on Monday, including Changji Esquel Textile Co. Ltd., Nanchang O-Film Tech and Hetian Taida Apparel Co. Ltd., were added to the so-called entity list for their use of forced labor, the Commerce Department said. Two other companies, Xinjiang Silk Road BGI and Beijing Liuhe BGI, were added for conducting genetic analyses that were used to further the repression of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, according to the announcement. The blacklist only prevents U.S. companies from selling components or technologies to Chinese companies without a license, not from purchasing products. In practice, however, major international brands are unlikely to continue doing business with any firm named on a government list for forced labor or other abuses in Xinjiang. Beijing actively promotes the reprehensible practice of forced labor and abusive DNA collection and analysis schemes to repress its citizens, Wilbur Ross, the secretary of commerce, said in a statement. This action will ensure that our goods and technologies are not used in the Chinese Communist Partys despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations. California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded Monday to President Donald Trump's threat to send "federal law enforcement" to Oakland and several other cities to clamp down on protests. The answer is no, and we would reject it," Newsom said at a noon press briefing. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also provided a statement over email Monday, writing, Oakland needs COVID relief - not troops - from our President. He should stop slandering diverse, progressive cities like Oakland in his racist dog whistles and divisive campaign tactics. Schaaf added, While we are not experiencing any civil unrest right now, I can think of nothing more likely to incite it than the presence of Trump-ordered military troops into Oakland. Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee posted a response on Twitter, "This administration's abuse of power in Portland can't be further from the ideals of a democracy. Trump needs to be reminded that: -He's not a dictator -People have a constitutional right to protest. Stay away from Oakland." Trump's comments were in response to the protests in cities across the country. He said he may send in federal agents because the "police are afraid to do anything," a comment he did not provide evidence for. "I'm going to do something, that I can tell you because New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore... Oakland is a mess," he said. "We're not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal democrats." He did not offer statistics or proof for his claim that Oakland is "a mess." Noah Berger/Associated Press The use of federal agents in Portland, Ore., has elicited strong pushback from city and state officials. On Friday, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court, alleging that unidentified federal agents grabbed people from Portlands streets without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action. Speaking on CNNs State of the Union, Portland's Democratic mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers are not wanted here." We havent asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave, Wheeler said. Protesters outside Portland's U.S. courthouse set a fire in the building's entryway early Monday, part of yet another night of conflict with federal agents who repeatedly tear-gassed the demonstrators to drive them away, officials said. The latest unrest happened as local and state leaders expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents, saying the citys protests had started to ease just as the federal agents started taking action on the streets of Portland. Authorities over the weekend erected large fences around the building in an effort to keep away the protesters who have been on Portland's streets daily since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago. But video posted online showed demonstrators taking down the fencing. And a statement from Portland's city police department described the protesters' tactics as they repeatedly headed toward the courthouse and were repelled by federal agents who emerged from inside. Trump referred to the protestors in Portland as "anarchists" and said federal agents have put several of them in jail. He claimed federal agents have "done a fantastic job." The Associated Press contributed to this story. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. Based on the number of cases, closures and stay at home orders being implemented all over the nation, it's safe to there's not a single person who isn't being affected by coronavirus in some way. Some families are being hit harder than others though, including right here in Texas. As reported by Houston Chronicle's Brooke Lewis, Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. of Fort Bend County recently lost his father, 86-year-old Alfonso Anzaldua Rodriguez Sr., his mother, 87-year-old Porfiria Morales Rodriguez and one of his brothers, 55-year-old Rudy Rodriguez. COVID-19 took each family member away within a two week timeframe. It's such a tragic reality, especially considering his father was first told he didn't have the virus. Rodriguez said his dad had been complaining about stomach pains for about a week so he went to the doctor, citing horrible diarrhea and constipation. At the ER, his dad was told he most likely suffering from bowel complications and sent home. Days later, he was admitted back into the hospital then told he had COVID-19. In the days that followed, Rodriguez's mother, who suffered from heart issues, diabetes, weak kidneys and lungs, was also complaining of stomach pains. His younger sister Irene, who was staying at the house to take care of their mother and brother Rudy after their dad was transported back to the hospital, was also complaining. And shortly after, so was his younger brother Rudy. COVID-19: Single-day statewide case count drops below 10K mark If you dont think this is for real, youre wrong," said Rodriguez. "Ive lost my mom. Ive lost my dad and Ive lost my brother, all in one fell swoop. This is serious. 3 1 of 3 Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Provided by family Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Rudy passed away June 8, Porfiria passed away June 9 and 10 days later, Alfonso Sr. passed away on June 19. Dr. Prathit Kulkarni, an assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Chronicle that virus transmission among those living in the same household is happening often with COVID-19. There are certain steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading the virus among each other though, she said. It really boils down to very specific details, said Kulkarni. Are they separating? Are they not? Are they wearing a mask? Are they eating their meals together? Are they wiping down all the surfaces? What measures are being taken impact the frequency with which it happens. With COVID-19 cases drastically spiking, Hispanic people are being affected in disproportionately higher numbers, Chron.com reported almost two weeks ago. According to Porfirio Villarreal, public information officer at the health department, the Latino community makes up 42 percent of the Houston cases in which our epidemiologists were able to verify race and ethnicity. Colac Otway Shire's mayor wants a two-week lockdown in his area to curb one of regional Victorias biggest outbreaks, as the Victorian head of the Australian Medical Association calls for masks to be mandatory across the state. The number of cases connected to the Australian Lamb Company in Colac doubled on Monday to 12 and led to the closure of Trinity College Colac, which recorded a positive case. Some people have begun wearing masks in Geelong. Credit:Eddie Jim Geelong, about 80 kilometres east of Colac, had 13 active cases on Monday - the largest number in regional Victoria, resulting in the closure of the Drysdale and Grovedale West primary schools. Colac Otway Shire mayor Jason Schram said some businesses were closing voluntarily, more people were staying home and many others wearing face masks in public. The Masanjia Labor Camp in northeastern China was the site of numerous severe abuses against practitioners of Falun Gong, as documented by human rights groups. (Minghui.org) Sen. Hawley Introduces Bill to Hold Corporations Accountable for Slave Labor in Supply Chains U.S. Senator Josh Hawleys (R-Mo.) upcoming bill aims to hold large American companies responsible for ensuring there is no slave labor in their supply chains. The Slave-Free Business Certification Act expands corporate supply chain transparency requirements, orders regular audits, mandates CEOs to certify that their companies products do not rely on forced, slave labor, and penalizes companies that fail to meet these basic standards. American corporations like @NBA and @Nike and others should not be profiting off forced, slave labor, Hawley wrote in a tweet. I am introducing legislation to require multinationals to certify that they dont use slave labor-or face penalties. According to the International Labor Office (ILO) 2016 report (pdf) on modern slavery, 40 million people were victims of modern slavery, with an estimated 25 million people in forced labor. The Chinese communist regime is well known for its labor camps that utilize prisoners of conscience, of which two of the largest groups are Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim minority. According to testimony submitted to the U.S. Congress in 2005, Mr. Gregory Xu (pdf), a Falun Gong practitioner and researcher, Over the past 20 years, it is estimated that between 200,000 and 1 million Falun Gong adherents have been reportedly sent to forced labor camps without trials. More than 180 forced labor camps in China have directly participated in the persecution through illegal forced labor. In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) published a report (pdf) Uyghurs for sale: Re-education, forced labor and surveillance beyond Xinjiang, which identified 83 foreign and Chinese companies as allegedly benefiting on some level from the use of forced, slave labor, including the labor of Uyghurs. Among the 83 companies implicated, were Amazon, BMW, Gap, H&M, Nike, North Face, Puma, and Samsung as allegedly having force labor in their supply chains. If corporate America wants to be the face of social change today, they should have to certify they are completely slave-free. Participate in independent audits to verify it and disclose steps to ensure slave labor wont become part of the equation later on. And if they refuse to do so, they should pay the price. Thats social responsibility, Hawley said in a statement Monday. Hawleys bill requires every company with annual gross receipts of $500 million or more to conduct an audit of its supply chain to assess if anywhere in their supply chain forced labor is being utilized. Additionally, businesses CEOs will be responsible to submit a report to the Labor Department each year, detailing the companys efforts to remove slave labor from all levels of their production. Hawley wants the report to be published on the companys website, with a conspicuous link on the homepage. I wonder how much @NBA merchandise-jerseys, shoes @Nike apparel- is made with slave labor, Hawley wrote earlier in the month. Sports apparel giant Nike, in its response to the ASPI report, said it is committed to ensuring that those who make their products are valued. Nike is committed to upholding international labor standards and we are continuing to evaluate how to best monitor our compliance standards in light of the complexity of this situation, the Nike statement (pdf) said. The Nike Code of Conduct and Code Leadership Standards have requirements prohibiting any type of prison, forced, bonded or indentured labor, including detailed provisions for freedom of movement and prohibitions on discrimination based on ethnic background or religion. Meanwhile, Amazons response to the allegations of slave labor in its supply chain was one of surprise, releasing a statement vowing to investigate the matter. We are committed to upholding international labor standards. Given this complex situation, we have taken immediate steps to investigate the Australian Strategic Policy Institute findings and to actively collaborate with industry partners, subject matter experts, governments and other relevant stakeholders to further enhance our due diligence efforts in line with Australian Strategic Policy Institute recommendations, Amazon statement (pdf) said. Hawley referred to the ASPI report saying that more than 80 global companies have been tied to forced Uyghur labor in China but the issue goes beyond China. These issues extend beyond China. For example, Starbucks and Nespresso rely on underpaid Brazilian laborers who are denied basic necessities like food and water, Hawleys office wrote. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that it is the duty of the Ukrainian state and law enforcement agencies to do everything possible so that Ukrainians and the entire civilized world can see the real murderers of journalist Pavlo Sheremet in court and later those who organized and ordered the crime. He wrote this on his Facebook page. "It is the duty of the state and law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to make sure that Ukrainians and the whole civilized world could see in court the real murderers of Pavlo Sheremet and later the real organizers and those who ordered this crime, no matter how hard it is to find the truth, no matter how much effort and time it takes," Zelensky said. He expressed confidence that in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, Sheremet stood for the values of democracy, human rights, and freedoms, first and foremost, for the right of citizens to free thought and speech. According to the head of state, the journalist defended the duty of the authorities to be honest, transparent, and responsible with their citizens. Zelensky said that Sheremet could never be deprived of his freedom, so those who ordered his murder decided to take his life. "His daring assassination is a loss for all independent media and journalists. In addition, this crime is a disgrace for Ukraine," he said. Zelensky added that the Sheremet case is under the close attention and control of the entire Ukrainian society, which needs clear answers, convincing and indisputable evidence. Journalist Pavlo Sheremet was killed in a car explosion in Kyiv on July 20, 2016. NiseriN/iStockBy JACK DATE and LUKE BARR, ABC News (NEW YORK) -- The murder of a New Jersey federal judges son has put the spotlight on an alarming trend that officials say continues to rise: threats against federal judges and their families. The son of Judge Esther Salas, a freshman at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., was killed in the familys home in North Brunswick, New Jersey, on Sunday night and her husband was also shot multiple times and is in critical but stable condition, sources told ABC News. Salas was not injured and the suspect remains at large, a law enforcement official said. Judge Salas, who is now under 24-hour protection, had received threats in the past and authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between those prior threats and the shooting, sources said. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, who are tasked with protecting federal judges, there were 4,449 threats and inappropriate communications against protected persons in 2019. In 2015, that number was 926. The U.S. Marshals Service says the increase is due to "improved effectiveness in data collection and reporting of potential threats." Over that same time period, the number of threats investigated rose from 305 in 2015 to 373 in 2019, peaking at 531 in 2018. A day after federal Judge James Robart issued a temporary restraining order on President Donald Trumps first travel ban on Feb. 3, 2017, threats against the judge came flooding in. According to the American Bar Association, before Robart left the Seattle, Washington, courthouse, his personal information was put out on the internet, along with his wifes information . Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017 After the presidents tweets about Robart, the U.S. Marshals estimated that there were 1,100 serious threats against the judge, the ABA said. According to the U.S. Marshals, inappropriate communications or threats to protected court family members have also been on the rise. There were 4,542 reports of threats or inappropriate communications to family members in 2018. In 2014, that number was 768. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. This is the fifth U.S. ship to visit the Black Sea since the beginning of 2020. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) began its northbound transit to the Black Sea, July 19, 2020, to enhance regional maritime stability by participating in the 20th iteration of U.S.-Ukrainian cohosted exercise Sea Breeze 2020. Porter, along with additional U.S. Navy P-8 aircraft from Patrol Squadron VP (47), will be participating in the U.S. and Ukrainian cohosted exercise Sea Breeze, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said on its website on July 19. Read alsoPutin orders large-scale snap checks on combat readiness of Russia's army, navy "Porter's return to the Black Sea reaffirms U.S. 6th Fleet's and the U.S. Navy's commitment to our NATO allies and partners," said Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander of U.S. 6th Fleet. "Our participation in multinational exercises like Sea Breeze are a tangible representation of U.S. resolve for the collective defense of Europe." The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. This is the fifth U.S. ship to visit the Black Sea since the beginning of 2020. The last ships to visit the Black Sea were USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and USS Porter (DDG 78). During their time in the Black Sea, the ships participated in interoperability exercises with the Bulgarian Navy, Romanian Navy, Georgian Coast Guard, and Turkish Navy. Exercises included air defense exercises, tactical communications, and formation maneuvering. Sea Breeze seeks to build combined capability and capacity to ensure maritime regional security and foster cooperative relationships among partnering nations. Sea Breeze is in its 20th iteration and is scheduled to involve 2,000 personnel from eight nations, comprised of 26 ships and 19 aircraft. Nations scheduled to participate in Sea Breeze 2020 include Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States. Porter, forward-deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. WHO reports record rise in global COVID-19 cases for 2nd day in a row Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 10:25 AM The World Health Organization (WHO) has, for a second day in a row, reported a record increase of almost 260,000 new coronavirus cases worldwide. The WHO report registered on Saturday a total of 259,848 new cases in 24 hours while the previous record was 237,743 on Friday. Global deaths also rose by 7,360 the biggest one-day increase since May 10. The new figures bring the world's total fatalities to 601,213 and the confirmed cases to more than 14.2 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. The United States is the worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 3.7 million infections and more than 140,000 deaths. The United States has been trying to rein in the outbreak at the state and local levels but with only limited success. Brazil is following the US, with over two million cases and nearly 72,000 contagions. The Latin American country has started to resume business in many areas despite mounting cases as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still opposes the imposition of lockdown measures. The following is the latest on the coronavirus pandemic from across the globe: El Salvador to move to 2nd stage of economic reopening El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced on Saturday that the country would move to the second phase of reopening its economy despite the fact that cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise in the Central American country. Under a plan outlined by the government last month, the manufacturing, footwear, paper and cardboard industries as well as public transport will reopen as of July 21. El Salvador has registered 11,508 total cases of coronavirus and 324 deaths. India reports record cases in one day India recorded its biggest surge in coronavirus cases to date with 38,902 new cases and 543 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country's total infections now stand at 1,077,618 and the total death toll has climbed to 26,816, according to the Indian Health Ministry data. Australia's Victoria state makes mask-wearing compulsory Victoria, Australia's second most-populous state, has compelled people in Melbourne to wear masks when leaving their homes, as the state marked two weeks of triple-digit increases in new coronavirus infections on Sunday. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said people not wearing face coverings will be fined 200 Australian dollars ($140). Victoria, which has forced nearly five million people into a partial six-week lockdown since July 9, reported 363 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, after 217 cases the previous day. Three deaths from the COVID-19 disease were reported in Victoria on Sunday, bringing the total to 38 and raising Australia's death toll to 122. Australia has recorded a total of about 11,800 cases. Barcelona limits access to public beaches Police in Barcelona are curbing access to some of the Catalonian city's beaches as tourists are ignoring regulations amid resurgence of the coronavirus. Catalan health authorities reported more than 1,200 new cases on Saturday in 24 hours. The new outbreak has forced regional officials to announce the prohibition of gatherings of more than 10 people that went into effect on Saturday. The new restrictions were imposed less than four weeks after Spain ended a state of emergency when its 47 million population was subjected to one of the world's toughest lockdowns to slow the spread of the flu-like pathogen. The disease has claimed more than 28,400 lives in the country. Coronavirus infections in Nigeria top 36,000 The number of cases in Nigeria has risen to 36,107 with 653 new infections, according to official statistics. Six new fatalities were recorded in the West African nation, bringing the total to 778, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said. More than 14,900 people have recovered from the virus in Nigeria. South Africa ranks fifth in global coronavirus cases According to the Johns Hopkins University tally, South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases as the African continent faces the pandemic's first wave. South Africa on Saturday reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879 the tally puts the country ahead of Peru and accounts for roughly half the cases in Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dominic Raab and Liu Xiaoming represent governments seemingly more at odds with each other every day (Stefan Rousseau/Yui Mok/PA) The Government is considering suspending Britains extradition treaty with Hong Kong, after China imposed a tough new national security law on the territory. The potential move would infuriate Beijing, which is already angry at the Governments decision to exclude Chinese technology giant Huawei from the UKs 5G network. How have the two nations reached this point and what role has Hong Kong played in the process? What is Britains link to Hong Kong? Hong Kong island was ceded to Britain after Chinas defeat in the First Opium War in the 19th century, with China later leasing the New Territories, which forms Hong Kongs rural areas, to Britain for 99 years in 1898. The approaching expiration led to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed in 1984, in which Britain agreed to return Hong Kong to China in 1997. It became a Special Administrative Region of China run under the one country, two systems principle. Hong Kong was to have its own government and legislature composed of Hong Kong people, while its capitalist system, currency and financial markets were to remain intact. What has happened since? Critics have long accused China of eroding Hong Kongs special status, and pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong last year in response to Beijings tightening grip on the territory. Hong Kongs legislature has now passed a controversial, Beijing-backed national security law which makes activities deemed subversive or secessionist punishable by imprisonment, and which is seen as targeting anti-government demonstrators. China has chosen to break their promises to the people of Hong Kong and go against their obligations to the international community. will not turn our backs on the commitments we have made to the people of Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/ir19ghzq28 Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) June 30, 2020 How did the UK respond? Boris Johnson told MPs the law violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law. The Prime Minister vowed to introduce a new route for people in Hong Kong with British National (Overseas) status to apply for visas to live and work in the UK and apply for citizenship. Downing Street said those who qualify would be eligible to travel to the UK immediately ahead of the details of the scheme being finalised and that they would not face salary thresholds. How does Huawei fit in? The Prime Minister ordered telecoms firms to remove Huawei equipment from the 5G network by 2027 in a move costing billions and delaying the deployment of 5G by up to three years. The ban came after a Government-ordered review found the security of Huaweis equipment could not be guaranteed because of US sanctions. Beijing accused Britain of working with the US to discriminate, oppress and exclude Chinese firms and warned of jeopardised relations. In London, Chinas UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming claimed Britain was behaving like a junior partner of the US. He suggested ministers imposed the ban because they had to succumb to pressure from China hawks and China-bashers. Has this involved any other firms? Reports on the weekend said Chinese social media company TikTok had broken off talks to open a global headquarters in Britain. Communist Party officials were also reported to have warned UK companies operating in China, including Jaguar Land Rover, BP and GlaxoSmithKline, that they could now face retaliation. So the whole thing started with Hong Kong? The territory has certainly been the focal point of relations between the UK and China for more than 100 years. But the relationship has been further complicated recently by the coronavirus pandemic and allegations of human rights abuses against an ethnic minority in China. US President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with China during the pandemic, accusing it of responsibility for the virus and claiming Chinese officials ignored their reporting obligations to the World Health Organisation. A similarly antagonistic position has not been taken up by Mr Johnson, though Mr Liu appeared to criticise Britain when he told the BBC that Western countries, headed by the United States, they started this so-called new cold war on China. What about accusations of human rights abuses? Dominic Raab has slammed Chinese officials for committing gross, egregious abuse against the minority Uighur population in the countrys north-western Xinjiang province. He said the UK could not stand by while abuses such as forced sterilisations and mass re-education camps took place. It is clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on. We are working with our international partners on this. It is deeply, deeply troubling, he told The Andrew Marr Show. What happens next? The Foreign Secretary said he would also be updating MPs on Monday on the Governments response to the national security law on Hong Kong. Mr Raab also says he has had discussions with Home Secretary Priti Patel amid reports the UK may sanction Chinese officials and act to suspend the extradition treaty with the territory. Mr Liu warned it would be totally wrong for Britain to issue any sanctions but said Beijing was ready to respond in kind. On decolonising teaching practices, not just the syllabus An African literature lecturer shares how embodied teaching can help students feel that their lives and stories matter. In South Africa, student calls for free, quality, decolonised higher education have coincided with demands for the transformation of canons, curricula and pedagogies. At the height of the protests assembled around the #FeesMustFall movement since 2014, some students at the University of the Witwatersrand formed their own reading groups, attempting to develop their own curricula. They presented memorandums demanding that their disciplines decolonise the universals they base their assumptions upon. Assumptions like the very non-secular secularism that shapes all aspects of what the practice of knowledge is; the separation of nature and culture; and the primacy of Western canons as universal and not particular. Students wanted the university to better reflect their experiences and contexts. Danai Mupotsas paper Knowing from Loss considers the practice of teaching in the light of these student protests. Aretha Phiri spoke with her. Aretha Phiri: You paper is primarily situated in the Fees Must Fall moment. How did the student protests help shape your teaching? Danai Mupotsa: This paper has had and will likely have a number of afterlives. I started my first full time teaching position in 2015 and I was excited and energetic and certainly thinking about what teaching as a practice means. Being confronted with questions of what the classroom is, what it is for, how people learn in that context, was acutely present. In my paper, I give the example of the student in a second-year course on post-independence Africa, who, once we were reading Adaobi Tricia Nwaubanis I Do Not Come to You by Chance, was a bit teary. The story is told around Kingsley, who places his hopes in education. Kingsley graduates as an engineer, but education is no longer the language of success in Nigeria. After reading this novel, the student felt that perhaps getting an education might not promise the freedom he imagined also realising the cost of this education to his family and he could not reconcile with the narrative and what it might represent. Hachette Books UK It made me think about the responsibility that we bear as teachers in contexts of rare optimism. A day later, the university was shut down because of #FeesMustFall protests. I had to think about the spaces that I occupy. Aretha Phiri: Your paper title, Knowing from Loss, specifically references the work of US poet, critic and theorist Fred Moten. Are you attempting to apply his analyses of blackness (in America) to the current decolonial South African moment? Danai Mupotsa: My turn to Moten came out of a workshop on literary traditions in the face of decolonisation. There were people in the room who were broadly dismissive of students who were turning to Afropessimism as a line of thought or to Blackness as the condition that oriented their political vocabulary. Some of the statements from colleagues, I just found reactionary. But there were also those who were dismissive because of their non-expertise in Black intellectual traditions such as Motens, which thinks through the space between Black and Blackness, experience and our knowledge of that experience. In my writing, my questions often begin with experience with intimacy, with relation. I use the tools and methods at my disposal to write embodied love letters. What feminist critic Barbara Christian asks us to think about when we use the word theory. When theory is removed from the context of its emergence, it works to exclude Black people, queer people and womxn among others from the work of theory. Christians reminder is that theory is in the practice of culture, of Black social life. Aretha Phiri: In discussions arising from your paper, you describe your deliberate deployment of embodied teaching. Could you explain how that might contribute to quality decolonised education? Or be useful for women and queer bodies in higher education in particular? Danai Mupotsa: Peace Kiguwa has done substantial work on what it means to be a queer Black person in the classroom and how one mobilises this position to engage students on important questions. I find this work instructive. Being embodied, for me, is about dealing with myself, and participants in a classroom, as living, whole creatures. So it might be a small thing like, its 8am on a Monday and we are a bit tired, so we start with a laughing meditation. People will laugh. Perhaps its ridiculous. But even if theyre laughing at me, we are now engaged with each other we are in conversation. It means that what you bring to the classroom in the way of experience matters. It is part of what informs your judgements long before language helps explain it. I ask people to be attentive to the pull of the stomach. To the moment when the hair on the skin rises. This expands the terrain and capacity of intellectual engagement. Aretha Phiri: Your analysis also offers ways in which embodied teaching and learning can disrupt Black Atlantic studies and Paul Gilroys 1993 text The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness. What do you predict as the future of Black Diaspora Studies? Danai Mupotsa: I think Black Diaspora studies exist in multiple lives, temporalities, futures, presents and pasts. It is the way that Black people make/ think/ do life. It is the mundane, the ordinary, the radical, the intimate, the erotic, the poetic, the relational. Its a fundamentally dense knot but equally exciting promise. This article is part of a series called Decolonising the Black Atlantic in which black and queer women literary academics rethink and disrupt traditional Black Atlantic studies. The series is based on papers delivered at the Revising the Black Atlantic: African Diaspora Perspectives colloquium at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. Aretha Phiri, Senior lecturer, Department of Literary Studies in English, Rhodes University and Danai Mupotsa, Senior Lecturer in African Literature, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. By Ryan P. Aument Instead of electing judges and justices statewide, House Bill 196 proposes to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to create judicial districts to elect them regionally. This reform will empower individual voters over special interests, ensure fair and proportionate representation, recognize the value of geographic diversity, and increase election integrity and government accountability. Based on the data, the current compliment of Pennsylvanias appellate courts clearly indicates that the make-up is severely disproportionate, as more than half of all the members of Pennsylvanias Superior Court and Commonwealth Court are from only two of the Commonwealths 67 counties, which represent only 21% of the states population. Four of the seven Supreme Court Justices are from Allegheny or Philadelphia counties, and taken together, only 15 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties are home to an appellate court judge. We must do far more to ensure greater geographic diversity and fairness. The experiences and perspectives of residents in Lancaster County differ from those experienced by residents in Erie, Susquehanna, and certainly Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties. These differences should be reflected by the court as judges look through the lens of their personal experiences, judicial philosophy, and worldview to fairly apply and interpret the law. Powerful special interests with business before the courts oppose this effort, because they have a vested interest in the outcomes of judicial elections. These groups have invested millions of dollars to determine who is chosen to serve on our state appellate courts, so changing the system to level the playing field would tip the scales against them. Judicial districts would empower people and serve as a counterbalance to the meddling of special interests. In fact, a regional judicial district model dramatically increases the likelihood that voters will recognize, know, or even have the opportunity to interact with and question a judicial candidate. This reform better positions voters to make a more informed decision at the ballot box, rather than forcing them to rely on a statewide mailer or 30-second TV ad purchased with special interest dollars to tell them about unknown statewide candidates. To be clear, this reform is not an attempt to politicize or gerrymander the courts, nor is it a power grab by the Legislature or Republicans, as some opponents have claimed. Rather, judicial districts would actually be drawn following the redistricting principles found in our state Constitution, and would therefore be consistent with any future Constitutional amendments to reform redistricting, such as the effort to establish an independent citizens redistricting commission. And in the end, it is the people of this state that will ultimately decide what system should be used to elect our judges, because constitutional amendments must be approved by voters. So if this is a power grab, it is a power grab by the people of Pennsylvania who will be empowered to make their own decisions about how this commonwealth is governed. I stand with the people over special interests. I support judicial districts to ensure fairness and proportionate representation, level the playing field, and account for the voice of each and every Pennsylvanian. State Sen. Ryan P. Aument, a Republican, represents the Lancaster County-based 36th District. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) recently aired on its flagship program Four Corners a revealing segment titled Hard Winter. It outlined the harsh conditions still facing many victims of the bushfires that raged throughout many parts of the country from last July to January. The fires, in the worst season on record, killed 34 people, including nine firefighters, three of whom were from the US. The Americans had volunteered to combat the firestorm. The estimated death toll from the toxic air that choked Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and adjoining regions for weeks is more than ten times greater. The fires destroyed almost 6,000 buildings, including 3,094 homes, and burned through 18.6 million hectares of land, which is equivalent to more than half the total landmass of the UK. About 15 million people, or 60 percent of the population, were exposed either directly or indirectly to the infernos and 2.9 million people had their property damaged or threatened or had to evacuate. The livelihoods of thousands of people have been affected or destroyed. The blazes destroyed entire eco systems and reportedly killed up to one billion native animals. Incinerated Cobargo home [Source: ABC-TV Four Corners] Almost 1,000 international firefighters were deployed to assist Australian crews, along with over 6,300 interstate personnel. More than 20 countries provided aid. The images of thousands of people stranded on beaches while fires burned their towns and villages will be forever etched in the consciousness of millions of people worldwide. The Four Corners report centred on the small town of Cobargo, south of Sydney, which was gutted in a New Years Eve fire. Six months on, hundreds of people who lost their homes, and in some cases everything they owned, are still living in tents, caravans or shipping containers in what is now the dead of winter, with temperatures dropping below zero. Some have no running water and are living through handouts of food, clothing and blankets donated by people throughout Australia and internationally. Despite a reported $500 million raised in donations through charities, agencies and governments, many of the farmers and local residents are yet to have their properties cleared of burnt out debris and the remains of their houses, stockyards, sheds, vehicles and machinery. The Cobargo region has 2,000 burned buildings to be cleared, with more than 32,000 tonnes of material contaminated with asbestos. As of July 3, the fire-gutted main street of Cobargo had only just been cleared. Hard Winter opened with the delivery of 207 1,000-litre water tanks to be distributed to some of the bushfire victims. For Cathy Healy and Rachel Hatton, like hundreds of others, this means they can have a shower for the first time since New Years Eve. They recounted the daily grind of feeding themselves, their animals and trying to keep warm. It is just so hard It is ridiculous. I dont know how we do it honestly, Healy said. Trevor and Ronnie Eagles, who used their superannuation to purchase their farm, described the trauma and grief of listening to the cries of their animals they were unable to save as they fled the inferno. They left everything behind and returned to find their home, sheds and machinery destroyed and many of their stock dead. Ronnie Eagles related their life, five months on, still living in a caravan loaned to them by a neighbour, with no running water, and a hole in the ground as a toilet. The couple travelled into town every few days to shower in the public facilities. They are living on donations provided by a relief centre. Uninsured, they have been deemed ineligible for grants to rebuild their property. Hard Winter on the ABCs Four Corners Many of those interviewed were not insured or vastly under-insured, due to the high cost of premiums. One farmer, Warren Salway, whose brother Robert and nephew Patrick perished in the fires, lost more than $1.3 million in infrastructure on his cattle farm. Of the two houses, five sheds, fences, stock yards and 150 cattle burned, only one house and two sheds were insured. Volunteer backpackers were helping rebuild his fences. Another local, Stephan, whose self-built mud brick house was destroyed, was given just $50,000 from the Red Cross to rebuild and $8,000 from the News South Wales state government for appliances. He also was uninsured. There is general dismay and disgust at the lack of support from the governments and charities. According to an ABC report, the three major charitiesthe Red Cross, the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paulcollected a total of more than $280 million in bushfire donations but on June 30 still had more than half the funds not distributed to victims. Of the purported $2 billion promised by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, $1 billion had been distributed, with almost half as reimbursements to state governments. Cobargo became the voice of opposition to Morrison and the Liberal-National government during his visit there on January 2. This followed his rushed return from a secret family holiday in Hawaii during mid-December, while the country burned. In scenes televised around the world, residents and firefighters refused to shake his hand. They demanded that funding be restored to the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and assistance provided to bushfire victims. Morrisons holiday only exemplified the contempt and neglect displayed by governments, Liberal-National and Labor Party alike, for decades. The Liberal-National government ignored increasingly strident warnings by climate scientists and senior firefighters and emergency personnel that the fire season was would be catastrophic due to an ongoing drought and 2019 being the hottest year on record. Despite multiple pleas, Morrison refused to meet with former fire chiefs to develop a plan for the summer. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack described those linking the worsening bushfires to climate change as inner-city raving lunatics. Funding cuts to the predominately volunteer firefighting services had left crews with aging and ill-equipped trucks and equipment to combat apocalyptic fires the height of multi-storey buildings. There was bipartisan support for the governments program with opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese declaring: This isnt a party-political point here. This is people doing their best. Im not seeking to politicise this at all. This support for the government was in direct contrast to the anger and concern of millions of people, particularly young people, in Australia and internationally. The 2019 climate-change rallies that spanned the globe were, in Australia, attended by the largest per capita crowds in the world. The experience of Cobargo residents could be told multiple times in towns and regions throughout the country. The governments contemptuous response to the bushfire threat, driven by the profit interests of the corporate elite, has been replicated in the devastation following the fires. Los Angeles, July 20 : Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has urged everyone to wear masks, and cited the fight that a close friend of hers named Kevin is waging against Covid-19 as the reason. "This is our friend Kevin. Perfectly healthy, not one underlying health issue. This is Covid. This is real. We can't be so naive to think we can outrun this... if we want this to end, and we do, right? The one step we can take is PLEASE #wearadamnmask," she captioned the post. Along with it, she put up a picture of Kevin in the hospital, battling the virus. Aniston added: "Just think about those who've already suffered through this horrible virus. Do it for your family. And most of all yourself. Covid affects all ages." "PS this photo was taken in early April. Thank god he has almost recovered now. Thank you all for your prayers," she wrote. Encouraging people to wear masks, she uploaded another image where she and her friend, actress Courteney Cox, are seen wearing similar masks. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Jay Schottenstein has been the CEO of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) since 2014, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. View our latest analysis for American Eagle Outfitters How Does Total Compensation For Jay Schottenstein Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? At the time of writing, our data shows that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$1.8b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$8.1m for the year to February 2020. We note that's a decrease of 21% compared to last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$1.5m. In comparison with other companies in the industry with market capitalizations ranging from US$1.0b to US$3.2b, the reported median CEO total compensation was US$7.5m. This suggests that American Eagle Outfitters remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. Furthermore, Jay Schottenstein directly owns US$112m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary US$1.5m US$1.5m 19% Other US$6.6m US$8.7m 81% Total Compensation US$8.1m US$10m 100% On an industry level, around 20% of total compensation represents salary and 80% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that American Eagle Outfitters allocates salary more or less in line with the wider market. If total compensation is slanted towards non-salary benefits, it indicates that CEO pay is linked to company performance. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.'s Growth Over the last three years, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has shrunk its earnings per share by 9.4% per year. Its revenue is down 3.0% over the previous year. Story continues Few shareholders would be pleased to read that earnings have declined. This is compounded by the fact revenue is actually down on last year. These factors suggest that the business performance wouldn't really justify a high pay packet for the CEO. Historical performance can sometimes be a good indicator on what's coming up next but if you want to peer into the company's future you might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Has American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 0.9% over three years, some American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. Therefore, it might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... As we noted earlier, American Eagle Outfitters pays its CEO in line with similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Meanwhile, earnings growth and shareholder returns have been in the red for the last three years. Considering overall performance, shareholders will likely hold off support for a raise until results improve. CEO pay is simply one of the many factors that need to be considered while examining business performance. We identified 3 warning signs for American Eagle Outfitters (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Important note: American Eagle Outfitters is an exciting stock, but we understand investors may be looking for an unencumbered balance sheet and blockbuster returns. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. A former Nazi concentration camp guard has apologised to Holocaust victims as he awaits the verdict in a trial over the deaths of 5,230 prisoners. Bruno Dey, 93, spoke at a court in Hamburg, Germany, earlier today during the high-profile trial over his involvement in the atrocities of the Second World War. He stands accused of complicity in the murder of thousands of people when he worked as an SS tower guard at the Stutthof Camp, near what was then Danzig, now Gdansk in Poland. Bruno Dey, 93, (pictured) spoke at a court in Hamburg, Germany, earlier today, during the high-profile trial over his complicity in the atrocities of the Second World War Speaking from the dock, Dey said: 'Today I would like to apologise to those who went through the hell of this madness, as well as to their relatives. Something like this must never happen again.' The court is expected to issue its verdict on Thursday in what could be one of the last such cases of surviving Nazi guards. Prosecutors have sought three years in jail for the 93-year-old. But in his summary, Dey's defence lawyer Stefan Waterkamp asked the court for an acquittal or a suspended sentence, claiming his client 'would not survive' jail. He stands accused of complicity in the murder of thousands of people when he worked as an SS tower guard at the Stutthof Camp, near what was then Danzig, now Gdansk in Poland The Nazis set up the Stutthof camp (entrance pictured) in 1939 and initially used it to detain Polish political prisoners - but it ended up holding 110,000 detainees, including many Jews Dey himself has denied any guilt for what happened at the camp and said that the trial had 'cost a lot of strength'. 'I would like to stress again that I would never have voluntarily signed up to the SS or any other unit - especially not in a concentration camp,' he said in his final statements before the court delivers its verdict. 'If I had seen an opportunity to remove myself from service, I would have done so.' He added that he only became aware of the 'extent of the atrocities' upon hearing witness testimonies and reports. Prosecutors have sought three years in jail for the 93-year-old. But in his summary, Dey's defence lawyer Stefan Waterkamp asked the court for an acquittal or a suspended sentence, claiming his client 'would not survive' jail Dey is currently standing trial at a juvenile court because he was aged between 17 and 18 at the time. Waterkamp, his lawyer, pointed out that such a young man could hardly have been expected to break ranks and that the teenage Dey 'saw no escape'. He added that as a mere tower guard, Dey would not have known the extent of the 'sadism' and 'inhumane conditions' of the camp. Waterkamp also said that the Nazi crimes were 'incomprehensible' and that the witness testimonies had 'severely shaken' his client. The court is expected to issue its verdict on Thursday in what could be one of the last such cases of surviving Nazi guards The Nazis set up the Stutthof camp in 1939 and initially used it to detain Polish political prisoners. But it ended up holding 110,000 detainees, including many Jews, with around 65,000 people perishing in the camp. Dey, who now lives in Hamburg, became a baker after the war. Married with two daughters, he supplemented his income by working as a truck driver, before later taking on a job in building maintenance. He came into prosecutors' sights after a landmark 2011 ruling against former Sobibor camp guard John Demjanjuk on the basis that he was part of the Nazi killing machine. Since then, Germany has been racing to put on trial surviving SS personnel on those grounds rather than for murders or atrocities directly linked to the individual accused. Another former guard at the Stutthof camp, now 95, was charged last week with complicity in the murder of several hundred people. The district court in Wuppertal will have to determine with the help of experts if the accused in that case is fit for trial. 19.07.2020 LISTEN INTRODUCTION Since the judgment of the Supreme Court on 25th June, 2020 in the consolidated suit filed by the National Democratic Congress and Mark Takyi-Banson (as plaintiffs) against the Attorney-General and Electoral Commission (as defendants), there has been a national discussion on whether the court was right in concluding that birth certificates could not be used as proof of identification in the on-going voter registration exercise. Whilst many have disagreed with the judgment, those who agree with it do not seem to have sufficient basis for their agreement. Having personally analysed the judgment, it is clear to me that the Supreme Court was right in holding that birth certificates could not be used as proof of identity for voter registration. This article proposes to justify the judgment of the Supreme Court, by arguing that a birth certificate is not a national identification document that is capable of establishing citizenship of all Ghanaians for purposes of voter registration. CITIZENSHIP AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE One of the sacred rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution is the right to vote. That right exists to be exercised and enjoyed by only citizens of Ghana. As far as the democratic principle of universal adult suffrage is concerned, the right to vote remains the most fundamental right of the citizenry. Article 42 of the Constitution provides: Every citizen of Ghana of eighteen years of age or above and of sound mind has the right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda. The meaning of this provision is clear. For a person to qualify to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections in Ghana, that person must satisfy the following criteria: He must be a citizen of Ghana; He must be eighteen years of age or above; and He must be of sound mind. To fully appreciate the right to vote, it is important to know the various categories of citizens who qualify to be registered as voters in Ghana. Under the constitutional arrangement of Ghana, five distinct categories of citizens are recognized. Citizenship in Ghana is governed by both the 1992 Constitution and the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591). The five categories of citizens are: Citizens by birth, Citizens by foundling, Citizens by adoption, Citizens by registration and Citizens by naturalization. All these citizens qualify to be registered as voters. Now, I proceed to explain these categories of citizens one after the other. Citizens by birth Being born in a country is one of the acceptable means by which a person acquires the citizenship of that country. This is recognized world-wide. By law, a person born in Ghana automatically acquires Ghanaian citizenship by virtue of his birth in the country. There is no controversy about this. Importantly, citizenship by birth is evidenced by the issuance of a birth certificate. Thus, a citizen of Ghana who acquires his citizenship by virtue of birth acquires a birth certificate as proof thereof. Birth Certificates are issued pursuant to the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965 (Act 301). Specifically, the Registrar of Births and Deaths is enjoined by section 11 of Act 301 to issue a birth certificate to the parents of any person born in Ghana. The primary purpose of a birth certificate is that it serves as evidence of citizenship. Beyond this, a birth certificate has no relevance. Citizens by foundling The law is that a child of not more than seven years of age found in Ghana whose parents are not known is presumed to be a citizen of Ghana by birth. Thus any child below or of seven years found in Ghana without known parents automatically acquires the citizenship of Ghana. What is important to observe here is that, that child acquires citizenship as though he was born in Ghana. This means that by operation of law, the child acquires citizenship by birth, and a birth certificate must be issued to the child. It may be said that citizenship by foundling is a variant of citizenship by birth. Citizens by adoption A child of not more than sixteen years whose parents are foreigners may become a citizen of Ghana by adoption. Where a Ghanaian adopts a foreign child, the child acquires Ghanaian citizenship by virtue of the adoption. That child cannot be issued with a birth certificate; the evidence must be a certificate of adoption. Citizens by registration A foreigner may become a citizen of Ghana by registration. There are two forms of this citizenship. Firstly, a foreigner of full age and capacity may apply to become a citizen of Ghana. Secondly, a foreigner who marries a Ghanaian may apply to become a citizen of Ghana by virtue of the marriage. Citizenship acquired by marriage continues even upon the dissolution of the marriage or upon the death of the Ghanaian spouse, unless it is renounced. A person who becomes a citizen by registration is issued with a certificate of registration, and not a birth certificate. Citizens by naturalization A foreigner of full age and capacity may acquire the citizenship of Ghana by naturalization, after fulfilling all the conditions of naturalization laid down under section 14 of Act 591. A person who acquires Ghanaian citizenship by naturalization is given a certificate of naturalization as proof thereof. IS A BIRTH CERTIFICATE A NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT? The primary controversy engendered by the judgment of the Supreme Court borders on whether a birth certificate is a national identification document for purposes of voter registration. What is fundamental to note is that since 1992, all the constitutional instruments on voter registration have excluded birth certificates as proof of identification. One of the contentions of the plaintiffs in the recent case was that it was unconstitutional for the Electoral Commission to exclude birth certificates as proof of identification for voter registration for the 2020 general elections. In rejecting that contention, this is what the Supreme Court said: A birth certificate is not a form of identification. It does not establish the identity of the bearer. Nor does it link the holder with the information on the certificate. Quite obviously, it provides no evidence of citizenship. It therefore does not satisfy the requirements of article 42 of the Constitution . In fact, as a form of identification, it is worse than the NHI card which was held to be unconstitutional as evidence of identification of a person who applies for registration as a voter in Abu Ramadan (No. 1), supra and Abu Ramadan (No. 2), supra. [Emphasis mine] Having said this, the Supreme Court concluded that the non-inclusion of birth certificate as a document of identification of a person who applies for registration as a voter by C.I. 126 is not inconsistent with, or in contravention of, the Constitution, or any other law. What should be noted about birth certificates is their limitedness in establishing citizenship in Ghana. It has already been pointed out above that the laws of Ghana recognize five different means by which a person may become a citizen of Ghana. Birth is just one of the five ways of acquiring Ghanaian citizenship. Out of the five categories of citizens in Ghana, only those who are naturally born in Ghana and those children below seven years who are found in Ghana without parents, who qualify as citizens by birth. What this means is that it is only persons born in Ghana and those presumed to be born in Ghana, who can acquire birth certificates in Ghana. By parity of reasoning, it can be said that not all citizens of Ghana have birth certificates issued in Ghana. It is also right to say that not even all citizens of Ghana qualify to acquire birth certificates in Ghana. This is because there are many citizens of Ghana who were neither born nor presumed to be born in Ghana. All persons who became citizens of Ghana by registration (marriage), naturalization and adoption do not qualify to hold Ghanaian birth certificates. As an example, a Togolese who becomes a citizen of Ghana either by adoption, registration (marriage) or naturalization has a Togo birth certificate. The evidence of that persons citizenship is not a birth certificate, but a certificate of adoption, registration or naturalization, as the case may be. Therefore, it is preposterous to require that all citizens of Ghana should be allowed to produce birth certificate as a document of identification for voter registration. As far as identification for purpose of voter registration is concerned, a birth certificate is a document of limited relevance, in that it is not every Ghanaian citizen who has, or who can produce a birth certificate. Birth certificates are owned by only a cross-section of Ghanaian citizens, that is, those born in Ghana and those presumed to be born in Ghana. What we must all understand is that as far as the right to vote is concerned, the purpose of a national document of identification is to prove citizenship of the person seeking to be registered. That being so, only documents that qualify as proof of all the various categories of citizenship is acceptable. A birth certificate is not one of such documents. A birth certificate is not a national identification document that can support proof of citizenship of all Ghanaians. This is what the Supreme Court meant when it said a birth certificate provides no evidence citizenship. It therefore does not satisfy the requirements of article 42 of the constitution . CONCLUSION For purposes of public elections it is always safe and important for the means of identification of voters to be general, and not one applicable to only a cross-section of the citizenry. This would ensure that no citizen is unduly disenfranchised. It is clear that a birth certificate is not a document of general application as far as proof of citizenship is concerned. Not every citizen of Ghana has a Ghanaian birth certificate. The Supreme Court was therefore right in holding that the non-inclusion of birth certificates as document of establishing citizenship in C.I. 126 does not violate the Constitution or any other law. By: Daniel Korang Esq. Barrister, Solicitor, Author and Lecturer Adom Legal Consult Sunyani, Bono Region Email: [email protected] +233 (0)248278729/ +233(0)208759342 (Newser) A man suspected of killing the son of a New Jersey federal judge and seriously injuring her husband in a Sunday afternoon shooting has been found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, law enforcement officials say. A law enforcement source tells the New York Times the body of a lawyer suspected in the shooting was found in Liberty, New York, Monday morning. It's not clear whether the lawyer was involved in any of the cases that US District Judge Esther Salas or her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, worked on. A second source tells the Times that investigators looking into the lawyer's death found a package addressed to Salas. "There's a pretty good level of confidence he's the guy," the source says. More: The shooting. Police say the suspect is believed to have posed as a FedEx driver to carry out the shooting at Salas' North Brunswick home, USA Today reports. Daniel Anderl, 20, was shot dead after opening the door; he was the couple's only child and a rising junior at Catholic University of America. His father was critically injured. story continues below No other suspects sought . The US Marshals Service and the FBI say the suspect is believed to have acted alone, reports the AP. Officials say the suspect's body was found around a 2-hour drive from the judge's home. . The US Marshals Service and the FBI say the suspect is believed to have acted alone, reports the AP. Officials say the suspect's body was found around a 2-hour drive from the judge's home. Motive a mystery . Law enforcement officials tell CNN that they are not aware of any threats made against Salas, who was assigned Thursday to handle a class-action suit against Deutsche Bank from investors who say the bank failed to properly monitor Jeffrey Epstein's transactions. . Law enforcement officials tell CNN that they are not aware of any threats made against Salas, who was assigned Thursday to handle a class-action suit against Deutsche Bank from investors who say the bank failed to properly monitor Jeffrey Epstein's transactions. Her other cases . Salas, 51, was nominated to the US District Court for New Jersey in 2010 and became the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal judge in the state. In her most high-profile case, she sentenced married Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Giuseppe Giudice to prison in 2014, per the AP. She has also dealt with drug trafficking cases involving the Grape Street Crips gang. . Salas, 51, was nominated to the US District Court for New Jersey in 2010 and became the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal judge in the state. In her most high-profile case, she sentenced married Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Giuseppe Giudice to prison in 2014, per the AP. She has also dealt with drug trafficking cases involving the Grape Street Crips gang. Other cases . The Bridgewater Courier News reports that one of the longest-running cases before Salas was brought in 2015 by a woman who said her rights were violated when she wasn't allowed to register for the draft on her 18th birthday. Salas also recently ruled against a taco restaurant in a trademark case and rejected a request from Turkish authorities for a state resident's financial records. . The Bridgewater Courier News reports that one of the longest-running cases before Salas was brought in 2015 by a woman who said her rights were violated when she wasn't allowed to register for the draft on her 18th birthday. Salas also recently ruled against a taco restaurant in a trademark case and rejected a request from Turkish authorities for a state resident's financial records. "He had so much promise." "It's surreal," Carlos Salas, an older brother of the judge, tells the Times of Daniel Anderl's death. "He was a vibrant, young, good-looking man. He had so much promise. Salas says Anderl had hoped to pursue a legal career of his own. In a 2018 interview, the judge joked that her son had "been arguing with us since he could talk, practicing his advocacy skills." "It's surreal," Carlos Salas, an older brother of the judge, tells the Times of Daniel Anderl's death. "He was a vibrant, young, good-looking man. He had so much promise. Salas says Anderl had hoped to pursue a legal career of his own. In a 2018 interview, the judge joked that her son had "been arguing with us since he could talk, practicing his advocacy skills." Mark Anderl . The 63-year-old, who served as an assistant prosecutor before entering private practice, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds Sunday, NJ.com reports. North Brunswick Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack later said he was in stable condition after surgery. . The 63-year-old, who served as an assistant prosecutor before entering private practice, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds Sunday, NJ.com reports. North Brunswick Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack later said he was in stable condition after surgery. Senator speaks out. New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez denounced the "horrendous act" Sunday night and called for a swift arrest to be made, the Washington Post reports. "I know Judge Salas and her husband well and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jerseys federal bench, he said in a statement. "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family." (Read more New Jersey stories.) Photo credit: Instagram From House Beautiful Jenna Bush Hager revealed the romantic way her husband Henry proposed to her. The Today with Hoda & Jenna host said the special moment happened on a hike. Jenna revealed that the Secret Service was also there, as her father George W. Bush was president of the United States at the time. It turns out Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager were not alone on the day of their engagement in 2007. Earlier this week, the Today with Hoda & Jenna star told Hoda Kotb about the special moment she and Henry became engaged during the co-hosts Unscripted segment. Jenna and Hoda were discussing safe summer activities like camping, which prompted Jenna to bring up the Bush familys love of national parks. Henry and I actually got engaged on a camping trip in Maine, she explained. We hiked Cadillac Mountain, which is the first place the sun hits the eastern part of the United States. And I was wondering why he was like, Lets go! Lets go, its 4 a.m.! While I just thought we were going to sleep here, Jenna said. Naturally, Henry wanted to get there for sunrise to ensure a romantic proposal. When the sun rose, Henry got down on one kneebut it turns out the couple had some guests lurking in the background. Some Secret Service were behind us, which was kind of awkward, Jenna said. But thats been kind of forgotten. (We have to wonder if they discussed the moment later using Jennas Secret Service code name?!) Jenna said Henry wrote out a whole speech about the location, saying it was where the sun hits the U.S. first, representing optimism. Unsurprisingly, Henry was a bit nervous the night before, too. He couldnt go to bed, I was like, Why is he not sleeping? Jenna recalled. Then, to go with the whole non-glamor thing, the first thing we did after the 8-mile hike was take a coin shower. Story continues Jenna also shared that her mom, Laura Bush, loved national parks, and recalled a time they camped at the Grand Canyon. There, she shared a tent with her mom and they had to dig holes to go to the bathroom. We brought our food and rafted down the Colorado River, she said. It was a trip I will never forget. Theres something so magical about being outdoors with only the stars and the people you love. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram. You Might Also Like President Donald Trump is refusing to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming White House election, recalling a similar threat he made weeks before the 2016 vote, as he scoffs at polls showing him lagging behind Democrat Joe Biden. Trump says it's too early to make such an ironclad guarantee. I have to see. Look ... I have to see, Trump told moderator Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News Sunday." No, Im not going to just say yes. Im not going to say no, and I didnt last time either. The Biden campaign responded: "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House. Trump also hammered the Pentagon brass for favoring renaming bases that honor Confederate military leaders a drive for change spurred by the national debate about race after George Floyd's death. I dont care what the military says, the commander in chief said. The president described the nation's top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as a a little bit of an alarmist about the coronavirus pandemic, and Trump stuck to what he had said back in February that the virus is going to disappear. On Fox, he said, I'll be right eventually. The United States tops the global death toll list with over 140,000 and confirmed infections, with 3.7 million. It is remarkable that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in the American democracy's electoral process. But for Trump, it comes from his insurgent playbook of four years ago, when in the closing stages of his race against Hillary Clinton, he said he would not commit to honoring the election results if the Democrat won. Pressed during an October 2016 debate about whether he would abide by the voters' will, Trump responded that he would keep you in suspense. The president's remarks to Fox are certain to fuel conversation on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers had already been airing concerns in private about a scenario in which Trump disputes the election results. Trump has seen his presidential popularity erode over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and in the aftermath of nationwide protests centered on racial injustice that erupted after Floyd's death in Minneapolis nearly two months. Trump contends that a series of polls that show his popularity eroding and Biden holding an advantage are faulty. He believes Republican voters are underrepresented in such surveys. First of all, Im not losing, because those are fake polls, Trump said in the taped interview, which aired Sunday. They were fake in 2016 and now theyre even more fake. The polls were much worse in 2016. Trump was frequently combative with Wallace in defending his administrations response to the pandemic, weighing in on the Black Lives Matter movement and trying to portray Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, as lacking the mental prowess to serve as president. Among the issues discussed was the push for wholesale changes in policing that has swept across the nation. Trump said he could understand why Black Americans are upset about how police use force disproportionately against them. Of course I do. Of course I do, the president said, adding his usual refrain that whites are also killed, too. He said he was not offended either by Black Lives Matter, but at the same time defended the Confederate flag, a symbol of the racism of the past, and said those who proudly have their Confederate flags, theyre not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South, they like the South. Thats freedom of speech. And you know, the whole thing with cancel culture, we cant cancel our whole history. We cant forget that the North and the South fought. We have to remember that, otherwise well end up fighting again. You cant just cancel all, Trump said. Wallace challenged Trump on some of his claims and called out the president at time, such as when Trump falsely asserted that Biden wants to defund the police. The former vice president has not joined with activists rallying behind that banner. He has proposed more money for police, conditioned to improvements in their practices. Trump continues to insist that Biden signed a charter with one of his primary rivals on the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. At one point in the interview, Trump calls on aides to bring him documentation to support his assertion. Trump, however, is unable to point to language from a Biden-Sanders task force policy document released this month by the Biden campaign. Trump stood behind his pledge to veto a $740 billion defense bill over a requirement that the Defense Department change the names of bases named for Confederate military leaders. That list includes Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia. The president argued there were no viable alternatives if the government ever tried. Were going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton? Trump asked, referring to a prominent civil rights leader. What are you going to name it? Trump, 74, stuck to a campaign charge that Biden, 77, is unable to handle the rigors of the White House because of his age. As for polls showing the incumbent is trailing, Trump noted he was thought to be behind for much of the 2016 contest. I won't lose, he predicted. The president and top advisors have long accused Biden of using the pandemic as an excuse to stay in his basement in his Delaware home. Biden has indeed shifted much of his campaign online, but frequently travels in Delaware and Pennsylvania, organizing speeches and small gatherings with voters and community leaders that are within driving distance of his home. Bidens campaign says it will begin resuming normal travel and campaign activities, but only when health officials and state and local authorities say it is safe. Questioned about the coronavirus, Trump chided Fauci, the National Institutes of Health expert, and repeated false claims that anybody could get a test and that increased testing was the only reason that the U.S. was seeing more cases. When Wallace cited criticism about the lack of a national plan to confront the virus, Trump said, I take responsibility always for everything because it's ultimately my job, too, and claimed, I supplied everybody. Case are rising because people are infecting each other more than they were when most everyone was hunkered down. The percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus has been on the rise across nearly the entire country. (Reuters) - An Iranian convicted of spying for U.S. and Israeli intelligence was executed on Monday, according to Iran's official IRIB news agency. Last month, the judiciary said Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, who was arrested in 2018, had spied on former Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, adding, however, that the case was not connected to Soleimanis killing earlier this year. On Jan. (Reuters) - An Iranian convicted of spying for U.S. and Israeli intelligence was executed on Monday, according to Iran's official IRIB news agency. Last month, the judiciary said Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, who was arrested in 2018, had spied on former Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, adding, however, that the case was not connected to Soleimanis killing earlier this year. On Jan. 3, a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. Washington had accused Soleimani of masterminding attacks by Iran-aligned militias on U.S. forces in the region. A report aired on Iranian state TV on Monday included footage of Mousavi-Majd talking about meeting with contacts from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Israel's Mossad as well as audio of an alleged conversation between him and a CIA agent in English. Mousavi-Majd moved from Iran to Syria with his family as a child and his familiarity with that country allowed him to collect intelligence on Iranian military advisors there, the report said. The execution comes at a time when millions of Iranians have taken to social media to protest against the death sentences awarded to three men accused of participating in anti-government protests last November. Their executions have been suspended, one of their attorneys, Babak Paknia, said on Sunday. Rights activists said the sentences for the three men were aimed at intimidating future protesters. Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse demonstrators in the southwestern city of Behbahan who were protesting against economic problems but also the death sentences against the three men. The Farsi hashtag Dont execute was tweeted millions of times last week. (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Falun Gong practitioners hold a rally to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong, in Vancouver, Canada, on July 19, 2020. (Da Yu/The Epoch Times) International Calls Mount to End Religious Persecution in China Falun Gong practitioners from more than a dozen countries around the worldmany of whom are survivors themselvesheld vigils and rallies over the past weekend in a joint call to stop the Chinese regimes decades-long suppression campaign targeting their faith. It doesnt matter that its thousands of kilometers across the sea, Sen. Janet Rice of Australia said during an online rally on July 20. What is going on in China matters to us as human beings and its our responsibility to be reaching out and doing everything we can to be trying to be working for justice. The day marks the 21st year since Beijing launched a sprawling persecution campaign designed to eliminate Falun Gong, a meditative practice involving slow-moving exercises and moral teachings. Minghui, a U.S.-based clearinghouse that keeps track of the persecution, has collected accounts of over 4,500 deaths through its sources in mainland China, although the actual death toll is likely much higher. This is an incredibly dark and somber day, Jeff Yang, a spokesperson for the Calgary Falun Dafa Association in Canada, said at a local rally in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Calgary. Its a reminder for the worlds people not to shut their eyes to the crimes of tyranny, nor ignore the calls of conscience. Similar events also took place in more than 20 countries and cities around the world, including San Francisco, New York, Washington, Vancouver, Toronto, Taipei, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and Macau. Over 600 current and former lawmakers around the world, meanwhile, have signed a joint statement calling on the regime to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong and to unconditionally release all the detainees who are subject to torture and other forms of abuse for refusing to give up their belief. Falun Gong practitioners hold a vigil to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 18, 2020. (Minghui.org) Wang Xi, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher in Maryland, was only 7 when the persecution began. In August 2000, the police raided a print shop that her parents ran after discovering Falun Gong-related materials, arresting both her parents and two employees. The incident was the first in a series of arrests, house raids, and incidents of harassment against her family and many others over the years. Her father, who spent a good part of a decade in jail or on the run to avoid arrest, spoke little about what he went through, but what he did revealhaving ice-cold water poured over his head as he stood on snow-covered ground, weekslong sleep deprivation, force-feeding, and frequent beatingsmade her wonder what more he had withheld from her knowledge. He lost around 66 pounds due to the torture in jail. Wangs father died in 2015, at the age of 50, less than a month after she left China for America. The news, she said, nearly took away her strength to live. I feel lucky that I have not lost my life like many other fellow practitioners, and that I can stand here to tell my familys experience to more peoplethe evidence of CCPs [Chinese Communist Party] crimes, she told practitioners near the Chinese embassy as they held a vigil to mourn those who have died. Falun Gong practitioners hold a vigil to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Chinese regimes persecution of Falun Gong, in Washington, on July 17, 2020. Wang Xin was among the attendees. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) What saddens her, she said, is knowing that the persecution campaign can claim more innocent lives and bring more family tragedies as it goes on, and all of this should not have happened. Liu Haipeng, a Chinese student studying in Seoul, South Korea, who was stranded in the country due to the pandemic, said he hopes that one day, Falun Gong practitioners in China can openly exercise their belief without fear. Truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance are universal values and basic principles that everyone should follow, he said in an interview. Alan Adler, from the U.S. nonprofit Friends of Falun Gong, said that the harsh campaign against the faith group deserves the worlds attention. The persecution of Falun Gong is a clarion call that should resonate with all good people around the world. It is a test of our human conscience; to see if we have the courage to stand up to the CCP, he said in a speech in a New York rally. Wu, also a Chinese student in South Korea, took up the practice only weeks ago. She said the courage and perseverance of practitioners under the threat of death has touched her deeply. My tears come out whenever I hear the music, she told The Epoch Times. More than 900 bus services will be back on the road in south-east Queensland as patronage numbers are set to recover from the COVID-19 slump next month. An extra 960 bus services and 105 train services, part of the states COVID-19 safe public transport plan, will create an extra 28,875 seats on trains and 28,800 seats on buses every week, starting on August 10. There will be an extra 11 morning train services and 10 extra afternoon train services around the CBD. (File image) Credit:Robert Shakespeare According to Transport Minister Mark Bailey's office, there will be an extra 11 morning train services and 10 extra afternoon train services around the CBD. Existing 30-minute gaps between trains will be cut to every 15 minutes on the Beenleigh, Caboolture, Cleveland, Ipswich, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe and Springfield lines. A former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has reiterated his commitment to thwart Governor Godwin Obasekis re-election bid. I am back and ready for the job, Vanguard newspaper quoted Mr Oshiomhole as saying to a large crowd of supporters who met him on his way to Iyamho village from Benin City, the state capital, late Saturday night. Recently, Mr Oshiomhole was named among a 49-member committee, led by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, for the APC campaign in Edo State. The move is seen by many as an avenue for the former national chairman to redeem his political image both in the state and among the party leaders. Until their relationship went south, Mr Obaseki was the former Edo governors political protege and anointed successor. Mr Obasekis candidacy was sold to the electorate in 2016 as the brain and creativity behind the achievements of Mr Oshiomholes administration. Before the dissolution of Mr Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) at last APC emergency NEC meeting, the rancour between the two former political darlings topped the list of partys internal wrangling. From political darling to snake While addressing his supporters, Mr Oshiomhole likened the personality of the Edo incumbent governor to snake that entered our family home. I have come home to join you and start the process of reclaiming the house back to the family of APC. What gives me joy is that, as they say, he with God is majority and if the people say yes and God says yes there is no man born of a woman that can say no. When I became governor of this state, I was not the chairman of anything. I had left the presidency of the NLC. Now I have only one mission and I am sure it is our common mission; our common vision to bring Edo back to the part of sustainable development. We want to bring back the era of red roof; we want to bring back roads with drainages; we want to bring back those lofty days when we engage our youths and we mix-up with the elders. We want to return to the government of the people by the people and for the people, he reportedly told his supporters. Forced out Mr Obaseki resigned his membership of the ruling APC after he was declared ineligible to contest at the partys just concluded governorship primary, by the APC screening panel in Abuja. He blamed his ordeal on his conflict with Mr Oshiomhole, who was then the party chairman. Having clinched the PDP main opposition governorship ticket, he will be facing Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the newly annointed candidate the APC. With the exit of Mr Obaseki from the APC to PDP, the ruling party lost its last foothold in the South-south region of the country. Kerala Gold Smuggling was carried out with ease owing to diplomatic immunity India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Investigation agencies have found that large consignments of gold in Kerala were smuggled through diplomatic channels. The revelation comes just days after the UAE diplomat left India. It has been found that the racket was operated with ease owing to diplomatic immunity enjoyed by the diplomat, sources tell OneIndia. The agencies had to seek prior permission from the Ministry of External Affairs to open the diplomat's bags. Three bags had come in between June 27 and July 3. Wide network of hawala operators under scanner in Kerala Gold Smuggling case The sudden exit of the diplomat Rashed Alshemeili has also set the tongues wagging. He is a key witness in the case, but he made a sudden exit to his country. He enjoys immunity under the Vienna Convention. However on Sunday, he reached Delhi and took a flight to UAE. The National Investigation Agency which was permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the case is looking into a wide range of issues. A hawala network and the possible terror funding are on the radar of the NIA. The Enforcement Directorate too may join the probe soon, if any angle relating to money laundering crops up. Sources tell OneIndia that there is a high possibility of money laundering in this case and the ED is keeping a close watch on the developments. The case has been registered under sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against 04 accused persons including Swapna Prabha Suresh The case relates to the seizure of 30 kg of 24-carat gold worth Rs.14.82 crores at Trivandrum International Airport, the NIA said. The aforesaid consignment was found camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from UAE that is exempted from inspection as per the Vienna Convention. The said consignment was to be received by Sarith P S who had worked in the UAE Consulate earlier as Public Relations Officer. Initial investigation by Customs Department has revealed that Sarith had received multiple such consignments earlier as well. Kerala smuggling: 3 days after UAE attache slips out, gunman now missing alleges family As the case pertains to smuggling of a large quantity of gold into India from offshore locations threatening the economic stability and national security of the country, it amounts to a terrorist act as stated in section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News Further, as the case has national and international linkages and as the initial enquiries have revealed that the proceeds of smuggled gold could be used for financing of terrorism in India, NIA had taken up the investigation of the case. Victory over fascist thugs is victory over monopolists The Peoples Victory over the fascist armies in Europe has also been a Peoples Victory over the banking, industrial and land monopolists who build fascist parties and cause war. The smashing of monopoly in Europe will weaken monopoly all over the world, and prepare the way for a stable peace organisation. Apologists for brownshirted and blackshirted fascism always tried to deny its class basis. The Hearst Press of America, rabid, last-ditch supporter of monopoly-capitalism once put up the approving headline Mussolini Abolishes the Capitalist System. Randolph Hearst praised Mussolini, accepted a decoration from Hitler, paid a dollar-a-word for articles by Goering and Ribbentrop, while inventing every lie imaginable against the Soviet Union and backing fascisms war on our Soviet ally which had really abolished capitalism. Appeasement causes Sir John Simon appeased Japan during her attack on Manchuria in 1931. Mr Amery, now Secretary for India, was another pro-Japanese appeaser. Mr Amery has been associated with Cammell Laird, a Vickers subsidiary. Vickers hold half the stock in the Nippon Steel Works, big Mitsui arms concern in Japan. The Baldwin Government appeased Mussolini in his attack on Abyssinia. Vickers hold stock in the big Terni arms concern of Italy. Appeasement of Germany was based on similar sympathetic links between capitalists operating under our limited parliamentary democracies and capitalists in the Reich. Imperial Chemical Industries had its links with IG Farben, German Dye Trust: Vickers with Krupps. A member of the Vickers family trained as an apprentice in the Krupp works at Essen. ICI and IG Farben were in a cartel that produced Nobel explosives. General Motors, controlled by the Du Ponts of America, owned Adam Opel AG of Germany, manufacturer of transport and panzers for Hitler. General Motors had about 20 million dollars in Nazi industry. Du Ponts own stock in the Nazis Dynamit-Aktien-Gesellschaft, and in IG Farben, which ties up with the Aluminium monopoly, Standard Oil, synthetic rubber. Sterling and other drug concerns. And so the story goes on. Monopolies in capitalist democratic countries have class sympathies reinforced by investments in fascist countries. But these monopolists are not allowed to invest money in the Soviet Union; Socialism ends their economic profit and political power. Fascist lovers Hence their hatred for the Soviet Union and their sneaking regard for fascism, even on its death-bed. Nazi war criminals, as another answer to those who try to cover fascisms class basis, have shown a marked reluctance to surrender to the Red Army, and often an indecent haste to reach the Western Allies. Dr Georg von Schnitzler, IG Farben President, looked forward to visiting his friends the Du Ponts in America. The fascists themselves provide final proof of fascisms monopolist basis, Hitler had demagogically promised the German people abolition of all unearned incomes, the end of interest slavery, nationalisation of all joint-stock companies, participation of the workers in the profits of all corporations, establishment of a sound middle-class, death penalty for usurers and profiteers. Hitlers first step after seizing the Chancellorship was to hand the real power of government to the usurers and profiteers, the men who lived on unearned incomes. The Nazi Supreme Economic Council was given plenary power over German economy, and therefore over politics and lives. Leaders of this 1933 Supreme Economic Council were: Herr Krupp von Bohlen, armaments king; private fortune, 6,000,000; capital represented 15,000,000. Herr Fritz Thyssen, steel king; private fortune 6,000,000; capital interests German Steel Trust, 540,000,000. Herr F C von Siemens, electrical king; private fortune, 6,500,000; capital represented 12,500,000. Prof Karl Bosch, Dye Trust millionaire; private fortune 2,000,000; capital represented, 55,000,000. Dr A Vogler, German Steel Trust; private fortune, 6,000,000; capital represented, 40,000,000. Herr A Diehn, director Potash Syndicate; capital represented, 10.000,000. Herr Bochringer, director Maximilian Steel Works; capital. 1,500,000. Herr F von Schroeder, banker. Herr A von Finck, banker. Herr F Reinhart, banker. The Nazi Party was subsidised from its outset by big industry and the Junkers, but the flow of money only became a flood when the capitalists were ready to destroy the Republic. They staged big lock-outs to intensify depression misery in 1931 and 1932. Fritz Thyssen, Germanys richest steel and coal baron, says that Hess arranged the first meeting between himself and Hitler, that he also met Hitler at the home of the Cologne banker Von Schroder. Krupp Super-Nazi Thyssen says that Herr Krupp became a super-Nazi. Thyssen also mentions the big cash contributions to the Nazi Party by Herr Bruckmann, millionaire Munich printer, Herr Bechstein, the piano king. He says that those who planned in advance the corporate structure were Dr Kurt Shcmidt. insurance company director, and Dr Klein, social welfare secretary of IG Farben. Other powers behind the Nazis were the Klockners, industrialists who lost Alsace-Lorraine mines to France; Mannesmann, Borsig and Flick (steel, coal, machines), Kirdorf (Director-General, Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate). These industrialists, as Thyssen admits, subsidised the press, supplied editorials backing the Nazis; they controlled policy through advertising contracts and films through the UFA [film company] combine. Cash for Mussolini Professor Volpe, official fascist historian in Italy, admitted in 1933 that members of the bourgeoisie contributed their personal support and money to the blackshirts. Professor Salvemini, ablest of Italian Liberal historians, wrote: In the general election of 1924 the Italian Association of Joint-Stock Companies obliged each of its dependent companies to contribute to the Partys campaign fund one-fifth of one per cent, of its capital. The Landowners Association, Banca Commerciale of Milan, Banca Italiana di Sconto and other leading banks, Fiat, Ansaldo, Lega Industrial of Turin, Confederazione Generate dellIhdustria and other big financial and industrial concerns contributed heavily to the blackshirts. The monopolist subsidisers got their rewards. By 1933, the former Italian Minister, Signor Beluzzo, could write: It is the confederations of employers and not the State who control the national economic system and have created a State within a State to serve private interests which are not always in harmony with the general interests of the nation. This article originally appeared in Tribune May, 1945 (HealthDay)As yet another record for the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the United States was broken on Sunday, federal health officials prepared to start pooled testing for COVID-19. The strategy could speed results, stretch lab supplies further, reduce costs and expand testing, the Associated Press reported. On Sunday, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon and South Carolina all set new single-day records for new cases, the Washington Post reported. Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa and five other states have seen their seven-day averages for daily new fatalities rise by more than 40 percent in the past week, the newspaper added. In Florida, more than 100 hospitals have run out of ICU beds for adults. The state has reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases on 12 different days in July, the Post reported. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is "on the brink" of shutting down again, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday. Over the past week, Los Angeles County has seen its highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations since the pandemic began, the Post reported. In some good news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Saturday gave emergency approval to pooled testing, which combines test samples in batches, the AP reported. The emergency use approval was given to Quest Diagnostics to perform its COVID-19 test with pooled samples. It is the first test to be authorized to be used in this way, the AP reported. With pooling, laboratories would combine parts of samples from several people and test them together. A negative result would clear everyone in the batch. A positive result would require each sample to be retested. Pooling works best with lab-run tests, not the much quicker individual tests used in clinics or doctor's offices, the wire service said. Theoretically, pooled testing could be used at schools or businesses. "It's a really good tool. It can be used in any of a number of circumstances, including at the community level or even in schools," Dr. Anthony Fauci testified during a Senate hearing last month, the wire service reported. The technique works best when fewer than 10% of people are expected to test positive, the AP reported. For example, pooling would not be cost-effective in Arizona, where a surge has pushed positive test results to well over 10%. But the approach could make sense in areas with a lower rate of positive results, the wire service said. More states, retailers turning to mask mandates As case counts and deaths have continued to climb, more states, cities and major retailers have turned to face mask mandates to try to stem the spread of COVID-19. Increasingly seen as a last hope to slow soaring infection rates across the country, Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas announced a face covering requirement last week after taking a more hands-off approach for months, the New York Times reported. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also issued a mask order last week, after questioning whether such a mandate would be enforceable. On Wednesday, Alabama, Montana and the city of Tulsa moved to make face coverings required in public settings, the Post reported. Several large retailers also joined the trend: Walmart, Kroger and Kohl's. Masks are now mandatory in more than half of U.S. states, the Post reported, and Target and CVS joined other retailers in announcing that all customers in their stores must wear masks. The new mask mandates suggest that officials and business leaders across America are painfully aware that cases have spiked in 41 states over the past two weeks and things will only worsen if nothing is done, the Times reported. Still, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp went against the tide and nullified all local mask mandates last Thursday, the Post reported. That same day, Georgia recorded it second-highest number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 3,871 new infections reported. Meanwhile, states continued to try to rein in surging case counts. California and Oregon have rolled back their reopenings, two of several states across the country that are seeing spikes in cases. On Monday, Florida surpassed 350,000 confirmed cases, according to a Times tally. The state is now third in case counts, behind only California and New York. Florida took more than three months to reach 100,000 coronavirus cases, but then took just two weeks to jump to 200,000, CBS News reported. Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference last week that the state is doing roughly 90,000 tests per day but the results were taking too long to process. "One thing that I think is clear is that we need to get these testing results back in a timely fashion," DeSantis said. He added that the state would be shifting business away from commercial labs that have not been able to return test results in 48 hours, as originally agreed upon when testing was expanded in the beginning of May. Hospitals filling up The case spikes are resulting in another grim fact: Hospitals across the South and West are being flooded with COVID-19 patients and are having to cancel elective surgeries and discharge patients early as they try to keep beds open, the Times reported. In California, doctors are shipping patients as far as 600 miles away because they can't be cared for locally, the Post reported. Nurses from around the country are pouring into Florida to shore up exhausted medical workers. Mayors in Texas are demanding the right to shut down their cities to avoid overwhelming hospitals. Health officials said they are concerned that hospitals will soon hit a breaking point, the newspaper said. "We can withstand a surge. We can withstand a disaster. But we can't withstand a disaster every single day," Jason Wilson, associate medical director of the emergency department at Tampa General Hospital, told the Post. "How many jumbo jet crashes can you handle before you run out of capacity? That's what we're facing." Even though regular wards are being converted into intensive care units and long-term care facilities are being opened for patients too sick to go home, doctors say they are barely managing, the Times reported. While hospital beds are easily converted for ICU use, the more difficult challenge is having enough advanced practice nurses who are qualified to care for such patients and equipment such as ventilators, hospital experts told the Times. Hospitals can "pivot enough space," Jay Wolfson, a professor of public health at the University of South Florida, explained. "The trick is going to be staffing. If you get people burned out, they get sick, then you lose critical care personnel." Beds aren't the only thing hospitals are running out of now: Some states have ordered refrigerated trucks to increase morgue space, the Times reported. In Texas, officials said the trucks were being readied because hospital morgues were filling up. In Arizona, two hospital systems in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, also plan to use refrigerated trucks. By Monday, the U.S. coronavirus case count neared 3.8 million as the death toll passed 140,000, according to a Times tally. According to the same tally, the top five states in coronavirus cases as of Friday were: New York with over 411,000; California with over 391,000; Florida with over 350,000; Texas with over 338,000 and New Jersey with over 178,700. Nations grapple with pandemic Elsewhere in the world, the situation remains challenging. Hong Kong tightened social distancing measures on Monday, following a sudden surge in infections, the Post reported. Carrie Lam, the city's embattled chief executive, told residents they now must wear face masks in all indoor public spaces, and she said nonessential government employees should work from home. While Hong Kong was struck early in the pandemic, the city managed to stamp out most local transmissions by the end of last month, the Post reported. But with more than 100 new cases of the virus confirmed on Sunday, that success might be threatened. More than 500 new infections have been reported in Hong Kong over the past two weeks alone, totaling nearly one-third of all confirmed cases since the pandemic began, the Post reported. Things continue to worsen in India. On Monday, the country passed 1.1 million infections and more than 27,000 deaths, a Johns Hopkins tally showed. The surge comes weeks after a national lockdown was lifted. Only the United States and Brazil have higher caseloads. About a dozen Indian states have re-instituted lockdowns in high-risk areas, the AP reported. Brazil is also a hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 2.1 million confirmed infections by Monday, according to the Hopkins tally. It has the second-highest number of cases, behind only the United States. Cases are also spiking wildly in Russia: As of Monday, that country reported the world's fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases, at more than 770,000, the Hopkins tally showed. Worldwide, the number of reported infections passed 14.5 million on Monday, with more than 606,000 deaths, according to the Hopkins tally. More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Boris Johnson came under increasing fire from leading scientists today for appearing to rule out another nationwide coronavirus lockdown, even if there is a second peak of deaths in the winter. The Prime Minister was accused of 'painting himself into a corner' after he said he 'certainly' does not want to impose draconian restrictions again, amid warnings of a further spike in cases in coming months. He used a newspaper interview to compare the 'tool' of national lockdown to the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent which he does not want to ever have to use. Mr Johnson has already clashed with chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance over the need for a new lockdown and whether the public should be returning to work in offices and other workplaces across the country. And today, Devi Sridhar, professor of public health at Edinburgh University and a Covid-19 adviser to the Scottish government, told The Times: 'I fear he is painting himself into a corner. 'Unless the virus is effectively eliminated and strict border checks are in place, there is always the possibility that the virus will increase spreading, especially in the winter months.' The government also came under fire today over its 'illogical' advice on face coverings, with scientists urging ministers to make them compulsory at work as well as on public transport. The Prime Minister was accused of 'painting himself into a corner' after he said he 'certainly' does not want to impose draconian restrictions again, amid warnings of a further spike in cases in coming months Mr Johnson has already clashed with chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance over the need for a new lockdown and today, Professor Devi Sridhar said: 'I fear he is painting himself into a corner' Mr Johnson told The Sunday Telegraph that he does not want to impose another national lockdown as he said he does not believe one will be required. 'I can't abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent,' he told the newspaper. 'But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly don't want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again.' His comments appeared to be in stark contrast to remarks made by Sir Patrick to a parliamentary committee on Friday. He said coronavirus 'challenges will be very much greater' this winter and if there is a spike in infections 'national measures' could be required. Mr Johnson and Sir Patrick also clashed on the issue of working from home with the PM urging people to head back to their desks in August despite the latter saying there was 'absolutely no reason' to change the current approach. Yesterday Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today tried to pour cold water on growing claims of a split, insisting that they were on the same page as he said ministers listen to Sir Patrick's advice 'very carefully and seriously'. The Foreign Secretary also argued that 'national measures and national lockdown aren't the same thing'. Meanshile the British Medical Association (BMA) said a second peak of Covid-19, combined with a seasonal outbreak of flu, could be 'devastating for the NHS' and voiced criticism of Government guidance on the use of face coverings. Face coverings are already compulsory on public transport in England, and the Government has made it mandatory to wear them in shops and supermarkets from July 24 to reduce the spread of coronavirus. But BMA council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul told the Guardian introducing coverings in shops but not workplaces, or other areas where social distancing was impossible, was illogical. He added: 'Everyone has their role to play, but there needs to be clear, concise public messaging. 'To introduce measures for shops, but not other situations where physical distancing is not possible - including some workplaces - is illogical and adds to confusion and the risk of the virus spreading.' Dr Alison Pittard, head of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, warned the NHS could be 'overwhelmed' by a second wave during seasonal flu and said if people do not wear face coverings the virus could spread to levels seen earlier this year. She added: 'People might think Covid is over with, why do I have to wear a face mask. 'But it isn't over. We still have Covid patients in intensive care. If the public don't physically distance and don't wear face coverings we could very quickly get back to where we were earlier this year.' Russia's business and political elite have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against coronavirus, according to reports. It is thought that billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow as early as April. It comes as the country races to be among the first to develop a Covid-19 inoculation. Russia's business and political elite have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against coronavirus, according to reports. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin Several unnamed sources told the Bloomberg news agency that those believed to have already received the vaccine include top executives at companies such as aluminum giant Rusal - owned by billionaire Oleg Deripaska. The Gamaleya vaccine, which is financed by the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund and backed by the Defense Ministry, completed its first phase of testing involving military personnel last week. The institute is yet to publish the results of the study but has already begun the next stage of testing on larger groups. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (pictured alongside Putin), who recovered from coronavirus after being hospitalised in May, said he did not know the names of those who had received the institute's vaccine Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who recovered from coronavirus after being hospitalised in May, said he did not know the names of those who had received the institute's vaccine. Speaking during a conference call with reporters earlier today, Mr Peskov was asked if President Vladimir Putin had received the vaccine. He said: 'It probably wouldn't be a good idea to use an uncertified vaccine on the head of state,' adding that he wasn't aware of other officials trying it. Mr Peskov's comments follow a statement from the Health Ministry that stated only participants in Gamaleya's trials are currently eligible for the experimental jabs. But the claims come after one member of Russias business elite, Kirill Dmitriev, previously revealed publicly that he had received the vaccine. But the claims comes after one member of Russias business elite, Kirill Dmitriev, previously revealed publicly that he and wife Natalia Popova (pictured together) had received the vaccine The 45-year-old manager of the $10billion Russian Direct Investment Fund, said that he, wife Natalia Popova and their family developed 'double the antibodies' of a typical patient after being injected. The program under which well-connected Russians have been volunteering for doses of the vaccine is legal but has been kept private to avoid a rush of potential participants, according to a researcher close to the effort. He claimed that several hundred people have been involved - but it is not yet clear how these participants are selected. It it thought that those receiving the jabs are not being charged a fee but instead sign releases confirming that they are aware of the risks involved in the experimental jab. Sergei Netesov, a former executive at a state-run virology centre in Siberia, recently stated that although the new shots are considered 'safe' their effectiveness is yet to be determined. He added: 'Those who take it do so at their own risk.' Gamaleya Chief Alexander Ginzbur said he was not aware of any government officials or business leaders taking his institute's vaccine, according to Interfax. The Kremlin is now preparing to enter Phase III trials of the vaccine and plans to start mass immunisation before the end of the year, potentially making it the first country in the world to do so. The speculation comes after the UK, US and Canada accused Russian hackers of targeting researchers at Oxford University, who are already in Phase III trials of their own vaccine (stock image) The speculation comes after the UK, US and Canada accused Russian hackers of targeting researchers at Oxford University, who are already in Phase III trials of their own vaccine. That has fuelled speculation that the hackers - from a group known as Cozy Bear which has links to the Russian state - managed to steal sensitive information and have used it to advance their own research. British intelligence refused to reveal whether any information was stolen. Mr Dmitriev rubbished that speculation in an interview with Times Radio, accusing Western states of being 'scared at the success' of the Russian vaccine and trying to tarnish the good news. On Friday, meat processing started again at the Tonnies plant following the slaughter the previous day of 8,000 pigs in Rheda-Wiedenbruck in North Rhine-Westphalia. Initially, the local authorities have permitted the processing of up to 10,000 pigs a day. The meat-processing area is where two out of three workers had become infected with COVID-19 until the shutdown on June 20. In the largest coronavirus outbreak in Germany, 1,553 workers tested positive at that time. This is also a highly dangerous area of work worldwide. In the US alone, more than 30,000 meat packers have been infected and at least 100 have died. Workers conducted a wildcat strike at the JBS beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, on July 10, as reported on the World Socialist Web Site. Two-hundred and eighty-seven workers at the facility had tested positive, and eight have died of COVID-19 so far. In Rheda-Wiedenbruck, along with the district of Gutersloh where it is located, 244 people are still registered as sick due to the coronavirus and one person is on artificial respiration in the intensive care unit. The danger is by no means over. Meanwhile, more and more scientists are warning against taking the pandemic lightly and describing it in terms used by the far-right Alternative for Germany as no worse than flu. One in five of those infected with COVID-19 faces serious complications, and 5 percent end up being critical, which can lead to artificial respiration and easily to death. SARS-CoV-2 can cause complications even after weeks and can lead to severe secondary illnesses. The new hygiene concept at Tonnies, which has now been approved by the authorities, provides for additional Plexiglas walls, new air filters and better controls for the meat-processing staff. However, the main causes that have encouraged the coronavirus outbreak have not been eliminated in any way. Nothing changes in the hard work and long hours of the precariously employed workers, who have to butcher and pack the animals at freezing temperatures while standing. Conditions are very noisy, necessitating the workers having to shout to make themselves understood. The strenuous work leads to deep breathing in and out, expelling aerosols. It is precisely these harsh conditions that are the best breeding ground for new superspreading events. The Haller Kreisblatt reports two Polish workers saying that Tonnies had demanded the hardest physical work from them. Among other things, they had worked in the so-called freezer department, dispatching large blocks of meat. Cartons weighing 10 to 30 kilogrammes are loaded thereeven overhead and at very high speed. ... Some people cant stand it for two hours, hardly anyone can manage a year. These workers reported a monthly wage of about 1,300 net, from which 150 was deducted for accommodation. They live with eight people in a three-room apartment. One of them had coronavirus, the report goes on to say. He was not isolated. He stayed in the shared accommodation. No one had looked after the patient, not even after repeated calls to a government agency and the ambulance. Finally, the workers were told that the infected person would only be taken when he coughed up blood. There is supposedly no room in the hospitals. The newspaper mentions that the Polish workers were bitter when they saw the sums former Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Sigmar Gabriel had collected as a consultant for owner Clemens Tonnies. From March to May 2020, Gabriel received a flat fee of 10,000 per month and an additional four-figure fee for each day of travel. But the Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and German workers who are risking their lives are waiting in vain for a bonus for all that has happened to us, as the worker said. On television late Wednesday evening, a documentary by ZDF-Zoom highlighted the extent of the exploitation and oppression. The pandemic had cast a glaring spotlight, making the precarious working and living conditions visible to everyone. In Gutersloh, 7,000 workers were sent into quarantine for four weeks. Their accommodation and entire housing estates were sealed off with construction fences and guarded by the police. How did it come to this? ask the filmmakers. For one thing, there are his good relations with high society, which enabled master butcher Clemens Tonnies to rise to become a billionaire meat baron, but the programme did not show the whole network of connections. An important link is undoubtedly Liz Mohn, the heiress of the Bertelsmann media conglomerate in Gutersloh and confidante of Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom Tonnies maintains social contacts, along with Siegfried Russwurm, the acting chairman of the supervisory board of Thyssenkrupp and designated president of the BDI (Federation of German Industries), who sits on Tonniess advisory board. Sigmar Gabriel, the former federal economics minister and ex-SPD chairman, is also not mentioned The programme does rightly point out that the rampant use of subcontracting was a result of the labour market reforms of the SPD-Green Schroder-Fischer government (19992005) and its Agenda 2010. On March 14, 2003, Gerhard Schroder, in his capacity as chancellor, announced that his government would cut state benefits, demand personal responsibility and more personal contribution from each individual. However, the documentary did not provide an answer to the highly topical question, how it was that workers were being locked up behind barriers, guarded by police. The pandemic is enabling a clearer view of the levels of exploitation at Tonnies and the social conditions that underlie them. A thin layer of billionaires at the top of society has enriched itself immeasurably by transforming ever-larger sections of the working class into low-wage slaves, using the police to keep the workers in check. However, all this can only be understood with reference to the role and complete integration of the supposed workers representatives in the German trade unions. For years, they have suppressed all resistance by the working class and prevented any alternative to the SPD, Greens and the Left Party from emerging. For decades, they have been cultivating social partnership and industrial peace with the employers, always under the nationalist motto: Everything for Germany as an industrial location. The result is now evident. Hundreds of thousands of people are employed in temporary jobs, contract work, mini-jobs, fixed-term contracts, part-time work, and so on. According to official figures, 7.7 million, at least one-fifth of employees, are slaving away for a cheap wage. The meat-processing plants are only the tip of the iceberg, and coronavirus outbreaks are not only to be found at Tonnies, but also at Westfleisch, Vion and Muller slaughterhouses, as well as in companies in other sectors. Meanwhile, the Tonnies company, which slaughters 25,000 pigs on peak days at its main plant in Rheda-Wiedenbruck, is in the process of expanding its other locations in Emsland, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt. The confidence of the capitalists that they can get away with anything is shown by the fact that Clemens Tonnies last week claimed recourse from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the four-week compulsory break. In other words, he expects to be financially compensated for the coronavirus outbreak his production caused. Nicola Sturgeon's husband proudly showed off a birthday card branding Boris Johnson a 'first class clown' as Scotland's First Minister turned 50. Peter Murrell posted a picture on social media of the range of congratulatory messages received by his wife, the SNP leader, last night as she celebrated her half-century. But Twitter users attention went immediately to one card, which featured a caricature of the Prime Minister and the message: 'I've hired a first class clown for your birthday.' The image recreated the infamous moment in 2012 when Mr Johnson, then the mayor of London, became trapped on a zipwire while waving Union Jacks. The card is made by online retailer The Grey Earl, which is based in Scotland, and costs 2.75 in its Etsy shop. Mr Johnson and Ms Sturgeon have been at loggerheads for the entirety of his first year in office, over issues that have included Brexit, Scottish independence and latterly coronavirus. Peter Murrell posted a picture on social media (left) of the range of congratulatory messages received by his wife. Twitter users' attention went immediately to one card, which featured a caricature of the Prime Minister and the message: 'I've hired a first class clown for your birthday' (right) The image recreated the infamous moment in 2012 when Mr Johnson, then the mayor of London, became trapped on a zipwire while waving Union Jacks Scotland has been far more cautious under her leadership about coming out of lockdown, compared to England under Mr Johnson. Measures to tackle coronavirus are almost entirely devolved to national administrations in the four home nations. Ms Sturgeon last night said she was 'overwhelmed' at the cards, flowers and well-wishes she received. The First Minister is celebrating in Scotland, after plans to go on holiday for the occasion were curtailed by coronavirus. In a post on Twitter, which ended with a love heart emoji, Ms Sturgeon wrote: 'To say I'm overwhelmed by all the cards, flowers and good wishes I have received from across the country for my (ahem) 50th birthday, would be an understatement...so I just wanted to pop on here briefly (before hopefully staying away for the rest of the day!) to say thank you.' Mr Johnson (pictured today) and Ms Sturgeon have been at loggerheads for the entirety of his first year in office, over issues that have included Brexit, Scottish independence and latterly coronavirus The First Minister is celebrating in Scotland with her husband (pictured together), after plans to go on holiday for the occasion were curtailed by coronavirus Speaking to the Scotsman in an interview to mark her birthday, she said: 'I am a bit perplexed as to how, suddenly, I'm 50. 'I think with politicians there must be something about living in four or five-year election cycles - suddenly four of them have gone past and that's 20 years of your life.' Ms Sturgeon also revealed to the Scotsman the one request she has made to her husband - a walk on the South Ayrshire coast in her father's hometown 'The Congress today has lost contact with the Hindu clergy.' 'They go to to Hindu clergy only during the time of elections.' IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi at the Bramha temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Photograph: Kind courtesy @INCIndia/Twitter "Muslims don't have any option so their clergy lines up with the Congress. And the Congress also lines with the Christian clergy," Rasheed Kidwai -- a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and the author of two books on the Congress party: 24 Akbar Road and Sonia-A Biography -- tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com in the concluding segment of of a three-part interview. Why did Jyotiraditya Scindia succeed in his rebellion and Sachin Pilot failed? Scindia's grandmother, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, was a part of the BJP and so are his two aunts. The Scindia family has had a special place in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Mahasabha right from the time of Independence and that transition is very smooth. Many people also forget that post the Babri Masjid demolition, when there was some kind of protest by the BJP in New Delhi, at that time Sachin Pilot's father Rajesh Pilot was minister of state for home and in charge of internal security. He converted Delhi into a fortress and all the top leaders of the BJP in Delhi like Dr Murli Manohar Joshi were lathi-charged and water cannon was used on on them. So, Sachin Pilot comes from a very different kind of legacy as compared to Scindia. And let us not forget that his two aunts (Jyotiraditya's paernal aunts Vasundhara Raje and Yashodhara Raje) are part of the BJP even now and have been very active for decades. Therefore, for Sachin it was a very hard roadmap, but he is hard working and age is on his side. Who would have thought V P Singh would have succeeded against Rajiv Gandhi? Why can't Sonia Gandhi see the fact that Rahul Gandhi is not fit to lead the country? The problem with the Gandhis is that they do not communicate enough. The communication on Twitter and other social media is different from real communication. When Rahul came into politics as a backbencher in 2003, he thought that the Congress will be in Opposition and Rahul will learn the ropes of politics through his mother. And then suddenly, by luck, in 2004, the Congress forms the government under the banner of the United Progressive Alliance. Rahul had no role till he became general secretary of the Congress in Hyderabad in 2006. There was a huge clamour from party members that Rahul must get more importance in the party -- and who was raising their voice? All Congressmen. And what happened? This gets into (his) head. Rahul then becomes vice -president of the Congress from 2006 at the Jaipur Congress session in Jaipur to 2013. It is fashionable to criticise Sonia, but she is also human. At that time almost every Congressmen was praising Rahul. It takes superhuman qualities like that of Mahatma Gandhi who did not take any power position in the government or the Congress. But then there is only one Mahatma Gandhi. Is it not clear to Sonia Gandhi by now that Rahul Gandhi is not fit to rule? Who decides whether Rahul Gandhi is not fit to rule? It is an internal matter of the Congress party. It is the duty of the Congress to sort it out as I said at the beginning of the interview. Outsiders cannot do it. Media, other parties and intellectuals -- nobody can do anything about it. These things must come from leaders like Shashi Tharoor and others. At least make an attempt, talk about it. Look at the level of dissent in the Congress party. It came from Shehzad Poonawala in 2017 and Sanjay Jha in 2020. They are not even All India Congress Committee members. What is their locus standi? The Centre for the study of Developing Societies in an analysis in 2014 said six out of every 10 Congress voters were either Muslims, Sikhs or Christians. Have the Hindu voters deserted the Congress? The Congress has lost roots in society. I asked one Congress leader there is something called as Agarwal Samaj and if you go for that Samaj meeting and do a headcount, how many of them will be Congress sympathisers or voters? He was clueless to my question and had no answer, but the answer is zero. You see what the RSS has done. They have 136 hydra-like organisations and they are spread everywhere. The Congress today has lost contact with the Hindu clergy. Muslims don't have any option so their clergy lines up with the Congress and they play a very important role. And the Congress also lines with Christian clergy. They go to to the Hindu clergy only during the time of elections. They don't have roots in Hindu society, so what are they representing? All said and done, the Congress still win 20 per cent of votes in the 2019 election. It is not a bad performance and one cannot write off this party. Can you? And who got these many percentage of votes? The Gandhi family. Perhaps if they were not there, the Congress party's vote share would have fallen more. Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Last week, the Richmond School Board endorsed a virtual-only reopening plan for the fall semester. Merv Daugherty, the superintendent of the Chesterfield County school division, is also recommending a virtual-only start. The Hanover County School Board last week endorsed a tentative five-day school plan, but will allow families to opt out and resume online instruction. Families there would need to commit to either option through the first half of the school year. While some think it would be safer to continue online learning, many parents and experts are worried about logistical challenges, academic performance, learning retention and mental health impacts from a lack of in-person socialization. Robert Pianta, dean of the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia, said in an interview Monday that there is no optimal answer on what reopening option is best. Theyre trying to make the best decision you can based on the information thats available at the time. Its imperfect, he said of school districts around the country. At the same time, the conditions on the ground can change rapidly. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Hong Kong Mon, July 20, 2020 07:10 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667ac946 2 World Hong-Kong,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free The deadly coronavirus is spreading out of control in Hong Kong with a record 100 new cases confirmed, the finance hub's leader said Sunday as she tightened social distancing measures to tackle the sudden surge in infections. The finance hub was one of the first places to be struck by the virus when it emerged from central China. But the city had impressive success in tackling the disease, all but ending local transmissions by late June. However, in the last two weeks, infections have spiked once more and doctors fear the new outbreak is now spreading undetected in the densely packed territory of 7.5 million people. On Sunday chief executive Carrie Lam said more than 500 infections had been confirmed in the last fortnight alone, nearly a third since the outbreak began. On Sunday 108 new infections were recorded by health authorities, a daily high for the finance hub, bringing the total to 1,886 cases. "I think the situation is really critical and there is no sign the situation is being brought under control," Lam told reporters. Lam announced new social distancing measures last week, shuttering many businesses including bars, gyms and nightclubs, and ordering everyone to wear masks on public transport. Restaurants were ordered to only offer takeout services in the evenings. On Sunday Lam announced even more regulations, including plans to make it compulsory to wear masks inside any public indoor venue -- and a new order for non-essential civil servants to work for home. As hospital wards fill, officials are also scrambling to build a further 2,000 isolation rooms on barren land near the city's Disneyland resort to monitor and treat those who test positive, she added. Hong Kong was already mired in recession when the pandemic hit thanks to the US-China trade war and months of political unrest last year. The new partial lockdown has compounded the economic misery. On Sunday, Lam called for landlords to look at lowering rents in the notoriously expensive city where inequality is rampant. She said further social distancing measures would be rolled out if the daily infection rate did not ease in coming days. However, she said she was keen to avoid ordering people to remain at home. "We can't just make a simple and extreme move to cut everything at once," Lam said. Authorities say testing will be ramped up, targeting high-risk populations such as taxi drivers and restaurant workers after clusters were found within their ranks. Some of the new infections have swept through elderly care homes, a major cause of concern given how deadly the coronavirus is to older people. So far, 12 people have died after contracting the virus in Hong Kong -- four in the last fortnight. Lam said officials would try to strike a balance between protecting health and keeping the economy partially afloat. "It's hard to tell what kind of measures we will need to roll out... many places have ordered people to stay home," she said. "We haven't adopted that in the last six months because we wanted to maintain a normal life for everyone." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:57:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Abbas briefed Shoukry over the latest political developments in Palestine, with a focus on diplomatic efforts to prevent the possible Israeli move to annex areas of the West Bank and apply Israeli civil law on settlements in the occupied territory, said WAFA. After the meeting, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that the visit is part of the ongoing consultations between Palestinians and the Arab countries to confront the Israeli annexation plan and return to peace talks on the basis of international law and legitimacy. Meanwhile, Shoukry reiterated that Egypt is committed to supporting the Palestinian position against the annexation plan. "Egypt has been unequivocal in its rejection of any unilateral measures that may negatively affect the peace process, including any move towards annexing any part of the occupied Palestinian territory," he said. On Sunday night, Abbas received a phone call from his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, during which they discussed issues of joint interests, including international positions regarding Israeli unilateral measures in Palestine. Shoukry is the second Arab official to visit Ramallah since the Palestinian leadership declared its abolition of agreements with Israel and the United States in May in protest of the declared Israeli plan. Last month, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held talks with Abbas in Ramallah. Tensions in the Palestinian territory have mounted since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intention to annex large areas of the West Bank and apply Israeli civil law on settlements in the occupied territory. However, Netanyahu remains at odds with Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White, over the date of the annexation. The Israeli plan received widespread condemnations by Palestinians and the international community. Enditem Lithuania has excluded Ukraine from the list of countries of which returning requires self-isolation, whereas several EU countries have been included in the list, according to the website of the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT. "Residents of Lithuania returning from Ukraine do not need to undergo isolation from Monday [July 20]," the report reads. At the same time, Lithuania included in the list a number of EU countries, primarily with developed holiday resort businesses: Croatia, Spain, and Iceland. Earlier, the same decision was made for Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, and Luxembourg. People returning from countries with a difficult epidemiological situation must submit their data to the National Public Health Center within 24 hours. All of them must spend 14 days in isolation, even if they traveled through these countries in transit. The list of countries affected by coronavirus is updated in Lithuania every week, taking into account the epidemiological situation abroad. According to Lithuania's National Public Health Center (NVSC), 15 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the country on July 19, bringing the total number of infections to 1,947. Eighty people died of coronavirus, whereas 1,601 patients recovered. op Community activists have regularly criticized the lack of action taken by local governments to help the Charleston area's homeless. Now, they're saying enough is enough. On Sunday afternoon, Uplift Charleston and other groups took to the streets to release a list of demands for North Charleston and other local governments to take substantial action to help the communitys homeless. They called for the city of North Charleston to create a Homeless Task Force that would work to end the problem within 10 years. Part of that effort must be building homeless shelters and assistance shelters in the city, the group says. The city also needs affordable long-term and transitional housing, activists said. Raising the minimum wage should also be addressed, they say, along with affordable or free transportation. But community members had another mission as well: handing out food, water, blankets and hygiene products to the areas struggling. They were at a Rivers Avenue parking lot between the Department of Social Services, the CARTA SuperStop and a church an area where some live in poverty. Aaron Comstock, leader of Uplift Charleston, said he comes to the lot every day to hand out bag lunches. Its time we start caring about this, Comstock said. He started Uplift Charleston two years ago but has been working to help the homeless in the Charleston area for five years. Lately, during the pandemic, hes received messages every day from people about to be homeless. He questions where the citys funds for the homeless have gone when the problem hasnt gotten any better. Theyre failing this population, he said of North Charleston officials. Just look how were living, man, said Brandon Trollinger, a North Charleston native who organized Sundays rally with Comstock. When is our leadership going to acknowledge the problem? he asked. A group advocating better transportation for the area, Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit, set up a tent to explain the transit issues for the Charleston area. William Hamilton, the groups leader, said the area needs a bus rapid transit system from downtown Summerville to Charleston. There are plans in the works for such a service, to be operated by the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, but it's years away. Hamilton's wife Julia died recently, and her funeral was Saturday. Hes fought for better transit for more than 25 years, and its cost him but he wanted to be out in the community as usual to advocate for change. The future of the Lowcountry is where you are standing, Hamilton said. Good transit is necessary for a decent quality of life, and until its accomplished, he and others are ready to bring unending opposition against city officials. These people have wasted 25 years of my life making promises they havent kept, he said. Some activists have struggled with homelessness themselves and now want to give back. Cathryn Sheppard-Bryant went through a period of homelessness. She wants people still going through it to know theyre not alone. We just have to call in for help, she said. The help is there. If you go by yourself, you never get there. She said it took her a long time to ask for help, so she knows how difficult that is. Now, she works with Walking Women Welfare to help those in the community who are struggling. All of the rally's activists echoed the same sentiment they'll keep offering all the help they can, but real change requires elected officials to commit to action. Until that happens, it's time to make some noise and demand that change becomes a priority. Zareen Khan says people still assume Salman Khan helps her find work: "I cannot be a monkey on his back" By PTI WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of nine influential Congressmen have introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives, urging Beijing to work towards de-escalating the situation at the border through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not by force. The troops of India and China are locked in a standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated last month following the Galwan Valley clashes that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead. Led by Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, other co-sponsors of the Congressional resolution are Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and lawmakers Frank Pallone, Tom Suozzi, Ted Yoho, George Holding, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Haley Stevens and Steve Chabot. ALSO READ | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo starts leaves for UK, Denmark to discuss China's 'threat' In the months leading up to June 15, along the Line of Actual Control, the Chinese military reportedly amassed 5,000 soldiers; and is trying to redraw long-standing settled boundaries through the use of force and aggression, the Congressional resolution says. Noting that India and China have reached an agreement to de-escalate and disengage along the Line of Actual Control, the resolution says that on June 15, at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers were killed in skirmishes following a weeks-long standoff in Eastern Ladakh, which is the de facto border between the two countries. "The Government of the People's Republic of China should work toward de-escalating the situation along the Line of Actual Control with India through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not through force," the Congressional resolution said. It is the sense of the Congress that there is significant concern about the continued military aggression by China along its border with India and in other parts of the world, including with Bhutan, in the South China Sea, and with the Senkaku Islands, as their aggressive posture toward Hong Kong and Taiwan. ALSO READ | Love people of India, China, want to do everything possible to maintain peace: Trump The resolution comes days after the House of Representatives Caucus on India and Indian-Americans in a letter to India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said that over the last few months, the Chinese authorities have been acting with impunity and have attempted to transgress on the LAC, which resulted in diplomatic discussions to implement a process for de-escalation along the LAC on July 6. It was led by Congressmen Holding and Brad Sherman and signed by seven other lawmakers. "It is my hope that they scale back on their excessive weaponry and infrastructure at the Line of Actual Control and uphold both their longstanding and new founded agreements with India," said the lawmakers who offered their condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. "We are disappointed that China has been acting in contradiction to their agreements with India, in their attempt to change the status quo and challenge Indian troops at the border," the letter said. Last week, Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said US-India partnership, based on their shared commitment to democracy, is vital to uphold international law, international norms and the institutions that can peacefully and diplomatically resolve disputes and aggression. "As India and China work to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), I remain deeply concerned by China's aggressive behaviour in territorial disputes," Menendez said. "From the 2017 Doklam standoff, to the recent violence along the borders in Sikkim and Ladakh, to China's new claims to Bhutanese territory, Beijing has all too often sought to redraw the map of Asia without regard for its neighbours," he said. Top Republican Senator Marco Rubio also recently called on India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu to express his solidarity with the people of India as they firmly confront unwarranted and lawless armed aggression by the Communist Party of China. "India has made it clear, they will not be bullied by Beijing," he said. Senator Tom Cotton too slammed China of its aggression against India. "China has resumed its submarine intrusions in the Japanese contiguous zones and picked deadly fights with India at high altitude," he said. "Just go around the horn. You started in India, where, high up in the Himalayas, China has essentially invaded India, an ally of ours. And they have killed 20 Indian soldiers," Cotton told Fox News in a recent interview. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close She's currently in Los Angeles with her family. And on Sunday, Kim Zolciak-Biermann shared a sizzling snap of her daughter Brielle Biermann rocking her bikini brand, Salty K. Brielle, 23, showcased her incredible figure in a tiny pink bikini with a matching headband in her hair. Wow: Kim Zolciak-Biermann shared a sizzling snap of her daughter Brielle Biermann rocking her bikini brand, Salty K, on Sunday The brunette donned the Salty K Boardwalk bikini top and bottom in the color Origami, which retails for $90 per piece. Brielle showcased her ample cleavage and her flat midsection in the tiny look, while posed in front of a glass balcony at Rosemary Beach, Florida. The star wore her hair loose with the matching pink headband, which retails for $25 from the e-commerce site. Kim had captioned the snap: 'My sweet Brielle is wearing my FAVORITE @saltykswim bikini "Boardwalk" this fabric feels like a little slice of heaven,' adding hearts emoji and the hashtag: '#saltykbabe.' Details: Brielle, 23, showcased her incredible figure in a tiny tiny bikini with a matching headband in her hair Brielle also shared snaps from her trip to Florida, but while posing in the Salty K seashells top and bottom in white, retailing for $90 each. She added a suede pink colored bucket hat with matching nails and lipstick, along with three Cartier Love bracelets. The star posed sitting on the sand near the water in several other snaps she shared to her stories Sunday. Striking: Brielle also shared snaps from her trip to Florida, but while posing in the Salty K seashells top and bottom in white, retailing for $90 each Beach day: She added a suede pink colored bucket hat with matching nails and lipstick, along with three Cartier Love bracelets Another one: She posed sitting on the sand near the water in several other snaps she shared to her stories Sunday Selfie season: The brunette also shared a selfie from her day at the beach On Monday, Brielle rocked the same bucket hat but this time while in Los Angeles; she paired the number with a black crop top and coordinating jeans and handbag. She was walking with sister Ariana, 18, while revealing that they made a wrong turn out of their hotel. Brielle also documented their food runs while on the West Coast, which included In-N-Out and Il Pastaio with her mom, stepdad Kroy Biermann and friends. West Coast: On Monday, Brielle rocked the same bucket hat but this time while in Los Angeles; she paired the number with a black crop top and coordinating jeans and handbag Sister, sister: She was walking with sister Ariana, 18, while revealing that they made a wrong turn out of their hotel Always time for a selfie: She posed up a storm in her stories, with and without a face mask Rep. John Lewis, the nonviolent political activist, key leader of the Civil Rights Movement, long-serving member of the House of Representatives, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, and author of the March trilogy, a critically acclaimed graphic memoir series and the first graphic novel to be awarded a National Book Award, died July 17. He was 80. The son of sharecroppers, Lewis was born in Troy, Ala., later attended a Baptist seminary in Tennessee, and graduated from Fisk University in Nashville with a degree in religion and philosophy. He is among a key group of such historic figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young, and Roy Wilkins that comprised the leadership of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Lewis was a key organizer of student sit-ins in Nashville organized other protests against segregated public facilities. Lewis was among the first of the Freedom Riders, a group of 13 young Black and white activists who rode buses through the heart of the Jim Crow south to protest segregation, enduring police intimidation, vicious beatings, attacks, and jailings in an effort to force the Federal government to act. Later, as head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a key activist student organization during the Civil Rights protest, he was among the organizers of the landmark 1963 March on Washington. And in 1965, he and other protesters were brutally attacked and beaten by the Alabama State Police as they marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., during one of the most famous marches of the Civil Rights Movement. After years putting his life on the line fighting for African American rights and demanding equal treatment for all Americans, Lewis was elected to Congress, representing Georgia's 5th congressional district, in Atlanta, in 1987. In 2013, Lewis, along with Andrew Aydin, a longtime member of his congressional staff and a comics fan and aspiring comics writer, and comics artist Nate Powell, worked together to produce March: Book One, the first volume of what would become the March trilogy, a three-volume graphic memoir that documents Lewis's life as well the course of the Civil Rights Movement. The series was eventually awarded Eisner Awards for nonfiction in 2016 (March: Book Two) and in 2017 (March: Book Three), and March: Book Three was awarded the National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature in 2016, making it the first comics arts work to ever receive a National Book Award. The book was wildly popular and became a bestseller across all its volumesthe book is also issued in a combined March trilogy box setand has gone on to sell millions of copies. Originally planned as a one-volume edition, the books scope quickly expanded. Indeed, Lewiss heroic story of individual courage, as well as his role within the larger activism of the Civil Rights Movement, immediately connected with an enthusiastic new generation of readers both young and old. A sequel to March, which was announced by Abrams ComicArts in 2018, has been delayed. The book is to be called Run and it will look at Lewis's career as an elected politician. The book was published by Top Shelf, a small independent graphic novel publisher based in Georgia. Aydin approached Lewis with the notion of doing a graphic memoir. Although reluctant at first, Lewis cited the importance of a comic book to the movement. In an interview with PW, Lewis cited the influence of Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story, a legendary 16-page comic book from 1957, that was commissioned by the pacifist organization Fellowship of Reconciliation with permission from King. The comic outlined Kings nonviolent philosophy and its application to the boycott to protest the Jim Crowsegregated bus system in Montgomery, Ala. I read the Montgomery Story, Lewis said, and it was moving. I followed the drawings and it made it all real and explained the philosophy of nonviolence. I talk to thousands of kids every year, and I think the graphic novel Im doing can be used to get that message out to people. The result is a work of graphic memoir that follows the arc of Lewis's heroic career from the beginnings of his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement and ending by connecting his grand narrative with the symbolic power of the inauguration of president Barack Obama in 2008. Along the way, Lewis enthusiastically leaped into the world of comic book publishing and comics convention culture. Once March: Book One was published Lewis became an eager and inspirational comics creator and participant in pop culture events who relished contact with the fans. Rep. Lewis was a guest at BookExpo, but he was also enthusiastic about visiting the San Diego Comic-Cona giant promotional stage for every manner of pop culture product, though not generally known to attract politicians. He even made appearances at smaller indie comics events such as the Small Press Expo outside Washington, D.C., taking his place at a table alongside Aydin and Powell to sign books and greet hundreds of fans, who were often dazzled by the opportunity to speak to a bona fide national hero as they lined up to speak with him and get a signed copy of his book. Indeed, during an appearance at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, he recreated his historic 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Cosplaying as himself (he wore a trench coat and backpack that contained an apple and toothbrush in case he was arrested), Rep. Lewis, followed by throngs of children and pop culture fans, marched through the vast hallways of San Diego Convention Center in one of the most extraordinary and inspirational events likely to be seen at a pop culture convention. Rep. Lewiss love for the comics community, and his embrace of the comics medium, was on display during the 2016 Eisner ceremony, when the then 70+-year-old congressman quite literally ran to the stage when he was announced as the winner. Later that year, he was awarded the 2016 National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature. Upon accepting his award, Lewis credited a wonderful teacher in elementary school who urged him to read, my child, read. I tried to read everything. I love books. He added: This is unreal. This is unbelievable. With tears in his eyes, he spoke of growing up poor in rural Alabama, and how in 1956, at the age of 16, he went to the library to get a library card, only to be told that the library was for whites only, and not for coloreds. To go from that moment 60 years ago to the heights of literary recognition in the United States? Lewis only had one thing to say about it: "Its too much. By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - Kenya's candidate to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) top post said on Monday she is seeking Washington's backing and expressed some sympathy with its criticism of the global body as she emerges as one of two reform-minded African female frontrunners. Amina Mohamed told Reuters a closed-door vetting session last week went 'really well' as she outlined her platform to steer the body out of crises from global trade tensions and rising protectionism to a COVID-induced dive in business By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - Kenya's candidate to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) top post said on Monday she is seeking Washington's backing and expressed some sympathy with its criticism of the global body as she emerges as one of two reform-minded African female frontrunners. Amina Mohamed told Reuters a closed-door vetting session last week went "really well" as she outlined her platform to steer the body out of crises from global trade tensions and rising protectionism to a COVID-induced dive in business. Delegates say Mohamed, a 58-year-old minister and former WTO chair, is one of the favourites alongside Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to replace Brazil's Roberto Azevedo as director general, although weeks of campaigning lie ahead. The WTO has never been led by a woman or an African. "The rulebook needs to be upgraded because of the concerns that are being expressed about the rules not being fit for purpose," she said, adding that resuming the top appeals court would be a priority and that she hoped this would be on the agenda of the next major WTO meeting in 2021. The United States has paralysed the Appellate Body by blocking new judges. In an apparent nod to Washington, she referred to concerns about the body's "overreach". Asked if that meant she sympathised with the U.S. position, she said: "Those concerns that have been raised, they would not have been raised if they did not have solid reason to raise them." The U.S. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mohamed's supporters say she combines deep WTO knowledge with a drive to overhaul its 25-year-old rules. "The difference between me and them is I have worked this system," she said. However, she must win over those African countries who have expressed support for Okonjo-Iweala. Over the past week, countries have been hosting Geneva cocktail parties to showcase candidates. The WTO eliminates them in batches, starting with those unlikely to win consensus from 164 members. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Across the country, private schools are in existential trouble thanks to COVID-19. Long financially struggling as they have had to compete against free public schools, several have already permanently closed, including two in Baltimore and five across Maryland. We are in danger of losing something precious: the only institutions able to provide something markedly different from government-controlled K-12 schooling. If not done right, government aid threatens to make matters even worse. Private schools are not typically rich. While private school may conjure images of posh institutions like Andover in Massachusetts or Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C., most private schools are modestly priced with no endowments. For some perspective, public schools spend more than $15,000 per pupil, while the average Catholic school charges only around $8,000, and other religious schools around $10,000. Tuition at religious schools typically cover just 50% to 70% of average educational costs. Schools often make up the difference with fundraisers and parish subsidies. But this year, spring fundraisers were canceled or curtailed by law, as were in-person worship services where donations are collected. And with families suffering their own COVID-19 financial losses, many private schools cannot raise tuition. Nationwide, at a minimum 107 private schools have announced that they will shut their doors permanently, at least in part due to the crisis, as of the time of this writing, according to data from Cato Institutes Center for Educational Freedom. Nearly 16,000 students attended those schools. Among the two closed in Baltimore is the Institute of Notre Dame, which counts U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski as alums. The schools closing tend to be lower cost and disproportionately the choice of African American families. The average tuition for closing schools nationally is only about $7,000, and African American kids make up more than 15% of total enrollment. African Americans are only about 13% of the overall population. Story continues In Maryland, the five closing schools have student bodies that are 47% African American, and while their average tuition about $14,500 is on the higher side, they also provide financial aid, according to an analysis of data from Cato Institutes Center for Educational Freedom. Any federal relief should not discriminate against private schools, which are already at a massive funding disadvantage compared to public schools. While the Paycheck Protection Program fit this bill, making private schools as eligible as any other for-profit or nonprofit organization, COVID-19 education relief has not been fully accessible to private schools. Washington has sent $30.75 billion to states for education, with the money to be split between K-12 and higher education, and including about $3 billion at the discretion of governors. Almost all of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund is going to public schools, which are supposed to share the money in the form of services and material. The U.S. Department of Education has issued rules that such things could be distributed proportionate to total enrollment, but that is up to school districts. And private schools need money they control, not trickle-down assistance. As the federal government debates another relief package, if it does one it should be simple: Allocate a set amount per student and let it follow kids. That seems to be what the Trump administration is contemplating: Allocate 10% of K-12 relief funding the proportion of all students who are in private schools for private school scholarships. To save these crucial schools in the long run, state and local taxpayer funding must no longer be sent directly to public schools. It should follow kids based on what their parents, who know them best, select. Private schools are in trouble, and we need to do what has always been right: let families decide how their children are educated. ABOUT THE WRITERS Patrick Wolf (pwolf@uark.edu) is a distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas and Neal McCluskey (nmccluskey@cato.org) directs the Cato Institutes Center for Educational Freedom. 2020 The Baltimore Sun Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged Ghanaians not to be complacent about the fact that the country's COVID-19 active cases are declining. He said complacency can cause people to be careless and that the more cases are recorded instead of recoveries, the more the active cases go up. "But that should not be the case. We should record more recoveries and less new cases for the active case to keep declining," he said. To achieve that he said Ghanaians need to continue following all the safety protocols. Cumulative vs Active Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged Ghanaians not to focus on the Cumulative numbers but rather on the active cases. He said the active cases which now stand at 4,270 are the ones being treated in the hospitals or monitored at home. According to him, out of 774 treatment capacity, 299 patients are in various centres and 3372 being managed at home. Listen to him in the video below As of Sunday (19th July, 2020) Ghana's case count stood at 27,667 with 23,249 recoveries/discharge.The death toll, unfortunately, is 148.8 are in a critical condition while 4 remain on ventilators and 25 cases severe. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Goya Foods CEO and President Bob Unanue speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, on July 9, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) Silent No More: Our Culture, the Left, and the Rest of Us Commentary Shut up, he explained. That four-word sentence from Ring Lardners The Young Immigruntsand no, thats not a misspellingis for me one of the funniest lines in all of literature. It stands alone, its inherently comedic, and it makes me smile every time I think of it. In the summer of 2020, Shut up, he explained has acquired a new and more insidious meaning, as a tidy summation of the philosophy of those seeking to topple our culture and our Constitution as well as our statues. With reason and debate banished from the public square, were witnessing the most vicious and dangerous attack on free speech in U.S. history, including Abraham Lincolns closure of opposition newspapers during the Civil War and Woodrow Wilsons arrests and imprisonment of those opposed to Americas entry into World War I. By means of social media, and with the aid of a biased press, the left is working day and night to silence all who disagree with their radical ideas. Electronic Mobs Step out of line on social media, and you risk being either doxxed or canceled. Doxxing means someone will investigate you, looking for negative information about youthat 10-year-old post on your blog, that Facebook remark you made when you were 17, that joke you sent out on Twitterand then spread what they find far and wide through social media to humiliate you. Down you go in flames, despite all your apologies, shunned by some, including people you considered friends, and possibly in danger of losing your job. Canceled or cancel culture occurs when public figures or corporations step out of line with the leftthat line is always shifting, by the wayand are bullied or boycotted for comments theyve made. When J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, mocked a news headline about people who menstruate by responding via Twitter that women menstruate, many, including her fans, lashed out at her for what they perceived as transphobia. When Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue praised President Donald Trump, the outrage mob called for a boycott, a cancel culture protest that backfired when supporters of Unanue launched a buy-cott and left grocery shelves stripped bare of Goya products. On and on it goes. Shut up, they explain. Disinformation and Deception All too often the fourth estate acts as the mouthpiece of the Democratic Party rather than as free and independent entities reporting facts and truth. Over the past four years, for instance, negative coverage of the Trump presidency by the major television networks has never fallen below 90 percent. As a result of this and other biased reporting, a large majority of Americans no longer trust the mainstream media. The relationship between the public and the press brings to mind an old joke from the Soviet Union. A school boy writes in his composition book: My cat just had seven kittens and they are all communists. The following week, he wrote, My cat had seven kittens and they are all capitalists. When the teacher reminded him that the previous week he had said the kittens were communists, the boy replied, But now theyve opened their eyes. More and more Americans have opened their eyes in regard to the media. Spiking the Story Journalists in the news media, particularly television, can also blindfold their audience by what they dont report. Obsessed with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus in the United States, for example, they neglect to tell us about the explosion of virus cases in places such as China and Iran, the ongoing military buildup in China, or the continuing political battles in Hong Kong. Were it not for a few news outlets, we would hear little about these and other major developments. When Americans cant trust the media, truth goes out the window. In Gen LaGrecas fine novel about the press and politics, Just The Truth, a journalist tells a television audience: Journalism is the antidote to tyranny. Without it, the liberty we hold so dear will die. With so many news outlets now failing to provide that antidote, and with the social media mob baying for blood, can we do anything to preserve our freedom of speech and rescue our culture in the bargain? A Silent Majority In an article in The Federalist, A Silent Majority Isnt Good Enough in The Culture War, Emily Jashinsky addresses the fear that infects our culture today, writing, Thats how the left conquered our culture, by scaring people into silence. Shutting down free speech is a tried-and-true effective strategy, practiced by the Nazis in Germany, and by the communists in Russia, China, North Korea, and a score of other countries. Silence your opponents by whatever means necessary, create fear, and you win. Jashinsky then reminds us of the importance of fighting back against those who want us fearful, who would strip us of our rights: Do what you can to stop it. Our silence is how these small battles in the culture war are lost. Dont let the left terrify us into normalizing anemic police departments, hormone prescriptions for struggling children, Mount Rushmore, and the national anthem as emblems of white supremacy, sanitized comedy, false history, impossible speech restrictions, and so much more. Finding the courage and wisdom to speak up, even on issues that seem trivial, will send the message that reasonable people disagree with unreasonable demandsdemands that feel impossible for decision-makers and their band of ever-frantic PR professionals to resist. Breaking the Silence As Jashinsky tells us, we can fight against the shutdown machine by means of rational protest. She then cites several specific examples of how people in corporations and on university campuses might respond effectively to the social media mob. For the rest of us, here are some additional suggestions. If we watch mainstream televised news, we should do so with a jaundiced eye. When friends or acquaintances call a politician a racist, and we disagree, we can quietly ask them to provide evidence supporting their charge. When young people advocate for socialism, ask a hundred questions to discover what they believe, and why. Those questions, reasonably put and without animus, might cause them to rethink their position. If youre a graduate of a university that has repressed freedom of speech, stop sending them donations. Instead, send the money to colleges and institutions that promote liberty for all. Most importantly, we must know and treasure our First Amendment rights: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. We should study those 45 words. Even better, we should memorize them. They are the core of American culture and liberty. Lets refuse to be the silent majority because thats exactly how the enemies of this country want us: silent. Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling students in Asheville, N.C. Today, he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The mandate comes a few days after El-Sisi met with Libyan tribal leaders in Cairo, where they called on the Egyptian Armed Forces 'to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt' Egypts parliament on Monday unanimously approved the deployment of armed forces abroad to defend Egypts national security, it said in a statement, amid the expansion of Libyas Turkey-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) which has moved fighters to capture the key coastal city of Sirte. In an official statement following a closed-door session, the parliament said it "unanimously approved sending elements of the Egyptian armed forces in combat missions outside the borders of the Egyptian state to defend the Egyptian national security in the western strategic front against the acts of criminal militias and foreign terrorist elements until the forces' mission ends." The decision came days after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt will not stand idle in the face of any attack on Sirte, which he earlier described as a red line for Egypts national security and warned it could prompt military intervention by Cairo. "The Egyptian nation, throughout history, has advocated for peace, but it does not accept trespasses nor does it renounce its rights. Egypt is extremely able to defend itself, its interests, its brothers and neighbours from any peril or threat," the statement said. "The armed forces and its leadership have the constitutional and legal licence to determine when and where to respond to these dangers and threats," it added. The MPs on Monday supported the militarys efforts to maintain the national, Arab and regional fundamentals, the statement said, adding that "neither has the [Egyptian] people let the army down, nor the army ever let the people down. The parliament reviewed the outcomes of a meeting on Sunday of the country's National Defence Council (NDC) headed by El-Sisi, which discussed threats to Egypt's western front. The NDC said in a statement following the meeting that Egypt seeks to stabilise the current situation and ensure the declared lines of the Libyan cities of Sirte and Al-Jafra are not crossed to achieve peace between all Libyan parties. The closed-door session was attended by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Alaa Fouad and Major General Mamdouh Shaheen, assistant minister of defence. Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal only allowed MPs and the prime minister to attend the plenary meeting, and ordered photographers, guards and staff to leave the meeting hall, and MPs to close their mobile phones. Abdel-Aal also urged MPs not to divulge the content of the meeting. Mondays mandate comes a few days after El-Sisi met with Libyan tribal leaders in Cairo, where they called on the Egyptian Armed Forces to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt. The central city of Sirte and the Jufra military airbase are currently controlled by the eastern-based forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, which have retreated eastward after a series of gains by the government in Tripoli last month. President El-Sisi has said he would take military action in Libya after securing the approval of the Egyptian parliament. Under Egypts constitution, the president, who is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, shall not declare war or deploy troops outside the country without seeking the opinion of the National Defence Council and the approval of a two-thirds majority of MPs. The eastern parliament called on Egypt last week to directly intervene in the countrys conflict to counter what it termed a Turkish occupation. Egypt, the UAE and Russia are backing Haftar in eastern Libya, while Turkey and Qatar support the Tripoli-based GNA. The GNA, with the support of Turkey, recently extended control across most of the territories held by the LNA in northwest Libya, repelling a 14-month offensive by Haftars forces to capture Tripoli, and forcing them to pull back east towards Sirte. It vowed to advance to capture Sirte and the inland Al-Jufra airbase. Turkey began earlier this year to bring thousands of mercenaries from Syria into Libya to bolster the GNA government. The latest tensions come one month after El-Sisi had warned that Cairo has a legitimate right to intervene in the neighbouring country, and stressed that the frontline of Sirte and Al-Jufra is a red line for Egyptian national security. He said any Egyptian intervention in the neighbouring country would aim to preserve the national security of Egypt, Libya and the region, securing Egypts western border and restoring stability in Libya. *Menna Alaa El-Din contributed to this story Search Keywords: Short link: In the middle of a pandemic and a recession, Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to approve a generous gift of a $670 million tax credit to the petrochemical industry. The new tax credit is intended to boost demand for natural gas which has not kept up with the booming supply by giving up to $26.7 million a year to no more than four facilities (maximum of $6.7 million each) that turn natural gas to fertilizers, ammonia, and industrial chemicals that are used in plastics similar to the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County. The tax credit is authorized for 25 years starting in 2024. In return for the massive investment that further entrenches Pennsylvania in a pollution-generating future for the next quarter-century, each factory will need to provide 800 jobs. These include the temporary jobs that will disappear once the construction is complete. In 2012, Pennsylvania approved $1.65 billion in tax credits for the Shell cracker plant. After its construction is complete, it is expected to create 600 permanent jobs. The prospects for plants supported by the new tax credits are even less: A study of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, a trade group that supported the bill, estimated that each plant will create only 150 permanent jobs. Wolf vetoed a similar bill in March, but, after minor adjustments, he struck a backroom deal with General Assembly Republicans and came out in support of the measure. Wolf forgot to ask for anything in return. According to groups such as PennFuture and the Clean Air Council, the Pennsylvania environmental community was cut out of the negotiations between Wolf and Republicans. A coalition of 62 conservation, faith, business, and environmental groups throughout the commonwealth sent a letter to legislators asking them to vote no. The bill passed in both chambers. The centerpiece of both of Gov. Wolfs campaigns was a severance tax on the natural gas industry. His proposal never got serious consideration in the legislature. Instead, he will be signing a tax credit the literal opposite that will both cost Pennsylvanias taxpayers hundreds of millions, and make any effort to reach Wolfs own goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 nearly impossible. In return, Wolf didnt get a higher minimum wage, gun control, another look at the severance tax, marijuana legalization, or anything else on his agenda. Instead, lawmakers are pushing to rush a constitutional amendment to limit the power of the governor. READ MORE: Pa. lawmakers want voters to weaken governors emergency powers, boost their own The tax credit also comes on the heels of a grand jury report that called into question the safety and oversight of the states fracking industry. Wolf still has time to rethink his support of this boon for the petrochemical industry and veto the bill when it hits his desk. During the coronavirus pandemic, Wolf rightly understood that the best thing for our economy is to listen to the science and defeat the virus even if that hurts in the short term. The same is true when it comes to climate change. The best thing for Pennsylvania is to transition away from our dependence on fossil fuels not encourage their growth. Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan slammed Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday for criticising the Centre's decision to demonetise high-value currency notes. He alleged that the Shiv Sena chief too was "responsible for the misery of the common man". "Uddhav Thackeray's criticism has no meaning. He is part of the government and hence, responsible for the misery of the common man," he told reporters here. Chavan alleged that the decision to demonetise high-value currency notes was taken "in a hasty manner and without giving it a proper thought". "Adequate alternative measures were not taken before making this announcement," the former Maharashtra chief minister said. He claimed that two persons had died due to "stress and tension" caused by the "sudden" move to scrap the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and blamed the Centre for the deaths. Earlier in the day, four NCP corporators from Parbhani Municipal Council joined the Congress in Chavan's presence. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Credit: Thomas Lozito The human immune system has been getting a bad rap lately. However, the lizard immune system is finally receiving its due credit for enabling lizards to regrow severed tails. In a recent study in the Journal of Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, researchers from USC and the University of Pittsburgh describe how immune cells, called phagocytes, help lizards accomplish this incredible feat of regeneration. "Lizards are the closest relatives of mammals capable of regrowing an appendage after injury," said the study's corresponding author Thomas Lozito, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC. "So lizards may offer important clues that can inform tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies in humans." In the study, the researchers looked at the genetic and molecular profiles of individual cells following tail amputation in lizards and in mice, marking the first application of a technology known as single cell RNA sequencing to the study of lizard tail regeneration. In lizards, phagocytes responded more quickly and robustly to the injury, engulfing and destroying pathogens and dead cells at the amputation site and in the bloodstream. The lizard phagocytes also produced a cocktail of molecules and enzymes, called matrix proteins and metalloproteases, that kickstarted the process of breaking down and remodeling the damaged tissue into a new tail. The study also revealed that the immune systems of lizards and mice are not very similar. Lizards have a much smaller arsenal of distinct immune cell types, and lizard phagocytes remain in a more undifferentiated, stem cell-like state. "This study presents the first detailed comparison of lizard and mouse immune cells," said Lozito, "and reveals differences that may underpin the divergent regenerative potentials between these two species. We hope to leverage these insights to enhance tissue regeneration and wound healing in mammals and eventually in human patients." Explore further When it comes to regrowing tails, neural stem cells are the key More information: Ricardo Londono et al. Single cell sequencing analysis of lizard phagocytic cell populations and their role in tail regeneration, Journal of Immunology and Regenerative Medicine (2020). Ricardo Londono et al. Single cell sequencing analysis of lizard phagocytic cell populations and their role in tail regeneration,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.regen.2020.100029 There has been a lot of debate in the public sphere around the degree and kind of legal regulation a society should apply to online speech. While the dialogue has become more intense and urgent in the last few years, the effort to impose limits on Internet speech has been contentious from the start. At the present juncture, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is undergoing reconsideration. Its easy to take knee-jerk stances on Internet speech regulation, but they generally do not achieve as satisfactory or sustainable end results as stances that are grounded in an appreciation of history. In fact, it is precisely hasty judgment and foggy understanding of the Internets sheer novelty that got us to this fractious juncture in the first place. Thats why I want to present a brief overview of Internet regulatory history: to do my modest part to set the conditions for more enlightened outcomes. I owe much of the research that informs this treatment to a book called Blown to Bits, by Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen and Harry Lewis. If you are interested in getting a fuller, but still digestible, understanding of how radically new and unprecedented the Internet is, it is worth checking out, which you can do for free (its licensed under Creative Commons). The Wild Wide Web Lets start at the beginning, but we wont spend too much time there. The Internet began in the 1960s as a military research project run by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, which since has been renamed DARPA (the D standing for Defense). It was devised as an outage-resistant communications medium, so that the downing of strategically placed telecommunications nodes would not prevent messages from being sent. To be precise, it was meant to be an alternative to traditional telecommunications, like telephone lines, which would fail if the Soviet Union leveled the right city. The Internet accomplished its goal brilliantly, and it still does what it was built to do. It effortlessly reroutes data packets on the fly, without a centralized architecture, to get them where theyre going as long as any path between the source and destination exists. To test this, ARPA partnered with the countrys most prestigious universities and research firms and linked them all together. For a while, the only people on the Internet were the researchers at those institutions, as this 1970 map of the Internet shows. By the 1980s, the Internet opened to the public, but it was so arcane and inaccessible that only a small cadre of private and public sector players and, as it turned out, their family members had any contact with it. Home computers ran in the thousands of dollars, making them impractical to most but obtainable for some. Large corporations had started using the Internet as part of their operations, so some of their employees followed suit at home to get in more practice. Government-employed computer scientists were among the first to have Internet-connected devices in the home. A lot of the first wave of hackers, as well as progenitors of cyberspace culture overall, were the children of those professionals, who used their parents devices to rove around the bulletin boards of the early Web. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Computers really proliferated among consumers in the 1990s. Email started to be a regular part of the lives of American adults. However, by the time consumers and crucially legislators first encountered abusive online behaviors that merited regulation, a robust tradition of total freedom already had taken root. Bulletin board services were accustomed to operating without interference, and Internet service providers (ISPs) were content to deliver the bytes and leave the rest to someone else. It was the dissonance between the reluctance of longtime users to give up their taste of freedom and the outcry from consumers and politicians appalled by the abuses of a few that begot the whiplash in Internet regulation. Theres a Sheriff in Town There were really two types of content that shaped speech on the Internet: defamatory content and obscene content, especially any that could harm children. In the analog world, many different parties must work together to facilitate the expression of speech, but they bear different degrees of legal responsibility for objectionable speech. Authors always bear the greatest responsibility, since the speech is their own. Publishers are also responsible, because they wield editorial control over the authors words, meaning they know what the authors they publish are saying and, by extension, signed off on it. Distributors generally arent held culpable, because they usually dont know, and arent expected to know, the content they are distributing. Think of newspaper delivery kids: Its not their job to read the newspaper and make sure it doesnt contain any falsehoods or obscenities. These categorizations of parties in the content production chain seem reasonable and intuitive enough, but what lawmakers, judges and Internet users found was that applying them to the Internet was no simple matter. In trying to bend the Internet content apparatus into a shape resembling the analog one, lawmakers generally can regulate only a few parties. They can regulate authors who reside within U.S. jurisdiction. Alternatively, they can regulate the authors ISP, but also only if it operates within U.S. jurisdiction. Finally, lawmakers also have the option of regulating the consumers ISP and consumers themselves, based on the assumption that the consumers are in the U.S. (just as Americans benefit from U.S. anti-defamation and anti-obscenity statutes due to their assumed physical residence within the reach of U.S. law). A legal scuffle between two online bulletin board services in 1991 marked the first time that U.S. courts affirmatively affixed a classification author, publisher or distributor to an online player. Back then, the company CompuServe maintained a rumor forum, Rumorville, which posted content provided by third parties. The key detail is that CompuServe did not review any of the material it received it merely posted whatever its contracted content producers provided. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Another bulletin board operator, Cubby, propped up Skuttlebut, a competitor to Rumorville. Shortly afterward, a rumor cropped up on Rumorville alleging that Skuttlebut was phony, and because Cubby saw this as CompuServe spreading falsehoods to edge it out, Cubby sued CompuServe for defamation. In Blown to Bits, the authors characterize the case this way: Grasping for a better analogy, the court described CompuServe as an electronic for-profit library. Distributor or library, CompuServe was independent of [its content creator] and couldnt be held responsible for libelous statements in what [the creator] provided. The case of Cubby v. CompuServe was settled decisively in CompuServes favor. In other words, when the dust settled, online platforms were deemed to be distributors, meaning they were off the hook for any objectionable content their users or providers transmitted via their platform. Thats why the next landmark court case took online platforms completely by surprise. It started out in much the same way as Cubby v. CompuServe, with a bulletin board getting hit with a libel suit. In 1994, an anonymous user on Money Talk, a finance-focused board owned by Prodigy, accused the firm Stratton Oakmont of major criminal fraud. Stratton Oakmont sued Prodigy for libel, begetting Stratton Oakmont v. Prodigy. That case came with a twist: Eager to engender a family-friendly atmosphere on its boards, Prodigy openly advertised that it moderated its platforms to scrub them of obscene content. The court found that detail compelling, and it ruled in favor of the plaintiff. By exercising editorial control in support of its family-friendly image, said the court, Prodigy became a publisher, with the attendant responsibilities and risks, wrote Abelson et al. To the court, it did not matter that fact-checking went beyond the scope of Prodigys intentions through its moderating. If a platform moderated at all, it took on an editorial role, which would make it liable for anything and everything it hosted. Thus, the decision discouraged bulletin board services from taking on any editorial duties, lest they find themselves on the hook for objectionable content. The Perfect Torrent Would you believe me if I told you that an ethically suspect scientific study, sensational journalism, and overzealous senators led to the most influential Internet speech law ever passed? Strange as it sounds, thats exactly what happened. A shocking cover expos, CYBERPORN, was published in Time magazine on July 3, 1995, and it immediately set off moral panic in Washington. It later emerged that the researchers behind the study at the heart of the story used unethical methodologies. For example, they compensated participants for providing material that reinforced the authors confirmation bias (that the Internet was rife with pornography), and published their work in what masqueraded as a peer-reviewed journal but was little more than a student paper. Those in Congress seeking to stem the tide of profane Web content found themselves in a jam, because after Stratton Oakmont v. Prodigy, no one wanted to touch content moderation. The result was the near-unanimous passage of the Communications Decency Act, or CDA, in 1996. The law had two key components the display provisions and the Good Samaritan provision. The display provisions took aggressive aim at obscene and indecent content that could end up on a screen in front of a child. Among other things, the display provisions made it illegal for any interactive computer service to display in a manner available to a person under 18 years of age, any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs. Additionally, the law included a Good Samaritan provision, which makes up the heart of Section 230 (and which Section 230 generally is invoked to reference). Its language accomplishes two significant feats. First, it shields any interactive computer service from liability for the consequences of making good faith efforts to remove obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable content. Second, it classifies these services as distributors in the meatspace analogue: No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider. The ACLU challenged the CDA in ACLU v. Reno on the grounds that it unduly limited legitimate First Amendment speech, and got the display provisions struck down as unconstitutional. As Judge Stewart Dalzell stated in the majority opinion, It would chill discourse unacceptably to demand age verification over the Internet from every person who might see material that any adult has a legal right to see. The crux of the defenses case was that the Internet should be regulated the way TV is, but the court rejected the comparison as inapt. The Internet may fairly be regarded as a never-ending worldwide conversation. The Government may not, through the CDA, interrupt that conversation. As the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed, the Internet deserves the highest protection from governmental intrusion, Dalzell wrote. Good Samaritans, Questionably Good Outcomes Notably, the Good Samaritan language of Section 230 was left intact in the ACLU decision. Although this is the regulation public discourse now swirls around, that case did not mark the first time it sparked controversy. Indeed, problems emerged immediately. One test of the law played out in 1997 when Matt Drudge posted allegedly defamatory statements about Sidney Blumenthal, an aide to President Bill Clinton at the time, on AOL. Though AOL had editorial influence over the Drudge material it posted, the court ruled that the company was not a publisher, and therefore was not liable for libel. The opinion cites the CDAs Good Samaritan language. In 1998, Jane and John Doe (in this case, a mother and her son) sued AOL because it allowed a user to sell pornograhic material made of John when he was a minor. In its user agreement, AOL reserved the right to terminate service for any user who engaged in abusive behavior. The Good Samaritan provision also was cited in that case to absolve AOL of responsibility. Abelson et al. sum up the problem: Congress had made the muddle possible by saying nothing about the right analogy after saying that publishing was the wrong one. The Law of the Cyberland With this historical overview complete, we are more or less caught up to the current technological epoch. Section 230 remains one of the few forces incentivizing content moderation among online platforms. The fatal flaw here is that so long as they can argue convincingly that their actions were in good faith, they are immune to legal consequences. Granted, it has been established that online services lose their liability protection if they are notified of the commission of federal crimes or intellectual property theft and take no action, but Section 230 is nearly absolute otherwise. As a result, online platforms have wide latitude to create and enforce whatever community standards they choose. If the speech standards enforcement is excessive, deficient or lopsided, a platforms operator can hide behind the good faith defense, innocently claiming that nobodys perfect. True as that may be, free speech advocates contend that should not serve as a blank check to decide arbitrarily who can speak on a platform, and on what terms. The other contributing factor is, as I like to say, there are no sidewalks on the Web. Nearly the whole of the Web specifically the Web, as distinct from the Internet is private property. The First Amendment restrains the government from censoring Americans speech. Because sidewalks, for example, are public property, the government cant tell you what you can and cant say while youre standing on one (with a few exceptions for public safety). However, the First Amendment does not apply to private entities, which is what most Web platforms are. If you register to a social network, you consent to its rules, including those that prohibit certain kinds of speech. Just as the Web of the 80s and 90s was settled by pioneers, only for lawmakers to catch up gasping for breath, the trailblazers have kept pushing on to leave civil servants in the dust once again. Measures that seemed robust enough in the late 90s are beginning to groan under the weight of newer and more sophisticated usage patterns on the Internet. Daunting as it is to keep up, as members of a society we must do our best, which requires an appreciation of how we got here. The alternative is to make decisions on the spur of the moment, which are unlikely to withstand the test of time, and too likely to wreak havoc along the way. Sweet Savory Spicy Cookbook and $50 Grocery Gift Card Giveaway Think someone else may like this? Share the love! Facebook Pinterest Email Print Im incredibly excited to be giving away a copy of Sweet, Savory, Spicy: Exciting Street Market Food from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and More (Page Street Publishing; June 9, 2020; $25.00) by Sarah Tiong! With five sections, including On the Barbecue, Street Market Bites, and Sweets of the Southeast, Sarah captures the unique experience of the traditional Southeast Asia hawker centers moving stall to stall throughout countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and more. From Malaysian Chicken Satay to Thai Sticky Rice with Mango, every craving is covered and available right from your kitchen to your plate. Sarah believes that the flavors that come from the various countries of Southeast Asia are unique and spectacular, and deserve their own spotlight. By bringing those recipes home, she hopes to spread the incredible cuisine that lines the streets with food carts and encourage a broader exploration of flavor. Sarah Tiong was a contestant in the 2017 Masterchef Australia, earning a spot in the top six, and returns in 2020 for season 12. She started her own food stall, Pork Party, in Sydney Australia, and is a private chef, food event organizer, and traveling cook. One of my favorite recipes that I have found in Sweet, Savory, Spicy: Exciting Street Market Food from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and More is the Proper Pork Larb. A traditional thai recipe, that Sarah gives all of the authentic tips to developing a nutty and depth of flavor in her recipe! Check out the recipe here! We will also be giving away a $50 Grocery Gift Card for you to be able to take your favorite recipe in the book and go buy all of your ingredients! Sweet Savory Spicy Cookbook and $50 Grocery Gift Card Giveaway Enter the giveaway. FAIRFIELD Sacred Heart University has laid off 31 employees at the same time it is working to absorb part of the University of Bridgeport. In a letter to the campus community on Monday, Sacred Heart President John Petillo blamed the pandemic, along with the related financial crisis, for the workforce reduction. This decision was made by the respective senior leaders in each area and was not made lightly, Petillo wrote. However, this measure is part of a larger initiative to reimagine how we operate as a university in the face of anticipated financial and enrollment challenges ahead and, more importantly, remain regionally and nationally competitive. Petillo goes on to say the UB absorption is not the reason for the layoffs. Petillo last week denied Sacred Heart was having money problems and was anticipating its largest freshmen class ever. Sacred Heart officials characterized the staffing cuts as a restructuring and said some of the employees could apply for other roles in the future. Sacred Heart is planning to take over UBs graduate level engineering, chiropractic and nutrition programs and some school of education programs, about 1,000 students in all. Goodwin University in East Hartford is getting most of the rest of UBs catalogue with Paier College of Art in Hamden taking over UBs school of design. I hope you can understand that both decisions were made to help ensure the universitys strength into the future, Petillo said. The acquired programs provide us opportunities to extend and diversify our academic offerings without spending any additional operational dollars. At least some of the laid off staff had been furloughed in the spring when the coronavirus pandemic forced all college classes online. Petillo said UB staff and faculty in the programs Sacred Heart University intends to acquire will have to interview for their positions and that some backoffice staff may not have to be duplicated on both campuses. Picking up 1,000 students doesnt require much more ... in back office, Petillo said. You wont have the (extra) infastructure costs (UB) has. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck In late May, elderly members of the Kanamari Indigenous tribe suddenly struggled to breathe. Members of the remote community sought to shield themselves, running into the forest to hide. But no one was safe. The symptoms began nearly a week after health workers, called Sesai, deployed by Brazil's government, made a routine visit to the tribe. According to data collected by The New York Times, that visit may have been the source of the spread. Medical workers charged with protecting the Indigenous populations plagued the tribes with COVID-19, leaving thousands struggling to survive. More than a thousand workers tasked with giving medical aid to the remote communities have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Many said the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a shortage in tests inadvertently endangered the communities. Since May, over 15,500 Indigenous people contracted the virus, including roughly 10,900 living in protected territories. More than 500 tribe members have died. How did the agency respond? Robson Santos da Silva, the Army colonel of the Sesai, said the agency's response was efficient. He also said the criticisms stemmed from misinformation and politics. In an emailed statement, the agency said reports claiming the Sesai exposed the remote communities to the virus was inconclusive. It also said its employees wore protective equipment during their routine visit. The statement ended by saying that their planning and early research helped medical workers deliver timely and efficient healthcare services to the villages. Also read: COVID-19 Spreads Through 40 Indigenous Tribes in the Amazon, Experts Fear An Outbreak Might Lead to Extinction Research conducted by the Times said that at least two of the field officers had a high rate of infection. The office overseeing Amapa and Para said 186 health workers tested positive for the coronavirus. The numbers are nearly half of its total number of medical workers. In the office covering the communities near the border between Brazil and Venezuela, 207 workers or 20 percent of its medical staff became infected. Medical experts say the actual toll of the infected Indigenous health workers is likely many times higher. Many front line workers sought tests. However, only five percent of the Indigenous health service has been tested as of June 30. What is the government doing? Brazil has faces shortages in testing. Most of them are unreliable. Doctors and nurses with asymptomatic or undiagnosed cases unknowingly spread the virus when they travel to vulnerable areas. Many teams are also responsible for getting their own protective gear. The government had also stopped efforts imposing strict quarantine protocols. Contact tracing is also ineffective. In early July, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro vetoed provisions that obligated the federal government to provide aid to the tribes. It included giving safe drinking water, disinfectants, and bed spaces to indigenous tribes. According to a report by Reuters, the provisions were unconstitutional and would only create expenses for the government. Bolsonaro also rejected funding for the governments who have emergency plans for indigenous communities. The emergency plan included giving the remote communities access to more information on the virus and internet. Want to read more? 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 Sky Was Falling: Memories of Growing Up Under Religious Persecution in China Jiang Lianjiao has been an outlier since birth. As the fourth child in her family, she was not supposed to be born under Chinas one-child policy. She had to be hidden in her grandmothers home from the time she was one month old. She called her parents aunt and uncle until age 7 in order to evade authorities suspicions. Her parents spent all their savingsa big sack of pennies and dimesto bribe local officials so that she could live at home with them. After she was reunited with her parents at age 7, she began practicing a spiritual discipline called Falun Gong with them. Each day, around 30 people would join Jiang and her family in their apartment buildings courtyard to practice the meditative exercises together. Jiang, her sister, and parents traveled via boat to her fathers hometown in nearby Wufeng Township to demonstrate the meditation to fellow villagers. She and her sister were always in the front. Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Lianjiao (R), pictured with her sister, in her hometown in Hubei Province, China, in this file photo. (Provided to The Epoch Times) That blissful life came to an end overnight. On July 20, 1999, Jiang, then 8 years old, found herself and her family targeted in a nationwide campaign to extinguish Falun Gong. Some practitioners who worked for the state were tipped off about plans to arrest and detain adherents. Despite this, dozens still showed up at Jiangs courtyard for the exercises, undeterred. Police cars soon appeared, and officers brought everyone to the local police station. Her father was detained for a month. The persecution was initiated by then-Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin (no relation), who considered Falun Gongs enormous popularity a threat to the Partys rule. By the late 1990s, up to 100 million people in China were practicing Falun Gong, an ancient practice with moral teachings centered around the core principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Over the following two decades, Minghui.org, a clearinghouse dedicated to documenting the persecution, would identify more than 4,500 adherents who died under torture. Due to the authorities extensive efforts to censor information around the topic, the true death toll is likely much higher. Home Turned Into a Prison The abrupt turn of events made little sense to young Jiang and her family, nor to millions of other Falun Gong practitioners across the country, who were drawn to the practice for its healing benefits and calming effects but now faced arrests for their beliefs. In 2000, Jiangs family of six, along with about 100 other local practitioners, went to Beijing to appeal the Chinese Communist Partys decision to suppress their faith. Almost as soon as they unfurled a banner reading Falun Dafa Is Good in Tiananmen Square, the police pinned her mother to the ground and kicked her as Jiang stood by, trembling in fear. They were dragged into police vansher 16-year-old elder sister pulled in by her braids. A police officer waved a baton around, hitting Jiang on the head, causing her to faint. Following this appeal, Jiangs father was sentenced to three years in prison, while her mother got two years. Her 16-year-old sister was also detained for a month. Jiang, her older brother, and younger sister were left to fend for themselves at home. The eldest was just 12 at the time. Fearing they would run away, their building manager routinely locked them inside the house, only unbolting the door in the morning to escort the children to school. Jiang Lianjiaos hometown of Shiyan City in Hubei Province, China, in 2011. (Provided to The Epoch Times) During that time, Jiang and her siblings often struggled to find enough food. To stave off hunger pangs, Jiang would fill herself with water or eat wild plants in the fields nearby. The family was slowly reunited after Jiangs older sister and mother were released from detention. In 2003, her mother and older sister saw Jiangs father for the first time in three years. He was still imprisoned and due to be released in a month. The formerly healthy man looked bony and had to be carried out by six men. He had missing teeth. His legs were crushed from repeated torture sessions, which left him on crutches. He had forgotten how to speak due to prolonged isolation. The torture was meant to transform himto coerce him into giving up his faith. It was a pitiable sight and devastating for the family, who had relied on him as the breadwinner. It felt like the sky was falling, Jiang said. Jiang Liyu, Jiangs younger sister, was arrested in 2017 for putting up stickers with messages supportive of the practice. She is still in detention. Before the persecution, her father was a top surgeon at a local hospital in Shiyan City in central Chinas Hubei Province, and her mother worked as an administrative officer. After they were released from detention, the hospital slashed their pay to 250 yuan (less than $36) per monthless than a quarter of their colleagues earnings. Her father was demoted to toilet cleaner, while her mother was made to launder the patients bedsheets by hand. To save money, the family turned off fans in the summer despite sweltering heat; the children wove bamboo curtains they sold for 1.1 yuan ($0.16) each. They only bought the cheapest food possible: rice contaminated with mice feces, and vegetables that were about to spoil. Web of Lies Over the past 20 years, the regime has broadcast damaging propaganda through state-controlled outlets in an attempt to vilify the practice and its adherents. The most infamous was a staged self-immolation performance on the eve of the Lunar New Year in 2001. This incident helped swing Chinese popular opinion against the practice. The web of lies permeated the very fabric of Chinese society. Annita Bao in a photo taken in 2017. (Provided to The Epoch Times) Annita Bao, a 30-year-old jewelry designer in New York and Falun Gong practitioner, fled China in 2016. She recalled that in her hometown of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, all students at her elementary school were forced to sign their names on a huge banner that denounced the practice. Its a show to create the impression that the entire Wuhan population had turned their backs on Falun Gong practitioners, Bao said. The neighborhood committee officers also frequently visited her home and inquired about whether she was still practicing, in the name of caring about her academic performance. If the family refused to give up the practice, they warned, they would make a public announcement at Baos school to humiliate her. For years, Baos family kept the lights off in the living room so as not to alert the police that they were home. Lu Zhongyang, currently an undergraduate at the University at Buffalo, said students at his elementary school in China were forced to watch and listen to defamatory videos and broadcasts. Similar propaganda was disseminated in school textbooks throughout the years. The air was depressing, Lu said, as if life may fall into pieces anytime. His father, a news editor in Beijing, spent about four years in jail for writing on currency notes messages raising awareness about the persecution. When Jiangs parents were first detained, their hometown broadcaster, Shiyan Radio and Television Station, sought out Jiang and her siblings, saying that it wished to film some footage of them to show their parents that the siblings were doing all right. Only after a neighbor came across the segment on television and told Jiang about it did the siblings realize they had been fooled: The videos were part of a propaganda program to describe how obstinate their parents were in practicing Falun Gong, and it claimed the state was taking care of the children, Jiang said. How can they do thiscreating rumors by telling us lies? Jiang said, calling the tactics inhumane. Not only did they persecute [my parents], they also went out of their way to deceive the public. It was extremely shameless. A character formation event involving 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners, forming the Chinese characters for truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, the core principles of Falun Gong, in Wuhan, China, in 1998. Annita Bao attended the event when she was a young child. (Minghui.org) Bittersweet If fear was a recurring theme for these practitioners as they grew up under the shadow of persecution, today they try hard not to let it define them. Jiang, whose great-grandfather was driven to madness during the Cultural Revolution for his belief in Daoism, vowed that the adversity wont crush my spirit. The series of persecutions her family has experienced over generations, she said, has allowed her to see the regimes true face and has motivated her to tell more people about the ongoing persecution in China. The damage the Chinese Communist Party has inflicted is not just about one generation nor one kind of people, said Jiang, who has since escaped from China. Submitting to the regimes scare tactics would only encourage the authorities to act more out of hand. Only when you know the true situation can one emerge stronger, she said. A drawing by Annita Bao after her parents release in 2018, which she says conveys her hope for the family to live a more carefree life. (Provided to The Epoch Times) Like Jiang, Bao took up the practice when she was seven. She said her past experience has given her a sense of mission. In her approach to designing jewelry, that translates to a strive for perfection while not emphasizing material benefits, she said. The more the [Party] thinks we are weak, the more we need to prove them wrong, she said, adding that she took challenges as opportunities to elevate her character. He who laughs last laughs best. Abidjan, Cote dIvoire (PANA) - Increased and decisive investment will be the channel for Africas economic recovery post COVID-19, partners of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) said on Friday, expressing confidence in the continents potential to rebound from the ongoing health and economic crises At the 37th annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture and Awards ceremony which will be held virtually Aug. 2 the San Diego Indian American Society will award 26 outstanding high school graduates and 20 community college students $100,000 in scholarships. Seen above at the 2019 ceremony are scholars, the San Diego Indian American Society team, and Brother Chidananda, the president of the Self Realization Fellowship. (photo provided) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 19) High-profile convict Jaybee Sebastian died on Saturday due to complications from COVID-19. A death certificate obtained by CNN Philippines on Sunday showed that the New Bilibid Prison inmate suffered acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, with the viral disease listed as a significant condition contributing to his death. Sebastian passed away at the Bilibid hospital in Muntinlupa City, the document further noted. His remains were cremated at the Panteon de Dasmarinas on the same day, according to the crematoriums officer-in-charge Liezl Camaganacan. Camaganacan said Sebastians remains arrived at the facility at around 9:22 p.m., adding that the cremation process took about two hours. The ashes will be picked up by the Bureau of Corrections, she added. Bakante naman 'yung isang machine namin kaya pinasalang na agad namin yung patay, the crematorium officer said. [Translation: One of our machines was vacant, so we cremated the deceased immediately.] Other inmates succumbed to COVID-19? Data obtained by CNN Philippines showed that apart from Sebastian, there were over 20 other Bilibid inmates who died from COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 from May 30 until the present. BuCor, for its part, confirmed there were detainees who died due to the infectious disease, but said it cannot release names due to the Data Privacy Act. As much as we want to inform the public with respect to the names of PDL who died due to COVID-19, the data privacy act prohibits us from doing so. Rest assured that the bureau is doing its best to address this pandemic, BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag said in a statement, noting authorities have rolled out isolation and treatment programs to combat the spread of the virus. Sebastian previously identified by fellow inmates as the top drug lord inside the Bilibid had earlier testified against detained Senator Leila de Lima at a 2016 House probe. He had admitted to helping detained Senator Leila de Lima fund her 2016 senatorial campaign using drug money. De Lima has repeatedly denied allegations and said Sebastian was "pushed to the wall" after being pressured to testify and make up stories against her. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he has summoned Bantag to his office on Monday, to discuss the reported deaths of high-profile inmates, as well as other protocols needed in the Bilibid. CNN Philippines' Xianne Arcangel, Anjo Alimario, and Paolo Barcelon contributed to this report. Missouri's governor will travel to Kansas City and to Springfield on Monday afternoon, to discuss the upcoming special session on violent crime. Governor Mike Parson (R) will be joined at both visits by state Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten. During Thursday's Capitol media briefing in Jefferson City, Governor Parson said that he [...] If you have a longing for a pint and cash to spare, why not head West and buy your own pub? Situated in the artisan town of Kiltimagh in the West of Ireland, this charming 100-year-old pub is currently on the market. Described as having been "refurbished in such a way as to retain all the former glory of a traditional Irish Bar," a warm welcome awaits at Kitty McGreal's. The pub takes its name from the three sisters who were its original owners - Kitty, Margaret and Bridie - and the venue boasts two blazing fireplaces that give an authentic and friendly feel. The picturesque town of Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo is in the heart of the county and is centrally located as an ideal base for touring the West. Just one hour from Sligo, Galway, Westport and Achill, 20 minutes from Ireland West Airport Knock and Foxford Woollen Mills and just 10 minutes from Knock Marian Shrine. Revived trades and crafts of artisans from a bygone era make the town a living, historical experience. Much of its bygone charm as a bustling market town is still evident in the architectural outline of the town, the Market Square and the shop facades. Kitty McGreals is "what a typical Irish pub is all about" - A place to meet with your friends or simply read the daily newspaper while enjoying a pint. The property is listed for 130,000. You can see the full listing by clicking here. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions imposed to fight the pandemic killed and suffocated the country's economy. "Without salaries and jobs, people die," Bolsonaro was quoted in a report. He referred to the restriction applied by some states and municipalities. Bolsonaro said lockdown kills and that some politicians have suffocated the economy with curfews. Bolsonaro's statement was announced after Brazil forecasted to have around 6.4 percent economic contraction this year due to the pandemic. He met his supporters in the Alvorada Palace and kept some meters of distance from his supporters during the announcement. Bolsonaro Positive of COVID-19 Bolsonaro announced that he tested positive of COVID-19 on July 7. He was then tested positive the second time around on July 16. The president said he was feeling well, despite having the virus. He said it was due to the use of hydroxychloroquine to fight COVID-19 despite no scientific evidence. Bolsonaro said he is also taking an anti-parasite drug to fight COVID-19. Meanwhile, demonstrators called for his resignation over Bolsonaro's response to the outbreak. Protestors, consisting of members from trade unions, indigenous people, and LGBT activists, delivered a petition to Congress calling for his impeachment. Many have criticized Bolsonaro for downplaying the effects of the pandemic. Indigenous leader Kretan Kaingang said protestors also wanted to honor warriors who died during the pandemic. Brazil COVID-19 The number of people who tested positive of COVID-19 in Brazil has reached 2,098,389. Brazil has become the world's second-largest outbreak, next to the United States in terms of numbers of positive cases and deaths. Brazil's death toll raced towards 80,000 on Sunday, after recording 716 deaths in the past 24 hours. Sao Paulo is the epicenter of the nation's outbreak with 19,732 deaths and 415,049 cases of infection. Next is Rio de Janeiro with 12, 114 deaths and 138,524 cases. Ceara ranked third with 7,178 deaths and 146,972 positive cases. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said on Friday that the outbreak in Brazil has reached a "plateau." "The rise in Brazil is no longer exponential," WHO Executive Director Michael Ryan was quoted in a report. He added that Brazil should take the chance "to push the disease down to suppress the transmission of the virus, to take control." Other Latin-American Countries with the Highest COVID-19 Numbers Mexico has surpassed Chile with the number of positive cases. It has the fourth-largest death-toll globally with 39, 184 deaths, 217,000 recoveries, and around 344,000 confirmed cases. In Argentina, its government has announced on July 18 that it will gradually loosen lockdown measures that lasted for four months around Buenos Aires. Argentina has around 127,000 confirmed cases, with 2, 260 deaths, and 54,092 recoveries. Bolivia has around 59,582 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 18,553 number of recoveries, and 2, 151 deaths. Bolivia's interim president Jeanine Anez had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 10. Three Cabinet ministers in her administration have also tested positive for the virus. In Venezuela, socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello had also tested positive for the virus. Check these out: President Bolsonaro Sends National Troops to Control Nationwide Police Strikes Bolsonaro Under Fire as 29 Petitions for Impeachment Threaten His Presidency Bolsonaro's Military Takeover Highly Unlikely, Says Analysts BOCA RATON, Fla., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this month Senate District 29 voters received a mail piece directly from Tina Polsky's Political Committee, Americans for Progress, claiming that Irv Slosberg voted for Stand Your Ground, Open Carry, Guns in School, and Guns in Nightclubs. Last week a separate Political Committee, Citizens for Integrity in Government, aired a TV advertisement with identical claims. "I am deeply offended and hurt by the false advertisements my opponent is running against me. I had the honor of serving as the Democratic ranking member of the Criminal Justice Committee where I lead an aggressive charge against pro-gun legislation. I have never once supported pro-gun legislation and I have voted against every piece of legislation referenced in the TV advertisement and mail piece including Open Carry and Stand Your Ground. The NRA gave me an F rating for a reason," said Irv Slosberg. Irv Slosberg served in the Florida House of Representatives for 12 years and has a long history of fighting against the gun lobby. In 2005, Irv Slosberg was one of 20 Democrats to vote against "Stand Your Ground" (SB 436). Irv was also a vocal critic of this bill and stated that "all this bill will do is sell more guns and possibly turn Florida into the OK Corral." In 2011, Irv was one of 17 Democrats to vote against "Open Carry" (SB 234), which provided that a person who is licensed to carry a concealed firearm is not in violation of law if the firearm is briefly and openly displayed under certain circumstances. In 2013, Irv was instrumental in giving Stand Your Ground opponents and Trayvon Martin's family a voice in the committee proceedings after George Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. Representative Matt Gaetz and the Republican Party were attempting to limit attendance in the committee proceedings to NRA activists and, as the Democratic Ranking Member of the Criminal Justice Committee, Irv was able to iron out a deal with Rep. Gaetz to give anti-gun activists a voice. Irv was also a member of a group of 27 Democrats who petitioned for a special session on Stand Your Ground. "As the Representative that shares parts of Boca Raton and Senate District 29 with Representative Tina Polsky, I am in shock that she would blatantly lie to our constituents. People are suffering and dying because of COVID-19 and the last thing they need is false information spread by untrustworthy politicians," said Representative Emily Slosberg. "Representative Tina Polsky should be ashamed of the campaign she and her consultants are running." Last week the Political Committee running the negative advertisements, Citizens for Integrity in Government, showed a $100,000 expenditure for 'Television Advertising' after receiving a $100,000 contribution from a Florida Alliance for Better Government. Both Political Committees are registered under the same address. "I am up in the polls by and the only way they think they can beat me is to run a false and negative campaign, which I expect they will continue to do. They are trying to paint me as a Republican even though I've been a registered Democrat for over 23 years, which is almost twice as long as Tina Polsky has lived in this district. I am the Executive Vice President of the Kings Point Democratic Club, which is the largest Democratic club in the state, and I am very proud of my progressive voting record," said Irv Slosberg. Both Emily and Irv Slosberg expect that Tina will continue to run a negative campaign and cite that an internal poll shows that Irv has a substantial lead. Attached: Voting Record, Press Clips, Political Committee Information, Copy of Mail Piece, Copy of TV Advertisement Voting Record 2005 Stand Your Ground Vote SB 436 https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2005/436/Vote/2005H0086_hSB04360405050086.html 2011 Open Carry Vote SB 234 https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/234 Press Clips May 10, 2005 - Florida boosts gun rights, igniting a debate By Jacqui Goddard https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0510/p02s02-ussc.html Gun advocates reject the notion that the new law leaves too great a margin of error, however. They also dismiss critics' talk of a Wild West revival and the assertion by Democratic Rep. Irv Slosberg, one of only 20 state lawmakers who opposed the bill, that it will promote vigilantism, "sell more guns, and possibly turn Florida into the OK Corral." March 22, 2012 - Opponents Of Florida's 2005 'Stand Your Ground' Law Predicted 'Racially By Judd Legum https://archive.thinkprogress.org/opponents-of-floridas-2005-stand-your-ground-law-predicted-racially-motivated-killings-97ef5818408/ "All this bill will do is sell more guns and possibly turn Florida into the OK Corral," said Democratic state Rep. Irv Slosberg of Boca Raton. August 22, 2013 - Matt Gaetz to rally base ahead of Stand Your Ground hearing By Tia Mitchell https://www.tampabay.com/matt-gaetz-to-rally-base-ahead-of-syg-hearing/2137830/ He is working with Rep. Irv Slosberg, the ranking Democrat on the Criminal Justice Subcommitee, to iron out how it will be structured. August 8, 2013 - Dems file petitions for Stand Your Ground special session By Kathleen Haughney https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/sfl-dems-file-petitions-for-stand-your-ground-special-session-20130808-post.html Political Committee Information Americans for Progress (Tina Polsky) https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/committees/ComDetail.asp?account=74406 Form: DESDE102 Citizens for Integrity in Government https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/committees/ComDetail.asp?account=60579 Form: DSDE102 Florida Alliance for Better Government https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/committees/ComDetail.asp?account=69861 Mail Piece Side A: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oK3lDPxgtAFWONyaNGtCqV4k4Chqodmb/view?usp=sharing Side B: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Og9iDQeVX-fa62DDWuDcUzH7ohhSIxzz/view?usp=sharing TV Advertisement https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eWcB0ejy4WbnQhXbZ8eD5bBG6DPfQlBa/view?usp=sharing SOURCE Irv Slosberg Campaign/Jennifer Gordon He emphasized that people who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill should be protected but said most people in the state were smart enough to figure out how to stay safe without government interventions such as mask mandates. We gotta move on, he said. We cant just let this thing stop us in our tracks. In an email on Sunday, Dr. Alex Garza, incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, called the question about returning to school a Gordian knot. While it is important for children to be in school, he said, and it is true that they do not typically get seriously ill from COVID-19, we worry about those in school who are not children teachers, support staff and volunteers. Many of those people will have a much more serious response to the virus and that is what we want to avoid. These children could also come home and spread the virus to others in their household who could also be at a greater risk of a serious outcome. George Arthur met John Lewis for the first time in the early 1980s, at a National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C. At the time, both men served on the city councils of their respective communities Arthur in Buffalo and Lewis in Atlanta. Their discussion, as elected officials, did not roam into monumental events of the past. Lewis did not mention his revered status in the civil rights movement, which included a beating at the hands of state troopers during a march on Alabama's Edmund Pettus Bridge that would later help lift him into the realm of American legend. What they talked about, Arthur said, was the pragmatic question of how their cities were dealing with cable television, a major civic policy question of the era. Still, Lewis did note he had a particular affinity for Arthurs hometown. He liked Buffalo, said Arthur, a former president of Buffalo's Common Council, and he always mentioned that he had some cousins here. Lewis, a humble guy, left it at that, even though it was in Buffalo that as an 11-year-old Lewis became intensely aware by comparison of the vicious inequality of the segregated Jim Crow South. Press release Synairgen plc (Synairgen or the Company) Synairgen announces positive results from trial of SNG001 in hospitalised COVID-19 patients Patients who received SNG001 had a 79% lower risk of developing severe disease compared to placebo Patients who received SNG001 were more than twice as likely to recover from COVID-19 as those on placebo A briefing for journalists will be held via webinar at 12:30 BST today Southampton, UK 20 July 2020: Synairgen plc (LSE: SNG), the respiratory drug discovery and development company which originated from research at the University of Southampton, is pleased to announce positive results from its clinical trial of SNG001, its wholly-owned inhaled formulation of interferon beta, in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, said: "We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients who progressed from requiring oxygen to requiring ventilation. It also showed that patients who received SNG001 were at least twice as likely to recover to the point where their everyday activities were not compromised through having been infected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, SNG001 has significantly reduced breathlessness, one of the main symptoms of severe COVID-19. This assessment of SNG001 in COVID-19 patients could signal a major breakthrough in the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Our efforts are now focused on working with the regulators and other key groups to progress this potential COVID-19 treatment as rapidly as possible." The double-blind placebo-controlled trial recruited 101 patients from 9 specialist hospital sites in the UK during the period 30 March to 27 May 2020. Patient groups were evenly matched in terms of average age (56.5 years for placebo and 57.8 years for SNG001), comorbidities and average duration of COVID-19 symptoms prior to enrolment (9.8 days for placebo and 9.6 days for SNG001). Key findings: The odds of developing severe disease (e.g. requiring ventilation or resulting in death) during the treatment period (day 1 to day 16) were significantly reduced by 79% for patients receiving SNG001 compared to patients who received placebo (OR 0.21 [95% CI 0.04-0.97]; p=0.046). Patients who received SNG001 were more than twice as likely to recover (defined as no limitation of activities or no clinical or virological evidence of infection) over the course of the treatment period compared to those receiving placebo (HR 2.19 [95% CI 1.03-4.69]; p=0.043). Over the treatment period, the measure of breathlessness was markedly reduced in patients who received SNG001 compared to those receiving placebo (p=0.007). Three subjects (6%) died after being randomised to placebo. There were no deaths among subjects treated with SNG001. In the patients with more severe disease at time of admission (i.e. requiring treatment with supplemental oxygen), SNG001 treatment increased the likelihood of hospital discharge during the study, although the difference was not statistically significant (HR 1.72 [95% CI 0.91-3.25]; p=0.096). Median time to discharge was 6 days for patients treated with SNG001 and 9 days for those receiving placebo. Furthermore, patients receiving SNG001 appeared to be more than twice as likely to have recovered by the end of the treatment period (HR 2.60 [95% CI 0.95-7.07]; p=0.062), although this strong trend did not reach statistical significance. However by day 28, patients receiving SNG001 treatment had statistically significantly better odds of recovery (OR 3.86 [95% CI 1.27-11.75]; p=0.017). Interestingly, the efficacy analyses indicate there is no evidence of an association between the SNG001 positive treatment effects and prior duration of COVID-19 symptoms. Further analysis will be conducted over the coming weeks and reported in due course. Professor Tom Wilkinson, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Southampton and Trial Chief Investigator, commented: "We are delighted with the positive data produced from this trial, which is the result of a momentous coordinated effort from Synairgen, the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the highly expert research teams across the NIHR network and regulatory bodies in the UK. The results confirm our belief that interferon beta, a widely known drug that, by injection, has been approved for use in a number of other indications, has huge potential as an inhaled drug to be able to restore the lungs immune response, enhancing protection, accelerating recovery and countering the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Professor Stephen Holgate CBE, Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology at the University of Southampton and Co-Founder of Synairgen, said: Recognising that SARS-CoV-2 is known to have evolved to evade the initial antiviral response of the lung, our inhaled treatment of giving high local concentrations of interferon beta, a naturally occurring antiviral protein, restores the lungs ability to neutralise the virus, or any mutation of the virus or co-infection with another respiratory virus such as influenza or RSV, as could be encountered in the winter if there is a resurgence of COVID-19. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Media briefing at 12:30 BST today A briefing for journalists, hosted by Richard Marsden, Professor Tom Wilkinson and Professor Stephen Holgate, will be held at 12:30 BST today. A link to the webinar can be found here https://www.lsegissuerservices.com/spark/Synairgen/events/97cda0b9-0529-4be1-b1ca-471cc8dc1e94 and a conference call (for live Q&A) can be accessed via the following dial-in details: UK Participant Local Dial-In Number: 020 3107 0289 US Participant International US-Toll Dial-In Number: (918) 922-6506 Conference ID: 6328984 If you have any difficulties accessing the webinar or call, please contact synairgen@consilium-comms.com . The slides of the presentation will also be made available on Synairgens website at https://www.synairgen.com/investors/presentations/ . A recording of the call will be made available on Synairgens website www.synairgen.com for up to 30 days. For further enquiries, please contact: Synairgen plc Richard Marsden, Chief Executive Officer John Ward, Finance Director Tel: + 44 (0) 23 8051 2800 finnCap Geoff Nash, Kate Bannatyne, Charlie Beeson (Corporate Finance) Alice Lane, Manasa Patil (ECM) Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor Relations) Mary-Jane Elliott, Sue Stuart, Olivia Manser, Carina Jurs, Alex Bridge synairgen@consilium-comms.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700 Notes for Editors About Synairgen Synairgen is a respiratory drug discovery and development company founded by University of Southampton Professors Stephen Holgate, Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic. The business, focused primarily on lung viral defence in asthma and COPD, uses its differentiating human biology BioBank platform and world-renowned international academic KOL network to discover and develop novel therapies for respiratory disease. Synairgen is quoted on AIM (LSE: SNG). For more information about Synairgen, please see www.synairgen.com The COVID-19 study Synairgens clinical trial in COVID-19 patients (SG016) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The 220 patient trial comprised 100 patients initiated in hospital and 120 patients to be initiated in the home setting. The patients participating in the hospital setting , which completed recruitment in May, have been recruited across a number of NHS trusts and the trial has been adopted by the NIHR Respiratory Translational Research Collaboration which is comprised of leading centres in respiratory medicine in the UK whose internationally recognised experts are working together to accelerate development and discovery for COVID-19. COVID-19 COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a global threat and there is an urgent need to assess new treatments to prevent and effectively treat the severe lower respiratory tract illness that can occur with this disease. Older people and those with co-morbidities such as heart and lung complications or diabetes are at greatest risk of developing severe or fatal disease. Interferon beta (IFN-beta) potential applicability to COVID-19 Interferon beta is a naturally occurring protein, which orchestrates the bodys antiviral responses. There is evidence that deficiency in IFN-beta production by the lung could explain the enhanced susceptibility in at-risk patient groups to developing severe lower respiratory tract (lung) disease during respiratory viral infections. Furthermore, viruses, including coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, have evolved mechanisms which suppress endogenous IFN-beta production, thereby helping the virus evade the innate immune system. The addition of exogenous IFN-beta before or during viral infection of lung cells either prevents or greatly diminishes cell damage and viral replication, respectively. Synairgens SNG001 is a formulation of IFN-beta-1a for direct delivery to the lungs via nebulisation. It is pH neutral, and is free of mannitol, arginine and human serum albumin, making it suitable for inhaled delivery direct to the site of action. Two Phase II clinical trials in asthma showed that inhaled SNG001 treatment activated antiviral pathways in the lung, along with improving lung function in patients with a respiratory viral infection. Adelaide, Australia, July 20, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML) is pleased to announce it has received firm commitments for a placement of fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (Shares) to institutional and sophisticated investors to raise a total of $3.6 million (before costs) at an issue price of $0.07 per Share (Placement) to progress the Company's 64North project. The Company also intends to offer all eligible shareholders the opportunity to participate in the capital raising via a $1.0 million Share Purchase Plan on the same terms as the Placement (SPP). Resolution is very pleased to have cornerstone support of the leading North American gold fund, Palisades Goldcorp Ltd, in the placement. PAC Partners and Taylor Collison acted as joint lead managers to the Placement. "Palisades Goldcorp's strategic investment is a strong endorsement of the upside value they currently see in relation to Resolution's 64North Project located in the well-endowed Tintina Gold Province, home to Alaska's giant size gold deposits such as Fort Knox, Donlin, Pogo and Livengood", said Duncan Chessell, Managing Director Resolution Minerals Ltd. Participants in the Placement will also receive options to acquire Shares, on a one (1) for one (1) basis with an exercise price of $0.12 per Share and expiring 3 years from the date of issue (Options). The offer of Options will also be extended to SPP participants. The issue of Options will be subject to shareholder approval and, subject to ASX approval, Resolution will seek quotation of the Options. The Options will be issued with disclosure via a "cleansing prospectus" to be issued by the Company in due course. Funds received from the $3.6 million Placement and $1.0 million SPP will be used to test high priority drill targets across the 64North Project adjacent to Northern Star's Pogo mine (ASX:NST). A total of 51,608,421 shares will be issued at $0.07 per share to raise $3.6 million under the Placement - 30,965,053 shares will be issued under the Company's 15% placement capacity under Listing Rule 7.1 and a further 20,643,368 shares will be issued under the Company's 10% placement capacity under Listing Rule 7.1A. An SPP will be launched in recognition of the continued support of our existing shareholders, on the same terms as the placement. Detailed terms of the SPP will be provided in coming days. Applicants issued shares under the SPP will also be entitled to apply for Options (for no additional consideration) in accordance with the terms of the relevant prospectus to be issued. About Palisades Goldcorp Palisades Goldcorp is Canada's new resource focused merchant bank. Palisades' management team has a demonstrated track record of making money and is backed by many of the industry's most notable financiers. With junior resource equities valued at generational lows, management believes the sector is on the cusp of a major bull market move. Palisades is positioning itself with significant stakes in undervalued companies and assets with the goal of generating superior returns. About Resolution Minerals Ltd: Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML) is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and battery metals - such as gold, copper, cobalt, and vanadium. The company is led by Managing Director Duncan Chessell and an experienced team with proven success in corporate finance, marketing, metallurgy and geoscience. This equips Resolution Minerals with the tools to meet the changing demands of the mining markets. Resolution Minerals Ltd Listed on the ASX in 2017 with a focus on the exploration of the Wollogorang Copper Cobalt Project. It has since aquired the Snettisham Vanadium Project and more entered into a binding agreement witth Millrock Resources to earn up to 80% of the highly prospective 64North Gold Project. Contact: Resolution Minerals Ltd Duncan Chessell T: +61-8-8120-0456 E: info@northerncobalt.com.au WWW: www.resolutionminerals.com Source: Resolution Minerals Ltd Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. EXCLUSIVE: MasterChef Australia judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen are coming back, as the official judges for Junior MasterChef. A 10 spokesperson confirmed the three to TV Tonight. The judges, who have all been praised in their 2020 roles, have been busily filming episodes at the MasterChef kitchen at Melbourne Showgrounds. By the end of filming the main series, each was very familiar with COVID-19 precautions required, making them a logical choice to continue in the host roles. 10 announced the series for late 2020 after production shutdowns meant delays for other network programming. Junior MasterChef was first on screen in 2010 with judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Anna Gare, won by 12 year old Isabella Bliss. The first peek at the new series will screen on air tonight during the Grand Final. The outbreak of the new coronavirus has reached every nation in Africa, a continent of 1.2 billion people. As of July 19, the confirmed coronavirus death toll on the continent stood at 14,864, with fatalities including the former President of the Republic of the Congo Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango and Somalia's former Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein. There are 683,905 confirmed infections and 362,586 recoveries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts warn fragile healthcare systems in many African countries could be overwhelmed in the face of a severe outbreak of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Source: aljazeera.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally restructured higher education for at least the next semester. Come fall, many college students are yet again facing a life off-campus, sitting in front of a screen. Despite the obvious differences between online and in-person education, colleges and universities are largely set on maintaining if not raising tuitions. This raises the question: Is an online education worth the same as one in person? It also raises a broader, more important question: What is the value of a college education? Before I try to answer them, let me show my cards. I am a rising senior at Harvard, where only first-years and students with extraordinary circumstances will return to campus in the fall and only seniors will return in the spring. Harvards residential capacity has been topped at 40 percent, and all classes for all students including those living on campus will be online for the fall and spring semesters. Many other colleges have opted for partial on-campus attendance and full or partial online education in the interest of public health. For instance, Princeton is bringing freshmen and juniors back in the fall with sophomores and seniors returning in the spring. The University of California system is opting for online courses. Boston University is allowing all students to return to campus but will be offering a mix of virtual and in-person classes. The University of Texas at Austin is offering online, on-campus, and hybrid courses. Students returning to campus at any of these schools will be met by stringent social restrictions. Regardless of this shrinking of the typical college experience, some institutions, like Harvard, the UCs, and Yale, have decided to charge full tuition for online or hybrid plans. This decision presumes that any combination of in-person and online college courses is worth a fixed cost and, more broadly, that there is no measurable value to the college experience outside of classes. Story continues The colleges justify maintaining full tuition on the grounds that the quality of education will not change. But the quality of ones classes is largely subjective: Students shape their own educational experiences to fit their interests and desired levels of effort. What are you choosing to study? How hard do you plan to work? How much will you engage with instructors? That students choose different educational paths and invest different levels of interest and effort already means that the quality of education is variable. Students are not only paying for a certain quality of education; they are also paying for an experience. This includes students on financial aid or scholarship they too entered an agreement that guaranteed them a certain experience. Perhaps if maintaining tuitions was necessary for universities to keep offering scholarships and financial aid packages, then the colleges would have a case. However, many of the institutions I mention above have hefty endowments, to say the least. If a global pandemic isnt the time to tap into those funds, when is? No college can exactly quantify the quality of the education it offers separate from the student experience, and therefore none can guarantee that it will maintain that quality of education across different teaching formats. That experience consists of intangible benefits in and outside of the classroom that are unattainable in a virtual setting. The most immediate intangible benefit is the general ethos of a collegiate setting. Asking questions in professors offices, dining-hall conversations with classmates, guest speakers and expert panels, coffee with teaching assistants, etc. all these have immense value. An online setting would render these opportunities almost inaccessible. As a fellow Harvard student said to me about the online setup, Educators are necessarily less accessible and extracurriculars are nonexistent. Bad value for the same tuition. Another benefit is networking. Visiting alumni, fellows, and professors are valuable connections for students who will soon become young professionals. The kind of casual exposure to such individuals that leads to meaningful exchanges is nearly impossible through a computer screen. Extracurriculars, as my classmate remarked, will also fall to the wayside. In my own experience, after the spring semester was interrupted by the pandemic, it became almost impossible to attend hours of virtual class and then meaningfully engage in online club activities. The odd formal tone of Zoom eclipsed the interpersonal value of the club community as well. Finally, there is an undeniable social aspect of college. And its not all parties learning how to live with your peers, interact with your professors over a meal, and sort out your daily affairs are integral aspects of the growth fostered by ones college years. First-years will not even meet their classmates. While students are certainly sharpening their conference-call skills, many will lag behind in their social adjustment to the in-person coffee meeting or the ever-important skill of dinner conversation. With the click of a button, students can hide behind their computer screens, speaking only when they wish. The loss of these benefits is the reason that a very small number of schools, including Princeton, have decided to decrease their tuitions. Citing the disadvantages of missing out on campus life, Princeton has offered a 10 percent discount. Although such discounts are small and offered by only a few schools, they clearly signal that being on campus matters and confers a benefit. I noted that a classs value partially depends on student initiative. To be fair, the same is true of on-campus opportunities colleges dont force students to network or attend clubs. Its simply an option, but its an option implicitly tied to a college tuition. Id struggle to find one of my peers who goes to college solely for the classes. Id also struggle to find a college recruiter who didnt boast the myriad of clubs for students to choose from on campus. And perhaps there is reason to believe that online instruction is inherently less valuable. Up until 2020, the market for higher education certainly confirmed this assumption. Earning a bachelors degree at Harvard Extension School, which is online this upcoming year, costs about $60,000 total. That is about $10,000 more than the cost of just one year of tuition as a Harvard College student. Given the cost discrepancy, there must be an added value to attending Harvard College and living in Harvard Square. The administration has tried to dodge this comparison by mandating that each college course in the upcoming year require two to four hours of live interaction with instructors. But, somehow, those two to four hours do not seem to make up for a full tuition. Online education has its own problems. Some students have environments that are not conducive to learning, whether for practical reasons such as unreliable Wi-Fi or lack of a work space or personal and emotional ones such as abusive households or inconsistent access to meals and health care. Online education is also incredibly tedious: spending hours upon hours at a screen has ingrained Zoom fatigue into college students vernacular. One college student who experienced virtual schooling told me that, for someone who has trouble focusing, online learning makes learning incredibly difficult. Such students need to be in the classroom environment to remain engaged. Given that the value of college classes relies on the very real value of campus engagement, it is simply illogical for colleges to charge full tuition for a very partial educational experience. More from National Review D onald Trump has attempted to downplay Americas rising Covid-19 death toll as Los Angeles was warned to prepare for a second lockdown. It is what it is. Take a look at Europe, the US President said of the fact the US has been seeing close to 1,000 coronavirus deaths a day. While much of Europe has seen declining or largely flat death rates from coronavirus in recent weeks, the average number of single-day fatalities in America has been edging upwards this month, topping 900 three times in the past four days. Several states including Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon and South Carolina yesterday posted record numbers of single-day new infections, bringing the US total to nearly 3.9 million confirmed cases including 143,000 deaths. In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump said many of the new cases were made up of young people that would heal in a day. They have the sniffles and we put it down as a test, he added. Despite the surge in reported infections, Mr Trump stuck to his earlier claim that the coronavirus would disappear, telling host Chris Wallace: Ill be right eventually. Meanwhile the mayor of Los Angeles has warned the city stands on the brink of a second lockdown as the virus continues to surge in California. Eric Garcetti conceded that LA had eased Covid-19 restrictions too quickly, telling CNN: A lot of things went wrong. The Bahamas is banning flights from the US after a number of holidaymakers were found to have brought the virus with them after the Caribbean islands reopened at the start of the month. The Bahamas is one-hour flight from Florida where, according to the Washington Post, more than 100 hospitals have run out intensive care beds due to a surge in Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile, France made it mandatory to wear face masks at indoor public places from today, backed by 130 (118) fines. France brought down infections with a strict two-month lockdown but is now seeing signs that the virus is making a comeback. Restrictions have also been tightened in Hong Kong, where a similar face masks ruling has been introduced. Non-essential civil servants have been told to work from home from this week. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Drug firm Lupin remains bullish over its US business with over 158 applications for generic products pending with the US drug regulator for approval, as per the company's annual report for 2019-20. Sharing information with company's shareholders, Lupin MD Nilesh Gupta and CEO Vinita Gupta said the company's US business stabilised last fiscal and saw an increase of 5 percent on the back of products like Levothyroxine and Oseltamivir. "We now have over 158 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) pending approval with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), a rich pipeline addressing a total market of over $71.7 billion comprising of inhalation, first-to-files and injectable products," they said. During the year, the company filed 21 ANDAs, two of which were confirmed exclusive first-to-files, Nilesh and Vinita Gupta said. "We expect to continue our ramp-up of Levothyroxine and look forward to the launch of our first major inhalation product, Albuterol in the coming fiscal (pending FDA approval)," they added. During 2019-20, the US business contributed 38 percent to the company's revenues, aggregating $800 million (about Rs 6,000 crore), a 3 percent growth over 2018-19. The Mumbai-based company's domestic business continues to be the second largest vertical, contributing 34 percent to the topline, which stood at Rs 15,142.8 crore in 2019. "Our India business continues to outperform the Indian pharmaceutical market with 13 percent YoY growth," Nilesh and Vinita Gupta said. Lupin's top priority for 2019-20 was to get the company back on growth path from the decline witnessed in 2018-19 fiscal, the company leaders noted. "We have made significant progress in this effort, as well as in optimising our costs on several fronts. We are confident that our performance will reflect the same over the next few quarters as the global situation normalises," they added. Lupin Executive Director, Global CFO and Head Corporate Affairs Ramesh Swaminathan said the company is conscious of the headwinds being faced by the industry. "However, we see the emergence of an improved business environment, especially in the second half of 2020-21 and are confident that the measures taken by us in recent times would help us to come out stronger than ever," he noted. With the changing dynamics of the generic market, the company believes that cost optimisation and prudent capital allocation will continue to be a key business imperative, Swaminathan said. "We aim to continue creating a leaner and more efficient organisation. In FY20, we made significant strides in our cost optimisation initiatives encompassing value engineering, procurement efficiencies and R&D productivity. However, input price rises on other molecules and sales mix changes eroded visibility of the same, to some measure," he noted. "These initiatives have however created a strong foundation and our cost optimization momentum will continue with increased rigor in FY21," Swaminathan said. Lupin said its net debt as on March 31, 2020 stood at Rs 1,511.8 crore as compared with Rs 5,243.8 crore as on March 31, 2019. The United Kingdom suspended its extradition treaty and blocked arms sales with Hong Kong on Monday after China imposed a tough new national security law and was accused of forcibly sterilising ethnic minority women in Xinjiang. As tensions grow with Beijing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had concerns about the new law and alleged human rights abuses in China, particularly the treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority. He described the measures as reasonable and proportionate. We will protect our vital interests, Raab said. We will stand up for our values and we will hold China to its international obligations. The UK followed the example of the United States, Australia and Canada by suspending extradition arrangements with the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. The ban is another nail in the coffin of what then-prime minister David Cameron in 2015 cast as a golden era of ties with China, the worlds second-largest economy. London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 from British rule, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus outbreak. Al Jazeeras Neave Barker said the UK government has offered three responses to Chinas new security law, which has created new crimes and new severe punishments. The first is to offer refuge to up to three million Hong Kong citizens to come live and work in the UK, Barker said, speaking from London. The second is to extend an arms embargo to mainland China which has been in place since the late 1980s to Hong Kong and that includes equipment that Raab said could be used for acts of internal repression which seems to be a veiled criticism of police tactics in Hong Kong against demonstrators. The third is to end a 30-year extradition agreement between the UK and Hong Kong, which will be effective immediately. Riot police search demonstrators during a rally against a new national security law on the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kongs handover from the UK to China [File: Billy HC Kwok/Getty Images] The arms embargo extends a measure in place for China since 1989. It means Britain will allow no exports of potentially lethal weapons, their components or ammunition, as well as equipment that might be used for internal repression such as shackles, firearms and smoke grenades. The review of the extradition measures comes only days after Britain backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the UKs new high-speed mobile phone network amid security concerns fuelled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government has already criticised Chinas decision to impose the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong. The UK accused Beijing of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the UK returned control of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to three million eligible residents of the community. But Johnson said on Monday he would not completely abandon our policy of engagement with Beijing. The UK leader said he will not be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. China is a giant factor of geopolitics, its going to be a giant factor in our lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren. You have got to have a calibrated response and we are going to be tough on some things, but also going to continue to engage, said Johnson. Chinas ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, told the BBC on Sunday that Britain was dancing to the tune of the United States and rejected the allegations of human rights abuses against the mainly Muslim Uighur people. The House plans to take up its own wide-ranging police reform bill this week, but one that takes a narrower approach to limiting qualified immunity than the Senate did in the bill it passed last week. The House Ways and Mean Committee passed its policing legislation overnight. Amendments on the bill are due 1 p.m. Tuesday. The bill bans chokeholds, tear gas and no-knock warrants with certain exceptions, but it also has some key differences from the Senate version. One of the key differences is that the House will not limit when qualified immunity applies unless the officer involved has been decertified by the proposed police standards and training commission. The Senate version suggested a narrower interpretation of when qualified immunity applies to all public employees covered by the legal doctrine. The qualified immunity provision stirred a heated debate over several days in the Senate as Republicans and a handful of Democrats questioned the impact it would have on law enforcement officials and other public employees who make mistakes on the job. It was also a sticking point for Republican senators who argued the bill shouldnt have been fast-tracked without input from law enforcement officials, much less without a public hearing. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz, a Boston Democrat, and Judiciary Chair Claire Cronin, an Easton Democrat, received hundreds of letters from first responders and countless emails from officers and civilians opposing the qualified immunity provisions. They also received emails and messages expressing support of the limits, as members of the public said they felt officers could be better held accountable for alleged misconduct. Qualified immunity does not serve to protect illegal and unethical actions of police officers. Rather, it ensures that a public official, who often must make a split-second decision, does not hesitate in a dangerous or lifesaving situation, states a letter submitted to House leaders signed by 42 police and correction officer unions in Western Massachusetts. The coalition supported an amendment raised by Sen. John Velis, a Westfield Democrat, during the Senate debate. The unsuccessful amendment would have created a commission to study qualified immunity, delaying the implementation of limits on the legal doctrine. Rep. Brian Ashe, a Longmeadow Democrat, said he and other Western Massachusetts legislators met with local police and correction officers Monday, who raised concerns with both the House and Senate versions of the qualified immunity limits. It is a lesser version of what the Senate had, but its still in there, Ashe said on the qualified immunity provision in the House bill. Listening to some of the arguments on the other side ... it sounded like, you really dont have to set up legislation. Its already in the law. If youre a police officer and you do something so egregious, like if you commit a felony, it has to go before a judge who decides if you lose your immunity. Ashe said he is still digesting the bill of more than 120 pages, for which amendments are due Tuesday. I kind of wish we could take more time. I know you get something happens, people want change right away, but if youre going to do change like this, Id rather do it right as opposed to just doing it, he added. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which supported the Senates provision on qualified immunity, said the House bill does not go far enough to limit the doctrine. Good police officers should have no objection to holding bad police officers accountable, Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement. Legislators should stand in solidarity with the people they are elected to serve and who are marching in the streets to demand systemic change. In a joint statement, Senate President Karen Spilka and the co-chairs of the racial justice advisory group, Senate President Pro Tempore William Brownsberger and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, said they want to see a bolder bill land on Bakers desk. Massachusetts has a historic opportunity to lead on this issue, and we must keep pushing to meet this moment, they wrote. We look forward to working towards a final, stronger version of this bill that combines the best of both to put more power in the hands of civilians, shift resources to the communities most impacted by overpolicing, and build a more equitable and just future. Some police officials, including MassCOP President Scott Hovsepian, have said the bill seeks to remove qualified immunity. Senators who drafted the bill say that characterization is incorrect. Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat, said during the all-night debate over the policing bill last week that the proposal would not change how the courts measure reasonableness when officers are making split-second decisions in rapidly changing situations. Rather, it would enable the courts to rule on civil rights lawsuits even if there isnt already a legal basis to label something a civil right. Brownsberger referred to a 1991 case involving Joseph Furtado, a Taunton police officer who obtained a warrant to search a womans vagina for drugs. The officers forced open the door of the apartment as the woman was in bed, told her they had a warrant to search her vagina and, when she refused, took her to a hospital where Dr. Philip Falkoff forcibly probed her. The woman sued Furtado and Falkoff alleging her state constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizures were violated. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed a decision stating the officer had qualified immunity from liability because it was not clearly established at the time of the search that the officers alleged conduct would violate the Constitutional rights as far as a reasonable officer would have known. The SJC wrote in its decision, even though we conclude that Furtado and Dr. Falkoff are entitled to qualified immunity which shields them from liability, we are nonetheless deeply troubled by the search which was conducted in this case. Law enforcement officers said qualified immunity will land them in legally murky situations over their responses to high-pressure situations Qualified immunity doesnt protect officers who break the law or violate someones civil rights. Qualified immunity protects officers who did not clearly violate statutory policy or Constitutional rights, wrote Adam Hakkarainen, a Massachusetts State Police trooper and one of thousands of law enforcement officials to sent an email or signed onto letters to the House. The erasure of this would open up the flood gates for frivolous lawsuits causing officers to acquire additional insurance and tying up the justice system causing the commonwealth millions of dollars to process such frivolous lawsuits. Related Content: For a screenwriter, Stone has a notably languid and elegant prose style at times downright novelistic even if some passages can be rough to read. Full daylight revealed charred bodies, dusty napalm and gray trees, he writes about the aftermath of a battle near the Cambodian border. Men who died grimacing, in frozen positions, some of them still standing or kneeling in rigor mortis, white chemical death on their faces. Whats more unexpected, though, is how engaging a tale he spins out of his early family life in Connecticut and New York, particularly his odd-couple parents dad a Republican stockbroker, mom a free-spirited French glamour puss, both cheated on each other and how their divorce shattered his childhood. Even more than Vietnam, this war at home seems to have molded Stones psyche, scarring him with a suspicious nature that could go a long way in explaining his penchant for conspiracy theories later in life. If my parents had truly known each other before they were married, they would never have united, and I would never have existed, he writes. Children like me are born out of that original lie, and living a false front, we suffer for it when we feel that nothing and nobody can ever be trusted again. Adults become dangerous. Reality becomes loneliness. Love either does not exist or cannot survive. [ Hollywood now you cant make a film without a Covid adviser. You cant make a film without a sensitivity counselor. Its ridiculous, Stone says. ] But, of course, the real payoff here, particularly for movie buffs, is Stones account of his early struggles as a filmmaker. How, within the course of a few years, he went from being a 30-year-old cabdriver to one of the top screenwriters in Hollywood, then clawed his way to the directors chair with mostly forgotten horror flicks like Seizure and The Hand. How Al Pacino (or street Hamlet, as Stone refers to him) betrayed him in the editing room of Scarface by wimping out during a battle over the films cut with the director Brian De Palma. How he originally considered Keanu Reeves for Charlie Sheens part in Platoon (until the future Matrix star turned it down because he hated the violence in the script) and later courted Tom Cruise to star in Wall Street (as well as Michael J. Fox and Matthew Broderick before finally settling again on Sheen). And then theres Stones portrait of Woods, whose diva shenanigans on the Salvador set could fill a book on their own. Jimmy had been yelling so much in front of the Mexican crew that he was suddenly and officially warned by the Mexican government that his behavior as a guest in our country was unacceptable, and that if it continued, hed be asked to leave Mexico, Stone writes of the actor who ended up landing an Oscar nomination for his part in the movie. Stones own bad behavior has raised eyebrows over the years. Seemingly everybody in Hollywood has some sort of Oliver Stone story. Although he doesnt delve too deeply into his drug use or sexual adventures (he writes about his ex-wives with warmth and respect), he doesnt whitewash his excesses either. Yes and Id also gotten intoxicated in Hollywood and drugged in public, with stupid, immature behavior, is how he cops to his transgressions. Id flirted with and teased pretty women, sometimes in front of jealous men. I was at times rude, arrogant yet Id say colorful too, the kind of guy who you dont know what hell do next. In one startling passage, he even confesses to voting for Ronald Reagan in 1980. The organisation is also collaborating with Chandigarh-based BioBridge Healthcare Solutions and BioNEST Bioincubator, Punjab University to further its efforts While India's hopes for an early vaccine against COVID-19 got delayed by a year, there's another beacon for cost-effective COVID treatment. A Karnataka based pharma company Vinodbadgu Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. (V B Pharma) specializing in plasma technology has revealed that it is already working on research to synthesise a more effective plasma-based treatment for COVID patients. "Since May 2020, we're on a mission to develop a safe, efficient and cost-effective treatment for COVID 19 patients in India", said Prashant Karulkar, director, Vinodbadgu Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. (V B Pharma). "So far, we've evaluated donor plasma from COVID-recovered patients and identified different kinds of COVID strains across India. By our count, this number is 12. Our sample strengths are from Solapur. We've been able to identify specific antigens for the COVID strains from here and the most common antibodies against them", added Karulkar. Dr Vinodkumar Badgu, the managing director, Vinodbadgu Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. (V B Pharma), shares Karulkar's enthusiasm. Sharing some of his observations on the research, Dr Badgu said, "Out of the 12 common COVID-19 strains, we've identified one common antibody which all recovered patients have created within themselves to fight against the virus. In total, we've observed seven kinds of antibodies that these patients hold." What's the next step? "The next step for us is antibody mapping, which usually spans 2-3 months and biopanning. Biopanning is where we will take a strain of the active virus and verify whether these antibodies will eliminate it. Once we're all successful, we will begin coding the winning antibody on a molecular level and recreate it artificially", Dr.Badgu explained. The plasma products company is on the same track as many other international organisations working on plasma-based solutions for COVID-19. The Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, USA, the Pisa University Hospital, Italy and Sinovac in China are carrying out plasma-based research too. The organisation is also collaborating with Chandigarh-based BioBridge Healthcare Solutions and BioNEST Bioincubator, Punjab University to further its efforts. They're seeking multiple corporate partners and government support for resources, infrastructure and funding to expedite the research. "Right now, we appeal to corporates, industry bodies and the government to help us with funds to carry out this experimental work. We need to augment our infrastructure for equipment, instruments and talented resources. We also need regulatory support to expedite approvals through this process", said Karulkar. "We will partner with someone with the facilities for large-scale, lab production of monoclonal (artificially created) antibodies", added Dr Badgu. Plasma treatment has turned into an important treatment for COVID-19, especially in India. Multiple states have approved its use for critically ill patients. Delhi has also begun the first Indian plasma bank and is requesting recovered patients to donate to it. E ngland's chief nursing officer has confirmed she was dropped from a Downing Street press briefing at the height of the controversy over Dominic Cummings' lockdown trip to Durham. The Prime Minister's top aide sparked fury among MPs and the wider public after it emerged that he had driven from his London home to his parents farm in County Durham during the height of lockdown. Ruth May was due to appear at the daily televised press conference on June 1, but she was reportedly dropped after failing to back Mr Cummings during a trial run for the briefing. Appearing before MPs at the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, Ms May said: "It is indeed true I was dropped from a briefing, but that happens to many of my colleagues as well. That is a regular occurrence. "What I have to say is I was also asked to attend another briefing in June but I got stuck in traffic for that one." She added: "I don't know why I was dropped. I do know, though, that I was prepared to go to No 10 at a later date." Asked by the committee chair, Meg Hillier, for her views on Mr Cummings behaviour, said: "I believe that, in my opinion, the rules were clear and they were there for everyone's safety and they applied to us all. "They certainly applied to all of us, including me." Ruth May speaking at the Public Accounts Committee / Parliament TV Pressed on whether her lack of support for Mr Cummings' actions was the reason she was dropped, Ms May replied: "I don't know why I was dropped from the briefing, I'm afraid you would have to ask other people for that." Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: It is scandalous that the nations most senior nurse was silenced at the height of the pandemic because she wasnt prepared to parrot Downing Street spin about Dominic Cummings blatant rule-breaking. As the chief nursing officer indicates, its unacceptable that there was one rule for Johnsons elite friends and another for the rest of us. Layla Moran MP, a Liberal Democrat leadership candidate, said the incident suggested ministers were happy to silence the science when it suits them. 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 Two days before Ms May was dropped from appearing at the briefing, England's deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam responded to questions over Mr Cummings's conduct, insisting the "rules apply to all". Bucking the trend of other Government advisers who avoided commenting on the row, he said: "In my opinion the rules are clear and they have always been clear. In my opinion they are for the benefit of all. In my opinion they apply to all. When approached for comment at the time, Downing Street strongly denied the claims that Ms May had been dropped over her views on Mr Cummings. Boris Johnson and senior ministers including Dominic Raab and Rishi Sunak defended Mr Cummings by saying his trip to Durham was "essential" to travel to ensure his child's welfare. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had defended the Government against the allegations during a media briefing on June 12. Ruth May speaking at a Downing Street press briefing / PA When asked about the claims last month, Mr Shapps said: "I dont think it is true. "She (Ms May) has attended them many times before. I am absolutely sure she has been a regular contributor before and I am sure she will be back here again." MPs on both sides of the political divide called for Mr Cummings resignation over the trip, including Scotland minister Douglas Ross who quit the Government over the issue. The Government put a stop to the daily press conference on June 23, instead opting to restate them for announcements on an ad-hoc basis. The JobKeeper wage subsidy will remain in place until September before being split into two tiers and being extended to March next year. The Morrison Government was due to announce details of the changes to the support on Thursday, but has brought forward the decision to Tuesday. Since April, the $70billion scheme has been providing $1,500 a fortnight wage subsidies to 3.5million workers whose employers have struggled with COVID-19 shutdowns. The program, announced in late March, was due to end on September 27 but Treasury has advised the government to keep it going to avoid businesses going bankrupt. JobKeeper will be extended for an additional six months from the end of September, when it will be split into two tiers based on the number of hours worked. Scroll down for video JobKeeper is being extended beyond the end of September because the government is worried about businesses potentially collapsing if it's withdrawn too soon. Pictured is a barista in Sydney on July 1 JOBKEEPER 2.0: WHAT WE KNOW The new version of JobKeeper will mirror the part-time or full-time hours recipients worked before the coronavirus pandemic rather than a flat $1,500 a fortnight. The revamped scheme will mean businesses benefiting from the subsidy will get several months to adjust to the second phase. The JobSeeker dole payment that was doubled to help the jobless get through the pandemic will remain as it is until September but then switch to a lower rate, but will be more than the former Newstart payment. The government is also set to release details of a review of its coronavirus supports. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says businesses would get several months to adjust to the next phase of support. 'It will be targeted, it will be temporary, it will be effective as the first round has been,' he said in Sydney. 'We do know this first round has been very important ... (for) almost one million businesses, around 3.5million employees, and there is still two months to go on the current set of arrangements.' More details are set to be revealed on Tuesday. Advertisement 'Businesses have planned on the availability of JobKeeper for six months and there are risks in withdrawing support from those that have begun to recover,' the Treasury advice seen by Daily Mail Australia said. 'The case for extending JobKeeper beyond September is strong, especially if coupled with a fresh eligibility test that targets support to those businesses and sectors that continue to need it.' Treasurer Josh Frydenberg previously hinted the wage subsidy program would run until March 2021, with his home city of Melbourne in lockdown. 'JobKeeper has been an economic lifeline to millions of Australians and that lifeline will be extended for those businesses that need it most,' he said. The JobSeeker unemployment benefit has been temporarily doubled since April 27 and the government is likely to permanently boost the dole when the temporary $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement ends in September. While JobKeeper is being extended, businesses continuing to receive it will get $1,200 a fortnight instead of $1,500. 'It may also be appropriate at this juncture to consider reducing payments to wean off businesses from ongoing support,' Treasury said. From the end of September, JobKeeper will be split into two tiers based on the hours worked to avoid part-time workers getting huge pay rises. The top tier payments will be $1,200, while the lower threshold will be determined by the number of hours worked. The adjustment comes after a Treasury review found that some part-time workers and casuals received an increase in income while on the full JobKeeper rate. Prime Minister Scott Morrison greets workers as he arrives for a visit to DisplayWise in Sydney on Monday The JobKeeper scheme had disproportionately benefited teenagers, with their wages soaring by an average of 16.8 per cent in the seven weeks to early May. Every other age group saw their pay levels plunge by 5.4 per cent. Outgoing Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said a pared back JobKeeper would address those kind of flaws. 'What the review also found was that there were a number of features of JobKeeper that created adverse incentives which may become more pronounced over time as the economy recovers,' he said. 'This formed part of our considerations as we looked at the next phase of the JobKeeper program.' Treasury advisers were worried about JobKeeper propping up zombie firms that would otherwise have closed. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also hinted the wage subsidy program will run until March 2021, with his home city of Melbourne in lockdown. Pictured is the Bourke Street Mall 'It distorts wage relativities between lower and higher paid jobs, it dampens incentives to work, it hampers labour mobility and the reallocation of workers to more productive roles, and it keeps businesses afloat that would not be viable without ongoing support,' it said. Unemployment during June amid COVID-19 Australia's unemployment rate climbed from a 19-year high of 7.1 per cent in May to 7.4 per cent in June - the highest since November 1998 Number without work climbed from 923,000 to a record-high 992,300 Close to a million people unemployed for the first time ever - surpassing 960,200 record set in December 1992 Unemployment increased even though 210,800 more people were employed as COVID-19 shutdowns eased That was because the participation rate increased from 62.7 per cent to 64 per cent as more people looked for work Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data for June Advertisement Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mr Frydenberg are announcing the future of JobKeeper, following a review into its first three months supporting 960,000 employers. The Treasury review, finalised at the end of June, found JobKeeper had helped businesses that had suffered an average turnover decline of 37 per cent in April 2020, compared with the same month in 2019, and staved off closures. The government is also making an announcement about the doubling of JobSeeker unemployment benefits. As of May more than 1.6million Australians were receiving JobSeeker, which combines the old Newstart unemployment benefit along with sickness and bereavement payments. Last month close to one million people, or 992,300 Australians, were officially unemployed for the first time ever, as the jobless rate rose to 7.4 per cent, the highest level since November 1998. The JobKeeper package, originally costed at $130billion, was announced on March 30, a week after JobSeeker was effectively doubled with a temporary $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement. The doubling of the dole ends on September 24, which could see JobSeeker either revert back to its original $565.70 figure, from $1,115.70, or be permanently raised from its base rate. Treasury said any dole increase would have to be balanced with encouraging the unemployed to get a job. The government is also making an announcement about the doubling of JobSeeker unemployment benefits, which end on September 24. Pictured is a Centrelink queue at Darlinghurst in Sydney's inner east 'In addition, the introduction of enhanced income support under JobSeeker may also be affecting incentives to work,' it said. Existing JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments are continuing until the end of September, as legislated, and both schemes are being extended. The Melbourne lockdowns, expected to last six weeks, are estimated to be costing the Victorian economy $1billion a week, in a city that makes up a quarter of Australia's economic activity. Treasury is releasing a full economic statement on Thursday as a prelude to the October budget, delayed because of coronavirus. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20 2020 Indonesias hard won democracy still allows for political dynasties to thrive, a fact resented by many following the euphoric regime change in 1998 for fostering the kind of corruption, collusion and nepotism that characterized the New Order regime. In 2015, the House of Representatives passed the Regional Elections Law that barred family members of an incumbent from running for a regional head post. What was thought to be a breakthrough for this young democracy, however, was overturned by the Constitutional Court, another product of the 1998 political reforms. In its decision, the court said equal opportunity needed to be preserved for all. But equal opportunity does not mean anything without a level playing field. In politics, a son, daughter or spouse of a prominent political figure are the most likely to win an election, benefitting from the latters sphere of influence and the other advantages they enjoy. Political parties, unsurprisingly, support political dynasties because of the lure of power. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The three municipal corporations have asked the Delhi government to release the entire fund for the first two quarters of this financial year. The Bharatiya Janata Party-governed civic agencies claim that the government has released just 16% of the Rs 4,000 crore (approx.) due for the first two quarters. A media advisor to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, The court made it clear last month that Delhi government has no dues left. BJP leaders say that it has become impossible to carry out routine works and salaries are due for months. With the start of the monsoon, corporations say additional staff has to be hired to carry out fogging as large numbers of domestic breeding checkers are deployed on Covid-19 duty. The corporations are feeling the pinch more this time, as their revenue from advertising, property tax, toll, parking, etc has gone down due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. According to the three civic agencies, of the Rs 3,928 crore (for the first two quarters), they have received just Rs 624 crore from the Delhi government so far. South Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Anamika Singh said of the Rs 1,157 crore, the corporation has just received Rs 145 crore from the government. The North corporation officials said of Rs 1,571 crore for the first two quarters, the Delhi government has released just Rs 388 crore for the first quarter. Officials of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation said it was the worst affected as it has got just Rs 91 crore against the scheduled payment of Rs 1,200 crore. North civic body mayor Jai Prakash said he had raised the issue with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. During the monsoon, Jai Prakash said, the civic bodies have to step up the drive to check on mosquito breeding to ensure there is no outbreak of malaria and dengue. But most of our DBCs are deployed on Covid-19 duty. We urgently need money, as we will have to hire additional people to check breeding and do fogging. Despite repeated requests, the government has not released the entire funds. Our revenue has also dropped due to Covid-19. This has made the situation very tough for us. There are other development works such as road repair after the monsoon etc which we have to do. For this we need money, said Jai Prakash. Officials of the East Delhi civic body said, We have paid salaries only to sanitation workers so far. We are yet to pay salaries to other employees, said Nirmal Jain, EDMC mayor. The BJP has hit out at the Delhi government for not supporting the three civic agencies, which are equally involved in Covid-19 management, in this hour of crisis. We have requested the government several times to release the funds on time. Like the central government helped the Delhi government to bring the Covid-19 situation under control, the Delhi government should also help the civic bodies in this hour of crisis, said Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly. In an interview to HT, Kejriwal had said on Saturday, Last month the Delhi high court in its order made it clear that the MCDs do not have any pending dues from the Delhi government. Whatever we had to give has been given to them from our end. He added, But, I acknowledge that in this pandemic even the MCDs, like other authorities and administrations, are badly hit financially. So, in all the meetings that were held, I specifically also sought money for the MCDs. Keeping the politics aside, if MCD workers do not get their salaries on time, it will lead to a big mess in Delhi. Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has been placed into administration in the UK, while TransOcean Tours (owned by CMV) is facing the same scenario in Germany. All departures have been cancelled for CMV and TransOcean. The company was reported last week to be in last-minute rescue financing talks, which did not pan out. It is unknown what will happen to the company's ship fleet, which is a mix of owned and leased vessels. The company was due to get two Carnival Corp. ships in 2021 as P&O Australia's Pacific Aria and Pacific Dawn were set to transfer. Current CMV Fleet: DONALD TRUMPS CONSPIRACY THEORIES 9 p.m. on CNN, CNN International and CNNgo. During times of crisis and confusion, when the authority of powerful institutions is called into question, it is not uncommon for conspiracy theories to flourish. Today, such views are not only embraced by the dispossessed and disillusioned; theyre also wielded by the powerful. This new special, hosted by Fareed Zakaria, explores the conspiracy theories that President Trump has touted over his career and situates them in a larger historical context. INTERVENTION 10 p.m. on A&E. This series, which begins its 21st season tonight, has divided critics and the public from the start. Some contend that it exploits the suffering of the addicts it features. Others feel that it accurately represents the toll addiction takes on individuals and their communities and cultivates hope that treatment can be effective. But its the drama of the titular confrontation, and the circumstances that precede it, that often draws viewers in the first place. BERRIEN COUNTY, MI A 29-year-old Berrien County man was killed Sunday, July 19, in a single-vehicle crash, sheriffs deputies said. Timothy J. Munday II of Sodus Township died in the crash. Sheriffs deputies responded to a 4:59 p.m. report of crash on Pardee Road, north of West Warren Woods Road in Weesaw Township. The victim was deceased when police reached the scene. Police said it appeared Munday was driving north on Pardee when his vehicle went off the left side of the road and hit a guardrail. He was thrown from the vehicle when it rolled several times, police said. There were no witnesses to the crash, police said. Police continue to investigate. Read more: 14-year-old boy presumed drowned in Lake Michigan Amber Alert canceled after 15-year-old girl found safe Several people swept off Grand Haven pier, prompting temporary closure The Embassy of Armenia in the Russian Federation has released the following press release: Ambassador of Armenia to the Russian Federation Vardan Toghanyan today had a meeting with public figures representing various Armenian unions and community organizations operating in Moscow. Issues related to the situation created as a result of Azerbaijans aggression in the northeastern sector of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border starting from July 12 and the recent developments that unfolded in Moscow and other cities of Russia on the backdrop of the tension on the border were discussed during the meeting. In particular, the importance of cooperation, avoidance of possible provocations and solution to issues through combined efforts was particularly emphasized during the meeting. An on-air reporter for CBS New York has been killed in a moped accident in Manhattan over the weekend. Nina Kapur, 26, was injured in a crash on Saturday and taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she later died. CBS2 shared the tragic news on Sunday but did not provide additional details about the incident. 'We are heartbroken here at CBS2 as a member of our news family has passed away,' the outlet said in a statement. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Nina's family. She will be missed.' CBS New York reporter Nina Kapur, 26, (pictured) died after she was involved in a moped accident in Manhattan on Saturday CBS2 shared the tragic news on Sunday but did not provide additional details about the incident. 'We are heartbroken here at CBS2 as a member of our news family has passed away,' the outlet said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Nina's family. She will be missed' Less than a week before her death Kapur had tweeted at Revel, a scooter-sharing service in New York City, and said that she had been trying to contact its customer support center without success. It's unclear whether Kapur was riding a Revel scooter at the time of the accident. DailyMail.com has reached out to the company for comment. Last week it was revealed that Revel had suspended more than 1,000 users in the last month for violating its rules by driving recklessly in the city. Kapur, a Pennsylvania native, graduated from Syracuse University in 2016 and joined CBS2 in June 2019, where she was 'known for her contagious smile and love for storytelling', the outlet said. Several of her colleagues and classmates from Syracuse have paid tribute to her on social media following her death. Fellow reporter John Dias posted a photo of the pair together on Twitter, writing: 'Finding it hard to report today, but pulling myself together because I know @ninakapur1 wouldn't want me to fall apart. 'She was a true angel on earth, and now she is a real one in heaven. Love you, Nina! RIP. @CBSNewYork and the world lost one of its best.' Kapur, a Pennsylvania native, graduated from Syracuse University in 2016 and joined CBS2 in June 2019, where she was 'known for her contagious smile and love for storytelling', the outlet said. Kapur is seen reporting from the Bronx River in an Instagram photo posted last fall Like many in the journalism industry, Kapur began working from home when the coronavirus pandemic struck in March. She shared this photo of herself in her at-home studio set-up Anchor Christopher Wragge tweeted: 'Our hearts are broken. @CBSNewYork @ninakapur1 we will miss your smile, your warmth, your presence. Rest In Peace young lady.' Syracuse classmate Jane Hong shared a Twitter clip of Kapur smiling as a woman walked into a live shot she was recording for News 12 in Norwalk, Connecticut, where she worked prior to joining CBS2. 'This is the nina kapur i met in college: excellent at what she did while wearing a big smile on her face,' Hong wrote in the caption. 'I remember telling her i couldn't wait to watch her on national news one day she deserved more. praying for her family and loved ones.' Journalist Zach Parnes, who worked with Kapur at WDVM in Maryland right after she graduated college, called her a 'shining light'. 'She made countless sacrifices to make it to New York. Her work won't be forgotten,' Parnes wrote. Several of Kapur's colleagues have paid tribute to her on social media following her death. Fellow reporter John Dias posted a photo of the pair together on Twitter (pictured) CBS2 anchor Christopher Wragge also shared his heartbreak at the news on Twitter Encouraging sabotage in Iran can ignite full range escalation, Tehran warns Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 5:54 AM Tehran's UN Mission has denounced a Bloomberg article that has praised the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and encouraged sabotage in the country's infrastructure, warning against "barbaric" measures that can spark a full range escalation. Alireza Miryousefi, minister and head of media office of Iran's Mission to the UN, responded to a Bloomberg opinion column written by Eli Lake titled, "Sabotage in Iran Is Preferable to a Deal With Iran". In his response published on the American news outlet, Miryousefi said Lake's column is "one that against all journalistic standards encourages violence, terror and sabotage, and makes a number of factual errors and assumptions." He noted that "praising the illegal assassination of nuclear scientists and encouraging sabotage in Iran's infrastructures amounts to what are inhumane, barbaric acts that promote violence and terrorism. Such measures do nothing less than keeping tensions high, and could ignite a full range escalation." Lake's article argued that recent incidents in Iran, among them the one at Natanz nuclear facility, showed that there were better ways to frustrate what it called the "nuclear ambitions" of the Islamic Republic. Iran has not officially declared whether the incident at the Natanz complex was an accident or an act of sabotage, but the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said the main cause has been determined and will be announced at an appropriate time. Some reports suggested Tel Aviv's alleged role, but Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied the regime's involvement. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have said much of the speculation linking the incident to Israel is nothing but bluster which pleased Israeli leaders, warning Tel Aviv of serious consequences if it turned out to be true. The Bloomberg article further claimed that one of the recent incidents in Iran appeared to have targeted "an underground research facility for chemical weapons." Iran's UN Mission spokesman refuted the claim, saying the country has been "the biggest victim of chemical weapons attacks in contemporary history" conducted by the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with "the shameful aid of Western countries". "Iran has no program or plans to produce chemical weapons, and the claim made in the opinion piece is not just bizarre, but completely fallacious," he stressed. Miryousefi also hailed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a "historic agreement" that was concluded in 2015 after two years of intensive negotiations. "It was the [US President Donald] Trump administration that unilaterally withdrew from this international accord and violated UN Security Council resolution 2231, which enshrined it in international law. Consequently, the rest of the world has strongly criticized this blatant US retreat from its obligations," he added. Lake, born in Philadelphia to a Jewish family, is a columnist for the Bloomberg View. He is known for his controversial articles about security matters. His critics say his past sources lacked credibility, "used to manipulate the discourse on national security". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India has already witnessed a record spike of over 40,000 Covid-19 cases. And on Monday, the countrys tally increased by another 40,425 cases, according to health ministry. The number of active cases in the country are 3,90,459 and a total of 27,497 patients have died. Maharashtra was still contributing a major portion of the caseload, but Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat reported a sharp rise in cases. The southern states too have seen the number of cases rising at a fast pace in the last few days. Also Read: Indias Covid-19 fatality rate lower than global average, says govt Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are leading the spike in southern states. Meanwhile, the government said Indias Covid-19 case fatality rate is progressively falling and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world. Heres a look at the Covid-19 situation in various states across the country: Top five states Maharashtra recorded highest-ever 9,518 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 3,10,455 while 258 more people succumbed to the disease, including 149 deaths in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the state health department said. Tamil Nadu reported a new single-day high of 4,979 fresh Covid-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 1.70 lakh in the state, the second worst affected after Maharashtra. In Graphics: Coronavirus Live Tracker The total number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi is now 1,22,793. Out of these, 1,03,134 patients have recovered. The death toll due to the disease in the national capital is 3,628. Delhi recorded 1,211 fresh coronavirus cases, the lowest in over a month, and 31 deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours. Karnataka reported 4,120 new Covid-19 cases and 91 related fatalities, according to Union health ministry data. This took the total number of infections in the state to 63,772 and the death toll to 1,331. Karnataka crossed the 10 lakh tests milestone on Sunday from about 88 labs in the state. A single-day high of 5,041 Covid-19 cases was registered in Andhra Pradesh as the overall aggregate inched closer to the 50,000 mark on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state Gujarat has seen Covid-19 cases reach 48,355 on Monday. The state has seen 34,901 people recover from coronavirus while 2,142 people have died. Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Traffic was flowing on Monday on several main streets in Guinea's capital, Conakry, where people have decided to stay at home in spite of a call on them by the opposition pressure group, National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), which has been banned by the government, to come out and demonstrate In this 2019 photo, heavy construction vehicles move earth near the Valley Square Shopping Center to make way for the Mariner East Pipeline that will run through Chester County in residential and commercial areas. Read more Conservative nonprofit groups that have advocated for the natural gas industry funded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of attack ads in last months primary election in two state House races in the Philadelphia suburbs. Outside political groups spent at least $517,000 on Democratic primary races in Chester County, according to newly disclosed campaign records and data compiled by the ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics. The targets of the attack ads were first-term state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten and Ginny Kerslake, both Democrats and outspoken opponents of Sunocos Mariner East pipeline project, which carries natural gas liquids from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations to the companys terminal in Marcus Hook. Otten won her primary. Kerslake lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Kristine Howard. That much spending in state House races is unusual and it came so late in the campaign that one of the political groups involved didnt have to disclose its donors until a month after the June 2 election. Tracing the funding is almost impossible, as the nonprofits behind it are not required to disclose donors. The spending underscores the influence of dark money in seemingly low-profile races, as well as the stakes associated with the controversial pipeline project, a political and legal flash-point in the debate over energy and the environment. It just was insanity to me that one legislator can be that powerful that they would spend a quarter of a million dollars to try to take me out in the primary, Otten said in an interview. She said she suspected the oil and gas industry was involved and wanted to make an example of me, because I have been very outspoken about the egregiousness of what that industry is doing. Environmental groups have spent big on local elections, too: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania pumped $250,000 into Chester County races last year, helping Democrats win control of the county commissioners board for the first time. One of the groups biggest donors was the Washington, D.C.-based League of Conservation Voters Inc., a nonprofit that does not have to disclose its donors. Pennsylvanias 167th House District was one of 14 seats Democrats flipped in 2018 as the GOP fell out of favor with suburban voters nationally in President Donald Trumps first midterm election. Howard defeated the Republican incumbent by four percentage points, or fewer than 2,000 votes. Kerslake had managed Ottens successful 2018 campaign against a GOP incumbent and decided to challenge Howard this year in the primary. Its really important we have someone whos going to be our ally and stand up for us, said Kerslake, founder of Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety. A group called Stronger Pennsylvania PAC, chaired by veteran Pittsburgh-based Democratic strategist Mike Mikus, registered with the IRS on May 8. By the end of the month, it was on the airwaves declaring Kerslake had been bankrolled by out of state special interests and dirty money accusations Kerslake said were false. Stronger Pennsylvanias budget was funded almost entirely by a $200,000 check it received five days before the election from a Virginia-based organization called Frontiers of Freedom Foundation. Founded in 1995 by Malcolm Wallop, a Republican U.S. senator from Wyoming, Frontiers of Freedom describes itself as a public policy think tank devoted to promoting a strong national defense, free markets, individual liberty, and constitutionally limited government. In the early 2000s, the foundation received hundreds of thousands of dollars from ExxonMobil, the New York Times reported at the time. The foundation hasnt filed the required tax forms with the IRS since 2007, when it reported just $2,000 in revenue and $20,411 in net assets. The IRS revoked Frontiers of Freedom Foundations tax-exempt status in 2010, records show. But the organizations leadership started a political action committee, Frontiers of Freedom Action Inc., in 2017. In its most recent government filing the group reported about $47,000 in contributions from small donors this spring. It said nothing about Stronger Pennsylvania. Records filed in Virginia show Frontiers of Freedom is registered as a nonprofit. It wasnt clear which entity associated with Frontiers of Freedom made the contribution. The organizations president, George Landrith, didnt respond to requests for comment. Stronger Pennsylvanias chairman, Mikus, also didnt have an explanation. On its website, the group promotes a 2019 Ronald Reagan gala it hosted at the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House to honor U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.). A table for 10 went for as much as $15,000. In January, Landrith wrote opinion articles in local newspapers in Chester and Delaware Counties that criticized the Chester County district attorney for bringing charges against security contractors who were hired to protect the Mariner East pipeline. Sadly, the accusations are merely another publicity stunt in the DAs crusade to upend the permitted project rather than an honest effort to serve the public, Landrith wrote. Howard, the incumbent, spent $69,000, while Kerslake spent $27,000 over the campaign. The two candidates spending was dwarfed by the nearly $200,000 spent by Stronger Pennsylvania, which in addition to attacking Kerslake praised Howard as a pro-environment candidate. Howard said she did not know anything about the group, which as an independent expenditure committee is prohibited from coordinating with campaigns. She also said she wasnt a big fan of outside spending. When you dont know who they are and they arent really promoting your message, I think it is something that needs to be tightened up, she said. She also said most voters had already cast their mail ballots by the time the PAC hit the airwaves. They came out with those cheesy commercials, Howard said. It was like the last weekend. I just thought, you know what, theyre spending so much money and its too late, really. Howard won with 59% of the vote and faces Republican Wendy Graham Leland in the general election. In Pennsylvanias 155th House District, a political action committee called Building for Americas Future, which was created in October, bought commercials attacking Otten in the final weeks of the campaign. The PAC spent a total of almost $324,000. By contrast, Otten and her challenger, Rose Danese, each spent about $17,000. As with Stronger Pennsylvania, Building for Americas Futures budget was bankrolled by a single entity: Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), an Arlington, Va.-based conservative nonprofit that cut two checks in May totaling $356,750. A spokesperson for Building for Americas Future said the PAC complies with all state campaign finance laws and filing requirements. CASE says it serves as the voice of American consumers and wage-earners by advocating strongly for free-markets, fiscal responsibility and reasonable consumer protections. The organization registered with the IRS in 2017 as a tax-exempt social welfare group. Such groups are permitted to make political contributions, as long as such giving does not account for the majority of their spending. They are not required to disclose their donors. One glimpse into the groups finances came from tax filings made by one of its donors, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The trade group contributed $170,000 in 2018 to Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, according to a tax filing and reporting by the Center for Responsive Politics. CASE reported $1.3 million in revenues in 2018, the most recent year for which records were available. The organization didnt respond to a request for comment. Consumer Action for a Strong Economy has supported the natural gas industry. In a 2019 opinion article for the Scranton Times-Tribune, CASE president Matthew Kandrach wrote that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs proposal for a severance tax on drillers would haunt the state for years to come and expose Pennsylvania to the risk of a loss of revenue and jobs. Jacking up taxes on gas production to pay for planned infrastructure improvements is a misguided attempt to deal with the states chronic problems in the short term that would cost billions in the long term, he wrote. Building for Americas Futures commercials attacked Otten as an ineffective lawmaker who wastes taxpayer funds and is in it for herself not for you. The ads didnt appear to have much of an impact: Otten defeated her primary challenger with 74% of the vote. As Samsung prepares for its first Unpacked event of this stay-at-home era, rumors are swirling over what will be released. Theyre about to get swirlier. Samsung mobile president TM Roh announced in a blog post that five, count em, five new power devices will be unveiled at the event. Update 3 pm ET: Added additional details about the Galaxy Note 20. The Galaxy Note 20 is a slam dunkbeing that its an August event and basically everything about the phone has already leaked. In fact, recent rumors point to two Note 20 devices, with a cheaper model joining the high-end Ultra much like the S20but what are the other four power devices that will arrive on August 5? Here are our best guesses: Galaxy Fold 2 Its been more than a year since Samsung unveiled its first foldable phone, but after numerous production issues, it didnt actually land on shelves until September 6, 2019. Almost exactly 11 months later, Samsung is expected to unveil its predecessor. According to rumors and leaks, the design of the Galaxy Fold 2 will be much sleeker than the original and a little larger at 8 inches, eliminating the awkward notch and adopting a similar hole-punch camera as seen on the Galaxy S20 and Note 10. The front screen is also due to dramatically increase in size to more than 6 inches, while ultra-thin glass should help with the creasing issues that plagued the first model. Itll also reportedly have a better camera, faster chip, and a lower price. Galaxy Z Flip 5G Samsung launched its folding Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year, but a new model is already reportedly on the way. But if youre hoping for a major change, youre going to be disappointed. Most likely its simply the addition of 5G to the existing model, with a probable price bump to boot. Galaxy Buds Live Samsung already sells a pair of $150 true wireless earbuds, but a new model may be on the way. Leaked renders show an original bean-shaped design that no one will mistake for a pair of AirPods and the Keep the noise out. Let the sound in tagline suggest theyll be noise-canceling like the AirPods Pro. Images of the new buds show numerous microphones and speakers adorning the glossy buds, so you can expect Samsung to tout its sound quality and Bixby integration. Galaxy Tab S7 Android tablets arent exactly the first thing you think of when you hear power device, but Samsung likes to think of its high-end Tab S tablets as Surface or iPad Pro competitors. Rumors havent detailed much in the way of major changes to the flagship tablet other than 5G connectivity and fast charging. RICHMOND A Chesterfield County man who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound last week was spinning a 9mm semi-automatic pistol on his finger when it discharged, fatally injuring him, police said. The man, Kenneth Dickerson, 57, was standing outside his home in the 8300 block of Hull Street Road twirling or spinning the firearm on his finger when it went off about 6:30 p.m. July 14, said Chesterfield police Lt. Brad Conner. Dickerson died of his injuries after being taken to a local hospital. It looks like he was literally playing with the gun, spinning it, and the gun went off, Conner said. Police havent yet received the state medical examiners report on Dickersons cause and manner of death. But Conner said the evidence points to an accidental, self-inflicted shooting. The shooting death was the second in three weeks in Chesterfield in which a man was killed as a result of a firearm being handled recklessly. On June 29, Roy K. Long Jr., 34, was fatally wounded when a gun he and a friend were handling accidentally discharged inside a home they shared in the 17300 block of Genito Road. Long died after being taken to a local hospital. Miller was charged with felony reckless handling of a firearm. Because Millers case is still pending, police declined to say exactly how the firearm was being mishandled when it went off. But they described Longs death as accidental with no evidence of malicious intent. A third man, who also lived at the home, was asleep at the time of the 1 a.m. shooting. EDWARDSVILLE Fridays announcement that Madison County is filing a claim against Purdue Pharma L.P. for opioid crisis damages came after a long silence on the issue in county government. Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons announced his office is filing the claim against to recover some of the cost of the countys fight against opioid addiction and large numbers of overdose deaths over the past decade. On Saturday, he said some have mischaracterized his action with the lawsuit, noting there was not unified support in the county for joining the suits. The litigation has already essentially occurred and is over, he said. We did not participate in that. Instead, Gibbons said, the county will file a claim from part of the settlement with funds specifically set aside for local governments. The total settlement is between $10 billion and $12 billion, he said, divvied up in a few different piles. Were just participating in what is still available to us, Gibbons said. Its not the absolute best position to be in. In a Friday release, Gibbons said his office has been working with Illinois Attorney General Kwami Raoul and a group of Illinois states attorneys to secure compensation from a mass settlement with Purdue Pharma L.P. Specific amounts to be paid will be determined through a claims management process. Illinois, along with other states, sued Purdue for losses suffered as a result of opioid prescription pain killers, such as OxyContin. Purdue Pharma L.P. has filed bankruptcy, which requires part of the process to go through the federal bankruptcy court. The issue was extensively discussed in the Madison County Boards Judiciary Committee some time ago, but no participation decision was reached. It was a year and a half ago, and we had really never come to a consensus on it, said Madison County Board Member Mike Walters, R-Godfrey, who chairs the boards Judiciary Committee. We havent mentioned anything at all about it. Talk about joining the county joining the lawsuits began in Fall 2017. Part of the discussion in early 2018 was the allegation pharmaceutical companies had created a conspiracy for the proliferation of opioid prescriptions. Attorneys who talked to county officials said that, prior to 1995, opioids were generally prescribed for acute pain following surgery and terminal cancer cases. That changed when doctors started prescribing opioids more readily for pain management, which led to widespread abuse. Later, prescription opioids were supplanted by heroin. That was later overshadowed by Asian-produced fentanyl illegally entering the U.S. drug market. Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn started tracking overdose deaths specifically from opioids after noting a spike in 2009. However, no litigation decision was reached by the following spring and the county discussion died off. There were a couple of people interested in this, Gibbons said. I tried to keep the conversation going, but I think there was an overabundance of discussion about what the lawyers might make rather than what we were going to accomplish. Gibbons had maintained he could initiate action without county approval. But on Saturday he said that would have been difficult. This was a really big effort, he said. From my end, it would have required financial support from the county board. Over the weekend Walters said there are some other things that have been going on but he declined to elaborate. Gibbons said he s working with officials from the coroners, sheriffs and health departments, among others, and plan to file a claim by July 31. He said reimbursing county agencies for costs as well as additional support, education and treatment options is expected to be part of the claim. Gibbons wants most of the eventual award to go to the families of those who died. Everything weve done from the beginning about the opioid epidemic was because we saw people suffering, he said. Its hard to watch families losing loved ones. He said the county should take care of those people. Every family Ive ever talked to spend extraordinary amounts of money trying to save their loved ones, he said. It will never measure up to what was lost, not even close. Ultimately, Gibbons said, the county board will decide exactly how the settlement money should be spent. But we wanted to start the discussion, Gibbons said. Several days of talks between the embattled president (since 2013) Keita and the opposition have produced proposals but no agreements or solutions. Mediators from ECOWAS (Economic Community of 15 West African States) kept the negotiations going, but Keita refused to consider resigning and the opposition saw curbing Keitas power as essential if there was to be any hope of peace and prosperity. Demonstrations have been going on since June 5th and that led to an unexpected coalition, called the June 5 Movement (J5M), containing political, economic and religious groups that rarely agree with or work with each other. So far (five weeks) the coalition is holding together but past experience shows that such a coalition will have a difficult time implementing sustained change. Faction leaders and Malians in general understand that without a much less corrupt government they will be stuck in a cycle of economic decline and inability to deal with tribal, religious and political rebels in central and northern Mali. Foreign aid donors are backing away because of the corruption and the waste of so much aid via theft and mismanagement. Some faction leaders do not trust Keita to refrain from using violence to retain power. These faction leaders remain in hiding. As a result of that, the de-facto spokesman for J5M is Mahmoud Dicko, a popular senior imam (Moslem cleric) who studied Islam in Saudi Arabia and came to be chairman of Malis High Islamic Council. Despite (or because of) his education in Saudi religious schools (which stresses the need for Islamic law), Dicko openly backs a secular government, but one run by honest (or a lot more honest than now) politicians and officials. Imams like Dicko are one reason Islamic terrorist beliefs have not spread to the majority of Malians, most (95 percent) of them Moslem. Many foreign students in Saudi religious schools note that for all its piety, Saudi Arabia is very corrupt as are most other Arab oil states. There were some exceptions but without all that oil wealth many Arab governments would be undergoing the same political pain Mali is suffering. Corruption has long been a major problem for Mali. Corruption and misuse of foreign aid are the main reasons for many other problems. The international aspect of this can be seen in the worldwide surveys of nations to determine who is clean and who is corrupt. For 2019 Mali ranked 130th out of 180 nations in international rankings compared with 120th in 2018. Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually Yemen/15, Syria/13, South Sudan/12 and Somalia/9) have a rating of under 15 while the least corrupt (Finland, New Zealand and Denmark) are over 85. Keita and his associates were supposed to be the cure for the current mess, which began when France took swift action in January 2013 by leading a military operation to clear Islamic terrorists out of northern Mali. Aided by Chad and a growing number of other African peacekeeping contingents, this effort continues and is somewhat open-ended. The French acted because in 2012 Tuareg tribal rebels (with the help of al Qaeda affiliated Islamic terrorists) in northern Mali chased out government forces and declared a separate Tuareg state. The Mali army mutinied (because of a lack of support from the corrupt government) down south and took control of the capital. The army soon backed off when neighboring nations threatened to intervene. The elected government was soon back in charge and more corrupt than ever. Lots of corruption often produces rebels and in Moslem majority nations that often means Islamic terrorism. There are several of these groups in Mali and largest of them is JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems). This is an al Qaeda coalition formed in early 2017 to consolidate the many separate Islamic terror groups in Mali. In part this was a reaction to the growing threat from ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), which is hostile to everyone who is not ISIL and will attack or recruit from the JNIM members like AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), Ansar Dine, FLM and several other smaller groups. Another reason for the merger was to make it easier to pool resources, especially information and practical advice, and coordinate with other Islamic terror groups in the region. This reduces friction and destructive feuding. Making a coalition like this work is always difficult, especially considering the importance of ethnic differences. The FLM is Fulani (the largest local tribal contribution) while the other groups are largely Tuareg, Arab while some have a lot of foreigners. Note that JNIM did not absorb all of AQIM groups in the area, just local groups that had long been identified with al Qaeda. Income from the drug trade keeps a lot of these factions in business and the Islamic terrorists know that business and religious fanaticism do not mix and keep it that way. Those groups that did not went broke and withered to nothing. Meanwhile, the Islamic terror groups evolved with more radical JNIM members joining more radical groups like ISIL, which is universally hated by other Islamic terrorists and Moslems in general. By 2018 there were two ISIL provinces in central Africa when the smaller one, ISGS (Islamic State in Greater Sahara), showed up. ISGS is currently active in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The other, slightly older and larger, ISIL province was ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province). ISWAP was actually a faction of the Nigerian Boko Haram Islamic terrorists who had been around since 2004. ISWAP personnel are mostly in northeastern Nigeria as well as smaller numbers in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. In the last year there has been a lot more fighting between JNIM and ISGS in northern Mali. Some of this is about money and access to smuggling routes, but a lot of it is about ISIL insisting that they are the leading Islamic terror group and all other Islamic terrorists must obey ISIL. In practice that does not work very well for ISIL but, since ISIL members are generally more fanatical than those in other Islamic terror groups, ISIL members tend to keep at it until they get killed by one of their many enemies. There are also a lot of tribal conflicts in central Mali but these have been active for decades and are made worse by corruption. The tribal war between Dogon and Fulani has been particularly bloody this year. As long as Mali suffers from high levels of government corruption and mismanagement, there will be Islamic terrorism and the threat of separatism succeeding, as it did in 2012-13. France wont always be willing to move in the deal with the problem. The counter-terror operations by France, the G5, UN peacekeepers and the Mali Army have been successful but only suppressed Islamic terrorist and tribal violence, not eliminated it. There are fewer large-scale terror attacks or tribal raids. But there is still lots of low-level activity that does not kill but rather intimidates and extorts financial and other support for the armed groups. July 16, 2020: In central Mali (Mopti) armed men (apparently Fulani) on motorbikes attacked a Dogon village and killed 13 unarmed civilians. Ten of the victims were out in the fields tending crops. So far this year about 500 have died in central Mali because of this fighting between Dogon and Fulani. July 10, 2020: In the south (the capital Bamako) another round of much larger and more sustained demonstrations against endemic corruption turned violent when embattled president Keita ordered troops of FORSAT in to deal with the threat. After three days of protests, Keita thought the well trained and equipped counter-terrorism force could easily break up the protests. FORSAT was told to open fire if necessary and they did. At least 11 people were killed, over 150 wounded and more than 200 were arrested. All those arrested were released pending trial, which will probably not happen. Keita said there will be an investigation of why things turned violent. Keita is already being blamed and this is seen as just another dumb, corrupt move by another corrupt Mali president. July 2, 2020: In central Mali (Mopti) armed men (apparently Fulani) on motorbikes pickup trucks attacked four Dogon villages near the Burkina Faso border and killed 30 unarmed civilians. These attackers may have come from Burkina Faso because Fulani Islamic terrorist groups often establish camps across the border because Mali is more heavily patrolled by security and counter-terror forces. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova The 5th International ARTS OLIMPIA Contest has been successfully held in Baku, bringing together 758 young talents form different parts of Azerbaijan and other countries. The traditional international art Olympiad in previous years was held for two days. The number of participants grew, and in 2019 as 7,000 local and foreign participants took part in the contest. The main goals of the contest includes the development of creative skills in young people, promotion of culture and art and straitening friendly ties between nations. Co-organized by Azerbaijan Youth Union and Azerbaijan Dance Association, the contest was held virtually amid COVID-19 pandemic. The jury included highly qualified specialists, honored workers of culture and art: director of Republican Arts Gymnasium at Azerbaijan National Conservatory Ayten Akhmadova, head of department at Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts Sabina Mehdiyeva, head of Arts Council Azerbaijan (NGO), artist Dadash Mammadov and ATA president and the head of the Azerbaijan Dance Association and board member of the Azerbaijan Youth Union Aziz Azizov. The contest winners were determined in various age categories in various nominations such as stringed and wind music instruments, keyboards, classical, pop and folk vocals, artistic expression, all types of dances, fashion designer, visual arts, etc. The contest's media partners included Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az and Milli.az. A group of U.K. Uber drivers has launched a legal challenge against the company's subsidiary in the Netherlands. The complaints relate to access to personal data and algorithmic accountability. Uber drivers and Uber Eats couriers are being invited to join the challenge, which targets Uber's use of profiling and data-fueled algorithms to manage gig workers in Europe. Platform workers involved in the case are also seeking to exercise a broader suite of data access rights baked into EU data protection law. It looks like a fascinating test of how far existing legal protections wrap around automated decisions at a time when regional lawmakers are busy drawing up a risk-based framework for regulating applications of artificial intelligence. Many uses of AI technology look set to remain subject only to protections baked into the existing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). So determining how far existing protections extend in the context of modern data-driven platforms is important. The European Commission is also working on rebooting liability rules for platforms, with a proposal for a Digital Services Act due by year's end. As part of that work it's actively consulting on related issues such as data portability and platform worker rights -- so the case looks very timely. Via the lawsuit, which has been filed in Amsterdam's district court today, the group of Uber drivers from London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow will argue the tech giant is failing to comply with the GDPR and will ask the court to order immediate compliance -- urging it be fined 10,000 for each day it fails to comply. They will also ask the court to order Uber to comply with a request to enable them to port personal data held in the platform to a data trust they want to establish, administered by a union. For its part, Uber U.K. said it works hard to comply with data access requests, further claiming it provides explanations when it's unable to provide data. Story continues Data rights to crack open an AI blackbox? The GDPR gives EU citizens data access rights over personal information held on them, including a right to obtain a copy of data they have provided so that it can be reused elsewhere. The regulation also provides some additional access rights for individuals who are subject to wholly automated decision making processes where there is a substantial legal or similar impact -- which looks relevant here because Uber's algorithms essentially determine the earning potential of a driver or courier based on how the platforms assigns (or withholds) jobs from the available pool. As we wrote two years ago, Article 22 of the GDPR offers a potential route to put a check on the power of AI blackboxes to determine the trajectory of humankind -- because it requires that data controllers provide some information about the logic of the processing to affected individuals. Although it's unclear how much detail they have to give, hence the suit looks set to test the boundaries of Article 22, as well as making reference to more general transparency and data access rights baked into the regulation. James Farrar, an Uber driver who is supporting the action -- and who was also one of the lead claimants in a landmark U.K. tribunal action over Uber driver employment rights (which is, in related news, due to reach the U.K. Supreme Court tomorrow, as Uber has continued appealing the 2016 ruling) -- confirmed the latest challenge is "full spectrum" in the GDPR rights regard. The drivers made subject access requests to Uber last year, asking the company for detailed data about how its algorithm profiles and performance manages them. "Multiple drivers have been provided access to little or no data despite making a comprehensive request and providing clear detail on the data requested," they write in a press release today. Farrar confirmed that Uber provided him with some data last year, after what he called "multiple and continuous requests," but he flagged multiple gaps in the information -- such as GPS data only being provided for a month out of two years of work; no information on the trip rating assigned to him by passengers; and no information on his profile nor the tags assigned to it. "I know Uber maintain a profile on me but they have never revealed it," he told TechCrunch, adding that the same is true of performance tags. "Under GDPR Uber must explain the logic of processing, it never really has explained management algorithms and how they work to drivers. Uber has never explained to me how they process the electronic performance tags attached to my profile for instance. "Many drivers have been deactivated with bogus claims of fraudulent use being detected by Uber systems. This is another area of transparency required by law but which Uber does not uphold." The legal challenge is being supported by the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU), which says it will argue Uber drivers are subject to performance monitoring at work. It also says it will present evidence of how Uber has attached performance-related electronic tags to driver profiles with categories including: Late arrival/missed ETAs; Cancelled on rider; Attitude; Inappropriate behaviour. "This runs contrary to Ubers insistence in many employment misclassification legal challenges across multiple jurisdictions worldwide that drivers are self-employed and not subject to management control," the drivers further note in their press release. Commenting in a statement, their attorney, Anton Ekker of Ekker Advocatuur, added: "With Uber BV based in the Netherlands as operator of the Uber platform, the Dutch courts now have an important role to play in ensuring Ubers compliance with the GDPR. This is a landmark case in the gig economy with workers asserting their digital rights for the purposes of advancing their worker rights." The legal action is being further supported by the International Alliance of App-based Transport (IAATW) workers in what the ADCU dubs an "unprecedented international collaboration." Reached for comment on the challenge, Uber emailed us the following statement: Our privacy team works hard to provide any requested personal data that individuals are entitled to. We will give explanations when we cannot provide certain data, such as when it doesn't exist or disclosing it would infringe on the rights of another person under GDPR. Under the law, individuals have the right to escalate their concerns by contacting Uber's Data Protection Officer or their national data protection authority for additional review. The company also told us it responded to the drivers' subject access requests last year, saying it had not received any further correspondence since. It added that it's waiting to see the substance of the claims in court. The unions backing the case are pushing for Uber to hand over driver data to a trust they want to administer. Farrar's not-for-profit, Worker Info Exchange (WIE), wants to establish a data trust for drivers for the purposes of collective bargaining. "Our union wants to establish a data trust but we are blocked in doing so long as Uber do not disclose in a consistent way and not obstruct the process. API would be best," he said on that, adding: "But the big issue here is that 99.99% of drivers are fobbed off with little or no proper access to data or explanation of algorithm." In a note about WIE on the drivers' attorney's website the law firm says other Uber drivers can participate by providing their permission for the not-for-profit to put in a data request on their behalf, writing: Worker Info Exchange aims to tilt the balance away from big platforms in favour of the people who make these companies so successful every day the workers. Uber drivers can participate by giving Worker Info Exchange their mandate to send a GDPR-request on their behalf. The drivers have also launched a Crowdjustice campaign to help raise 30,000 to fund the case. Discussing the legal challenge and its implications for Uber, Newcastle University law professor Lilian Edwards suggested the tech giant will have to show it has "suitable safeguards" in place around its algorithm, assuming the challenge focuses on Article 22. Wow. This could be historic: the first art 22 case to really crack the veil of algorithmic black box secrecy and givevpowed back to dstified platform workers. Go @jamesfarrar who drove this ( sic) from the start!! #uber #a22 https://t.co/DEoX1bdCGY Lilian Edwards (@lilianedwards) July 20, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js "Article 22 normally gives you the right to demand that a decision made in a solely automated way -- such as the Uber algorithm -- should either not be made or made by a human. In this case Uber might claim however, with some success, that the algorithm was necessary for the Uber context with the driver," she told us. "However that doesn't clear their path. They still have to provide 'suitable safeguards' -- the biggest of which is the much-discussed right to an explanation of how the algorithm works. But no one knows how that might operate. "Would a general statement of roughly how the algorithm operates suffice? What a worker would want instead is to know specifically how it made decisions based on his data -- and maybe how it discriminated against him or disfavoured him. Uber may argue that's simply impossible for them to do. They might also say it reveals too much about their internal trade secrets. But it's still terrific to finally have a post GDPR case exploring these issues." In its guidance on Article 22 requirements on its website, the U.K.'s data watchdog, the ICO, specifies that data controllers "must provide meaningful information about the logic involved in the decision-making process, as well as the significance and the envisaged consequences for the individual". It also notes Article 22 requires that individuals who are subject to automated decisions must be able to obtain human review of the outcome if they ask. The law also allows them to challenge algorithmic decisions. While data controllers using automation in this way must take steps to prevent bias and discrimination. There is growing opposition to the New Zealand governments mistreatment of migrants, including its refusal to process residency applications for tens of thousands of people. A petition with nearly 4,000 signatures, promoted by the Facebook group Migrants NZ is being presented to parliament this week. It calls on the Labour Party-led government to process more than 15,000 applications for Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) visas, affecting about 30,000 people. Many have been waiting a year or longer and fear that they may be unable to stay in New Zealand, despite meeting all the relevant criteria and having spent thousands of dollars in fees and other costs. According to the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website, as of June 30 the department was still allocating applications it received in December 2018 for case officers to begin processing them. Another petition, promoted by the Pacific Leadership Forum, representing various community organisations, asks the government to provide pathways for overstayers under compassionate grounds to gain permanent residency in New Zealand. It has gained more than 10,000 signatures. On July 12, dozens of migrants attended rallies in Auckland and Wellington. Speaking in Auckland, Green Party candidate Ricardo Menendez March criticised the visa processing delays and said it was shameful that temporary migrant workers who are unemployed cannot access welfare payments. The Greens, however, are part of Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns government, which includes Labour and the right-wing nationalist NZ First Party. Like others throughout the world, the government is scapegoating immigrants for job losses in order to divert rising anger among workers over social inequality, particularly as an election approaches on September 19. Despite NZ Firsts unpopularity, Labour and the Greens allow it to exercise considerable power in the coalition. NZ First leader and deputy prime minister Winston Peters has told jobless migrants to go home. Labour has adopted many of NZ Firsts anti-immigrant policies, including limiting migrants access to superannuation and imposing new class-based immigration restrictions. At NZ Firsts conference held last weekend, Peters demanded greater restrictions, including reducing immigration to 15,000 people per year, down from more than 50,000 last year. The governments actions are jeopardising migrants health and basic human rights. Newsroom reported on July 16 that a group of seasonal agricultural workers from the Solomon Islands had complained to the Labour Inspectorate that they had no food and were going hungry, and allegedly faced bullying from their employer. Pick Hawkes Bay had reportedly stopped paying them and they couldnt access welfare. Anna, who is from Germany and is part of the group Migrants NZ, told the World Socialist Web Site many people waiting for a visa were afraid to criticise the government, or even sign a petition, in case they were blacklisted. She continued: It makes me sad and angry at the same time, how scared people are of the whole system. She criticised Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway for failing to explain the SMC residency applications backlog in media interviews. Recently we started commenting on every single one of his Facebook posts. Especially as Labours election campaign slogan is Lets keep moving, we keep suggesting that the queue should keep moving, she said. Anna noted that a six-month extension to temporary work visas announced by Lees-Galloway this month did not cover partners and children of visa-holders, who have to apply separately or leave the country. She said the extension was not so much to benefit the actual visa holders, its more to satisfy the business owners, who needed time to find replacements for migrant workers who could still be forced to leave. Many SMC applicants have children whose lives are in limbo. The WSWS received a letter from a migrant whose son has finished school and wants to study to become a doctor, but the family cant afford the extremely high fees charged to non-residents. They wrote: Its too much stress to tell my son that we cant afford to help him pay the international fee of $35,000 a year for the next six years, more than double the fee for domestic students. He had chances of getting a scholarship but he needs to be a resident in order to apply by early next year. Im losing all hopes if this queue doesn't move at a faster pace. The WSWS also spoke with Angela (not her real name), who moved from South Africa three years ago with her two sons. Angela was recently made redundant from her job as a systems manager and she is looking for a new job. She submitted her residency application 14 months ago and has heard nothing since. When she applied, the INZ website said the longest waiting time was nine months. Angela told the WSWS: Ill do anything to stay in New Zealand, basically. The way things are going in South Africa, Id not like to go back [because of] the violence, and the pandemic is just starting. With 57 million people and extreme poverty situations, its going to prove disastrous. South Africa is the fifth-worst hit country, with 350,879 cases and nearly 5,000 confirmed deaths. To send people back to countries where there are no healthcare systems, they are exposed, its really like a death sentence, she said. What scares me most is that if I had to go back, my 15-year-old son would have to come with me. I wouldnt be able to look after him, I have nowhere to go. Especially with the pandemic, theres no way Id be able to secure a job. I keep saying to people, that would be the end of me. Ive made this move to New Zealand, quite frankly, not for myself but for the future of my kids. Angela said: A lot of migrants dont speak up. I know a couple of people working in dreadful circumstances and the employers arent nice to them. They keep quiet because of the fear of having to go back to their country. She said she understood the government had to take care of its citizens, but we can also be seen as future citizens... Dont look at us as migrants, look at us as human beings. Were all trying to plan our lives, but theres no assurance. All were asking for is to be treated fairly. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Chennai, July 20 : The Editor of Tamil political magazine Thuglak, S. Gurumurthy, on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) on the amount spent by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Charitable Trust (TNCCCT) on the objectives for which it was set up. In a series of tweets, Gurumurthy said the noble objectives of the trust are welfare of the poor based on the ideology of Ahimsa; education of public in the field of agriculture, commerce, industry, literature and arts; promoting village and cottage industries; development of Khadi to improve the economic condition of masses; welfare of Dalits, backward classes; scholarships for poor students and establishing industrial homes for the unemployed to train them for self-employment. "Will TNCC say what is the spending on these noble activities with properties with 1000s of crs on hand," Gurumurthy tweeted. "TNCC Trust: Why I am asking these questions is because the Sonia Family is not keen about the objects. The only object is to grab the trust assets like NH. That what why like in NH Sonia has appointed Motilal Vora as trustee. Why Vora who can't even travel to Chennai," Gurumurthy added. On Sunday, Gurumurthy had alleged that TNCC is not paying rent for its office, Sathyamurthy Bhavan, belonging to the TNCCCT. "Tomorrow I will come out with what are the noble objects of the trust and how the trust has done everything other than promoting the objects for which it was established," Gurumurthy said on Sunday. On Friday, Gurumurthy began his attack on the Congress by tweeting: "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?" On Saturday, he said TNCCCT trustees are appointed by Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, citing news reports of the party appointing Motilal Vora and C.R. Kesavan as trustees in 2015. Former state Congress chief S. Thirunavukkarasar on Sunday told IANS: "Gurumurthy has no proof for his allegations. The TNCCCT was created by late Congress leader and former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj to help the poor. What is Gurumurthy's interest in that? He wants to damage the image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi." Thirunavukkarasar said the TNCCCT renders financial assistance to the poor for studies and medical treatment, and to people during natural disasters. "The trust has also donated sizeable funds to several reputed organisations involved in helping the poor. The wedding hall is let out to people at a lower rent," Thirunavukkarasar added. On the issue of appointment of trustees, Thirunavukkarasar said: "The trustees are appointed by the TNCC Executive Committee. The Congress party's Tamil Nadu unit, the trust and the properties are part of the All India Congress Committee. There is nothing wrong in having a person from the central office as a trustee." TNCC President K.S. Alagiri had said: "TNCC Executive Committee nominated Motilal Vora and C.R. Kesavan as trustees of TNCC Charitable Trust as per the trust deed in 2015. I strongly condemn the allegations which are malafide and politically motivated." As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ A wildfire in southern Utah has forced evacuations in two towns and spread over 3,000 acres the region's fourth wildfire in a week. Two towns, Leeds and Harrisburg, were evacuated Sunday, shortly after the Cottonwood Trail Fire started along Interstate 15. A blown tire along the highway caused the blaze, Utah Fire Info said. A portion of the interstate was closed early Sunday evening. After a couple of hours, the fire reached 3,000 acres and was growing. Winds of 15-20 mph pushed the flames, which was threatening structures. Thirty engines, three large air tankers and four helicopters from multiple agencies responded to assist in suppressing the fire, according to Utah Fire Info. The agency first reported the fire at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time The Cottonwood Fire burns Sunday in southern Utah. Each of the four fires in Southern Utah over the past week has spread over at least 1,000 acres. The Turkey Farm Road, West Veyo and Big Summit fires burned through red-flag level heat and windy conditions last week as hundreds of firefighters battled blazes between St. George and Cedar City. The Turkey Farm Road Fire burning north of St. George was held at 11,993 acres as of Friday. The Veyo West Fire had spread to 2,618 acres as of Thursday and forced residents to evacuate their homes. The Big Summit fire grew over 5,000 acres, forcing Iron County to evacuate 20 homes. Follow Chris Kwiecinski on Twitter: @OchoK_ This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah fire: Cottonwood Trail Fire forces Leeds, Harrisburg evacuation As masks become the new normal amid a rising graph of coronavirus cases, customised and fashion masks are finding a new place in the market. Following the trend of gold masks, another goldsmith in Coimbatore has been making masks with golden and silver threads to create awareness among people. Speaking to ANI, Radhakrishnan Sundaram Acharya said, "Im aware that a common man cannot afford to wear these masks, but rich people can use them for royal weddings. So far, I have received nine orders, most of which are from north India." Using 0.06 millimeters thin gold and silver threads, Acharya said it takes seven days to complete one mask. ALSO READ: Pune Man Gets Gold Mask for Rs 2.89 Lakhs, Leaves Internet Wondering About His 'Common Sense' The masks, which are made of 18-carat gold cost Rs 2.75 lakhs and silver masks cost Rs 15,000. Tamil Nadu: Radhakrishnan Sundaram Acharya, a goldsmith from Coimbatore has designed masks using gold & silver strings. He says,"the gold mask has been made using 18-carat gold which costs Rs 2.75 lakhs& the silver mask costs Rs 15,000. Around 9 orders have been confirmed so far" pic.twitter.com/HJDIBrfDTd ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2020 However, this style of the mask didn't seem to settle well with netizens, leaving many of them baffled and question the effectiveness of the mask. You know what ?? No one wears these masks..jewellary shops know that no one will buy ..They are simply making these designs For publicity , after few days they will dissolve all the gold and make another ornament !! Sab kuch gol maal hai bhai Professor (@jaggu_infy) July 19, 2020 There are people starving on the streets.... pic.twitter.com/2yDNb6krTC Twenty-Fifth Shashank (@iamnots8n) July 19, 2020 Agar Corona hua toh isi ko bechkar treatment kara sakte hai.. Hemant Kothari (@HemantKothari3) July 19, 2020 Gold is commonly used.... But commonsense is rare... Kuldeep (@Kul_deep0808) July 19, 2020 I seriously want to know who out there is purchasing these masks XOXO (@SINGHUDIT07) July 19, 2020 Few days back, a resident of Cuttack, reached out to a Zhaveri Bazaar jeweler in Mumbai and made himself a gold N-95 mask. Hundreds of health care workers began a planned five-day strike Monday at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to protest what union officials said were an inadequate supply of protective gear, benefit cuts and unsafe staffing levels. The walkout at Santa Rosa Memorial comes amid a surge of coronavirus cases around the region, state and nation that has retriggered concerns over hospital capacity, supplies of personal protective equipment and staff exhaustion. Across California, 107 health care workers have died from COVID-19 and nearly 20,000 have tested positive as of Sunday, according to state data. Protests abound: Workers at Stanford Health Care demonstrated on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, nurses at Kaiser Permanente and HCA hospitals in San Jose plan to air concerns about virus testing for frontline workers to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Last week, workers protested at HCA Good Samaritan in San Jose. The pandemic is squeezing hospitals financially. In California, hospital revenue has fallen more than a third since the beginning of the pandemic, and the losses have forced health care workers to take pay cuts or even furloughs to compensate in some cases. Its an issue everywhere in the U.S. Right at the same moment that workers are facing greater risk, they are being asked to take cuts. Its not surprising that you would see a pretty big reaction, said Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at UC Berkeley. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, a branch of hospital chain Providence St. Josephs Health, is the trauma center for Sonoma County. Like everywhere else in the Bay Area, the countys new case counts have risen over the past month. Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in Sonoma County were in the single digits just a month ago, but now stand at 36. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents hundreds of nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and medical technicians at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, alleges that the hospitals management has put staff at risk during the coronavirus pandemic by failing to maintain proper staffing and provide sufficient personal protective equipment. Hospital representatives described the decision to strike while the pandemic is surging as deeply disappoint(ing). The union has made clear in communications to our caregivers that this is not a strike about personal protective equipment (PPE) or workplace safety. Instead, this is an ordinary dispute over the terms of our labor contract. It is unfortunate and unfounded that the union is using COVID-19 as a platform for its negotiating tactics. We never deny a caregiver PPE, the representatives said in a statement. Tyler Hedden, chief executive officer of Providence St. Josephs Health, said Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital has contracted with replacement caregivers for the five-day strike period to ensure uninterrupted care. Union representatives also claimed that the hospital plans to increase health care costs for workers, including more than doubling annual premiums for the workers most popular family plan. Union members have gone without a contract for more than a year, and the workers representatives also said that the hospital plans to rescind one-third of a planned wage increase in retaliation for the strike. Obviously, there are large costs associated with going through a strike, and it is unfortunate that the union decided to do this during a pandemic, Hedden said. The 2% (proposed wage increase) is now on the table it is an increase that substantially could have been more had the union not decided to strike, he added. Ramin Rahimian / Special to The Chronicle Taylor Davison, an emergency room staffer at Santa Rosa Memorial on the picket line Monday, said by telephone that the emergency room has been understaffed for months and workers at the hospital are constantly putting ourselves at risk. Hedden disagreed. It is false, he said about Davisons claim that the emergency room has been understaffed. Davison, a single mother with an 18-year-old son, is especially worried by the hospital managements proposal to increase health care premium costs. My benefits cost would almost triple, she said, adding that while those changes might not matter to administrators, it matters to me. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes While Hedden could not speak to Davisons specific situation, he said that the health care benefit options include affordable and effective plans. Saying it wanted to avoid protracted contract negotiations after the coronavirus pandemic began, the NUHW reached one-year agreements with 3% raises for workers at a number of health care institutions to cover the course of the pandemic, according to Sal Rosselli, the union president. St. Josephs Health is the only institution that refused this contract plan, Rosselli said. It doesnt make sense to negotiate a contract only to renegotiate a year later, Hedden said in response. The mayors of Sonoma and Petaluma and several Sonoma County supervisors issued letters of support for the walkout. It is unconscionable to demand cuts from frontline healthcare workers in the midst of a global pandemic, Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey said in a letter to Hedden. Demanding cuts to employee benefits after reporting more than $200 million in operating profits over the last three years at Santa Rosa Memorial is an unacceptable affront to your workforce. Hedden said that Harvey and the Sonoma county government have not contacted St. Josephs Health about their concerns. I want to get back to the table again and get this behind us. We are going to still move forward, Hedden said. In another Monday demonstration, at Stanford Health Care, workers protested furloughs that they say forced employees to use up their paid vacation time if they wanted to avoid losing income. The protestors say that workers are now unable to take paid vacations when they need them most to deal with the stress of their work during the pandemic. Through our Temporary Workforce Adjustment program, we were able to keep everyone employed and our staff at full wages with benefits intact, and provide options to maintain their earnings, Julie Greicius, a spokesperson for Stanford Health Care, said in an email. Anna Kramer is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: anna.kramer@sfchronicle.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) A Philippine-registered cargo vessel caught fire at the vicinity of Maricaban Island in Batangas early Monday morning. The incident occurred at 4:53 a.m. involving M/V Moreta Venture, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Officers and crew onboard are all safe and accounted for, PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said. "Upon arrival at the incident area, PCG personnel ensured that all officers and crew onboard were safe and accounted for before combating fire onboard," he said. Responding patrol vessel BRP Boracay (FPB 2401) rendered assistance after receiving a distress call from the PCG Command Center. A PCG helicopter was also deployed to check the incident. Commodore Leovigildo Panopio of the PCG District - Southern Tagalog said no casualty was reported. Fire was declared out at around 8:00 a.m. "Said cargo vessel, which is now dead on the water and drifting, will be towed to the nearest port for safety," Balilo said. The PCG is already coordinating with the nearest tugboat in the vicinity waters for assistance. SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: Except for essential and emergency services, all the offices inside the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-Shar) will remain shut as fresh cases of COVID-19 emerged. Another employee of the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) and a securityman attached to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the high security facility, tested positive on Monday. Previously, five cases were reported from Shar housing colonies of which two were SPROB technicians, one hospital staff and two family members of the infected. The sudden spurt in cases has forced the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to lock down Sriharikota and operate with minimum essential staff. Official sources told The New Indian Express that a decision to this effect was taken by the SDSC Shar director in consultation with the headquarters in Bengaluru. Construction work had commenced from April last week with workers residing in Sriharikota and labour camps allowed to take part. Now, with the COVID-19 scare looming large, all the work has come to a standstill until further orders, sources said. A Dhanalakshmamma, Senior Administrative Officer, said in a circular on working modalities, "SDSC Shar will only function with minimum essential/skeletal staff with immediate effect and until further orders, to avoid further transmissions and enable to complete the contact tracing of primary and secondary contacts of the detected COVID-19 cases. The entity chiefs in consultation with the Director, SDSC Shar will decide the essential/critical activities of respective entities and accordingly staff may be deployed for attending the duties. All the employees except essential services shall work from home and should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times and shall attend duties on requirement." Meanwhile, in a separate message, the deputy director of Liquid Propellant Storage and Servicing Facilities (LSSF) has requested employees to work from home until further instructions. Running in the Aug. 4, 2020, primary for 60th District judge in Muskegon County are, from left to right, Marc Curtis, Matthew Kacel, Jason D. Kolkema and Paula Baker Mathes. The top two vote-getters will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Four candidates are running in the August primary for the opportunity to be Muskegon Countys newest district court judge. The top two vote-getters in the Aug. 4 primary will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. Candidates are seeking to replace long-time 60th District Judge Harold F. Closz III, who is not seeking re-election after more than 17 years on the bench. The race is non-partisan. Court terms are for six years. District court judges oversee civil suits $25,000 and under, adult criminal misdemeanor cases punishable by up to one year in jail, civil infractions and traffic violations, landlord/tenant disputes, small claims and land contract forfeitures. They also handle felony arraignments and preliminary examinations to determine if theres enough evidence for trial in circuit court. Muskegon County District Judge Maria Ladas Hoopes seat on the bench also is open, and she is the only registered candidate for that position. This year, MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues. Information on all state and federal races and many of Michigans county and local races will be available at Vote411.org, an online voter guide created by the League of Women Voters. Here is background information the candidates provided about themselves: --Marc Curtis is a criminal and family law attorney and staff attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police. He has degrees from Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. His qualifications and experience include U.S. Army combat veteran, military police K-9 handler, former senior assistant prosecutor, law clerk for former state Attorney General Frank Kelly and private practice attorney for eight years. --Matthew Kacel is an attorney and president of Kacel & Associates. He has a bachelors degree in public administration and public policy and a law degree from Michigan State University. His qualifications and experience include being a small businessman/solo practitioner attorney for more than 10 years with appearances in 18 Michigan counties, including daily appearances in Muskegon County courtrooms, and the U.S. District Court for Western Michigan. He is a volunteer for Muskegon Catholic Central and St. Francis de Sales, a former clerk for former 55th District Judge Thomas Boyd in Ingham County, former clerk for the Michigan Tax Tribunal and former clerk at Legal Aid of South Central Michigan. --Jason D. Kolkema has been a general practice attorney for Kolkema Law PLC the last 6 years and previously was a municipal defense attorney from 1999-2012 and a general practice attorney for David T. Bowen PC from 1996-99. He is a 1989 graduate of Fruitport High School and has a bachelors degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy. --Paula Baker Mathes is an attorney/public defender and has spent 26 years as a practicing lawyer, including as a prosecuting attorney, defense attorney and private practitioner. She is active in community organizations and has a bachelors degree from Tulane University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. The candidates submitted responses to questions posed by the League of Women Voters, which are included in its online voter guide. All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for a necessary cut if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. Heres a look at how the candidates responded to questions on some key issues: What in your education and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this position? Curtis: I have spent my career working to assure that the rights of individuals are protected. I am veteran of the U.S. Army where I was deployed to Iraq as a Military Police Officer. Once returning from Iraq, I was certified as a Military K-9 handler. Upon leaving the Army, I attended Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. During the time at law school, I law clerked for Michigan Attorney General Emeritus, Frank J. Kelly. After graduating from law school, I began working at the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office where I earned the title of Senior Assistant Prosecutor. I left the Prosecutor's Office and continued a career as a private attorney specializing in criminal law. Also, I am currently the Executive Trustee at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #99. This experience, as a combat veteran, former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney provides me with a unique set of skills that allows me to apply an unbiased view towards all citizens of Muskegon County. Kacel: Most of my legal career has been spent as a successful solo practitioner and small business owner. I have been practicing in Muskegon for over a decade. Running a successful small business is a grueling task that takes dedication beyond the normal forty-hour work week. It requires grit, drive, and, most importantly, making the client the number one priority. I intend to bring this "workhorse" mentality to the Muskegon County District Court and intend to make the court system work for the People of this great county. The next district court judge should be able to handle the busy and diverse caseload of the District Court. I am the only candidate who appears in the district court on a daily basis. I have an extremely busy private practice and am accustomed to a busy schedule. As an experienced trial lawyer, the practices of the district court, the procedural rules, and rules of evidence are second nature to me. My experience will enable me to become an effective judge on day one. Kolkema: I am the only candidate with substantial experience in civil litigation, as well as criminal cases. This is important because judges often come up through the ranks of the criminal side of the law as former prosecutors and/or public defenders who lack experience on the civil end. However, a substantial part of the district court docket pertains to civil cases. I am the only candidate who has conducted jury trials in the federal courts and who has argued cases before the Michigan Court of Appeals and Sixth Circuit. I am most likely the only candidate who has tried a landlord-tenant case. In addition, as a former special education hearing officer receiving appointments from the Michigan Department of Education, I am the only candidate with prior judicial experience. Finally, as the only candidate who was born and raised in Muskegon, I am most familiar with the history, culture, common values, and standards of the People. Mathes: After graduating from Tulane University (1990) and Thomas M. Cooley Law School (WMU) with honors (1993), I began my career helping low income victims of domestic violence. Since then Ive held positions as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and private practitioner. Having sat on both sides of the courtroom helping victims or my clients navigate the legal system, I know how important and critical the decisions of the District Court Judge are to all of the individuals involved. I am also a member of community organizations such as Womens Division of the Chamber of Commerce, a PTO President, a former school board member, and an active volunteer. As a result, I am aware of the impact judicial decisions can have on our community. What are your goals should you be elected and how will you work to accomplish them? Curtis: District Court serves as the first point of contact with the criminal justice system for most defendants. My experience gives me the necessary skill-set to find creative, compassionate, and appropriate outcomes for victims, defendants and the community. I believe that everyone makes mistakes in their lives. The question is what we do after we make that mistake? As Judge, I will work to help the individuals that appear before me learn from that mistake. I will partner with local community and business leaders to find mentors for first time offenders and use the current alternative treatment courts already in place, such as the mental health court, sobriety court and veterans court. I want to assure that every individual that appears before the Court feels as if they have been heard and respected. The District Court does not belong to the judge, it belongs to the people. Kacel: If elected as district court judge, my client will be the people of Muskegon County. The PEOPLE pay the operating costs of the courthouse and pay the salaries of its employees, including the salary of a district court judge. If elected, I intend to do everything within my power to make the courthouse operate as efficiently and cost-effective as possible, exactly like a successful business that must do the same to remain open. I will be there to serve YOU. To listen to your concerns, thoughts, and ideas and to make changes where necessary. My court will be a working court that will tirelessly ensure the efficient resolution of all matters before it. I also intend to be approachable and fair. Most people that appear in district court have never been there and are intimidated by the legal process. Many are dealing with life-altering issues. It is important they encounter a judge who treats them with patience and respect. If elected, I will ensure that this occurs in my courtroom. Kolkema: District court is the "People's Court." This is the court in which the largest percentage of society will have some contact. This court handles: traffic tickets, small claims actions, misdemeanors, felonies (arraignments and preliminary examinations), general civil cases (under $25,000.00 in value/dispute), garnishments, landlord-tenant proceedings, and land contract forfeiture cases. My goals are to make the court an inviting place. I intend to be kind and courteous to everyone: plaintiffs, defendants, prosecutors, defense lawyers, court staff, observers, and anyone else who has contact with the court. Court should not be intimidating, and I will strive to make it a professional and congenial place for our citizens to get justice. I also intend to work with the other judges, court staff and the County as a whole to make the process more efficient, and to develop and build on the successes of the sobriety court and other specialty courts. Mathes: I plan to expand our specialty courts as our resources allow. I was a member of the Sobriety Court Team for many years and currently have clients in the Recovery Court Program in Muskegon County. I have seen first-hand how these specialty courts have positively impacted our community. I regularly see the impact of the opioid epidemic in our community and believe that expanding those programs will help our community. What have you achieved in your court that brings you the most pride? Curtis: As I am not currently on the bench, I will talk about what I believe is the best part of District Court. When I started as a prosecuting attorney, I was the only combat veteran in the office. Having served in a war zone, I knew the difficulties that military members faced in returning to civilian life. After 9/11 this became even more prevalent. There was not a specialty court at that time for veterans. The Muskegon County criminal justice system was not well versed in the services that the Veteran's Administration offered. I would work with attorneys that had veteran clients to find alternative treatments that specializes in addressing PTSD and alcohol issues due to being in combat. When Hon. Mike Nolan worked to establish the Veteran's Alternative Court in District Court, it was one that was desperately needed. I am encouraged by the success of this program for our veteran community. Kacel: For over a decade, I have been representing clients in the areas of custody, divorce, guardianship, and criminal defense, among other areas of law. Above all, I think that I take the most pride in achieving the respect and trust of all of the judges of the Muskegon District, Circuit, and Probate Courts. I appear in front of most, if not all, of the judges in Muskegon County on a nearly daily basis. I have developed close relationships with those judges by being honest and upfront with them and by always being prepared and knowledgeable about the law and facts related to my client's. I have represented my client's interests with passion and enthusiasm. Because of this, I have gained a mutual respect with the judges in Muskegon County. I am extremely proud of that. Kolkema: I am particularly proud of my pro bono record and work on several issues of public importance over the course of my almost 24 years as an attorney. My first significant pro bono case was McLaughlin v Holt Public Schools, 133 F.Supp.2d 994 (W.D.Mich. 2001). In that case, the issue was whether a child with Down Syndrome had a right to attend kindergarten at her neighborhood school across the street as opposed to being bussed some 4 miles away to another building within the school district. After losing at the administrative level, the case was tried in federal court which resulted in a judgment in favor of the disabled student. Although that judgment was reversed on appeal, my client was permitted to remain at her neighborhood school during the pendency of the appeal and the issues related to the kindergarten school year were essentially rendered moot by the time of that decision. Mathes: Currently I work in the Muskegon County Public Defenders Office which has adopted a holistic approach to criminal defense. We have a social work staff that assists the attorneys and clients with creating a holistic plan to prevent the clients from returning to the criminal justice system. When I see a client successfully complete such a plan, I am so proud of that clients accomplishment. Although the hard work was done by the client, I am proud of how I was able to help them achieve success. What factors do you bring to bear in deciding a case? Curtis: District Court judges are presented with all different types of cases that must be decided, such as criminal, landlord/tenant, small claims, and general civil. In all these instances, the most important factor that must be decided is the truth. A judge's job is to listen to all the parties, all the evidence and arguments, and make a decision based on the evidence before it. In order to do this, a judge must apply the law to the facts presented and determine the truth of the matter. Kacel: The first factor is a complete understanding of the law and how it has been applied to a similar case is paramount. A judge must always have a complete understanding of all relevant statutes and case law before deciding a case. The second factor is a in-depth understanding of the facts of a case. This comes through listening attentively and patiently to the litigants and witnesses. It also comes from asking educated questions based on the knowledge of what facts are relevant to the applicable law. The third factor is weighing the credibility of the witnesses that testified and the evidence that was introduced. This analysis must be free of bias despite how I may feel about particular case or issue. Finally, the decision of the Court must be announced to the litigants along with a clear and concise statement of the facts and law that supports that conclusion. Kolkema: I bring compassion and dignity to the office. I learned early on how to deal with conflict and the art of compromise. I grew up in a family with six other brothers and sisters. My mom is one of nine siblings. With such a large family tree, we learned that we had to care for and treat each other fairly and we also learned how to routinely compromise with one another. In my 24 years of being a lawyer, I have learned that every person, connected to every case, has their own set of issues and their own agenda. First, as we deal with the daily routine of the court, we should try to be kind to one another. Second, we should always stand up for what is right. Third, we should always hear each other out, even if we disagree. Finally, it is okay to disagree, but as a judge we must follow the law, and that is what I intend to do. I will follow the law and be fair in my application of the law based on the facts that are presented to me. Mathes: I have a lot of experience listening to people in court and in the community. I will listen to all of the witnesses and decide a case fairly and impartially based on the law and facts as presented. What are the priority issues facing this court, and how would you address them if elected? Curtis: The priority facing the District Court is assuring that every citizen that appears before the Court feels as if they were treated with respect. The way that this can be accomplished as Judge is to listen to the person, give them the time they need to speak, show them respect. District Court is a busy place. Judges deal with everything from tickets to felony preliminary examination. A judge must remember that the Court belongs to the people of Muskegon County. I will assure that when people appear before me that they are shown respect and are allowed to present their case according to the laws and court rules of our State. Kacel: I think the most important priority of the Muskegon District Court is the efficient resolution of all matters, criminal and civil, that come before it. The 60th District Court is the busiest court in Muskegon County. As such, the next District Court Judge needs to utilize all available time to make sure that these matters are handled in a punctual manner. It is important that the next District Court Judge have a recognition that his "client" is the People of Muskegon County and that he/she needs to work tirelessly for them. If elected, I will be that Judge. I will make sure that I am the first judge in the building and the last judge to leave. I will start hearings on time and make sure that every scheduled matter is heard. If I can resolve a case by staying late, then that is what I will do. I will work for YOU. Kolkema: The primary issue affecting the district court relates to the inefficiencies in balancing a crowded court docket with the due process rights of those appearing before the judge. Along with the encouragement of diversion programs, specialty courts and other case resolution methods, I believe that efficiency can be accomplished through the use of technology. At the present time, Muskegon County (unlike Ottawa County and others) still does not have a true electronic filing system. As an attorney, it is frustrating that members of the bar and community do not have a method for viewing prior court documents from their computers. After all, we can pay our taxes online, order anything we want online, and even book vacations online. . . so why can we not simply have a system that allows the attorneys and others the ability to simply see the history of a case online? I will work with others to do everything I can to make sure that Muskegon County is moving into the 21st Century. Mathes: Handling cases during the COVID19 quarantine has resulted in delayed trials causing a backlog to the courts docket. I would collaborate with all the stakeholders to efficiently remove the backlog. Statistics show that 30% of Michigan jail inmates are there for minor traffic offenses/fines. I would examine the bond system to determine why we are jailing individuals for minor traffic offenses other than drunk driving offenses. What is your general judicial philosophy? Curtis: It is the duty of a judge to interpret and apply the law, not to legislate from the bench. I believe the Court is that of the people. Judges are there to assure that all litigants, victims, defendants, and the community are heard. I believe that everyone makes mistakes in their lives. The question is, does the person learn from that mistake and become a productive member of society or continue to commit crimes. Every person that appears before the Court is to be judged on their individual merits. Judges are here to apply the law evenly and without prejudice. Kacel: I believe that a Judge must follow the law, above all. This is true despite his/her beliefs or feelings on a particular case or issue. A Judge must apply the law and must not try to modify it by ignoring some parts and not others. I believe that a Judge should also be compassionate, humble, and have a patient demeanor. Many of the people that appear before the Court are going through the worst time in their life. A Judge has the unique position of having the ability to be a significant positive impact on a persons life, whether or not he/she decides a case for or against a litigant. Finally, a Judge must uphold the integrity of the judiciary and treat every person the same no matter who they are. Kolkema: In terms of judicial philosophy, I would say that I follow the law. As a judge I will listen to the facts, determine which law applies, and then I will apply the facts to the law. Judges are not allowed to ignore the law, and I will follow the law. Judges are not allowed to make new lawsthat is for the legislature. Whether the case before me is a criminal or civil matter, all legal decisions made will be based upon precedent, which involves looking to the decisions of prior similar cases and using those decisions as a guide to decide a current case. Moreover, in our adversarial context, judges primarily rely upon the arguments made by the parties appearing before them or their attorneys and should not go out of their way to bring about a certain result. The implementation of any judicial philosophy should be about fairness and having a consistent method of treating people in otherwise different categories the same. Mathes: My judicial philosophy is fidelity to the law. The task of the judge is not to make law but to apply law fairly and impartially. Also on MLive: Heres whats on the ballot in Muskegon Countys Aug. 4 primary election Muskegon County Sheriff faces challenger in Democratic primary Two Republicans vying for 92nd House seat in Muskegon County Muskegon County drain commissioner faces challenger in Democratic primary Norton Shores Muskegon County commissioner faces primary challenger Republican primary to decide commissioner for northeastern Muskegon County Two millage requests on Muskegon Township ballot in August 10-year Muskegon County board veteran faces primary challenger Voters to choose new clerk for Muskegon Township Whitehall voters to decide millage for White Lake library Former Muskegon County board chair seeks to retake seat in Democratic primary A view from Clwyd Souths Member of the Senedd This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 20th, 2020 Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes The Welsh Governments unique Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) has already supported more than 9,000 businesses in Wales, helping protect around 75,000 jobs. The fund has seen 150m worth of crucial grants provided to businesses to help them deal with the impacts of coronavirus. Almost 138m has supported micro-businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) already, with more funding arriving by the day. Coronavirus has placed unprecedented pressures on the business community, and the Welsh Government has done everything in its power to provide practical and financial support. We established the ERF to plug the gaps left in UK Government support and I am pleased the fund is supporting so many firms that could have been left behind. The ERF is part of the Welsh Governments 1.7bn package of support for business, which is the most generous and comprehensive offer of help anywhere in the UK. This also includes more than 65,000 awards worth 750m of business rate relief to help firms respond to the challenges of the pandemic. Playgrounds, community centres and outdoor gyms will reopen across Wales today. This is the second round of a three-week package of measures to re-open large parts of Wales tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors, which was announced as part of the latest 21-day review of the coronavirus regulations earlier this month. You can read the Chief Medical Officers latest advice here https://gov.wales/cmo-advice-indoor-gyms-indoor-and-outdoor-playgrounds-and-funfairs and for frequently asked questions about coronavirus regulations you can visit https://gov.wales/coronavirus-regulations-guidance The Welsh Government also announced last week that driving lessons will resume in Wales next Monday (July 27), with theory tests starting again on August 3 and practical tests from August 17. A number of constituents have contacted me on this issue, so Im pleased we have now confirmed dates, so Im pleased we have been able to offer this clarity for learners. The Welsh Labour Government recently set out a tax holiday for homebuyers in Wales. People buying main homes costing less than 250,000 will not pay any tax under temporary measures announced by the Finance Minister aimed at helping the housing market and homebuyers. The starting threshold for Land Transaction Tax will increase from 180,000 to 250,000 when this new measure is introduced next Monday, July 27. This is a tax reduction that will last until March 31. This move will further reduce the tax burden in Wales, with around 80% of homebuyers liable for the main rate of Land Transaction Tax not paying anything. The reduction will not apply to purchases on additional properties such as buy-to-let and second homes, and the savings made by adopting these temporary rates in Wales will release 30m in new funding to support the construction of new, energy efficient social housing. This will also create much-needed jobs. Investing in social housing will provide a direct economic stimulus to the construction sector, creating and sustaining jobs rather than fuelling house price rises. Locally, the campaign for a new health centre in Cefn Mawr continues. Cllr Derek Wright and I have met with the health board numerous times to push for this new facility and we have made the strongest case possible. Before the coronavirus outbreak, the pros and cons of a number of possible sites were being weighed up and further, more detailed, investigations and survey work were due to be undertaken. Understandably, everything has been turned upside down in the last few months. There has been a lot of discussion and a lot of hard work on this, and like everyone in the area Derek and I hoped there would be spades in the ground by now. But we have been making real progress and I look forward to hearing the health boards plans whenever we can this back on the agenda. If you need advice or support, please email ken.skates@senedd.wales and include your full home address and contact number. You can find useful information about coronavirus support on my website www.kenskates.co.uk and regular updates on my Facebook page @KenSkatesMS. To stay up to date with Welsh Government coronavirus news and my work in Clwyd South, you can also subscribe to my e-newsletters either through my website or by emailing me. Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). The subsequent escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was organized and mainly provoked by Ankara, not Baku. This is what leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan told reporters today. According to him, Turkey has far-reaching plans in the region. In the 21st century, they set forth a major plan that they intend to implement at any price. Turkey wants to consolidate Turkic-speaking nations around the world because consolidation will help Turkey become a geopolitical factor. Turkey has started implementing this policy. It is showing its force in all possible ways and in the obscenest ways. The country closed its doors for Europe after converting the Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque. This is clearly obscene. Turkey is trying to invade Libya and has already seized Afrin, and nobody can stop it. Who is the Armenian authorities relying on? Sargsyan said. It will take time for authorities to determine whether the recent death of a woman outside a slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ont., was an accident or homicide. We dont need to wait for the outcome, however, to know why the animal welfare protester died and what must change to prevent future harm not only to activists, but also to consumers and businesses. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion It will take time for authorities to determine whether the recent death of a woman outside a slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ont., was an accident or homicide. We dont need to wait for the outcome, however, to know why the animal welfare protester died and what must change to prevent future harm not only to activists, but also to consumers and businesses. The events that led to Regan Russells death were set in motion last month in the Ontario legislature, when lawmakers passed a sweeping "ag-gag" law that prevents journalists and other investigators from entering animal agriculture facilities to expose illegal activities such as animal cruelty, employee mistreatment or health and safety violations. Days later, Russell was protesting this same law on public property when she was struck and killed in what seems a cruel twist of fate by the driver of a truck transporting pigs. Canadians prefer openness Canadians certainly have an interest in ensuring activities that take place on farms, on transport trucks and in slaughterhouses adhere to our laws and to our sense of decency. Opinions are strikingly aligned on the matter. In a June 2020 survey of more than 1,000 Ontario residents, 84 per cent said they believe conditions in meat-processing plants should be transparent to the public. Similar numbers said whistleblowers should be able to expose problems on farms and in food-production facilities related to working conditions, animal abuse and food safety. But when the newly enacted ag-gag law, Bill 156, comes into force, it will ensure the opposite. Just like a similar law introduced in Alberta last year, Ontarios new legislation will prevent whistle-blowing employees from collecting the type of video evidence that in the past has led to the prosecution and conviction of lawbreakers across Canada, including agricultural workers abusing animals. This law will also interfere with workers rights advocates and journalists who seek to uncover evidence that employees are being mistreated, which these days could prevent authorities from being made aware of cases in which slaughterhouse workers, who already face a high risk of COVID-19 infection, may be forced to work without adequate personal protective equipment. Likewise, this law could prevent employees from exposing information that would help public health authorities pinpoint the origin of pathogens that cause avian flu, swine flu and other infectious diseases that are known to arise in animal confinement facilities. Additionally, this law will prevent people like Russell from exercising their legal rights to peacefully protest on public property, a right protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In her decades of social activism, Russell had exercised that right by advocating for a wide range of social causes and was especially vocal in her opposition to the mistreatment of animals raised as food. Consumers, businesses look to future Because many people share Russells concerns about animal welfare, and also worry about the large environmental footprint and health risks associated with eating meat, demand for plant-based products has rapidly increased in recent years. Many food-production firms are shifting away from animal-based products, diminishing the purported role for ag-gag laws. The CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, projected in 2018 that the tastes of consumers would continue drifting away from meat, signalling his companys intention to continue satisfying those tastes by producing more plant-based proteins. "We view ourselves as a protein company," he stated. The following year, he announced plans to build a $310 million plant-protein food processing facility. Maple Leaf Foods is not alone in evolving away from animal agriculture. Some of the largest meat-production companies in the world, including colossal Tyson Foods, have introduced plant-based products to their menus of offerings. One of the hottest new stocks of 2019 was the vegan food-production company Beyond Meat. And the newest plant-based meat company to go public, Canadian firm The Very Good Food Company, saw its share price surge above its initial value in its early days of trading last month. The federal government stands ready to encourage businesses to adapt to consumers preferences. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced about $100 million in funding for a Winnipeg facility that "will be a world leader in plant-based proteins, and will create good jobs in a fast-growing field." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This adds to Canadas Protein Industries Supercluster, an ambitious federal program that aims to add more than $4.5 billion and 4,500 jobs to the Canadian economy over 10 years by supporting crops used in the plant-based foods market. Its notable that a key intention of the protein supercluster is to improve transparency on Canadian farms, something Ontarios Bill 156 directly erodes. Backward-looking policies have no place in our country. Canadian businesses cannot compete on the world stage if consumers do not trust the safety of their products. But the opacity enshrined in ag-gag laws destroys consumer confidence by its very nature, to the detriment of Canadian companies, their employees and their customers. It will also hide the cruel treatment of animals and workers, which the factory farming industry would do well to eradicate. Regan Russell died trying to spread that message. I, for one, received it. The ag-gag law must be repealed. Lisa Kramer is a professor of finance at the University of Toronto. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 00:24:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that the French Bureau of Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety would start decoding the flight recorders of the Ukrainian passenger airplane downed near Tehran. "Our experts from the National Bureau of Air Crash Investigation are also involved in decrypting the boxes. The process will begin with agreeing on the method of getting information from the boxes, after which the experts will move on to the practical part of the work. The work can be completed quite quickly, but it all depends on the boxes' technical condition," wrote Zelensky on his official Facebook page on Monday. The president also underlined that he is confident that the French Bureau of Investigation and Analysis's reputation, as well as the participation of the best Canadian, American, and Ukrainian experts, will ensure the maximum level of international recognition of the received information. Zelensky stressed that the victims' relatives deserve to know the truth about the tragedy, and Iran should conduct a transparent and independent investigation under international standards. The Boeing-737, en route from Tehran to Kiev, was shot down by two rockets shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Jan. 8. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of all 167 passengers and nine crew members on board, who were citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom. Later, Iran's armed forces confirmed that an "unintentional" launch of a military missile by the country was the cause of the incident. According to local media, the black boxes arrived in France on Saturday, and are already in the laboratory. Enditem New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) Lashing out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the India-China border stand-off, the saffron party said that as usual, the former AICC president was weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. In a series of tweets, BJP national president JP Nadda said, 'We saw yet another (failed) edition of 'Project RG Relaunch' today. Rahul Gandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging.' He said the attempts to politicise Defence and Foreign Policy matters shows one dynasty's desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken the country. The BJP president also made a reference to donations received by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from the Chinese Embassy. 'Since the 1950's, China has made strategic investments in one dynasty that has given them rich dividends. Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing lot of land to China in the UPA years, MoU signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more,' Mr Nadda pointed out. He said in recent years, be it Doklam or the present, Mr Gandhi prefers briefings from the Chinese, instead of believing India's Armed forces. He asked 'Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China?' 'Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynastys shenanigans!,' quipped the BJP chief. He said for years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Sadly for them, PM Modi's connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them,' Mr Nadda pointed out. He went on to say that those who want to destroy him, will end up only further destroying their own party. In a press conference at the party headquarters here, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said whether it was the war of 1962, 1965 or 1971, there was no BJP then. The kind of cooperation and support that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh gave, was highly praised by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 'That was our character and your character is visible today,' Dr Trivedi insisted. More UNI RSA RJ 1800 New Delhi: Google had long been fighting with the Joker malware, which finds some way or the other to get into Android smartphones. The Joker seems to be back on Google, attacking Android smartphone users. Highlighted by Check Point, their researchers recently discovered a new variant of the Joker Dropper and Premium Dialer spyware in Google Play. Hiding in seemingly legitimate applications, we found that this updated version of Joker was able to download additional malware to the device, which subscribes the user to premium services without their knowledge or consent, the research said. What is the Joker Malware? The research said that Joker has been a type of malware for Android that has several time invaded Googles official application market. This is a result of small changes to its code, which enables it to get past the Play stores security and vetting barriers, it said. This time, however, the malicious actor behind Joker adopted an old technique from the conventional PC threat landscape and used it in the mobile app world to avoid detection by Google. To realize the ability of subscribing app users to premium services without their knowledge or consent, the Joker utilized two main components the Notification Listener service that is part of the original application, and a dynamic dex file loaded from the C&C server to perform the registration of the user to the services, the research said. Check Point further found that in an attempt to "minimize Jokers fingerprint, the actor behind it hid the dynamically loaded dex file from sight while still ensuring it is able to load a technique which is well-known to developers of malware for Windows PCs. This new variant now hides the malicious dex file inside the application as Base64 encoded strings, ready to be decoded and loaded". Check Point highlights the following 11 IOCs com.imagecompress.android com.contact.withme.texts com.hmvoice.friendsms com.relax.relaxation.androidsms com.cheery.message.sendsms com.cheery.message.sendsms com.peason.lovinglovemessage com.file.recovefiles com.LPlocker.lockapps com.remindme.alram com.training.memorygame It may be recalled that the search engine giant Google was recently learned to have struck down 25 apps for phishing on the Facebook login credentials of users. European Union (EU) states are facing a resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks provoked by the criminal and negligent policies of the ruling class. Back-to-work policies, the lifting of confinement measures, continued lack of protection for the most vulnerable sections of the working class and the drive to reopen countries to tourism are leading to a collapse of social distancing. A new contagion threatens to swamp health systems yet again. Fresh Covid-19 outbreaks have been detected throughout Europe. Sweden, Portugal and Bulgaria have some of the highest rates of new infections in the European Union, with an incidence rate of over 40 cases per 100,000 population according to data released on Saturday by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In the past two weeks, Sweden reported 6,642 new infections and 208 deaths. Since the beginning of the outbreak in March the country has recorded more than 77,280 cases and 5,619 fatalities. Sweden is infamous for openly embracing the herd immunity policythe same policy pursued by all governmentswhich means the abandonment of all efforts to stop the spread of the virus by allowing it to spread without constraint. In Portugal, the 14-day infection rate is now at 47.9 with nearly 5,300 new cases reported in that period. An additional 95 people have also lost their lives to the virus. Lisbons 700,000 residents have been in lockdown since July 1expected to last until late July. In France, the latest weekly bulletin from Sante Publique France has designated three departementsthe north-western departement of Mayenne and the overseas French territories of French Guinea and Mayotteat an elevated level of concern. In several other areas including the Paris region and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, local authorities say they are monitoring cases. The average daily death rate has gone up to 22.4, a significant rise from the previous two weeks which saw a 14.8 and 15.5 daily death rate respectively. The total number of deaths during the outbreak now stands at 30,138. In Belgium, the number of new infections per day continues to increase, with the daily average new cases reported for the week from 9 to 15 July rising above 200, to 207 from 124.7 new in the first seven days of July, an increase of 61 percent. Spain currently seems to be the epicentre of the resurgence of the virus in Europe, a month after the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government ended the state of alarm, eased lockdown restrictions to struggle against the Covid-19 virus and forced millions of non-essential workers back to work. France is now discussing closing its borders once again to the Iberian Peninsula. Spain was one of the hardest hit since the beginning of the year, with over 28,000 deaths recorded from COVID-19, although the National Institute of Statistics has stated that deaths overall in the country increased by 48,000 between March 2 and May 24, the weeks when the health crisis hit Spain the hardest. Spain has at least 158 active coronavirus outbreaks, involving 1,993 people. The north-eastern Catalonia region has again recorded a daily COVID-19 infection figure of around 1,000, the worst of the outbreaks. The regions department of health announced yesterday night that the latest 24-hour figures record another 944 cases, nearly 700 of them in the Barcelona metropolitan area. On Friday, the Catalan regional government announced last-minute new lock-down measures. Four million residents of the province of Barcelona have been urged to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. The Catalan government is banning gatherings of over 10 people and shutting cinemas, theatres and nightclubs, after the number of new cases tripled in a week. The rapid rise in cases throughout Europe is the result of criminal policies which lifted confinement measures early for the sake of profit. In China, the central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province, the epicentre of the initial detected outbreak, in an effort to quarantine the virus from January 23 January to April 8. That is, the lockdown in China lasted two months, two weeks and two days. In many European states full lockdowns lasted only a few weeks, if they were ever implemented. The concentration of EU governments was not protecting lives but protecting profits. To varying degrees, their initial response was to downplay the danger and keep businesses operating as usual. Once they were forced to due to mass anger and workers strikes, some governments implemented lockdowns, only to ease them as soon as the number of cases went down. Now, as European Union leaders discuss a 750 billion bailout plan as corporations shamelessly approve mass sackings, it is emerging that EU governments have not used this breathing spell to prepare for new outbreaks, even though they all predicted it would come. On Sunday, a study by El Pais said that Spain needs at least 12,000 contact-tracing officers, but instead only had 3,500. Helena Legido-Quigley, a health expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the daily we have been insisting for months that we need to contract more tracers. As anger mounts at the scale of the resurgence of the virus, the EU is working to limit the extent of localised lockdowns in order to continue extracting profits. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, UK Prime Minister Boris Jonson compared a nationwide shutdown to a nuclear deterrent, stating, I cant abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly dont want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again. He was contradicting the UKs chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, who warned that with winter coming, The challenges will be very much greater and of course there is a risk that this could also need national measures as well. In Germany, the states and the federal government reached an agreement on more targeted measures. This means public authorities will only implement limited lockdowns in targeted hotspots and localised travels bans, to limit the impact on profits. The meeting came after recent lockdowns imposed following an outbreak at a slaughterhouse in the Gutersloh district. The restrictions have since been lifted. On Thursday, Spains King Felipe VI presided over an empty official tribute to essential workers and to the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was promoted for weeks by the ruling class in an attempt to prop up the popularity of the Monarchy, embroiled in multiple corruption scandals, and to present the pandemic as over and Spain as open to business as usual, especially tourism. More than 400 peopleall the members of the government, each of Spains 17 regional premiers, and even NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyenattended the ceremony. The grotesque nature of the event has not only been exposed by the rise in cases in the past week, but also by protests and strikes of doctors, medical residents and other health care workers over low salaries and non-renewal of contracts in past weeks. Depressed and traumatised by their experience in the past months, they are now fearful of an insecure future: 36.3 percent of public health care workers not having a permanent contract. Regional governments have already started slashing health staff. Last week, over 4,600 doctors, nurses, and pharmacy personnel began an indefinite strike to protest against low salaries. Marching through the streets, they received the support of the population, who applauded them from the balconies. In the same week, the misnamed progressive Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government travelled to the EU summit to discuss corporate bailouts and billions of euros in EU austerity measures. Farmers are being encouraged to get behind next week's Farm Safety Week amid the Covid-19 crisis and the impact it has had on the industry. Taking place on Monday 20 July to 24, the annual initiative aims to reduce the number of accidents and incidents in the agricultural sector. Figures show that despite being the lowest on record, farming-related accidents still continues to account for a large share of the UK's annual fatality count. Of people killed within farming over the last year, 20 were agricultural workers and one was a member of the public a four-year-old child. Looking to improve farming's record, Farm Safety Week will highlight the positive moves being made in changing this poor safety record. It will look at how farmers are introducing new innovations in technology to help the industry farm safer. In particular, the week-long initiative will demonstrate the impacts Covid-19 has had on the industry and the support available to farmers. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is encouraging the farming community to embrace Farm Safety Week. CLA deputy president, Mark Tufnell said this year had been 'particularly challenging' for farmers. "However, over the past few months, farmers have been recognised as key workers that play an essential role in producing food for the country. Whilst other businesses ground to a halt, farming continued to face challenges brought on by Covid-19." The industry has faced a significant shortfall in seasonal workers to help pick fruit and vegetables during harvest as well as the varying weather conditions. Mr Tufnell added that it was in farmers' interest to take safety seriously: "Agriculture may have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK but there are signs that this is improving and we want to be part of this change." Organisers behind the campaign, Farm Safety Foundation, is working year round to educate, engage and communicate farm safety messages. Farm Safety Week is supported by the Health & Safety Executive, Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland. 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. && Prince Andrew was seen driving himself from The Royal Lodge at Windsor Great Park today, following reports from The Telegraph that Princess Beatrice isolated with the Duke and the family at their home in 'for some time' ahead of the wedding. Princess Beatrice tied the knot to Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise ceremony on Friday, releasing pictures alongside the Queen and Prince Philip on Saturday - but the shamed Duke of York was notably absent. Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, 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. The couple opted to have a small ceremony with roughly 20 people in line with social distancing guidelines, and in order to shield the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who are in the vulnerable category. Andrew is currently being called to help the FBI with their investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell - the girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who is suspected of procuring young women for him. Princess Beatrice tied the knot to Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise ceremony on Friday, releasing pictures alongside the Queen and Prince Philip on Saturday - but the shamed Duke of York was notably absent Prince Andrew was seen driving himself from The Royal Lodge at Windsor Great Park today, following reports from The Telegraph that Princess Beatrice isolated with the Duke and the family at their home 'for some time' ahead of the wedding And this weekend a source revealed that Beatrice had been isolating with her family 'for some time', in order for her father to be able to walk her down the asile - albeit in private. Andrew's six-month standoff with the FBI deepened after Maxwell was detained for allegedly helping to lure underage girls who were then sexually abused by Epstein. Her arrest in Bradford, New Hampshire, will now intensify calls for Andrew to be quizzed about any involvement he may have had, despite him denying wrongdoing. However, the royal put his troubles over the Epstein paedophilia scandal to one side so he could give the princess away in a remarkable private ceremony. Princess Beatrice isolated with Prince Andrew and her family (seen) at their home in Windsor Park's Great Lodge 'for some time', an insider has claimed Andrew, seen driving today, is currently being called to help the FBI with their investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell - the girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who is suspected of procuring young women for him Andrew's six-month standoff with the FBI deepened after Maxwell was detained for allegedly helping to lure underage girls who were then sexually abused by Epstein. Beatrice and Edo confirmed their happy news on Friday, but postponed sharing the photos until Saturday, so as not to overshadow Captain Tom Moore, who was knighted on Friday. The stunning photos show Beatrice and Edo posing standing in the flower-adorned arch of the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Notably Prince Andrew is not in the photos, with the Queen and Prince Philip standing at a suitable social distance from the happy couple in another photo. Beatrice opted for a a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen. Notably Prince Andrew is not in the photos, with the Queen and Prince Philip standing at a suitable social distance from the happy couple in another photo. The Queen looked resplendent in a turquoise suit dress and matching hat, wearing her beloved pearl necklace for the occasion. Princess Beatrice was given the ultimate honour for her low-key wedding day to Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday, right, stepping out in the same Mary Fringe tiara worn by the Queen (left) when she married Prince Philip in 1947 The stunning tiered wedding dress featuring a fitted bodice encrusted with a drop-pattern of jewels, and boasting retro, semi-sheer puff sleeves. The ivory gown featured bejewelled straps and a flattering bustier, running into a ruffled floor-length skirt, and the royal wore her hair styled into a layered side-parting. Beatrice's floor-length veil was notably attached to one of the Queen's favourite tiaras, made by fine jewellery house Garrard in 1919 from a necklace given to Mary as a wedding present, before it was given to the Queen Mother in 1936 and later loaned to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Anne for their wedding days. The dazzling tiara was designed to look like a fashionable Russian headdress with 47 diamond bars. Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank: All the details The Bride's dress and jewellery Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen. The dress is made from Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, trimmed with ivory Duchess satin, with organza sleeves. It is encrusted with diamante and has a geometric checkered bodice. It was remodelled and fitted by Miss Angela Kelly and Mr Stewart Parvin. Princess Beatrice wore the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen. The tiara was worn by The Queen on Her Majesty's wedding day. The tiara was originally made for Queen Mary by Garrard and Co. in 1919, from a diamond necklace given by Queen Victoria for her wedding. The Bride's bouquet Princess Beatrice carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink o'hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astible. In keeping with Royal tradition sprigs of myrtle were included in the bouquet. Thebouquet was made by Patrice Van Helden, co owner of RVH Floral Design. The couple would like to thank the gardening teams at The Savill Garden and Windsor Great Park. The Bride's bouquet has been placed on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. The Groom's outfit The Groom wore a morning suit. The Service The ceremony was officiated by The Reverend Canon Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal and The Reverend Canon Martin Poll, Domestic Chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen. In line with government guidelines, all social distancing measures were adhered to. The service included two of the couple's favourite poems, read by their Mothers, and a biblical reading. These were; Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare; 'I carry you in my heart' by E.E. Cummings; and St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 1-13. Prayers were said. In accordance with government guidelines, no hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The National Anthem was played but not sung. Guests The ceremony was attended by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, the couple's parents and siblings. The Bride was walked down the aisle by her Father. Mr. Mapelli Mozzi's son Wolfie was best man and pageboy. The Rings Princess Beatrice's ring was designed by Shaun Lane. Mr. Mapelli Mozzi's ring is a vintage gold band designed by Josh Collins. Advertisement Lending Beatrice the tiara worn by the Queen is thought to be a huge honour, as the monarch's jewels are usually borrowed by members of the royal family according to pecking order. The dazzling tiara was designed to look like a fashionable Russian headdress with 47 diamond bars. Lending Beatrice the tiara worn by the Queen is thought to be a huge honour, as the monarch's jewels are usually borrowed by members of the royal family according to pecking order. Meanwhile, Edo wore a three-piece suit complete with pale pink tuxedo, coordinating with Beatrice's bouquet. The Queen looked resplendent in a turquoise suit dress and matching hat, wearing her beloved pearl necklace for the occasion. The Queen's wedding tiara : The Queen Mary Fringe tiara The Queen has a huge collection of tiaras. She wore her mother's tiara for her wedding day (pictured), it was created for Queen Mary in 1919 from a diamond necklace The Queen has a huge collection of tiaras, although she once complained, 'One can't really dance in a tiara.' One of her favourites the 'something borrowed' from her mother that she chose to wear for her wedding is the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, created for Queen Mary in 1919 from a diamond necklace given to her by Queen Victoria and shaped like a kokoshnik, a Russian headdress. Queen Mary later gave it to her daughter-in-law, the future Queen Mother. But on the morning of our Queen's wedding the tiara snapped and had to be rushed for emergency repair. The mend is just visible in the Queen's wedding photos. Kate Middleton wore the Cartier 'halo' tiara, left, made in 1936 and purchased by King George VI for his wife Queen Elizabeth three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King, for her 2011 wedding to Prince William. Right, the late Queen mother Meghan Markle wore an exquisite Art Deco tiara, the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau (left) for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, while right, Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, created by Boucheron in the Russian imperial 'kokoshnik' style for society host Margaret Greville in 1919 As a young bride in 1947, Princess Elizabeth paired Queen Mary's Fringe tiara with her flowing Norman Hartnell gown, made from ivory duchesse satin and embroidered with 10,000 pearls. But it was very nearly a source of embarrassment. Just before she left for Westminster Abbey, the tiara snapped, and the court jeweller had to rush in for emergency repairs. The tiara, made by Garrard in 1919 from a necklace given to Mary as a wedding present, was given to the Queen Mother in 1936 and later loaned to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Anne for their wedding days. Much like the Kokoshnik tiara, it was designed to look like a fashionable Russian headdress with 47 diamond bars. Tiaras in this style were particularly popular in the first half of the 20th century, and the Queen inherited it on her mother's death in 2002. It can also be worn as a necklace, though the Queen has never done so in public. The tiara has been seen only occasionally of late, most recently on a trip to Trinidad in 2009. The Queen shares her jewellery with family members, but there's a pecking order. Kate Middleton wore the Cartier 'halo' tiara, made in 1936 and purchased by King George VI for his wife Queen Elizabeth three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King, for her 2011 wedding to Prince William. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth, now the Queen, by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday. The Duchess of Cambridge favours the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara (left in 2018), made for Queen Mary. It was Diana's favourite too (right in 1991), although she found it heavy to wear Advertisement Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle. Pictured, a photo released to announce their engagement The couple chose to have an intimate ceremony attended by just 'close family', according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. The bride's parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York as well as her sister Princess Eugenie, 30, were included. 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. 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 bride's grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance and appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service, pictured It is likely the bride's parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, both attended as the service was held in the grounds of their home. Pictured, Prince Andrew on Wednesday Former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Volodymyr Zamana has reiterated that the accusation of high treason against him is illegal, and that he is convinced that this case should not be investigated by incompetent or biased people, but at least by the temporary investigative commission of Ukraine's parliament. "A year and two months have passed since the measure of restraint was changed, and I was released. During this time, not a single interrogation, in fact, was. Practically the same prosecutors who were under [former Military Chief Prosecutor Anatoliy] Matios are investigating. Concrete evidence of my betrayal There is no subversive activity or work for the Russia. The net remainder is only the accusation of carrying out the reforms that were not carried under me, but in 2012-2014," he said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. Zamana pointed out that there is no direct evidence in this case, and the 33-year-old investigator of the Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) or a military prosecutor are not competent to investigate the charges. "I believe that this case can only be investigated by, at least, a temporary investigative commission of parliament, with the involvement of the military, former chiefs of the General Staff, authoritative people of Ukraine. I am ready to answer all questions that will be raised. All the reforms carried out in 2012-2014 were done so collectively, on the basis of all the laws of Ukraine in force at that time. Therefore, I have nothing to fear. And to establish the truth, a temporary commission of inquiry is needed, which will analyze not only the situation for 2012-2014, but also for other years," he said. The ex-chief of the General Staff recalled that in 2014, martial law was not declared in Ukraine either throughout the country, or even in certain territories, and from February 20 to April 7, 2014, the head of the Anti-Terrorist Center under the SBU State Security Service was the only official authorized to organize and conduct an anti-terrorist operation. "We have seized the Supreme Council of Crimea, and there was not even a person to be appointed. High points on the peninsula were seized. Who prevented them from taking them back into control? Elementary things. Turchynov recently said he could not do this, because that the Armed Forces were not ready. At the time, different units of Ukraine's Internal Troops under the Ministry of Internal Affairs were active. Turchynov didn't figure out during five years in charge of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) what units were. He recently stated that at the time the annexation of Crimea, The Armed Forces were manned with conscripts. So, I say the following: let him show any document showing that in the beginning of 2014 contract soldiers could replace conscript soldiers and be used on the day we received an order (to deploy them)," he said. Zamana also claims that an operation was prepared in Crimea, about which he reported to the then acting President Oleksandr Turchynov and the leadership of the state on February 28, 2014. It involved additional fuel and additional food kits supplied to the grouping of Ukrainian troops in Crimea. "If there had been political will, then, naturally, there would not be such a shameful surrender of our territory. It is difficult for me to talk now about how this operation would develop, but the results would be unambiguous. There were people, and there was preparation," said. Zamana said that the main reason for the "surrender" of Crimea in 2014 was the absence of political decisions on the declaration of martial law in Crimea and the use of the Armed Forces. "The commander cannot order his units, combat missions by himself. This requires appropriate political decisions. During these six years there has not been a single decision by Turchynov or Poroshenko on the use of the Armed Forces, legitimizing the actions that commanders took upon themselves. Even in the Kerch Strait. [In November 2018], someone took a decision, but Poroshenko's signature is absent," he said. As reported, on February 25, 2019, law enforcement officers detained Zamana and notified him of suspicion of committing high treason. Chief Military Prosecutor Matios announced the measure the next day. On the night of February 26, Pechersky District Court of Kyiv remanded Zamana into custody until March 27, 2019 without setting bail. On May 16, 2019, the Spokesman for Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office Andriy Lysenko announced that the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine had completed a pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings against Zamana. On May 24, 2019 the Kyiv Court of Appeal released Zamana from custody. A JL-10 trainer jet soars into sky. (Photo by Li Ning) By Li Min and Cao Fan BEIJING, July 20 -- The first batch of pilot cadets trained with JL-10, a new type of advanced jet trainer, all graduated with excellent performance from the Shijiazhuang Flight Academy under the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) in early July, qualified for the requirements of combat troops. It is reported that, on the basis of the PLAAFs new-generation training outline, the academy initiated the training program with JL-10, a new type of advanced jet trainer based on the third-generation fighter jet, in a bid to shorten the training period of pilot cadets and to promote their familiarization with the equipment in combat troops. After one years training, the batch of pilot cadets have completed all the prescribed training subjects and achieved excellent examination results. Compared with predecessors, their per capita consumption of airborne ammunition has doubled under the same flight duration. Now, they have been assigned to the combat troops, and will carry out actual combat flight training after necessary adaptation training. Even at 80, John Robert Lewis had the heart and fiery soul of a young protester for a righteous cause, an organizer for the community and country he served, Hoyer said. Every day of his life, John marched for justice, civil rights, peace and equality. On every step on his journey, he brought all of us and this country he loved with him. China Quietly Raised $1.8 Billion on London Stock Exchange, More Planned While the UK public was focused on Huaweis involvement in the countrys 5G project, the Chinese regime quietly raised close to $2 billion on the London Stock Exchange last month, through a special listing programme between London and Shanghai. More listings are expected to take place in the coming months. On June 17, the China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co. Ltd (CPIC) listed 514 million of its A-sharesshares traded in Chinaon the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in the form of global depository receipts (GDRs) through a scheme called Shanghai-London Stock Connect, raising $1.8 billion at a time when UK-China relations seem to be reaching a low point. Like many other large companies in China, a significant portion of CPIC is held by various state-owned enterprises that are ultimately owned by the central or local governments of the Chinese regime. At the time of writing, over 45 percent of CPIC is ultimately owned by the Chinese State Council and the government of Shanghai. CPIC was the second issuer to list via the Connect scheme, following Huatai Securities, who raised $1.7 billion last year. The government of Jiangsu Province is a significant shareholder of Huatai Securities. Investors monitor stock price movements at a securities company in Beijing on June 15, 2016. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) More state-backed Chinese companies are getting ready to be listed in the UK. On June 11, the board of China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd gave its approval for the London GDR listing. Over 63 percent of the company is ultimately owned by the Chinese central government, with much of the remaining stake split between several local governments of Guizhou, Yunnan, and Shanghai. The board of SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd approved UK GDR listing in July last year but decided later in December to delay the listing due to unfavourable market conditions. They are also expected to restart the process. The Chinese central government ultimately owns over 56 percent of SDIC Power. Fast Access for China to Foreign Capital Compared to floating original shares, the Connect scheme of GDR listing allows Chinese companies much easier access to international funding. Under the scheme, eligible companies listed on one exchange are able to deposit their original shares with a local custodian bank, and list the receipts issued by the custodian on the other exchange. Those receipts can be traded as normal shares. With GDR listing, the Chinese companies skip some of the tough requirements under listing rules for equity shares, such as three-year revenue tracking. In the case of CPIC, there seemed to be additional exceptions granted. On June 17, CPIC Chairman Kong Qingwei told CGTN, the overseas arm of a Chinese state-run media company, that the CPIC listing made history in several areas. It was the first company ever to issue GDRs using Chinese accounting standards, as opposed to the EU International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or other Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAPs) typically required. It was also the first non-European company to have a minimum public shareholding waiver on the GDR. Both exceptions would make possible the listing of businesses tightly controlled by the Chinese regime. Kong failed to mention another record-setting event. CPICs IPO application was approved in two days, the fastest turnaround the market has ever seen. CPIC submitted its application on June 10, and received the green light on June 12, at lightning speed, as described by Yicai, a financial news outlet in China. Both the Financial Conduct Authority, which oversees the UK listing regime, and the London Stock Exchange did not respond to The Epoch Timess requests for comment. A Golden Era Legacy Much of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme was constructed under former Prime Minister David Camerons leadership, although it was completed several months after his resignation over the Brexit referendum result in 2016. The scheme was hailed as a groundbreaking initiative and an important part of the long-term strategic financial partnership between the two countries by then-Chancellor Philip Hammond. Britains then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (C) and Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua (C-R) applaud the launch of a stock link between the Shanghai and London stock exchanges, in London on June 17, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) It was estimated that more than 260 of the 1,500 companies listed in Shanghai were potentially eligible for listing in London under the scheme. A fund manager, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Epoch Times, while the Chinese have shown a strong interest in the scheme, due to Chinas less-than-desirable legal and regulatory environment, the scheme is not as enticing for the British businesses. Although the scheme allows Chinese businesses to raise new capital through issuing new shares for the UK listing, British companies would only be permitted to apply existing shares in any China listing, further limiting the benefits to them. So far, no British company has applied to the scheme. Lessons From the United States The lackluster effort of the Connect scheme to ensure that Chinese companies adhere to the right standards stands in contrast to what is developing in the United States today, the leading operator in the financial market. After suffering a series of scandals associated with Chinese companies, such as Luckin Coffee, which falsified sales accounts equivalent to 40 percent of annual projected sales, the U.S. regulators and lawmakers are taking measures to protect investors by ensuring all companies listed in the United States have proper disclosure and accounting standards. With Chinas increasingly aggressive action to dominate the world, national interest has become another point of consideration for U.S. authorities when it comes to China investment. In a Sept. 2019 CNBC op-ed regarding the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) described Chinas economy as intentionally opaque, and that Beijing uses state-owned and state-directed enterprises to control production, compete in global markets, and serve the Chinese Communist Partys military, political, and economic goals. On May 13, 2020, the $600 billion retirement fund announced it would halt China investments. In June, Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act to protect investors from foreign companies that have been operating on U.S. stock exchanges while avoiding oversight from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For too long, investors have not been provided accurate or timely information from Chinese companies registered on U.S. exchanges, said Kennedy in a statement. Now is the time for both chambers of Congress to ensure that firms beholden to Communist China finally let U.S. regulators examine their booksto stop them from swindling American investors. Representative image An Iranian accused of spying for US and Israeli intelligence was executed on Monday, according to Iran's official IRIB news agency. Last month, the judiciary said Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, who was arrested in 2018, had spied on former Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, adding however that the case was not connected to Soleimani's killing earlier this year. On January 3, a US drone strike in Iraq killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. Washington had accused Soleimani of masterminding attacks by Iran-aligned militias on US forces in the region. The execution comes at a time when millions of Iranians have taken to social media to protest against the death sentences awarded to three men accused of participating in anti-government protests last November. Their executions have been suspended, one of their attorneys, Babak Paknia, said on Sunday. Rights activists said the sentences for the three men were aimed at intimidating future protesters. Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas last Thursday to disperse demonstrators in the southwestern city of Behbahan who were protesting against economic problems but also the death sentences against the three men. The Farsi hashtag "Don't execute" was tweeted millions of times last week. Despite weak global cues, Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, ended higher for the fourth straight session on Monday as heavy buying in banking, financials and IT counters kept sentiments high amid mounting coronavirus cases. Starting the session on a positive note, the BSE Sensex marked the day's high at 37,478.87, before closing at 37,418.99, up 398.85 points or 1.08 per cent. Likewise, the broader NSE Nifty climbed 120.50 points or 1.11 per cent to end at 11,022.20. "Markets are largely focusing on the earnings and the recent announcements from the index majors have positively surprised the market, which in turn fueling the recovery. Besides, the global markets are also not showing any signs of slowing down, helping the index to maintain the prevailing momentum. However, the rising COVID-19 cases and talks of community transmission could dent the pace ahead. We suggest focusing more on risk management and preferring quality counters for trading and investment," said Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking. Here are 5 things to know before Tuesday's opening bell AGR case update Telecom stocks are expected to see movement in Tuesday's trade after the Supreme Court reserved its order on the staggered payment of AGR dues by the telcos including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone. Weak global cues European equities were on the back foot in opening trade amid negotiations between EU leaders for a recovery fund to spur growth amid the coronavirus crisis. The number of cases around the world linked to COVID-19 has crossed 1.45 crore and the death toll has topped 6.06 lakh. In India, the death toll due to the disease rose to 27,497 and the number of infections crossed the 11-lakh mark on Monday, according to the health ministry. Earnings So far, the companies, especially the IT firms have posted better than expected results. The investors would be keenly awaiting earnings releases from firms such as Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential SBI Life, among others. Rising rupee Rising rupee had a rub-off effect on investor sentiment, analysts said. The rupee ended the first session of the week at 74.91 against the US dollar, up 0.14 per cent or 11 paise from its previous close. The domestic currency is at near the strongest level recorded during the session. Technical insights "We would continue witnessing stock specific action as the earnings season unfold. Though the near term momentum looks positive, we would advise traders to be cautious, given flaring US-China trade relations, persistent rise in virus cases and implementation of fresh lockdowns in parts of the country. On the other hand we would advise investors to continue with their defensive portfolio approach," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. "The short term trend of Nifty continues to be positive. One may ride the uptrend and continue long trading positions with the stop loss of 10900 levels. The next crucial resistance to be watched is around 11250 this week. Key support is placed around 10900-10850 levels," said Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities. Also Read: SBI, IDBI, Canara Bank, PNB, other PSBs to raise thousands of crores as fear of NPAs looms large Also Read: 'Sharing a Coke, wearing Bata shoes': HDFC Bank chief Aditya Puri takes a walk down memory lane Scientists from New Zealand have invented a better volcano alert system. They say it would have been able to warn of last year's White Island catastrophe ahead of time. The country's most active volcano, which is also called Whakaari, erupted suddenly in December 2019 when tourists were still on the volcano, which led to 21 people's deaths. The New Volcano Alert System The New Zealand scientists' new system takes advantage of various machine learning algorithms to analyze data in real-time to predict when a future eruption is about to occur. This research was published in the scientific journal Nature on July 16. A scientist from the University of Auckland who was involved with the project is Shane Cronin. He said in an interview with the BBC that their current alert system wasn't fast enough to warn the people on the island before the volcano erupted. The alert system currently being used collects its data in real-time, but then that data has to be assessed by a panel. The panel has an expert process, which results in longer wait times. A decade ago was when the current alert system was perfect, but it's not good enough for modern times. It takes too long, and it needed to be quicker. The newly-developed volcano warning system was fed all kinds of collected data from almost a decade from White Island. Then the machine learning algorithms learn the different patterns that could indicate that there was about to be an eruption. The system successfully predicted four out of five past White Island eruptions. Still, the reason it missed one was that it had different precursors surrounding it. According to Cronin, this failed prediction was a different eruption that didn't involve any magma. It was an eruption that came from the shallow system, giving off an entirely different precursor signal. This The alert system can identify the regular type of eruptions. Still, scientists are trying to get it to identify the second type, which is the shallow surface eruptions. Cronin has stated that the scientists have been researching the new alert system before the eruption at White Island. Still, then the eruption caused them to accelerate their work since they realized they had to work on it right away. Read More: New Artificial Intelligence Can Determine The Orbits Of Far-Away Planets Faster Than Traditional Methods Will the New System Be Better Than the Old One? The scientists claimed that if the new alert system were in place before the White Island eruption, the system would've alerted officials more than half a day before the eruption. There were a few seismic events in the previous weeks to the eruption, but then the sudden eruption surprised everyone. The official volcano monitoring agency of New Zealand, GNS Science, has stated that the new alert system might be useful. Still, they warned that it had a few limitations. David Dempsey, another scientist that's involved with the research, has noted that the new system still has a few caveats. The new alert system won't catch all future eruptions. When the new system raises an alert for suspicious seismic activity, it doesn't mean that an eruption is guaranteed. However, the new system is a significant improvement over the current system New Zealand has in place that doesn't give short-term warnings. Read More: Burger King Burgers Will Now Be Made From Cows That Fart and Burp to Produce Less Methane There are days that all you want is just to sit, relax, and only eat treats what your mouth is craving. And what better way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Yes! Korean candy doesn't get any sweeter or sour than this. If you try to research in the Korean dictionary for the deep meaning of 'candy,' it is most likely described as a sugar-based confection produced in the western method. Candy is made by simply cutting out pulled sugar. The word CANDY came from the Latin word "CAN," which means 'sugar' and "DY," which stands for 'means to set something in a mold.' How candy started and how it first came about is not clearly known. However, the earliest human record of candies was discovered on the Ancient Egyptian painting circa 2,000BC, which was described as a form of fig, coconut, nuts, spices, and honey. The people in ancient Israel and Greece were also discovered to produce food that was made sweet by honey.Well, enough about the history of the candy. We have compiled the top 5 best Korean candy brands that most people crave and love! Check it out below, and feel free to leave us any feedback - or even suggestions on some Korean snacks and candy you'd like to see! Malang Cow Chewy Candy came from a Korean Word "Malang" which means soft (or "malleable"). So when you translate it, it becomes "Soft cow" which doesn't sound so appetizing. But wait! When you try this sweet treat you'll instantly forget the English translation of this candy! It's just 'oh so yummy milky strawberry candy!' Don't you find this very convenient? A candy for anytime! Anytime Candy are the most refreshing mint you could ever taste. Plus, it is perfect for before the meal, after meals or even during meals. Like we said, its perfect for anytime of the day! Not only this, but perfect for any moods you are having right now! Mad? Sad? Happy? Just take Anytime Candy! Are you somehow familiar with the poem about children nestled in bed, and visions of plum candy danced in their heads? Well, this candy is something like that. Once you taste this, you just can't stop thinking about it! This candy is proven to be by far the most popular one since its release. These fruity taffy-like treats in your mouth, you can never stop snacking on these. My Chew are incredibly addictive. Plus, they are available in four flavors! Yum! This candy is extremely made with flavored caramels that have a very rich milk caramel taste that will give your sweet tooth craving a best satisfaction. Once you try the Lotte Milk Caramel, you'll surely never go back to anything but the best of the best! The Milk Caramels are one of the most popular snacks of the year, and it's JUST PURE DELICIOUSNESS! Don't you agree? ABC News executive Barbara Fedida at Variety's Salute to Service presented by History Channel in New York on Nov. 6. (Clint Spaulding / Variety) Longtime ABC News business affairs chief Barbara Fedida is leaving the division following an internal investigation into racist remarks made about on-air talent, including "Good Morning America" star Robin Roberts. Parent company Walt Disney Co. announced Fedida's departure Monday in a memo to employees from Walt Disney Television Chairman Peter Rice, which was obtained by The Times. "The investigation substantiated that Ms. Fedida did make some of the unacceptable racially insensitive comments attributed to her," Rice said. "It also substantiated that Ms. Fedida managed in a rough manner and, on occasion, used crass and inappropriate language." Rice also said "the investigation found no basis for the claims that Ms. Fedida was the subject of dozens of HR complaints and that ABC News spent millions of dollars in confidential settlements related to Ms. Fedida, as alleged in some press accounts." Fedida has been on administrative leave since June 13 after publication of a HuffPost report that recounted a discussion about the contract of Good Morning America co-host Roberts in which the executive allegedly said the network was not asking Roberts to pick cotton. Fedida also allegedly used the term low rent to describe Sunny Hostin, a Black co-host on The View. In discussing the value to the network of former Black correspondent Kendis Gibson, she allegedly said ABC News would spend more money on toilet paper. The HuffPost story also said there have been settlements with former ABC News employees who complained about Fedidas behavior. From left, Michael Strahan, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos on the set of "Good Morning America," in 2018. (Paula Lobo / Associated Press) Fedida has been a key executive in the ranks at ABC News since 2011, giving strong support to the division's president James Goldston and his predecessor Ben Sherwood. She started at the network in 1989 as a production assistant and had a five-year tenure as the head of talent development for CBS News from 2006-11. The news executive recruited and helped develop much of the on-air talent that appears on "Good Morning America" and "ABC World News Tonight with David Muir," which since the coronavirus outbreak has been the most-watched program on television. Story continues She also helped revamp the daytime talk program "The View," which in recent years has become a must-stop for politicians on the campaign trail. While ABC News does not have the clout of a 24-hour news network, it has been turning a decent profit for the company in recent years. "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin, second from right, was allegedly called "low rent" by Barbara Fedida. (Walt Disney Television) Fedida was also known as a tough negotiator when it came to making deals with on-air talent. While she had a reputation in the TV news industry for being blunt, the alleged racist comments reported by HuffPost came as a surprise to many of her long-time colleagues at the network. The ouster adds her to the list of media executives who have lost their jobs after instances of racist or insensitive behavior as the country goes through reckoning on race relations following the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis. Those discussions have already led to changes in several media organizations where management was found to be unresponsive to concerns about diversity and fair treatment in the workplace. Kenya fishermen say they are squeezed by Ethiopian mega-dam Men construct a fishing boat on a beach at Lake Turkana, near the town of Kalokol, Turkana county By Baz Ratner LAKE TURKANA, Kenya (Reuters) - Fishermen on the shores of Kenya's Lake Turkana, the world's biggest desert lake, have no doubt about what is to blame for their dwindling fish stocks: a giant hydroelectric dam built by Ethiopia on the River Omo, which feeds the lake. "We are now seeing Nile perch stocks drastically reduce," said fisherman Fitbo Lalukol. He says boats must sail much further out into the lake to get a good catch. Officials at Ethiopia's ministry of water, irrigation and energy did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment on the fishermen's claims. Complaints about the Omo dam have been overshadowed by another major water dispute, between Ethiopia and Egypt. Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo says will strangle its lifeline, the Nile. The government in Addis Ababa has said it needs the mega-dams to generate enough electricity for its population of 109 million, only about a third of whom have access to power. But people who live around Lake Turkana, Kenya's poorest region, say the power from Gibe 3 - which is nearly 250 meters high - is produced at their expense. Around 90% of Lake Turkana's water comes from the Omo river. Data from the Unites States Department of Agriculture shows the lake's water level dropped to 363 metres in 2016, when Gibe 3 opened, from 365 metres. Unseasonably heavy rains mean levels are back up, but fishermen fear that is only temporary. "At one point you have the lake totally receding and no fish," said Ikal Angelei, a local environmental activist. Angelei said Kenya and Ethiopia need to share resources so poor communities aren't left behind. "The local community has to be involved in this whole process, both for conservation and economic value," she said. (Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Giles Elgood) Ford says its Active Drive Assist system will allow for hands-free driving on more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in the U.S. and Canada. Ford Motor has reached a deal with Mobileye, an auto tech subsidiary of Intel, to support its next generation of advanced driving and safety features across the automaker's global product lineup. The deal includes Ford using Mobileye's "EyeQ" camera-based detection technologies for features such as forward collision warning and of vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection. They'll also be used for Ford's forthcoming hands-free driving system. Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed. The automaker will display Mobileye's name on the infotainment screens of the vehicles as part of the deal. Ford and Mobileye have worked together previously, but this is the first time the automaker is committing to use the company's technology for the entire lifecycle of its next-generation cars and trucks. That includes vehicles such as the new Ford Bronco, all-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover and next-generation F-150 pickup. Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today. On Monday, workers across the U.S. are expected to walk off the job in a series of protests organizers are calling the Strike for Black Lives. The action was coordinated by a coalition of labor groups and activists that includes the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of Teachers, and United Farm Workers. The walkouts are scheduled to last eight minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time originally reported that police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyds neck, leading to his death. Floyds killing has led to a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, alongside nationwide anti-racism protests and calls to defund the police. In at least 29 nationwide events, protesters today will be raising their voices for a wide-ranging list of demands: higher wages, better jobs, and the ability for more workers to form unions. Theyre also calling on elected officials to reimagine the economy in a way that better serves Black communities, and on corporations to dismantle systematic racism, expand health care, and better provide workers with personal protective equipment. While Black people make up about 13% of the U.S. population, they disproportionately work in roles impacted by the coronavirus pandemic: Black adults make up 23% of respiratory therapists, 27% of licensed nurses, nearly 27% of health care support positions, 20% of protective services jobs like correctional officers, and nearly 20% of food preparation and serving workers, such as fast food associates. The coronavirus pandemic has continued the long-standing health care disparity for Black Americans: Black people account for about one in four of COVID-19 deaths where the patients race is known. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country with no end in sight. Protesters from around the country spoke to Fortune about why they are walking off the job today. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity: Story continues Strike for Black Lives-Wellington Thomas Im going on strike for Black lives because our hospital isnt taking our demands seriously when its literally a matter of life or death. We know COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black lives here in Chicago and across the country. Our hospitals and elected leaders need to recognize that. That means investing in those of us serving Black communities with higher wages, better benefits, and safer staffing so we can continue to provide the quality of care our patients deserve. Wellington Thomas, 38 Emergency room technician at Loretto Hospital Chicago I work at three different jobs, and I make $9 an hour. I should be making $11 per hour. I watch others come in and make more money than me even though Ive been there for six years. As Black women, we fight so hard to take care of our families. I have a family of four. I know there are other families out there trying to make ends meet. If we come together, our voices will be heard. Its very important to me because I want to be heard, and I want others voices to be heard. Deatric Edie, 40 Associate at McDonalds, Papa Johns, and Wendys Fort Lauderdale Strike for Black Lives-Carmen Laguer I am a part-time faculty member at Valencia College. There is a big gap between the amount of people of color in full-time positions versus part-time positions. There is an even wider gap if we consider administration and leadership positions. Administration is currently pushing to move to more equitable hiring practices, which I do commend. These practices will help Valencia in the long run. But we also need to consider what is happening in the short term, especially in times like these, with COVID-19 and issues of racial inequity at the forefront of our everyday lives. Part-time faculty need a voice and further recognition. There are little to no channels for part-time faculty to engage and know their voices are being heard. I was a temporary full-time professor, helped create a new club, and then had to have the difficult conversation with my students that I would not be able to provide them the same support, as I was going back to part-time work. I went back to part-time, and I could not let them flounder. So I took it upon myself to work extra for no pay. I have had to meet students at coffee shops, or crammed in adjunct resource rooms, interrupting other adjunct-student meetings. I have had to get to the classroom early or leave late because I have nowhere to meet with them if they need to meet in private. When they ask me about trying to find my office, I have to hold back my tears thinking of my car as my only office space. I have had to rely on the kindness of some of my colleagues in letting me store things in their office, so I dont lug them across campus. We are a student-centered institution, but part-time faculty do not get paid or acknowledged for student engagement hours. We are a student-centered institution that serves a large BIPOC student population, with an underrepresentation of BIPOC full-time faculty and administration, and an overrepresentation of BIPOC part-time faculty and staff. The inequity is palpable, and it needs to change. Carmen Laguer-Diaz, 34 Part-time faculty member at Valencia College Orlando Strike for Black Lives-Dominique Thomas I am a Black climate organizer, and every day my existence is a form of radical resistance. I understand how climate is a race issue, and being siloed in a white-dominated movement means always making sure the work is centering Black leadership. During this current uprising, we have to be more radical, nimble, and unwavering in defense of Black lives. At 350.org, we understand that the work to dismantle racist systems, and systems of anti-Blackness and white supremacy is our work when tackling the climate crisis. As a climate movement, we must support the demand to divest from the police and fossil fuels, and reinvest in Black communities and a just recovery. Dominique Thomas, 29 Organizer at 350.org Harlem, New York Thirty-three of my coworkers went on strike in late May in the face of a COVID-19 outbreak at our store. McDonalds failed to keep us safe. Instead of proper PPE, we were treated like animals and given doggy diapers to wear as masks. In total, 11 of us and eight of our family members tested positive for the virus. Our strike came as the country saw a wave of uprisings in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. [Editors note: Chauvin, the officer who placed his knee on Floyds neck, has been charged with second-degree murder, but has yet to face trial. One of the officers involved in the killing of Taylor has been fired; none currently face criminal charges. The three men accused of killing Arbery have been indicted on murder charges, but have not yet gone to trial.] Our fights for justice are inextricably linked. I grew up believing in the promises of the United States, but I have seen how badly those promises have been broken, especially for my Black brothers and sisters. Until Black people can thrive, none of our communities can thrive. Thats why I am striking for Black Lives. I will be standing with working people from all backgroundsBlack and white, Latino and Asian, First Nations and immigrantsto demand justice and respect from our workplaces to the communities where we live. Systemic racism and greed have led to the loss of Black and brown lives through police violence and corporate negligence. We can stop this, but it will take working people fighting together to dismantle this unfair system. Angely Rodriguez, 26 Associate at McDonalds Oakland Strike for Black Lives-Demetrus Dugar Ive been a security officer in Seattle for over 14 years. Security plays a crucial role securing hospitals, grocery stores, businessesthere to protect but also to help enforce social distancing practices and provide a familiar face. Before I became a security officer, I was in the police explorer program, and my interactions with police have mostly been positive. However, I know, as a Black man in America today, Im only one wrong encounter away from dying because of the color of my skin. On top of that, when I come home from work, I worry I will spread COVID-19 to my familymy partner, my four daughters, including my 6-month-old. It took three long months during the pandemic before my company provided us with masks. Thats why Im standing up. Essential workerswho are mostly Black and brown folksdeserve respect, a workplace free of racism and discrimination, PPE, hazard pay, and job protections. Im joining with tens of thousands of workers across the country. Ill be taking a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the time it took for George Floyd to be murdered in broad daylight, by police. [Editors note: The officer who knelt on Floyds neck has been charged with murder but has not yet gone to trial.] Demetrus Dugar, 35 Security officer Seattle Strike for Black Lives-Cassie Geremaia I am kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd in support of the Strike for Black Lives. This day is important to me because I believe the oppressive systems that prevent Black people from living a safe life in our country are wrong. It is time for us to continue the fight to make our country a better place, and I am proud to stand in solidarity with my fellow workers across the country until we make this right. As a state worker, I know that when we come together in our union we make sure we stand behind every single member, no matter the color of their skin. Cassie Geremaia, 32 Hospital cost analyst at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing Denver My life as a Black individual matters. I am a Black domestic worker in America. We have not been appreciated. I want everyone to know what a day without Black domestic workers feels like when were not in your homes, not in your offices. If you dont support Black lives, it can impact the country. Just knowing that Black lives matter is the first step in getting justice. Crystal Crawford, 34 Nanny for multiple families Atlanta More coverage on the intersection of race and business from Fortune : This story was originally featured on Fortune.com There are honorable and honest ways to oppose your own party, and to leave it. As a conservative who took the Never-Trump path and voted for Evan McMullin in 2016, I will grant the good faith of a lot of lifelong Republicans and conservatives who believe that they must support Donald Trumps opponent on the grounds that Trump is unfit for office. And people are entitled to change their minds about what they believe. But it is also important to be honest about what youre doing, and to take responsibility for your own choices. Neither the Lincoln Project nor John Kasich is doing this. The Not-Lincoln Project First up, the Lincoln Project, a political action committee founded by three former Republican campaign consultants Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, and John Weaver and former Republican lawyer George Conway. You may know Schmidt mainly as John McCains 2008 campaign manager and for helming Arnold Schwarzeneggers 2006 reelection campaign as California governor. Weaver was instrumental in McCains 2000 campaign (the 2008 campaign only took off after ditching Weaver), and the 2012 Jon Huntsman and 2016 John Kasich campaigns. In between, he theatrically left the Republican Party once before over George W. Bush. His Huntsman and Kasich campaigns veered heavily into sneering-at-Republican-voters-for-media-plaudits territory. In 2019, Weaver registered as a foreign agent for a Russian state-owned energy company. Still, these men are entitled to their view of Trump. They are entitled to their idiosyncratic strategy of running ads aimed primarily at getting Trumps attention and trying to hurt his feelings so that he lashes out, rather than ads aimed primarily at persuading voters. They are perhaps less entitled to present themselves as disaffected Republicans while catering to a donor base of Democrats much less the questionable, murky financial transactions that Steve Stampleys piece this morning details. Where the Lincoln Project leaves behind any pretense at being a Republican or conservative project at all is in concentrating its efforts heavily on mainstream, moderate, and otherwise very not-Trumpy Republican Senators Susan Collins, Cory Gardner, Joni Ernst, Martha McSally, and Thom Tillis and doing so mainly by running ads attacking them from the left, not the right. Some of these folks hold seats that, if won by the Democrats, would be extremely hard to win back. And if your claim is that Republicans need to be defeated to learn some sort of lesson, there is no evidence that burning down the Republican caucus on Capitol Hill by removing its more moderate and temperate members will make it less Trumpy. As I predicted in 2018, that was not the lesson taken by House Republicans from losing power, and it is not how the Republican Parties of California, Virginia, or New York have responded to losing power. What moderates the party is the need to pursue the building of majorities, not the experience of the wilderness, where performative rage is more lucrative. Story continues Also, stocking the Senate with Democrats while Joe Biden builds a lead in the polls is a recipe for removing checks from the Democratic agenda rather than building checks on Trump. Does that concern the Lincoln Project? Quite the contrary. In an interview with the Washington Posts left-wing writer Greg Sargent, Weaver not only pledges to support the Democrats election-law agenda after Bidens election, but to demand that Republican senators back the Democratic policy agenda more broadly: Will [the Lincoln Project] revert to a traditional GOP donor-friendly advocacy posture, one that drives opposition to the Democratic economic agenda? Or, as former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer somewhat jokingly predicted, the Lincoln Project will run ads attacking President Biden for raising taxes on oil companies in early 2021. Were not gonna do that, Weaver told me. . . . Weaver insisted the group would actively work against Republicans who obstruct a Biden presidency. . . . He will have a mandate to clean up the mess that Trump has created with the help of his enablers, Weaver said of a Biden presidency. That shouldnt be held up. We intend to do all we can to make sure that doesnt happen. I asked Weaver what the Lincoln Project would do if a President Biden and a Democratic Congress tried to raise taxes on the rich to help fund a multitrillion-dollar rescue effort. Weaver said he couldnt directly address this until he saw specifics, but said: Well be generally supportive of trying to get this country moving forward. . . . We will not stand on the sidelines if an attempt to bind the wounds is held up, Weaver told me. We plan on participating in that debate. The absolute last person who would ever have taken this approach is Abraham Lincoln. Yes, Lincolns presidency was the product of a time period when his original party (the Whigs) unraveled and was replaced by a more principled party (the Republicans). This is what some of the Lincoln Project folks say they would like to see. But it is where the similarity ends. In 1848, the Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor for president. While parallels between Taylor and Trump are overstated, Taylor was a political novice of vague political principles, and because he was a large-scale Louisiana slaveholder who would not campaign against slavery, Charles Sumner and other Conscience Whigs refused to support Taylor. The Conscience Whigs were, in 2016 terms, Never Taylor. Lincoln didnt join them. He and William Seward, later his secretary of state, both remained faithful Whigs and stumped for Taylor against Lewis Cass, a northerner running on a popular sovereignty platform more favorable to the expansion of slavery. As it turned out, Taylor in office was much more hostile to the pro-slavery Democrats than anticipated like Trump, he was politically radicalized by partisan opposition and grew to detest his former son-in-law Jefferson Davis. In fact, Lincoln would be one of the last Whigs to abandon his party; only when it was clearly no longer a useable vehicle for pursuing his causes did he turn to the Republicans. The Republican coalition he built in 1860 was constructed on standing together to do common things; Lincoln was careful to make room in his tent for anyone who agreed with him, even slaveholders and former anti-immigrant Know-Nothings. He did not hold personal political grudges. In 1854, as the Whigs were unraveling, Lincoln was arguing that the best defense against expanding slavery into the territories was to defend the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, even with all of their flaws (including the Fugitive Slave Law). He gave a speech in Peoria in October 1854 arguing that those who wished to preserve the Union should work together and not turn up their noses at standing with people they otherwise disagreed with so long as they stood together on issues of agreement: Some men, mostly Whigs, who condemn the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, nevertheless hesitate to go for its restoration, lest they be thrown in company with the abolitionist. Will they allow me as an old Whig to tell them good humoredly, that I think this is very silly? Stand with anybody that stands RIGHT. Stand with him while he is right and PART with him when he goes wrong. Stand WITH the abolitionist in restoring the Missouri Compromise; and stand AGAINST him when he attempts to repeal the fugitive slave law. In the latter case you stand with the southern disunionist. What of that? you are still right. In both cases you are right. In both cases you oppose the dangerous extremes. In both you stand on middle ground and hold the ship level and steady. In both you are national and nothing less than national. This is good old Whig ground. To desert such ground, because of any company, is to be less than a Whig less than a man less than an American. You can take this stance and argue for working with Democrats on common issue ground, and you can take it and argue for working with Democrats to remove Donald Trump from the White House. But you cannot take the Lincoln stance and argue for getting rid of Republican senators just because of whom they have stood with before. You cannot take the Lincoln stance and demand that Republican senators must work with Democrats to do things they do not believe in, just to strengthen the Democratic Party. Lincoln, who spent 1857 and 1858 arguing for defiance of the Dred Scott decision, would never have demanded that Republican senators give James Buchanan or Stephen Douglas a blank check in office. Charles Sumner might be a better historical model than Lincoln. Sumners anti-slavery principles before the Civil War, and his pro-civil-rights principles after it, were genuinely admirable. His political judgment was not. Sumners most influential success was getting a South Carolina Democrat so enraged by personal insults that the congressman beat Sumner to a pulp on the Senate floor in 1856. In 1872, Sumner would re-enact his Conscience Whig days by breaking with the Republican Party to support Horace Greeley (another ex-Republican) running to oust Ulysses S. Grant from office. Sumner had his causes: He was a critic of the corruption of the Grant administration and had led a successful fight against Grants plan to annex the Dominican Republic. Sumner declared that the Republican Party was becoming the instrument of one man and his personal will and that Grant must be opposed to avoid subordinating the nation and party to the personal pretensions of one man: I protest against him as radically unfit for the Presidential office, beingwithout aptitude for civil duties, and without knowledge of republican institutions, all of which is perfectly apparent, unless we are ready to . . . boldly declare that nepotism in a President is nothing, that gift-taking with repayment in official patronage is nothing, that violation of the Constitution and of International and Municipal Law is nothing, that indignity to the African race is nothing, that quarrel with political associates is nothing, and that all his Presidential pretensions in their motley aggregation, being a new Csarism or personal government, are nothing. But if these are all nothing, then is the Republican Party nothing, nor is there any safeguard for Republican Institutions . . . But Sumner and Greeley, by going Never Grant, were taking sides with the enemies of Reconstruction. Sumners old friend Frederick Douglass, deeply pained by Sumners abandonment, campaigned for Grant, and swore that hed blow his brains out before switching parties: If as a class we are slighted by the Republican Party, as a class we are murdered by the Democratic Party. Had Greeley won, the policy consequences would have been the exact opposite of everything Sumner once stood for. Donald Trump is even less like Ulysses S. Grant than he is like Zachary Taylor, of course. But Frederick Douglass, like Lincoln, understood what Sumner never did: Personal quarrels are no substitute for remaining focused on the goals at the end of your political party and movement. Anyone pledging to elect Democrats in the Senate and support a Democratic agenda even after Trump is gone is simply a Democrat and owns everything that comes with that. John Kasichs Courage Next up is John Kasich, the former two-term Republican governor of Ohio and nine-term Republican congressman, who is reportedly planning to speak at the 2020 Democratic convention. Kasichs opposition to Trump in 2016 was a textbook example of what a failure of political courage looks like. Hardly anyone has less credibility in criticizing Trump today. We hear a lot about political courage, usually from media voices equating it with both Republican and Democratic politicians doing whatever it is liberals and progressives happen to want at a particular moment. In the Trump era, courage has usually been framed as a demand that Republicans and conservatives engage in unsleeping vocal condemnation of Trump in all things at all times. Realistically, there are two types of political courage. One is the courage of the gadfly, standing alone on an unpopular position to keep it alive. That is surely not Kasich, who is standing up now to speak in favor of a man leading by double digits in the most recent polls. The other is the courage to make a difference: not standing up a pointless suicide charge, but throwing all your weight behind a cause at the critical moment when victory is possible, but not assured. Lincoln himself was a master of this, leading the nation again and again on causes that were hard but doable with enough courage. The moment for Kasich to stand up was not the 2020 general election, or even the 2020 primary (which he sat out), but the 2018 Senate race (which he sat out) and, most particularly, the 2016 primary. What did he do then, when there was still a large, active sentiment among Republican and conservative voters to stop Trump large enough that 60 percent of Republican primary voters cast ballots against Trump in contested primaries through Indiana on May 3? Kasich did everything possible to prevent those voters from coming together behind a single anti-Trump candidate. He was not the only one, of course: Jeb Bush should have dropped out by Labor Day rather than pouring out oceans of money attacking Marco Rubio, Rubio should have packed it in no later than his March 5 wipeout in Kansas, Chris Christie should not have whiffed on his chance to attack Trump over Atlantic City at the first debate, and Ted Cruz should not have waited so long to criticize Trump. But no decision was so obviously self-interested and destructive of the anti-Trump effort than Kasich staying in the race throughout the primaries. He could, and should, have bailed out after finishing 19 points back in New Hampshire, much as Huntsman did in 2012. As Ive noted before, outside of Ohio, Vermont, and D.C., Kasich was a consistent flop, always below 30 percent of the vote: In the other 31 contests through Wisconsin he cleared 20 percent in just one other state (Michigan). He finished in single digits 19 times in 42 contests. He finished behind Ben Carson ten times in 15 tries. Staying in the race drained votes that Rubio or Cruz could have consolidated (especially in Virginia). When Rubio told people to strategically vote Kasich in Ohio, Kasich refused to reciprocate. This all made sense only if he was playing to be a power broker at a brokered convention, but staying in the race all the way to Indiana then dropping as soon as Cruz gave up the stop-Trump ghost prevented one. It was not just Kasichs strategic choices: Over and over, even when Rubio and Cruz were going hard after Trump, Kasich refused to attack Trump on the debate stage. Go back and watch the GOP debates from February and March 2016 if you dont believe me and see how often Kasich even talks about Trump. The simple interpretation, as with his strategy, is that Kasich was either hoping to cut a deal with Trump or, at any rate, prioritize stopping the movement-conservative alternatives (Cruz and Rubio) over stopping Trump. There is very little we have seen from Trump in office that should have surprised anyone about his character after the 2016 campaign; if anything, the biggest surprise has been that he kept his promise to appoint conservative judges and has pursued a more conventionally Republican agenda than what he campaigned on. If Kasich really believed that Trumps character and fitness for office were a problem, he could have run a campaign dedicated to warning about that when he had the chance. Even to this day, he seems never to have regretted his choices in 2016. What we see instead, now, reeks of shallow opportunism. Out of office two years, not running for anything in 2018 or 2020, Kasich has run out of ways to remain in the spotlight or proximity to power except this one. He will speak on the last platform available to him. Courage, this is not. More from National Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJV9acMsDwM New HBO drama Lovecraft Country will screen on Binge in August. The story is about a young African American, who travels across the 1950s segregated United States in search of his missing father, but comes with supernatural elements. This premieres on the same day as the USA. Foxtel is yet to confirm linear broadcast details. Lovecraft Country is a ten-episode series based on Matt Ruffs novel of the same name that follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), as he journeys with his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollet) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) on a road trip from Chicago across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father, Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams). Their search-and-rescue turns in to a struggle to survive and overcome both a racist white America and the monstrous creatures that could be ripped from author H.P Lovecrafts horror paperbacks that George devours. Lovecraft Country features a stellar ensemble cast including Australian actor Abbey Lee. Jordan Peele (Get Out) and J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) are executive producers along with showrunner Misha Green (Underground), Daniel Sackheim (HBOs Game of Thrones and True Detective) Yann Demange, Ben Stephenson and Bill Carraro. Produced by afemme Inc., Bad Robot Productions and Monkeypaw productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. New episodes will stream weekly from Monday 17 August. PITTSBURGH, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "I'm a retired nurse and caregiver to my aging father and I wanted to create an improved device to help people take the proper medication at the right times," said an inventor, from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, "so I invented the MED-BUDDY." The patent-pending invention provides an effective reminder for an individual to take his or her medication. In doing so, it offers an improved alternative to traditional pill storage cases and bottles. As a result, it helps to prevent the user from forgetting or taking pills at the wrong time and it provides added peace of mind. The invention features a practical design that is convenient and easy to use so it is ideal for individuals who take medication. Additionally, it is producible in design variations. The inventor described the invention design. "My design helps to reduce the frustration and potential health issues associated with forgetting to take medication." The original design was submitted to the Toronto sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 19-TRO-335, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Related Links http://www.inventhelp.com Technavio has been monitoring the truck transmission system market and it is poised to grow by USD 16.37 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005418/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Truck Transmission System Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report of 2020-2024 on COVID-19 Impact The market is moderately fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Frequently Asked Questions- 1. At what rate is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2019-2023? A. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 6% during the forecast period 2019-2023. 2. Based on segmentation by application, which is the leading segment in the market? A. The light-duty trucks application segment will account for the highest incremental growth over the forecast period. 3. What is the key factor driving the market? A. The use of aluminum in truck transmission is one of the key factors driving the market growth. 4. Who are the top players in the market? A. AISIN SEIKI CO., LTD., Allison Transmission Inc., American Axle Manufacturing, Inc., Eaton, Magna International Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. 5. Which region is expected to hold the largest market share? A. North America 6. What is the major trend for truck transmission system market? A. Increased use of high-speed transmission in trucks is a major trend in the market. The use of aluminum in truck transmission will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Truck Transmission System Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Truck Transmission System Market is segmented as below: Application Light-duty Trucks Medium and Heavy-duty Trucks Geographic Landscape North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30834 Truck Transmission System Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our truck transmission system market report covers the following areas: Truck Transmission System Market size Truck Transmission System Market trends Truck Transmission System Market analysis This study identifies the increased use of high-speed transmission in trucks as one of the prime reasons driving the truck transmission system market growth during the next few years. Truck Transmission System Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the truck transmission system market, including some of the vendors such as AISIN SEIKI CO., LTD., Allison Transmission Inc., American Axle Manufacturing, Inc., Eaton, Magna International Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the truck transmission system market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Truck Transmission System Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist truck transmission system market growth during the next five years Estimation of the truck transmission system market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the truck transmission system market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of truck transmission system market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Light-duty trucks Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Medium and heavy-duty trucks Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 10: MARKET TRENDS Increased use of high-speed transmission in trucks Rising adoption of all-electric powertrains Emergence of triple-clutch transmission system PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors AISIN SEIKI CO., LTD. Allison Transmission Inc. American Axle Manufacturing, Inc. Eaton Magna International Inc. ZF Friedrichshafen AG PART 13: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005418/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kedrion Biopharma, an Italian biopharmaceutical company and world player in the field of plasma-derived therapies, has formed a research partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center to develop and test a new IgG therapy for COVID-19 which is being developed by Kedrion and Kamada Ltd, a leading Israeli bio-pharmaceutical company that specializes in plasma derived products. Under the terms of the agreement, Kedrion will supply Columbia with convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to be used for the manufacturing of IgG therapy. Columbia University will test the convalescent plasma against viral proteins to check the neutralizing power of the hyperimmune Immunoglobins. Dr. Steven Spitalnik, Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratories at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, explained in an interview that the evaluation of the neutralizing assay of the hyperimmune Immunoglobins should be completed by early August, and human clinical trials may be initiated pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Spitalnik said, "The initial samples were sent to us last week. We hope to be able to evaluate the first assays in a week or two. Then during this third quarter we hope to evaluate the IgG therapy that could be used for clinical studies in patients and volunteers." Dr. Spitalnik said he hopes that, if the therapy receives FDA approval, it can be administered to frontline medical workers at risk for COVID-19 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and elsewhere. Paolo Marcucci, the CEO of Kedrion Biopharma, said he welcomed the partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center to accelerate the development of an anti-COVID IgG therapy "We are proud to work with Columbia on a project that could ultimately help patients in need and perhaps even help frontline medical workers at Columbia itself. That would be wonderful," said Marcucci. About Kedrion Biopharma Kedrion Biopharma is a leading international biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the development, production and distribution of plasma-derived therapeutic products for use in treating serious diseases, disorders and conditions such as immune system deficiencies and coagulation disorders. Kedrion has special expertise in the treatment of rare diseases and in the manufacture of hyper-immune products such as antibodies for HBV, Tetanus and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. The company operates through a fully integrated business model from the collection of plasma in its own centers in the United States and Hungary to fractionation and production in its manufacturing facilities located in Italy, Hungary and the United States. Headquartered in Castelvecchio Pascoli (Italy), Kedrion has over 2,700 employees and a commercial presence in approximately 100 countries worldwide. Kedrion places a high value on the welfare of those who benefit from its products, as well as on the people and the communities it serves. Additional information about Kedrion Biopharma can be found at www.kedrion.com and www.kedrion.us. CONTACTS: Kedrion Biopharma: Gioacchino De Giorgi, Head of Business Development [email protected] Investor Relations [email protected] SOURCE Kedrion Biopharma Related Links kedrion.us When her son headed to boot camp in 2014, Slidell resident Tracey Perry joined several Facebook groups for Navy moms. It was through one of those groups that she saw public banners honoring the military and got the idea to recognize local service members. People like military veteran Brad Pellegrin, one of 13 active-duty soldiers and veterans now being honored through Hometown Heroes, an inaugural project by the Leadership Northshore Alumni Association and community partners. Purchased by honorees families, the vertical banners along Front Street in Olde Towne Slidell went up on Memorial Day and will remain until Veterans Day. Pellegrin served as a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1982 to 1985. The Pearl River resident saw action as part of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada where Marines liberated the island nation from communism and in Beirut right after the U.S. Embassy bombing there as part of the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit. I proudly served my country and all of its people, regardless of race, religion, political (views). It doesnt matter; I served my country for everybody, he said, acknowledging that it gives him chills to this day. Pellegrin's sister, Linda Pellegrin Soto, sponsored his banner, which he sees as a testament to his military service. Being a Marine, thats just the most honorable thing, he said. I just wish my mom and dad were here to see the banner, he said, adding that he was the only one among his five siblings to join the military. He became a Marine not just for the chance to further his career and education opportunities and to travel and experience other cultures, but also to challenge his physical and mental toughness. I knew the Marine Corps was the best at that. Theyre the best of the best. I knew if I could pass through the Marine Corps, I could pass through anything in life, said Pellegrin, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He earned several awards during his active-duty service, among them were the Combat Action Medal, the Naval Unit Citation, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. As Pellegrin has shared images of his banner online, he said hes received so many positive comments. As the years go by, Im feeling prouder and prouder because of these kinds of things, because of the appreciation and thank you for my service I get when I go somewhere and wear my Marine hat, he said. Each full-color, double-sided vinyl banner displays the honored service members name and rank, a photo of the honoree in uniform, and the programs sponsors: the City of Slidell, Cleco, Leadership Northshore Alumni Association, American Legion Post 185, Southside Cafe and ASAP Printing & Digital Imaging. The whole purpose of Leadership is to develop leaders within the community. This is a way we could be involved in the community for a worthwhile cause and recognize our veterans, said Bill Shipley, past president of the Leadership Northshore Alumni Association. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Hometown Heroes has been more than three years in the making. In 2016 two years after her son, Petty Officer 3rd Class William Verdun, began his Navy career Perry actively began pursuing her idea for the banners, a common sight in small northern towns, according to the Navy family Facebook group. She first contacted then-Mayor Freddy Drennan and the former East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. From there, she was directed to Shipley and the Leadership Northshore Alumni Association. He got this done, Perry said. Shipley is quick to credit the other Leadership alumni, as well as community volunteers and sponsors, in making the banners a reality. Committee members include Leadership alumni Alex Carollo, Cheri Cater and Kevin Davis, as well as Perry and Ann Berkins, president of Geaux Seven, a chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana. Southside Cafe and the American Legion, Shipley said, paid for the brackets needed to hang the banners. ASAP Printing & Digital Imaging agreed to print the banners at cost and provide sponsoring families with bumper stickers and 11-by-17 inch prints of the banners. Cleco helped solve one of the biggest hurdles where to display the banners by offering 40 of their utility poles along Front Street and the labor to hang them. What I think is cool is its not just alumni only. Its alumni and local residents and sponsors, Shipley said of the committee. Pellegrin already has committed to join the Hometown Heroes committee next year, in addition to continuing his service as Web Sergeant for the Marine Corps League Jans F. Hursey Detachment No. 748 and chaplain for VFW Post 5174 in Pearl River. I want to see 40 banners hanging up next year, he said. The number of inaugural banners was lower, Shipley said, because COVID-19 delayed spreading the word about the program. Perry also wants to see more banners, including ones for police officers and first responders, in the coming years. This banner program has taken a long time to get started, she said. But I hope it grows much bigger, and we add more and more banners to honor our servicemen and women of today, tomorrow and the past. We must honor those who serve. They are the ones who guarantee the freedoms we enjoy in our daily lives. According to the historical society, after movers will lift the structure onto the dollies, theyll alongside the cottage as it moves down the street. They will adjust the wheels to keep the structure level and change directions, the society said in a news release. A blockbuster legal battle against eight insurers kicked off yesterday over their refusal to pay out business interruption claims to thousands of small firms. In the first day of the High Court case, which is being brought by the City watchdog against some of the industry's largest firms, lawyers for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ridiculed insurers for comparing the Government's lockdown order to its guidance on eating your 'five a day'. Insurers had been seeking to claim that some businesses were not forced to shut down during the pandemic, and instead did so voluntarily so should not receive business interruption payments. High court battle: Lawyers for the Financial Conduct Authority ridiculed insurers for comparing the Government's lockdown order to its guidance on eating your 'five a day' They said that the Government's stay-at-home advice was similar to its guidance to the public to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. But Colin Edelman QC, for the FCA, said: 'In times of emergency and crisis, the Government and the public understand the difference between what the Government was telling them to do in March of this year and exhortations to eat more fruit and vegetables and to drink less alcohol.' The case, which is being held online, was watched by several small businesses who claim they are at risk of going bust if their claims are not honoured. Mark Killick, who founded the Hiscox Action Group to stand up for Hiscox policyholders, said that a handful of the group's members including an arts centre in south-west London had already collapsed. The urgency of the test case cannot be understated, he added. The first day of the trial saw Edelman begin to lay out the FCA's claims as to why certain policies should pay out. Cafe owner stunned by Hiscox's refusal Daniel Duckett, owner of the Lazy Claire Patisserie in Belfast, was one of the thousands of policyholders left devastated when his insurance firm refused to pay out. He opened his cafe two years ago, and bought a business interruption policy with Hiscox. A real battle: Daniel Duckett was refused a pay-out after he was forced to close his Belfast cafe In mid-March, he contacted them saying he would have to close as he could no longer keep the cafe open during the pandemic while following Government guidelines. But he found Hiscox slow to respond. By April 1, when cash was running low, he sent an email urging the firm to let him know when he could expect his payout but they told him his claim had been refused. 'It's been a real battle with Hiscox,' he said. 'I haven't received any proper empathy. They just seemed determined to say no. 'The worst thing was on April 27 they sent me a seven-page email saying why the policy doesn't apply. 'They told me I should still be open for takeaways but that wouldn't have covered the costs of paying my staff.' He believes the firm has taken a blanket approach to turning down claims, without looking at any of the nuances of its policyholders' circumstances. He added: 'It's really taken its toll on me.' Hiscox said: 'We welcome hearing all proposals to expedite resolution of any dispute, which is why we have agreed to participate in the FCA's expedited court-based process, and we will work with all parties to achieve this.' The FCA is challenging a select number of policies offered by Arch Insurance, Argenta Syndicate Management, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office, Hiscox, MS Amlin, QBE, Royal & Sun Alliance and Zurich. But the findings of the case will be applied across the insurance industry, and could potentially affect more than 50 insurers and 370,000 policyholders. The FCA's opening submissions are set to continue until tomorrow. Edelman and Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC will argue that insurers were wrong to deny claims because there had not been a medically diagnosed case within the policyholders' premises. The barristers will also claim that insurers were wrong to expect some businesses to remain open throughout lockdown. Thousands of businesses were relying on the payout under their business interruption policy which is designed to reimburse a firm for lost income if it is forced to close its doors to cover rent and loan repayments. But companies from restaurants to record labels were left horrified when their insurers claimed the pandemic did not trigger their business interruption clause. If the two judges Lord Justice Flaux and Mr Justice Butcher find in the FCA's favour, the insurers could be on the hook for more than 1billion of payouts. Killick, who is creative director of PR agency Mediazoo and was himself denied a payout by Hiscox, said: 'We set up the Hiscox Action Group at the beginning of March and we went to 700 members in two months. 'The desperation from business owners is extraordinary. There are hundreds hanging on by a thread.' Renters may be subjected to rubber stamp evictions during the pandemic because of changes to repayment plan rules contained in proposed Ontario legislation, advocates say. Bill 184, the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, was introduced mid-March, at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in unprecedented job losses and left thousands of tenants struggling to pay rent. But with the bill approaching final approval and set to become law, housing advocates say theyre concerned about changes it makes to repayment plan rules. Landlords have always been able to make informal repayment agreements with their tenants, but the new legislation will allow landlords to apply for an eviction order without a hearing if the tenant cant meet the terms of a repayment agreement, said Dania Majid, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario. Under current rules, even if tenants fail to meet the terms of those agreements, landlords must go to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for a hearing to obtain an eviction order a drawn-out process that could take months as a result of delays caused by COVID-19. I think a rubber stamping approach to these evictions is a fear tenants and housing advocates have, said Majid. With the expected volumes of work that awaits the LTB when it reopens, we have heard government make references to this bill and need to clear the backlog. Majid also said that under the new rules landlords can offer repayment plans whether the tenant wants to negotiate one or not and use that against a tenant at future hearings that could lead to eviction. Current rules say landlords and tenants have to agree to negotiate repayment. Advocates worry landlords will present deliberately unaffordable plans to tenants, knowing renters would likely default, said Majid. The tenant would then be unable to plead their case before the board or they would face consequences at a future hearing. The incentive for evictions, said Majid, is that landlords can charge whatever they wish for empty units with vacancy rates still low. Julie ODriscoll, spokesperson for Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, said in an emailed statement that the new rules are not a direct path to fast and uncontested evictions. Landlords will still have to obtain whats called a consent order from the board to allow them to skip the hearing process if a repayment plan is breached, said ODriscoll. But Majid said obtaining a consent order from the board is mostly administrative. The documents submitted wouldnt show whether the repayment plan agreed to is reasonable because it doesnt detail the tenants personal circumstances, including monthly income or changes in employment status. ODriscoll said the legislation encourages repayment agreements so that evictions can be avoided and that the need for board adjudicators to consider if a landlord has attempted to negotiate a repayment plan reinforces to landlords the necessity of exploring repayment agreements and maintaining tenancies rather than resorting to evictions. Tony Irwin, president and CEO of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO), said the new bill was meant to deal with delays at the board, which he said was overwhelmed with cases. We dont want anybody to lose their housing, especially during a global pandemic, said Irwin, whose organization has 2,200 members responsible for some 350,000 tenant households in Ontario. At the outset of the pandemic the province imposed a moratorium on evictions, but not on applications made by landlords seeking to evict tenants for non-payment of rent. Under the proposed legislation, the new rules for non-payment can apply retroactively to March 17. Geordie Dent, who heads the Federation of Metro Toronto Tenants Associations, described the new legislation as baffling. The fact that theyre not helping tenants with money in any way is tough, he said of the lack of specific financial aid from the provincial or federal governments for tenants unable to make rent. Coun. Josh Matlow, who has been pushing for rent relief from other levels of government, said enacting Bill 184 could put people out on the street. Doug Ford told renters that he would protect them from evictions while asking them to stay home. His actions havent matched his words, he said in a statement. Carly Tisdall, who lives in an apartment near Victoria Park and Danforth Avenues, said the bill has rattled tenants. I was amazed by how much it just changed the entire process of eviction, said Tisdall, who has advocated for herself and her neighbours who are struggling to pay rent. Long term, this changes the way people in Ontario face eviction and I think the consequences are way more far-reaching than what we can see in front of us right now, she said. In a city that already struggles with homelessness, the idea of making housing more insecure seems like a poor choice and I know that it makes the people in my life and my neighbourhood very concerned for their future. Jennifer Pagliaro is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @jpags Read more about: Ben (77) wrote this poem when he became unable to visit his wife Lise in the nursing home where she lived, expressing the loss and desperation of suddenly and indefinitely being held apart. As part of the measures taken in the Netherlands to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a visit ban had been imposed on nursing homes. Apart from staff, no visitors were allowed. Residents were not allowed to go outside, and family members, like Ben, had to stay away. This policy aimed at minimizing the risk of contamination for residents. As older adults are considered to be especially vulnerable to corona, the restrictions on nursing homes have been more strict than in other segments of society. While schools, bars, restaurants, and cultural institutions were closed, no total lockdown was enforced in the Netherlands. Social contact beyond the household was initially allowed on the condition that it was restricted to a maximum of three persons at a distance of at least 1.5 meters. Vulnerable groups and older adults, however, were advised to stay inside and avoid physical contact altogether. The strict regulations in nursing homes have led to a strong separation between life inside and outside of the homes. Here we share the stories of two people: Catherine, who experiences loneliness, not being allowed to leave her room in the institution she lives in, and Ben, who feels the loss and grief of not being allowed to visit his wife Lise, who suffers from dementia, in the nursing home. Their stories illustrate the hardships of staying in touch when a strong physical barrier separates life inside the home from life outside. We question how this renewed boundary delineation challenges ways of being engaged with the world and each other. Illustration by Margriet Osinga Catherine: Reaching out I have always been a peoples person, Catherine says. She is 95 years old, visually impaired, and lives in a nursing home where several residents have fallen ill with COVID-19 symptoms. She says that before corona she used to receive visitors on a daily basis. Family, friends, and former neighbors used to visit regularly. I always enjoyed these visits. However, when the corona policy was implemented, these visits ended. No visitors were allowed in the nursing home, and residents were not allowed out. Contact with other residents was also impossible since they were not allowed to leave their rooms. I do not see anyone. It is as if I am in a prison, she says, and explains that she finds this extremely difficult, especially because she cannot see her children. Although she speaks to friends and family over the telephone on a daily basis, she still misses beingwith others, I feel lonely. She explains that she never used to take a nap in the afternoon, but now considers doing so, to pass the time. The days take so long. I get so cold inside, cold from being lonely. When asked what she means by this, she answers: I am just cold inside, I miss physical contact, touch. Several of Catherines neighbors in the nursing home have died from COVID-19. Some of them were close friends. While she is still grieving their loss, she is also afraid of catching the virus herself. If she would fall ill or if she would die, her children would not be allowed to be with her. That would be terrible. That is a great fear. The situation makes her anxious, she worries much, and has little to distract her from her thoughts. Several times, Catherine emphasizes that being with others would make her feel better. I need people! People, who talk to me. It is so important to have someone who spends time with me. I like to talk and I want to be involved. Illustration by Margriet Osinga Ben and Lise: Reaching in Ben vividly recalls how, eleven years ago, they had been sitting in the waiting room, waiting for the outcomes of her Alzheimers tests. Whatever the outcome, it does not matter, Lise had told him. As long as we hold onto our bond. Ever since Lises diagnosis with Alzheimers Disease in 2009, Ben and Lise have been seeking new ways of keeping contact. Ive heard partners telling me that they lost their spouse to dementia, Ben said. I wondered what is behind such comments. I think it has something to do with the contact. For there is one thing about Alzheimers you know for sure: it is more difficult to maintain contact, than to lose it. Lise has been living in a nursing home for five months now, and Ben was a daily guest to the home until halfway March, when corona entered the scene. After 1.5 months, they are allowed to see each other again through an open window, a screen of Plexiglas separating them. Over the last couple of weeks, Ben has felt hopeless, an activist, writing to different media. The thing is: talking doesnt work anymore, he explains in tears. Im just standing there moving up and down. I think I am somewhat erased from her aware memory at this point. So the only real form of contact weve got is touch, holding hands. But that is not allowed. This is part of the loss involved in Alzheimers Disease, Ben explains. But up to this moment I still had a little control over the process. But then, all of a sudden there is corona and they say we cant see each other anymore. Ben stresses that he is fighting to uphold his bond with Lise, and continues:My biggest fear is that these restrictions will last for months, and that if Lise dies, whether or not from corona, I will not have seen her for months, or perhaps even half a year. I would then only be called in twenty-four hours before her death. I find that thought horrific! I think it is such a crude way of saying good bye! When missing social connectedness Catherines and Bens experiences are exemplary for those of many older adults and their family members. With the strict separation between the inside and outside of the nursing home, Ben and Catherine both find themselves in a situation they consider most unwanted. In different ways, both are deeply affected by the impediments in doing things they find important. For Catherine this is being with other people; for Ben this is keeping up the work Lise and himself have committed to ever since Lises Alzheimers diagnosis: the work of staying in touch. These impediments evoke frustration, anger and sadness. The uncertainty of not knowing how long the situation will last increases their disquietude. While they mention the risk of contamination, it is not death itself they fear most. Catherine, who has already lost several neighbors in the nursing home, and Ben, who is concerned with the advance of Lises Alzheimers, have both thought about what it would mean to die while the restrictions are in place, whether or not from COVID-19 itself. Both mention that they are aware of the nearness of death, but what they find frightening about this would be precisely the impossibility of being together at lifes end. Besides frustration and anxiety, as revealed both in their words and in the emotional intensity of their narratives, being isolated from loved ones also affects their sense of self. While they have been able to maintain some forms of contact, Catherine with friends and family through telephone conversations and Ben with Lise through Plexiglas-separated visits, their experiences also confront us with the limits of these forms of contact. What is missing from this is precisely the possibility of touch and being with one another, or what Catherine called being human together. They make explicit the need to be involved, embodied and viscerally, in someone elses world and to have an affective, meaningful part in it. This research project looks at how vulnerable older adults experience the COVID-19 measures, what particular difficulties they encounter, and what solutions are being found. It is part of a broader project on the Social Impact of Physical Distancing on Vulnerable Populations at the University of Amsterdam in collaboration with research partners. For more information, see www.coronatijden.nl Natashe Lemos Dekker is senior researcher and project coordinator of the subproject on the impact of COVID-19 measures on vulnerable older adults. Her PhD research, based at the department of Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, focused on time and value at the end of life with dementia in the Netherlands. Laura Vermeulen is a postdoctoral research fellow based at the University of Amsterdam, department of Anthropology. Alongside writing her PhD dissertation that chronicles the world-making of single-living people with dementia in The Netherlands, she conducts a study focusing on how social networks are being done by people with dementia, their family, friends and care workers. Jeannette Pols is Socrates professor at the department of Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam and project leader in the Social Impact of Physical Distancing on Vulnerable Populations study. She works as an Associate professor in the section of Medical Ethics at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Pols is a member of the RVS (Raad voor Volksgezondheid en Samenleving), Advisory Board for the Ministry of Health. The Age of COVID-19 is a series being cross-posted at Somatosphere and the Association for Anthropology, Gerontology and the Life Course (AAGE) blog and is edited by Celeste Pang, Cristina Douglas, Janelle Taylor and Narelle Warren. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] Krishna Maharaj, a convicted murderer whose claim of innocence has long been championed by British politicians and media despite a wealth of evidence against him, wont be getting a new hearing in Miami federal court after all. A federal judge on Monday reversed herself, deciding against allowing another hearing for Maharaj, now 81, who was convicted of a bloody double murder inside a downtown Miami hotel in 1986. For years, his lawyers have insisted that cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Colombian cartel were behind the murders, and worked with corrupt police in an elaborate plot to frame Maharaj. State prosecutors maintain the theory is nothing more than a far-fetched fantasy. Maharajs case has been featured frequently in British documentaries, and in stories by news agencies. In April, a senior member of the United Kingdom Parliament, Sir Peter Bottomly, wrote in an opinion piece for the Sun Sentinel that Maharaj, amid the threat of COVID-19, should be released after serving 33 years for a crime he did not commit. Several months ago, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes had agreed to hold another hearing. But after hearing arguments last month from defense lawyers and state authorities, she decided that there was not enough evidence to reopen his claims. Maharajs lawyers, Miamis Ben Kuehne, and Clive Stafford Smith, of the British human-rights organization Reprieve, did not return requests for comment on Monday. For decades, higher courts have consistently upheld his conviction. A British citizen, Maharaj is a former millionaire who hailed from Trinidad and Tobago and owned a string of champion race horses. At Maharajs original trial in 1987, a Miami jury heard that Maharaj locked in a bitter business dispute with his ex-business partner, Derrick Moo Young lured the man and his son, Duane, to the Dupont Plaza Hotel before gunning them down. He was convicted and sent to Death Row, although his sentence was eventually changed to life in prison. Story continues After years of failed appeals, a Miami-Dade circuit judge in 2014 allowed him a hearing to explore claims that the Colombian cartel, with help from corrupt Miami police, orchestrated the murders and framed Maharaj. In that hearing, two former cartel associates from Miamis infamous Cocaine Cowboys era testified that now-dead kingpin Pablo Escobar might have ordered the murders although neither man could positively identify the Moo Youngs as the supposed targets of his anger. Fashion photographer and ex-government informant Baruch Vega testifies Wednesday on behalf of convicted British killer Krishna Maharaj. Circuit Judge William Thomas ruled that much of their testimony was rife with hearsay that could legally never be admitted before a jury. Maharaj also relied on the testimony of a disgraced ex-Miami cop, who is now in prison for kidnapping and who said that a former colleague now dead suggested that Maharaj might have been framed. Thomas found him totally unreliable. The claim that corrupt police officers framed Mr. Maharaj is preposterous, Thomas wrote. In his 13-page order, Judge Thomas also noted that Maharajs fingerprints were found all over the hotel, including on a Do Not Disturb sign, two newspapers and an empty soda can. Hotel employees also testified that Maharaj was the one who rented the suite. And perhaps most damning of all was the testimony of an associate who saw and described the killings in detail. Witnesses also told jurors that Maharaj, at a Dennys diner after the homicides, tried to get them to concoct an alibi. Maharajs lawyers lost a state appeal of the ruling in 2016, and then turned to the federal courts, saying more witnesses might support the claim the cartel was to blame. The state objected, saying the claims were the same ones already hashed out in state court and there was still no evidence that police and prosecutors, at the time of Maharajs original trial, knew of any allegations of a frame-up. In a statement released on Monday, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said the Moo Young family has had to endure a continual stream of extraordinary claims and unverifiable facts made in an attempt to free Mr. Maharaj. This has only added to the lifelong tragedy suffered by the members of the Moo Young family, the statement read. The decision of the court to reverse itself and rule against holding another new federal evidentiary hearing in this case is important to the family and to the people of the State of Florida. VANCOUVER Restrictions on flavoured pods and some of the most stringent limits on nicotine levels in Canada are among new B.C. regulations aimed at stopping young people from vaping. The proposed changes, expected to be in place by the end of summer, are garnering praise from health advocates. They would immediately stop all retailers from selling non-nicotine or nicotine-cannabis-blended vapour products. Health Minister Adrian Dix told a news conference Monday that the sale of flavoured nicotine vapour products, which are attractive to youth, will now be restricted to adult-only shops. We have the power to restrict flavours, he said. Only tobacco flavours will be allowed. As well, retailers will only be allowed to sell vapour products plainly packaged with health warnings. The new changes are particularly aimed at discouraging youths from taking up vaping. The province initially made promises to tighten its vaping regime last fall. A survey on Canadian student tobacco, alcohol and drug use found youth vaping among students in grades 10 to 12 increased in British Columbia from 11 per cent in the 2014-15 school year to 39 per cent last year. Across the country, the increase was from nine per cent to 29 per cent. Chris Lam, president and CEO of the B.C. Lung Association, applauded the regulations, saying theres major misunderstandings among young people about what they are inhaling when vaping and how harmful it could be. We really want to focus on getting vaping out of the hands of our kids, Lam said. The effects are so incredibly scary on our youth that that has to be the primary focus. The amount of nicotine allowed in a vapour pod will also be restricted to 20mg/ml, which Lam praised as an aggressive measure. Other jurisdictions, including Ontario, have limited the nicotine content levels to 20mg/ml but speciality stores are still allowed to sell the higher levels. Nicotine content is a particular concern for youth, Lam said, as research has shown it has negative effects on developing brains. Anything that we can do to get a vape device out of the hands of a child, we should be doing that wholeheartedly, Lam said. Nicotine will be treated under the Public Health Act as a public health hazard, which allows the government to make the regulations, Dix said. Vaping is of course, for some people, harm reduction. And if you are a lifetime smoker, it can have that impact, it can reduce the harm from smoking, he said. But if you are a young person, if you are under 19, it is not harm reduction, it is just harm. Dix said the changes introduced are in accordance with European Union standards, which has seen a significant success in limiting the use of vaping products by young people. Health Canada set out new rules earlier this month banning the promotion of vaping products in places young people can access and preventing dessert, cannabis, soft drinks and candy flavours. The Canadian Cancer Society welcomed the announcement saying the new regulations will have a significant impact. In B.C. and in Canada, youth vaping has more than tripled over a four-year period, a statement from the society said. The high levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes are an important factor contributing to skyrocketing rates of youth vaping in Canada, it said. It is hoped that the action by the B.C. government will prompt the federal government to establish the same maximum nicotine level for all of Canada. The Convenience Industry Council of Canada said the proposal to reduce nicotine concentrations could force adult customers of vaping products back to cigarettes. These regulations, while allowing specialty vape shops and online retailers to continue to operate unchecked, will not address youth vaping, the council said in a statement. Most of the changes, including the nicotine and flavouring regulations, will be immediately enforced, Dix said. The remainder of the regulations will be implemented starting Sept. 15. Education Minister Rob Fleming said while vaping is a relatively new public health concern, its a repackaging of the old and deadly enemy, nicotine and tobacco. What makes these vaping products especially dangerous is that they disguise toxins with harmless sounding flavours, things like cotton candy or melon lush, and those harmless sounding flavours have directly targeting youth as consumers for way too long. Read more about: Incheon Waterwork officials check water quality at a fire hydrant connected to the water supply center in Gyeyang, Incheon, West of Seoul, amid the discovery of insect larvae in tap water in the region, Monday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered a full-scale inspection of local water purification facilities across the country, Monday, after a recent series of reports by residents finding insect larvae in their tap water. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Chung requested Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae to inspect 484 water-purification facilities nationwide in cooperation with local governments as a preventive measure. "Under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, investigations should be conducted promptly and residents should be informed of the progress transparently so that the public anxiety does not escalate any further," Chung said. A worm-like organism that was discovered in tap water at an apartment in Jung-gu, Seoul, Sunday, is seen in this photo provided by the resident. Yonhap Photo credit: Tasos Katopodis From Popular Mechanics Mathematicians at universities across the country are halting collaborations with police departments across the U.S. A June 15 letter was sent to the trade journal Notices of the American Mathematical Society, announcing the boycott. Typically, mathematicians work with police departments to build algorithms, conduct modeling work, and analyze data. Several prominent academic mathematicians want to sever ties with police departments across the U.S., according to a letter submitted to Notices of the American Mathematical Society on June 15. The letter arrived weeks after widespread protests against police brutality, and has inspired over 1,500 other researchers to join the boycott. These mathematicians are urging fellow researchers to stop all work related to predictive policing software, which broadly includes any data analytics tools that use historical data to help forecast future crime, potential offenders, and victims. The technology is supposed to use probability to help police departments tailor their neighborhood coverage so it puts officers in the right place at the right time. "Given the structural racism and brutality in U.S. policing, we do not believe that mathematicians should be collaborating with police departments in this manner," the authors write in the letter. "It is simply too easy to create a 'scientific' veneer for racism. Please join us in committing to not collaborating with police. It is, at this moment, the very least we can do as a community." Some of the mathematicians include Cathy O'Neil, author of the popular book Weapons of Math Destruction, which outlines the very algorithmic bias that the letter rallies against. There's also Federico Ardila, a Colombian mathematician currently teaching at San Francisco State University, who is known for his work to diversify the field of mathematics. "This is a moment where many of us have become aware of realities that have existed for a very long time," says Jayadev Athreya, associate professor at the University of Washington's Department of Mathematics who signed the letter, told Popular Mechanics. "And many of us felt that it was very important to make a clear statement about where we, as mathematicians, stand on these issues." Story continues What Is Predictive Policing? The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group, defines predictive policing as "the use of mathematical analytics by law enforcement to identify and deter potential criminal activity." That can include statistical or machine learning algorithms that rely on police records detailing the time, location, and nature of past crimes in a bid to predict if, when, where, and who may commit future infractions. In theory, this should help authorities use resources more wisely and spend more time policing certain neighborhoods that they think will yield higher crime rates. Predictive policing is not the same thing as facial recognition technology, which is more often used after a crime is committed to attempt to identify a perpetrator. Police may use these technologies together, but they are fundamentally different. For example, if predictive policing software shows that a bar sees heightened crime at 2 a.m. on Saturday nights, a police department might deploy more officers there. If and when a crime does occur there, the department might use facial recognition technology to sift through surveillance footage feeds to find and identify the individual. Photo credit: RAND According to a 2013 research briefing from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank in Santa Monica, California, predictive policing is made up of a four-part cycle (shown above). In the first two steps, researchers collect and analyze data on crimes, incidents, and offenders to come up with predictions. From there, police intervene based on the predictions, usually taking the form of an increase in resources at certain sites at certain times. The fourth step is, ideally, reducing crime. "Law enforcement agencies should assess the immediate effects of the intervention to ensure that there are no immediately visible problems," the authors note. "Agencies should also track longer-term changes by examining collected data, performing additional analysis, and modifying operations as needed." In many cases, predictive policing software was meant to be a tool to augment police departments that are facing budget crises with less officers to cover a region. If cops can target certain geographical areas at certain times, then they can get ahead of the 911 calls and maybe even reduce the rate of crime. But in practice, the accuracy of the technology has been contestedand it's even been called racist. A Cause for Concern Photo credit: EDUARD MUZHEVSKYI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY - Getty Images Part of the impetus behind the mathematicians' move to distance themselves from predictive policing dates back to an August 2016 workshop that advocated for mathematicians' involvement with police departments. The Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Islandwhich is funded by the National Science Foundationput on the workshop for 20 to 25 researchers. PredPol, a Santa Cruz, California-based technology firm that develops and sells predictive policing tools to departments across the U.S., was one of the partners. According to a notice for the event, the one-week program included work alongside the Providence Police Department. Small teams focused on real problems with real crime and policing data to brainstorm mathematical methods and models that could help the officers, even "creating code to implement ideas as necessary." The event organizers said at the time that they "fully anticipate that lasting collaborations will be formed, and that work on the projects will continue after the workshop ends." Christopher Hoffman, a professor at the University of Washington's Department of Mathematics who also signed the letter, tells Popular Mechanics that the institutional buy-in concerned him and his colleagues. "When a large institute does that, it's like saying 'this is something that we, as a community, value,'" he says. Athreya says that he attended an ICERM workshop prior to the one on predictive policing and voiced his concerns at the time. Mathematicians should not be building this software, or investing in it, he says, noting that the researchers have, at times, both an intellectual and financial stake in the software. "We have been a part of these really problematic institutions, and this is a moment for us to reflect and decide that we're not going to do this as a community, we're not going to collaborate with organizations that are killing people." Accounting for Bias Photo credit: Christian Science Monitor - Getty Images The researchers take particular issue with PredPol, the high-profile company that helped put on the ICERM workshop, claiming in the letter that its technology creates racist feedback loops. In other words, they believe that the software doesn't help to predict future crime, but instead reinforces the biases of the officers. But CEO Brian MacDonald tells Popular Mechanics that PredPol never uses arrest data, "because that has the possibility for officer bias." Instead, he says, the company only uses data that victims have reported to police, themselves. So if your car has been broken into, you might call the police to give them information about the type of crime, the location, and the timing. Police officers might take this information over the phone, or have you fill out an online form, he says. Tarik Aougab, an assistant professor of mathematics at Haverford College and letter signatory, tells Popular Mechanics that keeping arrest data from the PredPol model is not enough to eliminate bias. "The problem with predictive policing is that it's not merely individual officer bias," Aougab says. "There's a huge structural bias at play, which amongst other things might count minor shoplifting, or the use of a counterfeit bill, which is what eventually precipitated the murder of George Floyd, as a crime to which police should respond to in the first place." "In general, there are lots of people, many whom I know personally, who wouldn't call the cops," he says, "because they're justifiably terrified about what might happen when the cops do arrive." That idea resurfaces in how the software actually works. As a February 2019 Vice story reports, PredPol uses a statistical modeling method used to predict earthquake aftershocks. MacDonald says that the same approach works in predicting crime because "both of these problems have a location and time element for which to be solved." However, the Vice story echoes Aougab's concern that some crimes go underreported or unreported, meaning that outside influences could skew the time and location data. How Prevalent Is This Tech? Photo credit: The Washington Post - Getty Images MacDonald says that PredPol has about 50 customers at the moment. For context, there are about 18,000 police departments in the U.S. But Athreya says a better metric comes from PredPol's own website: one in 33 Americans are protected by the software. He says that the figures seem so divergent because some of the largest police departments in the country are using the technology. Of course, PredPol doesn't exist in a bubble. In 2011, the LAPD began using predictive policing software called the Los Angeles Strategic Extraction and Restoration (LASER), which it eventually stopped using in April 2019. "The [Los Angeles Police Department] looked into this, and found almost no conclusion could be made about the effectiveness of the software," Hoffman says. "We don't even really know if it makes a difference in where police are patrolling." Meanwhile, the New York City Police Department uses three different predictive policing tools: Azavea, Keystats, and PredPol, as well as its own in-house predictive policing algorithms that date back to 2013, Athreya says. In Chicago, officers used an in-house database called the "Strategic Subject List" until last November, when the department decommissioned its use. "The RAND corporation found that this list included every single person arrested or fingerprinted in Chicago since 2013," according to Athreya. A January statement from Chicago's Office of the Inspector General noted that some of the major issues with the technology included: "the unreliability of risk scores and tiers; improperly trained sworn personnel; a lack of controls for internal and external access; interventions influenced by PTV risk models which may have attached negative consequences to arrests that did not result in convictions; and a lack of a long-term plan to sustain the PTV models." Just a few weeks ago, the Santa Cruz Police Department banned the use of predictive policing tools. Back in 2011, the department began a predictive policing pilot project that was meant to ease the strain on officers who were swamped with service calls at a time when the city was slashing police budgets. While the Santa Cruz Police Department's outright ban on the technology might've been influenced by recent Black Lives Matter protests, the department had already placed a moratorium on the technology back in 2017. Police Chief Andy Mills told the Los Angeles Times that predictive policing could have been effective if it had been used to work together with the community to solve problems, rather than "to do purely enforcement." "You try different things and learn later as you look back retrospectively," Mills told the LA Times. "You say, 'Jeez, that was a blind spot I didnt see.' I think one of the ways we can prevent that in the future is sitting down with community members and saying, 'Here's what we are interested in using. Give us your take on it. What are your concerns?' Still, Hoffman says there's no way to know just how prevalent the technology is in the U.S. "It's very difficult for people to get information about who is using this software and what are they using this for," he says. A Step Toward Better Policing Athreya wants to make it clear that their boycott is not just a "theoretical concern." But if the technology continues to exist, there should at least be some guidelines for its implementation, the mathematicians say. They have a few demands, but they mostly boil down to the concepts of transparency and community buy-in. Among them include: Any algorithms with "potential high impact" should face a public audit. Experts should participate in that audit process as proactive way to use mathematics to "prevent abuses of power." Mathematicians should work with community groups, oversight boards, and other organizations like Black in AI and Data 4 Black Lives to develop alternatives to "oppressive and racist" practices. Academic departments with data science courses should implement learning outcomes that address the "ethical, legal, and social implications" of such tools. Since the letter went live, at least 1,500 other researchers have signed on through a Google Form, Athreya says. And he welcomes that response. "I don't think predictive policing should ever exist," he says, "especially when its costing people their lives." You Might Also Like Sex Work and COVID-19: Amsterdam's New Plans for the Red Light District In the Netherlands, lockdown measures to protect against COVID-19 have affected one industry in particular: sex work. According to official figures, 7,000 sex workers make their income in Amsterdam, primarily from visiting tourists. However, since the imposed lockdowns past March, the citys infamous Red Light District (or De Wallen) has suffered a significant financial blow as tourism came screeching to a halt and window brothels shut down. Without income for nearly four months, many sex workers had to return to their home countries in eastern Europe, Felicia Anna told CNN, a Romanian sex worker and founder of Red Light United, a trade union representing 110 women. Many of those who stayed worked illegally. ADVERTISEMENT Don't come to the red light district. It is too busy. Several streets are temporarily closed. #staysafe #keepdistance pic.twitter.com/qfqQreDDMB Gemeente Amsterdam (@AmsterdamNL) July 18, 2020 While the depletion of tourism has financially hit Amsterdam 70 percent of the district's revenue comes from tourism the citys residents have a different take. Relishing an emptied Amsterdam free of loud noise, littering, and drunken tourists, many are petitioning to keep it that way. More than 30,000 residents have signed a petition titled "Amsterdam has a choice," urging city authorities to improve the quality of life for residents in the center by restricting the annual overnight tourist stays to 12 million. Last year the total was at 18.8 million. In some ways, these restrictions appear to benefit sex workers: as tourism has risen, so have dangers. The Red Light District is increasingly flooded with tourists who are simply there to ogle brothels: often laughing at, verbally abusing, and photographing sex workers against their will. The district has already taken measures to combat this by banning tours that take visitors along brothel windows. Not only because we want to prevent overcrowding in the Red Light District, but also because it is not respectful to sex workers, Udo Kock, a deputy mayor at the time, said in a statement. It is outdated to treat sex workers as a tourist attraction. Now, in the face of COVID-19 and the rising resistance against tourism, city officials are considering a major overhaul of the Red Light District. While this is cited as an effort to protect sex workers from degrading conditions, imposed protective measures often come as a double-edged sword in the sex work industry. For example, Red Light United, a union founded for sex workers in Amsterdam to resist the new policies, claims that more than ninety-three percent of sex workers in Amsterdam are against moving the brothels. They state that any measure aimed against tourism is a measure against sex workers in the Red Light District. Heading the revisioning of Amsterdam is the citys mayor, Femke Halsema. She has presented four scenarios for the district, which range from reducing the number of brothel windows to moving sex workers to an entirely new location. She has even suggested opening a "prostitution hotel" outside the city center and said in May that the search for a new location was well underway. "That would be extremely dangerous. When you leave your shift at 5 a.m., the robbers will be lining up," Anita, a 56-year-old sex worker from Amsterdam, told CNN. "We don't want to move into a prostitution hotel. Here everyone can see us. That's what makes our jobs safe." They also worry about the impact moving elsewhere will have on their income as they rely heavily on walk-in tourists. Its clear that COVID-19 and tourism have intertwined into a bit of a Gordian Knot when it comes to sex workers future we wont know for sure until after the summer when the council will hold a vote on the different proposals for the Red Light District. This is Belle. Shes a monument to sex work in the heart of Amsterdams Red Light District. The plaque below her reads: Respect sex workers all over the world. pic.twitter.com/mtsWjJofyP May 9, 2018 Image via Gio Mikava on Unsplash More from BUST Sex Work In New York State Might Be DecriminalizedHere's What You Should Know "Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight For Sex Workers' Rights" Is A Must-Read For All Feminists Sex Work Activists Are Rallying Behind This First-Time Brooklyn PoliticianAnd Heres Why That Matters Riley Mayes is a student at Smith College where she is pursuing her BA in English. She currently lives in Brunswick, Maine, where she loves to go hiking, take care of her plants, and read the heaps of books on her bedside table. New to the twitter game https://twitter.com/RileyMayes3 Update: Bloomsburg Fair releases statement Photos of a dunk tank posted to the Bloomsburg Fairs Facebook page have drawn criticism for transphobia, even after they have been removed. The dunk tank, according to the initial post made by the fair, was part of an effort to raise money for fire companies in the Bloomsburg area. The post included photos of someone in a dunk tank wearing a dress and wig, meant to resemble Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Dr. Levine? Thank you. You were a hit and raised a lot of money for the local fire companies, the post read. It goes on to say Wonder why so many were trying to dunk you with a smiling emoji, suggesting disapproval or dissatisfaction with the states handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Levine, a transgender woman, has been at the forefront of Pennsylvanias coronavirus response as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health under Gov. Tom Wolf. This has led to her being targeted by critics of the states shutdowns and health mandates, criticism often accompanied by attacks on Levines identity. READ MORE: Please dont misgender me: Reporter calls Pa. health secretary sir multiple times during interview The post has since been removed from the Bloomsburg Fairs website, but not before images of it were captured and began to circulate on social media. Several comments condemning the event and demanding apologies for Levine and the LGBTQ+ community were also made on the fairs other posts. The Bloomsburg Fair has yet to issue a public comment on the post or the dunk tank, and as of publishing did not reply to requests for comment on this story. Bloomsburg Fair [Columbia County] shared these photos from their offensive fundraising activity focusing on the pandemic and the highly decorated Dr. Rachel Levine, said Justin M. Correll, board member of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance, on his own Facebook page. There is no way for them to state that this was a slip of the keys or accidentally clicking post. This was a fully thought out episode of a clear lack of judgment, criticizing both personally & professionally a well-respected medical professional and all out display of hate. This bigotry is clearly not an accident as the post and multiple pictures from the event are depicted. Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims, a graduate of Bloomsburg University, made the following statement on Twitter, denouncing the dunk tank and the Bloomsburg Fairs actions: BLOOMSBURG: As an extremely proud @BloomsburgU alum, and as someone who truly loves the Town of Bloomsburg, I cant begin to say how disgusted I am with the transphobia that occurred at, and was subsequently promoted by, the @BloomsburgFair today. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/j4U3ZROp0h Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) July 20, 2020 The Pa. Department of Health did not have a response to this story, other than to refer to a statement made by the Pennsyvlania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs in June defending her public service record and denouncing the vile and toxic transphobia which is sometimes spread by her critics. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, Pennsylvanians have tremendously benefited from the steadfast leadership of Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, read a statement by the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs made in June, a response to other instances of transphobic comments or actions made toward the secretary. The statement continued, stating, Week after week, members of the LGBTQ community and thousands of Pennsylvanians have tuned in to be informed by our Health Secretary only to be assaulted by streams of comments and slurs aimed directly at Dr. Levine and indirectly at all transgender Pennsylvanians. Whether a member of the media is misgendering her or social media comments are lobbed her way, we admire how Dr. Levine has shown poise and the highest degree of professionalism. LANSING -- The League of Women Voters is taking its case to the Michigan Supreme Court. The group is appealing a decision that requires absentee ballots be received by local clerks by Election Day. The League says voters should have their ballots count if they are put in the mail by Election Day. The unconstitutional barriers to absentee voting in Michigan, must be corrected immediately, said Christina Schlitt, president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan in a statement. Schlitt said they want the states highest court to rule by September 4, so voters, candidates and election officials know the rules well in advance of the November general election. This will ensure voting is accessible and convenient for every registered voter in Michigan. However, at this stage the League is asking the Supreme Court to take on the case, theres no guarantee that it will. The League of Women Voters sued the state in May, arguing that absentee ballots should be allowed to be received after Election Day as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. On July 14, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against the League and said that absentee ballots must be received by Election Day in order to be counted. The League asked the Court of Appeals to require clerks to count absentee ballots postmarked by or on Election Day. But the state argued the deadline was nondiscriminatory and it was a policy decision after Proposal 3 was adopted by the voters in November 2018. Proposal 3 was adopted by Michigan voters in 2018. It required sweeping changes to Michigans election process, including allowing for no reason absentee voting. The Secretary of States Office declined to comment. MORE FROM MLIVE: As Michigan braces for another coronavirus surge, here are 6 concerns among public health officials Whitmer, Fauci among Michigans most-trusted sources on coronavirus, survey shows White Boy Rick released from Florida prison, will return to Michigan while on parole KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2020 - 15:00 | All, Japan A baby whale born to two different species made a public debut on Monday at a whale museum in the western Japan town of Taiji. The female whale, which was born in June last year at the Taiji Whale Museum in Wakayama Prefecture, has a black body, a characteristic of its father, a false killer whale, but with white markings, a feature of a Risso's dolphin, the species of its mother. The two species bred together naturally at the museum. They have also done so on two other occasions but this is the first time the resulting calf has lived more than a year, the museum said. The calf has been named "Hiyoka," which combines the name of a former area in the town with the Chinese character meaning flower. Hiyoka measures about 2.5 meters in length and weighs an estimated 177 kilograms. It measured about 1.3 meters in length at birth. The museum will take data on the whale's growth in a bid to utilize it for research. "It is a very rare whale," said Daiki Inamori, deputy head of the museum. "I would like visitors to look at it with affection." Taiji is known for a dolphin drive hunt that has drawn criticism from anti-whaling campaigners. It is also one of Japan's whaling towns. She is enjoying her summer off work after waving goodbye to her Heart Radio show this week. And Amanda Holden shared a sweet Instagram snap with her 14-year old daughter, Alexa Hughes on Sunday night. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, shared a picturesque snap alongside her lookalike daughter to social media. Beaming: Amanda Holden posted an angelic snap from her holiday this Sunday accompanied by her fourteen-year old lookalike daughter, Alexa Hughes Amanda smiled towards the camera in the sun-drenched image wearing delicate gold jewellery and a white summery blouse. Her daughter, Lexi also opted for a feminine outfit choice as she wore a bright patterned top with white trim detailing. The canary yellow colour and golden pendant she wore complimented her flowing blonde tresses. Family affair: The Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, frequently attends events with her stunning daughter including the 'Les Miserables' musical in January earlier this year Amanda on the other hand, sported her signature shoulder-length locks with a strawberry-blonde hue. The mother-daughter duo looked angelic and relaxed in their holiday snap posted on Instagram. The TV presenter lives in Richmond-upon-Thames with her musician husband, Chris Hughes, and their two daughters, Lexi, and Hollie Rose Hughes, eight. The pair originally met in 2003 in Los Angeles but began dating a year later. They tied the knot in 2008 at St Margaret's Church in Somerset and held their reception at Babington House - the same lavish wedding location as TV host James Corden and his wife, Julia Carey. Their eldest daughter was two at the time and she attended the extravagant ceremony. The couple have suffered hardships in their relationship such as the loss of their baby son, Theo, in 2011. Family Portrait: Amanda shares two daughters, Lexi, and Hollie Rose Hughes, eight, with her husband of 12 years, Chris Hughes Amanda gave birth to her stillborn child when he was seven months old and credits Chris for being her rock through difficult times. She said to Hello!: 'Chris is very funny and errs on the side of lightness. 'We can make jokes out of any situation throughout the best and darkest times of our lives. 'He's rubbish at romance, but he's there for the solid things such as keeping my car clean and making sure I relax. 'He's a proper bloke who looks after me. I'm a strong, opinionated woman, but he helps steer the Mandy ship.' Chinese video making company TikTok has stopped discussions on placing its headquarters in London with rising tensions between the UK and China. The move comes shortly after the UK announced a ban on Chinese telecom giant Huawei to further its 5G development in Britain. ByteDance, Tiktok's parent company, had spent months in negotiations with the Department for International Trade and UK government officials to expand operations, The Guardian stated. The move could affect 3000 potential jobs in the UK as against the 800 who were already employed. TikTok will now look at placing its headquarters in rival cities like Dublin which is seen as a leading contender. UK officials are however hopeful to rejoin talks with the Chinese company after making clear in the diplomatic channels that Huawei was banned from the UK only after facing pressure from the US. A ByteDance spokesman told The Guardian: "The UK is one of our most important markets globally, with a talented and diverse team in London, including senior leadership. UK employees have quadrupled over the last year and we expect continued strong growth. "We remain fully committed to investing in London and inspiring creativity and bringing joy to our users around the world through our products and platforms," he added. A report by The Global Times stated that Chinese officials have harshly criticised the UK's decision and vowed to take "all necessary measures" to protect Chinese businesses. The officials have stressed that the move has seriously undermined mutual trust and Chinese businesses' confidence in the UK market. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming hinted that Chinese investments into the UK could be at risk after the UK announced the Huawei ban. "In the past 10 years. Chinese investment in the UK increased 20 timesThis is a big opportunity for the UK. I think the UK really missed the opportunities," Liu told The Global Times. He noted that with a $20 billion Chinese investment, the UK is the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Europe, citing a transcript published by the embassy. Huawei was told that geopolitics had played a part in its ban from the UK, and was given the impression that maybe the decision of its ban could be revisited in the future. Perhaps, after the anti-China sentiment in Washington is eased and depending on the results of Presidential elections in the US. The Trump administration has openly spoken about considering a TikTok ban in China saying that the app spies on user details. Cancer treatment delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic could cause up to 10,000 more avoidable deaths over the next five years, experts have warned. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers modelled what effect the coronavirus-related disruption of cancer services will have by 2025. They found between 3,291 and 3,621 patients with four of the most common forms of the disease breast, lung, bowel and oesophageal cancer could have their lives cut short. But a grimmer study by the Institute of Cancer Research found the excess cancer deaths could exceed 10,000 when all other forms of the disease are included. Catching tumours in their earliest stage before they are able to spread around the body is critical to survival. During the UK's epidemic, cancer screening and routine referrals were suspended in a bid to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed. The Covid-19 crisis has also made people hesitant to use healthcare, causing a huge drop-off in symptomatic cancer patients seeing their GP. NHS figures show that 106,535 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in May 2020, 47 per cent down from 200,599 in May 2019. At the same time, 55,500 more people are now waiting to have key cancer tests in England's hospitals compared with the same point last year. The researchers are urging the Government to launch a public health blitz urging Britons with suspected symptoms to seek treatment. They are also calling for the NHS to ramp up its diagnostic capacity to help clear the backlog of people waiting for vital tests and treatments. NHS figures show that 106,535 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in May 2020, 47 per cent down from 200,599 in May 2019 The research, published in Lancet Oncology, drew on NHS cancer registration and hospital data of more than 93,000 patients diagnosed in 2010-2012. They used this data to estimate the effect of delays in diagnosis on cancer survival for four main types of the disease. The researchers then assumed the current drop off in referrals will continue for the next year, as the NHS adheres to social distancing measures and services try to get back up and running. The average waiting time for NHS treatment has shot up during the coronavirus epidemic because hospitals were forced to cancel non-urgent operations to make room for an expected surge in Covid-19 patients 10MILLION patients on NHS surgery waiting lists by Christmas, health bosses warn Ten million people could be stuck on NHS waiting lists by the end of the year due to coronavirus hold-ups, health bosses have warned. Last August there were a record 4.41million patients in England waiting for routine operations, a rise of 250,000 from the same month a year earlier. But that number is expected to more than double because of a backlog triggered by the Covid-19 crisis, according to NHS projections. When officials realised the virus was spreading out of control in the UK they urged hospitals to cancel operations and turf out patients to make way for a surge in virus cases. The move stopped hospitals from being overwhelmed but hundreds of thousands of non-virus patients have had treatment delayed as a result. The health service is also bracing for its worst winter on record, when it will have to battle an influx of patients with seasonal flu and Covid-19. A new report by the NHS Confederation, which represents represents health and care leaders, predicts 10million people on waiting lists by Christmas. Bosses behind the projection said a best case scenario could see 8million people waiting for treatment, if a vaccine or therapy comes along before then. Experts have warned it could take two years to clear the backlog, even if there is no second wave of coronavirus. The report warned services will be operating at around 60 per cent capacity because of new NHS infection control and social distancing measures. NHS Confederation chief executive Niall Dickson has written to Boris Johnson to prepare the public for the huge waits they will have to face for months after the crisis is over. He has also called for assurances about personal protective equipment (PPE) and the effectiveness of the Government's Test and Trace programme. Advertisement They estimate bowel cancer deaths to soar by between 15 and 17 per cent the equivalent of 1,445 to 1,563 patients and breast cancer to claim 281 and 344 more lives. The model also suggested there could be a 6 per cent (330342) rise in deaths from oesophageal cancer over the next 5 years and a 5 per cent (1,2351,372) rise in lung cancer victims. There are around 165,000 cancer deaths in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research.org. Dr Ajay Aggarwal, lead researcher, said: 'Our findings estimate a nearly 20 per cent increase in avoidable bowel cancer deaths due to diagnostic delays. 'To prevent this becoming a reality, it is vital that more resources are made urgently available for endoscopy and colonoscopy services which are managing significant backlogs currently, and that patients present promptly to their GP if they have any concerning gastrointestinal symptoms.' Professor Richard Sullivan, from King's College London, who also worked on the study, said: 'On average, for each avoidable cancer death due to diagnostic delay, 20 years of life will be lost. 'These estimates paint a sobering picture and reflect the many young people who are affected by cancer in the prime of life during their most productive years.' The authors warned the true death toll could be far higher once all types of cancer were factored in together with delays in treatment for those already diagnosed with forms of the disease. A separate study published in in the same journal today found that even in a best-case scenario, an additional 542 excess cancer deaths could occur in the UK as a result of the lockdown delays. The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) examined data for 20 common cancers and modelled three scenarios. Researchers looked at a 25, 50 or 75 per cent reduction in people coming forward with symptoms and receiving urgent GP referrals over the three-month lockdown period. The data suggested that if all patients eventually sought help and were referred for scans or other tests promptly at the end of lockdown in mid-June, there could be between 181 and 542 excess deaths within the next five years. However, even more lives would be lost when delays in accessing scans and biopsies in a timely fashion are added to the totals. The ICR team estimated that a one month per patient delay in diagnosis just via the two-week GP referral pathway would result in 1,412 lives lost, while a six-month delay would result in 9,280 lives lost. When it came to cancer type, the ICR said delays for suspected bladder, kidney and lung cancers would have the biggest impact on the number of deaths. Study leader Professor Clare Turnbull said: 'It's vital that we do everything we can to ensure cancer patients are not left further behind by the disruptions to care caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'That means ramping up capacity as quickly as possible to allow cancer diagnostic services to clear the backlog.' Professor Paul Workman, chief executive of the ICR, added: 'It has become clear that the Covid-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on people with cancer - by delaying their diagnosis, disrupting access to surgery and other aspects of care, and pausing vital research into new treatments.' For breast cancer, the scientists modelled that if everyone diagnosed with breast cancer experienced a one-month delay due to the pandemic, this would result in up to 228 more breast cancer deaths. A six-month delay for everyone could cause 1,629 extra deaths from breast cancer. Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, which helped fund the study, said: 'Early diagnosis remains absolutely critical. 'While referrals to see a cancer specialist are starting to recover, we are still some way from this returning to normal.' Alhaji Hairat, NDC Secretary for the Salaga South Constituency of the Savannah Region, has made some interesting revelations including allegations against the ruling NPP at the ongoing new voter registration in Salaga South. In a press statement issued and signed by him, he revealed that the incumbent Member of Parliament for Salaga South, Hon. Salifu Adam Braimah, who also doubles as the Savannah regional Minister is busy abusing his powers by bussing strangers and foreigners to register their names and vote on December 7th. The minister is also the Head of the Savannah Regional Security Council. He said the action was captured on video in broad daylight through the NDC's vigilance and by the help of local people. Here is the full statement. STATEMENT BY NDC SALAGA SOUTH: THE DAY KPEMBE STOOD UP AND DEFENDED THE LAW The people of Kpembe and Salaga South Constituency this morning showed fortitude and defended the law. The Savannah regional minister (Salifu Adam Braimah, MP for Salaga South and NPP parliamentary candidate for December 2020) who is also the Head of the Savannah Regional Security Council was stopped in his tracks by ordinary citizens of Kpembe and Salaga when he attempted to break the law. He had sought to register non-indigenes and residents of Salaga South when he bused them in from Damongo. The law-abiding people of Salaga and Kpembe refused to allow the strangers to register and so at 12:35pm they escorted them out of the constituency with their heads bowed in shame. Indeed the youth of Salaga accompanied the "rigging" Yutong bus out of the constituency after they made a brief stop at Salaga roundabout where Dr. Clifford Braimah, Managing Director of GWCL, and an Uncle to the NPP parliamentary candidate handed them their "blood money". It will be recalled that earlier in the day we had reported about the regional Minister's bussing in of people from Damongo to register in his constituency. An act that is clearly in breach of the electoral laws of Ghana. We at the NDC applaud the youth of Kpembe and Salaga for their tenacity and patriotism. Information available to the NDC is that only three out of the almost 60 people bussed in succeeded in registering. Two registered at Newmarket Centre and one at Butcher house. The NDC remains vigilant and will indeed lookout for these fraudsters on election day. The NDC salutes the people of Salaga South Constituency and assures them that we will continue to work hard whilst we remain vigilant throughout the electioneering process and Insha Allah on 7th December, we shall deliver to them quality leadership. Allah bless the people of Salaga South Constituency and Allah bless the great NDC party; Allah bless our country Ghana. Signed : Alhaji Hairat NDC Constituency Secretary Salaga South Constituency Bahamasair has ceased outgoing flights to the US due to coronavirus concerns. Ivan Cholakov / Shutterstock.com The Bahamas has joined other countries in banning US travelers this summer. The popular tourist destination reopened its borders three weeks ago, but has seen a spike in coronavirus cases. While International flights from Canada, the UK, and the EU are allowed, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis closed the borders to US visitors on Sunday. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Americans with plans to sunbathe on Bahamian beaches this summer can forget about it. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced on Sunday that US tourists are among those banned from the islands due to coronavirus concerns. Bahamasair ceased flights to the United States on Sunday. Commercial flights and vessels are banned from the country, with an exception for those coming from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, Minnis said. "In neighboring countries, hospitals are overwhelmed and deaths are increasing. For some places it is unclear when or how they will get this virus under control," Minnis said. "While there are countries that continue to make progress, such progress can be reversed because of what is happening in neighboring and other countries. The tourism ban comes three weeks after the Bahamas reopened its borders to travel. Since then, the country has seen a spike in coronavirus cases. To accommodate visitors scheduled to leave after July 22, outgoing commercial flights to the US will be permitted, Minnis said. Private international flights and charters for Bahamians, residents, and visitors will also be allowed. Visitors on yachts are also welcome, Minnis said. Anyone arriving in the country by air or sea, including residents, will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival. The test will have to been taken within 10 days before the date of the visit. tourist lies on a sun bed on a beach in Nassau, Bahamas on September 12, 2019, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images The Bahamas has identified 153 confirmed cases of coronavirus Story continues Minnis blamed the rise in cases, at least in part, to the handling of cases in countries frequented by Bahamians. "Progress can also be reversed because of how citizens and residents within countries are following or ignoring health guidelines," he said. The Bahamas has had 153 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 11 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The region is still recovering from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Dorian last year. The US is the largest tourism market for the Bahamas, especially people from Florida, according to USA Today. Florida has seen 350,047 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with nearly 5,000 deaths, according to state data. The Bahamas isn't the only country to close their otherwise reopened borders to US tourists. The European Union and the UK have also banned American tourists amid surging coronavirus cases in some regions. Read the original article on Business Insider TikTok has been in discussions with the UK government over the past few months to locate its headquarters in London, a source familiar with the matter said, as part of a strategy to distance itself from its Chinese ownership. London is among one of several locations the company is considering, but no decisions have been made, the source said. It was not immediately clear what other locations are under consideration. But it has hired aggressively in California this year, including poaching Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Co executive, to be TikTok's chief executive. He is based in the United States. TikTok is facing heavy scrutiny in Washington over suspicions China could force the company to turn over user data. TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance. The source said the company is largely focused on its issues in the United States over the last few weeks, but has not ruled out London as a potential location for its new headquarters. TikTok is expected to "significantly" increase the size of its workforce in London and other key locations outside of China over the next several years, the source said. The Sunday Times reported Tiktok has broken off talks with the UK government to open a global headquarters in Britain. A source said Tiktok was still in discussions with Britain's government. TikTok declined to comment. Also read: Japan's game plan - to pay companies to move out of China Federal officers use tear gas and other crowd dispersal munitions on protesters outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Mason Trinca/Getty Images President Donald Trump defended deploying federal agents to Portland, Oregon, as trying to help take "control of the anarchists and agitators." Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last week that federal law enforcement officers had arrived in the city in unmarked vehicles and detained protesters with no explanation as to why they were being arrested. Trump's administration has defended the law enforcement presence as part of a federal directive to protect public property in the city amid nightly protests prompted by George Floyd's death in police custody. On Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler rejected Trump's explanation, saying the deployment was "a direct threat to our democracy" and additional authorities were "escalating an already dangerous situation." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump defended deploying federal agents to Portland, Oregon, who appeared last week in unmarked vehicles and detained protesters. The city has seen nightly demonstrations against racism and police brutality since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last week that federal law enforcement officers had detained protesters off the street with no explanation as to why they were being arrested as part of a federal directive to protect public property. Oregon lawmakers denounced the federal government employing "authoritarian tactics" and asked in a July 17 letter for Attorney General William Barr to recall the agents, Insider's Charles Davis previously reported. That same day, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service and said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to "immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians," the Associated Press reported. Trump responded to the backlash on Sunday, tweeting that the administration was "trying to help Portland" by seeking to protect "federal property" and people. Story continues "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it," Trump wrote. "Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!" In the tweet, Trump echoed a statement from Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf issued July 16 that claimed the federal deployment was a response to the city that was "under siege" by "a violent mob while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect their city." The statement details violent clashes between demonstrators and authorities that occurred between May 29 and July 15, referring to "violent anarchists" 72 times, Insider's Charles Davis reported. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler pushed back against Trump's explanation on Sunday, NBC News reported, saying that the additional authorities were "escalating an already dangerous situation." "This could happen in your city," Wheeler said. "What we're seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, by a Trump administration that's falling in the polls. And this is a direct threat to our democracy." Read the original article on Insider Morrison showcases hypocritical refugee stance On the 9th July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a press conference at which he announced the suspension of Australias extradition agreement with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the extension of skilled and graduate visas for Hong Kong residents by five years followed by a pathway to permanent residency in Australia. Supporters of Chinas new security law celebrate in Hong Kong, June 2020. Morrison attributed the cause for these policy changes to an acknowledgement of the fundamental change of circumstances in relation to Hong Kong because of the new security law, namely that the recently passed law on national security undermines the One Country, Two Systems framework, and Hong Kongs own basic law and the high degree of autonomy guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Morrison described the view that the law contradicts these three things as a shared view of many countries. In reference to citizens of Hong Kong who may be looking to move elsewhere, Morrison claimed Australia has always been a very welcoming country to such people from all around the world, and our immigration system is the best in the world. It is difficult to decipher what meaning of such people would make this statement one which comes anywhere near to reflecting the facts of Australias immigration record. But it is clear that Morrison is happy to disagree with the shared view of many countries (and Australians) that in fact Australia has often not been very welcoming, and Australias immigration system is not the best in the world. The White Australia policy and the issue of human rights violations in the offshore detention centres are just two of the most obvious examples from our respective past and present. The allegation that Chinas law on national security undermines the principle of One Country, Two Systems is an outrageous and hypocritical claim. There is no One Country, Two Systems without One Country, yet the so called pro-democracy protesters, praised and supported by the US camp, are led by extremist separatists who by definition wish to destroy the One Country principle. Foreign observers and governments, as well as the separatist rioters in the Hong Kong opposition, have no right to treat One Country, Two Systems as a phrase to throw around in pursuit of their interests while they have no respect for its content. The US government and its followers such as Morrison claim that the national security law puts an end to Two Systems because it supposedly violates Hong Kongs Basic Law, the document which outlines Hong Kongs political and economic system, and as such it undermines that systems autonomy from the socialist system of the Chinese mainland. This claim falls apart upon investigation. The Basic Law was developed during the period of British colonial rule over Hong Kong, as a result of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984. It was developed over the following five years by a committee consisting of experts from both Hong Kong and the mainland, and went through several rounds of public consultation conducted by a separate committee consisting solely of Hong Kong people. It was officially promulgated in 1990, and came into force with the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, an event which demonstrated that the Basic Law was accepted by the British as meeting the terms of the Joint Declaration. The new security legislation has been made in accordance with Article 18 of the Basic Law, which like all of the Articles has remained unmodified since the 1990 promulgation. It provides conditions for the central government to add to Annex III of the Basic Law in consultation with the HKSAR government. It also states that in the case of turmoil within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which endangers national unity or security and is beyond the control of the government of the Region the central government may decide to apply the relevant national laws in the Region. Although Article 23 of the Basic Law declared that the HKSAR government had a responsibility to enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central Peoples Government amongst other things, it has failed to do so due to sustained disruption by the political opposition. The central government has been forced to step in and exercise its jurisdiction over matters of national security although it is important to note that this does not negate the fact that the HKSAR government still has the same overdue responsibility to make laws of its own in this regard. This is another example of the hypocrisy of the opposition and their backers, who appeal to the authority of the Basic Law whilst themselves deliberately impeding its implementation. Finally, the last of the three things Morrison referred to was the aforementioned Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984. By referring to it in this context, Morrison appears to be upholding the current British conception of the Declaration, which is to claim that it is a binding treaty that remains in force today. This is despite the fact that China has always rejected this conception of the Declaration, and for good reason: the very purpose of the Declaration was to set up the conditions to end all British claims of sovereignty over Chinese territory, and return Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. For the UK to claim that the document, which almost entirely pertains to internal affairs of Hong Kong, remains of continuing legal significance, makes a mockery of any notion of sovereignty. It is unconscionable for any country to claim they recognise a countrys sovereignty over part of its own territory, whilst simultaneously claiming they continue to have a say in the internal affairs of that territory. So does any aspect of Morrisons shared view about Chinas security law stand up to scrutiny? Sadly, whether it does or not seems to be irrelevant in our country at the present time. Yisrael Kakon from the ultra-Orthodox town of Bnei Brak has traveled to the Ukrainian city of Uman on the Jewish New Year ever since he was seven years old. The first time the authorities allowed trips to Uman was in 1988, when I went with my father. Since then I havent missed a year, Kakon, 39, told Al-Monitor. I wont give up, no matter how much my plane ticket will cost. Some years I paid $1,800 for a ticket that should have cost only $300. But this year I dont know what to do. The Ukrainians are closing the entire compound. I hope and pray that at the last minute, some kind of agreement will be reached. Every year, tens of thousands of Jews from all over the world visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who lived in Uman until his death in 1810. This pilgrimage has continued for more than 200 years, except for short gaps mainly during wartime or when transportation was especially difficult. In 1988, a group of Nachmans followers traveled to the grave in Uman and began to rehabilitate the site. Since then, the number of Jewish pilgrims has risen; last year 40,000 Jews made the trip from Israel, turning the event into the largest prayer group in the world. This year, however, things might look different. On July 14, Ukraine's Interior Ministry announced that it would bar Israeli visitors to Uman for the Jewish New Year in September, citing the recent coronavirus spike in both countries. And so, the decision to bar the practice for the first time in 32 years has become the subject of much discussion among the tens of thousands of believers. The citys Mayor Oleksandr Tsebriy even posted a survey on his Facebook page asking residents whether the ultra-Orthodox followers of Nachman should be allowed to come to the city. At first, many residents said that they were welcome, but as the days went by the camp that opposes entrance to the followers on the Jewish New Year won. In a meeting held in the Uman municipality, the no-entrance decision was officially ratified. Local reports said that participants of the meeting took into account the existing epidemiological situation in Israel and the fact that Israel now falls in the "red state" category due to its high coronavirus rate. They all agreed that the city must concern itself with the health and safety of its own Ukrainian citizens, in addition to those of foreign citizens. Reports also said that the decision was taken after a series of talks and meetings between Ukrainian and Israeli officials, with the Israeli side understanding what led to the cancellation of the Jewish pilgrimage to Uman. In principal, if we werent familiar with [the mindset of] the current mayor, no one would question his motivations now, said Kakon, who is also involved in the doings of the Jewish community in Uman. But Oleksandr Tsebriy has anti-Semitic inclinations. He was the one who built a monument for one of the Ukraines most famous Jew murderers, Ivan Gonta [in 1768]. He has a history of posting problematic content on social media and even the survey he posted on his Facebook page reeked of anti-Semitism; he purposely used grotesque pictures to characterize the Jews. His poll was directed against the Jewish tourists alone, and not against tourists in general. Kakon believes that the mayor is purposely stirring up anti-Semitic and xenophobic emotions in preparation for the coming elections in the city. I could have understood if they closed the city to all tourists thats perfectly OK. But our inner instincts tell us that the mayor is lighting a fire of hatred for political gain. Lets not forget that it was Jewish tourism that boosted the local economy and turned Uman into a thriving region. On Facebook, Jewish followers are discussing ways in which they can fool the authorities and somehow sneak into Uman. Student visas and even expedited requests for Ukrainian citizenship are offered to Nachman's followers by dubious characters for rates between $500 and $1,500. I believe that the last word hasn't been said about this yet we still have two months, and thats a long time. I absolutely believe in last-minute miracles, Kakon noted. Now they are considering allowing entrance only to those who present proof of a recent, negative coronavirus test. There are negotiations between well-connected Jews in the Ukrainian Jewish community and the local government. But the way it seems now, there wont be a flood of Jews as in previous years; the number of worshippers will be limited. But even if something is worked out, a bad taste will remain. Our feeling based on a long history of [anti-Jewish expression] in the city and the way the Uman municipality works is that anti-Semitic overtones are mixed with the serious problems of the coronavirus crisis. A Queensland proposal to potentially make life easier for border residents once the interstate boundaries were closed by COVID-19 was rejected by New South Wales officials four months ago. After seeing the long queues at the border crossings since restrictions were eased, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will put the same idea to her NSW counterparts again on Monday. The Queensland leader has written to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian requesting the interstate border checkpoint be moved south to the Tweed River, from its current location in Coolangatta. "My understanding is that conversations did take place back in March between the two respective police ministers ... [and the idea] was rejected in March," Ms Palaszczuk said. As China's province on the West end sees a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases, the country accelerates containment measures with increased medical surveillance, total shutdown warning people of a wartime-situation. Chinese authorities on Sunday declared the Xinjiang province in the countrys far west as wartime situation after the region reported a sudden spike in coronavirus cases, Al Jazeera reported. The province recorded 17 confirmed cases, 23 asymptomatic infections till early Sunday morning, with 269 people under observation. Twenty-one medical technicians from Wuhan, the centre of Chinas outbreak in February, arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiangs capital, on Saturday morning, Changjiang Daily reported. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Urumqi rose sharply on Friday, taking the total reported cases since Thursday to 17, according to local health authorities, South China Morning Post reported. Also read: No in-person rallies, says Trump after defiance on masks as Covid cases rise in US Also read: Afghan lawmakers condemn pak shelling in East Afghan provinces A total of 11 new cases were reported between Friday and Saturday noon, according to the regional governments official news portal. A total of 269 people are under medical observation. There have also been 23 asymptomatic cases recorded since the start of the latest outbreak, but these are not included in the list of confirmed cases in defiance of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines suggesting they should be. In an apparent effort to curb the virus spreading, Xinjiang government announced on Saturday that Urumqi, a city with a population of 3.5 million, had gone into wartime mode with all residential compounds being sealed off and public gatherings banned. Local residents are being encouraged to stay in the city while those who have to leave must take tests. Anyone who works with close contacts or who live in the same compounds must also be tested. The source of the new infections remains unclear, but Rui Baoling, director of the citys disease control and prevention centre, said the confirmed cases, all in Tianshan district, were linked to a cluster outbreak. The local health authority has asked for genomic sequencing of all the cases to identify the source of the second outbreak in Xinjiang, Rui said. Local media reports said the citys first case in 150 days was a 24-year-old woman who worked at a shopping centre in Tianshan district. She was sent to a local hospital by ambulance after developing symptoms on Tuesday. She tested positive the next day. Also read: Global Covid-19 toll nears 14 million with over 259k cases in 24 hours For all the latest World News, download NewsX App OTTAWA/VANCOUVER For 67 days, tiny Prince Edward Island went without a single new case of COVID-19. That changed earlier this month when Canadas smallest province, best known as the home of fictions Anne of Green Gables, announced a cluster of new cases linked to a foreign student who entered Canada from the United States. The man, who did not immediately self-isolate upon arrival in Canada as required by law, infected at least one person, who then infected at least four more. With tens of thousands of people crossing the border every day, theres no way to enforce that they follow the rules, said Colin Furness, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Its a little bit scary. As Canadas COVID-19 infections and deaths moderate, the explosion of new cases in the United States presents a challenge for Canadian authorities who must deal with both unwanted tourists slipping though the border and legitimate travelers who break the strict quarantine laws. The problem is compounded by a recent jump in crossings. More than 187,000 truck drivers and individuals entered last week from the U.S., a 30% increase over the end of May. The ice beneath our feet is getting steadily thinner in terms of what were allowing and the risk that were taking, Furness said. Closed but open While the border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 21, returning Canadians, essential workers and truckers, foreigners coming for family reunification, and even Americans driving to Alaska, are all allowed in. The law dictates that all but essential workers and truckers must isolate for 14 days, but not everyone is. A Canadian maple leaf is seen on The Peace Bridge, which runs between Canada and the United States, over the Niagara River in Buffalo, New York, U.S. July 15, 2020. Photo: Reuters Canadas public health agency has so far contacted 175,723 foreigners to verify their compliance, while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said police have performed physical verification checks on 1,492 priority individuals. A Florida couple were fined in rural Ontario this week for breaking the quarantine law, while a Minnesota couple were fined last week, also in Ontario. Police have also fined numerous U.S. citizens for stopping to hike in picturesque Banff National Park while en route to Alaska. Canadians, too, have faced scrutiny. Three Irving Oil executives were granted an exemption in June to travel to the U.S. and not quarantine on return. After public backlash, the local health authority backtracked and the men were isolated. Public opinion in Canada is firmly in favor of border restrictions, with 81% of polled Canadians saying they want the border to stay closed. The U.S. reported a record 77,000 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. Despite the surge, the Canadian government is under pressure from a group of 29 U.S. lawmakers who want a phased plan for reopening, and from family reunification advocates who say it is unfair that married people can cross the border to join their spouses while fiances or non-cohabitating domestic partners of Canadians cannot. We are not asking for open borders, we are just asking to be together, said David Poon, who runs a Facebook group advocating to reunify couples separated by the border closure. Jessica Boyer and 8-year-old Parker Holbeche sit across from Doug Boyer at a border marker during Mother's Day along the Canada-U.S. border, closed to non-essential travel due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Langley, British Columbia, Canada May 10, 2020. Photo: Reuters Tourism hurting Canadas most iconic tourist towns are feeling the pinch. The unemployment rate in Banff, a resort town in Canadas flagship national park, has risen to an alarming 80% as COVID-19 has crippled the hospitality sector, said Leslie Bruce, chief executive of Banff and Lake Louise Tourism. Since the border restrictions were imposed, more than 10,000 U.S. citizens have been turned back because they wanted to enter for tourism, shopping or other non-essential reasons, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. In Whistler, a British Columbian mountain resort where U.S. tourists typically account for 25% of all summer visitors, hotel occupancy dropped to pretty much zero from mid-March through the end of June, said Barrett Fisher, president and CEO of Tourism Whistler. The U.S. is an important tourism market for Whistler, but the safety of all of our communities is first and foremost, she said. The Jerusalem District Court decided July 19 that the calling of witnesses in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus criminal trial will start in January 2021. The court also decided that hearings will be held regularly, three times a week. Netanyahu faces charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust, accusations he denies. The July 19 session was the second time the court convened on this issue since the opening of the trial May 24. Then, Netanyahu was requested to appear in the courthouse in person. His lawyers had argued that the prime minister should be exempt from attending because of the cost and security complications entailed by assuring his safety, but the judges rejected that request. Speaking in the corridors of the courthouse upon arrival to the building, Netanyahu then slammed both the police and the prosecution and accused them of attempting to topple him, stating, When there is a strong right-wing leader like me, everything is permitted to bring him down. This is an attempt to overthrow us. At that initial May 24 hearing, Netanyahus lawyers obtained a first victory by delaying the court hearing on the date of the witness calling for two months, to the July 19 hearing. This time, however, went differently, as Netanyahu was not requested to appear in person. The hearing focused on fixing the date for starting to call in witnesses. Netanyahus lawyers were hoping to postpone this phase at least until mid-2021 or even later next year, but the prosecution insisted on calling the witnesses much sooner, in the coming weeks. One of Netanyahu's lawyers, Yossi Segev, said in court that it will be hard for him to face a masked witness and see if he or she is indeed telling the truth. The judges rejected Segevs argument, saying they would continue convening even during a lockdown. Finally, the decision by the court for January 2021 was a compromise for both sides. Netanyahu has been facing an increasing number of demonstrations lately, targeting both his management of the coronavirus crisis and his indictment. On July 14, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside Netanyahus Jerusalem residence, calling on him to resign over his indictment on corruption charges. Several protesters were detained by police for rioting after the demonstration. On July 18, two more demonstrations took place. One in Tel Aviv, blaming the government for failing to confront the coronavirus-induced economic crisis, and one in Jerusalem against Netanyahu and his corruption trial. On July 19, Netanyahu tweeted in reaction, "The cat is out of the bag. The flag of the Palestinian Authority at the left-wing demonstration organized by [former Prime Minister] Ehud Barak. Shame on you." The surge in coronavirus infections in the Australian state of Victoria has affected multiple workplaces, including meatworks, warehouses, factories, and retail outlets, in addition to schools, aged care facilities and hospitals. Yesterday, Victorian state Labor premier Daniel Andrews reported that some 80 percent of all COVID-19 transmissions in the last two months have taken place within workplaces. Today and yesterday, the state registered four more coronavirus deaths and another 638 new cases, with the vast majority of these classified as under investigation, meaning that authorities have no idea how and where people became infected. More than 1,500 coronavirus infections are under investigation in Victoria, indicating community transmission rates that are spiralling out of control. Coles warehouse workers on strike in July 2012 The workplace transmission figures further expose the federal and state governments response to the pandemic. Like their counterparts in the US and internationally, Labor and Liberal political leaders have prioritised the demands of big business and finance capital over public health and safety. The so-called national cabinet of federal and state ministers rejected in April a strategy aimed at eradicating coronavirus through strict lockdown measures, instead opting to allow a supposedly safe level of viral infection in order to open up the economy as quickly as possible. Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared that everyone with a job was an essential worker. Likewise in Victoria, as infections surged this month, the Labor government instituted lockdown measures that limited individuals movements and prohibited family and social gatherings, but did nothing to restrict the operations of non-essential business activities. Schools have been kept open, with thousands of teachers forced to continue working there even when their students are remote learning from their homes (see: Anger grows as Australian state Labor government sends teachers and senior students back to school in Melbourne). Throughout the pandemic, millions of workers who are unable to work from home on computer-based tasks have been forced to continue as usual in their workplaces. In Victoria, schools, nursing homes and hospitals have been hard hit. Most of the clusters have formed in the working-class northern and western suburbs of Melbourne. The biggest school cluster is at Al-Taqwa College in Truganina, with 169 people contracting the virus. Thirty nursing homes for the elderly are now in lockdown, including Menarock Aged Care in Essendon and Estia Aged Care in Ardeer, both with 38 cases. The dangerous situation in nursing homes has emerged in part because of the highly exploitative working conditions that nurses and care workers are subjected to. The workforce mostly comprises immigrant women who have no job security or sick pay provisions, and often work multiple jobs across numerous nursing homes. As a result, the workers can act as inadvertent super spreaders of COVID-19. The state Labor government has sought to blame casual employees for the rise in infections, attributing this in part to people attending work despite having cold or flu symptoms. This is a cynical attempt to scapegoat the most vulnerable layers of the working class, diverting attention from the real cause of the worsening pandemic, the grossly inadequate and incompetent response from every level of government. Multiple hospitals and health clinics are also affected by new coronavirus infections, with Northern Hospital in Epping the worst hit with a cluster of 21 cases. Other workplaces now affected include legal firm HWL Ebsworth lawyers with six cases, the Goodman Fielder Pampas pastry factory in West Footscray with 12 cases and the LaManna supermarket in Essendon with a cluster of 16 infections. The Nestle factory in the northern suburb of Campbellfield was closed for cleaning after one worker tested positive last week. Major supermarket chain Woolworths has four confirmed cases at their warehouse in Mulgrave. The grocery giant refused to immediately close down the facility for a full clean. Workers were not told of the infections while they were asked to work overtime shifts to cover the places of those affected or forced to self-isolate due to proximity to the infected employees. According to NCA Newswire, several angry full-time workers refused to turn up to their shifts in protest. The biggest workplace outbreak to date is at the Cedar Meats abattoir, where a cluster of 111 cases in April and May made up of 67 workers and 44 close contacts was mismanaged by the company and state health authorities. The Cedar Meats facility in Brooklyn, Melbourne [Credit: Google Maps] Workers were not warned as soon as cases were diagnosed and critical days passed before the facility was shut down on May 1 to bring the outbreak under control. Initially the government refused to publicly name the company as the cluster source, preventing workers and their contacts from taking precautionary measures. Internationally, meat-processing facilities have been particularly affected by the coronavirus as the work involves hundreds of workers on production lines with circulating cooled air where it is often impossible to socially distance and difficult to wash hands or change face masks regularly. The World Socialist Web Site reported on the outbreak at the Tonnies abattoir in Rheda-Wiedenbruck in Germany, where of 1,050 initial test results, 730 were positive for COVID-19. On July 7, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 16,233 cases of COVID-19 at 239 meat and poultry facilities in the US, with 86 worker deaths. Despite these experiences, no precautionary closures of Melbourne meat works were mandated and basic safety measures, such as regular coronavirus testing for workers, not put in place. There are now major clusters in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The JBS abattoir in Brooklyn is one of ten Australian sites operated by Brazilian-based JBS, the biggest meat producing corporation in the world. There are 35 cases at JBS Brooklyn, and the plant was forced to close last Tuesday. Many of the 1,230 JBS employees are casual workers who will receive no wages while the plant is closed. In the neighbouring suburb of Tottenham, the Somerville Retail Services (SRS) meat packaging plant has an even bigger cluster, currently at 53 cases. SRS supplies shelf-ready meat to the Coles supermarket chain and employs hundreds of workers. SRS has also been closed. At Colac, in rural western Victoria, six meat workers at the Australian Lamb Company have tested positive. One meat worker in Melbourne told the World Socialist Web Site: Im very worried about the disease as I have two elderly parents at home, and ten children in my extended family. What happened at Cedar Meats was terriblethe company clearly didnt do the right thing. The trade unions have collaborated with business and the federal and state governments, while doing nothing to ensure the safety of workers. The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) boasted on its website: The AMIEU has been keeping a close watch on the pandemic coronavirus, COVID-19, all around the world. [] There are, however, significant differences between the processes in the USA and many workplaces in Australia. One major difference is that the AMIEU has fought for many years for physical distancing between workers. This [is] not only necessary for infection control, but also reduces the risk of lacerations. The latest outbreaks expose this union lie that Australian meat workers conditions are significantly different and more safe than those of their fellow workers internationally. Most meat workers are employed as casuals through labour hire companies. The conditions workers face are the product of decades of enterprise bargaining and productivity agreements that the unions have been party to. At the JBS plant, for example, in 2010 the National Union of Workers with the assistance of the Australian Council of Trade Unions sold out a six-week struggle against a management lockout of 140 cold storage workers, imposing the elimination of the eight-hour day and reduced weekend penalty rates. Workers in every affected industry need to organise to defend their safety. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has urged the formation of rank-and-file action committees in every school, factory, office, university and workplace, independent of the unions. These committees, democratically controlled by workers themselves should formulate, oversee and enforce safety and workplace standards. Where conditions are violated, there must be a stoppage of work. We urge all workers to contact the SEP and develop a discussion on these necessary initiatives. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The Winneba District Magistrate Court, presided over by Isaac Oheneba Kufuor, has granted GH5,000 bail with one surety each to two Nigerians charged with kidnapping. Duru Favour, 26, artist, and Paul Okafor, 29, businessman, kidnapped 39 other Nigerians and trafficked them into the country and kept them at Gomoa Pomadze, near Winneba Junction. The victims, according to the police, were being used to commit crime, to wit cyber fraud. The two pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and use of trafficked persons and are expected in court again on July 23. Narrating the fact of the case, Chief Superintendent Samuel Okanta, officer in charge of the Winneba Police Command, said Charles Ikorohk, a Nigerian, was the complainant who arrived in Accra on January 22 to visit a friend by name Collins but could not reach him on his phone and got stranded as a result. The police officer said whilst at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Ikorohk met Uzo, also a Nigerian, who introduced him to his elder brother called Arisuezo, who offered to assist him to get a place to sleep until he found his friend (Collins). He said Arisuezo transported both his younger brother Uzo and Ikorohk to Winneba and kept them in a walled house at Gomoa Pomadze. Ikorohk, on the third day, could not see Uzo again, hence he tried to leave the house, but he was prevented and was locked up in a different room by Arisuezo, where he met seven other Nigerians, and he was fed once a day. Chief Supt Okanta said Ikorohk attempted to escape twice, but he was arrested and subjected to inhumane treatment. All this while, Arisuezo used them to perpetrate cybercrime, with the assistance of Favour and Okafor, who acted as supervisors. Chief Supt. Okanta said from January 26, Ikorohk could not step out of the house until Sunday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m., when he and others were asked to weed the compound. Ikorohk scaled the wall and sought refuge in a nearby house after the two accused persons went out with one of the victims to withdrew money from a nearby mobile money vendor. The occupants of the house later called the Effutu Municipal Joint Police and Military Patrol Team to go to the rescue of the complainant. The commander said a team of police personnel went to the house where Ikorohk was held captive for six months and forced open three single rooms where 38 others, all Nigerians, were rescued. Thirty-six laptops were retrieved from the house and during the rescue exercise, Favour and Okafor informed the police that the victims were locked up on the orders of their boss, Arisuezo, who is on the run. The police are doing everything possible to arrest Arisuezo, Chief Supt. Okanta added. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hot, perfectly melted cheese with moisture that allows you to eat the sandwich without a drink is how Vishal Patel describes Firehouse Subs. Patel along with his two cousins, Purvang and Pete Patel, have opened their third location as franchisees of the rapidly growing sandwich chain. Their newest shop, at 295 Fourth Ave. in St. Catharines, has taken off in popularity since opening June 30. The Patels opened their first location in Niagara Falls more than a year and a half ago, then opened a second shop in Stoney Creek (Winona) last September. Niagara Falls took us a little bit longer than normal, Vishal said, adding that at that time the closest location was in Oakville, so the distance didnt allow for people to know the brand. Stoney Creek and the early days of St. Catharines have received a lot of support. Vishal said the reason the three businessmen decided to bring Firehouse to the Niagara area was because of its product and how the company gives back to local communities. The sandwiches are steamed, which Vishal said allows the sub to stay hot longer, melts the cheese to perfection and the moisture ensures the sub isnt dry. He said its different from a typical toasted sandwich. The biggest thing for us is the product itself, Vishal said. Wed love for the sub to be eaten right here in house because thats the true experience of hot, but at the end of the day were going to live through COVID times. The company also has the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada, which raises funds for many initiatives that support first responders. Vishal said their locations have been able to raise a combined $54,000 that has been given back to the community. COVID-19 did stall the opening of the St. Catharines location, which was scheduled to open in March. With city hall closed, the owners couldnt get the required permits they needed. Asked which subs have been the most popular, Vishal laughed, saying steak and cheese seems to be a Niagara thing. Niagara Falls had it, (and) here same thing. He also said the Firehouse meatball sub receives a lot of love. The owners dont seem ready to stop at three locations. Maybe a little bit early because were a little bit exhausted right now, but I mean we do think St. Catharines, there could be another location coming up, maybe closer to Thorold area just to spread it out a little, Vishal said. We are going to continue to grow. He added: Our goal is between Winona and here that we are the franchisees and we want to make sure everywhere that the public can support it, we would be happy to open up. The location offers third-party delivery and in-house catering services, while also having online ordering features through the Firehouse Subs app and website. There are now 34 Firehouse Subs locations in Canada. HONOLULU Dozens of Hawaii inmates housed at a private prison in southern Arizona are being monitored for COVID-19 symptoms, including some who had contact with inmates from Nevada who already tested positive. The Hawaii Department of Public Safety said 45 Hawaii inmates in the same unit at the Saguaro Correctional Center are in quarantine and being monitored for symptoms, while the 28 Hawaii inmates who had contact with Nevada inmates will be quarantined for 14 days, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Another five Hawaii inmates were being held in the medical unit for issues unrelated to COVID-19, department officials said. Hawaii prisoners occupied more than 1,100 of the facilitys 1,926 beds as of Friday, officials said. Nevada inmates occupied an additional 99 beds. CoreCivic, which runs the correctional center, did not immediately respond to calls by The Associated Press on Saturday. There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among any Hawaii inmates housed at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona. Saguaros parent company, CoreCivic, confirms that 69 offenders from Nevada, housed in a separate part of the facility, tested positive for COVID-19, Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said. She added: As a precautionary measure, the 28 Hawaii inmates were relocated to vacant housing and will be monitored for symptoms for 14 days, to include daily temperature checks. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. 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. Saguaro Correctional Center is located in Eloy, Arizona, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix. In other coronavirus developments: Health officials announced Friday that two Oahu residents died from COVID-19, bringing the states death toll to 24. The state Department of Health confirmed an older man and an older woman died, both with preexisting conditions but unrelated to one another. Officials also reported 23 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, including 20 on Oahu, two on Hawaii Island and one diagnosed outside of the state. There have been more than 1,300 confirmed cases. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. At least 182 travelers have been arrested in Hawaii for violating the 14-day mandatory quarantine, not including people arrested by the Honolulu Police Department, the state said. Hawaii News Now reported that Democratic Gov. David Ige first issued the quarantine in March and recently extended the order through August. More than 7,000 residents and out-of-state travelers are still actively being tracked as of Friday. The meeting is expected to see a vote on granting President Sisi a mandate to intervene militarily in Libya Egypt MPs held a closed-door meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss granting President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi a mandate to militarily intervene in Libya. The meeting comes in line with Article 152 of the 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 gains the approval of a two-thirds majority of MPs. Article 281 of parliaments internal by-laws also states that the House shall hold a closed-door meeting upon the request of the president of the republic, the prime minister, the House speaker, or at least 20 MPs, and that the Houses majority shall decide whether the matter subject for discussion is conducted in an open or closed-door meeting. Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said he would hold a closed plenary meeting to discuss an important subject and that only MPs and the prime minister are allowed to attend the meeting. Even parliaments staff are not allowed to attend this meeting, said Abdel-Aal. Abdel-Aal ordered photographers, guards and staff to leave the meeting hall. Abdel-Aal also asked MPs not to divulge the content of the meetings discussion. In a 16 July meeting between leaders of Libyan tribes and El-Sisi, tribal representatives 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 preserve their 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," the president said. President El-Sisi held a meeting with the National Defence Council on Sunday to discuss the military developments in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which could negatively affect the flow of the Nile river in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: The June quarter earnings will be an aberration because of unprecedented disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, analysts, brokerages and investors say. IT players, which kick-started the Q1FY21 earnings season, have thrown up mixed numbers, underscoring the COVID-19 stress but management sees light at the end of the tunnel. "The revenue impact of the pandemic played out broadly along the lines we had anticipated at the start of the quarter. It affected all verticals, with the exception of life sciences and healthcare, with varying levels of impact. We believe it has bottomed out, and we should now start tracing our path to growth," Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and Managing Director of TCS, said when the Q1 earnings of the company were announced on July 9. IT companies such as Infosys and Wipro are among a few who witnessed healthy traction last week and gave what looked like a good start to the earnings season. These companies surged on the back of sound operating margin expansion and future growth guidance in the range of 1-2 percent, Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO of Samco Group, said. "Although growth expectations are still in line with the past trajectory, the cost reduction trigger has re-rated IT stocks in India, he said. The IT players earnings brought about renewed confidence in D-Street, which was supposedly staring at a washout quarter. Going forward, it is expected that such performances will be largely discounted with a kneejerk reaction without significant price movements," Modi said. Barring few exceptions from some IT, telecom, pharma and banking players, the Q1 numbers are expected to be low due to COVID-19. In light of this, experts advise treating the numbers as aberrations and focus more on the outlook and management commentary. Rusmik Oza, Executive Vice President & Head of Fundamental Research at Kotak Securities, is of the view that the Q1 numbers are bound to be disappointing for many sectors on account of the pandemic. "Investors acknowledge the negative impact and are willing to look beyond Q1 numbers. Investors on their own will not be able to gauge the impact and path of recovery. In this regard, management commentary and expectation could throw some light on the way forward," Oza said. Now, everyone is expecting businesses to go back to normal in the next one or two quarters but as the number of cases in India is still rising, it is difficult to ascertain how much demand will come back in Q2. "As of now, it is safe to assume demand to resume from Q3 onwards and further accelerate in Q4. Hence, on a year-on-year basis, it is ideal to assume subdued earnings in the first half and improved earnings in the second half of FY21," said Oza. Jyoti Roy, DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking, also thinks that markets will focus more on management commentary and outlook rather than the Q1 numbers, which are going to be hit for most sectors due to lockdown. "Though there was a sequential improvement in May and June, overall economic activity for the quarter would be well below Q1FY20 levels. Markets have already baked in significant degrowth in Q1 numbers and would be more focused on management outlook and guidance for the future," Roy said. The most important point for investors is to wait and assess how things pan out in the coming months and quarters. "Market is working with muted expectations for Q1 except for the banking sector. What is relevant is how the situation pans out on a month on month basis, as April and May have been washout months for most companies," said Hemang Jani, Head Equity Strategist, Retail Broking, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. "As there is a revival in the month of June, it remains to be seen if we see that trend panning out for the next few quarters. In this context, it would be crucial to hear from the management how the situation is panning out for the rest of the quarters." Jani said there were lots of moving parts and the demand recovery was uncertain. The second wave of COVID has been hitting many parts of the world and there was a possibility of lockdown or restrictions being imposed. "Only pockets with visibility are telecom and rural focussed companies. We believe earnings estimates would remain volatile in the near-term with the risks to earnings estimates remaining on the downside," he said. Since Unlock 1.0, economic activity has been picking up gradually, which may push the numbers higher in the upcoming quarterly results. However, a healthy recovery is unlikely. "Given that economic activities have improved significantly since Unlock 1.0, we expect sequential improvement in numbers for most sectors, though the recovery in earnings is going to be uneven with few sectors continuing to report depressed earnings for the next quarter as well," Roy of Angel Broking said. Sectors which were essential or more rural-focussed like agrochemicals, consumer staples, two-wheelers and tractors would report quicker recovery in earnings. We also expect most of the large IT companies to report sequential growth from next quarter, which is in line with management commentary post the Q1 numbers," Roy said. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Chelsy Davy has shared a glimpse of her summer getaway in sun-soaked Istanbul. Prince Harry's ex, 34, took to Instagram today to post a gallery of pictures from her holiday, which saw her enjoying lunches with a large group of friends and boat rides in the sunshine. Chelsy, who grew up in Zimbabwe before attending University of Leeds and enjoying an on-off relationship with Prince Harry, 35, from 2004 to 2011, posted the collection of snaps on her Instagram stories, tagging the location as Istanbul. Another snap, shared with her 33,000 followers, sees Chelsy, dressed in a frilly red frock, with eight other friends, gathered around a table as they enjoy drinks and a meal. Prince Harry's ex Chelsy Davy, 34, shared snaps online from a jetset holiday in Istanbul with a host of other friends Elsewhere the jewellery designer is seen enjoying a boat ride across a huge lake. Meanwhile in another snap she snuggled up with a friend, tagging the image as 'reunited'. Chelsy previously revealed how she was isolating in Norfolk, opting to set up for the coronavirus lockdown near his brother. In March, she revealed she had flitted to the county, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and family are staying at Anmer Hall, their country home. Chelsy donned a red dress as she joined a group of friends for a meal and drinks at a restaurant during her summer holiday Chelsy Davy dated the prince from 2003 to 2010 and attended the same school as his cousin Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank, mingling in the same society circles in London. The jewellery designer attended Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018. She's also remained on good terms with Prince Harry and attended his wedding to Meghan at St George's Chapel in May his other ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas. Can Brits holiday in Turkey? Turkey reopened its borders to UK visitors on 12 June. Passengers are required to complete a form before arriving. Face masks are also mandatory in crowded places and on public transport. The wearing of face masks is also mandatory at all times outside the home in some provinces, including Istanbul. However, while on hotel property holidaymakers are free to ditch the face-covering. If caught without a mask in public, holidaymakers could face a fine of up to 900 Turkish Lira (approximately 105). There is an ongoing curfew for those aged over 65, born after 1 January 2002, or with a chronic medical condition Advertisement The jewellery designer went on to share video clips on her Instagram stories of an apparently empty hotel and lavish pool Meanwhile she also posted snaps of friends enjoying a boat ride across a huge lake during her summer getaway After first meeting while she was a teenager at Cheltenham and then getting together during Harry's gap year in Cape Town, Davy returned to the UK to study in Leeds and be closer to the young royal. She has spoken of their time together - and the subsequent media interest - as 'crazy and scary and uncomfortable'. The pair broke up in 2010 after a seven-year romance, but Chelsy was still Harry's date for William and Kate's wedding in 2011. Their relationship has been strictly platonic ever since, bar a fling in South Africa in 2015 and she previously said they would always be friends. Move comes as Libya govt and Turkey demand an end of foreign intervention in support of commander Khalifa Haftar. Egypts parliament authorised the deployment of troops outside the country on Monday after the president threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in neighbouring Libya. The parliament unanimously approved the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypts borders to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements, it said in a statement. The deployment would be made on a western front a likely reference to western neighbour Libya. The move could bring Egypt and Turkey which support rival sides in Libyas chaotic proxy war into direct confrontation. Egypt, alongside the United Arab Emirates and Russia, backs eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar, who abandoned an offensive on the capital last month after Turkey stepped up support for Tripoli. Cairo has flown air strikes on armed groups in Libya since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 plunged the oil producer into chaos. It has also supported Haftar, an ex-Gaddafi general, since 2014 when he assembled a force in eastern Libya, according to UN reports. But sending ground-combat troops would be a major escalation. Egypts House of Representatives, packed with supporters of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, approved the plan after a closed-door session where deputies discussed threats faced by the state from the west, where Egypt shares a porous desert border with war-torn Libya. Stephanie Williams, acting head of the UN support mission in Libya, on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire to spare the 125,000 civilians who remain in harms way and for an end to the blatant violations of the UN arms embargo. Her comments came following her meeting on Sunday with the president of neighbouring Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Putschist Haftar Turkey, meanwhile, demanded an immediate end to the support for Haftar in Libya after trilateral talks held in Ankara between Libyan, Turkish, and Maltese officials on Monday. It is essential that all kind of help and support given to putschist Haftar which prohibits ensuring Libyas peace, tranquillity, security, and territorial integrity ends immediately, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said. Haftars backers should stop supporting an unrealistic and wrong project, the UN-recognised Government of National Accords (GNA) Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga said. An Egyptian intervention would further destabilise oil-rich Libya. Egypts president warned in June that any attack on Sirte or the inland al-Jufra airbase would prompt Cairo to intervene militarily, purportedly to protect its western border with Libya. The GNA denounced Egypts threat of military intervention in the North African nation, labelling it a declaration of war. Qatars state minister for defence affairs met on Monday with the Turkish defence minister and Libyas minister of interior to discuss the latest developments in Libya, Qatars defence ministry said. Sirte lies 800km (500 miles) from the Egyptian border with Libyas most important crude export terminals in between. Cairo sees the city as a red line and has called for talks between Libyas rival factions. Ankara and the GNA have called on Haftar to withdraw from the city and negotiate a ceasefire. Regional proxy war Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. The country is now split between a government in the east, allied with Haftar, and one in Tripoli, in the west, recognised by the United Nations. The conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fuelled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country. The United States has grown increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed a failed attempt by Haftars forces to capture Tripoli. In a call on Monday with US President Donald Trump, el-Sisi emphasised Egypts aim to prevent further deterioration of security in Libya, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesman. It said the two leaders agreed on maintaining a ceasefire and avoiding a military escalation in Libya. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, centre, commander Khalifa Haftar, right, and Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh arrive for a news conference in the capital Cairo [File: Egyptian Presidency/AFP] Anas el-Gomati, director of the Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute, said Egypt is concerned about losing its sway in Libya. If the GNA and Turkey want to move forward then Egypt is really worried about losing all of its influence and Haftar losing control of the vital oil resources. So its really about trying to create all these theatrics, smoke and mirrors so to speak, in order to get Trump to make a phone call to Erdogan. This is phone-call diplomacy at its worst, not its finest, el-Gomati told Al Jazeera. Egypts state-run Al-Ahram daily reported on Sunday the vote in Parliament was intended to mandate el-Sisi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbour against Turkish aggression. Last week, el-Sisi hosted dozens of tribal leaders loyal to Haftar in Cairo, where he repeated that Egypt would not stand idly by in the face of moves that pose a direct threat to security. 200621184347351 Libyas eastern-based parliament that supports Haftar also urged el-Sisi to send troops. GNAs upper hand Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to take Tripoli from the GNA in April last year, but the campaign stalemated after reaching the outskirts of the Libyan capital. The LNA suffered a blow last month when GNA forces with Turkish air and logistics support pushed it back and gained the upper hand in the fighting. The Tripoli forces retook the capitals airport, all main entrance and exit points to the city, and a string of key towns in the region. GNA troops pushed on eastward vowing to also retake Sirte, which Haftar captured earlier this year. Seizing the strategic city would open the door for the Turkish-backed forces to advance even further eastward and potentially take vital oil installations, terminals and fields now under Haftars control. After the GNA signed security and maritime agreements with Turkey last year, Ankaras military support including drones helped it re-impose control over Libyas northwest. Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and the Uttar Pradesh forest department officials worked together to rescue a baby monkey, who was desperately clinging to his almost-lifeless mother, who had likely been hit by a motor vehicle. Despite receiving emergency veterinary treatment, the mother succumbed to her injuries. The rescue operation began following an emergency call from a resident during the weekend. The baby monkey has been admitted to a wildlife rescue centre in Agra for necessary medical evaluation and fostering. The group will release the baby back into his natural habitat when he recovers and is ready to fend for himself. The rescued monkey belongs to the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) species and is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. PETA India Emergency Response Assistant Kumben Aier, said, "PETA India encourages all kind people to keep their eyes open and report any cases of animal abuse, health emergencies, or illegal wildlife trading to relevant authorities such as the police and forest departments." Exploiting monkeys for profit or keeping them in captivity as 'pets' are both morally wrong and punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of at least Rs 10,000 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. When Americas top public health experts, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, are sidelined or undermined for political purposes, thats not just a problem for the public, which desperately needs credible information and voices. Its a problem for Americas governors as we work with our federal partners out of the public view. In this crisis, again and again, weve turned to these experts like Dr. Fauci for the hard facts and to be voices of reason within the sprawling federal bureaucracy. The first time I met Dr. Fauci was in early February, when as chair of the National Governors Association, I convened a meeting with the nations governors and the federal governments top health officials: Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Ken Cuccinelli, acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control; Jay Butler, CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases; and Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services. At a time when other federal leaders including President Donald Trump were downplaying the threat, the briefing was a game changer for me and many of my colleagues. When Trump and Pence didn't return calls Dr. Fauci and the team walked us through some of the horrifying scenarios that would unfold in our states only a couple months later and offered concrete suggestions on how we could begin to prepare. Right after that meeting, I went back to my team with a clear message: Get ready. And I began to reach out to some of the top public health experts in our country to form my own coronavirus response team that would be invaluable during this crisis. If it hadnt been for that warning, there is no doubt that many states, including mine, would have been even less prepared for what was to come. Dr. Anthony Fauci in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 2020. In late March, I was growing increasingly worried about an issue even closer to home. I was seeing evidence that the Washington, D.C. region, which includes Maryland and Virginia, could well be an impending hot spot. Story continues I called President Trump directly to raise this concern. I didnt get a call back. I phoned Vice President Mike Pence, who usually returned my calls promptly. This time he did not. But I spent the first weekend of April on the phone with all the other people who needed to hear about this: Dr. Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health; Assistant Health Secretary Adm. Brett Giroir; Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. I know you guys are focused on the big picture, I said to Dr. Fauci, but Im paying attention to something important thats happening right here in your own backyard. Criticism of Dr. Fauci is misguided: Our understanding of COVID-19 is rapidly evolving I laid out my capital region concern. I think youre exactly right, Governor, Fauci said to me in his famous gravelly voice. Right now, as we speak, Im pulling into the parking lot at the White House. Im going to raise the issue with the whole task force. And Dr. Fauci never let me or the people of Maryland down. I shudder to think where our country would be today without him. We need Fauci's clear-eyed input I dont mean to suggest that the experts like Dr. Fauci always get it right. Theyre learning as we go along just like the rest of us. And leaders when making complex and difficult decisions cant only rely on public health experts. Its our job to get input from diverse perspectives and consider how our policies impact everyone. Thats why my Coronavirus Recovery Team includes the brightest minds over a broad spectrum of fields, from the medical and scientific fields to business and community leadership. We dont need Dr. Fauci to be the final word. We need him to give us a clear-eyed view of the evidence as we know it at the time even if we dont always want to hear it. From the Editorial Board: Donald Trump muzzling Dr. Anthony Fauci amid COVID-19 would be hazardous As much as we would like it to be, this crisis is not nearly behind us. We have enormous challenges still ahead of us. With some states experiencing massive spikes, we need to know the science to help contain the spread. As the public experiences fatigue from months of social distancing, we need steady and reliable voices who can remind us to stay vigilant. And as we work to open school in the fall safely, we need the input of public health experts to guide how we can make it work. We need Dr. Fauci more than ever. Republican Larry Hogan is the 62nd governor of Maryland. His book, Still Standing: Surviving Cancer, Riots, a Global Pandemic, and the Toxic Politics that Divide America, will be published July 28. Follow him on Twitter: @LarryHogan You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dr. Anthony Fauci's COVID-19 guidance was a game changer for governors Crimean Tatar leader, member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mustafa Dzhemilev is convinced that most of arrests and further imprisonment in the annexed Crimea are accompanied by tortures, for which Russian president Vladimir Putin is "personally responsible." "I know that even under the Soviet Union and Stalin, the issue of tortures was decided at the highest level. Beria [head of Soviet Union People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs Lavrentiy Beria], the Prosecutor General agreed on this issue personally with Stalin. The tortures are carried out on the territory of Crimea, and they are carried out very often.... There are few people who were arrested and were not beaten at least. This is agreed at the highest level, and Putin is fully responsible for this," Dzhemilev said in a commentary, Crimea.Realities news portal reports. In early July, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres published a second report on the human rights situation in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, pointing out the torture and ill-treatment by the Russian FSB and other law enforcement agencies in Crimea, including beatings, electric shocks, and strangulation against victims Earlier, the UN Secretary-General released a report on human rights violations in the annexed Crimea, which covered the use of torture, searches and raids, as well as the forced resettlement of Crimean people to neighboring Russia. On April 13, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Dzhemilev under three articles of the Russian Criminal Code. On May 27, the investigation of this case was completed. Dzhemilev believes that this criminal case is being used to further oust Crimean Tatars from the peninsula. ol Tens of thousands of workers nationwide walked off the job Monday in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, hoping to draw closer scrutiny to the income inequality and systemic racism that organizers say have become more entrenched during the coronavirus pandemic. The "Strike for Black Lives," as leaders have dubbed the campaign, features workers from a broad range of industries. Members of the Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers and dozens of other labor and political groups took part. The campaign is pressing for "an unequivocal declaration that Black Lives Matter" from business and political leaders, and urging government officials to "reimagine our economy and democracy" with civil rights in mind. Organizers also called on businesses to "dismantle racism, white supremacy, and economic exploitation" and ensure access to union organizing, according to a list of demands posted on the strike's website. In Washington, strikers gathered on Capitol Hill in support of the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or Heroes Act, as talks intensify over a fourth coronavirus relief package. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., joined demonstrators in New York outside Trump Tower. Health workers at a nursing home outside of Los Angeles planned walkouts during multiple shifts, while other workers took part in a car caravan down President Barack Obama Boulevard, a major thoroughfare on the city's west side. Organizers encouraged people unable to leave their jobs were encouraged by organizers to take a knee or break away for 8 minutes and 46 seconds - the amount of time a Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd, whose death sparked a wave of protests and national reckoning on racial justice. Organizers did not have exact figures on how many people walked off the job, but said about 1,500 janitors in San Francisco struck together. About 6,000 nurses from 85 nursing homes in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York picketed outside their workplaces. Overall, demonstrations took place in 200 cities. Protesters in some cities called out their employers' treatment of hourly workers, many of whom are black. McDonald's employees outside St. Louis marched for higher wages and workers in Detroit called for more workplace protections against the coronavirus, according to SIEU. McDonald's in a statement said it had enhanced more than 50 restaurant processes and distributed more than 100 million face masks to improve worker safety. The fast food chain also said many of its franchisees awarded raises and bonuses to workers. "McDonald's unequivocally supports the need for racial equality and social justice and stands with black communities across the globe where we are proud to offer employment opportunities and learn from our team members to make the McDonald's system stronger," the company said. "We believe black lives matter, and it is our responsibility to continue to listen and learn and push for a more equitable and inclusive society." AT&T call center and logistics workers in Memphis, Tenn., demonstrated over similar issues. "What we'd like them to understand is if they're going to go out and advertise that they believe black lives matter, take the steps you need to take to protect the lives of your black employees," said Randall La Plante, a member of the executive board of the Communications Workers of America Local 3806. "This is a company that has all the resources in the world to slow the spread of the pandemic and they are failing." Representatives from AT&T did not respond to a request for comment. Some companies encouraged employees to join demonstrations. Airbnb said in a statement that it shared with employees suggestions on how to join the Strike for Black Lives movement, and authorized workers to take paid time off to join protests. In New York, Antoine Andrews, a UPS driver in Long Island City and member of Teamsters Local 804, helped lead more than 100 employees in a demonstration in front of their workplace Monday morning. Andrews and co-workers did not strike, but wanted to express solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and send a message to their employer to take issues of inequality seriously. Andrews, who has worked for UPS for 23 years, invoked the legacy of late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the civil rights leader who marched at Selma, Ala., and spoke at the famous 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in his remarks to co-workers. "If you see something that's not fair, not right, not just, we have a moral obligation to do something about it," Andrews said. "I mentioned to the crowd that this is my purpose for being here and that should be our purpose for being here. "I left them with the question: What do you choose to do?" he added. "Do you choose to stand or sit? Do you choose to be silent and complicit, or do you speak out and demand to be heard? Let people know where you stand against systemic racism. We have to do this not just for ourselves, but for our children and for children unborn. This is our fight for them." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michelle Nichols (Reuters) New York, United States Mon, July 20, 2020 08:30 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b39ee 2 World UN,UN-Secretary-General,Antonio-Guterres,inequality Free UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday accused world powers of ignoring inequality in global institutions, but said the coronavirus pandemic has created a "generational opportunity" to build a more equal, sustainable world. Delivering the annual lecture for the Nelson Mandela Foundation via internet, Guterres pushed for a so-called New Global Deal to ensure power, wealth and opportunity are shared more broadly and fairly at the international level. "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 inequality must start by reforming them," he added. The Bretton Woods system includes the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He said the pandemic has revealed, like an x-ray, "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," said Guterres during the virtual lecture. "Because while we are all floating on the same sea, it's clear that some are in superyachts while others are clinging to the floating debris," said Guterres, a former Socialist prime minister of Portugal. The coronavirus has infected more than 14 million people and there have been nearly 600,000 known deaths worldwide, according to a Reuters tally. The UN has appealed for $10.3 billion to help poor states, but has received only $1.7 billion. Guterres said rich countries have "failed to deliver the support needed to help the developing world" and that the pandemic has "brought home the tragic disconnect between self-interest and the common interest; and the huge gaps in governance structures and ethical frameworks." He said a changing world needs new social protection policies with safety nets including universal health coverage and the possibility of a universal basic income. 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?" Somrita Ghosh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: E-learning has emerged a substitute to classrooms for schools looking to resume classes amid COVID-19. But they should not be seen as a panacea. Switching to remote learning, signing in to a video-conferencing app or a website to attend online classes and interacting with friends and teachers virtually. For a moment, they all sound exciting for a school student. But they have also raised many concerns among parents and experts. The nationwide COVID-19 lockdown from March 25 has forced schools across the country to shift to online classes to push ahead with the academic calendar, but now, the excessive use of different mobile and computer applications for these classes is throwing up a new range of health issues. Back-to-back classes and inadequate breaks are leaving children exhausted with many complaining of tired eyes and back pain. Neha Sharma, whose three-and-half-year-old son studies in a playschool in the city, says her child is too young to sit in front of a computer screen and pay attention to a teacher for 30 minutes. It is also taking a toll on the childs health. The teachers are doing their best to engage students. But ultimately, the whole pressure shifts on to the parents shoulders. It becomes very difficult to make children concentrate to what the teachers are saying. And then again, we have to sit with my son for certain subjects to clear his doubts, she says. Mohammad Kamil, father of twins Arham and Khadeeja who are students of Class VI, seems to be more worried about the health and the mental conditions of his children than the Covid-19 outbreak. He has converted the drawing room into a virual classroom. But that did not ease the stress Kamil, his wife and their children have to go every day. There is always a worry about the amount knowledge they are gaining out of these classes. Are they learning enough? Since its their growing age, they must develop quick learning skills and understand subjects in depth. But I think these virtual classes are damaging their abilities to understand or learn, he says. Kamil has got two laptops which are being used by his children attend classes. But owing to the absence of physical interaction with teachers and friends, they are missing out on the opportunity to raise their queries with teachers. It is a complex procedure, has a limited time frame; the teacher is giving away notes or reading out chapters. The children either are failing to concentrate on what is being taught or not getting the chance to clear their doubts. Even if the teachers are interacting with students, it remains limited to two or three students, mostly those who are little better than the other students, he adds. He also fears if the negligence continues, it might eventually lead to inferiority complexes and depression among his children. Some kids are smart. When a teacher asks a question they answer it quickly by searching on the internet using another mobile or a laptop. And the other students start doubting their abilities. Even if they have a doubt, they hesitate to question on the online classes, fearing bullying, he says. Ranjesh, a student of Class X at a Delhi government-run school, is distressed about how he will prepare for the next years board exams in the absence of classroom teaching. At times, it gets frustrating to sit at home the entire day. It is affecting my preparations because there are technically no classes for us, and I am dependent only on notes. There is too much pressure on me. Also, with no practical classes, some topics are taking more time to understand, he Ranjesh says. Dr Anuradha Khurana, a gynaecologist and the mother of two, echoed similar concerns. My elder son is 14 years old and can study on his own. He is not facing much problem with the virtual classes. But the problem is with my daughter. Even after her classes, I have to teach the same thing again. Untill a child sees a teacher physically in a classroom, it wont be easy for him or her register things quickly, Khurana says. Taking a toll on mental health According to Dr Om Prakash, geriatric psychiatrist and associate professor at the IHBAS, physical presence is very much important in the process of learning. When we shift from physical teaching to online learning, the teaching goes for a toss. A students brain may not be able to intake everything that is being taught because the technique of teaching is very different. In the learning process, physical presence is very important. It is almost humanly impossible to learn everything virtually. Brain advances with age, this is the stage where the students register all learning skills, he says. Prakash adds that there is a rise in cases among children facing emotional issues during the lockdown period, which is not just affecting their learning but also taking a toll on their mental health. With schools shut and there are hardly any physical activities, children are getting more aggressive, violent, they are throwing more tantrums. These are some behavioural changes among children, and if this continues, parents are going to face more such problems with their children. This cannot go on for a long time. Even if less number of students are allowed to attend classes on rotations, schools should reopen. Teaching has to be normal. And every subject has a lot of practical aspects which cannot be taught virtually, he added. Pankaj Garg, a mathematics teacher at Rajdhani College, says online classes cant be a substitute to the traditional classrooms, and they are only an additional tool of teaching. It affects students mental health. At times, students cant come online due to poor internet connectivity. That causes certain anxiety among them. Some students have started consulting psychiatrist for their depression and are taking medicines, says Garg. Governments cap on online classes Last week, the Pragyata guidelines for digital education, released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) suggested that schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day for Classes I-VIII, and three hours per day for Classes XI-XIII. For kindergarten, nursery and pre-school, only 30 minutes of screen time per day for interacting with parents has been recommended. These guidelines, prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), are only advisories, and state governments have been asked to build on them and formulate their own rules, based on local needs. Can affect kids eyes Appreciating the Centres move to restrict time duration of online classes, Dr JS Titiyal, ophthalmologist at the AIIMS said it is better not to stare at the screen for too long. Those who already have eye-related issues are likely to face more such problems compared to others. The students who already have allergic eyes may suffer more and the problem might persist for a longer period, says the Padma Shri awardee. Titiyal adds that since students dont blink much in the front of computers and have to stare on the screen non-stop, this may lead to watery eyes, redness and even headache. Blink at least 10-12 times in a minute. If the students are working for more than an hour then they should at least take a break of 30 seconds to 1 minute in between. They should stare at far-away objects and its better if there is more greenery around. Also, since children cannot step out to play much these days, parents should make sure that their child spend some time in their balcony or on the rooftop. Children must take fluid intakes and a good diet, he says. The AIIMS is also seeing a rise in cases of students complaining of teary eyes, redness and headache. Ever since the lockdown began and students started taking online classes, more parents have approached the eye department of the hospital, Titiyal says. The New South Wales government must consider harsher restrictions including a return to lockdown as the state's outbreak grows, doctors and politicians have said. Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week said she would avoid a second lockdown 'at all costs' to protect jobs but fears are growing she may have little choice. The state recorded 18 new cases of the virus on Sunday - its biggest figure since 21 cases on April 29 - and only five were returned travellers in quarantine. NSW must consider harsher restrictions including a return to lockdown as the state's outbreak grows, doctors and politicians have said. Pictured: Bondi Beach on Sunday The Doherty Institute has estimated that the disease's potential reproduction number is 1.09 in NSW, worse than Victoria's figure of 0.92. This means that each patient would give the virus to 1.09 people on average, causing the outbreak to grow by the day. Paul Komesaroff, professor of health sciences at Monash University, said the virus could quickly get out of control in New South Wales as in Victoria where 363 new cases were recorded on Sunday. 'Victoria's example is a justification for concern,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'There is a high level of community transmission which started from only a small number of cases. It shows how rapidly the virus can spread.' Professor Komesaroff said the New South Wales government should consider 'multiple strategies' including compulsory mask-wearing and suburb lockdowns. 'Where there are outbreaks in certain areas, localised lockdowns would be appropriate,' he said. The Doherty Institute has estimated that the disease's reproduction number in NSW is 1.28. Pictured: Diners at a cafe in Bronte in Sydney 'We have seen this strategy work in China and South Korea. It did not work in Melbourne because the lockdowns were brought in too late.' Early this month the Victorian government shut down 12 Melbourne postcodes but locked down the whole city the following week because the virus had spread too far. Professor Komesaroff said the downside of local shut downs is that they require 'a high degree of militarisation' including police road blocks on main roads. A whole city shut down would be easier to enforce, he said. Premier Berejiklian last week ruled out local shutdowns, saying: 'It's all or nothing.' NSW Opposition leader Jodi McKay said the government should consider making masks mandatory. 'Victoria has mandated masks in Melbourne to contain COVID - it's time for NSW Government to detail our current stockpile and ensure supplies of PPE as we must be ready for anything,' she said. Professor Komesaroff said one option is to make masks compulsory in workplaces after Victorian law firms and abattoirs suffered outbreaks. 'In Victoria transmission appears to be occurring in workplaces as people here are less careful,' he said. 'That's a lesson that NSW should learn too. It could be that people need to wear masks at work.' Melburnians exercise along Elwood Beach as the city suffers a six-week lockdown due to a spike in infections Meanwhile, authorities are trying to trace a growing coronavirus cluster on the NSW south coast. The Soldiers Club in Batemans Bay has been closed for two weeks after eight people tested positive. Anyone who dined at the waterfront venue between July 13 and 17 is being urged to get tested and self-isolate. Sydney residents are being urged to avoid public transport and social gatherings as case numbers increase. NSW is imposing harsher border restrictions with Victoria, tightening the permit criteria for southerners wanting to go north. An inquiry into Victoria's bungled hotel quarantine program will begin on Monday, after breaches by security guards at two Melbourne hotels led to virus outbreaks. KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2020 - 21:09 | All, Japan, Coronavirus The government decided to cover cancellation fees incurred by Tokyoites, who were excluded at the last minute from a domestic tourism promotion created to help coronavirus pandemic-hit regions, government sources said Monday. The "Go To Travel" campaign was thrown into disarray ahead of its official start Wednesday when the government abruptly said last Friday that trips to and from Tokyo will not be covered under the subsidy scheme. The tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba will hold a press conference Tuesday to officially announce the decision, the sources said. Related coverage: Japan's coronavirus death toll reaches 1,000 Related coverage: Only 23.9% in Japan look forward to Tokyo Olympics next summer: poll Japan's governors want more areas cut from travel program as needed 1 in 4 commute by bicycle to avoid crowds amid pandemic: survey The government initially said compensation was not an option but has been compelled to change course in the face of public anger and growing calls, even from within the ruling coalition, for a rethink. "People won't be satisfied as it is," an official at the prime minister's office said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a press conference, "I've been informed that measures to avoid causing inconvenience to people (who planned to use the program) are under consideration." Abe has been struggling to stem a recent fall in the polls, due in part to what has been perceived as his poor handling of the coronavirus crisis. The 1.35 trillion yen ($12.59 billion) travel campaign is designed to spur tourism, a sector pounded by the coronavirus outbreak that led to a nationwide state of emergency in spring. The campaign will eventually subsidize up to half of all travel expenses, including accommodation and transport costs. The government will first provide discounts worth 35 percent of total costs, with the remaining 15 percent covered by coupons to be issued after September for food, shopping and other activities. The recent furor over the Go To Travel campaign highlights the Abe administration's struggle to balance the need to reopen the economy while keeping the spread of the coronavirus in check. One travel agency official said, "It's only natural that the state should compensate. We don't want (the government) to give us any more trouble." Since the complete lifting of the state of emergency in late May, the number of coronavirus cases in Japan has been on the rise as more social and economic activities return to near-normal. The number of deaths caused by the coronavirus in Japan exceeded 1,000 on Monday with more than 26,000 cases in total, including 712 cases and 13 deaths from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined off Yokohama earlier this year. Over 380 new coronavirus cases were confirmed throughout Japan during the day, including 168 in Tokyo where over 9,400 infections have already been reported. Following the exclusion of Tokyo from the campaign, Fumio Kishida, policy chief of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, asked the government Sunday to consider support measures. Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, also called on the government to consider footing the bill. "The government policy change would mean cancellation fees (for those planning to take trips). We need to think about that," Komeito policy chief Noritoshi Ishida said on a TV program on Sunday. Prevent Blindness adds two new members to its national Board of Directors. We welcome Dr. Brinks and Ms. Skinner to our Board of highly esteemed individuals and look forward to their significant contributions to our organization and our sight-saving mission, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. Prevent Blindness, the nations oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, has announced that Dr. Mitchell V. Brinks, MD, Co-Director International Ophthalmology, Medical Director for Domestic Outreach, and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, and Michelle Skinner, Chief Network Officer of VSP Global, have been elected to the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors. The vote was held on July 14 at the Prevent Blindness Summer Board Meeting. At the Casey Eye Institute, Dr. Brinks implements epidemiological studies to investigate the areas and populations in Oregon most affected by vision impairment and blindness, and develops strategic interventions to address the issue. He participates in resident training on community outreach programs, and supervises residents in their clinical and surgical educational programs. Additionally, his clinical practice focuses on comprehensive ophthalmology and anterior segment surgery. Dr. Brinks is past chair of Vision 2020 USA, and is a member of a variety of organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. At Prevent Blindness, Dr. Brinks serves on the advisory committee for the Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness. He will also be the new chair of the Public Health and Policy Committee at Prevent Blindness. As the Chief Network Officer, Skinner is responsible for VSPs doctor network, connecting the organizations nearly 90 million members with the providers that best meet their eye care and eyewear needs. She leads a variety of network-related business areas, including VSP Ventures, VSP Retail, and Strategic Partnerships. She is also responsible for the organizations doctor-facing functions and programs including the VSP Global Premier Program, which she helped develop and launch. Skinners career with VSP Global started in 1994, when she joined Altair Eyewear. She also served in a variety of senior sales leadership roles, including with Marchon Eyewear. She has been honored as part of Vision Mondays Most Influential Women in Optical award in 2016 and 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Communications from CSU Sacramento. The Prevent Blindness Board of Directors consists of leaders across various industries and institutions, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. We welcome Dr. Brinks and Ms. Skinner to our Board of highly esteemed individuals and look forward to their significant contributions to our organization and our sight-saving mission. For a listing of all the members of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors, please visit https://preventblindness.org/prevent-blindness-board-of-directors/. For more about Prevent Blindness or general eye health information, please call (800) 331-2020 or visit http://www.preventblindnes.org. About Prevent Blindness Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call (800) 331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at preventblindness.org or facebook.com/preventblindness. ### Elections for the the 3rd legislative term for the Peoples Assembly got underway across Syria, with over 7,000 polling stations available for voters writes SANA. On Sunday, President Bashar al-Assad and Asma al-Assad cast their votes in the Peoples Assembly elections for the 3rd legislative term at the polling station in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. Prime Minister Hussein Arnous cast his vote in the Peoples Assembly elections at the polling station in the building of the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry. The Higher Judicial Committee for Elections on Sunday announced the opening of ballot boxes at all the polling stations for electors in the provinces to select their candidates for the 3rd legislative term of the Peoples Assembly. There were 7,277 centers for Syrians participating in this election process to select 250 parliament members out of 1,656 candidates, among them, 200 women. In Damascus, Judge Hussam Eddin Rahmoun, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, affirmed that the polling stations whose number reached 1,089, on Sunday morning started to receive the electors to choose their candidates, indicating that all the required measures have been met to guarantee the success of the election process. In Damascus Countryside, the number of polling centers reached 799 distributed among different areas across the province, while the number of candidates reached 151, according to Judge Hassan al-Hallaq, Chairman of the Elections Sub-Committee. Meanwhile, in Lattakia, Judge Saleh Wahbi, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections in the province, said that the ballot boxes were opened for electors at all the polling centers in the province whose number reached 913 centers while the number of the candidates reached 222. In Homs province, Judge Mohammad Ridwan Qasabli, Chairman of the Elections Sub-Committee, said that the elections started at the polling centers in different areas across the province and the number of the centers reached 1,109 while the number of the candidates amounted to 120. In Daraa, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, Judge Khairu Izz al-Din, indicated that polling process started at 07:00 am at 262 polling stations across the province. In Suweida, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, Judge Counselor Ihsan Fahid, said that the ballot boxes were opened in 347 polling stations in the province. In Deir ez-Zor, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, Judge Ziyad al-Sarheed, said that the elections started at 262 polling stations across the province. In Hassakeh, Chairman of Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, Judge Eli Miro, pointed out that the electoral process started in 149 polling stations in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli and its countryside. In Hama, Chairman of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections, Judge Counselor Aziz Ibrahim, confirmed that the electoral process started in 830 polling stations across the province. In Aleppo, Judge Amal Shusha, head of the Judicial Sub-Committee for Elections in Aleppo city, said that the electoral process started this morning in 333 stations. She noted that ten boxes were allocated for Idleb province and three were allocated to the Raqqa province and the center of Quneitra. All necessary measures were taken to address the coronavirus at polling stations across the country, by sterilizing the centers and emphasizing the necessity of wearing of masks and gloves and achieving distancing among the voters. The Information Ministry assigned a center to provide free media services for local, Arab and foreign journalists to cover the elections and it has provided them with all the requirements needed by the media, including equipment, technical equipment, computers, communication and high-speed internet services, in addition to securing a live broadcast vehicle and a private studio for TV and radio interviews. According to the General Elections Law No. 5 of 2014, the election begins at 07:00 am and closes at 07:00 pm. The Higher Elections Committee may extend the election period for a maximum of five hours at all polling stations. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. After months of uncertainty and apprehension arising out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) kicks off for Ghanaian candidates today. In all, 375,737 candidates from 976 schools will be writing the examination at 796 centres throughout the country. Out of the figure, about 188,163 are females, while the remaining 187,573 are males. Regional breakdown The Ashanti and the Eastern regions top with 87,295 and 56,467 candidates, respectively, while the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions combined follow with 45,295 candidates, with the Central and the Greater Accra regions presenting 42,956 and 37,974 candidates, respectively. The Oti and Volta regions together are presenting 34,466 candidates, with the Northern, Savanna and North East also presenting 248,330, while the Western and Western North regions present 24,332 candidates. The Upper East and Upper West regions follow with 13,334 and 8,798, respectively. Practical The examination begins with the Visual Arts project, which will be done by 65,380 candidates in eight different areas. A total of 750 candidates will do Basketry; 6,620 will do Ceramics, while 22,929 will do Graphic Design. Some 29,983 candidates will do the practical work in Jewellery, while 9,826 will go in for Leatherworks, with 7,986, 7,484 and 6,805 candidates engaging in Picture Making, Sculpture and Textiles, respectively. Readiness of WAEC Commenting on the readiness of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Head of the National Office of WAEC, Mrs Wendy Enyonam Addy-Lamptey, said with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of examination personnel, including invigilators, had been scaled up due to the social distancing protocol, which had necessitated the use of additional classrooms. The number of examination personnel has been revised upward by 10 per cent to cater for the additional classrooms to be used by the candidates to meet the COVID-19 social distancing protocol, she explained. She said originally, 16,218 examination personnel, made up of supervisors, assistant supervisors, invigilators and security personnel, were to administer the examination, but because of the COVID-19 protocols, the figure has been revised upwards by 10 per cent. Cheating Mrs Addy-Lamptey explained that WAEC was ready to conduct the WASSCE for all its member countries from August to September and urged the candidates to take advantage of the opportunity to prepare for the examination, assuring them that once they prepare well, they can definitely pass it without cheating. She said it was the fear of failure that drove candidates to pander to all sorts of examination malpractice, adding: There is nothing to fear. I want to encourage them to make use of the opportunity given them by the government to be in school and have more time with their teachers. 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 Hyderabad, July 20 : Instead of following other states on the beaten track to woo foreign investors, Andhra Pradesh has set out to strengthen its MSME sector and build an investment-friendly ecosystem for big ticket investments by the time the Covid-19 clouds clear up. Speaking to IANS, Mekapati Gautam Reddy, Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Industries, Commerce and IT, said that the Vizag gas leak mishap has also led the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government to re-examine the state's industrial policy. Q: How is Andhra Pradesh handling the Covid-19 impact on its industry? A: We were the first state or rather the only state to address the MSME sector. During this crisis, we paid 5 years of outstanding incentives that were due to the sector, totalling about Rs 963 crores. We paid it in 2 instalments within two months. So out of 97,000 units, 40,000 units were benefitted. So today while banks are reluctant to lend, people have surplus cash and they want to go into expanding mode. Those who were employing 10 people are saying they want to employ 20 more people. So actual employment is taking place, because MSME sector is the backbone. If you see, MSME expansion is taking place in Andhra Pradesh. Q: During the prolonged lockdown, your neighbouring states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana went into overdrive to attract foreign investors. Why has Andhra Pradesh maintained a low profile on this front? A: Firstly, our CM said, please don't do any MoUs without any guarantees of investment. If you look at the last 3 months, we have attracted Rs 4000 crore of investment. And we also believe we need to do structural strengthening. What is it that investors want? So we said, first of all we will create a world class infrastructure industrial park. With notified, classified zones. So, if it's a red zone, only red industries would be allowed to come there and no other industries. In a green zone, a red one industry cannot go. So, we should actually map out the entire state. Our target is to deliver 45,000 acres of industrial land complete in terms of all services typical of Hong Kong, China or Sri City, which is our role model. And second most important thing which the CM has said, we're going to create a world class workforce for tomorrow. So, we're investing in 13 skill development colleges, in every MP's constituency. The idea is to create apprenticeship, create word class curriculum for the next batch of workers, and when we have these basic ingredients, when we can deliver on infrastructure and create a working work force. Q: How do you plan to build a sustainable investment climate in Andhra Pradesh? A: We have strategic strengths. We have a long coastline, we're going to develop 3 major ports. Naturally industries would be aligned to come here. But for this to be sustainable, I personally believe incentives are not great value creators in the system. On the contrary, they actually create the kind of businessmen whose model is only running on these incentives. So, they do not develop an ecoculture, will not invest back in the expansion of units, will not create infrastructure for training of the people. So the state in the long term loses out. I would rather get a valuable, renowned investor, somebody like the Tatas, who would invest in my system. I'd rather give him all the services, because I know he'll plan for the next 100 years. Of course, all are not Tatas. But then we're also creating an active entrepreneurship climate by reactivating the APIIDC. Q: Ever since Unlock, Visakhapatnam has witnessed a series of industrial mishaps beginning with the LG Polymers gas leak. Where do you think things are going wrong? A: These are regular, not out of the blue, sudden catastrophic actions that have taken place. But what has happened is in this crisis situation of Covid pandemic, people are a little more sensitive. But if you really look at it, whether it's an LG or somebody else, it's a basic lethargy which sort of creeps into the system when you have a prolonged lockdown and that's why we have asked all our chemical companies to have a relook at all their protocols. Q: Do you think that the speed at which action was taken in the LG Polymers gas leak case will have an adverse impact on investment sentiment? A: If you look at it, we did not arrest people till the investigation submitted its report. Our paramount concern was we better put the guys back, because they're the guys who know where the valve is, what chemical they are using or which chemical is in what storage. If you ask the pollution control guy, he has no clue. So, we felt rather than disrupt and if suppose we start arresting people from day one, suppose there's no one to manage the system, it could have been more catastrophic... Only after the member committee submitted its report, we arrested the guilty. Only after 2 months we arrested the guilty. Q: So how are you going to walk the tightrope between attracting investors and ensuring people's safety? A: That's the reason why we're going back to our drawing boards, our fundamentals. This industry (LG Polymers) when it was started, was a certified industrial area where there were no settlements back in 1961. But indiscipline creeps in, due to surging population and stress on land, people relent, slowly buffer zones become municipal areas. When I went to the place the day after the mishap, I saw next to the tank, on the periphery there is a huge settlement of 3,000 people. How the hell did the system allow it to come in? So, instead of blaming anybody, I said let's bring in sacrosanct laws. Let's first zone the entire state. A red zone industry will not be allowed to be set up in any other zone. It also becomes easier for us to provide common shared facilities; we're going to bring in strong pollution monitoring systems where we're going to charge these people. In the new system we are putting in place, the government is taking the onus to ensure creation of an environment-friendly system and making sure because if we give to any of these companies they are not as efficient as what we believe them to be. Q: Which sectors is Andhra Pradesh focusing for the immediate future? A: As a state we are investing more in medical infrastructure... for the next 6 to 9 months. I think creating that security, by way of bringing in more medical infrastructure and creating that kind of facilities will actually be what the government's focus will be. This will also help us in creating medical equipment. Medical equipment is also something we are now looking at. We already have a MedTech Zone at Visakhapatnam which has the success story of bringing out India's first Covid-19 test kit. Now we're bringing ventilators out which are going to cost a fraction of the original price. Very soon we're coming out with an MRI system also from there. A presidential spokeseman has told Nigerians to expect more revelations as the probe into allegations of corruption continues against the suspended acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu. President Muhammadu Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said this while appearing on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics. He said the committee set up to probe Mr Magu will soon submit a report of its findings and Nigerians should prepare for surprises. He said Mr Buhari is recognised internationally for his fight against corruption. President Buhari deserves to be commended for his fight against corruption. Prepare yourselves for surprises and wait for the outcome of the investigation on Magu, he said. When asked about the surprises Nigerians should expect, Mr Shehu said the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel has been updating the president on some of their findings, and Nigerians will be amazed as to the content of the panels report. He also disclosed that if wrongdoings are detected, Mr Magu would be made to face the consequences. Mr Shehu then told Nigerians to ignore reports casting aspersions on the efforts of the Salami-led panel. Mr Magu is currently being interrogated by a panel headed by the former president of the appeal court over allegations of corruption and insubordination levelled against him. The allegations were made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. He was arrested two weeks ago and was in detention for about 10 days before he was released. The panel is yet to conclude its work. Two consortia that weren't selected for the Pentagon's $7.2 billion contract to handle the household goods of military personnel during moves have protested the award, a second round of objections that could delay the contract's start. The companies, Connected Global Solutions LLC and HomeSafe Alliance LLC, filed protests July 13 with the Government Accountability Office over a U.S. Transportation Command award to American Roll On Roll Off Carrier Group, or ARC, of Parsippany, New Jersey. Read Next: 'I Don't Care What the Military Says,' Trump Rejects Renaming Fort Bragg The two initially filed protests in May over concerns that ARC did not meet the contract's criteria and alleged that the company didn't properly disclose its ownership. TRANSCOM rescinded the award June 9 while it investigated the allegations. On June 29, TRANSCOM again awarded the contract to ARC after finding that it mistakenly listed a sibling company -- one convicted in 2016 of price fixing and antitrust violations -- as its parent company by choosing the wrong name from a drop-down menu in its application. Its parent company and the sibling company have similar names, and shared the same name until 2017, when the parent Wallenius Wilhelmsen Group became a publicly traded company. "Minor errors in the government's system of award management are not grounds for disqualification," TRANSCOM officials said. ARC's proposal "provided the best service for the best value of service members, DoD civilians and their families," added David Dunn, a TRANSCOM public affairs specialist. In announcing the decision, however, TRANSCOM did not declare it as final, allowing the losing bidders to protest -- and potentially delaying the contract start since the Government Accountability Office has 100 calendar days to render a decision. The award announcement was set to kick off a nine-month transition period to shift information technology and all systems from TRANSCOM to ARC, allowing the ARC team to handle all military moves by 2021. But because of the protests, "work on the transition phase of the contract is suspended until the GAO protest decisions are issued," Dunn said. "We are confident the award decision will withstand GAO's scrutiny and look forward to delivering this solution to DoD families," he added. The ARC consortium includes the parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, called UniGroup; Atlas World Group and Atlas World Group International; the moving companies Suddath and The Pasha Group; and Deloitte. Connected Global Solutions is a Jacksonville, Florida-based partnership between Crowley, Total Military Management and several van lines and logistics companies, including Interstate, National, Smarter Movers, Conser Moving and Storage and Agility. HomeSafe Alliance, a relocation team coordinated by KBR of Houston, has not publicly disclosed its partnerships. In a release, HomeSafe Alliance CEO Al Thompson said his group continues to fight the award because ARC's proposal exceeded other qualified bids "by more than $2 billion" and its subcontractors "account for only 35% of the total DoD moving market." "With the 2021 military moving season set to be the most complex on record, it is imperative that the GAO take the appropriate action that will have the best long-term impact on military members and their families," Thompson said. After ARC was re-awarded the contract, executives pledged to "provide turn-key, all-inclusive worldwide relocation services to service members and their families." "Team ARC remains committed to our proposal to provide exceptional customer service to TRANSCOM and the service members," ARC CEO Eric Ebeling said. "We look forward to getting started on [the global household goods contract]." Service members and families moving this year have been doing so under an existing construct that has U.S. Transportation Command managing the scheduling, oversight, administration and coordination of hundreds of moving companies. The decision to outsource the entire operation followed several years of problems with military moves, including troops reporting lost and damaged goods, as well as poor customer service. The $7.2 billion contract covers the transition period and a three-year base period. Should the contract be continued, it could be worth up to $20 billion in the next decade. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: The Pentagon Weighs Privatizing Military PCS Moves By Debbie White When COVID-19 hit, and thousands of desperately sick patients overwhelmed our hospitals, the many inequities in our health care system were exposed not only in who is more likely to get sick and who has access to health care but in who was left unprotected: our health care providers. What they forgot was what we know if we are not safe, neither are our patients. Even so, HPAE members across the state of New Jersey showed up, met the disease head-on, and worked diligently for many hours. Then they went home wondering if they had been exposed and worried about also exposing their families. Their fears were valid. Unfortunately, some fell ill and some died from COVID-19. Our union was often alone in opposing shortcuts in equipment, violations of safety standards and retaliation against those who stood up for safety. We knew it was not time to relax standards, but to strengthen them. We also needed information about what was happening to health care workers on the frontlines and employers were not providing that information. After listening to our 14,000 members share their experiences. HPAE rose to the occasion and made demands of safety agencies and employers. The almost 1,100 HPAE members who completed our survey, form the backbone of a new report, Exposed & At-Risk: New Jersey health care workers reveal how our safety systems failed them during the COVID-19 pandemic, that we are releasing this week. In this report, you will hear from health care workers about their experiences, their fears and demands for future pandemic surges. You will read our recommendations on preparedness plans and urgent measures to mitigate surges in COVID-19 and future outbreaks. We hope never to witness again health care employers downgrading protective equipment for frontline workers, because they, along with federal safety agencies, put their priorities elsewhere. The critical failure to develop standard pandemic plans and keep supplies stockpiled, along with a defunded public health system, left our front-line caregivers unprotected and exposed. This is why we are working with our legislators on a bill to require health care employers to collect data on exposure, sickness and deaths in disease outbreaks. As president of HPAE, I felt it an honor to have been appointed to Gov. Phil Murphys Restart and Recovery Advisory Council so I could be a voice for health care workers regarding how to move forward safely, when and if we need to pause, and how to make sure we are prepared to manage future surges of COVID-19or the next disease outbreak. While we understand and support reopening our economy, it is clearer than ever that we must do it safely, with respect for the capacity of our health care system, and with the willingness of our government agencies to enforce safety rules. State regulators, policymakers and elected officials must deal directly and honestly with the risks the virus poses to health care workers. Large health care systems in New Jersey were not held to worker safety standards and the CDC, itself, rolled back protections for our health care workers. The federal government could have provided much relief by invoking the Defense Production Act and producing more PPE, instead chose to do nothing to make us safer, and in doing so, hurt us tremendously. In the context of reopening, HPAE is calling for a return to safe practices and a strengthening of state oversight of health care facilities to ensure health care worker safety and ultimately the safety of patient care. It will take all of our voices in our health care institutions, in our unions, in the halls of Trenton and Washington D.C., and in our communities to make sure we are better equipped with the resources we need to tackle that next challenge. Debbie White, R.N., is president of Health Professionals & Allied Employees, AFT/AFL-CIO. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Hundreds gathered in downtown Portland in the 53rd straight night of protests in Portland. A largely peaceful demonstration quickly turned as some in the crowd began disassembling a fence surrounding the federal courthouse and federal police fired tear gas in response. A crowd that assembled early in the evening, already numbering in the hundreds, quickly doubled as a crowd of mostly women marched into downtown chanting Moms are here, feds stay clear. A party-like atmosphere emerged outside the Multnomah County Justice Center, with drumming, chants and loud music. Tensions were building a block away, where a smaller crowd had gathered outside the federal courthouse. Just before 10 p.m., the Federal Protective Service, which provides security at federal government buildings, announced that people tampering with a fence erected around the building would be subject to arrest or use of force. In response to loudspeaker orders to disperse, the larger crowd instead moved to the federal courthouse. Federal officers briefly emerged from the building, then returned back inside. At times, police announcements were drowned out by chants and drumming. Shortly before midnight, some in the crowd knocked over the fence surrounding the federal courthouse. Federal officers deployed tear gas from the courthouse, scattering the protesters into nearby streets. Portland Police Bureau is aware federal law enforcement have deployed CS gas in the area of the Federal Courthouse. Avoid the area for safety. Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 20, 2020 Just after 1:30 a.m. someone climbed the northwest corner of the Justice Center to allegedly tamper with a security camera, police said Monday morning. Around the same time, people lit a fire in front of the federal courthouse, police said. Federal law enforcement dispersed the crowd just before 1:45 a.m. Monday morning. Portland Police were not present during any of the activity described, they said. Federal officers used tear gas multiple times throughout the night and early morning. PPB said Monday that Portland police did not use any. Sundays protests came as the United States was focused on what happens here. National reporters and television correspondents were in town. President Donald Trump, who has mentioned Portland protests during his press conferences, 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. On Sunday the head of the Portland police union held a press conference to say the community has had enough. Also on Sunday, Fire Commissioner Jo Anne Hardesty issued a directive that no Portland Fire & Rescue stations will be used by law enforcement including Portland police for any tactical operations until further notice. It comes after erroneous reports said that federally contracted law enforcement agents had been using the stations as staging areas for operations against demonstrators. The Fire Bureau said Sunday that federal agents were not, and will not ever, be allowed to use fire stations for their tactical operations. In the past, Portland officers were allowed to stage at the stations. That will no longer be allowed, the bureau said. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell issued a statement: The Portland Police will continue to proudly serve with the brave men and women of Portland Fire & Rescue. We work together every day, placing our lives in each others hands to serve the community and will continue to do so. 34 Portland protests continue for 52nd night On Saturday, 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, then stacked some of it against a new fence placed earlier Saturday around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse. Around 10 p.m., smoke briefly dispersed protesters. It was not clear where the smoke came from. Federal officers appeared near the federal courthouse around 10:40 p.m. and deployed tear gas. 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. -- Tom Hallman Jr; thallman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8224; @thallmanjr Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A cursory look into the more than 104,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans that were approved for Colorado companies reveals a wealth of data but few insights. The Small Business Administration program, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, was signed into law on March 27, with $349 billion in funding. According to the Washington Post, 4.7 million companies received those loans. The SBA reported the average loan size for the entire program at $107,000. In Colorado, 13,383 companies got loans of $150,000 or more. Another 91,000 got loans ranging from $44 to $149,995. More than 84,000 of those loans were for less than $100,000. Those companies ranged from those with single owners to multimillion-dollar businesses with thousands of employees that few would think of as a small business. But for all the money that has been put into the program, it couldnt put to rest some critical questions: Do we really know how many jobs were saved? Did companies get their fair share? And the billion-dollar question: Is it enough to save the economy? Colorado Politics talked to recipients, lenders and experts about the program and where we go from here. The programs purpose is to help small businesses defined by the SBA as 500 employees or less keep employees on the payroll. Under the initial program rules, 75% had to be spent on payroll to have the loan forgiven, but that amount was later reduced to 60%. If less than 60% is used for payroll, under the rules adopted by Congress in June, businesses would have up to five years to repay it. Loans were to be based on 2 times the monthly payroll. The rest could be used for rent and utilities. The Trump administration claimed the program would save 51 million jobs. Questions about the programs efficacy and accuracy have dogged PPP from the start. Initially, businesses had two months to spend the money, primarily for payroll. But for the Colorado businesses with loans approved prior to June 5, the day President Donald Trump signed a revision that extended the spending time to six months, that money was long gone by June 5. Of the Colorado businesses with loans of $150,000 or more, only 140 had approval dates of June 5 or later. Of the businesses that had loans approved for less than $150,000, 84,841 got those loans before June 5. The pandemic isnt over for Colorado businesses, and many have reopened to far less than full capacity, or in the case of bars and breweries, not at all. Thats led some business owners to say that while the program helped, it didnt help enough, and employees could still be laid off and the businesses could still end up closing. Limited transparency For the programs first several months, the Trump administration refused to disclose who got loans and for how much. A coalition of media organizations, including the Washington Post and ProPublica, sued for that information. That lawsuit is ongoing. On July 6, the SBA released two databases: Loans of less than $150,000 were disclosed with industry information, the dates the loan were approved and the exact amount of the loan, but didnt identify the companies that got them. For companies that got loans of $150,000 or more, a second database listed names and industries but instead of a specific dollar amount, it listed a range, such as $350,000 to $1 million, or $1 million to $2 million. The SBA said the loan amounts listed were for approved loans, not necessarily funds that had been disbursed. While the database included information on minority ownership, the number of jobs that could be retained and other demographic information, the SBA said in a document accompanying the databases release that about 75% of all PPP loans did not include any demographic information because that information was not provided by the borrowers. SBA is working to collect more demographic information from borrowers to better understand which small businesses are benefiting from PPP loans. The loan forgiveness application expressly requests demographic information for borrowers. A rough start Tony Gagliardi, state director for the Colorado chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, said his members' average size is between five and nine employees and with average sales of $500,000 or less. The rollout was abysmal, Gagliardi said, which led to questions about whether anyone was thinking about an official way to run the program at its onset. Most of our members got left out of the first round, Gagliardi said, with problems such as not being able to get lenders to call them back, or follow up on whether they would get a loan. Once that initial phase was over, things went a little smoother. But the program missed its mark, he explained. Those who really needed it didnt have access, and those who didnt got a gift. Many businesses were under the gun to figure out if workers would come back to work and how to manage cash flow in the eight weeks the program set forth for the forgiveness part of the program. It did help some small businesses, he said. But the business hasnt come back for many. Orders arent coming in as fast as was hoped for, Gagliardi said, and that could mean even businesses that took loans could still be facing layoffs and the threat of going under. It was such a complicated program from the start. We had to do something, and do it fast, but a little more thought should have gone into it, he said. Questions of accuracy During the past two weeks, business owners have complained that the information in the database isnt accurate. In Colorado, two nail salons were identified as having received as much as $20 million in loans. The owner said they got less than $100,000. Also called into question: reporting around how many employees stayed on the payroll. Nationwide, more than 500,000 businesses that got loans listed zero jobs saved or didnt provide a number. In Colorado, 1,376 businesses of the 13,383 that were approved for loans of more than $150,000 reported zero jobs saved. For businesses that got the smaller loans, 16,200 Colorado businesses said the loan would not save any jobs. Some business owners claim they were never asked that question. And according to Reuters, some companies overestimated the number of jobs saved. The flip side of that claim: Many companies reported they saved exactly 500 jobs, the limit for a small business loan. The database listed 69 companies in Colorado with loans of more than $150,000 that reported that number. That included Bad Daddys, a franchise chain owned by Lakewood-based Good Times that operates in Colorado and six other states. Good Times also reported for one of its two loans that it would save exactly 500 jobs. Among the unnamed businesses that got loans of less than $150,000, 10 reported that their loan would save 500 jobs each. Those loans ranged from $1,000 to $127,500. Theres another issue around accuracy, and thats in verifying that the company exists. For example, Black Sea Trucking of Aurora, listed with the U.S. Department of Transportation as Father & Son Trucking, was approved for a loan on June 8 from Celtic Bank of Salt Lake City for between $150,000 to $350,000. According to its U.S. Department of Transportation records, the company has no current for-hire operating authority with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The SBA database says the company is Hispanic-owned, yet according to the Colorado secretary of states business database, the home-based company was owned by individuals with Russian surnames throughout its 15-year history, which includes numerous delinquent filings. The company has no website or known phone number. A call to a phone number listed for the homeowner, whose name was not the same as the one listed for the company, was not returned. The SBA has said the banks are responsible for the accuracy of information on loans. When asked how they verify information from borrowers, Celtic Bank General Counsel Leslie Renaldi said in an email to Colorado Politics that we are a small commercial bank and cannot individually respond to the number of inquiries we are receiving regarding the PPP loan reports. Please note that PPP lenders did not create the PPP loan reports. We have researched some of the data provided in the PPP loan reports and have noted, and reported to the SBA and Treasury, numerous discrepancies. Our expectation is that new, corrected reports will be issued soon. Did loans go to small businesses? That appears to depend on how theyre defined. Multimillion dollar companies, some publicly traded and with thousands of employees, got loans under the franchise model, which is based on the number of employees per location. That allowed those businesses to claim they fit under the SBAs definition of a small business. Good Times, which got two loans, has 2,535 employees, according to its website. The loans were estimated by the database at $2 million to $5 million each and that would save a total of 898 jobs. Golden-based Boston Market reports a total of 14,000 employees in 450 locations in 28 states as of 2018. It claimed its two loans between $5 million and $10 million each would save 500 jobs. Negative publicity over loans going to companies the public doesnt view as small businesses resulted in some companies returning the money, to the tune of about $30 billion. That included Shake Shack, Ruths Chris Steak House and the Los Angeles Lakers. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in April that companies that took more than $2 million in loans would be audited. Church and state By type of business: 919 nonprofits got loans of $150,000 or more. The largest loans, in the $5 million to $10 million range, went to hospital districts and nonprofit health care providers. While they dont pay taxes, churches cashed in on taxpayer-funded PPP loans, too. Churches and major religious organizations, some with ties to the president, took $7.3 billion through 88,411 PPP loans. This included 10,000 Catholic churches. In Colorado, the Archdiocese of Denver and the dioceses of Colorado Springs and Pueblo all got loans. The loan to the Diocese of Colorado Springs was listed at between $350,000 and $1 million. The Archdiocese of Denver received two loans for its Mount Olivet cemetery in Jefferson County. The Mount Olivet Cemetery Association got a loan ranging between $350,000 to $1 million, and claimed it would save 42 jobs. The mortuary at Mount Olivet got a loan of between $150,000 and $350,000, and claimed that would save 52 jobs. The Archdiocese got three other loans: one for the archdiocese ($2 million to $5 million), another for its management operation ($1 million to $2 million) and a third for its co-located St. John Vianney seminary ($350,000 to $1 million). Another 40 Catholic churches or affiliated organizations, such as Catholic Charities, got loans. A total of 214 religious organizations in Colorado got loans through the program. Singapore, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RESOLUTE 2.0 DIRECT MULTIPLEX RT-PCR COVID-19 DIAGNOSTIC TEST ELIMINATES NEED FOR EXTRACTION OF VIRAL RNA FROM TEST SAMPLES, CUTS DOWN TEST DELIVERY TIME BY HALF WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER APPROVED RT-PCR TESTS. INDUSTRY-TOPPING THROUGHPUT OF CLOSE TO 4,000 SAMPLES A DAY ACHIEVED WITH RAVE , A COMPLEMENTARY AUTOMATED AND ROBOTICS LAB SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY A*STARS ARTC, SIMTECH, AND DXD HUB. ADVANCED MEDTECH (AMTH) GRANTED HSA PROVISIONAL AUTHORISATION TO MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY RESOLUTE 2.0 TESTS, AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY FOR USE IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS AND LABORATORIES THROUGHOUT SINGAPORE. AMTH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COVID-19 DIAGNOSTIC TEST MANUFACTURERS IN SINGAPORE WITH ABILITY TO RAMP PRODUCTION CAPACITY TO 2 MILLION TESTS A MONTH RESOLUTE 2.0, an industry-first SARS-CoV-2 direct multiplex Reverse-Transcription Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (RT-PCR) assay kit co-developed by Singapores Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO), has been made available for clinical use in Singapore by Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), a global medical technology leader. The kit detects SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. AMTH licensed the RESOLUTE 2.0 technology from A*STAR and DSO and has been granted Provisional Authorisation from Singapores Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to manufacture and supply the test. The pilot production of the RESOLUTE test kit was conducted in close collaboration with, and validated by, the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, a national platform hosted by A*STAR. RESOLUTE 2.0 eliminates the need for extraction of viral RNA from patient test samples, thus minimising potential human errors and halving the test delivery time when compared to other approved RT-PCR kits which are considered the gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 detection. A multiplex RT-PCR, RESOLUTE 2.0 also allows for simultaneous detection of multiple SARS-CoV-2 targets and human control target in one single reaction. Story continues To further expedite the RESOLUTE 2.0 testing process, A*STARs Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and DxD Hub co-developed the complementary Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE) robotics lab system. The made-in-Singapore automated system will also be distributed by AMTH. It minimises the manual steps in the preparation of a test assay (uncapping of tubes, pipetting etc.), shortening the time to results. Two sets of RAVE and thermal cyclers can process an industry-topping throughput of close to 4,000 samples a day. RAVE also reduces test contamination and infection risks for laboratory workers. For more information on RAVE, please refer to Annex A (Fact Sheet on RAVE). To support Singapores efforts to significantly expand its nationwide COVID-19 testing capability, AMTH set up one of the largest automated in-vitro diagnostics manufacturing facilities in the country in just 6 weeks. The site is fully operational and can ramp up capacity to produce 2 million tests per month. With the support of DxD Hub, AMTH intends to file for regulatory approval for the RESOLUTE 2.0 test with the US FDA and will file additional regulatory submissions around the world. Abel Ang, Group Chief Executive of Advanced MedTech, said: We are proud to have worked with A*STAR, DxD Hub, DSO National Laboratories and other agencies to rapidly bring world-class multi-disciplinary research done in Singapore to the global stage. The speed, accuracy, and scale of the combined RESOLUTE 2.0 test kit and RAVE automation will make it an indispensable part of the overall toolkit of leading COVID-19 testing centers around the world. I am proud of how our team was able to complete technology transfer and scale up our manufacturing capability in a matter of weeks. Mr Frederick Chew, Chief Executive Officer, A*STAR, said: This cutting-edge diagnostics innovation is a result of triple-helix public-private collaboration between A*STAR, DSO and Advanced MedTech. The integrated RESOLUTE 2.0 + RAVE system combines strong engineering capabilities with deep biomedical science to create value. Separately, the range of COVID-19 technology innovations emanating from the entire local ecosystem over the past few months has been very heartening. I am particularly pleased to see public sector technologies being licensed to local companies to address Singapores COVID-19 public health needs. At the same time, our local companies can commercialise and export these technologies. Dr Beh Swan Gin, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), said: I am heartened that Advanced MedTech stepped forward to support Singapores efforts to expand testing for COVID-19. The speed at which it has scaled up its test-kit manufacturing capacity is testament to the capabilities of our MedTech sector, and to the strength of private-public partnerships in Singapore. EDB will continue working closely with Advanced MedTech and other industry partners, to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 in Singapore and globally. For more information on the RESOLUTE 2.0 test, please visit www.advancedcovidtest.com ### About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) A*STAR is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, spearheading economic-oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and research entities, the wider research community and industry. A*STARs R&D activities span biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg . Follow us on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube A*STAR Media contacts: Sunanthar Lu A*STAR Corporate Communications +65 9727 2170 sunanthar_lu@hq.a-star.edu.sg Gladys Chung A*STAR Corporate Communications Gladys_chung@hq.a-star.edu.sg About Advanced MedTech Holdings Advanced MedTech Holdings is a global medical technology leader with a core focus in urology devices and services. Headquartered in Singapore, with operations in US, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Malaysia and Japan, the Company serves millions of patients and physicians in 100 countries worldwide. Advanced MedTech Holdings makes strategic investments in disruptive medical technology companies, strengthening its portfolio of healthcare solutions for customers around the world. Advanced MedTech Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek. For more information on Advanced MedTech Holdings, please visit https://www.advanced-medtech.com/ . Advanced MedTech Media Contacts: Weikang Lee Advanced MedTech Holdings +65 6572 6074 weikang.lee@advanced-medtech.com Emma Thompson / Maryanne Lee Spurwing Communications +65 6751 2021 advanced@spurwingcomms.com Attachment Apple Supplier TSMC Invited by Japan to Build Joint Chip Plant: Report By Ding Yi / Jul 20, 2020 04:05 PM / World Japan is looking to invite Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) and other global chipmakers to build an advanced manufacturing plant alongside domestic chip equipment suppliers in the hope of capitalizing on their technologies to bolster its chip industry, according to a report by Yomiuri Daily on Sunday. The news comes two months after TSMC unveiled plans to build a $12 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in the U.S. state of Arizona which will produce state-of-the-art five-nanometer chips that can be used in advanced defense and communications devices. The Japanese government is planning to offer a total of several billion dollars to overseas chipmakers joining the project over the following few years, the Yomiuri Daily reported, without citing sources. The report gave no timeline for the project. TSMC has not yet responded to Caixins request for comment. In the second quarter of 2020, TSMC saw its net profit surge 81% year-on-year to NT$120.8 billion ($4.1 billion), the company said, despite a new U.S. rule limiting TSMC and other companies from supplying chips made with U.S. technology to Huawei. The company also predicted that its business will be driven by stronger demand for its 5-nanometer and 7-nanometer technologies in the third quarter. As one of the leaders in the global chipmaking industry, TSMC reportedly expects to mass-produce 3-nanometer chips in 2022. Smaller chips allow more computing power to fit into a given space. Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) Related: Taiwan Chipmaker TSMC Creates Good Will With $12 Billion U.S. Factory Plan Parents worried about sending their children back to school during the coronavirus pandemic will have the option to choose all-remote learning when schools reopen this fall, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. The Department of Education will be releasing guidance allowing for parents to choose all-remote learning for their children, Murphy said during his daily press briefing in Trenton Monday. Again, the details will be coming out later this week, but we wanted everyone to know now that we will allow for this step. He did not provide further details. There a lot of moving parts to this, Murphy said. We want to get it right. We want to do it responsibly. When asked if the remote option would apply to teachers concerned about falling ill, Murphy said that was not the general plan, but did say he did not want to predict the plans to be announced later this week. This is going to be focused on kids and parents, he said. One of the aspirations put forward by educators has been less density in the classrooms and some capacity limits. If kids are remote learning, that is indirectly addressing capacity and density in the classroom, Murphy said. The education department released guidance last month on reopening schools. While districts have autonomy in determining the details, the overarching rules mandated schools have at least some in-person instruction, require masks on staff and strongly encourage students to wear them unless they have a medical exception, keep social distancing and screen students and staff for symptoms. But the department also said districts should strive to ensure that every student has access to a device and internet connectivity to engage students in remote learning when necessary. Murphy has already lifted many restrictions put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus in March. But he said Friday the state has stalled largely in a holding pattern, with many indoor services and businesses remaining closed. Risks with indoor transmission, which poses greater threats than outdoor activity, have left many concerned about how well schools can restrict the spread of the virus. Murphy said school reopening may prove the trickiest step off all. We want to respect public health, but we also want to do everything we can to try to recapture that magic of some semblance of in-person education that no state does like New Jersey, he said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. The Calcutta High Court on Monday turned down a plea seeking a CBI probe into the death of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Debendra Nath Roy, who was found hanging near his house in north Dinajpur district a week ago. While the police, after preliminary investigation, claimed that Roy had committed suicide, his family members and the BJP alleged that he was murdered. The victims wife Chadima Roy had filed a petition seeking a CBI investigation. A single judge bench of the Calcutta High Court has turned down the plea for a CBI probe. We will soon file an appeal before a division bench, said Chadima Roys lawyer Brajesh Jha who filed the plea. The court said that a medical board comprising head of the forensic science division of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital would give a second opinion on Roys post mortem report within 14 days. The additional director general of the states Criminal Investigation Department would monitor the probe. The Mamata Banerjee administration had earlier handed over the case to the CID which is now probing the case. The post mortem report had hinted that Roy may have committed suicide even though the chemical analysis report is still pending. Police investigation had suggested that Roy committed suicide after he was duped by his business partners. He had invested around 1.5 crore. An engineering firm has been 'overwhelmed' after it received 15,000 applications for just 10 jobs on a new assembly line. Lontra is opening the new line in Tyseley, Birmingham, later this year, assembling industrial machines from components manufactured across the UK. Now, as the scramble for jobs intensifies amid coronavirus closures, the firm attracted 15,000 applicants for just 10 new roles. Steve Smith-Howes, of recruitment agency Glue Resourcing, said: 'This is an unprecedented volume of applications for a job posting even accounting for the recession triggered by Covid-19. 'Although roles with fast-growth manufacturing firms such as Lontra are seen as highly attractive, reflecting the world class skills and ambitions of the local workforce, I've never known anything like it in 30 years of recruitment.' Lontra is opening the new line in Tyseley, Birmingham and attracted 15,000 applications for just 10 roles Lontra opened the UK's first Greenfield high value manufacturing centre in Napton, Warwickshire last September Steve Lindsey, Lontra's chief executive, said: 'A buoyant software sector is of real value to the UK, but it will be outliers such as ourselves that transform the UK's manufacturing and construction sectors. 'Manufacturing and exports create a strong bedrock for an economy, delivering productive and rewarding jobs that people are proud of. It is these jobs that we should be investing in as a country.' It comes after 484 hopefuls applied for two 9-an-hour positions at the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, southwest London. General manager Mick Dore posted an advert for the roles on Twitter and was staggered by the response. He later wrote: 'I don't want to alarm anyone about the economy or anything, but I advertised two bar jobs at 4.30 on Thursday. We've had well over 400 applicants. Gulp.' Mr Dore, 53, said he would usually have expected about a dozen replies from younger jobseekers who have done less bar work. He said on this occasion there were CVs sent from experienced show workers, ex-air stewards and restaurant managers who had lost their jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis. As many as 484 hopefuls applied for two 9-an-hour positions at the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, southwest London General manager Mick Dore (pictured) posted an advert for the roles on Twitter and was staggered by the response Mr Dore ended up taking on six workers due to the high-quality of applicants. The Fitzrovia Belle Pub and Hotel in central London had a similar experience, with 400 people applying for a handful of jobs. A third of firms plan to lay off staff in the next three months Almost a third of UK firms plan to lay off staff over the next three months in a further sign of the coronavirus pandemic's devastating impact on Britain's job market, according to a report. The British Chambers of Commerce (BBC) quarterly recruitment outlook reveals that 29 per cent of 7,400 firms surveyed expect to axe jobs over the third quarter - a record high for the study. The report - compiled in conjunction with Totaljobs - found that 28 per cent of firms polled had already cut roles between April and June. The study also showed that 41 per cent of large companies and 41% of small and medium-sized firms expect to cut staff over the next quarter, with 18% of micro businesses forecasting workforce reductions. Recruitment also ground to a halt, with just 25 per cent of firms looking to take on new hires in another grim record for the report. Advertisement General anager Rob Fisher, 40, told the Sunday Times: 'The quality of people looking for work right now is as good as it ever has been. Unfortunately it's because of the situation people have found themselves in.' The news is reflected across the country, with bosses seeing a huge influx of applicants for entry-level jobs that would usually be unpopular. It comes as figures revealed that the number of people employed fell by another 74,000 last month with 2.6million on benefits. Some 650,000 fewer are on the payroll than before the crisis after another 0.3 per cent reduction between May and June, according to official figures. Vacancies are at a record low and hours have also tumbled, the Office for National Statistics data show. The claimant count has risen by 112.2 per cent, or 1.4million, since March. However, the massive furlough and self-employed support schemes appear to be masking the scale of the issues. Rishi Sunak said the government's response was 'protecting millions of people from unemployment'. A separate survey by the British Chambers of Commerce has found that a third of firms are planning to lay off staff over the next three months. The high street has faced the brunt of the hardship, with retail giants such as John Lewis, Clarks and Pizza Express announcing a wave of job cuts. Reports also suggest that Marks & Spencer will axe hundreds of staff within days in the first wave of a cull that will hit thousands of workers. The ONS said unemployment fell 17,000 between March and May to 1.35million, with the rate unchanged at 3.9 per cent. Experts said this masked a fall in employment, down 126,000 in the quarter to 32.95 million, with the rate dropping to 76.4 per cent. With 9.4million people on furlough classed as employed, the true impact is expected to only be shown after the current support scheme ends in October. Vacancies for April to June were at the lowest level since the figures started being compiled in 2001, at 333,000. Some 650,000 fewer are on the payroll than before the crisis, according to official figures The total number of hours worked in the UK hit a record low in March-May, according to the latest figures The respected NIESR think-tank added projections to the ONS figures, suggesting that annual pay in the private sector is tumbling while in the public sector it is rising That was 23 per cent lower than the previous record low after the credit crunch in 2009. Pay has also been hit hard by the crisis, dropping 0.3 per cent in the three months to May compared to the same period last year. Accounting for inflation, that is equivalent to a 1.3 per cent reduction. Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said: 'As the pandemic took hold, the labour market weakened markedly, but that rate of decline slowed into June, though this is before recent reports of job losses. 'There are now almost two-thirds of a million fewer employees on the payroll than before the lockdown, according to the latest tax data. 'The Labour Force Survey is showing only a small fall in employment, but shows a large number of people who report working no hours and getting no pay.' He added: 'There are now far more out-of-work people who are not looking for a job than before the pandemic.' Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the situation was going to be 'very, very difficult for lots of people'. 'I think the best thing we can do is continue to open up the economy in a phased manner, a cautious manner, and get businesses up and running again,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: China or Channa? There has been a chorus for the boycott of Chinese toys and reviving the Channapatna toy industry. The standoff with China has now come as a blessing in disguise for these toys. For, it offers a big chance for bringing back the glory of the Channapatna toy industry. Channapatna, known as the toy town of Karnataka, was seen floundering with its markets flooded with cheaper Made in China products and livelihoods threatened till recently. Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry president C R Janardhana said the positive aspect of this crisis could be the revival of the Channapatna toys at a global level. The Chief Minister has already called for the toy industry here to be upgraded by incorporating electronic and digital elements into it. They are eco-friendly too. It will take some time but Channapatna could emerge as a global toy supplier, he said. But for Bengalurus toy industry, there seems to be little hope as of now. With 70 per cent of the much sought after modern toys imported from China, toy shops are surviving on whatever stocks have been imported in the past. Three events this year created an unprecedented crisis for the industry. The supply disruption caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, the increase of import duty by the Centre by 200% in February from 20% to 60% and the need to go in for double quality certification for imports to be implemented from September this year. The latest jolt for the industry is the strained relations between the two countries due to the military standoff and the subsequent campaign across the country to boycott Chinese brands. There are an estimated 700 to 800 small toy shops and 200 to 300 large shops in Bengaluru, according to the Karnataka Toys Association. Biggest crisis we are facing Association president Mangalchand S Jain, a big name in the toy business in the country, said, I own two toy shops in the city and have been running my business for the last 40 years and this is the biggest crisis we are facing. There is not a single electronic toy manufacturer in the country. We can use this crisis to set up our own modern manufacturing units. But it could take up to two years for it to begin operations, he added. Nilesh Gurnani, proprietor of Monopoly Marketing shop on Commercial Street and secretary of the association, said that 10 per cent of the toys being bought from other countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Denmark depended on China for their electronic components. The 20 per cent toys produced in India are purchased by malls or departmental stores. They can replace them with other available products, he felt. A man whose 2011 manslaughter conviction was overturned because the Oregon State Police crime lab failed to disclose it had found another mans DNA on the victims shoe filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Monday against police officials in the case. The lawsuit filed by Nicholas McGuffin, 38, named multiple Coquille, Coos County and Oregon State Police law enforcement officials. He alleges that authorities manufactured and hid evidence in their case against him. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Using the first results from an analysis of the world's largest active surveillance prostate cancer database, the GAP3 consortium has begun to identify which patients are at risk of developing the disease and which patients can safely delay treatment. This work is presented at the virtual European Association of Urology congress. 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 that 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 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 five 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. The 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: 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 tumor, 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 centers. 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 tumor aggressiveness." EAU Adjunct Secretary General Professor Hendrik Van Poppel (University of Leuven, Belgium ), who was not involved in the study, said, "This work shows that it should be possible to develop a global nomogramin 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." Explore further Active surveillance for prostate cancer can give men good quality of life Ahead of the presentation of the 2020 mid-year budget review to Parliament on Thursday, July 23, a former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, has challenged government to come clean on the use of the various funds set aside to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In dealing with the impact of the ravaging pandemic on the country, government has had to assess different funds from different places like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Stabilization Fund and the Bank of Ghana. Addressing journalists, Mr. Terkper alleged that government is diverting monies collected in the name of COVID-19 to finance some of its other pressing needs. The financing, which we secured purposely for COVID, the $1 billion IMF loan, the World Bank support, the Stabilization Fund withdrawal, other releases that we have got, all amounts to about, at the time we did our calculation, GHS 10 billion. I think I heard the Minority say that it's about GHS 16 billion, which is higher than the cost of COVID. So even though the cost of COVID could have gone up, it is important to note that back then, when the Bank of Ghana financing and other financing were being considered we had secured enough for COVID. So why were we getting those additional borrowings and the rest? The only explanation is that the borrowing was being done or is being done to finance items that were not being disclosed, he claimed. The former Finance Minister also warned of fiscal credibility issues for Ghana if the current government continues to exclude exceptional cost from its budget reporting. So we are saying that it will be good for us to come now and explain why we have a difference with the IMF. I've said that in the past, Ghana's fiscal practice is to include all exceptional cost, and I hope that the mid-year review will go back to that. Government must reconcile its own position with the fund as it's important for its own fiscal credibility. Doing this for us will mean government's admission of adjustment to performance in the past, which was shown as stellar. But it's fair to Ghanaians, and especially when you accuse other administrations of poor performance. ---citinewsroom WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Monday that he is putting Russia and other foreign governments on notice that he would act aggressively as president to counter any interference in U.S. elections. The statement came hours after Democratic leaders issued a new warning that Congress appears to be the target of a foreign interference campaign. Biden said in a statement that he would treat foreign interference as an an adversarial act that significantly affects the relationship between the United States and the interfering nations government. He criticized President Donald Trump for not doing enough in response to U.S. intelligence agencies assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. If any foreign power recklessly chooses to interfere in our democracy, I will not hesitate to respond as president to impose substantial and lasting costs, Biden said. The new alarms give a renewed urgency to concerns that foreign actors could be trying to influence the vote or sow disinformation. Biden said last week that he had begun receiving intelligence briefings and warned that Russia, China and other adversaries were attempting to undermine the presidential election. Biden gave no evidence, but he said that Russia was still engaged after 2016 and that China was also involved in efforts to sow doubts in the American electoral process. During an online fundraiser Monday night, Biden added: Its going to be tough, theres not much I can do about it now except talk about it, and expose it, but it is a serious concern. It is truly a violation of our sovereignty. And in an interview on MSNBC, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin knows I mean what I say. The Democratic leaders said in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday that they are concerned that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign to influence the 2020 presidential election. They asked Wray for an all-members, classified briefing on the matter before the August recess. The letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees contains no details about the threats, though they describe them as serious and specific. We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November, wrote Pelosi, Schumer, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence panel. A congressional official familiar with the letter said that there was a classified addendum to ensure a clear and unambiguous record of the counterintelligence threats of concern. The person, who was granted anonymity to describe the confidential letter, said the addendum largely draws from the executive branchs own reporting and analysis. The FBI said it had received the letter but declined further comment. While the Democrats exact concerns were unclear, there have been worries since Trump was elected that Russias efforts to sow American chaos are ongoing in the 2020 election. The 2016 effort included hacking of Democratic email accounts during the campaign by Russian military intelligence officials and the subsequent disclosure by WikiLeaks. Intelligence authorities said that hack-and-leak operation was aimed at helping Trumps presidential campaign and harming that of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Russians also used a covert social media campaign to spread misinformation and posts aimed at dividing American public opinion. In the end, former special counsel Robert Mueller charged 25 Russian nationals for their roles in foreign interference and influence during the campaign. Democrats, including members of the Senate intelligence panel, have voiced concerns that an ongoing Republican probe into Bidens son, Hunter Biden, and his work in Ukraine would amplify Russian disinformation. That probe is being led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis. In a statement, Johnson spokesman Austin Altenburg said the committees staff had already requested and received a briefing on Russian disinformation and Johnson had requested an additional briefing at the member level. While Biden criticized Trump for not acting more aggressively against Russia, his pledge that his intelligence community would report publicly and in a timely manner on any foreign efforts to interfere in an American election also appeared to be a course correction of sorts to the approach of the Obama administration, which waited months after Russian hacks of Democratic email accounts in 2016 to officially attribute them to Moscow. Officials did so only after a rigorous internal debate over what they should say. Even when the administration did issue its October 2016 statement blaming Russia for the hacks, it did not mention Putin by name nor an ongoing effort to determine whether the Kremlins election interference efforts were being co-ordinated with the Trump campaign. Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump, said Monday she was glad Biden was speaking up. Its very clear that Russia succeeded, she told MSNBC. They believed that they were able to influence the minds and even the votes of Americans, so why would they stop? Senior Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala (C), KC Venugopal, Avinash Pandey, Ajay Maken and other leaders with newly elected Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara (2L) during a press conference after a MLA's meeting at a hotel, in Jaipur. PTI Photo The Congress charge reiterated Friday that the BJP was conspiring with rebel Congress MLAs to bring down Ashok Gehlots government in Rajasthan, the release of audiotapes to buttress its claim and the naming of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for his role, unsurprisingly led not just to a BJP denial and Shekhawats claim it was not his voice on the tapes, but also a demand from the BJP for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into alleged phone tapping. Earlier, the Rajasthan polices anti-corruption bureau had registered FIRs over the audio tapes in which rebel MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma is heard talking to two people, one allegedly Shekhawat and the other one Sanjay Jain, who has since been arrested. (In another tape, MLA Vishvendra Singh, recently sacked as a minister, was also heard.) Given the circumstances of the ongoing tussle in Rajasthan, it will be extremely inadvisable to inject the CBI into this matter, given its reputation as the handmaiden of the ruling party at the Centre. In fact, given that this drama is essentially political in nature, it would be best to keep even the state police out, and settle matters politically. One should remember it was the notice sent to former deputy CM Sachin Pilot by the Rajasthan polices special operations group, over its probe into the BJP plot against the Gehlot government, that triggered the young leaders revolt earlier this month. Pilot and the MLAs supporting him, who were issued disqualification notices by Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi, now have till Tuesday to submit their replies, on the orders of the Rajasthan high court. If the Speaker, true to the bipartisan nature of his office, acts impartially, he should give both sides a fair hearing. The rebel MLAs say while they have complaints against the Gehlot government, they had in no way indulged in any anti-party activity. If the accusation is that some or all of them were in touch with BJP leaders, the same charge could be levelled against the chief minister himself, who supposedly kept a back channel open to former CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia. If Gehlot is correct to claim that he has majority support, particularly after two MLAs of the Bharatiya Tribal Party, who were earlier sitting on the fence, returned to his fold over the weekend, all he should do is request the governor and Speaker to hold an Assembly session at the earliest, and prove his strength on the floor of the House. For that to be credible and legitimate, it is important that all MLAs are allowed to participate and vote. It is easy to believe that the BJP and the Centre as they have so many times in so many states earlier went out of their way to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government. But it is also important to remember that the BJP didnt create the bitter discord within the Rajasthan Congress: it has now come to light that the CM and the deputy CM have not been on talking terms since their government was formed over a year and a half ago. This is a certain recipe for disaster, and the Congress leadership in New Delhi would do well to put its house in order before more state governments are gobbled up by the BJP. One of the things that has become obvious about all the information over the last few days is that there apparently is something rotten in Denmark when it comes to certain lobbyists and the way they conduct their business. We need to nip that in the bud, Pritzker said at a separate downstate news conference Monday. Thats why Ive called for so much transparency. Turkey suspended flights to and from Iran and Afghanistan yesterday due to coronavirus-related concerns. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said the decision constituted preventative measures, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey stopped nearly all international passenger flights in and out of the country in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Turkey, which has a major international transit hub in Istanbul, announced the resumption of international flights. Iran and Afghanistan are both in the midst of coronavirus outbreaks. Iran recorded its highest ever daily death toll this month with 200 deaths in a single day. Around 20% of the population has contracted the virus, according to some estimates. In Afghanistan, the Afghan Red Crescent Society warned last week that cases are being underreported and the war-torn nation is on the verge of potential health, social and economic catastrophes caused by COVID-19. Turkey is not the only country in the region to reopen its skies but then suspend some newly resumed flights. Emirates has suspended flights to New Zealand and from Pakistan in recent weeks due to quarantine restrictions and an outbreak on a flight, respectively. - Kanye West held his first rally on Sunday, 19 July in North Charleston, South Carolina, US - The rapper promised everyone who has a baby $1 million if they vote for him to become the president of the US - The musician, who was in tears, touched on a number of topics, including his business dealings and his pro-life stance Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Kanye West wants everyone who has a baby to get $1 million "or something in that range". Kanye was speaking at his first presidential campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina on Sunday, 19 July. Sunday was the last day before the state's deadline to file signatures as an independent candidate. The rapper spoke shortly after 5pm at the Exquis Event Center rally. The rapper is going up against President Donald Trump and presidential hopeful Joe Biden in his quest to become the second black president in the US. READ ALSO: Father & his cute daughter stir up social media with 'crazy' dance moves (video) ABC News reports that Kanye's speech touched on a wide range of topics, from his battle with opioids to his business dealings with Adidas, before elaborating on his pro-life stance. Kanye said that he thinks abortion should be legal, but that there should be more support for those who need it. "The maximum increase would be everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars or something in that range." READ ALSO: Old video of Kwesi Arthur rapping when he had no money pops up Kanye West held his first presidential campaign rally in South Carolina. Image: @kimkardashian Source: Instagram The publication also reports that Kanye expressed that marijuana "should be free" and took questions from the audience before the hour-long event ended. READ ALSO: Talented Ghanaian kids imitate Stonebwoy's exact performance in video Kanye requires 10,000 signatures in South Carolina to get on the presidential ballot as an independent candidate. The state does not allow write-in candidates on the ballot. In other news, YEN.com.gh reported that Mavis Ampah, the wife of veteran Ghanaian comedian, Kweku Sintim Misa (KSM) has worked with the world bank as the Lead ICT Policy Specialist until recently. The popular comedian unveiled his rarely seen wife during a recent interview with Kokonsa that was sighted by YEN.com.gh on their YouTube channel. KSM revealed that his wife is one of the most intelligent people he has ever met and he always goes to her for clarification on many things he does not understand. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Faces of Ghana: 2 brothers paving roads in Ghana with granite and cobblestones: Share your stories and news by getting interactive on our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 20 - The latest proposal from European Council President Charles Michel is spurring hope of a deal on a huge post-COVID recovery stimulus package after an EU summit went into its fourth day amid a continuing rift between 'frugal' northern European countries and the potential biggest beneficiaries in southern Europe. The original plan for was a 750 billion package divided into 500 euros of grants and 250 of loans But the 'frugals' - Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, joined by Finland - insisted on the amount of grants being cut and on attaching conditions such as labour and pension reforms to the hand-outs. Dutch Premier Mark Rutte has been leading the frugals and has had "tense" exchanges with Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, among others. The latest proposal from Michel is to cut the grants from 500 to 390 billion euros, an idea that has prompted a cautious opening from the Netherlands and Austria. Rutte has also described as "excellent" Michel's proposal of a three-day "super emergency brake" which would effectively give any EU member a veto on national spending plans. Austrian President Sebastian Kurz said the proposed reduction of the grants was an "excellent result". Another issue holding back agreement is the insistence of many countries led by the frugals to tire funding to Hungary and Poland to their respect for the rule of law, on which they have made controversial changes in recent years. Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban has accused Rutte of pursuing a vendetta against him on this issue. The summit, the longest since the five-day meet in Nice 20 years ago on admitting new members to the EU, has been adjourned until 16:00 Monday (14:00 GMT). Conte is still hoping to preserve the original format of 500 billion euros of grants and 250 of loans. He has been backed by Germany and France, the two biggest EU members. French President Emmanule Macron reportedly banged his fist on the table in a tense exchange with Rutte. But Merkel, who is leading the EU as duty chair and is also mediating between the sides, is expected to agree to some compromise. Italy stands to get almost 182 billion euros, the highest single amount, from the originally proposed plan, as it is the worst-hit EU member with 35,000 deaths. The summit must also rule, unanimously, on the EU's seven year 1-trillion euro budget, which is part of the post-virus recovery efforts and earmarks vast sums for boosting the green and digital economies. (ANSA). As the start of the school year approachesand the pandemic rages onmany teachers are reaching a breaking point. Theyre scared to go back inside school buildings. Theyre frustrated with state guidance, which they feel leaves more questions than answers . And they feel like their voices are not being heard in the push to reopen schools. As decisions are being made around them, some teachers are starting to speak up to protect their health or even lives. And given that the teacher workforce has shown in recent years that it can organize on a large scaleand get results the big question now is whether reopening plans could spark widespread activism. Already, teachers in Texas and Arizona have protested a return to in-person classes. The Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit against the state to try to block the unsafe reopening of schools. Meanwhile, tweets calling for a national teachers strike have garnered tens of thousands of retweets, as teachers weigh their options. Teachers like myself feel like were being thrown into the fire, and I dont think theres an amount of [personal protective equipment] that can be given to ease that angst, said Patrick Harris, a middle school teacher in Detroit who would support a national day of demonstration. Every teacher wants to be able to go back to school, ... but we want to go back to school without feeling like were putting our lives at risk. Theres a brewing sense among educators that a collective job action could be necessary to show the nation we are on the same page, he said. Over the past couple years, teachers have organized strikes and walkouts in more than a half-dozen states and at least five big cities to fight for higher wages and more school funding. Even so, any labor action on a national scale would be wholly unprecedented, said Jon Shelton, an associate professor in the department of democracy and justice studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, who studies teacher strikes. In most of the country, teacher strikes are illegal. And even in the 15 states where strikes are legal or not covered by statute or case law, teachers still have to follow a process before they go to the picket lines. Strikes are typically the last resort in a contract negotiation process between the local teachers union and the district, after negotiations and mediation fail. Theres virtually no state where theres just an unqualified right to strike, Shelton said. Some of the statewide strikes, walkouts, and mass demonstrations in the last couple years were sanctioned by the teachers unions, but others were grassroots actions, driven by social media. In some of those statesincluding West Virginia, where the movement began with a nine-day strike in 2018striking is illegal. In 2018, what it boiled down to was a community of teachers saying, If were going to have a seat at the table, if anybodys going to hear our voices and our concerns, this is the way we can be heard, said Karla Hilliard, a West Virginia teacher. I feel like there is similar momentum nationwide right now. If a critical mass of teachers refuses to work, the laws against striking wont matter, Shelton saidit will be impossible to punish that many teachers. But if a national or state movement is spotty, with only a handful of teachers from certain districts protesting, then participating teachers could be in legal trouble. Coordinating any kind of national collective action would be very complicated, given the patchwork of laws and school systems we have, Shelton said. Still, he added, we are dealing with unprecedented times. List of Demands In their own jurisdictions, teachers unions are already wielding their influence to push back against schools reopening. In Los Angeles, the district announced it would not reopen buildings this fall after the United Teachers Los Angeles said that 83 percent of its members had voted against returning to in-person instruction. The Chicago Teachers Union has called for remote learning to continue this fall, with its attorney telling reporters that the district could not force teachers to return to work. The district has not finalized its plans for the fall semester but has said a hybrid-learning model of both in-person and virtual instruction would be the most likely scenario. The union has presented the district with a list of demands for a return to the classroom , including widely available PPE, school nurses in every building, class sizes of no more than 12 students, a moratorium on teacher evaluations, extra supports for students with disabilities, and options for high-risk staff to work remotely. The CTU is also pushing for social-justice measures, such as housing security, paid sick leave for parents, and financial support for undocumented students and families. The district can pay for these demands by redistributing the money that currently goes to school police, the CTU has said. We are going to unite with parents and other unions to present the strongest legal, labor, and political front to protect our schools and each other, CTU President Jesse Sharkey wrote in a letter to members . In Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott has pushed for in-person instruction, teachers held a sit-in protest last week at the state Capitol to urge the governor to reconsider. Zeph Capo, the president of Texas AFT, told the news site Reform Austin that teachers are desperate enough to consider anything , including a strikedespite the fact that striking is illegal in Texas, and teachers could lose their retirement funds and their licenses. Theres a point that you get to where you risk it all because conditions get too bad, he said. If youre not around to enjoy your retirement, what good does it do? While several small studies have found that children are less likely to get and spread the coronavirus, a large new study from South Korea found that children between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus just as much as adults. Children younger than 10 transmit the virus to others less often, but there is still some risk. In Arizona, which has emerged as a hot spot for COVID-19 cases, teachers are asking Gov. Doug Ducey to push the start of in-person classes to at least October. Ducey, who recently said Arizona will be opening for learning this fall, has already delayed the start of in-person instruction from early August to at least Aug. 17. Last week, hundreds of teachers drove around their towns in cars painted with slogans like, Remote learning wont kill us but COVID can! and Dont make me choose between my students and my health. Many of the teachers were wearing their Red for Ed shirts that were a hallmark of the states six-day strike in 2018. And on Monday, the Florida teachers union, with the support of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state leaders, arguing that there is no safe way to reopen schools during a resurgence of the coronavirus. The Sunshine State has emerged as the global epicenter of the pandemic, but in-person instruction is mandated for the fall. When asked about teacher activism on a press call with reporters, AFT President Randi Weingarten said, Given the circumstances in the last few weeks, and what weve seen in places like Arizona and Florida and other places, we cant rule anything out anymore. Garnering Support One big question for teachers weighing a protest is whether they will have the support of parents and the community. Many parents, overwhelmed with balancing their jobs and supervising remote learning, are eager for their children to return to school. And pediatricians groups have said its dangerous to keep students home for too long, given schools role in providing meals, social-emotional support, and socialization. You are heard when you go on strike, and it is a very effective method of communicating with leaders and decisionmakers, but its a really sensitive timeI worry about our community and our parent support, Hilliard said. The West Virginia strikes in 2018 and 2019 were successful, she said, in part because the parents and community stood behind teachers. Now, its different, she said. People seem to be very divided on the issue of COVID-19, on the issue of masking. You have to think about your community and continuing that very important partnership with them. Hailly Korman, a senior associate partner at Bellwether Education, who has called for a national teacher strike , said teachers would be more effective in garnering support if they kept their message simple: Theyre putting their health and safety at risk by going back to school, and they need states and districts to take adequate precautions. I think part of what complicates the conversation around a teacher strike in this moment is there are teachers unions who want to use this moment as leverage to request many more things beyond just the physical safety of school staff in facing this virus, she said. That feels opportunistic for folks. It undermines your credibility. Shelton, however, noted that parents generally have positive relationships with teachers, and that those might have improved after parents got a firsthand look at the work teachers do while kids were home this spring. Parents took to social media to praise teachers and say they deserved more money. And in many places with recent strikes, including Arizona and Chicago, teachers can say that theyve fought for students before, Shelton said. Many of those protests centered on students needs rather than solely bread-and-butter issues, like wages and health care. That gives teachers a little more goodwill with parents, Shelton said: Parents are advocating for them because theyve been advocating for their kids for a long time. Gov. Phil Murphy will hold a press conference at noon Monday in Trenton to provide updates on the states recovery from the coronavirus. It will be streamed live from the Trenton War Memorial on the governors YouTube channel. Officials expected to join Murphy are state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, communicable disease service medical director Dr. Edward Lifshitz and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan. There were 798 people in the states 71 hospital with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases as of 10 p.m. Sunday, an increase of 32 over the previous 24-hour period, officials reported early Monday. The uptick followed four straight days of declines. In mid-April more than 8,000 were hospitalized with COVID-19. Officials reported 149 patients receiving critical care, down from 146 a day earlier. Of the 149, 72 are on ventilators, up from 65 the previous day. On Sunday, New Jerseys death toll from the coronavirus increased to 15,706 confirmed and probable fatalities, with 176,783 total positive tests. The overwhelming majority have already recovered. Murphy said in a pair of tweets that the state reported 11 new deaths and 144 new cases. There is often a lag in reporting over the weekend, however. Murphy has no additional media or pubic appearances scheduled for Monday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Seven-year-old Hamza Haqqani, a 2nd grade student at Al-Huda Academy, uses a computer to participate in an E-learning class with his teacher and classmates while at his home on May 01, 2020 in Bartlett, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Last year at this time, many Americans were taking summer vacations, ahead of their children's return to school. Life had the same rhythm it had for generations, until the pandemic broke it. Now school is just one consideration for millions of Americans who literally face a fiscal cliff in the next several weeks. School decisions are being made at a state level, while Congress is considering whether to extend enhanced unemployment benefits, relief for businesses and other pandemic-related aid, all set to expire within weeks. Those are critical programs to nearly 30 million Americans who are on some form of unemployment. "These programs were designed for a shorter-term problem that's become more persistent and worse over time. We know that, and I can't imagine them not doing some kind of a bridge for people with expiring benefits until they come up with another plan that's bipartisan," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton. "We have a cliff we're falling off. We need a bridge or a ladder." States are considering ways to reopen schools and how much in-school learning there will be. For many parents, they are faced with the burden of figuring out how to continue to work or return to jobs, while coping with children who may only be in the classroom a few days a week, if that. JP Morgan economists said the fact that many school systems are choosing staggered schedules and will continue distance learning is likely to negatively impact personal income, labor force participation and productivity. States are struggling with the school issue, particularly as the virus continues to spread. "In addition to large social consequences, these decisions will matter for the course of the economy in the second half and beyond. Education accounts for about 6% of GDP, and spillovers touch a much broader swath of the economy," the JP Morgan analysts noted. The school situation is huge since two-thirds of married couples with children under 18 have both parents working. "In addition to affecting these hard data, the schooling situation could weigh on sentiment, as it may be harder for consumers to convince themselves that things are getting back to normal when home life is very far from normal," the economists wrote. That's just one part of the economic considerations that will be made in the next several weeks that will affect not only every day American life but how the U.S. economy recovers. CARES Act consequences The Police in Abia have begun a manhunt for the remaining nine of the 29 criminal suspects that escaped from a police cell in Umuahia on Saturday. Police spokesperson in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that 29 detainees escaped from the Umuahia Central Police Stations cell after overpowering the guard on duty. Narrating the incident, Mr Ogbonna said that one of the detainees had appealed to the guard (name withheld) to assist him with water to flush the toilet. He said that unknown to the guard, the detainees had conspired to attack him in order to escape from detention. This happened around 9 p.m. on Saturday, he said. He added that as soon as the guard brought the water and opened the iron bar, the suspects rushed out, overpowered him and took to their heels. READ ALSO: The commands spokesman said that 20 of the suspects were rearrested that night and in the early hours of Sunday. He expressed the confidence that the remaining nine would be rearrested and appealed for assistance from Umuahia residents. I appeal to members of the public to be vigilant and report any strange face or faces in dirty attires in their neighbourhood to the police. The suspects had dirty attires they wore in the cell and may be looking for where to steal peoples clothes in order to look decent to be able to escape from the town, Mr Ogbonna said. (NAN) Seoul, July 20 : Ten more American service members affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea in the past week, the military said on Monday. Six of them are service members and four their family members, and they tested positive after arriving here between July 12 and 15, Yonhap News Agency quoted the USFK as saying. Five service members and four dependents arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 km south of Seoul, on US government-chartered flights on July 12, 14 and 15. The remaining service member arrived at the Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on a commercial flight on July 13, it added. Six of the 10 individuals tested positive on their mandatory initial test with two having displayed "minor symptoms", the USFK said, adding that the four others tested negative on their first test but later developed symptoms and were re-tested with positive results. "All individuals have since been transferred to an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 cases on either Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base," it added. The latest COVID-19 cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 98. Of them, 62 were reported in July and all of them were newly arriving service members, dependents and others, Yonhap News Agency reported. All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving in South Korea are required to undergo the virus test and are quarantined for 14 days. Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release. Rgarding the surge in the positive cases among service members, Commander Gen. Robert Abrams told a radio program of American Forces Network (AFN) Korea on Monday: "This is something that we take very very seriously." The commander, however, noted that the military has "a tried and proven process to ensure that those travelling in from the US, that there's no unnecessary exposure to Korean citizens to our own population here on our basis". On Monday, South Korea added 26 more COVID-19 patients. Of them, 22 were imported cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The country's total caseload came to 13,771. Express News Service BENGALURU: Refuting claims that the government had decided to reopen schools in September, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Sunday cleared the air, saying these did not reflect the governments views, and that schools would be reopened only after making the atmosphere conducive and safe for students. Kumar on Sunday said the government was yet to take a decision on reopening schools, and that opinions expressed by officials during a meeting were being misconstrued as the final word. During a video conference with Central officials on July 15 on School Safety Plan, where representatives of the state government and Union territories expressed their views on reopening schools, the state education department had remarked that schools will reopen after September 1. Karnataka was among half the states and Union territories in India which had given an estimated date of reopening to the Ministry of Human Resources & Development (MHRD). Several regions are still awaiting the MHRD and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines. Among the South Indian states, Kerala too had proposed to open schools after August 31, while Andhra Pradesh gave a tentative date of September 5. However, Tamil Nadu and Telangana had remained undecided. Of the high-incidence regions, Gujarat and Maharashtra remained undecided, while Delhi was looking to reopen schools in August. The governments priority on education during the Covid-19 situation is not the same as usual. Before we reopen schools, we need to ensure the atmosphere is conducive for students. So far, we havent decided on reopening schools. Students and their parents need not panic, Suresh Kumar said. strong measures ready Although unsure about the start of the new academic year, Suresh Kumar had earlier told TNIE that the department was ready with strong pedagogical measures so that no student is devoid of education even during these times. On this weeks episode of Working, June Thomas spoke with Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega, and Julio Torres of the HBO comedy Los Espookys. They discussed how Julio and Ana write the bilingual show, why its set in a fictional Latin American country, how the show uses magic, and whats going to happen in the second season, whose filming was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This partial transcript of their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement June Thomas: Los Espookys is a bilingual show. Do you write in English and Spanish? How does that process work? Julio Torres: I can tell you how we do it, but I am not convinced it is the right way of doing it. It is the way we ended up doing it because the way making a television show works is that you need to show it to the network. That is Step 1. So we start writing in English, knowing that it is going to be performed in Spanish. We are typing in English, but in our brains, we hear it in Spanish and make decisions that we know are going to work in Spanish as we type in English! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then the second part of that very strange exercise is translating it back to what was basically the original conceit but was never actually on the page. That becomes the shooting script. Then we have the first script, in English, which becomes the subtitles. Again, this is not a model that I would urge other shows to implement, but it is the way we do it over here at Los Espookys headquarters, which is a giant building in Midtown. Well, speaking of Los Espookys headquarters, one of the interesting things about the show is that we dont know where its set. I believe you taped in Chile, but there are aspects of Mexico. Why did you choose to set it in a nonplace rather than have a specific setting? Advertisement Advertisement Fred Armisen: It happened little by little. The original idea was that it was going to take place in Mexico City. As the show started to develop, it turned out we were going to shoot in Chile. Then we realized that there are Chilean accents, accents from Venezuela, El Salvador, Panama, Mexico, and many different places. So it was too much to try to keep track of. Keeping it just a little more vague opened up the ability to tell the stories and have the characters just be themselves, as opposed to trying to do an accent from one particular place. Advertisement But when I think of a place where there are lots of different accents, lots of people from different places, that sounds like America. Did you ever think about setting the show in the States? Advertisement Advertisement Julio Torres: No. I think the three of us are going, Huh? Ana Fabrega: We could have shot it so much closer! Julio Torres: One thing English speakers think and Spanish speakers think is, Oh, this show is kind of weird; I bet it makes perfect sense in the other language. And it doesnt! It exists in this limbo that we have created. Setting it in a completely fictionalized place allowed us to expand on that. The minute you decide that it takes place in a real place, you have to adhere by the rules of that place in a way that wasnt as exciting to us as just making up a country. Advertisement Advertisement The show is basically realistic, but there are a lot of supernatural and surreal elements that are baked into the premise. Andres, Julios character, can control time and space and can see whats happening in another location through a gem that he wears, and Tati, played by Ana, can do basically anything and at the same time, nothing. Im curious why you wanted to have that magical element to the show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ana Fabrega: It wasnt something that we had thought about explicitly, like, lets have a magical realism element. We just wanted to be able for anything to happen. Having it based in what is a more or less normal-seeming place, but allowing all these bizarre things or supernatural things to happen without anyone saying that its weird or it having to be explained why Andres can see through the gem. He can see through the gem, and everyone knows that, and its accepted, and its not weird. It allowed us to do whatever we wanted without having to create a rigid set of rules. In certain sci-fi worlds, there are very precise rules. In ours, anything can happen. Advertisement Julio Torres: The magic in the show isnt really magic. It feels more like a literary device. The oddities on the show go unexplained, because youre not to dwell on them. Its not like a comic book movie or a Harry Potter movie or something, where there are these rules that you have to learn in order to understand the world. Because as soon as you start making rules, youre painting yourself into a corner. Here, the second we decide that its funny for Andres to do this thing, he can just do it. Theres a freedom that comes with that. To learn more about the making of Los Espookys, listen to the full episode of Working below. The private discussions about whether to shift resources toward imperiled Republican Senate candidates reflect a mix of factors: a lack of confidence that Mr. Trump will beat Joseph R. Biden Jr.; fear that the president is already a drag on down-ballot candidates; desire to maintain a G.O.P. firewall on Capitol Hill if Mr. Biden prevails; and the belief that money is not among Mr. Trumps myriad problems. A series of national polls last week showed Mr. Trump stuck double digits behind Mr. Biden, who now tops 50 percent in many surveys. The president has more than three months to rebound, of course, and he is flush with cash and continues to raise large sums online. But the trend on the Republican political landscape is toward erosion, not growth. Mr. Biden himself told a group of journalists last week that he could see his party winning enough Senate seats this year that it would have 53 seats come January. And on Friday, as the Republican Senate candidates struggled to raise money, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its race ratings in 20 House seats all in favor of the Democrats. In interviews, more than two dozen top Republican donors and strategists said that Mr. Trumps political fate would be far more contingent on his own behavior and ability to navigate the Covid-19 crisis and the struggling economy than any additional infusion of campaign cash. Yet any efforts by donors to change their focus to the Senate will be a delicate balance. Mr. Trump not only maintains an iron grip on the Republican base that every Republican senator on the ballot will need to mobilize but also a penchant to lash out at the first signs of disloyalty. As Republicans get more and more in tune, its hold the Senate at all costs, said Dan K. Eberhart, an energy executive and a major Republican donor. The House is gone. And the White House is looking increasingly like an uphill battle. This is not a good picture for us. Mumbai, July 20 : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to perform the much-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5, a slugfest has erupted in Maharashtra among various political parties. There even appeared some differences of opinion in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party taking potshots at the three-party alliance. Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that for the Shiv Sena, Ram temple is a matter of faith and not politics. "We removed all the roadblocks for construction of Ram Mandir and it is a matter of faith and the larger cause of Hindutva, not for playing politics," Raut said. To query a whether Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would travel to Ayodhya, Raut shot back: "Uddhavji always goes to Ayodhya and doesn't need any invitation. He went there before he became CM and even afterwards. We don't go to Ayodhya for politics." Shiv Sena Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant pointed out that the party was the first in the country to donate Rs 5 crore towards the temple construction. "Whether the invitation has come or not, I am not aware, nor is it a matter of prestige for us. Uddhavji will take a decision in the matter," Sawant said. The party is waiting and watching to see who are invited by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Nyas for the 'bhoomi-pujan' and as Raut sarcastically wondered "what kind of political distancing is maintained". Raut and Sawant's reactions came after NCP President Sharad Pawar late on Sunday softly expressed his views that "some people think building a temple will help eradicate the Covid pandemic". "Eradicating the Covid-19 is the top priority of Maharashtra government. The war against the coronavirus is being fought by our doctors in white aprons, who we consider 'Devdoots' (God's Angels)," said the 79-year-old veteran leader in his characteristic style. State Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat tersely said that the "Ram temple 'bhoomi-pujan' is being organised to divert peoples' attention from the corona pandemic". With the MVA partners seem to be singing different tunes, BJP's Leader of Opposition in Council Pravin Darekar took a swipe at the government, saying: "The CM will not require a 'no-objection certificate' from Sharad Pawar to attend the 'bhoomi-pujan' ceremony in Ayodhya." "Thackeray used to say that 'first the temple, then the government'. However, first he became the CM of the state government and the Ram temple is happening now. I don't think he will share the views of Pawar. Thackeray doesn't care about anybody when it concerns Ram temple and Hindutva, so he will not wait for Pawar's NOC," Darekar said. He also called upon Thackeray to revive his 'Hindutva' agenda which was kept aside to run the MVA government. Jumping into the debate, former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam questioned the need for Pawar to raise the Ram temple issue. "On one hand, the CM is trying to attend the bhoomi-pujan ceremony, on the other, the NCP chief has unnecessarily raked up the matter. It's best for the Congress to keep off the controversy. After all, it's happening after the Supreme Court verdict and the Congress has never been opposed to building the temple," Nirupam said. Thackeray had gone to Ayodhya first in November 2018 when the BJP-Sena was in power, later he went in March this year as a thanksgiving after completing 100 days as CM. At that time, Thackeray pointed out that though the Sena had broken ties with BJP, it had not parted ways with Hindutva and the BJP did not symbolise Hindutva. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) The Nigerian military has given its account of a fatal ambush of its officials by bandits in Katsina, which resulted in the death of about 16 soldiers, with the military saying only three soldiers were killed. The Defence Headquarters said in a statement on Sunday, that troops of Operation Sahel Sanity killed no fewer than 17 bandits in an offensive against the armed group in Jibia LGA of Katsina State. The security agency also said it recovered five AK 47 rifles, three dane guns, two AK 47 rifle magazines, 152 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and seven motorcycles in the raid, the acting spokesperson of the security outfit, Bernard Onyeuko, said in the statement. The military said it suffered the casualty of an officer and two soldiers, while four other soldiers were wounded in action. These claims are, however, at odds with the narration of senior military officials to this newspaper. According to our reliable sources, at least 16 soldiers, three of whom were officers, were killed, and 28 others were injured in the Jibia ambush on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES also saw gory pictures of the scene and the fallen soldiers. Our sources also disputed the number of bandits the military said were killed in the attack. Our sources said the Special Army Super Camp 4 suffered the casualties while they were advancing on foot and were ambushed by the armed militants from a hilltop in Jibia at about 6:13 p.m. Saturday. Other onslaughts Mr Onyeuko, a brigadier general, said other onslaught conducted by the Nigerian troops include one along Faskari Sheme Dandume road in Katsina State, which yielded the arrest of five suspected bandits, including a female. One of the suspects, Bashir Usman, who claimed to be a policeman could not validate his claim with any form of identification, Mr Onyeuko said, was apprehended with one AK 47 Rifle loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition while riding on a motorcycle. Aside this, he added that a handset and the sum of N6,350 were recovered from the criminals. READ ALSO: The military spokesperson further said that the troops, on Friday, rescued a 16-year-old Miss Hadiza Sani, who was kidnapped by bandits who invaded Kuka Uku village in Batsari LGA of Katsina State. Similarly, on 17 July 2020, troops deployed at Forward Operations Base, Bagega rescued another kidnapped victim, a 10 year old girl, following an alarm by her mother that two bandits on motorcycle kidnapped the victim while they were fetching firewood around Bagega Tudurki Forest, the statement read. KITCHENER Its a simple, yet striking, symbol a backpack, sitting by itself atop a red sandstone slab. Cast in bronze, the backpack represents the earthly possessions of someone experiencing homelessness. The hard slab could very well be the best that person can find for a bed. When Suzi Gursoy was homeless years ago, her backpack was her world. I basically carried my life on my back, she said. Everything, pictures of my kids, anything that meant anything to me was in that bag, and it was mine. Years later, that backpack was central to her vision for a memorial to homeless people who have died in Waterloo Region. The sculpture, by artist Ernest Daetwyler, will stand in remembrance of those weve lost, and serve to inspire progress on issues such as affordable housing. On Monday, Kitchener city councillors will consider a plan that would see the sculpture, titled KW Homeless Memorial / Between a Rock and a Hard Place, donated to the citys public art collection. In return, the city would install and maintain the work. The memorials base structure and footings for interpretive signage are expected to be installed this summer. Vogelsang Green, a small green space at the corner of Duke and Queen streets, has been chosen as its location. Its very important that its right downtown, said Daetwyler. With that, the city makes a statement that it stands behind everybody in the community. Its an inclusive statement. Vogelsang Green holds even more significance for Gursoy. Ive slept at that old park. Ive seen a lot of my friends still using that park, she said. Originally, Victoria Park was considered, but Vogelsang Green came up in meetings with the city, Daetwyler said. The greenspace is being redeveloped as part of the Queen Street placemaking initiative, with improvements being undertaken between Duke and Charles streets. We just realized thats the ideal location for it, an inviting place to pause and reflect, he said. As we attempt to build empathy, caring and belonging, this project communicates the value of every person in this community, a staff report says in recommending the citys contribution. Specifically, it honours those who are experiencing homelessness and are often marginalized or dismissed. The project was launched a couple of years ago after Gursoy, who now serves as an advocate for the homeless community, attended a conference on the issue in London, Ont. and was asked to speak at its memorial. How come were not recognizing them here? she wondered. Inspired to act, Gursoy contacted the city and a committee was formed that included representatives from a number of grassroots organizations and social agencies working to support the homeless community. Several of those agencies also contributed financially to the project, which was also supported by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and corporate and private donations. Gursoy believes theyre about $3,000 shy of the $25,000 goal. Based in Atwood, Daetwyler is the artist behind a number of public works installed across the region, including The Luggage Project at the entrance to Victoria Park, Past/Present/Future at the corner of Queen and Weber streets, and The Lion and the Lamb at Waterloo Regional Polices North Division. Many of Daetwylers works have a social activist component, he said, in trying to change things for the better. The homeless memorial can be an inspiration for families and for the whole community to help people who are marginalized, who are vulnerable, he said. We need to not make these people invisible in our own eyes, Gursoy said. Were all human beings and we all need to be honoured and respected, whether were homeless or not. China has recorded a new wave of coronavirus cases as both Xinjiang and Hong Kong are grappled with COVID-19 fresh outbreaks. Xinjiang, home to most of China's Uighur ethnic minority, reported a confirmed infection in the city of Kashgar after detecting a new virus crisis in its regional capital of Urumqi. It comes as Hong Kong is bracing what its leader called an 'out of control' surge of cases after registering over 100 infections on Sunday, the highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic began. The Uighur region in western China Monday reported a confirmed infection in Kashgar of 4.8million after detecting a fresh virus crisis in its regional capital, Urumqi with 3.5million people, on Thursday. Pictured, a medic collects a swab from a resident in Urumqi on July 19 Hong Kong is bracing what its leader called an 'out of control' surge of cases after registering over 100 infections on Sunday, the highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic began. Pedestrians are pictured walking across a main road in Hong Kong on July 20 The file picture taken on June 21 shows a group of Uighur women working at a garment factory in a resettlement area in Yecheng county of China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Xinjiang had mostly avoided the worst of the coronavirus pandemic which erupted in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The autonomous region had stopped registering new cases since February 18 after recording a total of 76 infections. But Xinjiangs capital city, Urumqi of 3.5million, reported on Thursday its first COVID-19 infection - a 24-year-old female retail worker - in five months. The officials recorded another five native cases the next day, prompting the government to impose the strictest' anti-virus measures. Officials closed off local communities after shutting down the city's only subway line and cancelling hundreds of flights in and out of its international airport. On Saturday, Urumqi authorities declared that the city had entered wartime mode and launched an emergency response plan as dozens of new infections continued to emerge, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Xinjiang officials today reported another sum of 17 new confirmed coronavirus cases, of which one was found in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, 1,474 kilometres (916 miles) away from Urumqi. The western Chinese region Monday reported a confirmed infection in Kashgar of 4.8million after detecting a fresh virus crisis in its regional capital, Urumqi with 3.5million people The file picture taken on June 17 shows workers making a type of traditional baked pancake at a poverty alleviation workshop in Keping County, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Kashgars new infection is said to have been brought into the city from Urumqi while the other 16 confirmed cases were found in the regional capital, according to the authorities. The picture taken on June 18 shows workers at a garment factory in Aketao county of Xinjiang Kashgars new infection is said to have been brought into the city from Urumqi while the other 16 confirmed cases were found in the regional capital, according to the authorities. A total of 50 asymptomatic patients have been reported in Xinjiang since the local outbreak that has infected at least 47 people. Over 3,000 people are currently under quarantine in Urumqi for medical observation, said the officials. It remains unclear if all the patients are linked to the same infection cluster as the government tries to unravel the source of the outbreak, according to the authorities. As of Monday, Xinjiang has recorded a total of 123 COVID-19 patients and three deaths since January. A total of 50 asymptomatic patients have been reported in Xinjiang since the local outbreak that has infected at least 47 people. Urumqi residents undergo nucleic acid testing on July 19 A medical worker is pictured taking swabs from a young girl at a community in Urumqi Sunday The news comes as Hong Kong is facing what its city leader termed an out of control surge of COVID-19 infections after seeing a record-high rise on Sunday. The finance hub, one of the first places to be struck by the virus when it emerged from central China, had impressive success in tackling the disease, all but ending local transmissions by late June. However, in the last two weeks, infections have spiked once more and doctors fear the new outbreak is now spreading undetected in the densely packed territory of 7.5 million people. On Sunday chief executive Carrie Lam said more than 500 infections had been confirmed in the last fortnight alone, nearly a third since the outbreak began. A total of 108 new infections were recorded by health authorities yesterday, a daily high for the finance hub. On Sunday chief executive Carrie Lam (pictured on July 19) said more than 500 infections had been confirmed in the last fortnight alone, nearly a third since the outbreak began Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) contractors take part in a cleaning and disinfection of Pei Ho Street Market in the Sham Shui Po district of Hong Kong on July 17 A total of 108 new infections were recorded by health authorities yesterday, a daily high for the finance hub. Taxi drivers are pictured at a makeshift testing station in Hong Kong on July 19 I think the situation is really critical and there is no sign the situation is being brought under control," Lam told reporters. Lam announced new social distancing measures last week, shuttering many businesses including bars, gyms and nightclubs, and ordering everyone to wear masks on public transport. On Sunday Lam announced even more regulations, including plans to make it compulsory to wear masks inside any public indoor venue - and a new order for non-essential civil servants to work for home. As hospital wards fill, officials are also scrambling to build a further 2,000 isolation rooms on barren land near the city's Disneyland resort to monitor and treat those who test positive, she added. The Chinese-ruled city today recorded another sum of 73 cases, of which 66 were native, bringing the total to 1,959. Twelve people have died from the disease, said Hong Kong government. MILAN (Reuters) - Shares in Italian banks surged on Monday on expectations of more mergers after Intesa Sanpaolo sweetened its bid last week for UBI Banca , which is still resisting the offer. UBI stock was up 13% by 1115 GMT, as shareholders holding 18% of the bank said they would accept Intesa's revised offer that valued its smaller rival at 4.2 billion euros ($4.8 billion). Shares in state-controlled Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena were also up, after it said last week it had appointed Mediobanca to advise on its strategic options. Shares in Banco BPM , which Reuters reported last month was a possible merger partner with Monte dei Paschi, climbed 6.3%. The Treasury is set to sell its stake in Monte Paschi. Intesa's decision to improve terms of its all-share offer for UBI with a 0.57 euro per share cash sweetener, announced after markets closed on Friday, added to expectations that the deal to create the euro zone's seventh-largest bank would succeed. The government has long pushed for consolidation in Italy's fragmented banking sector but mergers have run into obstacles, such as a reluctance by smaller banks, which often have a strong regional base, to give up their independence. Rome daily Il Messaggero reported at the weekend that UniCredit could be interested in a tie up. It said the bank's Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier had met the head of Banco BPM, Giuseppe Castagna. But Mustier told Swiss newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft newspaper that Unicredit, whose shares were down 0.3%, had no interest in mergers and would focus on other changes, such as boosting remote banking services. UniCredit declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Banco BPM said the bank's top management had reiterated the bank favoured a standalone strategy. (This story corrects paragraph 3, 4 to show state to sell stake in Monte Paschi, not Banco BPM) (Reporting by Andrea Mandala and Gianluca Semeraro; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Edmund Blair) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. So on that note, New Zealand King Salmon Investments (NZSE:NZK) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on New Zealand King Salmon Investments is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.099 = NZ$24m (NZ$272m - NZ$34m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). Thus, New Zealand King Salmon Investments has an ROCE of 9.9%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 7.5% generated by the Food industry, it's much better. See our latest analysis for New Zealand King Salmon Investments roce In the above chart we have a measured New Zealand King Salmon Investments' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. The data shows that returns on capital have increased substantially over the last five years to 9.9%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 178%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at New Zealand King Salmon Investments thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital. Story continues On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 12%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. So this improvement in ROCE has come from the business' underlying economics, which is great to see. Our Take On New Zealand King Salmon Investments' ROCE To sum it up, New Zealand King Salmon Investments has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Considering the stock has delivered 18% to its stockholders over the last three years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up. While New Zealand King Salmon Investments looks impressive, no company is worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether NZK is currently trading for a fair price. While New Zealand King Salmon Investments isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Among the directors of Ontarios 72 school boards, there is little racial diversity and fewer than half are women. Despite that, and in a historic first, three boards including Toronto and Peel, the two largest in the province now have Black women at the helm. In Toronto, Carlene Jackson recently took over as interim director after leading the countrys largest board through its budget and COVID-19 planning. In Peel, Colleen Russell-Rawlins will soon start as interim director and will take on the role permanently once a provincial supervisor brought in after several reports found troubling incidents of racism and dysfunction has left. Last year, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board appointed Camille Williams-Taylor, who hailed from the Toronto and Durham boards, to its top job. In society, we are in a period of change, and I think that our school boards are reflecting this as well. Although we should definitely celebrate this achievement having three black directors at once, it is a great accomplishment I also feel that we cant get complacent and think that our work is done, Jackson said. We still have a lot of work to do. We need to get to a place where staff at all levels of the organization are representative of the communities that we serve. And that should be in all boards, at all levels, from teachers right up to the director. Russell-Rawlins agreed. It is my heartfelt wish that there will come a time in Ontario where the story that you are writing today will cease to be interesting, because there will be Black, Indigenous, Muslim, queer leaders of school boards, and that doors will be open, stereotypes disrupted, so that three Black women wont be an anomaly. For Williams-Taylor, having three Black female leaders is a demonstration of the possibility, a demonstration of the progress that many of our communities, our systems, continue to make and the fact that there is talent in places we may not have looked before. The Toronto, Peel and Ottawa boards educate more than 457,000 students in all, or almost one-quarter of the entire school population in Ontario. Back in 2002, Avis Glaze moved to the Kawartha Pine Ridge board in the Peterborough area to become its director of education the first Black woman in the province ever to hold that position. Up until last years appointment of Williams-Taylor, there were no others. I am just delighted, Glaze told the Star in a telephone interview from B.C., where she now lives. There are so many talented Black women who have gone through the ranks, who have prepared themselves well. If you look at their academic backgrounds, they have all done well they have done postgraduate work they are all very career-focused in terms of how they prepare themselves for these positions. And there are many more out there, she added, who now feel empowered to do the job and they now have role models in the job. Education Minister Stephen Lecce, whose government has proposed to boost diversity among teachers and senior staff, said, We are proud to see strong, qualified and diverse leaders rising in our province to chart a positive path forward for our students We are going to continue to champion quality and diversity, from our directors to our educators, to ensure the best leaders are selected to serve their communities. The province recently announced a number of measures to combat systemic racism in the education system, including banning most suspensions for younger students and phasing out academic streaming two areas that particularly impact Black, Indigenous and low-income youth. Those measures came in response to concerns raised in communities, especially Peel, about discrimination and anti-Black racism that have gone on for years. We recognize the continued need for all of us all to listen, learn, speak up and act on racism, specifically anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Ontario, said Ontario Public School Boards Association president Cathy Abraham. Having diversity in leadership is an important part of this. Parthi Kandavel, a trustee with the Toronto District School Board, worked closely with Russell-Rawlins who spent two decades working in the city when she oversaw schools in his east-end ward. He said the board was reeling at losing her but said she is the one to transform (Peels) culture and climate. At the Toronto board where Russell-Rawlins most recently served as associate director of equity, early years and school improvement Kandavel said he had the privilege to work closely with her when she served as the executive superintendent of Scarborough, where I saw first-hand her unique confluence of strategic thinking, deft people skills and tremendous leadership in equity and academic instruction. At the Toronto board, she recently spearheaded an initiative to create a groundbreaking centre of excellence for Black student achievement. Russell-Rawlins said that with her equity and anti-racism work also comes her life experience. I also understand what it means not to feel heard, she said. And I think that perspective as a Black woman, as a community member who wants better outcomes, demanding better outcomes for children, I am really humbled and motivated to go and work with the Black community in Peel, the entire Peel community, in order to move forward and rebuild confidence in the public education system there. Tony Pontes, head of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education and a former Peel director, noted that about 14 boards are hiring this year and said while work needs to be done, the ranks of supervisory officers and superintendents are much more diverse than five or 10 years ago. However, he worries the loss of provincial funding for a mentoring program will have an impact. Glaze said its important to get people thinking about such careers early on and that mentoring the idea of tapping talented people on the shoulder, even when they are in high school, to get them thinking about a leadership position is crucial. Whats happening now is historic, Glaze also said. And I think there will be more. But we have to make sure that they are nurtured very young. The US launched an investigation, focusing on whether the tax in India and other countries discriminated against American companies, were retroactive, and reflected unreasonable tax policy. India may face trade action from the US - similar to what France got - for its imposition of Google tax, according to industry and tax experts. The US Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced 25 per cent additional duties on French products in retaliation for the European countrys digital services tax. However, the US suspended clamping additional duties for 180 days to allow additional time for bilateral and multilateral discussion. The action, which is part of a widening dispute between the US and countries proposing digital services taxes, could have a ripple effect on India after it expanded the scope of the equalisation levy, also known as Google tax, which was imposed in 2016 on all overseas e-commerce transactions originating in India at an additional 2 per cent. This is because the majority of the global tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple are American and such proposals affect them the most. The nature of these levies is such that its difficult to find them fair in their present form. "Reaching a multilateral solution remains the best bet to avoid double taxation and give a fair share of taxes to countries, but we dont foresee a global consensus happening anytime soon, said Amit Maheshwari, partner, AKM Global, a tax and consulting firm. One has to keep in mind that typically when goods or services are supplied to the resident, non-residents are able to pass on the burden to Indian consumers, who, indirectly, bear the tax, he said. Several global firms missed the July 7 deadline of depositing tax, expecting that the Indian government might review the levy. Soon after this levy, a group of industry associations representing tech giants wanted the new tax withdrawn. It also sought deferring the deadline due to the pandemic. But in the absence of clarity, very few have paid the tax, resulting in a huge dip in collection. The US government has specifically called out the Indian equalisation levy as unfairly targeting companies there. "The defence mounted by the Indian government is mainly based on the fact that the tax is non-discriminatory and applies equally to all non-residents, said Rohinton Sidhwa, partner, Deloitte. However, evidence from France, also cited by the USTR in its reports, suggests it was mainly US companies that are affected by the tax, he said. The equalisation levy in India is distinctive in the sense it applies to financial intermediaries and banking services too, Sidhwa said. When the US had pulled out of talks on the contentious digital tax, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development had pointed out countries would apply unilateral measures, which could result in retaliatory steps by the US. The US launched an investigation, focusing on whether the tax in India and other countries discriminated against American companies, were retroactive, and reflected unreasonable tax policy. The levy is wide in scope and has a low revenue threshold - so it will be difficult for the US to conclude that it discriminates against American internet companies, said Akhilesh Ranjan, former member, Central Board of Direct Taxes. Backing Ranjans view, Sanjay Sanghvi, partner, Khaitan & Co, said: Since this threshold has not been aimed at any particular countrys companies or is not very high so as to affect only a particular countrys e-commerce operators, I see no justification for someone to say that Indias new digital tax levy is unreasonable or that it discriminates against US companies. Malis opposition has dismissed a plan proposed by the Ecowas regional bloc mediation team to form a unity government, pushing for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who has been the target of weeks of demonstrations. Malis problems are linked to problems of governance, said one Ecowas negotiator, according to Bamako correspondent Serge Daniel. The West African mediation team, led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, has proposed three things. The first element is quickly reforming the countrys constitutional court so that it can once again rule on the results of the last parliamentary election. Thirty-one MPs must be reinstated by the constitutional court, after the results of their constituencies were overturned by judges one of the bones of contention for the protest movement. Fresh polls or new elections for certain lawmakers have been ruled out. The second proposal is to create a government of national unity with quotas for the various portfolios, comprising 50 percent of the ruling party, 30 percent for the opposition and 20 percent for civil society. Jonathans mediation team does not suggest the prime minister leave his post. And an investigation should be carried out into the violence, shooting of protesters and destruction of public property that took place during recent protests. At least 11 people were killed and the countrys anti-terrorist special forces were deployed on the streets. Opposition objections The Ecowas team hopes everything can be put in place by 31 July so that Mali can get back on track. However, the opposition M5-RFP group is far from securing its main demand, the resignation of President Keita, or IBK, as he is commonly known. Ecowas noted in a statement the necessity to respect the institutions of the republic, notably the means to accede to power constitutionally. First of all, I think Ecowas didnt analyse the situation properly, it was very superficial in its approach, said Choguel Maiga, one of the spokespeople for the M5-RFP opposition group. Story continues The country has been taken hostage by an oligarchy, which has taken away all the power. All the institutions are paralysed, said Maiga, president of the Patriotic Movement for Renewal party. We'll continue civil disobedience until the resignation of Mr Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, thats our position today, he added. Seeing as dialogue continues, we hope that with our brothers from the M5-RFP we can find a common denominator, which enables us to carry out reforms, said Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, president of the Ecowas commission. Is removing Keita through protests constitutional? Sahel analyst Alex Thurston has questioned whether the resignation of IBK would be constitutional. What is extra-constitutional about demanding that IBK resign? questioned Thurston, a specialist on Islam and politics at the University of Cincinnati, referring to comments by US diplomats about the president resigning. Article 36 contains provisions for what happens if there is a vacancy in the presidency, but nowhere do I see a constitutional restriction against a president resigning, said Thurston, writing on his website Sahel Blog. Now, what if he resigns under massive pressure from the street? I still dont see why thats extra-constitutional, he added. Ecowas mediator Jonathan landed in Bamako to kick off mediation on 15 July. Malis protest movement against IBK started on 5 June with a group of politicians, civil society and religious leaders forming an opposition coalition against the incumbent. SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global cake market size is expected to reach USD 55.78 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2020 to 2027. Rising consumers' preference for celebrating all special occasions and festivals by cutting cakes is the key factor for the market growth. Moreover, increasing the adoption of cakes as a snack among the working-class population and the young generation is anticipated to offer new scope for the market over the forecast period. Key suggestions from the report: The dessert product segment accounted for the largest share of 50.5% in 2019 and is expected to maintain its lead over the forecast period owing to predominant consumption of these products during celebration occasions and parties Sponge products are expected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 3.7% from 2020 to 2027 on account of the rising popularity of these products among young consumers across the globe as they have a high shelf life as compared to dessert cakes By distribution channel, specialist retailers accounted for the largest share of more than 50.0% in 2019 and are anticipated to maintain its lead over the forecast period. Various domestic players have their own specialty stores with a wide range of artesian, dessert, and sponge product variants Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing regional market with a CAGR of 3.8% from 2020 to 2027. The rising popularity of bakery products in middle-income groups in key economies, such as China and Japan , is expected to have a positive impact on the industry growth. Read 80 page research report with ToC on "Cake Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Cupcakes, Dessert Cakes, Sponge Cakes), By Distribution Channel, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cakes-market Over the past few years, people around the globe have started celebrating every single moment of success, happiness, and occasion. This has introduced a trend of cake cutting and a small get-together party. These occasions may include birthdays, weddings, marriage anniversary, Christmas, Valentine's Day, work anniversary, and various other special calendar days. The young generation, millennials, and working-class population have started celebrating their promotions, college scholarships, and even their pet's birthday. In short, cake has become a way to celebrate very special moments of life. These consumer trends are propelling the demand for the cake at the global level. Various confectionary companies are launching their products in cake flavor in order to cater to the rising customer demand for the cakes. For instance, in December 2019, Dunkin' Brands in Japan launched delicious and icy cake featuring some of the most familiar characters from the iconic series, the 'Galaxy Palette' under the brand name 'Baskin Robbins'. These new product launches are propelling the demand in the market. Europe emerged as the largest regional market with a share of more than 30.0% in 2019. European countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy, and Austria are famous for their delicious bakery products, especially cakes. Furthermore, new product launches in terms of gluten-free cakes and pastries targeted for health-conscious consumers are expected to have a positive impact on industry growth. Grand View Research has segmented the global cake market based on product, distribution channel, and region: Cake Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Cupcakes Dessert Sponge Others Cake Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Supermarket/Hypermarket Specialist Retailers Convenience Stores Others Cake Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) North America The U.S. Europe Germany The U.K France Asia Pacific Japan China Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa & List of Key Players of Cake Market Finsbury Food Group Plc. Yamazaki Baking Co., Ltd. MCKEE FOODS Grupo Bimbo BreadTalk Group Limited Hostess Brands, LLC. Monginis George Weston Limited Campbell Soup Company (Pepperidge Farm) Britannia Industries Limited Find more research reports on Consumer F&B Industry, by Grand View Research: Cake Mixes Market The global cake mixes market size was valued at USD 1.24 billion in 2018. The market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.77% over the forecast period. The global cake mixes market size was valued at in 2018. The market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.77% over the forecast period. Frozen Bakery Market The global frozen bakery market size was valued at USD 7.54 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 4.8% from 2018 to 2025. The global frozen bakery market size was valued at in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 4.8% from 2018 to 2025. Vegan Baking Ingredients Market The global vegan baking ingredients market size was valued at USD 1.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% from 2019 to 2025. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday adopted legislation sponsored by Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Dave Joyce to ensure that families of first responders who die from or are disabled by the coronavirus get Public Safety Officers Benefit program payments for firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians who are killed or disabled in the line of duty. The bill, cosponsored by Rocky River GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez and Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge, passed on a noncontroversial voice vote. It passed the U.S. Senate on May 14, so it will become law after President Donald Trump signs it. Their Safeguarding Americas First Responders Act creates a presumption that if a first responder is diagnosed with the coronavirus within 45 days of their last day on the job, the Department of Justice will treat it as a line of duty incident and provide the payments. This pandemic has underscored the fact that our first responders and public safety officers are our first line of defense in our communities when disaster strikes, said a statement from Joyce. Each and every day these brave men and women continue to serve and protect our communities despite the threat that COVID-19 poses. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who introduced the measure in the U.S. Senate, said the law was needed to keep the survivors of first responders who die from COVID-19 from having to prove their loved one contracted it on the job. First responders always answer the calls to action, selflessly placing others before themselves, Grassley said in a Senate floor speech. In recognition of the many sacrifices they make, Congress established the Public Safety Officers Benefit program in 1976. This program provides first responders with a one-time payment if they die or are totally disabled on duty. Let me be clear, nothing can ever put back together a family who has lost a loved one, but the PSOB program provides some economic relief to grieving families and peace of mind to the first responders themselves in knowing that their families wont be left destitute if tragedy were to befall them ... The last thing a grieving family needs to be worried about after the loss of a loved one is whether or not theyll be able to successfully prove that their loved one contracted COVID on duty. More coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine and other Ohio political leaders remember the late civil rights pioneer John Lewis Coronavirus recession will challenge the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ex-head Rich Cordray and Sen. Elizabeth Warren predict Joe Bidens presidential campaign names Toni Webb its Ohio state director Rep. Marcia Fudge calls for a Poverty Bill of Rights Federal immigration processors in Cleveland to be furloughed unless Congress acts DNC Chair applauds Florida Democratic Party for returning PPP loan, said he thought Ohios would return theirs Ohio Congress members propose quarantining coronavirus patients in hotels Rep. Tim Ryan makes up lost fundraising ground while Rep. Jim Jordan takes in nearly $3.5 million Millions lost health insurance during coronavirus pandemic, report says Rep. Anthony Gonzalez seeks Confucius Institute crackdown Republicans slam the Ohio Democratic Party for getting federal Paycheck Protection Program loan U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to skip Democratic convention over COVID-19 concerns Donald Trump and Joe Biden backers spar as Biden unveils his economic plan Ohio Democrats pleased with U.S. Supreme Courts decisions that Trump cant withhold his financial records from investigators Rep. Tim Ryan leads charge to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol Sen. Sherrod Brown wants Clevelands baseball team renamed the Buckeyes Stacia Montle has donated blood for years and seemed destined to be an organ donor. And because of her selfless acts, she's positively changing the destiny of others. She started donating blood in high school to help save lives. It's a practice she continues as a 27-year-old adult. But being a donor took on even more meaning in June when she donated a kidney to her best friend's mother. The Grand Rapids native and Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital occupational therapy assistant first started thinking about organ donation when her niece developed kidney disease at just 18 months old. She's 9 now and is doing fine but will likely someday need a kidney transplant. Montle started researching organ donation but discovered she wouldn't be a match for her niece. However, the thought of organ donation persisted. Fast forward to last year when she learned the mother of her best friend would require kidney dialysis and was going to be put on the kidney transplant waiting list. Montle listened to her heart and knew she could help by donating her kidney. Testing revealed their blood types matched and she was approved. Her motivation was simple. "I want her to be able to spend more time with her grandkids," she said. "My best friend had twins last year, and I want her mother to be around to see them grow older." Both Montle and her friend's mother are recovering well. The transplant was a success. Montle shrugs off comments about doing something special. "You're helping someone," she said. "The thought of knowing she'd be having a chance to live longer is fulfilling enough. I don't feel like I did anything special. I had a chance to help someone live longer, so, of course, why wouldn't I?" Montle's gift has made a life-changing difference for her friend's family, and it's a difference anyone can make when donating blood. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, there is an immediate need for blood donors to ensure a safe supply for patients. Each pint of blood donated can save three lives. To sign up to donate blood at Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital July 27, go to donate.michigan.versiti.org or call Danielle Wells at 231-592-4208. For more information about organ donation or to register to be a donor, visit Gift of Life Michigan at giftoflifemichigan.org or call 866-500-5801. The EBSCO Solar Grant will enhance our librarys physical space by decreasing electricity consumption, helping to facilitate the use of technology for patrons, offering open and easy access to reliable and updated environmental information, and promoting sustainability in the community. EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) has announced its five 2020 EBSCO Solar Grant Winners. Independence Public Library in Independence, Belize; Peterborough Town Library in Peterborough, New Hampshire; The Valley Library at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon; H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Learning Resource Centre, in Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Pacific Theological College, in Suva, Fiji Islands, will each receive an EBSCO Solar Grant to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grants offset the cost of installing solar panels and allow the libraries to reduce their electricity expenditures. Independence Public Library (IPL) in Independence, Stann Creek District, Belize, is part of the Belize National Library Service and is looking to create a green librarianship concept, which will promote social engagement, information skills and sustainable development in the community. Belize National Library Service and Information System Chief Librarian Lusiola Castillo says adding solar power will improve the librarys physical infrastructure. The EBSCO Solar Grant will enhance our librarys physical space by decreasing electricity consumption, helping to facilitate the use of technology for patrons, offering open and easy access to reliable and updated environmental information, and promoting sustainability in the community. Peterborough Town Library in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is the oldest tax-supported free public library in the country, founded in 1833. The Peterborough Town Library plans to be almost completely energy efficient by relying upon solar panels for electricity, biomass for heating, and an innovative green adsorption system for cooling. Library Director Corinne Chronopoulos says sustainability is a vital concern in this rural community. In preparing for our new library construction, the community expressed a strong desire for the library to be a leader in sustainability and provide an educational opportunity for community members. With this grant, we will enable eager residents to explore the impact of sustainable energy. The Valley Library at Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon, is the main branch location of the OSU Libraries. This installation of solar will help the library meet its long-term goal of striving for carbon neutrality and serve as an example to the institution and surrounding communities. OSUs Library Spaces Manager Rachel Burgess says the EBSCO Solar Grant will expand existing plans. This grant will allow us to partner with other units on campus to adopt and implement additional objectives to reduce Oregon State Universitys carbon footprint and go beyond our current sustainability practices. The library recently received a Gold Level designation from the OSUs Green Office Certification program (the highest score yet at OSU), and they expect the solar array to move them toward the Certifications Platinum Level. H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Learning Resource Centre (LRC) in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, is cognizant of its responsibility to protecting and nurturing the natural environment by managing its operations in ways that are environmentally sustainable, economically feasible and socially responsible. Director of the LRC, Kenyatha Augustine, says the grant will reduce the librarys dependency on the local powerplant and serve as a resource for the island. In addition to decreasing the librarys environmental footprint, we will also launch a Solar Technician Training Program through our Workforce Training Division. We will use the solar array at the LRC as a field lab for training purposes. The George Knight Library at The Pacific Theological College is situated in Suva, Fiji Islands. The Library supports the Pacific Theological College in providing and managing information resources to support the Pacific Theological College in its work of theological education, professional ministry training, and public theological discourse. Librarian Nalini Premadish says the colleges strategic plan encourages the use of modern solar energy production. The array will make the library energy self-sufficient and replace the use of fossil fuels on campus and contribute to the country-wide reduction in diesel fuel. For more information on EBSCO Solar, visit http://www.ebsco.com/solar. About EBSCO Information Services EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 11,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals and books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 1,000,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: http://www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family-owned company since 1944. ### For more information, please contact: Kathleen McEvoy Vice President of Communications (800) 653-2726 ext. 2594 kmcevoy@ebsco.com Many schools are in the process of planning what learning will look like in the fall. Their task is made more difficult by the fact that there remains no vaccine for COVID-19, and cases continue to spike across the country. Cheshires St. Bridget School has not only been adjusting to the realities of trying to educate students during a pandemic, but also a change in leadership. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Dr. Nancy Testa as the next St. Bridget School Principal, wrote Reverend Jeffrey Romans, in a letter to parents from May. Dr. Testa brings a caring demeanor, a deep Catholic faith, a commitment to education, and an understanding through experience of what it means to lead the school community. We are truly blessed with her excitement to join our school family. Testa, who is replacing ___ has over 36 years of experience. She got her degree at St. Joseph University in West Hartford for early childhood development as well as a minor in Spanish. Testa proudly identifies as trilingual, My mother is from Argentina and my father is Italian, she added. I grew up knowing both languages and even taught Spanish at the highschool level for some time. She also received her masters in elementary education from Central Connecticut State University, and her doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. While Testa has spent most of her life as an educator, teaching kindergarten all the way up to high school Spanish courses, she has spent the past five years as an educational consultant. Testa built her own businessEdward Educational Services Inc.and traveled all over the world, to destinations such as China and Pakistan, in order to inform teachers and administrations overseas aboout better ways to educate young people. In mid-April [of this year] I started to ask myself what else is out there for me? and the position at St. Bridgets was open and I applied, she explained. I think this is exactly where I need to be right now. I am just so overwhelmed with happiness and emotion to be a part of this community. While her job started back in May, much of Testas work has had to be done remotely, and she is excited to get back into physical schooling, whatever that might look like. The campus is really beautiful and in such a great location, sometimes when I pull into work I see Father Romans out walking his dog, Fenway. Its such a nice community, she added. Testa hopes to focus on each child as an individual, and believes strongly that there is no one size fits all when it comes to learning. Everyone learns differently, she remarked. We need to focus on the child as a whole being who has their own strengths and weaknesses, she explained. While Saint Bridget's Catholic School is planning on following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, as well as Governor Ned Lamonts protocols, for reopening, Testa believes that the rules may need to be adjusted to best fit her students. We had to take a look and make sure social distancing guidelines are being followed not just during the regular school hours, but during our a.m. and p.m. care as well, she said. We are developing a plan and trying to make sure that whatever we do going forward is best and safe for all the students. Throughout her career, Testa has worked in both private and public school settings, and believes that the private Catholic school setting is unique to anything else shes experienced. The teachers, I find, in a Catholic school setting are so motivated by their faith and it shows, she added. Especially during COVID, I think our teachers and staff are even closer together because of our faith. By Naveen Jain and Deepak Chopra, MD Some pessimism has been circulating about lifespan recently. In the modern era lifespan has increased every decade, and dying before you turn seventy would now be considered a premature death. Three score and ten is no longer a destination for a normal life, and average lifespans among people who are not underprivileged could easily top ninety in the near future. The difference in quality of life is now more important than lifespan on its own, because the health status of two seventy-year-olds can vary wildly. The concept to keep in mind is healthspan, defined as the years you spend without infirmity, chronic disease, and dementia. Right now healthspan is a hit and miss proposition. While we are told that our genes determine how we age, this needs to be clarified. Research on identical twins reveals that its not your genes that determine your healthspan but your lifestyle, nutrition, and gut microbiome that play a much more important role. Identical twins are born with the same genes, a fact that will not change over the decades, but by age seventy, many identical twins are as unalike in their health status as two people chosen at random. What makes the difference is known as gene expression. DNA is an inactive molecule, but its expression into active molecules (proteins), is influenced by all the factors that determine the difference between aging well or badly. The active side of genetics belongs to the field of epigenetics, which controls whether a gene is turned on or off. You carry around at the epigenetic level all the major experiences of your lifetime. As these accumulate, they automatically divide into experiences that promote a long healthspan and those that do the opposite. Here is where a breakthrough is possible that could make an enormous difference. We said that you cannot change the genes you were born with, which has been gospel in genetics for decades. Even though you can not change the genes you are born with, you can change their expression, which is what matters. Also, 90% of your genes are not in your cells but in your gut microbiome. Trillions of bacteria in your digestive tract do more than digest food. They constitute an immense chemical factory sending messages to every part of the body. Humans have evolved in cooperation with these bacteria. They are not alien or separate from you; they are part of your evolution, affecting you every moment. Chemical messages can be harmful, such as those that create inflammation or promote stress, or beneficial. Your microbiome is unique to you and constantly shifting. In essence, you are changing the vast majority of your genes through your lifestyle, for the gut microbiome amounts to 90% of your genes. The genes you were born with amount to only 10% of your total genome. The good news here is that you can change their expression, also. Healthspan, therefore, depends on living in such a way that the entire genetic complement functions properly. The enemies of beneficial gene expression are now pretty well known: Impure water, air, and food Lack of hygiene and sanitation Stress Chronic inflammation Depression and anxiety Toxins like alcohol and tobacco Sedentary lifestyle Inherited predisposition (normally a minor factor if you are healthy) These negative factors take years to develop before symptoms appear and a doctor must be visited. In the meantime, people shorten their healthspan simply through everyday choices. Its the small things accumulating over a long time that determine who is healthy at seventy and who isnt. Similarly, the choices that support the best functioning at the cellular level are well know. Pure food, water, and air Absence of additives and toxins Moderate physical activity Meditation Lowered stress Good level of mood Close fulfilling relationships Having a good support system Overall happiness and well-being These influences go far beyond preventive medicine and depending on a doctor to keep you healthy. You can lower your biological age by the choices you make, and your entire complement of genes will benefit. They express the benefit by exchanging chemical messages that promote their own lives at the cellular level. Those messages are chemical and therefore do not speak in the language humans share. But every aspect of consciousness, going beyond the physical, lies at the heart of healthspan. Thats why a direct connection can be made between meditating, even for a short period, and the level of telomerase in your cells. Telomerase is a chemical that is vital to keeping DNA intact without fraying from age. It took years of intense research to uncover the role of telomerase, yet the bottom line is that your consciousness, not just your positive lifestyle choices, is key to what your cells are doing, including the one-celled microbes in your intestinal tract. More importantly, however, is the message that healthspan should be everyones top priority when thinking about present and future health. What makes you young and keeps you young is the healthy functioning, right this minute, of your cells and microbiome. How do you actually know that your lifestyle is contributing towards healthy aging or in other words are you biologically becoming younger or older than your chronological age. Viome is a company that recently launched a health intelligence service that gives you insight into your microbial health, cellular health, immune system health, mitochondrial health, stress response health and your biological age. For fair disclosure authors are founders and advisor to Viome. Your microbiome are living solely for your benefit, and by giving them some attention in return, you are caring for your future far beyond what a doctor can do after symptoms appear. DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century. Naveen Jain is the founder of Viome and many other successful companies. Viome's Health Intelligence service assesses your gut microbiome health, cellular health, mitochondrial health, immune system health, and your stress response health. Viome can even reveal your biological age. Naveen is the author of the award-winning book Moonshots Creating the World of Abundance, has been awarded E&Y "Entrepreneur of the Year", and "Most Creative Person" by Fast Company. Rajasthan crisis: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat served notice, directed to record statement India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, July 20: Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been served notice by the Special Operations Group (SOG) Rajasthan for his alleged bid to destabilise the Ashok Gehlot-led government and directed him to record his statement. The Rajasthan Police has sent a notice through my personal secretary. In the notice, they have asked me to record my statement and voice sample, said Shekhawat. "I first want them to check the authenticity of the audio clips, with whose permission was it recorded? Who recorded it? First, they should come out with authenticity. I've already said that my doors are always open for any kind of enquiry," Shekhawat added. Last Friday, the SOG had registered two separate first information reports (FIRs) after Congress chief whip in the Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi had lodged a complaint about three audiotapes that had surfaced the previous evening and quickly went viral on social media. Rajasthan crisis: Limited ground to challenge my order, Speaker tells HC Shekhawat, the Union water minister, has denied the charge and sought a probe against, asserting that it was not his voice on the tapes. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded to know the phones of state leaders in Rajasthan are being tapped. 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. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After saying goodbye to Marvel, Joe and Anthony Russo have their sights set on building a new franchise. The Cleveland brothers will direct The Gray Man, a $200-million spy thriller for Netflix, Deadline reported. The movie, based on the first of Mark Greaneys novels featuring Court Gentry, a sort of American version of James Bond, will star Ryan Gosling as Gentry and Chris Evans as his nemesis, Lloyd Hansen. 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, Anthony Russo told Deadline. 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. This is the second project their production company, AGBO, has brought to Netflix. Extraction, the Russos action-thriller starring Chris Hemsworth, is one of the most-watched movies ever on the streaming service. A sequel is already in the works. The intention is for it to be competitive with any theatrical, Joe Russo said of their plans for The Gray Man. 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. The brothers, who directed Avengers: Endgame, the highest grossing movie of all-time, have stayed extremely busy during the pandemic. Theyre finishing up Cherry, the Tom Holland drama shot in Cleveland last year, and Disney recently tapped them to create a live-action version of Hercules. Theyre also behind Citadel, a global spy series for Amazon. They host Pizza Film School, a weekly show on Instagram, too. The Russos hope to begin production on The Gray Man in January. Maame Yaa Aboagye, a Deputy Communication Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, does not have the vision to warrant the votes of Ghanaians. According to her, unlike President Akufo-Addo whose visionary leadership has seen Ghana prospering, the NDC flagbearer and former President are clueless having no policies to revamp the economy. She asked Mr. Mahama to make Ghanaians aware of his message, policies, and programs for the nation if he wants to win the 2020 elections. Maame Yaas comments follows Mahamas support for President Akufo-Addos free SHS policy after emphasizing it wasnt feasible, prior to the 2016 general elections. John Mahama says he will not cancel the policy should he win power but review it by erasing the double-track system among others. But Maame Yaa Aboagye, speaking in an interview with Peacefmonline.com, stated former President John Dramani Mahama is making comments that will help him grasp power again but has nothing better to offer Ghanaians. It is remarkably interesting to hear former President Mahama keep saying now he is committed to free SHS education when given the nod in the 2020 election. We still recall how Mr. Mahama and NDC vigorously campaigned against free SHS in the 2016 election . . . We dont want any confusion. He should still maintain his position as Ambassador against free SHS. It is quite evident that the NDC has no message for Ghanaians and it is obvious they will lose the 2020 elections because the alternative is still empty, she said. The Deputy Communication Director of the NPP assured Ghanaians the current administration will continue to introduce policies and initiatives aimed at improving their lives. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on his way overseas for a trip to the United Kingdom and Denmark. Pompeo departed from Joint Base Andrews Monday morning. Top of the trip agenda for Pompeo includes meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London to discuss global priorities including the coronavirus, economic recovery plans, issues related to China and Hong Kong, and the U.S.-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations. The Secretary of State will then head to Denmark to meet with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen to discuss matters including coronavirus and China plus meeting his Danish counterpart Foreign Affairs Minister Jeppe Kofod to discuss 'opportunities for closer cooperation between the U.S. and Denmark in key areas of mutual concern.' Last year, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. was interested in buying the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland as 'a large real estate deal', but, when PM Frederiksen called the suggestion 'absurd', he canceled a planned state visit to Denmark. Monday, July 20th, 2020 (8:44 am) - Score 3,676 Rural UK ISP Ecom, which is currently building a new 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network across rural parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, has started trying to build enough interest to extend into the large village of Wingrave and win customers from Openreachs slower FTTC network. Until now most of the places where Ecom have deployed their full fibre (e.g. Mentmore and Crafton) have been in areas where existing broadband infrastructure is either non-existent or so poor that the residents suffer with dreadfully low speeds. However, Wingrave is different because many locals already have access to so-called superfast broadband (30Mbps+) speeds, which they receive via Openreachs Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) network. NOTE: Ecom is private owned by Chris Wilkie. Despite this Ecom appears to have received an initially positive reception to the prospect of extending their 1000Mbps+ capable FTTP broadband network into the same village, which is home to around 1,500 people (c.650 premises). The deployment, if it proceeds, would receive most of its funding for installations via vouchers under the Governments 200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme. The difficulty is that in order to make the build viable theyd need to get a commitment from 250 homes (around 40% of the village) for the first 12 months of service and as a result theyre trying something different. Ecom intend to offer locals the ability to take their unlimited 300Mbps (50Mbps upload) package at just 10 per month for the first 12 months (36 thereafter), which is one of the cheapest broadband deals weve ever seen. Chris Wilkie, MD of Ecom, told locals: The village has been on our radar for a while but it is a different business proposition to the projects we have worked on to date. Up to now we have concentrated on villages, for example Mentmore, Crafton and Ledburn, where the existing broadband infrastructure is either non-existent or so poor that the residents suffer with dreadfully low speeds. For this reason we end up as the only viable choice in these villages and that means we achieve a high proportion of homes connecting to our network, usually 80% or more. Building these networks is extremely expensive and you can understand I need to be confident that there is some hope of seeing the investment back over a period of years by having a good number of subscribers. Wingrave on the other hand, comparatively speaking, has already got reasonable broadband available. That said, as I mentioned earlier, when the email went out a few weeks ago we got a huge response from people expressing their interest. It is clear there is demand for better broadband in Wingrave, we just need to prove that the appetite is big enough! We are going to try something new for Wingrave in the hope of encouraging you to make the switch to our network. For the first 12 months we will be offering our Home 300 service, which gives a 300mbps broadband and a landline phone, for just 10 per month. That means you can cancel your BT landline altogether and, if you wish, still keep your phone number on our system. The ISP appears to be making the reasonable assumption that local customers will be so pleased with our service that you will want to continue at our standard pricing of 36 per month (i.e. once the first contract term ends). We should point out that Ecom also does a 500Mbps and 1Gbps package, but those are much more expensive at 66 and 96 respectively (the cost is not a surprise given the ISPs small size and rural focus). In theory if enough interest can be generated then the build could begin as soon as September 2020, although its probably wiser not to talk too much about time-scales until enough local support for the project has been secured. Ecom intends to do some additional campaigning over the next few weeks in order to build support for their plans. The X factor in all this (not the Simon Cowell variety) is whether or not Openreach (BT) responds with a similar FTTP deployment of their own. The operators rival full fibre is already present in neighbouring Aston Abbotts and Rowsham, which are only a stones throw away from Wingrave. However, at present their engineers have bigger areas to tackle nearby (e.g. Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard). Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:49:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has welcomed the renewed extension of the EU summit in Brussels to agree on a COVID-19 crisis package and called for solidarity among all EU member states. "It is important that negotiations continue in Brussels today. It shows that everyone wants a solution instead of putting off the problem," Maas said here Monday. But the necessary extension also showed that "enormous efforts" were required to make Europe strong again together, he added. The heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states had again extended their negotiations during the night to Monday local time. The summit is to continue on Monday afternoon. The summit is seeking an agreement on a financial and crisis package of more than 1.8 trillion euros (2.06 trillion U.S. dollars). 750 billion euros would be a debt-financed economic and investment program to combat the coronavirus crisis while the new seven-year EU budget framework would provide more than one trillion euros. "The solidarity of all states among themselves will pay off for all," said Maas. However, not all EU member states were in agreement. Leaders of the "thrifty" countries Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, as well as Finland, still had reservations about the subsidies and wanted to further reduce the sums. They would prefer to give only repayable loans to countries such as Italy and Spain, which were particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus crisis. "Europe's word carries the most weight in the world if we all act in unison. This is not only important in the coronavirus crisis, but also with regard to Europe's neighborhood and is in our immediate strategic interest," said Maas. (1 euro =1.15 U.S. dollars) A condotel project in the central city of Da Nang. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - The Ministry of Public Security has proposed not granting ownership certificates to allow condotels, tourist villas and officetels to be turned into residential projects. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 04:05:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AMMAN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday discussed international efforts towards preventing Israel's implementation of its plans to annex the occupied Palestinian territories with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn and Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. Talks over the phone call between Safadi and Asselborn stressed the need for implementing an international position rejecting the annexation. The talks also emphasized the need for resuming serious peace negotiations to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In a call between Safadi and Marsudi, talks stressed that the annexation plan violates international law, undermines the two-state solution and all efforts aimed at achieving a just peace that fulfills Palestinians' rights to freedom and an independent state. Enditem Federal authorities identified a self-described "anti-feminist" lawyer found dead Monday as the "primary subject" in a shooting at a federal judge's New Jersey home that killed the jurist's son and left her husband badly injured. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas was not injured in the Sunday shooting, which the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and local authorities are investigating. The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey identified the dead suspect as Roy Den Hollander. Law enforcement officials said his body was found in Sullivan County, New York, about a two-hour drive from the scene of the shooting. The lawyer appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, one official said, though more investigative work is under way. Hollander gained a level of notoriety having sued over ladies' night drink specials, which he claimed were discriminatory. He also had a years-long case before Judge Salas in which he was contesting the government's refusal to allow women to register for the military draft. The gunman appeared at Salas's home in North Brunswick, N.J., on Sunday afternoon, wearing an outfit described to police as a FedEx uniform, law enforcement officials said. Both Mark Anderl, 63, a defense attorney and former Essex County assistant prosecutor, and Daniel Anderl, 20, a student at Catholic University in Washington, were shot after one of them opened the door for the gunman around 5 p.m. "He was shot through the heart," North Brunswick Democratic Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack told ABC News of Daniel Anderl. Salas's son died and her husband was rushed to the hospital for surgery. Mark Anderl is now in stable condition, Womack told local media. Daniel Anderl was a rising junior at Catholic University, the school's president said in a statement. He had just celebrated his birthday last week. The FBI had said it is looking for one suspect, with assistance from the Marshals Service, which is charged with protecting federal judges. Attorney General William Barr said: "This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter." Authorities have not given any indication of a motive in the shooting. Womack, who is friends with Salas and her husband, told ABC News he wasn't aware of any specific threat against the judge. "As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any," Womack said. Salas, 51, is New Jersey's first Hispanic woman to serve as a U.S. district court judge. President Barack Obama nominated her for the position in 2010, and she was confirmed by the Senate in 2011. Salas previously served as a federal magistrate judge in New Jersey. She has presided over a number of high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Joe and Teresa Giudice. Salas sentenced them each to prison for crimes including tax evasion. She's been on the bench for recent cases involving the Grape Street Crips, according to NJ Advance Media, a gang charged with running a drug trafficking operation. Salas has more recently taken on a lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors alleging the bank failed to follow its anti-money-laundering policies by taking on "high-risk" clients including Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement, "Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act." A dog that went missing from its home in Kansas turned up almost 60 miles away at her owners old house. Cleo, a four-year-old labrador, went missing from her house in Olathe, Kansas, on 12 July and turned up on her old porch in Lawson, Missouri, several days later. The house's new owner, Colton Michael, found the dog and helped return her to her owners after having her checked for a microchip. My wife and I had just gotten home from work, Mr Michael told CNN. Cleo was laying on the front porch at the front door, just laying there, waiting for somebody it seemed like. Mr Michael said that while Cleo was anxious about being approached when he first discovered her, he eventually managed to gain her trust and discovered her owners information on the chip. She finds her way home, and theres some strangers living in it. That would be scary for anybody, Mr Michael told local broadcaster KMBC. He said his wife recognised the name on the microchip as the former owners of the house. They had moved out in 2018, the station reported. Cleos owners had posted on Facebook a week earlier to say their dog was missing in an appeal for information about her whereabouts. They were bewildered when Mr Michael called and said Cleo had appeared at home. The labrador would have had to travel 57 miles (80.4 km) on her trip from her new home in Kansas to the old home in Missouri, including crossing a river or a bridge heavy with traffic, KMBC reported. Its the most bizarre story. Really, shes everything to us and to my mother, Drew, Cleos owner, told the outlet. It just feels really good to be reunited with her." Both Drew and Mr Michael have said Cleo's odyssey may always be an enigma. Its a mystery, something we will probably never know, Mr Michael said. However, her owners can rest assured that if she ever decides to make the trek again, she will be in safe hands. Now that we know who she belongs to if she pops up again, we know who to call, Mr Michael said. HOUSTON, TX - JULY 17: Medical workers from New York wearing personal protective equipments handle test samples at temporary testing site for COVID-19 in Higher Dimensions Church on July 17, 2020 in Houston, Texas. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo dispatched medical workers from New York State to assist with the spread of COVID-19 in Houston, and particularly in the hard-hit communities of color. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images/AFP) That put the total number of cases in the US, the nation hardest hit by the global pandemic, at 3,762,081, the Baltimore-based university said at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday). Another 514 deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 140,474. The US has recorded more than 60,000 new cases every day for the last six days, peaking at a record 77,638 infections on Friday. President Donald Trump, in a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday, again defended his handling of the pandemic, claiming that the US was "the envy of the world" on testing. Referring to his early prediction that the virus would disappear, he said, "I'll be right eventually." He again opposed any national mandate for mask-wearing, saying, "I want people to have a certain freedom." LONDON : Marks & Spencer Group Plc plans to cut 950 jobs in yet another blow to British shopping districts reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. The clothing and homewares retailer said the job losses would come from central support functions in its property and field operations as well as its store management network. The cuts represent about 1.2% of its workforce of 78,000. M&S follows department-store chain Debenhams Plc, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.s drugstores and the John Lewis Partnership Plc, owner of the upmarket grocer Waitrose, in announcing drastic job cuts. Britains retailers are struggling to return to normal after months of store closures as lockdown measures have been progressively eased. The move could be controversial, given that M&S took government support when furloughing 27,000 workers during the pandemic. The stock slumped as much as 2.6% in London trading. In an effort to avoid significant job losses, the UK government has since offered businesses a 1,000 pound ($1,250) bonus for every employee who returns to work, but the measure failed to stem the tide of job cuts. M&S said it hasnt decided whether to accept the bonus for employees who have returned to work. The retailer has been trying to turn around for at least the last decade. When it announced its results in May, Chief Executive Officer Steve Rowe said the crisis may accelerate turnaround efforts at a business with a history of slow cultural change." The company disbanded many working groups and committees in favor of a smaller top team that can make decisions faster, and employees in stores and support centers are working more flexibly, according to Rowe. Wider strategic goals such as reducing its clothing range and working with a smaller set of suppliers have also been hastened by the crisis. M&S has struggled in a highly competitive grocery market and after failing to keep up with online fast fashion" rivals. In May, the company said it was outperforming its worst-case coronavirus scenario after reacting quickly to the pandemic, canceling about 100 million pounds ($122 million) of clothing and home orders. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Yahoo UK News Video Rishi Sunak brought an abrupt end to an interview after he was asked if he fully supported Boris Johnson. (Watch the interview above). The Chancellor was giving an interview to Sky News over the future of the prime minister, who has been accused by his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings of lying to Parliament over allegations of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street. Johnson rejected the claim in an interview on Tuesday afternoon, insisting he did not know in advance about the event in May 2020, adding that "no one told him" it was against the rules. Asked whether he backed his boss, Sunak replied: Of course I do. The prime minister set out his understanding of this matter in parliament last week and Id refer you to his words. Sue Gray is conducting an inquiry into this matter and I fully support the prime ministers request for patience while that inquiry concludes. Sunak then refused to comment on whether Johnson should quit following Cummings bombshell allegations. Im not going to get into hypotheticals. The Ministerial Code is clear on these matters. Pressed on whether he supported the PM unequivocally, Sunak promptly stood up, took off his microphone abruptly and walked off while his adviser stood in front of the journalist. Sunak is the bookies favourite to replace Johnson and has tried to distance himself from the scandal in recent days. He told Yahoo News UK last week that he had not attended the garden party. And he was noticeably absent from the House of Commons last Wednesday during the prime minister's apology for the anger sparked by the revelations. The Ministerial Code states that ministers who lie to Parliament and do not correct the record should resign. If Johnson is found to have lied, his position would become untenable. The British Board of Film Classification has named Joker the most complained-about film of 2019. Todd Phillips violent and divisive supervillain adaptation saw Joaquin Phoenix play the notorious Batman character, later winning an Academy Award for his efforts. The BBFC are responsible for deciding the age rating for films and TV series across Great Britain. In its annual report, the organisation said that it had received 20 complaints about Jokers age classification, which was a 15. Some of the complaints suggested that the film should have instead been classified as an 18, while others argued that it should have been banned altogether. Joker traces the rise of Arthur Fleck from dysfunctional outsider to murderous martyr. While some critics praised the acting and dark tone of the film, others condemned its portrayal of mental illness and questionably populist political themes. The BBFC stated that while the film does contains scenes of substantial violence, it doesnt dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18. Joker was nominated for 11 Oscars at the 2020 Academy Awards, including for Best Actor (which Phoenix won), Best Picture and Best Director. The ratings board revealed that they received a total of 149 complaints last year, less than half of 2018s total. US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign is encouraging voters to sign a TikTok ban petition. As per a report by Bloomberg, the Trump administration is paying for ad space on Facebook and Instagram for the petition. The ads urging voters to sign the petition read, "TikTok has been caught red-handed by monitoring what is on your phone's Clipboard". The ads then direct the viewers to sign a petition that requires them to fill their name and email id. TikTok was caught snooping on user data that was saved on an iPhone's clipboard. The latest version iOS14 notifies users when their data is being copied by another app. The video-making app had stated in the past that it would stop the practice of reading content on user's clipboards. However, it was found doing otherwise quite recently and was caught red-handed. Other ads from Trump's campaign on Facebook read "Protect our kids from China" and "China is spying on you." The Trump administration launched 100 such iterations encouraging the TikTok app ban. Facebook removed one version of the anti-TikTok ad citing a violation of Facebook's policy against ads with "nonexistent functionality". The ad includes a graphic with the question, "Dear Facebook, Do Americans deserve privacy?" With "Yes" and "No" in checkboxes. The move comes days after Trump said that the US was considering to ban TikTok. In an interview, Trump had said, "It's a big business. Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they've done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful." State Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said that users who downloaded the app are putting "private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party." TikTok users and K-pop fans reportedly sabotaged Trump's first post-COVID Tulsa rally. Before the rally, Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said there had been more than one million ticket requests for the event. TikTok users claimed in posts and videos that they had completed the online registration for the event with no intention of going. TikTok has more than 2 billion global downloads, with around 80 million downloads in the US. The Trump campaign has also taken out ads against Twitter and Snapchat saying the apps are attempting to silence the president, Business Insider noted. Patience has been a virtue for John Paraskevopoulos as he and his family are officially bringing Greek flavour to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Paraskevopoulos said he has been looking to bring Greek sandwiches to the town for the past six years but couldnt find the perfect location. Now, Gyros-on-the-Lake offers that Greek flavour with pita options and homemade desserts. It was when the owners of the Sandwich Bar closed their doors that Paraskevopoulos knew the 12 Queen St. location was the perfect spot for him to open shop. I wanted to come to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but it was hard to get in, Paraskevopoulos said. The owners of the previous business left its sandwich stations in place, so Paraskevopoulos only needed to purchase a gyro machine and a few other accessories to open. I looked a couple times before, but now mainly the shop was ready. Great location. Paraskevopoulos and his family have been involved in Greek festivals, specifically the annual one in St. Catharines, and he said through that experience the family knows how to make delicious Greek sandwiches. He said a major consideration while opening during the COVID-19 outbreak, is the need for him and his family to stay healthy. Once tourists begin to return to the town, Paraskevopoulos is hopeful the shop will grow in popularity. Since opening June 12, he said local support has been great. The gyro and chicken on a pita have been popular dishes along with the Greek salad, and so has the baklava, which is homemade by Paraskevopouloss wife. They also offer vegetarian options and recently began selling halal chicken. Open seven days a week, the shop offers fresh food all the time with low prices. Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters have protested over a visit by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to the region, during a royal tour across Spain meant to boost morale during the coronavirus pandemic. The visit came amid mounting media reports accusing the kings father, former monarch Juan Carlos I, of allegedly hiding millions of untaxed euros in offshore funds. Prosecutors in the countrys Supreme Court are determining whether Juan Carlos can be investigated for allegedly receiving the funds from Saudi Arabia, possibly as kickbacks for a high-speed railway project. Expand Close Spains King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visit the Royal Monastery of Poblet (David Zorrakino/Europa Press via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Spains King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visit the Royal Monastery of Poblet (David Zorrakino/Europa Press via AP) The former king has not publicly addressed the allegations against him. The scandal is the latest to rock the Spanish royal family. In mid-March, it prompted Felipe to renounce any inheritance he could receive from his father and stripped him of the annual stipend he received. Juan Carlos abdicated on behalf of his son in 2014. With that backdrop, the royal couple launched a visit to all of Spains 17 regions that was designed as a show of support for the citizens and the economy as it recovers from the first wave of the pandemic. The Catalan leg of the tour was initially planned for last week, covering several towns and Barcelona, but the palace said it had postponed it and scaled it back to a short visit to a monastery because of the spike in virus cases in and around the regional capital. Protesters on Monday carried photos of Felipe upside down and letters completing the sentence Catalonia doesnt have a king during a march organised by ANC, the regions largest pro-independence civil society group. Are the king and the queen here to promote tourism? What they promote is repulsiveness, said protester Marta Marti. They know we dont want them. But they come here to test our patience. Tensions between separatists in Catalonia, which has a population of 7.5 million, and those in support of Spanish unity came to a head in late 2017. A banned referendum was met with police violence, and prompted the prosecution of top elected officials and activists. We want democracy, simply democracy, said school teacher Marcel Barbosa, adding that the king had shown disrespect for Catalans demands for independence. They know they are going to lose and that they will need to leave, thats why we are not allowed to vote. The march was heading to the Royal Monastery of Poblet, which the king and the queen were visiting, but police blocked access at the main road. Some of the activists tried to reach the monastery by venturing into nearby vineyards. Separated by a line of riot police, a dozen people expressed support for the Spanish royals. All protesters left after the end of the visit. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 05:21:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for the special European Council meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, July 18, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua) About two months after European governments gradually eased their lockdown measures, the face mask has almost become an essential accessory for many Europeans. "The face mask could stay with us at least until the winter, and possibly until a vaccine is available," the Brussels Times reported last Friday, citing the latest report from Belgium's Group of Experts for an Exit Strategy (GEES). BRUSSELS/PARIS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- France on Monday joined the ranks of European countries which have mandated the use of face masks in all indoor public places, in another sign that the face mask is playing big in Europe's post-lockdown measures to limit COVID-19 transmission. Before France, multiple governments - from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Romania to Slovenia, Albania, and Serbia - have already obliged their citizens to cover their mouth and nose in indoor public spaces. A dozen other European countries such as Britain, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Malta have mandated the use of face masks on public transport. MASK-WEARING IN PUBLIC SPACES IN FRANCE On Monday, the French government's order to make mask-wearing mandatory came into effect, amid worrying signs of acceleration of the virus circulation and a growing number of clusters. According to the order, wearing a face mask is now compulsory for all people over the age of 10 in restaurants and hotels, shops, covered markets, museums, cinemas, concert halls, places of worship, airports and stations, libraries, vacation centers, administrations and banks. Any person who refuses to comply will pay a fine of 135 euros (154.7 U.S. dollars). French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for the special European Council meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, July 18, 2020. EU leaders are meeting physically in Brussels for the first time since March in a bid to find an agreement on the bloc's next long-term budget. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua) "That is because we note that there are worrying signs of resumption of the epidemic in certain places of the national territory," Health Minister Olivier Veran told France Info radio on Monday morning. Since the lifting of lockdown on May 11, health authorities have detected between 400 and 500 active coronavirus clusters resulted mainly from family meetings during the summer holidays, the minister added. On July 16, the region of Mayenne in northwestern France took the lead by ordering the public to start wearing face masks in all public spaces after an increase in the number of coronavirus infections in six communes. ELSEWHERE IN EUROPE In France's northern neighbor Belgium, the rule on the compulsory wearing of a face mask in public places came into force on July 11. "Everyone over the age of 12 is obliged to cover their mouth and nose with a mask or any other fabric alternative in the following establishments: shops and shopping centers, cinemas, concert or conference halls, auditoria, places of worship, museums, libraries, casinos and gambling halls, and the buildings of the justice system," according to the Belgian government's official gazette. The fine for refusing to wear a mask in the situations where one is required amounts to 250 euros -- the same as for all other lockdown offenses since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, reported the newspaper Brussels Times. Soldiers wearing face masks attend the Romanian Aviation and Air Force Day celebrations in Bucharest, Romania, July 20, 2020. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) On July 14, the Albanian government announced it has decided to mandate the use of masks in indoor public spaces to help curb the spread of COVID-19. "With the decision of the Technical Committee of Experts, we have decided that the use of protective masks or barriers to be mandatory in public transport or high-risk activities, and from now to be used indoors as well," said Albanian Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu. "We can fight this disease by using simple weapons, such as the use of a mask. Scientific communities have admitted that protective masks or barriers reduce the spread of infection indoors," she noted. "The obligation to use non-medical masks or protective barriers ... will be an obligation for every individual in all indoor spaces, in public and non-public administration, on public transport, in offices, elevators, shopping malls, shops, supermarkets, markets and service units," Manastirliu announced on July 15. Also on July 15, Serbia's COVID-19 response team decided to impose mandatory wearing of face masks in enclosed public spaces and ban gatherings at the national level, after the country witnessed an alarming number of new infections. ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY IN EUROPE In Asian countries like China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, wearing masks in public has been widely accepted to limit the spread of COVID-19. In Europe, face mask-wearing started to pop up in April on the streets of major European cities like Brussels, Milan, Prague and Paris. The official position of European governments also started to change in late March and early April. About two months after European governments gradually eased their lockdown measures, the face mask has almost become an essential accessory for many Europeans. "The face mask could stay with us at least until the winter, and possibly until a vaccine is available," the Brussels Times reported last Friday, citing the latest report from Belgium's Group of Experts for an Exit Strategy (GEES). Masks have been obligatory on public transport and at stops and stations in Belgium since May. The GEES report cites a study from Germany which found that making mask-wearing compulsory led to a fall of 40 percent in the daily number of infections -- a figure which is now increasing again in Belgium, said the Brussels Times. Part of that argumentation in the GEES report concerns the question of aerosol transmission, whereby the virus can be transmitted via tiny droplets of saliva that are produced when speaking and hang in the air for longer than the drops produced by a cough or a sneeze, the report said. A visitor views a painting during the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global structural health monitoring market size is estimated to reach USD 4.34 billion by 2025, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc., rising at a CAGR of 17.3% during the forecast period. Growing investments in infrastructural development and government regulations mandating implementation of sensors and data acquisition systems to monitor structure health are expected to augment the market. Increasing age of existing bridges and dams and rising focus on infrastructural advancements including construction of new bridges, dams, buildings, and stadiums are also providing a push to the market. Superior infrastructure is essential for regional development and it helps to increase productivity of the private as well as public sectors. Therefore, rapid infrastructural development across the globe is one of the primary growth stimulants for the market. These systems help in reducing cost by removing need for inspection staff and maintenance. Additionally, with ongoing advancements in technology, these systems are being used in applications such as diagnosing vessels and platforms in marine industries, aircraft frames in aerospace and defense, and inspection of large machines. North America is projected to dominate the market throughout the forecast horizon owing to surging demand from applications such as bridges & dams and buildings & stadiums. However, Asia Pacific is poised to post the highest CAGR of 18.9% during the same period. This is owing to increasing investments in the civil infrastructure sector, along with industries such as aerospace, defense, marine, and manufacturing. Moreover, in 2014, the Chinese government laid down new regulations mandating use of SHM systems while building new architectural structures and bridges. They have restricted replacement time period for an embedded sensor to 20 years and three to five years for a sensor placed on the surface of the bridge. Furthermore, expanding production of oil sands and shale gas in regions such as Africa and Asia are anticipated to stir up the demand for structural health monitoring systems. To request a sample copy or view summary of this report, click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/structural-health-monitoring-shm-market Further key findings from the study suggest: The hardware segment is likely to dominate the structural health monitoring market throughout the forecast period owing to higher cost of sensors and data acquisition systems as compared to that of software and services In terms of application, the market for structural health monitoring is dominated by bridges & dams and the trend is estimated to continue until 2025. This is due to increasing investments in order to check for health of structures, thus ensuring public safety Prominent industry participants include National Instruments Corporation; Structural Monitoring Systems; Digitexx Data Systems, Inc.; and Pure Technologies. Grand View Research has segmented the global structural health monitoring market based on solution, application, technology, and region: Structural Health Monitoring Solution Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Hardware Sensors Data Acquisition Systems Others Software & Services Structural Health Monitoring Application Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Bridges & Dams Building & Stadiums Vessels & Platforms Airframes & Wind Turbines Large Machines & Equipment Structural Health Monitoring Technology Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Wired Wireless Structural Health Monitoring Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) North America US. Canada Mexico Europe UK. Germany Asia Pacific China Japan India South America Brazil Middle East & Africa About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. A small dog that was stuck in a narrow drainpipe in central California for three days got to relax over the weekend, thanks to the heroes of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. It took SBC about 20 minutes to rescue Sophie, a 2 yr old mix, that had been in a 18 1/4 u2033 drainpipe for three days on the UC Santa Barbara campus, the fire department posted on Instagram. FFs used a hose line to coax the dog to another awaiting FF and was brought to the surface. ABC affiliate KEYT reports Sophie, who weighs less than 15 pounds, had been missing from her home roughly five minutes away. How she found her way into the pipe is unclear. Santa Barbaras Urban Search and Rescue team reportedly joined firefighters from two engine companies in the rescue effort. Sophie initially tried to avoid her rescuers, but relaxed once she was safely brought above ground. 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) urged Ganesh mandals in prominent areas of Mumbai to follow the concept of one ward-one Ganpati during this years Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Vishwas Mote, the assistant municipal commissioner of K-West ward which covers Andheri, Juhu, Versova and other such areas, made the appeal through a letter to the mandals. Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10-day long festival which is widely celebrated in Maharashtra, falls on August 22 this year. BMC data shows the K-West civic ward comprises around 150 ganpati mandals. The ward has registered 5,813 cases of the coronavirus disease and 258 deaths and is ranked fourth in the number of cases among the 24 wards in Mumbai. Mote said in his letter that he has already urged all the corporators of the K-West ward to implement the concept of one ward-one Ganpati. He said the height of a Ganpati idol is restricted to four feet and ample artificial lakes will be created in the ward for immersing the idols and appealed to the citizens to perform the immersion in these water bodies only. To avoid overcrowding and for maintenance of social distancing, there is also a plan of accepting Ganpati idols at the society gates for immersion, Mote said in the letter. Mumbai, which is one of the worst-hit cities in the country, logged more than one lakh Covid-19 cases and over 5,500 deaths. (with inputs from PTI) Modi visited a number of countries and personally participated in several international conferences and tried to create an image of friendly and forward looking India. by N.S.Venkataraman During the last six years, the Government of India , with Modi as Prime Minister, has been following please all foreign policy. In fact, Modi tried to please every country including China and Pakistan, even though both these countries have not concealed their hostility towards India. While Modi visited China several times and received the Chinese Prime Minister two times extending lavish welcome to him, he also visited Pakistan to attend the marriage function in the family of the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Shariff. This visit to Pakistan caught everyone by surprise. Modi visited a number of countries and personally participated in several international conferences and tried to create an image of friendly and forward looking India. This please all policy can not be faulted ,though there could be different views as to whether it has succeeded and went on expected lines. What is obvious is that this policy and approach is now challenged by hostile China, hostile Pakistan and hostile Nepal. China has not let anybody in the world in doubt that it has the ambition of emerging as the worlds super power at any cost, with least regard for overall peace and harmony in the world. It has also become crystal clear now that in marching towards such a goal, China thinks that subjugating India is necessary to ensure that India would not be in a position to challenge Chinas supremacy in Asia. As China appears to be uncompromising in its objective, one can see that Modis please all foreign policy has totally failed with regard to China and consequently with regard to what at present look like satellite countries of China namely Pakistan and Nepal. China is bent upon subjugating India and is threatening military conflict with India and inventing reasons to provoke such conflicts. This scenario has created a compulsive condition for the Indian Prime Minister Modi to drastically change his please all foreign policy. India is now left with no alternative other than standing upto China , Pakistan and Nepal. This is an unenviable situation for the Indian government. In the last six years of the Modi government, the primary objective has been to promote economic, industrial and social growth of India to alleviate the poverty conditions and to improve Indias economic and social status in the world. For this to happen, peaceful relations with neighbouring countries is necessary to ensure that the resources would be primarily spent to achieve economic and social targets and less on military empowerment. Unfortunately, China is not allowing such a scenario and India now has no alternative other than confronting China with grim determination. Hope for friendly relations with China in the next few years is nothing short of an Utopian expectation. In this scenario, the obvious choice for India is to firmly align itself with USA and West European countries as well as those countries which are concerned about Chinas expansionist policies. Such alignment is absolutely necessary for India to checkmate China. Of course, the primary focus has to be on building alignment with the USA, which is the only country now that has the strength and capability to stand against China on its own. However, with the US Presidential election in the offing, there is a certain element of uncertainty about the future policies of the USA towards China and India. The US Presidential candidate for democratic party Joe Biden has already criticized India severely for what he called as human rights violation by India in Jammu and Kashmir. Obviously, he has an element of hostility in him towards India. While Trump has been acting against China, one is not sure as to whether he would get re elected. Many observers warn India that Trump is an unpredictable person and he may soften his stand against China ,in the event of his winning in the US election. While doubts persist about the future policies of the USA towards China, it would still be good for India to have strategic alliance with the USA, just like several other countries such as Japan, South Korea, Israel and West European countries. While Prime Minister Modi has been laying stress on a sort of close relationship with the USA, the fact is that it has not been a strategic alliance so far. India has been buying arms from Russia on a large scale and certainly the USA would not like this, particularly when India would expect support from the USA in confronting China. In the present conditions, Russia is unlikely to criticise China to help India and at best it can only be lip support to India. All said and done, both India and the USA are free democratic countries and share common interests in several spheres . In USA, there is a significant population of Indians and of Indian origin. While there could be minor irritants in the relationship between India and USA from time to time that have been overcome, the friendly relationship has stood the test of time. Facing an aggressive Chinese government with territorial ambition, India has to necessarily develop strategic relations with the USA . This has to be done without leaving any ambiguity. Even in the event of change in policy of the USA towards China after the US election, it is unlikely to be any major change and in any case, it would not be in the interest of the USA to allow China to subjugate India. The fact is both the USA and India need each other and development of a strategic relationship between India and the USA would be a win win situation for both the countries. Into His Presence, Volume 1: Encountering the God of the Patriarchs: a brilliant approach that dives into a variety of discourses with God that will let one see His Divinity in a different light. Into His Presence, Volume 1: Encountering the God of the Patriarchs is the creation of published author Napoleon Burt, a lifelong learner and passionate educator. He has spent years immersed in medical science and devoted to educating himself and others. Simultaneously, he has spent the majority of his adult life systematically studying and teaching others how to study the Bible. Burt shares, The God of the Bible is not a concept to be studied but a divine person each of us can and should encounter personally. Into His Presence uses historically documented experiences of a number of important people with God over thousands of years as the lens through which to help you understand the character of God as a person. In this book, you see the God of the Bible as a divine person encountered by the men and women of the Bible. The approach to the study of the Bible presented in this book will completely change how you read the Bible and how you perceive the divine author of the Bible. In this book, you will learn how many historically documented conversations Adam had with God and see that Adams God moved with purpose in each of His encounters with Adam. Your understanding of the character of God will be enriched as you see Him through the eyes of Abraham over the course of their 100-year relationship. You will be amazed by the sheer number of historically documented conversations Moses had with God, and understand how these encounters transformed Moses from a polytheist into one of historys greatest spokesmen for monotheism and the pursuit of a personal relationship with the God of heaven. You will walk with David through the ups and downs of his life, identify with his struggles, and understand how lifes experiences drew him into a close relationship with God. Through the enumerated experiences of the patriarchs, judges, and kings of Israel, you will come to understand the consistent character attributes of God as a person over the course of history. You will conclude that God is a divine person with whom you can also have an intimate relationship. As you read this book, you will feel the God of the Bible personally calling you into His presence. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Napoleon Burts new book is a profound experience for every believer as they move into the presence of God through this manuscript that takes them on an extraordinary journey. View a synopsis of Into His Presence, Volume 1: Encountering the God of the Patriarchs on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Into His Presence, Volume 1: Encountering the God of the Patriarchs at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Into His Presence, Volume 1: Encountering the God of the Patriarchs, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. TOKYO - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed into blue skies from a Japanese launch centre Monday at the start of a seven-month journey to Mars on the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this image made from MHI's youtube channel, the H-IIA rocket with United Arab Emirates' Mars orbiter Hope lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, southern Japan, Monday, July 20, 2020. (MHI via AP) TOKYO - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed into blue skies from a Japanese launch centre Monday at the start of a seven-month journey to Mars on the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, starts a rush to fly to Earths neighbour that is scheduled to be followed in the next few days by China and the United States. At the space centre in Dubai, people watching were transfixed by the liftoff, then cheered and clapped, with one woman with offering a celebratory cry common for weddings. An Emirati man watches the launch of the "Amal" or "Hope" space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft, the "Amal" or "Hope" probe, blasted off to Mars from Japan early Monday, starting the Arab world's first interplanetary trip. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) Amal blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket on time at 6:58 a.m. (2158 GMT Sunday) after being delayed five days by bad weather. Mitsubishi later said the probe successfully separated from the rocket and was now on its solo journey to Mars. The probe was sending signals that would be analyzed later but everything appeared good for now, Omran Sharaf, the UAE Mars mission director told journalists in Dubai about an hour and a half after liftoff. Amal is set to reach Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since the countrys formation. In September that year, Amal will start transmitting Martian atmospheric data, which will be made available to the international scientific community, Sharaf said. Emirati men watch the launch of the "Amal" or "Hope" space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft, the "Amal" or "Hope" probe, blasted off to Mars from Japan early Monday, starting the Arab world's first interplanetary trip. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) The UAE is now a member of the club and we will learn more and we will engage more and well continue developing our space exploration program, UAE Space Agency chief Mohammed Al Ahbabi told a joint online news conference from Tanegashima. At Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, Emirati men in their traditional white kandora robes and women in their black abayas watched the liftoff. As its stages separated, a cheer went out from men seated on the floor. They began clapping, one using his face mask, worn due to the coronavirus pandemic, to wipe away a tear. It was great to see everything going according to schedule today. It looks like things are all on track. Its a huge step in terms of space exploration to have a nation like the UAE taking that giant leap to send a spacecraft to Mars, said Fred Watson, Australia's astronomer-at-large. Being on route to a planet like Mars is an exceptional achievement. A newcomer in space development, the UAE has successfully put three Earth observation satellites into orbit. Two were developed by South Korea and launched by Russia, and a third its own was launched by Japan. Omran Sharaf, the project director for the Emirates' Hope space probe to Mars, speaks during an interview at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, July 19, 2020. A Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying a United Arab Emirates Mars spacecraft has been placed on the launch pad for Monday's scheduled liftoff for the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) A successful mission to Mars would be a major step for the oil-dependent economy seeking a future in space, coming less than a year after the launch of the first UAE astronaut, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. He spent over a week at the International Space Station last fall. The UAE has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. It sends a very strong message to the Arab youth that if the UAE is able to reach Mars in less than 50 years, they could do much more, Sharaf told The Associated Press on Sunday as his colleagues prepared for the launch. The Emiratis also acknowledged it represented a step forward for the Arab world, the home of mathematicians and scientists for centuries before the wars and chaos that have gripped wide swathes of it in recent times. Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center attends a news conference at Tanegashima Space Center on a small southern Japanese island after a launch of a United Arab Emirates spacecraft Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. (MHI via AP Photo) So the region has been going through tough times in the past decades, if not centuries, Sharaf said. Now we have the case of the UAE, a country thats moving forward with its plans, looking at the future and the future of region also. For its first Mars mission, the UAE chose partners instead of doing it all on its own. Developing a spacecraft is not easy even if there is ample funding, said Junya Terazono, an astronomer at Aizu University. Emirati scientists worked with researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona State University. The spacecraft was assembled at Boulder and transported to Japan as the two countries looked to expand their ties with the rich and politically stable Middle Eastern nation. The Amal spacecraft, along with its launch, cost $200 million, according to Sharaf. Operation costs at Mars have yet to be divulged. Amal, about the size of a small car, carries three instruments to study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change while circling the red planet for at least two years. It is set to follow up on NASAs Maven orbiter sent to Mars in 2014 to study how the planet went from a warm, wet world that may have harboured microbial life during its first billion years, to the cold, barren place of today. Hope also plans to send back images of weather changes. Japan has long collaborated with the U.S. and other partners in defence and space technology, and the resource-poor country has traditionally kept friendly ties with Middle Eastern countries. Japan's launch services are known for accuracy and an on-time record, but the providers are working to cut costs to be more internationally competitive. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Two other Mars missions are planned in coming days. China aims to explore the Martian surface with an orbiter and rover and to search for water and ice with a launch expected around Thursday. The U.S. plans to send a rover named Perseverance to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for return to Earth. Liftoff is targeted for July 30. Japan has its own Mars mission planned in 2024. It plans to send spacecraft to the Martian moon Phobos to collect samples to bring back to Earth in 2029. ___ Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writers Malak Harb and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Berlin held a meeting with CEO of the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) Markus Jerger, Trend reports with reference to Dunyo News Agency. According to Jerger, over the past three years Uzbekistan has undergone impressive changes and large-scale market reforms made the country attractive for German investors. This, in turn, was a prerequisite for the decision taken by the association's leadership to open a BVMW office in Tashkent, which began operating in July 2020. German side stressed that assessments by authoritative international institutions and publications, in particular, the IMF, the World Bank and British The Economist magazine, which predict sustainable economic growth in Uzbekistan even in the conditions of coronavirus around the world, have also played an important role in making this decision. "Among the most promising areas of bilateral cooperation have been identified such priority areas for Uzbekistan as production of construction materials, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile and leather-shoe industries, processing of agricultural products, mining and processing of minerals, transport logistics, tourism and others," the message said. Following the talks, the two sides agreed on a range of joint measures and agreed to organize a German business delegation headed by President of BVMW Mario Ohoven to visit Uzbekistan in autumn 2020. German Federal Association of Small and Medium Businesses is the largest association in Germany that represents the interests of small and medium-sized businesses. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Bridge (Science of Speed) immortalizes this historical moment in a 45-foot wave of gold arms, cast from Smith's arm and gloved fist. Suspended above the first floor of the school and ascending into the atrium, its presence in the new modern building serves as an indelible symbol of the ongoing fight against injustice of any kind. "Bridge (Science of Speed) will serve as a reminder to everyone entering the school of the importance of advocating for patients and communities that have been oppressed and marginalized. We feel privileged to provide a home for this remarkable work," said Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, Founding Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is wholly committed to the fight for social justice and training physicians to carry that fight forward through concepts of advocacy and leadership, as well as equity, inclusion, and diversity, woven throughout its newly created curriculum. Students will also take a service-learning course where they will contribute to a project co-designed with, and performed in, a federally qualified health center. And, a relatively new field, health systems science, is incorporated into the school's case-based, integrated sciences curriculum, ensuring that the effects of human interactions and broader systems are embedded in the core learning starting in the first year. "By immortalizing and replicating Tommie Smith's iconic gesture of protest, Bridge connects generations of those dedicated to a better future," Kaino said. "Tommie and I are happy that the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine will spotlight his sacrifice and intention of fighting for human rights for the medical professionals of tomorrow, who will fight for our lives." Glenn Kaino, a prominent conceptual artist based in Los Angeles, is known for transforming conventional materials and forms to poetically reconcile conflicting ideologies as a way to incite change in the world. The expansive, undulating Bridge has been exhibited at the High Museum in Atlanta, the San Jose Museum of Art as well as in Chicago and Washington D.C. in larger configurations that deeply moved thousands of visitors. Its permanent site-specific placement of 90 arms at the school will serve as an image of continuity between Smith's protest and the present, of Black Lives Matter and the renewed discussion on race in America. The piece was introduced to the school's art committee by Victoria Burns Arts Advisory (https://www.burnsartadvisory.com/about-victoria-burnshttps://www.burnsartadvisory.com/) in 2019. Burns immediately saw the potential of this work to serve as an arresting reminder of the work and sacrifices being made every day to advocate for the underserved and underrepresented. The school's collection will also include content-rich pieces by Conrad Egyir, Shirin Neshat, Sandy Rodriguez, Tavares Strachan, Christine Sun Kim, Kehinde Wiley, Hank Willis Thomas, and a portrait of Bernard J. Tyson by Los Angeles-based painter Delfin Finley. The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine will welcome its inaugural class of students on Monday, July 27, 2020. The school will also infuse Bridge (Science of Speed), and other artworks throughout the building, directly into its curriculum with a narrative medicine approach, using art as a vehicle for students to reflect deeply on their experience in medical school, and more effectively empathize with their patients' individual journeys and pursuit of health. About the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is devoted first and foremost to offering an outstanding, forward-thinking medical education. Its curriculum is built on the three pillars of Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, and Health Systems Science. Students will think broadly about the ways care can be more effective for everyone and learn how to advocate for better health in homes, school, workplaces, neighborhoods, and society at large. The school will incorporate many of the most innovative and effective educational practices available today and will give students the opportunity to learn from the physicians and care teams in Kaiser Permanente's integrated health care system. This approach will provide future physicians with the knowledge and skills to play key roles in the transformation of healthcare in our nation and help people from all backgrounds and settings thrive. Learn more at medschool.kp.org. About Kaiser Permanente For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care and helping our members, patients, and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit: https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/ Contact Mi Chelle Sorey [email protected] 310-801-3495 SOURCE Kaiser Permanente Related Links https://about.kaiserpermanente.org The discovery will help clinicians target breast cancer cells directly, while avoiding the adverse, toxic side effects of chemotherapy Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a new nano drug candidate that kills triple negative breast cancer cells. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive and fatal types of breast cancer. The research will help clinicians target breast cancer cells directly, while avoiding the adverse, toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Their study was published in June issue of Advanced Therapeutics. Researchers led by Hassan Beyzavi, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, linked a new class of nanomaterials, called metal-organic frameworks, with the ligands of an already-developed photodynamic therapy drug to create a nano-porous material that targets and kills tumor cells without creating toxicity for normal cells. Metal-organic frameworks are an emerging class of nanomaterials designed for targeted drug delivery. Ligands are molecules that bind to other molecules. "With the exception of skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women," said Beyzavi. "As we know, thousands of women die from breast cancer each year. Patients with triple negative cells are especially vulnerable, because of the toxic side effects of the only approved treatment for this type of cancer. We've addressed this problem by developing a co-formulation that targets cancer cells and has no effect on healthy cells." Researchers in Beyzavi's laboratory focus on developing new, targeted photodynamic therapy drugs. As an alternative to chemotherapy - and with significantly fewer side effects - targeted photodynamic therapy, or PDT, is a noninvasive approach that relies on a photosensitizer that, upon irradiation by light, generates so-called toxic reactive oxygen species, which kill cancer cells. In recent years, PDT has garnered attention because of its ability to treat tumors without surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Beyzavi's laboratory has specialized in integrating nanomaterials, such as metal-organic frameworks, with PDT and other and therapies. Metal-organic frameworks significantly enhance the effectiveness of PDT. Doctoral student Yoshie Sakamaki from Beyzavi's laboratrory prepared the nanomaterials and then bio-conjugated them with ligands of the PDT drug to create nanoporous materials that specifically targeted and killed tumor cells with no toxicity in normal cells. In addition to cancer treatment, this novel drug delivery system could also be used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or fluorescence imaging, which can track the drug in the body and monitor the progress of cancer treatment. This collaborative project also included contributions from U of A research groups through Julie Stenken, professor of analytical chemistry; Yuchun Du, associate professor of biological sciences; and Jin-Woo Kim, professor of biological and agricultural engineering. The American Cancer Society estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2019 and 41,760 deaths. Currently there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Since 2007, breast cancer death rates have been steady in women younger than 50 but have continued to decrease in older women. This decrease is believed to be the result of earlier detection and better treatments. Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive and lacks estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which means it cannot be treated with receptor-targeted therapy. It is difficult to treat with existing chemotherapy and often requires surgery because it quickly metastasizes throughout the body. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the only approved treatment for this type of breast cancer. More than 80% of women with triple negative breast cancer are treated with chemotherapy regimens that include anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, which can cause cardiotoxicity as a serious side effect. Furthermore, chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer cell lines using either 5-FU, cisplatin, paclitaxel, doxorubicin or etoposide have shown multi-drug resistance. ### Beyzavi joined the University of Arkansas in 2017 after serving as a research associate at Harvard University. Before that he was a postdoctoral awardee at Northwestern University under the co-guidance of Nobel Laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LEWIS , the global marketing agency, has been selected by Druva as PR agency-of-record in the United States. Druva is the global leader in cloud data protection and management, having surpassed both $1 billion in valuation and $100 million in annual recurring revenue in the last 12 months. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Druva is a privately held company funded by Sequoia Capital, Viking Global Investors, Tenaya Capital, Riverwood Capital, and Nexus Partners. "As we continue to expand our business and strengthen our position within the U.S., we needed a marketing agency that could match our pace of growth and scale. LEWIS' deep technology expertise and innovative, creative approach made the agency the ideal partner to support our expanding communications efforts," said Thomas Been, CMO at Druva. "With the team's support, we are focused on accelerating growth and amplifying the success of our passionate customers." As a 100-percent cloud-native platform, Druva has changed the way organizations manage their most valuable asset, transforming data that was once a "risk" into an industry-defining asset. Built entirely on AWS, Druva securely manages enterprise data across endpoints, data centers, SaaS applications and cloud workloads without any hardware, software or on-site support required. Druva currently serves over 4,000 enterprise customers throughout the world. "Druva pioneered the category of cloud data protection and is the definitive leader in a high-growth market now exceeding $30 billion. With that comes an opportunity to tell compelling stories rooted in Druva's proven cloud heritage, a roster of customers including Slack, NASA and Patagonia, and the company's integral role in today's rapidly changing business landscape," said Noah Dye, Senior Vice President at LEWIS. "We are confident our creativity and deep expertise in the industry will help propel Druva to the next level." About Druva Druva delivers Data Protection and Management for the cloud era. Druva Cloud Platform is built on AWS and offered as-a-Service; customers drive down costs by up to 50 percent by freeing themselves from the burden of unnecessary hardware, capacity planning, and software management. Druva is trusted worldwide by over 4,000 companies at the forefront of embracing the cloud. Druva is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and is funded by Sequoia Capital, Viking Global Investors, Tenaya Capital, Riverwood Capital and Nexus Partners. Visit Druva and follow us @druvainc . About LEWIS LEWIS is a global marketing consultancy built to help and inspire brands to grow. It provides a full spectrum of marketing, communications and digital services to deliver tangible business impact for clients. The company has over 500 staff across 24 offices throughout Asia, Europe and North America. SOURCE LEWIS Related Links https://www.teamlewis.com Lucknow, July 20 : Those with mild symptoms of COVID-19 can now spend their isolation period in hotels across Uttar Pradesh. The Yogi Adityanath government has decided not to allow home isolation for any Covid-19 positive patient in an attempt to break the chain of infection since cases are touching a new high with each passing day. The scheme, initially announced for Lucknow and Ghaziabad, has now been extended to all 75 districts of the state. A senior health department official said, "This will take the load off the hospitals that need beds for serious cases and will also give an option to those who do not want to stay in government facilities." The government has asked the chief medical officers (CMOs) of all the districts to tie up with hotels. The cost has also been fixed. For a single room, the charges will be Rs 1,500 per day. Room with a double occupancy facility will cost Rs 2,000 a day. Apart from the room rent, a one-time amount of Rs 2,000 for the medical facilities will also be charged by the health department. In the order, a senior Uttar Pradesh government official admitted that people were deliberately hiding their symptoms to escape government Covid-19 centres. "The home isolation facility for Covid-19 positive patients is not allowed in the state. It has come to the notice of the government that many people are trying to hide the disease to avoid getting admitted to Covid-19 care centres for the lack of appropriate facilities. In view of this, a Level one facility is being introduced in Uttar Pradesh for those who are ready to pay for better facilities and have no or mild symptoms," said the order issued by Amit Mohan Prasad, additional chief secretary (health). "Only those patients who will be declared asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic by the chief medical officer will be referred to the hotel isolation facility," said Prasad. Among the single rooms, 25 per cent will be reserved for women, children and for those who are between the age of 50 and 65 years. Pregnant women, the elderly, above 65 years of age, and those with comorbidities will not be admitted there. "Two nursing staff and one pharmacist will be present in the hotels round the clock. They will change every eight hours. Six oxygen cylinders will also be kept for any emergency," Prasad said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Delhi seems to have hit the Covid-19 peak with the number of daily cases declining significantly, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said on Monday, but cautioned against any lowering of guard. He also said cases are increasing in certain states and they will reach a peak later, but there is not much evidence of community transmission of Covid-19 at the national level. "However, there are hotspots even in cities where there is a spike of cases, and it is likely that local transmission is happening in those areas that is why containment zones need aggressive action," he ... Americans who were laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus shutdown now have more time to decide if they want to stay covered by their former employers' insurance. Under a federal law known as COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation), people who lose their jobs have two months to determine whether or not to keep the health insurance they were receiving from work. The new rule, however, extends the time period and gives someone 120 days - or four months - to decide if they want to receive coverage through COBRA. This timeline begins 60 days after the COVID-19 national emergency is declared to be over and an additional 60 days thereafter. With a new rule change to the law COBRA, former workers will have 120 days starting from whenever the coronavirus national emergency in the US is declared over to choose to keep employes' insurance or not. Pictured: Vickie Gregorio with the Heartland Workforce Solutions talks to a jobseeker outside the workforce office in Omaha, Nebraska, July 15 For example, if someone is laid off on July 1 and the national emergency ends on September 1, that person has 120 days to decide if they want to keep their insurance. The first 60 days would give that person until October 31, and then would give them 60 more days to make an ultimate decision by December 31. This allows people out of work to save money by putting off buying health insurance without losing the option to sign up for COBRA altogether in the time frame or paying fines for not having insurance under the Affordable Care Act. However, there are limitations to the law that some experts say don't make the change all that useful. Only Americans who were laid off or furloughed from companies with 20 or more employees and had coverage before they lost their jobs qualify. Those who worked for companies with fewer than 19 employees, are self-employed or didn't have insurance beforehand do not meet the requirements. Additionally, if someone chooses COBRA, they have to pay 102 percent of the premium - their share, their former employer's share, and a two percent administrative fee. For most who are out of work, it's a high cost that is not feasible. In 2017, during which 11.5 million people were unemployed, approximately 130,000 signed up for COBRA, just more than one percent, a report found. 'For ideological reasons, this administration can't do anything to expand on the Affordable Care Act's safety net,' Dr Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, told Kaiser Health News. 'So they're using these other vehicles. But it's really a fig leaf. It doesn't do much to actually help people.' However, there are some benefits to choosing COBRA. A study earlier this month from the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute found that those covered under COBRA use 300 percent more health services than people currently employed. Researchers found that full-time employees used an average of $6,724 in health care services in 2018 but COBRA beneficiaries used an average of $18,752. This means that high-costs won't be entirely paid for out of pocket by someone uninsured. Additionally, people who are covered don't have to pay a new deductible or find new physicians and hospitals covered by their provider. Whats not to love about batik? The Southeast Asian textile art made by repeated motions of waxing and dyeing creates multicolored, elaborate, eye-catching pieces that are impossible to resist. FYI, your batik wardrobe doesnt have to include only traditional clothing, modern outfits like babydoll dresses, earrings, and even face masks come adorned in batik textile, thanks to the evolution of fashion, and the everlasting popularity of batik. Check out these six brands in Malaysia to fuel your modern batik obsession. Kanoe A model wearing a batik babydoll dress. Photo: Kanoe /Instagram Founded in 2016, local sustainable fashion brand Kanoe adds traditional flair to modern jumpsuits and babydoll dresses with intricate batik motifs sourced from textiles across the globe. Whether youre searching for flowy midi-dresses, casual playsuits, or off-shoulder babydoll dresses, the batik pieces listed on Kanes website are limited, so buyers will be sure to get their hands on a design thats one of a kind. Oh Dayang Collection of batik earrings by Oh Dayang. Photo: Oh Dayang /Instagram For lovers of all small and colorful things, Oh Dayang specializes in a unique collection of batik accessories that will add an exciting burst of color to anyones wardrobe. Browse their Instagram account for gorgeous stainless steel hoop earrings and vibrant necklaces with batik motifs to match your patterned blouses and skirts. Sridewi Batik Model wearing a batik pencil skirt. Photo: Sridewi Batik /Instagram A brand named after the Javanese goddess of the harvest, Sridewi Batik gives monochrome corporate fashion a vibrant batik update. Embroidered with batik motifs in various floral patterns stitched with gold thread, the pencil skirts and blazers stand out from your usual black, white, and navy power suits. Say goodbye to boring corporate clothes and hello to exciting batik Thursdays every day. Gerson Batik Man wearing a suit and a batik tie. Photo: Gerson Batik Men may look dapper in suits, but what about men who give their wardrobe a dash of color with a batik tie? Groundbreaking, as Meryl Streeps character in Devil Wears Prada would say. While Gerson Batik has made a name with batik wardrobe staples for the modern woman, theyve recently ventured into menswear just last month with an array of batik-patterned ties that will add some serious color to a mans everyday suit. Story continues Komuniti Tukang Jahit (Tailors Community of Malaysia) Malaysian royalty Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin wearing a batik mask. Photo: Komuniti Tukang Jahit We dont mean to be a downer, but while COVID-19 is on the loose, the one essential youll need to match your future all-batik wardrobe is a batik face mask. Social enterprise Komunity Tukang Jahit makes eye-catching, intricate, and reusable batik masks that are perfect for a day out while social distancing in style. According to their website, the community trains single moms, housewives, and disabled people from impoverished households to sew these masks and various other batik items, whilst providing them with a stable income. Support your local social enterprise when you purchase a face mask from the communitys Instagram page. Nyonya Kain Batik accessories from Nyonya Kain. Photo: Nyonya Kain /Instagram A batik vendor based in Kuala Lumpur, Nyonya Kains products are reminiscent of how the average Malaysian wardrobe could have looked in the past; vintage, classy, and elegant. Traditional batik fans will adore Nyonya Kains selection of gorgeous tote bags, pretty lanyards, and vibrant hair accessories adorned with batik prints. The brand also makes comfortable pario wraparound skirts, elegant baju Kedah, and lit kaftan sets. Other stories to check out: Iban man gives Barbie a Borneo makeover Malaysian doodle artist reimagines Disney characters in traditional attire From KL to the world: Here are the Malaysian fashion designers who have gone global This article, Malaysian brands to fuel your modern batik obsession, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! When the power tussle between Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and recently-sacked deputy Sachin Pilot had re-surfaced, the BTP earlier said it would remain neutral Day after Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot met Governor Kalraj Mishra, Congress sources on Sunday said a brief session of the state assembly may be on the cards sometime this week. "The government has all options open, including a brief assembly session," they said amid a political crisis following party leader Sachin Pilot's rebellion against Gehlot. Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Maken in a press conference said, "The decision on when and how the floor test will happen, it has to be taken by the chief minister and the government. It is the chief minister's discretion to move forward when required and if it is required." Gehlot's meeting with the Rajasthan governor on Saturday lasted for 45 minutes. A Raj Bhawan spokesperson, however, said the chief minister briefed the governor about the efforts being made to protect the state from the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, party sources said the chances of calling a brief Assembly session are there but nothing has been finalised yet. The party claims the Ashok Gehlot government has the numbers to prove majority in case there is a floor test. In the 200-member state assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs loyal to him, who have rebelled against Gehlot. Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi had earlier sent disqualification notices to the rebel MLAs after which they moved the state High Court. The next hearing in the matter will be held on Monday. The RLD, which has one MLA, is a Congress ally while, the ruling party has the support of 10 of 13 Independent MLAs. The Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) which has two MLAs, has officially announced its support to the Ashok Gehlot government on Saturday. The tribal leaders claimed that it was now in a position to punch way above its weight despite its miniscule presence in the Assembly. "We have two MLAs in a House of 200, yet we are in the position of kingmakers," party president Maheshbhai C Vasava said on Sunday. At a joint press conference with the Congress on Saturday, BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad Dindor made it clear that they are with the Congress government. When the power tussle between Gehlot and his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot had re-surfaced, the BTP earlier said it will remain neutral. Vasava said the party is now extending support to Gehlot after an assurance that its demands related to the development of tribal areas will be met. "We have fought against the Congress and the BJP on tribal issues but if the government now assures full support on the issues raised by us, why shouldn"t we support it? After all it is fulfilling the agenda of tribal welfare and development," he said. With inputs from agencies WATERLOO REGION Families want schoolchildren kept safe. They also want kids back in classrooms in September, to help children learn and to help parents go back to work. Parent advocates are getting an earful as school boards ponder return-to-school scenarios, after the spread of COVID-19 led the province to close schools in March. Im not hearing anyone whos not concerned, said Laurie Tremble, a Kitchener trustee with the Waterloo Region District School Board. The uncertainty is causing the anxiety Im sure for all of our parents and all of our students and staff, said Bill Conway, chair of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Local boards have been planning behind the scenes. They were to discuss return-to-school options in open meetings Monday, ahead of decisions the province is expected to make in August. Parent advocate Angelica Allen figures most parents want a return to full-time schooling. For many parents I would say that the risk of getting sick is less a concern to them than the loss of education they just want their kids to go back to school, said Allen, co-chair of the Waterloo Region Assembly of Public School Councils. Part-time classrooms would be difficult for mothers in particular, as many would have to choose between their jobs and their kids, Allen said. The problem with a part-time arrangement means you really still cant go back to work, she said. But some parents are nervous about their children getting sick and dont want to send them back to school, Allen said. Boards have been told to plan for three options: continued remote learning, normal in-class learning, or a hybrid model with students in school on alternating days or weeks and classes capped at 15 students. Conway said the key concern hes hearing from parents is to understand what will September look like so they can make their own plans. Tremble prefers to see children in school five days a week if such an option is deemed safe. But its unclear to her how the public school board can bear the extra costs if the province also limits classes to 15 students. She suspects this may make full-time schooling impossible. Tremble wants the board to communicate more with parents. Both boards have surveyed parents but have released few details about return-to-school planning. Time is getting short, Tremble said. Catholic high schools are proposing that students attend a year divided into quadmesters, meaning a student will take two classes in each of four terms rather than four classes in each of two semesters. Public high schools are considering the quadmester model. The shared busing of schoolchildren is complicated in part because Catholic and public school boards have not been pursuing the same return-to-school plans. Kitchener public school trustee Mike Ramsay says the board needs to determine how many students want to return to school, so it can figure out where to teach them safely. An option might be to put classes in gymnasiums where children can maintain a physical distance, he said. We need to know the numbers and the clock is ticking on that, Ramsay said. 20.07.2020 LISTEN A police officer has been found dead with a gunshot wound at his residence at Abeka-Lapaz, Accra. The officer, Abdul Rashid, worked with the Police Headquarters Counter-Terrorism Directorate. The incident occurred on Sunday, July 19, 2020. Police say investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances leading to his death and who killed him. The pistol, which is believed to have been used in the shooting, is in police custody. A sister of the deceased, 21-year-old, Shakira Nasir, who resided with the deceased was present at the time of the incident. She is also in police custody, assisting with the investigation. citinewsroom BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Growing calls nationally to honor the late Rep. John Lewis by putting his name on the Alabama bridge where he and other voting rights demonstrators were beaten 55 years ago are being met with resistance in Selma, the majority Black city where Bloody Sunday occurred. Some say renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the Georgia congressman who died Friday would dishonor local activists who spent years advocating for civil rights before Lewis arrived in town in the 1960s. Others fear tourism would be hurt if the Pettus name which is known worldwide yet belonged to a white supremacist were gone. Although about 480,000 people have signed one online petition to rename the bridge for Lewis and leaders including Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina and Selma movie director Ava DuVernay are advocating for the idea, state officials say any decision would have to be approved by Alabamas Republican-controlled Legislature. State lawmakers are unlikely to act without the backing of area leaders, and right now theres no sign of widespread support. Rep. Prince Chestnut, whose state legislative district includes Selma, called Lewis a great and noble man but added that renaming the bridge for Lewis is not appropriate. There were many Selmians and Alabamians who were either on the bridge in March 1965, near the vicinity or precipitated the situation that changed this country for the better. John was not the only one, Chestnut said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. Mayor Darrio Melton called it insulting that the wishes of Selma residents havent been taken more into account during discussions about the bridge name dating back at least five years. And focusing on a name rather than ways to solve racial and economic inequality disrespects Lewis legacy, he said. Everybody is talking about changing the name of the bridge, but theyre not talking about investing in Selma, Melton said. To me its more about the system than it is the symbol. Michael Starr Hopkins, a Washington-based consultant who launched the fast-growing online petition, said hes beginning to contact Selma-area leaders. Starr said he didnt know how much money has been raised by a nonprofit he founded to support the renaming idea and likely wouldnt release a fundraising total if he did. We are in a moment. Are we going to fight each other or the system of oppression that has held Selma back? Hopkins said. Gov. Kay Ivey would work with lawmakers if a bill to rename the bridge reached her desk, and aide said, but that seems unlikely to happen. The Democratic leader in Alabamas Republican-controlled House, Rep. Anthony Daniels, said hed follow Chestnuts lead on the issue since the bridge is in Chestnuts district. The state senator representing Selma, Malika Sanders-Fortier, did not return emails seeking comment. She succeeded her father, former state Sen. Hank Sanders, who opposes renaming the bridge for Lewis and has publicly advocated calling it The Bridge to Freedom. Sanders sponsored a resolution that would have allowed the bridge to be renamed in 2015 when he was still in the Senate, but the measure died in the House. Dedicated in 1940 during the period of legalized segregation, the twin-arched bridge over the Alabama River was named for Pettus, who fought for the Confederacy and was a white supremacist and reputed Ku Klux Klan leader. At the time, Pettus was praised for his work after the Civil War to fight the emergence of Black political power. A quarter-century after the bridge opened, Lewis led some 600 voting rights marchers across the span until they were attacked by Alabama state troopers, who beat Lewis and others in a violent spectacle that came to be called Bloody Sunday. Even more people subsequently made the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march. Today, the hometown foot soldiers who marched with Lewis see the bridge as a symbol of freedom, and many relish the fact that the name of a one-time Confederate also is associated with civil rights for blacks. If anyone is honored anew, they say, it should be local activists. I just feel strongly that it should not be named John Lewis Bridge, Lynda Lowery, who was among the marchers, told The Associated Press in an interview last month. Chestnut said he hasnt spoken with a single local survivor of the attack who supports renaming the bridge for Lewis. It might be time to change the name of the bridge, Chestnut said, but hed favor calling it something like Bloody Sunday Bridge or Historic Selma Bridge rather than naming it for Lewis. District Attorney Michael Jackson said the wishes of Selma residents matter most but the national dialogue over renaming the bridge for Lewis should be taken into account. The name of that bridge is bigger than Selma," he said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor 19.07.2020 LISTEN There are times in life when we cannot afford to be neutral or to stand aloof. There are times when it is not golden to be silent. There are moments in history when we must take sides. There are issues in life that demand that we take a stand, a categorical stand against oppression, injustice, and tyranny. That time is now. That moment is here. And that issue is the arrest and persecution of Mubarak Bala. Bala's case has exposed the pretensions, hypocrisy, and inequities in the Nigerian police and justice system. It has demonstrated that in Nigeria, especially in northern Nigeria Islam trumps human and constitutional rights. Mr. Bala, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested on April 28 2020 in Kaduna. The police later transferred him to Kano where some Islamists petitioned that he made Facebook posts that insulted the prophet of Islam. Bala is not a Muslim. When he came out as an ex Muslim in 2014, the family consigned him to a mental hospital. Now as required by law, the police supposed to charge or release Bala within 48 hours but they did not. And they have not. Instead, they have held him incommunicado. It took several weeks for the police in Kano to admit that Bala was in their custody. Petitions were sent to the Force Headquarters in Abuja to have his case transferred to a neutral ground but the requests were ignored. It took weeks to discover that the police in Kano had approached a magistrate court with charges that included a cybercrime offense that a magistrate court has no jurisdiction to hear. Meanwhile, the police have yet to formally arraign Mubarak Bala or grant him access to a lawyer. Almost three months after his arrest! Meanwhile, the police continue to give the impression that they are processing Balas case following the law. They are not. Access to legal representation is a constitutional right. And it took weeks for the court to order that the police grant Mubarak access to a lawyer. It took a couple of weeks to get the court order signed and delivered to the Commissioner of Police in Kano. Now nobody knows how long it would take the police to obey the court order. That is if they would obey. The police are orchestrating this travesty of justice to appease the Islamic establishment in Kano. Some are saying that this legal charade would continue until the Islamists who brought the petition are satisfied that Mubarak Bala has adequately been punished. But the case of Mubarak has reached a stage where every Nigerian must speak out and take a stand, no matter the ethnic, religious, or irreligious background. At this point, it does not matter if one is from northern or southern Nigeria. It does not count if one is Nigerian or not, African or non-African. Balas case is a clear illustration of Islam-motivated contempt for humanity and justice masquerading as police/court processes. Look you need not be an atheist or a humanist to see through this jihadist scheme. I am an atheist but I have campaigned against accusations of blasphemy against Muslims. I have stood against blasphemy allegations against Christians. I have condemned the persecution and oppression of religious/non-religious minorities including Muslims. The saying: I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it should apply to the case of Mubarak Bala. I am not a Muslim and do not believe in Allah or Muhammad as a messenger, great or small. But I will defend to the death the rights of Muslims to declare and practice their faith even in situations and circumstances where such a declaration could be adjudged blasphemous. You need not agree with the Facebook comments that Bala allegedly made before demanding that the police in Kano end the ongoing legal charade. You need not be a humanist to urge the Islamic establishment that has taken Bala hostage while using the police as a front- to release Mubarak. You do not need to be a human rights activist to demand an end to the violation of Balas human and constitutional rights. So, are you one of those who are angry over the acts of injustice being meted out to Bala since his arrest? Are you among those disturbed by the pervasive Islamic tyranny in Kano? Are you worried about the bloodletting, persecution, and oppression of religious minorities in the region? Any you - a Muslim or a Christian, a Nigerian or non-Nigerian- concerned over the fate of Mubarak Bala and the persecution of atheists and islamic dissenters in the region? Now is the time to take a stand. Now is the time to make your position known. To stand with Mubarak Bala does not necessarily mean that one agrees with the comments that he allegedly made. To stand with Mubarak Bala does not make one an atheist or a blasphemer. To stand with Mubarak Bala means to stand against injustice and oppression; to stand for respect for the human rights of all. I stand with Mubarak Bala. What about you? Chairman and Members of the National Committee; Our 2016 Running Mate Ms. Brigitte Dzogbenuku; Members of the Advisory Committee; Members of the National Executive; Invited guests; Fellow Ghanaians; Friends from the Media; My fellow Progressives; Ladies and gentlemen, Good Morning. I consider this an honour and a privilege to address you on the occasion of our 6th National Convention under the theme Our Turn and Our Time to Take Over Power, from far away in New York in the United States of America, through the power of technology. This is the result of international travel bans arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Today will mark my last opportunity to speak to you as the National Chairman of our great Party - the Progressive Peoples Party the party many describe as Party Papa Paa, Per Papa Preko. During these past eight years, many have acknowledged my presence with the Party slogan Awake Yasor. I am profoundly grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to serve, to work with you to move the party from nowhere in 2012 to the enviable position as the 3rd largest Political Party in Ghana, and also reaffirming our 3rd position status in the 2016 general elections. The end of my remarkable tenure is here with us; but with Election 2020 some five months away, there is still plenty for the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) to crave for, as we prepare to go into the trenches once again to seek the mandate of the Ghanaian people to move the party from 3rd to 1st. As we do so, we entreat our supporters, and for that matter Ghanaians, to look forward to the same decent brand of a PPP campaign that is devoid of insults and deception. Ghana should look forward to seeing a more progressive campaign of decency and ideas. It has been eight progressive years like no other; and for the PPP. We have scored many milestones and records, although the ultimate aim of being in government has eluded us. While we reflect on the incredible period as a whole, let me take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the successes so far chalked by our political party. I say a big thank you to Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom whose vision gave birth to this great party; and Madam Eva Lokko who we celebrate posthumously as an icon, who brought her steely and disciplinary character to bear on the Party. The same goes to our immediate past Vice Presidential candidate, Madam Brigitte Dzogbenuku, you will forever be cherished by the Party. To Uncle Mike Eghan Senior and Chairman Ladi Nylander, I say a big Thank You for your unflinching unalloyed support and insights that have sustained our stewardship to the party. Again, to all of our progressive forces who defied the odds to lay the foundation of our great party in 2012 and still remain at the forefront of changing the character and content of Ghanaian politics, may the Almighty God give you the strength and tenacity to soldier on as you have done in the past. Indeed, its through your untiring efforts that today, most Ghanaians look into the future with a firm belief that there is an alternative to the politics of insults, character assassination and the pure terror that have been at the centre-stage of our political discourse since the inception of the 4th Republic. Its through your collective desire to change the face of Ghanaian politics that today we have many of the actors on the other side of the divide talking about Free Senior High School and other government intervention programmes. The borrowing of our ideas by other political parties proves we are influencing the national agenda and that the other political parties are beginning to appreciate the PPPs position that nothing is beyond human capability if we set out with a good mindset and a determination to achieve the set objective. As we continue with this rather long political journey, the PPP will still campaign on its 10 point agenda which we believe is the surest way to transform the direction of our country within a given four-year tenure of office. The investments we make today will be key to our victory in December. It begins with an agenda to have a clean environment which is the basis of our health policy; the use of the States Purchasing Power to support indigenous Ghanaian businesses; Free Compulsory Continuous Quality Education from Kindergarten to the Senior High School level; and a Politics of Inclusiveness - that is to assemble the best, irrespective of their political affiliation, to form a government without necessarily looking at who takes the credit. After all, Ghana will be the winner in this arrangement, and we want to be the pioneers of such a novelty. Over the last 8-years of the NDC NPP Administrations, the PPP led a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations to present to Former President Mahama, a petition that advocated for the direct election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives believing that when members of the Assemblies and Chief Executives were all directly elected, local government in the true sense, will become answerable and accountable to the people that elected them. We remain confident that our proposed direct election model or system will not only end the disastrous Winner-Takes-All phenomenon enshrined in our 1992 Republican Constitution but represent the most efficient way to ensure rapid development and progress at the local level. The PPP sought to compel the government to enforce the free aspect of the Constitutional provisions on Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE). We were disappointed when the Supreme Court dismissed our writ and failed to support our initiative to pull children of school going age from loitering about during school hours, thus contributing to Ghana remaining at the bottom of global school rankings, and being unable to expand our Human Development Index (HDI) due to the high unskilled labour. When the startling revelations of corruption at GYEEDA and SADA frightened Guinea Fowls to disappear, the PPP negotiated with the Ghana Police Force on a peaceful public demonstration against corruption in government. We clearly and truthfully spoke against the current administration when it came into government with a hundred Ministers and Deputies. The oppressors rule of Creating, Looting, and Sharing in government should be fearlessly resisted with all our will and might to avoid the association of corruption with Ghanas young Democracy. The PPP met with the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) Chaired by Prof EVO Dankwa and submitted recommendations to make the 1992 Constitution beneficial to Ghanaians. Unfortunately, all the investments in time and effort, by both the CRC and CRIC, appear heading to the heap of financial loss to the state. We have consistently argued for a National Identification Database, under both the NDC NPP administrations to be the answer to the elimination of double, minor, alien voter registrations, and for the database to be shared by state and private organizations. What we have rather witnessed is successive administrations starting their own systems with complete disregard to what a previous regime has done. Undoubtedly, the people of Ghana suffer and the national economy takes a backward step every time that happens. Under the theme: More Freedom & Fairness: The Pursuit of Growing Africas Economy, the PPP hosted the 14th General Assembly of the Largest Political Affiliation of Liberals in Africa - the Africa Liberal Network (ALN), and the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) from across the Globe. The General Assembly passed resolutions on Climate Change and adopted the Accra Declaration on Liberal Economies, clearly stating that Africa was sick and tired of being poor begging for foreign aid, and selling our resources outside the continent ostensibly to fight underdevelopment, poverty, and inequality. We campaigned in 2016 on a platform of jobs, jobs, jobs. We were led by our Presidential Candidate, Edwumawura, who is known nationally for creating thousands of jobs in every region of the country and whose enterprise supported the development of many, many small and medium scale companies. Unfortunately, politics of envy and destruction has been used to manufacture a crisis that has caused unemployment and hardship for thousands of families. We will campaign this year for the restoration of indigenous businesses who have suffered under an administration that lacks compassion. So looking back at what we have achieved within the relatively short period of our existence, let all of us celebrate today with pride and honour as we hand over to a new administration that will steer the affairs of our great party for the next four years. Lets savour this occasion because its a day that marks us as a distinctive political entity that is guided by discipline and the willingness to serve Ghanaians with true humility. We are a party that agrees to disagree because we believe politics is an avenue to trade ideas without resorting to fighting and throwing stones or hurling insults at each other as NPP and NDC have been doing over the years. In the course of deliberations, we sometimes disagreed strongly on certain issues and principles, yet we found an amicable way of arriving at a consensus. That is the level of maturity, civility, sanity and thoughtfulness that the PPP has brought into our political character. Weve shown such rare traits in our body-politic because we have always been bold to defend the cause of freedom and of right, guided by the desire to offer to the good people of this country, a brand of politics that has been lacking in our political discourse since the inception of the 4th Republic. The people tell their governments what to do and PPP has become the voice of the people - disenfranchised citizens - crying for social justice. Covid-19 has brought to the fore the plight of many Ghanaians. The lack of basic drinking water and sanitation services drives home the point that contact transmission could easily accelerate the spread of the virus in our risk-sensitive environment. It is no secret that many Ghanaians are forced to respond to natures call in the bushes and on the beaches; and many have to compete with the goats and cows in the streams and rivers for bathing and drinking water or die from dehydration. Therefore, let us remind the disenfranchised citizens of Ghana that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right so they should not waste their ballot votes on the NPP/NDC parties that have been unwilling or unable to guarantee them these basic rights. To succeed with this noble agenda, we must have our names in the new voters register. I wish therefore to encourage every qualified Ghanaian to observe the COVID-19 protocols and participate in the process of registration to enable us to vote, and vote wisely for the PPP on December 7, 2020. I am grateful, as I conclude, to be able to turn over the reins of leadership to the new National Chairman. I believe that our in-coming administration will continue to strengthen the PPP and the ideals it stands for. I wish the new administration the very best as they lead us to seek Prosperity-In-Peace, assured that PPPs best days lie ahead. Let us remain Awake to enjoy Prosperity-In-Peace. Ghanaman Yennhwe ma onsei. Per Papa Preko. Party Papa Paa God bless the PPP and our homeland Ghana! PPP YASOR. Thank you. Coronavirus cases continued to rise throughout the country as President Trump attempted to reassure Americans that the outbreak would be brought under control. Florida reported over 12,000 new cases on Sunday, the fifth straight day in which the state saw over 10,000 daily new cases. Various areas of California including Los Angeles and San Francisco have reimposed business closures after a partial reopening, and new cases throughout the state have risen to almost 10,000 per day. Meanwhile, Texas reported 7,300 new cases on Sunday, the first day in almost a week below 10,000. We have embers and we do have flames, Trump said of the ongoing outbreaks in an interview on Fox News. Florida became more flame-like, but itsits going to be under control. Trump added, Many of those cases are young people that would heal in a day. They have the sniffles and we put it down as a test. The president also criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a bit of an alarmist on the coronavirus pandemic. While Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Robert Redfield warned last week that the upcoming flu season would be one of the most difficult periods in history for American public health, Trump remained skeptical, saying I dont know and I dont think he knows. Fourteen states in the south and west are reporting record numbers of coronavirus hospitalizations, from North Carolina to Texas. Some states including Alabama have instituted face mask requirements for residents in an attempt to stem the outbreak. More from National Review Joshua Wong, one of the leaders of Hong Kongs 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement, is officially running for a seat in the citys legislature, despite the new national security law imposed by Beijing. Wong filed his candidacy papers Monday to run in the September legislative elections. He was one of several young activists and so-called localist candidates who won a majority of races in unofficial primaries staged more than a week ago by Hong Kongs pro-democracy parties, despite warnings from both Hong Kong and China that the vote might run afoul of the new national security law. Pro-democracy forces are aiming to win a parliamentary majority that could block the passage of the budget and other key legislation, and thereby force the resignation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Holding up his application for candidacy, Wong said that even with the possibility of being extradited to China and imprisoned, I still hope to run for office and receive peoples mandate, and let the world know that we will continue our fight until our last breath. Under the new law, anyone in Hong Kong believed to be carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power, or collusion with foreign forces could be tried and face life in prison if convicted. Chinese state media have repeatedly accused Wong and other prominent pro-democracy figures of collusion with foreign powers for their engagements with the U.S. and other foreign governments. The 23-year-old Wong was one of the leaders of the massive demonstrations that shut down much of Hong Kong in an unsuccessful attempt to win full democracy for the self-autonomous city. The new national security law was a response to the massive and often violent pro-democracy demonstrations that engulfed the financial hub in the last half of 2019. Western governments and human rights advocates say the measure effectively ends the autonomy guaranteed under the pact that switched control of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997. Jenkintown Road closed from Monday through May BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Since 1993, US Agency for International Development (USAID) has partnered with the people and government of Uzbekistan to diversify the countrys economy, increase regional trade, address serious health threats, improve learning opportunities for students, and build the governments capacity to respond to the populations needs, Information Officer of US Embassy in Tashkent Susannah Wood told Trend in an interview. "For example, based on a USAID-piloted electronic-court case management system, E-SUD, in 2018, the government of Uzbekistan expanded this system from the eight pilot civil courts to all 89 civil courts in the country, making court proceedings more transparent and significantly reducing the time needed to file court cases and publish decisions," Wood noted. The information officer stressed that this system has been especially useful during the pandemic enabling court personnel to continue working from the safety of their homes. "In 2019, USAID leveraged over $10 million in private sector investment in the establishment of new orchards, installation of water saving technologies, increase in cold chain capacity countrywide, and upgrades in product packaging, marketing, and branding to meet international standards," she said. According to Wood, last year, the Uzbekistan's Ministry of Public Education and the US Government, through USAID, signed the first ever Development Objective Agreement (DOAG) that will provide $50 million to improve learning outcomes for Uzbekistans students, including expanding use of internet technologies in the classroom and improving the English capacity of the students. She added, that today, USAID and Uzbekistan are cooperating closely in the global fight against COVID-19. The US government has supported the Government of Uzbekistans efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing life-saving equipment, laboratory and medical supplies, and technical assistance. According to Wood, as of July 10, 2020, the US governments funding assistance to Uzbekistan to combat COVID-19 is approximately $6 million. USAID has also provided $2 million in regional COVID-19 supplementary funds to expand the Safe Migration activity for the Central Asia region. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 situation have increased the vulnerability of millions of migrant laborers in Central Asia. The loss of jobs and remittances has left families without adequate resources and legal protections," stated the information officer. "Through the Safe Migration in Central Asia activity, USAID will deliver much-needed assistance including informational resources; referrals to essential services; alternative livelihoods support; and skills training to help migrants navigate the difficult situation they are facing, she noted The USAID mission in Uzbekistan will incorporate programs that will to help address the impacts of COVID-19 on a range of development areas, including employment, Government revenues, return of migrants, food security, and human trafficking, Wood said. The US Agency for International Development is an independent agency of the US Federal Government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini The Japanese government wants to reduce economic dependence on Beijing. Around 536 million euros will go to 57 companies moving back to Japan. Another 30 Japanese companies operating in China will receive funds to invest in Southeast Asia. The US is working on a similar measure. Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Japanese government has allocated the first funds to reduce its manufacturing dependence on China. Over the weekend, the Ministry of Economy announced that 57 national companies present in China, including the manufacturer of protective masks Iris Ohyama and Sharp, will receive over 57 billion yen (468 million euros) to bring production back to their homeland. A further 30 Japanese companies operating in China will benefit from funds of an unspecified amount to move their activities to Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. In total, Japan will pay out 1.9 billion dollars to help its businesses leave China. The measure is part of the massive 864 billion euro financial stimulus that the Japanese government announced on April 7 to combat the recessive effects of the coronavirus pandemic. A part of this sum (192 million dollars) is intended to incentivize Japanese companies to close their factories in China and to reopen them in other countries, especially in the Asean States (Association of Southeast Asian Countries). Japanese companies are massively dependent on importing components made in China, from where Covid-19 virus spread. The Chinese economy is an essential element of the global supply chain which ground to a halt between January and May as a result of the production blockade imposed by Beijing to curb the spread of Covid-19. After Taiwan last year, Japan is the only country to have adopted a policy to attract investments back from China. The United States is working on a similar measure, with some sectors of the Trump administration and Congress pushing a real "decoupling" (separation) from the Asian giant. Protesters marked their anger by displaying anti-China banners and sloganeering in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington Washington: A group of Indian-Americans from in and around the US national capital has held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, protesting against China's aggression along the Line of Actual Control. Displaying anti-China banners and shouting slogans like China Communist: Down Down, the protesters on Sunday said that the Chinese virus has killed lakhs of people across the world and has brought the global economy to a standstill. Community activist Manoj Sreenilayam said: We condemn the unprovoked Chinese aggression, landgrab and killing of Indians on Indian territory in Ladakh, while the world is distracted with the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past several decades, China has been bullying India and other smaller nations, said another activist Mahindra Sapa. "In the South China Sea, China has been illegally capturing land and islands of smaller nations. It has killed 20 Indian soldiers. We are here to raise awareness and urge the world to do horizontal escalation and economically decouple from China," Sapa said. The peaceful protest represented a cross-section of the Indian-American cultural and social organisations from Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Prominent among them being Kerala association of Greater Washington, Durga Temple friends, Tamil cultural groups and Indian cultural Associations of Howard County, National Council of Asian Indian Associations and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America. Recently formed New York-based Oppose Chinese Imperialism (OCI) Group 23 also sent its representatives to participate in the protest. "We are here to protest against the Chinese aggression on the Indian land and territories of the neighbouring countries," said Sanjay Patel. In recent weeks, Indian-Americans in major US cities have held peaceful protests against China. The first of those was held in Chicago by eminent Indian-American Dr Bharat Barai at New York's Times Square where members of the Tibetan community also demonstrated against China. Another group led by Prem Bhandari in New York recently formed OCI Group 23 to mobilise people in the 23 countries with whom China has territorial disputes. The group last week held a webinar on the Chinese imperialism addressed by India's former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale and former Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman D R Mehta. Every night when we go to bed, we think of the possibility that we might be taken in the morning, said Bilgen, who is mayor of Kars, in eastern Turkey. We all carry the concern that it might happen at any moment. But we have not received any signal that it will happen. This is very risky situation for a state of law. July 19 marked the completion of 51 years since the Indira Gandhi government had announced the first round of bank nationalisation of 14 banks in 1969. Gandhis announcement followed a formal ordinance and within hours after Morarji Desai exited the Union government. The nationalisation of these institutions was epochal enough for The Times of India on July 20, 1969 to splash it as the second biggest event of the previous day on its front page. The other was Apollo entering Lunar orbit preparing for first-ever human landing on the moon. The first list rounded up all the big names Central Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank, Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, UCO Bank and Bank of India. This was followed with a second round of nationalisation in 1980 when six more banksAndhra Bank, Corporation Bank, New Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab and Sindh Bank and Vijaya Bank were nationalised. Private banks had to wait long for permits. The first lot came in 1993-94, when licences were given to Global Trust Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, Axis Bank Ltd, Bank of Punjab, IndusInd Bank Ltd, Centurion Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank Ltd, Times Bank and Development Credit Bank Ltd. More licences were given to commercial banks in 2003-04 when Yes Bank and Kotak Mahindra were permitted to launch operations. In April, 2014, RBI gave license to Bandhan Bank and IDFC. In the meantime, a new set of lenderspayments banks and small finance banks were also born. Let's take stock Bank nationalisation took root and altered the banking industry landscape, but government banks continued to dominate private competitors. Even today, half a century after the bank nationalisation, around 60 percent of the banking assets are controlled by government banks. Sure, they are fewer in number (12) following a series of mergers but they lord over Indian banking. Does that mean the 1969 experiment didnt work? There is no straight answer to this question. Nationalistation indeed helped expand banking services to far-flung areas of the country and played a key role in freeing the gullible borrowers from the clutches of moneylenders. Over 80 percent of Indians now have access to banking services. These banks also played a key role in pushing credit to major infrastructure projects and economically weaker sections such as the farm sector. These are segments where private banks are traditionally reluctant to engage with. Bank nationalisation has certainly helped to expand banking to the underbanked and unbanked. However, these banks continued to be a major headache for the government in terms of capital dependency and NPA (non-performing assets) problems. To use a now popular term, state-run banks never became atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in true sense. They continue to be at the mercy of the governmentthe majority stakeholder in these banksfor survival capital. Even decades after their birth, government banks havent succeeded to come out of this begging bowl syndromethe practice of approaching the government for survival capital every year. Investors arent very keen to put money on the table for PSBs except for a few big ones like State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. High bad loans and politically vulnerability repel investors. Much of the time is spent on implementing government schemes rather than focusing on business. This year, things are even worse. In February, 2020 union budget, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman didnt allocate any fresh money to PSBs. The minister said the government has already infused Rs 3.5 lakh crore in these banks over the last few years. But] the capital requirement is much bigger than PSBs on account of huge bad loans and COVID-19 onslaught. According to global rating agency, Fitch, Indian banks will require at least Rs 1.13 lakh crore fresh capital in moderate stress scenario which could jump to Rs 4.3 lakh crore in high stress scenario. NPAs/ loan write-offs PSBs have executed massive loan writeoffs over the years exposing the weakness in their credit/recovery operations. Together, these banks have written off Rs 7 lakh crore loans since 2001, according to data compiled by All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA). Loan write-offs happen when banks fail recover a loan amount through normal course of action. In reality, very little money is actually recovered. How did PSBs end up writing off such a huge amount? There are three main reasons that are often citedexcessive government control in the running of these banks, careless lending and lack of accountability. It is no secret that state-run banks act as vehicles of the governments populist schemes and take orders from the political bosses (often in the form of informal missives) on where to lend and whom to lend. Partly this is one big reason that has contributed to the big build-up of bad loans. This practice was more prevalent during the UPA-years and continues in the NDA regime. When PSBs are forced to take business decisions and spend more time in promoting government schemes, the effect shows on asset quality. The promise of plum post-retirement jobs prompts bank chiefs toe the government line. Second is the accountability part. Every outgoing bank chairman passes on the burden of provisions to the new person to show a clean book and impress the government. The bad loan clean-up launched by Raghuram Rajan in 2015 exposed a hidden massive problem in PSBs. NPAs shot up to over Rs 9 lakh crore from Rs 2-3 lakh crore in less than five years. Only recently have PSBs started to focus on quality of the book, instead of quantity. The inherent public sector character and the comfort of government backing led to complacency. The COVID-19 test COVID-19 is the biggest test Indias PSBs are facing ever since bank nationalization. Of the total industry Gross NPAs of Rs 9.4 lakh crore, more than 80-85 percent is on the books of government banks. This chunk of doubtful loans could skyrocket post the moratorium period when repayments begin. Analysts expect around 5 percent of the moratorium loans (estimated around Rs 8 lakhs in PSBs) to come under stress due to the COVID-19 scenario. The prolonged slowdown in the economy has impacted the repayment ability of a large section of borrowers. This also means that PSBs will require substantial amounts of fresh capital. How many of them will be able to raise money on their own? What if a fiscally constrained government fails to support PSBs? Govt has no businesses to be in business? A moot question here is what the future holds for the remaining PSBs. There are two ways ahead. First, these banks need to be strengthened through meaningful governance reforms, total operational autonomy and capital support. Officials in PSBs are no less competent than their private sector counterparts but government interference often creates impediments. The other option is to let go of government control and privatise these banks. One of the big promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he came to power in 2014 was to free PSUs from government control. Government has no business to be in business, Modi said Except for the mergers within the state ban group, LIC-IDBI Bank deal and the consolidation of 10 state-run banks into four (effective April 1 this year), there is no progress on the promise of privatisation. It isnt an exaggeration to note that PSBs still operate as extended arms of the finance ministry and are more focused on pleasing the political bosses than building a quality book. NationalisationIndiras drama? In November, 2017, PM Modi said Indira Gandhis bank nationalisation programme in 1969 was a drama played by the then Congress government to "cover up" the sacking of Morarji Desai. The claim that nationalisation was done to serve the poor wasnt fulfilled ultimately, Modi was quoted as saying. It is an irony that the same PSBs played a crucial role in implementing Modi governments economic agenda. Whether the government should keep PSBs alive on life support or exit from the ownership of these banks is the critical question at this stage. In 2014, the RBI-appointed P J Nayak panel submitted its report recommending privatisation of PSBs taking into account the low productivity and steep erosion in asset quality and for having demonstrated uncompetitiveness of public sector banks over varying time periods. If the Modi government still believes that bank nationalisation was Gandhis political drama, it has strong reasons to undo it. New York (United Nations), 19 July 2020 (SPS) South Africa warned the UN Security Council about the increasing violations of human rights in occupied Palestine and Western Sahara, in particular the hostilities permanently committed against women. "Conflict situations like in Palestine and Western Sahara, where human rights violations are widespread and where women are affected by hostilities, must not escape our scrutiny," said the South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, during a public debate, held Friday by videoconference at the UN Security Council, on "women, peace and security: sexual violence in conflicts." The South African foreign minister argued that "this will ensure that there is no selectivity or bias in reporting and will maintain the objective credibility of the UN processes." As Member States, the South African Minister said, we must mitigate some of the serious negative impacts of sexual violence such as stigma, discrimination, rejection and social exclusion". "The execution of these activities requires sustainable and predictable funding. Therefore, there should be consistent funding for programs aimed at combating wartime sexual and gender-based violence, including protection of health, easy access to services for victims and survivors of sexual violence such as clinical rape treatment, medical, psychosocial and legal services as well as assistance for the reintegration of victims and survivors, she added. (SPS) 062/SPS/700 Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy A Jersey City man has been charged with calling in a bomb threat to the Hoboken University Medical Center Sunday after police tracked the call to a pay phone six blocks away, authorities said. Eliezer Ocasio, 39, wasnt hard to find, either. After Hoboken police identified him as the caller, Jersey City police picked him up on an unrelated incident, Hoboken Lt. Danilo Cabrera said. Ocasio was charged with making terroristic threats and two counts of false public alarm after Hoboken police, Jersey City police bomb squad/K9, Hudson County Sheriffs bomb squad/K9, Hoboken OEM Sgt. William Montanez and the Hoboken Fire Department responded to the CarePoint Health hospital on Willow Avenue. Police said the threat came from a phone at 400 Newark St. The investigation conducted by Detectives Bret Globke and David DiMartino led to Ocasio, who was just being arrested in Jersey City. Ocasios charges in Jersey City were not immediately available. BEIJING - Chinas latest coronavirus outbreak has spread to a second city in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. One of the 17 new cases reported on Monday was in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, the regional government said on its official microblog. The remainder were in the regional capital of Urumqi, where all other cases have been reported since the outbreak that has now infected at least 47 people emerged earlier this month. Authorities in Urumqi have tried to prevent the spread by closing off communities and imposing travel restrictions. Xinjiang is a vast, thinly populated region of mountains and deserts and had seen little impact from the pandemic that emerged from the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and was largely contained within China in March. Another five new cases reported Monday by the National Health Commission were imported. China also said 5,370 people had been arrested for pandemic-related crimes between January and June. More than 40% were charged with fraud, the state prosecutors office announced on its official microblog. Another 15% were charged with obstruction of law enforcement, with others accused of producing and selling fake and shoddy goods, creating public disturbances, and transporting and selling endangered species. China has strengthened protection for wild animals following the emergence of the virus, which may have originated in bats before jumping to humans via an intermediary species such as the anteater-like pangolin. No specific figures were given for those accused of violating quarantine rules and travel restrictions, although there have been relatively few such cases reported in official media. Although faulted for allowing the virus to spread from Wuhan, Chinas government has been credited with imposing rigid and sometimes draconian measures to contain the outbreak, and people have overwhelmingly complied with orders to wear masks, display certificates of good health and maintain social distancing. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: A record surge of 40,425 reported cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours took Indias total to 1,118,043. The Health Ministry on Monday also reported another 681 deaths, taking total fatalities to 27,497. India has the third most cases and eighth most deaths in the world. A country of 1.4 billion people, India has been conducting nearly 10,000 tests per million population. More than 300,000 samples are being tested daily, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, Indias top medical research body. With Indias national lockdown largely lifted, local governments have been ordering focused lockdowns on high-risk areas where new outbreaks are surging. Australias hard-hit Victoria state reported 275 more COVID-19 cases on Monday, a third daily figure that was below last Fridays peak. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the impact of the lockdown on Australias second-largest city Melbourne should become apparent Wednesday, which is two weeks after the six-week shutdown began. It is a wicked enemy, it is unstable and until we bring some stability to this, I dont think well be able to talk about a trend, Andrews said. Victoria had conducted more than 1.3 million coronavirus tests among a population of 6.5 million, which represented one of the highest testing rates in the world, he said. South Korea has reported its smallest daily jump in local COVID-19 transmissions in two months as health authorities express cautious optimism that the outbreak is being brought under control. South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday still reported 26 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 22 that were tied to international arrivals. Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said the four local cases were the first below 10 since May 19. He continued to plead for vigilance, encouraging people to avoid crowded places or even stay at home during the summer holiday period. Hong Kong reported 73 new coronavirus infections on Monday, 66 of which were locally transmitted, as the city grapples with a new outbreak. Of the locally transmitted infections, 27 were from unknown sources while the remaining 39 were linked to previously known clusters. Among the new patients was a doctor who visited an elderly care home. Hong Kongs health officials said tighter anti-virus measures may be required if the trend does not come down over the next few days. Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,958 coronavirus infections, with 12 deaths. The giant multinational Tata Steel has dusted out its long-standing reorganisation plans, exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to eliminate an estimated 1,250 to 3,000 jobs at Tata Steel Europes Dutch and British facilities. This comes down to 1,000 job cuts from the current 9,000 workforce at the former Hoogovens steel plant, affiliated to Tata Steel Europe since 2007. For the first time in almost three decades, Dutch steelworkers staged a strike at the steel factory in Ijmuiden, just west of Amsterdam, in defence of jobs and to secure future investments in the plant. Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV) official Roel Berghuis told reporters from state funded news outlet NOS: For the first time in 28 years a strike took place, in a crucial department of the company. Despite its bogus claims that it aims to secure jobs, Prime Minister Mark Ruttes government has been deeply exposed by its criminal handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its indifference to the mounting social crisis in the Netherlands and across Europe. Unemployment rates have surged since April and May. However, more mass layoffs are expected to follow; they are being negotiated by and executed with the complicity of the Dutch trade unions (see: Dutch government exposed by disastrous handling of COVID-19 pandemic). Since March this year, 201,000 workers lost their jobs, bringing the official unemployment count to 330,000. As not every unemployed worker is counted in the statistics, the real number is kept obscure. In 2019, the Dutch Foodbank served food packages to 151,000 people. Currently, more than half a million Dutch households live in poverty, and half a million are on the brink of falling into poverty. On the other hand, more than 200,000 Dutch are millionaires. Moreover, according to the Oxfam report, Time to Care, from January 2020, the Netherlands, as a tax haven, helps perpetuate extreme poverty not only at home, but also worldwide. The Dutch trade unions bargained a collective agreement with Tata while promoting a poisonous nationalist line among the workers, alluding to the history of the 100-year-old plant, calling for the defence of their own Dutch turf, and claiming profits from the Netherlands to keep Tata afloat. The steelworkers strikes that were attracting attention across the Netherlands and beyond, were quickly strangled by the FNV union bureaucracy. A deal with Tata Steel was made that postpones forced job cuts until 2025, although temporary contracts will not be renewed, and retiring workers not replaced. The FNV, the biggest Dutch trade union, has less than a million paying members after a historic dip in its membership in recent years. It currently represents 14 affiliated unions and concludes more than 800 collective agreements with the employers and government per year, affecting a total of 5.1 million workers. This is over half of the entire Dutch workforce of nearly 9 million. Scanty reports in the media claim that Tata had promised not to sell divisions of the plant or to outsource work to other plants. A Tata spokesperson told NOS: It has been a turbulent period. We have always understood the unrest and worries of employees and we are very pleased with this result. We can now look to the future together. Despite what emerges as a classic sellout of the strike, the trade unions, media and their affiliates seek to dupe the workers at the plant with a carrot-and-stick approach: the prospect of forced layoffs looming at the horizon. Both Tata Steel management and FNV agree on the necessity of increasing competitiveness on international markets in order to secure the plants profitability. This reflects the hackneyed arguments and orientation cemented and implemented by the Dutch trade unions since the infamous Wassenaar agreement was signed in 1982 that gave birth to the so-called Polder Model. It marked a watershed of redistribution of income and wealth from the bottom to the top of the income ladder. Thus this agreement constituted a fundamental change in social and wage policies. Henceforth, the improvement of social conditions was no longer the object of consensus politics, but rather budget cuts directed against workers, the unemployed, the sick and pensioners. These cuts were meticulously negotiated and worked out in detail by the governing parties and effectively orchestrated by the trade unions, primarily in an effort to contain working class discontent. This Dutch Model has since been praised internationally by governments, bourgeois economists and bankers, and many governments in Europe and across the world have taken it as an example. Trade unions are bound to the interests of the ruling financial oligarchy and impose social cutbacks and agreements to legitimise deteriorating working conditions on the working class. The prospect of mass layoffs also hangs over the heads of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) workers. The largest Dutch railway company seeks to cut 2,300 jobs in the coming years, stating the drastic drop in passengers using public transport during the pandemic as its excuse. Also, massive job cuts and worsening conditions are also planned to be underway in KLM, the Dutch wing of the Dutch-French airline Air France-KLM. KLM received a 1 billion loan from the government, and state guarantees for loans up to 2.4 billion. In return for this bailout, KLM has to reorganise. Many KLM employees have already been subjected to pay cuts up to 20 percent, and forced layoffs loom. Four decades of the bitter Dutch experience with the treacherous Polder Model has provided ample evidence that yet again, trade unions in country after country have systematically abandoned the base they once had in the working class. In the process of the globalisation of production they have transformed into a well-to-do layer of trusted and go-to henchmen working in the interests of the financial oligarchy and ruling elite in the Netherlands. The fight for decent and secure jobs that are humane, and above all, safe amid a fatal pandemic requires a conscious political break with the trade unions and advanced through building independent rank and file committees at the work place in a struggle for socialism and workers power. In the wake of GOI banning 59 popular Chinese Apps, Kantar, the worlds leading data, insights and consulting companys Web Audience Measurement (WAM) panel, released insights on the impact of this ban on consumers digital behaviour. The ban as we know, came into effect from June 29, 2020. Read Also: Facebook Audience Network and AppsFlyer Launch First-to-Market Campaign Summarizing the learnings, Akhil Almeida, Vice President (Insights), Kantar, said, Although consumers lost access to some of their favourite short-form video sharing apps, the bulk of consumers switched over to alternate platforms in an almost seamless manner. We saw that overall time-spent online was not as strongly impacted as one might have expected, given the size and scale of the affected platforms. Key Learnings No significant impact on Engagement The app-ban impacted platforms with a sizeable following. Given that users were spending hours every week across these platforms, one would have expected to see a dip in the overall time spent online once these platforms were no longer accessible. However, the avg. time-spent dropped only marginally (-6%), indicating that consumers were switching over to rival platforms much faster than anticipated. Big wins for rival platforms Instagram and Facebook saw an immediate increase in engagement. Avg. Time/Day on Instagram more than doubled (2.3X), and Facebook too saw a significant 35% jump in time-spent on the platform with the bulk of this additional engagement being driven by smaller town consumers. Among the youth audience aged below 24 yrs., Avg. Time/Day on Instagram grew by 35% Sharechat, Indias very own video sharing platform which focuses content around regional languages also witnessed a 2.5X increase in time spent. This has primarily been driven by the younger faction of internet audience (aged below 24 yrs.). They have more than tripled (3.4X) their Avg. Time/Day on Sharechat since the ban came into effect. YouTube is still KING The most impressive gain was seen on YouTube. Already the most popular digital video platform in the country, it saw a further 25% increase in time-spent! OTT also gets a boost Other players also enjoyed their fair share of rise in engagement levels. Hotstar, Indias leading Video OTT player saw their daily time spent grow by over 25%. Time spent in the video OTT space grew by 40% overall once the ban was imposed. Even as people are staying indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has attracted many people to the kitchen to try new recipes and also build up immunity through healthy food. Epigamia, the Greek yogurt brand, is one such company that is seeing these consumer trends impacting its company in a positive way. In this episode of Setting Sail, host Priyanka Sahay speaks to Rohan Mirchandani, co-founder and CEO of Epigamia, who talks about the growth patterns and challenges during the lockdown. He also shares his comment on a recent controversy regarding pollution caused by one of the Epigamia suppliers in a Maharashtrian village. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:39:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's communications regulator on Monday issued an alert over cyber attacks, saying between 10 and 15 organizations based in the country have reported cases of the malpractice. Following the reported cases of cyber attacks, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) urged information, communication and technology (ICT) experts to be vigilant over the attacks. "Cyber attacks are becoming a global threat," Connie Francis, TCRA's director of ICT Application and Services, told ICT officers attending a two-week capacity building training on improving and control of ICT systems for government and private institutions in the capital Dodoma. "The government is taking all steps necessary to deal with both local and international cybercrime attacks," Francis added. Francis declined to mention the organizations that have reported to have been attacked on security reasons but urged other public and private institutions to urgently report to relevant authorities cases of cyber attacks. She said through relevant agencies, including the Tanzania Computer Emergency Response Team (TZ-CERT), the government is prepared to respond to cases of cyber attacks both locally, regionally and internationally. Francis said TZ-CERT is a team responsible for ensuring high and effective network and information security within the east African nation, adding that it is also charged with developing a culture of network and information security for the benefit of communities. Enditem Mobiles WAVE Transit buses shut down without warning on Monday, and a union leader said driver concern about inadequate COVID-19 protection was the reason. There appears to have been no advance public notice of the shutdown. The Wave Transit System published a public service announcement mid-morning saying that In response to the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases and an abundance of caution The Wave Transit System will temporarily suspend bus service today, Monday, July 20, 2020 to allow the opportunity to deep clean and disinfect all buses. The statement went on to say that The Wave plays an important role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus while continuing to provide critical services to individuals that rely on public transit and protecting the health and safety of the Waves workforce and our customers is priority. All services will resume on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 and we apologize for any inconvenience. The shutdown coincides with action planned in some cities by the Amalgamated Transit Union. An announcement from the national leadership of Amalgamated Transit said the union was joining other organizations in a planned Strike for Black Lives on Monday. However, the national organization did not name Mobile as a city where action was planned, and a local union leader in Mobile said there was no connection. A global health pandemic, an economic depression, and continued structural and systemic racism have converged in a perfect storm, and the lives of working class people of color have never been more at risk. The ATU proudly stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who are Striking for Black Lives on July 20, said ATU International President John Costa in the national announcement. We must dismantle the racist policies that target our communities to ensure all workers are healthy, safe, and secure no matter their race, immigration status, gender, job, or where they live. The notice said that union members would join in select actions and rallies across the country on July 20, as thousands of workers stand down from work for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and other Black people killed by police. The cities listed in the announcement are Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Seattle and Washington, D.C. In Mobile, Antonie Maiben, head of Amalgamated Transit Local 770, said The Wave shutdown had nothing to do with that action. But he said that drivers had given leadership of the service an ultimatum on Monday morning. Theyre cleaning it because the union drivers stepped in and said they werent going to roll unless something was done, Maiben said. Repeated attempts to reach administrators at The Wave for comment were unsuccessful. Maiben said at least four drivers have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, and the company has not been notifying employees. Maiben said drivers are upset because the system hasnt made mask use mandatory for passengers. The service has posed recent notices that a Mobile city ordinance requires masks on passengers using transportation services, as does Gov. Kay Iveys recent statewide order requiring mask use in public. On June 1, the federal Department of Transportation announced that The Wave was getting an $8.8 million grant from the Coronavirus Aids, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The money was to fund maintenance and operations, as well as capital expenses and related to the epidemic. Maiben said that The Wave had provided some protective equipment to employees, but questioned whether enough of the money was being spent on safety improvements. Hsiao Bi-khim (L), Taiwans new representative to the U.S., and William Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, attend an inaugural ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 20, 2020. (Chen Po-chou/The Epoch Times) Taiwans New Representative to the US Assumes Post in Washington TAIPEI, TaiwanPresident Tsai Ing-wen presided over a swear-in ceremony on July 20 for several new Taiwanese officials and diplomats, among them the islands new de-facto ambassador to the United States. Hsiao Bi-khim, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and a senior advisor to the island governments National Security Council, was named by Tsai as Taiwans new representative to the United States last month, replacing the outgoing Stanley Kao who held the post since June 2016. The first woman to be named to the post, Hsiao said during a Monday inaugural ceremony that she sought to foster closer ties between Taiwan and the United States on multiple fronts, including economy, security, and medicine. The swear-in ceremony on Monday was attended by Vice President Willian Lai, Premier Su Tseng-chang, and Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan, according to a press release from the Presidents Office. I presided over swearing-in ceremonies for our new overseas representatives, including experienced diplomats & experts in international affairs. Theyll be posted abroad on the front lines of #Taiwan diplomacy, and have my best wishes & full support from all of us. pic.twitter.com/PbwiWudIKg Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) July 20, 2020 Aside from Hsiao, the islands new representatives to the UK, Thailand, Slovakia, Belgium, Sweden, and India were also sworn in. The United States, after severing official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in recognition of Beijing in 1979, has maintained a non-diplomatic relationship with the island based on the Taiwan Relations Act, under which the former has continually sold military weapons and equipment to Taiwanmuch to Beijings ire. The islands defense strategy is centered around Beijings military threats, as the Chinese regime views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland, despite the fact that the self-ruled island has its own military, currency, and democratically-elected officials. Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, during an online discussion hosted by the U.S. Foreign Press Association in early July, called on the Trump administration to exert pressure on Beijing by granting full diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, according to a report by the Taiwan-government-run Central News Agency. The U.S. de-facto embassy on the island, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), issued a press release welcoming Hsiao on July 16. During her tenure in the Legislative Yuan [Taiwans parliament], Ms. Hsiao worked successfully with her bipartisan colleagues and with AIT to make progress on many aspects of the U.S.-Taiwan partnership, including our security cooperation, economic and commercial ties, AIT said. We are confident that the U.S.-Taiwan friendship will continue to flourish during her tenure, the office concluded. After she was sworn in, Hsiao attended an inaugural ceremony for a new group of lawmakers joining a caucus that deals with U.S.-Taiwan policy at the 10th Legislative Yuan, the current session of Taiwans parliament until January 2024. The event was attended by AIT Director William Brent Christensen. Hsiao, speaking at the ceremony, said she will depart for Washington within a week to take up her new post. Calling the bilateral relationship as real friends, real progress, Christensen pointed to the overwhelming bipartisan support in the United States for the Taiwan Travel Act and the TAIPEI Act. The two bills have both been signed into law by President Donald Trump. Christensen concluded: On behalf of AIT, we look forward to partnering in this worthwhile endeavor to continue forging a shared future for the United States and Taiwan, and to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:02:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on other countries in accordance with its domestic laws, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Wang Wenbin made the remarks after High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Friday expressed his concerns over the increasing 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, adding the EU "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law." China has taken note of the EU's relevant statement, Wang told a press briefing, stressing that the U.S. side imposes unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" on other countries in accordance with domestic laws. "This has violated international laws and basic norms of international relations, damaged legitimate and lawful rights and interests of other countries, and gone against people's will," said the spokesperson. China supports all countries in the world to carry out normal international cooperation in accordance with prevailing international rules, Wang said. Enditem Veteran Congress leader also lashed out at Pilot over the timing of his rebellion and said when the entire country is fighting COVID-19 and China along the border standoff New Delhi: Taking a dig at Sachin Pilot over his rebellion in Rajasthan, veteran Congress leader Margaret Alva on Sunday asked why the former deputy chief minister was in such a "hurry" and whether he was "aspiring" to become the prime minister by 45 years of age by joining the BJP. The former Union Minister also lashed out at Pilot over the timing of his rebellion and said when the entire country is fighting COVID-19 and China in the wake of the border standoff, he is seeking an appointment as Rajasthan chief minister. Congress formed a majority government in Rajasthan and Sachin Pilot became his (Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot''s) deputy. He got four important portfolios also, as well as the post of PCC (state Congress unit) chief," Alva told PTI Bhasha in an interview. Pilot became an MP at 26, was a Union minister and later he became Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief followed by deputy chief minister, she said. Where did you want to reach in such a hurry? Whether you wanted to become the chief minister at 43 and prime minister at 45 by joining the BJP, the former Rajasthan governor asked of 42-year-old Pilot. Alva's remarks come amid the raging political firestorm in Rajasthan where Pilot declared open rebellion against the Gehlot government. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and state Congress chief last week. Though Pilot had asserted that he is not joining the BJP, the Congress has accused him of taking support from the saffron party in efforts to topple the Gehlot government. While criticising Pilot for his actions, Alva, however, pitched for giving voice to the young leadership in the party's decision-making process. She also said that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to form a new "young team" to instill "new approach and enthusiasm" in the grand old party. "About 50 percent of our total population is below the age of 25 years. Young voters have different aspirations and approach. What is the average age of so-called decision-makers in the CWC (Congress Working Committee)? Barring four or five, rest are between 75 to 85. They are never allowing Rahul ji to come forward," Alva said. The former Congress general secretary said this is not a "tussle" with state leadership. The young leadership in the party today feels "uncomfortable" as it wants to involved in the decision-making process, she said. "Allow Rahul Ji to build his young team in Delhi. Then, the party will have a new approach and new enthusiasm. We need to bring these people into the decision-making process. The younger generation is in discomfort. They think, how long they will keep clapping sitting outside," Alva said. Hailing Gandhis leadership as Congress chief, Alva said the party won elections in Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar but at a later stage, people''s mandate was upended by the BJP. "They are doing the same in Rajasthan. The BJP is not getting popular mandate except in a few states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam. They didn't get it in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. They were defeated in Bihar but what happened later we all know. People of this country are watching such kind of politics," she said. On Gandhi stepping down from the post of president after the Lok Sabha polls, she said no one was happy in the party when he resigned as Congress chief. "We all wanted him to continue. When he resigned, the party's rank and the file was not happy. It was not right of him to take all the blame on his own shoulder," Alva said. She said the leadership problem exists not only in Congress but also in regional parties. "Be it TDP or TRS or NCP under Sharad Pawar. No one is willing to vacate...see the CPM leadership in Kerala. What I mean to say is that there is a need in every party to relook at the leadership issue," Alva said. Alva, who is no longer in active politics, said if there are differences or any issues within the party, it should be addressed within party forums and senior leaders cannot leave every problem for interim party chief Sonia Gandhi to deal with. "There is a disciplinary committee, there is a working committee, there are general secretaries...what are they doing? What are these senior leaders doing? If you can't do it, leave. Give opportunity to the youth to come forward," she said. "There is a small group which has no mass base, but is taking decisions in every party," the veteran leader said. Asked whether it was the right time for the Congress to have a full-fledged president, Alva said no one was willing to take on the responsibility. "If someone wants, let him come forward...in fact, no one is willing to take this responsibility," she said. Alva said she had suggested in the past that Congress should appoint three vice-presidents for North, South, and North-East but her suggestions went unheard. "Give these responsibilities to the younger generation," she added. On the rebellion by Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh, Alva said every demand can''t be met and such leaders have no commitment for the party and its ideology. She said Scindia was general secretary of the party and was offered the post of deputy chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, which he refused. Scindia after leaving the Congress joined the BJP. "Congress is a big party. There are so many states. Everyone''s demand can''t be met," she said and added that during the times of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, no one had the courage to seek any "post" for himself or herself. "This is a new era. They are the new generation...There is no commitment for ideology. There is no commitment for problems in the party and for its solutions. Those joining the BJP, have no commitment for the ideology, they are joining it just for the greed and for the sake of power," she said. "But remember one thing, Congress can never be finished. It has a history of 150 years. During these times we won, we lost, we went to jails and we also enjoyed power, but there is none who can finish the Congress," Alva asserted. Rapper Kanye West did not file the necessary paperwork to have his name appear on the November presidential ballot in Michigan. The musician and entrepreneur, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, hit the campaign trail in South Carolina Sunday for his first public event since announcing his run for the presidency on July 4. A few days earlier, West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in Michigan, which requires nonpartisan candidates to submit qualifying petitions and other documents by July 16. 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 A spokesperson for the Michigan Secretary of State said West did not contact the office or submit any nominating petitions. West, who recently retracted his support for Republican President Donald Trump, is running as an independent with Wyoming preacher Michelle Tidball as his running mate. West can still run as an official write-in candidate in Michigan if he files a declaration of intent, a list of presidential electors and the name of his running mate with the Secretary of State by Sept. 4. If West misses that deadline, any write-in votes he receives will not count. Rapper Kanye West speaks during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 11, 2018. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images West missed the filing deadline for several other states but did qualify to appear on Oklahomas presidential ballot, according to the Associated Press. In a Forbes interview, West said his wife and Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk are serving as campaign advisors. Though his presidential bid has drawn skepticism, West told Forbes his campaign is not a publicity stunt for his upcoming album. Federal Election Commission show West formed a presidential candidate committee called Kanye 2020. West launched a campaign website, but voters seeking more information about his platform may be disappointed. The website contains a link to a petition to place him on the ballot in South Carolina, where he faces a Monday deadline to submit 10,000 signatures. Read more: Trump, Biden take different approaches to campaigning, amid coronavirus concerns in Michigan Absentee voters for Michigans August primary must apply in person after July 20 Dont trust the polls, Democrats warn Biden campaign about lead in Michigan Coronavirus recoveries now exceed 55,000 as daily cases stay above 600 How absentee ballots are deepening the divide between Michigan Democrats and Republicans Michigans absentee voting push wont cause mass election fraud, election experts say Zimbabwe has engaged the Botswana government to bring closure to the fatal shooting of a Beitbridge man by that countrys soldiers on Friday morning. Gift Nyoni, from Number 12 area in Shashe, west of the border town, was reportedly shot dead by soldiers on patrol who came across him and two others at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers (Shalimpo) which divides Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The deceased was coming from South Africa and walking on a foot path in the company of Trymore Ndlovu and Justice Dube, all in their early 20s, when tragedy struck at around 8am. His two colleagues, Ndlovu and Dube, have been charged for trespassing and border jumping and are still detained at Bubonong Police station. It is reported that Nyonis body was taken to a mortuary in the same area (Bubonong) pending a postmortem. Zimbabwes Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Henry Mukonoweshuro said yesterday that they had since engaged the host through its Ministry of International Affairs and Coopetition and that of police to get closure on the shooting. We have since contacted the host Government over the issue taking into cognisance the good relations between the two governments and the need to protect and preserve human lives, he said. The issue is now being investigated by both the military and the police and we are looking forward to get feedback from them. We have also requested that they should conduct a postmortem on the deceaseds remains to ascertain the cause of death. According to initial reports from the Botswana Defence Forces, they are alleging that they shot at the three when they tried to flee and evade arrest at an undesignated crossing point at Shalimpo. The Ambassador said they were looking forward to the finalisation of the matter. He said though Ndlovu and Dube had been charged they were yet to appear in a court of law. Mr Mukonoweshuro said the issue of the shooting of stray livestock from Botswana was still being discussed through the Bi-National Commission (BNC). We have heard about cases where stray livestock is shot here as a way of controlling the spread of foot-and-mouth, said the Ambassador. As a government we are aware of the importance of livestock as a source of livelihood to many people, hence we are working to get a final solution to this problem through the Bi-National Commission. In the meantime, we proposed that they drive stray animals back to Zimbabwe and hold them at a designated place while efforts are made through official channels to have an amicable solution. Beitbridge Rural District Council, chairperson, Luka Ndou, who is also the councillor for Shashe area (Ward 8) said yesterday that the community was devastated by the shooting of Nyoni. He said recently, the Tswanas shot and killed 106 cattle and 63 donkeys belonging to local villagers. This is a double loss for us as a community and people are calling for justice to prevail. We have lost one person, 106 cattle and 63 donkeys to shootings by the military in a short space of time. The World Health Organization is 'very concerned' about the coronavirus situation in Africa and said an outbreak in South Africa could spell disaster for the continent. Dr Michael Ryan, the emergencies chief at the WHO, said South Africa was in the midst of a 'very severe event' and that it could lead to other countries suffering. Africa was not badly affected in the early stages of the pandemic but cases have begun to spike there and have now exceeded 579,000. Two weeks ago there had been 356,666 (July 5), a spike of around two thirds in a fortnight. Now the WHO says the virus is 'accelerating' there and there are fears many countries poor or non-existent healthcare systems' will simply crumble in the face of major outbreaks. There had been a total of 579,091 cases diagnosed in Africa as of yesterday, according to the World Health Organization. This is the second lowest of all continental regions - only the Western Pacific is lower - but cases are accelerating fast, experts say. The number of coronavirus cases in Africa has surged since the start of June and World Health Organization chiefs are now worried about an 'acceleration of disease' on the continent Dr Ryan told a virtual press conference: 'I am very concerned right now that we are beginning to see an acceleration of disease in Africa.' The American region is the one with the most coronavirus cases, according to the WHO's daily reports, with 7,376,748 cases up to July 19. And although Africa still ranks close to the bottom, a worsening situation in South Africa has global health chiefs concerned. Over the weekend the number of people who have died there rose to more than 5,000 and there have been over 350,000 infections. And Dr Ryan said what was happening there could be a warning sign of what is to come for the rest of the continent. He said: 'While South Africa is experiencing a very, very severe event, I think it is really a marker of what the continent could face if urgent action is not taken to provide further support. 'South Africa may unfortunately be a precursor, it may be a warning for what will happen in the rest of Africa.' Ryan pointed out that South Africa's outbreak began earlier than those in a number of other African countries. It had first spread in wealthier areas but had now moved to poorer and more rural areas, he said. 'Therefore, South Africa is experiencing that acceleration,' he said, stressing though that the acceleration was no faster than elsewhere on the continent. While South Africa's numbers were by far the largest, they had 'only' increased by 30 percent in the past week, he said. By comparison, numbers in Kenya had increased by 31 percent, in Madagascar by 50 percent, in Zambia by 57 percent and in Namibia by 69 percent, he pointed out. 'I think what we are starting to see is a continued acceleration of transmission in a number of countries,' he said. 'This isn't just a wake-up call for South Africa... We need to take what is happening in Africa very, very seriously.' South Africa now has the fifth most coronavirus cases of any country in the world and its health minister today said everyone must get healthcare if they need it. Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters that 'there's never going to be a time there's pressure on any hospital' and said the number of beds will be increased and private hospitals will help. He visited a new field hospital in Johannesburg that is meant to hold patients who need less intensive care. Already it has 150 people in isolation, nine in quarantine and 20 on oxygen, the Gauteng provincial health department said. Walmart has been doing it, and last week Target and CVS Health announced they would, too. More businesses in Southeast Texas, whether local or part of a national chain, should do the same. Were talking about requiring customers to wear masks. In Jefferson County, thats been mandatory for several weeks. But in Hardin and Orange counties, along with the other counties in Southeast Texas, the decision is left up to each business except local outlets of national chains like Walmart or Target. But until virus numbers in Southeast Texas recede by a noticeable level, mask-wearing should be the norm. The most basic mask will reduce your chances of spreading the coronavirus to others if you are infected. And as we all should know by now, you could have the virus and not know it. Thats good for you, but not so good for a more vulnerable person who may catch it from you. Better varieties of masks, like the N95, will protect you from inhaling airborne droplets containing the virus that have been exhaled by an infected person. Medical experts say that wearing masks in public or among non-family members at work is the single most effective thing we can do to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Its not a theory, either. It has worked for people in countries who made a greater effort to wear masks or were required to do so. If every business in Southeast Texas required its customers and workers to wears masks, the virus would not spread so easily from one person to another. Some business owners have been reluctant to require masks for customers because they dont want to offend the angry minority who think its unnecessary or part of some devious hoax. No one wants to lose a sale, but no one wants to gain an infected worker either. Many businesses have signs along the lines of, No shirt, no shoes, no service. Masks can easily be added to the list of required accessories or be the only item on such a list, with of course an exception for restaurants or other places where masks arent practical. This virus will not magically disappear, as President Trump once said, wistfully. It will only go away when it stops spreading so easily. The so-called three Ws will make that happen sooner wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and watch your distancing. But again, of the three, mask-wearing is the most effective. If every business in the region required masks, wed be closer to the day when no one needs to wear them. Composition made by the researcher of an artistic image from NASA used to show what the primordial solar system would be like, with the addition of a Centaur in polar orbit in the outer region CREDIT Maria Helena Moreira Morais A study conducted by scientists at Sao Paulo State University's Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences (IGCE-UNESP) in Rio Claro, Brazil, has identified 19 asteroids of interstellar origin classified as Centaurs, outer Solar System objects that revolve around the Sun in the region between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. An article on the study titled "An interstellar origin for high-inclination Centaurs" is published in the Royal Astronomical Society's Monthly Notices. The study was supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) - FAPESP. "The Solar System formed 4.5 billion years ago in a stellar nursery, with its systems of planets and asteroids. The stars were close enough to each other to foster strong gravitational interactions that led to an exchange of material among the systems. Some objects now in the Solar System must therefore have formed around other stars. Until recently, however, we couldn't distinguish between captured interstellar objects and objects that formed around the Sun. The first identification was made by us in 2018," Maria Helena Moreira Morais , one of the two coauthors, told. Morais graduated in physics and applied mathematics from the University of Porto (Portugal) and earned a PhD in Solar System dynamics from the University of London (UK). She is currently a professor at IGCE-UNESP. The other coauthor is Fathi Namouni, a researcher at Cote d'Azur Observatory in Nice, France. The first identification to which Morais referred was the asteroid 514107 Ka'epaoka'awela, as reported by Agencia FAPESP in 2018. The name Ka'epaoka'awela is Hawaiian and can be roughly translated to "mischievous opposite-moving companion of Jupiter". It has occupied the path corresponding to Jupiter's orbit for at least 4.5 billion years but revolves around the Sun in the direction opposite to that of the planets, i.e., it is a retrograde co-orbital asteroid of Jupiter. "When we identified it as an object that came from outside the Solar System, we didn't know whether it was an isolated case or part of a vast population of immigrant asteroids," Morais said. "In this latest study, we recognized 19 Centaurs of interstellar origin." Similar to Ka'epaoka'awela, the Centaurs identified in the study have highly inclined orbits with respect to the orbital plane of the planets. "To investigate the origin of these objects, we built a computer simulation that works like a time machine, running their trajectories backwards by 4.5 billion years. The simulation enabled us to find out where these objects were at that time," Morais said. The planets and asteroids that originated in the Solar System emerged from a thin disk of gas and dust that once orbited the Sun. For this reason, they all moved in the plane of the disk 4.5 billion years ago. If the Centaurs originated in the Solar System, they should also have moved in the plane of the disk at that time. "However, our simulation showed that 4.5 billion years ago, these objects revolved around the Sun in orbits perpendicular to the disk's plane. In addition, they did so in a region distant from the gravitational effects of the original disk," Morais said. These two findings showed that the Centaurs did not originally belong to the Solar System and must have been captured from nearby stars during the period of planet formation. Star nursery The discovery in the Solar System of a population of asteroids of interstellar origin is a major step in the understanding of the differences and similarities between objects that formed in the Solar System and objects in the Solar System that were originally extrasolar. Future astronomic observations and possibly space missions will deepen this understanding. "Studies of this population will bring to light information about the star nursery from which the Sun emerged, the capture of interstellar objects in the primordial Solar System, and the importance of interstellar matter to the chemical enrichment of the Solar System," Morais said. With regard to chemical enrichment, it is worth recalling that the primordial Universe mainly comprised hydrogen and helium. The lightest natural elements in the periodic table were created by nuclear fusion inside stars and were then spread out through space. The region in which the Solar System is located was chemically enriched by these elements, which contributed to the composition of the human body. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Academic Un-Freedom at Princeton Commentary More than 350 individuals, most of them professors, did something unbelievable this month at Princeton Universityor maybe it was all too expected. They signed an open letter, dated July 4, to the university president that contained the following demand: Constitute a committee composed entirely of faculty that would oversee the investigation and discipline of racist behaviors, incidents, research, and publication on the part of faculty, following a protocol for grievance and appeal to be spelled out in Rules and Procedures of the Faculty. Guidelines on what counts as racist behavior, incidents, research, and publication will be authored by a faculty committee for incorporation into the same set of rules and procedures. We know what this means if it goes through. Inquiry will now undergo an extra stage of scrutiny, not just the standard peer review done by editors and readers at journals and presses, and by evaluators awarding grants and fellowships. There will also be a panel of professors at Princeton who will examine research that has been flagged as racist. In such cases, we should consider not just the principles, but also the personnel of the committee. Who will end up serving on it? People with some experience in uncovering racism, of course. A chemistry professor teaching classes and running a research lab and preparing findings for publication doesnt have the time or inclination to interrupt his work and sit in judgment of peers who are working in areas far from his own. A professor finishing her biography of Jane Austen and directing three dissertations feels the same way. Furthermore, to qualify for the committee, one has to have some expertise in race issues, and also a conviction that racist research is indeed happening at Princeton. Were it not so, no committee would be necessary. Academic Freedom This issue here, however, isnt one of race. Its academic freedom. Academic freedom allows that research meeting academic norms of evidence and argument deserves a hearing. To apply non-disciplinary criteria to research is to narrow the enterprise, close off avenues of thought, and threaten the independence of the Ivory Tower. The classic formulation of academic freedom is the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure (pdf) issued by the American Association of University Professors. The very first principle is this: Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the performance of their other academic duties. This freedom is not just an individual benefit, either, for the common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Ensuring an open field of study, then, is crucial to the academic enterprise and a free society. And in that open arena are, most importantly, matters of tension and controversy. The committee proposed by the Princeton letter will inevitably violate this principle. The members of the committee will end up stretching the definition of racism to the point of making phenomena such as disparate outcomes in employment and black-white score gaps on standardized tests dangerous territory for researchers. Academics will learn to stay away from such subjects. This is how a chill works in a society such as ours. The authorities dont declare outright, Thou shalt not discuss ____. Instead, they announce a prohibition of something that we all abhor, but give that thing fuzzy borders. What counts as a crime, then, is never altogether clear. People arent sure of where the line is drawn. What was OK a few years ago is no longer permitted. Hence, people stay away from the subject, playing it safe and watching what they say. Princeton Professorate Again, the remarkable thing about the Princeton letter is that this new scrutiny of faculty research comes from the professors themselves. No dictator above them decrees this surveillance. The researchers do it to themselvesor rather, a portion of them presumes to lay down the law for everyone else. Several signers of the letter come from humanities departments, which is ironic, because the social thought that has dominated those departments for decades values dissent and reveres those who speak truth to power. Professors of language, literature, history, and the arts rally against the hegemony, and they sympathize with Others whove been Othered and removed from pathways of success. And yet, what body of workers is more hegemonic than the Princeton professorate? What institution is more exclusionary than Princeton University, whose undergraduate acceptance rate is less than 6 percent? Each one of those professors got a job at Princeton through an application process that rejected hundreds of others. If theres any group less justified in demanding for victims of discrimination within and perpetrated by their own institution, its the Princeton professorate. One figure at Princeton has spoken loudly against the letter, Joshua Katz, professor of Classics. In an article in Quillette, Katz says hes embarrassed for his colleagues who signed the letter. Hes exactly the type of brave individualist the signers otherwise admire. But, as may be expected, hes undergoing forms of shunning now all-too-common in academia. Hes only one voice raised against 300 of his colleagues, but he must pay for his opposition. Ordinarily, this should be an occasion for debate, but the signers of the letter have already shown their disinclination to argue. The passage I quoted above tells you where they stand: We are the judgesyou be quiet. What happened at Princeton is more than an embarrassment to the university. Its a threat to the research mission everywhere. That so many figures at one of the distinguished centers of higher learning in the world should have joined this shabby exercise in leftist dogmatics tells you how far the rot of ideology has spread through the campus. A question for parents: You would be overjoyed to learn that your children have been admitted to Princeton, yes, but would you really trust your childrens papers to be graded by the professors who signed this letter and endorse this investigative committee? Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory College. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The first batch of five Rafale fighter jets, which are expected to significantly boost the combat capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF), is likely to arrive in India by the end of July, according to an official statement on Monday. The aircraft will be inducted at the Air Force Station in Ambala, Haryana on July 29, subject to weather, added the statement. The final induction ceremony will take place in the second half of August. The IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Post arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest. The delivery of aircraft was earlier supposed to have been done by May end, but this got delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The first aircraft to be flown in is planned to be piloted by the Commanding Officer of the 17 Golden Arrows' squadron along with a French pilot. The first batch of seven Indian pilots has finished their training at a French airbase. On June 2, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart Florence Parly during which she conveyed that the Rafale jets will be delivered to India as scheduled notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in France. The Ambala air force station is considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and SCALP air-to-ground cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets. Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden. Besides the missile systems, the Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others. The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The IAF spent around Rs 400 crore to develop infrastructure like shelters, hangars and maintenance facilities at the two bases. Out of the 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. Photo: Warner Brothers Update: July 10, 3:45 p.m.: Evanesco! The Harry Potter movies will be disappearing from HBO Max on August 25, the platform announced on Monday. The eight movies in the franchise were a last-minute addition to WarnerMedias spiffy new streamer, appearing without any advance notice when the service signed on at the end of May. Their inclusion on Max was a bit of a surprise: While WarnerMedia controls the overall rights to the films, NBCUniversal signed a deal a few years back leasing the movies for its various linear and digital platforms until 2025. WarnerMedia and NBCU made a deal last spring letting Max claw back some of those rights on a nonexclusive basis, and now we know that this agreement (which has never been formally announced) limited Maxs initial time frame for streaming the Potter films to three months at least for now. Its pretty common in movie licensing deals for titles to come on and off networks and platforms, so much so that theres an industry phrase for it: windowing. Usually, these windows last for years, but since many current rights deals (like NBCUs with WarnerMedia for Harry Potter) were struck before the recent launch of so many new streamers, we are now likely to see shorter windows as various streamers try to find ways to generate publicity and sign-up. While nobody involved is talking, it seems a safe bet that with the Potter pics leaving Max, their next streaming home at least for a few months will be NBCUs Peacock. The companys deal with WarnerMedia lets it put the movies on NBCU-owned streaming properties, so if the films arent going to be on Max, common sense dictates NBCU will want to drive audiences to Peacock with the lure of Harry and the gang. A Peacock rep, however, declined to comment on our speculation. By the way, just as it was a mistake to assume the Potter movies would be on HBO Max for years to come, it probably wouldnt be smart to assume the films will now live on Peacock full time until NBCUs licensing deal expires in 2025. While NBCU might have the right to keep the films locked away from Max, the fact that the company negotiated a spring window for HBO Max suggests theres a chance that initial agreement could have the Potter movies jumping back and forth between the platforms, or even coexisting together at some point. After all, Peacock is an ad-supported streamer while Max is subscription based. Movies often live on premium linear networks such as HBO and basic cable channels such as USA Network; theres no reason something similar cant happen with two kinds of streamers. May 27, 2020: HBO Max just conjured up an unexpected weapon in its battle to sign up new subscribers: the Harry Potter franchise. In a surprise development, all eight movies in the wizarding series will be a part of HBO Maxs opening day roster, the platform announced Wednesday. The films were not expected to be on HBO Max any time soon, since NBCUniversal had rights to the Potter package tied up until 2025. And while HBO Max execs had made it clear (as recently as this week) that they were interested in figuring out a way to get the movies for the service eventually, there had been no indication any such agreement would be reached in time for todays launch. As of the time this story was published, it was not immediately clear what changed though logic suggests HBO Max parent WarnerMedia was able to hammer out some sort of deal with NBCU giving HBO Max streaming rights to the movies. An HBO Max rep was able to confirm that the service now has exclusive subscription video on demand rights to the Potter movies, all of which were produced by HBO Max sibling studio Warner Bros. Pictures. The movies had not be on a subscription streamer, like Netflix or Hulu, but NBCU-owned networks Syfy and USA have been making them available to stream on their websites. Its unclear if HBO Maxs streaming exclusivity includes the ad-supported showings on the NBCU websites, but barring a complete ripping up of the 2016 pact, it seems likely NBCU will retain linear rights to the movies, allowing them to continue to air on broadcast and cable. Egypts parliament on Monday approved the deployment of troops abroad, giving President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the greenlight to militarily intervene in Libyas chaotic civil war. The House of Representatives "unanimously approved to send elements of the Egyptian Armed Forces in combat missions outside the borders of the Egyptian state to defend the Egyptian national security in the western strategic direction," read a parliament statement quoted by Ahram Online following the closed-door session. Egypt, along with the United Arab Emirates and Russia, has backed renegade commander Khalifa Hifter in Libyas six-year-long civil war. Turkey, which supports the rival UN-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, has condemned Egypts role in the conflict as illegal. The vote in Egypts parliament Monday comes a week after Libyan lawmakers allied with Hifters forces called on Egyptian troops to intervene if they see an imminent danger to the national security of both countries. During a meeting with Libyan tribesmen in Cairo last week, Sisi said his country would not stand idle amid escalating tensions in the northern city of Sirte. The Egyptian president has referred to Sirte, as well as the airbase of Jufra, as a red line. Turkey-backed Libyan forces appear ready to enter the oil-rich coastal city, which has been under the control of Hifters Libyan National Army since January. After a yearlong campaign offensive on the capital of Tripoli, Hifters forces were expelled by the Government of National Accord in early June. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. #COVID19 At reader request, Ive added this daily chart. The data is the Johns Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site. Our five problem states, with New York for comparison: Ill just keep doing this one until I see a peak followed by a decline. Florida, California, and Texas all flatten (!). Well see if thats an artifact. (There are no notes either on this site, 91-DIVOC, or on the Johns Hopkins site, indicating that there has been any interruption of data.) I thought Id also look at deaths (even if cause of death is contested and not the best data): The virus is going to have to work awfullly hard in our five problem states to beat New York, even given time lags, gamed numbers, and so forth. Yes, I know its a multiplicative process, but still. Perhaps the biggest danger to watch for is hospitals reaching capacity. (I used a linear display because it makes New Yorks uniqueness evident; that all the other states are crowded together at the bottom is the point, really.) CA: Military teams sent to five California hospitals amid coronavirus staffing shortages [Los Angeles Times]. [100] Active-duty U.S. Air Force doctors, nurses and other medical providers are being sent to work in California hospitals to assist with a steep rise in coronavirus cases that has strained some healthcare systems across the state. The hospitals being served are Adventist Health Lodi Memorial in Lodi, Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Dameron Hospital in Stockton, Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage and Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, the spokesman said. The move comes as some officials have described hospital staffing not bed capacity as the chief stumbling block when it comes to scaling up operations to accommodate more patients. GA: Beyond parody: In addition to being sued over a mask mandate and voluntary advisory guidelines on COVID-19, @GovKemp has asked for an emergency injunction to restrain me from issuing press statements and speaking to the press. Far more have sacrificed too much more for me to be silent. pic.twitter.com/gWlnZlCtoR Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 19, 2020 TX (via): This thread will be about the abhorrent conditions at the covid "hospital" DHR put up in McAllenTexas. Staff have walked out of this facility because of the conditions in which there are literally ants crawling over critically ill patients. Hiding PPE from staff. Sarah, RN (@shesinscrubs) July 19, 2020 I wonder why people, especially poor and working class people, are reluctant to enter the medical system VA: Despite pandemic, young bar patrons say they want to keep on partying [WaPo]. I had thought that using party was a verb was a sign of the collapse of civilization, but according to my OED, its been a verb since the early 20th C. Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord The electoral map. July 17: Georgia, Ohio, ME-2 move from Leans Republican to Toss-up. Continued yikes. On July 7, the tossup were 86. Only July 17, they were 56. Now they are 91. This puts Biden at 278, i.e. over 270. Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com So, taking the consensus as a given, 270 (total) 204 (Trumps) = 66. Trump must win 66 from the states in play: AZ (11), FL (29), MI (16), NC (15), PA (20), and WI (10) plus 1 to win not tie = 102. 102 66 = 36. So if Trump wins FL, MI, NC, and PA (29 + 16 + 15 + 20 = 80), he wins. Thats a heavy lift. I think Ive got the math right this time! 2020 Biden (D)(1): Electoral College Outlook: Biden Has the Edge [Inside Elections]. [W]e dont have national elections in this country. That should have been one of the biggest lessons from 2016, not that we should dismiss or distrust all polling data. But the survey data in individual states and districts are no better, and arguably worse, for Trump. For example, the president won Montana by 20 points in 2016. Public and private survey data there show Trump and Biden are within a few points of each other. Its a similar story in Alaska, which Trump won by 15 points and looks like a competitive state today. That doesnt mean that Montana, Alaska, or Arkansas are swing states, or will even be close in November. But it does cast considerable doubt on the presidents ability to win previously agreed upon swing states that have much less of a GOP cushion. Four years ago, Trump narrowly won Michigan and narrowly lost Minnesota. Hes likely down double-digits in both today. States he won by wider margins, such as Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, and Ohio are all at considerable risk for the president. Biden probably just needs to win one of them to secure the White House. Analyzing a combination of partisan and nonpartisan, public and private, national and state-level polling, were changing our presidential rating in 17 states- all in favor of Biden. With those changes, Biden leads Trump in our Electoral College projection 319 to 187, when 270 is needed to win. There are some key states, such as North Carolina, where Trump doesnt appear to be hemorrhaging voters at the same rate, but there just isnt significant evidence that there is a single state getting better for Trump right now. Biden (D)(2): Biden Begins Receiving Intel Briefs, Warns of Russian Meddling [Bloomberg]. Boy howdy, that really came out of left field. Trump (R)(1): Trump campaign shakeup continues with three senior staff hires [Politico]. President Donald Trumps newly appointed campaign manager is making more changes to the reelection effort as it barrels toward Election Day The moves are aimed at tightening the leadership structure of a massive Trump political apparatus that stretches across 13 departments. With just over 100 days until the election, senior aides have complained that coordination has at times been hard, and they have expressed a desire for greater focus. We forget its not even Labor Day. Nobody normal is paying attention. Trump (R)(2): Why Steve Bannon would fuel Donald Trump toward victory [The Hill]. As chief executive officer of the 2016 Trump campaign, Bannon captured lightning in a bottle. For a 2020 Trump campaign beset by leaks, appeals to ungettable voters, and the damage from the coronavirus, only Bannon can bring in the missing spark. It might be hard to catch lightning twice, but the president cannot afford to leave out the only person of his first campaign who pulled off an unprecedented win four years ago. Many of those surrounding the president and the campaign may be loyal to Donald Trump the man but not Donald Trump the idea. There is little that their advice or appearances in campaign stops offer the president. Donald Trump the idea. Trump (R)(3): Every day, I watch Trumps psychodrama play out in my inbox [CNN]. The news media are filled each day with reports about President Donald Trump and his ceaseless campaign his tweets, his speeches, his surrogates comments, his legal battles. But under the roar of that turbulent news there flows a quieter, subterranean river that runs directly into millions of homes, including mine. This is his email stream. Many people never see this stream, but I think it explains a good deal about why a substantial minority of Americans still say they support him. First off, this stream is relentless. I may be alone, friendless, trapped at home by the epidemic, jobless. My family may forsake me, my friends grow bored. But Trump never forgets me. Since last June, when he announced his re-election bid, I have received at least 712 emails. (There were more, but I failed to save the rest.) They come in the name of the President; his sons, his daughter, his daughter-in-law, his vice president, his vice presidents wife, his campaign manager Brad Parscale, his former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and several Trump PACs. This spring, they picked up the pace, sometimes sending six or seven messages in a single day. I subscribe to Motherships Train Democrats, which I consider the most vile email operation in the world. I would bet Trumps is worse. But they wouldnt be the way they are if they didnt bring in the bucks! West (I)(1): Very dry: watched the Kanye town hall.much to consider Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) July 19, 2020 West (I)(2): Rapper Kanye West criticizes Harriet Tubman at South Carolina rally [Los Angeles Times]. Rapper Kanye West, in his first event since declaring himself a presidential candidate, ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman on Sunday, saying the Underground Railroad conductor never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people, comments that drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd. GIven the givens, I would need to see a transcript * * * 2016 Post Mortem Clintons maneuvered herself into handing out diplomas, apparently Applications are now open for the second year of the Global Challenges Masters Programme at the HRC School of Law in Swansea, with support for scholarships from @skycorporate. Find out more and apply here: https://t.co/qwYpFMfEaB pic.twitter.com/QNbro26NTL Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 17, 2020 Realignment and Legitimacy The Great Assimilation: pic.twitter.com/KdJTkvC6SA Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 20, 2020 I remain unconvinced that combining the Party faction that led us into the greatest strategic debacle in the history of the country (Bush Republicans; Iraq) with the Party faction that gave us an economic recovery where wages for 70% of the population didnt recover after a decade (the Obama Alumni Association) will bring changes that are anything other than marginal. Expect continued volatility. (Speculating wildly: If Biden made [drumroll] Obama his Secretary of State, that would solve a lot of our public relations problems around the world; we might even get working passports again. But marginal is what I said; liberal Democrats have signaled in every possible way that their warmongering will continue.) * * * Everybody Is Suing: Trump-Biden Election Sets Up Legal Logjam [Bloomberg]. A recent count by Loyola Marymount University law professor Justin Levitt found 154 cases already filed across 41 states and the District of Columbia. Many more are expected in the months ahead as Republicans, Democrats and advocacy groups battle over how to vote during a pandemic. Everybody is suing about everything, Levitt said. Many of the lawsuits center on the use of mail-in ballots, which is expected to surge to historic highs given concern about catching the virus while voting in person. Many of the lawsuits filed by Democrats have demanded that election officials give voters a chance to fix any problems with mail-in ballots, particularly issues around their signatures on absentee-ballot envelopes. Research has shown that young, Black and Hispanic voters face a much greater risk of having their ballot rejected, and voting-rights groups have long sought to reform the practice of curing a rejected ballot. Not encouraging. Stats Watch At reader request, I added some business stats back in. Please give Econintersect click-throughs; theyre a good, old-school blog that covers more than stats. If anybody knows of other aggregators, please contact me at the email address below. There are no official statistics of interest today. * * * Commodities: Lockdown Renovation Boom Sends Canadian Lumber Stocks Surging [Bloomberg]. Canadian forestry stocks are surging as consumers stuck at home during the pandemic ramp up renovations on their homes and dwindling lumber supplies send timber-product prices to a two-year high. The Covid-19 pandemic was initially expected to hurt lumber markets as surging unemployment curtailed demand and lockdowns shuttered the offices that issue permits for cutting operations. Instead, spending on home repairs and renovation is high and accelerating, and new home construction is recovering, RBC Capital Markets analyst Paul Quinn said. Its an ill wind. Canadian forestry stocks are surging as consumers stuck at home during the pandemic ramp up renovations on their homes and dwindling lumber supplies send timber-product prices to a two-year high https://t.co/H0YYK7gVAm Bloomberg Asia (@BloombergAsia) July 18, 2020 Tech: Googles Cookie Fight Will Shape Future of Digital Advertising [Bloomberg]. If the web is an unfathomably complex machine driven by billions upon billions of cogs, then cookies are the lubricant that keeps the thing moving. Thats because the web is, for the most part, funded by ads. And the tiny little text files known as cookies determine which ads get shown to whom. For now. Come next year, thats all going to change. Discussions now focus on what comes next. Every week, members of the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C, an international standards organization founded by a creator of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, dial into a video call to work out the options. Google is, of course, the driver This, being a standards process, is too complicated to excerpt. I recommend reading in full. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 65 Greed (previous close: 63 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 54 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jul 20 at 11:49am. Rapture Index: Closes down one on Beast Government. The government mevement [sic] is having trouble with world unity [Rapture Ready]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 184. (Remember that bringing on the rapture is a good thing.) Correct perception on Beast Government!x The Biosphere Dogs may use Earths magnetic field to take shortcuts [Science]. Dogs are renowned for their world-class noses, but a new study suggests they may have an additionalalbeit hiddensensory talent: a magnetic compass. The sense appears to allow them to use Earths magnetic field to calculate shortcuts in unfamiliar terrain. The finding is a first in dogs, says Catherine Lohmann, a biologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who studies magnetoreception and navigation in turtles. She notes that dogs navigational abilities have been studied much less compared with migratory animals such as birds. Its an insight into how [dogs] build up their picture of space,; adds Richard Holland, a biologist at Bangor University who studies bird navigation. When Benediktova showed the data to Burda, her Ph.D. adviser, he noticed a curious feature: In the middle of a scouting run, the dog would stop and run for about 20 meters along a north-south axis (see video, below) before it began to navigate back. Those short runs looked like an alignment along the magnetic field. Neat! Health Care Safety and immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: a preliminary report of a phase 1/2, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (PDF) [The Lancet]. This is the Oxford study. The Interpretation: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses. These results, together with the induction of both humoral and cellular immune responses, support largescale evaluation of this candidate vaccine in an ongoing phase 3 programme. Thats good news; progress in this trial, at least. Immunogenicity and safety of a recombinant adenovirus type-5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults aged 18 years or older: a randomised, double-blind, placebocontrolled, phase 2 trial (PDF) [The Lancet]. A Chinese study. The Interpretation: The Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine at 510 viral particles is safe, and induced significant immune responses in the majority of recipients after a single immunisation. Also good news. On the new South Korean study on transmission among children: A new study from SK is being interpreted as being high quality evidence that after they pass 9 years of age, children are at least as infectious as adults with COVID.https://t.co/P0yU81lWJV I just want to highlight a few threads outlining the problems with this study. 1/5 Wes Pegden (@WesPegden) July 19, 2020 Bjorns Corner: Do I get COVID in airline cabins? Part 11. Wrapup. [Leeham News and Analysis]. [T]he respiratory tract mucus attacks the virus as it enters. To keep your mucus fit it shall be kept hydrated. Drinking water during flights is more important than ever. Feral Hog Watch Peccaries & Climate Change in Mexicos Southern Jungle [Yucatan Times]. In Mexicos southern jungle, stretching across the Yucatan peninsula and into Guatemala, a group of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) move from drinking hole to drinking hole. In the recent past, however, their task has been made increasingly difficult by the onset of climate change as over a ten year period between 2005 and 2015, available water sources reduced by an estimated 90% in the region. Notwithstanding these increasingly long dry periods and groundwater scarcity in the southern jungle, these wild pigs somehow seem to find their way, causing biologist Rafael Reyna-Hurtado to theorize that perhaps they, like elephants, navigate the landscape using spatial memory. Elusive, shy and yet highly social among themselves, the peccaries movements orbit around water sources, specifically the ponds that intersperse the southern jungle, but their range extends across Central and South America. Like dogs?! Class Warfare Context for the next tweet: Neoliberalism is bleak: My @Adobe #ExperienceMakers Live is all about a very relevant "Tone, Timing and Empathy" discussion in transactional relationships. Plus, join me for a LIVE Q&A on : . Register for the free event here: https://t.co/V6QQV2bUiu Sneak peek pic.twitter.com/UBpsMgqDwQ Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans) July 15, 2020 News of the Wired Your Doomscrolling Breeds Anxiety. Heres How To Stop The Cycle [NPR]. Still, you incessantly scroll though bottomless doom-and-gloom news for hours as you sink into a pool of despair. This self-destructive behavior has become so common that a new word for it has entered our lexicon: doomscrolling. Set a timer. Curate your list carefully to include a variety of personality types and political views. And a sense of humor helps along with antidotes of all sorts! Your Weekend Reading: The U.S. Coronavirus Depression [Bloomberg]. The majority of Americans in the nations largest cities feel down, depressed or hopeless, according to a survey on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting peoples mental health. Consumer sentiment has also slumped, and most people disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the crisis. Bank earnings signal there will be no V-shaped recovery, Blackrocks Larry Fink warned of a bipolar economy, and the spate of U.S. bankruptcies may be just getting started. While America spirals downward, Chinas economy has returned to growth and European carmakers are seeing signs of recovery. Seems to apply to urban dwellers only. If this is you, my $0.02, having been there, worth what you paid, is: (1) Get moving. Direction and distance are not important. Just move. (2) Get some sun. (3) Outside, look up, not down. Also, I wonder how much working from home increases depression. Not just the loss of human, physical contact, but the screen experience itself. Scientists Now Know How Sleep Cleans Toxins From the Brain [Wired]. From 2019, but neat: [BUs Laura] Lewis was curious how those toxins were cleared out and why that process only happened during sleep. She suspected that cerebrospinal fluid, a clear, water-like liquid that flows around the brain, might be involved. But she wasnt sure what was unique about sleep. Neurons dont all turn off at the same time when were awake. So brain blood levels dont drop enough to allow substantial waves of cerebrospinal fluid to circulate around the brain and clear out all the metabolic byproducts that accumulate, like beta amyloid. Neat! And be sure to get your sleep! * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant )TH): TH writes: My husband and I took a little drive south to Laguna Beach the other day and went up to the hill-side neighborhood we used to frequent for garage/estate sale treasures. I liked the cool (kelvin scale, not groovy) colors of the gray bark on the tree in the background, and the lavender, which I am ALWAYS a fan of, statice flowers. I like the dappled sunlight. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! Priyanka Chopra and husband Nick Jonas are celebrating their second anniversary of his proposing to her and the actor made sure she wished her husband in the sweetest way possible. Priyanka shared an adorable picture that shows Nick kissing her on her cheek and clicking a selfie as they sit in front of the mirror. She posted the picture with the caption, To the greatest joy of my life. 2 years ago on this day you asked me to marry you! I may have been speechless then but I say yes every moment of everyday since. In the most unprecedented time you made this weekend so incredibly memorable. Thank you for thinking of me all the time. I am the luckiest girl in the world! I love you @nickjonas. Nick reacted to the post saying, Thank you for saying yes. I love you beautiful. Nick had once revealed that he had waited till midnight of Priyankas birthday to avoid the day overlapping with the proposal day. Sharing how he went on to propose her the day after her birthday, he told Vogue in an interview, I got down on one knee, again, and I said: Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me? No joke she took about 45 seconds. 45 seconds of silence. Im going to put this ring on your finger now unless you have any objections, he told her. Priyanka celebrated her birthday on July 18 and received a special birthday message from Nick. He shared a romantic picture of the two of them from one of their outings on Instagram and wrote, I could stare into your eyes forever. I love you baby. You are the most thoughtful, caring and wonderful person I have ever met. I am so grateful we found one another. Happy birthday beautiful. Priyanka had reacted to the post in the comments section, saying, My heart along with a heart emoji. Also read: Taapsee Pannu accused of supporting oppressors, hits back at those painting a purely negative picture of Bollywood The Sky Is Pink actor took to her Instagram stories to personally thank her industry colleagues, family members and fans for showering her best wishes on her 38th birthday on Saturday. Thanking her fan clubs for their wishes, she wrote, Wow I am so incredibly moved by all your birthday wishes. Thank you so much. You guys are amazing. I am so touched. I am so grateful for every single one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON They occur in nature, are reactive and play a role in many biological processes: polyenes. It is no wonder that chemists have for a long time been interested in efficiently constructing these compounds not least in order to be able to use them for future biomedical applications. However, such designs are currently neither simple nor inexpensive and present organic chemists with major challenges. Scientists at the University of Munster headed by Prof. Ryan Gilmour have now found a bio-inspired solution to the problem: They succeeded in constructing complex polyenes such as retinoic acid from simple, geometrically well-defined alkene building blocks. To do this, the scientists used small molecules as "antennas" which they excited with light, thereby enabling difficult chemical reactions to proceed via a process known as Energy Transfer Catalysis. "The process provides us with a light-driven, operationally simple solution to a conundrum that has occupied us for a long time," says Dr. John J. Molloy, the first author of the study. The new possibility of forming complex polyenes could facilitate the exploration of these bioactive materials for drug discovery. Background and method The alkenes used by the scientists are structural units that can exist in two non-equivalent geometrical forms. These so-called stereoisomers i.e. compounds in which the bonding pattern is the same but which differ in the spatial arrangement of the atoms are a valuable source of chemical information in biology and are common structural features in larger complex molecules such as retinal, a vitamin A derivative. Although, alkene geometry plays a pivotal role in function, e.g. regulating the mammalian visual cycle, strategies to access geometrically defined alkene building blocks for iterative synthesis are conspicuously underdeveloped. Although many methods exist to access each isomer independently, they are often plagued by poor selectivity or require laborious independent synthesis campaigns. Much as plants convert light to energy, the researchers harnessed small, inexpensive organic molecules under irradiation to flip common alkene building blocks into the more challenging form. This process is termed energy transfer catalysis. Since these materials are functionalised at both sites, they could be iteratively extended to construct complex bioactive polyenes such as retinoic acid, which may exist in multiple forms by virtue of alkene stereoisomerism. The Munster team demonstrated the power of their method in short, stereocontrolled syntheses of two retinoic acid-based drugs Isotretinoin and Alitretinoin. The new method combines the importance of carbonyl chemistry in biosynthesis with the versatility of organoboron motifs in contemporary organic chemistry. This article is dedicated to Prof. Duilio Arigoni, who recently passed away. He was a pioneer in bio-organic chemistry with whom I had the pleasure to work with in Zurich years ago and he often highlighted the urgency of this problem. This innovative solution is testimony to the hard work, innovation a dedication of a very talented group of highly motivated co-workers and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge them, says Ryan Gilmour. Michael Avenatti, the attorney who formerly represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her case against Donald Trump, is reportedly broke after facing legal issues of his own. According to the New York Post, Dean Steward, an attorney representing Mr Avenatti, said the lawyer's financial problems have left him without the means to defend himself in upcoming court battles. "The bottom line is that Mr Avenatti has run out of funds and faces a complex trial lasting as long as six weeks," Mr Steward wrote to a judge overseeing one of Mr Avenatti's upcoming court cases. Mr Avenatti who ran a short-lived presidential campaign in 2018 is facing charges related to tax evasion, approximately three dozen counts of fraud, was convicted of attempting to extort the Nike shoe company and was accused of trying to skim money from Stormy Daniels while she was his client. Mr Steward wrote that Mr Avenatti has run out of money and has offered to stay on as his lawyer if he can receive payment under the rules regarding poor clients. Recommended Disgraced former Stormy Daniels lawyer out of jail over virus fears "The retainer has long since run out and the defendant does not have funds to pay counsel," Mr Steward wrote. Mr Steward who has been representing Mr Avenatti for more than a year argued that allowing him to stay on would save taxpayer dollars, as assigning Mr Avenatti a public defender would prolong the upcoming cases. Mr Avenatti has maintained that he has done nothing wrong and that all of the accusations against him are false. The lawyer is currently under house arrest. He is staying with a friend in Venice Beach, California, where he is being monitored by federal officials. During his house arrest, Mr Avenatti has been barred from possessing or using any digital devices that give him access to the internet. He was released from federal incarceration due to the coronavirus. His $1m bond was posted by his friend, Hubert Bromma. Advertisement Which Universities Collaborated in the Study? Amsterdam UMC, Vrijie Universiteit Amsterdam - Netherlands Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil Peking University, Beijing - China Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Presidency University in Kolkata, Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata - India University of Melbourne, Victoria - Australia Newcastle University - UK What did the Study Focus On? High income - UK, USA, Netherlands Upper-middle income - China, Brazil Low-middle income- India What did the Study Find on Population-Based BRCA Testing? Highly cost-effective from a payer perspective in high and upper-middle-income countries Cost-saving from a societal perspective in high-income countries Cost-effective from a societal perspective in upper-middle-income countries 2,319-2,666 breast cancer cases per million 327-449 ovarian cancer cases per million 57,700 breast cancer and 9,700 ovarian cancer cases additionally in the UK 269,00 breast cancer and 43,800 ovarian cancer cases additionally 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 692,570 breast cancer and ovarian cancer cases in India Conclusion Current guidelines globally require women to undergo genetic testing only if they fulfill the 'high-risk' criteria. They need to either have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancers or meet specific clinical criteria.However, half the population of BRCA carriers fails to meet the criteria, and so they are not generally tested. Thus, over 97% of BRCA carriers remain unidentified in the UK population.The focus of the research study was to analyze the cost benefits for screening the entire population to identify mutated genes. If the mutated genes are identified early, options of further screening, surgery and medication could be provided to the patient to prevent cancer The study was led by Professor Ranjit Manchanda from Queen Mary University in London. It was supported by Dr. Rosa Legood from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The research study was an international collaboration with universities such as:The study was supported by the NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship and the Eve Appeal a women's cancer charity. It was published in the journalThe research team mainly estimated the cost-effectiveness and health impact of BRCA testing in the general population. They compared it with the current standard of testing in countries divided into three categories based on income.Cost-Effectiveness was calculated from two perspectives- societal and a payer perspective.The payer perspective includes all the medical costs like screening, genetic testing, prevention, and treatment incurred by health providers.The societal perspective also considers other account costs like the impact when income is lost due to the inability to work.To be cost-effective in lower-middle-income countries, the cost of BRCA testing needs to fall to USD 172Population-based BRCA testing can prevent about:The study indicates the extent of cancer prevention when the general population is screened for BRCA genes. Strategies also need to be developed to enable maximum detection and cancer prevention. The testing would drastically stop cancer before it begins to develop if screened early. It also gives new hope for women and their loved ones that widespread testing could prevent breast and ovarian cancer drastically.Source: Medindia Watertown, NY (13601) Today Snow showers early will give way to a mixture of rain and snow showers for the afternoon. Some sleet may mix in. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 50%.. Tonight Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 4F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. After growing in office, he was too big for his britches By Michael R. Shannon If there was ever a meeting in a church parking lot where incumbent politicians wish the state police had been there to photograph license plates and discourage attendance it was the 5th District Republican Convention held at the Tree of Life Ministries in Lynchburg, VA. That was the location where Virginia conservatives won a small victory and defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman by denying him renomination. Bob Good a former fundraiser for Liberty University won a unique China Flu drivethru convention where 3,500 delegates cast votes from within their cars. After he defeat Riggleman considered it a driveby. Riggleman served only a single term, but that was enough for 5th District voters. Most politicians who campaign as conservatives become cocktail conservatives in Congress. They use the word fighting, sprinkle a few conservative values in news releases and mouth meaningless cliches in CSPAN speeches. They accomplish nothing for their conservative base. Riggleman was silent while Gov. Ralph Blackface Northam instituted his erratic Flu Manchu lockdown on Virginia. And Riggleman didnt defend the rule of law while BLM protesters were mostly peacefully burning down cities. Thats not what defeated him. Incumbent political cowards are usually a lock to win renomination. What beat Riggleman was a calculated insult to his conservative base. He performed a samepronoun marriage for two of his campaign volunteers. His defense of that insult to Biblebelieving voters could have been written by any of the consonant crusading NGOs. He told the WoePost, My real belief is that government shouldnt be involved in marriage at all, but if it is, everybody has to be treated equally before the law. And that is part of our Republican creed. And it also comes down to love is love. Im happy to join two people together who obviously love each other. Voters should have seen this coming. Riggleman is a Libertarian on social issues. Libertarian infiltration of the Republican party is responsible for many if not all of the regular betrayals of the base in Washington. The conservatives who supported fusionism and welcomed libertarians into the fold clasped a viper to their breast. Libertarianism is the strange belief that a stable, limited, ruleoflaw respecting government can be built on a foundation of people with the personal moral practices of Woodstock attendees. Libertarians support all the social pathologies currently facilitating our cultural decline. Their policy on drug use, abortion, alternate lifestyles, immigration and amnesty is let it all hang out just keep your cotton pickin hands off my money. In actual practice, just as the personal becomes the political; the personal also undermines the fiscal, which is why Libertarianism can never succeed and Libertarians are never true conservatives. They are collaborators with the left on all the social issues important to the base. They take base votes while rejecting base beliefs. Rigglemans defeat means one down and about 200 more to go. There are three key lessons in the demise of Denver Riggleman. Conventions are the best way to defeat incumbents for renomination. Unless the conservative insurgent is independently wealthy, the challenger is always going to be outspent in a primary. Its a fact of life and you must plan your strategy accordingly. Its cheaper to run a successful convention campaign because recruiting and persuading delegates is retail politics. It rewards hard work on the part of the challenger. A primary plays to the strength of the incumbent and his budget. Its expensive to buy media, produce ads, run a votebymail absentee program, harvest votes and hire lawyers to bail you out. Challengers never have enough money, which is why genuine conservatives are routinely betrayed without consequence by the country club conservatives that supposedly represent us in Congress. Riggleman spent $1.3 million in his losing campaign. Good spent approximately a tenth of that with a total of $151,821. In a primary Good probably would have lost. At a convention that meager amount was enough to pass the threshold of credibility and give him a 58 percent victory. The second lesson is if you want to defeat a collaborationist conservative, coalesce behind a single candidate. That way voters who are unhappy with the incumbent concentrate their vote in a single alternative. Multiple challengers split the discontented vote and allow the incumbent to skate through with a plurality because his vote isnt split. The only exception to this rule is a state with runoffs, which Virginia does not have. Incumbents forced into a runoff are very vulnerable. The third lesson is for incumbents who feel the need to grow in office and expand their base. While your hand is reaching out, make sure your thumb doesnt hit the eye of those rubes who originally elected you. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home Michigan Assistant AG Appointed by FCC Chairman to FCC's Hospital Robocall Protection Group Michigan Assistant AG Appointed by FCC Chairman to FCC's Hospital Robocall Protection Group July 20, 2020 LANSING Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai recently appointed Michigan Assistant Attorney General Wisam Naoum to the FCCs new Hospital Robocall Protection Group. Naoum is one of only three state government officials from around the country selected by the FCC and will represent the Michigan Department of Attorney General on the committee, which also includes representatives from the federal government and various telecoms and health care groups. While the recent illegal robocall boom has been a major problem for all Americans in recent years, the caller-ID spoofing and other targeting of phone lines associated with hospitals and other health care-related entities are particularly problematic and dangerous. AAG Naoums selection for this committee is a clear example of Michigans leadership on a national scale to rein in the millions of illegal robocalls that have annoyed people for far too long, Attorney General Nessel said. The group will look specifically at ways to address robocalls for hospitals and health care providers, and continue the progress toward reasonable measures that will better regulate robocalls. The Michigan Hospital Association, which represents all Michigan hospitals and health systems, is pleased to see Assistant Attorney General Wisam Naoum appointed to the FCCs Hospital Robocall Protection Group, said MHA CEO Brian Peters. Hospitals have been under attack from disruptive and often malicious robocalls for too long; the work of this group will go a long way to decrease risk and improve operations for hospitals. We look forward to Michigan again being a partner and leader on a national health care improvement effort. Pursuant to the TRACED Act, which targets robocalls and was passed into federal law in December 2019, the FCC is required to form an advisory committee to address this issue. Specifically, the Hospital Robocall Protection Group will issue best practices regarding the following: How telecom carriers can better combat unlawful robocalls made to hospitals; How hospitals can better protect themselves from such calls, including by using unlawful robocall mitigation techniques; and How the federal government and state governments can help combat such calls. Announced on July 14 by the FCC, the Hospital Robocall Protection Group is comprised of members from the FCC, the Federal Trade Commission, state government officials, hospitals, telecom providers that serve hospitals, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) providers, companies focused on mitigating robocalls, and consumer advocacy groups. For more information about the Hospital Robocall Protection Group, visit the page on the FCCs website. Since its launch in November, the Attorney Generals Robocall Crackdown Initiative has made significant progress. Most recently, Attorney General Nessel filed a federal lawsuit in Texas alongside six other states for an alleged robocall operation responsible for over a billion illegal robocalls. In June, AG Nessel joined 51 other attorneys general in encouraging the FCC to facilitate continued collaboration among state attorneys general and telecom companies to coordinate tracing back illegal robocalls to their source through a single FCC-sanctioned industry group. In early May, Nessel also cosponsored a letter, which was joined by 51 other attorneys general, to USTelecom urging the association to further develop robocall traceback and other tools suited to law enforcement needs. How to Report a Robocall in Michigan: The best way to deal with robocalls is to simply hang up or dont answer the phone if you dont recognize the number. However, to aid investigators in their efforts to hold robocallers accountable, certain pieces of information are extremely helpful to the departments efforts to investigate, particularly when submitted to the Attorney Generals office as part of an official complaint: Robocallers phone number; Your phone number and service provider (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.); The date and time of the robocall; Whether the robocall was soliciting goods or services; and The topic of the robocall scam (e.g. student loans, Social Security numbers, IRS liability, etc.). Please note: Robocalls to landlines cannot be traced back so any complaints about landline calls cannot be used to further the departments investigation. ### Courtney Covington 517-335-7666 Attorney General Russia chases down US soldiers in Hassakeh, details revealed about Syrian fighters in Libya, tensions between the US and Russia rise. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. Russian armored vehicles managed to besiege an American military patrol in the Hassakeh countryside of northeastern Syria after a hot pursuit. A Russian officer addressed the US military regarding the legitimacy of the presence of both forces on Syrian soil. A video shows Russian armored vehicles surrounding the US military vehicles, and also shows the panic and confusion of American soldiers and military personnel while Russians approach the Americans saying stop, dont move. One of the Russian officers addressed a US officer and said to him, We are here on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic at the invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and you are on what basis here? You are occupiers. 2. Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 paid Syrian fighters to Libya over the first three months of the year, the US Defense Departments Inspector General concluded in a new report, its first to detail Turkish deployments that helped change the course of Libyas war, the Washington Post reported. 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 US military has grown increasingly concerned about Russias growing influence in Libya, with hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed a campaign to capture the capital, Tripoli, in the countrys west. 3. Politico reported that the growing friction between US and Russian troops in Syria comes against a backdrop of deepening mistrust between the national security community and President Donald Trumps White House over dealings with Moscow. The tension burst into the open last week with revelations that Russias secretive military intelligence service offered bounties to the Taliban for killing US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Lawmakers demanded answers this week amid bipartisan anger that the Trump administration has known about the bounties for months but has not yet authorized a response to Russia. 4. The Russian Navys marine mammal projects gained worldwide attention when a tame Beluga whale turned up in Norway in April 2019. That whale, nicknamed Hvaldimir, is believed to have escaped from a Russian Navy training program. There is another deployment of marine mammals that you probably havent heard about however. And this time to a war zone. Evidence, according to Forbes, has emerged that the Russian Navy sent trained dolphins to support its war in Syria, deploying them to the naval base in Tartous in late 2018. Marine mammal pens can be seen in the water when viewing satellite imagery of Tartous. Having seen similar enclosures as Russian Navy bases in the Black Sea and Arctic, it is clear what they are. The deployment is visible in historical satellite imagery, for example Google Earth, at 345435.16N, 355146.46E. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. At least four protesters interrupted a press conference held by Florida Gov Ron DeSantis on Monday to accuse him of lying to the public and mishandling the coronavirus pandemic as the state records more than 10,000 new cases for the sixth day in a row. In the video, the four men are seen toward the back of OneBlood's headquarters in Orlando shouting 'shame on you' at DeSantis, who they claim has been 'lying to the public'. Another protester yelled: 'You are mishandling! Shame on you!' 'Thousands of deaths are on your hands,' a third shouts as police officers try to escort the men outside. Once the men were out of the room, DeSantis told reporters: 'And we will not be defunding the police, don't worry about that.' But the commotion didn't stop with escorting the men out. Moments later, they are seen banging on the windows of building chanting 'shame on you'. The incident occurred the same day Florida reported 10,347 new cases, the sixth day in a row the state has announced over 10,000 new infections. Scroll down for video At least four protesters interrupted a press conference held by Florida Gov Ron DeSantis (at the podium) on Monday to accuse him of lying to the public and mishandling the coronavirus pandemic as the state records more than 10,000 new cases for the sixth day in a row In the video, the four men (left and far right) are seen toward the back of OneBlood's headquarters in Orlando shouting 'shame on you' at DeSantis, who they claim has been 'lying to the public' 'Thousands of deaths are on your hands,' one protester (right) yells as police officers try and escort the men outside Overall, the state has reported 350,047 cases since March 1. Another 92 people died in Florida, increasing the state's death toll to 5,183. Hospitals in Florida say they are in desperate need of remdesivir - a medication that has been shown to shorten average hospitalization times - to treat the coronavirus patients who are filling up beds. In response, DeSantis announced 30,000 vials of the drug were being shipped to the state - enough to treat about 5,000 patients. NBC Miami reports that the state is now averaging 114 deaths per day over the last week. Dade County had the largest number of total cases at 87,035, and was followed by Broward County at 40,976. And despite the climbing cases in Florida, Walt Disney World continues to welcome guests to its theme parks. In a recent statement, the company said it will be banning guests from dining while walking through its parks, telling visitors that they must be stationary and socially distanced if they want to remove their masks to eat. Hospitals in Florida say they are in desperate need of remdesivir - a medication that has been shown to shorten average hospitalization times - to treat the coronavirus patients who are filling up beds In response, DeSantis announced 30,000 vials of the drug were being shipped to the state - enough to treat about 5,000 patients Guests were allowed back into the 'happiest place on Earth' when the Florida amusement park reopened on July 11, but Disney officials have already had to fix a glaring loophole in its face mask policies. The initial policy asked that visitors 'please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming'. But the new policy, updated on Monday, clarified that guests 'may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing'. It doesn't appear that DeSantis is considering a possible shutdown of the state despite calls from local leaders to do so. On Friday, several Florida Democrats sent a letter to DeSantis urging him issue a statewide stay-at-home and mask order. As you know, the state hit record high numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past weekincluding more than 15,000 positive cases, a nationwide record, this past Sunday,' the representatives wrote last week,. 'Florida is now the global epicenter of this pandemicOver the past week, Florida reported its highest daily COVID-19 deaths twice and averaged 90 deaths per day. 'These are devastating trends, and we are concerned that you have neglected to take any meaningful action to bring the outbreak in our state under control,' the letter continued. The Democratic leaders warned that if the state does not close, Floridas 'economy will contract and shutter on its own, needlessly subjecting Floridians to both lost jobs and wages, as well as preventable death and illness'. And despite the climbing cases in Florida, Walt Disney World continues to welcome guests (pictured on July 15) to its theme parks Guests wait in line to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, on July 16 Metrics for the country have grown worse including a rising number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations along with rates of positive test results. The virus has killed 140,000 people in the US and infected some 3.7 million, both figures leading the world. Florida is one of at least 14 states that have reported record hospitalizations so far in July. Other states include, Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. In California, the city of Los Angeles is on the brink of issuing a new stay-at-home. Meanwhile, Chicago reimposed some coronavirus restrictions on Monday. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced new restrictions due to take effect on Friday including a ban on indoor service at bars and shutdown of personal services such as shaves and facials that require the removal of masks. 'While we aren't near the peak of the pandemic from earlier this year, none of us wants to go back there,' Lightfoot said in a statement. New York state reported the fewest hospitalizations from the coronavirus in four months on Monday just as New York City entered a new phase of reopening. The state, at one time the epicenter of the pandemic, recorded eight deaths on Sunday while the total number of people hospitalized for the disease fell to 716, the fewest since March 18, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. There are more than 3.7 million confirmed cases of the virus in the US with at least 140,563 deaths Cuomo called the figures 'good news,' although a Reuters analysis of data from the COVID Tracking Project showed cases rose in the past week for the first time since April, to more than 5,000, breaking a 13-week streak of declines. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing for schools to reopen in a few weeks and resisting a federal mandate that people wear masks in public, part of what Cuomo called an 'incompetent' federal government response. 'I've said to the president from Day One: This virus does not respond to politics,' Cuomo told a news conference. 'The solution is medicine and science.' The governor said the country was still 'totally unprepared' as other states lagged in testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment or doctors and nurses. 'Their mistake was they listened to the president,' Cuomo said, while also blasting 'stupid and reckless' people in his own state who persistently gather in large groups. Trump denied trying to play down the danger in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, blaming China for allowing the virus to escape and criticizing experts for being wrong in their early analysis of the outbreak. Trump called Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official, an 'alarmist'. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Monday said the US now has better testing capacity and more personal protective equipment. 'This administration really fights to protect our freedoms but we want people to know freedom comes with responsibility,' Adams told Fox News. 'And part of that responsibility means wearing a face covering when you go out, washing your hands, trying to watch your distance around other people.' Given the policy implications of such a result, it is no surprise that the study received immediate attention on social media, and in the local and national press. But the methods and results of the study were quickly questioned by scientists, who used Twitter, blogs and online comments on medRxiv to air concerns about the studys design, the reliability of the antibody tests and the statistical methodology, including important errors in the basic mathematical formulas. This coupling of rapid dissemination with an informal, crowdsourced form of peer review reflects a new and potentially transformative way to do science. But the speed of modern journalism, and the lack of familiarity of the press and public with preprints, meant that despite being largely debunked, the results were pretty much taken at face value. It has always been a challenge for science journalists to balance the results of individual studies against the complex and often contentious process by which science converges on a better understanding of reality. In the past, because they were generally reporting on studies that had been through peer review at a scholarly journal, journalists could be confident that the work they were describing had received at least some scrutiny from independent scientists, even if that did not guarantee its accuracy. But the slow and staid system of journal peer review in its current form offers little help to journalists in the rapid-fire world of preprints, especially amid a pandemic when there are strong forces aligned against patience. The best initial reporting on the Stanford study incorporated the concerns raised by scientists on Twitter. But we realize that we cannot rely on this as the sole means of guarding against the overly hasty application of science reported in preprints. That is why we and a group of over 100 scientists are calling for American scientists and journalists to join forces to create a rapid-review service for preprints of broad public interest. It would corral a diverse contingent of scientists ready to comment on new preprints and to be responsive to reporters on deadline. This would provide journalists reliable access to independent scientists to help deal with todays growing stream of preprints. Netanyahu's Trial Advances Amid Growing Protests By Linda Gradstein July 19, 2020 Prime Minister Netanyahu's corruption trial will begin hearing witness testimony in January, the court in Israel announced Sunday after lawyers for the prime minister argued for a six-month delay because of the coronavirus. The decision comes amid growing protests over his handling of the pandemic including violence and calls for Netanyahu to resign. A second wave of the pandemic and new restrictions have left the public angry and confused. A judge in Jerusalem ruled that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial on three counts of corruption, fraud and breach of trust will begin to hear testimony from witnesses in January, and that hearings will be held three times a week. Netanyahu was not present. His defense attorney had asked for a delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing it will be hard for him to question witnesses who are wearing face masks. Israeli analysts say Netanyahu has consistently tried to delay his trial and has asked the court to allow him to accept donations from wealthy friends and relatives for his defense a request the court has denied. Netanyahu is accused in three different cases, including Case 4000, which is seen as the most serious. In that case he is accused of approving regulatory moves that would benefit the main shareholder of Israel's largest telecom company in exchange for positive news coverage. Israel's justice minister says the trial will continue even if Israel imposes a full lockdown to fight the pandemic. The trial comes as the Israeli public has lost faith in the government in general and in Netanyahu in particular, according to Tamar Hermann, a pollster at the Israel Democracy Insitute. "So what we see is a general sharp decline in trust in all people and teams involved in the policy-making regarding the corona crisis," said Hermann. Hermann said Netanyahu's approval rating has gone from 60 percent in March, even during the first wave of the pandemic, to less than 30 percent. Frustration over the handling of the second wave is also breeding growing anger at the government, especially among younger Israelis. For the second week in a row more than ten thousand Israelis demonstrated in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, most wearing masks. But after the demonstration ended, a few dozen blocked roads and clashed with police, leading to arrests. The unemployment rate in Israel is skyrocketing and many say they have not yet received promised government aid. COVID-19 has now left 400 dead since the beginning of the pandemic and a growing number of others with serious damage to their health. The government this weekend decided to close all gyms, pools and restaurants except for take-out and delivery. Beaches and malls will be closed on weekends but not during the week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ambitious new university course aims to help people address health, mental health and wellbeing challenges This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 20th, 2020 An ambitious postgraduate degree designed to address health, mental health and wellbeing challenges facing communities across the UK has been launched by Wrexham Glyndwr University. The new MSc Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing programme will challenge its students to consider how they can help individuals, groups, workplaces and nations to lead happier and healthier lives. It has been created to both meet the growing demand for a closer understanding of health and wellbeing issues across sectors and to be accessible to students following a range of career paths, thanks to an innovative blended learning approach which means students can choose how they study. Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Wellbeing at Wrexham Glyndwr University, Dr Sharon Wheeler, said: We want this programme to be accessible to a wide audience, including individuals working in health settings, schools, local authorities and more. An advanced understanding of health, mental health and wellbeing is increasingly necessary in many workplaces To offer real flexibility to those studying the programme, we have developed an innovative blended-learning strategy, whereby students can self-select to learn online, in the classroom, or a combination of the two. Part of the thinking behind the development of the course is that its students will work to examine areas of health, mental health and wellbeing which may currently be being missed by practitioners and policy makers and to help create ways in which they can be tackled. While the course was in development for some time before the emergence of coronavirus this spring, Sharon also believes the reaction to recent events has underlined the importance of understanding how public and mental health and wellbeing can be affected by both events and lifestyles. The global pandemic we are experiencing has undoubtedly changed thinking towards public health, mental health and wellbeing, she added. It has highlighted how human beings are extremely complex and understanding how people think and act is crucial if we are to effectively protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the nation. There are many lenses and tools for understanding why people live their lives in the ways they do spanning a number of disciplinary areas. As part of the course we have a lifestyles and health behaviours module, which will provide students with knowledge and understanding of a range theories and models relevant for understanding contemporary lifestyles and health behaviours, drawing particularly from the disciplines of psychology and sociology. It will also enable students to critically consider the application of these theories and models to different populations in different settings Our students will consider the public health, mental health and wellbeing challenges of both today and tomorrow. The ultimate aim of the programme is to enable students to contribute to the development of effective and sustainable ways of protecting, improving and promoting health, mental health and wellbeing, whether that be at individual, community, national or international levels. It will also prepare students for a wide range of careers, some of which might not even exist yet. A range of current roles which students may find themselves applying their studies to include health promotion and ill-health prevention, community health development, the assessment and surveillance of the populations health and wellbeing; identifying and planning for public health emergencies as well as the identification of health challenges and hazards in key settings. It will also be of great value to those looking at health-related research or education, the development of public/mental health policy or the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of health services, and for link workers, care navigator, social prescribers and advocates and many other profession. For those who are considering whether or not to undertake a health and well-being course whether at undergraduate level or on the new postgraduate course there are a range of shorter courses which offer them the chance to get a taste of studying at Glyndwr. Sharon added: The Health and Wellbeing Team at WGU run a range of short courses and free learning events throughout the year. These attract individuals from health settings, schools and local authorities, as well as those who simply have an interest in health and wellbeing or who are considering a career change. The feedback from individuals who participate is that our courses and learning events are always thought provoking as well as informative. They also enable discussions that help advance knowledge and understanding of topics and link together areas that are often considered in isolation. A number of individuals who participate in our short courses and learning events go on to undertake our degree programmes, having been inspired to do so and developed a keen interested in learning more. To find out more about these short courses and free learning events, visit https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/SubjectDays/ and to find out more about the course here: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Postgraduatecourses/healthmentalhealthandwellbeing/ Google has announced a new shopping platform called Shoploop that allows influencers a new place to sell their products. In a company blog post google explains how new platform streamlines online shopping through influencers. Shoploop aims to end switching between YouTube, social media apps and online shopping in order to buy products through influences. The Shoploop platform instead allows influencers to promote products and users to find reviews as well as purchase all in one place. Shoploop platform to streamline online shopping Instead of scrolling through static images and reading reviews, Shoploop will have many short clips for users to experience products. Google says the platform allows users to experience shopping for in real life without going to a physical store. Advertisement The idea here is to see relatable reviews and product exhibitions whilst online in one place. Once a product interests you, one is able to either save it or click straight through to the merchants website. This is where the concept of streamlining the process comes in. Shoploop also has a more social aspect which allows you to follow your favourite creators. You can also share products and creators with friends and family. In the short term, Google is focussed on creators and store owners in the beauty industry. The aim is to provide a platform that exploits the already heavy focus on watching reviews and example videos by putting them all in one place and streamlining the purchasing process. Advertisement Shoploop gives influences another selling platform Engadget has reported that the idea for this platform first came about because of Lax Poojary, founder of Googles experimental workshop Area 120. He saw a woman switching between apps on her phone whilst on the New York Subway. It turns out she seen a social media post about a makeup product. She then looked for a review on the product then had to find somewhere to buy it. Poojary thought this was too complex and long-winded a process so set about a way that made things easier. Facebook and Instagram have recently tried to expand their online shopping capability. Instagram used a lot by beauty influencers and it looks like Google is trying to tap into this market. Advertisement Google first launched a shopping platform back in 2019 and this seems to be another iteration of its focus in this area. Given how much online shopping has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic more focus on streamlined online shopping could be an intelligent move. However, this is still quite a bold move and will only work if it gains significant traction with buyers as well as influencers. Time will tell if it is a successful move and it will be interesting to see how it develops. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 21 2020 Surprises in Indonesian defense procurement seem like a constant feature now. After initial clearance from the United States State Department to buy an MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, news broke that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto intended to buy jet fighters from Austria. Austrian newspaper Die Presse reported on Sunday that Prabowo had sent a letter to his Austrian counterpart Klaudia Tanner offering to buy the country's 15 Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Iran, Iraq FMs hold talks in Baghdad ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 19 July 2020 / 14:05 Tehran (ISNA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein held two rounds of meetings in Baghdad on Sunday. In the second round of negotiations, Foreign Minister Zarif and Foreign Minister Hussein discussed various aspects of bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq, including the political, economic and security cooperation. The two senior diplomats also talked about the Iraqi Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Iran, the agreements signed during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's most recent visit to Iraq, the plans to strengthen and intensify cooperation on legal prosecution for the martyrdom of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, stronger economic and trade ties between the two countries particularly holding of a virtual session of Joint Economic Commission , the joint fight against terrorism, and the plans to promote cooperation and share experiences in the battle with the coronavirus pandemic. After the meeting, the top diplomats attended a joint press conference. The Iranian foreign minister is visiting Baghdad to make arrangements for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's upcoming trip to Tehran. Zarif is going to visit Erbil in the afternoon at the invitation of President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kuwait's Emir Successfully Undergoes Surgery, Official Says Sputnik News 08:51 GMT 19.07.2020(updated 09:06 GMT 19.07.2020) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah successfully underwent surgery early on Sunday, the head of the emir's office said. "His Highness the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has undergone surgery this morning, with thanks to God for its success", Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah said, as quoted by state news agency KUNA. The day before, the news agency reported that Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah was admitted to hospital for a medical check-up. Hours later, a royal decree was issued saying that Kuwait's crown prince would temporarily exercise some of the ruling emir's constitutional duties. Last year, Kuwait acknowledged that the emir had suffered an unspecified medical "setback" that required him to be hospitalised. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A video has emerged of seven ambulances queued outside a Northern Ireland hospital waiting to hand over patients, sparking concerns regarding ambulance cover and delays in people receiving treatment. The footage shot outside Craigavon Area Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department last month, shows a string of ambulances waiting to transfer patients for treatment. It comes amid warnings from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) that response times to non-urgent calls are set to be hit by a series of staffing and resourcing pressures. Crew absences linked to Covid-19 and an increase in assaults on staff were among reasons cited for the impact on cover levels. The NIAS also said crews were impacted by the pressures experienced by Northern Irelands five health trusts, stressing that turnaround times were being hit by the reduced space in emergency departments due to social distancing requirements. Alliance Party health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said the situation is "clearly very concerning". "It represents the huge challenge we are seeing with the restoration of services after the peak of Covid infections," she said. "It also reinforces the need for transformation, including the modernisation of the ambulance service, to proceed swiftly." SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly said: "The video and reports about handover times at Craigavon Hospital are deeply concerning, particularly when ambulance cover has been an issue in local communities during busy weekends. "I know that our Health Service Staff are pushing themselves to the limit to deliver for people in need, especially during this public health crisis. I'll be contacting the trust to ensure that every resource is made available to help ambulance service staff and that people receive timely treatment." In response, a NIAS spokesperson said: "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service addressed the situation with delays in turnaround times across the region in a comprehensive statement released to media outlets on July 17. "These delays in ambulance turnaround times, due in no small measure to reduced space in the emergency departments as a result of social distancing requirements, impact greatly on the number of crews we have available to respond to emergencies in the community, in a timely manner. "NIAS continues to work with colleagues in the Department of Health, Health and Social Care Board and the five hospital Trusts to find solutions to these issues." A Southern Health and Social Care Trust spokesperson said Craigavon Area Hospitals Emergency Department (ED) is "one of the busiest in Northern Ireland" and, following a drop in demand during lockdown, attendances have returned to pre-Covid-19 levels. "We are still in a pandemic and while the rate of Covid-19 in the local community is currently thankfully low, the likelihood of further spikes in numbers is high and our priority is creating a safe environment for patients and staff," they added. "We have new arrangements to manage the risks of Covid19 in an acute hospital setting and this places extra demands and constraints on our staff. We are working hard to safely re-open the Emergency Department at Daisy Hill Hospital by the end of September. Particular concerns have also been previously raised about ambulance cover in the Newry, south Down and south Armagh region. Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady said issues have been worsened due to the temporary closure of the A&E Department at Daisy Hill Hospital. "We are acutely aware of the longstanding pressures on the ambulance service which have been further compounded by the covid pandemic. Staffing levels that were already stretched have been inevitably reduced even more due to covid, resulting in an over reliance on overtime to cover shifts, which is incredibly challenging and simply unsustainable," he said. "With longer journey times for ambulance crews now having to travel to Craigavon Emergency Department whilst Daisy Hill Emergency Department is temporarily closed, this has also has had a significant impact on the service." Earlier this month it emerged that staffing issues had resulted in no full-time ambulance cover operating across southern parts of Down and Armagh on Friday, July 3. Ardent Leisure is expected to face prosecution over the Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids Ride tragedy that claimed four lives almost four years ago. The Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor is expected to issue a statement mid-Tuesday morning revealing its decision on whether to lay charges against Dreamworld's parent company. The 2016 tragedy at Dreamworld claimed the lives of Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi. Sydney mother Cindy Low, Canberra mother Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi were killed on October 25, 2016, when the ride malfunctioned. The raft carrying the four victims and an empty raft collided at the end of the ride's conveyor belt, causing the riders' raft to flip over. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Artsakh Artur Tovmasyan met with Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on the sidelines of his non-official visit in Yerevan. During the talk we touched upon the recent tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. We discussed the agreements reached during the previous meetings, exchanging views on issues aimed at deepening the mutual partnership between the parliaments of the two Armenian states. I am sure that these works will receive a new impetus after overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, the Artsakh Speaker of Parliament said on Facebook. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan By PTI NEW DELHI: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Monday said all essential shops, including kiranas, general trade shops, supermarkets, must be allowed to operate till 9 pm everyday as "local lockdowns and ad-hoc restrictions" in many states are having a distressing impact on retail businesses. Total lockdowns in some places and limited operational hours and days in several others are creating setbacks for retailers as the already stressed retail businesses are getting further interrupted and in turn dampening consumer sentiment, RAI said in a statement. Citing instances of "local lockdowns and ad-hoc restrictions being imposed in UP, Maharashtra, AP and Karnataka", the retailers body said such developments are "making a distressing impact on retail businesses" as retailers are already facing huge setbacks in terms of payment of wages and rentals due to very low sales of about 40 per cent as compared to last year due to the extended lockdown. RAI said the restrictions imposed by several state governments are compounding the situation and posing significant operational issues as restricted hours of operations, stoppage of staff and goods vehicle have resulted in hindered supply chains and skewed buying patterns. "Shops being allowed to open for shorter number of hours leads to crowding because demand is inelastic. This is detrimental to social distancing. It is also creating a havoc on the supply side affecting availability of goods," it added. RAI said it has submitted representations to various state and local authorities putting forth recommendations to get businesses and life of consumers on the track to recovery, including "mandatorily allowing essential shops including kiranas, general trade shops, supermarkets, hypermarkets and wholesalers to operate every day of the week until 9 pm to cater to the daily needs of the customers". It also sought ensuring uniform and regular opening of all categories of retail for full working hours while following stringent hygiene practices and adhering to social distancing norms. "This will help avoid overcrowding outside stores as demand will get distributed over all days of the week," the retailers' body said. RAI CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said the association has submitted representations to state and local authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka seeking removal of timing restrictions that have been imposed in some regions derailing smooth operations. Expressing similar views, Bata India CEO Sandeep Kataria said, "Restricted shopping time can lead to unnecessary overcrowding of stores, which is unfavourable towards the personal safety of both store staff and customers. Longer operational hours will support recovery for retailers as well as help adhering to social distancing norms." METRO Cash & Carry India MD and CEO Arvind Mediratta said the decision to close all stores on weekends in Uttar Pradesh and to reinforce a stringent lockdown in Bengaluru would severely impact business. "These lockdowns will create severe inconvenience for all citizens as they also bar operations of food and grocery retail and wholesale stores," he said, adding "such hastily implemented decisions by states undermine investor confidence and would come in the way of making the country 'aatmanirbhar'." Similarly, Arvind Lifestyle Brands, CEO 'Unlimited' Himanshu Chakrawarti said, "Customer convenience and preventing of crowding are both served best by having regular retail timings. Odd even dates or few hours trading time inconveniences customers and also results in crowding." He asked local authorities to take a larger contextual view and issue notifications with more stable working days and timings to ensure customer safety and convenience. Rajagopalan said the need of the hour is concerted efforts by all stakeholders. "While retailers are doing their bit by following stringent hygiene practices, the policymakers too need to support to ensure economic revival across the country. Consumption is important for the country and supports the business environment," he added. Britons can now buy coronavirus antibody tests on the high street to find out if they have had Covid-19 in the past. Superdrug has today relaunched its blood testing service after having it shut down by regulators in May over accuracy concerns. The retailer changed its service to take blood from veins instead of relying on finger-pricks, which officials say isn't proven to be accurate. The tests, which cost 89 each, use kits developed by the company Abbott, which supplies the most accurate antibody test currently used by the Government. Twenty-eight Superdrug clinics around the UK have nurses trained to draw blood so it can be analysed to look for signs of past Covid-19 infection. But the retailer is not selling the kits as a walk-in service and customers must register online first. Because nurses now have to take blood instead of people doing it at home, because of Government rules, the test costs 20 more than it did in May, when it was 69. Millions of people across the UK are known to have had Covid-19 but never actually tested positive for it because the Government rationed swab testing during the peak of the outbreak. Many don't know for sure if they have had the virus. A positive test result does not mean the person cannot catch the virus again and the Government isn't offering the public antibody tests because it doesn't want to confuse people. The Superdrug tests take around three days to produce a result and are claimed to be 97.5 per cent accurate at spotting who has had the virus, although Public Health England evaluations found the accuracy is more like 93 per cent. Abbott, one of the manufacturers of a Government validated test which is being used by Superdrug, is furious that its tests are being used with self-sampled blood, which was not its intended use. It has sold 800,000 of the tests to the NHS already Superdrug must now take vein blood samples for antibody tests after the Government regulator banned companies from offering tests done using finger-prick blood (stock image) Healthcare director at Superdrug, Michael Henry said: 'People still want easy access to a service where they can find out if they have already been infected with Covid-19. 'Launching this nurse-led antibody testing service in our health clinics gives them the choice to find out. 'Receiving a positive antibody test result does not however confer immunity, and its important that people understand that it does not mean you can be any more relaxed with the required hygiene and social distancing measures as set out by the government.' The testing service is available to order on the store's Health Clinics website. WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR? Antibody tests are ones which look for signs of past infection in someone's blood. Antibodies are substances produced by the immune system which store memories of how to fight off a specific virus. They can only be created if the body is exposed to the virus by getting infected for real, or through a vaccine or other type of specialist immune therapy. Generally speaking, antibodies produce immunity to a virus because they are redeployed if it enters the body for a second time, defeating the bug faster than it can take hold and cause an illness. An antibody test, which involves analysis of someone's blood sample, has two purposes: to reveal whether an individual has been infected in the past and may therefore be protected against the virus, and to count those people. Knowing you are immune to a virus - although whether people actually develop immunity to Covid-19 is still unknown - can affect how you act in the future. Someone may need to protect themselves less if they know they have been infected, for example, or medical staff may be able to return to work in the knowledge they are not at risk. Counting the numbers of people who have antibodies is the most accurate way of calculating how many people in a population have had the virus already. This can be done on a small sample of the population and the figures scaled up to give a picture of the country as a whole. In turn, this can inform scientists and politicians how devastating a second outbreak might be, and how close the country is to herd immunity - a situation in which so many people have had the virus already that it would not be able to spread quickly a second time. Experts believe that around 60 per cent exposure would be required for herd immunity from Covid-19, but the UK does not appear to be anywhere close to that. Early estimates suggest 17 per cent of Londoners have had the virus, along with five per cent of the rest of the country about 4.83million people. This means the virus might spread slightly slower in future but the risk of second outbreak and hundreds or thousands more deaths remains very real. Advertisement Antibody tests have been a controversial subject for months after the Government first pledged them to the public in March but rowed back on its decision. Many tests turned out to be inaccurate and even if results are accurate, scientists still aren't sure how to interpret them because people may not develop immunity. The tests work by screening a small blood sample to look for antibodies, which are disease-fighting substances made by the immune system that are specific to one illness. If Covid-specific antibodies are present in someone's blood, it means they have been infected with the virus in the past and fought it off. Superdrug's service requires someone to visit a clinic where a nurse will extract their blood from a vein in their arm and then hand them a stamped envelope. The customer must then post their own blood sample in a special priority post box set up by Royal Mail, from which it will be taken to a laboratory for analysis. The results are then analysed by a doctor and returned within two to three days, the company says. The new service comes after Superdrug's first antibody testing service was shut down by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In May, the government agency told all companies to stop offering antibody tests to people using blood taken from their fingers at home. Abbott, the American company that made the tests, had not approved them for use with finger-prick blood, it emerged, and regulators became concerned about their accuracy. An MHRA spokesperson told MailOnline at the time: 'Patient safety and public health are our main priorities and it is in the interests of everyone for antibody tests to be as reliable and meaningful as they can be. 'There are several UK providers of testing services who offer Covid-19 antibody testing using a finger-prick sample of capillary blood collected in a small container. 'We are asking all providers of laboratory-based Covid-19 antibody testing services using capillary blood collected by a finger-prick to temporarily stop providing this service until home collection of this sample type has been properly validated for use with these laboratory tests. 'Use of unvalidated sample types may lead to unreliable results and as such we are working closely with the service providers, laboratories and test manufacturers to resolve the regulatory and patient safety issues. 'People who have purchased one of these sampling kits, and received an antibody test result, should not consider the result to be reliable and should not take any action on it. 'This does not affect rapid point of care tests or laboratory tests performed using venous blood.' Blood from capillaries, because it comes through a wound in the skin, is more likely to be contaminated by the time it reaches the lab. Tissue fluid from parts of the body surrounding the blood vessels, or substances on the skin, may mix with the tiny amount of blood and make it more difficult for the test to filter it accurately. Taking the blood properly is key - for example, the first drop of blood should not be used for the above reason - and unqualified people might be less likely to get a clean sample if doing it by themselves. The MHRA said those types of tests had never been approved in the UK but that it was acting after receiving reports that they were going on. Superdrug uses a testing kit developed by pharmaceutical firm Abbott, which has so far proven to be the most accurate laboratory test used by the UK Government It would use enforcement action to stop companies offering them if they did not follow the rules, the MHRA said. When Superdrug first launched its antibody testing service in the spring it experienced huge demand and had to suspend the process just hours after opening it because so many people booked tests. The reason it is a popular service is that only 295,000 people have been officially diagnosed with coronavirus but approximately 2.8million have had it. Office for National Statistics testing in the population suggests that 6.3 per cent of the population of England would receive a positive antibody test result. This is equal to about 2.8million people, meaning more than 2.5million people have had the disease but not had their diagnosis confirmed. When will international flight operations to India be fully normal? Heres what govt says India revises Covid-19 guidelines for international arrivals amid Omicron fears, to be effective from Dec 1 Coronavirus: When will international air travel restart in India? India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, July 20: India is all set to resume international flight operations as the country established individual bilateral bubbles with France, Germany and the US that will allow airlines of each country in the pact to operate international flights. A similar arrangement with the UK will soon be permitted. Air France will be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris from July 18 to August 1, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at a press conference. American carrier United Airlines will be flying 18 flights between India and the US from July 17 to 31, he added. "They (United) are flying a daily flight between Delhi and Newark and a thrice-a-week flight between Delhi and San Francisco," Puri noted. The minister on Thursday said India is planning to establish a bubble with the UK soon under which there would be two flights per day between Delhi and London. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News "We have got a request from Germans also. I think the arrangement with Lufthansa is almost done...We are processing that request," Puri said. However, later during the day, the Civil Aviation Ministry issued a statement that said, "Air bubbles established with US, France and Germany...Lufthansa will also be operating (flights)." Coronavirus: Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain says community spread present The statement also said, "Talk of an air bubble in an advanced stage with the UK." From India, Air India will be operating flights to France, Germany and the US under these bubbles. An air bubble is a bilateral arrangement with a set of regulations and restrictions in which the carriers of the two countries can operate international flights. On July 9, India had announced an air bubble with the UAE that would be in place from July 12 to 26. The minister said at the press conference, "Now we have many demands for air bubbles, but we need to be careful. We should permit that many only that we can handle." Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. After nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the government resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights on May 25. However, it had then allowed the airlines to operate maximum 33 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) increased the limits on June 26 from 33 per cent to 45 per cent. The research report on North America clinical trial management system market provides insights regarding the market status over 2020-2026. An intricate analysis of the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities underlying this business sphere is encompassed in the report. Selbyville, Delaware, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Market Study Report, North America clinical trial management system market garnered a valuation of USD 570 million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 1.4 billion by the year 2026. Surging number of clinical trials for finding cures for various diseases and condition is the primary growth driver of industry, cites the report. As per the American Pharmaceutical Review Supplement updated in 2015, phase 1 clinical trial costs stood at USD 24 million, whereas phase 2 was worth USD 86 million and phase 3 amassed USD 61 million. High cost of conducting these trials impact the overall treatment cost, which may hinder the industry growth over the forecast duration. For the uninitiated, clinical trial management system (CTMS) eases various challenges and produces effective results during clinical trials. Moreover, medical history & evidences state that clinical trials can be immensely beneficial for patients and aid in improving therapeutic treatments. The ability to safeguard developments in medical practices is ultimately favoring the CTMS industry. Request Sample copy of this Report @ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2609860/ Component type overview: North America clinical trial management system market is split into software, hardware, and services. The foremost segment accounted for USD 390 million in 2019 and is expected to gain considerable traction over the projected timeline. The growth can be credited to several advantages of software solutions and increasing R&D expenditure on clinical research & life sciences. Product insights: Clinical trial management systems fall under two categories enterprise based and site based. The former segment generated 70% revenue for North America clinical trial management system market in 2019. Enterprise based CTMS accelerates protocol design and allows faster admittance to patient recruitment and exchange & capture of subject data, which drive its demand. Story continues Delivery mode analysis: On-premise, web, and cloud are three delivery modes of clinical trial management system market. Among these, web-based segment is predicted to register a y-o-y growth rate of 14% through 2026. Wide range of applications, user-friendly interface, and high flexibility of web-based CTMS, with benefits like high cost efficiency and easier & faster approaches are augmenting the demand for these solutions. End-use scope: North America clinical trial management system market, based on the end-user scope, is divided into pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and clinical research organizations. As per credible sources, healthcare providers segment grasped 6% revenue share in 2019 and is expected to witness modest gains in the coming years. CTMS assists healthcare providers in monitoring and recording various procedures for future reference. It also enables data sharing between patients and regulatory bodies if required. To access a sample copy or view this report in detail along with the table of contents, please click the link below: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/north-america-clinical-trial-management-system-market-statistics Regional outlook: U.S. and Canada are the prime contributors of North America clinical trial management system market. The study cites that United States leads the industry growth, owing to presence of well-established healthcare framework and supportive government. Further, inflow of funds by several organizations for conducting clinical trials is expected to expand the business landscape in the nation. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market Component Sub-Segments (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) Software Hardware Services North America Clinical Trial Management System Market Product Sub-Segments (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) Enterprise based Site based North America Clinical Trial Management System Market Delivery Mode Sub-Segments (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) On premise Web Cloud North America Clinical Trial Management System Market End-use Sub-Segments (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies Healthcare providers Clinical research organizations North America Clinical Trial Management System Market Regional Landscape Sub-Segments (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) United States Canada North America Clinical Trial Management System Market Competitive Backdrop (Revenue, USD Million, 2015-2026) Veeva Systems PAREXEL International Corporation Oracle OmniComm Systems, Inc. Merge Healthcare (IBM Watson Health) MedNet Solutions, Inc. Medidata Solutions, Inc. MasterControl Inc. Forte DSG Inc. DataTrak International Bio-Optronics, Inc. Bioclinica Table of Content: Chapter 1. Methodology 1.1. Definition and forecast parameters 1.2. Data sources 1.3. References & sources Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. North America clinical trial management system industry summary, 2015 - 2026 2.1.1. Country trends 2.1.2. Component trends 2.1.3. Product trends 2.1.4. Delivery mode trends 2.1.5. End-use trends Chapter 3. Industry Insights 3.1. Industry segmentation 3.2. Industry outlook, 2015 - 2026 3.3. Major factor analysis 3.4. Regulatory landscape 3.4.1. U.S. 3.5. Technology landscape 3.6. Porters analysis 3.7. Competitive review, 2019 3.8. PESTEL analysis Chapter 4. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market, By Component 4.1. Key trends in North America clinical trial management system, by component 4.2. Software 4.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2015 - 2026 (USD Million) 4.3. Hardware Chapter 5. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market, By Product 5.1. Key trends in North America clinical trial management system, by product 5.2. Enterprise based 5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2015 - 2026 (USD Million) 5.3. Site based Chapter 6. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market, By Delivery Mode 6.1. Key trends in North America clinical trial management system, by delivery mode 6.2. Web 6.3. Cloud 6.4. On premise Chapter 7. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market, By End-use 7.1. Key trends in North America clinical trial management system, by end-use 7.2. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies 7.3. Clinical research organizations 7.4. Healthcare providers Chapter 8. North America Clinical Trial Management System Market, By Country Related Report: Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Market Size, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 2025 Clinical Trial Management System Market will exceed USD 2.5 billion by 2025, as per a new research report. Increasing demand for contract research organizations for conducting clinical trials will augment the clinical trial management systems business growth over the analysis period. Benefits associated with outsourcing clinical trials including on time delivery, reduced cycle times and decreased administrative costs will foster industry growth. Use of clinical trials management systems (CTMS) in clinical trial has increased ability to deal with problems and produce effective results thereby, increasing its adoption in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Asia-Pacific clinical trial management systems market will show fastest CAGR of 14.5% during the analysis timeframe. Growing number of companies for outsourcing clinical trials in emerging economies such as China, India and South Korea will impel business growth. About US: Market Study Report, LLC. is a hub for market intelligence products and services. We streamline the purchase of your market research reports and services through a single integrated platform by bringing all the major publishers and their services at one place. Our customers partner with Market Study Report, LLC. to ease their search and evaluation of market intelligence products and services and in turn focus on their company's core activities. If you are looking for research reports on global or regional markets, competitive information, emerging markets and trends or just looking to stay on top of the curve then Market Study Report, LLC. is the platform that can help you in achieving any of these objectives. Contact Us: Corporate Sales, Market Study Report LLC Phone: 1-302-273-0910 Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com Courtesy of the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office An 82-year-old man has been arrested and charged with a first-degree felony for the alleged continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. Court documents allege that Orlando Arias sexually assaulted a child for 10 years, from the time the victim was under the age of 4 until the victim was under the age of 14. Arias was arrested July 15 and charged with two violations of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child with the added consideration for the fact the alleged crimes took place for a decade. Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of having affairs with stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, who he nicknamed pumpkin-head, the actress has said. Ms Heard said she had to justify to Mr Depp why she accepted film roles and said the situation was much worse if there were sex scenes or kissing. She has alleged that Mr Depp would taunt her and had nicknames for all of her male co-stars that he considered a sexual threat. In a witness statement filed as part of Mr Depps High Court libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence, Ms Heard said Mr Depp demanded to know about romantic scenes in her films and complained about how people can watch me get f***ed on camera. Expand Close Amber Heard at the High Court in London (Kirsty OConnor/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard at the High Court in London (Kirsty OConnor/PA) She said: He would insist every male actor was trying to sleep with me and/or that I had had an affair with them, that hed spoken to people and knew all about it. He would try and catch me out by taking my phone or telling me someone had told him I was having an affair and act as if he had information proving it when I really hadnt. He accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum; even women co-stars like Kelly Garner. He also accused me of having affairs with stars I auditioned with, like Leonardo DiCaprio. He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was pumpkin-head, Channing Tatum was potato-head and Jim Turd Sturgess. Video of the Day Ms Heard, 34, said Mr Depp, 57, would even get himself copies of the scripts she was looking at, without asking her, in order to review them for himself. She said: His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldnt do. Ms Heard said she found herself turning down work, and said her salary fell every year she was with him. Expand Close Johnny Depp at the High Court (Kirsty OConnor/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Johnny Depp at the High Court (Kirsty OConnor/PA) She said he was very jealous and would obsess about who she had slept with and been out with before him. Ms Heard said: He spoke possessively of me as my woman and made comments that he wished he had found me before I had slept with anyone else, joking he would have locked me away at 14. He would obsess about how I dressed. If I wore a low-cut dress, then he would say things like my girl is not gonna dress like a whore. Over time, I stopped wearing revealing dresses for red carpet events: it just wasnt worth the verbal and psychological abuse. He demeaned me anytime I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a whore, slut, fame-hungry and an attention whore, but it got worse over time. He started saying things like well Im going to have to watch you get raped and I hope you get railed by a bunch of f***ing fellas. Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be or deserved to be assaulted by, saying things like a slimy Mexican or a f***ing gang of big black mother f***ers are going to f*** you and get their big c*** in you. Ms Heard said Mr Depp would also call her fat ass, and that sometimes she would respond by calling him old man or limp dick. Expand Close Court artist sketch of Amber Heard giving evidence at the High Court during a hearing in Johnny Depps libel case (Elizabeth Cook/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Court artist sketch of Amber Heard giving evidence at the High Court during a hearing in Johnny Depps libel case (Elizabeth Cook/PA) She said Mr Depp once took her car, a Mustang, without asking her, explaining that he was going to get it fixed for her as a gift. Once it was gone, he insisted that his drivers and handlers take me everywhere, she said, adding that she did not have a car for the next three-and-a-half years. She said: Over time it became obvious that this was one of the ways in which he would know about and control where I was. The same happened with security guards. He insisted on me having personal security, over my protests, and sent his own security guards with me, who would report back to him about where I was at all times. On Friday, John Lewis, the civil rights icon and longtime Georgia congressman, died. He was eighty, and had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He addressed the March on Washington, in 1963; had his skull fractured by state troopers on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, in 1965; and served as chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee until his ouster by Stokely Carmichael, in 1966. Over the weekend, tributes to Lewis poured forth, including in the press. By the time of his death, Jelani Cobb wrote in The New Yorker, Lewis had been bound so tightly and for so long to the mythos of the movement for democracy in America that it was difficult to separate him from it. For this reason, a friend who texted me John Lewis is gone, what are we going to do now? was not only reacting to grief but expressing a real and common sentiment. As well as remembering struggles past, much coverage of Lewis linked his legacy to Americas current reckoning with race. The editorial board of the New York Times drew a grim parallel between Bloody Sunday and the much more recent killing of George Floyd, noting that both showed the extent to which many people need visual evidence to grow outraged over injustice that is perpetrated all the time outside the cameras eye. There were references to Lewiss final public appearance, in Washington, DC, last month, when he went to observe the huge black lives matter mural on the street outside the White House. And there were invocations of the Voting Rights Act, which the Supreme Court gutted in 2013, and which congressional Republicans have thus far declined to reinforce. (Over the weekend, many of the same Republicans hailed Lewis as a hero, and were criticized for doing so; Lewis was too good a man to be praised by Mitch McConnell, Cobb wrote.) As Ive written previously, obituaries and other media memorializing must strike a delicate balance between the immediate context of a public figures death and the nuances of their personal history. Often, overstating the former distorts or drowns out the latter. In Lewiss case, the two requirements are inseparable. ICYMI: Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump? At this moment, perhaps more than any other, death is defining our media landscapefrom the pandemic to the protests to, now, the loss of Lewisand posing tough questions about our coverage and the ways it falls short of adequately serving communities of color. Many journalists have called for moral clarity to be accepted as an organizing principle of our craft, eliciting pushback from some more old-school voices who see a slippery slope from such calls to the abandonment of the pursuit of fact. Lewiss life was a lesson in moral clarity. If his death teaches members of the press anything, it should be that such clarity does not demand a subjective free-for-all, but rather the understanding that democratic rightsthe right of free association; the right to protest without being beaten by the police; the right to voteare fundamental, and that fighting for them is not playing politics, but what is right. Lewis reminds us, too, that the fight for these rights is the work of a lifetime, and not merely a function of sporadic tragedies and flare-ups. In many places, the protests that followed the recent killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and others have not abated. They have continued to attract coverage from independent and citizen journalists, local outlets, and, sometimes, bigger outletsbut as Fabiola Cineas wrote for Vox last week, they no longer occupy a central place in the national conversation, and when we return to them, its often to spotlight unrepresentative instances of violence or conflict. The rhythms of the news cycleon TV, in particularare ephemeral, and prioritize novelty; they thus discriminate against the stories of long-term, peaceful movements with simple, consistent demands and coverage of intractable social crises. To be of any use, morally clear coverage must be sustained. As Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff note in their book The Race Beat, during the civil rights fight of the sixties, Lewis saw journalists as alliessympathetic referees who added a layer of protection against racist brutality by showing up to document it. If it hadnt been for the media, Lewis said, the civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings, a choir without a song. But the media as a whole has not been a reliable ally of Lewiss causeparticularly when it comes to our own structures of representation. In 1968, the Kerner Commissionwhich President Lyndon B. Johnson convened (then disowned) in response to unrest in major citiesconcluded that the medias overwhelming whiteness led it to miss the root causes of the unrest, and called for greater diversity in newsrooms. We have not fully delivered on that. As Cobb noted in CJRs fall 2018 magazine on race and journalism, 50 years after Kerner, we still see chronic underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in print and broadcast media. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The lessons that Lewiss life and death offer the press cannot fully be learned until that state of affairs is rectified. Over the weekend, Errin Haines, an editor at The 19th (who also wrote for CJRs race issue), noted as much on Twitter. Journalists pushing to make their newsrooms reflect America and for coverage that tells the most honest truth about this country are also causing good trouble, Haines wrote, borrowing a favored refrain of Lewissgood trouble, necessary troublethat echoed through coverage of his death. Dont report on John Lewis death without also asking how your institution is or isnt confronting equality. Below, more on the death of John Lewis, and protests: Other notable stories: ICYMI: The mystery of Tucker Carlson Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. (Sharecast News) - Global Petroleum announced ab updated estimate of prospective resources for PEL0094, or 'Block 2011A', offshore Namibia on Monday, after interpretation of the 3D seismic data survey recently licensed from the Namibian state oil company Namcor, which also holds a carried interest of 17% in the licence. The AIM-traded firm holds a working interest of 78%, and is the operator. It said a total of 881 million barrels of unrisked gross prospective resources had been estimated in PEL0094 in two prospects, of which 687 million barrels were net to Global. Those had been estimated using a probabilistic method, the board said, adding that the prospective resources were based on the 3D and 2D seismic data and geological information, including analogues, to which the company had access. As it had expected, the interpretation of the 3D seismic data led to increased confidence in the two prospects previously identified - Marula and Welwitschia Deep - the board said. The Marula prospect is a distal pinchout of Cretaceous sandstones onto the Welwitschia high, with Global's interpretation of the 3D data revealing a "significant amplitude anomaly" whose down-dip edge conformed with structure, which had resulted in the geological chance of success of Marula being increased to 18% from 8%. Global said the Welwitschia Deep prospect had also been confirmed by interpretation of the 3D data, with the Albian carbonate reservoir having best estimate unrisked gross prospective resources of 671 million barrels of oil, with 523 million barrels net to Global, with a geological chance of success of 17%. "As reported in March this year, we were very pleased to come to an agreement with Namcor to licence the existing 3D seismic data on Block 2011A in return for extra equity in the licence, thus conserving the company's cash resources," said chief executive officer Peter Hill. "Our experienced technical team has carried out a comprehensive re-interpretation of the 3D data. "This work has reinforced our existing view that the acreage is highly prospective, both by confirming resource estimates and by significantly increasing the chance of success of the Marula prospect." At 1250 BST, shares in Global Petroleum were up 4.48% at 1.2p. Experts worry gangs notorious for cattle rustling and kidnappings could be forging ties with hardline groups in region. At least 23 Nigerian troops were killed when they were ambushed by a gang of so-called bandits in a remote village in the northwest of the country, security sources said on Sunday. The gang opened fire on the soldiers as they walked through a forested part of the Jibia district in Katsina State, the sources told AFP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity. The bodies of 23 soldiers have been accounted for while some are still missing, a military source said. In the past, the armed gangs, known locally as bandits, have been involved in cattle rustling and kidnappings, but a number of experts have recently warned that they could be forging ties with hardline groups in the region. One militia member said the toll could be higher than 23, as a search for missing soldiers was under way. Also on Saturday in the same area, five children were killed and six others injured when a bomb accidentally exploded, a spokesman for Katsina State police said. It was not clear whether the explosive had been left by the bandits, the statement said. Katsina State, where President Muhammadu Buhari originates from and where the vast majority of the population lives in extreme poverty, has become increasingly volatile in recent years. The Nigerian army regularly raids the forests where the armed groups hide, but the number of soldiers is insufficient and villagers organise themselves into civilian militia. In May, the International Crisis Group, an NGO, warned that the armed gangs could be developing links with groups such as Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). The bandits have killed about 8,000 people since 2011 and forced more than 200,000 to flee their homes, according to an estimate by Brussels-based Crisis Group. Jonathan Ananda By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Its survival at stake, Vodafone Idea on Monday told an irate Supreme Court bench that it will not be able to provide any bank guarantees against its AGR liabilities. These pending dues, penalties and interest in penalties run to over Rs 51,000 crore even after accounting for the Rs 7,854 crore the company has paid so far. The submission came at the SC's hearing on Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues, where the apex court is considering whether to grant the government's plea to allow telecom companies to pay their remaining dues in installments over 20 years. While the Supreme Court bench reserved its judgement on the payment schedule on Monday, it directed that there would be no further re-assessment or recalculation of dues. It also ordered insolvent companies that have AGR liabilities -- such as Aircel, Reliance Communication, Videocon, etc -- to submit their insolvency documents. The next hearing in the crucial case has been scheduled for August 10. Vodafone in deep trouble During Monday's hearing, Vodafone's counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah that no lender was willing to provide the company a guarantee. "All tangible assets are secured before banks, no nationalised bank is willing to give a guarantee," Rohatgi told the bench. He also added that "over the past 15 years, the entire net worth of the company has been wiped out", with all the income spent on liabilities, taxes, and statutory dues. Equity worth Rs 1 lakh crore brought by the promoters over this period has been eroded, he said, when the SC raised queries on how it could trust that Vodafone Idea would pay the rest of its dues if granted a longer timeframe. ALSO READ | Will the gold bull run amid COVID-19 last? Here's what analysts think The company, however, pointed out that it was due an "undisputed" GST credit of Rs 8,200 crore, which may be retained by the government as security. Vodafone Idea also told the bench that it had not made contingent provisions for the AGR liability because the TDSAT had ruled in favour of the telcos. The company added that its actual outstanding dues in terms of principal were only around Rs 14,000 crore and that the rest was made up of penalties and interest. Decision on payment schedule crucial The Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) case has been a millstone around the neck of the telecom industry for over three quarters now. On October 24, 2019, the same Supreme Court bench had delivered a massive blow to incumbent telecom players in the legal dispute, which began over 14 years ago. The court ruled that AGR should include 'revenues from non-telecom businesses of the license-holders'. Since AGR is the basis on which statutory levies like Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) and License Fees (LF) are charged, over a dozen telecom firms -- both operational and defunct -- were ordered to pay up fourteen years worth of pending dues, penalties and interest. New entrant Reliance Jio, a market player only since 2016, promptly paid its dues of Rs 193-odd crore before the January 23, 2020 deadline set by the court. But, the story has been different for those who had been operating longer. Three companies have borne the brunt of the verdict -- Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and the Tata group (Tata Telecomunications) -- and now face tax dues of over Rs 58,254 crore, Rs 43,890 crore and Rs 16,798 crore respectively. While Bharti Airtel has been able to pay up Rs 18,004 crore already through a couple of fundraising measures, Vodafone Idea has had a far difficult time. The company and its promoters have warned several times already that if it were directed to meet its full liabilities in one go, it would likely head toward insolvency. Government sources have confirmed that the prospect of a private sector telecom duopoly in Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel will be undesirable. And Vodafone Idea, despite its hemoharraging customers over the past few months, still has a subscriber base of over 290 million. The company has only managed to pay Rs 7,854 crore so far. Out of this amount, Rs 1,000 crore was paid just this Saturday. With industry representatives crying hoarse on the damage a full and immediate payout would do, the DoT decided in March to seek the SC's blessing to provide relief. The telecom firms, it petitioned, should be allowed to pay their dues in instalments spread over 20 years. On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the SC bench that the Union Cabinet had decided to petition for a 20-year staggered payment schedule "to save the economy from its cascading effect". Tough road ahead Even if relief is granted, analysts say, the road to recovery is unlikely to be easy. Vodafone Idea especially is facing a massive tariff hike across segments in order to meet its cash flow requirements -- even after factoring in AGR payouts over 20 years. In a report published after the last hearing, analysts from Motilal Oswal had noted that a 20-year payment period at 8 per cent interest would result in a cash outgo of Rs 2,700 crore per annum for Bharti Airtel and Rs 5,200 crore for Vodafone Idea. "Considering Vodafone Idea's liquidity constraints, it needs a ~50 per cent ARPU (average revenue per user) increase to achieve EBITDA of Rs 30,000 crore by FY22E," they wrote. Such a tariff hike would bridge the gap between the estimated Rs 12,800 crore EBITDA in FY22 against a cash requirement of: Rs 16,500 crore in deferred spectrum liabilities; Rs 5,200 crore in annual AGR payments; Rs 3,000 crore in cash interest cost to lenders; and capital expenditure of Rs 5,200 crore. "This is assuming there is no further subscriber churn, which also seems unlikely given the weak network capability and negative consumer sentiment," Motilal Oswal had warned. ALSO SEE: Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people worldwide, scientists around the globe have been racing to create an effective vaccine. On Monday, the public has been given the first glimmer of hope that there could soon be a treatment to slow the pandemic and lessen the diseases damage. As it stands, only there is only one drug licensed in the UK to treat coronavirus. Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug funded by the UK government, has been approved to treat all UK hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen, including those on ventilators. A general view of AstraZeneca offices. An Oxford University vaccine progress paper is was published on Monday. (AP) The drug has been proven to reduce the risk of death significantly in COVID-19 patients on ventilation by as much as 35% and patients on oxygen by 20%, reducing the total 28-day mortality rate by 17%. The World Health Organization (WHO) says: At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. A coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University appears to be safe and induces a 'strong' immune reaction. Pictured, Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group. (AP) Oxford University trial finds vaccine safe A coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University appears to be safe and induces a strong immune reaction. The results of tests carried out by the university were published on Monday in The Lancet medical journal. The early stage trial, which had 1,077 participants aged between 18 and 55, found that the vaccine is safe and causes few side effects. The vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 also induces strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system, provoking a T cell response within 14 days of vaccination, and an antibody response within 28 days. Read more: 'Broken heart syndrome' on the rise during coronavirus pandemic Compared with the control group of those given a meningitis vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine caused minor side effects, which were treatable with paracetamol. However, The Lancet warned of the trial: Current results focus on immune response measured in the laboratory. Further testing is needed to confirm if vaccine effectively protects against infection. Story continues Weve secured early access to 90 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccine candidates from @BioNTech_Group, @pfizer and @valnevaSE, and treatments containing neutralising antibodies from @AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines. https://t.co/TGBcLpqPzg pic.twitter.com/Ev609t4Bl8 UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 20, 2020 Boris Johnson said it was an important step in the right direction. "This is very positive news. A huge well done to our brilliant, world-leading scientists & researchers at @UniofOxford," the prime minister said on Twitter. The universitys Professor Sarah Gilbert, co-author of the study, said: There is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, but these early results hold promise. The journal said: Authors say further clinical studies, including in older adults, should be done with this vaccine. Prince William visits the Oxford Vaccine Group's facility where a vaccine against COVID-19 has been produced, at Churchill Hospital, Oxford. (PA) UK secures 90 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccines The government has secured early access to 90 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccines currently being developed. The agreements include 30 million doses of a vaccine in trials that are being developed by BioNTech and Pfizer and 60 million doses of a vaccine from Valneva. These will add to the 100 million doses of the vaccine under development by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca that has been found to induce a strong reaction and is already in large-scale phase 3 human trials. Read more: What is the coronavirus treatment being hailed a 'breakthrough'? The government said the partnerships could provide access to enough doses to vaccinate priority groups, including the vulnerable and frontline health and social care workers. Business secretary Alok Sharma said the agreements would ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk. He added: The hunt to find a vaccine is a truly global endeavour and we are doing everything we can to ensure the British public get access to a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. A scientist works at Oxford Vaccine Group's facility where a vaccine against COVID-19 has been produced, at Churchill Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK. (PA) Breakthrough inhaled protein treatment Preliminary results of a randomised clinical trial for a UK drug which could be used as a treatment for COVID-19 show it reduces the number of patients needing intensive care. Southampton-based Synairgen, the pharmaceutical company developing the drug, which is designed to stimulate the immune system, uses a protein called interferon beta, which the body naturally produces when it gets a viral infection. The protein is inhaled directly into the lungs of patients with coronavirus using a nebuliser, in the hope that it will stimulate an immune response. Of hospitalised patients admitted for treatment at nine UK hospitals for COVID-19 infections who inhaled the protein, 79% were found to be less likely to get worse or need ventilation. Watch video below Half of the 101 participants of the study were given the drug, called SNG001, while the other half got a placebo. Synairgen claims patients who took the drug were two to three times more likely to recover to the point where they could carry out everyday activities. Those receiving the drug also spent less time in hospital down from an average of nine days to six days. Chinese vaccine trial found to be safe A Chinese phase 2 trial has found a vaccine used on COVID-19 candidates to be safe and to induce an immune response, according to new research. The randomised trial on 508 volunteers, aged around 39 years, follows a phase 1 trial published in May. The results provide data from a wider group of participants than their phase 1 trial, including a small sub-group of participants aged 55 years and older. The vaccine in this trial uses a weakened human common cold virus to deliver genetic material to the cells that codes for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Here is a second COVID-19 vaccine trial, led by Chinese scientists. This recombinant adenovirus type-5 vaccine induces a rapid humoral and cellular immune response within 14 days. No serious adverse reactions. Again, congratulations to Feng-Cai Zhu et al. https://t.co/onf8ZnBy2W richard horton (@richardhorton1) July 20, 2020 These cells then produce the spike protein and travel to the lymph nodes, where the immune system creates antibodies that will recognise the spike protein and fight off the coronavirus. Of the 508 volunteers, 253 received a high dose of the vaccine, 129 received a low dose and 126 received placebo. Blood samples were taken from participants immediately before the vaccination, 14 days post-vaccination and 28 days post-vaccination to measure antibody responses. The trial found that 95% of participants in the high dose group and 91% of the recipients in the low dose group showed either T cell or antibody immune responses at day 28 post-vaccination. But the authors note that it is important to stress that no participants were exposed to COVID-19 after vaccination, so it is not possible for this study to determine whether the vaccine candidate effectively protects against the disease. Professor Feng-Cai Zhu of the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention said: The phase 2 trial adds further evidence on safety and immunogenicity in a large population than the phase 1 trial. This is an important step in evaluating this early-stage experimental vaccine and phase 3 trials are now underway. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Alibaba's payment arm Ant Group is eyeing initial public offerings (IPOs) on stock exchanges of Hong Kong Stock and Shanghai. The fintech arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba plans to first list in Hong Kong, owing to a smoother listing process, as soon as this year. It targets a valuation of over $200 billion, global news agency Reuters reported citing unidentified sources. The company will list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's (SSE) STAR board and on the Hong Kong stock exchange (SEHK). The listing comes at a time when the entire world is reeling under the coronavirus crisis. In what may be the world's largest IPOs in 2020, the fintech firm plans to sell between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of its equity via public issue, it added. Ant Group was valued at $150 billion after a 2018 private fundraising round. The company has not disclosed the amount of capital it hopes to raise through the issue. The Chinese firm is 33 per cent owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and is controlled by Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Ant Group is China's dominant mobile payments company, offering loans, payments, insurance and asset management services via mobile apps. Ant Group, formerly known as Alipay, is an affiliate company of the Chinese Alibaba Group. It is the world's highest-valued FinTech company, and most valuable unicorn (start-up) company, with a valuation of $150 billion. In November 2019, the company announced raising $1 billion for a new fund, with the aim to expand the firm's investment activities in Southeast Asia. In January 2020, Ant Group applied for a digital banking licence in Singapore. Also read: 2,426 firms 'looted' Rs 1.47 lakh crore from banks; will govt investigate, asks Rahul Gandhi Also read: Coronavirus crisis: E-comm firms start buying COVID-19 insurance cover for delivery staff Ghislaine Maxwell had to procure three girls daily to be sexually abused by sentenced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. This was indicated by an alleged victim who has chosen to stay anonymous in getting involved with the case. Maxwell is an exceedingly rich man's daughter and a longtime associate of another; she had the privilege of close proximity to wealth. Her net worth still remains to be a mystery. The British socialite fears that she will meet an impending endpoint much alike Epstein, her former lover. She is awaiting trial at a Brooklyn jail and apparently thinks that her sex offender associate was killed while in prison, reported The Sun US. "Everyone's view including Ghislaine's is Epstein was murdered. She received death threats before she was arrested," according to an anonymous friend. On Tuesday, a federal judge declined to grant Maxwell bail and commanded her to spend the next year awaiting trial at the Brooklyn Detention Center, according to The New York Post. Farmer stated that the 58-year-old supervised the sex-trafficking operation for years. Earlier this month, Maxwell was taken into custody on child-sex trafficking and perjury charges subjected to 35 years in jail if convicted. She vehemently denies the accusations and has pleaded not guilty, reported The Sun UK. The procurement of up to 3 girls daily was reportedly for the purpose of Epstein's "sexual pleasure." This statement will possibly form a key plank for the socialite's criminal case. Also Read: Mother Kills Daughter, Covers Up By Claiming Toddler Shot Herself With a Gun At the pedophile financier's remote ranch, Farmer said Maxwell commanded her to strip naked before groping her breasts at the age of 16. Forty-one-year-old Farmer alleged that the partners-in-crime spoiled her with presents and indicated that they would advance her studies to contribute to a plot to entrap her in an "organized sex-trafficking ring." In their case against Maxwell, she is among the trio of victims who US federal prosecutors will gather information from. Maxwell is currently awaiting trial slated on July 2021 at one of America's worst prisons. Aside from Farmer, a psychologist, one of the girls was only 14 years of age at the time of the offense. A 6-count arraignment that outlines the charges, identifies Farmer as merely "minor victim 2" who was reportedly abused in New Mexico back in 1996. Theories have been circulating regarding Epstein's cause of death with several people believing that he was murdered in order to withhold the release of his friends' names who partied with him on the "Pedophile Island." Cameras were not functioning properly in his phone and the guards on duty "falsified check" which both raised judgment. Conclusive evidence is yet to be found as to who is the suspect if Epstein did not commit suicide. Famer pleaded last week for Maxwell to remain imprisoned in a statement to her bail hearing. According to Farmer, "She was a sexual predator who abused me and countless other children and young women." Related Article: New York Man Shot Dead While Walking With 6-Year-Old Daughter @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terrance Woodbury, a partner at HIT Strategies, a political research firm focused on women, minorities and millennials, recently shared his thoughts with the Washington Post regarding rapper Kanye Wests 2020 Presidential Campaign. Woodbury addressed several issues surrounding the provocative celebritys viability as a candidate and the influence the Grammy-winning artist has over a generation of young voters. According to the July 19 Washington Post article, We Still Cant Ignore Kanye West, written by reporter Helena Andrews-Dyer, Woodbury opined that West could shake up the election season by serving as a lightning rod bringing generational issues to the forefront: Around this time four years ago, when a bombastic reality TV star was blowing up preconceived notions about politics as usual, pollster Terrance Woodbury had what can only be described as a premonition. Who else could upend American politics like Donald Trump had, Woodbury wondered? Who could be so brazen, unexpected, reckless and effective? Who could capture votes, mainstream media attention and social media hits? Only one name came to mind. I was convinced that person was Kanye West, Woodbury said. His colleagues cackled then. Now theyre taking a closer look at the very real impact West could have on the 2020 presidential election. But like so many citizens of Presidential Election Town journalists, commentators, strategists, data analysts, etc. when it comes to West, Woodbury is of two distinct minds. I do not want to take Kanye West seriously, said Woodbury, a partner at HIT Strategies, a political research firm focused on women, minorities and millennials. But I know that we have to. And thats the core of the conundrum called Kanye in 2020. Woodbury said West has been using his celebrity stature and artistry to speak for marginalized groups whose political voices are often unheard. The article stated: His recent video Wash Us in the Blood is an exhibition of both black celebration and black pain. There is police brutality, pulpit praise and gangsters walking through prison halls. Next to those images Wests pixelated face appears on screen rapping about fake news, the holy spirit and how misunderstood he is. Pollster Woodbury said the video is a visual manifestation of what he has been hearing in political focus groups recently. According to Woodburys research, 60 percent of black men younger than 50 think Democrats take black voters for granted. Woodbury asked those voters why they would choose a third-party candidate. The answer? To send a message to both parties. Thats Kanyes entire political message that no one is delivering for black people, Woodbury said. At a recent focus group with young voters, Woodbury heard a black man in Milwaukee express a sentiment that the pollster could have sworn was also a West quote. He said, My mama voted for Democrats, my grandmother voted for Democrats, my granddaddy voted for Democrats . . . and my hood has been the same for 50 years. So why the hell would I keep voting for Democrats? I have to wonder if Kanye is repeating what young people are saying or if they are repeating what he is saying. I think hes going to inspire some very cynical voters frustrated with Democrats and Republicans, said Woodbury, who added that there are young people in this country that trust Kanye West more than they trust politicians. According to the article, Woodbury added that West could sway votes in battleground states: West doesnt need millions to write in his name, more like thousands, according to Woodbury. Eleven thousand votes in Michigan could change the color of that state in November. Six thousand people flocked to Wests Sunday Service concert in Detroit in September with less than a days notice. To read the entire article, visit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kanye-west-presidential-campaign/2020/07/18/7e043434-c905-11ea-8ffe-372be8d82298_story.html About Terrance Woodbury: Terrance Woodburys research focuses on people of color and millennials who have become the driving force of rapidly evolving consumer and electoral trends in both the United States and abroad. He has spent the last two cycles as Research Director at Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies where he conducted polling and focus groups for candidates in local, state, national, and international elections and for innovative companies such as Uber and Google. Before spending four years at Brilliant Corners, Woodbury worked at the Brookings Institution, where he focused on the impacts of economic and demographic trends that are shaping the fastest growing urban communities around the world. Woodburys life before research was still consumed by politics where he worked in various capacities on campaigns at the local, state, national, and international level. He has worked every position on a campaign except the candidate, and he has no intention of ever baring that burden. Publications: For More Information Contact: Taroue Brooks 202-431-1119 Taroue.Brooks@yahoo.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0975553d-ba24-4d20-9209-876e9f45ad6e The senior executive of a German finance firm who fled as it collapsed amid claims of a fraud is thought to be hiding in Russia under the protection of the GRU. Jan Marsalek, COO of Wirecard and a prime suspect in an alleged 1.7billion scam, is rumoured to be hiding in an apartment west of Moscow. Marsalek, who is now one of the world's most-wanted men, has connections to the GRU and a man called Andrey Chuprygin, who is believed to be a former agent. Jan Marsalek, COO of Wirecard and now one of the world's most-wanted men, is thought to be hiding in an apartment near Moscow under the protection of military intelligence The 40-year-old Austrian was head of Wirecard's Asian operations, which are now at the centre of fraud claims after 1.7billion thought to be stored in accounts in the Philippines turned out not to exist. As the scandal unfolded last month, Marsalek claimed he was travelling to Asia to try and uncover the location of the missing money. Immigration records showed he flew to the Philippines on June 23 and then onwards to China, but those have also been exposed as fraudulent. In fact, analysis carried out by Bellingcat, Der Spiegel and website The Insider suggest he actually went to Minsk - the capital of Belarus, and a close ally of Russia. From there it is thought he crossed into Russia, which has had no border controls with Belarus since 1995. German newspaper Handelsblatt reports that Russian intelligence officers decided it was 'too risky' to leave him in Minsk, before whisking him across the border. Marsalek is thought to be under investigation by at least three western intelligence agencies over his links with the GRU. They stem from his visits to warn-torn Syria, where he reportedly watched Russian troops recapture Palmyra from ISIS, and investments he was planning in Libya. Chuprygin is an expert on Libya who advised Marsalek, but claims he was merely doing so as an expert on the security situation. He denies having any links to Russian intelligence, though western spy agencies are convinced otherwise. Germany's financial world was stunned last month when auditors revealed a huge hole in Wirecard's accounts. Marsalek has been missing since last month when Wirecard dramatically collapsed after a 1.7billion hole in the division that Marsalek ran was uncovered in the balance sheet (file) The firm, one of Germany's most successful and registered on the Dax 40 Index, subsequently admitted that the money likely did not exist and filed for insolvency. Wirecard's chief executive Markus Braun was arrested on suspicion of falsifying accounts before being released on bail. Allegations had dogged Wirecard for months, but the financial technology company was able to repeatedly fend off claims. German authorities even launched investigations against a journalist over the negative reports. But the scam unravelled in June when auditors Ernst & Young said they were unable to find 1.9 billion euros of cash in the company's accounts. The missing cash makes up a quarter of the balance sheet. The sum was supposedly held to cover risks in trading carried out by third parties on Wirecard's behalf and was meant to be sitting in trustee accounts at two Philippine banks. But the Philippines' central bank has said the cash never entered its monetary system and both Asian banks, BDO and BPI, denied having a relationship with Wirecard. The company, which employs nearly 6,000 people, was forced to admit that the funds likely 'do not exist'. Armenian Military Denies Plot to Target Azerbaijan's Oil, Gas Infrastructure Sputnik News 16:05 GMT 19.07.2020 YEREVAN (Sputnik) - Armenia has no intention of attacking oil and gas infrastructure on Azerbaijani soil, despite the ongoing clashes on the border, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, the Armenian Defence Ministry's spokesman, said on Sunday. According to Hovhannisyan, claims that the Armenian armed forces are plotting to disrupt the international energy infrastructure passing through Azerbaijan are a "false thesis put forward by Baku". "Technically, the Armenian armed forces could have done this a long time ago, but we have not had and do not have such plans. We believe that the oil and gas communications passing through this region belong to international companies, and these companies should be confident that Armenia is a guarantor, not a consumer of security. Armenia can better ensure their security than anyone else in the region", Hovhannisyan told reporters. The armed confrontation escalated on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on 12 July, notably far from from the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, where the two have waged war for decades. The clashes took place near the Movses village along the contact line between Armenia's Tavush province and Azerbaijan's Tovuz province. Yerevan and Baku blamed the initiation of the firing on each other. Azerbaijan has so far reported 12 troops killed as a result of armed hostilities, while Armenia has reported four fatalities. According to Yerevan, another 10 servicemen and one civilian have sustained injuries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TikTok is one of the hottest new social networks today. There are 1.6 million Australians among the 800 million worldwide users of the platform, owned by Beijing-based Byte Dance. Basically TikTok is a video sharing app very popular among young people, who are switching from other platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. More than two thirds of TikToks user base are women and girls. So why are some Australian politicians getting so hot under the collar and demanding that we follow in Indias footsteps, where the Modi government banned it along with 59 other Chinese-produced apps in early July? It is true that TikTok faces questions about its links with the Chinese state and alleged data harvesting. Lee Hunter, its Australian general manager rejects suggestions it should be investigated let alone banned. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants an investigation because he is concerned the Chinese government requires the company to hand over user information, creating a security risk. Labor senator Jenny McAllister, chair of a Senate social media inquiry, says "when we have national security and tech experts raising concerns about TikTok we have to take those concerns seriously". That seems to be the position taken by an Age editorial, in which it cautiously suggests that before it considers "following suit, Australia must provide a strong case on national security grounds that a ban is justified, as it did with the banning of Huawei's involvement in Australia's 5G network". Users of the TikTok app are concerned about its links to the Chinese government. Credit:AP What is in danger of being being overlooked in the current fracas is the larger question: what about all the other social media platforms? Where is the call for scrutiny of largely American-based platforms such as Facebook, Google and Amazon? These global companies have for years avoided detailed scrutiny or accountability to say nothing of not paying tax. These companies have been harvesting data from those who use Google and Facebook, or who buy from Amazon. They then sell it on to advertisers, or to political parties interested in getting their message to voters. This is to say nothing of the effect of our Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 that requires service providers including social media platforms to collect data, while our national security agencies happily admit to using Google Analytics to track citizens concerned about breaches of their privacy. The preoccupation with TikTok ignores a much bigger problem. Several global studies published in recent weeks say that the COVID-19 lockdown is likely to send hundreds of millions of people back into extreme poverty and hunger worldwide, including in India, and impoverish an even greater number of people. A UN report says the impact "will be long-lasting". The sheer magnitude of the impact is disturbing and needs urgent attention. Here are some of the major findings. COVID-19 pandemic to take global "extreme poverty" count over 1 billion On June 12, King's College London published an article saying: "COVID-19 could drive global poverty back over one billion people as the world's poorest face up to US$500 million per day in lost income". This article was based on a study, 'Precarity and the pandemic COVID-19 and poverty incidence, intensity, and severity in developing countries', carried out by the London institution in collaboration with the Australian National University. Also Read: Rebooting Economy VII: Where are the green shoots in Indian economy? The study observed: "We conclude there could be increases in poverty of a substantial magnitude - up to 400 million new poor living under the $1.90 poverty line ("extreme poverty"), over 500 million new poor living under the poverty lines of $3.20 and $5.50. Further, the global income shortfall below each poverty line could expand by up to 60 per cent; the daily income losses could amount to $350 million among those living under $1.90 per day and almost $200 million among the group of people newly pushed into extreme poverty." The three poverty lines of $1.9, $3.2 and $5.5 mentioned here are set by the World Bank for low-income, low-middle income (like India) and upper-middle-income countries, respectively. The monetary value represents per capita per day living expense. The last World Bank estimate had said that "extreme poverty" (below $1.9 per capita per day living expenses) had fallen from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 736 million in 2015 (from 36% to 10% of world population). Other key findings are: (i) it would be the first absolute increase in people living in "extreme poverty" since 1999 and a reversal of 7-10 years of progress in reducing poverty (ii) intensity and severity of poverty likely to increase rapidly in middle-income developing countries, shifting back towards "developing countries in South Asia and East Asia", including India and (iii) the resources needed to lift the incomes of poor to the poverty line could increase by 60%, from $446 million a day to above $700 million a day. These estimates are based on the "potential magnitude of the contraction" in household per capita incomes or consumptions at 5%, 10%, and 20% hit levels that could result from the lockdown. Though the lockdown is necessary, the study said it "could exert pernicious effects on the livelihoods of parts of the population whose income-generating capacities are restricted". These effects could furthermore interact with "pre-existing conditions of fragmented or insufficient social protection systems" and that the repercussions would last for "years to come". Also Read: Rebooting Economy VI: Is Modi govt ignoring job crisis in India or unable to tackle it? How could COVID-19 impact poverty and hunger in India? The study looked at 166 countries, including India, but singled out India for a special mention. It said while the reference period for all other countries was 2018, for India alone it was 2015. It explained why: "...how exactly the poverty rate changed between 2015 and 2018 is highly contentious. Felman et al. (2019) discuss the leaked report of India's National Sample Survey (NSS) that had been withheld by the government (the long-standing survey has now been abandoned). The survey showed real consumption per capita had fallen by 3.7 per cent between 2011/12 and 2017/18. This figure sits uneasily with the official GDP growth data reported for the same period." Also Read: Rebooting Economy V: Why healthy environment is critical to fight COVID-19 pandemic Why does all this matter? It added: "In short, by using the 2015 data our estimates could overestimate poverty in 2018 in India, if the GDP growth data is correct. On the other hand, if the NSS consumption per capita data is accurate, our estimates will thus underestimate it." What it means is that its estimate for India would be off the mark because of lack of data. Nevertheless, in all these scenarios - a contraction of 5%, 10% and 20% in per capita income or consumption expenditure - India leads the table in contributing maximum to global poverty. India is likely to add 114.9 million, 237.9 million and 525.8 million at 5%, 10% and 20% hit, respectively, to the list of impoverished. In 2015, India's 13.3% of population (174.9 million) lived below $1.9 level; 50% (685.2 million) below $3.2 level and 20% (236.8 million) below $5.5 level, as per the World Bank estimate. Also Read: Rebooting Economy IV: Is govt using environmental laws to protect polluting industries? The following graph presents India's 2015 poverty headcounts at three poverty levels and how they would change at 5%, 10% and 20% hit scenarios. The study takes into account only the loss in income due to the pandemic, but not the of "catastrophic healthcare expenditure" which pushes 60-63 million people into poverty every year, as the 2018 Ayushman Bharat or PM-JAY programme and the 2015 draft National Health Policy say. 150-390 million likely to be pushed back to poverty: World Bank In April, the World Bank released a paper saying that the COVID-19 pandemic would reverse the five years' of gains on poverty reduction by pushing 150 to 390 million people back into poverty worldwide. Its other findings were: (i) "40 million to 60 million people will fall into extreme poverty (under $1.90/day) in 2020, compared to 2019" (ii) global extreme poverty rate could rise by 0.3-0.7 percentage points to 9% (iii) percentage of people living on less than $3.20 a day could rise by 0.3 to 1.7 percentage points, to 23% or higher, an increase of 40-150 million people and (iv) percentage of people living on less than $5.50 a day could rise by 0.4 to 1.9 percentage points to 42% or higher, an increase of around 70-180 million people. Also Read: Rebooting Economy III: All that's wrong with India's environmental governance Impact on poverty "will be long-lasting": UN Former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty Philip Alston submitted his last report, 'The parlous state of poverty eradication', on July 2, 2020, stating that "COVID-19 is projected to push more than 70 million additional people into extreme poverty and hundreds of millions more into unemployment and poverty. More than 250 million people are at risk of acute hunger." Stating that the impact "will be long-lasting", the report criticised governments across the globe, saying that "rather than acknowledging how badly the efforts to "end poverty" have been faring, and how relentlessly the pandemic has exposed that fact, most actors are doubling down on existing approaches that are clearly failing." His anger stems from his findings that global poverty was rising before the pandemic, not contracting as was claimed. The New York University of Law, where Alston teaches law, quoted him saying: "Over the past decade, the UN, world leaders and pundits have promoted a self-congratulatory message of impending victory over poverty, but almost all of these accounts rely on the World Bank's international poverty line, which is utterly unfit for the purpose of tracking such progress." He said the decline in poverty shown in the past decade is "largely due to rising incomes in a single country, China". Also Read: Rebooting Economy II: What stock market boom means to people and economy Poverty and hunger were rising in India even before pandemic Alston's assertion rings true for India. In December 2019, the government's top think tank Niti Aayog disclosed in its report, 'SDG Index and Dashboard 2019-20', that compared to its own base-level estimates of 2018, poverty and hunger went up in 2019 in 22 and 24 states and union territories, respectively, out of 28 states and union territories it mapped. Its findings are presented in the graphics below. (For more, read 'Budget 2020: Niti Aayog shocker; Poverty, hunger and income inequality up in 22 to 25 States and UTs') All findings and data mentioned so far show that Alston is right, the existing approaches to poverty and hunger have failed both in India and elsewhere. The poverty alleviation is very fragile and likely to send millions back into poverty and hunger when a crisis hits. India's response to the job and income losses caused by the pandemic has been a series of short term relief measures like meagre cash transfers (starting at Rs 500 per month), additional PDS supply, additional allocation for rural job guarantee scheme MGNREGS (Rs 40,000 crore) and clubbing together 25 existing schemes (Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojna) to provide jobs to migrant workers in their home states (at the cost of local jobless) etc. Also Read: Rebooting Economy I: Why stock market is booming when COVID-19-hit economy sinks None of these are designed for long term solutions or address structural deficiencies that had led to job-loss growth even before the untimely and unplanned lockdown hit millions, leaving them without jobs and incomes. (For more read ' Rebooting Economy VI: Is Modi govt ignoring job crisis in India or unable to tackle it? ') There is another reason for India to rethink its economics. The Economist predicts that COVID-19 would leave behind a smaller economy for the next 12 months, what it calls a "the 90% economy". This "new normal" would be more fragile, less innovative and more unfair (inequalities will deepen). (For more read ' Coronavirus Lockdown XIII: Five steps to rebuild a post-COVID economy' ) For India to ignore all these danger signals would mean ruining millions of lives and the economy. A logo is pictured at the WHO building in Geneva By Stephanie Nebehay and Michael Shields GENEVA (Reuters) - South Africa's growing COVID-19 epidemic should be an alert to the rest of the continent to strengthen disease surveillance, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. South Africa reported a surge of 13,373 new cases on Saturday, the fourth largest globally. Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe also reported significant increases in cases over the past week, WHO's top emergencies expert Mike Ryan told a news conference. "Even though the numbers in those other countries are smaller I think what we starting to see is a continued acceleration of transmission in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and I think that has to be taken very, very seriously," he said. "South Africa may unfortunately be a precursor, it may be a warning for what will happen in the rest of Africa. So I think this isn't just a wake-up call for South Africa ... we need to take what is happening in Africa very very seriously." The WHO also warned that indigenous communities comprising half a million people around the world are especially at risk from the pandemic due to often poor living conditions. Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that as of July 6, there were more than 70,000 cases reported among indigenous peoples in the Americas, with more than 2,000 deaths. "Indigenous peoples often have a high burden of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and both communicable and non-communicable diseases, making them more vulnerable," Tedros said, adding that those in current epicentre the Americas were of particular concern. The WHO boss urged nations to take all necessary health precautions, with special emphasis on contact tracing. "We do not have to wait for a vaccine. We have to save lives now," he said. Global infections stand at more than 14.5 million, according to a Reuters tally, with more than 600,000 deaths. Story continues The WHO welcomed news that AstraZeneca's experimental vaccine was safe and produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials in healthy volunteers. "We congratulate our colleagues for the progress they have made," Ryan said. "This is a positive result, but there is a long way to go ... We now need to move to large-scale trials." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Michael Shields; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Andrew Heavens) In the cocaine business, workplace disputes can soon turn deadly and are often settled with guns. Thats precisely what police in Altoona say led to a double-homicide that has finally resulted in the arrest of both suspects nearly two months later. The suspects in the double shooting stemming from a home-based cocaine ring in Altoona, Pa., are Isiah Payne, 32, of Philadelphia and Onya Lewis, 31, of Delaware, Altoona police tell WJAC-TV. Both face multiple charges in the May 28th shooting deaths of 52-year-old Natalie Washington and 28-year-old Mikal Jackson Stevenson in Altoona. Police say Payne and Lewis were selling cocaine for Jackson-Stevenson, out of Washington's home in Altoona. But Jackson-Stevenson called a meeting with the two sellers after several customers complained to Washington that Payne was "ripping them off." Police say Payne has since confessed to killing both victims at the meeting because he "thought he was being set up." Background from WJAC: Following the homicides, both Payne and Lewis fled to Georgia, before returning northward to Delaware. They were located and taken into custody July 10th, according to the criminal complaint. Payne also has admitted to selling the gun he used in the homicide while in Georgia, police tell WJAC. According to court documents, Payne faces two counts of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and numerous other charges. Lewis also faces charges of aggravated assault, robbery, evidence tampering and drug related-charges. Their preliminary hearings are set for August 5th. READ MORE: Family of missing Pa. boy, 2, say their son is dead and suspect is arrested, but cops are mum Coroner Graham Hetrick says masks should be a choice, not a mandate, putting him at odds with medical consensus National neo-Nazi group holds illegal protest in Pa. park: cops Friends watched helplessly as 2 teen boys drowned in Susquehanna River Bodies of 2 teen boys pulled from Susquehanna River: Just how crazy it is 4 people struck by lightning, 2 killed in violent Pa. storm Accused burglar, 16, beats homeowner with his own cane: cops After teen dies jumping into quarry, Pa. police look to stop this deadly recreation Womans body pulled from Pa. lake after boating accident Pa. teen dies jumping into quarry with friends: He was the happiest person alive 1 dead after car slams head-on into Pa. ambulance Penn State football player with red, glassy eyes charged with drug possession after campus traffic stop Pa. man, 22, faces homicide charges in triple-fatal crash while street-racing his Ford Mustang Giant supermarkets limit cash transactions, citing national coin shortage By PTI KOLKATA: The teenage girl, whose death led to major violence in parts of north Bengal, lost her life due to poisoning and there were no signs of any external injury, as per her postmortem report. Alleging rape and murder of the girl, a mob went on a rampage in North Dinajpur district on Sunday, setting fire to several police vehicles and government buses on the National Highway 31 in Chopra area near Siliguri. "No signs of external injury seen. Effects of poison. However, final opinion reserved pending till receipt of chemical examiners report," the post mortem report said. The girl was allegedly abducted after she went out of her house at Sonapur village on Sunday morning to relieve herself. She was found dead a few hours later, and the villagers alleged that she was raped before being murdered. Police said they have so far arrested 16 people for their alleged involvement in the violence. Members of the RSS-affiliated ABVP and Left-backed DYFI also protested in Jalpaiguri district's Dhupguri area over the incident, leading to tensions. Florida's new coronavirus cases have hit 12, 523 on Saturday, which makes it the fifth consecutive day the state has reported more than 10,000 cases, says the state's health department. Data also show that Florida has reported more than 11,865 cases of the coronavirus on average for the past seven days, which is an increase of 28.85 percent. Since July 14 the state has reported more than 10,000 new cases of coronavirus. The Florida health department has recorded a surge of new cases at 15, 244 on July 11. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration also said that hospitalizations have increased. Around 49 more hospitals had no more available adult intensive care units, as of Sunday. Florida state Rep. Donna Shalala said that the residents are terrified. Shalala said she was also terrified for the first time in her career "because there's a lack of leadership." The state representative also said that they have community spread, meaning the virus is out of control." Shalala said that there is a lack of both federal and state leadership from Governor Ron DeSantis. She said that Florida did not shut down for long, adding that DeSantis has declined to issue a statewide mask order. "In my district, it's low-income minorities: Hispanics and African-Americans, who are forced to go back to work for economic reasons and because their employers demanded they go back to work," Shalala was quoted in a report. The Florida representative also said that people in her district live in multi-generational households. Those who are infected can pass it on to their older family members. Shalala said that they need to close down Florida. She said the economy will not be fully recovered until the pandemic is addressed head down. Young People Infected The state's health department said that over the past seven days, newly infected people in Florida are mostly above 40. The observation has a steady rise since mid-June when DeSantis said that the median age of those testing positive had decreased to 37 years old from 65.5 years old. DeSantis said that this is proof that the state has been effectively protecting older people as these are the most vulnerable residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's data said that younger people are less likely to have severe symptoms and die from the coronavirus disease. "There is more testing now than there was then so that may account for some of this but I think we're seeing a true increase in cases in older adults," Epidemiologist at the University of Florida Cindy Prins was quoted in a report. Prins said this makes sense with the overall increase in cases. U.S President Donald Trump has defended his handling of the pandemic in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Trump said Florida will be under control. He said that it will be eventually right and disappear. Florida COVID-19 Florida has around 350,000 of confirmed coronavirus cases, with 4, 981 deaths. Miami-Dade County has the most confirmed cases with 84, 237, and 1, 302 deaths. Broward County is next with 39, 281 confirmed cases, and 493 deaths. Third is the Palm Beach County with 25, 783 confirmed cases and 679 deaths. Check these out: 90-Year-Old Florida Man Risks His Health to See Wife One Last Time Florida Gang Members Organize Parties to Spread COVID-19, County Sheriff Claims Florida Bar and Restaurant Owners Face Foreclosures This image captured from a Naver blog shows a controversial design that could have become the logo for Incheon International Airport Corp. The airport operator said the design was one of the candidates for its new logo but was dropped after consultation with experts. By Jun Ji-hye Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) is facing criticism over what critics claim is a unilateral plan to change its logo, a move that would cost a considerable amount of money at a time when the airport operator has already been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Criticism has been amplified after one of the candidates for the new logo was recently leaked on an online bulletin board of the state-run company as well as other online communities. Critics claim that the new design looked remarkably similar to the logo of Air China or that of the Mir Foundation that was used as a fundraising vehicle by influence peddlers close to ousted President Park Geun-hye. The latest criticism comes on the heels of the IIAC being embroiled in a huge controversy over its decision to grant regular employment status to 1,902 subcontracted security workers in accordance with President Moon Jae-in's election pledge of "zero irregular jobs" in the public sector. The IIAC said it has spent 80 million won ($66,000) since October last year on work to change its logo in preparation for the 20th anniversary of its opening next year. The controversial candidate for the new logo reportedly symbolizes the Korean Peninsula and a phoenix. According to a petition posted Thursday on a presidential website, IIAC President and CEO Koo Bon-hwan has been unilaterally pushing to change the company's logo to the controversial design despite opposition from employees. "The logo is a symbol of Incheon International Airport and can be seen as a symbol of the country, but Koo is moving to change it unilaterally without gathering opinions from employees and members of the public," a petitioner wrote. "Currently, many employees are expressing their opposition to the move and are posting messages on the company's online board calling for the cancellation of the plan." The petitioner noted that the logo change will cost a large amount of money as the company needs to change the logo across all its airport facilities. Sohn Hye-won, a design expert and former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, joined the criticism, saying the candidate for the new logo had many problems, saying its use would be very limited. "Plus, the bird in the logo did not look like phoenix," she wrote on Facebook, criticizing the IIAC for wasting money. Some critics have raised suspicions that the designer of the controversial logo was a friend of Koo. In response, the IIAC explained the design in question had been a candidate for the new logo, but the company had already decided to drop it after consultations with experts. "And the designer in question is a design expert recommended by relevant organizations, and not a friend of CEO Koo," an IIAC official said. "Stronger Together. Winning Together. Let's help each other stay safe," says the coronavirus web page of Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, which operates hundreds of stores across the South. And yet, Winn-Dixie waited until late Monday to announce that it will be joining the stampede of large grocery retailers requiring customers to wear masks in their stores. The company said it will require masks as of July 27. Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and Publix announced last week that they will mandate mask-wearing at stores nationwide. The National Retail Federation has encouraged retailers to set nationwide mask policies to protect shoppers and employees, and nearly 30 states now require masks worn in public places. Southeastern announced at the end of last week that Winn-Dixie stores would not be requiring masks from customers because it did not want to cause undue friction between customers and employees. "Our associates have seen that mask mandates are a highly charged issue with our customers. We do not want to put our associates in a position to navigate interpersonal conflict or prohibit customers from shopping in our stores," Joe Caldwell, director of corporate communications and government affairs for Southeastern Grocers, wrote in an email this weekend. However, on Monday afternoon, Southeastern reversed its position, with Caldwell attributing the change to customer feedback. The about-face came a few hours after President Donald Trump tweeted a picture of himself in a black mask and called mask-wearing patriotic. "It had absolutely nothing to do with President Trump's tweet," said Caldwell. Winn-Dixie has about 500 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, all states that went for Trump in the 2016 election. Trump wore a mask publicly for the first time July 11 during a visit to a military hospital but until Monday had been otherwise dismissive about mask-wearing. As many grocers did at the outset of the pandemic, Southeastern Grocers adjusted store hours in March to provide additional time for restocking and extra cleaning. On June 25, Winn-Dixie stores resumed normal operating hours, eliminating that extra time for store cleaning, even as coronavirus cases continue to surge across a wide swath of the United States and states begin rolling back reopening schedules. And although the grocery chain installed floor decals and plexiglass partitions at registers and checks workers' temperatures daily, it has "allowed" workers to wear face masks and gloves rather than requiring them. While Winn-Dixie has had unions at points in its past, none of its stores are currently unionized. In an editorial last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the latest science showing that adherence to universal masking policies reduces virus transmission. Increasingly, retail employees have been pulled into conflicts about mask-wearing. A security guard at a Family Dollar store in Michigan was killed after trying to enforce mask requirements. At stores like one Trader Joe's in California, videos of customer conflicts over mask-wearing have gone viral. And mask rage has become a tool in partisan wrangling. On July 10, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, representing 1.3 million workers - including employees of Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and other major grocery chains - partnered with a coalition of health experts to take out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling on governors, members of Congress and the Trump administration to make masks mandatory in all 50 states. Customer response to Winn-Dixie's no-mask-required announcement last week was swift and binary. Some customers took to social media praising the supermarket chain for "offering adults a place to shop without wearing a mask! This is America! We should have freedom!" Others tweeted their disapprobation: "We will not be shopping at your store. Enjoy your Grim Reaper special." Bob Hess, 65, is a project manager for a government contractor in Panama City, Fla. He's been living in an RV next to his house since Hurricane Michael hit 22 months ago, waiting for insurance money to rebuild. He says the new normal keeps getting worse. On Sunday he went to his local Walmart in Lynn Haven. "They had two of three entrances closed and were forcing everyone to queue up in 92-degree heat. My wife and I said forget this, let's buzz over to Winn-Dixie," he says. No lines, no signs about masks, almost no customers wearing masks. "If I don't have to wear a mask I'm not going to," he says. "I think this has gone way overboard. Masks are shielding our bodies from what they are meant to do to build up immunity." This is not the first time in recent weeks Winn-Dixie has swum against the stream. In June, as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, many organizations and municipalities expunged the word "Dixie" from their names because of its connections with slavery and the Confederacy. Within hours of a report on TMZ that Winn-Dixie was considering changing its 100-year-old name, Caldwell, the Southeastern Grocers spokesman, said in a statement the company had no immediate plans to do that, although it affirmed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. "At Southeastern Grocers we're committed to cultivating an inclusive culture and community that promotes belonging, inclusion and diversity. As such, we stand against racism and support the Black Lives Matter movement across our country," the statement said. Caldwell said Monday that there were no immediate plans to rename the grocery chain. "Our Winn-Dixie banner has proudly served our communities for nearly 100 years, however, many things have changed during that time," he said. Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru.com, says Winn-Dixie's earlier no-mask policy was a dog whistle of sorts, meant to align the company with the values and political stance of its customers. "If you look back a couple weeks ago, when Aunt Jemima and Eskimo pies came under fire [for their cultural insensitivity], people were calling for Winn-Dixie to change its name. This is tied to that. Their core audience is Trump supporters," Lempert said. NYPD officers attempt to detain Bevelyn Beatty, who poured black paint on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York, on July 18, 2020. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo) Woman Who Dumped Paint on Black Lives Matter Mural Defaces Two Others A woman who dumped black paint on a Black Lives Matter mural in New York City defaced two other murals championing the political movement. Bevelyn Beatty, 29, of Staten Island, was arrested with another woman on Saturday for dumping paint over the yellow words on Fifth Avenue outside the Trump Tower. She was released with an order to appear on court for criminal mischief, a police spokeswoman told The Epoch Times. Beatty posted videos to social media showing her rubbing paint on Black Lives Matter murals in the Harlem neighborhood in Manhattan and on a street in Brooklyn after being released. Yall, we did an all-nighter, Beatty said on Sunday. Let me tell you something, yesterday was epic. The woman was wearing a Jesus Matters T-shirt each time she struck at a mural. Shes is affiliated with At the Well Ministries, a Christian organization. Beatty said she was being an American when she defaced the murals. But more than that, I was being a Christian. This is what Christians do, we turn tables. We destroy the works of the devil, she added. A Black lives Matter mural that was painted on 5th Avenue is seen directly in front of Trump Tower in New York City on July 10, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) The video showing Beatty and two others bringing paint from the back of a minivan and using a roller to spread it across the words Black Lives Matter in Brooklyn was approximately seven minutes and 30 seconds long. Several minutes after beginning their vandalism, a group approached them and urged them to stop and leave. You doin the wrong thing, one man said. Another added: This is for all black lives. In Harlem, the group used two vehicles. As drivers slowly piloted them over the painted words, people perched in the back dumped paint on the mural. This is for Jesus, yall, one man says during the so-called drive-by painting. At least five people, including Beatty, have been arrested for defacing the mural in midtown. Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, ordered the murals painted across the city and helped create the first on earlier this month. Black Lives Matter is a movement that started in 2013 after George Zimmerman, a Hispanic man, was acquitted in the killing of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager, in Florida. Leaders say the groups mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. Two of the three founders of the movement describe themselves as Marxists, or adherents to extreme philosophical ideas from communism founder Karl Marx. The group is also focused on working to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk and disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement, according to the Black Lives Matter Global Networks website. A predominantly rural economy like India should use its population in low density non-urban areas to prevent the spread of coronavirus and build a more manageable food security system to counter the pandemic triggered slowdown, says eminent American economist Richard Davis Wolff. Wolff, who believes climate change, inequality, racism, instability and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged to make the global economic crisis more acute and long-lasting, said India's anti-pandemic programmes should not just involve funding but also focus on constructing social distancing protocols for rural conditions. In predominantly rural economies like India, lower (non-urban) population densities should be made to work against the viral (coronavirus) spread and likewise a stress on building up food security should be more manageable," Wolff, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst faculty, told PTI in an email interview. Elaborating, he said, India's anti-pandemic programmes should involve funding but also systemic assistance in two key areas -- to construct social distancing programmes and protocols for rural conditions and to prioritise the creation of growing, processing, and storing food across the country for a secure food system". The economist was sceptical whether large emergency stimulus packages, including India's Rs 20 lakh crore that is equivalent to the 10 per cent of its GDP, would help sustain economically backward classes and offset historically accumulated social deficiencies and exclusions. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show "In many countries, including India, mass poverty for a long time has undermined the health, housing, education, and related conditions of huge populations. They consequently suffer more than the average from both viral pandemics and economic crashes. Even large emergency stimulus packages like that of India's package (10 per cent of its GDP) and the US's (considerably larger) cannot offset historically accumulated social deficiencies and exclusions. It would take both much more money and a willingness to undertake major structural changes if today's response to the crisis is to better protect societies from repeated crises in the future," Wolff said. In his view, governments re-employing workers who have lost their jobs in the private sector and re-training them to contain the pandemic, should be part of the roadmap for countries trying to stem the economic slide. "The logical response to this crisis would have been to keep all workers employed doing all that was necessary to contain the pandemic. This means, for example, governments rehiring those fired by private employers, massively training them to test entire populations, to take care of the sick, and to otherwise build what society needs (infrastructure, education, housing, etc) under pandemic conditions of social distancing, masks, gloves," he elaborated The 78-year-old and author, whose most recent book is Understanding Socialism, predicted that the current global recession due to COVID-19 may go deeper than the ones earlier this century. "We need to remember that it is the third capitalist crash in this century. The first one was the dotcom crisis' in early 2000 and then the one triggered by widespread sub-prime mortgage default in the US in 2008. The crash was one of the worst in capitalism's history, second only to the crash of the 1930s. And now, in 2020 and we have a far deeper crash than in 2008," he said. Capitalism's periodic downturns (such as crashes, recessions, depressions, crises, business cycles and busts) occur on average every four-seven years, Wolff said, attributing each one to a different trigger that has the effect of distracting attention from the system's inherent instability. It also distracts from other basic problems that global capitalism has never solved. Those have now exploded together converging on this capitalist downturn to make it extreme," he added. "The five converging crises of climate change, inequality, racism, instability and the ongoing viral pandemic persuade me that today's global crisis will cut deeper and last longer than most current predictions." According to him, small and medium businesses with limited resources are more vulnerable compared to larger corporations that will gain the most from bailouts and stimulus programmes. "As happens in most capitalist societies, the bigger the enterprise the greater its resources to cultivate political friends. The current crises find small and medium businesses more vulnerable and with fewer resources to enable survival than large corporations usually possess. That is why, despite the World Economic Forum's and many governments' statements on the importance of maintaining and supporting small and medium enterprises and despite stimulus programmes aimed at them, the systemically unequal competition between big business and other businesses will dominate the situation. Thus the bailouts and stimulus programmes benefit large corporations at the expense of medium and small businesses everywhere," he elaborated. The post-pandemic world, the economist cautioned, has to face the need to not return to the pre-pandemic 'normal'. Instead, major structural changes in national economies, world trade, and finance need to be decided and implemented. Chief among these is a much less unequal global distribution of wealth and income," he suggested. Wolff, also a visiting professor at New School University, NYC, held the US government responsible for not adopting the policy of re-employing workers leading to the massive unemployment, economic losses in that country. "This is not the policy adopted in the US where instead massive unemployment of tens of millions was allowed. That quarter of the labour force has suffered massive economic losses, is now agonised over whether their former jobs will be available and under what wages and conditions. Massive unemployment invites every employer to recoup losses by cutting wages, benefits, job security," Wolff said. "That has already gotten well underway across the US. The suffering is greatest for the poorest, exacerbating already extreme inequality and aggravating racist tendencies to socially explosive levels," he added. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Heavy rains caused water-logging in parts of Delhi, including at Minto Bridge, where a 56-year-old truck driver drowned New Delhi: This is not the time to play the blame game over water-logging in parts of Delhi as all agencies have been busy combating the coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday as the BJP took a dig at his promise of building roads similar to that in London and Paris. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that Kejriwal had promised to build roads similar to that in London and Paris, but in reality people cannot even step out due to water-logging. Heavy rains caused water-logging in parts of Delhi, including at Minto Bridge, where a 56-year-old pick-up truck driver drowned while trying to manoeuvre his vehicle through the waterlogged underpass. Also, several houses were swept away at Anna Nagar slum by a swelling drain. Sharing pictures of water-logging, East Delhi BJP MP Gautam Gambhir tweet in Hindi, "Heard that the Delhi government is running rain water harvesting scheme on London-Paris-like roads. When will its advertisements be seen, Kejriwal ji." During the Assembly poll campaign, Kejriwal had promised to make Delhi as clean as London and Paris if his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was voted to power. As the BJP and the Congress sharply attacked the AAP government, the ruling party leaders, including Kejriwal and his Deputy Manish Sisodia, called for avoiding blame game over the issue. In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, "This year, all agencies, be it Delhi government or MCD (civic body), were busy in prevention of COVID-19. They faced many difficulties due to corona. This is not the time to blame each other. All have to fulfil their responsibilities together. Wherever there is water-logging, we will try to pump out water immediately." Later, in another tweet, the chief minister said water had been drained from the Minto Bridge. Kejriwal said he had been in touch with the agencies and monitoring the process of removing water from there. Slamming the chief minister, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta in a tweet said that it is just the beginning of monsoon and asked the AAP dispensation to take concrete steps as soon as possible to prevent water-logging. Gupta also condoled the death at Minto Bridge which comes under the Delhi PWD. He said that if steps were taken in time, the death due to water-logging could have been prevented. "Minto Bridge area comes under the PWD of Delhi government. There is a pump which was not started in time and the DJB line which carries water was also choked. We have been raising this issue for long," he said. Former Delhi BJP president and MP Manoj Tiwari tweeted, "...Arvind Kejriwal ji your preparations are exposed by the first rains of Monsoon. A solid plan should be prepared to deal with the rains so that Delhi could be prevented from submerging and people saved from difficulties." Mayor of the BJP-ruled North MCD Jai Prakash, who visited Minto Bridge, claimed that he got North Delhi Municipal Corporation staffers clear water from the area. Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia said the Delhi government is closely monitoring the situation of water logging in parts of Delhi and appropriate steps will be taken to cover the losses incurred to people due to heavy rains. He requested the BJP to work together and not play the blame game. "Instead of pointing out shortcomings or faults of other departments, it is time to work together," he said. AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said cleaning of drains is the responsibility of three agencies of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB). "Three agencies have the responsibility of cleaning the drains - MCD, PWD and DJB. Different agencies have responsibility for cleaning the drains. Suddenly there would be such heavy rainfall, no one had an idea and it is not the time to accuse each other," he said. The National Capital received its first spell of heavy rains on Sunday morning which led to water-logging in low-lying areas and brought traffic to a standstill at key stretches in the city. In a statement, AAP spokesperson and DJB vice-chairperson Raghav Chadha said the water-logging problem has been a huge issue but in the past two or three years, after the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power, the situation has drastically changed. Chadha said that it is unfortunate that at a time when all agencies are busy in working to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the BJP is blaming the AAP for the water-logging incidents. "I want to request all the BJP leaders to stay away from playing politics on this matter. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has immediately taken cognisance of the matter, discussed with the engineers and now there is no water-logging anymore in Minto Bridge area," he said. Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary said that heavy water-logging on the first day of the monsoon rain has "unmasked" the failure of both the AAP-led government and BJP-ruled municipal corporations. "The swelling drain at Anna Nagar near ITO swept away many houses," he said after visiting the affected families. The Delhi BJP president also visited Anna Nagar and distributed relief material to the families whose houses were damaged. Egypt's parliament on Monday approved the deployment of armed forces abroad to fight "criminal militias" and "foreign terrorist groups" on a "western front", after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Cairo could intervene in neighbouring Libya across Egypt's western border. The parliament unanimously approved "the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt's borders to defend Egyptian national security... against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements", it said in a statement. The decision came after Sisi said last week that Egypt would not stand idle if there was a threat to national security in Egypt if parliament gave its approval. The move could bring Egypt and Turkey, both US allies that support rival sides in Libyas chaotic proxy war, into direct confrontation. Sisi has called the strategic coastal city of Sirte a red line and warned that any attack on the town would prompt Cairo to intervene militarily to protect its western border with the oil-rich country. Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. The country is now split between territory in the east controlled by fighters called the Libyan National Army (LNA) loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar, and a UN-supported government in Tripoli, in the west. Regional proxy war The conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country. Egypt backs Haftar's forces while Turkey backs the UN-recognised government in the capital, Tripoli. Turkish support for the Tripoli government's forces helped force the LNA to abandon its 14-month offensive on Tripoli, a setback for Haftar's plan to unify Libya by force. A big escalation in Libya could risk igniting a direct conflict among the foreign powers that have poured in weapons and fighters in violation of an arms embargo. Story continues Sisi calls Trump ahead of vote The US has sent mixed signals to the rival sides over the course of the war, but has become increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, where hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed a failed attempt by Haftar's forces to capture Tripoli. In a call on Monday with US President Donald Trump ahead of the parliament vote, Sisi emphasized Egypts aim to prevent further deterioration of security in Libya", according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesman. It said the two leaders agreed on maintaining a ceasefire and avoiding a military escalation in Libya. Egypts state-run Al-Ahram daily reported on Sunday that the vote in parliament was intended to mandate Sisi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbour against Turkish aggression". (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS) Commuters wear face masks on a metro train in Hong Kong. The city's leader says coronavirus is running "out of control" after a daily record number of new cases The deadly coronavirus is spreading out of control in Hong Kong with a record 100 new cases confirmed, the finance hub's leader said Sunday as she tightened social distancing measures to tackle the sudden surge in infections. The finance hub was one of the first places to be struck by the virus when it emerged from central China. But the city had impressive success in tackling the disease, all but ending local transmissions by late June. However, in the last two weeks, infections have spiked once more and doctors fear the new outbreak is now spreading undetected in the densely packed territory of 7.5 million people. On Sunday chief executive Carrie Lam said more than 500 infections had been confirmed in the last fortnight alone, nearly a third since the outbreak began. On Sunday 108 new infections were recorded by health authorities, a daily high for the finance hub, bringing the total to 1,886 cases. "I think the situation is really critical and there is no sign the situation is being brought under control," Lam told reporters. Lam announced new social distancing measures last week, shuttering many businesses including bars, gyms and nightclubs, and ordering everyone to wear masks on public transport. Restaurants were ordered to only offer takeout services in the evenings. On Sunday Lam announced even more regulations, including plans to make it compulsory to wear masks inside any public indoor venueand a new order for non-essential civil servants to work for home. As hospital wards fill, officials are also scrambling to build a further 2,000 isolation rooms on barren land near the city's Disneyland resort to monitor and treat those who test positive, she added. Hong Kong was already mired in recession when the pandemic hit thanks to the US-China trade war and months of political unrest last year. The new partial lockdown has compounded the economic misery. On Sunday, Lam called for landlords to look at lowering rents in the notoriously expensive city where inequality is rampant. She said further social distancing measures would be rolled out if the daily infection rate did not ease in coming days. However, she said she was keen to avoid ordering people to remain at home. "We can't just make a simple and extreme move to cut everything at once," Lam said. Authorities say testing will be ramped up, targeting high-risk populations such as taxi drivers and restaurant workers after clusters were found within their ranks. Some of the new infections have swept through elderly care homes, a major cause of concern given how deadly the coronavirus is to older people. So far, 12 people have died after contracting the virus in Hong Kongfour in the last fortnight. Lam said officials would try to strike a balance between protecting health and keeping the economy partially afloat. "It's hard to tell what kind of measures we will need to roll out... many places have ordered people to stay home," she said. "We haven't adopted that in the last six months because we wanted to maintain a normal life for everyone." Explore further Hong Kong reimposes social distancing as virus cases spike 2020 AFP The Outbreak of COVID-19 globally will remain one of the major events that shaped the 21st century and thus it is the hope and desire of everyone to see humanity triumph once again over a common adversary. Many countries around the globe are resorting to diverse ways to combat the virus and one common denominator that runs across is the use of digital technologies to not only control the spread but also fight infections. In Ghana, favorable ICT policies are being put in place to improve livelihoods as well as provide countries with much needed tools to combat the virus. The governments efforts to ensure uninterrupted connectivity due to the heavy dependence on internet during the lockdown, led to the offering of temporary spectrum to some Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), while waiving off some charges on mobile money transactions was also put in place. These instances though very commendable, also demonstrate the enormous role that ICT can play in preventing, controlling and treating disease like the COVID-19. Unearthing the Enormous Potentials of Technology in Saving Lives In terms of disease treatment, ICT technologies can improve the efficiency and accuracy of identification, diagnosis, and treatment. While the use of AI-assisted CT scans shortens the diagnosis time, In the area of controlling epidemics, intelligent Robotics and AI Robots are used to play an intermediary role, safeguarding the person from possible infection. Additionally, robotics and AI are being used to carry out patient screenings at the entrance of hospitals. AI powered chatbots are being used to undertake basic assessment of patients through basic interactions while a thermal camera installed will detect their temperature, therefore carrying out an effective Covid-19 assessment. Robust cloud infrastructure capable of processing big data also remains a key tool in managing and combating pandemics. The timely collection and transmission of information is the basis for implementing adjustments resulting from case management and pattern, proper classification, recovery analysis and finally developing a prudent exit mechanism of the epidemic. This will also serve as the basis to derive the infection map for epidemics and enable authorities to better inform the general public on the real situation, design a better suited public education system on prevention, control in some cases provide evidence to curb stigmatization all based on the situation on the ground. Digital Technology Ensures Minimum Economic Impact The new COVID-19 epidemic has a profound impact on the world's economy. According to the April 14th IMF forecast, the global GDP growth rate will drop to -3.0% in 2020. The epidemic has brought different challenges and opportunities to various industries, and these changes may profoundly affect the industry's future development trends and competitive landscape. The Internet is the lifeline of the economy during epidemic. With the emergence of the new normal such as working from home, social distancing or self-isolation, public services such as education, medical care, and pension payment among others are offered remotely and ICT remain the core facilitator in ensuring that people can enjoy these services. Additionally basic everyday interactions, business communication and transactions with regards to business and lifestyle are done remotely. Most people resort to online shopping, mobile money transactions, video conferencing and meetings to enable them go about their daily life and economic activities. All around the world this trend is being experienced due to lockdowns and restrictions in movement. These changes require fast Network Deployment, Expansion and Optimization. The heavy dependence on online activities also necessitates a robust security system to prevent network breaches as well as prevent cyber criminals from taking advantage of users. A stable network remains crucial for economic activities during pandemic and a robust national infrastructure, favorable policies and investment by Carrier Networks continue to remain crucial for sustaining economies during an epidemic. Huawei Committed to help Combat Epidemic through Innovative Digital Technology All around the world, Huawei continue to leverage our core ICT capabilities to fight the epidemic. The company continue to focus on the changes in consumer behavior, business models and use of public services in order to better provide innovative ICT solutions suited to the new normal by working with local partners in R&D, strategy adjustment, and enterprise ICT architecture to accelerate the economic recovery of "post-epidemic", and use advanced ICT technologies such as 5G and cloud to help SMEs restore production and operations. In Ghana and all around the globe, Huawei continues to carry out daily maintenance for Carrier networks, the company's engineers setup multiple redundancies to ensure smooth network operation to address these during this pandemic. The Company also supports MNOs to deploy rapid expansion and network optimization using remote innovative digital tools to ensure safety of engineers. Huawei has installed video conferencing facilities at two institutions which are at the frontline of Ghanas fight against the epidemic, namely the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the Ministry of Health. These video conferencing facilities which utilizes Huaweis innovative CloudLink Solution will facilitate remote meetings while promoting the practice of Physical Distancing. Huawei has also equipped the Ministry of Education and the Presidency with Huawei Smart Body Temperature Sensing Cameras to enhance automated monitoring of body temperature without close human intervention. Huawei is committed to developing Ghanas skilled ICT talent pool even during this pandemic by introduction of the Study at Home Program. Through this initiative, Huawei has opened free online courses in the areas of Routing and Switching (HCIA-R&S), Cloud Computing and AI (HCIA-Cloud & AI), Security and WLAN. Huawei trained over thirty (30) Ghanaian lecturers and IT professionals from 10 local Universities. As a result, over 800 students have benefitted from the Huawei ICT Academy Study At Home program. Strategic ICT Investment Ensures Adequate Preparations against Epidemics As the world continue to battle the COVID-19 epidemic, it is import to understand, appreciate and leverage on the great weapon we have in ICT to accelerate humanitys victory over the virus and better prepare us to effectively manage or even prevent any future outbreaks. The strategic upgrade of the Healthcare system through digitalization to achieve smart medical system will be key in tackling for major public health crisis. Likewise the establishment of a nationwide medical network and digital hospitals as well as adoption of technologies such as AI diagnosis, comprehensive utilization of medical resources, and improvement of medical standards are also relevant areas policy makers need to focus on. Investments in modern education methods such as distance education, interactive classrooms, and university campus networks, and make full use of digital technology to achieve comprehensive coverage of high-quality educational resources remains crucial to prepare any country for such outbreaks. The ITU has also said that the COVID-19 crisis we are going through right now shows how vital information and communication technology (ICT) networks and services are, both to respond to the current pandemic and to address disaster management. It is therefore important that, we do not wait until a public health crisis or another outbreak before realizing how important and a powerful tool ICT is. The time to invest and develop a formidable ICT infrastructure is now. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video According to reliable media sources, TikTok has been seriously contemplating to relocate its headquarters to London and has been in advanced discussions with the UK government over the past few months for the same. London, Singapore and Dublin were among the locations being considered by TikTok according some reports suggested in December. No American cities was shortlisted. It comes at a time when tensions are mounting between the UK and China over the government's recent decision to order the removal of Huawei's 5G equipment from Britain's mobile networks by 2027. And there are fears it could prompt a tit-for-tat economic war between the two countries. It was not immediately clear what are the other locations that were under consideration. But it has hired aggressively in California this year, including poaching of Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Co executive, to be TikToks chief executive. He is based in the United States. TikTok is also facing intense scrutiny in Washington over suspicions over China. This could force the company to turn over user data. TikTok is owned by China-based Byte Dance. However, TikTok denies it is a security risk. TikTok does not currently have official headquarters, although its most senior executive is based in Shanghai. Read Also: TikTok Stars purchase scores very low : IIHB report Britain is ploughing tens of millions of taxpayer money into middle-class ventures under the guise of foreign aid, it has been revealed. Five-star hotels, artisan pizza diners and an Indian celebrity chef's cookware line have all benefited from investment by the CDC Group, a government-owned institution. Under the umbrella of the International Development department, the CDC Group is supposed to fund projects which help raise standards in the 'world's poorest places'. But an investigation has shone a spotlight on eye-watering amounts of investment made to companies selling high-end products. Information on the CDC Group website shows it has poured almost 43million into African hotel chain Onomo since 2017. Onomo has a stable of 20 three to four-star hotels across the continent that cater for guests on international businesses. One of the most eye-raising CDC investments was made to Wonderchef, a 'premium cookware' company founded by Indian television chef Sanjeev Kapoor (pictured) It also invested into hotel chain Azalai which the CDC's own website made clear owns five-star hotels (The Bamako in Mali pictured) It also invested into hotel chain Azalai which the CDC's own website made clear owns five-star hotels. CDC typically pumps money into investment companies, in this case, Tunisian financial services company AfricInvest, which it has given 25million since 2014, which then funds local projects. It is unclear on the CDC website how much of the money given to AfricInvest filtered down to Azalai hotels. One of the most eyebrow-raising CDC investments was made to Wonderchef, a 'premium cookware' company founded by Indian television chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The company bills itself as the 'finest Cookware & Appliances brand, especially crafted by Chef Sanjeev Kapoo' and specialise in seemingly middle-class items such as nutri blends which retail at 39.99 Yet they are listed on the CDC website as recipients of UK government-funded investment through Amicus Capital Partners private equity firm, which received 20million in December 2016. CDC made the investment through Tunisian financial services company AfricInvest, which it has given 25million since 2014 - it is unclear how much of this money filtered down to Azalai hotels (Azalai hotel in Cote d'Ivoire pictured) Java House, which 'operates casual dining retail brands in Kenya' and sells 'frozen yoghurt and 360 Degrees Artisan Pizza' is also named as a recipient. The coffee chain received investment from Cayman Islands-headquarted fund managers which received 40million from the CDC. Development campaigners blasted the investments, which was first reported by The Times, as a colossal misuse of public funds. Daniel Willis of Global Justice Now told the newspaper: 'It's a betrayal of the whole point of aid, which is to help end poverty, not support luxury businesses. He added: 'The evidence that these investments are effective at tackling poverty is absolutely minimal.' Java House, which 'operates casual dining retail brands in Kenya' and sells 'frozen yoghurt and 360 Degrees Artisan Pizza' is also named as a recipient The CDC, which commands assets of over 6billion claims it prioritises investment based on the possibility of job-creation in the poorest places in the world. Its website states: 'Our investment teams include product and sector specialists who look for businesses with the greatest potential for impact, whether through their ability to grow and create jobs, to address a lack of enabling infrastructure, to increase efficiency, or to increase opportunities for the poorer parts of society.' Over half its 294 staff are paid more than 100,000 and its chief executive earned 342,200, according to the Times. It selects investment recipients independent of the Department for International Development. A CDC spokesperson stressed that: 'Every single investment we now make is subject to a comprehensive and systematic assessment of its expected impact.' A spokesperson from the Department for International Development said: 'The UK, through its commitment to CDC, is supporting companies, which are boosting the economies of some of the world's poorest countries 'The businesses CDC invests in directly employ over 875,000 workers in Africa and South Asia and support more than six million jobs.' 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 judgment, 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. Expand Close Melania Trump / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Melania Trump 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." Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (retired) Derrick Oduro has rubbished claims by the Minority that government is secretly recruiting some NPP youth into the military. He described the allegation as empty and baseless from a confused Minority in parliament. The NDC is turning into a laughing stock with their empty and baseless utterances. When we respond to that, then you give them that mileage. There is no truth in their allegation, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. Minority flags secret recruitment The Minority in Parliament has asked the Ministers of Defence and the Interior to respond to its concerns that there has been clandestine recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Police Service (GPS) and Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). The Leader of the Minority, Haruna Iddrisu, said the attention of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) had been drawn to such recruitment without public advertisement serving notice to Ghanaian citizens to prepare themselves for recruitment into these important state institutions and security agencies. According to him, information gathered by the Minority indicated that about 1,600 had been recruited into the GAF, saying in respect of the GPS, the last time the public witnessed a public advert in accordance with the Constitution and the public service requirement and regulation was in 2017. So, we are asking fundamental questions. How come in 2018, 2019, and 2020 there is no official public notice? he queried. GAF, I am told, there is some training going on. At the police depot, there is some training going on between Tesano and Palogu in Bolgatanga, Haruna Iddrisu, who is also the NDC MP for Tamale South, noted. This is not an acceptable public service practice. The Constitution requires that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of gender, geography, religion ethnicity, and region. The idea of a public notice allows every eligible legitimate Ghanaian citizen desirous of joining the security agencies to apply and go through a rigorous process of recruitment into the security agencies. " . . I am requesting the Minister for the Interior and Minister for Defence to respond appropriately in Parliament, he added. Recruitment of new soldiers will be announced in the media Major (retired) Derrick Oduro, however, told host of NEAT FMs morning show, Kwesi Aboagye that no one can stop government from recruiting, but the right thing will be done if government wants to recruit new officers. It will be published in the dailies and announced on radio for the general public to apply online. No secret recruitment is going o Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After all the canceled plans Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had to endure, the Duchess of Sussex got slapped with another humiliating news prior to the release of their new book. In May 2020, multiple outlets reported that Prince Harry and Meghan will be releasing a tell-all biography titled "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family in Britain and the Commonwealth". The book, written by royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, will reportedly tackle the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to leave the Firm and relocate to Los Angeles to be financially independent from the royal family. According to First Post, the book's co-authors previously revealed that the upcoming book will also discuss the false reports and misapprehensions about the Sussexes. "Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumours and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond," the promotional literature of the book states. Despite being tagged as one of the most anticipated books in Amazon, however, the site slashed its amount from $27.99 to $19.59. There is no apparent reason yet as to why the price has been cut down. However, it is noticeable how the pre-order for the "Finding Freedom" is still up, although it has already been two months since the book became the talk of the town. For what it's worth, an anoynmous friend of Meghan previously unveiled some compelling details about the book, which stirred public's interests even more. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the friend unveiled how the book will finally set the record straight and provide the real reason why Prince Harry and Meghan left the royal family. "[Meghan wants people to] see 'the genuine person that she is' and wants to 'shatter this image of being a demanding diva," the insider continued before adding that Meghan underwent "monumental anguish and turmoil" throughout her stay in the palace as a senior royal member. In the end, it seems like the Sussexes failed to sell enough copies for Amazon to mark "Finding Freedom" as sold out and not to change its original price before its release next month. Nothing Works Out For Meghan? After the shameful price update emerged online, the Duchess of Sussex is also expected be snubbed by the royal family on her birthday. According to Richard Eden and Emer Scully, the Westminster Abbey will not ring its bells on August 4 to mark Meghan's birthday. Compared to Prince Andrew, the duke's special day was still honored in February despite stepping down from his royal duties. In addition, it is scheduled to ring again to celebrate Princess Anne's birthday 11 days after Meghan's. Moreover, Meghan's birthday will not be as grand as it used to be. Last year, The Sun reported that Queen Elizabeth II planned a special celebration at Balmoral to mark her 38th birthday. She also had the some special birthday cakes and messages from the royal family last year, but Meghan will never be able to enjoy them again anymore. READ MORE: Royal Heartbreak: Meghan Markle Delivers Sad News To Queen Elizabeth II, Monarchy Amid Crisis Many Republican lawmakers have grown exasperated with the administrations conflicting messages, the open warfare within Donald Trumps staff and the presidents demands that states reopen faster or risk punishment from the federal government President Donald Trumps failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak and his refusal to promote clear public-health guidelines have left many senior Republicans despairing that he will ever play a constructive role in addressing the crisis, with some concluding they must work around Trump and ignore or even contradict his pronouncements. In recent days, some of the most prominent figures in the GOP outside the White House have broken with Trump over issues like the value of wearing a mask in public and heeding the advice of health experts like Dr Anthony Fauci, who the president and other hard-Right figures within the administration have subjected to caustic personal criticism. They appear to be spurred by several overlapping forces, including deteriorating conditions in their own states, Trumps seeming indifference to the problem and the approach of a presidential election in which Trump is badly lagging his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, in the polls. Once-reticent Republican governors are now issuing orders on mask-wearing and business restrictions that run counter to Trumps demands. Some of those governors have been holding late-night phone calls among themselves to trade ideas and grievances; they have sought out partners in the administration other than the president, including Vice-President Mike Pence, who, despite echoing Trump in public, is seen by governors as far more attentive to the continuing disaster. The president got bored with it, David Carney, an adviser to the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, a Republican, said of the pandemic. He noted that Abbott directs his requests to Pence, with whom he speaks two to three times a week. A handful of Republican lawmakers in the Senate have privately pressed the administration to bring back health briefings led by figures like Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx, who regularly updated the public during the spring until Trump upstaged them with his own briefing-room monologues. And in his home state of Kentucky last week, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, broke with Trump on nearly every major issue related to the virus. McConnell stressed the importance of mask-wearing, expressed total confidence in Fauci and urged Americans to follow guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that Trump has ignored or dismissed. The straight talk here that everyone needs to understand is: This is not going away until we get a vaccine, McConnell said Wednesday, contradicting Trumps rosy predictions. The result is a quiet but widening breach between Trump and leading figures in his party, as the virus burns through major political battlegrounds in the South and the West, like in the states of Arizona, Texas and Georgia. Amid mounting alarm in a huge portion of the country, Trump has at times appeared to inhabit a different universe, incorrectly predicting the outbreak would quickly dissipate and falsely claiming the spread of the virus was simply a function of increased testing. With his impatient demands and decrees, Trump has disrupted efforts to mitigate the crisis while effectively sidelining himself from participating in those efforts. The emerging rifts in Trumps party have been slow to develop, but they have rapidly deepened since a new surge in coronavirus cases began to sweep the country last month. In the final days of June, the governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, a Republican, joined other governors on a conference call with Pence and urged the administration to do more to combat a sense of complacency about the virus. Herbert said it would help states like his own if Trump and Pence were to encourage mask-wearing on a national scale, according to a recording of the call. As a responsible citizen, if you care about your neighbour, if you love your neighbour, let us show the respect necessary by wearing a mask, Herbert said, offering language to Pence and adding, Thats where I think you and the president can help us out. Pence told Herbert the suggestion was duly noted and said that mask-wearing would be a very consistent message from the administration. But no such appeal was ever forthcoming from Trump, who asserted days later that the virus would just disappear. Trump has offered only hedged recommendations on wearing masks and has rarely worn one himself in public; in a Fox interview that was broadcast Sunday, the president said he would not issue a national mask order, because Americans deserve a certain freedom on the matter. Some of the states where outbreaks have worsened most in recent weeks are led by Republicans who spent months avoiding stringent lockdowns, in some cases because state leaders were uneasy about creating space between themselves and a president of their own party who rejected such steps. That dynamic has been particularly pronounced in Southern states like Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, where governors have either continued to resist tough public-health restrictions or have only recently and partially embraced them. A few Republicans have grown more open with their misgivings about Trumps approach, including Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, who said this month that he would require people to wear masks at any Trump rallies in his state. After issuing a broad mask mandate last week, Hutchinson said on the ABC programme This Week on Sunday that an example needs to be set by our national leadership on mask-wearing. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, in an interview on Meet the Press on NBC, did not answer directly when asked if he had confidence in Trumps leadership in the crisis. DeWine said he had confidence in this administration and praised Pence for doing an absolutely phenomenal job. Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, rejected criticisms of Trumps approach. 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 rebuild our economy is utterly false, Deere said in a statement. With only a few exceptions, Republicans have avoided direct confrontation with Trump. Theyve come to view public criticism as an exercise in political futility one guaranteed to produce a sour response from Trump without any chance of changing his behaviour. But many Republican lawmakers have grown exasperated with the administrations conflicting messages, the open warfare within Trumps staff and the presidents demands that states reopen faster or risk punishment from the federal government. Senator Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, said he wanted the administration to offer more extensive public-health updates to the American people, and condemned the open animosity toward Fauci by some administration officials, including Peter Navarro, the trade advisor, who wrote an opinion column attacking Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert. I want more briefings but, more importantly, I want the whole White House to start acting like a team on a mission to tackle a real problem, Sasse said. Navarros Larry, Moe and Curly junior-high slap fight this week is yet another way to undermine public confidence that these guys grasp that tens of thousands of Americans have died and tens of millions are out of work. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Minnesota, was more succinct: The more they turn the briefings over to the professionals, the better. A group of Republican governors have for months held regular conference calls, usually at night and without staff present, according to two party strategists familiar with the conversations. Unlike the virus-focused calls that Pence leads, there are no Democratic or White House officials on the line, so the conversations have become a sort of safe space where the governors can ask their counterparts for advice, discuss best practices and, if the mood strikes them, vent about the administration and the presidents erratic leadership. Trump himself seems less interested in the specific challenges the virus presents and is mostly just frustrated by the reality that it has not disappeared as he has predicted. The disconnect is only growing between him and other party leaders not to mention voters. A poll published on Friday by ABC News and The Washington Post found that a majority of the country strongly disapproved of Trumps handling of the coronavirus crisis, and around two-thirds of Americans said they had little or no trust in Trumps comments about the disease. Trumps political standing is now so dire that even Republicans who have spent years avoiding direct comment on his behaviour are acknowledging his unpopularity in plain terms. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, for instance, offered a bleak assessment of Trumps electoral standing at a recent event hosted by Solamere, a company with close ties to Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and his family. According to a partial transcript of the comments, shared by a person close to him, the usually tight-lipped Ryan said Trump was losing key voting blocs across the Midwest and in Arizona, a Republican-leaning state that Ryan described as presently trending against us. While Ryan did not criticise Trumps handling of the outbreak, he said the president could not win reelection this year if he continued losing badly to Biden among suburban voters who were wary of both candidates but currently favour Biden. Biden is winning over Trump in this category of voters 70 to 30, Ryan said, and if that sticks, he cannot win states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Some of Trumps closest advisors are adamant that the best way forward is to downplay the dangers of the disease. Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, has been particularly forceful in his view that the White House should avoid drawing attention to the virus, according to people familiar with the discussions. Meadows has for the most part opposed any briefings about the virus, while other Trump advisers, including Hope Hicks and Jared Kushner, have been open to holding briefings so long as they are not at the White House where Trump could show up and commandeer them. Pences team would like to hold more briefings with the health experts, but some of Trumps communications aides do not want the vice president to be part of them. A large number of rank-and-file Republican lawmakers share Trumps aversion to the disease-control practices. Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican closely aligned with Trump, issued an order Wednesday blocking local governments from mandating mask-wearing, then sued the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, for imposing such a requirement. Kemps edict came hours after Trump visited his state, declining to wear a face mask at the Atlanta airport. Yet some in the GOP now see no alternative to parting ways with Trump, on policy if not politics. Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a powerful business federation in the crucial state, said he saw Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, walking a prudent line breaking with Trumps policy demands but not blasting the president for issuing them. Everyone knows that the president doesnt react well to criticism, constructive or not, he said. Hamer, who was among a group of business leaders who sent a letter to the White House urging the creation of clearer national standards for facial coverings, said Trump presented a challenge to Republican leaders seeking to foster responsible behaviour. On the mask side, it is difficult when the leader of the party had been setting a pretty bad example, Hamer said. Alexander Burns, Jonathan Martin and Maggie Haberman c.2020 The New York Times Company The Ashok Gehlot government has withdrawn its 'general consent' to the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct raids and investigations in Rajasthan, and the agency will now need its prior permission, a development which comes amid the political crisis in the state. The state government issued a notification requiring the CBI to take prior consent of the state government for investigation of an offence under Section 3 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. According to the officials, the 'general consent' of the state government will no longer be valid in the offences under this law. Consent will have to be taken on a case-by-case basis. Additional Chief Secretary Home Rohit Kumar Singh said, "Its administrative provisions were already there, it was notified yesterday." Officials said that in June 1990 too the then Rajasthan government had refused to give such 'general consent' to the Centre. The Bharatiya Janata Party has questioned the Rajasthan government's move, saying there is 'indirect emergency' in the state. "The way the state government misused the SOG and the ACB and it was afraid of CBI action... There is something fishy," BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters. ACB asks two rebel Cong MLAs to appear before it in 3 days Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday issued notices to dissident Congress MLAs Bhanwarlal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh, asking them to appear before it within three days for investigation into an alleged plot to topple the state government. The ACB had registered a first information report against Bhanwarlal under the Prevention of Corruption Act on July 17 in connection with the audio tapes, which allegedly indicate a plot to bring down the Congress government in the state. Vishvendra Singh, who was earlier removed from the state Cabinet, has too been summoned for investigation with regard to the audio tapes. "We have issued them notices today, asking them to appear within three days," an ACB official said. The FIR was registered on the complaint of state government chief whip Mahesh Joshi, who had produced three audio tapes. In two of the tapes, MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma is allegedly heard talking to one Sanjay Jain and Gajendra Singh regarding the 'conspiracy' and 'amount'. Citing the audio clips on social media, the Congress had demanded the resignation of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from the Union Cabinet, saying he has no moral authority to continue when he is heard on audio clips that suggest a BJP conspiracy to topple the government in Rajasthan. However, the FIR does not identify 'Gajendra Singh' referred to the clip as Union minister Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan. The third audio tape is allegedly having a conservation between two people but no name appears on it. However, ACB sources said one voice resembles to that of Vishvendra Singh, therefore a notice was issued to him as well. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police has also registered two FIRs in connection with the audio tapes and has arrested Sanjay Jain, referred to as a BJP leader by the Congress, a charge denied by the saffron party. The SOG has also issued a notice to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in this regard and trying to locate Congress MLA Bhanwarlal for investigation into the case. The Congress Party had earlier suspended the primary membership of Vishvendra Singh and Bhanwarlal Sharma after the audio tapes surfaced. I read the other day that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, apparently is in favor of renaming military bases named for Confederates. Having spent the first three years -- and the very last year -- of my military career as a paratrooper at Fort Bragg, NC, I have a bit of a problem with that. Gen. Milley may be intimately familiar with the history behind the names of all military posts in all of the branches of the services, and in the case of those named for people, their individual histories. That would put him into a pretty exclusive category: most civilians in the states where such bases are located don't know much about the people for whom bases are named, even those who work on them. The same can probably be said for many, if not most, of the military members stationed there, though they have a much higher likelihood of knowing at least the person a base was named after. I'm pretty sure that most members of Congress don't know who the bases in their districts were named for, though they no doubt have staffers who do, or can find out quickly if needed. Even among people who might know full names, they probably couldn't tell you much about them, what war(s) they served in, or whose side they were on if they even guessed "Civil War" correctly. Until a few weeks ago, nobody cared a whole lot. History is what happened. It isn't judgment, it is a statement of fact (one hopes) about events that took place at a time and place, and participants in those events. People decide, often later and in a different context, how to interpret those facts, if need be, and if they so desire, to judge for themselves what the facts "mean." Denying them doesn't change the events; trying to erase or bury them doesn't either. It simply means that other people no longer have access to the facts about those people, places, and things that shaped the history that is examined by others at a later time (because once an event has occurred, every examination of it happens later, and is colored by the perceptions of those who do the studying). Whatever might be learned -- good, bad or indifferent -- is lost once references to the past are erased, and as Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (often quoted in different forms, which is quite ironic). The most repressive regimes in history like to destroy the past, so that people have no basis to refer back to in order to see if history is repeating itself, for better or for worse. If you don't know any better -- because there isn't anything to remind you -- then you are pretty much forced to play along with whatever the current regime tells you. Orwell's 1984 was nearly prophetic in our modern era, as the past is erased or constantly rewritten, and the only thing we have is the present. Anyone who thinks differently is guilty of wrongthink, and thoughtcrimes are to be punished as severely as possible. It seems as if this is happening widely, swiftly, and alarmingly. If we are going to get rid of all symbolism that doesn't conform to the current dogma and judge all past actions of everybody by the feelings of the moment, we will destroy society. Statues are being torn down; flags banned; alternatives to the National Anthem actively sought; institutions shuttered or defunded, and critical voices effectively silenced. A generation ago -- a decade ago, even less -- this would have been unthinkable. Now, it is wrong not to agree with such thinking, and one criticizes it at one's own peril. If we are going to engage in the rename game to cleanse society of any reference to anything the thought police find objectionable, military bases will be joined by almost anything else that has a name. I went to Jump School at Fort Benning, outside Columbus, GA -- and Columbus is now persona non grata, so what shall become of the city? (Ohio must reckon with this also.) Watch out, Jefferson City, MO! How about Lincoln, NE, or Jackson, MS? And let's not forget the most egregious of all: Washington, D.C. (for District of Columbia!), which is a double whammy. The list is not endless, but it is extensive. What should be done with our nation's capital? Rename it Floydsville, District of BLM? How about renaming all offensively named cities for martyrs of whatever the popular movement of the day is? And doing it every few years as certain movements fall out of favor and new ones arise? We probably need to rename anything that smacks of cultural appropriation, so anything that carries a Native American or other indigenous people's name must be renamed. If people can no longer buy a house with a "master bedroom" or "master bathroom," what new terms will people have to learn for most things that could possibly have any sort of objectionable connotation? Finally, what shall our country be called, because "America" cannot be allowed to remain? I don't know when, or if, any wisdom will prevail, and the insane rush to destroy the past in favor of an ever-shifting present will subside, but I fear what the aftermath will be in either case. Franklin responded to a question about the newly formed American government by saying "...a Republic, if we can keep it." Either "if" should have been immortalized in capital letters, perhaps underlined and in bold print as a quotation, or should have been spoken as "for however long" instead. I fear for the future, because a future with no foundation in the past, however sordid or insufficient it was, is not a future where I will have a place. After two consecutive months of tortoise paced immigration levels, Canadas immigration started getting boosted again in May. Canada invited 11,000 immigrants when compared to just 4,000 immigrants, invited in April. The top 5 countries, which were the sources of these immigrants were India, China, the Philippines, the US, and Nigeria. This new data given by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) completely indicates that Canadas immigration system is starting to normalize even in the middle of British visitors are expected to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in the Republic of Ireland. First Minister Arlene Foster wants to preserve free movement for the sake of business and family life but her powersharing deputy, Michelle ONeill, urged the alignment of rules north and south of the Border. The Sinn Fein vice-president said: It is my view that, given that this is where the biggest risk comes from, we need to act on that. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain. It is something I am concerned about Ms ONeill said she intended to discuss the matter with fellow Stormont ministers and the island of Ireland needed to act as one unit. She added: The community transmission there is so much higher. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain. It is something I am concerned about. She held talks with fellow devolved leaders in Scotland and Wales on Wednesday. Advertisement The number of deaths recorded in Northern Ireland remains at 556, according to the latest report on Monday. The infection threat has been driven down over recent weeks. I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life DUP leader Mrs Foster was asked whether a recent call by Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald for all people entering the island of Ireland to self-quarantine indicated a difference of opinion at the heart of the powersharing executive. We have to be driven by the science and advice we are given, were also very clear that we are in a common travel area and we respect that common travel area, Mrs Foster replied. The Republic of Ireland has decided to go on a different route and they dont respect the common travel area, thats a matter for them. But I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life, lets face it, as well, that we continue to have the UK working together and making sure we can have that travel across the United Kingdom. There are around 60 countries on Northern Irelands safe travel list, but there are expected to be fewer on the Republics list when it is published. Only countries that have a coronavirus infection rate the same or lower than Ireland will be included on the list. People crossing the border from Northern Ireland are not subject to restrictions on their movement. The DUP leader was asked about the different approaches on both sides of the Border. We have always had differences as we work through Covid but I think the important thing is weve always communicated with each other, weve always understood why those decisions have been taken, she said. The decisions are taken around our travel regulations on the advice from the chief medical officer (Dr Michael McBride) working in the four nations approach across the UK, so theres an understanding as to why that is the case. A US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, on Monday conducted maritime drills with Indian warships in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), against the backdrop of the India-China border standoff in Ladakh, people familiar with the development said on Monday. The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships, said an official, requesting anonymity. The drills also came at a time when tensions have mounted over Chinas activities in the South China Sea, where the US Navy has just conducted a major exercise that involved two carrier strike groups. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is transiting through IOR. During the passage, #IndianNavy units undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with #USNavy. Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEXs with #JMSDF (Japan) and #FrenchNavy in recent past, the Indian Navy tweeted. The Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy is currently carrying out manoeuvres near Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the warships that took part in the exercise were from that fleet, said a second official, also on condition of anonymity. Also read: US backs ASEAN on South China Sea, challenges Chinas predatory world view While operating together, the US and Indian naval forces conducted high-end exercises designed to maximize training and interoperability, including air defence, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. It said the Nimitz carrier strike groups operations were designed to provide security throughout the region while building partnerships with friends and allies. The 7th Fleet is the largest of the US Navys forward deployed fleets. Naval engagements such as these exercises improve the cooperation of US and Indian maritime forces and contribute to both sides ability to counter threats at sea, from piracy to violent extremism. These engagements also present opportunities to build upon the pre-existing strong relationship between the US and India and allow both countries to learn from each other, it added. The Nimitz carrier strike group, consisting of flagship USS Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson took part in the drills. India was represented by INS Rana, INS Sahyadri, INS Shivalik and INS Kamorta. It was a privilege to operate with the Indian Navy, said Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz carrier strike group. Also read: US rejects Chinese claims in South China Sea in new escalation The Indian Air Force has deployed half a squadron (eight to 10) of its Jaguar fighters at the Car Nicobar air base, in a show of strength amidst the tense confrontation between Indian and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, said a third official. The IAF has raised its guard along the northern border to deal with any military provocation by the Chinese forces and forward bases have been ordered to be on their highest state of alert. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are more than 1,200 km from mainland India. A significant volume of Chinas oil imports passes through the Malacca Strait, which is south-east of these islands. The Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Indian Ocean from the Malacca Strait and is on its way to the Persian Gulf. A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills. While the Malabar exercise with the US will be conducted later this year, it is always good to exercise with like-minded navies and exchange best practices whenever there is a chance, said naval affairs expert Captain DK Sharma (retd). The navy has been on an operational alert in the Indian Ocean where scores of warships are ready for any task in the aftermath of the border row. It has positioned warships along critical sea lanes of communications and choke points under its mission-based deployment and the vessels could be diverted for any mission. Indian warships are deployed from as far as the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait and northern Bay of Bengal to the southeast coast of Africa. The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships on the planet, is returning from an operational deployment in South China Sea. A carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan was part of the US drills in South China Sea. The US deployment to South China Sea came after Chinas Peoples Liberation Army-Navy conducted drills in the contested waters, provoking a sharp reaction from neighbouring countries and Washington. The US Navy has said its operations in South China Sea are designed to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. The stage is also set for Australia to be part of the next Malabar naval exercise conducted by India with the US and Japan, as reported by Hindustan Times on July 17. The next edition of Malabar, already delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to be held by the end of the year. The formal invitation to Australia is expected to be extended after some time in view of delicate negotiations between India and China on disengagement and de-escalation to end their standoff along the LAC. China has also been wary of the Quadrilateral security dialogue or Quad that was revived in late 2017 by India, the US, Australia and Japan, and these suspicions have increased since the four countries upgraded the forum to the ministerial level last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ISTANBUL - The Christian icons of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will be covered by curtains during the Muslim prayers to be held with the reopening of the former museum as a mosque on Friday. The announcement was made on TV by Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who ruled out the use of darkening laser lights, which was reported as a possibility in recent days by local media, saying that ''there will not be any damage to the mosaics, icons, historic heritage, or architecture of the building''. The spokesman confirmed that Erdogan will attend the historic prayer and that social distancing will be observed, and that thus access will be limited. A cocaine smuggling racket has been busted after Italian police spotted a fake coffee firm which shared its name with a mafia boss in the John Wick movies. Officers intercepted a package of 500 coffee beans that had been sent from Medellin, Colombia, to Malpensa airport in Milan, Italy. Police said their suspicions were raised after they saw the name Santino D'Antonio, who was a mafia boss in American action film John Wick, written across the packet. Officers intercepted a package of 500 coffee beans that had been sent from Medellin, Colombia, to Malpensa airport in Milan, Italy On closer inspection of the 2kg package, officers found the beans had been hollowed out, filled with the illegal substance and then carefully closed again using dark brown tape. There was estimated to be 150g of cocaine powder inside. The goods had been addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence. Police tracked the package as it was delivered before arresting a 50-year-old man who arrived to collect it. On closer inspection of the 2kg package, officers found the beans had been hollowed out, filled with the illegal substance and then carefully closed again using dark brown tape Police said their suspicions were raised after they saw the name Santino D'Antonio, who was a mafia boss in American action film John Wick, written across the packet Santino D'Antonio, played by Riccardo Scamarcio, (pictured) appeared in the second instalment of the John Wick franchise Italian police named their covert operation Caffe' Scorretto (improper coffee) as a play on word against that popular continental beverage Caffe' Corretto (corrected coffee) which consists of espresso with an added splash of sambuca. But it is not the first time that drugs smugglers have tried to hide their illicit goods in deliveries of coffee. In January last year, Italian police seized a massive haul of 644kg of cocaine hidden inside bags of Honduran coffee. The goods had been addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence. Police tracked the package as it was delivered before arresting a 50-year-old man who arrived to collect it Santino D'Antonio went up against Keanu Reeves (pictured) after the protagonist returned to the criminal underworld to repay a debt - only to discover a large bounty had been put on his head Similarly, in 2014, a coffee roaster in Berlin found 33kg of cocaine inside a bag of beans, which police said came from Brazil. Santino D'Antonio, played by Riccardo Scamarcio, appeared in the second instalment of the John Wick franchise. He went up against Keanu Reeves after the protagonist returned to the criminal underworld to repay a debt - only to discover a large bounty had been put on his head. So what does Phase 4 really look like? Heres a breakdown of what has and hasnt changed. Whats now open Broadly, some cultural venues, like zoos and botanical gardens, can open for outdoor activities at 33 percent of the venues total capacity. That has been welcome news for some: Four city zoos and the New York Botanical Garden have announced they will open to the public by the end of the month, while the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will open to the general public in early August. Professional sports can resume, but without fans. Media production also gets a green light, bolstering the industries involved in making movies, television and music. Thats in addition to all the things that have opened in previous phases, such as outdoor dining, offices and personal care services, including hair and nail salons. Whats left out Indoor dining is still not permitted. Originally, it was an activity that would have been allowed under Phase 3, but officials have linked the reopening of indoor dining and indoor bars to the outbreaks raging elsewhere in the country. [What bar and restaurant owners have to say about being left behind.] In fact, restrictions have gotten even tighter: Officials last week banned the sale of alcohol to customers who do not also buy food, in an attempt to crack down on crowds of outdoor drinkers. Also left out of Phase 4: the reopening of gyms, malls, movie theaters and museums. Whats next Theres no clear timetable for when and how those venues might reopen. Governor Cuomo made it clear on Friday that the state is bracing for the potential for a second wave, as outbreaks in the nations West and the South threaten to spill into the state. M ike Pompeo has arrived in the UK ahead of a meeting with Boris Johnson to discuss "shared security challenges". The US Secretary of State is expected to discuss China with the Prime Minister in a Downing Street summit and he will also meet with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Mr Pompeo wrote on Twitter: "Great to be back in London to reaffirm the #SpecialRelationship we share with our closest ally. "Looking forward to meeting with Boris Johnson and @Dominic Raab as we tackle our most pressing global issues in combating Covid-19 and addressing our shared security challenges." Mr Pompeo flew in to the UK on Monday evening, arriving at an unnamed airport. In pictures uploaded to his Twitter account, the Secretary of State was seen disembarking while wearing a face covering decorated with the stars and stripes of the US flag. Mr Pompeo is due to meet with a cross-party group of 20 MPs - seen as "hawks" on China - before his meeting with the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in a move which will be seen by some as a snub to Downing Street. It came as Mr Raab announced the suspension of Britains extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" amid rising tensions with China. The extradition treaty allows a person from Hong Kong suspected of a crime in the UK to be handed over to face justice - and vice versa. POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Foreign Secretary said the Government will also extend the arms embargo that currently apples to China to Hong Kong, and that this would include a ban on exporting equipment that could be used for "internal repression". Mr Raab's announcement comes after Beijing imposed a draconian new security law on the former British colony, which prompted the UK Government to offer three million Hong Kong residents the chance to settle in Britain. The Foreign Secretary warned: "There remains considerable uncertainty about the way in which the new national security law will be enforced. I would just say this: the UK is watching and the whole world is watching." Raab suspends Hong Kong extradition treaty and extends arms embargo But, outlining his announcement, Mr Raab was keen to stress that "we want to work with China. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons it was vital that the world shows a "co-ordinated front" on China and called for a "new era" in terms of the UK Government's relationship with Beijing. Meanwhile, backbench Tories have been calling for Mr Johnson to take a tougher stance on China, with MP Tobias Ellwood warning that the UK is sliding towards a cold war with China. The Prime Minister has promised to be "tough" with China in some areas but said he would not "completely abandon our policy of engagement" with Beijing. Joe Biden has unveiled his 'roadmap' to reopen schools in the era of coronavirus, calling on Senate Republicans to allocate $58billion to stabilize public education - as he blasted Trump for waving the 'white flag and giving up.' The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee laid out his five-point plan on Friday as the Trump administration continued their aggressive approach to jump-start classes this fall. 'Donald Trump may have waved the white flag and given up, but the rest of can't do that,' Biden said. President Trump has argued that most parents are anxious to see schools resume in-person classes and claimed school districts that don't fully open are more motivated by politics than by legitimate fears about the pandemic. 'They think its going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,' Trump said at a White House discussion on school plans last week. 'No way. Were very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.' Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (pictured) on Friday released his 'roadmap' to reopening schools this fall amid the pandemic Trump has also threatened to hold back federal funding if schools don't bring their students back in the fall, but critics are rattled as cases skyrocket in a number of states. 'Everyone wants their schools to be reopen. The question is how to make it safe, how to make it stick,' Biden said in a video accompanying his proposal. 'Forcing educators and students back into a classroom in areas where the infection rate is going up or remaining very high is just plain dangerous.' His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, sat next to Biden in the video and took a not-to-subtle jab at Trump in the process. 'Schools and parents alike want a clear science-based strategy. Not mixed messages and ultimatums,' she said. President Trump (pictured) and the White House have launched a vigorous campaign to fully reopen schools in the fall with in-person classes The Biden campaign summarized in a statement: 'The challenge facing our schools is unprecedented. President Trump has made it much worse. We had a window to get this right. And, Trump blew it.' First, Biden said any plans for the new school year have to start by reducing the number of coronavirus cases in communities around the country: 'That's step one.' This included boosting the United State's PPE supplies, improving testing abilities and expanding contact tracing. Second, Biden suggested that the United States must 'set national safety guidelines, [and] empower local decision-making' if it is to successfully move forward. He planed to enlist federal agencies, including the CDC, to establish 'basic, objective criteria' for reopening schools. Those included districts securing necessary funding to reconfigure classrooms to better allow for social distancing, reducing class sizes, procuring protective equipment and devising plans to accommodate at-risk teachers and students. Biden briefly aligned with the Trump administration that the final decisions are ultimately up to state and local officials. A new poll released Thursday shows that only 25 per cent of American adults feel that Trump should be pressuring schools to reopen, while 63 per cent are against the demands Third, the former vice president hoped to provide emergency funding to public schools and child care providers. Biden said he would directly call on Trump and Senate Republicans to allocate $58billion from the HEROES Act to stabilize public schools and save jobs. He also vowed to call on Congress to pass a separate $30billion emergency package that will guarantee schools have the resources to fully adapt to the coronavirus pandemic. An additional $4billion would be used to update school broadband and technology. The proposal's fourth point would ensure that students are receiving high-quality learning despite the ongoing pandemic. Biden hoped to create a large effort with the US Department of Education to work with teachers to develop, implement and share the best ideas for learning. Biden proposal said he would call on President Trump (center) and Senate Republicans to allocated $58billion to stabilize public school education and save jobs Improvements to remote learning, as well as ongoing discussions with the CDC and National Institute of Health about evolving pandemic insights would be also included. Finally, Biden's plan would look to close the coronavirus educational gap. Biden said the pandemic, which shuttered schools in March and disrupted curriculum nationally, has negatively impacted the education of low income and minority students. Additionally, he also suggested schools shouldn't be forced to reopen until the creation of federal guidelines 'free from political influence.' Biden said they should detail how low a community's infection rate needs to be before resuming in-person instruction, when schools might close again if virus infection cases rise, what safe maximum class sizes are and who should return to the classroom first if not everyone can be accommodated. 'The Trump Administrations chaotic and politicized response has left school districts to improvise a thousand hard decisions on their own,' the Biden campaign wrote. Joe Biden has leveled consistent attacks against President Trump over the course of the coronavirus pandemic Biden blasted Trump by saying his 'ignorance isn't a virtue or a sign of your strength', but that it is constraining the country's pandemic response The National Education Association, the country's largest labor union which endorsed Biden's primary campaign, praised the proposal. The union previously slammed Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for their push to reopen schools. 'The safety of our students and educators shouldnt be political, but sadly once again we see Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos are playing politics with the lives of our students and educators by threatening to withhold funding from school that dont give in to their bullying,' wrote NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia on Friday. 'Biden is listening to parents and educators across the nation about how to reopen schools safely, while listening to the doctors and local public health officials to determine when and where it is safe to reopen school buildings,' she added. The debate about reopening schools for in-person classes is the latest dilemma to hit the United States after the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests. On Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany advanced much the same argument as Biden, saying the decision to reopen schools should be driven by science - but argued that doing so means bringing students back to classrooms. 'When the president says open, he means open in full, kids being able to attend each and every day in their school', she said during a press conference. 'The science should not stand in the way of this. The science is on our side here, and we encourage for localities and states to just simply follow the science, open our schools.' The CDC earlier this month released guidelines for safely reopening schools amid the pandemic, telling districts to place desks six feet apart, have children wear face coverings and close down communal areas like playgrounds. But Trump quickly criticized the guidelines as 'very tough' and 'expensive.' The CDC began reworking their guidelines, but have not released any materials yet. On Sunday, he reiterated that he could withhold funding from schools if they do not fully reopen in the fall. 'Young people have to go to school, and there's problems when you don't go to school, too,' Trump said as his administration has begun pushing for schools to return to in-person classroom learning. 'And there's going to be a funding problem because we're not going to fund when they don't open their schools,' the president threatened. 'We're not going to fund them.' 'We're not going to give them money if they're not going to school. If they don't open,' he continued. Trump threatened earlier this month that he would not allow federal funding to be released to public schools if they did not comply with reopening. He said Democrats are pushing to keep schools closed because they are concerned that reopening would be a bad political move for presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden ahead of the November presidential election. He added that countries that have begun reopening their schools are having 'no problems' failing to mention that their rates of cases and mortality from coronavirus are much lower than in the U.S. But coronavirus cases are soaring in states like California, Texas and Florida. In Florida, Miami has become the new coronavirus epicenter in the country as new infections and deaths break records near daily.' Some teachers have begun updating their wills in anticipation of the school year. In California, military medics deployed to eight hospitals where staff was inundated with cases and struggling to stay afloat. In fact, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday that the situation was so dire in his California city that authorities were considering a new stay-at-home orders. Further west in Houston, Texas, an 86-person Army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial Medical Center. Last week, Gov. Abbot threatened to place the state under lockdown once again as intensive care units in Houston filled up with infected patients. Juwairiyya Musa Kore, a 17-year-old daughter of a lawmaker representing Danbatta Constituency at Kano state house of assembly, Murtala Musa Kore, has been kidnapped by gunmen. Juwairiyya, an SS II student of Government Girls Secondary School, Jogana, was abducted on Sunday, July 19, 2020, at her fathers home at Kore village in Danbatta local government, about 40 kilometers away from Kano city. The lawmaker who confirmed the development to journalists shortly after the incident regretted his daughter fell in the hands of the abductors who actually missed their target while he was away. He said: I just received a call from my brother at home at about 2.30 am that some people came looking for me in my house in the village. And as soon as my daughter came out and told them I was not at home, they decided to take my young daughter away. Initially, they had mistaken my elder brother Lawan for. Sooner one of them realized he was not their target, he was released. Only God knows why they decided to choose my daughter. Kore stressed that the gunmen confessed their mission before his wife and children when they invaded his home. They categorically told my wife and children their mission was to kidnap me, he said. Although the lawmaker disclosed that he was not yet contacted or requested for any ransom payment, he however claimed the case has been reported to the security agency. When contacted for response on the abduction, the Police spokesperson in Kano, DSP Abdullahi Haruna did not respond to calls and text messages on the development at press time. KanyiDaily had also reported that suspected kidnappers have abducted a policewoman, her daughter and four others at Janruwa, Patrick Yakowa way area of Kaduna State. Hyderabad: Private schools are battling demands to cancel online classes and cut the fee, but the Covid-19 related lockdown has brought education to a halt in government schools. Government schools have 55 lakh students as per data of 2017. Among the challenges, one that stands out the most for government schools is the lack of infrastructure for online classes in rural areas, as was suggested in a survey conducted by the Telangana State United Teachers' Federation (TSUTF) last month, covering 1,868 villages in 489 mandals in all 33 districts. The survey said that 39.6 per cent of families did not have smartphones and 14.8 per cent did not have a cable TV connection for children to watch lessons on government educational channels. Only 36 per cent of schools had TV sets, but they are not in a usable condition in 10.4 per cent of schools. The government says it is ready to implement infrastructure to accommodate online education for students without proper internet services, but headmasters feel otherwise. Rajasekhar Gaddam, gazetted headmaster of a Zilla Parishad High School in Khammam district, said, "The facilities developed by the school education department are not up to the mark. There are inconsistencies in service to schools in different districts. There is not enough electricity supply in the rural areas and the availability of just one TV set in each school makes it difficult to accommodate 100-200 students at one time. Another problem is the lack of training for teachers. R. Sharada, incharge headmistress of the Government Girls High School in Masab Tank, said, Most private school teachers have easy access to the internet and a computer. Teachers in rural areas have had no exposure to the technology. Parents of students, especially in the rural areas, are demanding that regular classes be started, citing the lower spread of the virus in their areas. A major reason for this is access to mid-day meals for children. Daily wage earners who lost their jobs during the lockdown can barely manage a meal per day, said Sharada. Sadanand Singaraju, headmaster of a ZP high school in Warangal Rural district, said, The government should aim at providing facilities in areas where it is possible to do so immediately. A community teaching facility can be set up for a small village of 50-60 families. SIU earns fifth consecutive Tree Campus USA honor by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University has earned national recognition as a 2019 Tree Campus USA for its commitment to a green and sustainable campus and effective urban forest management. Its the fifth consecutive year the Arbor Day Foundation has honored the university. SIU is one of just 401 universities across the nation and one of 21 in the state to earn the recognition. The Tree Campus USA designation acknowledges our commitment to education, community outreach, and environmental stewardship, Dave Tippy, superintendent of grounds, said. Commitment illustrated To achieve the standard, a university must meet five sustainable campus forestry standards, and Tippy said that despite the most unusual year this has been due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SIU has still illustrated its ongoing commitment, proving its commitment to healthy trees and to involving students, faculty and staff in conservation and sustainability. The university has a campus tree-care inventory and plan, which is kept updated, and an active tree advisory committee comprised of arborists, forestry faculty, grounds and sustainability staff and students. The group helps assure effective campus forestry management and oversees the campus tree plan. The university sponsors various service-learning projects, including a Campus Tree Walk. Plant and Service Operations and its grounds department facilitates the event, which is sponsored by the campus tree committee and presented each fall by the Forestry Club. About 150 of the regions grade school students enjoy a guided tree walk on campus where they get to check out the QR tree coding identification system and learn to identify numerous trees. They also enjoy watching crosscut sawing, axe throwing, tree climbing and demonstrations of other lumberjack skills. This springs Arbor Day observance, which typically includes the planting of trees by volunteers, couldnt take place due to the pandemic but will happen when feasible, at least in a virtual format, and Tippy said planning is already underway for some alternative type of service-learning project should the fall tree walk not be feasible. Trees everywhere The university has an inventory of more than 5,300 trees on the main campus alone, including over 160 different species. The inventory doesnt include Thompson Woods, the wooded areas around Campus Lake, or various auxiliary properties including Touch of Nature Environmental Center and the farms, Tippy said. Trees around campus feature QR codes that people can scan and find out all kinds of interesting information about them. The SIU Arboretum features a diverse selection of species and the university has created six self-guided tree identification tours, enabling people to view a wide variety of trees, including leaves, bark, fruit, photos and other details, either via a walking tour or virtually. SIU is the first university in Illinois and still one of just two in the state to earn Level II Arboretum Accreditation from the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and SIU is now featured in the Morton Register of Arboreta. This is the only global initiative that officially recognizes arboreta for development, capacity and professionalism. Tippy said this is further proof of SIUs overall commitment to a green and sustainable campus. Achieving the honor is a campus-wide effort Earning a fifth Tree Campus USA designation is a collaborative, cross-campus effort, with numerous campus units and employees and students involved, according to Tippy. Its also a great opportunity for students to gain practical experience. For more information about the tree campus initiative and other related sustainability happenings at SIU, visit sustainability.siu.edu/about/history/treecampususa.php. TDT | Manama The Cassation Court, Bahrains highest court, has upheld the jail sentence issued against a young Bahraini man for promoting illegal drug use, while approving the BD3,000 fine issued against him in the process. The defendant was arrested in the company of two women, his co-defendants, one of whom was a fellow-citizen and the other a Gulf national. The women were both tried with the male defendant and were found guilty of drug abuse. The Bahraini man received a five-year prison sentence, which has been upheld, while the Bahraini woman was given a oneyear jail term. The Gulf woman, on the other hand, was sentenced to six months in prison, after which she will be deported and be banned from re-entering the country for three years. Meanwhile, the Bahraini woman was also slapped with a BD1,000 fine while her female co-defendant received a BD100 penalty. The Bahraini man was exposed after police received a tip of his activities, after which an arrest warrant was issued against him. Anti-narcotics squads broke into his home, at which time the trio were inside and were already not in normal condition having used the drugs in their possession. Police officers confirmed this after performing drug tests. The officers found that the male defendant had with him various types of narcotics and he later admitted that they were for personal consumption as well as peddling. The two women, however, insisted that they were only drug users and that they had never participated in any form of illegal drug trade. They also revealed that they were getting the drugs from their male co-defendant. You are here: Business The 17th China Changchun International Automobile Expo, one of the country's major expos in the auto industry, concluded Sunday with a transaction volume of 10.3 billion yuan ($1.47 billion). The 10-day event in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, attracted 293,000 visitors and 575,000 online audience. More than 1,400 vehicles from 150 brands were on display both offline and online. The expo had an exhibition area of 150,000 square meters. Over 50,000 vehicles were sold during the event. Due to COVID-19, the event attached great importance to epidemic prevention to ensure the safety of participants, said the organizer. China's auto market maintained recovery momentum last month. The total output reached 2.33 million units in June, up 22.5 percent year on year, while sales hit 2.3 million units, up 11.6 percent, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Syracuse, N.Y. When Tanika Jones-Cole heard about the novel coronavirus potentially being spread at the Rye Day community party, she took her daughter, Ajahnik Brown, to get a test. They went to the Syracuse Community Health Center on July 1. Brown, who had body aches and a bad cough, isolated herself in her bedroom waiting for the results. Jones-Cole, who runs a day care business in her home, had to turn away the children. Her daughter couldnt go to work at an assisted living facility. Finally, on Friday, July 10, the results came back: negative. Four months into the pandemic, long after it appeared America had figured out how to test and get results quickly, were sliding backward, as Browns story shows. The nationwide delay in testing, experts say, is driven by uncontrolled spread of the virus around the country, overtaxed laboratories struggling to process 800,000 samples a day, and incoherent policy from Washington, D.C. Long waits for results, they say, threaten our ability to defeat a highly infectious and potentially deadly respiratory virus. The testing delays are a frustrating deja vu: When the pandemic in the U.S. began in New York in March, tests results often took a week or longer because testing supplies were in short supply and laboratories were still readying testing machines. As the demand eased and lab capacity grew, the turnaround dropped to a couple of days. And here we are again at a week or longer. It is just astounding that were dealing with testing problems again this far into the pandemic, said Dr. Helen Jacoby, an infectious disease doctor at St. Josephs Health, in Syracuse. As a country Im not sure that were better off than in the beginning. Delays in getting test results not only cause personal upheaval but allow the virus to continue to spread undetected. The longer someone waits for a result, experts say, the more likely they are to pass on the virus to others, who then pass it on before they know they have it. Public health officials ability to contain the virus by isolating the sick and tracking down the exposed drops precipitously. You always need to have quick and accurate diagnoses to fight an infectious disease, especially when a positive result warrants isolation and contact tracing, said Syracuse University public health professor David Larsen, who has tracked down cases of malaria, transmitted by mosquitoes, in Zambia. If that contact tracing doesnt start until a diagnosis is confirmed eight days later, youre allowing for more transmission to occur and its exponentially more difficult to control the virus. Controlling the virus means fewer people get sick and die, and its also crucial to strengthening an economy devastated by the virus and government shutdowns. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said virus infection rates must remain low for schools to reopen, and when kids go back to class parents can go back to work. Delays in getting test results like Browns are becoming common in Central New York. The health centers chief operating officer, Derrick Murry, said most tests are taking a week to 10 days. A month ago, results were back in 48 hours. National laboratories like Quest Diagnostics, which processes all of the Syracuse health center samples and for many local doctors, say the delays are caused by the unprecedented volume of tests flooding their centers from around the country as the virus roars through the Sun Belt. Quest said it has more than doubled its capacity nationwide over the past eight weeks and can now process 125,000 tests per day. The company hopes to be at 180,000 per day by the end of July. Despite that dramatic increase, demand for testing is increasing even faster, said a Quest news release. While the company can turn around samples in one day for hospital patients and sick health care workers, our average turnaround time for all other populations is seven or more days. About 800,000 tests are being performed each day in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. On March 16, when the first case was confirmed in Onondaga County, about 18,000 tests were done in the United States. The problem with long test delays today lies deeper than private laboratories not having enough capacity, said Thomas Dennison, a health care planning expert and Syracuse University professor. The fundamental problem is that the federal government has failed to recognize that the disease has spread, and there has been no national effort to make sure the supply system is ramped up to provide what we need, Dennison said. Its very straightforward and its very sad. At the Syracuse health center, which takes nasal swab samples from 1,500 to 1,800 people a week, the wait time for most results is up to 10 days, Murry said. All of those tests are now being sent to Quest, he said: A plane stops each afternoon in Syracuse and flies the samples to Pittsburgh. The logjam at Quest has gotten so severe, Murry said, that the health center plans to start sending half of its samples this week to smaller, regional labs in hopes they can do better. In late March, when the first cases were being discovered in Central New York, the health center performed about 150 nasal swabs a day, nearly all from people who were demonstrably sick or had been referred by doctors. Today, the clinic does 200 to 250 tests per day, for anybody who wants one. The national testing backlog is just part of the problem in delayed results. Theres also a shortage of rapid tests that can be done in-house at hospital laboratories in Central New York. Upstate has its own lab, and Crouse and St. Josephs jointly own a lab in Liverpool, the Laboratory Alliance of Central New York. Those labs can process some coronavirus tests in two or five hours, but theres not enough of those to extend beyond the hospitals own needs. The rapid tests are reserved for suspected Covid-19 patients who arrive in the emergency room and must be put in special wards, or for people who are about to undergo surgery. Those tests are being rationed by suppliers because of the national demand. The company tells you we can send you this many test kits this week, and you cant beg, borrow or steal any more than that, Jacoby said. Were getting enough but we have to be very careful about how we allocate testing. The laboratory alliance does 100 to 200 Covid-19 tests a day for Crouse and St. Josephs, said Anne Marie Mullin, chief executive officer. The rest have to be shipped to other labs out of state, including Quest and Lab Corp. I dont have the number of how many were sending out, but its considerably higher, Mullin said. The hospital tests are sent to major labs like Quest and Lab Corp. and the return time for results hovers around four to six days, she said. People who get tested are told they should isolate themselves until they get the results, but its not mandatory and many people dont do it, especially if they have no symptoms. I tell my patients that while this test is being run, you need to assume you are positive and you need to stay home and you need to isolate yourself from other people in your home, said Dr. Stephen Thomas, an infectious disease specialist at Upstate. Now if you have someone whos not inclined to do that until they get the result, eight days go by while theyre out and about, potentially infecting other people. Staying inside for more than a week awaiting a test result isnt easy, Jones-Cole said, but she and her daughter did it. That was nine days I had to keep an 18-year-old high school senior locked down, she said. Do you know how hard that was? Brown got tested because shed been one of 400 to 500 people at the Rye Day party June 20, Jones-Cole said. The annual celebration ended in gunfire that killed a 17-year-old. Every day after her daughters test, Jones-Cole said, she called the Onondaga County Health Department. She called the health center. She called Quest. Nothing, until the phone rang nine days after her daughters test. For people who dont quarantine after getting a test, however, long waits for results can allow the virus to spread rapidly when infected patients are going to stores and jobs and parties. Take each one of those instances and put them together in time and space, and now youve got a big public health problem, Thomas said. The fire can rage out of control before you can even react. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations keep falling, 13 more people die NY schools reopening: We read 145 pages of rules on masks and woodwinds so you dont have to Cuomos new booze rules: What bars can and cant do (and do chips count as food?) Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 15:57:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Former CEO of Nissan Carlos Ghosn said that he failed to appear before the court in France on July 13 due to "technical obstacle," Lebanon's local media reported on Monday. Ghosn said that his passport is held by the Attorney General in Lebanon since Japan issued an international arrest warrant on his behalf. "My lawyers have discussed the terms of my appearance before the court in France for several weeks. There is a technical obstacle and I want to secure my safety and freedom of movement," Ghosn was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper in Lebanon. He noted that he needs to cross other countries to reach France. "No one can assure me that the journey will go smoothly without any incidents. The judge can, for example, interrogate me in Beirut, and I am ready to answer all his questions," he said. Ghosn arrived in Lebanon's capital Beirut at the end of last year after fleeing from Japan on charges of financial misconduct. Nissan accused Ghosn of understating his salary while he was the chief executive, and transferring 5-million-U.S.-dollar Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest. Ghosn said in a statement that he had not fled justice, but had escaped "injustice and political persecution." The Sudanese irrigation ministry has said the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile is not among the main factors making some Nile water stations in Khartoum temporarily nonoperational. Khartoum's water authority announced on Sunday that six of its Nile stations have gone out of service due to a sudden decline in the water levels on the Blue, White and Nile rivers. The Sudanese announcement comes five days after the Sudanese ministry said it had recorded a decline in water levels on the Blue Nile coming from Ethiopia, amid contradictory reports over whether Addis Ababa has started filling the GERD unilaterally. An official at the ministry told Sudan's state news agency (SUNA) on Monday that the water levels on the Nile and its tributaries in July are higher than in June, during which the water stations did not encounter any difficulties. He called upon the local water departments in Khartoum and in the ministry to improve the exchange of information and coordination to ensure the best operating conditions for the water stations in the future. Last week, the Ethiopian State TV quoted the countrys water minister Seleshi Bekele as saying that the country started filling the GERDs reservoir. Hours later, however, the minister denied that the filling process had started, saying the swelling reservoir was the result of heavy rains. The latest round of negotiations between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa failed to produce a deal or resolve major issues of contention over the hydropower project, which has been under construction on the Blue Nile near the Sudanese border since 2011. The renewed talks were mediated by the African Union and observed by representatives from the US, the EU and South Africa -- the current chair of the AU. A mini-African summit is due to be held on Tuesday to discuss the decade-long dispute. Search Keywords: Short link: An H-2A rocket carrying the Hope Probe, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Mars explore, lifts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Tanegashima, Japan, in this handout photo taken and released on July 20, 2020 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/Handout via Reuters) United Arab Emirates Launches Mission to Mars DUBAIThe United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars on Monday as it strives to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil. The Hope Probe blasted off from Japans Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 a.m. UAE time/6:58 a.m. Japanese time Monday (2158 GMT Sunday) for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere. The first Arab mission to Mars was initially due to launch on July 14, but has been delayed twice due to bad weather. Just over an hour after launch, the probe deployed solar panels to power its systems and established radio communication with the mission on earth. There are currently eight active missions exploring Mars; some orbit the planet and some have landed on its surface. The United States and China each plan to send another this year. This artists rendering provided by the European Space Agency shows the separation of the ExoMars 2016 entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, named Schiaparelli (C), from the Trace Gas Orbiter (L), heading for Mars. (D. Ducros/ESA via AP) This artists rendering provided to Chinas Xinhua News Agency on Aug. 23, 2016 by the lunar probe and space project center of Chinese State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, shows a concept design for the Chinese Mars 2020 rover and lander. (Xinhua via AP) The Emirates Mars Mission has cost $200 million, according to Minister for Advanced Sciences Sarah Amiri. It aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes. The UAE first announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the big spacefaring nations. It has an ambitious plan for a Mars settlement by 2117. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space last September when he flew to the International Space Station. An H-2A rocket carrying the Hope Probe, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Mars explore, rises into the air after blasting off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on July 20, 2020. (Kyodo/via Reuters) To develop and build the Hope Probe, Emiratis and Dubais Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with U.S. educational institutions. The MBRSC space centre in Dubai will oversee the spacecraft during its 494 million km (307 million miles) journey at an average speed of 121,000 km per hour. By Lisa Barrington As European leaders continued to argue through the weekend over the amount and conditions of a coronavirus recovery fund, the impact on Spain could go beyond money and also affect planned policy reforms. As one of the countries most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Spain has been pushing for a stimulus plan with a focus on grants and minimum controls on spending. But a group of northern countries dubbed the frugal five the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland and Denmark has been negotiating hard for a loans-based approach and strict monitoring. After what was going to be a two-day summit on the EU budget and recovery fund extended into Sunday night without a deal, EU sources said they expect EU Council President Charles Michel to make a new proposal on Monday for 390 billion in grants, a position backed by France but above the 350 billion accepted on Sunday night by the frugal five. Spain's Pedro Sanchez (r) with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italy's Giuseppe Conte, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel, among others, on day two of the summit. Twitter Pedro Sanchez (EFE) Even if the 27 leaders finally reach a compromise, the effects on Spain could extend beyond the amount of money at its disposal to counter a pandemic that has killed over 28,400 people and sent the economy into a tailspin, with gross domestic product (GDP) expected to contract by around 10% this year. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is in Brussels in a bid to secure the most advantageous conditions for Spain, which hopes to be a major recipient of EU funds along with Italy, another country hit hard by the coronavirus. The southern countries position is coming up against a group led by the Netherlands, which wants strings attached to the funds and a veto option against recipients who fail to comply. So far, Sanchez has not announced any upcoming economic sacrifices for Spain, but government sources said that these will certainly come. Europes northern countries want the recovery funds to come with conditions regarding labor market and pension reforms. If these demands are adopted, they could put the brakes on the Spanish governments promise to repeal labor legislation introduced in 2012 by the previous conservative administration of Mariano Rajoy, at a time when Spain was seeking a financial bailout at the height of the economic crisis. Back home, the main opposition Popular Party, which produced the 2012 landmark legislation, continues to defend it in Spanish Congress and in European institutions Spain is currently governed by a center-left coalition of the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Unidas Podemos group, and the partners signed a governing deal in December 2019 that explicitly said: We will repeal the [2012] labor reform. We will restore labor rights that were taken away. But the present scenario could make this issue less of a priority, said government sources. In addition, both coalition members have a somewhat different view on the issue. We are not giving up on repealing the labor reform, said sources in Unidas Podemos. We will not give up on eliminating the most harmful aspects of it, said Socialist sources. Even government ministers have made contradictory statements on the matter. Pablo Iglesias, a deputy PM and head of Podemos, once said that there would be an integral repeal of Rajoys reform. But Economy Minister Nadia Calvino called this absurd. Unknown date Although both parties insist that they have not given up on their pledge, made shortly before Spains first coalition government took office in January of this year, the move has been postponed to an unspecified date. Repealing Rajoys reforms, which introduced greater flexibility in the job market by making it cheaper to fire workers, could run counter to the EUs conditions for releasing funds if the frugal countries views are ultimately adopted. And Spains current pensions system could be targeted as well. Spanish government sources said they had originally planned to start analyzing labor reform in September, although the Covid-19 crisis has changed the parameters. With 300,000 companies on an ERTE [furlough scheme] it is not possible to completely address reform. Were in the middle of a pandemic, said a government source. The executive recently struck a jobs deal with employer associations and unions, but the former say that repealing labor legislation is a red line for them, while the latter are pushing for swift action. Sanchez faces the added problem of heading a minority government that needs backing from other parties to push legislation through Congress. On May 21, the government signed a deal with the Basque hard-left Bildu party to repeal Rajoys laws, but the deal was short-lived. And its not just the Dutch leader, Mark Rutte, who opposes softening labor legislation. Back home, the main opposition Popular Party (PP), which produced the 2012 landmark legislation, continues to defend it in Spanish Congress and in European institutions. The PP has also been quick to exploit divisions among the coalition partners. English version by Susana Urra. China will 'respond resolutely' if UK sanctions officials, says Chinese envoy Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 3:13 PM China has warned that it will respond resolutely to any attempt by Britain to slap sanctions on Chinese officials following the enactment of a security law in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong. "If UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individual in China, China will certainly give a resolute response to it," Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to London said on Sunday. "You've seen what happens in the United States - they sanction Chinese officials, we sanction their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat happen in... China-UK relations." On Monday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he would update Britain's parliament to outline further measures on Hong Kong and China. Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party have said the sanctions should be used to target Chinese officials. The British premier last week announced the UK government's decision to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei's 5G network in Britain. Shortly afterwards, US President Donald Trump claimed he was responsible for the decision. Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that he would end the preferential economic treatment of the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong. Washington is angry at the application of a uniform national security law to the city by the government in Beijing. Washington accuses Chinese tech giant Huawei of helping Beijing spy on communications from the countries that use its products and services; a charge both the company and the Chinese government reject. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Beijing strongly opposed Trump's move, urging his administration to stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that remarks by Trump that he personally convinced the UK government to ban Huawei in Britain show that the ban is politically motivated and has nothing to do with security. Beijing has said it would impose retaliatory sanctions on US individuals and entities. China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs. Last month, Hong Kong's legislature debated and passed a Beijing-proposed bill, criminalizing sedition, secession and subversion against the mainland. Critics from some Western governments, particularly the US and the UK, claim that the law threatens the semi-autonomous region's autonomy and civil liberties. Beijing, however, insists that the new law does not pose a threat to Hong Kong's autonomy and the interests of foreign investors, noting that it is merely meant to prevent terrorism and foreign interference there, which were evident in the violent riots there against the government last year. In June last year, unprecedented anti-government protests began in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition bill. The government in Hong Kong dropped the bill later, but the turbulent demonstrations continued for the next several months and became more violent, endangering the lives and property of citizens. The protesters have been demanding Hong Kong's full secession since then. Beijing says the US and Britain have been fanning the flames of the unrest in the semi-autonomous hub by supporting the separatist protesters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Pentagon came under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to consider slashing American troops in Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported last Friday. "The Pentagon has presented the White House with options to reduce the American military presence in South Korea as the two countries remain at odds over President Trump's demand that Seoul greatly increase how much it pays for the U.S. troops stationed in the country," the daily wrote. According to the daily, the White House ordered the Department of Defense last year to work out ideas to pull American troops out of the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. The Pentagon whittled this down to a number of options, including the U.S. Forces Korea, and presented them to the White House in March this year. The WSJ did not specify what exact options it presented. The Pentagon refused to comment on the story and would only say that it is "routinely reviews the preparedness posture of American troops around the world." Trump has been riding a narrative that America's allies do not pay enough for their own defense, and Korea is a particular bugbear. But Congress has put various safeguards in place to keep troops here at the current level, and both Republican and Democratic parties responded to the WSJ report by accusing Trump of "strategic incompetence." On July 1, USFK Commander Robert Abrams called such concerns completely baseless. In an editorial the same day, the Wall Street Journal stressed the need for safeguards because Trump is unpredictable. The National Defense Authorization Act, the backbone of U.S. defense budgets, prohibits the president from unilaterally slashing American troops in South Korea from the current level of 28,500. If Trump still wants to cut the USFK, the defense secretary must prove that the decision is in the interest of the national security of the U.S. and its allies and Korea and Japan have been consulted. The only realistic option would therefore be not to redeploy about 4,500 troops of the First Brigade of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division, who are deployed on rotation here every nine months. The First Brigade are the only U.S. ground combat troops on the Korean Peninsula and would play a key role in repulsing attacks from North Korea in a war. Shin Jong-woo at the Korea Defense and Security Forum said, "It won't be easy to change the structure of the First Brigade because most of it is closely linked with overall operational plans." The Defense Ministry here merely reiterated that Korean and U.S. defense authorities have "never discussed anything about troop reduction." The national episcopal conference sends a letter to all the faithful: "We pray for the former British colony, together with Card. Bo. But we ask the world to pray for us too: the government-approved anti-terrorism law is crushing the basic freedoms of the population." The prelates warn: "It all started like this in 1972, the dawn of the Marcos dictatorship." The full text of the message. Manila (AsiaNews) - The bishops of the Philippines "pray and invite to pray for Hong Kong, crushed by a new repressive law that undermines the rights of the population". But at the same time they ask the world for prayers for their nation, which is in a similar situation. We are close to the return of the dictatorship, writes the bishop of Kalookan, Msgr. David in an open letter to all the faithful, acting as president of the national episcopal conference. Below is the complete text of the message (translation from English by AsiaNews). A few days ago, we received a letter from His Eminence, Charles Cardinal Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences. It was an ardent request for prayers for Hongkong, on account of the signing into law of a new National Security Act. He explained in his letter how this new law poses a threat to the basic freedoms and human rights of the people of Hongkong, and how it potentially undermines especially their freedom of expression. Apparently, the Chinese government assures the people of Hongkong that they have nothing to be afraid of, as long as they dont get involved in any activity that threatens national security. Why does this sound eerily familiar to us Filipinos? Because we are in a similar situation. And so, while we responded with an assurance to His Eminence, Cardinal Bo, that we would join him in praying for the people of Hongkong, we also asked him to pray for the Philippines and explained why we are as seriously in need of prayers as the people of Hongkong. Like them, we are also alarmed about the recent signing into law of the Anti-Terror Act of 2020. We are still in disbelief about the manner in which the contentious Anti-Terror Bill was fast-tracked and approved in both Houses of Congress while the whole countrys attention was focused on the Covid-19 pandemic. They did not even seem to care that many of the people they represent were against itlawyers associations, the academe, the business sector, labor groups, youth organizations, NGOs, political movements, faith-based communities, and even the Bangsamoro government. The dissenting voices were strong but they remained unheeded. None of the serious concerns that they expressed about this legislative measure seemed to be of any consequence to them. Alas, the political pressure from above seemed to weigh more heavily on our legislators than the voices from below. It only made more evident the blurring of lines between legislative and the executive branches of our government. In particular, the legal experts and constitutionalists in our country are seriously concerned that this newly signed law has many elements that are oppressive and inconsistent with our Constitution. They have pointed out convincingly how this new law poses a serious threat to the fundamental freedoms of all peaceful Filipinos. And yet, the people in government and their allies have dismissed these fears as unfounded. The assurance that they give sounds strangely parallel to that which the Chinese government gave to the people of Hongkong: Activism is not terrorism. You have no reason to be afraid if you are not terrorists. We know full well that it is one thing to be actually involved in a crime and another thing to be merely suspected or accused of committing a crime. Have we not heard of people active in social advocacies who are accused of being communists? Have we forgotten the bishops, priests and religious who were included among those falsely charged by the Philippine National Police with crimes of sedition and inciting to sedition? Are we not aware of the thousands of people who have been killed in police operations on the basis of mere suspicion of involvement in criminality and illegal drugs? Have we not followed the news about Senator Leila de Lima who continues to languish in jail, also on the basis of mere allegations? Have we not heard of media personalities being harassed by a multitude of criminal charges? Have we not felt the chilling effect of the closure of the countrys biggest broadcast network, the ABS-CBN, after being denied renewal of its franchise? Is it not evident to us how this pattern of intimidation creates an atmosphere detrimental to the freedom of expression in our country? In the midst of this bleak political landscape, we draw consolation from the groups of lawyers and ordinary citizens that have filed petitions before the Supreme Court, questioning the constitutionality of the newly signed law. Will the highest level of our Judiciary assert its independence, or will they, too, succumb to political pressure? The return of warrantless detentions through this new law cannot but remind us of the initial moves in 1972 that eventually led to the fall of democracy and the rise of a dictatorial regime that terrorized the country for fourteen years. It all began when an elected president also legalized the ASSOs (arrest, search and seizure orders). It was from there that we gradually sank into the mire of authoritarian rule. Knowing how, in just the recent past, the law has been used too many times as a weapon to suppress legitimate dissent and opposition, we cannot but share in the apprehensions expressed by the lawyers and ordinary citizens that filed the petition against the said infamous law before the Supreme Court. While a semblance of democracy is still in place and our democratic institutions somehow continue to function, we are already like the proverbial frog swimming in a pot of slowly boiling water. We draw encouragement from the belief that in various government agencies we still have many people of good will whose hearts are in the right places, and who remain objective and independent minded. We have nothing but admiration for these public servants in all branches of government who do only as conscience dictates and do not allow themselves to be intimidated or prevented by political pressure from performing their constitutionally mandated duties. We can only wish that there would be more of them. They are an important element to the strengthening of our government institutions, and are an essential key to a stable and functional democratic system. Allow us then to end this letter by inviting you to pray with us, Be with us O Lord our God, as we continue to face the ravages of the Covid 19 pandemic, as well as the recent political developments that have deeply divided our country. You know how desperately we need to be united in order to fight a common unseen enemy that has caused a lot of sufferings and uncertainties, widespread infections, an overwhelmed health care system, loss of jobs, hunger, immense losses in business, and loss of lives. We pray for our public servants, our people in government, especially those among them who remain upright and continue to be motivated by a genuine sense of duty and love for country. Protect them, Lord, and give them the courage to stand their ground on the side of truth and justice. May the crisis brought about by the pandemic bring about conversion and a change of heart in all of us. May it teach us to rise above personal and political loyalties and make us redirect all our efforts towards the common good. May we be guided by your Spirit to respond with mercy and compassion for the poor, the disadvantaged and the most vulnerable sectors of our society. For we know that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for you. AMEN. For the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines: Msgr. Pablo Virginio S. David dd Bishop of Kalookan and acting as president Missing 2-Year-Old Philadelphia Boy King Hill Killed, Family Says Officials said a 2-year-old boy, King Hill, is presumed dead after Philadelphia detectives told his family that he was killed. The child was reported missing about two weeks ago in Philadelphia. Kings mother, Amber, confirmed Sunday that detectives told her the boy was slain, CBS Philadelphia reported. She added that authorities believe they know who may be responsible. We dont even know where his body is, hes just out there laying somewhere. We dont know, and they said that we might never recover his body. Whatever they told her, my daughter did not want to hear no more, said Kings grandmother, Kimberly Hill, to the news outlet. His mother told officials that her son was supposed to be in the care of his stepfather. The stepfather reported the child missing on July 7 after he realized that a babysitter who was supposed to look after the child didnt have him. The babysitter, according to the report, handed the child to Kings mother. But the mother said it never occurred. I blame myself for even trusting my babys father with my son. I thought he was in good hands and he gave him to this woman, this woman I dont know, that he knows. And now my son is deceased, Amber Hill remarked. The mother added in a Fox6 report that she has not seen the babysitter, who was not identified, in several weeks. Officials told 6ABC that they have not been able to locate Kings body. The Hill family told CBS Philadelphia that there are many unconfirmed details, and police are not willing to identify the babysitter due to an investigation. The family said theyre alarmed that no AMBER Alert was issued in the boys disappearance. Ill just pray for her. I dont wish nothing bad on her, I dont wish nothing bad on nobody because thats not going to bring my grandson back. But I dont want nothing to happen to her. I leave it to God. God will handle her, Kimberly Hill said. I cant even get his body. Whatever she was doing to him, I cant even get his body. Its messing my whole family up. I just feel like this whole investigation was too long. I think they should have been incarcerated her, Amber Hill also said. The disappearance comes in the midst of a crime wave across the city. Police on July 17 wrote that they are stepping up their crime prevention efforts. We are committed to working in collaboration with our communities in preventing and disrupting violent crime, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement. We will be operating in a strategic manner, with deliberate focus on those individuals and groups responsible for the violence in our communities, while safeguarding the liberties of or our valued community partners. A number of returnees have proved to be untrustworthy as they have been providing us with false addresses. There are some who claim to have lost their National Identity cards and then give us fake ID numbers, addresses and names and claim to be from Matabeleland South Province. We have been experiencing this mostly with those returnees that would have been deported and not those coming back voluntarily. The Congregation for the Clergy releases the Instruction. In it, it acknowledges that pastoral activity needs to go beyond merely the territorial limits of the Parish, to make ecclesial communion more clearly transparent by means of the synergy between ministers and diverse charisms, structuring itself as a pastoral care for all, at the service of the Diocese and of its mission. Vatican City (AsiaNews) The Congregation for the Clergy released a new document, titled The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church. In it, it says it aims to go beyond the traditional vision of the parish as a territorial unit in favour of the notion of global village, with a broader reach thanks to new technology and ways of life. As such it can become an evangelising agent, an expression of the shared missionary responsibility of the People of God. In fact, the paper notes that the Church has room for everyone and everyone has a place in Gods unique family, mindful of everyones vocation. The 28-page document is divided into 11 chapters, centred on the pastoral care of parish communities and the various clerical and lay ministries, seeking greater shared responsibility of all the baptised. With the Parish no longer being the primary gathering and social centre, as in former days, it is thus necessary to find new forms of accompaniment and closeness, it reads. The Instruction does not contain legislative changes, but proposes ways to better apply the existing legislation. In light of recent Magisterium, and considering the social contexts that are profoundly changed, the present Instruction is intended to focus the topic of renewal of the Parish in a missionary sense. As a consequence, pastoral activity needs to go beyond merely the territorial limits of the Parish, to make ecclesial communion more clearly transparent by means of the synergy between ministers and diverse charisms, structuring itself as a pastoral care for all, at the service of the Diocese and of its mission. This means a pastoral activity that, through an effective and vibrant collaboration between priests, deacons, religious and laity, as well as among different Parish communities of an area or region, occupies itself with identifying together the questions, difficulties and challenges germane to evangelisation, seeking to integrate ways, methods, proposals and means suitable to confront them. The parish will then have to develop greater dynamism and pursue a pastoral conversion based on the proclamation of the Word of God, sacramental life and the witness of charity. It will have to promote a "culture of encounter" that leads to the development of a true "art of accompaniment. The parish priest is the proper pastor of the community. He is at the service of the parish, and not the other way around. As carer of souls, he must be a presbyter. Therefore, he cannot be a deacon or a lay person. He administers parish assets and is the parishs legal representative and must be appointed for an indefinite period, although some exceptions are possible. Deacons may serve at the parish level. They are not however half-priests, half-laymen. Noting what Pope Francis said, the document states that The diaconate is a specific vocation, a family vocation that requires service. [. . .] The deacon is, so to say, the custodian of service in the Church. Every word must be carefully measured. You are the guardians of service in the Church: service to the Word, service to the Altar, service to the poor. The history of the diaconate shows that it was established within the framework of a ministerial vision of the Church, as an ordained ministry at the service of the Word and of charity; this latter context includes the administration of goods. The twofold mission of the deacon is expressed in the liturgical sphere, where he is called to proclaim the Gospel and to serve at the Eucharistic table. As for consecrated people within parish communities, they must be witnesses of a radical following of Christ", whilst lay people must participate in the evangelising action of the Church through a generous commitment" to bear witness through a life that conforms to the Gospel and lived in the service of the parish community. Lay people too can be Lectors and Acolytes (serving at the altar) on a stable basis, by special rite, without prejudice to their full communion with the Catholic Church, after receiving adequate training and pursuing exemplary personal and pastoral conduct. Under exceptional circumstances, they may receive other assignments from the bishop, in his prudent judgment", so as to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and the rite of the funeral, administer Baptism, assist at marriages , with prior permission of the Holy See, and preach in church or in an oratory in case of need. In any case, they may not give the homily during Mass. The Instruction notes ls that in every Parish a Finance Council must be constituted as a consultative body, presided over by the Parish Priest and formed of at least three other faithful to manage the parish assets. As such it is an important area of evangelisation and evangelical witness, both in the Church and in civil society. Conversely, the creation of the parish pastoral council is only recommended". The theological significance of the Pastoral Council is inscribed in the constitutive reality of the Church, that is, in her being the Body of Christ, that generates a spirituality of communion. Far from being simply a bureaucratic organ, the Pastoral Council highlights and realises the centrality of the People of God as the subject and active protagonist of the evangelising mission. As Paul VI said: It is the function of the pastoral council to investigate everything pertaining to pastoral activities, to weigh them carefully and to set forth practical conclusions concerning them so as to promote conformity of the life and actions of the People of God with the Gospel. Finally, the document notes that offerings during the celebration of the sacraments must be a free act and not a price to pay or a fee to exact, as if dealing with a sort of tax on Sacraments. Among the recommended instruments for reaching this goal, one might think of receiving offerings in an anonymous way, so that everyone feels free to donate what they can, or what they think is just, without feeling an obligation to respond to an expectation or a price. For their part, presbyters should provide a virtuous example in the use of money, through a sober lifestyle and a transparent administration of parish assets and raise awareness among the faithful so that they [can] contribute voluntarily to the needs of the Parish, which are their needs. For this reason, it is good that they learn spontaneously to take responsibility. (FP) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20 2020 State-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma claims a COVID-19 vaccine developed in cooperation with China-based biophramaceutical company Sinovac Biotech will be ready for domestic use by as soon as early next year. Bio Farma president director Honesti Basyir said the company was ready to launch a Phase III clinical trial for the vaccine in Indonesia before authorities authorize its widespread usage. The trial was made possible thanks to the collaboration with Sinovac, which allowed a transfer of technology and vaccine substances between the two companies, he went on to say. During a press briefing on Thursday, Honesti said the trial would commence soon in cooperation with Padjajaran University in Bandung, West Java, as well as the Health Ministry's research and development agency. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login New Delhi: Technology gaint Google has rolled out a quick access emoji bar in Gboard beta version, which would be available to all Gboard Android users in the coming months. "Were rolling out a quick access emoji bar to Gboard beta today, and to all Gboard Android users in the coming months. Soon youll be able to send not just one, but five red-hearts when you want your friend to know how much you wish you could be there for them," Jennifer Daniel, Creative Director, Emoji wrote in a Google bog. The new emoji shortcuts bar in Gboard will appear right above the keyboard. With the emoji bar, users would be able to quickly use multiple emoji without having to switch to the dedicated emoji page on the keyboard. In the current Gboard version, the users need to tap on the emoji icon next to the spacebar in order to open the emoji page. Last year, Google said, it sent a proposal focused on introducing more empathetic expressions and finding opportunities to bring equity to the keyboard to the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains emoji standards and guidelines. "Well see some of those efforts released this fall with a slightly smiling face, an emoji of two people hugging, a man in a veil, a woman in a tuxedo, and a person feeding a baby," the blog said. "Other emoji will be added as wellhit that pinata or bang on the long drum to celebrate. Send an anatomical heart when the love is so real, so raw. Or perhaps youll identify with one of the new animals, like a super cute bison, an eager beaver or a polar bear that just needs a little love. There are also new food emoji, like a tamale (nom nom), a boba tea sure to make you thirsty ("black milk tea, boba, 30 percent sugar please") and even a teapot for those who felt the hot beverage emoji was simply not tea time enough," the blog said. Google further added that additional characters across nature, activities and beyond will launch later this year, including a stump of wood (sure, OK), a magic wand (ta-da), and a woolly mammoth (better late than never, I guess). Along with other emoji approved by Unicode, these 117 new emoji will be available with the release of Android 11 in the fall. In recent interviews, President Trump has been boasting about a cognitive test that he took recently and aced. Its not the first time he made similar remarks in January 2018. But he once again has not said what test he took, or what his score was, making it difficult to know what to make of his claims. He has, however, provided a few clues. In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, in which Mr. Wallace said one question was to identify an elephant, Mr. Trump did not contradict him. One popular test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MOCA, has a drawing of three animals that patients are asked to identify. It is a 10-minute screening exam meant to highlight possible problems with thinking and memory. But it is by no means definitive, or even diagnostic, experts pointed out. And as the president tries to draw a contrast between his mental faculties and those of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., a fellow septuagenarian he expects to face off against in Novembers election, some experts criticize his politicization of such cognitive screening tests. The way our president is having a conversation about mental health is not helpful, said Dr. Jason Karlawish, a dementia researcher at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine "It is my distinct pleasure as newly elected board chair to have guided this nomination through our approval process," said Board Chairman Dr. Laurence C. Morse. "Dr. Frederick has done an outstanding job in his role as university president and he continues to make a difference in the medical arena through his work as a surgical oncologist and mentor to many young physicians training in the College of Medicine. Dr. Frederick's public stature will also enhance the University's substantial strength in surgery as well as stimulate retention of highly qualified black surgeons and scholars. We look forward to his continued role of service through this chair appointment." The Charles R. Drew Endowed Chair of Surgery was established in the Howard University College of Medicine in the early 1990's as a memorial to one of the most prominent African Americans in medicine, Dr. Charles R. Drew. Dr. Drew was a faculty member and head of the Department of Surgery at Howard University and Chief of Surgery at Freedman's Hospital, now Howard University Hospital, before his tragic death in a car accident on April 1, 1950 at the age of 46 years old. During the course of his short life, Dr. Drew logged many "firsts." He attended Columbia University on a Rockefeller Fellowship and was the first African American to earn a doctorate degree from Columbia in 1940, following his award of both Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees from McGill University in 1933. Dr. Drew was a medical research pioneer whom history recognizes for his invention of techniques to process and store blood plasma making the establishment of blood banks possible for the first time in the U.S. and Great Britain under his leadership, saving thousands of lives during World War II, and many millions since. Dr. Drew was awarded the NAACP's Spingarn Medal and was the first African American surgeon selected to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery. "The family of Dr. Drew takes pride that Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, son of Howard University, will now be named as the Charles R. Drew Endowed Chair of Surgery at the Howard University College of Medicine," said Charlene Drew Jarvis, daughter of Dr. Drew. "My father's mantra was, 'Excellence of performance will transcend any artificial barriers created by man.' Dr. Frederick has displayed that excellence of performance throughout his career and has exhibited an extraordinary reach of his intellect, as did Dr. Drew in his tragically very short life." "It is indeed a great honor to be selected as the Charles R. Drew Endowed Chair of Surgery, to follow in the footsteps of my mentor and friend, the late Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., the first appointee to this chair position who was trained by Dr. Drew, and to keep the legacy of Dr. Drew alive for present and future generations," said Dr. Frederick. "Like Dr. Drew, Dr. Leffall's contributions to Howard University and to the medical field at large are unmatched. I am grateful for the trailblazing path they created for surgeons like myself and others to follow. " Howard University surgeon-in-chief, Dr. Edward Cornwell, said he sees many parallels in the careers of Dr. Drew, Dr. Leffall and Dr. Frederick through their dedication to their trainees. Dr. Drew trained Dr. Leffall; Dr. Leffall trained Dr. Frederick and their passion for training Black doctors will continue for generations to come. As a former College of Medicine student himself, Dr. Cornwell recalls vividly how Dr. Leffall kept the memory of his mentor, Dr. Charles R. Drew, alive through every presentation delivered to young students aspiring to become surgeons. "Each of us has a working, inspirational knowledge about Dr. Drew's mantra because of Dr. Leffall, who kept him alive through every student rotation for 60 years. You could not have graduated Howard University College of Medicine without hearing Dr. Leffall's inspirational message of Dr. Drew's mantra," said Cornwell. "Today, Dr. Frederick could easily be described, as Dr. Drew was described, as 'someone with a biologic clock of untold energy and personality marked by charm and wit.' The torch has been passed and the baton could not be in better hands than Wayne Frederick." Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick was appointed the 17th president of Howard University in 2014. He previously served as provost and chief academic officer. A distinguished scholar and administrator, Dr. Frederick has advanced Howard University's commitment to student opportunity, academic innovation, public service, and fiscal stability. Following his post-doctoral research and surgical oncology fellowships at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Frederick began his academic career as associate director of the Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut. Upon his return to Howard University, his academic positions included associate dean in the College of Medicine, division chief in the Department of Surgery, director of the Cancer Center and deputy provost for Health Sciences. Dr. Frederick has received various awards honoring his scholarship and service. In April 2020, he was chosen as the first-ever recipient of the Educator Award by the Lowell F. Hawthorne Foundation, Inc. Last year, Dr. Frederick was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for his contributions to the medical field. In January 2020, the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors elected him to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Most recently, Dr. Frederick was appointed to the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Humana Inc. He is a member of surgical and medical associations, including the American Surgical Association and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Frederick resides in Maryland with his wife, Simone, and their two children, Kirie and Wayne, II. "Given Dr. Frederick's relentless determination to foster excellence in the Department of Surgery, the community, and the University, it is a distinct honor to have Dr. Frederick serve as the Drew Chair, following in the footsteps of his mentor Dr. Lefall." said Dean of the College of Medicine Hugh E. Mighty, M.D. "Dr. Frederick's public stature will also enhance the University's overall healthcare mission as well as stimulate retention of highly qualified black surgeons and scholars." Media Contact: Alonda Thomas, [email protected] SOURCE Howard University Related Links http://www.howard.edu The Democratic Party of Armenia offers to set up an ad-hoc State Council that will comprise all the political parties that are concerned about the situation in the country and the region, including the ruling My Step bloc. This is what leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan told reporters today. According to him, the State Council must develop joint solutions. Today we need to take actions that may be late tomorrow. Nobody should think that Azerbaijan has calmed down and wont take any action in the future, Sargsyan stated. Chennai, July 20 : Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Monday presented the 2020-21 Budget for the Union Territory without the approval of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and her customary address to the House. Presenting the Rs 9,000-crore Budget, Narayanasamy -- who also holds the finance portfolio -- announced a free breakfast scheme for poor students in government schools in the name of late Chief Minister and DMK President M. Karunanidhi. He said the scheme will start in November. Narayanasamy also announced 100 units of free electricity to those below the poverty line. In a tweet, Bedi said: "Annual Budget file has still not been released from the office of the Chief Minister for administrative approval by the L-G, as per UT Act and Business Rules. This will lead to a serious financial crisis caused by the office of CM. Ppl (people) of Puducherry pl (please) be informed." Reacting to the free breakfast scheme named after his father, DMK President M.K. Stalin said Narayanasamy has now "won the hearts of crores of DMK cadres". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The US Navy will be retiring the lighter armed Littoral Combat Ship for the FREMM Frigate systems that offer more offensive power. The French and Italian combat system will be sailing with US fleet soon. The US Navy wants a heavier armed vessel than the current LCS in use that has lesser armanent. Tension in Asia and possible conflict will need a heavier slugger to knockout Chinese vessels more decisively, reported Asia Times. The Navy was critical of the flaws and adversaries might find it easy to take the LCS series down. LCS is an urban streetfighter naval ship that was lightly armed. Its 57mm Swedish armament (Bofors) was not the best, and it can be shot for only seven seconds. Cooldown of 10 minutes needed to fire, not good in a combat situation, cited Task and Purpose. The LCS replacement has the more reliable Oto Melara, 76mm compact, or super rapid gun system that is arming Italian ships. Dangers of sea skimmers made the Bofors not reliable compared to the Oto Melara and DART to kill sea-skimming Chinese anti-ship missiles. LCS has two versions that will be replaced by the newer frigate that the Lockheed Martin version and the trimaran built by Austal USA. Both use aluminum in its construction but the Trimaran is all aluminum and with different combat and propulsion systems installed. Taiwan's similar LCS type (Tuo River) a trimaran corvette, and it displaces at 567 tonnes. What makes the Tuo Chang different is that it is made to go after China's aircraft carriers. It has heavier offensive power unlike the US LCS series that is carries out smaller missions and limited anti-sub warfare. Also read: US Navy Sends Two Carrier Strike Groups as Show of Force Against PLA Naval Exercises Because of the problems with the LCS series and extra costs with delays, less of this aluminum-hulled ship is coming. The Navy is limited to using them in high tension situations. Most missions are limited, like patrols for show, coast guard type missions. They have been used in emergencies like the Malaysia incident. No LCS has been sent to the Persian Gulf and the Taiwan Strait. Units sent were the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers as units best suited. LCS Replacement The Littoral Combat Ship will be in lesser numbers as the FREMM Frigate System will be included in most naval units. Awarded the contract is Wisconsin-based Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard that will build the FFG(X) for the US Navy. Tonnage is at 6,700 which is more than the current LCS models in service today. Fincantieri built the two Italian aircraft carriers that carry the F-35B which will be building the FREMM called the Bergamini class that has a multi-purpose platform with anti-sub capabilities. The Navy is still deciding what type of the FFG(X) it will get. The FFG(X) will be bristling with armament like the 76mm super rapid guns, with DART missile combo that's fired from the gun. DART projectiles fired from shells will attack incoming missiles. DARTS will fire in multiple shots as a deterrent to enemy missiles for better protection. The FFX(X) will be armed with OtoBreda 127 mm gun system firing Vulcano round to pound shore or surface targets at 90 to 100 km with guidance control. Targeting ships with the anti-ship and long-range missiles made by MBDA and MU-90 lightweight MBDA and MU-90 lightweight anti-submarine torpedo gives the FFX(G) extra punch. The FFX(G) based on the FREMM Frigate System that will be the Littoral Combat Ship replacement in the US Navy. Related article: Lethal US Navy Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Prove Their Worth in the Pacific in Repulsing Chinese Navy @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- North Royalton will post a sign on its center-of-town City Green, where City Hall once stood, designating the spot as an historical site. The historical marker was approved by the Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, according to an ordinance recently approved by City Council. Council accepted the sign as a gift from the North Royalton Historical Society. The ordinance says the City Green -- within a triangular piece of land bordered by Royalton, Ridge and Bennett roads -- was established as a public space soon after North Royalton became a township in 1818. Its been used as a gathering place and cemetery. Don Harris, historical society president, said the sign is scheduled for delivery in early August. City workers might install the sign in September. We were going to post the marker during our (Community Festival) in August, but it was canceled (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Harris said. We might do it on Labor Day. Harris said the historical society received a grant of more than $3,000 from the State of Ohio to help pay for the sign. The historical society contributed between $300 and $400 to cover the remainder of the cost. The City Green historical marker will be the second such plaque in North Royalton. The first, standing on Royalton Road just west of North Royalton Cemetery, honors John Shepherd, a Revolutionary War veteran who lived in North Royalton. His remains are buried in North Royalton Cemetery. Meanwhile, a plan to build a two-level pavilion, bandstand and community fireplace on the City Green remains on hold. In 2018, the city delayed construction of the project because bids came in too high. The budget was $624,000 and the lowest bid was $777,000. Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz told cleveland.com last week that the city has no plans to proceed with the pavilion-bandstand-fireplace project, partly due to decreased income-tax revenues caused by the coronavirus-related economic downturn. However, the projects on hold also because the cost was higher than expected, and because some residents like the City Green as it is now. We might revisit the project, or something else, in the future, but its not a good time to spend money on it, Antoskiewicz said. The city tore down the former City Hall in 2017 after moving into its new City Hall, the former North Royalton branch library on State Road, in 2015. At the time, city officials said the old building was deteriorating and would have cost too much to renovate. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. Over a dozen Afghan security personnel have been killed in suspected Taliban attacks. The Defense Ministry said a suicide truck bomber struck an army convoy in the central province of Maidan Wardak on July 20, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers. The ministry said another nine soldiers were wounded in the attack in Sayed Abad district. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault, although similar attacks in the past have been blamed on the Taliban and Islamic State (IS) extremist group. Hours earlier, an Afghan official said at least eight government security personnel were killed in a Taliban attack in the country's north. Esmatullah Moradi, the spokesman for the governor of Kunduz Province, said Taliban militants stormed two security checkpoints in the early hours of July 20. Moradi said five police officers and three government soldiers were killed in the hours-long clashes. The Taliban has not commented on the attacks. The attacks came as the Taliban intensify operations across the country, particularly in the country's north, where Afghan forces are more exposed. Last week, Taliban fighters stormed the offices of country's main intelligence agency in the northern province of Samangan, killing 11 security personnel and wounding dozens of others, mostly civilians. The Taliban continues to stage regular attacks across Afghanistan despite signing an initial peace deal with the United States in February. That agreement was intended to pave the way for direct talks between the militants and the Afghan government over a permanent cease-fire and a future power-sharing deal. Those talks were supposed to begin in March, but the process has stalled over the implementation of a major prisoner release. The peace deal calls for Kabul to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the Taliban releasing 1,000 government captives. So far, the government has freed more than 4,200 and the Taliban have let go around 800 prisoners. With reporting by AP Hyderabad, July 20 : As part of human trials of Covaxin, India's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, two volunteers were given its first dose at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on Monday, doctors said. The healthy volunteers, who were administered the first dose of the vaccine in the morning, were stable. "Both are stable and we have not found any reaction or side-effects," said Dr G. Srinivas, a member of the research team conducting the clinical trials. The volunteers will remain under the observation of a team of doctors till Tuesday. They will be sent home but their condition will be remotely monitored by the doctors for 14 days. The NIMS is one of the 12 institutes selected by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Phase-I clinical trials of the vaccine. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech had announced on July 17 that the Phase-I clinical trials began across the country on July 15. "This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 375 volunteers in India," the company had said. The vaccine maker had announced on June 29 that it successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's high containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. NIMS doctors said as many as 60 volunteers had enrolled for the clinical trials. They were screened and the healthy volunteers were selected and their reports were sent to ICMR, which finalised the fit volunteers based on different parameters. Dr Srinivas said more volunteers would be administered dose as part of the clinical trial. "We will continue the Phase-I trials as per the sample size given by the ICMR and Bharat Biotech," he told reporters without specifying the numbers. The Phase-I clinical trials are likely to go on for 28 days, after which the ICMR and the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) would accord permission for Phase-II trials. The ICMR said Phase-I would have around 375 subjects across the country and Phase-II, 875. Doctors say the trials may be completed in five phases including pre-clinical studies which Bharat Biotech has already completed. Earlier, NIMS Director Dr K. Manohar said subjects would be administered two doses of the vaccine. Each subject would be given the second dose of the same vaccine after 14 days. For two days after administering the vaccine, the subjects would be monitored for two days in the ICCU at NIMS by a team of doctors, after which they would be sent home and monitored through video conference or phone. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Doctors and pharmacists are working around shortages of critical care medicines but warn that stop-gap measures can only stretch supplies so far. Of the 32 drugs on Health Canada's list of "tier 3" shortages posing the greatest threat to the health system, 24 are used to treat COVID-19 or related conditions. These include key sedatives, pain medications and paralytic agents for patients on ventilators and those undergoing surgery. Patients with COVID-19 consume these drugs at double or triple the rate of other intensive care patients. Manufacturers struggled to keep up with this additional demand as the virus spread globally and disrupted supply chains in countries like China and India. Meanwhile, the increasing consolidation of the pharmaceutical industry in recent years has meant there are fewer alternative sources for drugs and ingredients to fall back on during crises. So far, Canada has drawn on lessons from previous shortages to avoid disruptions in care, says Dr. James Downar, a critical care physician at the Ottawa Hospital and head of palliative care at the University of Ottawa. "This isn't our first rodeo," Downar says, recalling shortfalls of more than 1,000 drugs that followed a fire at a Quebec factory in 2012. "We developed processes around that time that we're using now. We've had experience figuring out how to allocate medications better and how to switch around to different classes or use different medications in the same class," he says. Canada has seen a steady increase in drug shortages over the past two years, with an uptick of 369 new shortages in March and April this year, compared to 163 in January and February. In response, Health Canada issued an interim order allowing the import and sale of international versions of drugs on the tier 3 shortage list that may not meet Canadian regulatory and labeling requirements. The federal government has also issued requests for information or letters of interest to "identify additional supply" of essential critical care drugs. In the case of the sedative propofol, Health Canada has expedited imports from the European Union, and providers can use alternatives such as ketamine (although that drug also appears on the tier 3 shortage list). In the meantime, provinces like Ontario are collecting information on stock levels within their jurisdictions and advising hospitals on rationing existing supplies. According to Christina Adams, chief pharmacy officer with the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, current supplies of critical care drugs should last into the fall, so long as patient volumes remain low. All bets are off, though, should Canada see a major spike in cases of COVID-19 before then. Maintaining a relative lull in cases through the summer is allowing drug manufacturers worldwide to ramp up production in anticipation of a second wave, Adams explains. But Canada's supply chain remains vulnerable to other disruptions, "for example, a lack of raw material or trade restrictions." A lobby group of physicians, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical industry insiders blames Canada's heavy reliance on foreign manufacturers. More than a third of all drugs are produced by just 10 companies, which have increased outsourcing of all stages of production over the past two decades. "We have driven costs so low on many generics that a lot of manufacturing has left this country and gone to the lowest cost centres in India and China," says Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto and founding member of the Critical Drugs Coalition. This becomes a problem in global crises when countries like India restrict exports to shore up local supplies. The coalition is advocating for Canada to increase domestic production of essential medicines and transparency around shortages. Although Health Canada now requires drug companies to report shortages and discontinuations, many other links in the supply chain remain opaque, says Pirzada. This includes stock levels at pharmacies across the country. "It's a big black box, which I think needs to be cleared up," he says. Pirzada recognizes that manufacturing more medicines domestically would likely come with a hefty price tag (and Canada already pays some of the highest drug prices globally). But he argues that producing a "redundancy" of 10-15% of medicines in Canada would provide a margin of safety in future crises. Downar agrees that reducing Canada's reliance on any one company or country makes good sense. "A number of countries and regions will probably start to try to diversify their supply chain a bit, so that we're not as susceptible to specific events that affect one supplier," he says. However, Adams notes that increasing domestic production of medicines wouldn't address shortages of active pharmaceutical ingredients, about 80% of which come from overseas. Instead, she supports building a national reserve of essential medications. The main challenge would be identifying how much to stockpile to avoid a repeat of the 2010 Tamiflu debacle, in which millions of doses expired before they could be used. "I would say once things start to calm down with this current pandemic, there'll be a reevaluation of how drug shortages are handled," Adams says. Explore further How coronavirus is contributing to drug shortages in Canada War on democratic rights Part 2 Under bourgeois democracy, democratic and human rights are not a given, they have to be fought for and constantly defended. Part 1 of this series on democratic rights, provided examples of the attack on democratic rights carried out under the guise of fighting terrorism (Guardian #1923). Part 2 provides an overview of the erosion of a number of other democratic rights that are considered essential to a democratic society. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton described lawyers defending asylum seekers as un-Australian. Abuse and torture of children The ABC Four Corners expose of the treatment of children in the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in the Northern Territory revealed the use of violence, torture, and solitary confinement against children aged from ten to sixteen years of age. It also exposed the racist nature of incarceration in the NT, with more than ninety per cent of the children incarcerated being Indigenous at the time. Today 100 per cent of its detainees are Indigenous children. The ABC report showed video of teenage boys being assaulted, stripped naked and tear-gassed by the very people whose care they were in. They were being held in isolation for up to seventy-two hours with no running water. There were instances of boys being hooded and shackled to a chair. The Royal Commission that followed made a number of recommendations, including that the Centre be closed. These have largely been ignored, including raising the age of criminal responsibility to twelve, and the age of detention to fourteen years old. The centre is still to close. Co-chair of the Aboriginal-led justice coalition Change the Record, Cheryl Axleby, said it was disappointing the NT government was reintroducing its failed tough on crime policies that the Royal Commission criticised and ignoring the real solutions that could make our children and communities safer. This approach was out of step with the rest of the world which is following medical and expert advice by raising the age of criminal responsibility, keeping children out of prison, and keeping them connected with school, health services and supporting families to stay together, Axleby said. Such appalling treatment of youth is not confined to Don Dale or the Northern Territory. There have been a number of reports of children being held in adult prisons and deaths in custody in several states. There is currently a bill before Parliament to ratchet up ASIOs powers in relation to terrorism. The bill expands the types of cases where ASIO can intervene and use its police powers to include espionage, politically motivated violence, and acts of foreign interference. It also includes a reduction in the age of children from sixteen to fourteen who can be taken in for questioning and held for up to two weeks without charge. Indigenous persecution Discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains rife. Not only are children being incarcerated at some of the highest rates of anywhere in the world but they are still being removed from their families. There have been more than four hundred deaths in custody since the end of the Royal Commission in 1991 and there has not been a single conviction. They have been taken into custody for as little as alleged shop-lifting or drunkenness, and paid with their lives. Suicides are also far too common as a result of their treatment. Assimilation and genocide are still being practised today, albeit at times in less overt forms than fifty years ago. The Northern Territory Intervention was used to stigmatise remote communities and control their lives. The basics and cashless cards forms of income management denied social security recipients control over their income. This was enforced without consultation with the communities affected. The death of Floyd George in the USA that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement in the US has also seen widespread and ongoing protests in Australia. There is a determination to end racism and to win justice for Indigenous Australians amongst a growing number of non-Indigenous Australians. Arbitrary detention Cruel and fascistic is no exaggeration when it comes to the inhumane and punitive detention of asylum seekers in offshore concentration camps. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has previously described the conditions in the offshore camps as torture. Their incarceration is arbitrary, no charges have been laid, no court has handed down a verdict or sentence. A government minister has ultimate power to decide their fate. Legislation, currently before the Senate, seeks to amend the Immigration Act to give the Minister the power to arbitrarily declare certain things as prohibited in relation to detention facilities and detainees. The legislation cites specific examples including mobile phones, SIM cards, computers and other electronic devices. Prohibited things can be searched for and seized without a warrant, including the use of strip searches. The power to conduct searches of facilities (including detainees rooms and personal effects), without warrant or suspicion that there is a prohibited thing at the facility can also be conducted with the assistance of detector dogs. Many of these asylum seekers are victims of trauma or torture or have diminished mental health as a result of prolonged and indefinite detention. Some detainees have been held for as long as twelve years. Their phones are their only connection to families and the outside world. This is yet another callous, inhumane, and punitive measure. The power to search a person, the persons clothing and any property under their immediate control may be exercised whether or not an officer has any suspicion that the person has a prohibited thing, a weapon, escape aid or visa cancellation. The UNHCR, in a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on 11th June this year, recommended that proposed amendments to Migration Act not be passed. These measures are yet another contravention of UN Conventions to which Australia is a party the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol (together, the Refugee Convention), as well as the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. The right to seek asylum, non-penalisation for irregular entry or stay, the rights to liberty and security of person, and freedom of movement and settlement mean that the detention of asylum-seekers should be a measure of last resort, with liberty being the default position, the UNHCR said in its submission. Detention for the sole reason that the person is seeking asylum is not lawful under international law. As the above example illustrates, the Australian Coalition government treats international law with contempt. Right to protest The right to protest, to organise, hold picket lines, speak out, and to take other forms of action are basic human rights, officially recognised by Australia under international law, but not in practice. There has been a considerable erosion of these basic democratic rights over recent decades by state and federal governments. Increasingly attempts are being made to outlaw protest actions. Not just rallies, but also community pickets if they relate to an industrial dispute. For example, in NSW police have excessive powers to stop, search, and detain protesters and seize property as well to shut down peaceful protests that obstruct traffic. An offence of interfering with a mine or exploration site carries a penalty of up to seven years jail. At the same time resource companies that illegally mine are up for a maximum penalty of $5,000. This and other legislation give police powers that go well beyond those required to maintain law and order. The aim is to protect the economic interests of corporations, in particular, mining, forestry, and developers. The rights of communities, residents, and farmers are increasingly being overridden by fast-tracked approvals with scant regard for environmental consequences, sacred sites or those who are affected. Big Brother Big Brother is getting bigger and bigger. Legislation passed by the Howard government is wide open to abuse with reportage of ASIO or police actions on security matters illegal and punishable by 10 years in jail all in the name of fighting terrorism. Their detention, the questions, their answers are all top secret security matters, even if the person is not under suspicion, but might know something that might be of use to ASIO. The Abbott government passed a bill expanding the definition of terrorist organisation; lowering the threshold for arrest without warrant for terrorism offences; and extending existing measures that were due to expire, including control orders, preventative detention orders, police stop, search and seizure powers and ASIO questioning and detention powers. (See Part 1 in last weeks Guardian) METADATA RETENTION Legislation passed in 2015 requires the retention of users metadata, including internet-browsing histories, by communications providers such as Telstra and Googles Gmail. The bill was touted as being necessary for national security. The legislation named 20 security-related agencies as having the power to request metadata, but the Communications Alliance reports at least 80 government agencies requesting metadata. They have used a backdoor in the legislation. The list of organisations seeking metadata under the 2015 legislation extending beyond the named agencies includes Centrelink, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, NSW Family and Community Services, and anti-corruption bodies. It is hard to believe that all of these requests relate to suspected terrorism offences. They appear to have more to do with hounding trade unions in the construction industry and pursuing social security recipients a very dangerous encroachment on democratic rights and abuse of the stated intent of the legislation. At the time of the 2015 legislation the Guardian warned that one of the uses of the legislation would be to pursue whistle blowers, journalists and their sources as they exposed fraud, corruption and other information in the public interest. SURVEILLANCE The Telecommunications Interception and Access Act (TIAA) requires internet service providers to store the contents of all electronic communications for two years and to make them available to ASIO and other government agencies. The TIAA originally applied to the Australian Federal Police and national spy agency ASIO. Today it gives extraordinary surveillance and other powers to more than 20 agencies. Much of the data collection remains unregulated, some of it is carried out by private agencies on behalf of government, and the public are unaware of what records are kept on their personal lives. The government claims it is necessary to give ASIO and other security and policing bodies greater surveillance powers to counter terrorism and pursue criminals, in particular paedophiles. Historically, the focus of ASIO spying has been on communists, trade unionists, and other political activists who might challenge the system. Successive amendments to telecommunications, spy and other legislation have and continue to weaken protection and accountability. This will not change. The federal government is not interested in providing those protections. It is assisting the corporate sector in its collection and use of private information. The Australian Privacy Foundation put forward four basic principles regarding surveillance: Justification, Proportionality, Controls, Accountability. Unfortunately, all of these are missing in the battery of ASIO legislation. Amendments to the National Security Legislation passed with bipartisan support in 2014, give ASIO the power to copy, delete or modify data held on any computer covered by a warrant. The Act allows for ASIO to store the content of communications going well beyond the storage of metadata by internet providers. The Senate was expected to debate the final bill before they had been given a copy, not the first time such a stunt has been pulled by the government. There is nothing in the legislation that would prevent ASIO and other agencies using these powers against communists, trade unionists, student groups and others, who might express dissent or question the capitalist system. These powers are being introduced with longer term aims in mind, such as suppressing any dissent to the governments austerity programs before it can take hold and pose a threat to the ruling class and the capitalist system. Encryption The freedom of journalists and whistle blowers to act without fear and the right of the public to know go to the heart of any democratic society. So too do the rights to privacy, freedom of speech and religion all of which are threatened by the 2015 bill on encryption. The metadata bill was only the thin edge of the wedge, relating to record keeping of communications. The decryption bill followed. Its aim is to provide ASIO, the police and other agencies with access to the content of private, encrypted communications. The bill applies across-the-board to businesses and government departments, advocacy and community groups and individuals. It purports to be targeting terrorist and serious criminal activity but the wording is so open and it provides for so little accountability, that it could be used for any purpose. The aim of the legislation is to enable the police to be able to decrypt or decode and gain access to encrypted communications. To do this, it is necessary for the technology company to insert software capable of breaking the encryption a backdoor way in. ATTACK ON WHISTLE BLOWERS The freedom to criticise governments and expose criminal acts of the state is a basic democratic right, one that is also being undermined. Whistle blowers are increasingly coming under attack when acting in the public interest and revealing state crimes. So too are their legal representatives and the journalists who report such crimes. Julian Assange is facing extradition to the US. His crime was to publish information that he received that was in the public interest. The recent Federal Police raids on the ABC and a News Ltd journalists home are two other examples. Witness K in the East Timor bugging case and their legal representative Bernard Collaery are being prosecuted. Their cases are shrouded in secrecy. It is impossible for Collaery and Witness K to defend themselves. Under Australias federal National Security and Information Act public accountability and transparency are denied. The court hearings will be held in camera. The legal processes being used to prosecute Collaery and Witness K bare no resemblance to justice. Under the Act, the defendants have no right of access to the prosecution case, making it impossible to respond to the charges. The case constitutes a gross injustice, an attack on the legal profession as well as the defendant, and whistle blower. It is in the public interest to know if our government is committing international crimes or carrying out immoral and unethical acts. Transparency and accountability are central to any democracy, even a bourgeois or capitalist democracy. The government must act to protect whistle blowers and their sources if governments and other public agencies and corporations are to be kept accountable. Undermining the judicial system It is not just the legal profession that is increasingly coming under attack. The judicial system is also being white-anted in several ways. Firstly, government legislation is increasingly introducing mandatory jail sentences, thus removing the judicial powers of judges to consider the circumstances and use their discretion. The Family Court is in the process of being destroyed, breaking down the specialised body of accumulated expertise, which is of particular benefit to women and children. The judiciary exists to interpret the law, pass judgement in non-jury cases and hand down sentences following a guilty verdict. Governments exist to make the laws. This separation of powers is seen as an integral component of Australias claim to be a democracy. Increasingly, federal ministers have been criticising judges, and putting them under political pressure. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, for example, described lawyers defending asylum seekers as un-Australian. Commenting on Duttons statement, Barrister Laura Neil said, Every time Ministers attack lawyers who are defending vulnerable clients, with cries of lawfare and the like, people need to understand that their government is in fact seeking to ensure that it can break the law with impunity. Dutton in one comment in support of the ASIO legislation said that he would ensure that agencies dealt with threats from right-wing lunatics or left-wing lunatics. He did not specify what he meant by left-wing lunatics. It is clear that he is not referring to genuine terrorists. Duttons concept of terrorist probably includes militant trade unionists and communists. The above is by no means a comprehensive list of the encroachment on democratic rights that is underway. The above list does not include the extensive loss of trade union and workers rights which has been reported on in the Guardian on numerous occasions. The trend towards a police state is accelerating, with governments and their agencies already having an arsenal of powers to hit the working class with when they so choose. This gives the working class and its political and mass organisations little time to build a united front to defeat the laws and restore basic human rights before it is too late. Loss of democratic rights Some trends In the name of fighting terrorism Silencing dissent Gagging of media raids on homes and workplaces Lack of transparency and public accountability Reversal of onus of proof Replacement of proof with suspicion on reasonable grounds Arbitrary detention without a court order Definition of terrorism so broad that it could rope in industrial action by groups such as nurses, police, etc. Proscription of organisations and blocking of financial support Hefty punitive provisions with massive fines and jail sentences Broad definitions of sedition and treason that could cover almost any action or criticism of the system, government actions or challenges to status quo Prohibition and punishment for advocacy of terror ie silencing dissent ASIO given the power to intercept email, voicemail and MS messages without a warrant Reversal of onus of proof Presumption of innocence turned on its head Bypassing the judicial processes Increased ministerial, ASIO and police powers Denial of the right to silence and not self-incriminate Denial of right to be heard Denial of right to access of evidence being used Denial of right to lawyer of own choosing Shift to mandatory sentencing, removing the discretionary powers of judges Freedom of speech denied Guilt by association ASIO, an intelligence organisation given police powers Detention without charge Shift of powers from courts to executive government (Attorney General or Home Affairs Minister) Other measures KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Across the country, the rate of Americans dying of overdoses is once again rising, in some states, dramatically. Before the pandemic hit in 2020, federal and state targeted efforts to stop people from dying from overdoses had resulted in declines in overdose deaths for the first time in three decades. Unfortunately, that progress has been reversed in 2020 and drug deaths are up an average of 13 percent over last year. In parts of Ohio, for instance, drug overdose deaths are up more than 50 percent compared to the same time last year, an upward shift mirrored in New York, Florida, and parts of Pennsylvania. Overdose deaths have doubled in Chicago and are up in other parts of Illinois. Maryland and New Jersey are also seeing spikes in overdoses. According to data from the New Jersey state drug information dashboard, drug overdose deaths jumped 20% this year; 1,339 people died of suspected drug overdoses in the first five months of the year, 225 more than were recorded in 2019 over the same time period. Recovery Centers of America treatment centers are seeing spikes in admissions including relapses to drug and alcohol use for those once in recovery, often caused by social isolation, job loss, and other stressors. Recent research suggests that COVID-19 will lead to as many as 75,000 additional "deaths of despair" from overdose or suicide. During the pandemic, call volume to the "Disaster Distress Helpline" at the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has increased 891 percent. "Despite the magnitude of the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic, we simply cannot drop our focus from the drug and alcohol crisis in this country," said Dr. Deni Carise, Chief Science Officer at Recovery Centers of America ("RCA") and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "Our loved ones and friends are dying from the disease of addiction, both drugs and alcohol -- in the last few years, at a rate of nearly 150,000 people per year. This death toll is unacceptable because the disease can be treated." How do we stop Americans of all ages from dying of drug overdoses as the COVID-19 pandemic waxes and wanes and social consciousness for equal treatment blooms? According to Dr. Carise, the remaining "wall of shame" or stigma associated with the disease of substance use disorder (SUD) must be completely torn down and society's beliefs must change in order to accept SUD as a chronic disease. Drawing on historical observations from the diseases of cancer, TB, and AIDS, Dr. Carise stated that it's generally accepted that the stigma of a disease diminishes significantly when about 30% of those with the disease get treatment. In the case of SUD, while improvement has been made,only 10 percent of those suffering from SUD obtain treatment. "Despite progress, the majority of society still thinks that people suffering from SUD have "brought it on themselves" and that all the ramifications that come with it, such as greater chance of death, complete loss of control, family dysfunction, are of their own making, thereby providing one more reason why people don't seek treatment," explained Dr. Carise. "We must use the collective momentum of the American people, at this time of unprecedented social change, to raise awareness that those suffering from substance use disorders are sick and need treatment or they will die, just like with other chronic diseases. An addiction to drugs or alcohol is not a behavior people choose," she said. "As with all chronic diseases, treatment must include an "adequate dose" or course of treatment, provided across a continuum of care, with appropriate services, for the appropriate length of time, delivered and supported with health insurance coverage. There are no cures for chronic diseases, and this is true whether we are talking about diabetes, hypertension, asthma, depression, or addiction." Top priorities for state and federal public health officials and legislators during and after the pandemic, according to Dr. Carise, must include ensuring that SUD treatment capacity exists and that insurance coverage is in place without undue restrictions. To stop our loved ones and friends from dying of drug overdoses, Dr. Carise explained that substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment must continue to be available at all levels of care. "Legislators should commit federal funding to this important treatment area by approving the emergency COVID-19 relief funding request to help keep substance use disorder treatment and behavioral healthcare accessible to those in need of these life-saving services during the pandemic, and keep these treatment options available post-pandemic." Moreover, treatment must be affordable to patients and paid for by health insurance just like treatment for other chronic illnesses, Dr. Carise explained. This is not always the case despite existing insurance parity laws that have been passed by Congress. "While many insurers provide excellent coverage, some have been called out in legal proceedings for curtailing or denying appropriate inpatient stays or continuing treatment for relapses, or failing to include coverage for a treatment continuum. Therefore, existing laws need to be improved and enforced," she said. Telehealth services have been essential during the pandemic and have helped millions of people receive treatment in the last few months. Congress needs to make these laws permanent for this path of treatment, according to Dr. Carise. Prior to the pandemic, it was predominantly rural areas that made use of telehealth treatment. In response to COVID-19, some state Governors issued emergency orders to increase access to telehealth services thereby increasing the pool of available health care providers. The result: many people who would not or could not attend treatment for SUD in-person were able to participate via telehealth, offering greater anonymity and convenience, and less perceived stigma. Since April, hundreds of RCA patients and their families have utilized telehealth in the form of education, assessment, counseling, specialty consult and family therapy. Dr. Carise stated that the American Medical Association is calling on governors and state legislatures to act now to assist with opioid related deaths. "Recovery Centers of America wants to join with other voices calling for action on the addiction crisis now," she said. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are more deaths, illness, and disabilities from substance use than from any other preventable health condition. The key word here is preventable, according to Dr. Carise. "Even as we battle a pandemic in 2020, the concurrent addiction epidemic must not get lost and we must continue to engage all possible legislative solutions to prevent further loss of life." Recovery Centers of America (1-800-Recovery) has helped nearly 40,000 patients suffering from substance use disorder since 2014. RCA's mission is to save one million lives by providing comprehensive evidence-based addiction treatment at seven RCA treatment facilities in Devon, Pennsylvania; South Amboy and Mays Landing, NJ; Westminster and Danvers, Massachusetts; and Earleville and Waldorf, Maryland. A full spectrum of outpatient services are also offered at many of these centers and in Voorhees, NJ. RCA also provides Medication-Assisted-Treatment (MAT) at its treatment centers and at standalone facilities in Trenton and Somerdale, NJ and in Lansdowne, PA. For media interviews, please contact Terri C. Malenfant at [email protected]. https://www.facebook.com/recoverycentersofamerica/ https://www.instagram.com/recoverycentersofamerica/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/recovery-centers-of-america https://twitter.com/recoverycoa?lang=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKJMInu81ZCVAgqfvjlHxyw SOURCE Recovery Centers of America Related Links https://recoverycentersofamerica.com Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There's not much Dudley Kingsnorth doesn't know about the high-tech metals used to make everything from batteries to MRI machines to fighter jets. The mining industry veteran has been studying rare earths those critical minerals with unpronounceable names like 'praseodymium' and 'yttrium' since the 1960s. Rare earths are used in lots of high tech products such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. Credit:Bloomberg And for years he's been ringing alarm bells, because Australia and its strategic allies could soon be locked out of the market by China's growing dominance in mining and manufacturing of the stuff, set to reach 95 per cent of the market by 2025. The risk is not just that Australia will miss out on resources jobs, but that China will be the only nation with a solid supply of the essential materials needed for high-tech defence equipment and renewables technology. According to Professor Kingsnorth China is on a quest to sell end products rather than precursor materials and to do that it is manipulating prices by tinkering with taxes and quotas, which is subsequently strangling investment in Australian critical mineral projects. "France will sell you a bottle of wine, but it won't sell you grapes," Professor Kingsnorth said. Advertisement "China doesn't really want to sell you rare earths, it wants to sell you a wind turbine or an electric vehicle. China has to find jobs for 200 million people between 2015 and 2025. If you're Chinese and you sell rare earths, you don't get your GST refunded, but if you sell a vehicle, you do. They are manipulating the prices, but they're able to do that because they're vertically integrated. A metallurgist by training and pioneer of Australia's lithium industry, Professor Kingsworth is now a consultant and runs WA School of Mines Critical Minerals Initiative at Curtin University. In 2014, he raised the alarm with NATO after China cut off Japan from its supply of rare earths in 2010. In response, the Japanese government underwrote Lynas Corporation's Mount Weld rare earths mine in Western Australia's Goldfields region, which became the only facility in decades to come online and stay in production. Concern has since grown around the world, with the Pentagon telling reporters in 2019 it wanted to work with the Australian government to establish a processing facility to meet growing demand. A working group between the US and Australia was set up in February to work on the issue. Advertisement Jeffrey Wilson, a trade expert and director of research at the Perth USAsia Centre, put this down to China's willingness to flex its market muscle. He said there would be 200 rare earth discoveries at least half a dozen in WA alone that showed potential. France will sell you a bottle of wine, but it won't sell you grapes. Professor Kingsnorth "They've got the rocks, they've got the whole thing set up, but the real barrier is that they go to the board and the board says, 'so you want us to spend half a billion dollars on this mine that the Chinese could just flush out overnight?'" Dr Wilson said. "It's this huge barrier to any of these Australian companies really entering the market because they feel this would happen and certainly there is form for it." The Lynas Mt Weld mine in Western Australia. Credit:Bloomberg A moral problem as well as economic The problem faced by Australia and its allies is not just strategic. According to Dr Wilson, China doesn't enforce its environmental laws. Cobalt is not a rare earth but it is equally as important for new technologies and China processes about 70 per cent of the worlds supply, though much of it is mined by child slaves in the Congo. Advertisement "There's no way we can price compete with those guys who are pouring sulfuric acid into the water table once they're done with it, he said. "Most of the buyers turned around and said, not my problem, mate, you compete with the Chinese or we'll just keep giving them the contracts." Dr Wilson said there was deep frustration in the resources sector at downstream manufacturers unwilling to pay a premium for critical minerals that had been sustainably mined. "Big companies are trying to phase out dodgy cobalt, but you offer them the whole thing from paddock-to-plate style, it's clean and you can brand it as having no child slave labour cobalt in it, but the guys say there's a recession on at the moment," he said. A still from the film Rare Earthenware of a radioactive lake in Inner Mongolia that collects rare earth waste. Credit:Toby Smith and Unknown Fields But there was some hope, Professor Kingsnorth said, even if there were only a handful of shovel-ready projects that could be brought on stream before 2024, with room for another three or four projects around 2026 or 2028. Too good for Australia to miss out on Advertisement Gold and critical mineral miner Alkane has a ready-to-go specialty metal and rare earths project in Dubbo it says could make $350 million a year over 70 years and mitigate global supply chain risks. Later this month the company plans to spin off the project under a demerged entity called Australian Strategic Metals to get the mine under way and move into higher-value environmentally friendly processing of the materials. Alkane is unique in that it is one of the few Australian rare earth miners with minimal Chinese involvement thanks to its gold business paying for much of the Dubbo projects development. Chairman and major shareholder Ian Gandel is enthusiastic about keeping the benefits of the mine in Australia. WA School of Mines Professor Dudley Kingsnorth. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan Other companies may do anything just to get it into production but this is too good a quality resource, it is too good a project for Australia to miss out on, he said. What I mean by that is Australia will end up with very large royalties and I hope it is going to feed a whole lot of downstream industries for Australia within Australia, which can be exported from Australia at a higher value. Advertisement Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the state and directed district collectors to take action against those spreading it. There have been rumours of salt shortage since yesterday but situation in entire state is normal. There is no shortage of salt in any dist (sic), the Chief Minister tweeted. CM @Dev_Fadnavis directs all the Collectors to take strict measures to ensure theres no panic and act against those spreading rumours, the CMO Maharashtra said in a tweet. Dept asked all dist supply officers to ensure theres no hoarding of salt or any essential commodity & no inconvenience be caused to people, the CMO Maharashtra added. There were rumours about some shop owners selling salt at Rs 700 per kg in eastern suburbs in Mumbai. Police had yesterday stepped in to dispel rumours about steep hike in prices of essential commodities including salt. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta will later this week present the government's mid-year budget review to Parliament. The budget review will focus on strategies to generate more revenue for the state after the Coronavirus pandemic threw the government's plans out of gear. Mr. Ofori-Atta says the budget will also consider extending some support to businesses and industries hit by the pandemic. This week's presentation aims at recovery for the economy, which has been affected by the virus. We need to look at the stimulus for the Small Micro and Medium Enterprises. The discussion with the banks was also for them to increase facilities to support the businesses which are much larger and to look at ways of deferring interest payments for at least the next six months. The presentation of the mid-year budget review to Parliament is in accordance with Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). The presentation of the statement on the review of government projections for the 2020 financial year will be backed by a request for supplementary estimates. Government projections for the 2020 financial year have largely been affected by the economic implications of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Minister will also be expected to provide to Parliament a clear plan on how the government intends to pay back GHS10 billion it borrowed from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the 219 million dollars transferred from the Stabilization Fund to the Contingency fund to help deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Calls for support Meanwhile, various groups have already made cases for specific areas they want the government to prioritize in the budget review. The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) and SEND GHANA earlier this month called on the government to scale up agriculture spending and prioritise the sector to save livelihoods, as it prepares its mid-year budget review and supplementary estimates for 2020. Professor Godfred Bokpin, an Economist, while speaking at a public forum organized by the organizations said, the food index in Ghana has surged since the country reported its first case of Coronavirus disease and the fear of COVID-19 is collapsing economies. Bokpin argued that scaling up agriculture spending in the mid-year budget, not as a favour but as a necessity will help sustain the economy of Ghana and protect livelihoods. He urged the government to improve and scale-up efficiency in existing agriculture sector interventions such as subsidy on fertilizers among others. Last month, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) platform on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also called on government to increase budgetary allocations for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in its 2020 mid-year budget statement. This according to them should form part of measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19. ---citinewsroom Scientists from ExxonMobil, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Imperial College of London have published joint research on potential breakthroughs in a new membrane technology that could reduce emissions and energy intensity associated with refining crude oil. Laboratory tests indicate the patent-pending membrane could be used to replace some heat-intensive distillation at refineries in the years ahead. Results of the research were published today in the international peer-reviewed journal, Science. 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. Inspired by reverse osmosis technology that has reduced energy intensity tenfold for water purification, we decided to look into ways to use new materials for liquids separation, which if brought to industrial scale, could significantly reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions, said Swarup. This is one of many new materials ExxonMobil is researching to reduce energy intensity and CO 2 in our operations. The research successfully demonstrated that naphtha and kerosenethe primary components of gasoline and jet fuelcan be separated from light crude oil using pressure instead of heat, reducing emissions and energy consumption significantly compared to traditional, heat-based distillation methods. Since 2014, the team of scientists has worked to identify advanced membranes to separate light shale crude oil using significantly less energy than used in typical refining processes. In the gasoline and jet fuel range, the membranes developed by the team are twice as effective as the most selective commercial membranes in use today. This membrane technology was developed by a diverse team of scientists and engineers using a multi-scale approach that ranges from the molecular-scale to realistic membrane devices, said Ryan Lively, the John H. Woody faculty fellow and associate professor in Georgia Techs School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Its rare that chemists have the chance to participate in both inventing new molecules and applying them to solve real-world problems. In this case, it really took a whole village of differing expertise to bring to fruition a new approach for separating the components of crude oil using much less energy than before, said M.G. Finn, Chair of the School of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Georgia Tech and a joint lead of the study along with Lively. Additional research and development will be needed to progress this technology to industrial scale. 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 potential scalability of this technology. Since 2000, ExxonMobil has invested approximately $10 billion in projects to research, develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions. The company also continues to expand collaborative efforts with more than 80 universities, five energy centers and multiple private sector partners around the world to explore next-generation energy technologies. The researchers on the technology as written in Science include Neel Rangnekar, J.R. Johnson, Scott Hoy and Benjamin McCool from ExxonMobil; Kirstie Thompson, Ronita Mathias, Ryan Lively and M.G. Finn from Georgia Institute of Technology; Daeok Kim, Jihoon Kim, Irene Bechis, Andrew Tarzia and Kim Jelfs from Imperial College London; and Andrew Livingston, concurrently with Imperial and Queen Mary University of London. Tradearabia News Service The mission of the University of Dhaka is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. by Anwar A. Khan Dhaka University or DU is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It stepped into a century on 1 July, 2020. When I recall my Dhaka University days after about 45 years, a deep hankering engrosses me - like a few words of a sweet song of Hemanta Mukherji, Muche jaoa dingulo amai pichu phire dake(the blotting out days call in me to recapture the past and indulge in memories)! As a college student, I along with my friends actively fought against the barbarian Pakistans army and their equally tyke local mango-twigs, especially Jamaat-e-Islami, the mass-murderers in 1971 to establish Bangladesh at the clarion call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Founding Father of Bangladesh ((though I have always been apolitical till today; nor do I have any connection with any socio-cultural or human rights organisations as yet. And I shall not do so unto my death). Coming back from the war field, I devoted to my studies and after passing my H.S.C. Examination (Humanities Group) in 1972, I got admitted into B.A. (Hons.) class with English Literature and Economic as Subsidiary subjects leading to M.A. in Contemporary History with Dhaka University during the period of 1972-76. I was a resident student of Sergeant Zohurul Haque Hall (SZHH) and lived there till my completion of M.A. degree. Bangladesh was then gravely the 1971 war battered country. Let me look back. Our DU days were turbulent times all the while. In 1974, 7 murders fell out at Mohsin Hall TV room of DU when I was a student of 2nd year B.A. (Hons.) class. From SZHH, I along with some of my class-mates and friends saw that ghastly scene there in the wee hour on that day after the beastly incident bechanced. It still reminds me or us about the unspeakable horrors and brutalities of 1971. AL's student affiliation Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) had then intra-party battles. The killers belonged to one faction led by BCLs Secretary General Shafiul Alam Pradhan. They were heavily armed anddangerous.Pradhan was arrested as the prime accused of thatgrave murder incident and he was finally sentenced to jail lawfully for a life term. But the-thenself-proclaimed President of Bangladesh and vitiated military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman pardoned Pradhan at his own volition and in a deliberately unhurried mannerreleased him from the jail. We had to always remain into a state of intense fear or desperation during those reckless days, because oftentimes, gun shots befell in different DU Halls by a certain quarter of armed gangsters of so-called students. The university was closed-down sine dieofttimes. We had to leave the Halls within a very short notice period. Bangabandhu Mujib, Bangladsehs Founding Father and the countrys first President, would visit the University of Dhaka on 15 August 1975 from where he was once expelled for a life time in an illegal manner by the Pakistans depraved rulers. In August 1975, I was a senior student of Dhaka University and stayed at Sergeant Zohurul Haque Hall. Although I have always been apolitical, I felt very excited along with so many friends of mine on his profoundly honoured would-be visitable. On the day before that grand visit, the University of Dhaka was adornedfetchingly. The whole area adjacent to it took a festal look. To me, it seemed that youth was like spring, an over-praised season greatly pleasing or entertaining if it happened to be a favoured one, but in practice it didnt happen as a general rule, for biting vile winds of northern area of Dhaka military cantonment of Metropolitan City of Dhaka than genial breezes. At the very pre-dawn hour on that day, my room-mate and close friend Abdus Sobhan Khan Arif burst into terrified voice and woke me up from sleeping and gave the horrendous and heart-breaking news about Bangabandus brutal murder. He almost dragged me out to a room nearby to ours where a one-band Radio was tuned on and with our frightening heart; we got a line about the voice marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful of Major Dalim was sounding out, Sheikh Mujib is killed. The army has captured power. The martial law is imposed on throughout the country We were tremendously shocked, appalled and at the same time, we were very rancorous to have heard of this cowardly and horrific act. Before 5.00 O-clock in the morning on 16 August 1975, suddenly SZH Hall where we resided was heavily stormed by a large Lancer Unit of Bangladesh Army mostly wearing black attires equipped with heavy guns. A large group of Lancer forces cordoned-off the entire area of our Hall taking positions in its different locations; some lying on the nearby play-ground and some standing in different strategic places with guns pointed blank towards us. A group of soldiers went inside the Hall and pounded in our rooms. They angrily shouted to come out from our rooms in hands-up position. They forced us to vacate all rooms and then we were made stood up in hands-up position nearby the Halls play-ground; lined us up; and then they used vulgar words against us mostly in Urdu and English languages. For a moment, we called back that they were the Urdu-speaking Pakistans people who we defeated during our great Liberation War in 1971 to establish Bangladesh. They imperiled us in a very harsh language, We shall take you all to an unknown location; and we are not sure whether someone of you may come back to this dormitory or not. Two of our friends were mercilessly beaten by them to create an unwanted panic among us and those two friends of us got wounded and they were then bleeding. We were then feeling affrighted. Suddenly we found a senior most and brilliant scholar teacher Prof Dr. Khosh Mohammed, Chairman of DUs Mathematics Department and our Halls Provost was escorted by some rogue junior army officers at hands-up position and forced him to pass walking in front of us to the Halls TV Room. Provost Sir was thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation because his face then looked very depressed and dispirited. Some students were forced foregather at the TV Room along with our Provost Sir. On the podium of this room, a few army officers climbed up and used plebeian and unwashed language against everybody present there and in a vehement outcry, they hollered, All students, deposit to us in no time whatever arms and ammunitions you have in your possession. Otherwise no one will be spared. A pall of gloom descended upon the TV Room. Prof Dr. Khosh Mohammed paused momentarily and said in a very cool voice, I know for sure; my students do not have any arms and ammunitions in their possession. The unpleasant army persons then angrily shouted to obey their orders. Provost Sir requested them to give his students for a time up to 10.00 O-clock on 17 August 1975 and he said, If my students have any arms and ammunitions in their self-possession, they will keep them at this TV Room within that time-frame. They then reluctantly agreed to this proposal and then these poseur military-men pulled-out their troops exasperatedly from the SZH Hall and left the place foul-mouthed along with their army convoys. They didnt turn up again. This was the solitary Hall only of DU that these savage wildcats rampaged during that time. But one thing is very striking and unforgettable that we found so many outstanding scholar teachers with high morality, disciplined, captivating in delivering lectures in the class-rooms of almost all Departments, in many seminars at DU campus. But educational institutions are nowhere in the world meant for busines purpose like private trading houses as it has now been happening in Bangladesh! Eminent journalist, celebrated columnist and an alumnus of Dhaka University - Syed Badrul Ahsan (SBA or our Badrul bhai) showed clearly the outline, profile or boundary of a university like DU, once upon a time canonised as an Oxford of the East, in his well-written column at The Asian Age on 5 July 2020. The Bangladesh flag is a symbol of what Bangladeshs people treasure; and it represents the values we cherish beyond measure. Our flag flies high for freedom, bravery, and the courage to fight, and sacrifice of ones life for a just cause. The Bangladesh flag is an icon representing the Bangladeshs way. Our hearts swell with emotion when we see it ripple and sway. We should honour our freedom fighters, our millions killed intentionally and with premeditation. Remember the sacrifices they made in duty towards Bangladesh. The Greek philosopher Thucydides once said, The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. And we followed this spirit in 1971 to attain Bangladesh. This also holds true to the cause of deep love and patriotism of our people for creating our motherland. In writing this piece, I bear the year 1971 clearly in my mind with distinct mental discernment. My heart aches and tears well up in my eyes. During our Independence War of 1971, being a college student, I witnessed many barbaric incidents committed by the Pakistans Army, Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), and their death squads Al-Badr and Al-Shams (auxiliary forces of the barbarous Pakistans Army). I chose to stay at SZHH, because it was the light-house of all glorious struggles and movements to establish an independent and sovereign homeland for us i.e. Bangladesh. However, we propose a novel approach to reputation development at higher education institutions like DU. Global reputation development at higher education institutions is largely driven by research excellence, is predominantly measured by research output, and is predominantly reflected in hierarchical university rankings. The ranking becomes equated with brand equity. We argue that the current approach to reputation development in higher education institutions is modernist and linear. This is strangely out-of-kilter with the complexities of a transforming society in flux, the demands of a diversity of stakeholders, and the drive towards trans-disciplinarily, laterality, reflexivity and relevance in science and arts. Good research clearly remains an important ingredient of a university's brand value. However, a case can be made for brand relevance, co-created in collaboration with stakeholders, as an alternative and non-linear way of differentiation. This approach is appropriate in light of challenges in strategic science globally as well as trends and shifts in the emerging paradigm of strategic communication. In applying strategic communication principles to current trends and issues in strategic science and the communication thereof, an alternative model for strategic reputation building at higher education institutions is developed. The approach is structured is clearly characterised or delimited: to consider key challenges and trends emerging in strategic research that affect the relationship between science and society, including the communication of science to society; to compare these trends with key trends and shifts in the emerging paradigm of strategic communication, and to reflect on how challenges in science communication can be addressed by strategic communication; to consider the implications of strategic communication for strategic branding and brand relevance, from a multi-stakeholder perspective; to examine research excellence as a global reputation builder at research-intensive higher education institutions; to build a case for changing the discourse from 'brand excellence' to 'brand relevance'; and to propose an alternative model for reputation building at higher education institutions like DU, and for building a purposeful higher education brand. Of course, decades of neglect will not be remedied in a year. There are competing demands for government funds, such as, in areas from transport infrastructure to health. But there must be a strong political will to improve universities year on year, and make education a long-term priority, not as private trading houses. The Dhaka University played a significant role in the Bengali Language Movement, when Bengalis joined together to fight against Urdu being the official language in the-then East Pakistan. Dhaka University was the main place where the movement started with the students joining together and protesting against the Pakistan government. Later countless students were massacred in where the Shaheed Minar stands today. After the incident, Bengali was restored as official language. The 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh against Pakistan continues shaping the mindset of Bangladeshs people until present day. This bloodstained historical event has constructed Bangladeshs sense of nationalism and has forged our contemporary Constitution in 1972. The Bangladesh, we see today is essentially the fruit of the liberation war of 1971. In order to understand ongoing Bangladeshs politics and the socio-economic sphere, it is required to analyse the history of Pakistans colonialism and the events surrounding the 1971 liberation war that turned Bangladesh into an independent and sovereign State. And DU teachers and students played majorly in shaping the construct of Bengali nationalism and the concept of an independent and sovereign state Bangladesh! Since the very formation of Pakistan, the Western part by choice branded the Eastern as inferior, because it intentionally considered the Muslims in the Eastern Wing subordinate due to their social and cultural affiliation with the Hindu population, which were powerful, rich and dominating in East-Pakistan before the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. The desire for an independent Bangladesh (literally meaning "land of the Bengali people") effloresced in March 1971. Previously, free and fair elections were held in December 1970 in which the Awami League had won a majority of seats in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan under a new system of proportional representation under the dynamic and able leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Fearing a political takeover by East Pakistan, President Yahya Khan of West Pakistan postponed the convening of the new Assembly in March 1971 to allow time for West Pakistans military forces to occupy East Pakistans territory. After hundreds of the-then East Pakistan protesters were killed in army firing and Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested, but immediate before that, Bengali nationalist supreme leader Bangabandhu Mujib declared our new nation-state of Bangladesh independent on March 26, 1971. Professor Dr. Fakrul Alam wrote, DU history and its part in Bangladeshi national identity formation. He further added, Dhaka University started playing a decisive role in Bangladeshi national identity formation almost as soon as the Islamic state of Pakistan was born. If the role the university had played in the evolution of the Bangladeshi identity before the partition of India was indirect, it now became the centre of the movement that would lead to the creation of the country born out of the ashes of East Pakistan in 1971. The mission of the University of Dhaka is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. The distinctive spirit of a culture or an era of Dhaka University in the Bengali ethos is cardinal for us and we want to see DU to that weightage. The ethos that Badrul bhai has recorded in his column is that DU is always the power-house for all movements leading to the bloody war of the Bengalis in 1971 against the rapscallion military rulers of Pakistan to establish Bangladesh in 1971 as an independent and sovereign state. Bangladesh is the only country in the world that was created on the basis of language and ethnicity and DU played a very significant role for it. An alumna of the University of Dhaka in the years of 1972-76, I now feel dispirited to have seen or to see in such a sorry state of it that one cant ideate! Moreover, I am feeling discouraged and downhearted!! Most of the teachers keeping their jobs with DU intact and taking salary and other benefits from it, they teach in private universities at very lucrative emoluments! Morality has gone down to the lowest ebb! This saddens me like anything!! Let us hope the government has a vision for Bangladeshs education a vision that will give a youthful, vibrant Bangladesh, the universities it deserves! Even during DU days, Dhaka University was aptly extolled as the Oxford of the East. Still, DU is my love, despite it has lost its past charm and magical spell. I want to conclude with the salient words of Badrul bhai, As it enters its hundredth year, Dhaka University must catch up with the times.I hope Dhaka University, despite all its flaws, will change the outlook of its pupils and pull back its glorious image in full. The End The writer is an independent political observer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to meet with His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. President Sarkissian and His Holiness Garegin II discussed the recent military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan in Tavush section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the shelling of the peaceful civilian settlements by the Azerbaijani forces. They highlighted the fact that the clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church both in Armenia and the Diaspora today support the Homeland, stand by the Armenian soldiers who defend the Homelands security and peace, with their prayers. They also talked about the key issues of the national-church life, the strengthening of the Homeland-Diaspora ties. President Sarkissian thanked the Catholicos of All Armenians for the assistance programs being implemented by the Armenian Apostolic Church during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan In a boost to the morale of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which finds itself preparing for the possibility of hostilities with China, its first five Rafale fighter aircraft will land on Indian soil next Monday (July 27). The aircraft will form the nucleus of the IAFs first Rafale squadron, Number 17 Squadron, which calls itself the Golden Arrows. They will be based in Ambala. The five Rafales will take off from Istres, France, and will be flown to India by IAF pilots, with mid-air refuelling en route from an accompanying French airforce tanker aircraft. They will make just one ... The three friends beaten and shot dead on a night of fishing in Florida were not killed in a drug deal gone bad, police said Monday. Raising the reward for information to $30,000 Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: 'We don't seen any obvious signs of a drug deal gone bad. We still don't know why the murder occurred.' Damion Tillman, 23; Keven Springfield, 30; and Brandon Rollins, 27, all died in the Friday night massacre. They were found by Cyril Rollins, the father of Brandon, who managed to call for help just before he died. Sheriff Judd said the shock of finding his son dying alongside his two friends sent Cyril to hospital later in the day. Tillman had traveled alone to the spot, police said. His car was found facing south; the vehicle carrying Rollins and Springfield was next to it, facing north 'right in the middle of the road' suggesting they were parked 'so they could talk to each other'. Sheriff Judd said: 'Was it something as simple as the three guys...blocked the road and made somebody mad? Or did someone follow Damion down there and shoot him and at that time Keven and Brandon drive up.' Police confirmed they are not releasing certain details of what was said to Cyril Rollins by his son Brandon in the moments before his death. They have also not released any details on whether the bodies were found in their cars or on the road. But Sheriff Judd did acknowledged cops are 'banking on' raising the reward for information over the attack from $5,000 to $30,000 to help with the case. He said police have received 'well over' 100 tips but no arrests have been made. Police also believe there to be more than one killer, Sheriff Judd said Monday afternoon, He added: 'When you look at the crime scene and you look at what we saw it gives us reason to believe that it was more than one suspect.' Brandon Rollins, 27, left, Damion Tillman, 23, center, Keven Springfield, 30, right, and all died in the Friday night massacre. They were found by the father of one of the men who managed to call for help just before he died Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd spoke about the case at a press conference Monday afternoon where he raised the reward for information to $30,000 Sheriff Judd said in an earlier interview Monday the three men 'may have been boxed in' by cars. He told WPCV: 'We don't know at this point...if someone flagged them down and boxed them up in the middle of the road. 'We don't know what happened...whether or not they met up with some suspects who didn't like the fact that they were talking in the road.' Judd added: 'Whether somebody boxed them off and stopped them. It was just a terrible event. Think about it - three best friends are doing what they like to do best and that's to go fishing. And this is way out in the county. '[Rollins' dad] is not doing well at all. In fact, later in the day he had to go to the hospital as well. You can imagine the horrible shock to hear your son on the cellphone say "help". You rush to his side, you see his two best buddies shot dead and he is shot and really taking his last breaths.' Records show that both Keven Springfield and Brandon Rollins have prior arrests; Brandon for burglary and traffic violations, Springfield for theft, burglary and domestic battery. Sheriff Judd said in an earlier interview Monday the three men 'may have been boxed in' by cars. He told WPCV : 'We don't know at this point...if someone flagged them down and boxed them up in the middle of the road.' Brandon Rollins is pictured Of the killers Sheriff Judd added: 'Think about this - they've already killed three people. Could your children be next? Theres no indication this was a dope deal gone bad. If we knew [names], we would have them in custody.' He added Monday afternoon: 'We don't believe they are out looking for people but we also know for whatever reason that somebody else crosses their path and makes them mad they have nothing more to lose. 'Most of the time when I stand here and talk about murders I talk about either a domestic relationship gone bad or drugs and that doesn't seem at this stage in the investigation the event at all. 'This does not look like a drug deal gone bad, we have zero evidence of that. It does not appear to be a domestic incident. We don't know the reason at this stage.' The men were found by Cyril Rollins, the father of Brandon. Cyril is pictured left on Saturday Tillman had traveled alone to the spot, police said. His car was found facing south; the vehicle carrying Rollins and Springfield was next to it, facing north 'right in the middle of the road' suggesting they were parked 'so they could talk to each other' Police had earlier said the three men may have been the victims of a targeted attack by multiple attackers. Judd admitted Monday afternoon officers still do not know the motive. But he said Saturday: 'You dont just stumble upon somebody out here.' He described the crime scene as 'the worst I have ever seen'. The three men were fishing at a popular lake in Frostproof, 70 miles south of Orlando in central Florida. Brandon is said to have been an avid fisherman who went out every other night, according to his mom. Rollins called his father at about 10pm Friday and managed to only say 'help.' The father jumped into his car and went to where his son had said he was going fishing. 'When he arrived he found his son Brandon barely alive, and his two friends deceased,' the sheriff's office said in a press release. 'Brandon was able to say a few things to his dad, which we are not releasing at this time.' Rollins' father had left his home without his cellphone, so he returned to a nearby gas station and called 911, the sheriff's office said. He did not use his son's phone to make the call, as he would 'have had difficulty finding it at the scene', police said Monday. 'I was just so upset last night, I just didn't know what to do,' said Cyril Rollins, the father of Brandon. 'We heard some background and they fussing all that,' he told WFLA 8. 'But I left, I went on out here. When I got there I was looking for my son. It was a mess. I found my son. I was holding him he was telling me what happened but I was too shocked to know what was going on.' When authorities arrived at the scene, all three men were dead. Three men were murdered by Lake Streety in Frostproof, Florida, on Friday night Tillman, left, traveled to Lake Streety first and arrived by himself, according to sheriff Judd. Rollins, right, called his father at about 10pm Friday and managed to only say 'help.' Keven Springfield. Sheriff Judd said Monday officers are still trying to establish a motive 'This is a horrific scene,' said Judd, 'I've been to a lot of murder scenes in my life and this ranks among the worst I've been to.' Judd added that the suspect or suspects may have known the men. 'You don't just stumble upon somebody out here,' he said. 'It's not like there's a lot of people around here. As you can see, it's cow pastures and lakes.' Grady Judd, sheriff of Polk Country, said the 'horrific' scene was among the worst he'd seen Rollins's girlfriend Jessica Steenson told WFLA 8 that the sheriff promised to find the killers. 'That he will not stop until justice is served for them three boys, my boyfriend, and his two best friends,' she said. 'I moved here from Jacksonville, Florida, for him two years ago and this is not how it was supposed to be and I want justice for him. And I will not stop until he gets it.' Dottie Payton, Rollins's mother, said she too wants justice to be done. 'I want it to be served the right way and I'm sure they're out there watching and seeing what's going on and they need to come forward,' she said. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has pulled back troops that were involved in the violent face-off in Galwan Valley on June 15-16, according to a report by The Economic Times. However, it is unclear if they have been rotated out from the sector as part of the disengagement process. The report suggests that regular Chinese border troops that had been manning the area have now been deployed. On the Indian side, personnel from the 16 Bihar regiment, who were involved in the clash are being reportedly moved out from Galwan as well as part of the regular rotation of troops that is carried out in border areas. The report adds that the 16 Bihar regiment was to move out in March but the process got delayed due to movement restrictions triggered by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met soldiers from the regiment during his visit to eastern Ladakh on July 17. He also met a Subedar of the battalion who led troops maid PLAs ambush. Tensions along the LAC had been rising since early May amid a stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers. However, the tensions escalated to another level after 20 Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a violent face-off in Ladakhs Galwan Valley on June 15-16. There were casualties on the Chinese side too. However, that number is not clear. Since then, the Indian Army has already sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the border in June. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also moved a sizeable number of its frontline Sukhoi 30-MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to several key air bases including Leh and Srinagar following the clashes. Both sides have completed creation of a buffer zone of three kilometres in the three friction points of Galwan Valley, Gogra and Hot Springs as part of a temporary measure. There has been reported thinning out of troops from Finger 4 area in Pangong Tso as well. The Finger area of Pangong Tso is made up of spurs that rise along the bank of the lake. According to India, the LAC is situated at Finger 8. The large swath of land between Finger 4 and 8 used to be patrolled by both sides before tensions escalated in May. Seoul: Thousands of South Koreans marched in Seoul on Saturday. The protest demanded the ouster of President Park Geun-hye in what one of the biggest protests in the country since its democratisation about 30 years ago. Police anticipated about 170,000 people to turn out near City Hall and an old palace gate while the protest organisers estimated as much as a million are taking part. It's the latest of a wave of massive rallies against Park, whose presidency has been shaken by suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante to manipulate power from behind the scenes. Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park's mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bullycompanies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled. Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to seriously push for Park's resignation or impeachment over fears of negatively impacting next year's presidential race. However, they have threatened to campaign for resignation if she doesn't distance herself from state affairs. The protest on Saturday, November 12, is expected to be the largest in the capital since June 10, 2008, when police said 80,000 people took part in a candlelight vigil denouncing the government's decision to resume US beef imports amid persisting mad cowfears. Organisers then estimated the crowd at 700,000. In the summer of 1987, millions of South Koreans rallied in Seoul and other cities for weeks before the then-military government caved in to demands for free presidential elections. In an attempt to stabilie the situation, Park on Tuesday November 8 said she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No 2. Prosecutors have arrested Choi, one of her key associates and two former presidential aides who allegedly helped Choi interfere with government decisions and amass an illicit fortune at the expense of businesses. Prosecutors also on November 11 summoned the chairman of steelmaker POSCO over allegations that Choi and her associates tried to forcibly take over the shares of an advertisement company previously owned by the steelmaker. On Tuesday November 8, they raided the headquarters of smartphone giant Samsung Electronics, the country's largest company,which is under suspicion of spending millions of dollars illicitly financing the equestrian training of Choi's athlete daughter. Under South Korea's criminal litigation law, which requires suspects to be either indicted or released within 20 days of their arrest, prosecutors have until November 20 to formally charge Choi. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Here is the step by step guide that you need to take to form a Texas limited liability company ( LLC). See our article for more information on how to build an LLC in any State. Step 1: Create A Texas LLC Name First off, to form an LLC in Texas, you have to give it a title. Your business title needs to be for branding purposes, catchy, and legitimate for lawful purposes. We move into depth on this topic in our LLC naming guide, but we will go over the legal basics below. Legally, your business name needs to: Contain the words Limited Liability Company or Limited Company or LLC or LLC for short. Not contain the words bank, bank, and trust, confidence, trust company, or a similar name or foreign language word without approval from the state bank commissioner. Not contain the words college, school, faculty of medicine, medical school, health science centre, college of law enforcement centre, or law school with no approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Not contain the words veteran, legion, Spanish, foreign, disabled, war, or world war when the name suggests that the entity is created for the sake of war veterans and their families, with no written consent issued by a veterans organization. Step 2: Select Your Registered Texas Agent When you file your Certificate of Formation, you will have to appoint a Texas agent. Your registered agent can be an individual resident of the state or a company that is legally authorized to represent companies. A lot of business owners choose to appoint a professional, although Texas does give you a choice to act as your registered agent. Listed below are a few things to consider before you decide to act as your registered agent: Should you operate your business in the home, you'll be required to create your address public. It would help if you kept up on important notices, dates, and deadlines. You could be served before your loved ones or colleagues. Step 3: File Your Texas LLC Formation Certificate Now it is time to form your Texas LLC officially by submitting your Formation Certificate with the Secretary of State. You can do this on your own, with a lawyer's support, or with a qualified LLC filing service. You can handle this step yourself, but we still recommend that you consider the help of an LLC training service. Why? For what? They will not only take the reins and ensure that you properly file everything, but they will also provide other necessary products and services at very competitive prices. Step 4: Create Operating Agreement With Texas LLC Developing a Texas LLC operating agreement is the only way for you and your associates to fully define your roles and lock off your LLC's direction and ownership arrangement. With this document in place will also give you all something to if a lawsuit or a dispute arises to return. Your operating agreement should summarize the following: Every member's duties The way new members will be admitted How to present members may transfer or terminate their membership How profits and dividends are to be distributed From that point, you can add as many provisions as you want, provided they are not in conflict with Texas law. Please take a look at our What's an Operating Agreement manual to learn more. Step 5: Get Your Texas LLC An EIN The EIN is basically a Social Security number for your company. National and state agencies use this number to keep track of your organization's action. It will come in helpful when it's time to: Open a business bank accounts File Federal and State taxes Hire employees We think the best way to get an EIN to your LLC in Texas is by using the free online application on the IRS site. We like this method because it is the most efficient, but you can apply by facsimile, phone, or mail. Doctors fearful of a second spike in COVID-19 infections in NSW are urging the state to follow Victoria's lead and mandate the wearing of masks in hospitals and the community, but health authorities say there is no benefit to acting before case numbers rise. While the NSW government has recommended masks be worn in public where physical distancing is not possible, emergency physician David Berger said the policy should go further. Doctors are calling for masks to be mandated in NSW. Credit:Eddie Jim "At the moment in NSW, we have an unknown amount of community transmission," Dr Berger said. "We've seen how quickly it went from zero to 300 cases a day in one month in Victoria. You let this thing get out of control, and it ramps up exponentially." WASHINGTON - Post-secondary students from the pandemic-riven United States are getting ready to go back to school in Canada a rite of passage that's causing more anxiety than usual for parents and front-line university workers alike in the age of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Roddick Gates are monumental gates that serve as the main entrance to the McGill University campus are seen on November 14, 2017 in Montreal. Canada's universities are bracing for an influx of students next month from the United States, where the worsening COVID-19 pandemic is setting fresh records every day for new infections and deaths. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz WASHINGTON - Post-secondary students from the pandemic-riven United States are getting ready to go back to school in Canada a rite of passage that's causing more anxiety than usual for parents and front-line university workers alike in the age of COVID-19. At Montreal's McGill University, some employees are growing worried the school prepares to welcome foreign students into on-campus residences, even those whose courses are entirely online. Parents, too, are wrestling with new and unfamiliar concerns: the risk of on-campus infection, the fact border restrictions make in-person visits impossible and the prospect of their kids facing anti-American backlash. One McGill employee, who spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions at work, said there is concern among the rank and file of another "fiasco" like the outbreak at Quebec's long-term care homes, which accounted for 80 per cent of the highest provincial total of COVID-19 deaths in Canada. "I am in the office with, like, four colleagues and we're all, 'What's going to happen?' In America, it's blowing up there like crazy, and people are supposed to be coming back in seven weeks," said the employee, who described the group as front-line workers many in their 50s or 60s, with elderly parents at home who are typically in close contact with students. "There are a lot of family concerns related to health that are connected with this. And, you know, maybe I wouldn't be thinking about these things if I hadn't seen America erupt into such a mess." Others, however, have faith the institution can keep students and staff safe. "Part of our mandate is to not only educate but nurture and protect these young adults," said Franco Taddeo, who's worked in McGill's library system since the 1990s. "Honestly, as a father and Canadian, I would much rather have these students here for their safety and well-being than being in present-day America." The novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.6 million people and killed 140,000 in the U.S., compared with 109,000 cases and 8,800 deaths in Canada. And it's not the only thing giving U.S. parents sleepless nights. They're well aware of reports of Americans accused of flouting travel restrictions facing verbal abuse in Canada. One mother, a dual citizen who heard tell of U.S. vehicles being vandalized, bought a looseleaf-sized magnet to attach to her car door that reads, "We are Canadian citizens and have completed our 14-day quarantine." Since students can complete course work online, one might wonder: why send them at all? "We need to trust that she'll make decisions to keep herself safe, either there or here," said one mother, whose daughter is going into her second year at McGill, and who fears for her if her name is made public. The parents wrestled with whether to let her go. "I kept saying to her, 'I would prefer you stay home and wait.' And she was like, 'But my life is waiting for me there.' So we're letting her make the choice." In a statement, McGill would say only that fall courses will be offered "primarily through remote delivery platforms," but that they are developing on-campus student life and learning activities "which will respect careful safety protocols." "We will continue to place the health and safety of our community first by working closely with public health authorities." At the University of Calgary, some international students have spent the summer in residence to avoid going back to countries where the virus is rampant or travel restrictions made going home impossible, said Susan Barker, the vice-provost in charge of student experience. New arrivals will quarantine in residence, while some who lack living arrangements will be sequestered at local hotels, Barker said. Students from the U.S. are not being treated any differently from those from elsewhere, she added. "Our values as an institution are about fairness and equity," Barker said. "We haven't had to make decisions that give students from somewhere preferential treatment over another." Some U.S. parents are taking comfort in knowing their children are escaping the U.S., where the newly resurgent virus is shattering daily records for new cases and deaths, fuelled by partisan divisions over face masks, reopening businesses and easing physical distancing requirements. "It is completely bittersweet," said the father of a second-year McGill student from a hard-hit southern state, also worried his child might be targeted. The good news, he said, is that his daughter "has made a connection, made a life and found a place in a culture and country that has some sense of the common good." At the University of Toronto, where 23,000 international students comprised nearly a quarter of the school's 93,000-strong student body last year, a detailed and comprehensive plan is in motion to ensure the safety of all students, said Joe Wong, U of T's interim vice-president, international. Last year, U of T had 722 undergraduates and 514 graduate students from the U.S., and so far 268 new American students have accepted offers of admission, he said. "All three levels of government are co-ordinating right now they really are setting the bar high in terms of what is a safe and secure corridor for students and universities across the country," Wong said. "I can't speak for others, but I know that they're all working very hard to it, and the plan that we put together at U of T ... goes above and beyond what most people expected." Students from outside Canada will be quarantined on campus for 14 days, regardless of whether they are planning to live on campus or not, Wong said, with daily check-ins with staff, meals delivered to their rooms and "co-curricular" programming to take part in while they ride out the waiting period. "When they come out the other side of the quarantine, if they are healthy, then they will join the rest of the students who are on campus of course, physically distanced and according to all the health authority's regulations." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version described Joe Wong as the University of Toronto's vice-provost and associate vice-president, international student experience. A Russian businessman is demanding 'very substantial damages' for the harm done to his reputation by being named in British spy Christopher Steele's Trump dossier. Aleksej Gubarev is suing the former MI6 operative whose 2016 private intelligence report alleged collusion between Donald Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin. Central accusations made in the so-called 'dodgy dossier' have been widely rubbished and have landed Mr Steele in court fighting libel claims. One particular memorandum made the 'grave' allegation that Mr Gubarev was involved in hacking the Democratic National Committee's computer system, his lawyers told the High Court today. They argue Mr Steele's implication that the Russian venture capitalist, who runs IT infrastructure solutions firm Webzilla, engaged in such cyber crime could have incurred serious financial losses. Mr Steele's legal team believes the libel claim should be thrown out as their client was not responsible for Buzzfeed publishing the dossier. Aleksej Gubarev (left) is suing the former MI6 operative whose 2016 private intelligence report alleged ties between Donald Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin Mr Justice Warby, who began overseeing the High Court trial in London today, is expected to consider evidence and argument over five days. Mr Gubarev took legal action after BuzzFeed published the 'Steele dossier' in January 2017, the month Trump was inaugurated as President. Andrew Caldecott QC, who leads Mr Gubarev's legal team, said the case centred on one specific memorandum from the dossier. He told the court: 'One memorandum within the Steele Dossier named the claimants, making grave allegations as to knowing involvement in the hacking of the computer systems of the United States Democratic National Committee in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election. 'Needless to say, once published, the Steele Dossier, or the gist of its allegations, went viral.' Mr Caldecott said there was a 'practical ceiling' of about 325,000 on defamation damages awards and while he would not push for compensation 'at the 'very top of the bracket', he would be seeking 'very substantial damages'. Lawyers representing Mr Gubarev (arriving at court) today told the court that one such memorandum made 'grave' allegations 'as to knowing involvement' in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee computer system Central accusations made in the dossier have been widely rubbished and landed Mr Steele in court fighting libel claims (pictured today) Christopher Steele: The British ex-spy whose Russia dossier sent shockwaves through the Trump White House Christopher Steele, 55, embarked on a well-trodden path when he was recruited from Cambridge straight into MI6. After a stint in London, he was stationed in Moscow just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He returned to London and in 2006 was made head of MI6's Russia desk, where he led the investigation into the poisoning of former Russian operative Alexander Litvinenko. But he only became world-renowned after becoming a private intelligence consultant and writing the sensational Trump-Russia dossier in 2016. His evidence was rubbished by Trump, but formed part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. In an interview at Oxford University, Mr Steele said he had been questioned for 'two whole days' but was disappointed with Mueller's final report. 'I was surprised that very little of what I had discussed with them appeared in the final report. He criticized the report for being 'too narrow' and failing to follow up on crucial evidence. 'There were many things about the report that were good but other (aspects) that were not so good,' he said. Mr Steele said the fact that 'a number of witnessesincluding for instance, Donald Trump Jr.' had avoided being interviewed 'wasn't great.' Dismissing longstanding allegations of political bias, he described himself as simply 'an opponent of President Putin.' He said that Trump is naturally hostile toward the intelligence community. 'Trump himself doesn't like intelligence because its ground truth is inconvenient for him,' he said. Advertisement Mr Caldecott said the accusation was an 'allegation of guilt' by the former British intelligence official. He added: 'To the ordinary reader, he would seem to be a "man in the know" with proven sources. The format is business-like.' The lawyer said the 'wider and frankly sensational' context of the allegations was also 'highly material' and added: 'The suggestion that Mr Gubarev and his companies were knowingly using their servers for cyber-crime - created, we submit, an obviously likelihood of serious financial loss.' He stressed there was 'no suggestion' that the allegations against Mr Gubarev and Webzilla were true. He highlighted that BuzzFeed had apologised and 'redacted' the names of Mr Gubarev and Webzilla from their website. Mr Caldecott added Mr Gubarev was not suggesting that Mr Steele or his intelligence consultancy Orbis had been 'malicious'. But he insisted the 'central question' was whether Orbis and Mr Steele were 'responsible in law' for Buzzfeed's publication of the dossier - which he concluded they were. Yet Mr Steele disagrees his lawyer Gavin Millar QC claimed BuzzFeed's publication of a 'confidential memorandum' was 'unauthorised'. He said neither Orbis or Mr Steele intended the memorandum at the centre of the case to be made public, did not provide it to BuzzFeed and could not have foreseen that anyone would acquire or publish a copy. Mr Millar said the memorandum was produced for the 'sole purpose' of ensuring that responsible authorities in the US and UK were aware of 'confidential and sensitive intelligence' which had 'significant' national security implications. Mr Caldecott said the dossier had been commissioned by a company acting for a law firm. But he said the 'ultimate client' had been the 'Democratic National Committee and/or Hillary Clinton's presidential election campaign'. The President rubbished the allegations as 'fake news' when they were controversially published by Buzzfeed website in 2017. The veracity of the report, which was funded by the Democratic Party has been treated with scepticism, not least by special counsel Robert Mueller who all but dismissed Mr Steele's findings. Mueller's comprehensive probe into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign threw out the Mr Steele's claims of prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room and poured cold water on many of his other accusations. Due to reports being received, it appears the ongoing new voter registration exercise has recorded some electoral flaws that have affected the smooth running of the operation in the Salaga South Constituency of the Savannah region. Some of the key issues that have angered the main opposition NDC the most is the alleged bussing of some strangers to voter registration centres by the incumbent Member of Parliament for Salaga South, Hon. Salifu Adam Braimah, who also doubles as the Savannah regional Minister. The minister is also the Head of the Savannah Regional Security Council. Against this background, the NDC Salaga South Parliamentary Candidate, Hajia Zuwera Ibrahimah, has sent a strong word of caution to the ruling NPP. Below is her full statement registering their displeasure against the action of the Regional Minister. STATEMENT BY HAJIA ZUWERA IBRAHIMAH, NDC PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR SALAGA SOUTH ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND MATTERS ARISING The people of Salaga South Constituency demonstrated this morning that they will not condone any acts of lawlessness irrespective of the source. They stand resolute in the conviction that elections must be fought and conducted cleanly and within the confines of the electoral laws of Ghana. In my view, we seek political office in order that we can use the office to better the lot of our people. When we therefore short change the same people who gave us political power then we are putting the enterprise of politics into disrepute. It is therefore sad that the MP for Salaga South Constituency Hon. Salifu Adam Braimah in his quest to influence this year's presidential and parliamentary elections has thrown all caution to the wind and so in addition to breaking the electoral laws also seeks to undermine the public health of the Salaga municipality. The transportation into the municipality of people whose COVID-19 statuses are not known is both reckless and irresponsible. Nothing should be done by any leader to undermine the health of its people in order for him or her to gain political advantage. It is on this score that I salute the law-abiding people of Salaga South for taking their destinies into their own hands and foiling the MP/Regional Minister's irresponsible conduct this morning. As the head of the Regional security council and the MP for Salaga South, the Hon minister should be the last person to do acts that have the potential to undermine the security of the constituency and the region as a whole. Bussing non-indigenes and residents of Salaga South Constituency from Damongo to Salaga South to register could spark anxiety both in Salaga and in Damongo. I salute and assure you all that we shall do everything in our power and within the law to preserve the sanctity of the December elections. We shall make sure that the fidelity of the election results is never in question and represent the true will of the people. More importantly, we assure the good people of Salaga South Constituency of good and responsible leadership. Let me use this opportunity to strongly encourage my opponent to desist from such further illegal acts and be assured that he will not be allowed to benefit from any fraudulent activity as it occurred the last time. We are ready for a clean campaign and a clean election. To the law-abiding people of Salaga South I say, Let's go out now and register massively so that we are eligible to vote for JM and Hajia on December 7th. God bless the good people of Salaga South God bless our great NDC party God bless our homeland Ghana Hajia Zuwera Ibrahimah NDC Parliamentary Candidate Salaga South Constituency When Kentucky Senate candidate Amy McGrath was declared the victor over progressive insurgent Charles Booker in the Bluegrass States Democratic primary earlier this month, major party donors and leaders exhaled a huge sigh of relief. With the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats in Washington and their deep-pocket connections, Ms McGrath, a retired US Marine Corps fighter pilot, has raised $47.3m for her campaign to unseat Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the most money of any congressional candidate this cycle. Shed beaten Mr Booker by less than 3 percentage points, despite outspending him by nearly $27m since declaring her candidacy last year. The Boston Symphony has been streaming some performances online, but its revenue loss from Tanglewoods cancellation amounts to $16.3 million, according to a spokeswoman, though some of that loss has been mitigated by ticket donations and reduced expenses. (It is only the second time in the festivals 83-year history that it hasnt presented any live music; the other was in 1943, during World War II.) A 2017 study by an economics professor at Williams College found that Tanglewood brings in over $100 million a year in economic benefits to the region, boosting hotels, museums and other businesses. Last year, the festival opened a new education facility on its grounds with rehearsal space for musicians and programming for adults that was meant to expand its reach even further. In a normal summer, Lenox, a town of art galleries and upscale boutiques in historic buildings, would be awash in traffic and window shoppers; couples jockeying for a table at Zinc, a French bistro; day-trippers and health seekers from retreats like Canyon Ranch and Kripalu, a yoga center; and, late at night, performers and production crews gathering over drinks to rehash the evenings shows. The sense of creativity and community was electric, said Tony Chojnowski, who owns four shops in Lenox and has often found himself in a midnight coterie of artists and dancers. Beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek opened up on his challenging health battle with stage four pancreatic cancer, revealing on difficult days he feels like he 'wants to die'. The longtime game show host, who turns 80 on Wednesday, says he gets through those lows with the support of his wife of 30 years Jean, 56. 'There was one day a few weeks ago when Jeanie asked me in the morning, "How do you feel?" And I said, "I feel like I wanna die." It was that bad,' Trebek said on Good Morning America on Monday. Trebek choked on tears speaking of his 'saint' wife saying: 'I apologize to her... It just has to do with the fact that I feel like Im a terrible burden to her. And that bothers me tremendously. 'She has so much goodness in her, shes always giving out, putting out to help me get over difficult moments. Im just in awe of the way she handles it.' Despite his diagnosis, Trebek has continued to work and on Tuesday will release his memoir 'The Answer Is : Reflections on My Life', giving fans a behind the scenes look at his 36-year Jeopardy! career. Scroll down for video Beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek opened up on his challenging battle with stage four pancreatic cancer, revealing on difficult days he feels like he wants to 'die' but gets through with the support of his wife of 30 years Jean Trebek Trebek choked on tears speaking on his 'saint' wife on Good Morning America on Monday, saying: 'She has so much goodness in her, shes always giving out, putting out to help me get over difficult moments. Im just in awe of the way she handles it'. They are pictured together in 2014 .@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: @Jeopardy host Alex Trebek speaks with our @tjholmes about undergoing an experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer and releasing a new memoir. https://t.co/gjPg9CURBj pic.twitter.com/TPLHOMprCL Good Morning America (@GMA) July 20, 2020 He said he'll donate proceeds from the memoir to charity. Trebek announced in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told he had less than an 18 percent chance of living another year. On Tuesday Trebek will release his memoir 'The Answer Is : Reflections on My Life', giving fans a behind the scenes look at his 36-year Jeopardy! career Trebek is currently undergoing an experimental immunotherapy treatment and has seen positive results so far. 'They do a blood test to see what my CA 19 numbers are. And the CA 19 numbers are an indicator of how your pancreatic cancer is progressing. Eight weeks ago, the numbers were at about 3,500. Now, theyre below 100. So Im going in the right direction,' he said. 'The doctors have said they have never seen a chart like mine because there are peaks. I said, "What do you mean - you dont - you havent - you dont see that often? What do you usually see?" They usually see it going up. Im a bit of an anomaly,' he added. This is the same treatment used by former Senator Harry Reid who was also diagnosed with stage four Pancreatic Cancer. He is now in remission. If it doesnt work Trebek says hell continue with chemotherapy and 'see what happens' but wont go to 'extraordinary measures' to survive. Trebek said he's become good at 'faking it' when it comes to the pain and working. 'Im good at faking it. There have been tough moments. And I dont know what it is, but when its time to go, its time to go. Lets do it. Get out there, suck it up, make it happen,' Trebek said Trebek pictured in October 1990. Trebek got his big break when he landed the job of hosting game show Jeopardy! in 1984 after appearing in a series of smaller TV roles Trebek has been filming introductions to old episodes of Jeopardy! from a studio in his Los Angeles home after production for the show halted back in March due to the pandemic. Pictured above in 2011 He says while it was tough to tell his family that, 'they handled it beautifully'. 'They understand that there is a certain element regarding quality of life. And if the quality of life is not there - its hard sometimes to push. And just say, "Well, Im gonna keep going even though Im miserable," he said. Till then, Trebek said he's become good at 'faking it' when it comes to the pain and working. He says the pain keeps him up at night. 'Im good at faking it. There have been tough moments. And I dont know what it is, but when its time to go, its time to go. Lets do it. Get out there, suck it up, make it happen,' Trebek said. He says what gets him through the day is his passion for his job. 'Its something that I cant explain intellectually. At a gut level, without even thinking about it, it just happens. I suddenly wake up and Im able to perform and handle the show because I like it. It's a good job,' Trebek said. Trebek has been filming introductions to old episodes of Jeopardy! from a studio in his Los Angeles home after production for the show halted back in March due to the pandemic. Trebek pictured accepting the award for outstanding game show host for Jeopardy! at the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in May 2019 He's been the host for 36 years and has no plans on leaving any time soon. He'll hit the milestone of two years of survivorship since diagnosis in six months. 'My doctor has told me that he is counting on me celebrating two years of - survivorship past the diagnosis of stage four pancreatic cancer. And that two years happens in February,' he said. 'So I expect to be around cause he said I will be around. And I expect to be hosting the show if I am around.' Trebek is so hopeful that he says he keeps putting off getting his 'affairs' in order. 'Ive said to myself, "Hey, you - you better start getting your affairs in order." And I know exactly what I need to do, but I have yet to do it,' he said. 'So theres something in the back of my mind that says, "Woah, hold on a second, host, breathe. Maybe youre gonna be around for a little while longer. And that would be so nice,' he added. In the book Trebek will touch on his upbringing as a wild child in Ontario, Canada where he almost got expelled from boarding school, picked fights with bullies and fell in a frozen river. In 1984, Trebek got his big break when he landed the job of hosting game show Jeopardy! after a series of smaller TV roles. Kanye West said at a campaign event for his bid for the presidency that women in Africa should receive a million dollars for each child. West was speaking at a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina Sunday. Despite reports that he had dropped from the presidential race, West showed he was still campaigning for the office. He missed registration deadlines in some states to appear on the November ballot, but he is hoping to secure votes as a write-in candidate in those states. At the rally Sunday, West said he supported legal abortion, but noted that he also believed women who carry their baby to term should be given funds. He said Israel could fund a program in Africa where everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars, or something in that range. We will fund it with other countries, West added. America with other continents. There are Israeli continents that do not believe in this. There are African continents that do not believe in this. Despite previously stating that he supports legalized abortion, West later asserted that he is pro-life. My mom saved my life, West said, according to Rolling Stone. My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There wouldve been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy. West then added that he initially encouraged his wife, Kim Kardashian West, to abort their first child, North West. I almost killed my daughter, West said as tears streamed down his face. West also discussed other issues at the event, saying he supports investing in agriculture and also supports gun ownership rights to keep Americans from being enslaved by China and other countries. He also said marijuana should be free and that Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves. She just had them work for other white people, he said. Wests campaign team is expected to announce more details of upcoming rallies and meetings for Wests presidential bid. Previously, West had been a supporter of President Donald Trump, but in early July, he told a reporter that he was taking the red hat off. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Randy Brooke/Stringer Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner. A former Finance Minister in the Mahama-led administration, Seth Terkper, is urging Ken Ofori-Atta, the current Minister of Finance, to use the upcoming mid-year budget review to disclose some hidden expenditure driving up the countrys budget deficit. Mr. Terkper, in a press interaction last Friday, stated that governments application for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a deficit position which was inconsistent with what the government had earlier told Parliament. According to the former Finance Minister, Mr. Ofori-Atta painted a dire picture of the state of the economy in order to justify the US$1bn bailout under the Washington-based lenders Rapid Credit Facility. The Minister went to Parliament and gave us the estimated cost of COVID-19 which was about GH9.5bn. The financing which we secured purposely for COVID-19 the IMFs US$1bn, which should be about GH5.5bn, the World Banks support, Stabilisation Fund and other reliefs amount to about GH10bn. At the point the Bank of Ghanas financing, for example, was being considered, we had secured enough for COVID. So why were we getting those additional borrowings and the rest? he asked. He explained that the only reason government is requiring more than GH5bn above the estimated fiscal cost of COVID-19 is that the budget deficit over the last two years has been underreported. The only explanation one can give is that the deficit being showed at 3.5 percent [of GDP], 4.7 percent [of GDP] was actually higher. This is something we had always pointed out. Now, we have an institution like the IMF adjusting our numbers, he said. This means that the borrowing was being done, and now more borrowing is needed to finance items that were not disclosed, which the Fund has classified as off-budget expenditure, he added. Mid-year budget The Finance Minister in the coming days is expected to present the 2020 Mid-Year Budget to Parliament as required by the Public Financial Management Act. According to Mr. Terkper, government must use the opportunity to, among others, account for the fiscal developments over the last six months, during which, he argued, the IMF released its COVID-19 report to confirm its Article IV view of a deteriorating pre-COVID fiscal situation. In our view, the borrowing in excess of COVID-19 needs is likely to include the GH10.5bn BOG financing of the budget, since the central banks MPC statement clearly states that the consideration for the borrowing is market-based, [based] on difficulty in borrowing from the domestic markets and high interest costs to government, he said. Also, we expect government to present a future trajectory that includes the IMF and rating agency projections, since they issue these reports in concurrence with governments. The government should explain to Ghanaians why it made a hasty U-turn on its IMF-exit drumming (that has died down), early in the wake of the declaration of the COVID-19 as a pandemic, for a hefty loanwhen countries with less than its stellar performance had not even contemplated the move. Source: thebusiness24online.net 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 Mayor John Tory is urging landlords to make masks mandatory in the public areas of their apartment buildings to protect tenants and help stop the spread of the deadly virus. In a letter sent Monday, Tory asked the Greater Toronto Apartment Association (GTAA), which represents 240 property management companies that own and operate more than 160,000 units in the region, to strongly encourage their members to adopt a policy similar to the citys new mask bylaw for businesses that would see tenants wear masks in common areas including lobbies, elevators and laundry rooms. While I understand some buildings may have already done so, many have not and this has led to communication to my office by concerned tenants and questions I am repeatedly asked in the media, Torys letter read. I believe such a policy, if enacted by the majority of your members, would further assist us in defeating COVID-19, would allow all of us to get back to a more normal life faster and that in turn will be good for everyone, including landlords. The letter said he had consulted the citys medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, and that she believes this will help in the citys work to stop the spread of COVID-19. City council recently approved a bylaw that requires apartment buildings to have enhanced cleaning and provide hand sanitizer or handwashing stations at entrances. Tory, in his letter, noted some condo corporations have already implemented a mask policy and are posting city signage. Tory offered assistance with signage to the GTAA, saying the city has generic signage available online explaining the requirement to wear a mask. Coun. Josh Matlow pushed for the mandatory apartment building cleaning and sanitation bylaw after concerns from tenants and advocates that landlords were not adhering to public health guidelines. Those guidelines say buildings not covered by the bylaw such as apartment buildings and condos can develop a policy for mask usage in common areas. Masks are not part of those rules. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Tory said its not clear whether the city has firm legal authority to make the use of masks in apartment common areas mandatory. The GTAAs Daryl Chong said its taking the mayors letter seriously and will be speaking to its members. The mayors obviously informed by the chief medial officer of health and the public health authority, Chong said. If they think its a good idea then well do it. China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on other countries in accordance with its domestic laws, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Wang Wenbin made the remarks after High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Friday expressed his concerns over the increasing 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, adding the EU "considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law." China has taken note of the EU's relevant statement, Wang told a press briefing, stressing that the US side imposes unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" on other countries in accordance with domestic laws. "This has violated international laws and basic norms of international relations, damaged legitimate and lawful rights and interests of other countries, and gone against people's will," said the spokesperson. China supports all countries in the world to carry out normal international cooperation in accordance with prevailing international rules, Wang said. Enditem Search Keywords: Short link: School districts across the Bay Area had been busily planning for how to allow students to return to campuses safely in the fall, considering hybrid instruction models, developing sanitization routines and training staff. But an order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 17 will require most districts across the state to begin the school year with remote learning until certain thresholds are met in each county. All of the Bay Area's counties are on the states coronavirus watch list, which means most school districts wont be allowed to reopen campuses for in-person instruction. Heres what we know about how schools will be allowed to reopen their doors in the fall. Counties must be off the state watch list for 14 days. If a county meets any of the five criteria below, it is placed on the list: Greater than 100 confirmed coronavirus cases per population of 100,000 over 14 days. Greater than 25 confirmed cases per population of 100,000 over 14 days combined with a positive test rate of more than 8%. A greater than 10% increase in the 3-day average of hospitalizations. Fewer than 20% of ICU beds available. Fewer than 25% of ventilators available. For Bay Area counties, elevated disease transmission and an increase in hospitalizations have been the primary reasons for landing on the watch list. Read more about the state watch list here. If a county is taken off the list after 14 days, that doesnt mean schools can reopen right away. Local health officers and schools districts will ultimately make that call. And many counties have gone on and off the watch list, adding to the complications of reopening. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Schools in counties not on the state watch list must follow specific health and safety precautions. The full detailed guidance can be found here. Here are some of the requirements: Keep ongoing communication with state and local authorities, and establish a worksite specific COVID-19 prevention plan and training staff. Promote healthy hygiene practices for staff and students including hand washing, avoiding contact with the eyes, nose and mouth, and covering coughs and sneezes. Stock campuses with necessary supplies for good hygiene, consider installing hand-washing stations, provide face coverings for staff, and strongly recommend the influenza vaccine for all students and staff. Face mask requirements: Required for staff; not required for students younger than 2 years old; strongly encouraged for students 2 years old to second grade if they can be worn properly; required for third grade through high school unless exempt. Establish measures for ensuring staff safety including physical distancing, virtual meetings and support for higher risk employees. Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces in schools and buses with EPA-approved products. Limit or suspend the use of shared objects and equipment. Establish measures for distancing upon arrival and departure, within classrooms and non-classroom areas. Train staff and provide educational materials for families about protocols and safety measures. 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. Implement health screening procedures for all staff and students. Send individuals exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms home, and notify local health officials, staff and families of any positive cases. Develop a plan for if a staff member or students becomes sick including isolating the individual, requiring them to wear a face covering, and closing off any areas used by the individual. Follow state health department guidelines if there is an outbreak. Can school districts overrule the state reopening guidelines? School districts cannot overrule state guidelines, but elementary schools can apply to their county health departments for waivers to reopen for in-person learning, even if their counties do not satisfy state coronavirus watch list benchmarks. On Aug. 3, state health officials released waiver evaluation criteria for local officials. K-6 schools will be allowed to open only if they are in counties where the case rate for the previous two weeks is less than 200 per 100,000 people double the threshold that lands a county on the monitoring list. The schools must follow strict safety protocols. What does this mean for independent schools? Currently, if their county is on the watch list, private schools are subject to the state order. They may, however, seek waivers. Many smaller districts, charter schools and private schools may be better positioned to meet the rigorous waiver guidelines because of their small size and greater flexibility. Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com First, the company announced a partnership with fast food chain KFC as part of an effort to create the worlds first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets. Now, the same company is ready to announce that its been hard at work bringing similar tech into orbit as well. In an experiment on board the International Space Station that took place in 2018 but has only now been published, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononoenko was tasked to 3D print human cartilage cells in near-zero gravity using a machine called Bioprinter Organ.Aut, as Space.com reports a machine assembled by, you guessed it, 3D Bioprinting Solutions. The goal was to investigate ways to reverse some of the negative effects of spending prolonged periods of time in space, in particular evidence that parts of the human body can atrophy over time something weve known about for quite some time. The eventual hope is to give astronauts the ability to print entire body parts in space, according to the researchers just in case something goes catastrophically wrong during a mission. A paper about the research was published in the journal Science Advances last week. Photo: (Photo : Photo by Oana Lupescu from Pexels) During the coronavirus pandemic, some of those who were greatly affected are the medical frontline workers. They are the ones who risk their lives every day while trying to save the lives of those infected by the coronavirus. While they are superheroes inside hospitals, they continue their lives outside the hospital. Some of them are also getting married, despite the coronavirus pandemic. That is why the non-profit organization Brides Across America thought of giving back to the country's medical frontline workers. They have recently opened their doors and gave away wedding dresses to the medical frontline workers. READ ALSO: Online Marriage: Counties Offer Online Licenses and Ceremonies Dressing up medical frontline workers In an interview with the TODAY Style, Heidi Janson, the founder of the non-profit, shared that they wanted these health workers to feel that someone is thinking of them. The organization wants to ensure that the health workers know their good deeds and sacrifices that they are putting during this pandemic are appreciated. She said, "They're putting their lives on the line, just like the military or a first responder, so this was our way to give back to them. We just thought it lined up nicely with our mission." READ ALSO: Couple Marched Down Philadelphia Protest Rally to Celebrate Wedding Because of the kind of tasks needed to be done by the medical frontline workers, planning a wedding becomes an afterthought for some of them. Janson shared that when they encounter medical frontline workers, they hear responses that make BAA feel happy. Janson said, "The girls are so happy. They're like, 'I'm working, I'm planning a wedding. I don't really have time (to find a dress).' They can't believe it's free." The advocacy of the Brides Across America The non-profit, Brides Across America, was established in 2008. Their initiative of providing wedding dresses was inspired by the increasing number of military troops being sent to duty and needing their wedding dress at the last minute. Janson said, "We felt the need to give back and do something." READ ALSO: Nurse Who Was Still Wearing Her Wedding Dress Helped in A Car Crash Since 2008, Brides Across America has provided more than 24,000 wedding dresses and has helped to put up 22 free weddings. Initially, the non-profit was focused on providing wedding dresses to the dedicated military brides. However, in 2016, they have also included first responders as beneficiaries of their program. Brides Across America believes that as Americans, they must support each other and pay tribute to the troops. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, BAA has included medical frontline workers in the list of brides that they intend to dress up on their wedding day. Currently, only seven people are overseeing the tasks that need to be done in BAA. However, they are not losing hope, "It's definitely hard, but we're trying our best to continue as much as we can with the current circumstances." For those who would like to donate to BAA, or would like to know if they are qualified to avail of their free wedding dress, details can be found on their website. READ ALSO: 7-year-old girl donates $20,000 worth of multicultural educational materials in California Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 13:46:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON -- At least one person was killed and eight others were injured in a shooting incident Sunday in Washington, D.C., police said. The shooting occurred at 14th Street and Spring Road in the northeast part of the district, D.C. Police Chief Chief Peter Newsham said at a press briefing, adding that three men -- two with "long guns" and one with a pistol -- opened fire on a group of people in what appeared to be a targeted attack. (US-Shooting) - - - - NEW DELHI -- At least three persons died, one injured and nearly seven went missing after incidents of cloudbursts hit two villages of India's northern hilly state Uttarakhand on Sunday night, confirmed a local official to Xinhua over phone on Monday morning. Among the dead were three members of a family, including a young girl and her both parents. The death toll is feared to rise, according to the official. (India-Cloudburst-Deaths) - - - - PYONGYANG -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), visited the Pyongyang General Hospital under construction and gave field guidance, official media reported on Monday. While touring the construction site, Kim highly appreciated the builders' feats and also pointed out the serious problems in the financial arrangements of the construction, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without mentioning the date of the visit. (DPRK-General Hospital) - - - - AUCKLAND -- New Zealand-China relations are in good shape, which will continue to bring ample opportunities for both countries and peoples, said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday's China Business Summit held in Auckland. Jacinda Ardern reiterated that the New Zealand-China bilateral relations have been stable and mature enough to continuously support two way trade, people to people exchange, cultural and political dialogues constructively, professionally and regularly between the two countries. (New Zealand-China-Ties) Enditem Specialized nanoparticles create a 'breath signal' that could be used to diagnose pneumonia and other infectious or genetic diseases CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Using specialized nanoparticles, MIT engineers have developed a way to monitor pneumonia or other lung diseases by analyzing the breath exhaled by the patient. In a study of mice, the researchers showed that they could use this system to monitor bacterial pneumonia, as well as a genetic disorder of the lungs called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. "We envision that this technology would allow you to inhale a sensor and then breathe out a volatile gas in about 10 minutes that reports on the status of your lungs and whether the medicines you are taking are working," says Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. More safety testing would be needed before this approach could be used in humans, but in the mouse study, no signs of toxicity in the lungs were observed. Bhatia, who is also a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, is the senior author of the paper, which appears today in Nature Nanotechnology. The first author of the paper is MIT senior postdoc Leslie Chan. Other authors are MIT graduate student Melodi Anahtar, MIT Lincoln Laboratory technical staff member Ta-Hsuan Ong, MIT technical assistant Kelsey Hern, and Lincoln Laboratory associate group leader Roderick Kunz. Monitoring the breath For several years, Bhatia's lab has been working on nanoparticle sensors that can be used as "synthetic biomarkers." These markers are peptides that are not naturally produced by the body but are released from nanoparticles when they encounter proteins called proteases. The peptides coating the nanoparticles can be customized so that they are cleaved by different proteases that are linked to a variety of diseases. If a peptide is cleaved from the nanoparticle by proteases in the patient's body, it is later excreted in the urine, where it can be detected with a strip of paper similar to a pregnancy test. Bhatia has developed this type of urine test for pneumonia, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and other diseases. More recently, she turned her attention to developing biomarkers that could be detected in the breath rather than the urine. This would allow test results to be obtained more rapidly, and it also avoids the potential difficulty of having to acquire a urine sample from patients who might be dehydrated, Bhatia says. She and her team realized that by chemically modifying the peptides attached to the synthetic nanoparticles, they could enable the particles to release gases called hydrofluoroamines that could be exhaled in the breath. The researchers attached volatile molecules to the end of the peptides in such a way that when proteases cleave the peptides, they are released into the air as a gas. Working with Kunz and Ong at Lincoln Laboratory, Bhatia and her team devised a method for detecting the gas from the breath using mass spectrometry. The researchers then tested the sensors in mouse models of two diseases -- bacterial pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and alpha-1antitrypsin deficiency. During both of these diseases, activated immune cells produce a protease called neutrophil elastase, which causes inflammation. For both of these diseases, the researchers showed that they could detect neutrophil elastase activity within about 10 minutes. In these studies, the researchers used nanoparticles that were injected intratracheally, but they are also working on a version that could be inhaled with a device similar to the inhalers used to treat asthma. Smart detection The researchers also demonstrated that they could use their sensors to monitor the effectiveness of drug treatment for both pneumonia and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Bhatia's lab is now working on designing new devices for detecting the exhaled sensors that could make them easier to use, potentially even allowing patients to use them at home. "Right now we're using mass spectrometry as a detector, but in the next generation we've been thinking about whether we can make a smart mirror, where you breathe on the mirror, or make something that would work like a car breathalyzer," Bhatia says. Her lab is also working on sensors that could detect more than one type of protease at a time. Such sensors could be designed to reveal the presence of proteases associated with specific pathogens, including perhaps the SARS-CoV-2 virus. ### The research was funded by a Global Health Innovation Partnership grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Janssen Research and Development, and the Kathy and Curt Marble Cancer Research Fund. Coronavirus FAQ What is the coronavirus? The coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and has spread worldwide. The new virus causes a disease known as COVID-19. The virus is part of a larger family of coronaviruses, which can lead to illnesses ranging from a mild common cold to more severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS. Who is at risk and what are the symptoms? Public health experts say the new coronavirus is more contagious than the seasonal flu. The majority of people who become sick experience mild symptoms, but some become more seriously ill. People who contract the virus can develop pneumonia, and some have died. People who are elderly or have underlying medical issues are at greater risk of becoming more severely sick. Symptoms of the virus include a cough, fever and shortness of breath. What should I do if I develop symptoms? The North Dakota Department of Health advises that people call their health care provider to tell them about recent travel or exposure, and to follow their guidance. Try to avoid contact with other people in the meantime. What can I do to prevent the virus from spreading? The health department advises that people wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds. People who are sick should stay home from work or school, both to protect themselves and others with whom they would come in contact. Avoid touching your face, cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or an elbow, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, and avoid contact with people who are sick. Where can I find more information? People with coronavirus-related questions can call the state health department hotline at 866-207-2880. Those who need medical advice should contact their health care provider. The health department's online coronavirus page: www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online coronavirus page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov Chris Wallace of Fox News asked Donald Trump in 2016 and again on Sunday whether he would accept the result if he lost an election. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Chris Wallace of Fox News is getting justifiably positive reviews for his persistent questioning of President Trump in a long interview that aired on Sunday. But I wish he had pressed further in one exchange. Wallace asked Trump if he would accept the outcome of the November election by implication, asking the president if he would accept losing. Twice Trump refused to make such a commitment. He trotted out his discredited theory that expanded voting by mail would rig the election. This is deja vu all over again. As Wallace noted, at a 2016 debate Trump had likewise hedged, saying: I'll keep you in suspense about whether he would follow the tradition of conceding if he lost. I wish Wallace hadn't focused on whether Trump would accept the results of the election. Of course he wont if he follows his usual playbook. (Remember, he pushed a bogus theory of voter fraud in the 2016 election, even though he won in the electoral college.) And, frankly, who cares whether Trump accepts a repudiation by the voters or places a congratulatory phone call to Sleepy Joe Biden? In his interview with Wallace, Trump said Biden was mentally shot. He also has accused Biden of spying on his campaign and supporting the defunding of the police, among other whoppers. If he were suddenly to behave graciously toward Biden, he would look ridiculous not that he wont anyway. Besides, refusing to recognize reality is a habit for Trump; you might even call it his theory of governance. What matters is what he does if he loses. Will he, as some fear, try to cling to office through a declaration of emergency and an underhanded effort to deny Biden a majority in the electoral college? Im skeptical about such scenarios, especially given the reaction of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Trumps photo op at St. Johns Church. It's hard to imagine the troops responding to an order from an ex-president to keep him in power. Story continues Still, it would have been interesting to hear how Trump responded to the question of whether he would refuse to cede power if he lost in what he considered a rigged election. Even his catchphrase of "We'll see what happens" would have been newsworthy and damning. It would be edifying if Trump were to genuflect to the tradition of gracious concession after an election. Thats what Richard Nixon did in 1960 when he conceded to John F. Kennedy after a close election that some thought was marred by fraud. Its what Al Gore did in 2000 after the Supreme Court extinguished his hopes of prevailing in Florida and the electoral college. Its hard to imagine Trump following suit, even if he lost in a landslide. But it doesnt matter if he goes away mad, as long as he goes away. And the last word on that question belongs to the Biden campaign: "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House. (RNS) The Rev. C.T. Vivian, a minister and advocate for civil rights who worked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died Friday (July 17) in Atlanta. Cordy Tindell C.T. Vivian was 95. His daughter, Denise Morse, confirmed his death, describing him to Atlanta TV station 11Alive as "one of the most wonderful men who ever walked the earth." He died of natural causes, business partner and friend Don Rivers told the Associated Press. Vivians social justice work preceded Kings, as the Missouri native nonviolently and successfully protested segregated lunch counters in Peoria, Illinois, in 1947. He later became part of Kings executive staff at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Late in life, Vivian continued to contribute to the civil rights cause, serving in his late 80s as the president of the SCLC. In between his times at that civil rights organization, Vivian was active on issues of equality for decades, on the ground in marches and in lecture halls teaching about democracy and racial justice. Vivian was honored in 2013 at age 89 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, alongside media mogul Oprah Winfrey and former President Bill Clinton. The Rev. C.T. Vivian was a stalwart activist on the march toward racial equality, says the White House citation read before President Barack Obama bestowed the medal on Vivian. Whether at a lunch counter, on a Freedom Ride, or behind the bars of a prison cell, he was unafraid to take bold action in the face of fierce resistance." In a 2013 interview with Religion News Service, Vivian said he had collected stacks of awards over the years, but he hoped the medal would help draw attention to the causes to which he devoted his life. People will listen that wouldnt otherwise listen and thats whats important, he said. If it doesnt help you help somebody, then it might as well not be there. His death was noted by clergy, scholars and organizations that shared his concern for civil rights. Whenever I spent time with C.T. Vivian, I sensed that I was walking with a man who walked with God, tweeted the Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King once served as a co-pastor. He was not anxious or afraid. This morning he winked at death while his smiling face touched the face of God. Well done, servant, well done. The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change tweeted about Vivians sacrificial life. A powerfully well-lived life that lifted humanity, it said. We will miss you. Thank you, sir. Over the course of his life, Vivian held numerous roles pastor, editor for a Baptist Sunday School publisher and dean of divinity at Shaw University Seminary in Raleigh, North Carolina. But he gained global attention with news coverage in 1965, when he confronted Sheriff Jim Clark on the steps of a Selma, Alabama, courthouse as civil rights activists attempted to register to vote. As Vivian stood almost nose to nose with the sheriff, Clark turned his back on him. You can turn your back on me but you cannot turn your back upon the idea of justice, Vivian told Clark. You can turn your back now and you can keep the 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. Within minutes, Clark punched the minister in the face, knocking him down the steps and leaving his face bloody. Many people did not have that kind of courage, the Rev. Gerald Durley, pastor emeritus of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Vivian worshipped, told RNS in 2013. There were many with courage, but not the kind of courage that C.T Vivian demonstrated. Almost 50 years after the Selma confrontation, as he received the presidential recognition, Vivian was still hard at work. He was the board chairman of a minority-owned bank with branches in eight locations in Georgia, and he was the director of the Urban Theological Institute at Atlantas Interdenominational Theological Center, a consortium of African-American seminaries. He also was fostering career development and innovative leadership for at-risk youth and college students through his C.T. Vivian Leadership Institute. At the time of his presidential honor, Vivian viewed the award as a recognition of his lifes work. "It's like the laying on of hands, he told RNS, when the nation says that you have served well." READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM. Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/Adelle M. Banks Detailos added: first version posted on 15:51 Baku, Azerbaijan, July 20 Trend: Charge d'Affaires a. i. of Serbia in Azerbaijan Danica Veinovic was summoned to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, where she met with Deputy FM Khalaf Khalafov, the ministry told Trend on July 20. During the meeting, the deputy FM said that according to reliable and confirmed information, a large amount of ammunition was sent to Armenia from Serbia, including mortars and ammunition of various calibers. He noted that during the offensive operations in the Tovuz district direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, the units of Armenian armed forces shelled the positions of Azerbaijani military servicemen who ensured the security of borders and civilians, mainly using artillery installations and mortars of various calibers. He stressed that during the repulsion of treacherous attacks of the Armenian armed forces, 10 Azerbaijani servicemen, one general, and also a civil resident of the border village were killed. Khalafov informed Veinovic that Serbia and Azerbaijan have strategic partnership interrelations, and reminded that the presidents of two states signed a declaration of friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries in 2013, as well as a plan for joint activities on strategic partnership in 2018. According to the deputy FM, these documents stressed that Azerbaijan and Serbia mutually recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. They stipulated that the Serbian side is a supporter of the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the state borders of Azerbaijan in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, including the UN Security Council resolutions and OSCE resolutions. Khalafov also reminded that the parties identified cooperation in the field of security and defense with the aim of an adequate response during a threat to peace and stability as a priority direction in the document on strategic partnership. He said that Azerbaijan, remaining committed to the strategic partnership between the two countries, helped to friendly Serbia, which has been repeatedly appreciated by the Serbian leadership. He noted that Azerbaijan has also demonstrated a consistent position on the issue of supporting the territorial integrity of Serbia. According to Khalafov, sending arms to Armenia has always been a sensitive topic, including on the agenda of bilateral relations. In this context, he emphasized that the unfriendly step of the Serbian side caused deep regret and bitter disappointment of the Azerbaijani people and the country's leadership. Khalafov stressed that such unfriendly steps harm friendly ties and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Serbia, cast a shadow on the high-level mutual trust between the countries. The deputy FM, pointing out the treacherous goals of the military provocation of Armenia, contributing to the destabilization of the situation in the South Caucasus, undermining peace and stability in the region, said that the Azerbaijani side expects explanations from Serbia. Veinovic said that she was unaware of the above issue, promised to bring the information to the attention of the Serbian side, expressed her regret over the events and hoped that these events would not harm the strategic partnership and friendly relations between Serbia and Azerbaijan. The Supreme Court on Monday said it is "appalled" how Vikas Dubey was out of the jail despite having 63 criminal cases against him. With the Uttar Pradesh government agreeing to include a former Supreme Court judge and a retired senior police officer for the judicial inquiry, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde called it a "failure of the system" that Dubey was out and asked for all pertinent records on this aspect. "We are appalled that such a person with so many cases was released on bail and he eventually did this (killed eight policemen). This shows the failure of the system. Give us an accurate report of all the orders passed in his case," the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Uttar Pradesh government. The bench emphasised that "it is not only one incident that is at stake but what is at stake is the whole system." "As a state, you must maintain the rule of law. And the rule of law requires arrest, trial and conviction. We can understand that here you say that the accused challenged the authority of the police but as a state, there has to be a rule of law," said Justice Bobde. When senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the state Director General of Police, said policemen cannot be demoralised, the CJI retorted that it will not be the question when the rule of law is strengthened. Considering a bunch of petitions on Dubey's encounter killing and his possible nexus with politicians and police officials, the bench said that the state government will have to reconstitute the committee on judicial inquiry, which presently is headed by a retired Allahabad High Court judge. Mehta accepted the bench's views and said a draft notification with the name of a former Supreme Court judge and a retired police officials will be submitted in the court on Wednesday. The bench will the pass its order. Meanwhile, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for PUCL, pointed out that the NGO has already questioned more than 40 encounter killings before Dubey. He also read our certain statements reportedly made by chief minister and deputy chief minister regarding encounters of criminals in Uttar Pradesh. On this, the CJI told Mehta that he should also look into this aspect: "Also look into the statements made by the CM, Deputy CM. If they have made certain statements and then something has followed, you should look into this." The court will hear this matter next on Wednesday. Washington (AFP) - The US State Department on Monday condemned legislative elections held in Syria the night before as "rigged" and accused the government of seeking to falsely legitimize itself. The elections were Syria's third since the start in 2011 of a conflict that has since killed 380,000 people and displaced millions of others, while the government President Bashar al-Assad and its supporters are subject to Western sanctions. "Bashar Al Assad is seeking to present this dubious election as a success against alleged Western plotting, but in reality it is simply another in a long line of Assad's stage-managed, unfree votes in which the Syrian people have no real choice," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. In the statement, Ortagus said that Syria has had no "free and fair" elections since Assad's Ba'ath party came to power 50 years ago. She also noted that the millions of Syrians living abroad, most of whom are refugees, were not allowed to vote. According to a UN Security Council resolution, Ortagus said, Syria's elections are required to be "'free and fair,' 'under the supervision of the United Nations,' and 'with all Syrians,' including those in the diaspora, eligible to participate. "Until the Assad regime and its government allow and adhere to these conditions the international community will view these rigged elections for what they are: another attempt by the regime to confer false legitimacy on itself and to avoid implementing the political process that UN Security Council Resolution 2254 requires," she concluded. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Vanessa Hudgens showed off her stellar legs during a quick trip around the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday. The High School Musical star, 31, was the epitome of casual cool while wearing a baggy mint tee shirt from Storets, which skimmed her thighs, barely revealing bike shorts beneath. Hudgens ventured outside with her dog Darla for a stop by the local antique shop, where she checked out some lamps. Casual: Vanessa Hudgens donned a baggy Storets tee and shorts to show off her summer legs on Monday She sent a message with the tee, which was emblazoned with the rallying call 'No Justice, No Peace.' Vanessa wore a white Balenciaga ball cap over her brunette hair and kept her things in a crocodile skin bag across her chest. She piled on bangles, also adding hoop earrings and some necklaces as accessories. Finishing the look was her Playboy Bunny-patterned face mask. Dressing things up: Vanessa wore a white Balenciaga ball cap over her brunette hair and kept her things in a crocodile skin bag across her chest Peace of her mind: She sent a message with the tee, which was emblazoned with the rallying call 'No Justice, No Peace' While Vanessa was being safety conscious by wearing a face mask on Monday, she initially had different thoughts about the coronavirus pandemic back in March. The Disney star was slammed after she described efforts to contain the virus as 'bull****'. She had said that everyone is going to get it anyway and that deaths are 'inevitable'. However, she later insisted the comments had been taken out of context, and apologized for the remarks, calling the experience a 'huge wake up call.' Change of heart: While she's been enthusiastic about masks recently, Vanessa outraged people by calling efforts to contain the novel coronavirus 'bulls***' back in March Callous: She had said that everyone is going to get it anyway and that deaths are 'inevitable,' seen in a still from the controversial livestream above She tweeted: 'Hey guys. I'm so sorry for the way I have offended anyone and everyone who has seen the clip from my Instagram Live yesterday.' 'I realize my words were insensitive and not at all appropriate for the situation our country and the world are in right now. 'This has been a huge wake up call about the significance my words have, now more than ever. 'I am sending safe wishes to everyone to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time.' A man today appeared in court charged with stabbing a woman to death in a Holiday Inn hotel. Taye Francis, 39, is accused of murdering Khloemae Loy, 23, at the hotel in Greenwich, south-east London on July 5. He appeared via video link at Bromley Magistrates Court wearing a grey jumper and a blue face mask around his neck at a local police station. Taye Francis, 39, is accused of murdering Khloemae Loy, 23, (pictured) at the hotel in Greenwich, south-east London on July 5 Francis, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm his full name, date of birth and nationality as British during the minute-long hearing. District Judge Karen Hammond adjourned the case to Wednesday at the Old Bailey in central London. Prosecuting Misba Majid set a custody time limit of January 18 with defending David Benyahia also present in court. Officers were called to the hotel near the O2 arena on the Greenwich Peninsula, south east London shortly after 10am on Sunday, July 5. Paramedics also raced to 59-a-night 3-star hotel and pronounced Ms Loy dead at the scene. A post-mortem carried out at Greenwich Mortuary found she died from a single stab wound to the neck. As they were dealing with her fatal injury, a man in his 30s fell from a height and suffered serious injuries himself. He was arrested and taken to hospital in a critical condition. Homicide detectives launched a murder investigation but did not hunt for anyone else in connection with the incident. Bamako (AFP) - 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. Story continues 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. By Kim Bo-eun Samsung Securities CEO Jang Seok-hoon The Ministry of Planning and Investment has expressed concern that the Long Thanh airport project might not get off ground in 2021 as scheduled, as the disbursement of capital for site clearance works has met a mere 10% of the target. An artists impression of the Long Thanh airport project, which could lag behind schedule PHOTO: ACV The project, in Dong Nai Province, was allocated VND18.5 trillion in funding under the medium-term public investment plan for the 2016-2020 period. Activities including land recall, compensation, and resettlement support have to be completed before next year, as stipulated in the National Assemblys Resolution No. 53. Besides this, the provincial government of Dong Nai in early April this year pledged to disburse all of the capital assigned for 2020. However, the project saw only over VND689 billion in funding disbursed during the first half of this year, taking the total amount of disbursed capital to over VND1.8 trillion, only meeting 10% of the target, which is much lower than the rate pledged by the provincial authority, the ministry stated in its report sent to the Government regarding the disbursement progress of public capital for the countrys major projects. The sluggish site clearance and resettlement will slow down the progress of other works, it added. The provincial government recently assured the relevant agencies that it would finish site clearance works and hand over 1,810 hectares of land at a priority area during the year, draw up compensation plans for the remaining areas in 2020 and hand over cleared sites in the second quarter of 2021. The slow progress of the project was also tabled for discussion at a meeting between the prime minister and local authorities on July 16. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The noted at the meeting that the Transport Ministry had worked with various localities, urging the disbursement of capital for traffic infrastructure projects. He warned the leaders of the relevant agencies of consequences if their projects faced slow disbursement. The Long Thanh airport project, which will be developed on an area of 5,000 hectares in Dong Nai Province, east of HCMC, is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo per year. The project requires over VND336 trillion (US$16 billion) in investment. SGT Things are still going strong between Daytime Emmy winner Josh Duhamel and his much younger girlfriend Audra Mari, who dined al fresco at sushi restaurant Nobu Malibu on Sunday. At 47, the Think Like a Dog actor is 21 years older than the pageant princess 26, whom he began romancing in May 2019. Unlike Audra, Josh neglected to wear a cloth mask, which California Governor Gavin Newsom made mandatory for all public outings on June 18. North Dakota duo: Things are still going strong between Daytime Emmy winner Josh Duhamel (2-L) and his much younger girlfriend Audra Mari, who dined al fresco at sushi restaurant Nobu Malibu on Sunday After California's coronavirus numbers spiked, Governor Newsom ordered the closure of indoor dining in 30 counties last Monday in order to slow the spread of the virus. As of Sunday, there have been over 153K confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, which has lead to 4,084 deaths - according to Johns Hopkins University. Mari - who's a quarter Filipina - was famously crowned Miss North Dakota 2014 and Miss World America 2016. May-December couple: At 47, the Think Like a Dog actor is 21 years older than the pageant princess, whom he began romancing in May 2019 Unprotected: Unlike Audra, Josh neglected to wear a cloth mask, which California Governor Gavin Newsom made mandatory for all public outings on June 18 Date night: After California's coronavirus numbers spiked, Governor Newsom ordered the closure of indoor dining in 30 counties last Monday in order to slow the spread of the virus Grim numbers: As of Sunday, there have been over 153K confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, which has lead to 4,084 deaths On August 29, Duhamel will celebrate the 7th birthday of his son Axl Jack from his eight-year marriage to eight-time Grammy winner Fergie. The Lost Husband star and the 45-year-old pop diva (born Stacy Ann Ferguson) legally separated in September 2017, but their divorce wasn't finalized until November 25 - according to TMZ. Josh will next be seen as Sheldon Sampson in replacement showrunner Sang Kim's superhero series Jupiter's Legacy, which streams later this year on Netflix. Pageant smile: Mari - who's a quarter Filipina - was famously crowned Miss North Dakota 2014 and Miss World America 2016 'It starts at home #BLM': On August 29, Duhamel will celebrate the 7th birthday of his son Axl Jack from his eight-year marriage to eight-time Grammy winner Fergie (pictured June 14) 'Sheldon is the storied leader of the superhero team The Union,' Duhamel's character was described on February 11. 'But times have changed, and he doesn't understand the world we live in anymore or his own family.' Streams later this year on Netflix! The Lost Husband star will next be seen as Sheldon Sampson in replacement showrunner Sang Kim's superhero series Jupiter's Legacy Federal health officials are extending the U.S. ban on cruise ships through the end of September as coronavirus infections rise in most U.S. states, including Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that it was extending a no-sail order that had been scheduled to expire July 24. In the order signed by CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, the agency said the cruise industry hasnt controlled transmission of the virus on its ships. The CDC said it was concerned whether cruise ships operating now with reduced crews were complying with practices designed to prevent transmitting the virus. The CDC said its concerns highlight the need for further action prior to resuming passenger operations. The order covers ships that can carry 250 or more passengers. The CDC said cruise ships are more crowded than most urban settings, and even when only essential crew remains on board, the virus continues to spread. Companies that belong to an industry trade group, the Cruise Lines International Association, had already canceled cruises until Sept. 15 because of ongoing discussions with federal officials over how to restart operations safely. Members of the group include Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The trade group issued a statement saying it was committed to safety and would talk with CDC about appropriate steps to let cruises resume in the United States when the time is right. From March 1 through July 10, there have been nearly 3,000 cases of COVID-19 or similar illnesses and 34 deaths on cruise ships, according to the CDC. There have been 99 outbreaks covering 80% of the ships in U.S. waters, the CDC said. Nine ships are still dealing with outbreaks, the agency said. Coast Guard figures show that on July 10 there were 14,702 crew members on board 67 ships. Major cruise lines are trying to save cash and raise more money on the private credit markets to survive the pandemic. Carnival Corp. said last week that it expects to burn about $20 million a day in cash through the rest of this year. Coronavirus infections are rising in 40 states, and daily deaths have climbed more than 20% from a week ago. Florida, where many cruises begin and end, reported nearly 14,000 new virus cases and set a single-day record of 156 deaths reported on Thursday, beating the previous high of 132 deaths reported Tuesday. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 USA More than 80 healthcare professionals and school board members wrote a letter to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey urging him to keep the schools close. The petition to keep the schools shut down for at least during the first quarter of the academic year was made after Ducey ordered in-person school reopening in August. Around 87 healthcare professionals and school board members signed the letter. The letter said: "Many of us are also parents of school-age children. The tremendous pressure to return to in-person schooling in August is ill advised and dangerous given the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in our community." It can be remembered that Ducey issued an order last month, which states that schools will receive limited funding if they do not open their schools for in-person classes. The order mandated to have at least five days of instruction in the school. In their letter, the healthcare professionals and school board members that they understand the terrible predicament that school districts across the state face as a result of the order. They also wrote in their letter the financial solvency in the district, while also looking into the health of their students, staffs, and communities. They also firmly believed that no educator should be forced to make this choice. Teachers and healthcare professionals, who are parents as well, were alarmed after the order was released. This was because the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in the state continues to increase. On Saturday, the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center tallied its highest death count. Arizona now had 147 deaths and it has surpassed the previous record on July 7, when 117 deaths were recorded. The letter described the state of Arizona as one of the "worst-hit regions" in the country and the world. They also added that the state should expect a community transmission and virus spread for at least the next few months. They also asked to adjust the school calendar or the number of days. The healthcare professionals and school board members asked that the 180-day instructional day requirement should be waived for the meantime. In one of the published news report, teachers are raising concern for the possibility of virus contagion if students will return for the in-person classes. Teachers said they cannot ensure to disinfect everything inside the school from time to time. One of the teachers said: "Schools are breeding grounds. You're touching everything and it's just not possible to disinfect everything. Every desk, every sink, every toilet after someone uses it." Meanwhile, three Arizona teachers, who conducted online classes together, caught the coronavirus last month despite following all precautionary measures. One of the teachers died, while the other one survived from the deadly COVID-19. Check these out! F oreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to suspend the UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China's imposition of a tough new national security law. The Government could follow the example of the US, Canada and Australia, who have already suspended their extradition treaties with China. The move will likely infuriate China as it comes after the Government decided to exclude the tech giant Huawei from UK's 5G network, reversing a decision in January to allow it to have a limited role. Mr Raab is due to make a statement in Parliament today after completing a review of Britain's extradition arrangements as part of the next steps. He will also speak about "a range of other measures we might wish to make" in respect of China. Hong Kong protests against a new national security law 1 /50 Hong Kong protests against a new national security law AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AP AP REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS Getty Images Beijing has accused the UK and US of attempting to destabilise Hong Kong while Mr Raab accused China of committing "gross, egregious human rights abuses" against the countrys Uighur population in the north-western Xinjiang province. Tobias Ellwood, chair of the defence select committee, called for a "reset of our entire foreign policy" and claimed Britain has been duped over the last couple of decades by China. He told BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour programme: I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy, bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war, we cant do this on our own, we need to work with our allies. We turned a blind eye to what was going on with the Uighur population, we turned a blind eye to the uneven trade situation whereby Chinese companies could operate quite liberally within the UK and elsewhere but our companies couldnt operate within China and now I think its time to say enough is enough. The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, said Beijing was still evaluating its response to the Huawei ruling. What is the new Hong Kong security law? There were reports at the weekend that the Chinese social media company TikTok had broken off talks to open a global headquarters in Britain. Communist Party officials were also reported to have warned UK companies operating in China, including Jaguar Land Rover, BP and GlaxoSmithKline, that they could now face retaliation. Mr Liu warned Britain not to get drawn into a tit-for-tat confrontation in the way the US had, imposing sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged abuses in Xinjiang, prompting Beijing to sanction a number of US senators and officials. Mr Raab played down suggestions any such measures were imminent under the UKs new independent sanctions regime, saying that it took a long time to build a case against any alleged abusers. He insisted also that Britain wanted a positive relationship with China, working with it on issues like climate change as well as trade and investment. However, with further UK measures due now on Hong Kong, relations look set to deteriorate even further. Countries including Cananda and Australia began suspending their extradition treaties with China after it imposed sweeping security legislation on Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous territory, without public consultation. The national security law prohibits what Beijing views as secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities or as foreign intervention in Hong Kong affairs. Under the law, police now have sweeping powers to conduct searches without warrants and order internet service providers and platforms to remove messages deemed to be in violation of the legislation. The UK Government says the new national security law violates the Sino-British Joint Declaration which was supposed to guarantee Hongkongers way of life for 50 years after the handover of the former British colony in 1997. In response, it has already offered a path to UK citizenship for three million Hongkongers eligible for British National (Overseas) passport a move which enraged Beijing. In a combative BBC interview on Sunday, Mr Liu denounced Britain for dancing to the tune of the US and accused Western countries of trying to foment a new cold war with China. Donald Trump signs executive order that ends preferential treatment for Hong Kong He also rejected the allegations of widespread abuses against the mainly-Muslim Uighur people, accusing so-called Western intelligence of making repeated false allegations against China. He suggested video footage, said to be from Xinjiang, showing men, kneeling and blindfolded waiting to be led onto trains by police officers was fake. Meanwhile, China is expected to be high on the agenda this week when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travels to London for talks with senior British figures. Mr Pompeo flies out on Monday ahead of meetings expected on Tuesday with Boris Johnson and Mr Raab, as well as MPs pressing the Government to take a harder line on China. The US has warmly welcomed the Governments U-turn on Huawei, which followed intensive lobby by the Trump administration. Ministers said they had little choice after the intelligence services warned they could no longer be sure Huawei products were secure after the US imposed fresh sanctions on the company. Additional reporting by the Press Association. That is according to the deputy mayor of South Dublin County Council, who says someone could have been seriously injured when a large branch recently fell on a car in Rathfarnham. Councillor David McManus says the wrong varieties were planted in some areas, which are also causing trip hazards. "Some of these trees in public areas are twice the height of nearby family homes, they are enormous. "Anytime the council try and prune a tree, there are always tree huggers complaining that no tree should ever be pruned or cut even when these trees are dangerous, diseased or dead. Mr. McManus said it is time for the council to take action "I am calling for more council action and we need to stand up to these tree huggers. "What we want is the right tree in the right place so that the tree can flourish. Through deep analysis of both key players and technologies, IDTechEx's most recent report on Augmented and Virtual Reality, " Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030: Forecasts, Markets and Technologies ", can provide you with the trends this market will face in the coming decade. This article distills the key aspects of the report. What Are Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality? The basic definition of these terms are as follows: Virtual reality (VR): this replaces reality with a completely new 3D digital environment. Augmented reality (AR): this overlays digital content on top of the real world. Mixed reality, (MR): adds superimposed digital content that superficially interacts with the environment in real-time. Virtual, augmented and mixed reality products have continued to receive high levels of funding and investment during the 2010 decade. There has also been immense hype over these products during the decade, with evangelists of the technology believing that it will be used in all aspects of day to day life. Where Has This Industry Come From? Over the past two decades, there have been big strides in the technological development of XR products. In the early 90's a number of headsets were released which allowed the user to view a video on a headset from an external device. Then in the next decade, devices such as the google glass explorer were released. These captured the imagination of many people, and it was one of the first "augmented reality" products available to consumers. Although this did not take off, it paved the way for other products to be developed. Later in the decade, more VR and AR products were released, for example in 2019, Magic Leap released its first product after years of funding. Oculus also released a VR headset which does not need to be connected to a computer the Quest proving that VR does not need to be tethered to a computer. What Are the Key Technologies? A headset is made up of many component parts, including optics, displays, sensors and haptics. Each of these component parts must fit together seamlessly to create a completely immersive experience for the user. Within optics, waveguides are an important part of augmented and mixed reality displays, transmitting the image from the display to the user's eye. There are many different requirements which must be fulfilled, and although currently there are optical artifacts present in some headsets, it is likely in the future that these will be removed as the technology evolves and improves. What Industries Are Using This Technology? There are a broad range of use cases and industries using augmented, mixed, and virtual reality technology. For example, manufacturing, remote assistance, education, and training, to name but a few. These applications are used in many different industries. Two common use cases are discussed. One of the most well-known uses of VR headsets is in gaming applications. Companies such as Oculus, HTC, and Sony, have created a range of products which consumers can use for a total immersive gamine experience. However, there are also other applications for XR products such as remote assistance and training. The IDTechEx report, "Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030: Forecasts, Markets and Technologies", includes analysis of many key leaders in the AR, VR and MR fields, and provides you with a deeper understanding for the various applications for such products. AR and MR products are being used to solve the "Skills Gap" problem. This problem occurs when skilled workers retire, and with them their skilled knowledge they have gained. This knowledge needs to be transferred to new workers. The skilled workers can record workflows and processes which the new employees can follow in a safe hands-free environment. Furthermore, they can annotate the real world with technical specifications to aid the worker. Some companies, such as Vuzix, use their own products on their assembly floors What Is the Impact of COVID-19? Recently the versatility of mixed and augmented reality products has come to the forefront of the news, with an Imperial led project at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Doctors have been wearing the Microsoft Hololens headsets whilst working on the front lines of the COVID pandemic, to aid them in their care for their patients. The use case for this project allows other clinicians to sit in another room, and by using Microsoft Teams, see a live video feed of the doctor who is treating the COVID-19 patients. This is utilizing the remote assistance aspects which have been previously used by Hololens users for manufacturing, maintenance, and other similar applications. By using the devices, staff reduced the amount of time they must spend in a high-risk area by 83%. Not only this, they are using less PPE, as fewer clinicians are in the room during patient care. COVID has put the spotlight on this hands-free, interactive technology, and it is unlikely that this focus will move for some time. There will be a need for this technology in many new use cases, which previously did not require hands-free, or remote capabilities. What Will I Learn From the Report? "Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030: Forecasts, Markets and Technologies" covers one of the key markets of the future: the AR/VR/MR market. VR, MR and AR are products are used in many different settings, for example for day-to-day workflow management and on production lines. This market, which IDTechEx forecasts' predict to be over $30Bn by 2030, will impact many different industries, and future innovations will continue its growth in the wearables market. The report reviews and analyses over 100 products and details of over 80 companies, to create succinct and detailed conclusions about the future of this market. The report includes market forecasts, player profiles, investments, and comprehensive company lists are all provided. It is an essential read for those looking for a deep understanding of the AR/VR/MR markets. For a complete overview of this industry, please refer to the IDTechEx report, "Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030: Forecasts, Markets and Technologies", please visit www.IDTechEx.com/ARVR. This report falls within the Wearables portfolio, which covers haptics, wearables, hearables, and other similar devices. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Media Contact: Natalie Moreton Digital Marketing Manager [email protected] +44-(0)-1223-812300 SOURCE IDTechEx New Hanover Police Chief Kevin McKeon, right, was accused by two former officers of using racist language. His attorney denied the allegations. Read more The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office is examining allegations of racism by police in a rural Montgomery County township. The inquiry stems from a complaint filed last year by a former New Hanover Township police officer who described a racist and toxic work environment in the department. Keith Youse filed the complaint after finding an egg roll in his personal belongings when he retired. He said he interpreted that as a slight against his wife, Sandy, who is Korean-American. Youse also said Police Chief Kevin McKeon and another senior officer in the department regularly used racial slurs, including the N-word. If cops do this to other cops, I can only imagine what is happening to the general public, Youse told The Inquirer last month. After concerns expressed by the Pottstown branch of the NAACP and U.S. Rep. Madeline Dean, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro launched an inquiry, a spokesperson for his office said Monday. The attorney general is committed to making the changes we need to root out systemic racism and build community trust in law enforcement, Jacklin Rhoads, Shapiros spokesperson, said in a statement. The townships board of supervisors hired an attorney to investigate the allegations in 2019. Late last month, officials said the inquiry could not substantiate most of them. However, the lawyer, John Gonzales, did find evidence that township employees had made sporadic inappropriate racial comments in years past, according to township supervisors. The supervisors have declined to identify which employees made the comments, but promised to address the conduct with sensitivity training. McKeon, the police chief, has denied the allegations, and through an attorney said he stands behind the results of the townships investigation. Sources familiar with the attorney generals investigation said representatives from the offices civil rights division want to examine materials Gonzales prepared in the course of his inquiry. Board of Supervisors President Charles Garner Jr. did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Pottstown chapter of the NAACP conducted its own investigation after learning of Youses complaint, and found more than a dozen people who said they had either witnessed racist behavior by McKeon or had heard about it. In a letter sent to the township last week, chapter president Johnny Corson asked for the names of the employees who had been interviewed by Gonzales, and submitted a list of demands, including that the police departments code of conduct be updated and that officers wear body cameras. Despite our concerns about the report as it was described in your statement we note that the report was not shared with us or with the public we remain willing to work with township officials and the police force to forge a better relationship with the community, Corson wrote. Working from home doesn't have to be as dull as merely sitting in your living room and typing away at your computer or laptop. With the path online and remote work are going, many workers and employees can attend video conference calls or meetings anywhere they wish around the world. Finding accommodating countries that provide flexible remote work terms amid the coronavirus pandemic but some countries have began opening their borders to tourists and potential international workers to help revive the economy. Spend your days at the beach while checking your email for updates from your colleagues or have a relaxing dinner at a restaurant while exchanging ideas with your boss. Several countries are also offering extended stay or long-term visits to those who are willing to travel at a much lower price. The top five countries that are giving additional benefits to staying in their locale are the following: Greece The country announced in May that it would allow individuals to travel to and within Greece cheap by reducing value-added tax (VAT) on all transportation costs which is usually 24 percent but will be lowered to 13 percent in an attempt to invite more people to travel in the region. Anyone who's looking to relive the iconic "Mama Mia" fantasy lifestyle is encouraged to live out their dreams and travel to the ideal vacation spot. Americans, on the other hand, might have to wait for a while before being allowed open travel. Chile If you have a knack for business, then Chile will offer you with tempting offers. The country started a program called Start-Up Chile that gives individuals the chance to create technology startups and will provide relocation perks to begin their business in the region. The program provides the initial funding for the startups to assist hopeful entrepreneurs and also provides work visas that would last for one year once you arrive in the country. Also Read: Dr. Fauci Praises New York COVID-19 Response, Says It Should Serve as Role Model Barbados Mia Mottley, Barbados' prime minister, announced that the Caribbean country proposed a "12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp" program which aims to allow non-residents a chance to stay within the region for up to a year with unrestricted travel in and out any time of their leisure. It has become one of the most accommodating countries in the world that offers perks and benefits to individuals looking for remote work opportunities despite the global crisis. Sicily, Italy Officials of the country have proposed a budget worth $85 million to provide incentives to travelers to urge tourists to come to their nation to stay or visit. The government would give them vouchers that they can exchange at hotels to get free accommodation or provide waivers of entrance fees on tourist spots and pay up to half of their airfare costs. Similarly to Greece, however, Americans are currently barred from entering the country indefinitely until the government decides it is safe enough to open their borders to more countries. Mexico If you enjoy sandy beaches and relaxing winds, then Mexico offers a desirable spot that has etched a name for itself as one of the adaptable countries looking to take advantage of the shifting economy that's starting to focus on remote or online work. The Hotel Associations consisting of Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya and several other have implemented a "#Come2MexicanCaribbean" campaign that will provide free hotel accommodations, rental cars, and provide discounts at tourist spots and other locations. Related Article: 10 Weird US Presidential Elections in the History of America @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Large anti-government rallies held in several parts of Thailand on the weekend should serve as a wake-up call to the government to address mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and other concerns, analysts said Monday. Demonstrations in Bangkok on Saturday and in northern Chiang Mai province the next day drew thousands of people, making them the largest such gatherings since the opposition Future Forward Party was disbanded in February. On Monday, dozens gathered outside the Thai Royal Army headquarters in Bangkok, saying they were protesting military interference in politics. Activists in northern Maha Sarakham province said they planned to protest on Wednesday. I think the crowds of students and others were huge because the troubles have been accumulating for so long, said Anusorn Unno, a professor at Thammasat University. When COVID-19 restrictions were eased and jitters subsided, they came out to challenge the government, he said. [T]he government should realize it has been warned, and it may need to gird itself for future protests. A network of university students calling itself Free Youth laid out three demands on Saturday: dissolve parliament; stop harassing dissidents; and amend the 2017 Constitution, which they said was tailored to enable Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha to maintain power. Why are you here? Nattawut Somboonsub, a physician, asked the protesters. Overthrow Prayuth! they yelled in response. If we do not receive any answers to the three-count demand, we will increase the rallies in the future, Tathep Ruangprapaikijseri, a Free Youth leader, told the crowds. Protesters vowed to return in two weeks if their demands were not met. Bangkok police are considering pressing charges against protest leaders for demonstrating in public places without a permit and/or violating the emergency decree, the Bangkok Post reported Monday. A government spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests from BenarNews for comment. Heed their calls Titipol Phakdeewanich, the dean of the political science faculty at Ubon Ratchathani University where hundreds also demonstrated on Sunday said Prayuth and his ministers should be aware of the protesters message. The young people do not approve of the government; it should heed their calls, he told BenarNews. But he noted that the government had an array of tools to quell the movements, including the emergency decree and other laws it could use to muffle freedom of expression. Prayuth, who led a military coup in 2014 that overthrew the democratic government of Yingluck Shinawatra, said at the time the coup was necessary to bring order following a series of protests. He became the countrys elected prime minister in 2019, after overseeing a new constitution and electoral laws widely seen as tilted toward that result. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said the students should be allowed to express their views. The Thai authorities should respect these activists rights to peaceful, public protest and freedom of expression, and under no circumstances charge them with criminal offenses for their actions on Saturday, he told BenarNews. Its heartening to see the protesters display the faces of so many Thais who have disappeared, referring to images of activists who disappeared in Laos and Cambodia over the past year. The Thai government needs to provide answers, not excuses, to the families of these many missing activists, he said. An anti-government activist tears a portrait of army chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong during a protest in front of Royal Thai Army headquarters in Bangkok, July 20, 2020. [Reuters] A big mistake Protesters demanding Prayuths ouster cited ongoing suppression of democracy, economic woes and mismanagement of the pandemic. The kingdom has kept its cumulative caseload under 3,300 and has not seen a COVID-19 fatality in two months. Yet an emergency decree imposed in late March to help curb spread of the highly infectious disease remains in place. But a recent health scare touched a nerve, after an Egyptian soldier who stayed in a hotel and visited a mall while his military plane was on a layover in eastern Rayong province turned out to be coronavirus positive. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Egyptian ambassador over the incident; Prayuth traveled to the province to speak to residents, and apologized in a nationwide broadcast. But two men who protested the visit were slapped with multiple charges, including violating the emergency decree and the Disease Control Act. I protested the prime minister because I want him to show responsibility for the flagging economy by dissolving the parliament and find a competent leader instead to govern the country with fairness, Panupong Jadnok, 23, one of the two who were charged, told BenarNews on Monday. We have a reason to take to streets lately because the government has made a big mistake regarding Egyptian crew man. He caused all Thais who cooperated with the government to have to worry about COVID-19 again, said Panupong, a Ramkhamhaeng University student who participated in Saturdays rally. The Philippine-based Asian Development Bank last month projected the Thai gross domestic product would contract by 6.5 percent this year because of the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the government announced that Minister to the Prime Ministers Office, Tewan Liptapanlop, and Labor Minister Chatumongol Sonakul had resigned, bringing to six the number of cabinet ministers who have resigned since Thursday. Neither gave a reason for stepping down. The four who stepped down last week including Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana were all members of Prayuths Palang Pracharath party, which recently saw a change in leadership. When the political circumstances changed, they have to go, I feel pitiful, Prayuth told reporters on Thursday. I have to call some people to see if they want the vacant positions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:13:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Sunday warned that if the British government imposes sanctions on any individual in China over Hong Kong, China will make a "resolute response" to it. He made the remarks in an exclusive live interview on BBC's Andrew Marr Show, answering a question regarding China's reaction if the Magnitsky act is used to ban individual Chinese people from British territory and reports that the extradition treaty between Hong Kong and Britain is going to be torn up. "We never believe in unilateral sanction," Liu said. "We believe that the UN (United Nations) has the authority to impose sanctions." The senior diplomat said that the United States has sanctioned Chinese officials and China in turn sanctioned their senators and officials. "I do not want to see this tit-for-tat between China and the U.S. happen in China-UK relations," he said. "I think the UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than to dance to the tune of Americans, like what happened to Huawei." Talking about Britain's recent drastic policy change regarding the Chinese tech giant, Liu called it "a very bad decision." "It's a dark day for China-UK relations ... you will miss the opportunity to be a leading country," he said. He stressed that there is no hard or solid evidence to say Huawei is a risk to Britain. China does not want to politicize the economy, Liu added. Enditem Marsalek is reportedly a person of interest to at least three Western intelligence agencies over his association with individuals or networks linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence. The wanted former chief operating officer of the collapsed German fintech giant Wirecard is in Belarus or Russia, according to reports. Jan Marsalek, the shady central figure in the implosion of the German digital-payment-services provider, remains at large with his whereabouts unknown since he was last seen on June 18, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported. Read alsoDW: Germany proposes first-ever use of EU cyber sanctions over Russia hacking Using travel information, Der Spiegel and the investigative outfit Bellingcat reported on July 18 that Marsalek arrived by private jet at Minsk airport just after midnight on June 19. Der Spiegel reported that a travel database showed no departure from Minsk, indicating that one of the world's most wanted men is still in Belarus or Russia. The neighboring countries have limited border controls. In the aftermath of Wirecard's implosion, there had been speculation Marsalek fled to the Philippines and then onward to China. However, Bellingcat reported that the trip had been a red herring and had been forged. Wirecard, a DAX-listed company, plunged into crisis last month when auditors pointed to a massive 1.9 billion-euro (US$2.2 billion) hole in its accounts, sending the once high-flying company into insolvency. Marsalek, an Austrian national, is wanted by German and Austrian authorities on suspicion of embezzlement and fraud. Since the collapse of Wirecard, interest in Marsalek has expanded beyond his role in Wirecard to include his other business and political interests. Britain's Financial Times newspaper reported earlier in July that Marsalek is a person of interest to at least three Western intelligence agencies over his association with individuals or networks linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence. MIAMI, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Cansortium Inc. (CSE:TIUM.U) (OTCQB: CNTMF) ("Cansortium" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company with operations in Florida, Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania, today announced the signing of a Management Agreement (the "Management Agreement") with Freedom Town Holdings, LLC ("FT"), a multi-state operator that specializes in the production of high end cannabis flower, products, genetics and extraction, pursuant to which FT will provide management and operational consulting services for the Company's newly secured Florida cultivation and production facility in Zolfo Springs, Florida. The Management Agreement, which has a term of 7 years and compensates FT based on the level of facility production, will leverage FT's cultivation and processing expertise to expand Cansortium's cultivation in its home market of Florida, help accelerate Cansortium's opening of new dispensaries across the state, and ensure a consistent supply of high quality dry flower and extract products to Cansortium's growing patient base. The 26,000 square foot Zolfo Springs facility is expected to commence operations during the first quarter of 2021 following approval from the Florida Department of Health and will complement the Company's existing Florida cultivation and production, including that of its principal facility in Tampa. The capital costs of the initial buildout of the Zolfo Springs facility will be funded by FT and repaid from the profit generated by the facility. The second phase buildout, which will be funded by cash flow from the facility, is anticipated to occur in 2022. Neal Hochberg, Executive Chairman of the Board, commented, "We are very excited to partner with FT on this opportunity to expand our cultivation and production footprint in our home state of Florida. We believe the production from this facility will allow us to expand our product offerings, greatly enhancing our customer experience." About Cansortium Inc. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, and operating under the Fluent brand, Cansortium is focused on being the highest quality cannabis company in the State of Florida driven by unrelenting commitment to operational excellence from seed to sale. Cansortium has developed strong proficiencies in each of cultivation, processing, retail, and distribution activities, the result of successfully operating in the highly regulated cannabis industry. In addition to Florida, Cansortium is seeking to create significant shareholder value in the attractive markets of Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the Company has secured licenses and established operations. Cansortium Inc.'s common shares and warrants trade on the CSE under the symbol "TIUM.U" and "TIUM.WT.U", respectively, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol (OTCQB: CNTMF). Investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this news release, may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in the public documents of the Company available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For further information: www.getfluent.com SOURCE Cansortium Inc Related Links https://www.getfluent.com/ ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday threatened to roll back the phased reopening by closing down bars and restaurants if social-distancing rules aren't adhered to more strictly. "One of the main threats to our progress is the number of congregations that we're seeing across the state, but especially in downstate, primarily of young people," Cuomo said. "And we saw it again over the weekend. It is a problem, and I'm telling you in plain New York-speak that it's stupid and it has to stop. ... These restaurants and bars are breaking the law and they are going to make it bad for everyone else, because if this continues we're going to have to roll back the reopening plan and close all bars and restaurants." The governor's warning followed a weekend of large gatherings across the state that he said are imperiling public safety and threatening to trigger a resurgence in New York's coronavirus cases. "The local governments are not doing their job," he said. Cuomo said the pandemic is surging in 41 other states. He is sending equipment and medication from New York to Texas, Florida and Georgia, where he traveled Monday for another press event. In Savannah, Cuomo took part in a roundtable meeting between a New York delegation that included members of his coronavirus task force and Mayor Van R. Johnson's health care team. "It's not me who's going, it's the people of New York who are helping," he said before boarding a JetBlue charter flight, which was donated for the trip. It's unclear whether New York is donating materials to other states or selling the supplies and equipment. Cuomo said New York is also sending contact tracer teams to Georgia to assist with efforts to identify those who had contact with an infected person. The governor said he would not self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning because he will be in Georgia less than 24 hours and he is an "essential worker." More than 20 states, including Georgia, have been flagged by New York under an order that requires people returning from those states to self-quarantine for two weeks. There are exceptions for essential workers, unless their travel is unrelated to their job. New York's infection rate based on testing results hovered a little above 1 percent on Sunday as hospitalizations from symptoms associated with COVID-19 fell to 716, the lowest number since March 18, when the pandemic began to take off in New York. But Cuomo said even though New York has passed its apex and cases have dwindled, the regulations remain in effect despite what he termed "illegal" congregations of people, many of them young. "They believe they're superheroes," he said. He again called on local police departments to help enforce the social-distancing rules. "It's the summer, but I'm telling you it has to stop," the governor said. "If young people are going to come out and do something stupid, local governments have to enforce the law. ... The bad restaurants and bars are making it worse for the good ones. ... They are going to make it bad for everyone." The state Liquor Authority has 30 investigators who cover the state and are tasked with enforcing the rules mandating social distancing in restaurants that have reopened in addition to other areas of enforcement. But Cuomo said that unit is not able to handle all of the reported violations associated with the coronavirus rules and that local governments must take a stronger role in enforcement. Cuomo blamed other states' surge in cases on President Donald Trump, claiming the federal government has not handled the problem and that states whose leaders "listened to the president" are paying a price. In March, Cuomo had said that other states would face the same trajectory as New York's as the pandemic spread across the country. The quarantine by New York does not affect motorists traveling between states, as Cuomo acknowledged "we don't have a program for that." The enforcement of the quarantine is focused on airports. The states flagged by the state Department of Health are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The state of Delaware was removed from the list last week. Travelers flying into New York airports from states with high rates of coronavirus infections also face the threat of a summons and $2,000 fine if they decline to fill out forms disclosing their travel plans. "I'm telling you, we are right on the line," Cuomo said, referring to an increasing spread of the virus in other states and the illegal congregations in New York. Members of the medical team carry out in-flight emergency treatment for the patient in the ambulance aircraft. (Photo by Li Chao) CHENGDU, July 20 The air force under the PLA Western Theatre Command dispatched a Y-9 ambulance aircraft for the air medical evacuation of a sick officer from the plateau area to a major city in northwest China on July 16. This is the first time for the Y-9ambulance aircraft to carry out such a mission since its commissioning. The officer surnamed Zhang is assigned to a base of the air force under the PLA Western Theatre Command. He was injured in the training and got worsened during the treatment in local hospital. Thus, he was then evacuated by the Y-9 ambulance aircraft to a major hospital 5,200 kilometers away in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province for better treatment. Fitted with advanced medical equipment, the Y-9 ambulance aircraft has the capabilities of air evacuation and in-flight ambulance service. And for this mission, the accompanying medical team members covered a variety of departments such as critical care medicine, anesthesia, orthopedics, and surgery, who could provide life-sustaining treatment for the injured during the evacuation process. After arriving at the plateau airport, the medical team completed the transfer of the patient in just 10 minutes. And the onboard mobile rescue platform began to operate as soon as the Y-9 took off. Medical staff used on-board medical equipment including electrocardiogram monitor, infusion pump and sputum aspirator to carry out the in-flight emergency treatment for the patient who already went into a coma. After a brief supply break in the midway, the Y-9 ambulance aircraft landed smoothly after a4.5-hourflightwhich covered more than 5,200 kilometers. As of press time, the patient's vital signs were stable and he was receiving further treatment. Photo: CBS In a new report about the alleged history of abuse perpetrated by recently fired CBS showrunner Peter Lenkov, a lead on one of his shows, Lucas Till, said he had contemplated suicide during season one of MacGyver because of Lenkovs behavior. In the Vanity Fair story, Till alleged he had frequently been on the receiving end of verbal abuse, bullying, and body shaming from Lenkov since landing the role in 2016. Ive never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work, Till said. But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I was suicidal that first year on the show because of the way he made me feel. But the way hes treated the people around me thats just my breaking point. In 2017 and 2020, Till contacted the networks human-resources department about his concerns. I think they just took it as some crazy actor trying to get more money, he said. Essentially, they didnt take it seriously. In one of his notes to HR, Till recalled an instance in which Lenkov disrupted a scene to complain about Tills body. There was always something about my appearance that wouldnt please him he said my legs were fucking hideous and we can never show them again, Till explained. Just like the time he screamed at [a director], Oh my fucking God! Tuck his shirt in, he looks like a little fucking boy. Just hire a 35-year-old, then. Ive struggled with maintaining man weight on the show because of the stress, no time to work out, and an unpredictable schedule for proper nourishment. In another note to HR, Till outlined how Lenkov had behaved in an unprofessional manner toward fellow MacGyver cast member Meredith Eaton. Till said Eaton had suffered an on-set injury that was not dealt with properly. During her recovery after hip-replacement surgery, Lenkov allegedly would frantically email and call her insisting on knowing when she would be able to walk at a fast pace again. On July 7, CBS fired Lenkov as showrunner on MacGyver and Magnum P.I., and his overall deal with the network was terminated. The firing came after an investigation determined that he had created a toxic work environment on his shows, which previously included Hawaii Five-0. A lawyer for Lenkov said Tills claims in Vanity Fair are 100 percent false and untrue, adding that Lenkov has championed him from the very beginning and has been nothing but supportive of him. Several regions of the national capital have peaked in COVID-19 cases while some other parts of the region have yet to rise, AIIMS Manager Dr Randeep Guleria said on Monday. He also claimed that there wasn't much proof at national level community transmitting. Certain areas of the national capital have hit their peak in COVID-19 cases while certain other areas in the city are yet to reach the peak, said AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday. He further said that there is not much evidence of community transmission happening at the national level. Certain areas have hit their peak in COVID-19 cases. Delhi seems to have done so because the cases have declined significantly. Certain areas have yet to reach the peak. Cases are increasing in certain states. They will reach the peak a little later, Dr Guleria said here while addressing a press conference here. The national capital had witnessed a surge in the cases of novel coronavirus cases over the past one month. However, the number of active cases has seen a dip over the past few weeks. But there are hotspots, even in cities where there is spike of cases and it very likely that local community transmission in those areas is happening, he said. The Union Health Ministry said there are a total of 12,2793 COVID-19 cases in Delhi including 16031 active cases and 3628 deaths. Over one lakh people have been cured/discharged/migrated in the national capital. On Monday Indias COVID-19 case tally crossed the 11 lakh mark with the highest single-day spike of 40,425 new cases and 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Further, the AIIMS director said that the mortality rate in South East Asia, including India, is much lower than in European countries like Italy and Spain and even in the United States. If you look at the data from Southeast Asia, not just India, the mortality rate is much lower than what happened in Italy and Spain or what is happening in the United States, he said. Two days after announcing that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will conduct the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, Dr Guleria said that the trial will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 vaccine trial will be conducted on healthy people aged 18-55 years who have no co-morbidity. A total of 1125 samples have been collected of which 375 people will be studied in the first phase and 750 people between 12-65 years will be studied in the second phase, said Guleria. To test the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine a trial will be conducted under phase-3. The trail will be conducted in AIIMS, he added. AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its approval for conducting the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin. The countrys top drug regulator had recently given a green signal for human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, which has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The Ford Motor Company supplies over two-thirds of the police vehicles in the United States. Most of them are Ford Explorer SUVs, especially equipped and designed to be what are called Police Interceptors. Most recently you have seen dozens of them vandalized and set on fire in New York City, Chicago, Washington state, Oregon, Atlanta and more. The audacious riots spawned by this summers Black Lives Matter protests have, in fact, created millions in sales for Ford but, whoa! Whats this: some leftist employees at Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., are convinced its time for the automotive giant to cease the manufacture and sales of these accessories to police brutality and oppression. As you may have noticed, this newly created cancel culture is off to a miserable start. The defund the police absurdity caused New York City to re-assign 600 members of its plain-cloth anti-crime unit, closing the division down. Over the weekend this is one month later, mind you the New York Post reported on Sunday, At least nine people were shot, one fatally, across New York City on Saturday capping another week of violence that saw triple the shootings compared to last year (NYCs black leaders are pleading for the crime units return.) In Chicago it was a mile-stone week there are now over 2,000 shootings within the city limits this year (2,083) and over 400 fatalities due to gunfire (418). Last week there were 147 shot, 24 killed. If you are keeping score, in all of 2019 there were 2,754 shot and 519 homicides in Chicago and over five months of 2020 remains. In Portland this past Saturday marked the 50th straight night of riots the urban terrorists burned down the Police Union building but Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler blamed Trump, saying the presence of Homeland Security agents heightened tensions and was cause for Saturdays unlawful acts. So, amid such turmoil, activists at Ford Motor Companys executive offices recently began to circulate what could be termed a letter of engagement: * * * FORDS AS ACCESSORIES TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND OPPRESSION NOTE: This memo was being circulated by employees of Ford Motor Companys administrative offices for electronic signatures when Ford CEO Jim Hackett learned about it On June 1st, you communicated to the company your commitment to 'lead from the front and fully commit to creating the fair, just and inclusive culture that our employees deserve.' We thank you for your leadership on this initiative. We also appreciate and fully support your statement against 'superficial actions,' and we write to push for real action by Ford Motor Company to address our role in the structures that perpetuate racism in society. On May 25th, 2020 George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police, alongside a Ford Police Interceptor (vehicle). Days later, police officers drove Ford Police Interceptors into crowds of protesters in New York City and Los Angeles. During these past weeks, our vehicles have been used to deploy chemical weapons banned by the Geneva Convention. Throughout our history, the vehicles that Ford employees design and build have been used as accessories to police brutality and oppression. We know that while many join, support, or supply law enforcement with good intentions, these racist policing practices that plague our society are historic and systemica history and system perpetuated by Ford for over 70 yearsever since Ford introduced the first-ever police package in 1950. As an undeniable part of that history and system, we are long overdue to think and act differently on our role in racism. * * * When Hackett found out about the request that suggested Ford consider stop manufacturing police vehicles, he quickly consulted with Ford Motors President Bill Ford and the two responded in an internal news memo to the employees call the huddle. The response was kind and considerate yet forceful in the way it utilized common sense and logic to such an absurd notion: * * * FORD WILL IMPROVE POLICE OFFICERS ABILITY TO PROTECT AND SERVE (NOTE: This appeared in Ford Motor Companys The Huddle email late last month:) As we meet weekly in our Global Team Huddles, invariably there are questions that dont get answered given the short time we have together or simply would be better addressed offline. One question I want to address with this Huddle is whether Fords development of police vehicles is a good idea given the spotlight on social justice and police reform. First, it should be clear both Bill Ford and I believe deeply that there is no room for the systemic repression and racism that have been exhibited by law enforcement encounters gone wrong. Weve said clearly that Black Lives Matter and I am personally driving a review of our Diversity and Inclusion rituals, practices, and behaviors. We do believe strongly that more transparency and accountability is required in police operations. Second, we also believe the first responders that protect us play an extraordinarily important role in the vitality and safety of our society. Our world wouldnt function without the bravery and dedication of the good police officers who protect and serve. But safety of community must be inclusive of all members and today, it is not. Holding these two thoughts together in ones mind is possible, but now there is tension. Its our belief the recent issues surfacing from the George Floyd tragedy are bringing a very intensive and necessary spotlight on police training and reform. In fact, I sit on the Business Roundtable, an organization comprised of CEOs from Americas leading companies, which has committed its shared energy to the work on police training and reform. All that said, I have received several emails from employees and others in the public, and have read comments in social media, imploring Ford to reconsider the production and sale of police vehicles. Given the environment, we must constantly make sure we are helping to make progress. After reflecting on this, I see two key lines of thought: No. 1 -- Its not controversial that the Ford Police Interceptor helps officers do their job. The issues plaguing police credibility have nothing to do with the vehicles theyre driving. In fact, as we imagine the future power of our connected vehicles, smarter Ford vehicles can be used to not only improve officers ability to protect and serve, but also provide data that can make police safer and more accountable. Just think, dating back to the Model T, Ford has more than 100 years in serving first responders and that leadership over the decades has been earned by co-developing our purpose-built vehicles and technologies with police and emergency agencies to make our vehicles the number one choice. No. 2 -- By taking away our Police Interceptors, we would be doing harm to (police officers) safety and making it harder for them to do their job. Again, this is why, given our insights, new capabilities and leadership, I believe these unfortunate circumstances present Ford with an even greater opportunity to not only innovate new solutions but also leverage our unique position to support the dialogue and reform needed to create safer communities for all. For these reasons we will do both: continue to be a powerful voice for Black Lives Matter, holding ourselves accountable for significant change, while also continuing to help keep communities safe by producing Police Interceptors and partnering with law enforcement in new ways to strongly support the safety for all members of society. I do appreciate people speaking their mind to me on this issue it helped me generate this note to explain why we are continuing our commitment to police forces all over the world in our trusted products. Thank you for caring so deeply about the company and our people, and for all you do for Ford. * * * If I may paraphrase, Fords commitment is to all of America and all its people. Do not bring your prejudices to work with you, and while you must never lose sight of your value to Ford, kindly remember that you work for us. Our corporate dream includes all Americans, not just the misguided ones who belittle our police, scoff at our countrys ideals, create billions in wanton destruction, and foremost in our view, vandalize, burn, and destroy Ford Police Interceptors. royexum@aol.com The number of new COVID-19 cases reported on Sunday, July 19 in Michigan increased 19% compared to one week ago. The latest figures provided by the state Department of Health and Human Services showed 483 new cases, up from 390 cases last Sunday, and two additional deaths. Michigan stands at 73,663 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 6,119 deaths. Michigan reports 483 new cases of coronavirus, 2 deaths The state reported Saturday that 55,162 individuals have recovered from the coronavirus, up about 1,300 from the recovery figures reported on July 10. The MDHHS updates recovery numbers once per week. A person is considered to have recovered from the virus if they are alive 30 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Albion College plans to use part of $7.5M unrestricted gift for coronavirus safety measures Albion College in south-central Michigan will use a $7.5 million gift it has received for multiple items including COVID-10 testing. Albion College President Mathew Johnson said the college received the gift almost a month ago, and because the funds are unrestricted, it can be used for a number of things. As the college prepares for the fall semester, though, Johnson said the funds from the gift will help outfit classrooms with new technology and health and safety measures, including automatic door openers, plexiglass in certain areas of campus and new desk configurations so students can maintain their physical distance. According to Johnson, 95% of students want to return to campus, and the gift will help pay for COVID-19 kits that each student will receive when they arrive on campus, complete with cleaning solutions, a mask and other materials so theyre safe on campus. Students will also be tested multiple times for COVID-19 throughout the semester to keep track of any infection and to stop the spread of the virus. We are not the mask police, officers, state at odds over enforcing Michigan governors orders Police and sheriffs, citing a lack of resources and jurisdictional autonomy, say they dont have to enforce them. Add to that a mix of partisan and local politics, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmers efforts to enforce mask usage has fallen flat across large portions of Michigan. Whitmer last week enacted potentially her most controversial executive order to date when she declared the failure to wear a protective mask in stores, public transportation and crowded gatherings a misdemeanor crime punishable by a $500 fine. Basically, what it comes down to is I think people are adults and they can make educated decisions, " Ionia County Sheriff Charlie Noll said. Were not the mask police ... and I think we need to be realistic and keep in mind that we are (close to) infringing on peoples rights. I dont know how much more we really need to be sticking our nose in their business. Despite push-back from some in the public and law enforcement, Whitmer doubled down on the order Friday, further tightening mask restrictions. Old windows and broken bottles: How a Chelsea man is spreading positivity through artwork Warren Price, 62, of Chelsea, is using old windows and broken bottles to spread positivity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A decade ago, Price saw a couple of windows on the side of the road that someone was throwing out. He picked them up but hadnt done anything with them. Prices wife, Julie, said he should get rid of the windows, but Price knew there was some reason he kept them. Early on in the novel coronavirus pandemic, he woke up with an idea to break old glass bottles and weld them to the window, creating different-colored flowers. In just a few months, Price said hes had people across the state and even from the United Kingdom and Canada comment or inquire about his artwork. A person in a Dexter-area Facebook group reached out to him with a simple message. She says, Warren, I dont know you, I dont know much about your art, but with everything going on in the world, I have to tell you how much of a smile you put on my heart today, Price said. To me, that means so much right there, that were making someone smile. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more coronavirus coverage from MLive here. More on MLive: MHSAA moving forward with fall sports has Michigan football coaches optimistic 3 ways Michigan businesses can handle customers who refuse masks for medical reasons Muskegon-area pub closed for deep clean after employee tested positive for coronavirus Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 23:31:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese banks will issue loans totaling 436 billion yuan (about 62.25 billion U.S. dollars) within the next five years to support the renovation of old urban residential areas across the country. China Development Bank, a major policy bank, has signed strategic cooperation agreements with Jilin, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei and Shaanxi to offer the provinces 261 billion yuan of loans. China Construction Bank, one of the country's largest state-owned commercial banks, will offer loans worth 175 billion yuan to the cities of Chongqing, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hefei, Fuzhou, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Guangzhou and Suzhou. Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said at the agreement-signing ceremony that a large number of old urban residential communities require renovation as they generally have poor facilities and sanitation and lack public services and community management. Wang added that the funding of the renovation projects should be shared by the government and the society at large. The cooperation between the financial institutions and local governments aims at speeding up the establishment of a market-oriented and sustainable model for renovation projects and offering more replicable practices. China has intensified the renovation of old urban residential areas this year, with 39,000 communities to be renovated and benefiting around 7 million households. Enditem Iran should conduct a full, transparent and independent technical investigation into the crash in January near Tehran of the Boeing 737 plane of Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, which would meet international standards, a statement from International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 on Iran delivering flight recorders says. "While we welcome the delivery of Flight PS752's recorders to France's Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau, this is long overdue, and is only a step towards completing the safety investigation. We reiterate our demand for Iran to conduct a full, transparent, and independent flight safety investigation in accordance with international standards," a statement of International Coordination and Response Group posted on the website of Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday reads. It is also stressed that "the Coordination Group will continue working to ensure transparency, accountability and justice, including reparations, for the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy." The International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 on Iran delivering flight recorders includes Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Great Britain - the countries whose citizens were killed as a result of the shooting down of a Ukraine International Airlines plane in Iran in January. 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. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More IndiGo, India's largest airline by market-share, will let go of 10 percent of its workforce to offset the decline in revenues post the COVID-19 pandemic, its top executive said on July 20. "It is clear that we will need to bid a painful adieu to 10 per cent of our workforce. It is for the first time in the history of IndiGo that we have undertaken such a painful measure. This is indeed a very unfortunate turn of events from the optimistic growth trajectory we had carved out for ourselves just six months ago; but this pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate our best laid plans," CEO Ronojoy Dutta said in a statement. The announcement confirms Moneycontrol's story, dated June 30, which had detailed that the airline had begun to lay off its employees, and also extended leave-without-pay for many. Though the airline had also cut pays across its personnel, these steps were not enough to offset the decline in revenues. "And from where things stand currently, it is impossible for our company to fly through this economic storm without making some sacrifices, in order to sustain our business operations,"Dutta 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 As of March 2019, IndiGo had 23,531 employees. Apart from IndiGo, all its peers, including Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet and GoAir have been forced to take similar steps to reduce costs. But this is the first formal announcement of a layoff by a domestic airline. Domestic flights were suspended in March, coinciding with the national lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus. The government later resumed domestic flights on May 25, asking carriers to limit their operations to one-third of this schedule. Though this limit was raised to 45 percent, airlines continue to operate at about 30 percent. "IndiGo is flying only a small percentage of its full fleet of 250 airplanes," Dutta said. Earlier this month, the top executive had said that the airline is operating about 30 percent of its fleet. He had pointed out that fixed costs are as high as 40 percent for airlines, and that IndiGo was spending Rs 40 crore a day during the lockdown. "That number has come down. We are trying to whittle that down further by flying more," he had said. Data from industry regulator DGCA showed that traffic had plummeted by 83.5 percent in June, year-on-year. While the latest statement from IndiGo didn't detail which of its employees will be impacted, Moneycontrol had earlier reported that some of the cabin crew members and ground staff had been laid off. Advisory firm CAPA India had said that the COVID-19 disruption will eventually leave about 30 percent of the aviation industry's workforce, redundant. Financial package Notice pay in lieu: Impacted employees will be paid notice pay in lieu of serving notice applicable to them. This will be calculated on the gross salary, basis the employees notice period. Severance payment: In addition to notice pay, impacted employees will be paid a severance pay which will be calculated as one month of CTC for every completed year of service, subject to a maximum of 12 months. "At a minimum, an impacted employee will receive at least 3-months gross salary, including both the above payments," the airline said. For those impacted by the layoff, IndiGo has announced a financial package. These include: The impacted employees will also be paid bonus and the performance lined incentive, when the company decides to make this pay-out to the rest of the employees during the financial year. While crew members will also get a longevity bonus, all the laid off staff will be able to encash their leave and will be given gratuity, the airline said. Apart from these measures, the airline said it will help the impacted employees through an 'outplacement allowance,' which will help them to pursue career options. These employees will also get a one-way ticket back home. Chinese electric car company Xpeng Motors has raised fresh funding as competition continues to heat up in China's so-called new energy vehicle market. The $500 million funding came from a group of investors including Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital China. It follows a $400 million cash injection in November from investors that included Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. China's electric vehicle sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Sales of new energy vehicles fell 33.1% year-on-year in June, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. However, sales have been rising month-on-month as the Chinese economy shows signs of rebounding. Earlier this year, the Chinese government unveiled policies it hoped will stimulate the electric car market. It said new energy vehicle subsidies and tax break policies that had been set to expire this year were extended to 2022. And charging infrastructure around the country got a 2.7 billion yuan ($385.7 million) injection. China's favorable policies toward the electric car market have helped spawn dozens of domestic brands and fueled intense competition. This month, Xpeng Motors started deliveries of its new P7 sedan which is seen as a competitor to Tesla's Model 3. In January, Tesla began rolling out Model 3 cars made in its Shanghai factory to customers in China. Chinese electric carmakers have recently been pushing to raise money. Earlier this month, Li Auto filed for an initial public offering in the U.S. but has not yet priced its shares. And U.S.-listed NIO said that it had secured 10.4 billion yuan worth of credit lines this month. But the pandemic has also hurt some electric vehicle firms in China. Start-up Byton said earlier this month that it was suspending business operations for six months and furloughing staff. Diane Regan has been bouncing for nearly 40 years. Shell be 78 in September and has a full head of hair and her own teeth. She doesnt wear glasses and is, as she likes to say, as flexible as a teenager. I learned how not to get old, says Regan. It all started four decades ago. I had a Panasonic dealership and in the middle of the store, I had a roll-top desk, where Id research alternative health products because people around me were dropping dead within a year of retiring. I said, Somethings wrong with this picture. She made it her lifes work to teach people how to get healthy, opening Triangle Healing Products, an alternative health store in Victoria, B.C. One of the bestselling items in her shop is the Bellicon rebounder, a mini-trampoline considered best in class. Regan even started a separate business, Rebounder Canada, dedicated solely to the sale of this product. Its probably the best machine for working out for people who arent into working out, says her son Barrie, who also works in the family business. As soon as your feet leave the mat, every muscle in your body flexes momentarily. The benefits of rebounding have been shown to be manyfold, engaging the core, legs, gluteus and back muscles, as well as the upper body if you incorporate arm movements. Its considered especially effective for stimulating lymph flow, helping the body rid itself of toxins and even boosting immunity. It also makes you break a serious sweat. A 1980 NASA study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that for similar levels of heart rate and oxygen consumption, the magnitude of the bio mechanical stimuli is greater with jumping on a trampoline than with running. And unlike running, its zero-impact, making it gentle on the joints and safe for people of all ages. (You can even add a handle bar to aid with balance.) If you spend just 20 minutes on a rebounder, youre getting an incredible workout, says Barrie. Some people enjoy simply bouncing up and down while watching TV, while others like to crank it up with a guided rebounding class. Celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue, whose clients include Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon, introduced mini-trampoline workouts in her L.A. and New York City studios. Heather Gagnon tried a class like that a few years ago and completely fell in love. So much so, she decided to open her own rebounding studio, House of Bounce in Montreal. Its a fun workout, it gets your heart rate up and its all around really good for your body, she says. House of Bounce sets its classes to music and integrates props such as arm bands and free weights for added intensity. Its like youre dancing, but youre on the trampoline, says Gagnon. An hour-long class can burn up to 1,000 calories. Since the start of COVID, the studio has been renting out its trampolines and offering live classes online. Its meant that for the first time ever, Gagnon brought a rebounder home. I leave it out all the time now, so if Im listening to music or working and want to shake things off a bit, I can just hop on, she says. Its my favourite piece of furniture! There is a wide variety of mini-trampolines on the market, ranging from about $60 all the way to $2,000. Like Regan, Gagnon swears by the Bellicon, which retails for upward of a $1,000, depending on the model. The German designs main point of difference is its use of bungee cords rather than metal springs, which make for a softer bounce. You dont get that jarring effect on your joints, says Regan. Shes currently sold out of Bellicons as rebounders have become increasingly popular during the pandemic. In Japan, retailers noted a steep rise in mini-trampoline sales as people looked for ways to stay fit at home. Even Goldie Hawn hopped on the trend, posting a video of herself bouncing at home with the caption Dance, jump and twirl like nobodys watching. Gagnon isnt surprised by the growing fitness trend. Before I discovered rebounding, I really struggled to find an exercise that I wanted to do consistently, that kept me motivated to keep coming back, she says. Finding a workout thats fun gives your body everything it needs and is something you want to keep doing has been life-changing. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20 2020 The World Bank has expressed strong criticism toward the omnibus bill on job creation, arguing that the proposed reform currently under deliberation at the House of Representatives could adversely affect the environment and labor rights. World Bank Indonesia and Timor Leste country director Satu Kahkonen said the bill was very much needed so Indonesia could attract foreign investors. However, she expressed concerns about the environmental and labor aspects of the bill. Its going to move Indonesias environmental legislation further away from the implementation of best practices, Kahkonen said during a virtual launch of the Indonesia Economic Prospect report on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login English Premiership club Leicester announced the signing of Argentine international Matias Moroni on Monday, with the Pumas player set to replace the departed Manu Tuilagi. The 29-year-old, who plays predominantly at centre, is one of five new faces at the club. Tuilagi ended his long association with Leicester earlier this month after failing to agree terms on an amended contract and has joined Premiership rivals Sale. Geordan Murphy, Leicester's director of rugby, said the 47-times capped Moroni would add quality on and off the pitch. "He has carved out an impressive career in the southern hemisphere, as well as featuring as a regular member of the Argentina squad since making his international debut and brings with him a wealth of experience," said Murphy. "Our conversations with Matias have shown him to be an impressive man, who will contribute to what we are building at Leicester Tigers off the pitch, as well as on the pitch with his work ethic and skill-set." Moroni, who joined from Super Rugby side Jaguares, said: "I'm delighted and honoured to be part of Leicester Tigers. It is such a historic club with the biggest crowd in England." Moroni, who can play at centre, wing or full-back, was one of five new signings announced by the club. Fiji international Kini Murimurivalu is another new arrival, ending an eight-year stay with French club La Rochelle. Murphy said: "He is not only entertaining in attack but also a physical, strong defensive player and adds a wealth of experience to our side." The other additions are Hurricanes' South African back Kobus van Wyk, former Harlequins back-rower Luke Wallace and English-born centre Guy Porter, who joins from the ACT Brumbies. Ten-time domestic champions Leicester would be bottom and facing relegation had Saracens not been penalised for persistent breaches of the salary cap. The 2019/20 Premiership season resumes next month following the coronavirus shutdown. Argentine centre Matias Moroni has joined Leicester Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 21 2020 Experts have made fresh calls to push for the immediate establishment of an independent fact-finding and reconciliation body as part of a long-overdue effort to resolve past human rights violations in Indonesias easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua. Beka Ulung Hapsara, a commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), emphasized the urgency of the initiative as he called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to address past rights abuses in Papua and West Papua through a truth and reconciliation commission (KKR) in accordance with Article 47 of the 2000 law on human rights courts. Considering the urgency of resolving gross violations of human rights and the absence of any legal umbrella for the formation of a KKR, the President may issue a regulation in lieu of law [Perppu] on a KKR, he said during the Papua Strategic Policy Forum online discussion held on Monday by Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada Universitys Papua Task Force and the School of Social and Political Sciences Capacity Building and Networking Center. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login TOKYO - Global shares were mixed in directionless trading Monday as the number of coronavirus cases soared in the U.S. and investors cautiously eyed the summit of European leaders discussing the pandemic crisis. Frances CAC 40 shed 0.5% in early trading to 5,043.73. Germanys DAX was little changed at 12,906.87, down less than 0.1%. Britains FTSE 100 slipped nearly 0.4% to 6,268.07. U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 0.1% at 26,486.5. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2% to 3,208.38. Hayaki Narita, at the Asia and Oceania Treasury Department of Mizuho Bank, said rising numbers of confirmed infections in the U.S., trade tensions between the U.S. and China and the EU policy impasse were all adding to market risks. But with increasing dangers of political missteps and policy fumbles, the question is whether things could start to come undone in a more alarming manner, said Narita. Japans benchmark Nikkei 225 recouped earlier losses to finish less than 0.1% higher at 22,717.48. South Koreas Kospi was little changed, dipping 0.1% to 2,198.20. Australias S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5% to 6,001.60. Hong Kongs Hang Seng edged 0.1% lower to 25,057.99, while the Shanghai Composite gained 3.1% to 3,314.15. Talks between European Union leaders failed to reach an agreement on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and a coronavirus recovery fund to tackle the crisis. They were meeting again Monday on the fourth day of a summit that began Friday. Japan reported trade data showing exports fell 26.2% in June from a year earlier. Its trade-reliant economy has plunged into recession and its outbreaks of COVID-19 cases, while still fewer than the hardest hit nations, have been growing recently, especially in Tokyo. Asia markets are looking to a muted start to the week, caught between growing COVID-19 cases around the globe while looking to the series of earnings releases this week, said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore. Signs that an outbreak of the coronavirus has spread to a second city in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang, even as authorities close off communities and impose travel restrictions in the regional capital Urumqi, further darkened the mood. In India, a new record surge of 40,425 reported cases in the past 24 hours took the nations cumulative total to more than 1.1 million. India also had another 681 deaths, taking its total fatalities to 27,497. Corporate earnings and U.S. unemployment data are expected to draw attention this week, according to analysts. Benchmark U.S. crude lost 33 cents to $40.26 a barrel. It slipped 16 cents to $40.59 a barrel on Friday. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 32 cents to $42.82 a barrel. The U.S. dollar was trading at 107.17 Japanese yen, up slightly from 107.04 yen Friday. The euro inched up to $1.1466 from $1.1430. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Havana, Cuba Mon, July 20, 2020 09:17 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b8310 2 World Cuba,havana,coronavirus,local-transmissions,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free Cuba for the first time in 130 days on Sunday said there were no new domestic cases of COVID-19 as most of the country moved into the final phase of resuming normal activities with masks and social distancing. Francisco Duran, head of epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health, and who has updated the country daily on the pandemic, took off his mask during the national broadcast for only the second time deliver the good news. Duran, on Saturday did the same, reporting just a single domestic case in Havana. Only a handful of COVID-19 cases were reported in Cuba over the last week, all in Havana. Most of the Caribbean island, home to 11.2 million inhabitants, has been free of the disease for more than a month. I always tell you to stay safe at home, but I know many will go to the beach today, Duran said, smiling, before reminding his television audience about social distancing. The capital's 2.2 million residents remain at the first phase of three stages of reopening where they can once more move around on public and private transport, go to the beach and other recreation centers, and enjoy a seaside drive just in time for the summer break. They can also dine and have a drink. Each phase allows capacity at venues to increase from an initial 60%. Interprovincial transportation begins during phase two, while phase three includes schools reopening. Social distancing and wearing masks remain mandatory in most circumstances. The country has opened a group of isolated resort keys to international tourism. Phase three broadens international travel depending on risk. The Communist-run country has been given high marks for its textbook handling of the pandemic. Cuba's robust and free community-based health system, door-to-door search for carriers, isolation of the sick, suspected cases and contacts has allowed it to keep the number of infections under 2,500 with 87 deaths. The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday asked the Maharashtra government and National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to a petition filed by activists Vernon Gonsalves and Dr. Anand Teltumbde, who are lodged in Navi Mumbais Taloja Jail in connection with 2018 Elgar Parishad/Bhima Koregaon case, seeking directions to authorities to make the undertrials undergo coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tests. The activists are booked under the stringent The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPAA), 2019, for their alleged links with the outlawed Communist Party of India (CPI) (Maoist) and for organsing the Elgar Parishad event. They sought to undergo the Covid-19 tests, as they were in close touch with Telugu poet and social activist and a fellow accused in the case, P Varavara Rao (81), who was found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, at Sir JJ Hospital on July 16. They stated in their plea that they want to undergo Covid-19 tests for their own safety and that of other inmates. Gonsalves was in close touch with Rao, as he was assigned to take care of him because of his failing health condition. The plea was moved after Rao tested Covid-19 positive. The plea also made a case for Dr. Teltumbde to undergo the Covid-19 test because he, too, was admitted to Sir JJ Hospital. Gonsalves is suffering from multiple health issues, including hypertension. While Dr. Teltumbde has a host of chronic health conditions such as bronchitis asthma, cervical spondylitis, supraspinatus tendinosis and he is susceptible to Covid-19. A two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices SS Shinde and SP Tavade, while hearing the application of Gonsalves and Dr. Teltumbde was informed by senior advocate Mihir Desai that the accused were not seeking interim bail but only asking for permission to get themselves tested for Covid-19, as they were in touch with an infected Rao. The petition, filed through advocate Devyanii Kulkarni, said both the accused are suffering from multiple health issues and they are apprehensive that they might have contracted SARS-CoV-2 from Rao. Additional Solicitor general Anil Singh, who appeared for NIA, submitted that the investigating agency did not have any objection, if the request was granted, but it had to be done as per the norms laid down by various court orders passed previously. He, however, sought time to take instructions in this regard. Public prosecutor Deepak Thakare, who represented the Maharashtra government, also sought time for similar instructions. Initially, the bench remarked that the request of the petitioners could be easily complied with, but later it sought to know whether they would be willing to be confined in isolation centres, if they test Covid-19 positive. The court said it would not pass any order and issued notices to the state government and NIA to respond to the plea by Thursday, when the case will be heard next. NIA had taken over the Elgar Parishad case from Pune Police in February. Earlier, on January 1, 2018, violence erupted between Dalits and Marathas near the village of Bhima Koregaon in Pune district, where thousands of Dalits had gathered to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon. In the battle, the British Armys Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the Brahmin Peshwa rulers of the Maratha empire. The commemoration took place a day after an event in Pune called the Elgar Parishad was held. The Pune Police conducted a preliminary probe and claimed that the violence in Bhima Koregaon was the result of speeches made at the Elgar Parishad event. They alleged that banned Maoist groups organised the event, and a first information report (FIR) was also filed. In June 2018, the Pune Police arrested five activists and lawyers from Pune, Nagpur, and Delhi Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, and Shoma Sen for their alleged links to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and also for organising the Elgar Parishad event. In August 2018, the police arrested four more activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Gonsalves, and Rao. While Gautam Navlakha and Dr. Teltumbde were arrested on April 14 this year, taking the total number of the accused in the case to 11. FP Trending China is gearing up to launch its first rover to Mars on a mission to gather scientific data on 23 July. It has placed a rocket named Long March-5 carrier into position to lift off the rover from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern island province of Hainan, reported the Associated Press. The rocket is slated to blast off in late July (tentatively 23 July) but certainly by early August, since China will try to make good use of its one-month window to launch. This is when the Red planet and Earth are in an ideal alignment on the same side of the Sun, to minimise travel time and fuel use. The first mission to Mars from China is dubbed Tianwen-1 and includes an orbiting spacecraft, a lander and a rover, according to CNet. Space agencies get such a window only once every 26 months, the AP report adds. The Long March-5 carrier is Chinas heaviest-lift launch vehicle and has never been used with a payload. However, the rocket has been used experimentally three times. "Tianwen-1 is going to orbit, land and release a rover all on the very first try, and coordinate observations with an orbiter. No planetary missions have ever been implemented in this way," reported the tech website quoting the mission's chief scientist. The Tianwen-1 mission aims to create a geological map of the Red Planet and examine the characteristics of the Martian soil. It will explore the Martian atmosphere and climate at the surface, besides understanding the electromagnetic and gravitational fields of the planet. According to Space.com , the spacecraft awaits final tests to be conducted by engineers before launch. It also reported quoting Li Benqi, command member for the Long March-5 launch mission, that testing for all technical items on the rock has been done. "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," he said. Apart from China, the US and the United Arab Emirates are also vying to contribute to Mars science by 2021. The UAE successfully launched its Mars Orbiter Hope (Al Amal) on 20 July from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan. The US, too, is going to blast off its Perseverance Mars rover to the Red Planet tentatively on 30 July. iStock/LalocracioBy: KATIE KINDELAN, ABC News (PORTLAND) -- As protesters continue to clash with federal law enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, a group of moms stepped up to help protect the protesters. More than two dozen women created what they called a Wall of Moms over the weekend to create a barrier between protesters and federal officers, who are under fire for their use of force against people protesting police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. The women, who wore face masks and helmets for safety, chanted, "Feds steer clear, moms are here," as they linked arms to form the barrier, according to ABC News' Kayna Whitworth, who is covering the protests in Portland. "Many of them who were here last night tell me they were tear gassed by federal authorities - but they are back today - and they brought their friends," Whitworth wrote on Instagram. The Wall of Moms is the brainchild of Bev Barnum, a mom of two who organized a Facebook event calling on moms to meet at the protest site on Saturday evening. "We moms are often underestimated. But were stronger than were given credit for," Barnum, who could not be reached by ABC News, wrote on Facebook. "So what do you say, will you stand with me? Will you help me create a wall of moms?" "Thank you so much for being brave. Thank you for being willing to help the protestors," Barnum wrote on her post, which received more than 500 responses. Barnum reflected on the success of the moms' movement in a later post, writing alongside a photo of the moms at the protest, "When I asked moms to join me in protest on Friday night, while I was in my pj's, getting ready for bed . . . I didn't imagine that this would be my reality by Sunday morning." "In the span of 30hrs, women from all across the world have asked how they too can make this happen in their community," she wrote. "You want to know the truth? You have to ask your friends to stand with you. You have to ask strangers to trust you enough to go into harms way. And you most especially have to trust that these women are going to show up until there isn't a single protestor left to protect." Barnum and two other women also formed a Wall of Moms group on Facebook that now has nearly 3,000 members, including everyone from local moms interested in attending a protest to moms in states across the country asking how they can help. "We got gassed last night and it did suck, but weve all been through childbirth, IEP meetings, and long barf-filled nights," Maureen Kenny Mimiaga, one of Barnum's co-founders, wrote on Facebook. "We got this." The federal agents deployed in Portland this week were part of a Department of Homeland Security task force established to respond to the growing protests and acts of civil disobedience that came after the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The state's attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into two "unlawful" tactics allegedly made by federal agents. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum also announced she filed a federal civil lawsuit on Friday evening against the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin the process for a restraining order to stop the agents "from unlawfully detaining Oregonians." ABC News' Christina Carrega contributed to this report. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. (Natural News) A British personality who last year earned the title of Miss Swimsuit U.K. has been stripped of her honor and award after recently posting on social media that All Lives Matter. Jasmine Archer-Jones, 23, from Chester, has had her crown taken away, and her reputation and dignity dragged through the mud, all because she does not agree with the anti-White sentiments of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which insists that only Black lives matter. Archer-Jones, who moved to Texas this past year after winning her title, took to Facebook to air her grievances over all that is happening in response to the news that George Floyd had died due to racism. This is ridiculous now, she wrote in a June 3 post. It HAS to STOP. ALL lives matter, if you look deeply into statistics, more UNARMED WHITE people DIED than BLACK last year. Yes some people may say George Floyd died when he was innocent but I am yet to see hard evidence of this, she further added. Archer-Jones also stated controversially that there is video footage of George Floyd refusing to get out of his car after officers presented him with search warrants. This, she wrote, necessitated the officers using whatever means necessary to restrain the person. Just a few weeks after this, Archer-Jones boyfriend, U.S.-based talent agency boss Todd Markey, put up a photo of White BLM protesters making a scene in the streets, along with the caption: White guilt is real. White privilege is a leftist lie. Couldnt have said it better myself, Markey wrote in his own caption to the photo, which was eventually leaked to the media, triggering the outrage mob to demand that Archer-Jones be stripped of her title for wrongthink. Miss Swimsuit U.K. has officially removed Archer-Jones from its website, meaning she is no longer listed as having won anything in the competition or even having participated in it. The competition also took issue with Archer-Jones, suggesting that George Floyd may have had drugs in his system at the time when he was arrested and later died at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. Differences of opinion are no longer tolerable in this new world order Markey, we have learned, is a President Trump-supporting father of two who lived in South Africa as a child, and there learned how to speak Afrikaans. He has been an outspoken critic of the BLM protests, calling them out for their violence and destruction against innocent Americans. Also last month, Markey put up a photo of Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and the citys mayor Sylvester Turner prancing around with their arms locked together with BLM protesters. So if these sprinkle **** are out frolicking like a bunch of happy go lucky **** nuts Why are the rest of the hard working people in this city being forced to stay home or close their businesses? Markey asked in a social media post. Im starting to see the picture here and I am guessing rules dont apply to certain peoples agendas. As it turns out, Miss Swimsuit U.K. is a proud supporter of BLM, which is why it acted swiftly to cancel Archer-Jones from ever having participated in its competition. The group also successfully bullied Archer-Jones into removing the post, after which it canceled her anyway. This is war on white people, wrote one Daily Mail Online commenter in response to the news. I guess some people cant handle the truth, wrote another. If I [were] a sponsor for that pageant, I would immediately pull my funding. More related news about the cancel culture mob ruining peoples lives and careers over differences of opinion is available at LiberalMob.com. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com The suspect in a shooting at the New Brunswick, N.J., home of federal judge Esther Salas has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The gunman was identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-described anti-feminist and attorney with a focus on mens rights, according to multiple reports. It is not yet clear what Hollanders motive was, however New Yorks ABC 7 reported that investigators believe Salass husband Mark Anderl, a criminal defense attorney, may have been the target. The shooter killed the couples 20-year-old son Daniel, a student at Catholic University, and wounded Anderl, who is in critical but stable condition. The gunman arrived at Salass house dressed as a FedEx delivery person. We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities, a spokesman for FedEx told CNN. Salas has presided over a number of high-profile cases, including the sentencing of a Newark gang leader, and was recently appointed to oversee a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank over alleged failure to properly screen the finances of Jeffrey Epstein. New Brunswick mayor Francis Mac Womack told reporters on Sunday that he was not aware of any recent threats to Salas. As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any, Womack said. More from National Review The son of New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas was killed and her husband critically injured by a gunman who attacked them at their home Sunday night, according to multiple reports. The judge herself was not injured but her son Daniel Anderl, 20, died after he was shot and her husband Mark Anderl, 63, is in critical but stable condition. A shooter disguised as a Federal Express delivery driver appeared at Salass home in North Brunswick around 5 p.m. on Sunday, and her son answered the door. He was shot through the heart, said North Brunswick Mayor Francis Mac Womack. As of Sunday night, the shooter, who fled, was still at large, law enforcement said. The Newark FBI also said it is investigating and looking for one subject. Salass son was a freshman at Catholic University and had reportedly planned on attending law school. Salas has presided over a number of prominent cases, including sentencing an accused gang leader to decades in prison, and had received threats. She also recently dealt with a case involving Deutsche Bank investors who sued over the banks failure to properly monitor customers who were high-risk, including the late financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any, Womack said. Authorities are also investigating whether the shooting is connected to Salass work as well as her husbands job as a criminal defense attorney. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. FedEx said it is aware of the incident involving a gunman dressed as one of its drivers. We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities, FedEx said in a statement. More from National Review ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday threatened to roll back the phased reopening by closing down bars and restaurants if social-distancing rules aren't adhered to more strictly. "One of the main threats to our progress is the number of congregations that we're seeing across the state, but especially in downstate, primarily of young people," Cuomo said. "And we saw it again over the weekend. It is a problem, and I'm telling you in plain New York-speak that it's stupid and it has to stop. ... These restaurants and bars are breaking the law and they are going to make it bad for everyone else, because if this continues we're going to have to roll back the reopening plan and close all bars and restaurants." The governor's warning followed a weekend of large gatherings across the state that he said are imperiling public safety and threatening to trigger a resurgence in New York's coronavirus cases. "The local governments are not doing their job," he said. Cuomo said the pandemic is surging in 41 other states. He is sending equipment and medication from New York to Texas, Florida and Georgia, where he traveled Monday for another press event. In Savannah, Cuomo took part in a roundtable meeting between a New York delegation that included members of his coronavirus task force and Mayor Van R. Johnson's health care team. "It's not me who's going, it's the people of New York who are helping," he said before boarding a JetBlue charter flight, which was donated for the trip. It's unclear whether New York is donating materials to other states or selling the supplies and equipment. Cuomo said New York is also sending contact tracer teams to Georgia to assist with efforts to identify those who had contact with an infected person. The governor said he would not self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning because he will be in Georgia less than 24 hours and he is an "essential worker." More than 20 states, including Georgia, have been flagged by New York under an order that requires people returning from those states to self-quarantine for two weeks. There are exceptions for essential workers, unless their travel is unrelated to their job. Al Bello New York's infection rate based on testing results hovered a little above 1 percent on Sunday as hospitalizations from symptoms associated with COVID-19 fell to 716, the lowest number since March 18, when the pandemic began to take off in New York. But Cuomo said even though New York has passed its apex and cases have dwindled, the regulations remain in effect despite what he termed "illegal" congregations of people, many of them young. "They believe they're superheroes," he said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. He again called on local police departments to help enforce the social-distancing rules. "It's the summer, but I'm telling you it has to stop," the governor said. "If young people are going to come out and do something stupid, local governments have to enforce the law. ... The bad restaurants and bars are making it worse for the good ones. ... They are going to make it bad for everyone." The state Liquor Authority has 30 investigators who cover the state and are tasked with enforcing the rules mandating social distancing in restaurants that have reopened in addition to other areas of enforcement. But Cuomo said that unit is not able to handle all of the reported violations associated with the coronavirus rules and that local governments must take a stronger role in enforcement. Cuomo blamed other states' surge in cases on President Donald Trump, claiming the federal government has not handled the problem and that states whose leaders "listened to the president" are paying a price. In March, Cuomo had said that other states would face the same trajectory as New York's as the pandemic spread across the country. The quarantine by New York does not affect motorists traveling between states, as Cuomo acknowledged "we don't have a program for that." The enforcement of the quarantine is focused on airports. The states flagged by the state Department of Health are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The state of Delaware was removed from the list last week. Travelers flying into New York airports from states with high rates of coronavirus infections also face the threat of a summons and $2,000 fine if they decline to fill out forms disclosing their travel plans. "I'm telling you, we are right on the line," Cuomo said, referring to an increasing spread of the virus in other states and the illegal congregations in New York. Barack Obama helped Democrats raise millions by making an appearance at a fundraiser Sunday night aimed at ensuring the party keeps their majority in the House in November. The event this weekend was the last installment of a four-part virtual series of events hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and in the four nights she was able to raise $14 million for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic lawmakers defending their seat and candidates running to either keep or flip districts blue. The four events were executive-produced by John Legend. The musician and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, are both vocal Trump critics and have become increasingly involved in Democrat politics. Obama headlined the last night of the 'Hold the House' series and said during his remarks that the Democrat-majority House is the only governmental establishment fighting back against President Donald Trump's 'lawlessness.' 'One good reason to keep the House is to keep Nancy Pelosi speaker, and that would be enough,' the former president indulged the events' host. Former President Barack Obama headlined a virtual fundraiser Sunday for the Democratic Party, lawmakers and candidates he called Donald Trump's White House 'lawless' during his remarks and urged that Democrats need to keep their majority in the House Sunday's event was the last in a four-part 'Hold the House' virtual series hosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which raised $14 million The series was executive-produced by musician John Legend Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, are vocal and avid Trump critics and Teigen often responds or tweets about her hatred of the president 'But look, if you look at the last two years or year and a half,' Obama continued, 'the House has been the bulwark against a lawlessness that we've seen and a disregard for basic democratic norms that has come not just from the White House, but has been enabled by the Republicans in the Senate and, if they had their druthers, the Republicans in the House.' The comments came as the Trump administration continues to receive criticism for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and massive nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and civil unrest due to increased tensions and relations between the black community and law enforcement. Obama's vice president, Joe Biden, is the presumed Democratic nominee set to take on Trump in November. Democrats are also attempting to keep their majority in the House and defend and take enough seats in the Senate to win a majority there. The former president asserts that the majority in Congress is needed, especially if Trump earns another term in the White House. In the 116th Congress there are 232 Democrats in the House to the 197 Republicans, along with one lone Libertarian Michigan Rep. Justin Amash who flipped from Republican to independent last year. There are now five vacancies in the House after Georgia Rep. John Lewis died last week after battling pancreatic cancer. Teigen often tweets she 'hates' the president and calls him names like a 'child,' 'twat' and other profanities Donald Trump once clapped back at the couple, who have increasingly become involved in Democratic politics, calling Legend a 'boring musician' and Teigen his 'filthy mouthed wife' In the Senate, Republicans hold the majority with 53 seats to Democrats 45 seats the two other seats are held by independents who both lean left and caucus with Democrats. Democrats are fundraising to 'Hold the House,' which they flipped blue in the 2018 midterms, but they also want to gain the few seats needed to flip the Senate as well. Legend, who organized and made sure the fundraising events went off without a hitch, and his wife, often rail against Trump in public remarks or on Twitter. Teigen directly responds to many of Trump's tweets, saying 'I hate you' and 'no one likes you,' and calling the president a 'child,' a 'twat,' 'insane' and several profanities. Trump clapped back at the couple once in a September 2019 tweet where he dubbed Legend as a 'boring musician' and Teigen as his 'filthy mouthed wife' when talking about his criminal justice reform push. Mount Greylock School Committee Charts 'Expedited' Superintendent Hiring Process WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Friday outlined its schedule for selecting the district's next permanent superintendent. If all goes according to plan, the committee hopes to learn the names of its finalists, interview those contenders and vote on its final selection within the span of three days at the end of the month with the intention of getting a new superintendent in the job in early August. On Friday, the panel heard an orientation to the superintendent search selection process from representatives of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The Mount Greylock School Committee designated MASC to screen applications for the district's chief executive officer and bring forward up to five candidates for public interviews and consideration by the School Committee. The departure this month of Superintendent Kimberley Grady left the district in the hands of Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam, who was appointed on July 6 during Grady's medical leave of absence. Putnam's appointment only runs through the end of August, Carolyn Greene noted during Friday's virtual meeting. The short-term nature of his commitment is one reason why the School Committee decided on an expedited process for hiring a permanent superintendent. "For Plan B [an extended search in the winter and spring], one of the things that would also involve is hiring another interim superintendent during that search process," Greene said. "We have an interim right now who is scheduled to be with us until the end of August. If we would need to go to Plan B, we'd need to potentially hire another interim. "That's one of the reasons we're doing an expedited search. We have an interim for a short period of time, and it's good to have that opportunity." The executive director of the MASC pushed the School Committee to avoid trying to fill a second interim vacancy, which typically attracts recently retired administrators with the proper skill set and desire to work for a brief period of time. "The availability of interim superintendents is different around different parts of the state," Glenn Koocher told the committee. "I could not guarantee it will be easy to find an interim superintendent. The availability of good, experienced interim superintendents is less in Western Massachusetts than it may be elsewhere, which is why your Plan A does make a lot of sense." On the other hand, Koocher said the Mount Greylock School District remains an attractive destination for superintendents and would-be superintendents seeking a permanent posting despite its somewhat tumultuous recent history with the position. "I know it's a good district," he said. "The quality of life is great. People may be able to afford real estate out there and settle in. There are people who would be interested in the opportunity to work in a college town with the elements of a diverse community up and down Route 7. "I suggest you'll have a significant pool and will have a hard time making a decision." The job was posted on the MASC website on Tuesday, July 14. Koocher said on July 17 that he had "talked to two people yesterday and one today," but he did not expect the applications to be filed until the last moment. "Superintendent applicants are a notoriously procrastinating group of people," he said. "We're used to getting 80 to 90 percent of the applications in the last five days of a search no matter how long the search stays open." As of Monday morning, there were two superintendent searches active on the MASC website: Mount Greylock (application deadline July 28) and Millis in central Massachusetts (deadline Aug. 14). The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents also lists openings, but many of the job listings are left on the site long after the deadlines for application have passed. Not everyone was as sanguine as Koocher about the School Committee's push for an expedited search. At the start of Friday's meeting, the committee heard emails from three residents who were concerned that the committee is neither devoting adequate time nor allowing sufficient public input through mechanisms like a traditional superintendent search committee. In a non-expedited search, the School Committee has the power to appoint a search committee including faculty, administrators, parents, students and other community members to review applications, conduct initial interviews and recommend finalists to the School Committee, which has ultimate hiring authority. The School Committee also would have time to conduct reference checks and do site visits to the finalists' home districts. In the expedited search favored by the Mount Greylock School Committee, the initial screening of applications and reference checks will be conducted by the staff at MASC services the district already has paid for with its annual dues to the statewide organization. Amy Perry Mercier, a resident of Lanesborough, practicing attorney and vice chair of the district's Parent Advisory Council, called on the School Committee to eschew the expedited search in favor of a more conventional approach. "I would ask that, as has been done historically, a member of the special education Parents Advisory Council board sit on the hiring committee for the new superintendent," Mercier wrote in an email read into the record by Steven Miller. After citing the provision of Massachusetts General Law that creates PACs in school districts, Mercier continued. "In its duties in advising the School Committee, it has historically occurred that members of the PAC have been on various hiring committees," Mercier wrote. "The reason it is important is that the Superintendent, as well as other administration officials, make policies and procedures which impact children who receive special education, including policies and procedures regarding to [sic] the education and safety of students with disabilities, as well as directives to follow Federal and State Special Education Law. "The position of Superintendent is an important decision for this school committee. By failing to include [the] PAC in making hiring decisions, you are not permitting the PAC to fulfill its statutory obligations. While I understand the urgency to have a Superintendent in place, this is not a decision to be taken in a rushed manner. All stakeholders need to be considered when hiring such critical personnel." After hearing Mercier's and two other letters in opposition to the expedited search, School Committee Chair Christina Conry made a couple of points. "The School Committee is dedicated, first and foremost, to the district," Conry said. "We continue to want to work hard toward building community. The School Committee also takes seriously its roles and responsibilities. Hiring a superintendent may be our absolutely greatest responsibility to the district. "I would like to propose, since we are taking hits on social media, that it might be in the district's best interest to allow MASC to take on the screening process of applicants. That would keep applicants anonymous during the screening process in the event they haven't notified their employers of their outreach for a new position. Also, it might help to allay community fears that the School Committee has already hand picked candidates prior to the interview process. In addition, I have been assured by MASC that nobody outside the MASC staff will see the applicants because of the seriousness of potentially jeopardizing someone's current employment. It is important to note that MASC staff and its executive board are two different entities. No current or past district employees serve as part of the MASC staff." One former district employee, former Assistant and later acting Superintendent Andrea Wadsworth, is a member of the 14-person MASC Board of Directors, occupying the Division VI chair on the board. Koocher, the executive director of the association, is hired by and reports to the board of directors. The School Committee on Friday spent some time discussing how to involve members of the community in the expedited search process. Conry again asked that residents who have questions for candidates submit them to her email at cconry@mgrhs.org . The School Committee committed to trying to incorporate some of those questions into a list of questions it will compile for the finalists during a meeting on either July 29 or 30. The committee already has a meeting posted for July 30 for the purpose of reviewing the school reopening plan Putnam has to submit to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on July 31. On Monday, the School Committee reposted the originally scheduled July 30 meeting for July 29. Assuming that interview questions can be drafted on July 29, the MASC agreed to schedule interview blocks of 60 to 75 minutes plus 30-minute virtual "meet and greets" for community members to interact with each finalist on July 30 and 31. The committee discussed using Aug. 1 for more "meet and greets" and interviews if there are too many finalists to accommodate on July 30 and 31. The job listing on the MASC website specifies the new superintendent is to begin work in the district "August 3, 2020 or as soon as possible." An Aug. 3 start date would assume that after receiving applications up until July 28 the interviews and selection could be completed by Aug. 2, the prospective candidate is coming from a job where he or she does not give any notice and the School Committee and new superintendent can negotiate a contract before Monday. The personal assistant charged with murdering his wealthy tech entrepreneur boss has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. Tyrese Haspil, 21, was arrested and charged with second degree murder Friday over the grisly death of Fahim Saleh, 33, in his Lower East Side apartment last week. Police say Saleh was killed inside the $2.2million residence Monday afternoon, and was beheaded and dismembered the following day before his remains were found by a family member. The suspect appeared for his arraignment just after midnight on Saturday, facing a charge of second-degree murder in his boss' death. Haspil (left) was arrested on Friday and charged with second-degree murder in the death of his boss Fahim Saleh (right). Saleh, the 33-year-old CEO of Nigerian ride-sharing firm Gokada, was found decapitated and dismembered at his Lower East Side apartment four days earlier Police said Saleh was killed in his $2.2million apartment building (pictured) on Monday A spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society told DailyMail.com that Haspil entered a plea of not guilty. His lawyers from the nonprofit organization, which is representing the accused man, said they were 'in the very earliest stages of ferreting out the truth, ' in the case. 'The life of this case promises to be long and complex,' the lawyers, Sam Roberts and Neville Mitchell said in a prepared statement. 'As the attorneys for Mr. Haspil, we urge the public to keep an open mind'. The lawyers added that 'there was 'much more to this narrative', beyond what the murder suspect is accused of. A relative of Tyrese Haspil (pictured) has revealed the troubled childhood that led up to the 21-year-old's arrest for the murder of his tech entrepreneur boss Haspil had a troubled childhood but never showed a violent streak, one of his relatives has revealed. His aunt, Marjorie Sine, expressed her shock over the stunning allegations against her nephew in an interview with the New York Daily News published Sunday. Sine said that Haspil was quiet and 'at times annoying' as a child, when he was bounced around between relatives and foster homes. 'I thought [police] made a mistake because he never showed his emotions,' Sine, 52, said of Haspil. 'His behavior, the way he was, he acted nonchalantly. He would do whatever he wanted.' Haspil allegedly displayed that nonchalance in the days between Saleh's murder and the suspect's arrest, as a series of surveillance videos purportedly showed him strolling around Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood a mile from the crime scene. Law enforcement sources said Haspil was even seen purchasing a bouquet of birthday balloons he bought with a credit card he had allegedly stolen from Saleh. 'This guy is the new American Psycho, only dumber,' one police source told the New York Post. Haspil's aunt described his unstable upbringing in her interview with the Daily News, revealing that he was just a child when his mother landed in a mental institution. Sine, who lives in Valley Stream, said Haspil's maternal grandmother stepped in to raise him until she died when he was just 12 years old. Haspil then moved in with Sine for about five years, but she turned him over to a foster care family when he was 17 after he became increasingly disrespectful to his aunt. 'He wasn't listening to me so he left,' Sine said. 'That's what happened, we went to court. I couldn't deal with it anymore.' The last time Sine saw Haspil was during the court proceedings before he went into foster care, she said, noting that his father died a year later. Roughly four years later, she learned on Friday that her nephew had been accused of brutally executing his boss after allegedly stealing $100,000 from the tech tycoon. Sine said that while Haspil was a handful as a teen, he never showed any signs of violence while living with her. 'Not here, because I would not tolerate it,' she said. 'I was thinking about it all last night and there wasn't anything else I could say or do.' A series of surveillance videos purportedly showed Haspil strolling around Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood - less than a mile from the crime scene - with an unidentified female friend over the two days between when Saleh's body was found and when he was arrested A much darker narrative about Haspil has emerged from authorities who obtained video of him buying an electric saw and cleaning supplies just hours before he allegedly murdered Saleh. Prosecutors have not released the name of the store where Haspil was recorded buying the supplies, which were later discovered inside Saleh's apartment. The personal assistant normally resides near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and prosecutors said footage showed him making the transaction late in the morning of July 13. 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. Detectives are seen escorting Haspil out of the 7th Precinct for transport to central booking on Friday. The suspect was dressed in Tyvek coveralls and a surgical mask 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. 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 Detectives are seen outside Saleh's apartment building on Wednesday as they investigated the tech guru's grisly murder Prior to his arrest, Haspil was reportedly staying at a luxury loft-style condo at 172 Crosby Street in Noho - less than a mile from the murder scene. Surveillance video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com shows Haspil on Wednesday around 12.30pm leaving the Crosby Street building where he was later arrested. 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. Other surveillance videos obtained by the New York Post purportedly showed Haspil coming and going from the apartment with an unidentified female companion. Authorities have not said if the woman was being sought for questioning and there is no indication that she had knowledge of Saleh's murder. As investigators canvassed the gruesome crime scene, Haspil allegedly went on a shopping spree across upscale stores near his apartment using Saleh's stolen credit card, sources told the Post. In several videos Haspil's mystery pal was seen carrying a leather tote bag he is believed to have purchased for her, one source said. At one point the pair were filmed stepping out of an Uber with a shopping bag from Christian Louboutin, the Post reported. And in one video recorded at 2.20pm Wednesday, a man believed to be Hapsil was seen accepting a delivery of three shiny gold birthday balloons - two shaped like the number 2 and a third shaped like a heart. The Post noted that its unlikely Haspil bought the birthday balloons for himself as he'd just celebrated his 21st in January. The suspect's final two days of freedom came to an end of Friday morning as detectives swarmed his NoHo apartment and led him out in handcuffs. Hours later, Haspil was filmed being escorted out of the 7th Precinct wearing a surgical mask and Tyvek coveralls for transport to central booking. Detectives take Haspil into custody on Friday morning in the NoHo area of Manhattan 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. 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 (pictured in May 2019) was the chief executive officer of a ride-hailing motorcycle startup called Gokada that began operating in Nigeria in 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. 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 The Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa has commended the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for exemplifying civilian-military co-operation by working so closely with engineers, architects and other built environment professionals from the Ghana Armed Forces to build the countrys first infectious disease isolation and treatment centre. Lieutenant General Akwa was speaking after touring the facility which has been completed just three months after ground was broken for the project to start. This is a great example of what collaboration and partnership can achieve in a short period of time, General Akwa said. From the time that we were here a couple of weeks ago until now the transformation that has taken place speaks to the quality of partnership, leadership, resilience and the fortitude to begin a project and end it. General Akwa added: One of the sayings in the military is that when we select an aim or an objective we see it to the end. So the selection and the maintenance of an aim is the key principle for all military operations and you have demonstrated it here very clearly. I will like to thank these young and unassuming professionals for this great initiative and I am proud the Ghana Armed Forces collaborated with [the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund] and have also worked hard to prove the quality of man power we have. General Akwa expressed the hope that there will be more opportunities in the future for the military and the civilian population to work hand-in-hand on bigger projects. The CDS was accompanied on his inspection tour by the Director of Engineering Services at the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel E. A. Shooter. They were taken round the facility by a some of the trustees of the Ghana Covid-19 Sector Fund, including Edward Effah, Chairman of Fidelity Bank and Managing Trustee, Senyo Hosi. On behalf of the Fund, Mr. Hosi expressed gratitude to the Ghana Armed Forces for their assistance and collaboration toward the completion of the facility. He was also hopeful that the engineers and architects from the Ghana Armed Forces will be available to help with the construction of similar infectious disease centres in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. We are hoping to raise funds to start the project in Kumasi which will be Ghanas second infectious disease center and then may be continue in Takoradi and Tamale and we are looking forward to continuing this partnership, Mr. Hosi said. It shouldnt be a competition between the public sector and the private sector. There should be collaboration to deliver good service to the people of Ghana and this is the perfect example of what such a collaboration can do. Watch video here: With United States President Donald Trump pushing for schools to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, Parkway school district administrators discussed a flexible reopening plan that would include full-time in-person classes, full-time online learning, and a hybrid system. Pushing forward with reopening According to AP News, district officials are wary of the threat of the coronavirus despite Trump insisting that the pandemic is the least of the country's concern. The fall semester classes are set to open in five weeks, raising doubts about the predictions made for the safety of the students and teachers. Schools across the nation are planning to resume classes on August 24 despite some states seeing a surge in coronavirus cases with Missouri being the worst-stricken in June and seeing a massive spike in positive infections and hospitalizations. Assistant Superintendent Kevin Beckner stated that two weeks ago he already believed of the possibility that they would be coming back. Recently, however, he expressed his doubts about returning due to the sudden change in the coronavirus situation. With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients across the United States, schools are facing the dilemma of choosing how to reopen their education establishments while keeping their personnel and students safe from the virus. Trump has been continually pushing states to reopen their schools and allow students to go back to in-person learning and has previously threatened international students that he would be barring their stay and entry into the US if they take online-only classes. Also Read: Fauci Urges Young People to Take COVID-19 Seriously, Pleads Not to Propagate Pandemic In an interview on Sunday, Trump told reporters he believes children should be going to school and that staying at home for extended periods result in other problems. The US president also shared that funding would be cut if schools choose not to reopen. The Republican president also noted that it was unfortunate the country was hit by the deadly coronavirus that resulted in the nation's lockdown. Trump said the government's actions helped save millions of lives and that they are now ready to open up and go back to school. New normal to education The United States' second-largest public school system, the Los Angeles Unified School District, announced last week that all of its classes would be held online when they reopen in August, as reported by US News. Governor of Colorado and Democrat, Jared Polis, went on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday and told reporters that several school districts located within his state were steadily going back to usual with the added precautionary measures recommended by health experts and scientists. Parkway District will announce its plans for reopening schools in the fall but will remain cautious and prepared to change decisions if the situation grows worse quickly, said Beckner. He also said if schools proceed to reopen this fall, it would be drastically different from how it was in February. Beckner said there would be more health and safety protocols that students, as well as staff, will be required to follow to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing will be encouraged via signs and seats will be placed farther apart, and students and staff will be required to wear face masks at all times while inside the premises. In contrast, some teachers who have deaf students will be required to wear clear face shields to allow the students to understand their lessons. Related Article: Dr. Fauci Praises New York COVID-19 Response, Says It Should Serve as Role Model @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Fans of The Parent Trap will be excited to hear that the cast and crew have come back togerther 22 years after the film's release for a reunion. The gang caught up virtually over Zoom with US Journalist Katie Couric hosting the session and interviewing those involved. Lindsey Lohan starred in the original film and took part in the reunion, she still has fond memories of her experience! "The most incredible thing about The Parent Trap in itself is, even still, younger generations and little kids that go to camp, they even know it now" Lindsey said. Check out the reunion video call in the post below... India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist Coronavirus: Raipur, Birgaon Municipal corporation areas call for 7-day lockdown from July 22 India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Chhattisgarh, July 20: With a rise in number or coronavirus cases, the district administration has announced a 7-day lockdown in Raipur and Birgaon Municipal corporation areas from July 22. According to Raipur district Administration, tThe lockdown will stay effective till July 28 in both the areas. Indias COVID-19 recovery stands at 6,77,422 However, essential services will be exempted during this phase. The government, semi-government and private offices will remain shut during this period. On Sunday, Raipur alone had 1,172 positive cases, including 621 active cases. On July 19, as many as 159 new coronavirus positive cases were reported across Chhattisgarh, taking the total number of positive cases in Chhattisgarh to 5,407. COVID-19 recoveries outnumber active cases by over 3 lakh: Centre The number of COVID-19 cases in India surpassed the 40,000 mark for the first time since the outbreak on Sunday. The national tally of infections has now gone past the 1.1 million mark with 1,00,000 cases being reported in three days. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News According to health ministry, India reported 40,118 cases and 675 deaths on Sunday. The national tally stood at 11,16,597, while the death toll is at 27,487. Nearly half the news cases came from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir reported record single-day case spikes on Sunday. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 20, 2020, 9:58 [IST] The U.S. Army has restarted its effort to replace the Cold War-era Bradley fighting vehicle with a new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), a key priority in the service's modernization strategy. Program officials released a draft request for proposal (RFP) for the OMFV's Preliminary Digital Design phase, aimed at gathering additional industry feedback prior to the final RFP release for this phase later this year, according to a July 17 Army news release. Read Next: They Hit This Navy Vet with Batons. He Didn't Give an Inch In January, the service announced its plan to restart the high-priority effort after it received only one valid bid from General Dynamics for the $45 billion program. A competing bid from Raytheon and Germany's Rheinmetall was disqualified when Rheinmetall failed to ship a prototype of its Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle to the U.S. by the service's deadline. Army acquisition officials told lawmakers in March that they may have rushed the prototyping effort, which discouraged many companies from competing. The new approach is the beginning of a multi-phased effort that places more emphasis on communication with industry to define what OMFV capabilities are possible, based on existing and emerging technology. "The Army is committed to open communication with industry to ensure the characteristics and eventual requirements of the OMFV are informed by technological advances," Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team, said in the release. The Army wants OMFV, which is part of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle effort, to be outfitted with the communications, situational awareness gear and weapon systems to "deliver a decisive strike while manned or remote operated," according to the draft RFP. "In the close fight, the OMFV enables the ability of squads to maneuver by detecting and destroying targets at a range beyond the enemy's capability," the document states. The draft RFP will be open for 40 days to receive industry feedback, according to the release, which adds that the final RFP for the Preliminary Digital Design phase is scheduled to result in up to five contract awards in June 2021. From there, the Army plans to conduct a detailed design phase that is scheduled to result in up to three contract awards and culminate in a critical design review before moving into the prototype, test and build phase, according to the draft RFP. "We do not want to box industry into a solution," Maj. Gen. Brian P. Cummings, the head of the Army's Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems, said in the release. "We want to incentivize industry as they lean forward and think creatively to bring the Army innovative technologies and solutions necessary to achieve our vision -- both in terms of the ability to integrate newer technology we are seeing today and leaving space for future growth on the OMFV platform." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: New Army Approach on Bradley Replacement: 'Lower the Bar' for Companies to Compete The Air Indias Pilot Association (ICPA) has written to the national carrier complaining that the leave without pay scheme, which Air India calls a win-win for both, was finalised without consulting the pilots. In the press conference by Hardeep Singh Puri dated July 16, you had stated we are in negotiation with the pilots which is far from reality. It was not a negotiation, but the diktat of MoCA which was conveyed to us. We would also like to place on record that the so called negotiation was not harmonious in any aspect, the letter by the Indian Commercial Pilot Association alleged. In an order last week, Air India said it has begun the process of sending some employees on leave without pay ranging from six months or two years that can also be extended up to five years. The scheme is applicable to permanent employees of the company. Defending the arrangement, Air India had said it will give the employees freedom to engage themselves with another employer for the said period, the airline too will be able to save its cash flow on the other hand. In an earlier statement, the airline said that in a challenging financial situation, it is taking recourse to several initiatives with a view to ensure that its flight operations continue. The cost-cutting drive dovetails with a government plan to sell its entire stake in Air India amid increasing debt and mounting losses. The Centre, in January, started the process by releasing an information document for investors and offering access to financial and other data of Air India and its subsidiaries. The governments entire stake in Air India, its 100% stake in low-cost subsidiary Air India Express Ltd. and 50% stake in ground handling unit Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited. are on offer. An attempt to auction a majority stake almost two years ago failed to draw any bids. The airlines accumulated debt is estimated to be more than 69,000 crore. It posted a loss of 8,556 crore in financial year 2018-19, as against a net loss of 5,348 crore in the previous financial year. When contacted by HT on Monday a spokesperson for Air India said, We wouldnt like to make any comment on these internal issues. A protester dubbed 'Naked Athena' confronted Portland police wearing only a face mask and beanie. The unidentified woman struck a series of ballet and yoga poses in front of anti-riot officers at around 1.45 am on Saturday morning. Surreal video footage from the scene shows the woman striding towards the officers, who were in heavy protective gear including gas masks and helmets, almost completely naked. Oregon state law is pretty lenient on public nudity, and in Portland it is only illegal to be naked in public with the intent to arouse. The standoff comes after the city of Portland marked its 50th consecutive night of unrest following the death of George Floyd, with crowds taking to the streets to denounce racial injustice. A protester dubbed 'Naked Athena' confronted Portland police wearing only a face mask and beanie Surreal video footage from the scene shows the woman marching towards the officers, who were in heavy protective gear including gas masks and helmets, almost completely naked The unidentified woman struck a series of ballet and yoga poses in front of anti-riot officers at around 1.45 am on Saturday morning And then? Naked Athena appeared and the little boys didnt know what to do. pic.twitter.com/Elo69SsV0t Donovan Farley (@DonovanFarley) July 18, 2020 Officers proceed to fire pepper balls at the woman's feet and another protester is filmed rushing to protect her with a makeshift shield. However she side-steps him to perform a series of yoga poses in front of the officers and even reclines onto the street at one point. Her graceful poses stand in stark contrast to the heavily-armed guards. According to Dave Killen, a photographer for The Oregonian, the officers left around 10 minutes after the naked woman showed up. 'She was incredibly vulnerable,' he told the news outlet. 'It would have been incredibly painful to be shot with any of those munitions with no clothes on.' Officers proceed to fire pepper balls at the woman's feet and another protester is filmed rushing to protect her with a makeshift shield The woman is then seen lying on the pavement as she strikes another pose in front of federal officers ACLU files lawsuit against the DHS after federal agents were deployed to Portland to quell demonstrations The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday after federal agents were deployed to Portland, Oregon. The ACLU said it filed lawsuit 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.' Simon added: 'These federal agents must be stopped and removed from our city. We will continue to bring the full fire power of the ACLU to bear until this lawless policing ends.' ACLU also filed a lawsuit against the US 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 are 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. Advertisement In Portland, courts have recognized nudity as a form of political protest which overrides public decency laws. It comes as the city of Portland has seen daily Black Lives Matter protests decrying police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death. Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the US courthouse, including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd. A department statement said police officers did not engage with the crowd, and that federal authorities periodically came of out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay. Video posted online also showed protesters taking down fencing that had surrounded the courthouse. 'Dozens of people with shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats, and hockey sticks approached the doors before federal law enforcement came out and dispersed the crowd,' police said. 'At 1.34am people lit a fire within the portico in front of the federal courthouse. Others gathered around the fire adding wood and other debris to make it larger. 'At 1.42am federal law enforcement came out of the courthouse, dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire,' the statement said. Gas was used at least twice to remove protesters, the statement said, but Portland officers 'were not present during any of the activity' or deploy any 'CS gas'. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers 'are not wanted here'. 'We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.' Wheeler and Oregon Governor Kate Brown, both Democrats, called the move an abuse of power by the federal government. Top leaders in the US House said Sunday they were 'alarmed' by the Trump administration's tactics against protesters in Portland and other cities, including Washington, DC. They've called on federal inspectors general investigate. 'This is a matter of utmost urgency,' wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation 'into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, DC, Portland, and other communities across the United States'. President Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as 'lawless anarchists' in a visit to the city last Thursday. Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the US courthouse, including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd A department statement said police officers did not engage with the crowd (pictured), and that federal authorities periodically came of out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay Black Lives Matter protesters gather outside the Mark O. Hatfield courthouse on Sunday in Portland A protester walks away from chemical irritants as federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters Sunday night Dumpster fires were also set and fencing was moved and made into barricades, police said. A protester is seen burning an American flag outside the Mark O. Hatfield courthouse 'We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,' Trump tweeted Sunday. 'Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. 'We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!' White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Attorney General William Barr and Wolf are working on measures the administration can take to counter the unrest. 'You'll see something rolled out this week as we start to go in and make sure that the communities, whether it's Chicago or Portland, or Milwaukee, or someplace across the heartland of the country, we need to make sure our communities are safe,' Meadows said on Sunday Morning Futures. The announcement is expected to expand a new Justice Department initiative that sends federal law enforcement into cities facing protests. Federal officers launch tear gas and other crowd control munitions to clear the area after protesters removed fencing around the front entrance of the federal courthouse in Portland early Monday morning Federal agents are seen trying to disperse protesters in Portland, Oregon, early Monday morning Federal law enforcement officials fire tear gas and other non lethal methods at demonstrators during a protest against racial inequality in Portland on Sunday Federal agents disperse Black Lives Matter protesters near the Mark O. Hatfield courthouse on early Monday morning in Portland KaCe Freeman chants during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse early Monday morning Late Saturday, Portland police declared demonstrations near the federal courthouse a riot after saying protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and started a fire. Dumpster fires were also set and fencing was moved and made into barricades, police said. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland's streets 'without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action'. Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to 'immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians'. It's unclear whether anyone was arrested or detained during the protest Sunday night. City of Laredo and Webb County officials have confirmed on Monday the 66th death due to novel coronavirus in Laredo. Officials also reported 181 new positives -- its 12th straight day over 100 -- bringing the city's total of recognized cases to 4,131. Monday's near-200 total for new cases ranks as the fifth-highest amount since the pandemic began locally. Laredo has produced 12 of its 15 highest reported totals in the past 12 days and 13 of its 15 highest over the last 14 days. During July, 2,593 positives have been confirmed, or just under 62.8% of the citys total. Laredo was coming off its fifth straight record week of cases, racking up 1,130. So far through three days this week, the city is a bit behind pace to set the mark a sixth straight time with 454 cases, however, that's the same exact total Laredo had last week through three days. The city must be judged for weekly numbers on a Saturday through Friday format to accurately account for the time period Laredo stopped providing updates on weekends. Overall, 3,029 cases are considered active infections. That's more than 12 times the 250 necessary to declare the area in the highest warning level of Red for the citys color-coded advisory system. A little more than a month ago on June 12, there were only 190 active cases in the city. Only 1,036 are classified as recovered during the length of the pandemic. There have only been a total of 330 recovered in July, giving the city an additional 2,263 active cases during this month. Meanwhile, the 66th death due to coronavirus occurred at Laredo Medical Center. A male in his mid 70s with underlying health conditions was under treatment at the hospital when he died on Monday. There have been 41 individuals who have died through 20 days in July, or 62% of the city's overall total. Approximately 140 medical professionals are on site in Laredo and are prepared to receive patients at the temporary COVID clinic currently set up at the Red Roof Inn. There are a total of 106 beds available at the hotel. No patients have been transferred to the temporary site yet due to the restrictions in place to ensure safe transfer of COVID patients. However, patients can and should be received as soon as the hospitals have a patient cleared for a transfer. The temporary clinic has been created at the Red Roof Inn in order to alleviate COVID capacity concerns at Laredo hospitals, which have been reported to be at or near capacity. There are 168 people who are currently hospitalized, with 64 patients under intensive care. As of noon Monday, 14,219 tests have been submitted for COVID-19 in Laredo with 9,056 returning negative. A total of 1,032 tests are still pending results, though 568 are presumed negative due to being over 30 days old. The city has a test positivity rate of 31.3%, its highest yet. The total has risen steadily since settling to the high 12% during late May. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Warsaw, Poland Mon, July 20, 2020 09:27 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b90f8 2 World Poland,foreign-media,media-industry,media-company,media-jobs Free Poland will seek to craft rules limiting the concentration of foreign-owned media outlets well before the ruling nationalists finish their term in power, Poland's de facto leader said on Sunday, with parliamentary elections expected in 2023. Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has long said foreign-owned media outlets have meddled in Poland's affairs and that Polish-owned media should have a stronger place. The accusation was leveled again in the recent presidential campaign, during which incumbent and PiS ally Andrzej Duda repeatedly accused foreign media or foreign-owned media of misinforming the public. When asked if PiS would introduce reforms before the end of their term, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told Polish public radio on Sunday that he hopes the reforms will be carried out soon. "We will manage to do this much faster [than before the end of our term], at least on the legislative level, but this process' success is tied to many changes that we have to bring about in our country as well as international relationships," Kaczynski said. PiS has maintained that any new law would have to adhere to EU rules, which could hamper the party's political aim to substantially reduce the influence of foreign-owned outlets, such as Discovery-owned broadcaster TVN. But, in the wake of last week's presidential vote, where Duda won a second term in office, PiS has been emboldened in its criticism of the influence of foreign-owned media outlets in Poland. Kaczynski said any potential rules are still "being analyzed and there are discussions on the matter." Many options were being considered, a PiS official told Reuters earlier this week, adding that the purchase of regional newspapers, many of which are German-owned, was among the ideas that had come up, Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported last week. D ominic Raab has announced the suspension of Britains extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" amid rising tensions with China. The extradition treaty allows a person from Hong Kong suspected of a crime in the UK to be handed over to face justice and vice versa. The Foreign Secretary said the Government will also extend the arms embargo that currently apples to China to Hong Kong, and that this would include a ban on exporting equipment that could be used for internal repression. Mr Raab's announcement today comes after Beijing imposed a draconian new security law on the former British colony, which prompted the UK Government to offer three million Hong Kong residents the chance to settle in Britain. Mr Raab warned: "There remains considerable uncertainty about the way in which the new national security law will be enforced. I would just say this: the UK is watching and the whole world is watching." Hong Kong residents have clashed with police over the new security law / Getty Images The Government has shelved the extradition arrangement, which has been in place for more than 30 years, rather than completely tearing it up. It is thought the latter option is being held back as a final lever to pull if China fails to change direction. Outlining his announcement, the Foreign Secretary was keen to stress that "we want to work with China. However, he told the Commons they were clear sighted about challenges ahead and singled out China's treatment of Uighur Muslims. Mr Raab said the Government has "grave concerns" about the "gross human rights abuses" taking place in China's Xinjiang region. Footage allegedly showing Uighur Muslim prisoners being transferred in China / BBC In a statement in the Commons, Mr Raab said: "We have been clear regarding the new national security law which China has imposed on the people of Hong Kong - a clear and serious violation of the UK-China Joint Declaration and with it, a violation of China's freely assumed international obligations." He said a "bespoke immigration route" for British nationals overseas and their dependents will be ready by early 2021. Mr Raabs words are expected to further escalate tensions between London and Beijing with other rows also simmering over coronavirus and Huawei. Mr Raab added: "We will always protect our vital interests including sensitive infrastructure and we won't accept any investment that compromises our domestic or national security." Announcing the extension of the arms embargo, Mr Raab said: "The extension of this embargo will mean there will be no exports from the UK to Hong Kong of potentially lethal weapons, their components or ammunition and it will also mean a ban on the export of any equipment not already banned which might be used for internal repression such as shackles, intercept equipment, firearms and smoke grenades." It comes after a series of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in response to Beijing's attempts to tighten its grip over the region. Boris Johnson today said he won't become a "knee-jerk Sinophobe" / POOL/AFP via Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier today he had concerns over the Hong Kong security law and the new measures were in response to that. He added: There is a balance here. I'm not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. "But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uighur minority obviously, about the human rights abuses. Canada and Australia have both already suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong and the US is considering the same action. UIGHURS Chinas treatment of the Uighur Muslims is another source of growing tension between London and Beijing Dominic Raab has accused China of "gross and egregious" human rights abuses against the minority group. He said reports of forced sterilisation and wider persecution of the Uighurs were "reminiscent of something not seen for a long time". It is believed that up to a million Uighur people have been detained over the past few years in what China calls "re-education camps". Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has also described the way Uighur people were being treated as inappropriate and gross. China's UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming was shown drone footage appearing to show Uighurs being blindfolded and led to trains on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday. Mr Xiaoming said talk of concentration camps was "fake" and that the Uighurs received the same treatment under the law as other ethnic groups in his country Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons it was vital that the world shows a "co-ordinated front" on China and called for a "new era" in terms of the UK Government's relationship with Beijing. Ms Nandy also said the Government could take steps to bar Communist Party of China (CCP) officials from the UK, adding: "(Mr Raab) many not have done the groundwork that would enable him to impose Magnitsky sanctions now, but his Government does have the power right now to take action. "He could, for example as the US has done, bar CCP officials from the UK." Backbench Tories have been calling for Mr Johnson to take a tougher stance on China, with MP Tobias Ellwood warning that the UK is sliding towards a cold war with China. He told the BBCs Radio 4 Westminster Hour that the UK had been duped over China and that now was the time to say enough is enough. He added: I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy, bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war, we cant do this on our own, we need to work with our allies. We turned a blind eye to what was going on with the Uighur people, we turned a blind eye to the uneven trade situation whereby Chinese companies could operate quite liberally within the UK and elsewhere but our companies couldnt operate within China and now I think its time to say enough is enough. Mr Johnson has promised to be "tough" with China in some areas but said he would not "completely abandon our policy of engagement" with Beijing. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming suggested footage allegedly showing Uighurs being led onto trains was fake. / AFP via Getty Images He added: China is a giant factor of geopolitics, it's going to be a giant factor in our lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren. "You have got to have a calibrated response and we are going to be tough on some things but also going to continue to engage." TikTok TikTok today insisted there is zero truth in allegations that the Chinese state can access personal information of users. A number of senior Conservative MPs have voiced concerns over the social media platform which they say poses a similar security threat as Huawei. They include former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith who has called for TikTok to be banned in the UK. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also claimed that people should only use the social media app if they are happy for their data to be accessed by the Chinese state. However, TikTok's head of public policy for Europe Theo Bertram said the claims were completely false in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said: TikTok is not available in China. TikTok data is stored in the US. TikTok is a company incorporated in the US. "There is zero truth to the accusations that the Chinese state has access to TikTok users' data." The social media app is owned by internet company ByteDance, which was founded in 2012 by Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming Relations between the UK and China were already deteriorating when Mr Johnson pulled a U-turn over Huawei last week. The Government revealed plans to ban the Chinese tech giant from the UK's 5G network saying they could no longer be confident in guaranteeing the security of future Huawei 5G equipment. Beijing responded by warning that the UK faces retaliation over the decision. It comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was flying in to the UK today for official talks and is expected to urge the Government to toughen its stance against on China. However, he is due to meet with a cross-party group of 20 MPs - seen as hawks on China - before his meeting with the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in a move which will be seen by some as a snub to Downing Street. Click here to read the full article. LONDON COVID-19 doesnt play favorites when it comes to job losses or damage to businesses, with the virus attacking every level of retail, from mass to luxury. Its latest victims? Marks & Spencer, Ted Baker and Harvey Nichols. More from WWD All three retail chains will together lay off more than 1,000 workers due to the impact of the coronavirus on retail since March. Store closures, social distancing measures, extended furloughs and consumers loss of appetite except, of course, for a bargain have devastated retailers top and bottom lines. The layoffs are mounting this month because, as of August, employers must start contributing cash, health care and pension contributions to the governments furlough scheme. Under the furlough scheme which was put in place to prevent massive job losses under lockdown more than eight million workers had 80 percent of their salaries paid for by the government, up to 2,500 pounds per month. Having flagged possible layoffs in May, M&S came through with a number on Monday, confirming that 950 jobs, mostly management positions, would be cut. Job losses will cut across central support functions in field and central operations, and in property and store management. M&S employs 78,000, so the cuts represent 1.2 percent of the workforce. Sacha Berendji, director of retail, operations and property at M&S, said the proposals reflect an important next step in the retailers Never the Same Again program, which is aimed at accelerating its transformation to become a more streamlined business. Through the crisis we have seen how we can work faster, and more flexibly, by empowering store teams, and it is essential that we embed that way of working, said Berendji, adding that M&S was doing its utmost to support workers through the redundancy process. In May, as M&S reported a near 40 percent drop in year-end profits to 27.4 million pounds, and revenue of 10.18 billion pounds, 2 percent lower than last year, chief executive officer Steve Rowe had said broadly the same thing. Story continues He argued that M&S could do more with less, and that lockdown had taught every employee to multitask. Although most M&S stores remained open during lockdown, selling food and essential items, huge swathes of its shop floors dedicated to clothing and accessories were cordoned off per the British governments guidelines. On Monday, M&S emphasized that the layoffs were part of an overall strategy aimed at reducing management layers, and role duplication, and making better use of technology and insight that would allow remaining staff to spend more time with the customer, on the shop floor. It said under the new structure, each manager will need to become an entrepreneurial shopkeeper, with full accountability in driving standout customer service, ownership of their profit and loss, leading a high-performing team and ensuring the standards of their store. Ted Baker, meanwhile, is planning to slash 500 jobs, or about 25 percent of the workforce, including roles at the companys head office. As part of our continuing transformation plan, we have been assessing the appropriate level of staffing across our business and are in consultation with affected colleagues, a spokesperson said. We have not taken this decision lightly, and would like to thank all our colleagues for their hard work and commitment. However, we believe this is necessary in order to transform Ted Baker and create a more sustainable business in the future. COVID-19 has only exacerbated a difficult situation at Ted Baker, which has issued a series of profit warnings over the past year and has been battling with accounting and management troubles. Earlier this year Rachel Osborne, Ted Bakers chief financial officer, was promoted to the role of ceo. She was the third person in 12 months to hold the top management role at the embattled company. Ted Baker had already signaled job cuts when it detailed its three-year transformation strategy in June. The overall plan is aimed at improving operational performance and efficiency, and was put together pre-COVID-19. Part-time and full-time roles will be affected, and Ted Baker has begun speaking to workers unions and organizations. It is understood that Harvey Nichols also plans to lay off staff, although the retailer has not yet put a number on the jobs it will cut. A Harvey Nichols spokesperson declined to comment on a story that appeared on July 19 in The Sunday Times of London. It quoted a memo from Manju Malhotra, the stores ceo, saying there may be staff redundancies at all locations, and the company would seek to minimize job losses. All three retailers have major store estates across the U.K., as well as online businesses, and join a host of brands and retailers that have been forced to lay off staff, including Harrods, Mulberry, John Lewis and Boots. All of those names have been impacted by store closures and a slowdown in footfall growth figures since stores were allowed to reopen one month ago. After an initial rush on retail, with long lines forming outside Primark, Zara, Harrods and Selfridges in London, the growth in shopper numbers has begun to slow, according to Springboard, which measures footfall on high streets and at shopping centers across the U.K. London has been particularly hard hit by the evaporation of the tourist trade, due to rules surrounding international travel. Last week New West End Company, which represents 600 businesses across Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and Mayfair, said that in the first full month of retail reopening, the neighborhood welcomed 5.1 million visitors, a 73 percent decline year-over-year. While footfall has been slowly rising, London is faring worse than the rest of the U.K.: It is 19 percent lower than the national average. New West End argued that without further action and support from the British government, the lack of domestic and international tourists, and office workers, could lead to a 5 billion pound loss in sales this year, putting more than 50,000 jobs at risk. On Monday, Springboard said footfall across the the countrys retail destinations during the week of July 12 to 18 rose 4.5 percent compared with the week before. That was less than half the rise of 10.6 percent that occurred during the previous seven-day period, which was the first week following the reopening of hospitality and leisure businesses in England on July 4th. Last week, the year-over-year decline in footfall was minus 40.2 percent. Last week demonstrated that the longed-for flood of shoppers returning to bricks and mortar destinations and retail stores once again became a trickle, with a week on week rise in footfall that was less than half that in the previous week, said Diane Wehrle. Despite the limited rise in footfall, the year on year result is at its most modest yet, which does provide a glimmer of hope for the struggling retail industry, Wehrle added. The global economic situation will worsen once authorities turn off the liquidity tap that has been helping businesses tide over the current difficult period and many companies may face an existential crisis, said Piyush Gupta, group chief executive of Singaporean bank DBS. Speaking to CNBC, Gupta said if many businesses fail to survive "... youll have this million-dollar question of how do you deal with these 'zombie companies' ". "Do you keep putting money ... using public finances to support companies or do you let creative destruction happen a la Schumpeter? This is going to be a real challenge, particularly in the SME (small and medium enterprise) space around the world, I suspect this will be a big, big challenge next year, he added." The DBS CEO was referring to the concept coined by economist Joseph Schumpeter who described the process of dismantling the old to make way for the new and improved. Gupta added that politics would further disrupt the economic support that governments around the world were providing, leading to more defaults that would ultimately have a snowball effect on the financial sector. According to Gupta, the other side of the pandemic was looking "far more damaging" for banks, which had already come under the scanner as the coronavirus situation escalated into a pandemic. But, banks also entered the pandemic-induced crisis on a stronger footing and could take on "a lot more pain" compared to the global financial crisis of 2008, Gupta added. Various global financial agencies have marked down marked India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth to negative levels following the economic disruption caused by the viral outbreak. Rating agency S&P recently said India will suffer the biggest GDP loss of 11 percent . BofA Securities expects the country's GDP to contract by 3 percent in FY21 because of the coronavirus pandemic, assuming the economy opens up fully from August. Domestic rating agency ICRA has also revised its forecast for contraction in India's GDP in FY21 to 9.5 percent from 5 percent, as lockdowns in some states have effected the recovery seen in May and June. Most of the analysts have projected the GDP to contract in the range of 5-6.5 percent this fiscal. 'We are now seeing Nile perch stocks drastically reduce,' said fisherman Fitbo Lalukol. He says boats must sail much further out into the lake to get a good catch Fishermen on the shores of Kenyas Lake Turkana, the worlds biggest desert lake, have no doubt about what is to blame for their dwindling fish stocks: a giant hydroelectric dam built by Ethiopia on the River Omo, which feeds the lake. We are now seeing Nile perch stocks drastically reduce, said fisherman Fitbo Lalukol. He says boats must sail much further out into the lake to get a good catch. Officials at Ethiopias ministry of water, irrigation and energy did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment on the fishermens claims. Complaints about the Omo dam have been overshadowed by another major water dispute, between Ethiopia and Egypt. Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo says will strangle its lifeline, the Nile. The government in Addis Ababa has said it needs the mega-dams to generate enough electricity for its population of 109 million, only about a third of whom have access to power. But people who live around Lake Turkana, Kenyas poorest region, say the power from Gibe 3 - which is nearly 250 meters high - is produced at their expense. Around 90% of Lake Turkanas water comes from the Omo river. Data from the Unites States Department of Agriculture shows the lakes water level dropped to 363 metres in 2016, when Gibe 3 opened, from 365 metres. Unseasonably heavy rains mean levels are back up, but fishermen fear that is only temporary. At one point you have the lake totally receding and no fish, said Ikal Angelei, a local environmental activist. Angelei said Kenya and Ethiopia need to share resources so poor communities arent left behind. The local community has to be involved in this whole process, both for conservation and economic value, she said. Search Keywords: Short link: I n more normal times, this week should have been the start of the summer holiday season. But with Barcelona among popular locations facing the possibility of a return to lockdown in the next fortnight, there were few signs of getaway optimism today. Shares in airline, hotel and leisure companies were again squeezed on the London market, with investors increasingly nervous after a surge in coronavirus cases over the weekend. Low-cost airline easyJet saw its shares fall 2% to 647.4p, while International Airlines Group was down 3% to 212.7p. The pressure on the British Airways owner reflected the increasingly worrying global picture, with Hong Kong this weekend reporting the biggest spike in cases since the start of the pandemic in January. The flight from risk also meant GKN owner Melrose Industries, which makes parts for Airbus, was down 2% at 114.1p. Oil majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell were both down by 2%, meaning the FTSE 100 index opened the week 21.13 points lower at 6269.17. Traders were keenly awaiting the results of AstraZeneca's phase one trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford. Positive signs from the trials last week lifted markets and details were today due to be published in medical journal The Lancet. The domestic focused FTSE 250 index was more robust, down just 9.01 points at 17,338.92. The second tiers best performing stock was Future, with the magazine, website and events company seeing shares jump 12% to 1360p after a robust trading update. The group, whose 220 brands include Country Life, FourFourTwo and Guitar World, has seen lockdown accelerate a consumer shift towards digital media. Underlying earnings for the year to September will be at the top end of market expectations of between 86.3 million and 91 million, compared with 54.5 million last time. Future is also repaying support received from the UK Governments furlough scheme. Staffing business SThree, which is focused on STEM roles in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, fell 1% to 269p after detailing the pandemics impact in the six months to May 31. Profits slumped 48% to 12.6 million, with net fees down 7% following a drop of 12% in the second quarter. However, CEO Mark Dorman added: Talented people with STEM skills will be those solving the problems that businesses are facing, and those are the candidates we place. We are focused on coming out of this period in a strong position. Debt-laden Premier Oil was 1% lower at 41p after it signed agreements to buy various BP assets in the North Sea. Premier hopes to complete the acquisitions by September. Small-cap spotlight Brownfield development sites can still generate attractive prices, Inland Homes said today after it unveiled a 49 million agreement with housing association B3Living for 195 homes at the site of Tescos old HQ in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Other transactions by the South of England-focused firm include one in Staines for 6.6 million. CEO Stephen Wicks said the prices were testament to the high quality of Inlands assets. Shares rose 3% to 54.8p. The new system of district formation in Ukraine needs improvement, but at the same time, it opens the way to a new administrative-territorial structure of the state. Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Nemchinov stated this in his video address, which he shared on Facebook. "From now on, there will be 1,470 communities and 136 districts in Ukraine. Of course, there are no perfect systems and this system will need some generalization and improvement, but this is the way to a new page in Ukrainian history with a new administrative-territorial structure," Nemchinov said. He has also added that "the new system of district formation in Ukraine is a new challenge for the civil service and local authorities, but they will cope with it". As reported, the Verkhovna Rada on July 17 approved a draft resolution on the liquidation of 490 districts and creation of new ones to replace them. The Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on June 12 approved draft resolutions on the liquidation of 490 districts and formation of 129 new districts, including 17 districts in the temporary occupied territory of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, the final version of draft resolution No.3650 "On Formation and Liquidation of Districts", additionally agreed by the relevant parliamentary committee, stipulated the formation of 136 new districts. iy The federal government will begin issuing new study visas and allowing overseas students learning remotely to keep graduate work rights amid fears coronavirus restrictions will drive them to other countries. The move comes as plans to allow groups of overseas students into Australia through quarantine hotels have been derailed by a resurgence of COVID-19 in Victoria. The international tertiary sector contributes $40 billion a year to the economy and funds much of Australia's university research. After months of lobbying by universities concerned by a pause in visa processing, the government said on Monday it would resume giving out student visas at "all locations" outside Australia, so students could arrange travel as soon as restrictions were lifted. KYODO NEWS - Jul 20, 2020 - 16:15 | All, Japan, Coronavirus The Japan Coast Guard held a drill Monday on a bay in western Japan to transport a ferry passenger suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus to hospital as the country braces for a possible second wave of infections. About 70 people, including members of the 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Kobe, local medical personnel and crew of the ferry, took part in the drill, amid rising concern over a resurgence of the pandemic in the country. "It is a rare and valuable opportunity to monitor how a passenger is transferred from an actual passenger boat. We want to continue boosting our cooperation with the private sector," said Osamu Sakata, who heads the rescue division of the regional headquarters. Related coverage: Travel scheme fiasco may see gov't paying Tokyoites' cancellation fees Japan 1st-half exports fall 15%, sharpest drop in decade due to virus Japan gov't eyes amendment of special law against coronavirus The drill was conducted on the assumption that a man in his 70s developed symptoms such as fever and difficulty breathing while aboard the 15,897-ton ferry Hibiki sailing through Osaka Bay off the city of Izumiotsu. After coast guard headquarters received an emergency call, a doctor and coast guard officers wearing protective gear, including goggles, gloves and masks, were dispatched to the ferry. The doctor, wearing a face shield, conducted a medical examination on the patient in an isolated cabin, asking him whether he had taste disorders and other possible COVID-19 symptoms. The coast guard officers then carried the patient on a stretcher to a patrol ship moored next to the ferry, which took him to a nearby port where an emergency rescue team awaited. When a cluster of infections occurred aboard the Diamond Princess, the cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo in February, the Japan Coast Guard brought 10 infected patients ashore. In total, 712 people from the ship were found to be infected, of whom 13 died. Scientists and historians working at McMaster University, the Mutter Museum and the University of Sydney have pieced together the genomes of old viruses that were used as vaccination strains during and after the American Civil War ultimately leading to the eradication of smallpox. Smallpox was one of the most devastating viral diseases ever to strike humankind, killing about three out of every 10 people who were infected. Those who survived were frequently disabled, blind or disfigured. The World Health Organization recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most successful campaign ever attempted. As researchers around the world work feverishly to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, the success of the campaign and the findings of this paper, outlined the journal Genome Biology, point to the value of vaccination, say researchers. They suggest other vaccines are waiting to be discovered among the viral relatives of today's influenza and coronaviruses. "Understanding the history, the evolution and the ways in which these viruses can function as vaccines is hugely important in contemporary times," says evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar, who is director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, where the work was done, and a principal investigator at the university's Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. "This work points to the importance of looking at the diversity of these vaccine strains found out in the wild. We don't know how many could provide cross protection from a wide range of viruses, such as flus or coronaviruses," he says. The concept of widespread vaccination dates back to 1796, when English physician Edward Jenner, known for his remarkable contributions to medicine, observed that exposure to a milder illness (called cowpox) thought to be transferred from cows with a similar pox-like illness on their udders to milkmaids, offered protection against future smallpox outbreaks. However, the method and source material used for early smallpox vaccinations remained unstandardized for over a century. While "cowpox" is often referenced as the source of the first vaccination, little had been known about the specific origins and diversity of the virus strains used in early smallpox vaccination programs For their study, researchers used sophisticated techniques developed at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre to reconstruct and analyse the genomes of virus fragments recovered from vaccination kits used during the Civil War era. The kits, part of a medical collection at the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, contained lancets and small glass plates for mixing fluid for vaccines that had been collected from blisters of deliberately infected subjects, and tin boxes with sliding lids to contain scab material. The techniques used in this paper resulted in the successful recovery of viral molecules from both organic sources, such as scab material, but also from the non-destructive sampling of inorganic materials, such as tin boxes and glass slides, that contained no evidence of organic residues. This finding opens a new possible field of study into medical history through the non-destructive examination of materials previously associated with biological samples. The researchers were able to determine that in the 1860s and 1870s, medical practitioners in Philadelphia were using a vaccinia virus strain that was still being propagated in human subjects. The milder relative of the deadly smallpox pathogen was introduced into the body, usually by applying pus or scabs to a scratch or cut in the skin, where it helped recipients develop immunity to smallpox. An overriding concern about vaccine design is how close - from an evolutionary standpoint- the vaccine strain must be to the one causing disease in order to prevent illness. Here, the vaccinia strains used for vaccination are in fact very distantly related to the virus that causes smallpox. The slow mutation rate of orthopox viruses (of which both vaccinia and variola are members) likely allows for this 'distant' protection. "Vaccination is a wonderful process with a rich medical history that we should celebrate," says Ana Duggan, a former postdoc in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster, now at the Public Health Agency of Canada, who was lead researcher on the study. "Medical museums are incredible repositories of our past and of our collective history. The new tools we develop in this work allow us to begin to investigate how medical sources, procedures and techniques have changed through time." ### Attention editors: High-resolution photos and high-definition video of researchers Hendrik Poinar and Ana Duggan can be found at this link. Please credit JD Howell, McMaster University: https://assets.adobe.com/public/30cf7b80-2fa2-4f9c-6f97-1ab23863fdb9 (CNN) -- To the upbeat sounds of a blue-uniformed brass band, the rally proceeded through downtown Hong Kong. Marchers, dressed all in yellow, carried purple lotus plants, yin-yang symbols, and other traditional Buddhist icons. But it was their giant banners, held aloft or mounted on small floats, that indicated this was not just a religious rally. "Keep away from the Chinese Communist Party. Stop the persecution of Falun Gong." A religious movement that emerged in China in the mid-1990s, Falun Gong surged in popularity nationwide before it was banned and brutally suppressed on the mainland in 1999. But it continues to operate in Hong Kong thanks to the territory's greater human rights protections. For decades now, Falun Gong protests against the Chinese government have been a common sight on the city's streets, with practitioners setting up gory mock surgery scenes to raise awareness about allegations of organ harvesting, and handing out free copies of the Falun Gong-linked newspaper, Epoch Times. Protesters have also targeted Chinese politicians and offices in the city, and regularly take part in mass anti-government rallies and marches. Crossing the border by bus from China and seeing Falun Gong practitioners handing out anti-Communist Party leaflets was once one of the most visible signs of Hong Kong's relative autonomy from Beijing. All that could soon be deemed illegal under a sweeping new security law passed by China for Hong Kong last month that criminalized "acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security." Similar laws in China have been used to go after Falun Gong practitioners, which Beijing denounces as an "evil cult" that "preaches heretical fallacies that are anti-humanity and anti-science" through the control of people's minds. Falun Gong practitioners reject these charges and maintain they have been unfairly targeted and suppressed by the Chinese authorities. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are believed to be held "at various prisons and extralegal detention centers" in mainland China, according to Washington-based rights group Freedom House -- an accusation Beijing also denies. "The new National Security Law will act like a sharp knife hanging over the (association) and the heads of every Falun Gong practitioner in Hong Kong," said Ingrid Wu, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Falun Dafa Association. "We are very concerned." Hong Kong officials have claimed the new law is necessary and will only affect a handful of individuals. In early July, Chief Executive Carrie Lam pushed back against the suggestion the law would undermine people's freedoms. "The legal principles that we attach a lot of importance to, like presumption of innocence and no retrospective effect and so on, are being upheld," she said. "Instead of spreading fear, the law will actually remove fear and let Hong Kong people return to a normal, peaceful life." A government spokeswoman did not respond to emailed questions about concerns regarding religious freedom under the law. Hong Kong has long been a safe haven for entities which could never operate in China, from banned religious movements and labor rights NGOs, to big tech firms blocked by the Great Firewall. The fate of groups like Falun Gong -- fierce opponents of Beijing who, while not the immediate targets of the law still come within its broad remit -- will test those assurances to the hilt. New age religion Founded by Li Hongzhi in northeastern China in the early 1990s, Falun Gong blends traditional Chinese qigong practices and new age beliefs. It was once promoted by the Chinese government and state media as part of a nationwide qigong craze, but as Falun Gong grew in size, attracting millions of followers, the authorities turned on the group. Li encouraged a blistering public relations strategy in a bid to win over the critics, and between 1996 and 1999, the group staged some 300 protests and demonstrations, historian David Ownby writes in "Falun Gong and the Future of China." This culminated in an audacious, and strategically disastrous, demonstration around central government headquarters in Beijing involving around 10,000 practitioners. It was the biggest protest the capital had seen since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, and was the beginning of the end for Falun Gong in China. The protesters in Beijing were calling for the removal of restrictions placed on the faith, but the Chinese authorities responded with a massive crackdown and huge propaganda push demonizing Falun Gong. "I was shocked," said Rose, a Hong Kong-based Falun Gong practitioner. "I had friends who were traveling between Hong Kong and Beijing, they told me a crackdown was about to take place, but I said this was impossible, Falun Gong was just a belief, nothing political." Originally from mainland China, Rose began practicing Falun Gong after moving to Hong Kong in the late 1990s. CNN is withholding her full name due to fears of prosecution under the new security law. After Falun Gong was banned, Rose's husband and several of her close friends urged her to keep a low profile, to just do her exercises and readings at home. But she was sure there had been some sort of mistake, and so, just has her fellow practitioners had done in Beijing, she sought to appeal to the government, to make the case for Falun Gong. "A group of us went to the Liaison Office," she said. "But no one came out, we stayed there for 24 hours." The Liaison Office is the Chinese government's Hong Kong headquarters, long a symbol of Beijing's influence over the city. Days turned into weeks, then months. Every day, Rose and a small group of fellow practitioners gathered outside the office on 160 Connaught Road to attempt to have their message heard. One day the protesters were joined by a group of Swiss practitioners who had originally hoped to travel to Beijing to protest but were denied visas. Police attempted to remove the group, which, according to court documents never numbered more than 16, and was "peaceful and largely static." Police moved to clear the protest, however, and charged the Falun Gong protesters with obstruction, among other offenses. The case eventually wound up at the Court of Final Appeals, where Hong Kong's top justices ruled strongly in favor of the right to protest and use "reasonable force to resist being subjected to unlawful detention." The case was a major victory not just for Falun Gong but for anti-government protesters in general, securing -- until last year's anti-government protests -- the right to stage protests outside the Liaison Office. New restrictions While Falun Gong practitioners are not the primary target of the new security law -- which is at times clearly designed to criminalize acts seen during last year's anti-government protests -- they and other groups like them could still fall foul of its broad remit. In particular, the new offense of subversion makes it illegal in many circumstances to advocate "overthrowing the body of central power of the People's Republic of China." Given that the PRC government is indelibly intertwined with the Communist Party, Falun Gong efforts to get people to quit the Communist Party in protest, or otherwise harm its activities, could be deemed criminal. The new crime of "collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security" could also be used to target Falun Gong. While not a top-down religion like the Catholic Church or other similar faiths with large numbers of followers in Hong Kong, Falun Gong is headquartered in the United States, where Li Hongzhi has lived since 1996, and this is where the group's main media and lobbying arms are also located. Under Article 29 of the new law, anyone who "conspires with a foreign country or an institution, organization or individual outside (China), or directly or indirectly receives instructions, control, funding or other kinds of support" from such organizations, could be prosecuted if they are found to be "provoking by unlawful means hatred among Hong Kong residents towards the Central People's Government or the Government of the Region, which is likely to cause serious consequences." With initial prosecutions under the security law all related to recent protests, Falun Gong practitioners could find themselves -- if the law's critics are correct -- being a test case of another sort, an expansion of the law's remit to ban activities that have long been verboten on the mainland. "How the situation of Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong evolves in the coming months and how much of the repression leaks over from the mainland is a very important space to watch," said Sarah Cook, a senior research analyst at Freedom House and author of "The Battle for China's Spirit: Religious Revival, Repression, and Resistance under Xi Jinping." Outside of the protest movement, Falun Gong is among the most vocal and visible opposition to the Communist Party, in both Hong Kong and elsewhere around the world. While the group is somewhat detached from the mainstream opposition in Hong Kong due to its conservative religious beliefs, this has not stopped its presence in the city being symbolic, and many followers take a sort of pride that even Falun Gong can operate in Hong Kong, given the huge antipathy Beijing has towards the group. "The ability of people in Hong Kong to practice Falun Gong legally and openly is important both symbolically and practically," said Erping Zhang, a US-based spokesman for the group. Zhang said that as well as the new crimes created under the law, he was concerned about the broad rights it gives Chinese security services to operate in Hong Kong, even extending Chinese jurisdiction over certain cases and allowing people to be taken for trial on the mainland. "It could truly take a horrific toll on Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong and create huge losses for those who have benefited from the practice and activists' awareness raising activities," he said. Cook, the Freedom House researcher, said that any curtailment of Falun Gong in the city "would be a bad sign and a potentially worrying precursor to a crackdown on the broader religious community in Hong Kong." "Within China we've sign time and again since 1999 how the rules, tactics, and even security forces initially created to persecute Falun Gong are then expanded to other targets," she added. "It may only be a matter of time before we see that in Hong Kong too, unfortunately." But not all religious groups are alarmed. In a letter to the religious newspaper Church Times this month, Paul Kwong, Archbishop of Hong Kong, praised the new security law and pushed back against criticism from figures including Cardinal Maung Bo, president of the Asian Bishops' Conferences. "Many critics do not accept the fact that we are part of China," Kwong said. "They only emphasize two systems, not one country. I cherish our Hong Kong freedoms -- in particular the freedom of religion and way of life -- as much as anyone, and I don't think this law will change any of that. I am also proud to be living in China." Freedom of speech Numerous concerns have been raised about the new law's potential effects on freedom of speech in Hong Kong, with people already moving to scrub their social media and remove posters and pamphlets criticizing the government from shops and restaurants. Media groups have expressed alarm about the law, with the Foreign Correspondents' Club writing to the city's leader Lam "seeking clarity on specific areas where the new law is vague and where terms are undefined, particularly regarding the press and freedom of speech." Lam previously said "the law has clearly defined the four types of acts and activities which we need to prevent, curb and punish in accordance with the law." "If the Foreign Correspondents' Club or all reporters in Hong Kong can give me a 100% guarantee that they will not commit any offenses under this piece of national legislation, then I can do the same," she added. Here again, Falun Gong may find themselves at the inadvertent frontlines of Hong Kong's battle for civil liberties. During a recent protest against the law on July 1, Falun Gong practitioners could be seen handing out flyers saying "Heaven will destroy the Chinese Communist Party" as well as copies of Epoch Times. The newspaper, which was founded by Falun Gong practitioners and remains closely linked to the group, is one of the most vocally anti-government publications in the city. Its Chinese edition refers to the coronavirus as the "Chinese Communist Party virus," has called on the West to "fight back" against the Party, and regularly publishes stinging critiques of Beijing. Representatives for Epoch Times in Hong Kong and New York did not respond to a request for comment. Like Apple Daily, a pro-democracy tabloid owned by tycoon Jimmy Lai, currently facing charges related to last year's protests, Epoch Times could be a canary in the coal mine for Hong Kong's media freedoms. Both papers have cultivated influence in Washington -- something that could both help or harm them, leading to politicians speaking out in their defense, but also Beijing casting them as colluding with foreign forces. Lai has long been close to Republican Party politicians, leading to claims of his being a foreign agent in Chinese state media, while the English edition of the Epoch Times since 2016 has aggressively targeted Trump voters, with opinion content taking on an increasingly right-wing stance. In 2019, the paper was barred by Facebook from running ads on its platform, after finding it violated the company's policies with pro-Trump campaigns. Uncertain future Hong Kong and Beijing officials have repeatedly claimed that the security law is both necessary and restrained, and will only affect a tiny handful of individuals in the city, mainly violent separatists. Paraphrasing former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher about Hong Kong's success after China took control, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said this week that under the new law "horses will run faster, stocks will be more sizzling, and dancers will dance more happily." But with moves to ban books and expand police powers of surveillance and censorship, the scope of the law would appear to be expanding. Falun Gong practitioners, as well as many other groups in Hong Kong opposed to Beijing, may not immediately feel the sting of the new regulations, but they were poised for the worse. After years of suppression in China, however, the group is better prepared than most for how to function behind the scenes, even if that will require a complete overhaul of its Hong Kong operation. Zhang, the US-based spokesman, said that within China still, people "continue to practice Falun Gong in private and many go out and discretely disseminate information to help other Chinese see through the CCP's lies and cover-ups." Many practitioners in Hong Kong are in the city because they fled China, and Wu, the local spokeswoman said some may choose to go overseas should the law target them. "The Falun Gong community is diverse; each person makes their own decision based on their family and other situations," she said. "But most of Falun Gong practitioners that I know plan to stay in Hong Kong. We feel it is our responsibility to continue our peaceful efforts of raising awareness of the persecution and calling for justice, and tell the world what is happening in Hong Kong." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Can a religious group that wants to bring down China's Communist Party survive in Hong Kong?" "Besides raising funds, Proggya Debnath alias Aayesha Jannat Mohona alias Jannatun Tasnim was given the responsibility to recruit young girls for the women's wing of the banned militant outfit from both Bangladesh and India and train them," a senior official of Bangladesh Police's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) branch said. "In fact, in the last couple of months, she has recruited some people too," the official said. The CTTC officials are interrogating her for last three days to identify her associates. The 25-year-old Debnath alias Tasnim, who hails from West Bengal's Hooghly, had purportedly converted to Islam and maintained close ties with neo-JMB's then women wing head Asmani Khatun, who is in custody after her arrest earlier this year, intelligence officials told IANS. Tasnim was arrested in Dhaka's Sadarghat area on the evening of July 16 and was sent to four days police custody, Deputy Commissioner of Police Saiful Islam told IANS. An Indian passport, a Bangladeshi NID, and a mobile phone was seized from her. Another police official said that after the current remand expires, they will produce her before a court and seek a further 10-day period of remand. The Bangladesh Police's detective team are now working on digging out her past. She is said to have came into contact with Amir Hossain Saddam, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Oman, via social media. Later she got married to Saddam, who is also a leader of the banned outfit, over phone. Counterterrorism officials said Tasnim came to Bangladesh last October, after consultation with her husband and militancy guru, and continued her underground activities in association with Asmani Khatun. Tasnim had also visited Bangladesh on an Indian passport more than once before. On her visit to Bangladesh in 2016, she collected a NID card based on a fake birth certificate. Using the NID and with the support of the neo-JMB, she managed to secure jobs at various madrasas in the capital's Keraniganj and Narayanganj's Fatullah areas. After Asmani Khatun was arrested in February, Tasnim left her job and went underground to keep herself safe from law enforcement agencies, but continued her militant activities. Preliminary investigation by CTTC officials have found that Tasnim is said to have developed an interest in Islam through various online platforms while she was in the ninth grade in 2009. She converted to Islam soon after and began studying political Islam online. During her online religious lessons, she got in touch with Asmani Khatun and from 2009 to 2016 was actively involved in neo JMB women's wing. Officials said that they may find more information after Tasnim and Asmani Khatun are interrogated jointly, and obtain more leads about other members of the neo-JMB they were in contact with, or had recruited. --IANS sumi/vd (Natural News) Is it now illegal for Americans to arm themselves and defend their homes against potential invaders, especially in states that have passed castle doctrine laws? It is if youre a politicized Left-wing prosecutor whose campaign was financed by billionaire Leftist and seditionist George Soros. Last month after a Black Lives Matter mob busted through an iron gate onto private property and began to approach and threaten St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the pair armed themselves with an AR-15 rifle and handgun, respectively, in defense of their home. And again, for emphasis, they felt threatened. But instead of going after the mob who violated laws against trespassing, St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner is considering charging the McCloskeys for standing their ground. Thankfully, one U.S. senator from Missouri, Republican Josh Hawley, who was the state attorney general before running for his seat, is taking up the couples cause. (Related: St. Louis home defender: The media is siding with the Marxist BLM mob.) In a letter last week to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Hawley asked for a civil rights investigation into the politically motivated threats of prosecution by Gardner who just happens to be black, while the McCloskeys just happen to be well-to-do and white. According to KMOV: Their actions, captured on video and viewed by millions, drew praise from some who said they were legally defending their home, but scorn from others who said they risked bloodshed by displaying the weapons. Photos emerged as memes on both sides of the gun debate. Gardners office is still investigating, but no charges have been filed. Hawley, a Missouri Republican, wrote in a letter to Barr that Gardner abused her power in seizing the couples guns, investigating them and pursuing a possible indictment. He called her actions an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment. This morning I have asked the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the St Louis Circuit Attorneys Office. Targeting law abiding citizens who exercise constitutionally protected rights for investigation & prosecution is an abuse of power https://t.co/lg9GbisWgd Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 16, 2020 This is an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment, and I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office to determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this familys constitutional rights, Hawley wrote. There is no question under Missouri law that the McCloskeys had the right to own and use their firearms to protect themselves from threatened violence, and that any criminal prosecution for these actions is legally unsound, Hawley wrote. The only possible motivation for the investigation, then, is a politically motivated attempt to punish this family for exercising their Second Amendment rights. Indeed, this is part of a troubling pattern of politically motivated prosecutorial decisions by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney, who has not seen fit to prosecute many violent offenders, and who has expressed hostility to gun rights in the past, he added. KMOV noted that, according to St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar, who is the president of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Hawleys letter to Barr requesting a civil rights probe is unprecedented. But is that right? During his tenure, President Barack Obama politicized virtually every government agency within the Executive Branch, especially the Intelligence Community and the Justice Department. Aside from very likely ordering the Spygate operation against the Trump campaign, Obamas attorneys general first Eric Holder and then Loretta Lynch regularly interfered in local matters, usually as a means of fomenting racial unrest. In 2015, The Daily Caller reported that under the Obama regime, probes of local police departments and so-called consent decrees skyrocketed, the latter being legal settlements between DoJ and local police agencies to allow them to be monitored for race-related reforms by the administration. And this, of course, all came after Obama unleashed his DoJ to investigate the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The Department of Justice must ensure that all Americans rights are protected from this kind of abuse of power, Hawley concluded in his letter. While hes at it, maybe he should suggest DoJ investigate that serial seditionist George Soros for his backing of prosecutorial candidates who care nothing for the law or the Constitution. Sources include: DailyCaller.com KMOV.com On April 27, 1972, Kwame Nkrumah, the deposed President of Ghana and a great Pan-Africanist died in Bucharest, Romania after six years in exile in Guinea far away from his birthplace of Nkroful at the age of 62. Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah arrived in Conakry, Guinea after being invited by Sekou Toure just after the Military Coup that unconstitutionally ousted his Government from Power. Colonel Ignatius Acheampong, leader of the Ghanas military junta which seized power from Prime minister Kofi Busia in January 1972. The death of one of Africas most prominent personalities normally would have occasioned a dignified reaction from the two major parties concerned: President Sekou Toure of Guinea, who had granted Nkrumah political asylum in his country following the latters removal from power Colonel Ignatius Acheampong, leader of the Ghanas military junta which seized power from Prime minister Kofi Busia in January 1972. There began instead a macabre quarrel between the two over the final resting-place of the ex-Presidents remains. Colonel Ignatius Acheampong desired that Kwame Nkrumah s body be returned to Ghana where, he said, the former President would be given a dignified burial. Madam Elizabeth Nyaniba, aged mother of the deceased President, made an impassioned plea to President Sekou Toure to allow the body to be returned to Ghana: I want to touch the body of my son before he is buried, or I die. She also indicated that she would like her sons body embalmed and kept permanently on public display the way Lenins body is preserved. Sekou Toure would not consent, howeverat least not until he had extracted from the Ghanaians important concessions which would redound to his personal profit. And, since the Romanians had sent the body to Conakry, the Guineans were in a strong position to dictate terms. Press reports shortly after Kwame Nkrumahs death announced that Toure had attached four conditions to the return of the ex-Presidents body to Ghana: a. Nkrumahs complete rehabilitation in the eyes of the Ghanaian people (lifting all charges that had been pending against him) b. Liberation of all of Nkrumahs partisans still held in Ghanaian jails c. Removal of the threat of arrest which hung over all of Nkrumahs followers who had chosen to remain with him in exile d. An official welcome by the Ghanaian government of Nkrumahs remains, with all the honors due a deceased chief of state. On May 20, 1972, it was revealed that Toure had imposed even more conditions. He now insisted that Nkrumahs tomb be placed in front of Ghanas Parliament building, and that all of the men who had occupied ministerial appointments and high positions in his civil service be restored to their former posts. Toure sought, in other words, to re-impose Nkrumahs discredited governmentminus only Nkrumahon the Ghanaian people as the price for recovering the former Presidents body. Barring acceptance of these terms, Toure implied the body would be kept in Guinea. Not unexpectedly, Colonel Ignatius Acheampong refused to negotiate on such a basis and continued to urge the Guineans to allow the body to be brought back to Ghana. Sekou Toure based Guineas right to keep Nkrumahs body on Nkrumahs having been granted asylum in Guinea and having been declared co-President of the Guinean Republic in 1966 when he was betrayed by the Ghanaian officers who overthrew him. He claimed that Nkrumah had actually been co-President of Guinea as far back as 1958, when the two countries had formed the Guinea-Ghana Union. He even insisted that this important decisionwhich automatically made each man co-President of the others country, in addition to being head of his own state-had been officially communicated at the time to all the countries and to all the international organizations with which the Republic of Guinea had diplomatic relations. Toure obstinately refused to assent to the pleas of Nkrumahs family and the Ghanaian people, and to the demands of the Ghanaian government and press. When Guineas leader appeared to have no moral justification for retaining Nkrumahs body, African public opinion began criticizing Toures intransigence with increasing severity. The Daily Nation of Nairobi, in an editorial titled A Cruel Refusal, stated: Though he now denies it, President Sekou Toure is believed to have asked for the impossible before allowing Kwame Nkrumah s body to be taken to Ghana to be buried in his home town of Nkroful The people of Ghana cannot be dictated to as to where Nkrumahs mortal remains should be buried Guinea should not fear loss of face. Facing realities is more important. It should reverse the decision and thus fulfill and honor a dead mans wishes. The Daily Times of Lagos editorialized: President Sekou Toure should see reason to release the corpse as he had earlier promised If he remains adamant, he would not be depriving the military Junta in Ghana of anything. It is the common people of Ghana who would be deprived of paying their final respects to their bereaved leader. The quarrel, now attracting attention from the non-African press as well, continued unabated. Finally, several African leaders, notably Presidents William Tolbert of Liberia, Siaka Stevens of Sierra Leone, and General Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria, tried to persuade Sekou Toure that it was in the best interests of African dignity, and Africas image abroad, that the body be returned to Ghana. The West African press reported that Toure finally gave in to these appeals but this proved to be unfounded. As events were to show, Toure determined to squeeze every possible propaganda advantage from Nkrumahs demise. Source: ghanaianmuseum.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The governors of Oklahoma and South Carolina have directed significant portions of their states federal education relief aid to fund private school scholarships. Will more states follow? School choice advocates, who quickly praised the announcements, are encouraging them do so. The decisions come as public schools around the country push for additional emergency relief funding, as they face the logistical challenges of reopening buildings with continued public health precautions following unprecedented mass closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. They also come amid ongoing debates about how much public funds should be used to support private schools facing financial challenges from a related economic downturn. The funding in question comes from the Governors Emergency Education Relief, or GEER funds, created through the CARES Act relief package that became law in March&emdash;"CARES stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. While much of the education aid provided through the CARES Act is directed to school districts, the law gives governors broader discretion in determining how to use GEER funds, which total about $3 billion. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, announced plans on Monday to direct $32 million of his states $48 million in GEER funds to a Safe Access to Flexible Education voucher program . The program will provide grants of up to $6,500 to about 5,000 students in families with household incomes at less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level to enroll in private schools. The states website says the program is modeled after private school choice programs in Florida and Arizona. McMaster had previously directed some GEER funds to historically Black colleges and universities in the state. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, announced Friday plans to use $10 million of his states $39.9 million in GEER funds for scholarships to help private school students whose continued attendance is threatened by the financial fallout of COVID-19. He also announced an $8 million Bridge the Gap Digital Wallet program to provide grants to families to buy curriculum content, tutoring services and/or technology, and a $12 million online learning initiative for schools. We have great private schools in Oklahoma that serve homeless children and children living in poverty, Stitt said in a statement. Assisting those families will be our first priority and greatest focus, followed closely by helping families who have suffered severe financial hardship from COVID-19s impact on employment and job opportunities. Stitt previously directed the remaining GEER funds to school districts for mental health supports, internet connectivity, and compensatory education services. The two governors join Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, whose GEER spending plans call for a $15 million private school stabilization fund and up to $30 million to buoy the states existing private school choice programs. Florida receieved about $174 million in GEER funds . The governors announcements won immediate praise from groups like the American Federation for Children, a pro-school choice group previously led by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The positive impact generated in the lives of those children will be felt for years and generations to come, American Federation for Children President John Schilling said in a statement. We hope more states will follow the governors lead in prioritizing the needs of all families and children. The announcements were also met with immediate criticism from teachers unions and education groups who say public schools need more assistance to reopen. The governor is using this crisis as a way to funnel emergency funds that our schools desperately need to new, unproven nonprofits and to private schools, which have zero academic accountability, Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest said in a statement. Public schools serve 91% of students but are receiving 50% of the emergency funding. School choice advocates have said many private schools are facing an existential threat due to declining enrollment and financial support. If private schools fail, that will cause new students to enroll the public school system, further straining resources, theyve argued. The Trump administration has backed federal tax credits to support private school scholarships in a future virus relief bill. Private schools were also eligible for small business aid through the Paycheck Protection Program, also created by the CARES Act. DeVos sparked controversy when she pushed for public school districts to direct a relatively large share of their relief funds to private school students . She faces a multi-state lawsuit over her interim final rule about the issue. Photo: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks during a news conference July 9. --Sue Ogrocki/AP Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . Threshold for high-priced cars must be determined reasonably State subsidies for high-priced electric vehicles (EV) are expected to end next year. The policy change is meant to raise the efficiency of budget execution, considering that hundreds of billions of won in taxpayer money is spent on subsidies every year. The Ministry of Environment is reportedly in the process of drawing up a policy package focusing on the exclusion of high-priced EVs from those subject to state subsidies. Specifically, the ministry will begin considering car prices next year in determining vehicles eligible for subsidies in a major about-face from merely taking into account performance such as driving efficiency at present. In this process, there have been disputes as to whether it's right to subsidize users of cars costing over 100 million won ($83,000). The environment ministry is preparing standards for high-priced vehicles by collecting feedback from the automobile industry. The threshold for high-priced cars is likely to be set at 60 million won or 70 million won. If this plan is realized, such luxury models as the Tesla Model S and Mercedes Benz EQC will be ineligible for subsidies. Outside of Korea, deciding whether or not to grant subsidies according to car prices is not a new concept. Subsidies are now available only to vehicles costing less than 300,000 yuan in China, 60,000 euros in Germany and $60,000 in the United States. Furthermore, as the electric vehicle market has expanded in recent years, prices of electric vehicles have fallen on average. Consumers also have more options as far as EV models are concerned. So the environment ministry has every reason to devise detailed standards for subsidies. Subsidies are primarily aimed at expanding the use of eco-friendly cars in an ultimate bid to cut pollution. The environment ministry's new EV subsidy scheme will certainly contribute to shoring up the competitiveness of Korea's homegrown automobile industry. The question is whether the ministry can determine the threshold for high-priced cars fairly and reasonably through negotiations with automakers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 10:06:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PYONGYANG, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), visited the Pyongyang General Hospital under construction and gave field guidance, official media reported on Monday. While touring the construction site, Kim highly appreciated the builders' feats and also pointed out the serious problems in the financial arrangements of the construction, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without mentioning the date of the visit. Kim said lots of things have been done so far and the construction has made exceptionally rapid progress despite a difficult situation. However, "the construction coordination commission is organizing economy in a careless manner with no budget for the construction properly set up," Kim said, severely rebuking the commission for burdening the people by encouraging all kinds of "assistance." "He instructed the relevant departments of the Party Central Committee to investigate the performance of the construction coordination commission as a whole and replace all the officials responsible and make strict referral of them," the report said. The Pyongyang General Hospital has been under construction since March and is expected to be completed for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10. Rodong Sinmun, the party's newspaper, reported late last month that 80 percent of exterior plastering work of the hospital had been completed but much work remains to be done on the exterior of the building and around the site in general. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Carolina Mandl and Leonardo Benassatto (Reuters) Sao Paulo, Brazil Mon, July 20, 2020 08:40 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b3d13 2 World Brazil,Jair-Bolsonaro,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,economic-impact,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that lockdown measures used to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus "kill" and have "suffocated" the country's economy. "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. The president's statement comes as Brazil's economy is expected to contract 6.4% this year, hit by the pandemic. Bolsonaro, who announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 7, met his supporters in the grounds of his official residence, the Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia. The president was wearing a mask and kept some meters) of distance from his supporters. Bolsonaro said he is feeling well, despite the virus, and again credited his health to the use of hydroxychloroquine to fight COVID-19, despite no scientific evidence. "I am a living proof [that the drug works]," he told supporters. Besides hydroxychloroquine, the far-right president said he is also taking an anti-parasite drug to fight coronavirus. Brazil registered 28,532 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 921 new deaths on Saturday, the health ministry said. Total cases in Brazil, the world's second most affected country after the United States, have now risen to 2,074,860 while deaths totaled 78,772. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Central Industrial Security Force's (CISF) newly-inducted officers will play a vital role in the journey towards a new India and 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat', Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said at the first-ever e-passing out parade held at the National Industrial Security Academy(NISA) at Hyderabad on Monday. A hundred trainees including 11 Assistant Commandants (Probationer), 79 Sub Inspectors and 10 Assistant Sub-Inspectors passed out from the CISF NISA Hyderabad after completing an extensive training for a one-year period. Saying that the women personnel in the CISF have proven to be a force multiplier, Reddy praised them and their role in securing the most critical assets of the nation. He further acknowledged that the women personnel have made many noteworthy contributions to the force. The CISF has the highest number of women among all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the country. Women make up six per cent of its over 1.60 lakh strength. Addressing the parade through a webinar, Kishan Reddy said that to be vigilant is the utmost priority of the CISF, especially for those deployed at Airports. "They should work in tandem with all partnering departments and central agencies and develop intelligence to thwart any attempts of anti-social and anti-national elements," he said. Currently, the CISF provides security to 348 installations across the country including 63 airports. Two airports at Jammu and Srinagar located in the most sensitive zones were recently brought under CISF cover. "It is because of the CISF that people at airports, sea ports and other vital installations across the country, feel safe. By securing these installations, the CISF is also contributing in attracting foreign investments into the country," he added. Rajesh Ranjan, Director General, CISF, in his welcome address emphasized the role of CISF in protecting the vital installations. "Our forte has been our ability to keep pace with technological advances, our amiable human interface with the general public and above all our robust core competence," he said. Anjana Sinha, Director, NISA while presenting a report on the training activities also elaborated the expanding roles of CISF and correspondingly the wide spectrum of specialized training imparted at NISA Hyderabad. The Oregon Heritage Commission has recognized the Great Oregon Steam-up, presented since 1970 at the Powerland Antique Museum grounds in Brooks, as an Oregon Heritage Tradition. The event was set to mark its 50th year later in July with the annual display of Oregons agricultural history in the form of early machinery exhibits, steam powered equipment shows, and other vintage vehicles on view at the more than 60-acre site. All that ground to a halt due to Governor Browns coronavirus restrictions on gatherings. The Great Oregon Steam-Up normally takes place over two midsummer weekends. Traffic would get heavy at the Brooks exit from Interstate 5 as nearly 5,000 visitors a day wandered the displays. Because of coronavirus restrictions, the 2020 event has been modified to a drive-through experience dubbed Rollin Thru Steam-Up. Visitors can travel through the displays to see what each independent museum on the grounds has to offer all while remaining in their vehicles. Some of the displays come from museums representing the antique logging industry, the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum, Oregon Electric Railway and others. The Great Oregon Steam-up was started in 1970 by a group of enthusiasts dedicated to the preservation, restoration and operation of steam-powered equipment and antique farm machinery and implements. The museums mission is to educate the public about the history and operation of early farming machines and other vehicles that helped shape Oregon. Drive-through event hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26, Aug. 1-2 and 22-23 at Antique Powerland, 3995 Brooklake Road, Salem. Details available on the website: antiquepowerland.com/steam-up The $20 per vehicle gate fee will help raise money for the future of the Great Oregon Steam-Up. Rosemarie Stein, rstein@oregonian.com Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. JERSEYVILLE Four days after the state entered Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers Restore Illinois plan, the Jersey County Farmers and Artisans Market launched its annual event not quite sure how state stipulations would change the popular weekly market. Ive been in constant communication since April with both the Illinois Farmers Market Association and the Jersey County Health Department, said Whitney McIver, Jersey County Business Association Special Events Coordinator and Farmers Market Manager. They recommend that everyone attending follow some simple guidelines intended to keep both the vendors and participants safe, she said. Those guidelines have been sent to vendors and will be posted around the market for customers to see. Those guidelines have not prevented shoppers. On June 30 when this years first market was held people were showing up 30 minutes before the market opened. The Jersey County Farmers and Artisans Market is offered every Tuesday 4-7 p.m. through Sept. 22. The market sets up in the parking lot of Outrageous Outdoors at 902 S. State St. in Jerseyville. Todd Fortschneider, who owns Fortschneider Orchard in Brussels, said that because of the cold and wet spring this year peaches his main crop are down in numbers this year. He noted the Jerseyville farmers market, as well as others in the area, faced similar problem last spring as the historic high water of 2019 damaged a lot of the crop. Despite the setbacks, however, Fortschneider said his peaches still came in strong this year. Its a good crop this year, he said. These are sweet. The first peaches are always cling, but they are definitely worth the trouble to work around the pit. He said that, even with the pandemic, he could not complain about sales the first day of this season. The pandemic hasnt slowed anything down, he said. Margaret Dublo of Hideaway Farms in Grafton operates stands in both the Jerseyville and Alton farmers markets. She, too, said the pandemic has not slowed down her business. In fact, she said business this year is better than ever. People want local produce and they want to know where its coming from, Dublo said. Along with produce, the weekly Jerseyville market offers an assortment of home grown and homemade items, including preserves and honey. The star of the show, however, is the barbeque stand organized by the Jersey County Farm Bureau. McIver said the Farm Bureau has been involved with the Jerseyville farmers market since it began about 12 years ago. McIver said she had been talking with Farm Bureau Manager Stephanie Knittel about having the stand this year and was concerned that the Jersey County Health Department might not let them open. The stand is usually offered the first Tuesday of each month during the markets run. But a late meat order because of pandemic concerns caused the Farm Bureau to hold off on its stand until July 14. McIver noted the Farm Bureau tends to avoid the market during the second week of July because thats traditionally the dates of the Jersey County Fair. But the pandemic canceled this years fair, increasing interest in last weeks barbecue. A law enforcement official is seen outside the home of federal judge Esther Salas, where her son was shot and killed and her defense attorney husband was critically injured, in North Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. July 20, 2020. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz A gunman posing as a delivery man has shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a US federal judge and wounded her husband at their home before fleeing in New Jersey, authorities said. The shooting happened on Sunday evening at the home of US District Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Her son Daniel was killed and her husband, defence lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured, said Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson. Investigators are examining a possible connection between the shooting and the body of a man found dead on Monday from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sullivan County, New York, a law enforcement official said. The man, a lawyer from New York City, is being investigated in connection with the shooting, the law enforcement official and a judiciary official said. The man had appeared before Judge Salas in the past, the officials said. Her son, Daniel Anderl, was shortly due head back to the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. University president John Garvey wrote on Twitter: "I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderl's tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey. Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks. He turned 20 last week." Judge Salas, seated in Newark, New Jersey, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Before that, she served as a magistrate in New Jersey after working as an assistant public defender for several years. Brn in California to a Cuban immigrant mother and Mexican father, she spent most of her childhood in Union City, New Jersey. After helping her family escape a devastating house fire, she acted as her mother's translator and advocate, foreshadowing her career in law as she argued her family's case to welfare officials, according to a 2018 magazine profile. In the profile, she spoke of her son possibly following his parents into the legal profession. "He's been arguing with us since he could talk - practising his advocacy skills," Judge Salas told New Jersey Monthly. "I don't want to dissuade him, but I was pulling for a doctor." Just last week, she had been appointed to hear an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor "high-risk" customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her highest profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving Real Housewives Of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Judge Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. She staggered their sentences so one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark murders, ruling the man's intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. She later sentenced him to 45 years in prison. New Jersey senator Bob Menendez, who backed Judge Salas's nomination to the federal bench, said in a statement: "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice." New Jersey governor Phil Murphy called the shooting "a senseless act" and said: "This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn't done. New Delhi: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is likely to announce Class 12 results 2020 today (July 20) at the official website--pseb.ac.in. This year, the PSEB 12th result has been evaluated on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme. The Punjab Class 12 result is delayed due to technical issues due to the server error while it was expected to be out at 4 pm. Students should follow the steps given below to check their results: 1. They should first visit the official website pseb.ac.in 2. Students should click on the result link on the homepage 3. Students should enter their required details 4. They should ensure that details entered match the information provided on their PSEB 12th admit card 5. Submit details and view your result 6. Students are advised to download a copy their result for future reference In 2019, 86.41% of students had passed PSEB 12th examination and the pass percentage among girls was 90.86 per cent. Three students were joint toppers. Sarvjot Singh Bansal from Ludhiana, Aman from Mukhtasar, and Muskan Soni from Nakodar had bagged the first position securing 98.89 per cent marks. The Punjab government had announced the cancellation of remaining examination of Class 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is all set to declare the PSEB 12th results on the basis of the best-performing subjects formula as suggested by the Centre. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:33:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) Monday said it suspended its plans to resume flights to Iran and Afghanistan. The decision followed the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's announcement on Sunday that Turkey halted flights to the two countries as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic, the carrier told Xinhua. The THY had earlier said on its website that it would start flying to Tehran starting Aug. 1 and to Kabul on July 19. On June 11, Turkey partially resumed international flights, which had been suspended for nearly two months over the spread of coronavirus. Enditem Jim Irizarry has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of false and misleading information about voting access coursing through social media lately. The assistant county clerk for San Mateo County, California, and his team have been training for this moment for years, since the sophisticated Russian disinformation machine emerged during the last presidential election. They dont have to change a vote in the voting machines, Irizarry said. But if you can get into the minds of voters to undermine their confidence in casting that ballot, youve been successful. This year, state and local election officials across the country expect theyll need to defend voters against potentially devastating and widespread disinformation attacks that could suppress turnout and sow doubt in Novembers results. Bad actors, from foreign nations to local gadflies, have countless opportunities to spread falsehoods and misleading information. In recent elections, voters have fallen victim to scams claiming people can vote by text message or claiming their polling place closed. Lies on social media can go viral hours before an election, becoming nearly impossible to eliminate. And Special Counsel Robert Muellers 2019 report found Russias interference in the 2016 presidential race included fake Facebook groups and false advertising. This year, the pandemic has exposed more potential for disinformation, as states and counties scramble to figure out how to conduct elections through expanded mail-in voting and fewer polling places. Communities need to know who the right people are with the answers, said Ian Vandewalker, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School. If things change at the last minute, we need a communications infrastructure that involves officials, journalists, candidates and parties to make sure voters are getting the correct information. This can be challenging, however. The United States has no national election system. There are 10,000 systems run by underfunded and thinly stretched counties and cities. Elections are decentralized, and so too is the response to disinformation. The closer it gets to the presidential election, the louder the megaphone of misleading voices will get. Were doing so much to ourselves by spreading conspiracy theories, spreading divisive content, said Laura Rosenberger, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance for Securing Democracy. Were giving [foreign adversaries] what they need already. Massive public education campaigns by local and state election officials, along with local and national media, Rosenberger said, are essential in fighting election disinformation. If they dont, the United States could see a repeat of the offenses from 2016. How to respond Aggressively responding to misleading and false election information has become an essential part of Sam Mahoods daily job as press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Democrat. But Mahoods response is not limited to one political party over another. A month before Californias presidential primary, Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama and co-host of Pod Save America, shared a tweet from his colleague at Crooked Media that falsely said the state was purging 5 million voters from its rolls. It caught Mahoods attention, and he quickly went to Twitter. Neither of these things are true, Mahood wrote to the tweets author. Please delete this tweet, its just spreading misinformation. The tweet was taken down. Crooked Media, he said, apologized. But local officials must weigh their responses; some claims might not be worth elevating through an official response, Mahood said, nor should he spend his day chasing social media interactions. Additionally, there is always a challenge with protecting political speech when responding to information that might be misleading or incorrect, he said. Its very hard, he said. But you have to weigh where something is gaining traction and using the methods that are available to you. Over the past two years, Padillas office sent emails to every voter for whom they had addresses with information about reporting misinformation to the state. The Democrats office also has a prominent link on its website directing misinformation claims to a frequently checked email account. By far, Mahood said, the biggest source of election disinformation this year has come from President Donald Trump, who continues to claim without evidence that voting by mail leads to massive voter fraud, despite having done so himself. Mahood fears voters and the media are getting desensitized to his claims, which could normalize them. The bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State last year launched the #TrustedInfo2020 campaign, working with federal intelligence agencies and social media companies and encouraging top state election officials to frequently communicate to the public. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told Stateline she is working with social media companies to verify the accounts of county election administrators, knowing the reliability that Twitters blue checkmark can signal. Her office also is spending $1.5 million from the federal CARES Act on voter education. And she helped install threat liaison officers for every county to coordinate cybersecurity efforts with her office and federal authorities. We know that there are actors out there that intend to disrupt elections, said Hobbs, a Democrat. It can undermine the election. It can undermine peoples willingness to participate. Pandemic problems For other states, the increased reliance on mail-in voting under the outbreak of COVID-19 potentially creates a new avenue for election misinformation. Election officials in Illinois worry that voters might be susceptible to misinformation about polling places or voting dates being changed, or voter registration periods closing. An NBC 5 survey from earlier this year showed two-thirds of Illinois county officials were concerned about social media misinformation. Illinois is gearing up in response. Among the planned public service announcements are YouTube ads directing residents to their county election websites to register and request absentee ballots. Prairie State officials know what its like to be targeted. In 2016, Russian operatives gained access to Illinois voter registration database. Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said that while the hack did not affect any votes, it did have a psychological effect on voters. The state has since invested more in cybersecurity. A lot of people who arent familiar with vote-by-mail are going to use it, Dietrich said. We dont want them to fall victim to social media nonsense. Minnesota in January created an election security cyber navigator role to lead the states response to these issues, coordinating among the 87 county election administrators. Theres a chance that a problem observed in one county is not unique, said inaugural cyber navigator Bill Ekblad. Something as simple as creating a group chat room between the counties does so much. Social medias role State and local election officials also have built stronger relationships with social media companies over the past four years, working with them to take down misinformation and promote voter registration drives. But detecting and reporting misinformation can be difficult for officials to tackle on their own. Some companies, such as data science startup VineSight, are trying to detect election misinformation early. Using artificial intelligence technology, the company provides data to targeted political campaigns, companies and advocacy groups, which helps them prepare for and respond to what is coming. The company looks not at what is being said but how; there are common patterns in the disinformation campaigns. CEO Gideon Blocq said he and his team have been able to predict disinformation in several recent elections, including last years Kentucky and Louisiana gubernatorial contests. There were tons of posts about voting machines getting hacked, Republican ballots getting shredded, he said, and none of it was true. VineSight also flags burgeoning misinformation to major news outlets like The New York Times and PolitiFact. Facebook, Blocq said, has taken down political ads based on those articles. Disinformation will continue being a problem through November, said Emily Frye, director of cyber integration at Mitre, a nonprofit that launched an app this year used by 160 local and state election officials to report social media disinformation. Disinformation tends to follow topics that are trending, she said. Before Super Tuesday, for example, posts falsely claimed voters should not show up to polling places, but expect an emergency absentee ballot in the mail instead. Throughout the primary season, countless anecdotes circulated on social media about voter fraud and the dangers of mail-in voting. These anecdotes get generalized, and voters begin to think there is an actual problem when one might not exist. Mahood said the California secretary of states office has a better relationship with social media companies, but there is still room for improvement. The companies still face a learning curve, said Vandewalker of the Brennan Center. Artificial intelligence and machine learning may end up silencing legitimate voices or even someone flagging false information. Nuanced issues need a sophisticated response, he said, and the way these companies react often can lead to false positives. Facebook said it continues to focus on building relationships with local officials to register 4 million new voters this year and take down election-related content that violates its policies, including cases in which posts misrepresent how and when to vote or affects the ability to register to vote. State and local election officials are doing critical work to protect elections and encourage civic participation, said Eva Guidarini, Facebooks state and local politics and government manager, in an email. We look forward to continuing to support their efforts by connecting people on our platform with authoritative information about voting and conducting the largest voting information campaign in American history. This article was first posted to Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday addressed the media in response to the persistent issues faced by public in the process of exchanging old defunct currency notes with valid denominations. Here are the excerpts from Jaitley's press conference on currency exchange - # The long-term advantages of this scheme are to the economy. # Chip in the Rs 2000 note and the scarcity of #salt are concocted rumours. # SBI alone has got Rs 47,868 cr deposits in last two days; total deposits in all the banks must be Rs 2-2.25 lakh cr. # We are trying to ensure that everyone pays taxes on the money they have earned. # Marginal hike in bank deposits was only for Sept 2016, reason being the release of Pay Commission's salary arrears. # I appeal that during this transitional phase, people should make as many transactions digitally since this is what the new system demands. # Currency chest has sufficient cash, which is being transported to banks and post offices. # I request people to move towards electronic money through cheques, cards and other digital transactions. # It is a big regret that people are being inconvenienced. # If anyone indulges in improper and unlawful activities, concerned departments are going to take it up. # The objective of the scheme is clean money and clean transactions. # If anyone indulges in improper and unlawful activities, concerned departments are going to take it up. # We accept that people have been very patient, even banks are also working well to tackle this situation. # First few days will cause inconvenience but there will be long term advantage to the economy. # If anyone indulges in improper and unlawful activities, concerned departments are going to take it up. # All currency chests have sufficient money. # It will take 2-3 weeks times to re-calibrate 2 lakh ATMs for vend out new Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes. # Allegations like bank deposit surged are baseless. # The spike in bank deposits was due to the distribution of arrears due from the 7th pay commission. # People in large numbers, are depositing, withdrawing and exchanging currency. # ATM machines were calibrated for 500 and 1000 Rs notes, will be recaliberated eventually to accommodate new currency notes. # The ATMs have not been re-calibrated for new Rs. 2000 currency note; the process is on. # Different political reactions are coming in, some of which are really irresponsible. # It was not possible for us to inform about this decision in advance, as we had to maintain its secrecy as well. # It was not possible for us to relay this decision in advance, as we also had to maintain its secrecy as well. # It was expected that there will be some difficulty for the first few days as 86% currency is changed. # Finance Ministry constantly monitoring currency replacement. # Bank officials working from morning to late night, people are also cooperating well despite all difficulties. # Notes exchanged by SBI of 58 lakh people till 12:15 today. # SBI bank has alone completed 2 crore 28 lakh transactions in last two days, be it for deposit, exchange or any other form. # We accept that people have been very patient, even banks are also working well to tackle this situation. # SBI contributes around 20 to 25 percent of Banking operation: FM Arun Jaitley on demonetisation issue. # 54370 Crores monitory transactions in the SBI; 47868 Crores have been deposited in the SBI. # The goverment on Nov 8 banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes to curb black money and corruption in India. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. United Arab Emirates set to launch mission to Mars Saudi Press Agency Sunday 1441/11/28 - 2020/07/19 DUBAI, July 19, 2020, SPA -- The United Arab Emirates is to launch its first mission to Mars early on Monday, as it strives to develop its scientific and technology capabilities, according to Reuters. Hoping the Probe will be launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 a.m. UAE time/6:58 a.m. Japanese time Monday (2158 GMT Sunday) for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere. The first Arab mission to Mars was initially due to launch on July 14, but has been delayed twice due to bad weather. --SPA 21:10 LOCAL TIME 18:10 GMT 0021 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Missouri Governor Mike Parson will consider pardoning a couple who sparked outrage after brandishing guns at racial justice protesters marching past their home should they be charged with a criminal offence. The Republican said a pardon is "exactly what would happen" if St Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey face charges for using firearms to defend against what they say were death threats that left them fearing for their lives. "A mob does not have the right to charge your property. They had every right to protect themselves," Mr Parson told The Marc Cox Morning Show on 97.1 FM in St Louis on Friday. "You don't know until you hear all the facts. But right now, if this is all about going after them for doing a lawful act, then yeah, if that scenario ever happened, I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail," he continued. Following the interview, Mr Parson doubled down on his support for the couple in a series of tweets saying they "had every right to defend their home". "We will not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights," Mr Parson wrote. After the husband and wife went viral in a 28 June video that showed them pointing firearms toward supporters of Black Lives Matter, state prosecutor Kim Gardner launched an investigation into the incident. "Make no mistake: We will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable," Ms Gardner said in a tweet. After the incident, Mr McCloskey told local KMOV-TV that he and his wife feared for their lives after protesters smashed through the private gates of Portland Place. "It was like the storming of the Bastille, the gate came down and a large crowd of angry, aggressive people poured through," Mr McCloskey said. "I was terrified that we'd be murdered within seconds. Our house would be burned down, our pets would be killed." Mr Parson indicated his willingness to support the couple last week, saying during a press conference that Donald Trump would also be taking action to "do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation". He said the McCloskeys' actions were protected under Missouri's "castle doctrine", which allows the use of force against intruders without the requirement to retreat. "That couple had every right to protect their property. They have the ability to do that as private citizens like everyone else," Mr Parson said. "But what they should not go through is a prosecutor attempting to take their constitutional rights away by filing charges against them for protecting their property." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 09:13:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China's top state-asset regulator has urged the country's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to increase profitability and deepen reform. Addressing a recent video conference attended by the heads of central SOEs, Hao Peng, chief of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), said most of the central SOEs should strive to achieve relatively rapid growth in the second half of the year. Efforts should be made to deepen reform, optimize and stabilize industrial and supply chains, and defuse major risks, according to the conference. A three-year action plan for SOEs reform is expected to take the country's reform in state-owned assets and firms to a new stage. In the first half of the year, central SOEs led in work and production resumption, drove the development of all types of market entities and improved production and operation, according to the SASAC. In the January-June period, the combined revenue of the 97 central SOEs fell by 7.8 percent from one year earlier to 13.4 trillion yuan (about 1.91 trillion U.S. dollars), narrowing by 4 percentage points compared with the decrease in the first quarter. The central SOEs' combined profits stood at 438.55 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 37.7 percent year on year, narrowing by 12.6 percentage points compared with the decline in the first five months. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 01:16:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the Palestine question has always been the core issue in the Middle East region, and China supports the "two-state solution" as the right direction. During his phone talk with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, expressed sincere condolence and firm support to the Palestinian government and people in their fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Xi said China and Palestine are good brothers, good friends and good partners, and the two sides have always firmly trusted and supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns. Since the start of the outbreak, China has provided multiple batches of supplies and sent medical experts to Palestine, organized video conferences between Chinese medical experts and their Palestinian counterparts, and offered anti-epidemic assistance to Palestinian refugees, Xi said. The Chinese side will continue sharing its experience with Palestine with no reservation, and doing what it can in providing material and technical support, said Xi, adding that his country will, according to Palestine's needs, keep on implementing the projects that are conducive to advancing Palestine's economy and improving people's livelihood so as to bring more and better benefits to the Palestinian people. China is ready to work with Palestine and other countries to strengthen cooperation, support multilateralism, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he said. Xi emphasized that the Palestine question, which has always been the core issue in the Middle East, concerns regional peace and stability, international fairness and justice, as well as human conscience and credibility, saying that China's position on the Palestine question is consistent and clear. China firmly supports Palestine's just demands, as well as all efforts conducive to resolving the Palestine question, Xi said. China supports the "two-state solution" as the right direction, and sticks to dialogue and negotiations on an equal footing, Xi said, adding that the international community should take an objective and fair position and build up efforts for promoting peace. He also said that China is ready to continue making active contributions to a comprehensive, fair and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date. Abbas said that the Palestinian side speaks highly of China's important achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, and sincerely thanks China for providing timely and invaluable support and assistance to Palestine in its epidemic battle. He also appreciated China's efforts to uphold justice on the Palestinian issue, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people, saying that facts have proved time and again that China is the most reliable friend of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian side will continue to stand firmly with China, and support China's legitimate position on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and other matters concerning China's core interests, said Abbas, adding that his country expects China to play a more important role in promoting a just settlement of the Palestinian issue. Enditem European Union's leaders arrived at the European Council on Monday for the fourth day of negotiations over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro (US$2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund. Ahead of the summit, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told reporters that the package proposed is unprecedented, but Ireland will do everything possible to ensure that a ''package of this scale is delivered.'' All nations agree they need to band together but the five richer countries in the north, led by the Netherlands, want strict controls on spending, while struggling southern nations like Spain and Italy say those conditions should be kept to a minimum. Even with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel negotiating as the closest of partners, the traditionally powerful Franco-German alliance could not get the quarreling nations in line. At a dinner on Sunday night, the leaders mulled a proposal from the five wealthy northern nations that suggested a coronavirus recovery fund with 350 billion euros (US$400 billion) of grants and the same amount again in loans. The five EU nations - nicknamed "the frugals" - had long opposed any grants at all, while the EU executive had proposed 500 billion euros (US$570 million). Folk dancing icon and founder of the legendary Reda Troupe, dancer, choreographer and Olympic gymnast Mahmoud Reda died last Saturday at the age of 90. He was born in Cairo in 1930 and graduated from the Faculty of Political Science at Cairo University, where his father was head librarian. He was the eighth of ten children, and one elder brother, Ali, was a dancer who inspired him. After representing Egypt in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and graduating, Mahmoud Reda toured Europe with an Argentinian dance troupe. While working as an accountant for Royal Dutch Shell, determined to start his own troupe but lacking the necessary funds, he met Farida Fahmi the sister of Alis wife Nadida Fahmi at the Heliolido Sporting Club and they performed as a couple in the Soviet Union in 1957. Together with Ali and his wife Farida, Mahmoud and Nadida (who was the troupes costume designer before she died in 1960) founded the Reda Troupe in 1959. With 12 dancers and 12 musicians, Mahmoud realised his dream of a modern Egyptian folk dance troupe aware of ballet and modern dance as choreographer while Ali worked as art director. Farida was the prima donna. Speaking to Dina Ezzat in the Weekly last year to mark the troupes 60th anniversary, Fahmi recalled the troupes Cairo debut: I remember it so well. It was 6 August 1959. We were all set for the show. We had rehearsed it so many times, perfected the costumes and decided on the makeup. We had put our hearts into the launch, and we were hopeful, but also of course anxious. In 1961 the Reda Troupe became a state sponsored company affiliated with the Ministry of Culture. According to Fahmi, President Gamal Abdel Nasser was himself a fan: He attended one of our very early performances, and he liked what he saw because I think he appreciated good art. He took pride in the nations history, and he believed in art as an essential part of the countrys soft power. These were years of enlightenment in which art was as appreciated and as promoted as it should be. But it was becoming part of a bureaucracy that led to the troupes long-term decline, with the artists turning into civil servants and the creative spark going out. Ali died of cancer in 1993. And so the story came to an end, but not before the Reda Troupe achieved great glory. Eager to produce a more lasting record of the troupes achievements, Ali had had ambitious plans early on. Three films were made starring the troupe: Agazet Nos Al-Sana (Mid-year Vacation) in 1962 and Gharam fil Karnak (Love at Karnak) in 1967 and Harami Al-Waraqa (Paper Thief, 1970), all directed by Ali Reda.Mahmoud retired as lead dancer in 1972, continuing as a choreographer, by which time the troupe boasted 150 dancers, musicians and technicians. Performing sometimes to world leaders in New York and Beijing, the troupe made five glamorous world tours.According to Fahmi, It was Mahmoud who went through the many dance styles to design the performances, a hard and innovative labour that was done with passion and sincerity There was something almost magical that connected all of us together: the choreography of Mahmoud, the costume designs of Nadida that my mother Khadiga executed to turn artistic drawings into dance costumes, and the inspirational art direction of Ali. There was also the unending support of my exceptional father Hassan Fahmi, a professor of engineering who shrugged off the disapproval of his own class in allowing his daughter, a graduate of the English Department at Cairo University, to become a dancer.From 1972 on, Reda taught dance. His second wife was a Yugoslav ballerina, Rosa Reda, with whom he had his only daughter, the celebrated actress Sherine Reda. He is also survived by Sherines daughter Noor Diab. *A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Actor Geoffrey Rush is set for a final win over Sydneys Daily Telegraph after his titanic defamation fight. The newspapers publisher, Nationwide News, has decided not to appeal the Oscar-winning actors record $2.87 million defamation payment. Long-time Camberwell resident Rush sued the Telegraph in 2017 after it alleged inappropriate behaviour by the actor during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear. The tabloid based its story on an STC statement, and under then editor Chris Dore, now top dog at The Australian, produced the infamous King Leer front page. While Thursday marks the appeal deadline, News will not go to the High Court after the Full Court of the Federal Court rejected its appeal earlier this month. Tele editor Ben English said then that while the paper respected the findings of the Full Court, the case exposes the inadequacies of Australia's defamation laws and heightens the need for urgent legislative reform to enable public debate and to encourage women to come forward with their concerns. The Tele didnt name the complainant in its report, but she was later revealed to be Rushs co-star Eryn Jean Norvill, who played Cordelia. The case and appeal brought in a host of lawyers, including Rushs solicitor, HWL Ebsworths Nicholas Pullen (who is also working for publisher Hardie Grant as it pursues the leakers of Malcolm Turnbulls manuscript), and barristers Bruce McClintock, SC, and Bret Walker, SC. The Tele was represented by Ashursts Robert Todd and barrister Tom Blackburn, SC. Gardai were called to the scene of an incident on Loughlinstown Drive, where Derek Reddin (31) was discovered with stab wounds following a row shortly after midnight on October 15th last. Members of the Armed Support Unit, local Garda units and Emergency Services attended the scene but Mr Reddin, of Watson Drive, Killiney, Dublin, was pronounced dead a short time later. Following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Andrew Lacey from Riverside, Loughlinstown,Dublin was charged on Sunday with murder. He had initially been arrested and questioned last October but was released pending a file to the DPP. He appeared before Judge Ann Watkin at Dun Laoghaire District Court on Monday morning. Details of his arrest and charge were furnished to the court by Detective Garda Stephen Ryan. Mr Lacey, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, stood silently throughout the brief hearing. He was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Advertisement The judge agreed to grant him legal aid following an application by his barrister Robert Crowley who was instructed by solicitor Niall OConnor. A book of evidence needs to be completed by the DPP before he can be returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court. The district court cannot grant bail in murder cases; an application would have to be brought before the High Court. The deceased, Mr Reddin, worked as a volunteer for the group Youre Not Alone, which helps people sleeping on the streets of Dublin. A team of engineers on Monday surveyed the 200-year-old Masjid Mubarak Begum in Old Delhis Hauz Qazi chowk, whose central dome was reduced to rubble due to heavy rain a day ago. Technicians and engineers of the Delhi Waqf Board, which maintains the mosque, said the loss is irreparable in terms of its heritage. Entry to the prayer hall beneath the dome has been restricted. Prayers were offered in the courtyard on Monday. It is tough to reach the roof, which has become vulnerable, and collect the rubble. The rubble has not been cleared as we are waiting for it to be inspected by experts, whom we are trying to get in touch with. We will preserve the malba (rubble) for research and see if it could be used for restoration, Mehfooz Mohammad, section officer, Delhi Waqf Board, said. Mohammad said it was not just the lightening and rainfall that led to the damage, but the dome and the roof had started developing cracks over the past few years. Also read: In a first, free entry for women at ticketed monuments on International Womens Day For the past few years, cracks were observed here, which could possibly be because of construction carried out discreetly by shopkeepers on the ground floor and also because of digging work for construction of a Delhi Metro station. During the digging work, many old structures, including houses, had developed cracks, said Mohammad. The official said the board has contacted the Archaeological Survey of Indias Delhi chapter to seek its expertise and help in restoration. We plan to write to ASI-Delhi formally tomorrow to help us. We do not have any experts or architects within the board as such and would like to appeal to conservation agencies if they would like to come forward to help us with the task, he said. Officials from ASI, Delhi said the mosque does not come under their purview. According to historian Rana Safvi, the double-storeyed mosque was built in 1822 and is one of the many mosques built by women in that era. Heritage activist and author Sohail Hashmi said the mosque has historical and architectural importance. The 1958 Act under the provisions of which the ASI functions needs to be amended to bring all such structures of immense historical importance under its purview. The mosque requires the attention of experts, who could lead its restoration, said Hashmi. Hashmi said historically it is important as it was built by a courtesan at that time. Mubarak Begum was a courtesan married to David Ochterlony, the first British resident in Delhi in the Mughal court. The mosque was mentioned in the list of 3,000 heritage structures that existed in Delhi, which was prepared in 1920 by historian Maulana Zafar Hasan for the then British-ruled ASI to study. She was the senior-most of the 13 wives of the British resident. She was sharp and ambitious and Ochterlony would often seek her advice in various matters, he said. The design of the mosque is similar to those from the times of Shah Jahan. The design would typically have three domes, of which the central dome is larger than two others. The structure needs to be preserved well to retain its heritage value, Hashmi said. Abu Sufiyan, a local who runs a group named Purani Dilli Walo ki Baatein, which conducts heritage walks and cultural programmes in the area, said, The mosque was not being maintained properly for years. It had been developing cracks from long before but it wasnt looked into even once. I have got many messages from random people asking to contribute money for repair. We will help as much as we can to restore it, said Sufiyan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vatsala Shrangi Vatsala Shrangi joined HT Editorial team on July 2, 2018 as Principal Correspondent. She covers Environment, Civic bodies and the Social Sector. ...view detail "In addition to being one of the most innovatively entertaining and engaging personalities on TV and social media, Mike Rowe represents everything that we value here," said Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. "He's worked hard to recognize and celebrate the men and women in the trade industries who are so important to our economy and culture but are too often overlooked. And he's translated his success into concrete support for the trades through the mikeroweWORKS Foundation." Rowe will participate in a live Q&A session at the fourth annual Pantheon event, offering his unique perspective into the unsung essential jobs that keep America running. As CEO of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Rowe speaks regularly about the country's dysfunctional relationship with work and challenges the persistent belief that a four-year degree is automatically the best path for young people entering the workforce. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation has granted, or helped facilitate the granting of, more than $5 million in scholarships for technical and vocational education. Pantheon 2020 is expected to be ServiceTitan's biggest conference yet and one of the premier industry events of the year. Pantheon offers in-depth training sessions, presentations from industry experts and ServiceTitan executives, and an unparalleled networking opportunity for decision makers. In 2019, more than 1,500 contractors from across the residential and commercial service industry attended Pantheon in Pasadena, California. "In just a short time, Pantheon has become an essential event for leaders in the trades," Mahdessian said. "The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge effect on events like this, so our team made an awesome effort to adapt to the situation and pivot to an all-virtual conference. But we're able to make a maximum impact this way, and we're already excited about next year." ServiceTitan was founded in 2012 by Mahdessian and Vahe Kuzoyan as a way to help their immigrant fathers, both of whom were tradesmen. The company serves 4,000 client businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://www.servicetitan.com . For more information on Pantheon, including how to register, visit https://www.servicetitan.com/pantheon . About ServiceTitan ServiceTitan is a software company built to accelerate the home and commercial service industries. The company's end-to-end software suite includes CRM, intelligent dispatch, custom reporting, marketing automation, a mobile solution for field techs, and accounting integrations with Sage Intacct and QuickBooks. ServiceTitan raised the largest venture round of a SaaS company in the history of Southern California ($165 million Series D) led by Index Ventures, with participation from Dragoneer and T. Rowe Price and existing investors Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and ICONIQ Capital. By bringing a fully operational modern SaaS infrastructure to an industry traditionally underserved by software, ServiceTitan makes a direct and positive impact on the lives of thousands of entrepreneurs and their extended teams. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://www.servicetitan.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE ServiceTitan Related Links http://www.servicetitan.com Public member proposes to create Internet law enforcement to fight illegal content RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:38 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) The First Deputy Chairman of the Civic Chambers Commission for Examination of Legislative Initiatives Artem Kiryanov proposed creation of Internet prosecutors office and Internet police to fight illegal web content during a round table conference on Monday. Creation of Internet prosecutors office and Internet police must be authorized to conduct law enforcement intelligence operations in this field, he said. Currently, there is a low cybercrime solvency rate in Russia, not higher than 10%, according to the public member. However, there is a rise in such crimes, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:57:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Afghan army soldiers take position near a security checkpoint which was attacked by Taliban insurgents in Shinwari area outside Kunduz city, Afghanistan, July 20, 2020. More than two dozen fighters including 12 security personnel were confirmed dead as clash erupted outside Kunduz city, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Monday, deputy to Provincial Council Safiullah Amiri said. (Photo by Ajmal Kakar/Xinhua) KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, July 20 (Xinhua) -- More than two dozen fighters including 12 security personnel were confirmed dead as clash erupted outside Kunduz city, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Monday, deputy to Provincial Council Safiullah Amiri said. According to the official, the clash flared up after the Taliban insurgents stormed security checkpoints in Qazaq and Shinwari areas outside Kunduz city early morning triggering heavy fighting and so far 12 security personnel including army and police have been killed and 10 others injured. Over a dozen militants have also been killed, the official said, but could not give an exact figure. However, provincial government spokesman Esmatullah Muradi confirmed with Xinhua that 15 Taliban fighters were killed in the fighting. He said the security forces would continue to chase the insurgents elsewhere in the province to maintain security. Taliban militants who have intensified activities to overrun Kunduz city have yet to make comment. GLENDALE, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Through the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), California Credit Union (CCU) has provided 546 small businesses with loans totaling more than $53.4 million. These PPP loans are estimated to have helped save or restore approximately 5,500 jobs across Southern California. CCU has a 100% approval rate for its eligible SBA loan applications, which largely supported businesses averaging between 10 12 employees. "Small local businesses are the backbone of our economy, and the SBA program has been an absolute lifeline to help these businesses survive the pandemic. When the program launched, our team immediately jumped into action, working seven days a week to help them access these funds, which in many cases were the only option to keep their doors open, the lights on, and staff on payroll," said CCU President/CEO Steve O'Connell. "To meet demand, we redeployed and trained staff from other credit union areas, who have worked around the clock to assist members and submit applications. We continue to receive letters and emails from local businesses thanking us for our help, which show us the real impact this program is having in supporting the financial health of our communities." Since the program became available, the credit union has reached out to its business members to offer support and ensure they were aware of the loans. O'Connell said, "As a preferred SBA lender, we've been committed to serving businesses in our communities since 2008 with our business banking services. We are fortunate to have the business banking expertise and infrastructure in place to rally our resources, move quickly to make the application live as soon as it was launched, and help our business members access the program in both rounds." In talking about the PPP loan process, The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health, Los Angeles, Executive Director Maryjane Puffer said, "California Credit Union has been an incredible partner. Not only did they guide us through a successful PPP application, they sponsored the purchase of IT equipment so our staff could operate virtually. Because of this incredible partnership, The L.A. Trust was able to maintain operations through June and keep our student programs running. Throughout this time, The L.A. Trust has maintained connections and health campaigns through 60 student advisory board members, hosted an online Wellness Center Learning Collaborative, distributed more than 50,0000 toothbrushes at LAUSD Grab & Go Food Centers, and conducted our online Oral Health Advisory Board convene." Fresh Corn Grill Restaurant President Josh Kleinberg said, "With unpredictable health concerns for our employees and customers, and sales falling to 25%, we closed our restaurant for almost two months. Even with uncertain sales, this loan meant that we could re-open the restaurant and keep our team employed. California Credit Union made it amazingly easy for us to get the PPP loan and receive funds within two weeks. That's magic!" O'Connell noted, "We know this was the first step in a long process. With these funds, businesses and jobs have been saved, which is absolutely critical to helping our local communities successfully come out of this pandemic. We are now working closely with businesses to help them take the right steps so the loans are forgiven." In addition to the SBA program, CCU continues to provide a variety of programs to help consumer members facing financial difficulties related to the pandemic. Relief and assistance options include consumer loan and credit card payment deferrals, home loan assistance, penalty-free certificate withdrawals, and special COVID-Relief low rate emergency loans. More information about these programs can be found on the credit union's website. About California Credit Union California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of $3 billion, California Credit Union has 25 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Visit ccu.com for more information, or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @CaliforniaCreditUnion. SOURCE California Credit Union Related Links http://www.ccu.com Mumbai, July 20 : Actor Ritwik Bhowmik says his upcoming romantic musical web series, Bandish Bandits, is a blend of Indian traditions seeped in music, and it narrates a story of love, ambition, and passion. The trailer of the show gives a glimpse of the idea. "'Bandish Bandits' has been a dream in the making. Working with stalwarts such as Naseeruddin Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha and Atul Kulkarni for my debut was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. The show is a blend of Indian traditions seeped in music that beautifully describes young love, ambition, passion, and family values in a simple, yet powerful manner," Ritwik said. The trailer was released on the birthday of veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Monday. Set in Jodhpur, the show tells the story of two young musicians, hailing from contrasting backgrounds. The trailer gives a glimpse of their story, as they search for their identity and break barriers with their music. Actress Shreya Chaudhry, who will be seen in the role of popstar Tamanna, feels the show is a "heart-warming journey of music". "Working with (director) Anand Tiwari has always been something I had wanted to do, so being part of 'Bandish Bandits' is nothing short of serendipitous. I could not have asked for a better setting to work and learn more about acting, that too from some of the most talented and respected actors in India! I believe the show is a heart-warming journey of music and love and think it is something the audience would very much enjoy watching," she said. The show follows the story of Radhe and Tamanna. Radhe is a singing prodigy determined to follow in the classical footsteps of his grandfather (essayed by Naseeruddin Shah). Tamanna is a rising pop sensation desperate to become India's first international popstar. The 10-part Amazon Prime Video series also features Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha, Kunal Roy Kapur and Rajesh Tailang. It is created and produced by Amritpal Singh Bindra and directed by Anand Tiwari. The show will go live on August 4. NSW Urged to Limit Activity as Cases Rise NSW residents have been urged to limit their activity and wear a mask in public if social distancing cant be guaranteed as COVID-19 cases across the state continue to rise. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday she was incredibly concerned that NSW was at a critical point in the pandemic. She said the state has the chance to get ahead of the virus and control the spread if residents limit their activities and practise social distancing over the next few weeks. If you cannot guarantee social distancing where youre going you must wear a mask, she told reporters in Sydney. We encourage everybody to limit their behaviour or activity in the next few weeks especially around large crowds. The premier noted it was positive that all the new cases reported on Monday were from known sources but urged people to consider avoiding crowds. The state recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on Sunday which is the highest number of new cases recorded in three months. Three of the cases are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, bringing the total number of cases linked to the cluster to 48. Eight new cases are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, four are linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, four are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a person who has returned from Victoria. Eight cases in all are linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, while a total of 16 cases are connected to the Thai Rock. Bega MP Andrew Constance, whose electorate covers Batemans Bay, said people are concerned given a couple of hundred people visit the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club every night. Anyone who visited the club between July 13 and July 17 July needs to self-isolate with Constance warning if they dont, were in trouble. NSW Health on Monday afternoon directed anyone who attended the Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park between July 15 to 17 to self-isolate for 14 days and come forward for testing even if theyre not experiencing symptoms. The alert was issued after authorities discovered a confirmed COVID-19 case linked to the Thai Rock restaurant cluster visited the church four times before being diagnosed. Two additional people who attended services between those dates have also tested positive to coronavirus. These cases were not included in Mondays confirmed numbers. From midnight on Tuesday, NSW will enforce tougher border restrictions for people wanting to enter from Victoria. A border zone will be set up along the Murray River and all current travel permits will be cancelled while residents in the border zone who wish to move between the states will have to reapply. Travel will only be allowed for work, education, medical care, supplies or health services. Among the changed permit requirements, staff or students of boarding schools or universities must self-isolate for two weeks and obtain a negative swab before attending school. If NSW residents travel into Victoria, they will have to self-isolate for two weeks when they return. Victoria recorded 275 new coronavirus cases on Monday, and masks are to be mandatory for people in living in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from Thursday. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday said he understands Berejikians decision to tighten the border restrictions. Meanwhile, Sutherland Local Court has been closed for cleaning after a person who attended last Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19. By Dominica Sanda live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More FMCG major Britannia Industries has planned a capital expenditure of around Rs 700 crore over the next two-and-half years for its new facilities and is bullish on the rural demand during the COVID-19 crisis, a company official said on Monday. The rural demand remained stable during the coronavirus outbreak and the company will focus more on its core products, its managing director Varun Berry said. "The company is looking at some capex (capital expenditure) of more than Rs 700 crore over the next two-and- half years," he said at a virtual press conference. Britannia plans to set up new manufacturing facilities in UP, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Odisha, he said. In the first quarter of the current fiscal, the company's net profit increased by 118 per cent to Rs 542 crore and the turnover was Rs 3,420 crore, up by 26.6 per cent over the corresponding period last year. Since the future is uncertain for the next six to nine months, the company will give priority on the core products, and less focus will be on innovation, Berry said. According to him, the rural demand was not affected by the coronavirus pandemic and it will continue to grow at a higher pace than urban. Berry said the COVID-19 crisis will cause permanent changes in consumer behaviour, and home consumption will increase. "During the first quarter, the company has been able to unlock efficiencies and prioritised on high gross margin and premium products," he said. The fast-moving consumer goods company had focused on cutting costs by way of reducing working capital as the inventory levels were low, he added. Regarding commodity prices, Berry said there was deflation in flour and milk products, while sugar saw a three per cent price rise. The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), Georgias leading small business development and supplier diversity organization, is proud to introduce its Amazon Alexa Skill. The Councils technology enhancement offers users the ability to learn about opportunities for engagement and upcoming programs and events. One of our key focus areas is to leverage technology as a way to engage with current stakeholders and expand our reach, said Stacey Key, President and CEO of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. This Skill for Alexa is technology innovation, enabling us to broaden how we share information about the organization and grow our digital ecosystem. In this current environment, businesses must adapt to new technologies in order to stay relevant, remain competitive and stay safe." The Skill is available on Amazon Alexa-compatible devices. Users may also access this Skill by downloading the Amazon Alexa app on supported Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices. Users can enable and start using the Skill by saying, Alexa, open GMSDC. InfoSmart Technologies, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and distinguished Information Technology Services consulting, staffing and IT services company headquartered in Atlanta, developed the GMSDC Skill for Alexa. InfoSmart Technologies is extremely delighted to work with the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council to develop this new Skill for Alexa on InfoSmarts Voice Platform, said Karun Asireddy, President of InfoSmart Technologies. Though this partnership, we were able to extend our technology solution and empower GMSDC to enhance their customer experience. GMSDC is celebrating 45 years of creating opportunities and delivering results in supplier diversity for corporations and certified MBEs. For more information about the organization, please visit http://www.gmsdc.org. ABOUT GMSDC The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (GMSDC) is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates business partnerships between corporations, government entities, and certified minority-owned businesses in the state of Georgia. With more than 400 local and national corporate members and 700 certified minority business enterprises, GMSDC is Georgias leading small business development and supplier diversity organization. Founded in 1975, GMSDC is headquartered in Atlanta and is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. For more information, contact us at http://www.gmsdc.org or info@gmsdc.org. FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed coronavirus model is seen in front of a U.S. flag on display in this illustration By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) - During a blue-sky moment in 2018 near the end of a decade-long economic expansion, it was the United States that helped pull the world along as the extra cash from tax cuts and government spending flowed through domestic and global markets. But if it was U.S. policy that pushed the world higher then, it is U.S. policy that threatens to pull the world under now as the country's troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic emerges as a chief risk to any sustained global recovery. Officials from Mexico to Japan are already on edge. Exports have taken a hit in Germany, and Canada looks south warily knowing that any further hit to U.S. growth will undoubtedly spill over. "Globally there will be difficult months and years ahead and it is of particular concern that the number of COVID-19 cases is still rising," the International Monetary Fund said in a review of the U.S. economy that cited "social unrest" due to rising poverty as one of the risks to economic growth. "The risk ahead is that a large share of the U.S. population will have to contend with an important deterioration of living standards and significant economic hardship for several years. This, in turn, can further weaken demand and exacerbate longer-term headwinds to growth." It was a clinical description of a grim set of facts: After the U.S. government committed roughly $3 trillion to support the economy through a round of restrictions on activity imposed to curb the virus in April and May, the disease is surging in the United States to record levels just as those support programs are due to expire. More than 3.6 million people have been infected and 140,000 killed. Daily growth in cases has tripled to more than 70,000 since mid-May, and the 7-day moving average of deaths, after falling steadily from April to July, has turned higher. Meanwhile the country has fractured over issues like mask-wearing that in other parts of the world were adopted readily as a matter of common courtesy. With some key states like Texas and California now reimposing restrictions, analysts have already noted a possible plateau to the U.S. recovery with the country still 13.3 million jobs shy of the number in February. Story continues A GLOBAL DISAPPOINTMENT For other major economic powers, that is a weight added to their own struggles with the virus and the economic fallout. The U.S. economy accounts for about a quarter of world gross domestic product. Though much of that is service-related, and much of the direct impact of the virus is tied up in industries like restaurants with weak links to the global economy, the connections are still there. A lost job leads to lower consumer spending leads to fewer imports; weak business conditions lead to less investment in the equipment or supplies that are often produced elsewhere. Year-to-date U.S. imports through May are down more than 13%, or roughly $176 billion. In Germany, whose measures to contain the pandemic are considered to have been among the most effective, exports to the United States plunged 36% year-over-year in May. Analysts see little prospect for improvement, with year-to-date U.S. auto sales through June down nearly 24% from a year earlier. "That is really a disappointment," said Gabriel Felbermayr, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, in a recent interview with radio network Deutschlandfunk. The spike in U.S. infections, he said, could not have been expected. In Japan, the speed of the recovery is seen tied directly to U.S. success in stemming the virus. "Japan's recovery will be really delayed if the spreading of the coronavirus in the United States isn't stopped and U.S.-bound exports from various Asian countries don't grow," said Hideo Kumano, a former Bank of Japan official who is now chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. PESSIMISM AT BOTH BORDERS The IMF projected U.S. GDP will shrink this year by 6.6%, in line with many analysts' projections. The Bank of Canada is more pessimistic, forecasting U.S. GDP to fall 8.1% on the year. That has already been lowered once as the health situation decayed. A further leg down would hit Canada directly, with perhaps three-fourths of the country's exports headed over the U.S. border. "We did take down our U.S. projection ... I would underline that there's a lot of uncertainty, and the principle source of the uncertainty is the evolution of the coronavirus itself," said BOC governor Tiff Macklem. At the southern border, Mexico is also posting record daily numbers of new cases, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has at times deflected criticism of his government's efforts by pointing to the U.S. numbers. Lopez Obrador undertook a risky visit with President Donald Trump earlier in July, couching his journey to Washington as a matter of economic necessity as Mexico attempts to revive an economy that could shrink by 10% or more this year, according to forecasts. The Mexican president hopes the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, which took effect on July 1, will spur business and investment, but pessimism about the outlook has been growing. "To the point that people in the U.S. are losing jobs or incomes it is a downward weight ... and it will have ramifications on the ability to consume globally," said Elizabeth Crofoot, senior economist at the Conference Board, which documented a record drop in global consumer confidence in a recent survey. "We take one step forward and two steps back." (Reporting by Howard Schneider in Washington; Additional reporting by Reinhard Becker and Christian Kraemer in Berlin, Leika Kihara in Tokyo, Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Dave Graham in Mexico City; Editing by Dan Burns and Matthew Lewis) Blurring the lines between beauty and Pharma, founder Amy Gallant Sullivan created an intellectually sleek brand ethos, where the logo is the maxim. "We're expanding the toxic beauty conversation to preserve the homeostasis of the eyes," said Gallant Sullivan. Having worked in the field of ocular surface disease for two decades, she discovered an unmet need for eye-friendly products to address the burgeoning vanity-inspired-wellness trend. With determination to ameliorate the deleterious effects of cosmetics on the eye's ocular surfacewithout sacrificing function and stylea brand was born. "We've poured decades of eye science into this line to inspire radiance and confidence, without compromising eye health," expounded Gallant Sullivan. Uniquely formulated for sensitive eyes and skin, contact lens wearers, and sufferers of dry eye disease and digital eye strain, the brand wins backing from leading eye care specialists. Gallant Sullivan collaborated with laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Italy to realize the brand's full spectrum. "In our 'new normal' world, the eyes are more vulnerable than ever," said Ophthalmologist Christopher E. Starr, Assoc. Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "The exponential increase in screen time, lower indoor humidity, and airflow from the top of masks have led to alarming rates of ocular surface dysfunction and eye dryness. With ubiquitous mask-wearing, our eyes are now the primary means of facial identification, triggering a greater attention to vanity. Ironically, the cosmetics many reach for can ultimately damage their eyes and eyelids. Today, your eyes really are the story, and in order to keep them feeling and looking their best, I recommend EYES ARE THE STORY." Incubated by FRANCELAB Beauty Architects (a Marie Claire Group subsidiary in New York, Paris, Hong Kong), EYES ARE THE STORY has more than 100 affiliates lined up to sell. Optometrist and investor Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee is excited to offer EYES ARE THE STORY to patients at her Houston practice and its online store. "My dry eye patients are very happy with these products because they can wear makeup and contacts comfortably all day again," said Shen Lee. "With the seductively modern design of EYES ARE THE STORY packaging, they leave my clinic with a similar feeling as when they're walking out of an Apple Store or a La Perla boutique." Gallant Sullivan anticipates her two-tier strategy of clinical practice retail and e-commerce direct selling will bear fruit, and is already seeing demand from a more conscientious beauty buyer in the wake of COVID-19. Products are vegan, cruelty free, and formulated according to EU regulations, banning more than 1,300 ingredients frequently found in mainstream cosmetics. The full collection of EYES ARE THE STORY is available online and sold exclusively in select eyecare and dermatology practices throughout North America. Gallant Sullivan is building out a self-care ecosystem that fuses safe beauty, hormonal health, eye nutrition, ocular hygiene and digital eye awareness all told through the prism of EYES. Get more of The Story at eyesarethestory.com SOURCE EYES ARE THE STORY Related Links https://eyesarethestory.com If the trend is confirmed, the lockdown may be a natural experiment of sorts to help researchers understand why premature birth happens and how to avoid it. This spring, as countries around the world told people to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, doctors in neonatal intensive care units were noticing something strange: Premature births were falling, in some cases drastically. It started with doctors in Ireland and Denmark. Each team, unaware of the others work, crunched the numbers from its own region or country and found that during the lockdowns, premature births especially the earliest, most dangerous cases had plummeted. When they shared their findings, they heard similar anecdotal reports from other countries. They dont know what caused the drop in premature births and can only speculate as to the factors in lockdown that might have contributed. But further research might help doctors, scientists and parents-to-be understand the causes of premature birth and ways to prevent it, which have been elusive until now. Their studies are not yet peer-reviewed and have been posted only on preprint servers. In some cases, the changes amounted to only a few missing babies per hospital. But they represented significant reductions from the norm, and some experts in premature birth think the research is worthy of additional investigation. These results are compelling, said Dr. Denise Jamieson, an obstetrician at Emory Universitys School of Medicine in Atlanta. About 1 in 10 U.S. babies is born early. Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks, and any delivery before 37 weeks is considered preterm. The costs to children and their families financially, emotionally and in long-term health effects can be great. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, babies born premature, especially before 32 weeks, are at higher risk of vision and hearing problems, cerebral palsy and death. The best way to avoid these costs would be to prevent early births in the first place, said Dr. Roy Philip, a neonatologist at University Maternity Hospital Limerick in Ireland. Philip had been vacationing abroad when his country entered lockdown March 12, and he noticed something unusual when he returned to work in late March. He asked why there had been no orders while he was gone for the breast milk-based fortifier that doctors feed to the hospitals tiniest preemies. The hospitals staff said that there had been no need because none of these babies had been born all month. Intrigued, Philip and his colleagues compared the hospitals births so far in 2020 with births between January and April in every year since 2001 more than 30,000 in all. They looked at birth weights, a useful proxy for very premature birth. Initially, I thought, There is some mistake in the numbers, Philip said. Over the past two decades, babies under 3.3 pounds, classified as very low birth weight, accounted for about 8 out of every 1,000 live births in the hospital, which serves a region of 473,000 people. In 2020, the rate was about one-quarter of that. The very tiniest infants, those under 2.2 pounds and considered extremely low birth weight, usually make up 3 per 1,000 births. There should have been at least a few born that spring but there had been none. The study period went through the end of April. By the end of June, with the national lockdown easing, Philip said there had still been very few early preemies born in his hospital. In two decades, he said, he had never seen anything like these numbers. While the Irish team was digging into its data, researchers in Denmark were doing the same thing, driven by curiosity over a nearly empty NICU. Dr. Michael Christiansen of the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen and his colleagues used newborn screening data to compare births nationwide during the strictest lockdown period, March 12 to April 14, with births during the same period in the previous five years. The data set included more than 31,000 infants. The researchers found that during the lockdown, the rate of babies born before 28 weeks had dropped by a startling 90%. Anecdotes from doctors at other hospitals around the world suggest the phenomenon may have been widespread, though not universal. Dr. Belal Alshaikh, a neonatologist at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, said premature births across Calgary dropped by nearly half during the lockdown. The change was across the board, though it seemed more pronounced in the earliest babies, he said. At Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Dr. Irwin Reiss, a neonatologist, saw a smaller drop-off in premature births. At Mercy Hospital for Women outside Melbourne, Australia, there were so few premature babies that administrators asked Dr. Dan Casalaz, the hospitals director of pediatrics, to figure out what was going on. In the United States, Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist at Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, estimated there were about 20% fewer NICU babies than usual in March. Although some sick full-term babies would stay in the NICU, Patrick said preterm babies usually made up most of the patients, and the drop-off seemed to have been driven by missing preemies. When Patrick shared his observation on Twitter, some U.S. doctors shared similar stories. Others said their NICUs were as busy as ever. Some groups in other countries have said they didnt see a change, either. If lockdowns prevented early births in certain places but not others, that information could help reveal causes of premature birth. The researchers speculated about potential factors. One could be rest. By staying home, some pregnant women may have experienced less stress from work and commuting, gotten more sleep and received more support from their families, the researchers said. Women staying at home also could have avoided infections in general, not just the new coronavirus. Some viruses, such as influenza, can raise the odds of premature birth. Air pollution, which has been linked to some early births, has also dropped during lockdowns as cars stayed off the roads. Jamieson said the observations were surprising because she would have expected to see more preterm births during the stress of the pandemic, not less. It seems like we have experienced tremendous stress in the U.S. due to COVID, she said. But all pregnant women may not have experienced the lockdowns in the same way, she said, as different countries have different social safety nets in general, and the stress of unemployment and financial insecurity may have affected communities unevenly. Some later premature births also might have been avoided during lockdowns simply because doctors werent inducing mothers for reasons like high blood pressure, Jamieson said. But that wouldnt explain a change in very early preterm births, as the Danish and Irish authors found. The causes of preterm birth have been elusive for decades, and ways to prevent preterm births have been largely unsuccessful, Jamieson said. According to the CDC, premature births in the United States rose in 2018 for the fourth straight year. White women had about a 9% risk of premature birth in 2018, while African American womens risk was 14%. If the trends in the data are confirmed, the pandemic and lockdowns could be something like a natural experiment that might help researchers understand why premature birth happens and how to avoid it. Maybe some maternity leave should start before a mothers due date, for example. The Danish and Irish researchers have now teamed up and are building an international group of collaborators to study how COVID lockdowns affected early births. For years, nothing has advanced in this very important area, Christiansen said, and it seems it took a virus attack to help us get on track. Elizabeth Preston. c.2020 The New York Times Company South Africa: Creating an environment for business to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the importance for government to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. As part of our effort to build a new economy out of this pandemic, we must create the conditions that will enable every individual to thrive in a society that supports, nurtures and helps them to succeed, the President said on Monday. In his newsletter to the nation, the President on Monday said small businesses present the greatest growth opportunity for the economy and are a major source of job creation. In such challenging times, when many have lost their jobs and the unemployed have found it even harder to eke out an existence, we must act with renewed urgency to support these businesses, the President said. He said the concentration of markets and capital in large firms limits the potential of small businesses. Then there is spatial inequality, which concentrates poverty in particular parts of our cities, towns and villages. Entrepreneurs in these areas find it difficult to raise the funds to launch and grow businesses and are often far away from the markets where they can sell their products. It is not enough simply to urge individuals to take advantage of opportunities or to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit among our youth. We need instead to deliberately build township and rural economies, the President said. He said to enable these businesses to thrive, South Africa must tackle the barriers to entrepreneurship. When it comes to the township and rural economy, this means providing access to finance for entrepreneurs and the self-employed, he said. Since the State of the Nation Address in February, government has made great progress in extending support to 1000 youth-owned businesses. We will reach this target by International Youth Day on 12 August, despite the delays caused by the lockdown. It also means expanding access to affordable and high-speed broadband internet, and supporting new technologies including successful aggregation platforms like SweepSouth or Kandua which link small businesses to demand. It means backing areas of opportunity such as in early childhood development, the food economy and the green economy, the President said. The many innovative businesses that have started during this pandemic have showcased the potential of South Africans, particularly the young people, the President said. It is our duty as government, business and society as a whole to lend our full support to them on their journey towards self-sufficiency and financial sustainability both to protect the jobs we have and to replace those we have lost. At the same time, this is a rallying cry to other young people out there to take the great leap of faith into self-employment. The best businesses come from good ideas that respond to a community need. President Ramaphosa said he was pleased at the combination of foresight, creativity and business acumen displayed by a number of young South Africans, who are coming up with home-grown solutions to address the contemporary challenges faced by the country. He said a number of young people have started small business ventures because of personal circumstances, such as losing their jobs, and others, who were previously unemployed, are now seizing the opportunity provided by the pandemic to create their own income. He said South Africas economic recovery cannot wait until the Coronavirus pandemic is over. Our economic recovery needs to start now. During the lockdown, government has extended support to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the form of loans, grants and debt restructuring. The COVID-19 UIF Relief Scheme has now disbursed R26 billion to more than six million workers across all types of business. The R200 billion loan guarantee scheme is being adjusted to make it easier for applicants to receive funding quickly. Through the work of the Department of Small Business Development and its agencies, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and other initiatives, we are placing the township and rural economy at the centre of our reconstruction effort, the President said. Government aims to support township businesses with skills development and access to markets and infrastructure. This will be done through the Township Entrepreneurship Fund. Although its launch has been delayed by the lockdown, we will put it front and centre as we now begin the arduous task of rebuilding our economy, the President said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. It was one of the scariest moments Ive ever been in in my entire life, he said. Even the baby knew what was going on because shes kicking like crazy. It was uncomfortable for both of us, so I start screaming at the top of my lungs, Hey, I dont know whats going on, but please be gentle. Im eight months pregnant. Please, I dont know whats going on, but please be gentle. Ms Jane Karuku, Chairperson of Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund Board, responds to questions from the public via Sunday Nation. Many Kenyans of goodwill appreciate that resource mobilisation and fundraising during a pandemic is an uphill task, especially when both individual and corporate citizens are in distress. Your board must be facing lots of challenges. Recently, we have witnessed families coming forward to seek assistance to clear medical bills running into millions of shillings in private hospitals when their kin succumbed to Covid-19. Some of them were rushing against time to bury the victims as per the prescribed protocols from the Ministry of Health, key among them being time. Madam, can your board come to the assistance of such families? Komen Moris, Eldoret Upon the board commencing its mandate, it conducted wide-ranging consultations with relevant stakeholders and identified the immediate priorities as; (a) Supporting the governments efforts in the procurement of medical supplies and equipment and (b) Welfare support to the vulnerable communities and individuals. These are the current areas of focus. However, we are aware of the novel challenges posed by the pandemic and as a board, we are amenable to considering such requests. We appeal to Kenyans to observe laid-down guidelines and protocols as issued by the Ministry of Health. It is in the public domain that your board is largely made up of top business and corporate leaders, including yourself but understandably so. Apart from resource mobilisation and fundraising, your board procures the required goods and services to deal with the current pandemic. Madam, how have you insulated this procurement process from conflict of interest from the same board members who may be tempted to award their companies or institutions tenders for such goods or services? Komen Moris, Eldoret We confirm that the procurement process has been above reproach and any such instance of conflict of interest has been addressed with utmost professionalism. Over and above this, the board sanctioned the appointment of members with requisite expertise and proficiency into its procurement committee after subsequent vetting by the secretariat, domiciled in the Executive Office of the President. Worth noting is that the entire procurement process is further subjected to continuous integrity checks and scrutiny by the secretariat to assure efficacy in the value chain as well as audit verification. In the wake of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, many well-meaning individuals, corporates and other entities have come out to donate to the board. However, from experience, such initiatives have in the past suffered unrivaled misuse and unexplained loss of funds because of weak accountability measures. What guarantee do you give to Kenyans that a similar fate will not befall the board/committee you chair? Kennedy D. Njuguna, Kiambu The board is committed to fulfilling its mandate with utmost transparency and good corporate governance. To this end, the board is working with professional service firms PwC Kenya, KPMG, Deloitte Kenya and EY Kenya who have been brought on board to support operations and activities and are providing pro-bono assurance services. In Liberia, the government has established a National Youth Task Force against Covid-19 as part of the efforts to help contain the disease. In Gambia, young entrepreneurs with tailoring skills are being engaged to help meet the urgent demand for protective face masks. What is your board doing to support, engage and provide opportunities to the Kenyan youth? Raphael Obonyo, Nairobi The board receives requests for consideration of various Covid-19-related innovations and skill sets for incorporation into the funds framework and our secretariat considers such applications and where feasible liaises with the relevant board committee for propriety assurance and approval. In addition, the board has approved a criterion that ensures procurement opportunities are considered for persons falling within the access to government procurement opportunities category. When the fund was established, there was constant publicity on donations to support Kenyans in cash and material form. This is no longer the case. Have donors dried up or suffered fatigue? Shem Onderi, Kisii During the inception days of the board, indeed there was constant publicity with corporates and individuals making both cash and in-kind contributions. The fanfare has dwindled and understandably, considering the renowned corporates already contributed and given the current circumstances, organisations are not getting expected profits owing to low work output and returns. What plans are in place to make the fund well-resourced and sustainable? Shem Onderi, Kisii The fund was established with a clear-cut and primary mandate of mobilising resources towards containing the spread, effects and impact of the pandemic. The funds we mobilise are continuously expended in line with the board priorities. Once the funds deplete with no indication of raising more resources, the board will formally communicate to the appointing authority. However, the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) purchased and distributed to designated facilities are expected to last 18 months as part of a medical sustainability plan. I can hardly claim to remember everything that took place during the commencement of the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund and therefore I beg to pose the following question: Was there a proposed amount the board would need to raise, and the sources? If so, where are we with the target? How much money has gone into use and how much more is still needed to hit the target? Francis Njuguna, Kibichoi Upon inauguration of the board, there was no proposed nor set target amount. The process was totally dependent on the goodwill and generosity of Kenyans with the expectation that the appointed board members through their various networks and platforms would steer resource mobilisation, which duty has been discharged commendably. The board has so far expended approximately Sh700 million. It has been publicly announced that the government would support the cause through voluntary salary cuts by public officers as well as monies that have been confiscated as proceeds of corruption by the relevant anti-corruption agencies. How much has so far been raised through this and how is it being expended? Leone Karani, Nairobi The board does not account for the monies that have been raised through the voluntary salary cuts by government officers and did not receive the monies owing to proceeds of corruption. It is worth noting that such monies were given to the National Treasury and subsequently channelled to the account held at Central Bank of Kenya, which is a totally different account from the fund account held at Absa Bank. In consideration of the foregoing, I am unable to respond to this question. So far donations made through the board in cash and kind stand at tens of billions. However, sustainability of this venture is a big pending question considering that donors will at some point become fatigued even as the infections increase. What assurance can you give to hunger-stricken Kenyan households that the national government, county governments and corporates will not forsake them in their hour of need? Dan Murugu, Nakuru We can neither speak for the national government nor the county governments. There are appropriate communication channels for that purpose. However, on behalf of my board, the assurance to vulnerable Kenyans is that the money committed to welfare support will be utilised for the intended purpose to cushion the affected Kenyans in a manner that also stimulates the local economy. The board sanctioned the Cash Transfer Relief Programme, which aims at reaching 100,000 vulnerable Kenyans in informal settlements at a weekly rate of Sh1,000 over a period of one month. There are serious disjointed approaches to address the current crisis in the country. In the counties, corrupt officials and busybodies have taken over relief food distribution in a very questionable manner and possibly it will not be possible to account for all the assistance disbursed by the national government. How do you plan to tackle poor coordination and lack of integrity in this noble venture? Dan Murugu, Nakuru The coordination of relief food for distribution at the counties is the mandate of the national government and I will not speak about it. I would, however, think that given the circumstances and the dire impact of the pandemic, necessary mechanisms and adequate measures will be explored to ensure coordination and integrity. There are murmurs and complaints from some quarters that help either in cash or food is not going to those who really deserve it. In the informal settlements especially, some residents who deserve help say they are yet to get this bailout that the government has promised. My question is: who determines or who guides your board in ensuring that help trickles down to those who really need it? Second, do you believe those you trust to hand out the assistance at the county level whether the provincial administration, Nyumba Kumi officials or all the others are doing what is required of them? David M. Kigo, Nairobi The board has a welfare committee that collates information on the vulnerable Kenyans, which is then subjected through a vigorous check and verification process to assure vulnerability, for subsequent disbursement through the MPesa platform. In addition, the distribution of in-kind donations (food and sanitary relief) is coordinated through the boards secretariat and from the collated data set and trend, the secretariat is able to advise goodwill donors on informal settlements less supported for donation purposes. To this end and considering the enumerated processes, we trust that the relief reaches the intended beneficiaries. Minutes after the selection of Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang by H. E. John Mahama as his running mate in the December 2020 elections, some elements in the country, rushed to grab pickaxes, shovels, and stolen excavators* to dig the ground looking for materials they could use to smear the respected Professor. One such material the diggers claimed to have discovered in their search was a cancellation of teacher trainee allowance. The ruling party's Director of Communications at a press conference claimed the respected Professor, the first female to have headed a Public University in Ghana, and who left indelible footprints on the sand of Ghana's education as Minister, is not fit to be a running mate. His reason was that teacher and nurse trainee allowances were cancelled during her tenure as Minister. This statement was repackaged in a "press statement" in the names of a *Rebecca Opoku*, a supposed nurse with contact number *0542012041* and a *Portia Boateng,* a supposed teacher, with contact number *0543051049*, as *Spokesperson* and *Coordinator* respectively, of Teachers and Nurses Trainee Association. It is very strange however, that Rebecca *Badu* Opoku, in whose name the sim number 0542012041 was registered, and Portia Boateng *Mireku*, in whose name the sim number 0543051049 was registered, forgot their real names and left out *Badu* and *Mireku* respectively. Was the supposed press release written for, and issued by, others in the names of the two ladies? If not, how could they have forgotten their real names? Thank God, the so called press release signed under such amorphous titles and suspicious names was quickly rubbished by a press statement issued by the real leaders of the Teacher Trainees Association, Nasrullah Mutawakil the *President*, Ayitey Samuel *Secretary*, and Joseph Boakye the *PRO*. Their statement hailed the nomination of Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang by John Mahama as an excellent decision. What are the facts of the teacher trainee allowance? Was it really *cancelled* as being alleged? Is it now really a *restoration* or an *extortion*? The teacher trainee allowance which operated for many years, limited admission into the Colleges of Education under a draconian quota system. Colleges of Education could only admit less than 40% of qualified applicants under the *quota system* thus denying many qualified applicants the chance of advancing their dreams of becoming professional teachers. To solve this problem and provide more access, H. E. John Dramani Mahama decided to *substitute* the allowance which was around Ghc640.00 per month, with an enhanced student loan scheme with a huge increase in the amount. Another factor that influenced the decision to substitute the allowance was that, the Colleges of Education had been upgraded into degree awarding institutions. It is a fact that there are also teacher trainees at the University of Education, Winneba; University of Cape Coast; University of Ghana, Legon; and the other public universities. All these teacher trainees were not, and are still not, taking allowance but depend on the students loan. So *substitution* of the trainee allowance with the student loan scheme was meant to eliminate the discrimination as well as provide more access to the Colleges of Education. It thus presented a level field for all teacher trainees, irrespective of which institutions they were being trained in. This substitution of the allowance carried with it *absorption of the feeding cost and utility bills* of the trainees by the Ministry. In addition to the above, the *automatic recruitment* of teacher trainees after graduation would continue. The policy raised student intake into the Colleges of Education from around 9,500 to about 15,561, an increase of over 63% in its first year of implementation. The policy was well intended but it was politically twisted to create disaffection for John Mahama. Thus, the cacophonous chorus that Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang cancelled the teacher trainee allowance without admitting its *substitution* with an enhanced student loan scheme is a dishonest distortion of the facts about the trainee allowance. Now let's analyze the cacophony about the allowance being *restored* by Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. The *Oxford Dictionary* defines the word *Restore* as "return to a *previous condition,* place or owner" (my emphasis). It also defines *Extort* as "obtain by force, threats or *other unfair means*" (my emphasis). 1. Under Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang as Minister, the teacher trainee allowance was around Ghc640.00 per month. It was paid for *twelve calendar months.* This would amount to *Ghc7,680.00* per annum. 2. The trainees, after completion and passing their exams, were to be automatically recruited into the Ghana Education Service. 3. They would thus begin to earn their monthly salaries just after completing college and start counting how many years they had to serve on the job to qualify for promotion through interview. 4. There was no *compulsory national service,* followed by a *teacher licensure examination,* to qualify them as professional teachers after passing their professional college examinations. 5. Nothing, in cumulative terms, denied the teacher of *two years salary* due to compulsory national service and a licensure examination. Under the current dispensation as a professional degree holder (not a diploma), the teacher trainee should be earning a *monthly net salary of Ghc1,911.50* (annual net salary of *Ghc22,938.00*) in his/her first year after graduation. This net salary would have increased by 10% (average annual salary increase) to *Ghc2,102.65* per month in the second year in the absence of a *teacher licensure examination after national service*. But under Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as current Minister, and under a *restored allowance*: a) Teacher trainees receive *Ghc240.00 as allowance per month* as against *Ghc640.00 per month* as it was under Professor. This is a loss of *Ghc400.00 per month*. This is not a restoration (a *return to a previous condition)* b) Teacher trainees are now paid for *only eight (8) months* as against the *12* months that used to be under the good Professor, a loss of *4 months*. Again, this does not qualify as a *restoration* by the operational definition above. This Ghc240.00 for eight months sum up to only *Ghc1,920.00 per year* under the current Minister as against *Ghc7,680.00* under Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang before the allowance was substituted with the loan scheme. This is an *extortion*, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "obtain by..... *unfair means"*. Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and his Ministry argue that, the teacher trainees spend 8 months in school, and the remaining 4 months on vacation. This means they cease to be students when they are on vacation hence, the allowance for only 8 months. c) Under the so called *restored allowance*, teacher trainees are compelled to do a *compulsory one year national service* after passing their professional examinations in college, their one year internship off campus not withstanding. The argument for this is that the Colleges are now tertiary and degree awarding institutions, so they must do national service. The question then is, *why do they take allowance instead of loans as the other tertiary students do?* At any rate, which teacher trainees in any tertiary institutions are doing one year internship teaching as those in the Colleges of Education? d) Under Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh's national service, the teachers are paid an allowance of *Ghc550.00* per month as compared with *Ghc1,911.50* per month salary they would have been taking under automatic recruitment without national service. This is *an extortion* - obtaining by "force, threats or other *unfair means."* e) Under Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the teachers are compelled to write and pass *a teacher licensure examination* after their national service before they could qualify for employment in the GES. For this second year that they have to write a licensure examination, they are not paid any allowance or salary, as against *Ghc2,102.65* per month *(Ghc25,231.80 per annum)* that they would have been earning if they were employed. This amounts to *"taking by force, threat or other unfair means"* what is due to the teacher trainees. Comparing the two scenarios above, it is crystal clear that the teacher trainees would have been better financially and in job progression under Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang than under Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. Indeed, the imposition of a one year *compulsory national service* followed by a *teacher licensure examination* are unfair means used by Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to take from the teacher trainees *"by force, threat and unfair means"* remuneration they would have been receiving but for the imposition of the licensure examination. *For the fact that Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh*: 1. pays teacher trainees *Ghc240.00* allowance per month instead of *Ghc640.00* that used to be; 2. pays teacher trainees allowance for only *eight (8) months* within a year instead of *twelve (12) months*; 3. gives the teacher trainees a national service allowance of *Ghc550.00* per month (ghc6,600.00 per annum) instead of a monthly salary of *Ghc1,911.50* (ghc22,938.00 per annum); 4. imposes on the teacher trainees a *teacher licensure examination* in their second year after graduation thus denying them of an annual salary of *Ghc25,231.80*; I *strongly submit* that the so called teacher trainee allowance as it operates under Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh is an *EXTORTION* and not a *restoration*. Cumulatively teacher trainees, under the unfair policies of the current Minister, have lost: 1. *Ghc5,760.00* in reduced allowance from ghc640.00 to Ghc240.00. This amounts to *Ghc17,280.00* for the three years. 2. *Ghc16,338.00* being the difference between the national service allowance of *Ghc6,600.00* per year and a salary of *Ghc22,938.00* per year in the absence of an imposed national service. 3. *Ghc25,231.80* per annum denied salary in the second year due to an imposed *teacher licensure examination* during which time teacher trainees receive no money. 4. Cumulatively, the Minister has extorted an amount of *Ghc58,849.80* from teacher trainees through *"force, threats or other unfair means",* which simply, is an *extortion.* The *Ghc58,849.80* would have cleared any debt under a student loan scheme for the teacher trainees. I hope the current teacher trainees, teachers in the field and at home, who have suffered these insensitive extortions under Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, as well as those coming out of the SHS hoping to enter the Colleges of Education in future, will take note of these insensitive extortions and advise themselves accordingly. For all such teachers and teacher trainees, *John Dramani Mahama* has promised you that when he comes into office in January 2021, he will: 1. *Retain the trainee allowance* and pay it for *12 months* instead of the eight months as pertains now. 2. *Cancel the national service* that denies you of your automatic employment with a loss of ghc16,338.00, (which is the difference between your salary of Ghc22,938.00 per annum and the national service allowance of Ghc6,600.00). John Dramani Mahama says your one year off campus internship is enough for your national service to mother Ghana. 3. *Abolish the teacher licensure examination* you are compelled to write and pay for, after you have passed your professional examinations in college (which again denies you of about Ghc25,231.80 that you would have been earning in your second year after graduation). Indeed, *John and Jane* (JJ), implore you to take your destiny into your hands on December 7, 2020. It's a grand opportunity that must not be missed. It is a *Rescue Mission* you cannot afford to let go. I wish you well, and God be with you in this endeavour. ADDENDUM: 1. Did I hear the Minister asking Pre-tertiary Education Union leaders demanding for the closure of schools amidst increasing COVID-19 infections among students, who would work to pay teachers when they are at home? *My Response*: Do teachers go to school to collect taxes from students such that, if the schools are closed, they can't collect tax for government to run the country? And when some Ministers unfortunately, went into isolation, who worked to pay them? 2. Did I also hear them telling parents that when the schools are closed, their wards would come home to infect them with COVID-19? *My Response:* When the students finally finish writing their WASSCE, will they remain in school or they will go back home? If they will, won't they still infect their parents? What parents are saying is that, *test all students, isolate those who test positive for treatment, and send home those that test negative.* *#I'm Still a Citizen, Not a Spectator* Customs sleuths probing the Kerala gold smuggling case on Monday questioned the gunman of United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulars attache who is recuperating in a hospital after an alleged suicide attempt on July 17, a top official said. He reportedly told them that though he escorted some consignments as directed by consulate officials he never had any idea about the content and he came to know about the concealed gold from media reports. But investigators feel he is an important link in the smuggling racket and the suicide attempt was a drama he enacted to divert attention. They said he will be questioned again after his discharge from the hospital. Our investigation is proceeding well. Different agencies are involved. Those who are arrested by the customs will be booked under Customs Act sections 112 A, 112 B, 132 and 133. We will go after those who helped them in the offence. We will get to the bottom of the syndicate this time, said Customs Commissioner in-charge of Kerala and Laksshdweep Sumit Kumar. The Customs had seized 30 kg gold from a consignment that came in the name of an official of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5. Later the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) but many other central agencies are also involved in the probe. The NIA has arrested four persons and Customs 13 in the case so far. The smuggling racket has forced the Left-front government to sack two high-ranking officials - Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans powerful principal secretary M Sivasankar and his IT fellow Arun Balachandran, for their alleged links with some of the accused. The CPI (M) has called a meeting of staff members of all ministers on July 23 where it is expected to chalk out a strict code of conduct for them. Some parties in the ruling coalition feel that a free hand to some of the bureaucrats led to such a pass that dented the image of the government when assembly polls are just nine months away. Meanwhile state opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has written a letter to CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury drawing his attention to latest developments in the state. We want to know whether the party condescends to the consultancy raj being promoted by CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Now the NIA is set to widen its scope of investigation including the CMs office, he said in the letter. Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has proposed a revised 2020 budget of N62.96 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval due to the effects of Coronavirus on the economy. The Speaker of the Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, announced this after Tanko Tunga (APC-Awe North), the Majority Leader of the House, read the governors letter during the legislatures proceedings in Lafia on Monday. Mr Balarabe-Abdullahi, who said that the revised budget tagged: Budget of Inclusive Development, was necessary as Coronavirus pandemic had affected the socio-economic activities of the state, the country and the world. In furtherance of its support to Governor Abdullahi Sules administration to succeed, the House has expeditiously passed the 2020 appropriation amendment bill of the sum of N62.96 billion into first and second reading, respectively. A bill for a law to amend the Nasarawa State 2020 Appropriation Bill of N62, 968,348, 139.00 only for the services of Nasarawa State has scaled first and second reading at the House. The accelerated passage was due to the importance of the budget to the development of the state as a result of COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world. The recurrent expenditure is N31,943,912,285.00 billion only while the Capital expenditure is N26,465,632,374.00 billion only and the consolidated revenue fund charges is N4,558,803,479.00 billion only, he said. The speaker committed the revised budget to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for its necessary action and to report back to the House on July 22. Earlier, Mr Tunga, while presenting the governors message, urged his colleagues to give the budget an accelerated passage in the interest of development. READ ALSO: Danladi Jatau (PDP-Kokona West), the minority leader of the House, seconded the motion. Mohammed Okpoku (APC-Udege/Loko) and Suleiman Yakubu (APC-Awe South) while contributing on the issue, said the revised budget was timely considering the effects of COVID-19 on the society. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor had on December 4, 2019, presented a 2020 budget proposal of N100.52 billion to the Assembly for consideration and approval. Mr Sule, who tagged it as Budget of Inclusive Development, said it was anchored on his administrations policy of transparency, accountability and prudence. The state assembly subsequently passed the appropriation bill into law on December 23, 2019 after raising it from N100.5 billion to N108.4 billion. (NAN) An Akron Ohio couple threw a gender reveal party for their son this month just ahead of his senior year of high school. Grey Schoolcraft's party wasn't that of a typical 17-year-old, but his parents, Love and Brandon Gwaltney, say they were making up for making a mistake first time around. 'We wanted to announce that we got it wrong 17 years ago when we told the world we were having a little girl, and named that child McKenzie,' Grey's mom, Love, wrote on Facebook earlier this month. 'So we'd like to introduce you to our SON: Grey.' Ta-da! An Akron Ohio couple threw a gender reveal party for their son Grey Schoolcraft, 17, this month Lookin' good, baby! Grey, who is nonbinary but uses he/him pronouns has a cake with the transgender pride flag inside for the special occasion Grey identifies as nonbinary, but used he/him pronouns. He said that his gender identity journey took a long time, but when he came out to his mom and stepdad just a couple of months ago, it was 'refreshing' for Grey to find that they were very supportive. 'You've been going by one name all your life and to suddenly go by a new name, especially when your parents call you by it, it's weird and has to register in your brain,' he told CNN. But it's definitely 100 per cent worth it and I'm glad we had (the reveal party).' They were so supportive that they threw the gender reveal party in their yard, and hired Sarah McBride Photography to capture the joyous occasion. 'The more we talked about it the more excited he got,' Love, 35, told Today. A table was set with pink and blue tablecloths, while Love and Brandon wore pink and blue clothes. Family: He said that his gender identity journey took a look time, but when he came out to his mom and stepdad just a couple of months ago, they were very supportive Celebrate! There were balloons, too, but in purple, yellow, black, and white the colors of the nonbinary pride flag There were balloons, too, but in purple, yellow, black, and white the colors of the nonbinary pride flag. 'I wanted the transgender flag in there because I still feel that going from whatever you are originally to nonbinary is also a transition and it doesn't just have to be straight female to male,' he told CNN. Grey, who helped plan the party himself, also included the transgender pride flag in his cake design. The pictures were shared online with a loving message from his mom. 'The first thing we wonder about when we get pregnant (after all the holy crap! I'm pregnant) is, is it a boy or girl,' she wrote. 'We wanted to announce that we got it wrong 17 years ago when we told the world we were having a little girl, and named that child McKenzie,' Grey's mom said on Facebook 'We get so excited, picking out clothes and nursery decor based on the sex of our babies. We throw parties, and pick out names. We assign attributes (like strength or beauty) based on what our child has growing between their legs. And MOST of the time, that works out perfectly fine. 'But sometimes, we force these expected characteristics based off biological sex, and *gasp* we've gotten it wrong. Normally, it's just off, but other times, that child you labeled a girl, doesn't actually feel like a girl. 'Sometimes that child disassociates who they are with the body they possess, and it can come across as body dysmorphia or self-esteem issues and that's as far as it goes (to your knowledge). 'Other times, that child grows up feeling like a completely different person, and if you're really lucky, they open up and tell you the truth, no matter how scary or daunting that could be.' So now, they are embracing Grey as a boy. Spreading love: Photos of the gender reveal have earned widespread attention, with tons of positive feedback and well-wishes 'He's much like any other 17 year old nerdy boy, stays up way to late gaming, hates showering, and eats too much junk food. 'We will be referring to Grey with he/him pronouns from here on out, but he told us to tell you that he also doesn't mind if you use they/them,' she said. Photos of the gender reveal have earned widespread attention, with tons of positive feedback and well-wishes. 'A lot of people have been reaching out to me through messenger telling me their own stories of coming out to their family,' Love said. 'I've even had people ask me for advice, saying, "I think my child might be nonbinary or transgender. How did you know?" Those kinds of questions.' Her advice to other parents is to have an open mind and support their kids no matter what. WASHINGTON - Several dozen members of black fraternities and sororities braved scorching heat and a regional uptick in coronavirus infections on Sunday to gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington. Shirts emblazoned with Greek letters clung to the sweaty backs of attendees as they stood in front of the tall chain-link fence outside Lafayette Square, across from the White House. Cellphones and cameras overheated as white-haired alumni dropped to their knees with 20-something student leaders, marking eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence to honor George Floyd, whose death in the custody of Minneapolis police seven weeks ago triggered a national reckoning on racism and police conduct. Organizers said they wanted the event to serve as an acknowledgment and, more importantly, a reminder of the origins of African American Greek-letter organizations, many of which were founded to resist racism in the early 20th century. "Our organizations were born through social justice, born to fight for what was right," said Gordon-Andrew Fletcher, 35, an attorney and an alumni leader of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. "Black Greeks now - we aren't as relevant and as present as we should be." Founded at Indiana University in 1911, Kappa Alpha Psi is among the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council, also known as the "Divine Nine." Representatives from all nine institutions attended Sunday's event, Fletcher said. Kappa Alpha Psi was the organizer, and its members made up the majority of the crowd. About 30 Kappa Alpha Psi members met outside the fraternity's alumni chapter house before marching to Black Lives Matter Plaza. Alumni in their 50s and 60s bumped elbows, reminisced about protests they had attended as college students and swapped stories about their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Delante Cherry, 26, was among the small group of younger men present, many of whom said they had attended multiple racial justice protests in the past month. "We've seen a lot of different people coming together in D.C., but I've wanted to see more black outrage," said Cherry, who joined the fraternity when he attended the University of the District of Columbia. "So to see my chapter coming together like this . . . it's something I couldn't miss." Natalie Stuppard, 28, said she wanted to march with members of her sorority - Sigma Gamma Rho - to counter the perception that black Greek-letter organizations are elitist. She joined the organization as an undergraduate student at Towson University in Maryland. "We want to show that we're out here, that we're with the community," Stuppard said, standing on the bright yellow letters spelling out Black Lives Matter, where she said she had faced off against armed law enforcement a month earlier. She noted that Sandra Bland, the Texas woman who reportedly died by suicide in jail after being arrested during a traffic stop in 2015, was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho. "We are them," said David Hardrick, 75, while addressing the crowd. "Make no mistake, we are those black men and women getting shot down in the streets." Hardrick was talking to the younger fraternity and sorority members at the plaza when an older man with a tuft of curly white hair waved his walking stick and called for him to come over. His name was Samuel McCoy, and he was 85 years old. Dressed in a red Kappa Alpha Psi T-shirt, matching red suspenders, black slacks and black leather shoes, McCoy somehow managed to look more at ease under the searing heat than most of the other people gathered outside Lafayette Square. Born and raised in D.C., he was initiated as a brother at the University of the District of Columbia in 1956. He has attended too many protests in his lifetime to count, he said, including several with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who died Friday. When asked why the two seniors had continued to stay engaged with their fraternity and attend Sunday's event, Hardrick said simply: "Because the mission is not complete." McCoy paused, thinking. Then, with a grin, he leaned over and said, "Listen closely: KA Psi till the day I die." PETOSKEY, MI After weekend storms left many without power across Northern Michigan, businesses and residences in the top half of the Lower Peninsula can all expect to have power restored at some point Monday. Great Lakes Energy, which was reporting more than 6,700 outages Sunday afternoon, has just 800 customers without power as of noon Monday, July 20. Most of those are in the Greater Petoskey and Charlevoix areas with 459 outages in Charlevoix County and 246 in Emmet County. Our goal is to have everybody on today, Great Lakes spokesperson Shari Culver said. Theres a lot of damage theyre finding out in the field. As we serve rural areas, theres a lot of trees and a very different terrain than what you find within the city limits. So theres a lot of broken poles and huge trees and stuff down that are crews have had to clear. Culver said Great Lakes has all crews working in the field right now with assistance from mutual aid crews. Consumers Energy, which was reporting more than 36,000 customers without power Sunday afternoon, has 17,000 remaining without power as of noon Monday. Consumers expects to have all outages under control by mid-late afternoon Monday. About 1,100 remain without power near Petoskey, Indian River and Boyne City and another 500 near Grayling. The majority of the outages being reported by Consumers Monday are in and around Tawas City in Iosco County, where winds reached as high as 80 mph overnight, Consumers Energy spokesperson Roger Morgenstern said. Weve had crews working throughout the night, Morgenstern said. Were looking at right now later this afternoon, and if we have to change those restoration times well update our outage map. We appreciate our customers patience. Were doing the best we can to get the lights back on. Also on MLive: Michigan Weather Forecast - Monday, July 20, 2020 Divers resume Lake Michigan search for missing teen Monday, July 20: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Former Michigan State and Saginaw track star Tony Martin dies at age 19 A delegation of at least three West African leaders will head to Mali this week to try to end a political crisis that has sparked widespread protests, cost at least 11 lives and led to calls for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to step down. A regional mission of West Africa's ECOWAS bloc last week failed to appease an influential opposition group called M5-RFP that has denounced Keita's failure to contain a growing jihadist insurgency or address contested local election results. Protestors have raided government buildings and blocked off sections of the capital Bamako in recent weeks, raising concerns among neighbouring leaders that a long-running crisis in Mali could destabilise the whole region. Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou will head to Mali, said spokesman Issa Mahamadou Mourtala. Issoufou will be accompanied by Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo and Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara, said high-level government sources in those two countries. It was not yet clear who the delegation would meet or on what day they would arrive. The source in Ivory Coast said that Ouattara was going on Thursday. Regional leaders are acutely aware of the danger a destabilised Mali poses. The landlocked, semi-desert state has been used as a launchpad for groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State to attack neighbouring countries including Niger and Ivory Coast. Keita has offered concessions, including dissolving the Constitutional Court, but the opposition has hardened since police fired on protesters and leading members were arrested this month. The coalition has said that 20 people have been killed in the protests in July. The Health Ministry puts the toll at 11. In a post-mission statement on Sunday, ECOWAS proposed that Mali's Constitutional Court examine the contested elections and that Keita create a new government including opposition members and civil society. M5-RFP rejected the proposal, said they wanted Keita gone and launched a week-long civil disobedience campaign starting Monday. Search Keywords: Short link: Karachi: At least 52 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured Saturday in a suicide bombing at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistans restive Balochistan province, an attack claimed by the Islamic State terror group. The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. Colonel Junaid Kakar of the Frontier Corps also told the media that it appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber. All evidences point to a suicide bombing, he said. The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called dhamaal at Dargah Shah Noorani. Also read | 43 people including women, children killed in blast at Dargah in Pakistan At least 52 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in the blast, rescue officials said. Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said ambulances and rescue teams had rushed to site. The rescue operations are going on and the casualties could rise as some people are still trapped at the place where the blast took place, Bugti said. Some local media reports put the death toll as high as 62.The target of the attack was the area where devotees perform dhamaal. The blast site is situated some 250 km away from Karachi. The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine. Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency. 35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in...operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan, the agency said. Rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area. Women and children were among those killed in the blast. The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals, said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation. Local tehsildar Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper. It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergency facilities or ambulances at the site, he said. He said the devotees take part in the dhamaal everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine. President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast and directed authorities to speed up the rescue activities. This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August. In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai, July 20 : Maharashtra's daily Covid-19 cases continued in the upper reaches, scaling the 8,000 mark on Monday, but deaths again dropped below the 200-level even as Mumbai Metropolitan Region crossed the 2 lakh tally, health officials said. The state notched 8,240 new cases, lower than the peak of 9,518 on July 19, spelling some relief. The number of deaths in the state dipped from Sunday's 258 to 176 on Monday. With the fresh fatalities, the state's death toll went up to 12,030, while the total cases touched 318,695 - both highest in the country. According to Monday's figures, there was one death roughly every 8 minutes and a staggering 343 new cases every hour. The recovery rate marginally improved from 54.62 per cent a day earlier to 54.92 per cent on Monday, while the current mortality rate stood at 3.77 per cent. The Health Department said that of the total cases till date, 131,334 are active cases. On the other hand, 5,460 recovered patients returned home on Monday, taking the total number of discharged patients to 175,029. For the first time in recent weeks, Pune's daily toll of 42 overshot Mumbai's 41. Mumbai's toll has risen to 5,755 and the number of corona cases increased by 1,035 to touch 102,423 now. Apart from Mumbai and Pune, there were 33 deaths in Thane, 21 in Jalgaon, six in Raigad, five in Solapur, four each in Kolhapur and Sangli, three in Aurangabad, two each in Palghar, Satara, Amravati, Buldhana and Nashik, and one each in Dhule, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Washim, and Wardha. One was from another state. The MMR (Thane division) continues to see deaths spiral and cases pile up, with the current toll at 8,220 and a staggering 3,789 new cases, pushing up the number of cases to 203,270. Thane cases have touched 76,749 with 2,069 fatalities to emerge as the second worst-hit district after Mumbai. Pune district has 57,024 cases, with the death toll at 1,401 on Monday. The Pune division's death toll has reached 1,872 with the case tally touching 65,286 - but it remains far behind MMR and Thane district. Nashik division has 919 fatalities and 21,696 cases, followed by Aurangabad division with 439 deaths and 12,303 cases, Akola division with 193 fatalities and 4,833 cases, Kolhapur division with 112 deaths and 4,701 cases, Latur division 121 fatalities and 2,840 cases, and Nagpur division 39 deaths and 3,506 cases. All the eight divisions recorded fatalities on Monday, while Chandrapur has kept its zero Covid death district status till date, though all divisions and districts in the state have notched fresh cases. Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home quarantine increased to 765,781, while those in institutional quarantine went down to 45,434 on Monday. Apple customers who purchased certain iPhone models before Dec. 21, 2017 can now submit claims -- for approximately $25 per phone as part of the companys settlement of a class action lawsuit that accused it of purposely slowing down older devices, according to CNN Business. Announced in March, the settlement applies to U.S. customers who purchased the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and/or an SE device before Dec. 21, 2017, and experienced performance issues, according to the website set up for users to submit claims. According to the settlement details, Apple will pay per eligible device -- meaning owners of multiple impacted iPhones can submit multiple claims. Affected users must submit a claim online or via mail by Oct. 6 to be eligible. A court filing in March said the amount each user receives could increase or decrease depending on how many claims are filed, as well as any additional legal fees and expenses approved by the court. After a lengthy legal battle, Apple agreed to pay out up to $500 million as part of the settlement agreement earlier this year to try to ease a global backlash against its practices. in December 2017, Apple admitted that it used software updates to slow down older iPhones. Angry customers and tech analysts had mentioned that the updates were causing a decline in performance. Some even suggested that Apple did it on purpose to force users to buy the latest iPhone model, but that was denied by the company. Apple said it was aimed at addressing issues with older lithium-ion batteries that would make the phones suddenly shut down. Apple later apologized and offered battery replacements for $79, later lowering the cost to $29. The settlement is still subject to a final approval, with a hearing scheduled for Dec. 4 in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. Payments will be made if the court approves the settlement and after any appeals are resolved, according to a notice on the claims website. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Read more: The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 711 cases Monday, raising the statewide total to 101,738. Across Pennsylvania, 7,018 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including three new fatalities reported Monday. More than two-thirds of those deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine have said they are concerned about the rise in cases in recent weeks, particularly among younger adults. The Wolf administration is urging Pennsylvania residents to wear masks and practice social distancing to ensure schools can open next month. Fewer people are dying or being hospitalized compared to the spring, but the state Health Department has warned about the potential for cases to rise in the coming weeks. A closer look The number of new cases remains well below the peak seen in the spring, when the state regularly reported more than 1,000 cases per day. However, health department data show cases have climbed over the past four weeks, and the state has average more than 800 new cases each day over the past week. June 23-29: 3,802 new cases, an average of 543 per day June 30-July 6: 4,316 new cases, an average of 616 per day July 7-13: 5,438 new cases, an average of 776 per day July 14-20: 5,996 new cases, an average of 856 per day On Friday, the Wolf administration named several counties bear watching because more than 5 percent of COVID-19 tests were positive, a level health professionals have said is an area of concern. The Wolf administration identified these counties as areas of concern: Beaver (8.2%), Allegheny (7.5%), Washington (6.2%), Indiana (6.1%), Lawrence (6.1%), York (6.1%), Lebanon (6.0%), Philadelphia (5.5%), Dauphin (5.1%) and Westmoreland (5.0%). The state administered 153,838 tests between July 13-19, the health department said. There are 938,175 people who have tested negative since the pandemic began. Citing the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Wolf imposed new restrictions on bars and restaurants last week; occupancy is limited to 25 percent and consumers must order food to buy alcoholic drinks. Wolf also ordered caps on gatherings: 25 people for indoor gatherings and 250 for outdoor events. Hospitals and nursing homes About 700 patients with the coronavirus are being treated in hospitals, according to the health departments online dashboard, well below the peak of about 2,800 in the spring. But the number of patients in hospitals has seen an uptick since early July, when fewer than 600 patients with COVID-19 were admitted. Most of those hospitalized are 65 and over, the department said. Those infected with the coronavirus usually suffer relatively mild symptoms and can recover at home, but seniors and those with health issues are at higher risk for complications. Statewide, 4,804 deaths have occurred in nursing and personal care homes, according to the health department. The health department said 18,685 residents of long-term care facilities have contracted the coronavirus, along with 3,614 employees. A total of 22,299 people in long-term care facilities have been infected. Cases have been found at 792 facilities in 59 counties. Statewide, 7,545 health care workers have been infected with COVID-19, the health department said. More from PennLive Heres a look at back-to-schools plans unveiled by central Pa. school districts Pa. COVID snapshot: how many hospitalized, where are the numbers headed? Why are there so few Black owners and workers in central Pa.s construction industry? The RV industry sees astronomical sales after state shutdown: Its Bonkers Penn State shifts gears on fall opening plans and now will offer half of its classes at least partially online Three former Pa. governors voice support for Gov. Tom Wolfs COVID-19 mitigation efforts Hyderabad: Two persons, who dropped out from a school and a college, have managed to successfully run a 30-bed hospital in Mehdipatnam area of the city for three years. Their luck ran out on Sunday when the police arrested them on finding that one of the two, who claimed to be a medical doctor, had submitted false identification when seeking registration of the hospital. Incidentally, the licence issued to the hospital by state health department is valid till 2022. Police said Sameer Hospital, located on the Asifnagar road in Mehdipatnam, was being run by Mohd Shoaib Subhani and Mohd Abdul Mujeeb. Mujeeb, who discontinued education after Class X, posed as a qualified doctor. He had earlier worked as the managing director of a private hospital in Humayunnagar. With the knowledge of running a hospital, Mujeeb roped in Subhani, a degree college dropout, to join him in opening the Sameer Hospital. Mujeeb got an Aadhaar card with his name as Dr Mohd Abdul Mujeeb. Despite knowing that Mujeeb is not a doctor, Subhani applied for registration of the hospital on both their names. He got the registration in the name of Sameer Hospital (Regd.No.07F-APMCE-1095) from district medical and health office (DM & HO). The registration is valid for five years from October 18, 2017. The two also hired consulting doctors to treat patients, said West Zone Task Force inspector B. Gattu Mallu. Following a tip-off on Saturday night, the two men were taken into custody. The registration certificate issued by the DM & HO has been seized from the hospital premises. Mujeeb and Subhani have been handed over to Asifnagar police for further investigation. Inspector Mallu said Mujeeb posing as a doctor had not only cheated public but also put the lives of people in danger by treating patients. BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Yes, its open. The Brunswick Recreation and Fitness Center, like all similar facilities in Ohio, closed the evening of March 16 due to COVID-19 restrictions. On June 1, the doors opened again and, from the reaction so far, everyone is glad to have a place to be among other people -- at a safe distance -- and to be exercising again. I think it was important for the mental health of a lot of people, said Taylor Petkovsek, recreation superintendent. Those who have come back say they missed us, and they seem to have an extra spring in their stop when they come in. But many people still dont realize weve reopened, and we want to invite them back, she said. Both Petkovsek and John Piepsny, the citys parks and recreation director, were furloughed along with all other employees of the center when it was shut down. We are all so glad to be here, Petkovsek said. The health and safety of members is tops on the list for the comeback. Weve followed the governors Responsible Restart guidelines to a T, she said, adding, Were actually over-cleaning! She said that when the Medina County Health Department came for a walkthrough before opening, they provided a lot of helpful hints. Using spaces throughout the building -- part of the first-floor gymnasium, the dance studio -- all exercise equipment has been moved so that it can be 8 to 10 feet apart. That more than meets the 6-foot distance requirement. In the pool, the lap lanes are the guides -- keeping swimmers 6 feet apart -- with only one person or a small family group in each lane. I think Ive seen maybe 15 people in the pool, Petkovsek said, and that included a dad and his three children. Deep cleaning and sanitizing is ongoing, she said. That can be observed as soon as one enters the doors: There was Ron Born, masked up with a sanitizing sprayer on his back, long house in hand, cleaning the arrival area, steps and floors. One person is assigned to that job each shift, Petkovsek said, and they are actively looking for another person to hire. One group of people who missed the center the most were senior citizens. Now, Silver Sneakers is back. As you come into the main entrance and look to the big auditorium to the right, there were about 10 seniors exercising with the leader. We found a way to do this safely and have marked places on the floor for each person, so they can remain safely apart, she said. Each of the people was wearing a mask, as well. And that seemed to be the case in most of the members we witnessed. Petkovsek said, People can expect the same great customer service when they come back. Taylor Petkovsek, left, points out that the use of the heavy equipment that couldnt be moved from the upstairs exercise room is limited to every other machine. John Piepsny, top right, welcomes people back to the Recreation and Fitness Center. Safely distanced exercise equipment is spread out in several rooms at the center. (Sam Boyer, special to cleveland.com) Piepsny said they are happy to be welcoming people into the facility again. He noted that the Medina County senior citizens coordinator is back in the office at the center three days a week and that physical therapy is open, as well. He also noted that the citys parks and recreation budget has been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19, as have almost all businesses in the country. Our annual half-price membership drive begins in August, and were looking forward to more people joining, he said. While there are some limitations -- which are clearly posted at the center and are available on the citys website -- we are hoping all of our current members are aware that were open again and will enjoy coming here, he said. Hours of operation right now are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit brunswick.oh.us/recreation/ or call 330-273-8000. Read more from the Brunswick Sun. In a sharper attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Line of Actual Control standoff in Ladakh is not simply a border dispute but a design by China to attack his image as a "56-inch strongman". Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of indulging in "mudslinging" and describing his attack as another 'failed" edition of 'Project RG Relaunch'. He also accused "one dynasty" of trying to weaken India and strengthen China. Gandhi said the Chinese are trying to put pressure on PM Modi to act in a way they want him to, else they will destroy his strongman image, and so far he has been seen as one succumbing to it. Attacking the PM for saying that China is not occupying any of Indian territory in Ladakh, the Congress leader said, Modi is defending his image by saying so. "It is not simply a border issue. It is a border issue designed to put pressure on the Prime Minister of India. And they are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing, is that they are attacking his image. "They understand that in order for Mr Narendra Modi to be an effective politician; in order for Mr Narendra Modi to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of 'Chhapan Inch'. And this is the real idea, the Chinese are attacking," Gandhi said in a short video while explaining China's strategic and tactical game plan. The former Congress president said the Chinese are basically telling Modi that if he does not do what they say, they will destroy "the idea of Mr Narendra Modi as a strong leader". Nadda hit back, saying, "We saw yet another (failed) edition of 'Project RG Relaunch' today. Rahul Gandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynasty's desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India." "For years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM Narendra Modi. Sadly for them, PM Modi's connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party," he said in a series of tweets. "In recent years, be it Doklam or the present, Rahul Gandhi Ji prefers briefings from the Chinese instead of believing India's armed forces. Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China? Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynasty's shenanigans! "Since the 1950's, China has made strategic investments in one dynasty that has given them rich dividends. Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing a lot of land to China in the UPA years, MoU Signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more," said Nadda. The video is part of a series launched by Gandhi to explain his view on key issues before the country. This is Rahul Gandhi's fresh attack on Prime Minister Modi, as he has been attacking him and his government over the handling of the border issue with China in Ladakh and has even accused the prime minister of having "surrendered" Indian territory to China. The Congress leader said the Chinese don't do anything without thinking about it strategically and they have mapped the world in their thinking and they are trying to "shape the world" and "restructure the planet". At the tactical level, he said the Chinese are trying to improve their position. "Whether it is Galwan, whether it's Demchok or whether it is Pangong Lake. The idea is to position themselves." "They're disturbed by our highway, they want to make our highway redundant and if they are thinking on a larger scale, they want to do something with Pakistan in Kashmir," he also said in the video. Pune, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global bioenergy market size is projected to reach USD 642.71 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. Deepening commitment to the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement will be a critical factor augmenting the growth of this market, shares Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Bioenergy Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis By Product Type (Solid Biomass, Liquid Biofuel, Biogas, and Others), By Feedstock (Agricultural Waste, Wood and Woody Biomass, Solid Waste and Others), By Application (Power Generation, Heat Generation, Transportation, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027. Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/bioenergy-market-103296 The Paris Agreement was a landmark moment in the fight against climate change as it contained actionable commitments by the top emission countries. These commitments were focused towards mitigating the extreme effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and curbing global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Currently, 197 countries, with the exception of Russia, Iran, and Turkey, have signed the agreement. In the quest to control emissions, countries are actively switching to bioenergy sources such as biomass and biofuels to meet their electricity requirements, since these sources can supply electricity to all end-use industries. Thus, expanding participation in the Paris Agreement will bode well for this market. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the manufacturing processes of several companies worldwide. However, some of them have commenced these processes by keeping in mind the stringent norms, such as social distancing and low workforce. Our specially developed research reports would help you in overcoming the losses of your business by choosing the right strategy apt for the current situation. To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/bioenergy-market-103296 According to the report, the global market value stood at USD 344.90 billion in 2019. The report also shares the following: Exhaustive examination of the key market drivers, trends, and restraints; Accurate forecasting of upcoming market opportunities; In-depth study of all market segments; Comprehensive evaluation of the regional dynamics; and Careful profiling and thorough research of the top market players and their strategies. Market Driver Rapid Depletion of Fossil Fuels to Accelerate the Bioenergy Market Growth The world overly dependent on fossil fuels to satisfy its energy demands. For example, in the US, fossil fuels accounted for 81.5% of the total energy consumption. Excessive reliance on exhaustible energy sources is causing their depletion rate to overtake their replenishment rate. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that the current global stock of crude oil will be adequate to meet worlds oil demand till 2050. A report published by the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) states that coal will run out in 70 years, gas will be over in 40 years, and oil will be gone in the next 30 years. These stark projections are reinforcing the need for the global society to develop and actively embrace bioenergy sources and reduce dependence on conventional energy. Speak to Analyst- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/bioenergy-market-103296 Regional Insights Concerted Efforts to Reduce Carbon Emissions to Boost the Market in Asia Pacific Booming economies of Asia Pacific, mainly India and China, who are also two of the largest emitters in the world, are taking decisive policy measures to curb emissions. In developed economies such as Japan, use of wood as biofuel is rising, increasing bio energy consumption in the region. These factors enabled Asia Pacific to create a market for bio energy with a size of USD 96.76 billion in 2019. Countries in the European Union (EU) are actively adopting bio-energy as these energy sources are expected to speed up the EUs shift towards renewables in the coming decade. North America, being one of the largest producers of liquid biofuels, is steadily fastening its hold on the bioenergy market share backed by significant increases in ethanol production in the US. Competitive Landscape Widening Geographic Presence of Companies to Characterize Market Competition With strengthening global commitment towards bio-based energy, key players in this market are exploring new avenues to expand their regional and global presence. Companies are also taking advantage of incentives offered governments for renewable energy projects to consolidate their position in the market. Industry Developments: April 2020: Ductor, the Finnish-Swiss bioenergy company, announced the building of three biofertilizer-biogas plants in Polands Zachodniopomorskie region. Using poultry waste, the plants will produce renewable energy and organic nitrogen fertilizer, enhancing Polands shift towards circular economy. Ductor, the Finnish-Swiss bioenergy company, announced the building of three biofertilizer-biogas plants in Polands Zachodniopomorskie region. Using poultry waste, the plants will produce renewable energy and organic nitrogen fertilizer, enhancing Polands shift towards circular economy. February 2020: San Francisco-based Brightmark expanded its dairy biogas project in Western New York under its Yellowjacket project. Partnering with six farms, the company will extract methane from dairy manure every day and produce renewable natural gas. List of the Leading Companies Covered in the Bioenergy Market Research Report are: Enexor Energy (U.S.) Lignetics (U.S.) Green Plains Inc. (U.S.) Enviva (U.S.) Enerkem (Canada) POET (U.S.) Drax Group (U.S.) Pacific BioEnergy Corp (Canada) EnviTec Biogas AG (Germany) MVV Energie AG (Germany) Ameresco, Inc. (U.S.) ADM (U.S.) Quick Buy: Bioenergy Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/103296 Detailed Table of Content Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Emerging Trends For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Industry SWOT Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis Qualitative Analysis Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Bioenergy Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak Global Bioenergy Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Type Solid Biomass Liquid Biofuels Biogas Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Feedstock Agricultural Waste Wood and Woody Biomass Solid Waste Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Power Generation Heat Generation Transportation Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America TOC Continued...!!! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/bioenergy-market-103296 Have a Look at Related Research Insights: Biomass Power Generation Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Technology (Combustion, Pyrolysis, Gasification, Anaerobic Digestion, Landfill gas(LFG), Others), By Feedstock (Urban residue, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Agricultural and forest residue, Energy crops, Woody biomass, Others), By End-use Industry (Industrial, Residential & Commercial, Utilities), and Geography Forecast till 2026 Biogas Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Feedstock (Organic Residues & Waste, Energy Crops), By Application (Heating, Electricity, CHP, Others) And Regional Forecast 2019-2026 Bioethanol Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Feedstock (Starch-Based, Sugar-Based, Cellulose Based, Others), By Application (Transportation Fuel, Power Generation, Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Others) and Geography Forecast till 2026 Bio-methane Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Source (Agricultural waste, Municipal solid waste, Animal manure, Sewage sludge, Food waste), By Application (Automobile, Power Generation), By Technology (Fermentation, Gasification) and By Geography Forecast till 2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We therefore offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1-424-253-0390 UK: +44-2071-939123 APAC: +91-744-740-1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs Read Press Release https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/global-bioenergy-market-10106 Racing Point has declared its clear interest in signing up Sebastian Vettel for 2021. Rumours swirled all weekend in Hungary around the story of Vettel potentially joining the Aston Martin project, but both sides kept their comments on the matter low-profile. But Racing Point boss Otmar Szafnauer now clearly admits the team has interest in the Ferrari refugee. "It is nice to hear that a four-time world champion is interested in us," he told German television RTL. "How could you not be interested in a four-time world champion?" There are still hurdles to clear before a deal is done, including whether Vettel would replace Sergio Perez or team owner Lawrence Stroll's own son Lance. It is also believed that Vettel is holding out for a Red Bull seat. The German said on Sunday that he is not rushing. "It's exciting right now, there are always new opportunities," Vettel told Sky Deutschland. "I really don't know what it will be in the end but if I stay, I want to win. And we all know what car you have to sit in at the moment for that," he said, referring to Mercedes. "Since that is probably not an option, I have to find something similar." Vettel admits he is disappointed about being dropped by Ferrari for 2021. "I would have wished otherwise, but I'm a professional and I have to accept the decision," he said. "Of course I wanted to be world champion with them, but I couldn't do it. But we still had a good time." (GMM) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st July, 2020) Moscow refutes reports about its alleged disagreement with Damascus, these fakes are aimed at undermining cooperation between Russia and Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said. "There is really nothing behind various speculations about alleged disagreements between Moscow and Damascus. Such kind of artificial media bubbles are aimed at creating a distorted idea of Russian-Syrian relations and are specially played out by parties hostile to both countries," Bogdanov said in an interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram. "It seems that such steps are in line with the general political and economic pressure on Syria, which, with the support of Russia, was able to block attempts to impose someone else's will on it by military means," he said. Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: With the weeklong lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts set to be lifted on July 22, the key question on everybodys mind is whether it will be extended by another week or not. While Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has been quite categorical on not extending the lockdown, health department officials, at least two key ministers and all medical experts have suggested that it be extended by at least another week to complete the 14-day cycle of breaking the chain. Interestingly, the ministers in charge of the eight BBMP zones in Bengaluru are all for lifting of the lockdown completely, starting Wednesday. There will be no further lockdown, only lifting it. Peoples daily lives will be affected if it is extended, not just the governments affairs. The Chief Minister is also categorical about it, stressed Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwathnarayana. The feeling, however, is not unanimous. Sources from the review meeting which Chief Minister Yediyurappa held on Friday said that ministers who have been seeking expert opinion frequently like Health Minister B Sriramulu and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar had proposed extending the lockdown by another week, based on experts suggestions. This was also backed by the Health Department. It was conveyed to the CM that global trend suggests a lockdown should be implemented for 14 days to break the chain. He was also apprised that it will also give ward committees time to conduct door-to-door surveys. One weeks lockdown would be futile with no real results, said the source, recalling suggestions made to the CM by the group lobbying for extension of the lockdown. Police having a hard time shutting places down: MLA There is no point in extending the lockdown because people are anyway not abiding by it. In my own zone, there is economic activity till night and police have a hard time shutting places down. Unless people cooperate with the government, lockdowns will be ineffective and now people are refusing to follow norms, said S R Vishwanath, the CMs Political Secretary who is in charge of Yelahanka zone. Despite the lack of unanimity, Yediyurappa is steadfast on lifting the lockdown on Wednesday, especially after the construction sector and manufacturing industries have raised concerns over heavy losses. 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 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. Total global coronavirus cases surpassed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed nearly 600,000 people in seven months. The WHO reported 71,484 new cases in the United States, 45,403 in Brazil, 34,884 in India and 13,373 in South Africa. India on Friday became the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases of the new coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil. Epidemiologists say India is still likely months from hitting its peak. Cases in Brazil crossed the 2 million mark on Thursday, doubling in less than a month and adding nearly 40,000 new cases a day. A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government. The United States, which leads with world with over 3.7 million cases, has also tried to curb the outbreak at the state and local levels with only limited success. 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. Featured Video Chevron Corp said on July 20 it would buy Noble Energy Inc in a $5 billion all-stock deal, bolstering its shale presence as a plunge in crude prices have made assets cheaper. The deal, the largest in the U.S. energy sector this year, comes more than a year after Chevron abandoned its offer for Anadarko Petroleum Corp, outmaneuvered by Occidental Petroleum Corp's higher bid. Oil prices plunged to historic lows in April as the coronavirus crisis decimated demand. While prices have recovered from their lows, they remain depressed, making assets cheaper, as a new surge of COVID-19 cases threaten to stall recovery. "Chevron (is) taking advantage of its strong relative performance versus the U.S. exploration and production companies and capitalizing on the downturn to buy into some high quality assets," said Anish Kapadia, head of London-based independent oil and mining advisory Palissy Advisors. The deal will also give Chevron access to Noble's flagship Leviathan field, the largest natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean, which began producing natural gas late last year. Shares of Noble jumped about 8% premarket, while Chevron was down about 1%. The offer values Noble at $10.38 a share or 0.12 Chevron share, a 7.5% premium to Noble's Friday close. The deal would value Noble at roughly $13 billion, including debt. Noble's assets will expand Chevron's presence in the DJ Basin of Colorado and the Permian Basin across West Texas and New Mexico. The deal would yield potential annual cost savings of $300 million. Noble shareholders will own about 3% of the combined company. The deal will add to Chevron's free cash flow and earnings per share one year after closing, at $40 Brent, Chevron said. Chevron had walked away with a $1 billion fee after Occidental clinched a deal last May to buy Anadarko for $38 billion. (Reporting by Shanti S Nair, Shariq Khan and Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) In an interview with Chris Wallace that aired Sunday on Fox News Sunday, US President Donald Trump continued his attacks on mass coronavirus testing in the United States. While claiming that countries in Europe dont test, supposedly explaining the continents lower case count, Trump decried testing in the US for really skew[ing] the numbers. He asserted, In a way were creating trouble. The president also said that many of those cases shouldnt even be cases, because many of those cases are young people that would heal in a day. Trump then added, They have the sniffles and we put it down as a test. Wallace was forced to correct Trump, stating that Testing is up 37 percent. Cases are up 194 percent. It isnt just that the testing has gone, the virus has spread. The positivity rate has increased. Trumps interview was broadcast as the number of cases in the US has already exceeded 3.8 million, more than any other country in the world, and as the number of deaths has soared to 143,000. Worldwide, there are now 14.6 million cases and 608,000 deaths. The majority of reported daily new cases and deaths are from the United States, Brazil, India, South Africa and Mexico. President Donald Trump Interviews with Chris Wallace on Fox News (Screen Capture from Fox News) Florida continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, having recorded more than 12,000 new cases yesterday and at least 87 deaths. California had the second highest number of new cases, 8,115, and 11 deaths. Ohio, which Governor Mike DeWine has touted as doing very well, had the second highest death toll yesterday, 40 people, along with more than 1,000 new cases. Texas ranked third in both metrics, with 7,389 new cases and 39 reported deaths. Even New York, which has been hailed as a success story in controlling the coronavirus after being the world epicenter in April, recorded 850 cases and 18 deaths. The state of Montana, which had two multi-day stretches of no new cases in May, now has one of the fastest-growing outbreaks in the country. Other states with large case counts or deaths ratesor bothinclude Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. According to the coronavirus tracking website covidexitstrategy.org, 17 states in the American South and West have uncontrolled spread of the disease while only four across the country are trending better in regard to their outbreak. In the interview with Fox News, Trump also reiterated his demand that children attend school in the fall, regardless of their safety. Young people have to go to school. There are problems when you dont go to school, too. He then again threatened to withhold federal money from states and school districts that dont reopen. There is going to be a funding problem. When they dont open their schools, were not going to fund them. There is a connection between Trumps two main talking points. He and his administration are aware of the enormous risks involved in sending the nations children back to school amid a contagious and deadly pandemic. It is not out of the realm of possibility that most of the 50-60 million school-age children in this country, packed into increasingly crowded classrooms, contract the disease, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and perhaps hundreds of thousands of debilitating lifelong conditions. The danger of a quick and massive spread among children was made clear in data from Floridas Department of Health, which currently shows that 31 percent of all children that have been tested for COVID-19 have tested positive, compared to an 11 percent positivity rate for the state as a whole. While questions have been raised as to whether the children tested were at a higher risk of infection, the fact that such a high proportion of those tested have been infected has raised concerns among local health officials even as Governor Ron DeSantis moves ahead with reopening all Florida schools in August and September. But, at least according to Trumps logic, it will be much harder to conclusively prove that the virus caused such a catastrophe if the students, teachers and parents no longer have access to testing. The same can be said for workplaces across the US: the virus will in fact disappear, as the president has continued to claim, fabricating an excuse to force even more people back to work. The ongoing deaths in factories, plants and workplaces will become a nonissue for Trump and the financial and political interests for which he speaks. Further details about the state of testing in the US came out during an interview on NBCs Meet the Press between host Chuck Todd and the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins. Todd noted that, Theres a report this morning that the White House is actually pushing back on a congressional proposal that would add more money to your budget, by the way, more money to states for testing and contact tracing. Todd then asked specifically about how tests are conducted. What can the federal government do right now to improve the testing lag issue, okay? I've had my own family members have to wait five to seven days to get, to get a, to get the result. That becomes useless at some point if youre asymptomatic. What do we do to fix that? Dr. Collins responded that it can take as long as a week to get testing results back, which really undercuts the value of the testing. Collins then explained that since you do the testing to find out whos carrying the virus and then quickly get them isolated so they don't spread it around. Moreover, both Collins and Todd are assuming that one can even get tested. While testing has been ramped up across the country, there are an increasing number of reports that have emerged of miles-long lines of cars at testing centers in Arizona and Florida, as well as testing centers closing down completely in Houston, Texas. The risk of unknowingly spreading the disease was highlighted in a weekend Washington Post article on Coronavirus superspreaders, where one or two cases can cause a cluster of dozens or even thousands of new cases. There are at least a thousand suspected cases worldwide, dozens in the United States alone. One instance reported by the Post occurred in Ingham County, Michigan, where two infections at a college bar on June 18 led to 187 cases by July 17. Health officials have also linked Trumps rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month to a surge of cases in that state. Todd also took the opportunity to ask Dr. Collins about the supposed hacking issue that apparently the Russians were behind. He then provocatively asked, Did you guys lose any key information? Collins responded somewhat indifferently. Its not entirely clear to me what this was all about. Now, we certainly are deeply engaged in this vaccine effort. The vaccine thats about to have its phase three trials started in just the next ten days or so was initially designed a few hundred yards from where Im sitting right now at NIH. And certainly, we are always under cyberattacks of various sorts. But I would say most of what we do in science, we publish it. We put it out there. People dont have to go hacking to find it. We're all about transparency. So, Im not exactly sure what serious risk is involved here. India crossed the 40,000 cases-in-a-day mark for the first time on Sunday. Should one be worried? In the month between June 20 and July 19, the country added 705,097 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to the HT dashboard. That translates to 63.14% of the 1,116,597 cases it saw (cumulatively) till July 19. In the same period, it saw 14,209 deaths, 51.6% of the 27,487 cumulative deaths till July 19. But there is good news as well. The period saw 472,179, or 67.42% of the 700,324 recoveries from Covid-19 till July 19. On June 20, Indias recovery rate was 55.44%. On July 19, it was 62.71%. On June 20, Indias death rate (measured by the case fatality rate) was 3.22%. On July 19, it was 2.46%. Even when measured as a proportion of closed cases (deaths plus recoveries), the death rate has seen an improvement between June 20 and July 19 from 5.5% to 3.77%. India had 170,077 active cases on June 20; and 388,786 on July 19. Also read: Delhi records lowest Covid-19 cases reported since June 1 Irrespective of whatever else the numbers prove (or dont), they clearly establish that: one, we seem to be getting better at saving lives (which, a previous instalment of this column wrote, was in evidence even globally) and two, the number of daily cases has been increasing. The first is important because it establishes that the increase in daily deaths (now consistently close to 700 as compared to consistently around 400 a month ago) ,while worrying, is offset by the fact that the proportion of those recovering is rising. The second is important because, when disaggregated across states, cities, and districts, it tells administrations where hospital beds and health care intervention are most needed. The increase in the number of daily cases has also come against the backdrop of increased testing. India was conducting an average of 177,439 tests on June 20. That increased to an average of 327,048 tests a week on July 20 (all averages are five-day ones). Ive previously written about the relationship between cases and tests: as testing increases, the number of cases as a proportion of the tests (a.k.a. the positivity rate) increases to a point, then plateaus, and finally starts declining. Delhi, for instance, is clearly seeing a decline as is Mumbai (although the Maharashtra numbers are now being driven to new highs by cases from the larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, and other parts of the state). Tamil Nadu is continuing to identify more new cases as it tests more (the state has carried out the most tests in India in absolute terms, around 2 million), but its positivity rate has come down from its peaks and continues to remain in the 10-12% range. On Sunday, for instance, the state saw 4,979 new cases, but carried out 52,993 tests, translating to a positivity rate of 9.39% (a number that is also within the range acknowledged by experts around the world that signifies adequate testing). Also read | Indias fatality rate lower than global average: Govt Other states, too, are seeing an increase in cases as they test more. Many of them and this has been my refrain for weeks now are still not testing enough, though, which is reflected in their positivity rates (either too low, without showing the waxing and the waning that comes with aggressive and adequate testing, as in Uttar Pradesh; or too high, as in West Bengal). Interestingly, in both states, the positivity rate has been increasing. The average daily positivity rate for the past week for Uttar Pradesh was 4.3%, and West Bengal, 14.4%, which is higher than the cumulative positivity rates in the two states 3.3% for Uttar Pradesh, and 6% for West Bengal. Bihar is no different its cumulative positivity rate is 6.96% and its average for the past week, 14.2%. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal are three of Indias four most populous states (at first, third and fourth positions respectively; Maharashtra is in second). Which means the number of daily cases in India can be expected to increase even more over the next month, maybe even longer. UPDATE: Suspect in killing at home of federal judge found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound in N.Y., reports say Gov. Phil Murphy offered condolences to New Jersey federal court Judge Esther Salas after the fatal shooting of her 20-year-old son at their North Brunswick home Sunday night and called the killing an unconscionable tragedy. Salas husband, Mark Anderl, a prominent criminal defense attorney, was wounded in the attack. I want to start today by offering my prayers, and I know my colleagues join me, to Federal Court Judge Esther Salas, whose son was murdered, and husband seriously wounded, yesterday in a brazen and cowardly act of gun violence at their home in North Brunswick, the governor said at his coronavirus briefing Monday. We give our full support to Judge Salas and her husband at this most-trying time this is an unconscionable tragedy, Murphy said. We also give our full support to the men and women of law enforcement who are actively seeking out those responsible for this horrific crime. There is a manhunt underway to find the shooter, whose description has not yet been released by law enforcement. Its believed the killer was dressed as a FedEx delivery driver when he arrived at the Salas home on Point of Woods Drive in North Brunswick around 5 p.m. Sunday, law enforcement sources and officials told NJ Advance Media. Salas was in the homes basement at the time of the shooting and was not injured, sources said. Her son, Daniel Anderl, was killed, North Brunswick Mayor Francis Mac Womack said. Mark Anderl, 63, underwent surgery Sunday evening and is in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to Womack, who knows the family personally. The governor asked for people who have any information about the case to call the FBIs Newark office at (800) 792-3000 and press Option 2. Daniel Anderl's yearbook photo. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph High School) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writers Alex Napoliello, Ted Sherman and Noah Cohen contributed to this report. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. To save the life of people from tragedies like the White Island blast in 2019, which reported 21 casualties, New Zealand scientists claim that they have come up with a warning system to predict volcanic eruptions. David Dempsey and Shane Cronins, scholar of University of Auckland, claim that their research shows patterns of seismic activity before an eruption that make advance warning possible. They added, if their system would have been in the White Island last year, it would have raised the alert 16 hours before the deadly eruption. Researchers talk about the invention Nature Communications published their research work. Reports suggest that the new system uses machine learning algorithms to analyse real-time data to predict future eruptions. Shane Cronnin said that the current system was too slow to provide warnings for people who are already on the island. He added, the current system gathers information quickly but then it gets assessed by a panel, then they have an expert process. All of this absorbs time. It was good for earlier times, but not for time we are living in. Read: WATCH: Stunning Electric-blue Lava Erupts From Volcano At Night In Indonesia According to Dr. Cronnin, research on the new system had already begun before the White Island eruption. But when the eruption happened it motivated them to work even harder. GNS Science, New Zealands official volcano monitoring agency, said that the new system could be a potentially useful addition to its own systems but it also has its own limitations. Read: Ecuador: Sangay Volcano Eruption Wraps Cities In Ash, Respiratory Issues Feared Amid COVID Nico Fournier, a researcher at GNC Science, said that the technique has been added to multiple datasets which are looked at weekly. He added that various technique developments are yet to be incorporated. There is still a high level of uncertainty. Another researcher at GNC Science also contributed to this and said that this system has its own flaws. The system is not 100% to catch all the future eruptions. However, when it raises an alert, it does not guarantee that the eruption will happen. It is an improvement because it provides no short term warnings. Read: Indonesia's Most Volatile Volcano Spews Ash Also Read: Study Says Saturn's Moon Titan Has Volcano-like Features In Its Polar Regions (Image Credits: Unsplash) Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said the deadly coronavirus is spreading out of control in the region, with a record 100 new cases. The UN meanwhile has warned the virus reveals the fragility of our world as numbers rise in India and South Africa. Lam said Sunday she had tightened social distancing measures in a bid to tackle the sudden increase in infections. She also announced further regulations including plans to make it compulsory to wear masks inside any public indoor venue and a new order for non-essential civil servants to work for home. Hong Kong had been initially successful in tackling the disease, with close to zero local transmission by late June. But infections have shot up over the last two weeks and doctors fear the new outbreak is spreading in what is a densely-packed territory of more than seven million people. Globally, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has now surpassed 14 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The pandemic has killed more than 600,000 people since it surfaced in China late last year. Coronavirus reveals fragility of our world' The economic fallout of the pandemic is being disproportionately felt among informal workers, small businesses and women", said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Speaking on the 102nd birthday anniversary of the late Nelson Mandela on Saturday, Guterres said coronavirus had revealed the "fragile skeleton" of societies and could push 100 million people into extreme poverty. "We have been brought to our knees - by a microscopic virus," he said. "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. Guterres's comments came as the World Health Organisation reported a single-day record of new infections - over 237,000 in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday. The largest number of new contaminations were recorded in the U.S., Brazil, India and South Africa. In India, the number of confirmed cases has now surpassed the 1 million mark, making it the third worst-hit country in the world behind the U.S and Brazil. In sub-Saharan Africa, which already had the world's greatest shortage of medical personnel, nearly 10,000 health workers in 40 countries have been infected with the virus, WHO said. South Africa hardest hit on the African continent More than half of those infected workers are in South Africa. The country has registered 13,373 new cases bringing the total to more than 300,000: the highest on the African continent. More than 4,500 people have died of the virus since March. President Cyril Ramaphosa put the country into lockdown on 27 March when it had only 400 cases and no recorded deaths. The government later eased restrictions, fearing for its struggling economy. But as cases increased once more, it re-introduced the alcohol ban and night curfew a week ago. Charles Robertson, a senior economist who has been closely tracking the coronavirus, told Reuters that despite South Africa's impressive early action What became clear is that lockdowns don't work in low-income countries. In informal economies," he said "people can't afford to stay at home. About half of South Africans live in poverty, and about a third are unemployed. According to a study by South Africa's Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (CRAM) some three million have lost their jobs since the lockdown began. (with newswires) There are some exceptions, however, including individuals who are speaking or hearing impaired, those unable to wear a mask for health or physical reasons, those receiving medical or dental care, while eating or drinking in a restaurant or bar and those engaged in an exercise incompatible with wearing a mask, such as swimming. Those alone in an office and the homeless also are exempt. The head of Goya Foods has quietly blocked an agreement to sell off part of the company that would have left him out of a job, a new report claims. CEO Robert Unanue, who sparked calls for a Goya boycott when he visited the White House on July 9 and said Americans are 'truly blessed' to have Donald Trump as their president, managed to quash a minority stake sale that would have valued the canned foods giant at $4billion, insiders told the New York Post. The sources said that Goya's board of directors had tentatively agreed last month to the proposed deal with BDT Capital Partners, a firm that invests in family and founder-led companies with a goal of expanding them or taking them public. The deal would have required Unanue to vacate his position within 18 months so a new CEO could be brought it, sources said. Despite having initially signaled their support, the board of directors ultimately voted against the deal last Wednesday amid the ongoing controversy over Unanue's endorsement of Trump. The Post reported that Unanue, who owns less than a five percent stake in the company, convinced two directors to change their votes at the last minute by agreeing to add two independent seats to the family controlled board. Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue (pictured) quietly blocked an agreement to sell off part of the company that would have left him out of a job, a new report claims Unanue sparked calls for a Goya boycott when he visited the White House on July 9 and said Americans are 'truly blessed' to have Donald Trump as their president. Trump later posed with a selection of Goya products in the Oval Office to show his support for the brand Insiders claim that the timing of the reversal has prompted speculation among member's of Goya's founding family that Unanue may have publicly praised the president in an effort to ensure that the deal didn't go through. 'I don't think it was a coincidence,' a source close to the family told the Post. 'All of a sudden there is going to be a shareholder vote and here he is, saying this stuff about Trump.' Unanue has repeatedly defended his support for Trump and said that those calling to boycott his brand were 'killing our nation' engaging in 'suppression of speech' Unanue has repeatedly defended his support for Trump and said that those calling to boycott his brand - including New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former presidential candidate Julian Castro - were 'killing our nation' engaging in 'suppression of speech'. Trump supporters responded to the boycott by launching their own 'buy-cott' urging people to go out and buy Goya products. The buy-cott has been trumpeted by the Bodega and Small Business Association, whose secretary-treasurer Francisco Marte lambasted the boycott as 'enforcing political conformity on one of this country's most successful job creators' while 'harming Hispanic-immigrant-run stores that work long hours to make ends meet amid a challenging economic and health crisis'. Data about the impact of the boycott vs buycott is not yet available as Goya is not publicly traded - but Unanue indicated that the support far outweighs the outrage in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published over the weekend. 'It's overwhelming, the amount of positive support we've gotten, overwhelming,' he said. 'You see the great majority of people gravitating to love and to positivity. It far outweighs, sometimes, the very loud voice of negativity, of a minority that can bring the sheep in to follow.' Robert Unanue, grandson of Goya founder Don Prudencio Unanue, became the CEO in 2004 after he teamed up with his cousin Frank Unanue Jr teamed up to oust their uncle from the role A source close to Goya's founding family, of which Unanue is a member, said that the company's sales spiked immediately after the White House visit - but the boycott movement has since been gaining traction. The source said that some family members feel that the brand could suffer from Unanue's alignment with Trump in the long term, particularly because of the president's tough stance on immigration. They also said that Goya itself is does not have a political stance and is not aligned with Trump. Goya was founded by Don Prudencio Unanue in 1936 after he immigrated to New Jersey from Spain. Today the family is split into three factions, each of which has three seats on the nine-member board, the source said. Robert Unanue, Don Prudencio's grandson, became the CEO in 2004 after he teamed up with his cousin Frank Unanue Jr teamed up to oust their uncle from the role he'd held for nearly 30 years. The source said that the alliance between the Robert and Frank family factions has sometimes been fraught with tension in the years since the former grandson took over - and the scrapping of the BDT deal threatens to bring renewed drama. Another insider said that Goya's board also voted this week to allow management to decide how to handle the boycotts in a move that showed support for Unanue. DailyMail.com has reached out to Goya, Unanue and BDT for comment about the purported deal. The parties declined to comment on the matter when approached by the Post. The failed BDT deal marked the second time in under a year that Unanue was able to keep his job after an agreement to sell part of the company went bust. Last fall Goya was in talks to sell a controlling stake under a deal that also would have replaced Unanue as CEO. Goya denied the existence of the Carlyle sale at the time, and sources said it backed out at the last minute. 'This was supposed to be a control transaction and the family apparently changed its position in the last couple of weeks,' Carlyle co-founder David Rubenstein told Fox Business in November. Twitter outrage: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Julian Castro were among those calling on the public to boycott Goya In the weeks since Unanue praised Trump the brand has received an outpouring of support from members of the First Family. Donald Trump Jr boasted about a dinner he cooked with Goya ingredients on Instagram last week. 'Just had a great dinner Kimberly prepared,' he said, referring to his girlfriend, former Fox News presenter Kimberly Guilfoyle. 'Lot of Goya products, which was pretty awesome. Just had a great pork roast. It was very good.' His video came as his sister Ivanka was accused of breaking White House ethics rules by tweeting her support for the company. 'If it's Goya, it has to be good,' she tweeted, echoing the company slogan. Under the rules government officials are barred from using their public office to endorse specific products or groups. The White House defended her tweet. 'Only the media and the cancel culture movement would criticize Ivanka for showing her personal support for a company that has been unfairly mocked, boycotted and ridiculed for supporting this administration one that has consistently fought for and delivered for the Hispanic community,' said Carolina Hurley, White House spokesperson. 'Ivanka is proud of this strong, Hispanic-owned business with deep roots in the US and has every right to express her personal support.' Her father also tweeted his support for Goya, but as president, he is exempt from many of the rules that federal workers must follow. Donald Trump Jr posted a video touting his 'awesome' meal with Goya products on Thursday WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The son of a federal judge who presided over a case involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was shot dead in New Jersey Sunday. A gunman wearing a FedEx driver's uniform attacked the house of U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas, reports said. Her son Daniel Anderl was fatally shot as he opened the door at the judge's family home in North Brunswick at about 5 pm. Anderl, 20, was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Salas' husband, a criminal defense lawyer, was seriously injured in the shooting. The Judge is said to have received threats previously. She was reportedly at the basement of the house at the time of attack, and is safe. The attacker is absconding. 'The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Ester Salas in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey earlier this evening, July 19,' the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Twitter. 'We're looking for one subject & ask that anyone who thinks they may have relevant information call us,' the agency added. 'I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to NJ's federal bench,' , the New Jersey Globe quoted Senator Bob Menendez as saying. 'This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn't done,' New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement. A widely respected and popular jurist, Salas was the first Latin American to be appointed as a federal judge in New Jersey. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Water levels on Lake Erie were 72 centimetres above average at the start of July but 10 centimetres lower than the same time last year, according to figures released by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Its the second-highest level on record behind only last year, the agency said last week in its Level News newsletter, a publication about water levels on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Environment Canada said all of the Great Lakes were at least 53 centimetres above their chart datum level at the start of the month. Chart datum is a reference elevation for each lake that provides information on the depth of water for safe navigation. At the start of July, Lake Ontario was 16 centimetres above average, 68 centimetres lower than record high water levels last year. Lake Ontario has seen record-high levels over the past few years with shoreline flooding and erosion on both sides of the border. To alleviate flooding and erosion, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board increased the outflow of the lake at the start of the year. Outflows at the 36-turbine Moses-Saunders Dam, between Cornwall, Ont., and Massena, N.Y., were set at 10,430 cubic metres per second. Environment Canada said Lake Ontario was 23 centimetres above average in June, but well below last years numbers. Lake Erie was at its second-highest level last month, 75 centimetres above average compared to records kept for the past 102 years. The lakes outflow into Lake Ontario was also the second-highest for the year in June. Environment Canada said lakes Erie and Ontario typically see seasonal declines this time of year and that Lake Erie would approach record levels only if it experiences wet conditions. Water levels on Lake Erie typically peak May through June. Lake Ontario it peaks in May and June is expected to stay above average for the rest of the summer and into the fall. We do have French racism talked about onstage, but its never being addressed by Black people. Its mainly white directors making plays for white audiences. Its OK to have Black performers, actors, dancers, but Black creators are not as accepted. WISSERT I would say here its exactly the same. The biggest discussions were having at the moment in Germany is the question of white universality the white body as being neutral and the white artist being able to speak to any time. Theres no understanding. DOUMBIA I get a sensation of feeling a little bit stuck sometimes. Because you want to be able to tell your stories and tell them to the biggest number of people. But at the same time, you feel youre being assigned to a category being seen as a Black person from the white gaze. KWEI-ARMAH I dont quite know what Black work is, and as we know, the word Black is a political construction. It means different things in different spaces. But what I am really clear about is there is a tax from our white audiences, many of whom are quite tribal, and who, the moment that they see someone Black on the poster, think that [the play] is somehow niche. When we see a white story, we see a white actor in it and race becomes secondary. We go, Oh, this is a story about redemption. But sometimes the white audience will see a Black face and go, Oh, this is a story about racism. Or Oh, its for them. And thats the false binary we need to defeat in this country. And we are nowhere near defeating it. Are diversity targets or quotas the answer? DOUMBIA Can I make an analogy with the face masks were always talking about? In a normal world with Covid, you wouldnt have to tell people to wear a mask in order not to get sick, right? And yet you have to tell them. Its the same with quotas. In a world with common sense we wouldnt have to ask for them and yet without them nothing will be done. Although itd be hard to have them here, because we have this huge tradition of official color blindness. [In France it remains illegal to collect data on race for almost all official purposes.] The Stroke Association Support Network of Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) has called for the inclusion of the management of blood clot in the treatment t of COVID-19 protocols. The Association, therefore, called for the provision of heparins, drug for the treatment of blood clots at all health facilities that treat COVID-19 to help reduce fatalities in the management of COVID-19 cases in the country. This was contained in a press release issued by the association at Koforidua and copied to the Ghana News Agency. The association explained that emerging research indicates that patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 cases have a high risk of forming disabling or deadly blood clots, otherwise known as Venous thromboembolism (VTE ) which researchers believe is the major cause of fatalities in the treatment of the disease. The release explained that VTE is the formation of blood clots in the deep veins in the groin, leg, or arm which gradually moves through the blood circulation system and settles in the lungs due to ill health which turns to cause death. As a result of this new development, the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis has issued a consensus statement on COVID-19 and VTE, together with 70 national and international clinical representative organizations including Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) to the World Health Organization (WHO) for adoption in the treatment of COVID-19 cases. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video More than 500 people marched during a Black Lives Matter Rally and March for Black Women Saturday, July 18, 2020, in New Orleans. The New Orleans Workers Group staged the event to bring attention to the rise of violence against Black women, both trans and cisgender, and also gender non-conforming people. The group rallied at Hardin Playground before marching to Armstrong Park for a program that featured speakers, song and interpretive dance, and a candlelight memorial for murdered trans people. Scott Threlkeld Follow Scott Threlkeld Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed the business lobbys main priority of the last election cycle into law, changes to Louisianas civil litigation rules aimed at lessening the money people can win against insurance companies and businesses in car accident lawsuits. The bill signing was posted on the Legislatures website on July 16. The Democratic governor vetoed an earlier, more sweeping version of the civil justice system changes and negotiated with the majority-Republican Legislature and business lobbyists on a final compromise passed in the special session that ended June 30. Edwards signature on House Bill 57 was expected after the deal was struck, but the decision still represented a significant victory for business organizations that worked to elect Republican lawmakers in 2019 who pledged to support the changes. They also had to reach agreement with a governor whose allies and deep-pocketed campaign contributors include personal injury lawyers who opposed the changes. Supporters claim the tort reform effort will lower insurance rates, which are the nations second-highest, by making litigation less lucrative. Opponents call it a giveaway to business that will damage injured peoples ability to receive adequate compensation. Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said the bill sponsored by Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder will help begin the process of rebuilding Louisianas insurance markets. The goal of the civil litigation system changes is to reduce the number of lawsuits filed in car accidents, lessen the lawsuits that are successful and shrink the damages awarded. Backers of the effort said a Louisiana legal environment that encourages frivolous lawsuits with promises of big payouts is damaging existing business in the state and making it harder to draw new industry. Senate Republican leader Sharon Hewitt called passage of the bill a historic accomplishment. Opponents, largely lawyers and Democrats, repeatedly noted the bill doesnt contain a commitment that it would lower insurance rates an argument Edwards himself raised in his veto of the previous bill by GOP Sen. Kirk Talbot. Critics also said the measure would keep people from getting money needed to cover their medical bills and could increase costs for courts. Negotiations over Schexnayders bill went into the final hours of the 30-day June special session. Some lawmakers blamed the intense disagreements over the bill for keeping them in session longer than otherwise would have been needed to piece together the state budget and cut business taxes. The deal passed with a 35-4 Senate vote and 86-15 House vote on the last day of session. Schexnayders bill, which takes effect on Jan. 1, will: Force jury trials more frequently, so that lawyers have to argue damage claims to more people than a single judge. The measure drops the threshold for a jury trial from claims that exceed $50,000 to claims larger than $10,000, with some exceptions. Limit the mentions of insurance coverage during a trial. Bill supporters said that juries were more likely to give higher damage awards to people if they expected an insurance company, rather than an individual, to cover the costs. Cap certain medical expenses for which damages can be awarded. This change doesnt apply in medical malpractice cases or in lawsuits against state agencies, state boards and commissions, parish sheriffs, school boards or other local government agencies. Allow information about whether someone was wearing a seatbelt as evidence in litigation. Edwards signature and the enactment of the law changes doesnt appear likely to wrap up the debate, however. Waguespack said his organization intends to continue to push for more changes to the states civil litigation system. This new Legislature is obviously hungry to change Louisianas reputation for a poor legal climate and (Schexnayders bill) appears to be simply the first bite at that apple, Waguespack said in a statement issued after the measures passage. Our work has only just begun. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Auto Louisiana An 18-year-old activist in Chicago said an officer knocked her front tooth out at a protest in the city Friday night where protesters trying to topple a Christopher Columbus statue clashed with police. An anti-violence organization she is a part of posted a video on Twitter that appears to show an officer hitting her. The activist, Miracle Boyd, was at Grant Park where she said an officer knocked out her front tooth as she recorded the arrest of a protester. "The police officer came up to me, and he smacked the phone out of my hand, and it hit me in the mouth," she told NBC Chicago. Activist Miracle Boyd speaks in Chicago. (NBC Chicago) Boyd did not immediately return a request for an interview Monday. She told BuzzFeed that she had finished delivering a speech to a group of protesters in the park and was leaving to go home when she heard the sound of fireworks being set off. She headed in the direction of the sound and started recording a livestream on Facebook, the outlet reported. "They were beating a white woman with a baton," Boyd told BuzzFeed. "They were macing everyone. I was trying to get footage of the police viciously attacking on people." Boyd, a recent high school graduate, denied being the aggressor and said she has been labeled as such because she was shouting at police, BuzzFeed reported. She said that she has never thrown anything or swung at a police officer. At a news conference Monday, she said that she fights "every day" in her community to end gun violence and that she was unjustly attacked by a Chicago police officer who valued a supremacist statue over her life, safety and well being. "The police are not serving and protecting," she said. "There is no way I should have left a protest bruised and battered for exercising my freedom of speech and freedom to assemble." Boyd said she is not a menace, a hood rat or a rebel and that she is a dedicated freedom fighter. "No matter what I said, no matter what I did, it did not justify me being brutalized and attacked," she said. "I am calling for the officer who attacked me to be relieved of his duties." Story continues The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said in a statement Sunday it had received more than 20 complaints against police "as a result of protests in Grant Park" and had opened preliminary investigations into the most "egregious" ones. It also said it was investigating "widespread video" of an incident of an officer striking a civilian. A spokeswoman for the agency confirmed Monday the video referred to in the statement is the one involving Boyd that was posted to Twitter by the anti-gun violence group GoodKids MadCity. At least 1,000 people gathered around the statue Friday after a rally in support of Black and Indigenous people, according to the Chicago Tribune. Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said Monday that dozens of officers were injured in Friday's protest. "This is what our officers faced on Friday night at Grant Park," he said in a tweet, in which he linked to a YouTube video from the protest. "Criminal agitators pelted fireworks, frozen water bottles and other projectiles at our officers, injuring 49 of them. This is unacceptable and we cannot stand for this." Video shows some officers used batons to beat people. Protesters were among the injured, and at least a dozen people were arrested. Chicago police did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. A group of city and state officials released a statement late Friday that referenced reports on social media of police using pepper spray and excessive force against protesters. "We unequivocally condemn Mayor Lori Lightfoot's decision to send the Chicago police to beat, arrest, and terrorize the demonstrators and journalists gathered in Grant Park tonight, the statement said. Lightfoot said Saturday that she will "unequivocally support and will always fight for the rights of individuals to peacefully protest on any issue" but said "a portion of the protesters turned violent." A number of individuals came with frozen water bottles, rocks, bottles, cans and other gear to throw at officers, Lightfoot said in a statement. "People in the crowd also threw fireworks and other incendiary devices at police, causing injury in several cases," she said. "These violent acts are unacceptable and put everyone at risk." The mayor said "there have also been several reports of excessive force by the police." She called them "unacceptable" and urged anyone who believes they were mistreated by police to file a complaint with the citys Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Talk of face mask exemption during the COVID-19 pandemic has been circulating the internet in recent weeks, but experts say very few people qualify, and the decision is up to each person's doctor. "People with underlying chronic lung disease, such as COPD or asthma, should be able to wear a non-N95 facial covering without it affecting their oxygen or carbon dioxide levels," Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, told ABC News, adding that "masks have no detrimental effects, even in patients with chronic lung disease." When asked if people who have difficulty breathing with a face mask on should be exempt, he stated: "There are many different facial covers or even shields that could be worn instead, if one cannot tolerate the conventional face mask." Rizzo said "cases of exemption are very few and far between," and "people with supplemental oxygen or compromised respiratory status which become short of breath even when walking might meet criteria, which in that case, going out in public is a health risk to the person." MORE: Masks are a flashpoint amid the coronavirus pandemic. Here's what science says about them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that in some situations -- such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health conditions or other sensory sensitivities such as autism spectrum disorder -- wearing a mask could create distress. "I could fathom rare cases of PTSD where past trauma involved a face covering; in such cases, wearing a mask may trigger potential flashbacks, but this is more an exception," Dr. Divya Jose, a psychiatrist in New York City told ABC News. "I see lots of patients with mental health conditions including anxiety, psychotic and mood disorders, and I am yet to see one come in without a mask," she added. "None of my patients have felt that wearing a mask triggers any of their symptoms." Story continues PHOTO: Visitors walk past face mask signs along Decatur Street in the French Quarter on July 14, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images) As parts of the United States battle a surge in coronavirus cases, misleading posts and videos have been spreading on social media which show people claiming to be medically exempt from wearing a mask during the pandemic. Certain "Face Mask Exemption Cards" are also circulating, claiming to exempt the person in possession of the card from wearing a mask due to underlying health conditions. A common mask exemption card -- which has proven to be fake -- reads: "Wearing a face mask poses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you." The Freedom to Breathe Agency (FTBA), the group selling the cards online, is not a government organization, federal officials said, and these cards do not carry the force of law. With multiple countries requiring masks to be worn in public, it is important to address the question: Do medical exemptions for face coverings really exist? The World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC have both issued statements advising people to wear face coverings in public in order to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The WHO states that face masks of breathable material, worn properly, will not lead to health problems. MORE: Group behind fraudulent 'face mask exempt' cards pledges to keep distributing them, despite website takedown The WHO also acknowledges that wearing a face covering is not convenient and has some disadvantages. They list these disadvantages as self-contamination from touching the mask and then the eyes, contamination if the mask gets wet and skin irritation or worsening acne when the mask is used for long hours. None of the disadvantages, however, are reasons for exemption. They say that masks may be difficult to wear for children, people with developmental challenges, mental illness, elderly persons with cognitive impairment, chronic respiratory problems and facial trauma or recent surgery. Still, none of the conditions are listed as reasons for exemption. Each country has implemented its own rules regarding masks. In the U.S., the CDC advised everyone over the age of 2 to wear a mask in public unless they have trouble breathing or are unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance. Dr. Mona Degan, a primary care physician in Los Angeles who works with patients with asthma, told ABC News: "I do not see asthma as an impending factor, unless the person is in active acute respiratory distress -- in which case going out in public is not advised." PHOTO: In this Thursday, July 9, 2020, photo, Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey speaks about the latest coronavirus update in Arizona and benefits of wearing a mask during a news conference in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) Dr. Catherine Lord, a psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told ABC News that for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, wearing a mask "could be really difficult, as they often have strong reactions to different sensations." "Kids with autism could potentially be gradually eased to the idea of wearing a mask," said Jose. "Wearing a mask 5-10 minutes inside the home can help desensitize the person and relieve any anxiety the patient might have," Rizzo added. It is also recommended by CDC that all children over the age of 2 wear a face covering when leaving the home. Dr. Christine Thang, a pediatrician at Mattel Children's Hospital at University of California, Los Angeles, told ABC news: "Children with autism may have difficulty understanding why they need to wear a mask and may not like the texture of it against their face. For children who may have difficulty understanding or tolerating their masks, I would encourage families to consult their pediatrician for support." "To protect everyone from COVID-19, children should wear their face coverings when outside the home," she added. Modifications to the traditional face covering can also be a possible solution. "Masks come in different materials, fittings and sizes which can be made more comfortable to wear," said Dr. Roy Berenholtz, an anesthesiologist who has been in the front lines of the pandemic. "There is absolutely no reason why anyone should not wear a mask," he added. MORE: Arkansas to require face masks to combat coronavirus surge The American Lung Association stated that the decision to give mask exemption to a person should be up to that person's physician. The person's concerns should be weighed against societal needs to mitigate the spread of the virus. In some instances, physician reassurance regarding the safety of the face coverings may be all that is needed. At this time, professionals have not provided clear guidelines to determine exemption. It's up to the clinicians to balance public health interest and individual disability modifications when granting exemptions regarding masks. The American Lung Association states that the role of the face coverings is, along with social distancing, a public health priority necessary to decrease the spread of COVID-19. Yalda Safai, M.D., M.P.H., is a psychiatry resident in New York City and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit. This report was featured in the Tuesday, July 21, 2020, episode of Start Here, ABC News daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. Who is exempt from wearing a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has begun today with call on candidates to desist from borrowing materials in examination halls in the advent of COVID-19 pandemic. Candidates should therefore get their own stationary before entering examination halls. Speaking to the GNA, Mrs Agnes Teye- Cudjoe, head of Public Affairs, National Office, West African Examinations Council also reminded candidates that the councils examination rules were still in force. According to Mrs Teye- Cudjoe the ban on use of Mobile Phones and other foreign materials in examination halls and no talking rule were still in force. She said WAEC adequately put in place security measures to ensure the smooth examination devoid of malpractices and was also relying on the existing protocols by the Ghana Education Service as the examinations began with project work for Visual Arts candidates. The project work included; basketry, paintings and woodwork. Mrs Teye- Cudjoe recounted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic sitting arrangements were enhanced with 1.45 metre rules in terms of social distancing and appealed to candidates to ignore fake websites who may display questions purportedly from WAEC. According to her, WAEC was collaborating with security agencies to halt the activities of fake website operators although their activities continued to be a challenge. "This is because as soon as one website is pulled down another one emerges with a new name," she added. This years WASSCE will be written by 313,897 final year students. The examination is expected to end on September 5, this year. A total of 65,380 candidates are expected to do their Visual Arts project work. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Northern Ireland should act to protect itself against travellers from Great Britain spreading coronavirus, Stormonts deputy first minister has said. Visitors arriving from Great Britain are expected to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in the Republic of Ireland. People can cross the border from Northern Ireland unimpeded. First Minister Arlene Foster wants to preserve free movement for the sake of business and family life but her powersharing deputy, Michelle ONeill, urged the alignment of rules north and south of the Irish border. The Sinn Fein vice-president said: It is my view that, given that this is where the biggest risk comes from, we need to act on that. Ms ONeill said she intended to discuss the matter with fellow Stormont ministers and the island of Ireland needed to act as one unit. She added: The community transmission there is so much higher. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain. It is something I am concerned about. She held talks with fellow devolved leaders in Scotland and Wales on Wednesday. The number of deaths recorded in Northern Ireland remains at 556, the Department of Health reported on Monday. The infection threat has been driven down over recent weeks. DUP leader Mrs Foster was asked whether a recent call by Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald for all people entering the island of Ireland to self-quarantine indicated a difference of opinion at the heart of the powersharing executive. We have to be driven by the science and advice we are given, were also very clear that we are in a common travel area and we respect that common travel area, Mrs Foster replied. The Republic of Ireland has decided to go on a different route and they dont respect the common travel area, thats a matter for them. But I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life, lets face it, as well, that we continue to have the UK working together and making sure we can have that travel across the United Kingdom. Story continues Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) There are about 60 countries on Northern Irelands safe travel list, but there are expected to be fewer on the Irish Republics list when it is published. The list had been due to be finalised at a cabinet meeting on Monday, but it was postponed late on Sunday due to the Taoiseachs need to remain in Brussels for an extended EU summit. Only countries that have a coronavirus infection rate the same or lower than Ireland will be included on the list. That means Great Britain and the US are set to be excluded, as potentially are popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain and Portugal. People crossing the border from Northern Ireland are not subject to restrictions on their movement. The DUP leader was asked about the different approaches on both sides of the border. We have always had differences as we work through Covid but I think the important thing is weve always communicated with each other, weve always understood why those decisions have been taken, she said. The decisions are taken around our travel regulations on the advice from the chief medical officer (Dr Michael McBride) working in the four nations approach across the UK, so theres an understanding as to why that is the case. Meanwhile, a Londonderry church has closed after two parishioners tested positive for coronavirus. Fr Neil Farren said services have stopped at St Marys Church in Ardmore until further notice. Butler, IN (46721) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. Morning high of 38F with temps falling to near 25. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 14F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has welcomed Iran's handover to France of the flight recorders from a Ukrainian airliner that was downed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8. French investigators have begun working on extracting data from the black boxes recovered from the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) jet that was downed by a missile, killing all 176 people on board. France's BEA accident investigation bureau said on July 20 that the cockpit voice recorder will be accessed first, and then the flight data recorder, in a process that is expected to take several days. Iranian forces say they downed the Boeing 737 on January 8 after mistaking it for an incoming missile at a time of high tensions with the United States. Iran later called it a "disastrous mistake" by forces who were on high alert. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian experts would take part in decoding the black boxes, alongside air accident investigators from France, the United States, and Canada. Iran agreed in June to send the black boxes to the BEA for analysis, ending a long dispute with Canada, Ukraine, and France over access to the data. Many of the crash victims were Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or had Canada as their final destination. Iran's Civil Aviation Organization last week issued an interim report blaming the tragedy on the misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air-defense operator and his commanders. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, the Founder of Rabito Clinic Limited was at the weekend decorated as the "the Greatest Entrepreneur of All Time" at the 10th Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards 2020. The award, which was bestowed by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana in partnership with the Ministry of Business Development, seeks to honour the accomplishment of long-standing Entrepreneurs to motivate the budding generation. A statement from Rabitio Clinic and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said the ceremony, which was a virtual live programme was the third time in ten years that Prof Delle was awarded at the prestigious awards. In 2013, he won the Health and Medical Services entrepreneur of the year award and in 2015, the Prof Delle was inaugurated into the Hall of Fame Award (Health Services) category. This years award, which marks a decade, was on the theme: Celebrating Ten Years of Entrepreneurial Excellence and Business Development in Ghana. The statement said the Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Award 2020 is the 10th anniversary Champions of Champion celebration to honour great entrepreneurs who revolutionized business, created opportunities for others and changed the way we think and live. The statement quoted Mr Sam Ato Gaisie, the Founder of EFG: While we believe these men and women to be the best of the best, their accomplishments are varied and not easily compared having built a legacy, demonstrated corporate leadership, sustained business performance, integrity, vision and business innovation in Ghana. Mr Gaisie said: Our intention is to give a worthy individual the recognition he deserves and to use their example to inspire budding entrepreneurs, Corporate Executives, Public Sector Executives, and Business Leaders to achieve similar success. Prof Delle was born on November 18, 1943, in Nandom in the Upper West Region of Ghana and is the Founder, Board Chairman, and Chief Medical Officer of Rabito Clinic, which he founded in 1974. He started his educational foundation in Nandom through the support of his mentor, His Eminence the late Cardinal Peter Prekuu Dery, and received a full scholarship to study at the University of Padua in Italy, where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine and Surgery in 1970. Thereafter, he obtained a post-graduate diploma in Tropical Medicine at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, and a Diploma in Skin and Venereal Diseases (DSVD) at the University of Padua in 1972. He was appointed a Resident Medical Officer and Lecturer in Skin Diseases at the University of Padua from 1972 to 1974. On his return home after acquiring academic and professional experience, he started a private medical practice, the Rabito Clinic in Ghana in 1974. This was in fulfilment of his childhood dream to invest in Africa and serve his people and named the clinic after his academic and career mentor Prof Caologero Rabito formerly of the University of Padua, Italy. Prof Delle is known for his expertise in the treatment of complex dermatological cases. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Congress is back in Washington this week and getting down to the difficult task of negotiating the next, and potentially final, coronavirus relief package. The parties are far apart, with House Democrats having passed a $3 trillion package and Republicans eyeing the $1 trillion range and still needing to settle some internal differences over what should and shouldnt be in the legislation. To that end, President Trump met Monday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows are reportedly set to meet Tuesday with Senate Republicans to discuss the GOP plan. What may be in the Republican plan: The focus of the package will be kids and jobs and vaccines, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters, according to Bloomberg News. McConnell said that the plan would neither be another multitrillion-dollar bridge loan to make up for a totally shut down economy, nor an ordinary stimulus for a nation ready to get back to normal. The bill being crafted as a Republican starting point for negotiations is reportedly expected to include: a payroll tax cut, an employee retention tax credit and other tax credits meant to help reopening businesses with costs like personal protective equipment, workplace cleaning and testing a new round of direct payments to individuals, though the details could be different from the $1,200 payments approved in March as much as $150 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program of small business loans provisions tying school funding to students returning to classrooms and about $70 billion for elementary and secondary schools to help pay for costs associated with reopenings. The administration has said it will push for 10% of the funding to go to nonpublic schools and education freedom scholarships. The Post says its still unclear how the money would be structured to incentivize schools to reopen or what might qualify as reopening. a liability shield protecting businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits. Story continues The Washington Post adds that, Trump administration officials have also floated new spending caps for next years budget, as well as seeking funding for other non-coronavirus related projects, such as $250 million for FBI renovations, said GOP lawmakers and aides. What may not be in the plan: The proposal would also reduce the $600-a-week in enhanced federal unemployment benefits, which is set to expire in most states at the end of this week. And it is expected to leave out more aid for states and cities, according to the Post, instead allowing governors and local leaders more flexibility in spending the $150 billion in aid provided by the March coronavirus relief law. Democrats have pushed for an additional $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments. The Posts Erica Werner and Jeff Stein reported this weekend that the administration is also complicating negotiations by trying to prevent the coronavirus bill from including some $25 billion to states for virus testing and contact tracing and $10 billion more that Republican senators want to provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The administration is also reportedly looking to block billions in pandemic funding for the Pentagon and State Department. The White House position has reportedly angered some senate Republicans, and some lawmakers are pushing for the money to stay in the package. Senate Republicans have asked for funding to help states purchase test kits in bulk, Sam Hammond, a policy expert at the right-leaning Niskanen Center think tank told the Post, which notes that the center has been working with those GOPers on testing legislation. As it currently stands, the main bottleneck to a big ramp-up in testing is less technical than the White Houses own intransigence. Payroll tax pushback: Trump and administration officials continue to emphasize their desire for a payroll tax cut, with the president on Monday calling it very important and an incentive for companies to rehire workers. Trump has suggested he might not sign a bill that doesnt include the tax cut. The administration is eyeing structuring the payroll tax cut in the legislation as a deferral rather than an outright cut, which would keep down the technical cost of the overall bill, The Washington Post reported Monday, citing a person briefed on the package. Such a deferral could require Americans to pay back the tax cut at a later date, but lawmakers could later decide to wave the repayment entirely. GOP leaders in Congress arent sold on the idea. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) warned Monday that cutting the payroll tax funding Social Security could be a public relations problem for Republicans. "Go to the fact that Social Security people think we're raiding the Social Security fund. And we are raiding it, but we have always put in general fund revenue in it so it is made whole. But that creates it might create political problems but it creates a public relations problem," Grassley told reporters, according to The Hill. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) expressed similar concerns, The Hill reported. "I think it's problematic because obviously the trust funds for Social Security and Medicare are already on their way to insolvency. ...I'm not a fan," Cornyn said. The time factor: Theres some urgency to the talks, and not only because of the alarming surge of Covid-19 cases sweeping across many states. Critical coronavirus aid programs including enhanced unemployment insurance and federal eviction protections are also set to expire within days and lawmakers have just a few weeks before they are scheduled to go on another recess. The House is currently scheduled to depart at the end of the month, a week ahead of the Senate, though members have reportedly been told not to make plans for the first week of August. Whats next: A fight, clearly. Democrats have already begun to criticize the Republican approach as prioritizing corporate interests over workers and Main Street businesses. Unfortunately, by all accounts the Senate Republicans are drafting legislation that comes up short in a number of vital areas, such as extending unemployment benefits or funding for rental assistance, hazard premium pay for frontline workers, or investments in communities of color being ravaged by the virus, and many other necessary provisions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter Monday, urging his caucus to stick together. Democrats will need to fight hard for these important provisions. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Wallace, while remaining respectful and calm, didnt allow the prevaricator in chief to get away with too much. He pushed back firmly, fact-checking Trump in real time within the interview itself as well as showing viewers the results of more fact-checking performed afterward. Most notably, Wallace countered Trumps confidently uttered claim that Joe Biden had called for abolishing the police. Theres no evidence of that, Wallace said so to Trumps face and later noted that, despite promises to the contrary, the White House never followed up on promises to send him proof of it because there isnt any. By Express News Service BENGALURU: At a time when fear and misinformation about those who die of Covid-19 has caused scuffles and protests in Karnataka, Congress Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru Rural D K Suresh gave an elderly man who died of the virus a respectful final adieu. Armed with personal protective kits, Suresh joined designated health department workers in performing the last rites of 73-year-old Narasimha Shetty of Kanakapura on Sunday. His initiative, the MP said, was aimed at dispelling misinformation about the spread of the virus from the deceased that is leading to many funerals being stalled across the State. Sureshs gesture was much appreciated by netizens. There is no harm to anyone because of people who die of Covid-19. A lot of misinformation has been peddled in this regard and because of that there have been instances of people disallowing burials or cremations, protesting and stalling last rites. This isnt our culture, he said adding that he hopes his initiative will create awareness among people. The lone Congress MP from Karnataka was seen offering prayers, lighting incense sticks and garlanding the mortal remains of the deceased before lighting the funeral pyre. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:17:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's central bank has forecast only an estimated 8 million foreign visitors in Thailand this year, down 80 percent from last year's record number of 39.8 million, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT) governor Veerathai Santiprabhob. The country would take some years for foreign tourist numbers to return to near 40 million as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on Thai tourism, he said on Monday. Because of Thailand's large dependence on tourism, many tourism related businesses are experiencing the lack of cash flows. As a result, bad loans will rise, and therefore the BoT must create new steps to prevent bad loans from surging," he said. The BoT had recently relaxed conditions for the Debt Clinic project to aid borrowers saddled with non-performing loans (NPLs) in response to expectations that retail distressed debt will continue increasing throughout the pandemic. The Debt Clinic is a scheme that pools unsecured bad loans owed to multiple creditors, covering 19 non-bank companies. The central bank extended the cut-off date from Jan. 1 to July 1 to let unsecured bad-debt customers apply for the program to restructure their NPLs while offering new loans to borrowers who can pay off a minimum of 50 percent of overdue loans. Enditem New Book: 'Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win' NEWS PROVIDED BY Jenean Gimler July 20, 2020 HOUSTON, Texas, July 20, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Jenean Gimler, author of the inspirational book, Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win, was released on Amazon on July 8, 2020. Insightfully intriguing, Jenean Gimler brings into the 21st century, the dust ridden artifact of the priestly breastplate and how this artifact is relevant for the church today. She unveils the hidden code of this breastplate to reveal the breastplate of righteousness by connecting the dots between the priestly breastplate, the tribes of Israel, the Hebrew calendar and the constellations. Written to unravel the secrecy of the breastplates, by revealing who originally owned the breastplate, and the meaning behind it all. This book reveals little known history, a battle plan to overcome our arch enemy, a prophetic outlook and a call to arms for the modern day church. Jenean gives practical advice on how to spiritually wear the breastplate so that you are always dressed and ready for battle at a moment's notice. Written to wake up a sleeping church to fight the giants that are in our land today, thereby becoming more than conquerors. With in-depth research and insight, Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win will reveal that the role of every believer is to be a spiritual warrior who is destined to win, transforming their individual lives by using the breastplate every minute of every day. Using her own personal battles, of character attacks on her family, death threats, depression, fear and even thoughts about taking her own life, Jenean outlines how through the darkest hours, God revealed His provision for her; the breastplate. SOURCE Jenean Gimler CONTACT: Jenean Gimler, 832-5710-9997 3 | NHS England in talks on rollout of potential COVID vaccine from December, says report: The National Health Service (NHS) is in talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) and others around mobilising the rollout of a potential COVID-19 vaccine from December, Pulse website for health professionals reported. >There is optimism around the first cohorts being given a vaccine in December but there is a 50/50 chance of the vaccine being available by that time, Pulse reported, citing a person close to the discussions. German biotech firm BioNTech and US drugmaker Pfizer on Monday reported additional data from their experimental COVID-19 vaccine that showed it was safe and induced an immune response in patients. BioNtech's US shares gained 12 percent, while Pfizer's stock rose 3.6 percent in early trading. The companies said the data also demonstrated an induction of high level of T-cell responses against the novel coronavirus. More than 150 possible vaccines are being developed and tested around the world to try to stop the pandemic. There are 23 candidates in human clinical trials, including from Moderna and AstraZeneca Plc . Experts have cautioned a safe and effective vaccine will take 12-18 months to develop. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The results were disclosed from a trial in Germany testing 60 healthy volunteers, and come after the companies earlier this month reported data from a corresponding early-stage trial in the United States. The trial showed that volunteers given two doses of the vaccine produced virus-neutralizing antibodies, similar to the US trial. The data is available on an online preprint server at medrxiv and is undergoing scientific peer-review for potential publication, the companies said. Several local hospitals are receiving about $29.5 million in COVID-19 relief money from the federal government. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell announced that eight hospitals in Michigans 12th Congressional District are receiving the relief funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Beaumonts Dearborn, Taylor and Trenton hospitals are among them; as is Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. Starting this week, Health and Human Services plan to distribute a total of $10 billion in relief nationwide to hospitals highly affected by COVID-19 cases. Hospitals located with Michigans 12th Congressional District receiving support are: ?Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, which will receive $10.4 million. ?St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital will receive $4.8 million. An additional $1.4 million will go to Select Specialty Hospital, located within St. Joseph Mercy. ?Beaumont Hospital, Taylor will receive $3.4 million. ?Beaumont Hospital, Trenton will receive $3.1 million. ?Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital will receive $2.6 million. An additional $1.3 million will go to Select Specialty Hospital, located within Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. ?Michigan Medicine Von Voigtlander Womens Hospital will receive $2.3 million. Hospitals are the frontlines and a key component of protecting public health, Dingell said. This critical support is welcome news that additional relief is on its way to hospitals and providers in our community. As the crisis continues, we will not stop working until all hospitals in Michigan have the resources they need. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Mon, July 20, 2020 17:02 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667dc2a1 2 Entertainment johnny-depp,libel,amber-heard,The-Sun,Britain,Court,Hollywood,actor,libel-case Free Johnny Depp is suing the publisher of Britain's Sun newspaper and its executive editor Dan Wootton for libel over an article that described the movie star as a "wife beater". Depp has given five days of testimony. This week, London's High Court will hear from Amber Heard, Depp's ex-wife, who has accused him of abuse - an accusation he denies. Here are some of the details the court heard and background to the case: DEPP AND HEARD Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, met on the set of the 2011 film The Rum Diary and married in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce after 15 months, and days later obtained a restraining order against him. Their divorce was finalized in 2017 and the restraining order was dismissed. THE SUN'S CASE The Sun's lawyers told the court they would show the allegation in the article was true and that Depp had beaten Heard during violent rages brought on by alcohol or drugs, sometimes when he had falsely accused her of infidelity. The legal team says he assaulted Heard on at least 14 occasions between 2013-16, including on a private jet and on Depp's private island in the Bahamas. DEPP'S CASE Depp rejects all the allegations that he attacked his wife and says Heard was lying, making up a choreographed hoax as part of an "insurance policy" dossier, and that she had attacked him. "For the avoidance of any doubt, I have never abused Ms Heard, or, indeed, any other woman, in my life," Depp said in a written witness statement. His legal team argues the article caused serious harm to his reputation. THE ACCUSATIONS Sasha Wass, lawyer for the Sun's publisher News Group Newspapers, said the first assault took place at Heard's home in March 2013. Wass told the court Depp had become angry and slapped Heard three times when she mocked one of his tattoos which he had changed from "Winona forever" - a reference to his former girlfriend Winona Ryder - to "Wino forever". "That's not the case, that's untrue. It didn't happen," Depp said. "I don't recall any argument about any of my tattoos." Wass said Depp subjected his ex-wife to a violent three-day ordeal in March 2015 while in Australia filming for the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Depp denied attacking Heard and said she had thrown a vodka bottle at him during an argument, severing the tip of his finger. He said he then suffered "some species of a nervous breakdown". Depp told the court he daubed graffiti around the house with his own blood and paint, using his damaged finger. The Sun's lawyer said Depp assaulted Heard after she became upset that he had turned up late for her 30th birthday party in April 2016. Depp said he was late because he had been at a meeting with his business managers where he learned he had lost $650 million and owed another $100 million in tax. He denied assaulting Heard and accused her of attacking him while he was reading in bed. The day after, a cleaner found feces in the couple's bed. "I was convinced it was Miss Heard herself or one of her cohort involved in leaving human feces on the bed," Depp told the court. "I thought it was a strangely, oddly fitting end to the relationship." Read also: Actor Johnny Depp was punched by ex-wife Heard, UK court told DEPP, DRUGS AND DRINK Cross-examined by Wass, Depp agreed he had taken "every drug known to man" by the age of 14 and said he had a difficult childhood and struggled to come to terms with his fame and success. He had "a terrible addiction to nicotine" and was dependent on Roxicodone, an opioid painkiller until 2014 when he sought to end his addiction while in the Bahamas. He said he used drugs to self-medicate rather than for recreational purposes and spent $30,000 a month on wine. "THE MONSTER" Depp, softly spoken in the witness box, said he modeled himself as a "Southern Gentleman" who would never strike a woman. Wass said Depp would turn into an alternate persona which Heard described as "the monster". Depp said "the monster" Heard referred to was when he yelled back at her in arguments. "It would become a screaming match and that was the monster," he said. "It's not Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." PARADIS AND RYDER Depp's former long-term partner Vanessa Paradis and his ex-girlfriend actress Winona Ryder gave witness statements saying he was never violent towards them. "The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved," Ryder's statement said. A feverish Raphael suffering from "a coronavirus-like disease" died after failing to tell his doctors he had been secretly visiting lovers on freezing cold nights, leading them to wrongly prescribe bloodletting, a new study claims. Popular myth has the Renaissance painter succumb to syphilis in 1520 after wooing one too many ladies, though experts widely agree that he died of an infection. Laid low by a raging fever, the prolific painter, designer and architect, was tended to by "the best doctors in Rome, sent to him by the pope" who feared losing the invaluable artist, medical historian Michele Augusto Riva told AFP. But according to Italian painter Giorgio Vasari and his 1550 masterpiece on the lives of painters, Raphael failed to tell the physicians of his "frequent night outings in the cold" to visit lovers. "It was much, much colder in March in that period, and it's very likely he caught pneumonia," Riva said. The doctors diagnosed a fever caused by an "excess of humours", or blood, and let his blood -- either through incisions or leeches -- which fatally weakened him. The artist, a child prodigy and part of a trinity of Renaissance greats along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, died aged only 37. Raphael was sent off with high honours at a grand funeral at the Vatican, and his remains rest in Rome's Pantheon. A red rose graces his grave all the year round. "In that period, doctors were aware of the dangers of bloodletting in the treatment of infectious diseases, but were acting on misinformation," said Riva, who co-authored the study with three fellow researchers from the University of Milano Bicocca. "A medical mistake, and his own mistake in not faithfully recounting his history, contributed to Raphael's death," he said. The researchers had been preparing the short study, which was published this week in the Internal and Emergency Medicine journal, before COVID-19 gripped northern Italy in late February. As practising doctors, they then had to put it on hold when they found themselves on the frontline of the crisis, caring for medical staff who had caught the virus in intensive care units. "From what we know, Raphael died of a pulmonary illness very similar to the coronavirus we've seen now," he said. Contemporary accounts of his death reveal the painter's disease "lasted 15 days; Raphael was composed enough to put his affairs in order, confess his sins, and receive the last rites," the study says. It said it was an acute disease, characterized by high and continuous fever. "A recent sexually transmitted infection -- such as gonorrhea and syphilis -- could not explain the incubation period. "An acute manifestation of viral hepatitis could not be considered without jaundice and other signs of liver failure. No epidemics of typhus or plague were reported in the city of Rome at that time," it added. Despite his premature death, Raphael produced a vast ouevre of seminal work, much of it at the Vatican, whose museums include several rooms filled with his frescoes. Completed by Raphael's students after his death, they remain some of the Vatican's most popular rooms. Seven foreign NGOs declared undesirable in Russia over Chinese religious doctrine RAPSI, Natalia Vaneyeva 15:17 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) Seven foreign organizations supporting the followers of Chinese religious doctrine Falun Gong or Falun Dafa have been declared undesirable in the Russian Federation, the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports. The organizations added to the so-called undesirable list are Americas Global Organization for Falun Gong Prosecution Investigations, Coalition on the Investigation into Prosecution of Falun Gong in China, the World Council for Protection of Prosecuted Falun Gong adepts, Friends of Falun Gong, British Falun Dafa and others, the statement reads. Activities of these organizations create a hazard to the safety of the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor Generals Office states. Information on the decision has been forwarded to the Justice Ministry to add it to the list of international NGOs declared undesirable in Russia, according to prosecutors. Falun Gong or Falun Dafa is a religious movement founded by its leader Li Hongzhi in China in the early 1990s. After the movement had been banned several its leaders received long prison terms for organizing illegal mass events, infliction of harm to life and health of the doctrines followers and espionage. Certain Falun Dafa information materials have been declared extremist in Russia. Think 2020 has been bad so far? Imagine living in 536 A.D. According to this great summary by Ann Gibbons in Science mag, many experts consider that year to be one of the if not the worst years ever in recorded human history. Why? Turns out a volcanic eruption in Iceland created a cloud so large that it darkened the skies above Europe and Asia for months. As a result, temperatures dropped, snow fell during the summer, crops failed, famine spread and millions of people starved. To add insult to injury, historians believe that this massive change somehow caused bubonic plague, which would go on to eliminate almost half of the Eastern Roman Empire's population and hasten its collapse. So dont complain about 2020. Weve got Netflix. Besides, whether you lived through the challenges of 536 or 2020, owning a small business hasnt changed that much. Thats because the basic principles of business ownership are timeless. For example, those who saved, survived. Despite the challenges, thousands of small businesses farms, shops, taverns did manage to survive 536 and the following years mainly because they were prudently run by tight fisted proprietors. They saved every penny and used whatever they could hide from the tax collector and whatever was left over after paying rents to reinvest in their businesses and put away cash to help them through tougher times. In 2020, Ive seen plenty of over-stretched businesses fail in the wake of the pandemic. But others with resources, both cash and credit, are painfully weathering their way through these very challenging times and will ultimately move forward. I dont care whether its 536 or 2020, cash is and always will be king. Related: Why Did Milton Berle Get Banned From 'SNL'? In 536, just like 2020, knowledge meant income. Those who knew how to farm had more of a chance of surviving than those who didnt. The proprietors who understood how to cook and make beer created products that sustained themselves and their families. Others knowledgeable in markets traded animals, produce and equipment. Artisans would make pottery, builders would build, bakers made bread, weavers created clothing, and blacksmiths would forge horseshoes, farming tools and furniture. Even those who could sing, tell jokes and entertain could charge the public and royal patrons for their services, and those that prospered in the professional classes architects, attorneys, accountants, engineers learned their trade through years of apprenticeships. All of these people had skills to sustain them. Unfortunately, those that did not acquire any skills were the ones with the fewest opportunities and the least amount of wealth. Are things much different today? Cyclical economies created opportunities. The pandemic of 2020, like the pandemics, wars and other disasters of the past, has devastated many businesses, but these types of events have also created opportunities. Today, there are innovative business owners prospering because they pivoted to sell more online, make protective equipment and perform other essential services. In 536, there were innovative business owners who provided food to the wealthy, forged weapons for armies, traded currencies and offered shelter to travelers and soldiers. The smart ones avoided those products less in demand (new farm equipment, fancy pottery, imported luxuries) and pivoted to others (knives, wool, beer, food, commodities) with potentially more profits. Like today, markets rose, felland then rose again. Finally, and like today, those small businesses that didnt diversify suffered the consequences. In 536, the giant corporations were the church and the crown. Small businesses that sold their products to those organizations prospered when times were good, but when church collections fell and kingdoms were overthrown, when invasions occurred, towns plundered, central authority declined and local tribes rose, those businesses oftentimes found themselves on the wrong side of history and without the customers and suppliers that had sustained them. Today, small businesses that sold only to certain industries, regions or specific larger customers and suppliers have found themselves facing similar problems. You cant put too many eggs in one basket. Not then. Not now. Related: Why Is Comedian Jim Gaffigan Gratefully Eating Garbage? Pandemics. Natural disasters. Economic downturns. It happened in 2020. It happened even worse in 536 A.D. Some things will never change. But one thing will always stay the same: the principles of running a small business. And besides, weve got Netflix. Related: Zoom To Open New Technology Centre In Bangalore The Great Potential Of Decentralized Finance in 2020 97% Enterprises Claim COVID-19 Boosted Their Digital Transformation Efforts: Twilio Report Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Delhi Police busted a rave party at a bar in Paschim Vihar on Sunday (July 19) and arrested 40 people for violating lockdown rules. Police also arrested bar owner Tanmay Singhal for hosting the rave party at his bar and allowing 40 people to assemble there. Delhi Police have seized beer and wine bottles and hookahs also from bar. Sources told Zee Media, out fo 40 arrested persons, 25 are males and 15 are females. Police have registered a case in this matter and has launched an investigation. It may be recalled that on July 14, Delhi Police had busted a rave party at a club in Paschim Vihar area and arrested 31 people, including 7 girls, besides seizing liquor and hookahs. The owner of the club and his brother were also arrested. Amid coronavirus lockdown, when the Paschim Vihar East police got a tip-off about the rave party in a club named Plague, the police team raided the place and busted the party. Several people were found in a drunken state from the club during the raid. The club is situated above the Red Chilli restaurant. The Paschim Vihar East police had arrested the owner of the club, Lavish Khurana, and his brother Kashish Khurana under the Excise Act and Epidemic Disease Act. The mayor of Oregon's largest city said Sunday the presence of federal agents is exacerbating tensions in Portland, which has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave. Late Saturday, protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires, police said. The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later, Portland police said on Twitter. The department declared the gathering a riot, and began working to clear the downtown area. Tear gas was deployed, according to pictures and video from the scene, but it was not necessarily CS gas. Fencing that had been placed around the federal courthouse had also been removed by protesters and made into barricades, police tweeted. Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials, the unrest had frustrated Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters in the city. But Wheeler said the federal presence in the city is now exacerbating a tense situation. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portlands streets without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action. Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians. However, federal officers and Portland police advanced simultaneously on demonstrators to clear the streets early Saturday, making arrests as protesters threw bottles and pieces of metal fencing. (Image Credit Pixabay) Bachs Lunch resumes Wednesday Bachs Lunch organ recitals will resume at St. Marks Episcopal Church on Wednesdays from 12:15 to 12:45, beginning July 22. Arlon Miller will play the first recital, with Beverly Reese, Donna McIntire, and Carolyn Deuel in following weeks. Other organists who have played are Genie Burkett and Eric Unruh. There is no charge, but masks are required. For information, call 265-1564. Relay for Life drive-by event Friday Join the American Cancer Society as we celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against cancer. We are having a drive by event for the community on July 24 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Sears parking lot at Eastridge Mall. Survivors can drive by and receive a T-shirt, free meal coupon from Texas Roadhouse, and more. The community drive-in luminaria ceremony will begin at 9:30 p.m. Luminaria may be purchased online at www.relayforlife.org/casperwy. Although the event will not look the same as years past, we are committed to leading the fight for a world without cancer. Leadership Casper deadline July 24 The Leadership Casper program provides monthly in-depth studies of specific topics as they relate to the community. These sessions include site visits, tours and interactive programs that provide participants with a better understanding of community issues with a greater respect for resources and services provided in the Casper community. Team building exercises and personality assessments round out the program. Leadership Casper will provide participants with both educational and participatory experiences with opportunities to meet community leaders and network with a wide array of people. Leadership Casper consists of eight full-day sessions, beginning in late August and continuing through May. Sessions address topics related to community, state and region, designed to inform and educate Caspers leaders. All classes take place the second Thursday of the month, with the exception of the two-day session in February. Classes from September to May are full days. August 2020TBD; September 10, 2020; October 8, 2020; November 12, 2020; December 10, 2020; January 14, 2021; February 2021TBD; March 11, 2021; April 8, 2021, and May 2021TBD. The deadline to apply is July 24, 2020. For more information, contact kcoleman@casperwyoming.org. Local photographers exhibit at Nic The Casper Photography Association is currently displaying in the Nicolaysen Art Museums Rosenthal Gallery a curated selection of photography. The exhibit runs through August 9, 2020. A reception will be announced in the immediate future. This years collection shows a fusion of technical excellence, exquisite composition, and true feeling for the rugged landscapes of the West and the people who call it home. The CPA is central Wyomings premier organization for professional, amateur, hobbyists, and beginning photographers. It is dedicated to providing opportunities for area photographers to learn, network and enjoy a variety of events and field trips designed to maximize both the enjoyment and craft of photography. Presenters this year include Pete Ashbaugh, Marlene Ashbaugh, Jess Burgardt, Harry Buhler, Lyn Clark, Robert Corbin, Rose Fry, Rusty Halsey, Deede McKendree, Jason Naylor, Frank Neville, Pete Schmotzer, Sam Sherman, Alan VanDeventer, Betty Adams, Susie Reed, Laura Terriere, and Nancy Patrick. Information about the CPA can be found at http://www.casperphotographers.com/ and on Facebook at Casper Photography Association. Yard sale at Hospice Were making some changes, so we need to make room. Central Wyoming Hospice will be holding a big yard sale July 25 and 26 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be furniture, artwork, household and holiday items, and much more including merchandise from our Memory Lane Boutique. All the proceeds will go to help fund care for our hospice patients. Youll find us at our Administration Building at 319 S. Wilson in Casper. For more information, please call 577-4832. Audition for play Sunday Norman Is That You, a comedy by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick, will audition next Sunday. The plot is about a 35ish Norman, who moves to NYC to come out as his parents dont know he is gay. The parents have a quarrel and first, dad appears at his door, finds out, hires a hooker for him to find himself, and meets his roommate, Garson. Then mom shows up, after an affair with her husbands brother, accepts him as he is, and loves Garson. Obviously it is a comedy, and a really funny one. The auditions are at the theater, 735 CY, Sunday, July 26, at 5PM. The director is Aaron Jones. Auditions will be cold readings from the script. Performance dates will be September 18-19-20, 25-26-27. The cast includes two women and three men. If you are unable to make the audition, or you would like to work backstage, please call Aaron at 315-4100. Help is always needed. Remembering Our Fallen Tribute Towers at CC The photographic war memorial, Remembering Our Fallen Tribute Towers, arrives in Casper on Sunday and will be open for public viewing 24 hours a day from 9 a.m., on Monday, July 27 through noon on August 5 at Casper College in the lower parking lot of the Gateway Center. An opening ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m., on Monday, July 27. To accommodate social distancing, it will be held outside, in front of the Gateway Building. Speakers include Darren Divine, president of Casper College; Governor Mark Gordon and Megan Schafer, Gold Star mother from Casper, who will deliver the keynote address. The memorial consists of 36, 10-foot towers that include military and personal photos of all 5,000 plus soliders lost since the War on Terror started. The memorial will be escorted to Casper College from Torrington on Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. Arrival times and opportunities to join the escort are as follows: Camp Guernsey, 9:45 a.m.; Glendo, 10:20 a.m.; Douglas exit 135 (no stops), 11:10 a.m.; Glenrock, 11:50 p.m., through town from exits 165 to 160 (no stops); Hat Six Travel Center, 12:20 p.m.; flag line at Casper College, 1:30 p.m. For more information about the escort, call John Petley at 262-6331. Register for fall volleyball The Fall Volleyball season is on! The City of Casper Recreation Division in conjunction with the Casper Recreational Leagues Association (CRLA), is offering mens and womens volleyball leagues that will begin matches Monday, August 24. Team packets including registration forms, league rules, season dates, fees, COVID guidelines and other important information are available in the Casper Recreation Center lobby or online at www.crlasports.com. All adult teams interested in participating in this years volleyball league must register no later than Thursday, August 13, 2020 at the Casper Recreation Center, 1801 East 4th Street. The size of the league is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Players must be at least 15 years of age to participate in any CRLA league. If additional information is needed, contact the City of Casper Recreation Division at 235-8383. Updated food pantry list Casper Community Church food pantry, 249 N. Wolcott, Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m., Eugene, 307-462-6821; Oasis Food Pantry, College Heights community Center food pantry, 1927 South Walnut, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 307-224-4104 (X 7); Faith Assembly of God food pantry, 4301 Casper Mountain Road, Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 265-9121. Staff is providing pre-made boxes at the front door of the church during pandemic. First Church of the Nazarene food pantry, 2020 S. Jefferson, reopened Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m., 258-9646; Holy Cross Center Inc. food pantry, 1030 N. Lincoln, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., 577-1041; Mountain View Baptist food pantry, 4250 Poison Spider Road, Wednesday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., 234-4381, foodbank@mvbccasper.com; Joshuas Storehouse food pantry, 334 S. Wolcott St., Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., grab and go format, 265-0242; Central Wyoming Rescue Mission serves weekday breakfast, 6:30 to 7 a.m., lunch, noon to 12:30 p.m., dinner, 6 to 6:30 p.m. Weekends and holidays brunch, 11 a.m., dinner 5 to 5:30 p.m. Glenrock, second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 506 West Birch, Ste. 15 (downtown), 1 to 6 p.m., 277-715 Mary Ann Budenske 307-215-4732 mbudenske@aol.com First Saturday Study August 1 The First Saturday study on August 1 will be on Women in the Old Testament and Women in the New Testament: Status and Progression. The status of women is elevated steadily throughout the Bible which laid the groundwork of the status for women today. This study starts at 9 a.m., and meets at Bethel Baptist Church, 3030 S. Poplar. Refreshments are served. Phone the church office at 234-8812 for further information. Duck Derby virtual, Riverfest canceled Like many organizations, the Rotary Club of Caspers major fundraiser will look a bit different this year. While so many local events have been canceled, the Rotary Club of Casper is pleased to announce that the annual Duck Derby will take place virtually on August 22, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting three local nonprofits, as well as the Rotary Club of Caspers ongoing and future community projects. However, the Platte River Trails annual Riverfest gathering that has accompanied the Duck Derby since 2000 has been canceled this year. Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, and understanding our role as community leaders, we have decided to do the Great Duck Derby virtually this year, said Lisa Scroggins, president of the Rotary Club of Casper. The Great Duck Derby will stream online on the Rotary Club of Caspers Facebook page and YouTube channel. For the past 20 years, the Great Duck Derby has been the Rotary Club of Caspers major fundraiser. While proceeds from the event typically support current and future local projects, such as Rotary Park, Crossroad Adventure Playground, and the bouldering park coming to Crossroads Adventure Park in the next few months, this year the lub has decided to share a portion of the proceeds with four local organizations, the Platte River Trails Trust, the Wyoming Food for Thought Project, Mimis House, and Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care. The Rotary Club of Casper recognizes that many non-profits have missed their opportunities to fundraise due to COVID-19. For this reason, we have decided we can serve our community by sharing the proceeds from this event with the local organizations that need our support now more than ever, said Scroggins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Platte River Trails Trust (PRTT) has also canceled their biggest annual fundraiser, Riverfest, which has coincided with the Great Duck Derby since 2000. Riverfest has been the PRTTs signature event for 28 years, since 1992, and includes a regional brew fest, food trucks, live music, family friendly activities and shopping booths. As with years past, tickets are on sale for $20, which allows the purchaser to adopt a rubber duckie that is entered in the race. If your duck comes in as one of the early finishers, you could win one of over 100 prizes (each valued at a minimum $30). The first three finishers win prizes of $5,000, $1,000, and $1,000, respectively. Ducks drop at 3:30 p.m. and should arrive at the finish line around 4 p.m. The winners will be posted on the Rotary Club of Caspers Facebook page and website shortly after. Duck Derby tickets can be purchased from any local Rotarian, at Hilltop Bank, Altitude Veterinary Hospital, Martinizing Dry Cleaning, or Jonah Bank. Tickets are also available online at rotaryclubofcasper.org. Tickets are on sale now through 3 p.m. on August 22. For additional information, event updates, prize details and more, follow the Great Duck Derby on the Rotary Club of Caspers Facebook page and visit rotaryclubofcasper.org. To request an interview, please reach out to Miamie Sleep, the 2020 Duck Commander at miamie@greendogwyo.com or 307-235-6558. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One-third of international university students destined for Australia will divert their studies to another location if they can start face-to-face learning elsewhere sooner. While international students are wishing to study in Perth they cannot due to strict border controls and a lack of clarity over Australian visa packages. Curtin University international students affected by the coronavirus travel ban to receive financial support. Credit:Erin Jonasson Global education specialists IDP Education surveyed 4312 students with current offers from universities in Australia, Canada, UK, US and New Zealand and found those accepted into Australia were among the least confident about taking up their study in 2021. IDP Connect's survey found 29 per cent of students destined for Australia preferred to study elsewhere if they were able to start sooner, and a further 8 per cent had chosen already to switch. MasterChef fans were left devastated following his elimination during Sunday's semi-final episode of Back to Win. And on Monday, Reynold Poernomo publicly addressed fans on social media claiming that Laura Sharrad should have gone home instead. Speaking to HuffPost Australia, the 26-year-old chef defended his former rival, saying: 'The viewers don't see everything, that's for sure.' 'The viewers don't see everything': MasterChef's Reynold Poernomo (pictured) has reflected on his elimination, saying that rival Laura Sharrad 'deserves' her spot in the grand final 'We helped only the slightest bit,' he added, referring to the moment he and fellow competitor Emelia Jackson assisted Laura when she was in trouble. 'Everything else came down to Laura's intuition and skill of cooking. So she completely deserves [to be in the finale].' Reynold went on to say that he definitely 'screwed up' while trying to make the dessert and was rightfully eliminated. 'She completely deserves it': Speaking to HuffPost Australia, the 26-year-old defended Laura (pictured), saying: 'Everything came down to Laura's intuition. She completely deserves it' 'I deserve to come third. Everyone has bad days in the kitchen,' he said. The dessert king was sent home after making a 'too sweet' version of a toffee apple dessert invented by guest judge Martin Benn. Following his elimination, viewers were quick to vent their anger on social media. Devastated: Reynold broke down in tears as he was sent home on Sunday's episode, and was so upset he was unable to speak Reynold broke down in tears as he was sent home, and was so upset he was unable to speak. After composing himself, he admitted: 'I feel pretty devastated. I really believed that I could win. But even though I didn't win I'd say it was all worth it. 'It was all a journey. I don't know where it's going to take me but I know from here on, it's nowhere but up.' The MasterChef: Back to Win finale airs Monday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 JULY 21: The Blue Jays will play home games at Pittsburghs PNC Park this year, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. JULY 20, 3:18pm: The Pirates issued a statement Monday confirming theyre in active discussions with MLB and the Blue Jays about Toronto playing in Pittsburgh. 1:00pm: The Orioles Camden Yards has emerged as a possible destination for the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. General manager Ross Atkins said Monday (via Dan Shulman of ESPN) that our focus is on getting into a major league facility. 8:24am: The Jays have sent operations people to Buffalo to assess Sahlen Field, Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. Theyd need about a week to repair lighting and clubhouse issues, according to Mitchell. JULY 19: After the Canadian government denied approval for the Blue Jays to play games in Toronto this season, the Jays still dont know where they still be playing just 10 days removed from their first scheduled home game, hosting the Nationals on July 29. To this end, a number of different options are being explored, such as another Major League venue Pittsburghs PNC Park. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Jays have looked into playing select home games at PNC Park in 2020. As noted by Mackey in a follow-up tweet, the Blue Jays and Pirates only share seven conflicting dates for home games, with six of those coming after September 7. If nothing else, a temporary move to Pittsburgh would give the Jays some time to spend the next six weeks getting another stadium up to Major League standards. For instance, there has been some hint that Buffalos Sahlen Field (home of the Jays Triple-A affiliate) could undergo the clubhouse, lighting and overall infrastructure upgrades necessary to host MLB games, though nothing has been finalized on that front. Talking to reporters (including Sportsnet.cas Shi Davidi) yesterday, Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro was confident that Buffalo is a viable alternative, even while noting that a move to Sahlen Field is not a done deal. By comparison, the Jays Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Florida is 100 per cent seamless right now and ready to go.but from a player-health standpoint has some challenges, given Floridas COVID-19 spike. Looking at the most recent coronavirus data, Pennsylvania is doing relatively well in managing its COVID-19 cases, though its most severely-hit region is Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located. Areas with large population centers will naturally have bigger COVID numbers than less densely-populated areas, of course, though it underscores the difficulty faced by the Jays since all adequate MLB-level facilities in major cities. If the Jays are discussing a possible timeshare with the Pirates, it stands to reason theyre exploring arrangements with other teams as well. Shapiro mentioned other alternatives besides Buffalo and Dunedin that were under consideration, and right-hander Anthony Bass told the Associated Press and other media that GM Ross Atkins prioritized finding a Major League stadium after discussions with players. I just said, Look, we want to play in a major league ballpark. We feel thats the best opportunity for us, and he agreed and said, I listened to you guys loud and clear and thats what were going to do for you because thats what the team wants, Bass said. Click here to read the full article. No one needs to be reminded that much of the world is in a tailspin. But from Adrian Chengs perspective, there is a lot of opportunity in the midst of all the turmoil, especially in terms of sustainability. With the coronavirus third wave looming over Hong Kong and a minor shutdown under way, Cheng shared his views in a phone interview last week about the pandemics impact on retail, his sustainability commitment, new development projects and insights into the art world. Staying put in Hong Kong, Cheng, like scores of executives around the globe, has not been traveling. He hopes to travel again in October or November, depending upon the state of the pandemic. As chief executive officer and executive vice chairman of New World Development, one of Hong Kongs top three developers, and founder of the K11 Group, a cross-sector combination of innovative companies meant to enrich consumers daily lives, Cheng said everything comes together through a shared ethos rooted in innovation, culture, sustainability and creativity. Im always quite positive. I look at change in a more contrarian way. When people see a crisis, I, or more my team, will see more opportunity. I try not to conform to a certain code like how if everyones panicking, you have to panic, he said. I try to look at it in a different perspective. Maybe this was destined to happen to me. That will lead me to another path that will force me to think about it in a different perspective. Cheng continued, At the end of the day, you need to be grateful, treasure what you have and then sleep well. Thats important and cook some good food. And talk to people who are intellectual and have different perspectives. Learn from people. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide a benchmark for all of Chengs efforts, he said. As part of NWDs sustainability mission, the plan is to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 2015. Acknowledging the amount of water waste and water pollution caused by his various developments, Cheng said creating an ecosystem that helps to reduce carbon and energy levels and creates climate resilience is important. His mission of Creating Shared Value is meant to connect business success with social progress and environmental conservation. Story continues The green approach extends to Impact Kommons, a start-up accelerator program that saw its first group graduate in March. Participants are introduced to potential investors in NWDs network. The second batch of participants will be welcomed next year to build this community of tomorrows thoughtful leaders. New World Development divested its commercial assets in Sheung Wans Shun Tak Centre and in an apartment complex in the Happy Valley neighborhood for a total of $460 million. Cheng said the decision to divest was because these were properties that NWD only had minority stakes in; therefore it was unable to control, manage and implement its eco-friendly ideas and shared value concepts. The plan is to recycle the cash and invest in more scalable and impactful projects to reach more new customers with holistic and sustainable projects, he said. New Worlds goal is to build up to 36 K11 projects by 2025 in 11 cities around Greater China. While visitor attendance at the Nature Discovery Park in Hong Kong, part of Chengs K11 Musea, increased in May, June and in early July after stay-at-home mandates eased, they have recently declined due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. Through a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, the NDP introduced an ambassadors program to help inform younger consumers about biodiversity and other environmental issues. Asked how his commitment to sustainable practices squares with the waste produced by the fashion industry, Cheng said that is why a lot of brands are now doing sustainable fashion. That is a good cause to build a paradigm shift around, he said. Aside from striving for top-notch WELL, Hong Kong BEAM and the U.S. LEED certifications for his projects, Cheng said he tries to promote a circular economy. Offering sustainable fashion brands more subsidies to open stores in his retail projects is one example. Food waste and leftovers will be put into machines to recycle them into fertilizer. Whether it is a K11 or a New World project, Chengs intent is to create not just cultural hubs, but sustainability hubs that also promote sustainable fashion. To that end, Cheng singled out last years opening of the K11 Atelier, an office building in Hong Kong that has 73 sustainability features and earned all platinum pre-certifications. As for the current state of retail in Hong Kong, Cheng noted that a lot of stores rely on 50 percent of their business from tourists from Asia. They have not been traveling to Hong Kong, due to COVID-19 as well as the political turmoil that has engulfed the region for a year or more. A lot of brands are shrinking the number of stores and consolidating the market, he said, adding that while consumer confidence has waned the locals are still buying. Revenge buying and revenge consumption arent just part of the popular vernacular, according to Cheng, who expects that type of revenge spending to come back once COVID-19 dies down. Asked about Chinas new security law for Hong Kong, which decreases its autonomy, Cheng said its too early to say anything about whether international companies will stay or not in Hong Kong. He also seemed to take a wait-and-see approach to the next chapter regarding the U.S. decision to end Hong Kongs preferential trade status. Im not an expert in politics. We need to look at the details first, Cheng said. In line with NWDs CSV and part of its #LoveWithoutBorders campaign, four production lines have been set up in Hong Kong to create masks for low-income adults and children. The masks will be distributed for free in vending machines through a network of NGOs. Corporate responsibility in terms of racial equality, sustainability and inclusion is being talked about now more than ever. Whether that will lead to actual systemic change while so many companies are getting hammered financially remains a question mark. The way Cheng sees it, corporate responsibility is either part of a companys DNA or its not. If you think its a responsibility because youre getting pressured to do it, then its not really part of your culture. If its part of your culture, then you need to do it regardless of the financial part. When people are really getting hammered or nearing bankruptcy, filing Chapter 11, Chapter 8 or whatever, of course you dont have the time to do that. There are creditors all over you, he said. But in a normal hammering, dont forget your normal operations. Its important for companies to embrace this corporate responsibility and idea of creating impact for society with shared resources. Through K 11 Art Mall, Cheng has made art a key component in shopping centers in Hong Kong and Shanghai. He also set up the K11 Art Foundation to help advance emerging local and mainland Chinese artists in contemporary art. As for the current state of the art market, Cheng noted that masterpieces are selling at record-breaking levels. Now you either buy the best pieces or you dont buy. Before you had B-grade and C-grade art pieces. Now people dont even have the time to think about those. They go for the best A-grade pieces or they stay-at-home and maybe just look at them, Cheng said. Staying at home has given him time to build up his personal collection with work from Ed Ruscha, among others. Ive acquired quite a lot over the past few months unfortunately, he said, laughing. Staying at home, there is too much information and too many pictures online and on social media. I have had more time to understand the artists. Once you have more time you can understand the art, the collection, the series. You have more engagement with art dealers or galleries. You have time to talk to people. With ties to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cheng said he is hopeful that it will reopen. Its a great institution and its very important in human history, too. I dont know. Im just a very small potato within all these circuits. I dont know how much money they are short of, but I do hope they can reopen. It is a very monumental cornerstone of the cultural world. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Despite the controversy that TikTok is facing, the online community for this social media platform is growing. Among them is the WitchTok community, short for Witches of TikTok, and yes, their videos focus on witchcraft, spells, worshipping various deities, and manifestations. However, according to CNET, new or "baby" witches on the platform have banded together to try and hex the moon. New WitchTok Members Have Apparently Hexed the Moon Based on the report, the rest of the WitchTok community took to other social media platforms, mainly Twitter, to explain what has happened to those who aren't familiar with their ways and voice out their frustrations. As it turns out, the bulk of the community isn't happy with the newbies. Twitter user @heyyadoraa created a thread on Twitter to document what has happened and has made a note that baby witches are new and inexperienced in witchcraft and should only be "researching and doing protection work." BASICALLY in the past few days, a group of FRESH baby witches* decided to band together, and hex the fae. and then the moon. and they did! (theyre now planning to hex the sun. too) *inexperienced witches who should only be researching and doing protection work jupiter (@heyyadoraa) July 19, 2020 Additionally, the Twitter user also explained what hexing is. "A hex is essentially spellwork that is a collection of negative energy and is directed to someone, something, or a group of someones/somethings. These are intended to have negative effects and cause HARM to them and their lives," she wrote. Read Also: Do You Want to Have More Real Followers? Here's How Social Media Influencer Lizzy Capri Did it What are the Fae? She also mentioned that some of these baby WitchTok members have also tried hexing the fae, which is fair folk or the creatures where fairies were based on. As it turns out, witchcraft newbies like these baby TikTok witches shouldn't create any form of relationship with the fae when they haven't got enough experience in the craft and without enough research about these creatures. Apparently, the Twitter user claimed that these TikTok witches hexed the moon after they hexed the fae, and it's not a good thing for the entire community, including the rest of WitchTok, as the moon is basically the fuel for their spells to work. But are we okay? Is the moon alright? Does it Affect Us? If we're to ask scientists, yes, the moon is fine without a doubt, and even the WitchTok community has freely said that our planet's closest neighbor is fine. WitchTok user @thatonebluntwitch said in one of her TikTok videos that the rest of the community is madder with the "audacity of these idiots" to hex the moon or anything related to nature as it's a "sacred thing in witchcraft." With that, the moon is fine, and the ordinary people who aren't into witchcraft will most likely not feel anything, but for those who practice the craft, their reaction is understandable. In a report by The Cut, a Reddit user from TikTok claimed that they know four new and inexperienced WitchTok members who have attempted the lunar hex, but did not identify them protect them from harassment. After the fae and the moon, there are reports that this small group of new witches on TikTok are targeting the Sun next, but the community isn't going into every little detail about it. All we can hope is that their hexing won't affect us all as 2020 isn't exactly playing out the way we want it to. Read Also: Chinese Coronavirus Theories and Other Ads Will Now be Banned From Google 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Delaware County man has been charged with abuse of corpse and obstructing justice in connection with the April discovery of the body of a Drexel Hill musician, who police said was fatally shot in a Philadelphia building owned by the Warlocks Motorcycle Club and whose body was found inside a crypt at the closed Mount Moriah Cemetery. Buck Evans, 46, of Drexel Hill, was arrested last week, according to court documents obtained Monday. Evans is accused of rolling up Keith Palumbos body in a carpet, destroying blood evidence on his own clothes, and helping to dispose of Palumbos car. Evans has been in custody since the end of February at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County on an unrelated matter. His attorney, Daniel ORiordan, said Monday that he had only just started investigating the case and that his client looked forward to defending himself in court. Two other people, Billy Gibson, 47, of Drexel Hill, and Donna Morelli, 48, of Southwest Philadelphia, previously were charged with abuse of corpse and related offenses in connection with the disposal of Palumbos body. Michael DeLuca, 38, an alleged Warlocks member, previously of Drexel Hill, is suspected of fatally shooting Palumbo, 36, inside DeLucas Southwest Philadelphia apartment on Feb. 6. He is accused of then ordering Evans and Gibson to roll the body up in the bloodstained carpet in the apartment and getting Morellis pickup truck to transport the body to the cemetery, across from Morellis home. DeLuca, Gibson, and Morelli are accused of throwing Palumbos body inside the crypt. Palumbos body was one of two corpses found in the crypt in April under suspicious circumstances. Philadelphia police Homicide Capt. Jason Smith has said the body of a second man is believed to be that of David Rossillo Jr. of Drexel Hill. But he said Monday that it will take months for DNA test results to confirm that. No one has been charged in connection with the second mans death, the cause of which remains undetermined. Philadelphia police have issued an arrest warrant for DeLuca on charges of murder, conspiracy, abuse of corpse, and related offenses in Palumbos death. He is expected to be extradited to Philadelphia after facing a September trial in Wyoming, following his April arrest on an unrelated gun-possession charge. According to the affidavit of probable cause for Evans arrest, Evans told Philadelphia police that on Feb. 6, he and Gibson were with Palumbo in Palumbos mothers silver Subaru when Palumbo got a call from DeLuca telling him to come to DeLucas apartment. After the three men arrived at the apartment on the 7000 block of Woodland Avenue, DeLuca pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Palumbo, then shot Palumbo once in the face, the affidavit says. Evans said he was close enough that he was splattered with blood. The documents did not say why DeLuca allegedly killed Palumbo. Evans told police that all four men were associated with the Warlocks. The building where DeLuca lived is owned by Warlocks MC LLC, and its mailing address is that of Morellis Southwest Philadelphia home. Morelli, who until recently was a member of the nonprofit board formed to preserve the cemetery, told police that when DeLuca came to her house in early February, he told her he had killed Palumbo and needed help disposing the body, according to documents in her arrest. She told police that she, DeLuca, and Gibson threw Palumbos body in a crypt in the cemetery, the documents say. Evans told police that when he arrived at Morellis home that February day, he was told to remove his clothes, which Morelli then burned. He said he then went with DeLuca and Gibson to dispose of Palumbos mothers Subaru in Kensington. Morelli posted bail after her May arrest. She could not be reached for comment and her attorney has declined to comment on the case. Gibson remains in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia. The Defender Association of Philadelphia, listed as representing him, has declined to comment. Bexar County Sheriff's Office A 26-year-old man is accused of spitting in an officer's face after she asked if he had COVID-19, according to an arrest affidavit. San Antonio police were attempting to arrest Marcos Mendoza on March 20 after he allegedly lied about his identity during a traffic stop. As the officer was asking Mendoza questions about whether he could have COVID-19, he "forcefully coughed saliva" in her face, the affidavit said. Attorney General Gurbir Grewals last directive was an earnest attempt to enhance law enforcement transparency. Days after he issued it, the police unions dragged him into court, where that initiative could be stonewalled until the last ding-dong of eternity. That June 15 directive would have required police departments to issue annual summaries of serious misconduct cases the AG himself was getting ready to release the names of offenders from the State Police last week, in fact but the litigation made it clear that not all of my law enforcement colleagues see the benefit of this type of transparency, Grewal said. This lament was shared with the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee Wednesday, and in 17 minutes of extraordinary testimony, the Attorney General conceded that hes going to need some help because New Jersey needs to end its outlier status and move towards greater openness. We can and should be a national leader on this issue. Only were not, and that wont change without the muscle of law. Real transparency would not be gained through Grewals recent half-measure, which only required the release of names and rudimentary details of firings, demotions, and lengthy suspensions. The only way to achieve transparency is by moving legislation that provides public access to internal affairs files which 14 other states already allow. A new bill from Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg does that, and the reasoning is sound: Were talking about a special class of individuals people who can take away our liberty before any conviction and most do their jobs well, said Weinberg. But we have no way of determining whether internal affairs investigations are conducted properly, or whether misconduct has been swept under the rug. The Legislature must not wait for the courts to make a decision, and Im encouraged that the Attorney General has helped open the door to a very worthy discussion. Sen. Joe Cryan, the former Union County sheriff, questioned Grewal at length Wednesday about the fairness of releasing IA documents. He supports Weinbergs bill as long as it doesnt needlessly shame an officer. For example: Officers have one of the most stressful jobs, and we encourage them to come forward when there is a problem, Cryan says. If his conduct resulted in a suspension, I dont see the public good in releasing details of a victimless, non-bias, very human instance. Weinberg concedes that it is a valid point, which is why her bill calls for the redaction of any medical history of a law enforcement officer (or complainant) in IA reports that are made public. Former Attorney General John Farmer Jr., who directs the study of law enforcement as executive director of the Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience, agrees that the legitimate interests of the rank and file officers can be harmonized with the publics interest in assuring that officers who abuse their authority are not shielded from scrutiny. To repeat: Grewals earlier initiative even if upheld in court would not uncover more than a fraction of abuses, or hold all bad cops accountable, or detail how cops police themselves. It only exposes those resulting in major disciplines of five-plus days, or worse, without providing significant details. Yep! Although the AG's directive gives a sliver of sunlight (which the unions are fighting), it falls far short of what we need. Give us full sunlight - it's the very best disenfectant.https://t.co/H6eNSw4IXA CJ Griffin, Esq. (@CJGriffinEsq) June 28, 2020 Those penalties are very rare even when a complaint is sustained, attorney CJ Griffin, the open records advocate, points out. She offers the Orange Police Department as an example: Out of the 81 IA investigations conducted in 2018 by the OPD, only 13 complaints were sustained and only 6 resulted in major disciplines. That means the public was left with no information or oversight from 93 percent of these instances. These numbers are typical throughout New Jersey. Grewal knows this, which is why he is moving toward the kind of transparency he should have embraced from the start. In recent months, the AG said, I have come to recognize our policy isnt just bad for public trust, its bad for public safety, and its time for our policy to change. Theres only one good way to achieve that. Its time to move the Weinberg bill. Now is your chance to help MAKE POLICE RECORDS PUBLIC in NJ. Click the form, call your rep, read the script. Tell everyone you know to do the same. Pass #S2656. The moment is now and the chance wont come again. https://t.co/peva3SPdXx Jennifer Sellitti (@j_sellitti) July 17, 2020 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Image: Facebook/@AskamShaikhOfficial Maharashtra minister Aslam Shaikh on July 20 said he has tested positive for coronavirus and is isolating himself. The state textile minister said he is currently asymptomatic and urged those who came in close contact with him to get themselves tested. "This is to inform that I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am currently asymptomatic and isolating myself. I request all those who have come in close contact with me to get themselves tested," Shaikh, who is also Mumbai City's guardian minister, tweeted. Shaikh, the Congress MLA from Malad-West seat in Mumbai, also said he will continue to work from home. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show He is the fourth minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government to have been infected by the novel coronavirus. Earlier, state ministers Jitendra Awhad, Ashok Chavan and Dhananjay Munde had tested positive for the disease and later recovered. Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here Jihoon Lee and Deavan Cleggs relationship has really been on the rocks since Clegg arrived in Korea. Though he told Clegg otherwise, Lee admitted to the 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way cameras what his real job is and how much money he makes. For the viewers who do not live in Korea, Lees salary might be hard to put in context with the cost of living there. So, how much does Lees salary really amount to? Jihoon Lee and Deavan Clegg | TLC Jihoon lied about his job Lee and Clegg tried living together in Korea before. But last time, Clegg felt overwhelmed and overworked as Lee was in debt and could not contribute to the bills or the cost of raising their children. This time, Clegg only agreed to come to Korea under the assumption that Lee had a good job and could provide for her and the kids. Before she arrived, Lee told Clegg that he had gotten a good job making $3,000-$4,000 a month. However, he told the cameras a different story. I dont really have a job, he said. I have a side job doing deliveries. It goes by the hour and its a part-time job. I lied to Deavan because if I have no money, Deavans not [coming] to Korea. In reality, Lee could only make $2,000-$3,000 at his delivery job, and only if he worked around the clock. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Why Didnt Jihoon Lees Parents Like Deavan Clegg At First? How much does it cost to live in South Korea? In South Korea, it is quite common for people to live with their parents until they get married or have a well-paying job. This is, in part, due to the high cost of moving out. According to Screen Rant, the down payment to rent a place can be from $10,000 to anywhere in the six figures. The rent can also be thousands of dollars, which means that it will be a while before Lee can afford to support his family in a place of their own. There is no guarantee that Lee will even make the amount of money that he has told Clegg as it is all dependent on the number of hours that he works. How does Deavan feel about Jihoons job? Clegg was devastated to find out that Lee had lied to get her to come to Korea. Jihoon admitting that hes not financially ready for us to come to Korea is devastating because he told me everything was fine, she said to the cameras. But he lied to trick me into coming and thats not OK. And when Lee admitted that he took the part-time position so he could rest whenever he wanted, Clegg only became more irate. I was very tired yet I was working 17 hours a day while taking care of the kids, she told him. I am just shocked right now. For me to put in all of that time to make sure my family was OK while he took a part-time job just so he could take more naps is ridiculous. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Jihoon Lee Admits That Deavan Clegg Is Not His Mothers Ideal Choice for a Daughter-in-Law By the time the episode ended, Clegg wasnt sure if she wanted to be with Lee at all. It feels absolutely like s*it that he tricked me, she said. I dont know what Im going to do right now. And I just really need some time away from Jihoon to figure out whether Im going to stay with him or if Im going to go back to America and leave him. How do you integrate queerness into your music? Brandi Carlile: Music is such an expression that your sexuality comes out. It just does. Whether youre writing about it or not. The people that need to know, know. I write songs with guys and sometimes theyll have written a song or a narrative and theyre singing about a woman, but the perspective is so male I cant put that on me. I dont feel that way, I feel really female about this, and thats just where I am with my gender identity so I kind of need to change this keep the pronoun where it is, but I need it to be me. So how do you balance activism and being out with threats of violence that still exist? Meshell: I have to say your safety is much more important, your life. Im a very passive, nonviolent person, and I hope you can find the peace within yourself, so perhaps do your activism through other channels that dont jeopardize your safety. Thats the most important thing. Hayley: Survival is key and without you, there is no change. Thats it for this briefing. See you next time. Melina Thank you To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. P.S. Were listening to The Daily. Our latest episode features a look at the life and legacy of John Lewis, the civil rights icon. Heres our Mini Crossword, and a clue: One of two planets in the solar system that lacks a moon (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. Eshe Nelson is joining our London bureau as a business reporter covering Brexit, the economy and more. (Newser) Chicago is being sent about 150 agents by the Department of Homeland Security to combat violence in the city, much like the controversial deployment of federal force in Oregon. The agents are to help local police and other federal agencies, the Chicago Tribune reported. Other details, including who will supervise the force, were not released. President Trump had suggested he might send a federal force. Before the move was reported Monday, Chicago's mayor said she wasn't interested in his help, citing the events in Portland. "We don't need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the streets and holding them, I think, unlawfully," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. She said she'd welcome federal help in the form of fully funding prosecutors, keeping guns out of the city, and boosting funding for the ATF in Chicago. story continues below The ACLU immediately objected to the deployment. "Trumps federal troops will not be a constructive force in Chicago," the organization said. "As our colleagues have seen in Portland, Trump's secret forces will terrorize communities, and create chaos. This is not law and order. This is an assault on the people of this country." A police union boss had written Trump on Saturday calling Lightfoot a failure and asking for federal help maintaining order. Over the weekend, police reported that at least 63 people were shot in Chicago, nine of them under 18. A dozen were killed, per WGN. Shootings and homicides are running more than 45% higher this year than last. "President Trump has said a lot of disparaging things about the city of Chicago," Lightfoot said last week, per the Hill, adding that if Trump "was really committed to helping us deal with our violence he would do some easy things." (Police and demonstrators clashed Friday in Chicago.) The king was 'admitted today to King Faisal specialist hospital in Riyadh for some medical tests due to cholecystitis,' inflammation of the gall bladder, the royal court said in a statement Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler King Salman has been admitted to hospital in the capital Riyadh for gall bladder inflammation, the royal court said on Monday. It is rare for Saudi Arabia to report on the health of the monarch, who has ruled the top oil exporter and the Arab world's biggest economy since 2015. The king was "admitted today to King Faisal specialist hospital in Riyadh for some medical tests due to cholecystitis," inflammation of the gall bladder, the royal court said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency. It did not disclose any further details. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia, which was due to start on Monday, has been postponed after the king's hospitalisation, according to the kingdom's foreign minister. "In recognition of the extremely important visit and a desire to make it a success, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq have decided to postpone the visit," Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan wrote on Twitter. *This story had been edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Across America, a debate is unfolding with increasing urgency: Is it possible for schools to reopen safely while the coronavirus pandemic rages on? It's a question plaguing not only parents and teachers but also school boards, policymakers, and advisers, including a group of Johns Hopkins experts who convened Thursday for a press briefing. During the webcast, they discussed the steps schools must take to ensure reopening doesn't cause a rise in transmission of COVID-19. "Students learn best in class, particularly younger students, for whom school is important not just for their academic learning but for their social and emotional development," said Josh Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement and a professor of practice at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Schools are instruments of social welfare, he explained, providing meals and health services to children. They are also a form of safety and security for children whose home lives are unstable, and places where mandatory reporters who are trained in recognizing child abuse can look for warning signs and help keep kids safe. "For all those reasons, it is an important priority for kids to go back to the school," Sharfstein said. "At the same time, we're in the midst of a pandemic, and that poses a real risk, both to the children and the adults in school." So how can schools reopen safely? According to epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo, schools must prioritize student needs, follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maintain physical distance within classroom settings (including by wearing masks), promote hygiene, and limit the number of students and staff present. Perhaps most important, she said, is that community transmission of the virus in the surrounding school district must be under control. To get there, policymakers should urge the public to continue practicing physical distancing, shore up hospital and health care resources and capacity to care for sick patients, and employ contact tracers to track transmission routes and help people who have been exposed to infection quarantine appropriately. And despite those efforts, schools should also plan for potential outbreaks to occur and prepare contingency plans built around virtual learning and supporting special needs students. She urged policymakers and schools to consider creative solutions to reopening, such as setting up outdoor classrooms, staggering start times, using carpools instead of buses, or scheduling student attendance in "pods" or small groups that don't interact with or become exposed to members of other pods. And parents must be given the option to keep their children home if concerns over safety remain. All told, the effort to reopen schools safely and responsibly could cost the U.S. upward of $50 billion, Nuzzo said. "It may sound like a lot of money, but it's also in the context of funds we've already spent on this pandemic, so it's, I think, an important investment," said Nuzzo, who is an associate professor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "Speed is [also] paramount. Many schools are looking at restarting in a few weeks, and not having funds has limited their ability to plan and prepare for what the fall could look like." Annette Anderson, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education and a former principal, also discussed how there is no time to lose in establishing effective school reopening plans. "I don't think there's any way to overstate the complexity [of what we're facing] when trying to reopen our schools," she said. "Normally the summer is three months of good planningit involves hiring and purchasing decisions and thinking about staff development and now we've layered onto that decisions we have to make about reopening schools in a post-pandemic environment, and that is a challenge." She urged policymakers to consider ways of supporting Black and Latino children, many of whom come from communities that have also been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. She also said that in the event schools are forced to close again and resume virtual learning, families must have equal access to computers and essential utilities like the internet. And finally, Anderson said, schools must build back parent trust by hosting back-to-school nights that show parents what it means to practice physical distancing in a school building, or what a hybrid model might look like. Anita Cicero, the deputy director of the Center for Health Security, added that school districts should be "radically transparent" with the public about their plans for reopening. Schools in areas where cases of coronavirus are rising rather than falling should reconsider reopening altogether. And most important, she said, the U.S. needs to rethink its reopening priorities. "This should be a national priority, and it's much more importantimmeasurably more importantthan opening bars or restaurants," she said. Explore further New York outlines the when and hows of a return to school A daily record of nearly 1,000 coronavirus cases was reported Sunday in Kentucky, a spike that Gov Andy Beshear said should be a 'wake-up call' for the state's citizens to abide by mask and social distancing restrictions. The Democratic governor announced in a news release that there were 979 new cases reported Sunday, including 30 involving children five years old or younger. 'I have faith and I have trust in the people of Kentucky,' Beshear said in a news release. 'But today and in the days ahead we've got to do a whole lot better. We're going to have to take some more action.' A daily record of nearly 1,000 coronavirus cases was reported Sunday in Kentucky, a spike that Gov Andy Beshear said should be a 'wake-up call' for the state's citizens to abide by mask and social distancing restrictions The Democratic governor announced in a news release that there were 979 new cases reported Sunday, including 30 involving children five years old or younger. A young man gets his temperature checked in Louisville During a press conference on Monday, Beshear reported an additional 258 new cases, a number he said will likely climb throughout the week. Beshear said there are at least 23,414 coronavirus cases in Kentucky as of 4pm Monday afternoon. The governor said one additional death was reported, raising the total to 671 Kentuckians lost to the virus. Beshear announced a travel advisory for the state on Monday. He said residents of the state should think twice before visiting like Florida, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, Texas, Mississippi and Nevada. The governor also encouraged residents to restrict gatherings to 10 people or less. Beshear said with the state's current trajectory, 'we might need field hospitals'. But, the governor said, 'we are still in a good position' with space in our hospitals. Dr Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department of Public Health, urged Kentuckians to wear masks and socially distance and said the state 'has flattened the curve before and it must act immediately and decisively to flatten it again'. During a press conference on Monday, Beshear reported an additional 258 new cases, a number he said will likely climb throughout the week. Beshear said there are at least 23,414 coronavirus cases (23,161 cases depicted in Sunday's chart) in Kentucky as of 4pm Monday There are more than 3.7 million coronavirus cases in the US with at least 140,563 deaths Also on Sunday, a Kentucky lawmaker who heads a key education committee said he has been released from quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus. In a Twitter post, Republican state Sen Max Wise said he was notified by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department that he met the criteria to be released. 'I am fortunate only to have experienced mild symptoms throughout my diagnosis,' he said. 'I do not take this for granted, as I know there are so many others who have not been as fortunate.' Wise announced last week that he had gotten tested after experiencing 'very mild symptoms'. Metrics for the US have grown worse including a rising number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations along with rates of positive test results. The virus has killed 140,000 people in the US and infected some 3.7 million, both figures leading the world. Florida is one of at least 14 states that have reported record hospitalizations so far in July. Other states include, Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. In California, the city of Los Angeles is on the brink of issuing a new stay-at-home. In recognition of his outstanding achievements as a young entrepreneur and a business magnate with an impeccable interest in human development and philanthropy, through his Freedom Movement, Freedom Jacob Caeser, also known as Nana Kwame Bediako, has grabbed two awards. This was given to him by the Rectitude International Mission in collaboration with the World Diplomatic Federation and the Pan African Heroes Foundation with two prestigious honors, namely the STAR OF AFRICA HONORS and the STAR GENERAL HONORS at a short ceremony in Accra. These are all in line with the prominence of his successive achievements, cadence, and care for the countless needy people in society. The President of the Freedom Movement, Freedom Jacob Caeser, is a true pan-Africanist, who inspires a great future in the youth through adding value to the communities, countries, and Africa at large through conscious efforts to undo poverty through wealth creation. In his acceptance speech, the PRINCE OF AFRICA affectionately called, dedicated the awards to the young and upcoming entrepreneurs to have hope to conquer and change the African narrative. "Africa! You are my hope and Africans, you are my strength; for so many decades we couldn't acknowledge and appreciate our own; hence we have lost our root, our people, and our history. The men of Africa today have decided not to only point their fingers but to truly acknowledge their people, to spiritual ordained their people for the work that we do is not because we want to claim anything back from our people, is because we want to put back what has been taken away from us. How do we add to our people, societies, communities, nations, and the continent? Freedom Jacob Caesar I stand for this. ...Therefore I'm dedicating this to the youth of today, the young people of Africa that you can do much more than what I have already started. I just want to be that example for you to know that it's time we stand up for ourselves", he said. He further added that all African governments should brace the odds the coronavirus pandemic presents and build a stronger and sustainable future for the youth to succeed. The Communications Strategist & International Partnerships Commissioner of the Rectitude International Mission, (RIM), Isaac Rockson, on his part, highlighted the importance of the awards as a way of recognizing Africans who are contributing excellently to the development of African societies. Mr. Rockson pointed out that, it's about time we (Africans) promoted and also projected our own to the global world. He admonished the media to speak well about the few Africans who are trying to change the narrative of Africa. Citing the opportunity, Mr. Issac Rockson said, "I will also use this platform to speak with the politicians that we also have to protect the very few that we have in our country so that this country will be solid and grow". BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: As many as 2,414 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, 217 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,583 people is critical. The official said that Iran's East Azerbaijan, Ilam, Bushehr, Razavi Khorasan, Khuzestan, Zanjan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Kerman and Fars provinces are still considered 'red' zones. So far, more than 2.17 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 276,200 people have been infected and 14,405 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 240,000 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. MERCED, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The ongoing pandemic has inspired a philanthropic campaign #HomeTownSupport19. The goal is to inspire people to support merchants in their hometowns who need relief due to the COVID19 pandemic. Through social media, community members are encouraged to set their calendar for the 19th of each month and donate to their favorite store, restaurant or business that they haven't been able to visit or they want to support. The goal is to donate $19.00 dollars or more on the 19th to help our hometowns through the COVID19 pandemic. "In our hometowns we know the owners of shops and restaurants on a personal level. We enjoy their services and products which could be leaving as some businesses are already closed and others could shutter permanently. Through social media donations will be encouraged. The goal is to motivate philanthropic efforts to support mom-and -pop merchants with at least $19.00 a month," said Greg Wilson, a retired teacher, spearheading the effort in Merced, CA. It is hoped that others in Merced are inspired to support their favorite merchant niche with a GoFundMe fundraiser and they may freely use the #HomeTownSupport19 brand. In addition to supporting merchants in Merced, community members in other towns are encouraged to use the #HomeTownSupport19 brand to build a coalition of like-minded philanthropists to support their hometown. "During the 1st shut down because of COVID19 #supportlocal was so great with promoting buy local. We never know what we will need to do differently with things changing so often as with Governor Newsom's reopening rollback now. I support local outreach in these times," said Tressa Williams co-owner with her husband Drew Williams of Destino's restaurant. Social media will be used to inform Merced citizens of this philanthropic effort including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, a web page and a Go Fund Me fundraiser specifically for Main Street eateries. Additionally, a card informing of the mission will be provided for merchants to disseminate. "#HomeTownSuport19 and GoFundMe are a great idea that I hadn't thought of, you should do it. Businesses are hurting," said Robert Matsuo, one of the owners of Five-Ten Bistro. Donate $19.00 dollars or more on the 19th to help our hometowns through the COVID19 pandemic. 19 on 19 for 19. SOURCE #HomeTownSupport19 Iran on Monday executed a former translator convicted of spying for the US and Israel, including helping to locate a top Iranian general killed later by the Americans, the judiciary said. The killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January brought decades-old arch-enemies Iran and the United States to the brink of conflict. The judiciarys Mizan Online website said Mahmoud Mousavi Majds death sentence was carried out on Monday morning over the charge of espionage so that the case of his betrayal to his country will be closed forever. Its spokesman said earlier this month that Majd had been sentenced to death for spying on various security fields, especially the armed forces and the Quds Force and the whereabouts and movements of martyr General Qasem Soleimani. Majd had been found guilty of receiving large sums of money from both the US Central Intelligence Agency and Israels Mossad, said the spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran retaliated for his death by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq, but US President Donald Trump opted against responding militarily. While the attack on the western Iraqi base of Ain Al-Asad left no US soldiers dead, dozens of them suffered brain trauma. Majd was arrested some two years ago and was not directly involved in the killing of Soleimani in Baghdad, according to a statement the judiciary issued in June. Majd had migrated to Syria in the 1970s with his family and worked as an English and Arabic language translator at a company, Mizan said. When war broke out, he chose to stay in the country while his family left. His knowledge of Arabic and familiarity with Syrias geography made him close to Iranian military advisers and he took responsibilities in groups stationed from Idlib to Latakia, the site added. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates If you are coronavirus free, organizers of the Texas Testicle Festival say you are more than welcome to come out and have a ball at the Aug. 1 event in Fredericksburg. This is the second time this year festival organizers have brought the event to the Hill Country city to celebrate animal testicles, which are a delicacy to many. The previous event was held Jan. 18, two months before a pandemic would grip the world and lead to the cancellation of large gatherings like festivals and concerts. While some places now allow gatherings, it comes with challenges and social distancing measures. Best of Texas, which organizes festivals mostly in Fredericksburg, says it plans to follow the same social distancing mandates Texas restaurants are required to follow and will limit capacity to 50 percent at the 85-acre outdoor property adjacent to Bankersmith Hall, located at 7905 Old San Antonio Rd. Claire Ball, an organizer with the event, said the festival was hoping to build on the 150 attendees who showed up in January but has tempered its expectations and only expects between 25 and 30 people to show up because of the pandemic. As of last Thursday, 20 tickets have been sold. READ ALSO: Drive-in at Fiesta Texas adds more flicks, includes new date night and military pricing "As a testicle organizer, our new normal requires us to stay on the ball with the government at all levels, some of which change their minds daily," Ball said in an email. "... Weve actually considered turning it into a testicle protest protests seem to be allowed all over but we just dont have the balls." Attendees can expect temperature checks at the entrance and hand-washing and sanitation stations on site. The festival is also asking guests not to share their testicles with others and to wear a face mask when not eating. In the event of a forced shutdown by local or state officials, Ball said the festival will transform into a drive-thru service. As of Sunday, Gillespie County, which includes Fredericksburg, had 123 coronavirus cases and no reported deaths. If you are feeling under the weather or vulnerable to the coronavirus, organizers say to stay home. READ ALSO: Mala Luna Music Festival canceled amid coronavirus pandemic "If you are scared in general, stay home," Ball said. "Your attendance is not required. But if you want to get out in the country, enjoy your family, breathe in some fresh air all while maintaining your social distancing, then we got balls for you. Wear a mask and come enjoy some of the best balls you ever had in Bankersmith, Texas." At the January event, the festival served up fried turkey, lamb and veal testicles. The organs will be imported from professionals who performed the removal of the testicles, which will be battered, fried and grilled at the August event. Ball said the festival ran out of 2,000 testicles in six hours in January and will have double the amount next month even if less people are expected. "I never thought people would get so upset about running out of turkey balls," Ball said. "Some of our male animals on the property became nervous. We had no idea folks would drive six hours or more to eat testicles. This time we are buying double the amount, and while the competition is stiff, we look forward to building this into the best testicle event in the nation." Not a fan of testicles? Crawfish, lobster tail and burgers will also be sold as well as beer, wine and liquor. Attendees can expect live music, a petting zoo and goat milking demonstrations. Ball said there will be a testicle eating competition, adding that the best contestants can eat between 20 to 40 testicles in 10 minutes. The sign-up fee is $40 and the winner will receive a cash prize of $100. Tickets are $22.90 for general admission and $55.26 for VIP and can be purchased at ticketbud.com. The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. To avoid running out, testicle service will only be from 4 to 8 p.m. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Shoukry discussed steps and means to allow for the resumption of peace efforts under a two-state solution, international law and the Arab Peace Initiative Related Egypt and Jordan renew rejection of any unilateral Israeli actions on West Bank Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday Cairos rejection of any "unilateral" moves or decisions by Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Shoukry held a meeting with Abbas in Ramallah, where he affirmed Egypts support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people in establishing an independent state based on its 1967 borders with a capital in East Jerusalem, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Shoukry discussed steps and means to allow for the resumption of peace efforts under a two-state solution, international law and the Arab Peace Initiative to "preserve the Palestinian peoples rights and settle a major historical issue in region to achieve stability." Abbas expressed his appreciation for the support of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his leadership to the Palestinian cause and the restoration of legitimate rights, praising Cairos historical role in supporting and defending Arab interests and rights, the statement added. Search Keywords: Short link: Bhopal: Police on Saturday conducted multiple raids in Mumbai in the wake of reports of alleged profiteering and subsequent tax evasion by traders by converting withdrawn currency notes in an illegal manner. Police have seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 4 crore in demonetized Rs 1,000 denomination notes from a Maharashtra-based trader at a check post in Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh. The seizure was made last night, Burhanpur Superintendent of Police Anil Singh Kushwaha told PTI. We seized the currency from Shabbir Hussain, a trader based in Malkapur in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, during a screening at the check post. The entire cash stock was in the scrapped Rs 1,000 notes, the SP said. Police have informed Income Tax officials about the seizure and they are carrying out a further probe into it. It is possible that in view of the demonetization of the high denomination currency notes, the trader might have been taking the cash for donating it to a community trust in Burhanpur town, Kushwaha added. Since the by-poll for Nepanagar assembly seat in Burhanpur district is scheduled to be held on November 19, intense checking has been going on based on the directives of the Election Commission, especially in the border areas, the officer said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:04:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Exports by the German electrical and electronic industry in May decreased by 21.2 percent year-on-year to 13.5 billion euros (15.5 billion U.S. dollars) due to COVID-19, the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) announced on Monday. "The decline was thus more or less the same as in April," said ZVEI chief economist Andreas Gontermann. According to ZVEI, exports to industrialized countries and emerging markets fell "equally sharply" in May, by minus 21.3 percent and minus 21 percent respectively compared to last year. Exports to China, the largest market of Germany's electrical and electronic industry, only fell slightly in May, decreasing by 1.3 percent year-on-year to 1.8 billion euros. This decline was "somewhat unexpected" as deliveries to China had already recovered by almost 18 percent in April, according to Gontermann. Nevertheless, the German electrical and electronic industry's cumulative exports to China between January to May amounted to 9.1 billion euros, which was 4.8 percent higher than the corresponding figure for the previous year. Electrical deliveries to the U.S., the second largest market, continued to fall sharply in May. According to ZVEI, the losses were "again significantly higher" than in the previous month, with a 38.0-percent drop in May compared to the previous year to 1.1 billion euros. At 12.9 billion euros, imports of electrical and electronic products to Germany in May were 14.1 percent below the previous year's figure, according to ZVEI. (1 euro =1.15 U.S. dollars) Enditem BANGALORE, India, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AR technology is still at its early stage with tremendous growth potential. This has, in turn, drawn significant investments leading to the development of the industry. It is anticipated that the growing scope of applications across different industries, such as medical, retail, and automotive, will drive the demand over the forecast period. The global Augmented Reality Market size is projected to reach USD 3664.5 Million by 2026, from USD 849 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 27.6% during 2020-2026. Get Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Augmented Reality (AR) Market: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-1P227/augmented_reality_market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE AR MARKET SIZE The use of AR technology in the gaming industry will increase the growth of the AR market size during the forecast period. AR implementation in gaming applications will enable users to search the physical environment and enhance the experience through the incorporation of visual & audio content. In the healthcare sector, AR can be used to provide a simulated view of a patient, where a surgeon can see the state of the patient's body parts. This may help the surgeon undertake minimally invasive surgery. The use of AR modeling and 3D visualization is expected to be of great assistance to the healthcare industry. Using AR, the healthcare industry can improve medical students' learning experience, train doctors, manage the pharmacy, and provide care and support for patients after leaving the hospital. This integration of AR in the medical industry is expected to increase the AR market size during the forecast period. AR provides the retail industry with a wide range of technology solutions that improve the connection between retailers and customers. Emerging trends in the retail segment, such as pop-up stores, are expected to fuel the growth of the AR market size. Increasing smartphone penetration in developing economies is also expected to boost the growth of the AR market size during the forecast period. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1P227/augmented-reality AR MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Head-up Displays are expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the AR market during the forecast period. Augmented reality head-up displays are currently in the process of development and are all set to revolutionize the automotive industry. Other companies like Continental, WayRay, and Visteon have already joined the market with their own AR HUD plans. With growing investment in AR devices and software, China's AR market is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period. The growth of the smartphone industry is pushing the mobile AR market in China. Local vendors like Renren, Tencent, and Baidu have invested in the technology and are expected to launch numerous mass-consumer apps. Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Othe-1P227/augmented_reality_market TOP COMPANIES IN THE AR MARKET Several companies in the industry are working on developing HMDs (Head Mounted Display) for AR with advanced features. The modern HMDs are capable of employing sensors of six degrees that allow free head movement. Google (US) is at the forefront of the Augmented Reality market. The company has a good market product portfolio that helps the firm to retain its market-leading position. Due to the aggressive marketing and expansion efforts, Google sales increased significantly between 2016 and 2018. OTHER TOP COMPANIES IN THE AR MARKET ARE: Google PTC Microsoft Wikitude DAQRI Zugara Blippar Magic Leap Osterhout Others Augmented Reality Breakdown Data by Type Head-Mounted Head-Up Handheld Augmented Reality Breakdown Data by Application Enterprise ConCommercial Automotivesumer Commercial Automotive Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-1P227&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise License: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-1P227&lic=enterprise-license SIMILAR REPORTS : ?Augmented Reality Gaming Market North America is anticipated to emerge as a leading global Augmented Reality Gaming Market. This growth has been spurred by growth in consumers' disposable income and constant technological innovation. South Korea and China in the Asia Pacific region are expected to witness the highest growth rate View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4M265/augmented-reality-gaming ?AR in Retail Market The global AR in Retail market size is projected to reach USD 4612.7 Million by 2026, from USD 1544 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 20.0% during 2021-2026. The growth of AR in Retail Market size is driven by growth in demand for online purchasing, simple & convenient shopping, and e-commerce business development. Other factors boosting the market growth include a reduction in storage costs, low inventory requirements, and interactive user experience. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2Z282/ar-in-retail ?Augmented Reality (AR) in Healthcare Market The global AR in Healthcare market size was valued at USD 609.60 Million in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 4,237.60 Million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 27.4% from 2019 to 2026 The major factors driving the AR in healthcare market growth consist of increasing usage of augmented reality in diagnostic imaging, surgical simulation, rehabilitation, and patient care management View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-2V26/ar-in-healthcare ?Mobile Augmented Reality Market A Mobile Augmented Reality Application (MARA) is a type of mobile application that integrates built-in components into a mobile phone and offers a customized application to provide reality-based services and functions. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-35F2160/global-mobile-augmented-reality ?Augmented Reality Automotive Market The global Augmented Reality Automotive market size is projected to reach USD 2651.6 million by 2026, from USD 2393.4 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 10.0% during 2021-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-12U2110/global-augmented-reality-automotive ?Head Mounted Display (HMD) Market The global Head Mounted Display market size is projected to reach USD 18.4 Billion by 2026, from USD 5.5 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 22.3% during 2020-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-1J2288/global-head-mounted-display ?Head-Up Display (HUD) Market The global Head-Up Display market size is projected to reach USD 2422.5 Million by 2026, from USD 930 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 17.3% during 2020-2026. A head-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4C177/head-up-display ?Mixed Reality Market The global Mixed Reality market size is projected to reach USD 4454.1 Million by 2026, from USD 196 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 68.3% during 2020-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-7H1936/global-mixed-reality ?Virtual Reality Market Report The Global Virtual Reality Market Size is growing at a CAGR of 34.5% during the forecasted period 2019 to 2025 North America is expected to hold the largest VR market share during the forecast period. On the other hand, Asia Asia-Pacific region is estimated to witness the highest growth rate. Countries such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea in the APAC region are witnessing a huge demand for head-mounted displays for the gaming application. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2A191/virtual-reality ?Augmented and Virtual Reality Market The global AR and VR market size was USD 11.35 Billion in 2017, and the augmented and virtual reality market forecast is projected to reach USD 571.42 Billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 63.3% from 2018 to 2025. The increase in the penetration of smartphones & mobile gaming and the increase in the adoption of augmented & virtual reality solutions in the education sector are expected to drive the Augmented and Virtual Reality Market size. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-4H304/augmented-and-virtual-reality ?Covid-19 Impact on Global Augmented Reality Headsets Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-6B2743/covid-19-impact-on-global-augmented-reality-headsets ?Smart Augmented Reality Glasses Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-36W2104/global-smart-augmented-reality-glasses ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. 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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg A day after the unnatural death of a 16-year-old school girl triggered clashes between police and local people in the Chopra area of North Dinajpur district in Bengal, the body of the suspect named in the police complaint by the girls family was found in a ditch on Monday morning. He lived in the same village. The girls death had prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party to target the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), The girls death also sparked clashes between the locals and the police on Sunday. The girl, who recently passed the class 10 state board exams, was raped and murdered as her family supports the BJP, the opposition party alleged on Sunday. The girls father made the same allegation in his police complaint on Sunday night after the West Bengal Police said that preliminary report of the post mortem examination pointed at death caused by poisoning and there was no sign of sexual assault. The body of the youth named in the complaint has been found. An investigation is going on, Binod Gazmer, inspector-in-charge of Chopra police station told HT on Monday afternoon. Tension was palpable in the area since the girl and the youth belonged to different religious communities. Anticipating trouble, the police stopped a team of senior BJP state leaders and members of the Lok Sabha from visiting the village. The youths body was spotted submerged in water with his face jutting out of the water. It was seen not far from where the girl was found. Most of the youths face had turned red. Only post mortem examination can confirm the cause of death, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. TMC district president Kanaia Lal Agarwal claimed the girl and the youth died by suicide. The girl and the youth knew each other and went to the same private tutor. They probably committed suicide as they felt that their families might not accept their relationship, Agarwal said. The girls father dismissed Agarwals statement and stuck to what he said in his police complaint. He alleged that his daughter was regularly harassed by the youth and he raped and murdered her. The BJP has alleged there was an attempt to cover up the girls death. Surajit Sen, vice president of the BJPs North Dinajpur unit, said, The TMC and the police are trying to project the deaths as a tragic end to an affair. Members of the youths family did not speak to the media till Monday afternoon. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the police engineered Sundays arson and set fire to their own vehicles to divert attention. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha alleged that the incident proved that law and order in the state has collapsed. The West Bengal Police said on Twitter on Monday afternoon that the body of the youth had been sent for post mortem examination and the process would be videographed. The tweets made it apparent that the girl and the youth knew each other and might have been under pressure from their families to snap ties. Police is investigating both the cases and looking into all possible aspects of the incident including social ostracism, parental pressure and role played by some persons in hiding, misleading and diverting the attention from the actual incident, the police said in one of the tweets. Earlier in the day, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also waded into the incident before leaving for Delhi. Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation., he tweeted before leaving Kolkata. Joe Bidens latest climate change and clean energy plan mentions the word union more than it does the climate itself. Why it matters: Wind and solar energy have grown immensely across America over the last decade, but associated union jobs have not. The Democrats presumptive presidential nominee is trying to change that, which politicians and others say is key to tackling climate change. What theyre saying: Theres a halo effect that pertains to the clean energy industry with respect to how those industries treat workers, said Jason Walsh, executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, a group backed by labor unions and environmental groups. But like other industries, he said, "under our prevailing labor law regime, companies are actively discouraging and in some cases actively blocking the ability of their workers to organize, which includes firing them. The big picture: Biden has always had a closer relationship with unions, considered one of the Democratic Partys most important political constituencies, than some of his more progressive counterparts. Now, the pandemic and resulting economic recession is catapulting worker rights and equity to the forefront of all debates, including energy and climate change. Where it stands: Bidens expanded plan on those topics unveiled last week calls for sweeping changes to labor laws, alongside aggressive goals to transition off fossil fuels. Workers building clean-energy infrastructure must have the choice to join a union and collectively bargain, the plan states. The plan supports legislation that makes it easier for workers to collectively bargain. Bidens plan would go further and hold executives personally liable if they interfere. The plan also backs a bill by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that would provide greater tax incentives for clean-energy companies meeting tougher labor standards. By the numbers: Union presence is an important factor in job quality, said Phil Jordan, vice president at BW Research, which conducted an annual report about energy jobs on behalf of the Energy Futures Initiative, a think tank led by former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Jobs in wind and solar are between 4% and 6% unionized. Thats on par with the national average for all jobs, but far lower than the share of union jobs in other energy sectors. Natural gas, nuclear and coal power plants are between 10-12% unionized. Transportation, distribution and storage jobs, which are largely in fossil fuel sectors, have among the highest share of union jobs at 17%. Salaries vary widely depending on the specific job in any given sector, but solar and wind jobs have lower average salaries compared to their counterparts in oil and gas and nuclear plants, according to Labor Department statistics. Yes, but: Factors inherent to renewable energy will make it hard for Biden to fulfill his promises on labor and use less fossil fuels, according to officials in the renewable energy sector, different labor unions and experts involved with both. Fewer long-term jobs exist in operating and maintaining wind and solar facilities compared to other power sources. More jobs exist in supporting oil and gas production (like building pipelines and refineries) compared to wind and solar, and those are highly unionized. Construction and installation jobs, which are more common in wind and solar, are less unionized. We agree that over the coming decades were going to do more transition to renewable energy, said Sean McGarvey, president of the North America's Building Trades Unions. But we cant transition into careers where they take a 50-75% paycheck cut. The intrigue: Some renewable energy advocates agree. Where we are right now is not good enough, Merkley told Axios in an interview last week. His bill offers incentives for stronger labor standards instead of penalties because he thinks thats more politically viable: Im not trying to create a war between unions and renewables. Im trying to bring them together. The other side: Renewable-energy officials say the topic is increasingly on their radar, but they maintain that their sector already creates quality jobs. Solar workers have good paying jobs and a safe working environment, said Erin Duncan, vice president for congressional affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association. We welcome conversations with policy makers in both parties and our friends in the labor movement about policy options. The bottom line: Higher quality renewable energy jobs will ultimately make it easier to address climate change, Merkley says. "The speed with which we can transition will be affected profoundly if those who have good-paying jobs in the fossil-fuel world hate the idea of the transition to renewable energy. Advertisement Johnny Depp secretly recorded a two-hour row with Amber Heard where she called him a 'big f***ing baby' and admitted starting a 'physical fight' with him, the High Court heard today. The audio was released by Mr Depp's legal team as Ms Heard started her first day giving evidence in her ex-husband's libel trial with The Sun after being branded a 'wife-beater'. It begins with the former couple arguing over whether she punched him and an angry Ms Heard says: 'I did not punch you, I did not deck you, I hit you - but you're fine, I did not hurt you'. Mr Depp repeatedly insists she had a 'closed fist' and his former wife says: 'That's the difference between me and you. You're a f**king baby. You are such a baby. Grow the f**k up Johnny'. Mr Depp repeatedly tells her she would 'start physical fights' with him so 'had to get the f**k out of there' after she struck him. Amber then says: 'I did start physical fights, yes, so you did the right thing' but goes on 'what is your excuse when there's no physical fight... and you still run away. 'You can still call me names. You're a hypocrite, you're a baby, if they give a taste of it to you, you f**ing lose it, but yet you dish it out.' Johnny Depp secretly recorded a two-hour row with Amber Heard where she called him a 'big f***ing baby' and admitted starting a 'physical fight' with him, the High Court heard today Amber Heard: My wedding night with Johnny Depp was 'the loneliest of my life' Amber Heard told the court about her 'lonely' wedding night claiming 'possessive' Johnny Depp kept vanishing to take narcotics. Reflecting on the day they got married in 2015, Ms Heard said they fought on their wedding night over his drug use. She said: 'He had lost weight and he would disappear into the bathroom for long periods during the wedding. 'He was even more possessive than usual and he was just not making sense a lot of the time. 'I tried to smile through it and entertain our guests. But I had never felt more lonely in my life.' In early 2012, Ms Heard went to meet Mr Depp on his private island in the Bahamas, and this is where she said their relationship 'really began'. Ms Heard said Mr Depp told her that he had split from his former partner Vanessa Paradis, but that it was not public yet. He said they had to be careful about how the news of their new relationship got out because he was concerned Ms Heard would get blamed for his split with Ms Paradis, Ms Heard said in her statement. She added: 'He only allowed me to tell a few family members and close friends about our relationship, and in those days we could never be seen in public together. 'When I would go to his compound on Sweetzer Avenue in Los Angeles or meet him on set he would send a driver for me, and I would have to hide under a blanket in the car. 'When we were together it was always just the two of us. We would be at his compound, behind gates. It was like I was dating a king, with his level of fame and the way he lived. 'I learned then that I had to suspend all expectations of normalcy, but I later came to understand how this protected him, isolated me and facilitated unacceptable behaviour.' Advertisement Ms Heard maintained in court she only resorted to violence and throwing things at Depp when she felt her life was threatened. When asked by Ms Laws why a number of witnesses over the course of the trial said they had seen Heard attack Depp, she replied: 'They didn't see our arguments. His employees didn't see our arguments, these things happened behind closed doors.' Asked if she resorted to violence, Ms Heard said: 'I never got violent. For many years in the relationship I didn't try to defend myself. 'But when I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself but that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence before that I didn't even try to defend myself, I just checked out.' The court was then played the recording of a conversation between Ms Heard and Mr Depp in which he complains about being punched by her. In it, she admits to starting a physical fight and calls Mr Depp a 'baby' and a 'hypocrite.' When asked by Ms Laws if she was admitting to hitting Mr Depp, Ms Heard replied: 'Yes.' In another recording she admits to throwing pots and pans at Mr Depp, which she admitted she sometimes did in order to 'escape him.' Ms Heard has alleged she was afraid Mr Depp was going to kill her. The Aquaman actress claimed Mr Depp, 56, threatened to kill her 'many times', especially later in their relationship. She also alleged the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was 'very good at manipulating people' and would blame his actions on a 'self-created third party' he called the 'monster'. Ms Heard, 34, is beginning three days of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London as part of Mr Depp's libel case against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that labelled him a 'wife beater'. In a written witness statement submitted to the court, Ms Heard accused Mr Depp of subjecting her to verbal and physical abuse - including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking her, as well as 'extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour'. She alleged: 'Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. 'He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship.' Ms Heard claimed Mr Depp has a 'unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality'. 'He is very good at manipulating people,' she said in her statement. She added: 'He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called 'the monster'. 'He would speak about it as if it was another person or personality and not him doing all these things.' Amber Heard sketched giving evidence at the High Court in London while being watched by her ex-husband Johnny Depp who she has accused of threatening to kill her Johnny Depp 'had list of insults for Amber Heard's co-stars he accused her of having affairs with Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of sleeping with at least eight co-stars including Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Kevin Costner and Channing Tatum and also suspected she had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, the High Court heard today. Mr Depp nicknamed Mr DiCaprio 'pumpkin-head' and called Mr Tatum 'potato-head' during fits of rage sparked because her 'very jealous' husband took against any 'male co-stars he considered a sexual threat' in 'movie after movie', Ms Heard said. She also claims he would get particularly upset if she had to kiss someone else or had sex scenes in films and complained about how people were paying to watch her 'get f**ked on camera', the court heard. In a bombshell witness statement where she alleged Mr Depp repeatedly threatened to kill her and have her raped, she said: 'I had to justify to him why I was doing any movie, and it was much worse if there was any kissing or a sex scene in it. He would try and catch me out by taking my phone or telling me someone had told him I was having an affair and act as if he had information proving it when I really hadn't. 'He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was 'pumpkin-head', Channing Tatum was 'potato-head' and 'Jim Turd Sturgess'.' Mr Depp also accused her of having affairs with Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton and even women co-stars like Kelli Garner after movies, she said, adding: 'He would even get himself copies of the scripts I was looking at, without asking me, to review them for himself. 'His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldn't do. I found myself making concessions and turning down work'. Advertisement In the statement, Ms Heard said she had 'never been with someone like him [Mr Depp]', and the early days of their relationship were 'the best times', adding he could be 'intensely affectionate, warm and charming', which she said she called 'the warm glow'. She went on to say: 'When Johnny puts his attention on you, with all his intensity and darkness, it is unlike anything I've ever experienced. 'When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking: the way he talked about our relationship being 'dead or alive' and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship.' She added: 'He could be very intense and dark. It was the polar opposite of ''the warm glow''.' Ms Heard also claimed Mr Depp 'lives in a state of weaponised victimhood'. The statement says: 'To hear him talk about his childhood or past relationships, he is always the victim. He functions off zero accountability to anyone and thrives off others who provide him with that. 'No-one really gives him direct or honest feedback. It is very rare to see anyone - professionals, doctors, lawyers, film executives - say no to him. I tried to, but it didn't go down well.' Ms Heard also said she thought she could 'fix Johnny', saying: 'I thought he could get better and that he would, and I wanted that so badly right to the end. 'After violent episodes, his team would try to convince me to stay with him or to come back, often telling me he was sorry and would get clean for me. 'I think I stayed not only because I had hope of him getting clean and things changing, but also because of the responsibility I felt, being told I was the one to motivate him and help him to get clean.' Ms Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations of domestic violence - all denied by Mr Depp - which The Sun's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN) relies on in defence of the April 2018 article. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Mr Depp's Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Ms Heard's volatile relationship - described by Mr Depp as 'a crime scene waiting to happen'. Mr Depp and Ms Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012 before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Ms Heard obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Mr Depp in LA shortly after the couple split in 2016 and later donated her $7million US dollars (5.5 million) divorce settlement to charity. Mr Depp is suing NGN and Dan 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'. Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard in separate libel proceedings in the US over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which did not mention Mr Depp by name, but said the actress received 'the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out'. Johnny Depp 'had list of insults for Amber Heard's co-stars he accused her of having affairs with including Leo 'pumpkin-head' DiCaprio, Channing 'potato-head' Tatum and Jim 'turd' Sturgess' The Hollywood stars Johnny Depp 'accused Amber Heard of sleeping with' Leonardo DiCaprio - allegedly nicknamed 'pumpkin-head' by Mr Depp Eddie Redmayne James Franco Jim Sturgess - allegedly nicknamed 'turd' by Mr Depp Kevin Costner Liam Hemsworth Billy-Bob Thornton Channing Tatum - allegedly nicknamed 'potato-head' by Mr Depp Kelli Garner Advertisement Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of sleeping with at least eight co-stars including Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Kevin Costner and Channing Tatum and also suspected she had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, the High Court heard today. Mr Depp nicknamed Mr DiCaprio 'pumpkin-head' and called Mr Tatum 'potato-head' during fits of rage sparked because her 'very jealous' husband took against any 'male co-stars he considered a sexual threat' in 'movie after movie', Ms Heard said. She also claims he would get particularly upset if she had to kiss someone else or had sex scenes in films and complained about how people were paying to watch her 'get f**ked on camera', the court heard. In a bombshell witness statement where she alleged Mr Depp repeatedly threatened to kill her and have her raped, she said: 'I had to justify to him why I was doing any movie, and it was much worse if there was any kissing or a sex scene in it. He would try and catch me out by taking my phone or telling me someone had told him I was having an affair and act as if he had information proving it when I really hadn't. 'He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was 'pumpkin-head', Channing Tatum was 'potato-head' and 'Jim Turd Sturgess'.' Mr Depp also accused her of having affairs with Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton and even women co-stars like Kelli Garner after movies, she said, adding: 'He would even get himself copies of the scripts I was looking at, without asking me, to review them for himself. 'His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldn't do. I found myself making concessions and turning down work'. In her bombshell witness statement the actress also claims: Mr Depp allegedly told her 'death was the only way out of the relationship' before their divorce in 2016; She also claims Mr Depp kneeled on her back and hit the back of her head in a row in Tokyo over a pre-nuptial agreement; If Miss Heard attempted to seduce him while wearing something 'sexy' - her megastar husband would call her 'whore', 'slut', 'fame-hungry', 'gold-digger' and 'an attention whore'. Later he would say 'well I'm going to have to watch you get raped' and 'I hope you get railed by a bunch of f**king fellas.' Depp took their dog Boo and held her out of the window of the moving car while 'howling like a dog'; On a flight from Boston to LA in 2014 she claims Depp 'kicked me hard in the back' and kept verbally abusing me, saying things like 'when we land, I can call some black brothers who can f**k you if you're so desperate for it'. In March 2015 she claims their trip to Australia was like being held hostage for three days where she claims she was beaten, strangled and spat at as Depp allegedly told her 'you f**king make me do this'; On her 30th birthday in April 2016 she claims Mr Depp repeatedly pushed her over, smashed pictures and photographs around the apartment and left a note saying: 'Happy F**king Birthday'. Depp alleged she had affairs with co-stars at 'movie after movie' and also claimed she cheated with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, calling him 'pumpkin head' Amber Heard sketched giving evidence at the High Court in London while being watched by her ex-husband Johnny Depp who she has accused of threatening to kill her Mr Depp has been accused of being jealous towards the majority of his ex-wife's male co-stars and allegedly said she had affairs with at least eight of them Amber Heard has arrived at the High Court where she will give evidence for three days about allegations her megastar ex-husband Johnny Depp beat her and abused her Mr Depp allegedly nicknamed Leo DiCaprio 'pumpkin-head' and Channing Tatum 'potato-head' believing his wife had affairs with then, Amber Heard claims Ms Heard said she found herself turning down work, and said her salary fell every year she was with him. She said he was 'very jealous' and would obsess about who she had slept with and been out with before him. Ms Heard said: 'He spoke possessively of me as 'my woman' and made comments that he wished he had found me before I had slept with anyone else, joking he would have locked me away at 14. 'He would obsess about how I dressed. If I wore a low-cut dress, then he would say things like 'my girl is not gonna dress like a whore'. 'Over time, I stopped wearing revealing dresses for red carpet events: it just wasn't worth the verbal and psychological abuse. 'He demeaned me anytime I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a 'whore', 'slut', 'fame-hungry' and 'an attention whore', but it got worse over time. 'He started saying things like 'well I'm going to have to watch you get raped' and 'I hope you get railed by a bunch of f***ing fellas'. 'Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be - or deserved to be - assaulted by, saying things like 'a slimy Mexican' or 'a f***ing gang of big black mother f***ers are going to f*** you and get their big c*** in you'.' Ms Heard said Mr Depp would also call her 'fat ass', and that sometimes she would respond by calling him 'old man' or 'limp d**k'. She said Mr Depp once took her car, a Mustang, without asking her, explaining that he was going to get it fixed for her as a gift. 'Once it was gone, he insisted that his drivers and handlers take me everywhere,' she said, adding that she did not have a car for the next three-and-a-half years. She said: 'Over time it became obvious that this was one of the ways in which he would know about and control where I was. 'The same happened with security guards. He insisted on me having personal security, over my protests, and sent his own security guards with me, who would report back to him about where I was at all times.' Her extraordinary claims emerged as she began three days of evidence about allegations her megastar ex-husband allegedly compressed her neck and told her: 'I'm going to f**king kill you and I'll f**k your corpse'. Her 39-page witness statement published today claims that Mr Depp 'threatened to kill me many times' and he would blame all his actions on a self-created third person he dubbed 'the monster' during three years of marriage where she felt 'powerless'. She claims that the megastar told her that the only way to escape their marriage was to die, and allegedly punched, headbutted, kicked and strangled her and once hurled a mobile phone in her face 'as hard as he could' after he 'wound up his arm back like he was a baseball pitcher'. Amber also alleges that Mr Depp repeatedly threatened to have her raped by other men and told her after one row on a flight: 'When we land, I can call some black brothers who can f**k you if you're so desperate for it'. Depp also allegedly told her: 'I will cut up your face so no one will want you ever again' and about how he knew people who could 'break a leg, real cheap'. Jim Sturgess was nicknamed 'turd' and was among eight co-stars including Kevin Costner than Mr Depp allegedly accused Ms Heard of being unfaithful with Heard was hugged by lawyer Jennifer Robinson as they arrive at the High Court in London for the first day of her evidence Mr Depp, 57, pictured today, will see his ex-wife describe his alleged abuse towards her and tackle claims she had an affair with Elon Musk Her extraordinary allegations emerged as she began three days of evidence about allegations her megastar ex-husband Johnny Depp beat her and abused her often while on drink and drug binges including one occasion in Australia where she claims she was held hostage for three days. Wearing a cream blouse and dark pencil skirt, with her long hair braided to one side of her head, Miss Heard spoke about her ex-husband's alleged physical and verbal abuse as he sat feet away, claiming her weight dropped and she felt like a hostage and 'scared all the time'. Mr Depp looked relaxed as he arrived at court where he is suing News Group Newspapers, the parent company of The Sun, for libel over a 2018 article which labelled him a 'wife-beater.' NGN is defending the article as true, and says Depp was 'controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs'. During Depp's 20 hours of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice, the actor claimed Heard severed the tip of his finger when she threw a large vodka bottle at him during one explosive row, and that either she or one of her friends had defecated in their shared bed as a prank. Amber Heard has released this picture of her face after she alleged Johnny Depp attacked him before their marriage ended in 2016 Mr Depp patted his heart as he greeted fans waiting to support him as his libel case against The Sun entered a tenth day today Mr Depp was mobbed outside the Royal Courts of Justice this morning as his ex-wife began her own evidence 'Jealous' Johnny Depp 'obsessed about what Amber Heard wore, hated her shooting sex scenes and raged about people paying to 'watch her get f****d on camera' Johnny Depp would get upset when actress Amber Heard took part in sex scenes in her films and rebuked her for 'getting f**ked on camera', the High Court heard today. Ms Heard claimed she found herself turning down work and said her salary fell every year she was with him because Mr Depp was so jealous of other men during their marriage. And she claimed that he would veto 'low cut' dresses she wanted to wear for Hollywood premieres telling her: 'My girl is not gonna dress like a whore' and joked 'he would have locked me away at 14'. In her extraordinary witness statement Ms Heard said: 'He demanded to know about any romantic scene in a film and complained about how people can watch me 'get f***ed on camera'. She added: 'He would even get himself copies of the scripts I was looking at, without asking me, to review them for himself. His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered,placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldn't do. 'His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldn't do. I found myself making concessions and turning down work'. Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London today during a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton Ms Heard claims that her ex-husband Johnny Depp was controlling and this trait prevented her getting work because he want through her scripts and was jealous of her male co-stars Mr Depp is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the Sun's executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article published in 2018 that referred to him as a 'wife beater' during his marriage to actor Amber Heard She said he was 'very jealous' and would obsess about who she had slept with and been out with before him. Ms Heard said: 'He spoke possessively of me as 'my woman' and made comments that he wished he had found me before I had slept with anyone else, joking he would have locked me away at 14. He would obsess about how I dressed. If I wore a low-cut dress, then he would say things like 'my girl is not gonna dress like a whore'. 'Over time, I stopped wearing revealing dresses for red carpet events: it just wasn't worth the verbal and psychological abuse. 'He demeaned me anytime I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a 'whore', 'slut', 'fame-hungry' and 'an attention whore', but it got worse over time. 'He started saying things like 'well I'm going to have to watch you get raped' and 'I hope you get railed by a bunch of f***ing fellas'. 'Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be - or deserved to be - assaulted by, saying things like 'a slimy Mexican' or 'a f***ing gang of big black mother f***ers are going to f*** you and get their big c*** in you'.' Ms Heard said Mr Depp would also call her 'fat ass', and that sometimes she would respond by calling him 'old man' or 'limp dick'. Secret recording captures Amber Heard admitting she started a 'physical fight' with Johnny Depp as she brands him a 'big f***ing baby' during two-hour-long row Johnny Depp secretly recorded a two-hour row with Amber Heard where she called him a 'big f***ing baby' and admitted starting a 'physical fight' with him, the High Court heard today. The audio was released by Mr Depp's legal team as Ms Heard started her first day giving evidence in her ex-husband's libel trial with The Sun after being branded a 'wife-beater'. It begins with the former couple arguing over whether she punched him and an angry Ms Heard says: 'I did not punch you, I did not deck you, I hit you - but you're fine, I did not hurt you'. Mr Depp repeatedly insists she had a 'closed fist' and his former wife says: 'That's the difference between me and you. You're a f**king baby. You are such a baby. Grow the f**k up Johnny'. Mr Depp repeatedly tells her that she would 'start physical fights' with him so 'had to get the f**k out of there' after she struck him. Amber then says: 'I did start physical fights, yes, so you did the right thing' but goes on 'what is your excuse when there's no physical fight... and you still run away. You can still call me names. You're a hypocrite, you're a baby, if they give a taste of it to you, you f**ing lose it, but yet you dish it out'. Ms Heard maintained in court that she only resorted to violence and throwing things at Depp when she felt that her life was threatened. When asked by Ms Laws why a number of witnesses over the course of the trial that they had seen Heard attack Depp, she replied: 'They didn't see our arguments. His employees didn't see our arguments, these things happened behind closed doors.' Asked if she resorted to violence, Heard said: 'I never got violent. For many years in the relationship I didn't try to defend myself. 'But when I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself but that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence before that I didn't even try to defend myself, I just checked out.' The court was then played the recording of a conversation between Heard and Depp in which he complains about being punched by her. In it, she admits to starting a physical fight and calls Depp a 'baby' and a 'hypocrite.' When asked by Ms Laws if she was admitting to hitting Depp, Heard replied: 'Yes.' In another recording she admits to throwing pots and pans at Depp, which she admitted she sometimes did in order to 'escape him.' Amber Heard has alleged she was afraid Johnny Depp was going to kill her. The Aquaman actress claimed Mr Depp, 56, threatened to kill her 'many times', especially later in their relationship. She also alleged the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was 'very good at manipulating people' and would blame his actions on a 'self-created third party' he called the 'monster'. Ms Heard, 34, is beginning three days of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London as part of Mr Depp's libel case against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that labelled him a 'wife beater'. In a written witness statement submitted to the court, Ms Heard accused Mr Depp of subjecting her to verbal and physical abuse - including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking her, as well as 'extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour'. She alleged: 'Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. 'He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship.' Ms Heard claimed Mr Depp has a 'unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality'. 'He is very good at manipulating people,' she said in her statement. She added: 'He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called 'the monster'. 'He would speak about it as if it was another person or personality and not him doing all these things.' In the statement, Ms Heard said she had 'never been with someone like him (Mr Depp)', and the early days of their relationship were 'the best times', adding he could be 'intensely affectionate, warm and charming', which she said she called 'the warm glow'. She went on to say: 'When Johnny puts his attention on you, with all his intensity and darkness, it is unlike anything I've ever experienced. 'When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking: the way he talked about our relationship being 'dead or alive' and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship.' She added: 'He could be very intense and dark. It was the polar opposite of 'the warm glow'.' Ms Heard also claimed Mr Depp 'lives in a state of weaponised victimhood'. The statement says: 'To hear him talk about his childhood or past relationships, he is always the victim. He functions off zero accountability to anyone and thrives off others who provide him with that. 'No-one really gives him direct or honest feedback. 'It is very rare to see anyone - professionals, doctors, lawyers, film executives - say no to him. I tried to, but it didn't go down well.' Ms Heard also said she thought she could 'fix Johnny', saying: 'I thought he could get better and that he would, and I wanted that so badly right to the end. 'After violent episodes, his team would try to convince me to stay with him or to come back, often telling me he was sorry and would get clean for me. 'I think I stayed not only because I had hope of him getting clean and things changing, but also because of the responsibility I felt, being told I was the one to motivate him and help him to get clean.' Ms Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations of domestic violence - all denied by Mr Depp - which The Sun's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN) relies on in defence of the April 2018 article. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Mr Depp's Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Ms Heard's volatile relationship - described by Mr Depp as 'a crime scene waiting to happen'. Mr Depp and Ms Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012 before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Ms Heard obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Mr Depp in LA shortly after the couple split in 2016 and later donated her seven million US dollars (5.5 million) divorce settlement to charity. 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'. Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard in separate libel proceedings in the US over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which did not mention Mr Depp by name, but said the actress received 'the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out'. Amber Heard admits she met with Johnny Depp AFTER she secured a restraining order against him when their marriage collapsed Amber Heard admitted that she met with Depp on July 22 2016, while a restraining order she had against him was still in place. The court was told that Heard secured the restraining order on 27 May, alleging that Depp had assaulted her and that she was 'petrified of him.' It followed from a fight on 21 May when Depp is alleged to have attacked Heard and thrown a phone at her, hitting in the face. Ms Laws accused Heard of lying about the violent row, which took place in their Los Angeles penthouse and forms a key part of the High Court libel hearing. 'You were not injured as a result of anything that happened on 21stMay,' she added. Johnny Depp secretly recorded a two-hour row with Amber Heard where she called him a 'big f***ing baby' and admitted starting a 'physical fight' with him, the High Court heard today Heard replied: 'He threw the phone at me, he hit me, he pulled my hair. That was just one of many, many incidents.' Ms Laws claimed that Heard would not have met with Depp in San Francisco two months after the fight if she had been genuinely scared of her former husband and had done with, she alleged. Heard replied: 'I have always had a relationship with two people. One was with Johnny, I loved Johnny, I was not terrified of Johnny as Johnny. I was terrified of the monster; he was almost the third party in this relationship. It was the monster that I was terrified of.' The court has already heard details how Heard would refer to Depp as 'the monster' when he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Ms Laws also accused Heard of changing her account on several occasions of what took place on 21 May in the couple's penthouse. Going out with 'charismatic' and 'romantic' Johnny Depp was like 'dating a king', says Ms Heard Heard, 34, (pictured today_ will take to the witness box to counter claims that Depp made during his five days of evidence which wrapped up last week Amber Heard has said it felt like she was 'dating a king' at the start of her relationship with Johnny Depp due to his fame and the way he lived. The actress said she was 'captivated' by him, thought he was 'engaging and intellectual and dark and funny', and said that when they were together 'it was like we were the only people in the world'. But in a witness statement filed as part of Mr Depp's High Court libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence, Ms Heard said that on their wedding day she had 'never felt more lonely in my life'. Ms Heard, 34, said Mr Depp had pursued her romantically when they were filming The Rum Diary in 2009, but nothing happened because she was in a relationship at the time with Tasya van Ree. However, she said she liked him, found him 'charismatic and interesting', and recalled them hanging out sometimes with the director 'just drinking wine and talking'. 'We had a lot of things in common, like blues music - I love blues. 'After that shoot, I didn't hear from him directly, although he would send me gifts,' she said, adding that she declined a guitar he tried to deliver to her house. Ms Heard said the next time she saw Mr Depp was in 2011 when they were promoting The Rum Diary. She said his publicist invited her to meet Mr Depp and the director in a hotel room for a drink, but when she got there it was just Mr Depp. 'Our romantic relationship then began,' she said. Later that year, Mr Depp invited her to spend a weekend at the Trump SoHo in New York. 'I booked a room and met him there. I remember I had to go out to run an errand, and when I came back, my bags were in his room. He said he had them moved and I would stay with him now.' 'At the time, I thought it was kind of romantic,' she said. The pair drank red wine together late into that first night, she said, adding: 'When Johnny and I were together, it was like we were the only people in the world. We loved the same music, and poetry, and art - we would just sit and talk for hours. 'He was engaging and intellectual and dark and funny. He knew so much about life, and he had lived longer and so much more than me. 'I was captivated. I had never been with someone like him.' When she woke up the next morning, she said she remembers that Mr Depp was drinking champagne 'and a lot of it'. She said: 'I didn't think so much of it at the time. It didn't seem out of control, and back then he was always subdued, and sort of dark and intense when he was with me.' Amber Heard took MDMA and magic mushrooms during marriage to Johnny Depp but denies 'addiction to cocaine and liquor' or having an eating disorder Miss Heard, pictured with her lawyer, claimed today that she was beaten and abused over three years and threatened to kill her Amber Heard said she had only taken MDMA during her relationship with Johnny Depp at Coachella and during a flight to Moscow which she said resulted in violence towards her and a flight attendant 'who Johnny grabbed when he thought that she was hitting on me'. She also said she took mushrooms with the actor once during a visit to a cabin in Hicksville, California, and without him during her birthday celebrations at the Coachella festival. The actress then said the pair had planned a 'pre-party' before their wedding, which she spent on one side of Mr Depp's private island with her friends while he celebrated with his friends on the other. She added: 'And my friends and I all passed around a bag of mushrooms and had what we called a cuddle huddle... on the beach.' Eleanor Laws said: 'So we have several medical professionals either lying or misrepresenting things?' Ms Heard said: 'I don't fault them for what Johnny told them.' Ms Laws asked: 'Was Starling Jenkins lying when he said he saw you vomiting in a parking lot?' Ms Heard replied: 'He was mistaken yes. I think he got my sister and I mixed up... we were wearing similar outfits. Whitney was vomiting.' Ms Laws suggested Mr Jenkins was correct and knew it was Ms Heard, to which the actress responded: 'I have never vomited in a parking lot in my life.' The barrister then asked Ms Heard if she told nurse Erin Boerum that she had been sick. Ms Heard replied: 'I recall telling her that I felt awful... I remember saying that... we were talking about my sister having sickness, stomach sickness, as she was pregnant.' Eleanor Laws again referred to nurse Erin Boerum's note and put it to Amber Heard that she had told the nurse she was vomiting and had been high for 24 hours straight. Ms Heard said: 'I did tell her I felt like vomiting and I wasn't high for 24 hours, I was in bed for 24 hours feeling the effects of the horrible decision to take both of those while also going through a break-up.' Ms Laws said: 'You are just lying as you go along, aren't you?' Ms Heard replied: 'No.' The barrister suggested to Ms Heard that Ms Boerum was her friend and would have no reason to lie, to which the actress said she didn't know what anyone's reason would be to lie. Ms Laws then asked if Ms Boerum was mistaken, to which Ms Heard said there were 'tonnes of mistakes', because for example it said Johnny Depp was clean for a period following the detox trip, which Ms Heard said was not true. The barrister then asked Ms Heard to 'just answer the questions' and said the actress was instead saying something negative about Mr Depp every time she was asked a question about herself. Ms Heard then said Ms Boerum's note was missing two words - 'felt like'. Amber Heard feared Johnny Depp would kill her and blamed his alter-ego 'the monster' for his outbursts Amber Heard has alleged she was afraid Johnny Depp was going to kill her. The Aquaman actress claimed Mr Depp, 56, threatened to kill her 'many times', especially later in their relationship. She also alleged the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was 'very good at manipulating people' and would blame his actions on a 'self-created third party' he called the 'monster'. Ms Heard, 34, is beginning three days of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London as part of Mr Depp's libel case against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that labelled him a 'wife beater'. In a written witness statement submitted to the court, Ms Heard accused Mr Depp of subjecting her to verbal and physical abuse - including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking her, as well as 'extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour'. Depp, 57, made a pit stop at The Alfred Tennyson, an upmarket gastro-pub in London's Belgravia on Sunday She alleged: 'Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. 'He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship.' Ms Heard claimed Mr Depp has a 'unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality'. 'He is very good at manipulating people,' she said in her statement. She added: 'He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called 'the monster'. 'He would speak about it as if it was another person or personality and not him doing all these things.' In the statement, Ms Heard said she had 'never been with someone like him (Mr Depp)', and the early days of their relationship were 'the best times', adding he could be 'intensely affectionate, warm and charming', which she said she called 'the warm glow'. She went on to say: 'When Johnny puts his attention on you, with all his intensity and darkness, it is unlike anything I've ever experienced. 'When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking: the way he talked about our relationship being 'dead or alive' and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship.' She added: 'He could be very intense and dark. It was the polar opposite of 'the warm glow'.' Ms Heard also claimed Mr Depp 'lives in a state of weaponised victimhood'. The statement says: 'To hear him talk about his childhood or past relationships, he is always the victim. He functions off zero accountability to anyone and thrives off others who provide him with that. 'No-one really gives him direct or honest feedback. 'It is very rare to see anyone - professionals, doctors, lawyers, film executives - say no to him. I tried to, but it didn't go down well.' Ms Heard also said she thought she could 'fix Johnny', saying: 'I thought he could get better and that he would, and I wanted that so badly right to the end. 'After violent episodes, his team would try to convince me to stay with him or to come back, often telling me he was sorry and would get clean for me. 'I think I stayed not only because I had hope of him getting clean and things changing, but also because of the responsibility I felt, being told I was the one to motivate him and help him to get clean.' Ms Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations of domestic violence - all denied by Mr Depp - which The Sun's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN) relies on in defence of the April 2018 article. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Mr Depp's Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Ms Heard's volatile relationship - described by Mr Depp as 'a crime scene waiting to happen'. Mr Depp and Ms Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012 before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Ms Heard obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Mr Depp in LA shortly after the couple split in 2016 and later donated her seven million US dollars (5.5 million) divorce settlement to charity. 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'. Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard in separate libel proceedings in the US over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which did not mention Mr Depp by name, but said the actress received 'the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out'. Johnny Depp accused of 'pinning down' Amber and hitting her around the back of the head in a Tokyo row over a pre-nup she 'refused to sign' Amber Heard was today accused of refusing to sign a prenuptial agreement, which was alleged to be the source of a series of fiery domestic disputes between them. Eleanor Laws then reiterated Amber Heard's answer that Johnny Depp did not really want a pre-nup, to which Ms Heard responded: 'I think Johnny, at least from my experience, had a very hard time... asserting himself if he felt that would make you feel poorly or badly about him, he would try to avoid it. 'He did this a lot with his kids, I saw him do it with other people... he didn't want to be the bad guy, in some ways, he was allergic to that.' She said Mr Depp would tell her it was his sister who wanted the pre-nup and that she asked for a meeting with Christi (Dembrowski) and told her she would hire a lawyer, which she did. Ms Heard said the lawyer worked on a draft of an agreement and it was sent to Mr Depp's team through Christi. She added: 'That is why we didn't need to have a fight about it because he wasn't claiming it was something he wanted, he said time and time again that he would tear it up, that the only way out of this was death.' Ms Laws then asked why the pre-nup was never signed, to which Ms Heard said that it was left on Mr Depp's 'team's' desk and 'no-one did anything'. Ms Heard added: 'I did everything I could to make sure that we would be able to get married at this time.' She said the evidence of Mr Depp's doctor, Dr Kipper, that Ms Heard had tried to move the wedding date was 'mistaken'. Eleanor Laws then read out text messages sent between Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski in February 2015, shortly before the wedding, which referred to getting Amber Heard to sign a pre-nup. The court heard Ms Dembrowski told her brother to get an agreement before the pair married, because '50% of post-nups never get signed'. Ms Laws said: 'He did want a pre-nup, didn't he?' Ms Heard replied: 'I had no idea. He told me he didn't. What Johnny told me is that he would look it up and that the only way out of this was death. 'He told me this time and time again and I offered time and time again to sign whatever it was that he or his team needed or wanted. 'I made it very clear from the early days... that I was not interested in Johnny's money, I never had been, I never was.' She added: 'He's having this conversation with Christi because he wasn't having it with me.' Ms Laws asked: 'You didn't sign the pre-nup or any pre-nup, did you?' Ms Heard said: 'No.' Johnny Depp's US attorney accused of 'sinister and macabre' tweet after witness called him 'the biggest a**hole under the sun' Johnny's Depp's US lawyer was today accused of sending a 'sinister and macabre' message aimed at Amber Heard's interior designer. Adam Waldman's tweet read: 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere' after she had given evidence on Friday and called him the 'biggest a**hole under the sun'. Adam Wolanski QC, for News Group Newspapers, said Mr Waldman has been observing proceedings from one of the few available seats in court, adding: 'We would ask that he refrains from posting further macabre, threatening and sinister messages about witnesses whose evidence he does not like.' Mr Justice Nicol said the phrase 'in memoriam' - a phrase referring to remembering a dead - was unwelcome. Mr Depp's barrister David Sherborne told the court it was a phrase Mr Waldman has used to refer to evidence which he believes to be in support of a lie. Mr Waldman was mentioned in proceedings on Friday when Amber Heard secretly recorded her interior designer raging against him for allegedly pressuring her to make a critical statement about the actress. Laura Divenere (left) claimed Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman (right) urged her to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed Adam Waldman's tweet read: 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere' after she had given evidence on Friday and called him an 'a**hole' Laura Divenere, who furnished the ex-couple's Los Angeles penthouse, said in her witness statement she never saw Heard with any injuries following a fight with Depp in May 2016. She even claimed in her written statement that Heard, 34, never spoke about being the victim of domestic abuse during her time with Depp, 57, who she described as 'delightful' and never aggressive. The alleged row has become a focal point of the Depp's High Court showdown against The Sun newspaper, who branded the actor a 'wife beater' in a 2018 article. But evidence of a conversation between her and Heard in which Divenere vented against Depp's US attorney Adam Waldman for leaning on her to brand Heard physically abusive in her High Court statement was then shared. In the conversation, Ms Divenere called Waldman the 'biggest a**hole under the sun' after he asked her to abandon Heard's version of the contentious 2016 fight. London's High Court was also today read a text from Waldman to Ms Divenere, who was strongly urged to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed. And at the trial, Ms Divenere even conceded she had come under enormous pressure from Waldman to provide her statement, which she had not even written herself. In one section of her statement, referring to the incidents of May 2016, Ms Divenere claims: 'On none of those days immediately following the abuse claims did I observe any signs of physical abuse or injury, including any redness, swelling, cuts, bruising or damage of any kind.' When asked by Ms Wass, representing The Sun, whose idea it was to include this, Ms Divenere replied: 'Adam Waldman.' She added: 'Mr Waldman wrote the declaration, I just approved it and signed it.' Ms Wass asked Ms Divenere: 'I suggest that you felt pressurised by Mr Waldman to say things that were unfavourable about Miss Heard?' Ms Divenere replied: 'Yes.' When asked about allegations she made about Heard having an affair with James Franco and Elon Musk, while she was still married to Depp, Ms Divenere said: 'I did feel under pressure to say something about that.' When asked about another section of her statement, which refers to Heard having spent a night in jail for attacking her former wife, Ms Divenere said: 'That was Mr Waldman. I didn't know about that until he told me.' A text message from Mr Waldman to Ms Divenere was also read out in court, in which he asks her if she wants to 'remain on the side of the hoax' or the truth. Ms Wass asked her: 'Prior to this did you want to become involved as a witness between Miss Heard and Mr Depp. As a result of this text did you feel uncomfortable. Put under pressure?' Ms Divenere replied: 'I felt pressured.' The High Court also heard a conversation that was secretly recorded by Heard when she spoke with Ms Divenere after she made her statement last June. But the High Court in London heard a recording by Ms Heard of a conversation with Miss Divenere after she signed the statement, where she said Depp's US attorney Adam Waldman drafted the statement and pressured her into signing it. Ms Divenere said: 'He thought I was totally conspiring with you, and I.. literally took it that I was like this lying person and he was gonna go ahead and subpoena me.' Ms Heard then told her former aide: 'It's not your fault, you didn't know. I hid it from everybody'. U.S. District Court of New Jersey Judge Esther Salas in a file photo. (Courtesy of Rutgers University) What We Know About the Shooting at Federal Judge Esther Salas NJ Home Federal Judge Esther Salas husband was shot and wounded while her 20-year-old son was killed at their home in New Jersey on Sunday, and officials said the gunman was dressed as a FedEx delivery driver. What Happened? Judge Salas son, Daniel, was shot several times in the chest, and her husband, Mark Anderl, is in critical yet stable condition, North Brunswick Mayor Francis Womack said in an update. The judge was inside her home but was not harmed. The FBI and U.S. Marshalls are investigating the matter. Mark Anderl had surgery for his wounds Sunday night, a judiciary official told The Associated Press. Asked if officials believed the shooting was linked to the judges work or the current climate of political unrest, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told AP, We really have no idea. Reactions Several elected New Jersey officials reacted to the shooting. A brazen and cowardly act of gun violence at their home in North Brunswick, Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement. We give our full support to Judge Salas and her husband at this most trying time. This is an unconscionable tragedy. Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act, Murphy added. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. Officials said the suspect was wearing a face mask and a FedEx uniform, apparently posing as a delivery driver. Salas husband opened the door and was shot before her son was shot several times. North Brunswick, New Jersey (Google Maps) The FBI released a statement Sunday night: The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey earlier this evening, July 19. We are looking for one subject and ask that anyone who thinks they may have relevant information please call FBI Newark at 973-792-3001. We are working closely with our state and local partners and will provide additional updates when available. And FedEx Spokesman Jim Masilak said in a statement to news outlets, We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities. I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jerseys federal bench. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement. The New Jersey State Police, the North Brunswick Police, and the Middlesex County Prosecutors office are also involved in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals are now providing 24-hour protection for Judge Salas. Who Is She? Salas is the first Latina to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey, and has presided over high-profile trials, including the trial of former Real Housewife star Teresa Giudice. She was nominated by former President Barack Obama. Salas was also recently tasked with investigating a case related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in Manhattan last year. Her husband, Mark Anderl, is a well-known criminal defense attorney. Their son, Daniel, was their only child and was studying law at the Catholic University of America in Washington. Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks. He turned 20 last week, a statement from the university read. Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states. According to scientists, including Rajib Acharya from the Population Council, New Delhi, vulnerability in the research means the risk of consequences of infection, including spread, morbidity, mortality, and social and economic effects of the pandemic. The study noted that nine of 30 large states -- Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat -- have high vulnerability to be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It rated the vulnerabilities of the states to the pandemic on a scale from zero to one, measured using 15 indicators across five domains -- socioeconomic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological, and health system. Our index aims to help planners and policy makers effectively prioritise regions for resource allocation and adopt risk mitigation strategies for better preparedness and responses to the Covid-19 epidemic, the scientists, including Rajib Acharya from Population Council, New Delhi, noted in the study. They identified a number of vulnerable districts in India, which currently do not have large numbers of Covid-19 cases but could be strongly impacted by the pandemic. They said a number of districts in the nine large states -- Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat -- located in every region of the country except the northeast, had high overall vulnerability. According to the researchers, these states also had high vulnerability with respect to most of the five domains. Madhya Pradesh had an overall vulnerability score of one, with Sikkim on the other end with a score of zero, making it the least vulnerable. Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were two other states on the lower overall vulnerability end of the scale. Although our intention was not to predict the risk of infection for a district or a state, we observed similarities between vulnerability and the current concentration of Covid-19 cases at the state level, they wrote in the study. However, the researchers said this relationship was not clear for districts, adding that better data collection at this regional level can help make more refined evaluations of vulnerability in their respective states. They also added that data used in the study are two to five years old and might not have captured vulnerability well in districts in which rapid changes have occurred up to the present day. Research COVID-19 Survey Finds 80% of College Students Shifting Gears A survey among college-bound students in California has found that four in five have had to change their college plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, conducted in May, wanted to understand what students' experiences were during spring 2020 and what their college attendance plans were for summer and fall 2020. The survey was e-mailed to a sampling of students who had submitted financial aid applications to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), which administers financial aid for students in the state. Roughly 16,000 high school seniors and 61,000 enrolled college students completed it. The project was initiated by CSAC along with the California Education Lab at the University of California, Davis, and funded by the College Futures Foundation. Impacts of the virus were immediate. The survey found that seven in 10 students (71 percent) had lost some or all of their income due to COVID-19. Nearly half (46 percent) had their living arrangements change. And a quarter (24 percent) dropped courses during the spring college term. Students were asked what school they expected to attend before the pandemic and after. Source: "COVID-19 Student Survey" from the California Student Aid Commission. More than half of students expressed big jumps in their levels of anxiety about personal health and well-being, tackling a full load of courses, caring for family members, paying for housing and food and covering tuition and fees. And 82 percent said they were worried about taking online classes; 73 percent said they were anxious about their own financial situations; and 71 percent had similar fears about their families' financial situation. As one student told surveyors, "I am concerned about being unable to pay rent or other educational expenses. This has added a lot of stress that is distracting me from my academic goals." Another mentioned her challenges as a mother. "I was able to go on campus to do my learning, free from distraction of my children. Now I am trying to find the time to do my classes solely online on top of taking care of children that were also enrolled in school and now home schooling." And a third student observed that while the getting a degree was important, "bills are not going to wait for me ... I have to pay them." While 43 percent of students were aware of college programs providing emergency aid for living expenses, 39 percent of those aware applied. A little over half (54 percent) of those who applied received financial assistance overall, about nine in every 100 students. Also, among the 12 percent of students who applied for access to a free or "loaner" laptop, three-quarters of those applicants received one. Looking forward, most students "are committed to staying enrolled in college." Just 2 percent said they don't plan to attend in the fall. However, a third (34 percent) said they'll need to work more; and one in five (21 percent) said they need to head to a less expensive school. A quarter plan to "stay closer to family." However, 22 percent told researchers that they don't want to take online classes, and 15 percent said they "need a break from college" during this time. Among high school seniors specifically, 9 percent reported that they'll delay their college enrollment; and a third said they were concerned about attending college far from home. While pre-pandemic, a quarter had plans to attend community college, that share rose to 32 percent after COVID-19. Said one, "I will not be able to move out and be free from distractions at home, now I will have to stay at home, take care of siblings, and do all the household chores, while still taking online classes. I'm thinking that I will have to take less units, because of all the household responsibilities that are going to fall on me because I'm the oldest child." Said another, "I'm debating to skip school for a couple of years, at least until my parents get back on their feet. I really want to get a degree in music, however, my family is priority." "COVID-19 Student Survey" is openly available, along with survey results and a technical appendix on the CSAC website. Locusts in swarms the size of Manhattan have been ravaging crops through East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia and could be "a bigger threat in some of these countries than COVID-19," according to Gro Intelligence CEO Sara Menker. What's happening: The impact of the locusts is starting to eat into the respective countries' GDP and have a devastating effect on local economies. Gro Intelligence analysts tell Axios they are expecting "significant impact to agricultural production in India, along with Pakistan and East Africa." India recently surpassed Brazil to become the biggest sugar producer in the world and about 40% of the planted area of sugarcane is in a main agricultural province currently under threat from locusts. In June, Fitch Ratings warned that locusts could shake east Africas macroeconomic stability. Yes, but: "Locust outbreaks in the significant cereal and protein exporters are rare, so significant disruptions in the international food supply chain are unlikely," Gro analysts note in an email. "However, locusts may significantly impact countries which already face food insecurity, which can lead to localized supply shocks rippling through the international economy due to, for instance, currency crises or increased migration." Why it's happening: The massive increase and spread of the locusts is linked to climate and climate patterns, Menker says. Between the lines: Dino Martins, executive director of the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya, calls the locusts a warning from nature. Quetta, July 20 : Closure of the Chaman border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was badly affecting Balochistans economy as the trade between the two countries has come to a complete halt, top officials said here, urging for it to reopen. Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industries (QCCI) President Ghulam Farooq Khan Khilji and senior vice president Badaruddin Kakar said that the continuous closure of the border caused massive unemployment as thousands of daily wagers working at both sides of the border lost their jobs, Dawn news reported on Monday. They said the closure of the border had created a difficult situation for the people in the bordering districts of the province. They urged the government to immediately open the Chaman border so that trade activities between the two countries could be resumed. "Even financially stable people in import, export and service businesses are facing a serious economic crisis," Khliji was quoted as saying in the Dawn news report. He said that already employment opportunities were very limited in Balochistan which had no industrial and other jobs in its border areas, and the closure of Chaman had further deteriorated the economic situation in these areas. The Chaman border was closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Dawn news. Afghan traders currently use Torkham, which has been opened, and Chaman border points for transit trade and both countries are exploring ways to use other crossings for transit trade. Hazleton, PA (18201) Today Sunny this morning then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 39F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of snow after midnight. Low near 25F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Image: A protester sits on top of a car after a caravan protest in support of a Black Groves High School student, who was jailed due to a probation violation of not keeping up with her online schoolwork, (Emily Elconin / Reuters) A 15-year-old Black girl who has been incarcerated in Michigan since mid-May after she failed to do her online schoolwork won't be returning home, a judge decided Monday, in a case that has stoked outrage that it is emblematic of systemic racism and the criminalization of Black children. Oakland County Judge Mary Ellen Brennan determined that the girl has been benefiting from a residential treatment program at a juvenile detention center, but is not yet ready to be with her mother. Brennan, the presiding judge of the court's Family Division, scheduled another hearing for September, NBC affiliate WDIV reported. The girl, who is being identified only by her middle name, Grace, was the subject of a report published last week by ProPublica Illinois, with politicians and community activists expressing outrage over her incarceration. During a three-hour proceeding, Brennan told Grace that it was in her best interest to stay in the program after all of the progress she had been making. "Give yourself a chance to follow through and finish something," Brennan said, according to the Detroit News. "The right thing is for you and your mom to be separated for right now." Grace, however, told the judge that she wanted to go home: "I miss my mom. I can control myself. I can be obedient." After the hearing, an attorney for the family, Jonathan Biernat, confirmed that Grace had been making strides, but the "fight for her release" is ongoing. He was unavailable for further comment later Monday. This past school year, Grace was a sophomore at Groves High School in the Birmingham Public Schools, which is 79 percent white, according to school district data. Over the past few days, parents and students in suburban Detroit have protested in support of Grace's release from the Children's Village in Oakland County, the detention center where she's been held in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. At Monday's hearing, Brennan stressed that police had responded to incidents between the mother and the daughter three times, and that Grace's detainment came out of violating probation related to charges of assault and theft from last year, ProPublica reported. Story continues "She was not detained because she didn't turn her homework in," Brennan said. "She was detained because I found her to be a threat of harm to her mother based on everything I knew." Brennan also addressed the scrutiny the case has come under. "My role is to make decisions that are in this young lady's best interest, period," Brennan said. "I took an oath that I would not be swayed by public clamor or fear of criticism." Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., is among those who have questioned whether race was a factor in detaining Grace. Black youth in Michigan are more than four times as likely to be detained or committed than white youth, according to 2015 data analyzed by the nonprofit Sentencing Project. "If it was a white young person, I really question whether the judge would have done this," Dingell said Monday on MSNBC. "Putting a young person in a confined area in the midst of COVID isn't the answer." On Thursday, the Michigan Supreme Court said it would review the circumstances surrounding Grace's detainment. Her case not only touches upon the issue of racial bias within the criminal justice system, but is also entwined with larger concerns over the coronavirus' spread in juvenile detention centers, as well as how children with learning disabilities are being disparately affected during the pandemic as a result of home schooling. According to ProPublica, Grace has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and receives special education services. The girl and her mother, identified as Charisse, had bouts of conflict. In 2018, Grace was placed into a court diversion program for "incorrigibility," but was released from it early, Charisse told ProPublica. In November, an assault charge was filed against Grace after police were called to an incident in which the mother said Grace became violent because she was upset she couldn't go to a friend's house. Weeks later, according to ProPublica, Grace was charged with larceny after she was caught on surveillance video stealing another student's cellphone from a school locker room. The phone was subsequently returned. A juvenile court hearing was held virtually in April, and a caseworker told the judge that Grace should receive mental health and anger management treatment at a residential facility; the prosecutor agreed. A court-appointed attorney asked for probation for Grace because she had not been in any further trouble since November and because of COVID-19 concerns at detention facilities, ProPublica reported. "My mom and I are working each day to better ourselves and our relationship, and I think that the removal from my home would be an intrusion on our progress," Grace said at the time, according to ProPublica. Brennan sentenced Grace to "intensive probation," with several requirements, including staying home, checking in with a caseworker, no phone use and completing her schoolwork. But the girl was unable to focus properly while learning from home, and she told a new caseworker in April that she felt anxious about the probation and overwhelmed. After her caseworker learned she had fallen back asleep one day and failed to do her homework, a hearing was held in May and the judge decided she had violated the terms of her probation. ProPublica noted that Grace's teacher had told the caseworker in an email that Grace was "not out of alignment with most of my other students," and how she was coping was "no one's fault because we did not see this unprecedented global pandemic coming." Grace was ordered to juvenile detention because she was deemed a "threat to community as original charge was assault and theft," according to court records. Grace's supporters say the court's decision to incarcerate her simply underscores the racial disparities in even the juvenile system. According to ProPublica, from January 2016 through June 2020, about 4,800 juvenile cases were referred to the Oakland County Circuit Court. About 42 percent involved Black youth, although the population in the county is about 15 percent. Tylene Henry, who has a teenage son in the local school district and was among several supporters outside of the courthouse Monday, said she doesn't know Grace, but her situation has "opened up my eyes to the school-to-prison pipeline problem." Henry said she supports Grace's release and a larger overhaul of the juvenile system. "There's a lot of students like Grace. They're put into the criminal justice system as children instead of getting the help they really need," she said. "Why does mental health and behavioral health treatment have to come at a cost of being held in a detention center?" China's Three Gorges Dam's floodings won't be happening--thanks to the flood prevention measures, and now the dam is stable. Nikkei Asian Review reported that the Chinese authorities provided a warning on Friday, July 17, and issued new alerts in downstream cities to give them a heads up on what may happen as the water level rises. Three lower floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam in central China's Hubei Province opened as the inbound water flowrate reached 61,000 cubic meters per second as of Saturday. pic.twitter.com/NSdQTD3lSX (@vn2dsr) July 19, 2020 Also Read: Recent Ridgecrest Quake Triples Chances for the 'Big One' to Happen Soon: Study The previous floodings overwhelmed the cities in the country's central region along the Yangtze River, China's longest river, in the past week during the annual monsoon season. 433 rivers across the country were flooded, thus, causing deaths of 141 people, while others are missing. Also Read: Mysterious Pink Ice in the Italian Alps may Actually Bring Harm to the Environment The average rainfall increased by 12% higher than last year because of the heavy rains affecting the region since last month. Some reports estimated that the previous floodings might have led to economic damage that costs $12 billion or 86.2 billion yuan. The recent floodings in the Three Gorges Dam came after China's economy just recovered in the second quarter. On Wednesday, July 15, the government announced to conduct measures to deal with the floods, which cost $1.4 billion or 1.7 billion yuan. China's Three Gorges Dam is now stable Global Times reported that the Three Gorges Dam are now stable, thanks to its flood prevention measures. The operator confirmed that the Three Gorges Dam are currently working to ease the flood prevention pressure in the Yangtze River's middle and downstream areas. Today the dam is at risk of collapse with 400 million lives in danger. The CCP recently opened all floodgates - what happens next is out of their control. When the Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, China proudly claimed it could hold back the worst flood in 10,000 years.Today the dam is at risk of collapse with 400 million lives in danger.The CCP recently opened all floodgates - what happens next is out of their control. pic.twitter.com/ZyoKVtIUHh Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) July 13, 2020 The rising water levels were stopped after the Three Gorges Reservoir activated its flood peak reduction and flood retention. The dam is now stable after the rising water levels were eased in the Yangtze River's middle and lower reaches. The Three Gorges project is a multifunctional water control system consisting of the 185-meter-high and 2,309-meter long dam, 34 hydropower turbo-generators, and a five-tier ship lock. The flood prevention project was applied three times on Friday, preventing 6.6 billion cubic meters of water, which is the same size of 470 West Lakes in Hangzhou. More than 20 million people were stricken, and more than 1.7 million were forced to relocate because of the floodings that affected several provincial regions. Also Read: [BEWARE] 100-Year-Old Metal-Eating Bacteria Discovered: Should We be Scared? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Rapper Kanye West, in his first event since declaring himself a presidential candidate, ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman on Sunday, saying the Underground Railroad conductor never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people, comments that drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd. West delivered a lengthy monologue, touching on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals, before a crowd in North Charleston, South Carolina. Whether he is actually seeking the nation's highest office remains a question. UNMARKED AGENTS: Portland officials protest federal agents detaining protestors in unmarked vans Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th century America. An African American who escaped slavery, she helped enslaved Black men and women travel north to freedom and fought for the Union during the Civil War. She later became a supporter of women's suffrage. On abortion, West said that while he believes it should be legal, financial incentives to help struggling mothers could be a way to discourage the practice. Everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars, he said as an example. Wearing a protective vest and with 2020 shaved into his head, the entertainer appeared on a livestream of the event. Several hundred people gathered in a venue, where gospel music played before West's appearance. The event was reportedly for registered guests only, although a campaign website had no registration or RSVP information. Speaking without a microphone, West became tearful at one point while talking about his mother, who died following plastic surgery complications in 2007. West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it was unclear if he was willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others. Last week, he qualified to appear on Oklahomas presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline. West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by noon Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. The entertainer tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed. Email to an address purportedly associated with the campaign was not returned Sunday afternoon. West, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, initially announced his candidacy on July 4. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP Credit: The Conversation If there's one state in the U.S. where you don't want a pandemic, it's Florida. Florida is an international crossroads, a magnet for tourists and retirees, and its population is older, sicker and more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 on the job than the country as a whole. When the coronavirus struck, the conditions there made it a perfect storm. Florida set a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases in early July, passing 15,000 and rivaling New York's worst day at the height of the pandemic there. The state has become an epicenter for the spread, with over 300,000 confirmed cases. Its hospital capacity is under stress, and the death toll has been rising. Despite these strains, Disney World reopened two theme parks on July 11, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced schools would reopen in August. The governor had shut down alcohol sales in bars in late June as case numbers skyrocketed, but he hasn't made face masks mandatory or moved to shut down other businesses where the virus can easily spread. As public health researchers, we have been studying how states respond to the pandemic. Florida stands out, both for its absence of statewide policies that could have stemmed the spread of COVID-19 and for some unique challenges that make those policies both more necessary and more difficult to implement than in many other states. The challenges of economic pressures Florida is one of nine states with no income tax on wages, so its tax base relies heavily on tourism and property in its high-density coastal areas. That puts more pressure on the government to keep businesses and social venues open longer and reopen them faster after shutdowns. If you look closely at Florida's economy, its vulnerabilities to the pandemic become evident. The state depends on international trade, tourism and agriculturesectors that rely heavily on lower-wage, often seasonal, workers. These workers can't do their jobs from home, and they face financial barriers to getting tested, unless it's provided through their employer or government testing sites. They also struggle with health careFlorida has a higher-than-average rate of people without health insurance, and it chose not to expand Medicaid. In the tourism industry, even young, healthy employees typically at lower risk from COVID-19 can unknowingly spread the virus to visitors or vice versa. The tourism industry also encourages crowded bar and club scenes, where the governor has blamed young people for spreading the coronavirus. The past few weeks have been emblematic of the economic battles facing a state that depends on tourism for both jobs and state revenues. Even as the public health risks were quickly rising, businesses continued to open their doors. Major cruise lines planned to resume their itineraries in the fall. A note on the Universal Studios website read: "Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit." Reopening guidance has been largely ignored The Governor's Re-open Florida Taskforce issued guidelines in late April meant to lower the state's coronavirus risk, but those guidelines have been largely ignored in practice. No county in Florida has reduced cases or maintained the health care resources recommended by the task force. The data needed to fully assess progress are also questionable, given a recent scandal regarding the state data's accuracy, availability and transparency. Still, the coronavirus's rapid surge in Florida is evident in the state-reported cases. Testing lines are long, and almost 1 in 5 tests have been positive for COVID-19, suggesting the prevalence of infections is still increasing. Florida's patchwork of local rules also makes it hard to contain the virus's spread. With no statewide mask rules or plans to reverse reopening, other than for bars, communities and businesses have taken their own actions to implement public health precautions. The result is varying mask ordinances and restrictions on large gatherings in some cities but not those surrounding them. Though the Florida Department of Health has issued an advisory recommending face coverings, some local areas have voted down mask mandates. More warning signs ahead Late summer and fall will bring new challenges for Florida in terms of the virus's spread and the state's response to it. That's when Florida's risk of hurricanes grows, and while Floridians are well-versed in hurricane preparedness, storm shelters aren't designed for social distancing and will need careful plans for protecting nursing home residents. Storm cleanup could mean lots of people working in close proximity while protective gear is in short supply. If Florida's schools reopen fully, the risk of the virus rapidly spreading to teachers, parents and children who are more vulnerable is a real concern being weighed against the costs of keeping schools closed. Colleges that reopen to classes and sporting events also raise the risk of spreading the virus in Florida communities. And the possible return of retirees who spend their winters in Florida would increase the high-risk population by late fall. One in five Florida residents is over age 65, giving the state one of the nation's oldest populationsa risk factor, along with chronic illnesses, for severe symptoms with COVID-19. Florida is also a battleground state for the upcoming presidential election, and that's likely to mean campaign rallies and more close contact. The Republican National Convention was moved to Jacksonville after President Donald Trump complained that North Carolina might not let the GOP fill a Charlotte arena to capacity due to coronavirus restrictions. Florida organizers recently said they were considering holding parts of the convention outdoors. The high number of cases being reported in Florida will lead to even more hospitalizations and fatalities in coming weeks and months. Without clear public health messages and precautions implemented and enforced across the state, the coronavirus forecast for the Sunshine State will remain stormy. Explore further For Florida, the coronavirus pandemic was a perfect storm This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Armenian and Russia militaries have communicated with each other in connection with deadly clashes that broke out on Armenias border with Azerbaijan on July 12, official Yerevan said on Monday. The hostilities, which left at least 12 Azerbaijani and 4 Armenian soldiers dead, largely ground to a halt on July 16. The two conflicting sides have reported no serious ceasefire violations along the heavily fortified border since then. Each side continued on Monday to accuse the other of sporadically shooting small arms at various sections of the frontier, including the scene of last weeks fighting. The Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian, said the American, French and especially Russian co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have been actively involved in efforts to restore the ceasefire in Armenias Tavush province bordering the Tovuz district in western Azerbaijan. The Armenian foreign minister [Zohrab Mnatsakanian] has been in constant contact with his Russian counterpart, Naghdalian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. There have also been contacts at the level of military officials of the two countries Naghdalian did not give details of the Russian-Armenian military contacts. The Armenian and Azerbaijani militaries established a new direct channel of communication after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed in 2018 to boost the ceasefire regime along the internationally recognized border between their countries and the line of contact around Karabakh. Truce violations there decreased significantly as a result. Yerevan and Baku blame each other for the July 12 flare-up which marked the worst escalation of the conflict since 2016. They also accuse one another of dealing a severe blow to the Karabakh peace process mediated by the Minsk Group co-chairs. Aliyev on Thursday 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 should do more to make the talks substantive in addition to trying to prevent violence. In a weekend interview with the Sky News Arabia TV channel, Mnatsakanian said that last weeks hostilities demonstrated that there can be no military solution to the conflict and that continued negotiations are the only viable option. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:27:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government continues to strictly monitor people entering the country to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak, according to Lao Ministry of Health report on Monday. Laos reported no new case of COVID-19 for over three months. However, people entering Laos will be sent to quarantine centers for 14 days and the temperature of each person entering Laos must be checked. On Sunday, a total of 1,654 people entering Laos though international border checkpoints. Of these, 663 people crossed the border with Thailand. A total of 23 people entered Laos from China, while 761 people entered Laos from Vietnam, and five people entered Laos from Cambodia. A total of 202 people entered Laos via the Wattay International Airport in the country's capital of Vientiane. The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday announced that it has been monitoring 2,944 people at 70 accommodation centers across the country. The Lao government has warned people countrywide and relevant authorities not to neglect containment and preventive measures, according to the report. Laos announced its first two COVID-19 confirmed cases on March 24, and the last patient was discharged on June 9. Enditem * Brazilian stocks at over four-month high * Real set for best day in nearly three weeks * Argentine peso continues to weaken (Adds background, updates prices) By Susan Mathew and Ambar Warrick July 20 (Reuters) - Most Latin American currencies came off early losses on Monday, trading higher amid increased bets for a COVID-19 vaccine after a wave of positive early-trial data. Early data from trials of three potential coronavirus vaccines released on Monday, including a closely watched candidate from Oxford University, increased confidence that a vaccine can train the immune system to recognize and fight COVID-19 without serious side effects. Most Latin American currencies gained on the news, with analysts positing improvement in regional risk assets as more countries in the region scale back virus-related lockdowns. Brazil's real came off mild initial losses and was set for its best day in nearly three weeks. On Friday, Brazilian Treasury Secretary Roberto Funchal said the government is analyzing the possibility of allowing Brazilians to withdraw money from their pension funds early, with questions about the harm it could do to Brazilian Treasury bonds being a major concern. Foreign exchange strategists at JP Morgan see Brazil's real outperforming owing to better economic growth in China - a major destination for Latin American commodity exports. "There are some initial signals that China's growth continues for a while longer, benefiting commodity prices and currencies," they said. "China's commodity import volume also maintained strong momentum into June in the latest data. We think in this scenario Brazil's real would outperform MXN." Stocks in Brazil rose more than 1% to their highest in more than four months, driven by gains in the communication sector. Telecom stocks TIM Participacoes and Telefonica Brasil rallied after they teamed up with Mexico's America Movil to make an offer for the mobile unit of bankrupt Brazilian carrier Oi Group. Chile's peso rose slightly after government officials presented a plan to ease certain virus-related lockdowns as the infection rate of the disease improved in some regions of the country. Chile has so far reported 330,000 confirmed cases and more than 8,500 deaths related to COVID-19. In Mexico, deaths from the disease rose to 39,184, while the total number of cases stood at 344,224 as of Sunday. The peso rose slightly, remaining under pressure from weaker oil prices amid worries over the pace of the global spread of the pandemic. Argentina's peso continued its slide into record low territory. The country on Friday confirmed its highest daily coronavirus caseload after easing restrictions. Colombian markets were closed for a local holiday. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies: Stock indexes Latest Daily % change MSCI Emerging Markets 1064.77 0.92 MSCI LatAm 2024.26 0.93 Brazil Bovespa 104239.43 1.31 Mexico IPC 36284.44 -0.12 Chile IPSA 3907.61 -2.18 Argentina MerVal 45355.22 -0.264 Currencies Latest Daily % change Brazil real 5.3329 0.91 Mexico peso 22.4939 0.20 Chile peso 784.8 0.14 Peru sol 3.5027 0.40 Argentina peso 71.6500 -0.24 (interbank) (Reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 00:15:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- European Parliament (EP) President David Sassoli on Monday urged the European Union (EU) leaders to reach an agreement on a post-coronavirus recovery plan, warning that the EP will not give its consent unless its conditions are met. "We are worried about a future where European solidarity and the Community method are lost. The European Parliament has set out its priorities and it expects them to be met," Sassoli said in a statement. "If these conditions are not sufficiently met, the European Parliament will not give its consent," he added, emphasizing that "more than ever it is necessary to act quickly and courageously." The statement was issued as EU leaders entered their fourth day of negotiations on the new long-term budget and a recovery fund linked to it. The European Commission has proposed, for the first time, to borrow up to 750 billion euros (858 billion U.S. dollars) on the financial markets as part of a new recovery tool. Sassoli said the multiannual financial framework, amounting to over 1 trillion euros, must be able to address the main challenges facing Europe in the medium term, such as the green deal, digitalization, economic resilience, and the fight against inequalities. He said Europe also needed its own resources as well as measures to ensure the effective defense of the rule of law. Sassoli reiterated the EP's call for an end of rebates that some member states receive, which he had described as "unfair and difficult to justify." The EU leaders are discussing a proposal by European Council President Charles Michel, who said earlier this month that countries with long-held rebates on their European contributions would continue to get them. These countries include Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:39:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- By banning Huawei, Britain risks delaying 5G rollout and losing billions of pounds. -- 5G is widely recognized as a driving force behind a new wave of digital economy. -- Other major European countries, including Germany and France, are taking a more practical approach in regulating 5G infrastructures. -- Huawei has invested heavily in R&D endeavours in European countries including Britain, helping advance technological development and create jobs. by Xinhua writers Zhang Jiawei, Liu Fang, Ren Ke, Zhang Yirong LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Despite the risk of delaying 5G rollout and costing billions of pounds, the British government has decided to ban Huawei's involvement in the country's 5G networks. This has been seen by experts as harming the fairness and diversification of market access, which is key to building a digital economy driven by 5G. 5G is the next-generation telecommunications technology that has the potential to create a better connected world and become a driving force behind a new wave of digital economy. Photo taken on Jan. 28, 2020 shows a Huawei 5G mobile phone testing speed at the Huawei 5G Innovation and Experience Center in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan) In Britain and other major European countries like Germany and France, the telecommunications industry is keen to work with governments, institutions and the wider community to realize the full potential of 5G, which could lead to a digital upgrade in many industrial areas. To build the infrastructure of 5G, the telecommunications industry needs the best technology and a diversified supply chain, which can only happen with consistent regulating policy by the government. But in the case of Britain, the government firstly announced in January its plans to safeguard the country's telecommunications security, which is widely seen as approving a restricted role for Huawei in helping build the country's 5G network. Then in July, the government drastically reversed its policy on Huawei by announcing that buying new Huawei 5G equipment will be banned after Dec. 31, 2020 and all Huawei equipment will be removed from 5G networks by the end of 2027. This is a costly decision. Britain's Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden admitted that the decision will lead to "a cumulative delay to 5G rollout of two to three years and costs of up to 2 billion pounds (2.5 billion U.S. dollars)" in the country. Photo taken on July 20, 2020 shows an advertisement for 5G at a Three store in London, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) "In a fast moving digital and data-driven economy, this is a very considerable amount of time. While delays can be the result of many reasons, one is that there will be a smaller pool of suppliers, who may not have sufficient capacity to provide the necessary equipment," David Nguyen, senior economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), told Xinhua. NIESR is Britain's longest-established independent research institute. Reducing the number of potential suppliers in the process of building the next-generation telecommunications network in Britain "leads to less competition and potentially higher prices or delays in rollout," said Nguyen. STATUS QUO IN FRANCE, GERMANY Major countries in Europe are taking a more practical approach in regulating their 5G infrastructures. Germany's three major telecommunications operators Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica have been actively promoting 5G in recent years. They implement the "supplier diversification" strategy and use Huawei equipment in their networks among other vendors. Peter Altmaier, German minister of economy, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on July 11 that Germany would not exclude Huawei from the country's 5G network rollout. Photo taken on Jan. 28, 2020 shows the Huawei 5G Innovation and Experience Center in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan) "There can only be an exclusion if national security is demonstrably at risk. However, we will strengthen our security measures, regardless of which country the products come from," said Altmaier. "There is no change in Germany's position," a spokesperson of the country's Interior Ministry told local broadcaster ARD on July 16. Earlier in July, Guillaume Poupard, head of France's national cybersecurity agency ANSSI, told newspaper Les Echos that there will not be a total ban on using Huawei equipment in the country's 5G rollout. French telecommunications operators, such as SFR and Bouygues, have used Huawei's equipment in their networks. A previous article published by Les Echos pointed out that banning Huawei's equipment will cost the operators dearly. HUAWEI: NOT JUST AN EQUIPMENT VENDOR According to Huawei, it has been operating in the British market for some two decades. The company employs 1,600 people in Britain and supplies telecommunications network equipment to all the major mobile and broadband service providers in the country. Some experts have pointed out that the company's investment has boosted development in more technological areas than just 5G in the country. A concept image provided by Huawei shows the first phase of a state-of-the-art center to be built in Cambridge, Britain. (Xinhua) Rick Chandler, chairman of the Communications Management Association (CMA), used to work at telecommunications operator BT, and had experience working with Huawei. He told Xinhua that Huawei has made significant investments in research and development (R&D) in Britain and worked with businesses and universities, which has yielded good results. Meanwhile, the company has established various labs and research programs in Britain and other European countries. Last year, Xinhua reporters gained an exclusive insight into Huawei London Research Center, which focuses on the research of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies. Haitham Ammar is the team leader of reinforcement learning at the center. He told Xinhua that Huawei maintains an open attitude toward collaboration. For example, researchers at the center have different types of collaborations with other companies or universities in Britain and some European countries. "And we believe this is also very, very crucial for success. Because you know, we get the best minds in the world to help us crack the hardest problems," said Ammar. In addition to the AI center, Huawei also announced in June that it will build a state-of-the-art center in Cambridge, Britain, which will focus on the research, development and manufacturing of optical devices and modules. The company said it will invest 1 billion pounds (1.25 billion dollars) in the first phase of the project, which includes the construction of 50,000 square meters of facilities and will directly create around 400 local jobs. Photo taken on July 20, 2020 shows an advertisement for 5G at a Three store in London, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) To an expert like Rick Chandler, this kind of research dynamic is what Britain needs in developing next-generation telecommunications, IoT (Internet of Things) and more. "I will be really upset if we lost that collaboration and investment that has gone on for so many years just because of the incident (the recent policy U-turn by the British government concerning Huawei)," he said. Besides Britain, Huawei has similar research facilities and programs in European countries such as France. The company said it has opened R&D centers in Paris, the southeastern city of Grenoble, Sophia Antipolis technology park, as well as Boulogne-Billancourt, a commune in the western suburb of Paris, and shared the intellectual property of the results of R&D programs carried out in collaboration with its academic partners. WIDER ECONOMIC IMPACT Last year, Huawei commissioned Oxford Economics to assess the economic cost of restricting competition in eight markets, which includes Britain, France, Germany, and the United States. Photo taken on May 30, 2019 shows a 5G network logo on the screen of a mobile phone in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Alberto Pezzali) The report showed that restricting a key supplier of 5G infrastructure from helping to build a country's network would increase that country's 5G investment costs by between eight percent and 29 percent over the next decade. In Britain, this translates to 1.8 billion to 11.8 billion dollars in estimated permanent loss in gross domestic product due to delay in 5G rollout, according to the report. Over the decades, Huawei has played an integral part in building Britain's 3G and 4G networks, with a proven track record. The Chinese company is also a leader in the field of next-generation telecommunications, with the most 5G patents globally as of 2019 and the largest share of 5G standard contributions, according to a study by market intelligence company IPlytics. "Widely available 5G services are a pillar of a strong digital and data-driven economy and any delays in rollout can threaten long-term economic competitiveness," said Nguyen. Photo taken on July 20, 2020 shows an advertisement for 5G at an EE store in London, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) "Faced with economic shocks from Brexit as well as COVID-19, the UK's economic recovery is intrinsically linked to using the latest digital technologies to save costs and raise productivity," Nguyen said. "However, if the delays in rollout are significant, the potential loss of high-speed, low-latency and energy efficient 5G services can be very detrimental to UK businesses and consumers in the medium- to long-run," he said. "On the Huawei question ... I think that Britain is retreating from the notion of itself as a major global player," said British scholar and political commentator Martin Jacques in a recent interview with Xinhua. (Yu Jiaxin and Yang Xiaojing in London contributed to this story.) (Video reporters: Liang Xizhi, Zhang Wenqing, Zhang Qiao) La ministra Pilar Mazzetti se reune con el presidente del @Congresoperu, Manuel Merino. En el dialogo se aborda la lucha contra el #COVID19 y la necesidad de fortalecer el sistema de salud para atender a la poblacion y salvar mas vidas. #LaSaludNosUne. pic.twitter.com/Q8XGDuQlfA Leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party and head of the homonymous faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Edmon Marukyan today addressed the following letter to President of the Armenian-German Forum, Member of the German Bundestag Albert Weiler. Dear Mr. Weiler, I am certain that you are aware of the unstable situation that was recently created in the South Caucasus, which was Azerbaijans subsequent attempt to replace the peace talks with war. I would like to inform you that on July 12, 2020, Azerbaijan violated the 1994 ceasefire agreement once again and started shelling the villages of Tavush Province of Armenia. As a result, there were several casualties and wounded people on both sides. Azerbaijan is particularly targeting civilian settlements, including kindergartens and hospitals. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has publicly threatened the Armenian side, stating that it is ready to strike the Metsamor Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, if necessary,and this is a direct threat to the physical existence of the entire region. The Bright Armenia Party is informing all of its international partners about Azerbaijans war crimes and the threats to use force. We are certain that Germany, as a member state of the OSCE Minsk Group, must make its contribution to prevent Azerbaijans gross violations of international law. We are certain that you, as president of the Armenian-German Forum, can play a huge role in this. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reiterated on Monday he is ready to face an investigation but the police should first check the authenticity of the audio clips, which the Congress alleges has his voice during a conversation discussing a plot to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government. Rajasthan polices special operations group (SOG) has served a notice to Union minister for Jal Shakti for his alleged bid to destabilise the state government and directed him to record his statement. Shekhawat confirmed he has received the notice through his personal secretary. In the notice, they have asked me to record my statement and voice sample, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Partys parliamentarian from Jodhpur said his doors are always open for any kind of inquiry but the police must find out the details. I first want them to check the authenticity of the audio clips. With whose permission was it recorded? Who recorded it? First, they should come out with its authenticity, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The SOG had registered two separate first information reports (FIRs) on Friday after Congress chief whip in the Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint about three audiotapes that had surfaced the previous evening and quickly went viral on social media. The leaked audiotapes purportedly have conversations between a rebel Congress legislator and others, including a Gajendra Singh, who could be heard discussing strategies to bring down the Gehlot-led government. The FIRs had identified the rebel Congress legislator from Sardarshahar, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, who has since been suspended by the party, and Sanjay Jain, a networker and known for his proximity to politicians cutting across party lines and also the bureaucracy. Jain was arrested by the SOG on Friday night and is being interrogated. The persons named in the FIR have been booked under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, Rathore said. Shekhawat and Sharma had issued separate statements and denied the charges levelled against them and termed the audiotapes as fake and blamed chief minister Gehlot for the trump-up charges. The voice on the audiotapes is not mine. I am ready to face any investigation, Shekhawat had said last week. The Congress, on its part, has demanded Shekhawats resignation, reiterating its allegation that he is involved in a plot to topple the state government. Shekhawat has no moral authority to continue in office and he should resign to ensure that the probe is not influenced, Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Sunday. Ashok Gehlot is locked in a power tussle with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who has the backing of 18 Congress legislators and three Independents. These MLAs are believed to be camping in a resort in Gurugram, while those in the Gehlot camp have been lodged in a luxury hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur. When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to take a step back from the royal family, Queen Elizabeth acted quickly to ensure that the details of their proposition were ironed out. The queen worked with the couple and other senior royals to finalize the plan, releasing a statement in support of Prince Harry and Meghan. The queens final plan for them shocked the world, but was ruthlessly clear, some experts believe. Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan wanted to step back In January, Prince Harry and Meghan made a bombshell announcement a desire to take a step back from their senior royal duties and split their time between North America and the U.K. Queen Elizabeth pulled together a meeting with Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince Charles, and herself to figure out the details. Once things were finalized, she released a statement supporting the Sussexes exit, which included the agreement for Prince Harry and Meghan to give up their HRH titles and any public funding. Was the queen surprised by the Sussexes announcement? Its unclear if the queen was aware of the Sussexes plan ahead of their announcement. In the documentary, The Queen: Duty Before Family?, royal commentator Wesley Kerr said he believes that it did come as a surprise. The palace let it be known that there was surprise that this statement had been issued. I think the queen was rather surprised to be given a public ultimatum, Kerr explained, pointing to the Sussexes request in their statement, that we are going to be different sorts of royals, that we are going to collaborate with the queen, perhaps on our own terms. The queen clearly adores Harry but absolutely refused to be pressurized by him, the documentary narrator noted. There was no way she would accept his conditions. She issued a firm riposte setting out her own position. RELATED: Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Consult with Queen Elizabeth About Leaving the Royal Family? She reportedly had to deal with the situation quickly Despite reportedly being caught off guard, Queen Elizabeth reacted quickly and made certain that the situation was dealt with before anything got out of hand. All of a sudden the queen shocked the world, royal expert Julie Montagu said, noting, coming out and saying hold on a minute, this is complicated, nothing has been decided and we need some time to figure it out. Harrys announcement put his grandmother in a difficult position and his timing could not have been worse, the narrator stated. Royal author Tom Quinn believes that the way the queen handled hashing out the details of the exit plan was helpful in keeping things from blowing up. The queen would have been aware that this was a storm, that if it wasnt dealt with quickly it could blow up into something really damaging, he explained. The queen, with so many years of experience, realized that she had to intervene, Quinn added. She took control by calling a summit to discuss the plan. Her final proposition was ruthlessly clear, the documentarys narrator explained. Harry and Meghan could be in or they could be out. (Natural News) To say that Portland, Ore., is no longer an American city in the true and normal sense is accurate, as it now fallen to the forces of anarchy who will use it as their capital and base of operations. You may recall that in recent months, Portland has devolved into a lawless den of Marxism, as Left-wing Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler has fought harder to impede federal law enforcement officials (and his own cops) that where trying to stop lawbreaking rioters who, recently, even went so far as to try and burn down an elk monument because Black Lives Matter or something. Protests that ostensibly began in response to the George Floyd incident have long since been hijacked by Antifa, BLM, and other anarchists who have spent the past 50-plus days razing security fencing, attacking a federal courthouse, and assaulting police and federal agents. Now, the states enabler Democrats, including Wheeler, both U.S. senators, and the Oregon chapter of the ACLU are waging a multi-tiered campaign not to bring some semblance of order back to Portland but to neuter and expel the only real law enforcement agents in the city. DNYUZ reports: An aggressive federal campaign to suppress unrest in Portland appears to have instead rejuvenated the citys movement, as protesters gathered by the hundreds late Friday and into Saturday morning the largest crowd in weeks. Federal officers at times flooded street corridors with tear gas and shot projectiles from paintball guns, while demonstrators responded by shouting that the officers in fatigues were terrorists and chanting, Whose streets? Our streets. Protesters in Portland have gathered for more than 50 consecutive nights. The aggressive federal campaign isnt just aimed at restoring order in Portland, though that city seems to have become the epicenter of unrest in these politically volatile times. Rather, the federal agencies and law enforcement personnel dispatched there are not members of President Trumps secret police; they are part of a new group established via executive order last month specifically to help protect federal property and monuments. Federal agents in Portland (and elsewhere) are with the Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT), acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced last month, following Trumps executive order. DHS is answering the Presidents call to use our law enforcement personnel across the country to protect our historic landmarks, Wolf said in a statement. 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. In addition, a DHS news release added that the PACT will conduct ongoing assessments of potential civil unrest or destruction and allocate resources to protect people and property. That includes Portland, where the Hatfield Federal Courthouse has been under assault for weeks now. Nevertheless, Wheeler and others dont want federal agents around; they would rather cede their city (and their authority) to the Left-wing mobs pushing for total chaos. I cant recall a single instance where we have had federal, state and local officials all in alignment, saying the presence of federal troops in our city is harmful to our residents, Wheeler told DNYUZ. Well, theyre not troops. Theyre federal law enforcement agents, and they have a right to be on federal property. The ACLU doesnt think so, however. The group (along with the Oregon attorney general) are suing to have federal agents neutered in Portland. 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. These tactics must stop, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum claimed. This is a fight to save our democracy, said Kelly Simon, interim legal director with the ACLU of Oregon. Under the direction of the Trump administration, federal agents are terrorizing the community, risking lives, and brutally attacking protesters demonstrating against police brutality. About those peaceful protests: The Portland Police union in north Portland was broken into and set on fire by antifa rioters. A riot has been declared. pic.twitter.com/kp9JucufA3 Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 19, 2020 Antifa seek violent confrontation w/law enforcement. When they get it, biased media & politicians say police incited violence. After trying to smash their way inside Portland federal courthouse, they call for officers to come out. Video: @ShelbyTalcott pic.twitter.com/CxxnSbCGOz Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 19, 2020 Antifa rioters continue to break the wooden barriers protecting the Portland federal courthouse. They already tore apart the fencing erected around the building. Video by @FromKalen. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/3HFIsaLsgL Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 19, 2020 Antifa started fires in the street outside the Portland police union hall before breaking inside and setting it on fire. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/Ksw1uTp2v1 Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 19, 2020 Sources include: WesternJournal.com WWeek.com DNYUZ.com TORONTO - CEOs representing more than 200 Canadian organizations, including three of Canadas big banks, have signed up to support the BlackNorth Initiative against systemic racism. A list of the signatories was released Monday for an online summit of Canadian business leaders, who have pledged to create conditions to support the success of members of the Black community. The BlackNorth Initiative is led by Wes Hall, executive chairman and founder of Kingsdale Advisors, which advises many of Canadas large publicly traded companies. Anti-Black systemic racism has to end, Hall said. As business leaders, we must be aware that (systemic racism) has a material impact on our business, our Black employees and their families. The summit opened with comments from Hall in an interview-style presentation that was broadcast online from a theatre in Toronto. Hall said that even though he is a successful Black businessman, he and his family cant avoid the effect of systemic racism. I live in a nice neighbourhood and the repairman comes to my house and he would say, Go get Mr. Hall, please, Hall said. Or Im driving to work (and) on a conference call with the chairman of the board of one of my clients and I get pulled over because my car is too nice. Hall said that 2020 could be remembered for what COVID did to us all or as the year that anti-Black systemic racism came to an end in Canada. The goal of the BlackNorth Initiative is to use the same type of collective effort that has been used against the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Halls co-chairs for the summit were Cisco Canadas Rola Dagher, CIBCs Victor Dodig and Fairfax Financials Prem Watsa, who are all chief executives of their organizations. The BlackNorth Initiative lays out goals that include having at least 3.5 per cent of executive and board roles in Canada held by Black leaders by 2025. The push to deal with systemic racism has gained strength in recent months in the wake of demonstrations held across Canada and the United States. The initiative is supported by organizations in a wide variety of industries and the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP), which has 600 members. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. LONDON In an escalation of tensions with China, Britain on Monday suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong to protest a new security law that gives China sweeping powers and is seen by critics as imperiling basic freedoms in the former British colony. The move, announced in Parliament by Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, was prompted directly by fears that anyone extradited to Hong Kong from Britain could be sent on to mainland China with ease. Mr. Raab also announced an extension to Hong Kong of a longstanding arms embargo against China that has been in force since 1989. Both measures underscore a hardening stance among British politicians across the political spectrum over Chinas treatment of Hong Kong, a former colony that returned to Chinese control in 1997, and growing worries about more assertive behavior by Beijing on the global stage. Company is the leader in electronic system visualization software, with applications in multiple industries As part of its 30th anniversary, Concept Engineering, specialists in visualization and debugging technology for electronic circuits and electrical systems, will showcase its industry-leading visualization and debugging solutions at the virtual Design Automation Conference (DAC) Exhibition being held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 20 22, 2020. Each day of the virtual event, from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. PDT, attendees will have an opportunity to explore the technologies that Concept Engineering's team has delivered to smooth visualization and verification in complex system design. Attendees will get an opportunity to learn about: Electronic Design Debugging Tools for Analog, Digital, AMS and SoC Designers Concept's Vision debugging tools, based on the company's leading visualization technology, clearly depicts complex circuit detail, allowing engineers to detect problem sources quickly. Driven by capabilities such as automated logic cone extraction and advanced simulation data annotation, the tools provide debug methods proven to track down core problems quickly and efficiently. The Vision debug tools handle an exceptional range of design abstractions from system, RTL, gate, and transistors, for both analog and digital disciplines, to make SoC platform debug vastly more efficient. Visualization Engines for EDA CAD Tool Development Effective automatic visual system rendering involves complex software algorithms and state-of-the-art ergonomic design. Developing this technology to an effective level requires many years of experience and expertise, characteristic of Concept's R&D team. Today, Concept's award-winning visualization technology is used in many companies' electronic design automation (EDA) and computer-aided design (CAD) tools, through its established OEM partnership program. Tool developers using the technology benefit from the unique design exploration capabilities and from robust APIs for easy integration. Today, more than hundred thousand EDA tools have visualization engines from Concept's embedded. Smart Electrical System Visualization Modern automotive, aerospace, industrial and medical electrical system complexity has mushroomed, creating a major problem for development teams and service operations. Concept's new EEvision platform allows automatic generation of E/E architecture schematic diagrams and wiring harness schematics and accelerates development, manufacturing and service of complex automotive, aerospace, industrial and medical electrical systems. 30 Years of Innovations "We could not have reached this anniversary milestone without the passion and innovative spirit of our staff and the continued support and trust of our customers," said Gerhard Angst, president CEO. "The future of the company will be based on the same key values that have allowed us to be at the forefront of technology and innovation for such a long time." That innovation has accelerated recently inside the company, with new advancements in: Electronic Design Debugging Tools. This includes a new GUI Architecture delivering more flexibility for multi-view applications, several performance and memory optimizations, better support for System Verilog. Visualization Engines for EDA CAD Tool Development. These engines include: Smarter System-level and SoC-level drawing algorithms New comment graphic objects (customizable callout shapes) Improved cloud support (via improved WebAssembly component) Component pins can now have data flow marks Smart Electrical System Visualization that brings easier design import via Microsoft Excel files or via software written in Java, C, Python or Tcl (CreatorAPI). About Concept Engineering Concept Engineering is a privately held company based in Freiburg, Germany, that provides visualization and debugging technology for electronic circuits and systems, including automatic schematic generation technology for all major design levels. The company's technology helps electronic design engineers to easily understand, debug, optimize and document electronic designs. Concept Engineering's software technology is used in many fields in the EDA, automotive and aerospace markets, including RTL development, IP reuse, ASIC, SoC and FPGA design, analog/mixed-signal design, logic synthesis, design verification, test automation, as well as debugging and visualization at the on-board, system, RTL, netlist and transistor levels. EEvision and Concept Engineering are trademarks of Concept Engineering GmbH, in the United States and all other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005131/en/ Contacts: Concept Engineering Gerhard Angst, +49-761-47094-0, info@concept.de, www.concept.de Media contact US: Michelle Clancy, Cayenne Communication (Natural News) Once considered bastions of free speech and expression, Americas college campuses today are no longer zones where students can exchange and debate differing ideas. These days, most colleges and universities are owned by Left-wing Nazi-like authoritarians who dont tolerate any wrongthink that is, ideas and thoughts and expressions that go against Marxist/Socialist dogma. And forget having a sense of humor. As reported by the College Fix, tyrannical administrators at a Pennsylvania liberal arts college suspended a student and actually called the police on him after he reportedly sent an email that made fun of ridiculous demands for a stronger bias response team, whatever that is, and required classes on systemic racism (another phony-baloney Left-wing construct aimed at extracting extra-constitutional privilege for minorities at the expense of white people). The site noted further: Colin Daly also said students cant blame skin color for their problems, which could stem from a lack of personal responsibility, lack of growing up in a stable two-parent household, or a general disinclination for learning of the college variety. The senior wrote the email to the Juniata College community anonymously but accidentally left identifying information on the system he used to distribute his post to all of Juniatas email accounts, according to PennLive. Before school administrators identified Daly as the author of the email, which was dated June 26, they claimed he made physical threats against students (not unlike, say, any unhinged, brainwashed, Left-wing hate-bot who gets triggered by anything a conservative says). Juniata College President James Troha said in a statement that the email contained slurs, hateful language, and intimations of violence directed at members of our community on the basis of their identity. Shortly thereafter, the college put out another statement saying that law enforcement agencies are continuing their own investigations of the matter, which implied that the then-unidentified student (Daly) allegedly broke state and federal lawsby writing an emailtouting personal responsibility. This is the state of higher education in America in 2020. (Related: Anti-Christian domestic terrorists now targeting churches with vandalism, arson.) Last night, members of our community received an offensive and hateful email which violated the values and standards of the Juniata community, leaving many of our community members feeling afraid, angry, vulnerable and unsafe, Troha said, accusing Daly of intimations of violence or something similar. This kind of intolerance and bigotry at Juniata underscores the urgency and commitment with which we must work to achieve the promise of a just and equitable Juniata so that ALL members of our community are made to feel valued and included, Troha added. Why is it that the Left is comfortable with being intolerant and non-inclusive while claiming to be just the opposite during the process of denying ideological opponents their constitutional right to speak and to disagree? Why is Marxist groupthink inclusive but conservative rationale and reasoning is intolerant? How is it that this schmuck can pick a side and not realize or understand that by doing so, hes being an exclusionary hypocrite? Heres another joke: The school is supposedly affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, but it doesnt bill itself as a religious institution. Nor, obviously, do its administrators practice Christian values (equality of speech, equality of thought). Thankfully, rational minds prevailed. PennLive noted that District Attorney Dave Smith said the email didnt rise to the level of terrorist threats or hate crime provisions, though the Left hates it when conservatives confront them over their lunacy. As such, he didnt bother to interview Daly or try to get a search warrant to examine his electronic devices. We can envision Smith looking at the schools complaint and shaking his head in disbelief. Sources include: PennLive.com TheCollegeFix.com Angela Clancy gained a legion of fans on the newly revamped Big Brother, thanks to her sassy nature and tell-it-like-it-is attitude. And on Monday, the 38-year-old reality star was all smiles as she made her way through Sydney Domestic Airport ahead of the show's live grand finale this week. The Perth-based star looked as if she was walking off a photoshoot and was styled to impress in a yellow top and trench coat. Incoming! Big Brother star Angela Clancy, 38, (pictured) was all smiles as she arrived in Sydney ahead of the show's grand finale on Wednesday All glammed up for the occasion, Angela wore a face full of makeup which included red lip gloss, black eye makeup and some light foundation. She completed her look with skin-tight white denim jeans and cream coloured sneakers. The Channel Seven reality star had her hands full, carrying a face mask, bottle of water, a black backpack and headphones. There's no reunion without me! The Perth-based star looked as if she was walking off a photoshoot and was styled to impress in a yellow top and trench coat Angela was the first Perth-based reality star to arrive in Sydney. Fellow cast members Hannah Campbell, Casey Mazzucchelli and Ian Joass are expected to arrive on Monday night. The sighting comes after Angela was spotted leaving a cosmetics laboratory last month. Happy: All glammed up for the occasion, Angela wore a face full of makeup which included red lip gloss, black eye makeup and some light foundation Famous: Angela was the first Perth-based reality star to arrive in Sydney and couldn't wipe the smile off her face with all the attention Speaking to Perth Now last week, Angela revealed her line will be called Angelicious. 'I came up with it [the name] when I was actually in high school, I used to say "I'm fabulous, I'm delicious, I'm Angelicious," she said, noting she also had her nickname trademarked. Since finding fame on the Channel Seven reboot, the mother-of-two is working hard to develop her brand and make it available at cosmetics chains like Sephora. Big Brother's live grand finale will air Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven The World Health Organization on Monday applauded newly published data by researchers at Oxford University and AstraZeneca on a potential coronavirus vaccine but cautioned that it's still early and further evidence of its effectiveness is needed. "It is good news," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's emergencies program, said at a press conference at the organization's Geneva headquarters shortly after the data was published in The Lancet. "In generating T-cell responses and generating neutralizing antibodies, this is a positive result. But again, there is a long way to go. We now need to move into larger-scale real-world trials." The phase one trial had more than 1,000 participants in people ages 18 to 55. The Oxford researchers said the vaccine produced antibodies and killer T-cells to combat the infection that lasted at least two months. The vaccine was also found to be well-tolerated and there were no serious adverse event. Fatigue and headache were the most commonly reported side effects, the researchers said. Other common side effects included pain at the injection site, muscle ache, chills and a fever. "The immune system has two ways of finding and attacking pathogens antibody and T cell responses," Oxford professor Andrew Pollard said in a release earlier in the day. "This vaccine is intended to induce both, so it can attack the virus when it's circulating in the body, as well as attacking infected cells. We hope this means the immune system will remember the virus, so that our vaccine will protect people for an extended period." Despite the findings and the WHO comment, share prices of AstraZeneca were down 3.8% Monday afternoon. Public health officials say there is no returning to "normal" until there is a vaccine. There are no FDA-approved drugs or vaccines for the coronavirus, which has infected more than 14 million people worldwide and killed at least 606,922 as of Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Last week, a top official from the United Nations warned of decades of tragedies if wealthy nations don't help poorer nations fight the coronavirus. Ryan said Monday there are 23 vaccine candidates in clinical development, and until Monday, only one had produced phase one data available in a peer-reviewed journal. Once one of the vaccines are proven effective, the next challenge will be ensuring there are enough doses to distribute globally, he said. He noted "significant challenges and headwinds" to ensure the vaccines are scaled up to be supplied to as many people as possible. "That mechanism as it presently stands is not going to be able to supply a vaccine for everybody on the planet," he said. "We're going to have to priorities who gets what vaccine at the beginning depending on which vaccine becomes available and we're going to have to have some policy and priorities around the best use of those vaccines." He urged more countries to join the Covax initiative, a program intended to ensure that any effective vaccines are fairly distributed around the world. "Part of that does depend on more countries joining in that Covax initiative and the more countries that join in that initiative and share the risk and the benefits of that process, the more likely it is that vaccines can be made available to more people around the world." West Bengal will go in for complete lockdown twice a week beginning July 23 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay announced on Monday afternoon. There will be complete lockdown across the state on Thursday and Saturday this week. Next week, the first lockdown will be clamped on Wednesday (July 29) and the second date will be announced on Monday, he said. In addition to this, the number of beds in hospitals, availability of oxygen, number of safe homes etc is also being increased. We are starting an integrated helpline number from the health department. A dedicated helpline number (033-40902929) for ambulance service in Kolkata is also being opened, Bandopadhyay said. West Bengal on Sunday registered 2,278 new Covid-19 cases and 36 deaths, marking the highest single-day spike on both counts. The total number of Covid-19 cases stood at 42,289 on Sunday. Till now 24,883 people have been cured while 1,112 people have died, said the state governments daily health bulletin. On Saturday, the Bengal government said in a statement that only 13% of the total number of active Covid-19 patients in West Bengal need to be hospitalized. In 88% cases, the patients are turning out to be asymptomatic. They can stay in home quarantine unless their condition deteriorates, the home secretary said on Monday. The home secretary also said that it is suspected that there has been some community spread of the coronavirus. From what scientists and experts have observed it is suspected that there might have been community transmission in a few places, said the home secretary. All banks will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays in West Bengal, a senior official of the state government said on Monday. Banks will henceforth remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays. They will work for five days. Customer services would be provided from 10 am to 2 pm, the senior government official said. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday. Last week, Banerjee had said that she had received requests from banks in this regard. The Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu and the Indian Army on Monday busted a terror funding module of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), on the basis of information received from reliable sources. Initial information revealed that the LeT had activated a module of its members for carrying out terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the Jammu region and in furtherance to this, delivery of funds was to take place in Jammu. On this information, a team of SOG Jammu and Peer Mitha Police apprehended one Mubashir Bhat, son of Farooq Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Sazan Doda. Bhat is a part of the same module and had been tasked by the handlers from across the border to visit Jammu and collect a consignment of hawala money for further use by the terrorists and their supporters. During the search of the person, a bag containing Rs 1.5 lakh was recovered, which was concealed in a tiffin box. During, initial questioning it was revealed that the money was sent by Haroon, a styled commander of LeT from Pakistan to be delivered to the terrorists through their over ground workers in Doda. A case has been registered in Peer Mitha Police Station under section 17, 18, 20, 21, 38 and 40 of UAP Act 1967 and further investigation of the case is going on to unearth its linkages, modus operandi, etc. Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai said that the U.S. has to make "a fundamental choice" as to whether it's ready to live with China in peace and cooperate with the rising power to jointly tackle global challenges. Speaking on CNN's GPS program which aired on Sunday, Cui said "people have to fully recognize the realities of today's world," that there are continuing and ongoing efforts by the Chinese people to modernize our own country and that China certainly has the legitimate right to build itself into "a modernized, strong, prosperous country, like every other country in the world." "The fundamental question for the United States is very simple is the U.S. ready or willing to live with another country with very different culture, very different political and economic systems," said the ambassador in response to a question about whether China has become more assertive and expansionist under Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ambassador Cui Tiankai speaks at an event marking the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in Washington, U.S., June 18, 2019. /Chinese embassy to the United States Speaking about China-U.S. relations under the Trump administration, Cui said China is ready to work with President Trump and his administration to build a "more stable and stronger relation" between the two great powers. Cui said the key for both countries is to identify growing common interests where the two can cooperate for the benefits of the people in both countries, and the world. China hopes the two countries can "do a good job in managing any possible differences between us in a constructive way," he said. Asked whether he was surprised by Trump's sharp criticism of China, Cui said that China is always ready and open to work with the U.S. and that China has confidence in the goodwill of the American people. As countries with great responsibilities, Cui said the two countries have to make policies on common interests and growing global challenges, and they must not "allow suspicion, fear, or even hatred to hijack our foreign policy." Hong Kong "Our policy for Hong Kong is still 'One Country, Two Systems'," Cui stressed in the program in response to a question on whether the newly passed national security law for Hong Kong would harm the city's autonomy. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is intended to safeguard the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, stressed Cui, adding the law will make the city "more secure." If people try to undermine "One Country," they are undermining "Two Systems" as well, he added. "It very clearly defines the kinds of actions that were banned by the law. So if people have no interest in getting themselves involved in such acts, they have nothing to worry about," Cui said. China's aircraft carrier the Liaoning, submarines, vessels and fighter jets take part in a review in the South China Sea, April 12, 2018. /Xinhua South China Sea A day after the fourth anniversary of an international tribunal in The Hague against China's claim of historic rights in the South China Sea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 13 that America rejects most of China's "unlawful" claims over the South China Sea and accused China of a campaign of bullying to control the resources. When asked if China would change course and accept the ruling, Cui said China rejected the "unilateral action" from the beginning and doesn't participate in it. Cui said China's claims to the South China Sea have "very strong historical and legal foundation" but China is still willing to resolve the disputes with other related countries through negotiation. Cui said China is making progress in negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries as both sides are working on the Code of Conduct. He said it is "outside interference" and the U.S. that is destabilizing the region. The U.S. is sending its warships and airplanes more frequently to the region to strengthen its military presence and ironically the U.S. is not yet a contracting party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he added. An appeal for sentencing relief by former Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez, one of five city officials convicted on corruption charges, has been denied by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court found no judicial error in upholding the sentence imposed on Lopez in 2017 by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio. He was sentenced to 97 months, or eight years, in prison. In his appeal, Lopez, 44, had claimed that his sentence was too long, the restitution was too high and that conditions of his supervised release too onerous. Lopez was convicted on June 26, 2017 along with his co-defendant, former City Manager James Jonas, on charges including conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud. Among the main allegations made against Lopez was that he had done favors for and taken bribes from a gambling entrepreneur who wanted to operate an illegal 8-liner operation in Crystal City. Lopez was also accused of defrauding taxpayers of thousands of dollars on unnecessary and frivolous trips, which he was ordered to repay. Lopez was described in the pre-sentencing report as an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more individuals, which increased his sentencing level under federal guidelines. Jonas, a former prominent Republican lobbyist in Austin and Washington who had fallen on hard times, is now serving a 35-year sentence in federal prison. Former city council members Roel Mata, Gilbert Urrabazo and Rogelio Mata, all of whom pleaded guilty to bribery, received sentences of under three years. Located about 140 miles south of San Antonio, Crystal City is a low-income agricultural community that gave rise to the Raza Unida Party in the 1970s. Ireland has been found to be in breach of EU law by the European Court of Justice. (Stock picture) Ireland has been found to be in breach of EU law by the European Court of Justice in an action taken by the EU Commission over the independence of Ireland's maritime accident investigation system. The European Court has now ordered Ireland to pay the costs of the entire action - and a marine expert warned that Ireland must urgently address the fundamental flaw identified. Renowned maritime lawyer, Michael Kingston, who has led the campaign for justice for the Whiddy Island victims, stressed that Ireland had been "shamed" by the judgement which came after multiple warnings that the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) was not truly independent. Mr Kingston lost his father Tim in the 1979 oil tanker disaster - and has been a fearless campaigner for maritime safety. Expand Close Relatives of victims of the Whiddy Island disaster who attended 40th Anniversay event at Abbey Cemetery in Bantry, Co Cork. Photo: Provision / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Relatives of victims of the Whiddy Island disaster who attended 40th Anniversay event at Abbey Cemetery in Bantry, Co Cork. Photo: Provision The EU legal action queried why both Department of Transport and Chief Surveyor officials were nominated on the MCIB board. This was despite the fact the MCIB was a supposedly independent body which could, in instances, have to deal with issues pertaining to both State bodies involved. Mr Kingston warned that, as such, it had enormous implications for Irish safety investigations and regulations which guarantee the protection of Irish emergency services personnel. In the ruling, the European Court of Justice found that: "By failing to provide for an investigative body which is independent in its organisation and decision-making of any party whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted to that investigative body, Ireland has failed to comply with its obligations." Mr Kingston has now written to Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan seeking an urgent meeting. "We are now in the deeply embarrassing and humiliating position on the world stage to have had a judgement entered against our nation by the European Court of Justice," he said. Mr Kingston has also written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris over the issue. "I have been corresponding with the Government since November 2014 to try and rectify these issues and to help our nation protect life and our environment." "I have been ignored." Expand Close London-based Irish solicitor Michael T Kingston / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp London-based Irish solicitor Michael T Kingston Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath queried why Government agencies had not acted on Mr Kingston's advice. "Michael Kingston is a global maritime lawyer. Mr Kingston has advised governments all over Europe and the world, but for some reason the Department will not engage with him. What is wrong? "Is it the case that the prophet is never recognised in his own village? We have people here who are willing and able, have expertise and want to help in the spirit of the Irish meitheal. They want to be good citizens, he said. Mr Kingston warned that a full public inquiry may be required to explain how Ireland mishandled maritime safety regulations - and how Government officials ignored repeated warnings about the need for an independent investigation body. He has also demanded a full apology for the trouble unnamed Government officials caused him with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) because of his backing for the EU Commission action. "We have to act urgently to get our house in order or we are in line for an even broader world humiliation," he warned. "It is a matter of embarrassment and shame for me that the country that I adore is operating like this. "None of this would be happening if the outgoing Government had sat down with me and we turned all this around. But the position was just ignored. There comes a point called stop and we have now reached it. "Maritime safety is basically a matter of life and death and this approach is appalling." UK on edge after Huawei ban angers China Global Times By GT staff reporters Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/19 20:38:40 Last Updated: 2020/7/20 0:30:36 Even though China has not taken any countermeasures, at least publicly, against the UK over its ban on Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its 5G development, many in the UK - from business leaders to scholars - are wary of potential devastating consequences from the move on bilateral ties and on the UK economy, which is already facing what has been described as the worst period in decades. Such anxiety stems from a strong backlash from China, which vows to take "all necessary" measures. It was illustrated by the widespread attention toward media reports of Chinese short video platform TikTok scrapping a massive plan to build a global headquarters in the UK. Businesses and experts on both sides fear that bilateral businesses ties could see further long-term damage due to deteriorating relations. Still, in interviews with the Global Times, some Chinese and UK businesses leaders and scholars argue that the UK left some room for potential change in its handling of the Huawei situation and that talks between the two sides to address the dispute are still possible. Some stressed that the UK will eventually realize the importance of positive engagement with China for its economy in the post-Brexit era and change course, though bilateral ties remain under serious pressure on multiple fronts, including Huawei, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. Deepening anxiety Uneasiness in the UK over the recent diplomatic row was on vivid display over the weekend after the Sunday Times reported that Beijing-based ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, had suspended talks with UK officials over building a headquarters in the UK following the UK's Huawei decision. The Sunday Times report on Sunday, which cited an unnamed source, reported that the Chinese company halted talks over the project that could support 3,000 jobs due to "wider geopolitical contexts," an apparent reference to the Huawei case. ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment as of press time on Sunday. Chinese officials have harshly criticized UK's decision and vowed to take "all necessary measures" to protect Chinese businesses. Though Chinese officials have not announced specific measures, they have stressed that the move has seriously undermined mutual trust and Chinese businesses' confidence in the UK market. In a recent interview with the Times, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming hinted that Chinese investments into the UK could be at risk as Chinese companies are wary of Huawei's treatment by the UK. "In the past 10 years. Chinese investment in the UK increased 20 timesThis is a big opportunity for UK," Liu said, noting that with $20 billion Chinese investment, the UK is the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Europe, according to a transcript published by the embassy on Sunday. "I think UK really missed the opportunities." Beijing's reaction over the UK's decision carries weight. The head of a prominent UK business group said that there was a certain degree of anxiety over bilateral ties and voiced hope that the two sides could "sit down and talk" on the matter. On Friday, the Sunday Times reports Beijing based business leaders were called to a meeting by Chinese government officials where they were warned they could be at risk. "Britain is rejecting Europe and rejecting China at the same time, in a situation where the British economy, as we know, historically has been in long term decline," Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, told the Global Times on Friday, noting that the British economy is in the "worst period in British economic history since before the industrial revolutionthe consequences from rejecting China are going to be extremely serious for Britain." Apart from the massive Chinese investment, China was the UK's second-largest trading partner after the US in 2018, with two-way trade reaching 68.3 billion pounds ($85.78 billion), according to UK official data. Chinese students also contribute at least 1.7 billion pounds a year to UK universities, according to the UK's National Institute of Economic and Social Research, which warned a trade conflict with China could result in a 90 percent fall in UK trade and a 0.75 percent drop in GDP. Room for change? "The fact is that [the UK] is facing a very difficult time because of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and so on we are in a much better place," Chen Fengying, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday. However, Chen said that though China must make its "principled stance" over the Huawei case clear, "we need a much more nuanced, long-term strategy toward the UK" rather than getting into an endless tit-for-tat tussle. "I think the UK understands how important China is. It's just that the US got in the way... but things could change over time," she said, noting that the presidential election results in the US could change the dynamic for China and the UK. In the decision last week, the UK government gave its companies several months until after December to purchase 5G equipment from Huawei and seven years to phase out devices that are already in use. Jacques thinks there is still a lot of uncertainty attached to this situation including the upcoming presidential election in the US, the cost that the UK needs to pay to replace Huawei equipment and whether the replacement can be successful. "Britain needs to have a relationship with China. It needs China, so China needs to consider the situation as a long game," he said. Apart from the reported move by TikTok, there were no other changes of plans reported by Chinese businesses in the UK. Although some expressed concerns, certain business deals are moving forward. Chinese private steel enterprise Jingye Group, which acquired the bankrupt British Steel in March, said that the company's plan to invest 1.2 billion pounds in the UK over the next 10 years is moving forward, the company told the Global Times. However, the risk of long-term damage to bilateral ties and business deals is increased, not just over Huawei but an increasing number of issues, including Hong Kong and the South China Sea, where the UK appears to be keen to join the US and interfere. Commenting on the UK's plan to send an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, Liu warned that it could be "a very dangerous move" and "I don't want to see that the UK would like to gang up with the United States to challenge China's sovereignty and disrupt the stability and tranquility in the region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ford wants to rival Tesla by partnering with Intel's (INTC) autonomous driving unit Mobileye to develop the next-generation driving technology. Yahoo Finance reported that Mobileye continues to "park some big business wins in its garage." Ford is moving away from Microsoft Sync! (Commentary from me, THANK YOU it's about time!). Ford is partnering with Mobileye, an auto tech subsidiary of Intel, for its next generation of advanced driving and safety features. pic.twitter.com/zRJVYclAO1 James Sinko (@JamesSinko) July 20, 2020 Also Read: [VIRAL] Driver Tries Filling His Tesla With Gas in This Funny Video; Here's What You Need to Do if Tesla Run Out of Power The giant car manufacturer, Ford, announced on Monday, July 20, it will be securing a deal with Intel's Mobileye, which will be the supplier of vision sensing technology for the manufacturer's driver assistance systems. Ford vehicles across the globe will have Level 1 and Level 2 autonomous driving systems, which will be supported by the new driving technology. Also Read: Porsche's 3D-Printed Pistons for 911 GT2 RS Exceed Forged Parts: Lighter, Cooler, and More Powerful Although the two giant companies have already worked together since 2018, the partnership will be the first in which Ford will be committing the entire lifecycle of its next-generation cars, including the upcoming F-150 and Mustang Mach-E, to Mobileye's technology. Other technology of Mobileye such as auto high beam lamps, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, active-drive assistant, lane-keeping system, and intelligent-adaptive cruise control, will be integrated into Ford's vehicles. Ford announced in 2017 that it will invest $1 billion in autonomous tech company Argo AI for five years. The German car manufacturer invested $2.6 billion into Argo AI in June as part of its partnership with Volkswagen. Argo's technology will be used by the two companies for their self-driving platforms for vehicles in Europe and the United States. Ford will use Mobileye's "EyeQ" technology CNBC reported that Mobileye's "EyeQ" camera-based detection technologies will be used by Ford as part of the deal, integrating it into the vehicles' features such as pedestrian and cyclist detection and forward collision warning. Ford's upcoming hands-free driving system will also have Mobileye's EyeQ. pic.twitter.com/0gX13CZHxC Mobileye and Ford Announce High-Volume Agreement for ADAS in Global Vehicles: Mobileye, an Intel company, and Ford Motor Company are collaborating on cutting-edge driver-assistance systems across Fords global product lineup. As the chosen supplier of https://t.co/XhBIiesvF8 Rob Kemp (he/him) (@5GRecruiter) July 20, 2020 The financial details for the two companies' partnership were not provided yet. As part of the deal, Ford will be displaying the brand of Mobileye on its vehicle's infotainment screens. Camera-based technology systems are important to avoid car crashes. Mobileye's EyeQ is critical for active safety measures to prevent crashes. It can also enhance driver-assist systems such as General Motors' Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot feature. Also Read: Nissan Ariya is Coming to the US Very Soon With Features Comparable to Tesla Model Y But at a Much Cheaper Price 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (File image: Reuters) Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been admitted to hospital in the capital Riyadh, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder, state news agency SPA said on Monday. The king, who has ruled the world's largest oil exporter and close US ally since 2015, is undergoing medical checks, the agency added, without giving details. After the news, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi postponed a visit scheduled to Saudi Arabia, said Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said. King Salman, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, spent more than 2-1/2 years as the Saudi crown prince and deputy premier from June 2012 before becoming king. He also served as governor of the Riyadh region for more than 50 years. The de facto ruler and next in line to the throne is the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, widely referred to as MbS, who has launched reforms to transform the kingdom's economy and end its "addiction" to oil. The 34-year-old prince, who is popular among many young Saudis, has won praise at home for easing social restrictions in the conservative Muslim kingdom, giving more rights to women and pledging to diversify the economy. To the king's supporters, this boldness at home and abroad was a welcome change after decades of caution, stagnation and dithering. But state control of the media and a crackdown on dissent in the kingdom make it difficult to gauge the extent of domestic enthusiasm. The crown prince's reforms have been accompanied by a purge of top royals and businessmen on charges of corruption, and a costly war in Yemen, which have all unnerved some Western allies and investors. His prestige also suffered a blow after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the hands of Saudi security personnel seen as close to him. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The man believed to be the suspect in the murder of a federal judges son in North Brunswick, N.J., has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a report by ABC7NY.com. A man found dead in Rockland, N.Y., is believed to be the suspect. He is believed to be a disgruntled lawyer, according to media reports. The suspect reportedly was dressed as a FedEx driver when he arrived at the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick at about 5 p.m. Sunday. He killed her son and wounded her husband. Salas husband was a prominent defense attorney. Their son was 20 years old. Salas has presided over several of high-profile trials, including an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company, among other things, failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Ten years ago, Arizona enacted one of the strictest and most contentious immigration measures in the nation the so-called show me your papers law and a generation of young Latinos revolted. Related: Donald Trump has unified America against him | Robert Reich Hundreds of Latino activists and high school students marched through the streets of downtown Phoenix, to protest against a piece of legislation they believed authorized police to discriminate against anybody who looked like them. That was SB 1070. We were optimistic that we could stop [then governor] Jan Brewer from signing that bill, said Raquel Teran, who joined protesters at the state capitol that day. Obviously we didnt, but it showed that we had the capacity to mobilize our communities. Today Teran works in the copper-domed capitol building where she used to protest. She was elected as a Democrat in 2018 to represent a majority-Hispanic district in the Arizona house of representatives. The decade-long backlash to the immigration law, accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, demographic change and population growth, is reshaping the states political landscape, turning one of the last conservative bastions of the south-west into a key place that could determine control of the White House and the Senate. With less than four months until the election, polls show Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ahead of the president in Arizona, a state Trump won in 2016 by fewer than four percentage points, a far narrower margin than past Republican nominees. Then, in 2018, in Novembers midterm elections, young Latino voters cast votes in record numbers, joining white moderates in the suburbs, to elect Kyrsten Sinema the first Democrat to win a US senate seat in Arizona in decades. In this years Arizona Senate race, several surveys have found Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and husband of former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, polling ahead of the Republican incumbent Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat after the death of John McCain in 2018. Story continues Operatives in both parties believe Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric has hurt him in Arizona While Trumps embrace of hardline, anti-immigrant rhetoric seemed to rally his base in the midwest, operatives in both parties believe it has hurt him in Arizona, a border state where many Republicans were trying to move beyond the divisive politics that had tarnished their brand with Latino voters. When lawmakers in 2010 introduced SB 1070, which included a provision requiring law enforcement to determine the immigration status of anyone officers had reasonable suspicion to believe was in the country illegally, the political, economic and cultural backlash was swift. Businesses, sports teams, musicians, even the city of Los Angeles, boycotted the state, and Jon Stewart mocked it as the meth lab of democracy. The law remains in effect, though lawsuits and court rulings curtailed its most controversial elements. There was political overreach from the right, and SB 1070 was the straw that broke the camels back, said Marisa Franco, the co-founder of the social justice advocacy group Mijente. It awakened an electorate thats, I think, more justice-minded. After the death of George Floyd in May, Black Lives Matter protests spread from diverse cities like Phoenix and Tucson to largely white, conservative corners of the state such as Fountain Hills and Kingman. I think its very possible for Arizona to turn not just blue, but even a shade further, Franco said. Theres potential for Arizona to support not just the most moderate Democratic agenda, but go beyond that. Arizona, home to Barry Goldwater, the senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee considered the godfather of modern conservatism in America, has long eluded Democrats. No Democratic presidential candidate has won the state since 1996, and between 2008 and 2018, no Democrat was elected statewide at any level. Now, the Grand Canyon state is a top target for the Biden campaign. In recent years, an influx of new residents from more liberal states like California, and a growing electoral clout of Latinos, have slowly shifted Arizonas political landscape, as its population becomes more diverse and less rural. Yet a key factor driving its competitiveness this cycle are the residents living in the Valleys famous suburban sprawl, who are abandoning the Republican party. SB 1070 turned on this radical element in the Republican party that started pushing out moderates and replacing them with very rabid, Anglo anti-immigrant Republicans, said Arizona congressman Ruben Gallego, who was among the Latino activists swept to elected office in the years after the law went into effect. Now you have a generation of young Latinos who are starting to vote aligning with a new coalition of moderate suburban women. The trick for Democrats, Gallego added, is how to mobilize the young Latinos demanding systemic change without alienating white moderates craving stability and leadership. Another reason for Democratic optimism in the state is the boiling frustration over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic by Trump and Arizonas Republican governor Doug Ducey. Trump with Doug Ducey as the president tours a section of the border wall in June. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP Arizona is facing one of the worst outbreaks in the nation, after the state raced to reopen bars, restaurants and businesses. More than 143,600 people have contracted Covid-19 in Arizona, overwhelming hospitals. Maricopa county, which encompasses Phoenix, has ordered multiple refrigerated trucks as morgues reach capacity. Ducey initially prevented local governments from setting their own coronavirus-related policies but reversed course in mid-June, as cases and hospitalizations rose sharply. In July, he asked the Trump administration to send hundreds of healthcare workers to the state to help. As elsewhere, the pandemic has exacted a disproportionate toll on Arizonas Black, Latino, and Native American residents. In a widely-shared obituary published by the Arizona Republic, a daughter blamed her fathers death from Covid-19 on the carelessness of the politicians who continue to jeopardize the health of brown bodies through a clear lack of leadership. What remains unclear is the extent to which anger will propel Latino voters to cast ballots. In 2016 and 2018, Latinos voted at higher rates than in previous elections but organizers have warned that Democrats must invest more deeply in turning out this critical constituency. Strategists believe the playbook for Democrats to be successful in the state is moderation and an appeal to bipartisanship. In a post-mortem memo drafted after McSallys 2018 loss, her campaign noted that Sinema had hugged McCain tightly, and never once had the word Democrat in a TV advertisement. Stan Barnes, a conservative consultant and former Arizona state senator, said: The only way to win statewide as a Democrat in Arizona is to act like youre not a Democrat. Barnes is skeptical that Republicans are headed for a political reckoning in November. He said Democrats have moved too far left for a state that remains largely in Republican control. Particularly on issues like policing, Barnes said Democrats are at risk of alienating white moderate voters who have historically sided with the law-and-order side of the equation. Trump has staked his candidacy on a message of law and order, despite dramatic shifts away from his views on issues of race and policing in America. In a naked appeal to white suburban voters this week, the president said that a Biden presidency would obliterate their way of life, declaring: Suburbia will be no longer as we know it. I think its very possible for Arizona to turn not just blue, but even a shade further Marisa Franco But in a sign Trump sees a fight in the desert, he has visited the state twice in two months, once in May to tour a plant producing respiratory masks and again for a rally in June, as coronavirus cases rose sharply in the state. Because Latino voters in Arizona tend to overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, whether or not the state will turn blue, really hinges on turnout, said Lisa Sanchez, a political scientist at the University of Arizona. Youd think during the election of Donald Trump, we would have seen even more mobilization, Sanchez said. Youd think all the anti-immigrant anti-Latino rhetoric would have fired people up. Activists have been laying the groundwork for years, led by groups like One Arizona, a coalition of organizations focused on Latino civic engagement that was formed in the wake of SB 1070. Tried and tested methods like voter registration and canvassing helped power Democratic gains in 2018 - and, they hope, will dramatically reshape the electorate in 2020. Our folks were those people that would potentially not vote not because they didnt want to, but because they just simply didnt know how to or there was a language barrier, Liz Zamudio, One Arizonas deputy field director said. Immigration is a priority for many Latino voters in the state but so too are healthcare and education, Zamudio said, especially as the coronavirus devastates their communities and a debate rages over when to return children to schools. Yet organizers and strategists have expressed concern that Democrats are not doing enough to mobilize young Latino voters, particularly in swing states like Arizona, where they could determine the outcome. Josh Ulibarri, a Phoenix-based Democratic pollster, said he has spent the past six weeks surveying voters in Arizona, conducting thousands of interviews from across the state. Ive yet to pull a survey out of a field where I felt comfortable with where we are with Latino voters, he said, adding: I am really worried about enthusiasm. And Im really worried about motivation. Related: Trump's 2020 strategy: paint Joe Biden as a puppet for the 'radical left' In recent weeks, Biden has scaled up his Latino outreach efforts while building out his operation in the state. Priorities USA, the main pro-Biden Super Pac, announced it is investing $24m in a mobilization and vote-by-mail effort targeting Black and Latino voters in key states, including Arizona. For liberal activists in Arizona, a surge in Latino turnout would be the ultimate repudiation of the nativist politics that defined their youths. The success of candidates like Teran in 2018, they say, is a testament to the years they spent building a grassroots movement. Born in Douglas, Arizona, Teran was raised on the Mexican side of the border and crossed into the US every day for school. Alarmed by what she saw as rising hostility to immigrants in her state, Terans first political act was to register Latino voters. Years later, she asked for their vote. Days after winning her seat, Teran was served a lawsuit challenging her citizenship in court. She saw it as a strain of the birther movement, promoted by Trump, that questioned the citizenship of Barack Obama, the nations first black president. The case was dismissed but for Teran and her supporters, it was a reminder of the formidable opposition that still exists in Arizona. Ten years ago I was standing outside the capitol with a megaphone, she said. Now I have a microphone and a seat at the table. A soldier's body cam recorded the dramatic moment the Mexican military came under attack from multiple cartels in western Mexico. Members of the army and National Guard were on a patrol mission of the Michoacan city of Aguililla on Friday when they were met with fire from members of the United Cartels. The military arrested at least five cartel members following the gun battle which left at least one soldier injured. Mexican military respond to fire from the United Cartels during an ambush in Michoacan on Friday which left one soldier injured. At least five members of the cartels were arrested A soldier carries a serviceman on his shoulder to a military helicopter before the wounded troop member was airlifted to a hospital for treatment One of the videos shared on social media showed a soldier standing on the flat bed of a military vehicle while he fired multiple rounds at the cartel fighters. At least three other troop members stood alongside him on the ground firing away. A group of soldiers in the background can be seen seeking cover behind a National Guard pickup truck shooting at the cartel. A second video showed a helicopter landing on an open field before a Mexican soldier placed a wounded military man on his shoulder and carried him to the aircraft. The injured soldier, who was shot in the left arm according to local media outlets, was taken to a hospital. Mexican military helicopter lands in Aguililla, Mexico, to airlift a wounded soldier following Friday's gun battle with the United Cartels - a collective of criminal organizations, including the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel, which banded together to assist the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel in its ongoing battle with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel A wounded soldier waits to be taken to a hospital in Michoacan, Mexico United Cartels formed in October 2019 in response to the ongoing battle the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been involved with the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which then sought and received the military-like backing from the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is known to have a presence in 24 of 32 states in Mexico and reportedly controls at least two-thirds of the drug market in the United States. The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel reportedly ordered an attack on a drug rehabilitation center July 1 which left 27 people dead, including 26 patients. Since December 2006, more than 250,000 people have died as a result of the Mexican government's war on cartels which was launched by then president Felipe Calderon and at times criticized by the current leftist leader, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. As tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain high in the wake of recent border clashes, foreign government officials and international organizations have reiterated their support for political settlement of the conflict based on international law, which includes restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. As Caspian News writes, condemnation of Armenias attacks, which broke out last Sunday when Armenian armed forces opened fire on Azerbaijani positions stationed along the border with Armenia by artillery fire, came from Turkey's Foreign Ministry who blamed Armenia for its aggressive position that hinders peace and stability in the South Caucasus by illegally occupying Azerbaijani lands. "This two-faced attitude of Armenia, which has been illegally occupying Azerbaijani territory for many years, clearly reveals who is the real obstacle to the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus," the ministry said in a press release issued on Thursday, adding that "this approach is the manifestation of a mentality which constructs its identity by solely deriving enmity based on a one-sided interpretation of history and which tries to legitimize its own aggression in contravention of international law." "Armenian authorities need to come to their senses and comprehend, as soon as possible, that they should be part of the solutions, not problems, in the South Caucasus," the ministry said. Tensions between Yerevan and Baku flared up following Armenia's violation of the ceasefire agreement reached in 1994 after four-year full-scale war. The recent border clashes resulted in the deaths of twelve Azerbaijani servicemen, including one general, one colonel and two majors. One civilian was also shot dead after the Armenian forces shelled Azerbaijani villages located near the border. Earlier, Italian parliamentarians denounced Armenia's provocation committed on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and expressed support for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, referring to four United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions passed in 1993 that requires Armenia to immediately withdraw its occupying forces from Azerbaijani lands and return of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands. Along with Italy and other countries, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called on the parties to de-escalate the situation within the framework of international law, and, in particular, the UN Security Council resolutions - 822, 853, 874, and 884. The Ukrainian MFA also voiced support for "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders." Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), as well as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of which Armenia is a member, expressed concerns over the aggravation of the situation and the ceasefire violation, calling the parties of the conflict to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. Contrary to Armenias expectation for resorting to the Article 4 of the CSTO Charter, under which an attack on a member state is designated as an attack against all members, the CSTO did not give it support. In addition, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the largest and most influential international organization of 57 Muslim-majority countries with a population of over 1.8 billion people, condemned Armenia for its attacks and demanded the full and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan under the resolutions and decisions of the OIC and the UN Security Council. The occupation of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region by Armenia came after both nations gained independence following the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991. Armenia kicked off military aggression against Azerbaijan to occupy the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The full-scale war lasted until a ceasefire deal in 1994. As a result of the bloody war, Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The war claimed the lives of 30,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis and displaced one million others from their homeland. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the immediate withdrawal of the occupying forces from Azerbaijani lands and the return of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands. All four legally binding documents go unfulfilled by Armenia to date. Bangladesh has approved the third-phase trial of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, officials said on Monday, as infections continue to rise in the densely-populated South Asian country. Sinovac has been looking for volunteers outside of China as the number of coronavirus cases there has dwindled, said a member of Bangladesh's national technical advisory committee to tackle COVID-19. The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), will conduct the trial that could begin next month. "We have given ethical permission for the trial after reviewing the research protocol," Mahmood Uz Jahan, director of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), told Reuters. "The protocol given to BMRC by ICDDR,B will be applied to 4,200 volunteers. Half of them will get vaccinated." The trial would be conducted in seven COVID-19 hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, an ICDDR,B official said on the condition of anonymity. The country had 204,525 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Sunday, with 2,618 deaths. Sinovac said this month it was starting Phase III trials of its potential coronavirus vaccine in Brazil. A senior Bangladesh health ministry official said the country hoped to get priority in securing the vaccine should it prove effective in the trials. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: Britain inks deals with Pfizer, BioNTech, Valneva Actor Soha Ali Khan has said that her young daughter, Inaaya listens to Kareena Kapoors son Taimur and she tries to copy him, adding that she wants to be faster than him. Inaaya is nine months younger than Taimur. Revealing the equation between the cousins, Soha told Times of India, Inaaya listens to Taimur a lot, she tries to copy whatever he does and wants to be faster than him. As they say, when you have an older sibling, you try and learn faster. Earlier this month, Kareena and her actor husband Saif Ali Khan hosted Soha, her actor- husband Kunal Kemmu and their daughter Inaaya. Sharing a glimpse from the get together, Soha shared a picture of Inaaya and Taimur, dressed as Batman and captioned it, A quiet day at the office #justiceleague #dc. Also Watch | Kareena Kapoor Khan on Taimurs stardom; career after marriage Elaborating on their recent family reunion, Soha told the daily, Both Inaaya and Taimur wanted to be Batman, nobody wanted to be Robin.We want Taimur and Inaaya to spend time with each other, they have to interact with kids their age. Inaaya is two-and-a-half years old and Taimur is just nine months older than her. Under normal circumstances, they would have been going to school and learning from their classmates. But, since thats not possible, we decided to have a family reunion and luckily, we all stay close by. Also read: Deepika Padukone, Prabhas team up for Mahanati directors pan-India sci-fi film Shortly after the nationwide lockdown was lifted May 31, Inaaya, Soha, and her husband Kunal Kemmu went around to Saif and Kareenas house. They were photographed arriving by the paparazzi. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Your browser does not support the audio element. Restarting Vietnam's nuclear power projects, which have been suspended since 2016 for economic reasons, is one of the options to be considered as the country seeks to ensure energy security after 2035. The Institute of Energy, on behalf of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, is drafting a master plan for the countrys electricity development between 2021 and 2030, looking toward 2045. The draft master plan aims to raise the proportion of renewable energy sources, increase energy imports, and connect electrical grids with neighboring countries. The restart of post-2035 nuclear power projects is also on the table. Their volumes are expected to reach 1,000 megawatts (MWs) by 2040 and 5,000 MWs by 2045. A member of the drafting team told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the scenario for the development of nuclear power is put forward for consideration since the National Assembly has yet to rule out this source of energy completely. In 2016, the lawmaking body voted to scrap plans to build two multibillion-dollar nuclear power plants with Russia and Japan, after government officials cited lower demand forecasts, rising costs, and safety concerns. The decision, it said, was taken for economic reasons. An official looks at a planning map for the Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam in a file photo taken in 2014. Photo: Minh Tran / Tuoi Tre Some industry insiders, such as Vietnam Energy Association chairman Tran Viet Ngai, considered the proposal to restart nuclear power projects as an important, necessary option. Ngai said it already took seven years to carry out an unfinished nuclear power project in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan. Site clearance and compensation for the project were completed and technical issues had been resolved while Vietnam also negotiated with Russian and Japanese partners to seek funding. Ngai said nuclear power is a stable power supply that is economically competitive and environmentally friendly thanks to less carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power technology gets increasingly better while safety technology and standards improve in many industrialized countries. He noted if primary sources of energy no longer keep up with demand, the development of nuclear power will become inevitable. Nuclear power is poised to safeguard Vietnams energy security to a certain extent after 2035 and satisfy requirements for greenhouse gas emissions, according to the chairman. He suggested restarting and maintaining the current status of the two nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan Province, further training officers and engineers responsible for their operations, and completing procedures for the re-approval of the projects. Echoing this view, Nguyen Manh Hien, former director at the Institute of Energy and a member of the 2021-30 energy master plan drafting team, said nuclear power could help handle major power incidents, ensure safety, and operate the electricity system in a sustainable manner. Experts from Russia, Japan, and South Korea working with their Vietnamese peers commented that one of the nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan Province had fulfilled technical and safety criteria, according to Hien. He proposed the area of land previously zoned for the nuclear power plant continues to be reserved in case the project is restarted. Meanwhile, former Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan stressed the need to make proper preparations as soon as possible so that Vietnamese workers can master nuclear power technologies. If we were to carry out the 1,000-MW initial [nuclear power] project in the year 2035, it would be difficult to implement it without restarting relevant projects right now. Fifteen years to develop nuclear power is a very short period because we will completely depend on foreign countries, said Quan. Infrastructure, manpower training, and a regulatory framework for nuclear power must be on the to-do list, he pointed out. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By Paul R. Pillar July 20, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - A series of violent attacks, involving explosions and fires, has been hitting Iran. The incidents have been too frequent and intense to be random accidents. They are part of an organized effort. Caution is always advisable in attributing responsibility for such unclaimed acts, especially for all of us outside the government channels that possibly have better information about what is going on. But circumstances point strongly, as some mainstream press reporting reflects, to either or both of two suspects: the Netanyahu government in Israel, and the Trump administration in the United States. Both of those suspects have track records that point that same way. The most conspicuous relevant act by the Trump administration was its assassination in January, with a drone-fired missile at the Baghdad airport, of Qassem Soleimani, one of the most prominent political and military figures in Iran. The Israeli record of aggressive acts against Iran has included a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. Those murders were part of a larger, longstanding Israeli campaign of assassinations throughout the Middle East. That campaign is in turn part of an even larger Israeli record of acts throughout the region including, over the past couple of years, scores of aerial attacks in Syria. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Neither the Israeli government nor the Trump administration has formally declared war against Iran, but the rhetoric of each has stopped only slightly short of such a declaration. The Trump administration has made clear its intention to inflict as much pain as possible on Iran, including but not limited to economic sanctions. The Netanyahu governments voluminous rhetoric on Iran has been every bit as hostile as what has come out of Washington, or as what has come in the opposite direction from Tehran. Make no mistake about what is going on. This is not a set of actions short of war, as some would put it. It is war. We certainly should worry about escalation of the conflict into something so big that everyone would call it war. But that does not make what already has transpired anything less than acts of war. In this regard, do not be deceived by the Iranian regimes downplaying of the recent attacks and its restraint so far regarding retaliation. A date circled on Iranian policymakers calendars is January 20, 2021. The Iranians can read American polls, and the dominant thread at the moment in Iranian thinking about security policy is to tough it out until there is regime change in Washington. Iranian leaders dont want to be suckered into the sort of October or July surprise that would generate a rally-round-the-flag effect in America and could rescue Donald Trumps fading re-election chances, although they realize the restraint does risk making them appear weak. No justification for the war Although the current war has not been formally declared, it ought to be assessed by the same standards as one that has. Per international law and the United Nations Charter, war would be justified only in self-defense, as a response to, or possibly pre-emption of, an attack in the other direction. That is not the current circumstance with Iran. There is no sign that Iran is about to attack either Israel or the United States. Given that Iran would be hopelessly outclassed militarily against either of those foes, it would be foolish for Iranian leaders to contemplate such an attack. Nor does self-defense come into play when considering proxies or other asymmetric means through which Iran might want to impose its will. A salient aspect of the large amount of ordnance that Israel has been flying across the border and dropping on targets in Syria many of those targets reportedly connected to Syrias ally Iran is how there has been almost no ordnance crossing the border in the other direction, other than an odd air defense missile or two. The weakness of any U.S. case based on self-defense was underscored by the confused official justifications for the killing of Soleimani. Hints dropped publicly about pre-empting a supposedly imminent Iranian attack never led to any evidence to that effect. In the end, the U.S. administrations rationale rested mainly on Soleimanis past role in supporting Iraqi militia operations that incurred American casualties during fighting in Iraq. That fighting was a direct result of an offensive war an act of aggression that the United States launched in 2003. Irans nuclear program has been a focus of attention in recent years, and one of the most publicized of the recent attacks on Iran was at the nuclear facility at Natanz. But the multilateral agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which placed severe restrictions on the Iranian program, did a far better job of keeping a possible Iranian nuclear weapon out of reach than anything the Trump administration has done since reneging on the agreement two years ago, after which Iran accelerated its nuclear activity. As Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute of Strategic Studies observes, the JCPOA did a better job in that regard than attacks such as the one on Natanz. The attacks also do nothing to deter aggressive or otherwise undesirable Iranian actions. Deterrence requires conditionality: pain is inflicted after bad behavior and avoided after good behavior. But the U.S. and Israeli governments seem determined to inflict pain no matter what Iran does as underscored by the Trump administrations reneging on the JCPOA and launching its maximum pressure campaign even though Iran was fully complying with its obligations under the agreement. Iran is being given an incentive only to retaliate, not to behave well. Eventual retaliation, despite Tehrans relative restraint so far, is one of the risks of the current undeclared war. Escalation into something bigger and more destructive is another risk. Even without such escalation, the current campaign extends indefinitely one of the fronts in Americas forever war in the Middle East. Nor is any good coming out of the attacks in terms of weakening Iran or shifting a regional balance of power in Americas favor. Instead, it strengthens Irans reasons to find support from and in so doing foster the influence of the likes of Russia and China. Israeli objectives To the extent the Trump administration is condoning, turning a blind eye toward, or even colluding with Israeli attacks on Iran, this is bad news for U.S. interests. U.S. interests are different from those of Israel, and even more different from those of the current Netanyahu-led government. That government has an interest in perpetuating high tension with Iran to keep Iran as a bete noire blamable for all the ills of the Middle East, to preclude any rapprochement between Washington and Tehran, to promote Israeli relations with the Gulf Arab states, and to distract attention from issues that bring international scrutiny and criticism on Israel. At the moment, Netanyahus incentives in this regard are stronger than ever, which may help to explain the timing of the recent wave of attacks. The distraction value of stoking the conflict with Iran has increased as Netanyahu contemplates formal annexation of parts of the West Bank and the international condemnation that will come with it. Netanyahu also, like the Iranians, is aware of the U.S. electoral calendar and American opinion polls. He may see the next few months as an optimal and limited time for stirring the regional pot even more than Israel has in the past, while his friend Donald Trump is still in power. To the extent the stirring helps his friends re-election chances, so much the better from his point of view. Netanyahu is unlikely to be worrying about escalation into a bigger war, which would serve his purposes even more dramatically. Goading Iran into retaliating in a way that would spark such a war may have been one of the objectives of the recent attacks. And it would not be Netanyahus job to count any ensuing American casualties. Has Halle Berry dipped her toe back in the dating world? Or is she just playing footsie with her fans... The movie star posted an intriguing post to her Instagram account on Sunday, which appeared to show her feet entwined with another man's, prompting fevered speculation among her 6.3 million followers. Fans were quick to respond with excitement over the possibility of Halle, 53, finding a new boyfriend as she captioned the post 'sunday funday' alongside a heart emoji. Footsie: Halle Berry teases mystery romance with a new man... as she drives fans wild with an intriguing post Instagram on Sunday One fan wrote: 'Very nice, glad you found someone for you Miss Halle Berry.' While another said: 'Get it girl!' The compliments continued: 'Yessss enjoy that Sunday @halleberry ... now you're gonna have everyone curious loll...' In 2017, Halle enjoyed a brief fling with 37-year-old music producer Alex Da Kid which lasted around six months. New romance? Halle, 53, has certainly got her fans talking about her love life (pictured above last year in May) Following reports that she'd split with Alex in December 2017, Halle took to Instagram Stories with a message that read "Done with love" alongside a picture of black rope made into the shape of a heart. Her last serious relationship was with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, who she split with in October 2015 after two years of marriage. The former couple agreed to share physical and legal custody of their six-year-old son Maceo. The Catwoman star also has a 12-year-old daughter, Nahla, from her previous relationship with model Gabriel Aubry. FARMINGTON, N.M., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While at a wholistic fair to promote her two other books about the healing benefits of trees, author and Reiki Master Margaret Cheasebro began to ponder the idea of her latest book based on a suggestion of one of her artist friends. The question, If I Were a Tree, What Would I Be? which is also the title of her new childrens story, made Cheasebro ponder this thought and think, If I were a tree, I would be your friend. If I Were a Tree, What Would I Be? promotes the value and importance of trees and allows children who have always felt connected to nature realize they are not alone in their love for trees, flowers, rivers and other forms of nature. The story features Katie and Francisco, two children who love trees and meet under a huge cottonwood in a meadow where they discover each of them can hear the trees with their hearts. The children learn how wise the cottonwood is and hear its loving message about what to do when they are bullied as well as learn how to stay grounded and focused in school. In return for the trees wisdom, Katie and Francisco find ways to help the cottonwood stay healthy. It is my hope that this book will highlight how natural, joyful and healing it can be to spend time around trees, said Cheasebro. I also want people who have meaningful connections with trees to know it is not unusual or strange to have such experiences. Through her experience with Reiki and as a former elementary school counselor, Cheasebros book will help children and readers of all ages connect with trees in healthy ways. It will help to build a friendship between them, help them hear the trees with their hearts, and have a deeper appreciation for nature. To learn more about the book please visit, www.IfIWereaTreeWhatWouldIBe.com. If I Were a Tree, What Would I Be? By Margaret Cheasebro ISBN: 978-1-9822-4009-7 (sc); 978-1-9822-4010-3 (e) Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Balboa Press About the Author Margaret Cheasebro has always loved writing. In addition to If I Were a Tree, What Would I Be? she has authored The Healing Tree, and Healing with Trees: Finding a Path to Wholeness and is currently working on three separate books about each level of Reiki. She is a Reiki Master and received a PhD in metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Theology. Cheasebro also received a bachelor of arts in humanities with an English emphasis and a masters degree in psychology, counseling, and guidance. She was an elementary school counselor for 17 years and went into journalism for 14 years. Now retired, Cheasebro writes articles for regional magazines and writes books on subjects that appeal to her. She enjoys providing energy-based healing and relaxation techniques to others. Cheasebro currently resides in Farmington, New Mexico. To learn more please visit, www.margaretcheasebro.com. Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc. a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 877-407-4847 today. Attachment 07/20/2020 Photo (c) elenaleonova - Getty Images Delta Air Lines is getting tough about wearing face coverings. Its now requiring any passenger who can't wear a mask because of health reasons -- which are few and far between -- to have a medical screening. On top of that, the airline asks those travelers to consider not flying at all until the COVID-19 pandemic is over and done with. Less than a month ago, Delta established a face covering requirement for all passengers. If they don't go along with the airlines request, its possible they could be banned from future flights altogether. Ed Bastian, Deltas CEO, sent a memo to employees in June that the airline was serious about the situation and had already "banned some passengers from future travel on Delta for refusing to wear masks on board." "We encourage customers who are prevented from wearing a mask due to a health condition to reconsider travel," Delta stated. "If they decide to travel, they will be welcome to fly upon completing a virtual consultation prior to departure at the airport to ensure everyone's safety, because nothing is more important." The screening process The first part of the process to be cleared for a maskless flight is to get to the airport at least an hour earlier than normal. That means if you have a 9 a.m. flight, you would normally have to be at the airport by 8 a.m. which means, in this situation, you need to be at the airport by 7 a.m. To speed things along, Delta has partnered with STAT-MD to conduct virtual consultations over the phone. Delta has a long-standing relationship with STAT-MD, mostly to discuss how to handle inflight emergencies. STAT-MD is staffed around the clock, so a passenger in need of a consult wont be forced to wait forever. Depending on how the screening turns out, Delta will use the results to determine whether the passenger can or cannot fly without a mask. If a traveler thinks their freedom is being infringed upon by Deltas mask policy, they might have a difficult time finding another way to get where theyre going. In an all-in move in mid-June, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines all agreed on a sweeping, uniform, health mask policy. London, July 20 : Beijing-based unicorn ByteDance, the parent company of short video-sharing app TikTok, has reportedly suspended talks about opening a global headquarters in London. After months of negotiations with the UK's Department for International Trade and No 10 officials, ByteDance has halted the talks due to the "wider geopolitical context", according to a report in The Sunday Times, citing a source. The news comes barely a week after the UK government announced a ban on the purchase of new Huawei kits for 5G from next year and said that the Chinese telecom giant's equipment will be completely removed from 5G networks by the end of 2027. It is feared that the move could lead to strong reactions from China, threatening the start of a tit-for-tat trade war between the two countries. TikTok is looking to open a new global headquarters for its business outside China after security experts flagged its data sharing practices and its alleged ties with the Chinese state. The video-sharing platform has denied these allegations. TikTok was one of the 59 Chinese apps that India banned on June 29. The Donald Trump administration in the US is also considering a ban on TikTok. TikTok suspending the talks to open the London headquarters has also threatened the creation of 3,000 new jobs, in addition to the near 800 employed by the platform, The Guardian reported. Officials have been ordered to find imaginative ways to ban terrorists from bringing legal challenges at the taxpayers expense in the wake of Shamima Begums court victory, the Mail can reveal. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has told civil servants to come up with proposals to restrict legal aid for terrorists who bring challenges in the civil courts, such as under immigration or citizenship law. It comes after Boris Johnson described 20-year-old Begums taxpayer-funded fight to return to Britain five years after she fled to join Islamic State as perverse. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (pictured) has told civil servants to come up with proposals to restrict legal aid for terrorists who bring challenges in the civil courts, such as under immigration or citizenship law A Ministry of Justice source said: The Justice Secretary wants officials to be imaginative in the way in which it might be possible to restrict legal aid in cases such as this. Clearly, this could not apply to criminal cases because they have the right to a fair trial. But in civil matters such as immigration and citizenship its a different matter, especially if they are not British citizens. Robert is unhappy that a foreign national as Begum is after being stripped of her British citizenship can access legal aid to bring a challenge in this country at the taxpayers expense. Why should someone who is considered a national security risk have their legal bills picked up by the taxpayer? He believes that something like this does not pass the smell test. Mr Johnson said: It seems to me to be at least odd and perverse that somebody can be entitled to legal aid when they are not only outside the country, but have had their citizenship deprived for the protection of national security. It comes after Boris Johnson described 20-year-old Begums (pictured) taxpayer-funded fight to return to Britain five years after she fled to join Islamic State as perverse That, amongst other things, we will be looking at. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he added: What we are looking at is whether there are some ways in which judicial review does indeed go too far or does indeed have perverse consequences that were not perhaps envisaged when the tradition of judicial review began. Begum, now 20, was one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join so-called Islamic State in February 2015, and lived under IS rule for more than three years. She was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp last year, prompting then home secretary Sajid Javid to revoke her British citizenship. She has since brought a series of legal challenges to overturn the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and the Court of Appeal, which on Thursday ruled she could return to mount yet another attempt. Begum was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp last year, prompting then home secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) to revoke her British citizenship In mid-June her legal aid bill was already at 14,500, and was expected to grow significantly with the cost of the latest hearings. Earlier this year the families of IRA victims who had to battle for years to get taxpayer help with their legal bills said it was an outrage that the Begum was receiving public funding. Judith Jenkins, the widow of Hyde Park bombing victim Jeffrey Young, said at the time: Its outrageous she can have it when people within this country cant get it. She has joined a terrorist organisation and left the country and she gets legal aid. Mark Tipper, whose brother Trooper Simon Tipper, 19, was killed as he rode through Hyde Park, said in April: This woman left this country and joined a terrorist organisation. Now she wants to come back again and regain her UK citizenship, how come she is entitled to legal aid when we families had to spend years fighting for it? After securing deals with pharmaceutical companies to purchase more than 90 million shots of promising COVID-19 vaccines, the National Health Service (NHS) urge the public to sign up to its new website for potential volunteers for coronavirus studies. The NHS aims to gather 500,000 participants until October. It says that if thousands sign up, it will help scientists and researchers better understand each vaccine's effectiveness and speed up efforts to discover a safe and workable one. According to Mirror, Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced on Monday, June 20, that the government had sealed partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies that currently develop new vaccines against the coronavirus. The NHS has secured early access to vaccines being developed by Valneva as well as the BioNTech-Pfizer partnership. Also, the government secured neutralizing antibodies against coronavirus from AstraZeneca to protect people who cannot obtain the vaccines, which include cancer patients and those with weak immune systems. These new contracts will add to the 100 million doses of the vaccines being developed by Oxford University and Imperial College London. Human trials for both vaccines began in June, whereas Oxford scientists are expected to publish their trial results on the Lancet medical journal. These vaccine deals would give Wales, England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland enough doses of vaccines for priority groups such as social and health care workers as well as high-risk patients. NHS' Test and Trace breaks data protection laws The NHS seeks to encourage 500,000 people to sign up with its website until October. However, the Mirror reported that UK's Test and Trace system had breached the data protection laws. A campaign group claims that the government did not perform a key assessment before launching the website, the mass data-gathering system--admitted by the Department of Health. The Open Rights Group (ORG) said such admission confirms a breach of Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulations, which was agreed upon across the European Union in 2016. The group also claimed the program is illegal since its launch on May 28. People who signed up for the Test and Trace website will provide highly personal details such as names, addresses, and people whom they had close contact with. The system then tracks down those who recently got in contact with people who tested positive for coronavirus. They will be asked to isolate for 14 days. "The reckless behavior of this Government is ignoring a vital and legally required safety step known as the Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has endangered public health," said ORG Executive Director Jim Killock. He also demanded the government to have emergency resolutions after companies "shared patient data on social media." The health department insisted that the Test and Trace program went through numerous data protection impact assessments (DPIAs). However, to ensure all aspects of the scheme are comprehensively covered, authorities admitted that "further work is required," and they are currently "consolidating" these DPIAs. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted people's data provided on the website had not been breached or illegally used. Read also: Several Scientists Debunk Claims Mutation Makes Coronavirus More Dangerous 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. KRASNOYARSK, Russia -- The mayor of the Russian Arctic city of Norilsk, who was charged with negligence over his response to a spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into local waterways in late May, has resigned. Rinat Akhmetchin, who had been Norilsk's mayor since September 2017, announced his resignation on July 20 after the governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, Aleksandr Uss, criticized his handling of issues such as the spill and the coronavirus outbreak. Russia's Investigative Committee opened a probe against Akhmetchin, 55, in June after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel leaked from a tank at a power plant near Norilsk on May 29. Akhmetchin was accused of failing to coordinate and organize emergency measures to contain and control fallout from the leakage. The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, which said the leak was caused when pillars supporting a storage tank sank due to thawing permafrost soil. The Prosecutor-General's Office has also issued preliminary findings revealing that sagging ground helped trigger the disaster. Akhmetchin faces up to six months in prison if convicted. Four managers at the power station were arrested on suspicion of violating environmental-protection rules. They are suspected of having continued to use an unsafe fuel-storage tank that had needed repairs since 2018. President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after the extent of the spill became known and Norilsk Nickel has since promised to pay for the costs of the cleanup, estimated at 10 billion rubles ($145 million). Norilsk Nickel is owned by Russia's richest man, Vladimir Potanin. The company denies allegations that management hushed up and downplayed the scale of the disaster for at least two days. Results of the study on the different drugs that helped reduced COVID-19 deaths were published. Only one out of three drugs is proven to be effective. In this time of the global pandemic, people around must be updated about what drugs work and what don't. Fresh and new studies that are done using the scientific method with empirical analysis will give reliable results. On Friday, British researchers published the result of their study. It shows that only the cheap steroid called dexamethasone has shown improvement to COVID-19 patients. The other two studies found out that the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine does not help patients with only mild symptoms. Before studies were conducted about drugs that help treat COVID-19 patients, some doctors and patients tried therapies on their own or through a host of studies not strong enough or do not have enough evidence to give clear answers. That includes the use of hydroxychloroquine which is used by other countries to treat COVID-19 patients. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Clifford Lane of the National Institutes of Health wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine that there will need to have fewer or inconclusive studies for the field to move forward. They also added that for the patients' outcomes to improve. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Bach, a health policy expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said that it is now the time to do more studies comparing treatments and testing combinations. Here are the results of the three drugs tested: Dexamethasone This type of steroid is widely used to tamp down inflammation. The use of Dexamethasone which was treated to the COVID-19 patients was proven to be effective. Around 2,104 patients were given the drug while 4.321 patients were getting the usual care. The dug reduced COVID-19 deaths among the patients who were taking the drugs by 36 percent. These are patients who need ventilators to support their breathing. Additionally, 29 percent of those who were treated using the drug died compared to the 41 percent who died while given usual care. This means that it reduced the death rate of COVID-19 patients who needed ventilators by 18 percent. When the drug was compared to other drugs, it was found out that its death rate is 23 percent while other drugs have recorded 26 percent. However, the study found out that this drug is harmful if given at the earlier stages of those with milder cases. Dr. Fauci and Lane wrote that the clarity of who does and does not benefit from the steroid will be based on how many lives saved. Hydroxychloroquine The same study was conducted rigorously using the drug. It was found out that the drug did not help COVID-19 patients. In fact, in the previous research of The Lancet, almost 10,000 out of over 14,000 COVID-19 patients died after taking the anti-malarial drug. In the recent Oxford study conducted, it was found out that 25.7 percent died compared to 23.5 percent to those who were given usual care. It is suspected that the small difference could have occurred by chance. Researchers published that the drug may harm the patients. Remdesivir Memorial Sloan Kettering's Bach said that the drug needs to be tested in combination with dexamethasone. He also said that the role of remdesivir in severe COVID-19 patients is what they need t figure out. Even though, this is the only other therapy that is proven to help COVID-19 patients. Researchers are very eager to see how many patients received other drugs such as steroids and hydroxychloroquine. Moreover, Gilead, the maker of remdesivir, is now making an inhaled version of the drug to be tried to less ill COVID-19 patients to try to keep them from getting sick and to avoid hospitalization. Check these out! The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Mr Alhassan Tampuli has commended consumers for their active participation in the success of the Cylinder Recirculation Model policy. The NPA as part of the roadmap for the final implementation of the program has had consultations with almost every important interest group from across the regions and collated views which have been incorporated into the program. Mr. Tampuli said at a stakeholder engagement at Yendi in the Northern Region while observing the COVID-19 safety protocols that the policy has been designed with the consumer in mind According to him, the issue of petroleum safety is strictly going to be enforced once the process fully takes effect; adding that his outfit will create the necessary environment to ensure the concept of local content is also kept. You dont need any huge amount to participate in the program, he said, adding you just need a 40 footer container with the necessary safety measures (to be certified by the NPA) to play a role in the process. Chairman of the implementation Committee and head of the AOMC, Kweku Agyeman Duah, said that they are determined to push through in spite of the challenges associated with the pilots. These challenges are the reasons we do pilots, they help us identify the mistakes and fix them, he noted. Due to the programs enormous job prospects for the future, Mr. Agyeman Duah advised the young people in Yendi to actively participate in the process. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Functional forces in Quang Nam Province inspect a residential area in Dien Ban Town to search for illegal Chinese immigrants, July 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Dai Quyen. 21 Chinese nationals who snuck into Vietnam illegally have been traced and quarantined under Covid-19 protocol by authorities in central Vietnam. Acting on tip-offs from locals, law enforcement personnel in Dien Ban Town, Quang Nam Province inspected a residential area in Dien Duong Ward on Saturday. They found a group of Chinese people staying there illegally. The illegal immigrants fled as they were approached, but four were caught on the spot and 17 others later in the provinces Hoi An Town. All 21 have been quarantined at a military facility in Tam Ky Town and their samples taken for Covid-19 testing. Colonel Le Chi Cuong, head of the immigration management division of Quang Nams Police Department, said they are still on the lookout to see if there are more illegal Chinese immigrants left in the province who need to be quarantined and tested. "Its still not clear how these Chinese nationals got into Vietnam. We have focused on quarantining and testing them first. We will investigate the case further," he said. A Hoi An official said the people had possibly sneaked into Vietnam via small paths along the border between Vietnam and China, and that they had come to work illegally in Hoi An Town. Nguyen Van Hai, director of Quang Nam's Health Department, said Sunday afternoon that samples from the 21 Chinese people showed they are negative for the novel coronavirus. "They will continue to be quarantined and then be sent back to China." Vietnams Covid-19 prevention protocol requires all people entering the country from abroad to stay in mandatory quarantine for 14 days, during which they will be tested for the virus several times. The quarantining and testing are free for both locals and foreigners. As of Sunday, the nation has gone 94 days without detecting a single case of Covid-19 infection caused by community transmission. Of the 383 Covid-19 cases recorded so far, 26 are active patients as 357 have recovered. A majority of the cases, 243, have been imported patients who returned or came to the country from foreign countries. A man accused of trying to run over a Colorado State Patrol trooper during a chase Thursday on U.S. 24 east of Colorado Springs has been arres CHICAGO - The war of words between Chicagos mayor and President Donald Trump escalated Monday after a weekend when 12 were killed in the city and dozens injured by gunfire, with Lori Lightfoot rejecting any suggestion federal law enforcement officers should be dispatched to the city and Trump all but promising to send them. In a letter sent to the president on Monday, Lightfoot said the deployment of secret, federal agents who arrest, and detain residents without any cause is a bad idea and urged the president not to do it. Lightfoot, a frequent Trump critic, slammed the president in the letter for unhelpful rhetoric and detailed ways the federal government could help the city to reduce violence, including gun safety reform, public safety support, community outreach and community investment. The Trump administration sent federal officers in Portland, Oregon, after weeks of protests there over police brutality and racial injustice that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Oregons governor and Portlands mayor have expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents, saying that the citys protests had started to ease just as the federal agents started taking action. However, Trump, framing such protests in the nations large cities as a failure by liberal Democrats who run them, praised the officers actions and said he was looking to send agents to other cities. He pointed to rising gun violence in the nations third-largest city, where more than 63 people were shot, 12 fatally, over the weekend. How about Chicago? Would you say they need help after this weekend? Trump told reporters at the White House. You know the numbers that you hear, the numbers? Many, many shot. Many, many killed. Reasonable local police officials, including our superintendent, know that it is a dangerous road for us to go down, Lightfoot said late Monday in an interview on MSNBC. ``We are not going to have people who dont know our streets dont know our neighbourhoods and then who are engaging in clearly unconstitutional conduct operating at will in our city. Lightfoot, a former assistant U.S. attorney, said she is prepared to file a lawsuit to block efforts to place federal agents not under the direction of Chicago police in the city. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois rejected any deployment of federal forces in Chicago, vowing to hold the Trump administration and any such federal forces accountable for unconstitutional actions. None of the weekend shootings were connected to a Friday night protest where people marching against police brutality and racial injustice tried to topple a statue of Christopher Columbus, and Trump did not specifically reference that. Video shows officers using batons to beat protesters, some of whom threw fireworks, pieces of pipe and frozen bottles of water at police. Were going to have more federal law enforcement, that I can tell you, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Trumps comments about Chicago come after the president of the local police officers union wrote him a letter asking for help from the federal government to help combat gun violence. The city has seen 414 homicides this year, compared with 275 during the same period last year. Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, a vocal supporter of Trump, called Lightfoot a complete failure who is either unwilling or unable to maintain law and order, but did not say what kind of help he was asking for or whether he wants federal troops to be sent to the city. Lightfoot in turn called Catanzara ``an unhinged leader of the Fraternal Order of Police who is craven and trying to get attention. Trumps comments Monday were not the first time he has made disparaging comments about Chicago leaders, and what he says is their inability to control violence. Just last month, Trump sent a letter criticizing Lightfoot and Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for a lack of leadership in stemming gun violence. Lightfoot dismissed Trumps letter as a litany of nonsense. As for the protest Friday night, more than 20 complaints have been filed against police, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. They included claims of excessive force and unnecessary use of pepper spray. The agency is also investigating video of an officer striking 18-year-old Miracle Boyd, an activist who says at least one of her teeth was knocked out. Lightfoot also said video had surfaced showing a small group of people had broken off from marching protesters, changed into black clothes and, using umbrellas to shield themselves from view, threw the items at police. Thats not peaceful protest, thats anarchy and we are going to put that down, she said. Police Superintendent David Brown said 49 officers were injured, 18 of whom required hospital treatment. Peaceful demonstrations have been hijacked by organized mobs, said Brown, adding that he will order officers to wear any and all protective gear at protests. __ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this story from Washington. This month, environmentalists celebrated setbacks to three major oil and gas pipelines, nearly a decade after the protests against the Keystone XL pipeline began. Yet what goes around can come around. Legal strategies that have derailed pipelines can also be turned against clean energy projects urgently needed to combat climate change. The path forward is not to gut the environmental review process, as President Trump proposed last week. Rather, the government must make the permitting process work better if it is to quickly develop renewable energy projects and improve the grid infrastructure while upholding the nations landmark environmental laws. This is especially important now. With no time to delay in combating climate change, and the economy in need of a boost, we need large government investment in clean energy infrastructure from electric car charging to mass transit and rail, as former Vice President Joe Biden proposed last week. The three pipeline cases followed a boom in oil and gas output in the United States over the past decade. Environmental groups have developed sophisticated legal strategies to block the pipelines that get fuel to market. Major pipeline projects usually require federal permits, such as when they cross certain water bodies, wetlands or public lands. But before those permits can be issued, federal law requires the government to conduct a review of the projects environmental impacts. This process has become increasingly expensive, time consuming and susceptible to litigation, especially for large energy infrastructure projects. Tokyos bars and clubs have brought in new rules to try to prevent the spread of Covid-19, following a spike in cases which Japans government has blamed on the capitals nightlife scene. The authorities have focused attention on Tokyos thousands of host and hostess bars where white collar workers are entertained by, sing karaoke with and are served drinks by dedicated waitresses. New cases in Tokyo reached as many as 300 a day last week, prompting the government to urge people not to travel to and from the capital. Travel to and from the city has also been excluded from a multibillion-dollar government campaign to revive domestic tourism. But those working at bars in Tokyo need more guidance on how to stay safe during the pandemic, Shinya Iwamuro, a public health advocate has argued. Mr Iwamuro has already begun teaching infection control measures in many of Tokyos nightspots, and during a news conference, he explained what steps hostesses should take. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty As much as possible, kiss only with your partner, and avoid deep kissing, Mr Iwamuro said. There should also be no sharing plates of food and guests should be sitting at right angles to avoid droplet contamination during conversation, he added. The Nightlife Business Association has also drafted new guidelines for its members, which include disinfecting karaoke microphones in between sessions. Official government advice remains to stay two metres apart and wear masks, but these would be impractical for most bars and clubs, Kaori Kohga, representative director of the association, told journalists. The chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, is reportedly considering more spot checks of nightlife businesses after strategic testing of Tokyos hostess bar districts revealed rising numbers of new cases of coronavirus, especially among the young. The government is also mulling over whether to toughen its special pandemic legislation which allows it to declare a state of emergency. Recommended Japan furious after massive coronavirus outbreak at US military bases But Ms Kohga said the government was scapegoating Tokyos buzzing nightlife for the citys rising number of Covid-19 cases. Nothing will change if youre only criticising us as the bad guys, she said, adding the government hadnt acknowledged their rules nor offered enough financial help to businesses or workers. Many Japanese women, including single mothers and others who found it hard to find work, use the hostess bar scene as a de facto safety net for easy employment, she added. This message was echoed by Masayuki Saijo, director of virology at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, who insisted the authorities should not target or discriminate against certain groups of people simply because of where they worked. Japan theme park tells rollercoaster riders: 'Don't scream and be serious' Theres no difference, working at night or working in the day, Mr Saijo said. The strategy to reduce human-to-human infection is the same. Japan lifted its initial coronavirus state of emergency in May, but has seen rising numbers starting earlier this month. Daily new cases are now higher than their peak during the state of emergency, but officials have insisted it was not necessary to return to the state of emergency and some of the rise was down to increases in testing. Nevertheless, the country has handled the pandemic better than most, with fewer than 1,000 people dying from the virus, compared to 45,000 in Britain and 143,000 in the United States. Pasadena, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 20, 2020) - Brazil Minerals, Inc. (OTC PINK: BMIX) (the "Company" or "Brazil Minerals") is pleased to announce that it has advanced its Iron Project (described in a prior release) with receipt of an independent technical report on the opportunity prepared by an independent geological consulting firm. This firm's team spent several days in the project area, and collected multiple samples. The report estimates that the Project area contains 7.4 million tons of iron for a deposit spanning up to a depth of 45 meters. Additionally, Brazil Minerals has begun a collaboration effort with a university laboratory with expertise in iron concentration and separation processes. The Company is intent on quickly identifying the most cost-effective route for processing for the specific iron mineral found in this project, a key step for operational planning purposes. Currently available data indicates the potential for an operation with annual net profits of up to US$1 million and a mine life between 10 and 20 years. A photograph of one of the formations from the Iron Project is attached below. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6706/60084_56de1c8fc4fcd911_002full.jpg In separate news, Brazil Minerals recently donated 6,038 young trees of over 15 varieties to a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais where the Company operates. In addition, to also benefit the local community, the Company built 500 drainage sumps alongside roads that have no such drainage; this effort eliminates or significantly diminishes potential for flooding in such area during the rainy season. About Brazil Minerals, Inc. Brazil Minerals, Inc. (OTC PINK: BMIX) has a business model focused on mining specific areas and advancing projects from its portfolio of high-quality mineral rights for transactions leading to royalties and/or equity positions, such as its stake in Jupiter Gold Corporation (OTC PINK: JUPGF). Brazil Minerals, Inc. has projects in iron, lithium, rare earths, titanium, nickel, and placer diamonds and gold. More information on Brazil Minerals is at www.brazil-minerals.com. Follow us on Twitter: @BMIXstock. Story continues Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements are based upon the current plans, estimates and projections of Brazil Minerals, Inc.'s management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward- looking statements. Such statements include, among others, those concerning market and industry segment growth and demand and acceptance of new and existing products; any projections of production, reserves, sales, earnings, revenue, margins or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; uncertainties related to conducting business in Brazil, as well as all assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: business conditions in Brazil, general economic conditions, geopolitical events and regulatory changes, availability of capital, Brazil Minerals, Inc.'s ability to maintain its competitive position and dependence on key management. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. We advise U.S. investors that Brazil Minerals' (and its subsidiaries') properties and projects, as of now, are exploratory and do not have measured "reserves" as such term is defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Brian W. Bernier Head, Corporate Development and Investor Relations (833) 661-7900 info@brazil-minerals.com www.brazil-minerals.com @BMIXstock To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60084 A 14-year-old girl was admitted to a Mumbai hospital with rashes and high fever, classic symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on 29 June 2020, after early reports of Kawasaki-like symptoms in children in Mumbai. It has republished on 20 July after several reports from hospitals in Chennai, Delhi and other cities of the COVID-related Kawasaki-like syndrome, which experts are calling MIS-C. By and large, COVID-19 has not been infecting younger children as they have a stronger immune systems and almost no risk of co-morbidities. However, around April, children in the US started developing inflammatory symptoms that were similar to those of Kawasaki syndrome. There have been several reports of cases among children in France, Italy, Spain and Britain that have shown similar symptoms. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the symptoms included "inflammation of the blood vessels, which in turn could cause heart problems". The syndrome also shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, which is associated with fever, skin rashes, swelling of the glands, and in severe cases, inflammation of arteries of the heart. Now, similar concerns have been raised by several hospitals in Delhi, who have reported many children with COVID-19 having symptoms similar to those associated with the rare illness called Kawasaki disease. A study published in June this year in The Journal of American Medical Association termed this new symptom as Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Potentially Associated with COVID-19 (PIMS). The WHO called it Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). PIMS, or MIS-C, is a new condition observed in children who have recovered, or are recovering, from COVID-19. The CDC had put out new guidelines to help doctors identify these new conditions among children. The guidance defines the condition predominantly in children and adults under 21, and manifests in the form of a fever, inflammation, illness severe enough to require hospitalization and impairment of multiple organs such as the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, gut, skin and nerves. Doctors should rule out other plausible diagnoses, as per the guidance, and the children should test positive for a current infection or for antibodies that show they have had a recent infection. Also read: What is Kawasaki disease and how is it linked to COVID-19 in children? Patterns in imaging findings A recent study conducted by the doctors at the Evelina London Childrens Hospital in London, UK has examined the spectrum of imaging findings in children with these new inflammatory conditions. It began when the hospital saw a rise in children who were admitted with a variety of symptoms that including fever, headaches, abdominal pain, rash, and conjunctivitis. While laboratory results showed that they shared some similarities to those of Kawasaki syndrome or toxic shock syndrome, the symptoms were atypical and more severe. "Our hospital saw an unprecedented cluster of children presenting with MIS-C, a new hyperinflammatory syndrome in children related to the current COVID-19 pandemicthe recognition of which led to a national alert, said Shema Hameed the lead author and the consultant pediatric radiologist at the hospital in a statement. The researchers performed a 'retrospective review' of the 'clinical, laboratory and imaging findings' of the first 35 children, under age 17, who were admitted to the hospital and met the classic definition for MIS-C. The children included 27 boys and eight girls, with an average age of 11 years old. A retrospective review is a process of determining coverage after treatment has been given. They analyse patient care data to support the coverage determination process. According to a press statement, the study found that the children that fever was most common in 33 children (94 percent). Gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea were present in 30 (86 percent) of the children, the rash was seen in 13 children (37 percent) and conjunctivitis in 9 children (26 percent). Twenty-one children (60 percent) were in shock. Clinical status was severe enough to warrant management in the pediatric intensive care unit in 24 of 35 children (69 percent), of which 7 (20 percent) required mechanical ventilation to compensate for lung function and 20 (57 percent) required inotropic support, to artificially force heart contractions. Two children required further intensive care to treat severe hypoxia-related heart dysfunction. Lab tests also revealed that all of the children had abnormal white blood cell counts. The study also found a pattern in scans of the childrens' lungs. In children that were part of the study, scans revealed airway inflammation, rapidly-progressing pulmonary edema, coronary artery aneurysms, and extensive abdominal inflammatory changes within the right iliac fossa. The iliac fossa is a large, smooth, concave surface on the internal surface of the ilium bone. The ilium is part of the three fused bones that make up the hip bone. Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs and is usually caused by a heart condition. The findings of this study have been published in the journal Radiology. Also Read: What is a multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and how is it linked to COVID-19? MIS-C cases in India Some Delhi hospitals are treating young patients, mostly children, who have been exhibiting symptoms of Kawasaki-like syndrome and there is presumably a link with COVID-19, doctors told PTI. Pediatric experts at a leading hospital here said in nearly fifty percent of these cases, patients become "more serious" than those suffering from regular Kawasaki disease. Recently, the Indian Express reported that a 14-year-old girl was admitted to a Mumbai hospital with rashes and high fever, classic symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome. She has been transferred to the ICU on Friday, last week as her conditions had worsened. She has been tested positive for COVID-19 after her father also tested positive. She has been put on a high dose of steroids, immunoglobulins, and immunosuppressant drug tocilizumab. It is not Kawasaki disease, but similar to it, said Dr Tanu Singhal, a paediatric infectious disease expert at the Kokilaben hospital, Mumbai as patients who are infected with Kawasaki patients also exhibiting red tongue and eyes. Children mostly develop the Kawasaki-like symptoms two-three weeks after a Covid-19 infection. Singhal also said she has seen two other cases in Mumbai - one at SRCC Hospital and another at a private hospital in Jogeshwari. Both the patients had inflammation, fever and rashes but had tested negative for Covid-19. An eight-year-old boy from Chennai was the first case, that was reported in India, to be infected with MIS-C. The boy was in a critical condition and was admitted to the ICU in Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Chennai, reported Hindustan Times. He showed symptoms of toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease according to the pre-print paper published in the journal of Indian Paediatrics on 10 May. He was also treated with "intravenous immunoglobulin and tocilizumab and recovered within two weeks. Delhi's Children's Hospital Kalawati Saran has seen six cases of children who tested positive for coronavirus - experiencing fever, respiratory and gastrointestinal issues, rashes which are associated with Kawasaki disease. Also Read: Straight-Up Fire in His Veins: A personal recount of a New York teen who battled the new COVID-19 syndrome Seven months after the emergence of the worst global health crisis in a century the race is on to find the medical equivalent of the Holy Grail a COVID-19 vaccine. To date the novel coronavirus has killed about 590,000 people worldwide and infected close to 14 million in 196 countries since the outbreak first emerged in China late last year. How to stop in its tracks a pandemic which has wreaked havoc on the world economy is now the pressing multi-billion-dollar issue for vaccine developers aware that every suggestion the goal may be in sight will be pored over in microscopic detail. How many vaccines? In its most recent assessment this month, the World Health Organization identified 21 "vaccine candidates" -- almost half involving Chinese companies or institutes -- following a series of global clinical trials. Many are still in what is termed the first phase, which seeks to establish a product's security and dosage, Some however have graduated to phase two, which examines how effective a medicine may be. Two candidate vaccines have reached stage three, whereby developers monitor issues such as degree of potential toxicity on a much larger scale and test it in a wider range of conditions prior to eventual submission for approval. The duo concerned are a European project being developed at Oxford University in tandem with AstraZeneca and a Chinese variant from biopharmaceutical company Sinovac in collaboration with Brazilian research institute Butantan. Sinovac's project is among the most advanced -- it will start the testing for its vaccine on volunteers in Brazil this month. A Canadian clinical trial to involve CanSino Biologics was also earlier given the green light, and the company said last month that China's military had approved for use within its ranks the vaccine it helped to develop. Sinopharm, which is working with the United Arab Emirates for trials, finished construction of a new production facility with a capacity of 100 million doses on July 1, Chinese authorities said on social media. Beyond the tests already under way the WHO is monitoring a further 139 potential vaccines which are still at the pre-clinical evaluation stage, involving testing on animals. Britain, Canada and the United States this week accused Moscow-linked hackers of targeting labs in their countries conducting coronavirus vaccine research. Which techniques? There's a variety of approaches and techniques across proven or experimental vaccines. Some teams work on inactivated "classic" vaccines which use a virus germ that has been "killed" while others, known as attenuated or weakened varieties, involve using a live virus rendered less virulent. Other types still include "sub-unit" vaccines, which contain a fragment of the pathogen that it is derived from to produce an appropriate immune response. Then there are more innovative "viral vector" varieties which use live viruses to deliver DNA into human cells to trigger an immune response. An example is to take a virus such as measles and, as the Pasteur Institute is doing, modify it with a coronavirus protein and deploy it against COVID-19. Then there are new experimental developments involving gene-based DNA or RNA vaccines using fragments of modified genetic material. "The more candidate vaccines there are, and above all the more types of candidate vaccines, the greater the chance of getting somewhere" in terms of beating the virus, says Daniel Floret, vice-president of France's Technical Vaccination Committee. Results so far For now, only partial results have been made public, some dubbed promising by the firms behind them. Jean-Francois Delfraissy, chairman of France's scientific council which has been guiding the French authorities on the issue throughout the pandemic so far, said claims have to be closely probed as the commercial effect of a potential, but unconfirmed, breakthrough can be huge. "There are considerable effects on the pharmaceutical industry from an announcement which one has to view with the utmost caution," the immunologist told AFP. "A vaccine injection (tested on) 30 people which gets announced as a result -- well, that's not a result," Delfraissy noted. Floret agreed that many announcements are directed at least as much at the stock market as at the general public. "It's never neutral. It is important they show us that they are speeding things up but shall all the same have to see the results and for the moment that's not happening." Going fast? All the while, with the pressure on to find a means of dealing with the pandemic, procedures have been ramped up worldwide like never before. "Things are advancing at a rate of knots... and projects are going along perhaps a bit quicker than forecast," Christophe d'Enfert, from the Pasteur Institute, told AFP. States and large foundations alike have been falling over themselves to push fundraising efforts. And while the United States has been looking to go it alone, Europe and most other countries are looking at cooperation. The Trump administration has set up "Operation Warp Speed" in a bid to deliver 300 million doses, essentially for US citizens, of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January. Firms "are trying to develop a vaccine and at the same time put in place an industrial process to produce it whereas normally you wait to see the results" of the first of those operations, notes Delfraissy. "That's why they are calling on states for financing, saying: 'We are taking a risk starting off on (developing) a vaccine which maybe won't work and if we put in place the industrial (production) process we shall have to be partially covered by international financing." Security Problems "To authorise any COVID-19 vaccine, EMA will need to have strong evidence from clinical trials on the safety, efficacy and the quality of this vaccine," warns the European Medicines Agency, an EU body. Forcing the pace in clinical trials "can cause problems" regarding security, says Floret, who says it is "key to have proof that the vaccine is not liable to exacerbate the illness". That, he recalls, did happen in some tests on monkeys "during vaccine development tests for MERS-CoV and SARS," other strains of coronavirus. A similar problem arose in terms of some measles tests on humans in the 1960s which were withdrawn as well as some for bronchiolitis that were likewise abandoned, says Floret. How Long? EMA warns that "vaccine development timelines are difficult to predict". Based on previous development timelines, it said it may take until next year before a Covid-19 vaccine is ready for widespread use. Even so, some firms are optimistic they can turn up trumps before the end of this year. In Floret's view, "I am not that sure it is very realistic (to say) a vaccine will be there by the autumn -- we have to temper such enthusiasm." He believes the first quarter of next year is likelier and "if we get there by then we shall already have done extremely well," given the usual development timeline is several years. How about never? The world is now awaiting a vaccine as it were a kind of messiah as the only infallible means of defeating the pandemic. But what if one never arrives? Delfraissy said: "We have never perfected a vaccine against a coronavirus, even if we have never completely given ourselves the means to do so. "There is a degree of uncertainty over our capacity to perfect a vaccine against coronavirus, -- but all the elements to get there are in place," he stressed. "Everything is possible, the maximum means and different techniques envisaged are out there and it would be astonishing if we didn't get there," Floret said. Yet even if the researchers arrive at the finish line a large question will still remain -- will people accept being vaccinated in a world where there is growing mistrust of vaccination? Perhaps not. "As repeated measles outbreaks demonstrate, we haven't done a great job addressing people's concerns about vaccines. And if we don't learn from our failed response to them, a coronavirus vaccine program will be doomed," Phoebe Danziger, a paediatrician at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. Sangrur A week after Lovepreet Singh, 22, a granthi at Gurdwara Sahib in Sehjra village of Barnala district, joined investigation before the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Chandigarh, on July 13 and was found dead at the Gurdwara Amb Sahib, Mohali, the same night, political leaders have sought a judicial probe into his death. Raising the demand of a probe, both Punjab leader of opposition and Dirba MLA Harpal Singh Cheema and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, separately, visited Lovepreets village and met his family. Lovepreet belonged to Ratta Khera village near Lehragaga in Sangrur. Police say that the NIA had summoned him as witness in a case of sedition and Arms Act registered in Amritsar district. He had left behind a suicide note, saying he alone was responsible for his death. Dirba MLA Cheema said, It is suspicious that a man joins probe before the NIA and the next day, his body is recovered. Dalit families are being targeted in Punjab, adding, Lovepreet hailed from a poor dalit family. MLA Sukhpal Khaira said, The suicide of Lovepreet is suspicious. Family claims there were marks of torture on his private body parts. The CM should order a judicial probe into the death of Lovepreet. Lovepreets father Kewal Singh said, I demand justice. Sangrur SSP Sandeep Garg said, I have received an application and the matter will be investigated. Researchers sampled this 50-cm long stalagmite in the Pozzo Cucu cave, in the Castellana Grotte area (Bari) and they carried out 27 high-precision datings and 2,700 analyses of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes. Credit: O. Lacarbonara Homo Neanderthaliensis did not become extinct because of changes in climate. At least, this did not happen to the several Neanderthal groups that lived in the western Mediterranean 42,000 years ago. A research group of the University of Bologna came to this conclusion after a detailed paleoclimatic reconstruction of the last ice age through the analysis of stalagmites sampled from some caves in Apulia, Italy. The researchers focused on the Murge karst plateau in Apulia, where Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens coexisted for at least 3,000 years, from approximately 45,000 to 42,000 years ago. This study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Data extracted from the stalagmites showed that climate changes that happened during that time span were not particularly significant. "Our study shows that this area of Apulia appears as a 'climate niche' during the transition from Neanderthals to Homo Sapiens" explains Andrea Columbu, researcher and first author of this study. "It doesn't seem possible that significant climate changes happened during that period, at least not impactful enough to cause the extinction of Neanderthals in Apulia and, by the same token, in similar areas of the Mediterranean." The Climate Change Hypothesis The hypothesis that a changing climate was a factor in Neanderthals extinction (that happened, in Europe, nearly 42,000 years ago) found considerable support among the scientific community. According to this theory, during the last ice age, sharp and rapid changes in climate were a decisive factor in Neanderthals' extinction because of the increasingly cold and dry weather. We can find confirmation of these sharp changes in the analysis of ice cores from Greenland and from other paleoclimatic archives of continental Europe. However, when it comes to some Mediterranean areas where Neanderthals had lived since 100,000 years ago, the data tell a different story. The Western Mediterranean is rich in prehistorical findings and, until now, no one ever carried out a paleoclimatic reconstruction of these Neanderthals-occupied areas. The Importance Of Stalagmites Where to find answers about the climate past of the Western Mediterranean? The research group of the University of Bologna turned to the Murge plateau in Apulia. "Apulia is key to our understanding of anthropological movements: we know that both Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens lived there approximately 45,000 years ago," says Andrea Columbu. "Very few other areas in the world saw both species co-existing in a relatively small space. This makes the Murge plateau the perfect place to study the climate and the bio-cultural grounds of the transition from Neanderthal to Sapiens." How is it possible to provide a climate reconstruction of such a remote period? Stalagmites have the answer. These rock formations rise from the floor of karst caves thanks to ceiling water drippings. "Stalagmites are excellent paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental archives," explains Jo De Waele, research coordinator and professor at the University of Bologna. "Since stalagmites form through rainwater dripping, they provide unquestionable evidence of the presence or absence of rain. Moreover, they are made of calcite, which contains carbon and oxygen isotopes. The latter provide precise information about how the soil was and how much it rained during the formation period of stalagmites. We can then cross these pieces of information with radiometric dating, that provide an extremely precise reconstruction of the phases of stalagmites' formation." A (Relatively) Stable Climate The pace at which stalagmites formed is the first significant result of this study. Researchers found out that Apulian stalagmites showed a consistent pace of dripping in the last and previous ice ages. This means that no abrupt change in climate happened during the millennia under investigation. A drought would have been visible in the stalagmites. Among all the stalagmites that were analyzed, one was particularly relevant. Researchers sampled this 50-cm long stalagmite in the Pozzo Cucu cave, in the Castellana Grotte area (Bari) and they carried out 27 high-precision datings and 2,700 analyses of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes. According to dating, this stalagmite formed between 106,000 and 27,000 years ago. This stalagmite represents the longest timeline of the last ice age in the western Mediterranean and in Europe. Moreover, this stalagmite did not show any trace of abrupt changes in climate that might have caused Neanderthals' extinction. "The analyses we carried out show little variation in rainfall between 50,000 and 27,000 years ago, the extent of this variation is not enough to cause alterations in the flora inhabiting the environment above the cave," says Jo De Waele. "Carbon isotopes show that the bio-productivity of the soil remained all in all consistent during this period that includes the 3,000 years-long coexistence between Sapiens and Neanderthals. This means that significant changes in flora and thus in climate did not happen." The Technology Hypothesis The results seem to show that the dramatic changes in the climate of the last ice age had a different impact on the Mediterranean area than in continental Europe and Greenland. This may rule out the hypothesis that climate changes are responsible for Neanderthals dying out. How do we explain their extinction after a few millennia of coexistence with Homo Sapiens? Stefano Benazzi, a paleontologist at the University of Bologna and one of the authors of the paper, provides an answer to this question. "The results we obtained corroborate the hypothesis, put forward by many scholars, that the extinction of Neanderthals had to do with technology," says Benazzi. "According to this hypothesis, the Homo Sapiens hunted using a technology that was far more advanced than Neanderthals," and this represented a primary reason to Sapiens' supremacy over Neanderthals, that eventually became extinct after 3,000 years of co-existence." Explore further Supercomputer model simulations reveal cause of Neanderthal extinction More information: Andrea Columbu et al, Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthalmodern human turnover in southern Italy, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2020). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Andrea Columbu et al, Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthalmodern human turnover in southern Italy,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1243-1 Provided by Universita di Bologna Putting his body in harms way like that on an ongoing basis with demonstrations, be it at a small restaurant counter or going across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, or the many occasions in which ... he struggled for civil rights and yet knowing full well (he) may not come out of this in the same shape that (he) went into this without some bumps or bruises, Brown said. Speaker of the National Assembly of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Artur Tovmasyan posted the following on his Facebook page: Today I am on a non-official visit to Yerevan and have met with Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. During the conversation, we touched upon the recent tension on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. We also discussed the agreements reached during previous meetings and exchanged views on the issues related to the deepening of cooperation between the parliaments of the two Armenian republics. I am certain that a new sweep will be brought to the efforts after the coronavirus pandemic is overcome. WASHINGTON A State Department employee who reported witnessing misconduct by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as hearing numerous firsthand accounts of such behavior was blocked from further addressing the issue by top department officials who were protecting Mr. Pompeo, according to a newly public copy of the employees whistle-blower complaint. The heavily redacted version of the complaint indicates that top officials enabled misconduct by Mr. Pompeo even after the whistle-blower voiced the concerns internally an alleged circle of complicity that was not previously known. After encountering resistance from the departments executive and legal offices, the whistle-blower filed the complaint with the agencys Office of the Inspector General, which apparently prompted an investigation into misuse of taxpayer resources by Mr. Pompeo and his wife, Susan. Details of the inquiry into the Pompeos, coming amid a cloud of accusations that critics say shows a pattern of abuse of taxpayer money, have emerged gradually since May, when congressional aides told journalists about it. The inquiry was one of at least two investigations that the inspector general, Steve A. Linick, was conducting into Mr. Pompeos actions at the department when President Trump abruptly fired Mr. Linick in May, at the urging of Mr. Pompeo. Mr. Linick, known to be cautious and nonpartisan, had served as inspector general since 2013 and ran an office of hundreds that investigated fraud and waste at the State Department. Three congressional committees are investigating Mr. Pompeos role in the firing of Mr. Linick. Critics say Mr. Pompeo, a Trump loyalist, appears to have prodded the president to fire Mr. Linick out of retribution and to avoid accountability. Mr. Pompeo has admitted he knew about at least one of Mr. Linicks investigations a nearly completed inquiry into whether Mr. Pompeo acted illegally last year in declaring an emergency to bypass Congress to push through $8.1 billion of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On the night of July 19-20, there was relatively calm on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan noted. The opponent violated the ceasefire 9 times, firing about 137 shots at the Armenian positions. According to her, the opponent used an AGS-17 grenade launcher in the direction of Chambarak military positions. Admitting that community transmission of COVID-19 was recorded in a few areas, the West Bengal government on Monday announced a complete lockdown in the state twice a week in a bid to break the fast-spreading chain of the contagion. The announcement came as Bengal recorded the highest 2,282 infections, pushing the caseload to 44,769. The total number of deaths, including comorbidities, is 1,147. The opposition accused the TMC government of failing to manage the situation. The decision of imposing the lockdown was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It was decided that the lockdown would be clamped on Thursday and Saturday this week, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said. "COVID-19 is spreading fast, and there are areas where community transmission has been detected. After talking to experts, scientists, doctors, enforcement authorities, and the police, we decided to impose complete lockdown for two days every week in the entire state to break the chain," he said. All offices and transport services will be closed on those two days, Bandyopadhyay said. "This week, the total lockdown will be in force on Thursday and Saturday. This would be enforced alongside the ongoing broad-based containment approach. Next week, the shutdown will be clamped on Wednesday (July 29)," the home secretary said. A review meeting will be held next Monday for further discussions on the matter. Meanwhile, the admission of the state government that community transmission was reported from some areas triggered a political storm with opposition parties criticising the TMC regime for its failure to manage the COVID crisis. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said the state government must come clean on the list of communities and the areas where community transmission has started. "We very well know that lockdown was not implemented in West Bengal during the initial months. In minority-dominated areas, no restriction was in place. This community transmission came due to the failure of the state government to implement lockdown," Sinha said. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said the situation would have been much better had the lockdown been implemented strictly. "When lockdown was implemented across the country, West Bengal was the only state which did not implement it properly. It was busy hiding figures," Chowdhury said. CPI(M) legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said the chief minister should come out with a reply on the reasons that led to community transmission. The TMC termed the allegations as "baseless and reflection of political vindictiveness towards TMC". "The West Bengal government did its best to control the situation. If you look at the national average, we are still far better. The contagion has spread due to whimsical and unplanned lockdown imposed by the Centre. This has only led to India gaining the number three position worldwide," TMC MP Santanu Sen said. The total number of broad-based containment zones now stands at 819. The state government has recently clubbed containment zones and the buffer zones around them to constitute a broad-based containment zones. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government issued a notification directing that all bank branches in the state will remain closed on all Saturdays. Presently, the banks remain closed only on second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays. According to a source in the bank union, over 2,000 employees have been affected by COVID-19 in the state. The government also issued an advisory urging banks to provide services to customers on weekdays between 10 am and 2 pm. On July 3, the capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), amended its Investment Advisers regulations. Over the years, SEBI has sought to increase the number of registered investment advisor (RIAs) in the country because they have to adhere to strict compliance standards. SEBI has also periodically nudged mutual fund distributors (MFDs) to get RIA licenses. RIAs charge customers and do not earn commissions from fund houses for suggesting schemes. An MFD, on the other hand, earns commission income and does not charge fees for scheme purchases. If you go to an RIA for financial planning and investing, heres how your relationship will change. Advice and execution separated RIAs working on their own can now run an advisory business (and charge fees) or distribute MFs (and earn commission), not both. Many RIAs have been carrying out advisory and distribution ctivities, under one roof. RIA firms can advise and distribute, but not to the same customer. The choice rests with customers as to which service to opt for. Earning commissions from mutual funds and charging fees to the same client was a wrong practice. It goes against all fiduciary standards. The two needed to be separated, says Harsh Roongta, a Mumbai-based RIA. Some individual RIAs are not happy because unlike a corporate firm that can deliver both services, your individual RIA will now have to choose one over another. A Mumbai-based MFD who is also an RIA says most customers are hesitant to pay for investment advisory services. Of the roughly 1,000 clients he has, just about 5 per cent have switched to advisory. So, they pay a fee for his services and invest in direct plans. I have separate offices for both my advisory and distribution divisions. But now, as an individual advisor, I cannot offer both, he says, requesting anonymity. He is contemplating giving up his RIA license soon, as he says his distribution business is more than 35 years old and he earns a significant chunk of his income as commissions. How much fees can your advisor charge? SEBI will most likely put a ceiling on fees at Rs 1.25 lakh a year per family or 2.5 per cent of assets under advice. The fee limit is not much of an issue with the RIA community as most of them charge way below this level. But, its the manner of charging that can get tricky. SEBI may ask RIAs to either charge a fixed or a percentage fee based on the quantum of assets under advice. In reality, advisors charge you a bit of both, depending on how they service you. Many charge a fixed fee at the start when they make a detailed financial plan. Then, every year, as part of maintaining your portfolio and advising, they charge based on your assets (a percentage). Suresh Sadagopan, Founder of Ladder7 Financial Advisories, says that a financial plan prepared upfront is a finite task, at the completion of which clients must make the payment. Later, he says, a percentage fee can be paid as the relationship continues. Besides, an RIA can provide many other consultations in between for which its tough to put a percentage fee because there are no assets involved, for instance loan advisory or say someone has sold a house, gets a large sum and needs advice to deal with the cash, says Suresh. Your RIA should be qualified While the original regulations of 2013 had specified certain minimum qualifications for your RIA, SEBI has now strengthened them further. Your principal advisor should be a post-graduate in any finance discipline, a certified financial planner, and have five years work experience in investment management and financial advice. The relationship manager should be qualified as mentioned earlier, but needs two years work experience in investment management and financial advice. Existing RIAs dont have to adhere to this added qualification rules. However, new ones can come aboard only with the new qualification norms. Advisors feel that a post-graduate education coupled with five years job experience raises the entry barrier. Particularly challenging is the requirement for relationship managers or as SEBI calls them persons associated with investment advice. Hiring such managers is going to be very costly because they would now be post-graduates. Will individual financial planners be able to hire MBAs as relationship managers, wonders Vishal Dhawan, founder and CEO, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors. Enhanced net worth mandated Individual RIAs must have a net-worth of Rs 5 lakh, up from Rs 1 lakh earlier. RIA firms must now have a net-worth of Rs 50 lakh, double the earlier requirements. Individual advisors who have more than 150 clients now have to get registered as non-individual advisors. In other words, they have to cough up additional net-worth from Rs 5 lakh, all the way up to at least Rs 50 lakh to remain in this profession. Many advisors that Moneycontrol spoke to say this could be a big challenge. Experts say that heres where large distribution platforms can serve as a template. Apart from distributing, these platforms also on-board RIAs who can still service their own clients and piggyback on the platform without having to worry about shelling out a higher. iFast is a firm that operates in such a format. In a way, these platforms become the structure for individual advisors who have trouble setting up a corporate entity on their own. Some platforms also have a unique way of allowing their advisors to charge fees. Instead of asking customers to write a separate check for advisory fees every year, they simply sell units of the investors mutual fund; most probably a liquid fund where some money is consciously kept for such purposes. Of course, clients are kept well-informed, but the fee is charged at the back-end; the customer is not bothered and, collection, therefore, is easier, says Kirtan Shah, chief financial planner, Chief Financial Planner, SRE Ltd. The way you deal with your advisor may well undergo a big change if she hops on to such a platform when the time comes. Harry Litman is a former U.S. attorney and the host of the podcast Talking Feds. Eerie new details have emerged in the disappearance of Connecticut mother Jennifer Dulos as the lead investigator in the case says blood spatter in her garage indicates a brutal, violent assault and bloodied zip ties were used to 'incapacitate her'. The 50-year-old mother-of-five is presumed dead after she went missing on May 24, 2019 after dropping her kids off at school. After she vanished investigators honed in on her estranged husband Fotis Dulos and his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis. Jennifer and Fotis were in the middle of a contentious divorce and custody battle over their children at the time. Sergeant Kenneth Ventresca of the Connecticut State Police reveals in his first TV interview on the high-profile case with Dateline that security video shows Jennifers SUV returning to her home in the wealthy suburb of New Canaan at 8.05am. Her blood was found inside the garage. 'My personal belief says based on the blood spatter a serious, violent assault took place in that garage,' Sgt. Ventresca said in a Dateline preview that aired Monday on the Today show. The special 'The Day Jennifer Disappeared' airs Monday night. The lead investigator in the case of missing Connecticut mother Jennifer Dulos, 50, who disappeared on May 24, 2019, says based on the blood spatter found in her garage she was the victim of a 'serious, violent assault' 'My personal belief says based on the blood spatter a serious, violent assault took place in that garage,' Sgt. Ventresca says in a Dateline special entitled 'The Day Jennifer Disappeared' that airs Monday night After she vanished investigators honed in on her estranged husband Fotis Dulos (right) and his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis (left). They were both arrested on initial charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. On January 7 Fotis was charged with capital murder, murder and kidnapping in Jennifers disappearance and Troconis was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder 'Whether she was bludgeoned to death standing up and then fell to the floor between the vehicles. You can see the blood spatter underneath the vehicles, I mean the drive shaft, underneath the passenger floorboards,' he added. Connecticut Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo says the zip ties are a new clue that Fotis Dulos plotted her murder. 'Most telling, honestly, was the zip ties that were cut and had Jennifers blood on them,' he said. 'Our theory is that they were used to incapacitate Jennifer in the garage,' he said. Ventresca says despite the passage of time, he's still working to find her. 'Were still actively investigating. We still have a lot of things we are doing,' he said. 'Most telling, honestly, was the zip ties that were cut and had Jennifers blood on them...Our theory is that they were used to incapacitate Jennifer in the garage,' Connecticut Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo says in the episode Friends close to Jennifer are still demanding answers in her disappearance. 'She would never leave her children,' Jennifers friend Ronna-Marie Guiliano said. Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were initially arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in connection with the disappearance. They both pleaded not guilty. By January 7 Fotis was arrested at his home and was charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping in relation to the disappearance of Jennifer, and later released on bail. Troconis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors said the couple was seen on video dropping off garbage bags to the home. Those bags contained clothing, sponges, and mops, that later were tested at the state crime lab and were found to have Jennifers blood on them. Last August while on bail Fotis was asked if he had anything to do with Jennifers disappearance in a sitdown interview with Dateline. He said: 'I did not and Id like to leave it at that.' Last month authorities conducted a second search at an empty mansion in Avon (pictured) that Fotis' construction group had been waiting to tear down. The investigators said they didn't find anything but promised to return at a later date A few weeks after he was charged with murder, Fotis he attempted suicide at his home in Farmington Connecticut. He was found unresponsive after trying to poison himself with carbon monoxide in his Chevy Suburban. His pulse was restored by first responders and he died two days later at the age of 52. Photos of Fotis and his five children, a bottle of Tylenol PM and electrical tape were found inside the suburban, along with a note signed by him. 'If you are reading this I am no more,' Fotis wrote. He said that he did not want to spend 'an hour more in jail for something I had NOTHING to do with enough is enough'. A judge agreed dropped the charges against Fotis in light of his death. Jennifer and Fotis were embroiled in a bitter divorce and legal battle over the custody of their children (pictured with Jennifer) at the time of her disappearance Last month authorities conducted a second search at an empty mansion in Avon that Fotis had been waiting to tear down. The property - which was not owned by Fotis but his construction group had a contract to demolish it after it was damaged by flooding - was initially searched weeks after Jennifer's disappearance last summer. For the second search - which police said was prompted by a 'media generated theory - investigators brought in cadaver dogs and asked a septic tank company to come in and drain a 2,000-gallon, 16-foot-deep tank on the property. The investigators said they didn't find anything, but the property's current owner claimed they promised to return at a later date. Quintana Roo remains two colors even though federal system has entire state as one Riviera Maya, Q.R. Carlos Orvananos, the Coordinador General de Comunicacion and Vocero del estado de Quintana Roo, confirmed that the epidemiological light for the state will remain two colors. Red for the south and orange for the north, even though the federal system has the entire state of Quintana Roo marked as a red epidemiological light. Orvananos Rea explained that light is based on epidemiological and economic principles, saying that the two regions should be differentiated in the state, so the two-color light was established. We respect federal opinion, but our light is based on scientific, epidemiological and economic principles that force us to differentiate between the two regions, therefore as a local health authority, our state traffic light is what counts, he said. For the week of June 20, the municipalities that remain red are Othon P. Blanco, Bacalar, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Jose Maria Morelos. The orange are Tulum, Solidaridad, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Benito Juarez, Lazaro Cardenas and Isla Mujeres. The peculiarities of our state make us adapt a traffic light according to our own needs, said Orvananos Rea. He ruled out that there is friction or conflict with the federation over this issue and highlighted the permanent communication between the state Secretary of Health, Alejandra Aguirre Crespo and federal undersecretary Hugo Lopez Gatell. London, July 20 : UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused China of "gross and egregious" human rights abuses against its Muslim Uighur community and said sanctions against those responsible cannot be ruled out, the media reported on Monday. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Raab said that eports of forced sterilisation and wider persecution of the Muslim group were "reminiscent of something not seen for a long time". Asked whether the treatment of the Uighurs met the legal definition of genocide, Raab said the international community had to be "careful" before making such claims. "Whatever the legal label, it is clear that gross, egregious human rights abuses are going on," he told the BBC news. "It is deeply, deeply troubling and the reports on the human aspect of this - from forced sterilisation to the education camps - are reminiscent of something we have not seen for a very long time. "We want a positive relationship with China but we can't see behaviour like that and not call it out," Raab added. There are growing calls for the UK to impose sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans, on Chinese officials responsible for the persecution of the Uighurs. A petition backing the move has amassed more than 100,000 signatures, meaning it will be considered for debate in Parliament. It is believed that up to a million Uighur people have been detained over the past few years in what the Chinese state defines as "re-education camps". China previously denied the existence of the camps, before defending them as a necessary measure against terrorism, following separatist violence in the Xinjiang region. Meanwhile, China's UK Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said talk of concentration camps was "fake". He told the BBC that that the Uighurs received the same treatment under the law as other ethnic groups in his country. "There is no such concentration camps in Xinjiang," he added. "There's a lot of fake accusations against China." BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Spanish Ibertest company is interested in expanding its cooperation with Turkmenistan, Export Manager at SAE Ibertest O.Barroso told Trend. Ibertest has certain experience of working in Turkmenistan. In particular, in 2016 the company won an international tender opened by Turkmenistans Turkmenstandardlary Main State Service for supply of testing machines for a laboratory. Ibertest designs and manufactures material testing machines for any type of test, under a wide range of conditions and requirements: tensile tests, compression tests, impact tests, dynamic tests, fatigue tests, fluency tests, etc. At the moment the company is planning to hold a meeting with Turkmen Railways in order to discuss 4 possible scopes proposed by Ibertest to improve work of Turkmen Railways. As it was reported earlier, in August 2019 Turkmenistan Railways signed a cooperation agreement with Ibertest company in order to improve the quality of work carried out in the divisions of Turkmenistan Railways and ensure the safety of passengers. Barroso pointed out that the company's project services are used in more than 10 countries around the world, including Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Myanmar. Since 1970, Ibertest designs and manufactures machines and equipment for material testing, special technical tasks (custom equipment), calibration service in force and deformation, integral design of laboratories, with turnkey execution, repairs and upgrades of machines and test equipment, as well as specialized technical consulting. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Quarantine Agencies of Uzbekistan and China concluded an agreement on the export of melons, nuts and mung beans, Trend reports to Uzbekistan 24 TV channel. As a result of negotiations between the quarantine services of both countries, 173 export fields and 10 packaging companies are allowed to supply melons to China. The number of export packing companies that can export mung beans to China has increased to 43, while some 20 packaging companies in Uzbekistan are allowed to supply nuts to China. Uzbekistan has also received phytosanitary permits to export 12 kinds of fruits and vegetables including cherries, pomegranates, melons, grapes, lemons, apricots, plums, nectarines, dates, apples, hot pepper and beans to Ghana and Myanmar. Earlier, Korea Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency issued a permit for six Uzbek companies to supply fresh cherries to the market of South Korea: Gold Dried Fruits Export (Tashkent city), JV Uz-Segang (Fergana region), Brand Investment Group Agro LLC (Andijan region), Pure Fruit Trade LLC (Namangan region), Namangan Agro Logistics LLC (Namangan region) and Samarkand Garden Plast LLC (Samarkand region). --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Police in the southern New South Wales (NSW) border city of Albury check cars crossing the state border from Victoria on July 8, 2020. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Qld Awaits NSW Response to Moving Border to Avert Diabolical Border Wait NSW could have averted diabolical border wait times by approving the Queensland governments request in March for checkpoints south of the Tweed River, Annastacia Palaszczuk says. Thousands of locals in border towns like Tweed Heads and Coolangatta have been grappling with the restrictions for more than four months. But when restrictions were lifted to all outside COVID-19 hotspots in early July, wait times and frustrations grew astronomically, prompting the Queensland premier to revive her Tweed border proposal. That was one of the things that we thought of first when we were putting those borders in place, was to have those communities together, Palaszczuk told reporters on July 20. It was not even considered. Palaszczuk on Monday will again send a request to her NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian for the checkpoints to be within NSW. Im just trying to make it easier for people, but of course, if the NSW government is against it, theyre against it, she said. Her plea follows Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate last week wanting the NSW-Queensland border checkpoint at Banora Point to stop diabolical wait times. It comes as the number of active cases in Queensland remains low, while Victoria and NSW are grappling to contain outbreaks. One new case of the virus was recorded in Queensland overnight, taking the number of active cases to three. The new case is a cargo ship crew member, who was taken to hospital and is not considered a risk to the public. There has been no community transmission in the state since early May. Victorians and anyone who has visited COVID-19 hotspots in NSW are prevented from entering Queensland. Queenslands strict border controls have helped keep the infection rate low and the sunshine state is now a safe haven for Melbournes AFL clubs as well as the new location for the Super Netball season. The Super Netball will start on August 1 with matches to be played in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Tiffanie Turnbull and Darren Cartwright in Brisbane By Tiffany Puett July 20, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - In the long-overdue discussions taking place over the legacy of slavery and racism in the United States, few appear to be addressing the relationship between religion and racism. This comes despite notions of white supremacy being entwined with the history of religion in the United States. As a scholar specializing in issues of religion and identity, I argue for a deeper introspection around how white supremacy permeates all parts of American society, including its religious institutions. Race and religion In 1835, French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville described the character of the U.S. as the result of the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty, which he argued, elsewhere have often been at war but in America have somehow been incorporated into one another and marvelously combined. However, theres a perpetual tension between the narrative of the U.S. as a nation built on diversity and religious freedom and the experiences of many who live in the U.S. especially racial, ethnic and religious minorities, who have faced discrimination and marginalization. It is true that Americans have a mandate for the free exercise of religion and the freedom from religion enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But those promises of religious freedom and tolerance have historically been more readily extended to varieties of Protestantism than other religions. As the former British ambassador to the U.S. Viscount Bryce noted in 1888, Christianity is given a species of recognition at a federal and state level that is inconsistent with the view that the country is neutral in religious matters. As the dominant religion in the U.S., Protestant Christianitys dominance has long been enmeshed with the racial dominance of whiteness white supremacy. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Anglo-Saxon heritage From the Puritans to Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, the early leaders of the United States were steeped in a racial ideology of a divinely ordained Anglo-Saxon heritage, a romanticized account of the ancestral and cultural roots of inhabitants of England. They believed they were building a new nation with a divine purpose, a new Israel with a twofold mission: racial and religious. This ideology is symbolized in the seal Jefferson proposed for the new nation, which President John Adams described as depicting the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by day, and a Pillar of Fire by night, and on the other Side Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon Chiefs, from whom We claim the Honour of being descended and whose Political Principles and Form of Government We have assumed. This is part of an old, defining narrative of America as chosen by God, rooted in a white Anglo-Saxon heritage and exceptional in its devotion to values of liberty and individual rights a narrative of American exceptionalism. This narrative has also supported the notion that the ideal or true American citizen is essentially white and Protestant a view that historians of Protestantism have noted was reflected in the pulpits of pre-Civil War America. Notions linking whiteness to Protestantism were further entrenched in the second half of the 19th century, when immigrants from Ireland, Germany and Italy came to the U.S. bringing Catholicism with them. These non-Protestant, non-Anglo immigrants were seen as less white than more established Anglo communities and were subject to significant discrimination. Only after assimilation into Anglo cultural norms, especially speaking English, were they granted the social and economic privileges that came with whiteness. Yet many continued to experience anti-Catholic discrimination. And the U.S. continued to see other immigrant groups Latino, Jewish, Asian and Middle Eastern racialized, discriminated against and set as perpetual foreigners in contrast to the norm of the white Christian American. The supposed superiority of white Protestantism, supported by interpretations of biblical texts, was for centuries used to justify the institution of slavery. Biblical texts were also used to justify segregation and Jim Crow. Even the Ku Klux Klan rooted their ideology of white supremacy in Protestant theology and the Bible. In the reasoning of many white Protestants, white dominance was not the consequence of a political and economic arrangement, but the will of God the way things are supposed to be. As Kelly Baker, author of The Gospel According to the Klan, states: Even liberal Protestant churches supported white supremacy. That seemed the natural order of things. Just as people used biblical texts to support slavery. Such notions of race and religious superiority also combined in the forcing of Native American children into Christian boarding schools from the mid-19th century. The children were robbed of their families, cultures and religion under the rationale that they would benefit from the civilizing influences of Anglo Christian culture. The other Today, rising rates of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia remind America that religious minorities continue to face a social and political climate of bias and discrimination that marginalizes them as foreign or other. The old narrative of Anglo-Saxon America continues to feed notions that a real American citizen is essentially white and Protestant. Sikhs are attacked and told go back to your country. Buddhist temples are vandalized and mosques are denied building permits. Muslim community leaders are reportedly asked to sign loyalty pledges to verify their American-ness. Understanding religious difference in America requires a view of how the country has been shaped by racism. And interrogating racism in the U.S. requires a view of how it pervades social institutions, including religion. Tiffany Puett, Adjunct Professor of Religious and Theological Studies, St. Edward's University " Source " Post your comment below See also The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Feedbackly The power of reviews for a business cannot be overstated. Ninety-one percent of young consumers trust online reviews and seek them out before shopping at a business. According to one Harvard Business School study, reviews also have a demonstrable impact on revenue. Looking at Yelp, the study found that each one-star increase to a business translated to a 5 percent to 9 percent increase in revenue. Quality reviews can be a huge boon for your business. That's why Feedbackly was created. This simple feedback suite helps companies create happy customers and attract new ones to achieve sustained long-term growth. This all-in-one tool suite allows you to collect, analyze, and act on feedback from multiple online and offline channels. Anna Mascitelli puts herself in harms way daily, working with patients in the St. Catharines hospital intensive care unit. The speech pathologist sometimes wonders how she has repeatedly managed to avoid being diagnosed with COVID-19, when many of the patients she has treated were previously on ventilators recovering from the potentially deadly virus. Speech pathologists also work directly with COVID-19 patients, often extremely close to their faces. Weve been exposed multiple times. Luckily, no one has gotten sick, she said. Mascitellis colleague Alex Veitch works in the other hot zone the hospitals emergency department. You dont really know what youre walking into in emerg, thats the scary part, she said. A lot of them have the COVID test pending. You just dont know. You really have to protect yourself. But like many other front-line hospital workers, speech pathologists do not qualify for $4-an-hour provincial pay increases despite the increased risk they face. Mascitelli said the provincial governments pandemic pay was obviously developed without adequate research about what constitutes a front-line team. Despite their disappointment about being omitted from the plan as well as concerns about their own health, she said front-line hospital staff for the most part have quietly continued to do their jobs to the best of their ability. But as new provincial legislation Bill 195 threatens to extend emergency orders that undermine collective bargaining agreements with health-care workers until well into 2021 they are no longer content to remain quiet. About 30 health-care workers diagnostic imaging staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dialysis techs, biomedical techs and other professionals gathered for a rally at St. Catharines hospital to oppose Bill 195 while demanding fair treatment. Dozens of staff participated in similar rallies at Welland and Niagara Falls hospitals, as well as at hospitals across Ontario in a day of action protesting the provinces plans to extend emergency regulations for another year, overriding staff schedules and force redeployments. Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 215 president Brenda Allan said most of the health professionals unions have faced hardships as a result of the pandemic, missing out on planned vacations, facing scheduling changes and being redeployed. And you know what, theyve not really complained. Its been chin up and lets get through it together because thats what were here for, were professionals, she said. Although they dont ask for a whole lot, she said staff have earned respect for the work theyre doing. However, she added, the provincial governments actions are not showing respect for hospital professionals. Allan, who works as a senior occupational therapist at St. Catharines hospital, said Niagara Health management is 100 per cent behind this. St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens said Bill 195, which she expects to be passed this week, contains the poison pill which is ignoring the rights and the respect of the collective agreements for the workers within the hospitals. Its not the money its the principal of it. If youre the government and youre going to say you respect us, youre our heroes and then you turn your back and then you push through a huge bill like this with no public consultation this is common of this government just to push bills through and not get the voice of the people that democratically elected you. Developmental support workers Brittany Nisbett and Courtney Salomons, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2977, joined the hospital workers during Mondays protest. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Niagara health-care workers from OPSEU Local 215 protest lack of pandemic pay colleagues are receiving Its been absolutely ridiculous, Salomons said. Bill 195 is affecting all the workers, not just a specific sector, Nisbett added. Its just going to affect everybody. In an email, Ministry of Health spokeswoman Alexandra Hilkene said the proposed legislation its called the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 is part of the governments plan to cautiously reopen Ontario in a way that recognizes the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 even after the provincial declaration of emergency has ended. The bill, if passed, would allow Ontario to continue its path to recovery by easing restrictions where appropriate, while maintaining important select tools to address the ongoing threat of this deadly virus and protect Ontarians, she wrote. Additionally, the government is investing $3.3 billion more in health care this year, the largest year-over-year increase in a decade. She said Ontario was one of the first provinces to roll out pandemic pay the largest program of its kind in the country and unprecedented in the provinces history benefiting over 375,000 employees, many of whom are hospital workers, across 2,000 employers. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the battle over a 1.85 trillion-euro coronavirus recovery fund is a prize worth negotiating for. EU leaders are in Brussels trying to agree the terms of the unprecedented recovery package. The summit of the 27 leaders began on Friday and had been scheduled to end on Saturday, but member states were divided, forcing talks to continue on Monday. The negotiations pitted a group of five wealthy northern countries the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Finland against southern nations hardest hit by the pandemic, supported by European heavyweights Germany and France. This is unprecedented and the nature of the EU's response that is being proposed is unprecedented, but it is necessary and it is the right response Micheal Martin Arriving for the fourth day of the EU summit, Mr Martin described it as long and challenging. The prize is worth negotiating for and the prize is for the opportunity for the entire European Union to work collectively to reboot and restart the European recovery, and to respond to the scale of the impact of Covid-19 on the economic, social and political life of the Union, he said. The unprecedented package that is before us over the last number of days in many ways explains the detailed and challenging negotiations that have followed. This is unprecedented and the nature of the EUs response that is being proposed is unprecedented, but it is necessary and it is the right response. Ireland is taking a constructive, activist role to ensure that a package of this scale is delivered which will enable member states, particularly member states who are under particular pressure from Covid-19, are in a position to respond to it and help their economies recover from it. We all benefit from the single market, we all benefit from the opportunities that the European Union opens up, and that is why, in my view, its extremely important that a strong message emanates from this summit, that Europe collectively can work together to deal with an unprecedented crisis in our history. This #EUCO summit is about more than money. Its about people, our European future, and our unity. With political courage, I believe we can reach an agreement. pic.twitter.com/WN0yQYHU5C Charles Michel (@eucopresident) July 17, 2020 On Sunday, EU Council president Charles Michel urged the leaders to overcome their fundamental divisions and agree on the 1.85 trillion-euro package. During an official dinner, he conjured up a vision of the 600,000 people Covid-19 has killed around the world and the recession it has brought to the bloc. An award-winning butcher has admitted a health and safety breach after a teenage employee lost a finger in a mincer. Mark Barrett suffered other hand injuries and had to undergo multiple operations following the accident at the M&W Farm Meats counter at a Costcutter store in Moygashel, Co Tyrone. Craigavon Crown Court was told on Thursday that in addition to the physical injuries, the member of staff, who was 16 at the time, was left traumatised. Before the court, having pleaded guilty to charges under health and safety legislation, were Clayton Moore, trading as M&W Farm Meats, and master butcher George Hamill, from Ballycullen Road in Dungannon. Mr Barrett was employed as a general operative, rather than as an apprentice, and part of his role was to clean machinery, for which he was said to have received "some informal training". In a written opening submission, prosecuting counsel Michael Chambers outlined how the accident happened on November 18, 2017. He said Mr Barrett was working under the supervision of Mr Hamill and was cleaning the mincing machine when a cloth he was using "fell down the mincer's feed throat and he was unable to retrieve it". Mr Hamill went to help him by loosening the toggle clamps which prevent access to the mincing blades, but as he tilted the feed throat to allow Mr Barrett to retrieve his cloth, the machine started up. Expand Close George Hamill, M&W Meats / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George Hamill, M&W Meats "Mark's hand was severely injured. He lost his right index finger completely and his right middle finger was severely damaged," Mr Chambers explained. Doctors were able to partially repair the victim's middle finger by inserting pieces of metal into his hand, but Mr Barrett now has reduced grip, ongoing sensitivity to the cold and, while continuing to work as a joiner, has been traumatised by what happened. Mr Hamill was asked during interviews why an isolator switch for the machine had not be turned off. He replied: "The only thing I can say is that we were so busy and coming near the end of the day. "Obviously, with Saturday being a very, very busy day, tiredness maybe prevented me from turning the isolator button off." Mr Moore accepted that health and safety training had been delegated to Mr Hamill and had never been signed off or documented. Moore admitted failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of an employee. Hamill pleaded to failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of another person. Expand Close Clayton Moore / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Clayton Moore Mr Chambers argued Mr Moore should have ensured formal training was given to the teenager. He added that "insufficient thought was given to the need to take extra care when employing a 16-year-old to work with dangerous machinery". Turning to Mr Hamill, he said that as a master butcher, he "ought to have ensured that the machine was off". Defence counsel Jonpaul Shields, acting for Mr Moore, submitted there were guidelines in place that stipulated the mincer had to be turned off before it was cleaned. He added that had the instructions been followed, there would have been no accident. Mr Shields said his client has a "very good health and safety record". He said it was fortunate that Mr Moore had continued to trade throughout the pandemic, adding: "(He), as part of the community, has assisted in many local drives for food, particularly in relation to older people. "Whilst not looking to misdirect or assume blame elsewhere, I think Mr Hamill has been very clear that this was a momentary lapse in concentration and an isolated incident for a business that prides itself on safety." Mr Hamill's barrister, Steven Molloy, said he accepted his client was "the man on the ground", that he "bears responsibility and accepted that at an early juncture". He added, however, that it was not the case that Mr Barrett had been "left to his own devices." Mr Molloy said his client, who has been a butcher for 35 years, had "visited the victim and his family several times" since the incident. He submitted than when it comes to sentencing, the court should keep in mind that Mr Hamill "is an employee with limited means." Adjourning the case until August 6, Judge Paul Ramsey QC said he wanted "to get the right sentence for the right case" and freed both men, who appeared in court via videolink, on continuing bail. On 15 June 2000, ex-windsurfing champion and Italian television producer Enrico Chico Forti was sentenced to life in prison without parole in Florida for the murder of Dale Pike. 20 years later Italian officials are re-expressing interest. Four days ago, on 16 July 2020, Italian actor and Director Enrico Montesano held a sit-in in Piazza Montecitorio in Rome. The reason? To get Italian politicians to vocalise their opinions about the case of Enrico Forti. Matteo Salvini, Federal Secretary of the Lega political party, attended the demonstration and said that the case of Enrico Forti goes beyond Italian politics and that he must be returned home. Enrico Montesanto and Matteo Salvini in Piazza Montecitorio. Ph: AdnKronos The political party Fratelli dItalia , similarly stated on the same day, but in a different location, that All political forces in a unitary and transversal way are active to commit the Government to do everything possible so that our compatriot can serve the remainder of the sentence here in the homeland. So what happened in the case of Enrico Forti and why is his case attracting attention again? The victim Image of Dale Pike The body of Dale Pike was found on Virginia key in Miami, Florida by a beachgoer on 16 February 1998. Pike, a man of 42 when his body was found, was the son of late hotelier Tony Pike who owned Pikes Hotel in Ibiza where the likes of George Michael and Freddie Mercury partied. Freddy Mercury and Tony Pike Officials confirmed that the cause of death was two gunshot wounds to the back of his head with a calibre 22. The events before 15 February 1998 The story begins with a real estate deal being made between Tony Pike and Chico Forti. Tony had signed a contract to sell the Pikes hotel to Chico. The two had met on Williams island in Miami through Tonys old friend, Thomas Knott. According to Chaive Mesmer, a local shop owner who had briefly been married to Knott, the two had hit it off becoming close friends (as reported by CBS). Nevertheless, Tony had been diagnosed with having AIDS dementia in January 1997, just under a year before the deal was made. This was what propelled Dale to fly from Ibiza to Miami. Brad Pike, brother of Dale and son of Tony, told CBS news that he guessed Dale was suspicious because his father (Tony Pike) was not mentally together and that any deal had to be checked and looked at. Dale flew into Miami airport on the 15 February 1998 with the intention to meet with Chico and talk about the deal. The afternoon of 15 February 1998 Chicos version In a version told by Chico Forti to Erin Moriarty of CBS, Chico had organized to pick Dale up from the Miami airport when he had landed. Dales flight was late and the two communicated via the airport telecom system for an hour and a half. Chico stated that he was already pressed for time because he had to pick up his father-in-law from Fort Lauderdale airport, aproximately 25 miles away. Eventually the two had connected and Chico said that Dale had requested to stop and buy some cigarettes from a gas station. It was there that Forti mentioned Dale had made a phone call using the phone booth. Dale then requested if Chcico could drop him off at a party on Key Biscayne. Enrico declined as he had to collect his father-in-law, but dropped Dale off halfway at a high-end restaurant , The Rusty Pelican. Chico said Dale was going with friends of Thomas Knott. Chico then continued to say that when they arrived at The Rusty Pelican, Dale got into a white Lexus with an unfamiliar driver. He said that not once did they discuss the hotel deal. Forti did not tell his wife that he had picked up Dale from the airport. Dales body was found less than 24 hours later. Evidence against Forti Enrico was found guilty by all jurors for two principal reasons. Firstly, Chico had told the same lie to the police as he did to his wife: that he did not pick up Dale Pike from the airport. Secondly, grains of sand matching the beach where Dale's body was found were found in Chicos car. This evidence was proven by geologist Doctor Maurrasse. Nevertheless, not everyone involved in Enricos case believed that this was enough evidence to sentence him to life in prison. Lack of further evidence and questionable procedures In his 2019 three-hour special on the Chico Forti case, Gaston Zama of Le Iene documented information on the inaccuracies on the procedures taken during the trial. Joe Tacopina, Fortis lawyer and Sean Crawley, ex-NYPD homicide squad captain and consultant on the case, criticized the procedure the justice system had taken with this case. Check full video from "Le Iene" here. Tacopina stated that when Forti was initially taken in by the police, they had lied to him intentionally and suggested that Tony Pike had also been found dead. Tacopina went on to surmise that this was to panic Enrico. Chico later told Erin Moriarty of CBS that it was in this moment and under those circumstances that he told the lie about not picking up Dale because he realised he was a suspect. Futhermore, the detectives had reportedly requested that Chico write every single word of a conversation that he had with Tony Pike from 5 months prior on a blank piece of paper. Tacopina quoted it sounds like a comedy but it isnt. Other suspicious procedures, as told by Tacopina, included the illegal act of police driving Fortis car whilst it was in custody and the police searching for the wrong phone transcripts as to who Dale Pike called at the petrol station phone booth on 15 February 1998. Detective Carter, who was the same detective that initially interrogated Forti, searched for phone records in February 1999 not February 1998 which was when Dale was murdered. She confessed that she had got the wrong year. To this day no one knows who Dale Pike called at the petrol station. Tacopina suggested however, that the real miscarriage of justice occurred when it was supposed that Ira Loewy had forged Chicos signature on a conflict interest waiver. Loewy was Enricos defence attorney but was also working part time as a prosecutor for the same office that was prosecuting Forti. In order for Loewy to proceed, Forti needed to sign a conflict of waiver. However, Forti denied having visitors on the date that it was signed as the prison was in quarantine because of an epidemic and even denied ever seeing the waiver. Sean Crawley also communicated that at the beginning of Enricos questioning with the police, they had denied him access to an attorney. He said that any statement given during that time was inadmissible as evidence. An overlooked suspect Speculations have been made as to whether Tony Pikes aforementioned friend Thomas Knott was responsible for the death of Dale Pike. Knott had moved from a German prison to Williams island. He was previously convicted of fraud. Image of Thomas Knott It had also been discovered that Knott had stolen $45,000 from Tony Pike and Dale Pike knew about it. Albeit a biased statement, Sean Crawley professed in the Le Iene documentary that Thomas Knott fits the profile of Dale Pikes killer. Next steps Whilst bigger steps need to be made, the Italian government is still evidently eager to look into the case of Chico Forti. In October 2019 Roberto Paccher, President of the Regional Counsil of Trentino Alto-Adige, where Enrico is from, wrote to the Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The letter requested that Mattarella speaks to U.S. officials on the behalf of Chico on his upcoming U.S. trip. It stated that: I take the liberty of turning to your always kind attention to submit a case already present to our Diplomatic Corps. This is one of our compatriots, Enrico Forti, detained following a conviction for murder for almost twenty years. The position and the procedural procedure has left and leaves ample room for doubt about the actual guilt of our compatriot and countless positions have been taken in his favor over these years, without however having any effect. Knowing your exquisite sensitivity, I take the liberty of requesting your direct interest or your Entourage from the US administration in order to obtain at least the repatriation of our compatriot, while maintaining the state of detention, in order to allow family members certainly a more assiduous presence and frequency, also in consideration of their advanced age . On top of this, on 12 May, Italian Minister of Foreign affairs Luigi di Maio tweeted There is also the Chico Forti dossier, a priority for us Continuiamo ad affrontare importanti temi come il conflitto libico e domani con i miei omologhi europei faremo una videocall sugli esiti della conferenza di Berlino. E poi ce il dossier Chico Forti, per noi prioritario. https://t.co/R83T8l3q5B pic.twitter.com/fIMV9sVpFV Luigi Di Maio (@luigidimaio) May 12, 2020 Chico Forti is still detained in the South Florida Reception Centre. He has yet never pleaded guilty, if he had he would have been allowed to serve his sentence in Italy. Bhubaneswar: Renowned Odia actor Bijay Mohanty died on Monday (July 20, 2020) aged 70 following a prolonged illness. Mohanty's fans across the county extended their condolences along with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who said that his death marks the end of an era and has created a deep void in the Odia film industry. He also announced that the body of the veteran actor will be cremated with State Honours. CM @Naveen_Odisha has expressed deep grief over the passing away of renowned film actor & director #BijayMohanty. CM said, his death marks the end of an era and has created a deep void in Odia film industry. CM announced that the veteran actor will be cremated with state honours. CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) July 20, 2020 Expressing grief over the death, CM said, "I am saddened to learn of the death of veteran actor Bijay Mohanty. The impression he left on the world of Odia art will always be remembered in the hearts of countless art lovers. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish them well." Union Minister of Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha also extended his condolences and said, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of the famous actor Bijay Mohanty. His death marked the end of an era in the world of Odia cinema. Generation after generation, he was able to bind his fans to the magic of art." "Wishing the well-being of the immortal soul and extending condolences to the bereaved family. May Mahaprabhu Sreejagnath give immense patience and courage to the family during this difficult time," added Pradhan. Mohanty is survived by his wife Tandra Ray, who is an actor in the Odia film industry, and daughter Jasmine. A National School of Drama alumnus, Mohanty started his prolific film career in the Odia cinema in 1977. He debuted with Chilika Tire and acted in numerous Odia films like Naga Phasa, Samay Bada Balaban, Danda Balunga and Chaka Akhi Sabu Dekhuchi. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The National Weather Service is calling for another hot and stormy week in Northeast Ohio, with Tuesdays forecast showing highs in the 80s and evening showers and thunderstorms. Itll be cooler by the lake - with Cleveland reaching a high around 82 - and warmer south toward Akron, where it will approach 90 degrees. The forecast shows a 50-60% chance of showers after 7 p.m. across Northeast Ohio with thunderstorms possible, including an overnight storm expected to roll in after 2 a.m. There will be a tenth of an inch of new rainfall in most areas, with higher amounts in areas hit by thunderstorms. Temperatures will dip to around 70 overnight. Cleveland sunrise - 6:12 a.m. Cleveland sunset - 8:54 p.m. Extended forecast for Northeast Ohio Thunderstorms are expected through the day Wednesday, with a high in the mid 80s and a low around 70. Thursday will be mostly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures on Thursday will again reach the mid 80s, but will dip to around 60 overnight. Ohio regional radar By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva has written a poem dedicated to Azerbaijani servicemen who died as a result of Armenias provocation in Tovuz on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. The poem was published on Leyla Aliyevas Instagram account. 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. Three Azerbaijani servicemen died while thwarting the Armenian attack. Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated destroying a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit by using artillery, mortars and tanks during the night leading to July 13. Azerbaijan also downed an Armenian UAV. TORONTO - A Bank of Canada economist says the current economic recovery could be different than the recovery from the financial crisis of 2008. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Bank of Canada economist says the current economic recovery could be different than the recovery from the financial crisis of 2008. Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem holds a news conference, in Ottawa, Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TORONTO - A Bank of Canada economist says the current economic recovery could be different than the recovery from the financial crisis of 2008. Bank of Canada Director of Financial Stability Mikael Khan said that while the employment rate has fallen due to the pandemic, house prices are recovering and keeping homeowners from filing for insolvency. Khan said breaks from mortgage payments have bought home owners some time to get back to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. The fact that these deferrals have been available is really, really important, said Khan. Ultimately what matters most when it comes to defaults is people having a job, having their incomes. What the deferrals are doing is theyre essentially buying time for that process to unfold. Khan, who spoke at the Move Smartly Toronto Real Estate Summit on Monday, has been studying mortgage defaults. He compared the COVID-19 pandemic to a natural disaster, such as the 2016 wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., which also involved a mortgage deferral recovery plan. Bank of Canada research found that while the wildfires caused a bigger spike in employment insurance filings than the 2008 recession, the EI trend reversed much faster after the fires than in 2008. The 2008 conditions set off a lengthy recession due to an underlying fragility in the global financial system, the research suggested. But the wildfires, like the COVID-19 pandemic, were a sudden shock. One thing that's always very important when you're facing a large negative shock is the initial conditions, said Khan. In Fort McMurray, when the wildfires hit, that's an area that had already been struggling for some time with the decline in oil prices that had occurred about a year or so prior, so financial stress was quite high . . . Now, at the national level, what we've been concerned about for many, many years is the high level of household debt. Thats the number one pre-existing condition that was there when the pandemic struck. While there are some parallels, the rebuilding process from a pandemic remains more uncertain compared to a wildfire, the research said. Khan cited increased savings rates as an example of a fundamental shift with potential to affect how quickly the economy recovers from COVID-19. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Over the past few months, some have warned that it could lead to a deferral cliff once benefits such as Canada Emergency Response Benefit and mortgage deferrals run out. When it comes to bumpiness in the recovery . . . . this question that has been in the background of most of our discussions is, To what extent will we see defaults or insolvencies? said Khan. I think it's reasonable to expect some sort of increase. What we'd be concerned about, there, is a very large-scale increase. Khan said that when a mortgage is in default, it can be caused by a dual trigger of both unemployment and large decline in house prices. Home prices in many areas have recovered since the start of the pandemic, Khan said. The job markets recovery will be key to determining the impact of mortgage deferrals, said Bank of Canada research cited by Khan. Softening population growth from immigration could start to weaken house prices in the future. But for now, Khan said, it wouldnt make sense for homeowners with healthy home equity to file for insolvency. Even in cases where a homeowner simply can't make their mortgage payments anymore as long as they have equity in their homes and the housing market is relatively stable there's always the option to simply sell without kind of resorting to those sorts of measures, said Khan. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Concerns over the number of COVID-19 cases are preventing restaurants and bars in Toronto and Peel Region from offering indoor service while those in Halton, Durham, York, and Hamilton can reopen Friday. Premier Doug Ford said it is not yet safe for restaurateurs and publicans to serve patrons inside in Toronto, Peel, and Windsor-Essex so they will continue be restricted to patio and takeout service. Please be patient, said Ford. Well get there very shortly. Weve been working with Mayor (John) Tory and mayors in Peel and Windsor regions, along with their public health units, to assess the situation and find a way forward, he said. Indoor restaurants, bars, and gyms and outdoor playgrounds, closed since the March 17 state of emergency was declared, will also reopen in Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, and Lambton later this week. The earliest Toronto, Peel, and Windsor could open is July 31. At city hall, Tory said he remains concerned about indoor hospitality service without additional safety measures in place. That is because we have seen this leads to spikes in cases in other jurisdictions and we do not want to see that happen here, said the mayor, who wrote to the premier over the weekend with recommendations for added precautions such as requiring patrons and staff to wear masks. According to the latest public health figures, there are 404 active COVID-19 cases in Toronto, 311 in Peel, and 273 in Windsor-Essex. By comparison, Durham has 49, Halton has 23, York has 111, Hamilton has 17, Niagara has 29, Haldimand-Norfolk has two, and Lambton has four. Most of Ontario entered the third stage of the framework for reopening last Friday as new coronavirus cases remained low. Indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, cinemas and outdoor playgrounds opened in Ottawa, Brant County, Peterborough, Grey Bruce, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Muskoka, Sudbury, North Bay and among other regions. Ford stressed the decision rests with Dr. David Williams, the provinces chief medical officer of health, and local public health officials. I always believe you cant put health ahead of the economy ever, because without peoples health, there is no economy. People wont be able to go back to work. They wont hop on the transit. So, health is our number one priority bar none, he said. Ontarios state of emergency is due to expire Friday. But the Progressive Conservatives will this week push through legislation giving the government more permanent emergency powers. Places in the third stage can have indoor gatherings of up to 50 people. The limit is 10 in the second stage that Toronto and Peel are remaining in until at least next week. Outdoor gatherings increase to a maximum of 100 people in the third stage. However, some restrictions remain. Water parks and amusement parks are not allowed to open. Nor are night clubs, buffet restaurants, kids overnight camps, private karaoke rooms, saunas, bath houses, oxygen bars or casino table games. In bars, there is no dancing or singing and all patrons need to remain seated inside. Also Monday, Ford confirmed that as part of the $19-billion federal funding agreement reached last week, workers would be entitled to up to 10 days of paid sick leave. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted that provision be included in the accord. Ford, who cancelled former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynnes guarantee of two paid sick days after winning the 2018 election, had opposed that being part of the federal-provincial deal. I think there was one premier, John Horgan, that wanted it, he said of the British Columbia New Democrat. God bless him, hes a great premier, but the rest of the premiers, we just havent been hearing about that, said Ford. Finance Minister Rod Phillips said Ottawa will administer the sick-leave program, which will cost more than $1 billion. Well look forward to finding out the details of how that needs to be approached, said Phillips. But obviously theyve been good partners and well continue to work with them in the best way possible for the people of Ontario. With files from Rob Ferguson and Jennifer Pagliaro Contact tracing finding and notifying everyone who has had close contact with a person infected with the coronavirus is key to stemming the pandemic. Once people learn theyve spent time near someone who had the virus, they can get tested themselves and quarantine so they dont infect others. Bay Area county health departments ramped up in April and May to handle the laborious process, most of it armchair detective work by phone and email, not the high-tech surveillance some in Silicon Valley originally envisioned. But the recent surge in cases has made the task much harder, because there are more people to contact and because it takes longer to be tested and then get the results. Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties all fall short of their goal of doing case investigations for 90% of the people who test positive, and then reaching out to 90% of the folks those people had close contact with while they were infectious. Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties did not respond to requests for information. When it comes to reaching contacts of the people who tested positive, the counties range from 70% to 80%, except for Contra Costa, which reaches only 26% of those who had contact with infected people, and Marin, which reached only 46% (its numbers are older). Still, those numbers are far better than those in New York and some other states. Obviously we want as many as possible because thats where you get the most bang for your buck, said Dr. George Rutherford, an infectious diseases expert at UCSF who spearheaded San Franciscos contact-tracing program. But modeling shows that even reaching 43% of infected peoples contacts provides some disease suppression. I think the spread would be worse without contact tracing, even though it hasnt reached its potential, he said. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Contra Costa County could not say why it is so far below the Bay Area norm, especially since it is closer than Alameda and San Mateo counties to meeting its contact tracing staff goal. Weve been grappling with it, said Erika Jenssen, deputy director of Contra Costa Health Services. To do effective contact tracing, we need timely lab results for tests, adequate staffing and to partner with the community. She pointed to delayed test results as a major obstacle. While the median turnaround time in the county is four days, many results come in as late as 10 days after testing by which time a person may not longer be infectious. And its not just results that take a while: In parts of the Bay Area, some people must wait a week or more for a testing slot to open up. The case investigations interviews with newly diagnosed people shed light on how the virus has spread since shelter-in-place orders were eased. We are seeing more people who were at some kind of gathering; thats a common source of exposure, Jenssen said. Contra Costa County investigators found that 18% of those who tested positive had attended large gatherings in the previous 15 days, while 17% had been to in-person workplaces. About 20% had visited restaurants, supermarkets and other stores. Even counties that have maintained fairly high contact tracing numbers say they struggle with the surge. We want to be able to have a sustained conversation with all of the contacts, but when the numbers spike up, it diminishes our ability to do that, said Kimi Watkins-Tartt, director of the Alameda County Public Health Department. The conversations are little more clipped. Since cases in the county have more than doubled to about 150 to 200 a day, up from 60 to 80 in early June, the interaction often just covers the basics, she said: Youve been in contact with someone who tested positive, please contact your provider, heres how to quarantine. Follow-up calls to see whether contacts have tested positive or developed symptoms have also had to go by the wayside for now. Rutherford said contact tracers can prioritize people whose test results show they had high viral loads and thus were more infectious, as well as those who were working in communal settings. If test results are delayed, he said, you just move on. Theres a short shelf life for contact tracing. Counties said most infected people average only about three to five close contacts, although that number has ticked up recently as shutdown orders eased. Sometimes people testing positive have already alerted those contacts, though a phone call from a tracer may still be useful in explaining the importance of quarantining. All the counties offer support, including housing and food deliveries, to people who test positive and those identified as their contacts, to help them quarantine or isolate themselves. Most said that many people took advantage of food deliveries, but only a handful, including unhoused people and those in very crowded living situations, chose to move into the hotel rooms rented for the purpose. For instance in Santa Clara County, only 2.5% of cases and their contacts requested housing. With 900 contact tracers a combination of reassigned county workers, community volunteers and state workers Santa Clara County has the regions largest tracing workforce. Weve been able to keep up with the surge, said Dr. Sarah Rudman, assistant public health officer in Santa Clara County. Even on days when we had on the order of 250 new cases, we have had the staffing to call them and the contacts they generated. Still, the team is speaking to only three-quarters of cases and then reaching 70% of those cases contacts. Gonzalo Riccombeni, a communicable disease investigator with Santa Clara County, explained the case investigation process. First, the investigator verifies full name and date of birth. They explain theyre calling because the person has tested positive for the coronavirus. They ask if the person has any symptoms, is able to isolate themselves, and if they need any resources, such as a hotel room or food deliveries. They ask who the person spent time with two days before symptoms or 14 days before testing positive, and get those peoples phone numbers. They offer to answer any questions. The biggest challenge is getting people to answer their phones, he said. 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. Weve been super fortunate in San Francisco to develop a pretty well-oiled machine around our contact tracing efforts, said Dr. Darpun Sachdev, who leads case investigation and contact tracing at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The rapid increase in cases means sometimes we may not be able to reach people for whom we get delayed test results, she said. The team focuses on people who were tested within the past seven days. It would be ideal if the (testing) turnaround were faster, she said. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle All the counties emphasize some basic points. All contact tracing information is confidential. They never ask about Social Security numbers, financial information or immigration status. They strive to be culturally competent, including having multilingual staffs with additional interpreters available by phone. Alameda County has only about a third of its goal of 300 contact tracers. It is working to partner with local health clinics to boost its contact tracing staff with people who are already working in the community and expects to have its full complement by late September or early October. Most people are receptive to the calls, which often show up on caller ID as CA. COVID Team. More Information Bay Area contact tracing County health departments try to do case investigations with 90% of people who test positive for the coronavirus, and then to reach 90% of their contacts. While a number of Bay Area counties were approaching those benchmarks in June, more recently their numbers are down as cases surge. County % of cases investigated (goal is 90%) % of contacts reached (goal is 90%) Contact tracing current staff Contact tracing staff goal Alameda 78%* 78%* 93 300 Contra Costa 36 26 135 173 Marin 70** 46** 61 50 San Francisco 76 80 276 N/A San Mateo N/A N/A 30*** 115 Santa Clara 75 70 900 1,000 Covers July 9-16 except as noted. * 78% is for both case investigation and contact tracing; data not separated ** Most recent data from June 15; lag is because of a new computer system *** For July 2-9 See More Collapse Its a smaller percentage who are suspicious and resistant, said Tuere Anderson, clinical director for the Alameda County Health Care Services Agencys Center for Health Schools and Communities. We have a great team to build rapport very quickly and overcome that hump to get them to trust us with some information and give us their time to hear what we have to share. In Marin, where the outbreak at San Quentin State Prison has caused numbers to spike, officials say contact tracing is not effective, especially given testing lags. The county is no longer expecting this sort of almost clinical model, where youre testing individuals and expecting that single test results lead to contact investigations, and then trying to isolate that individual in a hotel and offer them food assistance and income support, said Dr. Matt Willis. All those things are critical, but when youre getting 50 to 60 new cases a day, that strategy just isnt feasible. Other public health experts also emphasize that contract tracing is far from a panacea. We cant contact trace our way out of this surging epidemic; its moving too quickly, said George Lemp, an infectious disease epidemiologist and former director of the HIV/AIDS Research Program at the University of California Office of the President. Contact tracing will only be partially helpful. It was meant for slower-moving outbreaks and investigations of clusters from specific sources and events. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Mallory Moench and Erin Allday contributed to this report. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Authorities in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Nam have quarantined 21 Chinese nationals who had entered the country illegally and were found staying at a local villa. When officers inspected the villa in Dien Duong Ward, Dien Ban Town on Saturday, many people inside the venue started to run away in different directions. With the help of local residents, officers were able to apprehend a total of 21 Chinese nationals. All of them were later sent to a quarantine center in Tam Ky City, the provincial capital. They have been tested for the novel coronavirus once, and the results came back negative. Local authorities will continue to monitor their health during the quarantine period. Preliminary investigation showed that the Chinese citizens had entered Vietnam against the law, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Long, deputy director of the provincial Department of Police, said on Monday morning. However, it remains unclear how exactly they had traveled to the Southeast Asian country. Tran Uc, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Dien Ban Town, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the administration is finalizing procedures to impose a maximum penalty on the owner of the villa. Three Chinese men are pictured inside a quarantine center in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, July 20, 2020. Photo: L.T. / Tuoi Tre The owner went against regulations when allowing the foreigners to stay at the place without identification papers, Uc elaborated. The number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in Vietnam stood at 384 on Monday evening, with 360 having recovered, according to Ministry of Health statistics. The country has made it mandatory for all international arrivals to be quarantined for 14 days to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with those dodging the quarantine facing administrative fines of VND5-10 million (US$215-430). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Council, other groups will look at downtown parking concerns There have been several downtown businesses requesting reserved parking spots prompting the council to make some changes to the parking ordinances. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:45:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The success of remote working in Finland during the COVID-19 epidemic appears to have prompted a rethink on the future role of the human in manufacturing and production, Finnish researchers said on Monday. A broad based follow-up study conducted among remote workers has found that 60 percent of them thought that 80-100 percent of their work could be performed on an off-premises basis, said Kirsimarja Blomqvist, professor of knowledge management at the School of Business and Management at the LUT University in Lahti, southern Finland, on Finnish national radio Yle on Monday, adding most of the respondents were happy to work remotely in future. Blomqvist noted that now is the time to come up with a remote work strategy. "The role of the human in bringing extra value should be assessed, as opposed to technology," she noted. "The question now is how work-related social encounters could be innovated," elaborated Blomqvist. "Workplaces may exist in the future increasingly as venues for meetings between customers and colleagues. But much of those could be done virtually," she said. Harri Melin, professor of sociology at central Finland's Tampere University, was quoted by the news agency Lannen Media on Monday as recalling that until this spring remote working in Finland had largely been a privilege for higher echelon employees. "But suddenly now, companies have realized that lower level jobs can also be performed from a distance," said Melin, noting that following this discovery companies are now reviewing their cost-saving options Frank Korsstrom, head of the Operations Center at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), told Yle on Monday that "robots will probably be able to do the basic work in the future," but for the duties that people will do human interaction will be needed. "Modern offices would be designed for group work and for occasional encounters," he said. Korsstrom noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic single person offices have been important, while for the future he would vouch for "open plan" offices. "But distant work will have a larger role," he noted. This spring, Finland was one of the world leaders in transforming workplace routines to at-home remote work routines. In Finland, 59 percent of employees were working from home during the pandemic, while in the whole of Europe the respective figure was 37 percent. Only nine percent of Finnish respondents said they felt lonely during the lockdown, while in France, for example, 23 percent complained about being isolated, a survey conducted in June by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) showed. Experts of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health explained Eurofound's findings with the country's high level of digitalization and top-notch technical infrastructure. Added to this is the country's open and casual workplace culture. Finland has been a leading supporter of the transition to remote work for over a decade now, so the health crisis did not catch the country unprepared. Statistics Finland records showed that just before the COVID-19 pandemic over a third of the nation's workforce had already done remote work when needed. Back in 2018, the share of Finnish employees working remotely was already 28 percent. Enditem When Western policymakers discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran, they tend to act as if regime change were entirely off the table. It's not as if anyone is taking the position that the world will be better off if Iran maintains its current form of government. After all, the theocratic system has made Iran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism ever since the mid-'80s. So reticence about "regime change" comes not from any assessment of stakeholders' preferences, but from a flawed calculation of risk vs. reward. Western leaders tend to assume that any advocacy for regime change would leave them unable to deal directly with the mullahs' regime while also leaving questions about the future leadership of the country up in the air. The former conclusion may be technically correct, but then why would anyone want to maintain a working relationship with the main purveyor of global terrorism? The status quo might be roughly defensible if it were true that there is no alternative to the clerical dictatorship, but this simply isn't the case. Iran has a highly organized and active Resistance movement that has been waiting for many years to represent Iranian interests on the world stage, and to ultimately take over national government from the theocratic tyrants. Those who recognize this fact are less wary of entertaining the possibility that the mullahs may be deposed by the Iranian people. And as such, they are often willing to highlight Western policies that could facilitate this outcome. More than 30 such individuals in the U.S. signed their names to a statement this week, which will be read out on Friday as part of the all-day "Free Iran Global Summit." The event has been organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran and will consist of numerous gatherings across 102 countries, linked by a live video stream celebrating the recent progress of Iran's pro-democracy activist movement. That movement, under the leadership of the NCRI and its main constituent group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, has been responsible for two nationwide uprisings and many other widespread demonstrations since the end of 2017. The American statement explicitly calls attention to this trend and praises "every act of defiance and protest" as "a courageous call for liberty, and a rebuke to an illegitimate and isolated regime." The bulk of the statement then focuses on warning about the regime's inevitable backlash against both the domestic Resistance movement and foreign targets of Iran-backed terrorism. But even before addressing the proper Western response, the signatories take the bold step of teasing the idea of regime change. "The days of religious fundamentalists controlling Iran are numbered," the statement says in its first line. It is a direct challenge to the status quo in Western policy circles, and that challenge is made all the more significant by the prominence and the ideological diversity of those who attached their names to it. Signatories include scholars, retired military officers, former congressmen from both sides of the aisle, and several American diplomats. Some, including Rudy Giuliani and Joseph Lieberman, will also speak directly to members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance when they participate in Friday's summit. The event can be expected to further amplify the core message of the statement, which is one of accountability for the Iranian officials who have ordered and carried out terrorist attacks and human rights abuses as part of an ongoing effort to consolidate their hold on power. But whereas the statement serves to promote international investigations leading to criminal charges against those officials, the summit will more explicitly take aim at the entire underlying system. The NCRI has long maintained that regime change in Tehran must be pursued solely by the Iranian people, but this is not to say that neither the coalition nor its Western supporters recognize the supportive role that foreign governments could play. To its credit, the Trump administration has already shown some willingness to do so. Its commitment to "maximum pressure" has evidently exposed some of the regime's vulnerability as well as impeding some of its funding for regional proxy groups. It may even be appropriate to give the current U.S. posture some share of the credit for last November's nationwide uprising, which adopted the same regime changeoriented slogans as the uprising that was already underway at the beginning of 2018. If it is true that the White House helped to boost the morale of Iran's activist community, it is important to note that it did so without deploying military personnel or sending material aid to the Resistance or raising the threat of war between the U.S. and Iran. Economic and diplomatic pressures were sufficient in their own right. We can only imagine how much greater the effect would be from truly multilateral pressure, especially if that pressure included legal consequences for Tehran's four decades of malign activities. This is exactly what the signers of the American statement pointed to when they declared that "justice delayed is justice denied" and noted that the principle of sovereign immunity does not apply to crimes against humanity. The subtext of that message, which has been missing for so long from most discussions of Iran policy, is that the prosecution of Iranian officials will expose still further vulnerabilities in their regime vulnerabilities that could promptly be exploited by an activist population that has already been pressing for regime change, with remarkable, if limited, success. Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of images by Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 and Renatus via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Images enhanced with FotoSketcher and PhotoShop. CHANGSHA, China, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Zoomlion) has scored continuous global success in the first-half of 2020, including the record-breaking export of tower cranes to South Korea, delivery of its latest ZAT2000 all-terrain crane to Qatar, and new orders of T6515-8KC tower cranes from Slovenia. Zoomlion has increased R&D investments to innovate and optimize products for customers worldwide, as well as providing comprehensive services that will enhance its competitiveness. "'Localization' has always been at the core of Zoomlion's strategic global development, it's not only reflected in conducting businesses with local agents, but also developing products that would suit the local construction conditions and user habits," said Li Bin, Deputy General Manager of Overseas Company of Zoomlion. Seizing the opportunities presented by the resumption of work in South Korea since the COVID-19 outbreak, Zoomlion has set a record number of tower cranes export to South Korea. The brand now accounts for nearly half of the market share of Chinese tower crane export to South Korea and has continued to maintain the top position. Zoomlion has been cooperating with local South Korean agents since 2013, adjusting and upgrading the current products to meet the demands of the local market. Zoomlion now exports large-tonnage tower cranes to South Korea and covers product categories of flat-top, hammerhead and luffing-jib tower cranes. Zoomlion has launched project cooperation with top South Korean construction companies such as Lotte Construction, Daewoo Construction and Samsung Engineering & Construction Group. "By working closely with local agents, we're looking to achieve mutually beneficial situations for all parties with excellent products and services, as well as contributing to the local construction projects," said Zhang Xin, Regional Manager of Zoomlion's Construction Hoisting Machinery Overseas Marketing Company (Asia Special Region) ZAT2000, Zoomlion's latest 4.0 generation all-terrain crane, has been exported to Qatar together with several mid-tonnage truck cranes in June. With a lifting capacity of 200 tons, the ZAT2000 has emerged as a new player in the competitive local market of large-tonnage cranes. Zoomlion now holds the highest market share among Chinese crane exports to the Middle east. In 2019, Zoomlion established Zoomlion CIFA Europe to develop tower crane business in the EU and has reached cooperation with the largest tower crane rental service in Slovenia to introduce the products into the local market. The T7020-12H tower crane is the first Zoomlion product to debut in Slovenia, the excellent performance of which led to another order of T6515-8KC tower cranes recently. About Zoomlion Founded in 1992, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (01157.HK) is a high-end equipment manufacturing enterprise that integrates engineering machinery, agricultural machinery, and financial services. The company now sells more than 600 cutting-edge products from 55 product lines covering ten significant categories. The JFO says the identified person, a citizen of Estonia, served in the Ukrainian army legally. DNA tests have let Ukrainian authorities identify the body transferred by Russia-led forces to Ukraine, this is a recently killed military medic, Nikolai Ilin. Preparations for a mourning ceremony are underway to honor the victim on July 22, the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said on Facebook on July 20. The Ukrainian side confirms Sgt. Nikolai Ilin was an Estonian citizen; he legally served in a military unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Read alsoMedical officer killed in Donbas had Estonian citizenship As UNIAN reported, a Ukrainian military medic was killed on July 13 as Russia-led forces fired on an evacuation team of Ukraine's Joint Forces near the village of Zaitseve in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Prior to that, the enemy's command had allowed the Ukrainians to evacuate the earlier killed member of a Ukrainian reconnaissance group. The ceasefire for the evacuation was guaranteed via the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. The team wearing white helmets with identification marks was just a few meters from the body of the earlier killed serviceman when the enemy opened fire from rifles, then from grenade launchers and large-caliber machine guns. It was a trap. As a result, the military medic was killed, one serviceman was wounded, while another one sustained a combat-related injury. The incident was captured on video by a surveillance drone. One can see a badly wounded man in a white helmet trying to crawl in search for shelter. The field medic, nom de guerre "Estonian," attempted to get to the wounded. It was his last operation. Later it became known that the killed medic was an Estonian citizen. According to the TV news service TSN, Russia-led forces confirmed the man captured on video had also died. The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Tumwesingye Elioda has said that Africa must develop new education models that feature well-resourced virtual teaching and learning schemes to insulate it against disruptions due to disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He said during a webinar hosted by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) said. Tumwesigye Elioda who also chairs the ADEA Steering Committee, said the pandemic has proven that digital education in Africa is a precondition for Africas socio-economic transformation and the survival of its people. Stories Continues after ad We must begin working toward a new policy and strategies that will sustain an inclusive and equitable Education for both young people and adults to enable us embrace the new normal in the wake of COVID-19, said Elioda, who is also the chairperson of the Africa Unions Special Technical Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation. The panelists, including Ministers of Education and senior officials of the Bank, called for a new approach to the professional development of teachers to enable them to embrace the new digital delivery model. ADEA organized the webinar jointly with the African Development Bank Group to share its Country Status Report on the impact of the pandemic on education in Africa. Titled, Impact of COVID-19 on Africas Education: Reflecting on Promising Interventions and Challenges, towards a New Normal, the Report covered two rapid assessments undertaken by the Association between March and June 2020 in 12 countries. The webinar attracted around 200 participants, comprising six African Ministers of Education, senior government representatives, development partners and education stakeholders representing the private sector, civil society and youth. The forum also discussed the challenges and best practices of remote learning following the COVID-19 crisis and how countries can safely reopen their learning institutions. Other key speakers were Ginette Amara Ali Mazicki, Minister of Scientific Research and Technology Innovation of the Central African Republic; Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Ghanas Minister for Education Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research in Mauritius, Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education for Rwanda and Claudiana Ayo Cole, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education in The Gambia. Today, more than ever before, we need to adapt as quickly as possible to disasters and emergencies and look for alternatives to advance education and training in Africa, said ADEA Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyumva. Shem Bodo, ADEA Senior Programs Officer, presented the Country Status Report, showing that most countries were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting mixed channels for remote learning, using print and electronic platforms across all levels. The report underscored the need for multipronged strategies for learners with special needs such as sign language to interpret television lessons, teleconsulting with physiotherapists and one-to-one virtual classes. It also proposed alternative financing models while embracing greater peer learning and knowledge exchange amongst countries. Hendrina Doroba, Manager for Education, Human Capital and Employment at the African Development Bank, also shared findings of a related report which examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in African on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions. Among other recommendations, it called for the alignment of TVET content to market needs, taking into account new technology transfer and use. The webinar called for additional budget support for remote learning, particularly in ICT infrastructure and the deepening of strategic partnerships with development partners, civil society and the private sector. During the meeting, ADEA presented its new Benchmarking Tool for strengthening countries readiness to deploy remote education in future based on lessons from the COVID-19 crisis as well previous emergency situations. More than three million Australian workers will continue to receive JobKeeper until the end of March 2021 but at a lower rate. The wage subsidy will be reduced from $1,500 a fortnight to $1,200 - and new eligibility tests will be introduced to ensure the money only goes to those genuinely in need. A lower $750 rate will apply for those who work less than 20 hours a week under a new two-tiered system. JobSeeker unemployment benefits are also being increased by $250 a fortnight to $815.70 until December. This is above the old Newstart rate of $565.70 but below temporarily doubled level of $1,115.70 that runs out on September 24. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced details of the changes today, which will see JobKeeper extended from September 27 to March 28, 2021 at a cost of $16.6billion, taking the total cost of JobKeeper to $86.6billion. 'Now we're in a position we can run a two-payment system,' he said. 'We're looking to see fewer businesses on JobKeeper, we're looking forward to a time they won't need it. 'This is about ensuring we move to the next phase, to prevent the worst impacts of this crisis.' Since April, the $70billion scheme has been providing $1,500 a fortnight wage subsidies to 3.5million workers whose employers have struggled with COVID-19 shutdowns. The program, announced in late March, was due to end in September but Treasury has advised the government to keep it going to avoid businesses going bankrupt. JobKeeper will be extended for an additional six months from the end of September, when it will be split into two tiers based on the number of hours worked. Scroll down for video Prime Minister Scott Morrison greets workers as he arrives for a visit to DisplayWise in Sydney on Monday 'Businesses have planned on the availability of JobKeeper for six months and there are risks in withdrawing support from those that have begun to recover,' the Treasury advice seen by Daily Mail Australia said. 'The case for extending JobKeeper beyond September is strong, especially if coupled with a fresh eligibility test that targets support to those businesses and sectors that continue to need it.' Treasurer Josh Frydenberg strongly hinted the wage subsidy program would run until March 2021, with his home city of Melbourne in lockdown. 'This has hit the Australian economy harder than any event in the past 100 years,' he said. 'JobKeeper is the largest economic measure any government in Australia's history has taken.' The JobSeeker unemployment benefit has been temporarily doubled since April 27 and the government is permanently boosting the dole when the temporary $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement ends in September. While JobKeeper is being extended, businesses continuing to receive it will get $1,200 a fortnight instead of $1,500. 'It may also be appropriate at this juncture to consider reducing payments to wean off businesses from ongoing support,' Treasury said. From the end of September, JobKeeper will be split into two tiers based on the hours worked to avoid part-time workers getting huge pay rises. The top tier payments will be $1,200, while the lower threshold will be determined by the number of hours worked. The adjustment comes after a Treasury review found that some part-time workers received an increase in income while on the full JobKeeper rate. There are 1.6million Australians receiving JobSeeker unemployment or sickness benefits, as well as 3.5million on JobKeeper. JOBKEEPER 2.0: WHAT WE KNOW The new version of JobKeeper will mirror the part-time or full-time hours recipients worked before the coronavirus pandemic rather than a flat $1,500 a fortnight. The revamped scheme will mean businesses benefiting from the subsidy will get several months to adjust to the second phase. The JobSeeker dole payment that was doubled to help the jobless get through the pandemic will remain as it is until September but then switch to a lower rate, but will be more than the former Newstart payment. The government is also set to release details of a review of its coronavirus supports. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says businesses would get several months to adjust to the next phase of support. 'It will be targeted, it will be temporary, it will be effective as the first round has been,' he said in Sydney. 'We do know this first round has been very important ... (for) almost one million businesses, around 3.5million employees, and there is still two months to go on the current set of arrangements.' More details are set to be revealed on Tuesday. Advertisement The JobKeeper scheme had disproportionately benefited teenagers, with their wages soaring by an average of 16.8 per cent in the seven weeks to early May. Every other age group saw their pay levels plunge by 5.4 per cent. Outgoing Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said a pared back JobKeeper would address those kind of flaws. 'What the review also found was that there were a number of features of JobKeeper that created adverse incentives which may become more pronounced over time as the economy recovers,' he said. 'This formed part of our considerations as we looked at the next phase of the JobKeeper program.' Treasury advisers were worried about JobKeeper propping up zombie firms that would otherwise have closed. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also hinted the wage subsidy program will run until March 2021, with his home city of Melbourne in lockdown. Pictured is the Bourke Street Mall JobKeeper is being extended beyond the end of September because the government is worried about businesses potentially collapsing if it's withdrawn too soon. Pictured is a barista in Sydney on July 1 'It distorts wage relativities between lower and higher paid jobs, it dampens incentives to work, it hampers labour mobility and the reallocation of workers to more productive roles, and it keeps businesses afloat that would not be viable without ongoing support,' it said. Unemployment during June amid COVID-19 Australia's unemployment rate climbed from a 19-year high of 7.1 per cent in May to 7.4 per cent in June - the highest since November 1998 Number without work climbed from 923,000 to a record-high 992,300 Close to a million people unemployed for the first time ever - surpassing 960,200 record set in December 1992 Unemployment increased even though 210,800 more people were employed as COVID-19 shutdowns eased That was because the participation rate increased from 62.7 per cent to 64 per cent as more people looked for work Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data for June Advertisement Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mr Frydenberg are announcing the future of JobKeeper, following a review into its first three months supporting 960,000 employers. The Treasury review, finalised at the end of June, found JobKeeper had helped businesses that had suffered an average turnover decline of 37 per cent in April 2020, compared with the same month in 2019, and staved off closures. The government is also making an announcement about the doubling of JobSeeker unemployment benefits. As of May more than 1.6million Australians were receiving JobSeeker, which combines the old Newstart unemployment benefit along with sickness and bereavement payments. Last month close to one million people, or 992,300 Australians, were officially unemployed for the first time ever, as the jobless rate rose to 7.4 per cent, the highest level since November 1998. Mr Frydenberg said the effective unemployment rate was 11.3 per cent when people with zero hours relying on JobKeeper was factored in. The JobKeeper package, originally costed at $130billion, was announced on March 30, a week after JobSeeker was effectively doubled with a temporary $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement. The doubling of the dole ends on September 24, which could see JobSeeker either revert back to its original $565.70 figure, from $1,115.70, or be permanently raised from its base rate. Treasury said any dole increase would have to be balanced with encouraging the unemployed to get a job. The government is also making an announcement about the doubling of JobSeeker unemployment benefits, which end on September 24. Pictured is a Centrelink queue at Darlinghurst in Sydney's inner east 'In addition, the introduction of enhanced income support under JobSeeker may also be affecting incentives to work,' it said. Existing JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments are continuing until the end of September, as legislated, and both schemes are being extended. The Melbourne lockdowns, expected to last six weeks, are estimated to be costing the Victorian economy $1billion a week, in a city that makes up a quarter of Australia's economic activity. Treasury is releasing a full economic statement on Thursday as a prelude to the October budget, delayed because of coronavirus. Joe Biden has released his most comprehensive statement yet warning against foreign election interference and threatening to hold the Kremlin and other foreign governments accountable for any meddling if he is elected president. In the 700-word statement, first obtained by POLITICO, the presumptive Democratic nominee said he will treat foreign interference in our election as an adversarial act that significantly affects the relationship between the United States and the interfering nations government, and plans to direct the U.S. Intelligence Community to report publicly and in a timely manner on any efforts by foreign governments that have interfered, or attempted to interfere, with U.S. elections. He added that he would direct his administration to leverage all appropriate instruments of national power and make full use of my executive authority to impose substantial and lasting costs on state perpetratorsincluding potential sanctions and cyber responsesand will call on the the Pentagon, DHS, the FBI, and the State Department to develop plans for disrupting foreign threats to our elections process. Bidens remarks came on the same day that Democratic lawmakers raised new concerns about foreign influence operations in a letter to the FBI requesting fresh counterintelligence briefings ahead of the election. And they come as Bidens campaign advisers have begun speaking out with fresh urgency about what they fear could become a serious threat. Despite the exposure of Russias malign activities by the U.S. Intelligence Community, law enforcement agencies, and bipartisan Congressional committees, the Kremlin has not halted its efforts to interfere in our democracy, Bidens statement reads. Congress passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017. The Trump administration has thus far failed to make adequate use of these authorities to counter and deter foreign election interference. Story continues The former vice presidents comments reflect a growing concern not only about President Donald Trumps unwillingness to commit to not accepting foreign help in the election, but also about what the former vice presidents campaign and bipartisan members of Congress see as an escalating disinformation campaign emerging out of Ukraine, said people familiar with his thinking. They point to late last month, when a former student of a top Russian spy academy convened a press conference to unveil what he called facts of international corruption and treason at the highest state level. In a well-choreographed, 75-minute presentation set against the logo of Russian news agency Interfaxand overlaid with English subtitles by the time it was posted on YouTubeUkrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach accused Biden, his son and members of his team of an elaborate conspiracy to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from Ukraine through bribery and extortion. Many of the misconduct accusations against Biden, which were examined during President Donald Trumps impeachment trial last year, have been debunked; others remain unsubstantiated. But the former vice presidents advisers are bracing for an onslaught of accusations that, they say, recall Russias efforts to damage Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in 2016. Internal divisions remain over how to handle what some current and former U.S. officials say bears the hallmarks of a foreign influence operation. But the Biden camp believes it at least requires constant attention, and has invested significant resources into monitoring the disinformation, according to three people close to the campaign. It has stood up a team that works with the DNC to track misinformation and foreign interference efforts, which is now positioned to quickly flag issues to staff to determine the best response, the people saidthough in most cases, that means no overt response at all. Michael Carpenter, the managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement who now serves as an informal foreign policy adviser to the Biden campaign, said the campaign is closely monitoring and exposing these methods, and actors, as Russian tools, precisely so that its unmistakably clear to the American people, if something fabricated or tampered with or dishonestly presented were to drop later in the campaign, that it's coming from the same people who have been spewing lies and disinformation for months. The impact of the Ukrainians accusations has so far been minimal; the allegations are byzantine, requiring a familiarity with Kyivs oligarch-dominated, cut-throat politics that few Americans possess. During the Democratic primary, Biden weathered Trumps attacks on his son Hunters involvement with a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma; the presidents hamfisted attempts to enlist his Ukrainian counterpart in the effort ultimately led to his impeachment, while the former vice president may have benefited from having the issue litigated in the public arena more than a year out from the general election. But some close to Bidens campaign have expressed concern in recent weeks that actors like Derkach are laying the groundwork to hammer Biden on the Ukraine issue using heavily edited or doctored tapes in the waning days and weeks of the electionwith the help of Trump, who has signaled he would happily accept foreign dirt on an opponent, and his allies on Capitol Hill, whose investigation of Burisma and the Bidens has at times mirrored Derkachs accusations. Recordings of Biden speaking to then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have already been released by Derkach, whose YouTube video unveiling them has been viewed nearly 300,000 times in the last 3 weeks. The leaked tapes provenance is unknown and reveal no new information, but have been used by the Ukrainian to make new, unsubstantiated claims against Biden and Poroshenko. Derkach, an independent MP who was formerly aligned with Ukraines pro-Russia Party of Regions, told POLITICO in a lengthy statement that his press conferences were focused on international corruption, and called it nonsense that he is trying to interfere in the U.S. election. He also denounced efforts to tie me to the special services of other countries, like Russia, and said his critics were trying to discredit him by drawing attention to his studies at Moscows FSB academy, formerly known as the Dzerzhinsky Higher School of the KGB. Derkachs father, Leonid, was a KGB operative for decades before becoming the head of Ukraines security services until he was fired in 2004 over his alleged involvement in a murder plot. The main purpose of our activity is pursuing the interests of Ukraine, exposing international corruption, [and] maintaining partnership relations between strategic partners Ukraine and the USA, said the younger Derkach, who hired lobbyists earlier this year to set up meetings for him with White House officials and members of the Senate Foreign Relationship and House of Foreign Affairs Committees. (He now alleges his U.S. visa has been revoked.) Derkach was openly hostile to efforts by Ukraine to assist former special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Paul ManafortTrumps former campaign chairman who was convicted of bank and tax fraud stemming from his work in Ukraine, where he was also investigated by the countrys National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) over alleged illegal payments. NABU is now one of Derkachs chief targets. Meanwhile, Andrii Telizhenko, a former political officer in the Ukrainian Embassy who has also worked with Trumps former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to undermine Biden, told POLITICO in a phone interview on Wednesday that he gave more recorded conversations between Biden and Poroshenko to a third party who will decide whether and how to release them. Im not releasing anything on my own, Telizhenko said. I dont want to interfere in anything. I gave it to a U.S. source and had them decide what to release and what not to release, not to interfere in any political situation in the United States. He also vehemently denies any allegations that hes working with the Russians, saying, Im not supporting Russia in any way and I again see myself as a patriot of Ukraine. The Biden campaign is reluctant to address the Ukraine recordings; his aides would prefer to focus on Trumps handling of the coronavirus, the collapsing U.S. economy and Americans concerns about health care than to dignify what they see as scurrilous and misleading attacks. Indeed, in his statement on Monday, Biden said he has no desire to escalate tensions with Russia or any other country" and would prefer to focus the full energies of my administration on bringing the international community together to fight COVID-19 and the economic pain it has caused, and to tackle other pressing issues of international concern. But if any foreign power recklessly chooses to interfere in our democracy, I will not hesitate to respond as president to impose substantial and lasting costs, he added. There is no evidence that Derkach, Andrii Artemenko a former Ukrainian lawmaker Derkach hired to lobby for him in the US and Telizhenko are working with Russia. And so far, the recordings have drawn little sustained media attention. But some in the Biden camp see tactics that, at a minimum, resemble the Russian playbook; others explicitly accuse the Kremlin of involvement in the accusations. An informal campaign adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue, said they are trying to avoid the trap that the Russians are clearly trying to lay here. Biden and several of his top campaign advisersincluding former deputy secretary of state Tony Blinken, former national security adviser Susan Rice and her then-deputy Avril Hainesare more than familiar with Russias tactics: They dealt with them firsthand in 2016, when the Obama administration scrambled to respond to the Kremlins brazen hacking-and-dumping and disinformation operation, and targeting of electoral infrastructure. Biden himself has made discouraging foreign interference, both in the U.S. and abroad, a key initiative. He joined the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity in 2018, which aims to raise awareness about foreign election meddling and ever-shifting disinformation tactics, and has pledged not to accept foreign help or use stolen or fabricated material to attack his opponentshis campaign has even instructed staffers and volunteers to severely limit their interactions with foreign officials to avoid even the perception of outside interference. This is a very deep campaign, with a lot of people who have expertise on Russia and Ukraine and who went through this kind of operation in 2016, said an informal Biden adviser. They understand what the Russian government is capable of doing. So how are they dealing with it this time around? Quietly and strategically, people close to the campaign said. We absolutely need to be monitoring this and we are, said a third adviser. And we need to be cognizant that Russia is certainly replaying the 2016 playbook. But the circumstances are slightly different. Several advisers and experts pointed to the risk of inadvertently elevating Derkachs efforts, which are not nearly on the same scale as Russias massive effort in 2016, by responding to them publicly. Weve seen that Russian disinformation thrives on throwing dirt into the air and refocusing attention on stories where there is no story, an informal Biden adviser said. So we dont want to play into that game. You dont want to give these obvious smears and falsehoods any more attention, another Biden adviser said. But, he acknowledged, It is hard for U.S. consumers who dont know as much about Russian intelligence and Ukraine to know where all this is coming from. Laura Rosenberger, a former Obama official who now heads the Alliance for Securing Democracy and is a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, cautioned that theres a real line to walk there, and a constant calculus that needs to be thought through. But, she said, the most important piece for the Biden campaign, from a counter-disinformation perspective, is to have absolute maximum visibility into whats happening. That includes monitoring what, where, and when something is being pushed, so that when it breaks through that tipping point they can focus on exposure of the operation and debunking it. The campaign accordingly picks and chooses its battles: In early June, it forwarded to The Atlantic an inquiry from One America News about tapes the pro-Trump television network said it had obtained of Biden speaking to Poroshenko, viewing the query as an opportunity to expose the effort in a more sympathetic venue. Is OAN the Leading Edge of Russian Misinformation? the magazines headline read. The Biden campaign says Trumps favorite TV network is peddling the Kremlins lies. Another tactic the Biden campaign has employed: preemptively shaming mainstream media outlets out of covering such accusations in the first place. During Trumps impeachment trial last year, which some advisers described to POLITICO as a kind of trial run for the Biden campaigns effort to combat foreign propaganda, senior campaign officials wrote letters to the major news networks including CNN, ABC, and CBS, imploring them to stop booking Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Derkach met with Giuliani last year in what he said was an effort to fight corruption; the Biden campaign said the former New York mayor instead was seeking to inject unhinged, unfounded and desperate lies into the national conversation. Giuliani and Derkach appear to have met again in February of this year for a taping of Giulianis podcast. The campaign also wrote a scathing letter to the New York Times executive editor, accusing the paper of participating in a smear campaign that elevated conspiracy theories about Biden and his son that had previously been relegated to the likes of Breitbart, Russian propaganda, and another conspiracy theorist, regular Hannity guest John Solomon. Officially, the campaign says it is ready for whatever Trump and his corrupt international patrons and domestic accomplices, as a spokesman put it, throw at them in the coming months. "Donald Trump is the only president in American history who attempted to coerce a foreign nation into smearing the potential general election rival he feared most - getting impeached in the process - or who begged the authoritarian leader of China to bail out his struggling campaign, or who sided with the Russian president over the entirety of the U.S. intelligence community with respect to an attack on our very sovereignty, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement. Most tellingly, right now the White House, his campaign, and his Republican allies in Congress will not even respond when asked if they are party to an ongoing foreign influence operation, he said. We have always known exactly what to expect, and have always planned to look his corrupt international patrons and domestic accomplices in the eye and burn their smears down. Bidens team is especially concerned that what might seem like relatively harmless attacks now could morph into something more damaging closer to Election Day. If they are planning to do something big in September or October, theyll be laying the groundwork for it now, a person close to Biden said. When it comes to a disinformation operation, the short term impact is the greatest, the person said, pointing to the risk of an 11th hour maneuver that leaves fact-checkers scrambling. Already, the effort does appear to be escalating: In his June 22 press conference, his second on Biden this year, Derkach accused Biden and one of his former advisers, Amos Hochstein, of snatching $1.5 billion, presenting no evidence for the claim. The press conference included edited, recorded conversations of what sounded like then-VP Biden speaking to Poroshenko about Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz in December 2016. Biden was effectively in charge of Ukraine policy for the Obama administration, making these conversations part of his normal duties. But its still not clear how Derkach obtained the tapes, which he released more of on July 9. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has since issued a statement warning that Russian special services continue to use their capabilities in Ukraine to conduct information operations against the Ukrainian state. One prominent Ukrainian outlet suggested the warning was linked to Derkachs press conferences. Two days after the June 22 press conference, a Senate committee led by Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) demanded transcribed interviews and documents from former Obama administration officialsincluding Hochstein, who has been one of Derkachs main targets, and Blinken, now a senior foreign policy adviser to Bidens campaignas part of a Republican-led probe into Biden and his son. The committees interviews with Hochstein and Blinken have not yet been scheduled, and the committee will seek to compel their testimony through a subpoena if need be, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the subjects Johnson wants to discuss: a memorandum of understanding signed in 2014 between Burismathe Ukrainian gas company whose board included Hunter Bidenand USAID, which does not mention either Joe Biden or his son. Democratic leaders on Monday asked the FBI for an urgent briefing arising out of concern that members of Congress are being targeted by a foreign operation intended to influence the 2020 presidential election. Among their concerns is that the Johnson probe has become a vehicle for laundering a foreign operation to damage Biden. We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November, they said. Betsy Woodruff Swan contributed reporting. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:52:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Ma hmoud el-Komy, a 26-year-old mechatronic engineer, tests Cira 02, a robot invented for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and post-infection medical care, at the Roboto Academy in Tanta city, northern Egypt, on July 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) TANTA, Egypt, July 20 (Xinhua) -- At his Roboto Academy in Tanta city in northern Egypt, 26-year-old mechatronic engineer Mahmoud el-Komy was testing Cira 02, a robot invented for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and post-infection medical care. Cira 02 female-like robot is all white, with a monitor on the chest that displays scan results of anyone facing it. It also has several sensors and a place where a person can rest his chin for a COVID-19 PCR test. It is enough for a person to pass or stand in front of Cira 02 to be scanned and told with the robot's voice if his temperature is normal or if he is suspected of being infected with COVID-19 respiratory disease. The no-entry barrier on the right shoulder of Cira 02 acts as a gate guard that will not allow a person suspected of infection to go through. The structure of Cira 02, a development of older Cira 01 version, is composed of assembled pieces made by a 3D printer invented by the Egyptian engineer. "Cira 01 had limited abilities, but Cira 02 has better sensors for faster fevering tests and oral communication to give advice, being a gate guard to protect vital places from infected visitors," el-Komy told Xinhua. Cira 02 can be used in crowded places, such as banks, airports and stations. It can also disinfect the place when it recognizes an infected or possibly infected person through face recognition, according to the Egyptian engineer. "In case of infection or suspected infection, it sounds an alarm and reports the person to concerned authorities," el-Komy explained. Standing and moving on four wheels, fully autonomous Cira 02 is supplied with IoT (Internet of Things), a remote-control system through which the robot can be controlled from anywhere in the world via an internet link that can be sent to anyone by the inventor. "It has always been my dream since childhood to see Egypt a technology exporting country rather than a technology consumer," the Egyptian robot inventor concluded. The creative young man's efforts did not go in vain, for his robot was welcomed by the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). Yasser Abdel-Bary, program manager of Electronics Industry at the MCIT, described el-Komy's invention to use robots in medical treatment as "so promising and timely." "When we heard about it, we immediately offered to assist el-Komy to produce his upcoming version Cira 03 at our labs and technological support facilities that would greatly facilitate his job," the Egyptian official told Xinhua. "El-Komy's robot can be developed to include other applications and deal with different infectious diseases in the future, so it is a very important project," Abdel-Bary added. The costs of producing Cira 01 and its developed version Cira 02 were covered by popular political party Mostaqbal Watan (Nation's Future), which financially sponsors the project to encourage creativity in Gharbiya and nationwide. "It is my duty to support creative young people in my province, and it is the duty of every businessman to encourage creative youth who have constructive ideas to offer the country," said Mohamed Oraiby, a businessman and secretary of Mostaqbal Watan in Gharbiya. "We believe that education and scientific research are the basis of development and we're willing to back creative people regardless of their age," Oraiby added. Designed for teaching children robotics, the Roboto Academy is full of tools and electronic accessories, with posters of robots and scientific shapes and phrases hanging on its walls. Abdel-Rahman Hossam, a 16-year-old high school student, is one of two creative boys who have worked as el-Komy's assistants during his invention of Cira versions. "I already love science. I learned many things at Roboto Academy, such as robot programming and designing, and joined several scientific competitions through the academy over the past few years," Hossam said at the academy. There is an unnecessary and manufactured culture of secrecy enveloping our national security establishment The multiple Chinese intrusions into India, occupation of our territory and the brutal murder of our soldiers undoubtedly constitute an intelligence failure. It is redux Kargil 1999 when the Pakistani army fronted by mercenaries and terrorists occupied the commanding heights that overlooked the Srinagar-Leh highway. However, despite repeated intelligence failures over the years, there is a demonstrated reluctance by the political and administrative elite to shine the light of accountability on our intelligence structures. The Kargil Review Committee (KRC) headed by the late Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam (the current foreign ministers father) had the following to say about the Kargil incursions in its executive summary. The Review Committee had before it overwhelming evidence that the Pakistani armed intrusion in the Kargil sector came as a complete and total surprise to the Indian government, Army and intelligence agencies as well as to the J&K state government and its agencies. The Committee did not come across any agency or individual who was able clearly to assess before the event the possibility of a large scale Pakistani military intrusion across the Kargil heights. A more damning indictment could not have been handed down. The committee further stated, It is not widely appreciated in India that the primary responsibility for collecting external intelligence, including that relating to a potential adversarys military deployment, is vested in RAW. The DGMIs capability for intelligence collection is limited. It is essentially restricted to the collection of tactical military intelligence and some amount of signal intelligence and its main role is to make strategic and tactical military assessments and disseminate them within the Army. Many countries have established separate Defence Intelligence Agencies and generously provided them with resources and equipment to play a substantive role in intelligence collection. For historical reasons, the Indian Armed Forces are not so mandated. Therefore, it is primarily RAW which must provide intelligence about a likely attack, whether across a broad or narrow front. This has changed somewhat with the constitution of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on March 5, 2002. The KRC report was equally critical of the role of the domestic intelligence service: The Intelligence Bureau is meant to collect intelligence within the country and is the premier agency for counter-intelligence. This agency got certain inputs on activities in the FCNA region which were considered important enough by the Director, IB to be communicated over his signature on June 2, 1998 to the Prime Minister, home minister, Cabinet secretary, home secretary and director general military operations. This communication was not addressed to the three officials most concerned with this information, namely secretary (RAW), who is responsible for external intelligence and had the resources to follow up the leads in the IB report; chairman JIC, who would have taken such information into account in JIC assessments; and Director General Military Intelligence. Interestingly, the Group of Ministers (GOM) constituted by Prime Minister Vajpayee in the wake of the Kargil Review Committee report devoted a full chapter to reviewing the intelligence apparatus but it was dropped from the report that was made public with the following notation, Chapter III Intelligence Apparatus Page Nos. 16-40 [Government Security Deletion] Para's 3.1 to 3.72 [Government Security Deletion]. What may have transpired in these deliberations was conjectured by the strategic commentator Manoj Joshi in a March 2014 policy report, entitled The Unending Quest to Reform India's National Security System. He wrote, All the recommendations on the area of intelligence in the 2001 GoM report were redacted in the report released to the public. Some information on the recommendations came through the press release accompanying the report. Other information came through scattered media reportage and an important article by the former deputy NSA in an annual publication of the NSCS. He further opined, Intelligence agencies are loath to accept any oversight as it is. In addition, given the inexperience of Indian politicians with matters relating to security, there are worries that information could leak. However, given the fact there are several senior politicians who have served government in key ministries, it should not be too difficult to construct an oversight mechanism comprised of former members of, say, the CCS. In some measure, however, there is reluctance on the part of the government of the day on this issue because the Intelligence Bureau is involved in a great deal of domestic political espionage. Paradoxically, Joshi was a member of the Naresh Chandra Task Force on National Security constituted by the then UPA government. It submitted its report on August 8, 2012. The contents of that report have still not been made public by successive governments. Contrast this with the American approach to 9/11 terror attack undoubtedly one of its biggest intelligence disasters. The 10-member bipartisan 9/11 Commission created by an act of Congress consisted exclusively of politicians. It analyzed and reported the tactical and institutional failures leading up to that terror outrage threadbare without any let or hindrance. The 585-page report put out in the public domain hardly has any or no redactions at all. In India there is an unnecessary and manufactured culture of secrecy enveloping our national security establishment. This is to enable them to obfuscate and escape scrutiny and accountability for their omissions. The argument that we live in a bad neighbourhood is at best specious. Other democracies that are transparent about the functioning of their intelligence systems to their respective parliaments remain equally vulnerable. That is why I had moved a private members bill in 2011, entitled The Intelligence Services (Powers and Regulation) Bill, 2011, to put our intelligence agencies on a sound legal footing and provide for parliamentary oversight over their functioning. The bill lapsed in October 2012 when I moved to government. The bill has been re-tabled in parliament with minor modifications and would have been moved in the Budget Session had it not adjourned prematurely due to Covid-19. Coming to the latest China fiasco. It is high time that parliament by special legislation should create a 10-member commission of parliamentarians drawn from both houses on the lines of the 9/11 Commission to study the national security paradigm between 1999 and 2020 and make binding recommendations for the future. Chesapeake Bank opens its fourth Richmond-area branch on Monday, July 20. Opening the new branch in Chesterfield County deepens the Kilmarnock-based banks growth commitment to the Richmond region, said Frank Bell, the banks senior vice president and the Richmond regional executive. This really broadens our footprint, Bell said. The new branch is at 10000 Courtview Road, off Iron Bridge Road near the Chesterfield government complex. Chesapeake Bank opened its first branch in the region in September 2015 at 5501 Patterson Ave. in Richmonds West End its first expansion beyond its historic footprint in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. The bank was founded in 1900. It has since opened two branches each in the Cedarfield and Lakewood Manor retirement communities as well as operating a loan production office in Chesterfield. The branch on Courtview Road is the banks 16th location. We have had a lot of success with the loan production office there, Bell said, noting that Chesapeake Bank is adding a full-service branch in Chesterfield to offer more services including wealth management. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) Gold and silver prices are higher in early U.S. trading Monday, with silver notching a nearly four-year high just above $20.00. There has been a steady flow of safe-haven and chart-based buying in the two precious metals recently. August gold futures were last up $7.10 an ounce at $1,817.20. September Comex silver prices were last up $0.271 at $20.04 an ounce. Global stock markets were mixed in overnight trading. Chinas mainland stock market rallied as that countrys economy is shifting into a higher gear from its late-winter lockdown. The U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward narrowly mixed openings when the New York day session begins. The debate in the U.S. is intensifying on whether to roll back the opening of businesses in some states that are experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases and as public schools are set to reopening in a few weeks. More than 140,000 Americans have died from the virus. This week, the $600 government unemployment checks many American workers were getting expires, unless Congress extends the benefits. The U.S. Congress returns to work this week and will debate another round of stimulus measures for American workers. Attention of the marketplace is also on a contentious meeting of European Union officials regarding a Covid-19 economic recovery plan. The officials have been meeting since Friday to hammer out a plan but have yet to do so. All of the above have taken risk appetite out of much of the marketplace. The important outside markets today see Nymex crude oil prices weaker and trading around $40.25 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index is weaker in early trading. The yield on the benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year note is currently around the 0.61% level. There is no major U.S. economic data due for release Monday. Technically, the gold bulls have the strong overall near-term technical advantage. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in August futures above solid resistance at $1,850.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,779.20. First resistance is seen at last weeks high of $1,819.50 and then at $1,825.50. First support is seen at the overnight low of $1,806.60 and then at $1,800.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 8.5 September silver futures bulls have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $21.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $18.50. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $20.105 and then at $20.25. Next support is seen at the overnight low of $19.655 and then at $19.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 8.5. JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Business Computers of America, the leading provider of software with real-time accounting for subprime finance companies, auto finance companies, independent car dealers, and the BHPH / LHPH industry has completed its latest release integrating Allegro Lending Suite with its industry leading DMS software, Deal Pack. ABCoA Deal Pack, DMS software with real-time accounting for subprime finance companies, auto finance companies, independent car dealers, and the BHPH / LHPH industry, recently completed integration with Allegro Lending Suite "At ABCoA, we believe integrations help to create an even more complete solution for our customers," stated ABCoA's President, Jonathan Hedy. "The Allegro platform was designed by a team with extensive experience in indirect lending. Our integration provides a seamless integration into Deal Pack's application to complete the ecosystem." Regarding the integration, Will McGregor, President and CEO of ILT said, "The ultimate objective of all product development at ILT is maximizing the efficiency of the lending process for all our lender clients. Automated transfer of loan data from our systems to their core data management systems enhances the efficiency of our products and helps us achieve that overall goal. Much of our recent growth has been in the subprime segment, and our clients specializing in this market are particularly interested in increased efficiencies. That's why we are so pleased to complete the link with Deal Pack." About Advanced Business Computers of America, Inc. (ABCoA, Inc.) Advanced Business Computers of America Inc. develops and supports end-to-end software solutions for the subprime automotive and finance industry. Since 1983, Advanced Business Computers of America has helped automotive dealerships and finance companies eliminate duplication, remain compliant, and achieve success with dependable, all-in-one software and white glove service and support. Deal Pack is a product of Advanced Business Computers of America, (ABCoA), a privately-owned, Jacksonville, Florida-based company. Visit www.abcoa.com / www.dealpack.com for more information about ABCoA Deal Pack, or please call 800.536.5832. Media contact: Evelyn "Evie" Hedy [email protected] 904.354.2073 About Integrated Lending Technologies, LLC (ILT) Integrated Lending Technologies, LLC offers innovative technology solutions and consulting services for the lending industry. ILT has extensive experience customizing integrations with lenders' host or core management systems. All funded loan data can be transferred automatically from Allegro Lending Suite into the core system eliminating the need for manual input. Allegro Lending Suite is a product of Integrated Lending Technologies (ILT), a limited liability company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit allegroloan.com / 801.581.9500 / [email protected] SOURCE Advanced Business Computers of America, Inc. By Online Desk The 55-year-old Health Minister of Delhi Satyendar Jain, who was tested COVID-19 positive in June, has fully recovered and will be resuming his duties from today in the capital's fight against the deadly coronavirus. Announcing the good news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, 'Jain was always on the field visiting hospitals and meeting health workers and patients. He contracted corona. After one month, he joins back today.' Jain was admitted at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital and later to Max Hospital's ICU after suffering from high-grade fever and breathlessness. Good morning Delhi Last nite, Satinder Jains ketone levels increased n he complained of headache, bodyache, difficulty in breathing n difficulty in passing urine. So, he had to be shifted to hospital. Now, he is doing well. It is 6th day of Manshs fast. He is doing well Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 18, 2018 In his absence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was looking after health and home departments, and PWD headed by Jain. AAP MLA Atishi and two other leaders of the party had also contracted coronavirus in the month of June. Jain, who is the AAP MLA from Shakurbasti, has now fully recovered and will start his duties from today. he has also expressed his desire to donate plasma on Twitter in the early days. 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. Inititally, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also had taken the COVID-19 test and his report turned out to be negative. Kejriwal has been urging people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma. To cross-vote in Rajya Sabha elections, Sachin Pilot, former Deputy CM, offered me Rs. 35 Crore, Girraj Singh Malinga, a congress MLA From Badi, Rajasthan claimed. Malinga said that he refused the offer. To cross-vote in Rajya Sabha elections, Sachin Pilot, former Deputy CM, offered me Rs. 35 Crore, Girraj Singh Malinga, a congress MLA From Badi, Rajasthan claimed on Monday. Malinga said that he refused the offer. The incident took place in December and again prior to the Rajasthan Rajya Sabha elections at his home, Girraj added. Malinga represents the Bari constituency. Also read: To the greatest joy of my life: Priyanka Chopra reminisces Nick Jonas marriage proposal Also read: MPBSE 12th Result 2020: Know Date, Time and How to check result @ mpbse.nic.in He informed Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan CM, about the incident, said Singh. Malinga said that he, too, had offers but he declined. He had talked to Sachin Ji, who asked him to change sides but he refused by saying that this is not right, he will not do it for money. He further said that in BSP, one has to give money to get a ticket, while on the contrary in Congress and BJP, that is not the system. Sachin Pilot had said money is not an issue, you ask what you want and you will get. There is no comment from Pilot on this allegation yet. Malinga said that BJP had never reached out to him, and neither had he talked to them. He added that he has no hostility with Pilot but he is speaking the truth. On 12 July, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot declared revolt by claiming to have the support of more than 18 legislators. Since then Rajasthan jumped into a political crisis. Although, he couldnt prove the support of more than 18 legislators by the next day. Also read: Film inspired by Sushant Singh Rajputs life under works: Lookalike Sachin Tiwari to play lead role For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Security forces on Monday busted a terror funding module of the proscribed terror outfit - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Jammu ahead of the Amarnath yatra, police said on Monday. The Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu - an anti-terror arm of the J&K Police and Army have busted a terror funding module of the LeT, said Jammu zone Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mukesh Singh. Initial information revealed that banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had activated a module for carrying out terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the Jammu region and in furtherance to this, a delivery of funds was to take place in Jammu, the IGP said. On this information, a team of SOG Jammu and Peer Mitha Police apprehended one Mubashir Bhat, son of Farooq Ahmed Bhat, a native of Sazan Doda, who is a part of the same module and had been tasked by the handlers from across (the border) to visit Jammu and collect a consignment of Hawala money for further use by the terrorists and their supporters, said Singh. During the search operation, one bag containing 1.5 lakh rupees which was concealed in a tiffin box was recovered, he said. Initial questioning revealed that the money was sent by Haroon, a self styled commander of LeT from Pakistan to be delivered to the terrorists through their overground workers in Doda. A case has been registered in Peer Mitha Police Station and further investigation of the case is going on to unearth its linkages, modus operandi, etc, said the IGP. On June 29 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Masood in an encounter in South Kashmir, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had said that the Doda district has become militancy free. Meanwhile, the Amarnath yatra which had been scheduled to take place between July 21 and August 3 from the shorter Baltal track in view of the Covid-19 pandemic has now come under a cloud. Following a spike in Covid-19 cases across Jammu and Kashmir and high court directions to urgently take all decisions regarding the Yatra in view of the pandemic,, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is waiting for the final decision on the annual pilgrimage from the administration. Houston, July 20 : US Navy teams have been deployed in Texas to help the state in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott said. On Sunday, Abbott announced that the US Department of Defense has sent five Navy teams to four locations in south and southwest Texas, reports Xinhua news agency. Beginning Sunday, one Navy Acute Care Team will provide support in southern Texas. Another four Navy Rural Rapid Response Teams will support hospitals in south and southwest Texas, said the Governor. These teams consist of medical and support professionals which are being deployed to help meet medical needs in hospitals throughout the state, he added. "The support from our federal partners is crucial in our work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities throughout Texas. "The State of Texas will continue to utilize every resource available to protect public health and keep Texans in every community safe," Abbott said. At the Governor's request and as part of a whole-of-nation approach, the US Army Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces (UAMTF) arrived in Texas to support the Houston and San Antonio areas earlier this month. Meanwhile, confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalization continue to soar in Texas, one of the worst hit US states. According to Texas Health and Human Services, the state added 10,158 new confirmed cases on Saturday, taking the total number to 317,730, with 3,865 deaths. Never Again,. It was a solemn promise made three-quarters of a century ago to humanity. In the aftermath of WWII and the atomic bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United Nations was established by a group of nations on 24 October 1945 to keep world peace and become a forum for resolving disputes and conflicts. We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, etc, etc, etc. It launched four statuettes of sincere obligations towards the progress of mankind. Never Again shall man be allowed to commit heinous crimes against his fellow man, yet only a few days ago, 11 July, was the 25th anniversary of the 1995 brutal massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica by their fellow countrymen the Bosnian Serbs. The commemoration, held at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, was expected to be attended by tens of thousands as was the 20th anniversary, but was scaled down because of the coronavirus. A funeral was held for nine people killed 25 years ago and had as yet not found a burial home until now. Bosniaks, as Muslim Bosnians are called, continue to search for the remains or even body parts of family members and afford them the dignity of a decent burial. You may or may not have heard of Yugoslavia, as it exists no more. Once the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, communist president Josip Broz Tito had a strong hold over a population made up of Catholics, Orthodox Serbs and Muslims, for almost 40 years (1946-1980). After his death, religious tensions quickly surfaced. Bosnia-Herzegovina declared itself an independent state and systematically began massacring the Muslim population. It took three years for the UN to act and they declared the town of Srebrenica as a safe place for Muslims to flee. They positioned 400 Dutch troops as a peace-keeping force. leading the way for Muslims to hide, but the Serbs came in full force, separated the women from the men and boys, slaughtered 8,137 innocent souls, and 20,00 women & children were raped and tortured. The UN Dutch troops fled, wept or watched. So did the rest of the world. Too apparent an absurdity is this peacekeeping force that has never kept any peace, anywhere. What made the massacre all the more horrifying was that the Muslims sheltered in safe areas under the UN protocol. The fact was meaningless to the Serbs. Was the international community shocked by the gruesome images of another genocide? Maybe. Where then were the newsreels, documentaries, films, articles, pictures spread all over newspapers? What? No Hollywood buzz, no haunting movies? Where is the propaganda machine to engrave the horrors in your heart and soul, day after day after day? It was not Auschwitz, yet it was. It tore the hearts out of us, but if you remember Srebrenica, so will your children or grandchildren. This is only one of what observers claim were at least 12 major genocides that took place under the guardianship of the UN. Since WWII we seem to have learned little or nothing. Despite its splendid intentions, the UNs actions fall too short, or the intentions too frail. Think of Indonesia (1965), three million dead, or Bangladesh, (1971), another three million. How about the killing fields of Cambodia, (I975)? Two million were killed, and Rwanda, (1994), more than a million dead, not to mention Ugandas Idi Amin, Darfur, Zimbabwe and on and on and on. Oh, what a lovely dream, the UN. Could it be that a task of such dimension and difficulty is beyond human achievement? After 75 years of its existence, the dream is still a dream the noble promises broken. Never again had one letter too many. The fault dear reader, may lie with us. We need a miracle to transform the UN. How about us? Are we the educated, sophisticated, civilided race we think we are, or are we no more than naked savages dressed up in coats and tails with spears in hand, ready to pierce the heart of a helpless running deer? Is it done for food, greed, power, or is it just a sport, a game adults play? We the peoples of the UN are still failing. Our most tragic failure was the creation of the Zionist state. A reckless act against the people of Palestine. Since then, 1948, Palestinian victims have been fighting what a UN investigator once described as Israels ethnic cleansing. The killing of 15,000 Palestinians and the dispersion of 750,000, forced to flee from their homeland was a mockery of humanity. Israel now controls 85 per cent of Palestine and has ignored all General Assembly resolutions against it. It has become the most condemned nation in the UN. Does it care? In the formation of this great establishment a Security Council was included, with five members: the UK, the US, Russia, France and China. They hold a veto power that can override any resolution. The US has vetoed 43 times resolutions condemning Israel than the rest of the world combined. The bulk of mankind is weary of the slow, self-centred, inefficient UN. Is it worth the $50 billion that the weary world pays annually? We trusted it with our lives. Despite the failings we have the profoundest respect for the ideas and aspirations of the UN. If only it could push boldly forward, and save the dream. The United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell. Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961) *A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Republicans leading the negotiations for the next coronavirus relief package on Capitol Hill made it clear that the extra $600-a-week unemployment benefit was on the chopping block. 'We don't think any federal money should be spent if it gives you a disincentive to work, we want to make sure we have incentives to keep going,' said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Monday at the White House. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who's leading the White House's effort alongside Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on the Hill, shared the sentiment. 'We're going to make sure that we don't pay people more money to stay at home [than] go to work,' Mnuchin said. McCarthy, Meadows, Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump were meeting in the Oval Office when the president let reporters in. Mnuchin said the theme of the fourth coronavirus package was 'kids and jobs and vaccines.' Trump continued to pitch a payroll tax cut as part of the package. President Trump hosted Republican leaders to the Oval Office Monday to talk about the next coronavirus relief package. Attendees made clear they wanted to kill the extra $600-a-week unemployment benefit, saying is disincentivized work President Trump (center) was joined by (from left) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (left) and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows (right) are headed to Capitol Hill Tuesday to talk to GOP lawmakers and then will bring Democrats into the discussion, they said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left) said during the Oval Office meeting that no federal funds should go toward benefits that 'gives you a disincentive to work,' alluding to the current extra unemployment cash that expires at the end of the month 'It's been proven to be successful and it's a big saving for the people,' Trump said. 'It's a tremendous saving and an incentive for companies to hire their workers back and to keep their workers,' the president said. 'The payroll tax to me is very important,' he added. Meadows and Mnuchin said they planned to head to the Hill Tuesday for meetings with Republicans and then would bring Democrats into the discussions. Congress came back into session Monday. Prior to the Republican meet-up, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged fellow Democrats to 'stand together' as the new round of negotiations got started. 'It has been over three months since the Republican-led Senate has considered major COVID-relief legislation while Americans face perhaps the greatest public health threat since 1918 and the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression,' Schumer wrote colleagues. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is urging colleagues to 'stay united' as Republicans seek to move what could be the final coronavirus bill before the election He blasted Senate Republicans as having been 'missing in action.' 'During the debate over the CARES Act, it was our unity against a partisan, Republican first draft that allowed for significant improvements to be madeimprovements that have benefited millions upon millions of Americans,' he wrote, referencing the last round of coronavirus relief. 'I hope we will not have to repeat that process. But we will stand together again if we must. Our Democratic colleagues in the House are ready to work and we know that a bipartisan, bicameral process will result in a much better bill for the American people,' he wrote, in a letter first obtained by Politico. Schumer wrote that McConnell 'wants to write the next coronavirus legislation behind the closed doors of his office' before bringing it straight to the floor. He said his GOP counterpart will 'prioritize corporate special interests over workers and main street businesses, and will fail to adequately address the worsening spread of the Coronavirus.' The meetings begin just as emergency relief is expiring. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already pushed a $3 trillion measure through the House Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (left) is stressing liability protections for businesses. He attended a White House meeting Monday Lawmakers could issue another round of $1,200 checks to Americans, but $600 weekly payments to unemployed workers are likely to get slashed Democrats are pushing for more funding for coronavirus testing Schumer made his pitch for Democratic unity as Senate Republicans prepare to release their coronavirus package Schumer pointed to 'significant improvements' Democrats won by holding out against the original GOP version of the last big coronavirus bill President Trump must decide how much relief to accept for the final pre-election coronavirus bill. House Democrats have pushed through $3 trillion and Senate Republicans want about a third as much New divisions between the Senate GOP majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. But administration panned more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate quick passage. $600-per-week unemployment benefits expire July 31, adding more pressure for congressional action. McConnell and top Republicans oppose reextending the benefit at that level, arguing it is a disincentive for people to go back to work. Trump insisted again Sunday that the virus would 'disappear,' but the president's view did not at all match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the alarming U.S. caseload and death toll. Lawmakers were returning to a Capitol still off-limits to tourists, another sign of the nation's difficulty containing the coronavirus. Rather than easing, the pandemics devastating cycle was happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses were shutting down again, schools could not fully reopen and jobs were disappearing, all while federal aid expired. Without a successful federal strategy, lawmakers are trying to draft one. 'Its not going to magically disappear,' said a somber McConnell, R-Ky., last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers. FILE - In this May 22, 2020, file photo the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is visible through heavy fog in Washington. With COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and a grim rising death toll, the pandemic's devastating cycle is happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin 'to fine-tune' the legislation, acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News. The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count of 140,500 than any other country. The package from McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits. But as the White House weighed in, the administration was panning some $25 billion in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administration's objections were first reported by The Washington Post. Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks. The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed Democrats' vast $3 trillion proposal and virus cases and deaths had only increased since. Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month at a rally in Oklahoma that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Trump's GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill. The payroll tax Trump wanted also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion. Trump said Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed. 'I want to see it,' he said. As McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. This would be the fifth virus aid package, after the $2.2 trillion bill passed in March, the largest U.S. intervention of its kind. The first round of virus aid is running out. A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits would expire at the end of the month. So, too, would the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units. With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million - usually about 200,000 - many households were facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage. Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-at-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remained at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade's Great Recession. Pelosi's bill, approved in May, included $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funneled $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and called for $1 trillion to be sent to cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections. In the two months since Pelosi's bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections. 'If we dont invest the money now, it will be much worse,' Pelosi said. FILE - In this April 21, 2020, file photo Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. arrives at the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lawmakers return Monday, July 20, to Washington to try to pull the country back from the looming COVID cliff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) FILE - In this April 23, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump's name is seen on a stimulus check issued by the IRS to help combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, in San Antonio. There were just a few hundred coronavirus cases when Congress first started focusing on emergency spending in early March. By the end of that month, as Congress passed the massive $2.2 trillion Cares Act, cases skyrocketed above 100,000 and deaths climbed past 2,000. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) FILE - In this July 16, 2020, file photo House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi said recently she finds herself yearning for an earlier era of Republicans in the White House, saying despite differences, even with Richard Nixon, who resigned facing impeachment, 'At least we had a shared commitment to the governance of our country.' (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Researchers from KU Leuven, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and RTI International investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change. The conclusion is clear: international trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger, particularly when protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are eliminated. Climate change has consequences for agriculture worldwide, with clear differences between regions. Expectations are that sufficient food will remain available in the Northern hemisphere, but in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, falling crop yields may lead to higher food prices and a sharp rise in hunger. Further liberalisation of world trade can relieve these regional differences: "If regions like Europe and Latin America, for example, where wheat and corn thrive, increase their production and export food to regions under heavy pressure from global warming, food shortages can be reduced," says doctoral researcher Charlotte Janssens. "It sounds quite obvious, but there are many barriers that complicate this free trade." Tariffs and infrastructure Import tariffs are a major barrier to international trade in food. They increase the cost of importing basic food crops like wheat, corn or rice. Around a fifth of the worldwide production of these grains is traded internationally. That makes good trade agreements very important in the battle against hunger. Professor Miet Maertens explains: "In the early 21st century, we saw a major liberalisation of the international market. This caused the average import tariffs on agricultural products in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to drop by a third. Our research shows that this liberalisation makes global food provision less vulnerable to climate change. We also see that further reduction and phasing-out of tariffs can intensify this positive effect." Besides, there are also other barriers. In some countries, the logistical aspect is a sticking point. Roads are sometimes poor or ports are not equipped for loading and unloading large container ships. Countless complicated trade procedures can drive up the effective cost of trade. "A global food strategy must go hand in hand with improvements to trade infrastructure," argues Charlotte Janssens. 60 scenarios The international research team, consisting of scientists from KU Leuven, IIASA and RTI International, among others, are making their recommendations based on 60 scenarios. They took into account different forms of trade policy, along with climate change varying from a 2 to 4-degree warming of the Earth. 2050 was set as the horizon for each scenario. "Under the current barriers to trade, the worst-case climate scenario of a 4-degree warming will lead to an extra 55 million people enduring hunger compared to the situation without climate change. If vulnerable regions cannot increase their food imports, this effect will even rise to 73 million," argues Janssens. Where barriers to trade are eliminated, 'only' 20 million people will endure food shortages due to climate change. In the more mild climate scenarios, an intensive liberalisation of trade may even prevent more people from enduring hunger owing to climate change. Yet a liberalisation of international trade may also involve potential dangers. "If South Asian countries would increase rice exports without making more imports of other products possible, they could be faced with increased food shortage within their own borders," warns Charlotte Janssens. "A well thought-out liberalisation is needed in order to be able to relieve food shortages properly." Crisis and protectionism "Sadly enough, we see that in times of crisis, countries are inclined to adopt a protectionist stance. Since the start of the current corona crisis, around ten countries are closing their borders for the export of important food crops", says Janssens. "In the context of climate change, it is highly important that they avoid such protectionist behaviour and instead continue to maintain and utilise the international trade framework." ### This research is a collaboration by researchers from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven in Belgium, the International Institute of Applied System Analysis (IIASA) and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria, RTI International and the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the US, and Ritsumeikan University in Japan. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the "worrisome situation" in the state. During the meeting, the governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said. Dhankhar before the meeting had tweeted: "Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation." "Also state of affairs and affairs of State @MamataOfficial. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of WB people," he tweeted. The governor had also said that he would discuss with the home minister about his constitutional duties provided under Article 159 that includes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and will "devote myself to the service and well-being of the people". "I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE," Dhankar said in another tweet. On Sunday, the governor had said there was no room for complacency for the state government when it came to dealing with rising COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in West Bengal. SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- InXpress, a shipping and logistics franchise with a network of 400 franchises in 14 countries helps small-to-medium size businesses ship 4.6 million packages a year. This year, efficient shipping has become even more essential for business owners due to supply chain challenges, overwhelmed carrier partners and an overall influx of ecommerce shipping needs. InXpress is the DHL Express No. 1 reseller of 2019, and through the trusted global partnership, massive group buying power, and a reliable network of nearly 50 other carrier partners, franchisees are able to offer small and mid-size enterprises (SME) shipping rates traditionally only available to high-volume clients. "It's undeniable that there is a growing demand for discounted shipping services in the rapidly expanding e-commerce sector, resulting in franchise candidates researching InXpress," said Christina Chambers, Executive Vice President, Franchise Development. "Fortunately, our franchisees who are trusted, knowledgeable partners for SMEs continue to serve as a reliable remote support system for all of their clients shipping needs and especially there to assist those facing pandemic-impacts." InXpress Americas awarded eleven franchise agreements and three transfer agreements for the first half of 2020. InXpress fills a unique hole in the marketplace, and will soon be able to assist more small-to-medium size businesses in need of solution-driven partners offering one-stop-shop access to multiple carrier options. InXpress, named #188 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2020 Top Global Franchises list continues to see franchise prospects join with unique and varying backgrounds. One entrepreneur is joining InXpress after a decade of serving in the United States Marine Corps. Some are coming from corporate positions in accounting, sales and different leadership positions within start-up companies, while others have no sales-background but are self-driven, strategic and know the growth potential. Some new franchisees have seen the financial freedom and success of others. For instance, Vijay Nalik is opening an InXpress in Tennessee, while his brother owns an InXpress in Australia. The transfer sales speak to the future selling option available to franchisees and the benefit of purchasing an established InXpress franchise with cliental built-in. "Our clients, especially those in high-demand e-commerce verticals, rely on our global DHL partnership and widespread carrier connections," said Kody Slade, InXpress Dallas franchisee and franchise development director. "As international specialists, we provide tailor-made courier and delivery options for customers. What sets InXpress apart from competitors is our franchisees' superior account management and attentive personal touch." The InXpress franchise opportunity is attractive to self-starters because it allows owners to work anywhere in the world with no territory restrictions and no employee requirements. The work-from-home nature of the business, allows owners to launch with low-overhead and provide a needed service safely from the comfort of their home office. As long as a prospective client is not already working with another InXpress franchisee, they can be presented with money-saving services that benefit their reoccurring shipping needs. Additionally, it's a proven franchise model that allows entrepreneurs the flexibility to scale as they see fit. Franchisees can shift their business to industries experiencing an upward tick in shipping needs. About InXpress: InXpress, a global business-to-business franchise company in the shipping and logistics industry, with a network of over 370 franchisees provides SMEs with unrivaled time and cost-saving shipping solutions through consultative services and innovative software. Due to the franchise's size and its partnership with DHL and more than 50 other trusted carrier partners, InXpress franchisees can offer big shipping discounts to small and medium-sized business. With automated shipping preparation and one-on-one account management, InXpress customers are treated with the care and services typically reserved for Fortune 1000 companies. The core services include international small parcel, domestic small parcel and LTL (freight). The company was founded in 1999 in the United Kingdom and currently operates in 14 countries. InXpress Americas began franchising in 2006. To learn more about the franchise opportunity and the reoccurring revenue potential, visit https://inxpressfranchise.com/. SOURCE InXpress The spacecraft launched at 6.58 this morning (local time) from the Tanegashima space center (Japan). The unmaned capsule named "Al Amal (hope)". It will study the climate of the red planet for a whole Martian year to prepare - within 100 years - a possible human settlement. "A message of pride" for young Arabs and a renewal of the "golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries". Dubai (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The first space mission to the planet Mars, signed by the "Emirates", was launched this morning from the space center of Tanegashima, Japan. Its launch had been delayed twice due to bad weather. This morning at 6.58 (local time in Japan), the rocket carrying the uninhabited capsule "Al Amal (hope)" , which serves as a scientific laboratory, made a sucessful lift off. "Al Amal" is expected to reach Mars' orbit by February 2021, thus celebrating the 50th anniversary of the unification of the seven emirates within the UAE. The race to Mars has two other competitors: China with the Tianwen-1 and the United States with Mars 2020. Unlike these, the Arab spacecraft will not land on Mars, but will remain in orbit for about 687 days, an entire year. Martian. The aim is to study the climate in the atmosphere of Mars and prepare for the possibility of building a human settlement on the red planet within the next 100 years. According to official statements, the UAE government wants the Martian project to serve as an ideal inspiration for young Arabs, in a region marked by fundamentalisms and economic crises. The launch - followed in live streaming througout the emirates - is a message of pride, hope and peace for the Arab region; it renews the golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries." An international group of researchers have discovered that inhibiting AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), a protein with roles in regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation, enables the immune system to combat replication of zika virus in the organism far more effectively. In experiments performed at the University of Sao Paulo's Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil, the antiviral therapy proved capable of preventing the development of microcephaly and other malformations in mouse fetuses whose mothers were infected while pregnant. The study was supported by FAPESP. An article describing the results was published on July 20 in the journal Nature Neuroscience. "In the experiments, we used an experimental drug that inhibits AHR and observed a decrease in replication of both zika virus and dengue virus. We now plan to test the effectiveness of the therapy against the novel coronavirus," said Jean Pierre Peron, a professor at ICB-USP and co-principal investigator for the project alongside Cybele Garcia, a virologist at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Francisco Quintana, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in the United States. The experimental model used in the study was the same as that used by Peron's group in 2016 to prove a causal link between zika virus and microcephaly (read more at agencia.fapesp.br/23286/). On that occasion female mice of the SJL strain, which are much more susceptible to zika infection than other laboratory animals, were infected with the virus between the tenth and twelfth day of pregnancy. When the pups were born, the researchers found a significant reduction in cortical layer thickness, as well as alterations in the number and morphology of cortical and other brain cells. They also found that the virus replicated far more rapidly in placenta and in the pups' brains than in other organs. We repeated this experiment with a difference. Shortly before we infected the pregnant females with zika, we began orally administering the AHR inhibitor. The treatment continued until the end of the gestational period. The pups had normal brains in terms of size and weight, and a far lower viral load than the non-treated control group. Viral load was almost undetectable in both the placenta and the central nervous system. In addition, histopathological analysis showed that there was no reduction in cortical layer thickness and that the number of nervous system cells killed by the virus was much smaller." Jean Pierre Peron, Professor at ICB-USP According to Peron, no adverse effects were observed in the mice treated with the AHR inhibitor, but before the treatment is tested in human volunteers the experiment must be replicated in monkeys. The study took four years to be completed. Nagela Zanluqui and Carolina Polonio, both PhD candidates at ICB-USP with scholarships from FAPESP, also participated. Inception Quintana's laboratory at Harvard is one of the world's leading centers in studies of the protein AHR. In an interview given to Agencia FAPESP, Quintana said his group discovered some years ago that interferons, proteins produced by immune cells in the inflammatory response to infections, control the activation of AHR. "Because interferons are central to the antiviral immune response, we postulated together with Garcia's group that AHR might be involved in the suppression of immunity against viruses. We designed anti-AHR therapies and developed nanoparticles and inhibitors for use in the experiments," Quintana said. Tests performed in the laboratory and in animals confirmed that viruses activate AHR to suppress the host's immune response. This may occur when a pathogen infects the liver, triggering release of the tryptophan metabolite kynurenine. "This metabolite activates AHR, which inhibits the expression of another protein called PML [promyelocytic leukemia protein, very important to the antiviral immune response] and thereby lets the virus replicate more freely in cells," Peron said. At the University of Buenos Aires, Garcia led experiments with various cell lines including hepatocytes and neural progenitors, stem cells that have the capacity to differentiate into neuronal and glial cells. "We treated the cell lines with AHR agonist compounds [which magnify the action of the protein] and AHR antagonists [which inhibit it]," Garcia told Agencia FAPESP. "In this manner we confirmed that negative modulation of this receptor inhibits replication of zika. In the same way we demonstrated that positive modulation boosts viral replication in cells." Environmental factors The impact of the 2015 zika epidemic was highly asymmetrical, Garcia said. In some regions and cities, the incidence of the congenital syndrome and microcephaly caused by the virus was much higher than in others. In her view this may be because of environmental factors favoring infection in the worst-hit areas or because their inhabitants were more susceptible. Both factors may also have contributed simultaneously to an intensification of zika's impact. "Coincidentally, AHR can be activated by environmental pollutants, and by certain diets or endogenous microbiota. Our next challenge is to rule out or confirm the existence of a link between AHR, polluted or socio-economically degraded environments and heightened virulence of zika," Garcia said. Vincent "Bubba" Mandola, part of a Houston family restaurant dynasty, died Sunday of heart failure after fighting COVID-19, his family announced on social media. Mandola, whose restaurants include Nino's, Vincent's, Grappino di Nino and Pronto Cucino, was a pioneer in the local restaurant industry. His nephew, Johnny Carrabba, who is also a restaurateur (Carrabas, Mias Table, Graces) said his uncle was an inspiration. I am fortunate to have worked with him but was more fortunate to be his nephew, said Carrabba. I learned the restaurant business from him but learned a lot more about how to be a gentleman and a hard worker. Carrabba said that although Vincent Mandola had a strong work ethic, he always made time for his family. He never missed a family function, said Carrabba. He had six grandchildren. He never missed their school events. I think that is more of a tribute to him than anything else. Johnny Mandola, Vincent Mandolas cousin and the general manager at Midtown's Damian's Cucina Italiana, echoed Carrabbas sentiments. Our family has been texting memories and stories about what a great guy he was. He loved his daughters, Vinceanne and Dana Mandola, said Johnny Mandola. Johnny Mandola said even at age 77, his cousin was still involved in operating his restaurants. I respected him. I could always call him to ask questions, said Johnny Mandola. He always had a mind about what to do next in the industry. He paved the way to how to run a restaurant: customer service, great food and hard work. In their social media post, the Mandola's said Vincent Mandola dedicated his life to his family and was a devoted husband and an amazing father, and papa. His restaurants were an extension of his home and he welcomed each guest with warmth and attentiveness, like famiglia (family). The family also asked for privacy during this time, along with continued prayers. He had the best sense of humor of anyone I have ever met. Its a huge loss for our family, said Carrabba. I dont think youll hear anyone say a negative word about my uncle. He was a man of his word. OAKVILLE, ON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("APUC") (TSX: AQN) (NYSE: AQN) today announced plans to release its second quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, August 13, 2020, after market close. APUC will hold an earnings conference call at 10:00 a.m. eastern time on Friday, August 14, 2020, hosted by Chief Executive Officer, Arun Banskota and Chief Financial Officer, David Bronicheski. Also in attendance on the call will be Chris Jarratt, Vice Chair and Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Arthur Kacprzak. Conference call details are as follows: Date: Friday, August 14, 2020 Time: 10:00 a.m. ET Conference Call Access: Toll Free Canada/US 1-800-319-4610 Toronto local 416-915-3239 Please ask to join the Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. conference call Presentation Access: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/algonquinpower20200814.html Presentation also available at: www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com Call Replay: (available until August 28, 2020) Toll Free Canada/US 1-855-669-9658 Vancouver local 1-604-674-8052 Access code 4873 About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. APUC is a diversified international generation, transmission and distribution utility with approximately $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. SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. Related Links http://www.algonquinpower.com Not many stocks have everything an investor needs all in one place. However, Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN) offers TSX investors some instant diversification, while also paying a small dividends. This names satisfies a long-term capital appreciation thesis, too. And all of this is rolled into a single defensive stock. Why is this stock defensive? Lundin is a solid all-rounder when it comes to metals exposure. Lundins main commodity is copper, though it also covers zinc, nickel, gold, and silver. Copper brings access to a range of industries, including renewable energy. Given the reliance of green energy on copper, buying shares in Lundin can also satisfy a high-growth strategy. But access to a whole range of industries is on offer from Lundin. Zinc has medicinal properties, for instance. Its a mineral supplement that helps boost the immune system. Construction-wise, everything from brass to aluminum solder uses zinc, making Lundin a fitting name for the materials segment of a stock portfolio. Nickel, meanwhile, is mostly used for stainless steel production as well as other alloys. Finally, we come to gold. Exposure to this safe-haven metal comes via a 100%-owned copper-gold mine in Brazil bought from Yamana Gold in 2019, while the Candelaria Copper Mining Complex in Chile also produces gold and silver. The case for buying gold in 2020 has been strengthening steadily, with some names gathering incredible momentum. Given the possibility for another sharp market correction, packing some extra gold in a portfolio is a defensive move. A key stock for strong returns Investing $5,000 into this name could see a shareholder glean some serious rewards by the middle of the decade. Holding Lundin shares through 2025 could see shareholders reel in total returns of 96%. That shakes out at $9,800. With the chance to double an investment, given current conservative estimates, investors can instantly diversify a stock portfolio while looking forward to steep capital appreciation. Story continues Bear in mind that around 12% of those returns will be comprised of regular dividend payments. While this passive income is nice to have, it means that investors could still see over 80% capital gains, even if that dividend is suspended not that there are any indications that this is about to happen. But this is 2020 were taking about, and its the rare distribution that looks set in stone at the moment. With operations in Chile, Brazil, Sweden, Portugal, and the U.S., Lundin is diversified in geographical locations as well. Each location brings its own unique qualities to the table, as with the Chapada copper-gold mine touched on above. This multi-stream revenue feeds a dividend yield of 1.9%, making Lundin a solid play for defensive passive income. The fundamentals for this name check out, too. Selling at 61% below fair value, Lundin is still technically undervalued. Its price-to-book (P/B) reflects this, with a P/B of 1.2 times book lower than the sector average of 2.5. Conversely, Lundins earnings outlook is very positive, with 44% annual growth estimated over the next one to three years. In summary, investors have a solid all-rounder here that matches value with an impressive outlook. The post Got $5,000? Buy This 1 TSX Mining Stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Victoria Hetherington 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 Bandits have reportedly killed three officers and 12 soldiers in an ambush in Faskari, Katsina State on Saturday. It was gathered that 17 bandits were eliminated during the bloody exchange with the troops of 72 Para Battalion. Bodies of the gallant troops were evacuated to the hospital in Katsina, pictures seen by The PUNCH on Sunday, indicated. A source who was privy to the incident said, The bandits attacked the troops of 72 Para Battalion while on patrol at Shimfida on Saturday. The ambush was bloody as the troops came under overwhelming firepower from the criminals. But the troops were able to resist the bandits killing 17 of them. Unfortunately, we lost 15 men comprising three officers and 12 soldiers. But the Army said only three soldiers paid the supreme price during the incident, noting that 17 bandits were eliminated by the troops of Combat Team 1, Operation Sahel Sanity with the support of the Air Task Force. The acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig. Gen. Benard Onyeuko, in a statement on Sunday, explained that five AK47 rifles, three dane guns, two AK47 rifle magazines, 152 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and seven motorcycles were captured from the fleeing bandits. Regrettably, one brave officer and two gallant soldiers paid the supreme price while four other soldiers were wounded in action. However, the wounded in action soldiers are currently responding positively to treatment in a military medical facility, he noted. It further disclosed that troops conducting fighting patrol along Faskari Sheme Dandume road in Katsina State, equally arrested five suspected bandits including one female. It said one of the suspects, Bashir Usman, who claimed to be a policeman during interrogation could not validate his claim with any form of identification. He was apprehended with one AK47 rifle loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition while riding on a motorcycle. Other items recovered from him include one handset and N6,050. The troops also rescued 16-year- old Miss Hadiza Sani, abducted by bandits at Kuka Uku Village in Batsari LGA, Katsina state and another 10-year-old girl who was kidnapped while fetching firewood by two bandits riding a motorcycle at Bagega Tudurki Forest. Meanwhile, the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have neutralized six Boko Haram terrorists attempting to cross from Cameroon borders towards Sambisa axis. Weapons and equipment captured from the terrorists include three AK47 rifles, magazine with 48 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one Honda salon car, motorcycle, eight bicycles, three phones with multiple SIMs and memory cards and five copies of the Holy Quran, among others. Additionally, there was also a letter written in Hausa to a top Boko Haram commander, Abu Fatima, documents and other logistics. According to a statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, shortly after the successful operation, the enemy communication intercept confirmed the killing of a top Boko Haram commander named Sayinna and other fighters during the encounter. The other slain terrorists were suspected to be Imam and Mansur to Abu Fatima who hibernate in Sambisa forest, it added. The statement said eight top terrorist commanders were killed during an encounter at Damasak and buried by the insurgents at Goski village in the early hours of July 3. The family of a teenager killed in a horror crash broke down in tears as they opened up about the agony of losing their loved one. Barney Wakes-Miller, 17, died when the vehicle he was travelling in came off the road and slammed into a sandstone and wrought iron fence at Elanora Heights on Saturday at about 11.20pm. His mother Bella Wakes-Miller described her son's tragic death as a heartbreaking 'waste'. 'It is just the beginning of a horrible life without Barn ... such a waste,' she told Nine News. The family of teenager Barney Wakes-Miller, who killed in a horror crash on Saturday, broke down in tears as they spoke about the 'real treasure' in their lives Barney Wakes-Miller, 17, (pictured) died when the vehicle his mate was driving came off the road and slammed into a sandstone and wrought iron fence at Elanora Heights on Saturday His father Duncan Wakes-Miller described Barney as the 'most amazing son that you could ask for'. 'We miss him like you cannot believe. We really miss him, anyone whose got children hug them tighter tonight,' he said through tears. Barney's little sister Iona broke down as she described the love she had for her brother. 'I think we all know we love our siblings to the core and you don't want to have to miss them one day,' she said. The family also released a statement after Barney's death describing how he lived with 'artistic brilliance'. 'Barn gave everything he did 110 per cent from his artistic brilliance, that was a constant thread through his life, to his love of his brothers Arthur and Tenzin and his little sister Iona,' the family said in a statement to the Manly Daily. Barney had suffered critical head injuries and received treatment from NSW Ambulance crews before he died at the scene (pictured) 'Barn was our rainbow, a complex mix of light and shade, and we will look for him in the sky when the rain falls and the sun shines. 'At night, he is the brightest star in the sky. He will always be with us. We love him, and he is part of all that is good, creative and brilliant.' Barney had suffered critical head injuries in the horror crash and received treatment from NSW Ambulance crews before he died at the scene. Police said he was travelling in an overloaded Holden Commodore with one female and four male teenagers at the time of the accident. The four surviving passengers and 17-year-old driver on his red p-plates were taken to Royal North Hospital for precautionary checks. The driver also underwent a blood and urine test for drugs and alcohol. NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia in a statement on Monday that no charges or arrests have been made at this stage, but 'investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the crash.' Tributes poured in for the Sydney teenager (pictured) who was described as artistically brilliant Northern Beaches Police Commander Pat Sharkey said the tragedy had taken a heavy huge toll on the local community. 'Everyone in this incidence, the people in the vehicle and their families, are all quite traumatised by this,' he said on Sunday. 'All six occupants in the vehicle are northern beaches locals.' Barney was the second eldest of four other siblings and was so skilled as an illustrator he won his school's art prize at St Augustine's College in Brookvale four years in a row. Friends, family and members of the local community have placed flowers at the scene of the horror smash. Police have urged witnesses or anyone with information on the crash to come forward. Prince Andrew was seen leaving the Royal Lodge in Windsor this afternoon after he was snubbed from the official photos from his daughter Princess Beatrice's secret wedding. Beatrice married Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise ceremony at All Saints Chapel on Friday, later releasing pictures alongside the Queen and Prince Philip. However, her father the Duke of York was notably absent, after coming under fire for his links to disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested for her role in allegedly procuring young girls for the financier. Andrew was spotted driving himself from the Royal Lodge this afternoon, just days after Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, tied the knot. He was conspicuously missing from a series of wedding photos released by the happy couple in the days following the ceremony. Prince Andrew was seen driving himself from The Royal Lodge at Windsor Great Park today Andrew, seen driving today, is currently being called to help the FBI with their investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell - the girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who is suspected of procuring young women for him Princess Beatrice tied the knot to Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise ceremony on Friday, releasing pictures alongside the Queen and Prince Philip on Saturday - but the shamed Duke of York was notably absent The Duke is currently being called to help the FBI with their investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell. His six-month standoff with the FBI deepened after Maxwell was detained for allegedly helping to lure underage girls who were then sexually abused by Epstein. Her arrest in Bradford, New Hampshire, intensified calls for Andrew to be quizzed about any involvement he may have had, despite him denying wrongdoing. He has also denied claims by Virginia Roberts, Epstein's sex slave, that he slept with her on several occasions. The royal put his legal troubles aside for the wedding, as a source revealed daughter Beatrice isolated with her family 'for some time', in order for her father to be able to walk her down the aisle. The couple opted to have a small ceremony with roughly 20 people in line with social distancing guidelines, and in order to shield the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who are in the vulnerable category. Stunning photos show Beatrice and Edo posing standing in the flower-adorned arch of the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park after the ceremony. However, the Duke is not in the photos, with the Queen and Prince Philip standing at a suitable social distance from the happy couple in another photo. The clandestine nature of the hastily arranged nuptials meant the Queens beleaguered son was spared appearing in public. Notably Prince Andrew is not in the photos, with the Queen and Prince Philip standing at a suitable social distance from the happy couple in another photo. The Queen looked resplendent in a turquoise suit dress and matching hat, wearing her beloved pearl necklace for the occasion. Andrew's six-month standoff with the FBI deepened after Maxwell was detained for allegedly helping to lure underage girls who were then sexually abused by Epstein Princess Beatrice isolated with Prince Andrew and her family at their home in Windsor Park's Great Lodge 'for some time', an insider has claimed Family friends insisted the secretive nature of the wedding was not down to Andrews issues over the Epstein scandal. Andrew was also seen driving away from Royal Lodge two days ago. He was wearing a rugby-style jersey emblazoned with the Order of the Garter motto: Honi soit qui maly pense meaning 'May he be shamed who thinks badly of it' It comes as it was claimed Andrew discussed the Queen Mother while having a massage on the island home of his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on the Demo-2 mission with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard. Private investment into space companies in the second quarter of 2020 saw a significant dip compared to last year, but the slowdown has not been as drastic as many expected, according to a report Monday by NYC-based firm Space Capital. Investments in space-based companies totaled $5.5 billion in the second quarter, down 23% from the record highs hit in 2019, the report said. The decrease was primarily due a drop in capital invested in infrastructure companies, like those which build rockets and satellites, but was made up partially by an increase in space-based application companies. Total space investment this year is up to $12.1 billion, a slight increase compared to the same period last year, the report found. Space Capital was among those that warned the recent boom in space investing may take a strong hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, with other industry analysts and executives fearing a new era of frozen capital. But while there's certainly been a decline, it wasn't as bad as anticipated. "We didn't see a pullback like we thought we would, as it turns out that venture capital is still active," Space Capital managing director Chad Anderson told CNBC. "All in all, things seem to be holding up really well." There were 47 deals in the second quarter, meaning activity was down 29% compared to the previous quarter. Space Capital breaks up the broader space economy into three layers: infrastructure, distribution, and applications. That's due to the critical importance space plays in other seemingly non-space-related companies, Anderson explained. "We've certainly seen something of a space renaissance in the last 10 years," Anderson said. "While the infrastructure layer is a very important of this puzzle, it's not everything. As investors, we would be remiss to focus ... on only this part of the technology stack and say we're not interested in any of the applications." He pointed to the example of Earth imaging satellites. While the spacecraft are needed to deliver the images, Anderson pointed out that "all of the value is being derived from the applications" of Earth imaging and data. Space Capital's analysis of application companies showed $5.3 billion was invested in the second quarter, as the group continues to represent "the vast majority of equity investment in space" with $98.1 billion put into 421 companies since 2004. The top application deals in the second quarter were from Alphabet's autonomous driving subsidiary Waymo and platforms that leverage global positioning satellite services like ride-sharing and food delivery. "Location-based services, which is basically the applications stack, like that wouldn't exist without GPS," Anderson said. "It is without a doubt space-based technology." Overall, this year's investment in space infrastructure companies is down 33% compared to last year. But that is offset by the 39% increase in the larger space application group. For nearly 31 million people in the United States this week, more so than any since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, is one of extreme worry and anxiety. Two limited but vital provisions in the CARES Act, the $600 weekly enhanced federal unemployment benefit and a moratorium on evictions from federally insured or federally financed housing, are both set to expire by the end of this month. The last of the $600 checks is slated to be sent out by July 25, while the eviction moratorium will expire midnight July 31. These two provisions of the CARES Act, separate from the trillions handed to the financial oligarchy by the Democrats and Republicans, have allowed millions of workers and their families to stave off absolute disaster during the pandemic. The $600 weekly payment has been the target of venomous attacks by big businesses and right-wing think tanks as a disincentive to work and is unlikely to be reinstated in its current form. There have been numerous proposals from the two parties that propose reducing the weekly benefit by hundreds of dollars, possibly to zero. People wait to speak with representatives from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission about unemployment claims Thursday, July 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) President Donald Trumps chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, has floated a back-to-work bonus in order to incentivize desperate workers into risking their lives returning to dangerous and unsafe workplaces as coronavirus infections hit record highs, and work places across the country serve as vectors for the disease. Meanwhile, Democratic senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Ron Wyden of Oregon drafted legislation at the beginning of July which would gradually phase out the weekly federal benefits, $100 per every percentage drop in a states unemployment rate. The benefit would phase out completely, regardless of the unemployment rate, by March 27, 2021. In mid-May, in a near party-line vote, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which proposed extending the federal unemployment benefits through January 2021, as well as the federal eviction moratorium, and mailing out an additional $1,200 stimulus check. The legislation, which Pelosi admitted was a political maneuver after its passage and was nothing more than an opening negotiation, was declared dead-on-arrival by McConnell and the rest of the Senate Republicans. Republicans have indicated that the next round of legislation must cost less than $1 trillion, including a payroll tax holiday and a shield for schools and businesses against lawsuits from workers who will inevitably contract the virus and die needlessly at work. With Congress returning today from a two-week recess, the Democrats in the House and the Republicans in the Senate are expected to hash out compromise legislation this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a local radio interview last week, advised that the Senate would be discussing the fifth and likely last coronavirus relief bill before the November election. None of the stipulations laid out by McConnell are deal breakers for the Democrats and will most certainly be embraced in whatever final version of the bill emerges after a week of horse trading and backroom deals between the two parties. The wrangling over how to squeeze millions of dollars from unemployed workers comes as COVID-19 continues to spread out of control in the US, exemplified by the continuing rise in infections in 40 out of 50 states in the last two weeks and the staggering world leading death toll. As of this writing, over 3.8 million people across the country have tested positive for the virus, while 143,000 have died. Compounding the pandemic, the working class and their families face an unprecedented economic crisis. Last week marked the 17th week in a row in which over 1 million new unemployment claims were filed in the US. The loss of employment has been a double gut punch for the roughly 5.4 million workers, who have lost their health insurance as a result. Meanwhile, millions of workers have been unable to actually receive any unemployment benefits due to the outdated, neglected and dilapidated state unemployment systems. For those who have been able to make use of the enhanced benefits, the average increase in weekly payments, from roughly $380 to $980, has been a lifesaver. While estimates vary, economists estimate that ending the federal stipend will slash workers incomes anywhere from 50 to 75 percent. The $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit is more than any single state offers alone and is slightly higher than the average weekly wages of a US worker. Before the pandemic the most generous state in terms of weekly benefits was Massachusetts, which offered $552 a week, while the lowest was the state of Mississippi, providing a miserly $213 a week. While millions of Americans were already living in a state of perpetual crisis before the pandemic hit, forced to ration food and medical care in order to afford skyrocketing rental and mortgage payments, the arrival of the virus has now forced them to forgo said payments. A survey conducted by Apartment List, an online rental platform, found 24 percent of renters missed payments in April and that 31 and 30 percent of renters in May and June, respectively, did not pay rent. The survey also found that 37 percent of renters and 26 percent of homeowners fear they will be homeless by the end of the year. Researchers at Columbia University expect homelessness to increase by 45 percent in the US compared to 2019. Courts have reopened across the country allowing for the processing of eviction cases as the patchwork of eviction moratorium executive orders passed in March and April by local city councils, mayors and governors continue to expire. In an interview with CNBC last week, Emily Benfer, chair of the American Bar Associations Task Force Committee on Eviction, estimates that between 20 and 28 million people will be evicted between now and September. While politicians leisurely dither over the details of the upcoming bill on whether or not to extend the federal moratorium on evictions, hundreds of thousands of renters in housing that does not involve federal insurance or financing have already been served eviction notices in states such as Michigan, New York and Nevada. In Michigan, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has refused to extend an executive order which would have halted the processing of approximately 75,000 eviction filings, including 10,000 in the city of Detroit alone. Instead, a minuscule $50 million bailout fund for landlords has been established to help offset payments missed by tenants. There is little doubt that these monies will quickly be depleted and along with it any leniency from landlords and property managers towards delinquent tenants. In New York City legal experts are expecting a tidal wave of eviction cases, as high as 50,000, to begin making their way through the courts starting today. Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, like Whitmer in Michigan, allowed an executive order which would have halted eviction proceedings to lapse. Cuomo extended a less expansive moratorium instead, which places additional restrictions on renters applying for assistance. Those who wish to be considered must submit paperwork proving financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic or already qualify for unemployment compensation. Congresss slothful mulling over what miniscule benefits are to be extended for workers stands in contrast with the great haste it moved to pass a five-week extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) at the end of June. The passage of the bill ensured that the over $131 billion left in the program, after charterschools, the Catholic Church, and billionaires helped themselves, could still be accessed. Speaking on the program Friday before the House Small Business Committee, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin suggested that the government should consider forgiving all small loans, but would need fraud protection. He failed to clarify what is considered a small loan nor did he explain what sort of limited fraud protection would be implemented. Mnuchins comments are a response to a letter from a coalition of nearly 150 groups, comprised mostly of trade associations, commerce chambers and banks. The group, which claims to represent thousands of small businesses, banks, credit unions and financial institutions requested that all PPP loans which total $150,000 or less be forgiven without any verification that the funds were actually spent to retain workers. The historic social, economic, and medical catastrophe will continue to ravage the United States and countries around the world as long as the financial parasites continue dominating society and use the pandemic to redistribute trillions of dollars from the bottom to the top of society. Only through the conscious political intervention of the international working class fighting to implement a socialist program aimed at securing the interests and safety of the vast majority of the population can the crisis be halted and the lives of millions be saved. Southern Grocers, parent company to Winn-Dixie, will not require customers wear face coverings to avoid undue friction between [customers] and associates, said Joe Caldwell, director of the companys corporate communications and government affairs. Currently, we are adhering to all local safety mandates within each of our stores and strongly encouraging those who are medically able to wear a face-covering to do so, Caldwell said. The company is requiring that employees wear face coverings, but is strongly encouraging state officials to create and regulate safety measures. The Alabama mask ordinance does include shopping trips in Alabama-based Winn-Dixie stores. The companys policy on the issue immediately sparked a storm of controversy online. Patrons tweeted, To hell with Winn-Dixie, in response to news stories discussing the announcement. Winn-Dixie: Come for the Goya beans, stay for the hacking Covid cough. #WinnDixie Bleeding Heart Liberal Marine (@zaharako) July 19, 2020 One Alabamian tweeted a thank you to Gov. Kay Ivey for enacting a state-wide mask ordinance. Others supported the decision, saying they will redirect their business from other companies that require masks to Winn-Dixies. Target, Publix, Kroger, Walgreens and Trader Joes are just a few of the businesses requiring masks in stores. Winn-Dixie not requiring face masks in effort to avoid 'undue friction' If you live near a Winn Dixie, SUPPORT THEM. https://t.co/oRVwDX5xn9 sally (@sallyKP) July 18, 2020 The company may reevaluate the policy, Caldwell said. We are always listening to our communities, and as the number of COVID cases rise, we are actively evaluating our policies so that every reasonable precaution is made to protect the health and safety of our people and our customers. Here are a few more reactions to the decision: Im glad Gov. Ivey made mask mandatory. I was in Winn-Dixie in Prattville last week & this lady was just standing over the tomatoes coughing didnt even bother to put her hands over her mouth nor had a mask on. Some people just dont care & its sad. #Alabamians Stephanie (@s_weethoney9) July 15, 2020 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTO Realty Growth, Inc. (NYSE American: CTO) (the Company) today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2020 operating results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. A conference call to present the operating results is scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. eastern time (the Earnings Call). The Company plans to release its second quarter 2020 investor presentation in advance of the Earnings Call. Shareholders and interested parties may access the Earnings Call via teleconference or webcast: Teleconference: USA (Toll Free) 1-888-317-6003 International 1-412-317-6061 Canada (Toll Free) 1-866-284-3684 To access the conference call, enter 1046397 when prompted. Webcast: https://services.choruscall.com/links/cto200730.html To participate via teleconference, please dial-in at least 10 - 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the Earnings Call. To access the webcast, log on to the web address noted above or go to http://www.ctorealtygrowth.com and log in at the investor relations section. Please log in to the webcast at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled time of the Earnings Call. A replay of the Earnings Call will be archived and available online through the Investor Relations section of http://www.ctorealtygrowth.com . About CTO Realty Growth, Inc. CTO Realty Growth, Inc. is a Florida-based publicly traded real estate company, which owns income properties comprised of approximately 2.2 million square feet in diversified markets in the United States and an approximately 23.5% interest in Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc., a publicly traded net lease real estate investment trust (NYSE: PINE). Visit our website at www.ctorealtygrowth.com . We encourage you to review our most recent investor presentation for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, available on our website at www.ctorealtygrowth.com. SAFE HARBOR Certain statements contained in this press release (other than statements of historical fact) are forward-looking statements. Words such as believe, estimate, expect, intend, anticipate, will, could, may, should, plan, potential, predict, forecast, project, and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they were made, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words. Although forward-looking statements are made based upon managements expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect upon the Company, a number of factors could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Such factors may include the completion of 1031 exchange transactions, the availability of investment properties that meet the Companys investment goals and criteria, the modification of terms of certain agreements pertaining to the acquisition of income producing assets, uncertainties associated with obtaining required governmental permits and satisfying other closing conditions for planned acquisitions and sales, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys business and the business of its tenants, as well as the uncertainties and risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with managements expectations or that the effect of future developments on the Company will be those anticipated by management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Contact: Lisa M. Vorakoun, Vice President & Controller lvorakoun@ctorealtygrowth.com Phone: (386) 944-5641 Facsimile: (386) 274-1223 We are protecting wildlife at risk from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by COVID-19. Help is desperately needed to support wildlife rangers, local communities and law enforcement personnel to prevent wildlife crime. Donate to help Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade HERE Any day now an estimated 500,000 wildebeest will arrive in the dusty flats of Western Kenyas Masai Mara as part of their annual migration. This awesome spectacle just part of over one million animals that move north from Tanzania every July would usually be watched by thousands of tourists. This year there are none. Jackson Looseyia, a Masai conservationist and lodge owner in the Mara, told The Independent: From a nature-loving point of view, it has been beautiful - no vehicle tracks, rest for the animals. However, in conservation terms it is a crisis. We have no money coming in whatsoever, and the future is so bleak. We are terribly worried about poachers, they have already laid thousands of snares [to trap wildlife]. Ive had to set wildebeest free with my bare hands. That the iconic Masai Mara - one of the worlds most famous, important and protected landscapes - could fear such an onslaught of killing shows the extent of the crisis facing conservation in the wake of Covid. It is in response to this crisis that The Independent has launched its Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign. Funds raised will pay for vital wildlife-protection projects implemented by the campaigns partner charity Space for Giants. The Covid-19 conservation crisis has shown the urgency of The Independents Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign, which seeks an international effort to clamp down on illegal trade of wild animals Hunting of any kind is illegal in Kenya, where a pre-Covid 80% conviction rate for wildlife criminals was among the highest in Africa. However, the pandemic threatens to plunge whole communities reliant on revenue from tourism into poverty, which is a massive driver of poaching. Looseyia has had to lay off four members of staff already, with other conservancies in The Mara doing likewise, amid financial uncertainty that stretches long into 2021. Brian Heath, CEO of The Mara Conservancy, said thousands of people will be unemployed for as long as the disruption exists. It has affected not only conservation but the whole supply chain of support industries, such as food producers, flower business, transport and fuel. Kenya as a whole is suffering the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. Although the Masai shun killing wildlife to eat, for others hunting bushmeat is now a vital means of survival. Traders supplying meat to city butchers also mix wild and farmed meat as a lucrative way to boost profits, which if left unchecked risks attracting organised crime groups, fuelling the illegal trade of wildlife. A report this month from the Kenya Wildlife Service found a 56% increase in bushmeat seizures in Kenya since lockdown began. Director general Brigadier John Waweru said Between January to May, 2019, we recovered 1.8 tonnes of bush meat whereas in the same period in 2020, we recovered 2.8 tonnes. Poaching gangs from both Kenya and Tanzania target cross-border zones, including the Masai Mara, with Nairobi a hotspot for bushmeat consumption. Dickson Kaelo, CEO of Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, told The Independent. Due to the high rates of unemployment, commercial bushmeat has become rampant in some areas. Recently there were even cases of giraffes killed for commercial purposes. Many conservancy operators in the Mara feel confident about providing sufficient ranger patrols to prevent poaching. Heaths record in this field is formidable, having arrested over 4,500 poachers and collected 50,000 snares in the past two decades. However, another deadly threat to conservation looms large. The land surrounding the Mara is a patchwork that is leased by tourism partners from nearly 2,000 different land owners. Heath said: if ecotourism organisations are unable to pay their rent, there is a real danger that land owners will look for alternative incomes. That could mean putting a fence around land and ploughing it up, which would have a huge and potentially irreversible impact on wildlife. With the tourism money machine obliterated, Looseyia admitted land owners could not be blamed for looking for other ways to earn. Masai land-owners in several areas around the Mara have agreed to accept rent reductions during the pandemic. But many warn that this can only be a short term measure. Conservationist Jonathan Scott, said; We are at a tipping point, yet we don't seem to be able to think long term to protect conservation. The need to tackle poaching and the illegal wildlife trade has never been more important. But animals can't vote. No one would have wished for this crisis, but some conservationists view it is a unique opportunity to pause, take stock and reset. Ninian Lowis, CEO of safari operator Lowis and Leakey, said: It is a chance to think about how to create a better tourism model to protect wildlife. That might mean limiting the number of visitors to reduce the pressure on the environment, increasing park fees, or getting tourism companies on shore because many of them sit abroad. Tourism operators have been getting away with not paying their share. Instead, there must be transparent accounting so people can see where their money goes. It is a once in a lifetime chance to make a change in direction from mass tourism to responsible eco-tourism. The Covid crisis threatens the future of both communities and wildlife in the Mara. While everyone hopes that unemployment levels are kept to a minimum and the tourists soon return, it may be no bad thing if they returned in a different way. If you would like to donate to help the Mara Triangle through the crisis you can donate to www.maratriangle.org Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has said she will not deliver her customary address of the budget session as Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had not sent her the annual financial statement and demand for grants meant to be presented in the House on Monday. She said she has informed the chief minister that he had not sent her the documents as required under the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act 1963. In a letter to Narayanasamy, a copy of which was shared with mediapersons through WhatsApp, she asked him to give a new date for budget presentation. "It is a serious ... Edison Fru Ndi (in red) donates anti-COVID-19 kits Facebook Edison Fru Ndi, Bamenda-based businessman has engaged actions aimed at stifling the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Once more, the diehard member of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement, CPDM, has reached out to the population of the Northwest Region in times of need. He offered cutting-edge infrared thermometers to several private and public institutions across the region a fortnight ago. The Bamenda Regional Hospital, PMI Nkwen, Baptist Mbingo Hospital, the Northwest Governors Office, CRTV Northwest, Sacred Heart College Mankon, Our Lady of Lourdes College Mankon and Bangolan Health Centre were among some of the beneficiaries. The quality of the thermometers, experts say, will make a difference in the fight to break the spread of the novel coronavirus in the region. The donation fills a gap and the cutting-edge thermometer respects social distancing. The thermometer is mounted on a tripod like a camera and needs no assistance to work. As the user approaches the sensors with his face, the thermometer measures the temperature. The health worker or observer can read the measurement from a safe distance. A high temperature, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, sets off the alarm automatically. Edison Fru Ndi believes a collective effort can thwart the spread of the pandemic and flatten the curve. Out of 2,000 persons tested, the Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital says 200 were positive. Beyond COVID-19 Edison Fru Ndi has always helped the population of the Northwest region where his chain of businesses is based. The CEO of Dreamland Connect recently lit some streets in Bamenda. The people-centred politician mounted street lights from Fons Street to Ring Way Street, Ngeng Junction to Veterinary Junction, Mile II Nkwen and New Road the stretch from Amour Mezam Express to Up Station. When Sacred Heart College Mankon was torched in 2017, the philanthropist planted LED lights around the campus. Residents of his neighbourhood also enjoy water from a borehole he recently built. The perennial dry taps of the area and water from doubtful sources led to water-borne diseases. Edison Fru Ndi could be helping another community soon. (Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration) The British flag and a smartphone with a Huawei and 5G network logo are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture taken January 29, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom) The logo of the Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited is pictured at its office building in central Bangkok, Thailand May 9, 2016. The Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom criticized the government for eliminating Huawei from the British 5G network claiming the high-risk accusations were "fabricated," according to Express.co. This follows UK's culture secretary Oliver Dowden's announcement of removing the Chinese company from Britain's 5G network by 2027, tagging Huawei as a "high-risk vendor." The China's ambassador to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming turned to social media saying Huawei leads 5G technology, which covers 40% of the total market in China and across the globe. "The UK made the decision based on unwarranted and fabricated accusations about security risk," Liu said on Twitter. He also added that eliminating Huawei's technology is like "rejecting the future." #Huawei is a leader in 5G, covers 40% of China's total market&has 40% market share around world. UK made decision based on unwarranted & fabricated accusations about security risk. As I said, rejecting Huawei is rejecting the opportunity and rejecting the future. https://t.co/TOw5FAEN7u Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) July 19, 2020 Meanwhile, The Guardian reported on Saturday, July 18, that the British government talked to Huawei about the alleged "geopolitical" reasons that led to its rejection in the UK 5G network. Huawei's senior executives appeared to the public in the hope the British government will reconsider their decision. However, such admission from the government contradicts Dowden's earlier statement that the US' restrictions on the tech company played a part in their decision. "The National Cyber Security Centre has reviewed the consequences of the US' actions," Dowden said last week. Dowden also said, "the UK can no longer be confident it will be able to guarantee the security of future Huawei 5G equipment" as changes in the US rules foreign direct product rules create uncertainty over the tech company's supply chain. Starting January 1, 2021, Huawei 5G kits installation will no longer be allowed across the UK. Not only in the UK, but also in Southeast Asia Aside from the concerns raised by the U.S. and U.K. over Huawei's technologies, the company is also having shaky stature in Southeast Asia. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Huawei 5G has been aggressively expanding in Southeast Asia with costs that are roughly 30% cheaper than those of Ericsson and Nokia. With recent partnerships with Thailand's largest mobile operator Advanced Info Service, Malaysia's Maxis, Globe Telecom in the Philippines as well as in Cambodia, Huawei has secured its dominance among Southeast Asian countries. However, recent developments may topple the Chinese company's supremacy as European countries also race to expand in Southeast Asia. Last month, major telecom operators in the region's richest and most technologically advanced nation picked the European companies over Huawei, although the Singaporean government denied rejecting the Chinese maker. Singapore Telecommunications and StarHub-M1 respectively chose to partner with Ericsson and Nokia for their 5G network, which they plan to launch in January. Similarly, Thailand's True Corp also inked a deal with Ericsson in April to provide a radio access system for the telecom's national 5G network that will cover three regions in the country. Meanwhile, Vietnam's Viettel is working with Nokia to develop its 5G network and bypass the existing Huawei 5G devices. With the increased use of the internet for e-learning, e-commerce, remote work, and video streaming during the coronavirus pandemic, telecom operators in the region set to launch their 5G services. Companies aim to fulfill the current demands for high-speed internet infrastructure. A research associate at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan Sofea Zukarnain told the Nikkei Asian Review that most countries choose their 5G vendor partner "based on the requirements imposed by regulators or the government." These include security conditions that the vendor must comply with. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (SCREENSHOTS: AMK Hub and Plaza Singapura/Google Maps) SINGAPORE A number of malls, food and beverage outlets, and retail shops including AMK Hub, Plaza Singapura, Jollibee at Lucky Plaza and Bar Bar Black Sheep were among the new public places visited by COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported on Monday (20 July). The dates visited by these cases were from 6 July to 19 July. There is no need to avoid places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been. The National Environment Agency will engage the management of affected premises to provide guidance on cleaning and disinfection, the MOH added. The list which excludes residences, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and public transport will be updated on a rolling 14-day basis or one incubation period. First published on 25 May, the list compiles places visited by infectious cases in the community for over 30 minutes. On the same day, the MOH confirmed 123 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the total to 48,035. More Singapore stories: COVID-19: Election Night crowds will potentially have 'consequence', says Lawrence Wong Travellers with travel history to Australia's Victoria state, Japan, Hong Kong to serve SHN at dedicated facilities Lt. Gen. Yusuf Tukur Buratai, The Chief of Army Staff has revealed that a majority of Boko Haram terrorists are Nigerians, and it will only require the total co-operation of Nigerians to defeat the terrorists. Buratai, speaking on Monday July 20, to State House Correspondents after a closed-doors meeting with President Muhmmadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, said the insecurity in different parts of the country will end as soon as Nigerians want them to end, adding that various ongoing military operations in the north and other parts of the country were progressing successfully. Buratai was responding to journalists after reports that 19 persons were shot dead in Kukum Daji Village, Kaduna State Sunday night, July 19 while suspected bandits ambushed and killed 16 soldiers in Katsina on Saturday July 18. Buratai said: These terrorists, 99 percent of them are Nigerians. These kidnappers I will say 100 percent of them are Nigerians. As to whether banditry, terrorism and so on will end, I think it all depends. If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today, if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria, they are not from foreign land. So its not just a military, security agency task to end the insecurity in this country. Its only when it goes bad that we are called in, but everybody has the responsibility to handle that. Some of the insecurities are as old as history itself and it all depends on what you are doing to contain or defeat it at a particular time. It is the totality of your effort that will determine the escalation or containment of the insecurity in the country. There are set backs that can occur in such military operations or any security operations but that not mean inability to handle it, incompetence to handle it, as long as the efforts are there and are visible, the support of all and sundry will be required to address it squarely. Like I said, if we want it to end, the totality of the peoples effort must be put into it to see that insecurity in the country is reduced to the barest minimum. But if we dont do anything and continue to complain, and continue to accuse the agencies involved in fighting it, then we are not helping matters. You are supposed to find solutions as something is being done on daily basis. I assure you that we will soon reach the end of the tunnel and we will see the light that will improve the security situation in all parts of the country, he said. The security situation I assure you is under control and is not like what use to happen a month or two ago. We are working very hard and the troops are doing very well and I commend them for the efforts they have put in so far. These include the kinetic and the non-kinetic aspect of our exercise Sahel Sanity. We are there fully supporting Operation Hadarin Daji, which is a joint operation of the armed offices and the security agencies. So far, this collective effort is making tremendous progress in the area of bringing normalcy. Unlike the series of killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and of course the threats to prevent the people from going to their farms and farm this season, this has been removed with the presence of the number of troops in the northwest and they are carrying out surveillance operations, patrol to ensure that no one is molested if you go outside the community to farm or harvest. We will ensure that this is sustained throughout this farming season and beyond. What we require is the full support of everyone in the area. It is also important for the press not to escalate the situation through reportage, giving prominence to the bandits, terrorists activities. This will go a long way in weakening them. You know for the criminals publicity is their oxygen, without that publicity they will be ineffective. Coupled with our efforts in the military and security agencies we will do everything possible to get rid of these criminals, he said. There is no official confirmation or reaction yet by Nigerias military authorities 48 hours after the massacre of some soldiers by band... There is no official confirmation or reaction yet by Nigerias military authorities 48 hours after the massacre of some soldiers by bandits in an ambush in Katsina. No fewer than 23 soldiers were killed Saturday when they were ambushed by a gang of bandits in a remote village in Katsina state. According to security sources, the bandits opened fire on the soldiers who were on foot patrol in a forested part of the Jibia district in Katsina state. The bodies of 23 soldiers have been accounted for while some are still missing, the sources said. The massacre of Nigerian troops came same day that an improvised bomb exploded in a nearby village, killing at least seven persons and injuring another ten. The AFP reported that the bandits could be working in concert with members of the Islamic State of West Africa, underscoring the worsening state of security in the country. In May, the International Crisis Group, an NGO, warned that the armed gangs, known as bandits could be developing links with groups such as Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). In the past, the bandits, have been involved in cattle rustling and kidnappings only. Crowds line up outside the Supreme Court as it resumes oral arguments at the start of its new term in Washington, October 7, 2019. The Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed an effort by House Democrats to speed up the process by which they can continue to fight for President Donald Trump's financial records in lower courts. The justices denied a request from attorneys for several Democratic-led congressional committees to finalize the court's ruling from earlier in the month that blocked the enforcement of their subpoenas. The committees had issued them to obtain financial information from the president's longtime accounting firm and banks. The court rejected the Democrats' request in an unsigned order, with only Justice Sonia Sotomayor noting that she would have granted it. The top court ruled July 9 that the federal appeals courts in Washington and New York that upheld the Democrats' subpoenas did not properly address issues related to the Constitution's separation of powers. The Supreme Court permitted the committees to try again under a stricter standard, which they have said they intend to do. The July 9 ruling effectively ensured that the public would not see Trump's financial records ahead of the November election. Monday's action served to make such a possibility even less likely. Trump, who is facing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, is the first president in decades not to make his tax returns publicly available. Also July 9, the justices ruled in favor of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. in a separate case over access to the president's records, rejecting Trump's claims of immunity from the subpoenas but allowing him to raise new objections. Both decisions were 7-2. Vance's office has said it is investigating potential violations of state law but has provided few details. Typically, Supreme Court judgments go into effect 25 days after rulings are issued, which is Aug. 3 in the tax records cases. Douglas Letter, the general counsel to the House of Representatives, asked the court to put the judgment into effect immediately, noting that the current Congress' term expires in January. Letter wrote in court papers that the committees' opportunity to seek the president's records "diminishes by the day." The House oversight, intelligence and financial services committees have said they are seeking the president's financial records to inform potential legislation and as part of investigations into foreign money laundering and foreign interference in U.S. elections. In a filing asking the top court to rule immediately, Letter wrote that doing so would allow the House to obtain records needed "to address, among other issues, conflicts of interest that threaten to undermine the Presidency, money-laundering and unsafe lending practices, and foreign interference in U.S. elections and any other ongoing threats to national security arising from President Trump's foreign financial entanglements." William Consovoy, an attorney for Trump, urged the justices to reject the effort by House Democrats. "The Committees voluntarily stayed enforcement of the subpoenas for more than six months as these cases made their way through the lower courts," Consovoy wrote in a filing. "They should not be heard to complain that the proceedings are moving too slowly." Trump's personal attorneys, a representative for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. TWO friends have created their first feature film which they hope to show on the big screen later this year. Director Hudson Hughes, from Binfield Heath, and producer Benedict Evans, from Henley, shot sci-fi comedy Wednesday in Space on a budget of just 1,500 in less than a week in a set they built in Mr Hughes garage. The 90-minute film is set in a galaxy full of sudden violence and aggressive advertising and was borne from a love of the visual effects of classic science fiction as well as the frantic energy of Seventies comedy films. When a shadowy stranger is murdered in Mr Yims Soup House, a diner in the solar system, traffic cop Lucha Flax decides to play detective. The 22-year-olds came up with the idea shortly after graduating from the University of Southampton last summer. Using websites like Freecycle and chipboard donated by Construct Scenery they spent about a month building the set. They assembled a cast and crew of 20, some of whom had to leave the set for a day to attend their graduation ceremonies, with actors, comedians, artists, film makers and musicians giving their time for free. Mr Evans, who lives in St Marks Road and studied English and history, said: We happened to go to university by chance together and thats when we started making comedy shorts together. It was maybe a month before uni fully ended that Hudson had this idea of making a sci-fi comedy. He pitched it to me and it seemed impossible to get done so I was in! Hudson and I had actually lived together in our last year in university and he would talk about stuff like this quite a lot. I knew just by talking to him everyday I could probably help quite a lot in terms of what he wanted from the film. We built a three-room set in Hudsons garage at his home. It really was a ridiculously small garage for what we were doing. Mr Hughes, who lives in Kiln Lane, said: It was fun, but quite intense. There some late nights and a lot of splinters. When everyone arrived on the first day of shooting we dedicated half a day to actually finishing off the set. Instead of two people, we had 20. Everyone had to chip in and that was the philosophy of the shoot. I chose actors Id worked with before, either on stage productions or on short films, and people I knew I could trust and wouldnt complain. Everyone who acted did something else. They would end up at the microphone at some point or helping to cook dinner, so it was a team effort. Mr Evans added: Being a small film I had parts in it and three of the four characters I play end up getting shot. I would say Im not a good actor so Im very glad I only had minor roles. It was all very much on the goodwill of mates or friends and community and theatre groups. I loved it and everybody got along really well. There werent any major egos involved. In between takes when we would have group meals there laughs all around. I ended up being on set until 4am one night and then got three hours sleep and headed off to my graduation. One of the actresses, Natalia May, she graduated but was also working at Wimbledon so came in on Tuesday and Wednesday. After shooting visual effects were added by Mr Hughes, who studied electromechanical engineering, using detailed miniatures and compositing techniques. Several scenes in the film are either TV adverts or set outside the floating restaurant, so were all shot against a green screen. He explained: I went about building models a bit like they did for the Star Wars films. I built models of the spaceships and shot those against a green screen and the actual editing was probably about two months of intense work. Mr Hughes first screened the film at a cinema on the universitys campus before further editing. In total, more than 500 hours were spent on the process and the men are currently in talks with several independent cinemas to bring Wednesday in Space to the big screen in November. Mr Evans said they wanted to show the film in London first, when venues reopen following the coronavirus pandemic. Based on the success of that premiere and surrounding screenings they hope to take their film further a field. They are also keen to screen it in Nottingham and at the Regal Picturehouse in Henley as well as internationally in America and Canada. They are set to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter on August 1 with the aim of raising 6,500 for marketing and publicity costs. Mr Evans said: In the future, if that goes well, its talking with distributors and video on demand costs. Its actually really hard to do sci-fi on a budget. Comedy on a budget is an easy one you could just make jokes at a camera for an hour and a half. It came about quite organically because a lot of the films myself and Hudson and our housemates would watch would be slightly weird and slightly low budget. Its such a mish mash of styles. It's comedy but then we have got these crazy, super aggressive, American style telemarketing adverts. Mr Hughes said he was delighted to complete his first feature film. Its very rare that you get to have a project where you say I really put my all into this, I put 100 per cent into this and this is one of the few projects I can say that, he said. I always considered myself a film maker but was never sure whether I wanted to do the writing, directing and editing, but it really solidified the idea that I wanted to direct. Their film has already won several awards including official selection at this years Canadian International Comedy Film Festival as well as three silver awards for its concept, title and credit sequence and in the narrative feature category at the International Independent Film Awards. The men started making stop motion films when they were younger and have been creating short films and sketches in recent years. While at university Mr Hughes created several short comedy films, including December Heat, that won awards within the university as well as at a national level. The men are planning to make a couple more short films this year and also intend to shoot a proof of concept for another feature film. Mr Hughes does his own comedy sketches every week on YouTube. For more information on the film and Kickstarter campaign, visit www.wednesdayinspace.com Exxaro and the Small Business Institute (SBI) announced a collaboration to promote the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. One of the small businesses that the partnership will be supporting in the respective local communities. The partnership will focus on the functional and economic viability of small towns beyond the life of mines in these towns and importantly will support Phase 2 of SBIs research into facts about small businesses so that interventions are evidence led.Through this relationship and our partnership in Impact Catalyst (more information below), Exxaro is demonstrating its support of South Africans with the courage to start and run small businesses and the people they employ. Once the economic devastation of Covid-19 is behind us, we will work together to create an environment in which it is possible to achieve the National Development Plans expectations of SMEs as the countrys foremost job creators, said Mxolisi Mgojo, Exxaros CEO.Bernard Swanepoel, a director at SBI, said: We believe the work Exxaro is doing to ensure the sustainability of the mining communities where they operate is ground-breaking. It illustrates our vision of businesses, municipalities and residents working together to support the economic development of their towns. Over 90% of our 257 municipalities are dysfunctional and unable to secure clean audits for themselves, let alone deliver the services required to support local economies. This is not a sustainable situation.Exxaro has committed substantial funds towards the second phase of the SBIs research. The research will entail a sweeping probe of various datasets and surveys as well as an examination of the characteristics and systemic challenges faced by SMEs in selected local areas, in real time. Ultimately, SBI will offer recommendations for specific policy interventions either by the end of the year, or early in 2021.The first phase of the study examined the small and medium segment of firms in the South African economy through the lens of formal employment. We deliberately wanted to know how many SMEs were creating jobs for people the very businesses which need to continue growing along the continuum and so stripped out the sole-proprietorships, freelancers and gig workers to look at the formal businesses providing formal employment, said Swanepoel. We also wanted to understand the formal sector better, since it is these businesses which will qualify best for government assistance, something that has been borne out in the assistance offered during the lockdown period.These same businesses some 98.5% of firms in the formal economy numbered at the time only 262 224, far below most estimates. So while SMEs make up most of the economy, Phase 1 of the study found they created only 28% of the jobs. Unlike the rest of the world, large businesses and government here (some 5735 enterprises) employ by far the most people, nearly 10 million. Today, those 3.9 million jobs linked to SMEs are under threat.Mgojo said he also supported SBIs call for big business and government to pay small businesses in their supply chains in under 30 days, saying Exxaro pays invoices within seven days of submission: Now more than ever, we need to redouble our efforts to support livelihoods by helping SMEs breathe again through timeous payment of invoices for goods and services delivered. I urge all my counterparts to pay SMEs first. If all of us did that the need for economic relief by SMEs wouldnt be as high and pressing as it is now. We see SMEs as being more important than just links in the supply chain, but as future big businesses. 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 protestthe 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 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. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Screen grab taken from video issued by Britain's Oxford University, showing a person being injected as part of the first human trials in the UK to test a potential CCP virus vaccine, taken by Oxford University, England on April 23, 2020. (Oxford University Pool via AP) Oxford University CCP Virus Vaccine Triggers Immune Response: Researchers Scientists at Oxford University revealed that a vaccine being developed for the CCP virus, a novel coronavirus, has shown signs of immune response, according to the results of a clinical trial published on Monday. The trial, published in the medical journal The Lancet, did not reveal whether the vaccine would prevent the coronavirus infection. Researchers are still attempting to determine that, they said. Participants who received the vaccine had detectable neutralizing antibodies, according to Oxford University in a news release, also adding that these responses were strongest after a booster dose, with 100 percent of participants blood having neutralizing activity against the virus. They said the next step is determining whether the vaccine can prevent the infection entirely. We saw the strongest immune response in the 10 participants who received two doses of the vaccine, indicating that this might be a good strategy for vaccination, Andrew Pollard, from the Oxford research group, said in the release. In the study, half the more than 1,000 volunteers were given the proposed vaccine, and half were given a vaccine for meningitis. The proposed COVID-19 vaccine, called AZD-1222, caused more minor side effects than the meningitis one, but the studys authors stated that acetaminophen, or paracetamol, relieved the drugs effects, according to The Lancet (pdf). The vaccine is being produced by pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca. We are encouraged by the Phase I/II interim data showing AZD1222 was capable of generating a rapid antibody and T-cell response against SARS-CoV-2. While there is more work to be done, todays data increases our confidence that the vaccine will work and allows us to continue our plans to manufacture the vaccine at scale for broad and equitable access around the world, stated Mene Pangalos, with AstraZeneca, in the release. Authors of the study suggested that the vaccine should now be tested on older adults, who have weaker immune systems and are considered especially vulnerable to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Astra Zeneca said it has signed agreements with governments around the world to supply the vaccine should it prove effective and gain regulatory approval. The company has said it will not seek to profit from the vaccine during the pandemic. The new trial included 1,077 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years with no history of COVID-19. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the early results from the Oxford trial. This is very positive news, he wrote. A huge well done to our brilliant, world-leading scientists & researchers at [Oxford]. There are no guarantees, were not there yet & further trials will be necessary but this is an important step in the right direction. Reuters contributed to this report. The Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc has announced the impending retirement of Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, its managing director/chief executive officer and also approved the appointment of Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, as new managing director cum chief executive officer. According to a statement by the lender on Monday, Onyeali-Ikpe, will take over from Okonkwo whose tenure ends on December 31, 2020, in line with the banks governance policies. The bank also approved the appointment of Mr. Kevin Ugwuoke, the current Chief Risk Officer of the Bank, as Executive Director, Chief Risk Officer, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Read the full statement below: The Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc wishes to announce the impending retirement of Mr. Nnamdi J. Okonkwo, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Fidelity Bank Plc. He will be stepping down from the Board of Directors of the Bank, with effect from December 31, 2020, upon completion of his contract tenure, in line with the banks governance policies. In compliance with the succession policy of the Bank, the Board has approved the appointment of Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the current Executive Director, Lagos and South West Directorate as the MD/CEO Designate. The approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) has been obtained for the appointment. The Board has also approved the appointment of Mr. Kevin Ugwuoke, the current Chief Risk Officer of the Bank, as Executive Director, Chief Risk Officer, subject to the approval of the CBN. To ensure a smooth and successful transition, Nnamdi Okonkwo will continue in his role as the MD/CEO until December 31, 2020, while Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe will assume office as the substantive MD/CEO by January 1, 2021 said Chairman Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Mr. Ernest Ebi. He commended the MD/CEO for his significant contributions to the growth and development of the bank. Fidelity Bank has enjoyed a very stable leadership since inception. These appointments underscore the banks robust human capital capabilities, governance and succession policies. We thank Nnamdi not only for his sterling performance but also for nurturing the new team and current crop of leaders to continue to steer the bank on its growth trajectory he stated. Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo was appointed to the Board of Fidelity Bank in April 2012 as an Executive Director and was subsequently appointed the MD/CEO on January 01, 2014. He implemented a Digital-led Strategy which led to significant growth across key performance matrix and increased market share, with the Bank currently ranked 6th amongst Nigerian Banks on most performance indices. Some of his key achievements include PBT growth of 236% from N9.0bn to N30.4bn; RoE increase from 5.5% to 13.3%; Customer Deposits growth of 68% from N806.3bn to N1,352.3bn and Savings Deposit growth of 275% from N83.3bn to N312.1bn. Other notable achievements include Net Loans and Advances growth of 174% from N426.1bn to N1,165.8bn; Customer Base increase by 121% from 2.4 million to 5.3 million and Digital Banking penetration improvement from 1.0% to 50.1%, accounting for 28.4% of total fee income. In addition, the Bank successfully accessed the local and international markets through the issuance of N30bn Corporate Bonds in 2015 and $400million Eurobonds in 2017 under his leadership. Mrs. Onyeali-Ikpe was appointed to the Board of Fidelity Bank in 2015 as an Executive Director and currently oversees the Lagos and Southwest Directorate. She led the transformation of the Directorate to profitability and sustained its impressive year-on-year growth across key performance metrics. Nneka has been an integral part of the current management team, responsible for the remarkable increase in the Banks performance in the last 5 years, with the area under her direct responsibility, contributing over 28% of the Banks PBT, Deposits and Loans. Nneka has over 30 years of experience across various banks including Standard Chartered Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and Citizens International Bank/Enterprise Bank, where she held several management positions in Legal, Treasury, Investment Banking, Retail/Commercial Banking and Corporate Banking. As an Executive Director at legacy Enterprise Bank Plc, she received formal commendation from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), as a member of the management team, that successfully turned around Enterprise Bank Plc. She holds Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Kings College, London and has attended executive training programs at notable global institutions including; Harvard Business School; The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania; INSEAD School of Business; Chicago Booth School of Business; London Business School and IMD amongst others. Kevin Ugwuoke joined Fidelity Bank in 2015 as General Manager, Chief Risk Officer. Under his supervision, the Banks Total Loan Book has grown by a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17% from N559.1bn to N1,218.9bn with Cost of Risk averaging 0.7% within the period and Non-Performing Loans Ratio below the regulatory threshold at 4.8% in Q1 2020.He has over 29 years of banking experience across various banks namely Citi Bank, Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and legacy Mainstreet Bank Limited, where he worked in various capacities in Banking Operations, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking and Risk Management. Prior to joining Fidelity Bank, he was Chief Risk Officer at United Bank for Africa Plc and Mainstreet Bank Limited. Kevin holds a First Class Honors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Edinburgh Business School of Herriot-Watt University. He has attended several executive trainings at Harvard Business School and other world-class institutions of learning. Philip at the Captain General's Parade, his final individual public engagement, at Buckingham Palace in London in 2017. (PA Images) Prince Philip is to make a rare public appearance as he carries out an engagement despite being retired. The Duke of Edinburgh will take part in a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday when he hands over his role of Colonel-in-Chief of the The Rifles, passing it on to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. As Camilla and the duke are in different places, the ceremony will take place across two homes, starting in Windsor and then transferring to Highgrove House, where she is now living having moved back from Scotland. The duke, 99, will arrive to the sound of four buglers, and the Assistant Colonel Commandant, Major General Tom Copinger-Symes, will salute him to thank him for 67 years of service The Rifles, and their forming and antecedent Regiments. The Rifles has only existed in its current form since 2007, but Philip was Colonel-in-Chief of successive Regiments which now make up The Rifles, a role he took up in 1953. The Duchess of Cornwall, 73, took on the role of Royal Colonel of The Rifles in 2007. Read more: Arise Sir Tom: Captain Tom Moore knighted by Queen in private ceremony Following the salute on Wednesday, the buglers will play the No More Parades call, which marks Philips final ceremony. As that happens, the ceremony will transfer to Highgrove House, the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. There, the duchess will be welcomed by four buglers, and by The Rifles Colonel Commandant, General Sir Patrick Sanders. She will meet the buglers and a small party from 4th Battalion The Rifles, and then have an audience with Gen Sanders. Camilla will continue to be the Royal Colonel as well as Colonel-in-Chief. Read more: Prince Philip thanks scientists working on COVID-19 vaccine Philip was able to attend his granddaughter's wedding. (Benjamin Wheeler/PA Wire) Since retiring in 2017, Philip has spent most of his time living on the Sandringham Estate, the royals private home in Norfolk. Story continues He has continued to be represented at events by others, but rarely carries out his own duties now. He issued a rare statement during the coronavirus pandemic to thank scientists working on a vaccine. He was also able to attend the wedding of his granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi which took place in Windsor on Friday. One of his engagements since his retirement involved The Rifles, as he met former commandant General Sir Nicholas Carter and new commandant General Sanders in June last year, at Windsor Castle. The Rifles currently has battalions on deployment in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Estonia, Cyprus and working on the UKs COVID-19 response. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California has temporarily banned overnight camping in some parts of its park after several interactions between campers and foraging bears. The decision was made last week to close down back-country camping in the Twin, Rainbow, Swan and Snag Lake areas after multiple visitors reported that bears had come to their campsites and searched their backpacks for food. The areas will remain open to the public for hiking, but the park warns visitors to be careful, The Sacramento Bee reported. The National Park Service website said the policy will not only protect campers but protect the bears by promoting the offending bear(s) to return to normal foraging behaviour. There are roughly 30 black bears in the national park, which is located about 180 miles (290 kilometres) north of Sacramento, California and 151 miles (243 kilometres) from Reno, Nevada. Park officials advise visitors to store all food in a bear-resistant container and to never leave their belongings unattended. If a visitor comes across a bear, park officials advise him or her to walk away slowly while ensuring their possessions are in hand. Around mid-June, the phrase "the owner vs. the brand" started to pop up on social media, usually with two side-by-side images. Most of them showed a white person on the left and a product marketed to African Americans on the right. As people filled the streets for Black Lives Matter protests, the posts were meant to make people think about where their dollars are going. Geechee Experience, an account celebrating Gullah-Geechee culture with about 16,000 followers on Instagram, shared their own take on "the owner vs. the brand": a photo of Greg Johnsman and an image of his product, Geechie Boy Grits. "How do ya'll feel about non-Black companies using Gullah-Geechee culture to market their business?" Christopher Cato and Akua Page, who run the account, wrote on the post. In the Lowcountry, the question of the "owner vs. the brand" is an important one, especially for Gullah-Geechee people who have seen their cultural traditions become key selling points for tourists, often without an economic benefit to their own communities. This month, three long-running businesses that aren't owned by people of Gullah-Geechee descent but were using the culture in their branding a grits mill, a packaged foods company and a boat tour operator said they would change their brand names. Geechie Boy Mill was the first of those to make such an announcement on July 1, within hours of Samin Nosrat, a popular food writer, cookbook author and Netflix show host, calling out the company on Instagram, where more than half a million followers see her posts. Nosrat wrote that she hoped the mill would change its name if in fact no one who currently profits off of it comes (from) the largely oppressed people who make up the culture being sold to us on the label. The Edisto Island business posted to its own account the next day that it "had taken the first steps" to find a new name. For now, the company's website still displays and sells products with the Geechie Boy Mill name. Earlier this month, a publicist for the mill declined to tell The Post and Courier when the current packaging would disappear from shelves. Criticism of the brand name, which has been around since about 1980, is nothing new. What seemed to be new was the wave of name changes happening nationally, from Aunt Jemima and Eskimo Pie to the The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks. Cato and Page also alerted their followers that the mill was not the only local non-Black company using Gullah culture to sell their products. There was Gullah Gourmet, a company that sells specialty foods based off Gullah cuisine from a West Ashley gift shop and tourist-centric stores. Also in Charleston, a boat tour company was going by the name Geechee Girl Charters. Marilyn Hemingway, founder and president of the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce, put out a statement July 3 calling on people to demand that businesses appropriating the terms "Gullah," "Geechee" or "Geechie" change their names. She described it as a "travesty" that this was still happening in 2020. "Our labors and traditions continue to be financially exploited, and the check is due," Hemingway wrote. Jay Keeney, who purchased Geechee Girl Charters in 2015, said he had "incorrectly assumed" that the terms "Gullah" and "Geechee" were "related to the Lowcountry lifestyle" and not specific to a cultural group. Keeney said he has paused tours and will either change the name or close the business. "I now realize ... that I owed it to the community to do more research and educate myself, as opposed to continuing under the status quo," Keeney wrote in an apology that is now the only content that appears on the tour company's website. Back in December, Page and Cato dedicated an episode of their Geechee Experience podcast to dispelling any confusion about who can be Gullah-Geechee. People who grew up in the Lowcountry and are not African American may understand some of the Gullah language or eat the cuisine, but Gullah-Geechee identity is defined by being a direct descendant of African people who were enslaved in the United States. Appreciation is one thing, Page said, but appropriation is another. And if Gullah culture is being used to sell goods and services, and the money isn't going back into the Gullah-Geechee community, that line has probably been crossed. "People feel like they're paying homage, like they're trying to save your dying culture," Page said. "Our culture is not dying." Marquetta Goodwine, who goes by Queen Quet as chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, said it's not paying homage if a business is profiting off of a culture's name and imagery. "You are exploiting them and capitalizing on them," she said. "That is never appropriate." The Gullah/Geechee Nation organized a petition this month with about 800 signatures that specifically called on Gullah Gourmet to change its name. Gullah Gourmet owner Debbie Nelson sells products with names like Geechie Peachie Cobbla, Cream Da Crab Soup, and Gullah Gullah Gumbo." The packaging isn't written in the Gullah-Geechee language, but Nelson said in an email that the wording used for the cooking instructions is meant to be a "variation" of it. The instructions on the back of the shrimp and grits package tell people to boil wadda, trow in da grits and heat the gravy in a nudda bowl. On July 8, Nelson posted a message on Facebook saying that she would change the companys name. She wrote that she now recognizes the name could be seen as culturally insensitive, something she never intended and is not okay with. She has run the business as Gullah Gourmet for more than 25 years. Nelson declined to elaborate on rebranding plans since she is in the process of securing a new name. The Gullah/Geechee Nation's petition also called out Revelry, a Charleston brewery that stirred up controversy when it started canning and selling its Gullah Cream Ale in 2016. The beermaker said it donated some proceeds from the beverage to groups like the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, but many balked at the idea that that would justify the name. Some members of the Gullah-Geechee community described the beer's branding as "mascotification" of their culture. Revelry co-owner Sean Fleming told The Post and Courier that the brewery made its last batch of the Gullah Cream Ale on June 4. He maintains the beer was brewed with good intentions and said they "100 percent hear and respect the voices upset by the name." "We've moved on from the beer and will continue to brew creative, award-winning beers that support our community here in Charleston," he said in a statement. Queen Quet said companies that have been using Gullah-Geechee names and imagery to sell their products have caused the community issues for years, and people will be taking note of what they do next. Whether they will be truly listening "instead of commodifying" remains to be seen. Home Four wheelers First Public DC Fast Charger Installed In Delhi With Smartphone Integration oi-Punith Bharadwaj Switzerland based company, ABB in association with BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and EV Motors India Pvt. Ltd. (EVM) has installed Delhi's first public DC fast charger that seamlessly integrates via a smartphone application to offer services. {photo-feature} Most Viewed Videos BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: US Agency for International Development (USAID) would like to capitalize on Uzbekistans forward-leaning stance on developing transnational relationships for its own development and the development of the region and of Afghanistan, Information Officer of the US Embassy in Tashkent Susannah Wood told Trend in an interview. "Capitalizing on our shared accomplishments, USAID programs focus on reinforcing Uzbekistans effort to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), increasing private sector competitiveness through trade and targeted agricultural assistance, creating more employment opportunities domestically to curb migration, increasing regional cooperation on shared energy and water resources, including building a sustainable energy market and connectivity within the region and with Afghanistan," stated Wood. Furthermore, the USAID programs are aimed at preventing the spread of infectious disease such as tuberculosis and COVID-19, building more responsive governance including combating human trafficking and countering violent extremism, and improving learning outcomes through support for the countrys education system, she added. The information officer noted, that in addition to the very comprehensive package of assistance already discussed, there are many areas, such as natural resources and disaster management where USAIDs expertise could be utilized. "The development of e-commerce and e-learning will take on new importance in our post-COVID world. USAID programs will look to expand the use of digital technology in all spheres of development, including commerce, health, and education," she said. According to Wood, USAIDs future programs will build on the success of the agencys past programs and continue to help Uzbekistan diversify its economy and increase regional trade, address serious health threats such as tuberculosis and COVID-19, encourage accountable and transparent governance, and strengthen the role of civil society. The US Agency for International Development is an independent agency of the US Federal Government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Deloitte has named Mutasem Dajani as the next Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte Middle East (DME). Dajani has been with the firm since 2002 and in recent years, has held the role of DME Audit & Assurance leader and regional Managing Partner of the UAE practice. Dajani has previously assumed a wide range of firm leadership roles, such as member of the Middle East Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Dajani succeeds Omar Fahoum who led DME during the past 20 years. Dajani said: I am honoured to be leading an organisation of more than 5,000 people across 14 countries. As the world adapts to the new normal and addresses the challenges imposed by Covid-19, our focus continues to be the well-being of our people and making an impact that matters with our clients and wider society. With close to 100 years experience in the Middle East, our understanding of this unique market is unparalleled. With the strength of our Middle East capabilities, multidisciplinary teams and extensive global network, we are uniquely positioned to support our clients in the face of these unprecedented challenges and to help them thrive. DME combines a breadth and depth of capabilities in audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, and tax across the region. In addition, a Deloitte Digital Center launched last September in Riyadh will provide employment and skills building opportunities for the leading talent in Saudi Arabia and across the GCC. -- Tradearabia News Service On July 11, the United Nations Security Council voted to extend cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria for another year. Russia and China had vetoed earlier resolutions to extend the cross-border aid, before finally abstaining from the July 11 vote. Twelve countries, including the United States, voted in favor of the resolution. Under the new agreement - which was a compromise after Russian and Chinese opposed previous resolutions - only one authorized border crossing for aid will remain: Bab al-Hawa, on the Syrian/Turkish border. A Russian proposal in January closed two cross-border entry points for aid. Bab al-Hawa borders Syrias Idlib governorate, which is mainly controlled by the Syrian opposition. The Turkish military maintains observation posts there. That means that the Assad regime in Damascus, whose forces are still fighting rebel groups on the Idlib front, cant influence distribution of humanitarian aid in the area. On July 15, Russias Foreign Ministry released a statement regarding the new arrangement under U.N. Resolution 2533. It read, in part: We would like to point out that Russia has always advocated the delivery of humanitarian aid to all those in need throughout Syria in strict compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. The guidelines for the delivery of humanitarian aid formalised (sic) in UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 say clearly that it should be provided with the consent and on the basis of an appeal by the affected country and based on respect for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. Although partly factual, the statement is misleading. UNGA Resolution 46/182, adopted in 1991, does state that humanitarian aid should be provided with the consent of the affected country, and that the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of States must be fully respected in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. However, the Russian statement ignores one of the resolutions 12 twelve principles, which states: Humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality. In fact, the Assad regime has been credibly accused of manipulating the distribution of humanitarian aid in order to further its strategic goals in the war. The Guardian newspaper reported in 2016 that the Assad regime not only decided who could receive humanitarian aid via the U.N., but also had control over what organizations the U.N. could work with and what specific items could be delivered. In some cases, Syrian government troops blocked humanitarian aid convoys to stop relief from getting to opposition held areas. One of the most egregious cases was the Syrian air forces September 2016 bombing of a U.N. humanitarian relief convoy near the then besieged city of Aleppo. Such actions go against Resolution 46/182s principle of neutrality and impartiality. They also arguably violate point four of the resolutions principles, which states: Each state has the responsibility first and foremost to take care of the victims of natural disasters and other emergencies occurring on its territory. It could be argued that the Assad regime cannot adequately adhere to this principle in territory controlled by armed opposition. However, the regime has at times selectively allowed aid to reach such areas. The text of Resolution 46/182 refers to natural disasters and other emergencies, but says nothing about civil wars, let alone one like the Syrian civil war, in which the government rapidly lost control over large swaths of territory. The humanitarian situation facing Syria is critical. David Beasley, head of the United Nations World Food Program, said on June 29 that more than 1 million Syrians were food insecure. He warned that without relief, there would either be another mass exodus of refugees from the country or mass starvation. Beasley added that the regime in Damascus should ensure that humanitarian aid gets to all who need it, including those outside of government-controlled areas. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to make iron ore available to steel industries in the underdeveloped Bastar region at a 30% concession rate through National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), a central government-run undertaking. In the letter written on Sunday, the CM said that the concession would help the steel industries to operate on a larger scale, make them profitable, and would also create employment opportunities for local youth. The concession would accelerate remote Bastars development and economic growth, he said. The state government has also sent a similar proposal to NMDC, he added. The CM pointed out to the PM that the mineral-rich Bastar held a special place in the country. Bastar region is more abundant in mineral and forest resources than other parts of the country. However, economic activities are limited in Bastar due to dense forest cover and in strict compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The growing unemployment can be attributed to the rise of Left-wing extremism activities, which have further hindered the regions growth. However, the launch of the district mineral foundation (DMF) scheme in 2015 aims to alleviate the condition of the families, who have been affected by indiscriminate mining in the region, the letter stated. The CM drew the PMs attention to NMDCs mining activity in the Dantewada district for over 50 years and pleaded for a 30% concession for iron ore for Bastars growth and development. Steel industries have not become a profitable venture for private entrepreneurs, despite the abundance of iron ore. If NMDC provides iron ore to Bastar-based steel industries at a 30% concession, they will soon become profitable and can create more job opportunities for the regions youth, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Donald Trumps push to crack down on illegal immigration and reshape legal immigration was at the heart of the Republicans winning 2016 campaign and has remained at the forefront of his White House agenda. Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, promises to rescind many of those policies and advance his own agenda if he wins the 3 November election. Here is a look at some of their immigration stances. Coronavirus immigration restrictions Mr Trump has dramatically curtailed immigration and travel into the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, arguing the steps were needed for health reasons and to protect jobs for US workers. Earlier this month, his administration announced new rules that could have forced tens of thousands of international students to leave the country if their schools held all classes online amid the pandemic. In response to the policy, Mr Biden tweeted support for international students. They study here, innovate here, they make America who we are, he said. Donald Trump doesnt get that. Faced with broad opposition from colleges, business associations, tech companies and labour unions, the Trump administration abandoned the plan earlier this week but may revisit the issue. During the pandemic, Mr Trump has restricted the entry of many foreign workers and immigrants seeking green cards for permanent residency, saying the moves would help US workers amid the coronavirus-battered economy. Mr Biden tweeted at the time that Mr Trump was banning immigrants to distract from his administrations pandemic response and that immigrants help grow our economy and create jobs. Mr Trump also implemented a health-focused policy that allows US officials to rapidly deport migrants caught at the US-Mexico border, bypassing standard legal processes. Mr Biden has said he will pause deportations for 100 days after taking office, but his campaign did not immediately comment on the coronavirus-related border rules. Dreamers The Supreme Court ruled in June against Mr Trumps 2017 decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, which protects from deportation immigrants popularly known as Dreamers, who were brought illegally to the United States as children. The high courts ruling which found Mr Trumps termination of the programme was arbitrary and capricious left the administration the option to reissue the decision, which it is expected to do in the coming days or weeks. The Daca programme, launched by Barack Obama in 2012, grants deportation relief and work permits to about 644,000 mostly Hispanic young adults, but does not provide them with a path to citizenship. Mr Biden says he will reverse Mr Trumps cruel decision to end Daca and strengthen protections for Dreamers. He would make them eligible for federal student aid for college. US-Mexico border wall Mr Trumps promises to build a wall along the US southern border with Mexico and make Mexico pay for it were the centrepiece of his hard-line immigration rhetoric during the 2016 campaign, energising his supporters and enraging Democrats. But there has been limited progress on construction and Mexico has refused to pay for it, leaving the US government to foot the bill, partially from Pentagon funds. Federal court records show the Trump administration has ramped up efforts to seize land for the barrier. Mr Bidens immigration plan would end the diversion of funding from the military to build the wall and focus instead on border enforcement like investments in improving the screening infrastructure at ports of entry. Family separations Mr Trumps zero-tolerance policy to prosecute illegal border crossings led in 2018 to several thousand children being forcibly separated from parents and legal guardians detained on the Mexico border. Recommended White House prepares order banning undocumented immigrants from census The policy, described by the administration as a deterrent, sparked outrage, and the backlash led Mr Trump to sign an executive order to end the practice. But the administration continued to separate hundreds of kids travelling with other adult relatives. Mr Biden would end the prosecution of parents for minor immigration violations, which he calls an intimidation tactic, and make it a priority to reunite any children still separated from their families. Travel ban Mr Trump signed an order banning entry to immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, a move Mr Biden and other critics said discriminated against Muslims. A federal court blocked the initial ban, but in 2018 the Supreme Court upheld an amended version that has since been expanded to other countries. Mr Biden has promised to rescind the bans, calling them an abuse of power designed to target primarily black and brown immigrants. Reuters Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The announcement last month that the 2020 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta had been called off came as no surprise to Josh Lange. I was very ready for it and I was very accepting, said Lange, whose Albuquerque lemonade company Just Squeezed is a regular vendor at the event. Langes company is largely event-based and relies on revenue from massive music festivals across the country, including Coachella in California and Bonnaroo in Tennessee. After those festivals were canceled, Lange said he knew it was just a matter of time before the Balloon Fiesta followed suit. The ripple effect is pretty nauseating, he said. The whole thing is pretty nauseating. So Lange made a quick pivot to survive. In late March, he opened up La Luz Coffee Hub at 1115 Griegos NW, using supplies from Just Squeezed. He said the outpouring of support from neighborhood locals has amazing, and much needed. It allows us to not get into trouble and it allows us to not lose our company, he said. Langes not the only local business owner who will feel the pain from the postponement of what would have been the 49th annual Balloon Fiesta this year. The fiesta is a major economic driver for the region. An economic impact study commissioned by event organizers and produced by Forward Analytics showed the 2019 event had a total impact of about $187 million dollars. The study found guests at the fiesta spend an average of $31 at vendor booths and with 866,414 visitors to the event in 2019, that number adds up. The economic impact isnt limited to fiesta vendors and the city of Albuquerque though. According to Visit Albuquerque president and CEO Tania Armenta, spending for the event extends across the state as many tourists in town for the fiesta also travel outside Albuquerque. Its long been a reliable season for tourism, Armenta said. Vendors adapt Businesses and nonprofits that rely on the Balloon Fiesta to make ends meet said not having the event this year will hurt, but mainly supported organizers decision to hold off this year. While the fiesta only represents a small portion of Just Squeezeds yearly revenue compared to the music festivals, the money is still needed, Lange said. The income is really important especially now when our income has gone to zero, we could really use the Balloon Fiesta, Lange said. The Balloon Fiesta could help me pay for my home. Still, Lange said he ultimately supports the postponement for financial and safety reasons. If they tried to pull it off at 50% capacity we would just break even, he said. It would hurt us financially. For the New Mexico Quilters Association, a nonprofit, the fiesta typically provides much-needed income. For 40 years, the association has been making a one-of-a-kind quilt to raffle off. Proceeds from the raffle support the organization, which then uses the money to purchase supplies for hundreds of quilts that are donated to local organizations like Carrie Tingley Hospital and the Barrett House shelter. It is our major fundraiser, fundraising coordinator Ilene Edgein said. Although the raffle brings in the most revenue for the group, Edgein said the group will be able to dip into savings in order to purchase supplies for their next quilt. Britt-Lee Smith, sales manager of Texas-based custom pin manufacturer Plano Pin Co., said she has been attending the event for close to 35 years, and while the fiesta brings in some dependable revenue, its also a chance to celebrate and visit old friends. I dont know what else to do when Im not at the Balloon Fiesta, but well be okay, Smith said. I know its the right thing to do, but Im going to miss everybody. Each year the company sells thousands and thousands of pins at the fiesta including the official fiesta pin, but production for the pins doesnt start until August. Thankfully, the announcement did come early, so we did not lose a lot in investing in our merchandise, Smith said. She said it will be an unusual October without the event. My car might try to go on autodrive for Albuquerque. Smith said. Leaders of Blakes Lotaburger dont expect the absence of Balloon Fiesta this year to cause a huge financial dent but missing the celebration is still a disappointment, said marketing director Alice Skousen. We just feel a loss overall to not have that event that we look forward to, she said. The company operates a stand on the fiesta grounds selling breakfast burritos. Skousen said it makes sense to call off this years event rather than potentially place New Mexicans and tourists in harms way. You dont want to endanger people for something that can be postponed, she said. The COVID-19 pandemic keeps surging; the fight against this global enemy is being waged each and every day. The President of Ghana during his inauguration on 7th January 2017, made this clarion call: "I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done." It is against this background that a Unit Committee Member of the Dadiesoaba Electoral Area within the Subin Constituency, Mr. Ernest Agyemang Duah, in responding earnestly to this clarion call by the President, has distributed free nose masks and hand sanitizers to help curb the Covid-19 pandemic. This distribution exercise happened today 19th July 2020 at all polling stations within the Dadiesoaba Electoral Area during the ongoing EC New Voters Registration exercise. Mr. Agyemang Duah seized the opportunity to admonish the electorate present, to encourage their families, friends, and loved ones who are still yet to register, to diligently partake of the exercise. "We all have a responsibility to fulfill as citizens. The power to choose a competent leader hinges upon our votes and we are to ensure that we choose well. Let's inform everybody about this duty calls", Ernest Agyemang Duah implored. He further educated members on the COVID-19 safety protocols instituted by the Government and the Electoral Commission. The Unit Committee Member rounded everything up with a call to the Ghanaian public: "The fight against COVID-19 is a national one which needs the involvement of every individual. All major stakeholders are to join this cause with any aid they can offer. I believe this one too shall pass", Ernest Agyemang Duah hopefully encouraged. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Preliminary findings from Harvard Medical School researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear may pave the way for trials to test bone density medications for hearing loss. Hearing loss caused by damaged nerves, whether from sound exposure or aging, is irreversible. There are currently no medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat and reverse the most common type of hearing loss, called sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). But a new animal study hopes to pave the way for future trials to see whether this type of treatment can be used in people. New research led by Konstantina Stankovic, HMS associate professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Mass. Eye and Ear, and Albert Edge, the Eaton-Peabody Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Mass. Eye and Ear, have found medications called bisphosphonates, which are commonly used to prevent bone density loss, were able to regrow damaged nerve connections in the inner ear in mice with SNHL. While the findings require further studying in animal models, the research team hopes it could be a promising target for conducting clinical trials in people with SNHL. The discoveries were published July 14 in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. "This is a significant finding because it opens the possibility for repurposing bisphosphonates, which typically treat severe osteoporosis and metastatic bone disease, for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss," said Stankovic, director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at Mass. Eye and Ear. "We hope the promising results from this pilot study can lead to clinical trials within the next several years." Damaged nerves Disabling hearing loss affects 466 million people worldwide and 56 million in the United Statesnumbers that are expected to more than double over the next two decades. Hearing loss can take a toll on health and well-being, and untreated hearing loss costs more than $750 billion in health care spending each year worldwide, due to more hospital stays and greater need for emergency rooms and clinical visits. For typical hearing, sound waves travel through the ear canal before reaching the eardrum and the tiny bones of the middle ear. They are then converted into electrical signals in the inner ear and transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve. One type of hearing loss, called conductive hearing loss, occurs when sound transmission from the ear canal to the inner ear is impaired (such as by a middle ear infection, fluid, or impaired vibration of middle ear bones), leading to a reduction in sound levels reaching the inner ear and an inability to hear soft sounds. Sensorineural hearing loss, on the other hand, occurs in the inner ear. The most common causes of hearing loss are noise exposure and aging, which results in loss of connections, called synapses, between nerve cells and sensory hair cells found in the inner ear. This type of SNHL is referred to as cochlear synaptopathy. Research hopes Previous research from Stankovic's lab looked to identify potential pathways to treat SNHL. Their analyses found that osteoprotegerin, a substance typically secreted by bone cells to inhibit bone remodeling, is highly produced by cochlear neurons and promotes their survival. In previous studies, doctors have observed that people with SNHL due to severe otosclerosis who take bisphosphonates have the ability to significantly improve their hearing loss and understand speech. Word recognition is a sensitive measure of cochlear nerve function. That revelation, along with the previous results from the influence of the drug on the rapid increase and survival of cochlear stem cells, prompted the researchers' new study to determine the effects of bisphosphonates on cochlear synaptopathy. The scientists administered bisphosphonates to mice 24 hours after noise exposure. They found that the medication had a dramatic effect at regenerating the synapses between inner hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons found in the ear, and restoring cochlear function. The team further suggested that their finding provides possible mechanisms that could explain why some patients in the clinic have improved their ability to recognize speech after bisphosphonate treatment. They also suggest that bisphosphonates are worth considering to reverse the loss of nerve connections for the treatment of human SNHL. Stankovic cautioned that the research is still in its early phases. More research is needed, in animals and then in clinical safety and efficacy trials, before this could be a recommended treatment. "It is our hope that, with further study, we can offer patients who have currently irreversible hearing damage a medication that might stall or reverse their hearing loss," she said. Explore further Sound deprivation in one ear leads to speech recognition difficulties More information: Richard Seist et al. Regeneration of Cochlear Synapses by Systemic Administration of a Bisphosphonate, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (2020). Journal information: Neuroscience Richard Seist et al. Regeneration of Cochlear Synapses by Systemic Administration of a Bisphosphonate,(2020). DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00087 HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean police arrested an opposition official and a journalist on Monday, accusing them of inciting violence ahead of street demonstrations planned for next week by activists who charge government corruption has exacerbated economic hardship. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it feared the arrests were the start of a crackdown and intimidation of government opponents to stop the July 31 protests. Many citizens say their economic prospects have worsened since President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe following a coup in 2017. Mnangagwa says the economy is being sabotaged by local and foreign opponents. Police said they had arrested Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of a small opposition outfit who called for the protests, which are being backed by the MDC. They also detained freelance journalist Hopewell Chin'ono. The two were being held in police custody and faced charges of "incitement to participate in public violence," police spokesman Andrew Phiri said in a statement. Chin'ono has gained a following on social media by being critical of the government's handling of the economy and corruption. Earlier, he posted a video of armed police entering his room and ordering him to put his phone down. The government is wary of demonstrations after the last major protests in January 2019 turned violent and scores of people died after a crackdown by security forces. Authorities have warned that protests violate coronavirus rules that outlaw large gatherings. They have said they plan to tighten the lockdown in opposition strongholds Harare and Bulawayo. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by David Gregorio) The scanR high-content screening (HCS) station version 3.2 delivers improved image quality, better quantitative data, support for challenging segmentation and classification applications and increased speed to help life science researchers maximize the information they get from their samples. Better images for better data Key to these functionalities is Olympus breakthrough lens manufacturing technology. X Line objectives offer simultaneously improved chromatic aberration correction, image flatness and resolution. This combination enables the scanR system to more rapidly acquire higher-quality multicolor images while achieving better quantitative results over the full field of view. Since the ability to get quantitative data from the scanR system is directly tied to image quality, X Line objectives help the system extract more information from images. High signal-to-noise images The v. 3.2 update brings support for Hamamatsus ORCA-Fusion sCMOS camera. The cameras large 21.2 mm (0.83 in.) sensor chip captures more sample information with high quantum efficiency and sensitivity. This results in higher-quality images with minimal noise. Expanded deep learning functionality Using a self-learning microscopy approach, the scanR systems AI functionality automatically analyzes data by incorporating a learned analysis protocol into its assay-based workflow. This improved functionality adds support for multi-class semantic segmentation, which enables it to tackle some of the most challenging segmentation and classification challenges in life science microscopy. Brightfield analysis, ultra-low signal quantification, label-free mitosis assays and the classification of complex phenotypes are all possible using scanR deep-learning technology. These improvements in optics, camera support and software make the new scanR 3.2 highly suitable for high-throughput imaging and image analysis across a range of life science disciplines. It helps ensure that researchers can analyze large studies quickly, efficiently and without compromising on image or data quality. For more information about the scanR high-content screening station, visit olympus-lifescience.com/ microscopes/inverted/scanr/ Washington: Newly-released documents by the United States Central Intelligence Agency report a mysterious incident when radar post tracked a UFO which 'dove and circled' between 60,000 and 14,000ft above Scottish soil. The sighting of UFO dated back to late 50s. The close encounter was described by Wing Commander WP Whitworth, based in Scotland, as, "Quite definitely this was no freak. It was an object of some substance and no mistake could have been made." They say the report concludes, "On the basis of the evidence in this report, NICAP has concluded that UFOs are real and that they appear to be intelligently controlled. We believe that it is a reasonable hypothesis that UFOS (beyond those explainable as conventional objects or phenomena) are manifestations of extraterrestrial life." The X-file, however, suggested that evidence was too sketchy to suggest what aliens looked like. The 186-page document, which has been released by the CIA, was kept in closed filed for almost 40 years. Apart from UFO sighting, the document also include psychic powers and Cold War espionage over decades of spy games. Lecturer in intelligence and international security at the University of Glasgow Damien Van Puyvelde told the Daily Record, "The references reflect the global scope of CIA activities and the evolution of its interests. From assessments of the Soviet economy, to public perception of the Vietnam War abroad, to perceived communist influence in Latin America, to the rise of the terrorist threat, and more eccentric issues like UFOs and psychists. All of these can be linked to the broader context of the Cold War." Some of the weirdest records relate to the controversial Stargate programme which has long fascinated conspiracy theorists. The shadowy work was widely credited for influencing the 2009 movie 'The Men Who Stare at Goats', starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. In the film, US special forces attempt to harness paranormal powers as a weapon, by trying to explode the hearts of animals, just by looking at them. In the 1980s, the CIA took an interest in the work of leading Edinburgh University parapsychologist Deborah Delanoy. She exposed a bright and very affable 17-year-old self-proclaimed metal-bender called Tim as a fake in 1983-84. Delanoys report reads, "Tim claimed to have started bending metal, mostly cutlery, at the age of four and to have been doing so ever since." After seven-and-a-half months of lab tests, researchers began to suspect Tim was a fraud and used a hidden camera to expose him. The report continues, "Tim confessed to deceptive behaviour. He said that he was a practicing magician who had wished to see if it were possible for a magician to pose successfully as a psychic in a laboratory." Delanoy concludes, "We must never let ourselves forget that our subjects may be deceiving us." Other documents included in the file are of - a 1983 terrorism review relating to a recent spate of letter bombs in the UK with the Scottish National Liberation Army being one of the groups among those responsible. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported last week the deaths of two men in custody in detention centers in Louisiana and Florida. While reports regarding the cause of death are still pending, one of the men who died, 51-year-old Onuval Perez-Montufa, who originally hailed from Mexico, had tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks prior. The second victim, Luis Sanchez-Perez from Guatemala was pronounced dead at Ochsner LSU Monroe Medical Center in northern Louisiana where he had been receiving inpatient care since February 26. Perez-Montufa, who had been held in ICE custody since mid-June, was taken to a Palm Beach, Florida hospital on July 1 after he had complained about shortness of breath. He remained in the hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Meanwhile, Sanchez-Perez had been hospitalized since February 26th, and though hospital staff ruled the preliminary cause of death to be septic shock leading to cardiopulmonary arrest, there have been no detailed reports of what might have caused the hospitalization or contributed to the septic shock. The deaths of these two men are only the latest official reports of casualties among ICE detainees, as the pandemic rages across the United States. The last reported case was that of Santiago Baten-Oxlaj, who died of COVID-19-related complications on May 24. Baten-Oxlaj, a 34-year-old worker from Guatemala, had been held in the Stewart Detention Facility in Lumpkin, Georgia since early March, and had been admitted to the hospital in mid-April for treatment of decreased oxygen saturation levels. According to ICE, the agency has been taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of those held in its detention centers around the country. The federal agency boasts that high-level experts are monitoring best practices and issuing guidelines on how to separate vulnerable populations and screen those entering the various facilities. These claims are hard to believe, given the well-publicized and highly unsanitary conditions in the detention centers prior to the pandemic, as well as what has been disclosed by immigrant advocates and former detainees over the past few months. On May 6, Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia, 57, became the first ICE detainee to die of COVID-19-related complications. Escobar Mejia, who had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems and an amputated foot, had been complaining about feeling sick for weeks prior to his death. However, officials at the Otay Mesa detention center outside San Diego, California gave no urgent attention to his situation. Other detainees from Otay Mesa spoke of continued unsanitary conditions, even as the pandemic took root. Neither guards nor detainees were provided masks, and as new inmates kept being processed, keeping a safe distance became an impossibility. Speaking to the Guardian in the aftermath of Escobar Mejias death, former detainees disclosed the callousness of ICE officials and guards in dismissing the health concerns of detainees, including many who showed symptoms of COVID-19. Briana, a 25-year-old migrant from Honduras, released in April, told reporters: They didnt care. People were detained in there like animals. The Trump administration now claims that there are slightly over 850 cases of COVID-19, among the nearly 23,000 detainees currently held by ICE. However, the Otay Mesa situation should put these numbers in perspective. At the time of Escobar Mejias death in early May, Otay Mesa had 144 confirmed COVID-19 cases among its roughly 630 detainees, by far the most of any ICE facility. What is truly frightening is that only 181 detainees had been tested for the virus. As of May 16, when ICE reported that 1,201 immigrants in its custody had tested positive for COVID-19, only 2,394 had been tested. Given the paucity of testing among the detainees it is highly likely that the numbers of infected is significantly under-reported. As early as March, immigrant rights advocates pointed out that the conditions in ICE detention centers made the risk of a deadly outbreak among the inmate population highly likely. Their calls for the release of at least the most vulnerable populations have been supported by federal judges across the country. As US District Judge Judith Levy noted in her order freeing two immigrants from an ICE detention center in May: COVID-19 does not respect prison walls. The raging global pandemic outside of Calhoun County Correctional Facility and a confirmed case within the facility pose a serious risk to those inside. In the past few months, ICE has claimed that it has released over 900 detainees, bringing its detention numbers to the lowest they have been in many years. However, these court ordered moves have not addressed the fact that thousands of men and womena majority of whom have not committed any serious crimesare still being held in conditions that heighten their susceptibility to a highly infectious and dangerous disease. At a time when coronavirus cases are increasing at an alarming rate around the country and existing public health services are already being stretched to the breaking point, this situation is nothing short of criminal. A suicide truck bomber struck an army convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers, the Defense Ministry said. Another nine troops were wounded in the attack in Maidan Wardak province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate routinely target Afghan security forces. The Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan despite signing a peace deal with the US in February. That agreement was intended to pave the way for talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government leading to an end to decades of war. Those talks were supposed to begin this month, but the process has stalled over the implementation of a prisoner release. The peace deal called for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the Taliban releasing 1,000 captive government personnel. So far, the government has freed more than 4,200 and the Taliban have freed around 800. There is a lot about Indias history that evades popular discourse. Many significant figures from the pages of Indias enthralling history who never find their claim to fame in popular culture. Indian revolutionary Batukeshwar Dutt is one such historical figure, who was moved into oblivion soon after India first breathed the air of freedom after 200 years of British imperialism. Batukeshwar Dutt - an Indian loyalist, freedom fighter and a Bhagat Singh ally, who valued his friendship with Singh to such an extent that he didnt think twice before risking his life to stand by his friend after the 1929 Legislative Bombings. Wikipedia Batukeshwar Dutt stands for true friendship, just as he does for inspiring future Indian revolutionaries who fought for Indian independence and in fighting for the rights of Indian political prisoners held behind the bars by the British colonisers. Who Was Batukeshwar Dutt? Born to Goshtha Bihari Dutt in 1910, Batukeshwar grew up in West Bengals Oari village, and eventually, left for Kanpur to pursue his higher education at PPN High School. It is during this time that he would cross paths with Indian revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad for the first time. Twitter irfhabib Over time, his association with Bhagat Singh lit the fire of Indian independence within Batukeshwars heart and eventually led him to turn into Bhagat Singhs comrade, who quickly turned into a bosom friend. With Bhagat Singhs support Batukeshwar joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and became one of the groups bomb experts. Birth Of An Indian Loyalist Already good friends, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar were working closely to protest against the Britishers misuse of power, especially when it came to suppressing voices of dissent and freedom fighters. Twitter rsprasad Following the Empires 1915 ruling which passed the Defence of India Act to curb revolutionary activities and legally pursue Indian freedom fighters, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association decided to protest against the Act that gave the British government ultimate power over dismantling Indias freedom movement. Inspired by the French, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association decided to bomb the Central Legislative Assembly on 8th April 1929. Batukeshwar along with Bhagat Singh went to the Visitors Gallery, from where Bhagat Singh threw two low-impact bombs on empty seats inside the assembly. Twitter Mukesh_G94 Shouts of inquilab zindabad and samrajyavaad ka naash ho broke out amid the commotion, as pamphlets with To Make The Deaf Hear written on them covered every surface. Reportedly, the pamphlets said that the bombing was done to protest against the Trade Disputes and the Public Safety Bill which was being presented in the assembly as well as the death of Lala Lajpat Rai due to lathi charge. A Test & Tale Of Friendship Both Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt could have easily escaped from the scene but they decided to stay back and get caught, in the hopes that this would inspire other revolutionaries to step up and keep the freedom struggle going. Twitter digvijaysinghd9 Years later, it was revealed by Batukeshwars lawyer that although Batukeshwar never threw any bombs that day, he decided to stay beside his friend Bhagat Singh till the very end and therefore decided to get arrested with him. The duo was sentenced to life imprisonment, and while Bhagat Singh was sent to the Mianwali Jail Batukeshwar Dutt was sent to the Central Jail in Lahore. However, Bhagat Singh later joined Batukeshwar at the Lahore jail. Fight For Rights Continues Twitter Advaidism During their stay at the Lahore Jail Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt realised how Indian prisoners and freedom fighters were discriminated against and treated as criminals. While the European prisoners enjoyed a number of facilities and were treated with dignity, Indian prisoners were forced to labour and treated poorly. This angered Singh and Dutt, who went on a hunger strike to demand better treatment and rights for Indian prisoners in government jails. Their demands were eventually met to a great extent. The Inglorious Final Days Twitter deep_anchor While Bhagat Singh was hanged to death, Batukeshwar was sent to the Cellular Jail before finally getting released years later. However, once out of jail, he joined Gandhis Quit India movement and was again jailed for another four years at the Motihari Jail in Bihar. Upon Indias Independence, Batukeshwar Dutt was quickly forgotten and moved into oblivion, living a life of poverty with no formal recognition or appreciation sent his way for aiding Indias fight to freedom. An unsung hero and a loyal friend, Batukeshwar Dutt breathed his last on 20th July 1965 and passed away at the age of 54 at AIIMS, New Delhi. Congressman John Lewis died Friday of advanced pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. The legendary civil rights leader who marched with Martin Luther King and shared the stage on the day King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech could easily have died many times before then. A veteran of numerous sit-ins and nonviolent protests, he was arrested 45 times, sprayed with tear gas, had burning cigarettes put out on him, and was beaten by police many times. On March 7, 1965, Lewis led a group of Black citizens who wanted to vote in a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. State troopers attacked the protesters, who were peaceful but refused to disperse. A trooper struck Lewis with a billy club hard enough to fracture his skull, and then hit him again when he tried to get up. Lying on the ground, Lewis believed he was going to die that day. But photos of the incident, including one showing Lewis being viciously struck, helped turn public opinion and led to passage of the Voting Rights Act. As a result, Lewis got to see his own parents vote in an election for the very first time. It all began with a library card, Lewis explains in a CBS This Morning "Note to Self" video that he made three years ago. "In 1956, when you were only 16 years old, you and some of your brothers and sisters and first cousins went down to the public library, trying to get library cards, trying to check out some books. And you were told by the librarian that the library was for Whites only, not for Coloreds," he says in the video. But, he continues, whenever you see something that is not right and not fair, "you have a moral obligation to continue to speak up, to speak out." That same year, Lewis was so inspired by King and Rosa Parks as they led the boycott of segregated buses in Montgomery that he wrote to King. King invited him for a visit and the two became friends and colleagues in the civil rights movement. Walking with the Wind In 1986, Atlanta voters sent Lewis to the House of Representatives, and in 1998, he wrote Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. "And the same library invited you to come back for a book signing where Blacks and White citizens showed up," Lewis tells his young self in the video. "And after the book signing, they gave you a library card." Lewis lived long enough to see the nationwide protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. Watching the video of Floyd's death "was so painful it made me cry," he said in a CBS interview. "I kept saying to myself, 'How many more? How many more young Black men will be murdered?'" But, he added, "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.'" The Black Lives Matter movement "feels and looks so different," he said. "It is so much more massive and all-inclusive." Because of that, he continued, "There will be no turning back. People now understand what the struggle was all about. It's another step down a very, very long road toward freedom and justice for all humankind." Protesters condemned the police departments use of tear gas, pepper spray and less lethal bullets to control crowds. Police said protesters lobbed rocks, water bottles and other projectiles at them. After one clash outside of police headquarters shortly before Smiths resignation, he said his officers had shown great restraint in their response. In mid-June, Stoney announced Smith had resigned. Chief Smith is a good man. He has served this city with grace. But we are ready to move in a new direction, Stoney said at the time. Smith has not made any public statements since then. Stoney first tapped William Jody Blackwell to lead the police department on an interim basis. Stoney said his administration would conduct a national search for a permanent police chief. Blackwells appointment drew sharp condemnation from protesters. He shot and killed a man while on duty in 2002; a grand jury did not return charges against Blackwell for the incident. He lasted 11 days before news of his plan to step down as interim chief leaked. Burger King reacts to Nanchang health violations By:Wu Jiaqi, Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-07-20 10:37 A program on the World Consumer Rights Day from China Central Television (CCTV) reported a case of regulatory health violations in a franchisee Burger King store in Nanchang, the capital of East Chinas Jiangxi province. The report included managers consciously violating multiple serious health and safety regulations, as well as committing business malpractice. (Outdated chicken being reused in a Burger King's) From selling outdated burger buns to putting as little ingredients as they possibly can in a burger, this particular Burger King has done it all. Putting the health of customers on the line might come as a shock for a brand dedicated to prime taste and fresh ingredients, especially in a rainy summer when food is prone to go bad more easily. But at the end of the day, whose fault is it? The franchisee obviously should not have committed such health violations, while the franchise, Burger King, should have done their best to prevent these types of incidents from happening in the first place. Reporters from CCTV then investigated multiple other local Burger Kings, hoping to reveal more of the same. As expected, another Burger King in Wangfujing, Nanchang, had the same issues if not worse. Despite also using outdated buns in food preparation, they even changed the shelf-life tags on meats. Multiple customers have complained of stale ingredients and even food poisoning. A staff member there also told the reporter of seeing bread being thrown out only when moldy, putting the health of customers at stake. Burger King finally openly apologized and explained that both restaurants are owned by the same franchisee, calling the incidents a systematic faultand promising to handle them extremely seriously so as to serve as deterrence for future franchisees.The brand has already formed a committee to temporarily close the stores and inspect all issues. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- In their zeal to promote the importance of climate change as an ecological driver, climate scientists increasingly are ignoring the profound role that indigenous peoples played in fire and vegetation dynamics, not only in the eastern United States but worldwide, according to a Penn State researcher. "In many locations, evidence shows that indigenous peoples actively managed vast areas and were skilled stewards of the land," said Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology. "The historical record is clear, showing that for thousands of years indigenous peoples set frequent fires to manage forests to produce more food for themselves and the wildlife that they hunted, and practiced extensive agriculture." Responding to an article published earlier this year in a top scientific journal that claimed fires set by Native Americans were rare in southern New England and Long Island, New York, and played minor ecological roles, Abrams said there is significant evidence to the contrary. In an article published today (July 20) in Nature Sustainability, Abrams, who has been studying the historical use of fire in eastern U.S. forests for nearly four decades, refutes those contentions. "The palaeoecological view -- based on a science of analyzing pollen and charcoal in lake sediments -- that has arisen over the last few decades, contending that anthropogenic fires were rare and mostly climate-driven, contradicts the proud legacy and heritage of land use by indigenous peoples, worldwide," he said. In his article, Abrams, the Nancy and John Steimer Professor of Agricultural Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences, argues that the authors of the previous paper assumed that the scarcity of charcoal indicated that there had not been burning. But frequent, low-intensity fires do not create the amount of charcoal that intense, crown-level, forest-consuming wildfires do, he pointed out. "Surface fires set by indigenous people in oak and pine forests, which dominate southern New England, often produced insufficient charcoal to be noticed in the sediment," said Abrams. "The authors of the earlier article did not consider charcoal types, which distinguish between crown and surface fires, and charcoal size -- macro versus micro -- to differentiate local versus regional fires." Also, lightning in New England could not account for the ignition of so many fires, Abrams argues. In southern New England, lightning-strike density is low and normally is associated with rain events. "The region lacks dry lightning needed to sustain large fires," he said. "Moreover, lightning storms largely are restricted to the summer when humidity is high and vegetation flammability is low, making them an unlikely ignition source." Early explorers and colonists of southern New England routinely described open, park-like forests and witnessed, firsthand, Native American vegetation management, Abrams writes in his article, adding that oral history and numerous anthropological studies indicate long-term burning and land-use for thousands of years by indigenous people. Burning near Native American villages and along their extensive trail systems constitutes large land areas, and fires would have kept burning as long as fuel, weather and terrain allowed, he explained. Following European settlement, these open oak and pine woodlands increasingly became closed by trees that previously were held in check by frequent fire. The authors of the previous paper also argued that fire should not be used as a present-day management tool, a view that Abrams does not support. The role of anthropogenic fires is front and center in the long-running climate-disturbance debate, according to Abrams, who notes that fires increased with the rise of human populations. The world would be a very different place without those fires, he contends. "Surprisingly, the importance of indigenous peoples burning in vegetation-fire dynamics is increasingly downplayed among paleoecologists," he writes. "This applies to locations where lightning-caused fires are rare." Abrams points out that he is not denying the importance of climate in vegetation and fire dynamics or its role in enhancing the extent of human fires. "However," he writes, "in oak-pine forests of southern New England, Native American populations were high enough, lighting-caused fires rare enough, vegetation flammable enough and the benefits of burning and agriculture great enough for us to have confidence in the importance of historic human land management." ### Gregory Nowacki, a scientist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Eastern Regional Forest Service Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contributed to the article. Research by the University of Liverpool has revealed that strange behaviour of the magnetic field in the South Atlantic region existed as far back as eight to 11 million years ago, suggesting that today's South Atlantic Anomaly is a recurring feature and unlikely to represent an impending reversal of the Earth's magnetic field. The South Atlantic Anomaly is an area characterized by a significant reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field compared with areas at similar geographic latitudes. Here, protection from harmful radiation from space is reduced. The most significant signs of this are technical malfunctions aboard satellites and spacecraft. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Liverpool paleomagnetic researchers analysed the record of Earth's magnetic field which is preserved in igneous rocks from the island Saint Helena which lies in the midst of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The geomagnetic records from the rocks covering 34 different volcanic eruptions that took place between eight and 11 million years ago revealed that at these occurrences the direction of the magnetic field for St Helena often pointed far from the North pole, just like it does today. The Earth's magnetic field, or the geomagnetic field, not only gives us the ability of navigating with a compass, but also protects our atmosphere from charged particles coming from the sun, called solar wind. However, it is not completely stable in strength and direction, both over time and space, and it has the ability to completely flip or reverse itself with substantial implications. The South Atlantic Anomaly is a topic of debate between scientists in this field. Besides the fact that it causes damages to space technology, it also raises the question of where it comes from and whether it represents the start of the total weakening of the field and a possible upcoming pole reversal. Lead author of the paper, University of Liverpool PhD student Yael Engbers, said: "Our study provides the first long term analysis of the magnetic field in this region dating back millions of years. It reveals that the anomaly in the magnetic field in the South Atlantic is not a one-off, similar anomalies existed eight to 11 million years ago. "This is the first time that the irregular behaviour of the geomagnetic field in the South Atlantic region has been shown on such a long timescale. It suggests that the South Atlantic Anomaly is a recurring feature and probably not a sign of an impending reversal. "It also supports earlier studies that hint towards a link between the South Atlantic Anomaly and anomalous seismic features in the lowermost mantle and the outer core. This brings us closer to linking behaviour of the geomagnetic field directly to features of the Earth's interior" ### The paper `Elevated paleomagnetic dispersion at Saint Helena suggests long-lived anomalous behavior in the South Atlantic' (doi/10.1073/pnas.2001217117) is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research was undertaken by the University of Liverpool's DEEP (Determining Earth Evolution from Palaeomagnetism) research group and the Geomagnetism Laboratory which are supported by the Leverhulme Trust and NERC. Notes to editors: 1. The University of Liverpool is one of the UK's leading research institutions with an annual turnover of 575million. Liverpool is a member of the Russell Group. Visit http://www.liv.ac.uk or follow us on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/livuninews Pro-Israel news agencies have run deepfake op-eds, in what is said to be a new disinformation frontier. Details of the hyper-realistic forgery was uncovered by a Reuters report this week, which uncovered the mystery around the identity of Oliver Taylor. Taylor has been writing for a number of well-known publications, including Israel National News, the Jerusalem Post, and the Times of Israel. However, his article in the US Jewish newspaper the Algemeiner, which accused a London based academic Mazen Masri and his wife, Palestinian rights campaigner Ryvka Barnard, of being known terrorist sympathizers, exposed his true identity. Mystified by Taylors accusation, Masri and Barnard alerted Reuters to their suspicion over the anti-Palestinian writer. The senior lecturer in law said when he pulled up Taylors profile photo, he couldnt put his finger on it, but he explained that something about the young mans face seemed off. It seems as though Masri had drawn the ire of Taylor over his work in late 2018 when the lecturer helped launch a lawsuit against the Israeli surveillance company NSO on behalf of alleged Mexican victims of the companys phone hacking technology. The spyware company has been accused of being deeply involved in carrying out mobile phone hacks of 1,400 of its users. Taylors identity was finally uncovered. Rather than being a real person, Taylor appears to be a deepfake, or a hyper-realistic forgery, created in part to criticise Mazen. Reuters interviewed six experts who conclude that it had the characteristics of forgery that would not be detectable to the naked eye. In their report raising concerns over the marriage of deepfakes and disinformation, the Reuters report warned deepfakes like Taylor are dangerous because they undermined public discourse. Taylor is just one of several deepfakes. Earlier this month, the Daily Beast, reported that 46 conservative news outlets, including some reporting on the Jewish community, were duped into publishing Middle East hot takes by 19 non-existent authors as part of a massive propaganda campaign that appears to have started in July 2019. Only a few of the news outlets covering Israel are said to have removed articles that later turned out to deepfakes. If the virus remains present during the upcoming school year, our teachers will continue to face these challenges. In order to ensure that remote learning opportunities are available and effective, our schools will need a significant investment in their technology infrastructure and that means additional funding for state and local municipalities from the federal government. In order to successfully transition students and staff safely back into our school buildings, we will also need the resources to implement health and safety protocols. For example, before the pandemic, students often shared textbooks and equipment. This may no longer be possible as we try to prevent the spread of the virus. Schools need additional funding to ensure that students can learn in a safe environment. Our schools will also require the resources to help students overcome any academic learning loss, trauma, economic and food insecurities caused by the pandemic. Although the virus has impacted everyone, it has particularly harmed students of color, high-poverty students, students with disabilities and English learners. If we want these students to thrive, we will need the resources to address their individual needs. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. The project on constructing the longest zipline in Armenia, which started in 2019 and continued in 2020, finally has completed. The zipline is located in Kapan town of Syunik province. The official opening ceremony of the zipline will take place on July 20. Project engineer Gegham Miroyan told Armenpress that with this project Kapan is becoming an interesting place for extreme lovers. Taking into account the coronavirus-related situation, the opening ceremony will take place in an outdoor space. The attendees will be provided with masks and disinfectants. All safety rules will be maintained, he said. Those, who are going to use the services of the zipline today, have been registered in advance. Gegham Miroyan said there are many people interested in the zipline. The ticket price is 10,000 AMD. The total length of the zipline, which consists of two parts, is 1750 meters, the length from one point to the other is 1080 meters. This zipline is longer from the ziplines of Yenokavan (750 meters) and Yerevan (nearly 870 meters). The project engineer said this zipline differs from the other ones with its length and location as it passes over the town. In other words, the tourist will pass over the buildings. The specialist said there is no problem with the safety. The works have been carried out at the highest level. The zipline project is the first major investment program in Kapan in 2020. Reporting by Anna Gziryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan BAY CITY, MI -- Voters in Bay County will be getting the chance to make some decisions this year about the Countys leadership. Multiple seats will be up on the Bay County Board of Commissioners during the August 4 election this year. For the 1st District, two newcomers will be competing for Michael Duranczyks spot on the Board of Commissioners. Marie Ann-Fryzel Fox and Steven Gray, both Democrats are vying for the 1st District seat. Candidates for the 2nd, 3rd and 5th District seats are incumbents that are running unopposed, with Ernie Krygier running for the 2nd District spot, Vaughn Begick running for the 3rd District, and Thomas Herek at the 5th District. For the 4th District, Democratic incumbent Kim Coonan will face off against Republican challenger Lance Anson in the November General Election. The remaining 6th and 7th District races have all-Democratic candidates, with Kaysey Owczarzak Radtke facing off against incumbent Tom Ryder for the 6th District and Jayme Johnson taking on incumbent Michael Lutz. MLive Media Group has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information and other voting resources to readers ahead of 2020 elections. Each candidate was given a list of questions relevant to the office for which they are campaigning. The voter guide can be accessed at vote411.org. All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for a necessary cut if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. Here is how each candidate in contested races responded to the questions. Note, both 4th District candidates did not submit a response. 1st District 1. Describe your background, experience and qualifications for this office and the reasons you are running for it. Marie Ann Fryzel Fox: I am a lifelong resident of Bay County and passionate about the community. I am the mother of three Bay City Public School graduates. I served over 17 years on the Bay City Public School Board of Education with 11 of those years as President. I bring extensive Board leadership training and experience with overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets to this position as well as collaboratively working with labor groups and the community to resolve issues and concerns.I want to make Bay County a safe and attractive place to work, live and raise families. I want to help our community grow and thrive. Steven J. Gray: I have 8 years experience as a Beaver Twp. Trustee and 8 Years experience as Beaver Twp. Trustee. I have 15 years of experience on The Bay County Employees Retirement System(10 years as Chairman). I have served on many committees and have experience as a Property Assessor and Zoning Administrator. We need more jobs and better jobs to keep our children here in Bay County when they are done with there education. 2.What are the top 2 priority issues that this office should address, and what actions would you take regarding each of them? Fox: 1. Ensure the long-term growth and success of Bay County by encouraging economic development to create a thriving workforce. 2. Collaborate with community members, business owners, and other agencies to tackle community-wide issues.We are stronger and more effective as a community when all stakeholders work together to solve issues and concerns. I would work to establish partnerships with the cities, townships, and other groups to develop solutions on issues facing Bay County. I will also work to bring various stakeholders together to update long-term plan of Bay County and ensure it is a working document. Gray: #1 Job Creation#2 Agriculture( Bay County is an agricultural County, I want to be a voice for agriculture on The Bay County Board Of Commissioners.) 6th District 1. Describe your background, experience and qualifications for this office and the reasons you are running for it. Kaysey Owczarzak Radtke: I am a proud lifelong resident of Bay County. I was born and raised in Essexville and have lived in Bay City for the past 8-years with my husband and our three children. I am passionate about Bay County and I am running for County Commissioner out of a sincere desire to serve our community. As County Commissioner, my goal is to represent Bay City residents and their perspectives to the County Board in the most dedicated and independent manner possible. I am open-minded and will listen to and advocate for our residents. I will search for opportunities to grow and improve our county while protecting what we love. Tom Ryder: Ive spent 20+ years representing men and women in the electrical construction industry. I served to negotiate secure benefits and safe working conditions for workers while balancing meaningful terms and conditions for business owners. I learned that having both prosperous labor and profitable business is possible and the only way to truely succeed. Ive spent my life working on community improvements to get library and school bonds passed, on Bay City Economic Development Corporation, DDA, and Bay Future to help create new jobs and grow local business. I want to continue my public service as a Commissioner. 2. What are the top 2 priority issues that this office should address, and what actions would you take regarding each of them? Radtke: The top two priorities go hand-in-hand, they are Economic and Community Development. In order to see our community thrive and retain our younger residents, who are leaving for better opportunities, we have to have business development here which includes well-paying jobs. I believe in contributing to Bay Future and supporting policies favorable to small community-based businesses that support economic development. As to community development, people come to and stay in communities where there are things to offer families. This means community recreation and opportunities to provide good healthcare and childcare Ryder: #1 The health of our community, both in terms of economic health and our physical and mental well being. #2 Declining revenues and its impact on our ability to maintain services. To address these priorities the County Board must work towards strengthening our Health Department and our mental health services. We will need to look for creative revenue options such as state and federal grants, partnering with other local governments for shared services to reduce costs. We need to encourage public involvement and participation. 7th District 1. Describe your background, experience and qualifications for this office and the reasons you are running for it. Jayme Johnson: I am a life long Bay County resident, and father of three. My wife and I are preparing to celebrate our 25th anniversary this year. We are both long-time, career educators. Ive spent 25 years in elementary education, and taught every grade level from Kindergarten to fifth grade. During my tenure, Ive had the opportunity to serve in various leadership roles, which opened up chances for me to work on 16 years worth of School Improvement teams, and I have chaired several of them. Im running, because I believe in Bay County, and I feel its time for a change. Im hoping to work to retain young families here. Michael Lutz: I have lived in the District for 66 yrs. I have been married to my wife, Susan for 47 yrs. I have raised four children with my wife Sue. Our children are all married, live within Bay County and we have 13 grand children. I have served 13 yrs. on the City Council of the City of Essexville. I am presently serving my 5th. term as a Bay County Commissioner. I am a small business owner, a Residential Contractor for the last 15 yrs. I believe that service to our fellow residents is an important calling. Most of our tax dollars are spent locally and they must be spent wisely. It is my job to ensure that this is accomplished. 2. What are the top 2 priority issues that this office should address, and what actions would you take regarding each of them? Johnson: Emergency preparedness for healthcare workers, first responders, and the least vulnerable in our society should be looked at closely. There should be more expenditures made at a county level to be sure that local first responders are more appropriately supplied with PPEs, and that our healthcare responsibilities are more appropriately planned for. The Countys healthcare budget should be looked at with a higher level of scrutiny for preparedness, and any public/private partnerships for local hospitals should be entered into knowing that preparedness should be put at a much higher level than profit. Lutz: The first priority is to approve a balanced budget year in and year out. This provides a stable environment for the Public that uses the services and the employees that carry the services out. We have Statutory requirements that we must provide for the residents and elective services that we can provide. We as County Commissioners must plan to set the budget for this year based on this years revenue. We must budget within our means and be mindful to not over spend our yearly acquired revenue. The second priority is to maintain the Capital component of the County, namely the building and grounds infrastructure. More local news: Bay Citys Sidewalk Days still a go during coronavirus pandemic Bay County elects to delay Animal Services millage proposal Dow Bay Area Family YMCAs annual Rise N Shine Summer 5K goes virtual Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the Palestine question has always been the core issue in the Middle East region and China supports the "two-state solution" as the right direction Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:01:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced Monday that 7,822 suspects were arrested for endangering financial security in the first half of 2020, down 41.5 percent year on year. According to data released by the SPP, between January and June, 19,834 people were prosecuted across the country for crimes related to endangering financial security, up 25.5 percent from the same period last year. From April to June, 5,016 were indicted by prosecutors for offering fraudulent loans or collecting personal loans by illegal means, up 22.9 percent year on year, said the SPP. Enditem Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday released statements after President Donald Trump said he was considering sending federal law enforcement to cities including Detroit to address recent protests. The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis has sparked protests against police brutality and racial injustice in Michigan and nationally. In a video posted on Twitter by The Hill, Trump says, Im going to do something, that I can tell you. Because were not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these, Oakland is a mess. Were not going to let this happen in our country. #BREAKING: President Trump says he may send "more federal law enforcement" to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, and other cities to deal with unrest: "In Portland theyve done a fantastic job." pic.twitter.com/Pe6aDv6AVt The Hill (@thehill) July 20, 2020 He said he would be sending more federal law enforcement to some of these cities, prompting responses from Michigans top officials. It is deeply disturbing that President Trump is once again choosing to spread hateful rhetoric and attempting to suppress the voices of those he doesnt agree with. Quite frankly, the president doesnt know the first thing about Detroit. If he did, he would know that for nearly two months now, Detroiters have gathered to peacefully protest the systemic racism and discrimination that Black Americans face every day. There is no reason for the president to send federal troops into a city where people are demanding change peacefully and respectfully, Whitmer said in a statement. If the president actually wants to help the people of Michigan, he can start by picking up the phone and telling Mitch McConnell to pass the HEROES Act, so we can provide immediate relief to Michigans families, schools, and small businesses. Nessel said Trumps remarks were politically-motivated. President Trumps politically motivated threat to send more federal law enforcement to Detroit, among other cities, has nothing to do with protecting public health or safety. It is about using the power of his office as a cudgel to punish those who use their constitutionally guaranteed rights to express views he disagrees with. Such threats undermine peace and stability in our communities by unnecessarily escalating tensions and encroaching on states rights, Nessel said in a statement. We are a nation of laws, and the Presidents attempts to intimidate our communities with threats of violence could not be more un-American. In his remarks, Trump cited federal forces in Portland doing a fantastic job. The federal involvement in Portland has come under scrutiny over reports that federal officers detained people without probable cause and pulled people into unmarked vans. He referred to protesters as anarchists and said they hated the country. Related stories: Charges issued against Detroit police officer accused of shooting rubber pellets at 3 photographers covering protests Michigan police brutality protests have cooled, but Detroits recent flare-up points to fragile calm Former NBA star, George Floyds close friend lead rally, march through downtown Kalamazoo WASHINGTON Representative Don Bacon, a Republican, had a blunt message for President Trump when a White House aide called him personally early this month and asked that he abandon legislation to strip the names of Confederate leaders from military bases. Youre wrong you need to change, Mr. Bacon, a second-term Nebraskan and former Air Force brigadier general, told the official, he said in an interview. Were the party of Lincoln, the party of emancipation; were not the party of Jim Crow. We should be on the right side of this issue. The sharp exchange between the White House aide and Mr. Bacon, who is facing an unexpectedly difficult re-election race, reflects just how much Mr. Trump has isolated himself even from members of his own party who rarely break with him on an issue that has come to the forefront of the political debate amid a national outcry for racial justice. It will take center stage on Capitol Hill this week, when the House and Senate each consider sweeping annual military bills that contain bipartisan measures mandating that the Pentagon remove Confederate names from military assets. Mr. Trump, who has sought to stoke cultural and political divisions over symbols of the Confederacy, has said he would veto any bill with such a requirement. Hill County COVID-19 Update by County Judge Justin Lewis Editor's Note: Following is the update from Hill County Judge Justin Lewis released Wednesday, July 15. It has been edited to include new numbers provided by the judge just before press time Friday. At the time of the press release Wednesday, Hill County had 149 active cases, and by Friday, that number had increased to 168. We are seeing some disturbing trends in Texas. There is a sustained and accelerated community spread of the virus. The number of deaths has increased in excess of 25% in the last week and positivity rates, along with hospitalization rates, are rising steeply. By the numbers: reported active cases in Hill County168; total reported positive cases194; probable cases - 3; expired 2. Probable cases are a new metric that the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has been reporting this week. The probable cases are listed as active but have not been confirmed as positive yet. From my understanding, an example would be where an individual contracts the virus, other household members would be considered probable. I am now labeling the recoveries that are reported by DSHS to me as estimated. We have many people who have contacted me that were positive but now have tested negative and DSHS hasnt changed their designation. Active cases by cityAbbott, 10; Aquilla, 3; Blum, 5; Bynum, 1; Carl's Corner, 1; Hillsboro, 70; Hubbard, 9; Itasca, 20; Malone, 3; Mertens, 1; Mount Calm, 4; Penelope, 3; Rio Vista, 1 (Hill Co. address); Whitney, 35. Age Rangeunder 10 years of age - 6 people; 1019 years of age - 20 people; 2029 years of age - 29 people; 30-39 years of age - 31 people; 40-49 years of age - 34 people; 50-59 years of age - 23 people; 60-69 years of age - 28 people; 70-79 years of age - 10 people; 80 and over - 10 people. As I have said before, you can see from the numbers that the virus is spread across our county, and that it is also represented in each age group. Thankfully, the older populations have fewer instances of the virus, but I attribute that to the group being more protective of their health and limiting their exposure. The vast majority of people that contract this virus will be asymptomatic, yet they can still transmit it to others. If you are interested in a battle of the sexes, females account for 114 of the total confirmed cases, and males account for 83 of the total confirmed cases. I still believe wearing a mask, social distancing (6 feet between non-related persons), washing your hands often and staying home if you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick, are your best tools to avoid catching the coronavirus. If you have had close contact with someone that is positive for the virus, you should stay home (quarantine) for 14 days. If you are sick/have the virus, stay home! These numbers change daily. Follow Judge Lewis on Facebook and listen to KHBR 1560 AM newscasts for updates throughout the week. Microsoft is no longer selling annual subscriptions to its Xbox Live Gold online service. According to a report from TrueAchievements on 17 July, the 12-month subscription option was removed from Microsofts online store in every territory in which it was previously available. A company spokesperson later confirmed to the publication that Xbox had decided to remove the year-long Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online store. The one-month and three-month subscriptions are still available, however. Xbox Live Gold provides Xbox gamers with access to online multiplayer, discounts, and monthly games. At the time of writing, the 12-month subscription is currently still available for purchase from third-party vendors in South Africa including Takealot at R599, and Incredible Connection at R819. Takealot also offers three-month Xbox Live subscriptions at R249. Xbox Game Pass Although the spokesperson did not state why the product was being discontinued, reports have speculated that Microsofts newer subscription service Game Pass is set to supersede Xbox Live Gold. Xbox Game Pass, which was launched back in June 2017, provides Xbox and PC gamers with access to a digital library of more than 100 titles. PC-only gamers also get access to multiplayer features with the standard Xbox Game Pass for PC at R49 per month. The Ultimate version of the service includes all of the benefits of Xbox Live and allows members to play the included titles on both an Xbox and PC, at a monthly price of R149. Additionally, Xbox team head Phil Spencer confirmed last week that Xbox will bundle its Project xCloud game streaming service with Game Pass Ultimate from September. This will allow members to stream and play Xbox Game Pass titles on devices which dont have the necessary hardware to run them locally, such as a smartphone or tablet. Microsoft will showcase more games coming to its next-generation console the Xbox Series X during a live-streamed event at 06:30 on 23 July. Now read: Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition Kanye Wests rambling campaign rally, which saw him criticise abolitionist Harriet Tubman, has been met with criticism by stars including 50 Cent and Q Tip. The rapper held the rally in Charleston, South Carolina, where he is seeking to qualify for the state ballot as an independent candidate. His speech, which included boasts about having a brain too big for his skull, has been met with condemnation from a number of stars. On Instagram, 50 Cent reposted a clip of Wests speech alongside the caption: What the f*** did he just say? This is all Jay Zs fault. Kanyes first rally. LOL Wests criticism of Tubman, one of the most respected figures in American history, also came under fire. The rapper made the Tubman comments while condemning white businesses for employing black symbols, saying: Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people. Tubman escaped slavery and subsequently rescued approximately 70 slaves using a secret network of safe houses and rural passage ways known as The Underground Railroad. It is unclear what West was talking about. On Twitter, rapper Q Tip simply posted an image of Tubman along with the caption #Hero. Actor Jeffrey Wright tweeted: Harriet Tubman doesnt give a damn about anybodys k***futurist opinion. Rapper Noname succinctly tweeted: KEEP HARRIET TUBMAN NAME OUT YOUR F***ING MOUTH!!!!!!! The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas tweeted: If yall dont stop disturbing Harriet Tubmans spirit with this foolishness Others, however, expressed unease with people taking Wests speech seriously, suggesting that the star needed help rather than condemnation. Songwriter and producer Finneas OConnell, the brother of Billie Eilish, tweeted: Lets completely disregard politics. Kanye is going through an episode and needs love and care from his friends and family. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Rapper JPEGMAFIA tweeted: I just hope Kanye is ok. I dont really know what else to say here. It remains unclear whether West is indeed running for US president, despite his announcement on 8 July that he planned to run as a representative of a new political party known as The Birthday Party. On 14 July, a member of Wests campaign team claimed that he had already dropped out of the race. The star requires 10,000 signatures by midday Monday (20 July) in order to appear on South Carolinas ballot for the November US election. Dear J.T. & Dale: What would you suggest recent college grads do to get hired now that there are no jobs? Tristan J.T.: There actually are jobs. Maybe not as many as there were prior to the start of the pandemic, but there still are jobs. And many of them are entry-level. DALE: Whole sectors of the economy are humming along, so the first thing to do is to refuse to let yourself fall into the no jobs mindset. Instead, keep up your motivation by filling your mind with thoughts like, Somebody out there really needs my help, and Im going to find them and theyll be glad I did. You arent scrounging around begging for help. Youre looking to provide it. J.T.: As a recent college grad with no extensive work experience, my suggestion is you identify at least 20 companies you would like to work for. Focus on what they do for work and why you believe in what they do. Then, follow them on social media and check out their career pages on a daily basis for any new opportunities as they arise. Most companies will not bother to post their job openings on big job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed because they dont want to get thousands of resumes from unemployed workers who are just applying for the heck of it. Instead, they will post jobs quietly on their own website careers pages, knowing that only their truest fans will see it first and apply. In short, you can find a job it just requires a lot of targeted research and networking. This is a great opportunity for you to take control and learn to build your job search skills. Treat it like a full-time job, and you will get results. DALE: To make it a full-time endeavor, youll also need to crank up the networking. Put that expensive college education to work for you. Connect with your fellow recent grads and see how their searches are going. Find alumni to ask for introductions. Just remember, your mission is to find a place to make a contribution. Do that, and opportunities will appear. Dear J.T. & Dale: Im married to someone in the military. We move every couple of years. As a result, my resume looks like Im a job hopper. I was recently told by a recruiter that this works against me. Any tips on how to explain this to employers, or will the explanation just make them not want to hire me more? Erin J.T.: This is a very common challenge for military spouses. Some give up on looking for work. Some opt for hourly jobs that are below their skill level but are easier to get and give up when they move. And some focus on starting their own side-hustle that can move with them. DALE: But the job you really want is the one thats toughest to find one that lets you advance your career within a great company led by enlightened management. Unfortunately, such places are reluctant to hire someone with a limited time horizon because they know, no matter how great they are to you, youll be moving on. Unless unless you can work remotely. J.T.: And your timing for that is perfect, because there is a new trend emerging, an upside due to the pandemic. More companies are hiring remote workers. Meaning, more jobs are going to start to come available that can be done from anywhere. My advice is to study your resume and look for patterns in the jobs youve held. What skills can you show you used consistently to build up your expertise? Then, start a proactive search for jobs that you can do remotely. Connect with people on social media that work at these companies and explain your situation. In this case, theyll see your desire to stick with an employer as you move as a plus! The key is to keep networking and searching. Your job is out there, but nobody will hand it to you youll need to hustle! Jeanine J.T. Tanner ODonnell is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www.workitdaily.com. Dale Dauten is founder of The Innovators Lab and author of a novel about H.R., The Weary Optimist. Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2020 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. Police officers wearing protective face masks ride horses on their way to visit residents who live in remote areas of Xinjiang's Altay region, to promote the awareness of the coronavirus, Feb. 19, 2020. A coronavirus outbreak in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) continued to spread Monday, as the number of cases increased to nearly four dozen in the capital Urumqi and officials confirmed the first case in the city of Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi). The XUAR Health Commission announced 17 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in the XUAR on Monday, bringing the total number to at least 47 since infections were first reported in the region on July 15months since the last positive test. The new cases sent Urumqi into a lockdown on Friday, as authorities canceled nearly all flights in and out of the city of 3.5 million, shut down public transportation, and ordered residents to remain in their homes. The Urumqi municipal government has not issued an update on the number of infected residents since last week. The official Global Times newspaper cited the health commission as saying authorities had discovered 16 patients in Urumqi and nine asymptomatic viral carriers infected with COVID-19 on Monday. It said the capital now has a total of 50 asymptomatic carriersa classification that the Chinese government does not consider a confirmed infection. The commission also confirmed the first patient in Kashgar, who it said was from Urumqi, according to the report. On Sunday, health officials in the capital announced wartime measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus, with a focus on the citys Tengritagh (Tianshan) district, where residents are now being forced to undergo mass health screenings. Authorities have also issued tighter restrictions on travel in and out of the district, instituted disinfection protocols, and are assisting residents with delivery of necessities. The source of the new outbreak is still unknown. More than 1,800 health care workers have been deployed in Urumqi to carrying out city-wide testing. Local authorities said that as of Monday, more than 3,000 residents were under medical observation. On Friday, RFAs Uyghur Service spoke with police, medical workers and hotel staff in Urumqi, who described tightening controls on vehicle movements and travelers. Throughout the weekend and on Monday, however, amid indications of a clampdown on information, RFA was unable to reach sources in the region. Detainees at risk It is unclear when 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 14.5 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. 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. Earlier this month, 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. Last 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. Its hard to imagine that such a shining moment of community achievement from Hamiltons past has come to this. But there it is vacant, beaten and boarded up on the brow of the Mountain, a last architectural survivor of the citys great fight with a tuberculosis epidemic a century ago. The Long and Bisby building on Sanatorium Road is named for the philanthropist wool merchants W.D. Long and G.H. Bisby who bought and donated nearly 100 acres of clean-aired farm land on which the Hamilton Sanatorium was built. It was part of a broad philanthropic initiative to construct several buildings over the early decades of the 1900s near the brow to help suffering TB patients. The Mountain sanatorium would grow into one of the largest tuberculosis health-care centres in Canada with patients from across the country. And it was built despite many protests that the germs will blow right down on the city. Its said that Long and Bisby stepped forward because they had close friends who died from the white plague of tuberculosis and the industrialists wanted to do something to help other victims. As well as donating the land that would become the sanatorium, they paid $85,000 for the nursing residence that was built in 1920. All these years later in the midst of another pandemic that former nurses residence has become a vandalism-scarred eyesore while the city deliberates about whether it qualifies for heritage protection. There was a $50,000 suspected arson fire at the rear of the building in May. The front entrance described in a city heritage document as having a portico, decorative transom window, sidelights, and brick voussoir has suffered so many forced entries that someone might think a grenade went off nearby. And online theres a recent YouTube video of urban adventurers who broke into the building to find the interior was similarly as grim as the outside. Paul Valeri, a spokesperson for Valery Homes that owns the property, says There is only so much you can do. Its in an unfortunate spot. Its tucked away at the back. Its not very visible from high traffic areas. He says since the fire, the company has stepped up its monitoring of the building and plans to build a fence around it. But severe damage remains as well as great uncertainty about the buildings future. A recent city planning meeting deferred a Hamilton municipal heritage committee recommendation for heritage designation at the companys request. That comes after a similar deferral two years before that was granted after the builder agreed to hold off demolishing the building. Valeri says the company is awaiting the outcome of the process before firming up plans for the property, part of a much larger housing development on the former Sanatorium lands. But heritage advocates are firm in their resolve. They feel the building should be saved and repurposed because of its architectural value and importance in the citys history. Shannon Kyles, a long-time Mohawk College history of architecture instructor, says the building should be kept as a memorial to victims of tuberculosis in Hamilton. In many European cities, saving a building such as this would be automatic. As well, she says, the nursing residence has many architectural attributes. It was really a stunning building and it could be a stunning building again, says Kyles. I love the orb at the top and the beautiful portico. Its very much in the Edwardian style in that it is a building that it is quite symmetrical ... All the detail is in the doorways and a little bit in the frontispiece, she says. The building is also notable in that it marks a transitional phase in the history of women in Canada. The nurses residence building was important back then because women were not allowed to have apartments on their own. It was absolutely outside the range of possibilities. So this was one of the first ways for women to become independent, she says. Ward 8 Coun. Terry Whitehead says he supports a heritage designation for the building. And he also wants to see the nearby Cross of Lorraine refurbished and relighted, something he has been pushing for years. The two-barred cross was erected in 1953 as a symbol of hope and a reminder of the threat of tuberculosis but has been out of commission for many years. Bringing it back to life is complicated, he says. The cross is caught up in wider negotiations with Valery Homes. The Niagara Escarpment Commission would need to be involved. Major repairs are needed. And COVID-19, he says, is making everything more difficult. But maybe there is a swift way through this, that perhaps a light on the Mountain could become a beacon for the troubling times we now find ourselves in. DO YOU KNOW? Was someone having some wordplay fun with all the San streets in the area of the former Sanatorium? San Pedro, San Francisco, San Fernando etc. Was it a tip of the hat to the San as it was known or a fondness for certain places in the U.S. If you know the story behind the street naming, let me know at markflashbacks@gmail.com and Ill pass on what I learn in a future column. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) Comedian Michael V. has tested positive for COVID-19. He announced the news on Monday through his his vlog post titled "#BitoyStory29: Positive," baring that he had been experiencing flu-like symptoms since he made his last vlog. The comedian, whose moniker is Bitoy, said he started getting suspicious after losing his sense of smell, and resorted to isolating himself. "Syempre nag-isolate na agad ako, nag-quarantine na agad ako. I took medicine, nagpa-check up ako sa doctor online," he said. [Translation: Of course, I isolated myself immediately and underwent quarantine. I took medicine and had a check-up with a doctor online.] Halfway through the 14-minute video, Bitoy showed himself taking a swab test on July 15. Towards the end, he can be seen consulting a doctor for confirmation of his test result three days later. He showed a screenshot of the email which read: "SARS-COV-2 (causative agent of COVID-19) viral RNA detected." "That's it, positive, just as what we suspected early on," Bitoy told his viewers, right after talking to his doctor. "Alam kong hindi normal na nawala 'yung pang-amoy ko. I was counting na may kinalaman yun sa COVID but I was praying na sana wala," he added. [Translation: I know that it wasn't normal that I lost my sense of smell. I was counting that it has something to do with COVID but I was also praying that it was nothing.] The comedian said that he will continue the process of battling the disease. The Philippines has logged 67,456 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, with 22,465 recoveries. A total of 1,831 patients have succumbed to the disease to date. Click here to read the full article. A discreet, yet pivotal creative talent at Hermes International that some insiders describe as its secret weapon is exiting the brand, WWD has learned. Bali Barret, artistic director of the womens product universe, has submitted her resignation and will exit the French house sometime this fall. Practically unknown to the general public, and familiar to relatively few in the fashion world, Barrets profile is somewhat akin to Alessandro Michele, who toiled behind the scenes for years at Gucci, while being responsible for products that generate the lions share of brand revenues. (Michele added ready-to-wear to his responsibilities when he was named creative director in 2015.) Barret joined Hermes in 2003 as artistic director of its silk department, where she recruited street artists and other young creatives to bring fresh ideas to the category. She was promoted to her current position in 2009, giving her purview over all womens departments, including leather goods, rtw, footwear, silks, jewelry, watches, beauty and fashion accessories. According to insiders, said to be fiercely loyal to Barrets leadership and design vision, she helped revolutionize Hermes by modernizing its products and processes, bringing much-needed oxygen to a heritage brand with a conservative style streak. She understands the brand instinctively, and managed to bridge tradition and audacity, said one source. Her resignation, communicated to her teams, sent shock waves through the company given her long tenure and high-ranking position, sources said. Hermes confirmed her departure and lauded her contributions. It has been a privilege and a great pleasure to work with Bali for all these years, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, general artistic director of Hermes, told WWD. I pay tribute to a close collaboration over more than 15 years and to the remarkable work accomplished by Bali, who has always animated creation with a demand for beauty, boldness, fantasy and contemporaneity. She has inspired the house with passion and revealed the talents of creative directors, designers and artisans. Story continues For her part, Bali stated: Taking care of the creation of the Hermes womens universe collections alongside Pierre-Alexis Dumas and the houses talented teams has been an immense pleasure and enriching at all times. [Chief executive officer] Axel Dumas and Pierre-Alexis Dumas have always given me great freedom of creation and I thank them for the trust they have placed in me. Industry insiders describe Barret as a complete creative director, whose vision and creative touch extends beyond products to windows, events and communications. For example, she is described as the the driving force behind the brands All About Women events, and the more recent Hermes Carre Club, a roving exhibition dedicated to the famous Carre scarf, first created in 1937. In her role, Barret collaborates with large teams of designers, headlined by Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski for rtw and Pierre Hardy for footwear and fine jewelry. As low-profile as she is accomplished, Barret graduated from Paris design school lEcole Superieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD). After working as an assistant at Zadig & Voltaire, she launched a signature fashion brand in 1999, hinged on minimalist clothing. The story goes that Pierre-Alexis Dumas discovered her designs via her Paris boutique and eventually invited her to do a project for Hermes. Among her first experiments with the brands pricey silk squares was to perforate them with with laser-cut holes, raising some eyebrows. In a less contentious project in 2012, she reproduced images by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, a feat that required new dyeing methods. Barrets tenure at Hermes coincided with a rapid growth phase for the brand, founded in 1837 as an haute harness maker. According to the companys tallies, it has logged compound annual growth of 13.7 percent over the last 10 years. Last year, the company saw sales vault 12 percent at constant exchange rates to 6.88 billion euros, with all business lines posting growth. Revenues were 1.91 billion euros in 2009 when Barret was promoted to oversee all womens products. In 2019, leather goods and saddlery accounted for 50 percent of revenues; rtw and accessories, 23 percent; silk and textiles, 9 percent, and watches 3 percent. Barret has been profiled over the years by a handful of magazines, mostly in Europe, including Grazia, British Vogue and Figaro Madame. In a 2019 interview with Cereal magazine, Barret, who casts her eye on hundreds of womens products every season, talked about the need to be unpredictable, and innovative. We are not an old house doing the same thing over and over again, she said, while describing herself as an agitated person. I always want change. I am famous for that. I have a very critical spirit. I see whats wrong, and I see what we should be doing about it. I am trying to change things. In a 2014 interview with Style.com Print, she explained how she interacts with her design teams: Really, my job is to feel, understand, support, kick the ass sometimes. Also, say the truth, which is sometimes difficult, because working with creative people is about sensitivity and trust, she said. And she said beauty is what makes a product very Hermes. Beauty is a level of perfection and beautiful material and a beautiful hand. You can feel it, she said. Her next move could not immediately be learned. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Human trials for coronavirus vaccine Covaxin will start on July 20 at The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. The medical institute's ethics committee on July 18 gave a go-ahead to conduct human trials of the country's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. Around 1,800 volunteers have registered for the trial and phase 1 and phase 2 of the trial will be starting today at 12 clinical sites, News18 quoted AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria. Three formalisations of the vaccine will be tried in the second phase and multiple doses will be given to volunteers between 12-65 years of age, Guleria said. 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 a maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS. COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), had recently received the nod for human clinical trials from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Read More | India's first COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN: Here is everything you want to know 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 So far, two vaccines, one developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the other by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd, have been permitted by the DCGI to go in for phase I and II human clinical trials. At least 40% of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S. are from nursing home residents and caregivers. States like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania report an astounding 62% to 65% of their COVID-19 deaths from nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The disproportionate death rate to societys most vulnerable and fragile population has put nursing homes, assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities into a precarious financial future as wrongful death lawsuits begin to mount. The liability that nursing homes carry is going to be a huge concern going forward. Insurance carriers are already writing COVID-19 exclusions into their professional liability policies for the next renewal period, and we expect the insurance market to harden even further. Evolution of the Crisis In the early phases of the pandemic, nursing homes, like many other health care providers, didnt have the necessary playbook on how to contain and prevent the spread of the virus. The challenges were to keep residents, patients and employees from being exposed, as well as to secure personal protective equipment (PPE), identify infections, implement quarantines, and segregate infected in-patient populations. As brokers, one of the early actions we took was to do an extensive review of policies to find applicable coverage. For example, many facilities were able to get reimbursement for expenses related to disinfection. Moving into April, business interruption (BI) claims for the loss of revenue became the insurance focus. At this point, its unknown how BI claims will be resolved. Any coverage will likely target extra expenses incurred to fight the pandemic with PPE, overtime pay, additional supplies and disinfection costs. Now one of the biggest liabilities for nursing homes are wrongful death lawsuits, which are climbing rapidly. While professional liability insurance normally provides coverage for defense costs and settlements, insurance companies are currently adding COVID-19 exclusions for all new business. Any facility with pending litigation should file claims now before the next renewal period. Compounding the problem, nursing homes have been painted with a broad brush as death traps and morgues. While front-line health care workers at hospitals have been rightfully hailed as heroes, those working in senior living facilities have, in many cases, been demonized. The outsized death toll has been translated to mean that facilities mismanaged the situation and mistreated residents, which misses important details. Some states are trying to shield nursing homes from litigation. Already 25 states have passed or proposed legislation to provide caregivers immunity from claims coming out of COVID-19 with exceptions for gross negligence. However, there are no guarantees. Immunity laws will be challenged by plaintiff attorneys and advocacy groups. Emotions drive these lawsuits as well. Family members who werent allowed to say goodbye or be with their loved ones as they suffered because of quarantine measures are devastated. Many nursing homes were overwhelmed and communication with some families may have taken a back seat to caring for residents. Many families of deceased residents want someone to blame. What Now? By all accounts, we can expect another surge of coronavirus cases in the fall or early winter. When that happens, most nursing homes will not have coverage for that next wave of potential deaths. Liability insurance rates for nursing homes were already rising often by double digits over the last 18 to 24 months and now everything will be accelerated because of the coronavirus. Brokers will also have a more difficult time placing insurance for their clients, especially if they dont have strong relationships in the marketplace. The summer months offer an opportunity for nursing homes to prepare for the next wave. They can ensure they have an adequate supply of PPE and life-saving equipment, and can conduct more training and education for caregivers. Nobody was prepared for a viral spread of this magnitude and velocity. While some nursing home operators didnt do everything right, its important to recognize that most did a remarkable job with the resources they had. At the end of the day, they cared for their residents first while risking their own health. Levy is a senior vice president at Risk Strategies. Email: jlevy@risk-strategies.com. Topics Homeowners THE TRUMP administrations maximum pressure campaign against Iran has manifestly failed to achieve either its stated or unstated aims: It has not forced Iran to renegotiate the nuclear accord from which President Trump unwisely withdrew; nor has it ended Iranian aggression in the Middle East or caused the regime of Ali Khamenei to collapse. Now it may result in a powerful new blow to U.S. interests, in the form of an Iranian partnership with China that could rescue Irans economy while giving Beijing a powerful new place in the region. An agreement approved by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last month could lead to billions of dollars in Chinese investments in Iran, in exchange for a steady and discounted stream of Iranian oil, according to the New York Times. The deal also envisages security cooperation, including joint military exercises and the sharing of weapons development and intelligence, according to an 18-page draft the Times obtained. Its not certain the pact will go forward: It has yet to be publicly unveiled and must be approved by the Iranian parliament, where it could encounter nationalist resistance. But if it does, it will not only rupture the wall of sanctions that the Trump administration has constructed in an attempt to strangle the Iranian economy; it will also mark a significant escalation of Chinas challenge to U.S. global influence. As with the mounting U.S. conflict with Iran, that was not inevitable. The regime of Xi Jinping supported the pressure campaign against Iran conducted by the Obama administration as well as the nuclear accord it led to, which was meant to restrain Irans uranium enrichment and other nuclear development for a decade or more. Even after Mr. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, Beijing at first generally adhered to the new U.S. sanctions, reducing oil purchases and other trade. Yet Mr. Trumps confrontational approach to China in recent months, including his refusal to continue work on a comprehensive trade deal, has given Mr. Xi little incentive to cooperate with Washingtons geopolitical priorities. On the contrary, the Chinese leadership likely perceives a moment of critical U.S. weakness as Mr. Trump flounders amid a health and economic crisis and is moving to take advantage. It is expanding its presence in the South China Sea; it is crushing Hong Kongs autonomy. Allying itself with the foremost U.S. adversary in the Middle East opens yet another front. Mr. Trump and his aides have directed plenty of bluster at China in recent weeks, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered more when the prospective Iran-China accord came up at a news conference last week. Pointing to the possibility that China would sell arms to Iran under the deal, he said that was reason to extend a U.N. embargo on arms sales to Iran when it expires in October. Yet that cant happen without Beijings agreement. Mr. Pompeo also threatened sanctions against Chinese companies that do business with Iran. Again, that might have been a substantial deterrent before Mr. Trump launched his reckless trade war. Now, China may perceive it has more to gain by shielding U.S. adversaries from maximum pressure and demonstrating U.S. impotence. Tokyo Ham Fair cancelled The JARL has announced the largest amateur radio event in the world, the Tokyo Ham Fair, due to to held Oct 31 - Nov 1 has been cancelled due to Coronavirus The Tokyo Ham Fair was first held in 1977 at Harumi Fairgrounds which was located in Harumi, Tokyo, and has been held annually ever since. In 1996, the venue was changed to Tokyo Big Sight, which is located in Ariake, Tokyo. From 1999 to 2001, the venue was Pacifico Yokohama, located in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture with the event returning to the Tokyo Big Sight in 2002. In 2019, 42,000 people are reported to have visited the event which usually takes place in August. For 2020 it was planned for Oct 31-Nov 1 because of the expected Olympic and Paralympic Games during the summer. A translation of the JARL announcement reads: A meeting was held on July 16 to discuss whether or not to hold the "Amateur Radio Festival Ham Fair 2020", in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. Even if measures were taken to ensure safety in accordance with the Government and Tokyo's infection prevention measures and the "Guidelines for Preventing New CoronaVirus Infection at Exhibitions, etc." published by the Tokyo Big Sight, it was difficult for visitors and exhibitors to prevent and ensure the safety of new coronavirus infections, and it was concluded that the Ham Fair should be canceled. We are very sorry to announce that we have decided to cancel the Ham Fair 2020. The timing of the next fiscal year will be postponed due to the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but we will inform you as soon as the schedule and venue are decided. Thank you for your continued cooperation. Japan Amateur Radio Federation Chair Yoshinori Takao JG1KTC JARL Announcement https://www.jarl.org/Japanese/1_Tanoshimo/1-3_Ham-Fair/2020/Ham-Fair_c.htm 2019 FB News Tokyo Ham Fair https://www.fbnews.jp/201911/ww04/ By Liu Jixi and Li Jian The fire that engulfed the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard for more than four days was finally put out, announced the US Navy on July 16. Firefighters were conducting a comprehensive inspection onboard the ship and would investigate the reason for the fire and ship damages later, said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three of the US Navy, adding that the ship was recoverable, but it wasnt decided whether to recover it or not. Officially commissioned in 1998, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship has a displacement of more than 40,000 tons with about 1,000 sailors onboard, costing up to USD750 million back then. USS Bonhomme Richard began to undergo a major upgrade at the Naval Base San Diego, California, in 2018 to carry the new F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The fire broke out when the two-year overhaul was about to wrap up. As the most potent maritime force in the world, the US Navy has been plagued by accidents continuously in recent years. First of all, there have been constant fire accidents at repair plants. The USS Bonhomme Richard amphibious assault ship at Naval Base San Diego, in California, for instance, exposed severe problems in fire prevention management when US naval ships are berthed. The shortage of personnel onboard during berthing and their lack of experience, as well as the inadequate response and outdated firefighting equipment, have made it difficult to put out the fire immediately. Second, regular voyage bumps into frequent accidents. In 2017 alone, six accidents were reported on American naval vessels on the West Pacific, most of which were low-level accidents like ship collision. The reason is that while the serving ships in the US Navy are most advanced in the world, they are also the busiest, which cannot help but feel strained due to their freedom of navigation operations worldwide. Besides, the frequent accident also points to the poor operation of the sailors. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is still running amuck across the US, with the US Navy and overseas troops being so severely hit that they can barely sustain. There was a time when all of Americas aircraft carriers in the Pacific region were stranded, and the captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt was dismissed for revealing the pandemic situation on the aircraft carrier. That simply added fuel to the flames for the US Navy that was already under strain maintaining its global hegemony. On the surface, the high frequency of accidents on American naval ships is attributed to inadequate training, slack management, loose combat preparedness, and poor logistics support. On a deeper level, however, it reflects the US Navys petrification of strategic thinking and the inability to maintain the global hegemony with limited forces. The US military has the worlds strongest maritime forces, which, however, cannot endure the increasingly complex and onerous tasks. The US Navys resources and capabilities obviously cannot meet the countrys ingrained objective of being dominant on the sea. That the US Navy is carrying out the so-called freedom of navigation operations more frequently reveals its hegemonic nature to the fullest and also brings to the fore the rising contradiction between its capacity and desire. The fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard has dealt another blow and given a new warning to the US Navy. If the US military still holds on to its outdated hegemonic mindset and pursues the so-called absolute superiority, it will not only continue to face the severe personnel shortage but also be doomed to walk from boom to bust. (The authors are from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Naval Military Studies Research Institute) A coronavirus outbreak at a nightclub in Cordoba, in Spains southern region of Andalusia, has led to a large spike in infections, with 73 confirmed cases on Sunday, double the number reported the previous day. Around 400 people attended the nightclub Babylonia to celebrate the end of the school year on July 10. A week later the first case was detected, with 670 contacts under medical surveillance. The outbreak is now the largest of the 21 active in Andalusia, and the one of the biggest in Spain. The spike in infections is one of several related to nightclubs and parties in Spain, which authorities consider one of the greatest risks in the fight to slow coronavirus contagion. According to Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, infections at these sites could involve people from multiple places that cause a diffuse transmission everywhere that they have been. Nighttime venues tend to be poorly ventilated, and the volume of the music means you have to speak loudly, which has been documented as a risk factor Joan Ramon Villalbi, spokesperson of the Spanish Public Health Association Whats more, the risks are much more significant in this context, than in another type of group where outbreaks happen. Thats why we repeat the request: one has to have fun, but one has to learn to do it carefully, in another way, said Simon last Friday. Not long after his press conference, the figures began to show the extent of the risk. In addition to the outbreak in the nightclub in Cordoba, Covid-19 cases were detected after an end-of-year party in Zarautz in the Basque Country, around 20 people aged between 17 and 20 were put under medical surveillance due to an outbreak linked to a party, and more infections were traced back to nightlife activities in the regions of Murcia and Valencia. In a bid to prevent further outbreaks, regional authorities have introduced new restrictions on nightclubs and nighttime bars. Last week, the Catalan regional government ordered the closure of all nighttime establishments (nightclubs and party halls, among others) in the 13 municipalities of Barcelona and its metropolitan area, two municipalities in Girona, and the comarcas a traditional administrative division in parts of Spain of La Noguera and Segria. Regional authorities in Galicia announced last Friday that they would ban outdoor drinking sessions known in Spain as botellones. In the Basque Country, the government has reduced the capacity of bars and nightclubs. In Murcia, the regional health department closed on Saturday a bar in the municipality of Totana linked to an active outbreak in the region, following the closure of four others in the Atalayas area in Murcia city. Pacha nightclub in Barcelona on June 28. JUAN BARBOSA And in Valencia, authorities have closed all nighttime venues in Gandia, after the number of Covid-19 cases in the coastal city rose to 70 on Saturday, a rise of 21 on Fridays figures. According to regional health chief Ana Barcelo, most of the 20 outbreaks active in the region are linked to young people, parties, private gatherings with friends and nighttime establishments. We are enormously worried that more cases could continue appearing due to nightlife activities, she said on Sunday. Joan Ramon Villalbi, the spokesperson of the Spanish Public Health Association (Sespas), warns that nighttime venues are conducive to the spread of the coronavirus. Nighttime venues tend to be poorly ventilated, and the volume of the music means you have to speak loudly, which has been documented as a risk factor. According to the latest figures, there are 158 active coronavirus outbreaks in Spain But it is difficult to know how many of the outbreaks in Spain are linked to nighttime venues and activities, given that the Health Ministry does not provide individual information on each case. According to the latest data, released last Thursday, there are 158 active coronavirus outbreaks in Spain. Of this figure, 10% are connected to horticultural companies, which make up 40% of cases. It is not just young people and nighttime venues which present a risk, although they are one of the top concerns. Its not about casting blame, but rather finding hotspots where transmission is more likely right now, says Miguel Hernan, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University. The problem, he says, is that a young person could become infected with Covid-19 while on the street and pass it on to their grandparents. While a young person is unlikely to feel the health effects of the virus, it could kill the elderly patient. When it comes to outbreaks in the family, there is always an outside link, even if it is not found. According to Hernan, in many cases the source of the infection is likely to be the youngsters of the household, who are often asymptomatic. I understand that those who suffer more from the disease should be more cautious, he says. But those who suffer less should not be less cautious, because they are the ones who will suffer more economically if we return to confinement. English version by Melissa Kitson. Britain's oldest populations live near National Parks and coastal beauty spots while young people remain close to cities, a new study shows. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysed several measures of ageing across local authorities to illustrate how populations compare in the UK. The study found older people typically live near National Parks, the coast and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - with the most ageing areas across four indicators including Dorset, East Devon and South Lakeland in Cumbria. In contrast, young people are far more likely to live in cities. Eight of the nine areas found to be most youthful were inside London. Manchester also has a young population, with a median age of 30.1 compared to the 40.3 national average. This trend supports the view that older people move away from cities to rural areas and the coast, whereas younger Britons move to cities in search of employment. The study found older people typically live near National Parks, the coast and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, while young people are far more likely to live in cities Across the UK, Wales was found to have the oldest population, followed by Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. The ONS also noted that some neighbouring local authorities have considerably different age profiles, with Brighton and Hove recording a median age of 35.3 compared to 48 in Lewes. Other examples include Norwich, with a median of 33.5, and Great Yarmouth at 45.9. It was considered, however, that in this example a densely urban university city is compared to a much more rural local authority. The majority of Britain's most ageing local authorities are located on the south or east coast, with those which are not - Malvern Hills and South Lakeland - close to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Higher proportions of older people also live in remote areas, with 85 per cent of the top 100 ageing local authorities - ranked by the percentage aged over 65 - considered to be rural. Around 40 per cent of these local authorities also contain a National Park. The report said: 'Looking more generally at those living within the boundaries of National Parks in England and Wales, these areas have considerably higher median ages and percentages of the population aged 65 years and over than in the countries as a whole. Areas topping the list as most ageing across four common indicators include Dorset, East Devon and South Lakeland in Cumbria. Pictured: Lake Windermere Manchester is among the areas with the youngest populations, with a median age of 30.1 compared to the 40.3 national average Pictured: Median age across the UK illustrated in a graph by the Office for National Statistics Around 40 per cent of the top 100 most ageing local authorities contain a National Park 'National Parks are also sparsely populated with population densities between two and 64 persons per square kilometre, compared with 391 persons per square kilometre across England and Wales. 'The remote nature of these areas could mean that older persons are required to travel considerable distances to reach essential services.' In contrast, London boroughs are the least-aged local authorities. Islington, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth and Wandsworth are among those with youngest populations in Britain. Across Britain, Wales ranks highest in terms of median age, percentages aged over 65, those aged over 85 and the Old Age Dependency Ratio (OADR). The OADR refers to the number of people aged State Pension age (SPA) and over for every 1,000 people aged between 16 years and up to the SPA. Northern Ireland has the lowest value on all four measures and a median age 3.6 years below that of Wales. Scotland has a higher median age, percentage aged over 65 years and OADR than England but a lower percentage aged over 85 years. The average median age of local authorities in the UK is projected to increase between 2018 and 2043, with some of the greatest increases projected to be in Northern Ireland 'This age distribution of UK countries is likely to change with slower ageing projected for Wales than Northern Ireland,' the report said. 'Between 2018 and 2043, the percentages aged 65 years and over are projected to grow by 5.4 percentage points in Wales and 7.8 percentage points in Northern Ireland. 'The already ageing nature of the Welsh population helps explain why future ageing is likely to be slower. 'Likewise, Northern Ireland has a relatively youthful population and relatively high rates of ageing will bring the country more in line with the rest of the UK.' A quiet morning at the Bell Tower on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia on Thursday, May 7, 2020. Temple, like other universities locally and nationwide, is offering students a combination of limited campus access and online classes this fall. Read more Welcome back, students! Were delighted that youve decided to return to campus for the fall 2020 semester. Youll live in dormitories, work out at the gym, and see your friends. But if you think youre going to see your professors, think again. Your social life can be in person, but your classes are going online. READ MORE: Temple University intends to open for in-person classes this fall Thats the devils bargain many universities have struck as they prepare to reopen next month. Harvard announced that 40% of its students will be invited to return to campus, but all of its instruction will be virtual. Other schools said they will conduct some face-to-face instruction, especially for laboratory and clinical classes, but that online would remain the default teaching option, as Stanford declared. Similarly, Philadelphia-area colleges have told students that the bulk of their coursework will be online. With the last national data showing a disturbing spike and spread of coronavirus infections around the country, we cannot ignore the potential danger of bringing thousands of students back to campus for face-to-face instruction, West Chester University president Christopher Fiorentino wrote last week. But West Chester is bringing students back to campus to enjoy a wealth of out-of-class experiences, its website adds. Residential facilities, the student union, and the campus recreation center will remain open, albeit at 50% capacity. But classrooms? Closed for business, for the most part. Lets be clear: Reopening colleges amid a pandemic poses a myriad of huge health threats and challenges. By tradition, college students live cheek to jowl. And most undergraduates are at an age when theyre likely to take risks and ignore our warnings about social distancing, as Temple University psychologist Laurence Steinberg has argued. READ MORE: Coronavirus exposed how broken American higher education really is | Will Bunch Thats why Steinberg and many other college faculty are reluctant to teach face-to-face in the fall. In a survey last week of professors at Pennsylvanias 14 state universities, nearly three-quarters said they would not feel safe teaching or interacting with students next semester. But the classroom, as opposed to the rest of campus, is arguably the only place were really in charge. We can demonstrate proper precautions by wearing masks and keeping six feet apart. And we can require that students do the same. Most of all, teaching in person will educate our students in ways we simply cant when were all in front of our computers. A wide swath of research suggests that students learn more face-to-face than they do online, especially if theyre from low-income and minority backgrounds. I understand that some professors have health conditions that will prevent them from teaching in person, just as there are some students who either cant or dont wish to return to campus. And, of course, we need a robust set of online classes for them. READ MORE: Should kids return to school in September? | Pro/Con But if were already expecting certain students to come to campus, face-to-face instruction not the online kind should be our default teaching option once they arrive here. How can we justify letting the students take the risks of returning to campus, if were not willing to accept the much smaller risk of teaching them in class? Over the past few months, weve heard lots of talk about colleges moving to a hybrid model. If that means truly combining in-person and virtual instruction, depending on students needs and circumstances, Im all for it. But I fear its coming to mean something very different: that students will live, play, and date in person but learn online. In the brave new hybrid world, your fraternity will meet face-to-face while your classes meet on Zoom. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Theres nothing brave about that. Our students and their families are sacrificing enormous sums to go to college. The least we can do is to teach them when they get here. Jonathan Zimmerman teaches education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America, which will be published in the fall by Johns Hopkins University Press. The rocket blasted off successfully from Japans Tanegashima Space Center for a seven-month journey to the red planet. The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars on Monday the Arab worlds first as it strives to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil. The Hope Probe blasted off from Japans Tanegashima Space Center at 6:58am Japanese time on Monday (21:58 GMT on Sunday) for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere. The mission was initially due to launch on July 14, but was delayed by bad weather. Just over an hour after launch, the probe deployed solar panels to power its systems and established radio communication with the mission on earth. There are currently eight active missions exploring Mars; some orbit the planet and some have landed on its surface. China and the United States each plan to send another this year. The UAE first announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise [Jon Gambrell/AP Photo] The Emirates Mars Mission has cost $200m, according to Minister for Advanced Sciences Sarah Amiri. It aims to provide a complete picture of the planets atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes. The UAE first announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million people, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the big spacefaring nations. It has an ambitious plan for a Mars settlement by 2117. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space last September when he flew to the International Space Station. Emiratis and Dubais Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with US educational institutions to develop and build the Hope Probe. The MBRSC space centre in Dubai will oversee the spacecraft during its 494 million km (307 million mile) journey at an average speed of 121,000kph. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 15:15 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d0b9a 1 Business data,poverty,pandemic,stimulus-package,COVID-19,SMERU Free A lack of reliable data has caused delays in the distribution of government social assistance to eligible recipients, as poverty rises amid the unfolding health crisis, a study has found. A study by the SMERU Research Institute has found that persistent issues with recipient data have contributed to delays in the disbursement of aid through two government assistance programs for the poor, namely the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the staple food card program, from the original schedule in April to as late as May and June. The study, conducted between late April and mid-May in five cities and regencies, also found indications that the aid disbursement had been mistargeted, as 400 of the 2,000 listed recipients for the social assistance in a district surveyed should have been deemed ineligible, as they had either escaped poverty or were deceased. There are poor families that the programs have not covered and the numbers are large in some places, Hastuti, a SMERU researcher who conducted the study, said during a virtual discussion on July 17. All these conditions show that there is something wrong with the data. The disbursement of all state-sponsored social assistance falls under the purview of the Social Affairs Ministrys Integrated Data for Social Welfare (DTKS), which was built upon a 2015 Statistics Indonesia (BPS) survey that sought to map the distribution of wealth in the bottom 40 percent of the population. The unfolding pandemic has severely battered the economy and the government is expecting 4 million people to fall below the poverty line this year, increasing the number of poor to 28 million, or around 10.6 percent of the population. Around 1.63 million Indonesians fell into poverty between September last year and March, as the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the poor across the country, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data showed. The government has channeled Rp 695.2 trillion (US$47.6 billion) into its COVID-19 response, of which Rp 203.9 trillion has been allocated for social safety net programs, including the Family Hope Program and the staple food card program. The government had disbursed just 34.06 percent of the social assistance budget as of June 29, according to Finance Ministry data. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has also brought attention to the slow disbursement of the governments COVID-19 response funds and called on his ministers to go the extra mile to accelerate the implementation of pandemic policies. Hastuti said the staple food card program was important for poor families, as it allowed them to reduce their food expenditure for up to two weeks out of every month. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said at a separate event on July 16 that the government was facing difficulties identifying which households to target, as it relied on insufficient data from regional administrations. The Finance Ministry is now working with both the Social Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry to encourage and assist regional administrations to update their population data. Herbin Manuhuruk, the assistant deputy head of social compensation at the Office of the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister, said on July 17 that the government was planning to initiative another social assistance program to provide rice to Family Hope Program recipients from July to September. For the COVID-19 stimulus, we cannot focus only on the Family Hope Program and the staple food card program, said Herbin. There is also direct cash assistance and cash aid from village funds. According to Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministerial Regulation No 6/2020, the government has allocated Rp 22.4 trillion from the Rp 71.19 trillion in the village fund budget to provide cash transfers to 12.3 million families affected by the crisis. Village administrations across the country are reallocating between 25 and 35 percent of their village funds to provide Rp 600,000 in monthly cash aid for three months starting from April. The government decided in June to extend the aid program until September. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 40 points at the opening bell. Overseas, Asian stocks were trading lower on Monday as China maintained its benchmark lending rate for the third straight month. China kept both its one-year and five-year loan prime rate unchanged, as its economy continued to recover after reopening following the coronavirus crisis. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept unchanged at 3.85%, while the five-year LPR remained at 4.65%. Japan's exports dived 26.2% in June from a year earlier, data showed. Imports fell 14.4%. In May, Japan's exports had fallen 28.3%, the fastest pace since the global financial crisis as U.S.-bound car shipments plunged. In US, stocks closed Friday mostly along the flatline as investors reacted to disappointing consumer sentiment data and gauged the potential for additional fiscal stimulus in the U.S. and Europe while COVID-19 cases continue to climb. Netflix reported second-quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations, pushing the stock down 6.5%. The company's weak guidance for third-quarter subscriber growth a key metric for the streaming giant also contributed to the steep sell-off in the stock. On the macro front, the early reading of the consumer-sentiment survey in July fell to 73.2 from 78.1 last month, the University of Michigan said Friday. Final results for July will be released in two weeks. The index has fallen close to a pandemic low, erasing almost all the gains in the prior two months. Back home, key barometers ended with strong gains on Friday, extending their winning streak for third consecutive session. Significant buying in the final hour of trade pushed the indices near their day's high. Positive global cues supported buying in domestic shares. The barometer S&P BSE Sensex surged 548.46 points or 1.50% at 37,020.14. The Nifty 50 index jumped 161.75 points or 1.51% at 10,901.70. Both these indices jumped over 2.7% in three sessions. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 697.08 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 209.42 crore in the Indian equity market on 17 July, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) California has seen coronavirus hospitalizations increase steadily since mid-June, straining some systems across the state. (Los Angeles Times) Active-duty U.S. Air Force doctors, nurses and other medical providers are being sent to work in California hospitals to assist with a steep rise in coronavirus cases that has strained some healthcare systems across the state. The 100 healthcare professionals began work Friday in five hospitals experiencing severe staff shortages after a request for aid by the state. An additional 60 providers will be deployed in the coming week, a military spokesman said. The hospitals being served are Adventist Health Lodi Memorial in Lodi, Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Dameron Hospital in Stockton, Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage and Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, the spokesman said. The move comes as some officials have described hospital staffing not bed capacity as the chief stumbling block when it comes to scaling up operations to accommodate more patients. Dr. Alan E. Williamson, chief medical officer at Eisenhower Medical Center, said his team sent a request to the local public health department two weeks ago after exhausting the normal avenues for additional staff, such as hiring travel nurses, and failing to find enough personnel because of the nationwide demand for medical workers. His hospital received a team of 21 airmen including three doctors, 12 nurses, three respiratory therapists, two liaison officers and a physician assistant. The group is scheduled to work for 30 days. We werent expecting a team like this, Williamson said. Theyve been great to work with. Theyre very can-do. They said, Just tell us what you need us to do and well figure out how to do it. Williamson said his hospital is at about 80% capacity for beds but has no more available staff. With about 70 COVID-19 patients, down from 90 earlier last week, his facility had among the highest number in Riverside County. Col. Martin ODonnell, a spokesman for U.S. Army North, said the state of California, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will determine which areas have the greatest need for the remaining 60 personnel, with the possibility of more hospitals receiving the assistance. Story continues Additional teams are still being formed and will be deployed to COVID-19 hot spots throughout the state including Imperial County, Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the California Governors Office of Emergency Services, said Saturday in an email. Imperial County has remained a persistent trouble spot: The most recent three-day average of daily hospitalizations represents an 18% increase, according to The Times' coronavirus tracker, and available intensive care beds have dwindled to just six. In San Joaquin County, which has so far received two military teams, officials said Friday that hospitals were operating at 75% capacity but intensive care units had reached 114% capacity. A total of 198 COVID-19 patients were in the countys seven hospitals and 63 were in intensive care, both numbers at their highest since the pandemic began, according to the countys Office of Emergency Services. At Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, which had 39 COVID-19 patients and six in intensive care, a clinical team of 21 doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists is helping to provide additional resources, spokeswoman Lauren Nelson said in an email. They will also offer reinforcements for our medical professionals who have been on the front lines serving patients throughout our COVID-19 response, the hospital said in a statement. The team will be there at least 30 days, though the arrangement has the potential to be extended, Nelson said. Dameron Hospital in Stockton, which also received a military medical team, had 16 COVID-19 patients and five in intensive care as of Friday, according to the Office of Emergency Services. Officials believe transmission of the virus began to increase in late May as more people left their homes to go back to work, visit newly reopened businesses and attend social gatherings. California has seen hospitalizations increase steadily since mid-June, on the heels of a surge in new cases that began earlier in the month. Nearly 6,900 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections were in hospitals statewide Saturday. Thats more than double the daily average in May, when about 3,000 people were hospitalized statewide with confirmed infections. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:14:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Monday reported 559 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of infections to 59,763, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 9,016 patients are receiving treatment, including 138 in ICU, the statement added. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total deaths at 408, it noted. The ministry also announced the recovery of 652 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 50,339. 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 AUGUSTA, Ga., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- James Faller is awaiting word from President Donald Trump's office on a request to pardon two inmates at the Forrest City, Arkansas federal prison, where Faller was once housed. He is also calling for sweeping changes from the federal government. "Race relations and increased cases of COVID-19 are triggering intense frustrations at the prison," said Faller, a Civil Rights legal expert and a white Minister of an all black Kentucky church. Reverend James Faller (center) is the white minister of an all black church in Louisville, Kentucky--shown here meeting with Bishop Dennis Lyons and members of the Louisville, Kentucky police force The Forrest City Federal Correctional Institute is located between Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee and was built in 1997 during the Bill Clinton administration. It was named after Nathaniel Forrest, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.He is known to have massacred 300 black slaves in the Civil War. Faller is fighting to change the name of the prison and to release many low-risk prisoners who tested positive from COVID-19 Faller was a whistleblower who learned about corruption in the U.S Government and was a victim of retaliationand wrongfully served time at the Arkansas prison on trumped up tax fraud charges to silence him and his work in Civil Rights advocation. Faller is a law and order "conservative", who now dedicates his life to helping those falsely convicted and exposing wrongs in the federal system. "I am urging the Federal Bureau of Prisons to immediately drop the name "Forrest" from the name of the facility," said Faller. In 2020 there were 2,094 inmates and more than 50% were African Americans. "It is an insult to all American people and what we stand for to name a prison in honor of such tyranny. It's also just another way to strip the inmates of their dignity and humanity" "a hate-driven motivation causing a national crisis to divide us all," he added. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate Army General during the American Civil War. Forrest supported slavery and was instrumental in the massacre of over 300 black soldiers at Fort Pillow. In 18671869 Forrest led the Ku Klux Klan as its first Grand Wizard. Faller lived among the black prisoners and saw first-hand the demeaning efforts by staff to encourage racial tensions and a culture that is a "meat-grinder of human dignity." This is different than monuments that promote historical knowledge. Faller's group represents an inmate, who along with his wife was wrongly convicted of federal drug charges in relation to his Wichita, Kansas medical clinic. Now, the inmate has contracted Covid-19 from the inhumane conditions at Forrest City. As of July 16, Forrest City had 670 positive COVID-19 inmates, making it the 4th most infected federal prison in the U.S ---according to www.bop.gov/coronavirus/ "More inmates should be released and placed under house arrestsome are low-risk, white collar prisoners such as both of our clients. Far worse, some are actually innocent and now they are being forcibly held in a place that is full of disease," said Faller. In mid-May, television station KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas profiled Gary Moreland who is serving an eight-year sentence for drug conspiracy at the Forrest City prison. Moreland's daughter, Chelsea Kirtley told KATV that her father has asthma and would probably not survive if he contracted coronavirus. Moreland, who responded to questions through Kirtley, said that in his unit there are at least 160 inmates sharing one drinking fountain. Moreland said that symptomatic inmates have been taken out of their barracks for testing and then returned before test results were in. "We are packed in here like sardines," Moreland wrote. "Inmates are reporting that they are faced with bogus tests for Covid-19. Others are informing the media that they are given a choice, get tested or be locked in the SHU (the hole) and be forcefully tested. Others are informed that if they don't accept the test, they will be locked in the unit where ALL inmates housed have tested POSITIVE," said Faller. Inmates are writing to Faller's group, that it is a constant battle to use the toilet, sinks, and soap dispensers in a proper manner to maintain safe distancing and cleanliness. Faller questions the BOP's commitment and knows first-hand medical treatment in the prison system is a disaster. In October 2017 he was held at Forrest City and had severe stomach pain from a near-fatal accident that happened while he was held in West Virginia. The surgeon at Forrest City wanted Faller to undergo an orchiectomy (surgical removal of one or both testicles). Faller refused treatment. After Faller was released, it was discovered by competent medical staff that the BOP almost killed him with lengthy delays of medical care and faulty diagnosis, that included internal injuries. Faller's 8 month time at Forrest City included staff "freeze-outs" with temperature settings below 40 degreeseven during the winter time. Blankets were removed by staff and violence encouraged in certain units. "There are major problems with how Forrest City is running and the abuse is subhuman. It is my time now to right the wrongs of the past so that future conditions are more humane for these inmates," said Faller. For more information, visit www.jsfii.com Media Contact: Neil Gordon 7062848307 [email protected] SOURCE James Faller Related Links http://www.jsfii.com You want something that the victim can grab ahold of and you dont want that to be another rescuer, especially someone who is untrained, she said. Weve seen too often someone tries to help and they go in the water themselves and the original swimmer makes it out but the rescuer becomes a fatality. Private and public sector organizations alike understand that pro-activity during this pandemic is critical Since its release in March, Kokomo Solutions, Inc. has successfully provided the COVID19Tracker in workplaces and schools across the nation. COVID19Tracker is a highly configurable cloud-based safety solution in mobile apps and web portals with case management, communication, and collaboration features. COVID-19 cases are steadily rising again and Kokomo Solutions, Inc. deployed a contact tracing, self-screening software solution so communities, local governments, schools, and health administrators have the proactive insight and capability to manage COVID-19 cases. Private and public sector organizations alike understand that pro-activity during this pandemic is critical to the health of their employees and students, and have onboarded the COVID19Tracker as a part of their return-to-work and school protocols. As cases continue to rise across the United States, people are feeling helpless and anxious about eventually going back to normal life, said Daniel J. Lee, CEO, and co-founder of Kokomo Solutions. What we can do is be prepared to face this new normal head on, and mitigate risk factors through contact tracing and self-screening. Designed to help provide situational awareness, report, track, and manage COVID-19 cases within schools, communities, healthcare systems and workplaces across the nation, COVID19Tracker is comprised of three cloud solutions powered by commercially available software, Kokomo24/7 Safety Cloud. The cloud solutions, powered by AWS, are scalable from the size national corporations to local schools. The COVID19Tracker unique integration with the Kokomo24/7 Safety Cloud AI-powered case management system as well as its voluntary contact tracing feature, situates the COVID19Tracker as an ideal software solution for return-to-work initiatives. Recently featured at the top of the AWS Marketplace for COVID-19 solutions, the COVID19Tracker and Kokomo Solutions is here to provide a solution to get ahead of the curve. About Kokomo24/7 With deep public safety experience, Kokomo Solutions, Inc. is the company behind a cloud-based safety platform that helps educators reduce unsafe student incidents to ensure higher quality learning environments. The Kokomo24/7 Safety Cloud platform consists of three modular and easy-to-deploy, intuitive safety solutions designed to help reduce disruptive and harmful events in communities and schools. Incident Management (IMS), Anonymous Reporting (ARS) and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) comprise the platform to bring to community and school district leaders unprecedented visibility to the safety and well-being of their citizens and students. For more information on Kokomo Solutions, please visit http://www.kokomo247.com. A Waterbury police officer was justified in using deadly force in the shooting of Edward R. Gendron on Jan. 20, according to a report released Monday by New Britain States Attorney Brian Preleski and Chief States Attorney Richard J. Colangelo Jr. Gendron, 57, was shot by veteran Waterbury police officer Ronald W. Tompkins III who has been on the job since 1989, state police said. Tompkins has not been out on patrol since the incident and was placed on administrative leave on Monday, according to Waterbury Lt. David Silverio. The state report was critical of the Waterbury Police Department for not having body cams for its officers. It also noted that with the exception of Officer Tompkins, no Waterbury police officer was interviewed in connection with this investigation. The one other officer Daniel Stanton) who appears to have been on scene at the time of this incident declined to be interviewed. A toxicology report found Gendron had a significant amount of alcohol in his system at the time of his death accompanied by amphetamine and methamphetamine. It also said Gendron had earlier received eviction papers. The eviction process in this case took a heavy emotional toll on Mr. Gendron. Confronted with being expelled from his home of more than twenty years, it is no surprise that his emotional state began to decompensate. Police were called to 81 Craigie Ave. at around 12:30 p.m. after receiving a report from a landlord that a tenant had found a bullet hole in a wall or ceiling shared with the address. Gendron displayed a gun to Tompkins, who was the first arriving officer to check out the report of a bullet hole, state police said. An altercation between the two men ensued with Tompkins firing his service weapon, state police said. The report said. When Officer Tompkins arrived at Mr. Gendrons home on January 20, 2020, Mr. Gendron was a man whose behavior had changed in the days prior to Officer Tompkins arrival. The stress of eviction and the use of intoxicants had taken their toll on him. A short time after Officer Tompkins made contact with Mr. Gendron to investigate the bullet hole in his neighbors home, Mr. Gendron reached for a pistol and expressed a desire to shoot Officer Tompkins. Mr. Gendron brought the pistol up with his right hand as Officer Tompkins, only a few feet away, charged at him in the hope of disarming him. A struggle for Mr. Gendrons gun ensues and Officer Tompkins repeatedly tells Mr. Gendron to release the gun. Both Officer Tompkins and Ms. (Cari) Minicucci (who lived in the unit with Gendron) describe this struggle as Mr. Gendron trying to raise his pistol and Officer Tompkins trying to keep it down. Officer Tompkins unholsters his duty weapon with his right hand as they struggle for control over Mr. Gendrons pistol, and Mr. Gendron is able to get both his hands on his weapon. Unable to disarm him, and with Mr. Gendron both disobeying commands to drop the weapon and continuing to express a desire to harm Officer Tompkins, Officer Tompkins fired two rounds into Mr. Gendrons chest causing his death. Officer Tompkins was faced with an armed individual who he honestly believed was about to shoot him. At the time he fired his weapon, Officer Tompkins was the only police officer in the home with Mr. Gendron, who, by both his words and actions, would have led anyone in these circumstances to believe that they were about to be shot. Ms. Minicucci similarly believed that Mr. Gendron was going to shoot Officer Tompkins. In light of the totality of the circumstances, it is clear that Officer Tompkins subjective belief that he was going to be shot was objectively reasonable as was his decision to use deadly force. The report said Cari Minicucci was the only one home at the time of this incident. She described the events of Jan. 20. beginning with her being downstairs in the area she was subletting when a police officer (Officer Tompkins) arrived at the door about twenty minutes after they had eviction papers left in the door. This prompted her to come upstairs where the officer was inquiring about a gunshot. She describes Officer Tompkins asking Mr. Gendron where the gun is and Mr. Gendron reaching for the gun. She says that Officer Tompkins tells Mr. Gendron repeatedly not to reach for the gun and that Mr. Gendron continues to reach for the gun. At this point the officer takes his gun out and Mr. Gendron says words to the effect that he is going to shoot the officer and then kill himself. Officer Tompkins and Mr. Gendron struggle for Mr. Gendrons gun and Officer Tompkins is telling Mr. Gendron to let go of the gun and repeatedly telling him to stop. At one point Officer Tompkins tells Mr. Gendron that this isnt what he wants and Mr. Gendron replies that he does. Officer Tompkins has one hand on his own gun and another on Mr. Gendrons gun as they struggle. Ms. Minicucci describes the struggle as Mr. Gendron attempting to bring his gun up while Officer Tompkins struggles to keep Mr. Gendrons gun down and get it away, the report said. Minicucci described herself as four to five feet away with an unobstructed view of what was happening. She said she was shocked at Mr. Gendrons behavior and that it was very out of character for him. She became frightened because she thought Mr. Gendron was going to shoot Officer Tompkins. She turned and ran back down the stairs. When she got to the last step she heard what she thought were four gunshots but isnt certain of that. After hearing the shots she ran back upstairs and saw Mr. Gendron in his recliner. The report was also critical of the Waterbury Police Department for not having body cams on its officers. The Waterbury Police Department, like many departments in Connecticut, does not have a policy on the use or wear of body cameras and none of their patrol vehicles are equipped with dashboard cameras. Had Officer Tompkins been wearing a body camera in this incident, the variations between his statement and Ms. Minicuccis could easily have been resolved. Although these discrepancies were not dispositive to the ultimate question here, there is little doubt that the presence of body camera footage would have resulted in a more complete investigation. The Division of Criminal Justice should consider advocating for a uniform statewide policy requiring both body cameras and dashboard cameras. The Division should further consider advocating that sufficient funds be appropriated to satisfy these mandates. For many municipal departments the purchase and maintenance of both the cameras and the data they gather is cost prohibitive. In recognition of the fact that both body cameras and dashboard cameras can be turned off, the Division of Criminal Justice should seriously consider advocating for the statewide adoption of existing technology that senses when an officers firearm is unholstered and automatically turns on both that officers body camera and nearby body cameras, the report said. We live in the age of the camera. Their ubiquity has fundamentally changed the publics expectation of what evidence should be available when incidents of this nature take place. The presence of dashboard cameras and body cameras, particularly when they are paired with technology that ensures they function when an officer has his or her gun unholstered, will foster transparency and increase the publics trust in law enforcement. Chief States Attorney Richard J. Colangelo. Jr. also said body cams for police officers should be mandatory, Cameras should be made to come on automatically with downloaded immediately. Silverio, a Waterbury police spokesperson, said the department currently has a pilot program for body cameras that is only days to weeks from being implemented. Chief (Fernando) Spagnolo is committed to equipping all officers with body-worn cameras, Silverio said. There is a significant cost to the taxpayers associated with a body-worn camera program so the department is committed on choosing the most appropriate body-worn camera vendor based upon their hardware and software abilities in conjunction with the start-up costs and legacy fees of the program. Our body-worn camera program must be done right to meet the operational needs of the department but just as importantly to foster trust and provide transparency to our community, he added. Nguyen Huu Tin, former deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City, arrives at the city court on December 31, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa. The Central Inspection Committee suggested Monday that former HCMC deputy chairman Nguyen Huu Tin be expelled from the Party over "serious violations of the law". The committee also proposed the same punishment against Dao Anh Kiet, former director of the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment. It told the Party Secretariat that Tin and Kiet, both 63, had committed "serious violations of the law". Tin was sentenced to seven years in prison last December, while Kiet received 6.5 years, both for violating regulations on management and use of state-owned property. The violations caused losses of millions of dollars to the state budget, the court ruled. Tin was formally arrested last November, but he and Kiet had already been placed under house arrest two months earlier. The arrests and investigation into the HCMC officials were part of an investigation of fraud related to public land in the city, linked to jailed tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu. Tin was deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City in 2011-2016 and in charge of land and environment management. In June 2015, Tin signed a decision to transfer a piece of public land in District 1 to Vu's Bac Nam 79 Company. The city later granted the company permission to construct an 18-story building there and change its land use purpose, thus completing the sale to Vu. Investigators found the sale violated regulations related to state-owned land as it was sold without any bidding process. Tin personally signed the decision based on Kiet's proposal. Vu, 45, used to be one of the biggest developers in Da Nang, the third largest city in Vietnam after Hanoi and HCMC. He has to stay behind bars for 30 years starting 2018 for various violations, including "deliberately disclosing state secrets." Expressway fraud In another major case involving Party members, Le Quang Hao, deputy general director of the state-run Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), was expelled from the Party a decision approved by the Central Inspection Committee during a July 15-17 meeting. Hao was arrested in May over violations in the construction of the Da Nang Quang Ngai Expressway which caused "serious consequences". This is the first expressway built in central Vietnam. Inspectors said Hao was responsible for not following procedures, standards and design requirements in overseeing the construction of a 65-kilometer section of the expressway, resulting in poor project quality. Fourteen other people including employees of the corporation, the country's biggest expressway builder, members of the project management board and staff of other companies have also been arrested in the case. Also Monday, two military major generals were warned and reprimanded by the Central Inspection Commission and disciplinary measures were proposed for a lieutenant general for violating "the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations as well as the law on land management and land use". The Home Secretary is facing calls to introduce statutory licensing for garment factories to prevent abuse of workers. Priti Patel has been urged to take action in a letter from 90 top retailers, also signed by MPs, peers, investors and charities. Plea: Priti Patel has been urged to take action in a letter from 90 top retailers, also signed by MPs, peers, investors and charities It comes after fashion outlet Boohoo was accused of using a garment factory where workers' pay was below the minimum wage. Boohoo has itself called for tougher rules, saying it 'wholeheartedly endorses' calls for the 'fit to trade' scheme proposed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). BRC boss Helen Dickinson said the licensing proposals were a 'critical step' in efforts to help vulnerable employees. AI-powered Legal Research and Judicial Analytics for State Court Litigators Were excited to bring our intelligent AI-powered analytics to new jurisdictions said Nicole Clark, CEO and Co-Founder of Trellis. State trial courts have historically been a black box - where little to no information was accessible. Were turning that black box into a crystal ball. Trellis Research Inc. ("Trellis"), an AI-powered state trial court legal research and analytics platform, today announced it has expanded coverage to trial courts throughout New York, Florida and Texas. Trellis now empowers legal teams across the nation to make smarter decisions in a fraction of the time, with the largest and most comprehensive searchable database of state trial court records available, including detailed analysis of judges decisions and ruling history. Trellis is quickly establishing itself as the Google of state trial court records for the industrys fiercest litigators to gain insights on judges, opposing counsel, motions, and their most complex legal issues. Were excited to bring our intelligent AI-powered analytics to new jurisdictions, said Nicole Clark, CEO and Co-Founder of Trellis. State trial courts have historically been a black box - where little to no information was accessible. Were turning that black box into a crystal ball. Trellis is being strategic in how it prioritizes the collection of the data. They started in California and ... move[d] to areas of high volume litigation next. Places like New York City Texas and Florida. This strategy enables the Trellis team to learn as it goes and collects data from where there is the biggest quality, said Stephen Embry, Publisher of TechLaw Crossroads, With this kind of desire to solve a real problem and provide good value, I wouldnt bet against Nicole Clark and Trellis." To provide the level and depth of insight this industry needs, we literally had to reimagine how data gets stored and maintained by trial courts across the nation, and then develop multi-layered ML classification algorithms to seamlessly surface the most meaningful information to the user, said Alon Shwartz, Co-Founder and CPO of Trellis. Democratizing access to the law by making state trial court records and legal data more accessible is a necessary step in bringing greater transparency to our judicial system, and is central to our core mission at Trellis, said Clark. Our legal teams can now access 2M+ cases in the following counties in New York: Albany Bronx Broome Chautauqua Dutchess Erie Jefferson Kings Lewis Livingston Monroe Nassau New York Niagara Oneida Onondaga Orange Oswego Putnam Queens Richmond Rockland Steuben Suffolk Tompkins Washington Wayne Westchester Our legal teams can now access 3.5M+ cases in the following counties in Florida: Alachua Baker Bay Bradford Brevard Broward Calhoun Charlotte Clay Collier Columbia De Soto Dixie Duval Escambia Flager Franklin Gilchrist Glades Gulf Hamilton Hardee Hendry Hernando Highlights Hillsborough Jackson Jefferson Lake Lee Liberty Madison Manatee Marion Miami-Dade Monroe Nassau Okeechobee Orange Palm Beach Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Santa Rosa Sarasota Seminole St Lucie Sumter Union Vousia Wakulla Walton Washington Our legal teams can now access 3M+ cases in the following counties in Texas: Bell Bend Bexar Brazoria Brazos Cameron Collin Comal Dallas Denton Ector Ellis El Paso Galveston Grayson Gregg Guadalupe Harris Hays Hidalgo Jefferson Johnson Lubbock McLennan Midland Montgomery Nueces Parker Randall Smith Tarrant Taylor Travis Webb Wichita Williamson In addition to accessing the key case information they need in, Trellis clients can now begin leveraging their favorite Trellis features to do strategic multi-state research on opposing counsel and other parties. Trellis is providing users complimentary 14-day access to its AI-powered state court legal research and judicial analytics platform. Users can click here to test out the power of Trellis. About Trellis Trellis builds legal intelligence and judicial analytics for legal teams. We mine disappearing state trial court data, make it searchable and analyze it to give law firms AI-powered insight into the way judges are ruling. Litigators are able to see judicial ruling analytics and "Google" search state trial court records to uncover key intelligence on opposing counsel, motions, rulings, law firms and other parties. To discover how Trellis is helping legal teams dramatically improve their results through actionable insights from state trial court data, visit http://www.trellis.law. Trellis was co-founded by Nicole Clark and Alon Shwartz. Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements, including the capabilities of Trellis and its benefits to customers. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as may, will, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, estimate or continue or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments and risks with respect to various matters which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the control of Trellis. Although Trellis believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in forward-looking statements will be realized. 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He promised not to completely abandon a policy of engagement with China. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had concerns about the new law and about alleged human rights abuses in China in particularly in regard to the treatment of the Uighur minority. He promised to be "tough" but to not completely abandon a policy of engagement with China. "There is a balance here," Johnson said during a visit to a school. "I'm not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China." Raab on Sunday said it can no longer be "business as usual." The review of the extradition measures comes only days after Britain backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the UK's new high-speed mobile phone network amid security concerns fuelled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers. Johnson's government has already criticised China's decision to impose a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong. The UK has accused the Beijing government of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the UK returned control of Hong Kong to China in 1997, and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible residents of the community. Beijing has objected to the move. China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, recently described the offer as "gross interference" in Chinese affairs. Liu told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday that Britain was "dancing to the tune" of the US and rejected the allegations of human rights abuses against the mainly-Muslim Uighur people. He accused Western countries of trying to foment trouble with China. "People say China (is) becoming very aggressive. That's totally wrong," he told the BBC "China has not changed. It's Western countries, headed by United States - they started this so-called new Cold War on China." In the past, Ricketts blamed the inability to test 3,000 people every day on a shortage of people signing up for tests and on no-shows. But he touted the turnaround time as being much shorter than other labs. Questions have been raised in other states with the same testing model. In June, critics questioned the lower rate of positive test results from the TestUtah program, and whether some people with the virus were mistakenly being cleared. More recently, a group of investors sued one of the Utah firms, Co-Diagnostics, claiming that it oversold the accuracy of its tests to pump up stock prices. The state auditor in Iowa recently issued a report saying TestIowa was violating a state law by not sending its test results directly to local health officials. Sending results first to Utah, the Iowa auditor said, could delay a proper health response in Iowa. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Brian Knowlton (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Mon, July 20, 2020 12:15 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667c4a17 2 World Donald-Trump,Joe-Biden,US-presidential-election,US-presidential-race,campaign,politics Free President Donald Trump assailed likely opponent Joe Biden as "not competent" to lead the United States, speaking as polls over the weekend showed deepening voter disenchantment with his own handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "He's shot, he's mentally shot," Trump said about Biden in a wide-ranging interview with "Fox News Sunday." He said that if Biden is elected on November 3, he will "destroy this country." Facing the multiple challenges of a spreading pandemic, racial unrest and a struggling economy, Trump made several unfounded or highly speculative accusations against the former vice president, saying Biden would "triple your taxes" and "defund the police." He added broadly that "religion will be gone," referring to Democratic officials banning large church services to stem the virus spread. Asked whether he would accept the election result in November, even if he loses, Trump echoed his position of 2016, saying, "I have to see ... I'm not going to just say yes." The interview, which was taped in advance, came as new polling results showed support for Biden increasing as doubts about Trump's handling of the pandemic grow amid a resurgence of infections in many states. Interviewer Chris Wallace told the president that a new Fox opinion poll showed Biden with a substantial lead over Trump not only on his ability to manage the pandemic (with a 17-point edge) and to deal with racial unrest (by 21 points), but even -- by a single point -- on handling the economy, long a Trump strong point. And a new Washington Post-ABC News poll has Biden leading Trump among registered voters nationwide by a resounding 15-point margin, 55-to-40 percent. Trump dismissed such polling as "fake," saying White House surveys show him winning both nationally and in key swing states. 'Mommy, Mommy...' He repeatedly pummeled Biden, who has kept a relatively low profile amid the restraints imposed by the pandemic. Trump claimed that the Democrat wanted to "defund the police" -- a battle cry of some anti-racist protesters -- and insisted that such language was in a Biden policy document, though he was unable to produce it when challenged by Wallace. As Trump, who is 74, repeatedly questioned his rival's mental acuity, Wallace asked him directly if thought Biden, 77, was senile. "I don't want to say that," Trump replied. "I say he's not competent to be president." He questioned whether the Democrat could pass a cognitive ability test that Trump said he had "aced," and said the former vice president would fall apart under tough questioning. "Let Biden sit through an interview like this, he'll be on the ground crying for Mommy. He'll say, 'Mommy, Mommy, please take me home.'" Trump again defended his handling of the pandemic, claiming that "we are the envy of the world" on testing; and, of his early prediction that the virus would someday disappear, said, "I'll be right eventually." He again opposed any national mandate for mask-wearing, saying, "I want people to have a certain freedom." Biden responded on Sunday, saying in a statement focused on the pandemic that "it's long past due for President Trump to listen to somebody other than himself in how to fight this virus, because after six straight months of deadly mismanagement it is spiraling even more out of control. "Mr. President, your ignorance isnt a virtue or a sign of your strength its undercutting our response to this unprecedented crisis at every turn," he added. 'Don't care what military says' Asked by Wallace about statistics showing American blacks are twice as likely to be shot and killed by police as whites, Trump replied, "Many whites are killed also. You have to say that." And he equated those who fly the Confederate flag with those saying that "Black Lives Matter," adding, "It's freedom of speech." Trump again stated his opposition to renaming US military bases named after Confederate generals -- even after the military supported the idea. "I don't care what the military says," the president said. "We're going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton?" he asked rhetorically, referring to a prominent African-American civil rights leader. On other subjects, Trump said the economy was "doing very well," even as millions remain jobless, with some states reimposing lockdowns. The stock market, he said, was near record highs. Australia's most notorious wildlife offender who killed a donkey, exotic birds and a camel and illegally sold animal parts online has avoided deportation. Darwin taxidermist Keerthi Raja Eswaran, 36, was jailed last year after he was caught trading protected wildlife specimens on eBay - breaching a suspended sentence he was given in 2017. Eswaran had pleaded guilty to more than 350 wildlife and gun charges, making him Australia's worst wildlife criminal. The Indian national's activities first came to the attention of authorities in December 2016 after he shot and killed a donkey and protected birds including brolga and wedge tail eagles. Pictured: Animal remains seized from Darwin taxidermist Keerthi Raja Eswaran's home in Driver, south-east of Darwin. He has been saved from deportation despite becoming Australia's most prolific wildlife offender The tribunal ruled he should not be deported because he had a young son who was born in Australia Pictured: Skulls and bones found by rangers Eswaran, 35, was jailed last year after he was caught trading exotic animal specimens on eBay. Pictured are more of the animal parts seized during a raid on his home After being given a 23-month jail sentence in May 2019 - suspended after 13 months - Eswaran's visa was cancelled on character grounds in November. But he appealed the ruling to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia ahead of his scheduled release in June. Granting him the right to stay in the country, tribunal member Rebecca Bellamy ruled he should not be deported because he had a three-year-old son who was born in Australia. 'I am satisfied that he would play a positive parental role in [his son's] life if he remained in Australia,' Ms Bellamy said. Eswaran had argued in his application he would be shunned by his community were he to be forced to return to India and his family 'would face the same fate' if he lived with them. The tribunal referred to an agreed statement of facts mentioning how Eswaran shot a donkey during a trip across the Northern Territory with three refugees in December 2016, 'cut off its head and left it there to collect at a later time'. A brolga (pictured) and a wedge tail eagle were among the protected animals illegally shot and killed by Eswaran A day later, the group travelled to the Docker River in the NT's south-west where Eswaran fired several rounds at a group of camels - killing three of them before removing their heads and putting it on the roof of his vehicle. Ms Bellamy said there was 'no doubt' the Indian national had failed to meet the character test foreign nationals must pass to retain their visa. But she accepted Eswaran's claim he did not kill four cats he adopted from animal shelters in 2013. Skulls seized by rangers pictured. Agreed facts said Eswaran shot a donkey, 'cut off its head and left it there to collect at a later time' Animal parts seized by rangers during a raid prior to Eswaran's initial suspended sentence in 2017 He said he had put the cats in a cage for three to four days before going overseas. He added he was told his neighbour's dog had broken into the cage and taken the animals. In his request to reinstate his visa, Eswaran said his offence were based on his 'mistake' of collecting and selling roadkill specimens without holding the correct permit. He also claimed he took the blame for the trip to the national park because the other three people who were with him were refugees and he wanted to save them from being deported. Pictured: A close-up of one of the skulls seized from his home. Eswaran's visa was cancelled on character grounds in November A psychologist who submitted evidence to the tribunal said he believed Eswaran had a form of 'high-functioning autism' characterised by 'risk-taking and impulsiveness'. 'I would like to take full responsibility for my offending and I honestly wish that it had never happened,' Erswaran said. 'He failed to mention that several of the birds and animals that he had collected had been shot,' the tribunal ruling continued. Eswaran had also sold exotic animals including ocelots, baboons and snakes online. After hearing the petition filed by former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs from his camp today, Rajasthan HC fixed July 24 as the date of final order. Till then, no action can be taken against Sachin Pilot and other rebel MLAs. The Rajasthan High Court will pronounce on July 24 order on a petition filed by former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs from his camp against the disqualification notices issued against them, a lawyer said on Tuesday. Advocate Prateek Kasliwal, appearing for Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, said that the arguments have been concluded in the matter The arguments in the matter have been concluded. The court has heard the arguments from all the parties. The High Court has slated the matter for orders on July 24, Kasliwal told reporters here. He also said that the High Court requested the Speaker to defer the hearing before it till July 24. Also read: Inhaled Covid-19 drug by UK based company shows positive results in clinical trials Also read: Ugly faces: US, China embassies lash out at each other in Myanmar Earlier today, advocate Mukul Rohtagi, who is representing Sachin Pilot in the High Court, had said that less time was given to the MLAs to file a reply in the matter than as stated in the rules. Disqualification notice by Assembly Speaker was issued to Sachin Pilot and other MLAs on the same day of complaint. Less time is given for reply than as stated in rules. No reasons recorded for issuing notice, he had said while speaking to the media. Pilot and the 18 MLAs from his camp approached the Rajasthan High Court over disqualification notice, seeking the quashing and setting aside of the show cause notice issued to them on July 14 by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi had sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chiefs whip application for their disqualification. MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17, but the same was deferred in view of the hearing before the court. The Congress complaint and the Speakers notice came after Pilot and the lawmakers supporting him skipped Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14. Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on July 14, also sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs. Also read: UPSC to conduct PTs/ Interviews of remaining candidates from July 20 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App HOBOKEN A local hospital is closed off after a man verbally threatened the medical center, Police Chief Ken Ferrante said. Around 2 p.m. on Sunday, a man called 911 operators through a payphone threatening the Hoboken University Medical Center with a bomb, Ferrante said. Hoboken police are working with the hospital while K-9 units from the Hudson County Sheriffs Office and Jersey City Police Department were called to assist. There are no visible threats of danger and no evacuations at this time, Ferrante added. The 308 Willow Ave area is closed off from traffic for investigation, Ferrante said. Three arrested for drug trafficking in Carlisle County US Embassy vicinity in Baghdad rocked by rockets Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 3:03 PM Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone has seen another day of uninvited guests in the form of Katyusha rockets as three of them landed near the US Embassy. An Iraqi security source inside the district, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network that the projectiles hit the area on Sunday afternoon. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. No group has so far assumed responsibility for Sunday's rocket attack on the US embassy. On July 5, a child was injured in a similar incident where a rocket hit a home near the Green Zone. The zone houses government buildings and foreign missions. June 18 was also added to the history of such strikes targeting the Green Zone. No casualties were reported then. There has been a heightened anti-US sentiment in Iraq since January 3. On that day, a Reaper terrorist drone of the United States, upon a direct order from President Donald Trump, targeted a convoy transporting Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions near the Baghdad International Airport. All the passengers of the convoy were assassinated. Two days later, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country. The White House responded by threatening crippling sanctions against Iraq. The troop withdrawal was put to talks between Baghdad and Washington earlier this month, with the US promising to reduce the number of its soldiers in the coming month. Washington also claimed in a statement following the talks that it "does not seek nor request permanent bases or a permanent military presence in Iraq." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hey Bone Spur lovers: You know deep down inside that Bone Spurs just a reincarnated snake-oil salesman form the 1890s? Now hes a 2020 carnival barker pitching a cure-all to the world to this COVID-19 pandemic. Its a standard pitch, a cure-all elixir to fix all that ails you Ladies and gentlemen, please come in a little closer where everyone can see. Ive got a tale to tell and it isnt going to cost you a dime. And if you believe that, were going to get along just fine. So, Bone Spur lovers, you and your family can drink his Kool-Aid, and good luck drinking from his well, because you know what happened to all the people at Jonestown. As for me and my loved ones, no thanks. Well pass. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:28:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The regulations on the election of primary-level Communist Party of China (CPC) organizations has been released by the CPC Central Committee. A circular was also issued to ask local authorities to comply with and implement the regulations. The regulations implement the general requirements for Party building and the Party's organizational line in the new era, and are the fundamental rules for the election of primary-level Party organizations in the new era, according to the circular. The formulation and implementation of the regulations is significant to encouraging intraparty democracy, respecting Party members' democratic rights, regulating the election of primary-level Party organizations and enhancing their political functions and organizational capability, the circular said. It is also of great significance to consolidating the organizational foundation for the Party's long-term governance, according to the circular. Party committees at all levels should make sure the regulations are implemented, the circular said, asking localities and departments to send suggestions on the implementation of the regulations to the CPC Central Committee. Enditem Dionne Durocher had been working in Fort McMurray as a security guard and deciding her next career move when she took a vacation and went on a tour in Jasper National Park. The summer getaway for the young woman turned to tragedy, when a vehicle carrying 27 people for a tour of Athabasca Glacier rolled downhill. The 24-year-old from Canoe Lake Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan was one of three killed, family and friends confirmed to the Star. Police did not give the names of the people who died in the rollover, but said Monday the victims were two Canadian women in their 20s and a 58-year-old man from India. Two dozen more were left injured by the rollover, with four people initially listed in critical condition. Durocher came from a small First Nations community of fewer than 1,000 people, where she made many friends with her warm attitude, friends said. If you needed to talk to her, she would be there for you. . . . She was that type of person, said friend Roger Iron, who grew up with Derocher. She was there for everyone and anyone. She also liked her feline friends. She loved cats very much. When she would see a cat she would go to it right away, Iron recalls. The Ice Explorer set out Saturday afternoon for a guided tour of the Athabasca Glacier, but before it reached the ice it rolled and ended up 50 to 100 yards down the hill, RCMP said. The driver was among those injured, according to Pursuit, the company that operates the glacier tours. RCMP have said they dont yet know what caused the rollover, but that there is no evidence it was caused by a rockslide. Pictures showed the Explorer on its roof amidst the rocks and gravel that each vehicle travels up in order to reach the glacier. Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:57:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Ten more U.S. soldiers and their family members tested positive for COVID-19 amid rising concerns here about imported cases, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. The USFK said in a statement that six USFK service members and four dependents were confirmed with the virus after arriving in South Korea between July 12 and 15. Five service members and four dependents arrived at the Osan Air Base on U.S. government chartered flights from the United States on July 12, 14 and 15. The Osan Air Base is located in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul. One service member arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from the United States on a commercial flight on July 13. Among the total, two individuals were symptomatic with minor symptoms, with four later developing symptoms, the USFK noted. The confirmed patients have been transferred to a designated isolation facility on either Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base both in Pyeongtaek. The total number of infections among the USFK-affiliated personnel rose to 98, according to Yonhap news agency. It came amid growing worry here about the imported cases. In the latest tally, South Korea reported 26 more cases of the COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, raising the combined number of infections to 13,771. Of the new cases, 22 were imported from overseas, lifting the total reading to 2,067. It kept rising in double figures for 25 straight days. "Despite the confirmed cases, USFK remains at a high level of readiness with less than 1 percent of its active duty service members who are currently confirmed positive for COVID-19," the USFK statement added. Enditem Yearning to travel as COVID-19 drags on? Here's what you need to know now As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on and provinces ease their lockdown restrictions, travel is opening up slowly. Here's what you need to know now if you're yearning to take a trip in Canada or beyond. Domestic travel Many Canadians have struggled this summer to figure out where they can vacation in Canada. That's because each province and territory has created its own travel rules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those rules are subject to change. Currently, Canadians can freely travel to Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. without having to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Visitors to Nova Scotia, Yukon and Manitoba may be required to self-isolate, depending on which part of the country they're travelling from. Earlier this month, Canada's four easternmost provinces created a travel bubble that allows Atlantic Canadians to travel freely within those provinces with no self-isolation requirement. Canadians outside that bubble are barred from visiting Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador unless they meet specific criteria. For example, P.E.I. and New Brunswick are letting in people who own cottages in the provinces, provided they self-isolate for 14 days. There's no word yet on when the three provinces will open their doors to all of Canada. "I don't think we would be looking beyond the Atlantic bubble any time soon," P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said last week. WATCH | Atlantic bubble allows travel within four provinces: Nunavut and the Northwest Territories remain off limits to vacationers from all provinces, with the exception of residents of Churchill, Man., who can enter Nunavut. To help navigate the varied rules, the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable a new travel and tourism lobby group has created an interactive map to assist Canadian travellers. People can plug in their home province and their potential destination to find out what travel restrictions they may face. Story continues The map also provides links to many provincial websites where Canadians can get the most updated information. "There is so much confusion," said roundtable member Steve Sammut, who's also the CEO of Rocky Mountaineer, a rail-tour company in Western Canada. "We think it's important for Canadians to understand what their options are." International travel The federal government's advisory against all non-essential international travel during the pandemic remains in effect until further notice even as other countries start to open their borders. "Our priority remains the health and safety of Canadians," said Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Jason Kung in an email to CBC News. Because it's an advisory not an order Canadians can still travel abroad, but they do so at their own risk. Global Affairs said it's not planning any repatriation flights after July. And until the advisory is lifted, international travellers likely won't be able to purchase medical insurance that covers COVID-19-related illnesses. "The mentality is, if our own country's advising us not to travel to the United States or Europe or anywhere right now, then we as insurers shouldn't be covering [COVID-19]," said Toronto-based insurance broker Martin Firestone. Canadians must also self-isolate for 14 days upon their return home. David J. Phillip/The Associated Press Canadians are still limited to where they can travel. The roundtable's website lists countries that have opened their borders. They include Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Some listed countries have special requirements. For example, the Bahamas and Aruba require travellers to take a COVID-19 test and submit the result before or upon arrival. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed on Friday that Canadians can still fly to the U.S., as long as they haven't visited Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, the U.K. or 26 European countries in the Schengen Area 14 days prior. However, the Canada-U.S. land border remains closed to non-essential traffic until Aug. 21 and that date could be extended. Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Canadians will encounter new rules when flying. They must wear face masks when in transit and at many major Canadian airports. Temperature checks are already underway for flights to Canada, and by September, most passengers travelling by plane from or within Canada will also face checks. Before booking your flight, note that while airlines have beefed up cleanliness protocols, they're no longer leaving the middle seat vacant as a safety precaution. When will Canada reopen its borders? To help stop the spread of COVID-19, Canada restricts foreigners from entering the country for non-essential travel. On June 8, the federal government loosened the restrictions to allow foreigners to visit immediate family in Canada including spouses and common-law partners. The roundtable is lobbying Ottawa to formulate a plan to further ease both cross-border and inter-provincial travel restrictions as a way to help boost the beleaguered travel industry. Rocky Mountaineer The coalition argues that Canada can open its borders with minimal risks if proper health and safety measures are implemented. Those measures could include widespread COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, as well as excluding certain countries, such as the U.S., where COVID-19 cases continue to spike. "Nobody's suggesting you throw the borders wide open. It's more about balance," said roundtable member Sammut. The federal government, however, said it's standing firm for now on its travel restrictions. "While we strongly recognize that Canada's tourism sector is facing significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 [pandemic], our top priority remains the health and safety of Canadians," Industry Canada spokesperson Hans Parmar said in an email. He did not comment on inter-provincial border restrictions. A new variety of slow-darkening pinto beans shows benefits for the entire value chain. Credit: Juan Osorno Pinto beans are good for us. They are nutritious, packed with protein and fiber. They also contain a host of micronutrients like B vitamins and folate. But being good isn't enough for pinto beans. They also need to look good. Typically, pinto beans have a striking mottled pattern of dark and light brown. However, the beans can darken after harvesting. Consumers perceive pinto beans with darker colors to be older, harder to cook, and less nutritious than lighter beans. "We eat with our eyes," says Juan Osorno. Osorno is a researcher at North Dakota State University. And it's not only consumers who are skeptical about dark pinto beans. "Farmers see darker pinto bean seeds as being of poorer quality," says Osorno. "And when farmers try to sell darker beans, they often have to accept discounted prices." That's a big deal because pinto beans are the most common type of dry bean grown and consumed in the United States. In the recent study, Osorno and colleagues describe the process of developing a promising new variety of slow-darkening pinto bean. "The study found no major differences in the agronomic performance of regular versus the slow-darkening pintos," says Osorno. Pinto beans are a nutritious legume crop. The beans provide protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Credit: S.V. Fisk He believes these slow-darkening pinto beans can be a good alternative for the existing pinto bean value chain. "Both farmers and consumers will benefit from it in many ways," he says. For example, the slow-darkening beans cooked faster than regular beans. Needing less time to cook can be a great benefit in areas where cooking fuel is scarce. The key advancement has been improving agronomic performancesuch as yield and bean sizeof the slow-darkening beans. That's huge progress, because past plants with the slow darkening gene have had many issues associated with agronomic performance. For example, one older variety of slow-darkening pinto beans has low yields. Another won't flower under farming conditions in the United States. Yet another grows in such a way that it makes mechanical harvesting of the beans difficult. At the root of these difficulties lies pinto bean genetics. Physical characteristics, such as yield, bean size, or rate of darkening, are all affected by one or more genes. Turns out, a single geneaptly named slow darkening or SDcontrols how quickly pinto beans darken after harvesting. Researchers can breed this gene into new pinto bean varieties fairly easily without creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). But whenever they incorporated this gene in the past, other genes responsible for lower yields or smaller beans would come along with the slow darkening gene. Phil Miklas and Juan Osorno evaluate slow-darkening pinto beans in the field at Othello, WA. Credit: Juan Osorno Osorno and colleagues tested several varieties of slow-darkening and regular pinto beans over the past decade. The tests were carried out in research plots in Washington and North Dakota. The researchers compared traits such as seed weight, yield, and cooking time between slow-darkening and regular pinto beans. The initial testsfrom 2010 to 2012did not yield encouraging results. The slow-darkening beans performed poorly compared to regular pinto beans. But the latest round of field trials using slow-darkening pinto beans was more promising. According to the 2018 tests, the newer slow-darkening pinto bean varieties are catching up to regular varieties in yield and bean size. In fact, a second generation of slow-darkening pinto beans is already showing higher yields compared to the previous generation. Osorno is encouraged but says there's still work to be done. "Remember that breeding yields gains in a stepwise manner rather than through big jumps," he says. Explore further Building a bean that resists leafhoppers More information: Phillip N. Miklas et al. Agronomic performance and cooking quality characteristics for slow darkening pinto beans, Crop Science (2020). Phillip N. Miklas et al. Agronomic performance and cooking quality characteristics for slow darkening pinto beans,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/csc2.20220 Bhubaneswar, July 20 : Veteran Odia film actor and director Bijay Mohanty passed away at a private hospital here on Monday. He was 70. The body of Mohanty will be cremated with state honours. The actor was rushed to Care Hospitals in Bhubaneswar after his condition became critical on Monday evening. He died while undergoing treatment, said sources. The actor was brought to Odisha from Hyderabad in a special ambulance on June 14. Mohanty was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad after he suffered a cardiac arrest. An alumnus of National School of Drama, the actor started his career in the Odia film industry in 1977. Mohanty acted in more than 150 films, said sources. He was honoured with the Jayadev Award in 2014. He was also honoured with the National Award for his contribution to art and literature. Many film personalities and political leaders expressed their condolences over the death of Mohanty. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described Mohanty as a legendary personality who enriched the Odia film industry through his versatile talents. "He had a long, illustrious career in Odia films. He occupies a very special place in the hearts of millions and millions of fans across the state and outside. His death marks the end of an era in Odia film industry and has created a deep void in the industry," said the Chief Minister. "His contribution to Odia films will leave an unforgettable imprint for all the times to come," he added. The Chief Minister conveyed his deep sympathies to the bereaved family. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal condoled the demise of Mohanty and conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family members. "He will be remembered forever for his peerless contribution to the cinema, drama and theatre world," the Governor said. Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi also expressed their condolences. The Shiv Sena has called the phone-tapping order by the ruling Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, which is caught in a bitter internal power struggle with the sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilots faction of 19 rebel lawmakers, an assault on personal freedom and termed the attempt to bring down a democratically elected dispensation unconstitutional. Saamana, the Sena mouthpiece, carried an editorial on Monday that stated the jury is still out on which is a bigger crime a state government order for phone tapping or a bid to topple a democratically elected government. The Gehlot government has claimed that there has been a concerted bid to dislodge the ruling dispensation following the surfacing of three audiotapes last Thursday evening that quickly went viral on social media. The Congress has accused Jodhpur Member of Parliament (MP) and Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the villain of the piece in cahoots with two dissident party lawmakers in an alleged plot to oust the Gehlot government. The tapes did make a reference to one Gajendra Singh, which bolstered the Congress, to accuse him of indulging in horse-trading. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from Rajasthan chief secretary over the alleged illegal tapping of phones. Phone tapping is an offence and assault on personal freedom. It is treachery to bring down a democratically elected government by the lure of lucre. However, it needs to be decided which one is a bigger crime, the editorial said. There is nothing wrong if the MHA wants to probe the phone-tapping incident. But the key question is: if the Gehlot government has indeed eavesdropped the purported phone conversations, what state of emergency had erupted in the state or the country? it asked. The Marathi daily made a play for the former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. It said several skeletons would tumble out of the cupboard, if the conversations among power-hungry Congress leaders became public and they reached Gandhi. It cited that the disputes within the Congresss ranks are unending and a certain section within Gandhis party didnt want him to succeed. The Rajasthan phone-tapping episode has exposed many. But, a lot of revelation will come to the fore if someone hears the secret conversations among Congress leaders and they reach Gandhi. Some people have been hell-bent on not letting Gandhi work properly. This is hurting the entire opposition, it said. The editorial said that Gehlot has foiled the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) plans amid the generational war between the Rajasthan CM and his challenger Pilot. The deal, which was on between the BJP and Pilot, was about an exchange of cash for power. It was decided that the elected Rajasthan government would be brought down by horse-trading through cash inducements, the editorial alleged. CM Gehlot exposed Pilots rebellion, which was less against injustice, and brought to light by the phone conversations between the sacked deputy CM and BJP leaders. It is both shocking and sensational, it further alleged. The editorial questioned the BJPs radio silence over Shekhawats alleged role. Why those who are seeking the Presidents rule in Rajasthan have not made Shekhawat resign? First, make Shekhawat resign, atone for poaching of the lawmakers and then point a finger towards the Gehlot government, the editorial said while adding that phone tapping is not restricted to Rajasthan alone. The Sena also took a potshot at ally-turned-rival BJP. In the Rajasthan episode, the condition of the BJP is such that they set out to do something, but something contrary happened games are being played these days to weaken opponents politically, socially and mentally by dislodging them from their governments (across states), it signed off. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dawn breaks in the crowded prison cell. Not everyone is asleep conditions are so cramped in the 70-square-yard space that 15 of the 60 inmates have to stand to give others their turn to lie down. The lack of privacy is absolute. Toilet breaks are rationed two minutes at a time and in full gaze of the others. Glass walls, cameras and microphones mean that every word and deed is recorded. Informants placed in each cell even note down what people say in their sleep and pass it on to guards. As with every other day, the morning begins with compulsory singing of Communist Party songs, praising the glorious motherland and its wise leader, Xi Jinping. Then their only meal of the day arrives. Watery cabbage soup, served with a small lump of steamed dough. If theyre lucky, they may get a few grains of rice as well. On Sunday, Beijings UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming was quizzed by Andrew Marr about drone footage, taken in 2018, showing hundreds of Uighur men, kneeling, shaven-headed, shackled and blindfolded, being led from a train, in what appeared to be a transfer of prisoners And then the medication arrives in a form of a white pill. To be sure theyve taken it, the prisoners mouths are roughly forced open and searched. The mysterious drug a tranquilliser of some sort soon induces a state of miserable mental numbness. Thoughts and memories of life outside, the fate of loved ones, the pain of shattered hopes: all recede. Now the only aim is to get through the day. Such a scene is being played out in any one of Chinas secret concentration camps, dedicated to re-educating a million or more of the countrys Muslim Uighur population in a network of hundreds of institutions built across 640,000 square miles of Western China: an area seven times the size of Britain. Every detail of this harrowing description of life inside the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region its native Uighurs call it East Turkestan comes from accounts that have trickled out of the region and from a huge package of internal Communist Party documents leaked last year by a brave official, disgusted by the policies he was implementing. They are confirmed by survivor testimony collated by Rahima Mahmut of the London office of the World Uyghur Congress and by Human Rights Watch, a New York based campaign group. Internet detectives have also used publicly available satellite images to plot the growth of the camps. On Sunday, Beijings UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming was quizzed by Andrew Marr about drone footage, taken in 2018, showing hundreds of Uighur men, kneeling, shaven-headed, shackled and blindfolded, being led from a train, in what appeared to be a transfer of prisoners. After a lengthy and embarrassed pause, the ambassador responded with bluster and denial. Uighur people enjoy peaceful, harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups of people, he insisted, dismissing the footage as so-called Western intelligence. Certainly nothing peaceful or harmonious marks the inmates daily routine. Morning is indoctrination. Inmates hundreds of them, all shaven-headed sit in a vast echoing room, listening to hours of lectures on the evils of religion. The instructors words are broken by rhythmic chanting of Communist Party slogans. All communication is in Chinese. For the inmates to mutter even a word in their own ancient language a dialect similar to Uzbek would be a sign of defiance and bring terrifying retribution. Morning is indoctrination. Inmates hundreds of them, all shaven-headed sit in a vast echoing room, listening to hours of lectures on the evils of religion The monotony of the lessons is mental torture. At the end of the class, inmates are asked is there a God? The only permitted answer is no. Every waking moment is an onslaught on their cherished beliefs and traditions. The half-starved inmates are even forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, in defiance of their Muslim faith. Afternoon brings interrogations. To break their mental resistance, inmates are forced to watch others being tortured before their own sessions of questioning. They are made to denounce friends and family, to confess to fictitious crimes such as bomb-making and espionage, and to express abject contrition even for such harmless acts as having a copy of the Koran. Any resistance brings beatings, electric shocks and sleep deprivation. Nakedness is another dehumanising tactic. Nudity is taboo in Islam, but prisoners of all ages are made to parade before each other and in view of the guards. For women, humiliating gynaecological inspections are mandatory. Rape is routine. The prettier younger women disappear at nights and weep silently during the day. An injection every 15 days appears to be forced contraception monthly periods cease. Worst of all is the dreaded orange tabard. Prisoners assigned these soon disappear, never to be seen again. Rumour has it that they are murdered for their organs kidneys, corneas, hearts and livers are looted from their bodies, to fund the lucrative international black market, or serve the needs of the Communist Party elite. For the nine million other Uighurs living in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang who are lucky enough not to be confined in such camps, life is another kind of prison. Every movement is under video camera surveillance backed up by intrusive searches. Police vans patrol the streets, searching for any sign of suspicious behaviour and mounting random checks. Checkpoints are every 200 yards. Worse are the ubiquitous plainclothes police, silently observing public behaviour. A single careless word or deed perhaps a small show of faith is punishable by incarceration and brain-washing. Little word leaks out of the fate of those who are taken away. Their families are sometimes told that they died in traffic accidents. Those who return are so traumatised that they rarely speak of their ordeal. Possession of any books, newspapers or any electronic material that could signal disloyalty to the Chinese regime is punished. No expression of religious belief is permitted. Mosques are empty shells, with worship staged only to deceive outsiders. Even a Koran or a prayer mat is a dangerous sign of disloyalty. The micro-management extends to household possessions. Kitchen knives with blades longer than four inches, for example, must be engraved with a barcode identifying the owner, and must be chained to a wall or table. Children are used as informers. School classes are shown Arabic script and asked if they recognise it. Chinas view is that the Muslim population in the countrys western region is a hotbed of dangerous terrorism and separatism Those who do have unwittingly highlighted that their families are believers who read the Koran. Such disloyalty often leads to children being removed in effect kidnapped and sent to state-run boarding schools, even at the age of five. There they are indoctrinated to despise their families, religion, culture and native language. Asking about the fate of the people who have disappeared is dangerous. They are referred to as yoq, meaning not around. Incarceration in the concentration camps is called studying. The fate of women left at home when their menfolk are sent to the camps is particularly horrific. They are assigned a Chinese official to live in their home to monitor the family. These unwelcome guests intrude into every aspect of domestic life and often insist on occupying the empty place in the marital bed. Such grotesque abuses of human rights have been under way for years. But they have leaped into public view in the West thanks to dogged work by investigators and the bravery of those who have fled. Only recently, one fortunate escapee, Sayragul Sauytbay, said: Perhaps it is becoming even worse than the Nazis because they can combine the latest technology such as 24-hour surveillance everywhere with the most primitive methods of torture. In the face of such devastating criticism, it is little surprise that the Chinese authorities go to great efforts to conceal and deny the accelerating pace of atrocities, as the Chinese ambassadors performance on Sunday showed. Chinas view is that the Muslim population in the countrys western region is a hotbed of dangerous terrorism and separatism. Re-education measures, Communist officials insist, instil useful vocational skills and eradicate anti-social behaviour. It is true China has faced violent unrest among Uighurs, including terrorist attacks in Beijing and elsewhere. But the actions of fanatics do not justify the repression of an entire ethnic group including the imprisonment of non-violent activists, scholars and public figures who have spent their careers urging compatriots to work peacefully with the authorities in Beijing. In truth, the simmering resentment in the region is the inevitable response to the brutal colonial misrule inflicted by the Chinese Communist Party after its occupation in 1949. But the actions of fanatics do not justify the repression of an entire ethnic group For decades, East Turkestan was a neglected, exotic backwater, favoured by adventurous Western tourists, thrilled by the central Asian charms of ancient Silk Road cities such as Kashgar. But Chinas grip has tightened there in the past 20 years, first with the systematic demolition of historic landmarks and then the imposition of increasingly harsh controls on everyday life. Communist authorities have mandated the influx of millions of ethnic Chinese migrants with the aim of diluting and eventually eradicating any sense of local identity a tactic also used on Tibet, another captive of the Chinese empire. Perhaps the most astonishing feature of this story is that, faced with this state-sponsored programme of mass repression and cultural extermination, the Muslim world has been almost silent. Heavily dependent on China for trade, investment, infrastructure and security, countries such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been unwilling to breathe even a whisper of criticism about atrocities perpetrated against co-believers. In Britain, however, Muslim leaders, notably the Oxford imam Taj Hargey, have spoken up forcefully against the abuses. A report by the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, A Grief Observed, contains a harrowing compilation of inmates experiences. But the Muslim countries on the UN Human Rights council Afghanistan, Eritrea and Qatar have said nothing to prod that body to make even a squeak of protest. European countries such as Germany have also been shamefully silent a reflection of Chinas commercial clout. As the hard-pressed Uighurs witness the destruction of their way of life, culture and language, they can only pray secretly and silently that more will speak up. The family of the late Alan Kavanagh from Newbridge has donated funds raised towards his treatment to cancer charities. Alan, 46, was originally from Highfield. Married to Eileen, with children Scott, Amy and Jamie, he and his family lived in Monaleen, Co Limerick, where he was a senior director with the Stryker Medical Corporation. The staunch Moorefield GAA man lost his battle with bowel cancer on January 1 last after two years of fighting the illness. The Kildare and Limerick communities had rallied behind the family to raise money for Alans medical care in the last months of his life. The Curragh Racecourse hosted a special Alan Kavanagh Life Enhancing Operation Raceday in October. An online auction and GoFundMe appeal also added to the tally. The funds raised contributed to Alans medical treatment and care in his final months, and on Thursday, June 9, cheques for the remaining balance of 30,985 were presented to Dr Power of the Mercy Cancer Appeal in Cork, for cancer research; and to the Monaleen Cancer Support Group. Eileen, Scott, Amy and Jamie, his mum Anne, brothers, sisters and extended family were very humbled by everyones generosity and support and wish to express their sincere gratitude. "The raceday was very special to them as Alan was surrounded by his family and friends and those memories will last forever. Thank you, the family said in a statement. - Seven SA scholars have graduated with degrees from the Breda University of Applied Sciences - The local students received their degrees in a first of its kind drive-through-styled graduation ceremony on 16 July - Some of the scholars even bagged two degrees, making Mzansi extra proud PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! We've said it before and we'll say it again, South Africa has brilliant young minds who are doing the most to ensure a better future. Seven SA scholars were handpicked to study toward degrees at a prestigious international university. In 2016, these scholars took part in a rigorous process to be chosen to study at the Breda University of Applied Sciences campus. They underwent testing and attended interviews. Now, four years later, these students reaped the rewards of their hard work. On 16 July, the scholars graduated in a drive-through graduation ceremony at the Netherlands university. Some of these students even managed to bag more than one degree after majoring in both logistics engineering and logistics management. Briefly.co.za learned a total of 12 Bachelor's degrees, one Honours and three Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certificates were received by the SA students. Nompumelelo Mbobo, Gwen Sebopa, Nomahlubi Radebe, Cindy Dlamini and Fenesara Kgwedi graduated with double degrees, which means they were studying for both logistics engineering and logistics management. The students had to complete 12 modules of each logistics management course to be able to graduate with two degrees. Bokang Lemaoana and Banele Mello graduated with logistics engineering degrees. Lemaoana was also awarded a Honours degree in entrepreneurship. READ ALSO: Caster Semenya shows off her daughter's impressive shoe collection Nompumelelo Mbobo, Gwen Sebopa, Nomahlubi Radebe, Cindy Dlamini, and Fenesara Kgwedi graduated with double degrees. Photo: Supplied. Source: UGC The students managed to gain first-hand experience in improving logistics and supply chain management processes during their third and fourth years of studies. They carried out applied research assignments within organisations such as Bidvest Air Cargo, Transnet Engineering, DSV Netherlands, Ekurhuleni Municipality, SOS Children's Villages South Africa, Romans Pizza, MAN South Africa, Dutch Quality Group, TIPS Trailer Services Europe, CEVA Logistics, CASS Europe, Jumbo Supermarkets, Ossur Europe, Drapen i Havet, Elco Heating Solutions, and Penske Logistics. Their hard work was recognised by the SA Embassy in the Netherlands on social media. The SA Embassy tweeted: "Today we celebrate the South African students who are graduating from Breda University of Applied Sciences. A number of the students have earned double degrees in logistics and supply chain management. The SA students are did the drive-through graduation on their bicycles!" Meanwhile, Briefly.co.za previously reported on a beautiful woman, who was only identified as @_Newturn1_, who celebrated a great milestone in her life. She recently graduated with a degree in engineering and posted snaps and a video online. @_Newturn1_ thanked God for helping her succeed and she inspired many. 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 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Friday evening was the last time Jagadeesh Koppanati spoke to his roommate in New Jersey before turning up dead on a Staten Island beach about 12 hours later. A passerby discovered the body of the 27-year-old man at about 6 a.m. Saturday on the shoreline at Cedar Grove Beach in the New Dorp area of Staten Islands East Shore, according to an NYPD spokesman. A Lighthouse during times of crisis Education for global citizenship By Lim Hyun-mook, Rigoberto D. Banta Jr. In October 2012, then-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited UNESCO Headquarters in Paris at a turn-over ceremony to donate a natural science textbook used during his childhood. This textbook was published in a printing office built with funds donated by UNESCO and the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA) to help the Republic of Korea to recover from the scourge of war. At the ceremony, Mr. Ban said, "Through this textbook, I was able to see the world as a young boy. Right after the Korean War, Korea was devastated. There were no classrooms; I had to study in the dirt. Wherever I went, particularly in the developing world, I have been asked with-out fail, what is the secret of the Korean people and government having such a successful development in just a matter of one generation. My answer has always been simple and clear education." Malaysian teachers pose with students of Indugwon Elementary School in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province in November 2019, after introducing them to traditional batik painting through the APCEIU International Teacher Exchange Program. / Courtesy of APCEIU While it is not widely known to the Korean public, the role of UNESCO in rebuilding Korea from the ashes of war, particularly in the field of education, has far reaching impacts that resonate even to this day. It was neither food nor medicine that UNESCO brought to Korea but books, to prepare the population, both young and old who would propel the country's future, in the face of poverty and destruction. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's accession to UNESCO as its 55th Member State, merely 11 days before the eruption of the Korean War. In the years that followed, UNESCO would not only build the printing press in Daebang-dong, in the western part of Seoul in 1954, which would support the education of Korean students, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, but also implement programs that responded to the needs of Korea at that time. They included the dispatch of an expert team to investigate educational conditions in Korea, whose re-port laid the foundation of Korea's new basic education policy; financial support to establish institutes for foreign language education and rural education aimed to improve capacities of young people ready to communicate with the outside world and lead community development. Pakistani educators visit Incheon Seoheung Elementary School in November 2019 as part of the APCEIU's country-based Global Citizenship Education (GCED) capacity-building workshop. / Courtesy of APCEIU Building the defenses of peace in the minds of men and women is the raison d'etre of UNESCO. It is without question that while ensuring universal access to education and uplifting its quality are a challenge still being faced up to this day worldwide, the task of transforming education for the realization of a peaceful and sustainable world, a critical lesson learned from the atrocities of the previous world wars, is in the core of its mandate. As a staunch supporter of UNESCO, and with the firsthand experiences of the devastation of war, Korea has consistently cooperated with UNESCO to promote peace through education. In particular, Korea has made strenuous efforts to promote education for international understanding and global citizenship through various initiatives. Most notably, the Korean government hosted the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the agreement with UNESCO to integrate and reinforce such values as peace, justice, human rights, cultural diversity, and sustainability in education systems in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. From its humble beginnings as a small center in 2000, APCEIU today implements numerous pro-grams on education for international understanding and global citizenship in the areas of capacity-building, research and policy development, information dissemination, and network and partnerships. Its recognition in April 2018 by UNESCO Member States as one of the most active UNESCO specialized centers around the world is not only a testament of its dedication to its mandate, but also the unwavering commitment of Korea towards UNESCO's principles and ideals. Thus, APCEIU has become an icon of Korea's repayment of its debt to the international community. Participants in the 19th Asia-Pacific Education for International Understanding (EIU) Training Workshop test the APCEIU's global citizenship board game "Changers" in June 2019. / Courtesy of APCEIU You can score a great device for less than a third of that or even less if you're willing to trade in your old smartphone, as many carriers and retailers offer. Just remember to properly delete your data first. Sure, you may be sacrificing a few features for the less expensive models, but you just might be surprised at what you can get without taking out a second mortgage on your home. 'Planned obsolescence'? Before we discuss a few smartphone options that won't break the bank, some conspiracy theorists claim smartphone manufacturers purposely make your old devices stop working so you'll be forced to buy a new one. This isn't true. Companies such as Samsung, the largest smartphone maker in the world, and Apple, No. 3 last year behind Chinese manufacturer Huawei, wouldn't benefit from a practice that would taint its brand by crippling their users experiences. Not only could this lead to bad press and negative comments on social media, but unhappy customers might switch brands. That said, in late 2017 Apple admitted it used software updates to slow down older iPhones because the devices, which have older lithium-ion batteries, could randomly and suddenly shut down. Consider slower performance the lesser of two evils, if you will. Still, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to owners of the iPhones as part of a class-action lawsuit. Plus the company offered battery replacements for $29 instead of $79 each. Apple also has set up a support page with tips to maximizing the battery performance of your iPhone. Samsung also maintains that planned obsolescence is not part of its design philosophy and that its upgrade cycle is becoming longer and longer; therefore, people don't need to upgrade as often as they used to. Like Apple, Samsung says it continues to support older phones with regular operating system updates and monthly security patches. OK, so what to buy? We're assuming that you've already determined your favorite operating system: Android or Apple. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on Apple's top-of-the-line iPhone 11 family, the iPhone SE is a desirable alternative for as low as $399. The iPhone SE borrows many of the iPhone 11's features, including a stellar camera that also can shoot well in low light; 4K video at a smooth 60 frames per second; the A13 Bionic chip, billed as the fastest chip in a smartphone; and access to Apple services such as Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV and countless apps. Also worth noting are the myriad accessibility features with iOS, Apple's mobile operating system, including a built-in screen magnifier, text to voice that reads content to you and support for iPhone-certified hearing aids. What you sacrifice is screen size. iPhone SE is a smaller device at 4.7 inches with an LCD screen instead of the iPhone 11 Pro's superior OLED display. It also still has a physical Home button with Touch ID like older iPhones. The Pro and Pro Max have 5.8- and 6.5-inch displays respectively. Samsung has three main families of Galaxy-branded phones: the A Series, which offers core features at a lower price; the flagship S Series and Galaxy Note that include a stylus pen; and advanced, cutting-edge devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip Z, both of which feature foldable screens. Samsung says its mid-tier Samsung Galaxy A50, now on sale for $179, was one of the best-selling phones in the world last year, followed by the improved Galaxy A51, from $229, and Galaxy A71 5G, $479. Photography fans who pick up a Galaxy A51 or A71 still can benefit from sought-after camera features found in the pricier S20, such as Single Take, which automatically captures up to 10 seconds of footage with a wide range of capture modes like Boomerang, Smart Crop, video and AI filter. Then you can revisit the clips in the Gallery app and choose the ones you like best. Galaxy A51 and A71 users also have access to the same smart search bar in the app tray of the S20, which gives you many predictive options while typing a word or two, such as relevant Apps, Settings, Quick Panel and Contacts search results. Running the Android operating system from Google, Galaxy devices offer many accessibility features tied to challenges in dexterity, hearing and sight. Marc Saltzman has been a freelance technology journalist for 25 years. His podcast, Tech It Out , aims to break down geek speak into street speak. Fox News announced on July 1 that anchor Ed Henry was fired from the network. (Fox News) Fox News is once again confronting allegations of sexual misconduct by its senior news staff. A former Fox News employee and a guest allege in a federal lawsuit that they were subjected to a variety of sexually inappropriate behavior by ex-anchor Ed Henry and two of the channel's biggest stars, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court by Jennifer Eckhart, who worked at the network from 2014 to 2020; and Cathy Areu, an occasional unpaid guest on the network. They allege that Fox News protected and rewarded "perpetrators of sexual harassment and refuses to take accountability for putting such persons in positions of power from which they can subject women to sexual misconduct..." The suit also said Eckhart, whose complaint led to the firing of Henry, was raped by the former anchor in a New York hotel room in 2017. The complaints come after Fox News had revamped its human resources department and stated a commitment to creating a safe workplace for employees after a prolonged sexual harassment scandal that ended the tenures of the channel's founding Chief Executive Roger Ailes and former prime-time anchor Bill O'Reilly. In 2016, Fox News paid $20 million to former anchor Gretchen Carlson, whose lawsuit charging Ailes with harassment is considered ground zero in the #MeToo movement. The suit on behalf of the women, represented by Douglas Wigdor, who has handled numerous harassment and racial discrimination cases against Fox News, said, some of the names in leadership may have changed since Roger Ailes regime, but Fox News institutional apathy towards sexual misconduct has not." Fox News said in a statement that it fired Henry shortly after Eckhart filed a complaint. The company said the allegations against other employees named in the suit were investigated and found to be baseless. Eckhart left Fox News in mid-June. The most explosive claim in the suit is Eckhart's allegation that Henry "psychologically manipulated and coerced" her into having a sexual relationship with him. She said that when she would not comply voluntarily, "he sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees." Story continues Eckhart, a former production associate for Fox Business Network, detailed Henry's actions including the alleged 2017 rape when she filed a complaint with the company on June 25. Fox News disclosed on July 1 that Henry was fired for what the company described as "willful sexual misconduct." A Fox News representative said that Eckhart was told to pursue the rape claim directly with Henry as the incident did not happen on company premises. A representative for Wigdor declined to say whether Eckhart filed a criminal complaint against Henry. Henry's attorney, Catherine Foti, could not be reached for comment. On July 1, she said Henry "denies the allegations referenced in the Fox announcement and is confident that he will be vindicated after a full hearing in an appropriate forum. The suit said Henry, 49, manipulated and groomed Eckhart when she was 24, by exerting his abuse of power over her and her career. It said he asked her to be his sex slave and his little whore, and threatened punishment and retaliation if Eckhart did not comply with his sexual demands. Eckhart alleges that Fox News knew Henry had engaged in sexual misconduct as far back as early 2017. "At that time, when Fox News was conducting a company-wide investigation into issues of sexual harassment, multiple women came forward to complain that Mr. Henry had engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct towards them," the complaint stated. A Fox News representative said there were no sexual harassment complaints against Henry prior to Eckhart's claim on June 25. Henry was suspended for four months in 2016 for having an extramarital affair with a Las Vegas stripper. Henry was sent to a rehabilitation program by the company. Earlier this year, he was named co-anchor of the three-hour newscast "America's Newsroom." Areu alleges that Henry sent her an array of "wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages," which are described in detail in the suit. She said that Henry sent her multiple messages saying that he would help her get a job at the network if she had sex with him. The same suit also alleges that several Fox News personalities behaved inappropriately with Areu, who appeared as a guest on their programs. Areu said on March 8, 2018, that Hannity, on set and in front of the entire studio crew, threw $100 on the set desk and began calling out to the men in the room and demanding that someone take her out on a date for drinks at Del Frisco's, a restaurant frequented by the network's employees. The suit said none of the staff responded to Hannity, even after he "repeatedly chided one particular male employee for being 'afraid to take out a beautiful woman.' Areu said she was asked to stay on Carlson's set after an interview on his program in December 2018. He allegedly told her "he would be alone in New York City that night, and specifically said that he would be staying alone in his hotel room without any wife or kids." Areu said she believed Carlson was probing to see whether she was interested in a sexual relationship. Areu said she sidestepped Carlsons alleged advances. She said she rarely was invited to appear on the program after that. Areu said she asked Fox News Media Buzz host Howard Kurtz for advice on getting work at Fox News in March 2019. During a New York visit in May 2019, Kurtz requested that Areu meet him in the lobby of his hotel where he was staying. Areu said her appearances on Kurtz's weekly show decreased after she refused to have the meeting. An investigation conducted by an outside law firm found no basis for the allegations against Hannity, Carlson, Kurtz and Gianno Caldwell, a political analyst for the network also named in the suit, the company said. Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areus claims against Fox News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit," the company said in a statement. "We take all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations." MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 20, 2020 /CNW/ - Walmart Canada is announcing a major $3.5 billion investment over the next five years aimed to generate significant growth and to make the online and in-store shopping experience simpler, faster and more convenient for Walmart's customers. The investment will impact every aspect of the business leading to a faster e-commerce experience, two new distribution centres to speed up the flow of products, re-invented and "smarter" stores, an enhanced omni experience and modern digital tools to ensure associates can best serve customers. As Walmart Canada's business grows especially with grocery and e-commerce picking up significant momentum Walmart will not compromise on offering the everyday low prices customers trust both online and in-store. The investment will also create hundreds of Canadian construction jobs and forge new partnerships with Canadian technology companies. Reinvented, modernized "stores of the future": Renovating over 150 stores over the next three years over one-third of the store network New investments are in addition to over $1 billion invested into remodeling and opening stores over the past five years invested into remodeling and opening stores over the past five years Accelerating digitization to create "smarter stores", including: Expanded electronic shelf labels, shelf scanners to monitor product volumes, robotics and computer vision cameras to simplify, minimize touches and maximize efficiency and accuracy A new checkout experience to reduce touchpoints, including tap-to-pay, new bigger self-checkout and "Check Out With Me" mobile payment technology to allow associates to checkout customers anywhere in the store Accelerating the omni offering for customers and creating thousands of new omni associate jobs Expanding the full "Walmart Pickup" offering to approximately 270 stores or 70% of locations by end of 2020 Piloting "hybrid locations" supercentres with "micro fulfilment centres" in their backroom to increase the speed of fulfilment for pickup and delivery Investing in new technology to: Accelerate the pickup experience, including advanced notification Improve our fulfilment centre operations to increase speed and trackability. Investing $1.1B to build two new distribution centres and renovating an existing distribution centre creating hundreds of construction jobs: Vaughan, ON : A next generation 550,000 square foot distribution centre at 11110 Jane Street (400 Highway and Teston Road) slated to open in 2024: A next generation 550,000 square foot distribution centre at 11110 Jane Street (400 Highway and Teston Road) slated to open in 2024: The facility will leverage next generation automation and technology working with Vanderlande Surrey, BC : New 300,000 square foot distribution centre currently under construction at 19500 26 th Ave slated to open in 2022: New 300,000 square foot distribution centre currently under construction at 19500 26 Ave slated to open in 2022: Working with Witron on the site's distribution logistics technology Cornwall, ON : New automated systems in an existing distribution centre to manage apparel, health and beauty, and other small general merchandise items slated to go live in early 2021: New automated systems in an existing distribution centre to manage apparel, health and beauty, and other small general merchandise items slated to go live in early 2021: The systems will feature machine learning, Cobot Technology which can work in concert with associates to improve the accuracy and efficiency of operations Ramping up capacity in its distribution centre system through new leading-edge technologies: New next generation warehouse management systems which are omni capable in meeting the future needs of both physical stores and e-commerce Investing in telematics and "internet of things" sensors across over 2,200 trailers to give real-time information around the quality and freshness of its deliveries Launching world-leading artificial intelligence software in partnership with o9 to more accurately predict and better plan volume to ensure Walmart's customers get what they want, when they want Scaling the blockchain transportation payments platform with Toronto based DLT Labs the world's biggest blockchain solution for transportation payments system based DLT Labs the world's biggest blockchain solution for transportation payments system Using new machine learning training software to support improved training and safety on the front lines of our distribution centre and fleet operations with Axonify, a Waterloo based micro-frontline learning company. Quotes: "Millions of customers choose to shop with us in-store and online every day and that's a tremendous honour," said Horacio Barbeito, President and CEO, Walmart Canada. "Today's significant investment will position us for future growth and make Walmart Canada even better for our associates and our customers. We are doubling down on our focus on the customer experience not just to keep up but to lead and to be the very best in Canada." "We need to do everything we can to delight our customer every single time they choose to shop with us, whether it's online or in the store. We're challenging ourselves to be better and be relentlessly focused on excellent omni customer service and experience," said Sam Wankowski, Chief Operations Officer, Walmart Canada. "This means better stores, quicker service and doing what Walmart does best focusing on customers, always at Walmart's everyday low prices." "The retail business is as dynamic as ever and this investment ensures we're developing a supply chain that is the envy of the world. The better the supply chain, the quicker our customers can get the products they want. This investment will transform our supply chain and create hundreds of Canadian construction jobs along the way," said John Bayliss, Senior Vice President, Logistics and Supply Chain, Walmart Canada. About Walmart Canada: Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada. SOURCE Walmart Canada For further information: For media inquiries: Adam Grachnik, [email protected], 437-237-3497 Related Links www.walmart.ca Through this initiative, the World Federation of Neurology is working alongside more than 122 global organizations to advocate for improved patient care, education, and additional research for those living with Parkinson's Disease and their caregivers. "Parkinson's Disease affects people of all ages, including one in 100 people over the age of 60," explained Prof. Tissa Wijeratne, World Brain Day Chair. "The prevalence of this disease is on the rise, making our actions today vital to improving the lives of those who have been and will be diagnosed, particularly during this global health crisis." To elevate Parkinson's Disease awareness, WFN is hosting a free webinar on July 22 at 12:30pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with some of the world's leading neurologists, patient advocates and Parkinson's Disease experts to offer vital insights on the disease, as well as discuss the current state of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. To register to attend, visit www.wfneurology.org. Parkinson's Disease as a Global Issue "Parkinson's Disease affects more than 7 million people around the globethat's nearly equivalent to the entire population of New York City," explained Prof. Tissa Wijerante, the World Brain Day chair. "Our goal is to raise awareness for Parkinson's Disease and its impact on society in an effort to improve access to quality neurological care and life-changing treatments." While the distinctive symptom of Parkinson's Disease is shaking and slowness of movement, the degenerative disease affects movement, the mind and brain function generally disrupting sleep and cognitive ability, causing pain and gastrointestinal issues, provoking anxiety and depression, and reducing motivation and quality of life. Early diagnosis and access to effective treatment are vital in order to help patients find relief and enhance their quality of life. People with Parkinson's Disease may be particularly impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic and are encouraged to keep in contact with their healthcare providers. "More than one in four people living with Parkinson's Disease were initially misdiagnosed," said Prof. Wolfgang Grisold, the WFN's Secretary-General. "Many symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are poorly recognized and undertreated, which is detrimental for those living with the disease. There is a profound need for improved standards of care across the globe." Move Together to End Parkinson's Disease "The impact of Parkinson's Disease extends throughout the whole body and reaches every corner of the world," said Claudia Trenkwalder, MD, President of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. "With 60,000 diagnosed each year in the United States alone, it is critical that patients have access to quality care." COVID-19 is a dramatic reminder that healthcare is a global issue. Let us remember that Parkinson's Disease is also a daily challenge faced by all ages and people, but mainly by the elderly. To advocate for patients, World Brain Day is spreading awareness by asking people all over the world to Move Together to End Parkinson's Disease through the use of the hashtags #WorldBrainDay and #WBD2020. "Brain health has never been more vital or relevant," said WFN President Prof. William Carroll. "When the world unites against this crippling movement disorder on World Brain Day, we will demonstrate the power of advocacy and awareness." Throughout the coming months, the World Federation of Neurology will stand together with other organizations in asking patients, caregivers and loved ones around the globe to share their stories about Parkinson's on social media. We will also be providing vital information on how to navigate COVID-19 while living with Parkinson's Disease. "When we all move together, we raise the voices of those impacted while uniting the world in a mission to end Parkinson's Disease," said Prof. Carroll. "The World Federation of Neurology's World Brain Day aims to energise those with Parkinson's Disease to drive research, improve standards of care and advocacy for the seven million people living with this disease today and those who will one day be diagnosed." Media Contact Ashley Logan [email protected] SOURCE World Federation of Neurology Related Links http://www.wfneurology.org CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TILT Holdings Inc. (TILT or the Company) (CSE: TILT) (OTCQB: TLLTF), a business solutions provider to the global cannabis industry, announced today that Gary Santo has joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations. Mr. Santo brings more than 24 years of experience leading lean, high-performance teams in Consumer Credit, Financial Services, Gaming and Technology, Higher Education and Specialty-Pharma. He has held a variety of senior-level positions at The First Marblehead Corporation, Fitch Ratings, International Game Technology, Lantheus Medical Imaging and, most recently, Columbia Care Inc., a leading multi-state operator in the cannabis industry. Mr. Santo holds an Investor Relations Charter certification from the National Investor Relations Institute as well as a degree in Political Science from Boston University. On behalf of the TILT family, I want to welcome Gary to the team, said TILT CEO Mark Scatterday. His prior experience in the cannabis industry, together with his affinity for public companies undergoing significant transformation make him the ideal candidate to lead our capital markets and investor relations efforts at this pivotal moment in TILTs on-going evolution. About TILT TILT Holdings helps cannabis businesses build brands. Through a portfolio of companies committed to technical innovation, TILT Holdings services more than 2,000 brands and cannabis retailers across 33 states in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Israel, Mexico, South America and the European Union. TILTs core businesses include Jupiter Research, a wholly-owned subsidiary and leader in the vaporization segment focused on hardware design, R&D and manufacturing; and Blackbird, a software and operations solutions provider for wholesale and retail distributors. The Company also owns cannabis operations CAC in Massachusetts and Standard Farms, LLC in Pennsylvania. TILT is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.tiltholdings.com. Story continues Contact Information: Gary F. Santo, Jr., IRC SVP, Head of Capital Markets and Investor Relations investors@tiltholdings.com Media Contact: Lisa Weser Trailblaze on behalf of TILT Holdings, Inc. lisa@trailblaze.co The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. By Ayya Lmahamad Some 146 Russian citizens were airlifted from Baku to Ekaterinburg by a charter flight on July 19, Russian media reported with the reference to the Operational Headquarters of the Sverdlovsk region on July 19. According to the statement, 74 passengers of the charter flight were placed under quarantine before getting negative COVID-19 tests. Moreover, remaining 72 passengers were sent to their regions, with the support by regions Operational Headquarters. Azerbaijan closed its borders with Russia over COVID-19 on March 18. Azerbaijan has so far repatriated over 25,000 citizens from different countries over COVID-19 pandemic. The citizens have been repatriated from Moscow, Istanbul, Kyiv, Minsk, Iran, Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Riga (Latvia), Warsaw (Poland), Berlin (Germany) among others. Azerbaijan first introduced special quarantine regime on March 24 and the fourth stage of quarantine regime easing came into force May 31. However, the borders remain closed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Credit: Harvard University State election officials are bracing for two trains on a possible collision course this fall: potential record turnout for the Nov. 3 general election, and an expected surge of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly COVID-19. Besides health concerns over so many voters clustered together in line, election officials also fear that poll workers, who are often older than 60 and thus at higher risk for COVID complications, will be hard to find this fall. Just such staffing shortages prompted some states to significantly reduce the number of polling locations during the recent primaries, contributing to hours-long waiting times in predominantly African American precincts in Georgia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. In response, most states are considering more socially distanced methods, with voting by mail or curbside voting among the most popular. And those are just some of the logistical problems. Like mask-wearing, adapting election preparations to the COVID-19 era has quickly taken on an ideological cast in some parts of the country, as Democrats and Republicans fight over which voter requirements and restrictions should be lifted in light of the pandemic and which should remain in place, all of which has many fearful that Election Day could be shaping up to be a disaster. "I am very, very, very worried about November," said E.J. Dionne '73, visiting professor in religion and political culture at Harvard Divinity School and a veteran political journalist. "I don't think we're doing enough to get ready for Election Day." And at this point, there's not much time or available money for cash-strapped state governments to get it done, said Miles Rapoport, former secretary of state in Connecticut and now senior practice fellow in American democracy at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). One of the biggest hurdles for election organizers and voters is handling a total overhaul of our typical practices. In 2018, just 23.1 percent of those casting votes mailed their ballots, while 59.6 percent voted in person, according to U.S. Census data. With a possible huge shift to mail-in voting, states would have to adjust systems and processes for storing, printing, and distributing ballots and staffing levels to receive, sort, and count incoming ballots, which may arrive any time right up through Election Day. In addition, the public will need to be instructed how to complete the ballots and reminded of deadlines to mail them back. Declaring the winners in state and national races may be delayed by days or even weeks, depending on the deadlines states set, if a majority of voters opt to vote by mail. While every state permits citizens who will be away or otherwise absent on Election Day to vote by mail, known as absentee voting, many require such voters to have a reason that meets strict criteria, such as illness or work conflicts, before they can receive a ballot. Far fewer permit voters to do so by right, like Colorado where everyone votes by mail, or as a matter of preference. This spring, at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, 11 of 16 states, including Massachusetts, that usually allow absentee voting only with an approved excuse, temporarily lifted that requirement for the primaries. Though Massachusetts will now offer that option for the general election in November, many of those states still have not yet announced whether they'll do so this fall. Connecticut, New Jersey, and California, among others, will send ballots directly to all registered voters, while other states, including New York, Illinois, and Michigan, will allow anyone to vote by mail, but will require they first request a ballot, an extra step that may discourage some, say proponents of mail-in voting. About $400 million was set aside for election upgrades in the first congressional bailout package approved this spring. It's a good start, Rapoport said, but to get states ready and operating on a more level playing field, an estimated $4 billion is needed to pay for things such as updated voting lists, new machines to scan mail-in ballots, postage, and development of new, more robust procedures to handle the expected influx of mail-in ballots. So far, that hasn't happened. Rapoport and Dionne have been thinking about these issues for a while as part of a working group convened by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at HKS and the Brookings Institution that has been looking at how the country could improve civic participation by revising how voting and elections are conducted. In a new report, the group proposes requiring all adults to vote, framing it as a civic responsibility similar to jury duty, and allowing any voter to cast a ballot by mail. Though the federal government can provide money and offer assistance, states control every aspect of voting except the date of Election Day, such as how elections are run, how and when voter registration takes place, the methods used to cast votes, what ballots look like, and how close races are handled. That local control comes with a price. "The core problem with the U.S. is you don't have a single expert federal authority that runs elections that could have lots of resources, lots of expertise. You have 50 political secretaries of state; you have thousands of counties, all of which administer their own elections, and so, you're never going to have uniform improvement or uniform competence when you have such a decentralized electoral system," said Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos, an election law expert at Harvard Law School. Despite this era of political polarization, there are some bipartisan efforts at both the state and congressional level to ensure every registered voter can safely participate in November, Rapoport notes. But legal challenges by Republicans to block or limit the use of mail-in ballots suggests that politics will drive some states' decisions about how to adapt voting to the pandemic. "There certainly is, among some Republican strategists, the idea that if fewer people vote, that is a political benefit to [them], and if COVID-19 provides a reason for refusing to make adjustments that they know would advance turnout, that's really problematic for our democracy," said Rapoport. Many Republican-led state legislatures and governors oppose expanding mail-in voting, and where Democratic governors and state legislatures have pushed ahead with it, a number of Republican groups and party affiliates have filed suit to block those efforts. Democrats in Texas are in federal court seeking to expand that state's narrow criteria for voting by mail to include anyone who fears risks of COVID-19. The case Stephanopoulos said he's most closely watching is one filed by the Republican National Committee and several affiliated organizations that seeks to bar the state of California from sending ballots to every eligible voter. State officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, say they want to avoid forcing citizens to choose between exercising their right to vote and risking their health. But Republicans, including President Trump and Attorney General William Barr, claim without evidence that mail-in voting invites fraud and makes it easier for foreign actors to interfere in elections. In June, the president said the "biggest risk" to his reelection is losing these legal fights to stop the expansion of mail-in voting. "We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don't win those lawsuits, I thinkI think it puts the election at risk," Trump told Politico. Given the decisions in prior cases where one party sought to limit voting, Stephanopoulos anticipates the courts will not side with the Republican plaintiffs. But a decision in their favor could have game-changing implications for the general election, with "all sorts of spillover effects into other states," he said. Wherever possible, the courts have been reticent to intervene in election disputes or establish new precedents that might affect voting or create new burdens, particularly in the weeks and months before an election, unless the harm of not doing so was clear and far-reaching, said Stephanopoulos. But the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts '76, J.D. '79, appears to be very interested in the way elections are run, which could open the door to potentially important judicial review in the coming months, he said. "I think as soon as you see lower courts mandating mail-in voting or mandating that there are more polling places [this] Supreme Court might insert itself into those cases," said Stephanopoulos. Critics point to the Court's 2013 decision to lift voter protections that had been established in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to guard against disenfranchisement efforts against African Americans in nine states, mostly in the South, as facilitating voter suppression. Split along ideological lines, the 5-4 decision opened the door to a rash of new measures put in place in Republican-controlled states that made it harder for African Americans and others who typically vote for Democrats, like college students, to cast ballots, many Democrats and others argue. Shuttering polling places in populous cities, forbidding college students to vote where they attend school, disenrolling voters if they have not voted in two consecutive elections, instituting signature "matching" requirements, and accepting only state-issued IDs or concealed-carry gun permits in order to votebut not college IDs from state universitiesare among some of the efforts critics say are designed to suppress Democratic voters. Republicans say they protect from voter fraud. "I think Roberts and the majority of the court are very disinclined to rule in favor of voting-rights plaintiffs," said Stephanopoulos. "It's really hard to come up with a neutral, good-faith defense of what the Roberts court is doing in this area, and it's not just in these recent cases. It goes back 15 years. You can look at the Roberts court's record on photo IDs, on the Voting Rights Act, on partisan gerrymandering, on money in politics. On every single issue that implicates elections, they're relentlessly doing what ends up benefiting their ideological side." Whether the Supreme Court will factor into the 2020 election isn't clear right now. With the 2016 election decided by fewer than 80,000 votes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and a litigious Trump musing about not accepting the 2020 results should he lose, Stephanopoulos said the possibility that another presidency could be decided by the Supreme Court, while not likely, is not impossible. "The hope of election law administrators and scholars is that we don't have a nail-biter of an election; we have an election where one side or the other clearly wins," he said. "There's a phrase: 'We want an election result that's outside the margin of litigation.'" Explore further Researchers see risks in online vote system for 3 US states Syria held a parliamentary election on Sunday, gripped by a collapsing economy and new US sanctions after President Bashar al-Assad clawed back control of most of the country. People voted across government territory at more than 7,000 polling stations, including for the first time in former rebel bastions that the army has recaptured over the last two years. Assad's opponents denounced the vote as a farce, nearly a decade into a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and made millions refugees. The elections, originally set for April, were postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. At a polling station in the capital Damascus, many voters - who were disinfected upon arrival - said they were worried about the rising costs of living. "We have to find a solution for the living conditions," said Samer Mahmoud, who owns a clothing shop. "God willing, I hope we overcome these sanctions," said Mouna Sukkar after casting her ballot. More than 1,600 candidates, many prominent businessmen, were competing for 250 MP seats in the third such election since the conflict erupted in 2011. No surprises were expected in the vote that marked Assad's second decade in power, with no real opposition to the ruling Baath party and its allies. The Syrian National Coalition, an opposition bloc based in Turkey that had Western backing, called it a "theatrical election by the Assad regime" with millions uprooted or in exile. In the town of Douma, in the eastern suburbs of Damascus where a fierce army offensive snuffed out insurgents in 2018, candidate banners hung in front of piles of rubble, collapsed rooftops and buildings pockmarked with bullets. Dozens of people crowded a polling station where a portrait of a smiling Assad covered a wall. "I came to vote...because we want to live in safety and for the rising prices to go down. There's a big turnout," said Ziad, a resident who fled and returned some two years ago. In 2016, when the town was rocked by fighting, he had cast his ballot in Damascus. The town was the site of a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people in 2018 and prompted Western missile strikes. Damascus and Moscow denied any chemical attack took place. Thanks to help from Russia and Iran, Assad holds more of Syria than at any time in the war, with the northeast in Kurdish hands, and rebels now confined to a northwest corner near the Turkish border. But the battered economy is sinking deeper into trouble, hit also by a financial meltdown in Lebanon that choked off dollars and the toughest US sanctions yet imposed last month. Washington says the goal is to hold Assad to account. Damascus blames them for the hardship, as soaring prices and a fall in the value of the currency makes life harder for Syrians. Google's Nearby Sharing will reportedly be available to Android devices running Android 6.0 and later. Googles Nearby Sharing tool started rolling out in beta earlier this month. Google is now said to make its Apple AirDrop-alternative available to all Android devices from Android 6.0 and later in August. Googles Nearby Sharing has been rumoured ever since last year and we got to see the feature in action earlier this year. Users could start trying it out with the rollout of Nearby Sharing in beta. It looks like more users have received Nearby Sharing on Android 10, and some even on older Android versions. Google is yet to officially confirm the feature and announce its rollout. Google told OEMs that Nearby Share, Google's AirDrop-like file-sharing service, rolls out to all Android (6.0+) devices in August. Can't confirm if that's the plan as of now, but this info came from a recent source. Currently in beta for some users: https://t.co/7GMct2A9kI Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 17, 2020 Nearby Sharing on Android uses your mobile data or Wi-Fi for file sharing. It also supports offline sharing. This feature appears in the share sheet whenever you choose to share something from your phone. It can also appear as a prompt just below the content preview. The beta version showed Nearby Sharing can be used for different kinds of files like photos, videos, tweets and URLs. When Nearby Sharing is selected for the first time, youll have to turn the feature on and make some changes like the devices default name and visibility. You can customise your visibility settings by making it either all contacts, some contacts or hidden. Once both devices have Nearby Sharing activated and accepted, the file sharing will take place. Also, it requires both parties to consent to Nearby Sharing. Photos and videos that have been shared via Nearby Sharing are stored in the Downloads folder on your phone. If you have an Android smartphone you can check if you have Nearby Sharing from the settings menu. It may also appear in the share sheet of your phone. If you are a Myles Goodwyn fan, you wont want to miss Blake Frazers weekly show, Blues Themes Delivered by the Milkman, this Thursday on Trent Radio. The interview will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. Myles Goodwyn, guitarist, lead vocalist, main songwriter and founding member of the iconic Canadian rock band April Wine, has recorded 16 April Wine albums, selling internationally over 20 million copies. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In the last few years, he has recorded two blues albums, says Frazer. Ill be speaking to him about that and playing some music from those albums. Blues Themes Delivered by the Milkman broadcasts every Thursday from 9 until 10:30 p.m. on Trent Radio 92.7 FM CFFF and streams live through trentradio.ca. Private Turtle Tours The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre is now open for booking in-person private tours. What a great idea this would be for a birthday celebration! During the tour you can meet the centres ambassador turtles, visit the hatchlings and take a see the beautiful outdoor education centre. You can also learn about turtle conservation and what you can do to help save Ontario turtles. After the tour you can stop in at the gift shop to purchase one of the many turtle-themed items. During the tour, masks are mandatory, and physical distancing will be in place. If you have travelled in the past two weeks, have been asked to self-isolate, have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, or if you have had respiratory symptoms or have felt unwell in any way, please do not schedule a private tour. The OTCC is located at 1434 Chemong Rd., unit 4. For more information or booking inquiries, contact Wendy by email at education@ontarioturtle.ca. The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre is looking for donations. They need items to help keep their turtle enclosures clean. If you have dishwashing gloves (all sizes) and any type of brushes, they would love to hear from you. For further information or to arrange drop-off for donations, email info@ontarioturtle.ca or send a message through the OTCC Facebook account. Trent Talks The next instalment of Trent Universitys Trent Talks interactive video series, Economic Recovery, takes place Wednesday at noon. This episode, with economics professor emeritus Dr. Harry Kitchen and professor Dr. Saud Choudry will discuss viewer submitted questions on the impact the pandemic has had on the federal and municipal economies, and what recovery could look like for Canada. Trent Talks, a bi-weekly interactive video series hosted by Dr. Stephen Stohn, Trents chancellor, usually features a 10-minute lecture by faculty experts, and a Q&A with viewer submitted questions. Episodes include timely, reliable and thought-provoking information about COVID-19, as well as other topics related to our rapidly changing world. Previous episodes have included discussions on Hacking the Pandemic, Emotional Wellness in Uncertain Times, and COVID and the Environment, and Racism, to name but a few. If you missed any talks, they are all available for viewing on the Trent Talks website. To register for this weeks Trent Talks, to submit a question for the talk, or view previous episodes at trentu.ca/trenttalks. The following Trent Talks episode will take place Wednesday, Aug. 5 with Dr. David Newhouse, director of the Chaine Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, and Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer discussing The Future of Canada. There is no charge for this webinar series, but you can make an optional donation to the Trent Student Relief Fund (SRF), if you would like, when you register. Tax receipts will be issued. The SRF, available to Trent students based on financial need, was established to assist Trent students experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Explosion At Iranian Power Plant, No Casualties Reported July 19, 2020 The official IRNA news agency has reported an explosion at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan Province, but says there were no casualties. There have been several explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear, and industrial facilities since late June. The managing director of the Isfahan power company told IRNA on July 19 the blast was caused by a worn-out transformer at the plant. It comes days after several vessels caught fire on July 15 at the Iranian port of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. Two explosions rocked the capital, Tehran, in late June, one near a military site and the other in a health center, the latter killing 19 people. A fire also broke out at the underground Natanz nuclear facility on July 2. Iran's top security body said on July 3 that the cause of the Natanz fire had been determined but would be announced at a later time. Some Iranian officials said it could have been a cyberattack, and one warned that Tehran would retaliate against any country carrying out such attacks. In an article in early July, IRNA addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States, although it stopped short of accusing either directly. Israel's defense minister said on July 5 his country was not "necessarily" behind every mysterious incident in Iran. Based on reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/explosion -at-iranian-power-plant-no- casualties-reported/30735838.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GRAND HAVEN, MI The Grand Haven State Park beach is closed Monday, July 20, while rescuers try to find the body of a teen presumed down in Lake Michigan. Access to the beach and day-use parking lot is temporarily closed. A 14-year-old Grand Rapids boy was last seen Sunday, July 19, swimming near the swim buoys at the state park. Grand Haven Department of Public Safety responded to a 3:40 p.m. report of a missing swimmer. Beachgoers formed a human chain but could not find the victim. Rescuers searched nearly five hours before halting the search. Police planned to search the beach overnight before Ottawa County sheriffs and state police dive teams resume the search Monday morning. The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids had warned of hazardous swimming conditions with high waves and strong currents. The night before the teen went missing, several people were swept off the south pier but were recovered or reached safety on their own. Read more: Several people swept off Grand Haven pier, prompting temporary closure 14-year-old boy presumed drowned in Lake Michigan 10-month-old dies after being backed over in yard CareerGig Offers Traditional Benefits for Freelancers "CareerGig is committed to offering the flexibility of self-employment with the stability of insurance and benefits, Greg Kihlstrom, CEO. As the U.S. unemployment rate remains high, CareerGig, an online SaaS-based platform launched today offering affordable insurance for freelancers. The platform also provides access to available freelance gigs and contract projects at top companies looking for candidates. On the hiring end, companies that sign up for the service will have access to state of the art verification services and immediate access to ready talent, reducing valuable internal time and resources, and can provide their 1099 workers with benefits through the platform. Tailored especially for freelancers and contractors, CareerGigs robust menu of offerings include health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, and health service accounts (HSAs). CareerGig also offers supplemental benefits such as accident, critical illness, and pet insurance. All offerings are outlined and available through the company website at careergig.com. Human resource professionals within companies are able to access CareerGigs streamlined and secure verification process allowing for multiple assessments and background checks, saving time and internal resources. Built with blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other technologies, CareerGig provides companies the security and peace of mind when hiring candidates. In addition to verification services, companies that hire through the platform would also be able to offer their 1099 workers insurance and benefits through CareerGig. Research shows that 36% of Americans are already part of the gig economy and 90% are open to joining; but the biggest concerns being the lack of access to health and financial safety nets. At CareerGig, we understand those concerns and are building a company committed to offering the flexibility of self-employment with the stability of insurance and benefits, said Greg Kihlstrom, CEO and Co-Founder of CareerGig. Whats more, our core philosophy of trust and validation using the best available technologies means that our platform is built with our customers data privacy and best interests in mind from the start. ### ABOUT CAREERGIG Career benefits. Gig lifestyle. Choose both. CareerGig is a SaaS technology platform and ecosystem that matches freelance and contract workers to top employers, and with independent access to health and financial benefits exclusively tailored for those in the gig economy. Powered by blockchain and AI technology, CareerGig also provides employers the ability to hire qualified and verified talent through an accelerated and scalable state-of-the-art process. CareerGig helps individuals create freelance careers, and makes life easier and more secure for companies that hire them. Contact us at careergig.com NEW YORK CITY More than half of the nearly 2,000 Patch readers who responded to a survey asking if New York City's schools should reopen this fall had a clear response: "Absolutely not." The non-scientific poll, published on July 13, asked readers for their reaction to the mayor's plan to send kids back in September, which calls for students to spend one to three days in a classroom and the rest of the week learning remotely. Of the 1,848 readers who answered Patch's question, "Do you think schools should reopen in September?" 958 readers or 51.8 percent said "absolutely not." Only 24.5 percent said schools should reopen, and 23.6 percent of readers said they were unsure. Most readers said the expectation that kids could safely social distance in a school setting was unrealistic, with only 17.4 percent saying it was possible. Meanwhile, nearly 46 percent of respondents said it's unrealistic for children to wear a mask all day at school. Students have not been in the classroom since March, when New York City became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Under the city's school reopening plan, students and staff will be required to wear masks, schools will undergo deep cleanings every night, hand-washing stations will be installed and large spaces like cafeterias, gyms and auditoriums will be used in an effort to practice proper social distancing. Parents also have the option to keep their kids at home for full-time remote learning, though they have to sign up by Aug.. Here's the current timeframe for reopening public schools in the fall: July 15: Parent portal opens for families to sign up for fully remote instruction. July 16: First virtual Family Information Session Aug. 7: Deadline for families to opt for fully-remote instruction. Readers who filled out Patch's survey were also asked to share their concerns about the school reopening plan. Here's an unedited sampling of their responses: Story continues On the one hand it is important for children to have socialization but you cannot expect children not to touch things, each other and then touch their noses and mouths. That's how they learn. Unless it is a boarding school in which case the kids can quarantine before going-that can work. The teachers and students and parents are all at risk by sending kids back. As a teacher I fear for me and my children and students. The competence of the teachers in controlling or advising students is so poor I have no confidence in that environment. Younger kids should not be going because they can't be expected to effectively socially distance. Families with older kids should be able to opt in, with live classroom instruction reserved for materials that can't be taught remotely as effectively (e.g., science labs, gym, special services like speech or OT). Until there is an effective vaccine, schools are a great way to spread the virus between families, especially since kids are generally asymptomatic, so you don't know who has it until a parent or a more vulnerable family member is affected. Schools should be OPEN for 5 DAYS PER WEEK -- kids now playing together in street -- no need to do social distance. Long term health of all children requires that they attend school. This article originally appeared on the New York City Patch The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus and his babymama Diane Kruger took their 20-month-old daughter for a family hike through the hills of Los Angeles on Saturday. The German-born 44-year-old flaunted her taut tummy in a yellow cropped T-shirt and red shorts while carrying their toddler, whose name has not been disclosed over 'safety concerns.' The models-turned-actors both made sure to wear cloth masks, which California Governor Gavin Newsom made mandatory for all public outings on June 18. Family bonding: The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus and his babymama Diane Kruger took their 20-month-old daughter for a family hike through the hills of Los Angeles on Saturday On Sunday, Kruger (born Heidkruger) shared One World in Data's video graph spanning February 8 to July 13 of the skyrocketing coronavirus cases in the States compared to other countries. Diane - who boasts 1.6M Instagram/Facebook followers - wrote: 'Because wearing a mask is "violating your constitutional rights" but killing people isn't?! WAKE UP AMERICA!' As of Sunday, there have been over 153K confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, which has lead to 4,084 deaths - according to Johns Hopkins University. Despite the grim forecast, the Cannes best actress winner gushed of her life on Thursday: 'What angel kissed my forehead that I deserve such happiness?' Baring her belly: The German-born 44-year-old flaunted her taut tummy in a yellow cropped T-shirt and red shorts while carrying their toddler, whose name has not been disclosed over 'safety concerns' Safety first: The models-turned-actors both made sure to wear cloth masks, which California Governor Gavin Newsom made mandatory for all public outings on June 18 'WAKE UP AMERICA!' On Sunday, Kruger shared One World in Data's video graph spanning February 8 to July 13 of the skyrocketing coronavirus cases in the States compared to other countries Kruger and the Florida-born 51-year-old - 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, Diane was still in a decade-long relationship with Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson. Meanwhile, Norman and nineties supermodel Helena Christensen - who split in 2003 - amicably co-parent their 20-year-old son Mingus Lucien. Reedus 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. Despite the grim forecast, Diane gushed of her life on Thursday: 'What angel kissed my forehead that I deserve such happiness?' 'We're so proud of you!' The Florida-born 51-year-old (L) also has a 20-year-old son Mingus Lucien (M) with nineties supermodel Helena Christensen (R), whom he split from in 2003 (pictured in 2018) Showrunner Angela Kang just revealed the postponed air date will finally be unveiled during the virtual Comic-Con panel streaming this Friday at 4pm EST via YouTube. The Death Stranding actor has used his valuable time in quarantine lockdown to pen his literary debut - a collection of four short fiction stories. 'I'm writing a book with help,' Norman said on AMC's Friday Night in With the Morgans on July 3. 'It's a book of fiction. There are four stories that kind of interact, and they learn through each other on a journey from the East Coast to the West Coast, in a nutshell. 'A Certain Doom': Norman 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 this Friday at 4pm EST via YouTube 'It's a story of hope and growing up, but it has really nothing to do with my life, although there is a couple of stories that happen to them that are similar to things that happened to me.' The Operative actress next plays 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!' The Cannes best actress winner 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) Michigan Judge Mary Ellen Brennan on Monday refused to grant early release to a 15-year-old girl who has been in juvenile detention since May, arguing that she was a threat to her mother A Michigan judge who has come under scrutiny and sparked protests after detaining a 15-year-old black girl for failing to do her schoolwork today denied the teenager early release from juvenile detention, saying she is a threat to her mother. Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan said during a hearing in Pontiac that her 'role is to make decisions that are in' the teen's best interest. She noted that police had been called out three times for confrontations between the teen, known only as Grace, and her mother, who goes by the moniker Charisse. One incident allegedly involved the teen biting her mother's hand and pulling her hair. ProPublica first reported last week that Grace has been in Oakland County's Children's Village since mid-May for violating probation in a case involving allegations of assault and theft. Brennan cited a 'failure to submit to any schoolwork and getting up for school,' reported The Detroit News. Brennan had said the girl was a threat to the community based on the assault allegation involving her mother in November, according to court documents. Grace also allegedly stole a cellphone from a fellow student at Birmingham Groves High School in Beverly Hills, northwest of Detroit. The girl known as Grace is currently at the Children's Village detention center after she failed to complete her homework and violated the terms of her parole Grace was placed on probation in April and, among other requirements, was to complete her schoolwork. The girl, who has ADHD and receives special education services, struggled with the transition to online learning and fell behind. When Brennan sentenced the girl to detention on May 14, she told her that she was sending her to Childre's Village to get treatment and services. 'She was not detained because she didn't turn her homework in,' Brennan said Monday. 'She was detained because she was a threat to her mother.' Before ruling on Grace's fate in May, Brennan offered her a chance to speak in her own defense. 'I miss my mom,' Grace said at the time. 'I can control myself. I can be obedient.' On Monday, Brennan said from the bench: 'My role is to make decisions that are in this young lady's best interest, period,' Brennan said. 'I took an oath that I would not be swayed by public clamor or fear of criticism.' Birmingham Public Schools said last week that it had no role in the case, but that no student should be punished for missed online work during the coronavirus pandemic. Grace's mother, known as Charisse, shared this heartbreaking letter penned by Grace with ProPublica The district switched to virtual instruction following a state-mandated shutdown of schools in March. The ProPublica story was also published by the Detroit Free Press and Bridge, another news organization. News of Grace's case prompted protests over how Black children are treated in the criminal justice system. 'People need to learn how to work with our kids," said Monique Campbell, who is African American and participated in a protest Monday outside the court building. 'There needs to be equitable treatment of all kids, and we need to realize there isn't.' Vivian Anderson, founder of EveryBlackGirl Inc., also attended the protest and said Black children are being criminalized for 'behavior that's accepted in other communities as a way of life - this is their aging process'. Last Thursday, hundreds of 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.' Hundreds of people gathered on July 16 in front of the Oakland County Circuit Court and Prosecutors Office in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac to protest Grace's detention Groves High School junior Olivia Alford, her father Ed Alford, mother Robin Alford, and brother Bryce Alford stand together in prayer during a protest in support of their schoolmate Grace Judge Brennan cited a 'failure to submit to any schoolwork and getting up for school' in her decision to detain Grace, but on Monday she said the teen was a threat to her mother A protester sits on top of a car after a caravan protest in support of Grace on July 16 Grace's classmates who attended the rally told Reuters that her academic performance was not unique as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. 'A lot of people were behind on their work this semester, no one had motivation to do anything because the teachers were't teaching and we were all online. I know so many people that didn't do their homework,' said Prudence Canter, 18, a graduating senior 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. The Michigan Supreme Court said on Thursday it is reviewing the circumstances of the case. The conversion of the dining half of downtown Stoney Creeks Attic pizzeria into a pot shop is underway even though the necessary approvals from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario are still under review. But owner Ned Kuruc says hes confident enough to proceed with renovations and installation of an exterior sign because hes following an AGCO checklist to ensure the 1,000-square-foot Neku Cannabis store meets all requirements. This includes security cameras to surveil every inch of the stores interior and exterior, ensuring the interior isnt visible from outside, and secure rooms to store data and cannabis products, he said. A Neku Cannabis sign has also gone up outside because its required by the AGCO before approval to ensure it doesnt have cartoon characters or other images that may appeal to children, he added. Were doing exactly what were being told to do, nothing more, nothing less, and we dont have a definite opening date as of yet, Kuruc said. You have to renovate in order to get approval; you cant do one without the other. The preparations and approval process dont sit well with neighbours and their councillor, Chad Collins, who opposed the shop during a formal commenting period in April. They fear a repeat of experiences with The Wellness Glass Co., an illegal pot shop that rented a home Kuruc owns next door until shut down by police in the fall of 2018. Collins said the Attic renovations show the approval process is flawed and has created a lot of confusion in the public. He said he wants Premier Doug Fords government to change its legislation to better notify people of applications and allow municipalities to zone cannabis shops in areas with limited impact on residential communities. Collins said an overhaul of their piecemeal approval process that seems to encourage the complete retrofit of the business prior to granting approval is also needed. Like other retail uses, municipalities should have the ability to protect local residents, he said. Those safeguards are completely absent. Dave Long, whos led neighbourhood opposition to the Attic pot shop, said even with all required safeguards, Kuruc cant guarantee his customers wont create the same offsite problems as the illegal shop. These included traffic congestion, parking and noise complaints, fist fights, urination on neighbouring properties and conflicts with residents, he said, adding hes written letters to Ford and the head of the AGCO to voice his concerns. Its a nightmare Round 2, Long said of Neku Cannabis. People just have no respect for the neighbourhood. They want their dope and they want it now. Kuruc said hes had to rebut objections raised during the April comment period and some opposition reflected a mistaken impression the Attics bar and patio would remain open, when only the takeout side will continue. He said there will be enough parking on-site and customers wont be able to congregate or smoke pot outside. At the end of the day, it will create a more quiet place, Kuruc said, noting regulations require the shop to close by 11 p.m. Ive been doing business in the downtown core since 2003. I own the property. If I dont have a vested interest, then who does? AGCO spokesperson Raymond Kahnert said the Attics application for a retail operating licence and a retail store authorization are still under review. Applicants need both approvals before they can order pot products from the Ontario Cannabis Store, and then must pass a final inspection of their premises to ensure they meet all regulations before being authorized to open, he said via email. I cannot provide you with an estimated date when the process will conclude, Kahnert said. Applicants make their own business decisions to proceed with renovations before a store is approved. Stoney Creek presently has three legal pot shops Tokyo Smoke and Sessions Cannabis on the Mountain, and The Hunny Pot near Eastgate Square. Four others are in the approval process: Cannabis Creek Co. by the Village Restaurant; Mihi at the Winona Crossing Shopping Centre; Choomb Cannabis in the Walmart plaza by the corner of Rymal and Swayze roads, and Erbn Green in the former Farmer Als Market by the corner of Rymal Road East and Kingsborough Drive. An application for a Toke store in the plaza at the northwest corner of Barton Street and Centennial Parkway North is also undergoing a public comment period ending on July 27. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan will participate in the Caspian Media Forum, where the partnership of the Caspian States will be discussed, Trend reports with reference to Arzuw NEWS information portal. The meeting will focus on the development of tourist destinations based on ethnic brands of the Caspian States. In addition, the Caspian Volunteering School with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation and environmental trainings will be held. The meeting will be held in the Astrakhan region of Russia, and journalists from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan will participate in it. This is the 6th Caspian media forum held in Astrakhan. The 5th Caspian Media Forum was also held in Astrakhan last year. It was attended by journalists, scientists, diplomats, deputies and experts from the five Caspian States and Uzbekistan. During last year's media forum, it was noted that the second Caspian Economic Forum should be held in Astrakhan in 2021. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Salil Parekh is the chief executive of Infosys. Shares rose 15% on July 15 as the India-based outsourcing and IT services company announced higher sales and profits, and a deal to take over 1,300 employees of Pennsylvania-based Vanguard Group. Read more Shares of Infosys Ltd., an India-based company to which scores of U.S. corporations are outsourcing information-technology work, rose sharply last week after announcing a pact to move 1,300 jobs from Malvern-based Vanguard Group to Infosys by October. Those Vanguard staff or crew, as Vanguard calls its 18,000 workers track five million Americans retirement money in 401(k) plans and other defined-contribution accounts. That work accounts for about $1.7 trillion of Vanguards $6.5 trillion in total customer assets. The Times of India reported the value of the deal to Infosys, with $13 billion (corrected) in annual sales, at $700 million. Chief operating officer PravinRao declared the Vanguard agreement the largest deal in Infosys history when he announced it Wednesday at an investor conference call. It was a big step for Vanguard. The company already hires contractors, but in-house technology was at the heart of founder John Bogles vision of Vanguard as a branchless, low-cost investment alternative to Wall Street firms with their Main Street sales offices. Focused on marketing and cost-cutting, Bogles successors let Vanguard tech fall behind. The company has relied for too long on dated mainframe computers and software that is decades old, according to a video presentation by the transferred workers boss, Martha King, who will also join Infosys. She said Infosys will move record-keeping into the cloud of remote servers, easier to update. Transferred workers are guaranteed Vanguard benefits and no salary cuts if they remain with Infosys during the next year. If investors cheered, the news concerned some Vanguard crew, as well as customers and investors so fond of the firm that they are known as fans. Founded in 1981, Infosys, along with its U.S.-, Europe-, and India-based competitors, saves clients money by consolidating IT work. This work starts in U.S. locations, where it reviews and update client technology, then moves to low-cost centers in countries such as India, where most of Infosys 240,000 employees work. Dozens of callers to The Inquirer and online comments on the Tuesday news story expressed concern Vanguard is setting crew adrift and leaving customer service partly dependent on a third party. The Bogleheads message boards for Vanguard fans logged 240 comments, many expressing concern about service and employees, before a moderator shut off new posts the day after the Infosys announcement. Not all the comments were hostile to the Infosys move. Some praised Vanguard for cutting costs and fees. To allay fears that Vanguard is shipping work to India, Vanguard spokespeople stressed that Infosys has promised a new Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence in Malvern. New business from other clients could keep U.S. staff there busy even after the Vanguard work has been assimilated by Infosys. Infosys has a history of importing its own engineers and tech staff from India to do initial client work, using the U.S. governments H-1B temporary visa program for technical employees. Of the 65,000 visas issued under the program each year, Infosys staff renewed or received over 14,000 in 2016 and 2017, according to U.S. immigration data. Some of the workers went home to train lower-paid India-based IT staff; others renewed the visas to remain in the United States. Supporters of the program say that helps build the U.S. software workforce. (Added July 22) Since the visas can be used for up to six years, and in some cases indefinitely, the number of H-1B workers that Infosys actually emloys today is likely around 25,000, estimates Ron Hira, associate professor of political science at Howard University who has studied the program and author of the book Outsourcing America. He adds that the number of first-time H-1B visas approved for Infosys workers has risen in each of the past two years. Infosys, like its large rivals, typically moves work offshore after its U.S.-based and Indian-national partners have learned how to do it, says the India-born head of a Pennsylvania software company, who agreed to speak on the condition he was not named because he competes with Infosys for corporate and government contracts. The savings start, he added, when the work moves offshore. He said Infosys and other outsourcers had offered to do engineering work for $20 to $30 an hour, relying on newly credentialed engineers in India, in competition with his own firm and U.S. rivals charging $80 or $90 an hour for seasoned engineers, including Indian immigrants with long experience. Critics like Kevin Lynn, head of the Washington-based Progressives for Immigration Reform, say the H-1B program has been abused at the expense of U.S. tech workers and wages. Nonunion tech workers are often taken advantage of by U.S. and foreign-based outsourcing firms, including Infosys, which has workers teach their lower-paid replacements before ending their jobs, he added. President Donald Trump campaigned against U.S. tech companies reliance on foreign labor, and the number of H-1B visas collected for Infosys workers in the U.S. dropped by half in 2018 and 2019. This years total is just 2,300. Since 2017, Infosys says it has hired more than 13,000 to work at digital centers focused on agility, collaboration and codesign in Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Texas, including recent college grads. The Vanguard crew will form a ready addition to Infosys U.S. workforce. In an investor conference call Wednesday, CEO Salil Parekh said more than half the companys U.S. workforce is now local instead of imported from India. The company also says around one-quarter of its staff are now on-site near companies like Vanguard, instead of offshore in India. With unemployment higher since the coronavirus shutdowns, politics in visas will probably increasingly be an issue, regardless of which party wins the presidential election in November, warned Keith Bachman, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, during Wednesdays investor conference. Parekh acknowledged coronavirus travel restrictions, as well as visa cuts, make it harder to move Indian workers to the U.S. So, he added, weve really built a completely new business model, recruiting from colleges, building digital centers in places like Malvern. That model keeps evolving, however. Parekh also pointed out that 99% of Infosys workers are now working mostly from home. A good percentage of things can be worked anywhere, said Rao at the investor conference. It doesnt necessarily have to be in front of the client. With voluntary quit rates declining as the world economy slows, Rao added, if things dont go smoothly, Infosys can easily switch staff: Wherever people are not delivering, we let them go. By Express News Service CHENNAI: For months, the BJP has been attempting to paint the DMK as anti-Dalit and thereby weaken one of its vote bases. Though one has to wait till the elections to find out if the strategy pays off, the BJP has managed to sustain its campaign until now. The key narrative has been that the DMK only exploits Dalits for their votes by means of tokenism. It started with the allegations that the office of Murasoli, the DMK's newspaper, is located on panchami land, which belongs to Dalits. Though no evidence has been produced substantiating the claim, the matter has been taken to the National Scheduled Castes Commission and hearings were conducted. Loose talk by a few DMK leaders also helped the BJP in its campaign. One such statement by the party spokesperson RS Bharathi, for which he has apologised, nearly landed him in prison after Chennai police arrested him for the speech. Former BJP SC Morcha state president Ma Venkatesan says his party took up the campaign because the DMK, is in reality, acting against the interests of Dalits. He says, "The DMK is claiming to be the pioneer of social justice and working for the betterment of Dalits. But they are only brainwashing Dalits. The mentality of most DMK leaders and cadre is anti-Dalit. They only consider them fit to be low-profile." The BJP has also recently appointed L Murugan, who hails from the Dalit community, as president of the party's Tamil Nadu unit. Soon after his appointment, posters in Chennai with photos of Murugan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed, "This is real social justice." Incidentally, Murugan was the vice-chairman of the National Scheduled Castes Commission when the Murasoli case was taken up by the commission. Even as the DMK's IT wing was carrying out a strong counter campaign, loose comments by some DMK leaders, like Dayanidhi Maran, worked against their case. While the DMK leaders later apologised and said their intentions were misconstrued, even the party's ally VCK expressed concerns over the statements. A few cases were also filed before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes & Tribes on such statements which helped keep the issue alive. Venkatesan says the party's aim is to show people the "original face" of DMK and each district unit has been given a target to reach at least 10,000 persons. Speaking to The New Indian Express, DMK SC wing secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Anthiyur Selvaraj said that the BJP is trying to exploit a few slips of the tongue by DMK leaders. "It is the DMK which has done a lot for the welfare of Dalits. In other parties, Dalits are given postings only in Dalit wings. But that's not the case in the DMK. The BJP has appointed a Dalit as president in Tamil Nadu, where the party has not much political presence. In how many other states do they have Dalits as state presidents?" he says. VP Duraisamy, former deputy general secretary of the DMK who recently joined the BJP, counters this argument saying the Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre has done many things for Dalits, including releasing of stamps and coins commemorating Dr BR Ambedkar. "The BJP government bought the house where Ambedkar stayed in London and converted it into an accomodation for Indian Dalit students in London." Activists from the Dalit community say the BJP's campaign to paint DMK as anti-Dalit is yet to have enough impact to drive Dalits away from the party or to help the BJP. Activist and director of Evidence A Kathir told The New Indian Express, "We cannot accept the statements of the DMK leader (which were derogatory towards Dalits). At the same time, we cannot brush aside what the party has done for the community. The DMK has been in the forefront of ensuring reservation for the suppressed communities. But the DMK leaders must be more responsible with their words." He said the BJP has not come forward to help when Dalits faced several issues. Durai Guna, an activist and writer, says, "Both the Dravidian parties have given Rajya Sabha tickets to Dalits while other parties, including the BJP, usually confine Dalits to reserved constituencies." While the BJP has of late never missed a chance to brand the DMK as anti-Dalit, it remained silent when the DMK was recently being criticised for not speaking out against the acquittal of the key accused in the Udumalpet honour killing case of Dalit youth Shankar. The DMK was accused of not speaking out on the case since that might antagonise the intermediate caste groups and thereby letting down the Dalit community on such a serious issue. After a three-day delay, DMK president MK Stalin commented on the issue supporting an appeal against the Madras high court order. However, the BJP has so far not commented on the case. Deputy commissioner (DC) Varinder Sharma visited the Civil Hospital here on Monday to check arrangements for Covid-19 treatment and interacted with the doctors, urging them to do their best to be of service to patients. The district administration, Sharma said, was committed to providing quality healthcare facilities to local residents. The bed capacity in level-1 Covid control centres for non-critical patients had been increased to 1,200, and at level-2 centres (for severe cases) to 450. The capacity of isolation wards in private hospitals was 84. The government had also tied up with Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital, SPS Hospital, and Deep Hospital for treatment of patients, he added. Sharma urged the residents to follow all government directions in the interest of the society and not panic. He also assured them that the district administration and the Punjab government was keeping close watch on all cases. Persons with Covid-like symptoms should get tested at government hospitals free of cost, he advised. Those testing positive but asymptomatic could be sent for home isolation if they had a separate room with an attached bathroom. Covid was just a form of influenza, and should not be perceived as a social stigma, Sharma added. The only way people could save themselves from Covid was by wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and hand hygiene. The maximum number of tests were being conducted, Sharma added, assuring the people that they should not worry. The DC also took time to pay a visit to the NGO Ann Jal Sewa Trust and stopped at their canteen within the Civil Hospital premises for some time. Friendliness and cooperation is key to 'evolutionary survival' rather than dominance, according to a new interpretation of Charles Darwin's theory on natural selection. A new book called 'Survival of the Friendliest' by Duke University researchers Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods examines the true meaning behind 'survival of the fittest'. Hare and Woods argue that natural selection is nothing to do with 'beating up the competition' in order to survive but rather 'working together' with others. They say other factors are at work in evolution and that the most successful strategy in life 'is friendlessness and cooperation' which we 'see time and time again'. Researchers say dogs are 'exhibit A' in the case for survival of the friendliest as they are thriving compared to relative species wolves as they 'partnered with humans'. Stock image Charles Darwin (pictured) helped pioneer much of what is now modern day evolutionary theory including the idea of 'survival of the fittest' through natural selection In the book, subtitled 'understanding our origins and rediscovering our common humanity', they suggest partnership and communication are vital for survival. 'The idea of survival of the fittest as it exists in the popular imagination can make for a terrible survival strategy,' Hare wrote. 'Research shows that being the biggest, strongest, and meanest animal can set you up for a lifetime of stress. Social stress saps your bodys energy budget, leaving a weakened immune system and fewer offspring.' Hare, an evolutionary anthropologist, studies humans, primates and dogs to better understand how we think. He also founded the Duke Canine Cognition Centre. 'Dogs are exhibit A,' when it comes to the benefits of being friendly and using that to survive, Hare told the Washington Post. 'They are the extremely friendly descendants of wolves. They were attracted to humans and became friendly to humans, and changed their behavior, appearance and developmental makeup,' he explained. 'Sadly, their close relative, the wolf, is threatened and endangered in the few places where they live, whereas there are hundreds of millions of dogs.' He said because dogs decided to rely on humans and focus on cooperation and friendliness, their population 'won big' compared to wolves. The couple argue that shared humanity, friendly partnerships among species and cooperation have worked throughout centuries to ensure successful evolution. 'For most of the approximately 300,000 years that Homo sapiens have existed, we have shared the planet with at least four other types of humans,' they wrote'. 'All of these were smart, strong, and inventive. But around 50,000 years ago, Homo sapiens made a cognitive leap that gave us an edge over other species.' Hare and Woods argue this was in part due to the homo sapiens gift for 'friendliness', a remarkable kind of friendliness that included a virtuosic ability to coordinate and communicate with others that gave us a cultural and technological edge. 'Darwin was constantly impressed with the kindness and cooperation he observed in nature,' Woods and Hare wrote in the book. They said Darwin wrote that 'those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best and rear the greatest number of offspring.' They said species that endure, such as humans, animals and plants, do so based on their ability to cooperate and coexist with other species. 'Survival of fittest, which is what everyone has in mind as evolution and natural selection, has done the most harm of any folk theory that has penetrated society,' Hare told the Washington Post. 'People think of it as strong alpha males who deserve to win. That's not what Darwin suggested, or what has been demonstrated. The most successful strategy in life is friendliness and cooperation, and we see it again and again.' The pair gave the example of flowering plants that attract animals to spread their pollen - they form a partnership that benefits plant and animal. Another example is closer to home in the form of bonobos and chimpanzees. 'The friendliest male bonobo (pictured) is more successful than the unfriendliest chimpanzee,' Hare says, with bonobo males having more offspring than male chimps. Stock image Hare and Woods study bonobos - a matriarchal species of ape where they don't kill each other but rather engage in sex to maintain peace. Bonobos also share their food with others and 'never outgrow their willingness to share', according to Hare, who said this is unlike Chimpanzees who 'make war'. Chimps are violent and kill one another and become more selfish as they get older. 'The friendliest male bonobo is more successful than the unfriendliest chimpanzee,' Hare says, with bonobo males having more offspring than male chimps. Humans need to be friendly if they want to continue to evolve successfully and thrive, according to the book authors. They said we win at life by cooperating with others, communicating and working together to 'solve the hardest of social problems'. A young girl has died after she was hit by a car driven by a family member at a Scenic Rim property. Emergency services were called to the private property in Rosevale, about 70 kilometres south-west of Brisbane City, about 4.30pm on Sunday. Police said the 14-month-old girl was hit by the reversing car in the driveway. Paramedics, including critical care specialists and a rescue helicopter, responded to the incident. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the toddler died at the scene. Update on Melbournes lockdown In Victoria we are now seeing over 200 new COVID-19 cases every day. On 14th July, there were 257 new cases in a single day bringing total cases to 4,224, now exceeding New South Wales. Many of these cases are linked to health care facilities, aged care facilities, workplaces, and the public housing blocks. On 10th July July, Daniel Andrews made a statement encouraging the community to wear face masks when entering the public. This, however, is just a recommendation. Daniel Andrews states that it will not be enforced and you cannot be fined for not wearing a face mask. This is the response of a capitalist, liberal government. Daniel Andrews sees two options when confronting the virus: individual responsibility and punitive measures. Masks, especially N95 masks, are increasingly inaccessible and expensive. The governments response should be to provide easily accessible, subsidised masks for the community. Employers should also provide masks as a safety control when social distancing cannot be met. Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) have continued to campaign for masks to be made available to all commuters. The government should be supplying commuters on public transport with masks to help protect workers and communities. Hopefully we shall see this change after the state governments order of two million reusable masks and one million single-use masks arrive later this month. Another development in Victoria is an agreement between Daniel Andrews and Scott Morrison to deploy 1,000 defence force members over the next three weeks. In Scott Morrisons statement on July 14, he said that the 1,000 members will be supporting logistics, testing, paramedics, intelligence reporting, contact tracing data, management, community outreach, enforcement, and manage vehicle checkpoints. There have also been increased fear of an outbreak amongst the refugees detained at one of Australias Medevac hotel prisons, Mantra City Hotel, after one of the security guards was tested positive for COVID-19. All refugee and asylum seekers must be released into the community with adequate and appropriate support to prevent a cluster outbreak at Mantra City. Daniel Andrews has also warned that if the situation does not improve under Stage Three restrictions, then Stage Four restrictions could be introduced, but it is unclear what exactly this would entail. Free 33 Alfred Street Public Housing Hard Lockdown We have welcomed the easing of the public housing hard lockdown for eight of the nine buildings in Flemington, North Melbourne, and Kensington. However, the block at 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne remains under hard lockdown and residents demands remain unmet (see Free the Blocks in Issue #1923 for the list of demands). In a statement from Voices from the Blocks, they noted that the police at 33 Alfred Street are still kept in the dark about their situation, and that the police patrolling the blocks are to eventually be replaced by prison guards. Residents at 33 Alfred Street were told that they could now leave for exercise and medical care. However, this medical care is segregated in marquees near the building and the exercise the government was so generous to permit? This is limited to a perimeter around the building enforced by a temporary fence that cages residents inside. There have been more reports of police harassment and gaslighting from volunteers and residents at 33 Alfred Street. Tigist Kebede, a mental health counsellor volunteering at 33 Alfred Street, relayed an experience where volunteers were told to stay clear from the car park they had been visiting to communicate with residents inside. This change in what volunteers were allowed to do coincided with a shift change for police. One of the police officers singled out Tigist Kebede and confused her with another Black and so-called abusive volunteer from before she had even arrived at the scene. This occurred after a police officer refused to give the volunteers their badge number. This isnt the first time a police officer has refused to provide a badge number at the blocks. These situations are very different to the so-called support from Victoria Police that Daniel Andrews has been talking about. There has also been no more information released about the proposed hardship payments and rent suspension for residents affected by the hard lockdown. This is crucial as residents are reporting conflicting stories where rent has been taken out of residents bank accounts, and residents have been told that the hardship payment was for households only, and then only for those with a positive COVID-19 test. We demand complete transparency surrounding the lockdown from the Department of Health and Human Services. Coronavirus in the workplace There have been a few COVID-19 related outbreaks in workplaces, especially in workplaces represented by United Workers Union (UWU). UWU attributes this to the fact that when there is a COVID-19 case at the workplaces they represent, such as warehouses and production facilities, workers are told to keep working. An example of this is the continued production at the Chemist Warehouse Distribution Centre in Somerton, Melbourne. In a media release on July 10, UWU states that the positive COVID-19 case and only five of their colleagues have gone into isolation, despite the possibility of up to 100 staff who worked the same shift having come in contact with the confirmed case. Workers at the warehouse are forced to choose between financial stability and putting their own health at risk. UWU demands that Chemist Warehouse: Place all workers at this site on paid pandemic leave until they have been able to obtain a COVID test and return it negative. Close the site for 72 hours to allow for a deep clean. Another workplace outbreak is at yet another abattoir in Brooklyn, Melbourne. JBS abattoir have, as of July 13, four positive COVID-19 tests and has been shut down for a deep clean. The biggest concern from UWU is that the outbreak may continue at JBS unless workers stood down are given paid pandemic leave, as is demanded for workers at the Chemist Warehouse Distribution Centre. There have been anecdotes from UWU members of being left in the dark by their employers when there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in the workplace. Under Victorian Worksafe laws, workers have the right to collectively cease work if safety is threatened. UWU have released two checklists, one for workers and one for employers, for workplaces with a COVID-19 case to help workers pressure employers to implement safety control measures. UWU members are given three steps in the case of an outbreak: Contact the UWU COVID-19 Hotline 0412 095 327. Contact the Department of Health and Worksafe if your employer is not following protocol. If there is no deep cleaning and/or if there is unsafe subcontracting, Health and Safety Reps can put in a cease work notice. A similar protocol can be followed for workers not represented by UWU by first contacting their union when a COVID-19 is reported in their workplace. As UWU Logistics Director Matt Toner says, Big businesses need to understand that this virus spreads just as fast in the workplace as it does in the community, and they need to do more to stop the second wave hitting Victorians. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday dampened prospects of an effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year, as initial results of a widely-followed human trial at the University of Oxford were due to be released later in the day. On a visit to Kent, Johnson, who recovered after being severely affected by the virus earlier this year, said: I wish I could say that I was 100% confident that we will get a vaccine for Covid-19 (this year). As you know, there are about 100 different scientific ventures out in the field now. Follow latest updates on coronavirus here The UK has got some world-leading scientists engaged in this. Theres the Oxford programme where we have secured 100m doses already. What we are saying today is were investing also in a couple of potential vaccines, one French, one German 90 million doses that were going to be investing in. However, he went on to say in a pooled media interaction: Obviously Im hopeful. Ive got my fingers crossed. But to say that Im 100% confident that well get a vaccine this year, or indeed next year, that is, alas, an exaggeration. We are not there yet. Also read: UK firm declares positive results from Covid-19 protein treatment If you talk to the scientists, they think that the sheer weight of international effort is going to produce something. They are pretty confident that well get some sorts of treatments, some sorts of vaccines, that really make a difference. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage But right now can I tell you that Im 100% confident? No. Thats why weve got to continue with our current approach, maintaining social distancing measures ... washing hands ... wearing face masks in confined spaces like on public transport or in shops. And then we will continue to drive the virus down by our own collective action. It may be that the vaccine is going to come riding over the hill like the cavalry. But we just cant count on it right now, he added. Also read: Awaiting trials success, UK seals early access to 3 Covid-19 vaccine candidates Johnsons comments came soon after Business secretary Alok Sharma announced new deals to secure early access to three promising Covid-19 vaccine candidates. The Johnson government has allocated millions of pounds for mass-production of vaccines if trials are successful. The three vaccine classes that the Boris Johnson government has secured through partnerships are: adenoviral vaccines (University of Oxford/AstraZeneca); mRNA vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer, Imperial College London) and the inactivated whole virus vaccines (Valneva). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ukraine imported agricultural products worth $3.2 billion during the first six months of 2020, which is 12.3% more than in the same period last year, according to the National Scientific Center Institute of Agrarian Economics (IAE). "According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine imported agricultural products worth $3.2 billion between January-June 2020. This is $ 0.4 billion (up 12.3%) more compared with the first six months last year, IAE Deputy Director Mykola Puhachov said. According to him, the main suppliers of agricultural products to Ukraine were traditionally EU countries. They accounted for about half of Ukraines imports. In the first half of 2020, agricultural products worth USD 1.594 billion were purchased in this region. Lower volumes of imports came from other regions of the world. Between January-June 2020, Ukraines imports of agricultural products from the countries of Asia reached $610 million (19% of total imports), Latin America $252 million (8%), and Africa $163 million (5%). Among largest suppliers of agricultural products to Ukraine were Poland ($368 million), Germany ($238 million), Turkey ($232 million), Italy ($189 million), the United States ($169 million), France ($155 million), the Netherlands ($141 million), Norway ($103 million), China ($ 100 million) and Spain ($93 million). In total, these countries accounted for about 56% of the value of Ukraines agricultural imports. Between January-June 2020, Ukraines imports of fruits and berries (mainly citrus and bananas) amounted to $341 million; fish, crustaceans and mollusks - $295 million; tobacco products - $243 million; oilseeds - $215 million; alcoholic beverages - $199 million; vegetables - $191 million; cocoa products and chocolate - $152 million. These products accounted for 58% of the value of Ukraines agricultural imports, Puhachov summed up. As reported, according to the State Customs Service, Ukraine imported goods worth $24.3 billion between January-June 2020 (down 12% from last year); Ukraines exports of goods amounted to $23 billion (down 6%). iy Following the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemics blow to Vietnam's economy, millions of people have been financially affected. Seeking employment at the current time is a challenging task for many in the Southeast Asian country. A total of 30.8 million Vietnamese were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in January-June, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Out of the number, 2.4 million people lost their jobs, 17.6 million were subject to a reduction in earnings, and the service sector bore the brunt with 72 percent of its workers directly hit. Tran Van Nam, a business owner in Ho Chi Minh City, says that his firm merely hopes to reverse their pay cut and has no plans to hire more people. Workers in Vietnam are currently subject to shrunk working hours, pay cuts, debts, and joblessness due to redundancy and lack of demand. The long wait Disguised as a job applicant needing urgent employment for his livelihood, a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondent spent days sending application letters to different companies and firms. Eventually, your correspondent received a phone call from Ngoc Mai head of personnel at a wedding convention center on Le Hong Phong Street in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. According to Mai, his application for a waiter position was accepted and an interview was scheduled for the next day. During the face-to-face conversation, the interviewer informed the undercover correspondent that the restaurant had only been back in operation for over a month, so there had not been many wedding ceremonies held there. However, as they were expanding their Chinese cuisine service at certain branches, they were looking for more waiters. The reporter expressed a desire to work as a wedding reception waiter, which was rejected instantly. We are not hiring wedding receptionists right now as there are not many ceremonies. We are only looking for restaurant waiters. Your job is to welcome guests, take their orders, then deliver prepared foods, said Mai. This is going to be a full-time job, and you will work at assigned locations when we are short-staffed. The payment that Mai offered was VND4-6 million (US$172-258) per month for daily eight-hour shifts. On the morning of his interview, the reporter met with another applicant, Tran Bao Ngoc. She was a 20-year-old college student who was finding a part-time job as a wedding reception waitress. The employer, similarly, rejected her expected position. My parents are not making much money these days, so I cant just ask them for more. Ive got to find some work to eke out a living, Ngoc said. She further mentioned that many of her friends had to come back to their hometown as they were made redundant and could not deal with the cost of living in the city. I will keep trying until I get a job somewhere, she added, leaving the premises with a saddened face. The correspondent pressed on and got a contact phone number for a shoe firm located in Go Vap District. The female telephone operator told him that the firm had stopped recruiting new staff since March and there was no information regarding when they would start hiring again. A job brokerage agency in Vietnam is closed as there are not enough jobs to match. Photo: Manh Dung / Tuoi Tre Be patient The tourism sector has been badly hit by the pandemic. Currently, companies in this field are only making baby steps toward a full comeback. The reporter acted as a tour guide looking for work. He contacted Viet Cuong a staff member of a travel agency based in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Cuong told him that the company was not looking for more staff although summer has usually been the peak season. According to Cuong, old employees have refused to leave their posts although their pay was only two-thirds of what it had been before the pandemic. With not many customers as travel demand has not fully rebounded, hiring new staff was out of the question. We are not hiring because we are fully staffed now. But can you do an island tour? Cuong said. Just send me your resume. Ill call you when we need someone. Basically, Cuong told the correspondent to be patient. After this attempt, the reporter approached a clothes store situated on Le Duc Tho Street, Go Vap District. As a regular customer here, he thought the store would be bustling as it used to be before the health crisis, but even on a weekend there were only a few customers. Asking for work as a salesperson, the correspondent got a friendly no. People are out of work. Theyve got no money to go shopping, said Yen Nhi, a salesperson of the store. Now we are selling less than before. The store owner has also laid off staff. They cant hire any more people. Duong Le Nhu Quynh has spent months looking for work at a time when unemployment runs high owing to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Photo: Dieu Qui / Tuoi Tre Hard hit Duong Le Nhu Quynh, a 23-year-old woman with a background in finance and banking, coupled with two years of experience working in life insurance and real estate, has spent nearly two months seeking new employment. However, she has received no positive signs. Some employers simply rejected her application, while others made extremely high demands. Ive never been in this situation before. Every day I sit quietly, uncertain of whether my application form will be accepted and what my life will be like, she said. The banks I applied to told me they were downsizing and closing branches to deal with their financial crisis. And the real estate agents were struggling too. In this field, finding potential buyers is naturally a challenge, now after the pandemic it is a hundred times more demanding. Quynh recently had a probationary period at a bank in District 4, but the job was overwhelmingly difficult. Its not just me. My friends are having a bad time too. Some of them are out of work, some cant keep up with their extremely low salary, she added. It is hard, but everyone has to try hard in order to pull through this jobless season. N.T.T.K, a master's degree holder in finance, was working at a well-known media agency in Ho Chi Minh City. She has just received a pay raise to VND16 million ($690) a month after the COVID-19 outbreak had abruptly reduced it to VND10 million ($431). I worked so hard to become head of accounting. The new salary was paid to me for only one month, then it was cut in half, she said. As the woman was expecting a baby, she dared not quit her job. Her colleagues, whose monthly salary was cut to VND6-7 million ($259-301), are now in a deep hole as they cannot find a new job after quitting the media agency. Real estate brokers were badly affected in similar ways. Le Tran Hoang Phu has five years of experience in the field, but for the last three months no employer has agreed to hire him. I have contacted several places, but they would only put me on commission-only terms. They were not willing to offer a stable salary, he said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Gandhinagar, July 20 : Former Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani on Monday welcomed newly-appointed state unit president C.R. Patil and said that under Patil's leadership the saffron party will attain new heights and accomplishments. "I welcome the newly-appointed state party chief C.R. Patil and wish him all the best. We have worked together for years in many elections," said Vaghani. "I thank the party high command who entrusted me with the responsibility of the state president and thank all of my supporters, well-wishers, co-workers for their support and cooperation throughout these years," added Vaghani. "The position and designations are continuously changing and I am ready to serve the party and the country in whichever way and position the party feels like," added Vaghani. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also congratulated and welcomed Patil. On Monday, BJP President J.P. Nadda appointed Patil, MP from Surat, as the Gujarat state chief replacing Vaghani. Kolkata: Renewing her attack on Modi government for demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday demanded withdrawal of this black political decision saying it is against the common people. Withdraw this black political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained, she tweeted. Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government (to withdraw the decision). This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers, she said. The TMC chief on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the anti-poor government at the Centre. Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all, Banerjee had said. Mocking the Prime Minister, she had said Narendra Modi has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India. Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the demonetisation issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament. TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day. Mamata also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A.I.S. Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:AIS) (AIS or the Company) announces that on July 17, 2020 the Company entered into a binding letter of intent (LOI), to acquire the Yalgogrin orogenic gold project (the Project), with Auger results of 12.5 gm/t and 32.3 gm/t, and 14 DDHs with intercepts ranging from 1.9 gm/t to 1m at 21.5 gm/t. The Project is located in the historic West Wyalong gold corridor of central NSW, Australia which produced 445,700 oz gold mined between 1894-1921. Denis Walsh, the vendor, is a senior consulting geologist at the Victoria Fosterville gold mine. AIS will acquire two exploration licences (ELs) the EL5891 tenement, which is 2.8 sq. km. (280 ha) and the EL6030, which is 56 sq. km. and encompasses two historical gold mines. Located approximately 37 km. west of the town of West Wyalong on the Newell Highway and 595 km. north of Melbourne, this advanced-stage exploration project is in the Lachlan Fold Belt of NSW in the historic Yalgogrin gold field. This region has seen significant gold mining over the past 100 years and currently has three major operating gold projects: Cadia Newcrest 220 km north west producing 900,000 oz of gold a year, Lake Cowal Gold Mine which is 40 km from Yalgogrin project, that was purchased by Evolution for $550 million, and North Parkes, a copper and gold mine 168 km to the northeast that in 25 years has produced 1.464 million ounces of gold and 1.168 million tonnes of copper. Thomson Resources Ltd (ASX:TMZ) has staked around the EL5891 tenement completely. Local Geology The local geological environment is a magnetic, magmatic complex of Ordovician age located within the Lachlan Fold Belt. Numerous gold deposits occur in the West Wyalong Temora Adelong district, many of them close to the Gilmore Suture, which is delineated by regional aeromagnetic and gravity data. A sequence of Late Ordovician metasediments, which have been intruded by granites of (mostly) Silurian age is situated to the west of the suture. To the east of the suture, Ordovician metasediment strata form basement to an extensive sequence of volcanics and sediments which have been intruded by granitic dioritic, and gabbroic bodies of (mostly) Early Devonian age. Granodiorite phases of the Siluro-Devonian batholiths are the host to, or were the source of substantial primary and secondary gold mineralisation at Adelong, West Wyalong, and Sebastopol-Junee Reefs (some orebodies) along the Gilmore Fault Zone. Story continues Phillip Thomas, President & CEO of AIS, commented, AIS is very pleased to have secured this opportunity to explore and develop an advanced-stage gold project in the exciting historic gold district of New South Wales, Australia. The Project is geophysics and drill- ready with 3,795 metres over 14 drill holes already completed and a substantial drill hole and magnetic survey database from other explorers from 1953 when BHP explored the area. The goal is to fast-track the Project towards resource estimation, feasibility and then mine development in the Neighbour, Last Hurrah, Walsh, Adelaide, and Holland deposits. The Adelaide mine area is not yet drilled. The Company plans IP geophysics and drilling as soon as possible with a focus on Bulk Tonnage, near surface lower grade opportunities; Down dip/plunge and along strike of Holland/Walshs/Last Hurrah 500 m trend, Bonanza grade narrow vein targets near Adelaide Mine and down dip/plunge of 140 m strike workings to 55 m depth, grades equivalent to 1 m@24 g/t Au; Bonanza grade narrow vein targets at Neighbours Farm; Down dip/plunge of 14 m @ 2.6 g/t Au (entered old stope) from 1 m and along strike to 32.3 g/t Auger result. Planned Property Exploration Program The tenement offers: Mineralised system of significant scale containing numerous walk-up drill targets; Open high grade near surface intersections; Untested historic workings with reported high grades; Bulk tonnage lower grade potential; Oxide heap leach planned; Land access secured and excellent relationships established. Our aim is to define the oxide resource, provide targeting guidance for deeper exploration. In summary the program entails 5000 metres percussion reverse circulation with downhole geophysics (Optical televiewer), 240 metres of oriented diamond core holes (HQ3), QA/QC, DGPS survey, downhole surveys, handheld pXRF multi-element, gold fire assays with 50g charge on 1m intervals; preliminary metallurgical test work, resource estimate of oxide mineralisation, and an IP survey to guide further exploration at depth. Our estimated Cost is approximately AU$650,000. The planned outcome will be a NI43-101 Compliant gold oxide resource with IP Chargeability and Resistivity Inversions for drill hole guidance. Due Diligence AIS has paid a AU$10,000 option fee per month, for three months to complete due diligence. The Company plans to prepare a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Project in accordance with regulatory requirements. All the work since 2001 has been done by Denis Walsh, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. He is also the senior geologist working at Fosterville gold mine in Victoria that produced 155,106 ounces of gold this past quarter. Acquisition Terms Under the terms of the LOI, AIS has paid an AU$10,000 (approximately, C$9,500) deposit per month for an exclusivity period of 90 days during which time AIS will undertake due diligence and the parties will finalise and enter into a definitive agreement. As part of the LOI, Walsh will be granted 2% net smelter return royalty on the first 50,000 oz production. Under the terms of the LOI, AIS will acquire a 60% interest in the Yalgogrin Gold Project in exchange for (i) a cash payment of AU$275,000 (approximately, C$261,250) on the definitive agreement date, (ii) the issuance, on the definitive agreement date, of AU$125,000 (approximately, C$118,750) of AIS common shares; to acquire the remaining 40% AIS will iii) incur exploration expenditures of AU$750,000 (approximately, C$712,500) in the 12 month period post the signing of the definitive agreement. and (iv) the issuance on the date that is 18 months from the Definitive Agreement date of AU$600,000 (approximately, C$570,000) of AIS common shares at the 20-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) immediately preceding such date. Closing of the Definitive Agreement is subject to, among other things, the receipt of all necessary approvals and all conditions having been satisfied or waived with respect to the terms of the LOI including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange). Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Phillip Thomas, a Director of AIS, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. About AIS Resources Limited AIS Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange focussed on precious and base metals exploration. The Company is managed by a team of experienced mining and geological professionals. AIS has been involved in manganese trading from mines in Peru. In July 2020, AIS entered into an agreement to acquire and develop the Yalgogrin Gold Project in central New South Wales, Australia. For further information, please contact: Phillip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, AIS Resources Ltd. Tel: +1-747 2009412 Email: pthomas@aisresources.com Or Martyn Element, Executive Chairman Email: melement@aisresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8916e55-da04-43d4-a2f1-130b0f1a5541 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/247e3c4e-560a-4194-882f-b4e0df967bd7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99357714-7e62-4ae5-b376-9fbc70cab3f3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e389842f-9ccb-42b0-af5b-0dccf82827b0 Access to coronavirus tests, and delays in getting results are continuing to complicate efforts to fight COVID-19 in Michigan, based on an MLive survey of local and regional health departments. Contract tracing is becoming more complicated, and cooperation with contract tracers is an issue in some communities, health officials say. The global wave of anti-racism protests sparked by the US police killing of George Floyd has barely touched North Africa, despite everyday discrimination in a region with a long slave-trading history. Black citizens in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who come to work, study or try to reach Europe, say they suffer endemic day-to-day racism. "Floyd's death awakened the anger and rage dormant within us," said Fabrice, an undocumented Cameroonian in his 40s who lives in Algiers, adding that it twisted "the knife in the wound". But the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, most observers agree, has not triggered a major debate on racism or police violence against black Africans within the Maghreb region itself. Only Tunis saw a small demonstration in early June of around 200 locals and foreigners, at the call of the association Mnemty. The protest was "a message for African Americans from Mother Africa to say 'We are with you'," said its leader, Saadia Mosbah, a dark-skinned Tunisian. In both Morocco and Algeria, however, the BLM movement has generated only a few messages of solidarity online -- not enough to challenge a long-standing culture of silence about race. Most often the racism is verbal, but "sometimes words hurt more than being hit," said Aisha, a woman from Niger who also lives in Algiers. She said black people often endure slurs such as "kahlouche", black in Arabic, or "Mamadou", a common name in West Africa. In the worst cases, they are called "Ebola and now COVID", she said. Her seven-year-old son refused to go back to school, Aisha said, after classmates told him "you don't belong here". - 'Permanent struggle' - "We have to wage a permanent struggle against these verbal abuses," said Algerian sociologist Mohamed Saib Musette. "Some Algerians forget that they themselves are Africans." Interracial marriages are rare in North Africa, he said, and "very few TV stars, civil servants or political leaders are dark-skinned". Over the years there have been occasional campaigns that echo the goals of the BLM movement. In Morocco, a coalition of associations in 2014 launched an anti-racism campaign in support of sub-Saharan migrants with the message "Massmiytich Azzi!", literally, "Don't call me a black man". After a string of attacks in Tunisia, including a violent assault against an Ivorian woman, Mnemty successfully lobbied parliament into adopting a law against hate speech in October 2018. And the Algerian parliament followed suit in April 2020, reflecting, according to Musette, the fact that the reality of racism "is there and must be fought". Musette said the priority must be to "decondition" children and teach them to avoid derogatory terms for black North Africans, such as "abid" or "oussif", which literally means "slave". Slavery was first formally abolished in the region by Tunisia in 1846. French-colonised Algeria partially followed suit two years later, while Morocco under French mandate only did so in 1922. Though not representative of the wider region, modern-day slave markets have been reported in war-torn Libya, where desperate migrants suffer horrific abuse at the hands of human traffickers. - 'No future' - In the absence of official data, non-government groups estimate there are more than 200,000 African foreigners in Algeria, and tens of thousands in both Morocco and Tunisia. Having often arrived in convoys or caravans through the desert, they typically end up working in the informal sector, as cleaners or construction workers, no matter what qualifications they earned in their home countries. Although they frequently complain of police harassment and violence, and of wider xenophobia, many are more preoccupied with basic survival -- made harder because they lack legal papers and now because of the pandemic lockdowns. Algeria and Tunisia bar foreign Africans from obtaining residency papers unless they are students. Only Morocco has exceptionally granted residency rights to some 50,000 people, mostly from West Africa, since 2014. "Without papers, you can't claim your rights," said Fabrice, who speaks several languages, holds a law degree and has worked for non-government groups and done odd jobs in Algeria. He has been unable to settle legally since he left Cameroon 20 years ago to, as he said, "avoid living under a dictatorship". Now he has "no other wish but to leave" for Europe, to join his wife and two children who made the crossing two years ago on a makeshift boat from neighbouring Tunisia. "Twenty years is a lifetime," he said. "Here there's no future." ism-hme-amb-agr/cnp/fz/kaf New Delhi, July 20 : Hearing the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) case, the Supreme Court was on Monday informed by Vodafone Idea that its entire net worth had been wiped out over the last 14 years and equity of over Rs 1 lakh crore brought by the firm's promoters had also been eroded. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Vodafone Idea, contended before a three-Judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah that as per the apex court directions, his client has submitted financial documents like income tax returns, balance sheets etc, and claimed the bulk of the firm's revenue has already been spent on liabilities, taxes and dues. Rohatgi submitted that the company's total revenue over 10 years was nearly Rs 6.27 lakh crore, of which nearly Rs 4.95 lakh crore was spent on expenses. Last week, Vodafone Idea paid the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) Rs 1,000 crore more as part of its dues related to AGR, taking its total payments to Rs 7,854 crore. The DoT's total estimate on Vodafone Idea dues was Rs 58,254 crore, of which around Rs 50,000 crore still remains pending. Vodafone currently has 30 crore consumers. Justice Mishra asked Rohatgi how the apex court could rely on the telecom company after so much losses. "You are making decision very difficult for us... how we should secure AGR dues payable by Vodafone?" Justice Mishra asked. Rohatgi asserted that whatever his client had earned in the last 14 years in terms of revenue had been washed away in terms of expenses. He also said that Vodafone had received Rs 8,000 crore as GST credit and this refund may be retained by the government with respect to the AGR dues. The bench reiterated that there is no scope for self-assessment and that if it is done the top court will view it as contempt. "It seems the DoT is allowing for re-assessment... no one has the authority to overturn our orders," said Justice Mishra. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, replied that no reassessment is being done in connection with AGR dues, and nothing has been allowed to dilute the apex court verdict. Justice Mishra queried: "How is Vodafone claiming that dues payable to be Rs 20,000 from the dues cited in the verdict?" Mehta assured the top court that no recalculation is being on the AGR dues. Rohatgi insisted that the company is left with no assets, except for spectrum. Last month, the top court had asked Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Teleservices telcos to submit their respective financial statements and books of accounts for the last 10 years to examine their capacity to pay the AGR dues. The Centre has requested the top court to allow a 20-year window to the telcos to clear the AGR dues, totalling Rs 1.47 lakh crore. Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the strong support from Zambia in China's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for joint efforts in enhancing bilateral cooperation to bring benefits to the people on both sides. Xi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu on Monday. Xi thanked African countries including Zambia for providing strong support to China at the first stage of its fight against the COVID-19, noting that China's medical aid and experience sharing after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Zambia highlight the close ties between the two countries. The Chinese president vowed that China will take quick measures to provide further help to Zambia and other African countries to win the battle against the virus and restore their economic development. Hailing the sound momentum of the friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries, Xi expressed his confidence in the further development of the bilateral ties despite of the pandemic. China is willing to work with Zambia to get through the difficult time, said Xi, hoping the two sides can consolidate bilateral political trust and enhance mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. He also called on the two sides to strengthen coordination in the international arena and make joint efforts in upholding multilateralism and the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. Lungu, on his part, spoke highly of China's long-time support for Zambia's economic development as well as its generous assistance during the COVID-19 outbreak. He appreciated China's contribution and assistance in Africa's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the importance of experience on prevention and treatment shared by China in the fight. Viewing China as a great friend to the people of Zambia, Lungu pledged to continue standing firmly with China on issues concerning China's core interests. The president called for enhanced coordination and communication with China and welcomed more Chinese companies to invest in the country. Shes like the Mr. Rogers of the Sunset. Thats how Amanda Lee describes her 84-year-old grandmother, Su, who is perhaps best known as the whimsical proprietor behind the Oriental Art Gallery: a tiny shop on 9th and Irving that boasts a massive assortment of enamel pins and other quirky wares. Around since 1967, its one of the oldest stores on the block. Opened by Lees grandfather and Su's late husband, Foon, the shop originally specialized in art supplies and Asian artwork before ownership of the business transitioned over to Su, who began selling trinkets and collectibles as well. Lee thinks it might be one of the last mom-and-pop shops left in the city. But as small businesses throughout San Francisco gradually started to reopen under new retail guidelines in recent weeks, Lee worried about her grandmother doing the same. She's considered part of the vulnerable population of the pandemic, so we didn't want her to feel pressured, especially with the high volume of customers she was previously interacting with, said Lee, 26, who lives in Sunnyvale. So on Saturday, she and her cousin Alice created a GoFundMe campaign to help Su and her shop weather the extended closure. Within 48 hours, the fundraiser had amassed over $15,000 in donations as countless individuals shared sentiments and memories about their interactions with Su. Some said the Oriental Art Gallery was a "staple of the Inner Sunset," a place that felt like home to them. Others recounted birthdays spent at the shop, adding new pins to their collection every year as they got older. Many described their time spent in the store as a lifelong venture, initially glimpsing through rows and rows of pins with their parents, and later introducing the hidden gem of their childhood to friends, partners and even their own children. MORE: How the owner of a San Francisco pin shop became a Twitter sensation in her eighties Not only did Su help raise Alice and I, but in a sense she raised the whole community, said Lee. Her doors have always been open, with her warm, friendly essence welcoming in people from all backgrounds. Throughout the years of interactions, shes developed friendships with customers old and new, even sharing fruit and assorted treats with her most frequent visiting patrons. Among them is local artist Josh Ellingson, whose friendship began with Su after he created a pin in her likeness. In recent years, the adjunct professor at the California College of the Arts has regularly visited Su to chat and brainstorm new designs. In exchange, she would send him home with snacks and almost always an onion. (You can read more about that here.) Each time the Su pins would sell out, Ellingson would order a new set for her to restock in her shop. The most recent batch arrived during the shelter-in-place order, and he knew the shop wouldnt be opening any time soon. Nothing about that place is conducive to social distancing, said Ellingson. So I thought it would be good to sell them alongside the fundraiser that her granddaughters organized. Over the weekend, he was able to contribute $1,085 to the campaign from pin sales, and plans to continue selling more until he runs out. For San Francisco, I think the Oriental Art Gallery represents a surviving family-owned-and-operated business, which is rare, said Ellingson. As far as I understand, its a cornerstone of the Inner Sunset business community and maybe a symbol of stability in a city full of constant change. Maybe right now, people are looking to preserve that kind of reliability and positivity. Lee said she and her cousin were surprised by the outpouring of support from the community. But Sus reaction was one of shock. She still isnt quite aware of her fandom, but she is heartwarmed and re-energized nonetheless that people from all over the country have shown support, said Lee. The family is considering setting up an online shop for Su. In the meantime, Lee said she is grateful for the compassion and kind words from her grandmothers clientele during such a challenging time. The acts of generosity seems to be in the spirit of Su herself. That nostalgic warm and fuzzy feeling is something only grandmothers can give and something we all still need from time to time, said Lee. My grandma is that little piece of home for everyone. Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett One hundred and thirty-two South Korean experts landed at an airport on Phu Quoc, a famous resort island off the southern Vietnamese province of Kien Giang, on Sunday and were quarantined upon their arrival. The flight carrying the experts, which had been licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, touched down at Phu Quoc International Airport at 9:30 am. All passengers had their body temperature measured at the airdrome before being brought to a local hotel for a mandatory 15-day quarantine period. It was the first international flight to Phu Quoc after months of disruption due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The number of domestic visitors to the island has rebounded as tourism is promoted across the country. Nguyen Minh Dong, director of the Phu Quoc airport, said the airdrome handled a whopping 22,000 passengers on July 17, twice as many as the same date last year. As Phu Quoc continues to attract a large number of [domestic] tourists, we expect to handle up to 800,000 incoming and outgoing passengers by the end of July, Dong said, adding most flights are carrying people going on their summer vacation. The novel coronavirus has infected more than 14.6 million people and killed nearly 609,000 people across the world, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam recorded one imported COVID-19 case, a 40-year-old sailor from Myanmar, on Sunday evening, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 383. A total of 367 COVID-19 patients in Vietnam have recovered, while no deaths from the disease have been documented. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 2 | Next crop of COVID-19 vaccine developers take more traditional route: The handful of drugmakers dominating the global coronavirus vaccine race are pushing the boundaries of vaccine technology. The next crop under development feature more conventional, proven designs. The world will need several different vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, given the sheer size of global need, variations in effects on different populations, and possible limits of effectiveness in the first crop. Many leading candidates now in final-stage testing are based on new, largely unproven technology platforms designed to produce vaccines at speed. Serum Institute of India is hoping to develop a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020. The institute said that it will be starting human trials of its AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine from August. Vaccines normally require years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine within months because of the pandemic. "We are working on the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine which is undergoing phase III clinical trials. Besides, we will also start human trials in India in August 2020. Based on the current situation and most recent updates on the clinical trials, we are hoping that the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine will be available towards the end of 2020," Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla told news agency PTI. Vaccine testing is a four-stage process -- pre-clinical testing on animals, phase I clinical testing on a small group of people to determine its safety and to learn more about the immune response it provokes, phase II trials are expanded safety trials, and phase III testing is done by administering it to thousands of people to confirm its efficacy. The company is also developing a live attenuated vaccine with US-based biotech firm Codagenix, which is undergoing pre-clinical trials, Poonawalla added. Track this blog for LIVE updates on the coronavirus pandemic 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 "Apart from AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine and Codagenix, we have associated with multiple institutions worldwide as manufacturing partners for vaccine candidates that are being developed. These include Austria's Themis along with two others," Poonawalla said. On the partnership with AstraZeneca, he said, "Serum Institute of India has entered a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca to produce and supply 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University." These vaccines will be for India and middle and low-income countries across the world (GAVI countries), he added. At least seven Indian pharma companies are working to develop a vaccine against coronavirus as they join global efforts to find a preventive to check the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute, Zydus Cadila, Panacea Biotec, Indian Immunologicals, Mynvax and Biological E are among the domestic pharma firms working on the coronavirus vaccines in India. Also read: Bharat Biotech starts human trials of Covaxin Vaccines typically provide the immune system with harmless copies of an antigen: a portion of the surface of a bacterium or virus that the immune system recognises as foreign. A vaccine may also provide a non-active version of a toxin -- a poison produced by a bacterium -- so that the body can devise a defence against it. They must follow higher safety standards than other drugs because they are given to millions of healthy people. (With inputs from PTI) A coalition of business groups is calling for urgent action from all levels of government to save the food service industry amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses are now working to reopen and recover, wrote the group which includes Molson Coors Beverage Co., Restaurants Canada, and more than a dozen regional chambers of commerce and boards of trade in an open letter dated Monday to the prime minister, Council of the Federation and Federation of Canadian Municipalities. However for the food service industry, the picture is different. The industry will be among the last to resume normal operations, the group wrote, estimating a span of at least the next 12 to 18 months. Restaurants operate on thin margins in regular circumstances, it said, thanks to high fixed costs, perishable inventory and other factors. Safety precautions due to the pandemic further limit revenue and increase costs. Continued operation for the majority of our restaurants is, at best, uncertain, the letter reads. Government programs as they are presently designed are not equipped for the timescale of this ongoing reality for this industry. The group asked the federal government to implement proposed improvements to the emergency wage subsidy and continue to create incentives for people to return to return to work. It asks them to eliminate the automatic annual federal excise tax increase on beer, wine and spirits, and start encouraging people to resume pre-COVID activities with safety measures. The group asks the federal, provincial and territorial governments to extend the rent relief program, remove a revenue eligibility cap for parent companies, and look for a way to substantially increase participation in the program. It wants provincial and territorial governments to put a moratorium on commercial evictions and expand liquor licensing or make licensing changes related to COVID-19 permanent in an effort to allow more restaurants to sell alcohol for dine in and takeaway. Municipal governments should reduce or defer a number of taxes and fees, including property tax, as well as ease regulatory burdens, it said. The urgency of action cannot be overstated, the letter reads as without it businesses will close and jobs will be lost. Delays will risk the situation rapidly becoming permanently untenable. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Russian UK envoy: Moscow to penalize those imposing sanctions on Russians Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 5:38 PM The Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom says Moscow will find ways to punish those imposing sanctions against its nationals as part of "the Magnitsky case." The British government on July 6 announced a new UK-only sanctions list targeting key individuals and institutions from four countries, including 25 Russian nationals, for their alleged involvement in the death of Russian lawyer and auditor Sergei Magnitsky. Magnitsky, a tax consultant for British financier William Browder, died in Moscow's Butyrka prison in November 2009, less than a year after he was detained on tax evasion charges. Magnitsky had uncovered what he claimed to be a massive tax fraud which involved Russian officials, and his death became a cause celebre for Western governments. The new British sanctions will target, among others, Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee. "Believe me as for Magnitsky we will find the way to punish those who are making this type of sanctions because sanctions are illegal," said Andrei Kelin in an interview with the BBC on Sunday. "There is only one body that can impose sanctions and this is the United Nations," the Russian envoy to London further said. On July 7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow would slap counter-sanctions against the UK in retaliation for British bans targeting more than two dozen Russian officials. Peskov's comments came a day after the Russian Embassy in London regretted the sanctions, saying that Moscow reserved the right to retaliate against the new sanctions. In 2018, the alleged poisoning in the UK of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter triggered a major dispute between Moscow and London. The British government claimed that Russian officials from the GRU military intelligence agency used a powerful nerve agent to kill the ex-spy for his work with British and other Western intelligence services. The victims were purportedly exposed to Novichok, a highly lethal chemical weapon developed under a secret Soviet program. Russia vehemently rejected any involvement, saying the substance could have originated from the countries studying Novichok, including the UK itself, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PHILIPSBURG:--- The Detective Departments are currently investigating an incident that took place Thursday, July 16th, 2020 around 7:30 pm, after receiving several calls of a kidnapping of a male in the Cay-Bay area. The Police Patrols received information that the male in question was blocked in by a dark-colored vehicle while driving in the area of Maho. The male was then pulled out of his vehicle, tied up, and placed in another car that also appeared on the scene. Both vehicles later drove off with the victim in an unknown direction After receiving the information, several police patrols were directed to the area of Cay-Bay in search of vehicles and the victim. While the patrols were busy searching the area the Dispatch Center received information that one of the vehicles involved in the alleged kidnapping was spotted close to the Cay-Bay cemetery. The officers quickly rushed to the location and noticed a dark-colored car fitting the description of one of the vehicles involved. While approaching the vehicle, three unknown men exited the vehicle and begin to run in different directions. The officers immediately started a foot chase in an attempt to apprehend the suspects. After a short foot chase, the officers were able to apprehend one of the suspects with initials S.H. in the Cay Bay cemetery. A search of the area was carried out by the other officers but the other two culprits were able to evade arrest. Upon closer inspection of the dark-colored car, the police found the kidnapped victim tied up in the car. The paramedics were called to the scene to check on the well-being of the victim as well as treat a injure he received to his ear. The victim was later transported to the Sint Maarten Medical center for further observation. The vehicle was confiscated and the suspect S.H. was brought to the police station for questioning. After being questioned the suspect was incarcerated pending further investigations. This investigation is still ongoing The Sint Maarten Police Force is asking the community to be vigilant during this time. We are urging the community who may have witnessed this or any other crime to come forward With any information that may assist finding the rest culprits. The detectives investigating this case are asking for witness (es) to contact the station at +1 721- 542 22 22 ext. 204 or 205 or the anonymous tip line on 9300 (free of charge). You can also visit the website at www.policesxm.sx to report crime anonymous via the tip contact form, or you can leave a Private Message via our Facebook page (Police Force of Sint Maarten - Korps Politie Sint Maarten) if you know or suspect something. KPSM Press Release. Facepalm: Things that are certain in life: death, taxes, and Windows 10 updates that cause bugs. Once again, Microsoft has acknowledged a problem in the May 2020 update. The error affects the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) icon in the taskbar, showing a user to be offline even when there is a connectionand that can confuse some apps. The Windows 10 May 2020 update was found on 7 percent of all PCs at the start of the month. While its landing on computers at a faster rate than previous updates, its not without its problems. As reported by Windows Latest, cumulative updates in June and July have helped, but some users still see a yellow triangle in the NCSI and the no internet access message. Despite what Windows might say, those affected by the problem arent actually offline. Its still possible to load up a browser and surf the web as normal, but apps that rely on Windows 10s internet status to make a connection are unlikely to work. These include Cortana, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, the Microsoft Store, and Spotify. Its speculated that the problem could be related to VPN or proxy use. Microsoft acknowledges the issue in a TechNet forum post, confirming that the issue is being investigated but hasnt yet been resolved. The NCSI error reportedly dates back to before the Windows 10 May 2020 update launched, affecting some testers in the Release Preview Ring. The No internet connection bug can (possibly) be fixed by editing the Registry, which can have disastrous consequences if not done correctly. To correct the issue: 1. Type Registry Editor in the search box 2. Click on the app when it appears in the panel and allow it to run 3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet 4. Highlight EnableActiveProbing and change the value from 0 to 1 5. Click on Okay 6. Close the Registry 7. Restart the PC Note that this solution hasn't worked for everyone, but its worth a shot until Microsoft release a fix, which will doubtlessly add new bugs. In an attempt to remove Iraq from the conflict between Iran and its regional and international rivals, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has planned and is taking his first trip as a package to three countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States. This way, he wants to send a message to all rival powers that Iraq's sovereignty should be respected and regional and international powers should not bring their conflicts into Iraq. Iraq has been a center field for conflict since 2003 between different regional and international powers, and it has turned into a direct battleground between the United States and Iran after the assassination of Iran's top Quds Force commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, earlier this year, followed by Iran's bombing of US forces at Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq's Anbar province. The selection of Kadhimi was actually a settlement choice between Iraqi political parties to reduce the tension and find a solution to the regional and international conflicts on Iraq's territory. Kadhimi has already initiated a strategic dialogue with the United States. The first session took place in June, and the second session will be held in Washington during Kadhimi's visit there. He is also planning to settle on arrangements with Iran and Saudi Arabia to end the use of any Iraqi space for conflict; instead, he'll seek to change the role of Iraq from battleground to a place of investment and a bridge to peace and cooperation. The first station on Kadhimi's series of trips began in Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi ministerial delegation arrived in Riyadh July 19, headed by Finance Minister Ali Allawi. In attendance as well were the ministers of oil, planning, electricity, agriculture, sport and culture. Saudi Arabia has expressed willingness to help Iraq in all of these fields, including renting agricultural lands in Anbar province for investing in industrial agriculture and building stadiums in Iraqi cities, among other projects. The delegation also discussed the activation of Coordination Council between the two countries which will be in charge of managing all projects between Iraq and Saudi. The prime minister was supposed to join the delegation July 20, but his trip to Saudi Arabia was canceled due to the unexpected sickness of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who was taken to the hospital. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud announced July 20: The kingdom appreciates the choice of the Iraqi prime minister to choose Saudi Arabia for his first trip after taking office. And to celebrate this extremely important visit and provide all means of success for it, our wise leadership, in coordination with our brothers in Iraq, opted to postpone the visit until after the departure of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from the hospital. The visit to Tehran is scheduled for July 21. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a quick visit to Baghdad on July 19, where he met with Kadhimi, Iraqi President Barham Salih and head of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan. Zarif also met with PMU leaders such as Badr Organization head Hadi al-Amiri. During his meeting in Baghdad's Green Zone, rockets were fired toward the US Embassy. There was no damage, but the attack was read as a message from Iran-backed militias to the Iraqi government to stop resisting Iran's demands in regards to expelling US forces from the country and, keeping Iraq in the axis of resistance. The issue of outlaw militias attacking foreign diplomatic missions and even Iraqi government facilities has been a critical problem for the successive Iraqi governments, which Kadhimi hopes to solve with negotiation and dialogue. Kadhimis first priority is to reduce tensions in the country and convince all parties to respect Iraq's sovereignty in order to begin his plan for economic reform and prepare for early elections. Without this advance step, no reform plan can be executed and the next elections will be a repeat of the problematic elections of 2018. Kadhimi is trying to diversify Iraq's economic partners to include all neighboring countries in addition to global powers such as the United States. As an example, Iraq, the United States and six Gulf states agreed last week to connect Iraq's electricity grids to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The six countries are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. "The government of Iraq, [the GCC] and the United States look forward to increased close economic and energy cooperation between the United States, Iraq and the GCC countries as a basis for peace, development and prosperity in the region," said the US State Department. "The United States is committed to facilitating this project and providing support where needed," the statement added. Iraq is also importing electricity from Iran; this agreement was renewed for two years last June. Kadhimi looks to expand Iraq's economic relationship with many different parties in order to involve all of them in Iraq's economy and lower the flames of conflict between them within the country. Early elections cannot be organized before the issue of out-of-control militias is solved. These militias must be integrated into the state forces and should be prohibited from interfering in the election. With the presence of military factions outside of the state with political wings, any election will be problematic, raising controversy and division among Iraqis. In the same vein, Iran's request for ending the US military presence in Iraq depends on the Iraqi government's ability to fully control security, and to stop militias from firing rockets on foreign diplomatic missions and prevent their involvement in several illegal economic activities. Kadhimi also launched a campaign to impose full control over Iraq's border outlets with all neighboring counties. He began July 11 at the Mandalay border outlet with Iran in Diyala province, then moved on to Basras land and water borders with Iran and Kuwait on July 15 including the Shalamcheh outlet with Iran and the Safwan outlet with Kuwait. These outlets were previously under the control of militias and political parties, which enabled them to earn millions of dollars from smuggling and illegal taxing. I ts the question that could dictate the next year for Britain: does AstraZenecas Covid-19 vaccine work? The Lancet medical journal is today expected to publish the phase 1 clinical trial data for the British pharma giants research collaboration with the University of Oxford. The duo have been working on the vaccine candidate which had been dubbed ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and now carries the more snappy moniker AZD1222. Reports last week indicated that early stage human trials had been positive, lifting the FTSE 100. Today any confirmation of that could provide a further boost to the blue chip index. Traders are looking for any sign that the vaccine is effective enough to provide widespread immunity across the country, lifting public confidence and the chances of a decent economic recovery simultaneously. Astra's London-listed shares rose nearly 5% to 9599 today in anticipation of good news The results will come on top of news that Britain has signed deals to secure 90 million doses of two possible coronavirus vaccines from the Pfizer and BioNTech (22UAy.F) alliance and French group Valneva. The Government said the UK had secured 30 million doses of the experimental BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, and a deal in principle for 60 million doses of the Valneva vaccine, with a option of 40 million more doses if it was proven to be safe, effective and suitable. European traders will be putting their focus on any signs of white smoke from the EU summit. The crunch meeting over a rescue fund kicked off on Friday, with the details of a 750 billion package set to be thrashed out. The Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark are the hold out nations, arguing against to 500 billion being allocated as grants without conditions. The quartet have been dubbed the frugal four and and it has been reported that the figure has been knocked down to 400 billion to try to appease them. CMC Markets analyst David Madden said: It was put forward that a super emergency break be included in the package, meaning that any one government could question the use of the funds that are being deployed. Such a move would help ensure that the cash was been used for its appropriate purpose. The sooner the bloc can agree on the terms of the rescue the better for everyone, especially countries like Spain and Italy, which were hard hit by the health crisis, and are rely heavily on tourism. The FTSE 100 was 37 points lower at 6,253.27 after a mixed trading day in Asian markets. Corporate updates are likely to be thin on the ground. SThree is to post interim results and analysts will be watching for signs of which industries are most likely to bounceback from the Covid-19 lockdown. Rival recruiter Hays last week reported that UK fees had slumped in lockdown, but there were still good prospects for jobs in tech and life sciences, while traditional City jobs like legal and accounting roles had dried up. Shares in Marks & Spencer could also be in focus after Sky News reported last night that the retailer is preparing a restructure, with thousands of jobs affected, which could be unveiled by chief executive Steve Rowe this week. The pandemic has been painful for the High Street, with fellow stalwarts John Lewis and Boots among those cutting thousands of jobs. Sanjana Sanghi, who is making her full-fledged debut with Dil Bechara, opened up about the loss of her co-star Sushant Singh Rajput. She said that she was distraught with his death but ultimately numbed her feelings to protect herself. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Sanjana said, I am quite young to go through a lot of the things that I have gone through with Dil Bechara and the final nail in the coffin was, of course, losing Sushant. It is just one of those things where you become numb. How much grief and shock I mean, you cant keep swinging between those pendulums. So to protect yourself, I think you just numb yourself out. The trailer of Dil Bechara smashed records to become the most-liked trailer on YouTube. Currently, it has more than 1 crore likes on the video-sharing platform. Sanjana said that she was filled with mixed emotions when the trailer released online. Imagine, after working that hard on the film, I couldnt even on the trailer day, just sit back for once and be like (pats herself on the back), Well done. Because you just wish, what if he was there. Its all very muddled but what I do feel is truckloads of gratitude. If it werent for the people and how much love and support they are showing to the film, it would not be worth it at all, she said. Also read | Thats what qualified me for B grade: Taapsee Pannu jokes as writer Kanika Dhillon highlights her last 5 films made Rs 352 cr Sanjana shared a tearful video after Sushant died by suicide on June 14. She reminisced about their memories on the sets of Dil Bechara and said she was not equipped to process the tragedy. Later, she said in another post that the pain of losing him did not lessen with time. Whoever said time helps heal all wounds, was lying. Some feel like theyre being ripped open, again and again, and bleeding - Of moments that now will forever remain memories, Of laughs together that were but will never again be, Of questions that will remain unanswered, Of disbelief, that only keeps growing, she wrote. Dil Bechara, Sushants final film, will release on July 24. The film will be made available for free viewing on Disney+ Hotstar as a tribute. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918 Follow @htshowbiz for more Amina Jones, 11, of Philadelphia, beats the heat at the reopened Love Park fountain on a steamy Monday. Read more With a forecast of temperatures flirting with 100 and heat index values up to 110, the fourth day of the heat wave dawned ominously on Monday, with Philadelphia tying a record for highest minimum temperature 81 for the date. When we came in and saw that, said Jonathan OBrien, a Monday day shift meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, forecasters concluded that it looks like its going to be as expected. But in this case, the atmosphere had a mildly pleasant surprise in store. After climbing to 92 degrees by 11 a.m., the temperature surprisingly backed off to 90 at Philadelphia International Airport an hour later, and west winds gusted to 21 mph. More significantly, the noon heat index was 93; the forecast for noon had been 105. It warmed up to 96, and the heat index made it to 102 at 6 p.m., unmistakably hot, but three degrees below the heat-warning criterion, and well past the peak of the sun. READ MORE: Forecasters see blistering summer The heat isnt quite as extreme, said Paul Walker, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. And looking ahead to the rest of the week, he said, the heat wave isnt looking as ferocious as it had been. But heat indexes could top 100 again on Wednesday, the weather service said, and might meet the heat advisory level. The City of Philadelphia will continue its heat emergency through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging will operate its heat helpline (215-765-9040) again Tuesday. Its possible that the emergency will extend into Wednesday. However, OBrien said the week might pass without another weather service heat warning. Early in the day, it appeared that hitting the warning criterion on Monday was all but a certainty. But around lunchtime, forecasters said, in response to an approaching frontal feature, some drier air mixed down from the upper atmosphere. That plus some mid-level cloudiness held the temperatures and the heat index to more bearable levels. For those seeking asylum at the Shore, with a land breeze, the air was quite steamy, and the heat index made it to 104 at Atlantic City International Airport. Then again, folks in the beach towns did have access to the Atlantic Ocean. Behind the front, Tuesday will be hot, with highs in the mid-90s, but heat index values are forecast to stay below 100. Wednesday, the discomfort level is due to increase, but showers are possible, and they might be more likely on Thursday, said Walker. Temperatures might not make it to 90 on Friday and Saturday not that the upper 80s would be polar vortex territory and readings arent forecast to drop below 70 overnight for the rest of the week. The lack of nighttime cooling allows dwellings without air-conditioning to heat up dangerously when the sun comes up, a particular hazard for the elderly who live alone. In Philadelphia, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley advised relatives and neighbors to check on seniors by telephone or video, or to knock on doors but while practicing the coronavirus protocols of wearing masks and keeping social distance. READ MORE: 100 degrees possible as Philly weather takes a dangerously hot turn; heat warning issued In the meantime, OBrien said he and colleagues like what they have seen so far and are rooting against their own forecasts. Hopefully, these trends continue, he said. It wouldnt be the best for our forecasts, but its better for the public. Cooling options The coronavirus has presented unique challenges for operating cooling centers, but Philadelphia will have several operating. READ MORE: With summer forecasts calling for dangerous heat, pandemic is clouding Phillys response plans Those using them are asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Libraries Haddington Library, 446 N. 65th St. Lillian Marrero Library, 601 W. Lehigh Ave. Logan Library, 1333 Wagner Ave. Schools West Philadelphia High School, 49th and Chestnut Streets. Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts, 1901 N. Front St. Buses Germantown and Hunting Park Avenues. Wyoming and Rising Sun Avenues. Frankford and Allegheny Avenues. 52nd Street and Larchwood Avenue. 29th and York Streets. In addition, all the citys spraygrounds will be open. Here is a complete map of the citys cooling options. Staff writer Valerie Russ contributed to this article. . New Delhi, July 21 : Trade unions of national carrier Air India on Monday termed the airline's new 'leave without pay' scheme as akin to illegal lay-off. Accordingly, the Joint Action Forum of Air India Unions strongly opposed the new scheme in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. "We are indeed shocked that the management of Air India could prepare and formulate a scheme for compulsorily sending workers on leave without pay, which is akin to an illegal lay-off under the garb of leave without pay, when ironically the redundancy actually lies in the upper echelons of the management and not with the humble workers of Air India, who have slogged to make the airline the treasure it is," the letter said. "It must be noted that out of the 11,000 permanent employees, our management occupies almost 25 per cent as 'Executive Cadre', with little or no accountability. Solely among the 'Elite Management Cadre', we have 121 top officers ranking from DGMS, GMs, EDs to Functional Directors, most of whom are either performing duplicate job functions or are indeed redundant, and not to mention the retired relics serving as consultants and also the CEOs of various subsidiary companies," it added. As per the letter, which has been reviewed by IANS, the forum said that though "we do not wish, the redundancy or compulsory leave without pay scheme, if any at all, has to apply only to these executives, more so, when they do not even have protection of labour laws or Supreme Court orders". Besides, the forum said that no meeting or negotiation have been held with any of the trade unions, barring that of the pilots, over these issues. "We once again request you to intervene and halt this abominable compulsory leave scheme and grant us a meeting with your good self to discuss the way ahead for all of us together," the letter said. The letter also pointed out the issue of wage cuts. "We must draw your attention that no unions have been called, and that these wage cuts have drawn the most blood from the lowest levels of the Corona warriors of our Vande Bharat Mission'," the letter said. "Strangely, the topmost 'Corporate Executive cadre and the back room Generals' have saved themselves from the axe of wage cuts by sacrificing a piffling of a few grand, while the frontline warriors of flying cabin crew, engineers, ground staff etc. have borne the biggest brunt head on," it added. Last week, the airline cited challenging financial situation for implementing the LWP scheme. "The scheme primarily enables employees to avail the benefits of proceeding on leave without pay on a voluntary basis. The LWP scheme has been introduced for grant of leave without pay and allowances for permanent employees for a period of six months or two years, which is extendable up to 5 years," an Air India statement said. "Air India had brought out similar scheme earlier... Several hundred employees have, in the past, availed the LWP scheme," it added. As per the airline's statement, in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there may be employees who are unable to attend their office duties in person on account of personal reasons. "The LWP scheme enables employees to take a break from their office responsibility for a defined period of time with the approval of the management, while retaining their employment with the company," the statement said, adding: "They will continue to avail facilities such as passage, medical and housing at specified rates." Consequently, the LWP scheme provides the opportunity to employees to take up alternative employment with the approval of the management during the period of the said leave, the airline said. "The only addition in this scheme as compared to the earlier LWP scheme is that the management can pass an order requiring the employees to go on leave for a period of six months or two years (extendable up to 5 years) compulsorily, taking into consideration suitability, efficiency, competence, quality of performance, health, non-availability of employee and redundancy," the statement said. Air India said that this provision has been introduced for use "very sparingly", with a view to ensure that the overall efficiency of the organisation improves. The said provision authorises the CMD to pass an order on behalf and in the name of the company whereby an employee could be sent on leave for six months or for a period of two years extendable up to five years. As per Air India's PIM document, as on November 1, 2019, the airline on a standalone basis (without subsidiaries) had around 14,000 employees, including fixed term contractual staff. The development comes as the Centre has re-initiated the airline's divestment plan with new norms. President Rouhani says Iran able to pass through tough times IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 19, IRNA -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the important thing is that Iran has the ability to pass through the hard times despite all the obstacles and complexities. Inviting all experts to give their suggestions and solutions to solve the economic problems of the country, President Rouhani said that the US economic warfare, sanctions, and maximum pressure, as well as the inevitable restrictions of the coronavirus have created a hard time. Rouhani said that the government will definitely try to solve the problems with a realistic approach and by relying on domestic capabilities and practical and feasible ways. He reiterated that the solutions must be far from fictitious approaches, consider the realities of national economy, and avoid pessimism and disappointment. President Rouhani said that by utilizing decades of invaluable experience of fighting sanctions, the support from the people and economy experts, and cooperation between all three branches of Governing System, Iran can proudly pass through the current critical situation. 9417**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Peter England, a leading international menswear brand from the house of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, is set to offer a fashionable and stylish collection with virus and bacteria resistant properties. The brand has collaborated with Switzerland-based HeiQ, a global leader in textile innovation, to bring the unique HeiQViroblock fabric technology to India. Under this collection, Peter England will be launching work wear, lounge wear and face masks to meet complete lifestyle demands of the new-age consumer. The HeiQViroblock fabric is specially infused with virus resistant properties to ensure safety by inhibiting the persistence and growth of viruses and bacteria on its surface. For masks, the fabric retains these properties up to 30 gentle washes*. For apparel, the fabric retains these properties up to 20 gentle washes*. Elaborating on the launch, Manish Singhai, COO, Peter England said, Safety and protection have never been more important than today, given the current situation which the entire world is facing. Peter England has a rich and strong legacy of introducing innovative products catering to spoken and unspoken needs of todays consumers. Were happy to announce our partnership with HeiQ, one of the worlds leading textile innovator from Switzerland, to launch our range of apparel and masks enriched with virus and bacteria resistant properties. We will be launching work wear, face masks and lounge wear in phases to address the countrys need for protection and safety. We believe that this new technology is a breakthrough in the lifestyle category and will bring us closer to the hearts of the consumers. In addition to the antiviral technology, Peter England has independently enhanced their mask offering with droplet resistant finish & Smart Straps. The droplet repellent finish makes the fabric hydrophobic. This repels contagious droplets on the masks outer surface, making it a perfect shield for the consumer. The smart straps used in the mask have a soft-finish and three-way adjustment to provide comfort, fit and a choice to carry the mask around the neck ,when not in use. Face contour design with chin mask and nose-clip make the mask sit over the consumers face comfortably. All these power-packed features come in varied styles and patterns, making this a comprehensive offering for protection, comfort and style in one go. Co-founder and CEO of HeiQ Group, Carlo Centonze stated, The team at Peter England undertook a through yet rapid learning about HeiQViroblock technology in order to quickly adapt it into their offerings, both in fashion masks and apparels. We worked closely with the teams to ensure that products that they have launched are fully validated in their performance to ensure that our stakeholders in India have the opportunity to add these fashionable article for their day to day protection from the current pandemic. Peter Englands new collection is currently available at www.peterengland.com and will shortly be available across the country through the brands retail network of outlets and multi-brand counters. Last week, videos started to pop up on Twitter showing how protesters are being policed in Portland, Oregon. These secret #Gestapo militarized police thats running around Portland kidnapping innocent protesters without probable cause, and throwing them in unmarked cars is going to spread to other cities. The ultimate goal is for this to be implemented in places like Chicago pic.twitter.com/34OVUt3AWq Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) July 17, 2020 Advertisement Trumps use of unidentified and unwanted federal agents in Portland, pulling protestors into unmarked vans without cause, is not only unconstitutionalits dangerous. This is what dictators do. These authoritarian actions have no place in our democracy.pic.twitter.com/MTnjfBqJrN Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) July 19, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These images stand out because they are so different from videos of police brutality you might have seen a few weeks back, in the first few days after George Floyd was killed. These arent videos of cops in riot gear holding a line. The law enforcement officers you see are almost silent. Their faces are completely covered. They swoop out of vans toward small groups of pedestrians and seem to pick people to detain at random. The officers are dressed for battle and arent wearing any identification, but it turns out they are working for the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Jonathan Levinson is a reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, and on Mondays episode of What Next, I asked him to walk us through whats happening on the streets in Portland right now and how the arrival of federal agents has changed things. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Mary Harris: How many nights of protests have there been so far in Portland? Jonathan Levinson: This is hotly debated. I believe the official count is 51. Why is it debated? There was a protest Day 0 that I think wasnt very big. What people are calling Day 1 was this massive protest when thousands of people marched from a park in Northeast Portland, where thered been a vigil, for miles all the way downtown to the Multnomah County Justice Center. And that night wasI guess dramatic is a good word. They got to the justice center, and they broke all the windows up front. Theres a small fire that got set in the records office right down at the bottom floor. Advertisement Advertisement On June 26, the president signed an executive order to protect statues and monuments around the country and to address criminal violence. In response to that executive order, DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] pulled together this police force and sent them, as far as we know, to Seattle, D.C., Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania, and Portland. And so that is the task force that was sent here and that we started to see making an appearance around July 1. Ostensibly they were sent here to protect federal buildings and the people inside. And for a few nights, that was what they did. And then July Fourth, it was a show of force. They came out en masse, pushed everyone away from the courthouse, and then kept pushing them across the park, which is city property, and then kept pushing them two or three blocks past that, which is all city property. That was the first time we saw them really move away from the buildings and into Portland city streets and performing a function that we had been led to believe they would not be performing. Theyve either cleared the streets of protesters far away from federal buildings or, as we saw in those videos, theyre driving around, arresting people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When youre out there as a reporter, do you feel safe? Not always. The weapons they are using are pretty indiscriminate. Theyre firing tear gas. Theyre firing impact missions, flash-bangs. And it would be very easy to get shot. I got shot in my foot one night. Other reporters have been shot. There was a restraining order put on the Portland police that restricted how they interact with the media and with legal observers. So when they issued these dispersal orders, theyre no longer allowed to also disperse us. There was a noticeable difference in the way the Portland police treated us after that. That lasted about four days before federal law enforcement showed up. The restraining order doesnt apply to them, and they dont care at all about who we are. The first night they were out, I held up my credentials, and they said, I dont give a shit, and push me out of the way. Advertisement Driving around arresting people seems so different tactically than moving a crowd back or moving forward as a unit. Can you tell the story of a couple of the protesters you spoke to who encountered these agents driving around in minivans? Advertisement I think the best story is the one that we wrote about Mark Pettibone. He and a friend had been down protesting. That night had actually been relatively calm down at the protests. He said there was music in the park, people had been dancing, for a while he played Frisbee. Around 2 or 3 in the morning, he and his friend are walking back to their car. They get a block and a half away, and they run into another group of people who had said, Be careful. Theres people in a minivan driving around, grabbing people off the street. Pettibone told me that was terrifying to hear. Understandably. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has just galvanized the city, and the protests are gaining momentum once again. Jonathan Levinson Then what happens? They get about a half a block away. Almost right on schedule, a minivan pulls up, four or five guys jump out wearing camouflage. His friend runs and gets away. Mark Pettibone gets grabbed. They pull his beanie down over his face to blindfold him. He said they tossed him in the minivan. An officer held his arms over his head. He said they didnt tell him who they were or what was going on, drove around downtown for a couple minutes, and eventually unloaded him inside a building. They searched his stuff. He was photographed, put in a holding cell there where they read him his rights and asked if he wanted a lawyer or if he wanted to waive his rights and answer a few questions. And he said, I want a lawyer. They then terminated the interview, and very soon after, he was released. He wasnt given any paperwork. He wasnt given any idea if he had been charged with anything. And it wasnt until he left the building that he realized he had been inside the federal courthouse the entire time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets talk about this weekend, because over the weekend is when these videos of people being snatched off the streets really started pinging around the internet and started getting a lot of attention. How did the widespread knowledge of these federal agents being in the city, and acting really brazenly from the looks of it, impact the protests? I was talking to some of the independent journalists here, and one of them, this reporter Tuck Woodstock, was talking about how when they saw those videos, it didnt really register how bad it was because they had been out there every single night as things had steadily been escalating. The Portland police took off their name tapes, and it was like, hey, this is bad. And accountability slowly got harder, and the level of violence slowly increased. And then the federal police came, and the level of violence increased again and accountability just seemed impossible. And so for people on the ground, when that happened, I dont think the extent of how bad it was really registered. Advertisement Advertisement The impact has been that protesters have been reinvigorated. The crowds have easily doubled from what they were the past couple of weeks. So, contrary to the intention behind the federal government sending officers here to quell the violent mob, it has just galvanized the city, and the protests are gaining momentum once again. Advertisement It feels like were at an impasse right now because a couple of days ago, the acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, went on Fox and said, I called the governor and the mayor and said, Hey, I want to help you. And they told me what would help is if my agents packed up and went home. And Im not going to let that happen on my watch, which seems kind of shocking to me. Advertisement They have objectively made the situation worse. I dont think theres any other interpretation of whats going on. And so, yes, theres an impasse between lawmakers and the federal government here. Theres also an impasse between the protesters and the city government. Early on, there were clear demands of $50 million being pulled out of the police budget and reinvested into the community. And that was not done. There were some policy concessions, but it wasnt enough. Things have gotten worse since, with federal law enforcement. But I dont think the city knows what to do either. The protesters arent going anywhere. Listen to the full episode using the player below, or subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A federal judge has rejected a request from a group of public defenders for a temporary restraining order stopping in-person proceedings in Criminal Courts on Staten Island and throughout the city but did not shut the door on the plaintiffs entirely. District Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. ordered the state Office of Court Administration (OCA) to submit legal papers showing why he shouldnt issue a more-enduring preliminary injunction halting in-person appearances in Criminal Court pending the disposition of the case. Carter directed OCA to file its response on Monday and scheduled a remote hearing on Tuesday. Last week, several public defenders groups, including the Legal Aid Society, sued OCA in Manhattan federal court over the agencys decision to convene in-person matters in New York City Criminal Courts starting last Wednesday. Legal Aid represents indigent defendants on Staten Island. Courts on Staten Island and throughout the city have largely operated remotely for the past four months since the coronavirus outbreak in New York. However, on July 8, courts in the five boroughs entered Phase 3 of the gradual return toward increased in-person functions. Those operations included expanding certain Criminal Court proceedings. The public defenders alleged OCAs decision to require in-person appearances in selected Criminal Court cases is discriminatory and violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. The plan is rushed and unnecessary and forces clients, particularly those with medical or disability issues, to choose between their well-being and liberty in wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the plaintiffs alleged. As part of the suit, the public defenders sought a temporary restraining order to pause in-person proceedings pending further evaluation. A temporary restraining order is a short-term measure that takes effect until the court can issue something more enduring, such as a preliminary injunction. Temporary restraining orders can be issued without a hearing and without notifying the other party. A preliminary injunction is more lasting than a temporary restraining order. It requires a hearing and notice to the opposing party. In their suit papers, the public defenders said their public-health experts had previously cited significant failures in the courts reopening protocols. Such issues include poor ventilation in courthouse detention areas, the adequacy of plexiglass dividers designed to prevent the virus spread, as well as the policies governing safety in public restrooms, the complaint alleged. The public defenders said their experts have not finished their assessment of courthouse safety conditions. Moreover, the matters scheduled for in-person appearances are not urgent and can continue to be conducted remotely as they have been since mid-March, the plaintiffs contend. The public defenders sought an injunction ordering OCA to halt in-person operations in Criminal Courts and to develop a collaborative reopening plan with them. In response to the suit, Lucian Chalfen, an OCA spokesman, said last week that OCA was calendaring about 10 in-person appearances per day in Criminal Courts in the five boroughs. He said the plan for a slow return to normalized operations was entirely legal and focused on personal health and safety. Carter, the judge, did not explain his denial of the temporary restraining order. However, he turned the onus onto OCA to convince him why he shouldnt issue a preliminary injunction stopping in-person appearances until the matter can be resolved. By converting our request for temporary relief into a swift hearing on a more-permanent injunction, the order recognizes that the Criminal Court created an urgent problem when it suddenly decided to haul people in for needless appearances at great risk to the health and well-being of the public, said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, managing director of The Bronx Defenders Impact Litigation Practice, a plaintiff in the case. Were glad to get before the judge in just a few days, and were optimistic that well win an injunction halting the Criminal Courts discriminatory policy and requiring any court reopening plan to protect the rights and safety of New York City residents, she said. Chalfen, the OCA spokesman, declined comment on the ruling, citing the pending litigation. With in-person schooling likely on the horizon, it may be worthwhile for parents to have conversations with their children about COVID-19 and COVID-19 testing. The procedure for COVID-19 testing is quite simple and quick. A medical professional will have the patient tilt their head back and will insert a swab deep into the nasal cavity, swirling it around to collect a specimen for testing. Just a few seconds and a bit of discomfort. COVID-19 may be on many parents minds as they look at the upcoming school calendar, and honest conversations from caregivers, parents or guardians may ease any anxiety a child may feel when looking at going back into public life, said Dr. Kimberly Martin, a University of Oklahoma pediatric infectious diseases physician and assistant professor. We should be telling them whats going to happen rather than trying to sugar coat it for them, she said. Patients eyes may water, and they may feel like they need to sneeze. In fact, they may very well sneeze. The conversation, she said, should be age-appropriate, and only the parent or guardian can know what that means for their child. The JobKeeper and increased JobSeeker payments will be adjusted in several phases from September, Scott Morrison said today. Speaking at an exhibition display business in Miranda, south Sydney, the Prime Minister said the support payments would not be suddenly removed when they are due to end in late September. 'We have to look at our supports and our programmes as a series of phases,' he said. The JobKeeper and increased JobSeeker payments will be reduced in several phases from September, Scott Morrison said today. Pictured: Queues for Centrelink in April 'And how many phases there are it is very difficult to say because there are so many uncertainties associated with COVID-19.' The $1,500-a-fortnight JobKeeper payment is now helping 3.5million Australians until September 27. The JobSeeker unemployment benefit has been effectively doubled with a $550 coronavirus supplement until September 24. This has helped 1.6million Australians on welfare including almost one million officially without work, with the dole for singles now at $1,115.70 a fortnight. The government has not yet revealed how much the payments will be in the next phase, with further announcements expected this week. Mr Morrison said businesses would get several months to adjust to the next phase of support. 'It will be targeted, it will be temporary, it will be effective as the first round has been,' the Prime Minister said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said some businesses may no longer qualify for JobKeeper in the next phase. 'If that turnover is improved sufficiently and they are opening their doors, seeing more foot traffic through their shops, then the JobKeeper program may not be applicable to them,' he told Sky News on Monday. The Treasurer said the initial design of the program was based on getting money out as quickly as possible which meant it was not perfect. 'One of the outcomes of that is that some people under the program received more money in the form of this $1,500 flat payment than they were receiving prior to the crisis,' he said. A tram passenger is seen wearing a mask in Bourke street in Melbourne. Victoria has recorded 275 cases of coronavirus and a woman in her 80s has died Mr Frydenberg said sectors which would need help beyond September include aviation, tourism, arts and hospitality. Under the existing scheme, companies turning over less than $1 billion with a 30 per cent fall in revenue are eligible. Firms turning over more than $1 billion must show a 50 per cent decline. Businesses that met the revenue test at any stage during the pandemic qualified for the payments for each employee. Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said JobKeeper needed to be better targeted through retesting businesses and tapering payments. 'There's been a reasonable amount of waste and lack of targeting in how the government handled it first time around,' he told ABC radio. But the opposition is refusing to nominate a set figure for JobKeeper or JobSeeker, which has been temporarily increased to $1,100 a fortnight. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews wears a face mask as he walks in to the daily briefing on Monday Mr Burke said the dole should not return to its old rate of $560 a fortnight. 'It needs to keep people out of poverty, $40 a day is not enough to live on,' he said. Left-leaning think tank The Australia Institute has released modelling showing more than half a million Australians would be thrown into poverty if JobSeeker is returned to its former rate. 'This will not only have serious negative social effects for decades to come, but makes terrible economic policy by effectively withdrawing much-needed stimulus,' institute executive director Ben Oquist said. Mr Morrison said government support packages had avoided people falling into poverty. 'It is still tough, it is extremely tough out there. But at a time like this, I think all Australians will be pleased they're in Australia and nowhere else.' Medical workers and police are seen at a government commission tower in North Melbourne which was released from hard lockdown on Sunday On Monday Victoria recorded 275 cases of coronavirus and a woman in her 80s died as New South Wales recorded 20 cases, its biggest total in three months. Victoria's figure is less than Sunday's total of 363 and well below Friday's record of 428, giving hope the spread is decreasing during Melbourne's six-week lockdown. Premier Daniel Andrews said 147 Victorians are in hospital, including 31 fighting for their lives, and 26,588 tests had been conducted. Ninety-six people are in hospital in New South Wales with two in intensive care, including a person in their 30s. The state conducted 21,167 tests on Sunday. Members of the second group of volunteers taking part in trials of a coronavirus vaccine at Moscow's Burdenko Main Military Clinic Hospital have developed antibodies, Medical Service Colonel Sergei Borisevich, the head of the 48th Central Research Institute of the Russian Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper. "Tests show that the volunteers have developed coronavirus antibodies, and the vaccines components are safe and well-tolerated," he said. "The vaccines pre-clinical trials involved many large and small animals," Borisevich emphasized. The vaccine was developed by experts from the Russian Defense Ministry and the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The same platform was used for the creation of an Ebola vaccine. Another 20 volunteers taking part in trials of a coronavirus vaccine will be discharged from Moscow's Burdenko Main Military Clinic Hospital on July 20. "The second and final group of volunteers, which consists of 20 people, will be discharged today, on July 20," TASS cited him as saying. Borisevich pointed out that experts would later analyze the trials results and after that, the vaccine would undergo the process of state registration. According to Borisevich, the experts experience made it possible to significantly reduce the period of pre-clinical trials aimed at assessing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The second component of the vaccine was administered to the members of the volunteer group on July 13. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on June 30 that the trials were expected to be completed before the end of July. Donald Trump said the violence in Chicago is worse than Afghanistan in a recent interview and suggested he may send federal officers into additional cities. Mr Trump, seated in the Oval Office and speaking with reporters, claimed that the violence in Chicago this summer has been worse than Afghanistan, by far. This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen, Mr Trump said. Mr Trump praised the work of federal troops he sent to Portland and claimed that more would be on the way, potentially to other Democrat-run cities like Chicago. Were going to have more federal law enforcement [in Portland], he said. They grab them, a lot of people in jail. These are people that hate our country. Recommended Veteran speaks out over video of federal officers beating him Mr Trump has frequently compared Chicago to Afghanistan, and has been incorrect each time he has made the comparison. For reference, the United Nations reported that there have been at least 100,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan since 2010. The US invasion of Afghanistan began in 2001. While Chicagos homicide rate per 100,000 people is higher than Afghanistans 21 to 7, respectively those numbers do not include war deaths. According to a study the BBC conducted in 2019, an average of 74 men, women and children were killed each day in Afghanistan throughout the month of August. More people are killed in a month in Afghanistan than are killed in an entire year in Chicago, once war-related deaths are included. The protests in Democrat-run cities that were sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota and have continued through the summer. Demonstrations flared again when federal officers invaded Portland, sparking resistance from the local protesters that has escalated into increasingly heavy-handed crowd-busting by federal officers. Images from the protest include federal officers clubbing a peaceful protester with a baton, abducting protesters into unmarked vans, and spraying gas at a line of mothers whod come out to support the protesters. Activists lit a police union headquarters on fire and clashed with the occupying federal officers. Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, said he wanted the federal officers to leave his city. Their presence is neither wanted nor is it helpful and were asking them to leave, he said. In fact, were demanding that. The Department of Homeland Security has indicated it has no plans to leave Portland until the violence is at a level the federal government deems appropriate. On Sunday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows indicated that the deployment of federal troops into Democrat-run cities may soon include Chicago and Milwaukee. With pandemic numbers rocketing and the economy sinking, Congress finds itself in a familiar spot. It can spend a mountain of money to ease the pain or it can pull back, worried about rising debt and unpredictable results. Democrats and Republicans will renew the debate next week when lawmakers return for a short deadline session. Theyll face the unavoidable reality that the country is sinking by any measure. A stimulus bill stretching into the trillions could be the answer. At the outset of the pandemic Congress approved a $3 billion package. Then negotiations fell apart on a follow-up with the same price tag. Now its readying for a third try. Theres no ignoring the need as jobless aid applications rise, hospital ICUs fill up and stores shutter to stem the coronavirus outbreak. Several issues are getting the most focus. Unemployment payments of $600 per week are due to run out at the months end. They should be renewed, though the sum is up for negotiation. Democrats want a higher number, the better to let people stay home, care for family and not risk infection on the job. GOP leaders say the checks, small as they sound, encourage people to dodge looking for work. Thats nonsense, especially in the Bay Area. There could be another crowd-pleasing stimulus check such as the $1,200 amount sent out last spring. But Washington needs to build a genuine safety net under the country, not a single sum dropping in the mailbox. Schools may be a friction point with Republicans ignoring the danger of infection and insisting on open classrooms in exchange for bailout money. Even if Washingtons financial role is small, it shouldnt deny school districts the right to safeguard staff and students by cutting off funds. Another sore point could be money for small businesses. In the first stimulus bill, the funds were intended to keep workers employed in small operations. But larger businesses took advantage, a loophole that should be eliminated. There are other topics in flux. Trump has been pushing for a break on the payroll tax workers contribute to Social Security. Local governments, crushed by budget bills and spiraling businesses, want help along with transportation agencies such as BART and Muni that have seen their ridership vaporize. Just as significant as the features will be the politics. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Democrat, is smarting over the failure of the second stimulus package she drew up and sent to the Senate where it died. In that chamber Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, is determined to draw up a GOP-flavored package. Anyone watching should prepare for rhetorical overkill until serious talks begin. The country doesnt need a perfect bill. It needs compassion and leadership given a negligent White House and rampaging pandemic. Its time to support more aid for a suffering nation. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. MLC Life Insurance strengthens crisis communications capabilities with Everbridge The recent bushfires and wild weather that struck part of Australia has highlighted the challenge of staying in contact with employees during crises and managing effective responses for one of the countrys largest insurance companies, MLC Life Insurance. But by implementing Everbridge Safety Connection, MLC always gains location-detection capabilities for all staff and the ability to directly communicate with them at all times. Access this case study to discover more benefits that MLC saw which have led to strengthened crisis communication in their business. Oakland At the Jack London Square Farmers. | Photo: Courtesy of PCFMA Here's our roundup of the latest in Oakland food news: Jack London Square gets a new seafood restaurant, a brewery departs the neighborhood and a local farmers market returns with a new operator and new safety guidelines. Opening Jack London Square Seabreeze on the Dock (31 Webster St.) Hoodline veteran tipster Al M. alerts us that the former Il Pescatore Italian restaurant will become Seabreeze on the Dock. As we previously reported, Il Pescatore shuttered its waterfront space in 2017. The new owners say they hope to be done with construction by the end of July, according to a Facebook post, but notes that due to COVID-19, things remain "uncertain and unpredictable." Photo: Albertino M./Hoodline Tipline Seabreeze on the Dock will offer a view of the Jack London Square Marina from its standalone building, and diners can expect a selection of seafood dishes on the menu. Closed Jack London Square Independent Brewing Co. (444 Harrison St.) Photo: Benjamin W./Yelp After seven years in the neighborhood, Independent Brewing Co. is no more. "On the seventh anniversary of our founding, with much-mixed emotion, we are announcing the permanent closure of Independent Brewing Company at 444 Harrison Street," brewery representatives wrote on Facebook earlier this month, citing "the challenges of COVID-19 and an inability to find common ground on continuing our lease." For now, Independent Brewing owner Stephen McDaniel will be "evaluating our future as a company." The brewery had already closed at the beginning of shelter-in-place, but back then the closure was thought to be a temporary one. In the goodbye post, McDaniel also looked back to art shows and music performances he hosted over the years. "We have made many friends and faced countless challenges," he wrote. Update Jack London Square Jack London Square Farmers Market (Webster St. & Embarcadero West) The farmers market pre-pandemic | Photo: Jack London Square Farmers Market/Yelp The Jack London Square farmers market returned to the neighborhood earlier this month and will now operate every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with health safety guidelines in place. Story continues No sampling is allowed, visitors can expect signs alerting everyone to follow the guidelines, and customers are asked to stay at least six feet apart. As we reported in February, the market was is in limbo as it was seeking a new operator. Founded in 1989, it will now be managed by the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association (PCFMA). PCFMA is also the initial founder of the market. The market was previously run by the Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), which is also behind the tri-weekly Ferry Building Farmers Market in San Francisco, before its closure at the beginning of the year. "PCFMA is excited to return as the operator of the Jack London Square Farmers Market," said director of direct marketing Ben Palazzolo in a statement. "This long-standing market is a mainstay of Oakland and we look forward to contributing to its legacy within the community," he said, adding that the vision for the Jack London Square Farmers Market remains the same to bring diverse products, farms, and businesses to the neighborhood. Many of the vendors previously featured will continue to operate under the new ownership, the statement noted. Thanks to our tipster Al M.! Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to (415) 200-3233, and we'll look into it. A US Navy veteran who was beaten by federal agents during a protest in Portland is speaking out about the attack captured in a viral video. Chris David, 53, said he was drawn to Saturday night's protest after seeing horrifying footage of federal officers driving around the Oregon city in unmarked cars, snatching demonstrators off the streets and spraying them with tear gas. As a former service member himself, he said he wanted to talk plainly with the agents about why they were so blatantly violating their oath to protect and serve. But when he approached a group of the agents outside Portland's federal courthouse, he said one officer beat him with a baton, breaking his hand in two places, while another sprayed him with chemicals. 'I wanted to ask them: "Why are you guys not following the Constitution?"' David told Reuters. 'But we never got there. They whaled on me like a punching bag.' US Navy veteran Chris David, 53, spoke out after a video of him getting beaten up by federal agents during a Portland protest on Saturday night went viral Video showed a federal officer beating David with a baton before a second officer sprayed him in the face with chemicals 'I wanted to ask them: "Why are you guys not following the Constitution?"' David said. 'But we never got there. They whaled on me like a punching bag' A video appearing to show David being beaten by a federal officer and sprayed with a chemical by another while he stood passively went viral over the weekend, racking up nearly 11 million views by Monday. In the footage, David was seen wearing a Navy sweatshirt as the first agent struck him at least three times before the second sprayed a substance directly in his face, prompting him to turn away. As he started to walk away, the first agent hit David at least two more times before he threw his middle finger in the air and retreated. Afterward David was widely praised on social media for allegedly standing up to federal officers accused of excessive force and escalating violence as they protect federal buildings. David stood passively as the officers attacked him with a baton and chemicals David threw his middle fingers in the air as he retreated from the officers in a cloud of tear gas David filled in more details of the confrontation in an interview with The Washington Post. He said when he first arrived at the protest he stayed back from most of the crowd because he has pre-existing health conditions that make him especially vulnerable to contracting coronavirus. The protest - which marked the 51st night of unrest in the city since the death of George Floyd - kicked off with police firing tear gas into a line of local moms who had linked arms as they demanded that federal agents stop targeting Portland residents. David stood back and watched the drama unfold before he saw the federal agents emerge outside the courthouse and rush into a line of protesters, knocking them to the ground. He said he then walked toward the agents and shouted: 'Why are you not honoring your oath? Why are you not honoring your oath to the Constitution?' David is pictured in an undated photo from his time in the US Navy That's when he said one officer drew his weapon and pointed it at him while several others shoved him, causing him to stumble backward. David regained his balance and again moved toward the agents, at which point he was repeatedly bludgeoned and sprayed with chemicals. With vision blurred and eyes stinging, David made his way through a suffocating cloud of tear gas to a bench, where a street medic came to help him. He was later transported to the hospital, where an X-ray revealed that his right hand had been broken in two places. David said he's seen the praise he's received on social media from people calling him a hero - but he says that's not the case. 'It's just us normal people out there,' he said. 'There were a whole group of pregnant moms standing out there linking arms and they got gassed. 'You hear people like [President] Trump say it's just a bunch of wacko fringe people in liberal cities who are out there, but no way. We're all just normal people who think what's happening is wrong.' Saturday's protest kicked off with police spraying tear gas into a line of mothers who linked arms and demanded that federal officers be removed from Portland Oregon politicians have blasted the arrival of federal agents (center), who are not required to follow the same policing restrictions as local authorities and can use methods like tear gas As the video of David gained traction on the internet, Trump weighed in on Portland's protests in a tweet on Sunday morning. 'We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action,' the president said. 'We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!' Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler hit back at Trump hours later and repeated his call to have federal troops removed from the city. 'The president has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect,' Wheeler told CNN. 'What's happening here is, we have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending upon our city. And what they're doing is, they are sharply escalating the situation. 'Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.' Trump weighed in on Portland's protests in a tweet on Sunday morning as the video of David getting attacked spread like wildfire on social media Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler hit back at Trump in a CNN interview on Sunday and repeated his call to have federal troops removed from the city Top Homeland Security officials on Monday said they had no intention of pulling back in Portland and defended the federal crackdown on anti-racism protests, including the use of unmarked cars and unidentified officers in camouflage. Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, told CNN the officers involved in the David incident were from the US Federal Marshals Service. Cuccinelli said he had seen the video but had not heard the audio or seen reports from officers involved in the event. He did not comment further. Portland Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. Collingwood artists have pushed for an expanded council grants scheme to help struggling creatives survive the pandemic and rejuvenate the streets. Arts organisations Liquid Architecture, West Space and Bus Projects, which recently moved into the new arts precinct Collingwood Yards, are pitching to stage a festival next year when Melbourne is, hopefully, open again. Artists Andy Butler, Channon Goodwin, Georgia Hutchison, Joel Stern and Amelia Wallin at Collingwood Yards. Credit:Joe Armao The pandemic shutdown has hammered the creative sector, with Liquid Architecture losing half its income without ticketed events. Liquid Architecture's Joel Stern last week addressed the City of Yarra during budget submissions, asking for its arts grants scheme to be expanded by $50,000. Memorial services have been held in Armenian churches of Ukraine for those killed during escalations. Father Karapet Gharibyan told AnalitikaUA.net that at 11 am in all Armenian churches in Ukraine memorial services were held for those killed during the escalation on the border with Azerbaijan. As you know, four Armenian soldiers have been killed in tensions. A tragic bus incident that led to the death of 21 people, including the driver, gives a glimpse into the mounting social tensions in China. On July 7, Zhang, a 52-year-old bus driver, deliberately drove his vehicle and its passengers through a roadside guardrail and plunged into the Hongshan Reservoir, located in the city of Anshun, Guizhou in southwest China. In the video footage of the incident, the dam wall was divided into six traffic lanes, three in each direction. About a minute before the incident, the bus was moving very slowly on the outermost lane, with all five lanes occupied with busy traffic. After about half a minute, the bus came to a halt for ten seconds for no obvious reason. Then, when the traffic on other lanes started to thin out, the bus made a sudden and sharp 90-degree turn, cut through the other five lanes, and plunged into the reservoir. Even though dozens of people and divers from Guizhou Fire and Rescue Corps searched for passengers in the reservoir, 21 people were killed and another 15 injured. While this tragedy triggered wide discussions on the internet, the first report on its cause appeared in Caixin, a Chinese news journal. The investigative report into the background of the bus driver indicated that he had deliberately driven the bus into the reservoir. According to Caixin, the bus driver, Zhang, originally worked in the diesel industry in Anshun before becoming a bus driver. He used to live in housing assigned to him as part of the benefits for workers at state-owned factoriesa legacy stemming from the period before capitalist restoration in China. Even though such housing technically belonged to the factories, many workers and their families have been living there for decades and considered the places as their own. Zhang had been living in factory housing until 2016, when he moved to an apartment that belonged to his sister. On the morning of the incident, Zhang learned that his old home at the diesel factory was being torn down. He hastily went to the site but was not allowed to go inside. Caixin reporters later found out that Zhangs old house had been completely torn down. At the site, there were only piles of bricks and, buried under them, a TV, a sofa, and a bed. The forced demolition of homes has been widespread in China for decades, causing conflicts and confrontations, sometimes violent and even deadly ones. As part of urbanization in China, the State Council implemented the Regulation on the Dismantlement of Urban Houses on June 13, 2001. This was replaced on January 21, 2011 with Housing expropriation and compensation regulations on state owned land, which controlled the reorganization and re-planning of state-owned land, including the demolition of old residential houses. House demolitions have sometimes been carried out without any previous notifications to the residents or without previous negotiation of proper compensation, leading to forced displacement and physical confrontations. Caixin revealed the difficulties that Zhang faced in his life. The state-owned bus company where he worked, the Anshun Public Traffic General Company, combined two privately-run companies. After the merger, all drivers had to sign a new contract. Caixin s interviews with bus drivers revealed that their monthly salaries went from about 5,000 RMB ($US715) to 3,000 RMB. After the COVID-19 pandemic, their salaries dropped to 2,000 or even 1,000 RMB per month, barely a living wage. On July 12, five days after the incident, the police in Anshun announced the result of the official investigation, confirming the driver had intentionally caused the crash and providing further details. According to the report, Zhang signed an agreement on June 8 with the local Bureau of Housing and Construction to receive 72,542.94 RMB ($10,363) as compensation for his demolished 40-square-meter house at the diesel factory, three times lower than the average price for second-hand housing in the local district. He never claimed this compensation. Zhang had also been applying for state-owned or collectively-owned housing since June, but his application was not approved. On the morning of the incident, Zhang called the hotline for government service to express his opposition to the demolition of his house as well as the denial of his application for new housing. During his shift that morning, Zhang sent a voice message to his girlfriend, saying that he was tired of this world. Then, a few minutes before the incident, Zhang took a drink from his bottle, which was later confirmed to be liquor. The police report concluded that Zhang deliberately drove the bus into the reservoir due to discontent with his life in general and to the demolition of his house. What happened to Zhang reflects the plight of millions of workers: deindustrialization, forced displacement, constant inroads into wages and living conditions have been intensified by the pandemic and bureaucratic and often corrupt decisions about housing and other services. The Chinese Communist Party regime is well aware of this brewing social cauldron. Incapable of resolving the social problems facing working people, it responds with police-state measures and expanding their surveillance apparatus to try to prevent an eruption of social discontent. On July 9, before any investigation had been completed into crash, the Beijing Public Transportation Group began conducting background checks into all its bus drivers. Phoenix New Media report that this measure was an emergency response to Anshuns bus incident. Management intends to identify, follow up on, and monitor all drivers who could potentially be involved in any conflicts. What it will not, and cannot do, is provide decent wages, secure jobs, proper housing and other essentials. Voice recordings stored in black boxes on board a Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iran in January have been recovered, Frances aviation safety authority said today. The data successfully downloaded from the black boxes includes recordings of the pilots speaking, Frances Bureau for Civil Aviation Safety Enquiry (BEA) said, according to Reuters. Iran shot down Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 in January, killing all 176 people on board. The passengers on board were mostly Iranian or Canadian, with lesser numbers of Ukrainian, Swiss, Afghan and UK passengers on board. Experts from Canada, the United States, Britain and Sweden are observing the data recovery, which is led by an Iranian investigator. The BEA said any further release of information about the data would be at the discretion of the Iranian officials. Iranian authorities apologized for the incident and said their air defenses mistook the aircraft to be a missile thought to have been launched by the United States. The downing of the airliner happened just hours after Iran struck US positions in Iraq with a barrage of precision ballistic missiles in retaliation for the US killing of top Iranian Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad days prior. Iran sent the black boxes to France for analysis after Tehrans civil aviation authority said last week that the incident was caused by a mistake in aligning the radar system and failure of air defense personnel to communicate. Ukraines government rejected the assertion, saying it was too soon to draw such conclusions. Canadas foreign minister also expressed doubt as to Irans explanation for the incident, according to Reuters. I dont put much credibility into that report. Its not just the result of human error; I think that would be an oversimplification of what really happened, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said. Champagne acknowledged that Iran handing over the boxes to French investigators was a positive step, but he argued that more needs to be done toward accountability. The Ukrainian government is requesting compensation from Irans government for the victims families. While most beedi workers have been pushed out of the formal economy, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax also appears to have had a negative effect on them. Women beedi workers across the country face grave problems in the form of extremely low wages, abysmal social security and a lack of alternative work options, a recent study by a group of researchers has found. The study, while noting that most beedi workers want to leave the occupation, recommends roping in NGOs and private institutions to train them on alternative livelihoods. The study, titled Knowledge gap in existing research on Indias women beedi rollers and alternative livelihood options was authored by Sachi Satapathy, Gagan Bihari Sahu, Jaganath Mallick, Nilachala Acharya and Bhaskar C Sahoo. It was published by Delhi-based researchers consortium, AF Development Care. Speaking to Firstpost, Sachi Satapathy, the principal investigator of the study, said, At present, there are some inconsistencies in official data on this sector. For example, according to the governments replies to Rajya Sabha questions, there were 5.59 million beedi workers in July 2019, but this number actually reduced to 4.98 million just a few months later in December 2019. The government must come out with clean data on people working in this sector in order to devise appropriate social welfare schemes and social protection mechanisms for them. Official figures As per figures mentioned by the Union government to the Rajya Sabha from time to time, the total number of beedi workers in the country had decreased from 4.47 million in 1993-94 to 4.27 million in February 1997. However, more recently, the number has again shown a rising trend of late, increasing from 4.81 million in December 2018 to 4.98 million in December 2019. The AF Development Cares study has analysed the Union labour ministrys data to show that this rise has been mostly driven by eastern and central India. The highest rise between 1997 and 2018 was seen in the region covered by the Kolkata Labour Welfare Organisation (1183.4 thousand), followed by Jabalpur (394.7 thousand) and Ranchi (113.4 thousand). On the other hand, the number of beedi workers has declined in southern India. The biggest decline was seen in the region covered by the Tirunelveli Labour Welfare Organisation (541.1 thousand), followed by Hyderabad (187.0 thousand) and Kannur (104.4 thousand). Under the Union governments Directorate General of Labour Welfare, there are 17 such regions in the country, each headed by a welfare commissioner. These labour welfare organisations are tasked with administering funds for the benefit of workers in some occupations (including beedi-making) included in the unorganised sector. Changing nature of beedi industry At present, the Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 and Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976 regulate the working conditions and social security benefits for this section of the population. However, these laws were formulated at a time when beedi rolling was primarily carried out in factories, as has been noted by the Union government itself. However, the AF Development Care study analyses data from the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) to show that more recently, in 2011-2012, as many as 96 percent of beedi workers were home-based, while only 4 percent worked in factories. Out of the workers who worked from home, 83.7 percent were women and 16.3 percent were men. This shift from a factory-based to a home-based system may be largely attributed to the avoidance of financial compliance by factory owners in accordance with labour legislations and various welfare schemes meant for beedi workers, the study notes. The increasingly informal nature of beedi-making seems to have had an extremely adverse impact on incomes for the people (mostly women) who carry out the work of filling tobacco in rolled-up tendu leaves. According to the study, there is a significant gender gap in terms of pay, and women on an average earn Rs 126 per day, as compared to men, who earn Rs 266 per day on an average. To give some perspective, in January 2019, an expert committee appointed by the Union labour ministry had recommended that the government should set the national minimum wage at Rs 375. However, under the Code of Wages, 2019, the national minimum wage has been set at Rs 178 as of now. Bibek Debroy, the chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, took note of this point in a foreword that he wrote for the study. Debroy remarked, Even when legislation exists, in an informal economy, it cannot be enforced. For instance, rights cannot be enforced (irrespective of whether the sector is technically defined as organised or unorganised) in the absence of contracts. One of the findings in this report reinforces the impression that often, workers dont have enforceable contracts. Indeed, the study shows that in the unorganised sector, 95.7 percent of women beedi workers do not have a written job contract, and 93.5 percent are not eligible for any social security benefits, such as pension or gratuity. The situation is only slightly better in the organised sector, where 79.8 percent women do not have a written job contract, and 47.0 percent are not eligible for any social security benefits. Further, an article in the Pulitzer Center quotes Dithhi Bhattacharya, director of non-profit Centre for Workers Management (CWM) as saying that the beedi industry is the only one in the country which pays wages only on a piece-rate basis (based on the number of units of an item that have been produced). Other industries have both a time-rate and a piece-rate. Post-GST worries While most beedi workers have been pushed out of the formal economy, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax also appears to have had a negative effect on them. Prior to GST, the Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976 was in force, and the cess under this law was meant to finance welfare measures for the workers in this sector. However, in 2017, with the rollout of GST, the cess was abolished. An analysis of the utilisation of the welfare cess showed that in 2014-15, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the total revenue expenditure for welfare measures was Rs 1,866.6 million, Rs 1,757.9 million, Rs 2,060.7 million and Rs 1,740.9 million respectively. This included expenditure on scholarships, health, housing, administration and recreation. Similarly, in 2014-15, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the total capital expenditure for this purpose was Rs 30.5 million, Rs 14.1 million, Rs 5.6 million and Rs 5.2 million respectively. This included capital expenditure on health and administration. Lack of government intervention In 2010, a survey by NGO Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) had shown that in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, 93 percent of the beedi workers interviewed expressed a desire to shift to alternative professions. However, data analysed by AF Development Care showed that out of a total of an estimated 5 million beedi workers, only 2,223 women beedi workers have received skill development training as part of a government programme. Out of these, only 1,025 could shift to alternative jobs after the training. Speaking about this finding, Satapathy said, The government must devise skill development opportunities that are in keeping with the capabilities of the people involved. For example, merely handing out tailoring machines to everyone is not the solution. Further, there needs to be a market survey to determine the kinds of jobs that are in demand, whether in the agricultural supply chain, industrial sector or service sector. While improving the condition of beedi workers will require many more years of effort, assessing what they need in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty would be an important first step. Second-quarter earnings results so far are rather disappointing as expected. The pathetic performance can be blamed solely on the global outbreak of coronavirus and consequent lockdowns. Despite this gloomy scenario, the technology sector is expected to perform relatively better this earnings season. Notably, a few tech stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank are likely to beat earnings estimates this month. Tech Sector Vs. Broad-Market Q2 Earnings Expectations As of Jul 17, overall, second-quarter earnings for the S&P 500 Index are projected to be down 44.3% year over year on 10.3% lower revenues. However, for the technology sector, second-quarter earnings are expected to be down 12.7% year over year on 1% lower revenues. Notably, first-quarter earnings of companies on the S&P 500 Index were down 13.5% on 1.4% higher revenues. Despite this, total earnings of the technology sector as a whole grew 3.8% year over year on 4% higher revenues in the first quarter. (Read More: Previewing the Tech Sector's First Full Coronavirus Earnings Season) Technology Sector in Q2 Despite a coronavirus-stricken U.S. and global economy, the technology sector managed to maintain its foothold as the last few years saw a series of breakthroughs in cloud computing, predictive analysis, AI, self-driving vehicles, digital personal assistants and IoT, which have set the stage for robust growth for technology stocks. In this regard, large-scale commercial deployment of 5G wireless network has boosted the overall technology sector. Meanwhile, the outbreak of coronavirus globally has established digitization as the new normal for what is being touted as going to be a very long time. And as social distancing is keeping near and dear ones away, people, especially citizens of emerging and less-developed countries, are reaching out more than ever with smartphones, tablets or notebooks. The result of these positive developments reflected in stock markets. The S&P 500 Index popularly known as Wall Street's benchmark rallied 20% in second-quarter 2020 while the Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK), one of the 11 broad sectors of the S&P 500 Index, jumped 30.4%. The tech-laden Nasdaq Composite also climbed 30.5%. Story continues Our Top Picks We have narrowed down our search to five technology stocks slated to release earnings results this month. Each of these stocks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has a positive Earnings ESP. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Our research shows that for stocks with the combination of a Zacks Rank #3 or better and a positive Earnings ESP, the chance of an earnings beat is as high as 70%. These stocks are expected to soar after earnings release. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks in the last quarter. Texas Instruments Inc. TXN designs, manufactures and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. It operates in two segments, Analog and Embedded Processing. The company has an Earnings ESP of +6.19%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Texas Instruments' current-year earnings has improved 0.5% over the last 7 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.2%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Jul 21, after the closing bell. Teradyne Inc. TER designs, develops, manufactures, sells and supports automatic test equipment worldwide. It operates through Semiconductor Test, System Test, Industrial Automation, and Wireless Test segments. Teradyne has an Earnings ESP of +14.01%. The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 8.7% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 1% over the last 7 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Jul 21, after the closing bell. Intel Corp. INTC provides computing, networking, data storage and communication solutions worldwide. It operates through Data Center Group, Internet of Things Group, Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, Programmable Solutions Group, Client Computing Group and All Other segments. The company has an Earnings ESP of +3.13%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intel's current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the last 7 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.4%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Jul 23, after the closing bell. MaxLinear Inc. MXL provides radio-frequency, high-performance analog and mixed-signal communications systems-on-chip solutions for the connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multi-market applications worldwide. The company has an Earnings ESP of +9.57%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MaxLinear's current-year earnings has improved 11.9% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.57%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Jul 23, after the closing bell. NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI designs and manufactures high-performance, mixed-signal semiconductor solutions to meet the requirements of systems and sub-systems in its target markets. The company has an Earnings ESP of +11.90%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NXP Semiconductors' current-year earnings has improved 0.6% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 30%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Jul 27, after the closing bell. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Teradyne, Inc. (TER) : Free Stock Analysis Report MaxLinear, Inc (MXL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research As of 12 p.m. July 20, 2020, the Pa. Department of Health reports that there are 101,738 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. There are at least 7,018 reported deaths from the virus. According to Johns Hopkins University, 76,780 of those cases recovered from the virus. Click the image to see a data page including an interactive map for the state. (Please click the link in the previous sentence if you cant see the image.) Click here for a ZIP code breakdown of cases provided by the Pa. Department of Health. The state is also providing detailed hospital and respirator data here for desktop users and here for mobile users. The state reported 711 new cases of the coronavirus. Below is a county-by-county breakdown of the additional positives reported. Adams There are 414 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 15 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Allegheny There are 6435 total cases with 172 new cases reported. 208 total deaths have been reported in the county with 3 new deaths announced. Armstrong There are 119 total cases with 5 new cases reported. 6 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Beaver There are 968 total cases with 10 new cases reported. 81 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Bedford There are 105 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 4 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Berks There are 4845 total cases with 24 new cases reported. 360 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Blair There are 142 total cases with 7 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Bradford There are 67 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 3 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Bucks There are 6387 total cases with 34 new cases reported. 573 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Butler There are 481 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 13 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Cambria There are 172 total cases with 5 new cases reported. 3 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Cameron There are 5 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Carbon There are 324 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 28 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Centre There are 288 total cases with 9 new cases reported. 9 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Chester There are 4326 total cases with 31 new cases reported. 334 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Clarion There are 68 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Clearfield There are 99 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Clinton There are 104 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 5 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Columbia There are 433 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 35 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Crawford There are 109 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Cumberland There are 1024 total cases with 8 new cases reported. 68 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Dauphin There are 2420 total cases with 16 new cases reported. 150 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Delaware There are 7903 total cases with 40 new cases reported. 674 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Elk There are 37 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Erie There are 787 total cases with 6 new cases reported. 13 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Fayette There are 272 total cases with 10 new cases reported. 4 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Forest There are 7 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Franklin There are 1074 total cases with 13 new cases reported. 46 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Fulton There are 19 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Greene There are 87 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Huntingdon There are 269 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 4 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Indiana There are 180 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 6 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Jefferson There are 47 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Juniata There are 120 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 6 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lackawanna There are 1808 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 212 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lancaster There are 5084 total cases with 32 new cases reported. 392 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lawrence There are 235 total cases with 9 new cases reported. 9 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lebanon There are 1500 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 51 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lehigh There are 4564 total cases with 18 new cases reported. 332 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Luzerne There are 3071 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 181 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Lycoming There are 274 total cases with 6 new cases reported. 20 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. McKean There are 25 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Mercer There are 245 total cases with 14 new cases reported. 8 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Mifflin There are 82 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Monroe There are 1503 total cases with 4 new cases reported. 117 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Montgomery There are 9182 total cases with 34 new cases reported. 837 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Montour There are 86 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Northampton There are 3649 total cases with 6 new cases reported. 285 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Northumberland There are 364 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 11 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Perry There are 96 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 5 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Philadelphia There are 23925 total cases with 86 new cases reported. 1658 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Pike There are 514 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 21 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Potter There are 19 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Schuylkill There are 824 total cases with 6 new cases reported. 48 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Snyder There are 81 total cases with 2 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Somerset There are 94 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Sullivan There are 10 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Susquehanna There are 195 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 26 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Tioga There are 32 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Union There are 114 total cases with 3 new cases reported. 2 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Venango There are 51 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 0 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Warren There are 13 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 1 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Washington There are 580 total cases with 21 new cases reported. 10 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Wayne There are 149 total cases with 1 new cases reported. 8 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Westmoreland There are 1174 total cases with 21 new cases reported. 40 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. Wyoming There are 52 total cases with 0 new cases reported. 7 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. York There are 2006 total cases with 21 new cases reported. 72 total deaths have been reported in the county with 0 new deaths announced. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has reportedly set up two dispute settlement panels against India on the request of Taiwan and Japan. The countries had raised an issue against India imposing duties on mobile phones and other information and communication technology (ICT) products imported from them. The WTOs Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) is expected to consider second requests for panels made by both countries in its meeting on July 29, an official told The Hindu BusinessLine. This is the second instance India is facing a dispute on the issue after the European Union made a similar request to the WTO in June 2020. The Indian government had then refused the organisations request to deal with all three complaints in a single panel. In the DSB meeting last month, India was able to block Japan and Taiwans requests as those were first requests made by the countries. This time panels will have to be set up as second requests cant be blocked, an official said. In its request, Japan has pointed out 'unfair tariff treatment' for ICT items by applying duties in excess of the zero percent bound rate as under the IT Agreement. The items include mobile phones, machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus; base station; and parts of telephone sets and other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, as per the report. Japan has also argued that it was forced to make a second request after consultations held with India in May 2019 were unresolved. It has further asked that a single panel be set up to review all three complaints to ensure efficient use of resources particularly given current pandemic circumstances, as per the report. Taiwan in its complaints has made similar arguments to Japan, stating that tariffs on ITC items were in excess of the zero percent bound rate and in some cases is as high as 20 percent. It also pointed out the failure to reach a resolution in May 2019 as the reason for seeking the dispute panel. India on its part has stated disappointment at close trading partner Japans request. It said Japan and Taiwan seek for India to take on commitments under ITA-II which it never agreed to and take advantage of an error made by India when transposing its tariff lines to the updated HS. In the church where I grew up, in the front of the room, right below the pulpit was a table with the words Do this in remembrance of me inscribed. I distinctly remember this and have seen it written out in some form in many churches since then. Why do these words hold such a prominent position in our faith? Remembrance is an important aspect of Christianity. As believers we are encouraged and strengthened by remembering the faith and deeds of those who have gone before us. We remember that ours is an ancient faith, we remember the promises of Gods word, and as we do so our confidence is built in trusting God and living in his truth. There are several places in Scripture where we are encouraged to remember, but the commandment from Jesus spoken on the night he was betrayed stands out from the rest. There is a deep and vibrant meaning to this instruction, and this remembrance continues to be a cornerstone of our faith. The Origin of Remembrance and Its Fulfillment And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you (Luke 22:19-20). Events in the Old Testament often serve the dual purpose of fulfilling Gods promises to his people in the moment, while also providing a view of what is to come. This occurrence is one of the most obvious of these, as Jesus fulfills the meaning of Passover. This verse takes place within the context of the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples. This meal was a part of the Jewish festival of Passover, which had been observed annually since Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. The original Passover was a miraculous occurrence, and the pivotal event in the formation of Gods people as a nation. After having been enslaved in Egypt for centuries, this represented the night that their tormentors were punished and the Israelites were freed from slavery according to Gods promise of restoration. The account from Exodus 12:12-14 describes what happened: On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lorda lasting ordinance. The Jewish people had observed this meal every year in order to remember Gods fulfillment of his promise. Every year they reenacted the preparation of fleeing Egypt, and being prepared for whatever came next. Jesus takes this concept to its completion as he reveals that he is the true fulfillment of the Passover. Here we see Jesus commemorating, observing, and remembering what God has done while simultaneously revealing what God is doing and will do. Just as the blood of the lamb covered the doorposts, the blood of Jesus covers our sins. The disciples would certainly observe this meal again, as would the entire nation of Israel and the church to come, but Jesus is now adding a deeper meaning to it. As we remember freedom from physical slavery, we also remember the sacrifice of Jesus that frees us from spiritual slavery. Photo credit: Getty Images/IngridHS Is Luke the Only Gospel That Includes This Phrase? For such an important command spoken by Jesus, we might imagine that it would be recorded in all four Gospels. Yet, this is not the case, and the phrase Do this in remembrance of me is only found in Lukes Gospel. Does this give it less significance? Not at all! It is clear from Pauls writings later on that this phrase was well known and well understood within the church. Paul repeats it verbatim in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. It is clear that these words of Jesus held significant importance and were cemented into the hearts and minds of the early Church. How Can Christians Practice This Command Today? The most obvious way we can practice this command is through doing what the Church has done for centuries: observing communion together regularly, prayerfully and thoughtfully considering together what the Lord has done for us. In John 6:56, Jesus says something strange that makes no sense out of context: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. In that moment, these words caused many to turn away from him, but we can now clearly see what he was referring to; the fulfillment of the Passover meal in his life, sacrifice and resurrection. As we observe Communion today, we are declaring ourselves to be in community with him and with one another. In our immediate context, in this trying time of quarantine and pandemic, it seems nearly impossible to remember Jesus through communion as he instructed his disciples to do. In that way, we can be discouraged. However, we cant assume Jesus didnt foresee this! Regardless of our situation, we can faithfully remember his sacrifice for us daily in all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Photo credit: Getty Images/Suwaree Tangbovornpichet Jason Soroski is a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. Connect on Facebook or at JasonSoroski.net. A 30-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a hospital worker was stabbed several times. Connolly Mellon, of Wilson Avenue, Brighton, will appear at Brighton Magistrates Court on Monday in connection with the attack at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The hospital was put in lockdown following the incident on Sunday morning, and armed police rushed to the scene. The victim was treated for several stab wounds and he was later discharged from hospital. Hospital workers gather outside / PA A Sussex Police spokesman said: Connolly Mellon, unemployed, 30, of Wilson Avenue, Brighton has been charged with the attempted murder of a 56-year-old man who is a member of staff, at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on 19 July, and is due to appear in custody at Brighton Magistrates Court on Monday (20 July). The victim was treated for several stab wounds and was discharged from hospital on Sunday evening. Police and staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton / PA Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: My thoughts go out to the staff member at the Royal Sussex County Hospital who was injured this morning. I will not accept violence against NHS staff we will bring the full force of the law to bear on anyone who attacks public servants in their line of duty. Unison union Central Sussex Hospitals branch secretary Mark Sargent said: Our thoughts are with our injured colleague and his family. NHS workers whove been keeping people safe during the pandemic shouldnt have to face violence when theyre doing their jobs. Security staff and police deserve huge credit for their timely and decisive action. NEW YORK - A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump Administration on Monday, seeking to block next months implementation of a rule overturning Obama-era protections for transgender people against sex discrimination in health care. New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading the group of 23 states, said the change affecting the Affordable Care Acts anti-discrimination section would give health care providers and insurance companies carte blanche to refuse treatment based on factors such as gender identity. James also raised concerns that women could be denied access to abortion under the revision, which takes effect Aug. 18, and that non-English speakers will be deprived of information through a change to requirements that insurers print materials in a variety of languages. This is just the latest attempt by President Trump and his administration to unlawfully chip away at health care for Americans after failing to repeal the ACA time after time, James told reporters in a conference call announcing the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court against the Department of Health and Human Services, secretary Alex Azar and civil rights chief Roger Severino, seeks an injunction to stop the rule from taking effect. The attorneys general argue it violates the Fifth Amendments equal protection clause. A message seeking comment was left with a spokesperson for the department. The Trump Administration pushed ahead with the rule change even after a Supreme Court ruling last month barring workplace sex discrimination against LGBT people, moving to show Trumps religious and socially conservative supporters that he remains committed to their causes ahead of the November election. Under the change, Health and Human Services said it will enforce sex discrimination protections according to the plain meaning of the word sex as male or female and as determined by biology. That rewrites an Obama-era regulation that sought a broader understanding shaped by a persons internal sense of being male, female, neither or a combination. The lawsuit brought by the attorneys general is part of an expected flurry of lawsuits challenging the lawsuit, including one filed last month by the LGBT civil rights organization Lambda Legal. Such groups say explicit protections are needed for people seeking sex-reassignment treatment, and even for transgender people who need care for common illnesses such as diabetes or heart problems. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, both frequent Trump foes, assisted James in crafting the lawsuit. Becerra said implementing the rule while coronavirus continues to rage across the country is especially cruel. This is a mean and unconstitutional rule in any context, Becerra said. But authorizing discrimination in our health care system at this time, when our nation is suffering through a pandemic, is unbelievably immoral. ___ Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington, D.C., and David Crary in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak US Wrestles With How to Open Schools Safely By Steve Baragona July 19, 2020 Everyone agrees kids should be in school. While opening schools in the fall has become the latest Trump administration political battle, the question is not whether it's a good idea. It's whether it can be done safely. With the opening of the new school year just weeks away, President Donald Trump threatened school districts that do not send kids back to classrooms. Though the federal government has little control over school finances, he said in a tweet he "(m)ay cut off funding if not open!" Teachers want it. Pediatricians want it. "We recognize that children learn best when physically present in the classroom," the two largest U.S. teachers unions and the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a joint statement. "(B)ut we must pursue reopening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff," they add. Public health experts say opening schools carries many of the same risks as opening businesses, and many communities that have done so too fast or without enough protections have seen coronavirus cases explode. "In communities where the case numbers are rapidly increasing, it may not be possible to safely reopen schools until disease transmission is lower," said Jennifer Nuzzo, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "Can't stress that enough." High stakes Reopening schools is an important part of restarting the economy. Many parents working from home are struggling to do their jobs and care for their children at the same time. It's even harder for the millions of essential workers who can't work from home. With the economy contracting and unemployment at levels not seen since the 1930s Great Depression, getting people back to work is a key political consideration ahead of November's election. The stakes are high for students, too. "Children get much more than academics at school," the pediatricians and teachers' statement notes. Children also learn social and emotional skills at school. Nearly 30 million children rely on them for free or reduced-price meals each day. Millions more access mental health care there. Schools are the main sources of reporting for child and sexual abuse. COVID-19 tends to be less serious for children than for adults. Studies have found they are less likely to get infected, suffer severe illness and die from the disease. Children also don't seem to spread the illness as much, but the evidence is limited. However, "while the risk is lower, less risk does not mean no risk," said Josh Sharfstein who is vice dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. More than 200,000 coronavirus infections among children in the U.S. have been reported as of July 9, according to the AAP, including 63 deaths. And teachers and staff are at risk, just like people at any other indoor workplace. If Trump demands that schools open despite the risks, "then I want Donald Trump to sit in the back of my class of 39 and breathe their air," said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union. "I want him to sit there for seven hours, five days a week and have those kids cough and sneeze on him." Johns Hopkins researchers estimate it will cost $50 billion to prepare U.S. schools to welcome students safely. International openings Other countries have opened schools without setting off new outbreaks. In South Korea, elementary, middle and special education schools can only have one third of their students in class at a time, while high schools are limited to two-thirds of classroom capacity. When students are not in class, they have remote instruction. In Germany, older students went back to school first. Officials considered them better able to comply with social distancing measures. Belgian primary school children stay in their classes or "bubbles" throughout the day to minimize contact with other classes. Many countries require students, teachers and staff to wear masks. Some countries stagger arrival, departure and lunch times to minimize crowds. Plastic dividers separate students from each other in many places. Hand sanitizer is made widely available. One key factor that separates them from the United States, however, is that "each of these countries started from having their epidemics under control," Nuzzo at Johns Hopkins said. Israel presents a cautionary tale, she noted. The country lifted restrictions while infections were on the rise, leading to outbreaks that closed schools. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The washbasin has been in the news of late, given the increased and continued importance of hand washing. On one level, it's a utilitarian thing. So long as our hands are clean, the nature of the receptacle in which we wash them doesn't really matter. But where utility leads, style follows after. If we're going to be asking our guests to wash their hands, shouldn't we offer them somewhere beautiful to do that? The fantastical end of bathroom design has produced some extraordinary basins. Some are architectural. The Silenzo from the Italian studio Antonio Lupi is built into the wall so it seems as though someone has peeled the skin off a building to create a sink. Others are free-standing. The Bolgheri basin, also from the Antonio Lupi studio, is a simple sink in translucent resin on a pillar of natural cork. It's a bit like washing your hands in a forest pool. More are high-tech. The Vitae basin, designed for Noken by the late great Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), looks like an element from a racing vehicle. Cue the most beautiful, and the most troubling, washbasin in the world. The Introverso basin, designed by Paolo Ulian for Antonio Lupi, is a free-standing cylinder of white Carrara marble. The marble has been machine-cut into thin horizontal slices around an inner hourglass form. Expand Close Vitae Basin by Zaha Hadid from Tilestyle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vitae Basin by Zaha Hadid from Tilestyle The brochure describes it as "a shape within a shape the marble block loses its monolithic appearance and is transformed into something ethereal, transparent, enclosing a core secret. A soul that can remain hidden, leaving a glimpse of the subtle play of light, or it may be slowly unveiled by breaking the edges of the blades." There's the rub. The basin is designed to be broken. Promotional videos show Ulian (who designed the basin), confidently chipping off slices of marble and sweeping them aside. The partially fragmented basin looks even more beautiful than the whole one, but Ulian knows what he's doing and, crucially, he knows when to stop. Would you try this at home? It seems like the kind of project that you would resist for years. Then, one day, you would wake up with a hangover and a hammer beside the bed. Staggering into the bathroom, you'd find the floor strewn with chips of marble Prices for this head-wrecking conundrum start at 8,613. Back in the real world, there's a sale on at TileStyle until the end of July. "Our washbasins start at 80," says Tony Murphy of TileStyle. "But most people will turn up their noses at an 80 basin. It's just a basin on a pedestal with no design or aesthetic about it." A range of retro ceramic basins from Bleu Provence (from 439) - sensible wall-mounted sinks with integrated splashbacks - allows you to you to choose the colour of the sink, inside and out. But there's no storage and this, Murphy explains, is the thing that everyone wants. "People want to declutter their bathrooms. They're in complete denial that they own moisturiser and aftershave and they want somewhere to hide it." At TileStyle, you can get a nice-looking rectangular basin with storage underneath for a sale price of 349. The considerably more expensive free-standing I Catini basin by Cielo is almost infinitely configurable, both in terms of shape and colour. The basic recipe is a ceramic washbasin set in a steel frame with ceramic or marble shelves and, crucially, a storage drawer. You can also buy a matching mirror. Expand Close Washbasin from Retrobad / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Washbasin from Retrobad The Cielo website has an online configurator that allows you to play around with shape and colour. Each element is priced separately but, to give a notion of the prices, the one I liked best broke down as follows: Catino Oval washbasin (794); Framework in matt black (883); marble shelf (667). Aesthetics aside, handwashing is an act of hygiene and this too has a bearing on design. Touch-free tech has been a feature of public bathrooms for a while. Will we see it emerging in people's homes? "Definitely," Murphy says. "It's a totally changed world. The thing that people want now is contactless. If it's infrared, then they don't have to touch it." In public bathrooms, almost everything can be touch-free: taps, flush mechanisms, towel dispensers, soap dispensers, bins with a sensor opening, and mirrors that light up when you come close to them. At home, there's no need to be quite so hands-off. "Contactless taps and flush mechanisms are a no-brainer. We've been installing them in people's homes for a while, but mostly for the elderly and the less-abled. Now everyone wants them." There seems to be no benchmark for the price for contactless taps. There's one on Wish for 25. It includes a Chinese user manual. Then, at the other end of the scale, the super-sexy Airblade Wash+Dry from Dyson costs 1,720. The rest are somewhere in between and their designs are similarly various. My favourite is Arne Jacobsen's Vola mixer tap, designed in 1968 and reconfigured as a contactless tap in 2014. It works brilliantly, mainly because the original design was so foresighted. All the mechanical parts of the mixer were hidden in the wall, leaving only the handles and spout exposed. The touch-free version is innovative, but designed in the spirit of the original. And there's something marvellous about a touch-free tap from beyond the grave. One of the drawbacks of contactless taps is they can be difficult to activate if you're not used to them. I once spent several uncomfortable minutes in a guest bathroom, flapping soapy hands to no avail, while the host shouted instructions from the hallway. Or, and this is a much more serious issue, they can be turned on accidentally. "The really important thing is to have a thermostatic mixing valve so that there are no scald issues," says Murphy, who has some horror stories about scalded children. A thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) regulates the temperature of water coming out of a tap and can, quite literally be a life-saver. Many new taps come with this technology - infrared mixer taps start at 250 - but a TMV can also be retrofitted for less than 50 per tap. Murphy also predicts a rise in the use of antibacterial materials like Krion, which can be used to make countertops, but also basins and sinks. But he reckons that the unhygienic communal hand towel is here to stay. "I can't see people switching to hand-driers. We'll always share towels, but we'll change them more frequently. It's no longer the case that the cloakroom towel will be there for the week." See tilestyle.ie, dyson.ie, bleuprovence.it, ceramicacielo.it. BJP President JP Nadda takes to Twitter to slam Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's continued spree against the Centre, accuses Gandhi to have politicised matters of defence and foreign policy as a part of a bigger scheme to wash past sins, weaken national footing. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of politicising defence and foreign policy matters adding that for years one dynasty has been trying to destroy Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to Twitter, Nadda wrote, We saw yet another (failed) edition of Project RG Relaunch today. Rahul Gandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynastys desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India. Since the 1950s, China has made strategic investments in one dynasty that has given them rich dividends. Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing a lot of land to China in the UPA years, MoU Signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more, he added. We saw yet another (failed) edition of Project RG Relaunch today.@RahulGandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynastys desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 20, 2020 In this thread of tweets, Nadda further added that Rahul Gandhi prefers briefings from Chinese instead of believing Indias Armed Forces. Also read: SC to UP Govt on Vikas Dubey Encounter: Its your duty to uphold law and order Also read: Bengal Governor to apprise Amit Shah of states worrisome situation today In recent years, be it Doklam or the present, Rahul Gandhi Ji prefers briefings from the Chinese instead of believing Indias armed forces. Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China? Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynastys shenanigans! wrote Nadda. For years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM Narendra Modi. Sadly for them, PM Modis connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party, he added. Naddas statements came soon after Rahul Gandhi reiterated that China has still occupied Indias territory and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power which has now become Indias biggest weakness as he has to protect the idea of Chhapan Inch. Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader posted a video message and wrote, PM fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power. It was his biggest strength. It is now Indias biggest weakness. Also read: PMs strongman image is Indias biggest weakness: Rahul Gandhi For all the latest National News, download NewsX App 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 She always looks her sartorial best for her radio presenting job. And Ashley Roberts was no different on Monday as she left the Heart FM studios in a white dress. The Pussycat Dolls star, 38, looked stunning in the broderie anglaise dress which featured a belt and puffed sleeves. Stepping out: Ashley Roberts showcased her style on Monday as she left the Heart FM studios in a white broderie anglaise dress which belted at the waist The beauty complemented the dress with a pair of nude open toe heels as she showed off her classic style. Ashley completed the ensemble with a quilted leather handbag and a pair of sunglasses as she nailed the summer look. The star also wore her trademark golden tresses in loose waves as she looked her stylish best. Stylish: The Pussycat Dolls star, 38, looked stunning in the dress which featured puff sleeves Fashionista: The beauty complemented the dress with a pair of nude open toe heels as she showed off her classic style Ashley is the showbiz reporter on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, where she can be heard every weekday between 6:30am and 10am. The TV and radio personality has been focusing her professional efforts on her HeartFM gig after the Pussycat Dolls were forced to postpone their reunion tour until October due to coronavirus. The pop group will play some of their arena shows across May and June 2021 and will travel to places including Cardiff, Birmingham and London before ending the tour in Glasgow. Fun: Ashley larked about in the studios with her co-hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Friday Confirming the news in March, she said: 'I know it's a bummer to postpone. We have all waited so long for this to happen. But it's everyone's health and safety that matters the most. That being said... I can't wait to see y'all in October!' Ashley's most recent relationship was with Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice, 29. The couple called time on their year-long romance in January after meeting during Ashley's stint on the BBC One dance competition in late 2018. The medical test on Monday will be the last thing he has to go through before an official announcement is made, according to FC Seoul on Sunday. Footballer Ki Sung-yueng looks set to rejoin his old club FC Seoul after spending 11 years in Europe. Ki left FC Seoul in 2009 to join Celtic FC in the Scottish Premiership. Ki initially attempted to come back to the K-League when he became a free agent after ending his contract with Newcastle United in the English Premier League in February this year. He negotiated with FC Seoul and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, but was unable to strike a deal with either club. When he left for Europe his transfer contract included a provision requiring Ki to rejoin the Seoul club upon his return home, or pay it a penalty of W2.6 billion (US$1=W1,205). Disappointed, Ki signed a four-month contract with RCD Mallorca in Spain at the end of February, and played the final 10 minutes against Eibar on March 7. But Spain's La Liga soon came to a complete stop after the outbreak of COVID-19. When it resumed on June 11, his contract was only three weeks from expiring, and he could not play in any games due to an ankle injury. He gave up on the prospect of renewing his contract, returned to Korea on June 25 and entered fresh talks with FC Seoul. Ki joined FC Seoul in 2006 and made his first team debut the following year. He soon established himself as a central midfielder. He joined Celtic in 2009, then played in the EPL from 2012 with Swansea City, Sunderland and Newcastle, before moving to La Liga. FC Seoul is struggling in 10th place out of 12 this season, so Ki is surely a welcome addition to the squad. Aihik Sur By Express News Service HYDERABAD: On June 20, the world came crashing down on Tappa Chabutra SHO G Santosh Kumar when he was told that he had tested positive for Covid-19. The news, however, did not come as a surprise to him as Santosh Kumar, along with with several other police personnel, was on the frontline of the Covid-19 battle. I had a slight headache and was feeling weak, Kumar, who has recovered from the disease, told Express. Initially, I did not think it was necessary to get treatment as it felt like a common cold and general fatigue. But after two days, when that feeling of sickness did not subside, I took leave from work and got myself tested. The results returned positive, he said. Thirty seven-year-old Santosh Kumar, a resident of Alwal, used to travel 50 km to and fro to the police station at Tappa Chabutra every day during the lockdown. He, like other personnel, was deployed at crowded spots such as the Gudimalkapur market, exposing him to the risk of contracting Covid-19. As an SHO, he also had to keep up the morale of the personnel working under him during the lockdown. Santosh Kumar often had to visit containment zones to reassure citizens too amid the pandemic. After my results returned, I went into self-isolation and my family too got tested, said the father of two daughters. When my two-year-old daughter tested positive, I got worried. She is just a child and does not understand whats going on, he said. The father and daughter spent the isolation period together. She recovered in five days. We got her tested again her results were negative. I, too, tested negative after a few days but was still weak for a long time, he said. At the police station, another personnel had tested positive and the numbers had shot up to 22, but everyone recovered. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Dolat Capital's research report on Larsen and Toubro Infotech LTI reported weak results, with 4.7% QoQ degrowth in CC terms (DE -3.6%) led by one-time discount offered to select clients and steeper decline in Industrial/Energy verticals. OPM (ex-hedging) improved by 70bps to 17.4% (DE QoQ decline of 110bps) driven by tight cost control, better Fx and lower pass-through elements. Added Net-New TCV of $20mn and signed 1 large deal with a UK based Wealth client (BFS). Overall won 16 new logos well spread across verticals including a new Fortune 500 logo in Manufacturing vertical (Total F500 customer count now at 67). Its pipeline is up 19% on YoY basis and expects improved conversions on deals in Q2 which should bring it back to growth. Based on its client conversations, healthy pipeline, near-zero exposure to troubled verticals; mgmt. expects LTI to stay in the leaders quadrant in FY21. Positive commentary across vertical suggests LTI to grow its revenue ahead of its larger size peers in the near future; as it break-in its way into the big league. Outlook We have factored in best-in-class $revenue/EPS CAGR of 8%/11% over FY20-22E with an Accumulate rating on the stock, with a TP of Rs. 2,470, valuing it at 23x PER to its FY22E EPS (at par with its 3 year median +1SD). For all recommendations report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More It has become increasingly apparent that the spread of COVID-19 infection within healthcare settings has played a large role in some of the worst affected countries. One major London hospital found that 15% of patients with COVID-19 had contracted it while already in the hospital for another reason. Infections in this setting can happen in various ways. The virus can be directly transmitted between patients in close proximity, or by contact with contaminated hands or equipment. It can also happen indirectly if a healthcare worker becomes infected by one patient and goes on to infect another patient. Since up to 80% of those infected don't show symptoms, it is entirely possible that staff and patients inside hospitals, doctors' offices and care homes unknowingly infect others. Infection prevention and control activities have been the mainstay of stopping healthcare related spread of infectious disease. For example, proper hand hygiene (with soap and water or alcohol hand rub) before and after touching patients reduces the risk of contamination between patients and between healthcare workers and patients. Similarly, the correct disinfection of equipment used on multiple patients that the healthcare worker touches is key to controlling infection within a health facility. So too is the safe disposal of items like contaminated gloves. But how good are healthcare facilities at maintaining even basic levels of prevention and control? We conducted research looking at infection control practices in outpatient settings in Tanzania two years ago. We found that they were rarely done correctly. The most alarming results were for hand hygiene. This was performed only 6.9% of the times it should be, and this fell to only 1.3% if we also applied the requirement that the handwashingor use of alcohol hand rublasted at least 20 seconds. These figures suggest there is a critical need to address basic infection control behaviour inside health facilities. We might hope that compliance will improve now that there is increased awareness of COVID-19 and how it is transmitted. But the higher burden on health facilities could make it harder for staff to do everything correctly if they are overrun with patients. Our findings In our survey of 220 private and faith-based dispensaries, health centres and hospitals, fieldworkers spent six hours in each health facility. They observed provider-patient interactions in outpatient consultation rooms, laboratories, and injection or dressing rooms. They sat discreetly in the corner of the room, recording every time an infection control measure was required, and then whether or not it was done properly. Reusable equipment, which comprised mostly stethoscopes and thermometers but also included otoscopes, was disinfected between patients just 4.8% of the time. Potentially infectious waste, including used gloves, swabs for cleaning patient skin and used dressings, was correctly disposed of in 43.3% of cases. Compliance with correct glove use was somewhat higher at 74.8%. However, they were only used during 62.9% of contacts with a patient's body fluid or mucous membranes, compared with 89.6% for higher risk outpatient procedures such as intravenous injections and wound cleaning. These deficiencies were common in all types of health facilities. We didn't find any variation in behaviour when we compared levels (dispensaries, health centres and hospitals), ownership (private for-profit versus faith-based organisations) or location (the main commercial city of Dar-es-Salaam, other urban or peri-urban locations, and rural areas). The deficiencies were not necessarily the fault of healthcare workers themselves. Often facilities simply don't have the necessary supplies (like gloves or handrub) or infrastructure (sinks with running water) for them to practise correct infection control. But having the right equipment is not enoughgetting health workers to use it is also a key challenge. Our data showed that practices varied substantially by type of health worker, particularly when examining hand hygiene and glove use practices. Nurses, midwives and medical assistants all had much better compliance with both hand hygiene and correct glove use than clinical officers. Female health workers were better at hand hygiene than their male colleagues, and younger health workers were more likely to use gloves correctly than older ones. This helps us understand what types of health worker could be prioritised in the design and targeting of infection prevention and control interventions. What must be done Tackling infection control requires urgent action. Firstly, a huge injection of infection prevention and control supplies is needed to cover both outpatient and inpatient care in public and private facilities. Secondly, we must support interventions which will be effective at changing behaviour. This is notoriously difficult to achieve. Such interventions need to be intensive and multi-faceted, and include training, feedback, goal-setting, incentives, and the introduction of a "safety climate". Finally, responsibility must be taken at the highest level in health systems. Leaders need to acknowledge that it is only by making infection control a top priority, and allowing themselves to be accountable for ensuring improvements, that the necessary progress will be made. These are big challenges but health systems have to be part of the solution, not the problem, when it comes to the global pandemic. Infection control practices are stubborn and hard to change. But COVID-19 could be a chance for a shift in norms which could bring long-term gains for protecting patients. Explore further New world's best practice for COVID 19 prevention and control This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The United States is demanding a thorough, impartial, and credible investigation into the murder of journalist Pavlo Sheremet, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. "On the fourth anniversary of Pavel Sheremet's assassination, we join Ukrainians in continuing to call for a thorough, impartial, and credible investigation that brings justice to those who ordered and carried out his murder," the statement reads. The U.S. Embassy said it honored the role Sheremet and other independent Ukrainian journalists have played in bravely reporting the truth and facilitating the open exchange of information and ideas. "Independent journalists' work is critical to a democracy's success," the statement reads. Journalist Pavlo Sheremet was killed in a car explosion in Kyiv on July 20, 2016. Investigators currently suspect doctor and volunteer Yulia Kuzmenko, paratrooper battalion nurse Yana Duhar, and Donbas war veteran Andriy Antonenko. On May 25, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court granted the prosecutors' motions and changed the measure of restraint for Duhar from house arrest to UAH 168,000 bail. The required amount was collected in less than 24 hours. On July 13, Kyiv Court of Appeal softened the measure of restraint for Duhar by removing an ankle monitor and lifting territorial travel restrictions. Kuzmenko and Antonenko are currently in jail. On July 17, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court decided to limit the time for all suspects and their defense lawyers to review the materials of the criminal proceedings concerning Sheremet's murder until August 14. op Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 06:41:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman walks with a baby stroller in front of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, the United States, July 20, 2020. The UN headquarters on Monday started its phase one reopening after it had remained physically close over the past four months to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday started its phase one reopening after it had remained physically close over the past four months to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. "Phase one means that no more than 400 people should be in headquarters at any given day," Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the noon briefing. "Currently, we have about 200 to 300 UN staff and delegates who have been coming in, including those who handle security, maintenance and cleaning," he added. "So, the moving up of the ceiling to 400 will be quite small and not really visible," said Dujarric, adding that "phase two will be rolled out gradually." On normal workdays, some 11,000 people including UN staff, delegates and visitors enter the UN premises. The UN Security Council met physically on July 14 for the first time since March 12. The setting was not the Council's usual chamber in the UN headquarters but the Economic and Social Council conference room - affording safe distancing for the 15 Council members and principal people on their team. People wore masks except when they spoke into their microphones. New York City entered phase four of reopening on Monday without resuming additional indoor activities, as local officials are concerned about a potential second wave of coronavirus infections brought here from new hotspots across the country. The UN chief first ordered all staff at UN headquarters in New York, unless their physical presence in office was needed to carry out essential UN business, to work from home between March 16 and April 12. He then successively extended the arrangements till April 30, May 31, June 30 and July 31. Enditem Residents of Melbourne and Mitchell Shire who do not wear a mask when heading to the shops can expect to be refused entry by major retailers such as Bunnings and Myer on Thursday. However, industry bodies and unions are concerned shopkeepers and staff may face unwelcome altercations if non-mask wearers are refused service, with store owners advised to call police if disagreements get heated. Maskless shoppers can expect to be refused entry to stores come Thursday. Credit:Eamon Gallagher Following the Victorian government's ruling on Sunday that masks or other face coverings would be mandatory in the state's lockdown zones from 11.59pm Wednesday, a large group of major retailers have said they will ban shoppers who do not comply with the new laws. Customers in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire seeking to shop at Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart, Target, Myer, David Jones and the Country Road Group will not be able to enter if they are not wearing a mask, the companies confirmed. Officers disbursed a crowd outside a gasoline station early Sunday that reassembled at another location 45 minutes later, according to authorities. When that gathering was broken up by police, attendees returned to the location near the gas station. That location was cleared, and the crowd gathered at the riverfront. Police didnt learn of that location until reports of shots fired were received. An insurer is not liable for injuries caused by a policyholder who shot a 15-year-old boy in the head because the policy excluded coverage for criminal acts, a split Georgia Court of Appeals panel decided. The 2-1 ruling by the appellate courts Third Division held that Country Mutual Insurance Co. is not liable for a brain injury suffered by 15-year-old Vernon Marcus after Elisabeth Cannon fired shots at him and a friend from her driveway. Cannon pleaded guilty on the morning her trial was set to begin. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In similar cases, in which an insured pleaded guilty to a criminal act, our courts have viewed the guilty plea as prima facie evidence of the facts supporting the guilty plea, the majority said in an opinion written by Presiding Judge Sara L. Doyle. The decision upheld a ruling by the district court. Chief Judge Christopher J. McFadden dissented. He noted that Cannon had entered an Alford plea, so named because of a Supreme Court opinion that found it is possible to plead guilty without admitting guilt. He said a jury might find McFadden was not guilty of a crime but had entered the plea only because it was prudent to do so. Marcus shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2017 stoked racial tensions in Macon and intense news coverage. Cannon, who is White, had made numerous complaints about suspicious activity, loitering and vandalism by young people on the sidewalk in front of her house, according to the opinion. She used racial epithets to describe the boys, the opinion says. On the day of the shooting, Cannon called police to complain about boys outside her house, which is located on a busy street near an elementary school, according to press reports. Her father told a sheriffs deputy who responded that he was concerned because Cannon owned a gun. Cannon asked the deputy if she could point the weapon at the boys and threaten to shoot them, or fire the weapon in the air. The deputy warned her not to take the law in her own hands, saying it would be a crime to threaten someone with a gun or discharge a firearm. The deputy later told the boys on the sidewalk to stay on the other side of the street. About five hours later, Cannon called 911 to report that she had shot someone. She told police that she fired her .38 revolver because three boys had thrown rocks at her and her daughter. Investigators, however, found no evidence that any rocks had been thrown. Prosecutors said Marcus had never before had any altercation with Cannon. He was simply passing by her house while returning from an errand, walking with a friend, according to a report by The Telegraph newspaper in Macon. The newspaper said audiotapes of 911 calls by Cannon revealed that she ranted about Blacks and people on Section 8. Marcus family filed a lawsuit in May 2017 seeking a declaratory judgment that Country Mutual, which insured Cannons home, was obligated to provide coverage for the damages caused by the shooting. During a sentencing hearing in April 2018, Marcus mother, Bridgete, testified that her son had not been able to speak since the shooting, had trouble with his balance and had constant buzzing in his ears, according to The Telegraph. Cannon testified that she didnt intend to shoot the boys and had aimed at the ground. She said she fired the pistol only because three boys were threatening her. Marcus family pointed to the possibility that the shooting could be construed to be in self defense in the lawsuit against Country Mutual. The appellate panel, however, decided that Cannons self-serving testimony does not overcome the evidence that she had committed a crime, revealed by her guilty plea. Our courts have held that when a person in Cannons position gives contradictory testimony as to her culpability, absent a reasonable explanation, such as incapacity at the guilty plea, the law will construe this contradiction against [her],' the court said. This article first was published online in Insurance Journals sister publication, Claims Journal. Topics Fraud Georgia (Alliance News) - Online gaming firm 888 Holdings PLC on Monday said it has added the managing director of a venture capital fund to its board as an independent non-executive director. Limor Ganot will join the 888 board on August 1. Ganot is managing partner of US-Israeli venture capital fund Gefen Capital. Previously, she was co-chief executive officer of Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd, a property and retail investor. She sits on the board of Diners Club Israel and is a member of the global advisory board of Diners Club International, part of the US's Discover Financial Services. 888 Chair Brian Mattingley said Ganot will help the Gibraltar-based company develop. "Her involvement as a leader in a diverse range of businesses, together with her understanding of disruptive technologies, will be of significant benefit to 888 as we continue to grow and develop as a global leader in online gaming," he said. 888 shares were down 0.5% at 200.55 pence each in London on Monday afternoon. By Neetika Kurup; neetikakurup@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Though life has been made miserable for most of us, it has at least been made easy for historians. Whether it is a coincidence, evidence of a higher power, or merely a straightforward piss-take that the UKs first coronavirus case was recorded on 31 January, the day we left the European Union is, at this stage, a matter of personal choice. Now it must also be noted that within 30 minutes of the announcement that Oxford University has produced a viable Covid-19 vaccine, Dominic Raab was on his feet in the House of Commons, to formally announce the suspension of the UKs extradition treaty with China. Which crisis will come to be the most severe? Its too early to say, but we can at least know that the first one we inflicted upon ourselves for no reason at all, the second was an accident of nature and the third is likely to be inflicted upon us by someone much more powerful than we are. It is reasonable to state that it does not bode well. Arguably, it is a relief to have so much else going horrifically wrong, to keep our minds off the full horrors of this high-speed sleepwalking into a cold war with China. The signposts are pleasingly familiar too. On Sunday, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, was on The Andrew Marr Show, and was shown the appalling footage of Chinese Uighur Muslims, heads shaven and blindfolded, sat on the floor in numbered vests and being led on to trains. The ambassadors response was to say, not in so many words, that the footage right in front of him did not exist. That it could be anything, a transfer of prisoners perhaps, or, who knows, the recording of a big budget music video. Those who regularly consume the Sunday morning politics shows will be familiar with the tactic of just flat out denying the evidence put on a screen in front of you. Can it really be three years since Liam Fox, the former international trade secretary, was shown one of his own tweets on a 100-inch television screen, in which he had claimed: The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the European Union that doesnt need to bury its twentieth century history. His response to this was, I didnt send out a tweet, while sitting directly in front of it. Then he said it had been tweeted out by The Guardian, which it clearly hadnt. It was then The Guardians fault for taking it out of context. (Its context was that it was a tweet, published by Liam Fox.) Brazenly claiming black is white is the go-to manoeuvre for the Utterly-Bang-To-Rights and no one should be surprised theres been plenty of it in the last few years. It works, too. When caught out, the powerful, for the most part, can do and say what they like, then get right back to doing whatever it was they were going to do anyway. That the UK has suspended its extradition treaty with China means it has chosen to become a safe haven for Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. The UK is also offering a route to British citizenship for the more than three million Hongkongers who have British National Overseas status. This, certainly, is the right thing to do, though the potential repercussions are real. Taking peoples rights away is a serious business. Last month, Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and co all celebrated the passing of the Immigration Bill, and the successful stripping away of rights from their own people. On social media, the Conservative Party made little shareable graphics of the Union Jack, above the tagline Ending Free movement. So from now on, the rights that we all had, to live, to work, to retire, to buy property, to receive free healthcare in 27 different countries have now been removed. In 2016, EU figures, led by Guy Verhofstadt, suggested that the millions of UK citizens who didnt want their rights to be taken away could be offered EU citizenship, a move that so angered Theresa May that it threatened to derail the negotiations. There is little that can possibly anger a government that wants to take their peoples rights from them than the attempts by other countries to restore them. Of course, its fine for the EU to antagonise the UK. There is precious little we can do about it, having chosen of our own free will to become an irrelevant, third-tier country. Liu Xiaoming has warned there will be consequences for antagonising China. For now, these are only words. But they do mean the next crisis, that began today, could be the gravest yet. A second wave of 800,000 workers withdrawing up to $10,000 from their superannuation funds is driving a national shopping spree during the pandemic but businesses could face another shock as the cash splash dries up. In the week to July 12, 581,000 people applied to withdraw up to $10,000 from their superannuation, data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority released on Monday shows. This included 109,000 first-time applications and 472,000 applicants making a second withdrawal, with $6.2 billion paid out in total over the week. Spending surged in the week to July 12. Credit:Andrew Quilty At the same time, an analysis of consumer spending data by economic advisory firm AlphaBeta found spending was up 17 per cent compared to normal pre-COVID levels, attributed to super withdrawals and the "anticipatory effect" of the federal government's $750 stimulus payments from July 13. About 5 million people were eligible for the second round of stimulus payments. Writer-director Andrea Arnold made "Red Road" and "Fish Tank," two frank and exceptional portraits of emotionally isolated young women hurtling, dangerously, into their futures. These character studies, set in Scotland and England, respectively, prepared Arnold well for taking on "Wuthering Heights," especially the way she has chosen to take it on: as a stark reconsideration of the Emily Bronte novel. I saw the film, a noble mixed bag full of sharp objects, a few weeks ago. What I remember most clearly about it now is its paradoxical dankness. Photographed like a breathless nature documentary in windy, swampy, muddy North Yorkshire by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, who has worked on all of Arnold's feature-length and short films to date, this "Wuthering Heights" exists on a deglamorized planet far, far away from the best-known film adaptation of the story to date, William Wyler's 1939 showcase for Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier. Heathcliff, the novel's Gypsy-blooded "exotic," is no longer simply that. He is black, a Liverpool resident of the streets adopted by Mr. Earnshaw (Paul Hilton) and relocated to the moors and the hostile stares of Wuthering Heights. Arnold's casting Solomon Glave plays young Heathcliff, a boy, then played a few years older by James Howson shortcuts and crystallizes the 19th century outsider's angst. As Heathcliff falls into a charged friendship with Cathy (Shannon Beer, followed by Kaya Scodelario), Arnold's film observes these star-crossed sort-of-siblings as creatures of the wild, expressing their feelings in the most elemental way. At one point Cathy licks Heathcliff's wounds after he receives his latest unjust beating. Cathy's loutish brother (Lee Shaw) represents unthinking prejudice, violent and blinkered. The younger actors leave the scene when Cathy becomes engaged to the wealthy Edgar Linton (James Northcote), sending Heathcliff off on his own path to become a very different version of himself. Arnold's interpretation is taciturn, often entirely without dialogue, though it becomes increasingly conventional in its scene structure as it goes and as the actors hand off the key roles. In reality it's a bit of a slog. The gulf between the cast's first-time film actors and their more seasoned cohorts is considerable. The young performers have their moments, but they're rarely fully felt or dramatically incisive. The movie plays like an idea for a "Wuthering Heights" adaptation. And yet parts of it stick with you. As adventurous concepts go, this one travels in the exact opposite direction of the new Joe Wright-directed "Anna Karenina," another intriguing mixed bag, though that adaptation risks suffocating on its own elaborate layering and thematic embroidery. Arnold's "Wuthering Heights" is many things, and not others, but it comes with the lowest possible embroidery count. To say nothing of its frippery count. mjphillips@tribune.com 'Wuthering Heights' -- 2 1/2 stars No MPAA rating Running time: 2:08 Opens: Friday Mining Licence Receives Sovereign Ratification Perth, July 20, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cardinal Resources Limited ( ASX:CDV ) ( FRA:C3L ) ( OTCMKTS:CRDNF ) ( TSE:CDV ) is very pleased to advise that its Namdini Mining Licence has officially received Sovereign Parliamentary Ratification in Ghana.HIGHLIGHTS- Parliamentary Ratification of the Mining License paves the way for secure and solid project development- The 63 km2 Mining Licence is granted for an initial term of 15 years and is renewable- The recently Expanded Mining Licence allows for further financial optimisation by repositioning infrastructure such as tailings storage facilities, stockpiles and waste dumps- Exploration potential enhanced within the expanded area along the Namdini shear to the southCardinal's Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director, Archie Koimtsidis stated: "It is most pleasing to have the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission of Ghana support our Mining Licence which has led to the Sovereign Ratification of our Mining Licence by the Parliament of Ghana. This Ratification and the recent issuing of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Permit along with our Water Extraction Permit and Relocation Action Plan Approval, places the Namdini Gold Project into an extremely secure and solid position for development.""The Company would also like to acknowledge the Local Community, Traditional Council, Local and National Governments for their admirable support of the Namdini Gold Project."Namdini Mining LicenceA Large-Scale Mining Licence covering the Namdini Mining Licence was granted to Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited ("Cardinal Namdini"), by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources under the Ghanaian Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) in 2017. Cardinal Namdini is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Resources Limited.The Large-Scale Mining Licence originally covered 19km2 in the Dakoto area of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region of Ghana and has now been expanded to an area of 63 km2; the maximum allowable (Figure 1*).The expanded Large-Scale Mining Licence has been granted for an initial period of 15 years commencing in 2020 and is renewable (Figure 1). Expansion of the Large-Scale Mining Licence will allow Cardinal to improve and derisk mine and infrastructure design and optimise financial outcomes as the Company continues to progress the FEED programme.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Cardinal Resources Ltd Cardinal Resources Ltd (ASX:CDV) (TSE:CDV) (OTCMKTS:CRDNF) is a West African gold exploration and development Company that holds interests in tenements within Ghana, West Africa. The Company is focused on the development of the Namdini Project with a gold Ore Reserve of 5.1Moz (0.4 Moz Proved and 4.7 Moz Probable) and a soon to be completed Feasibility Study. Exploration programmes are also underway at the Company's Bolgatanga (Northern Ghana) and Subranum (Southern Ghana) Projects. Cardinal confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in its announcement of the Ore Reserve of 3 April 2019. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning this estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday told Union home minister Amit Shah about the worrisome law and order situation in the eastern state, adding it was on the edge of a cliff and cited the healthcare management, nepotism in cyclone relief distribution and the general governance as examples to drive home his point. The governor has been raising these issues on the social media platforms and in his interactions with state ministers and bureaucrats for a long time but this is the first time he met Shah to officially report his assessment. Worrisome and dangerously deteriorating law and order situation, targeting political opponents and the highly partisan role of police was also discussed. The role of police leaves much to be desired and focused that it was high time exemplary action was taken against senior police officials who act in disregard of the conduct rules, the governors house said in the statement. Rampant corruption and nepotism in Amphan relief distribution also figured in the discussion. Governor Dhankhar indicated that the relief, rather than benefiting the needy and entitled persons, was unashamedly siphoned off by the members of the ruling party State has taken no steps in law to deal with this monumental corruption. Cover up of this has been a mere eyewash in the media, the Raj Bhawan said. It added that nepotism led to widespread unrest and violence. Governor Dhankhar shared his concern with the Union Home Minister at the alarming Covid-19 situation with figures of Covid 19 deaths and positive cases rising to a higher level day by day and abysmal lack of health facilities for the suffering people, both Covid and non covid. People are in a state of deep worry at this grim scenario, said the statement. Appointed governor on July 20 last year, the governors relationship with the TMC government and chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been marked by acrimony through a chain of events since September 2019. Significantly, Dhankhars meeting with Shah took place a day before the TMC chief was preparing to observe July 21 as martyrs day in memory of the youths who died in police firing in 1993 in Kolkata during a law violation programme by the state Youth Congress which she led at that time. The day is special for the TMC and Banerjee, especially this year, because she is likely to announce her next political programme aimed at the crucial assembly polls in 2021. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which won 18 of the states 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, has set an agenda to win 200 of the 294 assembly seats and capture the eastern state. This is most unfortunate and I would say the unbecoming of a governor. In my long political career I have not seen a governor like him, said Tapas Roy, senior TMC leader and minister of state for parliamentary affairs. Prof Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay, an expert on the Indian Constitution and former principal of Presidency College, said Dhankhar did his duty and the ruling party should have no reason to criticise him. As the governor is appointed by the Centre it is his duty to report whatever is happening in West Bengal. He has to send a monthly report to the Union government, practically to the home minister, for which he does not have to take the advice of the state cabinet. He has not done anything wrong by choosing to talk to the home minster, Mukhopadhyay told HT. Govchat announces the digitisation of South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Social Relief of Distress (SRD) frequently asked questions (FAQs) on WhatsApp in order to assist the SASSA call centre in its inquiries on SRD grants. The partnership with SASSA comes at a time when thousands of South Africans are contacting the SASSA call centre line in need of feedback from the agency about a variety of inquiries related to the SRD grant. The digitisation of this effort by GovChat is intended to provide much needed relief to the overwhelmed SASSA call centre environment. The FAQs will pay special attention to ensure every question relating to the SASSA SRD grant is attended to, and provides applicants with the clarity that they need.Eldrid Jordaan, founder and CEO of GovChat, says As GovChat, we are committed to supporting governments efforts to make this transition into the new normal seamless. It is important for us to continue to accelerate the digitisation efforts to enhance the citizens experience to be better response times, and access to the information that they need to take the appropriate steps. This work matters to us.GovChat currently has 4 million active users, and has to date processed well over 170 million messages, making it one of Africas largest citizen government engagement platforms.The FAQ will be available on the WhatsApp number (082 046 8553), and on Facebook Messenger https://www.facebook.com/govchat.org by adding GovChat and prompt SASSA to get started. Agnes Reeves-Taylor, the ex-wife of Liberia's former President Charles Taylor, has returned to the country after a UK court dismissed war crimes charges against her seven months ago. She was charged in 2017 over a string of offences - some involving children - during the West African country's civil war. She denied wrongdoing. Her ex-husband is currently serving a life sentence for war crimes in Sierra Leone. Supporters of Mr Taylors National Patriotic Party have been expressing their joy on her return to Liberia on social media. She is still regarded as the founding mother of the former ruling party. It is unclear whether Ms Taylor, a former university lecturer, intends to get involved in Liberian politics. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, has encouraged Ghanaians especially those in the Ashanti Region to register in their numbers while practicing social distancing and adhering to all COVID 19 protocols. He registered for his Voter ID card on Sunday, July 19, 2020, in the company of the Omanhene of the Tepa Traditional Area, Nana Adusei Atwenewaa Ampem I. The Omanhene also registered on the same day in the ongoing voter registration exercise at the Tepa Ahenbronum Electoral Area. Mr Agyemang-Prempeh who doubles as the Ahenbronumhene took the opportunity to also distribute thousands of face masks to people who had come to register as well as members of the Ahenebronum Community. He took the chance to thank the good people of the Ashanti Region for their prayers and support for His Excellency the President and the NPP government, adding that the government is poised at continuing to deliver development in Asanteman. He stressed that just as developments are being seen across the country, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo deserved another Four years as President to finish all projects he has started. He highlighted that the road developments in the Region, the Airport Expansion Project, Phase II of the Kajetia Market, the numerous One D One F projects in the Regions among others as things the Government would continue with. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Police in Philadelphia have arrested a babysitter on murder and related counts in connection to the disappearance of a two-year-old boy nearly two weeks ago. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Monday announced nine charges against 24-year-old Tianna Parks stemming from the presumed death of King Hill, including murder, endangering the welfare of children, interference with the custody of children, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice. King's body still has not been found. The boy would have turned three at the end of the month. Scroll down for video Tragic: Babysitter Tianna Parks, 24 (left), was arrested and charged with murder in the disappearance of King Hill, 2 (right), in Philadelphia in early July King's stepfather reported him missing two weeks ago, after he learned that Parks never handed over the child back to his mother as she claimed Parks was arrested early Sunday morning and was arraigned on felony and misdemeanor charges on Monday afternoon, reported NBC Philadelphia. She was ordered held without bail. Police said King was in Parks' custody when he was reported missing on July 8 by his stepfather. During a press conference on Monday, the lead homicide investigator said that King's last sighting was on July 5. His stepfather, Marvin Reese, went to the police three days later. Krasner's press release stated that an investigation led by Philadelphia police and the FBI has uncovered cell phone and video evidence that concluded Hill is dead. According to officials, Parks was among the first people to be interviewed by police and the FBI in the wake of King's disappearance. 'Virtually everything that she told us was refuted by the evidence that the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department developed,' said Anthony Voci, chief of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office Homicide Unit. Amber Hill, the boy's mother, said her son had gone to stay with the father of her older daughter weeks earlier, which was routine. But two weeks ago, Reese asked Hill if she picked up King from the home of his friend, Parks, at the corner of 33rd and Diamond Streets, reported Fox29. Hill said she did not pick up King, and that she has not seen Parks in weeks. Parks told police Hill did collect her son, claiming that she handed off the toddler to his mother at the corner of 31st and Montgomery streets. When King's stepfather realized the two-year-old was nowhere to be found, he reported him missing. King would have turned three at the end of July. His body has not been recovered Amber Hill, King's mother, said she thought the boy was safe in the care of his stepfather 'I blame myself for even trusting my babys father with my son,' Hill told CBS Philadelphia. 'I thought he was in good hands and he gave him to this woman, this woman I dont know, that he knows. And now my son is deceased.' Police detectives and an official from the District Attorney's Office broke the news of King's death to his family on Sunday. 'The death of King Hill is an unbearable tragedy that is compounded by Tianna Parks actions,' Krasner stated. 'This precious babys family and community deserve to know how he died. They deserve the opportunity to bury and mourn him with dignity.' Kimberly Ward, King's maternal grandmother, said all she wants now is to bring her grandson's body home. 'Wherever he is at, whatever happened to him, just bring him back so we can put King to rest,' Ward told 6abc. BOSTON A 45-year-old Holyoke man arrested last year in a large-scale investigation into drug trafficking will serve 10 months in federal prison. Roberto Santiago, 45, was sentenced on Friday in U.S. District Court in Springfield by Judge Mark G. Mastroianni. He will serve three years of supervised release after he is released from prison, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in an announcement. Sanitago was accused of drug distribution and possession after he sold cocaine on Sept. 30 in Holyoke. He was one of 42 people arrested in October as part of a multi-agency investigation into drug sales focusing on heroin trafficking in the city. The crackdown, called Operation Open Air involved state, federal and Holyoke law enforcement. Those arrested faced either state or federal charges. Agencies involved included the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Holyoke Police and U.S. Attorneys office. Related content Holyoke man, woman arrested after police find more than 4,294 bags of heroin, 450 bags of cocaine in car Holyoke homicide victim identified as 43-year-old city man Holyoke fire that left 1 injured, 3 displaced caused by smoking materials YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Garo Paylan, member of Turkish parliament of Armenian origin, addressed questions to foreign minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu over Turkeys overt support to Azerbaijan. Paylan mentioned that Turkey, an OSCE Minsk Group member state, should have demonstrated neutrality over the recent days developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. ARMENPRESS presents the full list of the questions addressed by Paylan to Mevlut Cavusoglu. Numerous servicemen and civilians died as a result of the recent days clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While the sides were blaming one another for starting the clashes, you announced as a foreign minister that Armenias activities are unacceptable. Azerbaijan is not alone. We, as the Republic of Turkey and people of Turkey, stand with Azerbaijan with all our capacities. Similar announcements were made by the president of Justice and Development Party and the Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan and defense minister Hulusi Akar. Turkey, as a member state of the OSCE Minsk Group aiming to foster the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, should have made efforts to display will for the settlement of the conflict, but did not remain impartial during this escalation for tribal reasons and made statements that exacerbated tensions. Therefore, Is that for tribal reasons that you display biased position on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict? Havent you realized so far that tribe-based foreign policy is adding fuel to the fire and does nothing else but worsens the situation? Turkeys military industry wants to sell more ammunition to Azerbaijan. Is this the reason why you try to exacerbate tensions? Are you thinking of sending army to Azerbaijan? If Turkey is not a tribe, why does it lead tribe-based foreign policy? Do you at least time to time remember that Turkey is an OSCE Minsk Group member state, which was established for reducing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan? Have not you understood that that destabilization of Caucasus is in the interests of only Russia? How would you comment on the threat of the defense ministry of Azerbaijan about their readiness to strike the nuclear power plant located on Armenia-Turkey border? Paylan wrote. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge as he answered the door of the family home Sunday in New Jersey and shot and wounded the judges husband before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. The shootings occurred at the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and killed her son, Daniel, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack, Wolfson said. Salas was in the basement at the time and wasnt injured, according to a judiciary official who wasnt authorized to comment and spoke anonymously to the AP. The perpetrator, believed to be a lone gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person, was not in custody, the official said. The FBI tweeted Sunday night that it's looking for one suspect in the shootings. Daniel Anderl, a college student, was the judge's only child, the official said. Salas, seated in Newark, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Prior to that she served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in New Jersey, after working as an assistant public defender for several years. Her highest-profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife Real Housewives of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. Salas staggered their sentences so that one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who backed Salass nomination to the federal bench, said in a statement Sunday night, My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. In an emailed statement, Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the shooting a senseless act and said this tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. The Association of Commercial Motorcycle Operators, Kebbi chapter, on Monday called for security protection after four of its members were killed by thieves in the state. Nafiu Zaki, the Chairman of the association, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi. Mr Zaki said the four members were killed in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of the state. Our members are in need of protection by the government from these thieves, as residents of the state and citizens of the country. He said that until recently, the association had no record of any member being killed by thieves in the course of snatching their motorcycles. From May to date, we have lost four of our members; one in May and the other three within this month and all were from the Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area. On July 6, our member from Gumi LGA of Zamfara was killed by thieves in Makera community of Birnin Kebbi LGA. On July 9, a member, identified as Yasir Dayyabu, from Talatar Mafara, Zamfara, was also killed by the thieves. On July 12, another one named, Samaila Birnin Kebbi, was also killed by the thieves, all within this month, while Bashir Gwadangaji was killed in May. READ ALSO: The first reported bike robbery took place one and half years ago, the chairman said. He said the victims were waylaid, manhandled and sometimes strangled or stabbed to death. Mr Zaki put the figure of the registered members of the association in the state at 37,000, adding that most of them were from neighbouring villages and states. We want to avert a situation in which our members would resort to taking the laws into their hands, that is why we are urgently calling on the authorities to take appropriate measures. We are also urging our members to be wary of taking customers to remote and bushy locations even in daylight, to avert being robbed, the chairman said. He said that many of the youths relied on commercial motorcycle business as their means of livelihood. The trade has alleviated depression, poverty and idleness. Members may resort to taking the laws into their hands, if the government and the security agencies fail to address the issue. (NAN) New Delhi, July 20 : As the government seeks suggestions from the parents regarding the reopening of schools in the near future, health experts on Monday entered a debate whether reopening schools and colleges will bring herd (community) immunity in India in the absence of a vaccine. While a school of thought put forth the idea that children are very good candidates to achieve herd immunity because their immunity is strong and they fast develop strong antibodies compared to the elderly, another questioned the theory, saying while the children might get infected and recover, those around them may never recover at all. Professor (Dr) J.C. Suri, Director and HOD, Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, said that this is a very contentious issue. "You have to very clearly understand pros and cons. First of all, you must understand what herd immunity is. It is when a large percentage of the population becomes infected, is cured and has developed immunity against the infection, then the remaining population is also protected," said Suri. If around 60-70 per cent of the population becomes immune to Covid-19 infection, then the remaining population can also be protected. "That is the concept of herd immunity. Overall if you look at Covid's progression in India, 100 people get infected, 20 people are in the hospital and become seriously ill, and about 5 per cent are in the ICU. The younger population, even if infected, is not becoming seriously ill, and there is very little mortality," Suri told IANS. While the children might get infected and will recover, those around them, especially the elderly will have issues if the virus is transmitted to them. "And the spread will be quick. The number of people getting seriously ill would increase and at a rapid pace, overwhelming the hospital capacity. Therefore, it is a double-edged sword," he contended. Schools across the country have been shut down since mid-March and millions of students are busy taking online classes in the academic year. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) last week sought suggestions from parents regarding the reopening of schools in the near future. It wants the parents' opinion on whether to open schools in August, September or October and Education Secretaries of all state and Union Territories have been directed to submit the suggestions from parents. According to some health experts, herd immunity is definitely playing a role in the country. "Children have a robust immunity as compared to elderly population. The kids respond to any new pathogen (bacteria, antigen, virus and stimulus etc.) in a far better way. And once that response is mounted by the kid, it can be passed on to the others as well," Dr Gaurav Kharya, senior consultant at Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Immunology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, told IANS. According to Dr P.S. Narang, Associate Director, Pediatrics, Max Super Specialty Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, herd immunity helps protect the people in the community indirectly who haven't taken vaccines. "Children are very good candidates because their immunity is strong and develops immunity and strong antibodies. We have seen this with pneumococcal and flu vaccination," Narang claimed. Taking a cue from recent studies that examine Covid-19 transmission by and among children, researchers in the US said last week that children infrequently transmit Covid-19 to each other or to adults and schools can and should reopen while adhering to social distancing guidelines. "The data are striking. The key takeaway is that children are not driving the pandemic," said William V Raszka, pediatric infectious disease specialist at University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine. "After six months, we have a wealth of accumulated data, showing that children are less likely to become infected and seem less infectious; it is congregating adults who aren't following safety protocols who are responsible for driving the upward curve," Raszka added in a commentary published in the journal Pediatrics. Herd immunity is basically community immunity. For example, the argument is that if a large number of children are immune to a particular disease in a community, then this immune status of such a large population would help prevent that disease in that particular community. However, Dr Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute said: "This is a war-like situation. Herd immunity develops passively and for that, you do not allow people to get infected actively. Therefore, infection prevention control measures have to be taken at all levels." Isac Cosmin Cirpaciu outside the Courthouse in Mallow. He was awarded 3,500, together with costs for minor injuries sustained after a crash at a roundabout. Photo: Provision A man who had to leave a job at a meat processing plant to return to his previous job in a takeaway due to injuries he suffered in a minor collision was awarded 3,500 damages. Isac Cosmin Cirpaciu of Powerscourt, Mallow, Co Cork said he felt pain in his right shoulder, neck, back, chest and side after a crash with the defendant, Barry Maas, at a roundabout. Mr Cirpaciu said the accident occurred while he was stationary in the left lane before entering a roundabout in Mallow. However Mr Maas contested that the accident happened while they were driving on the roundabout. A Cork Civil Circuit Court sitting at Mallow heard how Mr Maas was in the right lane as he was taking the third exit towards Killarney, Co Kerry. The plaintiff claimed that Mr Maas entered the left lane and struck his vehicle, while the defendant claimed that Mr Cirpaciu entered his lane. Mr Cirpaciu said when the accident happened he banged his face off the steering wheel. I dont think that would happen if you were wearing a seatbelt, said Judge Sean O Donnabhain. Later in the case he said it was actually his chest he hit off the steering wheel. The court heard that Mr Cirpaciu went to see a doctor around 25 minutes after the accident, attended two physiotherapy sessions and had to see a specialist. For around three or four weeks I went to my GP and he kept giving me painkillers, he said. Mr Cirpaciu said he took up a new job with Kepak meat processing plant but had to return to his old job at Rossis takeaway in Charleville due to back pain. Defence barrister Deirdre Keane asked Mr Cirpaciu about a previous accident in September 2016 for which he received compensation. She asked why he did not disclose that he also suffered a right shoulder injury in that crash. Counsel for the plaintiff said a medical report concerning that accident had been furnished, but Ms Keane said only details of other previous injuries were provided. She said this was relevant as he was claiming he hurt his right shoulder in this collision. Its gone so mad with insurance companies that if you give them the medical report you have to underline what they want to read...theyre gone daft, Judge O Donnabhain said. Separate forensic engineers were called on behalf of the plaintiff and defendant. Engineer Michael Byrne, who assessed the crash for the plaintiff, said it was possible that Mr Maas entered the left lane as when entering a roundabout you have to go left before you go right. He also said the damage showed Mr Maas was travelling faster. Seamus Walsh, a forensic engineer called on behalf of the defendant, gave evidence that the marks on the front left wheel of Mr Maas car would indicate that the front right wheel of Mr Cirpacius BMW was turned to the right. He also said the indentation on the front right bumper of Mr Cirpacius car would have been deeper had Mr Maas veered into the left lane. His vehicle had been repaired for 3,886, which Judge O Donnabhain found incredible as it was an old car. I prefer the evidence of the plaintiff as to the probable cause of the accident as supported by his engineer, he said. He described the accident as mild and the injuries as minor. He awarded the plaintiff 3,500, together with costs. Actor Tisca Chopra will educate young girls on the important topics of menstrual health and growing up through her new book, tentatively titled, Your Book of Period, announced publishing house Westland on Sunday. The book, to be out in December, is a conversation starter and comprises honest dialogues and advice for children aged between nine and thirteen. It will be published under Westlands children imprint, Red Panda. While I enjoy reading and writing fiction, I believe children need a good non-fiction book as well, to address the need for sharing information in a way they dont feel lectured by parents. ... I wanted to create a book which would be meaningful for many young girls including my daughter Tara. And so my publisher and I discussed the idea of this book that may well become an essential read for girls on their way to becoming young women. Mothers, daughters and their friends can bond around the book and discuss it as friends, said Chopra, whose last book was Acting Smart: Your Ticket to Showbiz Touted to be smart and sassy, the book, filled with suggestions from experts, claims to provide an in-depth understanding for girls on how to deal with physical, emotional and social changes and make the best of the growing up years. According to the publishers, the soon-to-be-released book, written from a mothers perspective, has the potential to be that one book that mothers would like to gift their daughters at the cusp of puberty. Were very excited about publishing Tisca Chopras forthcoming childrens book. Tisca has made a mark with unusual and powerful roles in various mediums, and her passion and commitment are reflected in her writing as well, said Vidhi Bhargava, Publisher, Red Panda, an imprint of Westland Publications. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The Minister of Information, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Sunday cautioned the public to rigorously continue to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols even though the number of recoveries is on the ascendency. We caution the general public not to use the improving recovery numbers and the declining active case numbers as a reason to be reckless, he said. At the press briefing on the current state of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Hon Oppong Nkrumah said that the effort of the country to stop the spread of the COVID-19 would be fruitless if Ghanaians rely on the success story of the high rate of the recoveries to ignore all the safety protocols. He however assured that the Akufo-Addo government will continue to intensify measures to prevent further spread of the pandemic by supplying personal protective equipment to all places where they are needed, identify and test suspected cases, among others. The Information Minister described as an unfortunate the impression being created by some people that the Akufo-Addo government is not doing enough in the fight against COVID-19. He mentioned that the Akufo-Addo government from day one of the COVID-19 outbreak had come up with several initiatives to end the spread of the virus, adding that such interventions had culminated in Ghanas current improved case count. Touching on the situation in Senior High Schools, Mr. Nkrumah said surveillance systems were set up in schools to first and foremost identify suspected cases and test them. The Minister said if these tests turned out positive, all others considered to be at risk of infection would also be tested to ensure there was no spread of infections. He said there were also specially assigned staff within schools to coordinate with parents on the wellbeing of their wards, to prevent parents and guardians from worrying unnecessarily. Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, said the last few weeks had seen a decline in the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases. He said with the Greater Accra Region being a key region driving the epidemic, the declining cases was the result of the effective implementation of policies and strategies initiated by the government. Dr Kuma-Aboagye said, fortunately, most people who tested positive for COVID-19 easily recovered, and this greatly complemented arrangements that had been made to take care of patients. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. The family said that while Varavara Rao was shifted from hospital to hospital in the last week as his health deteriorated, they received information about these developments 'through secondary sources'. The family of jailed poet Varavara Rao on Monday demanded "transparent, official, and regular health updates" on the 80-year-old, a few days after he tested positive for coronavirus. Rao is one of the activists accused in the Elgar Parishad case. In a press release circulated among journalists, the family said that the authorities had not provided any updates on Rao's health to the family, except for when he tested positive for coronavirus on 16 July. "Not sharing health updates of a person in judicial custody with his family is illegal, unconstitutional, and inhuman [sic]," the statement added. The family said that while Rao was shifted from hospital to hospital in the last week as his health deteriorated, they received information about these developments "through secondary sources". Rao's family members also said that they were "highly perturbed and worried" with the news of his head injury. "It is the familys right to get official transparent updates on his health status, line of treatment and probable risks, but the concerned prison, police and health administrations in a gross dereliction of their duties have not come out to family with the much needed information," they said. "The information of shifting him to Nanavati Hospital and worrying news of health status and deterioration for the last two days, including Nanavati finding a head injury, was known to family through friends in media and civil society only. In the absence of official and transparent information, various speculations, rumours and half truths are also being spread causing further anxiety to family and friends," the statement said. Last week, Rao was shifted to Nanavati hospital after the NHRC ordered the Maharashtra government to ensure he gets treated at a private hospital. At the Nanavati hospital, he is being given neurological and urological treatment. The statement also put forward a list of demands before the Maharashtra government, which included that a family member must be allowed to attend to Rao because he is unable to do anything on his own; to provide family members with a point-of-contact in the hospital; to make medical records accessible. The family also demanded that the Maharashtra government must "enable the judicial process to grant regular bail or interim bail on health, age and COVID-19 grounds so that his family will take care of his health in a hospital of their choice." Varavara Rao 'almost on deathbed', lawyer tells Bombay HC Earlier on Monday, the Bombay High Court asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra government to inform it about Rao's health and if his family could be allowed to see him "from a reasonable distance". The directions came after Rao's lawyer Sudeep Pasbola told the court that the activist was "almost on his deathbed". "His condition is very serious. He hit his head against the hospital bed while he was at the J J hospital and sustained severe injuries. Besides COVID-19, he suffers from several ailments, he is hallucinating and is delirious," Pasbola said. "His days are numbered and if he is to die, at least let him die in the presence of his family members," the lawyer said while seeking that Rao be granted bail. Pasbola said Rao was in no condition to cause any prejudice to the probe in the case and even the NIA could not dispute this fact. The bench, however, asked whether it would be counterproductive to move him out of the hospital, and take him to any other place if his condition is so serious. NHRC issues notice of Maharashtra govt over Rao's health The issue of Rao's deteriorating health and the conditions he was kept in at a state-run hospital in Mumbai have caused outrage among activists, journalists, writers, and politicians in the last week. Following reports and complaints about Rao's being kept in "inhuman" conditions in JJ Hospital last week, the NHRC issued a notice to the Maharashtra government and ordered it to bear the expenses of Rao's treatment at a private hospital. According to reports, NHRC told the government to "move Rao to a private facility for treatment and also said that the expenses relating to Rao's treatment would be borne by the state as he was an under trial prisoner and therefore it's their responsibility." "It is a question of saving a precious human life leaving apart the legal aspects of the matter. It is, therefore, necessary that the State Government should provide Rao the best possible treatment in a reputed specialty private hospital without any further delay," the NHRC was quoted as saying. Rao lying in 'urine-soaked bed' in JJ Hospital, reports quote family as saying Before he tested positive for coronavirus, Rao was reportedly found lying in a "urine-soaked bed" and unattended at the state-run JJ Hospital. He was shifted from the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai to JJ Hospital on 13 July after he complained of giddiness. Reportedly, his health has been deteriorating since May. A letter to the NHRC by Human Rights Defenders Alert claimed that Rao's family members found him lying in an inhumane condition in a pool of urine in a transit ward with no treatment or attendant in the JJ Hospital. "When his nephew tried to change his urine-soaked bed sheets, the family was thrown out by the hospital staff," Newsclick quoted the family's the letter as saying. Rao's lawyers have filed for bail several times over the past 22 months, on the grounds of his ill health. The last bail plea on Monday "when Rao's lawyers approached the Bombay High Court with two pleas, seeking temporary bail owing to his deteriorating health and a direction to the jail authorities to produce his medical records and admit him to a state-run or private hospital," this Firstpost reported noted. On 26 June, his plea was rejected by an NIA court "on the ground that he has been booked under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," the report added. The Telugu poet, along with nine other activists, has been in jail for the past two years in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. The case was being investigated by the Pune Police before it was transferred to the NIA in January 2020. The case is related to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on 31 December, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. The police have also claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. With inputs from agencies Shevchenko said the NBU must also assist banks in balancing their portfolios. Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kyrylo Shevchenko has said the central bank must press forward with cutting the key policy rate. "As a central bank, we all must create the necessary conditions for enhancing lending to the real economy. One of the main drivers of loan portfolio growth today has been consumer lending, which is a fairly easy tool for banks to use, but which is not generating a positive impact on the economy or households," he said in a speech on the occasion of his official introduction by the president of Ukraine. Shevchenko said the NBU must assist banks in balancing their portfolios. On the one hand, it is necessary to step up efforts to reduce the share of nonperforming loans in the banking system and improve the quality of banks' loan portfolios. On the other hand, it is necessary to limit the use of long-term securities that banks buy with available cash instead of lending it to businesses, he said. Read alsoNBU to continue cooperation with foreign investors central bank chief "At the same time, the NBU must press forward with cutting the key policy rate, which will eventually lead to cheaper loans for final consumers those borrowing from banks." "We can go a long way toward easing the pressure on banks at this difficult time of coronacrisis. For instance, we need to reconsider the effectiveness of loan holidays, because as loan defaults rise, banks become less and less capable of providing affordable credit," he stressed. According to the central bank chief, these measures are intended to provide businesses in the real economy with support lending support. "Dear colleagues, I have confidence that we are up to the challenge of meeting these objectives. When it comes to team efficiency, I operate on the well-known and time-tested principles: professionalism, knowledge, and skills. As a banker with 25 years' experience, I can tell you that in the world of finance, reputation takes precedence over everything else. I intend to follow this rule during my seven years as NBU Governor," Shevchenko added. SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix American, a full-service fund administration provider for alternative investment funds, has published a new white paper examining the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on the venture capital industry. Venture Capital & COVID-19: The State of Fundraising, Historical Downturn Insights & Startup Trends analyzes the effects on venture capital of the first four months of the pandemic crisis and the outlook for the rest of 2020 and beyond. The paper draws on Phoenix American's observations as a fund administration provider, conversations with the sponsors of its many client funds as well as interactions with partners, intermediaries and other participants in the industry. The company's twenty-plus years as a fund sponsor as well as forty-plus years as a provider of fund administration services provides a unique perspective on current events and their effects on investment funds. Top takeaways from the report include an analysis of the effects of previous economic downturns on venture capital, the current state of VC fundraising, the priorities for VCs during the crisis and key investment opportunities. The report considers several factors of interest. Conditions were already changing for venture capital going into the pandemic crisis. Concern for the late stage economic cycle had deal and exit flow starting to stall in 2019. There would be record high dry powder going into 2020. Historically, economic downturns have seen substantial contractions in aggregate deal volume, capital invested and deal size. Early-stage companies are hit especially hard. But there is a silver lining. Focus on the portfolio. VCs are concentrating on their existing portfolio companies, helping to chart a path to survival and a favorable post-pandemic exit, cutting costs and streamlining operations. Investment Opportunities are emerging in remote work and IT solutions including healthtech and fintech with workers largely still at home and health care top-of-mind for many Americans are emerging in remote work and IT solutions including healthtech and fintech with workers largely still at home and health care top-of-mind for many Americans Term sheets are changing to reflect greater investor protections in this time of increased risk and due diligence processes are reflecting the same concerns. are changing to reflect greater investor protections in this time of increased risk and due diligence processes are reflecting the same concerns. Fundraising. There is no lack of capital with historic levels of dry powder and rebounded inflows but investors are looking for experienced managers who have weathered previous economic storms. With a perspective coming from the company's experience with alternative investment funds, Phoenix American emphasizes the need for fund managers to be able to respond operationally to major economic disruptions with innovative solutions to fund raising, cash flow and deal acquisition that are supported by a versatile and robust back office infrastructure - a distinct advantage enjoyed by Phoenix American client funds in the current economic environment. "The economic disruption of COVID-19 has forced VCs to make rapid changes in the way they operate," said Andrew Constantin, Senior Vice President, Operations for Phoenix American. "A flexible and robust administrative infrastructure that is able to adapt to the needs of client funds in a time of crisis removes an element of risk and distraction and sets up managers to endure and succeed." About Phoenix American Phoenix American Financial Services provides full-service fund administration, accounting, transfer agent and investor services as well as sales and marketing reporting to fund sponsors in the alternative investment industry. The Phoenix American aircraft group provides administration and accounting services for securitizations specializing in the commercial aviation leasing industry. The company is a subsidiary of Phoenix American Incorporated along with Phoenix American SalesFocus Solutions, providers of the cloud-based MARS CRM, Sales and Marketing Reporting and Compliance Management solutions for banks, insurance companies, asset management firms and other financial service organizations. Phoenix American was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in San Rafael, CA. For more information, contact Phoenix American at 1-866-895-5050 or visit www.phxa.com. Media Contact David Fisher Director 415-485-4673 [email protected] SOURCE Phoenix American Related Links http://www.phxa.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:42:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Students wearing face masks observe social distancing as they line up to enter a school to attend the Unified State Exam for Chinese language in Moscow, Russia, on July 20, 2020. The Unified State Exam started later than usual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua) HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD; MSE:ERDN) ("Erdene (http://www.erdene.com)" or the "Company"), will be hosting a conference call to review results of the Bankable Feasibility Study ("BFS") for its 100%-owned Bayan Khundii Gold Project, to be announced after market close today. The conference call is scheduled for 10:00 am ET on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The recording of the call will subsequently be made available on the Company's website at www.erdene.com (http://www.erdene.com). The dial-in numbers for the conference call are as follows: North America (toll free): 1-877-703-1560 Overseas or local (Toronto): 1-647-689-5569 Participants may also join the conference call via webcast at the following link: https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=67C7A554-57DF-4DCC-978D-4C232A233C68 Khundii Gold District Erdene's deposits are located in the Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the world's largest gold and copper-gold deposits. The Company has been the leader in exploration in southwest Mongolia over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District comprised of multiple high-grade gold and gold/base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: the 100%-owned Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar projects. Together, these deposits comprise the Khundii Gold Project. The Bayan Khundii Gold Resource includes 521,000 ounces of 3.16 g/t gold Measured and Indicated ("M&I") and 103,000 ounces of Inferred resources at 3.68 g/t gold. Within the M&I resource, a proven and probable open-pit reserve totals 422,000 ounces at 3.7 g/t (see the full press release here (https://dltkyhzg7evud.cloudfront.net/assets/files/4147/erd_pr.pdf)), providing significant potential growth of reserves with the development of the remaining M&I and Inferred resources. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in three mining licenses and three exploration licenses in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and the Mongolian stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com (http://www.erdene.com/). Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain required third party approvals, market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE Erdene Contact Information Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or Robert Jenkins, CFO A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nine women who alleged they were sexually harassed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn. The women, manicurists and makeup artists in a salon at the Wynn Las Vegas, were unnamed in the lawsuit and instead identified by their attorneys as Judy Doe No. 1 through Judy Doe No. 9. Their decision to stay anonymous was one reason the judge dismissed the case in a Wednesday filing, arguing they hadnt legally justified the need to stay anonymous to continue their case. They sued the Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Resorts Ltd, alleging that the companies did not do enough to prevent a hostile work environment. They alleged that the companies were aware of misconduct by Wynn towards female employees but did not investigate it and covered up any reported misconduct. Wynn, 78, resigned in February 2018 as chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts. He has consistently denied sexual misconduct allegations, which were first reported in January 2018 by the Wall Street Journal. Wynn was not named as a defendant in the womens lawsuit. Wynns attorney L. Lin Wood said in an email message Friday night that he was not representing Wynn in the matter and would forward the message seeking comment to another Wynn attorney who was, Nate Lloyd. A voicemail message seeking comment from Lloyd was not immediately returned Friday night. In the order dismissing the lawsuit, Judge James C. Mahan agreed with another judges earlier ruling that the women did not sufficiently justify their need to file their lawsuit anonymously using pseudonyms. The women said in court filings that they chose to file anonymously because of fear of legal retaliation by Wynn, potentially being ostracized in their workplace and sensitive details that would upend their lives if made public. Mahan also said the women did not sufficiently make their case in the complaint, using generalized and vague statements without individualized factual support for their allegations. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, which means it can be refiled. Phone and email messages seeking comment from the womens attorneys, Wynn Resorts and attorneys for Wynn Resorts were not immediately returned Friday night. The lawsuit was originally filed in a Nevada court in September 2019 but was moved to a federal court a month later. Wynn Resorts paid a $20 million fine in February 2019 to settle a Nevada gambling regulatory probe of claims that executives failed to investigate sexual misconduct claims against Wynn before he resigned. Massachusetts gambling regulators then levied a $35 million fine against the company two months later for failing to disclose years of allegations of sexual misconduct against Wynn. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits If you find yourself walking thorough the forest of Rambouillet, just west of Paris, and happen to see an animal resembling a kangaroo, know that your eyes arent playing trick on you, the French forest has been home to up to 150 wallabies for over 40 years. The colony of red-necked Bennetts wallabies living in Rambouillet Forest can be traced back to a small group of animals that were brought into a zoological reserve in the nearby village of Emance, during the 1970s. A few of them escaped through holes in the fencing, and were never retrieved. Theyve been living in the wild for decades and researchers believe that the woods may now be home to around 150 wallabies. The forest provided them with shelter and sustenance, they had no natural predators to fear, and the climate was apparently very similar to that of their native Tasmania. The biggest threat to the wallabies of Rambouillet are passing cars. Photo: pen_ash/Pixabay Even though theyve been around for nearly half a century, the wallabies of Rambouillet Forest still enjoy a sort of myth status, even among locals. When someone spots one of the creatures hopping around, they have a tough time convincing their neighbors or friends that they werent simply imagining it. Even car insurance companies have a hard time believing wallabies are the cause of road accidents in France, so people in Emance and other villages around the forest have had to take out certificates attesting their presence. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Regis Andrieux (@libre.comme.l.air) on Mar 2, 2018 at 9:21am PST We probably have about 30 to 40 collisions per year, Bruno Munilla, from the forestry center in Rambouillet, said. Not all are deadly but 15 to 20 animals do get killed. Yellow road signs with kangaroo silhouettes on them, similar to the ones in Australia, have been installed on roads passing through Rambouillet, and while many consider them a joke, they really inform motorists to the presence of marsupials in the forest. The chances of spotting wallabies around Rambouillet are highest early in the morning or after sunset, but even then, the animals are only rarely seen. However, experts assure us that the colony is not only real but thriving, tens of thousands of miles away from their species ancestral home. A coalition of business groups is calling for "urgent action" from all levels of government to save the food service industry amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A server takes orders at a restaurant in Ottawa, on its first day of reopening as Ontario moves into Stage 2 of its plan to lift lockdowns implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Friday, June 12, 2020. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and others are calling on all levels of government to take "urgent action" to keep restaurants viable through the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang A coalition of business groups is calling for "urgent action" from all levels of government to save the food service industry amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Many businesses are now working to reopen and recover," wrote the group which includes Molson Coors Beverage Co., Restaurants Canada, and more than a dozen regional chambers of commerce and boards of trade in an open letter dated Monday to the prime minister, Council of the Federation and Federation of Canadian Municipalities. "However for the food service industry, the picture is different." The industry will be among the last to resume normal operations, the group wrote, estimating a span of at least the next 12 to 18 months. Restaurants operate on thin margins in regular circumstances, it said, thanks to high fixed costs, perishable inventory and other factors. Safety precautions due to the pandemic further limit revenue and increase costs. "Continued operation for the majority of our restaurants is, at best, uncertain," the letter reads. "Government programs as they are presently designed are not equipped for the timescale of this ongoing reality for this industry." The group asked the federal government to implement proposed improvements to the emergency wage subsidy and continue to create incentives for people to return to return to work. It asks them to eliminate the automatic annual federal excise tax increase on beer, wine and spirits, and start encouraging people to resume pre-COVID activities with safety measures. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The group asks the federal, provincial and territorial governments to extend the rent relief program, remove a revenue eligibility cap for parent companies, and look for a way to substantially increase participation in the program. It wants provincial and territorial governments to put a moratorium on commercial evictions and expand liquor licensing or make licensing changes related to COVID-19 permanent in an effort to allow more restaurants to sell alcohol for dine in and takeaway. Municipal governments should reduce or defer a number of taxes and fees, including property tax, as well as ease regulatory burdens, it said. "The urgency of action cannot be overstated," the letter reads as without it businesses will close and jobs will be lost. "Delays will risk the situation rapidly becoming permanently untenable." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Workers walk by the perimeter fence of a labor camp in Xinjiang on Sept. 4, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) US Blacklists Chinese Firms Involved in Forced Labor, Genetic Surveillance WASHINGTONThe U.S. Commerce Department on July 20 added 11 Chinese companies to its economic blacklist, citing their involvement in human rights violations and abuses in the western region of Xinjiang. The firms were implicated in helping the Chinese communist regime in its campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, involuntary collection of biometric data, and genetic analyses targeted at Muslim minority groups, the department stated. These companies will be added to the U.S. entity list, which bans their access to American goods, including commodities and technology, unless they get approval from the U.S. government. Beijing actively promotes the reprehensible practice of forced labor and abusive DNA collection and analysis schemes to repress its citizens, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement. This action will ensure that our goods and technologies are not used in the Chinese Communist Partys despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations. This was the third group of Chinese companies added to the blacklist since October 2019. The Trump administration earlier added a total of 37 companies and institutions to the list for enabling the communist regimes repression in Xinjiang. Among the companies previously blacklisted were Hikvision and Dahua Technology, two of the worlds largest manufacturers of video surveillance products. The new list includes nine companies that are involved in using Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups as forced labor. Among them is Nanchang O-Film Tech, supplier of nearly two dozen tech and automotive companies, including Amazon, Apple, Dell, General Motors, and Microsoft. Another company is Changji Esquel Textile Co, founded by the Esquel Group, a Chinese textile manufacturing company that produces clothing for Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, and Patagonia. Four companies included in the entity list in connection with the practice of forced laborNanchang O-Film, Hefei Meiling Co., KTK Group, and Tanyuanare listed on the Chinese stock exchange. In addition, two companies Xinjiang Silk Road BGI and Beijing Liuhe BGIwere added to the entity list for their role in conducting genetic analyses used to further the repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. U.S. lawmakers have been raising concerns about factories that use forced labor in China. The latest proposal came from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) who has called for holding U.S. companies accountable for slave labor in their supply chains. He announced on July 20 that he would introduce the Slave-Free Business Certification Act, which would increase corporate disclosure requirements, mandate regular audits, and require corporate executives to certify that their companies supply chains dont rely on forced slave labor. The bill would also punish U.S. companies that fail basic human rights standards. At least 83 famous global brands have been tied to forced labor in China, in the technology, clothing, and automotive industries, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Nike, and Samsung, according to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The report released in March estimated that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were sent to factories across China between 2017 and 2019. When an American diplomat accused China of eroding Myanmar 's integrity, the U.S. and Chinese embassies in Myanmar waged a war of speech. In an op-ed written for the U.S. Embassy, Burma, Ambassador George N Sibley slams China for its actions in the South China Sea and in Hong Kong The US and Chinese embassies in Myanmar got engaged in a war of words after an American diplomat accused Beijing of eroding Myanmars sovereignty. In an op-ed written for US Embassy, Myanmar, Ambassador George N Sibley lashed out at China for aggressively cracking down on the independent democratic spirit of Hong Kong. The US embassy also highlighted that Chinese actions in South China Sea and Hong Kong are part of a larger pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbours. Responding to US remarks, the Chinese embassy accused the US of outrageously smearing China and driving a wedge with its South-East Asian neighbours over the contested South China Sea and Hong Kong, as tensions mount between the superpowers. The Chinese embassy, in the statement, also said that US agencies abroad were doing disgusting things to contain China and had shown a selfish, hypocritical, contemptible and ugly face. Also Read: Afghan lawmakers condemn pak shelling in East Afghan provinces In the op-ed, Sibley related Chinese actions in the South China Sea and Hong Kong with large-scale Chinese investments projects in Myanmar. The US diplomat said that Beijing has used similar behaviour to intimidate, threaten and undermine Myanmars sovereignty closer to home. Instead of demarcating fisheries, it takes the shape of unregulated banana plantations in Kachin state that thrive on forced labour and damage the environment. Instead of spurious maritime claims, it takes the shape of unregulated investment and corruption in the mining and forestry sectors, he wrote. 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, Sibley said. The Chinese embassy said that the US maliciously slandered and discredited Chinas large-scale investment projects in Myanmar. It also accused Washington of instigating social organisations to obstruct Chinas projects in Myanmar, attempting to interfere with China-Myanmar cooperation and instigating relations between the two peoples. The Chinese mission also warned people that if American conspiracy succeeds, the people of Myanmar will ultimately suffer the most. China said that the statement showed a sour grapes attitude by the US toward flourishing China-Myanmar relations and was another farce on a global tour by the US authorities to shift the attention on domestic problems and seek selfish political gains. The online spar comes at a time when US-China relations are at an all-time low. Ties between the two countries soured on a variety of issues including human rights violations in Xinjiang, Hong Kong national security law and coronavirus. Also Read: China remodelling its tactics to wipe out Uyghurs For all the latest World News, download NewsX App New Delhi, July 20 : At least five out of the first batch of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft are likely to join the Indian Air Force (IAF) by July end, providing it much-needed muscle amid a depleting fighter strength. The Indian Army is stretched between its northern borders with China where it is locked in multiple standoffs with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, while in the western borders it is busy tackling the increasing cross-border firing and infiltration bids by Pakistan-based terror groups. In either case, it is air power that could tip the balance. The Rafale fighter aircraft will be armed with beyond visual range missiles like Meteor, SCALP and MICA, increasing their ability to take on incoming targets from a distance. A senior Indian Air Force officer said that Rafale fighter jets would be a major force multiplier. "There would always be a fear factor within the minds of the enemies," said the officer, adding that even one Indian Rafale fighter can thwart the enemy's plans. He also explained that India will be supreme in the sky when the Rafale fighet aircraft come to the theatre. Built by France-based Dassault Aviation, the aircraft will reach India in July-end though their induction would take place later. Of the two squadrons, one will be at the Ambala Air Force Station and the other at Hashimara and will be dedicated for the northern borders. The 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron, which operated from the Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the Indian Air Force started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin MIG-21 jets. It was formed in 1951 and initially flew de Havilland Vampire F Mk 52 fighters. The squadron has been resurrected and will be the first unit to fly the multi-role Rafale fighter jets. India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in 2016 to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for Rs 58,000 crore. China-India Air Power In the Western Theatre Command, the Chinese PLA Air Force has deployed 157 fighters and 20 GJ-1/WD-1K precision strike UAVs. China claims that its domestically developed J-10C and J-16 fighter jets are far more advanced than Russia-made Mig-29s, Su-30s and France-made Mirage 2000 jets. It also claims that that its J-20 stealth fighter jet has a generational advantage over Indian aircraft, a gap that cannot be fulfilled by any means. India, on the other hand, claims that the Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi 30 have give Indian Air Force an edge over China's J10, J11 and Su-27 fighter jets. India also has all-weather multirole aircraft, whereas only the J10 in China has this capability. It is stated that India's Western Air Command has deployed 75 fighters and 34 ground attack aircraft, while the Eastern Air Command has deployed 101 fighters. And even though the PLA Air Force has more fighters, airstrips high in the Tibetan Plateau would mean that they would have to trade-off between the payload and fuel. In contrast, Indian fighters will largely be using airstrips that are located at the sea level. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi: Rumours of scarcity of salt and other essential commodities across the nation left people panicked on Friday night. Tensions escalated after rumours broke out that there is acute shortage of common salt/table salt which was met with outright denial by the government immediately. In Madhya Pradesh, locals robbed ration shop in Chattarpur area after shop owners refused to give the ration. ALSO READ: (Salt price surge: Govt dispels rumours, appeals people not to panic) The shop owner Munni Lal Ahirwar claimed that the villagers looted foodgrains as they did not have cash to purchase it. But the police has an altogether side of story to tell. Bardaha village Sarpanch None Lall alleged that the scuffle took place as Ahirwar was not giving foodgrains and other items since the last four months and the villagers had also complained to the Chief Minister Help Line and local police in this reared, but no action was taken. At some places the salt has been believed to be sold as high as Rs 700 per kg, in other places like Delhi the tensions escalated to stone pelting and worse. Amid rumours of scarcity of salt, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said there is no dearth of the commodity and it was adequately available across the state. ALSO READ: (State-wise updates on salt price surge: Govt dispels scarcity reports, vows to act tough on rumour mongers) Police in Mumbai on Friday stepped in to dispel rumours about steep hike in prices of essential commodities including salt. #WATCH: Madhya Pradesh (11/11/16): Locals robbed ration shop in Chattarpur after owners refused to give ration pic.twitter.com/TAF0yau9U9 (With Inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Deceased, who was returned by Russian-led forces on July 17, is a military medic from Estonia DNA test The results of DNA examination showed that the body of the soldier, who was recently transferred by Russian-led forces to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, belongs to the deceased military medic, Estonian citizen Nikolai Ilyin, according to the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Facebook page on Monday. "The deceased sergeant Nikolai Ilyin really was an Estonian citizen, served in a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine legally ... The Joint Forces Command expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives, friends and fighting brothers of the deceased hero," the message says. Farewell to the medic will take place in Kyiv on July 22. As reported, on July 13, Russian-led forces fired at a group of Ukrainian soldiers who were evacuating the body of a Ukrainian army soldier near the village of Zaitseve. As a result of enemy fire, a military medic was killed, one soldier was wounded, and another was injured in combat. The bodies of the dead and the wounded soldier remained at the site of the shelling. Negotiations began with the OSCE SMM on their evacuation. On July 15, the body of a serviceman who died on July 13 near Zaitseve was returned from the temporarily occupied territory. Later it became known that the military medic who died in Donbas was an Estonian citizen. On July 17, Russian-led forces handed over an unidentified body to Ukraine from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in Donbas, but there was no confirmation that it was a military medic who was killed near Zaitseve on July 13, so it was sent for DNA examination. On the same day, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu confirmed that the Estonian citizen had died as a result of military operations in Donbas on Monday, July 13. He came to Estonia in 2006 as a scholar within the framework of a project and had a refugee status, and in 2016 he received Estonian citizenship through naturalization, renouncing Belarusian citizenship. The Prosecutor's Office of Donetsk region has begun a pretrial investigation into the violation of laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder, by Russian-led unlawful forces. Amber Heard has insisted she was never violent towards Johnny Depp and does not have a problem with her temper. The Aquaman actress claimed her ex-husband often put her in situations where she was confronted with unimaginable frustrations and difficulties, adding she would try to defend herself when he got serious. Ms Heard has also denied allegations that she was often the one to start arguments with the Hollywood star. And she has alleged that she was afraid Mr Depp was going to kill her at points in their relationship. Ms Heard, 34, is giving her first of three days of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of Mr Depps libel case against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that labelled him a wife beater. Eleanor Laws QC, representing Mr Depp, asked Ms Heard if she ever got violent with Mr Depp, to which the actress said: No, Johnny often put me in a situation where I was confronted with unimaginable frustrations and difficulties, often that were life-threatening to me. She added that she would try to defend myself when he got serious and when I thought my life was threatened, but I was never violent towards him. When I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself and that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence. Before that, I didnt even try to defend myself, I just checked out. Expand Close Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC (Elizabeth Cook/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Video of the Day The court heard a recording of a conversation between Ms Heard and Mr Depp, in which Mr Depp can be heard to say: Im not the one who throws pots and whatever the f*** else at me. Heard told the court: Thats different. Thats different thats irrelevant, thats a complete non sequitur. Ms Laws went on to say: You were admitting throwing things at him but not in the context of self-defence. It sounds as if you are admitting throwing pots and pans. Ms Heard replied: It might sound like that to you, but because I lived it I can explain to you (it is) not what it sounds like. She also said she threw things only to escape him, adding: Im not admitting throwing pots and pans, Im trying to keep Johnny on track in this argument or in this conversation. Ms Laws also asked Ms Heard if she has a problem with controlling your temper, to which the actress said she did not. The barrister then suggested: You would have outbursts of rage and anger. Ms Heard replied: I did have outbursts of anger at times and there were times when, yes, I lost my cool with Johnny in our fights, in our arguments. Ms Laws referred to a number of witnesses who had described Ms Heard as being the person who would start an argument with Mr Depp you would be the one to start the argument, do you agree with that? Ms Heard said: No they didnt see our arguments, his employees didnt see our arguments. These things happened behind closed doors. Expand Close Johnny Depp is at the Royal Courts of Justice for his libel action against News Group Newspapers (Aaron Chown/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Johnny Depp is at the Royal Courts of Justice for his libel action against News Group Newspapers (Aaron Chown/PA) In a written witness statement Ms Heard has said Mr Depp, 57, threatened to kill her many times, especially later in their relationship. She accused Mr Depp of subjecting her to verbal and physical abuse including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking her, as well as extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour. Ms Heard alleged: Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. Ms Heard said Mr Depp has a unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality. He is very good at manipulating people, she said in her statement. She added: He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called the monster. He would speak about it as if it was another person or personality and not him doing all these things. Expand Close Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) Ms Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations of domestic violence all denied by Mr Depp which The Suns publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN) relies on in defence of the April 2018 article. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Mr Depps Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Ms Heards volatile relationship described by Mr Depp as a crime scene waiting to happen. Mr Depp and Ms Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012 before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Mr Depp is suing NGN and executive editor Dan 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. Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard in separate libel proceedings in the US over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which did not mention Mr Depp by name, but said the actress received the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out. As the state enters the popular summer tourist season, positive test rates have been trending in the right direction, however, state officials point out that rises in case numbers elsewhere in the US means the state is still at risk of a second wave of infections that could further hobble the tourism industry. New Hampshire's tourism industry has been hard hit by stay-at-home orders and quarantine efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19. The unemployment rate for New Hampshire was 14.5% in May, with a significant number of those impacted from the states hospitality industry. According to the Department of Employment Services, 42,300 people in the Leisure and Hospitality industry lost their jobs between March and April of 2020. Fortunately the state has seen some of those jobs return as New Hampshire businesses begin to reopen for the summer tourist season, however the economic impact of those weeks of lost income, and in some cases lost health care benefits, will continue throughout the months ahead. Tourism is New Hampshire's second-largest industry, generating more than $5 billion each year in the state and supporting 70,000 jobs. A Summer Like No Other New Hampshire recently lifted travel restrictions on people visiting from other New England states, eliminating the requirement to quarantine for 14 days before arrival. Travel from other New England states has long been the main source of tourists in New Hampshire, however, as Christopher Bellis, owner of the Cranmore Inn in North Conway, recently told NHPR that peoples travel habits are changing. Theres definitely a lot more day trippers who are coming up. How people are choosing to travel I believe is different this year," he said. "And I believe more people are doing campgrounds and Airbnbs where they feel somehow more protected. Economic and Health Impacts Michael Polizzotti, Policy Analyst for the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, recently wrote about the strain COVID-related unemployment has had on the states workforce. Census statistics from May reveal that about 44% of households reported experiencing an income loss since March 13; the reported levels of nervousness, anxiety, and worry were higher among these households. Even while state revenues fall, wrote Polizzotti, key services providing mental health and substance use disorder support will only become more important to Granite Staters and may need to be expanded. Additional support for mental health services may be necessary to assist those requiring care during and after this crisis. While many businesses are welcoming people back with the same hospitality New Hampshire has always been known for, increases in visitors in the Lakes and White Mountain regions means more travel to regions with the oldest populations and the most sparse availability of medical care. As Dr. Michael Calderwood, associate chief quality officer and regional epidemiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center recently told the New Hampshire Union Leader, As you get further north in the state and more rural, youre going to have fewer medical facilities, and so if a cluster is occurring in one of those locations, youll either have a hospital that doesnt have the capacity, or youll need to transfer to other hospitals. Those transfers arent always easy with somebody whos quite sick. Lack of National Leadership New Hampshires COVID-19 cases are trending in the right direction, but as the tourism industry begins to reopen, there is growing worry in the Granite State that mishandling of the crisis elsewhere will lead to higher rates in coming weeks. Rising rates in the South and West regions of the US are alarming to New Hampshire health experts. Lack of leadership, politicization of preventative measures, such as wearing face masks and social distancing, and a general weariness of the virus all led to spikes in COVID-19 rates across the country. Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist, recently warned that it is still too early to go back to normal. The spread of the virus from other parts of the country could become a concern if people travel here. Increases in cases would not only put the health of the states residents at risk, it would likely impact the states tourism industry first, as many travelers will be staying in hotels and inns and dining in local restaurants. A rise in infection rates could also cause another stay-at-home order that closes restaurants, lodging and other destinations, handing this hard-hit industry another set-back. Phil Sletten of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute noted that the combined impacts of the residents well-being and their savings could have long-lasting ramifications. The health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis will be severe, and will likely impact workers in some of New Hampshires largest employment sectors most dramatically, he wrote. Many of these Granite Staters were likely those already living with very limited incomes and resources, and will need additional supports to weather this crisis without lasting harm to their economic stability. KITCHENER Conestoga College received almost $340,000 from the province for a pilot program launching this fall that will help 30 unemployed workers find new essential roles in the long-term-care sector. The five-week resident home assistant program will provide targeted training at no cost to participants, in areas such as sanitation and housekeeping, food safety and infection prevention and control to prepare them for entry-level positions in long-term-care facilities. We greatly appreciate the provinces investment in this important initiative, Conestoga president John Tibbits said in a release. The Resident Home Assistant program will address the urgent need for trained staff in LTC homes while providing opportunities for laid-off workers to gain skills that will allow them to return to the workforce and make positive contributions to the health and well-being of our community. The program will be delivered remotely and online at no cost to qualified participants. Training for the first group of about 15 participants will begin in September. Local Conservative MPPs said in a joint statement that the investment will support both unemployed workers and the long-term-care sector in Waterloo Region, adding that as the province moves forward with the reality of COVID-19, the program will ensure workers will be well-trained to protect themselves and the most vulnerable in the community. Effective training and retraining programs are essential as we reopen our economy, said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. We know that people, businesses and communities have been hit hard by the pandemic. By supporting projects like the one at Conestoga College, we can help people recover and restart the economic engine of our province. Conestoga is working with industry experts and local employers to make sure the program will provide graduates with the skills they need for success. Along with practical skills, participants will also learn about the importance of person-centred care in the nursing home sector, so they know theyre looking after someones home, said Gail Jordan, associate director of workforce development and corporate training. Jordan explained that the college is developing the pilot program while delivering it, and if successful Conestoga would look into adding more cohorts. Princess Beatrice isolated with her father so he could walk her down the aisle. (Getty Images) As the Royal Family celebrated the wedding of Princess Beatrice to her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday, there was one person noticeably absent from official photographs. Prince Andrew, Beatrices father, was not pictured in any of the images released by Buckingham Palace over the weekend, despite walking his daughter down the aisle. According to The Daily Telegraph, Beatrice stayed with Andrew and her mother Sarah Ferguson at the Royal Lodge in Windsor before the wedding so he could walk her down the aisle. It was previously thought that Beatrice and Mozzi had been with his family in Oxfordshire. The photographs Beatrice and Mozzi chose to release featured only two others the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The wedding ceremony was also attended by their respective parents and siblings, as well as Wolfie, Mozzis son, but only four of the reported 20 attendees are in the images. Read more: Princess Beatrice and Edo release wedding photos with Queen after secret ceremony Beatrice and Mozzi with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. (Benjamin Wheeler/PA Wire) The images released showed only the couple, plus the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. (Benjamin Wheeler/PA Wire) Andrews absence from pictures comes amid a transatlantic war of words and his effective retirement from royal life. The Duke of York, 60, stepped back from his public duties in November after a disastrous interview with BBC Newsnight about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. US authorities have asked for him to speak to them about Epstein, who died as he awaited trial on sex offence charges, but Andrew says he has offered and been ignored. Since then he has rarely been seen in public, and his website has been taken down after the contract with the host provider ended. His link to the case involving Epstein has been reignited after authorities arrested and charged his friend Ghislaine Maxwell. Royal author Nigel Cawthorne, who wrote Prince Andrew, Epstein and the Palace, said: As far as Andrew himself is concerned, I would think he is a very worried man. Mentally and emotionally, I believe he's in prison himself one of his own making. Story continues Read more: Princess Beatrice stuns in vintage wedding dress as she borrows Queen's tiara Beatrice and Mozzi released extra images on Sunday. (Benjamin Wheeler/PA Images) Dickie Arbiter, former palace press secretary, told The Sun on Sunday that Andrews absence from the photographs was tragic for Beatrice. He said: His absence from his eldest daughters private wedding photographs was perhaps to be expected, if highly unusual. Beatrice and Mozzis wedding photos are very different to those of their royal peers from recent weddings. Beatrices younger sister Eugenie released a series of images with her new husband Jack in 2018, including ones with the whole family around. And with a televised wedding, the nation watched Andrew walk Eugenie down the aisle of St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. Beatrices mother, Sarah Ferguson is also absent from the new photographs, and has so far remained quiet on social media about the big day. Most of the couple's photos don't include anyone else. (Benjamin Wheeler/PA Images) Read more: Prince Andrew's website taken down eight months after he stepped back from royal duties She is understood to have helped planned the wedding with her daughter to enable the Queen and Prince Philip to attend before they go to Scotland for the summer. Writing in The Daily Telegraph about his absence, Camilla Tominey said: It seemingly wasnt enough for the ceremony to be held in secret effectively sparing the Queens beleaguered son from appearing in public. The Royal powers that be had clearly decided it was probably not a good idea for him to feature in the historic pictorial record of the event either. It is undoubtedly a spectacular fall from grace for the 60-year-old Royal who had gained a reputation for leaving no one in any doubt of his status as the sovereign's second born son. Beatrice and Mozzi are thought to have known each other for many years, and started dating after meeting again at Eugenies wedding in 2018. They announced their engagement in September 2019 and had planned to wed in London, with a reception in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. But they had to cancel the reception and postpone the wedding as lockdown was implemented across the UK to help curb the spread of coronavirus. New Delhi, July 20 : Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday once again sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-China border face off issue saying he fabricated a "fake" strongman image to come to power and now his biggest strength is "India's biggest weakness". He also said that the Chinese are attacking the idea of 56 inch image of the Prime Minister and trying to manipulate. "The Prime Minister fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power. It was his biggest strength. It is now India's biggest weakness," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet attaching his second video of the series. In his video, Rahul Gandhi said, it is not "simply" a border issue. "The worry I have is that the Chinese are sitting in our territory today. Chinese don't do anything without thinking about its strategies. In their mind they have mapped out a world and they are trying to shape the world. That's the scale of what they are doing, what is Gwadar is and what is one belt and road is. It is restructuring of the planet. So if you are thinking of the Chinese you have to understand that. That's the level of their thinking," he said. Slamming the government further the Congress leader said now at "tactical" level they (Chinese) are trying to improve their position whether its Galwan, Demchok or Pangong lake. "The idea is to position themselves, they are disturb by our highways, they are making our highways reduntant. If they are thinking at larger scale they want to do something with Pakistan in Kashmir. "So it is not simply a border issue. It is a border issue designed to put pressure on the Prime Minister and they are thinking of putting pressure in very particular way," the Congress leader noted. Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi said that what Chinese are doing is they are attacking Modi's image. "They understand in order for Modi to be an effective politician, to survive as a politician he has to protect the idea of 56 inch and this is the real idea of the Chinese attack," he said. "They (Chinese) are basically telling Modi that if you do not do what we say we will destroy the idea of Modi as a strong leader," the COngress Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Wayanad said. Firing salvos at the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi said, "Now the question is how will Modi react? Will he take them on? Will he take on the challenge and say absolutely not, I am the Prime Minister and I do not care about my image and I am going to take you on. Or will he succumb?" He further said that the "worry that I have so far is that the Prime Minister has succumbed to pressure". "The worry I have that the Chinese are sitting in our territory today and the Prime Minister has said publicly that they are not," he said. "Which to me tells me that he is worried about his image and he is defending his image and if he allows the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image the Indian Prime Minister will no longer be worth anyway for India," he added. On Friday, Rahul Gandhi released his first video and questioned the government's foreign policy. He also slammed the Narendra Modi government over the face-off with China in Ladakh. He also explained the reasons of China 'selecting this time to intrude in our land and released a video on it. He has been critical of the government over the handling of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) situation with the China after the killing of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer on June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan area by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). He has questioned the government over its claim that China did not occupy or intrude into India. Advertisement Dominic Raab today announced the UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong is being 'immediately and indefinitely' suspended after Beijing imposed a controversial national security law on the former British colony. The Foreign Secretary insisted the UK wants a 'positive relationship' with China but he said 'we will be clear where we disagree'. He said: 'I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General and the Government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely.' Mr Raab said the extradition arrangements will not be reactivated 'unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation'. He also announced that a long-standing arms embargo on UK exports to mainland China will now be extended to also cover Hong Kong. The decision to suspend extradition means Hong Kong will no longer be able to request the UK send back a resident who has either been accused of or convicted of a crime. It is not known when the law was last used. Britain has taken the decision because it fears the new national security law could be used by Beijing to crackdown on dissent and to try to unfairly punish pro-democracy campaigners. The move will further inflame tensions with Beijing, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry having warned before the announcement was made that there would be a 'resolute reaction to actions that interfere in China's internal affairs'. Mr Raab's announcement came after Boris Johnson insisted he will not be 'pushed into becoming a knee jerk Sinophobe' as he warned Britain cannot 'completely abandon' its relationship with China. The PM said the UK does have 'serious concerns' about China's behaviour on issues like human rights abuses and Hong Kong. But he said China is 'going to be a giant factor in our lives, in the lives of our children and our grandchildren' and as a result Britain must adopt a 'calibrated response' of being 'tough on some things' while also continuing to engage on others. Earlier, MPs had warned the UK is 'sliding towards a cold war' with China and it must 'work with its allies' to tell Beijing 'enough is enough'. Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said it is time for a 'reset of our entire foreign policy' towards China. Mr Raab's announcement on extradition came as Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, flew to the UK for talks with the Foreign Secretary and Mr Johnson tomorrow. However, while Mr Pompeo's visit was initially viewed as a likely 'victory lap' over the UK's decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from the 5G network, it has now been suggested he will hold the Prime Minister's 'feet to the fire' and urge even tougher action against Beijing. Meanwhile, Mr Pompeo is due to meet with a cross-party group of 20 MPs who are seen as 'hawks' on China before his meeting with the Foreign Secretary and PM in a move which will be seen by some as a snub to Number 10. Dominic Raab today announced the UK's extradition arrangements with Hong Kong are being suspended 'immediately and indefinitely' Boris Johnson, pictured during a visit to a school in Kent this morning, said the UK cannot 'completely abandon' engagement with China amid rising tensions with Beijing Why is the UK suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong? China imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong at the end of June this year. The controversial legislation criminalises secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces but also curtails rights to protest and freedom of speech. Crucially, the rules apply outside the borders of China. This has stoked fears Beijing could try to use the extradition mechanism to drag any overseas residents involved in pro-democracy activism back to Hong Kong. The UK does currently have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong but it does not have one with China. There are fears that people could be extradited back to Hong Kong to be unfairly punished. Canada and Australia have both already suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong with the US currently considering whether to also follow suit. Advertisement Mr Raab's announcement came as: Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, had earlier urged the UK not to take further 'steps down the wrong path' as he warned there would be a 'resolute reaction to actions that interfere in China's internal affairs'. Chinese social media giant TikTok insisted that the Chinese communist party does not have access to the personal information of users after Tory MPs suggested it should be banned from the UK. Mr Ellwood argued the UK had been 'been duped over the last couple of decades' by Beijing and had to stop 'turning a blind eye' to bad behaviour. Mr Johnson said the UK does have 'serious concerns' about China's record on human rights and on Hong Kong. Relations between Britain and China have rapidly deteriorated in recent months, with the two nations having clashed repeatedly over coronavirus, Hong Kong, Huawei and human rights. Mr Raab's announcement on extradition is likely to spark fresh Chinese government fury, with Beijing having already warned the UK faces retaliation over its Huawei U-turn. But the Foreign Secretary insisted today's move was 'reasonable and proportionate'. He told MPs in the House of Commons: 'As I said at the outset we want a positive relationship with China. There is a huge amount to be gained for both countries, there are many areas where we can work productively, constructively to mutual benefit together. 'For our part the UK will work hard and in good faith towards that goal. But we will protect our vital interests, we will stand up for our values and we will hold China to its international obligations. 'The specific measures I have announced today are a reasonable and proportionate response to China's failure to live up to those international obligations with respect to Hong Kong.' As well as suspending extradition, Mr Raab also announced an arms embargo which has applied to UK exports to mainland China since 1989 will now be extended to cover Hong Kong as well. That means a ban on the export of all potentially lethal weapons and on any equipment, like shackles and smoke grenades, which could be used for 'internal repression'. Mr Raab added: 'There remains considerable uncertainty about the way in which the new national security law will be enforced. I would just say this: The UK is watching and the whole world is watching.' How the Hong Kong row between China and the UK unfolded June 2: Dominic Raab urges China not to go ahead with a proposed national security law and says the UK will offer a path to citizenship for Hong Kongers with BNO status if Beijing proceeds. June 30: The Chinese government decides to go ahead with imposing the law despite mounting international pressure, prompting an instant rebuke from the UK. July 1: Mr Raab makes a formal offer to up to three million Hong Kongers to come to the UK and announces a review of extradition arrangements. July 3: Canada suspends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. July 6: China'a Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, accuses Britain of a 'gross interference in China's internal affairs'. July 9: Australia suspends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. July 20: The Foreign Secretary announced the UK is also suspending extradition arrangements with the former British colony. Advertisement Both Canada and Australia have already suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong and the US is considering taking the same action. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'The suspension of extradition is welcome and will offer much-needed assurance to the Hong Kong diaspora and pro-democracy activists most at risk from new national security legislation. 'It sends a clear message that the UK will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong and take the necessary action to safeguard their rights. 'But today's announcements must be part of a wider strategic approach to dealing with China. The Government should accelerate the timetable for Magnitsky sanctions to be imposed on Chinese officials involved in the persecution of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. 'And UK must work with democratic partners around the world to ensure a coordinated international response that enables BNO passport holders, pro-democracy activists and the people of Hong Kong to travel without the fear of arrest and extradition.' The national security law imposed on Hong Kong criminalises secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces but also curtails rights to protest and freedom of speech. The rules apply outside the borders of China and this has stoked fears Beijing could try to use the extradition mechanism to drag any overseas residents involved in pro-democracy activism back to Hong Kong. The UK does not have an extradition treaty with China. Britain had already offered a route to UK citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers with British National (Overseas) status in response to the law being put in place. Mr Johnson was asked this morning if the UK is going to reset its relationship with China and he replied: 'Let's be very clear, there is a balance here and I am not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. 'But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uighur minority, obviously about the human rights abuses. 'We obviously have concerns about what is happening in Hong Kong and you will be hearing a bit later on from the Foreign Secretary about how we are going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about what is happening with the security law in Hong Kong. 'We have to think about the human rights, the rights of the people of Hong Kong to participate in democratic processes.' He added: 'What we won't do, as I say, is completely abandon our policy of engagement with China. 'China is a giant fact of geopolitics, it is going to be a giant factor in our lives, in the lives of our children and our grand children. 'We have got to have a calibrated response and we are going to be tough on some things but also we are going to continue to engage.' The shift on extradition came a week after the Government announced it is banning Huawei from the UK's 5G network, with all of the firm's technology to be stripped out by the end of 2027. China is likely to dominate discussions during talks between Mr Pompeo, Mr Raab and Mr Johnson tomorrow. The 'hawk' MPs Mr Pompeo is also due to meet with believe the US Secretary of State will urge Mr Raab and Mr Johnson to further strengthen the UK's stance against China. The move by the Foreign Secretary comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to fly into the UK for talks with Mr Raab which will be dominated by China One source told The Telegraph: 'The visit has been written up as a victory lap, but that is plainly wrong. 'The Americans are not even remotely satisfied and the purpose of this trip is to hold the Prime Minister 's feet to the fire.' Mr Ellwood, a former defence minister, warned last night that the UK is 'sliding towards a cold war' with China having 'been duped over the last couple of decades' by Beijing. He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme: 'I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy, bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war, we can't do this on our own, we need to work with our allies. 'We turned a blind eye to what was going on with the Uighur population, we turned a blind eye to the uneven trade situation whereby Chinese companies could operate quite liberally within the UK and elsewhere but our companies couldn't operate within China and now I think it's time to say enough is enough.' China accused the UK of 'dancing to America's tune' in the wake of the Huawei U-turn. The White House has long urged its allies not to use the firm's technology over national security concerns - concerns Huawei has always rejected. Tensions increased yesterday as Mr Raab accused Beijing of being responsible for 'gross egregious human rights abuses'. China's Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, was confronted during a BBC interview with video footage of Uighur people being detained and forced onto a train in Xinjiang province. Mr Liu dismissed claims of human rights abuses as 'false accusations' as he hit back at suggestions that the UK could impose sanctions on Chinese government officials involved in any such action. He said: 'That is totally wrong. We never believe the unilateral sanction. We believe that the UN has the authority to you know impose sanctions, and if the UK government goes that far, goes that far to impose sanctions on any individuals in China, China will certainly make resolute response to it. 'You have seen what happened between China and the United States. They sanctioned Chinese officials, we sanctioned their Senators, their officials. 'I do not want to see this tit for tat that has happened in China, UK relations. I think UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than dance to the tune of Americans, like what happened to Huawei.' Djerba (Tunisia) (AFP) - Tourists are back on Tunisia's beaches after charter flights resumed to the North African country following a break of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some 155 mask-clad holiday makers from France, Germany and Luxembourg were greeted late last week on the resort island of Djerba with temperature checks -- but also by hostesses offering them bouquets of jasmine. "We can't save the whole season, but we will do everything we can to save part of it," said Tourism Minister Mohamed Ali Toumi, who was at the airport to welcome the Luxair flight. Tunisia, a country of some 11.5 million people, has officially registered 1,374 novel coronavirus infections and 50 deaths. It reopened its borders on June 27, and travellers from countries it classifies as "green", including France, Germany and Luxembourg, are not subject to any coronavirus restrictions. "You have managed the health crisis better than us," said Patrick, a Frenchman in his sixties who arrived with his son for 10 days in the Tunisian sun. Tourism accounts for between eight and 14 percent of Tunisia's GDP, and employs around half a million people. The novel coronavirus crisis has hit the sector hard. Tourism revenues declined by around 50 percent between January 1 and July 10, compared to the same period last year, according to official figures. Authorities are counting on health regulations to reassure tourists and the sector, and have halved hotel capacity in order to comply with anti-coronavirus measures. "We are determined to strictly apply the health protocol," the tourism minister said. Authorities are hoping for a revival of the sector in early 2021. Elsewhere in North Africa, Morocco announced Sunday a further easing of its own novel coronavirus restrictions, allowing tourist establishments to operate at full capacity but keeping borders closed. A "third phase" of easing was set to come into effect on Monday, authorities said in a statement, as part of "the continued implementation of measures necessary for a gradual return to normal life and restarting the economy". Story continues Tourist businesses are now allowed to "use 100 percent of their capacity, without exceeding 50 percent in common areas" such as restaurants, pools and indoor sports facilities. But the kingdom will keep its borders closed "until further notice", except for returning Moroccans and residents. Since June, Morocco has allowed cafes, restaurants and shops to reopen and for domestic tourism to restart. A state of health emergency remains in place in Morocco until August 10. Cultural centres, libraries, museums and archaeological sites are also allowed to reopen "without exceeding 50 percent capacity", the statement said, and gatherings and activities with fewer than 20 people are also allowed. But wedding parties and funeral gatherings remain prohibited, and cinemas and public pools will stay closed, the statement added. The country of around 34 million has officially registered over 17,000 novel coronavirus cases and around 270 deaths since March. Authorities placed parts of the northern city of Tangiers back into lockdown last week after new clusters of infection appeared, and locked down the coastal town of Safi earlier in the month after an outbreak at a fish canning factory. burs-lg/fz SAGINAW, MI - Police have released the names of two people shot and killed over the weekend outside a Saginaw gas station. Officers with the Saginaw Police Department responded shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 19 to the parking lot of the Sunoco gas station, 1944 E. Genesee St., for a report of a shooting. The victims - 19-year-old Tony Dawanye Martin and 22-year-old Ricky Howard Morgan - had suffered gunshot wounds, police said. 2 dead after shooting in parking lot of Saginaw gas station Martin was pronounced deceased at the scene, while Morgan was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he later died. Martin was a former Saginaw High School track star and completed his freshman year as a member of the Michigan State track and field team before opting to enter the transfer portal in early June, according to a tweet from his Twitter account. Their deaths are the 12th and 13th homicides in the city this year. Former Michigan State and Saginaw track star Tony Martin dies at age 19 Detectives have since discovered a 25-year-old woman was also shot in the same location and showed up at a local hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the arm and later released. A news release issued by the department also urged residents and those visiting the city especially our younger generation, to avoid block parties and/or large gatherings in gas station or party store parking lots. Nothing good can come out of attending these late night/early morning large gatherings, please remember were still dealing with the COVID pandemic, stay home and stay safe, said Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Oscar Lopez. The Major Crimes Unit, consisting of Saginaw police and Michigan State Police detectives, continue to investigate the incident. No suspects are in custody. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Saginaw Police Detective Anthony Accardo at 989-759-1419 or report an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), on the P3 Tips mobile app, or online at crimestoppersofflint.com. Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi constituency in the Western Region, Hon Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer has lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo for introducing free Senior High School (SHS) policy to alleviate the burden on families to send their children to school. According to Hon. Egyapa Mercer, but for this social intervention, many families would be struggling to see their children complete SHS. The first batch of the free SHS beneficiaries called ''Akufo-Addo graduates'' commenced their West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) today, July 20. About 313,837 final year students will be taking part in the exams. President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sent his best wishes to the students. We, therefore, must do everything possible, even in the midst of a pandemic, to guarantee the prospects of our youth, protect their potential, and, thereby, help preserve our collective future, he said. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on ''Kokrokoo'' on Peace FM, Hon. Egyapa Mercer thanked the President for being considerate towards Ghanaian school children. ''Free SHS has removed the burden on a greater majority of people who couldn't afford to send their children to school. You can't under any circumstances downplay it...For so many families, today marks an end to 3 years of benefit that this government has provided; 3 years of relief, 3 years of joy that their children, but for this policy, have also completed SHS.'' He further lambasted political critics who decide to downplay the President's policy despite its enormous benefits to Ghana's education system. ''Do they even understand the free SHS policy? Because if you understand, you won't even raise issues about the differential necessarily because every single incremental impacts significantly our ability to enhance human capital. Also, the government's rationale for implementing the free SHS was purely to give room for Ghanaians who ordinarily can't get money for school to go to school. The government decided not to discriminate with this policy but rather do a blanket government scholarship for every Ghanaian child who goes to public school'', he asserted. He also wished the students good luck in their exams. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chandigarh, July 20 : The Punjab Police arrested a soldier and three others in the illegal arms and drug smuggling case, which was busted last week with the arrest of a BSF personnel and three others, officials said here on Monday. Eight people had been arrested in the case, said Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta. The police were probing the money trail to eradicate drug menace from the state. The DGP said Ramandeep Singh, a soldier, was apprehended from Bareilly in UP, where he was posted, on the basis of disclosures made by BSF constable Sumit Kumar. Ramandeep's three accomplices -- Taranjot Singh, Jagjit Singh and Satinder Singh -- have been arrested and are being brought on production warrants. Rs 10 lakh drug money has been recovered from Satinder, taking the total money seized to Rs 42.30 lakh. The DGP said the accused were suspected to have smuggled in 42 packets of heroin, a nine mm foreign-made pistol with ammunition. They had received Rs 39 lakh as drug proceeds from Pakistan-based smugglers, he added. The police had busted many modules in the narco-terror supply chain, which was operated under the direct watch of the ISI as well as the other Pakistani establishment to finance its terror operations, the DGP added. It has been said, "Either you deal with reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you." This has never been more true than today when entire communities, businesses and individuals are forced into an ever-changing new reality. Taking that one step further, if small and mid-sized communities are to survive, they must face the new reality and find ways to build loyalty toward their hyper-local business base. Without that, they will struggle at best and slowly die in the worst-case scenario. In the age of COVID-19 where government mandated the shuttering of many small businesses while corporate and big box competitors were allowed to remain open, entire districts of small businesses have been devastated. With this being the case in many communities, it is time for communities to fight back and regain control of their destinies. One might ask, how is that done in todays difficult business climate? With creativity! City leaders needs to work with their chambers and their local media companies. They need to come up with creative programs that drive business to their Main Streets, programs that incentivize the local residents to spend their dollars with the hyper-local businesses. Now is the time when real leaders have the opportunity to step to plate and lead within their community. In Appleton, Wisconsin, the downtown association got together and designed a T-shirt that said Downtown Unites selling thousands at $10 each, reminding people to unite and support their local hyper-local business base. Many media companies around the country have put together plans allowing hyper-local businesses to advertise at very little cost, sometimes for free. They have done this through working with the community leaders and chambers. Many communities have closed roads to make it possible for local Main Street businesses to move outside onto the sidewalks and streets allowing for social distancing and fresh air. Cities and downtown districts need to be looking for ideas to have markets, dollar days and a host of other potential shopper attracting events that spur traffic. For a constant stream of ideas that may translate into your community, I would invite you to visit the "Building Main Street, not Wall Street" Facebook page as we add new ideas every week. For those communities that really want to make a splash, there are programs out there that bring the products and services that might normally be found in big cities right to your doorstep. Does your community have their own App or website that is modeled after Groupon or other big market products? One thing that technology has done in recent years is make what was unthinkable for smaller markets just a few years ago very possible today. Lastly, there is a bill (Local Journalism Sustainability Act) being presented in Congress that might be fast-tracked that provides large tax credits for businesses that advertise with their local media. This will be HUGE for your hyper-local businesses and your local media companies. It would also provide a tax credit to those subscribing to a local newspaper. I would encourage every media company and community resident to contact your congressional representatives and voice your support for this legislation, it could be a boon for small towns across America. In conjunction with the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, this presents a unique opportunity for city leadership and chambers to add a local flair to this piece of legislation. If done correctly, this allows your businesses to promote and market themselves like never before at practically no cost. This assures support for your local media company as well which is also struggling along with the entire community. I could go on and write pages of ideas that would work depending upon the market, but it is more important that you understand the urgency of your actions. COVID-19 has left communities with little room for error. How you react in the coming weeks and months may well determine the destiny of your community. Is your community on the titanic or is your community on a highway to success? Let it be the highway to success. John A. Newby, author of the "Building Main Street, Not Wall Street " column dedicated to helping communities and local media companies combine synergies that allow them to not just survive, but thrive in a world where truly-local is lost to Amazon, Wall Street chains and others. He can be reached at john@360MediaAlliance.net. All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food at 9) Stars offer the ultimate guide for the best dishes they have had while also giving viewers an up close and personal look at recipes to make at home. AUSTIN, Texas A health official on the Texas Gulf Coast said 85 infants have tested positive for the coronavirus. Corpus Christi Nueces County Public Health Director Annette Rodriguez said Friday that the 85 infants are each younger than 1, but offered no other details, including how the children are suspected to have become infected. These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us to stop the spread of this disease by staying home except for necessary trips, socially distancing and wearing masks in public, Rodriguez said during a public health update in Corpus Christi. Rodriguez did not return messages for comment Saturday from The Associated Press. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is also stressing that the widespread use of face coverings could avoid another lockdown, which he hasnt ruled out. Texas health officials reported more than 10,000 new cases for a fifth consecutive day on Saturday and said 130 more people have died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, bringing the number of reported cases to 317,730 and the number of deaths to 3,865. The true number of cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. Opalesque Industry Update - Man Group, the active investment management firm, today announces the appointment of the AMCS Group as its third party distribution partner focused on the US offshore and Latin American wealth markets. The appointment, which follows a robust selection and due diligence process, marks Man Group's first partnership in the US offshore space, and complements the firm's existing and well-established third-party distribution model, which it has employed in Latin America for over 20 years. AMCS will work together with Man Group's internal sales team, including Gadi Slamovitz, Managing Director for Latin America, to deliver Man Group's range of investment solutions to the US offshore market. By leveraging AMCS' deep distribution network with advisors at US banks and broker dealers that service the US offshore market, the partnership will enable Man Group to expand its distribution network and reach a broader group of global investors. Man Group and AMCS will focus efforts on Man Group's diverse range of long only and alternatives UCITS funds, managed on both a systematic and discretionary basis by Man Group's individual investment engines, including the Man AHL TargetRisk strategy, which is a risk-balanced, multi-asset strategy that applies Man AHL's advanced systematic techniques to a long only portfolio. Steven Desmyter, Global Co-Head of Sales and Marketing, Man Group, said: "We look forward to working with the AMCS Group to bring our diverse offering to an expanded US offshore and Latin American investor base. Chris and Andres are industry veterans with deep knowledge of the offshore market and a thorough understanding of our products and investment solutions and we have already developed a strong working relationship with the team. They are real specialists and we are confident the collaboration, managed by Gadi, will help us provide investors in this important market segment with greater access to Man Group products." Chris Stapleton, co-founder and managing partner, the AMCS Group, said: "Man Group is a real innovator in the investment industry and it has a lot to offer the US offshore wealth market at a time when investors are thinking deeply about capital allocations, risk management and how to diversify portfolios. We look forward to partnering with them to increase investor access to their range of investment solutions." Man Group is a global active investment management firm, which runs $104.2 billion* of client capital in liquid and private markets, managed by investment specialists based around the world. Headquartered in London, the firm has 15 international offices and operates across multiple jurisdictions. Our business has five specialist investment engines, which represent the range of our capabilities: Man AHL, Man Numeric, Man GLG, Man FRM and Man GPM. Headquartered on Brickell Avenue in Miami, Florida with offices in Montevideo, Uruguay, the AMCS Group was co-founded by Chris Stapleton and Andres Munho in February 2018. Latin American operations are led by Santiago Sacias. The firm specialises in building distribution networks within the US-offshore and Latin American wealth management market, and in raising assets into investment products. New Delhi: Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday (July 20) questioned the authenticity of the audio clips, cited by the Congress to allege his involvement in a purported bid to topple the Rajasthan government, and sought to know its source and how the state police got it. "They should first clarify the authenticity of these tapes. Who recorded it and where did the SOG get it from. Investigation should be carried out to find out if these tapes are genuine or not," the Union Minister said. His remarks indicated that he is unlikely to join the probe amid a raging political controversy over the audio clips. The Rajasthan Police SOG, which is probing the audiotapes leak case, on Monday sent a notice to Shekhawat asking him to give his voice sample and record his statement. Congress has alleged that the BJP leader's voice figure in them and asked Shekhawat to step down from his post on moral grounds. On the other hand, BJP has called the clips manufactured and demanded a CBI probe, questioning whether state police tapped the phones of politicians in violation of rules. The FIR, registered by Rajasthan Police, mentions details of alleged conversations between rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma and Gajendra Singh and a third man, named Sanjay Jain. The police has arrested Jain. Congress claims Gajendra Singh, the name mentioned in the FIR, is a reference to Union minister Shekhawat. Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's deputy Sachin Pilot rebelled. Congress later removed Pilot as deputy chief minister and also as the party's state unit head. Denver travel FAQs Where is the best place to stay in Denver? DIA - Denver International Airport, Stapleton, and Highland are the most popular places on HotelsCombined for stays in Denver. What are the best hotels in Denver? One of the most popular hotels in Denver is Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center, which has been reviewed by 2,843 users and currently has a rating of 8.6/10. Other top-rated locations include Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel and Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, which have received 8.2/10 and 8.0/10 ratings from our users, respectively. What is a good hotel near Colorado Convention Center? Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center is a good hotel close to Colorado Convention Center - it has scored 8.6 over 2,843 reviews from HotelsCombined users. What is a good hotel in Denver near Denver Tech Center? Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center is a hotel near Denver Tech Center that is popular with HotelsCombined users, scoring 8.0 from 525 reviews. Is there a good hotel near Coors Field? If youre looking for good hotels near Coors Field, consider Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center (rated 8.6 over 2,843 reviews). How much is a hotel in Denver tonight? A hotel in Denver tonight has an average price of $187, but some deals have been found for as low as $88 in HotelsCombined searches over the last 72 hours. Prices in Denver are changing frequently. The best price found for a 4-star Denver hotel for tonight has been $119. What are the best hotels on Larimer Street in Denver? The River North Arts District, popularly referred to as the RiNo neighborhood, is home to some of the best Denver hotels. One such hotel is the Ramble Hotel which has a 17th-century French salon theme. This hotel has a fitness center for those who love to work out. It houses the Death and Co lobby bar, a cafe bar serving breakfast and lunch, and an electric vehicle charging station for those traveling in electric cars. This hotel has various entertainment options, such as a music venue, a theatre, a bar, and an outdoor courtyard. Conversely, Hostel Fish is one of the cheap hotels in Denver. It is close to the famous Larimer Square, Denvers oldest and most historic block. Are there kid-friendly hotels in Denver? You can find multiple hotels in Denver that are family-friendly. At the Four Seasons Hotel, children get wagons filled with toys and games when they arrive. These toys are certain to keep the kids engaged and in a good mood throughout your stay. The facility can also provide tents for indoor camping upon request. These tents can provide you and your children a unique and memorable hotel experience. The hotel has an outdoor pool on its third floor where the children can go for some more fun as they also indulge themselves with jelly beans from the candy dispenser. If you would like to stay in the Cherry Creek neighborhood, you should consider JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, one of the most kid-friendly hotels in Denver due to its location. You will find the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Zoo, and the Denver Museum within a short distance. The Westin Westminster has a childrens pool and offers kid-friendly dining options. How do I find a peaceful and quiet hotel in Denver? For an evening at the quiet neighborhoods in Denver, you can stay in the Cherry Creek neighborhood. This is a good location since it is only a few minutes away from Downtown. You can relax at the JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, which has an on-site salon and spa in this area. It is also close to some good eating joints, such as the Antoine du Chez. You can also take a walk in the well-lit neighborhood and take in the evening breeze unbothered by the city noise. The Halcyon has a fitness center if you would like to maintain your fitness routine while on vacation. This hotel has a pool on its rooftop, which would give you a beautiful view of the city while still maintaining the tranquility that you desire. The hotel is also very well situated such that you can quickly access the city center and its many entertainment joints or restaurants. - Kanye West addressed voters on Sunday and among issues he talked about included abortion and freedom - At some point, the rapper broke into tears when he revealed that his father wanted his mother to abort him - Kanye has missed deadlines to be on the ballot in several states but he last week qualified for Oklahoma - He is by the evening of Monday, July 20, expected to have sought clearance to be on the presidential ballot in South Carolina American rapper Kanye Omari West alias Kanye West on Sunday, July 19, kicked off his campaigns in the race for the US presidency. Kanye, who announced his bid to vie for the top seat on July 5 addressed voters in North Charleston, South Carolina where he outlined some of his agenda. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Kenya's tally races to 13,771 as 418 more test positive American rapper Kanye Omari West. Photo: Kanye West. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Super Seneta Johnson Sakaja ajiuzulu kutoka kamati ya pamoja ya COVID-19 Among issues the musician addressed was abortion which he said should remain legalised adding that any struggling new mother "should get a million dollars." At some point, the rapper broke into sobs as he talked about abortion claiming his father was a very busy man and as such, wanted his mother to abort him. READ ALSO: David de Gea: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says keeper has to improve after FA Cup blunders against Chelsea "My mother saved my life. There would have been no Kanye West. My father wanted to abort me because my dad was too busy. I almost killed my daughter when my wife (Kim Kardashian) brought her to the world when I didn't want to," said Kanye who was wearing a brown security jacket with "2020" shaved into the side of his head. READ ALSO: President Uhuru Kenyatta to hold meeting to address rising COVID-19 cases A section of voters is, however, still confused on whether or not Kanye is serious about locking horns with President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden during the November 3 election. Others believe the move to vie for the presidency could be a publicity stunt for one of his music projects. READ ALSO: Nyandarua: Police officer disrupts couple's lunch date, eats their food and injures man Kanye has failed to meet the requirement to be on the ballot in many states. However, he was last week cleared to be on Oklahoma's presidential vote. By 8am Monday, July 20, he is expected to have collected 10,000 signatures to be given clearance for South Carolina presidential ballot. "Hi guys please sign up to put me on the ballot in South Carolina at any of these locations You can also sign up at the website," he tweeted. 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 French investigators on Sunday released a man who worked as a volunteer at the gothic cathedral of Nantes which was badly damaged by fire hours after he closed it up for the night. Prosecutors launched an arson investigation after the Saturday morning blaze which they said appeared to have broken out in three different parts of the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul in Nantes, western France. The questioning on Sunday had sought to "clarify elements of the schedule" of the volunteer, who had been in charge of closing up the cathedral on Friday evening, Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes told AFP. He had been held as part of "normal procedure" and it would have been "premature" to suggest the man was a suspect in the case, the prosecutor said earlier. Later Sunday, however, Sennes confirmed that the man had been released "without charge". Before his release, Quentin Chabert, a lawyer for the volunteer, told reporters that for the moment "there is nothing that directly links my client to the fire". The cathedral's rector, Hubert Champenois, said the man was a Rwandan asylum-seeker in France for several years. The man volunteered as an altar server and would have been the last to leave the cathedral on Friday, he said. Champenois said he had known the 39-year-old for four or five years, adding: "I trust him like I trust all the helpers". The blaze, which came just 15 months after a devastating fire tore through the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, destroyed the Nantes congregation's famed organ, which dated from 1621 and had survived the French revolution and World War II bombardment. Also lost were priceless artefacts and paintings, including a work by 19th century artist Hippolyte Flandrin and stained glass windows which contained remnants of 16th century glass. About 100 firefighters managed to save the main structure of the cathedral, which was constructed over more than 450 years starting in 1434. Story continues Sennes said experts from a police unit specialised in fire investigations were at the scene Sunday, awaiting authorisation from firefighters to examine the platform which had held the grand organ. 'Unimaginable loss' On Saturday, Sennes said a preliminary examination had found no signs of forced entry at the cathedral. Investigators did find three separate fire outbreak spots, at "a substantial distance" from one another and at opposite ends of the church, he said, which led to the opening of an arson probe. One of the fires started near the organ which was on the first level of the cathedral and accessible by 66 steps. Catholic official Father Francois Renaud, who oversees the cathedral, said the organ console had "completely disappeared", and described it as "an unimaginable loss". "The console of the choir organ has gone up in smoke along with the adjoining wooden choir stalls. Original stained-glass windows behind the great organ have all shattered," he said. Champenois told AFP on Saturday that "everything was in order" the previous night and "a very close inspection was made before it closed, like every other evening." Lay volunteers The cathedral website states that lay people, volunteers, help with administrative tasks such as account-keeping, cleaning, security, and opening and closing the cathedral on a daily basis. The building was last hit by fire in 1972, requiring 13 years of large-scale reconstruction. Regional fire chief Laurent Ferlay said the latest damage was not comparable to the 1972 blaze, nor to last year's blaze at the Notre-Dame. Much of the Paris cathedral's roof and wooden structure was destroyed, its steeple collapsed and fumes containing toxic molten lead billowed into the air. Prime Minister Jean Castex, visiting the Nantes cathedral on Saturday, promised the state would "play a major role" in its reconstruction which "I want to happen as quickly as possible." (AFP) Earlier this year, United States (US) President Donald Trump used his prerogative as G-7 host to suggest inviting the leaders of India, Australia, and South Korea to the annual conclave. I dont feel that as a G-7 it properly represents whats going on in the world. Its a very outdated group of countries, Trump said in May. While he later considered adding Brazil, Trumps proposal was overshadowed by his suggestion that Russia be included, a move opposed by many of his advisers. Meanwhile, questions persist about whether this years G-7 summit already postponed will be held at all in person amid the coronavirus pandemic. This is not the first hint that the G-7 format will expand. Last year, France extended a similar invitation to India (along with Australia, Spain, Chile, and five African countries) when it was the host. More recently, the British government floated the prospect of a D-10 partnership of democracies (comprising the G-7-plus India, Australia, and South Korea) to cooperate on 5G telecommunications technology. These proposals come at a time when cooperation among democracies appears to be back in vogue, amid growing concerns about Chinas assertiveness, the global economic battering at the hands of Covid-19, and greater technological competition. Two new mechanisms for coordinating policies related to the pandemic reflect a similar sentiment. The first, consisting of the US, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam (as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), involves the countries foreign secretaries or their equivalents. Another initiated by the US secretary of state consists of discussions with his counterparts from Japan, India, Australia, Brazil, South Korea and Israel. While these have, so far, been one-off initiatives or issue-specific mechanisms, permanently expanding G-7 could represent a logical and natural progression. The G-7 evolved as an annual summit between heads of government after the economic shocks of the early 1970s. It was initially intended to be an informal forum for economic and political coordination involving the largest democratic economies. Starting with the five leaders of the US, Japan, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom (UK), it soon expanded to seven with the additions of Italy and Canada. Additionally, the leadership of the European Union (EU) was also included by convention. In the 1990s, as part of a bid to incorporate Russia into a post-Cold War order, G-7 evolved into G-8. For a while, in the early 2000s, a G8+5 format attempted to engage the leaders of the largest developing economies, including China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico, before the elevation of G-20 after the 2008 global financial crisis made this redundant. In 2014, Russia was dropped after its annexation of Crimea and G-8 reverted to G-7. The recent signals from Washington, Paris, and London suggest an opportunity to permanently amend G-7 in a manner that better reflects todays international order and priorities. In 1980, the economies of India, Australia, Brazil, and South Korea ranked 14th, 16th, 17th, and 29th in the world, respectively. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, they were 5th, 14th, 9th, and 12th. Given their relative strengths large populations, important geographies, technological advantages, and capable militaries not to mention their systems of governance, the inclusion of some of these countries would undoubtedly strengthen the democratic worlds ability to address todays most pressing global challenges. Despite the USs invitation this year, an expanded G-7 is by no means a foregone conclusion. For now, US entreaties and Indias openness to participating in such formats are driven by tactical considerations, including both countries immediate problems with China. A more permanent shift would depend upon whether future leaders perceive value. While the presumptive Democratic nominee for US president Joe Biden has stressed the need to renew multilateral coalitions, he may be reluctant to so obviously exclude China, the worlds second-largest economy. For its part, India has an unusual opportunity. Over the next two years, it will have a leadership role at three important organisations: Chair of the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO), non-permanent membership on the United National Security Council (UNSC), and chair of G-20. This affords a good opportunity to achieve favourable multilateral outcomes at these and other bodies. And, yet, India confronts other challenges. One is learning how to effectively utilise such a forum. Indian officials have become so accustomed to working within the framework of the G-77 the large bloc of developing countries at the United Nations that working with the G-7 will require a very different mindset. In fact, India could be a natural bridge between the two international groupings, one of which represents the global South, the other the global West. Finally, there will be the inevitable concerns about whether Indias entry into any such grouping would undermine its strategic autonomy. In fact, it does quite the opposite. India is already a member of groupings such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), East Asia Summit (EAS), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and G-20, all of which meet regularly at the leadership level. Associating with other major economies, all of them democracies, ought to be a worthy aspiration. D hruva Jaishankar is director of the US Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation The views expressed are personal After the recent border disputes with China, Indian Army will definitely remain extra vigilant at Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh to prevent Chinese troops from intruding on Indian territories. Sources said that Indian Army is set to take strong steps in near future to prevent infiltration by Chinese troops at LAC. The top commanders of the Indian Air Force are scheduled to conduct a comprehensive review of the country's air defense system in a three-day conference starting on Wednesday. The IAF commanders will also discuss the possible deployment of the first fleet of Rafael fighter jets in the Ladakh region in view of the border dispute with China, military sources said. Sources said that during the conference, the IAF commanders are also expected to hold talks over the deployment of the first fleet of about six Rafale aircraft in Ladakh sector by early August.These aircraft are scheduled to be inducted into the IAF fighter fleet by July end. A commander said, "The commanders will review the emerging security situation in the area and discuss ways to increase the combat capability of the IAF". The conference will be chaired by Air Chief Marshal Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to address the IAF commanders. The IAF has been doing night air combat patrols in the eastern Ladakh region for the past few weeks to give a message to China that it is well prepared to deal with any sudden situation in this mountainous region. During Rajnath Singh's visit to Ladakh on Friday (July 17), several military systems of the IAF had participated in a military exercise at Stakna in East Ladakh. The coordinated combat capability of the Army and Air Force in dealing with complex security scenario in high altitude area was demonstrated in this exercise. The IAF has deployed almost all its front-line combat aircraft like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 at key frontier IAF bases in East Ladakh and locations along the LAC. The IAF has also deployed Apache attack helicopters and Chinook helicopters to transport troops to various advance locations. Ashley James has lashed out at a troll, after she was told that 'birth control is easy to use' and questioned the speed with which she conceived with her boyfriend. The celebrity DJ, 33, excitedly announced that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend of nine months, Tom Andrews, on Sunday night, subsequently receiving a flood of congratulatory messages from well-wishers. However, Ashley took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that one of her followers saw fit to criticise the timing of her pregnancy, while also suggesting that she shouldn't have conceived already with her beau, who she has known for a decade. Hitting back: Ashley James has lashed out at a troll, after she was told that 'birth control is easy to use' and questioned the speed with which she conceived with her boyfriend Sharing a screenshot of the shocking conversation, Ashley wrote: 'Overwhelmed with all the lovely messages but I'm honestly really shocked at the few rank ones I've received like this. 'Imagine being so judgemental of someone you've never met and actually saying it to them. Everyone has a different journey and I'm honestly beyond happy, especially after grieving so much death this year. 'It's hard not to get upset when people write things about such personal and joyous news. I'm blocking and am overwhelmed with all the main support, but just a reminder you can think negative and judgemental things - even send them to your friends on WhatsApp, but don't message that person directly.' Baby on board! On Sunday, the star excitedly revealed that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend of nine months, Tom Andrews In the message exchange, the person in question wrote: Also you always say you don't know if you want kids.' Ashley: responded: 'What a horrid message to send a stranger. We've known each other a decade. Next time if you're going to be rude say nothing.' The troll then hit back: 'If just seems to [be] out of character. You share so much on here and it just seems like the complete opposite to everything you say/do. In single positivity, not knowing you want kids etc. 'Just doesn't make much sense after such a short amount of time. You shared you met on a dating app. Not deliberately trying to be nasty but people after years still shock you so to be dating for basically half a year isn't long at all. 'And a child's one of the most challenging things you can do together. There isn't any rush and birth control is so easy to use. Again not trying to upset you. Followed you for so long and love what you do but it's just really shocking.' Shocking: Ashley took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that one of her followers saw fit to criticise the timing of her pregnancy, while also suggesting that she should use birth control Ashley announced her pregnancy on Instagram on Sunday evening, as she shared a snapshot of herself posing with her handsome beau, 30, in France. Captioning the image, which showed her cradling her baby bump, she wrote: 'I'm beyond excited / nervous to finally be able to share our incredibly happy news with you all - especially given I'm an open book who HATES keeping secrets.' She then shared a link to her interview and photoshoot with Hello!, in which she spoke in detail about her happy news, and revealed her due date is January. During her interview with Hello!, which took place at Tom's parents' home in Dordogne, Ashley said of the news: 'From the moment I found out, it felt so right.' However, while she's elated at impending motherhood, the blonde beauty - who was single for six years before meeting Tom - was never particularly maternal. Happy news: The celebrity DJ, 33, announced the news on her Instagram on Sunday evening 'It's been such a 360-degree shift for me,' she told the publication. 'I've never been that maternal. When friends have been like: "I want to meet someone, settle down and have children," I never felt the same. I guess I've been a free spirit.' While Ashley and tech professional Tom, who began dating in October after first meeting ten years ago, in full celebration mode with their baby news, they may have a dispute to navigate when it comes to naming their offspring. Ashley, who learned she was pregnant in April, said: 'I like wild hippy names, the kind of names that A-list celebrities call their kids, and everyone's like: "What?" and Tommy's like: "I don't think so."' Such is the couple's commitment to one another than Tom has given Ashley a Cartier Trinity ring, although she insists that they're 'not interested' in engagement or marriage, and want the accessory to 'symbolise' them and their baby as a family. Seeing the positives: Ashley recently shared a rare insight into her relationship with her boyfriend of nine months - namely that the COVID-19 lockdown had been 'a blessing' for them However, the baby news has been somewhat bittersweet for Ashley, as she wasn't able to share it with her late friend Caroline Flack, who tragically took her own life on February 15 at the age of 40. 'Caroline and I would always talk about our love life and she was so excited for me that I'd finally met a nice boy,' Ashley said. 'She'd have been so happy for me. I wish I could have told her my pregnancy news. 'It sounds weird, but growing life has really helped me with the grieving process. It feels really nice to look forward to a new beginning.' One day before announcing her big news, Ashley took to Instagram to share a snapshot of herself posing with her beloved pet pooch Snoop. Teasing the announcement, she wrote: 'Tomorrow is a really big day and I can't wait to share what I've been up to especially after being so quiet on here. Reaping the rewards: Speaking to MailOnline, the DJ, 33, revealed that the couple decided to isolate together during the pandemic, and that they're now moving in together for good 'So for today, I'm going to hang out with my bestest buddy Snoop... I hope you all have a beautiful day..' Ashley recently shared a rare insight into her relationship with her boyfriend of eight months - namely that the COVID-19 lockdown had been 'a blessing' for them. Speaking to MailOnline, the DJ who prefers to keep her new romance as private as possible, revealed that the couple decided to isolate together during the pandemic, and that they're now moving in together for good. 'We had already been self-isolating at my home together,' Ashley said. 'I had been feeling unwell a week or so before the lockdown was enforced and then it happened, so we thought "should we move in together for this?" 'We didn't know how long the lockdown would last but it looked likely that we were going to knuckle down for a few months.' Going strong: Ashley admits that the pair have learnt how to co-exist as independent people, yet become closer as a result Ashley had been single for six years and, as an influencer, champions empowerment and self-love. And she admits her independence had meant lockdown was a struggle at first. 'Both of us are independent people so it was difficult at the beginning,' she said. 'We had our teething problems. I had been independent and single for years. But really this has been the making of us. 'He will move in properly after this. So actually its been a blessing it has forced us to realise we were right for each other sooner.' Ashley admits that the pair have learnt how to co-exist as independent people, yet become closer as a result. 'We have respected each others space and, in lockdown, we have got to know each other's families via Zoom calls,' she said. Four-legged friend: One day before announcing her big news, Ashley took to Instagram to share a snapshot of herself posing with her beloved pet pooch Snoop Ashley appeared on Celebrity Big Brother three years ago and likens lockdown to her experience in the house, only 'with a health concern, internet access and no Ann Widdecombe'. Ashley revealed that many of her social media followers are doctors and nurses, and that they have reached out to her during the pandemic. 'These people have been on the front line but also still worrying about things like their weight and their love life. 'They've messaged me because they're feeling overwhelmed with worries about when all this will end. They're worried about whether they will ever date again - worried about work becoming their entire lives. 'I am all about single positivity. It breaks my heart when people put pressure on themselves to be in a relationship. That might just lead them to be in the wrong relationship.' A Perth mother has been charged over a horrific crash that killed her daughter and step-son last month. Loading Nate Stewart, 7, and Harmonie Cunningham, 10, were travelling in the back seat of a Mazda 3 sedan in the small rural suburb of Georgina, south of Geraldton, when the vehicle collided with a utility on June 1. The family had been returning to Perth after spending the WA Day long weekend in Geraldton. On Monday Major Crash investigators charged Stacey Cunningham, 30, from Salter Point with two counts of careless driving causing death, one count of careless driving causing grievous bodily harm and driving with prescribed illicit drug in oral fluid or blood. Indias largest private sector mortgage financier Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC ) Ltd has finalised a legion of as many as 19 merchant banks for its fundraising exercise aimed at raising up to Rs 14,000 crore and bolstering its balance sheet, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told Moneycontrol. This is arguably the biggest consortium of merchant bankers/advisors ever taken on board by an Indian corporate for fundraising purposes in the equity capital markets and sets a new record for India Inc, these sources said. Moneycontrol was the first to report the finance powerhouses fundraising plans on June 17, 2020. Morgan Stanley, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Bofa Securities, Jefferies, JP Morgan, Citi, Nomura, HSBC Securities, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, UBS, Goldman Sachs, SBI Capital, ICICI Securities, JM Financial, Motilal Oswal, Axis Capital, HDFC Bank and IIFL Capital are the 19 merchant banks which have been shortlisted by HDFC Ltd, said an individual familiar with ongoing deliberations. Three other individuals confirmed the names and quantum of the merchant bankers. Typically, corporates engage multiple merchant banks for big-bang fund raises which can turn out to be complex, logistically challenging exercises and may be carried out in one or more tranches. Global and domestic merchant bankers are key to the success of these exercises and are involved in several aspects of the transaction based on their respective strengths. These include marketing the issue in India and overseas, tapping marque investors, due diligence and documentation, compliance and coordination with various parties including regulators amongst other functions. Earlier this year, Reliance Industries had appointed 14 merchant bankers for its Rs 53,000 crore rights issue which kicked off on March 20, 2020. This was Indias biggest ever equity fund raise and the worlds biggest by a non-financial issuer in the last ten years. Another instance of a big clutch of advisors being engaged was Bharti Infratels 2012 IPO which raised Rs 4,118 crore and had 13 merchant bankers. The Rs 4500 crore Mindspace Business Parks REIT IPO backed by K Raheja Corp and Blackstone, which is likely to be launched later this month, also has 13 merchant bankers on board, a second individual added. HDFC Ltd is mulling a QIP of NCD + Warrants but hasnt taken a final call on the fundraising mechanism as yet or the number of tranches. The fund raise is likely to be launched in August post shareholder approval, a third individual told Moneycontrol. HDFC Ltd has raised capital via the NCD + warrants route on two earlier occasions: in 2009 and 2015. The 43rd AGM of the firm is scheduled to be held on July 30, 2020. Other financial sector heavyweights like ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are also looking to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore each and strengthen their respective capital buffers. All the four individuals spoke to Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC Securities, ICICI Securities, Credit Suisse, UBS and Jefferies declined to comment in response to an email query from Moneycontrol. Moneycontrol is awaiting an email response from HDFC Ltd and the other merchant banks and will update this article as soon as we hear from them. HDFC Ltd: On the prowl for M&A? On June 19, 2020, HDFC Ltd announced that the fundraising exercise was aimed at augmenting its long term resources, finance organic and inorganic business opportunities that may arise in financial services including housing finance and /or in areas where its subsidiaries operate, and to maintain sufficient liquidity and for general corporate purposes. In the emerging scenario, there may be 'inorganic opportunities' for Housing Development Finance Corporation's (HDFC) group companies, HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh said on July 2. He added that the company has identified new investment opportunities and some of its subsidiaries will require additional capital for their expansion plans. The company reported a standalone profit of Rs 2,232.5 crore for the quarter ended March 2020, declining 22 percent due to higher provisions related to COVID-19 and high base last year. Provisions (expected credit loss) increased significantly to Rs 1,274 crore for the quarter ended March 2020 which included the impact of COVID-19, against Rs 398 crore in March quarter 2019. HDFC said it has made provisions of Rs 10,988 crore as of March 31. This is Rs 6,800 crore over and above the regulatory requirement. To be sure, HDFC Ltd has a capital adequacy of 17.7 percent (of which 16.6 percent is tier one capital), which is one of the highest in the financial sector in India. The gross non-performing loans as of March 31, 2020, stood at Rs 8,908 crore. This is equivalent to 1.99 percent of the loan portfolio. The non-performing loans of the individual portfolio stood at 0.95 percent while that of the non-individual portfolio stood at 4.71 percent. BEREA, Ohio -- At the Berea Board of Educations July 14 meeting, board members unanimously passed a resolution emphasizing the districts commitment to equity and excellence in education. "The demographics in our district have changed over the last 10 years, yet the district hasn't taken any official action to address that," said Board President Ana Chapman. "We have a policy about discrimination, but not one about equity." Superintendent Tracy Wheeler called Berea an incredibly diverse district. In 2011, the districts diversity percentage was 19.5; it currently stands at nearly 26 percent. Just this past year, 1,350 students in our district were of those (state-defined) ethnic groups (i.e. Hispanic/Latino; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races) out of our total enrollment of 5,902 students, Wheeler said. She noted, however, that the districts large Indian population is not counted separately. Thats not a reporting category in EMiS (i.e. the system that processes enrollment data for the Ohio Department of Education), Wheeler explained. We know the Indian population, and the diversity they bring, is a huge part of our community. The resolution indicates that the boards responsibility is to ensure the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are fully integrated into the culture, policies, programs, operations and practices of the district. It goes on to say that the school board rejects all forms of racism and discrimination. Wheeler said Hispanic/Latino students comprise the district's largest minority group. In a district as diverse as we are, we do not have a policy on diversity, equity or inclusion, she said, noting that the DEI Committee she will establish will look at creating such a policy. Our job is to try to get better. The first step is to make sure we listen and respect the perspective of others. That is so important, she said. She estimated that it will take a year to get the process consistently in place across the district. Read more stories from the News Sun. Italian coast guard divers and biologists were working Sunday to free a sperm whale that was entangled in a fishing net near a tiny Mediterranean island.In a coast guard video, a diver can be seen slicing away some of the net in the waters surrounding the Aeolian Island archipelago. Boaters on Saturday had spotted the struggling sperm whale in that stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italys west coast and contacted the coast guard. The operation to free the sperm whale was particularly difficult due to its state of agitation that didnt allow for continual intervention near the whale, the coast guard said Sunday.Three weeks ago, the Italian coast guard freed another sperm whale ensnared in a fishing net, also in the sea off the Aeolian Islands.Since the start of the year, the coast guard has sequestered illegal fishing nets totaling more than a 100 kilometers (62 miles) in length.. The coast guard says it has stepped up its efforts this year to combat illegal fishing. (Image Credit: AP) Construction work has begun on what will become the worlds longest electricity interconnector, which will allow clean energy to travel between the the UK and Denmark. The 1.8bn Viking Link interconnector project is a high-voltage direct-current link which will connect the two countries, and represents a major milestone in the UKs efforts to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to the National Grid. The project, set to be completed in 2023, will run cables 475 miles (765km) under the sea between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire, England and Revsing in South Jutland, Denmark. It is a collaborative project between the UKs National Grid and the Danish electricity system owner and operator, Energinet. Denmark has significant wind power resources and the scheme means that Danish wind farms could soon power one-and-a-half million UK homes. The system will also allow the UK to export energy. Siemens Energy has been appointed to construct the UK and Denmark converter stations on both ends of the interconnector link. Building work has now begun with the creation of a one and a half mile access road for the Bicker Fen site. Mike Elmer, the Viking Link project director for National Grid Ventures said: Weve already completed the initial groundwork with archaeological and ecological surveys as well as water works studies, however this is a key construction milestone for the project. Viking Link will play a vital role in helping to decarbonise the UKs power supply on the journey to a net zero carbon energy system. It will enable access to a cleaner greener supply of electricity, which will make energy more secure and affordable for consumers. Recommended Thousands of blue jellyfish clog cooling system in Israeli power plant UK minister for energy and clean growth, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: This major construction project will put Lincolnshire firmly at the heart of our economic recovery. Not only will this scheme create local green-collar jobs across the county, but it will also bolster our energy security, reduce bills for consumers, and give our home-grown renewable generators a greater chance to export zero-carbon electricity around the world. Matt Warman, Conservative MP for Boston & Skegness in Lincolnshire, said: Reducing carbon emissions is one of the biggest challenges facing our world, and interconnectors play a critical role in the UKs transition to clean energy resources. It is great to hear that this project will create employment opportunities to the local community and look to procure products and services from local companies throughout the project. By 2030, 90 per cent of electricity imported via National Grids interconnectors will be from zero carbon sources, the company said in a statement. Egypt's Dar El-Iftaa, the country's institution that releases religious edicts, announced on Monday the Islamic holiday of Eid El-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, will begin on Friday 31 July. The institution added the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhu Al-Hijjah will fall on Wednesday 22 July and the Holy Day of Arafa, which marks the second day of the pilgrimage and is the day before the start of Eid Al-Adha, will be on Thursday 30 July. Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important religious holidays in the Islamic calendar, along with Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. Eid Al-Adha marks the beginning annual hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and commemorates Prophet Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. The eid is celebrated over four days. Search Keywords: Short link: July 20 : Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment, his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty has been facing strong negative reactions from the late actors fans online. While Rhea was questioned by the Mumbai police in Sushants death case, recently she has been subjected to abusive threats on social media as she was being blamed for using Sushant, and also for his death. While Rhea shared the screenshots of the abusive and threatening posts on her Instagram post, she also lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police, who has filed an FIR against two Instagram users for making death and rape threats to the actress. Police told Mid-Day that the FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication), 509 (intending to insult modesty of any woman), and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Santacruz police is also taking help of cyber police to track the accused. Earlier, Rhea also replied strongly to one Mannu Raaut, who threatened the actress with dire consequences. In her strongly worded reply, Rhea wrote, ... Do you realize the seriousness of what you have said? These are crimes, and by law no one, I repeat NO ONE should be subjected to this kind of toxicity and harassment. I request @cyber_crime_helpline @cybercrimeindia to please take necessary action. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Archived Results for Monday, July 20th, 2020 Older Page 1 Mark Zuckerberg is in the news again, but for a change it's not because he jumped up on the list of richest people, or because his company, Facebook, has been accused of leaking data and privacy concerns, again. This time, he went surfing. Newly-surfaced photos showed Mark Zuckerberg zipping around on an electric surfboard in Hawaii, in the literal middle of the new global coronavirus pandemic, which in the USA alone, has over 3.83 million cases. To prevent the sunburn and tan, he also lathered on sunscreen. Maybe a bit too much, like the entire tub. His face looked brighter than Batman's villain, the Joker. The eerie likeliness between Zuckerberg and the Joker was not missed on Twitter. Was trying to think of who Mark Zuckerberg surfing reminded me of & then it came to me pic.twitter.com/ybue3Prbkr Tom Reagans Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) July 19, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg out here looking like the Joker on vacation pic.twitter.com/BZai7AgLlS Carlo (@yesthatCarlo) July 20, 2020 But it wasn't The Batman villain Joker that people found a resemblance to. There were more. Like Data from Star Trek. Mark Zuckerberg really keeps looking more like Data from Star Trek. pic.twitter.com/Eqtc1uLJ9b ((Fitzy)) (@TheFknLizrdKing) July 19, 2020 Or No-Face from spirited away. (Was his white face the same brand of sunscreen that Zuckerberg uses, all along?) No one has ever seen Mark Zuckerberg and the ghost from Spirited Away in the same room, just saying pic.twitter.com/RZ54gjcHJz Brent Peabody (@brent_peabody) July 19, 2020 We may have missed his special guest appearance in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Mark Zuckerberg out here trying to help Aang defeat the Fire Nation. pic.twitter.com/xWVW5f3yuF Carter (@CarterJCamann) July 19, 2020 This is exactly the number of words Mark Zuckerberg speaks in a privacy hearing against Facebook, anyway. There's a fresh career just waiting for Mark Zuckerberg. pic.twitter.com/o56fyyiLCY Ivica Milaric (@filmzadanas) July 19, 2020 Mimes need vacations, too. MacGregor (@m4cgr3g0r) July 20, 2020 legend has it that every summer, Mark Zuckerberg (aka the Mime Surfer) attempts to catch a wave and until he does, his restless spirit will wander the earth for all eternity pic.twitter.com/7JBpLAzcds Born Miserable (@bornmiserable) July 19, 2020 In summary, we'd like to agree with this tweet. We are several lost opportunities from more memes. it should be illegal for whoever took those mark zuckerberg photos not to upload every single shot they took that day Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) July 20, 2020 Zuckerberg was surfing the waves with pro surfer surfer Kai Lenny, on a 12,000 Efoil board, according to the New York Post. Even though Hawaii in the US has less 23 deaths, and less than 2 thousand recorded cases, the middle of a pandemic as the graph rises isn't probably the best time to go surfing. The only surfing he should have been doing is on his computer, from home. Since Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on July 6 that the United States was considering banning TikTok over national security concerns, a sentiment echoed by President Donald Trump in an interview last week, TikTok users have been scrambling. Some have engaged in open revolt, retaliating by posting negative reviews of Trumps 2020 campaign app. The app received more than 700 negative reviews Wednesday and only 26 positive ones, according to data from the analytics firm Sensor Tower. It currently has a one-star rating. For Gen Z and millennials, TikTok is our clubhouse, and Trump threatened it, Yori Blacc, a 19-year-old TikTok user in California, told Time in an interview about the app ratings. If youre going to mess with us, we will mess with you. Suspicion of TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has come from the private sector, too. Amazon asked its employees to delete TikTok from any phone that can access company email, according to a memo obtained by The New York Times. Several Amazon employees expressed disappointment at the request on Twitter. (Hours later, the company backtracked and said the email had been sent in error.) Beneath the users frustration, though, there is anxiety. For many young people, TikTok has been an outlet for creative expression and human connection, especially throughout months of distance learning and social isolation. If TikTok did shut down, it would be like losing a bunch of really close friends I made, losing all the progress and work I did to get a big following, said Ashleigh Hunniford, 17, who has more than 400,000 followers on the app. There are also those for whom TikTok is their livelihood. It has put food on our table, said Hootie Hurley, 21, who has more than 1.1 million followers on the app. He said that a TikTok ban would be particularly devastating right now. Influencers who watched the fall of Vine, another popular short-form video app, in 2016 learned the importance of diversifying ones audience across platforms. But even for TikToks biggest stars, moving an audience from one platform to another is a huge undertaking. I have 7 million followers on TikTok, but it doesnt translate to every platform, said Nick Austin, 20. I only have 3 million on Instagram and 500,000 on YouTube. No matter what its going to be hard to transfer all the people I have on TikTok. In addition to giving young people a place to meet and entertain each other, TikTok has also been a platform for political and social justice issues. I think this will drastically affect political commentary among teenagers, Hunniford said. TikTok is an outlet for a lot of protest and activism and people talking about their political beliefs. Banning that would not carry well among people my age. While the Trump administrations statements have upended the TikTok community, they have been a boon for other apps. Byte, a short-form video app created by one of the Vine founders, Dom Hoffman, briefly shot to the top of the app store after news of TikToks ban. Influencer Elijah Daniel encouraged his followers to download the app Thursday. Many Byte users posted welcome videos to TikTokers on the app Thursday in which they gave new users a lay of the land. The Byte community is being swamped with TikTokers coming in, said Kyle Harris, 29, an avid Byte user. A lot of TikTokers have been coming in very confused about how to use it. People expect it to be a TikTok clone, but its not at all. Its not a TikTok competitor and its not supposed to be. Undercover police work played a vital role leading up to the recent raid of a Nederland fireworks store, according to court documents obtained by The Enterprise. The documents say undercover officers bought thousands of dollars of 1,4 butanediol, commonly know as BDO online and at Jakes Fireworks. The government says since 2015, millions of dollars of BDO, also known as a date-rape drug, illegally was sold from Jakes Fireworks and the nearby Right Price Chemicals in Nederland. Eight employees of Jakes Fireworks were arrested following the Wednesday raid on charges of drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering: Jake Ellis Daughtry, 34; Joseph Ellis Daughtry, 64; Sandra Miller Daughtry, 72; Jordan Lee King, 31; Tanner John Jorgensen, 28; and Austin Wayne Dial, 28; all from Nederland were arrested. Others included Kip William Daughtry, 46, of Vidor; and Jesse Lee Hackett, 37, of The Woodlands. A ninth suspect, later identified as Joshua Whisneant, also has been arrested in connection with the case; however additional details regarding his involvement have not been released. The investigation also has been linked to two deaths one in Florida and one in Virginia. The documents say detectives with the Broward Sheriffs Office in Florida contacted both Jake Daughtry and his father Joe Daughtry, who own Jakes Fireworks and Right Price Chemicals, in January 2018 to advise them that it was illegal to send BDO to Florida, but that the pair continued to do so. In June 2018, an undercover agent allegedly went to Jakes Fireworks to purchase the chemical. After exchanging cash for the BDO, the UC (undercover agent) told an employee that the resale distribution BDO was popular in Florida, and the employee said that the next time the UC ordered, he would have the BDO ready when he arrived, the document says. The papers also show alleged conversations with multiple employees, including one in May 2019 with an unidentified man. During a sale, the unnamed individual allegedly told the agent that Right Price Chemicals, which is owned by Jake Daughtry, was selling a lot of BDO, and that Jake Daughtry was getting rich off the (BDO), and the company was shipping the chemical around the nation like crazy every day. The man also referred to the chemical as liquid gold, and told the undercover agent that he had never tried it himself, but said Kip Daughtry, gave him a bottle to try and see what it did to him, the document alleges. The documents allege that Kip Daughtry, Jake Daughtrys cousin, ran the business and referred to himself as the boss around here, because he knew how to handle hazardous material. The government claims Right Price Chemicals distributed about 7,000 gallons of BDO through thousands of orders across 48 states, generating $4.5 million in sales. Conversations between the agent and Kip Daughtry appear to indicate that he was aware that the chemical could be used as a substance people use to get high. In July 2019 the undercover agent went back to Jakes Fireworks to order more BDO. Defendants knowledge of their customers use of BDO became apparent once more when the UC stated the he knows people are mixing BDO with pineapple and orange juice, and Kip Daughtry stated that he asked another customer what he mixes his BDO with because he thought that the substance was not supposed to be mixed with alcohol. Joe Daughtrys attorney Ryan Gertz said it is premature to comment on the accuracy of the comments made in complaint. The government played pretty fast and loose with the truth in their allegations, he said. There is no way to know the accuracy of it. Five of the defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court this week. All but two, Joseph Daughtry and Sandra Daughtry, remain in custody. chris.moore@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/chris_moore09 PORTLAND, Ore. - He came to the protest with a question. He left with two broken bones in a confrontation with federal officers that went viral. Christopher David had watched in horror as videos surfaced of federal officers in camouflage throwing Portland Ore., protesters into unmarked vans. The 53-year-old Portland resident had heard the stories: protesters injured, gassed, sprayed with chemicals that tugged at their nostrils and burned their eyes. David, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former member of the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps, said he wanted to know what the officers involved thought of the oath they had sworn to protect and defend the Constitution. So, he said, on Saturday evening, he headed to downtown Portland to ask them. That night's protests outside the federal courthouse - the 51st day of ongoing demonstrations - began with a line of local moms linking arms and demanding the federal agents stop targeting Portland kids. David, who had never attended a protest before, hung back and watched. He was trying to keep his distance, he said, as a host of health problems have made him especially vulnerable amid a still-raging coronavirus pandemic. He asked one woman when the feds would show up, but she said it was also her first protest since the Department of Homeland Security deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to bolster protections for federal buildings and officers in the Pacific Northwest city. Just as he was about to leave, David said, the federal officers emerged. They rushed a line of protesters nearby, knocking protesters to the ground. David walked toward a gap in the line, calling out to the officers. "Why are you not honoring your oath?" he bellowed. "Why are you not honoring your oath to the Constitution?" An officer trained his weapon on David's chest as several agents pushed him, sending David stumbling backward. But he regained his center and tried again. Another agent raised his baton and began to beat David, who stood unwavering with his arms at his sides. Then another officer unloaded a canister of chemical irritant spray into David's face. That was all he could handle, David said, he turned and walked away, flipping off the federal forces as he went. A video taken by Portland Tribune reporter Zane Sparling that captures David's moment of resistance has, as of early Monday, been viewed nearly 9 million times. Unable to see from the chemicals burning his eyes and blurring his vision, David said, he stumbled into a cloud of gas that made him cough and retch. He found his way to a bench in the park, where a street medic aided him and eventually pulled him away from the advancing officers. At the hospital, he said, he learned his right hand had been broken in two places. In the time since, he has been hailed on social media as a hero. Some have dubbed him Portland's own man of steel, a defender of the city, an anti-fascist super-soldier. David said he is none of those things. "It's just us normal people out there," he said. "There were a whole group of pregnant moms standing out there linking arms and they got gassed. You hear people like [President] Trump say it's just a bunch of wacko fringe people in liberal cities who are out there, but no way. We're all just normal people who think what's happening is wrong." MONTREAL, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) today announced the appointment of Vincent Delisle as Head of Liquid Markets, concluding an international recruiting process led by a recognized firm that began last April. Mr. Delisle has 25 years of experience in asset allocation strategy, global equity markets and portfolio management. He began his career trading stocks and bonds in the 1990s at investment firm Eterna Trust before spending seven years as a Portfolio Strategist at Desjardins Securities from 1997 to 2004. He then spent fourteen years at Scotia Bank, where he served as Director of Equity Research, Quebec and Managing Director, Portfolio and Quantitative Strategy in the Capital Markets division. In these roles, Mr. Delisle was the bank's chief strategist, and his investment recommendations were followed by thousands of brokers who advised individuals and by Scotia Bank's institutional clients around the world. For each of the six years from 2013 to 2018, in recognition by his peers for the quality of his work, he was ranked #1 Analyst in Portfolio Strategy in the prestigious Greenwich Associates rankings and for three years in the Brendan Woods International rankings. Before joining CDPQ, Mr. Delisle was Co-Chief Investment Officer at Hexavest. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Universite Laval and is a CFA Charterholder. In his new role as Head of Liquid Markets at CDPQ, Mr. Delisle will be responsible for leading the Equity Markets and Fixed Income teams, and co-leading with Head of Real Assets and Private Equity, Macky Tall, the Investment Funds and External Management team, as well as the Global Research team. He will report to the President and Chief Executive Officer and will sit on the Executive Committee and Investment-Risk Committee. "Vincent Delisle has a global view of international equity markets and of the economy, proven experience in portfolio construction and a solid investment track record. He is skilled at identifying deep market trends, implementing value-creating strategies and then transforming them into rigorous and efficient decision-making processes," said Charles Emond, President and Chief Executive Officer of CDPQ. "With his unique combination of experience and abilities, he is an extremely accomplished leader who can position our liquid market portfolios for the next decade to the benefit of our depositors," he added. "I'm very proud to join CDPQ, a world-class organization that plays a leading role in Quebec's economic development and that is recognized and respected in the markets for its knowledge and know-how. I'm looking forward to working with the teams to lead CDPQ's liquid portfolios and continuing to build on the organization's research capacity and investment fund strategy," said Vincent Delisle. Mr. Delisle starts his new position on August 3, 2020. ABOUT CAISSE DE DEPOT ET PLACEMENT DU QUEBEC Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2019, it held CA$340.1 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages. SOURCE Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Related Links https://www.cdpq.com/ As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continue to grow in Texas, the Lake Houston area is also experiencing a similar rise. The Lake Houston area now has 2,536 confirmed cases and 47 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from Harris County Public Health as of July 20. Meanwhile, more than 1,300 people have already recovered in the seven zip codes that comprise the Lake Houston area 77339, 77345, 77338, 77044, 77396, 77346 and 77532. EDUCATION: Humble ISD limits guests for graduations next week at Turner Stadium due to rising coronavirus cases As of 9:30 p.m. on July 19, the world reached 14,448,751 confirmed cases and 605,116 deaths, the United States had 3,768,055 confirmed cases and 140,500 deaths, and as of 7 p.m. Texas reached 334,586 confirmed cases and 3,991 deaths, according to the Houston Chronicle data team. Gov. Abbott vows not to close state under one condition Despite rumors across social media, Gov. Greg Abbott said he will not re-institute a statewide lockdown in Texas as long as individuals continue to wear masks. His mask mandate from July 2 is still in effect. In addition to the mask mandate, Abbott also ordered bars shutdown once again and he scaled back on restaurant capacity. "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." More Information Data on the coronavirus as of July 20 from Harris County Public Health can be viewed by zipcode. These zipcodes cover the Lake Houston area. 77396 585 confirmed cases 224 active cases 357 recovered cases 4 Deaths 77346 484 confirmed cases 198 active cases 283 recovered cases 3 Deaths 77338 516 confirmed cases 187 active cases 308 recovered cases 21 Deaths 77339 150 confirmed cases 105 active cases 31 recovered cases 14 Deaths 77345 52 confirmed cases 45 active cases 7 recovered cases 0 Deaths 77044 482 confirmed cases 244 active cases 235 recovered 3 deaths 77532 267 confirmed cases 172 active 93 recovered 2 deaths See More Collapse Return of in-person learning It is less than a month before public schools return to campus amid the pandemic. Humble ISD has created a plan for reopening with intentions to participate in in-person classes while also facilitating virtual learning for families who want their students to stay home. Of the 38,000 responses, about 65 percent of families elected to return to in-person classes that will be split on an A/B schedule by last name and 35 percent will remain in an online learning platform, according to Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen. We have to monitor the data and we may have to make a change, but as of right now we have solid plans in place that we need to have in place, and well make the best decisions as we move forward, Fagen said in a July 14 Board of Trustees meeting. CORONAVIRUS: As COVID infections soar, Gov. Greg Abbott eludes media scrutiny Getting tested Anyone can receive a test whether or not they have symptoms, but individuals must call 832-393-4220 for an access code and directions to the nearest testing site. For more information on public testing, visit the citys website here houstonemergency.org/covid-19-testing or go to the Walmart testing site in Fall Creek by registering at MyQuestCOVIDTest.com. It is recommended by the Centers for Diease Control and Prevention (CDC) to wash hands with soap frequently for at least 20 seconds and to physically distance when around others. Although it is currently mandated, the CDC also recommended to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth as well as covering coughs and sneezes to prevent any potential spread of the virus. Clean and disinfect surfaces daily, or when they get dirty and monitor your health for any symptoms, according to the CDC. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com T he main contractor on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment sought to take "some of the savings for themselves" when it came to the choice of cladding, an inquiry into the blaze has heard. Construction firm Rydon told Kensington and Chelsea tenant management organisation (TMO) in March 2014 that they could save 293,368 if they chose to wrap the west London tower block in an alternative aluminium cassette form of cladding, or 376,175 if they went for a face-fixed cladding. But, four days earlier, they were told by cladding installers Harley Facades that the cassette installation could present a saving of 419,627 and the face-fixed a saving of 576,973. When asked by inquiry lawyer Richard Millett QC how he accounted for the difference, Rydon contracts manager Simon Lawrence said: "I would suggest by that Rydon took some of the savings for themselves." When asked whether he knew that at the time, Mr Lawrence replied: "I think I probably did, yes." Mr Lawrence said he "would assume" that money "went against risk or additional profit". Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Grenfell survivors - In pictures 1 /18 Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Grenfell survivors - In pictures Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attends the launch of the National Emergencies Trust at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Getty Images Will and Kate arrived to launch the new charity on Thursday. Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met victims of recent disasters like the Manchester Arena bombings and the Grenfell Tower fire. Getty Images Kate looked chic in a blue dress. Getty Images AP Prince William petted the rescue dogs. Getty Images The royal couple spoke to victims. Getty Images PA The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arriving at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square PA A children's choir perform for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge whilst they are attending the launch of the National Emergencies Trust at St Martin-in-the-Fields Getty Images Prince William said support for Grenfell did not seem "well targeted". Getty Images He spoke to the choir after their performance. AP As did Kate. PA The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speaking to victims. PA Mr Millett asked whether there was a "plan in Rydon to keep the TMO in the dark about the real extent of the savings on thepanels and then pocket the difference" to make up a shortfall from a previous estimating error. The contracts manager conceded: "That could be the reason for it." The flames which rapidly engulfed the 24-storey west London building in June 2017 were fuelled by its aluminium composite material cladding system, which had a polyethylene core. The inquiry into the disaster that killed 72 people was previously told the cladding system had a heat combustion akin to diesel and close to lighter fluid. Reacting to the evidence, fire chiefs called the refurbishment an "utter scandal". Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "We can now see that Rydon chose to wrap the building in cheaper flammable cladding and planned to pocket the difference. "At every turn in this phase of the inquiry, weve seen that those involved in the buildings refurbishment prioritised cost and aesthetic over safety and 72 lives were lost as a result." Earlier on Monday, the inquiry heard that Rydon came to the conclusion that the project didnt need a fire consultant. Funeral for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire 1 /9 Funeral for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire Pall bearers carry Raymond Bernard's coffin Reuters Mourners watch as pall bearers carry Raymond Bernard's coffin Reuters Mourners lay flowers next to a photograph of Raymond Bernard Reuters A mourner arrives for the funeral of Raymond Bernard Reuters Reuters Reuters Reuters They had considered recruiting a specialist to oversee plans for the lower four floors of the block, but eventually decided it was not necessary. Mr Lawrence, who was involved in the revamp between June 2014 and October 2015, told the hearing: "The initial intention regarding fire consultants was for the lower four floors. "The cladding, in our view, at the time was less of a risk than the lower four floors because of the means of escape. "We thought that it might be a good idea to have a fire consultant for those lower four floors but, as the design progressed, we ultimately came to the conclusion we didnt need that fire consultant for the lower four floors." Mr Lawrence could not remember when this decision was made, but added that not hiring specialist fire safety consultants was standard practice for Rydon work, including on previous jobs involving high-rise overcladding. Additional reporting from the Press Association Nigeria recorded 556 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said. Unlike recent days, Edo State recorded the highest number of new cases, closely followed by Lagos. According to the health agency, 11 deaths were also recorded, bringing the fatality from the virus to 789. There has been an increase in infections since Nigeria eased its total lockdown in early May. The country has recorded a daily average of around 500 new cases over the past one week. The total number of people who have contracted the virus in Nigeria has now risen to 36,663 cases out of which 15,105 cases have been discharged after treatment. The NCDC also provided details of the new cases, which show Edo State recording the highest with 104 new cases, followed by Lagos with 97 and the FCT with 70. Lagos remains the epicenter of the disease with a total tally of 13, 438 infections and 176 deaths. The 556 new cases are reported from 18 states Edo (104), Lagos(97), FCT(70), Benue(66), Oyo(61), Kaduna(38), Plateau(28), Osun(19), Akwa Ibom(14), Rivers(13), Katsina(13), Ondo(13), Ogun(6), Kano(5), Nasarawa(4), Gombe(2), Ekiti(2), Borno(1). BEIRUT - The release of the results of the parliamentary elections held Sunday across much of the area under Syrian government control has been postponed to an undefined date. State-controlled news agency SANA reported Monday that the voting had been held in an irregular manner in five of the over 7,000 total districts and that it will have to be repeated on Monday. The irregularities occurred, according to the electoral commission, in the northern part of the city of Aleppo and in Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria. Representatives of the electoral commission cited by SANA said that the election results, which were initially expected to be released on Tuesday, will not be able to be released before all voting and vote-counting has finished. Voting was held in 70% of Syrian territory, excluding the areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north-eastern part of the country and parts under Turkish influence in the northwest. I left them with the question: What do you choose to do? Do you choose to stand or sit? Do you choose to be silent and complicit, or do you speak out and demand to be heard? he added. Let people know where you stand against systemic racism. We have to do this not just for ourselves, but for our children and for children unborn. This is our fight for them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 05:09:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's total COVID-19 cases climbed to 276,202 on Monday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said its coronavirus recovery rate has exceeded 80 percent. Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, registered 2,414 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, while the death toll from the infectious respiratory virus rose to 14,405 after 217 more fatalities were added. Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that so far 240,087 patients in Iran have recovered while 3,583 remain in critical condition. Meanwhile, after over four-month suspension of most of the international flights following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, more international flights are being scheduled to and from the country. Saudi Arabia's total coronavirus cases rose to 253,349 on Monday with the registration of 2,429 new cases, the Saudi Health Ministry tweeted. The death toll in the kingdom climbed to 2,523 with 37 new fatalities during the last 24 hours, while the tally of recoveries rose to 203,259 after 5,524 patients newly recovered from the disease. The ministry said that the coronavirus recovery rate in the country has exceeded 80 percent. Turkey's COVID-19 cases increased by 931 on Monday to 220,572, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Meanwhile, 17 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,508, he tweeted. Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines on Monday said it suspended its plans to resume flights to Iran and Afghanistan. The decision followed the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's announcement on Sunday that Turkey halted flights to the two countries as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 1,714 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 52,003, while the number of death cases rose from 409 to 415. Due to the recent sharp increase in coronavirus morbidity in Israel, the country has extended flight restrictions until at least September 1. Iraq's Health Ministry recorded 2,163 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 94,693. A statement by the ministry also reported 88 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 3,869. A member of the Iraqi parliament predicted on Monday that the earlier decisions to ease restrictions by the health authorities could increase the number of daily new COVID-19 cases. Lawmaker Ghaiyb al-Omairi said in a press release that the latest decisions of the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety to reopen the airports, malls, and border crossings could raise the daily COVID-19 infections. Egypt reported on Monday 627 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total infections in the country since mid-February to 88,402. It is the 12th consecutive day for Egypt's daily COVID-19 infections to be below 1,000, with a record 1,774 daily infections seen on June 19. Meanwhile, Egypt confirmed 50 coronavirus-related deaths, the lowest since June 13, bringing the death toll to 4,352. The United Arab Emirates on Monday announced 271 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 57,193. It also confirmed one more death, pushing the country's death toll to 340. Qatar's Health Ministry on Monday announced 389 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 107,037, while two others died, raising the fatalities to 159. Kuwait on Monday reported 559 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of infections to 59,763, while no new deaths were reported, leaving the total deaths at 408. The Omani ministry of health announced 1,739 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed number of the cases in the country to 68,400, while eight new fatalities were reported, bringing the death toll to 326. Morocco registered 326 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the tally in the North African country to 17,562, while the death toll from the virus stood at 276. Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Monday by 46 cases to 2,905, while the death toll went up by one to 41. Lebanon witnessed on Monday the first death of a Lebanese doctor fighting against COVID-19 at the Nabih Berri public hospital in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Palestine recorded on Monday 468 new COVID-19 cases in its territories, raising the total number to 10,520 with 66 deaths. Libya reported 114 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,980, with 49 deaths. Enditem Imagine a country, a major Western economic power, where the coronavirus arrived late but the government, instead of denying and delaying, acted early. It was ready with tests and contact tracing to flatten the curve swiftly and limited its death rate to orders of magnitude lower than that of any other major Western industrial nation. Containing the virus allowed for a brief and targeted lockdown, which helped limit unemployment to only 6 percent. Amid a shower of international praise, the countrys boringly predictable leader experienced a huge spike in popular approval, to 70 percent from 40 percent. This mirror image of America under President Trump is Germany under Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her surging popularity has politically marginalized the extreme right and extreme left. German unions have worked closely with bosses to keep factories open and working conditions generally safe (the countrys meatpacking industry was a notable exception). Ms. Merkels government has coordinated with all the German states to contain the pandemic and with fellow European Union members to establish a recovery fund for nations hardest hit by the virus. The strengths Germany is showing make it the large economy most likely to thrive in the post-pandemic world. The coronavirus is accelerating an inward turn among national economies that began with the global financial crisis of 2008. Governments are assuming more and more control over all aspects of economic life, running up public debts to keep growth alive and imposing new barriers to foreign trade and immigration. Only the virtual side of the world economy is booming, as people work, play and shop on the internet. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Azerbaijan's imports to Georgia decreased by 16.9 percent in the first half of 2020 year-on-year, Trend reports with reference to National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat). For the first six months of the year, Georgia imported products worth a total of $24.7 million from Azerbaijan, said Geostat. Exports of petroleum gases and gaseous hydrocarbons from Azerbaijan to Georgia decreased by 19.4 percent year-on-year, although overall it still tops the list of main imported goods. In 1H2020, 934,956.9 tons of oil gases and gaseous hydrocarbons worth $133.06 million were imported by Georgia from Azerbaijan compared to 985,624 tons worth $165.02 million during the same period of 2019. Imports of Azerbaijani oil and oil products to Georgia decreased by 54.3 percent compared to January-June 2019. This year, 89,404.8 tons of oil and oil products were imported to Georgia in the amount of $24.5 million compared to 97,245.7 tons of oil products worth $53.7 million in 1H2019. Imports of Azerbaijani electricity to Georgia decreased by 18.9 percent. If last year Georgia bought electricity worth $26.71 million from Azerbaijan, this year electricity worth $21.6 million was exported by Azerbaijan to Georgia. In the reporting period, Georgia imported from Azerbaijan typewriters and computer machines worth $11.19 million. The import of cement from Azerbaijan to Georgia decreased by 37.8 percent. In January-June last year, Azerbaijan exported to Georgia 189,758.6 tons of cement in the amount of $10.63 million, and this year this figure amounted to slightly over 131,003 tons. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 U.S. President Donald Trump said that America could be destroyed as we know it if democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidential election. The U.S. leader hinted that federal agents may be deployed to Chicago as soon as this week to crack down on protests and gun violence in a military-style response similar to Portland, Oregon. "The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it. Unimaginably bad things would happen to America," Trump warned. "Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia," he added. Calls for a temporary closure of the Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala intensified following the death of a former chief priest due to Covid-19 on Monday. Srinivasa Murthy Deekshitulu (75), one of the 18 priests of the Tirumala temple who had tested positive for Covid-19 last week, succumbed to the infection at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS). B Vengamma, SVIMS director, said Deekshitulu, who was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, had comorbid conditions of diabetes and kidney-related ailments. Priests and employees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) have called for a temporary closure of the temple to the public to check the spread of the virus. Deekshitulu, who belonged to Archakam Peddinti family, one of the four families of hereditary priests associated with the Tirumala temple for centuries, had served as the chief priest for over two decades. He, along with three other priests, was forced to retire in 2018 during the Telugu Desam Party government. After the YSR Congress government came to power, he had been participating in the temple rituals although he was not restored to the office. The TTD decided against following the specific procedure for last rites of hereditary priests due to the ongoing pandemic. The TTD Staff and Workers United Front, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, submitted a representation to TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal requesting that visits to the temple be temporarily suspended in the wake of a growing number of positive cases on the Tirumala hills. The TTD staff pointed out that more than 1,000 positive cases of Covid-19 were reported in Tirupati town and around 100 employees of the TTD have tested positive. These employees can end up infecting devotees when they go up the hill to Tirumala to perform duties. In this context, employees are all very worried, the representation stated. Soon after the death of Deekshitulu, TTD trust board chairman YV Subba Reddy flew to Vijayawada to hold a meeting with chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss the demand from various sections of the TTD for the closure of the temple. Subba Reddy had told the reporters last week that 15 of 50 priests at the Tirumala temple have tested positive, besides 140 other TTD employees, since the temple was re-opened on June 8. Honorary head priest of the temple AV Ramana Deekshitulu found fault with the TTD authorities for continuing to allow pilgrims despite a surge in Covid-19 cases in Tirumala. He alleged that the TTD officials were obediently following anti-hereditary archaka (priest) and anti-Brahmin policy of the TDP. Disaster if this continues. Please take action, he appealed to chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON This is the current issue of the day, said Sonya Grier, a marketing professor at American University. It has become almost standard for companies to jump in, because everyone expects them to have some kind of social presence explaining how they align on race. So-called protest art has appeared on the doors and boarded windows of upscale brands like Free People, 7 For All Mankind and Hugo Boss. Scores of companies participated in #BlackoutTuesday on Instagram last month, posting black squares on their feeds with captions expressing solidarity with the movement. But consumers are increasingly sensitive to how companies express their positions. Twenty percent of U.S. adults surveyed in late June said they would stop buying from a company deemed to be acting hypocritically on the issues of police violence and racial injustice, the polling and market research firm Opinium said last week. After the publishing giant Conde Nast and the website Refinery29 publicly backed the Black Lives Matter movement, they faced accusations of mistreating employees of color. Leaked grooming guidelines for store employees of the Australian fashion label Zimmerman, which recently denounced racism and quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu on its Instagram account, were found to discriminate against Black women who wear their hair naturally. In a statement, Zimmerman said it condemned racism and was determined to be part of meaningful and positive change in the global fashion industry. Ifeoma Ozoma, a former manager for the image-sharing web service Pinterest, said on Twitter that she and another Black woman had recently left the company after they were subjected to racist and sexist behavior. That behavior included negative feedback from a manager after Ms. Ozoma pushed back against the promotion of plantation weddings on the platform, she said. The company said in a statement that it planned to diversify its board and commission an external review of employee pay. Police are considering dropping the terms 'Islamist terror' and 'jihadi' because they 'don't help community relations.' Alternatives suggested include 'faith-claimed terrorism', 'terrorists abusing religious motivations' and 'adherents of Osama bin Laden's ideology,' The Times reported. A Muslim police organisation claimed today's official terminology fuelled negative perceptions, stereotypes, discrimination and Islamophobia. The issue was put forward at an online conference which was addressed by Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of counter-terrorism policing. Attacks such as the London bombings of 2005 and the Westminster, London Bridge and Manchester Arena assaults, all in 2017, have been officially classed as 'Islamist terrorism' (pictured: the remains of a bus are seen on Tavistock Square following a series of explosions which ripped through London's tube and bus network on July 7, 2005) The police told The Times that changes to the phraseology were not certain. Attacks such as the London bombings of 2005 as well as the Westminster, London Bridge and Manchester Arena assaults, all in 2017, have been officially deemed 'Islamist terrorism.' The issue was put forward at an online conference which was addressed by Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of counter-terrorism policing But the 3,000-strong National Association of Muslim Police advocated 'a change in culture by moving away from using terms which have a direct link to Islam and jihad. These ... do not help community relations and public confidence.' It instead suggested an Arabic word, 'Irhabi,' could be deployed. It is used throughout the Middle East to describe those with extremist views. The group said that the word 'jihad' was complicated by its figurative meaning of the 'struggle' of being faithful, as well as being used to to denote self-defence in the context of a physical struggle. But David Toube, of Quilliam, a counter-extremism think tank, told The Times: 'People do not like to feel that they are being told only the partial truth ... there is a serious problem with Islamist terrorism. 'The use of any term that obscures that fact risks damaging public trust in the police.' Chief Superintendent Nik Adams, coordinator of the de-radicalisation unit, Prevent, said that the meeting had been convened to look at all the evidence. He said that Mr Basu had invited a broad range of opinions from both sides of the debate because he believed the discussion was important. But Mr Adams told The Times: 'We have no plans to change the terminology we use at present but welcomed the debate and contributions. 'It's vital we get our terminology right to define the threat accurately and succinctly but also to avoid alienating communities crucial to our efforts.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Damon Wake and Dave Clark (Agence France-Presse) Brussels, Belgium Mon, July 20, 2020 07:40 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667adea4 2 World EU,European-Union,coronavirus,COVID-19,recovery-funds,recovery-plan Free Squabbling EU leaders held a make-or-break dinner on Sunday to try to break three days of deadlock in talks over a huge coronavirus rescue package. EU Council President Charles Michel, the summit host, gathered the 27 leaders for dinner after a day of small group meetings that failed to yield a major breakthrough in the search for a deal. He made a last-ditch proposal for the 750-billion-euro ($860-billion) rescue deal aimed at bridging a gaping rift with a coalition of "Frugals" -- the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Finland. The Frugals, led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, have sought to slash the scale of the package of loans and grants that Brussels wants to help the countries hit hard by the epidemic. As fears rose that the summit would collapse without agreement, Michel suggested cutting the grant portion of the deal to 400 billion euros -- down from his initial proposal of 500 billion -- and raising the loan part to 350 billion, up from 250 billion. In a heartfelt speech over dinner, Michel reminded leaders of the devastating human cost of the pandemic -- 600,000 dead including 200,000 in Europe -- and urged them to come together to complete a "mission impossible". "The question is this: are the 27 leaders, responsible for the people of Europe, capable of building European unity and trust?" Michel said, according to a copy of his remarks seen by AFP. "Or will we present the face of a weak Europe, undermined by mistrust?" Dogged frugals But a senior aide to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said they were only prepared to accept a maximum of 350 billion euros as grants in the package, and even this was subject to conditions. "It's about the rebates, higher climate ambitions, and that we include a mechanism that makes so that countries will not be able to get money from the EU budget or this recovery package if they do not follow the principles of rule of law," Paula Carvalho Olovsson told the TT news agency. At the start of what she said was probably the "decisive" third day of the extraordinary summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said there were still many divisions among the leaders, and so it proved. The leaders sat down to their dinner around 7:20pm (1720 GMT), more than seven hours after they had been scheduled to restart their full round-table meeting of all 27. Round after round of small group meetings went on all day as Michel, aided by Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, tried to drag the frugals and the more indebted -- and virus-ravaged -- on board for a compromise, but progress was painfully slow. A European source said there were fresh clashes over the dinner table, as the frugals demanded massive hikes in the rebates they get on their EU contributions. Rutte also wants member states to retain the right to veto national economic plans by the likes of Italy and Spain, in order to oblige them to pursue reforms to borrowing and their labor and pensions markets -- an effort that was angrily resisted by his Italian counterpart, Giuseppe Conte. Rule of law row Meanwhile, another stumbling block emerged when Hungary's hardline premier Viktor Orban accused Rutte of waging a personal vendetta against him and his country -- and vowed to prevent any agreement on efforts to tie EU spending to recipient countries' respect for EU standards. The so-called "Rule of Law" measure -- also opposed by Poland and Slovenia -- could see Orban's nationalist and increasingly authoritarian government lose out if fellow members judge his alleged assault on the free media and democratic norms breaks with European values. Both issues could thwart attempts to reach agreement at the summit, and that is even before the leaders -- who began meeting on Friday and have finished after midnight for two nights running -- get on to debating the draft of the seven-year, trillion-euro EU budget. Macron urged leaders to "take responsibility" as Europe grapples with a severe recession caused by the virus and its lockdowns, saying a deal could still be found, "but these compromises cannot be made at the cost of European ambition". Workers across US stage rallies over inequalities; gusher of a deal announced in the oil patch Looks like we finally have some secret police to call our own. Ongoing protests stemming from a Minnesota police officer's brutal killing of an unarmed Black man have provoked a federal response. In some cases, the National Guard has been called in to quell the more violent and destructive aspects of some demonstrations. Others -- like the 50+ days of continuous protests in Portland, Oregon -- have been greeted with something far more frightening. Jonathan Levinson and Conrad Wilson of Oregon Public Broadcasting were the first to break the news of unidentified federal officers yanking people off the street into unmarked vehicles and disappearing them for a few hours of interrogation. In the early hours of July 15, after a night spent protesting at the Multnomah County Justice Center and Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, Mark Pettibone and his friend Conner OShea decided to head home. [...] A block west of Chapman Square, Pettibone and OShea bumped into a group of people who warned them that people in camouflage were driving around the area in unmarked minivans grabbing people off the street. So that was terrifying to hear, Pettibone said. They had barely made it half a block when an unmarked minivan pulled up in front of them. I see guys in camo, OShea said. Four or five of them pop out, open the door and it was just like, Oh shit. I dont know who you are or what you want with us. Pettibone was grabbed by the unidentified officers, who wore nothing indicating which branch of the federal government they worked for, and shoved into a van with his hat pulled down over his eyes. He was taken to the federal courthouse (something he wasn't aware of until he was released), patted down, photographed, and had his belongings searched. After all of this, he was put into a cell where he was finally read his Miranda rights. He refused to talk to the officers and they released him about 90 minutes later. At no point was he told what he had been detained for, nor was he given any paperwork documenting his detainment. No one appears to know for sure which branch of the federal government is taking people off the street and detaining them without probable cause. The officers performing these sweeps use unmarked vehicles and dress in camouflage uniforms that contain no identfying info that might indicate what agency they work for. The federal government has deployed a mixture of federal agencies to cities with ongoing protests, including the US Marshals Service, CBP, ICE, and Bureau of Prisons riot officers. Presumably the DEA is in the mix as well, since it invited itself along for this anti-free-speech ride. The DHS -- speaking through its acting secretary -- says this is justified. 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. Each night, lawless anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it. A federal courthouse is a symbol of justice - to attack it is to attack America. 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. This failed response has only emboldened the violent mob as it escalates violence day after day. A long list of supposed atrocities committed by protesters follows. Most of the list details graffiti, along with low-level vandalism targeting cameras and police barriers. Also listed are activities like trespassing, doxing federal officers, and deploying laser pointers. Secretary Chad Wolf universally describes the protesters as "violent anarchists," even though there's no evidence linking protesters to coordinated activities by anarchists groups. Setting off fireworks and clashing with riot police are normal behavior during protests, but Wolf's narrative portrays these as acts of war in a clash local law enforcement agencies are losing. Wolf says he's going to take this local action nationwide. Protesters in other cities will soon be experiencing the federal government's Stasi-esque bypassing of niceties like the need to establish probable cause before shoving people into unmarked vans and dragging them away for questioning. With as much lawbreaking is going on, we're seeking to prosecute as many people as are breaking the law as it relates to federal jurisdiction. That's not always happening with respect to local jurisdiction and local offenses. But, you know, this is a posture we intend to continue not just in Portland but in any of the facilities that we're responsible for around the country. The Oregon state Department of Justice has already filed a lawsuit against the federal government for its actions. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum issued this statement a few days after OPB broke the news. 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. These tactics must stop. They not only make it impossible for people to assert their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully. They also create a more volatile situation on our streets. TL;DR: the federal government's secret police are rioting. Other civic leaders in Oregon feel the same way. The mayor of Portland demanded Friday 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. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown said 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. If Trump and Republicans don't like Governor Brown politicizing the federal response to protests, they should take a long look at their own motivations first. Flanked by AG Barr, Pres says he's planning announcement next week on Federal action to quell violence in cities, citing Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago. He says some cities "are like war zones," and makes it partisan, saying they're run by "liberal, left-wing Democrats." pic.twitter.com/MEPVVrk1Dq Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 15, 2020 If you can't read/see the tweet, it says: Flanked by AG Barr, Pres says he's planning announcement next week on Federal action to quell violence in cities, citing Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago. He says some cities "are like war zones," and makes it partisan, saying they're run by "liberal, left-wing Democrats." The only agency that's confirmed its presence in Portland is the CBP. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly launched U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit, tasked with enforcing last months executive order from Republican President Donald Trump to protect federal monuments and buildings. But the DHS claims officers have not been rolling up on people in unmarked vans and dragging them to unknown locations for questioning. A senior DHS official said officers arrested people for assaulting federal officers and vandalizing federal property, but did not provide specific cases. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue, rejected the idea anyone was arrested without good cause. Federal officials dont go around arresting people for no reason, the official said. This isnt communist China. No. It's not. But that's what's happening. And it's being done with the blessing of the "law and order" president who has spent more time bashing people engaged in First Amendment activity than condemning the actions of the law enforcement officers who triggered these ongoing demonstrations. You don't have to be a Communist to enact a police state. Fascists like police states, too. Let's step away from the secret police tactics that everyone -- including the agency overseeing the secret police -- agrees shouldn't be happening here and look at why federal agents and officers might be wandering the streets in gear that doesn't clearly indicate their agency affiliation. It's all about dodging accountability. If arrestees and detainees don't know who's tossing them into unmarked vans, they're going to have a much more difficult time suing them for violating their rights. Sure, you can sue Does and unknown agencies but without more, it's going to be tough to keep the lawsuit alive. Detainees are being released without paperwork, ensuring there are no links between the officers doing the detaining and the rights violations they're inevitably going to be sued over. The lack of identifying insignias makes it impossible for onlookers to testify to more than the fact that they same someone toss a Portland resident into an unmarked van and drive away. This testimony would be mostly useless in a kidnapping investigation. It's even less useful in federal lawsuits where officers and their agencies are already given a great deal of deference on top of the qualified immunity escape hatch. But there's more to it than lawsuits. This is truly frightening even for those not being disappeared. Friends and family members who witness this happening (or are informed of it by witnesses) don't know who took the resident off the streets or who to contact to see if they can provide bail money or a ride home or even check on their well being. Cops have been limiting personal accountability since the protests began by covering their badge numbers and removing other identifying information. The federal government's insertion of a melange of federal agencies into the mix muddies the water further, making it almost impossible for citizens to know who's coming after them or for what reason. Officers can stop people momentarily with reasonable suspicion but it requires probable cause to take them off the street and detain them for questioning. None of that appears to be in play, no matter what the DHS Secretary says. If the federal agents were so sure about the "rightness" of their actions, they wouldn't be afraid to wear agency insignias and/or identify themselves when detaining people. This is nothing more than federal-level intimidation tacitly approved by this administration -- one that feels any local agency not actively brutalizing protesters has lost control of the situation. And the agencies involved are doing everything they can to ensure they and their officers will get away with it. A 28-year-old man has been charged by police with careless driving in the death of animal rights activist Regan Russell, who was killed June 19 protesting outside a Burlington slaughterhouse. A news release from Halton Regional Police on Monday says the man is charged with careless driving causing death under Ontarios Highway Traffic Act, but there were no grounds to indicate this was an intentional act, or that a criminal offence had been committed. Russell, 65, died after being struck by a transport truck just before 10:30 a.m. outside Fearmans Pork at Appleby Line and Harvester Road. She championed animal rights for 40 years, among other social justice causes. Witnesses said Russell gave water to pigs inside a truck about to enter the meat-processing plant shortly before she was killed. Police said their collision reconstruction unit interviewed witnesses and watched video footage that captured the entirety of the incident. The driver lives in the municipality of North Perth, about 60 kilometres northwest of Kitchener. A statement released by Russells family said: We are disappointed by the lack of criminal charges, and would like respect and time in digesting this information. The family has said they would support a coroners inquest into her death. Activists have routinely held what they call vigils outside Fearmans. But on June 19, they also were voicing opposition to the provinces Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, that would prohibit interaction with farm animals, among other measures. Animal Save Movement in Toronto criticized police for not laying criminal charges, saying that it does not amount to justice for Regan. The group called on police to release video footage of the incident. Reflecting global attention Russells death has attracted, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) also criticized the charge, saying the penalty should reflect the death of a kind and gentle soul who did no wrong. Halton police ask that anyone who saw the incident or has dashcam footage from the area at the time, call them at 905-825-4747, ext. 5065. Speed bumps placed by the city of San Francisco are now installed on Dolores and 20th streets in an attempt to slow down hill bombs, organized gatherings by skateboarders where they skate down hills at full speed. Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, tweeted on Saturday addressing the speed bumps, saying SF has a world renowned skate scene I love. So I hate doing this to Dolores. But two pointless deaths. Consulting now with leaders about building stronger skate culture and co-designing Slow Streets. Donald Trump touted Monday that he will resume the 'very successful' briefings on the pandemic after his frequent appearances at the White House Coronavirus Task Force updates ceased. The president insisted that briefings are the best way to update Americans on the coronavirus crisis, especially amid a surge in infection rates, as Trump says he will bring them back starting Tuesday. 'We're going to give you a lot of briefings in the next week and over the next few weeks as to I think it's very important to do it,' Trump said while speaking to the press following his Oval Office meeting with Republican leadership. Trump stopped showing up to the press conferences after one particular update in the James S. Brady Briefing Room in April where he received especially high criticism after claiming that Lysol, bleach and other disinfectants could work as a treatment for coronavirus. He also said that heat and getting out in the sun were effective treatments. Following a study that revealed common disinfection kills the virus on surfaces, Trump suggested and later said the idea was proposed in jest that disinfectant be injected into patients to treat COVID-19. President Donald Trump said Monday that he will be bringing back White House coronavirus briefings starting Tuesday after he stopped showing up to them in April The comments came following the president meeting with GOP leadership in the Oval Office regarding a new coronavirus stimulus package The president said the 5:00 primetime briefings broke television records and insisted they are the best way to update Americans on the coronavirus pandemic Trump also said he wants to resume the briefings as the number of new daily cases continue to surge is some states like Florida and Texas as the virus has spiked in the last few weeks As of Monday there are more than 3.7 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and the death toll has surpassed 140,000 A few weeks after the president stopped showing up for the briefings, they ceased altogether. White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told Fox & Friends during an interview Friday that Trump should resume updating the public directly on the coronavirus situation. 'I think the president should be doing that,' she said, adding that her opinion was different from other White House staff. Conway insisted that his polls were 'much higher when he was out there briefing everybody on a day-by-day basis, just giving people the information,' acknowledging his slipping poll numbers. A FiveThirtyEight average as of Friday shows that 58 per cent of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling the crisis and 38 per cent approve. The president and task force's press conferences, held with a limited number of media in the age of social distancing, yielded record-high viewership on television as they were held around 5:00 p.m. every day. 'Well, we had very successful briefings. I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching record people watching,' Trump boasted to reporters in the Oval Office. 'In the history of cable television television there's never been anything like it. And we were doing very well.' The nation's top immunologist at the National Institute of Health, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is also on the task force, stopped appearing at briefings after several reports emerged of him and the president clashing. During one briefing in March, Fauci could be seen smirking and 'face-palming' in response to some of the president's remarks. Trump made the revelation that he would begin holding the briefings starting on Tuesday following a meeting with GOP leadership, including lawmakers and cabinet members, on Monday morning to discuss new coronavirus stimulus legislation. During his impromptu remarks, Trump was joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Vice President Mike Pence, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who helped negotiate previous coronavirus stimulus legislation with congressional Democrats. Trump said he would still be holding the briefings at 5:00 p.m. with members of the task force, which is headed by Pence, and said White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany would continue her own press conferences at 11:00 a.m. Trump stopped showing up to the briefings in April after he was criticized for suggesting that Lysol, bleach and other household disinfectants be injected to treat coronavirus patients Part of the task force and the nation's top immunologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, could sometimes be seen reacting to the president's comments with a smirk or face-palm 'I think it's a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with vaccines, with the therapeutics and generally speaking where we are,' Trump said. 'And so I think we'll start that probably starting tomorrow.' 'I'll do it at 5:00 like we were doing we had a good slot,' he said of the primetime briefings. 'And a lot of people were watching, and that's a good thing.' Trump again called the disease the 'China Virus,' which has been denounced as racist by many. The president claims, however, it is just a name he uses to distinguish where the virus originated as he continues to slam China for exacerbating the severity by not warning the rest of the world when the initial breakout happened there. 'I'll be discussing the as I call it, the China Virus, the China plague,' Trump said of the briefings. 'I'll be discussing it, and I'll also be discussing, perhaps, some other things.' The president also previewed during his remarks Monday that some of those briefings might include guests from companies working on vaccines and therapeutics for coronavirus. 'I think I'm going to bring some of the great companies that are working and very successfully in the past have worked on these things,' Trump said. 'And they're going to tell you, very specifically what they're doing and how they're doing. We think we're doing very well in that regards. An eviction at the Moss Park encampment originally scheduled for Tuesday has been indefinitely postponed barring any safety issues that may arise, a city of Toronto spokesperson said Monday. Kris Scheuer said the citys outreach team has transitioned 188 people from living at Moss Park to inside spaces, and that they will continue to do so in lieu of a mass eviction. Since April 29, Scheuer said the city has moved at least 617 people to shelters, hotels and other interim housing. Its goal is for Moss Park to be the 43rd cleared encampment since the beginning of the pandemic. The decision to postpone the eviction came on the same day more than a dozen people who experience homelessness and two activist organizations said they are planning to sue the city in an attempt to end evictions in public parks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement released Monday, a day before the city said it would evict the residents of the Moss Park encampment, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) said the lawsuit is meant to prevent the eviction of all encampments without the provision of adequate and acceptable accommodation. The city cannot use bulldozer diplomacy to force encampment residents into dangerous congregate living situations where we have already seen hundreds of COVID cases, or send them to hotel-shelters far from their communities and supports, said Brendan Jowett, a lawyer with Neighbourhood Legal Services, who is serving as co-counsel to the encampment residents. They need to provide safe, stable, permanent housing to residents. Scheuer said encampments are not allowed in city parks, even though evictions had not been happening at the beginning of the pandemic because the city was focused on retrofitting the shelter system for safety and social distancing. Scheuer also said that the city is continuing to find housing for people who are homeless. Advocates, such as OCAP and Toronto Overdose Prevention Society say that the housing the city has provided isnt enough, claiming that the housing is too far away from where residents support systems are, dont allow visitors and have early curfews. According to OCAP, there have been more than 600 cases of COVID-19 in the citys shelter systems, and four COVID-19-related deaths. Young teenagers are using social media apps to order alcohol deliveries to parks and parties from unscrupulous adults who are profiting from putting them in danger, a Dublin councillor has warned. Councillor Pamela Kearns raised the issue after a 13-year-old girl was hospitalised following a drinking party with friends in Tymon Park in south Dublin in recent weeks. "It's something we all need to be aware of. There are adults putting kids' lives in danger and making a profit from it," she said. "Parents should not assume that their children can't get alcohol because they are too young to be served. "There are people with no morals who will supply them with drink if the price is right." A spokesman for Alcohol Action Ireland said there was little doubt that easily accessible online drink services were being exploited by children. "While the Intoxicating Liquor Acts prohibits sale of alcohol to under-18s, and prosecutes those who knowingly do so, its principal objects are aimed at traditional on and off-trade sales," said Eunan McKinney. "Legal clarity is required on matters of the point of sale, legal hours of sale, and robust age verification." Cllr Kearns added: "In the recent incident in Tymon Park a passer-by became concerned when they saw a young teenage girl had passed out, and the gardai and park rangers were called. "Her parents were called and the girl was brought to hospital with her father, and the other teens that were with her told gardai that they had used social media to have a bottle of vodka delivered to the park for 35. "Kids are very social media aware, and young teens will be young teens, so I don't apportion blame to them. It's the adult who is delivering that alcohol I blame. "Do they have children themselves, I wonder? They could kill somebody just for a few euro. "Kids know nothing about quantities when it comes to drink. These people might as well be handing them heroin. They need to develop a moral conscience," she added. A Garda spokeswoman confirmed that gardai knew of the incident in Tymon Park, and were investigating it. The Irish Independent has found several sites on social media advertising the service of alcohol delivery, which are run through mobile phone numbers. Some operate using a common name but with different phone numbers depending on which part of Dublin city the service is being offered. There are sites offering after-hour and 24/7 deliveries to doorsteps. It is not clear who the teenagers in Tymon Park used to obtain alcohol, but Cllr Kearns fears there are adults offering their services locally and are operating under the radar on messaging sites. The Garda spokeswoman said that matters surrounding the sale of alcohol to minors or the purchase of alcohol on behalf of minors, and sale and supply of alcohol in general, were dealt with under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts. According to the last Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2018, the vast majority of 15-year-old children who had used alcohol in the previous 30 days (40pc) got that drink either from a parent (34pc), a friend (30pc), got someone else to buy it (21pc) or took it from their home (11pc). The choice of a northerner, Aisha Umaru, aka Kaisha as one of the BBNaija lockdown housemates has stirred reactions on social media. ... The choice of a northerner, Aisha Umaru, aka Kaisha as one of the BBNaija lockdown housemates has stirred reactions on social media. Kaisha, while entering the house, told Ebuka Obi-Uchendu that she is a goal getter, dramatic but very emotional. She also promised to bring drama back to back and would be herself 100%. Kaisha is an entrepreneur from Sokoto State. Some Nigerians are of the opinion that it is wrong for a true northerner who is devoted and modest to be among BBNaija housemates, while others commended the organisers for selecting Kaisha. Here are some comments gathered from Twitter; @Am_Salem No sensible man from Arewa would ever allow his daughter to join #BBNaija. I wonder which part of the NORTH this Aisha/Kaisha comes from exactly. If shes a Northerner, then definitely shes not Hausa/Fulani, because shyness and modesty are part of our culture too. BBNaija 2020: Reminisce, Nigerian musicians reveal favourite Lockdown housemate NEWS:BBNaija 2020: Reminisce, Nigerian musicians reveal favourite Lockdown housemate Whether Arewa Twitter support or drag Aisha/Kaisha off BBNaija , tribalism will kick her out of the race. Where she came from (North) is the problem. @WaseJamilu Nobody will support Kaisha from Northern part of Nigeria. @GaiusHappie Im happy to see a Northern lady, Im motivated. @Sallystorm12 Its like we having a good representative from the North. Just watching her @GaiusHappie Im happy to see a Northern lady, Im motivated. @FarhanFarouk She behaves like her dad is watching what shes doing in Tv. @Yerima_Mercy She really has a lot to face after leaving the house.Religious wahala. @meezyyyy Dont forget, the world has turned the other way round, many northerners dont practice the culture anymore, but I think any well respected culture wont condole this kind of act of BBN and nevertheless its a free but that doesnt mean you wont know right and wrong. BBNaija 2020: Meet 20 'Lockdown housemates NEWS:BBNaija 2020: Meet 20 'Lockdown housemates @pebble_denz I hope Arewa Twitter will let Kaisha survive this #BBNaija game in peace. @SageerA Im loving Kaisha, already reping us from the north side, Sokoto.(AREWA) @SaniMaryama Its a show for all Nigerians though, Arewa should also be represented; Sokoto, Kano, Katsina. And why not Kaisha. Go girl. @KopNaija Wow! A Sokoto girl in BBN house? WASHINGTON Top congressional Democrats on Monday demanded an intelligence briefing for all lawmakers on foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election suggesting the Trump administration has specific information about a "concerted" disinformation campaign in the works. "We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote in a letter FBI Director Christopher Wray. "Given the seriousness and specificity of these threats, as members of congressional leadership and the congressional intelligence committees we believe it is imperative that the FBI provide a classified defensive briefing to all members of Congress," the letter states. The missive asks the FBI to hold the briefing "at the earliest possible opportunity." It was also signed by three other Democrats: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, and Senate intelligence committee Vice-Chairman Mark Warner. A congressional official familiar with the matter declined to explain what prompted the urgent request for a briefing but said it is based on the Trump administrations own intelligence reporting and analysis. The official, who was not authorized to speak on the record about the matter, said it was vital that intelligence officials brief lawmakers before they leave for a month-long August break. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., wears a face mask as she arrives to speak at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, June 26, 2020. An FBI spokeswoman said the agency had received the letter but declined to comment further. Intelligence officials told lawmakers in February that Russia was already interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to get President Donald Trump re-elected, according to media reports at the time. In the 2016 election, the Kremlin hacked into Democratic Party emails and orchestrated a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to help elect then-candidate Trump, intelligence officials concluded in a January 2017 report. Story continues Trump has repeatedly discounted Russia's role in the 2016 election, and he has downplayed the potential for Moscow's potential interference in 2020. On Monday, Biden slammed the Trump administration for failing to take the threat of foreign interference seriously. If elected, Biden said he would impose "substantial and lasting costs" on any U.S. foe that tried to meddle in America's democratic process. "I will direct my administration to leverage all appropriate instruments of national power and make full use of my executive authority to impose substantial and lasting costs on state perpetrators. These costs could include financial-sector sanctions, asset freezes, cyber responses, and the exposure of corruption," the former vice president said. In a recent analysis, Clint Watts, an expert on Russian disinformation, noted that Facebook last year took down accounts associated with a Kremlin troll farm that was promoting Trump, denigrating his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, and boosting Bernie Sanders, one of Biden's primary opponents. And in March, Facebook closed another Russian troll farm operation that appeared to be trying to infiltrate American minority groups on Facebook and Instagram, "presumably hoping to divide the political left and influence voters headed into Election Day," said Watts, a fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute think tank. Experts say the U.S. is now far better prepared to weather potential election meddling by Russia or other foreign adversaries than in 2016. Still, intelligence and cybersecurity officials fear Russia and other foreign actors including China and Iran could launch cyberattacks on voter registration databases and engage in other activity designed to sow chaos, division and doubt surrounding the election. More: Who's going to derail the U.S. presidential election? The culprit may be close to home This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2020 election: Pelosi says Congress may be target of foreign meddling Digital solutions for larger-scale pig farming operations in key market China Smart sensors and computer algorithms to optimize livestock rearing Shanghai, China, and Ludwigshafen, Germany, July 20, 2020 BASF Venture Capital is investing in SmartAHC, a leading supplier of digitalization solutions for pig farming on the Chinese market. SmartAHC was founded in 2014 by graduates of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The Shanghai-based startup provides customized digital solutions to increase efficiency throughout the pork value chain. Other investors include specialty chemicals producer Evonik and Chinas Shenzhen Sinoagri E-Commerce. Through digitalization, husbandry operations can optimize labor productivity in the production process. For example, pigs can be easily counted, identified and observed at any point in time during the rearing and fattening process. SmartAHC uses sensors, camera systems and artificial intelligence to collect and analyze various data in order to predict emerging issues. Pig farmers can therefore continuously monitor the condition of their animals and take action promptly and efficiently, for example, by selectively administering medication, adjusting the feed or separating sick animals. Pig farming is an important market, especially in China. Global pork demand is around 1.4 billion animals per year, roughly half of which comes from China. In 2018, Chinese operations produced around 700 million animals. Pork is the most popular meat in China: Two-thirds of the meat consumed in the country comes from pigs. Since contact between humans and animals is considered a cause of the spread of disease in livestock, the Chinese pig farming industry has invested heavily in technologies that can reduce human intervention in the farming process. Furthermore, digitalized processes offer additional new opportunities for breeders and other players at an early stage of the value chain, e.g., reliable supply of pork to online butcher shops, higher product quality and food traceability. Especially in China, with its huge population concentrated in megacities, there is a trend towards ever-larger farms and meat suppliers. Larger scaled farms realize the value of adopting digital technology in order to stand out from the competition. Our artificial intelligence uses the data collected in the pigsty to optimize processes, from breeding to finishing and slaughtering, said Lan Song, SmartAHCs CEO. At the same time, consumers increasingly want to know where their meat comes from. Our systems can provide this transparency. We are happy that BASF is joining us on our journey towards smarter pig farming. With this investment, we want to increase our R&D capacities and further expand our market presence. SmartAHC is a young company, but already has a keen understanding of the Chinese market and a good reputation among their customers in China, said Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital. SmartAHCs technology can contribute substantially to animal health as well as to economic optimization along the pork value chain. SmartAHC is a good fit for our investment focus on AgTech and digitalization. Moreover, our investment complements BASFs strategy of promoting sustainability and healthy nutrition. Press contacts: BASF SmartAHC Inga Franke Rinka Huang Phone: +49 173 3099242 Phone: +86 15958735131 Inga.a.franke@basf.com rinka0414@smartahc.com President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed by phone today the Libyan conflict and the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia. White House spokesman Judd Deere said that Trump reiterated the commitment of the United States to facilitating a fair and equitable deal among Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and expressed well wishes to the Egyptian people in combating the coronavirus pandemic. Deere also noted that they affirmed the need for immediate de-escalation in Libya, including through a cease-fire and progress on economic and political negotiations. Why it matters: The Trump administration started mediating between Egypt and Ethiopia over the dam dispute last year at Sisis request. Egypt argues that the dam will inhibit its share of the downstream water supply from the Nile River. Neither country came to an agreement as tensions escalated during the latest round of talks, sponsored by the African Union earlier this month. Immediately after the talks, Ethiopia sent conflicting signals as to whether it has actually started to fill up the dam. Amid the dispute, Egypt has made diplomatic overtures to Ethiopias rival Eritrea. And Egypts regional rival Turkey has shown interest in growing closer to Ethiopia. Regional rivalries have also inflamed the Libyan civil war, which the United States seeks to de-escalate. Egypt backs Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter and has threatened to intervene on his behalf should the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord continue its advance on oil-rich Sirte. As the United States seeks to get Libyas warring factions and their foreign backers to the negotiating table, Trump has also discussed the Libya war with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron, who is closer to Hifter. Whats next: Congress is also weighing in on the dam. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., has introduced a bipartisan amendment to the annual defense authorization bill that calls on Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to immediately reach a just and equitable agreement regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The House will vote on the nonbinding Fortenberry amendment later this week. Know more: Get up to speed on the Egypt-Ethiopia dam dispute and the accompanying regional rivalries with Al-Monitors Week in Review. MIAMI, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassWallet has been awarded a five-year contract from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) to implement its innovative spending management platform for local teachers and their school districts. The ClassWallet financial technology platform enables USBE to provide teachers in all/select school districts with small discretionary budgets, on average $200 each, to purchase classroom supplies while maintaining accountability of expenditures and processing reimbursements with minimal paperwork and bureaucracy. The system will be up and running in time for the 2020-2021 school year. The contract award followed a rigorous RFP evaluation process and the completion of a ClassWallet pilot program during the 2019 2020 school year in which ClassWallet served several school districts and a charter district. Previously, the company had served about a third of Utah's schools by contracting with them on an individual basis. "We had the opportunity to evaluate the performance and efficiency of the ClassWallet platform based on a recently completed pilot program and formal evaluation period," said Utah State Board of Education's Deputy Superintendent of Operations Scott Jones. "We're confident that ClassWallet's platform will reduce the time and effort teachers and Local Education Agency personnel spend on the administration of finances so they can concentrate on classroom instruction." "For the first time, the state will be able to get a quick and efficient view of how teachers are using the legislative appropriation of funds for their classroom needs," said Jamie Rosenberg, CEO and co-founder, ClassWallet. "This simply creates consistency and empowerment for all teachers to be able to responsibly spend as needed without the inconvenience of needing to formally request funds, file paperwork and wait for reimbursement." ClassWallet in Utah School Districts: Benefits to Teachers and Administrators Once registered on the platform, Utah school district administrators can allocate classroom resource budgets to individual teacher ClassWallet accounts. Teachers are provided with access to the platform including an integrated e-commerce mall with reputable national, regional and local education resource providers such as Staples, Office Depot, Scholastic, School Specialty and Really Good Stuff, where they can order the materials they need. The site also contains numerous vendors that support e-learning, an important option given the fluid COVID-19 environment. There's no cash or credit card outlay required by teachers, and bookkeeping and reporting is handled automatically by the platform for oversight by the districts. During the current pandemic, schools may allow to have these materials delivered directly to teachers' homes. A key factor for ClassWallet winning the contract was its automated reimbursement capability for products purchased through "off-platform vendors," or those that are not current e-commerce partners with ClassWallet. It enables teachers to submit receipts for review, and when approved, ClassWallet automates an ACH direct deposit allowing teachers to be reimbursed in days rather than weeks. This feature alone was determined to enable USBE to reduce costs by nearly $750,000 versus the expense of processing these transactions a sum total greater than the entire cost of the five-year contract. In addition to Utah, the platform is currently in use in more than 135,000 classrooms spread across 3,200 schools in 20 states. For more information about ClassWallet, contact [email protected]; 877-969-5536. About ClassWallet Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Miami, ClassWallet (www.classwallet.com) is a financial technology company providing a spending management solution for teachers, employees and parents who make day-to-day purchases but typically are not provided with purchase cards. The company's two products for teachers and parents focus on ease and flexibility for the end-user, and unparalleled control and fraud mitigation for administrators. SOURCE ClassWallet Cops at Rajasthan MLAs' resort in Haryana, return after 20-minute wait India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, July 20: A team of the Rajasthan police has again reached Manesar in Haryana late Sunday evening hunting for the legislators of the Pilot camp. However, the Special Operation Group (SOG) left the place after 20 minutes as the gates of the Best Western Resort did not open. This was the second time in two days that the Rajasthan Police made a beeline for a resort where the Sachin Pilot camp is staying. On Friday evening, they had to return empty-handed from the ITC Bharat Grand. Later, they claimed the Haryana Police did not cooperate with them. News agency PTI stated that its sources in the Congress also did not rule out the possibility that an assembly session could be convened, even as party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala saying it is the prerogative of the state cabinet and the chief minister, and "they will decide appropriately". The Congress is mulling convening a session of the state assembly to checkmate rebel party MLAs, who are led by Sachin Pilot, in voting in favour of the government in the House or face disqualification, sources claimed. Raj HC tells Speaker not to act against Pilot, rebels until Tuesday "To seek a floor test or otherwise is the sole discretion of the cabinet of Rajasthan and the chief minister. It is the domain of the chief minister and the ministers in the cabinet and the legislature party, and they will decide appropriately," Surejwala told reporters when asked whether the Congress was mulling calling a session of the state assembly. On the BJP's claims that the Congress does not have a majority in the state assembly, Surjewala asked what has changed in the last 48 hours that BJP state president Satish Poonia is so scared that he is not seeking a trust vote. Coronavirus: WHO reports single-day record global spike in Covid-19 cases | Oneindia News "They are conceding that we have an absolute majority, which we have," he said, adding that the Congress has the support of 109 MLAs in the 200-member assembly. "Congress has the strength and majority, and BJP leaders in Rajasthan are accepting it. They are now saying, BJP is not demanding President's rule and the Congress government should not convene the assembly session," Surejwala said. As far as the Congress rebel MLAs are concerned, he said they are part of the Congress and a family matter can be resolved by a family, and not through the media. Pilot was stripped of his position as deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief after he rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government in the state. "Sachin Pilot and his loyalists should leave BJP's hospitality and return to the family and discuss the issues, if any, within the family," he said in message to Pilot. BEVERLY HILLS, CA and LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2020 / NMS Consulting, Inc. ("NMSC"), a global management consulting firm is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Paris, France continuing the expansion of its global operations within Europe. The office establishes the firm's presence in the French marketplace and extends its reach across Europe. The office will be led by NMS Consulting's Senior Partner and Head of Europe, Harry Moore. Trevor M. Saliba, Managing Partner of NMSC commented, "Since opening our Berlin and Frankfurt offices, we have received great interest from SMEs and conglomerates who need support in identifying how to position themselves for the new normal'. In today's dynamic marketplace, our goal is to guide organizations with strategic decisions to implement a successful transformation, turnaround, restructuring, or other significant changes organizations need." As COVID-19 continues to impact businesses and economies globally, companies are realizing that new business models, agendas, and goals are needed to build a strong foundation for the future. Swift decision making and implementation, while also avoiding pitfalls and risky investments, is critical to success. To help in this endeavor, NMSC's global team of more than 100 experienced management consultants provides companies with extensive knowledge and strategies, that lead to successful executions with both short-term benefits and long-term strategic results. The NMSC Paris office is the firm's 12th global location and 4th in Europe. About NMS Consulting NMS Consulting is a global management consulting and strategic advisory firm focused on delivering client solutions across its business units: management consulting, corporate advisory, strategic communications and tax advisory. The firm provides management consulting and strategic counsel to private and public companies, governments, philanthropic organizations and the individuals who lead them. Story continues For more information, please visit www.nmsconsulting.com. Media Contact: NMS Consulting, Inc. Europe Sophia Binder +44 20 3895 3540 sbinder@nmsconsulting.com United States Lili Swanson +1 310-855-0020 news@nmsconsulting.com SOURCE: NMS Consulting, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/598133/NMS-Consulting-Enters-French-Market-with-Opening-of-Paris-Office Shri. Nitin Gadkari, Honble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India unveiled the Amazon India Exports Digest 2020, strongly reinforcing that boosting exports is the key to the quick revival of the MSME sector. At the launch, Amazon announced that cumulative exports through Indian sellers on the Amazon Global Selling program have crossed the $2 billion milestone. In January 2020, Amazon had pledged to enable $10 billion in cumulative exports by 2025 helping Indian businesses grow by selling online worldwide. Amazon Global Selling today enables more than 60,000 Indian exporters to sell millions of Made in India products to customers worldwide through its 15 international websites in countries such as USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil, Japan, Australia and Singapore. In 2019, more than 800 Indian MSMEs on the program surpassed $131, 375 (INR 1 crore) in e-commerce exports sales. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Nitin Gadkari said, I would like to congratulate all the MSMEs who have been working with Amazon to take their locally manufactured products, global. It is a testament of the skill and entrepreneurial spirit of Indian MSMEs. The MSME sector is a major job creator and the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing over 28% to Indias GDP and about 48% to the countrys exports. They will continue to play a critical role in the countrys economic revival and help overcome the current pandemic. Exports is a key priority for the Government and we are focused on supporting the Indian MSMEs be more successful in the international markets and increasing the MSMEs share of exports to 60%. Amit Agarwal, Senior VP and Country Head Amazon India, said, We are excited with the rapid growth being witnessed by Indian MSMEs and brands on Amazon Global Selling. It took the program three years to hit cumulative exports of $1 billion and it has grown 100% to hit the next $1 billion in less than 18 months, to cross the $2 billion milestone in cumulative exports from India. The program is rapidly boosting exports from India and helping build global Indian brands. We are excited to build a strong foundation for MSMEs to realize their export potential and contribute to the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We will continue to make exports easy for Indian entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes and fulfil our pledge of enabling $10 billion in e-commerce exports by 2025. Highlights of Exports Digest 2020 The just published third edition of Amazons annual Exports Digest provides insights into the success and scale of exports from India through the Amazon Global Selling program, reflecting a significant increase in demand for Indian products across global markets and the growth of Indian exporters selling globally. Indian MSMEs are increasingly seeing e-commerce exports as an opportunity to grow their business. The number of exporters on the Amazon has grown to over 60,000, with sellers joining from metros as well as tier 2 and tier 3 cities. In 2019, several Indian entrepreneurs and businesses including Wow Skincare (Hair and Beauty), California Design Den (Bed Linens), Chandrakala Creations (Indian Fashion), Aheli (Jewelry), SVA Organics (Herbal products) emerged as globally successful brands, underlining the popularity of Made in India products in international markets. Rishabh Chokhani, Founder & CEO of Naturevibe Botanicals said, For us, it was a strategic decision to sell directly to customers across the world and Amazon Global Selling provided us the right channel to start quickly. In 2017, we started exporting with Amazon to the US and Canada and after seeing the customer response, quickly expanded to the UK. In the last 3 years we have seen consistent demand for our range of organic products across international markets and it reflects in our growth from a 3 member set up back in 2017 to nearly 150 member strong team now. Last year, the business grew at 56% YOY and with people opting for natural, healthier options we are seeing even greater demand in the recent months. Exports Helping Indian MSMEs in the crisis In the beginning of 2020, as the world faced an unprecedented situation that necessitated people to stay at and work from home, thousands of Indian MSMEs helped serve customers globally through e-commerce exports. Made in India products across categories like Health and Hygiene, Nutritional Supplements and Home essentials saw heightened demand from customers in markets like the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Australia amongst others. As people worldwide stayed at home over the last couple of months, it has been heartening to see thousands of Indian MSMEs who are part of the Global Selling program successfully fulfill customer needs around the world. In these challenging times, e-commerce exports has provided a robust model for these Indian exporters helping them sustain their business and support the people and families who depend on their business. Amazon Global Selling will continue to provide an easy and quick-to-scale channel for exports for Indian MSMEs, added Amit Agarwal. More about Amazon Global Selling Amazon Global Selling program provides transformative opportunities for Indian MSMEs including manufacturers, retailers, brands & traders to grow and scale through e-commerce exports. The program was launched in India in 2015 with a few hundred sellers and today more than 60,000 exporters are benefiting by selling worldwide on 15 Amazon websites globally. In 2019, Amazon Global Selling program was accelerated through key partnerships with various trade bodies such as Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) and with export promotion councils from Ludhiana, Kolkata, Mumbai, Agra and other towns and cities to empower Indian MSMEs. TikTok has suspended plans of building headquarters in London for now as Britain and China deal with the former recently banning Huaweis 5G plans. TikTok was mulling plans of building its headquarters in the UK for its non-China business but has now pulled back as UK and China deal with a tit-for-tat trade war of sorts. This decision to not build an HQ in London threatens the creation of at least 3,000 jobs. Beijing-based ByteDance, TikToks parent company, had spent months negotiating with the Department of International Trade and government officials to expand operations in the UK, according to a Guardian report. The talks now stand suspended after ByteDance executives brought up the wider geopolitical context with UK recently banning Huawei from setting up Britains 5G network. Reports state that TikTok was hopeful about gaining concessions for building an HQ in London but will now be looking at cities like Dublin etc where many of its staff are already located. The decision to pull back on a London HQ plan heightens the possibility of China using commercial relationships to get back at UK following the diplomatic dispute over the recent clampdown on security in Hong Kong as well as the oppression of the Uighurs in China. Critics are of the opinion that TikTok, which has almost one billion users worldwide, is a spying tool for Beijing and should be banned. ByteDance has denied all data-sharing allegations and has also pointed out that it has an American chief executive and several US board members. India banned TikTok last month and currently, the Trump administration is considering plans of doing the same. Trump has threatened to ban the app to punish China for the coronavirus pandemic. However, UK officials are hopeful that talks with ByteDance will resume once it has been made clear in diplomatic channels that Britain banning Huawei was the result of the pressure from the US. According to reports, Huawei has been told via high-level, behind-the-scenes contacts that UKs decision to ban the company might be revisited in the future, perhaps if Trump fails to secure a second term in office and Washingtons anti-China stance is eased. The Russian government has approved talks between Russia and India on the terms of sending military to each other, according to an order published Monday. The order signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to conduct negotiations with the Indian side with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to a draft deal attached to the order, Russia and India can send military to each other for joint exercises and training, humanitarian aid, and elimination of consequences of natural and man-made disasters. It stipulates that no more than five warships, 10 aircraft and 3,000 troops of one country can be deployed on the territory of the other unless special conditions have been agreed on in advance. The military of one country on the territory of the other should respect the sovereignty and traditions of the host and should not interfere in its internal affairs or participate in political activities, the draft said. Search Keywords: Short link: At Baselworld 2019, Patek Philippe presented an amazing little complication housed in a steel Calatrava case. An unusual choice that has not been seen for many years in a movement featuring this level of complexity within the collection. While this strategy offers an interesting alternative to the important position occupied by the Aquanaut and Nautilus collections and their waiting lists, Reference 5212A-001 pays the way for a range of watches that could prove to be as relevant as they are legitimate. Reference 5212A-001 GMT Publishing/Joy Corthesy EXTERIOR Apart from the choice of stainless steel in this collection, there are no real surprises in terms of this watchs external components. The collections emblematic design remains faithful to the most understated existing interpretations. The moderate sizing of the case is certainly one of the major assets of the 5212. Its 40mm diameter places it firmly in step with a current trend that meets the expectations of an international clientele. The dial is seamlessly integrated with the case, endowing it with an extremely pleasing retro-style personality. Its silvery opaline finish is a success and the hour-markers as well as the blackened dauphine hands create a discreetly elegant contrast. The size, design and materials clearly evoke the 1930s and the golden age of the Geneva-based brand, a feeling reinforced by the bold and judicious choice of a calf leather strap. Reference 5212A-001 GMT Publishing/Joy Corthesy MOVEMENT The 26-330 caliber powering this 5212 is announced as a new movement. It is in fact a very beautiful evolution of the 324 caliber. The improvements relate to a device ensuring an antivibration device for the seconds hand. Produced using LIGA micro-fabrication, the friction spring is replaced with an antibacklash third wheel featuring delicately split sprung teeth to prevent chatter (vibration) in the seconds hand. A solution that has already proven itself in various mechanisms used by many brands. Other notable features include the appearance of a balance-stop mechanism and an optimized automatic winding system. Despite the heralded reduction in friction, the power reserve remains between 35 and 45 hours. It is the choice of functions that makes this watch so interesting, with a triple calendar and a weekly calendar. The date is thus displayed in a window logically positioned at 3 oclock. A short hammer-shaped hand points to the day of the week, while on the periphery the number of the week and the month are indicated by a single hand of the same design. There is no annual or perpetual calendar in this case, but a choice of extremely useful functions that are also legible and easy to use. The mechanism is regulated by the now traditional Gyromax balance coupled with the Spiromax balance spring oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Calibre 26-330 Patek Philippe TESTS While we found no significant changes in terms of chronometry or autonomy with respect to the 324 caliber, this movement features appreciable improvements. The automatic winding system is even more efficient and the seconds hand moves in a clear-cut, regular manner. Function adjustment is intelligently distributed between the crown, which serves to set the time and date disks, and two correctors positioned at 8 and 10 oclock respectively correcting the day of the week and the weekday and month hand, making handling both practical and intuitive. Wearer comfort is exemplary in terms of the size as well as the ergonomic design of the watch. Reference 5212A-001 Patek Philippe Although the 5212A-001 does not represent a revolution in terms of technicality or functions, that is in fact the whole point of this useful, reliable and functional watch. Patek Philippe dares here to make a pivotal choice that no doubt many collectors have been waiting for from the major manufacturers. With this new reference, the Geneva-based watchmaker is proving that it is possible to make an Haute Horlogerie watch that is simple in terms of its functions and design. A concept that might seem obvious, yet which the Swiss watch industry as a whole may have forgotten when embarking on a frantic race for technological innovation that implied constantly upping the ante in terms of complications and new materials. Many collectors have grown weary of that approach and this 5212A is one of the noblest answers they have ever received. CAIRO (AP) Egypts parliament on Monday authorized the deployment of troops outside the country, a move that could escalate the spiraling war in Libya after the president threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in the oil-rich country. A troop deployment in Libya could bring Egypt and Turkey, close U.S. allies that support rival sides in the conflict, into direct confrontation. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called the strategic coastal city of Sirte a red line and warned that any attack on the city, which sits near Libyas main oil-export terminals and fields, would prompt Egypt to intervene to protect its western border. Turkish-backed forces allied with the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli, the capital, are mobilizing on the edges of Sirte and have vowed to retake the Mediterranean city, along with the inland Jufra airbase, from rival forces commanded by Khalifa Hifter and based in the east. After a closed-door session in Cairo, Egypts House of Representatives, which is packed with supporters of el-Sissi, approved plans to send troops to defend Egyptian national security in the strategic western direction against the actions of armed criminal militias and foreign terrorists." The size and nature of the military deployment was unclear. Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. Drawn by Hifters anti-Islamist stance, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other foreign powers have provided his forces with critical military assistance against western militias. Russia has also emerged as a key supporter of Hifter, sending hundreds of mercenaries through Wagner Group, a private military company. Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt in a broader regional struggle over political Islam, is the main patron of the Tripoli forces, which are also backed by the wealthy Gulf state Qatar. Egypt will spare no efforts to support the sister Libya ... to overcome the current critical crisis, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement after a meeting of the National Defense Council on Sunday that was chaired by el-Sissi. Story continues Egypt has been under pressure to act since the collapse this spring of Hifters 14-month campaign to oust the U.N.-supported government from the capital. Tripoli forces drove Hifter's self-styled army from the capital's suburbs, several western towns and a key airbase. The string of victories provoked intense fears in Egypt, which sees a Turkish presence on its porous western border as a threat. Relations between the countries have steadily deteriorated since 2013, when el-Sissi led the military overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, an elected Islamist leader who enjoyed Turkey's support. Egypts state-run Al-Ahram daily reported on Sunday that the vote in parliament was intended to mandate el-Sissi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbor against Turkish aggression. Libyas east-based parliament, the sole elected body in the country, urged Egypt to send troops. Last week, el-Sissi hosted dozens of tribal leaders loyal to Hifter in Cairo, where he repeated that Egypt will not stand idle in the face of moves that pose a direct threat to security. But el-Sissi has also pushed hard in recent weeks for a cease-fire and political settlement. The Egyptian military, which has for years steered clear of overseas adventures and focused on fighting Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula, may be wary of deep involvement in Libya's chaotic conflict. The distinct possibility" of direct conflict between Egypt and Turkey, a NATO member, presents a brand new headache for Washington, said Jalel Harchaoui, a research fellow specializing in Libyan affairs at the Clingendael Institute, an independent think tank in the Netherlands. The U.S. has sent mixed signals to the rival sides over the course of the war. Although increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, Washington doesnt want to articulate a real, coherent Libya policy, Harchaoui said, leaving a void that has allowed Russia and Turkey to become major players. In a call on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the parliament vote, el-Sissi said Egypts aim is to prevent further deterioration of security in Libya, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesman. It said the two leaders agreed on maintaining a cease-fire and avoiding a military escalation in Libya. Stephanie Williams, acting head of the U.N. support mission in Libya, on Monday also pushed the warring sides and their foreign backers to pull back from the brink, to spare the 125,000 civilians who remain in harms way." Some Victorians with heart attack symptoms waited more than 12 hours before seeking potentially life saving hospital treatment during the first COVID-19 lockdown in a dangerous trend doctors fear could cost lives during the current surge in infections. New research from the University of Melbourne and Austin Health, published in the European Heart Journal, found Victorian patients with severe chest pain were waiting four times longer on average to seek medical treatment amid fears of overburdening the health system or catching the virus in hospital. Austin Hospital cardiologists Anoop Koshy, Liam Toner and Matias Yudi (far left), who says 'every minute counts with a heart attack so a 12 hour delay is quite a scary prospect.' Credit:Chris Hopkins As part of the study, researchers examined the behaviour of more than 120 patients who had suffered heart attacks before presenting at the Austin Hospital over a four-week period when the state's first lockdown came into effect in March. They then compared this data to the same period over the past seven years, finding patients with heart attacks were staying at home six or more hours longer before presenting to hospital. Locate Bio, a Nottingham, UK-based biotech company which is developing new treatments for patients with serious spinal conditions, closed 2.25m funding round. The round, which brings the total raised by the company to over 8m, was led by Mercia Asset Management. The company intends to use the funds to continue its research and bring its first products to market. Locate Bio is advancing products that improve the lives of people with debilitating spinal conditions. Its first product, which is at the pre-clinical development stage, will help patients who require spinal fusion surgery, where bones are permanently joined together to overcome low back pain. It uses a type of bone protein to remove the need for a bone graft. Its second therapy will be for the biological renewal of the intervertebral discs and will help those suffering from degenerative disc disease, a painful condition affecting 33 million people in the US and EU. Locate Bio is a spin-out from the University of Nottingham and based on the research of Professor Kevin Shakesheff, a world-leading expert in regenerative medicine. The company, which initially started out as a contract research organisation, first received investment from Mercia in 2018. FinSMEs 20/07/2020 President Moon Jae-in, center, poses with employees at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family during a visit to the ministry on Dec. 20, 2018. He is joined by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), second from left in the front row. She was serving as gender equality minister at the time. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae By Do Je-hae Questions are rising over why President Moon Jae-in is not making any mention of a series of sexual harassment scandals involving high profile politicians of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). His silence on the issue is considered unusual, given that he had pledged to be a "feminist President," and has underscored the need for supporting and empowering women, and put a special emphasis on raising the proportion of female leaders in his Cabinet and the presidential office. There was an expectation that Moon, during Monday's meeting with senior aides, would mention the death of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and the allegations that he sexually abused his secretary a case that has made headlines in the local media since Park was found dead in an apparent suicide, July 10. But Moon failed to mention anything related to the Park scandal. The President has also distanced himself from the sexual violence scandals of other DPK heavyweights, such as former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don. Both politicians stepped down from office due to #MeToo allegations from women who worked closely with them. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and DPK Chairman Lee Hae-chan have apologized publicly regarding Park's case, but the opposition is demanding Moon speak out about it. During a national address at the National Assembly, July 16, Moon was criticized for not mentioning anything about the rising concerns over sexual abuse in his party. (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 20 - The latest proposal from European Council President Charles Michel is spurring hope of a deal on a huge post-COVID recovery stimulus package after an EU summit went into its fourth day amid a continuing rift between 'frugal' northern European countries and the potential biggest beneficiaries in southern Europe. "There was a breakthrough last night and I'm cautiously optimistic," Premier Giuseppe Conte said ahead of the fresh negotiations. He said Italy was in favour of funds being used for green purposes, vowed to "fight to the end for large resources" and stressed "we cannot joke around or hesitate. "Let's stop navel gazing, we need an effective plan or it won't be needed at all". Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said "Conte is aiming firmly for the best result". German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who as EU duty chair is mediating between the sides, said "there i a the framework for a possible accord". The original plan for was a 750 billion package divided into 500 euros of grants and 250 of loans But the 'frugals' - Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, joined by Finland - insisted on the amount of grants being cut and on attaching conditions such as labour and pension reforms to the hand-outs. Dutch Premier Mark Rutte has been leading the frugals and has had "extremely tense" exchanges with Conte, among others, according to the Italian PM. The latest proposal from Michel is to cut the grants from 500 to 390 billion euros, an idea that has prompted a cautious opening from the Netherlands and Austria. There is now a deal on the table for a 700 billion total fund comprising 390 billion in grants and 310 billion in loans, Portuguese Premier Antonio Costa said before talks resumed. EU diplomatic sources said the frugals might be ready to accept Michel's plan if other issues, including EU budget rebates, were resolved to their satisfaction. Rutte has also described as "excellent" Michel's proposal of a three-day "super emergency brake" which would effectively give any EU member a veto on national spending plans. But Conte said Monday afternoon that "any single country cannot have control, I'm not giving up on that". Austrian President Sebastian Kurz said the proposed reduction of the grants was an "excellent result". Another issue holding back agreement is the insistence of many countries led by the frugals to tie funding to Hungary and Poland to their respect for the rule of law, on which they have made controversial changes running counter to EU legal standards in recent years. Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban has accused Rutte of pursuing a vendetta against him on this issue. The summit, the longest since a five-day meet in Nice 20 years ago on admitting new members to the EU, was initially adjourned until 16:00 Monday (14:00 GMT). It was then put off further, until 17:00 local (15:00 GMT). And then it was put off for the third time, until 18:00 local (16:00 GMT). Conte was still hoping to preserve as much of the original format of 500 billion euros of grants and 250 of loans that he can. He has been backed by Germany and France, the two biggest EU members, as well as Spain, which would be the second biggest recipient of the fund after Italy. French President Emmanule Macron reportedly banged his fist on the table in a tense exchange with Rutte. But Merke is also more inclined for some degree of compromise, in her role as mediator. Italy stands to get almost 182 billion euros, the highest single amount, from the originally proposed plan, as it is the worst-hit EU member with 35,000 deaths. The summit must also rule, unanimously, on the EU's seven year 1-trillion euro budget, which is part of the post-virus recovery efforts and earmarks vast sums for boosting the green and digital economies. The EU leaders have now been haggling for some 48 hours since the summit began Friday - even more for Conte and Macron, who arrived a day early, Thursday, for a pre-summit tete-a-tete. (ANSA). Researchers at EPFL are able to get paralyzed rodents walking again by stimulating the animals' damaged spinal cords. This promising treatment has already helped paraplegics regain mobility during clinical trials at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). Now, using artificial intelligence, the researchers can pinpoint which neurons are involved in the gait reacquisition process. The results, which have been published in Nature Biotechnology, could lead to the development of new approaches, making treatments even more effective, as well as paving the way for advances in other areas of biomedical research. Rodent spinal cords - like those of human beings - contain some 50 different types of nerve cells, or neurons. Not all of these cells, however, respond in the same way to the gait recovery treatment developed at EPFL, which is based on a combination of exercises and electrical and chemical spinal cord stimulation. By precisely identifying the types of neurons involved, however, researchers can better understand what happens at a cellular level when these stimuli result in immediate gait recovery. They can then specifically target those neurons that are activated by stimulation, thereby boosting the treatment's effectiveness. As part of these efforts, Gregoire Courtine's laboratory has developed a machine learning method that can be applied to any kind of single-cell technology, and identify which cells are most important for the task at hand. The application of this method to single-cell biology is particularly exciting as techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing provide precise cell-by-cell measurements of all the genes a cell could express, allowing researchers to pinpoint the key cellular mechanisms. The scientists compared their results using two groups of mice: ones that had relearned how to walk after a spinal cord injury and those that remained paralyzed in their lower limbs due to a lack of treatment. However, when such a treatment could change the expression of thousands of genes, identifying within these massive datasets the specific neurons that aid in the mice's recovery is a challenging problem. To tackle this, Courtine's team developed a machine-learning method. Dubbed Augur, it is capable of learning to pinpoint the cell types that best account for differences between two conditions by automatically considering the expression levels of thousands of genes. Augur provides a priority score, predicting which cells display the greatest differences between paralyzed mice and those that have regained mobility. When Augur prioritizes a certain type of neuron, it means that that neuron is critical to gait recovery induced by electrochemical stimulation. Conversely, neurons that are not prioritized by Augur behave in a similar manner in mobile and non-mobile mice and therefore probably do not play a major role in the response to treatment. "It is a robust statistical method that can be applied to any perturbation," say the paper's two first authors Michael Skinnider and Jordan Squair. "The more accurately Augur can assign a particular type of neuron to the two groups of mice, the more relevant those particular nerve cells are. They are therefore more likely to be involved in gait recovery." Using this method, the researchers were able to identify a type of neuron that plays an important role in gait recovery in mice. They can now observe the mechanisms at work in greater detail, and also target them with pharmacological treatment to increase the overall effectiveness. This method will be of interest to many biomedical studies, according to Courtine: "Whether you are working on cancer, Crohn's disease, COVID, or multiple sclerosis, the central question remains the same, what type of cell is at the source of the problem? Our method speeds up the investigative process, and for this reason we have made Augur freely available." ### Come September 2020, the Ghana Universal QR Code system that will enable payments for goods and services by simply scanning QR codes displayed in selected shops, merchants and commercial vehicles nationwide, will roll out. It follows the finalisation of processes for selected merchants and shops to deploy the Ghana Universal QR Code system for customers to send money from their bank and/or mobile money accounts to pay for goods and services procured. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), Mr Archie Hesse, told the specialised programme on banking and related sectors, Banking & More, that live transactions on the QR code system launched in March this year had started on pilot bases, ahead of a full deployment in two months. "A significant number of the banks and the financial institutions have actually customised it; they have tested with us and the system is working for them," he said in the second edition of the pre-recorded interview uploaded onto the YouTube channel and Facebook page of the Daily Graphic and the Graphic Business. Delay He said although the raging novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had hampered the scheduled deployment of the system, interest in it remained high, with more than half of the banks linking their applications to the system. He said so far, 13 banks had linked their banking applications and USSDs to the system to make it possible for their customers to use make payments to merchants, shop owners and other service providers. "I personally spoke to some banks and they all had different strategies; some were going to go for all their corporate customers, some were concentrating on the pharmaceutical sector and some want to concentrate on the commercial vehicle owners, hairdressers and the likes. "So, it is my belief that a month or two months time, we will start seeing live transactions." Beyond being available to corporate customers and institutions engaged in big transactions, the CEO said the service would also be available to everyday persons, including commercial vehicle drivers. "It will be interesting to see that all the taxi and ride-hailing drivers go for a QR code linked to their accounts such that they can have it at the back of their seats such that just before they drop a passenger, that passenger will be able to scan and pay directly into either the driver's bank or mobile money account to avoid all the cash that we are doing now," he said. The genesis Giving the history behind the development of the QR code system, Mr. Hesse said the government realised the need to develop a universal QR code for the country after a few banks had started deploying individual systems that were limited to only their customers. He said when the idea was conceptualised, the mobile money interoperability and the Ghana Instant Pay systems came in handy as the two foundations that would allow merchants and other service providers to receive money from either bank accounts or mobile money wallets irrespective of the bank and the network. Non-smartphone users On the usage, he said although the QR code system was popular with smartphones, the company decided to develop a system that allowed non-smart phone users to also enjoy the service. This, he said led to the inclusion of a unique number that non-smartphone users could use to access the QR code services. "So, the QR code we have now, you can either use it with your mobile money, or you can link it to your bank account. "When it comes to the customer paying, whether he/she is paying from the bank account or from their mobile money wallet, it doesn't matter because in Ghana, we have mobile money interoperability as the foundation," he said. Consequently, he said merchants could receive money through their bank accounts or mobile money wallets irrespective of what a payer was using. Cost Asked how much it cost to develop the system, the GhIPSS CEO said the availability of the mobile money interoperability and the Ghana Interbank Pay made it easier for the country deploy it. As a result, he said the cost was comparatively lower, although he would not mention the exact figure. Banking & More Meanwhile, Mr Hesse, who has been the CEO of the GhIPSS since 2012, was the second guest on the Banking & More programme. The programme is a prerecorded discussion that is broadcast on the YouTube channel and the Facebook page of the Daily Graphic on every Monday at 9am. It is also available on www.graphic.com.gh and the Graphic NewsPlus, the digital version of the Graphic branded newspapers, including the Graphic Business. The programme is meant to bridge the gap between banks and related service providers and their stakeholders through discussions that seek to shape policies and inform how the sector reacts to changes and concerns. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Bankers, Mr John Awuah, was the first to appear on the programme. 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 Owner of the Dainik Afkara newspaper in Bhopal, Pyare Miyan, has been arrested following accusations of sexually assaulting minors and running a sex racket. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemn Miyans abuse of the media for personal gain, undermining the cause of freedom of expression. Local powerbroker and newspaper owner Pyare Miyan, was arrested in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on July 15. This arrest came hours after local police set up a special investigation team (SIT) into his alleged involvement in a sex racket over the past eight years. Further investigations revealed Miyan had purchased the Dainik Afkar newspaper with the ulterior motive to advance his political and economic capital by increasing his access to politicians, police and bureaucrats. Revelations from the investigation suggest Miyan listed much of his travel involving minors as business-related and that other powerful actors supported and facilitated Miyans illicit activities. IJU notes a similar case in 2018 involving Brajesh Thakur, a media worker with political connections to Bihars chief minister Nitish Kumar. Thakur was convicted with 11 others and sentenced to life imprisonment for running a sex racket in a girls shelter home in Bihar. IJU president Geetartha Pathak said: The IJU demand the strictest action be taken against him. His heinous crimes sullied the profession of journalism. Further, the Union demand the SIT investigate the matter thoroughly in the backdrop of rumours he had a quid pro quo relationship with those in power. The IFJ said: Miyan is accused of reprehensible crimes and the IFJ expresses profound disgust at Miyan for undermining the professional integrity of journalists and exploiting the medias relationships for criminal activities and personal gain. The IFJ demands authorities thoroughly investigate the connections between Miyan and other political actors. Could we create massive sulfuric acid clouds that limit global warming and help meet the 2015 Paris international climate goals, while reducing unintended impacts? Yes, in theory, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Earth System Dynamics. Spraying sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere at different locations, to form sulfuric acid clouds that block some solar radiation, could be adjusted every year to keep global warming at levels set in the Paris goals. Such technology is known as geoengineering or climate intervention. But the regional impacts of geoengineering, including on precipitation and the Antarctic ozone layer hole, depend on how much greenhouse gas emissions from humanity are being reduced simultaneously. If carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil and natural gas continue unabated, geoengineering would not prevent large decreases in precipitation and depletion of the life-sustaining ozone layer. If society launches massive efforts to reduce carbon emissions, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and adapt to climate change, small doses of geoengineering may help reduce the most dangerous aspects of global warming, the study says. "Our research shows that no single technology to combat climate change will fully address the growing crisis, and we need to stop burning fossil fuels and aggressively harness wind and solar energy to power society ASAP," said co-author Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "This mitigation is needed whether society ever decides to deploy geoengineering or not." Using a climate model, scientists studied whether it's possible to create sulfuric acid clouds in the stratosphere to reflect solar radiation and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) or 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial temperatures. Those two goals were set at the 2015 United Nations climate change conference in Paris to try to reduce the negative impacts of global warming. Robock noted that the study was done with only one climate model that addressed different global warming and geoengineering scenarios. Other studies are needed to check the robustness of the results and to further examine the potential risks of any geoengineering scheme. ### Lili Xia, a Rutgers research scientist, co-authored study. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Cornell University, University of Colorado, Boulder, Utrecht University, Delft University of Technology, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Indiana University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory contributed. Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has filed candidacy papers for upcoming legislative elections in the city. Mr Wong was one of the 16 candidates emerging from unofficial primaries held by the pro-democracy camp as it aims to win a majority of seats in the 70-seat legislature in the September elections. But critics fear that the sweeping security law may be used by Beijing to thwart pro-democracy candidates of the semi-autonomous territory's legislature. Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has filed candidacy papers for upcoming legislative elections in the city. Pictured, Mr Wong with the nomination papers on Monday as he files his candidacy in Hong Kong's Legislative Council elections in September Mr Wong was one of the top candidates emerging from unofficial primaries held by the pro-democracy camp as it aims to win a majority of seats in the 70-seat legislature in the September elections. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong speaks to the press as he announces his intention to run for the Legislative Council general election in Hong Kong Critics fear that the sweeping security law may be used by Beijing to thwart pro-democracy candidates of the semi-autonomous territory's legislature. This file picture taken on Sunday shows a riot police officer in Hong Kong detaining a man during a protest at a shopping mall The pro-democracy activist is seen on Monday posing with the nomination papers as he files for his candidacy in the Legislative Council elections in September. Mr Wong told reporters: 'We hope to let the world to know how we choose not to surrender, how we choose not to kowtow to China.' The sweeping law bans secessionist, subversive and terrorist acts, as well as banning colluding with foreign forces to intervene in the city's affairs. The leading pro-democracy activist is pictured on Monday posing with the nomination papers as he files for his candidacy in the Legislative Council elections in September in Hong Kong The picture taken on July 15 shows the activist Joshua Wong (left), along with 15 other winners of the democratic primaries, speaks to reporters during a press conference in Hong Kong The 23-year-old Mr Wong has been imprisoned twice for participating in 2014 pro-democracy protests. The file picture taken on July 11 shows Joshua Wong posing with other candidates while campaigning during a primary election held by democratic parties in Hong Kong The law also states that anyone convicted of endangering national security will be disqualified from running in city elections or holding public office. The 23-year-old Mr Wong has been imprisoned twice for participating in 2014 pro-democracy protests. He also regularly speaks out against Beijing's tightening control over the city and often meets with elected officials and politicians from the US and other countries. He said: 'With the threat of being extradited to China, with the uncertainty of being sent to a black jail in Beijing, with the possibility of facing a life sentence I still hope to run for office and receive people's mandate, and let the world know that we will continue our fight until our last breath.' Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong is pictured in Hong Kong on Monday as he files for his candidacy in the Legislative Council elections in September in defiance of the security law A woman points her finger at police officers during a protest in a shopping mall in Hong Kong In 2017, four pro-democracy legislators including Nathan Law were unseated from the legislature after a court found that they had not taken their oaths and pledged allegiance to Beijing appropriately. Two other pro-democracy representatives were disqualified in 2016 for invalidated oaths. Mr Law fled Hong Kong for the UK after the security law was enacted and has said he will continue advocating for democracy in Hong Kong while abroad. T he Leader of the Oppositions parents named their son Keir. They had lots of other names they could have chosen: Arthur, George, William, Hugh, Michael, Neil, John, Ed and Jeremy. All Labour leaders; not one an occupant of Downing Street. People of my age, who lived many of our formative years under the New Labour governments, dont realise what an aberration that was. Tony is the name of the only person born within the last hundred years who has won an election for Labour. That is the central political fact about Britains Left: it has largely failed at the ballot box. Yes, as they never cease to remind us, Labour created the NHS and, they forget to tell us, the nuclear bomb too; but for most of its history weve had Tory premiers with the finger on the button. Is that about to change? During the many years I spent in opposition with different Tory leaders I used to have what I privately called the Camp David test. Could you imagine the leader of the opposition getting off the helicopter at the presidential retreat to represent our country and, regardless of whether you voted for them, not be embarrassed? Its not a test applied to people who become the premier from within the governing party, like Theresa May and Gordon Brown. Theyre already on the real Marine One before the country takes a look at them. Opposition leaders face the test every day. Do they command the room? Do others defer to them? Do they have authority? In short, do they look like a prime minister? The answers for Sir Keir are yes; he passes my Camp David test. Its not about looks, although frankly that helps. Its about authority and character. David Cameron and Tony Blair are the only two other recent opposition leaders who have had similar positive poll ratings at this early stage, and thats good company to keep. Its an enormous, necessary step towards office for Labour. The mistake is to assume that it is sufficient. Two other conditions must be met so that if the Tories do enough to lose an election, Labour have done enough to win it. Sir Keir Starmer is 'doing his best to repair the most egregious damage' / PA The first is answering the question: can we trust you with our money? Changing the answer from no to yes was the central task I faced as shadow chancellor. Those on the Left who think this recession helps them, and that the Governments open wallet shows they are winning the ideological battle, are deluding themselves. They would do well to remember 1992, the first election I voted in held in the middle of a recession. We learned then that the public are risk-averse when money is tight and jobs are at risk. The Left should look instead at what Messrs Blair and Brown did in the aftermath of that defeat: the prawn cocktail offensive with business, the talk of prudence and golden rules around borrowing, the pledge not to increase income tax, the matching of Tory spending plans. It was ruthless, it addressed voters concerns about Labour, and Ive seen nothing from Starmers Opposition to match. The shadow Chancellor is invisible, and I predict will remain so. Their mess over a putative wealth tax exposed ill discipline. Their campaign for a nurses pay rise may be worthy, but utterly predictable. Whats the message for the 80 per cent in the private sector for whom talk of pay rises is out of touch? Wheres the passionate concern for small business? Wheres anything that might surprise us, and shift perceptions of economic incompetence? The Labour leaders first challenge is answering the question: can we trust you with our money? The second challenge for Starmer is cultural. Labour has always been an uneasy coalition of the Hampstead intelligentsia and the Hartlepool working class. That coalition, already fraying, has been shattered by Corbyn and the vote to leave the EU. Starmer is doing his best to repair the most egregious damage he sings the national anthem, he praises our armed forces, he confronts anti-Semitism. Hes trying to sidestep the fanatical, farcical rows that have turned the Left against every liberal hero from JK Rowling to William Gladstone. But the hard choices lie ahead. Whats the immigration policy going to be for someone who promised in their leadership campaign theyd reintroduce free movement? How does he address English fears hell be in hock to Scottish Nationalists? How does he carry the enthusiasm of urban millennials impatient for change while winning the support of those in former industrial towns who fear it? Keir Starmer is going to have to become that thing hes spent his whole life defining himself against: a bit of a conservative (small c). Thats what Tony Blair did. Starmers campaign video to become leader celebrated Labours defeats and distanced itself from their recent victories. Unless he now does the reverse, Keir will remain the name of Labour leaders who never make it to Downing Street. Imagine you need to add a quart of oil to your car. You pop the hood and grab your funnel. As you start to pour, you realize the funnel has several holes in itmore than just the one its supposed to haveand oil spills everywhere. Some gets inside your engine, but most of the oil is dripping down the engine block and onto your garage floor. As a credit union marketer, you likely spend quite a bit of time trying to drive more traffic to your website. You definitely need traffic, but alone its not enough. In order for your credit union to grow, your website needs to convert the traffic into new members, loans, and deposits. The people visiting your website are the oil, your website is the funnel, and your credit union is the engine. Your websites job is to get people into your credit union. But what if it has holes in it? Just as you dont want most of the oil to spill, you dont want to drive tons of traffic to your site and get only a few conversions. When someone visits your website, you want them to take a desired action, like apply for an auto loan. But not everyone submits an application. A few people bounce without ever making it past your homepage. Others learn more about your products, then leave. And some go on to apply and become lifelong members. Obviously, we want the latter, but how do we get more people to apply? Lets look at your website like a funnel. Your goal is to move people from the beginning (most often your homepage) to the end (at which point a new loan or account is funded). The success of a funnel is measured by its conversion rate. To calculate an overall conversion rate, you divide the number at the end of the funnel by total website sessions. Conversion Rate = Applications Funded / Sessions Funnel analytics also show us conversion rates along the funnel and where there are bottlenecks. Wherever there is a bottleneck, there is an opportunity for improvement. And when an improvement is made, the bottleneck widens, more applications are funded, and your revenue increases. The process of widening bottlenecks by increasing conversion rates is called Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). If your website isnt delivering the results you want, its time to invest some resources into CROfocus on generating more conversions from existing traffic before trying to get more and more traffic. There is a step-by-step process you can follow to start seeing wins and grow your credit union. The conversion rate optimization (CRO) process Step 1: Analyze conversion funnels The first step is to analyze your conversion funnels. A complete funnel starts with total website sessions and ends with the number of applications funded. But you may also want to create funnels for smaller subsections. And, you may want different funnels for all products, loans only, accounts only, individual products, etc, so you can see the performance of your website as a whole and also zero in on certain products. See the tools we use to set up funnel analytics. Step 2: Calculate current website revenue Ultimately, you want to increase your revenue and CRO is a means to do that. So, next, calculate the revenue your website is currently generating to get a baseline for improvement. If your credit union has over $100M in assets, your site should be generating millions of dollars. We built a handy Website Revenue Calculator to make it easy for you to quantify the revenue generated by your website. Step 3: Investigate bottlenecks Where is the smallest bottleneck in your funnel? Now its time to dig in and try to understand opportunities for improvement. There are many methods and tools that can help you with your research. As you research a bottleneck, youll form a hypothesis about how to widen it and get more people through the funnel. Step 4: Test your hypothesis Design an experiment, such an A/B test or usability study, to prove your hypothesis true or false. Implement the experiment on your website and measure the results. See the tools we use for A/B and usability testing. Step 5: Project impact and implement your findings After running a winning A/B test, you can project an increase in revenue by plugging a new conversion rate into the Website Revenue Calculator from Step 2. Now, implement your winning variation on the website. Repeat these steps, over and over. And as your conversion rates rise, drive more traffic to your website. The impact of CRO CRO produces real results. Take a look at a few success stories weve seen with our own clients. We implemented personalization on HFSFCUs website so returning visitors were shown content based on their previous browsing behavior (e.g., after visiting the auto loan page, the user is shown an auto loan promotion on their next visit). An A/B test with over 296,000 pageviews showed that personalization led to 213% more click-throughs. Voyage FCUs membership application was a bit long. So, we designed a multi-step form that splits the application into two shorter steps and starts with lead capture. Additionally, we repeated the call to action more frequently on the membership page. We ran an A/B test and the new form generated 175% more leads and 35% more applications. We helped People Driven CU create a simpler lead capture form. When we A/B tested it, it generated 4x more leads. Now its your turn. Dig into your website, follow this step-by-step process, and start generating more revenue. Trump should refrain from unilateral troop cut It is not the first time that the U.S. government under President Donald Trump has floated the idea of reducing U.S. troops in South Korea. But a recent report is heightening concern that Washington might put such an idea unilaterally into action. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Pentagon has offered the White House options to lower U.S. troop levels in its Asian ally. The newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the options were presented in March as part of a broader review of options for withdrawing forces from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world. The journal added that the Department of Defense had come up with broad ideas in December after the presidential office requested the review last fall. We do not know whether the report is true or not, because no U.S. officials have confirmed it. As the paper reported, no decision has yet been made to draw down the size of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The current number is estimated at 28,500. The U.S. options may not come as a surprise. The impulsive and unpredictable U.S. president has vowed or threatened in some cases to pull out forces from conflict-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan or cut troop levels. Basically, Trump wants to bring U.S. troops home under his "America first" policy, believing that maintaining a troop presence overseas is too costly for the U.S. In this context, Trump decided in June to reduce U.S. troops in Germany from 34,500 to 25,000 by September. As a reason for the reduction, he cited Germany's failure to increase its defense budget and pay more for the U.S. military presence there. No one can rule out the possibility of Trump taking a similar approach to South Korea. In fact, Trump has continued to put pressure on Seoul to take a greater financial share for the upkeep of the USFK. He has wrongly accused South Korea of having been a free rider in the defense alliance with the U.S. He should realize that Seoul has been sharing the cost with Washington since 1991. Last year alone, the South paid $870 million. However, Trump unabashedly asked for more than a fivefold increase to $5 billion, and more recently has demanded an increase of 50 percent to $1.3 billion. By any standards, his demands are excessive. Thus, the negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) have been bogged down since Trump turned down Seoul's proposal to raise its payment by 13 percent this year from 2019. It would be wrong if Trump plays the troop drawdown card to force Seoul to accommodate its unwarranted demands. Even many members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, are strongly against any U.S. troop cut in South Korea. A unilateral troop reduction could only undermine the bilateral alliance aimed at deterring North Korean threats. It would also be detrimental to the U.S.' own interests in its Indo-Pacific strategy. The decomposed body of a 20-year-old woman was found inside a plastic drum in a home in Palghars Boisar, around 117km from Mumbai, police said on Monday. The police have registered a case of murder against four people the victims husband and her three in-laws who are in Bihar. The police suspect Bulbul Jha was murdered as she refused to take back a complaint she had filed against her husband and that the murder is likely to have taken place in February 2019. According to the Boisar MIDC police, room number 26 in Ganesh Nagar chawl was locked since February 2019 after its tenants Pawan Jha,50; Bachudevi,45; their son Deepak, 25 and his wife Bulbul apparently left for their home in Bihar and told the landlord, Lokesh Jain, 34, not to give the room on rent to anyone else. They continued to pay a monthly rent of 4,000 online through Pawans daughter, Nitu Mukesh Thakur, 30, till February this year, after which Jain tried contacting them. After getting no response, he decided to break the lock on Sunday evening and throw out the familys belongings to make way for a new tenant, which is when he found the body inside a 200L drum kept in the loft above the houses toilet. After Jain informed us, we went to the spot, recovered the body and sent it for a DNA analysis to Kalina laboratory. We have registered a case of murder against four [Pawan, Bachudevi, Deepak and Nitu] and have sent a team to Bihar to catch them, said Pradip Kasbe, inspector, Boisar MIDC police. The police said they identified the body as Bulbuls after preliminary investigations on the basis of the ornaments and clothes found on the body and that only Pawan, Bachudevi and Deepak were seen leaving the room in February last year. According to Kasbe, the Jhas had been living there since 2015 before they left in February 2019. From March 2020, Jain had stopped receiving the rent and whenever Jain called Pawan or Nitu, there was no response, so he found another tenant and on July 19, he decided to break the lock and throw out the Jhass belongings, which is when the body was found, said Kasbe, adding that the neighbours said they did not get any foul smell from the room. In February 2019, Deepak set Bulbul on fire and she sustained burn injuries. He was arrested and later released on bail. Deepak wanted Bulbul to withdraw the complaint, which she refused to. It is possible that Deepak murdered Bulbul and fled, said Kasbe, adding that Pawan and Deepak would work at various industrial units in Boisar. C onservationists have hailed the return of red kites as the biggest species success story in Britain. The achievement was declared on the 30th anniversary of a scheme launched to aid their growth in July 1990, seeing 13 young birds from Spain released over the Chilterns. Populations had been persecuted throughout 200 years and by the 1980s the birds were one of three globally-endangered species in the UK. Now there are an estimated 1,800 breeding pairs across nearly every English county, with 10,000 birds. Red kites, a large bird of prey that largely feeds on carrion and worms, cuts a distinctive silhouette with wing tips that look like splayed fingers and a forked tail. Their rich history dates back to medieval London, where they were common city scavengers but declined in the 20th century. The red kite was on the brink of extinction in the 1980s / PA The reintroduction scheme, seen as radical at the time, was soon hailed a success, with 37 pairs having bred in southern England only six years later. Natural England chairman Tony Juniper said: Red kites are one of our most majestic birds of prey with a beautiful plumage, and are easily recognisable thanks to their soaring flight and mewing call. Persecuted to near-extinction, they have made a triumphant comeback in England over the past three decades. Thanks to this pioneering reintroduction programme in the Chilterns, increased legal protection and collaboration amongst partners, the red kite stands out as a true conservation success story. Jeff Knott, RSPB operations director for Central and Eastern England said: In the 1980s, anyone wanting to see a red kite had to make a special pilgrimage to a handful of sites. Today it is a daily sight for millions of people. In a few short decades we have taken a species from the brink of extinction, to the UK being home to almost 10% of the entire world population. It might be the biggest species success story in UK conservation history. Senior medics have criticised the illogical messaging around face coverings, which could risk the spread of coronavirus. The British Medical Association (BMA) said a second peak of Covid-19, combined with a seasonal outbreak of flu, could be devastating for the NHS and voiced criticism of Government guidance on the use of face coverings, the Guardian reported. Face coverings are already compulsory on public transport in England, and the Government has made it mandatory to wear them in shops and supermarkets from July 24 to reduce the spread of coronavirus. But BMA council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said introducing coverings in shops but not workplaces, or other areas where social distancing was impossible, was illogical. He added: Everyone has their role to play, but there needs to be clear, concise public messaging. To introduce measures for shops, but not other situations where physical distancing is not possible including some workplaces is illogical and adds to confusion and the risk of the virus spreading. Dr Alison Pittard, head of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, warned the NHS could be overwhelmed by a second wave during seasonal flu and said if people do not wear face coverings the virus could spread to levels seen earlier this year, the Guardian reported. She added: People might think Covid is over with, why do I have to wear a face mask. But it isnt over. We still have Covid patients in intensive care. (PA Graphics) If the public dont physically distance and dont wear face coverings we could very quickly get back to where we were earlier this year. Their comments come after Prime Minister Boris Johnson played down the prospect of a second national coronavirus lockdown, saying he did not want to use it any more than Britains Trident nuclear deterrent. Mr Johnson said the authorities were getting better at identifying and isolating local outbreaks, although it was important that the power to order national action was held in reserve. Story continues I cant abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly dont want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again, he told The Sunday Telegraph. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask (Ben Stanall/PA) His comments could lead to further tensions between ministers and their scientific experts after the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned on Friday there was a risk that national measures could be needed as winter approaches. Announcing another easing of lockdown restrictions in England, Mr Johnson on Friday said he hoped there could be a significant return to normality in time for Christmas. At the same time, he said the Government had given local authorities new powers to close specific premises, shut outdoor spaces and cancel events. Earlier this week, Rochdale brought in immediate new measures to avoid a reintroduction of lockdown, as the towns director of public health warned the fight against coronavirus is not over. The borough followed Blackburn with Darwen and Pendle, in Lancashire, in urging residents to follow extra precautions such as wearing face coverings in shops and limiting home visitors to two people. Residents in Blackburn with Darwen are being urged by @BwDMayor to "pull together" to help control the spread of coronavirus. Watch his new video address on the local measures announced by @BWDDPH here: https://t.co/hE9IZSOUVT@BwDDenise @OsmanSayyed BwD Council (@blackburndarwen) July 17, 2020 Figures released on Thursday showed the number of new Covid-19 cases in Rochdale for the seven days to July 13 was 30 per 100,000 population a drop from 35.9 in the seven days to July 6. Leicester continues to have the highest rate at 99.7 new cases per 100,000. Dominic Harrison, the director of public health at Blackburn with Darwin Council, said the national tracing system was only managing to reach half of those who had been in close contact with a coronavirus patient in his region. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, Prof Harrison said that Blackburn with Darwen faced a rising tide of infections. Leicester became the first place in the country to have tight restrictions reimposed on June 30 following a rise in coronavirus infections. Gallowtree Gate in Leicester, where localised coronavirus lockdown restrictions have been in place since June 29 (Joe Giddens/PA) The Health Secretary on Thursday announced a partial lifting of lockdown measures in Leicester, but said some restrictions still remain in place due to the high rates of coronavirus. A cluster of coronavirus infections has been confirmed at an NHS Test and Trace call centre in North Lanarkshire. The news comes as Scotland recorded 23 new confirmed cases of coronavirus the highest increase in almost a month. Three of these were in the Lanarkshire health board area. Advertisement Calling media persons on the ground as 'frontline warriors' for their dedicated efforts in presenting the narrative on the pandemic for wider awakening, Naidu hailed their efforts for empowering people with necessary information, analyses and perspectives about various aspects of the outbreak and partnering with the anxious people in the ongoing fight against the disease.Naidu said when people run into adversity, the media persons look for information regarding its causes and consequences, its duration and the means of coping with it. It falls on the central and state governments and the media to equip the people accordingly, he pointed out.The Vice-President noted that the media played the role of a chronicler of the pandemic for use by prospective historians of the pandemic and as a bridge between the people and the governments for regular communication on the preparedness."With the economy contracting due to restrictions, advertisement revenues have dried up. Scales of operations had to be adjusted and a good number of media persons had to take pay cuts. But, by and large, the media persisted with the mission of empowering the people, when it is needed the most," Naidu said.He also referred to the particular problem faced by the print media vis-a-vis distribution of hard copy as they were misrepresented as carriers of the virus.Alluding to certain comments in the media, Naidu, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said that that the Union government had recently reached out to him as well as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on holding the Monsoon Session of Parliament.Recounting that the last Budget Session of Parliament had to be adjourned sine die on March 23 a few days ahead of the schedule, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said that he and the Lok Sabha Speaker have held several rounds of discussions so far on enabling the meetings of the Parliamentary Committees.The logistics of seating and participation of MPs in the proceedings during Monsoon Session of Parliament in the context of corona-induced social distancing norm also required detailed deliberation and planning, he pointed out.He also said that parliamentary scrutiny of the handling of the pandemic is on course in the meantime.Naidu said that with the easing of restrictions on domestic air travel and to a lesser degree on rail travel, the department-related standing committees of both the Houses of Parliament have resumed their meetings this month."They have undertaken examination of various aspects of management of the pandemic and its fallout. This, in effect means, the required parliamentary scrutiny of the handling of the pandemic started in about three-and-half months of the last sitting of the apex legislature of the country. Any other shorter time frame may not have been possible given the situation prevailing in the country."The Committee on Home Affairs this week reviewed various aspects of the pandemic management with the Home Secretary presenting evidence. Last week, the Committee on Science and Technology reviewed the research and scientific preparedness in the context of the pandemic. Each meeting lasted over three hours.Source: IANS The single most important feature of the next package should be decent personal unemployment insurance, Sorenson said. Weve got tens of millions of people who are still out of work. As long as theyre out of work, we should make sure that theyre not driven into a hole that is so deep that theyre not going to be able to come out of it. NEW HAVEN Thousands of calls were made to the state Department of Housing this week from residents looking to tap into the rental assistance program being underwritten by federal CARES funds, with fewer than 400 completing the first step in the process. The state has put aside $10 million, which advocates say is too little to meet the needs of residents who are having problems paying their rent after losing their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new program went live Wednesday, but a coalition of legal aid groups, as well as the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, said residents continue to have difficulty getting through. The assistance through the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority aims to address rental housing stability and to prevent evictions. Aaron Turner of the Department of Housing on Thursday said there had been more than 2,200 callers to the phone number Wednesday and Thursday. He said the state has been made aware that many people were calling in simultaneously from more than one phone, so that when they connected, they hung the other lines up. Also, there were also a fairly large number of calls that did not reach a call center operator and were voluntarily disconnected after learning of their ineligibility through the automated portion of the call or that did not have their 2019 income information when they first called, and subsequently called back. On Friday, Turner released statistics on participation: On Wednesday they received 688 calls, of which 269 were homeowners and 419 renters. Of this, 203 threshold applications were completed 180 for renters and 23 for homeowners. On Thursday, 490 called in, 255 of them homeowners and 235 from renters. Of those, 157 renters completed the threshold application as did 21 homeowners. There are four more steps after passing the threshold level before an application is complete. Applicants are reminded to have their 2019 income tax information when calling. The number to call is 860-785-3111. Attorney Amy Eppler-Epstein, who works at New Haven Legal Assistance, said the call center appears to be overwhelmed. Despite having 12 people answering lines and a system with a 50-person hold/call wait capacity, everyone we have heard from seems to be encountering a busy signal. Over the past 3 days since it opened, I tried a dozen times myself at random times, and only once got beyond the busy signal to muzak, she said. Eppler-Epstein said the opening message is only in English, so even though apparently they have Spanish language speakers for callers to talk to, all the instructions on what to press are just in English. She said it is imperative that the U.S. Senate pass the $3 trillion HEROES Act that would provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance. It was adopted by the House, but the Senate took no action before it went on recess. It is back in session next week. The overwhelming response to the first three days of the rental assistance program in Connecticut makes clear that the $10 million allocated will not be enough, and more federal assistance is desperately needed, she said. Lisa McCray was one of the residents who tried to get through. You cant imagine how excited I was to see your announcement for rental help. I have been calling since I saw it two days ago, so far, and everytime I called and finally got to the area I needed, it gives you a busy signal and hangs up on me. ... I got frustrated and gave up. It is very discouraging to see a possibility of some renters help, but you cant get through to the agency, she wrote in an email to the NHLAA. Through July 28, first priority for processing is for eligible households denied unemployment benefits and/or denied Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, with at least one minor household member, and income of not more than 60 percent of Average Median Income based on 2019. From July 29 through Aug. 11, the priority will be eligible households denied unemployment benefits and/or denied Pandemic Unemployment Assistance with income of not more than 80 percent of AMI based on 2019. From Aug. 12 through the duration of the program, all other eligible households with income of not more than 80 percent of AMI in 2019 are the priority. Erin Kemple, executive director of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, said she received similar complaints that residents were either put on hold for long periods of time, could not get through or the line would disconnect. Eligible households may receive up to $4,000 in total assistance over the twelve-month period for rent due beginning March 1, 2020, with a limit of $1,000 per month. Payments are made directly to the landlord with residents mandated to pay a minimum of 30 percent of their gross income toward the rent based on their lowest consecutive 30-day income during March, April and May. If they dont pay the 30 percent they are disqualified for assistance. Gov. Ned Lamont recently extended the moratorium on landlords filing for evictions from July 1 until Aug. 25, a decision the New Haven Legal Assistance Association said it was grateful for. Kemple was concerned that once the $600 additional weekly federal money coming to the unemployed expires on July 31, it will further disrupt tenants ability to pay for rent, food and other necessities. With 650,000 people seeking unemployment compensation since March, advocates dont see how $10 million for rental assistance will be enough. The New Haven Board of Alders has authorized using additional funding from the CARES Act Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security for its own tenant assistance program that will be finalized later in the month and overseen by the Livable City Initiative, Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said. Kemple said large cities and some other states have been much more generous with the amount of CARES funds set aside for rental assistance to forestall evictions and foreclosures for homeowners. She said the city of Houston has a population that is 75 percent of Connecticuts, but it is setting aside 33 percent more in assistance. Allocations by other states include: New Jersey, $100 million; Illinois, $396 million; Pennsylvania, $175 million; Montana, $50 million. Kemple said she finds the prediction by the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston alarming. Jeffrey Thompson, an economist and director of the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in May projected that 11% percent of Connecticut homeowners and 36% of the states renters are vulnerable to missing at least one rent or mortgage payment, according to CT Mirror. While Lamonts executive orders give extensions on rent payments for several months since March, the catch-up will be cumulative. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 President Donald Trumps failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak and his refusal to promote clear public-health guidelines have left many senior Republicans despairing that he will ever play a constructive role in addressing the crisis, with some concluding they must work around Trump and ignore or even contradict his pronouncements. In recent days, some of the most prominent figures in the GOP outside the White House have broken with Trump over issues like the value of wearing a mask in public and heeding the advice of health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, who the president and other hard-right figures within the administration have subjected to caustic personal criticism. They appear to be spurred by several overlapping forces, including deteriorating conditions in their own states, Trumps seeming indifference to the problem and the approach of a presidential election in which Trump is badly lagging his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, in the polls. Once-reticent Republican governors are now issuing orders on mask-wearing and business restrictions that run counter to Trumps demands. Some of those governors have been holding late-night phone calls among themselves to trade ideas and grievances; they have sought out partners in the administration other than the president, including Vice President Mike Pence, who, despite echoing Trump in public, is seen by governors as far more attentive to the continuing disaster. The president got bored with it, David Carney, an adviser to the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, a Republican, said of the pandemic. He noted that Abbott directs his requests to Pence, with whom he speaks two to three times a week. A handful of Republican lawmakers in the Senate have privately pressed the administration to bring back health briefings led by figures like Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, who regularly updated the public during the spring until Trump upstaged them with his own briefing-room monologues. And in his home state of Kentucky last week, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, broke with Trump on nearly every major issue related to the virus. McConnell stressed the importance of mask-wearing, expressed total confidence in Fauci and urged Americans to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Trump has ignored or dismissed. The straight talk here that everyone needs to understand is: This is not going away until we get a vaccine, McConnell said Wednesday, contradicting Trumps rosy predictions. The result is a quiet but widening breach between Trump and leading figures in his party, as the virus burns through major political battlegrounds in the South and the West, like in the states of Arizona, Texas and Georgia. Amid mounting alarm in a huge portion of the country, Trump has at times appeared to inhabit a different universe, incorrectly predicting the outbreak would quickly dissipate and falsely claiming the spread of the virus was simply a function of increased testing. With his impatient demands and decrees, Trump has disrupted efforts to mitigate the crisis while effectively sidelining himself from participating in those efforts. The emerging rifts in Trumps party have been slow to develop, but they have rapidly deepened since a new surge in coronavirus cases began to sweep the country last month. In the final days of June, the governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, a Republican, joined other governors on a conference call with Pence and urged the administration to do more to combat a sense of complacency about the virus. Herbert said it would help states like his own if Trump and Pence were to encourage mask-wearing on a national scale, according to a recording of the call. As a responsible citizen, if you care about your neighbor, if you love your neighbor, let us show the respect necessary by wearing a mask, Herbert said, offering language to Pence and adding, Thats where I think you and the president can help us out. Pence told Herbert the suggestion was duly noted and said that mask-wearing would be a very consistent message from the administration. But no such appeal was ever forthcoming from Trump, who asserted days later that the virus would just disappear. Trump has offered only hedged recommendations on wearing masks and has rarely worn one himself in public; in a Fox interview that was broadcast Sunday, the president said he would not issue a national mask order, because Americans deserve a certain freedom on the matter. Some of the states where outbreaks have worsened most in recent weeks are led by Republicans who spent months avoiding stringent lockdowns, in some cases because state leaders were uneasy about creating space between themselves and a president of their own party who rejected such steps. That dynamic has been particularly pronounced in Southern states like Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, where governors have either continued to resist tough public-health restrictions or have only recently and partially embraced them. A few Republicans have grown more open with their misgivings about Trumps approach, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, who said this month that he would require people to wear masks at any Trump rallies in his state. After issuing a broad mask mandate last week, Hutchinson said on the ABC program This Week on Sunday that an example needs to be set by our national leadership on mask-wearing. Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, in an interview on Meet the Press on NBC, did not answer directly when asked if he had confidence in Trumps leadership in the crisis. DeWine said he had confidence in this administration and praised Pence for doing an absolutely phenomenal job. Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, rejected criticisms of Trumps approach. 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 rebuild our economy is utterly false, Deere said in a statement. With only a few exceptions, Republicans have avoided direct confrontation with Trump. Theyve come to view public criticism as an exercise in political futility one guaranteed to produce a sour response from Trump without any chance of changing his behavior. But many Republican lawmakers have grown exasperated with the administrations conflicting messages, the open warfare within Trumps staff and the presidents demands that states reopen faster or risk punishment from the federal government. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said he wanted the administration to offer more extensive public-health updates to the American people, and condemned the open animosity toward Fauci by some administration officials, including Peter Navarro, the trade adviser, who wrote an opinion column attacking Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert. I want more briefings but, more importantly, I want the whole White House to start acting like a team on a mission to tackle a real problem, Sasse said. Navarros Larry, Moe and Curly junior-high slap fight this week is yet another way to undermine public confidence that these guys grasp that tens of thousands of Americans have died and tens of millions are out of work. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., was more succinct: The more they turn the briefings over to the professionals, the better. A group of Republican governors have for months held regular conference calls, usually at night and without staff present, according to two party strategists familiar with the conversations. Unlike the virus-focused calls that Pence leads, there are no Democratic or White House officials on the line, so the conversations have become a sort of safe space where the governors can ask their counterparts for advice, discuss best practices and, if the mood strikes them, vent about the administration and the presidents erratic leadership. Trump himself seems less interested in the specific challenges the virus presents and is mostly just frustrated by the reality that it has not disappeared as he has predicted. The disconnect is only growing between him and other party leaders not to mention voters. A poll published Friday by ABC News and The Washington Post found that a majority of the country strongly disapproved of Trumps handling of the coronavirus crisis, and about two-thirds of Americans said they had little or no trust in Trumps comments about the disease. Trumps political standing is now so dire that even Republicans who have spent years avoiding direct comment on his behavior are acknowledging his unpopularity in plain terms. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, for instance, offered a bleak assessment of Trumps electoral standing at a recent event hosted by Solamere, a company with close ties to Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and his family. According to a partial transcript of the comments, shared by a person close to him, the usually tight-lipped Ryan said Trump was losing key voting blocs across the Midwest and in Arizona, a Republican-leaning state that Ryan described as presently trending against us. While Ryan did not criticize Trumps handling of the outbreak, he said the president could not win reelection this year if he continued losing badly to Biden among suburban voters who were wary of both candidates but currently favor Biden. Biden is winning over Trump in this category of voters 70 to 30, Ryan said, and if that sticks, he cannot win states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Some of Trumps closest advisers are adamant that the best way forward is to downplay the dangers of the disease. Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, has been particularly forceful in his view that the White House should avoid drawing attention to the virus, according to people familiar with the discussions. Meadows has for the most part opposed any briefings about the virus, while other Trump advisers, including Hope Hicks and Jared Kushner, have been open to holding briefings so long as they are not at the White House where Trump could show up and commandeer them. Pences team would like to hold more briefings with the health experts, but some of Trumps communications aides do not want the vice president to be part of them. A large number of rank-and-file Republican lawmakers share Trumps aversion to the disease-control practices. Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican closely aligned with Trump, issued an order Wednesday blocking local governments from mandating mask-wearing, then sued the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, for imposing such a requirement. Kemps edict came hours after Trump visited his state, declining to wear a face mask at the Atlanta airport. Yet some in the GOP now see no alternative to parting ways with Trump, on policy if not politics. Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a powerful business federation in the crucial state, said he saw Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, walking a prudent line breaking with Trumps policy demands but not blasting the president for issuing them. Everyone knows that the president doesnt react well to criticism, constructive or not, he said. Hamer, who was among a group of business leaders who sent a letter to the White House urging the creation of clearer national standards for facial coverings, said Trump presented a challenge to Republican leaders seeking to foster responsible behavior. On the mask side, it is difficult when the leader of the party had been setting a pretty bad example, Hamer said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The third Monday of the Hindu Sawan month marks Somvati Amavasya, and devotees celebrated with masks and social distancing in place, in most places, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Celebrations were observed all across India, including in the cities of Prayagraj, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Varanasi, Deoghar, Ujjain, to name a few. Devotees celebrated in Prayagraj on the banks of the holiest river in India, the Ganga river. Speaking to ANI, Nita Devi at the banks of Ganga river said, As a part of the ritual, I am fasting and have come here to take a dip in the Ganga. I have offered prayers asking for the long life of my husband as Parvati did for Shiva, according to Hindu beliefs. A wife offers prayers for the well being of her husband. It is believed that if a woman follows these rituals, her husband will be immortal, said Sarita Pandey after tying a raw yarn 101 times around a Banyan tree. Varanasi: Devotees wait amid rains to perform 'abhishek' of Lord Shiva at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on the occasion of the third 'Somwar' of the holy month of 'Shravan', in Varanasi, Monday, July 20, 2020. (PTI) Pandey said, Women offer prayers for the well being and long life of their husbands. Prayers offered at Deoghar temple in Jharkand Althought the Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar, the holy city of Jharkhand, was closed amid the Covid pandemic, priests offered prayers while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. Deepak Kumar Jha, a priest at the temple said, We have been praying on the behalf of people who are not been able to come to the temple during the lockdown. Bhubaneswar: Devotees offer prayers to Lord Kharakhia Baidyanath on occasion of the third 'Somwar' of the holy month of Shravan, in Bhubaneswar, Monday, July 20, 2020. (PTI) As taught by our elders, we have been following the ritual of prayers for years, for the goodwill of people, he added. Celebrations at Ujjains Mahakaleshwar temple The Bhasma Aarti was performed at Ujjains Mahakaleshwar temple in the morning. The priests wore masks and ensured social distancing as a preventive measure against COVID-19. However, the usual hustle-bustle was absent from the temple due to coronavirus outbreak which has affected the lives of people across the globe. Patna: Hindu devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva on the occasion of the third 'Somwar' of the holy month of 'Shravan', in Patna, Monday, July 20, 2020. (PTI) Shravan: History, significance Shravan, the fifth month in the Hindu calendar, is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva who, according to Hindu religious beliefs, is the creator, preserver, and destroyer of this universe. While Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year, Mondays during this particular month are considered highly significant and auspicious. The festival is celebrated predominantly in the North Indian states. It is believed that on sawan ke somwar (Mondays falling in the month of Shravan), devotees observe a special fast and visit Shiva temples. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter With Missouri continuing to report new COVID-19 cases at record levels, and some local governments considering returning to restrictions on social gatherings, here's where to keep up with news about the coronavirus pandemic locally: 11 a.m.: A popular Central West End restaurant, Juniper, will end dining-room service for the "foreseeable future" as the chef and owner said Monday trying to keep it open is like "playing a game." Read more. 9:30 a.m. More St. Louis area restaurants have announced temporary closures during the coronavirus pandemic, including Salt + Smoke and Yellowbelly. Read more. The Human Rights Commission is urging people in Aotearoa to give no voice to racism as it launches a new campaign featuring celebrated film maker Taika Waititi. Based on real-life experiences of racism in this country, the campaign aims to raise awareness of racist behaviour and the harm caused to those on the receiving end of it. Every day in Aotearoa, people experience racism which hurts them, prevents them from reaching their potential, or from living their lives feeling welcome and secure, says Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon. "People may think one joke, one comment, one assumption, one stereotype doesnt matter, that they are trivial, but they do matter and the cumulative effect on people experiencing these is huge. Its time we all asked ourselves; Am I contributing to racism in this country? What can I do to stop racism in Aotearoa New Zealand? To become a diverse, inclusive, and harmonious community, we must all acknowledge racism affects many, says Meng. Its sad that many people who experience racism simply learn to put on a brave face and carry on when that shouldnt need to be the case. Phase two of the Give Nothing to Racism campaign is only part of a range of work being undertaken by community and civil society groups to address racism in New Zealand. In raising awareness of the harm caused by racism the campaign is also intended to spark discussion about how racism is affecting peoples fair and equal access to health, employment, justice, housing and education. The campaign will cost $1.3 million and was allocated by the Government in response to various and ongoing concerns in society about racism, including the Christchurch mosque attacks on 15 March last year. The cost and harm of racism to New Zealand society, families and groups over decades and even centuries is inestimable. This campaign is a modest contribution towards addressing that balance. Alongside the interactive Voice of Racism there are also Help and Tools sections to support people who have experienced racism and to help explain the impact of the remarks and actions and the harm caused. The campaign can be found here. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cultivates a nice-guy image at home but in Europe he has been dubbed "Mr No" for blocking a deal on a huge coronavirus rescue package. As the unofficial head of the "Frugals" -- the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Finland -- Rutte is taking on the role of villain for a tough stance that has pushed an EU summit into a fourth day. Hungarian premier Viktor Orban accused "The Dutch guy" of holding up a deal -- and of personally hating him. Diplomats from other countries have privately been even less complimentary. Rutte is unrepentant, insisting on stricter rules for the southern EU states that will get most of the cash, knowing that Dutch voters who go to the polls next year want him to hold firm. "We're not here so we can go to each others' birthdays for the rest of our lives -- we're all here to defend the interests of our own countries," Rutte told reporters Monday. The liberal Dutch premier -- one of Europe's longest-serving leaders after a decade in power -- went on to warn after yet another gruelling night of talks that the summit "may still fail". - 'Preachers and salesmen' - Rutte, 53, is often portrayed as the embodiment of frugality -- the life-long bachelor cycles to work from the apartment he has lived in since graduating and drives a second-hand Saab. "He doesn't really seem to care about material possessions," Pepijn Bergsen, a research fellow in the Europe programme at Chatham House in London, told AFP. His position chimes with the electorate in a "nation of preachers and salesmen", which prides itself on Calvinist thriftiness and a long history as a trading power. The former personnel manager for Unilever is also known for a cheery persona that has helped him make friends on all sides of the Netherlands' fragmented political scene. That quality, combined with a killer political instinct, has enabled Rutte to lead three coalition governments since 2010. His feeling for the political winds was on display in a video in April that gave Rutte his new nickname. After a truck driver urged the PM "Don't give the Italians and Spanish any money!", he laughingly exclaimed "no no no!". With general elections due in March, Rutte is conscious of the need to see off a strong challenge from far-right and eurosceptic parties if, as expected, he decides to go for a fourth term in office. Asked on Monday if he minded the "Mr No" epithet, Rutte replied that he "wouldn't let himself be distracted by background noise", adding that he was working for Dutch interest, "which are clearly linked to a European interest". His critics point out that the Netherlands's tax breaks for multinationals cost the EU billions of euros, while the Dutch also benefit from soaring exports to other European countries. - 'Giving this money away' - With other leaders saying the "Frugals" risk fracturing EU unity at a time of crisis, the Dutch commitment to the European project that the Netherlands helped found is again under scrutiny. The Netherlands has increasingly taken on the blocking role formerly held by fellow free-marketeers the British, following the UK's exit from the EU earlier this year. Rutte's behaviour over the 750-billion-euro ($855 billion) virus fund echoes the budget-blocking antics of former British prime ministers David Cameron and Margaret Thatcher. His tough stance on the Greek debt meltdown and EU migration crisis in the 2010s meanwhile irked many in Europe. Bergsen said Rutte's position reflects profoundly held ideas in his own VVD party and parliament. "You sometimes see people trying to explain the Dutch hardline stance, it's an election year, they can't be seen to be giving this money away...," said Bergsen. "But most of The Hague actually just believes this stuff. "They actually believe that if they give money for free -- as they see it -- to the Italians, it's wasted. And I wouldn't be surprised if Rutte actually believes that too." Hamilton police have seen a small increase in child pornography cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the true impact being monitored provincially and nationally is not yet known. People are at home, kids are at home and are online more, said Det. Const. Adam Baglieri of Hamiltons internet child exploitation (ICE) unit. We have noticed a slight uptick in those type of cases. On Monday, police announced a 44-year-old Hamilton man is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. The ICE unit investigation began in June. On July 16, police searched his residence. The Hamilton Police Service is a member of the Ontario provincial strategy to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The ICE units mandate is to investigate internet crimes against children, including child luring and exploitation. But by far the most frequent crime the detectives investigate is the downloading or sharing of child pornography material, Baglieri said. The number of reports police get has grown exponentially in recent years because of a more streamlined approach to reporting. Most of Hamiltons cases come big internet companies in the U.S. such as Facebook, Google or Twitter that have monitoring in place to automatically detect content that may be child pornography. In many of the cases, images are shared using the big social media companies. But Baglieri said theyre seeing more coming from cloud sharing or cloud storage. Suspects are typically tracked by their IP (Internet Protocol) address. Basically, everything you do online is being monitored, he said. Typically, this is how it works: a report about the content is sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States. From there, they filter for country of origin and the case goes to the RCMP-run National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC). Then the case gets sent to Hamilton. In past years, a typical case could be months old by the time it landed with Hamilton police, Baglieri said. But now notification is much more rapid. He said this seems to be due to a government focus on combating online child exploitation, faster reporting from the large tech companies and also a new NCECC portal this year that makes information sharing faster. In Hamilton, there were 180 investigations received by the ICE unit last year. So far this year there are 203 reports, including 60 actives cases. Baglieri said theyre on pace to easily crack 220 reports by the end of the year. Hamiltons ICE unit has three members, including two detective constables and a supervising detective. They get so many reports that they try to prioritize the cases, such as when a suspect is generating multiple reports. Baglieri said the investigation into the 44-year-old man was prioritized because they had several reports. In the two years hes been with the ICE unit, Baglieri said hes catalogued about 30 cases. Often he sees the same images, even though the cases are not related. Anyone with information about internet child exploitation can call the ICE unit at 905-540-5247. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com. The body found in an inlet near Ocean City has been identified as a 24-year-old man who drowned last week, officials said Monday. Jabed Ikbal of Clementon entered the water at an unprotected beach on the Great Egg Harbor Inlet just south of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge at approximately 7:27 p.m. on July 12. He was reported missing, and a search by multiple agencies could not locate him. A fisherman found a body floating in a Cape May County inlet Saturday morning, where authorities had been searching the waters, an official said. Ikbal had gone into the water to help two family members and while they made it back to shore, he did not, according to Ocean City spokesman Doug Bergen. Signs posted near the area where Ikbal disappeared warn of dangerous currents, that no swimming or wading is permitted and that this spot is not protected by lifeguards. Police were called to another nearby beach in the area last September when the remains of a human jawbone was found by a man walking his dog along the shore that is popular with pet owners. Its been a dangerous month so far for swimmers looking to beat the summertime heat. Rough waters churned up by Tropical Storm Fay claimed the life of a New York man as he saved two friends off Ventnor on July 10. The body of Jalan Alston, 18, was recovered the next day in Atlantic City. Trouble hasnt been restricted to the shore. A 23-year-old swimming at a former mining site in Ocean County drowned on July 4. Edwin Caballeros body was recovered the next day at the Heritage Mineral property in Manchester Township. Rip currents are the leading danger at ocean beaches and they become more common when storms pass along the coast, the state Department of Environmental Protection warns. They tend to form at low spots and breaks in sandbars or near jetties and piers, and are visible as ribbons of choppy water flowing perpendicular to the beach. These currents pull swimmers away from the shore, but dont pull them under the water. Drowning results when swimmers cannot stay afloat because of fear, exhaustion or a lack of swimming skills, according to the DEP. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. New Jerseys death toll from the coronavirus increased to 15,715 confirmed and probable fatalities on Monday with 176,963 total positive tests, but the rate of transmission once again dropped below the key benchmark of 1 that indicates the outbreak is declining. Gov. Phil Murphy has said health officials have closely tracked the transmission rate, which edged above 1 over the weekend, to help determine when to peel back restrictions and allow more businesses to reopen. The transmission rate reported Monday stands at .91. Murphys latest report on the outbreak includes nine new deaths and 177 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours. Two of those deaths occurred in June and seven were in the last three days. Murphy also cautioned that there was reporting error on cases over the weekend that could affect the numbers. One of our private labs is having some data reporting issues, Murphy said. Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said the problem involved data received from Quest labs, which is not included in Mondays numbers. About 15,000 tests are part of the missing data, officials said. New Jerseys 71 hospital reported fewer than 800 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day, though Sunday nights number climbed slightly to 798. About half of those cases are confirmed infections and the other half are suspected. Our numbers are in a good place, Murphy said. The state had more than 8,000 patients during the peak of the outbreak in mid-April. Of those hospitalized Sunday night, 146 patients were in critical or intensive care and 72 were on ventilators. Our standing in comparison to our peer states also continues to improve, yet we are not where we need to be in all areas including fatalities, Murphy said. As we have mentioned before, just because our hospitals continue to see their standing improve is no reason for us to become complacent. The state has had 13,741 confirmed deaths and 1,974 probable deaths since the outbreak began in March. COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS Bergen County: 20,034 cases (25 new), 1,765 confirmed deaths (268 probable) Hudson County: 19,263 cases (14 new), 1,313 confirmed deaths (185 probable) Essex County: 19,121 cases (16 new), 1,838 confirmed deaths (255 probable) Passaic County: 17,172 cases (9 new) 1,081 confirmed deaths (158 probable) Middlesex County: 17,168 cases (8 new), 1,176 confirmed deaths (221 probable) Union County: 16,517 cases (7 new), 1,165 confirmed deaths (179 probable) Ocean County: 9,956 cases (10 new), 937 confirmed deaths (73 probable) Monmouth County: 9,672 cases (12 new), 748 confirmed deaths (101 probable) Camden County: 7,845 cases (16 new), 504 confirmed deaths (56 probable) Mercer County: 7,828 cases (3 new), 565 confirmed deaths (43 probable) Morris County: 6,967 cases (9 new), 669 confirmed deaths (157 probable) Burlington County: 5,450 cases (8 new), 420 confirmed deaths (42 probable) Somerset County: 5,068 cases (3 new), 471 confirmed deaths (82 probable) Atlantic County: 3,126 cases (11 new), 222 confirmed deaths (15 probable) Cumberland County: 3,079 cases (2 new), 141 confirmed deaths (13 probable) Gloucester County: 2,829 cases (5 new), 191 confirmed deaths (7 probable) Warren County: 1,280 cases (4 new), 154 confirmed deaths (17 probable) Sussex County: 1,250 cases (4 new), 158 confirmed deaths (37 probable) Hunterdon County: 1,100 cases (0 new), 70 confirmed deaths (56 probable) Salem County: 831 cases (0 new), 75 confirmed deaths (5 probable) Cape May County: 757 cases (0 new), 78 confirmed deaths (4 probable) CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage New Jersey, once a coronavirus hotspot, has seen its number of new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations remain relatively stable in recent weeks after falling significantly from their peaks in April. Hospitalizations dipped below 1,000 patients for the first time at the end of June before creeping up slightly and then dropping below 1,000 people again on July 3. The number of people hospitalized since then has held steady between 855 and 964 patients prior to dropping below 800 patients for the first time on Saturday, according to the states Department of Health. The largest percentage of people who tested positive were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, with 55,920 or 31.7%. Residents between 50 and 64 years old were the second highest, with 49,008 or 27.8%, then 65-79 years old, with 24,929 or 14.1% and 18-29, with 24,176 or 13.7%. Ten percent of people tested were 80 or older (17,674) and only 2.2% of positive cases were between the ages of five and 17, and only 894 people up to age four tested positive, according to the data. Health officials said last week, however, that adults aged 18 to 29 are the fastest-growing age group of residents testing positive for the virus in New Jersey. The outbreak has been disproportionately deadly for older people. There have been 6,498 lab-confirmed COVID-19 deaths of people who were 80 or older, according to state data from Saturday. There were 4,416 deaths of people between 65 and 79, and 2,176 between the ages of 50 and 64. According to the data, 578 people between 30 and 49 died, 55 people between 18 and 29, and two people in the state younger than 4 years old. Murphy has calling for travelers arriving in New Jersey from 22 states considered hotspots to voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days to help prevent the virus from spreading more in the state. New Jersey health officials added Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin to the list last week and removed Delaware. As of Monday, there have been more than 14.5 million positive tests for COVID-19 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 606,700 have died, while more than 8.1 million have recovered. The United States has reported more than 140,500 deaths, the most by far of any country. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. The relocation will allow the dealership to better serve customers in an updated full-service facility more centrally located to the growing northwestern Atlanta metro area. As a result of the move, Bill Holt Mitsubishi hired 11 new employees to join the sales and service teams, a testament to the store's investment in its community in light of the ongoing economic uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. "The entire Bill Holt Mitsubishi team is thrilled to be settling into our new location in Canton, and we can't wait to meet our new community and continue to serve our valued customers from Marietta," said Tina Holt, dealer principal, Bill Holt Mitsubishi. "We look forward to growing our presence in the area in the months ahead as we continue to offer a strong lineup of competitive and affordable Mitsubishi crossovers and small cars across northwest Georgia." In 2021, Bill Holt Mitsubishi will undergo a thorough interior and exterior renovation under Mitsubishi Motors' Visual Identity program. The Visual Identity program is intended to enhance the customer experience in a high-quality retail environment, working in concert with the brand's "Drive your Ambition" brand message to engage and inspire customers when shopping for a vehicle. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Holt Mitsubishi is currently open for sales and service by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call (877) 890-2126 or make an appointment online at www.billholtmitsubishi.com/. "MMNA is committed to working closely with our dealer partners to provide the highest levels of customer service when shopping for a new Mitsubishi vehicle, and we are proud to see Bill Holt Mitsubishi re-open in its new location in Canton," said, Jimmy Scarboro, director, southeast region, MMNA. "Mitsubishi Motors and our dealer partners remain committed to reaching new markets as we sustainably grow our dealership network across the United States." MMNA recently finalized the relocation of its U.S. headquarters to its new permanent home in Franklin, Tennessee. The relocation is the most tangible example of the ongoing reinvention of every aspect of the Mitsubishi Motors brand and business in the U.S., from corporate leadership to dealer partners to every touchpoint in a customer's relationship with their vehicle. Bill Holt Mitsubishi is located at 2255 Marietta Highway, Canton, Georgia 30024. For more information on Mitsubishi Motors U.S. dealer network, please visit www.mitsubishicars.com. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Through a network of approximately 350 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA), is responsible for the sales, research and development, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. 2019 marked the brand's seventh consecutive year of sales growth, and MMNA was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study, ranking sixth overall and experiencing the greatest year-over-year improvement of any brand. Located in Franklin, Tennessee, MMNA is a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Mitsubishi continues to lead the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles, while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery-electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models. For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (615) 257-2698 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Contacts Lauren Ryan Manager, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 404-862-8286 Patrick LeBeau The Brand Amp [email protected] Mobile: 708-768-1823 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Related Links www.mitsubishicars.com (Photo : Alexander Popov/Unsplash) California-based forensic genomics company Verogen investigates how Gedmatchs DNA database has been accessed by law enforcement for their investigation. (Photo : National Cancer Institute/Unsplash) The company probed on a certain security breach. (Photo : Etienne Godiard/Unsplash) The police authorities are pushing to access genetic databases as they try to resolve crimes using DNA left at crime scenes Verogen, a California-based forensic genomics company, is investigating how the Gedmatch's DNA databank has been accessed by law enforcement for their investigation. In 2019, Verogen bought Gedmatch where users upload their DNA profile to trace their family lineage. However, the DNA analysis website was briefly down on Sunday, July 19, while the company probed on a certain security breach. Davis School of Law from the University of California Elizabeth Joh told TechCrunch that while admitting the issue is a good start, many questions would remain if the solution is "simply correcting the error." Joh cited whether Gedmatch knows if law enforcement agencies that accessed its data were used to "improperly" tag its users. "Will they disclose any further details of the breach?" she asked. The professors also noted that having a genetic genealogy privacy breach is not simply Gedmatch's problem as it highlights the lack of regulatory protections over the most sensitive information. How Gedmatch rose to popularity? Gedmatch became popular after the police used its users' DNA profile that led to the arrest of the Golden State Killer in 2018. The website confirmed that law enforcement sifted through its DNA database in resolving the case. However, it faced scrutiny as users called for breach of privacy as they were not advised that their data was used for policy analysis. Thus, Gedmatch immediately released a privacy warning and provide an opt-in option for their DNA to be included in police searches. However, users claimed that those options are no longer available, so their DNA profiles become available to law enforcement searches. pic.twitter.com/RZhEXEVa7s There's been a major privacy breach at GEDmatch. It appears that all kits, regardless of user preferences, have been opted in to law enforcement matching. I've messaged Verogen on Facebook to alert them to the problem. The site now seems to be down completely. #geneticgenealogy Debbie Kennett (@DebbieKennett) July 19, 2020 Verogen Chief Executive Brett Williams said on July 19 that the company is "aware of the issue regarding Gedmatch," particularly about user consents that were improperly set. Williams said they have already fixed the issue, but decided to "taken the site down while we are investigating" the cause of the blunder. He also declined to confirm whether the issue is due to an error or a security breach but vowed to issue a formal statement once they already discovered the root of the issue. Police seek DNA database access In 2010, GEDmatch was launched as an open-source database where users who were tested from private DNA testing companies like AncestryDNA and 23andme could upload the results to find family members. However, according to a Slate report in December, GEDmatch has been used in solving crimes. This was after Verogen acquired the website on December 9, which raised an alarm among the public over a possible breach of privacy. However, Williams did not confirm whether GEDmatch or Verogen recently received any request from the law enforcement to access its users' database or whether they have responded to the request. The police authorities are pushing to access genetic databases as they try to resolve crimes using DNA left at crime scenes, particularly those cold cases that have been unresolved for years. While Gedmatch does not publish how law enforcement accesses its data, other websites including 23andMe and Ancestry.com have already revealed their respective transparency reports. Utah-based Ancestry.com revealed in February that it declined to adhere to a police warrant issued in Pennsylvania. The warrant implies the continued use by authorities on DNA profiling and analysis sites. Read Also: 5 Best Spy Apps to Catch a Cheating Spouse 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ARCHIVED - 4,581 new Covid cases in Spain this weekend 685 of these have been during the last 24 hours Image: From Barcelona town hall. Cataluna recorded 944 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total up to 82,876. 12,636 deaths have been recorded in the region during the crisis (according to the funeral parlours, NOT the official stats reported by the MInistry of Health which only counts cases officially diagnosed by PCR).Click for official source data. This weekend for the second time, the Ministry of Health did not publish Covid figures in a daily press conference as is normally the case, so when the figures for the weekend were finally published on Monday evening the scale of them was significant; 4,581 new cases since the figures were last published on Friday. Minister for Health, Salvador Illa, indicated that there are now 201 outbreaks, 15 more than on Friday, which account for 2,289 positive cases and expressed his concern for the current situation, although at the same time trying to issue reassurances that there is no need to be afraid of the virus, but it has to be respected. Normally the Minister is accompanied at the press conferences by the head of the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), Fernando Simon, but the Minister explained that he has taken a "well-deserved rest " after months of "intense work" and was represented by Doctor Maria Jose Sierra who reported that the cumulative incidence of cases is increasing and has in fact tripled, from about 300 cases three weeks ago, to 650 two weeks ago and 1,200 last week. The total cases to date certified via the PCR swab system in Spain is now 264,836. Sierra acknowledged that the volume of new contagions occurring at parties and in nightlife venues have begun to "worry" the Ministry and once again called for "responsibility". Low levels of hopitalisations; except in the case of Lleida, the pressure on hospitals is "low" as many of the cases are occurring amongst younger members of the population and are mild or asymptomatic (no symptoms). The Ministry also recognizes that there is an "important" percentage of cases in Aragon and Catalonia that is not associated with any specific outbreak, but is due to community transmission as there is such a high concentration of cases in these areas. An outbreak is declared when there is a focus of three cases, but the number of cases in these areas goes way beyond this as there are so many small outbreaks that they rapidly merge into a generalised transmission. The death rate however, is very low, as hospitals have learned better how to control the virus and are more adequately prepared to handle it, so only 9 people have died across Spain in the last week, bringing the global total up to 28,422. 11 deaths from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom today bring the overall total to 45,312, according to Health data. Government figures only relate to the number of deaths confirmed by PCR tests, but other statistics indicate that the actual number of deaths attributable to the virus could exceed 55,600 in the UK (the same situation exists in Spain and other countries as the WHO only compiles its figures from PCR tested results). The UK health ministry has indicated that 295,372 infections have been detected to date, of which 580 new cases were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. article_detail --> Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. T he Tower of Londons historic Beefeater guards are facing job cuts after visitor revenue plummeted during lockdown. A voluntary redundancy scheme has opened for the 37 Yeoman Warders and a compulsory scheme will likely follow, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which runs the Tower, said. It is believed to be the first time they have been axed since 1485, when they were established under the reign of Henry VII. The pandemic has forced the temporary closure of HRP's six sites, including Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, which all rely heavily on visitor income. Beefeaters at The Tower of London 1 /32 Beefeaters at The Tower of London circa 1930: Beefeaters, yeoman warders at the Tower of London, on duty at the Execution Ground Getty Images The Queen and Prince Philip are greeted by a Beefeater at the Tower of London during the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red evolving art installation in 2014 PA Yeoman Warder Moira Cameron starts work as the first female 'Beefeater' at the Tower of London in 2017 AFP/Getty Images Circa 1900: Famous for their traditional Tudor uniform and the guarding of the Crown Jewels at The Tower of London, the Yeomen Of The Guard, or 'Beefeaters', provide a tourist attraction for visitors to London Getty Images circa 1910: Two Yeoman of the Guard, known as Beefeaters, protectors of the Tower of London. Getty Images A squad of yeomen of the guard, known as beefeaters, protectors of the Tower of London, during the Opening of Parliament in 1912 Getty Images circa 1940: Yeomen warders adjusting the ruff of the state dress, in the gard chamber at the Tower of London Getty Images A Yeoman Warder or 'Beefeater' directing visitors to points of interest at the Tower of London, London Getty Images A Yeoman Warder or 'Beefeater' directing visitors to points of interest at the Tower of London, London Getty Images A Beefeater from the nearby Tower of London assists a woman paddling in the Thames in 1946 Getty Images A Yeoman Warder guarding the Tower of London, closed because of a bomb in 1974 Getty Images Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, nicknamed Beefeaters, arrive to take part in a ceremony to install General Sir Nicholas Houghton as the 160th Constable of the Tower of London in 2016 AP Jeremy Selwyn The Duchess of Cambridge talks to a Yeoman Warder as she arrives for a visit to the Tower of London to view the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red poppy installation Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during their visit to The Tower of London in 2020 POOL/AFP via Getty Images Yeoman Warders, commonly known as Beefeaters, march across the Middle Drawbridge during a ceremonial event to mark the reopening to the public of the Tower of London in 2020 Getty Images Yeoman Warders, commonly known as 'Beefeaters' light the first of thousands of flames in a lighting ceremony in the dry moat of the Tower of London in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Pete McGowran (left), the Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London, poses for photos with his second in command, Yeoman Gaoler Bob Loughlin in 2018 PA PA Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images HRP chief executive John Barnes said the organisation had simply had no choice but to make the cuts, adding: We are heartbroken that it has come to this. Historic Royal Palaces is a self-funded charity. We depend on visitors for 80 per cent of our income, he said. The closure of our six sites for almost four months has dealt a devastating blow to our finances, which we expect to continue for the rest of the financial year and to be compounded by the slow recovery of international tourism. Beefeaters at the Tower of London guard the Crown Jewels / PA Archive/PA Images We have taken every possible measure to secure our financial position, but we need to do more to survive in the long term. We simply have no choice but to reduce our payroll costs. The iconic Yeoman Warders, nicknamed Beefeaters, are military veterans who guard the Crown Jewels and regularly form the backdrop to tourists photos for their decorative red and black uniforms. At least two of them have reportedly taken voluntary redundancy already. Mr Barnes added that the Beefeaters remained a valued part of the Tower of London and would continue to be part of the Towers story in the years to come. The Tower of London is HRPs largest paid-for attraction by some margin and normally attracts around three million visitors per year. The site reopened on July 10 but can now welcome fewer than 1,000 people each day due to new safety measures, far shy of its normal two million annual visitors. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20 2020 State-owned electricity giant PLN is slated to receive Rp 9.6 trillion (US$695 million) in state capital injections (PMN) from the government this year to develop power infrastructure in Indonesia and increase the countrys electrification ratio. The capital comprises Rp 5 trillion from the 2020 state budget and Rp 4.6 trillion diverted from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry budget. PLN will use the capital to develop renewable energy power plants, power lines and substations. The funds allocation is stipulated in Government Regulation No. 37/2020 and No. 36/2020, both of which were issued on July 7. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Boise, Idaho--(Newsfile Corp. - July 20, 2020) - Extreme Biodiesel, Inc. (OTC PINK: XTRM), The Company's Board of Directors provides this update to shareholders and the public. To Recap, As stated in our last press release on February 20, 2020 Extreme Biodiesel, inc. announced the acquisition of North Star Homes in Boise, Idaho. This acquisition brings a great opportunity for Extreme Biodiesel, Inc. and our valued shareholders. North Star Homes fits perfectly with our vision of building a best-in-class real estate development company providing exceptional growth over the coming years. North Star Homes has a long history in the real estate business creating homes and communities of uncompromising quality in the Boise Idaho area. Company progress for the year 2020: We look forward to a strong 3rd and 4th quarter after coming out of the Covid shutdown. We are on schedule to hit 50 homes sales in 2021 with our upcoming projects that are in planning. North Star Homes comprises four Subdivisions: The Hickories End Subdivision had three sales in May that closed in June. Two homes are available that are priced in the low $500,000.00 This plat is in the desirable west Boise area of well established homes and only 15 minutes downtown Boise. We expect to be sold out this month. The Jackie Lane Subdivision: We have started construction on 6 new homes close in to Boise ranging from $350,000.00 to $370,000.00 with completion expected in the fall. This is a hot price range for infill in Boise and the 1st house is already under contract with out any advertising. The San Gorgonio Sub in Meridian: Three homes under construction in the Heart of Meridian from $429,900.00. Homes to be completed in the fall. Cazador Subdivision in Kuna: We have joined the builder team in this plat in the fast-growing Kuna community. We will start 8 new homes starting at $375,000.00 this fall and expect completion this winter. The plat offers parks and a community pool and is close to new shopping and schools. Story continues 2021 Year ahead: We will start on a new 11 lot infill plat in west Boise with homes staring in the low $400,000.00's and expect construction of the homes to begin in the spring of 2021. We will have a huge announcement in the fall on a 214 lot starter homes plat in Caldwell with homes from the low $300,000.00's This will be a 3-year project. Vinnie Angelos, CEO, stated "Our future is looking brighter. The company's growth is proof we are on the right track and we will continue building new, exciting and innovative houses. Vic Devlaeminck, CFO, stated "The Company's progress has been significant so far. I look forward to having a great year 2020 with all the new developments that are happening. Company's websites: https://xtrm-northstar.com https://www.northstaridaho.com please follow us on twitter @XTRMBio. Disclaimer: The Company relies upon the Safe Harbor Laws of 1933, 1934 and 1995 for all public news releases. The company may make forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are estimates that reflect the company's best judgment based upon current information. All investments involve risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all such factors. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the company include, but are not limited to, government regulation; managing and maintaining growth; the effect of adverse publicity; litigation; competition; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the company's public announcements. Contact: Extreme Biodiesel, Inc. info@xtrm-northstar.com To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6867/60085_bio2.gif To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60085 For one thing, it's set amid a sadistic genocide of the fairy races by the Red Paladins, an army of Christian soldiers who burn crosses into the bald patches on their own pates. For another thing, the central figure is a young woman named Nimue. And, as you'd expect of a series adapted from an illustrated book by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, it's as imaginative as it is grotesque. Britain was a much more magical place and a much more vicious one back in pre-Arthurian times. Yes, there's an Arthur here, and a Merlin as well, but Cursed isn't your typical retread of the Arthurian legend. It's too easy to miss brilliant streaming shows, movies and documentaries. Here are the ones to hit play on or skip, including Katherine Langford's new show Cursed (sitting in at number one on Netflix Australia's top 10) and Paul Hogan's return to the screen. Nimue (Australian Katherine Langford, who showcased her prodigious talent in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why) is an unwilling sort of heroine. She has a special affinity with unseen spirits known as The Hidden or, more accurately, they have an affinity with her. This affinity, which sometimes manifests as nature itself committing acts of violence to protect her, has made her an outcast even within her own supernaturally inclined clan. Loading But when the Red Paladins slaughter her people, destiny calls, and she has to get a certain enchanted sword into a particular pair of hands. With Miller and Wheeler at the helm as executive producers and Wheeler serving as showrunner, the series is no doubt true to their vision, but in the early episodes at least, they don't find a consistent way of incorporating Miller's art style into proceedings. Short animated sequences serve as transitions between scenes but when the occasional bit of live action is suddenly rendered in a gruesome graphic-novel style it invariably comes as a surprise. There are plenty of neat touches, though it's clear that Nimue is no great swordswoman, and that when she's forced to fight it's the sword itself doing most of the work. There's some inspired casting too, not least Gustaf Skarsgard (Floki from Vikings) as Merlin, a magician who has lost his magic but is prepared to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants. Peter Mullan who can be as terrifying as anyone on any screen takes an interestingly low-key approach as the leader of the Red Paladins, underlining the deliberate nature of their deranged violence. Devon Terrell doesn't immediately stand out as young mercenary Arthur, but he has time. Genre fans will get immersed. Anti-government protests in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani are continuing to spread, with thousands expected to gather at the University of Mahasarakham on Wednesday to demand the government restore full-fledged democracy to the people. After thousands turned up on Saturday at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok to demand Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha to step down and dissolve the parliament after his governments lockdown measures and sweeping power have concentrated power. The rally, the largest protest since those of 2014 which precipitated Prayuths coup detat, continued hours for hours until midnight. Organizers of the Free Youth group said that if the government doesnt meet its demands in two weeks, another rally will take place. Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong tweeted his support for the Thai protesters on Sunday, rejoicing over the so-called #MilkTeaAlliance which has seen Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand fighting against authoritarianism. #Hongkongers will never forget how our Thai fellows stood with us against #Chinas nationalist trolls during #nnevvy saga and spoke up for us amid #Beijings authoritarian suppression in #HK. #MilkTeaAlliance, Wong wrote. That is the shared destiny for youths worldwide amid democratic backlashes We want our democracy back. We want our future back. Thailand since late March has been under the Emergency Decree, ostensibly enacted by Gen. Prayuth and his government to contain COVID-19. The state of emergency has been criticized as a pretense to lock down unrest. The movement also called out the government for the harassment and alleged abduction of its critics. Last month, Thai exile in Cambodia Wanchalerm Satsaksit was seen abducted near his apartment. He hasnt been seen since and is feared dead. The protests are a resumption of those which began prior to the pandemic in the wake of the court-ordered dissolution of a popular reformist party. Prior to the peak of COVID-19 infections in March, students from universities and schools nationwide hosted campus rallies demanding wholesale change. Some student activists claimed they were subsequently harassed by authorities. Story continues Related Not just art students: Silpakorn University rallies to demand return of democracy Protests sweep Thai campuses after court disbands popular political party This article, Anti-government rallies spreading across Thailand, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! DAMASCUS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria held a parliamentary election on Sunday, gripped by a collapsing economy and new U.S. sanctions after President Bashar al-Assad clawed back control of most of the country DAMASCUS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria held a parliamentary election on Sunday, gripped by a collapsing economy and new U.S. sanctions after President Bashar al-Assad clawed back control of most of the country. People voted across government territory at more than 7,000 polling stations, including for the first time in former rebel bastions that the army has recaptured over the last two years. Assad's opponents denounced the vote as a farce, nearly a decade into a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and made millions refugees. The elections, originally set for April, were postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. At a polling station in the capital Damascus, many voters - who were disinfected upon arrival - said they were worried about the rising costs of living. "We have to find a solution for the living conditions," said Samer Mahmoud, who owns a clothing shop. "God willing, I hope we overcome these sanctions," said Mouna Sukkar after casting her ballot. More than 1,600 candidates, many prominent businessmen, were competing for 250 MP seats in the third such election since the conflict erupted in 2011. No surprises were expected in the vote that marked Assad's second decade in power, with no real opposition to the ruling Baath party and its allies. The Syrian National Coalition, an opposition bloc based in Turkey that had Western backing, called it a "theatrical election by the Assad regime" with millions uprooted or in exile. In the town of Douma, in the eastern suburbs of Damascus where a fierce army offensive snuffed out insurgents in 2018, candidate banners hung in front of piles of rubble, collapsed rooftops and buildings pockmarked with bullets. Dozens of people crowded a polling station where a portrait of a smiling Assad covered a wall. "I came to vote...because we want to live in safety and for the rising prices to go down. There's a big turnout," said Ziad, a resident who fled and returned some two years ago. In 2016, when the town was rocked by fighting, he had cast his ballot in Damascus. The town was the site of a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people in 2018 and prompted Western missile strikes. Damascus and Moscow denied any chemical attack took place. Thanks to help from Russia and Iran, Assad holds more of Syria than at any time in the war, with the northeast in Kurdish hands, and rebels now confined to a northwest corner near the Turkish border. But the battered economy is sinking deeper into trouble, hit also by a financial meltdown in Lebanon that choked off dollars and the toughest U.S. sanctions yet imposed last month. Washington says the goal is to hold Assad to account. Damascus blames them for the hardship, as soaring prices and a fall in the value of the currency makes life harder for Syrians. (Writing by Ellen Francis; Editing by Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Minister of Health & Consumption, Patricia Gomez, explained on Monday that the Government wants "to be able to carry out controls on high incidence national flights", with questionnaires and temperature controls for passengers arriving in the Balearic Islands, as recommended by the Committee of Infectious Diseases Experts. The possibility that the controls could be done at source "is on the table" and the Government has transferred the request to the Central Government along with other possible measures within the framework of the current health situation. She also presented a new Vehicle for Rapid Intervention, or VIR, to Cala dOr. Minister Gomez also expressed the Government's concern about the worsening of the situation in some Autonomous Communities and the fact that the ports and airports are the responsibility of the Central Government and the Balearic Government cannot intervene without authorisation. She mentioned that Healthcare Professionals are taking care of all the controls of passengers on International flights, who must supply a health questionnaire and have their temperature taken when they arrive in the Balearic Islands. "But not in Spain, because the incidence accumulated at 14 days is good even with the regrowth, so the Government decided that the situation was very homogeneous and that these controls were not necessary on domestic flights," she said, but pointed out that authorisation to carry out this control would be "one more measure" to combat the pandemic. She ruled out PCR tests saying they must start from a clinical indication and there must be a situation that justifies it, adding that "tests in general are not very useful" and should only be performed on people who have had close contact with someone whos been infected. "What we are talking about and will pass to the Ministry is the possibility of being able to carry out these controls on domestic flights, whenever the Government deems it appropriate," she insisted. The Government is also concerned about the possibility that passengers will import cases from a country in South America or the EU, which has a high incidence of Covid-19. "There are countries with a very high cumulative incidence especially in South America, whose borders are closed, but people can still travel if they live here and this worries us," she said. "We have had positive cases and we are carrying out an active search to do tests as soon as we are aware that these people have arrived and the same thing happens with some EU countries whose cumulative incidence is much higher than in Spain, she added. Minister Gomez stressed that the outbreaks in Spain appear to be limited, apart from in Catalonia where people have been advised not to travel. "We thought more about cases being imported from outside Spain and we thought that maybe we should have more control over these people," she said. The Committee of Experts has also proposed that the Government improve information on the use of face masks as well as on outbreaks and why they occur, "because we often relax in the closest situations with the family and in places of leisure, said Minister Gomez. She confirmed that more people are being trained to track cases "just in case its necessary to have them and they have a very fast response time, so they are giving PCR tests to all contacts very quickly. Minister Gomez warned that in many cases people are asymptomatic. "That is very difficult because those with no symptoms dont know that they can transmit the disease to other people, so we will continue to implement all measures," she promised. The new Rapid Intervention Vehicle, or VIR for Cala dOr is the result of a demand from Santanyi to have more support, she said. "Although we had a good response in advanced and basic life support and the Llevant area has vehicles, Cala DOr does not. So with this new vehicle equipped as a mobile ICU, Cala d'Or will now have a Technician, a Nurse and a Doctor available from 0900 until 2100, who can handle both minor and major emergencies and more Healthcare Professionals, means the external nuclei of Santanyi is more protected. Minister Gomez said that a basic life support unit is also being established in Felanitx, there is also a mobile ICU in Campos and another in Manacor, so with the new vehicle in Cala d'Or the area is fully covered and has a better response capacity. Mayor Maria Pons was thankful for the vehicle and pointed out that during a normal summer there would be around 35,000 people in Cala dOr in July. "Neighbours demand a point of continuous attention, but this vehicle is the first step and gives us 12 more hours of attention which is a good start, she said. Bijay Chaki By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: With the Covid-19 situation rapidly becoming serious in Odisha, the Opposition political parties BJP and Congress on Sunday called upon the BJD Government to involve the political leadership from the state-level to the grassroots in the fight against the pandemic without leaving everything in the hands of the bureaucracy. They also called for taking the Opposition into confidence so as to ensure combined efforts to deal with the emergent situation more effectively and contain the spread of the deadly virus in the state. The Opposition alleged, ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, political leaders including the ministers and ruling party legislators are missing in action and they have been kept out from the decision making process. Even decisions regarding a particular district or area are taken without consulting the local ministers and peoples representatives. All activities of the ruling BJD were suspended for about three months till Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik convened a virtual meeting of the legislature party in the first week of July to communicate with his own party leaders. There was no planning from the beginning. Leaving Ganjam district in the hands of an inexperienced collector where nearly five lakh migrants returned has aggravated the situation, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra said. The situation could have been handled in a better manner had the Government put the Covid management of the district in hands of a team of experienced politicians, bureaucrats and experts, he said. But in Odisha, the Cabinet has become defunct and peoples representatives are non-existent for the last four months. Had the government taken the local leadership into confidence, the migrant problem could have been managed in a better manner. More than seven lakh migrants returned home, but the Government consulted nobody over such an important issue, he stated. The senior leader, however, said, There is still time. The Government should take everybody into confidence and put in place a clear cut plan to tackle the situation. There is no politics here as it is a life and death situation for people. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party Narasingh Mishra was also of the same opinion. Everybodys view should be taken into consideration and there should be a combined effort to deal with the situation, Mishra said and demanded that steps should be taken to convene an Assembly session at the earliest. A meeting of all political parties should be convened to discuss the issue before the session, he said. No doubt, bureaucrats are working hard, but they cannot take people into confidence and this is where the role of a peoples representative becomes important, he said and added that a legislator can have a better communication with the people of his constituency. Both the political parties alleged that there was much propaganda over delegating collectors power to sarpanchs, but the real power remained with the district collectors.BJD leaders did not want to comment on the issue. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has resorted to using state security and gangsters disguised as National Security to intimate their key leaders in the ongoing voter registration exercise. The accusation is coming on the back of a reported attack by armed men on the filling station and Supermarket of the Parliamentary Candidate of the NDC for the Ledzokuku Constituency, Hon Ben Ayiku Narh at Anumantu, Teshie Tsuibleoo. The incidence occurred on Sunday, July 19, 2020, when a four-member military patrol team from the Teshie Southern Command led by one Captain Dominic N. Nakpaja together with other un-uniformed heavily built men stormed the office of the Parliamentary Candidate which is in the same building of his Supermarket during a meeting with some traditional leaders on the grounds that they have intelligence that the NDC was registering people at night. Following the siege which led to the locking up of Hon Ben Ayiku Narh as well as the traditional leaders and all those in the office, the NDC has through a press statement stressed that it was all orchestrated by NPP MP Dr. Bernard Oko Boye. According to the NDC, the incumbent MP has resorted to the foul tactics because he is aware the people of Ledzokuku Constituency are bent on voting him out during the 2020 General Elections. We are not unaware of how the NPP has regretted calling for compilation of new register and as a result, have plotted to cash in on the new siege to use State security and it's gangsters disguised as National Security officers to intimidate, harass and frustrate key leaders of our party, and by extension Ghanaians, a press statement from the NDC has said today. The main opposition party insists that no amount of machinations will save Ledzokuku Constituency MP from defeat when the country goes to the polls in December. Dr. Oko Boye and his NPP have lost it. No amount of schemes will save him. His days as MP for Ledzokuku are numbered and it'll surely end on December 7. He can import the dreaded salafist militant organization, Al-Qaeda, or the jihadist terrorist group, Boko Haram to Ledzokuku, he and his NPP will still suffer excruciating defeat, the press statement added. While demanding for the immediate release of Hon. Ben Ayiku Narh and his constituency executives who have been detained by the Police, the NDC says they want to remind H.E Nana Addo that his privileged position as Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is not a license for him to transform our revered Armed Forces into NPP Forces. Read the full press statement from the NDC below: GREATER ACCRA REGIONAL NDC CONDEMNS SPONSORED MILITARY INVASION AND HARASSMENT OF IT'S PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR LEDZOKUKU, BEN AYIKU NARH AND DEMAND IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF IT'S CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVES Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press, we have once again invited you to our Regional Office this morning, as usual, at a very short notice for a briefing on the reckless use of executive power by the Akufo Addo-led New Patriotic Party government to hound, harass and intimidate political adversaries and innocent Ghanaians in the ongoing voter registration exercise. It is no news that the ongoing registration exercise is tainted with reported cases of violence at registration centres in the region. Shamefully, these acts of violence were and are being engineered by state sponsored brigands of the NPP with the support of some State security officers who have sadly been reduced to internal security of the New Patriotic Party. Ladies and gentlemen, NDC Parliamentary candidates and executives have, since the start of the registration exercise, reported cases of unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on our agents, and in some cases, on executives themselves, to the Ghana Police Service. Videos and pictures of NPP thugs unleashing vicious attacks on innocent Ghanaians have been submitted to the Police to aid their investigations. In some instances, these NPP thugs, under the guise of National Security Operatives, openly beat people in the presence of State Security officials. In all of these sordid spectacles, no action has been taken by State Security agencies mandated by law to protect innocent citizens on who's sweat and toils they feed. The latest of such vicious display of State sponsored attack on innocent citizens which has necessitated this press briefing, ladies and gentlemen, was an unwarranted, needless, jejune and superfluous invasion of a supermarket and filing station, Maxxon Supermarket and filing station, owned by our Parliamentary Candidate for Ledzokuku Constituency, Hon Ben Ayiku Narh at Anumantu, Teshie Tsuibleoo on Sunday, July 19, 2020 at about 7:00pm. For the unnitiated, Maxxon Supermarket and filing Station, like any other filing station, is a public place where people from all walks of life are at liberty to drive or walk in to buy items of their choice. It is however important to point out that, the same building houses the private office of our Candidate and incoming MP for Ledzokuku, Ben Ayiku. Needless to say, it is open secret that strategic political meetings of the PC are held there. It is therefore not out of place to spot known political heads of the NDC there on any day. Ladies and gentlemen, suffice to state that, at the start of the ongoing registration exercise, our PC and the Constituency Executives agreed to use his office as 'collation centre'. Beginning from June 30 when the exercise begun, all daily printouts, i.e. start of day and end of day, were assembled at his office and the total number of registered voters for each day keyed into a desktop computer at the office. On Sunday, July 19, the PC and Executives had arranged to meet some traditional leaders in his office in the evening. While the meeting was ongoing, our agents came to the office with print outs for day one of the third phase of the ongoing exercise. While at it, a four member military patrol team from the Teshie Southern Command, armed to the teeth, led by one Captain Dominic N. Nakpaja together with other un-uniformed heavily built men stormed the office. Captain Nakpaja and his men, together with the un-uniformed men, which were later indentified as members of NPP's criminal group, Invincible Forces, unintelligently claimed they had picked intelligence that the NDC had set up a registration centre at the PC's office and was registering people at night. The officers, together with the NPP hoodlums, obviously acting on the instructions of the failed MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, locked up our PC, traditional leaders and all those in the office and held them incommunicado. For a moment, the place was turned into a scene akin to invasion by armed robbers. The officers said they had instruction from the dreadful but unknown inaudible 'orders from above' to search the office and seize the supposed registration machines. The PC and his team, rebuffed the allegation and pointed to a desktop computer that the Party's IT officer was using to collate the registered voters for the day. Bent on carrying out the orders, the officers and their criminal gangs counterparts from the NPP insisted on searching the office and seizing the desktop computer. This was fiercely resisted as the officers and NPP hoodlums could not produce any search warrant. Funny enough, the military men and their gang invaded the office ostensibly to arrest NDC registering voters at night without the knowledge of the Kpeshie divisional command. It will also interest you to know that at the time the illegal invaders came, and as we speak, the EC has not complained or reported that any of it's BVR kits is missing. The illegal invaders nonetheless attempted to use force to seize the computer but the good people of Teshie, incensed my the failed leadership of Oko Boye and the Akufo Addo government, massed up in their numbers and resisted them. It took reinforcement from the Teshie Southern Command to disperse the crowd amidst gunshots. They however succeeded in confiscating the desktop computer and EC's print outs from the various registration centres for the first day of the third phase. The Constituency Chairman and Organizer and some others followed it up to the Accra Central Police station where Captain Nakpaja claimed to have lodged official complaint. Upon arrival at the Station, the police CID in charge said he had been instructed by the powers that be to detain the Constituency Chairman and Organizer for reasons or crime we are yet to be told. It should be on record that the illegal invaders of our PC's office did not see any of the 8000 BVR kits deployed by EC for this exercise, save a desktop computer and daily printouts. We are at lost how a once credible institution like the Ghana Armed Forces made up of men and women with unmatched intelligence, will invade private office of a private citizen at night and claim that a desktop computer is being used to register potential voters. It is also on record that no EC official was seen or arrested at the private office of our PC. If the officers made any such arrest, we challenge them to make their details known to the EC for them to be punished. Questions however still remain unanswered as to who was doing the Registration, which machines were being used for that purpose and onto which system was the supposed night Registration feeding on or into? Ladies and gentlemen, we are not unaware of how the NPP has regretted calling for compilation of new register and as a result, have plotted to cash in on the new siege to use State security and it's gangsters disguised as National Security officers to intimidate, harass and frustrate key leaders of our party, and by extension Ghanaians. The NPP, particularly Dr Oko Boye is called upon to note that, the people of Ledzokuku are already aware of the truth in all issues leading to this senseless invasion of Maxxon supermarket and filing station. The daily impressive turnouts at the registration centres, which has sent Oko Boye quivering, is indicative of the fact that the people of Ledzokuku have a collective agenda to convert the 'new register' into new President and new MP on December 7. Dr. Oko Boye and his NPP have lost it. No amount of schemes will save him. His days as MP for Ledzokuku are numbered and it'll surely end on December 7. He can import the dreaded salafist militant organization, Al-Qaeda, or the jihadist terrorist group, Boko Haram to Ledzokuku, he and his NPP will still suffer excruciating defeat. We salute the good people of Teshie for manningng up and resisting the tyrannical tendencies of Oko Boye and Akufo Addo. The display of the people's power is a foretaste of how they have ready themselves to once again give Ledzokuku it's befitting leadership on December 7. To President Akufo Addo, we want to remind him that his privileged position as Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is not a license for him to transform our revered Armed Forces into NPP Forces. While we condemn these unwarranted and senseless harassments in the strongest of voice and energy, we call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt General Obed Boamah Akwa to guard against the enviable reputation of the Ghana Armed Forces. Recent happenings, particularly in the ongoing registration exercise is blemishing the respect that the military commands in this country. Our fear is that if these things continue, the citizens may be forced to use unauthorized means to defend and protect themselves. The military should be the last agency to bow to NPP's pressure and desperation to explore crude tactics to hang onto power. We demand that our Constituency Chairman, Organizer and any other person being detained in respect of these false and unintelligent allegation be released immediately. We do not expect anybody to ask us what we will do when they are not released. Whoever wants to know what we will do in the unlikely event they are not released should ready him or herself to witness what will happen thereof. Thank you Global wealth managers operating in Hong Kong have launched a crackdown on clients with ties to the country's pro-democracy movement. HSBC, Credit Suisse, UBS and Julius Baer are among the firms scrutinising their customers for any connection to the pro-democracy protests. Prominent pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong, who has been arrested several times for his involvement in protests, claimed he had already been questioned by HSBC over his income. Pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong, who has been arrested several times for his involvement in protests, claimed he had already been questioned by HSBC over his income The international banks are keen to avoid falling foul of the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong last month, tightening Beijing's grip on the territory. The law criminalises any criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, and UK and US governments have already slammed the changes for eroding vital freedoms and human rights in Hong Kong. Sources told Reuters news agency that the major banks were broadening their programmes which screen clients for political and government ties. Customers who are designated so-called 'politically exposed persons' can find it difficult, or even impossible, to access banking services. The law also gives a new police unit greater powers to freeze and confiscate funds and property, while businesses can face penalties ranging from fines and suspension to the loss of licenses. The banks' checks involve combing through what clients and their associates have said in public and on social media, as far back as 2014 when the most recent wave of pro-democracy protests began. Wong, one of Hong Kong's most vocal campaigners, said he had been questioned by HSBC over the royalty income from his book, Unfree Speech: The Threat To Global Democracy And Why We Must Act, Now. He warned: 'It's absolutely unimaginable how far this financial censorship will go, especially under vaguely defined law, Beijing's tightening red lines and its thriving wolf-warrior diplomatic ambitions. 'One thing is sure Beijing clamps down on dissidents in China by controlling their accounts.' HSBC and Standard Chartered, which are both based in the UK but make most of their profits in Asia, have been criticised for their support of China's new national security law. Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said HSBC may be 'more closely aligned to the Chinese government than Her Majesty's Government'. Both HSBC and Standard Chartered said they were supporting the national security law to ensure stability in Hong Kong. HSBC said: 'We already have a stringent set of policies and rigorous processes in place which we apply globally.' Credit Suisse, UBS and Julius Baer declined to comment. Microsoft is officially halting the 12-Month Xbox Live Gold plans' sales, which might be a hint that they'll be focusing more of their resources on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. But maybe they're working on a new service altogether that they're going to be releasing by the time when the Xbox Series X officially launches? Is Xbox Live Gold Going To Be Cancelled? In a statement that Microsoft gave to the site TrueAchievements, they said that the 12-month Xbox Live Gold plan wasn't being sold anymore. But Xbox gamers shouldn't worry since there are still the 1-month and 3-month plans that you could still purchase from their platforms. As of the statement that Microsoft gave, Xbox has made the sudden decision to remove the 12-month Xbox Live Gold plan from the online Microsoft store. However, Microsoft has noted that customers who want to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold can still do so by subscribing to the 1-month or 3-month plans online via the Microsoft store. Further reasons why Microsoft made this decision haven't been given by the company yet, which is being thought over by many gamers. However, on July 16, the Head of Xbox Phil Spencer made a surprising announcement. The announcement said that members of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate would be automatically entitled to the services of Project xCloud when September 2020 arrives. These members won't have to pay any extra fees. What does this mean for Xbox Live Gold? It's starting to seem like Microsoft is attempting to phase out the Xbox Live Gold subscription plans. At the same time, they are actively trying to gather all their focus on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft may be planning to include the Xbox Game Pass as well as Xbox Live Gold into it. Another announcement that Microsft gave was that they were going to be ending the production of the Xbox One X along with the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Read More: 'Call Of Duty Warzone' Streamer Catches Cheater Using Hacks That Let Them Kill Parachuting Players What Is Microsoft Planning? These moves from Microsoft seem to be the company gearing up for the build-up to the upcoming Xbox Series X launch. What could Microsoft be planning by making all these decisions? It's unclear right now. But while the reasoning behind Microsoft's plans is unknown, there will be more information revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase happening on July 23 and other future Xbox events. However, it's beginning to look like Microsoft has a new plan for Xbox Live. This new plan the company has will reportedly be revealed during a supposed planned Xbox Series S event that will happen in August 2020. It may be best if you don't buy any Xbox Live Gold subscriptions until they give out the announcement. There might be a significantly better deal Microsoft hasn't announced yet. Read More: Upcoming Xbox Games Showcase Will Be An Event That Solely Focuses On Games Australia Post is paying for a confidential security program to protect its sensitive information amid a series of leaks that revealed the company was considering slowing letter delivery times and replacing post offices with automated kiosks. The revelation comes from a Senate inquiry into the future of Australia's postal service, which received government permission to lower its service and save money as letter volumes plummeted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate was repeatedly asked during a Senate hearing whether the company was monitoring senior staff. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Under grilling from Labor Senator Kim Carr during a Senate committee hearing on July 8, Australia Post's chief executive Christine Holgate was repeatedly asked whether the government-owned company was monitoring senior staff members, including by sweeping for bugs and checking phone records, after leaks to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Ms Holgate deferred her answers but in responses to questions on notice Australia Post said it had "a risk-based security program including to preserve the integrity and security of confidential and sensitive information that takes into account best practice standards". It said details of the program were commercial-in-confidence and that, if the details were to become public, it would hurt Australia Post. Tens of thousands are preparing a range of planned actions in a push for racial equality and better pay across the US. Organisers of a national workers strike say tens of thousands are set to walk off the job on Monday in more than two dozen United States cities to protest against systemic racism and economic inequality that has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. Dubbed the Strike for Black Lives, labour unions, along with social and racial justice organisations from New York City to Los Angeles, will participate in a range of planned actions. Where work stoppages are not possible for a full day, participants will either picket during a lunch break or observe moments of silence to honour Black lives lost to police violence, organisers said. We are building a country where Black lives matter in every aspect of society including in the workplace, said Ash-Lee Henderson, an organiser with the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organisations that make up the Black Lives Matter movement. The Strike for Black Lives is a moment of reckoning for corporations that have long ignored the concerns of their Black workforce and denied them better working conditions, living wages and healthcare, said Henderson, who is also co-executive director of the Tennessee-based Highlander Research and Education Center. Among the strikers will be essential workers: nursing home employees, cleaners and delivery men and women. Fast food, ride-share and airport workers are also expected to take part in planned events. The strike continues an ongoing global reckoning on race and police brutality set off by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May. At noon in each US time zone on Monday, workers are expected to take a knee for about nine minutes the period of time prosecutors say a white police officer held his knee on Floyds neck. Strikers are demanding sweeping action by corporations and government to confront systemic racism and economic inequality that limits mobility and career advancement for many Black and Hispanic workers, who make up a disproportionate number of those earning less than a living wage. Specifically, they are calling on corporate leaders and elected government officials to use executive and legislative power to guarantee people of all races can thrive. That demand includes raising wages and allowing workers to unionise to negotiate better health care, sick leave and child care support. When the strike was announced on July 8, partnering unions included the Service Employees International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers, United Farm Workers and the Fight for $15 and a Union. Several more worker collectives have since joined, along with social and racial justice groups. In Manhattan, essential workers will gather outside of the Trump International Hotel to demand the Senate and President Donald Trump pass and sign the HEROES Act. The House-passed legislation provides protective equipment, essential pay and extended unemployment benefits to workers who have not had the option of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers said New York Senator Chuck Schumer is expected to rally with workers. Strikers in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed on May 25, will include nursing home and airport workers demanding a $15-per-hour minimum wage, organisers said. In Missouri, participants will rally at McDonalds locations in St Louis and Ferguson, a key landmark in the protest movement sparked by the death of Michael Brown, a Black teenager who was killed by police in 2014. The Ferguson strikers will also march to a memorial site located on the spot where Brown was shot and killed. Organisers said many strikers are taking particular aim at corporations such as Walmart and McDonalds, which they say should be held accountable for widespread mistreatment and exploitation of hourly workers of colour. In the wake of Floyd protests, McDonalds expressed its support for Black victims of police violence and vigilante attacks. On Friday, a group of McDonalds workers filed a federal lawsuit against the corporation in Florida, alleging that managers at a corporate-run store in Lakeland subjected them to a racially hostile work environment and also had mistreated Black customers. The workers alleged that after they reported their concerns to corporate leaders, their managers retaliated by slashing their hours and changing their work responsibilities. A protester holds a Black Lives Matter sign towards police shooting tear gas after a march through the Center City neighbourhood on June 1, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in response to George Floyds death in Minneapolis, Minnesota while in police custody [Mark Makela/Getty Images] McDonalds, if you really believe Black lives matter, its time to stop with the lip service and start with real action: treat your Black employees like our lives matter, said Faith Booker, a Black plaintiff in the lawsuit who also plans to join strikers on Monday. In a statement emailed to the AP, McDonalds said it was taking the claims in the lawsuit seriously. We stand with Black communities across the globe in our commitment to address unacceptable racial injustices and are disappointed that these allegations do not reflect the high standards we hold ourselves accountable to every day across all areas of our business, the statement reads. The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 600,000 people worldwide. Over 14.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their nations' outbreaks. The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.8 million diagnosed cases and at least 140,855 deaths. PHOTO: A nurse swabs the nose of Rafael Ruiz through a glass pane in the Aardvark Mobile Healths Mobile Covid-19 Testing Truck, July 17, 2020, in Miami Beach. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Latest headlines: California, Florida running out of available ICU beds Heat wave forces Washington, D.C. to freeze public testing sites Surgeon general pleads with Americans to wear face masks France makes wearing a mask indoors mandatory Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern. Check back for updates. 8:21 p.m.: LA County offering $20 gift cards to incentivize contact tracing In an effort to improve contact tracing, Los Angeles County is offering a $20 gift card to those who "fully cooperate" with their interview, Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said Monday. Many people do not want to share personal details with contact tracers for fear of losing their job, housing or relationships, Ferrer said. So the county is now offering the incentive to those who fully participate in the interview process, which can take over an hour. The county has also launched a new call center to connect with people who test positive for COVID-19 and is introducing a new text-based system to check in with them, Ferrer said. On Monday, LA County's health department reported 3,160 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 159,045. 4:08 p.m.: California ICU space running low as cases rise California Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing to urge residents to social distance and wear face coverings as the number of cases in the state continues to climb and tax hospitals. Story continues The state recorded 6,846 new positive cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 391,358, according to the governor. The state's 14-day average has grown from 7,800 new daily cases on July 12 to 8,370 new daily cases on July 19, according to the state health department. There were nine new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the statewide total to 7,694. Newsom warned that while the number of new fatalities may be low, the seven-day average for new deaths was 91 on July 19, compared to 77 a week ago. PHOTO: California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2020-2021 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP, FILE) "We've seen numbers go up, they go down -- the best way is to watch the numbers over a seven-day period," he said. Newsom also warned that hospitals across the state are seeing a 16% jump over the last two weeks in COVID-19 cases. Hospital ICU bed admissions were up 12% statewide during that same period, and for some facilities its worse, according to the governor. San Benito County hospitals, he noted, have no ICU beds left. PHOTO: A drive-through testing center is shown in operation during an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Inglewood, California, July 20, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters) The state announced that San Francisco County will be put on the California monitoring list, which requires additional closures from the baseline statewide measures such as indoor dining, indoor places of worship and indoor entertainment. More than 36 million people, roughly 91% of California's population, lives in counties listed in the monitoring list. "It's our decisions, not our conditions, our decisions, that will determine our fate and future as it relates to the spread of this virus," Newsom said. 3:12 p.m.: Ohio records over 1,200 new cases in 24 hours Ohio saw 1,236 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the state's Health Department. The state now has 76,168 coronavirus cases in total and a 21-day average of 1,196 new cases a day, according to Health Department data. Ohio recorded 15 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total casualty numbers to 3,189, the health department said. The 21-day average for daily reported deaths is 18, according to the Health Department. PHOTO: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about his plans for the coming year during an interview at the Governor's Residence in Columbus, Ohio. (John Minchillo/AP, FILE) There is a mask mandate for 19 counties; however, Gov. Mike DeWine told "Meet the Press" on Sunday he is mulling expanding the order to more counties. 1:42 p.m.: Heat wave forces Washington, D.C. to freeze public testing sites The heatwave hitting the East Coast has forced Washington, D.C. to suspend its coronavirus testing Monday. The city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency sent an alert to residents that it would close all of its public testing sites because of the extreme weather. The National Weather Service said the temperature would top out at 99 degrees with a heat index above 100 in the city. "Residents are encouraged to call their health care providers if they are in need of a test," the alert said. 1:26 p.m.: Smithsonian to open 2 of its facilities The Smithsonian announced it will begin the phased reopening of its Washington, D.C. cultural institutions on Friday. The National Zoo in northwest Washington, D.C. and the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, will be open to visitors through a timed entry pass system. Visitors above 6 years old will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines in both locations, according to the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian will release 5,000 timed passes per day for the Zoo and about 1,500 passes per day for the Udvar-Hazy Center. 12:45 p.m.: California puts pause on high school sports The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees the state's high school sports, announced it will put a pause on the beginning of the athletic season. "It is anticipated that most Section start dates will commence in December 2020 or January 2021," the federation said in a statement. California has seen a jump in cases over the last few weeks and currently has 384,692 total cases, according to the state's Health Department. 12:00 p.m.: WHO says vaccine update is promising The emergencies chief for the World Health Organization told reporters in Geneva that the latest findings from vaccine studies are good news, but warned that there is still work to be done. Dr. Mike Ryan said the phase one results from a vaccine study at Oxford University were promising as it showed little to no adverse effects of the vaccine. He said that more research is needed with a larger sample scale. "We now need to move into larger scale real world trials, but it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery," he said. 11:36 a.m.: Mississippi governor extends mask mandate for more counties Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told "Good Morning America" he will extend his current order for mandated masks to more counties, but will not yet issue a statewide order. Reeves said there are over 41,000 confirmed cases in the state and health officials are recording 1,000 new cases a day. He urged residents to take the pandemic seriously and abide by the social distancing and mask guidelines. "We think that we've got to make sure that everyone understands that we need your participation to help us slow the spread of this virus," he told "GMA." The governor's original mask mandate for 13 Mississippi counties was set to expire Monday, however he said he was extending the order for those areas and was adding 10 more counties to the order. Reeves said that he was not yet considering a statewide order even though the governors in neighboring states Texas and Alabama have done so. "I believe this is the best strategy for Mississippi," he said. 11:13 a.m.: Florida hospitals running out of ICU beds as cases soar over 360,000 Florida health officials say their hospitals are reaching capacity in their ICUs as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb, with the statewide total now over 360,000. Roughly 18% of the state's adult ICU beds are available and 53 medical facilities in the state have maxed out their ICU bed load, according to Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration. There were 292 people were hospitalized in the last 24 hours, the Florida Health Department reported Monday morning, bringing the state's total COVID-19 hospitalizations to 21,263. There are currently 9,397 active coronavirus hospitalizations, according to the health department. PHOTO: Staff bring a patient in to Broward Health Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 17, 2020. (Larry Marano/REX via Shutterstock) The state recorded 10,347 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing Florida's total to 360,394, the Health Department said. The seven-day average of new cases has been over 10,000 for the last week, according to Health Department data. There were 92 additional deaths recorded during that timeframe, bringing the state's total casualty count to 5,183, according to the Health Department. 10:25 a.m.: New York officials warn of potential reclosings after crowds spotted outside restaurants Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio gave harsh warnings to New Yorkers following several reports and viral videos over the weekend that showed crowds outside New York City bars and restaurants. A frustrated governor called the incidents "stupid" and raised concerns that those actions could increase the spread of the virus and undo the work that was done to keep case numbers down. "We cannot allow these congregations to continue," Cuomo said at a news conference on Monday. "We're going to have to roll back the reopening plan and close back bars and restaurants." De Blasio said during his daily briefing that he shut down a restaurant in Astoria, Queens, where some customers were seen loitering in the streets. He said police officials will be out near hots pots to enforce the city's COVID-19 rules and they are ready to shut down more establishments that don't comply. "It's not widespread, but where it's happening it will be stopped," he said. New York City entered phase four of the state's reopening plan Monday, with several industries being allowed to resume operations including indoor and outdoor film productions. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state was 716, the lowest number since March 18, and there were eight related fatalities in New York, according to the governor. Cuomo said the state will have a challenge due to the increasing number of cases throughout the country and urged New Yorkers to remain cautious. "We have to protect the progress we made. ... "An outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere." 10:13 a.m.: Oxford study on coronavirus vaccine generates promising early results A team of scientists at the University of Oxford released promising results showing their COVID-19 vaccine appears safe in a Phase 1/2 study. The results, which were published Monday in the scientific journal The Lancet, found the vaccine appeared to activate several parts of the immune system. Experts say only the results of an ongoing larger Phase 3 study will show if the vaccine works to protect people from the virus. 8:25 a.m.: Surgeon General pleads with Americans to wear face masks During an interview on "Fox and Friends," Surgeon General Jerome Adams pleaded with Americans to wear face masks and cited their benefits, despite previous vocal doubts from President Donald Trump. Adams told the hosts Trump and the administration are on the same page and the most effective way to reopen the country safely was for every person to wear a mask voluntarily. "I'm pleading with your viewers, I'm begging you, please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering," he said. "We are saying if we do these things, we can actually open and stay open." PHOTO: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams walks to the West Wing of the White House, July 7, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) On Sunday, during his interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump said he's a believer masks but also "masks cause problems too," and said there would be no national mandate for masks. He also took issue with CDC Director Robert Redfield's statement that if everyone wore face masks over the next four to six weeks, "we could drive this epidemic to the ground." "I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask everything disappears," Trump said during the interview. MORE: Don't fall for these 3 myths about face masks Trump also criticized Adams during the interview for earlier statements against mask use. The surgeon general admitted he and his team were wrong during the beginning of the pandemic. "Once we realized that the science was different for this virus, we changed our recommendations," Adams said. Adams argued against a federal mask mandate, citing concerns over enforcement. "I would rather help people understand why they should cooperate with wearing a mask and how they benefit from it versus simply saying we are going to force you to do it particularly sending in federal troops and using federal mechanism," he said. 3:55 a.m.: France makes wearing mask indoors mandatory France is taking a new step in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, making the wearing of the mask mandatory in closed public spaces starting Monday. Minister of Health Olivier Veran said on Saturday that the obligation to wear a mask would apply in shops, "establishments open to the public", "covered markets" or even banks. Wearing a mask on the street, in parks, at sea, on hiking trails or at the beach is not included in the new legislation. The fine for non-compliance will be 135 euros ($154 U.S.). Meanwhile, France's health minister said that there is an estimated "400 to 500 active clusters in France" of COVID-19. Veran told local news outlet franceinfo on Monday morning that there were "worrisome signs of an epidemic resumption in certain territories." "These places of contamination are mainly located in closed places and in specific environments such as slaughterhouses" said Veran. "We are very far from the epidemic wave ... there is a dynamic of circulation of the virus that worries us." What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map 2:10 a.m.: 85 members of shipping vessel in Alaska test positive for COVID-19 At least 85 crew members on an American Seafoods ship have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the company. A factory trawler called The American Triumph departed Oregon on June 27 with 119 crew members on board to make their way to Alaska to fish for pollock, but two weeks after the ship departed seven members of the crew reported that they were suffering from symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19. The seven crew members were tested in Unalaska and six out of the seven of them tested positive for the virus. All crew members were then tested and a total of 79 more workers were found to have tested positive, bringing the total to 85 crew members out of the 119 onboard the American Triumph, according to a statement by the city. American Seafoods spokeswoman Suzanne Lugoni said that none of the crew showed COVID-19 symptoms before boarding and that the company screened employees before the fishing expedition began. "We are moving expeditiously to relocate our crew and get them the care they need," said American Seafoods CEO Mikel Durham. "I want to thank the Illiuliuk Family and Health Services, the City of Unalaska Unified Command, and the public health and critical infrastructure professionals in Alaska who provided us with support and clear guidance." Meanwhile, Alaska had 119 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday -- a new record for the state. All of the crew members will now be moved to Anchorage where they will isolate. "Our priority is supporting our crew members and protecting the community. I am deeply grateful for the entire Alaska community for working with us to get our crew the care they need," said Durham. ABC News' Ibtissem Guenfoud, Christine Theodorou, Alex Stone, Jordyn Phelps and Marilyn Heck contributed to this report. Coronavirus updates: Newsom presses Californians to fight spread as ICU beds run low originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Indian Banks' Association in January rejected the proposal for a five-day working week but offered a 19 percent pay hike to employees Dharamsala: Bank employee unions have again raised their demand for a five-day working week, stating that reducing the number of working days would help bankers who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus disease due to their exposure to public. The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) in January had rejected the unions' proposal for a five-day working week but offered a 19 per cent pay hike to employees. At present, banks have holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays every month and on every Sunday. The All India Bank Employees Association in a statement said that the coronavirus threat is haunting bankers, where they are highly exposed to the general public dealing and now a five-day week is the requirement of the hour. The association noted that while whole world is carving for four-day working, the country is still looking for a way to opt for five-days banking. Talking to PTI, the president of All India State Bank Officers Federation, Deepak Sharma, said, "Moreover, it will also be a positive step in the direction of Digital India in conformity with PM's vision. "The working conditions in the Banks have been strenuous. Poor infrastructure, lack of adequate staff has made the officers work till late in the night, resulting in poor health, huge pressure on the officers, which culminates in serious work-leisure mismatches, life style diseases and of late, repeated acts of suicides being committed by the officers of the Banks." Officers are called upon to work on holidays and Sundays, frequently disrupting the personal life, Sharma claimed. By Associated Press TEHRAN: Iran executed a man convicted of providing information to the United States and Israel about a prominent Revolutionary Guard general later killed by a U.S. drone strike, state TV reported on Monday. The report said the death sentence was carried out against Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, without elaborating. The country's judiciary had said in June that Majd was "linked to the CIA and the Mossad," the Israeli intelligence agency, and alleged that Majd shared security information on the Guard and its expeditionary unit, called the Quds, or Jerusalem Force, which Qassem Soleimani commanded. Soleimani was killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad in January. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, and five others. Iran later retaliated for Soleimani's killing with a ballistic missile strike targeting US forces in Iraq. That same night, the Guard accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner in Tehran, killing 176 people. The species is more drug-resistant than its two parents and highly dangerous for patients with respiratory diseases and compromised immune systems. Credit: Gustavo H. Goldman / USP Aspergillus latus, a species of fungus previously found only in soil or plants, has been found for the first time in a hospital environment by an international group of researchers. The group sequenced its genome and discovered that it is actually a hybrid and is up to three times more drug-resistant than the two species from which it derives. An article on the study is published in Current Biology and coauthored by researchers from Brazil, the United States, Portugal, and Belgium. The research was supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) . Aspergillosis is a lung disease caused by fungi of this genus, especially A. fumigatus, which is widely found in plants and soil. All humans regularly inhale spores of Aspergillus, which do not usually cause symptoms in healthy subjects. In patients with weak immune systems, however, the mold can cause pneumonia, build up fungal balls (aspergillomas) in the lungs, and spread to become invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, the most severe form of the disease. A. fumigatus is the most frequent cause of aspergillosis, but other species also cause the condition, including A. flavus, A. niger, A. nidulans, and A. terreus. "In about 90% of cases, infection by Aspergillus is caused by A. fumigatus, but in some human genetic diseases, A. nidulans is a more frequent cause. We therefore started assembling clinical material from various parts of the world to see how often this species occurred in a hospital environment. To our surprise, six out of ten samples contained a fungus that had never before been found to infect people," said Gustavo Henrique Goldman, a professor in the University of Sao Paulo's Ribeirao Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) in Brazil and coprincipal investigator for the study with Antonis Rokas, a professor at Vanderbilt University in the United States. Genetic sequencing also revealed that A. latus is a hybrid of two relatively distantly related species and contains complete copies of the DNA of both parental species. Tests performed by other groups have already shown that A. latus can be up to three times more resistant to anti-fungal drugs than its parental species, A. spinulosporus and an unknown relative of A. quadrilineatus. It also more effectively combats human immune cells. "The fungus gains significant advantages from being a hybrid," Goldman said. "Accurate identification of the species that causes the infection is important in order to decide on the best treatment and avoid resistance to existing drugs." However, he added, few Brazilian hospitals currently have the resources to perform genetic sequencing in order to identify the fungi that contaminate patients with greater than genus-level precision. Identification is typically achieved by morphological analysis under a microscope, which leaves room for misdiagnosis. The samples of A. latus used in the study, for example, had previously been labeled as A. nidulans by this method. Fungi and COVID-19 The presence of fungi in hospital environments is a well-known factor in disease aggravation and even death. In collaboration with researchers in Germany, Goldman and his group are now assembling samples of fungi present in the lungs of COVID-19 patients with the aim of investigating how these organisms can aggravate their condition as a basis for developing strategies to avoid and combat infections. "Several COVID-19 patients have died owing to concomitant infection by Aspergillus," Goldman said. "We currently have four strains that were isolated from patients who died of COVID-19 in Europe and will sequence their genomes to identify the species and see if they're favored by the disease." He is looking for partners to help collect material in Brazil, but the sample isolation procedure entails a strict clinical protocol not yet in use in Brazil that ensures health workers and researchers are not infected by the novel coronavirus. In Europe, the experimental protocol was implemented in time for the pandemic. Cases of concomitant COVID-19 and infection by fungi of the genus Aspergillus evidence the importance of knowing more about these microorganisms. For example, A. fumigatus is found worldwide and capable of surviving under extreme conditions, such as temperatures of up to 70 C and a scarcity of nutrients. It can even extract food from water. "We've now brought to light another feature of the genus, which is the formation of hybrids," Goldman said. For the recently published study, the researchers assembled ten samples of fungi mainly found in material collected from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and other disorders, such as chronic granulomatous disease, caused by a genetic dysfunction that impairs the immune system, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The samples were collected in Portugal, Belgium, the US and Canada. Sequencing confirmed only three to be A. nidulans. One was identified as A. quadrilineatus, a soil fungus that also infects humans, and the other six as A. latus, hitherto found only in soil and plants. Evolution A. latus is the first hybrid filamentous fungus known to cause disease in humans, a relatively common property of yeasts such as those of the genus Candida, which causes candidiasis. Another curious feature of A. latus is that it is diploid; i.e., its cells contain two sets of chromosomes, similar to all human cells except egg and sperm cells. Most fungi are haploid, with only one set of chromosomes. The hybrid also retains the DNA from both parental species, suggesting that the fusion is recent. Genes are recombined in ancient hybrids or species that diverged from a common ancestor eons ago, and some genes are lost or change position during the process of evolution. Mules are a well-known example of a hybrid. They have 63 chromosomes, a mixture of the mare's 64 and the donkey's 62. In the case of A. latus, however, the genetic material of both parents is preserved in its entirety. "Another curiosity is that the genetic distance between its two parental species is more or less the same as that between Homo sapiens and the lemur," Goldman said, referring to the 88 species of Lemuroidea primates native to Madagascar in Africa. Explore further A new hybrid fungus is found in hospitals and linked to lung disease More information: Jacob L. Steenwyk et al., Pathogenic Allodiploid Hybrids of Aspergillus Fungi, Current Biology (2020). Journal information: Current Biology Jacob L. Steenwyk et al., Pathogenic Allodiploid Hybrids of Aspergillus Fungi,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.071 Emirates will resume passenger services to Stockholm, Sweden, with weekly flights from August 1, expanding its network in Europe to 22 cities, and connecting customers from Europe to the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. The restart of Stockholm flights means that all Emirates gateways in Scandinavia will have resumed services by August, with flights to Oslo resuming from August 4 and services to Copenhagen being in operation since June. This will take the airline's passenger network to 63 destinations in August, offering customers around the world more convenient connections to Dubai, and via Dubai. Flights between Stockholm and Dubai will operate once a week on Saturdays. Emirates flight EK157 will depart Dubai at 08:40 and arrives in Stockholm at 13:10. The return flight EK 158 leaves Stockholm Arlanda Airport at 15:05 and arrives into Dubai International Airport at 23:20. All times are local. The flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. - TradeArabia News Service The recent decision by the Turkish government to reconvert the majestic Hagia Sophia, which was once the worlds greatest cathedral, from a museum back to a mosque has been bad news for Christians around the world. They include Pope Francis, who said he was pained by the move, and the spiritual leader of Eastern Christianity, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who said he was saddened and shaken. When contrasted with the joy of Turkeys conservative Muslims, all this may seem like a new episode in an old story: Islam vs. Christianity. But some Muslims, including myself, are not fully comfortable with this historic step, and for a good reason: forced conversion of shrines, which has occurred too many times in human history in all directions, can be questioned even from a purely Islamic point of view. To see why, look closely into early Islam, which was born in seventh century Arabia as a monotheist campaign against polytheism. The Prophet Muhammad and his small group of believers saw the earlier monotheists Jews and Christians as allies. So when those first Muslims were persecuted in pagan Mecca, some found asylum in the Christian kingdom in Ethiopia. Years later, when the Prophet ruled Medina, he welcomed a group of Christians from the city of Najran to worship in his own mosque. He also signed a treaty with them, which read: There shall be no interference with the practice of their faith. No bishop will be removed from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his parish. This religious pluralism was also reflected in the Quran, when it said God protects monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is much mentioned. (22:40) It is the only verse in the Quran that mentions churches and only in a reverential tone. 19.07.2020 LISTEN HON HELLEN ADJOA NTOSO, MP FOR KRACHI WEST LIED: THE NPP NEVER REVIEWED NOR ABROGATED KETE-KRACHI TOWN ROADS CONTRACT. In her relentless effort to fuel her relevance than she really is,coupled with the announcement of construction of the Kete-Krachi town roads made by Hon. Justice Amankwa Mensah aka JAM1,NPP Parliamentary candidate in Krachi West,has since sent fear,panic and petrifaction to the spine and veins of Hon. Hellen Adjoa Ntoso aka Madam Do Little And at her deception and propaganda best posits on a Kete-Krachi base NDC Radio Station,Nyewaase FM,that the NPP government reviewed the 10km Kete-Krachi to Buya road and abrogated the 14 km Kete-Krachi town roads contract by the NDC. This move is deliberately orchestrated to as usual LIE to the discerning people of Krachi West,as she is under barraged of public resentment,general repudiation and fierce criticism by well meaning people of Krachi West,for her inability to give the Kete-Krachi town roads a facelift when she was the then Volta Regional minister. Characteristically,Hon. Hellen with the unbeatable track record of lying to the good people of Krachi West once said the NDC signed the contract for the rural electrification projects in Krachi West. She however been 'exposed big time' in her usual propaganda. I wish to place on record that this claim is most frivolous and ought to be treated with all the contempt it deserves. And these are the facts. The former Cocobod C.E.O Tonny Fofie,under the cocoa/shea roads,awarded the 10km Kete-Krachi to Buya Road,together with the 2Km Kete-Krachi Town Roads as captured on page 21,paragraph 67 of the 2008 budget statement,on the intention to construct cocoa/shea roads in Volta Region,the contract was subsequently awarded to First Sky construction in 2010,this was also captured in the 2008 budget statement page 93,paragraph 340. The 2Km Kete-Krachi town roads was completed in 2012 and the Kete-Krachi to Buya road was stalled because of the delay in the release of funds from the cocoa road fund,therefore the ministry of Roads and highways changed the funding to Road Funds,that helped fast tracked the funding of the contract for the timely completion in 2018. Also,the road surface type was 2 coat bitumen surfacing for feeder roads,not 3 coat as Hon Hellen want us to believe. Moreover,contrary to her assertion that the minister said the Kete-Krachi town roads has been captured in 2021 budget,it has been captured in the critical roads to be constructed in the Oti Region,together with Dambai town roads which has already started. My fellow good people of Krachi West,that is the factual rendition of the relevant information under the circumstances and fortunately,the 2013 budget statement has confirmed same. Undoubtedly,the Kete-Krachi town roads contract has gone through the necessary stages and sod will soon be cut for the contractor to start work. Please help me tell Hon Hellen Adjoa Ntoso aka Madam Do Little the outgoing MP and the NDC Krachi West that,they can do all the propaganda and stealing of projects but they should remember that the good and discerning people of Krachi West have no short memory on the quagmire of hopelessness and helplessness the NDC put them through. Hon. Hukash Muntari NPP OTI DEPUTY REGIONAL YOUTH ORGANIZER/ ASSEMBLY MEMBER,SOLDIER CAMP ELECTORAL AREA. Iran Supreme Court Puts Death Sentences On Hold, Calls For New Investigation Radio Farda July 19, 2020 In what has been perceived as a victory for the social media campaign against capital punishment in Iran, the country's Supreme Court has ruled to reconsider the death sentences issued for three young political activists. The trio who are in their twenties are Saeed Tamjidi, Mohammad Rajabi and Amirhossein Moradi, who were arrested for taking part in the nationwide protests in November 2019 triggered by economic hardship but with strong anti-regime manifestations. Last week, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death sentence issued by the Court of First Instance. The move gave rise to one of the most widespread online campaigns in Iran as over 11 million Iranians promoted the hashtags "Don't Execute" in Persian and "Stop Executions in Iran" in English. World leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and several European officials joined voices with the campaign amplifying the hashtags. Using the hashtag, Trump had tweeted on 15 July: "Executing these three people sends a terrible signal to the world and should not be done!" The process of for carrying out execution stopped immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling on Sunday July 19. The defense lawyers of the three men said the Supreme Court has agreed to reconsider the case. Usually in similar cases, the Supreme Court sends the case to a lower court at equal standing with the first instance court to launch fresh investigations into the case. The defense lawyers told reporters in Tehran on Sunday that the new branch of the Tehran Court is likely to revoke the death sentences and put the case on hold until a new ruling is made. Lawyers in Tehran say the defense lawyers must have convinced the Supreme Court that the verdict violated article 474 of the Iranian law which calls for reconsidering indecisive cases to reach to a consensus among the judges. Another option would have been relying on Article 477 which calls on the Judiciary Chief to intervene and revoke the previous ruling and order a new round of investigation and hearing. However, there are no independent courts in Iran, so if a verdict is sent for review it means political leaders have intervened. That could mean that the serious opposition inside and outside Iran to the verdicts must have given a pause to Iran's rulers. Even UN experts called for revoking the ruling. A defense lawyer announced following the issuance of the death sentence last week that they had not been given the chance to go through the case file before the verdict was issued and that they saw the dossier for the first time after the verdict was announced. Babak Paknia, one of the defense lawyers said that according to Iranian laws, defense lawyers must be present during the investigations in all cases that might lead to life imprisonment or a death sentence. The lawyers had said on July 1 that the case against their clients was based on "confessions that were extracted under aberrant conditions." They also criticized what they said were irregularities in legal procedures, such as the judiciary's refusal to grant them access to the case files. Last Tuesday, Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhiossein Esmaili broke the news about the confirmation of the death sentences but did not say when it was going to be carried out. The three young men were accused of armed clash with security forces, illegal exit from the country, taking part in protests and committing acts of arson. The court initially sentenced them to 38 years in jail and receiving 222 lashes as well as handing them death sentences. It is also possible that the apparent turnaround by Islamic republic authorities could just be a delaying tactic not to carry out the executions for the time being, given the general restive mood in the country, highlighted by sudden protests July 16 in two cities. While the new ruling by the Iranian Supreme Court has given rise to hopes about lifting the death sentences for the three young men in Tehran, activists on social media have expressed concern about other executions planned to be carried out elsewhere in the country. They insist that the social media campaign should call for abolishing capital punishment all together rather than focusing on individual cases. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-supreme- court-puts-death-sentences-on-hold-calls- for-new-investigation/30736139.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First it was toilet paper and face masks, then it was meat. The latest shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic? Pocket change. Retailers including Walmart and Kroger are grappling with a nationwide shortfall of coins that's left them posting signs at some checkout lines alerting customers about the problem and encouraging them to use credit or debit cards -- or pay with exact change, if possible. "The Federal Reserve is experiencing a significant coin shortage across the U.S., resulting from fewer coins being exchanged and spent during the Covid-19 pandemic," Cincinnati-based supermarket chain Kroger said in an emailed statement. "Like many retailers and businesses, we are adjusting to the temporary shortage in several ways while still accepting cash." The coin shortage could amount to a small win for card companies Visa and Mastercard, which were already benefiting from consumers avoiding cash over virus-transmission fears. While Kroger and Walmart are still accepting cash, promoting card use at the point of sale is unusual for many stores. Retailers have publicly lamented the fees they have to pay when consumers swipe their cards at checkout. "What we are seeing is a negative sentiment towards cash -- fewer people want to touch cash," Mastercard Chief Financial Officer Sachin Mehra told investors at a conference last month. Still, Mastercard and Visa have struggled as spending on their cards has slowed with consumers staying home and many businesses remaining shuttered to slow the spread of covid-19. In the U.S., cash has remained a popular way to pay, with paper currency and coins used in 26% of all purchases, according to a 2019 study by the Fed. It's even more popular for transactions of less than $10, accounting for almost half of such payments. While paper currency remains easy to come by -- ATMs are almost everywhere -- coins are a bigger problem, with the closure of stores and bank branches squeezing supplies. While the U.S. Treasury puts the total value of coins in circulation at roughly $47.8 billion -- up from a year ago -- the slower pace of circulation means change isn't always showing up where it's needed. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell told the House Financial Services Committee last month that the central bank is aware of the issue and has been working with the U.S. Mint to get coins moving again. This month, the Fed planned to convene a U.S. Coin Task Force, with participants including representatives from the Mint, banks, credit unions, retailers and armored carriers, to mitigate the shortage. Child care. About 4 out of 10 working households in the metro area have children, and most school systems are planning to offer only online learning at the start of the school year. Even school systems that allow in-person learning, such as Fairfax and Loudoun, are doing so for just part of the week. The show business is limping back to life as filmmakers and webseries resume work. Kunal Kemmu whos part of the gritty drama webseries, Abhay 2, has resumed work from today and has moved to Nashik for the shoot. The shoot which was supposed to start in April, got stuck due to the lockdown like many other projects. Speaking about the new normal on shoot Kunal Kemmu said, We are headed to Nashik with a small crew, and have planned the schedule intricately. Even though we will be shooting in a relatively safe zone in the city, we will ensure that safety guidelines are strictly followed during the seven-day stint. The actor further added that once he's done with the shoot, he will self-quarantine himself for 14 days, I will self-quarantine (for 14 days) before returning home. Every member of the cast and crew was tested before reporting to the shoot, and we will do another round of tests after we wrap up. Kunal Kemmu was last seen in Malang, where won rave reviews for the portrayal of a character with gray shades. The actor will be next seen in a comedy film called, Lootcase which will release on an OTT platform. The man shot and killed by two FBI agents as they closed in for an arrest Friday was identified as 24-year-old Malcolm Comeaux, police announced Monday. The agents had two warrants for Comeauxs arrest as they approached his home in the 5700 block of Hirondel around 9:55 a.m. After agents announced themselves, Comeaux initially walked out of the one-story home with his hands up. But police say he suddenly grabbed what appeared to be a black revolver handgun from his waistband as the agents had their guns drawn. Detectives later determined that the object was a pellet gun that resembled a handgun, according to the Houston Police Department. Two of the agents opened fire, striking Comeaux several times. He was pronounced dead in his lawn. His manner of death was determined to be a homicide by multiple gunshot wounds, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined. Houston police officers assisted the FBI by securing the perimeter of the home but were not involved in the execution of the arrest, according to HPD spokesperson John Cannon. HPD detective said the agents feared for their lives and the lives of the other agents. In a Friday press conference, HPD Executive Asst. Chief Troy Finner asked the community to lift up Comeaux's family. "No matter what a person is going through, no matter what theyve done, they still have a family," Finner said. The agents were not wearing body-worn cameras, according to an FBI spokesperson. HPD officers did wear body cameras, and they were activated but did not capture the shooting, Cannon said Friday. He added that HPD officers will not serve a warrant or enter a location while working with a task force that does not wear body cameras. Comeaux was wanted on two federal charges of sexual assault of a child and sexual exploitation of a child. jay.jordan@chron.com Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on Sunday. A man has been charged with attempted murder after a hospital worker was stabbed several times. Royal Sussex County Hospital was put in lockdown after the incident on Sunday morning with armed police descending on the building. The victim was treated for several stab wounds and he was later discharged from hospital. On Monday police said Connolly Mellon, an unemployed man from Brighton, had been charged in connection with the attack. Police and staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. A Sussex Police spokesman said: Connolly Mellon, unemployed, 30, of Wilson Avenue, Brighton has been charged with the attempted murder of a 56-year-old man who is a member of staff, at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on 19 July, and is due to appear in custody at Brighton Magistrates Court on Monday. The victim was treated for several stab wounds and was discharged from hospital on Sunday evening. Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: My thoughts go out to the staff member at the Royal Sussex County Hospital who was injured this morning. Police were deployed after the incident. I will not accept violence against NHS staff we will bring the full force of the law to bear on anyone who attacks public servants in their line of duty. Unison union Central Sussex Hospitals branch secretary Mark Sargent said: Our thoughts are with our injured colleague and his family. NHS workers whove been keeping people safe during the pandemic shouldnt have to face violence when theyre doing their jobs. Security staff and police deserve huge credit for their timely and decisive action. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: Total assets of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) decreased by 0.1 percent as of the end of the second quarter of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, Trend reports referring to the banks financial statement. According to the statement, as of late June 2020, total assets made up 8.4 billion manat ($4.9 billion), which is 10 million manat ($5.8 million) less than the previous indicator of last year. The biggest share (about 33 percent) in the structure of assets accounted for the deposits worth 2.8 billion manat thats $1.6 billion (a decrease of 2.3 percent) in other banks. The volume of cash, their equivalents and other liquid assets in the first half of this year slipped by 6.8 percent to 1.9 billion manat ($1.1 billion). The banks investments in securities decreased by 12.8 percent to 1 billion manat ($588 million). In the first half of this year, the banks liabilities grew. The banks total liabilities as of July 1 increased by 0.003 percent or 3 million manat ($1.7 million), amounting to 7 billion manat ($4.1 billion). The main share (about 51 percent) in the structure of liabilities accounted for demand deposits of legal entities, the volume of which increased by almost 7.3 percent, amounting to 3.5 billion manat ($2 billion). The remaining deposits of legal entities and individuals in total rose by 6.7 percent up to almost 1.2 billion manat ($700 million). Debts to other banks and financial institutions during the reporting period decreased by 15 percent and amounted to 299.9 million manat ($176.4 million). The banks own capital for the reporting period declined by 0.8 percent, amounting to 1.45 billion manat ($850 million). Share capital together with retained earnings went down by 12 percent to 1.2 billion manat ($710 million). (1 USD = 1.7 AZN on July 20) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Fidan_Babaeva For sale sign. Photo: Getty The British housing market has seen a mini-boom, with prices being pushed to a record high. The average asking price for property hit a record 2.4% higher than pre-coronavirus lockdown levels, which equates to a 7,640 ($9602) premium for real estate sellers. The average price of property coming to market is 320,265 this month, according to research by housing website Rightmove. The annual rate of increase is the highest it has been since December 2016. Alongside this, year-on-year buyer enquiries are up 75% since the start of July. Some 44% of new listings that came up for sale after the English market reopened on 13 May have already been marked as sale agreed. This is compared with 34% of equivalent dates last year. READ MORE: British Airways to retire fleet of iconic Boeing 747 jumbo jets We expect activity will increase even further as Scotland has not yet been open for a full month, and Wales still has some housing market restrictions in place, said Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst. The spring market has now picked up where it left off and has been accelerated by both time-limited stamp duty holidays and by homeowners reappraising their homes and lifestyles because of the lockdown. The number of monthly sales agreed is up 15% in England on last year. Alongside this, in the five days after Rishi Sunak announced the government would cut stamp duty, that number jumped to 35% higher than the same time last year. Rishi Sunaks decision to cut stamp duty in his mini-statement earlier this month has caused a rush to market for new home buyers. The average stamp duty bill will fall by 4,500, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has suggested, with nearly nine out of 10 people buying a main home this year paying no stamp duty at all. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Uzbekistans agricultural product processing company Asadbek Gisht Sanoati LLC is increasing its production volumes, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekistan National News Agency. In the near future, Asadbek Gisht Sanoati LLC will buy new equipment from Turkey, in order to increase production volumes and create additional jobs. Asaka Bank has allocated $890,000 of financial aid to modernize the enterprise, the message said. The enterprise, which processes agricultural products in Namangan region, produces over 70 kinds of pickles, fruit juices and tomato paste.The enterprise started its activity three years ago with 25 workers, now the enterprise employs over 90 people. Pickles, tomatoes, hot pepper, tomato paste, juices and jams from different selected fruits and berries are in great demand both in Uzbekistan and abroad, the message said. In the first half of 2020, products worth $100,000 were exported. By the end of the year it is planned to increase the export of products up to $500,000. Earlier, Asaka Bank, in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided privileges to Uzbek Crafers LLC confectionery manufacturer on credit payments for almost $8 million. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini A veteran member of Georgias secondary is set to move on from the program. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Divaad Wilson entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday morning, AL.com has learned. The former four-star recruit started two games for the Bulldogs last season as a redshirt freshman and finished the year with 24 tackles and an interception. The interception came during Georgias early season 23-17 win over Notre Dame. A Miami, Fla. native, Wilson was committed to Florida at one point before ultimately decommitting and signing with Georgia. Matt Zenitz is a senior SEC football reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 05:47:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Interior Ministry on Monday said that security forces have thwarted a "terrorist plan" and arrested an "extremist element loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group." The suspect was planning an attack targeting a security unit deployed in one of the southern governorates with an explosive device, it added. The ministry said this extremist who has no criminal record was arrested in an ambush. Enditem The government has admitted its test and trace programme broke data protection laws after being challenged by privacy campaigners. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to the Open Rights Group (ORG) to say the scheme was launched without an assessment of its impact on privacy. Carrying out the assessment which helps to identify and mitigate risks relating to use of personal data is a requirement under GDPR laws. ORG argued the concession meant the scheme has been unlawful since it started on May 28 but DHSC denies that any data has been used in an unlawful manner. ORG is just one group to raise privacy concerns over the scheme, with an ex-Cabinet minister also previously warning of 'serious errors' in its implementation. The Department of Health and Social Care admitted that a privacy impact assessment was not carried out by the government on its test and trace programme The Department of Health says there is no evidence data has been used in an unlawful manner Labour's Lord Hain said last month that the NHS had failed to carry out its legal data protection obligations prior to the launch. And he added officials had entered into data sharing relationships 'on unnecessarily favourable terms to large companies'. The track and trace app was trialled on the Isle of Wight but officials have suggested it may not be ready to roll out across the UK until the winter. There have been privacy concerns around the world over the use of Covid-19 tracing apps, with Norway last month halting its programme. Jim Killock, executive director of Open Rights Group, told BBC Radio 4 today: 'The government is simply not going through the basic checks to make sure the system is safe to operate. 'They failed to conduct a data protection impact assessment and that means they haven't done the basic check to make sure data is handled safely. 'It's taken them six weeks to admit that and that means we have no idea what kind of data risks are going on under the surface. 'For instance, a week ago there was a story about contact tracers having such bad IT systems that they were reporting to Facebook and Whatsapp groups to share information, so patient information was being shared on those groups.' Mr Hancock will give in to local councils and allow access to the names and data of people in their areas who have tested positive for coronavirus, sources say. Pictured: A drive-through test centre in Chessington in May He added it was a worry the programme's privacy issues could lead to less people giving their details, risking a rise in infections. As part of the programme designed to contain the coronavirus, people are asked to share sensitive personal information. This can include: their name, date of birth and postcode; who they live with; places they recently visited; names and contact details of people they have recently been in close contact with, including sexual partners. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: 'This admission shows the government made a colossal misjudgement in ignoring calls to carry out a full data protection assessment when the test and trace system was launched. 'Public trust is critical for test and trace to succeed, and that means people need to be reassured that their personal data will be safe. 'The government must urgently complete its data protection assessment and put in place stronger safeguards to ensure that personal information collected to combat this pandemic isn't misused or stored longer than necessary. 'We cannot afford for public confidence in the test and trace programme to be undermined further ahead of a potential second wave this winter.' Meanwhile, on Sunday The Observer reported Health Secretary Matt Hancock is set to announce local authorities will be able to access the named data of coronavirus cases as long as they abide by strict rules on data protection. Mr Hancock will give in to local councils and allow access to the names and data of people in their areas who have tested positive for coronavirus. Local authorities are said to have been calling for full access to 'named patient data' in order to properly tackle local outbreaks. And now the health secretary will announce that public health directors working with councils will be able to access the named data - as long as they abide by strict rules on data protection. An unnamed Government source told The Observer: 'Subject to necessary data safeguards, we will enhance the level of this detail to ensure that local public health teams on the ground have the information they need to fight this virus.' Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli was convicted of tax evasion by a court in Israel today. The court found Refaeli guilty of four counts of tax offenses and sentenced her to nine months of community service. Refaeli and her mother, fellow model Tzipi Levine, admitted to evading taxes on income worth close to $10 million, The Associated Press reported on Monday. Refaeli is a model, television host and investor. In Israel, she is known recently for hosting The X Factor Israel television show and the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv. Refaeli is a controversial figure in Israel. As an internationally recognized star, she is one of the countrys most notable unofficial ambassadors. However, many in Israel are critical of Refaeli because she avoided mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Military service is mandatory for Jewish citizens in Israel. Refaeli reportedly entered into a fictitious marriage to skirt serving in the IDF. The tax evasion case focused on the height of Refaelis modeling career in the late 2000s and early 2010s. She said she spent most of the years in question outside of Israel, thus exempting her from paying the taxes. Prosecutors said she provided false tax information for these claims, according to The Associated Press. Refaeli and her mother signed a plea deal last month and were convicted today. They will each need to pay a fine of $720,000 and back taxes of $2.3 million, and Levine will serve 16 months in prison, according to The Times of Israel. In order to contain the further spread of the coronavirus in the country, France has made it compulsory to wear a face mask indoors in public places from this week, the government said in its order on Thursday, July 16. Prime Minister Jean Castex said that the wearing of the mask which was obligatory on collective transport until now will become compulsory in all indoor places frequented by the public. READ | France: 15th-century Nantes cathedral ravaged in fire, authorities suspect foul play Previously President Emmanuel Macron revealed he wanted to introduce the measure in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. Macron initially set August 1 as the deadline for the face mask rule, however, the deadline had to be preponed in the view of the case rise. The France authorities have also ordered people to start wearing face masks in parts of the northwestern French region of Mayenne on Thursday after a rise of coronavirus infections were reported there. The Mayenne prefecture said masks would be mandatory in its main city Laval as well as five other municipalities: Bonchamp-les-Laval, LHuisserie, Change, Louverne and Saint-Berthevin. French Health Minister Olivier Veran told a radio network that 'the situation in Mayenne is problematic'. READ | Germany, France, Italy urge end to interference in Libya COVID-19 situation in France France has reported a total of 174,674 coronavirus cases out of which 30,152 people have succumbed to the lethal infection. 79,233 patients have successfully recovered from the disease. The country has 65,289 total active cases out of which 64,812 (which is about 99 percent of the active cases) people are in mild condition and 477 patients which are the remaining 1 percent of the active cases are in serious or critical condition, according to data by worldmeter. The closed cases figures include 109,385, out of which 72 percent i.e 79,233 patients were recovered/discharged and 28 percent i.e 30,152 died as per the data. READ | Iran sends down Ukrainian plane's black box to France READ | Turkey insists on apology from France over naval standoff Coronavirus: What you need to read Coronavirus maps: Cases and deaths in the U.S. | Cases and deaths worldwide Vaccines: Tracker by state | Booster shots | For kids 5 to 11 | Guidance for vaccinated people | How long does immunity last? | County-level vaccine data What you need to know: Omicron variant | Breakthrough infections | Symptoms guide | Masks FAQ | Delta variant | Other variants | Follow all of our coverage and sign up for our free newsletter Impact of the pandemic: Supply chain | Education | Housing Got a pandemic question? We answer one every day in our coronavirus newsletter Angry protesters gathered in Bangkok July 18 in a rally against the Thai military government. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Democracy Monument in the capital chanting Get Out towards the regime lead by General Prayuth Chan-o-cha. They were angry at the lack of transparency, accountability and democracy in the country - tensions that have built over several years since the controversial military leadership seized power following a coup in 2014 and won an election in 2019. There were some scuffles as police battled to contain the crowd with metal barriers but they were quickly calmed down. Many of the protesters held up a three finger salute - adapted from the Hunger Games movie - and wore black shirts as a sign of mourning for democracy. There were then several speakers. Later in the evening they held up mobile phone lights in a show of solidarity against the regime before being dispersed by police shortly before midnight. Leaders vowed to stage further rallies in the coming weeks - in defiance of the country's Covid-19 coronavirus ban on large gatherings. In this drone image, a mural of U.S. Rep John Lewis is seen on the side of a building in Atlanta, Georgia. (AFP) Washington: The Indian-American community has condoled the death of John Lewis, the iconic civil rights leader, who as a member of the US House of Representatives, was instrumental in the introduction and passage of several legislations related to India and Mahatma Gandhi. Lewis, who died on July 17 at the age of 80, represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives from 1987 until his death. The Indian-American community condoled the death of Lewis, saying he was a true friend of India and was a firm believer of Gandhi and peace. India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu called Lewis a true friend of India. "We mourn the loss of Congressman Lewis, an iconic figure of the civil rights movement, a champion of ahimsa and nonviolence and a true friend of India. He will continue to inspire coming generations through his life and the values he stood for," Sandhu tweeted. Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris in a statement said Lewis was a giant who showed unending generosity and love for the country. Congressman John Lewis was an American heroa giant, whose shoulders upon many of us stand. Throughout his life, he showed unending courage, generosity, and love for our country, she said. Last December, Democratic Congressman Lewis re-introduced Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act that affirmed India-US friendship and proposed to establish a bilateral partnership for collaboration to advance development and shared values. The legislation was for the first time introduced by Lewis in 2009 and subsequently every two years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the death of Lewis on Sunday, saying his legacy will continue to endure and inspire people. We mourn the loss of US Congressman John Lewis, a champion of civil rights, non-violence and Gandhian values. His legacy will continue to endure and inspire. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 19, 2020 In 2009, Lewis led a congressional delegation to India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's historic journey to India to retrace the steps of Mahatma Gandhi. "It has been a great honour to be able to walk in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. Visiting his tomb, the site of his assassination, his ashram and his homes is like walking on sacred ground," Lewis then said. He also introduced a legislation in the House to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the India visit of Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis was instrumental in the introduction and passage of several legislations related to India and Mahatma Gandhi. One of them was the legislation in 1998 that gave permission to the Indian Government to establish a memorial to honour Mahatma Gandhi on Federal land in the District of Columbia. Various Indian-American community leaders condoled the death of Lewis. Congressman Lewis was a torchbearer to civil rights of all citizens of the United States, said eminent Indian-American Ramesh Shah from Ekal Vidyalaya. "He was always respectful to everyone. He never disrespected any politician, Shah said, adding that he was a guiding light and hope for minorities in the US, including Indian Americans. America has lost a hero. I have lost a hero, a dear friend, a good trouble' cohort and colleague," said Congressman Steve Cohen. "It has been an honour to know and serve with this gentleman. He was the embodiment of Dr King, Mahatma Gandhi, and heaven on earth," he said. BOHEMIA, N.Y., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Edge Electronics, Inc., a relationship-driven distributor in the electronic component, LCD, and MRO & industrial marketplaces, reaches an amazing accomplishment as the company celebrates 30 years of business. As an authorized distributor of industry-leading manufacturers, the certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) has set itself apart by providing customers with unmatched customer service, easy access to the latest technologies, and fully customizable solutions. Since starting out with a staff of three in 1990, the company has built a nationwide footprint and grown into the successful global supplier it is today while maintaining a small business mentality. Over the years, Edge has expanded its portfolio of offerings, worked with thousands of OEMs, contract manufacturers, corporations, and government agencies, added a number of strategically located sales offices and staff throughout the U.S., hosted numerous events and fundraisers for charitable causes, and received industry awards for outstanding service. "Edge is built on the foundation of providing customers with the most personalized customer service in the industry," says Adrienne Giannone, president and CEO, Edge Electronics. "For three decades, our world-class staff has continued to uphold this value, allowing Edge to become the successful organization and invaluable supply-chain partner that it is today." The company had planned on hosting a large celebration to commemorate the anniversary. Given the current circumstances and social distancing requirements, Edge will now wait until it is an appropriate time to do so. Edge is thankful to all the suppliers, customers, and partners who have been a part of this accomplishment and looks forward to continued growth and success. For additional information, please visit www.edgeelectronics.com Contact: Amanda Rivera Phone: 631.750.2317 Email: [email protected] About Edge Electronics Inc. Edge Electronics Inc., based in Bohemia, New York, is a leading authorized distributor of electronic components (semiconductors, passives and interconnect), display solutions (LCDs and related products), embedded computing, storage products and MRO/industrial products. With strategically located sales offices throughout the U.S., Edge focuses on providing industrial, medical, military and commercial OEMs and contract manufacturers with the most personalized customer service in the industry, easy access to the latest technologies and fully customizable solutions that are the perfect fit for each customer's specific application and business model. Founded in 1990, Edge Electronics is a certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) that is both established and flexible, making it an invaluable supply-chain partner for any organization. SOURCE Edge Electronics, Inc. Related Links http://www.edgeelectronics.com (CNN) -- Police near Minneapolis used drones last week to check if sunbathers at a lakeside beach were breaking the law by going nude or topless. The Golden Valley Police Department used the high-tech surveillance devices at Twin Lake on July 10 after receiving complaints from the public, city communications director Cheryl Weiler told CNN. "This stuff has been going on there for decades," she said. "When the police are called to the park it's because someone has complained." The somewhat secluded beach is known for being "a safe place to just be comfortable," Elsie Olin, a frequent visitor, told CNN affiliate WCCO. Police Sgt. Randy Mahlen told WCCO that using drones "would be no different than a surveillance camera in a public place for a high-crime area." Golden Valley addressed the use of drones in a statement on its website. "Drone footage is accessible only to very few staff within the department and is only used for documentation, evidence collection, and prosecution if needed," the statement said. "Police staff are trained in data privacy and maintaining confidentiality. By law, people in public spaces have no expectation of privacy from being recorded by security devices." Olin and other witnesses said it appeared police were pursuing people of color. "The two or three Black people that were super visible on the beach, [officers] went straight for them," Olin said. The police presence was "outrageous," witness Jacob Carrigan said on Facebook. "The City reviewed drone footage and went to the beach to collect personal information from those who appeared to be violating the law," Golden Valley officials said in the statement. "At the beach, the police collected information from eight individuals to determine if citations should be issued for various infractions. Of the eight individuals observed violating the law that police were able to obtain information from, two were people of color." The police did not issue any citations. The Golden Valley statement also said the city "strongly condemns racism and discrimination" and "works to make its community a welcoming and respectful place for all." Mahlen said officers were prepared to take information from several people who had been topless or nude, but that hostility from the crowd changed their plans, WCCO reported. "We made the choice that things were only escalating and we chose to leave," Mahlen said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Police used drones to monitor nudity at a Minnesota beach" Mumbai: A 40-year-old man allegedly committed suicide after poisoning his three minor daughters in suburban Andheri here over a property dispute with his family, police said on Saturday. A resident of Mohili Village in Sakinaka Pipeline area, Manesh Aanerao along with his three daughters was found unconscious this morning by the police who were called by the neighbours, they said. He had sent his wife to Mira Road before committing the crime, police said, adding his daughters were aged between one to two years. All four were rushed to the nearby hospital but were declared dead by the doctors. A suicide note was found from the spot in which the man stated that he took this step over a property dispute with his father and brother, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Dudhe said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Trend Iran produces more than 11 million different types of medical masks daily, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran. According to the report, the masks are produced in 46 industrial enterprises and 135 workshops, etc. More than 5.9 million masks are produced by industrial enterprises, 2.7 million masks in workshops, 480,000 N95 masks and 2 million masks by volunteer groups, the report said. Tehran, East Azerbaijan, Alborz, Isfahan and West Azerbaijan provinces are in the top five, respectively, among 31 provinces of Iran in mask production, the report added. According to the report, Tehran Province produces more than 2 million masks a day, including 520,000 industrial enterprises masks, 1.5 million workshops masks and 7,000 N95 masks. The East Azerbaijan Province produces a total of 1.3 million masks, including 1.2 million industrial enterprises masks and 50,000 N95 masks. The Alborz Province produces a total of 1.2 million masks, including 1.1 million industrial enterprises masks and 15,000 N95 masks, the report noted. A total of 906,000 masks were produced in Isfahan Province, including 850,000 industrial enterprises masks and 50,000 N95 masks, according to the report. The West Azerbaijan Province produces 640,000 masks in a total, including 110,000 industrial enterprises masks and 530,000 workshops masks a day. "Currently, more than 18 million masks are stored in Iran. The country's potential for daily mask production is more than 22 million units, the report said. The need for medical masks in Iran has increased with the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. 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 of Iran only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. No more student loans! Almost a decade after graduating university, 33-year-old Anna is moving forward after paying off her OSAP last August. She has also landed a great career job working as a data analyst making $86,000 a year, plus around $15,000 in bonuses. I have been working professionally for the past five-and-a-half years and after paying off that debt, Im ready to look toward my future goals, she said. Typically on a weekday pre-pandemic times, Anna would eat most weekday breakfasts a home with the exception of one day when shed buy a bagel. She used to also stock up her pantry with snacks she could bring to work to prevent impulsive food buys. For lunch, she subscribed to a lunch meal plan that delivered food to her office daily. I started biking more to work and it would be too heavy to bring that much lunch, she said. In the evenings, pre-COVID, Anna would usually eat at home with her partner, but on days when she used to make a pit stop by the gym shed grab sushi-to-go. Before pandemic, I also used to go out for dinner with friends once a week or once every two weeks, but its hard to remember, she said. Now I eat almost all meals at home with the exception of takeout twice a week. My spending is down and I think its important to support my local restaurants. On weekends, Anna used to host friends for drinks or go out to a bar, but all those activities have been halted. Right now Ive been going for long bike rides, playing cards with my partner and watching TV and movies, she said. All in all, the change in lifestyle has saved her more than $200 a month. Like many others weve profiled in Millennial Money, Annas main long-term goal is to save up for a down payment on a home in the city. Now, because of the pandemic, shes looking to buy sooner than later because of the real estate market. The housing market seems to have temporarily stabilized, and now Ive really considered buying a home, she said. On top of that, shed like to have savings for her retirement to secure her future. Short-term, Anna also wants to be able to indulge in her passions. I have yearly short-term savings goals for buying art, clothing and taking vacations, she said. This also includes her commitment to donate $230 each month to a charity. These things are important to me even though they could get in the way of saving more. We asked Anna to share a sample of her daily purchases to get a better idea of her financials. The expert: Jason Heath, managing director at Objective Financial Partners Inc., on Annas dream of buying a home in the city: Anna is making some good choices to keep her expenses down and live below her means. Subscription meal apps can connect users with restaurants that offer discounted prices during off-peak hours or end-of-day sales. It may be cheaper to brown bag lunch or cook dinner at home, but subscription meal apps are at least a lower price point to other alternatives. Biking to work every day helps her kill two birds with one stone keeping transportation costs down and getting some exercise on her commute. Anna is pretty generous, donating almost $3,000 a year to charity. As long as someone is establishing budgets for saving and spending and has the extra cash flow, giving can and should be a budgeted item. When someone like Anna receives a regular bonus, it is important to avoid spending the bonus as if it is part of your salary. It is not uncommon for people to run up debt over the course of the year and use their bonus to pay it down. Ideally, a bonus is used for saving, or extraordinary, discretionary expenses like a vacation. Especially if that bonus is not guaranteed. Anna budgets for short-term goals like vacations, and even clothing and art purchases. Some people find it helpful to set up bank or savings accounts for these saving goals, and this can be a good way to stay on track or avoid using a credit card for immediate gratification. She has about $1,500 of monthly savings potential based on her stated expenses, plus her annual bonus. Thats a lot of implied savings and means Anna is not succumbing to the lifestyle creep that sometimes comes with an increasing income. Regardless, Toronto is an expensive city, and balancing a home purchase and retirement in addition to short-term goals can be challenging. It may be helpful for her and her partner to try to develop a long-term financial plan to determine a home budget and talk about other potential considerations like starting a family. Annas income is relatively high. She has enough extra cash flow that I would avoid saving too much in a RRSP account, given only $35,000 is available to withdraw under the Homebuyers Plan. A Tax Free Savings Account should also be part of her savings plan, and given Annas age, she will have as much as $69,500 of TFSA room if she has not contributed in the past. Investment options should be matched not only to her risk tolerance, but also to her time horizon. If a home purchase is likely to be in five years or less, Anna and her partner should be careful about having too much exposure to stocks that could be depressed in value at a time when they need those savings for a down payment. Result: She spent more! Spending in Week 1: $420.04 Spending in Week 2: $2,313.42 How she thinks she did: Though spending a lot more, it was also a week when Anna had to pay rent. I did OK. My spending was significantly higher because many of my monthly bills fall at the end or beginning of the month, she said. Also, because shes going out less, the money saved from living under pandemic restrictions has also given Anna more to put in her savings account. Id usually be eating out more, going to see movies and plays, and drinking, she said. Now Im a homebody who only spends money on takeout or other outdoor activities. Take-aways: Toronto real estate is scary. Even with money saved for a down payment and a relatively high income, it still feels like buying property is only achievable with a crushingly large mortgage, Anna said. What used to be a little more abstract, her dream of owning a home was really put into perspective for Anna after reading Heaths advice. Even though the housing prices seem to have stabilized, shell be re-evaluating her finances before trying to leap into buying a home during the pandemic. As for the other advice, Anna said shes been following those tips even before the Millennial Money exercise. I contribute to my RRSP through work to receive the full match and when I get my yearly bonus I use it to max out that years TFSA contribution before spending on fun things, she said. As for prioritizing savings over fun, Anna has been diligent at putting money that shed usually be putting toward her student loans away as extra savings. Ill be continuing to do this to pay for the short-term goals I have! Are you a millennial living in Toronto or the GTA and need help with saving your money? Be a part of #MillennialMoney and email ekwong@thestar.ca The Muslim leader has emerged as the leader of an opposition movement seeking the Malian presidents departure. A sustained campaign of mass protests in Mali has presented the most formidable challenge to the presidency of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita since he came to power in 2013. Dissatisfaction has stemmed from economic woes and perceived government corruption, as well as from the governments failure to contain a worsening security situation that has seen various armed groups jockey for power and has rendered vast swathes of the country ungovernable. The multilayered conflict broke out in 2012 and has since killed tens of thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands, while an increasingly unpopular French military intervention and 15,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force have failed to stop the violence from spilling out to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. Last month, following disputed results in Marchs legislative elections, opposition politicians and civil society formed the June 5 Movement, calling for anti-government protests and demanding Keita quit. Leading the calls is not a seasoned politician but an imam Mahmoud Dicko. Dubbed the peoples imam, Dicko last year mobilised tens of thousands to force the departure of Malis prime minister. Now he is considered the de facto head of Malis opposition and has been sounded out by ECOWAS, the regional political and economic bloc of 15 West African states. Dicko was born to a family of Muslim scholars in Timbuktu in 1954. He went on to study in Mauritania and then at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia, an influential school for the global Salafi movement. Even so, Dickos brand of Islam defies easy categorisation. He has advocated for a traditional West African Islam, and has defended Malis pre-Muslim culture and reverence for mysticism. 200619163508338 His outspokenness is not new. Well-versed in religious texts, Arabic as well as in French, he rose to prominence during the 1990s as Mali transitioned to democracy, becoming known for his ability to speak out on matters of religion, governance and, at times, international politics. In 2009, he successfully led a popular campaign which forced the government to weaken legislation promoting gender equality and later successfully protested for the removal of a school textbook that touched on homosexuality. His interventions on issues of public morality were widely popular with the Malian public and served to raise his profile, said Ibrahim Yahya Ibrahim, senior Sahel analyst at the International Crisis Group. This was part of the process by which he has been able to position himself as this person who can channel the peoples anger toward protest on several issues, he said. Dickos forays into the public sphere were part of a wider shift in the Muslim-majority country, Yahya added, as religious leaders became emboldened to counter what they perceived as a rampant Westernisation. With Dickos support, Keita swept into power in 2013, pledging to stamp out the rebellion that had erupted in northern Mali the previous year. As head of Malis High Islamic Council, Dickos influence extended even to armed groups. When the fighters seized northern Mali in 2012, he was appointed as an intermediary between the government and Iyad Ag Ghaly leader of Ansar Dine, an al-Qaeda affiliate which had participated in the rebellion in an ultimately failed bid to reach a solution through negotiations. As the violence spread to central Mali and allegations of governmental ineptitude and corruption mounted, the president who got re-elected in 2018 and the imam parted ways. Last year, Dicko went on to inflict a serious blow to Keitas presidency when he was able to mobilise tens of thousands of protesters seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga. Then, in September, he quit his position at the Islamic Council to found the Coordination des Mouvements, Associations et Sympathisants (CMAS) movement, before emerging this year as the leader of the June 5 Movement. There is poor governance and a deep malaise in the country. Corruption is rampant. I say it and I say it again!, Dicko told Radio France in June. Imam Mahmoud Dicko addresses a crowd of supporters in the Independence Square in Bamako on June 5 [File: Michele Cattani/AFP] Alex Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati, said Dickos success lies in the clarity of his demand that Keita must go and in his willingness to give others the spotlight. He hasnt made this all about Mahmoud Dicko, Thurston said. He added that Dickos rise had also been made possible as much by the ascendant popularity of Muslim leaders as by collapsing trust in political elites. A lot of Malians are very suspicious of the political class and a lot of the opposition movement were in power before. Im not sure anyone within the opposition has massive stature and credibility with the public. The clerical class as a whole have a lot more respect. Asked about his political ambitions last year, Dicko told the Jeune Afrique weekly: I am not a politician, but I am a leader and I have opinions. If that is political, then I am political. Some are doubtful. Observers have gone as far as to characterise him as a Malian Khomeini, a Trojan horse for Islamic governance, despite the purely secular nature of his demands. Others view him as a potential competitor to Keita. Such rumours are misplaced, said Boubacar Sangare, Sahel researcher at the Bamako-based Institute for Security Studies. I dont think that imam Dicko wants to enter the political sphere in order to challenge politicians. He wants to act as a moral authority, who can use his influence to change decisions. Looking ahead, Thurston suggests Dicko could be crucial to bringing armed groups to the negotiating table once again. But the issues plaguing Mali do not end there. Dicko cant fix the problems of COVID-19 and nationwide teachers strikes. I think the weakness of the protest movement is that a lot of problems are structural and getting rid of the top guy [Keita] isnt really going to solve these problems. Whoever succeeds him will face crushing problems and pressures. Ashley Love, 31, a former customer advocate for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, had risen at 4 a.m. to take her 2-year-old daughter to her mothers home before heading to the convention center, only to be told she had to come back the next day. She was laid off in March, when the pandemic nearly obliterated the travel industry. Her benefits inexplicably stopped four weeks ago, the agency website saying only she was on a verification hold. To state Sen. Marilyn Moore and Reps. Dave Rutigliano, Laura Devlin and Ben McGorty: My name is Raymond G. Baldwin Jr. and I serve as the chairman of the Trumbull Police Commission and Im also a member of the Connecticut Police Commissioners Association. Along with the Connecticut Chiefs of Police Association and our Connecticut police officers (state and local), unions and PBAs, I wish to express my serious concern about legislation being proposed in the Connecticut state Legislature which I believe will greatly impede our police officers ability to protect not only our citizens, but our officers themselves. These proposed measures will also make recruitment of new officers and the retention of currently employed ones extremely difficult. Specifically the elimination of qualified immunity is ill-conceived and will cause officers to either not act when they should or hesitate when time is critical, putting themselves and our citizens at risk. The current law already addresses willful and wanton conduct and, as an attorney and retired police officer, that language is sufficient enough to guard against improper police behavior. Another area of concern is the elimination of the use of a choke hold except to prevent death. Anyone who has ever been in a struggle with a combative suspect knows that a hard and fast rule like this one just isnt practical. These struggles dont have referees and the line between protecting your life and possible abuse is a fine one it should not be judged without consideration for the officers state of mind. Next, the differentiation between minor and priority traffic stops just doesnt make any sense at all unless (1) youre going to assign DMV inspectors to each city/town in the state to enforce minor offenses or (2) you eliminate minor offenses from the law altogether. If the Legislature believes these laws arent important enough to enforce for public safety then get rid of them. Be prepared, however, for a rise in motor vehicle accidents and the injuries/deaths associated with them. Local police departments can no longer purchase military-type equipment or night-vision devices? Maybe I missed something, but have hostage situations, school shootings, off road and water rescues ceased to occur in Connecticut? Does criminal activity end when the sun goes down? How are police officers supposed to conduct nighttime surveillance or monitor criminal behavior in their communities? These are simply tools which are necessary to do the job we ask our officers to do. These are but a few of some of the legislative reactions to recent occurrences in our country that unfortunately are not well thought out. Should the police be held accountable for their actions absolutely. Should all citizens be treated fairly without prejudice absolutely. Should training and recruitment be sensitive to the times and a reflection of the community absolutely. But all must be done in a thoughtful and measured way. Our association stands ready to assist in anyway we can. Raymond G. Baldwin Jr. is chairman of the Trumbull Police Commission. Flash "Rejecting Huawei is rejecting opportunities and growth," says Chinese envoy - China.org.cn "Choosing Huawei is choosing opportunities and growth, and rejecting Huawei is rejecting opportunities and growth," a senior Chinese diplomat has said, referring to the British government's stance shift on the Chinese technology company. The statement came as Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, was giving a recent online interview to The Times newspaper. "I now would say, rejecting Huawei is rejecting the future," Liu said, adding that "5G really represents the future," according to the complete transcript of the interview posted Sunday by the embassy on its website. "Huawei is the leader in 5G and China is a 5G leader, too," he said, "so 5G represents the future for not only the industry but also our daily life." The Chinese ambassador noted that the Chinese firm "used to be the shining example for China-UK win-win cooperation." Commenting on London's recent policy U-turn on Huawei, which has been in the country for 20 years, Liu said, "I think UK has missed the opportunity to be a leading country in this area." On Tuesday, Huawei said the British government's move to ban the company's involvement in the country's 5G networks is a "disappointing decision" which "threatens to move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide." "This disappointing decision is bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone," said Ed Brewster, a spokesperson for Huawei UK in a statement. The British government announced Tuesday that buying new Huawei 5G equipment will be banned after Dec. 31, 2020 and all Huawei equipment will be removed from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027. In January, London announced its new plans to safeguard the country's telecoms network, which is widely seen as approving a restricted role for Huawei in helping build the country's 5G network. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal As COVID-19 cases in New Mexico continue to rise, the U.S. Census Bureau has begun talks about holding events to officially swear in thousands of New Mexicans as employees of the bureau at the end of the month. Convention centers are some of the locations being considered, officials with the centers told the Journal. The bureau has insisted the events will be safe. The bureau is preparing for its nonresponse follow-up operation next month, in which thousands of census-takers go door-to-door. As part of the hiring process, incoming employees must swear a lifetime oath to protect responses to the census, and the oath must be taken in person. Meanwhile, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has ordered a ban on large gatherings. Jose Garcia, general manager of the Albuquerque Convention Center, said he and the bureau have discussed plans to host thousands of employees at the convention center. The workers will be sworn in over a number of days. Theyre not going to have 1,000 people here at once, he said. Its going to be a much smaller fraction of that. Garcia said employees would practice social distancing and wear masks while in the convention center. Similar plans have been discussed in Santa Fe. Randy Randall, Santa Fes director of tourism, said his office has held discussions with the bureau about hosting a swearing-in for employees concurrent with the Albuquerque event. He also said he did not know how many employees would be sworn in. Ive heard a number of a total of 2,000 people over a few days, Randall said. Definitely there wouldnt be more than 200 at any gathering. Garcia and Randall said their community centers have not been officially selected, but that their sites could safely host employees if chosen. Its just as safe as going to a grocery store, Home Depot or a restaurant, Garcia said. Probably safer. The state has occupancy restrictions on many businesses, including grocery stores, hardware stores and restaurants. Cases of COVID-19 have been spiking recently in New Mexico along with many other states with notable increases in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties. Mercy Alarid, the bureaus senior partnership specialist for New Mexico, said that thousands of New Mexicans from across the state will be sworn in at these events but that no sites have been confirmed. But people familiar with the swearing-in told the Journal that bureau officials have all but confirmed the Albuquerque Convention Center as one of the sites. She also declined to say which sites are still under consideration. We want to protect our employees, Alarid said. We dont want to disclose anything that were doing to make sure that our employees are protected when we do this. Alarid did not specify how employees would be endangered by release of a list of potential host sites. Alarid, Garcia and Randall told the Journal that the state government was aware of the proposed event and would allow it to take place during Lujan Grishams ban on large gatherings, which includes some exceptions. However, Nora Meyers Sackett, the governors press secretary, said in a written statement that the governor cannot control the actions of a federal agency such as the Census Bureau. The governors office is aware that the U.S. Census Bureau was hoping to hold training events in New Mexico, she wrote. The state has declined a similar request by the bureau to hold the swearing-in events on state property, Sackett said. Time is running short for either convention center to prepare to host thousands of people over a few days at the end of July. Randall said he would need at least 10 days to get ready for such a large crowd during the pandemic. Were right on the edge for when it would be the appropriate amount of planning time, he said. We need to move ahead soon. Once the swearing-in events are completed, workers will begin interviewing residents who have not responded to the census. The interview period runs from Aug. 11 to Oct. 31. How many workers the bureau has remains unclear. Alarid said the Census Bureau has enough employees, but declined to provide a specific number. We do not share that with the media, she said. We just dont. Thats internal information for us. New Mexico, home to a number of Native American communities and rural towns with nontraditional addresses, is considered one of the hardest states to count for the census. Miami-Dade County plans to start aggressively enforcing rules designed to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus as Florida reported more than 11,000 new cases Friday adding to a caseload that is straining the states hospitals. The Miami-Dade County Commission unanimously approved an emergency order Thursday that gives all code and fire inspectors 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 officers have already had this enforcement power. Were going to put a heck of a lot of people out there, Mayor Carlos Gimenez told commissioners during a Zoom meeting. Our people are going to go everywhere. Gimenez noted that because people, and especially younger people, have not been following the new normal guidelines, the county needed another enforcement tool. Meanwhile, in neighboring Broward County, officials announced a curfew beginning Friday that bars most people from being outside from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. at least through Aug. 1. There are exceptions for such things people going to work, walking pets, the news media and people seeking medical care. Broward County also issued an order limiting private gatherings, indoor or outdoor, to no more than 10 people. Broward is seeing about 1,300 new cases on average every day and a positive coronavirus test rate of more than 16%, according to the county. The state Department of Health on Friday reported 11,466 new cases of the coronavirus, raising Floridas pandemic total to more than 327,000. There were 130 new reported deaths, raising the Florida total to more than 4,800. Hospitalizations for the coronavirus, which have tapped out intensive care units of some hospitals around the state, continued to rise though not quite as steeply as in many of the days of the past week. As of late morning Friday, there were 8,886 hospitalizations compared with 8,809 at the same time Thursday. Hospitals in the Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville areas have seen surges in recent days. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, downplayed the fact that Florida has become a hotbed for the virus, saying other regions from Southern California to South Carolina have seen similar increases. The fact that were testing so much has led to case numbers that have been put out there that I think kind of unfairly are maligning the state. If some of those states like New York and New Jersey were testing 100,000 a day at their height, they would have had 40,000 or 50,000 cases a day, so I think its important to put that in perspective, the governor said. In Miami-Dade County, which is Floridas most populous and the current epicenter of the outbreak, there were more than 2,442 coronavirus cases Friday, according to Floridas Department of Health. The county now has 77,867 confirmed cases. The order took place immediately upon approval. Gimenez said its time for repercussions for people who choose to disobey the rules, the Miami Herald reported. This is an all-hands-on-deck approach. We need to have not just police officers, but all inspectors our code inspectors, our fire inspectors on deck to enforce the rules we know people are not complying with, Gimenez said. Violators who receive the civil fines can avoid financial hardship by serving community service hours through the countys Diversion Program. Shaun Alley, the assistant manager of Blue Collar, a Miami restaurant that serves comforting, diner-like food, said that all of the customers eat outside on picnic tables. Everyone in the small restaurant wears masks and is vigilant about telling the customers to wear them when not eating, too. They dont want to be fined or to expose themselves to the coronavirus. Nobody wants to get a citation for nothing. 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. This is everywhere so people should understand. Alley said he doesnt know anyone personally who has gotten the coronavirus, but hes being careful because he has a newborn and a wife. Im worried anywhere I go, he said. The goal of the ordinance is to increase the manpower desperately needed to follow up on these executive orders, so that people listen without having to be arrested, said Commissioner Sally Heyman. ___ Associated Press writers Curt Anderson and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Florida Getty Images Donald Trump defended his performance in handling the coronavirus pandemic, his 2020 re-election prospects, people who fly Confederate flags and his own mental faculties in a wide-ranging interview with Fox News Sundays Chris Wallace. Mr Wallace won plaudits from other White House reporters and others for coming into the interview prepared with facts to rebut the presidents claims, which at times stretched the truth at best and defied it wholesale at worst. In the backdrop of Mr Trumps interview was polling from several outlets last week that mostly showed the president trailing his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, by anywhere from 8 to 15 percentage points, as the president continues to struggle among voters disaffected by his handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Heres what Mr Trump said on the issues that have dominated headlines in recent weeks: Downplaying coronavirus While the president admitted for a moment during the interview that he may have made some mistakes during his handling of the coronavirus crisis I guess everybody makes mistakes, he said he once again claimed the virus would disappear, without citing evidence for his assertion. Mr Trump has previously predicted, on multiple occasions, that the virus would quickly fade from the US, and also downplayed the severity of the crisis. He doubled down on Sunday, saying his prognostications would eventually be vindicated. "I will be right eventually. You know, I said, 'It's going to disappear.' I'll say it again. ... It's going to disappear, and I'll be right," Mr Trump said of a virus that has killed more than 140,000 Americans over the last five months. The US surpassed the grim milestone of 140,000 Covid-19 deaths on Saturday into Sunday, but Mr Trump has still insisted that the US has the lowest mortality rate in the world, which is not true. According to Johns Hopkins University, the US has the seventh-worst mortality rate due to the coronavirus. Story continues Countries like Russia and Brazil ranked lower in their own mortality rate, which Mr Wallace pointed out to the president to counter his statistics from a separate study that does not list Russias death rate and, even still, shows Brazil and South Korea have experienced a lower one. The president repeated his claim that the USs robust Covid-19 testing regime was responsible for inflating statistics about the severity of the crisis. "Testing is up 37 per cent," Mr Trump said. "Cases are up 194 per cent. It isn't just that testing has gone up, it's that the virus has spread," the Mr Wallace said in response. From 'no responsibility at all' to 'responsibility always' In a pivot away from remarks he made in March, Mr Trump acknowledged that he bears the burden of the USs coronavirus response as president. Look, I take responsibility always for everything because it's ultimately my job, too. I have to get everybody in line, the president said. In March, Mr Trump was indignant at a reporters question on whether he took responsibility for the countrys slow roll-out of a nationwide testing programme, which lagged behind those of several other advanced countries such as South Korea and Japan. I don't take responsibility at all, Mr Trump said at the time, vaguely alluding to a set of circumstances and rules, regulations and specifications from a different time. He did not elaborate on what those inhibiting circumstances were at the time. In his interview that aired on Sunday, Mr Trump proclaimed that US testing for the virus was now the envy of the world as the federal government continues to provide assistance to states and local governments to increase capacity. Mr Trump said it was incumbent upon those leaders to execute good testing policy and administer the aid. Some governors have done well, some governors have done poorly, he said. Anthony Fauci As White House economic advisers continue their offensive on health official Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US government, Mr Trump appeared to defend him from the most incendiary of accusations. Well, I don't know that hes a leaker, the president said, answering a question from Mr Wallace about a cartoon previously shared by a Trump aide on Twitter accusing Mr Fauci of leaking negative things about the president to the press. But Mr Fauci is a little bit of an alarmist, Mr Trump said. That's OK. A little bit of an alarmist. Mr Trump said he and Mr Fauci have a great relationship, despite White House economic adviser Peter Navarro publishing an op-ed in USA Today last week smearing Mr Fauci as being wrong about everything with regard to the coronavirus pandemic. The president did agree with Mr Navarro, however, that Mr Fauci was wrong when he early during the pandemic when he opposed the presidents restrictions on travel to and from China, where Covid-19 is believed to have originated. Mr Fauci has since admitted the policy limiting travel which the Trump administration has inaccurately characterised as a ban was the correct call, an admission Mr Trump was quick to highlight. He then admitted that I was right, the president said. 2020 election Mr Trump reaffirmed his belief that Mr Biden lacks the energy and competence to be president, despite the former vice presidents decisive lead in the latest polling. Biden can't put two sentences together. They wheel him out. He goes up he repeats they ask him questions. He reads a teleprompter and then he goes back into his basement. You tell me the American people want to have that in an age where we're in trouble with other nations that are looking to do numbers on us? Mr Trump said. The president declined to weigh in on whether he believes Mr Biden is senile, an accusation Democrats and the Biden campaign have said is both false and extremely inappropriate. Mr Biden would be the oldest person to take the office by eight years. Mr Trump, at 70 years old on inauguration day in 2017, was the oldest person to become president. To be president, you have to be sharp and tough and so many other things. He doesn't even come out of his basement, Mr Trump said of Mr Biden, which is a false claim. (AFP via Getty Images) The former vice president has appeared at multiple campaign events in just the last several weeks. Joe doesn't know he's alive, OK? He doesn't know he's alive, Mr Trump insisted. When confronted with his poor public polling numbers, Mr Trump insisted his internal polling showed him doing a better than most media stories reflect. The president also accused Democrat-run states of not allowing him to hold rallies there over concerns about proper social distancing and the Covid-19 crisis. Health care At one point in the interview, Mr Wallace asked Mr Trump why his administration was seeking to roll back aspects of the 2010 health care law known as Obamacare right as the US is undergoing the largest health crisis in multiple generations. Mr Trump said his policy team had a plan that would soon be enacted to help Americans get coverage, though he did not provide specifics, and the White House has not presented an itemised health care policy proposal to Congress in months. "We're signing a health care plan within two weeks. A full and complete health care plan, Mr Trump said. That would be news to many lawmakers from both parties: Congress is not currently working on health care legislation, nor is the White House formulating a proposal to present to Congress that would have any chance of passing the Democratic-controlled House or the Senate, which would require bipartisan support to surmount its 60-vote threshold. Economic stimulus The president was noncommittal about refusing to sign coronavirus stimulus legislation if it does not include the White Houses stated priorities, such as his and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells desire to protect health care workers and businesses from liability lawsuits related to Covid-19 exposure. Well, were going to see, the president said about a fifth round of coronavirus aid that is expected to blow past the $1trn mark. We do need protections because businesses are going to get sued just because somebody walked in. You dont know where this virus comes from. Theyll sit down at a restaurant. Theyll sue the restaurant, the guys out of business, Mr Trump said. Party leaders in Congress are expected to begin hashing out a deal when both chambers return on Monday. Lawmakers want to strike a deal by the August recess, though Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she is willing to postpone the August district work period if it means obtaining a better deal on coronavirus relief. The parties remain far from a concrete compromise proposal that would also be well-received by Mr Trump. Democrats are arguing for stronger workplace protections under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), putting the party seemingly at odds over how much responsibility businesses ought to take for potentially exposing people to coronavirus on their property. Mr Trump also said in his Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any legislation if it did not include a payroll tax cut. Democrats have expressed a strong opposition to the payroll tax cut, instead insisting on renewing beefed-up unemployment benefits for people who have been laid off during the pandemic. Congress first passed the federal governments bolstered unemployment assistance programme in March. Confederate symbols As the racial tensions continue to simmer in the US after the deaths in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and others, Mr Trump defended people who fly Confederate flags as exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. When people proudly have their Confederate flags, theyre not talking about racism, the president said. They love their flag. It represents the South. The Pentagon circumvented Mr Trump on the Confederate flag issue by announcing a new policy on Friday that would effectively ban anyone from flying it at a military base. The new policy lists the types of flags the US Defence Department will allow troops to fly on its bases across the world. The Confederate flag is not on the list of acceptable flags. Confederate flag merchandise is seen at a hut across the street from the Talladega Superspeedway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 on June 22, 2020 in Talladega, Alabama (Getty Images) "I dont care what the military says. I do Im supposed to make the decision," Mr Trump said of the flag policy. He added that he is opposed to renaming military bases named for Confederate officers, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, whose namesake, Braxton Bragg, was a Confederate general. "Fort Bragg is a big deal. We won two World Wars [with troops training there]. Nobody even knows General Bragg. We won two World Wars. Go to that community where Fort Bragg is, in a great state I love that state go to the community, say, How do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg? And then what are we going to name it? Were going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton?" Mr Trump said, referencing the American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and former Democratic presidential candidate. Biden and the police In perhaps the most heated exchange between interviewer and interviewee, Mr Wallace fact-checked Mr Trump in real-time over the presidents claims Mr Biden wants to defund the police. Sir, he does not, Mr Wallace said. Mr Trump responded that Mr Biden had signed a charter with Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders that called for the Democratic National Committee to adopt defund the police as its position on the official party platform. But the 110-page document of policy recommendations produced by six unity task forces of supporters of Mr Sanders and Mr Biden makes no such statement. "It says nothing about defunding the police," Mr Wallace said. The president pushed back, saying, "Oh really? It says abolish it says... Let's go, get me the charter, please." Mr Trump then flipped through the document, announcing several policies in it he disagreed with. But he could not find anything calling for police departments to be abolished. The document does, however, recommend significant police department reforms. The Biden-Sanders task force on criminal justice reform recommended diverting some federal funding from police departments in order to create a civilian corps of unarmed first responders such as social workers, EMTs, and trained mental health professionals who would handle nonviolent emergencies such as mental health emergencies or low-level conflicts. Such a corps of first responders would [free] police officers to concentrate on the most serious crimes, the task force states. Read more Trump accuses Obama and Biden of spying- live Trump again insists coronavirus will disappear, citing no evidence Roger Stone uses racist slur in radio interview with black host US senators post photos of Elijah Cummings in John Lewis tributes john Twitter disables Trump retweet over Linkin Park copyright claim - Jake Cuenca attended the mass protest against the shutting down of ABS-CBN along with other celebrities and citizens - A netizen insinuated on social media that the Kapamilya star got paid to join the said protest - According to Jake, he was not paid anything to protest against the Congress rejection of the networks franchise renewal - He also revealed that he is protesting on behalf of ABS-CBN even if his contract for the network just got canceled PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Jake Cuenca (Photo from Wikimedia Commons) Source: UGC Jake Cuenca was one of the celebrities who attended the mass protest against the shutting down of ABS-CBN. KAMI learned that a netizen insinuated on social media that he got paid to join the said protest. The actor responded to the netizen, explaining that he was not paid anything to protest against the Congress rejection of the networks franchise renewal. He also revealed that he is protesting on behalf of ABS-CBN even if his contract for the network just got canceled. Nothing, not a cent. In fact, my contract is cancelled. I might have even paid to go to QC today for gas. I went to ABS-CBN on my own free will, Jake said. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback Furthermore, Jake posted on social media to express his gratitude to ABS-CBN, saying that he would have gone to Spain if the network did not give him a shot. Ive been part of ABS-CBN for 14 years straight. Before I got here I was just about to migrate to Spain with my family because I couldnt even call acting a career till ABS-CBN gave me a shot. Im fighting for abs cbn, ABS-CBN is my home, Jake posted on Instagram. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! The ABS-CBN shutdown is one of the most controversial issues in the Philippines these days. Supporters of the network claim that the ABS-CBN is being unfairly targeted for political reasons. Many famous stars have expressed their reaction to the closure of the Kapamilya network. Angel Locsin admitted to getting emotional over the decision against the network. Anne Curtis also admitted to getting heartbroken over what happened to ABS-CBN. As for Vice Ganda, he walked out during the opening segment of Its Showtime since he could not contain his emotions. Jake Cuenca is a Fil-American actor and model in the Philippines. He is known for his high-profile projects such as Los Bastardos, Pasion de Amor, and Ang Probinsyano. Jake is in a relationship with beauty queen Kylie Versoza. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh M inisters today vowed to take a global lead in speaking out over human rights abuses in China. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the UK will always want to work with China but described the way Uighur Muslims were treated in the country as inappropriate and gross. It is believed that up to a million Uighur people have been detained over the past few years in what China calls re-education camps. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused China of egregious human rights abuses against the Uighurs and has not ruled out sanctions. Mr Williamson told Sky News: We want to work with China and we always will want to work with China. It is an important player on the world stage. But we must always, and will always, speak out where we think they are doing things that are wrong. He said the UK had shown global leadership by offering up to three million Hong Kong residents the chance to settle in the UK after a new security law was imposed on the former colony by Beijing. Mr Williamson added: Its taking that leadership forward, making it clear that when China acts in a way that we do not believe is acceptable, that we will speak out against that. Mr Raab, due to address MPs in the Commons today, was expected to confirm the suspension of Britains extradition treaty with Hong Kong. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is visiting the UK, is likely to discuss China and Hong Kong when he meets Mr Raab and Boris Johnson. Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence select committee, told Radio 4s Westminster Hour: I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy [on China], bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war ... we need to work with our allies. Yesterday, on the Andrew Marr show, Chinas UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming was shown drone footage appearing to show Uighurs being blindfolded and led to trains. Mr Liu said talk of concentration camps was fake. It comes amid tensions with Beijing after the UK decided to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mariejo S. Ramos (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network) Manila, Philippines Mon, July 20, 2020 15:15 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d018d 2 SE Asia SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,Philippines,novel-coronavirus,Education,educators,teachers,study-from-home,coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus-effect,pandemic Free As an educator for five years now, grade school teacher Rolyn Catanus-Gantalao of Negros Oriental had become dependent on routine activities. So when the province was locked down in March because of the pandemic, the sudden changes in school activities have seriously affected teachers like her. Our initial reaction was, were not prepared for whats to come, Gantalao said. March wouldve been the month when teachers prepare the final grades of students, leading to special activities like proms, counselings, and graduation and recognition ceremonies. But these activities were abruptly canceled as the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered schools to shift to online learning modes. As teachers, its heartbreaking for us that they wont be able to experience these things that theyve anticipated for the entire year, Gantalao said. What breaks their hearts breaks ours also; we, teachers, feel helpless because we feel like we cant do anything to help them at this point. Support system This situation led to stress and anxiety among teachers like her. As close to 900,000 public school teachers nationwide are set to resume their classes through blended learning in August, a psychologist who has been helping people cope with the pandemic said it was imperative that teachers be given a safe space to vent and a support system to deal with mental issues. In a webinar broadcast by the Inquirer on Friday, Dr. Carolina Uno-Rayco, national executive director of the Philippine Mental Health Association, said educators were coping with mental disorders differently. Gantalao said her fellow teachers had to deal with personal struggles at home on top of their problems at work. Oftentimes, they dont get to express their struggles and emotions because theyre expected to always be strong, because their students and community depend on them, she said. Rayco said it was important to strengthen teachers resiliency in dealing with the normal stresses of life. Resiliency in the normal stresses of life is a characteristic of mental well-being, she said, adding that one in five people are affected by mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. It is important to provide teachers with avenues to talk about their feelings, like setting aside time in formal meetings for kumustahan sessions, Rayco said. Challenges In Cebu City, which has the biggest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the director of DepEd in Central Visayas said school officials must find ways to help 82,000 teaching and nonteaching personnel cope with the pandemic. One of my personal challenges is the pressure of resolving day-to-day concerns at work and many office meetings, sometimes resulting in body pains, just as the city deals with the pandemic and the extension of the enhanced community quarantine, Salustiano Jimenez said. Mental disorders are an interplay of various factors, such as biology, genetics and extreme life events, so it is important to have a reliable expert to check and identify teachers at risk of mental health problems especially in the new normal, Rayco said. A lot of people may think that we are doing well and having the best days of our lives because of the work-from- home setup, Gantalao said. But we also have our own fears and anxieties. Aside from being classroom teachers, we are also wives, mothers, husbands who have roles and responsibilities in our families, she said. By Jacqueline Charles | Miami Herald Less than three weeks after reopening its borders to international visitors, the Bahamas on Sunday announced that it is closing all of its airports and seaports to tourists from the United States, effective Wednesday. Bahamasair, the country's national carrier, will cease all outgoing flights to the United States immediately, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said in a national address Sunday. Outgoing commercial flights will still be permitted to accommodate visitors scheduled to leave the Bahamas after Wednesday, he said. Visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union will still be permitted to visit as long as they can show proof of a negative Covid-19 RT PCR test from an accredited laboratory taken within 10 days of their arrival. Also allowed under the new order: private international flights and charters and pleasure crafts. "Regrettably, the situation here at home has already deteriorated since we began the reopening of our domestic economy," said Minnis, who has been serving as the island nation's acting health minister since May. "It has deteriorated at an exponential rate since we reopened our international borders." On Sunday, the Bahamas Ministry of Health registered 15 new cases of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, for a total tally of 153 cases, Minnis said. Of the total, 49 new infections have been recorded since the countrys borders fully reopened on July 1. And of that number, 31 have been registered on the island of Grand Bahama, which had been Covid-19 free for a little over two months and is still recovering from last years devastating hurricane. "Our current situation demands decisive action, if we are to avoid being overrun and defeated by this virus," Minnis said. "We cannot allow our hospitals to be overrun. Many priorities must be balanced, be they health, social and economic." The U.S., and Florida in particular, represents the largest tourism market for the Bahamas, which has been keeping a close eye on Floridas high Covid-19 case count and death toll. On Sunday, Floridas state Covid-19 dashboard reported 12,478 new cases, the second-highest total for a Sunday but far below last weeks 15,300. Faced with such stark numbers and the increased movement of Bahamians since the country reopened, Minnis also announced new restrictive measures, and warned that more could come if the Bahamas doesn't see a change in its own spiking infections. As of Monday, all public and private beaches on the island of New Providence, where the capital of Nassau is located; Paradise Island; Rose Island, Athol Island and surrounding cays will be closed as of 5 a.m., he said. Also because of the confirmed Covid-19 infections in Grand Bahama, Minnis said, a new islandwide curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. will go into effect beginning Monday. All indoor dining, public and private beaches and parks also will be closed until further notice. "All congregant activities and gatherings, inclusive of religious services, weddings and funerals and sporting activities will not be allowed, effective Monday," Minnis said. And beginning Wednesday, Grand Bahama's international and domestic borders will be closed to all incoming and outgoing flights and sea vessels. "If efforts to decrease the number of cases are unsuccessful, other restrictive measures may be recommended, including a lockdown beginning Friday the 24th of July," Minnis said. The Bahamas' tighter restrictions come just days before the nearby Turks and Caicos Islands, which reported a 41.4% increase in new cases last week, is scheduled to reopen its borders to international tourists on Wednesday. The Pan American Health Organization has warned that the reopening of borders comes with risks and countries must not only be equipped to trace and isolate new infections but shut down their borders if need be. "If we address the current increase in confirmed cases as quickly as possible, Grand Bahama can return to a greater sense of normalcy as soon as possible," Minnis said. Like other Caribbean nations, the Bahamas has faced a dilemma with the spiking cases in the U.S. For example, after initially saying that no Covid-19 test would be required for tourists, it soon changed the requirement after cases in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other states began to flare up in late June. Other islands have delayed their reopening dates, tightened testing protocols or announced bans on U.S. visitors for the time being. On Sunday Minnis also reminded Bahamians that it was a criminal offense for them to forge test results, after officials reported receiving falsified tests. Anyone who presents a falsified test will be subject to a $2,000 fine, two years imprisonment or both. Also, anyone who knowingly exposes or infects someone when they believe they are Covid-19 positive faces a $1,000 fine for every person who has been exposed or infected. "We do not know the long-term effects of this virus. Do not listen to people who tell you it is like a mild flu and that you will be fine," Minnis said, speaking to the country's 385,600 inhabitants. "There may be serious long-term effects to people of all ages, effects that diminish quality of life, and possibly shorten life." National solidarity, he said, was critical in this crisis. This crisis is testing nations. It is testing our people. It is testing our resilience, it is testing our faith, Minnis said. Theres one common enemy today; that enemy is the Covid-virus ... .The countries that come out of this better will be the disciplined countries. Countries and people who do not follow sensible public health advice and policies will have more deaths, sickness and chaos. Donavan La Bella remained hospitalized on Sunday with head injuries he suffered one week ago after he was shot with an impact munition by a federal law enforcement officer. La Bella, 26, is being treated at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where his sister, Stephanie Thornton, said Sunday that her brother has made remarkable improvement given the extent of his injuries. She said her brother gets really bad headaches but continues to recuperate. Naver CEO Han Sung-sook, fifth from left, stands next to the podium as Woowa Brothers CEO Kim Beom-joon, sixth from left, applauds during the inauguration of the Digital Economy Innovation Study Forum held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun Major local information technology firms have come together to call on the government to ensure fair competition with foreign IT firms here without "discrimination." Kakao CEO Yeo Min-soo and Han Sung-sook of Naver called for the measures during the inauguration of the Digital Economy Innovation Study Forum held recently at the National Assembly in Seoul. "We all watch YouTube and Facebook. These are foreign-made platforms. Coupang, which is dominating the e-commerce market, is also a foreign-made platform. The regulations on the platform business need to be refined to create fair competition between local and international firms," Yeo said. "We all run services for Korean users but different regulations and penalties are applied to us." Han said domestic firms fall heavily behind in terms of engineering manpower and funding by at least 20 to 30 times compared to Facebook, Google and Alibaba, claiming Naver would never be able to compete against any of them one-on-one. "I hope the same regulations are applied to both global and domestic firms. There shouldn't be restrictions solely put on us just because we are local," Han said. Both Yeo and Han also emphasized their firms' contribution to promoting mutual growth with local small and mid-sized companies. Currently, Kakao sells emojis created by 7,500 local artists, with the top 50 most popular sets generating sales of 1 billion won. "A new economic ecosystem has been created around the establishment of academies that train artists to invent emojis. Kakao has begun a manufacturing service too for small business owners on our platform called Kakaomakers," Yeo said. Naver has been investing in domestic startup companies in the last few years and it has opened a shopping platform called "Smart Store" for budding entrepreneurs to sell their products. "Anybody can start their own business on the Smart Store and they can simply use their phone to promote products without going anywhere through live commerce. This is the role of IT firms," Han said. Meanwhile, a number of IT moguls made appearances at a digital economy forum launched by lawmakers to revitalize the digital economy based on artificial intelligence, e-sports, e-commerce, web comics and over-the-top services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Kim Kwang-su, a professor at the Computing College of Sungkyunkwan University, stressed the importance of the government playing the role of primer in its "Digital New Deal" policy. "For the Digital New Deal initiative to work, the government has to suggest a clear vision and invest money while leaving it to the private sector to do business. In a short period of time, it will create odd jobs but it needs to cooperate with private firms to produce stable jobs," Kim said. Along with Yeo and Han, Woowa Brothers CEO Kim Beom-joon, Zigbang CEO Ahn Sung-woo and Kakao Pay CEO Ryu Young-joon participated in the inauguration ceremony. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Not one to lose precious time, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to finalise the design of the new integrated Secretariat complex on Tuesday even as demolition of the existing Secretariat is still going on. According to an official press release issued on Sunday, the Chief Minister will take a call on the new Secretariat designs at a review meeting to be held at his official residence, Pragathi Bhavan, here on Tuesday. The Chief Minister felt that the new Secretariat should reflect the pride, prestige and grandeur of the Telangana culture and life. He examined the designs proposed for the new Secretariat and he will discuss them with officials during the review meeting. He will also discuss how the exteriors and interiors of the new Secretariat should be. Later, the proposals will be put before the State Cabinet, which will take a final decision. Later, tenders for the works will be invited, the press release said. Roads & Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy and architects from Tamil Nadu-based Oscar and Ponni will also be attending the review meeting. Irrigation projects The Chief Minister will also hold a review meeting on Irrigation Department on Monday, when he would discuss the draft prepared by officials on revamping the department to ensure a greater degree of efficiency in running the existing irrigation projects and also to speed up the ones that are under execution. As of now, the Irrigation Department is divided as major, medium, small, IDC, projectwise and packages wise but the Chief Minister felt that all these wings should come under one umbrella for effective monitoring. The department will be recast into 15 to 20 regional departments and each one will have one Chief Engineer (CE) as its in-charge. The CEs jurisdiction will also cover projects, reservoirs, tanks and check dams. The Chief Minister had asked the officials to prepare a draft in this regard during last weeks review meeting, following which Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar and CMs Secretary Smitha Sabharwal conducted a workshop on revamping of the Irrigation Department and prepared a draft. The proposal will be submitted to the Chief Minister on Monday. Russian occupying forces' casualties over the past week totaled 25 people. The Joint Forces Operation Headquarters (JFO HQ) has disclosed the enemy death toll in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, over the week. "According to confirmed intelligence data, Russian occupying forces' casualties over the past week totaled 25 people, namely: 11 people were killed, and another 14 were wounded," the JFO HQ wrote on Facebook. Read alsoAttack on medic in Donbas: DNA tests let Ukraine identify returned body In addition, the Ukrainian military destroyed an enemy quadcopter last week. "The Joint Forces continue carrying out combat missions to protect the Ukrainian people," the report said. As UNIAN reported earlier, on July 19, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 17 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas. They used proscribed weapons, namely, 122mm and 152mm artillery systems, 82mm and 120mm mortars, as well as grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns, and rifles. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported on July 19. I wonder if Milo Yiannopoulos, Ben Shapiro, Charles Murray and Heather MacDonald are reacting to these antifa riots the same way I am. I mean, not that any one of us would enjoy the sight of reporters being trapped, chased through the streets and physically assaulted by antifa goons. Or liberal Democrats having to defend their homes with guns in St. Louis. Or the president hiding in the White House bunker as antifa lays waste to Lafayette Park. Or the mayor of Seattle finally shutting down the CHAZ "summer of love" when the mob came to her house. They're all "peaceful protesters" -- until they come near you. Imagine that instead of being a president, mayor or reporter in the vicinity of mentally unbalanced, historically illiterate, thuggishly violent lunatics ... imagine that you, personally, are the window they want to smash. Now you know what it's like to be a conservative trying to give a speech on a college campus today. (Thanks for all the help, guys!) Neither the conservative media nor elected Republicans gave a crap about the left-wing paramilitary force that's been mobilizing since Trump's election. Through it all, conservatives stuck their heads in the sand and rationalized insane liberal violence. It was the path of least resistance -- and also a smart business move. Cowards could pitch themselves as the "reasonable" ones, then sit back and watch as their more popular conservative competitors were deplatformed, shadow-banned and outright canceled. Over and over again, conservatives made excuses for doing nothing. They told themselves: It's only Milo -- he's shocking, not the kind of nuanced conservative thinker I am. It's only Gavin McInnes and his "Proud Boys" -- he's funny, whereas I am aggressively humorless, so I'm safe. It's only Heather MacDonald and Charles Murray -- they write about crime rates and I.Q. I steer well clear of any topic that might trigger liberals! And thus were the most interesting and popular personalities on the right scrubbed from the public square by violent, low-I.Q. criminals. How tiny is the circle of speech and behavior you've permitted yourselves, conservatives? Now, hordes of these cretins have taken control of the streets, and the only pushback is the president cowering in the White House, tweeting "LAW & ORDER!" Yes, Churchill retreated to a basement, too -- in Whitehall, where he planned a war that saved the world. He didn't tweet out "HITLER! BAD!" For 3-1/2 years, antifa was never punished for anything it did. To the contrary, they were praised. Private citizens who fought back were defamed as "white supremacists" and imprisoned. Hundreds of masked antifa traveled interstate to riot at Trump's inauguration, breaking windows, assaulting Trump supporters, burning stretch limousines and smashing the windows of SUVs -- including Larry King's! As a result, more than 200 of the rioters were placed under "arrest" (a police technique in use at the time). Prosecutors had mounds of evidence, including video, undercover agents and law enforcement witnesses. But D.C. judges Lynn Leibovitz and Robert E. Morin made sure almost all charges were dropped. Only one rioter, facing 70 years for felony rioting and assault on a cop, served any time in prison. Judge Leibovitz suspended all but four months of his sentence. No congressional push to impeach the antifa-friendly judges, no separate federal prosecutions of the out-of-state rioters, no segments about this outrage on Fox News. When Yiannopoulos was to speak at Berkeley in February 2017, 1,500 protesters, including more than 100 antifa, set fires, smashed windows and threw rocks. In reaction to this, Berkeley punished Milo and canceled the speech. (Not to brag, but 2,000 antifa tried to shut down my Berkeley speech last fall but it went off without a hitch! This was mostly thanks to the Bay Area Proud Boys. Hahaha, antifa!) There was only one arrest. Soon, Milo was completely deplatformed and disinvited by the toothless, collaborationist CPAC. Trump responded to the Berkeley riots by sending in the National Guard to protect free speech at a public university. JUST KIDDING! He tweeted: "If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view -- NO FEDERAL FUNDS?" ... and then of course did nothing. Positively Churchillian! That was at least better than Sens. Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, who praised antifa for raining violence on protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. The senators called the masked psychotics anti-fascist, apparently unaware that by "fascist," antifa means them. Can anyone remember what that protest was about? Oh yes, the tearing down of a Confederate statue. No punishment. Heaps of praise. Lesson learned. In 2018, the night before Vice magazine founder McInnes gave a speech at the Metropolitan Republican Club on the Upper East Side, antifa smashed the club's historic windows and spray-painted the anarchist "A" on the front door. Sadly for antifa, when they showed up to shut down the event the next day, they were met by McInnes' Proud Boys -- a multiracial social club for patriotic men who don't mind a good scrap. The speech went off, the attendees were protected, and the Proud Boys walked away. But antifa loons circled back for a sneak attack, hurling a bottle of urine at the Proud Boys. Although well outnumbered, the Proud Boys proceeded to kick skinny antifa butt. (Only the antifa girls are fat.) Guess who was prosecuted? The Proud Boys -- by Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance Jr., the same guy who allowed Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein to wantonly rape women and girls in his jurisdiction, year after year. Two Proud Boys are sitting in prison right now, sentenced to four years for fighting back. McInnes himself was thrown off every social media platform and forced to announce that he was stepping down from the Proud Boys. Not one antifa was even arrested. NYPD: Oh darn. We couldn't catch them. (Hey -- maybe send the Proud Boys next time!) But I'm sure you've heard all about it on Fox News and other conservative -- oh no, wait, you haven't heard about this from anyone. Democrats used our majestic system of justice to shield antifa from any private citizen who fights back. Not one elected Republican, including our bad-ass president, lifted a finger to defend McInnes and the Proud Boys. Conservative sunshine patriots said to themselves: Those guys have tattoos! They like to fight! I'm a "constitutional conservative"! The left has been laying the groundwork for this anarchist takeover for a long time. But even they must be amazed that the conservative response was to roll over and play dead. Except maybe they're not playing. Ann Coulter is an American conservative social and political commentator, writer, syndicated columnist and lawyer. She frequently appears on television, radio and as a speaker at public and private events. Love 1 Funny 8 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 School district leaders across Greater Houston are asking their boards this week to approve changes and resolutions in light of revised state guidance on how districts may reopen campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fort Bend, Channelview and Galveston ISD administrators have asked their trustees to approve tweaks to their 2020-2021 school year calendars; Friendswood ISD Superintendent Thad Roher will ask his board to OK the districts reopening plan; and officials in Clear Creek ISD are asking the board for $771,600 to hire additional staff for their virtual schooling option. In Conroe ISD, trustees are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a resolution asking the Texas Education Agency to suspend high-stakes State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing and to modify school accountability ratings for 2020-2021. The discussions follow the TEAs issuance of revised its guidance Friday on how campuses could reopen, giving districts more discretion on how and when to bring students back into actual classrooms. Schools now can keep all students learning remotely for the first four weeks of the school year, so long as they have the appropriate technology to learn online. Districts also can apply for a board-approved waiver that would allow them to continue distance learning for an additional four weeks. Under the TEAs previous guidance, districts only were allowed to have all students engage in online instruction for the first three weeks of 2020-2021. Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo encouraged districts Monday to keep all students learning remotely for the full eight weeks that TEA will allow. The county health department has not ordered any campus closures, unlike health authorities in several counties in the Rio Grande Valley. In the absence of a widely available treatment or vaccine, our community must bring the virus under control before in-person instruction can safety resume, Hidalgo wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. The faster we bring the virus under control and bring the curve down, the sooner schools will be able reopen safely and stay open. Once schools reopen, they still will have to offer five days a week of in-person instruction to any family of a student in grades prekindergarten through eight. The new guidance, however, allows districts to keep high schoolers off campus for up to 60 percent of each grading period, as long as they have access to technology and are spending the rest of that time in virtual classes. Fort Bend ISD, La Porte ISD, Goose Creek CISD and Spring ISD had announced their students would begin classes remotely for three weeks before the guidance was updated. Houston ISD announced last Wednesday it would move the start of its school year to after Labor Day and that students would remain off campus until Oct. 19. KIPP: Texas schools told parents Friday their students would attend classes virtually for the first seven weeks of their school year. More detailed decisions about adding a few minutes to instructional days or changing the school year calendar typically do not require board approval, said Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards. She said under state guidance, boards will have to approve plans for asychronous remote instruction, that in which students do not participate in real-time lessons with teachers. While boards may not make decisions on most operational aspects of schools reopening, she said they will be tasked with reviewing superintendents plans and overseeing their implementation. This is, obviously, a huge deal for communities, and any time theres a need for more community input on a decision, its elevated to the board, Baskin said. Choices about how third grade math content is delivered, that is left to instructional leaders and the superintendent. But whether to only offer in-person or a remote option for third grade math, that ends up being a board decision. Reopening schools during the pandemic has proved challenging for school leaders, who must balance health concerns with the benefits of in-person instruction. While data shows COVID-19 infections among children are more rare and less serious than in adults, the extent to which children can transmit and spread the disease to more vulnerable adults remains unknown. Teacher unions and some Democratic lawmakers in Texas and across the country have pleaded with education leaders to postpone in-person instruction until the number of cases subsides and more is known about the virus. However, keeping kids away from schools also can be harmful. Students learn better in-person most of the time, and they learn how to socialize and work with their peers face to face. President Donald Trump and some other Republicans have argued that schools must reopen for those reasons, and for parents who cannot watch kids during the school day and who depend on school-based meals for their children. shelby.webb@chron.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:02:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a task force to integrate the efforts to rein the COVID-19 transmission with the distribution of a huge economic stimulus as the virus infection cases remain afloat. The task force will ramp up the measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and monitor the distribution of the economic stimulus of 695.2 trillion rupiahs (about 47 billion U.S. dollars), local media reported on Monday. Indonesian Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises Erick Thohir was picked to oversee daily operations of the task force, Indonesian Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday. Hartarto said that Thohir will coordinate economic recovery efforts to contain the pandemic. "The president has asked the team to execute various programs so that the efforts to rein the virus outbreak and accelerate the economic recovery can be undertaken at the same time," said Hartarto. The president on Monday inked a government regulation on the establishment of the panel. The virus has stretched the Indonesian economy deep as partial lockdown and physical distancing rules have nearly grounded the economy to halt. The economy was projected to decelerate 3.5 to 5.1 percent in the second quarter after registering a 2.97 percent growth in the first quarter. The transmission of COVID-19 remains afloat in Indonesia, with 1,693 daily cases being reported on Monday by the Health Ministry, bringing the total to 88,214 with 4,239 fatalities. Enditem White House Seeks to Block Funding for CDC, Coronavirus Testing and Contact Tracing By VOA News July 19, 2020 The Trump administration is seeking to block congressional plans to provide additional billions of dollars to states for coronavirus testing and tracing, and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies. Senate Republicans are attempting to craft another coronavirus relief bill to fight the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States, aid individual citizens whose unemployment funds may be running out, and reverse some of the most damaging impacts on the nation's economy. The Trump administration's stance "has angered some GOP senators," according to a report in The Washington Post, as the politicians continue to work on ensuring the money remains in the bill. Preliminary plans for the measure include not only $25 billion for individual states for testing and tracing and another $25 billion for the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, but also more billions for the Pentagon and State Department to combat the pandemic at home and around the world. Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats are continuing on what will likely be the last coronavirus relief bill before the November presidential election. Coronavirus relief measures that have already been enacted, including expanded unemployment benefits, are due to expire in the coming weeks. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. infection rate is high because of widespread testing, but health officials say there has not been enough testing in the United States. Anonymous sources said the White House would like to see funding in the bill for projects that have nothing to do with the pandemic, including funding for a new FBI building. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamabad: Indian authorities have been accused of using the country's surging coronavirus pandemic as a chance to round up and hold critics protesting against Narendra Modi's treatment of minorities. While attention has in recent weeks been focused on accelerating deaths in the country, as many as a dozen prominent activists have been held under tough sedition and anti-terrorism laws. A caretaker in a graveyard splashes rose water on the body of a Muslim man who died from coronavirus in Delhi. Credit:Getty India's coronavirus restrictions, which have closed the courts, have left lawyers unable to file bail applications or even meet their detained clients, The New York Times reported. The nation of 1.3 billion is currently wrestling with one of the world's largest outbreaks of the virus and its case toll last week passed one million. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:26:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DOHA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's Health Ministry on Monday announced 389 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 107,037. A total of 405 people recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 103,782, while two others died, raising the fatalities to 159, the official Qatar News Agency quoted a statement by the ministry as saying. A total of 446,036 people in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added. China and Qatar have offered mutual help during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. On Feb. 21, five Qatar Airways cargo freighters flew to China carrying approximately 300 tons of medical supplies donated by the airline. On July 8, Chinese health officials and medical experts held a video conference with Qatari counterparts to share experience and expertise in fighting COVID-19. Enditem Sceptics argue that the circles are man-made. In 1991 Doug Bowers and Dave Chorley, two elderly artists from Southampton, claimed that, for a laugh, they had fashioned 200 circles, dice spots, pendulums, crescent moons and whirlpool shapes between the late 1970s and early 1990s using wooden planks, a garden roller and rope. There is even a Circlemakers website which provides a comprehensive how-to guide. Crop circles are an almost exclusively British phenomenon. Thousands have been reported in Britain over the past 30 years; Wiltshire is widely regarded as the world capital and the county tourist department promotes it as such. Michael Glickman, who has died aged 78, was an architect, designer and author who emerged during the last three decades of his life as a leading "croppie" someone who believes that the circles and geometric patterns that appear in corn fields every summer are the work of extra-terrestrials. Glickman's enthusiasm began in 1990 when he started exploring the theory that the geometrical forms might represent the means by which alien forces try to communicate with Earth. "I have no doubt that there are vastly superior intelligences out there who want to make contact," he said. "They don't speak English, so what is the universal language? Numbers and shapes." He went on to construct abstruse mathematical interpretations of the complex geometry often involved, published books notably Crop Circles: The Bones of God (2009) and lectured on the phenomenon all over the world. A crop circle in the Hunter Valley. Its design represents the position of the planets at the exact moment of our winter solstice in 2014. Glickman believed that the precise geometric qualities of some of the formations fractals, spirals and so on are so astounding that they could not possibly be man-made as no human hand could achieve such precision. Hoaxers, he observed, "claim to work in darkness, in silence, in secrecy and produce something which is sheer perfection. As an architect I know about geometry and it's just not possible." He described the hoaxers as snake-oil merchants: "There is something vicarious and malicious about their activities. They derive schoolboy glee from the business of deception. They are confidence tricksters working an old lady." The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), has advised the candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), to exercise a high level of discipline to ensure they stay healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coalition also asked all the staff and students to pay critical attention to the COVID-19 safety protocols during the examination. This was contained in a statement issued, on Monday, and signed by Mr Joseph Atsu Homadzi, the Interim Board Chairman of the Coalition, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra. The Coalition said though it understood the inconveniences that came with strict adherence to the safety protocols coupled with examination anxiety, adhering to the safety protocols was the surest way students would stay healthy during and after the examination. It advised them to refrain from examination malpractices and ensure that they obeyed all the rules governing the examination to avoid the cancellation of their results and the other penalties. "Candidates must be mindful that their toil from kindergarten through to Senior High School may be ruined if they fall victim to examination malpractices," it emphasised. The statement implored the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and all authorities involved in conducting this years WASSCE, to ensure that students wrote the examination devoid of casualties in the wake of the pandemic. The examination, to be taken by 313,897 candidates, started on Monday with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sending them a goodwill message. A total of 65,380 candidates began their Visual Arts project work as part of the requirement for their certificates. However, the general examination will start on Monday, August 3 and end on Saturday, September 5. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Hagia Sophia will cover some of its Christian mosaics with curtains, Turkeys presidential spokesperson said, ahead of the contested landmarks reopening as a working mosque this week. Our goal is to avoid harming the frescoes, icons and the historic architecture of the edifice, Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said during a TV interview Sunday. Currently, we are working on covering them with a curtain [during prayers], he said. In a controversial move earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the iconic Hagia Sophia in Istanbul a mosque to be used for prayers beginning this Friday, July 24. The UNESCO World Heritage site has a long and storied history in Turkey. Originally built as a cathedral, the 1,500-year-old Byzantine structure served as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church. It was converted into a mosque following the 1453 capture of Constantinople (what is now Istanbul). The father of the modern Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, turned the building into a museum as part of his efforts to secularize the country. A court earlier this month annulled Ataturks 1934 decree, paving the way for Erdogan to re-designate the sixth-century building as a mosque. The Turkish government has stressed that Hagia Sophia, one of Turkeys most-visited tourist attractions, will remain open to non-Muslims outside of prayer times. The country's religious authority, the Diyanet, had previously said the depictions of Jesus and other Christian figures would be covered through appropriate means during prayer times. Kalin said imagery that doesnt face the direction Muslims pray wouldnt be an issue, but he didnt say if they would remain uncovered. Erdogan made a surprise visit to Hagia Sophia on Sunday to check on the buildings conversion. Some 500 worshippers, including the president, are scheduled to attend socially distanced prayers on Friday. The European Union moved closer to agreeing on a massive stimulus package to reboot the economy after four of the bloc's governments that have been holding up negotiations indicated they were ready to agree on a key plank of the deal, officials said. After negotiating through the night, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden are satisfied with 390 billion euros ($450 billion) of the fund being made available as grants with the rest coming as low-interest loans, the officials said, asking not be named discussing private conversations. The total size of the recovery package is in flux, but an earlier proposal was for 750 billion euros. The bloc's 27 leaders will gather again at 4 p.m. in Brussels to settle the outstanding issues such as the overall size of the fund and the mechanisms for controlling its spending. A French official said that their delegation now see a path to a full deal. "After lengthy talks last night, we worked out a framework for a possible agreement," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday. "It's progress and gives hope that perhaps today an agreement will be made, or at least that an agreement is possible." The progress boosted markets, with the euro rising to a four-month high. Italy's 10-year bond yield spread over Germany, a key gauge of risk in the region, fell to the lowest level since March. The proposal under discussion earmarks a third of the recovery fund and the next budget -- more than half a trillion euros -- for projects that contribute to fighting climate change. On top of that, any expenditure that's not consistent with the goal of reducing greenhouse gases will not be approved, making it the greenest stimulus the world has seen. That would help Europe reach its 2050 climate-neutrality target and also could convince the frugal nations, which support stepping up efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, to endorse the deal. With investors already pricing in an agreement after a series of bold announcements in recent weeks, leaders are under intense pressure to bridge their differences. At times the discussions grew heated, with several officials saying the whole negotiation was on the brink of collapse during Sunday's dinner session as familiar fault lines emerged between the richer northern nations and the southern countries worst affected by the coronavirus. "It didn't look good at a couple of moments tonight but taking everything together, I believe progress has been made," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. "We are willing to make the shift from loans to subsidies if reforms are taking place and if these reforms can be enforced," he added. "There is a very good text on this now and my impression is that it has consensus support." Rutte and his allies have been trying to water down the handouts that the highly indebted southern countries see as critical for shoring up their finances -- the European Commission's initial proposal included 500 billion euros of grants. Yet for all the frustration facing Rutte from the other side of the table, his opponents can't afford to push him too far. The Dutch prime minister has just 75 deputies in his country's 150-seat parliament so he'll need opposition support to ratify any deal he strikes with the bloc. When the leaders gather this afternoon, they'll still have to overcome two contentious issues: how to make sure the funding is properly used and whether to make distributions contingent on the adherence to democratic standards. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed cautious optimism that EU leaders would seal a recovery deal later on Monday, saying progress had been made in bridging key differences. "There is a spirit of compromise that is there," Macron told reporters as he arrived on the fourth day of the EU summit. "There were tense moments. There will no doubt still be moments that are difficult. But on this issue matters have advanced." Macron warned that any EU failure to reach an agreement would end up costing the bloc more and vowed to keep working closely with Merkel on a successful outcome. Tens of lottery operators stormed the Federal High Court, Ikoyi on Monday to protest what they deem judicial bias in the handling of a lawsuit filed by Western Lotto Limited, belonging to politician Buruji Kashamu. The protest is in connection with a lottery operation case between Western Lotto Ltd and National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Registrar of Trademarks, Premier Lotto Ltd & 22 others. In the case being handled by Justice C.J. Aneke, Western Lotto Limited sued 23 rival lottery firms over alleged infringement on its licence on Ghana games. One of the defendants is Premier Lotto Limited, popularly known as Baba Ijebu Gaming Limited, belonging to Chief Keshington Adebutu. Meanwhile, in December 2019, Justice Aneke had authorised Western Lotto to enter into the offices of other defendants and produce evidence to back the alleged infringement on its licence on Ghana games. However, protesters besieged the court, carrying placards with various inscriptions accusing the judge of bias. Some of the inscriptions were, Aneke, do the right thing; Justice is not for sale; We say no to Kashamus judicial rascality; Equity & Fairness = Justice; Padi-Padi Judgment = Injustice; among others. Meanwhile, the hearing which was meant to hold today has been scheduled for Tuesday. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade commemorating the anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, in Washington on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) International Group of Lawmakers Condemns Chinese Regimes Campaign of Religious Persecution A global coalition of lawmakers condemned the Chinese regimes continued persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, in a statement released on the eve of the suppression campaigns 21st anniversary. Today, we highlight the plight of the Falun Gong together with all religious minorities who have suffered from repression under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) said in a July 19 statement. The group, established to coordinate policies to address the Chinese regimes growing influence around the world, comprises senior politicians from around the world, including the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament. We urge the world to stand up and speak out for an end to such repression, an end to impunity, and for justice, accountability, human rights, and human dignity for all the peoples of China, the statement reads. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual discipline that includes moral teachings based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. With roughly 100 million people in China practicing Falun Gong by 1999, then-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin considered the groups enormous popularity a threat to the atheistic rule of the Party. On July 20, 1999, Jiang began a nationwide campaign to round up and throw Falun Gong adherents into prisons, labor camps, brainwashing centers, and psychiatric wards in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. Millions have likely been detained over the past two decades, with hundreds of thousands tortured, according to estimates by the Falun Dafa Information Center. More than 4,500 Falun Gong adherents are confirmed to have died under torture while incarcerated, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that serves as a clearinghouse for information about Chinas ongoing persecution. Due to authorities extensive efforts to censor related information, the true death toll is likely much higher. The IPAC especially highlights ongoing reports of Falun Gong adherents being targeted for forced organ harvesting in the Chinese regimes for-profit organ transplant industry. In 2006, The Epoch Times broke the story of how the Chinese regime had been killing prisoners of conscience, mostly Falun Gong adherents, by harvesting their organs for transplant surgeries. Several reports conducted by independent researchers have since confirmed the allegations. In June 2019, an independent tribunal in London, after a yearlong investigation, concluded that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has taken place in China for years, on a significant scale. The tribunal judgment also states that Falun Gong practitioners are likely the main source of such organs. The IPAC statement read, Particularly troubling are reports that this practice had been perpetrated on a widespread, state-sponsored, and systematic level. Over the weekend, Falun Gong adherents in Washington commemorated the 21st anniversary of the persecution with a candlelight vigil, while practitioners in New York held an online event to remember the occasion amid a local ban on large gatherings due to COVID-19. More than 600 current and former lawmakers from 30 countries signed a statement calling on the Chinese regime to end its persecution of Falun Gong. Jerusalem, July 20 : The number of coronavirus cases in Israel has crossed 50,000, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health. According to the data released on Sunday, the total number of cases has reached 50,035, with 670 new cases since Saturday night, Xinhua reported. The death toll rose to 409 with eight new deaths, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 217 to 254, out of 671 patients currently hospitalized. The number of recovered cases reached 21,589, with 241 new recoveries. Earlier on Sunday, Israel's Prime Minister's Office said it will convene a discussion in the coming week on formulating practical steps to implement the government policy of procuring locally-made products. This follows a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to government ministries to act with all tools they have to encourage the Israeli economy, including the preference for Israeli products in government procurement. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Assam is battling flood of epic proportions which has killed more than 80 people in the state and affected over 70 lakh people. At least 24 of the states 33 districts are affected due to floods triggered by heavy monsoon shower. Over 70 lakh people have been affected due to Assam floods. People, as well as animals, are being rescued from the affected areas and being shifted to relief camps and safer locations, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal told news agency ANI. On one hand, people are troubled due to Covid-19 and on the other hand, there are challenges arising out of Assam floods. Still, the people of our state continue to fight the battle. Central and state governments are providing all kinds of assistance to the people, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sonowal on Sunday to take stock of the flood, erosion and Covid-19 situation in the state. The PM said that the central government was keeping a close watch and standing closely with the people of Assam during these difficult times, said a statement from the chief ministers office. According to a Central Water Commission (CWC) bulletin, most rivers in the state continue to be in spate. The Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Kopili, Beki, Kusiyara and Sankosh flowed above the danger mark at several places. The latest alert from CWC on Monday said that the Brahmaputra is expected to rise more by Tuesday evening. The river had burst its banks two weeks ago, swamping more than 2,500 villages. Goalpara is the worst-hit district with over 4.53 lakh people affected, followed by 3.44 lakh in Barpeta and 3.41 lakh in Morigaon. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force, district administrations and locals have rescued 366 persons during the last 24 hours, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said. Over 50,000 people uprooted by floods have taken shelter at 521 relief camps. The rapidly rising water level has also inundated the Kaziranga National Park, home to the worlds largest concentration of one-horned rhinoceros, with an estimated 2,500 out of a total population of some 3,000 of the animals. Nine rhinos have drowned and over 100 other animals have been killed, said Assams agriculture minister Atul Bora. Sixty other animals (36 hog deer, eight rhinos, three wild buffalo, one python, seven wild boar, two swamp deer, one Sambar and two porcupines) have so far died due to drowning, according to state government. Assam, famous for its tea plantations, is hit by flooding every rainy season despite flood-control efforts. (With inputs from agencies) A federal judge has approved a confidential settlement in the death of a Winston-Salem man at the Forsyth County Jail more than three years ago. U.S. District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder not only approved the settlement but sealed the financial amount of the settlement to protect the privacy of the mans minor children. But at a July 7 hearing, an attorney for the mans estate said that defendants told him during settlement negotiations that they would not agree to an amount more than $200,000. Whether that changed is not publicly known. Stephen Antwan Patterson, 41, was one of two men who died at the Forsyth County Jail in May 2017. Patterson died on May 26, 2017, and Deshawn Lamont Coley, 39, died on May 2, 2017. Coleys mother, Josephine Coley, has a pending wrongful-death lawsuit in Forsyth Superior Court. The school's new plan could see the children learning maths on Monday, geography on Tuesday, science on Wednesday and so on. (Getty) A school in Leicestershire is planning to carry out five-hour classes on each subject from September in a bid to stop coronavirus from spreading by minimising students movement. Manor High School in Oadby, Leicestershire, has drawn up a fortnightly cycle of all-day lessons for each subject for the start of the next academic year, when all schools will reopen as social distancing restrictions ease. For example, the new plan could see the children learning maths on Monday, geography on Tuesday, science on Wednesday and so on. Students will get exactly the same number of hours on each subject but will be taught in longer sessions, the school said. Manor High School, which has 784 boys and girls aged 11 to 16 years, believes the new system will benefit the students beyond curbing the spread of the virus because there will be less time lost moving between classes up to five times a day. Manor High School in Oadby, Leicestershire, has drawn up a fortnightly cycle of all-day lessons on the same subject at the start of the next academic year. (Getty) Headteacher Liam Powell told the Times: The basic principle is to avoid pupil and staff movement and to comply with government instructions for all children to return full-time. The school was built in 1968 and doesnt really allow for pupils to move with distance between lessons. The idea is to run a fortnightly timetable with day-long lessons. So on a Monday they will have maths and it will last for the whole day, while a different class might have French all day. Less movement will allow a top-to-bottom clean of the school, which would be impossible if they were moving around five times a day. It might be that we come out of this and think whole-day lessons are really good. Powell conceded that from a childs point of view, working on the same subject for five hours might be strenuous but that a teacher could remedy this by allowing breaks at different times and introducing new styles and methods to keep them interested. Boris Johnson visits Pimlico primary school in London in July 2018. (Toby Melville/Pool via AP) Government guidelines state that all pupils, in all year groups, will return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. Story continues The guidelines say schools must make judgments about how to balance and minimise any risks from coronavirus and should use their existing resources to make arrangements to welcome all children back. Read more: Reopening of schools 'unlikely to cause huge problems Boris Johnson told Parliament in late June that all schools should re-open with full attendance in September as he announced a relaxation of social distancing rules in England. Attendance will be mandatory again from the beginning of the autumn term. Education secretary Gavin Williamson, left, arrives in Downing Street after the introduction of measures to gradually bring the country out of lockdown, in May. (AP) Headteachers will be told to follow up pupils' absence and issue sanctions, including fines in some cases. Read more: Five key sentences from scientists advice on reopening schools The government wants teachers to keep classes or year groups apart in separate bubbles. Schools will be asked to return "to a broad and balanced curriculum," education secretary Gavin Williamson told the House of Commons in June. They will be asked to minimise the number of contacts each pupil has during the day, by keeping classes or whole year groups apart in separate protective bubbles rather than practising individual social distancing. Irelands health regulator HIQA published summaries in June investigating the international evidence on immunity and the spread of coronavirus by children and found that, while evidence is limited, children are not significant contributors to the spread. HIQA deputy chief executive Dr Mairin Ryan said: "One study suggests that, while there is high transmission of COVID-19 among adults aged 25 years or older, transmission is lower in younger people, particularly in those under 14 years of age. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Leading Republicans will meet with Donald Trump on Monday over the latest coronavirus relief packages for the US (Patrick Semansky/AP) Leading Republicans were preparing to meet Donald Trump on Monday over the United States next Covid-19 aid package as the administration baulked at calls for more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate relief plans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion (800 billion) package in a matter of days, but divisions between the Senate Republican majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. Congress will return session this week as the coronavirus crisis many had hoped would have improved by now continues to worsen and just as earlier federal emergency relief expires. Mr Trump insisted again on Sunday that the virus would disappear a view that did not match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the USs alarming caseloads and death toll. Mr McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Mr Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to fine-tune the legislation, acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News. The package from Mr McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 (958) cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits. Expand Close President Donald Trump has insisted again that the coronavirus will disappear despite the worsening situation in the US (Patrick Semansky/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump has insisted again that the coronavirus will disappear despite the worsening situation in the US (Patrick Semansky/AP) But as the White House weighed in, the administration was criticising plans calling for some $25 billion (19.96 billion) in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administrations objections were first reported by The Washington Post. Mr Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed the Democrats vast $3 trillion (2.4 trillion) proposal and virus cases and deaths had only increased since. Expand Close Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been preparing to roll out the new aid package (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been preparing to roll out the new aid package (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mr Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Mr Trumps GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill. The payroll tax Mr Trump wanted has also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion. Mr Trump said on Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed. I want to see it, he said. Politicians were returning to a partially closed Capitol building still off-limits to tourists to consider what will be a fifth Covid-19 aid package. After passing the $2.2 trillion (1.76 trillion) relief bill in March, Republicans hoped the virus would ease and the economy would rebound so more aid would not be needed. But with Covid-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the apparent repeat of the pandemics devastating cycle has left Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Its not going to magically disappear Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on the coronavirus Businesses have been shutting down again, schools have been unable to fully reopen, and jobs are continuing to disappear, all while federal emergency aid expires. Its not going to magically disappear, said a sombre Mr McConnell last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state Kentucky to thank front-line workers. As Mr McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count than any other country. It's all well and good to cop a 'selfish whinging bogan' edit (SWB) on Married At First Sight, where the grand prize is just a huge sponny deal to flog tea that helps you s**t. That's very different to copping the SWB on Big Brother, where the $250,000 prize winner will be determined by the public in a live finale. So it looks like it's tough luck for Dan and Mat, who we'd feel sorry for if not for the fact that watching them get robbed blind on Monday was goddamn hilarious. We was robbed! Dan and Mat copped a 'selfish whinging bogan' edit (SWB) on Monday, just days before Australia gets to decide who gets $250,000. We'd feel bad for them if it wasn't so hilarious Bogan Bonnie & Campbelltown Clyde Thrilled to have his ride-or-die Sophie back, Chad whisked her away to the bedroom at the first chance he could. Not to get down and dirty, though: 'Look what I done!' he grinned, pointing to a blanket fort that appeared to be made by a three-year-old Chad's been on top of the world ever since his ride-or-die Sophie returned from an involuntary trip to the asylum. He whisked her away to the bedroom at the first opportunity on Monday - but not to get down and dirty. 'Look what I done!' he grinned, pointing to a blanket fort that appeared to be made by a three-year-old. 'Only took me two days!' Sophie eventually managed to coax him onto the bed by screaming 'the floor is lava, the floor is lava!' Sophie eventually managed to coax him onto the bed by screaming 'the floor is lava, the floor is lava!' 'I'm so glad she's back,' he told Big Brother later on. 'We've got the Bonnie and Clyde thing going.' Big Brother: 'You've never seen Bonnie and Clyde, have you?' Chad: 'Nah, but it sounds hot AF. Does it have a happy ending?' 'I'm so glad she's back,' he told Big Brother later on. 'We've got the Bonnie and Clyde thing going.' Big Brother: 'You've never seen Bonnie and Clyde, have you?' Chad: 'Nah, but it sounds hot AF. Does it have a happy ending?' SWB Mr. Lonely: After hours of encouragement from the producers, the co-dependent bromance of Dan and Mat agreed to act like they were in a strop over Sophie's 'unfair' return. We were treated to a 10-minute montage of the pair sulking at various locations around the house After hours of encouragement from the producers, the co-dependent bromance of Dan and Mat agreed to act like they were in a strop over Sophie's 'unfair' return. We were treated to a 10-minute montage of the pair sulking at various locations around the house. 'Where's Mat? Oh he's standing by the pool trying to tie bricks to his legs.' 'Anyone seen Dan?' 'Yeah, think I saw him standing in the pantry with a hose and the gas canister from the BBQ?' 'Where's Mat? Oh he's standing by the pool trying to tie bricks to his legs' Big Brother was eventually forced to call them into the diary room for a welfare check. Big Brother: 'Guys. We're trying to compete in a very difficult timeslot and this woe-is-me rubbish is the same thing that killed The Biggest Loser.' Mat: 'Yeah but loik. It's f**kin bullshit an' that. Loik. We get rid of 'em but the flogs keep comin' back.' 'Anyone seen Dan?' 'Yes, I saw him walking into the backyard with a bunch of fencing and some padlocks.' Big Brother was eventually forced to call them into the diary room for a welfare check Dan: 'They're herpes.' Mat: 'Yeah, except herpes doesn't steal all your bedding to make a f**kin blanket fort one day and then rob you blind the next.' Dan: 'Yeah. Just a rash on the balls from my experience!' Big Brother: 'Well, one thing I can agree on is there is no chance in hell either of you is going to win the public vote at this rate.' Mat: 'Yeah but loik. It's f**kin bullshit an' that. Loik. We get rid of 'em but the flogs keep comin' back.' Dan: 'Yeah, they're worse than herpes!' Mat flipped the camera the double forks and stormed off. Dan stayed Mat: 'Screw this, we're out!' Mat flipped the camera the double forks and stormed off. Dan stayed. Dan: 'While I've got you here, where do we keep the Zovirax? Wasn't kidding about the ball rash.' Rash move: Dan: 'While I've got you here, where do we keep the Zovirax? Wasn't kidding about the ball rash' Dog Act Dog act: On day three of the Dan & Mat strop-fest, Big Brother gave up and sent in one of the emotional support dogs they have at retirement homes with very low visitor turnout On day three of the Dan & Mat strop-fest, Big Brother gave up and sent in one of the emotional support dogs they have at retirement homes with very low visitor turnout. In other words, a gift that says: 'Here's something to watch while you wait for your impending doom.' It worked on Dan, who came bounding out of the diary room grinning from ear-to-ear. It worked on Dan, who came bounding out of the diary room grinning from ear-to-ear: 'Mat! Mat! We got a dog!' he beamed, sprinting into the shower to tell the other half 'Mat! Mat! We got a dog!' he beamed, sprinting into the shower to tell the other half. 'Unless it's an albino chow chow with gold Rolexes on all four paws, I do not give a s**t!' replied Mat, doing the maths in his head. Who on earth is going to vote for these two after this? 'Unless it's a albino chow chow with gold Rolexes on all four paws, I do not give a s**t!' replied Mat, doing the maths in his head Elsewhere, Chad was cheering over the fact he was no longer the dumbest housemate. In fairness, Chad, the dog ran head first into the sliding glass door because its vision is awful. What's your excuse? Elsewhere, Chad was cheering over the fact he was no longer the dumbest housemate. The dog ran head first into a sliding glass door because its vision is awful. What's your excuse? Die Another Day Dan and Mat's inevitable demise was delayed via an elimination challenge that saw the loser automatically nominated for eviction. Sorry Sarah, you're the worst at shovelling corn kernels into a barrel - it's only fair! Dan and Mat's inevitable demise was delayed via an elimination challenge that saw the loser automatically nominated for eviction. Sorry Sarah, you're the worst at shovelling corn kernels into a barrel - it's only fair! A second insufferable eviction challenge in the same episode served as an apt metaphor for just how screwed Dan and Mat are. They were trapped in a locked cage, quite literally up to their necks in water and left cursing their lovable rivals, who managed to find the keys to success. A second insufferable eviction challenge in the same episode served as an apt metaphor for just how screwed Dan and Mat are - and how dopey and lovable their rivals are. Chad won the challenge and put Mat up for eviction In other words, Chad won the nomination challenge and put Mat up for eviction. Mat managed to complain his way to safety by earning a second vote - some rubbish about Sophie's re-entry robbing him of the 'game advantage' he'd won last week. Because why just send Sarah packing when you can turn yourself into the villain and rob yourself of $250,000 and all future endorsement deals? Nobody wants to buy laxative tea off of an a**hole, Mat. Mat managed to complain his way to safety by earning a second vote... because why just send Sarah packing when you can turn yourself into the villain and rob yourself of $250,000 and all future endorsement deals? Some of the unrest that we saw, even in the last month or so, but particularly last night and in the week leading up to it in Portland, is just not acceptable when you look at communities not being safe and not upholding the rule of law, said Meadows. So, Attorney General Barr is weighing in on that with Secretary Wolf and youll see something rolled out this week as we start to go in and make sure that the communities, whether its Chicago or Portland or Milwaukee or some place across the heartland of the country, we need to make sure their communities are safe. T he main contractor working on the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower came to the conclusion that the project didnt need a fire consultant, the inquiry into the blaze heard. Seventy-two people were killed and more than 70 were injured in the fire which broke out from a fourth-floor flat in June 2017. Rydon had considered recruiting a specialist to oversee plans for the lower four floors of the west London tower block, but eventually decided it was not necessary. The companys contracts manager, Simon Lawrence, told the hearing on Monday: "The initial intention regarding fire consultants was for the lower four floors. Tributes were left to those killed and injured in the fire / REUTERS The cladding, in our view, at the time was less of a risk than the lower four floors because of the means of escape. We thought that it might be a good idea to have a fire consultant for those lower four floors but, as the design progressed, we ultimately came to the conclusion we didnt need that fire consultant for the lower four floors. Mr Lawrence who was involved in the revamp between June 2014 and October 2015 could not remember when this decision was made but added that not hiring specialist fire safety consultants was standard practice for Rydon work, including on previous jobs involving high-rise overcladding. Minutes from meetings in June, July and September 2014 indicate that Mr Lawrence would take responsibility for the appointment of fire consultants on the Grenfell project, but said not appointing was a Rydon team decision. Asked by inquiry lawyer Richard Millett QC whether that was included on meeting documents as a placeholder, Mr Lawrence insisted that we intended to look into the appointment of a consultant and it wasnt just an off-the-cuff comment, but thought that the autumn of that year would be fairly early on for us to decide whether we actually needed that input or we didnt need that input. The inquiry into the blaze has previously heard that Rydon was reliant on others to check compliance with fire safety rules. Last week, when Mr Lawrence was asked about Rydons processes to supervise the overall project and make sure the works were being completed with safe materials, he said: I think it would be using a competent design team, competent specialist contractors, backed up by building control and all the layers within. He agreed that this boiled down to a reliance on others and his written witness statement to the inquiry added that at no point did he have any reason to believe materials used in the tower blocks refurbishment did not meet legal requirements. The market expects Bank of Hawaii (BOH) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2020. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 27. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This bank holding company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.99 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -29.3%. Revenues are expected to be $167.62 million, down 1.1% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 10.36% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Story continues Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Bank of Hawaii? For Bank of Hawaii, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +0.76%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Bank of Hawaii will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Bank of Hawaii would post earnings of $0.64 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.87, delivering a surprise of +35.94%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Bank of Hawaii doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Twitch is a platform where you can find everything. Exposure can be dangerous, however, and it's sometimes a place with a lot of setbacks. The US Army, which has embarked on streaming, has not yet mastered the Twitch codes... The US Army has an esports section that streams regularly on the Twitch broadcast platform. It's in particular the occasion to give a good image of the US Army and to bring it closer to an audience, often young. However, it has rather gotten a negative publicity blow lately with two cases that have been talked about. After Donald Trump a few weeks ago, it's another American public figure who finds himself in difficulty on the streaming platform. Live now with some Path of Exile today doods! https://t.co/fXekshgrvY USAE Scottoria (@KevinRasins) June 26, 2020 The U.S. Army is regularly online on Twitch Fake prize giveaways that sent users to recruitment page Journalist Jordan Uhl (The Nation) revealed that the US Army used fake giveaways during their streams to encourage enlistment in the military. A marketing technique that can be effective, but which is obviously reprehensible and dishonest. It would also seem that these accusations are true, since Twitch asked the channel to stop its false promotions . Among the practices challenged, links in the chat that claimed to be able to win different prizes, such as an Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. But these links, once opened, didn't lead to a contest or a draw... but directly on a recruitment form. Twitch has pretty strict rules around giveaways. Among those which were not respected we find: The rules should be posted on the website and everyone should know them Prizes must be awarded according to the rules of a draw Competitions must have a start and end date Odds of winning must be communicated to participants There must be alternative solutions to enter the contest and purchases are prohibited We will also add that to enlist in the army, you must be at least 16 years old in the United States. The affected audience on Twitch may turn out to be much younger, which also raises additional questions about the legality and morality of the proceedings. A violation of the first amendment? Everyone knows how much the Americans are attached to their constitution and don't like that the amendments are violated. However, it seems that the US Army's Twitch channel is violating the first of them, the one which guarantees freedom of expression. This is in any case what the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) denounces. In the moderation of his chat, the channel would have been a little too heavy. Especially when viewers ask questions or write comments about war crimes and acts. The persons in question could thus be very quickly banished or deprived of speech. Calling out the governments war crimes isnt harassment, its speaking truth to power. And banning users who ask important questions isnt "flexing," its unconstitutional. https://t.co/E8N10fM5IR ACLU (@ACLU) July 10, 2020 If channels have the right to moderate their chat themselves, there are nevertheless rules to respect. The US Army has defended itself by describing these comments and questions as "harassment." An explanation which is however far from having convinced the critics. There was an uptick in visitors since the museum fully opened back up, Werger said it seems like people were ready to get out and noted around half of the visitors were locals and the others were travelling. She noted social distancing is not too difficult in the museum, due to the space and the lower number of visitors. Werger said the renovations to Kirkpatrick Memorial Park have helped to draw people to the area and to the museum as well. The DCHM still hopes to host its annual Trivia Night fundraiser in November. Ann Anderson, representing the Gothenburg museum, said the facility is not open at the moment, as it is run fully by volunteers and many do not feel safe returning yet, due to the pandemic. The Gothenburg museum is taking this time in doing renovations and recently spent $2,000 redoing their basement. Anderson noted things are currently, in flux, but they are excited for the changes. During their annual meeting last November, it was noted volunteers had racked up a total of 21,000 hours at the museum. Mondays are also a work day, with volunteers showing up to help with what needs to be handled each particular week. Small employers will be given greater access to a $40 billion loan scheme to help them through the recession when the federal government overhauls its flagship JobKeeper payment this week. The expanded loan scheme will offer companies four times the amounts previously allowed up to a new cap of $1 million, while extending repayment times from three to five years. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has named tourism, arts and recreation, hospitality and aviation as the industries facing the greatest hardship. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But the government is under pressure from unions, social service groups, Labor and the Greens to keep JobKeeper payments of $1500 a fortnight flowing to as many people as possible when the scheme is adjusted within days. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will announce changes to the lending program on Monday after small and medium businesses applied for only $1.5 billion from the original scheme even though it offered up to $40 billion. Rally with Essential Workers for Black Lives! Posted by SEIU Local 888 on Monday, July 20, 2020 Hundreds gathered outside the statehouse Monday in Boston, including Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III and State Rep. Liz Miranda, to participate in a nationwide demonstration dubbed Strike for Black Lives. The demonstrations across the country were expected to gather tens of thousands of workers across more than two dozen cities from Boston to Los Angeles, organizers told the Associated Press. The protests were aimed at systemic racism and economic inequality that has worsened through the coronavirus pandemic. A crowd began gathering on Beacon Hill shortly before 9 a.m. Unions representing educators, health care workers and property service employees -SEIU Local 509, SEIU, Local 888, SEIU 32BJ, CIR/SEIU and Massachusetts SEIU 1199 - gathered in front of the statehouse as part of a cause entitled Essential Workers for Black Lives. You are the soul of our country, the soul of the workers of our country, Markey said. Im going to tell you, Im going down to Washington for one of the most important fights of my political career so that you get the help you need. We need to stand up, we need to fight...hazard pay must be given to all our frontline workers and PPE for every worker in our country. - @EdMarkey #StrikeForBlackLives pic.twitter.com/CADHVr2lSz 32BJ SEIU (@32BJSEIU) July 20, 2020 Kennedy, who is challenging Markey for his senate seat, also attended the protest. He addressed the crowd in English and Spanish and touched on the concerns of workers amid the coronavirus. We can not go back to where we were. Because that normal has left too many people behind. That normal was broken, Kennedy said. That normal was an economic system that deemed service workers as service workers and now we see that they are essential. Still today, we say their jobs are essentials, not that their lives are essential. Thank you Rep. @joekennedy for supporting today: We have a chance to push for the reforms that we need to make this the country our founders believed it could one day become. pic.twitter.com/22c5Ljvsnb SEIU Local 509 (@SEIU509) July 20, 2020 Miranda, representing Suffolks fifth district, addressed the crowd and the struggles workers face and how a united movement can help all affected by economic hardships. Our destinies are tied. These struggles are interlocked, Miranda said. You can not fight for immigrant justice and not fight for economic justice. You can not fight for economic justice and not fight for racial justice. Thank you @RepLizMiranda: This country was built off the backs of working class people, Black and brown people, and continues to thrive off of our backs. These struggles are interlocked. pic.twitter.com/42y7iCCpF5 SEIU Local 509 (@SEIU509) July 20, 2020 Across the United States, nursing home employees, janitors and delivery men and women, fast food employees, ride-share and airport workers are expected to take part in planned events. The strike continues an ongoing global protests on race and police brutality set off by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes in late May. At noon in each U.S. time zone on Monday, workers are expected to take a knee for nearly nine minutes the amount of time a white police officer held his knee on Floyds neck. Strikers in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed on May 25, will include nursing home and airport workers demanding a $15-per-hour minimum wage, organizers said. In Missouri, participants will rally at McDonalds locations in St. Louis and Ferguson, a key landmark in the protest movement sparked by the death of Michael Brown, a Black teenager who was killed by police in 2014. The Ferguson strikers will also march to a memorial site located on the spot where Brown was shot and killed. In Manhattan, essential workers will gather outside of the Trump International Hotel to demand the Senate and President Donald Trump pass and sign the HEROES Act. The House-passed legislation provides protective equipment, essential pay and extended unemployment benefits to workers who have not had the option of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is expected to rally with workers. We are ... building a country where Black lives matter in every aspect of society including in the workplace, said Ash-Lee Henderson, an organizer with the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of over 150 organizations that make up the Black Lives Matter movement. The Strike for Black Lives is a moment of reckoning for corporations that have long ignored the concerns of their Black workforce and denied them better working conditions, living wages and healthcare. Reporting from The Associated Press contributed to this story. Related Content: There was a president who said: The buck stops here. And one who said: Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked ... . And another leader who said: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. Abraham Lincoln said: America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. And Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a mans character, give him power. And one more: My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on Gods side, for God is always right. Where do we find those kinds of people? I was not born when they were here. But I can vote and try to keep that strength alive. We have a chance in November to choose candidates who best fit the character and results achieved by those who sacrificed for us. Former Married At First Sight star Nasser Sultan entered into a feud with Big Brother housemate Mat Garrick and Kieran Davidson on social media last week. And now, Kieran has hit back at the 53-year-old reality star for calling the evicted star and the show's audience 'white bogans'. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Kieran, 21, said that Nasser can 'talk all he likes' and that he wasn't bothered by his comments. EXCLUSIVE: 'He can talk all he likes!' Big Brother's Kieran Davidson, 21, (pictured) hit back at Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan for calling him and his fellow housemates 'bogans' 'It is what it is, he can talk all he likes... I actually quite enjoyed him on MAFS though,' he said. 'Thanks for the comment, but it doesn't bother me. 'People are going to have their opinions about how you were on Big Brother and you just got to deal with it.' Is this TV's biggest catfight? Last week Big Brother star Mat Garrick (L) took on Nasser (R) after the 'groom' called the show's audience 'white bogans' for not taking 'bullying' claims seriously Nasser first hit out at Mat on Instagram last Monday, under an article titled: 'Dan and Matt's [sic] schoolyard bullying on tonight's Ep of Big Brother was a step too far.' He added: 'So where's the stupid audience speaking out? Nowhere! Because the audience that are watching it is white and bogans.' He later hit out at Mat and co-star Daniel Gorringe personally for their actions. Nasser first hit out at Mat on Instagram last Monday, under an article titled: 'Dan and Matt's [sic] schoolyard bullying on tonight's Ep of 'Big Brother' was a step too far' Nasser wrote: 'Just like those two [to act like bullies].' The response prompted Mat to fire off: 'Come on mate. You of all people should know how heavily edited reality TV is. Cheers from white bogan Mat.' Nasser then hit back, holding him to account for his own actions: 'Only to a point but you say it or do it then [they] can't edit that.' Mat then appeared to backpedal: 'Completely agree. I said and did everything they've shown and I'll own it all. Easy to rip when you weren't there though' Nasser managed the final word: 'Then you shouldn't have applied. So don't whinge.' Feud: The two reality stars repeatedly went back and forth at each other online California Sen. Kamala Harris is widely believed to be on Joe Bidens short list for vice president, but a group of Bernie Sanders supporters in the California Democratic Party wants the nominee-to-be to pick either Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee or one of two other Black women instead. Lee, Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass and Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator, would make excellent running mates, Sanders delegates to the Democratic National Convention wrote in a letter to Biden that was obtained by The Chronicle. In order to meet this historic moment, Democrats must select an exceptional progressive vice presidential candidate who will both inspire the 90 million Americans who did not vote in 2016 to cast a ballot this November and lead America into a new era of equality, compassion, and economic justice, the Sanders backers wrote. The letter was signed by 145 of the 153 Sanders delegates who voted on the suggestion. Of the 495 state party delegates, a little more than half were awarded to Sanders after the March 3 primary. Its the latest instance of Sanders supporters wielding the power they gained in the California Democratic Party when the Vermont senator won the states primary. Last month, The Chronicle reported that they pressed to have Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna, a national co-chair of Sanders presidential campaign, head the states delegation to the Democratic convention, a role that typically goes to the states governor or top elected Democrat. Kevin Dietsch/Pool/TNS Eventually, Democrats settled on Khanna, Lee and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, a Biden favorite, to co-chair the delegation. Earlier this month, The Chronicle reported that progressive, Black and Latino leaders demanded that the state party stop accepting campaign contributions from law enforcement unions. Party leaders said they would consider the proposal at their executive board meeting that begins Friday. Biden has committed to picking a female running mate. Bass, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, has reportedly joined Harris on his short list. Lee, a co-founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who endorsed Harris in the primary, and Turner, who was a national co-chair of Sanders campaign, are not believed to be among the half dozen or so finalists. Bass told the Sacramento Press Club last week that she will do whatever it takes to help Biden, including putting stamps on mailers at his headquarters. While she said she trusts Biden to make the right choice, she said it is important to pick a woman of color. I think it would be very important, especially at this moment in our country ... when we have a president who has been so divisive and has used race regularly, especially when he is in a hot spot, Bass said. The Sanders delegates letter did not mention Harris, whose mother was born in India and whose father is a native of Jamaica. She ended her own presidential campaign in December and endorsed Biden after he had all but wrapped up the nomination. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the top pick of members of the Progressive Democrats of America and young people surveyed in a new poll by GenForward, a nonpartisan organization that works in affiliation with the University of Chicago. Harris finished behind Warren in both surveys. Kin Man Hui / Hearst Newspapers 2018 A Morning Consult poll last week found that 45% of Democrats said choosing a woman of color as vice president is important to them. Thats up from 36% who felt that way in April, before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody and the more than 2,000 racial justice demonstrations that ensued across the country. But 54% of all Americans in the survey said Bidens vice presidential choice would have no impact on their vote. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli 20.07.2020 LISTEN Why is Covid-19 killing Minority doctors abroad where they are better equipped than in Africa? Yet more African health workers are ready to jump into airplanes arranged by the same unsrewpolous Agents that sold naive youths to Arab countries as body parts, prostitutes, slaves and househelps. If these youths are greedy half illiterates, what do you call our trained doctors? Let us face it, many of us are looking for greener pastures because capital expenditure that could have created a livable environment at home are used for personal emoluments of our political leaders. Their salaries are so high in Nigeria, no politicians even in the United States, the richest country comes close. Therefore, all the professionals and other workers think they are poorly paid since they shop in the same market as their politicians. Moreover, these politicians shop abroad with laundered money. They and their children relish the display of conspicuous spending everywhere including social media in disguise for how God has blessed them for working hard!. As a result, many Youths jump at the lure of promised opportunity to work in Britain and the United States in order to earn what they could not at home. Even if we give a copy of Treasury keys politicians have to those bent on leaving for overseas, it will not stop them. We will only encourage them to launder as much money as they possibly can. If they had the brain to improve their own environment, they would not be running abroad using any and every opportunity they get. It has more to do with ready-made convenience than building their country up: Surulere v. Olorunsogo. Instead, come out clean that a country like Kenya or Nigeria does not have the income of the United States to support such outlandish salaries. Kenya cut salaries after an outcry. But Nigeria politicians could not let the outrageous salaries go. So they started borrowing outside to pay unsustainable emoluments. They are ready to sell the country to foreigners while they and their children relocate to foreign countries. It does not matter how they get there. We should not be surprised that African Youths argue ignorantly to justify jumping into the desert, sea, planes and ships without visas at the risk of their lives. It is even sadder that some of those that are exposed to adversities and suffering abroad send pictures and videos home lying about how lucky and great they are. Pointing out realities to them is pointless when they see Sakawa boys like Hushppupi, Invictus Obi, Nana Wan or Criss Waddle. Angola and Nigeria kleptomaniacs made more money from oil that hardly benefits their masses. Some of the Youths have given up while others resign to crime and corruption as the way out of poverty. They are only waiting for their own turns to loot. No allocation of money from anywhere for any project or to any destination is safe. There are too many waiting to strike first and embezzle. If they cannot get one chance, they are bailing out of Africa no matter what they do outside. The problem is many jump from fry pan to fire. However, how do we explain the same risk or anger from the children of politicians and their cronies that are still plugging African countries, looting and laundering money out. Their children cry louder after African resources have been wasted to train them in the best professions and schools all over the world. The irony of blaming the poverty in the land being created by their parents is staggering. If their parents had used the same resources to improve infrastructure, there would be less youths risking their lives to venture out. One of the best answers given by a South African nurse for traveling out claimed she made enough money to send to her parents, send her brothers and sisters to medical and nursing schools back home. In order words, by venturing out, she was able to triple what she could for her family than staying home. Indeed, we can say the same about missionaries, explorers, and foreign Investors making killer profits in Africa than anywhere else. They make enough money for their services in Africa to retire early in luxury in Europe and America. Even a mercenary in Africa takes certain risks to make much more fighting in Africa than a subsistence living at home with all the freedom taunted. While Africans go abroad to make enough money to live from one paycheck to another like most of their hosts, Europeans, Asians, and Americans come to Africa for fortune to live in luxury they never imagined in their countries. The difference between cheap and inflated salaries for labor. However, if coronavirus is hitting Britain's minority doctors harder and dying more, you are useless to yourself, your families, and your Countries. Twenty- seven out of the 29 doctors who have died of COVID-19 in the UK were ethnic minorities, most born overseas according to the British Medical Association. www.washingtonpost.com May 20, 2020. It is mere hypocrisy that the "grim toll has confounded health experts, alarmed minority physicians, and startled a nation that relies on immigrants to swell the ranks of its public health-care system". It sounds like those health experts in the United States trying to explain why blacks that makeup only 13% of their population, die at a higher rate or more of them in correctional institutions than whites. They blame underlying pre-existing medical conditions. The same endemic risks these new African immigrants are going to face. If you are looking for international fame that will translate to wealth, discover or produce something at home that can compete with international products and name your price. No matter how much you wish to be like them, copy them or bleach your brain white, you can never be them, the real thing is your unique self. These young professionals that are fleeing African countries always complain that their laboratories at home are not well equipped for them to make 21st-century discoveries in Arts and Sciences. The fallacy of that narrow excuse is that African countries have the biggest laboratory in the world - Bush. The same Bush and jungle that foreigners come and discover pharmaceutical products that turn them into multi-billion companies and billionaires. Our youths are too busy cramming for foreign examinations instead of searching for discoveries at home. Wow, Elon Musk! That was the cathartic cheer and cry of relief in millions of American homes on May 30, after two months of forced confinement, when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying two American astronauts bound for the International Space Station. It was the first ever manned SpaceX mission and the first time since 2011 that an American-made rocket had taken Americans into space. SpaceX is of course one of Elon Musks companies. As if on cue on the very next day, Musks other monster rocket, Tesla stock, blasted off again and shot out of its range, adding nearly 8 percent to reach $898.10, a level that was more than double its March low of $361.20. Days later, the boosters fired again and lifted the stock above $1,000 and then once more, after a two-week pause, to $1,500, where it is now taking a brief respite in the orbit of companies valued at $300 billion. There in the stratosphere, the stillness of space envelops the investor as it does the astronaut. Escape velocity has been achieved for shareholders, some with many, many millions in profits, leaving the earthbound shorts (people who bet against the stock) but a small and distant memory to be mockingly blotted out of view. These shorts, hopelessly weighed down by whats left of traditional investment discipline, have (so far) lost a cumulative $18 billion in vain expectation that the Tesla rocket would reverse, crash, and burn. All they can do now is stare at their screens and argue to whomever will still listen that this stock rocket will eventually come back to Earth. Not necessarily. Consider Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, launched long ago and now heading deeper and deeper into the trillion dollar galaxy. The question then is whether Tesla, though much smaller today, can one day join the outer reaches traveled by these companies, or whether it will crash as so many hot stocks have in the past. Tesla bulls are confident that it can maintain its current trajectory, a belief that is owed in no small part to the faith that they have in Elon Musk. Story continues Its A Car Company In its surge on July 13, Tesla stock climbed 15 percent in the morning, adding about $40 billion to its market value. But later in the day, stock indices retreated and Tesla ended the day in the red, giving back the mornings $40 billion gain and then some. Each one of these $40 billion moves, up and then down, corresponded to the entire market value of BMW or of Daimler (owner of the Mercedes brand). So Tesla added one full BMW and gave back one Daimler within the same day. As of July 15, Teslas market value stood at $287 billion $120 billion more than the entire German auto sector comprising BMW, Daimler, VW and their various brands (VW owns not only Volkswagen but also Audi, Porsche and other nameplates). These German automakers sold a combined 16 million cars last year, generating an industry net profit of nearly $24 billion, while Tesla sold 367,500 cars at a net loss of $862 million. Tesla cannot be valued on its earnings, which are nonexistent or too low. On a price-to-revenues measure, it is trading at 11.7x 2019 revenues. If you allow a 30 percent revenue increase in 2020 (unlikely, but lets be generous), it is now trading at 9x 2020 revenues. By comparison, BMWs stock is trading at 0.37x 2019 revenues and Daimler at 0.23x. The bulls, unfazed by these extreme disparities, make the following argument. Its Not A Car Company Their main belief is that Tesla is not a car company but a technology company. As such, they argue that it should trade at multiples usually associated with tech companies rather than with the auto sector. The price-to-revenues ratios of all auto makers are below 1x or even below 0.5x, well below the ratios of the tech giants, which exceed 5x. Apple, Amazon, and Google all trade near 6x their 2019 revenues. Microsoft is near 12x and Facebook near 10x, close to Teslas current 11.7x. So what exactly is that proprietary Tesla technology? It is in the batteries, the software and any resultant changes to other components. In batteries, Tesla has a significant advantage in range (the number of miles an electric vehicle can travel on one charge) over other electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. The average range for other EVs in the US (excluding Tesla) is 170 miles, but it is 300 miles for Tesla cars. According to Gene Munster, a widely followed analyst at Loup Ventures, the optimal range is 400 miles, a level already reached by the Tesla S Long Range. The ultimate challenge for EV makers, however, is to deliver the highest possible range at the lowest energy input and battery weight. Analyst Matt Joyce developed a core efficiency rating to measure each vehicle: Tesla is clearly ahead as shown in the table on this page. Munster predicts that Tesla will gradually bring battery production in-house, a move that will allow it to cement its lead over other companies: The disadvantage of vertical integration [in-house production of batteries] is billions of dollars in capital expenditures related to factories and production equipment, along with the high cost of recruiting and maintaining in-house technical design and testing talent. The most significant advantage is that product design cycle times decrease, which quickens the pace of innovation, which is Teslas central competitive moat. The other important Tesla technology is software for myriad applications but eventually culminating in the Holy Grail of fully-automated driving. Musk said this month that he expected Level 5 autonomy (fully-autonomous driving under all conditions) to be available before the end of 2020. From a financial standpoint, the issue of whether Tesla is a car company or a tech company comes down to the question of its gross margin. Auto manufacturers have much lower gross margins, usually in the 10 to 20 percent range, than technology companies. The German automakers have gross margins of 20 percent or a little lower while the American tech giants all have gross margins near 40 percent or higher. Facebook has the highest, with 82 percent. Apple delivered 38 percent in 2019 and Microsoft achieved 66 percent. What accounts for this difference in gross margins between the automakers and the tech companies? To make it simple, it is the marginal cost of production, the cost of producing one more unit. When Ford gets an order from a dealer to make a new car, it has to procure all the materials to make that car: the aluminum, the steel, the plastic, the copper wiring and so on. And thats before all the finished or semi-finished components made by its suppliers, the wheels, the tires, the door locks, the electronics, the small motors that power the windows, the wipers, the list is almost endless. For an auto company, therefore, the marginal cost of production is heavily weighed down by the cost of raw materials and of components sourced from other companies. Now contrast, say, Microsoft. When it receives an order for its online Office Suite of applications, the cost of this one incremental unit is negligible, as the software is downloaded directly online by the buyer. All that Microsoft has to do on its end is ensure that it has a sufficient number of servers and enough capacity to service this new buyer. So going back to Tesla, we have to recognize first that it may not be only a car company but it is also a car company. It does produce cars after all and it has to source the materials and components to assemble cars just as Ford does. Here, the bulls argue two things. One, that Tesla has far fewer parts because it does not have a traditional engine and that therefore it will eventually sharply reduce its cost of production (and improve its gross margin) as its volumes rise. Two, that Teslas proprietary technology is so great that its gross margin will eventually rise to 30 percent or higher, within striking distance of Apples gross margin. This will occur if Teslas battery advantage is sustainable and can command high pricing, and if its mobility software develops quickly enough to become the industry leader. Indeed, even today before Level 5 autonomy, Tesla has been selling its software at $7,000 a piece at a margin of 90 percent, according to Munster. Whether in batteries or in software, Tesla could then claim a leadership position in products that have low or very low marginal costs of production. Blue skies and cautionary tales If we consider Apple as a reachable margin benchmark, we could speculate that Tesla would deserve a price to sales of 5x some future years revenues if it managed to reach a 35 percent gross margin. In order to justify the current market value of $287 billion, Tesla would then need revenues of approximately $57 billion (287 divided by 5) and a gross margin of 35 percent. How likely is that in the next two or three years? These revenues do seem achievable by 2023 given the annual growth that the company is seeing. As to the margin, it will all depend on how soon Musk delivers on Level 5 autonomy, and on the pricing and margin of that product. It is certainly conceivable that Tesla will be selling a large quantity of self-driving software by 2022 or 2023. That is one of the bets made by the biggest bull on the stock, a fund manager named Cathie Wood at Ark Invest, who has set a base case price target of $7,000, which would give Tesla in a few years a market value of $1.3 trillion, placing it alongside todays Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet/Google in the small club of trillion dollar companies. Arks analysis is available online and it rests on two assumptions. One is that Tesla will be able to cut its production costs and raise its gross margin in line with Wrights Law. Developed by engineer Theodore Wright (1895-1970), this law holds that the cost of production declines as volumes grow due to economies of scale and experience-curve effects. The other assumption embedded in Arks base case is that Tesla robo-taxis (driverless taxis), autopiloted by Tesla software, will be a big thing within the next three or four years. Tesla would then compete with or, better yet, replace Uber and Lyft at a fraction of their costs. Perhaps. Perhaps this will all come to pass. The history of investing shows that we ignore visionaries at our own peril. But it also shows that we should trust them at our peril too. More to the point, market moods change even when facts dont. The stock market, we all know, can be volatile and even those investors who believe in a long- (or even medium-) term view would be wise to keep an eye on the near-term. Buy and hold is a sound approach to investing mainly if one buys intelligently. If for example you had bought Amazon stock at the peak of the 1999-2000 bubble, you would have by now made your money 30 times over ($10,000 invested then would be $300,000 today), but only if you had had the nerve and the financial resources to stay with it every day since then. On the way to riches, you would have first lost 94 percent of your investment in the 2000-01 bear market. If you had held on despite your $10,000 being reduced to a meager $600, you would have recovered nearly all your losses slowly by 2008, only to then lose 65 percent again in the 2008-09 financial meltdown. Your commitment to keep your then $3,300 invested would have paid off nicely in the great bull ride of 2009-2020. On the other hand, if you had placed $10,000 in Amazon stock at its 2001 bottom, you would have today $5 million in capital gains, but here again, only if you had had the stomach to hold on through thick and thin. The cautionary tale writes itself. A companys future value does not necessarily determine its stock price in the near term. Whether one takes a position in Tesla today or waits for a possible pullback is for every investor to decide based on their own appetite for risk. That is what makes a market. And yes, it is also possible that the bulls are wrong and that competition will keep margins well below 35 percent. Or that Musk is exaggerating Teslas potential. The founder of Muddy Waters, a research house that has been negative on the stock in the past, is unsparing in his criticism of what many regard as Musks undisciplined communication style. Spirit of the times No stock trades in a vacuum. There are outside factors that appear to have contributed to Teslas rise. With socially responsible investing (SRI) on a seemingly inexorable rise, foundations, endowments, and funds that vowed to dump their fossil-fuel holdings and to green their portfolios have fewer investable options than they might like. Their new guidelines make it much more likely that they will buy and hold Tesla stock. It is not hard to see the companys attraction to investors wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing. Other, more pragmatic, investors may have no interest in SRI, but may like the idea of speculating on the demand for stocks that will benefit from SRIs rise. The latter is an example of a phenomenon, brilliantly described by John Maynard Keynes, who realized that an important aspect of money management amounts to anticipating how other investors would behave. He compared it to a game: in which the competitors have to pick out the six prettiest faces from 100 photographs, the prize being awarded to the competitor whose choice most nearly corresponds to the average preferences of the competitors as a whole: so that each competitor has to pick, not those faces that he himself finds prettiest, but those that he thinks likeliest to catch the fancy of the other competitors, all of whom are looking at the problem from the same point of view. . . We have reached the third degree where we devote our intelligences to anticipating what average opinion expects the average opinion to be. And there are some, I believe, who practice the fourth, fifth, and higher degrees. And of course, in considering the rise of the Tesla stock, we cannot ignore the enormous stimulus pumped into the market by the Federal Reserve and by Congress, which have created a melt-up in brave-new-world growth names of which Tesla is one of the most prominent examples. The Falcon 9 rocket is designed for reuse. At the end of each mission, it effects a smooth landing back on earth. Musks challenge is to soft-land Teslas valuation by delivering strong results for many years. Whether he can do just that and then relaunch it periodically towards outer space is for every investor to decide. Whatever happens, this voyage will be one for the history books. Please note that Mr. Karam may at times have a position, whether long or short, in any of the stocks mentioned herein. This article should not be treated as investment advice. More from National Review Getty Images High-income households will come out ahead at the possible expense of the poor if the Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act. Last month, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to do away with the health-care measure, arguing that the law became unconstitutional when Congress eliminated the penalty for not having coverage back in 2017. Without this so-called individual mandate, its other provisions are invalid, wrote solicitor general Noel J. Francisco in a June 25 brief filed with the Supreme Court. "Nothing the 2017 Congress did demonstrates it would have intended the rest of the ACA to continue to operate in the absence of these three integral provisions," he wrote. "The entire ACA thus must fall with the individual mandate." While millions of people stand to lose their insurance coverage without the health-care law, higher-income households would reap significant tax benefits. They could save between $35 billion to $40 billion in taxes annually, according to Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "Repealing or overturning the Affordable Care Act would be a huge tax cut, principally on high-income people," he said. Premium tax credits FamVeld One of the ways the ACA made health care accessible to millions of people was by subsidizing the cost of health insurance premiums for low- and middle-income households. Families are eligible for premium tax credits to offset the cost provided their household income is no more than 400% of the federal poverty line. In 2019, more than 8.8 million people who bought health insurance on the marketplace also received premium tax credits, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average monthly premium tax credit was $514 in 2019, according to Kaiser. The amount of tax credits households may receive depends on income and other factors. To help pay for these and other ACA benefits, lawmakers established two new taxes for high-income filers. Two taxes on high incomes Malcolm P Chapman | Getty Images On 15 July, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE), Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia held a virtual ceremony, attended by more than 450 participants, marking the start of Indonesias Vice-Chairmanship of the WCO Council for the Asia Pacific Region. The ceremony started by DGCE officers performance of the official DGCE hymn, Mars Bea dan Cukai, to welcome the participants. WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya conveyed, through a recorded video message, his highest gratitude and congratulation to the DGCE and the Director General, Mr. Heru Pambudi for assuming the indispensable role of WCO Vice-Chair in the region. Dr. Mikuriya emphasized the necessity for Customs community to adopt new norms to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, while highlighting the importance of maintaining the spirit of customs standing as one, as sung by Indonesia Customs during the peak of the global health crisis. He concluded his message by affirming that he was confident that Indonesia would continue to play a leading role in the region and at the WCO in their new role as Vice-Chair. The former Vice-Chair, Mr. M. AJIT KUMAR, Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, India, also provided a recorded message for the ceremony. He highlighted the significance of the Vice-Chairs role and underscored the expectation for the active contribution of the new Vice-Chair. Mr. Heru Pambudi elaborated on the need to further improve communication and connectivity among WCO members to promote the regional potential. He advocated for further efforts to strengthen cooperation in terms of capacity building and delivery of technical assistance to Members, as per their needs. He added that another focus of Indonesias Vice-Chairmanship will be to support and further develop cooperation in terms of exchange of data such as intelligence and enforcement data among Members in the region. The event also saw a presentation by the Vice-Chair, congratulatory message from the participants and was concluded by the performance of a band. With the negative impact of COVID-19 on borders and trades, Customs has a crucial role to play in facilitating the movement of goods, and minimizing the overall impact of the crisis on economies and societies. One effective and proactive approach is the sharing of experiences among Members, particularly in handling the movement of goods with the appropriate risk-management procedures. With the help of the WCO, Members can share their best practices regarding COVID-19 countermeasures on a dedicated page on WCOs website. Govinda Opens Up About His Struggle In His Second Innings In Bollywood The actor told Hindustan Times, "There was a gap of 33 years between me leaving the film industry and me becoming an actor at 21. So by the time I entered the industry, many new producers had come who didn't know much about my lineage. I had to wait for hours to meet them. I understood why they'd talk or behave in a certain way but never let it come in between me and my art." Govinda Says Many Thought He Wouldn't Be Able To Make It In The Film Industry "I've been told this on my face. But I knew even the likes of Raj Kapoor ji, Jeetendra ji, Amitabh Bachchan ji, Vinod Khanna ji and Rajesh Khanna ji went through a lot, too. In this industry, you need to have the right perspective. Either you work hard, or pay heed to what people say about you," he asserts, adding that even when he joined politics, "People said it went against the actor within me. But that's not correct because after that, I did films that worked," the actor was quoted as saying. Govinda Says You Shouldn't Let Success Get To Your Head The tabloid quoted the Coolie No.1 actor as saying, "Success at times makes you harsh and doesn't let you progress. From my experience, I can say that having a graceful approach helps. Film is a form of art and somewhere we've turned it into a business. Artistes are human beings, not products. Accept those who have merit. This will also help those who aren't as talented, and they'll work harder." Govinda On Camps In Bollywood Speaking about the existence of camps in Bollywood, the actor agreed that the film industry is now dictated by only a handful of people. He said, "Earlier whoever was talented, got work. Every film would get equal opportunity in theatres. But now, there are four or five people who dictate the whole business. They decide if they want to let films of those who aren't close to them, release properly or not. Some of my good films also didn't get the right kind of release. But, things are changing now." Sydney, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on the China outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/China-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses The continuing sector growth and transition from infrastructure and service provision to application creation and user demand stimulation has also driven the fast-developing data centre market. The fixed-line sector continues to decline in the wake of subscriber migration to mobile platforms for voice and data services. This trend is expected to continue during the next five years, with an associated growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers. The government is aiming to provide universal and affordable broadband coverage through market competition and private investment in state-controlled enterprises such as Broadband China and Internet Plus. As a result, fixed broadband penetration has grown steadily in recent years. The focus on fibre has meant that the number of fibre-based connections has grown particularly strongly, with the DSL and cable segments declining as subscribers migrate to fibre infrastructure. The mobile market has recently been characterised by lowed subscriber growth, though this is in line with higher penetration. Profit among the MNOs has also been affected, as competition has encouraged them to provide very cheap plans, both for LTE and now for 5G services. Given the requirements for continued investment in network expansion and upgrades, this pricing competition is unsustainable in the medium term. By early 2020 the number of mobile subscribers had broached 1.6 billion However, growth is expected to be relatively slower due to a saturated and mature market over the next five years. Market growth will be characterised by the cannibalisation of platforms, with 3G and LTE subscribers migrating to 5G in response to considerable efforts by the government and MNOs to promote 5G both for end-users and for various industrial sectors. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key Developments Chinese data centre market continues with rapid transition; Fixed-line penetration seeing steadily fall; Government strengthens IoT policies to boost economic growth; Chinas telcos make rapid progress with 5G network rollouts; Report update includes telcos operating data to May 2020, CAICT industry data to April 2020, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Key companies mentioned in this report: China Mobile; China Telecom; China Unicom, Alibaba, JD.com, Baidu, Tencent Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/China-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Unified Belarusian Opposition Holds Massive Election Rally Against Strongman Lukashenka By RFE/RL's Belarus Service July 19, 2020 The Belarusian opposition's main presidential candidate has held two mass rallies as the campaign heats up to unseat authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in next month's election. The campaigns of three opposition figures said earlier this week they would unify around presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya to "defeat" the "longtime dictatorial regime." Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of two opposition candidates who were denied registration as presidential candidates, former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka and prominent businessman Valer Tsapkala, appeared at the July 19 rallies in Minsk and the nearby city of Dzyarzhynsk. Tsikhanouskaya told several thousand in attendance that the authorities did not register Babaryka and Tsapkala because they were scared. "They saw a threat to the government, but they did not understand that the threat is not in the candidates, but in the people themselves, who are tired of living in humiliation and fear," Tsikhanouskaya said. Unlike at recent demonstrations, the authorities allowed the gathering and the police didn't intervene. Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition to his 26 years in power ahead of the August 9 election. The 65-year-old strongman has dismissed the coronavirus as nothing more than a "psychosis" and refused any lockdown measures. Meanwhile, the already weak economy is expected to contract by 4 percent this year, according to the World Bank. Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been arrested as the government cracks down on rallies and demonstrations despite calls for restraint from Western governments and institutions, including the United Nations. Tsikhanouskaya became a presidential candidate because her jailed husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was incarcerated after he openly expressed his intention to run for president. The united opposition campaigns are urging all voters to cast ballots for Tsikhanouskaya and to protect the election against possible fraud. Their program includes 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 desire to cooperate on creating a program to combat electoral fraud and to monitor the presidential poll. On July 14, the Central Election Commission registered five candidates for the presidential poll, including Tsikhanouskaya and 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 also 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 election commission announced the disqualification of candidates, a wave of protests rocked the country and hundreds of people were detained, including at least 17 members of the press covering the demonstrations. Lukashenka has rejected Western criticism of the government's violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates. The Belarusian leader has ruled the country since 1994 and is currently serving his fifth term as president. Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/unified-belarusian- opposition-holds-massive-election-rally-against -strongman-lukashenka/30736223.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A medical worker is disinfected after taking samples for Covid-19 tests from residents at a village in Hanoi, April 9, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. The U.S. appreciated the lessons and experiences on controlling Covid-19 from ASEAN countries, calling for coordination in dealing with further developments of the pandemic. The message was passed in online talks held this week with U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas, who is Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Vietnams Ambassador to the U.S., Ha Kim Ngoc, said that as the current ASEAN chair, Vietnam has cooperated with other bloc members to maintain all activities during the pandemic, and hopes it will be contained soon so that the nation can welcome ASEAN leaders and partners, including President Donald Trump, to Hanoi for the East Asia Summit slated to take place this November. Castro expressed appreciation over the pandemic fight in ASEAN, especially Vietnam which has reported no deaths so far, as well as ASEAN-U.S. cooperation in dealing with the pandemic. He said the priority now is to promote coordination in dealing with the complicated developments of Covid-19. Ngoc said Vietnam highly values the recent statements by foreign affairs officials of the U.S. House and the Senate, which "clarify the U.S.s position on the South China Sea and makes it clear that Chinas territorial claims are illegal." The South China Sea is known in Vietnam as the East Sea. On July 13, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Representatives Eliot Engel and Michael McCaul, chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement that "China has failed to abide by the Permanent Court of Arbitration's legally binding ruling from 2016, or provide any credible legal justification for its claims." "Instead, it has resorted to coercion of its neighbors, an aggressive campaign of reclamation and militarization of features, and continued activities in the exclusive economic zones of other countries. This has only accelerated over the last several months as the world focused on Covid-19. "The United States is committed to upholding international law; to flying, sailing, and operating where international law allows; and to supporting our regional partners and regional institutions who seek peaceful diplomatic resolution of disputes in the South China Sea," they said. Their joint statement was released the same day after the U.S. Department of State released a statement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on maritime claims in the South China Sea, which said: "Beijings claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them." Congressman Castro affirmed bipartisan consensus in the U.S. on an approach that upholds international law, peacefully resolves disputes in the South China Sea, underscoring the legal value of the Arbitral Tribunal's decision on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China. China has taken a series of provocative, illegal actions in the East Sea since the start of the year, including several that impinge on Vietnamese sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, even as other countries in the region and the world were focused on battling the Covid-19 pandemic. It formed the so-called Xisha and Nansha districts in Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands, sank Vietnamese fishing vessels off the Paracels, unilaterally issued a fishing ban and sent a ship to harass a Malaysian oil and gas exploration vessel. It also announced a vegetable farming project on Woody (Phu Lam) Island in the Paracels to strengthen its illegal sovereignty claims, and sent two diplomatic notes to the U.N. to make the infamous Four Sha claim, which covers an even broader swath of territory than the notorious, illegal nine-dash line. Vietnam has repeatedly protested and condemned Chinas provocative, illegal actions and urged it to desist. ASEAN has 10 members - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Monday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting April-June quarter earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Companies set to announce their earnings are ACC, SBI Cards among others. Share Market LIVE: Sensex gains 250 points, Nifty at 10,999; SBI Cards, ACC Q1 results today HDFC Bank: The lender plans to raise up to Rs 50,000 crore through bonds to enhance capital base to fund its business growth. Bharat Biotech: The pharma major said it has received approval to conduct phase I and II clinical trial for its vaccine candidate Covaxin. YES Bank: Lender's follow-on public offer (FPO) to raise Rs 15,000 crore got subscribed 93% on the final day of bidding on Friday. Vodafone Idea: Company on Saturday said it has paid an additional Rs 1,000 crore to the government as part of its dues related to adjusted gross revenue (AGR). Muthoot Finance: Company board has put in abeyance the proposal for a stock split in view of the current economic situation caused by covid-19. Canara Bank: The bank plans to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore equity capital through various modes in the current fiscal year to boost its capital adequacy ratio Earnings today: Maharashtra Scooters, ACC, SBI Cards among others will report Q1 earnings today. Aerosols are important components of the atmosphere and have an adverse impact on atmospheric visibility and human health, which also affect the climate via direct radiative forcing and the interaction with clouds and precipitation. In recent years, regional aerosol pollution incidents have occurred frequently in China, so enhancing early warning capability of air pollution is of great significance and has always been a concern of researchers. As an indispensable tool, air quality numerical models have been widely employed in air quality analysis and prediction and to forecast spatial-temporal evolutions of atmospheric pollutants. Data assimilation (DA) technology can organically combine observation information and model background field to develop a theoretically optimal analysis field, so as to improve the prediction accuracy by optimizing the model initial field. At present, the bulk of assimilation studies of pollutants, however, focused on the separated assimilation of gaseous pollutants or particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 total mass, few researchers considered the chemical mechanism of aerosol multi-components in multi-particle size sections. Recently, Master Wang Daichun, Dr. You Wei (corresponding author) and Associate Professor Zang Zengliang from the Institute of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology, China used the three-dimensional variational assimilation algorithm to establish a chemical DA system, which included aerosol components such as elementary carbon, organic carbon, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, sodium salt, ammonium salt, inorganic and particle PM2.5, PM10 in addition to gaseous pollutants such as SO2, NO2, CO, O3 mass concentrations as control variables. Subsequently, simultaneous assimilation of hourly mass concentration observations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3 released by the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre was performed to evaluate this system. The results show that this assimilation system significantly improves analyses and forecasts of both particulate matter and gaseous pollutant mass concentrations. The study was published in Science China Earth Sciences under the title "A three-dimensional variational data assimilation system for a size-resolved aerosol model: Implementation and application for particulate matter and gaseous pollutant forecasts across China". The study revealed variable benefits from assimilation on different pollutants, as shown in Figure 1. DA significantly improves PM2.5, PM10, and CO forecasts leading to positive effects that last more than 48 h. The positive effects of DA on SO2 and O3 forecasts last up to 8 h but that remains relatively poor for NO 2 forecasts. After analysis, the positive effect of DA on pollutant forecasts has a certain relationship with the life cycle of pollutants. In the case of pollutants with a long lifespan, a longer forecast range due to DA can be expected than for pollutants with short life spans, such as NO2 and O3. The study also showed that the influence of assimilation varies in different areas, as presented in Figure 2. It is possible that the positive effects of DA on PM2.5 and PM10 forecasts can last more than 48 h across most regions of China. Indeed, DA significantly improves SO2 forecasts within 48 h over north China, and much longer CO assimilation benefits (48 h) are found in most regions apart from north and east China and across the Sichuan Basin. Data show that DA is able to improve O3 forecasts within 48 h across China with the exception of southwest and northwest regions and the O3 DA benefits in southern China are more evident, while from a spatial distribution perspective, NO2 DA benefits remain relatively poor. The results enrich the study of aerosol and gaseous pollutants. It not only has the reference value for the monitoring, prediction, and control of air pollutants, but also has the important scientific significance to deal with the pollution weather, the management, and prediction of atmospheric environment in China. ### This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0209803) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41775123 & 41805092). See the article: Wang D, You W, Zang Z, Pan X, He H, Liang Y. 2020. A three-dimensional variational data assimilation system for a size-resolved aerosol model: Implementation and application for particulate matter and gaseous pollutant forecasts across China. Science China Earth Sciences, 63, https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11430-019-9601-4 Ashlyn Faye Bell, 24, is accused of having sex with the three boys - two who are 17 and one who is 16 - on separate occasions at her home in New Boston, Texas in November last year A female Texas high school employee has been arrested for allegedly having sex with three teen male students. Ashlyn Faye Bell, 24, is accused of having sex with the three boys - two who are 17 and one who is 16 - on separate occasions at her home in New Boston, Texas in November last year. Bell, who is the mother of at least one child and , was working as a teacher's assistant and in the library at Texas High School at the time. Police started investigating after a teacher overheard a group of the boys talking about how one of them may have gotten Bell pregnant. An arrest affidavit obtained by TXK Today says that student admitted to having sex with Bell once and that she had told him he wasn't the 'daddy'. The student also said Bell had allegedly had sex with other students as well. It was not immediately clear if Bell is or was recently pregnant. Bell, who is the mother of at least one child and , was working as a teacher's assistant and in the library at Texas High School at the time Police said one of the 17-year-old boys said he'd been communicating with Bell via Snapchat before they arranged to meet around Thanksgiving at a truck stop before driving to her home. He said Bell's child was in the backseat of her car at the time and that she put the child to bed before they allegedly had sex in her bedroom. The other 17-year-old boy told police Bell was his tutor when he had sex with her at her home. The 16-year-old boy told police he allegedly had sex with Bell twice at her home. She was arrested on June 24 and charged with two counts of improper relationship between educator and student and a count of sexual assault of a child. Bell was released on a $150,000 bond the day of her arrest. She is facing up to 20 years in prison for each offense. Republicans are expected to unveil their plan to steer the United States out of the coronavirus pandemic with a $1 trillion plan which includes funds for schools, small businesses and the jobless. Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Senate, is likely to unveil his proposals in the coming days, ahead of the the House's scheduled break on July 31, and the Senate recess beginning August 7. Precise figures for the $1 trillion bill are still being decided, but the plan will have a heavy emphasis on education, Axios reported, giving schools increased funds to help prepare for fall re-openings. Mitch McConnell, Republican leader, is to set out his $1 trillion proposal this week Unemployment benefits, currently an additional $600 a week, will be reduced to around $200 a week from July 31 - a significant drop, but better than the total cancellation many expected from Republican figures. A number of Republicans have voiced opposition to the additional $600, given concerns about the deficit and that it would leave some workers gaining more money through benefits than they would through work. Some Republicans said the benefits would as a result serve as a disincentive to people returning to work. Democrats assert that more money boosts the amount of spending in the economy. More than two-thirds of Americans say they need a second stimulus check to help make ends meet, according to recent data from tax preparer Jackson-Hewitt. Money will be designated for an increase in testing, plus research into find a vaccine Schools such as this one in Meridian, Mississippi, will be helped with their re-opening plans Businesses will be aided by widespread liability protection, including for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, universities and school districts. Funding for COVID-19 testing and vaccine research and development will be increased, and the bill is also likely to include a tax credit for vaccine research and development. The Paycheck Protection Program, which dished out almost $670 billion in loans and grants to small businesses, will be extended, with the $134 billion left in the previous program's coffers being re-appropriated. Small business' revenue loss will be a key parameter for eligibility, one source said. The Iowa national guard is pictured on Friday preparing parcels at a food bank. Unemployment benefits will remain, but be reduced from $600 a week to $200 a week, under the plan Residents line-up in vehicles to collect groceries during a San Antonio food bank distribution A payroll tax cut 'is having a renaissance moment,' another source said, who says to expect something on that given Trump's insistence it be included. There will not be additional money for state and local governments. But Republicans want to ease previous guidelines for how states can spend the leftover money appropriated in the CARES Act to ensure money gets to smaller localities. Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, sees that as 'an absolute must-have,' one of the sources said. The plan has been given added urgency by the fact that many of the hard-hit states are key battlegrounds for Trump in November's election. The bill is in response to the Democrat bill, drawn up by the Democrat-controlled House in May, which was deemed 'dead on arrival' at the Republican-held Senate. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:53:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LISBON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) said on Monday that practically the entire territory of mainland Portugal is at "maximum, very high and high risk" of wildfires. According to the IPMA, about 60 municipalities in the districts of Braganca, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Santarem and Faro are at "maximum risk." Almost all the other municipalities are at "very high and high risk," except for only 40 coastal municipalities. According to IPMA, the risk of wildfires "will remain high in the coming days." To determine alert levels, the IPMA performs calculations based on information on temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and amount of precipitation in the last 24 hours. The risk of wildfires is aggravated by a heat wave ravaging especially the southern regions of the country. Earlier on Monday, 58 aircraft were deployed to fight a record 160 wildfires across the country. The country's Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita told reporters that the efforts to control the wildfires were "encouraging." Enditem Representatives of more than 30 law enforcement labor unions met in Springfield on Monday to address their concerns over the sudden passage of sweeping police reforms in the Massachusetts Senate and its status before the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The bill, an act to reform police standards and shift resources to build a more equitable, fair and just commonwealth that values Black lives and communities of color, if passed by the House and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker, would create a certification process for police officers, prohibit officers from shooting at fleeing vehicles, make school resources officers optional, temporarily ban government use of facial recognition, ban chokeholds and limit tear gas use. Outside the Paul J. Fenton Public Safety Complex Brian Keenan, president of the Springfield Police Supervisors Association and Manuel Rivera, Holyoke Patrolman Union president spoke of the dangers law enforcement officers will face if the bill is passed by the House and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker. The bill was drafted by lawmakers on a racial justice working group after weeks of public protest in response to the officer-involved death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis. The working group was led by Senate Pro Tempore William Brownsberger and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, a Boston Democrat and the Senates only member of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. Outside the Paul J. Fenton Public Safety Complex, Brian Keenan, Springfield Police Supervisors Association president spoke of the dangers law enforcement officers will face if the bill is passed. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Last week the Massachusetts Senate and now the House of Representatives put forward two rushed bills under the banner of police reform, said Keenan. Theres a lot of good in these bills. We support, for example, the licensure and standardization of policing in Massachusetts. Our state has long lagged behind the rest of the country in funding and law enforcement training. We support the pulse system. We support standards. We support the removal of bad actors from our profession. The bill was much more expansive than the 10-point plan laid out by the caucus calling for a Police Officer Standards & Training or POST system to certify officers, a commission to study institutionalized racism and other changes. The legislation includes a temporary ban of facial recognition technology, bars no-knock warrants in most cases and requires an oversight committee to set policies for use of force and incorporate education on the history of slavery, lynching and racism into officers training curriculum. Keenan went on to say that police have been demonized overnight and felt that the police and their unions have been cast as the enemy. The bill will drive the public further away from the profession and make the already dangerous job more difficult for officers, according to Keenan. Manuel Rivera, Holyoke Patrolman Union president spoke of the dangers law enforcement officers will face if the bill is passed. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) A twenty-three-year veteran of the Holyoke Police Department and Holyoke Patrolman Union President Manuel Rivera spoke about the hard upbringing he had in the apartment complex his Puerto Rican parents moved to and where he grew up. Holyoke is also a minority-majority city with Latinos comprising nearly half of its residents, said Rivera. More than 40% of the Holyoke Police Departments Latino and more than 50% of the Springfield Police Department is comprised of minority officers. Our agencies represent our population and I am very proud to be a Latino officer in my home city. Im not only Hispanic, but Im a police officer. I would politely suggest that I am more equipped to speak to the needs of minorities and police officers than Senators Lesser and [William N.] Brownsberger. Rivera stated that is irresponsible for representatives and the government to think that a reform bill solves the problem overnight. Developing and implementing a police reform bill is a long and complicated process, said Keenan. Current legislation was put forward without a single public hearing, without input from one police officer, without input from one community group, without interview testimony from anybody. Policing and corrections are difficult and dangerous jobs. Keenan admitted that reform was well overdue but he and the other representatives from across Western Massachusetts feel the bill is incomplete and they argue dangerous for officers on the street. He invited State Sen. Eric Lesser and the other lawmakers to go on a ride-along with the Springfield police department. I guarantee you would remove all references to qualified immunity from your efforts, said Keenan to the lawmakers that drafted the bill. Qualified immunity and reform are not mutually exclusive. Qualified immunity is a judicially created doctrine that shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations, like the right to be free from the excessive police force, for money damages under federal law so long as the officials did not violate clearly established law. Police officers are called upon every day to make judgment calls in a manner consistent with their training and experience. It is wrong to subject every one of those decisions to potential litigation, stated the testimony signed by the presidents of 42 labor unions from across Western Massachusetts. Springfield Police Patrol Officers Union President Joseph Gentile was one of the leaders and representatives from more than three dozen law enforcement labor unions met and offered remarks to the news media regarding the bill and the serious concerns raised by the sudden passage of the bill in the Massachusetts Senate and its status before the Massachusetts House of Representatives. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) One of the signatures is Springfield Police Patrol Officers Union President Joseph Gentile who was also present on Monday. We dont need to be heroes every day, but we certainly dont feel like we should all be considered villains, Gentile said. Gentile, a 25-year veteran of the police force told MassLive that this has been one of the lowest points when it comes to public opinion for the Springfield Police Department. [This bill] is as dangerous as it sounds, said Gentile. A very difficult job will become that much more difficult. And when we say job, that the fear is its becoming a job [not a career]. There are few enough careers and my fear is that people are going to be expendable. Protesters nationwide have called for reforms to public safety following the death of George Floyd, including a growing effort to defund police departments and reallocate funds to social service agencies, many across Massachusetts are reassessing their police departments use of force policies and budgets. Multi-day protests have led to action in local governments. From cutting $100,000 from a city police departments budget in the Berkshires to 20% of the Boston Police Department budget for overtime. State House reporter Stephanie Solis contributed to this report. 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. Two broadcasters livestream on short video-sharing platform Kuaishou to promote the locally brewed vinegar at an e-commerce service station of the Quting Township in Hongtong County of North China's Shanxi Province on Friday. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Yang Xiaoyu] Like their web-savvy urban counterparts, young villagers in the remote Quting Township of Hongtong County in North China's Shanxi Province, are fond of livestreaming, too. But they're not just doing it for fun. On Friday morning, two young broadcasters sat in front of a well-lighted table with an array of agricultural products on display, enthusiastically speaking to their phone cameras while sipping locally brewed vinegar from a bowl. They were livestreaming on short video-sharing platform Kuaishou, from the ecommerce service station of Quting Township, promoting and selling local produce to consumers across the country. Two broadcasters livestream on short video-sharing platform Kuaishou to promote the locally brewed vinegar at an e-commerce service station of the Quting Township in Hongtong County of North China's Shanxi Province on Friday. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Yang Xiaoyu] Quting Township of Hongtong County established the e-commerce service station in November. The 300-square-meter station displays 230-odd local agricultural products. Villagers can use it for free. "We sold over 60,000 yuan ($8580) worth of products every day before and during the past Dragon Boat Festival," said Fan Ding, Party chief of the town, who suggested setting up an e-commerce service station after seeing many in South China's Xiamen City on a business trip last year. The reason behind the Party chief's decision was to expand sales channels for local produce and increasing farmers' income by tapping e-commerce. "Though our farmers are good at what they do but their produce was sold in bulk at low prices and some even couldn't sell off their produce for a lack of distribution channels," Fan said. An array of local agricultural products are displayed at an e-commerce service station of the Quting Township in Hongtong County of North China's Shanxi Province on Friday. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Yang Xiaoyu] A major agricultural area in the province, Hongtong prides itself on tasty, selenium-rich foods such as vinegar, walnuts, sweet potatoes, and Sichuan peppercorns. "We used to sell our peppercorns at less than 80 yuan ($11.44) per kilo to buyers who came to our village to purchase them, but with proper packaging design, the price of our peppercorns sold through the station's livestreaming can reach 200 yuan ($28.6) per kilo," said Zhao Hulang, 60, a local of Xiayu Village, where there's a 1,000-mu (666,667 square meter) Sichuan peppercorn cultivation base. Zhao's family has 20-mu farmland, and over the past five years, more has been set aside for growing peppercorns for their ballooning economic benefits. "Now more than a quarter of our village's peppercorns are sold through livestreaming," Zhao said, adding that his family earned more than 100,000 yuan ($14,300) in 2019, almost 10 times as much as that five years back. Zhao's family is not the only one that has benefited from the town's e-commerce station. Zhao Hulang, a local villager of Quting Township, speaks to journalists at an e-commerce service station of the Quting Township in Hongtong County of North China's Shanxi Province on Friday. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Yang Xiaoyu] More than 20 tons of agricultural products from some 500 households have so far been sold through the e-commerce station, generating more than 120,000 yuan ($17,160) in sales. For the county's poor households, the station offers commission-free sales service and even purchases their produce such as wheat at a slightly higher price. Aside from selling farmers' products at premium, the station has also been committed to popularizing quality seeds and hiring agronomists to train farmers to better their farming skills for higher production. Furthermore, the station will partner up with a local vocational school to run courses on e-commerce skills for the county's younger people. Dong Tiantain, 25, a female working as a clerk in the station, said she has recently signed up for a course on how to shoot and edit short videos for social platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou. "I feel very excited about it and I believe I can promote our products better after completing this course," Dong said. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) A talented home baker has wowed the internet after creating incredible sponge cakes that looks indistinguishable from actual chicken breasts. Grandmother-of-10 Alice Munro, from Tasmania, carefully constructed layers of vanilla cakes with fondant to make it look identical to raw chicken - all while ensuring her dessert tasted delicious despite what it may look like. The 52-year-old - who gets her baking inspiration from YouTube and Facebook - used a $3.50 cake mix, choc chips, cream, yellow, orange and red food colourings, glucose and vodka to replicate the protein. A talented home baker has wowed the internet after creating incredible sponge cakes that looks indistinguishable from actual chicken breasts Alice Munro (pictured with her husband Mick), constructed a vanilla cake to make it look identical to raw chicken breasts The mother-of-three said the idea to whip up the optical-illusion chicken cakes came to mind after she stumbled across a video from Ben Cullen, otherwise known as The Bake King, who's known for baking cakes that look like realistic objects. 'I saw these chicken breasts and thought "I've got to do this". It looks so cool,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Once the cakes are baked, she carefully trimmed the sponges into the size of a chicken breast. 'I just had to shape them, and cut layers into the sponge,' she said. Ms Munro said the cakes - who cost around $10 to make - took her just one-and-a-half hours to bake and assemble. 'I just had leftover ganache from an avocado cake I made the day before. I rolled out white fondant, used a bit of yellow and orange colourings to create that marble, and used an air brush to create the bloody skin look,' she explained. 'I used a bit of the white fondant to make the fatty bits. To create that shiny look, I mixed a little bit of glucose and a little bit of vodka and used a brush to paint over the fondant.' She covered the layers of cakes with ganache using a palette knife, and then she placed aside to set. 'To make the ganache, I just used 200 grams of choc chips, warm that up and added half a cup of cream,' Ms Munro said. The 52-year-old whipped up layer cakes that you'd have to cut into to really believe they're made of fondant, ganache and vanilla sponge cake She used red and yellow food colourings to create the raw chicken skin, and a bit of vodka with glucose for the 'shiny look' Ms Munro then rolled out the fondant until it's large enough to wrap over the three cakes. She gently placed the fondant over the breasts, and sculpt it into shape. She trimmed off the excess fondant, and used a brush to create the 'pinkish, bloody looking' chicken pieces. 'It was so easy to make. It came out beautiful, I loved this cook,' she said. She shared her spectacular creation in a Facebook group, with the captions: 'I'm going to a BBQ today. I'm bringing dessert (my chicken breast cakes)'. Her post was quickly divided, with many saying they were amazed with her realistic looking dessert, while others were 'offended' by her creation. 'I'm really proud of my cooking. It really was a fun, silly cake to make,' she said. 'But unfortunately, some were offended, I got a few awful comments - it went from "wow" to "gross". I wasn't doing it to upset anyone, I just thought it was funny and my kids loved it. I was only playing around because I love baking different things.' Ms Munro said while the cake tasted delicious, her daughter couldn't look past the 'raw' chicken breasts. 'My daughter was like "I'm sorry mum, I can't eat it,' she said, laughing. 'When my husband Mick came into the kitchen, I had the cakes on the bench and he said he needed to put them in the fridge because it made his tummy churn.' For first time home bakers, Ms Munro said: 'No matter what people say, if you want to make something even if you don't have any skills, everything is on YouTube and Google. The stuff you learn online is incredible.' Once the cakes are baked, she carefully trimmed the sponges into the size of a chicken breast She covered the layers of cakes with ganache using a palette knife and ensure they are shaped into the size of chicken breasts, before rolling fondant over them The day earlier, Ms Munro made a cake that looks exactly like an avocado. She had leftover ganache to make the chicken breasts Last month, Ms Munro wowed thousands of home bakers after creating optical-illusion 'sponge' cakes that look just like a dishwashing cleaning product. 'I like to make look-a-like [object] cakes and I love trying different things. I got the idea in a Facebook group so I googled "dishwashing sponge cake", watched a few tutorials and decided I'd give it a go,' she said. 'It wasn't complicated at all. I just used a vanilla sponge cake mix, and poured it into two cake tins - coloured one yellow and the other green. I added yellow colouring to the buttercream so I could use to stick the sponges together.' And it isn't the first time Ms Munro has impressed home bakers with her realistic looking cake. In February 2019, she baked a cake to make it look exactly like a KFC bucket meal with fries. She said the impressive creation took her five to six hours to make to ensure it looked like the real deal. Last month, Ms Munro wowed thousands of home bakers after creating optical-illusion 'sponge' cakes that look just like a dishwashing cleaning product In February 2019, Ms Munro wowed thousands of people after sharing a seemingly innocent snap of a 'KFC meal' (pictured) on social media. It was actually a carefully constructed cake - only the chip box, Pepsi label and sauce packets are real 'The chicken pieces are mud cake dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed cornflakes,' she previously told FEMAIL. 'The bucket is made of vanilla sponge cake. I used Bakels white fondant to cover the cake and attached an edible image around the cake as I have my own edible printer.' To make the chips as realistic as possible, Ms Munro used an original chip box from the fast food chain. She then stuffed it with paper towel so that she could position the yellow fondant fries which have been airbrushed with a light dusting of yellow/brown colouring. 'For the Pepsi bottle I used an actual bottle as a chocolate mould and used the Pepsi wrapper to go back around it,' she said. She used three vanilla cakes placed on top of each other with chocolate icing acting as the glue to keep them together. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:54:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's only non-portfolio minister Tewan Liptapallop resigned on Monday. Tewan, leader of the splinter Chart Pattana Party, stepped down as minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, following last week's resignation of four cabinet members, including Somkid Jatusripitak as deputy prime minister, Uttama Savanayana as finance minister, Sontirat Sontijirawat as energy minister and Suvit Maesincee as higher education, science, research and innovation minister. Former deputy prime minister Suvat Liptapallop said his brother's resignation would make it easier for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to reshuffle his cabinet in near future. The ruling Palang Pracharath Party, currently led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, is reportedly looking to take certain portfolios, including that of energy, as a result of the imminent cabinet reshuffle. Enditem Next Steps If Your Appeal is Denied Dallas, TX , July 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Defendants who have been accused, convicted, and sentenced of white-collar crimes have the legal right to appeal the courts decision, provided that the decision was not the result of a guilty plea. Appealing the decision of a court is an important legal concept that is essential to our form of Justice. But what happens when Justice gets it wrong? Broden Mickelsen Dallas Criminal Appeal Lawyers:Broden & Mickelsen each have years of experience representing clients in criminal appeals for federal courts and Texas court of appeals. Most criminal appeal attorneys have experience in only a few courts, however, our attorneys have defended clients in appellate courts throughout the State of Texas. Losing an appeal in Texas might feel like the end of the road, but it does not necessarily mean that your case is over. Knowing the options available can make it possible to keep defending yourself against the charge. The Legal Grounds for Appeal Once a criminal defendant has been convicted and sentenced by a district court, that defendant has the right to file an appeal to a higher court. The goal of the appeal is to convince the higher (appellate) court to review the decision of the lower court for mistakes and /or legal errors. The appellate court can decide to either uphold, reverse, or modify the ruling of the lower court. If the original ruling is upheld, then the next step is petitioning the state Supreme Court, which is an uphill battle to say the least. What to Do If You are Denied Appeal for a White-Collar Crime in Texas The first step after losing a criminal appeal is filing a Motion for Rehearing . The purpose of this motion is to simply request that the appeals court reverse its decision. Usually, the Motion for Rehearing is not granted unless new circumstances or evidence has been brought to light. If the motion is denied, then the defendant has 30 days to submit a Petition for Discretionary Review in the Texas Supreme Court . As the name suggests, this petition asks that the states Supreme Court review the decision. This 15-page petition should thoroughly declare why the case is special and why the appeals court decision should be overturned. Filing a Petition for Review in the Texas Supreme Court is not a decision that should be taken likely. Both the defendant and their representation should take the time to review the merits of the appeal thoroughly, as the Texas Supreme Court is known to frequently award damages for appeals that they consider to be frivolous or unnecessary. Story continues How Successful Are Appeals, Both in Dallas and at the Federal Level? Because federal courts are directed to take cases with strong evidence that are easily prosecutable, many federal appeals cases are not winners. Even on the local level, very few lower court decisions are reversed on appeal. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 11.9% of state-level criminal appeals cases resulted in the reversal or modification of a lower court decision. On the federal level, only 2% of cases go to trial at all, making the number of federal appeals cases even smaller. Broden Mickelsen In Texas, a criminal appeals process is handled by the Texas Court of Appeals and can take from three to nine months depending on the facts of the case and how busy the appellate court is at the time. Common Issues in Federal Criminal Appeal or Texas Criminal Appeal If your appeal has been denied, then it is possible that your case for appeal simply was not strong enough. Specific arguments are required in order to make an effective appeal. Here are some of the most common issues raised in appeals court: Motion to Suppress Evidence Motion to Suppress a Statement Lack of Sufficient Evidence Inadequate Representation Incorrect Jury Instructions Prosecutorial Misconduct Juror Misconduct Excessive or Unlawful Sentence Q: Is There a Time Period for Appeal in a Federal Case? If your appeal has been denied and you are thinking about pursuing either a Motion for Rehearing, you only have 15 days to file it. If the motion is denied, youll have another 30 days to put together a Petition for Discretionary Review by the Texas Supreme Court. The time period for appeals in federal cases is only 14 days after entry of judgment. On both levels, the appeals process is complicated and should not be navigated without the help of an experienced legal team that is familiar with the entire process, from the initial district court all the way up to the Texas Supreme Court. https://www.brodenmickelsen.com Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Broden & Mickelsen, LLP 2600 State St Dallas, Texas 75204 (214) 720-9552 Attachment Defense Lawyers Broden & Mickelsen, LLP 2600 State St Dallas, Texas 75204 (214) 720-9552 Houston Food Bank and its partners provide essential services throughout the year and also during times of emergency. Amid COVID-19, the community is relying on the food bank more than ever to provide unprecedented levels of food assistance. Because of the generosity of volunteers, donors and corporate partners such as Allegiance Bank, Houston Food Bank is able to provide food for better lives in this time of uncertainty. Allegiance Bank presented the Houston Food Bank with a check for $150,000, which provides an immediate 450,000 meals for the community. They will also be providing volunteers to help package food for distribution to the community and have issued a $100,000 matching grant challenge to its employees and customers in July to further support the food banks efforts. When the challenge is completed, it will provide an additional 600,000 meals. On our bulletin board at home, my wife posted a simple statement, Learn to be happy right now. One strategy that can move us into the right direction is to simply do something right now to help someone else. I know of nothing that produces happiness more than simply being generous, said Steven Retzloff, chairman of Allegiance Bank and CEO of Allegiance Bancshares, Inc., in a news release. As the Houston regions largest local bank, Allegiance Bank has stepped up in a big way to address funding for food. So, right now we have committed to support the Houston Food Bank on a giving scale that weve never before explored. Doing so not only helps feed hundreds of thousands, it makes us happy. The demand upon the Houston Food Bank for food assistance has increased exponentially due to COVID-19. The food bank is currently distributing up to one million pounds of food per day, an increase of 150-200 percent over pre-COVID distribution. From the period March 9 to June 30 alone, Houston Food Bank distributed 88,013,752 pounds of food. June 2020 showed an increase of 171 percent on the number of households served per week as compared to June 2019. In times like these, charitable organizations are relied upon by the most vulnerable people in our communities, and we, in turn, rely on the support of our generous donors in order to provide hope in the form of food. The support given by Allegiance Bank has been twofold, touching the Houston Food Banks two biggest areas of need: volunteers and financial support, said Brian Greene, president/CEO of the non-profit, the largest Feeding America food bank in the nation. Through their generous donation of volunteer hours and $150,000 plus a $100,000 matching grant, Allegiance Bank is providing one million meals to our neighbors in need. We cannot thank them enough for their outpouring of support. Allegiance Banks super-community banking strategy was designed to foster strong customer relationships, and this translates to strong community relationships as well. Having been formed and started as a Houston bank in 2007, Allegiance Bank is a relatively young company but weve grown up fast. To be able to serve alongside the Houston Food Bank through both meaningful financial support and volunteerism once again expresses that it is not what we do but what we do together that makes a difference, Retzloff said. For more information on Houston Food Bank and to learn where to get food assistance and to donate money or time, visit www.HoustonFoodBank.org. The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, a public centre pertaining to the Generalitat de Catalunya's (Government of Catalonia) CERCA network, has created the OneChain Immunotherapeutics (OCI) spin-off, the aim of which is to develop new immuno-oncological therapeutic tools with various preclinical candidates, based on CAR-T technology for different tumours, such as cortical T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (coT-ALL), a rare subtype of leukaemia that mainly affects children, and which has a poor prognosis. The spin-off is being funded initially through a round of seed capital, amounting to 3,050,000, provided by Invivo Ventures, the Ministry of Industry, through CDTI-Innvierte, and the Josep Carreras Foundation, and it clearly makes the case for bringing the research carried out by Dr. Pablo Menendez's group closer to patients. Dr. Mendez is an ICREA research professor and the scientific director at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute's Hospital Clinic-UB Campus. Dr. Menendez, founder of OCI and world renowned for his work in the field of childhood leukaemia, directs the Josep Carreras Institute's stem cell biology, leukaemia development and immunotherapy group. More than 180 of his studies have been published by the world's most prestigious scientific journals and, outstanding in his wide-ranging professional career is having been awarded the triennial ED Thomas Postdoctoral Fellowship grant, awarded by the Josep Carreras Foundation in 2006, as well as three grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), the most important scientific funding organisation in Europe. Dr. Menendez's group was the first in the world to develop and validate a CD1a specific CAR-T for coT-ALL. The study, published in the journal Blood, has so far been conducted with animal models using both cell lines and primary blasts derived from patients with coT-ALL. Preliminary results show that these CAR-T cells persist in vivo over the long term and retain their anti-leukaemia activity. The creation of this spin-off marks a further step towards developing adoptive cell immunotherapy, such as CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment that consists of extracting a patient's T cells (the ones that defend the organism), modifying them in the laboratory, and returning them to the patient. The modification enables the cells to attack the receptors that are located in the membranes of tumour cells (called CD antigens) and eliminate them. With this technique it is the patient's own modified cells that that attack the cancer cells, and they do so in a directed way, without damaging other, healthy, cells. The funding achieved through this first round is essential for turning research results into products that reach patients because, before they can be used clinically, they must pass safety, efficacy and production process scale tests, and these are technically highly complex and very expensive. Dr. Menendez says, "OCI is the vehicle that will enable us to take all the work we have been doing over all these years and apply it to clinical use. At the academic level it is very complicated to develop these strategies and manage all the regulatory mechanisms associated with the development of a product. OCI will enable us to carry out all the necessary steps so that all our knowledge can be available to patients". Antoni Garcia Prat, The Josep Carreras Foundation's administrator, says "The Foundation is participating in the initial investment by Invivo Ventures and CDTI in support of translational research and also in support of the foundational team. It should be borne in mind that the projects are directed towards rare or childhood blood diseases, or others with few therapeutic alternatives, and that, should the Foundation benefit financially, the proceeds will be entirely invested in the fight against leukaemia, always to the benefit of patients". Prof. Evarist Feliu, president of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute's Delegate Committee, says, "At the present time immunotherapy constitutes a wide and hopeful field for cancer treatment. Its major clinical interest is currently focussed on immune system checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive therapy strategies with T cells, with more than 700 clinical trials taking place throughout the world for the treatment of malignant blood diseases and, to a lesser extent, solid tumours". Jorge Alemany, CEO of OneChain, adds, "OneChain is a perfect example of Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the benefit of patients. A representative of the voluntary sector (FJC) promotes a project thanks to the support of the public sector (ICREA and CDTI) and private effort (Invivo)". Dr. Lluis Pareras and Albert Ferrer, founding partners of Invivo Ventures, say, "We are joining forces with the Josep Carreras Foundation and the Josep Carreras Institute to develop a CAR-T platform with potential for the clinical application of solutions for devastating blood diseases. This platform, led by Dr. Pablo Menendez, includes the CAR-T CD1a programmes, as well as two other platforms, which we can not disclose at the moment, but which we hope will be able to significantly improve the lives of many cancer patients". ### ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Thymic cortical T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia More than 350 children are diagnosed with leukaemia every year in our country. Leukaemia accounts for around a third of childhood neoplasias. Childhood leukaemia is an aggressive kind of blood cancer. The affected cells can be of the lymphoid or myeloid lineage. The most usual kind of leukaemia in children is of lymphoid origin, the most common kind being acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which accounts for approximately 80% of childhood cases. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in turn can originate in B or T lymphocytes. 80% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemias are B type. 8 of every 10 children manage to overcome the disease. In the case of T-type ALL fewer than 100 cases are diagnosed every year in Spain and these are "subdivided" into four main kinds by means of immunophenotyping studies: Pro-T, Pre-T, thymic cortical and thymic mature. Cortical T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (coT-ALL) accounts for 40% of T-type acute leukaemias. Fewer than 30 children are diagnosed with this every year in our country. Usually they are adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. A third of them do not respond to existing therapies and we can not offer them any further opportunities with the current arsenal of therapies. About Dr. Pablo Menendez Dr. Menendez was born in Aviles, Asturias, in 1974. He graduated in biochemistry from the University of Salamanca (1997) and as a Doctor of Medicine (Hematology) from the same university in 2002, under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Orfao and Prof. Jesus San Miguel. He carried out his postdoctoral training in stem cell biology at the Mick Bhatia laboratory in Canada from 2003 to 2005, and in childhood leukaemia at the laboratory of de Mel Greaves in London from 2005 to 2007. In 2007 he was appointed director of the Stem Cell Bank of Andalusia and directed his own laboratory at the Biomedical research Centre in Granada until July 2011, when he commenced work as a lead researcher at the Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucia Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO). In June 2013 he was appointed ICREA Research Professor and Research Director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute's Hospital Clinic-UB Campus. About the Josep Carreras Foundation The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation was established in 1988 with the intention of contributing to finding a definitive cure for this disease. Its efforts are concentrated on four basic areas: administering the Spanish Bone Marrow Donor Registry (REDMO), scientific research, carried out by the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, patient guidance through an online patient consultation channel, and reception apartments for patients who need to undergo treatment and have to spend a long time far from home. About the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, a public centre pertaining to the Generalitat de Catalunya's CERCA network, was established in 2010 with the aim of furthering biomedical research and personalised medicine in the field of leukaemia and other onco-hematological diseases. It is the first research centre in Europe exclusively focussed on leukaemia and malignant blood diseases, and one of the very few in the world. The Josep Carreras Institutes has three coordinated but independent scientific campuses: University of Barcelona Hospital Clinic Campus, The Catalan Institute of Oncology/Germans Trias i Pujol Campus, and the Sant Pau - Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) Campus. About ICREA ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, is a foundation funded by the Catalan Government. ICREA was established in response to the need for new contracting formulas that would make it possible to compete on a level playing field with other research systems, with a view to contracting outstanding and highly-talented academic and scientific staff. ICREA is an open institution. It works shoulder to shoulder with Catalan universities and research centres to integrate ICREA researchers into the Catalan research system. ICREA offers researchers from around the world permanent posts to come and conduct research in Catalonia. Over the years it has become synonymous with academic excellence around the world. ICREA has researchers in all fields of knowledge who carry out their research work in 48 universities and research institutions in Catalonia. About CDTI The Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) is an organ of the General State Administration that supports knowledge-based innovation. It provided guidance and public funding by means of grants and partially reimbursed funds. The CDTI also internationally projects business R&D projects and innovation for companies and Spanish organisations. It manages Spanish participation in international R&D&I organisms, such as Horizonte2020 and Eureka, and in the Science and Space industries. Furthermore, through the Innvierte Economia Sostenible initiative, it supports and facilitates the capitalisation of technological companies. About Invivo Ventures Invivo Ventures FCR invests in life-science companies at an early stage and is administered by Invivo Capital Partners, an administrative company founded by Dr. Lluis Pareras and Albert Ferrer. Both administrators have wide experience in the sector and also administer the risk capital company, Healthequity SCR. Invivo Ventures FCR has a majority of private investors with the support of a number of institutional investors such as, the European Investment Fund (EIF), Fond-ICO Global, the Institut Catala de Finances and the Institut Valencia de Finances. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 21 2020 All schools in Pariaman, West Sumatra, closed their doors again and returned to online instruction on Monday after two staff members of a school in the city tested positive for COVID-19. The two were found to have contracted the novel coronavirus after taking part in swab testing administered on 1,500 school staff members in the city last week. "The tests were conducted on Friday and two of the results came back positive on Sunday," Pariaman Education Agency head Kanderi confirmed on Monday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Vodafone India announced it's finally adding support for eSIM. The first wave of supported devices includes only iPhones, while two Samsung devices to follow soon. The service will first be available in Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat. The full list of currently supported devices is: Samsung will join the party later with its two foldable devices - the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold, but Vodafone Idea kept silent on an actual timeframes. Another popular phone with eSIM in India is the Motorola Razr 2019, but it can be purchased only on the Reliance Jio network. The switch to eSIM is only available to postpaid customers of Vodafone. There are several steps that need to be fulfilled in order for the service to work, but they are pretty straightforward and include sending an SMS to 199 and getting a QR code. Newcoming users have it even easier - they have to show up in a Vodafone store and the personnel should assist with getting the QR image and setting up the new iPhone. The carrier promised that the eSIM would start working in two hours, allowing iPhone users to have more than one sim on the same device - a concept that is still outlandish in the eyes of Apple, despite being a daily occurrence in the world of Android. Via More than 20 staff who were working on a building site that has forced to close have tested positive for Covid-19. Up to 200 staff were working on the site which was temporarily closed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) today. Further tests on staff are currently being carried out. John Paul Construction, which has offices in Dublin, Galway, Cork, London and Riyadh, confirmed a number of its building workers contracted coronavirus. There are fears over the infection rate due to the large number of people on site. The site on Townsend Street is being developed for a 393-bedroom hotel, 202-aparthotel, a restaurant and 21 apartments. In line with HSE advice, it has now temporarily closed. Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn described it as the first significant outbreak on a construction site to date. It is understood one employee was initially diagnosed with Covid-19 at the latter end of last week. Comprehensive testing was carried out once the company became aware of the positive case and a number of other staff have since tested positive. Labour councillor Kevin Donoghue described the outbreak as very concerning. He has called for testing to be made available for locals and shop workers in the area who may have come into contact with the staff. The workers on the site would have been using shops locally during breaks and we need to be ready to test local residents who might be impacted by this, he said. Measures should be put in place to allow all residents in the area who are concerned to get tested immediately. In their statement the construction company involved said comprehensive testing of workers had been carried out after one person tested positive for the virus. We need to ensure that testing is made available for locals also, especially where they may be concerned about at-risk family members. In a statement, John Paul Construction said: We have followed the specific advice of the HSE and the Health and Safety Authority at all times in relation to this matter and are assisting the HSE in arranging further tests as required. We have temporarily closed the site. The health, safety and well-being of those who work with us and the communities in which we operate is our top priority and we wish those affected a speedy recovery. The situation has been described as fluid and staff are due to be retested next week. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO)(ACB) is paring back its European operations in the latest chapter of the companys plan to adjust to a smaller-than-expected global pot market. A spokesperson for the Edmonton-based licenced producer said about one quarter of the workforce in select countries and the companys European regional office will be eliminated as a result of the decision. The spokesperson did not provide a precise number of impacted jobs. Aurora has undertaken a thorough analysis of our international operations to better align to current market conditions, continue to meet market demand and drive the company to near-term profitability, the spokesperson said in an email on Monday. We are committed to simplifying all aspects of our business and applying greater efficiency to our operations. The European cuts follow major reduction to the pot producers Canadian operations. Last month, Aurora revealed plans to close five facilities and lay off roughly 700 workers, resulting in a $60 million charge in the coming quarter. In February, the company cut about 500 jobs and announced a $1 billion writedown. Aurora also announced plans on Monday to ramp up production in Denmark. It will also acquire an outstanding 49 per cent stake in its Danish business. Mads Ulrik Peterson, the current CEO of Aurora Nordic Cannabis A/S, will now oversee operations in the region as president of the European organization. Aurora was forced to halt international cannabis sales last December while waiting for permits from Germany to import and distribute medical cannabis from Canada. Sales resumed in February 2020. In its latest quarter, the company reported $4 million in international sales, less than six per cent of its total revenue in the period. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global coated glass market size is expected to reach USD 48.17 Billion by 2027, registering a revenue-based CAGR of 8.3% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Report and Data. The market is mainly driven by the growth of the building and construction sector and the rising emphasis on green buildings across the globe. As per the Glass Association of North America, glass is coated to meet explicit prerequisites, for instance, advancement in thermal and solar performance, advancement in the visibility, and to change the surface features without modifying the structure. The products offer to improve energy productivity in contrast with normal variation of the product. It helps in improving protection, sunlight-based control, and hydrophobic properties. The product is utilized for both practical and ornamental purposes. The soft coated segment dominated the sector in 2019. The products are characterized by increasingly prominent light transmission and higher optical transparency when contrasted with hard-coated items. These previously mentioned properties assume a key job for the prevailing offer held by this section as far as volume in the worldwide market. Regarding application, the engineering fragment dominated the industry in 2019. The product is utilized in business just as private structures to keep the inside cool in a hot atmosphere by mirroring the outside warmth while permitting the most extreme transmission of noticeable light. Moreover, the item is utilized in colder atmospheres to keep within a structure warm by re-emanating the warmth originating from inside. Request free sample of this research report at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/3348 The Asia Pacific dominated the global industry in 2019. China held the highest share in the region while developing economies, for instance, India and nations in Southeast Asia, are assessed to observe worthwhile development over the coming years. The advancement of the building and construction segment is attributed to quick industrialization in the area and is relied upon to assume a significant role in driving industrial growth. Impact of COVID19 COVID-19 has impacted the market negatively. The weakened consumer demand for many products due to the imposition of lockdown and social restrictions will have a negative impact on the products of this industry as well, but for a shorter duration of time. The business has been slower for both construction developers as well as automobile manufacturers, but, working on the assumption that the government will implement the appropriate quantitative easing measures to boost the development of these industries, the impact will likely be short-term instead of resulting in a crisis. Due to the current severe pandemic situation globally, the outlook is not clear yet. The construction supply chain is highly impacted, generating project slippage and extra costs. Enhanced focus on worker safety and increased cost pressure could accelerate the move to offsite construction methods. Thus, due to these uncertain situations, this industry will be slower for a brief period but is expected to gain momentum by the end of 2021. To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/coated-glass-market Future key findings of the report The coating is applied during glass production. The coating is mixed into the glass at 1200C. The benefit of the product is its durability. It can be handled like a standard square product. It is then ready to be cut, toughened, heat-strengthened, laminated as well as bent. This product is called a hard coat reflective. Nanocoating, when applied on sun-based board, makes it water-repellant, self-cleaning, and antireflective. Rising significance over the globe in regard to the use of sun oriented boards as an elective wellspring of energy is probably going to profit industrial development in the long term. Soft-coated low emissivity segment has observed sizable penetration in the U.S. For instance, Mercedes Benz retail area in Pompano Beach, Florida , which is one of the world's largest dealerships, consists of AGC's triple silver Low-E coated glass. retail area in , which is one of the world's largest dealerships, consists of AGC's triple silver Low-E coated glass. In terms of volume, Asia Pacific dominated this industry with a portion of 38.5% in 2019. This prevailing offer is credited to the development of the structure and development segment in the district. Order Now: https://www.reportsanddata.com/checkout-form/3348 Product Type (Revenue, USD Million; 2017-2027 and Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027) Hard coated Soft coated Low-E Glass Solar control Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017-2027 and Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027) Facades Window Partition Others End Use Industry Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017-2027 and Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027) Construction Automobile Sports and leisure Aerospace & defense Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2017-2027 and Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027) North America U.S. Europe Germany UK France Asia Pacific China India Japan MEA Latin America Brazil Browse more similar reports on Paints and Coatings category by Reports And Data Poly-Vinylidene Dichloride (PVDC) Coated Films Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/poly-vinylidene-dichloride-pvdc-coated-films-market https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/poly-vinylidene-dichloride-pvdc-coated-films-market Coated Paper Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/coated-paper-market https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/coated-paper-market Coated Steel Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/coated-steel-market About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help client's make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Contact Us: John W Head of Business Development Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: [email protected] LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs SOURCE Reports And Data Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:28:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's parliament, or the House of Representatives, approved on Monday a presidential decree extending the state of emergency in the country for three more months starting from July 27, state-run Nile TV reported. "The decision has been taken to face the ongoing dangerous health and security conditions in the country," the general committee of the House of Representatives said. According to the decree, "the armed forces and the police will take the necessary measures to fight terrorism and its finance, maintain security nationwide, protect public and private properties and preserve the lives of citizens." According to the Egyptian constitution, presidential decisions to renew the state of emergency must be approved by the country's parliament. Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi first imposed a three-month nationwide state of emergency in April 2017, following a twin bombing at two churches in the northern provinces of Gharbiya and Alexandria that killed at least 47 and wounded over 120 others. It has been constantly renewed in accordance with the constitution. Egypt has been facing a wave of anti-security terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers since the mass protests-backed military ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Most of the attacks were claimed by the Wilayat Sinai, a Sinai-based group affiliated with the regional Islamic State militant group. Meanwhile, Egypt has launched a comprehensive operation to uproot terrorism since February 2018 that killed at least 1,000 militants. Enditem The Indian Army has called for online applications from Indian nationals (male and female), who are MBBS qualified, for grant of Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) through direct selection. The recruitment will be for filling 300 SSC Officers post. The registration-cum-application process towards the same started on July 18, 2020 and closes on August 16, 2020. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts SSC Officers Organisation Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) - Indian Army Educational Qualification MBBS Degree passed in first or second attempt only Experience Refer to the advertisement Skills Required Physical and Medical Fitness Job Location India Salary Scale Rs. 97,000 per month Industry Defence - Medical Services Application Start Date July 18, 2020 Application End Date August 16, 2020 Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for SSC Officers post through AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification must not have exceeded 45 years of age as on December 31, 2020 as specified in the advertisement. Candidates must remit a prescribed amount of Rs. 200 as application processing fee (APF) through online (internet banking/credit card/debit card) mode only. Delhi Police Constable Recruitment 2020 For 5,846 Posts. Check Eligibility And Other Details Here Gender Wise Vacancy Details Gender No. Of Vacancies Male 270 Female 30 Total 300 Educational Criteria And Eligibility Candidates interested in applying for SSC Officers post through AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification must possess an MBBS Degree passed in first or second attempt only from a recognised University/Institution. Candidates should have permanent registration from any State Medical Council/MCI. Post-graduate degree/diploma holders recognized by State Medical Council/MCI/NBE can also apply. Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates to SSC Officers post through AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification will be done through Shortlisting, Interview by a Board of Officers in the month of Sep 2020 at Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi Cantt., and Physical & Medical Standard. Candidates selected to SSC Officers post through AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification will be paid an emolument of Rs. 97,000 per month. HAL Recruitment 2020 For Trade Apprentices Post, Apply Online As Well As Offline Before August 6 How To Apply Candidates applying for SSC Officers post through AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification must register on the official AFMS website at http://www.amcsscentry.gov.in/doc/signup and submit their applications on or before August 16, 2020 at http://www.amcsscentry.gov.in/doc/login Read the detailed advertisement about AFMS Recruitment 2020 Notification for SSC Officers post here Tuesday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 1124 N. Elma; 5:30 p.m., 508 Wyoming Blvd.; 7 p.m., 520 CY; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott (closed); 7 p.m., 917 N. Beech. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578. Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 15th and Melrose, at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Sharing Meeting: 8 p.m., 328-1/2 E. A St. upstairs. Non-smoking. Featuring AA and Al Anon participation in the solution. Nic hosts wizard, pottery camps The remaining schedule for the summer is Street Art and Graffiti, July 20 to 24, ages 11 to 15, 9 a.m. to noon; The Art of Horror, July 20 to 24, ages 11 to 15, 1 to 4 p.m.; Music and More, August 3 to 7, ages 11 to 15, 9 a.m. to noon; Camp Anime, August 3 to 7, ages 11 to 15, 1 to 4 p.m.; Grossology: The Art & Science of all Things Disgusting, August 10 to 14, ages 7 to 9 and 10 to 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info about the summer camps, visit https://thenic.org/summer-camps/. Mobile food pantry in Buffalo July mobile food pantries Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies has scheduled the following Mobile Pantries across the state to help alleviate the food insecurity brought on by the COVID-19 event, July 21, Buffalo, noon to 2 p.m. 18 Fairgrounds Rd. WFBR is dedicated to keeping staff, volunteers, partners and the public safe by implementing necessary precautionary steps to meet this fluid situation. WFBR is still providing drive-through mobile pantries which include pre-packaged food in boxes that volunteers place in vehicles so that social distancing is maintained while serving the public. Anyone affected by the COVID-19 crisis is welcomed, and encouraged, to utilize any of the mobile pantries. Each household will receive a box of shelf-stable items, a bag of fresh produce and a bag of protein products. If you are picking up for another household please prepare and bring the appropriate completed and signed proxy form (available on their website.) Anyone picking up food at one of our Drive-thru Mobile Pantries should have space in their vehicle cleared before they arrive in line. We will need enough room to provide at least one weeks worth of food for a family of four. added Myriam Wolcott, Program Manager for the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. Dates, times, or locations may change due to weather or logistical concerns, so please check Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies website for more information and for any updates on mobile pantries in your area. http://wyomingfoodbank.org/mobile-pantries-wyoming/ Families in need of food can contact Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies local partner agencies, a list of locations and phone numbers is available at http://wyomingfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/Partnering-Agencies-List-2019.pdf. Volunteers are needed to assist with set up, to help with food distribution and to help clean up at some of these events. To register as a volunteer, please contacting Myriam at 232-4020. David Street Station splash pad open The Hilltop Bank Splash Pad at David Street Station is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with social distancing rules in place. Please maintain six feet of distance, do not enter if experiencing COVID-19 systems and there is a limit of 25 in the splash pad at once. Summer markets every Tuesday David Street Station is hosting the Food For Thought Summer Markets on Tuesdays through September 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., to shop from local vendors for great homemade goods and homegrown produce. Visitors will enjoy a great selection of local produce, dairy products, baked goods, home decor and more. David Street Station asks all visitors to follow social distancing guidelines and to not attend if they are having any COVID-19 symptoms. All visitors will be entering from the northwest entrance of David Street Station, and a one-way flow of traffic is required. Vendors are required to wear masks and shoppers are encouraged to do so. Food for Thought Summer Markets are sponsored by Wyoming Community Development Authority. Yoga at labyrinth, on mountain Yoga classes on the Bart Rea Learning Circle in Amoco Park have resumed with a full schedule. Twenty-nine local and visiting instructors will lead up to eight classes per week on the labyrinth and Casper Mountain until Sunday, Sept. 20. The 2020 schedule includes the following classes: Monday, Sunny & Share, a wellness smorgasbord, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Yoga on the Labyrinth, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Yoga on the Mountain, 5:30 a.m. and Yoga on the Labyrinth, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Stories, Nature & Kids Yoga, 10 a.m. Saturday, Qigong, 8:30 a.m., and Yoga on the Labyrinth, 9 a.m. Sunday, Yoga on the Labyrinth, 9 a.m. (subject to teacher availability). See full details and updates on Facebook at @yotlwyoming, @beyondbordersyoga and @wyomingyoga. COVID-19 precautions are being taken; reserve a space online. Bring water, your own mat and props you wish to have with you. The Fourth Annual Summer Solar Festival, Solabration, has been moved from summer to fall and will end this years Yoga on the Lawn schedule on Sunday, Sept. 20, with a day of wellness, art, food trucks, beer and live music on the river. The date coincides with the Fall Equinox and International Day of Peace. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Neither the HSE nor the State has ever apologised to Ruth Morrissey who battled cervical cancer "and now it is too late", her husband Paul said yesterday. The 39-year-old Limerick mother died yesterday morning with her husband by her side, under the care of the staff at Milford Hospice. In a statement released through solicitor Cian O'Carroll, Mr Morrissey said his wife had "fought fiercely to stay alive for the family she adored". "Ruth had a sparkle to her smile, her wit and her intelligence. That sparkle made her wonderful company and her friendship was a gift she gave generously to anyone who knew her." The statement made reference to the legal process Ms Morrissey faced when she sued the HSE and two laboratories over the misreading of her cervical smear tests. "It was 2014 when Ruth found out she had cervical cancer and 2018 before she learned that there had been grievous mistakes in the screening programme that were to cost her her life." Last Thursday, the Supreme Court was told Ms Morrissey and her husband had been paid the full amount of 2.16m damages awarded to them by the High Court over misreading of her cervical smear tests. The High Court previously heard Ms Morrissey was not told until 2018 a review carried out in 2014 showed smears taken under the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2009 and 2012 had been incorrectly reported. Her cancer returned in 2018. "Despite the magnitude of the harm caused to her by avoidable errors, despite the broken promise of a Taoiseach who said no other woman would have to go to trial, despite using Ruth as a test case through the final years and months of her life, neither the HSE nor the State has ever apologised to her, and now it is too late," said the statement. Courage In June 2018, then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he should have been "more clear" when he made a promise no other woman impacted by the CervicalCheck scandal would have to go to court. He said the government wanted all cases to be settled by mediation so women could avoid a trial. He said, however, that any woman has a Constitutional right to go through with a court case. Leading tributes yesterday, President Michael D Higgins said "Ruth Morrissey's tremendous courage in an arduous campaign for truth and justice leaves a legacy of courage for all Irish people, and for those campaigning for women's right to healthcare in particular". Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: "Ruth was a brave, courageous woman who worked tirelessly for others and for future generations of women in this country." Labour leader Alan Kelly added: "It's never easy to go up against the State to challenge an injustice, but Ruth did just that." Fellow CervicalCheck campaigners also told of their sadness at the death of Ms Morrissey. Vicky Phelan, said: "Ruth was one of the strongest women I know, and also one of the most positive. I never once saw her without a smile on her face and I saw her when she was very ill." Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died of cervical cancer in 2018, described Ruth as "a kind and gentle soul who I was honoured to know, always checking up on me and my boys even in the middle of her own battles, this world is at a loss without her." A spokesperson for Leo Varadkar said: "The Tanaiste extends his sympathy to the family and friends of Ruth Morrissey on her passing. "As Taoiseach, he gave a formal State apology to all women and their families affected by the cervical check crisis in 2019." Days before the 26th anniversary of the Buenos Aires AMIA Jewish center bombing that killed 85 in 1994, Jewish community leaders called for international action against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah. The head of the AMIA Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, Ariel Eichbaum, said Friday, July 17, the international community should investigate the massacre that also left 300 injured. Meanwhile, in a tweet on Saturday, July 18, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "Today marks the anniversary of two attacks by Iran-backed Hizballah. We mourn with those who lost loved ones at the hands of terrorism in Argentina in 1994 and Bulgaria in 2012. The US continues to exert maximum pressure on Tehran. All responsible nations must join us." After conducting an extensive investigation, Argentina announced that the Islamic Republic issued the order for the bombing the Lebanese Hezbollah carried it out. In a meeting with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez on Friday, AMIA head Ariel Eichelbaum called for an end to the bombers' impunity and asked that the Interpol "red alerts" about the Iranian defendants be maintained. "For 26 years, we have lived with this impunity, and there is no single person detained for this crime against humanity," Eichbaum said. Stressing that the Lebanese Hezbollahs involvement in the bombing has been "proven", Eichbaum called South American and world leaders to act against the criminals, adding that the Argentinian judiciary considered the Islamic Republic of Iran the intellectual author of the attack. Furthermore, Eichbaum urged Latin American and other countries to take "concrete action" against the Hezbollah "threat" and arrest Iranian suspects if they traveled abroad. In 2019, the Argentine government listed the Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, as Iran's accomplice. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied its involvement in the bombing. The AMIA president also accused the Argentinian judiciary of dragging its feet and said political motives had overshadowed it. An Argentine prosecutor investigating the case, Alberto Nisman, was found dead from a gunshot wound in 2015. Immediately before his mysterious death, Nisman exposed a cover-up involving then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. On January 27, 2013, the Government of Argentina, led by Kirchner, announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Republic to establish a "truth commission" to investigate the AMIA bombing jointly. The news triggered a barrage of criticism. David Harris from the American Jewish Committee said that "the idea of establishing a 'truth-finding commission' on the AMIA tragedy that involves the Iranian regime would be like asking Nazi Germany to help establish the facts of Kristallnacht." The former President is currently facing charges for an alleged cover-up of Iran's role through the memorandum of understanding signed during her 2007-15 presidency. Her trial is still pending, but many observers doubt that it will ever take place. Ms. Kirchner has been serving as Argentina's Vice President since 2019. NEW YORK As veteran journalists who now teach the craft to college students, Tom Bettag and Frank Sesno both said they will use Chris Wallaces interview with President Donald Trump to show how its done well. This was an A-plus accountability interview, said Sesno, who spoke to five presidents as a CNN Washington bureau chief and now teaches a class in the art of the interview at George Washington University. Wallaces interview on Fox News Sunday made news on several fronts, from the coronavirus to the presidential campaign, and his direct challenges to Trump were still being talked about a day later. To some, its impact was exaggerated simply because Trump had so rarely put himself in that position during his first term as president. When the president said that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden wants to defund police departments, Wallace replied, No, sir, he does not. That led to a back-and-forth over whether Biden wanted to abolish police forces, with the president asking for help from press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, standing nearby. Because the interview was taped in advance, Wallace was able to add a voiceover that the White House could not provide evidence of the presidents claim, because there is none. Wallace also came armed with statistics to challenge Trump arguments about the mortality rate and testing for COVID-19. Asked to respond to clips of him making too-rosy predictions about the spread of the virus, a flustered Trump responded: Ill be right eventually. No one works harder on an interview, said University of Marylands Bettag, the longtime producer of ABCs Nightline when Wallace would occasionally sub for Ted Koppel as host. He goes over and over on questions. He consults with as many people as he can. Most of all, he studies what his subject is likely to answer. He did a great interview because he worked his butt off getting ready. Sesno compared it to a lawyer preparing for every eventuality when cross-examining a witness. At one point, Trump denied it when Wallace asked, why on Earth would your administration be involved in a campaign to discredit Dr. (Anthony) Fauci? Wallace then showed him a copy of an anti-Fauci cartoon shared on social media by a White House aide. Wallace also kept many of his questions direct, less easy to slip away from: Is the Confederate flag offensive? Would you consider a national mandate that people need to wear masks? Why wouldnt you send more money so the schools would be safer? He asked Trump, Is Joe Biden senile? and the president answered, I wouldnt say that. But later in the interview he described the Democrat as mentally shot. The way he asked the questions made for an interview that was very revealing, said Jane Hall, a journalism professor at American University. You can confront people without being confrontational. Hall, a Fox News analyst when she covered the media for the Los Angeles Times, took students to an appearance by Wallace at the university in February. Some initially wondered what they would get out of it, believing that many Fox personalities are friendly to Trump and few of his appearances on the network are particularly challenging. Wallace is old-school, however, a former White House correspondent, and a Meet the Press moderator while at NBC News. Hes been at Fox since 2003. Hes very good at this. Hes been doing this for a long time. And hes got the Wallace DNA, Sesno said. Wallace is the son of legendary 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace. Meghan McCain said Monday on The View that it was the first time Ive really seen President Trump squirm. Hes not often in that position. Trump has been interviewed 19 times as president by Foxs Sean Hannity and 17 times on Fox & Friends, said CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, who keeps count of the presidents media appearances. Fox has been given 92 interviews overall compared to 20 on NBC, CBS and ABC combined and none on CNN. Wallace may have done well, but tough questioning and fact-checking arent a reason to throw him a parade, author Steven Beschloss tweeted. Its what every journalist should be doing, he said. CNNs fact-checker, Daniel Dale, said on Twitter that Wallace missed opportunities to correct Trump more. Some Republicans said it was time for Biden to get the same treatment. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called the interview a big win for Trump because he proved he could take the heat. One White House staff member said privately that Trump appeared to be caught off guard by the questioning and it did little to improve his standing with the public. Even if the president doesnt appear on Fox News Sunday again, theres a strong chance Trump hasnt seen the last of Wallace. He was one of the presidential debate moderators in 2016 and his performance Sunday cant hurt his chances of being selected again. ___ White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:43:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government has approved talks between Russia and India on the terms of sending military to each other, according to an order published Monday. The order signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to conduct negotiations with the Indian side with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to a draft deal attached to the order, Russia and India can send military to each other for joint exercises and training, humanitarian aid, and elimination of consequences of natural and man-made disasters. It stipulates that no more than five warships, 10 aircraft and 3,000 troops of one country can be deployed on the territory of the other unless special conditions have been agreed on in advance. The military of one country on the territory of the other should respect the sovereignty and traditions of the host and should not interfere in its internal affairs or participate in political activities, the draft said. Enditem Risk provision may write some revenue off the record for Song Hong Garment JSC as the company prepares for the likely bankruptcy of its US partners parent firm. Song Hong Garment JSC's factory in Nam Dinh Province. Photo songhong.vn US-based retailer RTW Retailwinds, owner of 400 New York & Co stores in 32 states across the US, filed for bankruptcy on July 13 and it will likely close all of its stores. RTW Retailwinds reported revenue in 2019 dropped 7 per cent year-on-year to US$827 million and recorded a net loss of $61.6 million. In 2018, it reported a profit of $4.2 million. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted all economies, the company had to temporarily close stores and furlough workers. RTW Retailwinds New York & Co is currently the largest partner of Song Hong Garment. After RTW Retailwinds announced the plan to close all stores, shareholders and investors at Song Hong Garment voiced concerns about the Vietnamese firms earnings prospects this year. According to sources, all liabilities in 2019 RTW Retailwinds owed to Song Hong Garment are already settled. The liabilities so far in 2020 are worth VND220 billion ($9.5 million) and if RTW Retailwinds bankruptcy proposal is approved, Song Hong Garment will lose that income. In the first-quarter financial report, Song Hong Garment said liabilities owed by New York & Co were worth VND166 billion. The company is working to join the bankruptcy proceedings to claim its liabilities owed by New York & Co, Song Hong Garment said in a filing to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on Friday. Further information and the official decision of the US court regarding the case will be updated, the company said. According to Song Hong Garment JSC, the company's operation will not be affected by the bankruptcy, but in the short term, earnings will be dampened as revenue from RTW Retailwinds often accounts for a large proportion of its total. Revenue from New York & Co accounted for 13 per cent of Song Hong Garments total revenue in 2019, the company said in the filing. The local garment firm expects total revenue in 2020 would drop 27 per cent year-on-year to VND3.2 trillion and pre-tax profit would dive 54 per cent year-on-year to VND250 billion. The local garment firms shares (HoSE: MSH) plunged total 10.7 per cent in the last two trading days to end Friday at VND30,450 ($1.31) apiece. VNS VN garment companies face cancelled orders, multiple hardships The lack of input materials and cancellations of 50 percent of orders have put textile and garment companies in serious difficulty, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). By Laman Ismayilova A documentary film has been made on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of prominent scientist, acamedician Abdulla Garayev. The film was shot at the initiative of ANAS Institute of Physiology named after the prominent scientist, science.gov.az repored. The documentary tells about the life of the scientist, whose name is written in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijani science. The film provides a lot of details on Abdulla Garayev's scientific researchers as well as his pedagogical and social activities. Through his life, Abdulla Garayev conducted various psychological researches, in particular, the physiology of interoreceptors (to clarify the role of interoreceptors in metabolism). His main scientific works were devoted to questions of general physiology, metabolism, and body reactivity. He proved the effect of the nervous system on the phagocytic properties of leukocytes. Academician Abdulla Karaev created a theory about the role of red blood cells as mobile carbohydrate depots of the body. He is the founder of the school of physiologists in the Azerbaijan SSR. Abdulla Garayev was the first director of the Institute of Physiology, which now bears his name. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A woman was filmed demanding a landscaper show her his papers while he mowed a lawn at a housing complex in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 15. In this video, shot by Juan Carlos Andrade Mendez in a housing community named Parkview Villas, the woman blows him a kiss before circling around his ride-on and placing herself in his path. Mendez can be heard in the footage telling the woman, Im doing my work, can you move? He asks her several more times to move from his work area to no avail, and eventually he turns off the machine. Can you stay away? he asks her. Youre too close to me right now and youre not wearing a mask. Can you step away? She ignores Mendezs repeated requests to socially distance and says: No, I want to see your papers. The woman later calls him a peeping Tom. Mendez told Storyful the woman has previously interrupted his work at the same location. I am landscaper, and I go to that property at least twice a week, he said, adding that he recorded this interaction to show the manager of the housing complex. Speaking with NBC Palm Springs Mendez said, "Like any other complex I was just doing the work for all of them, mowing the lawn. I passed by her apartment and when I turned around to do the second round thats when I saw her standing. He told NBC that three months prior to this video being shot, this same woman approached him and told him to go back to his country. In the same report, from July 17, the city attorney for Rancho Mirage, Steve Quintanilla, as well as the citys housing authority manager, Marcus Aleman, said they will initiate an investigation process regarding the incident. Credit: Juan Carlos Andrade Mendez via Storyful Taliban have no office in Iran: Deputy foreign minister Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 2:06 PM The Taliban militant group has no office in the Islamic Republic, says Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, rejecting reports claiming otherwise. Abbas Araqchi made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Afghanistan's Tolo news agency the summary of which was published by IRNA on Sunday, emphasizing, "The Taliban has no office in Iran." The Iranian diplomat added that the group "may have established a council" in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, "but this does not concern us." Araqchi said Iran has been in contact with the Taliban over the past few years, noting, "As is the case with other (Afghan) groups, we have been in contact with them as well. We heard their opinions and expressed ours as well." "Everyone knows who has created and supported the Taliban and who is holding negotiations and dealing with them right now," the senior Iranian official said. "It is a fact that the United States, which considers itself as Afghanistan's 'ally', has negotiated with the Taliban and made a deal with them. We have no such relationship with the Taliban." Washington, Araqchi added, has held official talks with the Taliban in the absence of the Afghan government and made a deal on the country's future. "We have no such relationship with the Taliban." The Taliban and the United States have been negotiating a peace deal to end a nearly two-decade war in Afghanistan for a year and were on the brink of an announcement in September 2019, when US President Donald Trump abruptly declared the process "dead." However, US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading negotiations with the Taliban, launched a new round of shuttle diplomacy by travelling to Pakistan and Afghanistan to brief officials on the status of the talks. Islamabad has helped facilitate the talks in Qatar. Talks restarted in Doha later in December last year, but were suspended again following an attack near the Bagram military base in Afghanistan, which is run by the US. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had said on February 13 that the United States and the Taliban had negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence, which could lead to an eventual withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. "I'm here today consulting with allies about this proposal, and we've had a series of productive bilateral and collective meetings about the path forward," Esper said at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "It will be a continual evaluative process as we go forward if we go forward." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address One of the most frustrating practical challenges in planning for retirement when its still many years in the future is trying to get an accurate estimate of your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits. If you are ready to collect, Services Canada will accurately calculate your CPP benefits. It can also provide a reasonably accurate advance estimate of your basic benefits if youre within a year or two of starting them (online at My Service Canada Account). But farther out than that presents a real challenge. Until now. For the first time, there is a free online calculator (at CPPcalculator.com) that can help you calculate in advance what precise CPP benefits to expect when you retire. The calculator was created by Doug Runchey, a well-regarded CPP calculations expert, and David Field, a certified financial planner with a knack for programming at Mississauga-based Papyrus Planning. The launch of a new calculator isnt normally a big deal in this online age, but the mind-boggling complexity of CPP calculation makes this one surprisingly notable. There are other spreadsheets and online tools that give ballpark CPP projections, but this is the first that I know of that can credibly claim precise accuracy for basic calculations. (That said, it doesnt yet cover certain special situations such as raising young children, having a severe disability or combining and splitting CPP benefits.) The unequalled credibility of this calculator owes much to the testing and endorsement of Runchey, a 66-year-old retired federal civil servant. He mastered the intricacies of CPP computations during a 32-year career with predecessors of Service Canada, the federal governments point of public contact for many of its services. He was once manager of outreach for CPP and Old Age Security for B.C. and the Yukon. Since 2013, Runchey has made a modest second career producing CPP estimates by hand for a small fee. He works from home in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. As far as I am aware, Runchey and now the Runchey-Field calculator are the only publicly available sources of reliably accurate estimates of future CPP benefits. If youre trying to plan for what your CPP benefits might be many years ahead, the Service Canada estimates can be way off. Thats because your future payout depends in part on the amount and pattern of your CPP contributions and earnings in the interim. The Service Canada estimates assume simplistically that you continue making the same average level of contributions as you have in the past. These misleading government estimates can distort important decisions about when to start CPP. It often comes into play for people who retire early, and then must decide whether to then start CPP payouts at age 60 or defer the start of their benefits until age 65 or later. In that case, the government estimates typically assume you continue to contribute to CPP at the same relatively high average level that you did through your working years, whereas in reality, youve stopped working and contributing. How those zero-contribution years factor into the complex calculations varies. In some cases it has no impact. But in other situations it results in the Service Canada estimates being too high by up to two per cent a year, estimates Runchey. In that case, if you fully retire and stop contributing at age 60, but delay collecting your pension until age 65, Service Canada could be overestimating your CPP pension payout by up to about 10 per cent. Of course, your monthly CPP payout is still going to be higher over-all if you start it later (to compensate you for taking fewer payouts over your shorter remaining lifetime). It just might not be as high as Service Canada lead you to expect. I have tried the Runchey-Field CPP calculator and found it easy to use. You follow the simple instructions at CPPcalculator.com. You will be sent a link to upload your past contribution and pensionable earnings data from your Service Canada account directly into the calculator. Type in your projected pensionable earnings for future years and hit calculate. The calculator tells you what your basic CPP pension payout would be (in todays dollars) if started at each age from 60 to 70. The calculators major limitation is that, for now, it doesnt include special situations where your basic CPP benefits need to be adjusted. These include where you have: low-income years raising children under the age of seven; low-income years due to severe disability; the combination of a regular CPP pension and a CPP survivors pension; or the need to split your CPP benefits due to divorce or separation. Of course, the Service Canada future estimates dont cover those special cases, either. For now, if you want accurate future projections in those special cases, you probably need to engage Runchey (drpensions.ca) to get a manual calculation. As an example, he will estimate your CPP benefits including the child-rearing adjustment with two optional start dates (e.g. ages 60 and 65) for $50. Getting those calculations for every age from 60 to 70 will cost $125. Meanwhile, Runchey and Field are hoping to extend their calculator to cover the child-rearing adjustment and possibly other special situations. At some point they will likely charge a small fee to use the calculator, at least for enhanced features. That prompts the question of why Service Canada doesnt provide better help with CPP estimates. The government has made the CPP calculations so complex, but they dont provide the proper tools to help you with it, says Field. If the government cant produce accurate future CPP estimates on its own, I think it should hire Runchey and Field as consultants to help develop proper software to do it. In the meantime, getting accurate CPP projections remains utterly dependent on how Runchey chooses to spend his golden years. If Doug decides to fully retire and this goes away as a service, then were really sunk, says Field. Chinas 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) Photograph: A woman pushes a makeshift raft down a flooded alleyway in a village in Yongxiu in central eastern Chinas Jiangxi province on Thursday, July 16, 2020. Photo credit: Chinatopix via AP. Related: Topics Flood China Leaders behind the decision to ban Huawei from British 5G networks have now admitted political pressures played a role. Thats according to recent, unattributed reports from the Observer. The politicians who made the determination have not issued a statement on the reports. But, the government is said to have privately conveyed to Huawei that the decision was geopolitical in nature. The implication is that the UK effectively caved to pressure from Washington, resulting in a ban on Huawei equipment. The British Huawei ban could be reversed but it still stands for now Publicly, the British government has cited security, not political motivations, for the ban on Huawei. In an announcement following the ban, blame was placed on US sanctions. Specifically, those were sanctions that prevent Huawei from doing business with its usual partners and supply chain. Thats forced the company, the government determined, to turn to sources it deems untrusted. Advertisement Huawei, for its part, has come forward to reiterate that it is confident in the security of its networks. Even without those partners, the company indicates that it can maintain network resilience. The company has also denied any and all claims that it has and does work as a spying tool for the Chinese government. Such concerns are the core source of concerns about the company, ultimately leading to the sanctions in question. The sanctions themselves are widely viewed as a measured response to Chinese market dominance in an ongoing trade dispute. Regardless, the UK decision to first halt and then remove the use of Huawei equipment may not be the final word on the matter. Advertisement The British government has reportedly reassured Huawei that the ban could be revisited later on. The source notes that may be a possibility if Trump failed to win a second term or if Washingtons position on China, in general, were to shift. The timeline of the ban could align with these reports The ban, of course, does not go into effect immediately. And it doesnt go into effect quickly either. No new Huawei 5G equipment can be purchased by UK carriers after December 31. The date falls well after the 2020 Presidential elections are set to take place in the US cited as the driving force behind the ban. Conversely, all carriers must remove all existing Huawei equipment by the end of 2027. And that, again, gives plenty of time for the geopolitical climate to change. Advertisement That the latest reports on the UKs position on Huawei are not well-cited or attributed does mean that they should be taken with a grain of salt. But the timeline of the ban itself would make sense in the context of geopolitical reasoning behind the ban, whether coincidentally or otherwise. An Accra High Court has dismissed the case, in which Export Finance Company Limited is seeking the court to quash the administrative decision of the Ghana Revenue Authority to garnishee the account of the company. In the judgement delivered on July 8, 2020, Justice George Koomson, the presiding judge held that the Commissioner General of the GRA did not err in law with the notice garnishing the account of Export Finance Company Limited domiciled with the Universal Merchant Bank on February 17, 2019. On December 10, 2018, the GRA requested the company by a notice of assessment to pay the amount of GH2,502,701.54 and GH57,113.04 being its tax liability and NFSL liability for the year 2013 and October 2018 year of assessment. The company who is the applicant in the case objected to the assessment in a letter dated December 17, 2018. It is the case of the applicant that the respondent in a letter dated December 21, 2018, duly acknowledged receipt of the letter or objection, and was therefore required to have taken a decision on the objection within 60 days of having received the objection in accordance with Section 42(2) of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016(Act 915). The applicant contends that the respondent rather than complying with the 60-day period to take a decision, disallowed the decision of February 26, 2019 for which reason the decision was void and of no legal effect. The GRA on the other hand contended that the applicant did not comply with the mandatory conditions for objecting to a tax decision being the payment of 30 per cent of the tax assessed for which reason the applicants letter dated December 17, 2018, could not be deemed a legal objection. The respondent avers that its failure to take a decision within 60 days rather allows a party such as the applicant to treat the response as the respondent having disallowed the objection and thereafter the remedy opened to the person is by way of a tax appeal. The applicants contention is in two folds, the first contention is that respondent having failed to give the objection decision within the mandatory 60 days, any decision thereafter was void and of no legal effect as it sinned against statute and secondly, in accordance with Section 43(3) of Act 915, the applicant opted to treat the respondents failure to make decision within the 60 days as allowing the objection. Justice Koomson noted that the combined effect of Sections 43(2) and (3) of Act 915 is not to preclude or prevent the respondent from making a decision on an objection raised by a party such as the applicant after a 60-day period, but rather to ensure that parties who have objected to a decision by the respondent, do not hold on in the performance of their tax obligations on the basis that they are awaiting the outcome of the decision. This, the judge said, was to allow for a party to treat the objection as having been refused so as to invoke the appeal process as set out in Section 44 of Act 915 if he so wishes. Justice Koomson said he does not think that the framers of the statute intended to prevent or preclude the respondent from making a decision to an objection after 60 days. Just as the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 C.I.47 particularly Order 41 rule 2(1), should a judge fail to deliver its judgement within the stipulated six weeks, would he be precluded from making judgement thereafter? I think not. He said the applicants attempt to now change the wording of the statute to read, allow the objection, I must say is very disingenuous, especially, having regard to the timing of the letter indicating that it was treating the failure of the respondent to make a decision within 60 days as having allowed the objection. Justice Koomson stated that apart from the applicants contention that the decision of the Commissioner General of GRA of February 26, 2019 was void and of no legal effect, the applicant failed to demonstrate that the letter titled Garnishment was not in accordance with Sections 60 and 61 of Act 915, and one can only assume that the contention was based solely on the allegation that the letter was null and void. 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 Washington, July 20 : Francis Collins, Director of the US National Institutes for Health (NIH) has said that long delays in getting COVID-19 test results across America was undercutting their usefulness. "The average test delay is too long," Xinhua news agency quoted Collins as saying in an interview with NBC News on Sunday. "And that really undercuts the value of the testing, because you do the testing to find out who's carrying the virus and then quickly get them isolated so they don't spread it around." Collins said the US government must invest in new technologies in order to keep up with the testing demand. "We need to do things that are more on the spot," Collins said. "There's a number of new technologies that are coming along that look very promising in that space. "We need to invest a lot of money, and the government is willing to do so, in scaling those up," the NIH Director added. Collins' remarks came a day after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Quest Diagnostics that allows pool samples from up to four individuals to test for COVID-19. The Quest test is the first COVID-19 diagnostic test to be authorized for use with pooled samples. "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," said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. As of Monday, the US accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities at 3,768,055 and 140,500, respectively. Graduation day for Troop 1 of the Radical Monarchs, with, from top left, Alicia Garza, Marilyn Hollinquest and Isa Noyola; and Anayvette Martinez at top right; from the documentary "We Are the Radical Monarchs." (Katie Flint) In 2014, Oakland community organizer Anayvette Martinez invited her friend Marilyn Hollinquest to help her launch a more inclusive alternative to Girl Scouts for her young daughter. The service group they founded does wear berets and vests, and the girls do earn merit badges, but they are more likely to speak on your behalf before the city council than sell you cookies. As their mission statement proudly proclaims, The Radical Monarchs create opportunities for young girls of color to form fierce sisterhood, celebrate their identities and contribute radically to their communities. Directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton, the uplifting documentary We Are the Radical Monarchs tells the story of how on-the-ground grassroots organizing can strengthen those communities while creating a nurturing environment for girls of color in the upper elementary grades and beyond. Martinez and Hollinquest, who met while earning masters degrees in ethnic studies at San Francisco State, form a dynamic duo forged in their shared birth dates, queer identities and a desire to offer their young charges a space in which diversity is at the center of the narrative. That they do so with the drive and savvy of a start-up while holding down full-time day jobs is just one of the many compelling threads of this timely film. Goldstein Knowlton presents a vibrant view of the Oakland community, using radio news soundbites for context to track the organizations growth from the age of Obama and the shadow of Ferguson to the foreboding specter of Donald Trump (the film ends in 2018 and includes a postscript). To see the girls embrace subjects such as Radical Beauty and Radical Pride that speak to who they are and where they live and meet inspiration Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, is to feel a surge of optimism. Overcoming growing pains in this case, the demand for more troops around the country and in Canada far outstripping the two founders time and resources and obstacles such as an attack from Fox News only strengthen the Radical Monarchs resolve. And face it, if youre making Sean Hannity uncomfortable, you must be doing something right. Most impressive are the girls themselves. Over three years, the girls grow from curious pre-tweens to experienced social justice activists. If movements are judged by embodying the change they seek, the first generation of Radical Monarchs is a heartening success. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 09:43:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivers a speech at the China Business Summit 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand, July 20, 2020. New Zealand-China relations are in good shape, which will continue to bring ample opportunities for both countries and peoples, said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday's China Business Summit held in Auckland. (Xinhua/Guo Lei) AUCKLAND, New Zealand, July 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand-China relations are in good shape, which will continue to bring ample opportunities for both countries and peoples, said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday's China Business Summit held in Auckland. Jacinda Ardern reiterated that the New Zealand-China bilateral relations have been stable and mature enough to continuously support two way trade, people to people exchange, cultural and political dialogues constructively, professionally and regularly between the two countries. "Our comprehensive strategic partnership now in its sixth year continues to be the basis of our relationship, alongside our long standing history and the benefits it brings. The partnership continues to bring benefit for us, supported by a commitment of our ongoing one-China policy," said Ardern. When mentioning the two-way trade, which Ardern regarded as the bedrock of the New Zealand-China relations, the prime minister was pleased to see a strong export data of New Zealand quality products to China, despite some decrease caused by the COVID-19. Trade ties exceeded 32 billion New Zealand dollars (20.8 billion U.S. dollars) last year. New Zealand meat exports to China increased 24 percent in May and 16.8 percent in April this year when compared with last year. New Zealand dairy export also increased 25 percent in the first five months of 2020, when compared to the same period in 2019, according to Ardern. The World Trade Organisation-based global trade system and the rule-based multilateralism are shared by New Zealand and China, for which the two countries jointly send a signal to the world by efforts such as the completion of upgrading the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, said Ardern. Besides trade, Ardern highlighted the high level political contacts between the two countries last year including her state visit to China and many high quality ministerial meetings. Ardern was also proud to acknowledge the important roles played in the New Zealand-China relations by the 200,000 New Zealand Chinese population, the historical links between China and New Zealand's Maori Culture, as well as the all-round cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, climate change, education and many other areas. At a challenging time when the world is fighting against COVID-19, Ardern said that New Zealand and China shared common interests, challenges and perspectives. ATLANTA Nikema Williams, a state senator from Atlanta, emerged from a conclave of Georgia Democratic officials on Monday as the appointed successor to Representative John Lewis, taking his place on the November ballot and very likely inheriting the seat he occupied in Congress for 17 terms. The decision came less than 72 hours after Mr. Lewiss death, as much of Atlanta remained in grief over the loss of the civil rights leader who had represented the city for over 30 years, and as his colleagues in Congress held a moment of silence on Monday in his memory. Democratic officials said they had to rush because of a deadline imposed by state law that required a name be put forward by Monday afternoon. Party leaders said they did not want to risk losing a seat that they have traditionally held in a tight grip, one representing a swath of Atlanta and adjoining suburbs. Ms. Williams, who is also the chairwoman of the state party, was one of five finalists up for consideration, with that group winnowed from a pool of dozens who submitted applications over the weekend. She was selected by the partys executive committee of 44 members during a virtual meeting on Monday. (Ms. Williams abstained from any votes related to the nomination.) Two kindergarten teachers in China are facing police investigation after allegedly beating their young pupils who struggled to fall asleep during nap time. Shocking videos reportedly show the nursery staff violently pushing the children around or slapping them on multiple occasions in eastern Chinese province Zhejiang. A parent discovered the horrific acts from the surveillance footage after noticing a long cut on his three-year-old son's face after school, reported local media. Two kindergarten teachers in China are facing police investigation after allegedly beating their young pupils who struggle to fall asleep during nap time, according to reports The incident was brought to light when the father spotted a bloody scar on his child's forehead when he picked up the boy from the Huibo Early Education in Ningbo on July 7, according to Zhejiang Television. The parent, known by his surname Sun, requested to check recent footage from the nursery's CCTV camera and was left horrified. He told reporters: 'My son was lying there trying to sleep. One of the teachers was scolding another kid. My son sat up to look because children are, you know, curious about everything. Shocking videos uploaded by a web user reportedly show the nursery staff violently pushing the children around or slapping them on multiple occasions in eastern province Zhejiang The incident was brought to light when the father spotted a bloody scar on his child's forehead when he picked up the boy from the Huibo Early Education in Ningbo on July 7, reports said 'The other teacher then picked up a pillow and threw it at my son's face. The kid covered his face and didn't dare to move anymore,' said Mr Sun. Other clips uploaded by a web user, believed to be Mr Sun's wife, allegedly show one of the teachers repeatedly hitting another boy's head and body after the child failed to nap. The other teacher is seen slapping a pupil's face and pointing her finger at the child, seemingly threatening him to lie down. The two female teachers, who remain employed, are being investigated by local police, according to the kindergarten owner, known by his surname Qiu. He told the local station: 'Once the investigation is over, we will terminate their contracts accordingly.' Other clips uploaded by a web user, believed to be Mr Sun's wife, allegedly show one of the teachers repeatedly hitting another boy's head and body after the child failed to nap Various incidents of child abuse in recent years have haunted China's pre-school industry. In 2019, two kindergarten pupils in south-east China were forced by their teacher to sleep in the midday sun as punishment for being too noisy in class. Another teacher was filmed in 2018 pushing one of her pupils and pulling out a chair from under her to punish the 'disruptive' student as she did not return to her assigned seat, reported Chinese media. Experts have previously told South China Morning Post that abuse in mainland schools was due to a mindset widely accepted in society that adults can use methods they themselves deem appropriate, like beating, scolding and emotional abuse or 'cold violence' to control or educate children. India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist On community spread of COVID-19, IMA issues clarification India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Two days after the Chairperson of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Hospital Board of India, Dr V K Monga said that community transmission of COVID-19 in India ha started, the IMA has now clarified on the matter. In an official statement, the IMA said that the statement should be considered a matter of personal opinion. "It is for the official agencies to ascertain this stage in the natural history of the epidemic. Crowd sourcing data cannot replace authentic data," the statement read. COVID-19 recoveries outnumber active cases by over 3 lakh: Centre Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News "All presumptions in this regard should be considered a matter of personal opinion," the statement also added. The IMA also expressed confidence that the public health authorities and the medical fraternity are fully engaged and prepared in containing the fallout. Clusters are in urban metros and not in the countryside where open spaces are the rule. On Saturday Dr Monga had said that the community spread of the COVID-19 has started in India and added that the situation is pretty bad. "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," he was quoted by ANI as saying. The need now lies somewhere in between, he said. The bill will represent an opening bid from Republicans, and its overall cost is almost certain to grow in negotiations with Democrats because it is likely to exclude any additional money to help state and local governments avert massive layoffs of public employees amid plunging tax revenues. The legislation will most likely include additional aid to a popular federal loan program for small businesses to help maintain payroll, albeit with more stringent restrictions, as well as aid for schools and hospitals. Republicans are also pressing hard to include language that would force the health care industry to be transparent about how it sets prices, part of their strategy of using the coronavirus aid bill to blunt the political liability they face for opposing the Affordable Care Act. During the meeting, Mr. Trump called the economist Arthur Laffer and put him on speakerphone, according to a person briefed on what happened. Mr. Laffer talked about the need to include the price-transparency measure, a prospect that the president appeared to like, the person said. The focus of the aid package is really about kids and jobs and vaccines, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, told reporters during the Oval Office meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff. Both Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Meadows are expected to attend the senators policy lunch on Tuesday when Republicans will discuss their proposal, and the two are scheduled to meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, later in the day. Schools was a very big component, Mr. Mnuchin said of discussions on Capitol Hill late Monday. Its a lot of money. At the White House, Mr. Mnuchin said the administration wanted to have a new bill signed into law before the unemployment benefits run out at the end of the month, but Congresss plodding speed is more likely to produce a bill for Mr. Trump to sign by early August. Republicans have made it clear that they will seek to reduce the level of jobless aid provided as part of the stimulus law enacted in March, which many of them opposed given that the $600-per-week supplement amounted to more than workers in some parts of the country earned in wages. Were not going to let unemployment expire no way, Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, said in an interview. But we are going to reform it a bit to deal with this issue of work incentives. (TNS) Chilton County, Ala., 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 to tag office by early next week and open to 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 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. A group of Indian-Americans from in and around the national capital has held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy here, protesting against Chinas aggression along the Line of Actual Control. Displaying anti-China banners and shouting slogans like China Communist: Down Down, the protesters on Sunday said that the Chinese virus has killed lakhs of people across the world and has brought the global economy to a standstill. Community activist Manoj Sreenilayam said: We condemn the unprovoked Chinese aggression, landgrab and killing of Indians on Indian territory in Ladakh, while the world is distracted with the Covid-19 pandemic. For the past several decades, China has been bullying India and other smaller nations, said another activist Mahindra Sapa. In the South China Sea, China has been illegally capturing land and islands of smaller nations. It has killed 20 Indian soldiers. We are here to raise awareness and urge the world to do horizontal escalation and economically decouple from China, Sapa said. The peaceful protest represented a cross-section of the Indian-American cultural and social organisations from Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Prominent among them being Kerala association of Greater Washington, Durga Temple friends, Tamil cultural groups and Indian cultural Associations of Howard County, National Council of Asian Indian Associations and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America. Recently formed New York-based Oppose Chinese Imperialism (OCI) Group 23 also sent its representatives to participate in the protest. We are here to protest against the Chinese aggression on the Indian land and territories of the neighbouring countries, said Sanjay Patel. In recent weeks, Indian-Americans in major US cities have held peaceful protests against China. The first of those was held in Chicago by eminent Indian-American Dr Bharat Barai at New Yorks Times Square where members of the Tibetan community also demonstrated against China. Another group led by Prem Bhandari in New York recently formed OCI Group 23 to mobilise people in the 23 countries with whom China has territorial disputes. The group last week held a webinar on the Chinese imperialism addressed by Indias former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale and former Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman D R Mehta. A Queensland police officer moves a stop sign at a vehicle checkpoint on the Pacific Highway on the Queensland - New South Wales border, in Brisbane on April 15, 2020. (Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images) NSW to Tighten Vic Border as More Hotspots Emerge NSW is set to enforce tougher border restrictions for people looking to enter the state from Victoria. From midnight on July 21, a border zone will be set up along the Murray River and criteria for cross-border travel will be tightened. All current travel permits will be cancelled and residents in the border zone who wish to move between the states will have to reapply. Travel will only be allowed for work, education or for medical care, supplies or health services. The growing rates of community transmission in Victoria have us on high alert, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said in a statement. If NSW residents travel beyond the border zone into Victoria, they will be forced to self-isolate for two weeks when they return. Among the changed permit requirements, staff or students of boarding schools or universities must self-isolate for two weeks and obtain a negative swab before attending school. Seasonal workers from Victoria are also banned from entering NSW. NSW recorded 18 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, while Victoria recorded three deaths and 363 new cases on Sunday. The tougher moves come as NSW students return to school from Monday. Meanwhile, Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on the NSW South Coast has been forced to close its doors for two weeks after eight people who attended the venue tested positive, including a staff member. Anyone who attended the club on July 13, 15, 16 or 17 has been advised to immediately self-isolate for 14 days. The concern in Batemans Bay is the ageing population down there and the transient nature over the school holidays of the population, NSW Police Minister David Elliott told the Seven Network on July 20. Sydney The Supreme Court (SC) on July 20 heard the plea by telecom companies to allow staggered repayment of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. A three-judge bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah heard the case. The court reserved the order on the time to be provided to telcos for the repayment of AGR dues. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for August 10. The court observed that there can be no going back on AGR dues and said the calculation given by the telecom department is to be treated as final, adding that there is no scope for any re-assessment or re-calculation of said dues. It also said that it wants to look into the bonafide of the decision to invoke insolvency on the part of several companies with AGR dues of over Rs 38,000 crore, that are currently in liquidation. Accordingly, it has asked RComm, Videocon and Aircel to submit all records and details of insolvency within seven days. SC observations: >> Did Vodafone Idea ensure provisioning for AGR liabilities? Demands had been raised by the Department Of Telecommunications (DOT), why not provided for by Vodafone Idea? >> "With so many losses, how are we to rely on you? You are making the decision more difficult for us. How should we secure AGR dues payable by Vodafone Idea?" >> Vodafone Idea has conceded that no bank is prepared to lend it money. >> You are showing such a black picture, how are we supposed to see any light? Vodafone Idea needs to secure AGR dues payable. >> "Who is the kingpin? Who is managing Vodafone idea?" >> We want to make clear again that there is no space for self assessment. Otherwise we will have to draw serious contempt against everyone. We made it clear that there is no room for self assessment. This would a violation of our orders. >> "It seems the DOT is allowing room for re-assessment. Who in the Govt has the temerity to do this? No one has the authority to overturn our orders. You don't know me, I will despatch people to jail from here." >> (To Bharti Airtel) "Don't try to reopen the case, all dues are included in the AGR judgment". There is no room available for adjustment of dues payable by Bharti Airtel >> "Airtel is looking to reopen the issue. We can't allow recalculation at this stage, we will not permit this. If we permit you to recalculate, it would be a violation of our orders." >> "We will not allow this self-assessment by Airtel. AGR definition has been clarified by SC, don't try to review the issue." >> Will decide on the limited issue of time to be provided; this is a waste of our time, we will impose very heavy costs. Telcos are trying to seek recalculation, trying to dilute the judgment. They "are behaving dishonestly. Why should we allow relief to telcos when they are seeking to review the figures payable". >> Revenue of the country needs to be saved, telcos belong to this country, telcos should share the responsibility to secure the amount payable. >> On the question of a 20-year period for repayment, the court asked, "How do you secure dues payable?" >> We will go into the bonafides of these companies going into insolvency; Not sure if IBC is being misused by companies to escape liabilities. >> Have heard all parties at length on time window to be allowed. An attempt was made to wriggle out of this order under the guise of re-calculation, reassessment. There can be no going back on AGR dues. No question of entertaining any objection to demand. The calculation that has been given by DoT is to be treated as final, there can be no scope of re-assessment. SC orders: All records, insolvency details of RComm, Videocon, Aircel to be submitted within seven days; need to ensure IBC not being misused by companies to escape liabilities. Reserves order on time window to be provided. Next hearing in the matter scheduled for August 10. Issue of companies under liquidation to be considered on August 19. Vodafone Idea counsel Mukul Rohatgi to the SC: >> Have submitted financial documents like income tax returns. Over the last 15 years, entire networth of the company has been wiped out. Over 1 lakh crore of equity brought in by promoters has been eroded. >> All the revenue has been spent on liabilities, tax, dues. Total revenue of over 10 years was Rs 6.27 lakh crore, of which Rs 4.95 lakh crore was Spent on expenses. >> Will honour the judgment and the AGR dues sought from the company. >> Not seeking re-calculation, not revisiting the demand. SC has made it clear, we will rely on the demands issued by DoT. >> Have no assets left with company. The only asset that remains is spectrum. Goods and services tax (GST) refunds of Rs 8,000 crore accruing to us can be retained by the government. >> Vodafone Idea accepts demand of Rs 58,000 crore; the only way to pay is to allow a 20-year payment period. >> We are in deep waters. With folded hands prepared to accept a reasonable period of 15 years. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to SC: >> No confusion about the SC Order, no room for re-assessment to be allowed. Have not submitted anything to suggest re-calculation. There is no confusion in the DoT. >> As per DoT, Bharti Airtel owes a sum of Rs 43,780 crore, of which the company has paid Rs 18,004 crore, so the balance is Rs 25,976 crore. >> Vodafone paid Rs 7,854 crore, balance is Rs 50,399 crore. >> Tata Telecom paid about Rs 4,197 crore, balance due about Rs 12,601 crore. >> Cabinet considered the issue, decided on 20 year period. Would still stand by DoT plea seeking a 20-year payout period. The government has provided for relief due to a cascading effect on the economy. >> The government says in case of a default, we can cancel the spectrum and auction it to recover dues. The government is of the view that if an extension is not given, insolvencies that SC fears will happen tomorrow. The spectrum itself acts as a security for ensuring payment of AGR dues. Also Read: Telecom stock fly ahead of AGR hearing today Bharti Airtel counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi to SC: >> Have paid Rs 18,000 crore after SC order, 60 percent of total dues paid by all telcos combined, so far. The company has Rs 21,000 crore of dues still payable towards license fee dues. >> Govt has wrongly sought Rs 43,000 crore of total AGR dues, demand includes spectrum usage charges (SUC) dues as well. SUC dues are not a part of AGR dues, only license fee dues are a part of the calculation. The companies had appealed to the court to allow payment over a longer period of 10 or 20 years. At the last SC hearing on the AGR case, Vodafone Idea counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi had told the court that the company is "barely afloat" and that the telco would have to shut operations if dues are to be paid upfront. This will impact 11,000 employees, he had noted. >> Airtel suggests a payout of AGR dues over 15 years Senior Advocate Mohan Parasaran for TATA to SC: >> Tata Tele submits to SC that a 7-10 year period would be reasonable for repaying AGR dues. Here's a summary of the previous hearings: >> In its last hearing on June 18, the SC had asked the telecom companies to make a minimum payment to show bonafide, provide a roadmap of payments (payment plan) if allowed to stagger payments and provide books of accounts for the last decade for assessment. >> As of the last hearing, the SC bench remained unconvinced that the telecom companies had justified the timeline requirement and said there was no guarantee of what could happen over 20 years. >> Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Teleservices owe the highest AGR dues. >> Total AGR dues and repayments so far: As per DoT estimates, telecom companies owe a total of Rs 1.19 lakh crore with payments received so far at Rs 26,896 crore. The balance, therefore, is currently at Rs 92,520 crore. >>- outstanding dues as per DoT at Rs 58,254 crore.- Vodafone Idea has paid Rs 7,854 crores so far including Rs 1,000 crore paid on July 17 and Rs 6,854 crore paid in three tranches earlier- balance due is Rs 50,400 crore - Vodafone's self-assessment pegs dues at Rs 21,533 crore >>- outstanding dues as per DoT at Rs 43,980 crore- Bharti Airtel has paid Rs 18,004 crore so far- balance due is at Rs 25,976 crore - Airtel's self-assessment pegs dues at Rs 13,004 crore >>- outstanding dues as per DoT at Rs 16,798 crore- Tata Tele has paid Rs 4,197 crore so far- balance due is at Rs 12,601 crore - Tata Tele's self-assessment pegs dues at Rs 2,197 crore >> The SC had, however, ordered that demand of past telecom dues from oil PSUs be withdrawn. Accordingly, the DoT withdrew a demand of over Rs 2.3 lakh crore it had made on state-owned gas utility GAIL India and Oil India (OIL) in past telecom dues. >> Why the issue of staggered payments >> In October last year, the SC upheld the government's position on the calculation of statutory liabilities. The government suggested the revenue from the non-core businesses should also be included in arriving at the annual AGR amount. A part of the AGR is paid by telecom companies as licence and spectrum fee to the exchequer. >> Burdened with the highest claim from DoT, the companies had appealed to the court to provide the option of staggered payments over either 20 years or 10 years. Vodafone Idea counsel had particularly argued that the only way to repay such huge AGR dues is to 'earn and pay'. >> SC had asked telecom companies to provide bank guarantees and a timeline of payments so that it would have ample security to grant such a long tenure for repayments. >> The apex court's argument was that the telecom companies cannot be permitted to make staggered payments of AGR dues over 20 years without providing any security. Amid growing world hostility against the Chinese Communist Party, the Indian-American community in Washingtom held anti-China protests, sloganeered with scathing placards against China's wolf-warrior diplomacy and an overall suppression of civil liberties and human rights in Mainland China. The Indian American community on Sunday (local time) staged a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington against Beijings perpetrating acts of aggression to dominate the region and urged global powers, including the United States as well as India to economically decouple from the Asian giant. Demonstrators, wearing face masks as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus outbreak, held placard reading China=#Bullying #Debt Trap Diplomacy #Human Rights Violation #Colonialism #Animal Cruelty #Virus. Some of them were also heard shouting Communist party! Down down! Chinese aggression! Down down. Manoj Srinarayan, one among the protestors and president of local Keralite group, said, China has been perpetrating these acts of aggression against the Indian troops on the border for a while now. In the short term, India has pushed back strongly against the Chinese forces. In the long-term, India wants to find a peaceful resolution for this situation. India wants to find suitable diplomatic options to solve this problem. And one of the ways is to create awareness about this issue and form a global alliance against China. While India can be patient for a little while and does not want an all-out war, it does want to resolve this as soon as possible. And we here, the Indian community, are helping to do the same. Also read: Covid-19 hits Xinjiang: China declares wartime situation after spike in cases Also read: Anti-China protests held outside Chinese consulate in Toronto The protestors also focused on the issue of Hong Kong and Vietnam, as well as other areas including the South China Sea, where Beijing is asserting its territorial claims despite criticism from Washington and other global powers. Sreeram Rajgopalan, representing some of the Tamil organisations here, said, We are not just here for India alone. We are against the aggression of China on the South China Sea which also matters for several other countries globally. They are literally taking over slowly over all the parts of the South China Sea. They are creating problems for Hong Kong as well especially after the passage of the controversial national security law. The ultimate goal here is we would like the world powers to realise this threat of China and economically decouple from it, increase the tariff on Chinese goods, he added. Also read: Baloch activists hold massive anti-Pak protest in London For all the latest World News, download NewsX App NEW YORK, NY, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Halfway through 2020 and World High Life (OTCQB: WRHLF) has seen considerable sales numbers lead to two substantial quarters of growth from its wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp. Tony Calamita, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Love Hemp, a London-based CBD company spearheading the development of the United Kingdoms (UK) leading range of trusted CBD products, has the company hitting on all cylinders as it heads into the second half of the year. Although the global COVID-19 crisis has many businesses treading water and searching for answers, Love Hemp hasnt missed a beat while meeting these trying times head on, the company has thrived by giving customers exactly what they wantplenty of online options and continued product development. Love Hemp has over 80 products, including oils, sprays, edibles, cosmetics, and vapes, and the company currently enjoys around 1,200 retail listings, but World High Lifes subsidiary has no plans of stopping there. Love Hemp prides itself on understanding market demand and developing new products and brands that satisfy what consumers want most. Calamita says that new product development is at the heart of everything the company does. We currently have 15 new products in the development stage, and we remain committed to creating the UKs leading range of trusted CBD products. Last week, one of those newly developed brands was launched into the market. World High Life announced Love Hemps new brand, Buzz Leaf, a host of products aimed at younger consumers that include the release of four broad-spectrum CBD infused e-liquids with added terpenes, and eventually the launch of a full range of CBD products, including CBD oils and capsules. According to the company, the e-liquids feature exotic flavors that contain 500mg of CBD. Given the exponential growth that the companys e-commerce business has seen and the sheer number of customers, who are not only finding Love Hemp online but continuing to come back again and again, Love Hemp has redesigned its global online retailer, https://www.CBDOilsUK.com , a premium CBD oil and cannabidiol supplier in the UK, to handle the overwhelming demand. Calamita says that with the launch of the Buzz Leaf products, there is now something for everyone on the website. Story continues Tony Calamita, discussing the successful results that Love Hemp has enjoyed in Q1 and Q2 said, The COVID-19 pandemic affected consumer markets and is accelerating existing trends within the consumer sector. When the pandemic began, we saw a shift in retail, which resulted in the acceleration of the e-commerce market as consumer demand shifted to shopping online. As a result, we achieved a 107% increase in online sales from January to May 2020. This was an incredibly strong period of sales for Love Hemp, and while our strong growth usually comes from a wider variety of sales channels, given the challenging business circumstances, our shift to the expansion of our online products has enabled us to ensure our customers are able to continue to purchase and to engage with us. We are focused on building trust and credibility with our consumer base and to continue to innovate while responding to evolving consumer demands. Sales of the companys CBD oil, CBD oil sprays, and CBD soft gel capsules are leading the way, but the timely introduction of another new product, Love Hemp Immune, well ahead of schedule, is already growing in popularity among customers. Love Hemp Immune is advertised as a blend of CBD, essential vitamins, including vitamins C and D, and bilberry extract to maintain a healthy immune system by supporting our bodys natural defenses. Calamita added, Weve also seen a greater interest in health and wellness as COVID-19 reinforced the importance of being healthy and maintaining a strong, balanced immune system. Since its launch, Love Hemp Immune has been well received by consumers. It was a product that was due to launch in the Winter of 2020, but, instead, we worked around the clock to ensure that consumers could have access to it much sooner as COVID-19 and a nationwide lockdown hit the UK, a time when boosting our immune systems has rarely felt more urgent. It contains the perfect combination of beneficial ingredients to help boost the bodys natural defenses. The importance of being flexible and agile while responding to consumer needs has never been more crucial. So, where does World High Lifes subsidiary go in the second half of the year? The announcement of the Buzz Leaf brand is certainly a good start and defines what is likely Love Hemps plan to get those 15 products/brands that are in development to market. Love Hemps CEO says, As retail stores begin to reopen, were focused on holistic growth across all channels from retail to online. We are in conversations with all major retailers in the UK, and we look forward to continued growth among our customer base, while maintaining brand loyalty among consumers. To learn more about World High Life visit: https://www.worldhighlife.uk To learn more about Love Hemp visit: https://www.love-hemp.com To learn more about the new Buzz Leaf product line visit: https://www.cbdoilsuk.com For direct questions, call their toll-free number in North America: 1-888-616-9745 About World High Life World High Life PLC is an investment company with a strategic focus to invest in and/or acquire companies operating in the CBD wellness and medicinal cannabis industry. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp Ltd., is one of the UK's leading CBD and Hemp product suppliers and has more than 40 product lines, comprising oils, sprays and vapes, and a variety of edible and water-based CBD products. Love Hemp has established relationships with over 1,200 stores in the UK, including leading brands such as Ocado, Holland & Barrett, and WH Smith. About Stock Market Media Group Stock Market Media Group is a news & media content development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with press releases, research reports, corporate videos, radio-style CEO interviews, and feature news articles. This article was written based on publicly available information. Stock Market Media Group may, from time to time, include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets, and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. 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Our publications about World High Life are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Should Stock Market Media Group and its management own shares in the profiled company, they may benefit from any increase in the share price of the profiled companies and hold the right to sell the shares bought at any given time including shortly after the release of the companys profile. Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. Under the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), Stock Market Media Group discloses that it was remunerated one-thousand, two hundred dollars paid for by a third party (to date: four-thousand, eight hundred dollars total) via bank wire, to produce content related to World High Life. 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For more information: www.stockmarketmediagroup.com . Contact: Stock Market Media Group info@stockmarketmediagroup.com The prime minister and minister of health provided an update on Luxembourg's coronavirus situation. The government convened for an extraordinary council meeting with specialists on Sunday. New measures were announced. We will have a full summary tomorrow morning - for now, you can see our live ticker translations below. Voicing concern over the recent Chinese military aggression against India, a bipartisan group of nine influential Congressmen have introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives, urging Beijing that it should work towards de-escalating the situation at the border through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not by force. The troops of India and China are locked in a standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated last month following the Galwan Valley clashes that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead. Led by Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, other co-sponsors of the Congressional resolution are Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and lawmakers Frank Pallone, Tom Suozzi, Ted Yoho, George Holding, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Haley Stevens and Steve Chabot. In the months leading up to June 15, along the Line of Actual Control, the Chinese military reportedly amassed 5,000 soldiers; and is trying to redraw long-standing settled boundaries through the use of force and aggression, the Congressional resolution says. Noting that India and China have reached an agreement to de-escalate and disengage along the Line of Actual Control, the resolution says that on June 15, at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers were killed in skirmishes following a weeks-long standoff in Eastern Ladakh, which is the de facto border between the two countries. "The Government of the People's Republic of China should work toward de-escalating the situation along the Line of Actual Control with India through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not through force," the Congressional resolution said. It is the sense of the Congress that there is significant concern about the continued military aggression by China along its border with India and in other parts of the world, including with Bhutan, in the South China Sea, and with the Senkaku Islands, as their aggressive posture toward Hong Kong and Taiwan. The resolution comes days after the House of Representatives Caucus on India and Indian-Americans in a letter to India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said that over the last few months, the Chinese authorities have been acting with impunity and have attempted to transgress on the LAC, which resulted in diplomatic discussions to implement a process for de-escalation along the LAC on July 6. It was led by Congressmen Holding and Brad Sherman and signed by seven other lawmakers. "It is my hope that they scale back on their excessive weaponry and infrastructure at the Line of Actual Control and uphold both their longstanding and new founded agreements with India," said the lawmakers who offered their condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. "We are disappointed that China has been acting in contradiction to their agreements with India, in their attempt to change the status quo and challenge Indian troops at the border," the letter said. Last week, Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said US-India partnership, based on their shared commitment to democracy, is vital to uphold international law, international norms and the institutions that can peacefully and diplomatically resolve disputes and aggression. "As India and China work to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), I remain deeply concerned by China's aggressive behaviour in territorial disputes," Menendez said. "From the 2017 Doklam standoff, to the recent violence along the borders in Sikkim and Ladakh, to China's new claims to Bhutanese territory, Beijing has all too often sought to redraw the map of Asia without regard for its neighbours," he said. Top Republican Senator Marco Rubio also recently called on India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu to express his solidarity with the people of India as they firmly confront unwarranted and lawless armed aggression by the Communist Party of China. "India has made it clear, they will not be bullied by Beijing," he said. Senator Tom Cotton too slammed China of its aggression against India. "China has resumed its submarine intrusions in the Japanese contiguous zones and picked deadly fights with India at high altitude," he said. "Just go around the horn. You started in India, where, high up in the Himalayas, China has essentially invaded India, an ally of ours. And they have killed 20 Indian soldiers," Cotton told Fox News in a recent interview. Despite the setbacks, Christmas kept himself in the news. He said that he had invented a plane that could carry 40 passengers to Europe in 24 hours and that hed already sold tickets. He said he invented an explosive he dubbed Christmatite, second only to atomic fission in power. Scientists have developed a simple clinical test that can assess the lower limb strength of patients to predict their risk of falls. The enhanced paper grip test validated by researchers from the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies (CBRT) at Staffordshire University involves pulling a small card from underneath the participants foot while asking them to grip with their big toe (Hallux). The proposed test can potentially be used to monitor muscle weakness in clinics for better falls-risk assessment in patients with diabetes. Dr Aoife Healy, Associate Professor of Human Movement Biomechanics at CBRT, said: The paper grip test is a simple, clinically applicable test to detect muscle weakness in the foot. The current paper builds on our previous work and shows its usefulness in assessing strength and balance in this group of vulnerable patients. The experiment involved assessing twenty healthy volunteers at Staffordshire Universitys specialist Biomechanics labs and ten people with diabetes at a diabetic foot clinic in India. Hallux grip force was previously found to be strongly linked to the strength of all muscle groups of the foot and ankle and to the ability to maintain balance. The latest results published in Gait and Posture on a modified test shows the reliability and validity of Hallux grip force during clinical assessment. Dr Lakshmi Sundar, a co-author in this study and a diabetic foot specialist from Chennai in India, added: This type of simple clinical assessment is extremely valuable in low resource settings and helps in providing effective clinical advice. Dr Panagiotis Chatzistergos, Associate Professor in Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Biomechanics, who led this study highlighted: The original version of the paper grip test was shown to be effective in detecting foot muscle-weakening but its outcome is operator-dependent. To overcome this limitation, we have developed this enhanced test that replaces the pass/fail outcome with a continuous measurement of the pulling force that is needed to remove the card. This latest study is part of the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies wider work in the area of diabetic foot management which includes research to help prevent life-threatening foot ulcers and amputations. Professor Nachi Chockalingam, Director of the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies, said: Falls and fear of falling are a major issue in the management of older adults. Also, falling for the first time sets in motion a cycle of increased fear of falling, reduced activity and loss of strength. This leads to a higher risk for further falls. So, it is important to identify individuals who might fall and preventing the first fall is extremely important. Read the full paper, published in Gait and Posture, here - Reliability and validity of an enhanced paper grip test; a simple clinical test for assessing lower limb strength Legal experts, doctors and justice groups hope momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement will bolster a push for lawmakers to keep children as young as 10 out of prison by raising the age of criminal responsibility at a meeting of the Council of Attorneys-General this month. Cheryl Axleby, co-chair of Aboriginal-led justice coalition Change the Record, says children who go to prison are more likely to reoffend. There were almost 600 children aged 10 to 13 in detention in Australia last financial year. More than 60 per cent were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children. Cheryl Axleby, the co-chair of Aboriginal-led justice coalition Change the Record, said the legal system was setting up children to fail. Children who come in contact with the criminal legal system are more likely to die an early death, to reoffend and to stay in the criminal legal system - including as adults, she said. Its a quicksand that traps these kids and their families for the rest of their lives. Kangana Ranaut, in a fresh tweet via her team's official Twitter handle, has launched an attack on Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, and Swara Bhasker for "trying their best to deviate" the conversation the former has started in "getting justice" for late Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput. This comes in the wake of Taapsee, Richa, and Swara's reactions to Kangana's recent interview, wherein she took a dig at outsiders in Bollywood for not speaking up for Sushant. During the same interview, Kangana even called Taapsee and Swara "needy" outsiders whose "whole existence is a proof of nepotism." In response to their reactions to her interview, Kangana's team wrote, "Sushant who had complained of bullying in his Instagram chats, giving interviews & confirming the presence of movie mafia has bn killed but @reallyswara (Swara Bhaskar) @taapsee (Taapsee Pannu) & @richachadha (Richa Chadha) trying their best to deviate the conversation #KanganaRanaut has started for getting Justice for Sushant. Why?" Sushant who had complained of bullying in his Instagram chats, giving interviews & confirming presence of movie mafia has bn killed but @reallyswara @taapsee & @richachadha trying their best to deviate the conversation #KanganaRanaut has strtd for getting Justice for Sushant.Why? Team Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) July 19, 2020 Taapsee hit out at Kangana in an interview with Hindustan Times. In response to Kangana's remarks during her interview with Republic TV, Taapsee said, "I dont have any film of mine which is produced by any of these gangs that she keeps targeting. I never mentioned anywhere that 'I like Karan Johar or anyone she alleges, but I have never said 'I hate them either'. So the fact that you dont hate someone she hates, is equivalent to you like that person? I dont even know him beyond formal, 'hi, hello's and thank you'. So how is this even logical?" Swara also took to Twitter and wrote, "Nepotism needy outsiders B grade actresses " While Richa Chadha extended her support to Taapsee and said, "Thanks @taapsee for highlighting that the need of the hour is solidarity and sanity. When shoots have come to a standstill, cast/crew have no jobs, we must create a positive work culture! Let's desist from anything counter-productive that'll increase toxicity in our industry!" Nepotism needy outsiders B grade actresses #Nepotism https://t.co/bjy6mNGD7j Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 19, 2020 Thanks @taapsee for highlighting that the need of the hour is solidarity and sanity. When shoots have come to a standstill,cast/crew have no jobs, we must create a positive work culture! Let's desist from anything counter-productive that'll increase toxicity in our industry! pic.twitter.com/CuYAuVNT7L TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) July 19, 2020 Sushant passed away on June 14. He died by suicide, Mumbai police confirmed. His death has reignited the debate about nepotism and lobby culture in Bollywood. Two years after the 2018 left-wing reckoning for many Democratic incumbents in the state Senate, this year is the Assemblys turn. Across New York City, progressive insurgents have unseated longtime members of the Assembly in hotly contested races. Unlike the state Senate, which flipped from Republican to Democratic control in the 2018 blue wave, the Assembly has long been a Democratic stronghold. The party holds a supermajority in the chamber, but progressive activists were frustrated by reluctance in the chamber to back some ambitious reforms in the last legislative session, including public campaign financing. More conservative incumbents were warned to expect progressive primaries. As serious challenges to incumbents have become increasingly common, and the state Senate becoming the progressive trendsetter in the Legislature, several mainstream Democrats have now lost their primaries to upstarts demanding fresh voices and new representation in the peoples chamber. Each is expected to win their November elections in their overwhelming Democratic districts. Heres what you need to know about the likelyfuture Assembly members. Marcela Mitaynes Mitaynes defeated Assembly Member Felix Ortiz in the 51st District, which includes most of Sunset Park and Red Hook, Brooklyn. Not only has Ortiz served in the Assembly for over two decades, he is a member of leadership and effectively serves as Assembly Speaker Carl Heasties right hand as assistant to the speaker. Ortiz garnered criticism in 2019 when one of his staffers was arrested for embezzling $80,000 in campaign cash over seven years, with some calling for the Assembly members resignation. Mitaynes is a member of the Democratic Socialists of Americas New York City chapter and received the groups endorsement. She also had the support of the Working Families Party, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Communities for Change. A tenant organizer and immigrant from Peru, housing reform is at the top of Mitaynes agenda, including the passage of the so-called good cause eviction bill considered the cornerstone of universal rent control. She also supports DSA criminal justice reforms like defunding the police, not building new jails, eliminating cash bail and taxing the rich. Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas Gonzalez-Rojas bested Assembly Member Michael DenDekker in the 34th Assembly District in Western Queens. Although DenDekker is white, he has represented the largely Hispanic, Asian American and Black neighborhoods of Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst for over a decade. Gonzalez-Rojas is a DSA member, although she didnt receive the groups endorsement, but she did run to the left of DenDekker and was backed by several notable progressives, including Tiffany Caban and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and organizations such as the Working Families Party and Make the Road Action. She ran on a platform of LGBTQ rights and passing the New York Health Act to create a single-payer system. She also supports the cancellation of rent in light of the coronavirus pandemic, no rollbacks for bail reform and taxing the rich. Jenifer Rajkumar Rajkumar defeated Assembly Member Michael Miller in the 38th Assembly District in southwest Queens. A win in November would make her the first South Asian lawmaker in the Assembly, and only the second in the state Legislature. (State Sen. Kevin Thomas is the first.) Unlike most other insurgents this cycle, Rajkumar is not a DSA member and did not receive endorsements from prominent left-wing and progressive groups. She presented herself as a progressive, but did not campaign mainly on issues like single-payer health care or universal rent control, though she has stated on a candidate questionnaire that she supports both. The district has become more progressive, although not as much so other parts of Western Queens, as it has grown more racially diverse. It has a significant Asian American population. Miller, a white man, also has a more conservative record than many other insurgents, so Rajkumar didnt have to heavily campaign on the far left to still be considered a progressive alternative. Emily Gallagher Gallagher bested Assembly Member Joseph Lentol, who has been serving in the Assembly for nearly 50 years, in the 50th District in Brooklyn. Like Mitaynes, Gallaghers victory was an upset. On election night, Gallagher was about 1,700 votes behind Lentol, but as absentee ballots were counted, the gap closed until her vote total had comfortably surpassed his. Gallagher did not get the support of the DSA, despite initially seeking it. Interestingly, the WFP also did not endorse Gallagher, and in fact backed Lentol in the race, based in part on his longtime record of supporting criminal justice reform. However, Gallagher had support from progressive groups like New York Communities for Change and Our Progressive Future. An environmental activist and tenant rights organizer, she campaigned on issues like investing in public, low-income and supportive housing, and opposing any new fossil fuel pipelines. Phara Souffrant Forrest In another victory for the NYC-DSA, Forrest declared victory over Assembly Member Walter Mosley in the race for the 57th District in Central Brooklyn. On election night, she trailed him by about 600 votes, but according to Souffrant Forrests campaign, she led him by more than 2,500 after most absentee ballots had been counted. She was backed by the DSA and also had endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Our Progressive Future and New York Communities for Change. The WFP did not back her, instead supporting Mosley. Souffrant Forrest is a nurse and supports safe staffing ratios in hospitals and passing the New York Health Act. She also organized tenants in her own building in the past and campaigned strongly on housing issues like universal rent control. Like many other progressive insurgents and DSA candidates, she supports redirecting state funds away from police and into social services. Zohran Mamdani In Western Queens, Mamdani emerged victorious over incumbent Assembly Member Aravella Simotas. He had a tight lead in the election night results, one that held as the counting of absentee ballots concluded. In a tweet declaring victory, Mamdani said that he held a 300-vote lead over Simotas, enough not to trigger a recount. Mamdani was backed by the NCY-DSA, although he was the only candidate from the slate not to have the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez. He also did not get the WFPs backing, which stayed out of the race entirely, despite having supported Simotas in the past. Mamdani campaigned strongly on housing rights and affordability, inspired by his work helping immigrant homeowners avoid foreclosure. If he wins in November, he would be only the second South Asian ever elected to the state Senate and the third Muslim in the state Legislature as a whole. Amanda Septimo In the South Bronx, Amanda Septimo unseated longtime Assembly Member Carmen Arroyo before voters even headed to the polls. Unlike other insurgents this cycle, she won the Democratic nomination unopposed when a judge ruled that Arroyo had gathered fraudulent petition signatures and kicked her off the ballot. Septimo, a labor organizer, was supported by the Working Families Party in her second challenge for the seat after the party backed her unsuccessful 2018 bid. This time around, Septimo is almost guaranteed to be headed to Albany as the Democratic Partys pick, where she wants to ensure that historically underserved neighborhoods in the South Bronx get the resources they need. She campaigned on issues like making subway and bus service free, repairing public housing and making sure that all students have access to after-school programs regardless of income. Correction: Gonzalez-Rojas is a DSA member. 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. President Donald Trump singled out Fort Bragg, North Carolina in restating his opposition to renaming Army posts now named for generals and leaders of the Confederacy during a wide-ranging Fox News interview that aired Sunday. Trump also renewed his threat to veto next year's defense budget bill unless amendments passed by the House and Senate to change the names were eliminated, but added that he would protect the 3% military pay raise that is part of the bill. Read Next: Pentagon to Consider Stripping Names, Gender Pronouns from Selection Boards "I might. Yeah, I might," he told journalist Chris Wallace in the interview, which took place on White House grounds. When told that the Defense Department and the Army were open to a review of base names, Trump said "excuse me, excuse me. I don't care what the military says. I do -- I'm supposed to make the decision." He said the community in Fayetteville, North Carolina, outside the sprawling Bragg would likely be opposed to the name change, and noted the contribution soldiers trained at the base made to the nation's defense. "Fort Bragg is a big deal," Trump said. "We won two World Wars ... nobody even knows Gen. Bragg." The base was founded in 1918 as Camp Bragg, and is named for Gen. Braxton Bragg, a slaveholder described by historians as a failed commander. "Go to that community where Fort Bragg is, in a great state, I love that state, go to the community, say how do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg, and then what are we going to name it," Trump said. He also asked who the base could be renamed for: "The Rev. Al Sharpton?" In citing the New York activist and MSNBC host, Trump said that renaming the bases would spark controversy. "What are you going to name it, Chris, tell me what you're going to name it? So there's a whole thing here," he said. "We won two world wars ... beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg, we won out of all of these forts that now they want to throw those names away," he said. By most counts, the Army now has 10 bases named for Confederate leaders, including Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Lee and Fort Polk. "And, no, I'm against that, and you know what, most other people are," he said, citing a poll he did not identify showing 64% were against changing the base names. In the interview, Trump also defended the display of the Confederate flag, a practice that has come under fire amid racial justice protests following the May 25 killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd while in police custody. The Marine Corps, U.S. Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Japan have all banned display of the Confederate flag. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on July 17 issued a two-page memo listing flags authorized for display, including the U.S. flag, military service flags, the POW/MIA flag, the flags of U.S. allies and the flags of organizations of which the U.S. is a member, such as NATO. The Confederate flag was not on the list. In the interview, Wallace asked Trump: "But in the case of the Confederate flag, there are a lot of people who say these were traitors who split from this country, fought this country in large part to preserve slavery. Is the Confederate flag offensive?" "It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about," Trump said. "When people -- when people proudly have their Confederate flags, they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the south, they like the south. People right now like the south. I'd say it's freedom of, of, of many things, but it's freedom of speech," Trump said. When asked if he was offended by the display of the Confederate flag, Trump responded: "Well, I'm not offended either by Black Lives Matter. That's freedom of speech. "And you know, the whole thing with cancel culture, we can't cancel our whole history. We can't forget that the North and the South fought. We have to remember that, otherwise we'll end up fighting again," Trump said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: Pentagon Bans Confederate Flag on Bases Without Mentioning It By Name Opinion Article 20 July 2020 As hoteliers work tirelessly to reopen their properties in an uncertain world and with many new Covid policies that must be implemented, who has the time to look ahead at what will be required for the rest of the calendar year and into 2021? Advertisements Particularly at the luxury end where close contact is a hallmark of great guest service, changing rapidly takes a sound mind to steer the ship as the hospitality world ebbs and flows through the post-pandemic cycle. To help understand where this segment is headed, I've recruited four veteran GMs: Franck X. Arnold, General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto (263 rooms) Janis Clapoff, Managing Director of the Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas (40 rooms) Alexander Fischer-Jean, General Manager of the Harbour House Hotel on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia (50 rooms) Stephen G. Johnston, Managing Director of the Boston Harbor Hotel (232 rooms) How is the concept of luxury going to be impacted for your guests? Arnold: We anticipate that the expectations of luxury services and amenities will remain, but cleanliness expectations will be higher. Due to the new government regulations that will be put in place with regards to social distancing, we will be required to change the capacity of how many guests we will be able to serve in our outlets. Some guestroom amenities and services may have to be amended (like Sunday brunch) or offered on request (like turndown or minibar items), but new, more individualized experiences. In-room dining service will be carefully packaged and dropped at the door with an option to be plated on our traditional high-end chinaware, but also potentially in a home delivery format. Fischer-Jean: I anticipate some older traditions of luxury service will become obsolete as the new concept of luxury is still being developed. Perhaps it's an increase in disposable or individually packaged amenities to give the guest greater confidence that a particular item has had minimal to no human contact. Cleaning and sterilization tools for housekeeping will become more prevalent and affordable. Johnston: I am hopeful that the concept of luxury will not change for our guests. While some of the technicalities of staying with us will certainly be different, that is not what luxury is about. In my mind, luxury is about anticipating the needs of our guests and respecting their time - time being one of the most precious things we have. Despite the restrictions of social distancing, there is nothing that will prevent us from surprising and delighting our guests in both old and new ways, and we are excited about some of the new ways that we will find to provide a luxury experience. Clapoff: Luxury equals service. The highest levels of service, empathy and servant leadership have to be constant. This will be enhanced, not impacted. Service and sensitivity to our traveler, our staff's ability to utilize emotional intelligence and their need for reassurance or assistance in any way are the next elevation in luxury. This should not be seen as an impact to guests but more so a heightened sense of service that guests deserve. Planning the Aftermath of Post-COVID Hotel Luxury Photo: Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited What technologies will you be employing to reduce contact? Fischer-Jean: We already have an almost contactless guest experience that includes automatic entry doors, touchless soap dispensers and hand sanitizer dispensers, RFID contactless guest doors, and even tap debit and credit card capabilities. Johnston: At the time of writing, I have no plans to introduce new technology to our operation. We already have bedside tablets from Intelity that allow guests to order services seamlessly and easily, and this is also available on a mobile app that allows guests to communicate with us while they are on the move. All of the infrastructure is already in place to allow guests as little or as much engagement with us as they would like. Clapoff: We're looking into online registration as well as a credit card compliance system whereby no presentation of cards will be necessary. We're also researching having an Echo Dot for each room. Arnold: The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott brands have always been committed to using technology to improve the guest experience. We are looking at using electrostatic sterilizing sprayers to clean and disinfect rooms and public spaces more thoroughly as well as using hospital grade disinfectants. UV light wands are also being considered to disinfect some of the operating equipment. Thermal scanners or cameras may be used to measure staff temperature before they enter the premises. Mobile technology is also something that we have already implemented where guests can check-in, use mobile keys and chat with our Ladies and Gentlemen to make requests such as housekeeping services and in-room dining contactless services. How long do you believe it will be until business is restored to the levels seen in 2019? Clapoff: We think the small boutique, wellness concept properties will return to 'normal' levels quicker than the larger property. We are anticipating a medium ramp-up, but occupancies and revenues may not fully return until end of 2021. Arnold: We may not be able to return to 2019 levels until all government's restrictions are lifted, borders are opened, airplanes are flying at capacity and a vaccine is implemented, restoring confidence for business and leisure guests to travel freely again. Fischer-Jean: This is the most difficult questions to answer as this is a global pandemic. But my goal is to resort business to normal levels by 2021. Johnston: It is difficult to say but I suspect it will be a few years before we see 2019 levels again. FREDERICTON - Elections New Brunswick has ordered masks and other protective equipment in light of growing speculation the province's minority Tory government could call a general election before the end of the year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FREDERICTON - Elections New Brunswick has ordered masks and other protective equipment in light of growing speculation the province's minority Tory government could call a general election before the end of the year. "We're ready when the politicians decide it," chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth said Monday. Elections New Brunswick has ordered masks and other protective equipment in light of growing speculation the province's minority Tory government could call a general election before the end of the year. New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs speaks with the media in Fredericton, N.B., Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray She said while the government is only obligated to hold a pair of byelections, she has asked staff to be ready for a vote in all 49 ridings. "We've had to also start ordering (personal protective equipment) and hand sanitizer and cleaning materials and those sorts of things for our workers and the electorate for a full-scale, province-wide event," Poffenroth said in an interview. "We've ordered masks and shields for all of our election workers. We're going to have disposable masks and gloves available for our electors if they need them." Election speculation has been growing in recent weeks, and now the Progressive Conservatives have scheduled nomination conventions for five ridings on Aug. 8, including Premier Blaine Higgs' own riding of Quispamsis. Green party Leader David Coon says it appears the Tories are in a hurry to nominate candidates, and that doesn't bode well for collaboration of an all-party cabinet committee created to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think, during a state of emergency, during a pandemic, to call an election would result in a huge backlash because it would put an end to this collaboration," Coon said Monday. Coon said he'd rather see just the byelections held, which he said would provide a chance to test the pandemic protections prior to a general election. The vacancies are in the ridings of St. Croix and Shediac Bay-Dieppe following the death of Progressive Conservative Greg Thompson and the resignation of Liberal Brian Gallant. The byelections were originally scheduled for June 15 but were put on hold because of the pandemic. The bill to delay the votes states they must be held at least 30 days before the next session of the provincial legislature, which would likely start in November. Liberal health critic Jean-Claude D'Amours said Monday he believes Higgs is planning a provincial election instead of the byelections. "He's looking for his own agenda. His agenda is probably to cut more in the province," D'Amours said. He said the Progressive Conservatives are setting a bad example gathering people together at nomination meetings while there are still health concerns in the province. The premier's office did not respond to a request for comment Monday on election timing. There are currently 20 Progressive Conservatives in the legislature, 20 Liberals, three People's Alliance, three Greens and one Independent. J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick, said he has seen nothing in the polling to suggest New Brunswickers would support going to the polls now. He wonders if the Tories have just floated a trial balloon to gauge interest. He said these aren't normal times, and it's hard use old-style politics. "The framework in the context of COVID makes this so strange to consider the normal patterns of electoral and campaign politics and voter behaviour," he said. Poffenroth said the personal protective equipment won't go to waste if a general election isn't called. She said municipal elections that were delayed this year must be held by May 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. A forest range officer from Mysuru is receiving praise on social media after images of his descending a dry well to save a trapped leopard while being locked in a cage went viral. The officer, Siddaraju, locked himself inside a cage with just a torch and his mobile phone, in order to rescue a leopard that was allegedly stuck inside a 100-ft dry well in HD Kote, Mysuru in Karnataka. Despite the search effort, he could not find one. The officer, Siddaraju, locked himself inside a cage with just a torch and his mobile phone, in order to rescue a leopard that was allegedly stuck inside a 100-ft dry well in HD Kote, Mysuru. An image of the caged RFO being lowered into the well by locals while he sat inside calm, and cross-legged, has been going viral on Twitter. The photo was shared on Twitter by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan who said, "This is what commitment looks like. Proud of such green soldiers". He is Siddarju, RFO from Nagarhole. He entered 100ft dry well to rescue a leopard. By locking himself in a metal cage with a torch and his mobile phone in hand, entered a dry well to rescue a leopard. This is what commitment looks like. Proud of such green soldiers. pic.twitter.com/HBJokpdDOd Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 20, 2020 Many reacted to the brave officer's dedication to save the leopard. It's imp to recognise & be grateful for their endless https://t.co/mloiU1NUMi a fellow citizen I am sincerely grateful for all these ppl. Deepthi (@d_bhat) July 20, 2020 Bravo..Siddaraju jiThis is aspirational. Officer helping him become famous for his work is even more commendable. salute to your dedication.the real Heroes are those who accepts the challenges nd execute their commitment regarding nature.. ecosystem..nd forest boundaries. NITIN JOSHI (@NITINJOSHI80) July 20, 2020 Bravo..Siddaraju jiThis is aspirational. Officer helping him become famous for his work is even more commendable. salute to your dedication.the real Heroes are those who accepts the challenges nd execute their commitment regarding nature.. ecosystem..nd forest boundaries. NITIN JOSHI (@NITINJOSHI80) July 20, 2020 Hi sir. Please document such brave heart stories for coming generations. When Duty calls where few people put on edges. #dutycall thulasi sarvan (@thulasi_sarvan) July 20, 2020 Many, however, wondered why the well was open in the first place and why officers while others critiqued the lack of proper equipment available to forest officials and rangers in India who are tasked with both wildlife protection as well as maintaining human-animal conflict. Respect for his commitment to duty..but our forest dept needs a big time ramp up and a lot better facilities than this. Sindhuri (@sindhurithegrea) July 20, 2020 That's courageous. But, entering 100ft deep narrow well with no oxygen supplying equipments could be life threatening.We have seen such cases in past where people have died in well due to lack of sufficient oxygen.Courage must be equipped with proper equipments. pic.twitter.com/lbHWfbFm6z The Rebellion (@The_Rebelllion_) July 20, 2020 As per a report in The Times of India, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve director D Mahesh Kumar said that he had received complaints from locals about a leopard that had fallen into the well. No leopard was, however, found in the well. Simec Atlantis put a big tick-in-its-box when results of a burn test for the Uskmouth conversion project came back last month. Uskmouth, a former coal-fired powered station in Wales, is being switched to run on non-recyclable waste in a project that has implications all over the globe. In the large-scale tests, Simecs engineering partners Japanese giants Mistubishi and Hitachi not only confirmed the concept would work but that the results far exceeded anything they had forecast. Pellets made up of half of plastic waste and half of biomass such as wood and paper were used as fuel. One of the main issues of the worlds switch to renewable forms of energy has been how to handle the transition from fossil fuels The tests, which were carried out at Nagasaki in Japan, proved that it was possible to run the station on the waste without any additional fuel input such as oil or gas. They also showed emissions were within new strict limits for the production of carbon and nitrogen oxides, two of the major pollutants produced from existing fossil fuel stations. According to AIM-listed Simec Atlantis, it was the first time that a previously coal-fired station has been successfully tested to run on waste-derived pellets on such a scale. Admittedly it is still a combustion-process, but one of the main issues of the worlds switch to renewable forms of energy has been how to handle the transition from fossil fuels. Thousands of coal-fired stations still exist and are critical to the energy infrastructure of many countries, especially in the third world. Being able to use them as part of the transition process to more sustainable fuels clearly would be desirable and Simec Atlantis believes Uskmouth can be the blueprint. Also, extracting energy from waste that either would go straight into landfill or be incinerated has to be a better option, it argues. MHPS - Mitsubishi and Hitachis venture at Uskmouth - said the large-scale testing had underlined the market opportunity for similar conversions. Uskmouth is a former coal-fired powered station in Wales that is being switched to run on pellets made from plastic waste and biomass Work is now underway on a full engineering and design contract for the conversion work, which will also help with arranging funding for the 185mln estimated cost. Finding the finance, though, has been made much easier by the results of the burn tests. Simec Atlantis has also decided to split the development process into two stage development of 110Mw in each phase to produce cashflow earlier and make the funding easier. Some planning permissions are required, but as the business was previously a power station, this is likely to focus on access rather than the sites use. Current predictions are that if all goes to schedule, the site might be up and running by the end of 2022. Broker research published after the burn test suggests that, when operational Uskmouth might generate underlying profits of as much as 34mln a year after just the first phase of conversion. That compares with a market value for Simec Atlantis of about 70mln at the current share price of 16p. Uskmouth, though, is only one of the major projects Simec has on its books. The group is probably still best known as the operator and largest shareholder in the MeyGen project near John OGroats, which was among the worlds first tidal power generation projects. Tidal power has dropped down the UKs renewable priorities, but Simecs record at Meygen is impressive, nonetheless. The project recently passed the milestone of a total 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity exported to the Scottish grid even with coronavirus disrupting operations. MeyGen is generating revenues for the company and there is consent already in place to increase scale-up capacity from the current 6Mw to 86Mw, though this might require a more favourable regulatory regime. In the meantime, the company is also part of a consortium to establish a private wire connection from MeyGen to power a Scottish data centre hub at Caithness. Simec Atlantis also is part of a major tidal power joint venture offshore Normandy at Raz Blanchard as well as advising on project arounds the world, notably in Japan, Indonesia and China. Its third leg is a portfolio of 45 hydropower projects in Scotland. As for any small company with large projects, raising the finance and unforeseen delays are potential hazards but the result of the burn tests was a major de-risker, say brokers. The shift away from towards fossil fuels and towards sustainable energy sources also plays right into its hands. City broker Arden suggests that on the assumption Uskmouth gets up and running on time, the Simec Atlantis business overall is worth 77p per share. If thats the case, add in the potential of conversions elsewhere and it might be eventually be worth a lot more. missouri Governor Mike Parson has said schools in the state must reopen this fall even though he believes all children will contract coronavirus as a result. Parson caused a stir with cavalier remarks he made in defense of his decision to reopen schools on a St Louis radio show on Friday. 'These kids have got to get back to school. They're at the lowest risk possible,' the Republican governor told FM NewsTalk host Marc Cox. 'And if they do get COVID-19, which they will - and they will when they go to school - they're not going to the hospitals. They're not going to have to sit in doctor's offices. They're going to go home and they're going to get over it.' Parson's comments came amid a fierce nationwide debate over whether schools should be allowed to reopen in the fall, with President Donald Trump's administration leading the calls to do so. Missouri has seen an alarming uptick in infections in recent weeks, with a record 958 new cases confirmed on Saturday. The state has reported more than 35,200 cases and 1,167 deaths to date. Missouri Governor Mike Parson (pictured) said reopening the state's schools this fall is justified even if all students contract coronavirus as a result during a St Louis radio show on Friday Health experts have strongly condemned the idea of allowing schools to reopen as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, with 42 out of 50 states currently seeing a surge in new cases. Opponents of reopening schools say that even though children have statistically been less affected by the virus, they could still be exposed on campus and then bring it home to their families, leading to rampant spread within communities. They've also pointed to an apparent increase in the number of children testing positive for COVID-19 amid surges across the county, as well as the growing prevalence of a mysterious pediatric inflammatory disease linked to the virus. But those who want to reopen say that if health measures such as social distancing and facial coverings are enforced, the risk of spreading the virus is minimal and is outweighed by the need to get children back into a normal classroom setting. In his radio interview on Friday, Parson emphasized that people who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 should be protected, but said most Missourians were smart enough to figure out how to stay safe without government interventions. 'We gotta move on,' Parson said. 'We can't just let this thing stop us in our tracks.' State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat running to unseat Parson in November, decried his comments in a tweet on Friday. 'This is stunning ignorance from [Parson] on how COVID-19 affects children,' Galloway wrote. 'He admitted that he's okay with your kids (and your families) getting the deadly disease when he sends them back to school. Does he not realize multiple American kids have died after being infected?' Galloway has repeatedly slammed Parson for not wearing a mask at public events and for refusing to require face coverings in the state. State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat running to unseat Parson in November, decried his comments about reopening schools in a tweet on Friday Missouri has seen an alarming uptick in infections in recent weeks, with a record 958 new cases confirmed Saturday. The state has reported over 35,200 cases and 1,167 deaths to date Across the US more than 3.77 million cases have been reported, including 140,534 deaths Missouri's largest school district in St Louis is expected to submit its plan for fall reopening on Monday. Teachers in the city have staged protests demanding that schools remain closed, while some parents are desperate to get their kids back in the classroom. Dr Alex Garza, incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, weighed in on the debate on Sunday and called it a 'Gordian knot'. Garza acknowledged the importance of children going to school and the fact that they do not usually get seriously ill from COVID-19, but said it isn't students he's primarily concerned about. 'We worry about those in school who are not children teachers, support staff and volunteers,' Garza told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. 'Many of those people will have a much more serious response to the virus and that is what we want to avoid. 'These children could also come home and spread the virus to others in their household who could also be at a greater risk of a serious outcome.' A state-by-state map shows millions of American schoolchildren will be back in the classroom - at least on a part-time basis - when the 2020-2021 academic year commences next month A new poll released last week showed that only 25 percent of American adults feel that Trump should be pressuring schools to reopen, while 63 percent are against his demands The same debate is playing out in states across the country as school districts grapple with whether to bring students back to classrooms, and how to keep pupils and teachers safe if they do. President Trump has been one of the most outspoken proponents of reopening schools, and has even threatened to cut off federal funding if they don't. 'Young people have to go to school, and there's problems when you dont go to school, too,' Trump said in an interview aired Sunday on Fox News. 'And there's going to be a funding problem because we're not going to fund when they don't open their schools.' But the majority of Americans appear to be against Trump's strong-arm approach to reopening. A Yahoo! News / YouGov poll released last week found that 63 percent of people think Trump should not be pressuring schools to reopen, while 25 percent think he should and 12 percent are unsure. Most states are leaving it up to individual districts to determine whether they should reopen. Only three states - Florida, Hawaii and Connecticut - have moved for a full reopening, whereas others are doing partial reopenings with children only attending a few days per week. As cases are on the rise in most states, so is the number of children testing positive for COVID-19. On Sunday health officials in Texas' Nueces County revealed that the most of its child cases of coronavirus have been reported within the last three weeks. Wouldn't like to pre-empt any findings of Court of inquiry as it is a very fair process: IAF chief on chopper CDS chopper crash: What is CFIT that is pronounced as see-fit Air defence system under review amidst India-China tensions India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Top commanders of the Indian Air Force will carry out an in-depth review of the country's air defence system at a three-day conference beginning Wednesday in view of the bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh as well as evolving regional security scenario, military sources said. The commanders are also expected to specifically deliberate on the deployment of the first batch of around six Rafale fighter jets which are expected to join the IAF's fighter fleet later this month, they said. The main focus of the commanders' conference will be to deliberate on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh and on ways to enhance the IAF's combat prowess and surveillance over the country's air space in all sensitive sectors including in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, the sources said. IAF may deploy Rafale fighters in Ladakh sector amid border row "The commanders will also review the evolving security architecture in the region and ways to boost IAF's combat capability," said a source. The conference will be chaired by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to address the IAF commanders. The IAF has been carrying out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in the last few weeks, in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region. A number of IAF platforms participated in a military drill in Stakna in eastern Ladakh on Friday during the defence minister's visit to the region. The exercise showcased integrated combat prowess of the Army and the Indian Air Force in dealing with complex security scenarios in the high altitude terrain. The IAF has deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China notwithstanding disengagement of troops by Chinese military from a number of friction points. The IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations The IAF has pressed into service a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft as well as C-130J Super Hercules in transporting heavy military equipment and weaponry to several forward bases in the region. The sources said the commanders will also deliberate on preparations to received the first batch of the Rafale jets from France. The jets are expected to reach India by end of this month. As tensions with China soars, IAF ramps up deployment Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets. The disengagement process between Indian and Chinese militaries began on July 6 after a telephonic conversation between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the previous day. Doval and Wang are Special Representatives for the boundary talks. TOKYO - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, from Japan marked the start of a rush to fly to Earths neighbour that includes attempts by China and the United States. The UAE said its Amal space probe was functioning after launch as it heads toward Mars. Omran Sharaf, the project director of Emirates Mars Mission, told journalists in Dubai about an hour and a half after the liftoff that the probe was sending signals. Sharaf said his team now would examine the data, but everything appeared good for now. People cheered and clapped, with one woman with offering a celebratory cry common for weddings. Hope is set to reach Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since the countrys formation. It blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a small southern Japanese island aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket. The launch had been delayed for five days because of stormy weather. At Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, Emirati men in their traditional white kandora robes and women in their black abayas watched transfixed as the rocket lifted off. As its stages separated, a cheer went out from a group of Emirati men seated on the floor. They began clapping, one using his face mask due to the coronavirus pandemic to wipe away a tear. It was great to see everything going according to schedule today. It looks like things are all on track. Its a huge step in terms of space exploration to have a nation like the UAE taking that giant leap to send a spacecraft to Mars, astronomer Fred Watson said. Being on route to a planet like Mars is an exceptional achievement. A newcomer in space development, the UAE has successfully put three Earth observation satellites into orbit. Two were developed by South Korea and launched by Russia, and a third its own was launched by Japan. A successful Hope mission to Mars would be a major step for the oil-dependent economy seeking a future in space, coming less than a year after the launch of the first UAE astronaut, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. He spent over a week at the International Space Station last fall. The UAE has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. It sends a very strong message to the Arab youth that if the UAE is able to reach Mars in less than 50 years, they could do much more, Omran Sharaf, the project director of Emirates Mars Mission, told The Associated Press on Sunday as his colleagues prepared for the launch. The Emiratis involved in the program also acknowledged it represented a step forward for the Arab world, the home of mathematicians and scientists for centuries before the wars and chaos that have gripped wide swathes of it in recent times. So the region has been going through tough times in the past decades, if not centuries, Sharaf said. Now we have the case of the UAE, a country thats moving forward with its plans, looking at the future and the future of region also. For its first Mars mission, the UAE chose partners instead of doing it all on its own. Developing a spacecraft is not easy even if there is ample funding, said Junya Terazono, an astronomer at Aizu University. Emirati scientists worked with researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California, Berkeley and Arizona State University. The spacecraft was assembled at Boulder and transported to Japan as the two countries looked to expand their ties with the rich and politically stable Middle Eastern nation. The Hope spacecraft, along with its launch, cost $200 million (U.S.), according to Omran Sharaf, the UAE project manager. Operation costs at Mars have yet to be divulged. Hope, about the size of a small car, carries three instruments to study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change while circling the red planet for at least two years. It is set to follow up on NASAs Maven orbiter sent to Mars in 2014 to study how it went from a warm, wet world that may have harboured microbial life during its first billion years, to the cold, barren place of today. Hope also plans to send back images of weather changes. Japan, a U.S. ally, has already long collaborated in defence and space technology. Resource-poor Japan has traditionally kept friendly ties with Middle Eastern countries. In recent years, Japan has increasingly stepped up trade and defence ties with the UAE, and now seeks to expand its space business. Two other Mars missions are planned in the coming days by the U.S. and China. The U.S. plans to send a rover named Perseverance to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for return to Earth. Liftoff is targeted for July 30. China aims to explore Mars with an orbiter and rover to study the planets surface, and search for water and ice. This launch is set for around July 23. Japan has its own Mars mission planned in 2024. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to send a spacecraft to the Martian moon Phobos to collect samples to bring back to Earth in 2029. The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a Mountain View, California technology start-up and its chief executive officer with defrauding investors of approximately $11 million by making false and misleading statements about the company's finances and sources of revenue. The SEC's complaint alleges that, between 2018 and 2019, Shaukat Shamim, the founder and CEO of YouPlus, a private company that purported to have developed a machine-learning tool to analyze videos on the internet, raised funds from investors while repeatedly misrepresenting the company's financial condition. According to the complaint, Shamim falsely told investors that YouPlus earned millions of dollars in annual revenue and had more than 100 customers, including Fortune 500 companies. When one investor pressed Shamim for information substantiating those claims, Shamim allegedly provided the investor with falsified bank statements in an effort to conceal the fraud. The scheme allegedly unraveled in late 2019 when Shamim confessed to certain investors that YouPlus had in fact earned less than $500,000 and obtained only four paying customers from the company's inception in 2013. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges YouPlus and Shamim with violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") and Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"), and seeks permanent injunctions, civil money penalties, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and an officer-and-director bar against Shamim. The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, is being conducted by Mike Foley and Rebecca Lubens, and supervised by Tracy L. Davis and Monique C. Winkler of the San Francisco Regional Office. The litigation against YouPlus and Shamim will be led by John Han and Brent Smyth. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A group of mothers in Portland has been intervening at demonstrations over the weekend to protect protesters from uniformed federal officers who have been sent to the city to impose law and order. Standing in line with elbows linked, many of them wearing bicycle helmets, some of the mothers chanted Feds stay clear! Moms are here! as they blocked streets near the citys federal courthouse, which has become a flashpoint of the conflict between protesters and the authorities. The mothers protest was first organised as an event named Wall of Moms, started on Facebook by 35-year-old local mother Bev Barnum. Describing her experience of the groups first action, she explained what it was like to see the protests from the front line. We tried in earnest to give the kids a break by shifting the pervasive narrative that protestors are rioters ... To be clear, we moms werent armed, throwing rocks, throwing water...THAT DIDNT HAPPEN. Recommended Portland leaders demand removal of federal troops from city We were gassed for chanting Leave The Kids Alone. I want you to think about whats happening in this country and ask yourself how youre going to help change it. Portland has seen almost seven weeks of mass demonstrations against police brutality and racism. First sparked by the killing of George Floyd, the protests have taken on a life of their own, as protesters and police continue to clash over the latters treatment of peaceful demonstrators as well as people of colour. Even before federal law enforcement was sent in, violence had flared up on numerous occasions, and property and buildings have been damaged across the city centre. The Portland Police Bureau was even served with a temporary restraining order banning it from arresting journalists and legal observers. Things have since escalated, however, with the arrival of law enforcement officers deputised by the federal government. Wearing camouflage and no identification, they have been seen apprehending protesters and driving them away in unmarked vans, then detaining them without charge and even without explanation. They have also fired tear gas and less lethal munitions at groups of protesters, as well as openly beating people and pepper spraying them at close range. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler is demanding that the federal troops leave his city, blaming them for escalating the situation and insisting that they had not been called in by local authorities. Donald Trump, meanwhile, framed the situation differently in a Fox News interview on Sunday. If you look at whats gone on in Portland, he said, [the protesters] are anarchists and weve taken a very tough stand. If we didnt take a stand in Portland, you know weve arrested many of these leaders. If we didnt take that stand ... they were going to lose Portland. The sight of federal forces clearing protesters from the streets of an American city without clear accountability has already been turned into a campaign ad by the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, who released a clip this weekend warning that Trump administration government is increasingly showing signs of authoritarianism under the title Portland is how it starts. Sharing a video in which federal officers in Portland shove a woman to the ground for chalking a message on the sidewalk, Ms Barnum wrote on Facebook: And this is why we wont stop showing up. #WallofMoms Rating Action: Moody's assigns Ba3 rating to MasTec's proposed $400 million senior unsecured notes Global Credit Research - 20 Jul 2020 New York, July 20, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) assigned a Ba3 rating to MasTec, Inc.'s (MasTec) proposed $400 million senior unsecured notes due 2028. All other ratings for the company remain unchanged. The outlook is stable. The proceeds from the new notes will be used to redeem the company's 4.875% senior unsecured notes due 2023 and to partially repay outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility. The transaction will be leverage neutral while improving the company's debt maturity profile. Pro forma for the proposed offering, Moody's projects MasTec's debt-to-EBITDA (inclusive of Moody's adjustments) will be 2.2x at year end 2020. "With the proposed $400 million offering MasTec will enhance its financial flexibility and will have no debt maturities until September 2024," said Emile El Nems, a Moody's VP-Senior Analyst. The following rating actions were taken: Assignments: ..Issuer: MasTec, Inc. ....Senior Unsecured Notes, Assigned Ba3 (LGD4) RATINGS RATIONALE MasTec, Inc.'s (MasTec) Ba2 corporate family rating reflects the company's position as a leading infrastructure construction company and its diversified revenue stream. In addition, Moody's credit rating is supported by MasTec's strong demand drivers, high backlogs, low leverage and a good liquidity profile. Governance characteristics considered for MasTec include the company's conservative financial policy with respect to leverage and financial flexibility. Moody's believes the company will follow a disciplined financial approach, maintain a good liquidity profile and will keep a moderate debt leverage of around 2.0x. At the same time, Moody's takes into consideration the company's vulnerability to cyclical end markets and reliance on the capital spending budgets of its major customers. Story continues The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that during this uncertain economic environment MasTec will maintain a continued conservative approach to balance sheet management and liquidity and that its backlog and demand drivers will provide relative operating stability. MasTec's SGL-2 Speculative Grade Liquidity rating reflects Moody's expectation of a good liquidity profile over the next 12 to 18 months. At March 31, 2020, the company had approximately $72 million in cash and $874 million in availability under its revolving credit facility that expires in September 2024. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING: The ratings could be upgraded if: The company improves its profitability and free cash profile Debt-to-EBITDA is below 2.5x EBITA-to-Interest expense is above 5.0x The ratings could be downgraded if: The company suffers from a substantial decline in earnings or loss of a key customer The company's free cash turns negative for a sustained period of time Debt-to-EBITDA is above 4.5x for a sustained period of time EBITA-to-Interest expense approaches 2.25x The company engages in excessive share repurchase activity The principal methodology used in this rating was Construction Industry published in March 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1061454. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. Headquartered in Coral Gables, FL, MasTec, Inc. is an infrastructure construction company operating mainly throughout North America across a range of industries. The company's primary activities include the engineering, building, installation, maintenance and upgrade of communications, energy, utility and other infrastructure, such as: wireless, wireline/fiber and customer fulfillment activities; petroleum and natural gas pipeline infrastructure; electrical utility transmission and distribution; power generation, including renewables; heavy civil; and industrial infrastructure. 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 rating has been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent (s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure. This rating is 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. The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com. Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Emile El Nems Vice President - Senior Analyst Corporate Finance Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. 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Deposit Insurance Agencys $300 mln claim against Yugra bank ex-managers set for October RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:14 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court has scheduled an application filed by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) seeking to recover over 21.5 billion rubles (about $300 million) jointly from ex-owner of Bank Yugra Alexey Khotin, ex-board chairman Dmitry Shilyayev and several other individuals and legal entities for October 21, according to court records. In June, the court seized their assets in the total amount of more than 77 billion rubles (over $1 billion). Earlier, the same court ruled in favor of the DIA as to attachment of cash assets and other properties of former Bank Yugra managers worth several dozens of billions. At that time, DIA petitioned the court to grant it interim relief by seizing the aforesaid property in the framework of a claim by which it sought to hold the defendants civilly liable and recover from them the damages. In the period from April 9 through April 16, the court ruled in favor of DIA as to the recovery of about 8 billion rubles (about $113 million at the current exchange rate) from the defendants, holding them civilly liable, and the seizure of their assets. This February, the court dismissed a request of Yugra bank acting on behalf of Shilyayev to review the ruling, by which the banks license had been revoked in 2017, basing upon new evidence. An earlier petition to review the order of Russias Central Bank of 2017 revoking Yugra license was dismissed in cassation in September 2019. In July 2017, Russia's Central Bank said withdrew the license of Yugra bank, one of the top 30 banks. It imposed temporary administration represented by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) in the bank. The DIA was ordered to conduct Yugras status inquiry. In October 2018, the Moscow Commercial Court declared Yugra bankrupt. This April, the Moscow City Court extended house arrest of the majority stockholder of Yugra bank Alexey Khotin charged with embezzling 7.5 billion rubles from the credit organization until July 18. Other defendants in the embezzlement case, ex-bank board chairman Dmitry Shilyayev and ex-president of the bank Alexey Nefedov, will also stay under house arrest until mid-July. Investigators believe that banker Khotin and his alleged accomplices have been involved in stealing the money from Yugra. The fact of the embezzlement is confirmed by the documents of Russias Central Bank, Deposit Insurance Agency and other evidence, according to the investigation. Pottsville, PA (17901) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 41F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early followed by a mixture of light rain and snow overnight. Some sleet may mix in. Low near 30F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The UAE has successfully launched its Mars probe, named Hope, making history as the Arab world's first interplanetary mission. "We have lift-off. H2A, the rocket carrying the Hope Probe to space, has launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan," the official account Hope Mars Mission tweeted early Monday morning. "The Hope Probe is the culmination of every single step that humans have taken throughout history to explore the unknown depths of space." Hope launched from the Japanese space center on Sunday, having been delayed from the previous week due to poor weather conditions. Within a few hours of liftoff, the ground segment at Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre established two-way communication with the probe. Tweet1 NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover tweeted to the Hope mission: "Congratulations on your launch! I wish you a successful journey and look forward to the sol when we are both exploring Mars." The Hope probe, a $200 million project called "Al Amal" in Arabic, is scheduled to reach Mars' orbit in February 2021 and will spend one Mars year equivalent to 687 days on Earth studying and gathering data on the red planet's atmosphere. The year 2021 is also significant: it will mark 50 years of the UAE's existence. "It is a weather satellite, and that's one objective of the mission," Sarah al-Amiri, the Mars mission's lead scientist and UAE minister of state for advanced sciences told Spaceflight Now. "We also look at what role Mars' weather plays in atmospheric loss. That's the other part of the mission." Tweet2 comm The Emirates Mars Mission partnered with a team at the University of Colorado Boulder to build the spacecraft, drawing on expertise from the university's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. But the small Gulf country itself has spent years investing in space research and development, founding its own space agency in 2014 after launching satellites in 2009 and 2013 developed jointly with South Korean partners. The U.S. and China are also launching their own Mars missions expected to reach the planet's orbit around the same time as the Hope probe this summer, because of a specific time window that occurs once every two years where Mars and Earth are closest together. The UAE's government has launched various campaigns to expand the country's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) sector, and it views its growing space program as an important part of that. It's also the first country in the world to have a minister of A.I., and is investing heavily in its own indigenous defense industry. Some 200 Emirati engineers and scientists spent six years working on the Arab world's first spacecraft. NASA administrator Jim Bridestine tweeted: "Congrats to the team that worked on @HopeMarsMission. It's truly amazing what @UAESpaceAgency & @MBRSpaceCentre have accomplished in such a short time." Tweet 3 launch video "The Emirates has successfully launched the first interplanetary mission in the Arab world, commencing a 493-million-kilometer (306-million-mile) journey to Mars," Ahmad Al Falasi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency and minister of state for higher education, said in a statement. "This is a huge leap forward for the UAE's ambitious space program. The Emirates Mars Mission is a catalyst that has already served to significantly accelerate the development of the UAE's space, education, science and technologies sectors." After spending a whopping $220 billion to carry Canada through the COVID-19 economic lockdown, the federal governments pledge to spend $19 billion more to exit the same lockdown may seem like small potatoes. But while its true more federal cash transfusions will be needed to cure the worst recession in generations, the aid package announced last week is a big deal. Its an encouraging start to what will be a long, laborious economic recovery well-timed and deservedly well-received. To somehow manage to get the federal government, along with the governments of all 10 provinces and three territories to agree on something especially when moneys involved is itself a signal accomplishment. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau originally promised just $14 billion but was able to sweeten the deal. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who initially insisted Ontario couldnt possibly do without $23 billion in emergency economic aid, also displayed appropriate flexibility. Not only did Ford sound grateful and satisfied with the $7 billion coming his way from Ottawa and thats a far cry from $23 billion he proved generous in praising the political leaders who made it possible. This historic agreement proves what we can do as a nation when we stand united, Ford enthused. The prime minister had the final say in this and he stepped up. True leadership. Ford also behaved like a national as opposed to a narrowly provincial leader in accepting the strings Ottawa attached to its money. The federal government is explicitly directing where the $19 billion will be spent whether its for personal protective equipment, on COVID-19 contact tracing, or for municipalities and enhanced long-term care. That targeted approach is entirely reasonable since its Ottawas money or borrowed money in the first place. The Quebec government, for one, wasnt happy with being told what to do with its share of the aid package. It nonetheless gave in. In a similar fashion, Premier Ford also did an about-face when it came to Trudeaus insistence on a nationally funded and co-ordinated sick-leave plan for workers. Ford had strongly resisted this measure. At the end of the day he came onside. Thats important because Canadians deserve to feel theyre protected physically and financially as they return to a workplace. So far so good. Its doubtful, however, this $19 billion will be nearly enough to dig Canada out of the recessionary hole COVID-19 shoved it into. Canadian municipalities had pleaded for $10 billion to keep them from having to slash essential services and jack up taxes. Trudeau earmarked $2 billion for them to share. Theres another $1.8 billion for municipal transit that the provinces must match. But again, that has to be spread from sea to sea and it may prove an exceedingly thin safety blanket. The City of Toronto alone sounded the alarm that its heading for a $1.35-billion shortfall. Trudeau threw the city a lifesaver; but its not yet out of deep, turbulent waters. Breaking down the numbers further shows the gap that will widen between whats needed and whats being provided. The federal aid package commits $740 million to support vulnerable populations, including people in long-term care. Another $625 million will go to child care. Yet better care for the very old and very young in this country must be two of the greatest priorities coming out of the pandemic, both on humanitarian and economic grounds. Theres no way both areas wont require a lot more money than this. Such calculations, however, remain for the future. Today its worth celebrating what a nation working together can accomplish when it tries. The depths of the water bodies are home to some of the rarely or completely unknown creatures of this world. Back in 2018, during an in-depth survey near the coast of Banten in Western Java in Indonesia, a team of researchers found an extremely rare creature. Nicknamed as the "deep sea cockroach," these were massive crustacean, which resembled the iconic character, Darth Vader, from Star Wars, was first spotted by the researchers during the South Java Deep-Sea Biodiversity Expedition. The discovery was a joint effort by a team from the National University of Singapore and the Research Center for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Heres a video: Well, the 14-legged creature has finally been named officially. The formal name of this creature is decided to be 'Bathynomus Raksasa'. The scientist behind this name, Conni M Sidabalok, Helen PS Wong, and Peter K L Ng, suggested, "The epithet is the Indonesian word raksasa for giant, alluding to its enormous size and the significance of the find." These creatures can reach up to around 20 inches due to their low level of predation and cold conditions, as compared to other isopods. They were nicknamed as sea cockroaches for their similar appearance. Closely related to the marine species family of crabs and shrimp, Bathynomus Raksasa usually lives on the ocean bed and feeds on remains of other dead marine animals. Just like cockroaches, these giant isopods can also survive without food for days without a problem. Interestingly, 'Bathynomus Raksasa' is also the second-largest isopod species known to researchers to date. The largest isopod is Bathynomus Giganteus'. ?? Esta ayuda se dirige a los mas necesitados en la ciudad de Iquitos y es una contribucion de los Emiratos Arabes Unidos para fortalecer la capacidad del sector de la salud de Peru https://t.co/UFJXZ2P0E0 Video: Embajada de Emiratos Arabes Unidos en Peru pic.twitter.com/RuJguaifvj The Redmi Note 9 is finally going to make its way to India as Xiaomi will be launching the product today via an online event. The company usually launches the Note and Note Pro devices in quick successions, but this year the company seems to be taking a different approach. The Note 9 Pro and the Note 9 Pro Max, both have turned out to be successful products for the company and hopefully, the new Note 9 will continue to entice Xiaomi fans. The launch event is scheduled for at 12PM where the company will announce the specifications, features, pricing, and availability of the phones. You can catch the live stream and announcements from the launch by heading to Xiaomi India's official social media handles including YouTube and Twitter. Alternatively, you can watch the live stream right here as we will embed the live stream as soon as it is available. The India variant of the phone is likely to be priced around the same range as the global model. To recall, the Redmi Note 9 global model is priced at $199 (roughly Rs. 15,100) for the 3GB + 64GB storage option, and $249 (roughly Rs. 18,900) for the 4GB + 128GB storage model.The Redmi Note 9 made its first appearance in China back in the month of April. We are expecting that the Indian version of the Note 9 could turn out to be slightly different from the one that was announced earlier in the year. Redmi Note 9 Specifications The Redmi Note 9 was announced globally earlier this year. The handset was announced with a 6.53-inch IPS display with a full-HD+ (1,080x2,340 pixels) resolution. It is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 processor with up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also a quad rear camera setup and a hole-punch notably on the top left corner, for the selfie camera. Other important features include a 5,020mAh battery with 18W fast charging, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The handset is priced at $199 (Rs 15,000 approx) for the 3GB RAM + 64GB storage option and $249 (Rs 18,500 approx) for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. Expect the handset to launch around the Rs 10,000 price mark considering the Redmi Note 9 Pro sells at a starting price of Rs 13,999. We are also expecting Xiaomi to launch the handset with a Snapdragon processor rather than the MediaTek SoC. There is also a rumour that the Note 9 in India could launch in a special 6GB RAM variant as well. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:54:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAVANA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Monday marks the fifth anniversary of restored diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States amid escalating U.S. blockade on the island. The historic rapprochement spearheaded by former U.S. president Barack Obama in 2014 was soon rolled back by his successor, Donald Trump, who has ramped up sanctions against Cuba since taking office in 2017. "Diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States in the past five years can be divided into two different periods ... the implementation of the Obama policy toward the island and Donald Trump's three and a half years in the White House," said Carlos Alzugaray, a former Cuban diplomat. On Dec. 17, 2014, Obama and his Cuban counterpart at the time Raul Castro made historic statements that started a new chapter of bilateral relations devoted to enhancing economic and social ties. In July, 2015, they resumed diplomatic relations and reopened embassies in each other's capital. Although the blockade on the island was not lifted by the U.S. Congress, the two countries generated particular interests since the joint announcement: U.S. investment in Cuba and U.S. tourism to Cuba. Warming ties led to their respective embassies being reopened. Obama became the first U.S. president to visit the island in nearly a century, and was soon followed by a steady flow of lawmakers and regional leaders looking to boost trade. Air connections between the two countries were reestablished in 2016 and Americans began to travel to the island in greater numbers. The Obama administration even ended the longstanding "wet foot, dry foot" policy in 2017, which granted special migratory treatment to Cubans and allowed them to remain in the United States as permanent residents. However, the situation soon changed. When campaigning for the president, Trump courted the financial and political backing of the powerful Cuban lobby by pledging to reverse course on Cuba if elected president, and he has kept his word. In 2019, U.S. flights to all Cuban cities except Havana were once again restricted and U.S. cruise ships were banned from sailing to Cuban ports. The Trump White House has even put limits on remittances Cuban Americans can send to their families back home, and blocked Cuban entrepreneurs' access to raw materials in the U.S. market. The Trump administration also enacted Title III of the Helms-Burton Act in May last year, giving U.S. nationals and companies the right to sue foreign citizens and enterprises investing in properties nationalized by the Cuban government. In addition to stepping up economic sanctions against Cuba, the U.S. government has stoked hostility and animosity towards Cuba. In 2017, the United States accused Cuba of carrying out "acoustic attacks" against U.S. diplomatic personnel there, alleging some suffered from impaired hearing and other ailments. Washington then cut back its embassy staff, hampering the process of issuing U.S. visas. In April, there was an armed attack on the Cuban embassy in Washington, which the White House failed to condemn. On May 13, the United States added Cuba to the list of countries that do not fully cooperate with its counter-terrorism efforts. "While diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States have not been severed, diplomatic staff at the two embassies have been reduced to a minimum due to the U.S.' false allegations of sonic attacks," said Alzugaray. The COVID-19 pandemic has only deteriorated ties further, as the United States has interfered with international aid getting to the island and attempted to discredit Cuban medical brigades working abroad to contain outbreaks of the virus in more than 20 countries in Latin America, Africa and Europe. "I think the bilateral relationship is going through a very tough, difficult, and complicated scenario," Alzugaray added. Enditem Writer Harinder Sikka, author of the book Calling Sehmat on which the film Raazi was based, has accused director Meghna Gulzar of removing him from everything in order to make every credit of the film. The writer also went on to accuse her of delaying his books lunch, removing him from the Jaipur Literature Film Festival and an awards event. Meghna Gulzar has not responded to the accusations yet. With a printout of an email in his hand, Sikka said during a panel discussion on Republic TV on Sunday, I wrote Raazi and this is proof against my name by (Meghna) Gulzar. It was written to me by Jaipur Literature Festival. I was removed from everything, from Filmfare, my book was not allowed to be launched by Gulzar in person. You want me read out this email where Jaipur Literature Festival head says, In my 35 years of career, I have never seen anybody bulldozing to remove one person. In this particular case, Gulzar is the case in point. He further said, My book was tried to be delayed? Why? Every credit must go to Meghna Gulzar. First Jaipur Literature Festival, then the Filmfare Awards. The best original screenplay award was to be given to me but it was removed, it was given to some film by the name Andhadhun which was a copy of a French book because I was to be removed. #NanakShahFakir has over 15 Million views on YouTube, JioCinema & Zee5. It won 3 National Awards,went to Cannes, LA, Toronto.#BollywoodMafia sent another film for Oscar. Lets pray we dont hv another Sushant failing.@narendramodi @AmitShah CBI inquiry will ausage hurt https://t.co/dMP5a6TmCr Harinder S Sikka (@sikka_harinder) July 19, 2020 Sikka also claimed that not just Raazi, even Meghnas latest film Chhapaak also stole the credit from the original writer. He said, It is not the only one, what did Meghna do further! Chhapaak. She took away that poor writer the lawyer in Delhi, her credit away. Ask Ravi Tandon (Raveena Tandons father) about what happened. There is a history of mafia operating. I have nothing against nobody, its not my profession. This happens because I was an outsider. Also read: Adhyayan Suman calls ex-girlfriend Kangana Ranaut brave: Sometimes its important to leave your past aside Sikka had also produced the film Nanak Shah Fakir in 2018, which went on to win three National FIlm Awards. Claiming that the film didnt get its due, he said, My film that was to go for Oscars Nanak Shah Fakir was not allowed because someone came from Bollywood and said, Oh he is an outsider, we were send our picture. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Canadas Foreign Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne has promised to review $6.8 million worth of security equipment purchased from a Beijing-based high-tech company that has been found to have connections with the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party. As per Global News reports, Canada, this week, posted details that Beijing-based Nuctech, a company owned by the Chinese government and founded by the son of former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao, has been awarded a deal by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to install X-ray scanning equipment and software systems to provide security for 170 Canadian embassies, consulates and high commissions worldwide. Responding to questions from the media, the Foreign Minister on Friday promised in a statement to review any possible issue relative to security or safety ... all appropriate actions (will be) taken to ensure the safety of our missions around the world. We are currently looking into the offer with Nuctech company to provide some security screening equipment in our missions abroad, Champagne said in a statement. Global Affairs has not purchased any equipment from Nuctech at this time. In addition, I have today directed GAC officials to review our purchasing practices when it comes to security equipment and to continue reviewing the security of our missions around the world, the statement read further. The deal has been signed despite mounting concerns among some national security experts about Nuctechs growing access to sensitive facilities worldwide. Nuctech has been accused in the past of engaging in controversial business practices in Asia, Africa and Europe, including offering soft loans and illegal dumping. The New York Times has repeatedly reported on an alleged corruption case in Namibia involving Nuctech. According to Namibian prosecutors, in May 2008, three suspects allegedly received $12.8 million in kickbacks to help Nuctech secure a $55-million X-ray scanner contract, the Times reported. Critics of state-owned enterprises alleged that the Chinese government subsidises its companies to allow them to bid at lower prices than Western competitors. Meanwhile, in Europe, some analysts are complaining that Nuctech is making rapid inroads providing services to border security facilities due to Chinas state-backing, unfair practices, and potentially Beijings influence over some European politicians. Carleton University professor Stephanie Carvin, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service official, said the Nuctech contract for Canadian embassies presents security concerns, but she believes Chinas geo-economic strategy is the bigger concern. This is not Huawei. I am not as concerned as I would be with telecommunications, Carvin said. The issue is the fact companies like Nuctech are inherently anti-competitive, they may in some cases be beneficiaries of stolen technologies, and they want to fundamentally take over and undermine western technologies, Carvin added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The NDC parliamentary candidate for Sisala West, Mohammed Sukparu, has proposed to the national executives to stop donating cars and focus on procuring motorbikes for them. He said the motorbikes makes it easier to access unmotorable areas during the campaign season than cars. He said resorting to the use of motorbikes in the 2020 electioneering campaign is the best strategy to reach out to everyone in the hinterlands if the main opposition party of Ghana is bent on winning the presidential elections. According to him, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the dynamics of campaigning this year hence the need to adopt innovative means to make good use of the few resources available to the party such as the use of motorbikes for house-to-house campaigns. Sukparu is therefore stressing and impressing on the party leadership to move away from procuring cars, but should rather focus on distributing motorbikes and other resources needed for retail campaigning. I can tell you that when you go to the grounds and give someone a t-shirt, the excitement and assurances youll get from that fellow cannot be obtained with a $25,000 or $30,000 worth of pick-up that youll be driving in the constituency, Mo Sukparu told local radio station Kasapa FM in Accra. He is also appealing to the opposition NDC to adopt the house-to-house campaign method for all constituencies and thereby concentrate on the distribution of resources such as motorbikes, party t-shirts and other paraphernalia, to the grassroots. He was confident that the protocols governing coronavirus will not permit any Parliamentary Candidate to organise rallies and large public gatherings, hence the need to change the type of resources needed to win the elections. He went on further to explain that constituents appreciate more when a PC and his men walk to the people or ride on motorbikes to visit them in their homes or work places. What we need is to reach the people in their homes, shops and villages. To do that we need motorbikes and other resources to support our men on the grounds to continue working and doing even better, Hon Sukparu reiterated. Cars are good, but we need motorbikes for our people on the grounds to stay in constant touch with the constituents, he maintained. Mo Sukapru assured former President John Mahama that should his retail campaign strategy be adopted, the NDC will be set for a historic victory in December. ---starrfmonline We are thrilled to be working with Whitetails Unlimited and their members to provide the guidance and tools they need to gain access to quality deer habitat. The American Hunting Lease Association is leading the resurgence of hunting in the United States by providing expert guidance and resources to make accessing quality habitat simple and affordable for anyone that wants to experience the outdoor lifestyle that hunting and fishing provide. The AHLA has served as the trade association for the hunting lease industry since 2010, and recently expanded its member benefits to include landowners who allow access to family and friends as well as professional guides and outfitters who work hard to take Americans hunting and fishing. We will partner with any reputable group or organization that places a high priority on conservation and preserving the valuable, and shrinking, habitat we have. Whitetails Unlimited is exactly that kind of group with terrific people all working for a common goal, said AHLA Chief Operating Officer Sean Ferbrache. We are thrilled to be working with Whitetails Unlimited and their members to provide the guidance and tools they need to gain access to quality deer habitat. Our member benefits include liability policies such as hunting lease insurance, vacant land (landowner liability) insurance, and our popular program for guides and outfitters, he continued. The AHLA member policies are designed to protect both landowners and hunters and can be purchased by either party, said Jeff Schinkten, WTU President. Hunter access is a vital component in expanding hunting and making sure that liability issues are not a barrier to access. AHLAs website provides information, quotes, and the policy itself, making the transaction very easy and affordable. Were thrilled to welcome the American Hunting Lease Association to the WTU family, said Schinkten. The AHLA developed its programs specifically for hunters and landowners, and its staff works hard to make sure they offer more options, more affordable prices, and all with the best customer service in the industry. Customers can choose to purchase completely online, or if they prefer to talk with one of our expert staff members, they can call us anytime. For more information on the American Hunting Lease Association or any of their risk management packages, please visit http://www.ahuntinglease.org About American Hunting Lease Association Since 2010 the American Hunting Lease Association has been committed to creating opportunities for hunters and landowners by developing the tools they need to safely and successfully enter a hunting lease arrangement. Our liability programs for private hunt clubs, guides, and outfitters and vacant land make it possible for hunters to enjoy the great sport of hunting while providing landowners with confidence and peace of mind. American Hunting Lease Association 10412 Allisonville Rd, Ste. 110 Fishers, IN 46038 About Whitetails Unlimited Founded in 1982, Whitetails Unlimited is a national nonprofit conservation organization that has remained true to its mission and has made great strides in the field of conservation. We have gained the reputation of being the nations premier organization dedicating our resources to the betterment of the white-tailed deer and its environment. On behalf of our 114,000-plus members, chapter volunteers, and corporate sponsors, we welcome you to browse our site and learn more about WTU, our past accomplishments, and the organizations commitment to caring for our priceless renewable natural resources. We appreciate your interest in Whitetails Unlimited and hope that after reviewing our site, you will consider joining the whitetail team Working for an American Tradition. Washington: Speaking for the first time since her concession speech to President-elect Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, told volunteers that the days following her shocking defeat in presidential polls have been very, very tough for her. I am not going to sugarcoat it. These have been very, very tough days, Clinton told her campaign members and volunteers in a conference call. Clinton spoke for the first time since her concession speech to president-elect Donald Trump. Trump, 70, would be sworn in as the US President on January 20, 2017. This is a tough time for our country. I think we have seen how people have been reacting to the events of this election and I know we have got to be reaching out to each other to keep it clear in our own minds that what we did is so important, she said. It looks like we are on the path to winning the popular vote, and that says volumes about the importance of your work and the lasting impact it will have, Clinton said. As per latest information, the former Secretary of State received 47.72 per cent of the popular votes as against 47.41 per cent by Trump. However, Trump was declared elected as he has got 306 Electoral College votes as against Clintons 232. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidential elections. There has been multiple times in the US history of presidential elections that the winning candidate has received less popular vote than the one who lost. During her remarks that lasted for about 15 minutes, Clinton described her campaign as one of the greatest honors of her life. This is a hard loss for all of us because we know what was at stake in this election and we have to do everything we can to continue to support the causes we believe in. When you are ready, I hope you will get up and back in there and keep fighting, she told her supporters. Meanwhile, in a thank you note to Hillarys supporters, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook said there is no doubt that there are many difficult days ahead for the US and the world. Hillary has shown us every single day. The measure of a person is not whether you get knocked down but whether you get back up. As she said on Wednesday, Let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary and lose heart, for there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Venezuelas oil and gas sector was already caught in a vicious cycle well before the Covid-19 outbreak created a world economic crisis. Even though there are several international companies still remaining in the country, they are not investing in any relevant manner and have minimum personnel. GlobalData Oil & Gas Analyst Adrian Lara notes that it is fair to assume that, for most of these operators, the best scenario would be to wait for a change in government that could kick-start the sector under renewed rules or laws and improve their partnership terms with PDVSA. However, the political situation in the country seems to be going nowhere in the near future, and even with a change of regime, the oil and gas sector will require many years to recover. Lara explains: The countrys hydrocarbon sector has suffered from chronic underinvestment for years, with noteworthy kicks including 2019, when the US Government imposed sanctions on the countrys oil trade - its main source of revenue. This has effectively restricted the exporting capabilities of the country, created operational bottlenecks and left the Venezuelan Government, and its NOC PDVSA, with fewer and fewer means to invest in the sector. The outcome of all these events has been a continuous oil production decline since 2015, with a historic low output in May, reported at 570 thousand barrels per day (mbd), and with only one oil rig operating in the country. After the 2019 sanctions, exports to China and India somehow compensated the loss of US buyers. However, during 2020, both lower demand for crude worldwide and a tightening of sanctions have reduced export capability to its worse level to date. Lower exports have led to an increase in the storage capacity utilization of the country, which has a peak operating capacity estimated at less than 40 million barrels. In consequence, the Orinoco Belt has experienced additional production cuts. Production in this area is currently estimated at 161mbd, already three times lower than in 2019. As for natural gas, there were some promising projects announced to develop Venezuelas vast offshore reserves. In fact, during the last five years. negotiations between the Venezuelan government with Russias and Trinidad and Tobagos counterparts had put these projects back on track. However, after a worsening of the political and economic climate of the country these projects are currently on hold. -- Tradearabia News Service We are not defenseless against COVID-19, says Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If we can get everybody to wear a mask right now, I really do think over the next four to six, eight weeks, we can bring this epidemic under control. President Donald Trump even wore a mask in public for the first time recently. By Associated Press KABUL: A suicide truck bomber struck an army convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers, the Defense Ministry said. Another nine troops were wounded in the attack in Maidan Wardak province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate routinely target Afghan security forces. The Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan despite signing a peace deal with the U.S. in February. That agreement was intended to pave the way for talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government leading to an end to decades of war. Those talks were supposed to begin this month, but the process has stalled over the implementation of a prisoner release. The peace deal called for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the Taliban releasing 1,000 captive government personnel. So far, the government has freed more than 4,200 and the Taliban have freed around 800. Things were already going south around Christmas last year for Louisa Julius when the young Toronto French teacher got a call at home on a Sunday evening. It was the school principal. Youre in violation of the human rights code, the principal said. Youre not to enter (Toronto District School Board) property and speak to any TDSB staff. A few days after that call, on Dec. 18, Julius, who had qualified as a teacher a year prior, was given an opportunity to respond at a meeting with Donna Cameron, principal of Bliss Carman Senior Public School, and vice-principal Jim Stamatopoulos, and to learn what had sparked this shutout. Julius went with a union representative. The Star heard a recording of the meeting. What follows is the tale of a teachers nascent career struggles, one that also throws light on a larger problem: that there are major inconsistencies in how teachers who engage in equity work are supported by principals in a board that is otherwise considered a national, if not continental, leader in anti-oppression work. Julius is sharing this story for the first time. At that December meeting, the principal raised five concerns including that Julius: allegedly told a Black student it was OK for Black students to use the N-word; sent out a tweet that mentioned toxic masculinity and sparked a complaint to their superiors; sent four tweets during instructional hours; had numerous copies of an article titled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack beside their desk; and allegedly told students they dont have to stand during O Canada. A month later, Julius was found to have been in breach of the TDSBs human rights code and its respectful working and learning environment policy and slapped with a three-day suspension from school without pay. Based on the information available, we believe the appropriate level of discipline was applied in this case, TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told the Star by email Tuesday. Principal Cameron did not respond to the Stars requests for comment. Julius is not alone in encountering difficulties around equity issues. Alexis Dawson, an executive at the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators and chair of the TDSBs Black Student Achievement Community Advisory Committee, said there is lack of clarity around what areas principals are required to support teachers on in terms of curriculum. She said she receives many phone calls and emails from teachers facing roadblocks from principals in their attempts to provide anti-racism material in school. Meanwhile, she knows a teacher whose principal backed her use of the White Privilege essay. The principal directly said, It is my issue if we receive complaints about this. I support this work. I support you in doing it. That is the backing teachers need, otherwise there is fear. Its unfortunate theres disparity among administrators (principals) there. They should all be speaking the same language. They have all received equity training, Dawson said. The TDSB is currently trying to get a handle on human rights-related complaints. Bird said the boards human rights office regularly receives complaints, primarily from employees and is now compiling data for the education ministry. It is expected to be ready in two weeks, Bird said. Julius, 24, who identifies as a queer South Asian person, was hired in August 2018 at Bliss Carman Senior Public School on Bellamy Road in Scarborough, and found a supportive and mentorship-oriented principal in Nicole Miller. Julius, who goes by the pronouns they/them, registered for a Leaders for Tomorrow program offered by the teachers union. The year-long program of leadership workshops within an anti-racist/anti-oppression framework required missing a total of 11 days of class, but Julius said Miller gave her blessing. She believed I had great leadership capacity, and she thought I would benefit greatly from the program. About a month after starting at Bliss Carman, which serves Grades 7 and 8, Julius set up a Rainbow Alliance, a gay-straight alliance safe space in my class for LGBTQ2+ and allies. Miller was transferred out of the school in February 2019 and a new principal, Donna Cameron, took the helm. Just before March break, Julius dropped by Camerons office where Cameron turned to the side and pulled out a folder of student report cards and Juliuss absence requests including those for the leadership training program the previous principal had encouraged Julius to take. The principal implied that there was a direct correlation between my students lack of achievement and my attendance, Julius said, something Julius disputes. New teachers at the TDSB have to go through two successful evaluations to become permanent. Juliuss second evaluation in May 2019 read, Had Julius been more present at school (the students) would have been able to apply their learning. By summer, Julius said, my mental health degraded significantly to the point that I ... required intervention from my partner, my doctor, a therapist, and I ended up needing to go on medication. Julius began to get anxious about returning to school in September and spent time in therapy establishing coping mechanisms. One strategy was that I should attempt to engage with other anti-oppressive, queer-positive, and anti-racist educators online because I did not have such a community in my school. Thats when Julius began to get active on Twitter, tweeting about everything from homophobia to racism to equity issues. Early in December, someone with the Twitter handle Mr. Parent started responding to Juliuss tweets. When Julius tweeted asking Toronto Police to do better for our Black and brown kids, Mr. Parent called it anti-police rhetoric and tagged Juliuss superintendent Shirley Chan as well as education director John Malloy. Mr. Parent read through earlier tweets by Julius and responded to one from October that would foreshadow some of Juliuss troubles. The tweet was a photo of two boys asleep on the carpet with their arms around each other. Their faces are not visible. The tweet reads, Soft interruptions of toxic masculinity and the patriarchy when our boys take a nap break in class. Rest up and lets do more French in a few mins! #Equity #TDSB Mr. Parent again tagged Juliuss superiors and asked: Is this an appropriate #TDSB tag? Do the parents know these students are in the picture? Are these students examples of toxic masculinity? In December, when Julius was accused of violating the boards human rights code, Cameron raised this tweet as one of the concerns. Julius defended the photo in the meeting, calling it equity in a small moment in action. Seeing the boys comfortable enough to touch each other in a way that is positive and caring to each other, to even feel as comfortable as to close their eyes in a classroom with their peers around to me really points to a safe space, Julius said. It interrupts classic narratives of what it means to be a tough guy. Julius hashtagged the school board believing this aligned with its equity work. Of the concerns raised, Julius acknowledged engaging with Twitter during school hours, mostly during class transitions, and once while students were working on presentations. I take responsibility for that, Julius told the Star. In the meeting with the principal, Julius was questioned about the N-word: It was told to us by (a middle-school Black student) that you told him he can use the N-word in class because he is Black. He reported that you told them if you were white you dont want the N-word coming out of your mouth. When (the vice-principal) spoke to you about this allegation you confirmed that Black kids can use the N-word, but white kids cant. How do you respond? Juliuss union rep told Cameron students bandied the word about in class and that Julius did not give permission to anyone to use it. Julius, whose undergraduate thesis at the University of Toronto Scarborough was on the usage of the N-word, told the Star they had told students: Unless youre Black you shouldnt be using the word. If youre Black its not for me to tell you whether or not you can. You have to ask the elders around you. Julius was questioned about a seminal essay on white privilege written in 1988 by American feminist Peggy McIntosh. On a day Julius was off and the principal was trying to find day plans for the supply teacher, we discovered numerous copies of an article titled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack right beside your desk. Can you tell us more about that? Cameron asked. Its a great article but we wanted to know some more information about that, she added. Julius explained that the essay was used when stories of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Blackface dominated the news. The students had brought it up. I removed a lot of content from it and narrowed it down to what applied to Grade 8. It all came from student questions. We just shared a few points and had a really rich dialogue about the representation of Blackface in theatre and drama, Julius told the Star. And regarding the national anthem: Students have informed us that you say they dont have to stand for O Canada if they dont want to because of Indigenous rights and the reconciliation situation with the government. Those are student words, Cameron said. A student asked me why I dont stand for the anthem, Julius responded. I explained why because of the land and water issues for Indigenous people and Indigenous sovereignty. I explained that students can choose and that Indigenous people dont always see standing as the only sign of respect. I have not prevented anyone from standing. Some do, some dont but the expectation for that time is that theyre quiet and respectful. Julius received a letter from Cameron on Jan. 17. As a result of an investigation, the concerns regarding your use of inappropriate language, inappropriate conduct towards students and your inappropriate use of social media have been substantiated. These behaviours are unacceptable. Julius was told they violated the boards human rights policy as the statements you made make specific reference to race. They were told they violated the Respectful Learning and Working Environment policy. The letter doesnt explain how that policy was violated. Furthermore, your conduct has not met the TDSBs expectation of providing a safe, nurturing and positive learning environment for students. The Star asked the TDSB to clarify how Julius had breached policy. On the issue of the N-word, the students parent was also upset with this lesson, as were a number of students in the class, board spokesperson Bird said. While the board supports an informed discussion on the use of the N-word, in this particular case, it was the manner in which it was discussed in the classroom that had a negative impact on a Black student and others, he said. With regard to not standing for the national anthem, Bird said, it is our understanding that the teacher told students they were not required to stand for the anthem and again, did not provide the appropriate context as to why. Julius has the option to file a grievance against the principals decision, but to date has not done so, the TDSB said. A union official said on condition of anonymity that the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is pursuing other channels at the board instead. An ETFO spokesperson said the union is not aware of the TDSB investigation and does not comment on personnel matters. To non-educator eyes, the issues raised here could have easily been resolved with informal conversation, especially given the teacher was in their first job and unfamiliar with the system. For instance, at no point in the conversation the Star heard was Julius told a parent complaint had sparked the N-word discussion. In Toronto schools, a principal can decide what they see as an infraction, whether a human rights violation or insubordination. The board doesnt always ask the principal for proof. Thats where the union is supposed to come in, to clarify facts, establish context, bring in witnesses and so on. If all attempts at resolving grievances fail, both sides might agree to arbitration, which is in itself a long drawn-out process; there are a limited number of arbitrators in Ontario, which makes securing a time with them difficult. In such a case as this, a teacher has little voice in the process that appears to be one where they are accused by the principal, investigated by the principal and having their fate decided on by the principal. In this article PJC Earnings season has begun in earnest. Nearly 90 S&P 500 companies and eight Dow components are slated to report earnings this week, according to FactSet, in a quarter clouded by impartial data and shoddy guidance. The second quarter marked a slight upturn in the U.S. economy from its crippling March lows, but the jury's still out on whether the market will see a V-shaped recovery. With analyst estimates on the fritz, traders are looking to other metrics for signs of what could play out. "What I think investors have to watch is continuing revisions," Gina Sanchez, founder and CEO of Chantico Global, told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. "Analyst revisions tell you information about what they're getting in real time and how they're adapting their earnings estimates." "If you look at the extremes, that's where most of the interesting outcomes have come companies that have had very, very high estimates that simply can't live up to those expectations and companies that have extremely pessimistic estimates and [are] able to beat them easily," she said. Craig Johnson, senior technical research analyst at Piper Sandler, said it's as good a time as any to consider the charts. "The charts I think are even more important at this point in time because charts and stocks are great forward-looking instruments," he said in the same "Trading Nation" interview. Here are five stocks that Sanchez and Johnson are watching. United Airlines United Airlines reports Tuesday. "They have extremely bearish estimates and many think that they will be able to beat those," Sanchez said. "If you look at where United Airlines was able to get right as the reopening was occurring, they were starting to fly fuller and fuller planes, they were starting to finally get some traction, and I think that they're likely to beat these earnings." But the risk of another series of lockdowns is a big threat to the airlines, more than it is to most other stock groups, she warned. "The outlook going forward, going back into a lockdown, is very negative. And so, I think this actually could be a head fake for United," Sanchez said. Chipotle Mexican Grill Johnson was looking to Chipotle, which reports Wednesday, to see if its popularity with millennial and Gen Z customers could continue to drive it higher. "The chart of Chipotle is just breaking out to new highs in here," he said. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards With the stock making new highs after what Johnson called "quite a constructive move off the lows, ... I'll be very curious to see whether that trend ultimately continues," he said. Discover Financial Services Discover Financial, also reporting Wednesday, could give investors a better sense of the financial system's "plumbing," Johnson said. "When I look at a chart of Discover, I'm going to get a good indication of retail spending trends. Are they increasing? Are they decreasing? Are there going to be some loan loss concerns with their portfolio?" he said. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards "Here's a stock that's in an upward-trending price channel. We're at the very lower end of that channel right now. We're still below a declining 40-week moving average, but showing signs of a recovery," Johnson said. "A move back toward the declining 200-day moving average ... would give you a nice return back up toward the mid-60s, so, like what I see there." Microsoft Sanchez expected Microsoft to stand out in Wednesday's deluge of reports. "I own Microsoft and I think it has a tremendous long-term story, but ... you've seen analysts in the last four weeks taking down their estimates. They have been slowly getting more and more bearish on Microsoft, and you've actually seen some price action in Microsoft recently that has shown some softening," she said. Microsoft has indeed backtracked slightly this month, down more than 5% just since Monday, which could make for an interesting entry point for buy-and-hold investors, Sanchez said. "I do actually think that this is going to be more of an earnings over-exuberance versus a long-term story. So I think you could actually get an interesting buying point for Microsoft in the long term," she said. "But the likelihood that they can beat estimates maybe becomes more challenging even given their very, very strong cloud portfolio of Azure, Office 365 and Teams." Skyworks Solutions Third on Johnson's watchlist was chipmaker Skyworks Solutions, reporting Thursday. "This is really going to be a play on 5G and the rollout and whether we're on speed or not on pace for that rollout starting to happen in the fall and into 2021," he said. "I'll be watching that sign for the technology because it's going to be a key component for handsets given the radios that they produce." Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A man has been charged with murder after a woman was stabbed at a hotel in Greenwich. Police were called to the Holiday Inn hotel in Bugsbys Way at around 10am on July 5 to a report of a woman being stabbed. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended where Khloemae Loy, 23, was found suffering serious injuries. She was declared dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police said. Taye Francis, 39, was charged with murder on Sunday. He will appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on Monday. Wellington, July 20 : New Zealand scientists have invented a new volcano alert system that they say could have provided warning ahead of last year's White Island disaster. Twenty-one people died when the country's most active volcano, also called Whakaari, suddenly erupted last December with tourists on it, the BBC reported. The new system uses machine learning algorithms to analyse real-time data to predict future eruptions. One of the scientists involved in the project, Shane Cronin from the University of Auckland, told the BBC on Monday that the current system had been "too slow to provide warnings for people (on) the island." "The current (alert system) collects data in real-time but what tends to happen is that this information gets assessed by a panel and they have an expert process... This all takes a while," he said. "The way we warn for volcanoes was good enough 10 years ago but it's not actually moving with the times." According to Cronin, research on the new system had already begun before the White Island eruption, but "when the eruption happened it really accelerated us. We were like - we've really got to work on this now". Despite some seismic activity in the weeks prior to the White Island explosion the sudden and dramatic nature of the eruption took everyone, including authorities, by surprise. At the conceptual level, zero trust security seems simple: Don't grant access just because a user is in the system. Assume compromise, and authenticate every action. In practice, though, zero trust can be maddeningly complicated. It also can run counter to existing architectures, work practices and even federal security requirements. Yet today's perimeterless networks and highly mobile workforces clearly need the protections zero trust can provide, so what's an agency to do? FCW recently gathered a group of security specialists from across government to discuss what's needed to move zero trust into the mainstream. The discussion was on the record but not for individual attribution (see Page 42 for the list of participants), and the quotes have been edited for length and clarity. Here's what the group had to say. Zero trust, but many definitions The zero trust security concept was introduced by John Kindervag, now at Palo Alto Networks, in 2010. Yet it was slow to catch on, several participants said, because zero trust seemed to equal zero access. "If you are trying to close every door, it's almost impossible to do that," one official said. "And zero trust was a little bit monolithic in the initial conception." Implementations over the intervening decade (perhaps most notably by Google) have proven zero trust's potential, but the monolith has been replaced by a muddle of competing services and marketing campaigns. "It's still very, very squishy," one participant said. "That's the danger of overloaded buzz phrases. It's kind of the new AI/machine learning." For the roundtable participants, the core concept boiled down to, as one speaker put it, "dissolving as much as possible this notion of the strong network perimeter." All agreed that this meant focusing on both users and data, though views varied on the exact mix. "You protect what you think is important," one said. "Five or 10 years ago, people felt like the network was the most important thing. Now you look at the data and the application entry and the protection of confidentiality as primary objectives." That doesn't mean relaxing network access restrictions, "but it certainly changes the dynamics." Participants also suggested various labels to better describe the approach. "'Zero trust' was a misnomer to begin with," one said, "because if you don't trust anyone, nobody will get anything done." A more accurate term would be "context-based trust." "Variable trust" may be a better term, another said, "in that I trust the devices that I issued and I'm aware of more fully than I trust devices that are strangers to me and the same thing with location-based entry points." Others emphasized the idea of trust decay as an essential ingredient for real-world implementation. "You've established a trust score fantastic," one said. "But how long does that trust score stay persistent?" Much like a VPN might disconnect a user after some period of inactivity, a trust score could depend on the time since a "normal" network action was observed, and users must maintain "a certain score in order to access this data due to its criticality." Participants Royce Allen Cybersecurity Architect, Office of Cyber Security Policy and Compliance, Office of Information Security, Department of Veterans Affairs Stacy Bostjanick Director of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Department of Defense Gerald Caron III Acting Director of Enterprise Network Management, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Department of State Guy Cavallo Deputy CIO, Small Business Administration Lance Cleghorn Digital Services Expert, Defense Digital Service Sean Connelly TIC Program Manager, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Matt Connor Chief Information Security Officer and Director, Cybersecurity Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Jon Feibus Chief Information Security Officer, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Daniel Jacobs Cybersecurity Coordinator, General Services Administration Wanda Jones-Heath Chief Information Security Officer, U.S. Air Force Lauren Knausenberger Chief Transformation Officer, U.S. Air Force Lisa Lorenzin Director, Transformation Strategy, Zscaler Don Lovett CIO, Office of Contracting and Procurement, City of Washington, D.C. Ranjeev Mittu Branch Head, Information Management and Decision Architectures Branch, Information Technology Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Jose Padin Director of Pre-Sales Engineering, U.S. Public Sector, Zscaler Timothy Persons Chief Scientist and Managing Director, Government Accountability Office Scott Rose Computer Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology Karim Said Lead Cybersecurity Specialist, NASA James Saunders Chief Cybersecurity Architect and Acting Security Operations Branch Chief, Small Business Administration Note: FCW Editor-in-Chief Troy K. Schneider led the roundtable discussion. The May 21 gathering was underwritten by Zscaler, but the substance of the discussion and the recap on these pages are strictly editorial products. Neither Zscaler nor any of the roundtable participants had input beyond their May 21 comments. There are some well-established reference points, several speakers noted. They recommended ACT-IAC's 2019 white paper on the topic and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's second draft of Special Publication 800-207 on zero trust architecture, which was released in February. "That's always kind of been my starting point for anything that feels a little buzzwordy," one speaker said. "I see if I can map it back to a canonical NIST source document." One participant suggested that zero trust also reflects the changing role of IT organizations in government. As IT increasingly works with the business owners on mission objectives instead of simply supporting systems, the official said, "you're going to see an evolution from infrastructure focus to product focus or, in some cases, the application focus. I think that zero trust layers into that." The first challenge: Knowing what's normal "The new normal" has become an overused term since COVID-19 upended workplaces, but several participants said the surge in telework was indeed changing security conversations. "I think it's been a catalyst for people to think about how that strong network perimeter isn't what they thought it was," one said. New or old, however, establishing what's normal in a network is essential to a zero trust approach. Location data has changed dramatically in recent months, but multiple officials said defining a baseline is difficult even without maximum telework. "What is normal will change over time," one said. "Certain changes, while deemed anomalous, could be quite normal in a network. And so this whole idea of understanding patterns and normalcy and looking for anomalies becomes an extremely challenging problem." Thanks to the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation Program, the 2015 governmentwide "cyber sprint" and recent efforts by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), federal agencies now have much better data on their users, devices and network traffic than was the case just a few years ago. But understanding that data and using it to create a baseline are other matters entirely. "People forget it's not always a user accessing the data system," one official said. "The systems also are sharing data all the time." Another pointed to the surge in robotic process automation initiatives and said AI-powered automation can conclude: "'Hey, this data and this data really work well together.' So we now have automation creating these streams in the background, which complicates things a little bit further." Similarly, another added, "we always talk about access and the data as if data is always sitting still. What are we doing to protect it when it is in motion? That needs to be addressed, too. I don't hear a lot of that when I hear people talk about zero trust." "Some system owners don't really know how their data flows," another participant said. "It's going to make your life much more difficult if you cannot baseline that normal." Artificial intelligence and analytics will be essential to making sense of all that data, the group agreed. The complexity is effectively forcing CIOs to become data analysts, one official said, because "you're going to have to use analytics in order to help manage your networks." Is federated trust feasible? Such efforts are difficult enough for a single in-house system, but some participants expressed concern that the increasing reliance on shared services and cross-agency collaborations could make zero trust prohibitively complicated. "I still think there is a tremendous complexity as we continue to outsource capabilities," one official said. "How do you manage where you may have 50-plus software services, where your data is beginning to be stored in vendors' environments versus your environments? There are areas where we just don't have the 100% visibility within those environments." A participant from one of the larger federal agencies agreed: "Where we ran into a lot of trouble was in defining the minimum standard for an identity. Does it have to be hardware-based? Does it have to be certificate-based? What's the minimum standard we give to someone to say, 'Now you can be trusted as part of this distributed federated trust'?" You can't buy zero trust but still, buy carefully When the conversation turned to practical implementations, one official quipped: "Everyone knows all you have to do is just go buy it. It comes in a box. Just install it and everything works." After the laughter subsided, though, several participants noted that procurement must be approached with an eye toward becoming zero trust-capable. "I think people forget about the component technologies that make something like zero trust possible," one official said. "You're talking about things like flexibly defined software-defined networks. You're talking about things like strong Transport Layer Security certificate management. These things have to exist before you can even really start to approach a concept like zero trust." The roughly year-old Federal Acquisition Security Council can help define best practices in this area, another official said, and yet another noted that the Defense Department's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program could be "a foundational step to ensure that the network and the people we're working with are capable of protecting our data." But ultimately, participants agreed, each agency must scrub its own acquisition stream to make sure the assets and services will support zero trust. And they stressed that this is just groundwork. "All those things together help you get toward zero trust," one official said, "but none of them allows you to just stand up and say, 'We are zero trust now.'" Zero trust doesn't get you to green The issues cited above would apply to any organization moving toward zero trust, but the roundtable participants said federal agencies face an additional hurdle: governmentwide mandates and the compliance culture that comes with them. The Federal Information Security Management Act "is very much not zero trust-friendly to me," one official said. "CDM is not there yet either. They're working that way, but it is very network- and on-premises-focused as well. We have to meet these mandates, and if they don't change, it will be hard for us to move forward on zero trust because that's a total shift in the concept." The Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement also pose challenges, another noted: "These things are too out of date to even begin to look at something like zero trust. It makes these things really, really difficult for us to move forward and implement the right technology and the right security." "We are incentivized to chase green on our dashboards," a third official said and added the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act report cards to the list of potential roadblocks. "Nowhere in those dashboards does it say green equals zero trust. There's no button that says zero trust to make it better. " It's important for vendors to understand that chief information security officers won't be sold on zero trust solutions just for the sake of zero trust, that official said. "The question is: If I implement your solution, what can I get rid of from a competing product perspective on a per-control basis? And how does it better my posture on these federal dashboards?" Only when those questions are answered will agencies have "the ammunition we need in order to pull the trigger on these solutions." There are signs of progress, though. In addition to CDM's evolution and recent changes to the Trusted Internet Connections policy, participants pointed to the more collaborative approach CISA has taken over the past year. "I think it bodes well for the federal government in general," one official said. "Yes, leadership chases green they're incentivized to do it. But the green is sometimes the wrong green. The people who are writing those questions are now at least a little bit more open to figuring out what the right questions are." Focus on the outcome (and start small) Given the many complexities involved, most of the participants were focused on finding practical starting points rather than perfecting the larger framework. As one official said about adopting zero trust: "At the end of the day, I've got to be able to answer one question: Is my data still protected as a result? If I can answer that question, I'm good." Another recommended focusing on specific use cases: "Can enterprises with satellite facilities connect without compromising the entire network? Can contractors get access without compromising the entire network? Can collaboration across enterprise boundaries happen without compromising the entire network? That's really what we're talking about from a zero trust perspective." Similarly, other participants emphasized starting with clearly defined functional building blocks. "How do we tackle lateral movement?" one asked. "What degrees of trust do we implicitly give to your Common Access Card, to your Kerberos token? What is the exact level of lateral movement that can come from those different things? And then start attacking that." Specific applications can also offer a starting point. "A lot of people focus on devices and protecting the device, but it's actually the application that facilitates the access to that data," another participant said. "So that should be hardened." All admitted that the complexity can be daunting. "Nothing is going to make this simple," said one official who urged focusing on the data layer. "But if we can start to define policy at the layer that we care about, we can at least simplify the approach and reduce the number of layers we have to take into consideration." And while it's important to think about design principles at the enterprise level, there was strong consensus that implementations should start small. "I'm of the opinion that the component technologies that enable something like zero trust can be small and have clear finish lines and run in parallel," one official said. "But I count myself personally fortunate that at my agency, nobody thus far has stepped up and said, 'We're going to have a [departmentwide] zero trust initiative' because that's intractable." She has been enjoying time in France with her loved ones during the pandemic. And Natasha Poly showed off her model credentials as she arrived at Club 55 with her husband Peter Bakker and daughter Aleksandra Christina in St Tropez on Monday. The Russian model, 34, looked effortlessly chic in a white utility jumpsuit as she stepped off a boat with her family. Chic: Natasha Poly, 34, showed off her model credentials as she arrived at Club 55, St Tropez, France, wearing a white utility style white jumpsuit on Monday The mother-of-two accessorised her look with an Off-White industrial yellow belt with black buckle and dark round sunglasses. A barefoot Natasha opted for a fresh-faced look and wore her blonde tresses loose over her shoulders. She turned the hem of her jumpsuit up to show a glimpse of her bronzed toned legs. Meanwhile Peter was seen wearing a black polo shirt and white fitted shorts with a pair of flip-flops and sunglasses. Family first: The Russian model was joined by her husband Peter Bakker and daughter Aleksandra Christina The doting father carried daughter Aleksandra off the boat who donned a pretty pink dress with tulle skirt. Natasha has been regularly spotted at Club 55 during the COVID-19 crisis and has been keeping busy by participating in Carine Roitfeld's virtual charity runway at her Amsterdam home. Natasha raises Aleksandra and their 15-month-old son Adrian Grey with her husband Peter. Stunning: A barefoot Natasha opted for a fresh-faced look and wore her blonde tresses loose over her shoulders Close: The doting father carried daughter Aleksandra off the boat who donned a pretty pink dress with tulle skirt Stunning: The whole family were dressed for a fun day in the sunshine The couple married during a lavish and romantic three-day wedding celebration in St Tropez, France, in 2011. In 2016, Natasha admitted she would support her daughter if she developed aspirations to be a model, as she already loves joining her on shoots. She told Grazia Daily: 'She knows how to pose which is very funny. If she wanted to do it I would support and guide her through and offer her advice for whatever she'd like to do.' Natasha, born Natalya Sergeyevna Polevshchikova, made her debut on the catwalk for Emanuel Ungaro in 2004. Since then, she has done campaigns for designer labels including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Chanel, becoming one of the most in-demand models in the world. Always chic: Natasha was looking casual chic in her quirky jumpsuit Sitting pretty: She cosied up to her little girl as they set sail after lunch Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 21) The Philippines signed the US$370-million loan from the World Bank to hasten land distribution to farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). In a statement released on Monday, the Department of Finance said it inked the loan agreement on July 14 that will help finance the Department of Agrarian Reforms Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III emphasized the SPLIT project will support the Philippine national governments economic recovery program for farmers who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SPLIT project will improve the bankability of farmers and enable them to access credit and government assistance, said Dominguez. Achim Fock, the then World Bank Acting Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand who signed the deal for the international monetary institution, hopes the SPLIT project can help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to invest in their property and adopt better technologies for greater productivity and higher incomes. The US$473.56-million SPLIT project aims to parcelize the collective certificate of land ownership awards (CCLOA) into individual titles for about 750,000 ARBs, which will fulfill the completion of CARP. CARP was signed into law by President Corazon Aquino in 1989, which seeks to distribute around 7.8 million hectares of land to farmers that will help them cope with poverty. So far, the Philippine national government has redistributed about 4.8 million hectares of land to some 2.8 million beneficiaries under CARP, but only 53 percent were in the form of individual land titles. The remaining 47 percent or around 2.5 million hectares are CCLOA titles issued to ARBs in the 90s as a temporary measure to expedite the land distribution to farmer-beneficiaries. Through the project, ARBs will be provided security of tenure by way of issuance of individual titles. If ARBs or members of their family fall ill, clear and valid documentation of their property will allow them to mortgage their land, sell, or pass it on to their family members through inheritance, the DOF stressed. The loan agreement for the SPLIT project carries a 29-year maturity period and inclusive of a grace period of 10-and-a-half years. Congress returns to Washington this week facing a critical deadline to pass another coronavirus aid bill as the pandemic tears through the United States. Lawmakers in the divided Congress will need to quickly decide how to resolve broad differences on the best tools to both blunt an outbreak spreading unabated and lift an economy battered by the health crisis. They will also have to contend with a president who has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic's severity as it jeopardizes his chances of winning another term in the White House. As negotiations kick off in what could become a bitter process during an election year, millions of Americans left jobless by the pandemic wait to see whether their incomes will suddenly plunge at the end of the month. After July, people receiving unemployment insurance will no longer get an extra $600 per week from the government even as the U.S. unemployment rate stands higher than it did at any point during and after the 2008 financial crisis. At the same time, the U.S. struggles to contain a disease that has infected and killed more people nationwide than in any other country, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As the pandemic rages in Florida, Texas and other states, the country has now reported nearly 3.8 million Covid-19 cases and more than 140,000 deaths. The surge in cases has forced states such as California, the country's largest, to roll back or pause their economic reopening plans. Along with the enhanced jobless benefit which is credited with boosting consumer spending while businesses are shut down Congress will need to decide how to iron out differences on policies including liability protections for businesses, aid for state and local governments, direct payments to individuals and rent and mortgage assistance. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., aims to release an opening offer this week. He and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., met with President Donald Trump about the developing relief plan on Monday. The president, who has pushed for both businesses and schools to swiftly reopen, can shape the views of GOP lawmakers in what he supports or opposes. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the lead White House negotiator on previous coronavirus bills who also attended the meeting Monday, said he will start reaching out to Democrats to start bipartisan talks. Mnuchin, who reiterated the Republican desire to start with a roughly $1 trillion bill, said he and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows will attend the Senate GOP policy lunch Tuesday. Both Mnuchin and Meadows will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in Pelosi's office on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the meeting said As details of McConnell's legislation started to trickle out in news reports, Schumer criticized key provisions on Monday. He particularly took issue with a GOP proposal that would reportedly limit coronavirus-related lawsuits to "gross negligence or intentional misconduct," along with a Republican push to cut or revise the boosted unemployment benefit. "Unfortunately, by all accounts the Senate Republicans are drafting legislation that comes up short in a number of vital areas, such as extending unemployment benefits or funding for rental assistance, hazard premium pay for frontline workers, or investments in communities of color being ravaged by the virus, and many other necessary provisions," Schumer wrote in a letter to colleagues. "Democrats will need to fight hard for these important provisions." McConnell argued for the legal shield Monday, saying, "We don't need an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic." He also acknowledged the need to earn Democratic support, even in the Senate, where a bill will need at least some votes from the minority party to reach the necessary 60. Any bill will have to get through both the Republican-held Senate and the Democratic-controlled House. As lawmakers work on a tight timeline, efforts to appease House Democrats could dampen support among Republican senators and vice versa. Along with the critical deadline to craft financial support for unemployed Americans, a planned recess for all of August adds to the pressure Congress faces. Pelosi has said she would delay her chamber's month at home to pass an aid bill, though it is unclear whether McConnell would take the same step in the Senate. The House passed a sweeping $3 trillion rescue package in May, but Republicans dismissed it as unrealistic. Both GOP leaders and Pelosi have pegged the cost of the Republican plan at roughly $1 trillion, though the speaker has said it is "not enough" money to address the crisis. FREDERICTONElections New Brunswick has ordered masks and other protective equipment in light of growing speculation the provinces minority Tory government could call a general election before the end of the year. Were ready when the politicians decide it, chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth said Monday. She said while the government is only obligated to hold a pair of byelections, she has asked staff to be ready for a vote in all 49 ridings. Weve had to also start ordering (personal protective equipment) and hand sanitizer and cleaning materials and those sorts of things for our workers and the electorate for a full-scale, province-wide event, Poffenroth said in an interview. Weve ordered masks and shields for all of our election workers. Were going to have disposable masks and gloves available for our electors if they need them. Election speculation has been growing in recent weeks, and now the Progressive Conservatives have scheduled nomination conventions for five ridings on Aug. 8, including Premier Blaine Higgs own riding of Quispamsis. Green party Leader David Coon says it appears the Tories are in a hurry to nominate candidates, and that doesnt bode well for collaboration of an all-party cabinet committee created to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. I think, during a state of emergency, during a pandemic, to call an election would result in a huge backlash because it would put an end to this collaboration, Coon said Monday. Coon said hed rather see just the byelections held, which he said would provide a chance to test the pandemic protections prior to a general election. The vacancies are in the ridings of St. Croix and Shediac Bay-Dieppe following the death of Progressive Conservative Greg Thompson and the resignation of Liberal Brian Gallant. The byelections were originally scheduled for June 15 but were put on hold because of the pandemic. The bill to delay the votes states they must be held at least 30 days before the next session of the provincial legislature, which would likely start in November. Liberal health critic Jean-Claude DAmours said Monday he believes Higgs is planning a provincial election instead of the byelections. Hes looking for his own agenda. His agenda is probably to cut more in the province, DAmours said. He said the Progressive Conservatives are setting a bad example gathering people together at nomination meetings while there are still health concerns in the province. The premiers office did not respond to a request for comment Monday on election timing. There are currently 20 Progressive Conservatives in the legislature, 20 Liberals, three Peoples Alliance, three Greens and one Independent. J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick, said he has seen nothing in the polling to suggest New Brunswickers would support going to the polls now. He wonders if the Tories have just floated a trial balloon to gauge interest. He said these arent normal times, and its hard use old-style politics. The framework in the context of COVID makes this so strange to consider the normal patterns of electoral and campaign politics and voter behaviour, he said. Poffenroth said the personal protective equipment wont go to waste if a general election isnt called. She said municipal elections that were delayed this year must be held by May 2021. Read more about: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Shadine Taufik (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 14:19 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667cbca3 4 Food gastronomy,culinary,pandemic,hokky-situngkir,Research-and-Development,webinar,agriculture,Environment-and-Forestry-Ministry Free A digital seminar held by government-backed organization Pojok Iklim (Climate Corner) discusses the importance of sustainable gastronomy in combatting the climate change crisis. The art of dining has become more than a means of provision and sustenance but has evolved into a social, entertaining ritual, ingrained within cultures worldwide. However, there is an ethical dilemma behind this related to the ingredients used to create these expressions. Research by the European Commission concluded that agriculture is the single greatest contributor to climate change. With the ongoing pandemic and panic-buying, it is integral now more than ever to commit to a sustainable, ecofriendly outlook on food purchase and preparation and play a part in minimalizing the global climate change crisis. On July 15, Pojok Iklim, an initiative founded by the Environment and Forestry Ministry to combat climate change, held a webinar regarding the state of gastronomy during a global crisis. Moderated by the ministrys environment and forestry standards head, Noer Adi Wardojo, the digital seminar called upon three specialists to discuss and demonstrate the state of food production and preparation. The first speaker, Amanda Katili Niode, manager of the nonprofit organization Climate Reality Project Indonesia, discussed the importance of food in cultural and social rituals, and its grave impact on the climate change crisis. To overcome the detriments of the current food system, Amanda proposes the idea of sustainable gastronomy. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO], gastronomy is sometimes called the art of food or refers to the type of cooking in a specific region. Sustainability is something such as the farming or preparation of food that is done without the waste of natural resources and can continue occurring in the future without destruction to the environment or health, she explains. Greenhouse gases and agriculture: Amanda Katili of Climate Reality elaborates on the carbon emissions generated in modern food production. (Pojok Iklim/-) Amanda discusses the role of food in everyday life, observed in multiple facets of ones tradition, identity and community, and brings about the importance of sourcing ingredients locally to reduce global carbon emissions. The invigoration of local economies, support for small local businesses and farmers, reduced greenhouse gases and food waste, as well as health in the freshness of products, are some of the other advantages, she noted. The president of the Bandung Fe Institute and chairman of the Sobat Budaya (Friends of Cultures) board of trustees, Hokky Situngkir, further elaborated with a data-driven concept of culture and food. Hokky talked about the wealth of cuisine in Indonesia and the local ingredients that foster the uniqueness of the countrys cooking. There are 40,000 recorded species of seeded plants in Indonesia, but not all are included [in our database]. This means that the excavation of culture and the exploration that we can undertake can provide us with a new culinary frontier he said. Through his research cataloging Indonesian recipes and ingredients, Hokky deduced that most traditional food requires over 10 spices, with 90 percent of the spices used occurring exclusively in Indonesia, highlighting the effect of native plants in shaping local cuisine and the many functions that surround it. He proposes that traditional preserved food such as meat floss, salted egg and roasted sago may be viable food sources during extraordinary events like the current COVID-19 pandemic in its locality and shelf life. Digitization of cuisine: Hokky Situngkir from Sobat Budaya presents a historical timeline of recipe collection in Indonesia. (Pojok Iklim/-) Meanwhile, food biodiversity entrepreneur and founder of artisanal food company Javara Indonesia, Helianti Hilman, shared her thoughts on preserving and sustaining the biodiversity of native Indonesian plant species and provided a cooking demonstration of her take on fresh watermelon salad. Helianti stressed the importance of making sustainable gastronomy accessible to a wider range of individuals in an attempt to increase food appreciation and promote healthy, nutritional eating. Talking about her experience building Javara, Helianti noted the lack of appreciation in Indonesia for organic, local foods when she started her company 12 years ago. We didnt have a place in Indonesia, we were like the stepchild, as it is said. We werent considered cool, and back then, local brands werent appreciated, there was also no trend for organic food, so we were forced to export our products, she said. However, years after this, Helianti noticed that local sales increased due to international recognition. Helianti emphasized the importance of contextualizing ingredients to consumers and the role of market relevance adapting local ingredients in order to fit into a wide variety of cuisines and follow trends in the quest to conserve the perishing, edible plants native to Indonesia. Perhaps the key to improved food security, reduced carbon emissions and better eating lie in the younger generations. In recognizing this, each speaker promoted their distinctive calls to action. With the development of an open-source digital library, budaya-indonesia.org, and the mobile application nusaKuliner, Hokky has ensured that the cultural affluence of Indonesia beyond food remains preserved and available to all. He explained that out of almost 10,000 contributors, the growing majority of users are youth, demonstrating the increased awareness and interest in culture among newer generations. On a similar note, Helianti noted that Javara was initially popular among individuals 50 years old and above, looking for ingredients to treat their health problems. However, with the rise of foodie culture and a newfound appreciation for local brands in recent years, the millennial segment dominates most of their customer base. Javara and its offering of niche products local to Indonesia promote the benefits of native ingredients, providing new life and preservation to lesser-known, neglected greenery. Lastly, Amanda promoted the Food & Climate Shapers Digital Boot Camp, created by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, an online advanced learning program aimed to empower the youth to eat sustainably. She also introduced another initiative promoted by the UN, Chefs Manifesto, which involves over 700 chefs from 77 countries. These chefs have asserted that we shouldnt be asked to overcome the worlds large problems. We will carry out the tasks that we are able to do, with pleasure, Amanda said. The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post. An Alameda County Superior Court judge issued a warrant for the arrest of the Rev. Varghese George Alengadan on Monday morning after the priest failed to appear for his arraignment on one count of misdemeanor sexual battery involving a woman last year, officials said. After his failure to show up Monday, prosecutors asked for a standard $20,000 warrant to be issued for Alengadan, who was out of custody on bail, but the judge issued the modified one cent bail implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman with the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. There is no indication of where Alengadan might be. He had been on leave from the Catholic Diocese of Oakland and Bishop Michael C. Barber spoke out Monday urging Alengadan to cooperate with the judicial process. I am deeply disappointed by Father Alengadans decision not to appear in court, Barber said. We are cooperating with law enforcement, in seeking justice and mercy for everyone involved in this situation. Alengadan, 67, was charged last month with unlawfully touching an intimate part of Jane Doe, against her will and for his sexual arousal, on July 24, 2019, Assistant District Attorney Michael Nieto alleged in a complaint. The charge was made public last week and the priests first court appearance was supposed to have been on Monday. Last year, four diocese employees and one volunteer at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda 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, according to the diocese. 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 late February, a woman spoke exclusively with The Chronicle and described an 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 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 launch a new investigation into how the diocese handled the earlier complaints. Father George held a position of trust, authority and power at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy OMalley said last week. 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. Last week, the diocese confirmed that the alleged victim in Alengadans criminal case had also complained to them in July 2019 when it launched its query. 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. After he had been placed on leave in February, a diocese official said Barber had offered up his residence to provide shelter for Alengadan while he was on leave. However, the priest instead decided to stay with friends, the official said at a February town hall meeting. Dan McNevin, a member of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said his organization had concerns that Alengadan, a native of India, might flee. Alangadan is a dangerous man, notwithstanding his mild public demeanor, McNevin said. Now that he is a fugitive, Bishop Barber must do a lot more to honor Alangadans Oakland Diocese victims, to assist law enforcement, and protect other women and possibly, children. 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 worked as director of priests and deacon formation in the chancery office. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Friday said the party's state unit leaders, including MPs, will meet President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the SYL issue and accused the SAD government of failing to protect the state's interest. He questioned the right of Haryana over Ravi and Beas river water and demanded that a tribunal must be set up to assess the availability of water with Punjab before taking any decision on this matter. "We are going to ask for time to meet President and we will apprise him of situation. The President knows everything (about the issue)...we will present him a memorandum," Amarinder said after all Congress MLAs submitted their resignation letters to Punjab Assembly Secretary here on Friday. In a huge setback to the Akali Dal government in poll-bound Punjab, the Supreme Court on Thursday thwarted its attempt to wriggle out of the SYL canal water sharing agreement, saying it cannot "unilaterally" terminate it or legislate to "nullify" the verdict of the highest court. Asserting that sharing of Ravi-Beas water is going to affect the lives of millions of Punjabis, Amarinder said, "It is essential that before any decision is taken on the quantum of water, a tribunal must be set up to find out what amount of water available." Questioning the right of Haryana over the share in Ravi-Beas river water, he said, "If they claim SYL water then we can claim share in Yamuna water. There is 5.5 MAF of Yamuna water and we never claimed it as Punjab is not riparian to that water after the reorganisation in 1966." On Khaps in Haryana have reportedly threatened to cut off Punjab from Delhi if the apex court ruling is not implemented, Amarinder said, "What right do they (Haryana) have? They are not riparian. If they think they want to pressurise through Khap we are not going to be pressurised." Hitting out at the SAD-BJP rule, Amarinder alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal-led state government has failed to protect the interest of the state and claimed had SAD been serious on water sharing issue, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and others MPs should have tendered their resignations. "If they are so concerned about the impact of the SYL verdict on Punjab why have the Akali MPs not resigned from their parliamentary seats?" he asked and said, "Till they do so (resign), they really have no face to make allegations against others." On whether the Congress MLAs will attend the special session on November 16 called by Punjab Cabinet over SYL issue, he said, "Once the resignation is given, the matter is over. It is up to the Speaker to accept it. We have nothing to do with the Assembly session. We will go to the people." Amarinder also said that if Congress comes to power in Punjab, it will use "constitutional powers to amend and nullify the decision of the apex court". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 'Most distressing is the glee with which many people in the GAA community are now happy to spread vile gossip, photographs and videos about other GAA members' (stock photo) The Government has admitted that Englands Covid-19 Test and Trace programme has broken a data protection law, according to a letter sent to privacy campaigners. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) acknowledged it had failed to carry out a risk assessment on how the system would affect privacy. It follows the threat of legal action from the Open Rights Group (ORG), which claims that the programme to trace contacts of those infected with Covid-19 has been operating unlawfully since its launch on May 28. Read More A spokesman for the DHSC said there is no evidence of data being used in an unlawful way. In response to a pre-action letter from privacy campaigning organisation ORG, the Government confirmed that, while a DPIA is a legal requirement, it has not yet been completed. The letter from DHSC, which is dated July 15, said the legal requirement is being finalised. Calling the Governments behaviour reckless, Jim Killock, executive director of ORG, said: We have a world beating unlawful Test and Trace programme. A crucial element in the fight against the pandemic is mutual trust between the public and the Government, which is undermined by their operating the programme without basic privacy safeguards. Ravi Naik, legal director of the data rights agency AWO, instructed to act on behalf of ORG, said that failing to carry out the appropriate assessment meant all data collected is tainted. These legal requirements are more than just a tick-box compliance exercise, he said. They ensure that risks are mitigated before processing occurs, to preserve the integrity of the system. Instead, we have a rushed-out system, seemingly compromised by unsafe processing practices. ORG is just one group to raise privacy concerns over the scheme, with a former Cabinet minister also previously warning of serious errors in its implementation. Labours Lord Hain said last month that the NHS had failed to carry out its legal data protection obligations prior to the launch and had entered into data-sharing relationships on unnecessarily favourable terms to large companies. A DHSC spokesman said: There is no evidence of data being used unlawfully. NHS Test and Trace is committed to the highest ethical and data governance standards collecting, using, and retaining data to fight the virus and save lives, while taking full account of all relevant legal obligations. We have rapidly created a large-scale test and trace system in response to this unprecedented pandemic. The programme is able to offer a test to anyone who needs one and trace the contacts of those who test positive, to stop the spread of the virus. A beautiful, clever girl; an off-limits love interest; a forbidding matriarch sounds familiar, right? And yet, in the BBCs ambitious new Sunday night offering, all of them are Indian. Theres not a brooding English protagonist in sight. You may think youve seen dramas about India before but youve never seen one like this. This time, things are being done differently. Set in the 1950s, the six-part adaptation of Vikram Seths celebrated novel A Suitable Boy follows four families attempting to find their way in a country which is doing the same, As Indias first ever election looms, political tensions and religious conflicts, exacerbated by decades of British rule, endure. In a landmark moment, the series features the BBCs first-ever all-Indian cast and boasts a crew made up almost entirely of Indian talent, with every single second of filming being completed on location in the country. Of course, A Suitable Boy is far from the first TV drama to bring India and its rich history to life The Jewel in the Crown, from 1984, often being thought of as, well, the jewel in the crown of such things. But while the allure for Western producers of the colourful Holi festival, opulent weddings, blissful train journeys and swathes of cool muslin has often proved too tempting to resist, there are other aspects of Indian history and culture which have not been given the same airtime. Tanya Maniktala plays Lata Mehra in the series / BBC/Lookout Point Britain began trading in the subcontinent in the mid-1600s and Crown Rule began in 1858. Independence was not gained until 1947, when Partition saw the country split into present-day Pakistan and India. The bloodshed that followed saw an estimated one million deaths and over 10 million displaced. Pakistan would later be partitioned again, when Bangladesh fought its own war for independence in 1971. And yet, even now, this huge period in history is still not a compulsory component of the National Curriculum. Nisha Parti, a producer whose credits include the BBC hit Boy with a Top Knot, points out that the struggle to acknowledge the reality of colonialism is not limited to fictional works. Britain basically divided India into two countries, and no-one knows the history of why it happened and why it went so wrong, she says. I wouldnt just blame the TV and film industry, I blame the entire, kind of, very non-diverse run country. Still, surely theres a gap ripe to be filled by TV? So far, not so much. While penned and directed by Bend It Like Beckham writer Gurinder Chadha, ITVs Beecham House fell far short. Its depiction of life in 18th century Delhi was centred on the story of a former East India Company man (played by Tom Bateman) and was derided by critics, who labelled the series a desperately cliched period drama with a straightforward white saviour narrative on its release in 2019. One described it as One man and his beard try to save India. Despite a cliffhanger finale, the series was canned. Channel 4s 2015 effort, Indian Summers, was better received. Set in the 1930s, the two series tackled the tail-end of British Raj but again, the narrative was driven by white protagonists and devised by white writers. When it came to filming, the Malaysian island of Penang stood in for the Shimla. The promotional posters for both dramas said it all; ensemble casts stared straight into the cameras, the white actors in the foreground, their Indian co-stars lingering behind. Negative reviews: Beecham House failed to impress critics / ITV Vinay Patel, who wrote the BBCs critically-acclaimed Murdered By My Father, argues the frequent use of period dramas to examine colonialism is precisely part of the problem. When you create these dramas its more about putting a little bit of exoticism on the telly thats nice to look at, rather than really trying to investigate it, he says. Even if youre trying to be critical, an audience looks at that and goes, Thats very beautiful. It cant be that bad. That wonderful high-budget, detailed, glossy aesthetic gets to undercut any critique youre trying to make of it. Patel has, in a way, already proven his theory. In 2018, he penned an episode of Doctor Who, Demons of Punjab, which sent the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her companions back to the eve of Partition. Despite their assumptions, it transpired that the titular monsters were not the aliens but the humans. Without the veneer of a costume piece, the instalment is affecting, gritty and, vitally, informative. 17 underrated series on Netflix and Now TV 1 /22 17 underrated series on Netflix and Now TV Girlboss Girlboss Photo by Karen Ballard Veep Veep Anne With An 'E' Anne With An 'E' Dark Dark Abstract: The Art of Design Abstract: The Art of Design Good Girls Good Girls Bloodline Bloodline Jeff Daly/Netflix Save Me Save Me Next In Fashion Next In Fashion Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Sally4Ever Sally4Ever Tuca & Bertie Tuca & Bertie The World's Most Extraordinary Homes The World's Most Extraordinary Homes She's Gotta Have It She's Gotta Have It David Lee/Netflix Girls Incarcerated Girls Incarcerated Schitt's Creek Schitt's Creek Quicksand Quicksand Netflix In A Suitable Boy, we meet our leading characters in North India in 1951, with the story beginning in the fictional city of Brahmpur before including Calcutta, Delhi and Lucknow. Yes, there are weddings, a day of Holi and boat trips on Ganges, but these are interspersed with stories of religious conflict: a temple controversially built next to a Mosque; a local government at war with itself; an examination of rural inequality. Theres a snag, though. While its cast, story, and location are authentic, Andrew Davies, a Welshman, is credited as the sole writer. As the shows debut nears, many have labelled this a letdown. But the perspective from which we see India in A Suitable Boy does not come from Davies it is the director Mira Nairs. Big budget, yes, but Nairs India is not always a glossy one. The filmmaker says she threw my sari in the ring when she heard rumours about the project, contacting the production company to explain why she was the right director for the job. At that point, eight draft episodes had been penned but a partnership soon developed. Nair shaved off two episodes and worked with Davies and Seth to reshape the rest of the series in what she describes as a very strong collaboration on the structure. She also restored the language in the script, adding the Urdu and Hindustani between which the characters frequently switch. I asked that the characters that would speak in these languages, must speak in these languages on screen, she says via Zoom. There was a lot of work in the writing, layering and actual execution that you would not have seen on the page before. Director Mira Nair with author Vikram Seth / BBC Nair also reveals that she pushed for the character of minister Mahesh Kapoors wife to be a bigger role. She barely appeared in the earlier drafts, she wasnt a character in that full-fledged way, she explains. But I saw how important she was as the foundation [for] a spiritual India that she brought with her, and so she becomes this much greater part. The task now is making sure that this landmark moment for British television does not stand alone. But how? I think itll have to be [with] new stories and new talents being trusted with those kinds of stories, Patel says. Id love to see a TV drama about a young Winston Churchill entirely in his own words, slaughtering his way through Afghanistan burning villages, You wouldnt have to make that very pretty, you could just use his own commentary on it. Parti has so far spent two years with a trio of writers one white, one Pakistani and one Indian working on her own Partition drama. Its a really exciting drama, its going to be pretty controversial, she says. We portray Churchill as someone who isnt quite the hero that hes been portrayed as in the 15,000 other dramas about him. We see him being incredibly divisive and wanting India for the wrong reasons. I think its really important to tell our story the way we want to tell it, she adds. If the BBC are brave enough to commission a show like that, it will ask really difficult questions, but also tell a side of British history that no one knows. A Suitable Boy airs on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: Vaccine breakthrough Two coronavirus vaccine candidates have proven safe for humans and produced strong immune reactions among patients involved in separate clinical trials, doctors say. The first trial involved more than 1,000 adults in Britain and the second in China more than 500 people. Published in The Lancet medical journal, they constitute a major step on the road towards a COVID-19 vaccine that is effective and safe for widespread use. Meanwhile, British biotech firm Synairgen says a randomised trial of an aerosol-based treatment shows it could drastically reduce the number of new coronavirus patients dying from the disease or requiring intensive care. EU seeks to break summit deadlock European Union chief Charles Michel puts forward a new proposal for a massive, but scaled down, coronavirus rescue plan for the recession-battered bloc, in hopes of breaking four days of deadlock at a summit in Brussels. "I think an agreement is possible," Michel says of his proposal aimed at bridging the divide between frugal EU countries like the Netherlands and Austria and the worst pandemic-hitand most indebtedmembers such as Italy and Spain. 'Acceleration' in Africa The World Health Organization voices alarm at the spread of COVID-19 in Africa, warning South Africa's surging numbers could be a "precursor" for outbreaks across the continent. Until recently, Africa had remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic, but the situation has become increasingly worrying, particularly in South Africa, which has passed the 5,000-death mark. More than 606,600 dead The pandemic has killed at least 606,605 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Monday based on official sources. The United States has the most deaths with 140,534, followed by Brazil with 79,488, Britain with 45,300, Mexico with 39,184, and Italy with 35,045. Improvement in Russia Russia, the world's fourth hardest-hit country in terms of infections, reports fewer than 6,000 new cases for the first time since the end of April. "The situation is improving," President Vladimir Putin says during a visit to Crimea, noting other countries are seeing a "flare-up" in cases. Cricket T20 World Cup postponed The cricket T20 World Cup due to take place in Australia from October 18 has been postponed until next year due to the pandemic, the International Cricket Council announces. A new date is being pencilled in from October to November 2021. Explore further Coronavirus latest global developments 2020 AFP Ayodhya, Jul 20 (UNI) Amid Corona pandemic and opposition wrath on holding the Bhoomi pujan of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya when the entire world is reeling under panic , the Shree Ramjanambhoomi Tirath Khetra Trust was facing problems on selecting the invitees for the August 5 programme. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, invite would be sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and RSS pramukh Mohan Bhagwat. In all around 300 people likely to be sent an invite, sources here on Monday said. However the surprise name was Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray , who too would be invited for the function . Sources said invite for attending the Ram Temple shilanyas programme will also be sent to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. They said, " This decision was taken keeping in mind, his father and Shiv Sena founder Bala Sahib Thackeray's utmost dedication to the temple cause. " Late Bala Sahib was also an accused in demolition case too. Uddhav also visited Ayodhya along with his family and ministers after becoming the CM of Maharashtra and announced to donate generously for the construction of the temple. Already NCP chief Sharad Pawar , the partner of the Maharashtra government, was the first to slam BJP for holding the shilanayas programmee of Ram Temple during such crisis before the country . Now it has to be seen whether Uddhav accepts the invitation and come to Ayodhya or not. Sources said invitations to be sent this week and it will also include Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Meanwhile, as construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya all set to begin from August 5, the trust has finalised the blue print for temple and its surrounding . The trust members said that the basic design and architecture remains the same, as adopted by VHP during the days of temple movement. " Basic design along Vishnu temple Nagara style...(Lord Rama is considered God Vishnu's incarnation).The Garbh griha will be octagonal," they said . However as compared to earlier model length, breadth and height will now be increased. Length now will be between 280 to 300 feet when earlier it was 268 feet while breadth will be between 272 to 280 feet which was earlier 140 feet. The height has been increased to 161 feet which was earlier just 128 feet.The dones too have been increased from 3 to 5 . Sources said the total area of temple goes up to between 76,000 to 84,000 square feet when earlier it was estimated to be around 38,000 square feet. "PM will lay the silver brick while five Brahmins from Kashi will perform the bhoomi pujan. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and all the 15 trustees will attend the function. Besides, the members of the technical team including Chandrakant Sonepura are also expected to be present there, Dr Anil Mishra, one of the trustees confirmed here. Dr Mishra said that Mr Modi is likely to reach Ayodhya at around 12 noon and will stay there for around 3 hours. The Bhoomi pujan ceremony will start in the morning but Mr Modi will join them after noon, he said. VHP plans to put 5 silver bricks as first foundation bricks and the first one of them will be laid by the PM. " Idea behind 5 bricks is to symbolise the 5 actual planets as per the Hindu Mythology ", sources said. UNI MB ADG 1216 By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijans Jewish community has expressed solidarity with Baku over Armenian armed forces recent military provocation in the direction of Tovuz region on the Armenian- Azerbaijani state border, Azertag reported. In a letter addressed to President Ilham Aliyev, the Jewish communities said: Today every Azerbaijani citizen, regardless of nationality or religion, is in solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan and you, and all nations living in Azerbaijan are very proud of this. The international community must also see this strong unity of all nations of Azerbaijan and the idea of solidarity formed in our society under your wise leadership, the letter reads. We, thousands of Jewish communities in Azerbaijan, strongly condemn this provocation and demand that Armenia respond to the provocation committed against Azerbaijan and the outbreak of a new undeclared war. These days, the entire Jewish population of Azerbaijan, as well as the world Jewish community, is closely united around you and the people of Azerbaijan, and we are always ready to join the struggle to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan at your first request. Azerbaijan is our home, and Jews are always ready to fight for the fair resolution of this conflict, for peace and happiness in Azerbaijan, the letter says. The community strongly condemned the acts of aggression committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, stating that this is a serious obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the Armenian- Azerbaijani Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. Such aggression violates international law, the 1994 bilateral ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and contradict the legal documents adopted by the international organizations, resulting in a more than a dozen dead Azerbaijani soldiers, including high-ranking military personnel, the statement reads. Moreover, they called on international organizations, OSCE Minsk Group, to conduct a serious investigation to prevent the escalation of the current military operations in Tovuz and turn it into another war. To call for the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as stated in resolutions 853, 874 and 884. The letter was signed by deputy Anatoly Rafailov, head of the Community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan Melikh Yevdaev and head of the European Jewish Community of Azerbaijan Alexander Sharovsky. It should be noted that, as a result of cross-border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, started on July 12 with Armenia's firing artillery at Azerbaijan's positions in the direction of Tovuz region, Azerbaijani army lost several officers and soldiers. One civilian was killed as a result of artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The idea that Kerry Stokes could privatise Seven West Media's newspaper division was doing the rounds long before the arrival of former Fairfax Media boss Greg Hywood as a consultant. Now, speculation about his plans are more rampant than ever. As Seven's chief executive James Warburton pushes ahead with a restructure of the broadcast and publishing company, all eyes have turned to West Australian Newspapers. The West Australian is the main newspaper in Stokes' home town of Perth, making it an asset very close to the 79-year-old's heart. And it just happens to be receiving Hywood's advice on ways to cut costs and improve its digital strategy. The West Australian editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie. Credit:WAtoday Hywood's appointment was part of "broader transformation" efforts, according to Seven. However, the company has largely remained silent on what specifically it expects from his work. If Warburton's track record to date is anything to go by, a spin-off from the television-focused mothership is a definite possibility. In three weeks' time, Warburton will complete his first year leading Seven. In that time he has sold off a number of assets including its publishing division Pacific Magazines, parts of Seven Studios and its West Australian headquarters. In an industry-first initiative, Indias largest public relations consultancy, Adfactors PR, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based Incubators - Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) and Sardar Patel Technology Business Incubator (SPTBI) - to support emerging startup entrepreneurs in building their go-to-market communication strategies. CIBA and SPTBI are supported by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The MoU represents a commitment from Adfactors PR to use its experience to nurture the upcoming generation of young entrepreneurs at different stages of startup incubation. Adfactors PR is a market innovator in developing communication models that meet the evolving needs of new-age entrepreneurs ranging from Unicorns to early-age ventures. The firm recently launched a new practice designed to support communication strategies in frontier areas such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Quantum Computing, Analytics and Autonomous Mobility. CIBA CEO Prasad Menon said, As a not-for-profit technology business incubator, we have committed ourselves to enabling disruptors. Our incubatees have challenged the Goliaths of the industry with the power of technology that allows them to reach and communicate with prospective customers at relatively low cost and high speed. Therefore for the incubatees, right communication strategy is important and for an incubator a right partner like Adfactors PR is even more important. We look forward to creating value together for these tech innovators. SPTBI Chairperson B. N. Chaudhari said, SP-TBI is a hub of innovation is the city centre. With talent coming from Tech, Engineering and Management background; SP-TBI is striving to become a known name among entrepreneurs. We believe that this partnership with Adfactors is one such step. The mutual goal of developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem will surely deepen this relationship. We are happy to see a fresh journey with Adfactors PR. Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal said, Over the last 22 years, Adfactors PR has built a market-leading position supporting the aspirations of a multitude of Indian entrepreneurs. As an independent Indian firm, it is our privilege to partner with CIBA and SPTBI to build Indias future techpreneurs who are defined by an exponential view of the future. With our vast multi-specialist capabilities, the firm is well-equipped to support todays start-ups evolve into tomorrows Decacorns. STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- The 122nd Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp stands as a backdrop for artist Scott LoBaidos most recent work. Until a protester took exception to what LoBaido had done. LoBaido, who recently held a police rally at the same precinct painted a blue line along the divider on Hylan Boulevard that runs from Bancroft Avenue to Lincoln Avenue. Artist Scott LoBaido painted a blue line along the divider on Hylan Blvd. that runs from Bancroft Avenue to Lincoln Avenue in New Dorp. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) The line, which took about two hours to complete, was painted in bright blue paint. This isnt anti-BLM, said LoBaido. The subtle and simple piece of art is meant to stand as a sign of support for the Police Department, he said. Artist Scott LoBaido in the process of painting a blue line in front of the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. The line painted on the divider of Hylan Blvd runs from Bancroft to Lincoln Ave. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) LoBaido completed the line without a permit explaining that Mayor Bill de Blasio didnt get a permit to paint the streets of New York. The mayor never got a permit to do that street art, so I guess its fair game, he added. Artist Scott LoBaido in the process of painting a blue line in front of the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. The line painted on the divider of Hylan Blvd runs from Bancroft to Lincoln Ave. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) The thin blue line is widely known as the symbol commemorating fallen law enforcement officers. It also symbolizes the relationship between law enforcement and the community. Shortly after the line was completed, a person defaced the work writing Black Lives Matter and other phrases over the freshly painted median. The female protester, who wore a covering over her face, told the Advance, that she felt LoBaidos blue line tribute is making it blue lives versus Black lives, or white lives versus Black lives. She said that Black Lives Matter doesnt mean that all lives dont matter, but that Black lives are in danger right now. The protester would not give her name, but told the Advance that she was a 21-year-old college student who lived on Staten Island. The woman was confronted by a man who yelled at her about what she was doing, including using profane language. The two exchanged words as they walked down the median amid passing cars, and then crossed Hylan Boulevard. Get the f--- off this Island if you dont f------ love it, the man could be heard saying as the two stood at the corner of Hylan and Greeley Avenue. Get the f--- out of this country. The woman, who was using a can of spray paint to write the messages on LoBaidos blue line, soon left the scene in a vehicle. Upon being told that his blue line tribute had been defaced, LoBaido told the Advance that his artwork on the median has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter. Ive been supporting the Police Department with my artwork for the last 10 to 15 years. This is just to boost their morale. He said he would return Tuesday to fix the tribute. Artist Scott LoBaido painted a blue line along the divider on Hylan Blvd. that runs from Bancroft Avenue to Lincoln Avenue in New Dorp. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) Artist Scott LoBaido in the process of painting a blue line in front of the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. The line painted on the divider of Hylan Blvd runs from Bancroft to Lincoln Ave. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) Artist Scott LoBaido etched DIAAH in the blue line which stands for De Blasio is and a** h***. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) Artist Scott LoBaido in the process of painting a blue line in front of the 122nd Precinct in New Dorp. The line painted on the divider of Hylan Blvd runs from Bancroft to Lincoln Ave. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) Artist Scott LoBaido painted a blue line along the divider on Hylan Blvd. that runs from Bancroft Avenue to Lincoln Avenue in New Dorp. July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Alexandra Salmieri) Shortly after the line was completed a person defaced the work writing Black Lives Matter over the newly painted surface in New Dorp on July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Mark Stein) Shortly after the line was completed a person defaced the work writing Black Lives Matter over the newly painted surface in New Dorp on July 20, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Mark Stein) Unidentified protestor who marked up artist Scott LoBaido's 'thin blue line' tribute near the 122nd Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) Protestor defaces artist Scott LoBaido's thin blue line tribute near on Hylan Boulevard median in New Dorp. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) Graffiti on Scott LoBaido's thin blue line tribute near 122nd Precinct stationhouse, New Dorp. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:47:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Almost three decades after the end of the Cold War, zero-summers in Washington seem to be creating another ideological entrenchment, and drumming up for a new confrontation by re-hyping up what they claim to be the "China threat." Among the most notorious China critics is U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has wantonly sought to discredit the Communist Party of China (CPC) and drive a wedge between the Chinese people and the CPC. Most recently, the White House is reportedly weighing a travel ban against all CPC members and their relatives, a population that is estimated to be roughly equal that of the United States. The days when Washington's ideological hawks began to intensify their assault campaign on China and its ruling party well predate the coronavirus outbreak. In its 2017 National Security Strategy, the incumbent U.S. administration described Beijing as a "strategic competitor" and "revisionist power." After that, Washington has launched a tariff war against China, and tried to stoke the so-called "China threat" theory on a wide range of issues concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Taiwan and the South China Sea. One convenient motivation is to manipulate the highly critical public opinion inside the United States and around the world on Washington's failure to contain the outbreak, and to shift blame. There are also a number of deep-seated reasons for Washington's rising anti-China sentiments. One is Washington's deeply ingrained missionary impulse to reshape other countries according to America's own image. In its grand design, the United States intends to transplant the U.S.-style political and economic systems to China through engagement and containment, along with Western values. With this in mind, some in Washington had hoped that China would, as White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien recently said, "become like us." Yet to their disappointment, China, under the CPC's leadership, has made almost improbable economic and social progress while at the same time blazing a new development path that befits its own national conditions and cultural inheritance. With China having become the world's second largest economy, some Washington ideologues fear that another communist country will succeed the Soviet Union, and threaten what they claim is America's global supremacy. That seems to be another major root cause. In an interview published on the Defense Department's website on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said "it's very clear to me and anybody who understands China that they have the ambition to displace us -- certainly from the region and preferably on the global stage." Guided by this ideology, those China hawks have spared no efforts to fabricate all the excuses, ranging from a ripped-off America, to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan, with the sole purpose to crack down on China with all means possible and stunt its future development. In reality, the McCarthyist bigotry has prevented those decision-makers in Washington from getting rid of their obsolete Cold War mentality, and embracing the spirit of multilateralism that has characterized this age of globalization. During the Cold War, the two rivaling blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union had very limited economic and trade interactions. In sharp contrast, countries in today's world are highly connected by an extremely complex web of economic interdependence thanks to fast technological breakthroughs. As a major part of the global economy, China's economy is "not a discrete organism that can easily be separated from the global economy but rather a Siamese twin, connected by nervous tissue, common organs, and a shared circulatory system," said an analysis published recently by U.S. political magazine Foreign Affairs. While those present-day McCarthyists in Washington are instigating America's ideological gap with China, they risk pushing the China-U.S. relationship, arguably the world's most important bilateral relationship of this time, into dangerous territory, and catapulting the international community back into the age of division and rivalry. By threatening to decouple with China, those China hawks will further unleash toxic elements of uncertainty and discord at a time when dynamic global cooperation is needed more than ever to beat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, boost post-pandemic economic recovery, and address such global challenges as combating climate change and fighting terrorism. Thus, it is imperative for them to put aside their McCarthyist bigotry and try to formulate a more rational China policy based on facts, not bias or myths. To do that, the United States should immediately call off its acts of politicization and stigmatization against China, and create a level of mutual respect and trust needed for cooperation. It is beneficial to recall what Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said recently at the China-U.S. Think Tanks Media Forum, "while the U.S. unscrupulously encircles and smears China around the world, and meddles in China's domestic affairs, it should not demand unrealistically that China show understanding and support to the U.S. in bilateral and global affairs." It is also essential for the two sides to reactivate all existing channels of dialogue so as to maintain a smooth flow of communication, and sort out areas where they need to manage their differences, as well as sectors where they can join forces like containing the raging coronavirus pandemic. More than four decades ago at the height of the Cold War, the Chinese and U.S. leaders had managed to set aside ideological differences and normalized bilateral relations. Today, leaders in Washington should join their counterparts in Beijing to muster up even greater political courage and vision and pull the China-U.S. relationship out of perhaps the most severe challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The consequence of failing to do so could be too disastrous for the world to bear. Enditem A man who entered a Metairie convenience store armed with a machete and threatened an employee fled after he was confronted by a customer who was armed with a gun, according to authorities. The blade-wielding suspect was later identified as Robert Merritt, 37, of Metairie. He was taken into custody after returning to the store while deputies were still investigating, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report said. Handcuffed man escapes from JPSO patrol car in Harvey; suspect back in custody Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies spent two hours searching for a handcuffed man who escaped from a patrol car in Harvey Monday morning. The incident began just before 5:30 a.m. at a store in the 2100 block of Cleary Avenue on Friday. An employee told investigators the man later identified as Merritt approached him while he was outside the store, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. Merritt threatened to kill the employee, then walked inside and began taking beers, according to Rivarde. He's accused of again threatening to kill the employee, who had walked inside the store. That's when an unidentified male customer who was also inside the store at the time pulled out his concealed gun and pointed it at Merritt, Rivarde said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up While Merritt was distracted, the employee grabbed the machete and called 911 for help. Merritt allegedly told the employee he'd leave if given back his machete, according to Rivarde. The employee handed back the blade, and Merritt fled the store, dropping his wallet. No other information was available Monday about the other customer and whether he had a valid concealed-carry permit for the firearm. Deputies responded to the scene and were still speaking with the victim when Merritt returned to the business, Rivarde said. The deputies tried to detain Merritt, but he resisted being handcuffed, the arrest report said. One of the deputies used a TASER stun gun, and Merritt was taken into custody. He was arrested and booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Bond was set at $1,000, but Merritt was released the same day because of crowding at the jail. 2-year-old King Hill was last seen on July 7, at 31st and Page Streets in Strawberry Mansion, according to Philadelphia police. Read more The babysitter of a 2-year-old boy who was reported missing in early July is in custody and has been charged with the boys murder. Tianna Parks, 24, also faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of corpse, and related offenses for her role in the death of King Hill, officials with the Philadelphia Police Department, the District Attorneys Office, and the FBI said Monday. Still, a host of questions remained unanswered even after Parks was arraigned and held without bail including how and when she allegedly killed King, and why. He was first reported missing on July 8. His body has not been found. At a news conference at Police Headquarters, officials said virtually everything Parks said during interviews with police was refuted by video and cell-phone evidence. They declined to offer specifics about what that evidence showed, or what Parks said when speaking to detectives. But they said they were confident Parks is responsible for Kings death. We dont right now have a mechanism of King Hills death, we dont know the date of his death. We dont know the location of his death, nor do we know the location of his body, said Anthony Voci, homicide chief at the District Attorneys Office. But we know, based on the evidence that we have, that he was in fact killed by Ms. Parks. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw called Kings death especially devastating given his age, saying the crime has left the entire community shaken. Parks did not have an attorney listed in court documents Monday. Kings mother, Amber Hill, said outside her Strawberry Mansion home Monday that her son had been full of life and a protector for his 7-year-old sister even though he was just a toddler. She said she did not know Parks, and wasnt sure why Parks might have killed her son. Im not going to get closure, she said through tears while seated on the porch. Homicide Capt. Jason Smith said Kings stepfather filed a missing person report with police about two weeks after he dropped the toddler off with Parks, who often assisted him with caring for King. The stepfather told police hed spoken with Parks about Kings whereabouts, Smith said, and told police that Parks said shed dropped King off at his mothers house on July 7. But Smith said the last confirmed sighting of King was actually on July 4 or 5. The case was initially assigned to the Special Victims Unit, but later came to involve the FBI and ultimately the Homicide Unit, as authorities and community members searched for King. Hill, Kings mother, said friends of Parks insulted her on social media as news of the search hit social media. She said the posts, which have since been deleted, were hurtful and deepened her sense of trauma. An arrest warrant was issued Sunday, and Parks was taken into custody Monday morning. One of the most voluble, articulate and appealing contributors to the HBO documentary Showbiz Kids is Cameron Boyce, star of the Disney Channel franchise Descendants and the teen comedy series Jessie. Tragically, Boyce didnt live to see the finished documentary, which is dedicated to him. He was found dead in his bed in July of last year at the age of just 20. When an actor dies so young, the temptation is to jump to conclusions. It was alcoholism, or a drug overdose, or depression-induced suicide. Boyce, however, died in his sleep when his ongoing medical condition, epilepsy, caused him to suffer a fatal seizure. Showbiz Kids a deceptively mundane title for a subtle, nuanced film didnt entirely ignore the more lurid consequences of child stardom. The opening titles featured a montage of some of those who were either damaged or ultimately destroyed by the insane pressure of fame at an early age (Judy Garland, Lindsay Lohan, Corey Haim, River Phoenix), as well as those who survived and prospered (Shirley Temple, Jodie Foster, Ron Howard, Daniel Radcliffe). The final photograph in the montage is of Alex Winter, the films writer and director. Winter, best-known as the co-star (with Keanu Reeves) of the Bill & Ted comedies, has carved out a successful parallel career as a first-rate documentary maker. As a child star, Winter was sexually abused at 13 while appearing in a Broadway show. The fact that hes been through the mincing machine and come out the other side in one piece no doubt gives him a unique affinity with the interviewees here, all of them immediately recognisable faces. Henry Thomas, most recently seen in Netflixs The Haunting of Hill House, was the most famous child star in the world after Stephen Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out in 1982. Thomas talks of not really understanding what was happening to him he was a kid of 11 who just wanted to play with his toys and of feeling imposter syndrome around the other child actors (seven-year-old Drew Barrymore, who played his little sister, was practically a movie veteran). Hes painfully honest on the moment when you realise your career as a child star is over. While waiting at auditions in the late 80s, he noticed producers would take turns to surreptitiously look him over. Theyd expected to see the same cute 11-year-old from E.T. What they got instead was a gangly kid on the cusp of adolescence. The audition would be postponed until another day, which never arrived. Wil Wheaton, who shot to fame in Stand By Me and appeared as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, makes it clear it was his mother, her own acting ambitions thwarted, who pushed him towards Hollywood. I gave up my childhood for this industry, and it wasnt my choice, he says. Wheaton hated being trapped in the teen idol box and withdrew from Hollywood by choice. He still acts when he wants to, but his main career now is as a successful writer, publisher and blogger. On the other hand, Mara Wilson, who sparkled in Mrs Doubtfire and Matilda, desperately wanted to be an actor. Video of the Day By her teens, though, with her button-cute moppet days receding, she found herself targeted on one side by internet creeps who faked up porn pictures of her, and on the other by leering older men in Hollywood. She pulled the plug and went to university. Others here still in the business, including Milla Jovovich and Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood, speak of being sexualised at a grotesquely young age, while they were still struggling to work out their own feelings and sexuality. That they all stayed alive and sane is a small miracle. In between the interviews, the film focuses on two young hopefuls one of them, you suspect, there because of his pushy parents doing the annual round of TV pilot season auditions. You yearn to tell them to go home now and just be normal kids, before its too late. 4 stars Tehran, July 20 : The Taliban militant group has no office in Iran, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed, while rejecting reports claiming otherwise. Araqchi made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Afghanistan's TOLO News which was published by Iranian media on Sunday, Press TV reported. He added that the group "may have established a council" in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, "but this does not concern us". Araqchi said Iran has been in contact with the Taliban over the past few years. "As is the case with other (Afghan) groups, we have been in contact with them as well. We heard their opinions and expressed ours as well." The Iranian official further said that it is the US who "has negotiated with the Taliban and made a deal with them. We have no such relationship with the Taliban". The Taliban and the US signed a peace deal in February in an effort to end the nearly two-decade war in Afghanistan. State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation Bern, 20.07.2020 - The Confederation will continue to draw on independent scientific expertise from academic and research circles during the special situation in accordance with the Epidemics Act. The FDHA General Secretariat and the Federal Office of Public Health have accordingly adapted the mandate of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force (SN-STF), which was set up during the epidemiological extraordinary situation. From 1 August 2020, the Task Force will have a new chair in Prof. Martin Ackermann, expert in microbiology at the ETH Zurich and Eawag. The present head, Prof. Matthias Egger, will continue to act as an expert for the SN-STF, but in future will be focusing on his work as president of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation and as an lecturer in epidemiology at the University of Bern. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Councils Coronavirus Crisis Unit (KSBC), the Federal Office of Public Health and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation set up the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force (SN-STF) as a scientific advisory body at the end of March 2020. With the end of the extraordinary situation and the dissolution of the KSBC, the SN-STF no longer has the original official foundation for its continued existence. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) will continue with the tasks defined in the Epidemics Act during the special situation. These include interdepartmental coordination and drawing on scientific expertise. Accordingly, the FDHA and the FOPH has adapted the mandate of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, the general objective being to obtain independent scientific advice from the team of experts activated by the SN-STF. The SN-STF will be headed from 1 August by its new chair, Prof. Martin Ackermann. Martin Ackermann is an expert in microbiology at the ETH Zurich and Eawag. He was formerly vice chair of the advisory panel coordinating the task forces activities. The task force will continue to include experienced experts in relevant fields from Swiss academic and research institutions. The Federal Council thanks the SN-STF for its work so far, and in particular its departing chair, Prof. Matthias Egger, who will continue to act as a task force expert but who will in future again be focusing on his work as president of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation and as a lecturer at the University of Bern. Under his leadership, the 60 or so experts making up the task force have produced at least 40 scientific policy briefs answering questions raised by the authorities over the past three months. This voluntary and unremunerated work has considerably aided federal crisis management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on its new mandate, the task force will also continue to provide the latest scientific knowledge so that COVID-19 can be contained and overcome in Switzerland. Address for enquiries FOPH media, media@bag.admin.ch SERI media, medien@sbfi.admin.ch Publisher State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation http://www.sbfi.admin.ch Federal Office of Public Health http://www.bag.admin.ch The Future Project in partnership with Rubbin Minds yesterday held the 5th edition of The Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders themed Leaping the Bounds: Making Government Work. Hosted by youth advocate and media personality, Seyi Awolowo, the annual Symposium avails Nigerian youth the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking conversations with public office holders and heads of parastatals on specific challenges facing the nation. The program which aired live on Channels TV kicked off with an interview session featuring the Honourable Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, who spoke about the state of the Nigerian health sector saying, the current state of medical teaching in the country is abysmal, due to funding and lack of commitment on the part of current lecturers compared to what obtained in the past. According to the Minister, the pandemic has brought to the fore the extant need to massively invest in the health sector, the absence of which has made the sector unattractive and susceptible to brain drain. He also stated that, in every seemingly bad situation, some good can come out of it as the global pandemic has brought with it, a call to revamp the Nigerian health sector as structures are currently being built and the welfare of health care workers is currently being looked into in terms of salaries, and insurance scheme. The first session themed, No Flight Out: Fixing the Nigerian Health Sector, focused on Nigerias ailing healthcare system and emphasised how leaders and key players in the health sector need to provide answers to why swift measures were not taken to curb the pandemic given the inadequacy of health structures. The second session titled, Conversations on Hunger Virus, circled in on poverty and its place as the principal cause of hunger in the country. Speaking on the conversations on hunger virus, Vice President, Care for Heroes, Aisha Salis, stated that, Until the government, business owners, and entrepreneurs start taking agriculture seriously, we will still keep coming back to the problem of hunger in Nigeria. Honourable Onofiok Luke highlighted poor transportation systems for conveying food products from the farm to market places, and little or no provision of storage facilities for perishable food items as a major reason for starvation within the masses. From leadership crises to high maternal mortality rates, the third session, Clocking 60: Business as Usual, focused on the slow growth of Nigeria post-independence as well as specifics required for the much-needed transformation. Speaking on the event, Lead, The Future Project, Bukonla Adebakin said, The Future Project is proud to return again this year as we have for the past five years, to shed light on matters of importance on the national level. These conversations will drive us towards tough and highly needed answers. Our symposia have been important points of national and cultural discourse and we are hoping that in this time of so much uncertainty and structural mistrust that we can get answers and enrich our perspectives. Speakers at the Symposium include Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora; Members of the House of Representatives, Hon. Luke Onofiok; Hon. Kabir Ibrahim Tukura; Hon. Babajide Balogun; Hon. Najibullah Tafida; and Honourable Hafiz Kawu; Executive Director, YIAGA, Samson Itodo; Social advocate, Maryam Laushi; and VP, Care for Heroes, Aisha Salis. Watch here: The Future Project is a network of young and vibrant Africans with a mandate to build empowered citizens across Africa, through inclusive enterprise and active citizenship. Their vision is to inspire a generation of equipped leaders committed to social and economic development in Africa. Chicago police officers investigate the scene of a deadly shooting in Chicago, Ill., on July 5, 2020. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Police: 70 People Shot, 10 Fatally, in Chicago Weekend Shootings Officials said that 70 people were shot, 10 fatally, in Chicago on the weekend starting on Friday evening and ending early Monday morning. During the same weekend last year, 43 people were shot, including three deaths, across the city. More than 60 people were shot across Chicago last weekend, including 13 fatalities. On Monday, police told the Chicago Sun-Times the latest fatal shooting occurred on Sunday night in the Far South Sides Morgan Park. The incident took place at around 11:52 p.m. after someone opened fire on a group of people standing outside, killing a 41-year-old male and a 26-year-old man. In the shootings, two of the victims who were wounded were 10- and 11-year-old boys who gathered for a vigil near where their relative was shot and killed two years ago. Chicago Police officers and detectives investigate a shooting where multiple people were shot in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 5, 2018. (Joshua Lott/Getty Images) My son was murdered two years ago today, and we were out here to celebrate my son and celebrate his life and here they come down the street, Juanita Youngblood, the mother of the slain relative, told the Sun-Times. This is my family. Im tired of this here. Thats my father sitting on the porch, they couldve got him. Something really needs to be done about this here. Im tired of it. Officials and a family member told the paper that both children are in good condition after the shooting. The 10-year-old was shot in the calf and ankle, and the 11-year-old was shot in the arm. The weekends first shooting left three people injured, including a 14-year-old boy, a few hours earlier in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, officials told ABC7 in Chicago. Two water companies are working with farmers using online platform EnTrade to encourage the growing of cover crops following a successful trial last year. The project will target a 50 percent increase in nitrate capture from North Hertfordshire and South Cambridgeshire farmers in 2020/21. Affinity Water and Cambridge Water said the project aimed to help maintain the quality of drinking water and boost farmers' soil health. In 2020/21 the water firms will work with eighteen farms in the region, consisting of around 800 hectares. Farmers will capture 37.4 tonnes of nitrate which could otherwise leach into the chalk aquifers that are used to supply drinking water. Cover crops, grown in the autumn and winter months between cash crops, are seen as a good measure in capturing excess nitrate left in the soil. Without a cover crop, nitrate has the potential to leach into the aquifer or into nearby rivers, increasing the nitrate concentration which would then require water treatment. Both companies said that growing a cover crop can also help build organic matter in soils, protect them from erosion and attract farmland birds. In 2019/20, they worked with 11 farms in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire to fund the capture of 24 tonnes of nitrate from 488 hectares of land. Matthew Doggett, who farms on the Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire border near Royston, is taking part in the EnTrade scheme. He said: "As farmers, we need to keep innovating to ensure that we can deliver healthy crop yields and a healthy environment. "Cover crops are a new experience for me and should provide benefits in terms of the soil health and preventing the leaching of nitrates from the soil in the autumn. EnTrade reverse auctions are run via an online platform that facilitates environmental improvements. This years payment to farmers is on average 109 per ha with higher payments made to those crops that capture more nitrate, such as oil radish, and those that are planted earlier. HOUSTON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA has again been honored by Javelin Strategy & Research, with the independent research firm naming the bank's online banking service as a leader in its 2020 Online Banking Scorecard. BBVA was named a "leader" in the scorecard's Money Movement category for the first time, marking the second consecutive year the bank has been named a leader in a Javelin Online Banking scorecard category. The bank was previously honored as a leader in Financial Fitness in 2019 and 2017. "We are proud and honored to have our online banking recognized by Javelin yet again," said BBVA USA Head of Client Solutions Jose Luis Elechiguerra. "As we have seen throughout the pandemic, our customers have time and again used all of our digital solutions to manage their finances. Ranking as a leader for online banking in Javelin's report shows the breadth and depth of our digital capabilities, and their strength from end-to-end." For its scorecard, Javelin evaluates 25 top U.S. financial institutions across 201 features and ranks them from highest to lowest in six categories. Categories are weighted according to customer feedback on what is most important to their satisfaction with online banking. In the Money Movement category, Javelin looks to understand the financial institution's ability to allow customers to move money easily and securely with confidence, giving the category a 15% overall weighting in the study. BBVA USA has been consistently recognized by Javelin for its mobile and online capabilities over the course of many years - for online banking in 2017 and 2019 and for mobile from 2014 through 2019. "Receiving this recognition from Javelin tells us that we're on the right path, but there is always more to do and more room for improvement," said BBVA USA Head of Retail Customers Solutions Development Manolo Moure. "Rather than rest on our laurels, we'll keep pushing forward to ensure customers have what they need, when they need it. After all, data and technology are a key pillar in our new 5-year strategic plan. We will continue to build on the overall strength we have in our digital solutions to make sure our customers have the tools and ability to manage their finances in the way they want." In recent weeks, BBVA USA has announced the launch of two new digital services - Mobile 9.0 and Expanded Transaction Detail - and its plans to open 15 new branches in 2021 across Texas. Each initiative underscores the bank's 5-year strategic plan, launched in early 2020. For more on BBVA USA, visit www.bbvausa.com . 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 bbva.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 Report Projects When Polar Bear Populations Will Begin to Collapse Steven Amstrup, an adjunct professor in the University of Wyomings Department of Zoology and Physiology, is co-author of a new paper that calculates the threshold number of days that polar bears can fast before cub and/or adult survival rates begin to decline. (Steven Amstrup Photo) For the first time, scientists have answered the critical question of when the persistence of polar bear populations in different parts of the Arctic will be threatened due to sea ice loss from global warming. Declines in global polar bear populations have long been predicted as sea ice loss continues. This new paper, published today (Monday) in Nature Climate Change, projects when polar bear populations in different parts of the Arctic will cross thresholds of food deprivation, leading to rapid declines in reproduction and survival. Steven Amstrup, who conceived the project and is a co-author of the paper, is chief scientist of Polar Bears International and an adjunct professor in the University of Wyoming Department of Zoology and Physiology. Polar bears require sea ice for capturing their seal prey. In response to declining summer sea ice, they are forced onto land or follow the remaining ice as it drifts over deep, unproductive waters. In both cases, polar bears are largely food deprived. Prolonged fasting periods have been linked to reduced body condition, reproduction and survival in some polar bear populations, and continued sea ice loss ultimately threatens polar bears Arctic-wide. When lowered ice availability will reach critical limits for polar bears in different parts of their range, however, previously had not been determined. This is because data linking sea ice decline to reproduction and survival are lacking for most of the 19 polar bear populations and cannot be measured in advance for future low ice extremes. In this study, we flipped the focus so that future reproduction and survival -- the vital demographic parameters of interest -- become model outputs rather than required but unobtainable inputs, Amstrup says. By estimating the whole-body energy content of polar bears and modeling their energy use, we were able to calculate the threshold number of days that polar bears can fast before cub and/or adult survival rates begin to decline, says Peter Molnar, of the University of Toronto-Scarborough, who built the energetics model and is first author of the paper. Intersecting these fasting impact thresholds with the projected future number of days that sea ice will be absent, the researchers were able to project when fasting impact thresholds will be exceeded in different parts of the Arctic, says climate scientist Cecilia Bitz, of the University of Washington-Seattle. Bitz, second author of the paper, was one of the original developers of the Community Earth Systems Model, used here to project the number of future ice-free days where each polar bear population lives. My colleagues approach to modeling the trajectory of the various subpopulations of polar bears represents an innovative solution to uncertainties resulting from previous work. They used first principles of physiology to estimate the ability of polar bears to withstand extended periods of fasting, says University of Wyoming Professor Merav Ben-David, who has been studying polar bears with Amstrup for 20 years but was not involved in this project. This is an important tool for our continued conservation efforts of this species. The models outcomes are consistent with previous projections that polar bears are likely to persist to 2100 only in a few High Arctic populations, based upon current warming trends. By focusing on the biological mechanisms determining how prolonged fasting impacts reproduction and survival, the model now can provide detailed timelines for when and how different populations will be affected. The reliability of the papers projections is affirmed by noting that models projections captured demographic changes in populations where climate change impacts are already evident. Previously, we knew that polar bears would ultimately disappear unless we halt greenhouse gas rise. But knowing when they will begin to disappear in different areas is critical for informing management and policy -- and inspiring action, Amstrup says. Our finding that moderate emissions reductions may prolong global persistence, but are unlikely to prevent the extirpation of several populations, emphasizes the urgency of more ambitious emissions cuts. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced it will serve new non-GMO and certified organic Lemonades, Aguas Frescas, and Tea from farmer-created Tractor Beverage Co. at participating locations starting July 21. Chipotle is excited to offer beverages that use sustainably grown real ingredients, meeting its Food with Integrity standards. For more information on Chipotle's new Tractor Beverage Co. offerings, fans can visit: chipotle.com/tractorbeverages. Chipotle will serve new non-GMO and certified organic Lemonades, Aguas Frescas, and Tea from farmer-created Tractor Beverage Co. at participating locations starting July 21. All Tractor Beverages sold by Chipotle will help support the U.S. agricultural industry, with 5% of Chipotles profits from its sale of these beverages being donated to causes that support farmers. Four new flavors of Tractor Beverages will be offered at Chipotle exclusively for in-restaurant dining and carryout orders: Organic Lemonade, Organic Hibiscus Lemonade, Organic Mandarin Agua Fresca, and Organic Berry Agua Fresca. In addition, two new bottled Tractor Beverages, Organic Lemonade and Organic Black Tea, will be available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders. The agreement with Tractor Beverage Co. also marks the brand's first national philanthropic product integration. All Tractor Beverages sold by Chipotle will help support the U.S. agricultural industry, with 5% of Chipotle's profits from its sale of these beverages being donated to causes that support farmers. Funds will expand Chipotle's existing farmer programs including long-term contracts, increased local sourcing, scholarships and grants to start, run or grow farming operations, among others. "Adding Tractor Beverage Co. products and introducing Beverages with Integrity is a notable evolution for the Chipotle menu," said Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer. "Now our fans can enjoy delicious, all-natural drinks made with real ingredients while supporting the farming community." Four new flavors of Tractor Beverages will be offered at Chipotle exclusively for in-restaurant dining and carryout orders: Organic Lemonade This crisp organic lemonade is the perfect blend of tangy and sweet, made with real lemons and cane sugar. It also includes turmeric, known for its vitamin C content. Organic Hibiscus Lemonade Tart hibiscus flowers, known to be rich in potassium, are paired with fresh citrus in this riff on a classic lemonade. in this riff on a classic lemonade. Organic Mandarin Agua Fresca This refreshing agua fresca is packed with vitamin C thanks to tart citrus, orange and tangerine. Organic Berry Agua Fresca Organically grown pomegranates, strawberries and cherries are combined to make a just-sweet-enough agua fresca, which also features a hint of apple cider vinegar. In addition, two new bottled Tractor Beverages created for Chipotle will be available for dine-in, takeout and delivery orders: Organic Lemonade Organic Black Tea Sri Lankan Black Tea mixed with cane sugar and a hint of lemon to create a bold, yet delicate drink. Organic farmer Travis Potter founded Tractor Beverage Co. in 2015 on the simple idea that great food deserves great drinks. The company's entire portfolio of drinks is non-GMO, completely organic and entirely natural. Tractor Beverage Co. is the first and only non-GMO and certified organic full line beverage solution available for food service. "This is a dream collaboration for two brands committed to using all-natural ingredients, sustainable sourcing and supporting farmers," said Travis Potter, founder of Tractor Beverage Co. "Our Tractor Beverages pair perfectly with Chipotle's real food and will bring entirely new flavors to the brand's dining experience." Beyond the new Organic Beverages program, Chipotle most recently supported farmers in its supply chain by assisting in the development of eCommerce sites within the Chipotle Virtual Farmers' Market , an online marketplace where consumers can buy real ingredients online, directly from the brand's suppliers. To date, Chipotle and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation have contributed over $500,000 to support the next generation of farmers. The brand is empowering the next generation of farmers by offering education, scholarships, grants, and three-year contracts to young farmers. Additionally, Chipotle's Aluminaries Project 2.0 accelerator program is helping growth stage ventures across the country advance innovative solutions in farming. ABOUT CHIPOTLE Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had over 2,600 restaurants as of March 31, 2020, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. With more than 85,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. Steve Ells, founder and former executive chairman, first opened Chipotle with a single restaurant in Denver, Colorado in 1993. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM. ABOUT TRACTOR BEVERAGE CO. Tractor Beverage Company was founded on the simple premise that great food deserves great drinks. Tractor believes that drinks can be sourced, prepared and poured with all the love, attention and intention as the food we eat. As the first and only Certified Organic, Non-GMO full line beverage solution available for food service, Tractor's drinks are exclusively connected to the dining experience. Tractor's beverages are 100% Certified Organic, Non-GMO and All-Natural, containing no artificial flavoring or preservatives. Its wide portfolio of specialty and fountain drinks contain over 15 unique flavors such as Stone Fruit, Strawberry Rhubarb, Cherry Cream and Lemongrass. Tractor beverages are poured in eateries nationwide including Chipotle, CoreLife Eatery, Jose Andres' Beefsteak, Umami Burger, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Pokeworks. The brand will also soon be launching a charitable initiative, The Tractor Collective, which will aim to transform the standards within the industry along the entire food supply chain to lead the way to a more sustainable and flourishing future for restaurants, consumers, and farmers. For more information, please visit drinktractor.com. SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Related Links http://WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM Mark Zuckerberg has been compared to the Joker, Mrs Doubtfire, a moon and even a lizard after plastering lashings of sunscreen on his face to go surfing in Hawaii. The Facebook chief, 36, appeared to take extreme precautions against any sun damage during the beach outing Saturday. But his safety first summer look sparked a wave of memes across the internet by Twitter users who dubbed him the 'mime surfer' and suggested he had been taking fashion tips from a snake. Several people compared the tech billionaire to various incarnations of Batman's Joker. After pictures of his over zealous sunscreen application went viral journalist Kevin Fallon wrote: 'An exclusive photo of my sleep paralysis demon.' Facebook CEO took extreme precautions against any sun damage during the outing Saturday His trip comes three weeks after locals on the island of Kauai called on the tech billionaire to stop colonizing the land, claiming he is suing natives in order to build a mansion on their land. The Change.org campaign was launched three weeks ago and has since garnered more than 800,000 signatures. His safety first summer look sparked a wave of memes across the internet by Twitter users who dubbed him the 'mime surfer' and suggested he had been taking fashion tips from a snake Sana Saeed shared a collection of pictures of Zuckerberg over the years, writing: 'google photos of mark zuckerberg over the years and you can see the human leave his body year by year.' Another user simply compared him to the moon from British comedy The Mighty Boosh. Bill Williamsoon photo-shopped a snake's tongue onto the image, adding: 'Mark Zuckerberg goes sssssurfing.' Sean Scheidt wrote: 'I can't get over what Zuckerberg looks like without his human make up on his face.' Several people compared the tech billionaire to various incarnations of Batman's Joker He moved around on his $12,000 electric Efoil board next to pro surfer Kai Lenny, who went shirtless and without visible sunscreen for the day out. His security followed behind in close proximity on a boat, onlookers say. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan acquired a 700-plus acre property for $200million in Kauai back in 2014. Locals on the island have called on the tech billionaire to stop colonizing the land, claiming he is suing natives in order to build a mansion on their land. A Change.org campaign was launched three weeks ago and has since garnered more than 800,000 signatures. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:59:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan police seized 4.85 tons of cannabis near the western city of Agadir, official radio reported on Monday. The banned substance was concealed in a shipment of watermelon inside two pickup trucks, it said, adding that the operation occurred on Sunday night in the town of Ait Melloul near Agadir. One person was arrested for suspected links to a criminal drug trafficking network, and many material were seized including an important sum of money, it added. Despite efforts to crack down on cannabis cultivation during the past decade, Morocco remains one of the world's largest producers of the narcotic plant, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Moroccan security services have seized a total of 179,657 kg of cannabis in 2019, according to official statistics. Enditem A mother selling her leather jacket online was left feeling uneasy after a man with a fetish for zippers and used clothes sent her a string of disturbing messages. The woman, from Strathfield in Sydney's Inner West, was messaged by the creep after trying to sell her old leather jacket on Facebook marketplace. The man wanted to know what letters were imprinted on the metal of the zipper and showed interest in buying it, news.com.au reported. When the woman said it was a YKK zip, the man asked her if she had any other jeans or clothing with a similar zipper in 'any size and any condition.' A mother selling a leather jacket was left feeling uneasy after a man with a taste for women's clothing zippers contacted her for some close-up images The conversation took a dark turn when she happily obliged and replied seriously, thinking he might have wanted to buy the jacket for his girlfriend. 'Are the zips hard to get now?,' she replied. The man began to hint at the real reason he wanted to know about her zipper and asked her if she wanted to know. When the mother said she did want to know, the man asked: 'Do you judge?' 'Please let me know if you're serious about the transaction,' the woman responded to the man's question. The man replied: 'Yeah I am. I just asked a question but I'm guessing by your response you do?' When the woman replied with a photo of the zipper, the man asked her if she had any other 'old worn jeans' for sale He began to hint at the real reason he wanted to know about the woman's zipper and he asked her if she wanted to know He said he didn't judge people as everyone is 'different' and agreed to buy the clothes for $300. However he never transferred the money to the woman. The mother said she was left feeling 'absolutely creeped out' by what had happened. She also said she felt violated by the experience. The man has reportedly messaged at least six other women since 2018 in a similar manner as he 'can't help' himself. Karachi: Nearly 43 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured on Saturday in a blast at a popular shrine in Pakistan's volatile Balochistan province, officials said. The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine. Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which "several" people were killed. However, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation told local media that nearly 30 people, including women and children, were dead and around 100 injured in the blast. "Our local focal person has told that about 30 people were killed," said the Trust's Hakeem Lassi. Bugti said it was a remote area and it would be quite a task to retrieve the dead and injured when already darkness engulfed the region. So far nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift injured to the hospitals," Lassi said. He said the casualties have been confirmed to them by the organisers of the shrine in Lasbela. The local tehsildar in Lasbela, Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the Shah Noorani shrine were not properly arranged. "It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said. He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing in a trance inside the compound of the shrine. This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bomb going off in the province since August. In August about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. There is "no so-called broad interpretation" of the national security law for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the criminal activities it bans are "very clearly defined" in it, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "I think the national security law, if we read it carefully, has six chapters and 66 articles. If you read all of them very carefully, you can see there is a very clear definition about the criminal activities the law would ban. It's very clearly defined," said Cui in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS show, which was aired on Sunday. "There is no so-called broad interpretation. It's very clearly defined, the kind of actions, the kind of acts that will be banned by the law. So if people have no interest in getting themselves involved in such acts, they have nothing to worry about," he said. Cui noted China's guiding policy for the governance of Hong Kong is still "one country, two systems." "This has not changed. This will not change in the future. Hong Kong is now part of China. We have to defend our own country's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "This is what is meant by 'one country.'" "And within the framework of 'one country', on the basis of secure and stable 'one country,' 'two systems' can prosper in parallel, can prosper together. That's what is meant by 'one country, two systems,'" the ambassador explained. "The new law is intended just for that purpose, to maintain and safeguard 'one country, two systems,' to make Hong Kong more stable, more secure for everybody, for the Hong Kong residents as well as for foreign investors," he said, adding people could have a more predictable, safer environment to do their business in Hong Kong. "That's the real purpose of this law." "According to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, some of the national laws do apply to Hong Kong when they are concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity, unity of the country," he said. "They have to apply; otherwise, there's no 'one country.' But if people try to undermine or even destroy this very basis of 'one country,' then there is no place for the 'two systems.' So if people try to undermine 'one country,' they're actually undermining the 'two systems' as well," he said. Many charges are levelled at EU farming, but one that doesnt stick is gender balance. Maybe those who believe that farming damages the environment, or who are unhappy with food quality, or food prices, suspect that farming in Europe is run by a bunch of grumpy old men. However, it is not. In recent years, many of the ministers for agriculture in member states have been women. And women are in line to lead EU agriculture from January 2020 to January 2022, as the agriculture ministers of their countries during four successive EU presidencies. At the recent informal video-conference of Ministers responsible for Agriculture on June 29, no fewer than eight of the 27 member states were represented by women. And when discussion turned to fisheries, two more women ministers were involved. The video-conference was hosted by Croatias Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic, who had the pleasure of handing over to another woman minister, as Germany took over the six-month EU presidency from Croatia. For a second six-month EU presidency, a woman minister will plan and chair meetings in the EU Council of agriculture ministers, and represent the council in relations with other EU institutions Croatias minister of agriculture Marija Vuckovic, right, greeting Germanys minister of agriculture and food, Julia Klockner, with an elbow bump. They are numbers one and two of four women playing a major role in EU farm policy decisions, as their countries agriculture ministers in four successive EU presidency roles. Germanys Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Julia Klockner, is the new chair, and the council includes women agriculture ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Slovenia. Female marine ministers from Belgium and Poland will be involved. And when Germanys EU presidency ends at the New Year, Maria do Ceu Albuquerque, if she is still in office as Portugals Minister for Agriculture, will take over the hot seat. After her will come Slovenias EU presidency, their current agriculture minister is Darja Majkovic. Whether the female influence, chairing up to 24 months of the EU presidency, will be seen in outcomes for EU agriculture and fisheries remains to be seen. But incoming chair Julia Klockner is likely to make an impression. She will certainly feel at home during the traditional informal Ministers meeting at the end of August in Koblenz, with a field trip on the topics of wine and digitisation. She was the German Wine Queen in the mid-1990s, travelling to Italy, China, Oman and the US, and meeting dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, and Michael Gorbachev. A member of the Bundestag before the age of 30, the 46-year-old is one of the deputy chairpersons of the Christian Democratic Union, Angela Merkels ruling party. In 2016, she lost an election for Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, which could have brought her nearer to contention as a successor to Chancellor Merkel. More conservative than Merkel in some ways, she has opposed Merkels open-door asylum policy, and has called for a German ban of the burqa, the full-body garment used by some Muslim women, and for laws to incentivise migrants to integrate. However, she is somewhat of an exception amid the seriousness and sobriety of German politics, glamorous and always ready to smile for the cameras. She has an ambitious $886 million plan to reforest Germany, after climate change affected nearly 2% of the countrys forests. European Commissioner for Agriculturer Janusz Wojciechowski with, from left , Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas Puchades, and German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Julia Klockner, at a recent EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Kloeckner grew up on a farm which had horses, cows and pigs; farmers will appreciate her links to and knowledge of the land. She says mastering Covid-19 and mitigating its impact will be her priority for the six months of the German EU presidency. The presidency will also focus on digitalisation in agriculture, and on rural development. The presidency can steer the direction of policy-making, but has to be impartial to the point of voting with the majority of member states, even if it goes against its own position. Kloeckner has stressed the importance of functioning supply chains, a common market approach, and free movement of workers in the EU during the pandemic. She wants to move animal welfare higher on the European agenda, and to introduce an EU animal welfare label for informed purchasing decisions by consumers in favour of higher animal welfare standard products. Kloeckner says environment and climate protection, animal welfare, food security, and economic feasibility must be linked. Farmers must not be crushed between environmental protection rules and economic feasibility. She has pushed for speedy approval of the EU agriculture budget, followed by a CAP reform with more environment and climate protection. George Opare Addo 20.07.2020 LISTEN The Economic Fighters League (EFL) has condemned what it described as irresponsible utterances made by the Natiknal Democratic Congress (NDC) National Youth Organizer, George Opare Addo. EFL has also condemned violence by the youth of the NPP. Head of Communications Command, EFL, Bilkis Nuhu Kokroko, in a statement, said the utterances by Mr Opare Addo are careless, inciteful words and do not serve the People, but rather his own political goals, and those of his party. We equally condemn all acts of violence perpetrated by the ruling NPP, the statement said. The Youth should remember how the governing New Patriotic Party supervised violence in the Ayawaso West Wuougon by-election, it added. The statement claimed that both the NDC and the NPP have proven time and time again that you do not matter so long as they end up holding YOUR power. The Youth must always choose nationalism over political hooliganism. We also note that the NDC, like the NPP, have chosen to use the clenched fist in their communications, a symbol we use in our logo out of respect to its symbolism of resistance, unity, and defiance. Both the NDC and the NPP are the foundations that underpin a system that oppresses the People of Ghana and as such we find it laughable that they are attempting to portray themselves as 'for the People'. Their divisive, exploitative tactics have long shown this not to be true, it added. The EFL wishes to remind both the NDC and the NPP that the message for Economic Freedom does not lie in symbols, but in a people who believe that the future of Economic Freedom is possible for all of us in our life time, it added. Toying with symbols that represent freedom while upholding systems of oppression is an attempt to confuse the People and must stop. The awakening is happening, and only the TRUTH will stand, regardless of whether you represent yourself with an elephant, an umbrella, or a fist. The EFL encourages young people to stay away from any form of violence on behalf of any political party. It does not serve you. Do not allow yourself to be used as a tool in the hands of the people who have used your taxes to give their children better lives while your health care system and education continue to remain in shambles. If you must Fight, use your pen, use your mind, use your considered Action to demand for better economic systems. ---Daily Guide BRIDGEPORT After a forced 4-month hibernation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the citys 132-year-old Golden Hill Street courthouse reopens Monday. But questions remain about how one of the states busiest courthouses, as well as one of its oldest, will be able to function under the strict guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. City lawyer Frank Riccio II is president of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and could have the first test of the new procedures in place at the courthouse with the arraignment of murder suspect Jefton Brown. GA2 (Golden Hill courthouse) averages 200 to 300 people per day, so it remains to be seen how it is going to operate now, Riccio said. I would be very concerned from a safety standpoint if they were going to try to return to normal there but I know the Judicial Branch is doing everything they can to try and limit the number of people in the courthouse. According to a statement by the state Judicial Branch, proceedings at the Golden Hill Street courthouse will be limited to 50 percent capacity. Masks will be required to be worn in the courthouse and the branch has instituted an enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocol. The Judicial Branch states that, as in the Main Street court, social-distancing markers have been installed to encourage people to remain 6 feet apart, protective barrier have been installed at the metal detectors at the entrances and office spaces have been rearranged to maintain 6-feet distances among employees. Traditionally, the Golden Hill court handles all criminal arraignments. Major felony cases are then transferred to the Fairfield County Courthouse on Main Street. But all motor vehicle cases as well as lesser felony cases are still prosecuted at the Golden Hill court. When the Golden Hill court was closed in March, all cases were transferred to the Fairfield County Courthouse along with the criminal cases from the closed Stamford, Norwalk, Milford and Derby courthouses. Late last month Stamford and Milford reopened but the Golden Hill cases continued to be heard at the Main Street courthouse. The pandemic forced the Judicial Branch to use video for the first time in criminal cases. The Fairfield County Courthouse, which was built in the early 1970s, presented some challenges but officials there were able to set up an arrangement where defendants in the courts basement lockup, their public defenders and the bail commissioner could all be seen on a large video monitor by a judge at the same time. Officials said the courthouse, built in 1888, has a much larger lockup area than the Main Street courthouse, making it more practical for the large number of arraignments. As with the Main Street courthouse, a large-screen video monitor has been set up in a courtroom in the Golden Hill Street courthouse so that a judge in the courtroom can view defendants in the lockup, with public defenders and bail commissioners in their offices during arraignments. Private lawyers are still going to have to be in the courtroom during the arraignments. Only a limited number of family of defendants will be allowed into the courthouse. Leaders began their meetings Friday with careful adherence to social distancing rules: Many of them were masked, and they met in a vast room built to seat 330. Merkel was even photographed admonishing Bulgarias leader for allowing his mask to slip off his nose. But the masks came off as the discussions devolved, and leaders, ambassadors and advisers huddled close together to examine budget figures and new formulas. Some smaller negotiation sessions did take place on outdoor terraces and balconies, where the viral risk is presumably lower. Refusal to sign HK election papers an attention-seeking ploy Global Times By Chen Qingqing and Zhao Yusha Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/19 23:16:37 Candidates from HK's anti-government camps -- including secessionist Joshua Wong Chi-fung --who refuse to sign nomination papers requiring them to pledge to uphold Hong Kong's Basic Law are simply making meaningless political gestures, aimed at enhancing their political profile. The nomination period for the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election in Hong Kong starts Saturday and runs until July 31. "Any candidate who wishes to run in the election must, in accordance with Section 40(1)(b)(i) of the Legislative Council Ordinance, sign a declaration on the nomination form stating the person will uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Otherwise, he or she cannot be a valid candidate," a spokesperson for the Electoral Affairs Commission told reporters on Thursday. Some members of the city's opposition camps, including Wong, said they don't intend to the declaration of allegiance to the city. Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai and two candidates from the People Power party on Wednesday became the first to publicly say they will not sign the declaration form. Their defiance, which disqualifies them as candidates, serves as a political gesture without any practical meaning, Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, solicitor of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong, told the Global Times. Wong said that the opposition camps are divided into two groups. There are those like Wong, who intend to use their political resources to support the other group after they are disqualified. This devious strategy means they will still have a voice in the city's politics. Li Xiaobing, expert on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, from Nankai University told the Global Times that the opposition camps only seek to enhance their political presence by staging such a high-profile defiance. "They also seek to use their disqualification as another excuse to create further turmoil," said Li. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WEST NEW YORK A church service opened its doors for the first time on Sunday, welcoming members of the community including those looking for a second chance. The Rev. Bolivar Flores, founder of Ministerio El Sol Sale Para Todos Internacional, and Jim McGreevey, who heads the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, welcomed parishioners at the churchs new location on 4912 Bergenline Ave. in Suite 16. While the church offers indoor in-person Mass on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., itll also provide social services Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in partnership with the NJRC. Sometimes people are intimidated to access services, whether its medical services or addiction treatment or licenses, so the great advantage is that the church will be the welcome center, the pathway, which people can access services, McGreevey said. NJRC is a non-profit organization that provides social services to help former inmates with employment, addiction and more. Flores and McGreevey said one of the members who attended Sundays service was a man who served 30 years in prison. McGreevey said that church is a safe sanctuary that helps bring communities together and lifts one another up. He added that being part of a community and having a faith is critical because it helps put people on a better path. And on Sunday, about a dozen of people gathered passionately sung hymns in Spanish. Everyone was required to wear a face covering and to social distance. Masks and hand sanitizers were provided. With COVID-19, a lot of people began to question God, Flores said. ... Its hard for people to listen to the pastor preach about God (through Zoom or Skype). Today were so happy to open our doors again and provide the spiritual services and sharing the love of the Lord with everyone. NJRC and Ministerio El Sol Sale Para Todos Internacional also offers its social services to people regardless of U.S. citizen status. (Were) trying to aggressively and lovingly serve the community, McGreevey said. ... Community is critical. Ahead of Navy Day celebrations in Russia, an all-female navy crew was deployed to patrol the Black Sea for the first time along with an array of military drills. The naval regiment is set to portray Russias military might as the all-women crew rehearsed combat roles by bombing RGD-5 hand grenades in case of incursion onboard the patrol vessel. Over 200 combat ships will take part in parades on Russian Navy Day held on July 26, as per international media reports. Read: UK Foreign Sec On Russia, HKG And Coronavirus Overall, the festivities will involve about 200 warships of various classes, more than 100 items of combat hardware, up to 80 aircraft, and about 15,000 personnel, Russias defense chief said in a statement. According to a report, the Naval Parade will take place in St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt and the all-women military voyage will depict womens role in the armed forces. Read: Russian Ambassador Rejects Virus Vaccine Hacking Claims Based in Crimea, the naval regiment is a part of Russias Black Sea Fleet. While the naval roles are perceived as the less suitable career options for women in Russia, President Vladimir Putin shattered the norm after he signed a decree allowing the entry of women in the armed forces in the naval command. Neva River Parade Last year, Russia held its naval parade on the Neva River in St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt. According to reports, Admiral Kasatonov frigate, Gremyashchiy corvette, Kronshtadt submarine of project 677, Mytishchi and Serpukhov small missile ships and Ivan Antonov minesweeper participated in the drill. With over 4,000 personnel, 43 warships and submarines, as well as, 41 aircraft, Russia portrayed its military strength in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea straits. Read: China And Russia's Foreign Ministers Oppose 'US Unilateralism' In Phone Call: Reports Read: Russian Envoy Refutes UK Claims Of Helping Hackers Target COVID-19 Vaccine Research The new Mayor or Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council has acknowledged that the Covid-19 health crisis has taken a heavy toll on the mental health of members of the public. Cllr Mark Stafford, who was elected to the highest political office in the county last month, has mapped out his priorities for his 12-month term. Speaking to the Leinster Leader this week, the Rathangan native paid tribute to the work and dedication of frontline workers in Kildare and the role played by staff in Kildare County Council. Addressing the challenges facing the local economy, the Fine Gael politician said Kildare must avail of all supports available from central and local government. Acknowledging the challenges facing the mental health of families due to the changes in lifestyles and to social distancing, the married father-of-two said solutions must be found to help people cope. Mental stress He said: I am also very conscious of the mental stresses that so many people are under as result of the pandemic due to job loss, closure of business, vulnerable family members, issues around child care, the list is endless and I am keen to look at mindfulness in addition to the practical and financial supports that the council will provide. Cllr Stafford said restrictions around funerals due to social distancing had a profound effect on families. He explained: The Covid-19 lockdown has been such a difficult time for everybody and I would like to extend my sympathies to the families and friends of those who died of Covid 19 and those in general who died during the lockdown phase. Those who are bereaved at this time, it is particularly difficult but especially those who are grieving and cannot have family and friends and neighbours around them. Cllr Stafford paid tribute to frontline staff across Kildare who went out to work every day to serve the local community. He said: I would like to acknowledge the huge work of the frontline workers as well as the crisis management team and the community response team in Kildare County Council who did Trojan work including manning the phone lines. The practicing solicitor said many local politicians like himself felt powerless during the lockdown due to the lockdown restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. He explained: Some public representatives may have felt a certain level of frustration at not being able to perhaps play a greater role during the lockdown phase of Covid-19. However I do think that it is in this reopening phase of getting Ireland and Kildare open again that all public representatives, government and local government will be required to put our shoulders to the wheel and put our best foot forward to aid businesses and the communities of Kildare to get back on their feet again. Cllr Stafford said County Kildare must avail of every local and national supports available to re-start the economy and improve communities. He continued: The Programme for Government between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Greens is very ambitious and Kildare will have to be poised to seize all opportunities that come our way in terms of national funding. There are some very exciting major capital projects planned such as Town and Village Renewal for a substantial number of our smaller towns and villages with the first of these to be rolled out this year, urban renewal plans for our key towns as well as the Blueways and Greenways. It is imperative that we drive these projects. Speaking about the historic coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the veteran councillor said the pact should deliver stability but could lead to a major change in the political landscape in the future. He said: We need a strong government, we need stable government, the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green coalition I hope will be a very good and effective government. A minority government cannot be bold in their ambition. I do not underestimate the potential consequences for all three parties joining government. Political scientists have been saying for the past 20/30 years that Ireland is out of step with the rest of Europe in having two centre right parties dominate the political landscape as the government party and the main opposition party. We have seen large political parties such as the Centre Party, Clann na Poblachta, Democratic Left, Progressive Democrats fizzle out or become cannibalised. The 16th annual National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), slated for Sept. 1-3, will feature an entire compliance track this year, one of three tracks featured at the show. The Compliance Track is sponsored by Stewart. On Sept. 1, four top regulators will kick things off by participating in a panel discussion about how many of the regulations affecting the industry recently are coming from the state level. The regulator panel will be moderated by Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. CEO Mary ODonnell. The panelists will be: Susan Apel, senior deputy attorney general, Office of Pennsylvania; Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Bureau of Consumer Protection; Neil Derr, investigator, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies; Chuck Myers, supervisor, RESA Investigations Section, Virginia Bureau of Insurance and Marj Thompson, Chief of Investigations, Consumer Affairs Division, Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. On Sept. 2, Jaime Kosofsky, founding partner of Brady & Kosofsky, PA, will be the featured speaker for It Will Never Happen To Me, a session that will highlight how 2020 has proved the industry needs to be ready for anything. Kosofsky will discuss how one title insurance companys emergency preparedness eased the response time and let his business continue to operate despite a series of catastrophes. While 2019-2020 has brought about great things and changes for Brady & Kosofsky, it has also been a very challenging time period, he said. Beginning in July 2019, our office was gutted by a fire which destroyed our physical IT infrastructure and purchase department. We were fortunate that we had a DR (disaster recovery) plan in place and we were able to recover in time to open for business the next morning. To kick off 2020, we had a brush with a tornado which did damage to our old facility and caused governmental interruptions, and in March we heavily modified how we use our office due to the COVID 19 pandemic. In my session, we will look at all of these events and how having the proper plan in place saved our business. Later that day, Mayer Brown, LLP Partners Holly Spencer Bunting and Phil Schulman, along with Katten & Temple, LLP Of Counsel Brian Levy, will lead the session, RESPA Questions Answered. We know you know the requirements for creating lawful affiliated business arrangements and co-advertising arrangements on the internet, Schulman said. But what about the more practical issues that arise when real estate agents want to own a piece of the joint venture or members arent sure how standards differ when establishing a mortgage company rather than a mortgage broker? How do you determine reasonable market value when three loan officers all advertise with the same real estate agent online? In the middle of a pandemic do you still pay for a desk rental when the real estate brokers office is closed? And what can you do to avoid violating RESPA while still developing effective strategic alliances with other settlement service providers? On Sept. 3, Chuck Cain, executive vice president agency, WFG National Title Insurance Co., and Francis Trip Riley, partner, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LP, will lead the session, Vetting Your Vendors. The session will look into what you need to be requiring and monitoring with your vendors. The COVID pandemic and the logistical issues it has created have only increased the compliance concerns for title agents using fourth-party providers as well as requirements that lenders and regulators now demand of title and settlement agents, Cain said. Compounded by heightened data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, title agents have never more needed clarity as to their internal policies, procedures and controls. In this session, you will hear the current state of the industry, as well as forward looking programs you can do to be prepared for what is coming next. Finally, JetClosing Vice President of Title Alan Chang and RynohLive Vice President of Sales Lee Swaffield will teach you how to take advantage of the opportunities and beware of the risks involved in todays escrow industry in the session, Escrow Opportunities and Risks. For more information on the 2020 NS3, including the agenda and a list of speakers, click here. You can register for NS3 online or click here to get information on how to register via mail, fax or phone. COUNCILLORS have approved a land sale in Kilmallock for less than the price of a cup of coffee per square metre. At this months local authority meeting, members formally approved the transfer of 19 square metres of land at Gortboy in the town for a total fee of just 10 or 1.90 per square metre. One of the powers that councillors have is the sale of land owned by the local authority to private individuals and companies. Occasionally - including in this case - the area in question is not owned by the local authority, but the transfer is being made to correct a previous boundary anomaly. Various parcels of land come before members each month for approval. Normally, these land sales are passed without discussion. At this month's council meeting - held in the Limerick Racecourse due to social distancing requirements - some 18 separate land transfers were approved. This is due to the fact members had not met since January, with the Covid-19 pandemic putting paid to the scheduled meetings in March and May. The stats agency also notes a significant excess of the number of deaths over the number of newborns: it's 48 newborns per 100 deaths. The population of Ukraine in January-May 2020 shrank by 116,700, amounting to 41.785 million as of June 1, 2020, the State Statistics Service reported. In the reporting period, 115,968 children were born against 126,723 reported last year. A natural population decline was recorded by 123,999 in the first five months of the year, while in January-May 2019, the natural decline was a bit higher, amounting to 134,211. Read alsoUkraine's Cabinet sets national census as long-term priority The number of people who moved to Ukraine during the reporting period exceeded by 7,341 the number of those who left the country. In January-May 2019, this indicator amounted to more than 11,842 people. The stats agency also notes a significant excess of the number of deaths over the number of newborns: it's 48 newborns per 100 deaths. Data covers all regions of Ukraine but the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Data on the natural population and migration movement is generated without taking into account the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. As UNIAN reported earlier, the population of Ukraine in January-April 2020 shrank by 96,200, amounting to 41.806 million as of May 1, 2020. In 2019, Ukrainian population shrank by 251,000, to 41.9 million. (Newser) A gunman posing as a delivery driver opened fire at a federal judge's New Jersey home Sunday, killing her 20-year-old son and injuring her husband, a source tells the AP. US District Judge Esther Salas, who was in the basement at the time, was unharmed. CNN's source says the suspect was wearing a FedEx uniform, and that Salas' son opened the door with his father right behind him; they were met with a hail of bullets. Police believe a lone perpetrator is to blame, and authorities are still searching for the suspect. Salas, who was nominated to her position by former President Obama, is the judge who sentenced the Giudices of Real Housewives fame to prison for financial crimes. There were no known threats against her. (Read more New Jersey stories.) By DAVID LAGUE Filed July 20, 2020, noon GMT HONG KONG - China launched its military build-up in the mid-1990s with a top priority: keep the United States at bay in any conflict by making the waters off the Chinese coast a death trap. Now, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing to challenge American power further afield. Chinas shipyards have launched the PLA Navys first two Type 075 amphibious assault ships, which will form the spearhead of an expeditionary force to play a role similar to that of the U.S. Marine Corps. And like the Marines, the new force will be self-contained - able to deploy solo with all its supporting weapons to fight in distant conflicts or demonstrate Chinese military power. The 40,000-tonne Type 075 ships are a kind of small aircraft carrier with accommodation for up to 900 troops and space for heavy equipment and landing craft, according to Western military experts who have studied satellite images and photographs of the new vessels. They will carry up to 30 helicopters at first; later they could carry fighter jets, if China can build short take off and vertical landing aircraft like the U.S. F-35B. The first Type 075 was launched last September and the second in April, according to reports in Chinas official military media. A third is under construction, according to the May edition of a Congressional Research Service report. Eventually, the PLA Navy could have seven or more of these ships, according to reports in Chinas official military press. Chinese military commentators quoted in official media say Chinas shipyards are now building and launching amphibious ships so rapidly it is like dropping dumplings into water. The military rivalry between China and the United States is only growing sharper. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared most of Beijings claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea illegal, throwing Washingtons weight behind the rival claims of Southeast Asian nations over territory and resources in the strategic waterway that were supported by international law. China said the U.S. position raised tensions in the region and undermined stability. Chinas nascent amphibious forces still lag far behind those of the United States, but the speed of Chinas military rise has already shifted the balance of power in Asia. Over the past two decades, China has deployed an arsenal of missiles and a massive surface and sub-surface fleet to deter potential enemies from sailing in its coastal waters. Now, as part of an accelerated modernization of the PLA since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, these new amphibious ships and the specially trained marines they carry will boost Beijings firepower and political influence far from its shores, according to Chinese and Western military analysts. As shipyards churn out amphibious vessels, China is expanding its force of marines under the command of the PLA Navy. These troops are being trained and equipped to make landings and fight their way ashore. China now has between 25,000 and 35,000 marines, according to U.S. and Japanese military estimates. Thats a sharp increase from about 10,000 in 2017. Without an amphibious force, any military force is greatly constrained in where and how it can conduct operations, said Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. Newsham advised the Japanese military on the formation of Tokyos own Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, formed in 2018. Jets can drop bombs and ships can fire missiles at the shore - but you might need infantry to go ashore and kill the enemy and occupy the ground. Chinas Ministry of National Defense and the Pentagon did not respond to questions from Reuters. At home, too, the PLA marines have become an important tool in the ruling Communist Partys efforts to showcase Chinas increasingly powerful military to its domestic audience. The state-controlled media regularly reports on the gruelling training and military skills of the Jiaolong, or Sea Dragon commandos - a unit from the marines special forces brigade based on Hainan Island off southern China. We should be the point of the sword in joint operations to strike terror into the heart of the enemy, said Gong Kaifeng, a Jiaolong commandos company commander, in a report last year on the unit's training broadcast on state television. When the Type 075 ships enter service, China will have the capacity to combine them with its other new amphibious and support vessels, Chinese and foreign analysts say. These self-contained fleets can be sent to distant conflicts, deployed as a show of force to deter potential enemies or to protect Chinese investments and citizens abroad. They would also allow the PLA to provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, competing with the U.S. for prestige and soft power. Invading Taiwan For Beijing, these amphibious forces will also contribute to the PLAs mounting capacity to make a landing on Taiwan or seize other strategically important or disputed territory in Chinas offshore regions, according to specialists in amphibious warfare. Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan a province of China. Xi Jinping has said unifying Taiwan with the mainland is a vital step in realizing the Chinese peoples dream of a powerful, rejuvenated nation. In a key speech early last year calling on Taiwan to open talks on peaceful reunification, Xi warned that this long-standing dispute could not be deferred indefinitely. We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means, Xi said. China has this year stepped up military operations and exercises around Taiwan, according to U.S. and Taiwanese military analysts. PLA Air Force jets, including at least one bomber and a fighter, briefly entered Taiwans air defense identification zone on June 22, before being warned off by the Taiwanese air force, the islands military said. It was the eighth such encounter in two weeks, the military said. Taiwan launched its annual Han Kuang defense exercise on July 13 with an emphasis on joint operations between land, sea and air forces to defend the island from attack, according to the island's military. The exercise also involved an expanded role for reservists as the military strives to boost its firepower, senior Taiwan government officials said. Our military is always working hard to prepare for war, closely monitoring the dynamics of the Chinese Communists military and the development of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwans Defense Ministry said in response to questions from Reuters. We have a complete defense plan and appropriate actions to deal with the threat of the Chinese Communists attacking Taiwan and the seizure of offshore islands, which can ensure national security. 35,000 U.S. and Japanese estimates put the number of Chinas marines at between 25,000 and 35,000. Experts on amphibious forces note the PLA already has powerful army units that are trained and equipped to make the kind of landings necessary for an invasion of Taiwan. In expanding the marines, they argue, PLA military planners are looking at operations across the globe, in places where China has extensive offshore investments. These commercial interests are likely to multiply as Beijing presses ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious bid to put China at the center of global trading routes. Chinas marines will also be important to man what is expected to become a network of strategic military bases around the world, including fortifications on territory Beijing has seized in the South China Sea, according to Chinese and Western military commentators. Beijing has already deployed marines and their armored vehicles to its first overseas base at Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, according to Pentagon reports. Marines are also deployed on the flotillas China sends on naval anti-piracy missions to the Gulf of Aden, these reports said. We are currently only seeing the tip of the iceberg, said Ian Easton, the senior director of the Project 2049 Institute, an Arlington, Virginia-based security research group. Ten years from now, China is almost certainly going to have marine units deployed at locations all over the world. The Chinese Communist Partys ambitions are global. Its interests are global. It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require. Short of war, capable amphibious forces will also become a powerful diplomatic or coercive tool for Beijing, military analysts say. So far, Washington has had a monopoly on this type of engagement with other governments, routinely sending marine expeditionary units abroad for port visits, joint training exercises and disaster relief. U.S. expeditionary flotillas, packed with marines, all their heavy equipment and air support, are a potent reminder of American power. A raw demonstration came in the tense period in 1999 when an Australian-led United Nations peacekeeping force intervened to stop violence in what was then Indonesian-controlled East Timor. American forces didnt become heavily involved on the ground. But the presence of the USS Belleau Wood, a 40,000-tonne amphibious assault ship carrying 900 marines and heavy lift and attack helicopters, served as formidable back-up as the UN troops restored order without any significant resistance from Indonesia. The USS Kearsarge is one of Americas eight Wasp-class amphibious assault vessels. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake Seizing Islands Chinas first two Type 075 amphibious assault vessels are now berthed together undergoing final fit-out at a state-owned Shanghai shipyard, Chinas official military media has reported. Photographs in the official media and commercial satellite images show that the 250-meter-long vessels appear similar to flat-top amphibious assault ships in service with other advanced navies, including the U.S. fleet. America currently has a fleet of eight Wasp and two America-class amphibious assault vessels. However, in a blow to U.S. efforts to blunt the challenge from China, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard caught fire on July 12 while tied up at its home port in San Diego. The ship was extensively damaged in the fire which burned for four days. It was unclear if the ship would be salvaged, the U.S. Navy said. Since 2005, China has also built a fleet of six Type 071 amphibious ships, according to a 2019 report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. These vessels can carry up to four air-cushion landing craft, similar to the hovercraft carried on U.S. amphibious landing ships, as well as four or more helicopters, armored vehicles and troops on long-distance deployments, the report said. A seventh Type 071 is under construction, according to Western military analysts. This Reuters annotation of a Maxar Technologies satellite image from April 1, 2020, shows three of Chinas amphibious assault vessels at a Shanghai shipyard. Chinas official shipbuilding industry journals have reported the 29,000-tonne Type 071 has command and control capabilities, a medical unit and accommodation for hundreds of marines. The 210-meter long vessel has a range of 10,000 nautical miles and reached a speed of 25 knots in trials, these reports said. To build the force that will embark on these ships, China began a rapid increase in the size of its marine force in 2017, according to Pentagon reports. Earlier, marines had been a low priority in the decades when Chinas military built a massive ground force to defend the mainland. A regiment of marines was formed in 1953 and expanded to a division but then disbanded in 1957, according to an official timeline of major events in PLA history. It was reformed in 1979, the timeline shows. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report said Chinas marine force is now organized into seven brigades, each with armor, infantry, artillery and missiles, and is the strongest force of this type among the rival claimants to disputed territories in the South China Sea. Chinas marines can simultaneously seize multiple islands in the Spratlys, the report said, referring to a contested group of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. They could also rapidly reinforce Chinas outposts in the Paracel Islands, another disputed territory in the same waterway. China does not publish detailed accounts of the disposition of its forces. The Chinese Communist Partys ambitions are global. Its interests are global. It plans to send military units wherever its global strategic interests require. Ian Easton, senior director of the Project 2049 Institute Amphibious warfare specialists say these marines would also be useful for seizing other disputed territory, including the uninhabited group of isles in the East China Sea that are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing - known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China. Selected army units are being transferred to the marines to boost the forces capability, according to reports in the official Chinese military media and Western defense analysts. Chinas official military newspaper, the PLA Daily, reported in April that two army units trained in aerial assault had been transferred to a marines brigade dedicated to helicopter landings. The Pentagons annual report on Chinese military power in 2018 revealed that a newly established headquarters under the command of the navy was responsible for staffing, training and equipping the expanding force. And, the report said, a new commander had been appointed to lead the marines. Chinas state-controlled media has identified him as Major General Kong Jun, a former army officer who transferred to the marines in early 2017. Members of the Chinese navy patrol at Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in 2016. China refers to this contested group of islands and reefs in the South China Sea as the Nansha Islands. REUTERS/Stringer Despite this build-up, the Pentagon and other Western military experts argue the PLA marines remain far less capable than the 186,000-strong U.S. Marine Corps, with its extensive experience of amphibious and land operations. In its 2019 report on Chinas military power, the Pentagon said most of the new PLA marines brigades were not yet manned and equipped to be fully operational. It said Chinas marines lacked sufficient armored vehicles, helicopters and training to conduct complex amphibious operations. Some Western military experts suggest one reason for this: The top priorities for the PLA brass are the army amphibious units and air force airborne troops that would spearhead an attack on Taiwan. So, the marines dont have priority when it comes to things like amphibious tanks and helicopters, said Easton of the Project 2049 Institute, who has written a book, The Chinese Invasion Threat, on the PLAs preparations to conquer Taiwan. The ruling Communist Party has long wanted control of Taiwan for political reasons. The island also has huge strategic importance. It would give the PLA a key foothold in the so-called first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing Chinas coastal seas. From bases on Taiwan, Chinese warships, strike aircraft and missiles would dominate the sea lanes vital to Japan and South Korea. And Taiwan would be an ideal jump-off point for operations aimed at seizing further territory in the island chain. Newsham, the retired U.S. Marine colonel, said the PLA had assembled a formidable army amphibious force and sufficient ships, military and civilian, to probably land enough troops on Taiwan as part of a full-scale attack that includes air, missile, naval and cyber assaults. The PLA already has a lot lined up, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:48:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Tourists visit Aijing Zhuang, a historical stockaded village, in Tongan Township of Yongtai County, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 19, 2020. Multiple measures have been adopted to conserve the historical villages in Yongtai County. Cultural tourism actvities have thrived in the county's many finely preserved, stockaded villages. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 175 additional federal law enforcement officers into cities that have featured clashes between protesters and police. Trump confirmed the dispatch of federal police Monday as he defended the decision to deploy federal law enforcement inside Portland despite howls from local officials while vowing to rein in other cities he cast as 'out of control.' Trump was asked Monday about reports of sending in the additional 175 troops and quibbling with the verbiage but not the number itself. 'Well, it depends on what your definition of "troops" is," Trump said. "I mean, we're sending law enforcement.' The Chicago Tribune reported that 150 of the agents are heading to Chicago, under a plan being drawn up by officials at the Homeland Security Department. They are reportedly Homeland Security Investigations agents. Local officials have complained that federal agents on the scene in tense situations are not as well trained in deescalating situations and dealing with protesters as are local police who interact with the community daily. According to an HSI website, its agents tackle a variety of crime, including 'narcotics and weapons smuggling/trafficking' as well as 'transnational gang activity.' Media in Oakland, Calif. reported that federal troops could be on the way there, after Trump also mentioned the city as among a hanfdful he considers out of control. 'The answer is no, and we would reject it,' California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsome said in response. The president characterized those in the streets in Portland as 'anarchists' and said they were 'not protesters' a day after federal officers teargassed a group of mothers who were protesting as part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration. 'Portland was totally out of control. The Democrats all liberal Democrats running the place had no idea what they were doing,' said Trump at the White House, defending the use of federal force and laying out a plan for further deployments. 'Im going to do something that I can tell you,' President Donald Trump said Monday, defending the use of federal officers inside Portland and vowing to take action in New York and Chicago He praised how law enforcement handled the situation, and pledged further action. 'Im going to do something that I can tell you,' Trumps said, before naming several cities under Democratic control that also have large black populations. 'Because were not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore and all of these Oakland is a mess,' Trump said. 'Were not going to let this happen in our country. All liberal Democrats,' Trump vented. Trump's comments toggled between street protests, street crime in cities like New York and Chicago, and left-wing rule and what he called 'corruption.' He concluded his remarks with a slam on Democratic rival Joe Biden a subject of a new Trump campaign attack ad that portrays him as incapable of stopping street anarchy. 'The level of corruption. What was going on there was incredible,' Trump said. And then the governor comes up, we dont need any help,' Trump said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has opposed the use of federal law enforcement units, saying it has heightened tension and increased the burden on local law enforcement. She compared it to 'adding gasoline to a fire.' 'They grab them. A lot of people in jail. Theyre leaders,' Trump said of the agents, including DEA swat teams. 'These are anarchists. These are not protesters. People say protesters. These are anarchists. These are people that hate our country. And were not going to let it go forward.' 'We're looking at Chicago, too. Were looking at New York. Look at whats going on,' said Trump. 'All run by Democrats. All run by very liberal Democrats. All run really by radical left.' Referencing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Trump said: 'So the governor has to do something about it. But if the governors not going to do something about it, well do something about it. Trump complained that the NYPD there are more than 30,000 officers are 'restricted from doing anything.' Trump also attacked state and local officials who say the don't want the federal action. 'The governor and the mayor and the senators out there. Theyre afraid of these people. Thats the reason they dont want us to help them,' Trump said. He repeated the point, saying they were 'maybe even physically afraid of these people.' Trump bristled earlier in the protests when it was revealed that Secret Service took the president to a bunker underneath the White House on a night when there were attacks on businesses near the White House and a fire in the rectory of St. John's Church nearby. He called the violence in Chicago which experienced 63 weekend shootings 'worse than Afghanistan by far.' 'If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And were not going to let it go to hell,' Trump concluded. 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. Federal agents teargassed a group of mothers who formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration over the weekend as the mayor of Oregon's largest city ordered the officers to leave. Protesters there have complained about fellow protesters being arrested and taken away in unmarked cars. Police called it a riot after protesters set fire to the Portland Police Association building and launched fireworks at other buildings. Portland has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since George Floyd died under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25. While the majority of protests have remained peaceful, fires have been set in dumpsters near the city's courthouse and the walls of the building have been defaced. President Donald Trump previously vowed to protect federal property from destruction, prompting his administration to send in federal agents to quell demonstrations. But on Saturday, horrifying photos show those same agents teargassing a crowd, which included a group of mothers who were protesting peacefully in Portland. Scroll down for video Federal agents teargassed a group of mothers (pictured after being teargassed Saturday night) who formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Saturday The agents used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the mothers participating in the 'Wall of Moms' protest Saturday night The women had formed a human shield between protesters and law enforcement officials outside a federal courthouse, donning bike helmets and linking arms They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and 'Leave our kids alone' while chanting: 'Moms are here, feds stay clear' The agents used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the mothers participating in the 'Wall of Moms' protest. The women had formed a human shield between protesters and law enforcement officials outside a federal courthouse, donning bike helmets and linking arms. They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and chanted 'Moms are here, feds stay clear.' According to Melanie Damm, unidentified federal officers in military-style gear fired tear gas canisters into the group of mothers, clad mostly in white. 'The level of violence escalated by these GI soldiers was such an overreaction. You're seeing moms getting tear-gassed,' said Damm, herself a 39-year-old mom. 'We aren't young and Antifa-looking,' she said, referring to more militant anti-fascism protesters. And despite being teargassed, the mothers showed up to Sunday night's protest. According to Melanie Damm, unidentified federal officers in military-style gear fired tear gas canisters into the group of mothers (pictured toward the start of the protest on Saturday) They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and chanted 'Moms are here, feds stay clear' Despite being teargassed on Saturday, the group of mothers (pictured) showed up to Sunday night's protest dressed in yellow They continued to hold their signs, lock arms and chant for justice and for the federal agents to leave their city The moms were back in action on Sunday night. Some were seen holding signs that read, 'mom 4 justice' and 'George Floyd summoned ALL MAMAS' On Sunday night, a group of about 50 mothers once again formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters. Photos show the women mostly wearing yellow and locking arms while holding signs that read, 'George Floyd summoned ALL MAMAS' and ' silence is violence'. At one point during Sunday night's protest, the mothers started line-dancing together to a drum beat. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers 'are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.' Trump has decried the demonstrations in Portland, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as 'lawless anarchists' in a visit to the city on Thursday. 'We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,' Trump tweeted Sunday. 'Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!' The group of mothers are seen holding signs during Sunday night's protest that saw about 1,500 people attend At one point during Sunday night's protest, the mothers started line-dancing together to a drum beat One mother is seen wearing a shirt that says 'good trouble', a salute to civil rights icon John Lewis who passed away on Friday after losing his battle with cancer at the age of 80 In a statement, authorities explained that tear gas had been used on protesters after some demonstrators broke into a building Saturday night, set it on fire and started dumpster fires. The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later, Portland police said on Twitter. The department declared the gathering a riot, and began working to clear the downtown area. 'As the crowd was dispersed, several people in the crowd were arrested and officers were able to extinguish the fire. Portland Police did not use any CS gas,' the bureau said in a statement early Sunday. A group of protesters are seen wearing masks during a demonstration on Sunday Federal officers emerge from the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse barricaded entrances as protesters demand for the agents to 'get out' A firing line of federal officers engaged protesters from outside the federal courthouse on Sunday A woman is seen holding a Black Lives Matter sign during a massive protest outside the federal courthouse on Sunday Tear gas was deployed, according to pictures and video from the scene, but it was not necessarily CS gas. Fencing that had been placed around the federal courthouse had also been removed by protesters and made into barricades, police tweeted. Police said protesters had gathered Saturday evening at the Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct, vandalizing patrol vehicles and taunting officers as they reported for work. Later, as police dispersed a group that had gathered near North Interstate Avenue, people threw rocks and paint-filled balloons at officers. Some were injured, the statement said. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler (pictured) said federal officers 'are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave' Ongoing protests against police brutality on Sunday, July 19, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (Michael Arellano for DailyMail.com) Protesters topple the perimeter barricades outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse on Sunday Protesters chant, 'hands up! don't shoot!' during a demonstration in Portland Sunday night Demonstrators are engulfed in tear gas and smoke as federal officers disperse the crowd outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse Sunday night Federal officers face off with protesters one block west of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse on Sunday Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials, the unrest had frustrated Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters in the city. But Wheeler said the federal presence in the city is now exacerbating a tense situation. 'What we're seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, Wheeler said Sunday. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland's streets 'without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action'. The clampdown in the liberal city has drawn widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation (incident pictured) Throughout the recorded exchange, the federal agents never reveal what sparked the arrest or why the unidentified man was being taken into custody The two federal agents take the protester to an unmarked, grey minivan and drive away (pictured) ACLU files lawsuit against the DHS after federal agents were deployed to Portland to quell demonstrations The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday after federal agents were deployed to Portland, Oregon. The ACLU said it filed lawsuit 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.' Simon added: 'These federal agents must be stopped and removed from our city. We will continue to bring the full fire power of the ACLU to bear until this lawless policing ends.' ACLU also filed a lawsuit against the US 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 are 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. Advertisement Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to 'immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians'. However, federal officers and Portland police advanced simultaneously on demonstrators to clear the streets early Saturday, making arrests as protesters threw bottles and pieces of metal fencing. The action by Portland's police was condemned by Jo Ann Hardesty, a prominent member of the City Council. Hardesty said Saturday that local police 'joined in the aggressive clampdown of peaceful protest'. She also slammed Wheeler, telling the mayor he needed to better control local law enforcement. Hardesty, who oversees the city's fire department and other first-responder agencies, said in an open letter to Wheeler if 'you can't control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau'. Despite the lawsuits and the tactics being used by federal agents, US Homeland Security officials said on Monday that they have no intention of pulling back in Portland. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), law enforcement units were sent to Portland to help guard US government facilities after receiving intelligence about planned attacks around July 4. 'DHS is not going to back down from our responsibilities. We are not escalating, we are protecting,' Wolf told Fox News. About 1,500 demonstrators gathered Sunday night outside the federal courthouse. After protesters began knocking down sections of a large steel fence put up around the courthouse building, federal officers lobbed flash bangs from the front of the courthouse building. Tear gas canisters followed, filling the square outside the courthouse and forcing much of the crowd away. The tear gas continued intermittently past midnight. Early Monday, Portland police said federal agents used tear gas to disperse the crowd and moved to extinguish a fire that was lit within a portico of the courthouse. Wolf said federal law enforcement was doing its job. 'We're not going to apologize for it,' he said. 'We're going to do it professionally and do it correctly.' The clampdown in the liberal city has drawn widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deputy secretary, said on Monday the federal officers wore the same uniforms every day and the crowds knew who they were. He also defended the use of unmarked cars as routine. 'Unmarked police vehicles are so common it's barely worth discussion,' he told CNN. Cuccinelli said if federal authorities receive the same kind of intelligence threat in other places, they would respond the same way. 'It's really as simple as that,' he said. Cuccinelli also dismissed local leaders' calls to leave the city. 'We will maintain our presence,' he said. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said that micro-finance institutions (MFIs) in India should be allowed to accept deposits from the public. Speaking at the 'PanIIT Global eConclave', the social entrepreneur said that at present MFIs have to go to the banks for money. "My plea to the Indian government is that MFIs should be allowed to accept deposits from the public. Now, they go to the banks for money," Yunus, the founder of Bangladesh-based Grameen Bank, said on Sunday evening. He said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the opening of small finance banks who are able to accept deposits. Many MFIs such as Ujjivan and Jana have converted into small finance banks after getting licenses from the RBI. "Finance is the economic oxygen of people. The banking system is not keen to lend money to the poor for which an alternative banking channel has to be developed for them," he noted. As MFIs are not allowed to accept deposits, the cost of funds at the hands of the beneficiaries become high because they borrow money from banks -- SIDBI and NABARD. Raising concerns that many MFIs may become "loan sharks", Yunus said the sector should be defined as a "social business" and also pitched for zero dividend-paying entities. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his works in microcredit and microfinance. Also read: BT Insight: RBI floating rate bonds available at 7.15%; should you invest? New Delhi: Markets darted up for the third straight session on Friday as robust corporate results gave fresh impetus to investor bullishness, even as the country's COVID-19 case count breached the 10-lakh mark. After trading on a positive note through the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex witnessed a burst of buying towards the end of the session to close at 37,020.14, up 548.46 points, or 1.50 per cent. Similarly, the wider NSE Nifty surged 161.75 points, or 1.51 per cent, to close at 10,901.70. Here are stocks in focus on July 20, 2020 Yes Bank Yes Bank's follow-on public offer to raise Rs 15,000 crore has managed to sail through after getting subscribed 93 per cent on the final day of bidding on Friday. The Follow-On Public Offer (FPO) subscription would be 95 per cent after including the anchor investors' portion. The bank would raise the targeted RS 15,000 crore with help from SBI Capital Markets, which had underwritten the issue. Muthoot Finance Muthoot Finance on Saturday said its board has put in abeyance the proposal for a stock split in view of the current economic situation caused by the corornavirus pandemic. "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, the 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 filing. Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea on Saturday said it has paid additional Rs 1,000 crore to the government towards the statutory dues, taking its total payment to an aggregate Rs 7,854 crore. The company had earlier deposited Rs 6,854 crore in three tranches, Vodafone Idea said in a regulatory filing. Mangalam Organics Radhakishan Shivkishan Damani has acquired equity stakes in the company. As per June shareholding pattern, RK Damani holds 2.17% equity shares in the company. Piiq Risk Partners, the global aerospace re/insurance broker, announces that it has received regulatory approval to operate in France. Piiqs French operation will act as a base for expanding its services across the French and European markets. It reinforces Piiqs commitment to providing existing and future clients with a global offering, recognizing the opportunities in the region. Regulatory approval in France enables Piiq to build a strong European hub and provide a seamless service to its clients following Brexit, through its new entity, Piiq Risk Partners SAS. France has a very established and market-leading aerospace and manufacturing industry and a mature insurance market that our team knows well, said CEO Phil Smaje. We are delighted to be able to offer our clients the service that they need in France, throughout Europe and indeed globally. Our industry is experiencing challenges, but at Piiq we have the expertise, leadership and dedication required to navigate changing risk landscapes, provide pioneering solutions and deliver top-tier service to our clients in France and throughout Europe, he added. Smaje said Anne-Laure Rosenwald is the first colleague hired at Piiq Risk Partners SAS. Topics Mergers Agencies Europe Aviation France On July 20: 1923 Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa was assassinated by gunmen in Parral. 1944 An attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a fourth term of office at the Democratic convention in Chicago. 1951 Jordans King Abdullah I was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security. 1960 A pair of Polaris missiles were fired from the submerged USS George Washington off Cape Canaveral, Fla., at a target more than 1,100 miles away. 1965 The Bob Dylan single Like a Rolling Stone was released by Columbia Records. 1968 The first International Special Olympics Summer Games, organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Soldier Field in Chicago. 1969 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module. 1976 Americas Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars. 1977 A flash flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people and causing $350 million worth of damage. The U.N. Security Council voted to admit Vietnam to the world body. 1990 Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the courts most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down. 1993 White House deputy counsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was found shot to death in a park near Washington, D.C.; his death was ruled a suicide. 2007 President George W. Bush signed an executive order prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects. 2010 The Senate Judiciary Committee voted almost totally along party lines, 13-6, to approve Elena Kagan to be the Supreme Courts fourth female justice. Actress Lindsay Lohan began a 14-day jail sentence reduced from 90 due to overcrowding for violating probation in 2007 drug case. 2012 Gunman James Holmes opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) 2015 The United States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after more than five decades of frosty relations rooted in the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a landmark deal to rein in Irans nuclear program. Banks in Greece finally reopened after being closed for three weeks. Zach Johnson won the British Open. Songwriter Wayne Carson, 72, died in Nashville, Tennessee. Archie cartoonist Tom Moore, 86, died in El Paso, Texas. 2019 Americans marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing; Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, showed Vice President Mike Pence the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center where the historic flight began. A heat wave that spread from Texas to Maine canceled festivals, horse races and other events. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A third case of cheating has been registered against dismissed policeman Shailesh Jagtap in Pune on Monday. Jagtap, who worked as a constable with the Pune police, had been dismissed from the force in November 2019 after being accused in a cheating case. Besides Jagtap, the two others booked in the case have been identified as Prakash Fale, a resident of Sangvi, and Meena Kanjani, a resident of Pune. A complaint has been lodged by Satyabhama Popat Chandgude (40), a resident of Gharkul, Chikhali. Fale and Jagtap were also booked in another cheating case registered at the Samarth police station. The two had been in police custody of Samarth police station till Monday in the earlier case. The complainant has submitted that the three approached him with a land deal involving a piece of 2 guntha (unit of land measurement) land in Undri. The complainant has submitted that the three approached him with a land deal even though they did not have the legal rights or ownership of the land. Between 2015 and 2020, the complainant, along with a female colleague, has claimed to have paid Rs 20 lakh to the accused in the land deal. The complainant has also alleged that Jagtap threatened to lodge false cases against the complainant if asks for return of his money. The plot was empty and Fale told us that the current owner was heading to a foreign country and needed the money. The owner, a woman, was also present when we visited the site. So, we gave cheques to them, but they refused to accept and asked for cash instead. We had gathered the cash from our relatives and friends and gave it to them (in 2015), said Chandgude. The complainant is a nurse in the police hospital while the witness is a doctor working in another hospital. A case under Sections 420 (Cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Khadak police station against the three. Police inspector Uttam Chakre of Khadak police station is investigating the case. We have arrested Jagtap and Fale in the case. They were produced in court by Samarth police officials today and remanded to judicial custody. Tomorrow they will be produced in the court by us (Khadak police station), said PI Chakre of Khadak police station who is investigating the case. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 16:29 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d6b88 1 National Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,BIN,Budi-Gunawan,State-Intelligence-Agency,intelligence,mahfud-md Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has recently issued a regulation stipulating that the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) will work directly under the President in a bid to streamline intelligence reporting, officials have said. Presidential Regulation No. 37/2020 states that the BIN is no longer under the supervision of the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister. The new regulation takes effect July 3 and revises the previous regulation, No. 43/2015. "The BIN would work directly under the President because the products of state intelligence are directly needed by the President more than [they are needed by my office]," Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD tweeted on Saturday. According to the new regulation, the ministers office would coordinate with the Home Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Law and Human Rights Ministry, the Communications and Information Ministry, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry, the Attorney General's Office, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police. Read also: Jokowi orders intelligence, police to approach organizations about omnibus bill BIN deputy VII overseeing communications and information, Wawan Hari Purwanto, said the new regulation aimed to increase efficiency and to better secure information. "The purpose is to accelerate information distribution to the President so he can quickly adopt accurate, effective and efficient policies. [The new regulation] would also increase information secrecy," Wawan said on Sunday as reported by kompas.com. "The dynamics of domestic and international politics, the economy, social [issues], culture, defense and safety are very complex. The new regulation would allow for more effective information distribution, which is in line with our vision and mission and with Intelligence Law No. 17/2011 on state intelligence. "The law states that the BIN should be the one to quickly deliver information to the President so that he can take immediate action to handle various problems," Wawan added. Read also: Budi builds bridges for Jokowi Despite not working under the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister anymore, Wawan said the BIN would still cooperate with other state institutions if needed. He explained that the BIN chaired the Central Intelligence Committee (Komnipus), through which the agency was tasked with coordinating all intelligence institutions in the country. Former National Police deputy chief Gen. Budi Gunawan has led the agency since his appointment during Jokowis first presidential term in 2016. (nal). Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kylie Jenner reunited with seven-time Grammy nominee Travis Scott for a luxurious family getaway to Laguna Beach on Saturday. The family-of-three all protected themselves and others by wearing face masks, including a Takashi Murakami daisy-print design on their two-year-old daughter Stormi Webster. California Governor Gavin Newsom made cloth masks or face coverings mandatory for all public outings on June 18. Bonding: Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kylie Jenner reunited with seven-time Grammy nominee Travis Scott for a luxurious family getaway to Laguna Beach on Saturday As of Sunday, there have reportedly been over 389K confirmed COVID-19 cases in the spiking state, which has lead to 7,697 deaths. The 22-year-old faux billionaire flaunted her suspiciously curvaceous 5ft6in figure in a nineties vintage Jean Paul Gaultier graphic-print midi-dress. Kylie accessorized her peace-print frock with an off-white vintage Chanel purse and $96 white Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 Low sneakers. Jenner also rocked a shorter, 'Electric Orange Bugatti' manicure courtesy of Modern Pamper Salon. Rad! The family-of-three all protected themselves and others by wearing face masks, including a Takashi Murakami daisy-print design on their two-year-old daughter Stormi Webster Just like Kim and Khloe! The 22-year-old faux billionaire flaunted her suspiciously curvaceous 5ft6in figure in a nineties vintage Jean Paul Gaultier graphic-print midi-dress Retro look: Kylie accessorized her peace-print frock with an off-white vintage Chanel purse and $96 white Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 Low sneakers Big change for her: Jenner also rocked a shorter, 'Electric Orange Bugatti' manicure courtesy of Modern Pamper Salon The Kylie Cosmetics CEO is probably already planning the festivities for her 23rd birthday coming up on August 10. Kylie and her 28-year-old babydaddy were said to have 'taken space apart' from their two-year romantic relationship back in September, according to TMZ. Both little Stormi - who was recently gifted a $1,180 Louis Vuitton 'Nano Speedy' bag - and Travis (born Jacques Webster) repped his Cactus Jack clothing company. Quarantine bash: The Kylie Cosmetics CEO is probably already planning the festivities for her 23rd birthday coming up on August 10 On or off? Kylie and her 28-year-old babydaddy were said to have 'taken space apart' from their two-year romantic relationship back in September Fresh: Both little Stormi - who was recently gifted a $1,180 Louis Vuitton 'Nano Speedy' bag - and Travis repped his Cactus Jack clothing company Daddy's girl! Jenner later posted a snap of Stormi sporting colorful Nike sneakers and a T-shirt emblazoned with Scott's virtual Fortnite concert Astronomical from April 23-25 Refreshments: Before they headed south, Kylie and Travis were spotted picking up smoothies to enjoy on the ride Check him out: Travis donned a plaid shirt for the smoothie run Form-fitting: Meanwhile, Kylie looked sensational in a white form-fitting dress Jenner - who boasts 271M social media followers - later posted a snap of Stormi sporting colorful Nike sneakers and a T-shirt emblazoned with Scott's virtual Fortnite concert Astronomical from April 23-25. After a two-year absence, the Wash Us in the Blood rapper announced he will return to his .WAV Radio show on Apple Music alongside his DJ friend Chase B on Monday at 2pm PST. And fans can catch more of the 'notoriously bad tipper' in the 18th season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which returns in September on E! Debuting new music? After a two-year absence, the Wash Us in the Blood rapper announced he will return to his .WAV Radio show on Apple Music alongside his DJ friend Chase B on Monday at 2pm PST HERZLIYA, Israel, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- XM Cyber , the multi-award-winning leader in breach and attack simulation (BAS) advanced cyber risk analytics and cloud security posture management, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named XM Cyber to its 2020 Emerging Vendors list in the Security category. This annual list honors new, rising technology suppliers that exhibit great promise in shaping the future success of the channel with their dedication to innovation. The list recognizes channel-focused organizations across seven categories: Cloud, Data Center, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), Storage and Networking/Unified Communications. "Not only is it a great honor for XM Cyber to be included in CRN's list of Emerging Vendors, it's another example of why customers are putting their faith behind us, and prospects are engaging with us," said Noam Erez, Co-founder and CEO, XM Cyber. "This comes on the heels of several other announcements that demonstrate our industry leadership, including a $17M Series B funding round, an integration with Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, and being named a 2020 Gartner Cool Vendor." XM Cyber is advancing the security industry with patented products that enable enterprises to automatically and continuously test their security posture. By safely simulating attacks 24/7, XM Cyber exposes real-life security issues that arise from vulnerabilities, human error and misconfigurations. Additionally, recommendations to remediate issues are provided and prioritized based on importance and relation to the customer's most critical assets. By helping businesses to constantly improve their security posture, XM Cyber reduces costs and allows security teams to focus on the most critical issues, all while lowering exposure and risk. CRN's Emerging Vendors recognizes pioneering technology suppliers in the IT channel that are driving innovation and growth. This list serves as a valuable resource for solution providers in search of the latest technologies. The Emerging Vendors list is selected by CRN's esteemed editorial team. These vendors are inspiring the IT channel with groundbreaking technologies and best-in-class offerings that are elevating businesses driving success with solutions built to battle the challenges of the IT channel. "CRN's 2020 Emerging Vendors list recognizes vendors that are revolutionizing the IT channel with innovative solutions that meet the complex demands of our industry," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "It honors inspirational new vendors that are driving channel growth with state-of-the-art technologies that will continue to shape the channel into the future." The 2020 Emerging Vendors list will be featured in the August 2020 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/EmergingVendors . About XM Cyber XM Cyber brings innovation to the security industry with patented products that address the unique gaps that arise in large, complex networks. By safely and continuously simulating attacks on premise and in the cloud, XM Cyber exposes real-life security issues that arise from vulnerabilities, human error and misconfigurations. Remediation recommendations are prioritized based on criticality and relation to the customer's most critical assets. The customer achieves a continual cycle of security posture improvement, optimizing security investments and human resources, and lowering exposure and risk. XM Cyber was founded by top executives from the Israeli cyber intelligence community and has offices in the US, UK, and Israel. For more information: www.xmcyber.com Social Networks: Follow us on Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube Fusion PR (for XM Cyber) Brian Janson E: [email protected] T: +1(646)-452-7111 About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook 2020 The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company [email protected] SOURCE XM Cyber Related Links www.xmcyber.com India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist Longest-suffering COVID-19 patient recovers after 130 days in UK International oi-Briti Roy Barman London, July 20: The United Kingdom's longest-suffering coronavirus patient has been moved to a recovery ward after battling the disease for long 130 days. Fatima Bridle, 35, spent 40 days in a coma, had a tracheotomy, spent 105 days on a ventilator battling the fatal virus, pneumonia and sepsis but is now on a recovery ward. Bridle fell unwell after flying back from a month-long trip to Mohammedia, Morocco, on March 6, according to UK's leading daily news report. Indias COVID-19 recovery stands at 6,77,422 While her husband suffered the symptoms first, Fatima Bridle had to be rushed to Southampton General Hospital on March 12. Bridle is now able to talk and can take trips out using her walker to gradually build her strength after spending 105 days on a ventilator. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News The lady is hoping to be reunited with her husband Tracy, 56, within weeks after the couple spent four months apart. On a thanking note, she said for the nurse, who cared for her, 'They are incredible - I would like to thank every one of the doctors and nurses who have given me a chance of a new life. I am happy to be here. It feels like a dream.' The couple believes they caught coronavirus after flying back from Morocco. Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa and U.S. 6th Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Eugene Black have announced the start of 2020 Sea Breeze exercises with participation of eight countries. The commanders made this statement during a telephone briefing held under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's Brussels Media Hub, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The main goal is to conduct an international naval security operation in the crisis area. The Black Sea has long ceased to be stable. Exercises such as Sea Breeze prove that the United States and NATO partners support peace and stability in the Black Sea region. I am very pleased that the Standing NATO Maritime Group traditionally participates in the Sea Breeze exercises. This underscores once again that NATO countries and partners support Ukraine's decision to join NATO," the Ukrainian commander said. The sea is not an obstacle, but a way to communicate, so the task of all fleets is to make sea links easier and safer, he stressed. "Not all countries understand these principles. This is especially true of the Russian Federation," Neyizhpapa added. According to him, this year, the training period was reduced to seven days due to the coronavirus pandemic. The exercises involve eight countries: Ukraine, USA, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Spain, Turkey, and Norway, with more than 20 ships and aircraft. Participants will conduct a series of tactical exercises, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship defense, as well as rescue at sea, which will increase the level of interaction and interoperability among sailors from different countries. In turn, U.S. 6th Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Eugene Black stressed that much attention during the Sea Breeze 2020 exercises was paid to ensuring the safety of the involved forces amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, so all exercises will take place exclusively at sea and in the air. ol A little more than a month after the Declaration of Independence was read, the new country of America already found itself under attack, by mercenaries. Ever since then, U.S. armed forces have found themselves targeted by those paid to kill Americans, continuing right up to the Russians paying off the Taliban, or possibly creating turncoats in the Afghan army to turn on their U.S. and NATO allies. What have we learned in our history which can help us overcome this latest mercenary threat? Historians argue whether Hessians were really mercenaries or actually auxiliaries. But they were non-British in the paid service of King George III, and they were particularly lethal to the colonists when they pounced on American forces on Long Island, handing the new country one of its worst military defeats. According to the account by Edward St. Germain on the site AmericanRevolution.org, It is said that many times in this battle the English and Hessians did not give quarter when it was asked. Colonel von Heeringen says: The English did not give much quarter, and constantly urged our people to do the like. The Americans are said also to have believed that the Hessians gave no quarter, and to have fought with peculiar desperation, after hope was lost, in consequence. How could Washington defeat these foreign-paid shock troops? Well, you probably know about the Battle of Trenton, when the Americans surprised the Hessians the morning of Dec. 26. But my students also learn from a Battlefield Detectives episode that we watch on the Battle of Monmouth (a U.S. victory, not a tie) that many Hessians defected to the American side over the course of that campaign. Rather than lethally slaughter our German rivals, the U.S. simply paid better than the British and offered perhaps more land to win over some new recruits. Its a lesson weve employed in subsequent wars. If the British would bring Creeks and Shawnee to their side in the War of 1812, we would do the same, getting other Creeks and Cherokees and Choctaw as our own mercenaries. In the War with Mexico, disaffected Irish soldiers switched sides to become the San Patricios artillerymen for the Mexican army. The U.S. responded by recruiting plenty of Mexicans to their side who hated Santa Annas tyrannical rule. Called The Spy Company, their help was one of the keys to the U.S. winning the war. Years later, we saw the benefits of hiring friendly locals when the Obama administration formed a natural alliance with the Kurds in Syria, after trying to work with the ineffective Free Syrian Army. Thankfully, with Gen. James Mattis guidance, the Trump team kept that successful policy intact at first. U.S. forces were even able to give Russian mercenaries and the Syrian government a drubbing in a battle. But as Turkey demanded a change in policy, the Kurds were attacked and abandoned, just as ISIS was about to be finished off. With ISIS prisoners escaping in the chaos, and the last outposts surviving, who knows what will happen in the Middle East. The United States must take this latest intelligence information seriously, showing that Russians were paying bounties on the lives of Americans killed in Afghanistan. We must have full Congressional investigations, instead of naively dismissing such reports outright. And America needs to return to its successful policy of recruiting local allies as a counter-mercenary force to retake the initiative in Afghanistan, and not let that country slip away to the forces who provided the base for Al-Qaidas attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. Most college students do not face as much risk as people who are older and have more health problems. But students can be asymptomatic carriers, posing a potential threat to others around them, from their professors to the staffers who clean their dormitories and serve their food. They also could bring the virus to campus from hometowns around the country and the world. Exporters are mulling plans on how to increase shipments to the US and China after Covid-19 ends. China Cafebiz cited a report as showing that Vietnam would export $668.551 million worth of catfish in the first half of the year, a sharp fall of 24.5 percent from the same period last year. This is attributed to the sharp drop in demand from China and the US, the two major markets. Export turnover to the two markets decreased by 16 percent and 25 percent, respectively. According to Truong Thi Le Khanh, chair of the Freshwater Fish Committee, the epidemic in China in early February led to a 37.5 percent decrease in the value of catfish exports to the market. In March, Vietnams exporters tried to bring catfish back to China after the blockage period but there was no considerable progress. Since April, the demand for catfish has been recovering because prices are reasonable and eatery chains have begun opening again. China increased catfish imports from 8,000 tons in March 2020 to 19,000 tons in April, thus surpassing the US to become the biggest consumer of Vietnams catfish fillet products. The Chinese customs agency reported that China imported 59,000 tons of frozen catfish fillet in the first five months of the year, an increase of 44 percent compared with the same period last year. The second epidemic outbreak at a food market in Beijing has once again fueled fears about seafood imports. However, Vietnamese exporters think the Chinese market will recover in July because of China's ability to control an outbreak. As of the end of June, export turnover to the market reached $213.71 million, down by 15.97 percent. The second epidemic outbreak at a food market in Beijing has once again fueled fears about seafood imports. However, Vietnamese exporters think the Chinese market will recover in July because of China's ability to control an outbreak. The US In the first five months of 2020, the US only imported 20,000 tons of catfish, a decrease of 19 percent compared with the same period last year. In June catfish exports to the US brought turnover of $18.286 million. The total export turnover in the first six months was $104.707 million, down by 25 percent. However, exporters believe that exports to the US market, with open policies and restaurant recovery, would increase again in the last months of the year. During Covid-19, tilapia imports from Brazil to the US increased by 100 percent in the first half of the year, and tilapia imports from China also increased significantly despite a high tax rate of 25 percent, while catfish imports from Vietnam dropped by 25 percent. Meanwhile, exports to the UK, one of the countries hit hard by Covid-19, increased significantly. Linh Ha Catfish sales focus on home market as exports fall Catfish products can bring export turnover of $2 billion a year, but, surprisingly, the fish has not been favored in the home market. France, Germany, Italy threaten sanctions on violators of Libya's arms embargo Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 7:05 AM France, Germany and Italy have threatened to impose sanctions against countries that are violating a United Nations (UN) arms embargo on conflict-torn Libya. In a joint statement after a meeting in Brussels on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on "all foreign actors to end their increasing interference and to fully respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council" on the African country. "We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions if the breaches of the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue, and look forward to the proposals that the High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy will make in this regard," they said. The three European leaders also expressed "serious concerns" over the rising tensions in Libya and urged an immediate cessation of hostilities in the oil-rich country. "We share serious concerns about the mounting military tensions in this country and the increased risk of regional escalation," they said. "We therefore call on all the Libyan parties and their foreign supporters to immediately cease the fighting and put an end to the ongoing military escalation across the country." Earlier in the month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that foreign interference in the Libya conflict had reached "unprecedented" levels. Guterres underlined that both the delivery of weapons and the dispatch of proxy forces were in violation of a UN arms embargo on Libya. Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged, namely the internationally-recognized Libyan government, headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, and another group, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by rebels under the command of Khalifa Haftar. Haftar's rebel forces who are militarily backed by the UAE, Russia, and Egypt launched an offensive to seize the capital and unseat Sarraj's government in April 2019, triggering some of the most intense fighting in the country. The government in Tripoli launched a counter-offensive against Haftar-led rebels and has recently managed to reverse many of their gains with Turkey's help. The Turkish military has been providing air cover, weapons and allied militants from Syria to help Tripoli repel the assault. On the other camp, Haftar has been receiving advanced weapons systems from the UAE, one of his major supporters in the offensive on Tripoli. Egypt has also used its vast border with Libya to funnel weapons and provide logistical support to Haftar, according to reports. In turn, France, along with a number of Western states, has been lending political support to the Libyan rebel commander and his militias. There are concerns that Paris is also providing Haftar with military support. Numerous reports have suggested that Haftar and his forces have used weapons and other military equipment made by France, Germany and Russia in the course of their operations. Libyan army dispatches forces eastward On Saturday, forces of Libya's UN-backed government moved closer to the strategic cities of Sirte and Jufra, which are regarded as a gateway to the country's main oil terminals occupied by Haftar's rebels. Local media said a column of about 200 vehicles moved eastwards from the northern city of Misrata along the Mediterranean coast towards the town of Tawergha, located about 200 kilometers away from Sirte. "As part of our preparations to complete the second stage of liberating Sirte and Jufra region, our forces are preparing for this stage and these troops are part of the forces as you see now. They are getting ready to go to the fighting points and you will hear the good news in the upcoming days," said Colonel Omar bin Rashed, a military commander with the Libyan army. The Libyan government forces said they were determined to recapture Sirte and an airbase at Jufra from Haftar's rebels. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jewellery worth several lakhs and a cash amount of s 50,000 were robbed near Kolkata from a house when a majority of the family had to be put in hospital due to COVID-19, said police as per a report in PTI. Four members tested positive for COVID-19, police added. PTI They were tested after a member had died from coronavirus not long back, a senior police officer said. A woman and child were asleep at the house when it got robbed. PTI The burglary was discovered in the morning. Locals alleged even though it was a containment zone, there was no police patrolling. PTI Police have launched an investigation to catch those responsible. Rights group says its report based on witness accounts, leaked letters from prisons and reports by local rights groups. At least 14 prisoners and detainees have died from likely COVID-19 complications in scantly-monitored outbreaks of the disease at Egyptian detention centres, according to the Human Rights Watch (HRW). The United States-based rights group said its report on Monday was based on witness accounts, leaked letters from prisons and reports by credible local rights groups. It covered the period until July 15. Even though scores of prisoners and detainees, at a minimum, have shown mild to severe COVID-19 symptoms, prisons had insufficient medical care and virtually no access to testing for the virus or symptom screening, HRW said, noting the deaths had occurred in 10 detention centres. The rights group said prison authorities appear to have done no contact tracing measures and have done little to isolate prisoners who show symptoms. Guards in at least three prisons had refused to allow inmates to source or wear masks, it added. Information about the health situation in Egyptian prisons is strictly controlled by the authorities. HRW said Egypt had released some 13,000 prisoners since February, but this was insufficient to ease overcrowding in congested prisons and jails. Egyptian authorities should take immediate steps to provide everyone in detention with adequate medical care and measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW. It is essential for Egypt to address the spread of the virus by accelerating prisoner releases. Journalists death The report came days after the death of Egyptian journalist Mohamed Monir who contracted COVID-19 during pretrial detention. 200714115637897 The 65-year-old was arrested last month after appearing on Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based media network banned by the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He was released from detention on July 2 due to his sickness but died on July 13. Monir was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and serious heart problems, according to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Egypts Ministry of Interior has banned prison visits by inmates relatives since early March. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he welcomes the sending of black box flight recorders from a Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737 shot down near Tehran and is waiting for the results of their examination and the start of negotiations with Iran. He wrote this on his Facebook page. "I welcome the sending of flight recorders from the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737, flight PS752, shot down near Tehran in January to the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety," Zelensky said. According to him, this is the right step towards completing the investigation into the downing of the Ukrainian plane. Zelensky said that the relatives of those killed in this terrible tragedy must know the truth. He also stressed that they should receive appropriate compensation from the Iranian side. "Iran must conduct a full, transparent and independent investigation in accordance with international standards," he said. He said that the black boxes arrived in Lyon on Saturday, July 18, in secrecy and were already in a laboratory. "Our experts from the National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation are also involved in the process of decoding the boxes. The process will begin with the coordination of methods for reading information from the boxes, and experts will then move on to the practical part of the work. The work can be completed fairly quickly, but it all depends on the technical condition of the boxes," Zelensky said. He expressed confidence that the impeccable reputation of the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety and the participation of the best Canadian, American and Ukrainian experts would ensure the highest level of international recognition of the results of such research. "Ukraine is looking forward to the results of the decoding of the 'black boxes' and the start of the negotiation process with Iran," Zelensky said. He also added that all perpetrators would be held accountable and justice would be established. 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). All passengers and crew were killed in the crash. op Protesters rallied at Gore Park against mandatory mask rules on Sunday, despite recommendations from public health organizations to wear face coverings in places where physical distancing is not possible to stop the spread of coronavirus. The citys new bylaw that makes it mandatory to wear masks in public indoor spaces comes into force Monday. Children under two, people with underlying health conditions that prevent them from wearing face-coverings and those who cant don them without help are exempt. A recent Abacus poll showed six in 10 Canadian respondents (and 70 per cent in Ontario) support mandatory mask rules that public health experts say could help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in reopening stores and restaurants. As global COVID-19 deaths passed 600,000 Sunday, about 60 attendees at the Hamilton rally carried signs opposing vaccination, physical distancing, contact tracing, and touting the debunked theory that masks cause carbon dioxide poisoning. Other signs at the rally suggest that mandatory masks rules are an infringement on peoples freedom. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends wearing a non-medical mask in public to protect the people around you from COVID-19 transmission. COVID-19 is spread by tiny droplets that people expel when they breathe, cough, or sneeze. A mask helps prevent those droplets from being expelled into the air. A mask protects others from catching COVID-19 in case you may be an asymptomatic carrier of the respiratory virus. Of course, masks are not 100 per cent effective in preventing exposure to the virus. People should continue prioritizing physical distancing staying six feet, or two metres, apart and handwashing, while avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Amy Castleberry, Managing Director, Senior Living Finance at Ziegler stated, We are incredibly pleased with the outcome of this pricing for the Acts organization and applaud the Acts team for their disciplined approach to service, growth and accessing capital. Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, is pleased to announce the successful closing of Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.s (Acts) $199,405,000 Series 2020 Bonds. Acts is the nations third largest not-for-profit provider of senior living housing and services based upon the 2019 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking. The bond issue is composed of $115,110,000 Series 2020 Tax-Exempt Bonds and $84,295,000 2020 Taxable Bonds. The Series 2020 Tax-Exempt Bonds were issued through the Public Finance Authority (Wisconsin), Palm Beach County Health Facilities Authority (Florida), and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority (Pennsylvania). The Series 2020 Taxable Bonds were issued through the Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority (Pennsylvania). Acts operates 26 communities in 9 states with a total of 9,671 total units. The Acts Obligated Group includes 20 communities in seven states, with eight locations in Pennsylvania, four locations in Florida, three locations in Delaware, two locations in North Carolina, one location in South Carolina, one location in Georgia, and one location in Alabama. Acts, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation, was incorporated in 1971 originally under the name Open Door Estates, Inc. Acts was founded to own and operate continuing care retirement communities that have been designed and developed specifically for use by senior adults. These communities provide retirement living through a combination of housing facilities and services including supportive services and health care services. The Series 2020 Bonds are rated A- (stable) by Fitch Ratings. The tax-exempt bonds are structured as term bonds with a 7-year call at 103% on November 15, 2027. The 2020 Taxable Bonds are structured as serial bonds and mature in 2021-2029. Investor reception for the tax-exempt bonds was incredibly strong, with 37 different institutional investors placing orders and resulting in an oversubscription of more than 13 times in aggregate on the longest bonds. After the initial order period, Ziegler leveraged the deep investor book and oversubscription by lowering yields 15 basis points (bps) on the long end of the curve. The resulting arbitrage yield on the Series 2020 Bonds is 3.11% and the yield to maturity is 3.74%. Amy Castleberry, Managing Director, Senior Living Finance at Ziegler stated, We are incredibly pleased with the outcome of this pricing for the Acts organization and applaud the Acts team for their disciplined approach to service, growth and accessing capital. Ms. Castleberry continued, Zieglers desk did a wonderful job pushing credit spreads well-below our expectations going into the market. Ultimately, these bonds priced at yields that were more than 160 bps lower than the yields of similar bonds trading in the secondary market. With this transaction, Acts leadership boldly reset the market for tax-exempt senior living bonds. "The recent financing, accomplished during both a health crisis and financial uncertainty, was a great example of the benefit of our tremendous partnership with Ziegler," commented Rick Winter, Senior V.P./CFO of Acts. "Guided by Ziegler's knowledge of the continuing care retirement industry we were able to navigate through the disruptions and make decisions informed by expert financial modeling and advice. Above all, we appreciated Ziegler's patience and unwavering commitment to the best interests of Acts above all else." The proceeds of the Series 2020 Bonds will be used to (i) finance or refinance the costs of the acquisition, construction, equipping and improvement of existing and additional facilities at the properties of the Obligated Group in North Carolina, Florida, and Pennsylvania; (ii) refinance all or a portion of a revolving line of credit issued by Bank of America to the Obligated Group; (iii) refinance all or a portion of a revolving line of credit issued by Truist Bank, (iv) refund a portion of the Series 2012 bonds; and, (v) finance some or all of the costs of issuance and capitalized interest relating to the Series 2020 Bonds. For further information on the structure and use of this issue, please see the Electronic Municipal Market Access systems Document Archive. Ziegler is one of the nations leading underwriters of financing for not-for-profit senior living providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clientele, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning as well as senior living research, education, and communication. For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.ziegler.com. About Ziegler: Ziegler is a privately held, national boutique investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm. It has a unique focus on healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, fixed income sales, underwriting and trading as well as Ziegler Credit, Surveillance and Analytics. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com. Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This clients experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees. # # # H Khogen Singh By Just about a month back, Delhi seemed to be staring at a COVID-19 crisis. There were more than 25,000 active cases, the city was adding about 2,200 new cases a day and hospital beds were in short supply. Today, active cases are just over 17,000, the number of daily fresh cases is around 1,400 and there are adequate hospital beds, so much so that a 10,000-bed COVID care facility for institutional quarantine patients is almost empty. Whether Delhi has flattened the COVID curve for good only time will tell. But there is no longer a crisis-like situation. So how has this turnaround happened? It is worth recalling that in mid-June, the central government led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah stepped into the picture. Days earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had projected bleak days ahead. He said the number of confirmed cases in Delhi would go up to 5.5 lakh by the end of July. Shah called a series of meetings between the Centre and the Delhi government. Together they decided to ramp up testing and increase hospital and COVID care beds. Shah visited the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital and ordered installation of CCTV cameras as there were widespread complaints from patients. Within days, the first signs of the seemingly runaway disease being brought under control were visible. There is no doubt that both the Centre and the Delhi government have to be credited with the turnaround. Both have worked in tandem so far. But there can be no denying that the rising COVID graph was arrested only after Shah took charge. Until then, the scenario was scary and the Arvind Kejriwal government had clearly come up short. ALSO READ | Epidemiologists bat for reopening schools on day when India registers new COVID-19 high What does the public think of how the disease was handled? If a survey were to be conducted today, they would still be happy with the Kejriwal government. In fact, they would perhaps give him full marks. In a way, Kejriwal can be called a Teflon chief minister. No matter what his failings, the people of Delhi still rate him highly. But except education and health, his government does not have much to boast about. This was borne out on Sunday when the city witnessed this monsoons first heavy rainfall. A man died of drowning and at least one house in a slum area collapsed. There was also widespread water logging. The Delhi government, perhaps preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic, had clearly not done any desilting. In many parts of the city, the roads are in a mess. There has hardly been any infrastructure spending. Yet, Kejriwal will remain a popular figure. For this, the blame squarely lies with his opponents. Both the BJP and the Congress have such persons who are heading it currently that the people of Delhi cannot be blamed if they ask: Adesh Gupta who, or Anil Chaudhury who? Many are of the view that when they dont have the capacity to carry along their own leaders, they can hardly be expected to lead the city and its denizens. Arvind Kejriwal, in the meantime, can smile and not have to look over his shoulders for any potential threat. Khogen Singh is Resident Editor, New Delhi. E-mail: khogensingh@newindianexpress.com ALSO SEE: An Armenian tobacco company remained the countrys number one corporate taxpayer in the first half of this year, the State Revenue Committee (SRC) said on Monday. The government agency comprising the national tax and customs services reported that the company, Grand Tobacco, paid 26.3 billion drams ($54 million) in various taxes in January-June. The national gas distribution company owned by Russias Gazprom giant was the second most important contributor to Armenias state budget, followed by the countrys largest mining company, the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC). The SRC collected 26 billion drams and 21.6 billion drams respectively from these companies. Armenias 20 leading businesses also include other tobacco and mining firms, fuel importers, telecommunication operators, a supermarket chain, two banks and the Metsamor nuclear plant. The SRC detailed their fiscal payments in a quarterly report listing the countrys 1,000 largest corporate taxpayers. The latter paid a combined 492.7 billion drams (just over $1 billion) in taxes in the six-month period, according to the report. The figure accounted for more than 72 percent of all taxes and other duties collected by the SRC. The Armenian governments first-half tax revenue was down by 4.6 percent year on year, reflecting the coronavirus-driven recession in the country. Grand Tobacco and two other local tobacco firms are part of the Grand Holding group founded by Hrant Vartanian, a prominent businessman who died in 2014.The conglomerate, which also comprises the countrys largest chocolate and confectionery manufacturer, is now owned and run by Vartanians two sons. Much of the tobacco used by it is grown in Armenia. The Armenian cigarette manufacturers have rapidly expanded since 2013 on the back of their soaring cigarette exports to the Middle East and Iraq in particular. According to government data, Armenian exports to Iraq stood at about $58 million in the first five months of this year. Cigarettes accounted for most of those exports. Grand Tobacco became Armenia second largest taxpayer in 2018 and topped the tax rankings last year with 57 billion drams ($118 million) in total payments. How you fare during the COVID-19 pandemic may be at least partially revealed by answering one simple question: Are you an extrovert or an introvert? If youre an extrovert, one who draws energy from being with other people, you may have had difficulty during quarantine because of the lack of social interaction, especially if you live alone. Thats because an extrovert thrives in social interactions large and smallfrom getting coffee with a coworker to popping into a cubicle to chat to being part of a large meeting. All are energizing for an extrovert. But if youre an introvert, one who draws energy from being alone, the quarantine offered a reprieve from the draining effects of social interaction, especially if you live alone. Thats because an introvert prefers a quiet place to think and work, preferring not to engage with others unless its necessary. For an introvert, work or other situations that require social interaction can be exhausting. Now, with some businesses and workplaces reopened and bars and restaurants restricted, extroverts have more options to socialize. And introverts? Many mourn the loss of serenity they may have found at home. The top commanders of the Air Force will meet on July 22 for the two-day commanders' conference to focus on the operational issue New Delhi: With air-power going to play a major role in any confrontation with China, top Indian Air Force commanders will meet this week to discuss operational readiness on the Line of Actual Control and the possibility of deploying Rafale jets in the Ladakh sector. The top commanders of the Air Force will meet on July 22 for the two-day commanders' conference to focus on the operational issue, their preparedness, overall planning and assessment of the situation due to heightened tensions with China. They will also discuss the rapid deployment and operationalisation of the Rafale fighter jets which will be armed with deadly Meteor and Scalp cruise missiles and are arriving in the country by end of this month from France. The conference will be chaired by Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and will be attended by all seven of his commanders-in-chief. They will discuss the situation on the borders with China and the forward deployments done by IAF in the Ladakh and northern borders Chinese Air Force has shifted its J-11 and J-8 fighter aircraft at Hotan, Kashgar and Gargunsa air bases. Indian Air Force (IAF) has also deployed Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircrafts to advanced positions. IAF Apache attack helicopters and Chinooks helicopters are also active in Leh and are carrying out day and night operations. Chinook has been used to rapidly transport heavy weaponry and men to the high altitude areas along the LAC under tough weather conditions. Apache attack helicopters called 'flying tanks' are flying in the Leh and these helicopters are armed with air to ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air to air Stinger missiles. In May, a Chinese helicopter had aggressively come closer to an Indian helicopter which was flying senior army commanders to LAC. Presence of Apache attack helicopters at LAC is likely to deter Chinese from carrying out such maneuvers in future. Rafale jets, which are coming by the month-end, will give India an edge over China and Pakistan as they will be armed with the most advanced beyond visual range Meteor air-to-air missiles which have a range of upto 150 kilometers. Both Pakistan and China Air Force dont have a missile to counter it. These Meteor air-to-air missiles will prove deadly during a dogfight. Rafale fighters will also be armed with Scalp cruise air to surface missiles, which have a range of over 300 kilometers. The deliveries of both these missiles have already begun. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:52:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BLANTYRE, Malawi, July 20 (Xinhua) -- It's not easy for Ester Awanda, 77, to cope with stories of COVID-19 death rates and the growing numbers of patients being admitted daily in a public hospital few meters from her township. Ester lives in Chilomoni, an outskirt residential in the city of Blantyre. Her main worry is how she is going to protect herself and her 8-year-old grandson whom she shares a house with. News got her that the virus is commonly attacking older people who have low immunity in their bodies, and that scares her very much because she believes she cannot stand the virus once it hits her. "I'm aware of the pandemic, oftentimes I feel like I am the next victim. I know a few friends who have gone down with it. I'm trying to protect myself and my grandson but it's a challenge for me because I don't have enough resources to hide from it," she said. "I solely depend on selling tomatoes and dry fish at a local market, now that the cases are growing, it's very scary for me to engage myself into the business anymore. My main concern is how I am going to go through this," she said. Research is showing that when it comes to COVID-19, older people are especially vulnerable to severe illness. According to John Hopkins Medicine, adults that are 60 and older with pre-existing medical conditions are more likely to have severe illness against other age groups. In trying to reverse the problem in Malawi, a group of local young people in Blantyre, Malawi have started an initiative of trying to help needy elderly people with self-protective materials and basics needs in the outskirts of Blantyre city. Maliko Chikaonga, founder of Dzuka Chilomoni Community Organization (DCCO), said that he is very concerned with how some older people in communities are living and treated during the pandemic. He stressed that his group has noted with regret that some elderly people are being discriminated which he believes might cause serious psychological problems. So far, the group has distributed a number of assorted items including cloth masks, blankets, bags of rice just to mention a few. "According to our research, we have found that most elderly people in our community are facing serious problems in trying to cope with the pandemic. Some lack personal protective materials, others do not have simple basic needs and some do not have any emotional support from friends and family, for this reason, we found it needful to outsource resources in order to reverse the situation," he said. "We don't have enough resources to reach everyone in the community, but we are very sure that things will change as we go along. The good part is that we have started," he said. Enditem A former employee of a medical firm who claims she was fired for reporting a pay-to-play arrangement between the company and Penn State is not protected by Pennsylvanias Whistleblower Law, a federal appeals court has ruled. Katherine A. Lomaskin simply didnt prove the relationship between Penn State and Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. was illegal or wasteful of public money, the panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit decided. In an opinion by Judge Michael A. Chagares the panel rejected Lomaskins wrongful termination and Whistleblower claims. At issue was what happened after Lomaskin, who was a senior-level Siemens employee, reported to her superiors that Siemens was contributing donations and research funding to Penn State in return for receiving non-competitive fixed-price contracts from the school. Lomaskin claimed that violated company policy, Chagares noted. She claimed that, instead of acting on her report, her superiors removed her from working in the companys account with Penn State and eventually fired her. Lomaskin took the case to the circuit court after U.S. Eastern District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno dismissed her claims. Robreno found Siemens isnt subject to the Whistleblower Law because it is not a public entity that receives state funding. Nor did she show that any public funds were wasted in the Siemens-Penn State arrangement, Robreno concluded. Chagares agreed. Lomaskin fails to state a viable whistleblower claim based on waste or wrongdoing by either Siemens or Penn State, he wrote. He found that she didnt prove her firing from a private company violated public policy, either. By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - As EU negotiations over a coronavirus recovery fund and a new budget for the bloc ran into an impasse, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte was singled out by one leader this weekend as the "man responsible for the whole mess". Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused him of that, while Spanish and Italian diplomats have taken to calling him "Mr. No No No!". Standing up for not spending money on European projects requires a naysayer, and Rutte has taken on the role with calculated determination as leader of a group of smaller "frugal" nations. While he may cut a less colourful figure than Margaret Thatcher a generation ago, Rutte's readiness to don the mantle of parsimony after Britain's departure from the EU is solidly grounded in public opinion and politics at home. The Dutch, who support EU membership by a two-thirds majority, take pride in both their history as a trading nation and their traditional Calvinist thrift. Dutch taxpayers are aware that they are proportionately among the largest contributors to the EU budget, and the idea of giving or lending more is unpopular. The "Mr. No" moniker derives from an April video clip, frequently retweeted, that shows a Dutch waste collector shouting at Rutte not to give money to "those Italians and French". "Oh, no, no, no." Rutte replied. "I will remember this." Critics say the Dutch reluctance to spend now is misplaced, given the country's large trade surplus with the rest of the EU. Unicredit economist Erik Nielsen argued in a note on Sunday that the Dutch 2018 net budget contribution of 2.4 billion euros "tells only a small part of the real financial story". "According to the Tax Justice Network, that same year, the Netherlands tax haven structures helped them grab 6.7 billion euros in tax receipts from Germany, France, Italy and Spain," he wrote. Story continues But conversations in the Netherlands more often focus on whether Dutch prosperity is the result of a tougher work ethic, and whether it is fair to share funds with countries that have a lower retirement age. Domestic politics also play a role. With national elections looming in March, Rutte's conservative VVD Party must jockey with far-right parties for exactly those voters most likely to be euro-sceptic. In addition, his current centre-right coalition lacks a majority in parliament. Any compromise struck in Brussels now that goes too far in the eyes of the Dutch might not be ratified later in The Hague. This rejection happened in 2005 and again, to a deal Rutte had agreed to, in 2016. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Frances Kerry) Both globally and in India, police brutality is currently a topic of discussion. In India, it takes many forms, including custodial violence, arbitrary enforcement of rules, and, most notably, encounter killings. Usually glamourized in movies, these encounters" are under scrutiny after the police shooting of Vikas Dubey, the 119th accused killed in a so-claimed police encounter in Uttar Pradesh since its Adityanath-led government took charge in 2017. While it is a form of police excess, a culture of encounter killing is actually a consequence of a dearth of policing. Counterintuitively, a lack of state capacity to operate a functional criminal justice system has led to a new equilibrium of police encounters. Thanks to Nobel Laureate Gary Becker, it is well established that criminals also weigh the expected costs and benefits of breaking a rule. The expected cost is the punishment/fine multiplied by the probability of getting caught. If either the punishment or the probability of facing punishment is too low, then expected costs might be relatively low, compared to the benefits of breaking the rule. Because of weak capacity of the police, courts and the prison system in India, the probability of facing punishment is very low, even though the punishment for crimes like murder, kidnapping and extortion is fairly high. This is one reason for the countrys increasing crime rate. As total crime increases, the resources of the criminal justice system get further strained, and fewer criminals are caught. The total number of crimes can increase if too many activities are criminalized. This is especially true of India, where everything from unauthorized chain pulling and tree cutting to a cheque bouncing has a criminal penalty. But the total number of crimes also increases when criminals go unpunished in a weak criminal justice system, and they feel they can act with impunity. Diminished deterrence because of weak state capacity tends to generate more criminal activity, further reducing punishment per crime, and so on. Mark Kleiman called this phenomenon enforcement swamping". In such an environment, criminals do not fear the law. When confronted with weak state capacity and rising crime, state actors know that the probability of securing convictions is low, so their tendency is to increase the punishment in order to achieve the same level of deterrence while also appeasing citizens. Citizens, activists and legislators routinely demand the death penalty for rapists in India. The hope is that the severity of the punishment would make up for weak enforcement caused by capacity constraints. But increasing the severity of punishments has not reduced crime in India. Punishments like the death penalty further clog the criminal justice system because of the high burden of proof. Only international terrorists, or the poor, seem to face capital punishment in the country. Higher penalties on law books usually only serve to increase the amount of bribes paid by violators to escape punishment. The second response to enforcement swamping is that in the face of public outrage over crime, the police act as investigator, judge and executioner all wrapped in onethrough extra-legal custodial killings. In any civilised society, there would be citizen pushback against such police excess. The police are unlikely to engage in encounter killings unless they have some popular support, or at the very least, no widespread opposition. The weaker the criminal justice system, the greater the demand for immediate justice from the public, especially for gruesome crimes. When the police caught four suspects who allegedly gang-raped a doctor in Hyderabad, they read the very angry public mood, and were largely praised for the custodial encounter" killing of the suspects, instead of facing any backlash. Ordinarily, legislators and the executive, i.e. the bosses of the policemen, are also unlikely to tolerate policemen going rogue unless they benefit in some way. This occurs when the general mood in society supports swift justice, as in the Hyderabad case. But police excesses will also be tolerated when these actions get rid of pesky civil or political opposition, or previous allies who may have switched loyalties. This brings us to the encounter killing of Vikas Dubey, a case which seems to have all these aspects. A politically-connected person with at least 60 criminal charges, he was infamous for the killing of Santosh Shukla, a Bharatiya Janata Party minister, inside a police station, with a dozen odd policemen as witnesses who turned hostile in court, leading to his acquittal of the charge. A few days before his capture, he reportedly killed eight policemen during a raid to arrest him, and made an escape. He appears to have usually got away with these actions in the past, with his political links and a corruptible police. But being on the wrong side of the political fence, caste politics and police relationships appear to have made Dubey a perfect encounter candidate. It is unlikely that the public will mourn Dubeys deaththe perfect shield for a police force to engage in such excesses. The only way out of this bad equilibrium that seems to legitimize police killings is, counter-intuitively, more policing. India needs a tenfold increase in police forces, judges and prisons, ideally coupled with a significant reduction in the violations that carry a criminal penalty. Only then may we see criminal justice with a semblance of the rule of law. Shruti Rajagopalan is a senior research fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, US Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. By Sigmar Gabriel BERLIN Politicians who don't know what to do when confronted with new or difficult circumstances often resort to empty phrases. This certainly appears to be the case for Europe and its changing relations with the United States. For example, German Chancellor Angela Merkel now argues that transatlantic relations need a "fundamental" reappraisal, and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas insists that there is an "urgent need for action." But what does this mean? Where are the concrete proposals specifying what such action should entail? The fact is that we Europeans especially we Germans long took comfort in the assumption that the post-war order would more or less maintain itself after the Soviet Union's disintegration. After all, the U.S. was the only remaining superpower, and it happened to be our closest friend. While we looked after ourselves at home, the U.S. (with a little help from its nuclear-armed French and British friends on the United Nations Security Council) would assume responsibility for the wider world. But since the geopolitical upheavals of the 1990s, the U.S. unlike most Europeans has actually reflected on the changing world. It concluded that in the twenty-first century, it would have to think more about Asia namely China which meant that there would be less focus on Europe and the transatlantic world. Hence, while seeking to curtail America's involvement in the Middle East and Europe, former U.S. President Barack Obama announced a "pivot to Asia," which has since evolved into a loosely defined "Indo-Pacific" strategy under U.S. President Donald Trump. Now that China has replaced the Soviet Union as America's main geopolitical rival, there is growing talk of a new cold war, and not just among Trump's more hawkish Republican allies and advisers. Still, Trump is certainly the first U.S. president to have openly demanded both loyalty and compensation from Europe. For the past three and a half years, the message from the U.S. has been that if Europe particularly Germany does not pay up, it will not be able to count on U.S. protection under Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty. In Trump's view, the world is a simple place where the strongest actor always prevails. He does not recognize the fact that America's alliances are what reinforce its power and distinguish it from China and Russia. To Trump, all U.S. partners and allies are merely potential marks for extortion. It should be obvious by now that Europe must stop being the rabbit to the U.S. serpent. America will do whatever it thinks best, and if Trump wins a second term in November, not even NATO will be safe. But even if Trump's presumptive Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, prevails, the U.S. will not suddenly snap back to post-war form. With or without Trump, the U.S. still will look less to the Atlantic and more to the Pacific. And in a few years, Americans of European heritage will no longer constitute the majority of U.S. citizens. Moreover, two-thirds of Americans already think that their country "is playing the role of world policeman more than it should be," which suggests that any future administration will feel pressure to curtail the U.S. military presence in the Near and Middle East. That, in turn, will further reduce Germany's longstanding importance as a forward base for U.S. operations in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere. Under these circumstances, Europe must start to define its own interests for itself and clarify the means (military, economic, political) by which it will advance them. For example, Germans should not let the U.S. president's views influence their internal debates about defense spending. The same applies to European relations with China. How does the European Union intend to prevent each member state from pursuing its own China policy? Answering that question and devising a strategy for dealing with China more broadly will be far more important for the transatlantic relationship than NATO contributions, troop reductions, or trade issues. Fortunately, given the geopolitical dynamics of the twenty-first century, even the U.S. will soon realize that going it alone is a dangerous game. Global threats like climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemics can be tackled only collectively, and the need for a strong transatlantic partnership will become obvious as these issues come to the fore. But renewing the relationship will be possible only if Europe is united on key issues. An internally divided EU cannot be a serious partner to anyone. For Europe, the transatlantic relationship will remain something of a default position. Europe decided to align with the U.S. 75 years ago, and that is where it will remain. There is no possibility of "equidistance" vis-a-vis the U.S., China, and Russia, because the latter two hold fundamentally different ideas about non-negotiable issues of governance. "The West," after all, is not a geographical term; it is a universally applicable political project built around the rule of law, judicial independence, freedom of speech, an independent press, and other core liberal values. Notwithstanding Trump, Europe and the U.S. together are still the leading exponents of these ideas. Europe's challenge now is to show that a balance can be struck between individual freedom and mutual responsibility. As the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis showed, this is easier said than done. But since then, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have taken a step in the right direction with their joint proposal for a European recovery fund. Europeans should recognize that when they speak of "fundamentally" rethinking their attitude toward the U.S., they are actually revealing a change in their own self-perception. There is indeed an "urgent need for action." Europeans need to act by themselves and for themselves. Gone are the days when we could sit back and allow U.S. aircraft carriers to project our interests. Sigmar Gabriel, a former German foreign minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, is Chairman of Atlantik-Brucke, a member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bank, and a media writer for Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 Trend: The risks of new zoonotic disease outbreaks, as well as their spillover effects and rapid spread, will remain and likely increase, World Bank Regional Director for the Central Asia Region Lilia Burunciuc said, Trend reports with reference to the World Bank (WB). "It is nothing new to suggest that regional cooperation in Central Asia holds significant potential for the region, nor is it novel to recall the shared heritage and history, including the famous Silk Road, that links Central Asian countries. And yet there is one largely overlooked area of cooperation, which has ever-growing importance and urgency," she wrote. One Health Among the uncertainty enveloping the world today, what remains clear is that zoonotic disease outbreaks will continue to occur. Zoonotic diseases (zoonoses) are animal diseases and infections that transmit to humans for example, SARS, Ebola, H1N1 (swine flu), brucellosis, and rabies. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) estimates that 60 percent of existing human infectious diseases are zoonotic, and out of the five new human diseases that emerge each year, three are of animal origin. The One Health initiative, while it may sound deceptively simple, is in fact a complex effort to bring together people, knowledge, expertise, and information to improve the ties between humans, animals, and environmental health. This approach springs from the understanding that human and animal health are deeply interconnected and co-exist in one ecosystem. Through One Health, WB can identify threats sooner, exchange crucial information, and as a result, take early life-saving action. The One Health approach can help strengthen systems to support recovery from infectious disease outbreaks. The knock-on effects will include improved global public health, sustained economic growth, and poverty alleviation. As humans continue to use land irresponsibly, for example, by neglecting sanitation practices in wet markets for food and agricultural products, sidestepping adequate biosecurity in agriculture, and failing to address climate change threats, the risks of new zoonotic disease outbreaks, as well as their spillover effects and rapid spread, will remain and likely increase. Add to this destructive mix travel, trade, and urbanization, and one might conclude that the fate of humanity is bleak indeed. One Region Located at the crossroads of global value chains, with countries that rely heavily on labor migration, Central Asia is particularly vulnerable. At the same time, Central Asia, and in fact the wider region, is well placed to prevent and tackle future disease outbreaks. This is due to the shared epidemiological past of the countries of the former Soviet Union, which once boasted an elaborate network of antiplague centers, research institutes, and laboratories with trained personnel. Since some parts of this legacy remain, the region already has a built-in foundation for implementing the One Health approach. Other features that Central Asian countries share include ecotypes, agro-ecological zones, human and animal population densities, farming systems, movement and trade patterns, and existing mechanisms for regional cooperation. One Step at a Time The One Health approach is a comprehensive effort, as it seeks to establish a common platform that houses an interconnected web of institutions, services, laboratories, and people who are able to share knowledge, exchange information and experiences, and learn and work together to ensure the prevention and timely detection, response, and management of disease outbreaks. For One Health to take off in Central Asia, it will need investment, leadership, and the engagement of member countries. The World Bank is ready to support and see this initiative through. The WB have long helped the Central Asian countries to come together, building on their commonalities, to work toward shared goals in trade, connectivity, water security, disaster preparedness, climate, and other issues. The WB has also been collaborating with them to strengthen the various systems that would work together under the 'One Health' umbrella: health care systems, surveillance, livestock, agriculture, climate, and environmental protection. The WB's current portfolio consists of nine relevant projects amounting to $886 million. In addition to emergency operations in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the WB is assisting the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in improving their national surveillance systems for infectious disease control. This effort will also prove useful in establishing regional networks to coordinate risk management in the event of transboundary disease outbreaks. In livestock and agriculture, the WB can build on the work already accomplished through such initiatives as the Integrated Dairy Productivity Improvement Project in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Livestock Sector Development Project in Uzbekistan. In both countries the WB is helping address weaknesses in public and private veterinary services to improve animal health. In Kazakhstan, the recently approved Sustainable Livestock Development Program for Results, in addition to strengthening veterinary services, will improve animal traceability and the sustainability of beef value chains. With over two decades of involvement in the region, the World Bank is well placed to act as a convener and to provide regional program design expertise and implementation support. This year, WB adopted a Regional Engagement Framework for Central Asia, the first indicative work program prepared for the region since the Bank opened offices there in the 1990s. The WB is thus increasing effort to support a locally driven process of deeper economic cooperation within Central Asia and across Eurasia. While viruses flow freely across borders, important knowledge, information, and action have some catching up to do. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call on the need to improve disease preparedness and surveillance systems to deter such crises from happening again. Emiratis brimmed with joy and pride as the United Arab Emirates made history on Monday by successfully launching its spacecraft "Al Amal" towards Mars from a Japanese launch centre, marking the Arab world's first interplanetary mission. IMAGE: People watch a big screen displaying the launch of the Hope Probe from Tanegashima Island in Japan, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters Al Amal, or Hope Probe, weighing 1.3 tonnes was launched from the H-2A rocket from Japan's remote Tanegashima spaceport at 1.58 am local time. The ground control room in Dubai erupted with joy after the successful lift off. Hundreds of scientists, space enthusiasts and the UAE's leadership cheered as the upper stage containing the probe separated from the launch rocket, the protective shields and its solar panels were deployed with clockwork precision. The solar panels will charge the batteries of the spacecraft for its 495,000,000 kms journey to Mars. Within a couple of hours, it was confirmed that the ground segment at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai has received and communicated the first signals with the Hope Probe. UAE president Sheikh Khalifa has praised the talented team who had masterminded the landmark Mars mission. "With pleasure and great pride, we have followed up on the announcement of the successful launch of the Hope Probe, the idea of which was conceived and developed inside our national research and political institutions," he said. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said the nation watched the successful launch of the Hope probe with "pride and joy." "We embark on a new chapter in space, led by our exceptional youth. Congratulations to the UAE for this historic achievement," Sheikh Mohamed tweeted. IMAGE: People clap and applaud as they watch a big screen displaying the launch of the Hope Probe from Tanegashima Island in Japan, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters Indian Consulate General in Dubai congratulated the UAE leadership on the achievement. On behalf of all Indians living in UAE, we congratulate UAE leadership and all Emirati friends for successful launch of Mission Hope to Mars today morning and salute undeterred commitment of scientists even during tough times of COVID, the Consulate General of India in Dubai tweeted. NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, also lauded the UAE's efforts. Congrats to the team that worked on @HopeMarsMission. It's truly amazing what @uaespaceagency & @MBRSpaceCentre have accomplished in such a short time. Hope is exactly what the world needs and thank you to the UAE & @mhi for inspiring all of us, Bridenstine tweeted. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Digital Economy, Artificial Intelligence and Remote Working System, said COVID-19 was the "biggest" hurdle that the Emirates Mars mission team had to overcome. "The team had to work backwards just to ensure that everything arrives in Japan before the launch period, and so that COVID-19 and the closure of borders do not affect the launch and the mission itself," Al Olama was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times. The Dh735-million (USD 200 million) project, which is the first interplanetary mission by any Arab nation, took six years by a team of 135 Emirati engineers, scientists and researchers. Hope's arrival in February 2021 is set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the UAE's formation. The Gulf News reported that around 200 days from now, the spacecraft will reach the Mars orbit and begin its mission to study the Red Planet's atmosphere. Thanks to proper planning and "countless sleepless nights", Hope is now on its way to Mars, Al Olama said, lauding the contributions of the team members. The mission will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the Red Planet's orbit. IMAGE: A representation of Mars and the Hope Probe is seen at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre ahead of its launch from Tanegashima Island in Japan, in Dubai. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters It will also help answer questions related to the global Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year. Three state-of-the-art science instruments have been designed to study the different aspects of the Martian Atmosphere. "It's like a three-way race to Mars this year and the UAE is headed to be the first country to reach Mars before US and China," Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, was quoted as saying by the Gulf News. Most Mars missions orbit at a single local time that allows the atmosphere to be measured at only one time of day but Hope Probe will circle Mars for the entire Martian year, which is equivalent to almost two Earth years, the report said. The mission launch was delayed twice because of bad weather in Japan. A space mission launch can be delayed due to three reasons: Technical, logistical or foul weather. With SpaceX, the rocket was about to launch but it was postponed due to a technical issue. The Russian-European mission (to Mars) was delayed by two years due to logistical issues caused by COVID-19. In our case, the delay was not due to technical or logistical issues, but purely due to weather-related ones, a UAE Mars mission official said. Mars has been chosen for exploration for many reasons. From our pursuit to find extra-terrestrial life to someday expand human civilisation to other planets, Mars serves as a long-term and collaborative project for the entire human race, the Mars mission website says. "As citizens and residents we are proud to be part of this visionary and innovative era of the UAE's growth," Mustafa Al Husseiny, an Emirati, was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times. Shaneer Nusrat Siddiqui, former project coordinator at Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre, said, "with the way the UAE is heading towards space science, the country is set to become a key player in the space industry in the coming years." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:24:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, addresses the 15th anniversary and Chinese Lunar New Year gala of China General Chamber of Commerce-U.S.A. in New York, the United States, Jan. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "I think as great powers, big countries with heavy responsibilities not only for ourselves but also for the world, we really have to base our policies on a good perception of the common interests, on growing global challenges and how the international community would expect us to do," said Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the United States. WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The key to a more stable and stronger U.S.-China relationship is to identify growing common interests, properly manage any differences between the two countries, and "not allow suspicion, fear, or even hatred to hijack our foreign policy," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "For us, President Trump is President of the United States elected by the American people. So we are ready to work with him and his administration to build a more stable and stronger relation between our two great countries," Cui said in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS Show, which was aired on Sunday. "Of course, any U.S. leaders, any U.S. administration would represent U.S. interests. The same is true for Chinese leaders and the Chinese government," Cui said in response to questions on U.S.-China ties. "But the key is to identify our growing common interests, areas where our two countries can really work together for the common interests of the two peoples and for the broader common interests of the international community." Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2015, shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. At the same time, "we have to do a good job in managing any possible differences between us in a constructive way. That's been our approach all along," he added. "I think as great powers, big countries with heavy responsibilities not only for ourselves but also for the world, we really have to base our policies on a good perception of the common interests, on growing global challenges and how the international community would expect us to do, and not allow suspicion, fear, or even hatred to hijack our foreign policy," he said. "I think the fundamental question for the United States is very simple -- Is the United States ready or willing to live with another country with a very different culture, very different political and economic systems, whether the United States is ready to live with it in peace and cooperate on so many and still growing global challenges," he said. "I think this is a real choice. This is a fundamental choice people have to make." This is a photo of the Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 18, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) He noted that people have to "fully recognize the realities of today's world." "Actually, the Chinese civilization has been there for about 5,000 years, much longer than the United States. And there is strong continuity for the Chinese civilization and there are ongoing efforts by the Chinese people to modernize our own country," he said. "This has never changed, whether in the last 70 years or in the last seven years. This is a continuing process. We certainly have the legitimate right to build our country into a modernized, strong, prosperous country, like every other country in the world," he said. "We are always ready and open to work together with the U.S. government, any administration. And especially, we still have confidence in the goodwill of the American people, and we have the same kind of goodwill towards the American people," he said. The request to have International Police Organization (Interpol) arrest Samuel Adam Mahama, brother of ex-President John Dramani Mahama, in connection with the Airbus SE four million Euro bribery scandal, is causing unease in the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Although it was at the instance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) headed by Martin Amidu that the alert was being issued, the NDC is insisting that the move was a veiled yet direct attack on former President Mahama by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. Since the arrest warrant was issued last week, the NDC leaders had been berating the NPP over what they said was an attempt to impugn the integrity of the former President ahead of the 2020 general election in December. Police Statement A police statement signed by DSP Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), confirmed that the OSP had made the request to raise a Red Notice through the Interpol for the arrest of the ex-President's younger brother together with his accomplices, namely Sarah Furneaux, Sarah Leanne Davis and Philip Sean Middlemiss, who were all believed to be British. Following a request by the Office of the Special Prosecutor through the Criminal Investigation Department to the Interpol General Secretariat, the latter has issued a Red Notice in respect of the following individuals Samuel Adam Foster, alias Adam Mahama, Philip Sean Middlemiss, Leanne Sarah Davis and Sarah Furneaux, the statement had said. It added that 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. Four Fugitives The four individuals are fugitives wanted for prosecution for their alleged roles in accepting and paying 3,909,756 as bribe on behalf of Airbus SE to some key Ghanaian public officials from 2009 to 2015. On Friday, July 10, 2020, the Interpol published a Red Notice on its public website requesting law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest the four individuals, pending their extradition to Ghana. There is no expiry date of the Red Notice or arrest warrant issued to track down the four individuals. According to the summary of facts of the case as set out in the Red Notice, between 2009 and 2015, Airbus SE engaged Mr. Mahama, brother of former President John Dramani Mahama, and Mr. Middlemiss to accept and pay 3.9 million as bribe to some Ghanaian public officials to approve the sale of three C-295 military aircraft to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). Concealing Evidence The notice said further that the suspects, Mr. Mahama and Mr. Middlemiss, together with their accomplices, Ms. Davis and Ms. Furneaux, in order to conceal and facilitate the bribery payment, incorporated Deedum Ltd. Ghana, Deedum Ltd. UK and Furneaux Ltd UK to consult on behalf of Airbus SE. The suspects and their accomplices succeeded in using the companies and intermediaries to receive the bribe from Airbus SE. Subsequently, the suspects and their accomplices paid bribes to key public officials to influence their decision to purchase three aircraft on behalf of Ghana, the notice added. Indeed, the facts of the case have established that the 3.9 million bribe money was offered by the suspects and their accomplices to influence and induce public officials in Ghana in their decision-making, which gave Airbus SE an overbearing and overriding advantage in the sale of the three aircraft to the Government of Ghana. NDC Fights Back Former President Mahama's spokesperson, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, went overdrive over the weekend, saying that the Akufo-Addo administration is trying to 'witch-hunt' the NDC flagbearer in the Airbus issue. She even went to the extent of saying that Mr. Amidu was being used by the NPP for their political expediency. She said without any equivocation that it was Mr. Mahama who even welcomed the move by the current government to have the Special Prosecutor investigate the matter and insisted that the NPP was using the Airbus issue to attack the personality of Mr. Mahama because, according to her, the NDC flagbearer was gaining grounds ahead of the election. She alleged that there were other related actions of corruption undertaken by the current administration and yet few had gone to the OSP and queried how a Red Notice could be given for someone who was not even a fugitive. Red Herring Former Health Minister Alex P. Segbefia fired that the Interpol Red Notice was nothing but a red herring, and said it was a calculated plot by the Akufo-Addo administration to embarrass the brother of the main suspect, Mr. Mahama. 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 upcoming elections. He said, A Red Notice is usually issued against a criminal fugitive on the run who seeks actively to evade justice, adding, 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. He said that one needs to bear in mind that the entire hullabaloo about Airbus emanated from the UK courts, which had 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. No Flight Risk The ex-President's 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? 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, adding it is interesting 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. No Alert NDC Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi went to the extent of claiming that checks revealed that the Red Notice could not be found on the official website of the Interpol and that it was an attempt by the government to deceive the people. So this is fabricated, it is of dubious validity and we should not feed the people of this country with such information. The arrest warrant from Interpol is only issued for fugitives who are wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence; thus, Mr. Mahama has not been declared a fugitive. Is the subject, Mr. Mahama, of the said notice a fugitive? Has he escaped from legal custody? Interpol does not issue red notices based on charges; they only issue red notices for fugitives. In this case, the said subject has not escaped lawful custody so he is not a fugitive and cannot be a subject of a Red Notice of the Interpol, Sammy Gyamfi claimed. We have made it clear, time and again, if you read the document of the Airbus issue, no government official under the former President John Mahama-led administration has been sighted for taking bribes from anybody in connection with the Airbus transaction, he stressed. ---Daily Guide As the novel coronavirus cases continue to rise unabated, a lockdown was imposed in four localities of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh till July 24. These areas include- Ghazipur, Indira Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and Ashiana. Lockdown should be strictly followed, if anyone is found negligent, strict action will be taken against them, said the District Magistrate, Abhishek Prakash. If in case, any officer or employee engaged in Covid-19 infection prevention, testing, contact tracing, hospital management, containment zone etc. is found relaxing, an FIR will be registered under Section 188 of the Epidemic Act against them, he added. During the lockdown, the traffic will continue on the national highway and state highway falling in these four areas. While the services of Railway and State Road Transport Corporation will remain uninterrupted. Offices related to essential services will be free from any kind of restrictions and employees related to essential services will be allowed to commute. Along with this, the construction activities of expressways, major bridges, roads and other activities by the Public Works Department, government buildings and private projects will continue as before. District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash has imposed a special duty of magistrates and police officers in these four police station areas. A joint visit of these areas will be done by magistrates and police officers and to ensure strict lockdown, patrolling will be done by police teams and UP112 personnel. Reviewing the current situation in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday evening held a meeting with the CMO and DM and stated that following test results, the COVID patient should be informed within 15 minutes and should be admitted within an hour. In the past 24 hours, 392 fresh COVID-19 cases along with two deaths were reported in state capital Lucknow. Till date, 1,453 people have been discharged from hospitals and the active cases are 2,509 across Lucknow. London: Russias ambassador to Britain has rejected allegations that his countrys intelligence services sought to steal information about a coronavirus vaccine. Andrei Kelin said in a BBC interview broadcast on Sunday that there was no sense in the allegations made last week by the United States, Britain and Canada. The race for a viable coronavirus vaccine is on. Credit:AP I dont believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it, he said when asked about the allegations. I learned about their [the hackers] existence from British media. In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible." Intelligence agencies in the US, Britain and Canada on Thursday accused the hacking group APT29 also known as Cozy Bear and believed to be part of Russian intelligence of using malicious software to attack academic and pharmaceutical research institutions involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. It was unclear whether any useful information was stolen. ATLANTIC CITY A city steeped in Italian culture and history may become the latest town to find alternative ways to honor that legacy than by celebrating Columbus Day. On Wednesday, City Council will consider a resolution declaring the second Monday in October as Italian Heritage Day. The second Monday in October this year is the 12th, which is annually observed as the national holiday for Columbus Day. The governing body also will consider declaring Aug. 9 as Indigenous Peoples Day in Atlantic City. A resolution introduced last month to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October was tabled. Atlantic Citys proposed actions are the most recent example of regional and nationwide conflicts over Columbus statues resulting from the social justice protest movement. Several New Jersey cities, including Atlantic City, Trenton and Newark, have taken down statues of Columbus. The cost to Atlantic City to have the Columbus statue removed and transported to a secure location was $19,000. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Last year, the Australian Army hosted one of its largest military exercises with participants from the U.S. Marine Corps and the French military working side-by-side with Australian forces. The three militaries practiced how to work with each other as well as how to best incorporate the strengths of each force. And that gives us a perfect chance to watch the highly mobile, flexible and lethal Marine artilleryman at work. For warfighting exercise Koolendong, the 3rd Battalion, 11 Marines brought out their "Triple Sevens." These are M777 howitzers which fire 155mm shells. An M777 is capable of sending a 103-pound shell to a target almost 14 miles away and of hitting that target within 54 yards thanks to a GPS-guided fuze. An extended-range version of the round can go almost 23 miles at maximum range. But of course, the rounds and the howitzers are only as good as the artillerymen manning them, and the Marines in the video above prove themselves quite capable of using their weapon to maximum effect. While other troops sometimes make fun of artillerymen with accusations that they're too weak to walk all the way to the target or too dumb for other work, the fact is that artillery requires a crap-ton of math, even more upper body strength, and an insane level of attention to detail. And that need for strength and attention to detail only gets greater the larger the gun is. And if artillery is king of the battle, the M777 is a roided-out king who could wrestle a lion. There's a Marine who ferries ammunition from the truck or ammo supply point to the weapon, which requires a quick movement of dozens of yards while carrying over 100 pounds every time he does it. There are two Marines who work together to ram the round from its staged position into the breech, something that is accomplished with a massive, heavy tool that they sprint against. There's the gunner who's trying to make sure his weapon is perfectly aimed after each shot, even though it settles into the dirt differently after every firing. The tiniest mistake in his measurements could send the round hundreds of yards off target. And while the crew is firing at its sustained rate, of two rounds per minute, it can be tough. But their max firing rate is five rounds per minute, meaning that they have to repeat their physically and mentally challenging jobs every twelve seconds without fail. To see what that looks like, check out the video at top if you haven't already. More articles from We Are the Mighty: This is how to fire a Civil War cannon, step-by-step How artillery actually kills you The 5 most decorated troops in American history We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty. 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 6400 kilometres east of Moscow. Thousands more attended protests in other regional towns and in Vladivostok, a port city on the Pacific Ocean in neighbouring Primorsky Krai. A man holds a poster reading "Our region, our governor!" during an unsanctioned protest in Khabarovsk in Russia. Credit:AP 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 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 July 9 on murder charges of Khabarovsk's governor, Sergei I. Furgal, one of a handful of regional leaders not affiliated with a party entirely controlled by the Kremlin. Islamabad: A Chinese ship docked at the port on Friday and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported,citing official sources. The first trade convoy carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has arrived at the Gwadar port, a media report said on Saturday in Islamabad. A Chinese ship docked at the port on Friday and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported,citing official sources. CPEC has been said to be a 'monument of Pakistan-China friendship' The paper said that the second trade convoy was scheduledto reach on Saturday. The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa. A ceremony marking the opening of trade activities through the corridor will be held on Sunday, which will be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and envoys of 15 countries. China not only built the Gwadar port but also has its operational control. It is also building a network of roadsand railways to link up its western region to Gwadar for easiest access to Arabian Sea. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Teresa Giudice used the celebrity message site Cameo to give advice to a fan in a very prickly situation. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey star, 48, didn't pass judgement when she was asked how a fan who contracted chlamydia from her fiance's brother should deal with her problem. Taking to Cameo - a site where people can buy video messages from their favorite personalities - Giudice offered some practical guidance, first telling the fan they should visit the doctor. Drama-rama: A Teresa Giudice fan's friend asked the reality star advice after sleeping with her fiance's brother and contracting chlamydia. Luckily the app Cameo let her reach out to the star - for a fee 'Hi Jessica! This is booked by your best friend, Rachel,' Teresa said in the video, which has now gone viral. 'She told me you just had sex with your fiance's brother that had chlamydia, and the family knows that he had it and it's starting to look suspicious.' So Teresa told Jessica how she'd handle the whole debacle. 'They want me to tell you what I would do if I was in your shoes first of all, I would go the doctor, get medication, and get myself good.' 'And I think I would stay away from that family,' she went on with a laugh. Making a Cameo: Cameo is a site where you can buy messages from celebrities, athletes and reality personalities Fix it: 'They want me to tell you what I would do if I was in your shoes first of all, I would go the doctor, get medication, and get myself good,' she told Jessica Beyond that, Teresa reminded Jessica she couldn't reverse her actions. 'I wish you all the best in life, and listen it is what it is,' the Jersey girl continued. 'Just fix it, make it better and get out of that situation. Thanks for always loving and supporting me, and love, love, love you.' Hopefully the advice was worth the $200k Rachel paid for the message. It's unclear who released the video, which was not on Teresa's public Cameo page. Teresa was on the other side of a cheating scandal after she accused ex-husband Joe Giudice of being unfaithful. Therapy does exists... Hopefully the advice was worth the $200k Rachel paid for the message Her revelations came to light during a February episode of RHONJ, where she 'Listen, he had a separate cell phone with one girl,' she said, also noting she 'found it' and confronted him about it. 'It was his ex-girlfriend's sister,' she continued. 'He said she was going through her divorce, helping her trying to sell her house. Like, I quit my job. Gia was three and I was like, "What am I gonna do?" I shoulda left then, right? I didn't because he denied it to me, I believed him.' Joe is currently living in Italy after being deported by ICE following his release from federal prison. Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted: here. WEDNESDAY Alcatraz and mass incarceration: Troy Williams, founder and director of Restorative Media, and a National Park Service ranger at Alcatraz discuss mass incarceration and the former island prisons part in it. Hosted by the San Francisco Public Library. 7 p.m. More information is here. Victor Arnautoff murals: A look at the history of Victor Arnautoff murals, including those at George Washington High School in San Francisco, and the modern-day community response to them. Hosted by LaborFest. 7 p.m. More information is here. THURSDAY Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: Concord Democrat holds a telephone town hall on what happens in Contra Costa County schools when classes resume. DeSaulnier will be joined by Bill Walker, director of legislative and governmental affairs for Contra Costa Health Services, and county schools Superintendent Lynn Mackey. Noon. RSVP and submit a question here. Rep. Ro Khanna: Fremont Democrat holds a town hall meeting. Noon. Submit questions in advance here; join meeting here. Black voters and the election: A discussion of suppression of Black peoples voting power. With Tiffany Cross, co-founder and managing editor of the Beat DC and author of Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy, and She the People co-founder and president Aimee Allison. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here. Suffrage movement: Diversity and division in the suffrage movement a discussion with Ari Berman, author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, and Ann Ravel, former chair of the Federal Election Commission. Sponsored by the Mechanics Institute and the League of Women Voters. 5 p.m. More information is here. Community colleges: The funding situation at Californias community colleges as the coronavirus and its economic effects worsen. Hosted by LaborFest. 5 p.m. More information is here. Police reform: San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., on the future of police reform. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here. FRIDAY Central Park Five: Screening of the new Ken Burns documentary on the five Black and Latino youths in New York wrongly convicted of raping a woman in Central Park. Hosted by Mannys. 6 p.m. More information is here. SATURDAY 1946 Oakland general strike: A look at the last work holiday ever in a U.S. city, the Oakland general strike that lasted more than two days. Hosted by LaborFest. Noon. More information is here. JULY 29 Nuclear war: The history of the nuclear arms race and presidential launch authority, with former Defense Secretary William Perry and Tom Collina, policy director of the Ploughshares Fund. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 12:30 p.m. More information is here. Women in politics: Dismantling patriarchal systems that block womens progress a discussion with Jennifer Palmieri, former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser and author of She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Mans World, and She the People founder and president Aimee Allison. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 4:30 p.m. More information is here. JULY 30 Robert Reich: UC Berkeley public policy professor and former U.S. labor secretary on how to restore confidence in the political and economic systems. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. $15 for nonmembers. Noon. More information is here. Coronavirus and food: The effects of the pandemic on food insecurity and the food supply, with Civil Eats senior reporter Lisa Held; Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; and Greg Dalton, founder of Climate One. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 4 p.m. More information is here. To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com Many Britons say they will refuse to have a coronavirus vaccine. (Getty Images) Coronavirus restrictions will remain in place if large numbers of people refuse to take a COVID-19 vaccine, a UK taskforce has warned. There are fears that millions of Britons may opt out of being vaccinated for coronavirus, with many swayed by debunked anti-vax claims spread online. A number of scientific studies have debunked previous claims by anti-vaxxers, including the false claim that the MMR jab can cause autism. But two recent surveys show a large proportion of Britons are either against a coronavirus vaccine or unsure about taking one. On Monday, the government announced that it had signed deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Thats on top of 100 million doses of an Oxford University vaccine being developed by the company AstraZeneca. The findings from its first human trials, published on Monday, showed its vaccine is safe and induces an immune reaction. Kate Bingham, chair of the governments vaccine taskforce, criticised those backing anti-vaxxers. Vaccination has been an incredibly positive force for good in global society and they are not helping themselves or others by pushing an anti-vax message, she said. Bingham said if large numbers refuse to have it, I think yes there is an issue. She added: We are now living in a world where we dont have millions of children dying in childhood. The last case of smallpox was in the 1970s. Polio is now very rare. Vaccination has had a massively positive benefit to society and if we get large numbers of people vaccinated then the restrictions we are all currently facing will stop and we will return to normal. But conversely, if large numbers of people of the right cohort, those who are at most at risk of COVID infection, do not get vaccinated, then the restrictions will have to remain and we will not be returning to normal until the vaccination is in place. Asked if the UK should introduce compulsory coronavirus vaccinations, she said: That is a matter for the politicians, not for me. Story continues Bingham said on Monday she is hopeful a coronavirus vaccine will be available by the end of the year. Boris Johnson said on Monday he could not be 100% confident a coronavirus vaccine will be ready this year or next year. (PA) Boris Johnson said he could not be 100% confident that a vaccine would be available this year or next year. He said: Obviously Im hopeful, Ive got my fingers crossed but to say that Im 100% confident that we will get a vaccine this year or indeed next year is, alas, just an exaggeration, we are not there yet. It may be that the vaccine is going to come riding over the hill like the cavalry, but we just cant count on it right now. Two weeks ago, a YouGov survey revealed that almost a third of Britons may not take up a vaccine for coronavirus. A separate survey published on Sunday by ORB International, which works with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, showed that 27% of Britons either dont know if they will have the vaccine or are definitely ruling it out. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System, a subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana, says its GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP) has gone up by almost 600 percent in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year. According to GhIPSS Half Year Performance report, the volume of GIP transactions at the end of June 2020 stood at 2.45 million compared to 350,666 for the same period in 2019. GIP is an electronic payment system that enables a customer to transfer money from one bank account to another of a different bank or a wallet and the transfer is effected instantly. Commenting on the performance, Mr. Archie Hesse, the Chief Executive of GhIPSS, said that the persistent growth in GIP transactions was largely because it had allowed people to make and receive payments instantly even without the need to move to a banking hall. "With increasing advocacy for electronic payment options due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is anticipated that GIP will continue to enjoy high usage," he said. Though instant pay can be accessed from the banking halls, it is mostly available on the various internet and mobile banking platforms of the banks. Many Fintechs also ride on the GIP technology for their money transfer services. Mr Hesse said GhIPSS would enhance public education on GIP to ensure that more people are aware of the service and use it to make payments more convenient and efficient. He is hopeful that GIP will continue to record growth in patronage as more people turn to electronic forms of payments. "With increasing advocacy for electronic payment options due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is anticipated that GIP will continue to enjoy high usage," he said. Mr. Hesse expressed the hope that with GIP and Mobile Money Interoperability, two very important payment interventions, will reach a significant number of people outside the banking sector. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Community leaders and kaumatua are calling for Auckland Council to halt the resource consent process for the proposed landfill in the Dome Valley. Kaumatua Mikaera Miru says that if Waste Management is granted resource consent for the landfill, his hapu will occupy the land to prevent its construction. There will be no landfill, Mikaera says. He was addressing hundreds of protestors from community groups and iwi, who were taking part in a hikoi in downtown Auckland last Friday (July 17). Its people who hold the Council to account. Thats what we are doing today. He and Ngati Whatuas Dame Naida Glavish emphasised that a rahui had been placed on the Hoteo River. They said the rahui was legally binding according to the Resource Management Act. Ngati Manuhiri acting chief executive Nicola McDonald said that iwi were calling for a halt to the resource consent application process. The overwhelming feeling of the community and mana whenua is that it shouldnt happen, she said. Lets not waste ratepayers money on independent committees, especially in light of the recent rates increase. Aucklanders are saying no. Kaumatua Ben Hita travelled from the Waikaretu Marae at Pouto Point to join in the protest. Anything to do with the Kaipara, I have to be there. I am probably the oldest resident on the Kaipara, he said. Mr Hita was part of a campaign that successfully stopped the construction of energy turbines at the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour by bringing a petition to Wellington in 2012. I hope we dont have to take the landfill protest that far, but we are prepared to. From my peoples perspective on the Kaipara, if they dont stop, neither will we. Auckland deputy mayor Bill Cashmore was met with jeers when he told protestors that the landfill consent application was a legal, not political, process. He said the petition would be a key consideration of the independent commissioners and assured protestors their voice had been heard. A new discovery was released by billionaire Elon Musk about his Neuralink's brain chip. Lately, he said that the brain chip can cure depression. Now, Tesla and SpaceX CEO claim that the brain chip can actually have a function to play music directly inside your head. Mindblown? We surely are. Musk's brain chip has a scary but awesome function On July 16, Tech Times reported about Musk's 'terrifying' brain chip that is meant to be inserted in a human brain in the future. From the last report, we told you that the mini chip can cure mental disorders like depression and addiction, as boasted by Musk himself. It works by 'retraining' the parts of the human brain that are said to be responsible for these functions. He also added that the chip "could help control hormone levels and use them to our advantage (enhanced abilities and reasoning, anxiety relief, etc.)." On July 20, Monday, Musk released another info about his much-awaited mini-brain chip. It can be your brain-Spotify that can stream music inside your head. In an Independent UK report, the billionaire, when asked by computer scientist Austin Howard, actually said that people who will install the chip can "listen to music directly from our chips." Is it true? A research paper from BioRxiv listed that theNeuralink chip has a single USB-C cable inside its mini structure. It might be the equipment inside the chip that will order the human brain to receive "full-bandwidth data streaming." Another clue that the music claim could actually be true is the fact that Musk himself is looking to hire new people for his Neuralink company that has expertise in tech wearables. "If you've solved hard problems with phones/ wearables (sealing, signal processing, inductive charging, power management, etc.), please consider working at [Neuralink]," he tweeted. Aside from the tech experts, he was also looking for a robotics software engineer, mechanical engineer, and, surprisingly, a "histology technician." These tweets were not backed up by Musk, so we don't have any ideas on the purposes of the new job listings. However, the sure thing is that all these employees are needed for Neuralink. For now, all we know is that the brain chip has a 'sewing machine-like physical design' and will be put inside the brain using a Laser Lisk surgery. Other announcements about the chip will be released officially on Aug. 28. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The personal details of millions of users of free Virtual Private Network providers, which aim to protect the privacy of internet users by hiding their identities, have potentially been exposed in a data breach exposing an estimated 1 billion online records. vpnMentor cybersecurity researchers claim they found an unsecured server shared by several VPNs, software designed to protect users, and say it could potentially affect more than 20 million users. The details of millions of users of free VPN providers were freely available, cybersecurity researchers claim. Credit:iStock In a report provided to Nine News, the researchers say the server was "completely open and accessible, exposing private user data for everyone to see". It claims the affected apps include UFO VPN, Fast VPN, Free VPN, Super VPN, Flash VPN, Secure VPN and Rabbit VPN. New Delhi: HBSE 12th Result 2020: The Board of School Education Haryana Bhiwani is all set to declare class BSEH class 12th results 2020 on Tuesday (July 21) at its official website- bseh.org.in, where students will be able to down their scorecard. Haryana Board Secretary Rajiv Prasad earlier told media that the board has already completed its preparations to announce BSEH class 12 results on July 21. The BSEH class 12 results 2020 will be declared on the basis of average marks of already appeared exams. Students should follow the steps given below to check their scrorecard: 1. Students should first visit the official website-bseh.org.in 2. Click on the link on the homepage Class 12 exam results 3. Students can see a new page appearing on the screen 4. Now, you should key in your credentials and login 5. You can see your result on the display screen 6. Students are advised to download their results and take its print out for future use Haryana Board class 12 examination was conducted between March 3 and March 31, 2020. Earlier on July 10, Haryana Board declared the class 10th result in which 64.59% passed while a total of 3.37 lakh students had taken the examination. As part of Sun Lifes Clients and Communities plan, the company has signed on to the goals of the BlackNorth Initiative, to help remove systemic barriers that negatively affect the lives of Black Canadians. The insurer also said that it will fund community groups including the AACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Sun Life also pledged that it will continue to focus on increasing its relationships with vendors, suppliers, and SMEs owned by Black, Indigenous, People of Color and women. For the Talents and Culture plan, Sun Life continues to push for its goal to have 25% of under-represented minorities at senior leader level within five years. The company is also establishing new task forces in both its US and Canada operations to assist its global Diversity & Inclusion Council. Sun Life also reported that of the 300 students it had hired in North America, more than a quarter self-reported as ethnically diverse. Finally, Sun Lifes Learning and Development plan starts with intensive diversity training for the companys executive team. The insurer is also holding internal learning forums about racism, racial diversity and inclusion creating safe spaces for employees to share their personal stories and experiences. The company has increased its funding for employee inclusion networks, such as Mosaic in Canada and the Black Excellence Alliance in the US and has added a new digital learning platform to help teams meaningfully discuss diversity. Were at an inflection point in society there is a movement to drive lasting change to address and eliminate systemic racism, said Sun Life president and CEO Dean Connor. At Sun Life, were increasing our efforts to create organizational and societal change. That includes engaging in difficult conversations about race to create equal opportunity and foster inclusion for Black, Indigenous and People of Color at Sun Life. The Colwell Block, 62 S. Last Chance Gulch, initially was known as Uncle Sams Block. The three-story brick building with a French Renaissance-style mansard roof was built in 1888 for Uncle Sam Karatofsky. His Uncle Sams Loan Office (a pawnshop, primarily) occupied the front of the first floor. Uncle Sams Block was at the corner of what used to be Main and Wall streets, where three iterations of Sam Hausers First National Bank had stood. Immediately following the banks move to its new palatial quarters at the corner of Grand and Main in September 1887, Karatofsky set up shop in the back of its old location, tore the brick front off the one-story building, and installed an iron front with plate glass. The following summer, he had the rest of the old bank building turned into a modern three floor business edifice. It was still the same 20 feet wide but with two more floors and nearly double in length, extending west 130 feet to what was left of Last Chance Creek. A saloon in the back and two floors of furnished rooms to let joined Uncle Sams Loan Office as occupants. By a century later the name Uncle Sams Block was presumed to be in recognition of Sam Hauser and his bank previously locating there. Or perhaps it was because two banks chartered by the U.S. government Peoples National Bank was the other located on Main and Wall streets once Wall was built through to Clore following the 1874 fire downtown. Either way, the name was seen as a reflection of Helenas honorable and historic past. Regrettably, documents from that past point not to Sam Hauser but to the more dubious though possibly more colorful Jacob Karatofsky. Karatofsky was familiarly known as Uncle Sam Karatofsky. He had been in Montana at least since 1885, when he was based in Butte; he relocated to Helena in 1887. Karatofsky was a Russian Jew from Garodna who left the old country behind about 1865. He also left behind a wife, two kids, and the name Katok. These details came out much later, in 1890, in suitably confusing stories about the divorce-with-a-possibility-of-bigamy trial. His son had joined Karatofsky for a while in St. Louis around 1873; the previous wife and daughter came over a decade later. Karatofsky, who had changed his name sometime prior to marrying Celia Davis about 1875, maintained he had divorced Rebecca Katok before leaving Russia. Still, he stayed in some sort of contact with his first family, partnering with his son in St. Louis and later after stints in Wichita, Kansas, and Hot Springs, Arkansas with his daughter in Butte. Both these partnerships found less than total success. Mrs. Katok, upon arriving in America, had not immediately disputed Karatofskys change of spouse. However, in 1890, she showed up in Helena and proceeded to file suit. The application to the court mentioned that Karatofsky was now worth $150,000 and that he had transferred all his property to the only Mrs. Karatofsky that Helena had known. As was often the case, the trial drug on and on, for at least a year, then disappeared from the newspapers with no final resolution reported. All must have worked out well enough, because Karatofskys elegant brick house at the corner of Fifth and Beattie, started just prior to the trial, was completed. He was sufficiently respectable that his current set of daughters appeared in society columns. Outside of an ongoing feud with his competitors with the pawnshop across the street, which at least once cost him a bloody nose, Karatofsky seemed a typical enough proprietor in his line of work. However, by 1896 something was falling apart. The elegant house was put up for rent, all or in part, furnished or unfurnished. In 1899, Karatofsky moved his business to Butte, opening as Uncle Sams Collateral Bank. His former partners, who had remained in business in Butte, took exception and then legal action for his infringing on what was now their trade name. They were particularly upset because he had located on the block of S. Main where they had long been established. A change of name kept the now-called Montana Collateral Bank open but the slide continued. At the end of 1900, Karatofsky announced he was selling out, pleading ill health required him to leave Butte for a lower altitude. Then the following month he disavowed responsibility for any debts incurred by his wife and children and two years later sued Celia for divorce on the grounds of abandonment. With that, Jacob Karatofsky slipped out of Montana and the public eye. He and Celia had signed two promissory notes in 1898 but neglected to pay anything on them. So the property at 62 S. Main in Helena was sold at a sheriffs auction in 1904. Uncle Sam Karatofsky himself hung on until 1912, when he died following a run-in with a streetcar in San Diego. Uncle Sams Block went on to various uses, eventually becoming Weggenmans Market in 1946, and then after Urban Renewal once again a building with offices on the first floor and residences on the second and third floor. Paul Cartwright is a former Helena city commissioner. He wrote this for the Lewis and Clark Heritage and Tourism Council, which provides the monthly Nuggets from Helena column in the Independent Record. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LONDON - Amber Heard has accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of abusing her both physically and verbally while he was allegedly bingeing on alcohol and drugs, claiming that at various times during their tempestuous relationship she feared for her life. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court, in London, Monday, July 20, 2020. Amber Heard started Monday to give evidence at the High Court in London as part of Johnny Depps libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence during the couple's relationship. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) LONDON - Amber Heard has accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of abusing her both physically and verbally while he was allegedly bingeing on alcohol and drugs, claiming that at various times during their tempestuous relationship she feared for her life. On the first day of her testimony Monday at Britains High Court in London, Heard also denied accusations she was a heavy drug user and drinker as well as a controlling and abusive person. The court is examining Depps libel suit against The Sun newspaper over an April 2018 article that labelled him a wife beater for allegedly abusing Heard. Chronicling a series of incidents over their deteriorating relationship, that purportedly included Depp throwing a magnum of champagne and a phone at her and even a hostage situation in Australia in March 2015, the 34-year-old actress insisted any action she took in response was purely in self-defence. She also denied having a problem with her temper following questioning by Depp's lawyer, Eleanor Laws. "Johnny often put me in a situation where I was confronted with unimaginable frustrations and difficulties, often that were life-threatening to me. she told the court. Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court in London, Monday, July 20, 2020. Amber Heard started Monday to give evidence at the High Court in London as part of Johnny Depps libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence during the couple's relationship.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) When I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself and that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence," she added. The court heard a recording of an argument between the pair, who were married from 2015 to 2017, in which Depp accuses Heard of throwing pots and other items at him the night before. Heard said she had hit but not punched Depp and that she only threw things to escape him." Heard said the argument, like so many others, had stemmed from Depp passing out once again in the bathroom after another binge. I was worried about Johnnys life and this is the context of this argument, one of many that ended in a physical altercation of sorts," she said. Depp, 57, is suing The Sun's publisher, News Group Newspapers, and the papers executive editor, Dan Wootton, over the article. The Hollywood star, who strongly denies abusing Heard, was at the court to hear his ex-wife's evidence. In written testimony released as she took to the witness box, Heard said that at various times during their relationship she endured punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking. She said some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. Actor Johnny Depp leaves the High Court, in London, Monday, July 20, 2020. Amber Heard started to give evidence Monday at the High Court in London, as part of Johnny Depp's libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence during the couple's relationship. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) According to Heard, Depp explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship." She said he blamed his actions on a self-created third party that he referred to as the monster. Heard told the court that she loved Depp when he was himself but that she was terrified of the monster." The actor also dismissed evidence from witnesses such as Depp's security guard, Sean Bett, that she was the one who would start an argument. These things happened behind closed doors, she said. Heard also disagreed wholeheartedly over a line of questioning from Laws at the end of the session that she had used make-up to fake injuries, notably at the couple's penthouse in Los Angeles on May 21, 2016 when police were called to an incident. Heard said Depp has a unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality and that he is very good at manipulating people. Heard has been present throughout the trial, watching the proceedings as her ex-husband gave evidence over five days. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations she made of suffering domestic violence by Depp in various locations between 2013 and 2016 which The Sun's publisher News Group Newspapers is relying on in its defence of the April 2018 article. Depp and Heard met in 2009 on the set of the film The Rum Diary, which was released two years later. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce the following year, and the divorce was finalized in 2017. Depp 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, judge Andrew Nicol has heard from Depp and from several current or former employees who have backed his version of events. Heard claimed in her written testimony that Depp often didnt remember what he had done" because of the amount of alcohol and drugs he had consumed, and that "it was as if it hadnt happened for him. Heard is due to back in court Tuesday and her testimony is now expected to last for four days instead of three. Fort Myers, Fla., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a mission to support the long-term viability of community oncology, the American Oncology Network, LLC (AON) has named Medical Oncologist Dr. Stephen Fred Divers from the Genesis Cancer Center in Arkansas as the new advisory board chair. The AON Advisory Board provides strategic guidance to its growing network of physicians and practices, currently in 13 states. Dr. Divers has provided physician leadership as a member of several national committees and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). He attended medical school at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of North Carolina and a fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center. Additionally, Dr. Michael J. Castine, III from the Hematology/Oncology Clinic in Louisiana, Drs. Patrick C. Elwood and Taral Patel from the Zangmeister Cancer Center in Ohio, and Dr. Rangappa Rajendra from Oncology/Hematology of Loudoun and Reston in Virginia were named to the Executive Committee. The five medical oncologists represent the inaugural group members appointed in April 2020. Consisting of 18 physicians representing AONs rapidly expanding network, the group advises on a range of trends impacting clinical and practice activities. The groups goal is to serve as an advocate for AONs physicians and physician groups, providing counsel and support on all issues related to business improvement, strategic development, quality, and compliance. It is a pleasure for us to announce the AON Advisory Board Executive Committee, said AON CEO Brad Prechtl, MBA. Were confident that under their leadership, the group will continue to make a positive difference in our mission to preserve and protect the sustainability of cancer care within the community. AON President & COO Todd Schonherz added, Were pleased to have these experienced and highly respected physicians lend their expertise to help our partners maintain a strong and viable practice while serving the needs of their patients. Story continues As a physician-led organization, AON differentiates itself by providing community-based practices with the expertise needed to navigate todays complex healthcare landscape, while also allowing them to maintain practice independence, said Dr. Stephen Fred Divers, AON Advisory Board Chairman and oncologist at the American Oncology Partner practice Genesis Cancer Center in Arkansas. The AON Advisory Board reinforces the value of this partnership to strategically guide physicians and enable them to continue providing excellent care to patients outside of hospital settings. AON is an alliance of physicians and seasoned healthcare leaders partnering to ensure the long-term success of community oncology. With more than three decades of expertise in all areas of oncology practice management, AON enables physicians to focus on what matters most providing the highest-quality care for patients. ### About American Oncology Network, LLC: (AONcology.com) American Oncology Network, LLC (AON) is an alliance of physicians and seasoned healthcare leaders partnering to ensure the long-term success of community oncology. Launched in 2018, the rapidly expanding AON network represents 80 physicians and 50 nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing across 13 states. The executive management team of AON encompasses more than three decades of oncology practice management experience, enabling physicians to focus on what matters most providing the highest quality care for patients. The organization provides unique and comprehensive protocols for managing administrative procedures and enhancing ancillary services for its affiliates. AON is able to aggregate volume and attain economies of scale, as it guides its member physicians and practices through the transition to value-based reimbursement models that improve the patient experience and help to reduce the per-capita cost of cancer care. AON also provides a unique model of physician led, community-based oncology management. With services such as a centralized specialty pharmacy, diagnostics, pathology, fully integrated electronic medical records, a care management team and a variety of financial assistance programs, an alliance with AON ensures that patients experiences will be at the very pinnacle of cancer care today. Attachment Caroline Hewitt American Oncology Network, LLC (239) 789.2341 Caroline.Hewitt@AONcology.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Cecil Morella and Aishwarya Kumar (Agence France-Presse) Manila, Philippines/New Delhi, India Mon, July 20, 2020 11:30 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667c0ee0 2 World seafarers,sailor,workers,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-travel-ban,COVID-19-travel-restriction Free Indian ship worker Tejasvi Duseja is desperate to go home after months stranded offshore by coronavirus border closures and lockdowns that have left more than 200,000 seafarers in limbo. From engineers on cargo ships to waiters on luxury cruise liners, ocean-based workers around the world have been caught up in what the United Nations warns is a growing humanitarian crisis that has been blamed for several suicides. Many have been trapped on vessels for months after their tours were supposed to end as travel restrictions disrupted normal crew rotations. "Mentally, I am just done with it... but I'm still holding up because I have no other option," Duseja, 27, told AFP via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in late June as the Indian-owned cargo vessel he works on floated near Malaysia. Duseja, one of roughly 30,000 Indian workers unable to leave their ships, had extended his seven-month contract a few months before the pandemic struck. "The last time I stepped off from this 200-meter ship was in February," he said. Seafarers typically work for six to eight months at a stretch before disembarking and flying back to their home countries, with new crews taking their place. But as the deadly virus whipped around the world and paralyzed international travel, that was suddenly impossible. Underscoring the growing urgency of the situation, more than a dozen countries at a UK-hosted International Maritime Summit this month vowed to recognize seafarers as "key workers" to help them get home. Uncertainty Philippine luxury cruise ship technician Cherokee Capajo spent nearly four months on ships without setting foot on land due to virus shutdowns. The 31-year-old had barely heard of COVID-19 when he boarded the Carnival Ecstasy in Florida in late January. Soon, a number of Carnival-owned cruise ships were stricken with severe outbreaks -- including the Diamond Princess in Japan. After the Ecstasy passengers disembarked in Jacksonville on March 14, Capajo and his colleagues were forced to stay on board for the next seven weeks. Finally, on May 2, the ship sailed to the Bahamas where Capajo says he and 1,200 crew members were transferred to another boat that took them to Jakarta before arriving in Manila Bay on June 29. He wanted to "kiss the ground" when he came ashore nearly two weeks later after finishing quarantine. "This could probably be the hardest part of my experience as a seaman because you are not sure what will happen every day," Capajo told AFP via Facebook Messenger last week, as he endured a second quarantine near his hometown in the central Philippines. "You worry if you'll ever come back home, how long will you be stuck on the ship. It's difficult. It's really sad." Filipinos account for around a quarter of the world's seafarers. About 80,000 of them are stranded because of the pandemic, according to Philippine authorities. Mental strain The ordeal has taken a toll on the mental health of many seafarers, with reports of some taking their own lives. In one case, a Filipino worker died of "apparent self-harm" on the cruise ship Scarlet Lady as it anchored off Florida in May, according to the US Coast Guard. Shipping industry groups have expressed their concerns about "suicide and self-harm" among workers in a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said last month some seafarers have been "marooned at sea for 15 months". An International Labor Organization (ILO) convention widely known as the Seafarers' Bill of Rights limits a worker's single tour of duty to less than 12 months. The strain is also being felt by families waiting at home. Priyamvada Basanth said she did not know when she would see her husband who has been at sea for eight months on a ship owned by a Hong Kong company. "The government is not even doing anything," said Basanth, from the southern Indian port of Kochi. "I just want him to come home." Lala Tolentino, who runs the Philippine office for a UK-based seafarers support group, said they had been swamped by "hundreds" of pleas for help from stranded workers since March. "They want to know what will happen to them, where they are going. Will they be able to get off their ships," she told AFP. Many of those stuck onboard completed their tours more than four months ago and were exhausted, the ILO said last month. For Duseja, who comes from the northern Indian city of Dehradun at the foothills of the Himalayas, the end of his ordeal is in sight. "I'm still on the ship," he told AFP in a WhatsApp message last week. "But mentally, I am feeling slightly better because I've been told that I'm finally getting off the ship mid-August." A scoop of Eclipse blackberry-tarragon ice cream devised by the chef Greg Baxtrom comes topped with support for his restaurant Olmsteds food bank, active in Brooklyn. Toasted almond thyme ice cream by Nicole Krasinski, an owner and the pastry chef at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, benefits Black Earth Farms, a Black and Indigenous farming collective in the East Bay of San Francisco. These are just two of the options from Eclipse, a company that is collaborating on flavors with chefs, who designate charities that will receive the proceeds. Though theres chocolate and vanilla, most of the flavors in the chef series are unusual. In fact calling any of these ice creams, despite their rich mouth feel and texture, is something of a misnomer since theyre entirely plant-based, using ingredients like cassava and corn to deliver the creaminess. The company, which began selling its confections late last year, has now made them available nationwide. Eclipse, regular flavors, $11.99 a pint (six pint minimum); Chef Series flavors, $17.99 a pint: eclipsefoods.com. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. Chinese State Media Accuses Hong Kong Protesters, Opposition Camp of Causing Citys Recent Virus Spike Hong Kong saw a new wave of COVID-19 cases this past week, disrupting a period when the citys total had plateaued at 1,000 cases since mid-April. In response to the latest surge of new infections in the Chinese-ruled city, Chinese state-run media was quick to assign the blame on local protesters and the opposition campcitizens and politicians who oppose Beijings tightening control over the city. Hong Kong witnessed a record number of daily infection cases on Sunday, with local health officials reporting 108 new cases. That means within one week, from July 13 to 19, new cases totaled 416. For the week ending on July 12, there were 201 new confirmed cases. From June 29 to July 5, local health officials reported 69 new cases. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. On Monday afternoon, Hong Kong health officials reported that an additional 73 patients were confirmed with COVID-19, bringing the citys total to more than 1,900 cases. Chinese state media were quick to blame the spike in cases on the local protest movement, ignited last year over Beijings encroachment into city affairs, and politicians who support and advocate for the cause. On Sunday evening, Chinese state-run media Xinhua published an article, claiming that public opinion in Hong Kong condemned the citys opposition camp for causing the latest outbreak. Another Chinese state-run media, Peoples Net, reposted the Xinhua article. The Xinhua article claimed that the opposition camps recent primaries and a recent march as events that triggered the new outbreak. On July 1, large crowds took to the streets of Causeway Bay in protest against Beijings new national security law, which was formally adopted hours earlier by Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC). The police arrested over 350 protesters, charging at least 10 people for violating the national security law, which criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. The primary elections, organized by local political association Power for Democracy, were held for two days beginning on July 11, with the aim of selecting the most promising candidates to run for legislative office. The opposition camp hopes to win a majority, or more than 35 seats, in the citys legislature, with the election scheduled for Sept. 6. The citys Legislative Council is not fully based on a proportional representation system; half of the seats are functional constituencies, which represent business sectors and are voted in by mostly pro-Beijing elites. This has historically ensured that the legislature remains majority pro-Beijing. Organizers of the primaries took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as prohibiting more than 50 people from gathering inside voting stations across Hong Kong, in compliance with government regulations. Additionally, voters were asked to wear a mask, and their temperatures were taken upon entering a voting station. Over 600,000 voters cast their votes in the primary elections, according to the organizers. Xinhua published another article in the early hours of Monday with the same accusations. It further accused the opposition camp of achieving its political goals while neglecting the safety of the local citizens and becoming Hong Kongs biggest loophole in the citys recent prevention efforts. The second Xinhua article was reposted by Chinas hawkish state-run media Global Times. But experts contend that it is the local pro-Beijing government that has failed to enact proper prevention measures. Two leading medical experts in Hong KongDavid Hui, an infectious disease expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Yuen Kwok-yung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kongtold local media that a government border policy was creating loopholes in the citys efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The policy exempts certain inbound travelers coming from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan from compulsory quarantine upon their arrival in the city. These travelers include cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers, aircraft crew members, and certain government officials, agents, and contractors. Hui said these exempt individuals were the reason why local health officials could not trace the source of many new infection cases, according to local media RTHK. Speaking to local media i-Cable News, Yuen suspected that the patient zero of the latest outbreak could be a taxi driver who picked up infected passengers. The driver then became infected and passed on the virus to more people in Hong Kong. The latest outbreak has also brought into question whether elections for Legislative Council could still be held on Sept. 6. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said the date of the elections remained unchanged. But she added that she could only say so at this moment because no one can tell me how the epidemic will evolve. On Monday morning, Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kongs sole representative to NPCs standing committee, told local media that the Hong Kong government should not rule out postponing the September elections since it could not guarantee that the epidemic would be brought under control by that time. And its chairman, Ms Sandra Tracy, added yesterday that although the $60 million people-mover was due to start daily public services today, increased public opposition would eventually see it dismantled. The estimated bill of between $95 million and $150 million to re-route Sydney's monorail should be sent to the former Minister for Public Works, Mr Laurie Brereton, according to the Sydney Citizens Against the Monorail (SCAM) "The controversy which has plagued the project for more than three years will not subside when paying customers start moving through the turnstiles,"she said. "From the beginning, the monorail was always going to run in early 1988,"Ms Tracy said. "It hasn't so far and we see no need for it to do so now." Mr Allan Rees, also of SCAM, has called for the Premier to release what he calls "secret" details contained in the second part of a feasibility report prepared by the engineering consultants Sinclair Knight and Partners. "Only the first part has been made available and we know that the most important information has been kept from public viewing," Mr Rees said. Manulife Financial Corp said on Friday it was making a push to increase the representation of minorities across its North American businesses, joining a host of companies that have pledged to improve racial diversity at workplaces. The Canadian insurer is planning a 30% increase in minority representation in leadership positions by 2025, while hiring at least 25% through its graduate program, Manulife said in a statement. A number of companies, including Microsoft Corp, Alphabet Incs Google and Royal Bank of Canada, are confronting discrimination after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police triggered protests in the United States against racial inequality. Last month, Manulife and Bank of Nova Scotia pledged C$3.5 million ($2.58 million) and C$500,000, respectively, for diversity initiatives. The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism in June urged corporates to commit to increasing Black representation in their workforce and boardrooms by 2025. ($1 = 1.3576 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by C Nivedita in Bengaluru; editing by Anil DSilva) Topics Carriers Canada New Delhi, July 20 : The Retailers Association of India (RAI) has said that ad hoc lockdowns by state governments are impacting the businesses of already-stressed retailers, along with hurting the economic revival of the country. In a statement, the body of the organised retail industry said that the long road to recovery for the Indian retail industry continues to meet stumbling blocks with numerous restrictions being imposed at the state and local levels. "Total lockdowns in some places and limited operational hours and days in several others are creating setbacks for retailers as the already stressed retail businesses are getting further interrupted and in turn, dampening consumer sentiment," it said. According to RAI, although the intentions are that of citizen safety and social distancing, the recent instances of local lockdowns and ad hoc restrictions being imposed in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are having a distressing impact on retail businesses. Retailers are already facing huge setbacks in terms of payment of wages and rentals due to very low sales of about 40 per cent as compared to last year, thanks to the extended lockdown, it said. Contesting the restrictions on operating hours, Sandeep Kataria, CEO, Bata India said: "Restricted shopping time can lead to unnecessary overcrowding of stores, which is unfavourable towards the personal safety of both store staff and customers. Longer operational hours will support recovery for retailers as well as help adhering to social distancing norms." Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO, METRO Cash & Carry India said that these lockdowns will create severe inconvenience for all citizens as they also bar operations of food and grocery retail and wholesale stores. Such hastily-implemented decisions by states undermine investor confidence and would come in the way of making the country "aatmanirbhar" or self-reliant, he said. Voicing the concerns of retailers, the RAI has submitted representations to various state and local authorities that puts forth recommendations to get businesses and life of consumers on the track to recovery. It has said that authorities should mandatorily allow essential shops including kiranas, general trade shops, supermarkets, hypermarkets and wholesalers to operate every day of the week until 9 p.m. to cater to the daily needs of the customers. It has also sought ensuring uniform and regular opening of all categories of retail for full working hours while following stringent hygiene practices and adhering to social distancing norms. This will help avoid overcrowding outside stores as demand will get distributed over all days of the week, it said. The industry body has also asked the local authorities to open malls in all states. Malls can ensure a safe shopping experience wherein safety measures are taken by both, the mall authorities and the retailers, it said. Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, RAI, said: "The need of the hour is concerted efforts by all stakeholders. While retailers are doing their bit by following stringent hygiene practices, the policymakers too need to support to ensure economic revival across the country. Consumption is important for the country and supports the business environment." GRAND RAPIDS, MI Five Republicans seeking to represent Michigans 3rd Congressional District participated in a debate Monday, touching on issues including the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, immigration reform and healthcare costs. The hour-long, virtual event was hosted by the Grand Rapids Chamber and WZZM-TV. It comes two weeks before the Aug. 4 primary, where the candidate who gets the most votes will advance to the November general election to face Democrat Hillary Scholten. Scholten, an immigration attorney from Grand Rapids, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. The five candidates seeking the Republican nomination are: state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis, 61, of Grand Rapids Township; Joe Farrington, 42, a business owner from Ionia County; U.S. Army veteran Peter Meijer, 32, of Grand Rapids Township; Tom Norton, 37, of Cannon Township, who works as a salesman for LeafFilter Gutter Protection and served in the Army National Guard; and Emily Rafi, 40, a business transaction attorney from the Battle Creek area who entered the race as a Democrat but later changed her party affiliation to Republican. The 3rd District includes the city of Grand Rapids, a large portion of the rest of Kent County, part of Montcalm County, as well as Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, L-Cascade Township, who is not running for reelection. Related: See how Republican primary candidates for 3rd Congressional District answered questions on key issues Heres how candidates responded when asked about their three top policy priorities: Afendoulis: The first-term state representative said her top priority is to work with President Trump to ensure the post-COVID economy is strong, and also I will work with him to make the tough decisions about what the government can and cant do. Were going to have to take a look at what that costs and what we have to cut. She said her second priority is to work on bringing law and order to our communities. She said her father owned a restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids in the 1960s that was destroyed in the citys 1969 race riot. More than 100 businesses throughout downtown Grand Rapids were damaged after a peaceful protest on May 30, in response to the death of George Floyd, devolved into a riot. Her third priority is to work on China. We need to see it for the threat that it is to business and to commerce and to security, Afendoulis said. And Ill work with the president to bring manufacturing back here and decrease our reliance on China. Farrington: He said his top priority is an accountability and privatization bill that would wrangle in excessive greed and hold corporations accountable to public interest rather than shareholders. He said the bill would limit the salary of corporate executives to no more than 100 times greater than the lowest paid employee. He said the bill would prohibit company bonuses from exceeding $10 million annually for any employee. Farrington said his second bill would require that members of the House and Senate to the same health insurance available to the poorest, most impoverished Americans there are. Meijer: He said his number one priority is supporting our small businesses and reopening our economy while safely balancing the needs of operating within a pandemic. Secondly, Meijer said he would focus on decreasing the cost of healthcare. Its completely unacceptable that we have Americans who are bankrupted by their healthcare costs, he said. Meijer added that, We must protect preexisting conditions while ensuring that we are getting what were paying for in our healthcare system. Lastly, Meijer said that we need to end our endless wars overseas, and at the same time rebalance our national defense so that were focused on the challenge that China is posing. Norton: He said his first policy priority would be pro-life legislation. Secondly, Norton said he would focus on immigration reform, adding that: We need to protect American jobs and Americans first. His third priority was actual budget reform. We have trillions of dollars in government waste going on, he said. We need to make sure we rein that in, make sure that were taking care of the average American so we can actually get the government out of their way so that every kid, when they grow up, will have the ability to open their own businesses and become successful. Rafi: She said her first priority is always to protect the Constitution and our individual liberties. If we do not protect the intangible rights that we have, there is no economy to protect, she said. Secondly, Rafi said she would focus on rebuilding the economy by providing new opportunities to small businesses. For 15 years I worked in small business lending, she said. Ive looked at the economy in many different phases, starting in 2008 when the economy was in shambles all the way until more recently when we made a full recovery and beyond. Rafi said her third priority is health care reform, which includes lowering the cost of health care using competitive measures. Read more: Republican candidates vying to unseat Justin Amash duke it out in debate Grand Rapids sees homicide, stabbing and shootings over the weekend Charges issued against Detroit police officer accused of shooting rubber pellets at 3 photographers covering protests Scholarship created to honor Kalamazoo man who caught child dropped from burning building By Trend By committing recent provocation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Armenia again grossly violated international conventions, Member of the Presidium of Azerbaijani Bar Association, Lawyer Vugar Babayev told Trend. According to him, by shelling civilians, Armenian armed forces commit unimaginable war crimes. The Armenian soldiers even shelled the Tovuz district hospital, he said. The Armenian leadership should be called criminals, since it committed almost all the war crimes stipulated by the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan on Azerbaijani land. Some of them are violation of international humanitarian law, violation of laws and customs of warfare, etc. Giving a direct order to attack civilians is a particularly serious war crime. At the same time, the Armenian side has violated and continues to violate international conventions, the supporters of which are both Azerbaijan and Armenia itself. The Tovuz District Hospital is a humanitarian facility that is directly protected by the Geneva Convention. The shelling of this object is a ground for introducing the strictest international sanctions against Armenia. By committing the war crimes, Armenia also grossly violated and continues to violate the requirements of the Hague 1907 Convention on the Laws and Customs of the Land War, Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949," Babayev said. The lawyer noted that the policy of the Armenian state is mainly to implement its illegal claims through terror and committing war crimes. The events which recently took place on the border showed that the people represented in the current Armenia leadership, just like their predecessors, have criminal and terrorist mentality. As an example the facts can be mentioned that orders to commit serious crimes such as the occupation of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, violence against the civilian population, appropriation of their property, cruel treatment of prisoners of war, the perpetration of terrorist acts on the territory of Azerbaijan, came from the leadership of Armenia, he said. During the preliminary investigation conducted on criminal cases instituted for the above crimes, these facts were fully proved. Im sure that the persons who have committed these heavy crimes will soon answer before the world community," Babayev stressed. After the Royal Thai Army recently intercepted a huge consignment of illegal arms and ammunition, which had its origin in China and was being smuggled into Myanmar, New Delhi has requested Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw to share findings of the probe. New Delhi is keen to know more about the renewed flow of illegal weapons, which originate from China and make its way through South-East Asia and end up in the neighbourhood of India. What India is trying to find out is whether illegal weapons are again being smuggled from China into its restive north-eastern region, which has been a hotbed of militancy and where insurgent outfits in the past received support from China. New Delhis envoy to Bangkok, Suchitra Durai, on Monday had a meeting with Unsit Sampuntharat, the governor of Tak province of Thailand near the countrys border with Myanmar. The local police chief and immigration officials were also present among the officials of the Thailand Government in the meeting. Amb Suchitra Durai called on the Governor of #Tak province H E Mr Unsit Sampuntharat. The police chief and Immigration head of Tak province were also present at the meeting. pic.twitter.com/7CvjNy6Pl5 India in Thailand (@IndiainThailand) July 20, 2020 It was at Mae Tao in Tak that the Royal Thai Army and local police had recently seized the illegal consignment of weapons just before it would have been smuggled onto Myanmar. The weapons intercepted by the Royal Thai Army recently included 33 M16 and AK47 assault rifles, M79 grenade launchers and machine-guns, as well as a large amount of ammunition of different calibres. Two Thai and six Myanmarese nationals were arrested. The seizure of such a huge consignment of weapons sent the alarm bells ringing in Nay Pyi Taw and both the Thai Army and Myanmar Army are of the view that the consignment originated in China. A source in New Delhi told the DH that the security agencies of India were in touch with the counterparts in Myanmar and Thailand to find more about the origin, the route and the destination of the illegal weapons. The insurgent organizations of Indias north-eastern states, like Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, earlier received support from China, said the source, adding: Though several militant organisations in North-East are now pursuing peace-processes with the Government of India, we have to keep watch if any fresh attempt is being made to trigger unrest and destabilise the region again. The preliminary probe led Nay Pyi Taw to believe that the weapons were possibly being procured by the Arakan Army or the Kachin Independence Army both insurgent organizations operating in Myanmar. What, however, keeps New Delhi worried is the fact that the rebel organizations in Myanmar in the past provided training and weapons to the militants of the north-eastern region of India. The possibility that some of the weapons would have ultimately reached the militants in our North-East cannot be ruled out, said another source. This seizure revealed that an illegal arms bazaar has been revived in our neighbourhood. And thats something we would have to keep watch on. New Delhi has been receiving reports about continuing contacts between Chinas intelligence agencies and Paresh Barua, the elusive leader of a faction of the militant organization United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), who was charged by Bangladesh Government for an abortive bid to procure a huge consignment of weapons through the Port of Chittagong for his organization in 2004. The consignment was seized by the law-enforcing agencies of Bangladesh. The intelligence agencies of the communist country in the past also had links with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isac-Muivah) as well as several other militant organizations of Manipur and Nagaland. From calling the Indian virus deadlier than the one from China, to indulging in cartographic adventurism by steering the passage of a re-drawn map of Nepal in Parliament, including territory that India claims as its own, and a theological exegesis on the nationality of Indian gods Oli has gone the extra mile in recent months to project himself as an India hawk. Are these the sign of a temporary discord, or a ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Trump holds event on infrastructure at UPS Airport Facility in Atlanta, Georgia By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jason Lange (Reuters) - The coronavirus pandemic threw tens of millions of Americans out of work, ended the longest U.S. economic recovery on record and undermined a key argument for President Donald Trump's re-election. Now, the Republican president and his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Joe Biden, have to convince Americans who can get the economy back on track. As part of his broader economic plan, Biden is expected to propose new policies as soon as this week to increase jobs in childcare, elder care and education. Here is how the candidates want to revive the economy: BACK ON TRACK Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Trump has signed legislation to flush the economy with trillions of dollars in onetime aid to businesses, individuals and local governments. The president also pushed states to reopen as quickly as possible, even as infections spiked. Biden has cautioned against reopening the economy without first ramping up coronavirus testing. The former vice president, who oversaw U.S. stimulus spending after the 2008 financial crisis, says households - as well as local governments - need more support to get through the shutdown. While Trump has said further stimulus measures must include a payroll tax cut, Biden wants Washington to offer states more support in paying for unemployment benefits. TAXES AND WAGES The president, a former real estate developer, has touted the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law as stimulating economic growth. Cutting payroll taxes would boost paychecks of most working Americans. Biden criticized the 2017 tax cuts as giving too many benefits to the wealthy and corporations. He has pledged to reverse some of those cuts, raising the marginal tax rate on the highest income earners back to 39.6%, from 37%, while also lifting investment profit taxes. He also supports raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour from $7.25 and expanding some tax credits for lower-income workers. Story continues "We have to build a much more inclusive, much more equitable middle class and an economy that everybody - everybody - gets a fair shot at," Biden said in April. The Trump campaign is attacking the policy of raising taxes while the economy struggles to recover. TRADE In a return to a core issue of his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump is telling voters he wants to boost domestic manufacturing. He stepped up verbal attacks on Beijing as his administration accelerates an initiative to remove industrial supply chains from China. He has also argued that America's difficulties in procuring medical supplies internationally during the pandemic are another reason to encourage U.S. companies to avoid offshoring. "If one thing comes out of this, more than anything else, is that we should make product in the United States," Trump said in April. Biden offered his own made-in-American manufacturing plan in July. He pledged to spend $700 billion on American-made products and industrial research, which he said would give at least 5 million more people a paycheck during a job-killing pandemic. As a senator, Biden voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a trade pact that helped Mexican factories gain access to the U.S. market. Biden has criticized Trump's tariff war with China as bad for U.S. consumers and farmers. In 2018, he called for "retaliation" on countries like China which he has said subsidize industries and allow intellectual property theft. GREEN INVESTMENTS Biden said he would spend $2 trillion over four years to improve infrastructure, create zero-emissions public transportation, build sustainable homes and create clean-energy jobs. Trump advocates more spending on U.S. roads, bridges and airports, too, but has signaled little appetite for making "green" investments. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in New York and Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jonathan Oatis) One of the worlds forgotten conflicts is now making headlines again. In the last week, the military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has reignited, with the two nations having already been engaged in a military confrontation for decades. Nagorno Karabach, an Armenian enclave inside of Azerbaijan, is one of the main underlying factors for the conflict, but the growing rivalry between Russia and Turkey is also playing a part. More than 16 soldiers have been killed in the most recent round of fighting. Both sides are accusing each other of aggression and military action. The use of full scale armed forces and drones have been involved, killing several soldiers on both sides and reportedly an Azerbaijani general. The current outbreak of fighting has been the deadliest since the April War of 2016. While most clashes normally occur in and around the Armenian controlled Nagorno-Karabakh region, the current clashes are on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The international community is urging both sides to end the clashes. The United States, European Union, and the OSCE Minsk Group are trying to defuse the situation. While it remains unclear what reignited the conflict, it seems that Armenia played a large role in increasing tensions. Armenia recently constructed a new military outpost, which could have given Armenian armed forces a tactical advantage and tempted Azerbaijan to strike. At the same time, Azerbaijan is being buoyed by strong support from Ankara and may have wanted to test Russias support for Armenia. Remarkably, Armenia has called upon the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which Armenia is a member, to intervene. The CSTOs response, from Yerevans point of view, however, is lacking. As of July 14, the CSTO has only called for a normalization of the situation on the border, not implying that it would provide military support for Armenia. The lack of vocal support from Moscow for Armenia is improving Azerbaijans position in the conflict. There is, however, a risk that the conflict will escalate to involve both Russia and Turkey. Story continues While the military conflict may be drawing the majority of media attention, there is also an energy aspect to this conflict. The military conflict gets full attention but another issue is a major threat to energy markets. The Caucasus is a major oil and gas transfer chokepoint, on which involves Russia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Central Asian countries. Energy market observers should be concerned about the proximity of the current military clashes to the Baku-Turkey oil and gas pipeline systems. Threats to these important oil and gas pipelines, which not only connect the Central Asian producers to the global markets but also stabilize the region due to growth potential and revenues, are already significant. Gazprom Armenia, a subsidiary of Russias energy giant Gazprom, stated on July 14 that gas pipelines had been damaged near the border of Azerbaijan. Increased military action on both sides will only increase the danger to existing regional oil and gas infrastructure. Turkey will be hit hard if this conflict does escalate as it is largely dependent on oil and gas from the region. Related: Second Wave Of COVID-19 Wont Crush Oil Prices Regional analysts are already assessing the possibility that the current flare up may have been instigated by Russia. The Tovuz region where the fighting is taking place is particularly close to Azerbaijan's crucial South Caucasia pipeline (SCP). The SCP channels natural gas to Turkey's TANAP pipeline and is a key component of Ankara's efforts to decrease its dependence on Russian energy. For years, Turkey has been trying to diversify its energy imports, but Ankara is still heavily dependent on Moscow. Russian gas is twice as expensive for Turkey than it is for most European customers, which is why Ankara is so desperate to move away from Russia gas. By getting Azerbaijani gas via TANAP, Turkey has been able to significantly reduce its costs. The Azeri-Turkish partnership could deepen further as a new opportunity arises in 2021, when a major gas deal between Turkey and Russia is up for renewal. Those discussions stalled in April when the two counties failed to reach an agreement. All of this combined means that Russia could be looking at losing market share in a very important growth market. Related: Russia Looks To Woo Tech Companies As Oil Lags The main pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline, that supplies gas to Turkey from Azerbaijan, passes through the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan. This area borders the Armenian Tavush, where the clashes took place. Due to its geopolitically strategic location, a possible Turkish military intervention, especially considering its operations in Syria and Libya, is not unthinkable. Blowing up the current infrastructure in Azerbaijan would almost certainly ensure Turkish military involvement. "Turkey will never hesitate to stand against any attack on the rights and lands of Azerbaijan," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday. Erdogan suggested a wider conspiracy lay behind the latest fighting. Turkish pro-government media have been quick to accuse Moscow of encouraging Armenia to attack Azerbaijan, albeit without substantiating evidence. Some analysts believe Turkeys actions in Libya and Syria are related to this new conflict. Ankara could be forcing a new front, and the hand of Moscow, to get some bargaining power in North Africa. Whatever the cause of this latest conflict, the situation is on a knifes edge. Azerbaijan, via its defense ministry, has warned Armenia that it could launch missile attacks on its Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. These threats could be easily be countered by Armenian actions on Azerbaijans weak point, its oil and gas transit pipelines. The fallout would be felt not only in European markets, but globally as well. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com The Philippines and the World Bank have signed a 370-million U.S. dollars loan agreement for a project to support Filipino farmers, the country's Department of Finance (DOF) said on Monday. The project aims to speed up the process of splitting about 1.4 million hectares of land covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and then providing individual titles to these parcelized lots to some 750,000 farmer-beneficiaries. In a statement, the DOF said Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Achim Fock who was then the World Bank's acting country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, signed the loan agreement on July 14 for the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project of the Philippines' Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). "The SPLIT project will improve the bankability of farmers and enable them to access credit and government assistance," Dominguez said. Dominguez added the loan will support the Philippines' economic recovery program by intensifying assistance to farmers and making agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) more resilient to the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fock, for his part, said the World Bank expects the project to encourage ARBs "to invest in their property and adopt better technologies for greater productivity and higher incomes." Under the project, the collective certificate of land ownership awards (CCLOAs) will be parcelized into individual titles for some 750,000 ARBs to help fulfill the completion of the decades-old CARP. The government has redistributed about 4.8 million hectares of land to some 2.8 million ARBs under the agrarian reform program, but only 53 percent were in the form of individual land titles. The remaining 47 percent or about 2.5 million hectares are CCLOA titles that were issued to groups of ARBs in the 1990s as a temporary measure to fast-track the distribution of land to farmer-beneficiaries, according to the DOF. The parcelization of the CCLOAs into individual titles has been very slow, which is why about 1.4 million hectares remain to be subdivided among farmers under the SPLIT project. "Through the project, ARBs will be provided security of tenure by way of issuance of individual titles. If ARBs or members of their family fall ill, clear and valid documentation of their property will allow them to mortgage their land, sell, or pass it on to their family members through inheritance," the DOF statement read. The total cost of the SPLIT Project is 473.56 million U.S. dollars, of which 370 million U.S. dollars will be funded by the World Bank, while the government will provide the counterpart financing for the balance of 103.56 million U.S. dollars. The DOF said the loan agreement for the project carries a 29-year maturity period, inclusive of a grace period of 10-and-a-half years. She debuted new icy white locks at the beginning of July. And Ariel Winter is proving that blondes do have more fun. The naturally dark-haired actress, 22, was spotted smooching with boyfriend Luke Benward while on an outing in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday. Locked lips: Ariel Winter, 22, and boyfriend Luke Benward, 25, enjoyed a scenic smooch at a lookout point over the ocean in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday The couple were simpatico in black and puckered up as their pals cheered them on. The former Modern Family star, who was dressed in a crop top and skinny jeans, flashed her midriff as she leaned up to kiss her much taller beau. Her dyed hair was loose and she had on sunglasses and a black cloth face mask. Benward, 25, an actor, wore a t-shirt and shorts with designer trainers and a two-tone cap along with a cloth mask. So happy: The former Modern Family star who is naturally dark haired, clearly is having more fun now she's gone blonde Love in time of Covid: Winter, who was dressed in a crop top and skinny jeans, flashed her midriff as she leaned up to kiss her much taller beau, who, like her, had on a cloth face mask The couple shared a laugh with their pals as they enjoyed beverages to go looking out over the ocean from the city vantage point. During her 11 seasons on Modern Family, Ariel sported her natural dark hair. After wrapping production on the final season in February, she dyed her hair a fiery red as she moved to distance herself from her TV character. Over the July 4 holiday weekend, she debuted her new look in a series of Instagram snaps with a nod to Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen as she wrote in the caption: 'Winter is coming!!!!!!' 'Winter is coming!!!!!!' The actress debuted her new look over the July 4 holiday weekend in a series of Instagram snaps and a nod to Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen Ariel was just 11 years old when Modern Family premiered in 2009. She played Alex Dunphy in the sitcom that starred Sofia Vergara, Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Sarah Hyland. According to her IMDb page, she currently doesn't have any new projects lined up. What a difference: Winter was 11 when she was cast as Alex Dunphy in Modern Family. After the final season wrapped in February, she dyed her hair red to move on from her character The US Embassy in Armenia, in response to an inquiry from Armenian News - NEWS.am, commented on the threat from Baku to strike at the Armenian nuclear power plant. "As we have said multiple times, the United States condemns in the strongest terms the violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border. Secretary Pompeo was very clear on this point in his remarks on Wednesday. We call the sides to stop using force immediately, use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the ceasefire. We also urge the sides to work with the Minsk Group co-chairs to strengthen the ceasefire and return to substantive negotiations as soon as possible. We urge all parties to avoid unhelpful rhetoric and actions that further raise tensions on the ground," the US Embassy said in a statement. Nigel Farage: We Have Done Too Little to Expose This Genocide in China Former British member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage on Sunday called for a boycott of goods made in China after he said he came to realise the extent of the Chinese regimes human rights abuses. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Farage praised the UK governments recent decision to purge Huawei from Britains 5G network by 2027 before reflecting on how, while lobbying to stop the Chinese telecom giants involvement in the UK over the past six months, he has come to see that our relationship with China should be more than about economics or security. Im struck that those of us that are sinoskeptics have been doing this [lobbying] from the perspective that economically ultimately China is bad for us, it undercuts us, it cost jobs; in security terms, it is madness, something that the Australians, the Americans, and many others have woken up to, he said. And weve not been making the argument properly, and fully, about the plight of the Falun Gong, the plight of the Uyghurs, about the brutal, truthful fact that it is utterly right to compare the way the Chinese government treats minorities, treats different points of view within its country, it is utterly right to compare that with what the National Socialists did between 1939 and 1945. There is a form of state-sponsored genocide that is going on in China, and myself included, we have done too little to expose this. Persecution The leader of the Brexit Party recalled learning from a recent episode of BBC Radio 4s programme The Briefing Room about the ubiquitous surveillance, brainwashing, and forced sterilization of the Uyghurs, and Huaweis alleged involvement in it. Police officers patrolling in Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China, on June 4, 2019. Authorities in the region have collected DNA samples from residents en masse. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) I had got no idea the extent of it, Farage said. He was shocked by the lack of exposure in the media on the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of the Uyghurs, as well as on the forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners, a long-standing allegation confirmed by the independent China Tribunal last year. Farage said he felt a bit guilty about this, because during the time when he was an MEP, every month he could see from his office window in Strasbourg, Falun Gong practitioners appealing in front of the European Parliament. They kept telling him about the forced organ harvesting, but he did nothing. July 20 marks the 21st anniversary of the start of the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a spiritual discipline that includes moral teachings based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Gong practitioners in front of European parliament building, in Strasbourg, France, on June 7, 2016. (Courtsey of Eddie Aitken) Farage said he was delighted and surprised that the BBC had started to ask questions around the human rights abuses in China, but the general public just do not realise how appalling this Chinese regime is, how truly vile it is. We got to make them understand it. Huawei Speaking about the recent decision to ban Huawei from the UK 5G network, he said the news was particularly significant given that Boris has declared himself to be a Sinophile, indeed many members of his own family, and of course, of the governing Conservative Party, people he went to Oxford [University] with, have believed that China is our future. However, he described it as a sting in the tail to allow telecom companies to continue purchasing Huawei equipment until the end of the year, and keeping it in use until 2027. Farage argued that the reason why big mobile phone providers were the biggest champion in lobbying for Huawei kit to stay is because the whole model on which the mobile phone market works is broken and it caused big debts for providers, which in turn made Huaweis competitive offer even more enticing. You may think of Huawei as being a provider of technology, but theyre just as much a finance house, backed, of course, by the Chinese Communist Party. Its almost like [telecoms providers] have become drug dependent upon Huawei, he said. Although he welcomed Johnsons decision on Huawei, Farage thinks the prime minister could still shift his position on China. He said that the decision regarding the relationship with the Chinese Communist Party depends on the average British people. The real power lies with you. Whether China becomes, as it wants to be, the dominant global state, as we go through the 21st century or not, all of it depends on you, he said. If you go on buying Chinese goods, this evil regime will get richer, and will spread itself across, and become the dominant player in the world. So its up to us. Its not easy to avoid buying products made in China. Its not easy but that is what weve got to do. Wake up everybody. Black Lives Matter DC.JPG Black Lives Matter murals have appeared in several US cities, including outside the White House in Washington, DC. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Redwood City, California, last week removed a Black Lives Matter mural that a resident painted as part of an Independence Day public-art celebration, CBS San Francisco reported. The city removed the mural after a local lawyer said she should be able to paint "MAGA 2020" on the same street, the report said. Officials said they removed the mural because it was a traffic hazard, CBS San Francisco reported. Dan Pease, who painted the mural, told the outlet that he'd expected it to wash away over time. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A California city removed its Black Lives Matter mural in the middle of the night last week after a local lawyer asked whether she could install one nearby in support of President Donald Trump's reelection bid. CBS San Francisco reported on Sunday that a Redwood City resident, Dan Pease, asked city officials earlier in July if he could paint "Black Live Matter" on a street downtown as part of an Independence Day public-art celebration. Officials agreed and provided him with yellow poster-board paint he used to paint the 17-foot mural. "Because we were using the poster-board paint that would eventually deteriorate over time, my understanding from them was that the mural would last as long as the paint lasted," Pease told the outlet. Related: 15,000 rallied in support of Black trans lives in Brooklyn But on Thursday, city officials scrubbed the mural from the street in the middle of the night, saying it could be a traffic hazard, CBS San Francisco reported. They removed it not long after Maria Rutenburg, a real-estate lawyer, requested that she be allowed to paint "MAGA 2020," Trump's reelection campaign slogan, on the same street. "I saw 'Black Lives Matter' sign appearing on Broadway Street, on the asphalt. I figured that's going to be a new public space open for discussion, and I wanted to get my message out too," Rutenburg told the local CBS station. Story continues When news first circulated that city officials were considering removing the mural, some activists suggested a sit-in to prevent the words from being washed away, The San Mateo Daily Journal reported. "For them to say 'take it down' because of controversy shows the problem [of racial inequity] is still present and it's not OK," Jose Castro, a local artist who created a different mural of George Floyd that the city has allowed to remain, told The Daily Journal last week. Pease told CBS San Francisco that while he didn't believe "Black Lives Matter" was a political statement, he understood the city's predicament. "I have no hard feelings to the City Council," he said. "I am disappointed, but, at the same time, I am very grateful that they allowed me to put that message on Broadway." Black Lives Matter murals have appeared in several US cities in the wake of protests over racism and police brutality following George Floyd's killing by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25. Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, DC, had one installed outside the White House in June, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in July had one commissioned outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. New York City police said over the weekend that three people accused of defacing the mural with blue paint were arrested. Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-moduleRead the original article on Insider New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday (July 20, 2020) rubbished the reports doing rounds on social media that the community transmission of COVID-19 has started in India and said that the "purported statement is not from IMA HQs". IMA in an official statement on its stand on community transmission of COVID-19 said, "It is for the official agencies to ascertain this stage in the natural history of the epidemic. Crowd sourcing data can not replace authentic data." They said that all presumptions in this regard should be considered a matter of personal opinion. "IMA is confident that the public health authorities and the medical fraternity are fully engaged and prepared in containing the fallout," read the statement. IMA said the data shows that the clusters are in urban metros and not in the countryside where open spaces are the rule. The official statement comes after the ANI news agency on July 18 had quoted Dr VK Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India saying, "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." Earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was quoted by the ANI news agency saying, "There is spread in the community, now it's very technical to say either it's local or community spread. Source of many COVID-19 positive patients remains unknown after test. Let's leave the technical battle on Center to decide over community spread." According to the Union Health Ministry at 8 AM on Monday, there have been 11,18,043 confirmed cases across India, of which 3,90,459 are active cases. A total of 27,497 people have succumbed to the virus so far. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 16:15 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d6781 1 News Yogyakarta,Jogja-Pass,Visiting-Jogja,App,Play-Store,tourist-destination,COVID-19,travel Free The Yogyakarta administration is carrying out trials on two apps developed for tourists visiting Yogyakarta in the post-pandemic new normal. The apps, called Jogja Pass and Visiting Jogja, are available on Play Store. Jogja Pass is like a digital identity of its user, Yogyakarta tourism head Singgih Rahardjo told kompas.com. The Jogja Pass application. (Jogja Pass/File) Jogja Pass, formerly known as Cared+ Jogja, can be used for COVID-19 self-screening. Users will receive questions about their symptoms and the risks of being infected by the novel coronavirus at home or outside. The app features an emergency call button that is connected to the nearest hospitals or community health centers (Puskemas), as well as information, health tips and a COVID-19 map of Yogyakarta. The app can also monitor visitors through their IDs once they are registered on the app. Travelers who wish to visit tourist sites in the province are urged to install Visiting Jogja. Visiting Jogja. (Visiting Jogja/File) It can be used to book online [tickets] for tourist attractions that have reopened, said Singgih, adding that around 28 sites are included in the app. Those who wish to purchase online tickets can choose the destination they favor, fill in their details and list the number of tickets to be assigned a QR code. Payment can be done on the site or online. We will also be informed about visitor capacity and the number of people who have booked tickets, said Singgih. Visiting Jogja, formerly recognized as Plesiran Jogja, provides other information on tourism as well, including accommodation, events, maps, culinary destinations and weather. For the Yogyakarta tourism agency, Visiting Jogja will provide information on the number of real-time visitors at a destination in one day and the number of people who make online or offline reservations. As of July, several destinations in Yogyakarta have resumed operations under strict health protocols for local visitors only. Yogyakarta is scheduled to welcome visitors from outside the province in August. (wir/wng) Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. BURLINGTON, Ont. - Animal rights groups and mourning relatives expressed outrage on Monday after police in southern Ontario announced the driver of a truck that struck and killed an activist during a protest last month would not face criminal charges. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. BURLINGTON, Ont. - Animal rights groups and mourning relatives expressed outrage on Monday after police in southern Ontario announced the driver of a truck that struck and killed an activist during a protest last month would not face criminal charges. Regan Russell's family members, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Toronto Pig Save condemned the Halton Regional Police Service for laying a non-criminal charge against the driver whose truck hit the long-time advocate on June 19. There was no evidence to suggest the 28-year-old driver acted with criminal intent when the truck he was driving struck and killed Russell, police said. Instead, the department chose to charge the man with careless driving causing death, a provincial traffic offence that could result in anything from a fine to two years in jail. "Losing Regan has been a terrible experience, and the lax charge in response to her death has only made that pain deeper," read a statement issued by Russell's stepson Joshua Powell. "Grief is now compounded by anger, frustration, and confusion." "Our family is committed to revealing the truth in Regan's death, and will be pursuing all avenues before us that work to that end." The charge against the driver "must be upgraded to reflect the death of a kind and gentle soul who did no wrong," PETA said in a statement. Russell, 65, was giving water to pigs that were en route to the Fearman's Pork slaughterhouse when she was struck and killed. Temperatures had reached 30C on that day and much of southwestern Ontario was under a heat warning issued by Environment Canada. Police said they interviewed several witnesses and reviewed video of the incident as part of their investigation, which helped them reach the conclusion of a non-criminal charge. According to Anita Krajnc, founder of Toronto Pig Save, the video in question was provided to police by the company that owns the slaughterhouse. Krajnc called on police to release the video so the public can decide for themselves whether the driver acted carelessly or with malice. "If you don't have a video, you can get away with so much," Krajnc said in an interview. "We are demanding the police release it for people to judge." Animal rights groups will be hosting a protest in front of Halton police's Burlington detachment Tuesday morning to demand the release of the video, Krajnc said. Sofina Foods, which owns the slaughterhouse, expressed condolences to Russell's family and friends and said in a statement that it "fully co-operated with the police investigation." Krajnc said Russell was an active member of the animal rights community since 1977 and "was always concerned about safety." Russell's friends, family and colleagues were "shocked and stunned" by her death, Krajnc said. Members of Toronto Pig Save have long protested the slaughter of pigs at Fearman's Pork, and the group drew international headlines in 2015 when Krajnc was arrested while giving water to the pigs on a hot day at the same spot. She was later found not guilty of criminal mischief when the case went to trial. By Jake Kivanc and Liam Casey in Toronto This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 20, 2020. A group of 50 British lawmakers, retailers such as Marks & Spencer and New Look, and investors and NGOs called on Monday for urgent action to prevent the exploitation of garment factory workers in the United Kingdom. Their joint letter, coordinated by industry lobby group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and addressed to interior minister Priti Patel, asked for the introduction of statutory licensing of garment factories to ensure they all meet their legal obligations to employees. The letter was published following recent media reports of workers being paid below the minimum ... Irish Water have moved to allay fears surrounding plans for a new water source to service a swathe of mid-Kildare and a population of about 30,000 centred around Naas. The proposal involves the replacement of the existing soft water supply with harder water from the River Barrow. The soft water used in the greater Dublin area (GDA) comes from treatment plants at Ballymore Eustace, Leixlip, Srowland (Athy) and Vartry (Roundwood, County Wicklow). This is fully compliant with drinking water regulations. But, says Irish Water, the quantities of water produced at these plants varies depending on water levels in rivers, streams and reservoirs and the demand in various parts of GDA. This is managed on an ongoing basis and the Barrow extension project will build resilience in our network, said Irish Water. The plan is to provide a link between the Srowland treatment plant and the one at Ballymore Eustace. IW hopes that the project will be finalised in the coming weeks and a project update will provided then. Concerns have been expressed about the different taste offered by hard water, which IW says is due to high levels of natural minerals absorbed from rock and soil. This can also lead to increased limescale on home and kitchen appliances such as kettles and washing machines. Hard water is not harmful of your health and IW does not treat water to remove these mineral salts because they occur naturally and are fully consistent with safe drinking water, said the utility. IW also said that information about hard water and home appliances is available on its website. IW says that strengthening our water distribution network to ensure that water can be supplied where it is needed is important, particularly during drought or emergency situations in order to minimise the risk of water restrictions and water outages. A spokeswoman added: Safeguarding our water supply for homes and businesses across the entire GDA remains a vital focus. The utility was responding to concerns raised by two local councillors Evie Sammon and Tracey ODwyer, who sought more information on the plan which involves taking 15 million litres daily from the Barrow. Cllr Sammon said: While I am not happy with Irish Waters plans to make changes to the water supply in areas that are currently served by the Ballymore Eustace plant, I welcome the fact that IW will be asked for more information. However she also pointed out that Ballymore Eustace plays host to the Irish Water treatment plant and to not be receiving its water supply from its local treatment plant is farcical. I believe the people of Naas, Brannockstown, Ballymore Eustace, Caragh, Johnstown and Sallins (south) will not stand for it. The utility also said a conditioning unit Srowland which has worked intermittently for 18 months, is not currently operating as it is not an essential part of the water treatment process. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo EAST HAMPTON The state Bond Commission July 21 approved the distribution of $250,000 in grant funding to East Hampton to finance a plan for alternative water sources in town. For years, the town of East Hampton has worked to find new solutions for water sources to improve upon current ones, Sen. Norm Needleman said in a press release announcing the monies. Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, on Sunday lauded the Delhi Police for staking lives in protecting people from Covid-19, upholding all official instructions, as he pressed on the need for recovered patients to donate plasma in battle against the pandemic. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday launched Plasma Donation Campaign in association with Delhi Police at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. Speaking about the initiative, Dr Vardhan said, In this war against COVID-19, corona warriors have played an important role. In Delhi, 2,532 police coronavirus warriors have been affected and some even lost their lives. To ensure safety against the virus, several attempts are being made. It is necessary to give plasma donation a bigger platform. He said that the invention of medicines and vaccines against COVID-19 is underway and plasma donation is being used for some serious patients. He added that two candidates for the vaccine have started human trials but time for the scientific process cannot be predicted. A large number of Delhi Police personnel have stepped forward and donated plasma at AIIMS. I congratulate them. They are not just corona warriors, they are plasma warriors as well. I hope with this campaign, recovered patients will be inspired and step forward to donate plasma. Any recovered patient can donate plasma twice a month, he added. Also read: Covid-19 vaccine race: Seven Indian Pharma companies up against global contenders Also read: Covid-19 may increase during peak of monsoon, winter: Study Today Delhi Police and AIIMS have started plasma donation campaign and several corona warriors donated plasma. There is a policeman Om Prakash who has donated for the third time. We do not have specific antiviral treatment, the treatment is supported, said Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS. If plasma is donated, we can use it in the treatment to save patients. It is a noble cause. I appeal to other COVID-19 warriors to step forward and become plasma warriors as well, he added. Delhi Police has been part of government efforts against COVID-19. Several policemen have been affected and they recovered also. The recovery rate in Delhi Police is 84 per cent. A large number of policemen have come forward to donate plasma, said a Delhi police official. We have tied up with AIIMS to provide plasma to the needy patients. This plasma donation camp will encourage the public to donate. As a team we have seen that policemen are healthy and motivated, he added. According to a press release by the government, Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients contains protective antibodies to the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. It can provide immunity to patients of COVID-19 when transfused. Considering its potential benefit, plasma therapy is provided to those patients who are not responding to conventional treatment. The blood bank will assess their eligibility for blood donation and check the level of COVID-19 protective antibody levels in their blood before they can donate. The blood of a survivor usually has a high concentration of such antibodies and when given to a susceptible person, these antibodies circulate in blood, reach tissues and neutralise the virus, the release said. Also read: Cyberabad commissioner VC Sajjanar urges Covid-19 warriors for plasma donation Three hours of rain on Sunday -- the first heavy spell of monsoon showers -- inundated several arterial roads, underpasses, nearly a dozen hutments were washed away in a flooded drain and two people were killed in rain-related accidents. Several areas that witnessed flooding featured in the list of 100 waterlogging-prone areas prepared by different agencies over the past few years, however, a lasting solution to the problem is yet to be found. Officials and experts blame multiplicity of agencies and the lack of a comprehensive drainage plan for the annual mess. In 2016, the Delhi government had commissioned a study of the citys drainage system by IIT-Delhi. Following the study, a drainage master plan was compiled which had also pointed out to the fact that the city had no single agency to manage and maintain drainage. The last drainage master plan was drafted by the Delhi government in 1976. Also read | Waterlogged since 1950s: Why Minto Bridge is Delhis flooding constant At least 11 agencies PWD, the three civic bodies, Delhi Development Authority, irrigation and flood control, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board are responsible for de-silting of drains alongside roads under their jurisdiction, said a senior South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official. With so many agencies managing stormwater drains in the city, it is difficult to coordinate and ensure that the drains are cleaned ahead of monsoon every year. Due to the multiplicity of agencies, fixing accountability is difficult. There has to be one nodal agency for cleaning and maintenance of drains in the city so that disasters such as the one that happened at Minto Bridge do not take recur, a senior official PWD official said. A tempo driver had drowned at the flooded Minto Bridge underpass on Sunday. Experts agreed with the assessment, saying there should be one agency responsible for cleaning the stormwater drains and their maintenance. Sarvagya Srivastava, former engineer-in-chief of Delhi PWD, said, The most important thing is that the city should have a proper sewerage system in place. Currently, sewer waste flows in stormwater drains in most areas. Like earlier, there should be just one agency responsible for desilting of drains. Another SDMC officials also pointed out the faulty designs of the drains for stormwater flooding roads. Also read | Delhi flooding: Govt fixes responsibility, blame game on The official said that for instance on Najafgarh-Uttam Nagar stretch, an inadequate cross-section of roadside drains is unable to flush out water quickly from the road. While constructing the road the PWD designed drain cross-section taking into account only roadside water but they did not calculate possible water outcome from unauthorised colonies located on both sides of the road. They should have constructed drains taking into account the whole catchment area, the official said. Similarly, at the Okhla underpass, the slope is such that water from all the roads accumulates in the underpass, the same official said. Inadequate drain cross-section and gradient cannot handle heavy intensity rain. It leads to water accumulation which takes time to recede. This happens at several underpasses in the city, he said. Rajeev Goel, head of bridge engineering and structure at Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), said the problem can be addressed with some design changes. Construction of wide stormwater drain at the beginning of the slope to the underpass can help. Also, such drains where heavy water flow is expected should be connected to the main drainage. This can be done at the starting and endpoints of a flyover too. But the most important thing is to improve the drainage system along the roads, he said. While the Delhi PWD manages around 2,064 km length of drains along 1,260 km roads, the three civic bodies collectively manage over 520 km length of drains mainly in colonies or along roads less than 60 feet width. NDMC manages around 321 km drains while DDA manages 251 km drains. When HT individually asked the PWD and the MCDs, officials said the shortage of workforce was one of the biggest challenges faced by them this year. Normally, the desilting process of big drains takes around 2.5 - 3 months. It used to begin in March. Our priority has always been to clean drains by May 31 or latest by June 15, before the arrival of monsoon in the city. But this year, most of the desilting work was completed only by the first week of July. Around 1500 labourers are engaged every year in desilting process, but this year the workforce was down by half, a senior PWD official said on condition of anonymity. He said that site inspections also could not be conducted on time due to the lockdown this year. The PWD manages around 2064 km length of drains along 1260km roads across 17 divisions in the city. We majorly rely on contract labourers. In April and May, we witnessed around 50% shortfall in the workforce. Contractors were unable to bring labourers as they had gone to their home towns due to the coronavirus outbreak. Many of those who had gone to their villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to celebrate Holi had refused to return. Hence, getting labourers for the desilting process in April and May was a tough task. It was only by June that the project gained momentum when we got an adequate workforce, the official said. Rating Action: Moody's affirms SABIC's A1 ratings and withdraws BCA; negative outlook Global Credit Research - 20 Jul 2020 London, 20 July 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has today affirmed Saudi Basic Industries Corporation's ("SABIC") A1 long-term issuer rating and A1 senior unsecured bond ratings following the completion of Saudi Arabian Oil Company's ("Saudi Aramco", A1 negative) acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC. The outlook on the ratings remains negative. Concurrently, Moody's has withdrawn SABIC's a1 baseline credit assessment (BCA) because it no longer classifies SABIC as a Government-Related Issuer (GRI). Full details of the rating actions for the affected entities can be found at the end of this press release. RATINGS RATIONALE On 17 June 2020, SABIC announced that Saudi Aramco has completed the acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC from the Public Investment Fund (PIF). In light of this transaction, Moody's no longer considers appropriate to rate SABIC under the Government-Related Issuers Methodology as Moody's does not normally designate subsidiaries of a GRI as also being GRIs. The removal of the GRI status has no rating implications as there was no uplift provided to SABIC's rating under the GRI methodology. Following the acquisition, SABIC has become a strategic subsidiary of Saudi Aramco and represents a significant portion of Saudi Aramco's petrochemical business. Moody's will continue to consider any benefits from indirect government ownership as well as support from Saudi Aramco as a strategic shareholder on a qualitative basis. The affirmation of SABIC's A1 ratings reflects its strong global position in the petrochemical market, as well as its competitive cost position, underpinned by significant economies of scale and access to competitively priced domestic feedstock under long-term contracts with Saudi Aramco. These advantages help mitigate to an extent the volatility of its predominantly commodity-based petrochemical, fertiliser and steel activities, and significant fluctuations in supply and demand that affect its markets through industry and economic cycles. The company has a robust balance sheet and maintains substantial excess cash. Story continues The company is exposed to the currently challenging market environment driven by a combination of (1) oversupply of certain petrochemical products; (2) low oil prices; and (3) weak demand dynamics following the spread of the coronavirus. This will have a negative impact on SABIC's credit metrics in 2020 and 2021. However, SABIC's strong liquidity and broad diversification into multiple products supports its credit profile. OUTLOOK SABIC's rating is constrained by the rating of the Government of Saudi Arabia (A1, negative) and therefore the negative outlook mirrors the negative outlook on the sovereign rating. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS SABIC's rating is constrained by the rating of the Government of Saudi Arabia given the broad credit linkages between the two. Upward rating pressure is therefore unlikely at this stage because of the negative outlook on Saudi Arabia. The rating could be downgraded if SABIC's credit profile weakens as a result of a sustained markedly weaker operating performance and significantly higher investment spending (such as through large debt-funded acquisitions), leading to a more leveraged capital structure, with Net Debt to EBITDA trending towards 1.5x. A rating downgrade on the Government of Saudi Arabia will lead to a downgrade of SABIC's rating. LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS Affirmations: ..Issuer: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation ....LT Issuer Rating, Affirmed A1 ..Issuer: SABIC Capital I B.V. ....BACKED Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Affirmed A1 ..Issuer: SABIC Capital II B.V. ....BACKED Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Affirmed A1 Outlook Actions: ..Issuer: SABIC Capital I B.V. ....Outlook, Remains Negative ..Issuer: SABIC Capital II B.V. ....Outlook, Remains Negative ..Issuer: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation ....Outlook, Remains Negative PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY The principal methodology used in these ratings was Chemical Industry published in March 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1152388. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. The local market analyst for this rating is Rehan Akbar, +971 (423) 795-65. 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. Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Julia Pribytkova Vice President - Senior Analyst Corporate Finance Group Moody's Investors Service Limited, Russian Branch 7th floor, Four Winds Plaza 21 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya St. Moscow 125047 Russia JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Mario Santangelo Associate Managing Director Corporate Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service Ltd. 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Press Release 20 July 2020 Zurab Pololikashvili - Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization: Advertisements "Across Europe, the responsible restart of tourism is now underway. But even as growing numbers of tourists cross borders and businesses open up again, this is no time for complacency." "Just as we stressed at the beginning of this crisis: words of support are not enough for tourism to recover. Concrete actions are needed." "For UNWTO, this means supporting Member States and the wider tourism sector as it adapts and transitions towards a more resilient and sustainable future." "The visit of a UNWTO delegation to the Canary Islands allowed us to do just this." "Through inviting members of the media, private sector leaders and political leaders to join us for this official visit, UNWTO was able to show that tourism's return can be managed safely and responsibly. It is possible to prioritise health while at the same time safeguarding jobs and promoting economic recovery!" "At the same time, the innovation running through our sector means that the restart of tourism can help get the global community back on track as we work together to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." "The UNWTO Sustainable Development Goals Startup Competition, which was launched this week, will identify new ideas with the power and potential to reimagine tourism and enhance the sector's positive impact on people and planet. I urge all entrepreneurs and innovators to step up and take part. Only through embracing the new can we emerge from this crisis stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, including addressing inequality and climate action." "As we look to the future, however, we must also pause to reflect on the terrible human cost of the pandemic. This week, I was honoured to join His Majesty King Felipe VI, alongside the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and guests including the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, as well as other national and international political leaders at a special event to commemorate all those who have lost their lives to COVID-19 in Spain." "The presence of such high-level figures from within and also from outside of Spain was testament to the international solidarity that has characterised our response to this pandemic. It also represented an opportunity for us all to express our appreciation to the health workers who worked - and continue to work - on the frontline of this public health emergency." "Throughout this crisis, our host country has shown great resolve. It now carries that spirit into a determination to grow back and recover." "UNWTO offers our full support to Spain, as we do to every other Member State, and will continue to work closely with the government to ensure tourism fulfils its unique potential as a tool for economic recovery and social cohesion." Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) tells Axios he'll introduce legislation this week requiring companies with business overseas to certify that their supply chains are free of forced labor and he's especially concerned about China. The state of play: "If these reports from anti-trafficking advocates, anti-slavery advocates are wrong, then the companies will have a chance to set the record straight," Hawley said in an interview. "But they will be held accountable." Hawley also plans to challenge celebrities who endorse the products: "I would hope that anybody who is profiting on that would want to push companies to certify that they're not benefiting from slave labor." Hawley said multinational corporations "shift our jobs overseas, or they move their supply chains overseas, then they sell them to American consumers and they get celebrities to hawk them on TV." "Just because you are publicly donating money to this or that nonprofit doesn't mean that it's OK to profit off slave labor," the senator added. Details: The bill requires every corporation with annual worldwide gross receipts of $500 million or more to conduct an audit of its supply chain to investigate the presence or use of forced labor by the business, or its direct and secondary suppliers. Businesses would submit a report to the Labor Department each year signed by the CEO describing efforts to eradicate forced labor from their supply chains. Hawley wants the report to be published on the company's website, with a conspicuous link on the homepage. From Hawley's plan: "The [Labor secretary] may assess civil damages of not more than $100 million to any corporation that fails the comply with the act, plus punitive damages of not more than $500 million." The Whitewater independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, raised the possibility of a reduced sentence for McDougal if she testified against the Clintons. Specifically, Starrs 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 Wouldnt 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 films premiere in New York, where he told the audience of his deep admiration for the woman who refused to testify about him. Arianna Carson, who plans to study dance at SUNY Purchase in the fall, is photographed near her home in Rowland Heights on July 6, 2020. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) As a dance student at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Arianna Carsons meticulously scheduled days often began at 5:15 am. After commuting downtown to school, the 18-year-old spent the day balancing academic and dance classes. In the evenings, she would rehearse even more at a dance studio in Whittier until 9:30 p.m. By the time she began homework, it was usually around midnight. When the pandemic forced her to take classes online, she transitioned her dance training to her living room and backyard. The jam-packed days were crafted around Carsons dream to become a professional modern dancer. She is scheduled to start this fall at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance in New York, even though shes unsure how her freshman year will shape up. In May the school planned for in-person learning, but as coronavirus cases continued to spike around the country, the school sent a June update saying it was still evaluating how to proceed. During an online orientation a few days ago, SUNY Purchase outlined its plan for both in-person and online learning during the fall semester. "I will only be having two dance classes in person in the studio, and the teacher would either be there or on a screen," Carson said, adding that the rest of her classes will be remote. Dealing with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has been tough, she said. Just to think about me not being able to be onstage and perform with a live audience, it breaks my heart because thats been my dream. Arianna Carson is trying to adjust to pandemic-related changes to her college plans. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) This is the disheartening reality for many students enrolling in university-level art programs as the pandemic continues to upend the educational system. Even as the fall semester looms closer, some colleges continue to change their plans for in-person learning, remote classes or some hybrid model. For students studying music, dance, film, visual art, theater and other disciplines, the uncertainty adds an extra layer of anxiety. Training often relies on in-person practice through rehearsals and private instruction. It requires staging ensemble shows, and having access to expensive equipment such as cameras and arts software for projects. For some students, those resources, along with the mentoring from faculty and the building of a network of fellow artists, are the reasons to pursue a college education. Story continues Another Los Angeles County High School for the Arts dance graduate, Natalie Aronno, also had to consider the financial impact of the pandemic when deciding where to study. Aronno chose UC Irvine, a school close to home and a place where her tuition will be fully covered by federal aid. As a first-generation college student, shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for private-school tuition each year felt like a lot of gambling with finances that didnt settle with me, she said. I personally dont want to live in debt. Although the 18-year-old is excited for college an opportunity to chase her dream of performing professionally with companies like Ballet Hispanico or Limon Dance Company her first semester will be online. I am a little disappointed that I will continue to dance alone in my living room," she said. "I wish I could share my art with others especially my new classmates. Natalie Aronno, a first-generation college student who will be attending UC Irvine to study dance, is photographed at home in South Gate. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Dylan Kingdom, a 17-year-old who plans to study French horn at Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York, said she doesn't foresee a return to normal anytime soon. Orchestra probably wont be possible for a long time because thats 60 to 80 people in very close capacity onstage together, breathing quite heavily, she said. Her future school is tentatively preparing for a hybrid learning format. My parents have more anxiety about it than I do because for them its a job thing, Kingdom said, alluding to fears about how a pandemic of indeterminate length could affect not just class format but employment prospects. It makes me anxious but I also try not to think about it too much because I dont feel like theres too much use in just laying in bed all the time worrying. Plans for online learning have triggered concerns when schools are still charging full tuition, which can top $50,000 annually. One group of students filed a lawsuit, since dropped, against the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia to seek reimbursement for tuition payments, which total $37,575 for an undergraduate. After the college moved classes online, the students said they lost access to important software, equipment and events. Jess Marfisi, a 2016 Savannah graduate, tweeted in May a viral critique of a school email urging students to stay enrolled despite the pandemic. They seemed to be guilting and gaslighting students into staying the course, she said via email. Marfisi, who has worked for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network since graduating, praised the schools expensive software, career fairs, guest speakers and professional portfolio reviews. But she added that if classes were virtual in the fall, she would recommend students take a semester off. Other than the professors and students, the best thing about SCAD is its resources, she said. Keenen Wilson, a 2013 musical theater graduate from Columbia College Chicago, performs in community theater while working full time. An online arts education wouldnt compare to in-person classes, he said. Even with the advancement of technology, doing a scene with an acting partner is not going to hit the same via a Zoom meeting than it would in a classroom setting, he said. School administrators argue the educational value remains the same, regardless of how the learning takes place. Since the early days of the pandemic in March, art schools have had to shift quickly to online learning. Some music programs changed lesson plans, scrapping ensemble-based instruction for virtual career panels with professional musicians. At the Pasadena-based ArtCenter College of Design, the school loaned equipment and expensive software to students to complete projects. At Loyola Marymount Universitys School of Film and Television in L.A., students completed spring directing projects with the equipment and actors they had at home iPhones and stuffed animals for some. At USC, which recently reversed its decision to bring students back to campus, private lessons in music have gone well, said Robert Cutietta, the schools dean of music and dance.The biggest issue that we ran into was just having those appropriate places to practice their art and working together, he said. The dance program at California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita will experiment with small-group dance classes in the studio, using a strict spacing configuration. Dylan Kingdom is a French horn player who plans to attend Eastman School of Music in New York this fall. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Its not an uninteresting moment to be part of CalArts, said dance dean Dimitri Chamblas. The school is ready to re-question, reinvent ... innovating in this particular moment of time its not a bad moment for study. Education will look different in the near future, said California College of the Arts provost Tammy Rae Carland. The Bay Area school, which is planning for a hybrid fall, offers degrees in architecture, furniture and metal arts. Were really committed to part of what students pay for when they invest in an arts education is access to facilities and materials that otherwise would be very unreasonable, Carland said. The school will evaluate the information-based classes that most easily translate to online learning, so that we can cut back on the amount of people who are present on campus and still go really deep into studios with smaller groups of people." At Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, we feel very good about the education weve been able to deliver online, said conservatory dean William Quillen. The school will offer distanced one-on-one music lessons in the fall and recitals where only select faculty and family can attend. The magic of an Oberlin education, he said, isnt just the transmission of knowledge but all these creative individuals at a particular time in their life with the creative faculties being together in a particular place. Avalon Lafosse, 18, who has chosen to defer her enrollment at the Rhode Island School of Design for a year because of the pandemic, photographed at home in Irvine. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Although administrators said enrollment is still strong for the fall, some students are choosing to defer to ensure they get the full college experience. In April, 18-year-old Avalon Lafosse decided to defer her admission to the Rhode Island School of Design. Although she is considering studying painting, Lafosse wanted to use the first year of foundational courses to help make a decision. I feel that if classes are virtual, it will be difficult for me to really get that experience, she said. To be able to find out what I truly love to do and Im passionate about, I need to do that in person, on campus. Over the next year, she plans to continue making art and work on her art therapy nonprofit. For the students who choose to enroll this semester, theres not much else they can do but accept the rockiness of the times. James Bergren said he is stoked to move from Long Beach to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music for bass performance. The school will offer classes online and in-person. If plans change and Berklee switches to an entirely online format, it wouldnt be ideal but I guess the circumstances are bigger than us, he said. Theres nothing that a school can do about something as big as a national health crisis. James Bergren, a bass player who plans to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston this fall, photographed at home in Long Beach. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Because New York is requiring travelers from certain states, including California, to quarantine for 14 days, Carson will move onto the SUNY Purchase campus without her parents. While she's away, her parents will work to convert their garage into a proper studio space complete with a ballet barre, mirrors and a marley dance floor. The plan is to have it ready by the time Carson returns home over Thanksgiving break to finish off the semester with remote learning. The second semester is uncertain for now. I dont know what my future is going to be like, but I know I just have to keep on going with my creativity and my art through these uncertain times," she said. "And I am trying to kind of roll with the punches. Updates: 2:27 PM, Jul. 23, 2020: This article has been updated to indicate the lawsuit filed against the Savannah College of Art and Design has been dropped. The number of bank repossessed cars has increased sharply in Vietnam in the past few months as many people have failed to pay their auto loans due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic. Many banks in the Southeast Asian country have been selling a large number of repossessed automobiles over the past two months. Among them, the Vietnam International Bank (VIB) are selling 59 autos, including various types of cars, trucks, and buses. A SAMCO limousine is being offered at VND890 million (US$38,380), while a 16-seater Ford Transit is on sale for VND434 million ($18,700). Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) has been selling a lot of automobiles since the beginning of July. These vehicles are assets repossessed from the lenders clients who had repeatedly defaulted on their debt obligations. Local lenders told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the rapid increase in the number of repossessed vehicles, especially those used for passenger transport services, results from financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Danh, a resident in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, said he previously borrowed VND800 million ($34,500) from a joint stock bank to buy a 16-seater bus, which he would use for his passenger transport service. He was required to pay VND15 million ($646) every month as part of the loan agreement, but his transport service came to a grinding halt following the COVID-19 breakout. The man was in heavy debt and thus his vehicle was repossessed by the bank. According to Tran Ngoc Tam, director of Nam A Bank, the lender has decided to provide borrowers with restructured loans to help them overcome this difficult period. However, as the entire economy suffered a hard punch from the COVID-19 pandemic, local banks are not likely to offer all of their borrowers a restructured loan. This led to several incidents in which borrowers accused local lenders of using tricks to repossess their vehicles. Meanwhile, representatives of these banks asserted that they have legitimate rights to repossess the automobiles if clients fail to comply with their obligations stated in their agreements. According to insiders, buyers of bank repossessed cars are mainly used-car dealers as they clearly understand procedures and how the vehicles are priced. Regular car buyers would hesitate to purchase repossessed vehicles as they are now fully aware of the process. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! UGC guidelines: 755 varsities respond to final year exam deadline India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: The UGC (University Grants Commission) has said that more than 755 universities have responded to their request on their status of the conduct of the final year exam. "Out of the 755 universities, 560 have either conducted the examination or are planning to conduct. Among these 560 varsities, 194 have already conducted examination and 366 are planning to conduct examination in online, offline, blended mode in August and September. In addition, 27 Private Universities were established during 2019-20 and their first batch is yet to become eligible for final examination," the UGC said in a statement. UGC directive on final exams will adversely affect interests of students: Mamata to PM After the UGC postponed the academic calendar, it allowed the universities to plan end of semester exams by September 30, 2020. The UGC guidelines mentioned that in case a student of a terminal semester is unable to appear in the exam conducted by the university, he or she may be given an opportunity to appear in the special exam for such courses which may be conducted by the university as and when feasible. The UGC has now reiterated that exams are an integral part of the education system. The UGC said that the performance in examinations contributes to merit, lifelong credibility, wider global acceptability for admissions, scholarships, awards, placements, and better future prospects. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News A large number of best universities across the world including US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries, have conducted or are conducting examinations by giving various options. Recently, the Trump administration sent armed, masked Border Patrol Tactical Unit police under the direction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security into Portland, Oregon, uninvited, where they have been grabbing peacefully protesting American citizens off the street. CNN quoted one resident saying he was kidnapped and held for two hours. Peaceful protest is one of our freedoms. President Donald Trump is trying to take away our freedom to speak. So it is no wonder that our politicians are silent. Clearly, they have lost the freedom to condemn this. I hear protesters screaming about wearing a small paper mask to save other American lives, but an armed federal militia sent by President Trump into an American city? Silence. This is how dictatorship begins. Today, its Portland, tomorrow, its you. Myra Pollak, Beachwood Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot turned the heat on his former deputy Sachin Pilot on Monday when he criticised the rebel leader with an innocent face for trying to dislodge his government. Gehlot, who in an interview to a TV channel admitted that he was not on speaking terms with his former No 2 for last 18 months, accused Pilot of working in cahoots with the BJP to bring down his government. He (Sachin Pilot) was conspiring from past six months with BJPs support. Nobody believed me when I used to say that conspiracy is going on to topple the government. Nobody knew that a person with such an innocent face would do such a thing. Im not here to sell vegetables, I am the CM, Gehlot was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Watch l With an innocent face...: CM Ashok Gehlots fresh attack on Sachin Pilot Last week, Gehlot had taken a swipe at Pilot telling mediapersons that speaking good English, giving good television bytes and being handsome was not everything in politics. Pilot, who has ruled out joining the BJP, was sacked as deputy chief minister and pradesh Congress committee chief last week over his failure to attend the two Congress legislature party meetings and leading a rebellion against the CM. The 42-year-old leader and his MLAs supporting him have been served a notice by the assembly speaker. They have appealed against the speakers notice in the Rajasthan high court. Even though the party has made repeated efforts to reach out to Pilot, credited with leading the Congresss successful 2018 assembly campaign, CM Gehlot has been taking hits at the rebel leader, accusing him, repeatedly, of trying to topple the government. Contrasting the situation of his MLAs with those in team Pilot, the CM alleged that the latter were held against their wishes and have been calling him. Earlier today, a video surfaced where Gehlot and his MLAs at the resort were seen singing hum honge kamyab (We shall overcome). Our MLAs are staying without any restrictions but they have held theirs (MLAs) captive. They are calling us and crying over phone while explaining their ordeal. Their personal mobile phones have been snatched. Some of them want to join us, said CM Gehlot. On Sunday, Congresss Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande said the party would decide on merit whether to allow some rebel MLAs back into the Congress fold. Over the weekend, the two MLA of a regional outfit pledged support to the Gehlot government and submitted letters of support to the CM. Sachin Pilot, when the drama began, claimed the support of 30 MLAs, however that number now stands at 18. On the other hand, Gehlot claims the support of over 100 MLAs. In the 200-member assembly, 101 is the majority mark. With 72 MLAs, the BJP has been watching the developments from the sidelines. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is named in the conspiracy to topple the state government after audiotapes appeared to give the impression that he was one of the parties in the alleged discussion to destabilise the government, said he ready to face an investigation but the police should first check the authenticity of the audio clips. July is Michigan Beer Month, and we can see no better reason to celebrate our incredible brewing industry and community here in Michigan. Together, MLive and the Michigan Brewers Guild will host a virtual toast to Michigan beer, so we can raise a glass to the great beer state together, even though we are apart. On Thursday July 23, from 7-8 p.m., well be cheering Michigan beer on our MLive and Michigans Best Facebook pages. Since Michigan Brewers Guild has had to cancel its incredibly popular Summer Beer Fest, as well as the Spring Beer Fest and U.P. Beer Fest, we decided we needed to come up with a way to still salute all the awesome breweries, brewers, beers and everyone else connected to this industry. Our toast is much more than just a simple statewide clinking of the glasses. This live event will feature a variety of guests, and special toasts from all over the state of Michigan. Just a few things to look forward to: -The Michigan Beer Fight Song (yes, its a real thing and you can find the lyrics here) -A welcome from Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild -A blind beer tasting, can we stump the expert? -An epic round of Michigan beer trivia between Joe Short and Scott Newman-Bale of Shorts Brewing -A walk through a hop yard to learn more about this important ingredient -A statewide toast We hope that you can grab your favorite Michigan brew and join us. We encourage you to share your favorite local breweries with us in the comments online during the event, and let us know what youve been enjoying in your glass over the last few months. Have you had a great experience recently at a brewery? Wed love to know. Beer is one thing that can bring us all together during these difficult times. Lets celebrate Michigan beer, together apart on July 23. Cheers to Michigan Beer! Thursday July 23 7-8 p.m. On the MLive.com statewide Facebook page or on the Michigans Best Facebook page. We can't wait to see you online on July 23 from 7-8pm. More Michigan beer news: Upper Hand Brewery will finally roll out below the Mackinac Bridge Crafted in Michigan: The special Brew Bakers behind Beer City Dog Biscuits Many breweries, distillers can stay open in Michigan despite bar closures Muskegons Pigeon Hill Brewing got lucky during long shutdown Theres nothing odd about this juicy ale Embrace the haze craze with this one from Witchs Hat This cherry explosion is perfect for your Fourth of July party A perfect lager for a hot summer day Federal agents dispersing protesters in Portland on Saturday. How to honor a civil rights icon and how not to. When expressing your admiration for a departed civil rights hero, theres always the temptation to wax poetic, to ponder the greater ideals of our society and the role of struggle in the fight for human equality. But before you get to all that, just make sure youre talking about the right guy. John Lewis, who died on Friday at 80, co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington before eventually living out the promise in his own activism by becoming a member of Congress for over 30 years. He was among the most widely revered figures on Capitol Hill, referred to as the conscience of the Congress, and his death drew tributes and eulogies from all corners. Trump put out a restrained if slightly grammatically challenged statement on Saturday, tweeting: Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family. A Hot Springs man who works in Indigenous northern plains art owes $29,900 in restitution and fines for illegally selling bald and golden eagle parts. Larry Belitz, 77, was sentenced July 10 at the federal court in Rapid City to one year of probation and ordered to pay $19,900 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service plus a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to violating the bald and golden eagle protection act. Belitz illegally possessed and sold bald eagle, golden eagle, and other protected migratory bird parts as part of his business between February 2013 and February 2015, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in South Dakota. He was originally indicted on a count of violating the Lacey Act, two counts of the migratory bird treaty act, and two counts of the bald and golden eagle protection act. Belitz owns Sioux Replications, a mail order business that specializes in constructing and selling Native American art, according to the factual basis document he signed. He also runs the Lakota Cultural Museum. Belitz was adopted into the family of Flossie Bear Robe a descendant of Chief Big Foot who was killed at the Wounded Knee Massacre according to Journal archives. Hes been involved involved in creating, replicating, selling and displaying art from Northern Plains tribes for decades. He also teaches others, such as when he taught a group of Northern Cheyenne students how to tan and construct the first buffalo-hide tipi in more than a century. The Lakota Cultural Museum says it owns items that belonged to Crazy Horse and Black Elk, pipes smoked by tribal leaders as they signed historic treaties with the U.S. government, and items from the massacre and later occupation at Wounded Knee. The Sioux Replications website says Belitz has written books and created DVDs; taught Native American culture and history courses; and served as consultant for or loaned items to the Smithsonian, movies and documentaries. Belitz says he and his wife serve meals and teach the Bible twice a month on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Belitz was one of 30 people and pawn shops indicted in 2017 as part of Project Dakota Flyer, a two-year investigation into the illegal black market for eagle and other migratory bird parts. Project Dakota Flyer used undercover techniques to purchase eagle and other protected bird parts from 51 suspects in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa and over the internet, according to Journal archives. People were found to be trafficking more than 35 species from every continent except Antarctica. It's illegal for non-Indigenous Americans to take or keep, buy or sell bald and golden eagle feathers and parts, according to the website of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Eagles are sacred and play an important cultural and spiritual role in many Native American cultures so tribal members can keep feathers they find, kill eagles with a permit, and lend and exchange feathers for free, according to a fact sheet by the U.S. Department of Justice. Native Americans can sell art made with eagle parts but can only be compensated for the labor and other material, not the value of the birds parts. Belitz declined to comment on his conviction when contacted by the Journal. Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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. Study demonstrates high-grade, shallow open-pit mine with strong NPV, IRR and low initial capital investment NI 43-101 Technical Report Highlights (US$1,400/oz Gold Price) Base Case after-tax Net Present Value of US$100 million (NPV 5% ) and 42% Internal Rate of Return (IRR), increasing to US$216 million and 77% IRR, respectively, at current gold price of US$1,800/oz ) and 42% Internal Rate of Return (IRR), increasing to US$216 million and 77% IRR, respectively, at current gold price of US$1,800/oz Life of Mine Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Depreciation of US$257 million, increasing to US$400M at a US$1,800/oz gold price Total recovered gold over the initial phase of the Khundii Gold District development of 381,700 ounces All-in sustaining cost ("AISC") of US$733/ounce of gold recovered and upfront capital costs of US$59 million BK Measured and Indicated Resources of 521,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.16 g/t gold BK Proven and Probable Reserves of 409,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.71 g/t gold Average annual gold production of 63,500 ounces, including 77,600 ounces in Year 2 Eight-year project, comprising one-year pre-production, six-year operating life and one-year mine closure Payback period of less than 2 years Adjacent high-grade resources and recent discoveries provide high probability growth options Significant benefits to Mongolia, including Life of Mine royalties and taxes of US$103 million and approximately 400 new direct jobs in Bayankhongor Province HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD; MSE:ERDN) ("Erdene (http://www.erdene.com)" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of an independent Bankable Feasibility Study ("BFS") for the 100%-owned, high-grade, open-pit Bayan Khundii Gold Project ("BK" or "Project") in southwest Mongolia. The independent BFS was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has incorporated detailed mine design and scheduling, front-end engineering design for the processing plant and site infrastructure, a hydrogeological assessment, mineral waste facility design, comprehensive capital and operating cost estimation, and an updated economic model. These studies have been completed by a consortium of International and Mongolian firms with significant experience operating in Mongolia and internationally. The Technical Report, prepared by the Roma Group Ltd, pursuant to NI 43-101 guidelines, will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. The Company will host a conference call to review the Bankable Feasibility Study results at 10:00 am EST on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are as follows: North America (toll free): 1-877-703-1560 Overseas or local (Toronto): 1-647-689-5569 Participants may also join the conference call via webcast at the following link: https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=67C7A554-57DF-4DCC-978D-4C232A233C68 (https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=67C7A554-57DF-4DCC-978D-4C232A233C68) Quotes from the Company: "The Bayan Khundii BFS results confirm the high-return nature of this project in its base case, with significant potential upside due to ongoing district-wide exploration and exposure to rising gold prices. The shallow, high grade, open-pit Bayan Khundii deposit lends itself to conventional mining and processing techniques, reducing the execution risk in bringing the project into production in an accelerated timeframe," said Peter Akerley, President and CEO. "As a low-capex, low-opex project with a less than two-year payback and significant growth potential, Bayan Khundii offers investors and stakeholders exposure and leverage to gold as we move towards first production in early 2022." "Recent exploration results, including intersections of high-grade gold in the Midfield SE and Striker SW zones of the Bayan Khundii deposit, currently classified as sub-grade material, are expected to add to the Project's robust economics," continued Mr. Akerley. "The Bayan Khundii development is the foundation for growth in our underexplored Khundii Gold District and we see significant potential to expand resources, extending the mine life and creating value for all stakeholders. We will follow up on recent exploration success with additional drilling in Q3 2020." "We have recently engaged HCF International Advisers Limited ("HCF") to secure debt financing for the project," concluded Mr. Akerley. "Their expertise, combined with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") position us well to secure the funding to commence construction later this year." NI 43-101 Technical Report Overview The Technical Report incorporates an updated reserve estimate for Bayan Khundii. The BFS includes 3.4 million mineable tonnes from the Bayan Khundii resource at an average diluted head grade of 3.7 g/t gold, all of which are Proven and Probable Reserves. The Technical Report envisions a high-grade, open-pit mine, beginning at surface in the southern portion of the Bayan Khundii deposit (Striker and Gold Hill), and expanding northward into adjacent zones at Midfield and Midfield NE. The development incorporates conventional crushing and grinding, leach and a Carbon in Pulp ("CIP") plant with processing capacity of 1,800 tonnes per day. The base case assumes a gold price of US$1,400/oz. All references to dollars within this release are US Dollars (US$), unless stated otherwise. The Technical Report, pursuant to NI 43-101 guidelines for the Bayan Khundii BFS will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. Key metrics from the Technical Report are presented in Table 1 below. Table 1. Khundii Gold Project Key Metrics ? BK BFS Gold Price US$/oz 1,400 Production Profile Average Head Grade Over Life of Mine1 g/t gold 3.7 Project Life2 years 8 Operating Life years 6 Target Plant Feed Rate Per Day3 tpd 1,800 Average Annual Saleable Gold oz 63,500 Peak Annual Saleable Gold oz 79,100 Average Gold Recovery Rate Over Life of Mine % 93% Strip Ratio t:t 9.1 Operating Costs ?BK BFS Life of Mine ("LOM") Average Cash Cost4 US$/oz 731 LOM Cash Cost plus Sustaining Cost (AISC)4 US$/oz 733 Pre-Tax Net Present Value 5% discount rate US$M 145 7.5% discount rate US$M 126 10% discount rate US$M 109 Pre-Tax Internal Rate of Return % 55% After-Tax Net Present Value 5% discount rate US$M 100 7.5% discount rate US$M 86 10% discount rate US$M 73 After-Tax Internal Rate of Return % 42% Payback Period (After tax) years 1.9 Capital Requirements Pre-production Capital Cost, including contingency US$M 59 Life of mine ("LOM") Remaining Capital Cost US$M 5 Notes: Average diluted head grade of mineralized rock fed to process plant. Project life comprising one-year pre-production period, approximately six-year operating life and one-year mine closure period. Assumes process plant operates for 8,000 hours per annum to achieve the target production rate of 600 ktpa. Operating costs reported in terms of saleable gold ounces for Bayan Khundii; costs include Royalty and Charges of US$86/oz. Technical Report Sensitivities The following tables shows changes in the after-tax NPV and IRR over a range of gold prices and discount rates, demonstrating the impact of higher gold prices and the Project's resiliency to lower prices. Table 2. Technical Report Sensitivities - After-Tax Gold Price Sensitivity Analysis Gold Price Sensitivity Analysis Units US$1,200 US$1,400 US$1,600 US$1,800 US$2,000 NPV (5% discount rate) US$M 43 100 158 216 274 NPV (7.5% discount rate) US$M 33 86 138 190 242 NPV (10% discount rate) US$M 25 73 120 168 215 IRR % 22% 42% 60% 77% 93% Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource and Reserve Estimate The Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource Estimate ("Mineral Resource") was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and CIM standards by Tetra Tech with an effective date of October 1, 2019. The details of the Mineral Resource are included in the "Khundii Gold Project NI 43-101 Technical Report" dated December 4, 2019 and authored by M. Phifer, C. Norton, Clark, A. Kelly, H. Ghaffari, M. Horan and M Fawcett ("KGP 2019 Technical Report"). The report is available on Edene's SEDAR page ( link here (https://dltkyhzg7evud.cloudfront.net/assets/files/4157/khundii_gold_project_ni_43_101_technical_report.pdf)) and incorporated herein by reference. The Mineral Resource has been constrained to a conceptual pit shell and is reported at a cut-off grade of 0.55 g/t gold. The assumptions and parameters utilized to establish the cut-off grade and pit shell are reported below in notes to Table 3. Tetra Tech recommends reporting the Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource at a 0.55 g/t gold cut-off, however a sensitivity analysis of the grade and tonnage relationships at different cut-off grades is shown for reference in Table 3. Table 3. Bayan Khundii Gold Deposit - Mineral Resource Estimate Summary, October 1, 2019 Cut-off Grade(1) Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade (Au g/t) Gold (Koz) 0.4 Measured 1.7 3.15 176 Indicated 4.6 2.45 364 Measured & Indicated 6.4 2.64 540 Inferred 1.1 3.10 106 0.55 Measured 1.4 3.77 171 Indicated 3.7 2.93 350 Measured & Indicated 5.1 3.16 521 Inferred 0.9 3.68 103 1.0 Measured 0.7 7.31 153 Indicated 1.7 5.56 304 Measured & Indicated 2.3 6.05 457 Inferred 0.4 6.83 93 1.4 Measured 0.5 9.09 148 Indicated 1.4 6.40 294 Measured & Indicated 1.9 7.10 441 Inferred 0.4 7.61 91 Notes: The Statement of Estimates of Mineral Resources has been compiled under the supervision of Mr. Cameron Norton who is a full-time employee of Tetra Tech and a P. Geo. Mr. Norton has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he has undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Standards of Disclosure. All Mineral Resource figures reported in the table above represent estimates based on drilling completed up to April 22, 2019. Mineral Resource estimates are not precise calculations, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. The totals contained in the above table have been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty of the estimate. Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies. Mineral Resources are reported on a dry in-situ basis. The Mineral Resources is reported at a 0.55 g/t Au cut-off. Cut-off parameters were selected based on Tetra Tech's internal cut-off calculator, which indicated that a break-even cut-off grade of 0.55 g/t Au, assuming an open cut mining method, a gold price of USD $1,350 per ounce, an open pit mining cost of USD $2 per tonne, a processing cost of USD $16 per tonne milled, a G&A cost of $5 per tonne, and a gold recovery of 95%. The mineral resource estimate has been constrained to a preliminary optimized pit shell which assumed a gold price of USD $2,000 and the economic potential tested using the above parameters. The mineral resource estimate assumes an average density of 2.66 t/m3 for the mineralized domains. Mineral Resources referred to above, have not been subject to detailed economic analysis and therefore, have not been demonstrated to have actual economic viability. Measured and Indicated mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and potential economic and legal feasibility, do not have demonstrated economic viability, and are exclusive of mineral reserves. BK Reserve Estimate The Bayan Khundii, BFS Mineral Reserve has been estimated by Qualified Person, Mr. Anthony Keers, Director, Auralia Mining Consulting, using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves to conform to the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The total Mineral Reserve for the Bayan Khundii deposit is shown in Table 4. The Mineral Reserve is based on the October 1, 2019, Mineral Resource, reported herein. The Mineral Reserve includes both Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves that were converted from Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. Tonnes and grades were calculated for the mining blocks, and allowances for dilution and mining recovery were applied to the estimate for the Mineral Reserve Statement. The effective date of the Mineral Reserve statement is July 1, 2020. Table 4. Bayan Khundii Gold Deposit - Mineral Reserve Statement,July 1, 2020 Tonnage (Mt) Grade (g/t Au) Contained Au (Koz) Proven Mineral Reserves 1.2 4.2 166 Probable Mineral Reserves 2.2 3.5 244 Mineral Reserve 3.4 3.7 409 Notes: The effective date of the Mineral Reserve estimate is July 1, 2020. The QP for the estimate is Mr. Anthony Keers of Auralia Mining Consulting The Mineral Reserve estimates were prepared with reference to the 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards (2014 CIM Definition Standards) and the 2003 CIM Best Practice Guidelines. Reserves estimated assuming open pit mining methods. Waste to ore cut-offs were determined using a NSR for each block in the model. NSR is calculated using prices and process recoveries for each metal accounting for all off-site losses, transportation, smelting and refining charges. Reserves are based on a gold price of $1,400/oz. Mineral Reserves were calculated from a diluted "mining" block model which included average dilution of 9% and losses of 1%. Mining The BK BFS is based on an open-pit mining operation targeting 600,000 tonnes per year of feed material for the processing plant. The total mineable mineralized plant feed is 3.4 million tonnes at an average diluted head grade of 3.7 g/t gold and average strip ratio of 9.1:1 (waste tonne: plant feed tonne). Mineralization starts at surface, with the majority of the deposit contained within the top 100 metres. The deposit structure, grades and depth suggest selective open cut mining will be utilized. Mining will use hydraulic excavators in backhoe configuration. Drilled and blasted material will be loaded into haul trucks, with waste rock deposited in an engineered Integrated Waste Facility ("IWF") adjacent to the pit, and ore hauled to a crusher or run-of-mine ("ROM") pad adjacent to the processing plant. The BK BFS has assumed contract mining based on methodology and costing contained in proposals received from contractors with suitable experience in Mongolia in similar open-pit mining environments. In this scenario the contractor provides the full fleet and personnel to operate the project on a schedule of rates (US$/tonne material moved) basis. The contractor is proposing a total of 4 x excavators (2 x ore, 2 x waste), 10 x 55t payload trucks, 3 x blasthole drills and a fleet of ancillary and support equipment to deliver the required material movement. The contractor's workforce peaks at approximately 190 personnel to deliver the required schedule of production. Processing The BFS assumes processing of ROM material via a conventional crush and grind circuit and a carbon in pulp plant. Plant design by 360-Global has been based on testing at Blue Coast Research which has established optimal processing parameters, including; grind size of 80% passing 60 microns; design inputs for comminution circuit, low cyanide concentration in leach circuit (0.5 g/litre sodium cyanide); 36 hour retention time; carbon adsorption parameters and detoxification reagent dosages. The process circuit has been designed to maximize water recovery with the most efficient dewatering process (ceramic disc filters) to achieve targeted 15% moisture in tailings, minimize chemical and reagent usage and minimize environmental impact. The ore-processing plant will be located adjacent to the Bayan Khundii open pit and throughput will target 600,000 ore-tonnes per year, nominally 1,800 tonnes per day. Total mineralized material from BK, processed in the plant over the course of the mine life, is 3.4 million tonnes at an average diluted head grade of 3.7 g/t gold. Using an estimated mill recovery of 93.1%, total recovered gold over the life of the Bayan Khundii deposit is 381,700 ounces. Operating Costs Operating costs are based on the mining and processing scenarios outlined above and assumes contract mining. Power for operations will be generated through a hybrid diesel and solar generation solution, provided under a power purchase agreement for the duration of the Project. All other activities are assumed to be owner-operated. The AISC for Bayan Khundii is estimated at $733/oz. Table 5. Operating Costs LOM ($ millions) US$/oz US$/tonne Mine Operating Cost 133 350 39 Processing Cost 96 252 28 G&A 13 33 4 Total Site Operating Costs 242 635 71 Royalty and Charges 32 86 10 Sustaining Capital & Closure Costs 5 12 1 All-In Sustaining Cost 279 733 82 Capital Costs Construction costs (Year 0), primarily comprising the process plant and supporting infrastructure, accommodation village, and associated engineering and indirect costs is estimated at US$46 million. Pre-production costs, including construction readiness, mobile site equipment and pre-strip total $8M. The capital cost estimate includes a 10% contingency. Sustaining capital of US$4 million has been included in the mine plan and net mine closure costs are estimated at US$1 million, including salvage values. Total life of mine capital expenditures for the Bayan Khundii Gold Project are estimated at US$64 million. Table 6. Capital Costs Item $ millions Process Plant 24 Non-Process Infrastructure 10 Accommodation Village 2 Construction Indirects 6 Engineering & Support 4 Construction Costs 46 Pre-Production Costs 8 Contingency 5 Subtotal Plant and Infrastructure 59 Sustaining Capital 4 Reclamation and Mine Closure 3 Salvage (2) Total 64 Note: Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies Opportunities to Enhance Project Value The Company sees the following opportunities to enhance value at the Khundii Gold Project: Additional Resources at Bayan Khundii: The Bayan Khundii Resource includes measured and indicated resources of 521,000 ounces at an average grade of 3.16 g/t gold, and Inferred Resources of 103,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 3.68 g/t gold which could potentially be added to open-pit reserves through both additional drilling and rising gold prices. Recent drilling at the Midfield SE and Striker SW zones of the Project area intersected exceptionally high-grade gold, including one metre of 582 g/t gold within an intersection of 5.5 metres grading 126 g/t at Midfield SE, in areas of the resource currently classified as waste or sub-grade material. The areas are expected to provide additional high-grade feed in the early phases of development. Additionally, very high gold grades observed in drilling in the Striker West portion of the deposit have the potential to provide additional high-grade resources should closer spaced drilling improve continuity. The reported resource is pit constrained based on multiple parameters (Table 1, note 4) including a US$1350 gold price. Multiple high-grade intersections outside the pit provide expansion targets requiring additional drilling in a rising gold price environment. Further drilling is planned for Q3 2020 to confirm the existence of high-grade material within the Bayan Khundii project area. Exploration: The Bayan Khundii deposit is situated in a highly prospective region that has received minimal historical exploration. On the Bayan Khundii property, multiple high-grade targets have been established through limited shallow drilling and surface sampling within 4 kilometres of the deposit, including the Khar Mori (Dark Horse) prospect identified in late 2019. Erdene recently trenched new gold zones at Dark Horse, with assays returning 6 metres grading 8.8 g/t gold, including 1 metre of 50.8 g/t gold, and 4 metres of 14 g/t gold, including 1 metre of 45.3 g/t gold. As a large untested prospect, Dark Horse provides significant discovery potential along strike with a well-defined and continuous gold-in-soil anomaly along a NE trending structure for 1.3 kilometres. In addition, there are several isolated but intense gold-in-soil anomalies at or near NE-NW structural intersections. Drilling is planned for Q3 2020. Recoveries: Although a 93% gold recovery has been utilized for the BFS, testing of a recent master composite sample, representative of the BK ore, with a head grade of 3.6 g/t gold, returned recoveries averaging 95% indicating an opportunity for increased recoveries in the plant. Higher Grade Upside: The very high-grade nature of the Bayan Khundii deposit provides upside should continuity of the ultra high-grade zones (greater than 20 g/t gold) be established during mining. Underground Potential: Further underground mining potential has been identified in conceptual studies for Midfield North and Striker West which, if proven economical through further studies, could lead to a further increase in the economic reserve of the Bayan Khundii Project. Additional Resources at Altan Nar: Erdene's Altan Nar deposit, located approximately 16km north of Bayan Khundii, has an established Indicated Resource of 5.0 Mt grading 2.0 g/t gold (318,000 ounces of contained gold) and an Inferred Resource of 3.4 Mt grading 1.7 g/t gold (186,000 ounces of contained gold). Approximately 250,000 ounces of the current Altan Nar resource could potentially be processed by the Bayan Khundii Project processing facility at modest incremental capital cost (see "KGP 2019 Technical Report"). A number of development options for Altan Nar are under consideration. Environmental and Permitting In June 2020, Erdene completed an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in accordance with the Performance Requirements of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD"). The study was led by Sustainability East Asia LLC, in consortium with Eco Trade LLC and Ramboll Australia Pty Ltd. Concurrently, the Mongolian statutory Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment ("DEIA") for the Project has been prepared by Eco Trade LLC in accordance with the applicable national standards. Local stakeholder consultations on the DEIA are planned for Q3 2020. Following the consultations, the company will submit its statutory DEIA to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia for approval. Erdene has obtained many of the key permits required to construct the Bayan Khundii Gold Project over the past year. In August 2019, the company received the Bayan Khundii Mining License, securing the site for 30 years, with the option to extend for 70 years. Additionally, the Company's Statutory Technical and Economic Assessment ("Mongolian Feasibility Study") was approved by the Mineral Resource and Petroleum Authority in early 2020. The Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism approved a water reserve and flow rate to be utilized for the planned processing plant and infrastructure of the Khundii Gold Project. Additionally, the Project's Land Arrangement Plan has been approved by the local community, granting access to the 100-hectare area required to construct the BK open-pit and associated surface infrastructure. Permission to construct is expected to be received following approval of the Mongolian DEIA. Project Finance and Next Steps The Company has engaged HCF to act as Project Finance advisor, with primary responsibility for securing debt. HCF is a leading independent corporate finance advisory boutique based in London, focused on the global natural resources and infrastructure sectors. HCF provides strategic and financial advice to companies and financial institutions across the complete life cycle of a project, including structuring of debt finance. HCF possess significant Mongolian experience, having acted as an advisor on the financing of Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia's largest mining project, and has strong relationships with the EBRD, a strategic investor in Erdene and one of Mongolia's largest foreign investors. HCF is working with Erdene to secure the full financing package by the end of 2020. It is anticipated that senior debt financing could comprise as much as 70% of the total financing package given the Project's strong cashflows. In addition to project financing, over the coming months, project development work will be focused on: Securing approval of Erdene's Board of Directors to begin construction; Completing the DEIA and obtaining necessary permits to commence construction; Drilling at Bayan Khundii to incorporate recent discoveries into an updated resource Optimization of the project execution schedule, including procurement and permitting; Ongoing documentation to support the update and filing of existing permits and filing for additional permits that may be required; and Completion of detailed engineering and design. Initiation of early works in support of full construction Study Consultants The BFS and associated Front-End Engineering and Design ("FEED") work has been completed by a consortium of International and Mongolian firms with significant experience operating in Mongolia: Roma Group Ltd. ("Roma"), a leading company in the region in engineering, business and asset valuations, risk advisory, corporate and M&A advisory services led the BFS preparation is responsible for coordinating all Qualified Persons to produce the final NI 43-101 BFS Technical Report. Roma also led the hydrology-hydrogeological and geotechnical studies, cost estimation and financial modelling study workstreams. Roma is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has extensive experience working with major regional mining and financial firms leading technical studies and valuation projects for mining projects in Asia, including Mongolia. Several Mongolian companies provided in-country services and support for the BFS and FEED Study, including: Soil Trade LLC ("Soil Trade"), a geotechnical engineering firm; LOBO Erdene LLC ("LOBO"), an engineering and construction firm, Project Mining LLC ("Project Mining"), a mining engineering consulting firm; and Eco Trade LLC ("Eco Trade"), an environmental consulting firm. Erdene works closely with local specialists to ensure compliance with Mongolian regulations. O2 Mining Ltd. ("O2") assisted with the BFS mine design and planning (including closure) and co-led the FEED Study non-process infrastructure and Mongolian construction permitting workstreams. O2 is a Hong Kong-based engineering firm with principals who have over 13 years of Mongolian mining experience and a team with significant experience in mine development in Australasia, including the design, construction, commissioning and operation of gold, coal, base metals and industrial mineral mines and processing facilities. Auralia Mining Consulting ("Auralia"), confirmed mineral reserve modelling and mine design optimization. Auralia, are a Perth, Australia-based consulting firm with expertise in mine engineering and resource modelling and extensive experience with gold projects with companies such as Barrick and Gold Road Resources. 360-Global Inc. ("360-Global") carried out process plant design and engineering for the BFS and FEED Studies. 360-Global is a consulting firm based in the Philippines, specialized in full cycle design services and experienced with gold processing infrastructure globally, including Mongolia, China, Canada, Australia and Africa. ATC Williams Pty Ltd, ("ATCW") undertook mineral waste and tailings facility design and management and mine closure planning. ATCW is based in Melbourne, Australia and has extensive experience in mineral waste and tailings transport, storage, closure and water management, including at the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia. Blue Coast Research Ltd ("BCR") continued to provide metallurgical testing support for the Khundii Gold Project. BCR have extensive experience with gold deposits and have carried out all of the Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar metallurgical test work to date. Sustainability East Asia, Ramboll, and Eco Trade LLC delivered the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment announced on June 4, 2020 (see full press release here (https://dltkyhzg7evud.cloudfront.net/assets/files/4194/erd_en.pdf)). Qualified Person and Sample Protocol The information in this press release that relates to the financial models for the Bayan Khundii Feasibility Study is based on information compiled and reviewed by Kenny Li, CFA, who is an employee of ROMA Group Ltd. The information in this press release that relates to the capital and operating cost estimation for the Bayan Khundii Feasibility Study is based on information compiled and reviewed by Julien Lawrence, who is a FAusIMM and the Director of O2 Mining Ltd. The information in this press release that relates to the process design and recovery methods for the Bayan Khundii Feasibility Study is based on information compiled and reviewed by Jeffrey Jardine, who is a FAusIMM. and is engaged through O2 Mining Ltd. The information in this press release that relates to the Bayan Khundii resource estimate is based on information compiled and reviewed by Mr. Cam Norton, who is a P.Geo, and is an employee of Tetra Tech Inc. The information in this press release that relates to the Bayan Khundii reserve estimate is based on information compiled and reviewed by Mr. Anthony Keers, who is an MAusIMM (CP Mining) and a Director, Auralia Mining Consulting. Each of Mr. Li, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Jardine, Mr. Norton and Mr. Keers has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they have undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person, as that term is defined by National Instrument 43-101. Each of Mr. Li, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Jardine, Mr. Norton and Mr. Keers is not aware of any potential for a conflict of interest in relation to this work with Erdene. Peter Dalton, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Senior Geologist for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the non-BFS information and the non-Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource and Reserves estimate technical information contained in this news release on behalf of Erdene. All samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks. All samples undergo standard fire assay analysis for gold and ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy) analysis for 33 additional elements. For samples that initially return a grade greater than 5 g/t gold, additional screen-metallic gold analysis is carried out which provides a weighted average gold grade from fire assay analysis of the entire +75 micron fraction and three 30-gram samples of the -75 micron fraction from a 500 gram sample. Erdene's drill core sampling protocol consisted of collection of samples over 1 or 2 m intervals (depending on the lithology and style of mineralization) over the entire length of the drill hole, excluding minor post-mineral lithologies and un-mineralized granitoids. Sample intervals were based on meterage, not geological controls or mineralization. All drill core was cut in half with a diamond saw, with half of the core placed in sample bags and the remaining half securely retained in core boxes at Erdene's Bayan Khundii exploration camp. All samples were organized into batches of 30 including a commercially prepared standard, blank and either a field duplicate, consisting of two quarter-core intervals, or a laboratory duplicate. Sample batches were periodically shipped directly to SGS in Ulaanbaatar via Erdene's logistical contractor, Monrud Co. Ltd. Khundii Gold District Erdene's deposits are located in the Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the world's largest gold and copper-gold deposits. The Company has been the leader in exploration in southwest Mongolia over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District comprised of multiple high-grade gold and gold/base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: the 100%-owned Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar projects. Together, these deposits comprise the Khundii Gold Project. The Bayan Khundii Gold Resource includes 521,000 ounces of 3.16 g/t gold Measured and Indicated ("M&I") and 103,000 ounces of Inferred resources at 3.68 g/t gold. Within the M&I resource, a proven and probable open-pit reserve totals 409,000 ounces at 3.7 g/t, providing possible significant growth of reserves with the potential development of the remaining M&I and Inferred resources. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in three mining licenses and three exploration licenses in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and the Mongolian stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com (http://www.erdene.com/). Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain required third party approvals, market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE Erdene Contact Information Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or Robert Jenkins, CFO Phone: (902) 423-6419 Email: info@erdene.com (mailto:info@erdene.com) Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes (https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErdeneResource (https://www.facebook.com/ErdeneResource) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erdene-resource-development-corp-/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/erdene-resource-development-corp-/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILs5s9j3SLmya9vo2-KXoA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILs5s9j3SLmya9vo2-KXoA) KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Executives from U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs would resume negotiations with the Malaysian government this week over the recovery of assets lost in the scandal at sovereign fund 1MDB, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said on Monday. Last month, Tengku Zafrul said even compensation of $3 billion would be unacceptable, and that Malaysia would pursue its legal case against Goldman Sachs until an acceptable settlement was offered. Three units of Goldman Sachs Group Inc have pleaded not guilty in Malaysia to misleading investors over bond sales totalling $6.5 billion that the bank helped raise for 1MDB. Public outrage over the billions of dollars lost at 1MDB played a part in the defeat of then prime minister Najib Razak in a 2018 election. Najib's United Malays National Organisation returned to power in March as a partner in a new coalition government led by Prime Minister Yassin Muhyiddin. Confirming the arrival in Malaysia of the Goldman negotiating team in a statement on Monday, Tengku Zafrul expressed hope that the talks would "enable us to move closer towards achieving the desired results on the recovery of 1MDB assets." A source close to the government said Malaysia's attorney-general, Idrus Harun, will lead the Malaysian team in talks with Goldman Sachs' executives. The source said it was unclear if a settlement would be reached, as "it depends on what GS is bringing to the table". The Malaysian attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Edward Naylor, Goldman Sachs's Asia head of corporate communications, declined to comment "at this stage". On Sunday, Singapore daily The Straits Times reported that a six-member team of Goldman Sachs top executives and legal advisors had entered Malaysia on July 18, on a special permit from the Malaysian government, to resume negotiations on the settlement deal. Malaysia had imposed a ban on foreign arrivals since March as part of strict measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Today or tonight, rather is a good time to look away from our daily concerns of politics and pandemics and cast our eyes skyward. Fifty-one years ago tonight, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon. The anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on that technological feat, and also assess where we stand (other than earthbound) all these years later. Heres some context we always find humbling: The moon is closer to Earth than the Americas were to Europe in the days of Columbus. It took Columbus 36 days to sail from Spain to the Bahamas; it took Apollo astronauts three days to get to the moon. European powers almost instantaneously started trying to colonize the new world which, of course, was only new to them but not its inhabitants. Santo Domingo was first settled in 1493 and has been continuously inhabited ever since. We spent three years going to the moon and then gave up because we got bored. There are some obvious differences between exploring another part of our own planet and an airless celestial body but, still, history will look back on our Apollo program as a false start and wonder what we did for the next half century. Today, though, lets not look back; lets look ahead. We are standing on the threshold of a new space age, one that will look very different from the one in the 60s. For one thing, a lot of it will be privately funded. Weve seen Elon Musk launch his own rockets. Jeff Bezos is trying to do the same. Thats not much different from how the colonization of the Americas worked as government-funded voyages gave way to private investment. The main difference is there are no indigenous people on the moon (or Mars) who will get displaced. Todays Apollo program is Artemis, who in mythology was the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt, the moon and other things in her own right. The name is significant. NASAs stated goal is to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. President Trump has been the biggest presidential cheerleader for space exploration since John Kennedy. If hes re-elected, hed be in a position to preside over Americas return to the moon in 2024, which would certainly underscore one version of American greatness. Hed also be able to phone (or tweet) that astronaut as she makes that history-making step onto the lunar surface. We already know who that first woman will be sort of. The U.S. has 48 active astronauts, of which 16 are women. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has said the first woman on the moon will be someone whos already in the astronaut corps and has served on the International Space Station, which not all of those 16 women have yet. One of those is astronauts is a Virginian Zena Cardman, grew up in Williamsburg. Shes also a microbiologist, which might also make her a candidate for the next logical destination for human exploration Mars. Thats the goal that really tantalizes those who are tantalized by such things and its not that far out of reach. Actuarially speaking, the first Martians are already probably among us. Armstrong was 38 when he stepped onto the moon. If hes the model and the 2030s are the official goal for a flight to Mars, then that means the first astronauts on Mars are already young adults. Many of the astronauts flying today are significantly older than their counterparts in the 60s. Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who rode the Dragon space capsule into space last month, are 53 and 49. Mars advocates have pushed for a flight in 2033 Mars only lines up right every few years so the timing is critical. An independent report NASA commissioned last year concluded 2033 was unrealistic given our current state of technology; 2037 would be the earliest possible. If thats so, and we launched 50-year-old astronauts, that means theyd be 33 today. If youre curious, Cardman is 32. If all goes well, another Virginian will touch Mars indirectly first. On July 30, NASA is scheduled to launch a robotic rover to Mars. Its name, Perseverance, was submitted by Alexander Mather, a 7th-grader at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County. If it lands safely in February, Perseverance will search for signs of past microbial life on the red planet, something Cardman likely has a special interest in. The real question about when humans return to the moon, and go onto Mars, isnt a technological one, but a political one. Are we willing to pay for it? Our record for sustained funding for any kind of science is spotty, at best. Trump has been gung-ho about space, but Congress hasnt necessarily shared that enthusiasm. The 2024 goal seems entirely driven by politics. Of course, so was Kennedys goal to put a man on the moon by the end of the 60s, just a slightly different kind of politics. We know Trump is keen to meet that 2024 deadline; would a President Biden feel the same way? No clue, but since Kennedy, Democrats have been more interested in spending money on earth Earth, not off it. Its also unclear whether that 2024 deadline can be met. The website Axios recently quoted one of the nations space policy experts, John Logsdon of George Washington University, as saying: I think basically, making 2024 would be a miracle. Axios then proceeded to list all the reasons why basically delays in funding and testing. Maybe Musk can do what the U.S. government finds so difficult. After the Dragon launch last month, he told his SpaceX company that building a rocket to go to Mars should be its top priority. The United States isnt the only country interested in going to the moon or Mars. So is China. Theres much debate in the space community over whether China might actually beat the U.S. back to the moon in this second stage of a space race. The website Space.com says that American technology is superior, but the Chinese have the upper hand on one key ingredient political will. The Chinese are fairly secretive about their space program, and theyve only launched six crewed missions into Earths orbit. However, the Chinese have made no secret that they are interested in the moon. Last year, the Chinese became the first country to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moons far side. If the Chinese announced someday theyd just launched a crewed spacecraft to the moon, space experts would be surprised but not that surprised. So, some thoughts for tonight for when you look at the moon. But hurry, it sets at 8:57 p.m. With an orthodox Christian theology at its core, Truett and Baylor can help train Wesleyans for evangelism and ministry through a more conservative Methodism experienced throughout the world, he believes. We need a place like Baylor to train the people were going to need to be a part of the new church that will emerge from this, he said. (Baylor) is a deadly serious Christian university that has realistic dreams and its on a roll. While the Wesleyan addition to Truetts program aims to serve students on campus, a new seminary satellite site in San Antonio will allow others to study away from Waco. The seminary will open a second satellite site at San Antonios Trinity Baptist Church and when it becomes fully operational in the summer of 2021 will offer a masters degree in theological studies and a master of arts in Christian ministries. Students at the San Antonio campus will start online this fall. The San Antonio extension follows one in Houston at Tallowood Baptist Church. Infosys' contract with investment firm Vanguard could be worth $1.5 billion, which will make it the largest deal ever signed by the software major. The partnership could be extended up to 10 years, which would raise the contract value to $2 billion, sources told The Times of India. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story. Infosys declined to comment on the value of the deal when contacted by the newspaper. Also read: Infosys reinstates growth guidance even when its peers haven't. Whats behind this confidence? Infosys and Vanguard announced a strategic partnership on July 14, which will the Bengaluru-based company assume day-to-day operations supporting Vanguard's DC record-keeping business. "Approximately 1,300 Vanguard roles currently supporting the full-service recordkeeping client administration, operations, and technology functions will transition to Infosys," the companies said in a joint statement, without specifying the deal size. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Infosys signed large deals worth $1.74 billion for Q1 FY21 compared to $1.65 billion during the previous quarter. The size of Infosys' contract with Verizon rose to $1 billion in 2019, the report said. Disney World guests wear masks in front of the park's iconic castle on the first day of re-opening following a nearly four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus. Florida continues to be one of the worst-hit sates by the pandemic. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Disney World has updated its coronavirus rules to ban walking and eating. Masks can only be taken off when stationary and distanced, the new park guidelines say. The amusement park re-opened earlier in July despite the US and Florida failing to contain the outbreak. Florida continues to bear the brunt of the United States' coronavirus outbreak, with more than 24,000 confirmed cases over the weekend. More than 5,000 people have died since March. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In its second week of operations following a nearly four-month shutdown, Disney World updated its mask policies to ban visitors from eating or drinking while walking. The new guidelines close a loophole that some guests were apparently taking advantage of to not wear face coverings, and come as new coronavirus cases in the United States and Florida continue to skyrocket. R A I N A (@RainaMahalek) June 23, 2020 Disney World blogs and Variety first reported on the updated policies, which don't directly address any mask scofflaws. "You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing," the guidelines read. The park's also instituted enhanced cleaning, physical distancing reminders, and reduced contact at cash registers, Disney said. Florida on Sunday reported 12,478 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, just a handful fewer than the new record of 12,523 set on Saturday. In 10 of the past 11 days, CNBC reported, the state has reported more than 10,000 new cases every day. Despite pressure from other elected officials, Gov. Ron DeSantis has defended Florida's approach to containing the outbreak, which outpaces all other states. Story continues "It's important to put that in context because I think a lot of people see cases I think they get really, really scared, and my message is fear is our enemy," he said at a Saturday news conference as the state reported 90 new deaths. "And I think the other thing that gets missed with the cases is the sheer number of people who are testing who aren't sick. Because I think most people see cases and they think that many people are in the hospital." More than 5,000 Floridians have died since the beginning of the outbreak. If you're a Disney employee with a story to share, email sciment@businessinsider.com, or message this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 376-6018 using a nonwork phone. Read the original article on Business Insider After Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker has taken a dig at Kangana Ranauts statement calling them B-grade actresses. On Monday, the actor tweeted to say how the need of the hour was to have debates that were logic- and rationality-driven. She tweeted to say: Okay so while on topic.. full disclosure & confession. I am needy. I need respectful public interaction. I need rationality and logic in debate. I need sane, civil and decent public discourse. I need rule of law. and I need FACTS ! What do you need? #NeedyOutsider. Okay so while on topic.. full disclosure & confession. I am needy. I need respectful public interaction. I need rationality and logic in debate. I need sane, civil and decent public discourse. I need rule of law. and I need FACTS ! What do you need? #NeedyOutsider Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 20, 2020 Kangana, in an explosive interview to Republic TV, had called Swara and Taapsee needy outsiders who, the latter felt, were defending Karan Johar. She had also called them B-grade actresses. She had said: For me, I have only to lose here (in Bollywood) because I know tomorrow they (movie mafia gangs) will get some 20 needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker, who will get up and say, Oh, only Kangana has problem with nepotism, but we love Karan Johar. If you love Karan Johar, why you both are B-grade actresses? You are better looking than Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday. You both are better actresses. Why dont you get work? Your whole existence is a proof of nepotism. What are you telling me that how happy you are with the industry? So, I know this happen and the whole system will make me look like a mad person. Taapsee, in an interview to Hindustan Times, had said, Its disheartening to see someone making a mockery out of outsiders and the industry that has given us so much. Swara, like Taapsee, had got a lot of support from many industry insiders and fans. A Twitter user had written: History would remember @taapsee and @ReallySwara as people who stood up against hate without being hateful. Two actors who couldve easily stayed silent like most of their colleagues while their country was being divided by a dictator, but chose not to. In a snide remake, Anubhav Sinha had written: When you talk like that you are D-grading yourself. Also read: Taapsee Pannu hits back at Kangana Ranauts accusations: I refuse to be bitter and take advantage of someones death for personal vendetta In the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajputs tragic death, an old Koffee With Karan video, hosted by Karan Johar and featuring Alia Bhatt, went viral. It features a game where Alia had to pick whom she would kill, marry or hook up with, Alia had said, she would kill Sushant. That had sparked an outrage among fans. Defending Karan, Swara had tweeted: Parts of India Twitter blaming #KaranJohar and #AliaBhatt for the tragic suicide of Sushant - for some silly game played on a frivolous and pointless chat show (that All those people who are now abusing Bollywood nepotism lapped up) is both the height of idiocy and hypocrisy! Follow @htshowbiz for more Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jeffrey D. Sachs (The Jakarta Post) Project Syndicate/New York Tue, July 21 2020 The Group of 20 (G20) ministers of finance met last week under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, which holds the groups presidency this year. But it is hard to imagine the G20 countries leading the world, as they like to pretend that they do. Most of them cant effectively lead themselves through the current COVID-19 crisis. As the worlds largest economies, the G20s members have one overriding responsibility at the upcoming meeting: to agree on actions to suppress the pandemic. A few G20 countries are doing well; the laggard countries need to take urgent measures to stop the spread of the virus. All G20 countries need to cooperate on global-scale policies to overcome the health crisis. An overview of the G20 countries is sobering. Many are so poorly governed that they have been utterly ineffective in containing the pandemic. Judging by data from the past two weeks, the biggest G20 failure, at 176 new cases per day per million population, is Brazil, led by the reckless populist President Jair Bolsonaro, who has himself now contracted the virus. The second-biggest failure is the United States, led by the Bolsonaro of the north, President Donald Trump, with 137 new cases per day per million population. The two other G20 countries with more than 100 new cases per day per million population are South Africa (129) and Saudi Arabia (112). to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Bengaluru, July 20 : A 37-year-old man has been arrested for cheating and trafficking nine women to Dubai on the promise of getting them jobs in a dance bar, according to an official, here on Monday. "Basavaraj Kalasad sent nine girls to Dubai before the Covid lockdown, promising them Rs 1 lakh per month income, but actually trafficked them," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Jain told IANS. All of them, it's suspected, would have ended up in some prostitution ring, though some of them would have gone there willingly, which the police are ascertaining. Incidentally, the girls from several states, like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, returned safely from Dubai on a Vandebharat flight, recently. Aged 20-25 years, the girls stuck in Dubai during the lockdown had contacted the Indian embassy to return. "We have arrested Kalasad for cheating and human trafficking under IPC Sections 420 and 370," said Jain. The police went after Kalasad after receiving an anonymous email about him. "We tried to trace his address in Nandini Layout, but his office was shut. We started collecting more information and were able to get him," he said. Kalasad was randomly picked up from a hotel in the city. The CCB has got his passport details and also information on girls who went to Dubai to continue to investigation. The accused had set up a company 'Madrass Casting, International Events' with Chennai and Delhi addresses. Kalasad's business card boasted of supplying models and bouncers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Canada, New Zealand and China for events, like weddings, corporate parties, film shootings, promotion and catering. The police seized his PAN card, Aadhar card and also some United Arab Emirates identity cards. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture By Long Island Published: July 20 2020 The American Airpower Museum Will Hold a Grand Re-opening Special Event The American Airpower Museum, Long Islands only flying military aviation museum, is proud to announce it will hold a Grand Reopening special event on Saturday, August 1, 2020. Like all other New York State museums, the American Airpower Museum (AAM) was forced to close due to the Coronavirus outbreak, resulting in the cancellation of half of the Museums 2020 flight season. However, AAMs iconic WWII bombers and fighters are back with an exciting family-friendly flight demonstration guaranteed to thrill AAM fans of all ages! 2020 was slated to be a banner year for AAM. Museum aircraft were scheduled to participate in historic events marking the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII and honoring U.S. Veterans who made the Allied victory possible. As they have done for the last 17 years, AAMs WWII airplanes were going to appear in the Annual Jones Beach Airshow. And it must be noted that on May 24th 2020, the American Airpower Museum celebrated its 20th anniversary in silence. At the end of the 2019 season,AAM took their aircraft off line for the winter to begin scheduled maintenance and inspections, making sure the Warbirds would be ready for a full 2020 flight season. Sometime in early January, the coronavirus outbreak hit our shores. Public health and safety concerns led AAMs Board of Directors to preemptively close the Museum on March 16th for two weeks.The health and safety of our staff, volunteers and the public was foremost,said Jeff Clyman, AAM president. Thats why we acted early and sent everyone home, causing a total cessation of work on our aircraft, he added. Then on March 22nd, New York State ordered all non-essential businesses statewide to close. Two weeks became three months. Clyman said its always been AAMs mission to honor the legacy of those who gave all to preserve our freedoms. Were pleased to announce we recently resumed maintenance and inspection of our aircraft so that much anticipated flight operations can begin with our grand reopening event.We also promise a flying salute to our Veterans and front line workers very soon, he said. Join AAM on August 1, 2020 at 11:00 a.m., when World War II and other vintage aircraft depart from AAMs ramp to take to the skies over Long Islands north and south shores. Aircraft will create camera-ready opportunities as they perform low-level passes over Republic Airport where AAM is based. These flights will feature AAMs Grumman TBM Avenger, two North American T6 Texans, the AT28D5 Vietnam era combat fighter, the WACO Biplane and as an added attraction, L-39 cold war era Russian jets! Admission for Adults is $13, Seniors & Veterans $10 and Children $8.Due to the need for social distancing, admission will be limited to first come/first served. A maximum attendance of 150 persons will be allowed on the outdoor ramp area, with limited access to the Museum.All visitors will be required to wear face masks and will have their temperatures digitally taken at the entrance. As a special promotion, the first 20 people admitted will be included in a raffle for WACO Biplane flights later in the summer (limit one per family).So bring lunch, hang out and enjoy the AAM experience. If you cant join us on Saturday, August 1st, please help AAM offset major financial losses incurred during the Covid-19 shutdown, by using a secure PayPal link at: www.americanairpowermuseum.com/donate to make a tax-deductible contribution NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL or for more information on corporate donations, call Jacky Clyman, AAM executive vice president, at (917) 690-1965 or jacky@cockpitusa.com. The American Airpower Museum is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factorys history. The Museum is a 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation. The Public Works Department (PWD), municipal corporations and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) have been asked to identify new waterlogging-prone areas, especially those in proximity to a construction site, the Delhi government said on Monday. A group of chief engineers has also been constituted for the purpose, it said. The direction came a day after Delhi saw one of its worst rain crisis with several areas being inundated and two people drowning on waterlogged stretches. Delhi chief secretary Vijay Dev held an emergency meeting on Monday on the citys monsoon preparedness plan. The chief secretary said that the head of the departments (HoDs) of the agencies responsible for tackling monsoon related problems will be held responsible for any lapses, officers who attended the meeting said. The Public Works Department, the MCDs, New Delhi municipal council (NDMC), Delhi Jal Board, and the revenue and flood and irrigation departments are responsible for cleaning and maintaining roads and drains in the city. Also read: Why does Delhi flood every Monsoon? All agency heads of MCDs, NDMC, DJB, PWD and the divisional commissioner have been directed to work in unison. A group of chief engineers of these agencies has been formed to jointly inspect all vulnerable points and take coordinated action, Dev said. The chief secretary said all the stipulations of the Flood Control Order, 2020 released on June 26 should be followed without any negligence or compromise. Directions were also issued that the 24x7 control room must be kept operational at all times without fail. Besides, relief for any loss of life or property must be expeditiously extended, preferably same day, Dev said. A senior official who attended the meeting said the incident in which a person drowned in the submerged road under the Minto Bridge on Sunday was also discussed in the meeting. At Minto Bridge, the problem arose because of an embankment resulting from some construction activity. Apart from engineering solutions, at least four temporary pumps have also been set up there to drain out water, the official said. In an interview to HT, Delhis PWD minister Satyendar Jain blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Minto Bridge mess. I think the waterlogging at Minto Bridge was because the BJP people deliberately closed the drain in front of the BJP headquarters. They had done it last year as well and we had to get it opened up. Why else would the water not drain out despite having four pumps working there? he said. RP Singh, national general secretary BJP, refuted Jains claim. These are baseless allegations. The BJP headquarter was constructed only three years ago but waterlogging problem near Minto Road has persisted for long. The truth is that out of five pumps there, only one was functioning. The AAP is in the power in Delhi for the last six years and yet there are 159 places in the city which get inundated every monsoon. They should make water harvesting pits at Minto Road to control flooding. They dont do their work but blame others for problems. The minister said nearly 1,500 pumps including mobile pumps have been deployed across the city to prevent waterlogging. The political blame game which followed the Sundays incidents continued on Monday with Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta holding the Delhi governments PWD and DJB responsible for waterlogging in the city. If the Delhi government had taken its responsibilities seriously in time, then preparations for the monsoon would have been done and no person would have died today nor would the roof have been snatched from anyones head. The chief minister is asking to not indulge in blame game, on the other hand his own MLAs are making baseless statements, Gupta said. Raghav Chadha, DJBs vice-chairperson and Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Rajendra Nagar, said that the MCDs are yet to complete desilting of all stormwater drains in the city. The Delhi government is doing the desilting works of the drains and now the MCDs should also finish their work. At Anna Nagar, the houses that were washed away in Sundays downpour were built on the BJP-ruled South MCDs drain number 12. Even the Minto Bridge stormwater drain is under the MCD, Chadha said in a press conference. Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Anamika Mithilesh said initially all the staff was engaged in coronavirus related duties but still the corporation floated tenders for desilting process to start the work. Entire process was delayed as labourers were not available in the city and our departmental staff such as sanitation workers, DBC workers were busy in sanitisation exercises; collection and transportation of garbage from containment areas. Even the machines such as jetting machine, lifters, tippers were engaged in coronavirus related works. All our drains are clean now and the allegations made by the AAP leader are baseless, she said. Jai Prakash, mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said that he conducted an inspection of all the areas on Monday where waterlogging happened and found that ghat drains were not cleaned by the PWD there. The PWD did not complete desilting of drains. Most of these are bigger drains and smaller drains of civic bodies discharge water in them. Since these drains are not desilted, the water flows back in MCD drains and inundated the area. Instead of blaming MCDs, the government should do its work properly, he said. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: In a noble initiative, Bihar Police has said that the department will encourage the cops cured from Covid-19 to donate plasma. The police headquarters has directed all IGs, DIGs, and SPs to prepare a list of cured cops and report the human rights wing of state police. According to the official figure, out of 666 infected cops in the state so far, 202 policemen have recovered. A dozen senior police officials, including IG, DIG, SSP, and DySP ranks, were among those infected from the police department. Confirming this, ADG (HQ)-cum-spokesperson of Bihar Police Jitendra Kumar said that the cops recovered from the infection would be encouraged to donate plasma for saving the lives of other infected cops and other people. Kumar said that all range IGs, DIGs, and SPs, have been directed to prepare the lists from their restive jurisdictions of the cured cops and report the details to DIG (human rights) Rajesh Tripathi by July 23. These cured cops will be immediately contacted and encouraged depending upon the situation to donate plasma to save the lives of other infected cops, Jitendra Kumar said, adding, the number of recovery among the infected cops is increasing. Among the infected cops, many were deputed as security guards to politicians and officials and in Bihar Military Police (BMP) wings. Recently, two cops, including a DSP-rank officer, deputed for the CM's security had tested positive for coronavirus. If Shakespeare could visit the United States today he would recognize how prophetic his verse: Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned was. And were not just speaking about the ever-incompetent Mayor Bill de Blasio. Like the old West reincarnate, a criminal element has in effect commandeered every major city controlled by Democrats in state and local government. The pillagings, shootings, arson, rape, robbery, murder, not to speak of other minor crimes such as trespassing, is off the charts. Yet under pretext of protesting the death of George Floyd, this abject anarchy has been allowed to continue. To even rehash the fact, lifetime businesses, many of which are minority-owned, are and have been destroyed, never to be reopened, is almost cliche at this point. It begs the question, who are these people and what is their agenda? Before going any further, lets immediately recognize some basic facts. For weeks after his death, weve seen rioters, not protesters, gleefully carrying 50-inch TVs out of broken store windows along with any other merchandise they could get their hands on. Was it to memorialize George Floyd? Lets get real. Constitutionally recognized protest doesnt include people spitting, throwing Molotov cocktails, and attacking police officers with impunity. Make no mistake, these unrestrained thugs, under the banner of social justice, less repercussions, enjoy the excitement of plunder and nihilism. They are basically willing idiots of Black Lives Matter and Antifa. These two groups are ideologically aligned in their endemic hatred of the United States, law enforcement, and President Trump particularly. Along with tacit compliance of Democrat-run states, left wing media, and major corporations filling their coffers, they are the puppeteers of this criminality. Lets examine these groups, their leadership, and explicit goals. Black Lives Matter (BLM), According to an August 15, 2015, published article in the Daily Beast ; Who Really Runs #BlackLivesMatter? Activists Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi met together on July 13, 2013, ostensibly in response to the deaths of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and other blacks at the hands of law enforcement and simlar. At that meeting, they termed the phrase, Black Lives Matter, a term which captured the imagination of social media and soon catapulted it into a decentralized, political protest organization. The question soon became how to move forward? It didnt take long finding out. At an August 8, 2015 Bernie Sanders campaign rally in Seattle, two women from the Seattle chapter shoved Sanders aside, grabbed the microphone, and addressed the crowd and decried Sanders: Bernie says that hes all about the people and about grassroots, a protester identifying herself as Marissa Johnson, told the attendees. The biggest grassroots movement in this country right now is Black Lives Matter. Rather than having them removed from the stage, the old socialist acquiesced and sheepishly allowed them to rant about Michael Brown for four and a half minutes. Sanders later pontificated: I was especially disappointed because on criminal justice reform and the need to fight racism there is no other candidate for president who will fight harder than me. Never making any bones about his socialist bona fides, Sanders must have been in shock finding himself to the right of any group in this country. To better understand who and what Black Lives Matter is, lets look at their leadership. Responding to an a June 19, 2020 interviewer's concern that the BLM movement might not have enough of a "clear ideological structure," BLM co-founder, Patrisse Cullor stated: "We actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and co-founder Alicia Garza, in particular, are trained Marxists , we are super versed on ideological theories. This admission and what our own eyes have been witnessing since the death of George Floyd in May should disclose to all of us who these people are. The civil unrest, the commandeering of communities, and violence so willfully tolerated in states with Democrat administrations are really being orchestrated by sworn Marxists dedicated to overthrowing the United States, as is another insidious, Marxist group to their left, Antifa. According to Wikipedia , Antifa is an array of supposed autonomous anti-fascist groups. Their aims, according to this article are to confront and combat those they consider racists, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and all other groups on the right. In doing so it may involve: property damage, physical violence, and harassment. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists? Such groups do exist but have played absolutely no role in the current widespread, wanton violence and destruction of American cities weve witnessed since the death of Floyd. In a July 13th, Nashville interview , a 29 year-old, self-proclaimed Antifa activist/anarchist named Corey Lemley, celebrated the May 30th burning and vandalization of that citys historic courthouse. "Do you condone the violence that happened that night? he was asked. "I condone everything that happened that night, he replied. He went on to say that he travels with Antifa activists to rallies in other cities and proudly displayed a video of himself smashing a photographers camera and burning a "Blue Lives Matter" flag, at one such event. When asked if he thought the burning of the court house was justified, he declared: "It can be rebuilt. It can be replaced. Black lives can't be replaced. Surprisingly, this obvious reprobate wasn't asked if the 1 year-old African American infant shot in the head in Chicago on June 27th can be replaced, or the life of a 3 year-old black child likewise killed on his way home from a haircut the previous week in that decrepit, out-of-control city. Similarly, no mention was made of the countless minority-owned businesses destroyed throughout ongoing riots in the following cities and states: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, Des Moines, Denver, Detroit, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Minneapolis, NYC, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Jose, Seattle, and St. Louis. What do they all have in common? 71% of them are controlled by Democrat governors and 100% are run by Democrat mayors! Quite a coincidence, dont you think? So to the original question, who are these people causing such unremitting violence and mayhem throughout the United States? The definitive answer may take several years of unbiased investigation but certain things are unequivocal. Black Lives Matter is a virulent anti-American organization. Its founders, by word and deed are admitted Marxists that under the guise of social grievance seek to tear asunder the fabric of American democracy by violent means. Drawn to this movement are idealist youth, both black and white seemingly searching for justice but unwittingly are drawn in by the likes of Hawk Newsome, head of Black Lives Matter for Greater New York. As are their founders, Newsome is in the vanguard of the neo-Marxist Black Lives Matter movement. He made the following remark to Martha MacCallum on Fox News: "If this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. Along with the aforementioned Antifa, Newsomes words were recently echoed by squad member, Rep. Ilhan Omar , who repeatedly calls for tearing down the system. Failing to quell the ferocity of the riots, the previously mentioned Democrat municipalities are complicit in their continuation. Quite tellingly, unless the riots affect them personally, as in the case of Seattles Democrat Mayor Jenny Durkan, the lawlessness is tolerated if its perceived to hurt President Trump. Chinese and U.S. flags flutter near The Bund in Shanghai By Poppy McPherson and Karen Lema (Reuters) - Tensions between the United States and China over the South China Sea have erupted into a war of words on social media, in what analysts see as a change in U.S. strategy amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia. After Washington last week hardened its position by explicitly rejecting Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, U.S. embassies in the region produced an unprecedented flurry of op-eds and statements criticising Beijing's actions. China's response was fiery, accusing Washington of "defaming China with untrue words so as to mislead the public" in the region. "We are a battleground now," Renato de Castro, an analyst with the Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Relations in the Philippines, told Reuters by phone. "It will be a long game." A week ago, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Beijing's claim to about 90% of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea "completely unlawful" and accused Beijing of seeking a "maritime empire". U.S embassies in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Cambodia followed up with comments on Facebook and in editorials in local news outlets saying that Beijing's actions fitted a pattern of encroachment on others' sovereignty. The U.S ambassador to Thailand accused Chinese dams of holding back water from the region's Mekong river during a drought last year. The embassy in Yangon drew parallels between the South China Sea and ways it said China was interfering in Myanmar, citing investments it said could become debt traps, the trafficking of women to China as brides, and the inflow of drugs into the country. In a swift counterattack, China's ambassador to Thailand accused Washington of "attempting to sow discord between China and other littoral countries". In a Facebook post that twice referred to the United States as "dirty", China's Myanmar embassy said its agencies abroad were doing "disgusting things" to contain China and showed a "selfish, hypocritical, contemptible, and ugly face". Story continues The statements attracted thousands of regional social media comments, many attacking China while questioning the motives of both countries. "Thank you USA for doing what is the law requires," commented Chelley Ocampo under the U.S embassy in the Philippines' Facebook post. After someone wrote on the U.S. embassy in Malaysia's page, "Imperial Yankee Go Home !!!!!!", American diplomats replied, "Are you saying that you are ok with the PRC's bullying tactics in the SCS?" 'CLARIFICATIONS AND REBUTTALS' Wang Wenbin, China's foreign ministry spokesman, told a news conference in Beijing it was the "U.S. that first published comments attacking and condemning China" and its diplomats were issuing clarifications and rebuttals in response. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the apparently coordinated social media offensive. The war of words marks a strident new tack for U.S diplomacy in the region, analysts said. The U.S. statements aimed to tie the South China Sea to local concerns "to depict Beijing as an unequivocal threat to the sovereignty of the Southeast Asian nations", said Sebastian Strangio, author of an upcoming book on China's regional influence. Meanwhile, China's response was consistent with "pugnacious 'Wolf-Warrior' diplomacy" since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, he said, referring to increasingly nationalist Chinese rhetoric. Strains have become more evident in the South China Sea recently, with U.S. and Chinese navies holding simultaneous exercises in a waterway that China claims over smaller rivals, including the Philippines and Vietnam, on the basis of history. China "couldn't afford allowing the U.S to make appreciable gains in turning regional opinion", said Collin Koh Swee Lean, a research fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "At least some of the Southeast Asian governments... may secretly, if not publicly, welcome the latest Pompeo statement and thereby possibly be emboldened to resist its moves in the disputed waters." (Additional reporting by Gabriel Crossley in Beijing; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Alex Richardson) First off, a revised tax code took effect last year thats intended to lower the burden on the poor and the middle class by making the rich pay more. Chinese citizens have been obliged to pay taxes on their global income for many years. But for those working abroad, it hadnt been generally enforced. Largely, tax experts say, thats because there wasnt a detailed legal basis nor guidelines for coordination. In January, however, Chinese authorities issued instructions on how to comply with the tax law while abroad -- a move that caught many Chinese expats off guard. Chinese state-owned enterprises in Hong Kong started telling workers who had transferred from the mainland to declare their 2019 income so they could pay taxes back home. Employees in other locations such as Singapore got the same message. Whats the point to go when youre risking so much and cant even enjoy the full experience????? Reply Thread Link Right?! Disney is EXPENSIVE. I would NOT want to shell out that kind of money only to have a half-assed experience. Reply Parent Thread Link Thats the end goal. Next theyll ban walking, talking and getting on the rides and the only thing visitors will be able to do is pay for the ticket and watch the staff perform from outside the gates. Disney knows its fan base very well. Reply Parent Thread Link I follow a few Disney Vloggers and theres only one that Ive actively seen discouraging people from going to the parks (Incl. Universal) because of how costly it is, for the limited experiences, and restrictions + risks of traveling and exposure. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Not that I would go for safety reasons, but ignoring that the only reason I could see going is if was already a season pass holder or whatever Disney calls it, Im not sure if theyve changed their annual passes because of the pandemic tho, Im assuming people would want refunds since they doesnt use them Reply Parent Thread Link mte make it make sense pls Reply Parent Thread Link Because they're so desperate to retain their comfort at all costs rather than accept a temporary period of inconvenience. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My best friends are going for my friend's birthday this week. I was planning on going with them pre-covid, but I pulled out since and they're acting like I'm ridiculous. I just don't understand what they're thinking and how they see it going. They're also planning a big party for Halloween. I've just been pretending I'm excited cause I don't wanna constantly seem like a drag, but I don't see this party happening lol Edited at 2020-07-20 04:24 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it only makes sense if you're a local or have been before (financially). Also, there's a lot of people who feel that because of a set amount of people allowed in at one time, the lines for attractions are considerably shorter, even at the cost of theming, etc. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link tl;dr: "I'm a brat who can't accept 'no,' even if it's for my own goddamn safety." Found on Reddit, so take it with a grain of salt, but ...tl;dr: "I'm a brat who can't accept 'no,' even if it's for my own goddamn safety." Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Analyses of their reservation system (Disney hasn't released official numbers so there's no way to know for sure), there's very little demand from out of state tourists. Most of their reservations are from Annual Pass holders. I guess we all knew that Floridians are nuts. On the bright side, they won't be spreading it around to other states. Reply Parent Thread Link Lines and crowds have been super low, so there's that. If I was local I might have gone, but there's no way I'm going to Florida right now. Reply Parent Thread Link America is going to take so long to get rid of COVID, even once a vaccine comes so many people won't get it because ~government conspiracy/BILL GATES!!!~. The amount of stupid people with no critical thinking skills is worrying and makes it so hard for everyone who is doing the right thing and staying home as much as possible. Reply Thread Link Youre right. Everything that we need to do to mitigate the effects of the virus and get it under control is going to take SO. MUCH. LONGER because of Americans being concerned that public health orders/recommendations are infringing upon their freedoms. All we care about is holding onto this false ideal of freedom, the tenet that capitalism is above humanity, and narcissistic survival of the fittest luckiest. This is honestly the worst way that the American inclination to reject scientific fact couldve come to a head. This country is truly a dumpster fire. Sucks that I didnt get to escape to the UK when I had the chance because it is marginally better. Reply Parent Thread Link A vaccine never saved a life. Only a vaccination has. #logistics https://t.co/UxmGDc2RSJ Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) July 10, 2020 Yup. "A vaccine never saved a life. Only a vaccination has." Unfortunately for America, this staggeringly incompetent administration has not, is not, and will not ever be up to the task. Reply Parent Thread Link The lives of hundreds of thousands of people are literally at stake with this election (even without Covid, lbr) and people dont realize the enormity of it. Its staggering to think about. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link "Plastic could interact differently with the liquid than the glass vials currently used in trials, experts say. And there are strict temperature requirements. ApiJects planned process is to pour vaccine doses into the warm plastic blisters as they come off the production line, the company says. ApiJect says they can instantly cool the devices as they are made." great to hear we could be wasting millions of doses because the other contracts went to a company that manufactures in China, a medical supplier who has no mention of manufacturing on their website, and a domestic manufacturer who announced their contract two weeks ago Reply Parent Thread Link I can't parse this. What is she even saying? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Americans are a disaster and a half Reply Parent Thread Link yeah. even if a vaccine was available now, you've got people who won't vaccinate their kids or get a yearly flu shot. You think they're gonna get this? Reply Parent Thread Link One of my cousins posted one of those "I refuse to be vaccinated against corona or to be chipped" posts today and all of this has shown that I have multiple relatives who are conspiracy believers, but as someone on medication for an autoimmune disease, I'm immunocompromised and if we do get a vaccine, well I will both need it to be one I can get (not live) and since my condition means I won't develop as much of an immune response as someone with a normal immune system, I also rely on other people getting vaccinated. (Normally, this is fine. Better to have a flu shot than no flu shot even if I only get say, 60% of the effect, because milder is better.) With all the politicized conspiracy bullshit, I try not to feel just how BAD and how LONG this will be. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I wonder if in January when Biden takes office (please god let Biden win) there will be a federal mask mandate. Not that everyone would comply, but if it's treated like seatbelts (wear one or you're ticketed) I could see more people forced into doing it. Edited at 2020-07-20 05:18 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link A vaccine isnt going to do shit. At this rate COVID-19 is going to mutate (like it allegedly has in China). Its going to be our way of life like the Flu. Vaccines arent 100% protection and they work best when everyone is vaccinated which you know is not going to happen in America. Were fucked Reply Parent Thread Expand Link of all the stupid manifestations of anti-science, anti-vaxxers are the most astounding to me (even more than flat-earthers). the primary reasons humans have been able to basically double our life expectancy are vaccines, hygiene and sanitation. people used to die in droves from communicable and preventable diseases. i have zero sympathy for these people, they're a high class of dangerous idiot. Reply Parent Thread Link Ban visitors instead, stoopid! Reply Thread Link They should also go ahead and ban ALL FUCKING PEOPLE while they're at it. Reply Thread Link Imagine splurging to go to the saddest place on Earth right now Reply Thread Link All I could think about looking at pics was how sad and pathetic the situation was. There is a photo where 4/5 people are too old to be caring about Disney theme park in any real capacity and they are all standing looking unhappy in front of a dancing tigger. There is nothing magical going on in that picture, let me tell ya Reply Parent Thread Link Sounds like a case of trying to "own the libs"...I wish them misery and illness. Reply Parent Thread Link omg i need to see this picture lol Reply Parent Thread Link Lol ikr. This post also taught me that there are "Disney vloggers" and I'm sad. Reply Parent Thread Link I would honestly end a friendship over this shit idgaf those low paid workers dont deserve this shit Reply Thread Link Oh my god, just close the fucking thing Reply Thread Link I was watching the story of a Disney influencer and it was soooo dystopian hearing over the loudspeakers constant reminders to wear a mask and keep 6 ft distance from everyone else Reply Thread Link Like, how can you even enjoy yourself between the potential harm to yourself and others? Theme parks are about carefree joy. In the times, youre legit evading crowds, sickness, and death. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah the woman I was watching seemed to be having a good time but also seemed to be constantly anxious about anyone getting too close and the rides being clean and Im just like HOW can you be enjoying this Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Which influencer do you follow? I follow a few myself and they seemed to have positive experiences being back in the parks and Im like ????? how can you be happy trying to avoid a deathly virus while chilling with Mickey? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it sounds horrifying, and if you're spending the night in the resort, you must go to bed and wake up worrying if you've caught or spread COVID. it just seems like the opposite of vacation. Reply Parent Thread Link Hell, I went to Walmart to pick up a grocery order earlier and it as wild seeing signs everywhere saying WEAR A MASK AND MAINTAIN A SIX FOOT DISTANCE FROM ONE ANOTHER AT ALL TIMES Reply Parent Thread Expand Link What the is number of deaths they find to be one too many that are conclusively linked to an outbreak at any establishment for them to realize their business is not something that can be operated during a pandemic? Edited at 2020-07-20 03:22 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Number of deaths at any given time plus one. Reply Parent Thread Link Meanwhile Disneyland remains rightfully closed because California has done a marginally better job in taking COVID-19 seriously. Reply Parent Thread Link And even as a passholder, I truly hope it stays that way. There's no way it can, nor should, re-open this year. I'd find it very hard to believe it would be possible. Reply Parent Thread Link Dunno. It also might be hard to identify Disney as a source of an outbreak too since people are coming from out of town and out of state and then taking it back. So if there is spread happening at Disney, it could be hard to trace that back. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah, no one's following that guideline and people are gonna be assholes about it too. Reply Thread Link Right? I can see all the Karen/Chads having fucking meltdowns and being absolute assholes to poor park employees. This is going to be a colossal mess. Right? I can see all the Karen/Chads having fucking meltdowns and being absolute assholes to poor park employees. This is going to be a colossal mess. Reply Parent Thread Link I thought Chads were this: Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. this will definitely end well Reply Thread Link This is so sad...but some of my fellow Orlando friends will still say its okay to go. Im not going to visit a park until next year. Reply Thread Link God forbids you close for a few more months and lose money, greedy Mouse. Reply Thread Link as someone who works at a mall (that has shut down for a second time), this was one of the most aggravating parts about being open to the public. rather than eating their food at the physically distanced tables in the food court, customers would bring their food into the stores to eat and expose us employees who were trapped in the store. Reply Thread Link Your manager has the ability to put a sign up that says no drink or food allowed. And you know, enforce it. Reply Parent Thread Link he doesn't have that much power. because we're in a mall, we have to follow their rules. Reply Parent Thread Link The food courts should just be closed period, pretty sure when the malls in NJ opened the food courts remained closed. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Wild. The food court of my mall is still closed off even though some stores are open (masks required.) Reply Parent Thread Link omg that would annoy the SHIT out of me. I used to work at a furniture store next to a Sweetgreen that didn't have seating and the number of people who'd come in and just park themselves down on our furniture to eat their smelly ass salad... ugh Reply Parent Thread Link Lol the shining theme being used has been killing me!! Reply Parent Thread Link the real version of this ad is terrifying, it's horrific that their marketing department thought it was a good look Reply Parent Thread Link I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the original on twitter when they opened. it was so surreal. Reply Parent Thread Link The Shining one is my favorite! Reply Parent Thread Link Holy SHIT I love it Reply Parent Thread Link side note: Jimmi Simpson's dog looks so cute in his icon Reply Parent Thread Link Florida gives me the creeps lmao like they see these reports daily and don't care?? Reply Parent Thread Link Rating Action: Moody's affirms Stonegate's B3 CFR, assigns ratings to new facilities; outlook stable Global Credit Research - 20 Jul 2020 London, 20 July 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has today affirmed the B3 corporate family rating (CFR) and B3-PD probability of default rating (PDR) of Stonegate Pub Company Limited (the company or Stonegate). Concurrently the rating agency has assigned a Ba3 rating to the GBP250 million Super Senior Revolving Credit Facilities (SSRCF) of Stonegate Pub Company Bidco Limited (Bidco), a B3 rating to the Senior Secured Notes totalling GBP1,900 million in the name of the company's subsidiary, Stonegate Pub Company Financing 2019 plc (Finco), and a Caa2 rating to Bidco's GBP400 million Second Lien Facility. Moody's changed the company's rating outlook to stable from developing and assigned stable outlooks to Bidco and Finco. A full list of affected ratings is provided at the end of this press release. RATINGS RATIONALE Today's rating action follows the launch of publicly listed senior secured notes totalling GBP1,400 million which will refinance the remaining bridge facilities used by Bidco to fund Stonegate's acquisition of Ei Group plc (EiG), which completed on 3 March 2020. The prospects for the company's credit quality were particularly uncertain in the wake of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus which led to a government requirement for all pubs in the UK to be closed from 20 March. Re-openings began in England on 4 July and this brings the prospect of a gradual improvement in Stonegate's profitability and cash generation. However, during the forced closure period the company endured a significant cash burn, even after taking mitigating actions such as furloughing staff and deferring all non-essential expenditure, including rent payments. As at 3 July the company had a cash balance of GBP96 million, down from GBP229 million on 30 March (in each case excluding cash within the ringfenced Unique Pubs perimeter). On both dates the company also had drawings of GBP175 million under its SSRCF, which in more normal times would have been undrawn. Story continues On the basis of pre-crisis pro-forma results for the twelve months to January 2020 and the debt quantum immediately post-close of the acquisition, the company's Moody's-adjusted leverage, measured as Moody's-adjusted debt to EBITDA, would have been high at more than 7.5x. Without the intervention of the Coronavirus crisis, Moody's believes that prospects for deleveraging would have been good, helped by expectations of continued solid underlying performance and GBP80 million of planned synergies. However, the length of time that it takes for the number of pub-goers to return to pre-crisis levels is uncertain and until that happens the company's ability to generate historic levels of earnings will be constrained. In its base case Moody's expects it will take until mid-way through 2022 before earnings growth results in Stonegate deleveraging to below 8.0x, albeit the rating agency highlights there are numerous factors that mean the pace of recovery could be slower or faster than in its base case. More positively, Moody's believes that the company's liquidity will remain adequate over the next 12-18 months. This assessment factors in the recent additional equity injection of GBP50 million and an equivalent increase in the level of the SSRCF, to GBP250 million from GBP200 million. Furthermore, the rating agency expects that Stonegate will take a prudent and measured approach towards capital spending, notably in respect of sites earmarked for conversion from leased and tenanted to the managed format. In addition, the rating agency's current expectation is that the company's shareholders would provide additional support to liquidity in the event that a second wave of the Coronavirus negatively affected Stonegate's operations. In addition to the risks already mentioned Stonegate's B3 CFR takes account of (a) the continuing competitive industry dynamics and the company's exposure to economic conditions in a single jurisdiction; (b) a highly leveraged capital structure which along with expansionary capital spending constrains free cash flow (FCF); and (c) execution risks around the scale of the EiG acquisition in particular in respect of planned synergies, notwithstanding the strong track record of Stonegate's management over an extended period. The CFR also takes due consideration of (a) the company's strong business profile which benefits from significant scale, wide geographic spread across the UK, and a mix between managed and tenanted pubs, with all of these attributes enhanced following the EiG acquisition; (b) a history of strong revenue and profit growth for Stonegate and solid pre-acquisition performance by EiG; and (c) significant scope for synergies to drive further earnings growth for the enlarged business. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL & GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under its ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. Stonegate is controlled by the private equity firm TDR Capital, which in common with other financial sponsors typically has tolerance for relatively high leverage in the companies it controls. However, more positively the rating agency expects TDR will continue to counter-balance this with a desire to ensure that Stonegate's capital structure is sustainable over the medium term. RATIONALE FOR STABLE OUTLOOK The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations that Stonegate will maintain adequate liquidity over the next 12-18 months, with additional support from its shareholders if necessary. The outlook also assumes Stonegate will be able to achieve a gradual return towards pre-crisis revenue levels, which will facilitate some deleveraging as profitability also increases. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS Although unlikely in the short to medium term, an upgrade could be considered if in operating conditions akin to the pre-crisis environment Stonegate is expected to achieve a sustained improvement in interest coverage to above 1.5x and leverage sustainably below 7.0x, combined with positive FCF and good liquidity. Conversely, a downgrade would be likely if the company's liquidity weakens or could be appropriate in the event of material delays in the return to pre-crisis operating conditions that bring into question the sustainability of the capital structure. Quantitively, a lack of progress in the next 12-18 months towards leverage improving to below 8.0x and interest coverage returning to above 1.0x would lead to negative rating pressure. STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS All of the rated facilities are secured by a collateral package which includes share pledges, guarantees and debentures from Stonegate's material subsidiaries, with the exclusion of companies within the Unique Pubs sub-grouping, whose assets and cash flows are used to secure and service its ring-fenced bankruptcy remote securitisation facilities. An inter-creditor agreement regulates the relationship between the rated facilities. In its loss given default analysis Moody's has used a 50% recovery rate assumption, standard for capital structures which include a mix of bonds and loans. As such, the B3-PD PDR is in line with the CFR. The priority ranking of the SSRCF drives its Ba3 rating, three notches above the CFR and PDR. The Senior Secured Notes are rated B3, in line with the CFR, because the subordination cushion provided by ranking ahead of the Second Lien Facility is offset by the priority claims of the SSRCF in the event of a default. The Caa2 rating of the Second Lien Facility reflects its position at the bottom of the priority waterfall. LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS: ..Issuer: Stonegate Pub Company Limited Affirmations: .... LT Corporate Family Rating, Affirmed B3 .... Probability of Default Rating, Affirmed B3-PD Outlook Actions: ....Outlook, Changed To Stable From Developing ..Issuer: Stonegate Pub Company Bidco Limited Assignments: ....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility, Assigned Ba3 ....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility, Assigned Caa2 Outlook Actions: ....Outlook, Assigned Stable ..Issuer: Stonegate Pub Company Financing 2019 plc Assignments: ....BACKED Senior Secured Regular Bond Debenture, Assigned B3 Outlook Actions: ....Outlook, Assigned Stable PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY The principal methodology used in these ratings was Restaurant Industry published in January 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1108012. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. CORPORATE PROFILE Stonegate is controlled by the private equity firm TDR Capital. Before the acquisition of EiG the company had grown via a number of acquisitions to become the largest privately held managed pub company in the UK, with more than 750 pubs under management. Separately with an estate of over 4,000 EiG was the largest leased and tenanted pub operator in the country, quoted on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of around GBP0.9 billion prior to Stonegate launching its successful GBP1.3 billion equity bid last summer. The enlarged group had pro-forma reported underlying EBITDA (before IFRS 16) of GBP405 million in the twelve months to January 2020, approximately 65% of which was generated by EiG and its subsidiaries. REGULATORY DISCLOSURES For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004. For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com. For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity. 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Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. David Beadle VP - Senior Credit Officer Corporate Finance 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 Richard Etheridge Associate Managing Director Corporate Finance 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 2020 Moody's Corporation, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Moody's Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, "MOODY'S"). All rights reserved. CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. 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Manila (CNN Philippines Life) The hit Thai romantic-comedy show/BL, 2gether: The Series is heading to Netflix this July 30. The show has become a massive hit after garnering millions of hits on YouTube, creating a worldwide following for its stars Bright Vachirawit and Win Metawin. The first part of the pilot episode alone has 10 million views, while the rest of the episode has over five million views each. Last June, iWant picked up the Thai T.V. show for a Filipino dub, which brought Sarawat and Tines love story to a wider audience. If you still havent seen the series, 2gether is about Tine (Win) and Sarawat (Bright), two college boys who find themselves in a fake relationship but eventually, like in any rom-com, start to have feelings for each other. Although the series is essentially free on YouTube from the GMMTV channel, watching it on Netflix gives fans a chance to binge 2gether by watching complete episodes seamlessly unlike on YouTube where each episodes is cut into four parts although watching it there is an experience of its own, with the shows advertisements becoming iconic to fans. Fans can rewatch the show in time for the special Still 2gether, which is set to air this August. The five-episode show continues the story of Sarawat and Tine, as well as their other couple friends, after the events of the first season. 2gether set the Boys Love craze in the Philippines, which has now several Boys Love shows (such as Gameboys and Hello Stranger) streaming on YouTube as well as a few still in production. The show joins the list of Thai BL shows on Netflix such as Love Sick: The Series and SOTUS: The Series. Netflix has also recently added several Thai shows in its catalogue, including Girl from Nowhere, about a mysterious girl who exposes the lies and misdeeds of the students and faculty of every school she goes to; and The Maid, about a new maid who uncovers her employers secrets and encounters supernatural inhabitants. BL fans can also enjoy the mystery show The Stranded, which is the first Thai Netflix Original Series, and stars a few BL actors such as Oab Oabnithi (The Blue Hour) and Perth Tanapon (Love By Chance and Until We Meet Again). 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. By the time the coronavirus arrived, Mr. Berenson was primed to believe that public health voices and the media that covered them had been politicized and were perhaps out to get him. Flawed early pandemic coverage set off his contrarian side. Reporters, sometimes parroting public officials, first suggested that the virus wasnt a major threat and that people at the beach would surely spread it. They overstated how much we knew. They overhyped anecdotes. The coverage soon flowed into the deep political grooves of American life, turning every public health measure into a partisan battle. Its important to have journalists who are asking questions and who are skeptics its important to have a backstop against groupthink, said Charles Ornstein, a deputy managing editor at ProPublica and a past president of the Association of Health Care Journalists. He has drawn Mr. Berensons ire for an article on Houston hospitals being overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. Mr. Berenson has been dismissive not only of ProPublicas reporting but also of Houston hospital officials public statements. Alex cherry-picks individual data points that fit his narrative that things arent as bad as they actually are. Thats dangerous, Mr. Ornstein said. Clearly, across the country, things are getting worse, but to hear Alexs version, theyre not that bad. Critics sometimes play down Twitters importance; its not, the saying goes, real life. But it is the real public conversation. As Lili Loofbourow wrote on Slate, Twitter is really what were talking about when we talk about the toxic climate for debate. And Mr. Berensons presence there became both Twitter at its best wide open for an argument and information as well as putting into perspective statistics like the relatively small risk to children and at its worst a sneering confirmation machine, reflexively amplifying facts and claims that support a preordained conclusion. Mr. Berenson believes that the impact of the coronavirus is regrettable, mostly inevitable and overstated: That lockdowns are useless, masks dont help and politicians are too worried about the deaths of old people who were going to die soon anyway. Mr. Berenson plays down counterevidence even when it is firsthand or expert. He breathlessly warned that a quarantine for visitors to New Zealand amounts to indefinite confinement, and stuck by the claim even after his original New Zealand source described him as confused. Last week, Mr. Berenson gleefully tweeted about a study he framed as discrediting mask use, and, in response, the sociologist Zeynep Tufekci accused him of spreading misinformation. SAULT STE MARIE, MI A Canadian trucker who said he took a wrong turn into Michigans Upper Peninsula has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for transporting opium paste possibly worth millions of dollars. Abdolnasser Mahmoudikanesbi of Gatineau, Quebec pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute opium in February. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced his 42-month sentence on Monday. Mahmoudikanesbi crossed into the United States at Sault Ste. Marie on Dec. 7, 2019. He said he got confused on a journey to western Canada and ended up on the bridge connecting Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, according to the Associated Press. Mahmoudikanesbi told CBP that he was transporting towels, but an x-ray of his rental truck revealed items in the cargo area that were inconsistent with towels. Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered approximately 100 kilograms of unrefined opium paste. Homeland Security Investigations determined the opium had come from Pakistan via an international shipping container with a false bottom. After the shipping container made it to the Port of Montreal, Mahmoudikanesbi and an associate cut the false bottom out of the container and moved the drugs to a rented warehouse in Montreal. Mahmoudikanesbi then had the opium put on a rental truck, which he drove across Ontario and into the United States, prosecutors said. HSIs core mission is to prosecute cross border criminal activity and bring to bear its unique investigative authorities and international resources, said Vance Callender, special agent in charge of HSI Detroit, in a statement. This case in particular and by its very nature, stretches across the globe and impacts several countries. Global criminal networks attempt to exploit international borders for profit daily. These types of investigations are some of the most complex known to law enforcement. In a court filing, defense attorney Michael Manning said the arrest was the climax of a tough period for his client. Mahmoudikanesbi wanted to resell premium cotton shipped by a friend in Iran and didnt know until later that the container held opium paste, Manning told the Associated Press, noting that Mahmoudikanesbi felt trapped into carrying out a drug deal. Prosecutors disagreed, noting Mahmoudikanesbi was not a patsy, the Associated Press reported. Trafficking illegal narcotics across international borders is a quintessential federal concern and federal law enforcement remains ever vigilant at our borders, whether at the southwest border or the bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, Birge said in a statement. The case was investigated by HSI, CBP, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Michigan. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore J. Greeley and Kristin M. Pinkston represented the United States. Yotta Infrastructure signed an MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu to set up a Data Center Park in Chennai. The Hiranandani Group and its group companies, along with Yotta, will invest INR 3000-4000 crores in this proposed project over 8-10 years. This will also help to generate approximately 2000-2500 direct and indirect jobs in the State of Tamil Nadu. Welcoming this move, the Government of Tamil Nadu will provide facilitation and support in the form of necessary infrastructural support, regulatory approvals, permissions and/or registration facilitation subject to applicable laws. The proposed Data Center Park will be built on a 13-acre campus at Hiranandani Parks on the Singaperumal Oragadam highway. It will host a total of 4 Data Center buildings with a capacity of 20000 racks, backup generator sets and featuring a total power load of approximately 150-240 MW. Like its Navi Mumbai facility, this data center park will also be carrier-neutral with the presence of major telcos and own fibre network. The campus will also house a 220/110 KV electrical substation and a CNG power plant. About the development, Darshan Hiranandani, Group CEO Hiranandani Group said, Weve chosen Chennai to set up our Data Center Park since its a global hub for major technology companies as well as has the strategic advantage of being a major international fiber landing station. Chennai is of immense geographic significance since it will help us have a physical presence in South India. This move is in line with our vision of partnering in nation-building efforts by creating the technological infrastructure that will power Digital India. Were delighted to receive such a warm welcome from the Tamil Nadu Government to set up the Data Center Park. Dr. Neeraj Mittal IAS, MD & CEO, Guidance, Industries Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, said, Data Centers are crucial to cater to the increasing demand for cloud services and digital content consumption across the country, and we welcome the Hiranandani Group and Yotta Infrastructure to set up their Data Center Park in Chennai. We will be extending our full support towards this project and once completed, this Data Center Park will provide important cloud-based services to companies not only in the state but across India, serving as an important pillar in our overall digital infrastructure. The first data center building with a built-up area of 230,000 square feet in the Data Center Park is expected to be ready by the last quarter of 2021. It will offer 25 MW IT power and have a capacity for 5000 racks. Yotta will also build this data center with the highest Uptime Institute certified Tier IV design and construction standards to ensure the utmost reliability. Sunil Gupta, Managing Partner & CEO Yotta Infrastructure, said, With our first Uptime Institute certified Tier IV data center building Yotta NM1 we have proved that world-class infrastructure facility at an affordable cost can be a reality. While Yotta NM1 will serve the western region, our Chennai data center park will offer the same Tier IV infrastructure facilities to the southern region, thus filling in the void of quality colocation services in the region. Yotta being a complete managed hybrid IT infrastructure provider, will also provide customers various customized options to suit their requirements with enterprise managed services. Earlier this month, Yotta also inaugurated Indias largest data center building, Yotta NM1, in Panvel, Maharashtra which is the largest Tier IV Data Center certified by Uptime Institute in Asia and second-largest in the world. President El-Sisi stressed the urgent need to reach a political solution to end the Yemen crisis Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's support of the legitimate government in Yemen as well as its unity, sovereignty and the safety of its national institutions, said a presidential statement. The statement was released following a meeting El-Sisi held with Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdul-Malik in Cairo on Monday. El-Sisi emphasised the importance of Yemen's security and stability to Egypt's national security, a matter that necessitates pushing ahead with efforts aiming to reach a political solution to the crisis in Yemen. The solution has to ensure the unity and integrity of Yemens territories and meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people in accordance with the international and UN legitimacy decisions, the Gulf initiative and the outcomes of the national dialogue, he added. Abdul-Malik delivered a written message to El-Sisi from Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi in which he heaped praise on Egypt's stances that support security and stability in Yemen. The Yemeni president also noted that his country is looking forward to intensifying joint cooperation with Egypt at various levels during the coming period. The Yemeni prime minister reviewed his country's developments as well as the government's efforts to restore peace and stability amid the deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Abdul-Malik expressed his country's aspiration to tap into the Egyptian experience in the process of building and development. Egypt's Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said the meeting touched upon subjects of joint cooperation between both countries to enhance security in the Red Sea. The Egyptian and Yemeni sides exchanged viewpoints on a number of issues related to bilateral relations and providing support to the Yemeni side so that it can overcome the current crisis, Rady added. El-Sisi also affirmed Egypts readiness to boost the qualification and support of Yemeni cadres in various fields. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Abbas Kamel, head of the country's General Intelligence. Search Keywords: Short link: Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP Mayra Guillen has said she believes the US army is following their own agenda as it investigates the circumstances that led to the death of her sister, Vanessa Guillen, the young Fort Hood soldier whose killing has sent shock waves across the country. Vanessa Guillen, 20, disappeared from the Texas military base on 22 April, prompting a protracted search that ended with the discovery of her remains on 30 June. Related: 'It's like she's my daughter': After Vanessa Guillen's killing, a California city reckons with the military The army specialist Aaron David Robinson, a suspect under watch, escaped from Fort Hood later that day and died by suicide as law enforcement closed in. His girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, a civilian, was taken into custody and has been accused of helping Robinson dispose of Guillens body after he bludgeoned her. Aguilar pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to tamper with evidence and was denied bail earlier this month. Nothings ever going to be the same, Mayra, 22, told the Guardian. There is that presence of absence here at home, and especially in my moms heart, my dads and of course all of my siblings. Guillens family has said her sister was being sexually harassed by Robinson, and her death has sparked outcry over rape culture in the military. Veterans and current service members have shared their experiences of sexual violence with the social media hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen. Her death has resonated deeply with the Latinx community and highlighted the growing Hispanic population in the military, but the issue is not just a Latinx one, said Lupe Guillen, Vanessas younger sister. This could happen to anyone. In response to growing public pressure, the army announced a raft of investigations examining the failures of multiple military procedures following Guillens disappearance. But her family is still waiting for a simple demand to be met: a congressional investigation into Fort Hood, which has long been criticized for failing to protect soldiers. Story continues The Guillen familys calls have been echoed by more than 4,000 service members and veterans who signed a petition circulated the weekend Guillens remains were positively identified. At this point, I wont settle for less, Mayra Guillen said. Yet the family has felt sidelined. On 10 July, the army secretary, Ryan McCarthy, announced that he would direct an independent review of the command climate at Fort Hood after a meeting with the Texas congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and the League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac). The meeting was capped off with a photo on the steps of the Pentagon posted to McCarthys Twitter account, which he captioned with a vow to listen in order to create enduring change. I had the opportunity to sit down with @LULAC and Congress to discuss the loss of SPC. Vanessa Guillen. I am directing an independent & comprehensive review of the command climate and culture. We have to listen in order to create enduring change. pic.twitter.com/pMuugTKgWz SecArmy (@SecArmy) July 10, 2020 The meeting should have marked a turning point as one of the highest-ranking members of the army, Guillens congressional representative and the nations oldest Latinx civil rights organization teamed up to confront the killing of a Mexican American soldier. But no representative for the Guillen family was there. Were having a really hard time trying to process everything. I would understand why they would exclude myself, my mom, etc, but not Natalie. I just dont feel that it was right, Mayra Guillen said, referring to the familys lawyer, Natalie Khawam. So you know, honestly, I feel like theyre following their own agenda. At this point, I dont know exactly what their goal is, she added. Khawam says she only learned of the meeting the day it was taking place, when a source in the secretarys office texted her asking if she would attend. Billed as an opportunity to discuss how to increase diversity and inclusion in the army in addition to Guillens death, the meeting also addressed renaming Fort Hood, in honour of the Texan military hero Roy Benavidez. Using the meeting to discuss the longstanding requests hasnt sat well with the Guillen family. I think that should be one of the least important factors at the moment with everything going on in the base, said Mayra. David Cruz, the Lulac communications director, told the Guardian that Khawam and Mayra had been aware of the meeting, but the family had not received information to attend. Even if they wanted to just discuss [Vanessa] for 10 minutes, somebody from the family or the attorney should have been invited or notified, Khawam said. Tom Rheinlander, Fort Hood director of public affairs, said: It would be inappropriate for Fort Hood officials to comment while there is an ongoing case with the US attorneys western district office. The armys civilian review will appoint an independent panel of civilian consultants, chosen in collaboration with Lulac. The panel will visit Fort Hood for five to 10 days to conduct interviews and will review historical data to assess the bases culture around sexual harassment and assault. The Guillen family remains unimpressed. I feel anyone can play nice for five to 10 days, and then theyll just go back to their normal routine. For me, its just honestly a waste of time, said Mayra. What we have been asking for is a congressional investigation. Not a meeting or an independent review by the army, Khawam added. They act like they gave us a gift. It was a Trojan horse. In addition to the army secretarys review, three other investigations are under way: one into Guillens disappearance and death, another into experiences of sexual harassment Guillen confided to friends and family, and a third into Fort Hoods sexual harassment/assault response and prevention program (Sharp). Related: 'We are Vanessa Guillen': killing puts sexual violence in US military in focus However, all these investigations remain in the hands of the military. The family instead wants to see a congressional investigation that would issue subpoenas to base officials and conduct interviews, including with past victims of sexual misconduct. According to her family, Guillen never reported incidents of sexual harassment involving two men, including Robinson, out of fear of retaliation. About one in three service members report sexual assault, according to the Department of Defense. Khawam is also authoring legislation to create an independent agency for service members to report sexual harassment and assault that she will present to lawmakers on 30 July. The family will meet with Donald Trump at the White House the day before. People raise their hands during a moment of prayer at a vigil for Guillen on 5 July in Houston. Photograph: Godofredo A Vasquez/AP Im talking about the whole place gets turned upside down, every person has a voice, said Khawam, who says she gets emails every day recounting disturbing episodes at Fort Hood dating back years. A letter sent in early July from Congresswoman Garcias office with the signatures of 87 lawmakers calling for another investigation by the defense department inspector general received a lukewarm response from the Guillen family. But the prospect of a congressional investigation has recently gained momentum, and Khawam spoke with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Sunday. Garcias office told the Guardian: I wont stop investigating this matter until we get to the bottom of the truth As I have assured the family, Congress will continue to move with diligent speed to provide oversight and fully investigate this case. But trust remains fragile for the Guillen family, whose relationship with the military quickly soured when Vanessa disappeared. Mayra says her family wasnt notified about her sisters disappearance until they called to inquire after an uncharacteristic period of silence. The sisters had talked every day. When she went to the base the following day, Mayra was greeted by Robinson, alongside other soldiers. She said she instantly felt that he had something to do with her sisters disappearance, and the feeling intensified as the day went on. She said he burst out laughing as she was filling out missing persons paperwork. The army remained tight-lipped throughout the two-month search, while the Guillen family cobbled together details on their own. The family gave Robinsons name to army authorities multiple times, but investigators didnt disclose he had been a main suspect until after the day he died. Mayra says the family understands the sensitivities of the investigation, but I feel if they would have at least told us it would have been helpful, in a way, for us to take things in. Mayra said she appreciated what Garcia and others have said and done over recent months, but she felt there was so much more that could be done to deliver justice for Vanessa. If anything did happen inside the base, more than ever, I feel that we need a congressional investigation to figure out who and what exactly, and why. Thats one of my biggest questions why would anyone do that to my sister? DETROIT, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AJM Packaging has already donated more than 1 million paper bags to Detroit-area hospitals that have been using paper bags to store PPE. On Wednesday the company donated an additional 250,000 bags to Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, after an employee working on the night-shift to fight COVID-19, reached out to express her gratitude for AJM's products. "On behalf of the nighttime pandemic crew, I wanted to say thank you for being a part of our nighttime operations in which we bag masks for the following day," wrote Houston hospital worker S. Coleman via AJM's website on May 30. "We were having a discussion one night and someone said, 'So many of our bags have the stamp FG W. [of AJM employee]. After pondering on who this person is spending our long night shifts with us, we decided to reach out and say thank you to FG W. for all you do! Because of you and your AJM company, we have a storage place for our masks in between wears. We hope that all is well with you and your family from our hospital night-shift family!" After AJM leadership reached out to thank Coleman for her note, they made the decision to donate an additional 267,000 bags to the Houston hospital. Lync Logistics volunteered to cover the cost of transport. "The fact that our products can help healthcare workers do their jobs more effectively makes us proud," said AJM's President Robert A. Epstein. "We're so appreciative of all the sacrifices healthcare workers are making right now. That S. Coleman and her team took the time out of their day to thank us means so much." In the past week, AJM supported local hospitals in the Joplin community by donating almost half a million paper bags. In total, AJM has already donated 1.75 million bags to hospitals battling COVID-19. GMT Logistics and White Line Express donated freight services for the Michigan deliveries. ABOUT AJM PACKAGING CORPORATION Founded in 1957, AJM Packaging manufactures high-quality branded and private-label paper products. The Michigan-based company operates eight plants throughout the country, including its original Detroit manufacturing site. AJM was named 2018 Employer of the Year by SER Metro-Detroit. ajmpack.com CONTACT: Meredith Tepper, [email protected] SOURCE AJM Packaging Corporation Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:35:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- At least three members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in Turkey's southeastern Hakkari city in a new anti-terror operation dubbed "Lightning-2 Cilo," Turkish Interior Ministry said on Monday. The counter-terrorism operation includes a total of 1,106 security forces composed of gendarmerie commandos, gendarmerie special forces, police special forces, and local security teams, said the ministry in a statement. The operation was launched on Sunday and aims to eliminate the PKK elements in the region, according to the ministry. The Turkish security forces regularly conduct anti-terror operations in the eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey, yet the operations were intensified after July 2018. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK members have hideouts. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem A reward of $12,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a man accused of tampering with the body of Myriam Camarillo, authorities said late Monday. READ MORE: Manhunt underway for Laredo man connected to death of once-missing woman Webb County District Attorney Isidro R. Chilo Alaniz, Sheriff Martin Cuellar and the U.S. Marshals are joining forces with the Laredo Police Department to offer a reward in the amount of $12,500 for the credible information that will lead to the location and capture of Joseph Stephen Carrizales, 27. Alaniz and Cuellar have pledged $5,000 each and the U.S. Marshals have pledged $2,500. To report Carrizales whereabouts, call the LPD at 795-2800 or Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Carrizales had a pretrial hearing on Monday in the 111th District Court but failed to appear. He had his bond revoked on June 2 after he failed to comply with his bail bond rules. He went missing on May 31, and an aunt filed a missing person report for him with LPD. On June 1, authorities learned from pretrial services that Carrizales GPS was no longer in service as of May 31. Pretrial services last made contact with Carrizales on May 28. Carrizales is accused of disposing of the body of Camarillo, 27, in a plastic container. Furthermore, he tried to mask the odor with bleach and made a small cut on her arm to reduce her body swelling, according to court documents. Camarillos mother reported her missing on July 8, 2019. The mother stated that Camarillo did not return home from a night out with friends, according to police. LPDs finding alleged that Carrizales saw Camarillo crying and sitting on a bench in downtown Laredo. He alleged they did cocaine and waited for a Lyft to pick them up, and then they went to his house in the 100 block of Saint Pierre. Camarillo and Carrizales continued doing cocaine and had sex before falling asleep, Carrizales told authorities. Carrizales allegedly woke up at about 2 p.m. and discovered Camarillo dead next to him. The Webb County Medical Examiners Office ruled her death undetermined. She had traces of cocaine and alcohol in her system, authorities said. After police arrived at his residence, Carrizales tried to flee into Mexico. Suspected drug cartel members allegedly assaulted him there and left him with non-life threatening injuries. Mexican soldiers then detained Carrizales and turned him over to police on July 13, 2019. READ MORE: Death of elderly Laredo man under investigation as possible murder Carrizales was indicted for tampering with a human corpse on Sept. 25. Records show he was released on bond on Oct. 23. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/20/2020 ADVERTISEMENT [ Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Deavan and Jihoon are still together or if the couple have split.] ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Deavan Clegg is considering ending her relationship with Jihoon Lee over his lies on Season 2 of : The Other Way, so did they split with Deavan returning to America -- or is the couple still together?Deavan was a 22-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT, when she met Jihoon, a 29-year-old mobile phone dealer from Seoul, South Korea, on a dating app.Jihoon gushed about how Deavan was his "fantasy" girl and he was blown away by her modeling photos, and the couple used translating apps to communicate with each other.Deavan and Jihoon talked to each other every day for three months before Jihoon made plans to travel to America and meet Deavan and her daughter Drascilla in person for the first time. Drascilla was three years old at the time and will turn five this August.It didn't take long for Jihoon and Deavan to fall in love, and they had sex during that trip, which resulted in a surprise and unplanned pregnancy. The baby was going to be Jihoon's first child.Jihoon and Deavan found out they were expecting after six positive pregnancy tests confirmed their suspicions on the day he was leaving to return to South Korea in 2018.After Jihoon returned home to South Korea, the couple had every intention of getting married and being a family.So after Deavan won the approval of Jihoon's parents -- which wasn't an easy task -- Jihoon popped the question during a lunch at a Las Vegas restaurant and then planned to fly to America two months later for the birth of his child.Jihoon went on to book a flight back to America for Deavan's scheduled section; however, Deavan learned the baby had to be delivered early because her blood pressure was really high, in the 170s, which was "extremely dangerous."Deavan asked Jihoon to change his ticket and fly back to the United States earlier, but he admitted it was too expensive and refused, which frustrated Deavan because she had previously asked him not to buy a ticket at all in case the baby came early.Deavan was heartbroken Jihoon wasn't by her side when their son Taeyang was born in April 2019, and Jihoon admitted he was "a very bad father" at first.Jihoon eventually made his way to the United States to meet his son, but he had a lot of learning to do, like changing diapers. He also revealed to Deavan he had lost his job.Jihoon's "lack of financial responsibility" really worried Deavan, especially since he had nine months while she was pregnant to save for a baby.Jihoon told Deavan not to worry and their future would be bright, but Deavan was sick of hearing "trust me" and said she needed things to actually happen.The time then finally came for Deavan to move to South Korea and start a new life in a completely different world. She chose not to bring Drascilla with her right away in order to make sure Jihoon had all of their affairs in order and that they'd be okay and supported.Deavan expected Jihoon to have landed a full-time job and an apartment for them, but he was still living in his parents' house and broke the news they'd continue living there for a few months.Deavan said it was "unacceptable" to be stuck sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a newborn and Jihoon's parents.Jihoon admitted to Deavan it was hard for him to save money because he was financially in debt.Jihoon apparently owed $30,000 (which included interest on a loan he had taken out to pay the original $15,000 fine) due to illegally selling used and lost phones, but at the time of their conversation, he had his debt down to $5,000."That's not the ideal life or dad I wanted for my children," Deavan said in a confessional. "For him to not take that seriously, I think I made a big mistake."But Jihoon assured Deavan, "I now change jobs. I promise. Next time, I go to jail. I'm not doing illegal anymore, okay?"Despite the red flags, Deavan and Jihoon still filed marriage papers so she could reside in Jihoon's country permanently. And three weeks later, they had a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.Deavan documented her relationship with Jihoon in Summer through Fall 2019 on social media and started a small T-shirt business with Jihoon that was doing well at the time.But Deavan unfortunately suffered a miscarriage with her third child. She announced on Instagram in October 2019 she had lost a baby.On Season 2 of : The Other Way, Deavan lamented how she was exhausted and overwhelmed raising two children by herself.Deavan therefore flew back to South Korea with the intent of living there permanently. Deavan packed condoms because she said she didn't want to get pregnant again, and her mother Elicia joined her for the trip to help with Drascilla and Taeyang.Deavan rented her family an apartment for one month until Jihoon could get them settled in a new place, but Deavan was in for a rude awakening.Deavan said if Jihoon couldn't provide, he wasn't ready for a family and she'd have to return to America. She hoped that he was going to have "his sh-t together.""He lied to me last time, so I'm really worried that he's lying to me again," Deavan said in a confessional. "I really hope Jihoon is ready for what's coming for him."Jihoon later admitted to his friends he had "exaggerated" about how much money he was making when talking to Deavan over FaceTime."I don't really have a job," Jihoon admitted to the cameras. "I have a side job doing deliveries and it goes by the hour. It's a part-time job. I lied to Deavan because if I not have money, then Deavan's not come to Korea."Jihoon's friends even thought Jihoon was making Korean men look bad.Deavan then arrived in South Korea, which marked her second attempt to move there permanently. Jihoon hadn't seen Deavan in two months, and he said he was very excited to see her.Jihoon and his parents picked Deavan, Elicia, Drascilla and Taeyang up at the airport, and Jihoon became increasingly more nervous because Elicia was allegedly "an angry person."Deavan just traveled for 22 hours with two kids and so she was admittedly exhausted and ready for bed. Everyone piled into a yellow van, and Elicia immediately started yelling and "freaking out," according to Deavan.Once they saw the apartment they'd be living in, Elicia appeared disgusted, and Jihoon's mother scolded her son for not checking the apartment before Deavan and her family traveled.The place was broken down in a bad neighborhood, and Elicia vented she was "totally losing [her] sh-t."Deavan described the apartment building as "the ghetto of Korea" and said it wasn't even on a street -- it was in an alley and surrounded by trash and even toilets.Elicia pulled Jihoon aside and gave him a piece of her mind by saying she had expected him to behave like a man and find a safe place for her daughter and grandkids to live.Elicia appeared to be on the verge of tears and complained, "I am extremely disappointed in Jihoon," and Deavan was also "extremely angry" at her husband.Deavan soon discovered the apartment was tiny, there was no stovetop or living room, and she barely had room for her suitcase. Deavan yelled at Jihoon, saying it was his fault because he should've been the one to find them an apartment to live in prior to her arrival."It just feels like I'm doing all the heavy lifting in this relationship and he has done nothing so far," Deavan noted in a confessional.Deavan wasn't willing to stay in that apartment for a month, and she vented, "It's just to the point where I can't do it anymore."Deavan was clearly tired of Jihoon's empty promises, and Jihoon acknowledged the situation was a mess and he had failed to earn back Deavan's trust. He called himself a total "idiot."The next morning, Deavan complained that she was exhausted, sad and upset about the apartment.Deavan told Jihoon that they should find a new apartment and he should help pay for it. Jihoon said he was trying hard to pay for everything, like a new house and Deavan moving to Korea, but she argued, "You didn't pay for that."Jihoon asked Deavan not to be grumpy and said he'd pay for everything after working a little while longer."I have no money," Jihoon confessed."All the things I was worried about were true," Deavan said.The pair tried to communicate through a language-translating piece of technology but it wasn't translating correctly and so the pair couldn't have a clear conversation."If I would have known you didn't have money, I wouldn't have came here," Deavan said. "Why do you keep lying to me?""To be honest, I wanted you to come here fast," Jihoon said. "If you're worried about money, you can leave here."Jihoon asked Deavan to stay for a few months, but she threatened to leave when her mother was scheduled to leave. Deavan cried saying she had nothing to go home to but clearly had nothing in South Korea either.Deavan was furious Jihoon had lied to her again, and Jihoon apologized for being selfish. Jihoon said he was working as a delivery driver part-time so he could rest when he wanted to rest.He said he earned around $2,000-3,000 a month, but Deavan had been working 17 hours a day while raising two kids. She thought Jihoon working a part-time job so he could "take more naps" was "ridiculous."Jihoon's mother apparently managed his money so he couldn't spend it on himself, and so he told Deavan that he was saving for a new house."It sounds like you didn't want to spend your money so you let me spend all my money, and now we're here and I don't have anything. I don't have money, I don't have a car," Deavan told Jihoon."I gave up everything for you, but you couldn't give up some time to work harder to help. My life is not a game. I have sacrificed a lot and you've sacrificed nothing, and I at this point, have lost all trust. If you loved me and the kids, you would've helped."Jihoon replied, "You're right, I am so sorry. But I do love you.""I don't think I want to be together anymore after this," Deavan noted. "I am going to get a hotel tonight with just my mom so I can be alone with the kids and think."Jihoon said he had paid off his debt and so he thought he could start saving for his family but that was the wrong way to think and it was "stupid and selfish.""I feel like [it's] game over," Jihoon said.Deavan felt it was really sh-tty Jihoon had "tricked" her, and she didn't know what to do other than leaving the apartment and taking her children to a safe area. Deavan said she needed to figure out whether she was going to stay with Jihoon or go back to America and leave him.Jihoon seemingly gave away in early July he and Deavan are still together when he lashed out at trolls on Instagram, saying is in his past and he now has a job that supports his family, meaning Deavan and her two kids.After posting several hashtags, Jihoon wrote, "To people who ask me to get a job, I'm always so kind to people who are kind to me first. But to those who are rude to me, I'm an assh-le to them. Distinguish between show and reality. And the show is in the past."Jihoon continued, "I've said countless times that I have a job. My job is to deliver food. I earn enough money to take care of my family. If you read this and you tell me to get a job, from now on, I'm thinking of you as a goldfish with a memory of three seconds.""I'll just ignore it and block it," he added. "Cuz I don't want to talk to fish, yeah think about it how crazy huh?! Bye."Jihoon's post served as the caption to a screenshot of him slamming a hater."I'm working right now... You need to be logical. Don't be so old. I have a job. And my side job blocks a b-tch like you."At the beginning of : The Other Way's second season, Deavan was also shown dealing with the coronavirus pandemic while living in South Korea.The footage filmed earlier this year, around February or March, and was seemingly intended for TLC's : Self-Quarantined spinoff.Deavan shared how COVID-19 was "very serious" where she is staying in South Korea. She said South Korea was the second country with the most infected people and so she and Jihoon were in quarantine.Deavan admitted her daughter Drascilla was going stir crazy and her son Taeyang couldn't play outside."They're predicting 60 percent of the country could get the virus, and that's really scary. Everyone is in panic mode, and I don't know what to do," Deavan told her Diary Cam.( : The Other Way then flashed back to seven months earlier, when Deavan was preparing for her move to South Korea with her two kids.)Given Deavan was in South Korea just a few months ago, it's apparent she and Jihoon are still together.There is also recent evidence on Instagram that Deavan and Jihoon haven't parted ways.On June 17, Jihoon posted a funny picture of Deavan holding a large box of condoms, and Deavan commented, "Jihoon knows how to work it whoot whoot."Given the box said the condoms were "small pecker condoms," Deavan clarified, "Hahahahaha haha everyone knows it was a joke."And a few days earlier, Deavan posted a selfie of herself modeling in a really nice home or apartment."Loving this dress. Super cute. #90dayfiance #90daytheotherway #fashion #tattoos #morningvibes," Deavan captioned the June 14 photo.One follower commented, "Omg she's back in the states!!??"And then Deavan confirmed, "Just visiting," suggesting her permanent residence is still South Korea.Deavan also confirmed in the comments section of her post she is "definitely not pregnant" again.In addition, Deavan often adds the hashtags #southkorea and #deavanandjihoon to her Instagram posts.Going back to early June, Deavan conducted an interview with Access in which she said she was really excited for fans to see more of her relationship with Jihoon on Season 2 of : The Other Way."It's very exciting. I'm so excited to continue my journey and share my journey. I'm really, really excited that people get to see me and Jihoon and more of that aspect, because I think on Season 1 people didn't get to see too much of us," Deavan said."But this time, everyone will get to see that and this beautiful journey. You guys are going to see definitely some of our lowest points and some of our highest points, so it's going to be worth the watch."Deavan assured Access that Jihoon "loves [being a father].""It's definitely a life-changing thing for him and I think he's very happy with it, even though it was a surprise to both of us. But he absolutely loves both kids," Deavan shared.Despite the ups and downs in her relationship with Jihoon, Deavan called starring on the with him "a great experience" that was "life-changing."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! There have been more than three million confirmed coronavirus cases and 32,495 deaths here in the United States. And yet some people still refuse to mask up. How do we change this? How do we convince others to do something that benefits all of us? According to one expert, we must avoid the appearance of disappearing those we asking to help us. SFGATE's Dan Gentile talked to FBI hostage negotiator Gary Noesner, who explained various techniques to convince people to wear a facial covering. The first thing, Noesner said, is to address the situation in a non-critical manner. Remain calm and refrain from displaying a harsh attitude, instead opting to come from a place of genuine curiosity and understanding. Retail Wire's Tom Ryan recently reported that anti-mask shoppers all over the country were being publicly shamed and in return, they resorted to the same tactics. You'll be happy to know that there's a different way to handle the situation. You might say, Excuse me, could I chat with you for a second? I see that you dont have a mask on, and I know thats a personal choice, and a choice that you need to make. But I have this vulnerability medically. Or my son does. Or my daughter. If not for yourself, you might make others feel more secure,'" Noesner said to Gentile. COVID CASES: Eighty-five infants have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nueces County According to Nosener, the "I message" is also a working technique. Instead of blaming the person who is not wearing a mask, make it seem like you're just concerned for yourself. It could work out in your favor if they see how nervous and afraid you are about the virus. You can also try hearing things from their point of view. Noesner explained that people who are angry often times feel that they're not appreciated, but its really hard to argue with someone whos asking you in a sincerely genuine, very non-confrontational way to share your thoughts on something. Noesner said you influence by creating a trusting bond with the mask-less individual. Be non-threatening and non-aggressive. You ask them to consider wearing a facial covering, but don't make it seem like they're obligated to do so. Lastly, Noesner said to accept that there's only so much you can do, and some people won't take necessary precaution until the virus hits home. "You stay calm and patient and understanding and acknowledge their points of view, and ask them to consider thinking a little differently," Noesner said. "Thats the best you can do. Boris Johnson is facing escalating pressure to impose human rights sanctions on China, as Sir Keir Starmer urged the government not to turn a blind eye to the deeply disturbing actions of Beijing. Speaking earlier, the prime minister appeared to confirm the suspension of extradition arrangements with Hong Kong, but also hinted there would no US-style sanctions imposed on the country. Amid growing tensions with Beijing over the draconian security law imposed on Hong Kong last month and concerns over the treatment of the Uighurs minority, Dominic Raab will update MPs on Monday. The foreign secretary is expected to announce the UK will follow the example of the US, Canada and Australia and suspend an extradition treaty with Hong Kong because of the impact of the security law on the territory. On Sunday, Mr Raab also accused the Chinese state of committing gross, egregious human rights abuses against the Muslim minority group in the countrys north-western Xinjiang province. China destroying Uighur burial grounds Show all 6 1 /6 China destroying Uighur burial grounds China destroying Uighur burial grounds Teywizim cemetery in Hotan (before and after) China is destroying burial grounds where generations of Uighur families have been laid to rest, leaving behind human bones and broken tombs in what activists call an effort to eradicate the ethnic group's identity Earthrise/AFP/Getty China destroying Uighur burial grounds A cemetery in Xayar (before and after) Earthrise/AFP/Getty China destroying Uighur burial grounds A graveyard in Aksu (before and after) An image of a graveyard in Aksu in 2015, where Uighur poet Lutpulla Mutellip was buried and the same view in 2018 and then again in 2019 showing a new park called "Happiness Park" Earthrise/AFP/Getty China destroying Uighur burial grounds A cemetery in Xayar (before and after) Earthrise/AFP/Getty China destroying Uighur burial grounds Sulanim cemetery in Hotan (before and after) Earthrise/AFP/Getty China destroying Uighur burial grounds A cemetery in Xayar (before and after) Earthrise/AFP/Getty Ahead of his statement in the Commons, the Labour leader said: Whats happening in China is deeply disturbing. And we can't turn a blind eye to it. We shouldn't turn a blind eye. "What we have argued for is sanctions in this country against Chinese officials who have been involved in human rights abuses. That's something that could be done straight away. Of course theres been a long and deep relationship between the Chinese people and the United Kingdom. But some of the actions of the government are deeply disturbing and we cant turn a blind eye we shouldnt turn a blind eye. Sir Keir continued: Well look at what they say about extradition, but it looks like it will be a step in the right direction and therefore we will support that. We will say go further: you can impose sanctions and you should impose sanctions here in the UK. The former Tory cabinet minister David Davis also urged the government to go further, telling Sky News the suspension of the extradition treaty is a good and symbolic first step, but urged the PM to work with our partners in the Five Eyes and other allies to take ethical, legal and responsible action. Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP, added: China should be sanctioned for its treatment of the Uighur people. The government has a duty to do all we can to save them from genocide. Addressing the escalating diplomatic tensions between London and Beijing, Mr Johnson said on Monday: There is a balance here. Im not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uighur minority obviously, about the human rights abuses. We obviously have concerns about whats happening in Hong Kong and you will be hearing a bit on from the foreign secretary about how we are going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about whats happening with the security law in Hong. It has already been a long time since the Democratic Party of Armenia declared that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may become a regional conflict. In this situation, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the incumbent authorities must bring Armenian-Russian relations back to the level that they have been at throughout the past twenty years. This is what leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan told reporters today. If the authorities recall that the allied state must provide assistance at difficult moments, yet start complaining about the allied state when the political situation is favorable, they must understand that the allied state may give an extremely painful response, Sargsyan said, adding that if there are people who dont understand this, they are simply fools and are acting against the interests of Armenia. As of today, no country can replace Russia and have the tremendous influence that Moscow has on in our region. The people of Armenia also need to understand this well. The incumbent authorities of Armenia are to blame for the anti-Russian moods in society. If Armenia wants to have friendly countries, it has to build friendly and cordial ties with them on a daily basis, the political party leader stressed. Sargsyan stated that President of Russia Vladimir Putin has always been in touch with Armenias political leadership during a tense situation, but this wasnt the case this time. Central dome of Mubarak Begum mosque, built in 1823, comes crashing down as heavy showers pound New Delhi. The central dome of a 200-year-old mosque in the Indian capital New Delhi has come crashing down due to the heavy monsoon rains in the city. The red sandstone Mubarak Begum mosque, built by a courtesan in 1823, is among some of the iconic heritage sites in the historic old quarters of the city. On Sunday, the flooding in the city killed two people leading to the collapse of many houses and trees. At around 6.45 am [01:15 GMT], the dome collapsed with a huge sound, the mosques 45-year-old imam Mohammad Zahid told Anadolu Agency. I was sleeping in my room inside the mosque when I heard thunder. We have since locked the mosque. But we continued offering namaz [prayers] and teachings in the open courtyard. Zahid has been the muezzin (who calls for prayers) and imam at the mosque since 2004. He revealed that the last repair at the historic mosque was done in 2016. Since then, he said he had written several letters to the office of the Waqf Board, a government institution that looks after Muslim structures in the country, to draw its attention to the deteriorating structure and to seek their help to repair the roof. People sit in front of a partially damaged portion of historic Mubarak Begum mosque in New Delhi [Sajjad Hussain/AFP] On Monday, Zahid wrote again to the Delhi Waqf Boards office, asking for the restoration of the damaged structure. He said officers from the board had visited the site to assess the damage. The Waqf officials did not reply to Anadolus queries regarding the issue. However, Himal Akhtar, a member of the Waqf Board, told the Indian Express newspaper that conservation of the historic mosque was a priority. Courtesan who married British officer Situated in Old Delhis busy Chawri Bazaar locality, the mosque was built by Mubarak Begum, originally a Hindu courtesan from the western city of Pune, who came to Delhi and converted to Islam. She married David Ochterlony, a British resident to the Mughal emperors court in colonial Delhi. After he died in 1825, she married a Mughal nobleman, who fought against the British in 1857 which led to the destruction of her tomb complex in reprisal. Soon after reports of the domes collapse came, many heritage lovers took to social media to express their shock and anger. Tragic news from old Delhi: The dome of the Masjid Mubarak Begum just collapsed, wrote William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and writer who lives in New Delhi. Mubarak Begum was wife of Sir David Ochterlony. She started off a Brahmin girl in Pune; found her way to Delhi where she converted to Islam & married Ochterlony, who built her the last great Mughal tomb, Mubarak Bagh. She then remarried a noble who fought vs the British in 1857. pic.twitter.com/xr1SI0Xh3R William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) July 19, 2020 Her palatial house was famous for Mughal culture and it was here that Mughal prince Mirza Farhatullah Baig organised the last Urdu poetry recitation session before the Mughal empire was removed by the British in 1857, recalled Dalrymple. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was imprisoned by the British and then exiled to the-then Burmese (modern Myanmar) capital of Rangoon (Yangon). Many parts of India are reeling under floods due to heavy monsoon rains in recent days. New Delhi on Sunday recorded 74.8mm rainfall, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, leading to knee-high waterlogging in several areas. In the northeastern state of Assam, at least 84 people are reported to have died and nearly three million displaced due to the rains. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. About 50 people gathered at Wallenberg High School in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon to spread their message about disbanding the police. The group all in masks, and observing social-distancing guidelines followed a back-strapped sound system blaring inspirational music as they danced, chanted, and raised signs and fists while marching through the North of the Panhandle neighborhood to the Richmond Police Station on Sixth Avenue. The thoughts of many were with fellow protesters 600 miles north. I think whats happening in Portland is the next step toward becoming a Nazi Party, said Sam Giovannoni, who traveled from Alameda to Sundays protest in San Francisco as a volunteer medic. Its weaponizing citizens against other citizens and federal agents using unlawful arrests as photo ops. Its extremely terrifying to me. Reports out of Portland, Ore., recently described protesters against police brutality being swept off the street near a federal building and police station by unidentified federal agents. Protests have roiled Oregons largest city for 50-plus days in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis. Tear gas has been repeatedly deployed, including late Saturday, when protesters were said to have started a dumpster fire in Portland. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle The Washington Post, citing an Oregonian report quoting the mother of an injured man, reported that federal agents shot the man in the face Saturday with less-than-lethal ammunition that fractured the mans skull. Some have accused President Trump of deploying a secret army, after threats from him and acting Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to go after what theyre calling violent anarchists. Thats crazy, man. Whats happening in Portland is so unconstitutional. Its unbelievable, said Don Poisson, who spoke at the San Francisco march on Sunday and is the founder of a group that focuses on the death of people of color at the hands of police. Now Playing: Video of Black Lives Matter mural on Bellevue Avenue in Oakland created by Queer Healing Arts Center which includes various various populations within the BLM movement. Video: Carlos Avila Gonzalez Our goal is to disband the SFPD and replace it with something that protects the city and its citizens, Poisson said. We cant just throw out some ad hoc Band-Aids as solutions when we have people with a history of being racist. Bay Area protests have generally dwindled over the past month, though Sundays demonstrations included a march in Los Gatos and a vigil in Vacaville. A group dedicated a huge Black Lives Matter mural created by the Queer Healing Arts Center along Bellevue Avenue in Oakland on Sunday afternoon. At the San Francisco demonstration, Poisson spoke about a history of racism and brutality among law enforcement and gave details about Camden, N.J., where the police force has been disbanded. 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 crowd cheered when he yelled: If you dont want a racist, bigoted group that is supposed to protect you, what do you do? You get rid of them. Two motorcycle police officers and an unmarked law enforcement sport utility vehicle circled to monitor the protest, which was peaceful. The group carried signs ranging from: Remove the badges. Return the trust to All cops are bastards. They drew supportive honks from passing cars and cheers from residential windows. Amid the party-like march was Giovannoni, keeping a watchful eye on anyone who needed first aid or water. He said he has been drawn to activism since Oscar Grant was killed by a BART police officer in 2009. I think its naive to believe that we dont (need) any form of institutional intervention, but I think police have lost the right to be called police, Giovannoni said. We want to destroy the police unions, because thats what protecting them. Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron (Newser) The family of a missing Philadelphia toddler has been told that police believe the boy was murderedbut his body might never be recovered. Tianna Parks, described as an acquaintance of King Hill's stepfather who was babysitting the boy, faces charges including murder and abusing a corpse, CBS Philadelphia reports. Police say the 24-year-old made false statements to investigators and was arrested Sunday after authorities found cell phone video which confirmed that the boy, who would have turned 3 later this month, had been killed. Police say the boy was last seen on July 5. He was reported missing on July 7 when the stepfather realized that Parks did not have him. story continues below During the search for the boy, Parks claimed to have returned him to mother Amber Hill. "You never dropped my son off, you never did none of that. Youre lying, youre a liar," Hill said last week. On Monday, she said police had informed her that her son had been killed, but they don't know where his body is and it might never be retrieved. "We kept faith alive and now we got this news that my son was murdered," she told NBC 10. "Throughout this I really thought my son was alive. It's just heartbreaking." District Attorney Larry Krasner described the death as an "unbearable tragedy" made worse by Parks' actions. "This precious babys family and community deserve to know how he died," he said. "They deserve the opportunity to bury and mourn him with dignity." (Read more Philadelphia stories.) The problem was fixed Friday, Board of Elections Chair Lynn Caterson said, and the votes were retallied. The corrections did not change any outcomes, she said. But fixing the problem slowed down the process. The board was only able to count about an additional 1,000 votes, going from about 28,000 counted at the end of Thursday, to just over 29,000 counted by Friday afternoon. There are about 6,000 additional provisional votes still to count, Superintendent of Elections Maureen Bugdon has said. People who physically went to the polls Tuesday filled out paper provisional ballots. By election night, Cape May County had received 18,568 mail-in ballots, and an estimated 2,500 provisional ballots were cast at the polls Tuesday, Fulginiti said. In 2016, a total of 18,600 votes were cast in the primary in Cape May County. County Boards of Elections are still receiving ballots and will until a week after the close of polls, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The Telangana High Court on Monday expressed outrage over the state governments handling of the coronavirus crisis and disclosure of related information. Upset over non-implementation of its earlier orders on issues related to the pandemic in the state, the court on Monday directed senior officials, including the chief secretary, to appear before it on July 28. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, while hearing a batch of PILs on the COVID-19 situation and condition of hospitals in Telangana, expressed unhappiness over the lesser number of COVID-19 tests being done, as compared to other states. Pulling up the government, the bench commented that the people are left to their fate" and questioned why the government was not providing all details in the COVID-19 cases daily bulletin. Expressing dissatisfaction on the report submitted by the government on COVID-19 data, the bench opined that there would be stringent action over non-compliance of its directions and questioned why the court shouldn't issue orders to suspend the officials concerned for non-compliance of the orders. When Advocate General BS Pradsad said the government is preparing a software to integrate data of private and government hospitals on COVID-19, the court said, How long will you drag it? The numbers are rising like anything. The virus has spread to remote villages and tribal hamlets. When will you wake up? The court further directed the government to submit a full report with supporting documents. It directed that Collectors publish on a daily basis, the information on the number of positive cases in their respective districts. This should be further tabulated by the Health Department and published on a daily basis in the medical bulletin. The court also directed that the Health Department website be restored to its original position and to continue reveal the facts and figures which it had and publicised prior to being taken down. The bench wanted the information to be disseminated to the common man, so that they can take precautions and noted that despite these directions being issued by the Court, the government was continuously failing to carry them out. The court directed the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary of Health, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare and Director of Medical Education and Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to appear before it on July 28. On one of the petitioner's allegations about the death of a few COVID-19 patients over alleged non-availability of oxygen, the court directed the government to ensure that sufficient oxygen facilities are made available at all notified COVID-19 hospitals. It also directed the government to increase rapid antigen tests and to submit reports before it in both the matters. Despite passing appropriate orders, the same was not implemented by the state, the High Court had said in one of its earlier orders, terming it as "sorry state of affairs". (With inputs from PTI) Time to bring this back. Reply Thread Link Every time I see this, I think it's the dean from Community haha Reply Parent Thread Link lol I keep thinking its Michael Stipe Reply Parent Thread Expand Link this gif will survive the apocalypse alongside cockroaches Reply Parent Thread Link lol those were some days Reply Parent Thread Link God, I hope so. Reply Thread Link This reads like fanfiction. Reply Thread Link It does but a chunk was verified by several independent sources. Reply Parent Thread Link Who knows since this is mainly speculation but Im happy any time someone leaves this cult so I hope theres some truth to it. Reply Thread Link Does scientology collect blackmail on people? I feel like that would impact Johns ability to leave. They probably have dirt on him. Reply Thread Link Apparently they keep records of what people discuss in their auditing sessions, often extremely private information. Reply Parent Thread Link I rewatched Going Clear yesterday and they used some guy's admission of cheating on his girlfriend to set up Tom Cruise and one of his potential brides (Nazanin Boniadi). Reply Parent Thread Link That's literally what their auditing sessions are Reply Parent Thread Link Basically, what hellojeds and yurasama_love said. They have those weird mandatory auditing sessions. These sessions are supposed to be some type of "therapy", but they are just using these sessions to collect private information. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh yes, audio and video. Also they ask you to relay every "horrible" thing you have not only done, but thought about. So god only knows what they have on people. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, he could be in "what do I have to lose" mode at the moment Reply Parent Thread Link Travolta and Presley would get together to gossip and drink wine... i see what you did there. and i approve. Reply Thread Link i mean this just sounds like speculation and wishful thinking. i think we all wish someone would take down Scientology but i doubt that will happen. Reply Thread Link honestly. 2020 has no limits Reply Parent Thread Link Travolta leaving Scientology would be amazing to see. The only person I can see never leaving the church is Tom Cruise. They treat him like a god. Reply Thread Link Yeah Tom is never leaving. Reply Parent Thread Link tom leaving would be an enormous deal, but i can't ever see it happening? Reply Parent Thread Link Miscavige makes the Sea Org serve as Tom's billion year servants so he's never going to leave. Miscavige gives Tom EVERYTHING he wants including girlfriends. Reply Parent Thread Link wait, so he brought her mom (and her) into scientology? Reply Thread Link Yes, after Elvis' death. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm surprise Kelly was the more devote one. Reply Thread Link I will always root for people leaving cults! Reply Thread Link save him lisa marie! Reply Thread Link This surprises me. Travolta has always struck me as second in command behind Tommy Cruise. He's recruited so many people over the literal decades. (And he lost his own son, too.) Reply Thread Link Honestly Ive gotten the impression hes just kept his head down and kept a low profileI suspect the ~scandals~ he had a few years ago were from attempts at leaving. I also have a theory that the really nasty rumors about Fred Armison that popped up around the time he and Elisabeth Moss divorced have similar origins. But like lol idk allegedly. Reply Parent Thread Link If you can watch Going Clear, it goes into Travolta a lot and even though it has been a few years since I watched it I recall getting the impression that he was basically blackmailed into staying, I think he *had* a lot of power and influence but I think he's lost so many people via death and "disconnection" that he is over it but they have so much info on him. Reply Parent Thread Link I want him to leave so badly and just live his life. The last time it was rumored he was trying to leave all that stuff with the massages got leaked. I've been a fan of his for a very long time and it honestly wouldn't matter to me if he was bi or gay, and I'm sure a lot of his fans feel the same way. I just want him to be happy. Reply Thread Link The last time it was rumored he was trying to leave all that stuff with the massages got leaked. I thought about that too. Things have changed so much since when he first became famous. I hope he can live his life without fear and that him and his kids* get out of that cult. *I didn't know he had another son. Edited at 2020-07-20 08:33 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Certain areas of the national capital have hit their peak in COVID-19 cases while certain other areas in the city are yet to reach the peak, said AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday. He further said that there is not much evidence of community transmission happening at the national level. "Certain areas have hit their peak in COVID-19 cases. Delhi seems to have done so because the cases have declined significantly. Certain areas have yet to reach the peak. Cases are increasing in certain states. They will reach the peak a little later," Dr Guleria said here while addressing a press conference here. The national capital had witnessed a surge in the cases of novel coronavirus cases over the past one month. However, the number of active cases has seen a dip over the past few weeks. "But there are hotspots, even in cities where there is spike of cases and it very likely that local community transmission in those areas is happening," he said. The Union Health Ministry said there are a total of 12,2793 COVID-19 cases in Delhi including 16031 active cases and 3628 deaths. Over one lakh people have been cured/discharged/migrated in the national capital. On Monday India's COVID-19 case tally crossed the 11 lakh mark with the highest single-day spike of 40,425 new cases and 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Further, the AIIMS director said that the mortality rate in South East Asia, including India, is much lower than in European countries like Italy and Spain and even in the United States. "If you look at the data from Southeast Asia, not just India, the mortality rate is much lower than what happened in Italy and Spain or what is happening in the United States," he said. Two days after announcing that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will conduct the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, Dr Guleria said that the trial will be conducted in three phases. "Phase 1 vaccine trial will be conducted on healthy people aged 18-55 years who have no co-morbidity. A total of 1125 samples have been collected of which 375 people will be studied in the first phase and 750 people between 12-65 years will be studied in the second phase," said Guleria. "To test the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine a trial will be conducted under phase-3. The trail will be conducted in AIIMS," he added. AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its approval for conducting the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin. The country's top drug regulator had recently given a green signal for human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, which has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). (ANI) Also Read: Coronavirus: Sriharikota space station to function with skeletal staff REPORT: Politics in the Pub, Perth, WA Climate emergency post-COVID-19 On 9th July, the Communist Party of Australia held its first public event since COVID restrictions were lifted in Western Australia. The two topics which were chosen for the event included the one that is in everyones face and the other which continues to escalate but mostly in the background of the corporate media noise the Coronavirus pandemic and climate change respectively. The event was chaired by CPA member Dr Christopher Crouch who said the it was no accident that the two issues have come together at this time in human history. Dr Crouch quoted from a United Nations report released on 6th July 2020: The science is clear that if we keep exploiting wildlife and destroying our ecosystems, then we can expect to see a steady stream of these diseases jumping from animals to humans in the years ahead. What happens in one sphere goes on to effect other spheres however to effect meaningful change, added Dr Crouch, We need not just climate change but system change. The first speaker introduced by the Chair was Paddy Cullen a well known environmental activist in WA who told the thirty people who came to listen to the presentation that the world is in a tug of war between those who stoke the flames of the climate emergency the capitalists and those in government who prop them up, and those who fight against its consequences, fire fighters, scientists and communities of ordinary people. The latter must pull together and pull harder against the other side to ensure the survival of our environment and our communities. Cullen was also concerned our government had been prepared to listen to the advice of scientists and medical experts over how to control and eliminate the effects of COVID-19 but they have not been prepared to listen to the science on climate change and now we also face an emergency over the climate. Cullen said that the science is not new and we have known since 1856 of the phenomenon of climate change when a scientist and campaigner for womans rights, Eunice Newton Foote of New York, discovered carbon dioxide warms the planet by putting two thermometers in the sun one with carbon dioxide in it and one without. The temperature in the test tube with CO2 was warmer. It was not soon afterwards in 1859, in Pennsylvania, also in the USA, the first producing oil well was capped. In 1998 Paddy Cullen was in Thailand working on gibbon research when he observed the sky had been darkened from the forest fires raging in Borneo some distance across an ocean to the east and later he visited Borneo while those fires were continuing and was told people could not get anywhere near to control them as the fires were so intense. In WA, he visited the Ningaloo Reef and in 2004, the Dampier Archipelago where he witnessed the effect which warming sea temperatures had on coral by bleaching them a pure white. Paddy has also been to the Pacific Islands where he had seen how rising sea levels had washed away burial grounds of their ancestors and killed the roots of their plants which provide them with food. They also experienced drought in the Pacific Islands as well as in Africa and Syria in the Middle East events which can bring about economic hardship and armed conflict over water and arable land. In WA, fifty areas have been identified over susceptibility to inundation from climate change even the city of Rockingham where the states Premier, Mark McGowan has his electorate office. But noted, Cullen, WA is also one of the states which contributes the most to climate change as it is responsible for producing so much conventional gas through large scale projects such as the Browse basin, Gorgon field, and the Burrup Peninsula near Karratha. When people did protest in WA the Environmental Protection Agency relented and said Chevron and Woodside should offset their carbon emissions. The big carbon emitters merely knocked on the door of the WA government and it relented with the proposed regulations, along with the Seven West Media, publisher of the states only daily newspaper, The West which is heavily owned by mining and gas interests also supporting Big Carbon. However, there is hope as many issues have become mainstream now, including climate change and more recently Black Lives Matter, Cancel the Rent, and Defund the Police and these have made connections and links to environmental issues. The second speaker was Elly Hulm, Branch Secretary Perth CPA, who said that community action around the climate emergency was positive but it alone will not solve the problem we are now facing. A change in the system is needed. There is a deep incompatibility between the action that is needed and capitalism that is driven by the never-ending pursuit of profit; and the necessity for the economy to continuously expand to avoid the unavoidable crises. While capitalisms failures are being exposed by the pandemic, the need for a climate recovery is possible has also been exposed. COVID-19 has shown that things can change very quickly for the worse as well as for the better as the seventeen per cent in global reductions of emissions in April 2020 has shown. While we dont want to bring about the environmental change needed at the expense of human life through global pandemics, we cannot now afford to bounce back to a so-called normal as the climate crisis is continuing to accelerate. A new normal is needed. The last time the planet experienced a drop in emissions was during the GFC of 2008/2009 only to rebound in 2010 as the economy recovered leading to the emergence of a new, all-time high level of emissions. There are no signs however that the will of the government has been moved by the pandemic. Under the cover of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, a raft of climate destructive policies has been progressed including in NSW, with the government approving an extension of longwall coal mining under the Woronora reservoir. In Victoria the state government lifted its moratorium on drilling for onshore conventional gas reserves. Internationally further signs of a lack of will are evident. The UNs annual climate summit, scheduled for November in Glasgow has been postponed until 2021 and it is not the only global climate meeting which has been disrupted. In the US the government and some parts of industry are calling for pollution abatement policies to be delayed and a relaxation of enforcement. The US has also rolled back on the car emissions rules which were a central piece of its efforts to reduce gas emissions. What makes sense to capitalism, rampant unplanned growth, an indifference to the consequences of production to maximise profits, cannot be reconciled with what is needed for a future that supports human life. Capital cannot control the laws of its own free market economy and its failures are being exposed by the pandemic. Climate change is not just an environmental issue, it is fundamentally a crisis of civilisation and for human survival. Hulm noted also that earlier modelling looks now like it may have been conservative. Today there are many places which are approaching conditions where it will be difficult for human life to exist. Heat and humidity are reaching levels that present a real climate hazard. Yet while the very real effects of climate change are occurring and effecting the way we live, the government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison is increasing spending on the military budget by $270 billion on the supposed spectre of an increasingly unstable world the threat of war versus the real existential threat coming from climate change. This was contrasted against how socialist countries are responding to the climate crisis with prioritisation of climate action, constitutional changes for the conservation of the environment and the fight against climate change, which threatens the survival of the human species. Reforestation strategies, energy policy where the core concept is to rely less and less on hydrocarbons and give greater space in the energy balance to renewable sources like solar, wind, tide, and water play a part. Conservation systems being put into place from house level to the public sector and cooperative farms. To address the climate crisis a commitment to carbon neutrality is needed and it cant happen under capitalism. Different choices are made when people are put before profits. Advertisement Mark Zuckerberg has been pictured riding his $12,000 electric surfboard in Hawaii with lashings of sunscreen plastered on his face and wearing a blue hoodie to protect against the rays. The Facebook chief, 36, appeared to take extreme precautions against any sun damage during the beach outing Saturday. His trip comes three weeks after locals on the island of Kauai called on the tech billionaire to stop colonizing the land, claiming he is suing natives in order to build a mansion on their land. The Change.org campaign was launched three weeks ago and has since garnered more than 800,000 signatures. But Zuckerberg appeared not to let the outrage bother him as he moved around on the electric Efoil board next to pro surfer Kai Lenny, who went shirtless and without visible sunscreen for the day out. His security followed behind in close proximity on a boat, pictures show. The billionaire's safety first summer look sparked a wave of memes across the internet by Twitter users who dubbed him the 'mime surfer' and suggested he had been taking fashion tips from the Joker, Mrs Doubtfire, a moon and even a lizard. Journalist Kevin Fallon wrote: 'An exclusive photo of my sleep paralysis demon.' The Facebook CEO took extreme precautions against any sun damage during the beach outing Saturday His trip comes three weeks after locals on the island of Kauai called on the tech billionaire to stop colonizing the land, claiming he is suing natives in order to build a mansion on their land. The Change.org campaign was launched three weeks ago and has since garnered more than 800,000 signatures But Zuckerberg appeared not to let the outrage bother him as he moved around on the electric Efoil board Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan acquired a 700-plus acre property for $200million in Kauai back in 2014 Zuckerberg's security followed behind in close proximity on a boat, pictures show Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan acquired a 700-plus acre property for $200million in Kauai back in 2014. The couple are staying on their sprawling estate with their two toddler daughters. Petition organizers have accused the billionaire - 'the sixth richest man in the world' - of trying to boot locals off the land to make room for his vacation home. Reps for Zuckerberg have responded to the campaign saying the 'premise of the petition is false.' After pictures of his overzealous sunscreen application went viral several people compared the tech billionaire to various incarnations of Batman's The Joker. Journalist Kevin Fallon wrote: 'An exclusive photo of my sleep paralysis demon.' Sana Saeed shared a collection of pictures of Zuckerberg over the years, writing: 'google photos of mark zuckerberg over the years and you can see the human leave his body year by year.' Another user simply compared him to the moon from British comedy The Mighty Boosh. Bill Williamsoon photo-shopped a snake's tongue onto the image, adding: 'Mark Zuckerberg goes sssssurfing.' Sean Scheidt wrote: 'I can't get over what Zuckerberg looks like without his human make up on his face.' Zuckerberg is staying at his sprawling estate on Kauai with wife Priscilla Chan and their two toddler daughters Billionaire Zuckerberg seemed as ease on the pricey electric surfboard on Saturday but less comfortable with the sun Zuckerberg said in an interview published Monday he has 'no deal of any kind' with President Donald Trump on content moderation on the social media giant. In an interview with Axios, he rejected the 'speculation' that Facebook had an arrangement that gives the president free rein on the platform. 'Let me be clear: There's no deal of any kind,' Zuckerberg told the news site. 'Actually, the whole idea of a deal is pretty ridiculous.' The comments come with Facebook under intense pressure, and a growing boycott from advertisers, to curb hateful content that may promote violence, including from Trump. Facebook's longstanding policy has been to steer clear of fact-checking political speech but it did take down an ad from the Trump campaign that included a symbol used in Nazi Germany. 'There are a lot of people who've said that maybe we're too sympathetic or too close in some way to the Trump administration,' Zuckerberg said. The billionaire Facebook founder looked quite the expert aboard the $12,000 electric hydrofoil, which gives the sensation of flying over water He was closely followed by his security detail and professional surfer Kai Lenny Facebook is under intense pressure, and a growing boycott from advertisers, to curb hateful content that may promote violence, including from Trump. But Zuckerberg did not seem to let the pressure get to him during his beach outing Zuckerberg said in an interview published Monday he has 'no deal of any kind' with President Donald Trump on content moderation on the social media giant. In an interview with Axios, he rejected the 'speculation' that Facebook had an arrangement that gives the president free rein on the platform. Pro surfer Kai Lenny went shirtless and without visible sunscreen for the day out Zuckerberg surfs on his electric board as his security detail keep a close eye on him He noted that despite his discussions with Trump, Facebook has had a number of conflicts with the current administration including attacks on Section 230, which gives online services a liability shield from content posted by third parties. 'Under this administration, we've faced record fines of $5 billion, are under antitrust investigation by multiple agencies, and have been targeted by an executive order to strip protections in Section 230,' he said. He added that 'I do speak with the president from time to time, just like I spoke with our last president and political leaders around the world.' Zuckerberg said he accepted an invitation to a private White House dinner with Trump 'because I was in town and he is the president of the United States.' He pointed out that 'I also had multiple meals and meetings with President Obama ... both at the White House and outside, including hosting an event for him at Facebook HQ.' live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Power on Monday said its arm CGPL - which runs Mundra power plant - has raised Rs 350 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on private placement basis. "Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has successfully issued and allotted Unsecured, Rated, Listed, Taxable, Guaranteed, Redeemable, Non-Convertible Debentures for an amount of Rs 350 crore on private placement basis issued for a tenor of 3 years," a regulatory filing said. The NCDs have been rated AA (CE) by India Ratings & Research and will carry a coupon rate of 8.55 per cent, payable annually. The debt obligations of the CGPL under the NCDs are guaranteed by the company, the filing said. The proceeds of the NCDs will be utilised towards general corporate purposes of CGPL, including refinance of existing debt, capital expenditure, and augmentation of working capital. It will not be used for any purpose for which bank finance is not permitted by the Reserve Bank of India, including investments in capital markets, real estate and onlending. These NCDs have been issued on a private placement basis through a private placement offer letter cum information memorandum, it added. New Delhi, July 20 : As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his attacks on the Modi government on different issues, the party has added another ammo to its arsenal -- slick video clips -- apart from FB and Twitter posts. The Congress on Monday released a 2.39-minute video clip wherein he claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and fabricated a "fake" strongman image to come to power and now his biggest strength is "India's biggest weakness". Party sources said that the video -- second in the series -- has been produced by an in-house team along with Social Media foot soldiers, involving a total of five to seven persons. The first such video was released on Friday. The sources said it was a "team effort" that led to production of good videos, without any help from outsiders. The well-crafted video released on Monday incorporated pictures and news clippings, apart from subtitles in Hindi and special effects. Once the videos were released on various Social Media platforms, transcripts of what all Rahul Gandhi said were drafted and circulated to different media houses. Asked about the reach of the videos, the source said: "The first video received millions of views across social and mainstream media platforms, including over 2.5 million views on Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle alone." When pointed out that Rahul Gandhi was getting trolled, a Congress leader remarked this it mean his popularity was on the rise and the BJP was getting rattled. One of the first reactions to Monday's video came from BJP President JP Nadda who said: "We saw yet another (failed) edition of 'Project RG Relaunch' today. Rahul Gandhi ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging...." Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's retort to Nadda was: "Tragic that Nadda ji is sounding more and more like a troll version of the Bhakts." El Gobierno del Peru agradece al Gobierno de los Emiratos Arabes Unidos y a la Santa Sede por la donacion de viveres, desinfectantes y equipos de proteccion personal dirigidos al Vicariato Apostolico de Iquitos. ?https://t.co/wV51aUhXIU pic.twitter.com/BWDiZgbI94 The Supreme Court on Monday ruled out sparing a sitting top court judge to be part of gangster Vikas Dubeys encounter probe committee, advising the state of Uttar Pradesh to employ the services of an ex-judge of the very court and a retired police officer for it. We cannot spare a sitting top court judge to become part of the inquiry committee, said the apex court. The court also said that the retired SC judge should be from the state as other judges are unwilling to go to Allahabad due to the Covid situation. Appearing for the UP police, senior advocate Harish Salve agreed to bring notification of persons to be included. The Court will consider and approve the same on Wednesday. The court also reminded the state that it is duty bound to uphold rule of law. Commenting on the lapses in the system, the court observed: We are appalled at the fact that such a person [Vikas Dubey] was released on bail. As an institution we have failed to keep a person behind bars. The Committee must examine this aspect too. UP police received a lot of flak when it demolished the gangsters family home and his cars after it failed to nab him. In its defence, the police said it was trying to find the stolen arms. There have also been several questions about the Dubey encounter - following the car accident while he was being brought back to Kanpur from Madhya Pradesh. On Friday, the UP government categorically denied before the court that the gunning down of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey on July 10 was a fake encounter. The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) filed an application highlighting how encounters have increased in UP since 2018. The court asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for the state government to look into this aspect as well. The bench said, What is at stake is not one incident in UP but the whole system. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:47:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks walk on a street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2020. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin cautioned his compatriots on Monday against being complacent and urged them to stick to measures outlined by the government to combat COVID-19 amid rise in new cases and new clusters. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin cautioned his compatriots on Monday against being complacent and urged them to stick to measures outlined by the government to combat COVID-19 amid rise in new cases and new clusters. In a televised speech, Muhyiddin warned that the government could reinstate the restrictive measures such as the lockdown during the original Movement Control Order (MCO), which has been gradually eased to allow most social and economic activities to resume. "The outbreak is still not over," he said, referring to the increase of cases around the world. "Even though COVID-19 cases remain low in our country, I am worried about the existence of 13 new clusters throughout the recovery MCO." "Even more worrying to me is COVID-19 cases are back to double digits for the past few days," he said. As the reintroduction of strict restrictive measures could be a huge blow to Malaysia's economy, Muhyiddin warned Malaysians to take individual responsibility and continue the "new normal" against the outbreak. He also said the government is considering making face masks wearing in public places mandatory and reinstating compulsory quarantine at designated facilities to better control imported cases. Meanwhile, Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that another 21 cases were reported on Monday, bringing the total cases in the country to 8,800. Of these, six cases were imported and the 15 were local transmissions, including 12 from a newly discovered cluster at a nursing home in southern Johor state. Another two cases were released, bringing the total cured and discharged to 8,555 or 97.2 percent of all the cases. Of the remaining 122 active cases in the country, three are being held in intensive care and one of those is in need of assisted breathing. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total deaths at 123. Australian Lawmakers Join 600+ from 30 Countries Calling For End to Chinese Regimes Persecution of Falun Gong Over 20 current and former Australian MPs and senators are among 606 lawmakers from 30 countries who have signed a joint statement calling for the end of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong in China. The joint statement was published by the Falun Dafa Information Centre on Monday, July 20coinciding with the 21-year anniversary of the start of the CCPs persecution. It is signed by current and former ministers, senators, members of parliament, members of congress, and state-level lawmakers from Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Police detain a Falun Gong protester in Tiananmen Square as a crowd watches in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2000 photo. (AP Photo/Chien-min Chung) The persecution of Falun Gong in China has been one of the harshest campaigns against a faith group in modern times, says the joint statement. Since July 1999, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been arbitrarily arrested and jailed without due process and many have been tortured and even killed. We urge the Chinese government to respect international norms and to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China, and to unconditionally release all detained Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. Senator Eric Abetz during Senate question time in Canberra, Australia on July 7, 2014. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images) Australian Liberal Sen. Eric Abetz (Tas) was a signatory to the joint statement and spoke at a virtual rally on July 20 to commemorate the 21-year anniversary of the persecution. He told The Epoch Times: I encourage the practitioners of [Falun Gong] to never give in, [never] give up hope or forget that the freedom-loving peoples of the world stand with them in their fight for human rights and freedom. Embedded within every soul is the unquenchable desire for freedom. Many have died in its pursuit, including those in China, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, he added. A woman joins Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on July 20, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Abetz called Falun Gongs peaceful and non-violent approach to resistance noble, noting that while it may appear of limited effectiveness, it possessed far more legitimacy than any means of violence or coercion. The persecution of Falun Gong and other religious movements in China, including Uyghur Muslims and House Christians, Abetz noted, shows that the regime feels threatened by systems of thought that dont rigidly adhere to its extreme communist dogma. Queensland state Liberal Member for Oodgeroo, Rev. Dr. Mark Robinson, also signed the joint statement. He told The Epoch Times: As a Member of the Parliament of Queensland and as a Christian leader, I stand with the members of [Falun Gong] and say that Australian Christians are concerned about what you have experienced in China and that we are standing with you in prayer and hoping for a more free and open China in the future for all people of faith. Tianguo Marching Band leading the March in Melbourne, Australia, on July 14, 2018. (Chen Ming/Epoch Times) Robinson said that Australias economy and social society has benefited from its core value of freedom of religion. Religious freedom is not just a western ideal but a universal right for all people, he said, citing Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In my view, the government, economy, and people of China would benefit greatly from allowing increased freedoms to people of faith who commit to live peaceably. Craig Kelly, Liberal Member for Hughes in New South Wales said that for Falun Gong adherents, it has been a long and difficult 21 years, he told The Epoch Times. I would hope that the Chinese authorities realise that they have nothing to fear and everything to gain from ending the persecution, he said. We should also be very upset and concerned that groups like the United Nations and the World Health Organisation had a practice of not upsetting China rather than acting in the interests of all people in the world. Falun Gong practitioners from outside China appealed at Tiananmen Square on Nov. 20, 2001. (Falun Dafa Information Center) George Christensen in Canberra, Australia on February 14, 2018. (Michael Masters/Getty Images) Liberal National Party MP George Christensen, who also spoke during the July 20 anniversary virtual rally, told The Epoch Times: The Chinese Communist Partys 21-year long persecution of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners shows that the regime is brutal and ruthless. They seek to snuff out anything they dont understand or cant fully control. And the forced organ harvesting that theyve subjected Falun Gong practitioners to is a crime against humanity. The forced organ harvesting that theyve subjected Falun Gong practitioners to is a crime against humanity. Christensen echoed Abetzs praise for Falun Gongs peaceful resistance, saying they need to be applauded. They are an inspiration to so many others during this time when we all need to resist the ruthless, brutal, and evil actions of the CCP regime, he said. The global joint statement was signed by 24 current and former MPs from the Liberal and National Parties, the Greens, New South Wales Labor, Victorian Liberal Democrats, New South Wales State Christian Democratic Party, and Pauline Hansons One Nation Party. Australian signatories to the joint statement included Liberal and National Party MPs George Christensen, Craig Kelly, Ken ODowd, Mark Robinson, David Batt, Tanya Davies, Bernie Finn, Julia Finn, Edward ODonohue, Liberal Democrat MP David Limbrick, Christian Democratic Party MP Fred Nile, Liberal Democrats Tim Quilty, former Liberal Party MP Peter Abetz, Greens MPs Larissa Waters, Caroline Le Couteur, David Shoebridge, Cate Faehrmann, Tammy Franks, Jamie Parker, and One Nation Party MP Robin Scott. Australian Liberal Party Senators Eric Abetz, Alex Antic, and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells signed the joint statement as well. The Accra Regional Police Command has picked up a certain Adjei Boye, a landlord at Manhean for allegedly murdering his tenant by butchering him with a cutlass. Boye reportedly also hacked the wife of Kweku Abu, 38, the deceased with the same cutlass causing injuries to her head. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tengeh, Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Accra Police Command, who briefed the media in Accra said Police received a complaint about the incident on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at about 7:35 pm. She said the complainant told the police that at about 4:50pm while he was working at his site in the neighbourhood, he heard shouts for help. DSP Tenge said the complainant then rushed to the compound of Boye and found that he had butchered his tenant Abu, and so with the assistance of other neighbours they rushed Abu to the Amasaman Government Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. DSP Tengeh said Police proceeded to Amasaman Government Hospital and found the body of the deceased in the boot of a taxi cab parked in front of the emergency ward in a pair of jeans trousers. She said There were deep cutlass wounds on the right jaw, both arms with the right wrist almost chopped off and some of his left fingers chopped off. She said there were also multiple cutlass wounds on the upper part of the body and that police removed the body and deposited it at the Police Hospital Morgue for preservation and autopsy. DSP Tengeh said on same day at about 9pm, the wife of deceased on contact came to the station with a cut on her head and blood oozing from it reported that at about 4:30pm, her landlord Boye slashed her with a cutlass and also butchered her husband for no apparent reason. She said a Police medical report form was issued to her to seek hospital treatment. ---Daily Guide India has begun human trials of its first domestically developed coronavirus vaccine, as a spike of 40,000 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours took the infection tally past 1.19 million people. The Indian Council of Medical Research, the country's top clinical research agency, gave the green light to phase I and II human trials of Covaxin, the experimental vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech. The council's media coordinator, Lokesh Sharma, said approval was given to 12 separate hospitals, which will decide when and how to launch their individual trials with healthy volunteers. Trials at some sites began yesterday or before, at some places it will begin today and at some sites it will start tomorrow, Sharma told RFI. Bharat Biotech developed Covaxin in partnership with the Council and the National Institute of Virology. The Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) began the exercise on Monday with 100 of the 375 volunteers enrolled with the 12 pre-selected hospitals for the phase-I trial. Safety first We are starting the phase-1 of the trial, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria told a news conference and added more people will be added later on, adding that safety was the priority. A second dose will be given after 14 days and then we will collect blood samples after various intervals and we will decide, based on the analysis, what is the effectiveness of this vaccine, Sharma told local media. He said the first phase would aim to test the vaccine's safety. Earlier this month, the research council triggered disbelief by setting 15 August as a deadline for the launch of home-grown vaccine. Later it backtracked saying the instruction was aimed at speeding up the trials. Even if fast-tracked, each phase of the trials can last months. Serum Institute, another Indian biotechnology firm, said it was looking at August to start human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and Astrazeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company. Global leader We are hoping that the vaccine will be available towards the end of this year," Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla told PTI news agency. We have associated with multiple institutions worldwide as manufacturing partners for vaccine candidates that are being developed, he said. The Institute is also developing a live attenuated vaccine with Codagenix, a US-based firm. India meets 62 percent of the global demand for vaccines. Besides Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute, five more Indian companies are in the race to develop a vaccine against coronavirus. But Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, had a word of caution. We have to be mindful that we are thinking the vaccine is the solution but even after it's developedvaccinating a substantial portion of the population is going to be take a long time, Mukherjee told India Today TV station. There is no magic solution she said. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Overnight July 19-20, as well as this moment, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively calm, Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said on Facebook. The adversary violated the ceasefire regime 9 times from firearms in different parts of the border, firing nearly 137 shots at the Armenian positions. Shots were fired at the military positions located in the direction of Chambarak 2 times. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side used AGS-17 grenade launcher. The adversary was silenced by the response fire of the Armenian side. Non-targeted shots were fired 4 times at the military positions located in the direction of Chinari, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, Berkaber and Berdavan villages. The Armenian side didnt make a response fire. Non-targeted shots were fired 2 times at the military positions located in the direction of Khndzorut. No response fire took place from the Armenian side. 1 shot was fired at the military positions located in the direction of Paruyr Sevak. The adversary was silenced by the response fire of the Armenian side, she said. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan EVERETT, Pa., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- River Mountain, a modern work-stay outpost, combines unparalleled access to nature with first-class work amenities and offers an inspiring remote work destination for those working from home. As the pandemic progresses and companies implement longer-term strategies for working remotely, the restlessness has set in for some remote employees that have been relegated to the home office - or shared kitchen table. River Mountain delivers a naturally distanced change of scenery for remote work and work-life balance. River Mountain River Mountain offers secluded workspaces, state-of-the-art accommodations, open space, fresh mountain air, and almost miraculously, a fiber internet connection in the middle of the great outdoors. Quite literally defining remote work, River Mountain is now accepting reservations for its opening Labor Day weekend. Surrounded by a stunning natural landscape, River Mountain's work amenities go beyond a typical office, highlights include: Nine unique and private remote workspaces, including: a biophilic designed formal space designed by award-winning architecture firm, GWWO, a restored historic 1807 log cabin, ENO hammock hideaway, and a canvas tipi along the creek. Fiber internet connection for fast internet service throughout the 150-acre property Overnight accommodations in Circadian Rhythm guest cabins and pods, designed by award-winning architecture firm GWWO. Farm to table cafe featuring grab and go style breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Complimentary locally roasted coffee, local craft beer, and wine. Evening bonfire and s'mores. Unparalleled access to nature with 150 acres of undisrupted natural landscape nestled in the private and peaceful valley between Warrior Ridge and Tussey Mountain . . Curated outdoor adventures and experiences right out the front door, including: creekside yoga, Pennsylvania Mid State Trail hike, forest bathing, and much more. While River Mountain offers an elevated remote work experience, the price is anything but lofty. Work-stay memberships are affordable, and with three tiers available, guests can customize their experience to fit their needs. River Mountain also offers team memberships, corporate retreats, and incentive benefit packages. Learn more about River Mountain memberships and its private remote workspaces by clicking here. COVID-19 River Mountain was created to improve the mental and physical health of guests, and the current health crisis has only strengthened their resolve to do so. River Mountain team has amplified its efforts to improve and protect the health and well-being of its guests by increasing operational enhancements to foster a safe and secure workplace environment. As a precaution, River Mountain's cabin pods are currently operating at 50% capacity. Staff members are required to wear masks at all times during guest interaction, and guests are asked to wear masks in common areas as well. Curated experiences are self-guided or distanced outdoors. Meals are grab and go, picnic style. The River Mountain team strictly adheres to OSHA and CDC guidelines, and has implemented rigorous cleaning and sanitation processes of guest pods, restrooms, community areas, and back of house. Hand sanitizing stations are also available throughout the property. View full COVID-19 policy here. About River Mountain Time outside has positive impacts on mental health, creativity, and work productivity. Everyone feels better with their feet in the water and the sun on their face. So what if access to nature was combined with first-class work amenities? How much happier and more productive would we be? At River Mountain, we think a lot. River Mountain is the first ever work play outpost. Personalized outdoors experiences for every level of adventurer combined with all the work amenities of your home or office. Minimalist luxury, stunning landscapes, thoughtful attention to work life, affordability, and hosts who get it. Learn more and reserve at rivermountain.org. Contact Information Meghan Gruszynski Co-Founder [email protected] Direct: 303-476-0204 Related Images image1.jpeg image2.jpeg image3.jpeg image4.jpeg SOURCE River Mountain Virtual panelists on Home-grown Solutions for the Socio-Economic Transformation of Africa in the post-COVID-19 era have paid glowing tribute to Nelson Mandela on his centenary birthday. Nelson Mandela Day, which falls on July 18, each year, has become an annual international day officially declared by the United Nations. The day was christened by the UN in November 2009 to showcase the true symbol of human greatness, celebrated on the Centenary of his birth, with the first UN Mandela Day held on July 2010. The 2020 celebration is on the theme, Take action, inspire change and make everyday a Mandela Day. Ms Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations said Mandela has become the moral giant of the 20th Century urging all leaders to take a cue from his leadership style. She said Mandela is a global call for action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world and the ability to make an impact. The Deputy Sec-Gen said the day should remind mankind to fight for social justice urging global leaders to unite the world to fight poverty, promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity. Mr Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat said asked the world to stand up to Nelson Mandelas values through volunteering and community service and shine light on the legacy of a man, who changed the 20th Century and helped shaped the 21st. He said This is the moment for all to renew the values that inspires Mandela, absolute determination, deep commitment to justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms, a profound belief in the equality and dignity of every woman and man. A relentless engagement for dialogue and solidarity across all lines and divisions. Mr. Kojo Parris, Chair-person of KBA Africa, a business incubation entity said Mandela remained the greatest statesman, a fierce advocate for equality, the founding father of peace in South Africa. In times of turbulence, he showed us the power of resisting oppression, justice over inequality, of dignity over humiliation, of forgiveness over hatred. He said as the world takes forward the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and strives to overcome new sources of adversity, let us recall the lessons of Nelson Mandelas life and essential humanism. Nelson Mandela remained South Africas first black president, a Nobel Prize Laureate and anti-apartheid icon. BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, on Sunday (July 19) slammed TMC-led government in West Bengal over an alleged incident of gangrape and murder of a teenage daughter of a BJP worker in North Dinajpur district and said that people of the state are terrorised by TMC goons. "All of West Bengal has been terrorised by TMC goons. TMC promised to turn Kolkata to London and Darjeeling to Switzerland, it never happened. But today, all of West Bengal has been terrorised by TMC goons. A 15-yr-old child of a BJP Karyakarta was raped and murdered in Chopra, yet the WB Govt is sleeping," he tweeted. TMC promised to turn Kolkata to London and Darjeeling to Switzerland, it never happened. But today, all of West Bengal has been terrorised by TMC goons. A 15-yr-old child of a BJP Karyakarta was raped and murdered in Chopra, yet the WB Govt is sleeping. pic.twitter.com/s8HOYFuCju Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) July 19, 2020 "We will not tolerate this lawlessness anymore. We will not allow Gundaraj to flourish in Bengal. We will not tolerate TMCs Gundaraj anymore. Enough is enough, we have to eradicate this politics of terror and murder from Bengal," Bista said in another tweet. The Darjeeling MP also said that he has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to take cognizance of the matter. "I have requested Hon`ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji and Hon`ble Governor H. E @jdhankhar1 ji to intervene and ensure that the murderers of our daughter from North Bengal is brought to justice. I have requested for a Central Probe into her murder," he tweeted. "I am deeply hurt and enraged at the heinous murder of a bright 15-year-old child, from Chopra block of North Dinajpur district, which falls under my Lok Sabha constituency (Darjeeling). She had only recently completed her Madhyamik (Class X) exams," said Bista. The gangrape and murder of the girl caused massive tension in the area with an angry mob burning down three police vehicles and two public buses at Kalgach area in Chopra on Sunday. The protesters claimed that the girl went missing on Saturday night at around 11 pm and was spotted by some villagers on Sunday in a brutal condition. The gilr was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police claimed that the preliminary report of the post mortem examination of the girl showed that her cause of death was "effect of poison." "Today morning Islampur PD received reliable information about the death of a young girl of Chopra PS area. Family members or any other associated persons didn`t inform Police. Police contacted the family and sent the body for Post Mortem. Inquest by a magistrate and videography of the Post Mortem was done. As per the PM report cause of death is "effect of poison". No injury marks anywhere in the body has been found. There is no sign of sexual or physical assault," said West Bengal police. There is finally a ray of hope for 20 medical students from Jharkhand and Bihar, among the 3,000 students from India stuck in Kyrgyzstan, near Russia. Saddam Khan, one of the students from Jharkhand, revealed that the process of rescuing and evacuating them have started, thanking Bollywood star Sonu Sood, former Baharagora MLA Kunal Sarangi and social worker Rekha Mishra for their efforts. We thank Sonu Sood, Kunal Sarangi and Rekha Mishra for their collective effort to help 3000 Indian students pursuing medical degree at Asian Medical Institute (AMI) in Kyrgyzstan, one of the many nations worst hit by global pandemic Covid-19. The process to rescue us and evacuate us has started and Sonu Sood has assured us that we need not pay any flight charge for our journey back to India, Saddam said in his tweet. Kunal said he had tweeted the plight of about 3,000 Indian students, including about 20 from Jharkhand and Bihar, currently stuck in Kyrgyzstan tagging Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and attaching an emotional video message by the stranded students on July 14. One of the 20 students from Jharkhand and Bihar is from Jamshedpur. It would not have been possible without the active efforts by Sonu Sood. He had contacted Yadav, one of the students, on the mobile number shared by them in the video message, said Sarangi on Monday. The next day, Sonu Sood retweeted my tweet and got in touch with the students in Kyrgyzstan through the mobile number of a student I had shared in my tweet. Please e-mail me the details of the students so that the rescue and evacuation process could be planned and initiated, Sood tweeted on July 15 evening. Dear students of kyrgysztan, for any info related to your rescue pls mail us on sonu4kyrgyzstan@gmail.com, only EMAIL ID used for the rescue of Indian students. Beware that Team Sonu Sood is NOT CHARGING or COLLECTING ANY MONEY from you in any manner for managing this. sonu sood (@SonuSood) July 15, 2020 Also read | Anurag Kashyap weighs in on nepotism debate: First ask which actor, director is worst behaved, made supporting cast leave films The video message was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hemant Soren, the Indian government, Jharkhand government and politician Vishnu Dayal Ram. The last evacuation flight by India from Kyrgyzstan was on July 15. We are about 3000 students stuck in Kyrgyzstan who study at Asian Medical Institute here. The number of Covid-19 cases are surging here and there is not adequate medical facility to save their own citizens. We request for evacuating us urgently to save our lives. We request Jharkhand and Bihar governments to arrange a flight to Gaya which will be convenient for students from both the states, a student from Palamu said in the video. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If the state remains in Phase 4, elementary students up through fifth-grade will attend school in person five days a week. Even for students in schools, classes such as physical education may be taught by virtual instruction while students remain in their home class rooms. Weather permitting, some activities and gatherings _ lunch, for example _ may be moved outdoors with the possibility of giving students a break from all-day mask wearing. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) The Department of Health said on Monday that it is looking into complaints of understaffing in some hospitals, including the state-run San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. Titingnan natin natin iyang hinanaing nilang iyan sa ibat ibang ospital natin para makita natin kung ito ay totoo, DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum, reacting to one of the issues raised by a nurses rights group. [Translation: We are going to look into complaints of alleged understaffing in different hospitals to see if this is true.] No quarantine leaves Jaymmee de Guzman, a nurse from the San Lazaro Hospital and the treasurer of the Filipino Nurses United told CNN Philippines in an interview that some of their staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 patients cannot afford to go through quarantine due to shortage of relievers. We dont have quarantine leaves because of the understaffing, she said. After our swab test, we even have to report to duty the next day while waiting for our results, de Guzman added, as she noted the alarming rise of employees getting infected. De Guzman -- who handles critically ill COVID-19 patients -- shared she is among the medical staff who cannot avail of paid quarantine leaves. DOH said that as of July 18, the total number of healthcare workers affected by COVID-19 is 3,938, 712 of which are active cases. Of the active cases, 218 are from DOH referral hospitals, more than half or 148 of which are from Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City. The department added that of the number, 35 medical personnel from San Lazaro Hospital are currently sick. Ulysses Arcilla, a nurse and the president of San Lazaro Hospital Employees Association said last week that 80 health workers in San Lazaro have caught the coronavirus, resulting in one death. Vergeire admitted that healthcare workers deserve respite, too, as she assured them that they are exerting efforts to hire additional medical personnel who will be deployed in healthcare institutions amid the COVID-19 crisis. "Pinag-i-igting natin ang pag-ha-hire para madagdagan ang mga tao sa ating ospital," she said. [Translation: We're striving to hire more medical staff to increase the number of workforce in hospitals.] The Guardian The Steelers quarterback is headed to the Hall of Fame. But he was unloved outside Pittsburgh for understandable reasons Ben Roethlisberger almost certainly played his final game in the NFL on Sunday. Photograph: Ed Zurga/AP Ben Roethlisberger is lucky that football legacies are not decided by finales. If Sunday night was indeed Big Bens last ever NFL game, as he has strongly hinted, it wasnt exactly a mic drop. In the 42-21 beatdown by the Chiefs, Roethlisberger struggled with rollouts, and l Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) - Mon, July 20 2020 As part of its 18th anniversary, PT Sari Coffee Indonesia, the official licensee of Starbucks in Indonesia, donated liquid hand soap to SD Pasir Ampo state elementary school in Tangerang, Banten. The donation is part of the companys #ShareTheGoodness campaign reflecting its commitment to giving back to the community. PT Sari Coffee previously built an AquaTower at SD Pasir Ampo to provide clean water to the community and raise awareness about the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. Andrea Siahaan, senior general manager of corporate and communications at PT Sari Coffee, said the company wanted the spirit of #ShareTheGoodness to resonate with local communities. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login D etectives are searching for the man in this CCTV footage after a teenage girl was attacked in south London. The assault took place between 8.40pm and 9.03pm on May 20, but police werent called to the address in Dartford until around 5am the following morning, Scotland Yard said. The victim, aged 19, was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she was found to be suffering a broken collar bone and a cracked skull. The incident took place on North Cray Road, Sidcup. So far no arrests have been made. The attack took place near the White Cross pub in Sidcup / Google streetview The man is described as white, tanned, in his early 30s and with dark brown hair. He is around 6ft 2ins tall, of a large build and has several tattoos on his upper body. He was wearing black shorts at the time of the attack. Detective Constable James Steel, investigating, said: We would like to identify and speak to a man and his two associates who are believed to be involved in an assault. The victim was attacked near to the White Cross Pub. I would urge anyone with information to contact police. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or tweet @metcc quoting the image reference number 046142. The first rays of the morning sun reveal entire families lying on the railway line or in abandoned wagons but when Greek police patrols appear, they evaporate into nearby fields. Among them is Abdullah, a 20-year-old Syrian, waiting for a train to take him to a better life. In the buffer zone of Idomeni, on the border between Greece and Northern Macedonia, Abdullah watches for the right moment to sneak on to a train, in the hope of following the "Balkan route" taken by hundreds of thousands of migrants in 2015. For the last few days he has been camping in a dilapidated building near the train station. "I will do everything to cross the border," Abdullah told AFP. The young Syrian has been living for several months in Greece, without work, and "sees no future" there. "My brother lives in Italy and I want to find him," he says. During the great migration crisis of 2015, hundreds of thousands of people crossed this "no man's land" on foot to Europe. But the European dream quickly fell apart. In March 2016, EU countries locked their borders and Greece built a wall along its northern border. Tens of thousands of exiles fleeing wars, persecution or poverty were stranded in Idomeni, which effectively became a refugee camp, before being forcibly evacuated by the Greek authorities. Since then, camps on the Greek mainland, and even more so on Aegean islands, have been overflowing with migrants, with new arrivals turning up every day. And with a surge of 120,000 asylum seekers in Greece today, as many migrants find themselves homeless in Athens as they do on the border with North Macedonia. "Every day nearly 200 people arrive in Idomeni," says Lazaros Oulis who lives near the border crossing. "Some have pitched tents in the fields. We are afraid that Idomeni will become a camp again," he says. Most of the migrants arrived via the land border with Turkey, along the Evros River in northeast Greece. After tensions with Ankara in March, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the opening of its doors to Europe, Athens stepped up its patrols, with the help of the European border control agency, Frontex. But hundreds of asylum seekers continue to make it across the Greek-Turkish border illegally every day. - 'Risk of electrocution' - In the middle of the night, groups of migrants try to climb clandestinely on a commercial train connecting Greece to North Macedonia or pierce holes in the wall along the border. "They jump on the train at the risk of being electrocuted by touching the high-voltage cables," said a train driver, who recently discovered 42 stowaways on board. Of those that get through, most are stopped by the North Macedonian patrols and sent back to Greece. Pakistani Musa was one who managed to cross to North Macedonia through a hole drilled in the border wall. But he was picked up and complains he was first "beaten by the North Macedonian police, then by the Greeks" when he was returned across the border. "Where are our human rights?" asks the 19-year-old migrant. After several failures, dispirited migrants start the 70 kilometre (45 mile) walk to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "We are going to sleep at Thessaloniki station," says 20-year-old Somali Omar Hassan, before setting off on the long walk. Migrants wait for a train to take them from Idomeni to a new life Migrants sleep in disused railway wagons and wait for the chance to hitch a ride on a train Four years after the evacuation of the Idomeni camp, many refugees and immigrants choose the same route again One man is dead and another person is injured after a shooting on Monday afternoon in Harrisburg, according to police. Harrisburg police Sgt. Kyle Gautsch said officers responded to the area of 16th and Hunter streets around 2 p.m. for reports of shots fired. At the scene, they found one dead man and a second person injured. Gautsch said though the second person was a male, he could not confirm his age. The injured person is expected to survive. Gautsch called the shooting an isolated incident, contained to those two. Their identities are being withheld pending notification to their next of kin. Gautsch acknowledged that there was a separate shooting in the same intersection last week, but said it is too early to determine if they are related. Officers will be on scene continuing their investigation for a little longer and intend to tow two vehicles, Gautsch said. Gautsch asked that anyone in the area who may have seen something or knows anything about the shooting is asked to contact Harrisburg police. Read more on PennLive: Legal powers by themselves are false hopes in times of public crisis. Hon. Archie Campbell, SARS Commission, 2007. There are two kinds of emergency management legislation: those legislated after a crisis is over and those legislated in the midst of the crisis itself. The feds did the former after the 1970 October Crisis. B.C. was in the midst of updating its 1993 legislation pre-COVID and Ontario too updated its emergency laws, several times after SARS, between 2006 and 2019. We are witnessing, today, the other kind. Alberta and Manitoba passed new emergency laws in April, then Newfoundland, PEI and Quebec. Now Ontarios Bill 195 will be rammed through by its majority government MPPs without further debate. The problem with legislating during a crisis, when that legislation involves creating new government powers, is that it all ends up being like the notorious U.S. Patriot Act. In other words, its always bad news for your human rights. Governments hoover up new powers to infringe individual rights in the name of the crisis; the vulnerable always pay the greatest toll, and history records nothing but regret. Equality, free speech, due process, and liberty all take a back seat to the collective will to fend off a magnified enemy, whether human or viral. Its like changing the rules in the middle of the playoffs its never a good idea. This is for a couple reasons, but the obvious one is that governments drafting such a bill do so with woefully inadequate information, and under enormous personal and political pressure. They are literally in the eye of the storm, and that obviously affects everything about the legislation. The information turns out to be incomplete and incorrect. If Ontario had written a new law in March, for example, surgical masks would have been forbidden for all but health care workers. Toilet paper would have been rationed, by law. Today, its all different, so the government was smart not to change its laws back then. Not so with their latest Bill 195. Besides the information deficit, there is a wisdom deficit. Laws are drafted by human beings, after all, who are extremely anxious about the crisis they are trying to manage, as democratic governors. Its called the fog of war, a term coined by Robert McNamara, as a self-criticism of what he and two Presidents did in mismanaging the Vietnam War. Wisdom requires time and perspective; serenity and patience; intelligence and debate. The fog of war envelopes legislators with dread and uncertainty. Legislation, on the other hand, requires certainty. If its foggy or vague, then it is bad law, susceptible to judicial review by public interest organizations like ours, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Knowing that, governments write laws with watertight certainty, even though theyre based on foggy facts. Then the government bills go to the legislature, where they are supposed to be improved by democratic debate, dissent, and intense scrutiny. Now, what do you think happens to such debate during an emergency? Imagine youre in your kitchen, with family and friends, debating what to do about the smoky scent that is everywhere but not coming out of the oven. How healthy is that debate? That kind of thinking gets Homo sapiens away from danger. But it does not make for good law-making. As it turns out, I was an Ontario MPP and cabinet minister in 2006 when the Liberal Government followed the recommendations of Archie Campbells SARS Commission with its recommendation legislative changes. The debate was not rushed, and included amendments proposed by the NDP and Conservatives. The point being that it wasnt done during the fog of a crisis, but with the fortuitous luxury of time to think it through, debate and amend the laws as best one could. The chances of healthy democratic debate during a crisis is practically nil particularly today where legislatures have a fraction of its members sitting, in order to create a healthy physical distance among the elected officials. To dissent or, god forbid, delay passage of such a bill feels treasonous. Better for governments to govern with the powers they had at the start of a crisis, than to re-engineer emergency management laws in the fog. Otherwise, the law is driven more by fear than facts, and history proves it to be nothing less than a power grab by politicians hungry for more power to do good, when in fact legal powers are nothing but false hope, in a time of public crisis. Emergency jobless benefits that provided an additional $600 a week may be sliced to as low as $200, according to reports. The Washington Post said Republican lawmakers are considering reducing payments to between $200 and $400 per week, with the lower amount being the more likely figure. The unemployment benefits are expected to be part of a new $1 trillion relief package set to be released this week by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The House has already approved its own $3 trillion package that extends the $600 per week increase. The $600 increase, paid on top of state benefits, is set to expire before the end of the month. Here are the latest coronavirus headlines: KY couple on house arrest over COVID order A Kentucky couple has found themselves under house arrest after one of them refused to sign a coronavirus quarantine order. Elizabeth Linscott said she underwent a test for coronavirus before planning to visit her parents in Michigan. She tested positive but showed no symptoms, according to media reports. Linscott said the health department contacted her and asked to limit travel unless she spoke to the department first. She refused to sign, saying she did not want to have to get approval to travel to the hospital or doctor. After refusing to sign the Self- Isolation and Controlled Movement Agreement Order, the Hardin County Sheriffs Department arrived at the home she shared with her husband, Isaiah. The deputies ordered the couple to wear ankle monitors. If they travel more than 200 feet, law enforcement will be notified. The couple told reporters they were self-quarantining but didnt agree with the wording of the documents. The couple said they plan to pursue legal action. Florida cases soar Florida reported 12,523 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, marking it the fifth consecutive day the state has more than 10,000 cases. Florida has reported more than 11,865 cases on average for the past seven days, up almost 30% compared to a week ago. The virus has infected more than 350,000 people in the state with 4,982 deaths. The median age of newly infected people is above 40, officials said, after hitting a low of 33 on June 24. Texas exempts religious private schools from reopening guidelines Private schools are exempt from local health orders related to reopening, according to the states Attorney General. AG Ken Paxton said forcing religious private schools to comply with local reopening guidelines and restrictions would be unconstitutional. Because a local order closing a religious private school or institution is inconsistent with the Governors order, any local order is invalid to the extent it purports to do so, Paxton wrote. Moreover, local public health orders attempting to restrict the provision of religious instruction through religious private schools violate the United States and Texas Constitutions and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Texas reported about 10,000 new coronavirus cases Thursday for the third day in a row. . The Indian Air Force will induct its first batch of five Rafale fighter jets imported from France at the Ambala air base on July 29 if weather permits, an IAF spokesperson said on Monday. The IAFs air and ground crews have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly-advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest, said Wing Commander Indranil Nandi. A formal induction ceremony will take place next month, he said. The air force is inducting the fighters at a time of heightened military tensions with China. Hindustan Times on Sunday reported that the IAF could deploy its new Rafale fighters in the Ladakh sector as part of Indias overarching plan to strengthen its military posture in the region, where Indian and Chinese forces are locked in a tense border confrontation and disengagement has turned out to be a challenging process. India-specific enhancements on the jets include cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases. Acting on a special request by the IAF, France has accelerated the deliveries of Rafale fighters to India --- five jets are coming instead of four that were originally planned to be delivered in the first batch. Preparations are currently on to fly the jets to India with a stopover at Al Dhafra air base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates The French air force will refuel the Indian fighters using its Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft on their way to Al Dhafra from where aerial refueling support is expected to be provided by the IAFs Russian Ilyushin-78 refuellers. India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016 as an emergency purchase to arrest the worrying slide in the IAFs combat capabilities. The possible deployment of Rafale fighters in Ladakh could be discussed at the IAF commanders conference in New Delhi from July 22 to 24 where the air force brass is expected to focus on the ongoing border row with China, the IAFs preparedness and new purchases that have to be made fast. During the three-day conference, the discussions would take stock of the current operational scenario and deployments. The plan of action for operational capability enhancement of the IAF in the next decade will also be discussed, Nandi said. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria will chair the conference. IAF in the Next Decade is the theme of the conference. According to the original delivery schedule, the first 18 jets (including the four in the first batch) were to be delivered to the IAF by February 2021, with the rest expected in April-May 2022. Future deliveries will also be expedited. France handed over to India its first Rafale fighter during a ceremony attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart, Florence Parly, in Merignac on October 8 last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LAS VEGAS A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nine women who alleged they were sexually harassed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn. The women, manicurists and makeup artists in a salon at the Wynn Las Vegas, were unnamed in the lawsuit and instead identified by their attorneys as Judy Doe No. 1 through Judy Doe No. 9. Their decision to stay anonymous was one reason the judge dismissed the case in a Wednesday filing, arguing they hadnt legally justified the need to stay anonymous to continue their case. They sued the Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Resorts Ltd, alleging that the companies did not do enough to prevent a hostile work environment. They alleged that the companies were aware of misconduct by Wynn towards female employees but did not investigate it and covered up any reported misconduct. Wynn, 78, resigned in February 2018 as chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts. He has consistently denied sexual misconduct allegations, which were first reported in January 2018 by the Wall Street Journal. Wynn was not named as a defendant in the womens lawsuit. Wynns attorney L. Lin Wood said in an email message Friday night that he was not representing Wynn in the matter and would forward the message seeking comment to another Wynn attorney who was, Nate Lloyd. A voicemail message seeking comment from Lloyd was not immediately returned Friday night. In the order dismissing the lawsuit, Judge James C. Mahan agreed with another judges earlier ruling that the women did not sufficiently justify their need to file their lawsuit anonymously using pseudonyms. The women said in court filings that they chose to file anonymously because of fear of legal retaliation by Wynn, potentially being ostracized in their workplace and sensitive details that would upend their lives if made public. Mahan also said the women did not sufficiently make their case in the complaint, using generalized and vague statements without individualized factual support for their allegations. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, which means it can be refiled. Phone and email messages seeking comment from the womens attorneys, Wynn Resorts and attorneys for Wynn Resorts were not immediately returned Friday night. The lawsuit was originally filed in a Nevada court in September 2019 but was moved to a federal court a month later. Wynn Resorts paid a $20 million fine in February 2019 to settle a Nevada gambling regulatory probe of claims that executives failed to investigate sexual misconduct claims against Wynn before he resigned. Massachusetts gambling regulators then levied a $35 million fine against the company two months later for failing to disclose years of allegations of sexual misconduct against Wynn. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Massive fire consumes building in Morelos Morelos, Mexico The Morelos State Civil Protection Coordination reported on a massive fire that broke out Sunday in a building of the Ciudad Industrial del Valle de Cuernavaca (CIVAC) in Morelos. State Civil Protection said the fire was recorded around 11:40 p.m., when the building of a company that manufactures cosmetic products, caught fire. Elements of the Red Cross, PC and Firefighters from Cuernavaca, Jiutepec, Yautepec and Cuernavaca arrived along with staff from the Morelos delegation, CIVAC Emergency Control Center (CCEC) and the Mutual Aid Plan Group ( PAM). Morelos fireman battled the blaze for nearly four hours The massive fire and intense heat caused neighbors to be evacuated while authorities controlled the scene. It wasnt until 3:19 a.m. that Civil Protection of Morelos reported the fire as under control, allowing residents to return to their homes. There were no injuries reported during the incident. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the Sunday fire. Phase 2 Drilling Program at Mt Stirling to Begin Perth, July 20, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Torian Resources Limited ( ASX:TNR ) is pleased to announce that it will be continuing its systematic exploration approach at the Mt Stirling Project. The Phase 2 Drilling program at Mt Stirling will begin this Quarter with an initial 5,000m RC drilling campaign to test the depth and strike extent of the existing 1.45 g/t Au 33,900oz Mt Stirling JORC Inferred Resource (Table 1*).Phase 1 drilling gave the Company a greater understanding and further pathfinders to follow up on as it has now been demonstrated that the existing Mt Stirling Resource continues at depth at good grade and remains open along strike. The coming campaign will focus around the existing resource, which the Company is seeking to expand.Based on an analysis of the Phase 1 drill data using Grade x Width contouring technique, it was determined that the Main Zone mineralisation has a very steep plunge to the northwest. Insufficient holes were drilled at depth during Phase 1 to define the plunge line of the mineralisation. Additional drilling will be completed to the northwest to follow down and further define the plunge of the mineralization to depth during the Phase 2 program (see Figure 1*).Phase 1 drilling also demonstrated that there appears to be a high-grade splay (33.10 g/t over 1.0 m) off the Main Zone sitting in the hanging wall (Figure 1 and 2*). This high-grade splay seems to correlate with the heart of the Resource (ASX 22 February 2019) contained within the Oxides facies of the deposit.Future drilling will focus on following this splay to depth in the attempt to define a high-grade underground shoot for future exploitation.In addition to the Mt Stirling Trend, a number of holes will be drilled in and around the Stirling Well deposit during Phase 2, another one of the Company's existing resources on the Mt Stirling Gold Project. The objective is to define extensions to this mineralization and to determine if there are any satellite deposits outboard of the Stirling Well (see Figure 3 and 4*). Torian's consultants are currently analysing the data and developing a drill layout.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Torian Resources Limited Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) is a gold exploration and development company with an extensive and strategic land holding comprising eight projects and over 400km2 of tenure in the Goldfields Region of Western Australia. Torian's flagship project, Zuleika, is located along the world-class Zuleika Shear. The Zuleika Shear is the fourth largest gold producing region in Australia and consistently produces some of the country's highest grade and lowest cost gold mines. Torian's Zuleika project lies north and partly along strike of several major gold deposits including Northern Star's (ASX:NST) 7.0Moz East Kundana Joint Venture and Evolutions (ASX:EVN) 1.8Moz Frogs Legs and White Foil deposits. Torian's other projects include the strategically located Mt Stirling and Malcolm Projects in the Leonora region (near Red 5's King of the Hills Project), where it recently completed updated Mineral Resource Estimates and preliminary scoping studies, and a suite of other projects in the Kalgoorlie region including Credo Well JV Zuleika JV, Bonnie Vale, Gibraltar and Mount Monger/Wombola. Emini S&P Futures premarket summary TradeGuidance - 20 minutes ago We analyze the overnight price action in the overall context of the liquidation which commenced last Thursday ESH22 : 4,588.75 (+0.38%) SPY : 458.63 (+0.47%) Cotton Futures Hit Highest Price Level Since 2011 Barchart - 54 minutes ago Overnight cotton trading has the board at the highest prices since 2011, up 59 to 212 points. Spot futures took out the November high. Cotton futures continued posting fresh contract highs on Tuesday,... CTH22 : 123.20 (+1.75%) CTK22 : 119.84 (+1.81%) CTZ21 : 111.55s (+0.25%) Emerging talents in spotlight at hybrid Paris Fashion Week AP - 1 hour ago PARIS (AP) A spattering of Paris Fashion Week menswear shows began in earnest this week for the fall-winter season, as French government restrictions have seen many relegated to an online-only presence.... $SPX : 4,577.11 (-1.84%) $DOWI : 35,368.47 (-1.51%) $IUXX : 15,210.76 (-2.57%) Crude OIL Seems Stronger: Elliott Wave Analysis EW-Forecast.com - Wed Jan 19, 6:18AM CST Safe-haven assets continue to rise as stocks are moving down, while US yields are higher. Crude oil is also higher due to escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions, which is one of the main reasons for stable... CLG22 : 86.24 (+0.95%) Downside Bias = Downside Day Market Tea Leaves - Wed Jan 19, 6:16AM CST Yesterday we gave the markets a Downside bias and the markets didn't disappoint. What will happen today? A desperate migrant stole a pedalo from a French beach and tried to cross The Channel into England on a day when 200 people tried to make the journey. On Sunday, July 12, Border Force officials, together with HM Coastguard and the RNLI, stopped around 200 people in 15 vessels trying to make their way to the English coast. Warm weather saw people smugglers take advantage of calm waters, on the same day Home Secretary Priti Patel travelled to Calais to discuss the illegal crossings with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Around 200 migrants were picked up by Border Force and HM Coastguard on Sunday, July 12 A source told The Sun: 'Many migrants see it as a "now or never" moment before the UK government cracks down on crossings. 'They fear there will be a major push to curb the attempts and see July as their best opportunity.' Two other migrants tried to make the crossing in a canoe, while the source told The Sun the pedalo thief 'wouldn't have stood a chance,' if he had tried to cross during stormy weather. Speaking on the same day as the mass crossings, Priti Patel said: 'I have been in France today seeing first-hand the significant work undertaken on that side of the Channel to address the unacceptably high levels of small boats, alongside the efforts of Border Force and the National Crime Agency in the UK. A source said the migrant 'wouldn't have stood a chance,' if he'd tried to make the journey in a pedalo during stormy weather Around 200 people tried to cross from France to England, during calm conditions on the English Channel 'But despite all of the action taken by law enforcement to date - intercepting the boats, making arrests, returning people to France and putting the criminals responsible behind bars - the numbers continue to increase. 'This simply cannot be allowed to go on. 'I have signed an agreement with the French to create a joint intelligence cell which will crack down on the gangs behind this vile people smuggling operation and impressed on my French counterpart the need to stop these illegal crossings for the benefit of both our countries. 'This is the start of a new operational approach with the newly appointed French Interior Minister.' An Ottawa police officer charged in the death of a Black man acted according to his training and the information available to him at the time during the confrontation four years ago, his lawyers argued Monday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An Ottawa police officer charged in the death of a Black man acted according to his training and the information available to him at the time during the confrontation four years ago, his lawyers argued Monday. Lawyers representing Const. Daniel Montsion told the court over video conference that their client had no choice but to "engage" with Abdirahman Abdi after being called to assist another officer on July 24, 2016. Abdirahman Abdi of Ottawa is shown in a handout photo. Lawyers for an Ottawa constable charged in the death of a Black man argue his actions during the confrontation four years ago were "reasonable and proportionate."THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Family of Abdirahman Abdi, *MANDATORY CREDIT* By the time he arrived at the scene, Montsion had already heard from a police dispatcher that Abdi was violent and that he had groped women outside an Ottawa coffee shop, defence lawyer Solomon Friedman said in his closing submissions. The officer also heard Abdi had fled and had been pepper sprayed with no effect, the lawyer said. As Montsion approached, he saw the other officer kick Abdi and strike him with a baton, with Abdi blocking some of the blows, Friedman said. Abdi then turned toward Montsion and, at one point, reached towards his shoulder, the lawyer said. "There's no question (Montsion) is presented with a situation he has to react to," Friedman said. "This is not a case where de-escalation plays a role. Const. Montsion had a duty to act, and he acted," he said. Montsion is charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in Abdi's death. He was one of two officers involved in the altercation. Prosecutors allege he used more force than was reasonable as he assisted in arresting Abdi. They allege a series of punches to the head delivered shortly after Montsion arrived were a significant factor in Abdi's death. The incident took place shortly after police were called to a coffee shop in response to reports of a man causing a disturbance. Police then caught up to Abdi a few blocks away outside his apartment building. Cellphone videos that emerged at the time showed the man lying on his stomach, handcuffed, while two constables held him down. Abdi, a 37-year-old Somali-Canadian man, lost vital signs during the incident and died in hospital the next day. His death sparked several protests in Ottawa, as well as in Toronto and Montreal. During Monday's virtual hearing, Friedman showed security footage of Montsion's arrival at the scene, arguing it shows Abdi was not merely "passively resisting," as he said prosecutors suggested. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. At one point, Abdi and Montsion are largely hidden from view, and the officer appears to strike out at the other man. Friedman said his client was attempting to deliver "a series of distractionary blows to the face" but added it's unclear from the video if they landed and with what force. That, the lawyer argued, was one of several reasonable options for the officer given the information he had. "Const. Montsion chose the calibrated use of force that was required to subdue Mr. Abdi," he said. The defence is expected to continue its submissions Tuesday, followed by the Crown. The hearing was initially scheduled for April but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 20, 2020. Two men have been arrested in Dublin following a surveillance operation linked to international fraud (Niall Carson/PA) Two men have been arrested in Dublin following a surveillance operation linked to international fraud. Men aged 27 and 45 were detained after search warrants were executed at homes in Portobello and Glasnevin on Monday. Gardai attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), liaising with European law enforcement agencies, are investigating a criminal organisation committing invoice redirect frauds internationally. The gang has laundered more than 3.5 million euro through a network of bank accounts set up by Italians, Romanians and other nationalities. Actor Samir Soni in an Instagram post had accused people including his Fashion co-star Kangana Ranaut of using late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death as a medium to "settle their own personal scores". However, after severe trolling Samir deleted the post from his timeline and shared another one apologising and saying he hot to learn a lot. "Good night folks and thank you for giving me my first experience of being trolled. I guess I got a lot to learn." Samir captioned his post stating, "Apologies and love to all," the actor wrote in a post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samir Soni (@samirsoni123) on Jul 19, 2020 at 12:42pm PDT Reportedly, in the now-deleted post, Samir had written, Ive said this before, Sushant Singh Rajputs death is a huge tragedy and he deserves justice. But Im against anyone (including Kangana) who are using his death to settle their own personal scores. Deplorable! Stop shooting your gun off a poor dead mans shoulder. Have at least that much respect, he added. Samir's posts come after Kangana's recent interview to Republic TV where she made allegations against some Hindi film fraternity members namely Mahesh Bhatt, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker among others. She was speaking to journalist Arnab Goswami in the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death by suicide last month. Earlier, mourning the death of Sushant, Samir had shared the picture of the late actor writing, "How many people have to die for our society to change." Sushant passed away on June 14. He died by suicide, Mumbai police confirmed. His death has reignited the debate about nepotism and lobby culture in Bollywood. Advertisement Supporters of the Denver police force clashed with a much larger anti-police protest in the city on Sunday, with marchers left bloodied and brawling in the streets. Randy Corporon, an attorney who organized the 'Back the Blue' pro-police march, said Sunday that Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen asked him to reschedule or move the pro-police rally, expressing concern that police officers would be put in harm's way by the event. 'He was agitated that we're going to get his officers hurt,' Corporon said before the event. 'My response to him was that he should allow his officers to do their job and if people are down there breaking the law, to stop them. Because they'll have nothing to fear from us.' The small 'Back the Blue' pro-police crowd had gathered at the Civic Center park, congregating in the amphitheater, where a band had been playing music to them. But anti-police protesters also gathered in the area, banging drums, blowing whistles, clanging pots, and shouting obscenities to drown out the pro-police rally, The Denver Post reported. Scuffles broke out among individuals on both sides. Police formed lines on Sunday to separate the pro- and anti- police protests in Denver Two women were seen brawling at the rally, which police asked be canceled or postponed Several people were caught on camera throwing punches in isolated disputes. Law enforcement officers attempted to form a line around the two groups, but could not completely separate them. Footage on social media showed the melee, with one black-clothed woman pulling out a retractable baton to confront pro-police demonstrators. After about an hour, most of the pro-police demonstrators left the plaza, and police also began to retreat, the paper reported. The anti-police protesters followed officers as they retreated and at least one officer fired pepper spray into the crowd. Police intervened to separate the two women, who were pulling each others' hair in the scrum One man was escorted from the scene bleeding from the head after Sunday's demonstrations 'We had two pepper ball deployments and one hand-held fog device deployment, and we made one arrest for assault,' said Tyrone Campbell, Denver police spokesman. 'We have a policy that dictates when and how those tools are used. And we have supervisors on scene to make sure there's a reasonable reason for those devices to be utilized. 'And any time we use any of this stuff, there will be a review. It seems as if they were used in an appropriate fashion. 'Our goal is to make sure everybody has the ability to exercise their First Amendment rights. Those tools are used only if there is some sort of disruption or threat to safety.' A man with a face mask showing a pig arrives at the protest in Denver on Sunday Counter protesters met the 'Back the Blue' demonstration with a large show of force Denver police spokesman Campbell confirmed that police had been in touch with rally organizers about the event beforehand. 'I think the conversation was such that said: "We appreciate it, but if you're doing it on our behalf, we don't want you to do that. We absolutely appreciate the sentiment, we know there is public support. But in the event you are doing it to exercise your First Amendment right, then by all means we'll make sure you have the space to do that,"' he said. Corporon said the rally organizers decided not to move or reschedule the event, in part because it's happened annually in Civic Center Park for five years. 'We're exercising our constitutional right to peacefully assemble, and we have no intention of giving up that ground to these domestic terrorists,' Corporon said, referring to the counter-protesters. He added that he believes Pazen doesn't support his own officers. 'This chief of police is the guy who walked hand-in-hand with Black Lives Matter,' he said. Police tried in vain to separate the two sides, before they beat a retreat, pepper spraying them Lillian House, an organizer for the Party of Socialism and Liberation, said they planned the counter-protest because a celebration of police is 'unacceptable.' 'Its just all around out of touch with the struggles people are facing,' she told the paper. Delhis health minister Satyendar Jain, who was recovering after contracting the coronavirus disease, will resume work from Monday. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced this on Twitter today. Our Health Minister Satinder Jain has recovered. He will join work from today. He was always on the field visiting hospitals and meeting health workers and patients. He contracted corona. After one month, he joins back today. Welcome back Satinder and best wishes! Kejriwal tweeted. Our Health Minister Satinder Jain has recovered. He will join work from today. He was always on the field visiting hospitals and meeting health workers and patients. He contracted corona. After one month, he joins back today. Welcome back Satinder and best wishes! Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 20, 2020 Jain (55) was undergoing treatment at Max Hospital in Saket after he tested positive for Covid-19 on June 17. He was administered plasma therapy soon after hospitalisation after his condition worsened. Jain was taken to Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur after he was found to be suffering from a high fever and low oxygen saturation. He was later moved to Max Hospitals ICU after testing positive for Covid-19 and kept on oxygen support. Jain had complained of breathlessness and giddiness. Initially, he had tested Covid-19 negative. AAP MLA from Delhis Kalkaji assembly constituency Atishi and two other leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also contracted the respiratory disease last month. Akshay Marathe, an advisor to Kejriwal, and Abhinandita Mathur, an advisor to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, also tested positive for the viral disease in June. Delhi, meanwhile, recorded 1,211 fresh coronavirus cases, the lowest in over a month, and 31 deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours, authorities said. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi is now 1,22,793. The death toll due to the disease is 3,628, according to Union health ministry data. As many as 1,03,134 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far, while there are 16,031 active cases. In the last one week, the number of new infections has grown by around one per cent every day. (Refiles to correct headline to spokeswoman) BANGKOK, July 20 (Reuters) - Thailand's Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Tewan Liptapanlop will resign on Monday, his party spokeswoman told Reuters, and would be the fifth member of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's cabinet to quit in less than five days. Chart Pattana Party spokeswoman Yaowapa Boorapolchai told Reuters the party leadership had decided Tewan would leave his cabinet post to pave the way for a cabinet reshuffle. Chart Pattana is among the 20 coalition partner of the government led by Prayuth and it holds only one cabinet position. Tewan's resignation would follow that of Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and two other ministers, who quit Prayuth's cabinet on Thursday. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty) - 375,737 candidates from 976 schools will be writing the examination - The students will be writing 60 subjects - President Akufo-Addo has extended best wishes to students who will be taking the WASSCE Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes Final year senior high school students across the country will begin the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Ghana today. In all, over 375,737 candidates will sit the examination in various subjects. Out of the figure, about 188,163 are females while the remaining 187,573 are males. The majority of students (313,837) sitting exams are the first batch of students who enrolled in the Akufo-Addo Free Secondary High School policy. 2020 WASSCE: Over 300,000 students begin exam today. Source: Graphic.com.gh Source: UGC READ ALSO: President Akufo-Addo fit; he resumes work today 61,900 of the candidates are, however, private school candidates. According to the West African Examination Council (WAEC), 60 subjects will be written in all. The Ashanti Region has the highest number of students (87,295) followed closely by the Eastern Region which has 56,467 candidates sitting the exams. Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has wished the students writing exams well. He also cautioned students, teachers, and invigilators to all abide by the COVID-19 protocols for the period of the examination. He said: I send best wishes to the three hundred and thirteen thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven (313,837) final year Senior High School students. The WAEC conducts the WASSCE concurrently in anglophone West Africa. Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia announced on 20 March 2020 that it was indefinitely suspending the annual exam due to the COVID-19 pandemic. READ ALSO: Explainer: Are you likely to be re-infected after recovering from COVID-19 or not However, following Ghanas decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions, the country agreed that the exams will be held independently. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a presidential staffer, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, has recovered from the novel COVID-19 virus, calling on all to stop the stigmatisation. In a Facebook post on Saturday, 18 July 2020, Tagoe, popularly called Cyber within his close circles, said: A couple of weeks ago, I tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. By Gods will and grace, I have survived and have fully recovered. It is unimaginable what one has to go through for the 14 days living with COVID. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our page. Source: YEN.com.gh The acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Kemebradikumo Pondei, has said the commission spent N1.32 billion as COVID-19 relief funds for staff, not N1.5 billion as earlier reported in the news. Mr Pondei said this during Mondays hearing by the House of Representatives NDDC committee on the alleged financial recklessness at the commission. At a Senate hearing about a fortnight ago, Mr Pondei said regarding the COVID-19 relief fund paid to NDDC staff, only N1.5 billion was used to take care of staff despite being paid their salaries. The youth were given palliatives to help cushion the effect of the pandemic on the people. The youth were idle and to avoid violence, they were paid, he added. Five million for youths and five million for women and five million for people living with disabilities in each senatorial district, he said. However, on Monday, when asked again about the relief funds, he said he must have said 1.5 billion while he was not attentive. The amount the IMC used to take care of NDDC staff as COVID-19 palliative was N1.32 billion, not 1.5 billion, he said to the question posed to him by the coordinator of the panel, who took over after the chairman stepped aside at the start of the hearing over allegations of bias. Mr Pondei also disagreed with the committee that the commission had extrabudgetary spending by approving that sum for themselves. Other spendings Mr Pondei also said N81.5 billion was spent from October 2019 to May 31, this year by the NDDC. Of this, he explained, the incumbent interim management committee which came in February spent N59.1 billion. Of this, N38.6 billion was spent on capital projects, he said, from which N35.3 billion was paid to contractors hired by previous administrations. He added that N20.5 billion was spent on recurrent expenditure between February 20, 2019, and May 21, this year. They are a backlog of debt for about three years, he said. Duty tour allowance hasnt been paid for three years; we cleared it. Scholarship fee hasnt been paid since 2016, he said, adding that the NDDC paid N500,000 to each beneficiary. The hearing was briefly halted after Mr Pondei started to doze as he lowered his head and began to drop on the table. When he began to convulse some lawmakers and representatives from the NDDC rushed to give him first aid. Mr Pondei was later taken out of the hearing for medical treatment as the hearing was suspended for 30 minutes. When the hearing resumed, the Niger Delta minister, Godswill Akpabio, testified before the lawmakers. In the four months since Joe Biden effectively won the Democratic presidential nomination, he has focused on consolidating the party's divergent and often warring factions. As the closing stretch of the campaign nears, that effort will expand to include Republicans disaffected with President Donald Trump. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent Trump critic, has been approached and is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Biden's behalf next month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss strategy. Kasich is among a handful of high-profile Republicans likely to become more active in supporting Biden in the fall. Trump, meanwhile, is doing virtually nothing to expand his appeal beyond his most loyal supporters. Some GOP operatives believe the suburbs are lost while a contingent of high-profile Republicans are openly questioning the president's reelection message. In an acknowledgment of the mounting challenges, Trump named a new campaign manager last week. With about 100 days until Election Day, there's time for sudden developments that could shift the trajectory of the campaign. The Friday announcement that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's cancer has returned was a reminder of the potential volatility ahead. In 2016 Trump effectively used the prospect of Supreme Court appointments to win over conservatives who otherwise found him distasteful. And in crucial battleground states such as Florida, some Democrats are concerned that Biden's current standing could be a high-water mark. Some polls suggest Bidens strength comes more from voters displeasure with Trump than excitement over Biden, whose regular gaffes, long Washington record and recent attempts to appease progressives leave him in a tougher spot than some Democrats would like to believe. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat elected to statewide office there, praised Bidens message and said he could appeal to rural and middle-class voters. But she says "its way too early" to predict a victory. FILE - In this June 20, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, June 20, 2020. Trump demoted his campaign manager, high-profile supporters are openly questioning his reelection message, and he risks losing the confidence of voters across the political spectrum because of his erratic leadership during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) "As we get closer, polls are going to get tighter," Fried said. That happened in 2016 when Trump narrowly won the election after trailing Hillary Clinton in the polls for months. The Democrats' reluctance to enjoy the current moment reflects the sting of that loss, Biden's nagging vulnerabilities and Trump's mountain of campaign cash. Trump's campaign has reserved $146 million in television advertising this fall led by a $36.3 million investment in Florida alone, according to data compiled by Advertising Analytics. That's more than double the next closest state, Ohio, where Trump has reserved $18.4 million. Biden, so far, hasn't reserved any fall advertising, although he's amassed a fortune in recent months that will allow him to compete, even if he can't match Trump dollar for dollar. Trump this fall plans to spend big trying to flip at least three states Democrats carried in 2016, according to the advertising reserves, which show he's investing $14 million in Minnesota, $6.7 million in New Hampshire and $6.1 million in Nevada. While the specific ads have yet to be finalized, Trump's team signaled it was preparing to ramp up attacks on Biden's record and mental competence designed to "redefine" the lifelong politician and scare away tentative supporters. Underlying the strategy is a risky assumption that the coronavirus and related economic devastation will improve before voting begins. "A lot of people know Joe Biden. They dont know about Joe Bidens record. Right now, he is this blank canvas," said Nick Trainer, the Trump campaigns director of delegates and party organization. "As they get more and more information about what Joe Bidens done and what hell do, Im more and more confident." With early voting set to begin in several states in just two months, however, there are no signs yet that the strategy is helping Trump expand his support. Republicans working on congressional races across several battleground states believe the nation's suburbs, where higher-educated white voters have traditionally favored the GOP, are almost completely lost for Trump. These voters, they warn, are more intensely opposed to Trump's reelection than they were during the 2018 midterm elections, when a suburban backlash allowed Democrats to seize the House majority. The suburban shift is emblematic of Biden's potential to expand the Democratic coalition to include more women, seniors and moderate Republicans, who may have reluctantly voted for Trump or a third-party candidate in 2016 but may vote for a Democrat in 2020 after watching Trump struggle to govern. Biden's team would not confirm specific discussions with Kasich, but deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield acknowledged the campaign has begun working with Republicans, just as it has worked with progressives in recent months. At the least, she said GOP backers could help mute Trumps efforts to paint Biden as a tool of the left. "In terms of Republican supporters, I think it speaks to a career of being able to work across the aisle, of being able to actually get things done," Bedingfield said. "We welcome the support of anybody whod rather see Joe Biden be president than Donald Trump." Trump's Republican allies are finding it harder to defend his inconsistent leadership as the coronavirus explodes across the country. In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Trump defended his statement from earlier in the month that coronavirus would eventually "sort of just disappear." "Ill be right eventually," the president said. Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Trump supporter, praised the president's recent decision to wear a face mask for the first time in public. He said Trump and his allies could help stop the spread of the virus and speed up the economic recovery if they embraced mask usage. But Walker said he has no clear sense of Trump's campaign message or political strategy. He encouraged Trump's team to focus on Biden's history of "saying or doing anything to get elected" instead of some of the attacks against his mental competence or links to his party's left wing. "Theyve got to be focused and disciplined - not go out on 100 different tangents," Walker said in an interview. Acknowledging concerns about his campaign, Trump named veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien as his new campaign manager. But the change is not expected to lead to major strategic shifts given that Stepien was already guiding much of the political operation and Trump himself ultimately drives the campaign. Trump's team believes the president will eventually benefit when the explosion of coronavirus infections begins to subside and the economy recovers. So far, the numbers are moving in the opposite direction. The nation continues to break new records of daily infections and several states have scaled back reopening plans. "Its really a perfect storm coming. Its like Trumps on a sinking ship," said former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a prominent Biden ally. "Everybody everyday is now dealing with coronavirus in their personal lives," he said in an interview. "Yeah, theyre going to blame Trump. They should. And theres nothing he can do about it." Still, McAuliffe warned: "If any party can screw this up, its the Democratic Party." ___ Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. FILE - In this July 14, 2020, file photo Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Wilmington, Del. Biden has made progress in consolidating his party's divergent factions. His empathetic message of home and competence could resonate among independents and moderate Republicans, potentially expanding his path to the presidency. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) A joint international team of investigators was created in November 2019. The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and its Polish counterparts have established that officials of the Ukrainian State Agency of Automobile Roads (Ukravtodor) created a criminal organization whose activities were aimed at embezzling funds allocated by international organizations for road repairs in Ukraine. "In November 2019, an international joint investigation team was created," NABU Director Artem Sytnyk said at a briefing on July 20. Read alsoNABU raids reported in Kyiv, Lviv as part of joint probe with Poland (Photos) As part of the probe, the investigators examined the events of 2016-2019 when the former head of Ukravtodor, using his official position, "took measures to secure improper advantages" for himself and third parties. According to Sytnyk, more than 50 raids are being carried out in Ukraine and Poland. "Today four persons have been brought to criminal responsibility; some individuals, including the [former] head of Ukravtodor, have been detained," he said. "Now the searches are nearing completion, and we hope that we will get more additional evidence of what has been documented for a long period of time," Sytnyk added. NABU said that the crime had actually originated in Ukrainian territory and then spread to the other country. As UNIAN reported earlier, Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained Slawomir Nowak, the former Minister of Transport of Poland and ex-head of Ukravtodor, on charges of corruption. Two more individuals were detained in that country simultaneously with Nowak. The Mayor of Bristol have revealed how he has been racially abused by both Britain First and Black Lives Matter protesters amid the removal of statues in the city. Marvin Rees, 48, ordered the removal of a statue of Jen Reid, a Black Lives Matter protester, just 24 hours after it was erected on the empty plinth where a memorial to the 17th-century slaver Edward Colston had stood before being pulled down. Now, the Bristol Mayor says he has received thousands of abusive and racist emails from Britain First supporters, as well as messages from BLM protesters calling him an 'Uncle Tom'. He has also been sent offensive books about Africa, golliwog pins and even death threats. Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has revealed he has received racist abuse from both Black Lives Matter protesters and Britain First It comes after he ordered the removal of a statue of Jen Reid, a Black Lives Matter protester, just 24 hours after it was erected on the empty plinth where a memorial to the 17th-century slaver Edward Colston had stood The dramatic moment that the statue of Edward Colston was pulled from its plinth in Bristol city centre, June 7 He told the Daily Telegraph: 'I had a black guy tell me I'm not black, then an email from someone saying, ''Go back to your own country''. 'I get it from all sides.' When elected in 2016, Mr Rees became one of the first city mayors of black African heritage in Europe. He added that he was keen not to have the statue row define his leadership. The toppling of the Colston statue around a month ago prompted a wave of attacks on varies monuments to historical figures from Britain's past, including Winston Churchill, Oliver Cromwell and Admiral Lord Nelson. Last week, Marc Quinn erected the sculpture of BLM protester Ms Reid where Colston's stood. Just over 24 hours later, the plinth was bare again after Ms Reid's statue was removed by Bristol City Council. Mr Rees has slammed Mr Quinn for acting without the council's permission. He said: 'I didn't take down the statue of a black woman. I took down the intervention of a white, London-based artist using his financial clout to put his work on that plinth. 'I said to Marc Quinn, ''The emails from racists are coming to me - where are you?''.' Bristol council workers arrived at the former memorial to Edward Colston to remove a statue of Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid Demonstrators then rolled the statue of the 17th century slave trader and pushed it into Bristol Harbour on Sunday, June 7 He also revealed that it could take up to two years to replace Colston's statue with another historical figure, rejecting calls to allow Ms Reid's statue to remain in place. Mr Rees believes an empty plinth is 'the best way to express the city' amid the current climate. 'I choose to focus on the issues of substance,' he said. 'Having said that, I have made no secret of my wish that the statue be taken down many, many years ago. 'He [Colston] was a slave trader who may well have been involved in the transportation of my ancestors.' Mr Rees supports Black Lives Matter but said he wants to be remembered for other issues - the affordable houses he built and the steps he took to ending period poverty or introducing the national living wage. 'I didn't take down the statue of a black woman. I took down the intervention of a white, London-based artist' In new documents involved in her lawsuit against "The Daily Mail," Meghan Markle directly refuted accusations from Thomas Markle, her father, claiming that she never financially supported him during the previous years. According to the Duchess of Sussex in legal documents, she started contributing voluntarily to Thomas when she worked since January 2014. The duchess' side indicates that her mother, Doria Ragland, financially supported her when she was studying at Northwestern University (along with a work-study program) and made the aforementioned "voluntary contributions" to Thomas from acting on "Suits" from 2014 to 2018 when they drifted part following her marrying into the British royal family. The lawsuit arose from the news outlet disclosing a private letter she wrote to Thomas without her authorization, reported Oh No They Didn't. Meghan has accused the rift within her relationship with Thomas on the tabloids, according to appalling court documents. She is reportedly suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of "The Mail" and MailOnline due to published articles featuring parts of a confidential letter to estranged Thomas, according to Express. Before his marriage, Meghan did not provide financial aid to his ailing father with medical bills due to the fact that he already had adequate money to sell stories about him to tabloids, court papers indicated. She and her father cut contact in 2018, reported FR 24 News. The cracks in their father-and-daughter relationship started to form. Also Read: Meghan Markle and Mother Doria Ragland Together Again in One Roof With Prince Harry The legal filing indicated, "In any event, it is admitted and has never been denied that the Claimant's father supported her throughout her childhood and as a young adult." "Mr. Markle did not pay for all of the Claimant's college tuition. The Claimant's mother also contributed towards her university costs. In addition, the Claimant received scholarships for academic achievement, which reduced the payable tuition fees." The legal document added, "The Claimant also undertook a work-study program whereby income she made from working on campus after class was applied directly to supplement and lower her tuition costs, thus personally contributing to her tuition as well." Meghan's contributions were not meant to be allocated as loan payments but are purely personal financial support to Thomas. The aforementioned money he received through selling stories "would appear to exceed and offset the excess medical cost of roughly $2,500." Thomas' decision to publicize the letter reportedly contravened her privacy, data protection, and copyright rights. Also, court documents reveal that Meghan merely discovered that her friends had divulged anonymously to a US magazine. One of the friends disclosed details of the letter following the article's publishing in February 2019. The papers claimed that one friend had spoken to People during her luxe baby shower set in New York. Meghan blamed the "The Daily Mail" of humiliating, harassing, exploiting, and manipulating her father. In the event that the case results in favor of her, the Duchess of Sussex declared that she will donate the worth of damages to anti-bullying charity organizations. Related Article: Prince William, Kate Middleton's Special Parenting Trick: The Chat Sofa @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Foraminifera, an ancient and ecologically highly successful group of marine organisms, are found on and below the seafloor. Geobiologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich report that several species not only survive, but thrive, in these oxygen-free sediments. Foraminifera are unicellular marine organisms that are found on and within seafloor sediments. Most species construct porous mineralized shells and capture prey by extending cytoplasmic filaments though these pores. The group is highly species rich, and their preserved fossilized remains show that they were already present in the oceans at the beginning of the Cambrian Era, 560 million years ago. Their shells have considerable fossilization potential, which explains why they serve as index fossils for the dating of a number of geological eras. Moreover, foraminifera are of great ecological significanceowing to their contributions to carbon and nitrate cycles, for instanceand their shells play an important role in the reconstruction of ancient climates. However, despite their well-established status as proxies for environmental conditions, relatively little is known about the biology of contemporary species of foraminifera. LMU geobiologists led by Professor William Orsi of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the GeoBio Center at LMU, in cooperation with Raphael Morard and Michal Kucera (Bremen University), have now investigated their metabolism at the molecular level, and found that some species of foraminifera can surviveand indeed thrivein oxygen-free (anoxic) habitats that would be deadly for other eukaryotes. The results of the new study appear inTheISME Journal. Foraminifera have been previously found in oxygen-poor and even anoxic marine sediments. To learn more about the adaptations that enable them to survive in this inhospitable environment, Orsi and his team examined species sampled from a sediment core recovered from the seafloor off the coast of Namibia. Much of the sediment in this core was anoxic and rich in the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide. Nevertheless, the team found large numbers of Foraminifera at these levels, where they had more than 10 times higher activity compared to the shallower sections with higher levels of oxygen. "Up to now, marine biologists have assumed that, under such conditions, Foraminifera manage to survive on the seafloor and die when they are buried beneath it," says Orsi. "Our results, on the other hand, surprisingly demonstrate that some species of Foraminifera are metabolically more active in anoxic sediments." In other words, it looks as if these organisms are just not eking out a living in these habitats, they appear to be very well adapted to the challenging conditions. Moreover, incubation experiments confirmed their preference for anoxic environments, whereby the activity of the Foraminifera increased up to 40 times in anoxic conditions. Orsi and his colleagues went on to study the metabolic pathways employed by these foraminiferan species by analyzing the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) found in sediment samples. mRNAs are copied from genomic DNA, and encode the instructions for the synthesis of the proteins required for cell function. They therefore allow one to identify the set of genes that are active in the local cell population, and the spectrum of biochemical activities required for cellular metabolism in a given environment. In this case, the analyses revealed that foraminifera make use of a variety of metabolic pathwaysfor the fermentation of sugars and amino acids, for instance. In addition, they show that, in addition to capturing and digesting prey, foraminifera in the anoxic zones can exploit soluble organic material as a source of carbon and energy. "Presumably, foraminifera play an important and hitherto overlooked role in anaerobic nutrient cycles," says Orsi. This ability to thrive in such otherwise inhospitable anoxic environments with high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas could be part of the explanation for their ecological success. After all, the group has managed to avoid a number of mass extermination events over the past 500 million yearsmany of which were associated with a marked reduction in the availability of oxygen and accumulation of toxic hydrogen sulfide that was responsible for killing off numerous now extinct animal species. Explore further Evolution: A revelatory relationship More information: William D. Orsi et al. Anaerobic metabolism of Foraminifera thriving below the seafloor, The ISME Journal (2020). Journal information: ISME Journal William D. Orsi et al. Anaerobic metabolism of Foraminifera thriving below the seafloor,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0708-1 Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 : The number of new Covid positive cases continued to rise as Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja, on Monday said that 794 new Covid cases were registered in the state. A statement issued by her office said 245 more people had recovered from the disease, taking the number of such people to 5618, while 7611 are under treatment. After winning applause in April and May for its handling of the pandemic, Kerala started to see an increase in the number of cases as the number of local infectees is growing by the day. On Monday alone it stood at 519. Thiruvananthapuram district continues to lead in the number of local infectees with 170 cases on Monday, as two coastal hamlets have now been declared as a community spread area. The rate of infection among health professionals has also gone up with 15 more testing positive on Monday. The state capital was under siege after two popular supermarkets saw numerous staff members testing positive, forcing the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to cancel their licenses as they failed to observe the Covid protocols. Meanwhile, two time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that in all about 150 health professionals have been affected. It has been six months since the fight against Covid began and it's time that the private sector was roped in to help fight Covid, he added. "The general complaint is that there is lack of clarity in involving the private sector which caters to 60 per cent of the state's health requirements. The state government has to get the private health care industry also," said Chandy. Chandy pointed out that protection kits should be given to all the health professionals in the state. Monday also saw one of the most popular Hindu rituals, where the near and dear ones come to offer prayers for the departed (Bali). It takes place on the first day of the Malayalam month of 'Karkadakom', which fell on Monday this year, either at the seaside or attached to the various temples in the state, but failed to take place as it was banned by the government given the Covid situation. But it did not deter people from conducting the ritual at their homes, perhaps the first time it has happened. Hopewell Chinono has been using his Twitter account to encourage Zimbabweans to speak out and act against corruption. Zimbabwean police have arrested an investigative journalist and an opposition official, accusing them of inciting violence ahead of street demonstrations planned for next week by activists who charge government corruption has exacerbated economic hardship. The journalist, Hopewell Chinono, has a big following on Twitter, where he regularly posts about alleged government corruption. He has also been using his account to encourage Zimbabweans to speak out and act against corruption. They are breaking into my home. Alert the world! Chinono tweeted as police raided his home in the capital, Harare, on Monday. His lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, said he was detained at a police station but was being denied access to lawyers. The arrest of Chinono, a Harvard University Nieman Fellow, drew sharp criticism in Zimbabwe and abroad. Political intimidation of the press has no place in democracies, tweeted the US embassy in Harare, which in the past has been accused by the ruling party of sponsoring Chinono. The European Union embassy in Harare said: We are concerned by the arrest of Chinono this morning and call for his immediate release. Journalism is not a crime, but a crucial pillar of any democratic society & of the fight against corruption. Journalists and freedom of expression deserve protection. EU4HumanRights. The Dutch embassy described Chinonos arrest as part of a worrying trend against free speech in Zimbabwe. The organiser of the planned July 31 protest, opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume, is also in police custody, said Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which is providing lawyers for him. Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said Chinono and Ngarivhume have been charged with incitement to participate in public violence and would appear in court soon. Government spokesman Nick Mangwana wrote on Twitter that journalists are not above the law. Anyone suspected to have committed a crime should be subjected to due process, he tweeted a few hours after the arrests. 200714115637897 Journalists, lawyers, doctors and nurses are among those who have been arrested in recent months in Zimbabwe for protesting, striking for better pay or, in some cases, simply doing their work amid rising tensions in the country. A deteriorating economy and reports of widespread corruption linked to government contracts for the purchase of COVID-19 personal protective gear and drugs amid poor service delivery have further stoked public anger. In June, Chinono said he feared for his life after governing ZANU-PF party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa accused the journalist of seeking to embarrass President Emmerson Mnangagwa by linking the presidents family to alleged corrupt COVID-19-related contracts. He is being victimised for exposing corruption in government, Foster Dongozi, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, said in a statement. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty Internationals director for East and Southern Africa, said the arrests are designed to intimidate and send a chilling message to journalists, whistle-blowers and activists who draw attention to matters of public interest in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean authorities must stop misusing the criminal justice system to persecute journalists and activists who are simply exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The authorities must stop using the police and courts to silence dissent. Advertisement Johnny's Depp's US lawyer was today reprimanded by a High Court judge over an 'unwelcome' 'In Memoriam' tweet about evidence from Amber Heard's interior designer. Adam Waldman had accused Laura Divenere, who also worked for Elon Musk, of twice changing her story about Depp abusing Heard - and slammed her for suggesting he had put her under pressure to sign her witness statement in which she said she hadn't seen any bruises on Heard after one of her alleged bust-ups with Depp. Waldman tweeted after Ms Divenere gave evidence on Friday in which she called him 'the biggest a**hole under the sun': 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere'. Adam Wolanski QC, for News Group Newspapers and The Sun today told the court: 'We would ask that he [Waldman] refrains from posting further macabre, threatening and sinister messages about witnesses whose evidence he does not like.' However, David Sherborne, Depp's barrister argued in court that the reason behind the tweet was because Ms Divenere had backtracked on claims that she had been pressurised by Mr Waldman into making her initial statement supporting Depp. Mr Sheborne said that the phrase 'in memoriam' a phrase referring to remembering the dead was used by Mr Waldman to illustrate that he felt her evidence on Friday was a lie. The judge Mr Justice Nicol said the phrase was unwelcome. Laura Divenere (left) claimed Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman (right) urged her to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed Adam Waldman's tweet read: 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere' after she had given evidence on Friday and called him an 'a**hole' In her initial statement, Ms Divenere, who furnished the couple's LA penthouse, claimed that she did not see Heard with any injuries following a fight between her and Depp on 21 May 2016 and that the actress had never reported being the victim of physical abuse. She also described Depp as always being 'delightful' and never aggressive. However, when giving evidence via video link from Los Angeles last Friday, Ms Divenere claimed that she was pressurised into saying all this by Mr Waldman. A secret conversation recorded by Heard was also played to the court in which Ms Divenere raged against Mr Waldman for putting her under pressure. However, in a further twist, she was then challenged by Mr Sherborne, who read out a number of emails sent by Ms Divenere to the Sun's lawyers and her own US lawyers after the recording was made. Dated March 2020, Ms Divenere asserts that she was illegally taped by Heard while having a conversation with her and that she was not coerced by Mr Waldman. In the emails, she also sticks to her original statement that she never saw Heard with any injuries or witness Depp being violent. The High Court was told that it was the confusion caused by Ms Divenere's account that prompted Mr Waldman to send out his tweet. The alleged 2016 row has become a focal point of the Depp's High Court showdown against The Sun newspaper, who branded the actor a 'wife beater' in a 2018 article. In the conversation that was played to the High Court on Friday, Ms Divenere called Waldman the 'biggest a**hole under the sun' after he asked her to abandon Heard's version of the contentious fight. London's High Court was also today read a text from Waldman to Ms Divenere, who was strongly urged to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed. And at the trial, Ms Divenere even conceded she had come under enormous pressure from Waldman to provide her statement, which she said she had not even written herself. In one section of her statement, referring to the incidents of May 2016, Ms Divenere claims: 'On none of those days immediately following the abuse claims did I observe any signs of physical abuse or injury, including any redness, swelling, cuts, bruising or damage of any kind.' When asked by Ms Wass, representing The Sun, whose idea it was to include this, Ms Divenere replied: 'Adam Waldman.' The alleged row has become a focal point of the Depp's High Court showdown against The Sun newspaper, who branded the actor a 'wife beater' in a 2018 article In the conversation, Ms Divenere called Waldman the 'biggest a**hole under the sun' after he asked her to abandon Heard's version of the contentious 2016 fight She added: 'Mr Waldman wrote the declaration, I just approved it and signed it.' Ms Wass asked Ms Divenere: 'I suggest that you felt pressurised by Mr Waldman to say things that were unfavourable about Miss Heard?' Ms Divenere replied: 'Yes.' When asked about allegations she made about Heard having an affair with James Franco and Elon Musk, while she was still married to Depp, Ms Divenere said: 'I did feel under pressure to say something about that.' When asked about another section of her statement, which refers to Heard having spent a night in jail for attacking her former wife, Ms Divenere said: 'That was Mr Waldman. I didn't know about that until he told me.' A text message from Mr Waldman to Ms Divenere was also read out in court, in which he asks her if she wants to 'remain on the side of the hoax' or the truth. Ms Wass asked her: 'Prior to this did you want to become involved as a witness between Miss Heard and Mr Depp. As a result of this text did you feel uncomfortable. Put under pressure?' Ms Divenere replied: 'I felt pressured.' The High Court also heard a conversation that was secretly recorded by Heard when she spoke with Ms Divenere after she made her statement last June. But the High Court in London heard a recording by Ms Heard of a conversation with Miss Divenere after she signed the statement, where she said Depp's US attorney Adam Waldman drafted the statement and pressured her into signing it. Ms Divenere said: 'He thought I was totally conspiring with you, and I. literally took it that I was like this lying person and he was gonna go ahead and subpoena me.' Ms Heard then told her former aide: 'It's not your fault, you didn't know. I hid it from everybody'. Explaining his tweet, Mr Waldman said: 'Despite working for Elon Musk, Ms Divenere's recent email to her own and the Sun's lawyers read out in court reaffirmed her sworn testimony that saw no bruises the week of May 21, 2016, was not coerced into anything and completed and signed her own final statement.' BANGALORE, India, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Unmanned aerial vehicles can either be remote-controlled aircraft (e.g., flown by a pilot at a ground control station) or can fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. The global Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market size is projected to reach USD 133.5 Billion by 2026, from USD 25.9 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 26.4% during 2021-2026. The report provides detailed segments based on product type and applications to better understand each segment that influences the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market growth. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-16J1392/Global_Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicle TRENDS INFLUENCING THE UAV MARKET SIZE The rise in the procurement of military UAVs by defense forces is one of the most significant factors projected to drive the growth of the UAV market size during the forecast period. The growing use of UAVs in various commercial applications, such as tracking, surveying & mapping, precision farming, remote aerial sensing, and product distribution, also fuels UAV market size growth. New farming techniques are expected to drive the unmanned aerial vehicles industry during the forecast period. UAV's are used to spray crops, track animals, crops, and water levels. Sophisticated UAV provides a 3D field image that is helpful in planning for future expansion. Most electronics companies are facing new problems in the supply chain following the COVID-19 outbreak in China. As a result, significant setbacks have been suffered by UAV industries that are dependent on imports of battery, gimbal, camera, or a small piece of plastic manufactured from China. It is anticipated that the growing adoption of UAVs by various industries such as mining, oil & gas, telecommunications, and retail, among others, would fuel the growth of UAV market size. The drone delivery service's growing trend is expected to propel the demand over the forecast period. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-16J1392/global-unmanned-aerial-vehicle UAV MARKET SHARE The commercial segment of the UAV market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR level from 2019 to 2025. This increase can be attributed to the increased adoption of UAVs for various commercial applications, such as product delivery, monitoring, surveying, mapping, and remote sensing. Based on the region, North America is expected to hold the largest Unmanned aerial vehicles market share. The growing use of UAVs for border and maritime surveillance activities in countries such as the United States and Canada is driving the growth of the UAV market in North America. Asia-Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is done to the expansion in product application in commercial areas, mainly in the field of filmmaking. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-16J1392/Global_Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicle UAV MARKET SEGMENTATION Data by Type Small UAV Tactical UAV Strategic UAV Special Purpose UAV. Data by Application Military Application Civil & Commercial Homeland Security. The following companies are covered in UAV market report: Boeing Saab AB Parrot General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Elbit Systems AeroVironment Lockheed Martin 3D Robotics Textron DJI Technology Northrop Grumman Israel Aerospace Others. Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-16J1392&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-16J1392&lic=enterprise-user VIEW SIMILAR REPORTS UAV Drones Market Report The UAV Drones Market size is expected to grow rapidly due to factors such as technological advancements in drones and an increase in demand for drone-generated data in commercial applications. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0B266/uav-drones Small UAV Market Report The report consists of key market trends, which are likely to impact the growth of the market over the forecast period. Evaluation of in-depth industry trends is included in the report, along with their product innovations and key market growth. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4D264/small-uav Military UAVs Market Report The report offers an in-depth assessment of the growth and other aspects of the Military UAVs market in regions North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The major players in the market include Airbus, AeroVironment, Aeryon, BAE Systems, Boeing, DJI, Elbit Systems, Flir, Israel Aerospace Industries, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Saab, Yuneec, etc. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-8M1210/global-military-uavs Commercial UAV Market Report Increasing application in the government and agriculture sector is expected to boost the commercial UAV market's growth over the forecast period. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2T308/commercial-uav Fixed Wing UAVs Market Report The rise in the adoption of technologically advanced runway less unmanned aerial military platforms by defense forces is one of the most significant factors projected to drive the growth of the fixed-wing UAV market. The report includes a country-wise and region-wise market size for the period 2015-2026. It also includes market size and forecast by each application segment in terms of volume for 2015-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3W273/fixed-wing-uavs Drone Market Report Drone market size is expected to grow to USD 13.37 Billion by the end of 2025 at a CAGR of 13.70%. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1N192/drone Mini UAV Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2O309/mini-uav Nano UAV Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-3B3112/covid-19-impact-on-nano-uav ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports Abu Dhabi-based Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the UAEs largest hospitals for serious and complex care, has fully resumed its operations with all services open to the UAE community. The integrated medical facility, a joint venture partnership between Mayo Clinic and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), has also launched a campaign to raise patient awareness of the importance of proactively managing healthcare needs. In line with the guidance and support of the UAE leadership, SSMC - a COVID-free facility - has implemented additional globally-recognised practices of safety, disinfection, and sterilization across the hospital to ensure patient and visitor safety and protection. These measures include controlled entry with disinfection and temperature checks at the entrance, glass barriers between reception staff and patients at registration, and redesigned waiting rooms in line with social distancing guidelines. The hospital has also re-scheduled appointments to minimize the number of people on site at any given point. Dr Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said: Our patients health and safety remain our top priority and we have put in place rigorous measures to proactively protect staff and patients. We offer world-class healthcare and medical services alongside cutting-edge facilities, technologies and diagnostics. Ensuring that these services continue to be accessed by the community and that patients receive the best care possible by proactively managing their health has always been central to SSMCs mission. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is all the more important. As a nation that has invested heavily in the health of its people, it is vitally important that people of all ages, and with all conditions, continue to access relevant medical solutions to treat non-COVID-19 illnesses, added Dr Ammash. We want to encourage people to be proactive and avoid the risk of longer term health issues. All facilities within SSMC undergo round-the-clock cleaning and sanitization, including all communal areas and surfaces such as waiting rooms, toilets, doorknobs, and light switches, among others. Additionally, all hospital staff are regularly tested for COVID-19. The hospital will also have isolated and clearly marked wards, walkways, and entrance points for members of the community who present COVID-19 symptoms or are tested positive. TradeArabia News Service Cambodias opposition leader Kem Sokha, who is under judicial restrictions against political activities amid an ongoing trial on charges of treason, has quietly begun tours of the country, although his motives are unclear. Speaking to RFAs Khmer Service on Monday, Kem Sokhas lawyer, Meg Sopheary, said the chief of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) had traveled to Siem Reap province on Sunday, following recent trips to the provinces of Tbong Khmum, Pursat, Kampot, Battambang, and Banteay Meanchey. Since he was allowed by the court to [only] travel inside Cambodia, he goes out occasionally for sightseeing, she said. Its normal for anyonestaying inside the house for such a long time is boring. According to photos posted to his Facebook account, Kem Sokha has been traveling and meeting with local residents since at least early July. The CNRP leader was arrested in September 2017 over an alleged plot to overthrow the government with the help of the U.S. government and the Supreme Court banned his party in November that year for its supposed role in the scheme. The move to dissolve 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. Kem Sokha was released from pre-trial detention to house arrest in September 2018 and granted bail in November last year by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the terms of which allowed him to travel within Cambodia but restricted him from taking part in any political activities. His trial began on Jan. 15 but has been postponed while the country grapples with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Kem Sokha maintains his innocence and his lawyers have all along said that prosecutors lack evidence to convict. His trial has been dismissed as a sham by rights groups and Western governments, and in March, U.S. Ambassador Patrick Murphy issued a rare statement denouncing what he said were fabricated conspiracy theories about the United States introduced by the prosecution. The recent trips come about a month after Hun Sen met with Kem Sokha after the latter sent condolences over the death of Hun Sens mother-in-law and attended her funeral. The subject of the 50-minute meeting was never made public. Travel welcomed Speaking to RFA on Monday, analysts welcomed Kem Sokhas decision to exercise his right to travel and meet with the people, even if he could have begun doing so months ago. Even though foreign diplomats have been visiting with him at his residence, they dont come every day, so there is nothing wrong with traveling out to the provinces, said political commentator Seng Sary. I also believe he wants to test the courts stance and its conditions imposed on him. Political commentator Meas Ny said it was unclear whether Kem Sokhas travel was his own decision or he was told to do so, presumably by Hun Sen or someone else in the ruling party. If he was told to do so, it is likely some sort of new political trap, he said. True democrats should think hard about which path they intend to walk because [the ruling party] will never allow the leaders of the CNRP [Kem Sokha and self-exiled, acting party chief Sam Rainsy] to unify. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Passenger numbers at North Dakotas eight commercial service airports continued a slow rebound in June, after a historic low last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. The airports in Bismarck and other large cities in the state during April had their lowest monthly passenger count since record keeping began 40 years ago, at about 5,000 passengers, or 5% of normal expected traffic. The passenger numbers rose to 13,474 in May, and to 24,313 in June, according to the state Aeronautics Commission. The June number was still only about 24% of expected traffic for the month, but it was up from 14% of expected traffic in May, according to Aeronautics Commissioner Kyle Wanner. We have now had two consecutive months of passenger growth since the month of April; however, our passengers counts are still only at 24% of precrisis levels," he said. "Concerns regarding further spread of COVID-19 currently limits the upside of the airline industry and its ability to attract additional demand. North Dakota has commercial service airports in Bismarck, Minot, Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Fargo, Devils Lake and Jamestown. All of them saw a drop in boardings compared to June 2019, ranging from a decline of 68% in Devils Lake to nearly 87% in Grand Forks. Bismarck's airport saw a decline of about 70%, compared with a drop of 84% the previous month and 95% the month before that. Year-to-date boardings at the eight airports are down 47% overall. They're down in Bismarck by the same percentage. The Federal Aviation Administration is providing more than $85 million in aid to 53 North Dakota airports through the federal CARES Act economic rescue package, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Bismarck airport is getting more than $20 million. Airports in North Dakota and throughout the country are working hard on a daily basis to implement recommended practices to help ensure a safe environment for those who either want or need to utilize air transportation, Wanner said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Amanda A Seke married woman was on Friday caught with a man in a lodge in Ridgeview. Amanda Chembe, 30, of Chirasavana village allegedly booked Master Chirowodza, 24, at Ridgeview Guest House before her husbands brother Oswell Mumbamarwo pounced on them. Police had to be called in to ensure there was no violence. Upon leaving the room with the help of police officers, Chembe denied bedding Chirowodza arguing that they were at the house for a private business meeting. She denied even knowing Chirowodza saying he was just a shop keeper at a shop in their village and had agreed to engage in a business deal. It is true that I booked the room to have a private meeting with baba munini since we wants to sell clothes at my village in Mhondoro, said Chembe. Hapana zvataita isu handidanane navo kana zita ravo handirizive ndinongoziva kuti ndi baba munini veku shop chete. We agreed to raise capital and share profit after selling second hand clothes and babamunini didnt want his brother to know about the deal that is why we travelled from Seke to this place. I was not aware that it is a lodge bamunini ndivo vangavachipaziva and I informed bamkuru about the deal but am surprised that he was secretely following us, said Chembe. Mumbamarwo followed Chembe and Chirowodza from Seke to Ridgeview after discovering that the two had agreed to spend the day having quality time at a secluded place. H-Metro was called to the house and arrived while Mumbamarwo was reasoning with the Guest Lodge owner Stanley Stunner Mateke to be allowed to get to the room where Chembe and Chirowodza were booked. The woman booked here is wife to my brother locked in South Africa so I was following her from Seke after learning about her illicit affair with a shop keeper, Mumbamarwo was heard saying seeking to be given permission to the room. Stunner denied Mumbamarwo access to the room arguing that the two deserve their privacy since they had paid their booking fee. I can not allow you to the room since they are my respected clients what I can allow you is to park your vehicle outside the gate and see them upon leaving the house, said Stunner to Mumbamarwo. Stunner further instructed his employees to permit Mumbamarwo to meet the two in the company of police to avoid noise. However, Mumbamarwo who was in the company of a hired driver and Chembes two year old daughter did not have the patience to spend the day waiting for the two. He called Chembe on her mobile phone informing her about his presence and that forced her to come out of her room. She was alone and said Chirowodza had already left. Chembe is my brothers wife with two children and an ardent follower of Methodist Church in Zimbabwe that tomorrow (Saturday) she is expected to be ordained, said Mumbamarwo. Her movements with Chirowodza for the past weeks were questionable leaving children at home. At one time I confronted her over Chirowodza after I found him at the house and she said they were discussing clothing business. Today I learnt of her unholy trip and decided to follow her and I didnt know that they were going this far and I took the young child with me. The Owner of the guest house denied us access to the room and I decided to call her lying that her child had been scalded. She replied instructing me to look for tablets since she was in town and was not expecting to return home quickly. That annoyed me. Her husband is in South Africa and has been sending money for the family, not to book rooms with lovers leaving children unattended. From Seke they boarded a private car to Chitungwiza and got into a kombi yakanzi Jolembe yavadzikisira pa mbudzi round about vakakwira private car kupinda mutown. Vafamba netsoka kuenda ku Colcom kwavazokwira Wish yavadzikisira pama church vakafamba netsoka kusvika pa Ridgeview Guest House ndichivatevera nemota. Chifambi hachidi netsoka vangadai vasvinurawo meso ne pfungwa, said Mumbamarwo. Police led them to a post at Harare Agricultural Show where they received counseling before they were released. Chirowodza refused to entertain H-Metro after a meeting with Mumbamarwo. A repeat offender described as a "very educated lady" stole a 1,000 mobile phone from a diner in a Dublin city centre fast food restaurant, a court heard. In other incidents, Laura O'Toole (36) was also found in possession of sedative tablets and heroin, tried to abscond from gardai and swallowed "unknown items" when she was found loitering in an area known for drug dealing. Judge Paula Murphy said O'Toole's engagement with the probation service had been "patchy and inconsistent" and she would need to see a positive report if the accused is to avoid jail. O'Toole, with an address at La Touche Road, Bluebell, pleaded guilty to theft and drugs charges. A garda sergeant told Dublin District Court the accused entered McDonald's on Temple Bar Square at 4pm on July 4, 2018. She was seen on CCTV taking a woman's iPhone off a table and leaving the premises with it. The court heard it was a new iPhone X Gold, worth 1,000. O'Toole came to gardai by appointment and was "extremely co-operative". Possession The court heard the phone was later recovered. Separately, gardai saw the accused acting suspiciously at 2.30pm on September 25, 2018 at Abbey Street Lower. She was searched and found in possession of 140 worth of heroin. On February 8, 2019, gardai were on cycle patrol when security at Fresh supermarket in Smithfield reported a woman acting suspiciously. Gardai stopped O'Toole and she could not give a reason why she was loitering in the area. She was searched and found to have 89 Alprazolam tablets on her. On May 22 last year, O'Toole was hanging around Adare Lane, Dublin 2, an area known for drug dealing. When gardai approached, she attempted to abscond and swallowed "unknown items". O'Toole had 12 prior convictions, for drugs, theft and other offences. Defence solicitor Ruth Walsh said a probation report was one of the most detailed she had seen. The accused was a "very educated lady" who had held employment in the past. AFP via Getty Images Tens of thousands of workers across more than two dozen US cities are expected to take part in a strike over racial inequality, organisers say. The action, named the Strike for Black Lives, was planned to take place on Monday and will see events take place across more than 25 cities including full-day strikes, lunch pickets, and moments of silence. A range of essential workers are expected to take part in the action such as nursing home employees, janitors, delivery men and women, and fast food, ride-share and airport workers. We are ... building a country where black lives matter in every aspect of society including in the workplace, said Ash-Lee Henderson, an organiser with the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of over 150 organisations that make up the Black Lives Matter movement. The Strike for Black Lives is a moment of reckoning for corporations that have long ignored the concerns of their black workforce and denied them better working conditions, living wages, and healthcare," Ms Henderson said. The action comes following ongoing civil unrest across the US following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody after a white police officer knelt on his neck for a prolonged period of time. The death of Floyd has served as a catalyst for mass protests and demonstrations across all 50 states against police brutality, systemic racism, and racial discrimination. At noon on Monday, workers were expected to take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time former Minneapolise police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyds neck. Strikers are demanding that corporations and the government confront systemic racism and economic inequality that limits black and Hispanic workers. They are calling on corporate leaders and elected government officials to use executive and legislative power to ensure people of all races can succeed in society by meeting their demands including raising wages, and allowing workers to unionise to negotiate better health care, sick leave and child care support. Story continues Black and Hispanic workers make up a disproportionate number of those earning less than a living wage in the US. An estimated 54 per cent of black workers and 63 per cent of Hispanic workers work for less than a living wage, compared to 37 per cent of white workers and 40 per cent of Asian American workers, according to the Poor Peoples Campaign. A large number of worker collectives and social and racial justice groups are expected to take part in the action on Monday including the Service Employees International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers, United Farm Workers and the Fight for $15 and a Union. We have to link these fights in a new and deeper way than ever before, Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 2 million workers in the US and Canada previously told the Associated Press. Our members have been on a journey to understanding why we cannot win economic justice without racial justice. This strike for black lives is a way to take our members understanding about that into the streets, Ms Henry said. Additional reporting by the Associated Press Read more St Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters star in Trump event Veteran speaks out over video of federal officers beating him Trump claims he is trying to help Portland Portland protesters hit with tear gas and snatched into unmarked vans We are honored to be recognized by CRN for our unified communication solutions and commitment to driving customer success, said Neil Darling, CEO, RingLeader. RingLeader, the leading provider of internet phone services for businesses of all sizes, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named RingLeader to its 2020 Emerging Vendors list in the networking and unified communications category. This annual list honors new, rising technology suppliers that exhibit great promise in shaping the future success of the channel with their dedication to innovation. RingLeader specializes in social communication technology that enables groups, crowds, or emerging enterprises to integrate existing legacy voice and data infrastructure into its distributed, secure CrowdVoicing platform. Developed by RingLeader, CrowdVoicing is an on-demand, unstructured phone system that enables group leaders to effectively manage teams of all sizes, quickly deploying rings of human talent toward any project, event, or task. We are honored to be recognized by CRN for our unified communication solutions and commitment to driving customer success, said Neil Darling, CEO, RingLeader. With the rise in remote work, RingLeaders CrowdVoicing platform is empowering organizations of all sizes to improve collaboration, communication and productivity, wherever they conduct business. The backbone of RingLeaders communications suite is its proprietary business-class SIP Trunking phone service, Carrier-Connect. This service seamlessly integrates with any on-premise phone system without additional hardware. Components of RingLeaders Carrier-Connect solution support call-recording that, in turn, supports artificial intelligence for call streams. Integrated with call recording software, CallCabinet, the service recognizes urgent data points like customer and agent emotion, positive and negative trend words, to categorize recordings based on risk scoring. CRNs 2020 Emerging Vendors list recognizes vendors that are revolutionizing the IT channel with innovative solutions that meet the complex demands of our industry, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. It honors inspirational new vendors that are driving channel growth with state-of-the-art technologies that will continue to shape the channel into the future. The Emerging Vendors list is selected by CRNs esteemed editorial team and recognizes pioneering technology suppliers in the IT channel that are driving innovation and growth. These vendors are inspiring the IT channel with groundbreaking technologies and best-in-class offerings that are elevating businesses driving success with solutions built to battle the challenges of the IT channel. The 2020 Emerging Vendors list will be featured in the August 2020 issue of CRN Magazine and online at http://www.CRN.com/EmergingVendors. About RingLeader RingLeader is a leading provider of cloud-based communication solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes across North America. RingLeader specializes in SIP trunking communications technology, which enables organizations to integrate their existing voice and data infrastructure into a single line of communication without replacing their existing network. Its product suite includes CrowdVoice, a secure social communication application that brings unified communications, social messaging and end-to-end encryption all under one umbrella. To learn more about RingLeader, visit https://ringleader.co and follow on Twitter @BeTheRingLeader and Facebook @BeTheRingLeader. S paceX is set to launch South Korea's first military communications satellite into orbit today after nearly a week-long delay. The Anasis-II satellite is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5pm local time (8pm GMT). The new launch window closes just under four hours later. Here's what you need to know: Why is the launch taking place today? Tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX firm had planned to launch the satellite on July 14, but announced just a day before that it was pushing back blast-off "to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed". Commenting on the delay, Mr Musk said in a Tweet: "We're being extra paranoid. Maximizing [the] probability of successful launch is paramount." On Saturday, the firm announced that the re-arranged Anasis-II mission launch had been set for July 20. South Korea's arms procurement agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), has refused to officially confirm the launch date, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Monday. "There are many factors to take into consideration for a launch, such as technical issues and weather conditions," `Yonhap quoted a a DAPA official as saying. "We are closely working with the US side and monitoring related situations." The South Korean military currently relies on international and civilian-owned satellites for communications. The Anasis-II satellite is designed to "provide secured communications over wide coverage," according to manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space. How can I watch the launch from the UK? You can also watch the countdown in real-time on SpaceX's website, here. Alternatively, you can follow proceedings via the company's YouTube channel, here. SpaceX is also expected to provide mission audio from its launch control centre via its YouTube channel. King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 but is once again in the spotlight over his financial dealings. A former lover's taped conversations, murky financial dealings splashed across front pages, and a legacy in ruins. The emergence of shocking allegations of corruption and money laundering against former Spanish King Juan Carlos have cast doubt over the very future of the monarchy, under his son King Felipe. Juan Carlos seemed set to go down in history as the leader who skilfully guided Spain from dictatorship to democracy after the death of Gen Francisco Franco in 1975, but the 82 year-old's private financial activities have prompted two court inquiries in Switzerland and Spain. Why Felipe has been ensnared After Juan Carlos abdicated in response to rumours about his scandalous personal life in 2014, King Felipe sought to cut a contrastingly austere figure to that of his larger-than-life father, in a country where the monarchy does not enjoy high levels of support. But Felipe's name has also been linked to the luxury lifestyle bankrolled by his father's offshore millions, prompting calls for reforms and greater accountability. The king is now under pressure to distance himself from his father. Following the royal money trail In 2018 a Swiss prosecutor reacted to media rumours regarding Juan Carlos's obscure fortune and launched an investigation, questioning the ex-king's Swiss-based lawyer, financial adviser and other associates, including an ex-lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Prosecutor Yves Bertossa's ongoing inquiry centres on a $100m (80m) gift to Juan Carlos from the king of Saudi Arabia in 2008, and whether it was in connection with the awarding of a 6.7bn contract for a Spanish consortium to build a high-speed railway from Medina to Mecca three years later. Mr Bertossa has discovered the existence of two offshore funds, connected to Swiss bank accounts. One is the Panama-based Lucum Foundation, set up to receive the $100m gift from the late King Abdullah, and which was liquidated in 2012, with almost the entire original amount donated to Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a German-born businesswoman. Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein possesses a contract signed by Juan Carlos demonstrating that the donation was an "irrevocable gift" and not a money-laundering scheme, but also says she paid back money loaned to her from Lucum to buy a pair of apartments used by her and Juan Carlos in the Swiss resort of Villars. The other fund is Fondation Zagatka, registered in Liechtenstein and whose primary beneficiary is Alvaro de Orleans. He is a distant cousin of the king who has been questioned by Mr Bertossa over why its account received multi-million payments from overseas business deals while shelling out more than 5m on private jet flights used by Juan Carlos. Mr de Orleans claims he has helped the king out of a sense of "family honour" and that Zagatka's millions are all his own. In June, prosecutors at Spain's Supreme Court announced the start of the first ever investigation into Juan Carlos in his own country, to establish whether the former king could be accused of any crimes related to the Saudi money. The former king remains immune from prosecution for any action committed before his 2014 abdication. When did it start going wrong for Juan Carlos? Hints and rumours of Juan Carlos's flamboyant lifestyle, alleged extramarital affairs and links to corrupt deal-making were frequent during his reign. But Spain's mainstream media and political establishment largely looked the other way, until an April 2012 accident befell the monarch while pursuing one of his passions: hunting. He was not hunting boar or deer at home but elephants in Botswana, when unemployment in Spain had topped 24% in the worst recession since Juan Carlos had piloted the country to democracy. Juan Carlos broke his hip, and when he had to be flown back to Spain the cover on his secret jaunt was blown. The hunt mishap came shortly after a separate scandal that embroiled the king's son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, in a fraud investigation that eventually saw him jailed in 2018. A previously pliant media turned against Juan Carlos. Spaniards were soon informed that their king had been in Botswana with his lover, Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, with the tab paid for by a Saudi magnate. A series of health problems and persistent rumours regarding his personal life led to the decision to abdicate in favour of King Felipe in June 2014. But the worst was yet to come for the newly titled "emeritus king". Bombshell revelations on tape In 2018, online newspaper El Espanol published a series of articles based on taped conversations between Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Jose Villarejo, a former police investigator currently in jail. Unbeknown to Juan Carlos's ex-lover, Villarejo had a habit of recording his conversations with the rich and powerful. Speaking to him in her London home in 2015, Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein describes what she alleges to be Juan Carlos's clumsy efforts to launder money. She mentions her surprise at suddenly being told she has been gifted a property worth 3m by the king of Morocco, before being asked to pass it over to the former Spanish monarch. "They say 'she doesn't want to give things back'. But if I do, it's money laundering and Ill go to jail," Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein can be heard saying on the tape. She then claimed that members of Spain's CNI intelligence service had organised a campaign of intimidation to pressure her into co-operating. "The king has no concept of what is legal and what isn't," Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein said. The tapes led directly to the opening of investigations in Geneva and at Spain's National Court. The Spanish inquiry has since been taken up by the Supreme Court as it is the only judicial institution permitted to probe the former king. Further damage to the royals While the wheels of justice turn slowly and may never lead to Juan Carlos being placed in the dock, the media floodgates have opened regarding the former monarch's lavish lifestyle. Spanish newspaper El Pais, traditionally a staunch Juan Carlos supporter, revealed how he flew into Switzerland in 2010 to knock on the door of his wealth manager and hand him a briefcase containing $1.9m in cash he said was a gift from the ruler of Bahrain. Perhaps most damaging for Spain's monarchy as an institution was the revelation in March that Felipe had been named as a hereditary beneficiary of the Lucum and Zagatka funds, leading the current king to announce that he rejected any economic inheritance Juan Carlos may have prepared for him. In an unprecedented statement by Spain's Royal Household, it was also announced that Juan Carlos would no longer be granted his annual allowance of some 200,000 from the official state budget. Juan Carlos has not been seen in public since. What might happen next? The former king has no immunity in Switzerland, regardless of the date of any possible crimes, so it remains to be seen if Prosecutor Bertossa will lay accusations against him. Regarding the Spanish Supreme Court inquiry, most experts believe the former king will avoid charges as most of the possible offences took place before his abdication. Spain's Congress too has so far voted against a minority of left-wing and regional parties that wish to hold an investigative commission into the origin of Juan Carlos's offshore fortune. But what of King Felipe's future in a country that polls suggest is split fairly evenly down the middle on remaining a monarchy? Three days after the announcement that he was renouncing his father's wealth, King Felipe spoke on television to address Spaniards under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making no mention of the scandals, as a noisy minority of citizens banged pots on balconies in protest at the royal family's behaviour. What should Felipe do? Over recent weeks, the Royal Household has refused to comment on any of the revelations concerning what it now refers to as Juan Carlos's "private life". But reports of millions of euros being delivered to the royal family's Zarzuela residence by Juan Carlos and his hired assistants - and the emergence of a new tape in which Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein stated that the former king used his wealth to pay for all of his family expenses "in cash" - do little to help King Felipe distance himself from the sins of his father. Some argue that Felipe needs to take greater steps towards a clean break with the past. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently admitted that the accusations levelled against Juan Carlos were "disturbing", and that he was in favour of reforming the constitutional concept of absolute immunity for Spain's head of state. Jose Antonio Zarzalejos, a prominent supporter of Spain's monarchy and former editor of the royalist ABC newspaper, said King Felipe had to take further steps to secure his future on the throne, including the "physical removal" of Juan Carlos from Zarzuela palace. "Felipe should give a full public explanation to Spanish society and he should also consider a public declaration of income, just as elected politicians do." BBC China complained to Japan early this month about its fishing boats moving in the vicinity of Senkaku islands in the East China Sea. Beijing also wanted Japan to cancel the resolution passed by the Ishigaki city assembly last month to change the name of the southern Japan area from Tonoshiro to Tonoshiro Senkaku. Japan, as expected, has told off China. Beijings latest complaint to Tokyo falls into a pattern and is part of its tactic to push the envelope with its neighbours - one step at a time. In the East China Sea, the demarche was designed to build its claim over the archipelago that includes five uninhabited islands and three barren rocks spread across 7 sq km. It wasnt just the presence of Japanese military around the islands east of the Chinese mainland that Beijing was going to object to but fishing boats too. Also Read: Donald Trump spotted a pattern in Chinas standoff with India. Here are 21 reasons To be sure, China has been attempting to expand its territories over the last two decades but it has only been after the latest round of steps, or mis-steps that Beijing has been called out for bullying its neighbours, first by the United States. For instance, it has been laying the ground for the Ladakh adventure nearly 20 years ago. ALSO WATCH | Indian Americans protest in Washington; massive anti-China protest in Toronto Facts According to the western sector maps shared by India and China in 2002 on their respective claim line, there are 12 areas of differences in perception of the Line of Actual Control. The maps were never exchanged due to Chinese objections. These are: Samar Lungpa 176 sq km Trig heights and Depsang bulge 972 sq km Konh Ka La (3 pockets) 56 sq km Pangong Tso (Both banks) 83 sq km Spanggur Gap 24 sq km Mount Sajum 129 sq km Dumchele 40 sq km Demchok 150 sq km Chumar 80 sq km Source: The Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion Indian Riposte That is when teams of Indian and Chinese officials, in an effort to understand each others perceptions about the Line of Actual Control and narrow the differences, produced maps of the western sector at the meeting of the expert group of the two countries on 17 June 2002. But the Chinese side declined to exchange these maps that would have formalised their claims and perception about the LAC. China hadnt, for example, made claims over Gogra, or the fingers overlooking the Pangong lake. Over the next 18 years, China has been attempting to nibble away territories that it claimed as its own, and the ones that it traditionally hadnt. Like parts of Galwan valley that China has discovered can be strategically useful after India scaled up its border infrastructure and brought the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie close to the LAC. Indian officials concede that there had been this lurking suspicion about China for years. But there was a belief within Indian diplomatic and military community that with close interaction over the years, the mindset of Han Chinese would change. This has been a singular big mistake, a senior official said. But the Indian government isnt the only one to have gone wrong with its assessment of China. Also Read: US carrier Nimitz to conduct exercise with Indian Navy en route to Middle East Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has conceded that consecutive US administrations had gone horribly wrong with their policy that deepening ties with China could help democratize the country and the Trump administration was fixing this policy approach. US Attorney General William Barr expanded on the administrations approach last week, warning US business and academia that China means to co-opt, destroy and eventually replace them altogether. The Trump administration has increasingly been focused on China bullying countries in the region, right from India and Japan to the smaller Southeast Asian countries. China claims almost the entire South China Sea and the islands and reefs that dot it. As the world struggled with the virus that originated in its Wuhan, Beijing announced 2 districts to administer islands and reefs of Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands to strengthen its claim to sovereignty over the area. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) While the emergence of new COVID-19 cases in Cebu is going down, the number is not plateauing yet, a Department of Health official said Monday. Base sa report ng national task force at ng regional office namin, bumaba ang kaso sa kanila [Cebu], Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters in a media forum. [Translation: Based on the reports of the National Task Force on COVID-19 and our regional office, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Cebu is decreasing.] I cannot say if it is plateauing kasi kailangan natin makita ang trend na iyan, Vergeire said. [Translation: We have to see if that decreasing trend first.] She explained that the observation was based on the comparison of data last week from two weeks ago, adding a clearer picture may be seen next week. With this reason, the DOH will still strictly monitor the situation in the province. Cebu province is under general community quarantine until July 30, unless extended. Meanwhile, Cebu City, where most of the cases in Central Visayas have been reported, is under modified enhanced community quarantine up to the end of the month. Movement restrictions were relaxed a little in Cebu City after being put under the strict enhanced community quarantine for a month to slow the outbreak there. According to the July 19 data of the DOH-Central Visayas Center for Health Development, Cebu City has 3,241 COVID-19 cases, while Cebu province has 1,645 infections. The region has a total of 6,872 cases so far. By ANI WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is set to start his short trip to the United Kingdom and Denmark on Monday (local time) to discuss China's global communist "threat," Hong Kong, and bilateral issues. Announcing his trip last week, the state secretary said that the Chinese Communist Party's "threat to free peoples around the world will be high on top of that agenda." OPINION | Regarding China, what Aurobindo saw Nehru could not and now what PM Modi sees Rahul cannot In London, his first stop, he will meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. The COVID-19 economic recovery and post-Brexit US-UK free trade talks will be also in focus. In Copenhagen on Wednesday, the secretary of state will meet with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as well as foreign and education ministers and the Greenlandic minister of foreign affairs and energy to discuss coronavirus, China, the Arctic and ways to boost bilateral cooperation. In August, President Donald Trump announced that he was interested in buying Greenland and canceled a visit to Denmark after Frederiksen called his idea "absurd." ALLEN PARK -- Matthew Stafford, Trey Flowers and Duron Harmon will join Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for a virtual voter education and registration event on Tuesday. This virtual town hall is the first of two events scheduled for this week where Lions players will focus on spreading voter education and awareness. The talk featuring Stafford, Flowers, Harmon and Benson comes through the Detroit Lions Inspire Change initiative and is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Lions will live stream the event on their Twitter account, according to a tweet from the team. Harmon and Flowers will then be joined by fellow Lions defenders Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Christian Jones for another virtual panel scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday. This event will specifically take a closer look at the local district attorney races in Oakland and Wayne counties. To register for the event hosted through the Players Coalition, click here. (The) Power of Prosecutors: Know Before You Vote virtual town hall where we will discuss the power of local prosecutors in our criminal legal system and their role in fueling our epidemic of mass incarceration, the event description reads. This town hall will empower voters with a deeper understanding of the issues at stake and the power of their vote to call for justice in their communities. Related: Lions safety Duron Harmon opens up about racism, protests, what he wants from the NFL Local elections are incredibly important. Specifically, for Detroit, the district attorney races in Oakland & Wayne counties will be crucial. Join me Jalen, Trey & Christian Wednesday at 6PM to learn more about this https://t.co/twIG6hM79T Duron Harmon (@dharm32) July 20, 2020 Join in on the conversation! We will be discussing the significance of the upcoming elections. #KnowBeforeYouVote #CoalitionConversations https://t.co/PJvcqNXLHI Trey Flowers (@III_Flowers) July 20, 2020 Monday was the last day to register online or by mail to vote in the Aug. 4 primary election. While that time has passed, Michigan residents can still register to vote in person until 8 p.m. on Election Day at the local clerks office. Voters in Michigan can request an absentee ballot by mail up until 5 p.m. on July 31. Registered voters in the state can request an absentee ballot for any reason. To check the status of a request, head to Michigan.gov/vote or click here to locate your local clerk. Michigan residents can also view all the local races and proposals up for vote at the Michigan Voter Information Center. Related: Voters for Michigans August primary must register in person after July 20 Missouri governor Mike Parson has said he is prepared to pardon the couple who brandished their firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their mansion if prosecutors bring criminal charges against them. The Republican governor explained that Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who live in the Forest Park area of St. Louis, 'had every right to protect themselves' and he would exercise his pardon powers to ensure they did not spend time in jail. His comments come less than a month after the husband and wife brandished an AR-15 and a handgun at demonstrators marching past their mansion en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson's home. Speaking to 97.1FM Mr Parson said: 'Right now, that's what I feel. You don't know until you hear all the facts. Missouri governor Mike Parson explained that Mark and Patricia McCloskey 'had every right to protect themselves' as protesters marched past their property last month Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who live in the Forest Park area of St. Louis, brandished their firearms at protesters marching past their mansion in their gated community 'But right now, if this is all about going after them for doing a lawful act, then yeah, if that's scenario ever happened, I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail.' 'I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail.' He continued: 'A mob does not have the right to charge your property. They had every right to protect themselves.' The Republican governor later took to Twitter to add: 'We will not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights.' On June 28, Mr and Mrs McCloskey, who are both personal injury lawyers and run McCloskey Law Center, were filmed aiming their guns at a group of around 300 demonstrators as they walked past their palatial property at around 6pm. The protesters were en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson's home to demand her resignation after she released the names and addresses of residents who had suggested defunding the police department. Demonstrators chanted 'Let's Go' as the couple stood at their front door, patrolling back and forth. President Donald Trump later retweeted footage of the couple without comment. The governor later took to Twitter to say that he would not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights The couple came out of their property to brandish their firearms at protesters who they claim broke their way into a gated community Around 300 protesters made their way into the closed-off community and marched in front of the property Following the incident, St. Louis police confirmed they had been called to the property at around 7.20pm for an incident involving trespassing and assault 4th intimidation after the McCloskeys issued a 'call for help'. In a statement the police said: 'The victims stated they were on their property when they heard a loud commotion coming from the street. 'When the victims went to investigate the commotion, they observed a large group of subjects forcefully break an iron gate marked with ''No Trespassing'' and ''Private Street'' signs. 'Once through the gate, the victims advised the group that they were on a private street and trespassing and told them to leave. The group began yelling obscenities and threats of harm to both victims. Following the incident hundreds of protesters turned out for the demonstration near the couple's property 'When the victims observed multiple subjects who were armed, they then armed themselves and contacted police. The investigation is ongoing.' Earlier this month, state prosecutor Kimberley Gardner, announced that her office would be investigating the actions taken by the couple and said: 'We will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable.' According to the NRA, state law does not prohibit the open carrying of firearms, but does prohibit exhibiting 'any weapon readily capable of lethal use' in an angry or threatening manner in the presence of one or more persons. Lucknow, July 20 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to scale up surveillance, follow-up and contact tracing in the battle against COVID-19. The Chief Minister held a late-night meeting on Sunday after the COVID-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh rose to 49,247 with the highest single-day jump. The death toll reached 1,146 after 38 fatalities were reported in the state. The total number of discharged cases in the state is 29,845 so far, according to the information given by the state health department. The Chief Minister directed officials to develop effective plans to control the spread of the coronavirus. Yogi Adityanath further said that to control the spread of coronavirus, all District Magistrates, police chiefs, chief medical officers, principals of medical colleges and municipal officials should meet regularly. They should discuss and evolve effective and positive action to control the spread of the virus. The Chief Minister said that the database of COVID-19 patients should enclose identity proof and phone numbers of those undergoing tests at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) for swift tracking. Command control centres have been set up in every district of the state. The Chief Minister said that the ICCC should be well equipped to get back to people who test positive for the virus. Command centres have been proposed not only to track new cases, but also launch contact tracing, surveillance and provision of ambulances to ferry patients to COVID hospitals. "All district magistrates and chief medical officers have been asked to get phone numbers and addresses of those who undergo lab tests for the infection. The state government has decided to accelerate rapid antigen testing that yields quick results," said Additional Chief Secretary Home, Avanish Awasthi. Awasthi further said that officials have been asked to monitor COVID testing on the ground and address problems faced by hospitals. "Besides cleaning and sanitization, the hospitals should necessarily have an ambulance fleet, wheelchairs, stretchers and oxygen," the Additional Chief Secretary Home said. The Departments of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Urban Development have been asked to conduct sanitisation and fogging, besides ensuring potable drinking water to people. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest ever single-day spike of coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours with 2,250 new cases of Covid-19 including maximum 392 cases in Lucknow, followed by 168 in Kanpur, 125 in Noida and 100 in Prayagraj district on Sunday. The state is implementing a weekend shutdown, joining Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where a Sunday lockdown has been enforced this month. Cue the cameras: The Mayflower II is ready for its closeup and its journey home. The replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 is preparing to embark from Connecticut after three years and $11.2 million worth of renovations and several months of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The beloved vessel is scheduled to be towed from the preservation shipyard at the Mystic Seaport Museum to New London, Connecticut, on Monday for two weeks of sea trials before heading up the coast. The 64-year-old historic reproduction is scheduled arrive back at the harbour just down the road from the Plimoth Plantation living history museum on or around Aug. 10. FILE - In this June 6, 2016 file photo, people on a wharf watch as the Mayflower II arrives in Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth, Mass. After undergoing more than three years of major renovations at Connecticut's Mystic Seaport and months of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the replica of the Mayflower is is set to leave Mystic Seaport on Monday, July 20, 202 for a sea trials in New London, before sailing up the coast and arriving at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts on during the second week of August. (AP) The original plan had called for a celebratory departure in late April with several stops at southern New England ports before a May arrival. That was to include being led into Boston Harbor under sail with the USS Constitution for a maritime festival to mark the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower voyage. But those plans were scrapped because of the pandemic. The ship is now planning to make two overnight stops, without fanfare or crowds. The public can follow the trip online. Our goal is to keep the crew as isolated as possible, said Kate Sheehan, a spokesperson for Plimoth Plantation. So the public will not be able to board the ship at any point during the journey. Were just being very, very careful about the crews exposure. The Mayflower II has been a major tourist attraction and educational tool since it arrived in Plymouth as a gift from England in 1957. FILE- In this Nov. 3, 2017 file photo, shipwrights Jamie Kirschner, left, and Tucker Yaro, clean out the hold of the Mayflower II at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Conn. (AP) Stabilization efforts began in 2014, with the ship spending part of the year in Mystic. Continuous restoration work began at the seaport museum in 2016, with shipwrights from the seaport museum and artisans from Plimoth Plantation engaged in the work. The ships keel was saved, but nearly 75% of the vessel is new, Sheehan said. The hull planking was completely replaced with 20,000 board feet of Danish white oak that is absolutely some of the most beautiful wood that I have ever seen and the shipwrights have ever seen, she said. Since being rechristened in 2019, craftsmen have been doing painting, rigging, finishing work and installing new features such as a state-of-the-art fire suppression system on board. FILE- In this Feb. 21, 2019 file photo, shipwright Mike Brittan checks his work as he planes a deck plank for the main deck of the Mayflower II at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Conn. The Mayflower II is set to leave Mystic Seaport on Monday, July 20, 2020, for a sea trials in New London, Conn., before sailing up the coast and arriving at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts during the second week of August 2020. (AP) Plans for the Mayflower II to take part in tall ship celebrations and other sails including a 400th anniversary commemoration in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in September have been put on hold. For at least the remainder of this year, the ship will be docked at Pilgrim Memorial State Park, Sheehan said. To the extent that its possible to mark her arrival with any sort of event, then we will do so, she said. Even under the most mundane of circumstances, Mayflower tends to attract a crowd, so even if a crowd gathers organically, well communicate that they need to follow the states safety guidelines regarding physical distancing and mask wearing. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Big Brother star Sarah McDougal's eviction on Monday night saw the top four head into the final stage of the competition. And ahead of their last day in the house, the remaining contestants were left blindsided by a surprise twist. Just after Sarah was evicted, Daniel Gorringe, Mat Garrick, Sophie Budack and Chad Hurst were told how the final three would be decided. Scroll down for video Big Brother's big surprise: A shock final-three twist on Monday night, after Sarah McDougal's eviction. Pictured from left: Sophie Budack, Chad Hurst, Mat Garrick and Daniel Gorringe After congratulating the contestants on making it to the end, Big Brother revealed his final surprise. 'Standing between you and the final three is one last epic nomination challenge. And it's winner takes all,' he said. 'The winner will automatically be in the final three. The other three housemates will be up for nomination. 'It's winner takes all': The housemates were shocked to learn that the next nomination challenge winner would have ultimate power ahead of the public vote 'Unreal!' Chad and his rivals applauded the news, but were also wary of the possible consequences of the challenge 'The winner of the challenge will then get to evict the seventeenth housemate from my game; they will decide who the final three are before Australia decides who wins.' As the housemates applauded, Daniel Gorringe said, 'That's pretty good!' Chad Hurst added: 'Unreal! Winner takes all!' In a trailer for the finale, the housemates are seen running up and down a set of stairs to make sure metal balls remain on a sloping track. Final challenge: In a trailer for the finale, the housemates are seen running up and down a set of stairs to make sure metal balls remain on a sloping track Gone: Sarah McDougal (left) was evicted on Monday night. Pictured with Mat Garrick The remaining four housemates are now competing for a reduced prize of $234,656, after Kieran Davidson stole more than $15,000 from the winner's kitty last week. Australia will decide who wins by voting for one of three remaining contestants during the live finale on Tuesday. Big Brother continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven As the city is seeing an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, residents are also facing a shortage of beds at hospitals. Political leaders from all the parties in the city have raised concern over the issue. On Monday, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a protest at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) municipal commissioners office to highlight the issue of shortage of beds and the plight of residents who are unable to find beds in spite of the dashboards showing vacant beds. Abhijit More, AAP leader, said, We have demanded that the civic body should acquire maximum beds in private hospitals as the Covid-19 crisis is worsening day-by-day in the city. We want the municipal commissioner to look into the issue of hospitals and nursing homes not updating real-time dashboard on bed information, said More. Ajay Shinde, city unit president, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, said, Though on records, the administration is claiming that they have enough infrastructure, on ground residents are facing a lot of problems. They are not getting ambulance service on time and they have to run from pillar to post to get a patient admitted. Some people have lost their lives due to lack of immediate medical attention, said Shinde. Nilesh Nikam, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, said there have been cases where residents were unable to get a bed at private hospitals. Residents have to check at various hospitals in case there is a need for ICU bed. The situation is deteriorating day-by-day, said Nikam. Siddharth Shirole, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MLA too has raised the concern over the shortage of beds in the city hospitals and appealed to the central government to interfere in the crisis. Opposition party leader Deepali Dhumal, Congress leader Aba Bagul, Shiv Sena leader Prithviraj Sutar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Vasant More had jointly written a letter to the municipal commissioner to dissolve the fix deposits of the civic body and purchase ventilators and other medical equipment amid the rise in cases where patients were unable to get beds at hospitals. Iran's Oil Minister on Monday told reporters that all foreign countries are now refusing to sign agreements with Iran in all areas due to the U.S. sanctions and are even discontinuing existing contracts. Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh said a previously negotiated agreement with India to develop the offshore Farzad gas field shared with Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf, has been cancelled because no country is willing to sign agreements with Iran in any area and added: "We need to rely on our own domestic capacities". Zanganeh made the remarks when making the announcement that a $1.3 billion deal for the development of South Azadegan oil field has been awarded to Petropars Engineering and Development, an Iranian company, to boost its production capacity to 320,000 barrels per day from 140,000 over a period of 30 months. Responding to a question about a 25-year pact with China, the Oil Minister said in oil sector there will be "long-term cooperation in development of gas and oil fields as well as petrochemical and refining industries" but refuted the claims that concessions have been made to China. The planned deal with China has caused massive negative reactions by the Iranian public and social media users who have described it as "a sell-out of Iran". Zanganeh also defended the agreement with China and said it is a 25-year road map and will be put to the vote of the Parliament after being finalized. The final draft proposal of the agreement with China was approved in a meeting of the cabinet ministers on June 21. There has been no official reaction from China, who generally abides by U.S. sanctions on Iran. Zanganeh told reporters that Iran is ready "to sign similar cooperation road maps with all countries except Israel". He also claimed that Iran has not excluded the United States from its gas and oil fields, as contractors or investors. "It's them who have limited themselves," he said. Regarding the lawsuit against China's CNPC which in 2014 was expelled after a five-year delay in implementation of a deal to develop Azadegan oil field, Zanganeh said: "some meetings have been held and agreements have been reached in some areas but generally relations with China good and without tension". Google Doodle is celebrating the life of Dilhan Eryurt with a cartoon of the late Turkish astrophysicist. The picture sees Eryurt, who died in 2012, staring at stars and planets, the origins of which she helped uncover for Nasa in the 1960s. Born in western Turkey in 1926, Eryurt graduated with a degree in mathematics and astrophysics from Istanbul University shortly after the end of the Second World War, before moving to Canada in 1959 to work for the International Atomic Energy Agency. She began working at Nasa in Washington DC two years later and stayed for 12 years, reportedly as the only female astronomer at the space agency for much of the time. Collaborating with one of the founders of nuclear astrophysics, Alastair GW Cameron, Eryurt worked on the evolution of stars, particularly the necessary conditions required for the formation of one. She ultimately demonstrated that, contrary to received wisdom, the sun is not warming, but is actually getting cooler and losing brightness. Her research contributed not only to scientific knowledge, but helped Nasa engineers develop the technology required for its lunar rocket trips of the 1960s and 70s. In 1969, she was awarded the Apollo Achievement Award for her contribution to the Apollo 11 mission's first-ever moon landing. Eryurt later moved to the University of California, before returning to Turkey in 1973, establishing a department of astrophysics at Ankara's Middle East Technical University. She rose to become Dean of the science literature department at the university before retiring in 1993. Eryurt died in her home city of Ankara in 2012, aged 85. This is especially true for those who love to plug in their earphones and listen to any music, movie, podcast or audiobook for long durations and at a loud volume. Imagine a world where you cant hear the chirping of birds, the babbling of a child, the laughter of a loved one or your favourite songs. If it feels like a dull and dangerous world and one that you want to avoid at any cost then you should know that hearing damage and loss are real possibilities for everyone. Why ear care is important This is especially true for those who love to plug in their earphones and listen to any music, movie, podcast or audiobook for long durations and at a loud volume. In a world where personalisation is at a premium, we all are pretty much dependent on our smartphones and earphones whether at work, at play, with our online meetings or our social media accounts, says Dr Aparna Mahajan, Consultant-ENT, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad. What is coming under a lot of wear and tear is our eyes and ears. Enough advice is doled out on how to look after our eyes, but ears are often ignored. We all get our eyes tested, but testing our hearing has not really caught on, Dr Mahajan says. But, it is a must. The earlier one catches hearing loss, the more likely it can be addressed. This is in fact, even more important now because, as Dr Mahajan points out, prolonged exposure to loud noise and music is not conducive to healthy hearing, and can lead to hearing loss. What can you do to minimise the risk of hearing damage and loss? Keep the following ear care tips in mind. 1. Lower the volume A study published in Noise and Health (2017) indicates that people who listen to 90 decibels (dB) or 100dB sound levels for prolonged periods of time (including when they sleep) are at the greatest risk of cochlear damage and hearing impairment due to it. So, its very important that you maintain the sound level of 60dB at all times on all of your devices. The maximum volume you should go to is 80dB. A normal conversation is around 60dB. 2. Reduce the duration The longer the duration, the more harm youre doing. An Indian study in Noise and Health (2009) showed that more than 30 percent of the test subjects listened to music above the safety limits (which is set at 80dB) for eight hours. If youre crossing either or both these limits, youre clearly risking hearing damage and loss. So, lessen the duration, take breaks and keep reducing the volume as your duration of usage increases. 3. Choose the right device A study in the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences in 2002 explained how prolonged earphone usage creates an environment of high temperature and humidity in the ear canal, which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. A single cut or abrasion in this area can lead to outer ear infections. Picking an earphone with soft earbuds would reduce the risk of these infections to a degree. 4. Clean your ears Your ears have a natural cleaning system, which is how earwax is formed. Earwax is natures way of taking care of our sound receptors, Dr Mahajan says. Normally earwax clears out on its own. But studies have shown that use of earphones and earplugs can lead to a hardened buildup of earwax, cleaning out which can be difficult. The stubborn earwax variety can be coaxed with some drops of olive oil, almond oil or coconut oil in the ear. Ears are simple to take care of if you dont poke things into them, she says. Keep the pencils for writing and hairpins in your hair. 5. Clean your earphones Earphone etiquette requires us to clean our earphones regularly, Dr Mahajan says. Clean the earphones as per the manufacturers instructions to avoid a buildup of dust, microbes and any other substances. Dispose of earphones which have rusted metallic parts. 6. Get tested New smartphone apps now measure and calibrate noise levels, says Dr Mahajan, so using them to keep a check on your auditory health is as important as consulting a doctor when required. If your ears remain blocked for over five days, go to an ENT, she insists. Even the mighty crumble in the face of the humble ear infection. So, reach out to specialists and take their advice, and dont just ask the pharmacist for ear drops instead. For more information, read our article on Hearing damage and loss due to earphone use. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Usman Hamid (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 09:47 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b9dd0 3 Opinion novel-baswedan,criminal-justice,justice,Insight Free The quest for justice has been painfully long and elusive for Novel Baswedan. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator was attacked with acid on April 11, 2017, making him blind in one eye. The subsequent high-profile trial of the two indicted police officers has garnered public attention, and the North Jakarta District Court has sentenced the defendants to two years and one-and-a-half years in prison, respectively. But whatever the verdict is, we fear that it will serve no justice for Novel considering the way the case was handled. It took the National Police almost three years to declare two of its own low-ranking members, Ronny Bugis and Rahmat Kadir Mahulette, suspects. The police-led joint investigation team failed to name any alleged perpetrators of the attack until the arrest that was made only last December. One of the defendants told the media he attacked Novel because he disliked him and considered him a traitor, perhaps because Novel was a former cop. Since joining the KPK, Novel has investigated major corruption cases involving high-ranking police officers, ministers and politicians. The arrest of petty police officers prompted doubt that Novel would finally get justice. He has long suspected police higher-ups were behind the acid attack, which was why an independent fact-finding team into the case was called for in the first place. Read also: Far from facts: Novel Baswedan questions burden of proof ahead of Thursday's verdict Rather than revealing the truth, the trial has only raised more questions about the crime and the investigation into it. Prosecutors did not present crucial evidence, watered down the charges and ignored findings linking the crime to the victims anticorruption work. During the trial, the prosecutors failed to present key witnesses who were at the crime scene moments before the attack, even though they had been questioned by the police, the National Commission on Human Rights and the police-led criminal investigation team. They also failed to present the CCTV footage of the attack to identify suspected perpetrators. But the most glaring irregularity was the attempt to water down the charges against the defendants. The prosecutors took for granted the claims made by the defendants that they only wanted to intimidate Novel but accidentally hurt him. They also repeated in the charges without further verification the defendants claim that they hurled battery water rather than acid as doctors claimedat Novels face. In other words, their prosecutions clearly lacked scientific evidence. The prosecutors also made no connection between the attack and Novels investigation into corruption cases, presenting the attack as nothing but the defendants personal grudge against Novel. This framing overlooked the conclusions of the rights body that the attack was likely linked to the cases Novel was dealing with, including one implicating a police general. It was also revealed during the trial that the two defendants were not arrested, as initially claimed by a police spokesperson. Instead, they had turned themselves in, and it remains unclear why they decided to do so after almost three years of police investigation into the case. Such irregularities have raised serious questions about whether the two defendants were involved in the attack or were scapegoated for the real perpetrators. The verdict might be designed to convince the public justice is upheld while the real perpetrators and mastermind have yet to be identified, let alone arrested. Amnesty International considers Novel a human rights defender who was targeted for his work in the fight against corruption. At the time of the attack, Novel was heading the KPKs employees union and a critic of attempts to hire more police officers as KPK investigators. He has received numerous threats of physical attacks as well as criminal defamation claims, part of an apparent effort to disrupt his investigations. Moreover, the acid attack against Novel and the failure to effectively resolve it cannot be viewed in isolation. KPK investigators, antigraft activists and human rights defenders have been subjected to threats and violence due to their activities, for which accountability is rare. Read also: Light sentences for Novels attackers threaten graft busters' security As a party to the UN Convention against Corruption, the state is obliged to protect those at risk of having their rights violated for investigating, reporting and prosecuting graft cases. Corruption itself is a crime that contributes to violations of human rights, including economic and social rights, which are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, which Indonesia has ratified. The states failure to find and prosecute perpetrators of the attack on Novel will mean its failure to fulfill his rights to justice and effective remedies, which are protected by Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The government must fulfill its international obligations by ensuring that the investigation into the attack on Novel is thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective and that anyone suspected to be responsible is brought to justice in fair trials. The state has a responsibility to protect and ensure the safety of those involved in the fight against corruption. A show trial will do nothing but offend the publics sense of justice and lead to a travesty of justice. There is a history not just with Munir case, but also Marsinah, Tim Mawar, so many other major rights cases, of both convicting lower-ranking operatives (or scapegoats) and presenting motives as personal. This obscures the truth, protects the perpetrators and lets the intimidation that may have inspired the attack persist as a threat against anticorruption fighters and all human rights defenders. ------ Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have originated in bats and spread to humans via a yet-to-be identified intermediate mammalian host. Almost two dozen animal species are known to be susceptible to infection, and there have been numerous reports of infected people transmitting the virus to their pet cats and dogs, to farm animals and even to lions and tigers at the Bronx Zoo. Instances of people catching SARS-CoV-2 from animals, however, are extremely rare. At least two people probably caught it from minks -- semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals raised for their soft pelts -- in the Netherlands, where outbreaks occurred on about a dozen farms. Still, health authorities say theres no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus, and consider the risk of them doing so to be low. The House coronavirus stimulus bills provision to restore the full deduction for state and local taxes would benefit 3 in 10 New Jersey taxpayers, a higher percentage than any other state. Thats according to a recent report by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a progressive research group. The report also found 80% of those in the state who would benefit had an average income of $216,000 or less. The report said that 30% of New Jersey taxpayers would see lower taxes if the Republican tax laws $10,000 limit on deducting state and local income, property and sales taxes was removed, as included in the House-passed $3 trillion stimulus package. Connecticut was second with 27% and Maryland third with 25%. The need to pass another stimulus bill has increased as the number of coronavirus cases continues to spike, stalling efforts to reopen businesses closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The House bill, passed over near-unanimous Republican opposition, would provide $500 billion in aid to state governments and $375 billion for municipalities, extend the extra $600 a week federal unemployment benefit through January 2021, and provide another $1,200 per person stimulus check, up to $6,000 per household. It also would suspend the $10,000 deduction cap for two years. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the House legislation. He renewed his call Sunday for a payroll tax cut, which would benefit corporations but provide no help to the 17.8 million Americans without jobs, including 1.4 million in New Jersey. Trump said on Fox News Sunday that he may not sign a stimulus bill without that tax reduction. Ill have to see but yes, I would consider not signing it if we dont have a payroll tax cut, he said. Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also have called for protecting businesses that reopen from being sued, supporting a long-standing goal of the business community to limit lawsuits for allegations of wrongdoing. We do need protections because businesses are going to get sued just because somebody walked in, Trump said on Fox. Dont know where this virus comes from. Theyll sit down at a restaurant. Theyll sue the restaurant, the guys out of business. Gov. Phil Murphy has used his coronavirus press briefings to lobby for removing the $10,000 property tax deduction cap, particularly onerous in a state with the nations highest property taxes. Like New Jersey, most of the states affected the most by the deduction limit send billions more to Washington than they receive in services. The House voted to repeal the cap last year, making up the difference by raising taxes only on those making at least $518,400 annually, but Senate Republicans refused to take it up. During this pandemic, New Jerseyans and our communities are being squeezed in unprecedented ways, said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Communities fighting COVID are being bled into bankruptcy and may soon have to slash funding to schools, firefighters, and first responders. Removing the cap would be coronavirus relief not only for countless middle-class New Jerseyans but our cities and towns too so they can keep critical services, said Pascrell, D-9th Dist. The ITEP report found that 1.5 million of the 1.9 million New Jerseyans who would pay less in federal taxes if the cap was lifted had an average annual income of $216,000 or less. And the deduction made it harder for state officials to raise their taxes on higher-income residents to fund services for everyone else because the wealthy no longer could write off part of the increase on their federal returns. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, cited the cap in opposing Murphys attempts to raise state income taxes on millionaires. With the exception of Maryland (because so many federal agencies are located there due to its proximity to Washington, D.C.), the states that would most benefit from lifting the cap are the ones with the biggest gap between the federal taxes they pay and the federal support they receive. In addition, New York and New Jersey are among the five states hardest hit by the coronavirus. So, too, was California, where 19% of its taxpayers would get a federal tax break if the deduction cap was lifted. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Even in the middle of a pandemic, the Alabama State Bar exam is still scheduled for next week in Birmingham. Yet the idea of hundreds of law students coming to the Magic City to take the test - which is a source of great anxiety even in the best of times - comes at the same moment Jefferson County has seen the highest COVID-19 case numbers in the state. That has many concerned. The July exam will be administered next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). An additional exam will take place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2020, and examinees were given the option of sitting for the July exam or September. Theres also next Februarys exam, but predicting the spread of coronavirus in 2021 is just as problematic. However, examinees must declare which exam they wish to take - July or September - by tomorrow. Preparing for the bar exam under normal circumstances is stressful, and we certainly understand and sympathize with those facing the added stress that this pandemic causes to our applicants, Phillip McCallum, Alabama State Bar executive director, said. Almost 300 people took the last exam in February, before the pandemic changed even the most routine plans. The State Bar Association has already released a six-page list of COVID-19 protocols for the test. Attendees will get an assigned entrance and entry time to avoid congregating at the exits. Everyone will receive a temperature screening, and anyone with a temp above 100.4 Fahrenheit will not be allowed to enter. Justin Aday, assistant executive director, said the biggest challenge to date has been determining how many applicants will opt for which exam. Once those numbers become final, we can refine our exam layout and plan for the exam day logistics, which will be much different than those of a typical exam, Aday said. Before the alternate exam date was announced we had already tripled the amount of venue space. With a group that will most likely be split in half we feel confident that we have space and logistics in place to safely administer the exam. Those coming can bring an analog wristwatch, since it will be impossible to provide a clock or timer visible to all examinees, according to the protocols. No one will be admitted without a mask, but those getting in will be provided hand sanitizer. Tables will be sanitized in between sessions. Those taking the test still have to sign a waiver that they wont hold the State Bar Association liable if they should contract the virus. Thats not good enough for some law students, one of whom appealed via Twitter to Michael Saag, an infectious diseases physician at UAB who also had COVID-19: I dont see how this can be done safely with the degree of SARS-CoV-2 transmission going on in our community right now Michael Saag (@msaagmd) July 12, 2020 Other voices on Twitter echoed those concerns: WHY are we having in-person BAR EXAMS WITH A PANDEMIC? Even if we dont die from it, even if asymptomatic, still can spread it and still can be permanently harmed from it too. Why continue bar exam? #ALbarexam @BarExamTracker @BarExamTracker @DiplomaPriv4All #DiplomaPrivilegeNow Nal. (@Naleric) July 17, 2020 Good thing a few hundred people are scheduled to congregate indoors to take the #ALbarexam in 8 days, huh? Im from Florida and nervous to go on an airplane from here to there (and back) but nobody cares about that risk. @ALReporter @JURISTnews @aldotcom #DiplomaPrivilegeNow https://t.co/8QHpjmBpbH Nal. (@Naleric) July 20, 2020 But at the same time Alabama is gearing up for the bar, its neighbors are moving the test online. Today, the Georgia Supreme Court cancelled the in-person bar scheduled for early September in favor of an October online exam. Florida also moved its exam from late July to mid-August online, replacing it with 100 multiple-choice questions and three essay questions. Tennessee is setting up an online exam for October. Mississippis bar exam is still scheduled to take place in-person, at the Jackson Convention Complex to allow space for social distancing, on the same day as Alabama. By Express News Service NELLORE: A woman who tested positive for COVID-19 was forced to stay under a tree on the outskirts of Kaluvoya village in the district after her brothers refused to give shelter to her. After testing positive, the woman visited the COVID-19 hospital attached to the Government General Hospital in Nellore but the authorities there reportedly denied admission, saying all the beds were occupied. According to reports reaching here, the 45-year-old woman from Turpupalli under Rajampeta mandal in Kadapa district has been suffering from cancer and visited a cancer hospital on Podalakuru road in Nellore district. As per procedure, the staff at the cancer hospital asked her to undergo a COVID-19 test and her samples tested positive for the virus. She visited the COVID-19 hospital attached to Government General Hospital in Nellore city two days ago where authorities allegedly denied admission citing lack of beds. She then went to the house of her two brothers who stay at Kaluvoya mandal headquarters but they too refused to provide shelter as she tested positive for COVID-19. Locals did not allow her to stay in the village and asked her to leave. With no other go, she was staying under the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the village. She was provided food by passersby till her plight was noticed by the media. After the media's intervention, revenue officials reached the village outskirts and are collecting details about the woman. New York United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined by key voices in international development, reiterates the importance of protecting the worlds poorest and most vulnerable people hit hardest by the socio-economic impact of COVID-19. This call comes under the auspices of the 2020 UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in the event Half the World: The Many Faces of Social Protection. Half the world refers to 55 percent of the worlds population that are not covered by social insurance or social assistance, according to ILO data. Joining the event from Lagos, Nigeria, globally acclaimed Afropop star Yemi Alade shone a spotlight on those suffering the direst consequences of the pandemic, such as young women who are self-employed and are the sole providers for their families. "We are here to talk about half the world, the half that wakes up every morning to go to work despite and because of the global pandemic, Alade said. Its about the young woman who is struggling to make ends meet and risking her health to provide for her family. Lets not let billions of the worlds poorest, most vulnerable people fall through the cracks in our society," she said. The event was hosted by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, who reiterated UNDP's responsibility for integrated action and called on all development partners to step up on social protection. We cannot afford to become inured to poverty, hunger and jobs figures that keep getting worse. We cannot sleepwalk into a new normal. Unprecedented action is needed, and it is needed now, Steiner said. There are some great examples of how developing countries are addressing social protection challengesfrom cash to supplements income to in-kind assistance that supplements nutrition, to care systems geared towards working women. Steiner added: Unless we bring fresh perspective and ideas to the table, successful action will depend on an uneven patchwork of social assistance, social insurance and systems of care around the world. Among other featured speakers at the event were UNDPs partners from governments and the international development sector, including HE Cina Lawson, Minister of Postal Affairs and Digital Economy of Togo; Reema Nanavaty, Director General of SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association); Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Dr Guy Standing, Professor at SOAS University of London and co-founder of Basic Income Earth Network; and Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), who joined via a video message. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi, elaborating how he allegedly ran an organised racket to cheat customers and lenders in India, Dubai and the US, including top financial institutions, by dealing in lab grown diamonds and selling off properties, details accessed by Hindustan Times reveal. The charge sheet is aimed at bolstering Indias extradition request for Choksi to Antigua and Barbuda sent under the UN Conventions against Corruption in March 2019. An official said on condition of anonymity that the charge sheet was filed a few weeks back. He, however, did not give a specific date. Choksi, a key accused in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case along with his nephew Nirav Modi, became a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda under a programme in which a certain quantum of investment entitles an individual to citizenship. While investigators say Choksi fled the country to avoid arrest, he claims he left India in January 2018 to undergo a bypass surgery, and not to avoid prosecution. ED previously filed a charge sheet in 2018 to underline the role of Choksi and others in the PNB fraud case. Also read: ED brings back jewels owned by Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi The new charge sheet, relying on statements of several top executives of companies based in the US, UAE, Hong Kong and India, reveals how lab grown diamonds were being sold in the garb of natural diamonds through Choksis companies M/s Shanyo Gong Si Ltd in Hong Kong and M/s Voyager Brands and M/s Samuels Jewelers Inc in the US. The factory for lab-grown diamonds was run in Surat, where large-scale production took place, personally monitored by Choksi, the charge sheet says. These diamonds appear similar in size, quality and colour when compared to natural diamonds, it adds. According to the charge sheet, in December 2017, Choksi called a meeting of his top employees in Hong Kong, informing them that coming two-three months would be very tough for Gitanjali Group companies as they would be facing forensic audits, while directing them not to travel to India during this time. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated a probe into the PNB fraud on January 31, 2018. In January 2018, Choksi tried to dispose of his company Gitanjali Infratech Ltds Tatva Project in Borivali (Mumbai) by transferring its development rights to one Laxmi Infra Developers Ltd, a Surat-based company owned by Vasant Gajera, according to the charges. Gajera has been charge-sheeted by ED along with Choksi. After the CBI filed a case in January 2018, Choksi and Gajera signed an agreement, according to which, the latter was allowed to develop the project against the transfer of 50 unsold flats to Gitanjali Infratech apart from a payment of over ~30 crore, ED has said. Quoting a February 2019 report of a US Bankruptcy Court-appointed examiner John J Carney, which is now part of the ED charge sheet, the agency has said that Texas-based Samuels Jewelers Inc was used by Choksi for circulating money taken from PNB. Also read: Govt sets up panel to probe 3 Gandhi family-run trusts Choksi and an international web of co-conspirators used Samuels and a series of puppet vendors to create the false appearance that Samuels was purchasing and/or selling jewellery to and from unrelated third parties. In fact, Samuels and related entities were secretly selling inventory and laundering money themselves at the directions of Choksi and individuals under his control the charge sheet says. ED has stated that there were transactions worth $121 million in the form of purchases and sales from Samuels. The primary goal of this, according to the charge sheet, was to fraudulently induce Samuels primary lenders, Wells Fargo and Gordon Brothers, to authorize tens of millions of dollars of credit in advances which were ultimately funnelled outside the US to Choksi-controlled entities in India, Dubai and Hong Kong. The agency has alleged that puppet vendors in Hong Kong such as Shanyo Gong Si Ltd and Taipingyang Trading Ltd were established by Choksi by providing false paper and monetary trails, which allowed Choksi to use Samuels US affiliates as shipping hubs for inventory purchases from Gitanjali affiliates. The agency has recorded a statement of a US national Curtis Alan Lowrey who previously co-owned M/s Independent Gemological Laboratories Inc; the firm was later bought by Choksi. Lowrey said that when he pointed out that lab-grown diamonds were being sold as natural diamonds, Choksi called him and directed him not to discuss such matters with anyone except him. Former CEO of Samuels, Farhad K Wadia, also sent a sworn affidavit and statement to ED by post, now part of the charge sheet, in which he said that Choksi asked him to rebrand the whole business of Gitanjali in the US under the name of Voyager Brands and told him that his son Rohan Choksi was the boss of the group business in the US. According to Wadias statement to ED, Choksis sister Neena Seth, daughter-in-law Snagda Talera and son Rohan Choksi would oversee Voyager Business in Austin and both Rohan and Snagda worked as his eyes and ears. Reacting to questions on the charge sheet, Choksis lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said: Evidence is very weak. It shall not stand judicial scrutiny. Reverse burden of proof under fiscal laws doesnt mean that prosecution need not prove even bedrock facts. Calls made to Laxmi Developers could did not go through. An email query remained unanswered. Armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey stand in front their house as they confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house on June 28, 2020, in St. Louis. Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said on Friday that he would pardon the St. Louis couple that pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their home last month. In an interview on the "Marc Cox Morning Show" on 97.1 FM, Parson said if Mark and Patricia McCloskey were to face charges for the June 28 incident, he doesn't "think they're going to spend any time in jail." The McCloskeys are currently being investigated by Democratic Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner after they were caught on videos posted to social media brandishing guns at a stream of protesters who were marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house. Parson said the couple "did what they legally should do." "A mob does not have the right to charge your property," he said on the radio show. "They had every right to protect themselves." "Right now, if this is all about going after them for doing a lawful act, then yeah, if that scenario ever happened, I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail," Parson added. Insider previously reported that Missouri law says a person "commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons" if "he or she knowingly exhibits, in the presence of one or more persons, any weapon readily capable of lethal use in an angry or threatening manner." Story continues Parson later posted a link to his interview on Twitter, where he wrote "We will not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights. President Donald Trump has also spoken out to defend the McCloskeys, telling the conservative site Townhall in an interview last week that legal proceedings against the couple are "a disgrace." Gov. Parson said last week that Trump "doesn't like what he sees and the way these people are being treated," Insider's Tom Porter previously reported. "The president said that he would do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation and he would be taking action to do that," Parson told The Washington Post. Read the original article on Insider History shows us that even effective vaccines could have unknown side effects that could develop over time, warns former Cabinet Secetary K M Chandrasekhar. On July 2, the Indian Council of Medical Research sprang a surprise. In a letter to officials at 12 hospitals in the country on preliminary tests on a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech International, the director general said, 'It is envisaged to launch the vaccine latest by 15 August 2020, after completion of all clinical trials.' 'BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in the project.' The letter, which did the rounds on social media, also carried a threat in its last sentence. 'Kindly note that non-compliance will be viewed very seriously. Therefore, you are advised to treat the project on highest priority and meet the given timelines without any lapse.' The reaction from the medical community and researchers with experience in the field was, as expected, so strong that the ICMR clarified that all that is intended is hastening of procedures and eliminating red tape. The reference to 'launching' of the vaccine perhaps did not mean that the vaccine would be available for use. India is not the first to try to speed up the roll-out of vaccines. Writing in The Washington Post on May 1, 2020, Michael J Rosenwald talked of the US federal government's 'Operation Warp Speed', launched to produce a COVID-19 vaccine by January 2021 -- 'months ahead of standard vaccine timelines'. Rosenwald went on to say, 'The last time the government tried that, it was a total fiasco.' He was referring to the swine flu vaccination programme launched by US President Gerald Ford's administration in 1976. Photograph: Kind courtesy bharatbiotech In February 1976, it was found that there were two isolates of virus from samples collected from recruits in Fort Dix, sent to the Centres for Disease Control, which seemed to resemble the virus strains of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. This created much alarm in health circles, accentuated also by the fact that there was an expectation that a pandemic was round the corner, having held off for so many decades. In an election year, this possibility created even more fear. On March 10, 1976, the US advisory committee on immunisation practices concluded that a pandemic was possible and recommended the launch of an immunisation programme. The director of the CDC went one step further and recommended mass immunisation. President Ford convened a meeting of eminent scientists including Dr Jonas Salk (of the polio vaccine fame) and Dr Albert Sabin. Thus was conceived the US national immunisation programme. Four committees of the US congress on appropriations approved the programme and the required appropriations bill was approved and signed. The programme was launched on March 24, 1976 by Ford, who said, 'Let me state clearly at this time no one knows exactly how serious this threat could be. Nevertheless, we cannot afford to take a chance with the health of the nation.' At this time, a suggestion that there should be some mode of compensation against claims of adverse reaction was dismissed by the US surgeon general's office, but this did become an issue later when vaccine manufacturers sought protection against possible litigation. Ford, however, was unfazed. His plan was to inoculate a million a day by the winter of 1976. The national influenza immunisation programme unit was established in the CDC and mass immunisation was to be conducted by the federal government and the states jointly. Vaccine manufacturers were ready with the vaccine by October 1976 and, in the first 10 weeks, 45 million were inoculated. Then disaster struck. It was seen that a small proportion of those inoculated, reportedly one in 100,000, developed a neurological disorder called the Guillain-Barre Syndrome. This disorder affects the peripheral nerve system and, starting with pricking and tingling sensations and muscle weakness, could lead ultimately to breathing difficulties and paralysis. As in the case of COVID-19, where a 'cytokine storm' could take the life of a young and strong patient, it is the result of an autoimmune reaction that affects the nerves. By December 1976, there were 94 reports of paralysis and the entire programme was shut down on December 16. The inevitable allegations of a programme launched for political advantage started. On December 20, 1976, The New York Times, attributed the 'swine flu fiasco' to 'the self interest of government health bureaucracy'. The failure of the vaccination programme -- and, even more, the failure of the pandemic to show up -- had long-term consequences in the US. As Rebecca Kreston wrote in Discover magazine on September 30, 2013, 'Some of the American public's hesitation to embrace vaccines -- the flu vaccine in particular -- can be attributed to the long lasting effects of a failed political campaign to mass-vaccinate the public against a strain of the swine flu virus.' 'The government-led campaign was widely viewed as a debacle and put an irreparable dent in future public health initiatives, as well as negatively influenced the public's perception of both the flu and the flu shot in this country,' Kreston noted. The 1976 episode was not an isolated one. In 1955, Cutter Laboratories had produced some batches of the polio vaccine which contained the live virus. Some 40,000 children got 'abortive'; polio with mild symptoms, 51 were paralysed and five died. From 1955 to 1963, SV 40, a simian virus from monkey cell cultures used to make polio vaccines, was found contaminated. In 1998-1999, the rotavirus vaccine for rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants was found to cause a kind of bowel obstruction and had to be withdrawn. In 2007, 1.2 million doses of a vaccine for Hib, a type of flu, had to be recalled for fear of contamination. The present vaccine development is not quite the same as the failed vaccination programme in the US in 1976. The earlier episode related to a flu that never became a pandemic, while the present one is raging across continents and we are racing against time. Yet, history shows us that even effective vaccines could have unknown side effects that could develop over time. Hence, as in all human endeavour, discretion is the better part of valour. Trustees and administrators in the Port Neches-Groves ISD must be in denial. There is no other way to explain the districts irresponsible and unscientific decision to plan a new school year that does not include an option for online learning. That makes no sense, in PN-G or any other school district in the region, for two very important reasons. First of all, the district undoubtedly has students with health conditions that make them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Sending them to a crowded campus next month is just not safe. Even if a student is strong and healthy, he or she could have family members who have these medical conditions and who therefore must take special precautions to avoid transmitting the virus from school to home. Families with either one of these concerns should have an option to begin the school year with online learning. Anything else simply forces them to take unnecessary risks. Secondly, it is entirely possible that the virus could surge during the next school year either throughout the state, region or the district. That could force all students to remain at home and learn online, just as they did in March. We all hope that doesnt happen, but no reasonable person can rule out this possibility. These issues should be obvious to district officials. They must create online options for students and teachers who cannot return to their classrooms. Other area districts, like the Nederland ISD and Bridge City ISD, are doing this. The Beaumont ISD will have online learning only for all students for the first three weeks, and the Houston ISD will do this for the first six weeks to see if virus numbers recede. Rice University is even going to educate some students in tents on campus grounds. There is no doubt that traditional education on a public school campus is better than the uneven alternative of trying to learn at home on laptops. It works for some students, but not all. Some parents have to work and cant stay home with their kids. Some students dont have the kind of home environment that allows them to learn online even if theyre trying. Some kids just cant or wont make the transition to laptop learning. But none of that rules out the need for an online option, and these decisions must be guided by science, not hope. The Texas Education Agency is requiring schools to provide in-person learning this fall, but it should also require them to offer an online option. Still, it shouldnt take a state mandate to prod PN-G or any area district to do the right thing. Many PN-G parents are already protesting, and their concerns must be addressed. The district still has time to adjust and add an online option. For the health and education of its students, it must do so this week. A mother and four of her children were crushed to death at their home in India after a wall was brought down by a troop of monkeys. The five victims were killed by falling masonry after the wall was 'violently shaken' by monkeys while the family slept in the courtyard, the Times of India reports. The family was sleeping outside because their indoor ceiling fan was not working amid scorching weather in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Two other children survived in what authorities called a 'tragic incident' as they offered to pay compensation to the family. A mother and four of her children were crushed to death at their home in India after a wall was brought down by a troop of monkeys (file photo) A woman and her four children died while one sustained critical injuries after a part of the wall collapsed on them by a troop of monkeys in Shahjahanpur city. All seven members of the family were sleeping in the courtyard. @Benarasiyaa @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/y6Vs8rMpqB Kanwardeep singh (@KanwardeepsTOI) July 17, 2020 District magistrate Vikram Singh met the survivors and said they were getting the 'best possible treatment'. 'It was a tragic incident and five members of the family died immediately after the wall collapsed on them,' he announced after inspecting the scene. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, has offered the family 400,000 rupees (4,200) in compensation, the magistrate said. Friday's freak accident was the latest in a long line of monkey-related tragedies in India, which is thought to be home to around 50million of the primates. Last August, a 50-year-old man died in Sambhal after falling from a terrace at his home when he was attacked by a troop of monkeys. Reports at the time said it was the sixth monkey-related death in Sambhal during 2019 alone. In June last year, a one-and-a-half-month-old infant was killed by a monkey which apparently jumped into her cot to steal her milk bottle. Red-faced rhesus macaques have also been known to spread havoc in Delhi, snatching food and phones and even breaking into homes. More recently, authorities said a troop of monkeys had attacked a medical official and snatched away blood samples of coronavirus patients in Meerut. People living near the medical college feared a further spread of the virus if the monkeys carried the samples into residential areas. However, there is no evidence so far that monkeys can be infected with the coronavirus. Environmentalists say the destruction of monkeys' natural habitats is the main reason the animals move into urban areas in search of food. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County were at their highest level at the weekend since the pandemic began, as 15 children were diagnosed with a rare and potentially deadly virus-related inflammatory syndrome. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Sunday listed 2,216 people in hospital, topping the previous record of 2,193 on July 15. Of those currently hospitalized, 26 percent are in intensive care and 19 percent are on ventilators, officials said. "We continue to reach concerning milestones and today we are seeing the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations," Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director, said in a statement. "Right now, young adults are being hospitalized at a rate not seen before," she added. "No matter how young you are, you are vulnerable to this virus." Officials said that more than half of the 2,848 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday concerned people less than 41 years old. The spike in the number of cases comes as 15 children were identified last week with an inflammatory syndrome -- MISC-C -- linked to the virus. The majority of the children -- 73 percent -- are Latino, the public health department said. MIS-C is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. There have so far been six deaths related to the syndome nationwide, according to health officials. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reiterated on Sunday that the city was "on the brink" of reissuing a stay-at-home order because of the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and implored the public to heed safety precautions such as wearing a mask and social distancing. He also acknowledged that the state had lifted restrictions related to the virus too soon. "I think a lot of people don't understand, mayors often have no control over what opens up and doesn't -- that's either at a state or county level, and I do agree that those things (reopening businesses) happened too quickly," Garcetti told CNN on Sunday. "It's not just what's opened and closed, it's also about what we do individually," he added. "It's about the people who are getting together outside of their households. "They might think because they got a test two weeks ago it's OK, but it's not." A "store closed" sign is posted behind a locked gate at the California Surplus Mart, a store selling camping equipment and survival gear on July 16, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Shri. Nitin Gadkari, Honble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India unveiled the Amazon India Exports Digest 2020, strongly reinforcing that boosting exports is the key to the quick revival of the MSME sector. At the launch, Amazon announced that cumulative exports through Indian sellers on the Amazon Global Selling program have crossed the $2 billion milestone. In January 2020, Amazon had pledged to enable $10 billion in cumulative exports by 2025 helping Indian businesses grow by selling online worldwide.Amazon Global Selling today enables more than 60,000 Indian exporters to sell millions of Made in India products to customers worldwide through its 15 international websites in countries such as USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil, Japan, Australia and Singapore. In 2019, more than 800 Indian MSMEs on the program surpassed $131, 375 (INR 1 crore) in e-commerce exports sales. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Nitin Gadkari said, I would like to congratulate all the MSMEs who have been working with Amazon to take their locally manufactured products, global. It is a testament of the skill and entrepreneurial spirit of Indian MSMEs. The MSME sector is a major job creator and the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing over 28% to Indias GDP and about 48% to the countrys exports. They will continue to play a critical role in the countrys economic revival and help overcome the current pandemic. Exports is a key priority for the Government and we are focused on supporting the Indian MSMEs be more successful in the international markets and increasing the MSMEs share of exports to 60%. Amit Agarwal, Senior VP and Country Head Amazon India, said, We are excited with the rapid growth being witnessed by Indian MSMEs and brands on Amazon Global Selling. It took the program three years to hit cumulative exports of $1 billion and it has grown 100% to hit the next $1 billion in less than 18 months, to cross the $2 billion milestone in cumulative exports from India. The program is rapidly boosting exports from India and helping build global Indian brands. We are excited to build a strong foundation for MSMEs to realize their export potential and contribute to the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We will continue to make exports easy for Indian entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes and fulfil our pledge of enabling $10 billion in e-commerce exports by 2025. Highlights of Exports Digest 2020 The just published third edition of Amazons annual Exports Digest provides insights into the success and scale of exports from India through the Amazon Global Selling program, reflecting a significant increase in demand for Indian products across global markets and the growth of Indian exporters selling globally. Indian MSMEs are increasingly seeing e-commerce exports as an opportunity to grow their business. The number of exporters on the Amazon has grown to over 60,000, with sellers joining from metros as well as tier 2 and tier 3 cities. In 2019, several Indian entrepreneurs and businesses including Wow Skincare (Hair and Beauty), California Design Den (Bed Linens), Chandrakala Creations (Indian Fashion), Aheli (Jewelry), SVA Organics (Herbal products) emerged as globally successful brands, underlining the popularity of Made in India products in international markets. Rishabh Chokhani, Founder & CEO of Naturevibe Botanicals said, For us, it was a strategic decision to sell directly to customers across the world and Amazon Global Selling provided us the right channel to start quickly. In 2017, we started exporting with Amazon to the US and Canada and after seeing the customer response, quickly expanded to the UK. In the last 3 years we have seen consistent demand for our range of organic products across international markets and it reflects in our growth from a 3 member set up back in 2017 to nearly 150 member strong team now. Last year, the business grew at 56% YOY and with people opting for natural, healthier options we are seeing even greater demand in the recent months." Exports Helping Indian MSMEs in the crisis In the beginning of 2020, as the world faced an unprecedented situation that necessitated people to stay at and work from home, thousands of Indian MSMEs helped serve customers globally through e-commerce exports. Made in India products across categories like Health and Hygiene, Nutritional Supplements and Home essentials saw heightened demand from customers in markets like the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Australia amongst others.As people worldwide stayed at home over the last couple of months, it has been heartening to see thousands of Indian MSMEs who are part of the Global Selling program successfully fulfill customer needs around the world. In these challenging times, e-commerce exports has provided a robust model for these Indian exporters helping them sustain their business and support the people and families who depend on their business. Amazon Global Selling will continue to provide an easy and quick-to-scale channel for exports for Indian MSMEs, added Amit Agarwal. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok testifies at the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Joint Hearing on "Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election" in Washington on July 12, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Strzok Rebutted NY Times Piece Alleging Trump CampaignRussian Intelligence Contacts Strzok's intelligence insights were declassified by GOP chair of the Senate judiciary committee Peter Strzok, the former FBI head of counterintelligence operations known for his vitriolic anti-Trump texts messages, had torn apart a 2017 New York Times article that alleged the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump had contacts with Russian intelligence. Strzok criticized the article as inaccurate in multiple regards in a recently declassified internal document. The Feb. 14, 2017, NY Times piece titled Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contact With Russian Intelligence was said to rely on information from four unnamed current and former American officials. The articles opening paragraph reads, Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trumps presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. This statement is misleading and inaccurate as written, Strzok said, annotating the article with comments on how it squared with reality as he was portraying it (pdf). We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [Russian] IOs [intelligence officers]. At the time, Strzok was leading an FBI investigation into supposed TrumpRussia collusion that was said to have swayed the election. The investigation, taken over in May 2017 by special counsel Robert Mueller, ultimately didnt establish any such collusion. The document was released on July 17 by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The statements by Mr. Strzok question the entire premise of the FBIs investigation of the Trump Campaign and make it even more outrageous that the Mueller team continued this investigation for almost two and a half years, Graham said in a release. In an email to The Epoch Times, NY Times senior vice president for communications Eileen Murphy said, We stand by our reporting. Undercutting Dossier The FBI officially opened the investigation into the Trump campaign on July 31, 2016, shortly after being notified that then-Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos had allegedly suggested during a drink with an Australian ambassador that the campaign received some kind of suggestion that Russia could help it by anonymously releasing information damaging to Trumps opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Four sub-cases were opened on Trump campaign aides Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Papadopoulos, and Carter Page in August 2016. The FBI looked at the campaigns contacts with Kremlin officials but found them almost entirely limited to then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak and the Russian Embassys congressional liaison, according to Strzok. Page had some contacts with the Russian intelligence service, but not during his association with the Trump campaign, Strzok wrote. The FBI obtained a spying warrant on Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in October 2016 and renewed it three times over the next nine months. But the warrants were deeply flawed, the Inspector General (IG) at the Justice Department (DOJ) found. The FBI later acknowledged that at least the last two renewals of the warrant resulted in illegal surveillance. Page was in fact providing information about his contacts with Russian intelligence to the CIA and even helped to bust one Russian agent in the past. The FBI withheld this information from the secret FISA court that approved the warrant. The FBI withheld this information from the secret FISA court that approved the warrant. The key allegation in the warrant that Page was a part of a well-developed conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia was lifted verbatim from the Steele dossier, a collection of rumors spread to the media, the FBI, the State Department, the DOJ, and Congress in 2016 by operatives funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The dossiers compilation was contracted by Clinton and the DNC through a law firm to former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. The NY Times article stated that senior F.B.I. officials believe Steele has a credible track record. Strzok wrote in an annotation, Recent interviews and investigation, however, reveal Steele may not be in a position to judge the reliability of his subsource network. Steele told the FBI that information in the dossier came from a single source that had a network of other sub-sources. The FBI interviewed the primary source over three days, from Jan. 24 to 26, 2017. A heavily redacted FBI report from the questioningalso released by Grahamsays Steele had had the source on payroll through another entity for some time as a researcher. The report suggests the source wasnt based in Russia and was neither a current nor former Russian government official. The source never expected Steele to put his or her statements in reports or present them as facts, according to a Dec. 9, 2019, IG report (pdf) into some aspects of the FBI investigation. The source made it clear to Steele that he/she had no proof to support the statements from his/her sub-sources and that it was just talk, the IG learned from the FBI agent who interviewed the source. The information was word of mouth and hearsay, conversation that [he/she] had with friends over beers, and some was made in jest, the source said, according to the agent. Some of the dossiers most explosive allegations, according to the source, actually werent explosive at all and were conveyed to him/her in one 10-to-15 minute anonymous phone call. The source said they guessed who the caller was based on finding a YouTube video of a certain person speaking that sounded like the person on the telephone call, the IG said. The interview revealed that the source network didnt actually have the level of access Steele was attributing to it, and it could have been multiple layers of hearsay upon hearsay, the IG stated. More Rebuttals Strzok noted that Flynn had contacts with Kislyak. But that was Flynns job, as he was the point person for setting the ground for the new administration with foreign governments during the transition. The NY Times article also claimed that during the intelligence communitys surveillance involving the Trump campaign, one of the advisers [who] picked up on the [intercepted] calls was Paul Manafort. Strzok denied this. We are unaware of any calls with any Russian government official in which Manafort was a party, he noted. At least one of Manaforts associates had contact with Russian intelligence, but it isnt clear whether this contact had anything to do with Manafort, Strzok said. Furthermore, the NY Times article stated that the FBI had started its investigation of Manafort in the spring of 2016. This was inaccurate, Strzok wrote. The bureau only opened a case on Manafort in August 2016. The FBI may have had a case against Manaforts dealings in Ukraine earlier, he noted. That case, however, was unrelated to Trump. The article also claimed that the FBI closely examined Roger Stone, a political strategist who was kicked out of the Trump campaign in 2015, but remained in contact with it. Strzok denied that Stone was under investigation at the time. The article also claimed that the FBI had obtained banking records as part of the probe. Strzok pushed back. We do not yet have detailed banking records, he wrote, though acknowledging that the bureau had issued national security letters to obtain credit reports. WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers said Sunday that they don't want tweets or condolences to honor civil rights icon John Lewis. They want policymakers to get to work to honor the Georgia congressman's legacy. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the House majority whip, urged President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to pass legislation that would expand voting rights in Lewis's name. "It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020," Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union." "That's the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting. " Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., also echoed this sentiment in interviews on Sunday morning and called for swift passage of the legislation, called the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The House in 2019 passed the legislation, which would restore key protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013. Lewis lost his months-long battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday night, at a pivotal moment for race relations in the United States. Protesters in cities from coast to coast are demanding widespread reforms in the wake of the May killing of George Floyd, a black man, in police custody. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are surging in states nationwide, shedding fresh light on the inequities black Americans encounter in health care. Photo for The Washington Post by Astrid Riecken Clyburn also called for the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., to be renamed in honor of Lewis, a lifelong friend. The bridge, named after a former Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader, became a critical site during the civil rights movement. On Bloody Sunday in 1965, Alabama state troopers beat peaceful demonstrators there, including Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull. "Edmund Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," Clyburn said during an interview on NBC News's "Meet the Press." "Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man, John Lewis, the personification of the goodness of America, rather than to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms." Today's protests have prompted cities nationwide to reconsider monuments and other honors granted to people with ties to the Confederacy or other racist legacies. An online petition to rename the bridge in Lewis's honor was drafted last month and has gained more than 450,000 signatures. Lewis's death comes amid accusations that Trump has sought to foment racial divisions in the United States as Election Day approaches, rather than unite the country. Trump did tweet a message of sympathy and prayers on Saturday about the Georgia congressman, who was one of the most vocal critics of the president's policies and rhetoric in Congress. Pressley, appearing on CNN, said she wished Trump didn't tweet at all. "If you really want to honor the life of John Lewis, you don't do things like gut the fair-housing laws," she said on CNN. "You don't sow the seeds of division." Pressley said she was a "beneficiary" of Lewis's activism. "There would be no Ayanna Pressley and countless others were it not for John Lewis," she said. Many leaders on Sunday spoke of Lewis's impact on Congress, where he was known as a moral compass for both parties in an increasingly divided political environment. "There is a need for more John Lewises," Colin Powell, a former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Not just one, but many. We got a lot of work to do. " In Atlanta, mourners gathered Saturday at the site of a 65-foot-tall mural depicting Lewis. The mural has stood in the Sweet Auburn district - the beating heart of the city's black business community during the days of segregation - for years. A steady stream of visitors stopped by Saturday to drop off flowers or notes, take pictures, or simply stand and look on. Bouquets, posters and handwritten messages were left at the site. Some of them had simple messages such as "silence equals violence" and "love one another," while others shared deeply personal stories of encounters with the congressman or recollections of how he served as an inspiration. Sisters Saundra Howard Jackson and Lorna Howard also were moved to pay a visit to the mural on Saturday. They live in nearby Decatur, Ga., but like Lewis originally hail from Alabama. They are planning to visit the Edmund Pettus Bridge and hope to see it renamed for Lewis. "Something in me moved," Lorna Howard said about hearing of Lewis's death. She hasn't left her house much since the pandemic began but made an exception to pay tribute to him. "They've left us," said Lorna Howard, referring not only to Lewis but also C.T. Vivian and Joseph Lowery. "Those civil rights icons have passed. Who is going to take the baton now? Who is going to keep it going?" Lewis was just 23 when he delivered his famous speech at the March on Washington in 1963. Many mourners expressed hope that a new generation of leaders emerges from the wave of protests that swept the United States in recent weeks. "Lewis started out when he was a student - 17, 18 years old," Howard Jackson said. "The movement struck a chord with him to endure, to get to meet Dr. (Martin Luther) King. He had the spirit. It took people like him to be courageous and lead peaceful protests to get things changed." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:54:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member disinfects a waiting room of Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Beijing lowered the emergency response to COVID-19 from level 2 to level 3 on Monday, setting an example of how a metropolis can contain the breakout with regular measures as the threat of infection looms. The Chinese capital's announcement of lowering the emergency response came after the city had reported no newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 for 14 consecutive days by Sunday. During the fight against the resurgence that emerged in mid-June, Beijing adopted coordinated, scientific and precise measures of prevention and control. China's political advantage in pooling resources to deal with big problems is evident in Beijing's success in epidemic control. The strength of different sectors of the country was mobilized to facilitate epidemiological tracing and investigation, nucleic acid testing, medical treatment, community prevention and control, as well as material support in the capital. Scientific and technological weapons have been improved to combat the virus. Thanks to scientific advancement, the Xinfadi wholesale farm produce market was quickly located as the place from where the risk originated. The combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine proved effective in the treatment. Big data and artificial intelligence were also utilized so that Beijing could take dynamic measures in different areas based on the evolving local conditions. Medical staff members take throat swab samples from people at a newly-adopted mobile testing vehicle in Xicheng District of Beijing, capital of China, June 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) Precision is the key. A series of targeted and flexible measures have ensured steps related to the response are implemented down to the lowest level. More than 1.6 million people, including government officials, residents and volunteers, carried out the measures at the community level so that every infected person is found and treated promptly, and those under quarantine are taken good care of. In a city of more than 20 million, no one is a bystander. The public has cooperated by wearing masks, readily undergoing nucleic acid testing and by every other means to ward off the health crisis, a classic case of people's war against the virus. All efforts were exercised in keeping with the governance philosophy of making people's lives and health the top priority. The epidemic situation in Beijing has stabilized, but this is no excuse for slackness or carelessness as the coronavirus may coexist with human beings for a long time in the future. The risk of resurgence remains as the global pandemic is intensifying. China will continue to stick to the strategy of preventing imported cases and local resurgence and join the global cooperation to defeat the coronavirus. Victory for sure is only victory for all. The Ashanti regional branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Electoral Commission was forced to admit anomalies in voter registration figures in the Ashanti region after they complained of it. According to the NPP, the assertion of the NDC is false as the EC itself had earlier informed the political parties of the challenged and what they were doing to resolve it. It is unfortunate and ridiculous when the NDC makes such allegations. When they talked about bloated figures it was the electoral commission that noticed the anomalies themselves and they discussed with the parties, and that was rectified, Ashanti regional secretary of the NPP Sam Pyne told a news gathering in Kumasi Monday. The Electoral Commission (EC) confirmed figures of registrants submitted to its headquarters from two districts in the Ashanti Region were over-computed. Regional Director, Benjamin Bannor Bio, told the media the anomaly was detected in returns for the first six days for Sekyere South and Offinso North. The NDC regional secretary Kwame Zu personally called me and l explained everything to him on phone so am surprise they continue to see it as a big case. Mr. Bannor Bio explains all tabulated figures remains provisional and has no direct consequences on the final figures which would be automatically generated by the registration machines after the exercise. Source: starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Yi Whan-woo The Indian Cultural Centre and Embassy of India co-organized a video conference with the Asia Culture Centre (ACC) last week to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. India has been holding a two-year celebration to mark the 150th year of Gandhi's birth on Oct. 2, 2019. The video conference on July 15 focused on the Gandhian way of living in harmony in the times of the COVID-19 crisis, with participants joining from the two countries. Among them were Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan, Indian Culture Centre Director Sonu Trivedi, President Lee Gi-pyo of ACC's Asia Cultural Institute and Shobhana Radhakrishna, a speaker internationally acclaimed for her literature and social services that together have spread Gandhi's vision. Radhakrishna concentrated on learning from Gandhi to cope physically, mentally and spiritually during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. She also introduced Gandhi's ethical and moral leadership, spiritual lifestyle, and environmental credentials. "He looked at health holistically and with a comprehensive outlook that everyone needs to imbibe," she said, calling Gandhi a role model for a simple life and for living in harmony with nature. "Gandhi's entire life can be seen as an ecological treatise because he preached and acted on voluntary self-control and reduction of wants," she added. In addition to Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, Radhakrishna said Ghandi's wife Kasturba Gandhi's anniversary should be celebrated at the same time. Kasturba was born on April 11, 1869, the same year her husband was born. Before the coronavirus outbreak, the commemorative programs in Korea for Gandhi's birth anniversary ranged from releasing a commemorative stamp to showing video footage of Gandhi on outdoor advertising screens in Seoul, and seminars, quizzes, debates and film screenings across the country. He landed himself in hot water on Bachelor in Paradise last week after promising a rose to five different women. But Jamie Doran is certainly no stranger to drama. The firefighter, 40, who was labelled a 'stage-five clinger' on Angie Kent's season of The Bachelorette last year, was embroiled in a paternity test scandal in 2017 after an American model claimed he was the father of her child. Bachelor in Paradise paternity test scandal: How 'stage-five clinger' Jamie Doran (pictured) had to fly to America three years ago to prove he hadn't fathered a secret love child As reported by New Idea last year, Jamie had slept with the woman while travelling across the U.S. in 2016. He received a phone call from her nine months later after she had given birth to a daughter. By this time, he was living in London. 'Jamie said it couldn't be [his child] as he had used protection, but she insisted it was,' a source told the publication. DNA test saga: In 2017, an American model claimed Jamie was the father of her child Hook up: As reported by New Idea last year, Jamie had slept with the woman while travelling across the U.S. in 2016. He received a phone call from her nine months later after she had given birth to a daughter - but by this time, he was living in London After the woman claimed that Jamie was the child's father, he flew back to America to undergo a paternity test. The test came back negative, proving conclusively that Jamie was not the father. While he is no longer embroiled in paternity test dramas, Jamie has still found himself in hot water on Bachelor in Paradise. Accusations: 'Jamie said it couldn't be [his child] as he had used protection, but she insisted it was,' a source told the magazine. The paternity test later came back negative, proving conclusively that Jamie was not the father He has expressed romantic interest in almost every woman this season. Before the first Rose Ceremony, he'd promised a rose not only to Abbie Chatfield and Brittney Weldon, but also Cassandra Mamone, Helena Sauzier and Mary Viturino. He eventually gave his rose to Brittney, therefore eliminating Abbie from the show. Bachelor in Paradise continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakurs participation in the yagya organised by the BJPs womens wing last week has sparked off a political row with the opposition Congress and Left parties training their guns on the ruling party, saying it flouted social distancing norms in Covid-19 times. The BJPs womens wing organised the Vedic ritual prayer in the parking lot on main Circular Road on July 16 for world peace and for warding off coronavirus. The chief minister, who participated in the puranahuti (culmination of the ceremony) after 55 lakh Gayatri Mantra jaap (repetitions), praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis farsighted leadership to help slow down the pandemics spread. Among those present on the occasion were the head of the Gayatri Parivar, VK Bhatnagar and state BJP Mahila Morcha chief Rashmi Dhar Sood besides education minister Suresh Bhardwaj, urban development minister Sarveen Chaudhary, organising secretary Pawan Rana, state BJP general secretary and the CMs political adviser Trilok Jamwal, womens wing office-bearers Vandna Guleria and Sheetal Vyas Sharma. The Communist Party of India condemns the participation of the chief minister and his ministerial colleagues at a function where social distancing norms were thrown to the wind. Instead of age-old Vedic traditions, the government should draw up a scientific strategy to check the spread of coronavirus. There has been a spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases after the government lifted travel restrictions, Sanjay Chauhan, a former Shimla mayor, said. He said that Shimla was itself one of the worst-hit cities in the state. The Communist Party of India Marxist also demanded action against the organisers. Its ridiculous that on one hand the government has limited the numbers for wedding and funeral ceremonies, while on the other hand its not adhering to norms in the fight against Covid-19, Congress organising secretary Harkirishan Himral said. Meanwhile, the BJP Mahila Morcha refuted the oppositions allegations. Its mere propaganda by the opposition as it has failed in all aspects during the pandemic. The opposition should explain what it did for society during the pandemic. We have proof where Congress leaders themselves threw social distancing norms to the wind, said Sheetal Vyas Sharma, the state BJP general secretary. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police in Zimbabwe have arrested July 31st public protest organizer, Jacob Ngarivhume, and independent journalist, Hopewell Chinono, who has been writing articles about corruption in the country. Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Paul Nyathi, told VOA Studio 7 he was not aware of the arrest Ngarivhume and Chin'ono. Ngarivhume posted a message on twitter a few hours before he was arrested saying, When I proposed a national demonstration I knew the risks. But it is sickening for the state to pretend to care about COVID 19 lives yet send me messages threatening to kill me and my family. Chinono posted a video on his twitter feed claiming that he was being arrested. He posted a message before shooting the video, which read, They are breaking into my home. Alert the world! A few hours later, his lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, visited Chinonos Chisipite home where she claimed that he was picked up by suspected state security agents, who allegedly broke into his home. In a tweet, Information Secretary, Nick Mangwana, said journalists are supposed to follow the countrys laws. There is no profession which is above the law. Journalists are not above the law. Lawyers are not above the law. Doctors and nurses are not above the law. Politicians & bankers are not above the law. Anyone suspected to have commited a crime should be subjected to due process. The USA Harare Embassy says it is worried about the arrest of the two men. More details to follow The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) President Trumps difficulty recalling information, interpreting simple graphs, and remembering what Chris Wallace said to him just minutes before, wasnt funny. Even though it all took place as he denied there was anything wrong with his mental competence No one who has honestly been paying attention the last 3 years hasnt noticed that President Trump has experienced moments during his public speaking or during interviews where he hasnt appeared to be mentally impaired or not in control of his faculties. The latest interview that aired on Fox News Sunday by Chris Wallace was at best a train wreck in which President Trump looked desperate to parry away doubts about his mental competence in ways that made him look like the TV cartoon, Mr. Magoo. If you re-watch the interview, youll notice Trumps inability even to remember what Chris Wallace said just minutes before. President Trump goes one-on-one with Chris Wallace | Full Interview Heres a transcript WALLACE: Lets start with the surge of the coronavirus across the country in recent months. You still talk about it as, quote, burning embers. But I want to put up a chart that shows where we are with the illness over the last four months. As you can see, we hit a peak here in April, 36,000 cases TRUMP: Cases. WALLACE: a day. TRUMP: Yes, cases. WALLACE: Then then it went down and now since June it has gone up more than double. One day this week 75,000 new cases, More than double TRUMP: Chris, thats because we have great testing because we have the best testing in the world. If we didnt test, you wouldnt be able to show that chart. If we tested half as much, those numbers would be down. WALLACE: But but this isnt burning embers, sir? This is a firestorm. TRUMP: No, no. But I dont say I say flames, well put out the flames. And well put out in some cases just burning embers. We also have burning embers. We have embers, and we do have flames. Florida became more flame-like, but its its going to be under control. And, you know, its not just this country, its many countries. We dont talk about it in the news. They dont talk about Mexico and Brazil and still parts of Europe, which actually got hit sooner than us, so its a little ahead of us in that sense. But you take a look, why dont they talk about Mexico? Which is not helping us. And all I can say is thank God I built most of the wall because if I didnt have the wall up, we would have a much bigger problem with Mexico. WALLACE: But, sir, we have the seventh-highest mortality rate in the world. Our mortality rate is higher than Brazil, its higher than Russia, and the European Union has us on a travel ban. TRUMP: Yeah. I think what well do well, we have them under travel ban, too, Chris. I closed them off. If you remember, I was the one that did the European Union very early. But when you talk about mortality risks, I think its the opposite. I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. (CROSSTALK) WALLACE: Its not true, sir. We had we had 900 deaths on a single day TRUMP: We will take a look WALLACE: just this week TRUMP: Ready? WALLACE: (INAUDIBLE). TRUMP: Can you please get me the mortality rates? WALLACE: Yes. TRUMP: Kayleighs right here. I heard we have one of the lowest, maybe the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world. Do you have the numbers, please? Because I heard we had the best mortality rate. KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: (INAUDIBLE) Dr. Birx points out and this is TRUMP: Number one low mortality fatality rates. I hope you show the scenario because it shows what fake news is all about WALLACE: OK, OK. I dont think Im fake news but I will well put TRUMP: Yeah, you are WALLACE: put our staff on TRUMP: You said we had the worst mortality rate in the world WALLACE: I said you had TRUMP: and we have the best. The interview goes especially bad during the 130-second exchange during the sequence of claims made by President Trump to Chris Wallace concerning mortality rates: Wallace: We have the seventh-highest mortality rate in the world. Trump: We have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. Trump: We have one of the lowest mortality rates. Trump: Maybe the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world. Trump: Number one low mortality fatality rates. [here he shows Wallace a graph handed to him by his staff] Trump: You said we had the worst mortality rate in the world . . . Trump: . . . and we have the best. Trump clearly is unable to keep straight where he thinks the U.S. mortality rate ranks. He goes back and forth between saying its one of the lowest and the lowest. The exchange shows that President Trump is unable to remember what Wallace said just a two-plus minutes earlier. Chris Wallace clearly tells the President the U.S. has the seventh-highest mortality rate. Trump, however, asserts: You said we had the worst mortality rate in the world. Wallace shows the audience the chart. This is it: The Presidents chart omits a number of relevant countries with lower mortality rates. Yet, even with that doctoring of the data and excluding many countries, it does not show the United States has the lowest mortality rate in the world. This clearly doctored charts show clearly two countries with lower mortality rates. The inability to look directly at a line graph, and being unable to recognize that its not saying what the President is claiming could be a serious red flag that he has dementia, organic brain syndrome. Many people watching the Chris Wallace interview of President on The Fox News Sunday shows jumped on the internets social media platforms, citing the same four examples of his struggle to keep things straight. Jonathan V. Last of the Bulwark.com cited three chilling warning signs. President Trump may in fact have dementia Trump cannot remember what his briefing book told him about mortality rates, so he flips back and forth between one of the lowest and the lowest in the world. Trump cannot correctly interpret the simple graph handed to him by his own staff. Trump cannot recall what Wallace said to him less than two minutes prior. The Cognitive Examination In another segment of the interview President Trump looking seriously at Chris Wallace made a cynical comment about Joe Biden. Trump saying Biden doesnt even know hes alive and followed it be praising his mental health. President Trump then said he had taken a cognitive exam at Walter Reed Medical Center that was very hard and bragged to have aced the test so impressively that the doctors were very surprised and told him: Thats an unbelievable thing. Rarely does anybody do what you just did. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), developed in Canada in 1996, was intended to be a means of accurately detecting levels of cognitive impairment. The assessments in the test attempt to gauge areas of language, visuospatial abilities, memory and recall and abstract thinking, to give a representation of a persons current cognitive ability. There was no reason without the presidents physician concern for Trump to take a cognitive examination without there being an issue. Scoring There are 11 sections of the assessment, with a total of 30 possible points: (1 point) In Alternating Trail Making, a patient is told to draw a line from letters to numbers, in ascending order (1-A-2-B-3-C-4-D-5-E), without crossing any lines. Any error will warrant a score of zero. (1 point) The Visuoconstructional Skills (Cube) segment relays instructions to copy a drawing of a cube. If a three-dimensional drawing with relatively accurate lines is drawn, the point is awarded. (3 points) In the Visuoconstructional Skills (Clock) portion, a patient is asked to draw a clock. One point each is awarded for having a contour, having numbers, and having hands. (3 points) The Naming phase asks the patient to name each of three common animals, scoring one point for each correct answer. (0 points) The first Memory section involves no points, and simply involves reading a list of five words to be recalled later. (6 points) Attention requires a patient to successfully pay attention to verbal commands. Three smaller sections involve repeating digits, acknowledging spoken letters, and counting backward from 100 by sevens. (2 points) Sentence Repetition involves two spoken sentences that are repeated: one point is scored for each successful repetition. (1 point) Verbal Fluency tests a patients vocabulary; if 11 or more specific words are spoken (such as words starting with a certain letter), the patient is scored one point. (3 points) The Abstraction phase revolves around three pairs of words. A patient is awarded one point for each commonality he/she can identify. (5 points) Delayed Recall forces the recall of the terms read in Memory, approximately five minutes later. (5 points) Orientation tests a patients understanding of his current place and the current time. OTTAWA - The Opposition Conservatives accused the Liberal government of either corruption or ignorance Monday as they pressed for more answers around a decision to hand control over a major student grant program to an organization with longtime ties to the Trudeau family. The House of Commons was sitting to pass a new bill to extend the wage subsidy program, send a special COVID-19 top-up to people with disabilities and to extend legal deadlines for court cases. While those measures were expected to pass on Tuesday with the support of all opposition parties, the same collegial spirit did not extend to question period. There, the dominant line of inquiry was around the Liberal governments decision to award WE Charity the responsibility for a $900 million student job program. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus mother, in particular, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for participating in WE events, and Finance Minister Bill Morneaus daughter works for an arm of the WE organization. The organization has handed the program back to the government. Both Trudeau and Morneau have said they should have recused themselves from the decision. But the international development and youth empowerment group is now under scrutiny for its internal practices, adding further fuel to the oppositions charges that the decision to grant the contract to WE was suspect. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer pointed Monday to a report by Canadaland that red flags were raised in 2018 by auditors reviewing WEs financials, as well as the fact that their board had undergone a major shakeup earlier in the year. Either the Liberals were aware of these issues and still approved the decision or they were incompetent, he said. Its either corruption or incompetence, which is it? It is neither, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland replied repeatedly, nearly reading verbatim from a sheet of paper with the Liberals current top-line talking point on the issue: that the idea of having WE run the Canada Student Services Grant was brought forward by the non-partisan public service. The way this unfolded was regrettable and the charity will not longer be administering the project, she said. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the governments approach to WE raises questions about whether the program was ever about students at all. There were lots of ways to help students. This was not it, he said. It was a billion-dollar bailout of close friends of the Liberal party and of the prime minister. The House of Commons had been recalled to pass the latest suite of COVID-19 measures. The Liberals want to extend the wage subsidy program to December and have its criteria loosened so more businesses can reopen and employ workers. The original program covered 75 per cent of wages, up to a weekly maximum of $847, for eligible companies and non-profits. Companies had to show a 30 per cent drop in revenues. The proposed changes will see the program pay on a sliding scale based on revenue drops due to the pandemic, with the hardest-hit businesses eligible for a 25 per cent increase to the previous maximum payment. The disability payment measures in the bill would provide up to $600 in a one-time payment to some Canadians with disabilities in order to help with COVID-19 costs. The Liberals had sought to pass that measure in a bill last month, but did not get unanimous consent due to the opposition concerns with other elements in that particular bill. Originally, the payment was limited to those who received the disability tax credit, but the new bill lays out expanded criteria to include, among others, veterans who are currently receiving disability supports. Singh said ensuring the disability benefit went to far more Canadians was a win for his party, and why the NDP will back the new bill. Its still not enough and we will continue fighting, he told reporters afterwards. The Tories said they too support the disabilities measures, but the new wage subsidy plan is too convoluted and they want the government to make it simpler. Still, they intend to back the bill, having won concessions of their own: to get two days of debate for it instead of one, and at the same time securing the ability for the Commons committee on Canada-China relations to sit, as well as the public safety committee. Tuesdays sitting also opens up an opportunity for the Conservatives to do something else they were hoping to achieve Monday, but couldnt press the prime minister himself. Trudeau took the day off Monday, and the Tories suggested he was skipping out on questions about WE. He is expected to attend Tuesdays sitting, as well as for the special COVID-19 committee of MPs that is scheduled to meet Wednesday. A lingering question is whether Trudeau will also appear at the House of Commons finance committee, where MPs want to grill him on the WE issue. Scheer said Liberal MPs should also be asking themselves questions about supporting their boss going forward. If they allow him to continue, if they dont demand he resign, then they are telling Canadians that they are comfortable with his corruption, Scheer said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Car loan customers of HDFC Bank Ltd were forced to purchase a vehicle tracking device for about four years ended December 2019 in a possible breach of guidelines prohibiting banks from non-financial businesses, two people aware of the matter said. The bank on Saturday said it has taken action against employees in the vehicle finance unit after an investigation, without giving details. HDFC Bank executives pushed auto loan customers to buy GPS devices costing 18,000-19,500 from 2015 to December 2019, according to the two people cited above, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The cost of the device was added to the loan amount. These devices were bundled along with the loan, where reluctant applicants were told that unless they agreed to take this product, their loan would not be sanctioned, the first of the two people said, adding senior executives at the auto loan unit were under extreme pressure to meet sales targets for these devices. The device in question was sold by Trackpoint GPS, a Mumbai-based firm. Data from the registrar of companies (RoC) shows the companys revenue jumped 175 times between FY15 and FY19. It posted a loss of 3.87 crore in FY19 on the back of 78.31 crore revenues, with expenses overshooting revenues. Trackpoints total expenses stood at 80.25 crore in FY19, including components such as commission and brokerage of 3.49 crore, and legal and professional fees of 2.84 crore. Directors of Trackpoint include Amar V. Amin, Carey Bryan Fan and Vinod Ranchhodbhai Amin. California-based Matchpoint GPS Inc. is an investor in the company. A former employee of Trackpoint told Mint on condition of anonymity that the companys sales executives were told to meet HDFC Bank officials frequently, and arrive at sales targets for these devices. It was like a tie-up where the bank provided loan customers to us and we provided the devices, said the person cited above. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An estimated 178,000 Cigna members will remain in-network with Memorial Hermann Hospital System after the insurance giant reached an agreement with the large health system. Cigna and Memorial Hermann were set to part ways in March after months of inconclusive negotiations over hospital billing rates. Last fall, the insurer said it would terminate its contract with Memorial Hermann after list prices of its services rose significantly above market rates. We recognize the uncertainty these discussions created, said Jim Hickey, president of Cignas South Texas market, and were glad we were able to reach an affordable solution without interrupting access to quality care at Memorial Hermann. Throughout the spring, as COVID-19 spread around the world, both sides extended their contract temporarily most recently through July 31. The new agreement will last several years. Our unequivocal and enduring commitment is to the needs and best interests of the people who live here, said Dr. David Callender, Memorial Hermanns president and CEO, to be an advocate for Houstons long-term health. This new agreement with Cigna is a reflection of that commitment. People covered by Cigna do not have to pay more under the new agreement; insurance plan pricing is set separately outside the system. GETTING COVERED: Heres how to pick health insurance if youve lost job benefits Before the pandemic, contract negotiations between Houstons health systems and insurers had grown contentious. In October, UnitedHealthcare said it would drop Houston Methodist from its coverage, theoretically affecting100,000 customers in the region. In May, both parties announced that Houston Methodist would stay in-network. Community Health Choice, a local insurer, also announced in 2019 that it would drop Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. The agreement comes at an uncertain time for both Memorial Hermann and Cigna, said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. Hospitals are facing dire financial situations with the coronavirus pandemic and related recession driving down patient volumes and revenues. Memorial Hermann is one of the largest medical systems in the region, with 17 hospitals. It reported $190 million in net income and $5.5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2019. Memorial Hermann has so many uncertainties in terms of the financial damage its going to experience because of COVID-19, Ho said. Meanwhile, rising unemployment rates across the country spell bad news for insurance companies. When employers lay off workers, their health insurance goes with them. An estimated 650,000 Texans lost employer-based insurance between February and May, according to recent research by consumer advocacy group Families USA. Health insurers such as Cigna may be able to get some members back if they enroll in Affordable Care Act plans, although many wont. Insurers also are working with companies to control costs and keep them as customers. Theyre just locking in whoever they can, Ho said. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com twitter.com/gwendolynawu Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 16:32 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d74de 1 National COVID-19,immunization,#immunization,vaccine-preventable-diseases,#vaccine-preventable-diseases,basic-complete-immunization,children,#children,health,#health,#COVID19 Free Just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to emerge in January, 21-year-old Dian gave birth to her premature son in Tuban, East Java, which is now the epicenter of the Indonesian outbreak. The new mother said she had grown increasingly worried about her babys health, not only because of the new virus, but also the risk other childhood diseases pose if her son did not complete his immunization schedule. The epidemic has forced many Posyandu (integrated health services posts) in Tuban to temporarily suspend their services, just like in many other regions in the country. Posyandu are a vital part of the public health system in that they offer free primary immunizations for infants and children. "From the beginning, I didn't get any confirmation as to when [the Posyandu] would reopen, Dian told The Jakarta Post. So in June, I went to see a pediatrician and get my son vaccinated. I had to pay Rp 450,000 [US$30.60], which was quite a big sum for me; but I'd do anything for my son's health, she said. The cost is about a quarter of Dians husband's monthly income of Rp 1.9 million. Her son got his Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) and his polio vaccine at 4 months old, much later than the ideal inoculation age of 2 months. Now that the local Posyandu had reopened, Dian said that her son had been scheduled to receive his diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus shots soon. The government and experts alike share Dians concern that Indonesian children, who account for 30 percent of the population, could be at risk of other outbreaks from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) as the epidemic disrupts routine immunization across the country. Read also: UN warns of dangerous drop in vaccinations during COVID pandemic With the support of UNICEF, the Health Ministry's evaluation on 5,329 of the country's 9,993 Puskesmas (community health centers) from April 20 to 29 found that nearly 84 percent of the surveyed facilities had reported disruptions to their immunization programs. Some Puskesmas and Posyandu have limited or suspended their services during the public health crisis, while some have remained open. But parents have reportedly avoided visiting the facilities over their fears of contracting COVID-19. This has only added to the problems already plaguing immunization programs, with anti-vaccine stances fueled by concerns over the vaccines' halal status as well as potential side effects. The 2017 Health Ministry regulation on immunization stipulates that children aged below 1 year be given basic vaccines, including against hepatitis B, polio, TB, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, pneumonia and meningococcal disease (bacterial meningitis). Ministry data shows that January and February 2020 recorded a year-on-year (yoy) increase in the coverage rate of the complete immunization schedule for basic vaccines compared to 2019. However, the opposite occurred in March and April, the first two months of the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia. The ministry recorded a 4.9 percent yoy decline in the March coverage rate and a staggering 26.2 percent yoy decline in April. "Where are these [children]? Reaching them requires us all to work together," the ministry's surveillance and quarantine director, Vensya Sitohang, said at a public discussion in June. "There shouldn't be a second wave [...] of the COVID-10 pandemic [and] vaccine-preventable diseases." Meanwhile, the School Children Immunization Month (BIAS) program for booster shots of the diphtheria, tetanus and measles vaccines are to resume once elementary schools reopen. Read also: Drive-through, in-home vaccinations offer parents peace of mind during pandemic Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) spokesperson Hartono Gunardi warned that disruptions to immunization programs could give rise to a "double epidemic" with the resurgence of VPDs such as measles and diphtheria. Vaccine coverage must reach 95 percent to achieve herd immunity. The Health Ministry said that the national coverage rate for the full course of basic childhood vaccines was 93.7 percent in 2019, slightly higher than the target of 93 percent coverage per annum. However, last year also saw uneven distribution of vaccine coverage with below 60 percent coverage in the single province of Aceh and between 60 and 80 percent coverage in seven other provinces. A breakdown of the national coverage rate also shows that 40 regencies and cities had less than 60 percent coverage and 96 regencies and cities had a coverage rate of 60 to 80 percent. Catharine Mayung Sambo of the IDAI urged health workers to plan proactively to deliver a "catch-up" vaccination program for children who had fallen behind in their immunization schedule. She added that these children should be vaccinated as soon as possible, even if it meant getting their vaccines later than the recommended age. "But it must be taken into account that there are vaccines that must be given on schedule, such as the hepatitis B [vaccine] at birth and the BCG [vaccine] within the three months since birth," she said, noting that other vaccines such for polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles had "their own schedules". Catharine said that parents should not worry about visiting healthcare facilities as long as they followed the health protocols. She also stressed that healthcare facilities must apply triage to separate healthy children coming in for their shots or regular checkups from children who were presenting COVID-19 symptoms. The ministry has issued a set of technical guidelines on immunization during the epidemic, which include a requirement for parents to make an appointment before visiting healthcare facilities. Healthcare workers are also required to keep records of children whose immunization schedules have been delayed and ensure that they receive their vaccinations. Sunday, July 20, 1969, was a historic day for the United States. Americans held their collective breath as Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon followed by Edwin Buzz Aldrin. From The Patriot on Monday, July 21, 1969: America held its breath yesterday and then let it out in a sigh of pride and relief. The countdown bringing Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin to the moon was shared in the homes and hearts of millions of their countrymen. They prayed for their success at Sunday morning services. Then they stayed close to their television and radio sets, rooting for Armstrong and Aldrin during the last tense moments of their perilous journey.' And cheered when they reached the moon. When that word came, the waiting back on Earth was just beginning. The moon watchers in the living rooms settled down to wait for the most dramatic moment of all Armstrongs first steps on the moon and the chance that they might catch a glimpse of them on their home television sets. The day man came to the moon was a warm, lazy day in much of the United States a typical Sunday in July with one tremendous difference, the exhilaration of knowing that two Americans had gone where no man had ever set foot before. Apollo 11 spaceflight commander and the first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong, center, is shown with his fellow spacemen, Edwin Buzz Aldrin, center, and Michael Collins arrived back, July 27, 1969, Houston, Tex. (AP Photo)AP In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set a goal for the United States to go to the moon. Eight years later, at 9:32 a.m. July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy with Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. On July 20, they landed on the moon. "The eagle has landed," Armstrong said. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, followed 20 minutes later by Aldrin. An estimated 530 million people watched Armstrongs televised image and heard his voice describe the event as he took ... one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind on July 20, 1969, according to nasa.gov. It was a historic event that President Kennedy never got to witness. He was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. According to NASA, Armstrong and Aldrin collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth. They also left something there. "Commemorative medallions bearing the names of the three Apollo 1 astronauts who lost their lives in a launch pad fire, and two cosmonauts who also died in accidents, were left on the moon's surface. A one-and-a-half inch silicon disk, containing micro miniaturized goodwill messages from 73 countries, and the names of congressional and NASA leaders, also stayed behind," according to NASA. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours and 36 minutes on the moon's surface. The trio returned to Earth on July 24, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, 13 miles from the recovery ship, the USS Hornet. The mission lasted eight days, three hours, 18 minutes and 35 seconds. The astronauts were moved into a mobile quarantine facility aboard the USS Hornet. They were required to be quarantined for 21 days as a precaution after their return. They were honored in on Aug. 13, 1969, with ticker-tape parades in New York and Chicago. The three men were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon in 1969 then went on a 38-day world tour to 22 countries. Armstrong received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978 from President Jimmy Carter and in 2009 they each received the Congressional Gold Medal. Armstrong died Aug. 25, 2012, at the age of 82 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Aldrin is 89 and lives in Florida. Collins is 88 and also lives in Florida. Newspapers were full of stories about the moon landing, including this one from The Patriot on Monday, July 21, 1969: In this July 20, 1969 photo made available by NASA, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity. (Neil Armstrong/NASA via AP)AP Americans Walk on Moon Two American explorers walked on the moon last night after rocketing to a perfect landing among the craters of the Sea of Tranquility. While a prayerful world waited breathlessly, astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin skillfully piloted their tiny moonship down a never before-traveled path to mans first visit to another body in the solar system. Encased in a protective moon-suit, Armstrong climbed down a 12-foot ladder from the lunar modules porch and planted his blunt-toed boot on the moon at 10:56 p.m. EDT. The landing was made at 4:17 p.m. EDT. Thats one small step for man and one giant step for mankind,Armstrong declared as he stepped off the footpad at the bottom of the ladder onto the surface. I can kick it loosely with my toes like powdered charcoal. I only go in (the surface) a small fraction maybe one-eighth of an inch. I can see footprints of my boots in the fine particles,he told millions of Earthlings watching the historic first steps on television. Among the anxious TV watchers was President Nixon who placed to the astronauts shortly after they began their moon walk with what he called the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House. Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of the world, Nixon told the astronauts. For one priceless moment, all the people of this world are truly one,' he added. For every American, this has to be the proudest day of our lives. Armstrongs first job, moments after scuffing the moon, was to take a sample of the surface. He stored roughly two pounds in a bag that fitted into a pocket on the left leg of his suit. This was to make sure they came back with some material. Its a very soft surface, he said, probing around for the sample. Then, he noted, I run into very hard surface it appears to be very cohesive material of some source.' Armstrong looked over some rocks and then gazed out on the bright landing site. t has a stark beauty of its own. Its very pretty out here.' Armstrong took a few steps in front of the TV camera attached to the outside of the spacecraft and with each move floated to the surface. Aldrin joined him on the surface at 11:13 p.m. EDT. There I go, he said as he hopped down, adding as he looked around, what a beautiful view.' Isnt that something,' Armstrong said. A beautiful sight out here.' Both explorers stepped down from the footpad with their left foot. They inspected the spacecraft and found one strut singed by the rocket fire but otherwise in good shape. The walked around waving their arms to see how light they felt in the moons gravity, which is only one-sixth that of Earths. Aldrin said: You have to be careful. Youre leaning in the direction youre going and keep one foot under your body mass.' Both were wearing suitcase-size life support packs on their backs to supply them with oxygen and carry their radios. The packs weighed 85 pounds and affected their balance, even though on the moon they scale only 18 pounds. Armstrong uncovered an engraved plaque on the base of Eagle, the sturdy landing craft, and read the message: Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind. This March 30, 1969 photo made available by NASA shows the crew of the Apollo 11, from left, Neil Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, module pilot; Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to the surface of the moon. (NASA via AP)AP READ MORE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. (Natural News) Yet another conservative columnist is leaving a well-known news outlet for having a difference of opinion. Andrew Sullivan, who has worked at New York Magazine since 2016, announced that he will be leaving the magazine at weeks end. Sullivans departure from New York Magazine comes after Bari Weiss shock announcement that she was leaving her post as an editor for the New York Times opinion section. Reasons for Sullivans departure self-evident Sullivan announced his departure from the magazine through a series of tweets on Tuesday afternoon. As part of the series, he stated that the underlying reasons for his departure were self-evident, though he declined to elaborate further. Instead, he said that he would discuss the broader questions involved in his final column for the magazine, set to run Friday., This will be my last week at New York Magazine. Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) July 14, 2020 Unlike the similar, high-profile, departures of editors from the New York Times, Sullivans departure from New York Magazine seems to be much more amicable. Im sad because the editors I worked with there are among the finest in the country, wrote Sullivan on his thread. And I am immensely grateful to them for vastly improving my work. I have no beef with my colleagues, many of whom I admire and are friends, he added. While Fridays column will be Sullivans last for New York Magazine, he stated that he would be continuing it elsewhere. Dissenting opinions crowded out Prior to his announcement, Sullivan had already expressed concern that a woke culture was crowding out dissenting opinion. In a column titled Is There Still Room to Debate? Sullivan wrote about the ongoing campaign to quell dissent from the central idea that societys evils stem from racism and discrimination against Blacks. In these past two weeks, if you didnt put up on Instagram or Facebook some kind of slogan or symbol displaying your wokeness, you were instantly suspect, he wrote in the column which ran on June 12. That same month, Sullivan was allegedly banned by the magazine from writing about the widespread protests that rocked the U.S. following from the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Sullivan had announced that his column would not be running in mid-June. In its U.S.-focused blog Cockburn, U.K. news outlet The Spectator claimed that this was because New York Magazines editors did not want Sullivan writing about the protests. The Spectator cited a source close to New York Magazine which said that Sullivan had to have his work vetted by junior editors who had to make sure his work wouldnt trigger them before being published. Neither Sullivan nor New York Magazine commented on the post. Comments from the latters editor-in-chief, David Haskell, seem to be trying to paint a different picture. Andrew and I agreed that his editorial project and the magazines, though overlapping in many ways, were no longer the right match for each other, Haskell wrote in a memo to staff. While I found myself often disagreeing with his politics, I also found it valuable to be publishing work that challenged my thinking. Haskell then went on to say that publishing conservative commentary in the current climate is difficult to get right and that thoughtful, well-meaning people can come to different conclusions about it. Conservative voices being eased out of newsrooms Sullivans departure from New York Magazine is the latest example of a columnist leaving a post for having conservative views in an increasingly liberal newsroom. On the same day that Sullivan announced his departure, Bari Weiss announced her departure from the New York Times. In a scathing public letter to publisher A. G. Sulzberger, Weiss said that the Gray Ladys once tolerant newsroom had become toxic, with co-workers becoming increasingly intolerant of her conservative views. Prior to Weisss departure, The Timess then editorial page editor James Bennet had already resigned in the aftermath of the paper running an op-ed by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, which led to a staff revolt in the paper. (Related: Leftist mob bullies New York Times into limiting offensive op-eds.) These, alongside Sullivans departure, raise questions whether there is any space for different opinions in these increasingly Left-leaning mainstream news outlets. HARTFORD A month after Gov. Ned Lamont pledged $3.5 million in aid for immigrant families, activists and members of Connecticuts immigrant community are asking for more. Immigrant advocacy groups want additional funds, access to health care and the cancellation of rent to ease the hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has disproportionately affected their community as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We need to avoid the next public health crisis: an eviction crisis, said Eric Cruz Lopez, of the non-profit CT Students for a Dream, at a Monday rally on the steps of the Capitol. Renters should not be evicted and forced into crowded courtrooms to lose their homes because they have not paid rent due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Lopez was one of more than 50 advocates from a coalition of non-profits collectively called the Coalition for Peoples Liberation who gathered on the steps of the Capitol Monday morning to demand liberatory policies from Gov. Ned Lamont. He and others called on Lamont and his administration to extend the existing eviction moratorium which provides temporary protection to renters but is scheduled to end Aug. 22 through the end of the public health crisis and allocate $140 million to a rental assistance fund for all renters, regardless of their immigration status. The health of our communities depends on it, Lopez said. In addition to aid for immigrants, the group demanded the de-funding of police and large scale decarceration, along with public divestment from the prison industrial complex ahead of a legislative special session to begin this week. Those gathered represented a diverse set of advocacy groups from throughout the state, including representatives from Black America Undivided, the Citywide Youth Coalition, Hearing Youth Voices, Radical Advocates for Cross-Cultural Education, the Semilla Collective and Make the Road CT. They held up signs that read Defund Police, Black Lives Matter, and Economic Relief Fund Now and passed around Cancel Rent facemasks. But a segment of the event was focused on aid to immigrants. In June, Lamont announced the allocation of $2.5 million in housing assistance for immigrants (a separate $10 million has been allocated toward housing assistance statewide, as well) and an additional $1 million through a new program, called 4-CT, which is meant to cover other needs associated with the virus. But, with 120,000 undocumented immigrants in the state who do largely do not have access to health care or federal aid, and have been disproportionately impacted by the virus advocates have expressed concern that the relief package does too little to help those in need. Divided evenly between each of those 120,000 immigrants, it would amount to roughly $8 per person. Many residents, no matter their immigration status, are thousands of dollars behind on their rent as a result of lost jobs and wages during the pandemic. Several speakers referred to the aid as crumbs. The governors $3.5 million program announced on June 3rd is one more example of how the state continues to throw crumbs at deep systemic issues instead of addressing the roots of the problem, said Fatima Rojas, of the Semilla Collective. $3.5 million is simply not enough and disregards the full needs and demands that immigrant and working class communities have put forward. On Monday afternoon, Lamont acknowledged that many Connecticut residents would owe their delinquent rent lump sum once the moratorium ends. He said rental assistance was in the states budget and that he hoped federal aid would include rent support though federal aid would likely not extend to the undocumented community. Lamont has previously defended his administrations aid to immigrants and said no more could be done, touting especially the 4-CT program, which gives qualified immigrants debit cards that can be used to buy food, groceries and other necessary items. Our immigrant community, weve got a variety of programs in place to make sure they have the resources and the safety they need as we get back to our new normal, Lamont said at his July 14 press briefing. Were doing everything we can for the immigrant community. But advocates have complained recently that the system is confusing and their remains uncertainty as to who qualified for the program. The program itself was very small and really only crumbs, Carolina Bortoletto, co-founder of CT Students for a Dream, said last week. Then how the program itself is being implemented has left a lot of frontline organizations with a lot of questions. In terms of 4-CT gift cards, there hasnt really been an effort to inform the community about how they can get the cards. And still, many expressed dismay at the continued lack of access to health care for many undocumented immigrants. We are ineligible for Medicaid and HUSKY, and cant buy into Access Health CT, said Anghy Idrovo, who is undocumented and a member of Connecticut Students for a Dream. Our families cannot seek the proper health care we need. With 120,000 estimated undocumented immigrants residing in our state, this is a massive public health crisis. Idrovo noted Lamonts expansion of the states Emergency Medicaid program to cover uninsured, undocumented individuals Covid19 treatment and testing, but said the measure doesnt go far enough. This is not enough! It is only a band-aid solution, she continued. We demand Governor Lamont actually address the healthcare crisis in the immigrant community. There is no other option - it's time to fully open HUSKY to all regardless of immigration status, so that everyone has access to care- not just during emergencies. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 Many CPGs and retailers already know how to leverage retail intelligence towards offline decisions but havent yet scratched the surface online, where the reward is more immediate. Retail-intelligent advertising can become the key to understanding and engaging the ecommerce customer. Kenshoo (https://kenshoo.com/), a global leader in marketing technology, and DataWeave, a provider of AI-powered Competitive Intelligence as a Service to retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, today announced a strategic partnership to offer real-time aggregate data and market intelligence to enable retailer and brand marketer digital shopper marketing advertising strategies. Value to Brands of Retail-Intelligent Advertising As ecommerce surges, challenges such as the product discoverability, fluctuation of product availability and content directly impact advertising on key retailers like Amazon and Walmart, making success both increasingly critical and complex. Harnessing DataWeaves Commerce Intelligence and Digital Shelf analytics solutions, as well as the companys newly launched Stock Availability Tracker, Kenshoo offers marketers greater visibility into brand performance relative to competition by monitoring brand share of voice, pricing and assortment discoverability across their online distribution channels. Customers can now participate in the new beta program which transforms that analysis into actionable recommendations for more effective advertising on its enterprise-grade advertising automation platform. DataWeave boasts more than 500 billion data points aggregated, a scale that delivers the power to support advertisers with insights across channels and retailers, making decisions about distribution, pricing strategy and promotion management easier. Improved Strategy and Planning for Retailers and Agencies That partnership offers benefits not only to ecommerce brands themselves, but to the retailers and agencies that serve them. Retailers can better evaluate online category performance, competitive promotions and pricing strategies in order to highlight gaps in assortment, improve price positioning or add brands products to their offering. The same practice can also apply to in-store optimization, empowering users to drive advertising towards regions with heavy stock and avoid advertising where stocks are limited. Agencies can leverage DataWeave and Kenshoos solution to help inform activation across media like Google, Facebook and Pinterest, as well as add strategic value in their efforts to win new business and maintain accounts. By connecting insight to action in a unified offering, Kenshoo helps its significant base of ecommerce and retail customers move faster and invest marketing dollars smarter than the competition. Retailers and ecommerce brands are undergoing major change, and the more successful ones are quickly realizing the growing role of digital marketing, said Nich Weinheimer, general manager of ecommerce for Kenshoo. Many CPGs and retailers already know how to leverage retail intelligence towards offline decisions but havent yet scratched the surface online, where the reward is more immediate. Retail-intelligent advertising can become the key to understanding and engaging the ecommerce customer. Visit https://kenshoo.com/capabilities/kenshoo-dataweave/ for more information on how the new partnership between Kenshoo and DataWeave can enhance your ecommerce campaigns. About Kenshoo Kenshoo is the leading marketing technology platform for brands looking to plan, activate and measure growth strategies across the most-engaging digital channels. Kenshoo offers the only marketing solution that combines data-driven insights and best-of-breed optimization to help make informed decisions, scale and measure performance across Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, Walmart, Apple Search Ads, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram, Verizon Media, Yandex, Yahoo Japan, and Baidu. Kenshoos machine-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence leverage market signals and enable companies to predict and keep pace with the omnichannel customer journey. Kenshoo has 27 international locations and backing by Sequoia Capital, Arts Alliance, Tenaya Capital, and Bain Capital Ventures. Please visit Kenshoo.com for more information. Kenshoo brand and product names are trademarks of Kenshoo Ltd. Other company and brand names may be trademarks of their respective owners. About DataWeave DataWeave is an AI-powered SaaS platform that provides Competitive Intelligence as a Service to e-commerce businesses and consumer brands, enabling them to compete profitably and accelerate revenue growth. The company's proprietary technology platform helps e-commerce businesses to make smarter pricing and merchandising decisions, as well as consumer brands to protect their online brand equity and optimize their e-commerce performance. Visit the DataWeave website for more information. DERBY Nicholas Eiseles girlfriend awoke to commotion coming from the other room and heard him telling someone to relax and calm down during the early-morning hours of May 24. Outside her bedroom door, she found Eisele in a tense standoff with his childhood friend from Newtown, Peter Manfredonia, who was wanted by police for a homicide committed two days earlier in upstate Connecticut. The womans account, which included the moment she heard the shots that police say killed her boyfriend followed by her kidnapping, were released Monday in an arrest warrant charging Manfredonia with Eiseles homicide at his Derby home. Manfredonia, 23, who was charged last month with murder and other crimes that police say occurred in Willington, will be arraigned Tuesday on the new charges in state Superior Court in Milford. According to the arrest warrant, Eisele was killed when he tried to stop Manfredonia from going after his girlfriend as she tried to call 911 around 6 a.m. May 24. Manfredonia ripped the phone out of her hands and started tussling with Eisele, the warrant said. (I)t was like Manfredonia was trying to come after her and Nick tried to stop him, police wrote of the womans recollection of the incident. As the two fought in the bedroom, the woman curled up into a ball near the front door, the warrant said. Seconds later, she heard gunshots and looked up and saw Eisele motionless on the floor, the warrant said. The woman screamed at the top of her lungs, in hopes of alerting the downstairs neighbor, but Manfredonia shouted for her to shut up, the warrant stated. The woman, who was not identified by police, told investigators that she asked Manfredonia to call to get medical help for her boyfriend. No, hes dead. I shot him in the head, Manfredonia replied, according to the warrant. The warrant said Manfredonia, holding the gun he used to shoot Eisele, then ordered the woman to get into her car and drive him toward Newtown, where he and Eisele grew up. The woman said they mostly took back-roads, heading west on Route 34, then onto Route 111 and Route 25 through Newtown, the warrant stated. The woman said she was driving erratically in an attempt to get stopped by police, the warrant stated. Several times she contemplated driving into a tree, and at one point wanted to drive into the Newtown Police Department, but Manfredonia had his seatbelt on and decided not to crash the vehicle, police wrote in the warrant. Eventually, Manfredonia ordered her to drive south, though the destination was unclear, according to the warrant. As she drove, Manfredonia detailed the previous 36 hours, which included the killing 62-year-old Ted Demers in Willington two days earlier, a home invasion where he held a man captive, and the ensuing manhunt, according to the warrant. The woman drove into New York and then New Jersey as Manfredonia held the handgun between his legs and often repeated: I dont want to have to kill you, according to the warrant. Seven hours later, Manfredonia allowed her to drop him off at a New Jersey truck stop near the Pennsylvania border, where he hailed an Uber with the help of a bystander, the warrant stated. He left her with $200 for gas money, the warrant said. Three days later, Manfredonia was captured by police in Hagerstown, Md. After being extradited to Connecticut last month, Manfredonia was charged with murder, attempted murder, first-degree assault, home invasion, kidnapping and other offenses related to the Willington crimes. Last week, Manfredonia pleaded not guilty to those charges and opted for a jury trial in the case. Hes being held in lieu of $7 million bond in this case. On Monday, Manfredonia was charged with murder, felony murder, first-degree kidnapping, home invasion, first-degree robbery and carrying a pistol without a permit in connection with the Derby incident. He was held on $5 million bond for the new charges. Police said the crime spree began in Willington around 9 a.m. on May 22, when DeMers offered Manfredonia a ride on his 4-wheeler. Police said Manfredonia, armed with a sword, was in the area to visit his former girlfriend who said she was considering a restraining order against him. Manfredonia apparently told DeMers his motorcycle broke down, according to the arrest warrant for the Willington crimes. Manfredonia then attacked DeMers and a neighbor 80-year-old John Franco with the sword. DeMers died from his injuries. Franco was critically injured in the attack. On the morning of May 24, police received a call from a Willington man who said Manfredonia held him against his will for hours before the Newtown resident stole food, guns and his truck, according to authorities. The man was unharmed. The truck was found near Osbornedale State Park in Derby around 6:45 a.m. May 24, setting off an extensive search in the area that led law enforcement about a mile away to Eiseles home. While the Lebanese economy has been steadily crumbling since the beginning of the year, the real estate sector continues to establish itself as a safe haven for depositors trapped between a Lebanese pound in freefall and restrictions imposed illegally by the banks since last autumn on the majority of foreign currency accounts. This is in any case what emerges from a Bank Audi report published in early July, which also cites the fear of a possible "haircut" on deposits (a chop) as one of the main drivers of demand in the first five months of the year. This scenario is one of many put forward in recent months as the country, which defaulted on its foreign currency bonds in March, negotiates financial as-sistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The authors of the report point out that this real estate rush has been going on for about 10 months, or roughly since the banks began to gradually put restrictions in place. "Lebanese Dollars" Analysts believe that this trend is likely to continue for some time, but they fear that it may stop abruptly once sellers refrain from getting paid in "Lebanese dollars" - or at least as long as the reforms to redress the country's ills are not launched. "Lebanese dollars" are dollar deposits in banks that are subject to restrictions (withdrawals, transfers abroad) but whose conversion to Lebanese pounds is authorized by the Central Bank at a rate above the official parity of 1,507.5 pounds (3,850 pounds per dollar this week). This is the case while the pound has recently reached a record low on the black market. The fact that it became hard to transfer Lebanese dollars has encouraged some depositors to spend them on real estate. On the other hand, "those who sold were in their majority owners who had debts to repay; those who do not have debts do not sell," Guillaume Boudisseau, a consultant with the real estate agency and consul-tancy Ramco, told L'Orient-Le Jour. In contrast, the banks' clients can freely dispose of "fresh money;" that is, foreign currencies deposited in special accounts established last autumn by the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) when it summarily aligned the restrictions put in place. According to a banking source contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, some cash-strapped businesses have in recent months offered some of their clients to convert fresh foreign currencies into "Lebanese dollars" by applying a multiplier of more than 2 or even 3 (100 fresh dollars becomes 200 or even 300 Lebanese dol-lars). This type of transactions has benefited some depositors with foreign currency accounts abroad who have been able to acquire real estate at a lower dollar price in cash and has thus helped to boost activity in this market. Others took the opportunity to repay loans. Average Value per Transaction The report points out that, in terms of numbers, savers have strongly boosted the land sector, which grew by 52.5% between January and May this year compared to the same period in 2019, reaching $3.7 billion. This thus represents an increase of $1.2 billion over the same peri-od. On the other hand, the number of transactions decreased slightly, by 0.8% according to Fi-nance Ministry figures, to 18,877 transactions, contributing to a jump in the average value per transaction over the same period (up by 53.7% to $196,994). While the largest number of transactions was recorded in the District of Baabda in the first five months of 2020 (3,636, or 19.3% of the total), Beirut led the way in terms of value breakdown, recording almost 38% of the total, or $1.4 billion. This increases the average value of transactions in Beirut to more than $822,500 (1,702 transactions were registered in the capital). "In Beirut, about a third of unsold apartments have found buyers. But not all apartments left are necessarily for sale," said Boudisseau, who told Le Commerce du Levant in May that the leverage effect on sales was caused by fears of a "haircut." The consultant also pointed out a particularity that does not show up in the figures. The increase in the number of real estate sales contrasts with a decline in construction activity, caused by the country's volatile political situation, which is a considerable obstacle to the promotion of new land projects, and by the rising construction costs. Indeed, Bank Audi notes a 32.6% decline in building permits in 2019 and a 61% year-on-year fall over the first five months of 2020. It also notes that 38.9% of construction projects were devel-oped in Mount Lebanon in January and February of this year (according to the latest figures available); followed by southern Lebanon (26.9%) , northern Lebanon (23.5%), the Bekaa region (6.3%) and Beirut (4.4%). These regional data also mark a historic turning point with the capital being in last place in the ranking: the area of new construction sites in Beirut decreased by 82.4% last January, year-on-year. As a result of this general drop in building permits, the report also notes a 31.9% decrease in cement deliveries in 2019, reaching 3.2 million tons compared to 4.7 million tons in 2018, and a 55.7% contraction in the first quarter of 2020. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 13th of July) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:18:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported a new case of COVID-19 infection on Monday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 384 with zero deaths so far, according to its Ministry of Health. The latest case was a 27-year-old Russian man recently entering Vietnam, said the ministry, noting that he was quarantined upon arrival. Meanwhile, three more patients were given all-clear on Monday, raising the total cured cases in Vietnam to 360. Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 95 straight days while there are nearly 11,700 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, said the ministry. Enditem Mainland Chinese stocks surged on Monday, as China maintained its benchmark lending rate for the third straight month. The Shanghai composite jumped 3.11% to close at 3,314.15 while the Shenzhen composite was up 2.68% to close at 2,216.70. The Shenzhen component jumped 2.55% to 13,448.85. Over the weekend, China's regulators raised the limit on how much insurers can invest in equity assets to 45%, according to Reuters, in an effort to bring more long-term funds into the market. China kept both its one-year and five-year loan prime rate unchanged, according to Reuters, as its economy continued to recover after reopening following the coronavirus crisis. Last week, official data showed that its economy grew 3.2% in the second quarter from a year earlier, better than the 2.5% expected by analysts, according to Reuters. Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index lost 0.38% in the afternoon. The city tightened restrictions again after reported cases surged to more than 100 in 24 hours over the weekend. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the situation was "very serious and there is no sign of it coming under control," according to Reuters. Japan's Nikkei 225 clawed back earlier losses to edge up 0.09%, closing at 22,717.48. The Topix rose 0.20% to close at 1,577.03. Japan's exports dived 26.2% in June from a year earlier, data showed, according to Reuters. That was a worse decline than expected as economists in a Reuters poll had predicted a 24.9% decline. Imports fell 14.4%, compared with expectations of a 16.8% decline, according to Reuters. In May, Japan's exports had fallen 28.3%, the fastest pace since the global financial crisis as U.S.-bound car shipments plunged, according to Reuters. Autos, a big export sector for Japan, declined all day. By the close, Nissan had dived 3%, Mitsubishi Motor tumbled 1.77% and Suzuki declined 3.64%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.54% to close at 6,001.60 as financials saw declines across the board. Over in South Korea, the Kospi slipped 0.14% to close at 2,198.20. Overall, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged down 0.09%. Kenyas internet balloons could help to bridge the digital divide Kenya's new internet balloons could help to get more Kenyans online and drive new industry. Kenya has, in partnership with Googles sister firm, Loon, launched a fleet of 35 internet balloons that will provide internet services to remote areas of the country. This is the first balloon-powered internet to launch in Africa. Nixon Muganda explains how these will work and the opportunities they can bring. How do internet balloons work and do many countries use them? Googles internet balloons are wireless Internet connectivity towers that float in the stratosphere. They beam Internet signals to earth-based stations, which then transmit the internet to users through internet service providers. These floating giant balloons are made from plastic. They are fitted with solar panels which power the gadgets that control the balloons operations and beam internet signals to earth. Using a special crane, the balloons are propelled to the stratosphere a height of about 20km above the earth. Artificial intelligence software installed in the balloons computers controls the floating movements using wind power. A single balloon can provide internet connectivity to an area of about 80km in diameter and serve about 1,000 users on the ground. Its expected that the signal strength users get will be similar to 4G browsing speeds. What does internet connectivity look like in Kenya? Kenya has a wide variety of connectivity infrastructure. About 39 million Kenyans are hooked up to wireless subscriptions, mostly through mobile phones, which depend on signals from a mast. Wired subscriptions stand at about 458,000. This is impressive for a population of about 51 million people. Internet connectivity in Tanzania, by comparison, reached an estimated 27 million people (out of about 56 million people) by March 2020. Kenya also continues to deepen its connectivity infrastructure through a national fibre optic cable. To date, close to 6,000km of the fibre optic backbone has been laid down and plans are to reach all 47 counties. Despite impressive developments, more can be done. Most people in Kenya access the internet through their mobile phones. When looking at how well mobile phone providers cover the country geographically, we see that large areas of the country, particularly in the north and northeast, dont have much coverage. Most internet coverage is around towns in the central, coastal, and western areas and along major roadways. This state of coverage is partly attributable to internet privatisation and electricity coverage. Commercially, it does not make sense for internet service providers to cover areas of low population density, since the cost of physical internet infrastructure outweighs the benefits from subscriptions. Market competition also affects connectivity. Two mobile network operators Safaricom and Airtel have a stranglehold on the market. They have not provided internet users with choice in terms of price, service variety and quality. And over about 20 years, the telecoms market has seen the demise of close to 70 internet service providers. How will the balloons change this? As countries aim for universal internet connectivity, Googles Internet balloons are a welcome addition. If the balloons are directed towards the currently underserved areas, their presence could reduce the digital exclusion of those areas. Their entry in the market may also jolt the current market players to reconsider their pricing models and become more innovative in their service offerings. There could be a reduction in data rates, or bundling of more services at the current price. Thats good for internet users. But every big entrant into the market could have an impact on smaller players, some of which continue to provide last mile internet coverage, even in commercially less attractive regions. Poorly resourced and weakly capitalised internet service providers might fold, unless they reimagine their business models. This is a new venture, and its too early to know exactly what effect these balloons will have or the types of social changes theyll bring. What type of opportunities could these balloons bring to Kenyas remote areas? There are a number of opportunities that these balloons can bring, particularly to rural areas. The balloons dont have the physical limitations of wired connections, such as installations in sometimes inaccessible regions. The balloons could give more people access to information and communication technology infrastructure and services. They could help create more industry around e-commerce, e-learning and e-government. Given the involvement of the government of Kenya in the project, we should expect a push for increased internet use in the key sectors of rural areas such as health, education and agriculture. For instance, the balloons could allow more children in rural areas to have the option of online learning. Also, new telemedicine technology has been launched and the balloons are expected to facilitate long-distance patient and clinician contact, care and monitoring. Hopefully, as the benefits of Googles internet balloons unfold, we should also see faster development of local digital applications, supported by local digital infrastructure platforms. That might spur the development of content. With better and improved internet connectivity, there is also an opportunity to reimagine public service delivery. Nixon Muganda, Visiting Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand. 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Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 Liverpool, N.Y. Multiple volunteer firefighters are battling a fire early Monday at a Liverpool apartment complex. Someone called the Onondaga County 911 Center at 12:37 a.m. to report the fire at Covered Bridge Apartments, 850 Vine St. Moyers Corners, Liverpool, Solvay, Taunton, Mattydale, Seneca River and North Syracuse volunteer firefighters, Onondaga County sheriffs deputies, American Medical Response (AMR) and Northern Onondaga Volunteer Ambulance (NOVA) ambulances responded to the scene. Baldwinsville and Onondaga Hill volunteer firefighters also were called to stand-by, according to police dispatches. When firefighters arrived at the apartment complex, they reported heavy flames showing from the third floor of an apartment building, 911 dispatchers said. Firefighters reported they had extinguished the fire at 1:23 a.m. No injuries have been reported, 911 dispatchers said. Check back for updates. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Happy Colon Foods is recalling two of its cookies because they may contain milk, which is not listed on the label. Milk is an allergen. Anyone with an allergy or sensitivity to milk could have a life-threatening allergic reaction. The cookies being recalled are the Happy Colon YUM Shortbread Cookie and Happy Colon Mmmm Chocolate Chip Cookie. The cookies were distributed in Oklahoma, New York, Connecticut, Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Tennessee, Arizona via mail order and direct delivery, according to an announcement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Details are: Happy Colon YUM Shortbread Cookies and Happy Colon Mmmm Chocolate Chip Cookies, 0.98 ounces, packaged in white film and included in the Happy Colon Foods prep kit, expiration date of Sept. 27, 2020. Customers who purchased the prep kits before July 15, 2020, can call the company for more information at 855-423-6637, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST, weekdays. Happy Colon Foods, LLC of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is recalling Happy Colon YUM Shortbread Cookie and Happy Colon Mmmm Chocolate Chip Cookie, because they may contain undeclared milk. (Provided photo) READ MORE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Even though Connecticut has made great progress in controlling the virus to date, the variable of open schools was not part of the equation. As September approaches, many parents are afraid for themselves and their children. Teachers are afraid for the children, themselves and for their own families. We are dealing with an unknown and an unknowable . No one is able to predict what fall might bring or when and if flu season might collide with the coronavirus. If I were in charge, I would not reopen schools yet. I would be working on a strong plan for the first three months of school with regard to improved virtual education. This might prove to be necessary whether we open schools in September or not. Teachers worked admirably in the spring piecing together virtual instruction with no lead time to organize or prepare. They did a wonderful and difficult job. But children and parents need organized education and not simply assignments and packets. With no textbooks at home and no scope and sequence of concepts to be covered over a three-month period, parents were left with a loosely arranged day-by-day set of websites, PowerPoints, videos and homework, which was very difficult to delve in to. There was also wide variability among schools and teachers as to how instruction proceeded and what content was covered. If we implement virtual education this year (as I believe we should until we see how the virus progresses in the fall) I would like to see textbooks distributed to all kids or posted online so that parents could teach from those books. Chapters and pages should be assigned by teachers. Science and math websites could supplement the instruction but should not be used wholesale for instructional content. Parents and children could look in the books for information and procedures. I also believe that the district should hand out and post an organized curriculum covering three months a scope and sequence of content and concepts for each grade level so that parents and teachers are able to use it to instruct the children. This scope and sequence should be coordinated with district texts and should go out in Spanish and English. Teachers could provide modification as necessary for their own students but at least the curriculum would be clear. I would then use the three months lead time to adapt the physical environment in the schools with plexiglass dividers in classrooms and other modifications such as windows that open for ventilation, hand sanitizer stations, posted rules for distancing and safety. Such changes in how we do business might be necessary for years to come. We should get ready now and remain ready. The virus will not magically disappear. Finally, throughout September, October and November I would watch the flu season colliding with COVID-19 from home where we could all safely wait for a vaccine and/or full statewide and countrywide cooperation in social distancing and mask wearing. Connecticut has almost beaten the virus because Connecticut Yankees follow the rules. But, until everybody in the U.S. does the same, we will live in a world where our children will not be safe in their schools nor will any of us. Ann Evans de Bernard is a retired Bridgeport principal and adjunct professor of education at the University of Saint Joseph. Khloe Kardashian is being accused by designer Christian Cowan of trying to sell a dress on her family's consignment website that he claims was just 'loaned' to her. Cowan took to social media over the weekend to slam the 36-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, alleging that his 'runway samples' were available for sale on Kardashian Kloset. However, a source told DailyMail.com that Khloe had been given the dress as a gift through her stylist and was never informed that it was a loan. Drama: Khloe Kardashian was accused of trying to re-sell a dress on Kardashian Kloset by designer Christian Cowan that he said was just 'loaned' to her but an insider told DailyMail.com that the KUWTK star was given the dress as a 'gift' and never informed it was a loan (Pictured in November) Cowan shared a screen shot purported to be taken from the Kardashian Kloset site under Khloe's collection and demanded in his Instagram story to know why the item was up for sale. He wrote: 'Why are my runway samples I loaned to you being sold on your website?' Adding: 'We've emailed 3 times and had no response.' A source told DailyMail.com, however, that the dress had been given to Khloe 'as a gift through her stylist.' Issue: On Sunday Cowan shared a screen shot purported to be taken from the Kardashian Kloset site under Khloe's collection and demanded in his Instagram story to know why an item he claims to have loaned her was up for sale They added: 'It was never said to her it was a loan and the designer never asked for it back at least to Khloe.' Us Weekly reported that the dress was still up for sale on Monday morning and was described as an 'electric blue round neck short sleeve form fitting midi dress with back zipper and black and blue crystal, with front slide slit'. The site said the garment was in 'excellent condition' and listed it for $1,300. By midday, the dress no longer appeared on the site. Cowan's star has been rising in Hollywood and is fun and funky designs have been spotted on Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Lisa Rinna and Megan Trainor to name a few. A source told DailyMail.com that the dress had been given to Khloe 'as a gift through her stylist.' adding that 'It was never said to her it was a loan and the designer never asked for it back at least to Khloe.' (Christian Cowan pictured in 2017) Kardashian Kloset launched in October 2019 as a way for the famous reality show dynasty to turn a profit on their massive designer collections. It is a 'luxury resale e-commerce platform that lists pre-owned items from the Kardashian-Jenner's wardrobes,' according to a statement from their publicity firm at the time. The items include clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories from Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie in a range of sizes and prices. At the time of its launch, the site pushed their mission for 'sustainability': 'Our goal at Kardashian Kloset is to share a part of the Kardashian Jenner family lifestyle by offering you the opportunity to own one of a kind items, while promoting sustainability.' Lewis complied, just enough, and the crowd on the Washington Mall loved it anyway. By the force of our demands, our determination and our numbers, he said, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in the image of God and democracy. We must say: Wake up, America. Wake up! For we cannot stop, and we will not and cannot be patient. 'Up to now there has been confusion concerning international travel, with different countries imposing different regulations, to the point where travellers need to work hard to find out exactly how the regulations will apply to them.' (Brian Lawless/PA) Many commentators and experts dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic were forecasting for quite some that imposing the lockdown was comparatively straightforward compared to the difficulties resulting from the gradual easing of the restrictions, and so it has proved. Up to now there has been confusion concerning international travel, with different countries imposing different regulations, to the point where travellers need to work hard to find out exactly how the regulations will apply to them. Today the Irish Government is due to publish the details of its Green List which will name those countries whose travellers into Ireland will not need to restrict their movements for a 14-day period. Also people from Ireland visiting countries on the Green list will not be required to quarantine themselves on their return. So far, so good, but as ever the devil is in the detail. It is widely expected that two of Ireland's most important travel destinations - the USA and the UK - will not be on the list, and this will cause inconvenience. It is also expected that Spain will not be on the Irish Green List, but if so, this will highlight an importance difference between the two parts of the island. Read More There are no travel restrictions between Northern Ireland and Spain. It is expected that the Republic's Green List overall will differ from the quarantine rules for Northern Ireland, where people arriving from 59 countries an 14 British overseas territories will not be required to quarantine. Anomalies like these make no sense in practical terms, and confusion and mixed messages are the last things we need in our continuing battle against the virus. It is no surprise therefore that two noted health experts Dr Gabriel Scally and Dr Tom Black, chairman of the BMA in Northern Ireland have called for a single Green List that will apply to both parts of the island of Ireland. Indeed as long ago as March Dr Scally was stressing the need for "substantial cross border co-operation, sharing of resources and harmonisation" and his words still ring true. Another point worth remembering is that travellers need to keep themselves abreast of events, as the regulations concerning the Green List and other factors to limiting the pandemic may be modified according to the prevailing infection rate. After all this time we are all still in it together. The following are arrests the Danbury Police Department reported to have made last week: A 25-year-old Pleasant Street man was charged with driving under the influence. A 26-year-old Morris Street man was charged with breach of peace, simple trespass and failure to appear. A 28-year-old Cedar Drive woman was charged with second-degree failure to appear. A 23-year-old Eden Drive man was charged with first-degree burglary, disorderly conduct and second-degree violation of release conditions. A 25-year-old Franklin Street Extension man was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drugs near a school, possession of drug paraphernalia near a school, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, evading responsibility, failure to drive on right and failure to have minimum insurance coverage requirements. July 13 A 42-year-old homeless man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and breach of peace. A 35-year-old Kennedy Avenue man was charged with failure to respond. A 30-year-old man from Bristol was charged with sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to committee sixth-degree larceny. A 24-year-old woman from Tolland was charged with sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to committee sixth-degree larceny. A 42-year-old homeless man was charged with breach of peace. A 31-year-old New Street man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass. A 31-year-old Grant Street woman was charged with second-degree harassment and second-degree violation of release conditions. A 29-year-old Starr Avenue man was charged with third-degree assault and breach of peace. July 14 A 60-year-old New Street man was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle and driving with a refused, suspended or revoked license or registration. A 20-year-old South Street woman was charged with having elevated blood alcohol content as a minor while driving, failure to drive upon right and driving with a refused, suspended or revoked license or registration. A 33-year-old Cleveland Street man was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and breach of peace. A 32-year-old Mourning Place man was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle, failure to meet minimum insurance requirements, evading responsibility, unsafe movement of a motor vehicle and driving with a refused, suspended or revoked license or registration. A 32-year-old George Street man was charged with violation of probation/conditional discharge. A 32-year-old Townhill Avenue woman was charged with third-degree assault and risk of injury to a child. A 39-year-old Fairview Avenue man was charged with third-degree assault and risk of injury to a child. July 15 A 38-year-old Hospital Avenue man was charged with threatening, disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer. A 27-year-old man from Ashland, Tenn., was charged with possession of a controlled substance and first-degree failure to appear. A 42-year-old homeless man was charged with misuse of 911 and breach of peace. July 16 A 39-year-old William Street man was charged with third-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit second-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny. A 31-year-old Beaver Brook Road woman was charged with criminal impersonation. July 17 A 29-year-old man from Groton was charged with sixth-degree larceny. A 39-year-old man from Naugatuck was charged with third-degree assault, risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct. July 18 A 32-year-old Mourning Place man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, use of drug paraphernalia, sixth-degree larceny and beach of peace. A 32-year-old Delview Drive man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, use of drug paraphernalia, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, improper use of marker, license of registration and failing to meet minimum insurance requirements. A 21-year-old Town Hill Avenue woman was charged with disorderly conduct. A 38-year-old Old Bridge Lane man was charged with second-degree strangulation and breach of peace. As of January 2019, Hearst Connecticut Media does not include n ames in online police blotters. As COVID-19 swept across the country, killing some, sickening many, and sending unemployment soaring, it exposed gaps in the social safety net and forced our attention to long-standing injustices. But this terrible time has given us an opportunity to re-imagine our future. The Toronto Star is leading a civic conversation titled: The Great ReVision. The call is for a new social contract between citizens and government, to create a more caring and just society. The agenda for change is lengthy: new funding for long-term care; a basic universal income; protections for gig workers; reconciliation with First Nations; and a full assault on anti-Black racism. These are added to the priority items before the pandemic: pharmacare, universal daycare, and affordable housing. If we are to realize this new future, it will require more than progressive activists enumerating the needed programs and indeed more than building a political coalition to win the next election. A new social contract requires a conversation engaging all citizens to produce a deep consensus about what we as Canadian citizens can expect of our government, a consensus which will last through election cycles. All the discussion to date has been about the needed programs. But a social contract has two parts: not just what citizens can expect from their government and but also what citizens will contribute to their government. The social contract includes the commitments of citizens to pay the taxes required to fund the programs. How does our social contract compare with other countries? Western Europe, where countries have similar advanced economies and high incomes, offers the best comparators. I looked at 10 countries: the largest five economies (Germany, the U.K., France, Spain and Italy), Belgium and the Netherlands, and three Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway). We devote a relatively low share of GDP to social expenditure: Canada spends 17.3 per cent, whereas the 10-country comparator group spent on average 25.5 per cent. Government under our social contract provides fewer social programs and protections. On the other side of the social contract, Canadians contribute a relatively low share of GDP in taxes: total government revenue as a share of GDP is 33 per cent in Canada and 43.9 per cent in the 10-country group. Canada is a very low tax country; and our taxes as a share of GDP have gone down over the past 10 years. Canada has a low-social-expenditure/low-tax social contract. So, there is lots of room to raise taxes to get better services. But the tax increases are major. If we were to raise total government revenues from the current 33 per cent of GDP to the 10-country average of 43.9 per cent, total government revenues would have to increase 25 per cent. Every tax instrument would have to yield 25 per cent more revenue: personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, the GST, and property taxes. These increases seem astonishing, but to have European levels of service, we must pay European levels of tax. Sometimes progressives do acknowledge the need for more government revenue, but their answer is to raise taxes on the rich and the big corporations. These would not raise nearly enough. But more problematic, they would reduce entrepreneurship and innovation, and risk capital and high-income labour leaving the country. The 10-country group recognize this: they do not have especially high corporate tax rates or high top-marginal rates on personal income. The simple truth is that for Canada to have a more caring and just society, all citizens lower income, middle income, and high income must commit to paying higher taxes. Let us ensure that this truth is part of the conversation as we write a new social contract. London: The UK has suspended immediately and indefinitely its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and is extending its arms embargo from mainland China to the territory it once occupied. Britain's arms embargo includes a ban on the export of items used for controlling riots that could be used against democracy protesters including shackles, firearms, smoke grenades and equipment used for interception. Scrapping the treaty: Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Credit:AP The embargo was first introduced for mainland China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Australia and Canada have already dropped their extradition treaties with Hong Kong as a result of China's new security law which silences free speech and protest - which the UK says violates the treaty China signed in 1984 when the UK handed back the territory in 1997. Some 164,354 applicants in the Oti Region have been registered and issued with the new voter's card by the Electoral Commission. Mr Nuhu Mohammad, the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said a total of 7,429 constituted 18 years. He said a total of 7,094 applicants were 19 years with 149, 830 being above 20 years. Mr Nuhu said, a total of 784 applications were challenged with 1,089 being persons with disability. The Regional Director was excited with the adherence to the safety protocols and urged registrants to continue to observe the measures. He said the numbers increased on daily basis and hoped all illegible applicants would be registered. ---GNA Corruption charges have already been brought against several detainees in Poland. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has reported that raids are currently underway in Ukraine, namely in the cities of Kyiv and Lviv, simultaneously with Poland as part of a joint investigation into activities of a criminal organization involved in the road infrastructure sector. The investigative actions are being carried out jointly with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) in Ukraine and Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau. Read alsoPoland's Anti-Corruption Bureau detains ex-Polish minister who worked for Ukraine's Ukravtodor "During the investigative actions in Poland, the former head of Ukravtodor, a citizen of Poland, was detained on suspicion of committing corruption crimes," NABU said on Monday, July 20. As UNIAN reported earlier, Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained Slawomir Nowak, the former Minister of Transport of Poland and ex-head of Ukraine's State Agency of Automobile Roads (Ukravtodor), on charges of corruption. Two more individuals were detained in that country simultaneously with Nowak. Advertisement Faroe islanders have killed around 300 pilot whales and Atlantic white-sided dolphins as they continue a 1,000-year tradition to supply the archipelago with meat for the coming year. The grindadrap (slaughter) is a cultural mainstay of the autonomous Danish territory and continues despite the the objections of environmentalists. But activists have long condemned the practice and environmental NGO Sea Shepherd did so again after some 250 long-finned pilot whales and some Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed Wednesday off Hvalba, a village on the southernmost island of Suduroy. Fishermen on the Faroe Islands rounded up a large school of whales and dolphins towards the beach After the mammals are driven into the shallows, they are greeted by fishermen who attack them with knives Once the whales are driven into the shallows, the fishermen kill the mammals and drag their carcasses ashore Local media quoted Sea Shepherd as once again demanding an end to what it terms a 'barbarous practice.' The issue of fisherman proximity had been an issue of concern for local authorities owing to the coronavirus - the Faroes, population barely 50,000 has logged 188 cases to date but just one since April. Fisheries Minister Jacob Vestergaard gave the go ahead on July 7 for the hunt with the proviso that everyone avoid large gatherings. The hunt sees vessels herd the whales and dolphins in a bay whereupon fishermen wade in up to their midriffs and slaughter them with knives, leaving the sea to turn red with blood to the horror of animal rights campaigners. Sea Shepherd managed to disrupt the 2014 season but the group has slammed legislation which authorises Danish military vessels to ensure the NGO is kept outside Faroese waters. Faroese are divided on the practice but many urge foreign media and NGOs respect their traditional island culture where fishing retains a central place. The fishermen wear wet suits during the slaughter which provides meat for the islands for the next 12 months (This story was updated on Tuesday, July 21, to add a statement from the Detroit Police Department) DETROIT, MI Felony charges have been issued against a Detroit Police Department officer accused of shooting non-lethal ammunition at and injuring an MLive photographer and two other photojournalists covering police brutality protests in downtown Detroit. Detroit Police Corporal Daniel Debono, 32, has been charged with three counts of felonious assault for each victim on Monday, July 20, stemming from an incident that occurred May 31 during the protests in Detroit, according to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. MLive photojournalist Nicole Hester was hit by as many as a dozen pellets in her face and body, leaving welts and narrowly missing an eye. She was with her fiance, freelance photographer Seth Herald, who was working for AFP, and Matt Hatcher, who was shooting for Getty Images. MLive photographer among journalists fired upon with pellets by Detroit police officer during protest coverage The three were in Detroit covering a police brutality protest which was among hundreds that erupted across the country after the death of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police during his arrest, May 25, for using an alleged fake $20 bill at a convenience store. The evidence shows that these three journalists were leaving the protest area and that there was almost no one else on the street where they were, Worthy said in a written statement. They were a threat to no one. There are simply no explicable reasons why the alleged actions of this officer were taken. The three were walking when they encountered Debono with two other officers at Woodward Avenue and State Street. They identified themselves as members of the press and had their hands up, asking to cross the street, Worthy wrote. As the three began to cross the street it is alleged that Debono fired his weapon at them, striking all three with rubber pellets, Worthy wrote. Detroit George Floyd police brutality protest turns violent as police fire tear gas, rubber bullets The shooting was unprovoked, and at no time did the three complainants do anything to cause the defendant to shoot at them, Worthy wrote. "We are pleased that the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office investigated this thoroughly, and that this is moving forward toward justice," said John Hiner, vice president of content for MLive Media Group. "It wasn't only journalists who were assaulted that night, but the right of journalists to do their work freely." Debono has been suspended with pay since June 10, when the Detroit Police Department opened an internal investigation into the incident. The investigation was immediately launched when the department learned of the incident, according to a written statement from DPD Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood. Once the investigation was complete, the findings were turned over to the Wayne Countys Prosecutors Office for review and charging recommendations, Kirkwood said. Its also important to know that the actions of this officer do not reflect the vast majority of the men and women on this department who have been working the protest for the last eight weeks and doing what is right, the statement from Kirkwood reads. Debono has not yet been arraigned. Felonious assault is punishable by up to four years in prison. For more about the police brutality protest throughout Michigan, click here. The market barometers pared gains in mid-morning trade. Pharma shares witnessed profit booking. At 11:29 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 235.37 points or 0.64% at 37,255.51. The Nifty 50 index added 79.75 points or 0.73% at 10,981.45. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.42% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.87%. The market breadth is strong. On the BSE, 1376 shares rose and 955 shares fell. A total of 159 shares were unchanged. Buzzing Index: The Nifty Pharma index fell 1.21% to 10,341.75. The index added 6% in the past eight sessions while the benchmark Nifty 50 index rose 0.94% during the same period. Sun Pharmaceutical (down 3.22%), Lupin (down 2.14%), Cipla (down 1.76%) and Aurobindo Pharma (down 1.54%) were the top index losers. Meanwhile, Divi's Labs was up 1.36%. The company said that its CFO L. Kishore Babu is proceeding on leave for the three months from 18 July 2020 to resolve the allegations of insider trading. Almost two weeks ago, SEBI reportedly found Divi's CFO and his son guilty for insider trading and charged penalty of Rs 97 lakh. During the interim period, Venkatesa Perumallu Pasumarthy, General Manager (Finance and Accounts) will perform all the non-statutory functions of the Chief Financial Officer. Stocks in Spotlight: Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services jumped 4.23% to Rs 216.70 after the firm reported strong financial performance in the June quarter. The counter registered a trading volume of 52.03 lakh shares, a 3.73 fold rise over two-week average daily volume of 13.94 lakh shares. The NBFC posted a 298.41% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 432.12 crore in Q1 June 2020 from Rs 108.46 crore reported in Q1 June 2019. Total income rose 16% year on year to Rs 3310.65 crore in Q1 June 2020. The earnings includes an exceptional item in the nature of capital gain of Rs 229 crore on the basis of fair valuation of retained interest of 51% post stake dilution of 49% in its subsidiaries, Mahindra Asset Management Company (MAMCPL) and Mahindra Trustee Company (MTCPL), vide joint venture agreement with Manulife Asset Management (Singapore). The NBFC's provisions and write offs stood at Rs 948.8 crore in Q1 June 2020, jumping 40% from Rs 676.9 crore in the same period last year. M&M Finance said an additional charge of Rs 664.5 crore has been added to provisions on account of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the board has approved the rights issue instrument for a total number of equity shares and issue size of 61,77,64,960 equity shares for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs 3,089 crore. The issue has been fixed as Rs 50 per equity share. The entire issue price will be payable at the time of making the application in the issue. The issue opening date is 28 July 2020, and the closing date is 11 August 2020. The board has fixed 23 July 2020 as the record date for the same. The company has fixed the rights entitlement ratio as one fully equity share for every one equity share held by the eligible equity shareholders of the company, as on the record date. Vodafone Idea surged 6.42% to Rs 9.45. The company said it paid additional Rs 1,000 crore to Department of Telecommunications on 17 July 2020 as part of its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. The company had earlier deposited Rs 6,854 crore in 3 tranches. The company has thus paid an aggregate amount of Rs 7,854 crore towards the AGR dues, the telco said in a filing on Saturday (18 July). Global Markets: Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday. Japan's exports dived 26.2% in June from a year earlier. Imports fell 14.4%, compared with expectations of a 16.8% decline. China kept its benchmark lending rate steady for the third straight month on Monday. The one-year loan prime rate was kept unchanged at 3.85%, while the five-year remained at 4.65%. European Union leaders on Friday reportedly kicked off a two-day summit aimed at reaching an agreement on a 750 billion euros recovery fund. However, the leaders have failed to agree on a massive stimulus fund, but have extended their summit for another day to try and overcome their differences. US stocks closed Friday mostly along the flatline as investors reacted to disappointing consumer sentiment data and gauged the potential for additional fiscal stimulus in the U.S. and Europe while COVID-19 cases continue to climb. Stocks gave up early gains to turn mixed after a US consumer sentiment index fell to 73.20 from 78.10 last month and down from 98.40 one year ago. The continued rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has been partly offset by optimism over scope for additional fiscal stimulus. The White House and lawmakers face increasing pressure to come up with an additional fiscal stimulus plan ahead of the expiration of supplemental unemployment benefits at the end of July. The Federal Reserve on Friday announced it had expanded its Main Street Lending Program to include nonprofit organizations. Shares of Netflix Inc. fell 6.5% after the streaming media giant reported an EPS of $1.59, versus an expectation of $1.81 EPS, which was widely reported in the media. The company also provided weak subscriber growth guidance for the third quarter, saying, growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of Covid and social restrictions." Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Subscriber content preview SEATTLE (AP) A Seattle-based cruise line has sold four ships in its fleet as the coronavirus pandemic has halted operations and subsequently slowed businesses that rely on incoming traffic from the industry. Holland America Line made the announcement after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday extended a ban on cruises in U.S. waters until the end of September to limit the spread of COVID-19, KING-TV reported. . . . Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 05:24:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PRAGUE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Several thousand demonstrators gathered Monday on Masaryk Square in Ostrava, in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic, to protest against the government and Ostrava Regional Hygiene Station's handling of a COVID-19 flare up in the region, local media reported. About 2,000 people attended the demonstration, Czech News Agency (CTK) reported. Organizers claimed that the authorities failed to properly inform local citizens about the reintroduction of restrictions related to COVID-19. The government also underestimated the COVID-19 outbreak in the Karvina District in the Moravian-Silesian region and failed to communicate with the public, demonstrators noted. On Friday, the regional hygiene station tightened measures almost immediately after an outbreak was announced, including restricting events to a maximum of 100 people and closing bars and restaurants at night, which caused complaints from local people. After a meeting of the Security Council of the Moravian-Silesian Region, health department officials stated that the measures will be deferred and reviewed through proper channels in the future. Health Minister Adam Vojtech said that the tightening of measures taken in the region were necessary but there's a mistake as the director of the Regional Hygiene Station in Ostrava failed to communicate with both the local government and the public. The Karvina district, where an infection cluster appeared in the OKD mining company in May, saw an increase of 48 infected per 100,000 population in the past week, the highest number in the country at the moment, according to figures from the health department. Enditem Bengal born lady arrested in Bangladesh used multiple FB accounts to recruit for JMB India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Investigations have revealed that the Indian origin lady arrested in Bangladesh in connection with a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB) case operated 13 Facebook accounts. She had used these accounts to recruit people for the outfit. The Bangladesh police is currently interrogating her. The Indian agencies would get information soon on her activities in India as it was found that she had made several visits to India after leaving the country in 2016. The 25 year old Ayesha Jannat was arrested in Bangladesh on charges of running a recruitment cell for the women's wing of the JMB. The Indian agencies are in touch with their counterparts in Bangladesh to get more information on her activities. West Bengal born girl, accused of recruiting for JMB arrested in Bangladesh 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 the 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. 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. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News 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. 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. 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 Burdhwan and Bodhgaya blasts as well. The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday asserted that the human clinical trial of coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine will be conducted in three phases and on 1125 people, out of the 1800+ volunteers, who registered on the AIIMS website. AIIMS Ethics Committee on July 18, gave its approval for conducting the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin. The country`s top drug regulator had recently given a green signal for human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, which has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on Monday said that in Phase 1, 375 samples will be tested for safety and dose range adjustment. The trial will be done on healthy people aged 18-55 years who have no co-morbidity. In the second phase, 750 people will be studied between the age group of 12-65 years. The third phase will be the largest group of volunteers. It will be to see how much immunity people have received finally. Speaking on the dosage, Guleria said that two-dose and three formulations are being tried. A dose of three micrograms will be done followed by six micrograms. The monitoring of the side effects will be done for two hours in the hospital and then up to 28 days in the first phase. A follow up will be done regularly for up to three months. The volunteers will be tested for kidney function and other basic tests before registration. A COVID-19 test will also be done first and they should be healthy. He added that once the vaccine is out, priority will be given to high-risk groups and health care workers. The director quoted a Singapore study where it was found that people who did not have COVID-19 already have some amount of immunity against the coronavirus. "So it is assumed that in Southeast Asia, we have certain immunity against the virus. Which means we may have had some amount of coronavirus exposure in the past. That's why we have better immunity than the western world," he said. On community transmission, the AIIMS director said that it is only at the local level. "No community transmission has started at the national level. Local hotspots need to be controlled. Several states don't have many cases so we can't say there is community transmission." New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home late on Friday night after concluding his three-day visit to Japan during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various fields. Pm Modi will reach Goa on Sunday to lay foundation of greenfield airport at the Mopa plateau and an electronic city in Tuem, both located in North Goaas Pernem sub-district. Modi will also deliver a speech at a function organised by the state government at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium, on the outskirts of the state capital. This is Modias second visit to the state in two months; he hosted the BRICS summit in October this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home late on Friday night after concluding his three-day visit to Japan. aSayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi,a External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had tweeted on departure. Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi pic.twitter.com/DnFySF9p1h a Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016 Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay. He also travelled in Japanas famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties. Shedding its reservations, Japan yesterday made an exception to sign a landmark civil nuclear deal with India, opening the door for export of its atomic technology and reactors, after adding features like safety and security keeping in mind its sensitivities on the issue. The nuclear deal, described as historic by Prime Minister Modi, was part of the ten agreements signed between the two countries. Modi and Abe held wide-ranging talks which covered aspects like trade and investment, security, terrorism, cooperation in skill development, aerospace and people-to-people contacts. While on his way to Japan, the Prime Minister had made a brief stopover in Thailand to pay 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. (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. will soon invite a mainland Chinese company into the exclusive club of global iPhone assemblers, marking the biggest change to a decade-old production model just as Washington-Beijing tensions escalate. Luxshare Precision Industry Co. struck a deal to acquire Wistron Corp.s iPhone unit and become the first mainland company to assemble Apples marquee device. Its another win for a company that went from making cables and antennas to AirPods, sending its shares higher by as much as 7% Monday while Wistron fell up to 10%. The introduction of a homegrown Chinese star helps Apple scores points with Beijing, at a time Washington officials have accused it of kow-towing to the Chinese government. It also shakes up Apples supply chain by threatening to wrest business away from longstanding partners Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Pegatron Corp. Pegatron fell almost 4% while Hon Hai, known also as Foxconn, closed 1.4% lower. Apple is introducing Luxshare into the iPhone assembly business to further reduce its costs, while this reflects that Taiwanese companies are starting to rid of Apple businesses that are low-margin, said Tsai Ming-fang, an industrial economist at Taipei-based Tamkang University. This shift may further push Taiwanese companies to decamp from China as margins continue to slip as contract manufacturing becomes more standardized. Read more: Apple to Gain a New Chinese IPhone Maker During a Trade War Apple, which exerts enormous influence over major changes among its primary suppliers, has sought a mainland Chinese partner in part to broaden its production sources during a bruising U.S.-China trade war. From Foxconn to Pegatron and Quanta Corp., the mainly Taiwanese contract manufacturers to the worlds biggest electronics brands are exploring ways to shift production away from China -- averting rising tariffs -- and move up the value chain. Assembling iPhones requires hundreds of thousands of workers, often culled from a volatile and constantly shifting pool of migrant labor, eating into margins. Story continues What Bloomberg Intelligence Says Luxshares announced acquisition of two factories from Wistron in China may give it scope to win iPhone assembly orders beginning in 2023, based on our scenario analysis. This would hit Pegatron hard and possibly shave 3-4% off its sales, while Hon Hais diversity will better insulate it from the blow, we believe. - Matthew Kanterman and Nathan Naidu, analysts Click here for the research. Read more: IPhone Makers Look Beyond China in Supply-Chain Rethink Wistron may have been struggling to compete. Its Kunshan plant -- which makes mostly iPhones -- managed a net profit margin of just 0.2% in 2019, Nomura analysts noted in a July 17 note. The Taiwanese company accounted for only roughly 5% of total iPhone assembly orders, they said. Luxshare, in contrast, is among the largest of a crop of fast-rising Chinese electronics houses increasingly winning orders from established firms like Hon Hai. Its become the worlds biggest maker of AirPods -- one of the fastest-selling consumer accessories in the market -- helping it record one of Asias best stock performances in 2019. The company agreed to pay about 3.3 billion yuan ($470 million) for two Wistron subsidiaries in eastern China. One of those units, based in the city of Kunshan, is Wistrons sole iPhone manufacturing site, according to people familiar with the companys business. The deal is slated for completion by years end pending regulatory approval. On Monday, CICC lifted its target price on Luxshare by about 16%. Luxshares deal may now give it the scope to push on to gain share of iPhone assembly, BIs Kanterman and Naidu wrote. Its likely that Apple will support its partner and provide it with allocations over time, as the iPhone maker likely wants to further diversify its supply chain beyond just two main partners. Read more: Apples AirPods Fire Up One of Asias Top Stocks in 2019 For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai has called on the government not to freeze the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, saying it would affect the economy. He noted that the decision to review and freeze applications for the MM2H programme would severely affect many industries and could result in an RM776 million loss for the country, reported The Star. The review of the MM2H next year will affect not only the national economy but the economy of Penang as well, The Star quoted Wong as saying. Penang has been ranked second in the Top 10 Retirement Places in the World list and is the only city in Asia in the list. Aside from hampering over 90% of the MM2H applications submitted between September and November 2019, Wong pointed out that the decision to freeze the programme would also affect around 250 MM2H consulting firms. These firms may face the risk of layoffs or shutting down operations. As such, the minister in charge should carefully consider these issues, he said, adding that the MM2H consulting firms are willing to cooperate with relevant government departments. MM2H participants form an important group that drives the economy of MalaysiaThey bring foreign investment into our country and help boost the education, insurance, banking and real estate sectors, he said. These foreigners also send their children to international schools in our country. Want to learn more about MM2H? We have all the information you need here! Moreover, MM2H participants also made significant contributions to the countrys medical industry. In fact, MM2H generated total revenue of RM40.6 billion since the programmes launch in 2002. To date, some 40,000 foreigners have been allowed to reside in Malaysia through the programme. The government has granted the participants a social visit pass with multiple entries for a period of 10 years as well as a renewable visa. Early in the month, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Nancy Shukri reportedly said that no new applications for the MM2H programme would be accepted until next year. Story continues Set to be completed by year-end, the review is aimed at upgrading the programme as well as improving its processes, she said. Check out these latest project reviews today! Or read our helpful Guides to learn all about the various property buying, selling and renting tips! The debate over face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has torn friendships apart, pitted family members against each other, and even led to an innocent bus driver being beaten to death in France by a group of thugs who became angry when he said it was the law they put on their masks. Now, a 73-year-old man has been killed after an incident sparked from a mask dispute. This time, it was the mask refuser on the end of the violence. According to police, they were called out to the Valu-Mart in Minden, Ont. just after 8 a.m. last Wednesday because an elderly man wanted to shop without wearing his mask. It is unclear at this point whether or not the man had a medical condition which prevented him from wearing a mask. What is clear, however, is that his choice not to wear one would set off a chain of events leading to his untimely death at the hands of police. When I got here everyone was talking about it, Tianna Frances, a worker at the Valu-Mart in Minden, said. My coworkers were a little bit shaken up, yes. I guess he just got angry and didnt want to. We couldnt really deal with that ourselves because its really against the rules. So we had to call the police and everything, Frances said. Police say that after the store employees confronted the man for not wearing a mask, he allegedly assaulted one of the employees before driving away. According to police, officers tried to stop the suspects car, but they refrained in the interest of public safety before doing a follow-up investigation, Sgt. Jason Folz said. As CBC reports, Ontarios Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said the man drove away, and an officer saw the car and started following it for a short while. Based on the licence plate, officers made their way to a home on Indian Point Road, the SIU said. When two police officers arrived at the mans home, an interaction unfolded and the two officers opened fire on the 73-year-old man, according to authorities. The man was shot and 3 hours after he refused to wear a mask, he was dead. Officers claimed to have recovered two firearms from the mans property. However, they stopped short of indicating whether or not the man fired upon them or was even in possession of the firearms when they opened fire. The neighbors of the man who spoke with CBC News said the incident has shone a spotlight in the usually quiet neighborhood. It puts us on the map for the wrong reason, Gary Barnett said. Haliburton is a great place, Its a super quiet cottage country, Its a great place to live. This is a shock. We never have this type of thing. Barnett also described the 73-year-old man as a recluse. No one ever knew him, he just kept strictly to himself. No one could known him, he was a loner, he said. Lynda Easton, manager of the Valu-Mart in Minden, congratulated the staff on how they handled the situation. I want to congratulate my staff for how they handled the situation. It was very challenging today. They are the heroes. I dont want to get emotional. They deserve the credit. Thats all I want to say, Easton said. Frances, says that the entire issue couldve been avoided, however, if employees werent forced to do the states job for them. Frances said store employees should not be forced to enforce the states mask mandate. Its causing chaos, she said. If we didnt have to force him and tell him that he couldnt come into the store, nothing would have happened, really. He would have got his groceries and went along with his day. An Ottawa police officer charged in the death of a Black man acted according to his training and the information available to him at the time during the confrontation four years ago, his lawyers argued Monday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An Ottawa police officer charged in the death of a Black man acted according to his training and the information available to him at the time during the confrontation four years ago, his lawyers argued Monday. Lawyers representing Const. Daniel Montsion told the court over video conference that their client had no choice but to "engage" with Abdirahman Abdi after being called to assist another officer on July 24, 2016. Abdirahman Abdi of Ottawa is shown in a handout photo. Lawyers for an Ottawa constable charged in the death of a Black man argue his actions during the confrontation four years ago were "reasonable and proportionate."THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Family of Abdirahman Abdi, *MANDATORY CREDIT* By the time he arrived at the scene, Montsion had already heard from a police dispatcher that Abdi was violent and that he had groped women outside an Ottawa coffee shop, defence lawyer Solomon Friedman said in his closing submissions. The officer also heard Abdi had fled and had been pepper sprayed with no effect, the lawyer said. As Montsion approached, he saw the other officer kick Abdi and strike him with a baton, with Abdi blocking some of the blows, Friedman said. Abdi then turned toward Montsion and, at one point, reached towards his shoulder, the lawyer said. "There's no question (Montsion) is presented with a situation he has to react to," Friedman said. "This is not a case where de-escalation plays a role. Const. Montsion had a duty to act, and he acted," he said. Montsion is charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in Abdi's death. He was one of two officers involved in the altercation. Prosecutors allege he used more force than was reasonable as he assisted in arresting Abdi. They allege a series of punches to the head delivered shortly after Montsion arrived were a significant factor in Abdi's death. The incident took place shortly after police were called to a coffee shop in response to reports of a man causing a disturbance. Police then caught up to Abdi a few blocks away outside his apartment building. Cellphone videos that emerged at the time showed the man lying on his stomach, handcuffed, while two constables held him down. Abdi, a 37-year-old Somali-Canadian man, lost vital signs during the incident and died in hospital the next day. His death sparked several protests in Ottawa, as well as in Toronto and Montreal. During Monday's virtual hearing, Friedman showed security footage of Montsion's arrival at the scene, arguing it shows Abdi was not merely "passively resisting," as he said prosecutors suggested. At one point, Abdi and Montsion are largely hidden from view, and the officer appears to strike out at the other man. Friedman said his client was attempting to deliver "a series of distractionary blows to the face" but added it's unclear from the video if they landed and with what force. That, the lawyer argued, was one of several reasonable options for the officer given the information he had. "Const. Montsion chose the calibrated use of force that was required to subdue Mr. Abdi," he said. The defence is expected to continue its submissions Tuesday, followed by the Crown. The hearing was initially scheduled for April but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 20, 2020. Portland, Ore. A top Homeland Security Department official on Sunday vowed that the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities, if violence surged as the mayor of Oregon's largest city implored federal agents to stand down amid escalating clashes with protesters. Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency had deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help defend federal buildings and officers in the Pacific Northwest city. He said the DHS also expanded its numbers in other cities as demonstrations had escalated in recent months. "You can expect that if violence continues in other parts of the country, the president has made no secret of the fact that he expects us where we can cooperate or have jurisdiction to step forward and expand our policing efforts there to bring down the level of violence," Cuccinelli said in an interview Sunday. DHS and Justice Department personnel have made about two dozen arrests since July 4 in the vicinity of the federal courthouse in Portland, not including short-term detentions of suspects whom agents want to question, according to a DHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss federal law enforcement operations in Portland. The protesters' use of black clothing, face coverings and diversion tactics have made it difficult for federal agents to identify people, they said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. DHS teams were deployed to reinforce the Federal Protective Service in Seattle before July 4 in anticipation of major disturbances, but the Seattle team has been withdrawn, the official added. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Sunday implored the "dozens, if not hundreds" of federal agents to leave the city, while appearing on CNN. Donald Trump's chief of staff has said he expects charges to be filed following an investigation into the conduct of the probe into collusion with Russia, adding: 'It's time for people to go to jail'. Mark Meadows, 60, became Trump's fourth chief of staff in March. In his three months in the role, he has strongly emphasized an investigation begun in May 2019 by John Durham, U.S. attorney for Connecticut, into the Russia inquiry. Durham is expected to present his findings soon. 'I think the American people are expecting indictments,' Meadows told Fox News. 'I know I expect indictments based on the evidence I've seen.' Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, appeared on Fox News on Sunday Meadows, pictured with Trump on July 10, is the fourth chief of staff in this administration Bill Barr, the attorney general, said earlier this year that Durham's findings have been 'very troubling' and that familiar names are currently being probed. In Republican cross-hairs are figures including former FBI director James Comey, former CIA director John Brennan, and former of national intelligence James Clapper. No names have officially been confirmed. Meadows praised Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina senator currently serving as chair of the Senate judiciary committee, for helping to drive the pace of Durham's inquiry. On Friday Graham's committee released declassified documents suggesting that senior FBI officials were initially skeptical of the emerging narrative, early in Trumps presidency, that his campaign was in contact with Russian intelligence officers. 'Lindsey Graham did a good job in getting that out,' said Meadows. 'We know that they not only knew that there wasn't a case, but they continued to investigate and spy. John Durham, attorney general for Connecticut, is investigating Crossfire Hurricane 'And yes, I use the word spy on Trump campaign officials and actually even doing things when this president was sworn in. 'And after that and doing in an inappropriate manner, you're going to see a couple of other documents come out in the coming days that will suggest that not only was the campaign spied on, but the FBI did not act appropriately as they were investigating.' The investigation into the Trump campaign's potential collusion with Russia was dubbed Crossfire Hurricane. The investigation was officially opened on July 31, 2016, and ended with the publication of Robert Mueller's report. Durham has been tasked with finding out why Crossfire Hurricane began, and whether it was legitimate. Meadows said he believed Durham would conclude that the Obama administration overstepped its authority. 'It's all starting to come unraveled,' he said. 'It's all unraveling. 'And I tell you, it's time that people go to jail and people are indicted.' On Sunday morning Trump was tweeting about Durham's inquiry, urging a speedy resolution. 'So we catch Obama & Biden, not to even mention the rest of their crew, SPYING on my campaign, AND NOTHING HAPPENS?' LONDON Ah, no. Thats the response from epidemiologists after President Donald Trump said that the United States has the best testing in the world for COVID-19, and suggested that Europes relatively low numbers are because its countries dont test. On the specific question of whether weve done so much testing that thats why we have cases, its quite the opposite, Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told NBC News on a video call late Sunday. Were doing more testing now because we have so many cases that we cant keep up. In a freewheeling interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace that aired Sunday, Trump repeated his long-standing frustration with the higher levels of testing in the U.S., saying, "In a way, we're creating trouble." "Well, cases are up many of those cases shouldn't even be cases," he said. The U.S., which currently has some of the highest case numbers in the world, has had more than 141,000 deaths from the coronavirus, according to NBC News' tracker. Trump also suggested that some other countries have had less severe outbreaks than the U.S. precisely because they "don't test." Lipsitch, who runs Harvards Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, one of two centers of excellence that gets funding from a National Institutes of Health study on infectious disease models, disagreed with the president. If you look at the ratio of number of tests we've done to the number of confirmed cases, it's not very good, it's not the best on earth by far, he said. When you have more cases, you have to do more testing. It's not just that you find more cases with more tests. Image: People line up to have a COVID-19 test in Laval, France, as part of a massive testing campaign responding to an outbreak in the area. (Jean-Francois Monier / AFP - Getty Images) The United States has carried out more than 47 million tests since the start of the pandemic, according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When controlled for overall population size, the number of daily tests carried out in the U.S. per 1,000 people over a seven-day rolling average is 2.82, according to a composite of state and CDC data. Story continues Both those numbers are higher than most other countries, and Trump told Wallace that, Cases are up because we have the best testing in the world and we have the most testing. The metric to watch Several experts said that to suggest a causal link between the frequency of tests and the total number of positive COVID-19 cases was wrong. A far more useful metric, according to epidemiologists, is the positivity rate that measures the number of positive cases of COVID-19 that turn up among the tests that are performed each day. The rate is important because that gives us some sense of the burden in the overall population when we look at the positivity, said Jeffrey Klausner, professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and at the David Geffen School of Medicine. Testing numbers are only useful if they lead to a reduction in viral spread, he said. Every positive test has to result in isolation of that case, and then contact notification of any contacts that have been associated with that case, Klausner said. My concern is while we're doing a lot of testing, we're finding a lot of cases, those aren't having the public health impact that they should. The U.S. positivity rate currently stands at 9 percent, according to the CDC comparable to rates in Pakistan, Iran, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Image: A girl reacts while getting a nasal swab sample at a testing and screening facility for the new coronavirus in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan (Fareed Khan / AP) And while that rate varies significantly between different states, according to the Covid Tracking Project, 34 of the 50 states as of Sunday had a positivity rate higher than 5 percent a threshold above which the World Health Organization suggests policymakers should not relax social distancing measures. In European nations that have been through severe outbreaks, that number is currently much lower: 1.4 percent in Spain, 1.1 percent in France, 0.8 percent in Italy, 0.6 percent in Germany and 0.5 percent in the United Kingdom. The clue to the entire debate: It doesn't matter how many tests you make, but how many returned positive, said Dirk Brockmann, a physicist at Humboldt University in Berlin who is currently working full time on pandemic modeling at the Robert Koch Institute, Germanys main center for the identification, surveillance and prevention of infectious diseases. Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak. He said the situation in Germany now is promising thanks to the widespread adoption of social distancing measures, and the success of those efforts had saved the country from the kind of trouble seen elsewhere, including the U.S. The rate of testing in the U.S. might be three times higher than in Germany, he acknowledged, but that does not provide any explanation for why the curve is steepening again in the U.S. One other significant obstacle that prevents the high U.S. testing numbers from translating to successful containment is speed or the lack of it when it comes to results. Americans in many states are waiting hours to be tested, then up to a week or longer for their results, meaning the snapshot of the pandemic provided by those results is quickly outdated. Meanwhile in other developed countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia, tests are readily available, with results typically available within 24 hours. We're not keeping up with the tests, Harvards Lipsitch said. Everybody I talked to has a hard time getting a result within a reasonable period of time. A three-year-old girl who doctors thought would never walk is now unstoppable after she took her first steps during lockdown. Felicity Edgar was starved of oxygen and had to be resuscitated when she was born at Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital in London in April 2017, after delays in giving her mother a caesarean section. This left Felicity with cerebral palsy, an incurable condition which affects movement and co-ordination. Doctors told her devastated parents, Amber Lineham and Adam Edgar, that Felicity may not live. Mother-of-two Ms Lineham, 24, a trainee chef from Crayford in south-east London, said: The doctors said she probably wouldnt make it through the night, so we had her christened that day. But shes a fighter and she survived. Doctors later told Ms Lineham that her daughter would never be able to walk. But Felicity has proved them wrong after taking her triumphant first steps during lockdown, with the help of a walker. Ms Lineham said Felicity had been given a walker previously but was never comfortable using it and had not taken any steps. During lockdown, Ms Lineham decided to give it one more go on the way to a sweet shop and to her astonishment Felicity began walking. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen and one of the best moments for me ever, Ms Lineham said. She has done this against the odds and it makes me so proud. Now we cant stop her and she is always getting her shoes to tell us she wants to go for a walk it has cost us a lot in sweets. When Amber Felicity was born we so nearly lost her and after that the doctors said she would never walk or talk. But she has proved everybody wrong and she is our own lockdown miracle. London firm Osbornes Law, which is representing the family, said Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust admitted that care provided for Felicity fell below the appropriate standard during her mothers labour. Jodi Newton, a solicitor at Osbornes, said: Felicitys determination against all the odds is a truly incredible and inspirational story. We had real concerns about Felicitys future, but she managed to take her first steps during lockdown and theres no stopping her now. Ms Newton added: The trust have made a swift and early interim payment of compensation to assist the family to move into accommodation which is more suitable for Felicitys needs and to pay for a rehabilitation programme of extensive therapy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 05:24:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt confirmed on Sunday 603 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total cases registered in the country since mid-February to 87,775, said the Egyptian Health Ministry. Sunday's daily infections marked the lowest since May 19 that witnessed 720 new cases. It is also the 11th consecutive day for Egypt's daily COVID-19 infections to be below 1,000, with a record 1,774 daily infections seen on June 19. Meanwhile, 51 more patients died from the novel coronavirus, the lowest since June 13, raising the death toll to 4,302, the ministry's statement said. A total of 512 COVID-19 patients were cured and discharged from hospitals on the same day, increasing the total recoveries to 28,380, it added. Egypt announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 14 and the first death from the highly infectious virus on March 8. The country resumed international flights on July 1 after more than three months of suspension, amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities. The government has recently lifted a partial nighttime curfew it 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. Egypt and China have been joining hands in fighting the pandemic through exchanging medical aid and expertise. In early February, Egypt provided aid to China to help with its fight against COVID-19 and China later sent three batches of medical aid to the North African country, the latest of which was in mid-May. "So far, Chinese medical experts have held eight video conferences with Egyptian counterparts over COVID-19," Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said earlier this month. Enditem Post your Comments Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. The editorial team reserves the right to review and moderate the comments posted on the site. Thousands of Protesters in Thailand Rally Against Government By VOA News July 19, 2020 Several thousand anti-government protesters took to the streets in Thailand's capital Saturday to demand amendments to the military-written constitution, new parliamentary elections and the end of repressive laws in the country. The protest, organized by the Liberation Youth group, was the largest since the government declared a state of emergency in March to deal with the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. Since then, the restrictive measures and social distancing have helped the government contain the spread of the virus, but they have also used as political weapons, to contain protests. Saturday's 2,500 demonstrators gathered around Bangkok's iconic Democracy Monument in the old part of the city, defying the ban on public gatherings to chant anti-government slogans and wave placards expressing their demands. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coronavirus cases in Colombia soar, medical workers call for total lockdowns to bring infections under control. A surge in coronavirus infections has forced authorities to impose new restrictions in a number of cities in Colombia. More than 190,000 cases have been reported across the country. And in the capital Bogota, rolling lockdowns are hitting the citys poorest neighbourhoods the worst and hospitals are becoming increasingly overwhelmed. Al Jazeeras Alessandro Rampietti reports from Bogota, Colombia. DPRK's top leader presides over enlarged military meeting People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:46, July 19, 2020 Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), presided over an enlarged military meeting on Saturday to discuss the strategic mission of the major units for coping with the military situation in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday. The KCNA reported that the fifth enlarged meeting of the Seventh Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Workers' Party of Korea discussed the issues of intensifying the party's education and guidance of commanders and political officials of the army. After the enlarged meeting, there was a closed-door meeting to "examine the strategic mission of the major units for coping with the military situation in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula and the potential military threat," and to discuss the key issues of further bolstering a war deterrent of the country, it said. An organizational matter was tabled at the meeting on dismissing or appointing commanding officers of major posts of the army, the KCNA said, without giving details of the military reshuffle. Present at the meeting were CMC Vice-Chairman Ri Pyong Chol, members of the CMC and commanding officers of the armed forces organs at all levels. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SAGINAW, MI Two people were injured in the exchange of gunfire early Monday morning in Saginaw. Saginaw police officers and Michigan State Police troopers were dispatched around 3 a.m. July 20 after they were advised a person was shooting at people in Birch Park Apartments, 3000 Birch Park Drive. Michigan State Police Lt. David Kaiser said one person was found with a gunshot wound to the leg in front of an apartment building. Police canvassed the area and located a second person with a gunshot wound along with a rifle. Two subjects got into an argument and began shooting at one other, said Kaiser. Their injuries are said to be non-life-threatening and they were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Both subjects, whose names have not been released, are in their early 30s and have been very uncooperative in the investigation, Kaiser said. DAMASCUS, Syria Syrians headed to polling stations in government-held parts of the war-torn country on Sunday to elect a new parliament amid strict health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The vote is the third to take place in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. It has killed more than 400,000, displaced half the countrys population and caused more than five million to become refugees, mostly in neighboring countries. This years vote follows a new wave of U.S. sanctions that came into effect last month and a campaign to fight corruption that saw a wealthy cousin of President Bashar Assad come under pressure to pay back tens of millions of dollars to the state. The elections also coincide with Syrias worst economic crisis and a currency crash, which has dragged more of the countys population into poverty Some 1,656 government-approved candidates are running this year for the 250-seat Peoples Assembly. The total number of eligible voters hasnt been announced. As in previous elections in Syria, the vote will produce a rubber-stamp body loyal to the president. No vote was held in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria, or in the countrys northeast, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters. Voting in government-held areas passed without major incidents, but in the rebel-held north, a car bomb late Sunday killed five people and wounded dozens near a border crossing with Turkey, according to Syrian opposition activists and Turkeys state-run news agency. Inside polling stations, all workers were wearing masks and gloves, and voters had to use their own pens in the sanitized booths. Once their ballots were cast, they had to leave immediately, as no gatherings were allowed inside. People also had to keep a safe distance while waiting for their turn. Assad and his wife Asma, both wearing masks, voted Sunday morning in Damascus at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. Information Minister Imad Sarah said the vote emphasizes the cohesion of the Syrian homeland, that after nine years of war, Syria will not kneel, speaking to reporters after casting his ballot. Assad has twice postponed the countrys parliamentary elections this year in light of restrictions in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Assad himself is not standing for election. Syria, which had a prewar population of 22 million, has reported 496 coronavirus cases and 25 deaths. However, the actual numbers are likely far higher and increases have been reported in recent days. Syrias last parliament was elected in April 2016, when large parts of Syria were outside government control and people there did not take part in the polling. Since then, Assads forces have captured much of Syria with the help of his allies Russia and Iran. The head of the Higher Judicial Committee for the Elections, Judge Samer Zumriq, confirmed on Saturday in a statement to state news agency SANA that more than 7,400 polling stations have been set up in 15 voting districts. They include 1,400 stations where troops and members of the countrys security services will vote. Polling centers opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and were scheduled to close 12 hours later. It was extended by four hours until 10 p.m. (1900 GMT) because of high turnout. Results are expected to be announced the following day. Some 167 seats are allocated for Assads ruling Arab Socialist Baath Party guaranteeing it a solid majority while the rest are allocated for independents, including merchants, businessmen and industrialists. We hope that the members of the new council would work to improve the living conditions of citizens by enacting new legislation, said Samir Sulaiman, a 50-year-old employee. This years vote comes as the country is also witnessing harsh economic conditions including a crash in the local currency worsened by U.S. sanctions and an economic crisis in neighboring Lebanon. The so-called Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act envisages sanctions on Syrian troops and others responsible for atrocities committed during Syrias civil war, and also provides funding for war crimes investigations and prosecutions. Syria calls the sanctions acts of economic terrorism. Outgoing legislator Mohannad Haj Ali, who is under U.S. and European sanctions, said the country is experiencing a suffocating economic and political siege. He also said Syrian citizens are aware of corruption within state institutions, adding that Assad has started dealing with corruption by tracking down on the corrupt. Haj Ali did not give any names, but his comments came after Assads maternal cousin Rami Makhlouf, who was once described as central to Syrias economy, has been pleading for Assad to help prevent the collapse of his business. ____ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. Actor Geoffrey Rush is set for a final win over Sydneys Daily Telegraph after his titanic defamation fight. The newspapers publisher Nationwide News has decided not to appeal the Oscar-winning actors record $2.87 million defamation payment. Actor Geoffrey Rush. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Rush sued The Telegraph in 2017 after it alleged inappropriate behaviour by the actor during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear. The tabloid based its story on an STC statement and under then-editor Chris Dore, now top dog at The Australian, produced the infamous King Leer front page. While Thursday marks the appeal deadline, News will not go to the High Court after the Full Court of the Federal Court rejected its appeal earlier this month. Tele editor Ben English said then while the paper respected the findings of the Full Court, the case exposes the inadequacies of Australia's defamation laws and heightens the need for urgent legislative reform to enable public debate and to encourage women to come forward with their concerns. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two Staten Island women with ties to a pro-life religious organization were arrested after they allegedly defaced the Black Lives Matter mural outside the Trump Tower in Manhattan, only to be seen on video hours later dumping paint on two other murals in Brooklyn and Harlem. Bevelyn Beatty, 29, and Edmee Chavannes, 39, both Black residents of Stapleton, were taken into custody after they allegedly smeared black paint across the bright yellow letters which read Black Lives Matter on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, police said. During the act, which was posted by Beatty on Facebook, she can be heard saying: Black Lives Matter, right? ... For the Black people. This is for the Black people. Theyre destroying business for Black people. Theyre looting for Black people. No, Beatty says as she dumps black paint onto the mural. No. Were not standing with Black Lives Matter. We want our police. Re-fund our police. Beatty and Chavannes were both charged with criminal mischief, given desk appearance tickets and released shortly afterwards. A statement from At the Well Ministries, an organization that has posted videos of Beatty denouncing abortion, said the two women were treated like royalty by cops after their arrests. This was the BEST experience they have ever had with any police department, the statement read, adding that police expressed their HIGH APPRECIATION for what Bevelyn and Edmee stood up for today. While responding to the incident, a cop slipped on the paint that was poured on the mural slamming his shoulder and head into the pavement. The statement said the officer is doing very well and fine. More to come, the statement continued, But we are taking our country back NOW! An NYPD officer falls during an attempt to detain a protester pouring black paint on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Saturday, July 18, 2020. (Associated Press/Yuki Iwamura) AP A short while later, in the late hours of Saturday night, Beatty posted another video on Facebook entitled, Harlem Drive-by Painting, in which she and others pour paint out of the back of a minivan as it rolls past the Black Lives Matter mural on 7th Avenue and West 125th Street. Jesus matters, they can be heard saying, as other cars rolled along the Harlem street behind Beatty who was wearing the same outfit she was seen in outside the Trump Tower earlier on Saturday. Before anything else can matter, Jesus got to matter, Beatty said as she poured the black paint onto the brightly-colored mural. As the cars crept down the street, an onlooker began accosting the group. Whats wrong with you? Youre a Black woman, the person can be heard saying. What the f--k is wrong with you? Youre a Black woman. As the caravan of cars pulls away, empty paint cans can be seen being hurled towards the group. The NYPD said an investigation into the incident remains ongoing. However, less than two hours later, Beatty and others were on Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn early Sunday, video posted to her Facebook page showed. Jesus matters, we are taking our country back, Beatty said during the video. The police need our help they cant stand alone. Dont just sit by idly and watch your country go to the ground. Stand with your police force, vote for Trump, vote Republican, vote for Christians. Then, Beatty and another woman splashed paint across the Black Lives Matter mural and used paint rollers to spread it across the letters. Several people are seen in the video approaching the two women to confront them about defacing the mural. Several verbal encounters quickly became terse. The group then piled into nearby cars and drove off. The NYPD said the department is aware of the incident and the investigation remains ongoing. In a video following the incidents posted on Sunday, Beatty said: We did an all-nighter. Let me tell you something. Yesterday was epic, adding that President Donald Trump needs the American people behind him. The Daily News reported Beatty and Chavannes were both arrested last month for protesting outside Planned Parenthoods New York headquarters, and were also charged with disorderly conduct in Fort Myers, Florida, when they disrupted a council meeting. Were Black women, but we do not support Black Lives Matter because theyre hand-in-hand with Planned Parenthood that kills African-American babies, Beatty told Fox News last month. Theyre fraudulent hypocrites... Black paint from a protester covers part of a Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Saturday, July 18, 2020. (Associated Press/Yuki Iwamura)AP This is not the first time the Black Lives Matter mural outside the Trump Tower has been defaced. The NYPD said surveillance video revealed three individuals poured and smeared paint across the midtown-street art on Friday, July 17, just before 4 p.m. Juliet Germanotta, 39, of Manhattan; Luis Martinez, 44, of Brooklyn; and Morgan DAnna, 25, a Queens resident, were arrested and charged with criminal mischief and released with a desk appearance ticket, the NYPD said in a written statement. A fourth person, a 64-year-old female, was issued a criminal court summons for illegally posting fliers at the scene, the NYPD said. Last week, the New York Post reported that a man walked up to the mural and poured red paint over it before fleeing the scene. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments is opening deliberations once again on Charter reform when Congress opens session later this month, its panel chair said Monday, amid allegations that the real motive in tinkering with the constitution is to postpone the 2022 elections. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said his committee is ready to discuss proposals from local government officials to amend the 1987 Constitution within the first two weeks of session, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The second regular session will start on July 27, the same day that President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address before a joint session of the House and Senate. I will call a virtual meeting of our committee possibly within the first two weeks of our session to tackle the proposals of our 1,489 town mayors and other pending measures, Rodriguez said in a statement. The lawmaker was referring to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, composed of mayors mostly allied with the Duterte administration, and their proposal to institutionalize the so-called Mandanas Ruling of the Supreme Court in the Constitution. Under the ruling, regions will get their share from all national taxes, apart from internal revenue allotments. This will supposedly help local government units address the pandemic better and "strengthen local autonomy" in the country, Rodriguez said. The LMP also sought to lift restrictions on foreign investment in industries currently limited to Filipinos. Rodriguez hinted easier deliberations on this proposal due to pending resolutions already docked in the lower chamber. Especially this time when we need more foreign investments and to invite more foreign businesses relocating from China, in order to provide much needed jobs for our people, this amendment is worth considering," he added. In a separate briefing, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said that there is nothing wrong with discussing Charter change in the House. However, holding a plebiscite to approve constitutional amendments seem impractical at this time. He also said that the lower chamber will not force constitutional reform on people if they do not want it. "I think people should discuss it but they should not worry it will be rammed down their throat. We only want constitutional change if the people want it, and want it very badly," Cayetano said. Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday slammed the fresh calls to amend the Constitution and cited the "misplaced priorities" of the administration including the swift passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law and the killing of ABS-CBN's franchise bid. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned over the weekend that the real motive of those rallying for Cha-cha is to postpone the 2022 national and local elections and to remove politicians' term limit. He and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III had expressed confidence that Cha-cha will not be part of Senate priorities during the start of the session. Cha-cha not Duterte's priority Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that Duterte has not floated the idea of pushing through with Charter reforms anytime soon, while the government grapples with the prevailing crisis. "Linggo-linggo nakipag-usap naman ang Pangulo sa taumbayan at hindi naman po lumulutang ang Charter change bilang isang prayoridad," he said. [Translation: Every week, the President speaks to the public and Charter change does not appear in the list of priorities.] "Nakatutok ang Presidente, ang buong national government dito sa COVID-19. Hindi po prayoridad ang Charter change." [Translation: The President, the national government is focused on COVID-19. Charter change is not a priority.] Duterte admitted last year that passing federalism one of his main campaign promises in the 2016 elections would unlikely push through, as many Filipinos still do not support the proposed shift. However, Malacanang said back in December that the President will not intervene in the affairs of Congress should they start tackling anew proposals to amend the Constitution. CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report. The Jacksonville District 117 school board has approved an agreement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, which will be submitting a grant application for an after-school program for the district. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois is proposing an after-school program for Jacksonville schools, contingent on a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education for funding from its 21st Century Community Learning Center fund. Superintendent Steve Ptacek said it is the Boys and Girls Clubs organization that will be applying for the grant, not the district. Its an after-school program for at-risk students, Ptacek said. We are excited for any enrichment opportunities for our students. The program will provide different activities and mentoring for student participants. If granted, the programs would be for the 2020-21 through 2024-25 school years at Jacksonville Middle School, South Jacksonville Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School and Washington Elementary School. Part of the agreement between the district and the clubs is that the grant will cover all supplies and materials, while the district will provide the facilities. District staff will also be able to apply to be a part of the after school programs, but the clubs will be able to hire outside staff as well. Program activities will be determined based on outcomes that will be established between the clubs and the district once the grant is approved. Each program at the individual schools can address different needs as established by each site, according to the agreement. The program should begin next school year, if the grant is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. Its all brand new, and something we are really excited about if it gets approved, Ptacek said. The chief federal judge for Oregon said Monday he is investigating unauthorized photographs shot last week inside the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse during a visit by a Trump cabinet member. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf last Thursday addressed federal law enforcement officers who were dressed in camouflage in the main lobby of the 16-story building in the heart of downtown Portland. A rock core from Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, has given scientists a powerful new tool to understand how catastrophic events shaped Earth's ecosystems before the rise of the dinosaurs. The quarter-mile core is from an important part of the Triassic Period when life on Earth endured a series of cataclysmic events: Our planet was struck at least three times by mountain-sized asteroids, chains of volcanoes erupted to choke the sky with greenhouse gases, and tectonic movement tore apart Earth's single supercontinent, Pangea. Among the chaos, many plants and animals, including some of the long-snouted and armored reptiles that ruled Pangea throughout the Triassic, vanished in a possible shake-up of life on Earth that scientists have yet to explain. The study, published July 20 in GSA Bulletin, offers scientists a foundation to explain the changes in the fossil record and determine how these events may have shaped life on Earth. By determining the age of the rock core, researchers were able to piece together a continuous, unbroken stretch of Earth's history from 225 million to 209 million years ago. The timeline offers insight into what has been a geologic dark age and will help scientists investigate abrupt environmental changes from the peak of the Late Triassic and how they affected the plants and animals of the time. "The core lets us wind the clock back 225 million years when Petrified Forest National Park was a tropical hothouse populated by crocodile-like reptiles and turkey-size early dinosaurs," said Cornelia Rasmussen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), who led the analysis that determined the age of the core. "We can now begin to interpret changes in the fossil record, such as whether changes in the plant and animal world at the time were caused by an asteroid impact or rather by slow geographic changes of the supercontinent drifting apart," she said. Petrified Forest National Park's paleontologist Adam Marsh said that despite a rich collection of fossils from the period in North America, until now there was little information on the Late Triassic's timeline because most of what scientists knew came from studying outcrops of exposed rock pushed to the surface by tectonic movements. "Outcrops are like broken pieces of a puzzle," said Marsh, who earned his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences. "It is incredibly difficult to piece together a continuous timeline from their exposed and weathered faces." Marsh was not an author of the study but is part of the larger scientific coring project. UTIG is a unit of the Jackson School. The Petrified Forest National Park core overcomes the broken puzzle problem by recovering every layer in the order it was deposited. Like tree rings, scientists can then match those layers with the fossil and climate record. To find the age of each layer, the researchers searched the rock core for tiny crystals of the mineral zircon, which are spewed into the sky during volcanic eruptions. Zircons are a date stamp for the sediments with which they are buried. Researchers then compared the age of the crystals with traces of ancient magnetism stored in the rocks to help develop a precise geologic timeline. Geoscience is rarely so simple, however, and according to Rasmussen, the analysis of the core gave them two slightly different stories. One shows evidence that a shake-up in the species might not be connected to any single catastrophic event and could simply be part of the ordinary course of gradual evolution. The other shows a possible correlation between the change in the fossil record and a powerful asteroid impact, which left behind a crater in Canada over 62 miles wide. For Marsh, the different findings are just part of the process to reach the truth. "The two age models are not problematic and will help guide future studies," he said. ### The research is the latest outcome of the Colorado Plateau Coring Project. The research and the coring project were funded by the National Science Foundation and International Continental Drilling Program. Iran Suspends Execution Of Three Protesters By RFE/RL July 19, 2020 Iran has suspended the execution of three men linked to anti-government protests in November 2019, one of their lawyers says. Babak Paknia said in a Twitter post on July 19 that the Iranian judiciary had ordered a retrial for the three. The lawyer's announcement comes after a massive social-media campaign calling for Iran to halt state executions. The online protest has been joined by many Iranians -- including ordinary citizens as well as intellectuals, former politicians, and prominent artists. Amnesty International recorded 251 executions in Iran during 2019, making Iran second to China for state executions. Using the Persian-language hashtag #Don't_Execute -- # _ -- the campaign was launched in response to confirmation on July 14 by Iran's powerful judiciary that death sentences had been upheld against Amir Hossein Moradi, 25, Saeed Tamjidi, 27, and Mohammad Rajabi, 25. The three were among many who were arrested in a brutal crackdown against demonstrators who took to the streets in dozens of cities and towns across Iran in November 2019. Analysts said the social-media campaign was unprecedented in its scope and the level of participation of Iranians both within and outside Iran. Many took to Twitter, which is blocked in Iran, and Instagram, the only social-media platform that has not been blocked in the Islamic republic. The hashtag #Don't_Execute in Persian has trended globally on Twitter, being used more than 7 million times. Other social-networking platforms also were used to share pictures of the three Iranian men on death row and to call for their executions to be halted. The protests, sparked by a sudden hike in the price of gasoline, focused on Iran's deteriorating economy, rising poverty, and government corruption. But they quickly turned political with chants against the clerical establishment. Amnesty International has said at least 304 people were killed in the crackdown. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-suspends-execution- of-three-protesters/30735899.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Irvine, Calif., July 20, 2020 -- From cutting-edge research and clinical trials focused on cancer care to creating a new center devoted to protecting personal data privacy, University of California, Irvine scholars, scientists and physicians are blazing new paths to help change the world. And their impact keeps growing. In fiscal 2019-20, which ended June 30, UCI researchers received the most funding in campus history: $529 million in grants and contracts. Awards from federal and state agencies, leading foundations and forward-thinking companies increased by 20 percent over 2018-19 totals, reflecting strong and burgeoning support for UCI's top-ranked faculty, first-rate facilities, diverse and talented student body, and community-based programs. "This research funding milestone surpasses our campus strategic plan goal of $500 million while accelerating UCI's ascent among its Association of American Universities peers as a world-class research university. Despite the hurdles we face during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UCI community continues to make a meaningful impact on regional economic development and to improve society through globally prominent research," said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. "Our faculty, students and staff are truly excelling in an environment of tremendous competition for financial support of research and innovation," said Pramod Khargonekar, vice chancellor for research at UCI. "Research is a primary mission for us, and these outstanding results indicate that UCI's preeminent research enterprise will make even greater and more productive contributions to the state, the nation and the world." A boost in biomedical research UCI Health Sciences experienced the greatest jump in research funding. The School of Medicine alone garnered $190 million, accounting for 36 percent of UCI's 2019-20 total and representing a second year of over 20 percent growth. The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center - Orange County's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center - brought in $44 million for basic, translational and clinical research, a 75 percent increase from last year. The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders received a five-year, $14.4 million renewal grant from the National Institute on Aging for its Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the only one in Orange County and one of just 32 across the U.S. conducting leading research to improve the diagnosis, care and treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. "The health and well-being of our local and global communities depend on the cutting-edge, evidence-based care we provide every day. UCI offers the very best to our patients because we advance the frontiers of knowledge through groundbreaking research," said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs. "UCI is the region's only academic health center, and year-over-year growth in external funding is one tangible indicator that we are leading the way through empowering discoveries while we train the diverse, interprofessional healthcare workforce of the future to carry on that legacy." New NSF-funded centers in engineering Researchers in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering will be using large awards from the National Science Foundation to launch new centers that will put UCI in the forefront of materials science and data privacy research. With $18 million in NSF funding, Xiaoqing Pan, the Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Engineering and a professor of materials science & engineering and physics & astronomy, is starting a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. It will join 16 existing centers at leading research institutions in the U.S. and establish UCI as a major research hub for Southern California's academic and industry materials ecosystem. And with $10 million in NSF support, Athina Markopoulou - Chancellor's Fellow, professor and chair of electrical engineering & computer science - will lead the creation of a new research center dedicated to safeguarding personal data privacy in an increasingly networked world. Sources of funding Support from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, which encompasses the National Institutes of Health, the largest single source of research funding at UCI, rose 21 percent over last year to $189 million. The National Science Foundation provided $65 million, 18.4 percent more than in 2018-19. And gifts and grants from philanthropic foundations and charitable trusts reached $85 million, a 38.5 percent hike. Other noteworthy new research awards and recipients in 2019-20: Nancy Rodriguez, professor of criminology, law & society, received a $2.7 million gift from Arnold Ventures to conduct the most comprehensive study to date into the sources and consequences of prison violence in seven states. Findings from the three-year, multistrategy investigation will inform the creation of an evidence-based framework for reducing and preventing incidents of violence. Jenny Yang, associate professor of chemistry, will use a $1.5 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to help develop methods for the capture and removal of carbon dioxide from the air and from flue gases emitted by fossil fuel plants. The funding will support an interdisciplinary team - led by Yang - from UCI, UCLA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in its attempt to form new molecular compounds for electrochemical CO2 capture and removal. The Institute for Clinical & Translational Science was awarded $24 million over five years by the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Science. Marking the third highly competitive and successful funding cycle for UCI's ICTS, the grant will go toward initiating and extending efforts to speed the transformation of scientific discoveries into medical treatments for patients. Jessica Millward, associate professor of history and African American studies, and Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, associate professor of African American studies, received a three-year, $271,902 UC-HBCU Initiative grant to partner with Morgan State University, a public and historically black research university in Baltimore, to encourage UC faculty to actively engage with faculty and students at historically black colleges and universities to attract and retain graduate scholars who reflect the communities of the world. Additional data on UCI's 2019-20 research funding: 1,043 new awards were bestowed during the fiscal year, 21 percent more than in 2018-19. 570 UCI researchers garnered new awards, an 11 percent increase over last year. 39.3 percent of support came from nonfederal sources. $70 million in grant and corporate funding from all sources was received for clinical trials, a 55 percent jump over the previous year. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. ### Bang Tao beach broken glass warning as monsoon brings tide of trash PHUKET: Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) Chief MaAnn Samran today (July 20) warned people not to visit Bang Tao Beach amid fears people may be injured by broken glass among the slew of trash and debris that washed up onto the beach over the weekend. environmentpollutiontourismmarine By Tanyaluk Sakoot Monday 20 July 2020, 04:54PM Sirinath National Park chief Natthawat Nuisriram today praised the efforts of volunteers and local residents who just turn up and help to clear the beaches of trash during the southwest monsoon months. Photo: Bernie Tebb Environment officials, local residents and airport staff joined together to clear trash from Nai Yang Beach today. Photo: AoT Phuket Environment officials, local residents and airport staff joined together to clear trash from Nai Yang Beach today. Photo: AoT Phuket Environment officials, local residents and airport staff joined together to clear trash from Nai Yang Beach today. Photo: AoT Phuket Environment officials, local residents and airport staff joined together to clear trash from Nai Yang Beach today. Photo: AoT Phuket Environment officials, local residents and airport staff joined together to clear trash from Nai Yang Beach today. Photo: AoT Phuket The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Please do not go to Bang Tao Beach right now. There is too much trash. Please go to Surin Beach instead, Mr MaAnn told The Phuket News today.. Tomorrow Cherng Talay OrBorTor officers will join about 30 Russian expats to conduct a mass cleanup along the beach starting at 9am and continuing until midday, he added. The slew of trash, including plastic, glass fragments, branches and damaged fishing equipment, lies all along the beach, pushed onto the sand by the current strong southwest monsoon weather. Trash always washes up on our shores at this time of year, Sirinath National Park chief Natthawat Nuisriram told The Phuket News today. The trash comes from the ocean, but a lot of it is waste that is thrown into the canals by local residents. The canals flow into the sea, and that trash just ends up on our beaches, he added. I keep asking local officials to help prevent this problem, and I am always asking local communities to help keep trash out of the canals, Chief Natthawat said. Officers have already been tasked with clearing up the trash and debris that has washed ashore inside the park area, he added, while praising the efforts of volunteers and local residents who just turn up and help to clear the beach of trash during the southwest monsoon months. Thank you to all the people Thai and foreign who help by clearing trash from the beaches. The beaches belong to everyone. No single agency can keep the beaches clean alone. It is everyones responsibility, he said. Chief Natthawat invited any persons wanting to join park officers during the regular cleanups. People wanting to join our beach cleanups can just contact our office and tell the officers that they want to help, he said. If need be, people can call me directly on 081-9685725, Chief Natthawat said. Meanwhile, scores of officials, airport employees and local residents joined together to clear the Nai Yang Beach of trash debris today. The cleanup, led by Wattanapong Suksai, Director of the Phuket Provincial office of the Ministry of Natural resources and Environment (MNRE), began at 9am. Joining the cleanup were MNRE officers along with staff and other employees from Phuket International Airport nearby, led by Kriengkai Chanasuk, head of Phuket airports Safety Division. Additonal reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub A 15-month-old girl from Rhode Island who was fatally mauled by a family dog on Thursday has been identified as Scarlett Pereira, according to the toddlers obituary. Scarlett will always be remembered as a happy little girl that brought joy & happiness to everyone she met, the baby girls obituary reads. She was strong, feisty, smart, and loved to sing & dance. Bath time was especially her favorite; chewing on a washcloth and splashing around made her giggle! it continued. She loved her family very much. Scarlett was the sunshine in our lives. She will forever be our Scarly Girl.' Scarlett was having lunch in the backyard of her grandparents home when the family dog attacked her just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, WPRI reported, which described the dog as a a pit bull-type breed. The baby was on the ground roaming freely and the dog, in the fenced-in backyard, was also roaming freely. As far as we know, it was an unprovoked attack, East Providence Police Chief William Nebus said, reported WJAR. Its hard because even a family dog, a family-friendly dog, can suddenly lash out for whatever reason, he added. Responding East Providence police and fire officials attempted life-saving care to the girl prior to transporting her to Hasbro Childrens Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival due to significant injuries from the dog attack, police said in a statement. Two family members of Scarlett had also been transported to a Rhode Island hospital for injuries sustained by the family dog after they attempted to rescue the girl from the attack. The pit bull was injured as well after family members intervened in the incident, attempting to save the baby girl. Police managed to euthanise the dog upon arrival with the assistance of East Providence Animal Control, according to a separate statement. At this time we are not aware off any prior incidents involving this dog, but the case remains under investigation by the East Providence Police Detective Division and East Providence Animal Control, police said. In support for Scarletts parents, a GoFundMe page was set up by a family member named Caitlin DeAngelis, who said his former brother in law and his wife had their baby girl TRAGICALLY taken from them. Research On Dog Bite Incidents About 1,000 U.S. citizens require emergency care treatment for serious dog bite injuries on a daily basis, according to Dogsbite.org. Annually, about 9,500 citizens are hospitalized due to dog bite injuries. In a 13-year analysis, the website says that of 433 fatal dog attacks in the United States, pit bulls contributed to 66 percent, or 284 deaths. Rottweilers, the second on the list, inflicted 10 percent of attacks that resulted in human death, the report says. German shepherds accounted for 4.6 percent of fatal attacks. Mixed-breed dogs accounted for 3.9 percent and the American bulldog was next at 3.5 percent, the report said. Mastiffs and Bullmastiffs accounted for 3.2 percent of deaths. Last on the list were Huskies, which accounted for 3 percent of fatal attacks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are more likely than adults to be bitten by a dog and when their injuries can be more severe. Over half of dog bite injuries occur at home with dogs that are pets of their victims. As the number of dogs in the home increases, so does the likelihood of being bitten. Adults with two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without dogs at home, the agency stated. Among adults, men are more likely than women to be bitten by a dog. With another round of restrictions on restaurants and breweries, Rio Rancho business owners get creative. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham reinstated a ban on indoor dining at restaurants and indoor seating at breweries that took effect on Monday. I feel for all the businesses, especially the ones affected business-wise with no dine-in, said KLynns Southern & Cajun Fusion owner Karen Johnson-Bey. The restaurant, at 4300 Ridgecrest Drive, Suite O, does not have an outdoor dining space, so it has been reduced to takeout only. Johnson-Bey is having a special mini to-go breakfast menu Saturday from 8-10 a.m., serving fresh beignets, which are deep-fried pastries, chicory coffee and other items. She hopes the special menu will pull sales up, she said. It is hard to accept when big-box businesses are thriving and stay packed with long lines regardless of the 6-feet guideline, keeping the correct capacity and mask policy, Johnson-Bey said. She adheres to COVID-safe practices set by the New Mexico Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said. We have been blessed to still keep our head above water with carry-out only. However, I hope the mom-and-pop stores that have not closed in the first round make it this second round, us included, Johnson-Bey said. Along with world events, it is a very scary and stressful time for all. Scott Salvas owns Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Co. and has tried to stay positive throughout each shutdown. We have been fortunate through most of this. During the takeout days, we were doing about 60-70 percent of normal, he said. Sales were up at Brew Lab 101 the first two weeks after the governor opened indoor dining, Salvas said. This past week, his sales were up and down, with Monday meeting 75 percent of normal business, Tuesday being over normal business due to hosting an event, and Wednesday meeting average sales, he said. Through the pandemic, Salvas has received the Paycheck Protection Program loan, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a grant, he said. In addition, he has gotten by without doing layoffs or furloughs. Salvas has been able to reduce revenue losses with large patio spaces, a loyal customer base and changing his business model to operate on a leaner budget. Brew Lab 101, at 3301 Southern Blvd., has about 3,000 square feet of patio now. Salvas took advantage of the temporary outdoor seating permit allowed when the pandemic hit and added extra patio space in the back of Brew Lab 101. He said it took about a week for the permit to be approved by the state and city, and it only took that long because he sells alcohol. The back area was only meant to be for overflow on busy nights, but all of a sudden, we only have a patio, and now we have to make that back area great and our primary area, he said. Depending on landlords and other business situations, outdoor space isnt always possible, and Salvas finds himself fortunate to have any, he said. He invested in a tent for the back area to help protect tables from sun and rain. He said he had to either buy a tent or face losing half his revenues when it rains. And those are the kind of conversations you have to have. And everyone is scared to spend money right now because you dont know what your profits are going to be next week, Salvas said. It is a scary time to have to make these decisions, and people are having to change their business model so fast, but you got to be ready for whatever is going to happen. Salvas said weather permitting, he will be able to maintain steady sales. Authorities could not immediately say whether Peterson or any of those wounded were among those who were targeted. Victims range in age from 18 to 72. Two were in serious condition on Sunday. The others suffered wounds that are not considered to be life-threatening. TikTok is still considering putting its global headquarters in London and has not halted talks on the matter due to rising tensions between the U.K. and China, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC. London is TikTok's main hub in Europe but The Sunday Times newspaper reported over the weekend that TikTok had "shelved" plans to set up a global HQ in Britain that would create up to 3,000 jobs. The report stated that talks between the Department of International Trade and TikTok parent company ByteDance have been "paused" because of the "wider geopolitical context." It suggested that Dublin, where TikTok also has a sizable office, has emerged as a new front-runner. A source close to the Chinese-owned social media app, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, told CNBC on Monday that it is yet to decide where to put its international headquarters. They said ByteDance was taking into account a few factors that are unrelated to the political backlash against Huawei, which has seen the company's technology banned in several countries. "The U.K. is one of our most important markets globally, with a talented and diverse team in London, including senior leadership," said a ByteDance spokesperson. "U.K. employees have quadrupled over the last year and we expect continued strong growth. We remain fully committed to investing in London." For anyone that's been living in a bubble, TikTok is a video app where people can share short clips of up to 60 seconds. It's full of people doing lip syncs, dances, tricks and various other things that have the potential to go viral. TikTok has been downloaded over 2 billion times, according to app monitoring firm Sensor Tower. Western nations are concerned that Chinese technology companies will be used for espionage by Beijing. As a result, companies like Huawei are being scrutinized more than ever. Last week, the U.K. dealt a major blow to Huawei, ruling that the company's telecoms equipment has no place in the nation's 5G mobile networks. Huawei has urged the U.K. to reconsider the move, which came after pressure from President Donald Trump. Governments are now turning their attention to TikTok, which the U.S. has accused of censoring politically-sensitive content and sharing data with the Chinese Communist Party. The company denies the allegations. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. was "looking at" banning TikTok and other Chinese social media apps. TikTok was banned in India along with dozens of others Chinese apps at the end of June and some U.K. politicians want to see TikTok banned too. How the pandemic is exposing the fault lines in Chiles economic system. For years, Chile has been hailed as Latin Americas most successful free-market economy and the country with the highest per-capita income in Latin America. But the pandemic is exposing the countrys inequalities, pushing much of the fragile middle class into poverty as millions lose their employment. Chileans had already been unhappy with the political, economic and social situation in the country last October, and the current crisis seems to only be adding to the discontent. Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman reports from Santiago, Chile. A suspect in the shooting of a federal judges husband and son in New Jersey has been found dead, according to law enforcement officials. Roy Den Hollander, who received media attention for lawsuits challenging perceived infringements of mens rights, was found dead on Monday in Sullivan County, New York, officials told the Associated Press. He had died of what were assumed to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to the FBI. The FBI said Den Hollander was the primary subject in the attack and confirmed he had been pronounced dead but provided no other details. The suspects body was found by a municipal employee in a car. According to reports Den Hollander killed the son of US district court judge Esther Salas and wounded her husband on Sunday. Earlier on Monday US Marshals joined the FBI in the search for the gunman, who had reportedly been dressed as a FedEx employee when he killed Daniel Anderl, 20, and critically injured Mark Anderl. Ms Salas was unharmed in the attack. While authorities have not indicated a motive for the shooting, Ms Salas has presided over a number of high-profile cases. She was assigned last week to a class-action lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, brought by investors who allege the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers, including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to the AP. The suspects body was found in the town of Rockland in Sullivan County, about two hours away from the Salass New Brunswisk home, and a senior law enforcement official told News 4 that authorities were investigating whether a package or envelope addressed to Ms Salas was found near the mans body. A vehicle believed to be used by the man was being searched at a nearby State Police barracks, the officials said. Ms Salas was in the basement at the time of the attack. Officials said her husband was shot multiple times and their son was shot in the heart before the gunman fled the scene at about 1700 local time [1300 GMT] on Sunday. Recommended Son of US federal judge killed and husband wounded in attack by gunman While the suspect was reportedly dressed as a FedEx employee, and he had a FedEx package addressed to the judge in his nearby vehicle, it was unclear if there was an official connection to the company. We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities, FedEx said in a statement emailed to media. Unidentified sources told ABC News, however, that the suspect had appeared as an attorney in a case before Ms Salas in 2015. Den Hollander had a case challenging the militarys male-only draft pending before Ms Salas. US attorney general William Barr on Monday promised to use the full resources of the Justice Department in the investigation. Oh behalf of the entire Justice Department, I send my deepest condolences to Judge Salas and her family on the death of their son and wish her husband a swift and complete recovery, Mr Barr said in a statement released by his spokesperson, Kerri Kupec. This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and US Marshals Service to investigate the matter. All of the appropriate people are mortified and deeply concerned about the death of 20-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillen. This includes military brass that hold decades of service, along with ranks and medals that showcase their esteem; the Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, enlisted inspector generals and a whole cadre of others long tasked with preventing and investigating sexual assault within the U.S. armed forces. Truly, they are all offering condolences, deeply moved by this young womans horrific murder. Theyre also all too late. Guillens lovely young face is the subject of murals across her hometown of Houston, massive installations of painted grief often including Our Lady of Guadalupe and angel wings. Shes become a symbol of the extensive dedication to military service long exhibited by the nations Mexican American citizens. Shes an icon of the communitys pride and, too often, its sorrow in not being seen as equal to other Americans, simply by virtue of ethnicity. Guillen disappeared from Fort Hood in Texas in late April. She, like so many other female soldiers, told her mother and sisters of sexual harassment that she allegedly faced on the base. And, like so many others serving past, present and likely unfortunately into the future, she also told them that she didnt feel like she could report it up the line, through her chain of command. Guillens body, or rather what remained of her butchered and burned body, were found in late June. By July, a fellow soldier shot and killed himself as civilian police closed in. Officials believe he killed Guillen by pummeling her head with a hammer, and then spent days trying to get rid of her corpse, helped by his girlfriend, who is the only one who might actually pay a price through criminal courts. Now, investigations are being ordered. The latest is a non-military, consultant-driven deep dive into the culture amid the command staff at Fort Hood. Its an attempt to understand why a soldier like Guillen might have feared being retaliated against for speaking up, more than she feared whatever may have been occurring. Guillens family deserves whatever peace more information via a formalized study can provide. President Trump will meet with them ahead of a march in Washington in Guillens honor on July 30. But Army officials shouldnt need to be informed beyond the missteps that might have occurred particular to the case. The U.S. military already knows that it has a problem with sexual assault and harassment in its ranks. Its been told so for years by its own studies, by Congressional hearings and outside agency reports given by Protect Our Defenders and the Service Womens Action Network. Now, the LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, is joining the chorus. A new push is afoot for federal legislation allowing for more independence in investigations. The argument is that commanders have too much control and exhibit bias towards protecting the abuser, rather than the victim. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) and former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) led efforts in 2013 to press for reforms, with some real success. Speaking before Congress then, Sen. Gillibrand quoted one female service member who had been assaulted and had her case investigated by command staff: Its like being raped by your brother and having your dad decide the case. Sen. Gillibrand is still involved, as are Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Tx) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA). Note, they are all female. Men also suffer from harassment and assault as evidenced by statistics that showed 20,500 service members sexually assaulted or raped, including 13,000 women and 7,500 men in 2018, according to Protect Our Defenders. But the military culture that is so resistant to reform exists within a male-dominated system. After Guillen disappeared, the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen trended with other stories of sexual assault in the ranks coming to light. The U.S. military is stellar in its historical role of leading; integrating its forces by race and ethnicity, developing and implementing technological advances, stepping up in times of natural disaster, let alone foreign peacekeeping roles. And yet, at this most basic level of performance ensuring the safety of those who step forward serve it fails to control its own ranks. Readers can reach Mary Sanchez at msanchezcolumn@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @msanchezcolumn Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tata Power Company Ltd (TPCL), the oldest private power generation company in India, plans to transform its traditional manufacturing business into a customer-centric company with 1 crore customer base by 2025. It wants to digitise the business verticals - including power generation, transmission and distribution - and enhance customer experience through data analytics. In the next five years, the company targets to install over 1 lakh electric vehicle (EV) chargers across India. TPCL, which is in the capital intensive sector, is looking to scale-up its service businesses that need little or no capital investment like EV charging, home automation, distribution services, thermal O&M services and solar EPC. The company is evaluating opportunities in emerging business areas such as microgrids, rooftop solar, energy efficiency solutions and EV charging stations. The company elaborated about the eight-point Strategic Business Obejectives (SBOs) in its latest annual report that include enhancement of efficiency and yield of the plants, debt reduction through sale of non-core assets and scaling up renewable power share to 50-60 per cent of the generation portfolio by 2025. As customer-centric businesses gain traction among investors, the transformation strategy of TPCL is quite interesting; it is difficult to execute though. For creating a customer-centric organisation, the company intends to roll out value-added services for customers' delight, and improve and measure customer satisfaction. It will be building organisational capabilities to drive the character switch. TPCL has collaborated with Tata Motors to roll-out EV charging infrastructure and aims to expand its presence further in high EV adoption cities in the country. It is also working on developing a software platform for customers of EV charging and has released a mobile application for them. With the increase in EV adoption, TPCL plans to cover the segments of home, workplace and captive charging through different models and approaches, it said in the annual report. TPCL has collaborated with the Rockefeller Foundation to roll out 10,000 microgrids to provide innovative solutions for the under-served communities and expand the global microgrid footprint. It has set new benchmarks in operational excellence and financial returns for the existing businesses. As part of it, TPCL targets to optimise the efficiency of thermal and hydropower plants, and increase the yield from renewable energy portfolio above the design parameters. The reduction of Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss is another target. The company, which is operating in the government-regulated business area, wants to maximise incentives through efficiency improvements. The turnaround of the 4,150 mega watt Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL) in Mundra is the most worrying issue before TPCL. The loss of Rs 891 crore in FY20 was lower as compared to Rs 1,654 crore in FY19 mainly due to lower coal prices, optimised blending, effective coal procurement strategy and lower finance cost mainly due to re-financing of external commercial borrowing (ECB) loan. It has rasied Rs 350 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCD) recently. CGPL's five power procuring states - Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra and Rajasthan - have agreed to pass on the raw material and power production costs to consumers, but the process is lengthy and it needs approval from Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). The plant was designed to use the imported coal from Indonesia, however the protectionist law introduced later there escalated the power cost for CGPL. TPCL has already initiated the divestment of non-core assets. In 2018, it sold telecom and defence assets to deleverage the balance sheet. They sold Cennergi in South Africa last year. Singapore-based Trust Energy Resources Pte Ltd (TERPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, recently sold its three ships for $213 million. TPCL is in the process to adopt debt-light models through innovative financial engineering and re-structuring. The consolidated debt of the company reduced to Rs 43,559 crore in March 2020 from Rs 44,853 crore a year back. Leadership and succession planning and workforce planning are the other areas that TCPL is focussing on besides new capability building. Through digitisation, it targets to improve asset performance, enhance customer experience using data analytics and explore new business opportunities. It intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by reducing fuel consumption and enhancing utilisation of fly ash, which is a byproduct of coal burning. ALSO READ: Tata Power's arm bags order to develop 225 MW hybrid renewable project ALSO READ: TCS plans to hire 40,000 freshers amid coronavirus crisis YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Colombia Ivan Duque on the Independence Day, the PMs Office told Armenpress. I congratulate you on the national day of Colombia the Independence Day, wishing you and the good people of Colombia welfare and happiness. Our countries have a great potential to strengthen the bilateral ties in all spheres of mutual interest. I am full of hope that the Armenian-Colombian relations will continue developing in the coming years for the benefit of the welfare of our peoples, reads the Armenian PMs congratulatory letter. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Precisely what happened on the morning of July 15, 2014, is contested, but there is no dispute that the officers shot an unarmed woman as she tried to drive away. The officers say they feared that Ms. Torres would run them over. Ms. Torres soon lost control of her car, stopped in a parking lot and asked a bystander to call the police. Receiving no response, she stole a car that had been left running and drove 75 miles to a hospital in Grants, N.M. She was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque, where she was arrested. She pleaded no contest to charges of fleeing from a police officer, assaulting a police officer and stealing a car. Even the Trump administration says Ms. Torres was entitled to sue. A subjects escape will render the seizure fleeting, Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief, but will not negate the seizure entirely. The brief went on to say that Ms. Torres may well lose her case, but on other grounds. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, in a brief supporting Ms. Torres, urged the justices to take account of the history of police violence. From the very inception of modern American law enforcement, weapons and firearms specifically have been deployed as a means of policing and oppressing African-American communities, the brief said. Today, far too many police officers continue to draw and use guns as a means of unjustified control of African-Americans, rather than for valid law enforcement reasons. The 10th Circuits decision leaves these countless people without recourse. Even if Ms. Torres wins at the Supreme Court, she will have to overcome the doctrine of qualified immunity to prevail in the lower courts. Under that doctrine, officials may be sued for violations of constitutional rights only if the right at issue was clearly established at the time of the conduct in question. After launching the Galaxy M31 in India, Samsung is now looking to launch its successor in India, the Galaxy M31s. According to a new report, this upcoming smartphone is quite close to becoming reality and could be launched before the end of the month. Earlier a report had revealed that the phone will become available for purchase sometime next month, with the company now confirming a July 30 India launch for the device. The phone is expected to sport a mid-range price, which could be close to Rs 20,000. This, however, will be quite a steep rise on the Galaxy M31 which started at Rs 14,999 for the entry-level variant in India. Talking about the specifications of the phone, the Samsung Galaxy M31s has been previously spotted on certification websites which have hinted at the specifications of the phone. The leaks in the past have shown the phone to carry model number SM-M317F. These leaks, especially a listing on Geekbench has also revealed some key details about the device. It hinted at the presence of the octa-core Exynos 9611 SoC and 6GB of RAM on the phone. A separate TUV Rheinland listing has claimed that the phone could come with a 6,000mAh battery. For storage, the device may come with 128GB storage. Other specifications would include the phone flaunting an AMOLED display, and a quad rear camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor. Interestingly, this would be the eighth smartphone in the Galaxy M line-up launched by Samsung this year. To recall, the Galaxy M line-up was one of the best-performing ones for Samsung last year, with the Galaxy M30s particularly doing well last year. With the new Galaxy M31s, Samsung will be looking to replicate the success of last year's device. More details about the device are expected to be revealed when the phone launches on July 30. With only a few days left to go, the wait isn't long, and as such, in the days between we may get some crucial info about it. The Union Ministry of Human Resources and Development (HRD) has released a circular asking states and union territories to seek feedback from parents when they will be comfortable with reopening of schools. The Department of School Education and Literacy, which falls under HRD Ministry, has sent a circular also asking the expectations of parents from schools once they reopen. The Department of School Education and Literacy has directed education secretaries of all states and union territories to revert with the feedback by July 20. I am directed to refer to the subject matter with a request to furnish feedback of parents of school going children on the following points by 20.07.2020 (Monday) positively: i. What is the likely period when they will be comfortable with reopening of schools August / September / October, 2020 ii. What are the parents expectations from Schools as and when they reopen. iii. Any other feedback / remarks in this regard, the circular from the HRD ministry said. It may be recalled that all educational institutions across the country have been shut since March 24 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The extraordinary situation which has arisen due to the COVID-19 crisis has also forced the Centre to slash the school syllabus up to 30 per cent for students of classes 9 to 12. Justifying the decision, the HRD Ministry had said that courses will be rationalized to lighten the load of the students. The HRD ministry has been asking schools and colleges to adopt online teaching instead of classroom teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the HRD ministry issued guidelines for online classes by schools, and suggested that schools should impose a cap on duration and the number of sessions in a day for students. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:33:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 73 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including 66 local infections, bringing the total cases to 1,958 in Hong Kong. Out of the 66 local infections, 39 are related to previously confirmed cases, while the source of infection of the other 27 cases remained unknown, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch said at a media briefing on Monday afternoon. The seven imported cases involved persons with travel history to places such as the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan. Chuang said it is difficult at present to predict the epidemic situation in Hong Kong, calling on members of the public to avoid going out as much as possible. According to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, as of Monday noon, 1,302 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged from hospitals after recovery, while 562 confirmed patients are currently hospitalized in 14 hospitals, including 23 in critical condition and 13 in serious condition. Enditem Comet NEOWISE has been entertaining space enthusiasts across the Northern Hemisphere. Although its official name is C/2020 F3, the comet has been dubbed NEOWISE after the Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) space telescope that first noticed it earlier this year. This icy snowball with a gassy tail made its closest approach to the sun on July 3 and is now heading back from whence it came: the far reaches of the outer solar system. Its long, looping orbit around our star ensures that after passing closest to Earth on July 22, Comet NEOWISE will not return for some 6,800 years. Even though the comet is now bright enough to observe with unaided eyes, inexperienced stargazers might have trouble knowing when and where to look. Scientific American spoke to Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, for observing tips and a better appreciation of why comets are so special. How does one prepare to watch Comet NEOWISE with the naked eye? Find the darkest possible swath of sky and make sure your eyes are adjusted so that you give yourself the best possible opportunity to see faint objects. It means: dont just walk outside after staring at lights or screens and expect to see [the comet] really well. You need 15 minutes or so to adjust your eyes, so that your pupils are adjusted, and theyre used to seeing fainter things. Its the same as walking into a dark room, and everybody knows that [you] cant see [things] firstand then, all of a sudden, you start seeing things. You need to do the same thing when you walk outside. And use the Comet NEOWISE app developed by astrophysicist Hanno Rein of University of Toronto Scarborough to see exactly where it is, so that you know what direction you need to look. And then the key would be to find yourself a place that is the darkest possible, that [has] no lights. Which direction should one look? [The comet] appears [in the evening] in the northwestern sky. But the easiest thing is [to use] the app to help you [find it]. When is the best time to watch? Were going to catch [the comet] in the evening sky. Were calling it primetime viewing, which is when the sun has just set. Will Comet NEOWISE be brightest when its closest to us? Well, its a trade-off. When [the object is] closer to the sun, its getting heated up. And so its brighter because its outgassing [warming so that its ice turns to vapor], and its got the light reflecting off of [the gas]. [But] you couldnt really see it [earlier], when it was in the glare of the sun. And when its closer to us, it gets brighter, because of [the decrease in] distance. Something thats closer to you is going to be easier to see, even if its fainter. Would we be able to see the comet in megacities such as New York and Los Angeles? I have seen shots [from] residential areas in L.A. And I cant believe that people saw the thing through the light pollution in L.A., which I would have thought would be worse than [in] New York City. What I often advise people during meteor showers, which are similar in some ways, is to go to rooftops. A rooftop can give you a very clear view to the horizon, and itll let you get away from light pollution. Upper Manhattans Inwood Hill Park is always an excellent spot for low light pollution in [New York City], or toward the piers on the West Side. New Jersey is not so bad with light pollution when youre looking in that [northwestern] direction. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum used to have an excellent spot for stargazing on [its] platform. And amateur astronomers used to go to the High Line [in the neighborhood of Chelsea]thats a nice darkish area. Does it matter where in the U.S. youre located? [Your location] will change how high above the horizon [the comet] gets for you. But because this is Northern Hemisphereaccessible, the U.S. has a visibility window thats excellent for the country. Ive seen the shots from New York to California to Florida. Would someone be able to take a good picture using a smartphone? Your best [bet is] to have [a smartphones camera] on a longer exposure. The longer the exposure, the better the picture, because [the comet] is faint, and you will see it as this fuzzy thing. Your eye cant quite do that for you. You make your eye open, but it can't record the photons and let them accumulate, and thats what the camera is able to do. What is the comet going to do next? [After] July 22, it gets dimmer and dimmer as it gets farther from Earth. And it very quickly becomes something that you cannot see with your naked eye, even on the clearest night. But [with] binoculars or a telescope, well still be good for seeing it for a while. Then it goes off to the outer part of the solar system, and itll be gone for a couple thousand years before it makes the trip back. It has a long orbit around the sun; most comets do. It takes them hundreds or thousands of years in order to go around the sun. They [mostly] hang out in the outer part of the solar system. Why should anyone care about comets? If you could capture the comet and bring it back down to Earth and study it in a lab, you would have one of the holy grails for understanding the ingredients to make a planetand possibly to make it habitable. Like, How did life get delivered here? Comets are one of the things we look to for answers. Theyve got all that primordial material that was around to form the planet that would become Earthbeing filled with water and have life teeming on it. So from that perspective, a comet is a really important object to study. But we cant capture it and bring it back down here. Weve attempted to land on a comet before. We did this with Comet 67P. It was a European mission, and the whole thing was called Rosetta, with this Philae lander. [Now] we have a really cool mission called OSIRIS-REx. And this is a mission to an asteroid called Bennu that is going to land, acquire a sample and return it to Earth, which is awesome and crazy. Comets were often markersomensbefore we understood what they were. Thats how people saw themthe bearers of good things, the bearers of bad things. I find it fascinating that in this year 2020 we have a marker in the sky. And its a reminder that we should look up more. We should pay attention to the sky [and what] it brings us. Can we predict the next naked-eye-exciting comet, the one thats going to come in and wow us all the way that NEOWISE is wowing us right now? There are some that are lining up that will make a good appearancesuch as Halleys Comet, for instance. That orbit is like 80 years or something. So we know when [that comet is] coming; we know when its going. But [what] you want to know is: Is there going to be one next year? Is there going to be one next month? Unfortunately, comets are just unpredictable, erratic beasts. You dont know whats going to happen to them as they get close to the sun. Sometimes they just break apart. Comets are notoriously unpredictable. So I can't tell you the next one. The NEOWISE space telescope is monitoring the sky, looking for these kinds of things. And there are several different surveys that are on the lookout for objects that are going to come close to Earth. But who knows when they will find them. That is the beauty of science: scientists are looking at the data every day and trying to find something. In May 2020 the U.S. Navy successfully tested a more powerful (150KW) SSL-TM (Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation) LWSD (Laser Weapon System Demonstrator) against a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). The LWSD brought down the UAV via damage inflicted by the powerful laser beam. Damage was not inflicted instantly. Like other laser weapons, it can take a second or more of the laser beam focused on one spot to do significant damage. A little mentioned reason for the success of current laser weapons are improved fire control systems that can keep the beam (or multiple beams) on the target long enough to disable or destroy. The LWSD has been in development since 2015 and from the beginning sought to create a workable high-power solid-state laser. That was accomplished and, while each shot from the LWSD costs whatever a few liters (a gallon) of fuel goes for, most warships cannot supply large enough quantities of electrical power in a short time to keep several LWSD type weapons blasting away at UAVs, small hostile boats or slow-moving anti-ship missiles. The video of the LWSD showed a large UAV being literally burned by the laser for several seconds until the UAV lost structural integrity and went down. A new generation of warships are being built that are basically all-electric with the engines supplying electricity for propulsion, ship sensors and other systems as well as capacitor (fast discharge batteries) systems that allow repeated firing of laser and other electromagnetic weapons. For example, the U.S. Air Force has developed and tested two AUD (Anti UAV Defense) systems that use strong microwave electronic transmissions to disrupt the electronics in UAVs and cause them to crash. The air force has tested two such weapons which differ mainly in terms of range and price. The system closest to combat zone use is THOR (Tactical High-Power Microwave Operational Responder), which is a $10 million system that is shipped in and used from a standard 40-foot shipping container. The container can be hauled around on a flatbed truck or placed on the ground. Inside the container is a microwave transmitter that looks like a large satellite dish mounted on a base that can quickly rotate the dish to face the threat and transmit a short burst of microwave energy. Range of THOR has not been revealed but, based on work already done on directed energy systems and the fact that THOR is powered by a generator that is also in the shipping container, the effective range is probably not more than a few hundred meters. The microwave energy is sufficient to damage the electronics on commercial UAVs used by Islamic terrorists to carry swarm attacks on military bases in Syria. Such attacks have frequently been used against a Russian airbase in western Syria, near the Mediterranean coast. The U.S. Air Force fears its bases, especially overseas, could be subject to similar attacks by commercial UAVs carrying small payloads of explosives and using GPS to guide the UAVs to a base where the explosives detonate and cause damage. Such attacks have been used successfully in Yemen by Shia rebels and in one case attacked a large military ceremony and caused a lot of casualties. The air force also has a longer-range system called CHIMERA (Counter-Electronic High-Power Microwave Extended-Range Air Base Air Defense) that has yet to undergo realistic testing. THOR has already downed groups of UAVs in tests and the air force wants to buy many systems for base defense in areas threatened by swarm attacks. The microwave energy systems used by THOR and CHIMERA are similar to the EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) weapons developed since the 1990s to destroy electronics in general. Since the 1950s it was known that the powerful EMP put out by nuclear weapon detonations could damage or destroy solid-state (transistors and microelectronics) devices over a wide area. Since the 1990s, devices using high-powered microwave (HPM) devices have been developed to create focused EMP on demand without all the nuclear blast and radioactivity. The most commonly mentioned device to generate HPM is the AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radars that are becoming standard equipment in modern warplanes. AESA is more reliable and, increasingly, no more expensive than the older mechanical (a small dish that moves around inside a dome) radar. AESA is also easier and cheaper to maintain, which makes a more expensive AESA cheaper, over its lifetime, than a cheaper (to buy) mechanically scanned radar. More and more nations (including China and Russia) are manufacturing AESA radars and equipping their ships and aircraft with this stuff. All these nations are also manufacturing or developing EMP bombs that could be used to sabotage military bases or civilian facilities. For a long time, EMP was believed to be an unlikely threat because you needed a nuclear war to create EMP. Naturally, the blast and radiation damage from the nukes was seen as more of a threat than EMP. But now that has changed. The older U.S. Navy 30 KW LaWS (Laser Weapon System) has been around for over a decade, was installed on one amphibious ship for several years and was to be installed on several more if it could improve its range and power. This testing began in 2013 when the navy announced that it had developed a laser technology capable of being useful in combat. This was not a sudden development but had been going on for most of the last decade. In 2010 the navy successfully tested this new laser weapon, which is actually six solid-state lasers acting in unison, to destroy a small UAV. LaWS was not yet powerful enough to do this at the range, and power level, required to cripple the most dangerous targets; missiles and small boats. The manufacturer convinced the navy that it was just a matter of tweaking the technology to get the needed effectiveness. In 2013 another test was run, under more realistic conditions. LaWS worked again, knocking down a larger UAV at a longer range. At that point, the navy said it planned to install the system in a warship within the year for even more realistic testing. Those tests took place in 2014 and were successful enough to install LaWS on at least one warship to be used to deliver warnings (at low power) while at full strength (30 kilowatts) the laser could kill people and damage or destroy UAVs. LWSD, from another manufacturer, solved the high-power laser problems first but is still limited by the inability of supplying enough power to keep the laser firing long enough during combat situations. The LaWS laser cannon was mounted on a KINETO Tracking Mount, which is similar, but larger (and more accurate), than the mount used by the Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapons System). The navy laser weapon tests used the radar and tracking system of the CIWS. Back in 2009 CIWS was upgraded so that its sensors could detect speedboats, small aircraft, and naval mines. This was crucial because knocking down UAVs is not something that the navy needs help with. But the ability to do enough damage to disable boats or missiles that are over two kilometers distant meant the LaWS was worth mounting on a warship. LWSD could use the same KINETO Tracking Mount but would not be much more effective unless there was sufficient electrical power available on a sustained basis to keep the system firing. LaWS proved capable of working under simulated combat conditions. These included disabling a ScanEagel UAV, destroying an RPG rocket and burning out the outboard engine of a speed boat. LaWS also proved useful in detecting small boats or aerial objects at night and in bad weather. LaWS worked despite the mist and light sand storms, though in heaver sand storms performance was much reduced. In 2018 LaWS was moved to a large amphibious ship for continued testing and two more LaWS are being built, for delivery and installation on two more ships before the end of 2020. The manufacturer continues to work on extending the range and increasing damage inflicted on targets. LaWS uses less than a dollars worth of electricity provided by a diesel generator separate from the ship power supply. In other words, LaWS is still a work in progress as are other electronic cannon type weapons. LaWS and LWSD seem to be going in the same direction as the Israeli Laser Dome with similar but less effective tech. The Israeli laser system is light enough to be mounted in warplanes or large UAVs. Hopes are once higher that Laser Dome will prove that the long-awaited future tech has finally arrived. Believe it when you see it. Laser systems like this have been in development elsewhere for a long time, but so far no one has been able to develop a laser with the range and destructive power to perform like some new Israeli systems. Two Israeli firms are developing laser weapons to complement the existing Iron Dome system that uses missiles and an innovative radar/software system that ignores ballistic, rockets or mortar shell whose trajectory would mean hitting unoccupied land where there will be no injuries or serious damage. Most objects fired at Israel end up landing in unoccupied areas and the few objects that are dangerous are intercepted by missiles. This has proved very effective. Elbit and Rafael (the developer of Iron Dome) are actually working together to create a laser weapon for use with existing Iron Dome systems. This Laser Dome is described as using a solid-state electric laser at an effective range of 5,000 meters. Unlike missile-based systems, the cost of bringing down each target is several dollars worth of electricity. A diesel generator/capacitor system can fire once every few seconds for as long as power is available. Laser Dome combines multiple laser beams to obtain a useful amount of laser power at longer ranges. Fire control systems for quickly, accurately and repeatedly aiming a laser have already been developed. The main problem has long been obtaining effective burn (laser bean-created heat) at longer ranges to do enough damage to bring down or destroy the incoming warhead. Israel believes Laser Dome has sufficient burn power but realistic tests are needed to prove it. If Laser Dome works, several individual systems could operate with each Iron Dome battery to take down targets the laser can reach rather than use the $60,000 Iron Dome missiles. Iron Dome would continue to take care of longer-range targets. This would make Iron Dome a lot cheaper to operate and more effective against mass attacks when dozens of rockets are fired at the same target in a short time. Some of the tech Laser Dome concepts have already been used in other laser weapons. One of these is Iron Beam from another Israeli firm (Raphael). Iron Beam uses a single HEL (High Energy Laser), requires more power and has a range of 7,000 meters. Another HEL example is the U.S. Army CLWS (Compact Laser Weapon System) which is currently only capable of handling UAVs. CLWS is a laser weapon light enough (2.2 tons) to mount on helicopters or hummers and can destroy small UAVs up to 2,000 meters away, while it can disable or destroy the sensors (vidcams) on a UAV up to 7,000 meters away. The CLWS fire control system will automatically track and keep the laser firing on a selected target. It can take up to 15 seconds of laser fire to bring down a UAV or destroy its camera. This is the tech that Laser Dome claims to have improved enough to destroy UAVs with one shot and at longer ranges. Nearly half a century of engineering work has produced thousands of improvements, and a few breakthroughs, in making the lasers more powerful, accurate, and lethal. More efficient energy storage has made it possible to use lighter, shorter range, ground-based lasers effective against smaller targets like mortar shells and short-range rockets. American and Israeli companies are still trying to produce ground and airborne lasers that can successfully operate under combat conditions. The big problem with anti-missile airborne lasers has always been the power supply. A lot of chemicals are needed to generate sufficient power for a laser that can reach out for hundreds of kilometers and do sufficient damage to a ballistic missile. To be effective the airborne laser needs sufficient power to get off several shots. So far, no one has been able to produce such a weapon. Shorter range solid-state lasers need lots of electricity. This is difficult for aircraft or ground troops but not for properly equipped ships. That's why these lasers remain "the weapon of the future" and will probably remain so for a while. A Ho Circuit Court has sentenced two notorious armed robbers to a total of 46 years imprisonment in hard labour. Emmanuel Courage Banitsi, a 22-year old phone repairer, and Daniel Yeboah, 19, unemployed, were arrested in separate incidents and both were convicted on their own plea of charges including robbery and stealing during which some victims were raped. Banitsi had been granted bail by the same court for his involvement in a previous robbery incident. Meanwhile, Police have arrested Banitsi's accomplices, Bismark Azumah, who pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been remanded in Police custody while Prince Adu another accomplice is on the run, on the same charges. The Court presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor, heard that the convicts, who operated mostly in the Ho Municipality, broke into homes and robbed victims at gunpoint. According to the Police some of the victims were also forced to reveal the PIN codes of their digital money wallets. The Court sentenced Banatsi to 33 years in prison, while Yeboah sentenced to 13 years in prison, while trial continued for other robberies and stealing charges. Mr Prince Dogbatse, Police Volta Regional Public Relations Officer later told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that such activities were on the rise in the Municipality, and that the Command had reviewed its operational strategies to nib them in the bud. GNA Sometimes things just dont work out the way that they were originally planned to. When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex got married, most people envisioned seeing them carrying out royal duties for years to come, however, it didnt exactly happen that way. Even before they were officially husband and wife, the couple was taking backlash from critics and the media. Meghan, in particular, came under fire for many things, getting bashed in the tabloids for everything from her American background to her family issues. The Sussexes took quite a few steps in order to try to remedy the problem, moving to Windsor, England to escape the spotlight of London and even asking for the privacy that they wanted. They didnt find what they were looking for, and it almost seems that after their son, Archie Harrison was born, things got even more intense for them. Before anyone knew what was happening, Meghan and Prince Harry made the shocking announcement that they were stepping down as senior royals, and moving out of the United Kingdom. From American actress to British royalty RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Alarming Vice Shocked and Disappointed Royals Like William, Kate and Queen Elizabeth Meghan has had a pretty extraordinary life. She achieved her dream of becoming a successful actress, getting her big break as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits. In addition to this, she was an advocate for womens rights and a humanitarian for years, never hesitating to speak out about the causes that she strongly believed in. According to Town & Country, it was in 2016 that Meghan was introduced to Prince Harry on a blind date, and the two of them were instantly smitten with each other. After a few months of carrying on a long-distance relationship, Meghan made the move across the pond to London to live with Prince Harry at Kensington Palace. It was in November 2017 that the couple announced their engagement to the world and in May 2018, and the anticipation and excitement over the upcoming royal wedding began. Meghan and Prince Harry married in May 2018, and the new duchess found herself living a brand-new life as a senior member of one of the worlds most famous families. Stepping down from royal duties There is no denying the fact that royal life is overwhelming. During her years as an actress, Meghan led a pretty quiet life despite being famous in her own right. When she became a royal, the attention was more intense than she ever could have imagined, and the tabloids were brutal. In one interview, the duchess even admitted that she wasnt finding royal life to be fair, and millions of fans could clearly see that she was struggling. Things got so bad, in fact, that Prince Harry released several statements in defense of his wife, saying that he feared for her safety. The harassment continued to escalate and at the beginning of 2020, the Sussexes surprised everyone when they announced that they were splitting from the royal family. Meghan Markle has had a big change since leaving royal life Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Mark Large Pool/Getty Images Now that Meghan and Prince Harry are living in LA and no longer carrying out royal duties, they have so much more freedom than they had before. They no longer have to worry about royal rules and protocol, and we can only imagine how good it must feel for them. So, what is the big sartorial change that Meghan has had since leaving royal life? According to Insider, her style, although still impeccable, has changed significantly. The duchess was recently seen in a $76 summer linen dress, and it was a far cry from her royal wardrobe of tailored outfits and designer labels. How wonderful it is that Meghan can be more relaxed and carefree, and we have to say that we are loving her new look. The long heat wave in the northern region will end on July 20 as rains and rainstorms spread until July 22. Rains and rainstorms will spread in the northern region. The northwest area and Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen provinces will have 50-150mm of rainfall per 24 hours. There may be hail and cyclone during the storms. The rains will mostly occur at night and early morning and last until July 22. Because of the rains, floods with an amplitude of 2-4 metres have also been forecasted on the Red River and Thai Binh River. Warnings over flash floods and landslides in the mountainous provinces of Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Ha Giang have been raised. The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has asked the locality authorities to monitor the situation and issue guidance timely. The long heatwave in the north ended on July 20. The average temperatures are around 32 to 35 degrees. The temperatures in the mountainous areas are 30-33 degrees. However, another heatwave will begin on July 23 as the temperatures are set to rise to 37 degrees. In the central region, the heatwave that started on July 6 is still ravaging the area. The temperatures from Nghe An to Quang Tri provinces are 35-39 degrees. Provinces and cities from Danang to Binh Thuan have the average temperatures of 33-36 degrees. The UV index in Danang stays at 8-10 which threatens the health of the travellers. The Central Highlands and the southern region will still have rains at night. The highest temperatures in the Central Highlands are 29-32 degrees and 31-34 degrees in the southern region. Dtinews/Tien Phong McEachin reached out directly to a Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter who witnessed the incident, but the newspaper declined to give a voluntary statement to authorities. Several people on bikes had formed a blockade at the entrance of the traffic circle on Monument Avenue where it intersects with North Allen Avenue at the Lee monument, for hours leading up to the encounter. Around 9:30 p.m., as the SUV slowly approached, more joined. The report does not say why the SUV approached the crowd, but said the mood of the crowd changed as the officers got closer to the monument. The protesters deliberately created a standoff with the police, the report said. Given a volatile situation and limited options, the police chose to leave the scene to avoid a face-to-face confrontation with the protesters who were blocking the street. The videos show the SUV slowly reversing while blowing its horn and then slowly turning right, away from the protesters, and going onto the grassy area where there are no people at that time. Starting from July 17, the national air carrier of Azerbaijan will start to perform special flights on the Baku-Berlin-Baku route. Flights will be operated once per week until August 28 (on Fridays). Tickets will be sold subject to special conditions. Passengers holding permanent or temporary residence in Germany (including students) as well as citizens of the EU countries can fly by the Baku-Berlin flights. Citizens of Azerbaijan and other states holding permit for permanent residence in the Republic of Azerbaijan are allowed on the Berlin-Baku flights. Tickets can be purchased on the official website of the airline (www.azal.az). When purchasing economy class tickets, Azerbaijani students studying abroad can take advantage of a 30% discount. The procedure for obtaining discounts on the website can be found at https://youtu.be/HylsY0m9cEM using the example of the Istanbul-Baku flight. To recap, only passengers tested negative for coronavirus (COVID-19) will be allowed to board the flights. The following is the list of laboratories accredited by the Management Union of the Medical Territorial Unit (TABIB) where passengers can be tested for COVID-19 without a doctors referral: - Referans Clinical Laboratory Centre; - Leyla Medical Centre; - Memorial Clinic; - Bona Dea International Hospital; - Inci Laboratories; - Center for Control of Particularly Dangerous Infections; - Caspian International Hospital; - UltraLab. If 48 hours before departure passengers are issued certificates being in compliance with the requirements of Germany (https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Transport/BMG_Merkblatt_Reisende_Tab.html) or are tested negative at laboratory upon arrival, they wont have to self-isolate for two weeks. Passengers in Germany and other EU member states must pass the COVID-19 test at one of the medical facilities of their country of stay properly accredited and authorized to conduct the above test. Information on these medical institutions located in Germany is available at the following website (https://www.meinbdl.de/coronavirus) and the relevant information about EU member states can be obtained on the website of the formal structures of these countries. As previously reported, on flights operated during the COVID-19 pandemic, special rules will apply both at the airport of departure and arrival and on board the aircraft. Azerbaijan Airlines prepared a video instruction available on YouTube. 20.07.2020 LISTEN The special monitoring mission of the International Human Rights Commission in Ghana is calling on Ghanas minister for foreign affairs and regional integration Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway to make conscientious effort to settle the rising tension between the two Ecowas nations. Ghana and Nigeria have been good neighbors over the time and issues of such will give room for other human rights violations and subsequently affect trade and other bilateral relationships. Quite recently, a group of people demolished a bungalow belonging to the Nigerian Consulate which was in violation of the Vienna convention of diplomacy which got the whole world talking. On Friday 17th of July 2020, another shooting and killing of one Precious Akpabilon who was married to a Ghanaian lady by name Mary Boye with a month old baby at Kasoa BUDUMBURAN in the Central region of ghana was recorded which drew a large number of Nigerian youths beseeching the Police station demanding instant justice The Regional Volunteers Coordinator for the Special Monitoring Mission of the International Human Rights Commission in Ghana Amb. Bernard Kofi Bonaparte is calling for calm as the Police administration have issued its official statement on the matter as investigations are ongoing The Special Monitoring Mission is also calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to initiate drastic move in settling the rising tension between these two west African neighbors. In last months secret special session, the New Mexico Legislature mandated all law enforcement agencies to utilize body-worn cameras. The Legislature made the decision without ever hearing from law enforcement or considering alternatives to its new statute. It overlooked one basic truth known since the times of King Solomon: The person who tells their side of a story seems right until someone else comes and asks questions. Had I been asked about a bill requiring body-worn cameras, I would have advised legislators to look at those cameras far more carefully than they did. Here are some of the questions I would have asked: How is law enforcement supposed to balance an individuals right to privacy with a requirement that every call for service or investigation be recorded? For example, must the horrific stories of abuse victims be put on camera and eventually made publicly available? Should a battered spouses trauma be recorded, potentially in violation of her or his medical privacy rights, and then maintained in a public database for all to see? Most importantly, what gives the state the right to abuse citizens privacy? What is the real cost of requiring body-worn cameras? Have you considered data storage costs can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars for even a small agency and millions for a larger agency? Did you add in the cost of repairs, technicians, data clerks, production and other recurring costs? Did you account for the legal fees that will have to be paid if a file is not adequately preserved every time? How are cash-strapped law enforcement agencies supposed to pay for the cameras, the data storage and the people responsible for complying with this law? I might have reminded them the New Mexico Constitution states a statute requiring local governments to provide services beyond which they are already required to provide is unlawful unless the state provides sufficient new funding to pay for the new activity. I would have pointed out that this bill provides absolutely no funding for local governments to carry out this new law. Are the body-worn cameras developed 10 to 15 years ago appropriate for todays policing needs? I would have pointed out there is far better technology, which interfaces with other computer equipment a law enforcement officer maintains in his or her vehicle, that pinpoints an officers location in real time and provides for more efficient supervision and assistance to officers in the field. But perhaps most importantly, I would have asked: Do body-worn cameras truly work? George Mason Universitys Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy looked at 70 empirical studies of body-worn cameras and concluded they have not had statistically significant or consistent effects on most measures of officer and citizen behavior or citizens view of police. If body-worn cameras do not work, then I would be honored to participate in a discussion of what combinations of technology, services, programs and trainings could work. A discussion and an open sharing of ideas is needed so law enforcement can better protect and serve, rather than closed-door legislating and knee-jerk reactions based on a desire for a quick fix rather than reason. My door remains open. We will continue to be candid with the public. I was elected into office and sworn to an oath an oath that carried with it the charge to uphold the Constitution. I will continue to serve the people and be watchful by guarding against any possible government abuse. My gratitude and loyalty are to all people; I will not compromise their rights for the sake of doing something that is politically correct. What was the real purpose of legislating body-worn cameras on law enforcement officers? A lawyer who along with his wife pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their St. Louis mansion has lashed out at the city's top prosecutor after charges were filed against the couple. Mark McCloskey and his wife Patricia were charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during the racial injustice protest June 28. McCloskey accused St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of siding with 'criminals' in an appearance on on Fox News Monday night. The white couple have claimed the protesters were trespassing on private property. Mark McCloskey (pictured on Fox News Monday night) accused St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of siding with 'criminals,' after he and his wife were charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest June 28 Mark and Patricia McCloskey (pictured) have claimed the protesters, who were marching in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, were trespassing on private property 'The circuit attorney has apparently decided that her job as a prosecutor isn't to keep us safe from criminals but to help keep criminals safe from us,' McCloskey said on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Gardner, who announced the charges to the Associated Press Monday, said it is 'illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner - that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis.' She is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if the McCloskeys are convicted. Typically, class E felonies could result in up to four years in prison. Gardner, who announced the charges against the McCloskeys to the Associated Press Monday, called it 'illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner - that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis.' Gardner declined to answer when asked why Missouri's 'Castle Doctrine', which allows homeowners to defend their intruders, did not apply to the McCloskeys. The prosecutor's move was called 'outrageous' by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Parson, who co-authored the doctrine law while in the state Legislature. As the governor mentioned his displeasure with the prosecutor in a tweet Monday, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt had already moved to take legal action to dismiss the decision. Schmitt, who revealed to Fox News that he had filed a brief Monday to throw out Gardner's decision, told the cable news network that 'the right to keep and bear arms is given the highest level of protection in our constitution and our laws, including the Castle Doctrine.' The state attorney general explained in a statement to Fox News that the doctrine law, 'provides broad rights to Missourians who are protecting their property and lives from those who wish to do them harm'. As Parson tweeted his disapproval over Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's decision to prosecute Mark and Patricia McCloskey, State Attorney General Eric Schmitt (right) was already taking legal steps to have the move dismissed The prosecutor's move was called 'outrageous' by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in a tweet he wrote Monday 'Despite this, Circuit Attorney Gardner filed suit against the McCloskeys, who, according to published reports, were defending their property and safety. As Missouri's Chief law enforcement officer, I won't stand by while Missouri law is being ignored,' Schmitt said in the brief, which requests an immediate dismissal. An attorney for the McCloskeys, Joel Schwartz, in a statement called the decision to charge the couple 'disheartening as I unequivocally believe no crime was committed.' Supporters of the McCloskeys, both personal injury lawyers in their 60s, have agreed the couple were legally defending their $1.15 million home. Photos and video footage emerged from the incident, generating memes on both sides of the gun debate. Around 300 protesters made their way into the closed-off community and marched in front of the property. The couple said they were defending their home Parson was among several Republican leaders who blasted Gardner's investigation, including President Donald Trump, and Sen. Josh Hawley, who urged Attorney General William Barr to undertake a civil rights investigation of Gardner. Gardner said Trump, Parson and others are attacking her to distract from 'their failed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic' and other issues. St. Louis, like many cities across the country, has seen demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyd's police-related death in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. The McCloskeys' neighborhood ended up getting caught up in one of the demonstrations as marchers passed through on June 28. Several hundred people at the time were marching to the home of Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson, a few blocks from the McCloskeys' home. Krewson had angered activists by reading on Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police. The McCloskeys, who live on a private street called Portland Place, heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with 'No Trespassing' and 'Private Street' signs, according to a police report. A protest leader, the Rev. Darryl Gray, said the gate was open and that protesters didn't damage it. Video posted online showed Mark McCloskey wielding a long-barreled gun and Patricia McCloskey waving a small handgun. No shots were fired. On July 10 the McCloskeys' home was searched, and Mr McCloskey's AR-15 assault rifle was seized. Arrangements were also made to turn over the handgun wielded by Mrs McCloskey. In a seperarte interview with Fox News on Saturday, McCloskey expressed pride in his wife for her gun wielding actions. 'I was always surprised to see her out there facing off [the] welfare crowd,' he said. 'I grabbed my rifle and I was standing up on the porch - and all of a sudden I see her in the front yard with our pistol in her hand. What a woman.' Trump spoke by phone with Parson last week to criticize Gardner's investigation. Parson also had said that the McCloskeys 'had every right to protect their property.' Mark McCloskey appeared on Fox News on Saturday to discuss the July 10 raid on his home and said about his wife, 'I was always surprised to see her out there facing off [the] welfare crowd' The couple's attorney Schwartz said the McCloskeys 'support the First Amendment right of every citizen to have their voice and opinion heard. This right, however, must be balanced with the Second Amendment and Missouri law, which entitle each of us to protect our home and family from potential threats.' Another attorney for the couple, Albert Watkins, has said they grabbed their guns when two or three white protesters threatened the couple, their property and that of their neighbors. Gardner, St. Louis' first Black circuit attorney, has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016. Most notably, her office charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped, but Greitens resigned in June 2018. A private investigator Gardner hired to investigate the claims against Greitens was later indicted for perjury for allegedly lying during a deposition. His case is pending. Gardner also has butted heads with police leaders, especially after she developed an 'exclusion list' of more than two dozen officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns. The move angered Police Chief John Hayden, who also is Black. In January, Gardner filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city, the police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit also accused 'entrenched interests' of intentionally impeding her efforts to change racist practices. Several Black leaders in St. Louis have expressed support for Gardner, including Democratic U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, who has said protesters 'should never be subject to the threat of deadly force, whether by individuals or by the police.' Britain's oldest postmistress, who has managed the same Post Office branch for 60 years, is celebrating turning 93. Kay White began working at Claverley Post Office, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, during the Second World War in 1941 when she was just 14. She became postmistress in 1960 aged 33 but even now Ms White has no plans on retiring. Ms White, who has never married and has no children, said: 'I am the oldest postmistress or master in the country. I started working here when I was 14. Kay White began working at Claverley Post Office, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, during the Second World War in 1941 when she was just 14 'I have never wanted to do anything else. I was born here and lived here all my life.' The previous owner Ernest Jones died in the early 1970s and left the branch and housing above it in his will for Ms White. Her niece Ann Madeley started working with her in 1992 and has been in the same role ever since. Ms White added: 'We had to close for 10 weeks in lockdown. I had never had to close it for anything else so it was a shame. 'It is a shame this pandemic stopped me from working on my 60th anniversary and doing what I thoroughly enjoy doing. Ms White is pictured working as a postmistress when she was younger. She became postmistress aged 33 in 1960 'I serve the community and keep in touch with the villagers.' Ms White has been recognised for outstanding work in the community and was given an MBE in the New Years Honours in 2010. Despite being busy with the Post Office, Ms White also spent 38 years on the Parish Council, ran the Sunday school at All Saints Church for more than 20 years and founded the local Women's Institute. Ms White said: 'I was awarded the MBE for my services to the Post Office and the community itself. Ms White has been recognised for outstanding work in the community and was given an MBE in the New Years Honours in 2010 'I just love the community here. The village is beautiful. It has changed over the times, of course. 'I still like our VE Day celebrations here. It is a very pretty village with black and white buildings and a lovely church. It is a very nice place to live. I wouldnt want to live anywhere else.' Post Office area manager Adam Shillcock visited the branch this week to mark Ms White's birthday with some presents, including a large bouquet of flowers and a framed plaque. Ms White has been working at the branch in Claverley for 78 years and has been postmistress for 60 years Ms White is determined to continue her work for some years yet. She said: 'If I retire, there will be no one to carry on running this Post Office. I dont think Ill retire. Ill keep on going for the community.' Mr Shillcock has let Ms White know she has been nominated as a local hero in the Post Office's 'We're Stronger Together' regional awards. It will recognise the efforts made by postmasters and postmistresses across the region to keep branches open during the Covid-19 pandemic and serve their local community. She said she doesn't think she'll retire and she'll keep on going for the community He said: 'I have nominated Kay for special Covid-19 service recognition as although the branch was closed due to the pandemic in its early stages, it reopened its doors on June 1 much to the delight of the local community. 'Kays commitment to support her community has seen her rack up 78 years working at the branch in Claverley and 60 years as the postmistress. A truly phenomenal feat.' Post Office chief executive Nick Read said: 'I want to congratulate Kay White, our oldest postmaster, for achieving 60 years as postmistress for Claverley. What a remarkable achievement. 'Kay and her niece, Ann, who run the Post Office are much loved and appreciated by the village and by myself and colleagues in our area team, who are amazed and impressed by Kay who is still enjoying serving customers.' Officials in a western Illinois city have told a homeowner that the vibrant colors on her familys rainbow-striped house can stay despite an earlier order that she repaint the residence. Moline city officials said Thursday in a hand-delivered letter to Taylor Berg that she does not have to paint over the broad purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red horizontal stripes that run top to bottom down her two-story wood-frame house, the Quad-City Times reported. The same colors are vertical on the homes picket fence. The city told Berg earlier this month that she had until July 21 to repaint her house a color similar to other houses on the block or face a fine of up to $750 a day. Berg created an online petition for support which went viral. By Thursday afternoon, the petition had nearly 17,000 signatures, some from countries as far away as Malaysia and Australia, according to the newspaper. Moline Mayor Mayor Stephanie Acri said Friday that the code Berg was cited for was meant for development of new homes, not existing structures. Berg said she didnt think the colors would offend anyone. She has two sons, ages 5 and 10, who helped paint the house. Her 10-year-old son has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal and deaf. 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. I always stress to my kids that its OK to be different and to accept people who are different, she added. Variety is the spice of life. What a dull world it would be if we all looked the same. Congress leader Rahul Gandhis critique of the Modi government, blaming foreign policy lapses and a weakened economy for Chinas aggression, saw External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar defending his turf with all the firepower he could muster. The erudite bureaucrat-turned-foreign minister is not known to be impulsive, but 10 quickfire tweets in response to one with a video clip from Rahul within a few hours had irritation and sarcasm written all over them. It showed the politician in him was in full bloom and highlighted his gift of repartee. It was also typical of the Modi government, wielding a bazooka like Terminator, especially against Rahul, when small arms fire would have served the purpose adequately. Rahul said the Nepalese are angry; Sri Lankans have given a port to the Chinese; and both Maldives and Bhutan are disturbed. Besides, Indias strategic partnerships with major powers have become transactional, he alleged. In response, the ministers punchlines at the end of each tweet bordered on mockery. His one-liners like ask the analysts (better relationships with major powers); ask the media (India speaking its mind more freely on slanted Chinese proposals); ask those who deal with it (understand chronology, Lanka gave Hambantota Port to China during UPA rule); ask households in Bhutan (better security and development ties); ask their citizens (engaging Nepal); ask our security (Bangladesh offering no sanctuary to terror); and ask yourself (Pakistan facing big Indian backlash on terror) in conclusion were delicious. Yet, it is the same analysts who have shared their worry over the cooling of bilateral relationship with Bangladesh (after CAA, NRC) and plummeting ties with Nepal (boundary dispute). Why, for instance, were we unable to stop Nepal from inserting three disputed territories in Uttarakhand into its map is a genuine question that requires elucidation. A subsequent Nepalese government rolling it back would be near impossible as it has been written into its constitution. On the Sino-Indian stand-off on the Ladakh border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the other day he cannot guarantee the situation will return to status quo ante through negotiations. How did we reach where we have? It is unfortunate Parliament is not functioning because of the pandemic. A Twitter war is no substitute for Parliamentary debate. By ANI KANPUR: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested gangster Vikas Dubey's aides, Jaykant Vajpayee and Prashant Shukla, for their alleged involvement in Kanpur encounter in which eight police personnel were killed. "Vikas Dubey had called Vajpayee on July 1, following which two accused met him the next day and offered Rs 2,00,000 and 25 revolvers. After the incident on July 3, they also helped him escape in three vehicles. However, due to police alertness, they decided to leave the vehicle on July 4," the police claimed in a press release. An FIR has been registered against them under multiple sections of the IPC, Criminal Law Amendment Act, and Arms Act. ALSO READ | Guns, girls and gangs: After the Vikas Dubey encounter, a look at how the dons of UP operate Dubey was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Ujjain on July 9. He was on the run and had come to the city to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple. Dubey was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police on July 10 after he "attempted to flee". The gangster was the main accused in the encounter that took place in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, in which a group of assailants opened fire on a police team, which had gone to arrest him. Eight police personnel were killed in the encounter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:46:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 7, 2020 shows a beehive in Abs district of Hajjah province, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed ALwafi/Xinhua) HAJJAH, Yemen, July 20 (Xinhua) -- As war raging on in northern Yemen, many beekeepers flee from a valley to another in searching for safe pastures. Ali Abkar and his relatives, with their beehive-laden trucks, arrived in this arid valley near the Red Sea in the northwestern Hajjah province, after they traveled miles to escape battles on the other side of the province. "We still face many risks and problems escaping the battles between the government forces and Houthis, as well as the problem of landmines," the 31-year-old Abkar told Xinhua. According to the United Nations, thousands of landmines, unexploded ordnance, and other explosive remnants of war have been left behind during the ongoing conflict in Yemen. "Last year, I lost more than 150 beehives after the area turned into a battleground," said Abkar while checking his wooden hives. Abkar has been in this business for 10 years, which is his family's livelihood. Three months ago, he left his family in Bani Hassan area in Abs district in northern Hajjah searching for safe pastures for the bees away from battle zones. "The situation before the war was good and there were no risks in moving from location to location, and the market is open to selling honey, whether in the local market or for export," said Abkar. The Yemeni honey, known for its purity and therapeutic benefits, has been hailed among the best in the world. "However, the purchasing power in the local market today has become very weak, and we are unable to export honey," he added. Yemen exported at least 900 tons of honey every year before the war, but exports have since declined by more than 50 percent, according to the non-governmental League of Yemeni Beekeepers. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in early 2015 to support Hadi's government. The more than five years of war and blockade have shattered Yemen's agricultural industry and pushed more than 20 million people to the brink of starvation, according to the UN aid agencie Kim Jong-un's Sister Moves to Position of 'Ultimate Power' Enabling Her to Stage Coup, Claims Expert Sputnik News 13:16 GMT 19.07.2020(updated 13:17 GMT 19.07.2020) Kim Yo-jong was thrown into the spotlight in April after Kim Jong-un's long absence from the public eye prompted rumours that he was overthrown in a coup led by his sister, who is believed to be next in line to run the country. Kim Jong-un's sister is being moved to a position of ultimate power that might enable her to displace the country's Supreme Leader, claims Roy Calley, an expert in North Korean affairs. Calley, who frequently visited Pyongyang and penned a book about one of the most secretive countries in the world, told the Daily Express that a recent report by US-based Daily NK, saying that Kim Yo-jong had become a full member of North Korea's politburo is highly significant. "It's always difficult to know how things work in Pyongyang, but experience suggests that the soft approach from the Supreme Leader no longer has favour", Calley said referring to Kim Yo-jong's recent statement that ruled out a summit between the US and North Korea this year. "Her stance is hard line and you could never imagine her having a cozy chat with Trump", he said. The expert further noted that the young woman's promotion could be linked to Kim Jong-un's health. "If he is still alive, which I still question - and she is edging closer to ultimate power. These things happen in North Korea for a reason. There is never an accidental way of government", Calley said. Professor James Hoare, from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, disagrees with Calley and noted it's not unusual in North Korea for an official other than the Supreme Leader to comment on important issues. "Senior Party and government leaders often do so, while others come from the MFA, Party, or organisational spokesmen. The KCNA [state-run] news agency often carries authorised statements. Under Kim Il-sung, first his brother and later Kim Jong-il often spoke in the leader's name", said James Hoare. At the same time, Professor Hoare agreed that Kim Jong-un's sister has become increasingly influential in recent months. At the beginning of June, South Korea's leading newspaper reported that Kim Yo-jong was put in charge of relations with Seoul. Several weeks later North Korea escalated tensions with its neighbour cutting off communication and blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office used as a de-facto embassy. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinas banking and insurance regulator said it was raising the cap on how much the countrys insurers can invest in equity assets, an effort trying to bring more long-term funds into the capital market. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said in an online statement late on Friday it will allow insurers to invest up to 45% of their total assets recorded at the end of the previous quarter in equity investments. Currently, China caps all insurance companies equity investment at 30% of their total assets. Investments will be capped at 10% of the total share capital of any single listed company, the regulator added. The official Shanghai Securities News said the move to raise the equity investment ceiling to 45% from 30% should introduce hundreds of billions of yuan to Chinas A-share market. Shanghai shares ended higher on Friday, but still suffered their worst weekly drop in five months, as Chinas better-than-expected GDP data fueled worries over the pace of policy easing, while foreign investors cashed in after a bull run. (Reporting by Winni Zhou and Brenda Goh; editing by Lincoln Fest.) Topics Carriers China Bills on holding elections in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Donbas have not yet been submitted for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Dmytro Razumkov said this at a reporting press conference on Monday, July 20, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Bills that would regulate elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas have not yet been submitted for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada. If we are talking about elections, and this is my personal position, I think that elections throughout the entire territory of a sovereign state must take place in accordance with a single law," Razumkov said. On July 15, the Verkhovna Rada adopted resolution No. 3809 scheduling regular local elections for October 25. In particular, according to the document, regular elections of deputies to local councils, as well as mayors of villages, towns, and cities, are scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2020. Regular elections are not held in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Also, regular elections to the Donetsk and Luhansk regional councils are not held due to the inability of these councils to represent the common interests of all communities in the regions. op YouTube has been asked to block a channel that has offensive content including a post against popular Tamil, Hindu hymn "Kanda Sashti Kavacham," Chennai police said on Monday. IMAGE: Giant statue of Lord Murugan at Batu Caves temple. Photograph: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters Against the backdrop of arrest of two men of the channel following complaints by the Bharatiya Janata Party's legal wing and Hindu outfits, police said cyber crime wing has written to the social media platform. "We have asked YouTube to block the Karuppar Kootam channel in view of the offensive contents including one against Kanda Sashti Kavacham," senior police officials said. The Central Crime Branch police team also conducted searches in the office of the Karuppar Kootam channel at T Nagar and sealed it days ago. The video post against the 'Kavacham' hymn, considered sacred and recited everyday by millions of Tamil Hindus seeking divine protection from Lord Murugan caused outrage and many people took to social media to register their protest and seek action. In thee post, the anchor Surendran alias 'Nathigan' (meaning atheist) allegedly gave vulgar and offensive interpretation to the centuries old hymn authored by a revered saint, Bala Devaraya Swami at the famed Chennimalai Sri Subramania Swamy temple near Erode in western Tamil Nadu. Besides Surendran, another man Senthilvasan ofthe channel was also arrested and the duo are in judicial custody. The nearly 9,000-square-foot home expands to a waterfront patio with a boat dock and lift. (Raif Fluker) In Tampa, Fla., a waterfront home once owned by Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has traded hands for $9.1 million. Located on man-made Davis Islands, the property is the highest sale this year in the Tampa area, records show. It's also $2.825 million more than Steinbrenners former wife, Christina Lavery, sold it for in 2017, records show. Davis Islands is home to about 5,500 residents and plenty of big names. Derek Jeters 30,000-square-foot estate sits nearby, and its currently being leased by Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March. Steinbrenners old place is smaller, clocking it at nearly 9,000 square feet with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Approached by a motor court, it features a sleek white exterior that opens to a two-story foyer. Inside, main-level living spaces boast hardwood floors, paneled walls and views of the water. Other highlights include a movie theater, wine cellar and master suite with a private lanai. Above it all, a spiral staircase ascends to a rooftop deck. An entertainers space with a swimming pool, spa, lounge, boat dock and lift finishes off the property out back. Steinbrenner, 50, serves as owner, managing general partner and chairman of the New York Yankees after inheriting the team from his father, George Steinbrenner, who died in 2010. Forbes puts the Steinbrenner familys net worth at $3.8 billion. Another home he once owned, a custom Mediterranean on the coast of Old Tampa Bay, hit the market for $2.099 million last year. Anne Mullis and Cindy Richards of Smith & Associates Real Estate held the listing. Carol Pooley and Michelle DiGiore of Premier Sothebys International Realty represented the buyer. WASHINGTON - Metro will ramp up transit service in August, operating at about 70% capacity to address an expected increase in ridership driven by the return of federal workers to offices and the possible reopening of District of Columbia schools. Metro, which has been operating at historic lows because of the coronavirus pandemic, will add more cars to service Aug. 16, and Metrobus will expand its routes Aug. 23. The increase was scheduled as part of Metro's phased recovery plan, but it is being driven by businesses that have resumed operation and the federal government's push to get its workforce back into offices. "We were hearing at the time that a lot of groups were looking at the Labor Day time frame, and I think that's something we had in our minds [expecting] that was a time when people were coming back to work," Metro board chairman Paul Smedberg said Monday. "We will see how it goes forward with the recent surges, but so far in our areas, things have been fairly stable. But we have had to stay ahead of the demand in increasing service." The seven-day average of coronavirus cases in the greater Washington region has nearly doubled in the past month after falling from an early-summer peak. Metro has been operating a skeletal bus and rail system over the past four months that until recently included the closure of nearly 30 of the transit system's 91 stations, smaller operating windows, longer wait times and low ridership numbers the regional transportation agency has never seen before. As recently as Thursday, records show that Metrorail's passenger trips for the day made up 9% of what Metro ran on a similar day before the pandemic. Metrobus showed slightly higher numbers - 32% of pre-virus ridership. Transit officials have said the system is operating at a level that is about a third of normal, partly by design to discourage all but essential riders because of the ease that closed, confined spaces such as rail cars or buses presents to the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the disease covid-19. The transit system has required rear-door bus boarding that limits operators' exposure to passengers, while it has made wearing a mask or other face covering mandatory. For months, Metro-commissioned surveys have shown that the region's nonessential employers and employees have said they have no plans to go back into offices until at least fall, and Metro created a recovery plan that mirrored the response. The transit agency does not anticipate a return to full service until spring, when a coronavirus vaccine might be ready. But late last month, as D.C., Maryland and Virginia began lifting business and social restrictions, Metro began to see a trickle of riders consistently returning to the system. Some of the passenger traffic came from federal workers, whom the White House wants back in offices to help create a sense of life returning to normal - and to potentially boost public confidence. According to Metro's surveys, of the organizations with more than 40% of employees commuting to work now, 34% are government agencies, while 8% are private businesses. "Public agencies are summoning employees back to the workplace at a much faster rate than private businesses," the Metro staff stated in a report. "As conditions improve, jurisdictions will continue to relax stay-at-home policies and additional businesses, schools and child care facilities will reopen. Accordingly, more customers are expected to commute to work or travel for other needs." On Aug. 16, Metro will put 81 of its 91 stations back in operation, with others scheduled to reopen around Labor Day. Metrorail will bring back peak-rush-hour service - more trains and shorter, five-to-eight-minute waits during weekday commuting hours - for the first time since it was stopped in mid-March. Peak-rush-hour service runs weekdays from Metrorail's opening to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. The rail system will expand its operating hours to 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, increasing nighttime service by two hours. Service will open at 7 a.m. Saturdays, an hour earlier than now, and will end at 11 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. And Sunday service, which starts at 8 a.m., will expand its closing time to 11 p.m. from 9 p.m. as well. Wait times during peak service hours will be shorter than 10 minutes on all lines, while waits during off-peak hours will be 15 minutes or less, Metro said. The agency said the new schedule will be locked in place through the end of the year. Metrobus on Aug. 23 will start a revised schedule that will start an hour earlier, at 4 a.m. and run until midnight, an hour later. The bus system will operate 52 of the system's busiest lines on normal, pre-pandemic schedules, while 64 will operate at reduced frequencies. Thirty-seven routes will remain closed. Metro estimates that the weekly schedule will bring back 73% of pre-pandemic service. On Saturdays, 53 routes will operate on their old weekend schedules, 30 will run at reduced frequency and 12 will remain closed. The agency said the schedule is 87% of what Metrobus ran before March. Metrobus's Sunday schedule will be 86% of its pre-pandemic Sunday schedule, with 73 lines operating normally and four lines operating at reduced frequency. Even as Metro is limiting passengers on buses, allowing operators to skip stops if they feel too many people are already aboard, some buses are carrying more passengers than social distancing guidelines would recommend. Metro has tried to decrease crowding by redirecting more buses from routes with few passengers to busier ones, but Smedberg said he hopes an expanded system will help alleviate some of those conditions. "That's what we're hoping, and I'm sure that's what management is hoping," he said. Metro said it will also increase cleaning and disinfecting to coincide with the expected increase in staffing. Contractors will make 35 "proactive recovery disinfecting cleanings" each month at Metro rail yards and bus garages and at other Metro workforce buildings, officials said. "As this phase may continue for several months and ridership levels and conditions are likely to evolve, staff will continue to monitor ridership and workforce availability and consider more significant service changes if warranted," Metro said. Before the pandemic affected the region, Metro was slated to expand late-night Metrorail service to midnight during the week and 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. But those plans have been suspended until at least spring, since many bars and late-night businesses remain closed. The transit system said it recognizes that there are still late-night workers who rely on public transportation, and in response the agency said it is doubling an after-hours subsidy program that provides Lyft service to help overnight workers get to and from jobs. From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 1 to 7 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Metro customers with registered SmarTrip cards will receive a subsidy of $6 per ride, up from $3. "We know that the system closing times still leave some gaps, particularly for employees whose shifts start or end during the time that Metro service isn't operating," Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said. "While the earlier closing times are necessary to undertake the massive cleaning effort that occurs nightly across hundreds of rail cars and buses, Metro is stepping up its support of overnight workers by doubling the subsidy." Metro said it remains on track to reopen the Silver Line and all stations west of Ballston, which have been closed since Memorial Day weekend for platform replacements or testing to connect the yet-to-be-opened Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport. Six stations are scheduled to reopen Aug. 16, while Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church are slated to come back online around Labor Day, Metro said. One thing not coming back: Metro's Rush Hour Promise, a money-back guarantee anytime a Metro commute is delayed by 10 minutes or more during peak hours, Metro said. While the federal Cares Act coronavirus relief legislation is helping to fill budget shortfalls, Metro continues to lose money at fare boxes while it braces for subsidy cuts from local governments also struggling because of reduced tax revenue. The transit agency said the guarantee was a cut officials had to make. "The program was suspended indefinitely as Metro began reducing service to protect public health, and now, given the budget challenges faced by all of our funding jurisdictions, there are no immediate plans to restore the program, as we think about how every dollar is spent," Stessel said. A British firm has unveiled concept images for what it claims will be the 'largest commercial hybrid plane in the world'. The 70-seater 'hybrid electric regional aircraft' (HERA) has a 'whisper-quiet' operation to reduce noise pollution and airborne battery regeneration. It's a hybrid passenger plane meaning it's powered partly by an environmentally-friendly electric engine and other part conventional jet fuel and has a range of 800 nautical miles (920 regular miles). But the aircraft range will be extended to 1,200 nautical miles (1,381 miles beyond 2030) as battery energy density improves. The regional aircraft has been designed by the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), a Bristol-based engineering and development firm. The HERA aircraft, which will be in service by 2028, will create job opportunities in the aerospace, manufacturing and engineering industries post-Brexit, according to the designers. The design has been developed by the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), a Bristol-based engineering and development firm, which expects its first aircraft to be in service by 2028 'Significant investments have been raised to develop sub-19 seat hybrid and all-electric aircraft which we believe is the wrong strategy,' said Kamran Iqbal, founder and CEO at EAG. 'These small planes cannot meet the demands of mass air transportation or the requirements of decarbonisation. 'Our design is for an aircraft that will initially offer 800 nautical miles range at launch in 2028, and which will be able to carry over 70 people. 'We will be a first mover in what is a $4.4 trillion market.' It's a hybrid passenger plane - meaning it's powered partly from an environmentally-friendly electric engine and other part conventional jet fuel EAG said it has already developed and filed a total of 25 patents for the aircraft, which is still in the developmental phase. When complete by 2028, it will help to 'solve the challenges of decarbonisation and mass transportation' by eliminating the emissions of huge quantities of greenhouse gases, typical with jet fuel planes. Thanks to its hybrid engine, the craft has a 70 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per passenger over a one-kilometre distance. HERA has a 'whisper-quiet operation' that reduces noise pollution and innovative airborne battery regeneration to minimise turn-around time HERA cuts typical emissions of Earth-warming nitrogen oxides, which form when oxygen and nitrogen from the air interact during the high-temperature combustion events, by 90 per cent, while noise pollution is also reduced by 65 per cent. EAG said recent climate-related events around the world 'should have left no doubt' that aviation stakeholders have to play their part to achieve lower emissions in the aviation sector. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set the goal of the UK producing the worlds first zero-emission long-haul passenger plane with the slogan 'Jet Zero'. However, as it stands, battery weight and range means that manufacturers currently view larger electric planes as feasible only for short-haul flights, according to UK environmental group AirportWatch. Even then the focus is largely on hybrid-electric, with jet fuel needed for take-off. The organisation behind the design expects to initially create more than 25,000 jobs and unlock $5 billion investments in the UK aerospace industry All-electric aircraft need big batteries but as batteries scale-up in size, the number of passengers on board needs to be scaled down. Using a hybrid design, EAG says it has found a happy medium, although its aircraft can only manage regional flights. The aircraft will have around 3.8 ton (3.5 tonne) of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery at 250Wh/kg battery energy density on entry into service in 2028. HERA is suitable for operating from regional airports, which gives increased proximity to warehouses, enabling the delivery of private sector cargo. It features airborne battery regeneration to minimise turn-around time and will carry passengers during the day and cargo at night. The craft has the flexibility to transform into an all-electric or carbon-neutral plane as the battery density improves or alternative fuels become affordable. The organisation expects to initially create more than 25,000 jobs and unlock $5 billion investments in the UK aerospace industry. EAG will draw on the rich heritage and strong aviation industry in Bristol when it begins production of the new aircraft for which it has already developed and filed a total of 25 patents covering a wide range of technologies 'We expect this to be a great example of British design, engineering and build,' said Iqbal. 'This represents the future of both passenger and cargo flights internationally and as an opportunity for investment, it could not be better timed.' EAG draws on 'the rich heritage and strong aviation industry' in Bristol when it begins production of the new aircraft, including the hugely important Bristol Aeroplane Company, which eventually merged to become the British Aircraft Corporation. The design is being unveiled to coincide with today's opening of FIA Connect, the virtual Farnborough Airshow. Hryvnia weakens to UAH 27.36 to U.S. dollar on July 20 10:15, 20.07.20 163 The official forex rate against the euro for Monday is fixed at UAH 31.26 per euro. Revel extends deepest sympathies to Nina Kapurs family and loved ones for their loss, she said. We are aware of reports that she passed away after an accident involving a Revel electric moped. We are actively investigating this incident, and we are in contact with the N.Y.P.D. to aid their investigations in any way we can. Revel started modestly with 68 electric vehicles in a small slice of Brooklyn but expanded rapidly across Brooklyn and into Queens last year, when it had about 1,000 scooters, the company told The New York Times in August. In addition to New York, Revel operates in Washington; Miami; Austin, Texas; and Oakland, Calif., with plans to expand to San Francisco, according to the companys website. Revels signature blue scooters can travel up to 30 miles per hour, faster than the 25-miles-per-hour speed limit on most New York City streets. Riders are charged $1 to unlock a scooter and 35 cents per minute as they ride. It costs $1 to add a passenger. The company requires riders to have a valid drivers license, and two helmets are included with every rental. But as the scooters have become increasingly visible, problems have surfaced. In an email to its New York customers with the subject line Hey NY, we need to talk , Revel said last week that it had suspended 1,000 users for bad behavior that violated its safety rules, including not wearing helmets and riding in bike lanes and on sidewalks. Its no fun to get suspended just ask one of the 1,000+ riders that weve suspended in the past 30 days, the company said. This doesnt have to be you, and it wont be as long as you ride the right way. In a statement, New York Citys Department of Transportation said Monday afternoon that it did not know of any other fatalities involving Revel mopeds. The city expresses its deepest condolences to Ms. Kapurs loved ones and to the CBS2 family at this tragic time, a department spokesman said. Editorial Deaths in Custody Last Monday, a coronial inquest into the 2017 death of a young Gomeroi and Wakka Wakka Man, Tane Chatfield, began. The outcome of this inquest wont be known prior to the printing of this editorial but it is a story that is sadly all too familiar in Australia. Chatfield, 22, had been in remand at the Tamworth Correctional Centre for two years on charges of armed robbery before finally being given the chance to give evidence professing his innocence. According to Colin Chatfield, his father, via The Big Smoke eight witnesses couldnt identify him as the perpetrator. Furthermore, his solicitor Peter Kemp held the belief that Chatfield was likely not to be found guilty as he gave credible and convincing evidence in his defence in his trial. Chatfield was in a positive mood about the outcome of the trial. According to the Armidale Express, Chatfield told his parents Im coming home, giving them the thumbs-up sign, smiling, winking, as if he was winning, kicking goals in the courtroom. However, despite the positivity surrounding the case, a happy ending was not to be. Less than twenty-four hours after Chatfield gave evidence of his innocence, he had reportedly had a seizure and was sent to Tamworth Base Hospital. He was moved to a new cell the next morning but he was found dead shortly after his return. The death was ruled a suicide, the result of a hanging. What was looking to be the next chapter of a young mans life ended in him becoming another statistic. According to the Armidale Express, Chatfield was the fourth Aboriginal person to die in NSW custody in the two years before September 2017, and, NSW Corrective Services stated, the first suicide in their custody since 2010. One more Indigenous man died in NSW custody last year. Furthermore, 147 Indigenous people died in custody across Australia between 2008 and 2018 [] [and] [m]ore than half including Tane Chatfield had not been convicted of a crime. The death, however, raised more questions than answers. Greens MLC David Shoebridge told NSW parliament that despite the reports of ruling the death a suicide the injuries, such as bruising on Chatfields shoulders, and blood and skin under his fingernails, were inconsistent with such findings. According to Chatfields parents, several inmates heard him swearing and screaming and then suddenly the noise just stopped. Furthermore, Chatfield didnt have a history of seizures and his parents werent informed that he was in hospital. Chatfields death was investigated by the Corrective Services Internal Investigations Unit, the police, and Justice Health (Corrective Services health provider) who, unsurprisingly, found no foul-play. The Chatfield family finally have another shot at justice, but when it comes to Black deaths in custody, history is not on their side. The Chatfields hope that the coroner will investigate the case thoroughly and if its findings are inconclusive, demand that the case be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. What has happened to Tane Chatfield is what happened to Joyce Clarke, Ms Dhu, David Dungay, Rebecca Maher, Wayne Fella Morrison, T J Hickey, Mulrunji, Mark Mason, Eddie Murray, John Pat, David John Gundy, Veronica Baxter, and so many others. Many of these cases bear a striking resemblance to Chatfields. However, what other results are to be expected when cops are investigating cops? In fact, under what situation would anyone investigating themselves of wrong-doing be permissible? Lenin spoke of the state as a power that places itself above [society] which in turn alienates itself more and more from it. This power consists of, according to Lenin, of special bodies of armed men, such as the police. Thus, how likely is it that these special bodies, which are state functionaries, would find themselves (that is, the state) guilty of its own crimes? Not very. The CPA calls on the government to adopt the findings of the Royal commission into Black Deaths in Custody which include, but are not limited to, rigourous and accountable investigations and a comprehensive coronial inquir[ies]. Subscriber content preview WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Reserve has opened one of its lending programs to nonprofit groups, including hospitals, educational institutions, and social service organizations. The Fed said Friday that its Main Street Lending Program, which is targeted to mid-sized businesses, will now extend credit to nonprofits with at least 10 employees and endowments of less than $3 billion. . . . Srinagar: An army jawan was on Saturday killed in ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district, police said. Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by indulging in firing and shelling in Keran sector this morning, a police official said. He said that in the incident, army jawan Harshid Badarya lost his life. The firing has stopped, the official said, adding further details were awaited For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. BRASILIA, July 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni said on Monday he had tested positive for the new coronavirus, the country's third minister to be infected amid the world's second-worst outbreak. Lorenzoni, a close ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, credited relatively mild symptoms to an anti-malarial drug touted by the president on social media and at public rallies. "I already feel the positive effects," the minister wrote on Twitter about his regimen of chloroquine, along with azithromycin and ivermectin, as a treatment against the virus. Bolsonaro, who is quarantined after he also tested positive for the virus, is taking hydroxychloroquine, a related drug. Both are used to treat malaria, and Bolsonaro has become a full-throated supporter of using them to treat COVID-19, despite the lack of solid proof they work against the disease. "It is important to remember that the 'off label' use of medication is well established in medicine, as long as the patient clearly agrees," tweeted Bolsonaro on Monday morning, defending the use of hydroxychloroquine for unproven treatments. On Sunday, Bolsonaro stood a few meters away from rallying supporters in Brasilia and brandished a box of the drug over his head with two hands, drawing cheers, in an online video that commentators likened to a scene from the Lion King movie. Nearly 80,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, with more than 2 million cases. Only the United States has fared worse. Experts say the true numbers in Brazil are likely far higher due to a lack of widespread testing. Augusto Heleno, Bolsonaro's national security advisor, and Mines and Energy Mininster Bento Albuquerque have both tested positive for the virus as well. The virus has also swept through the political elite in other corners of Latin America, including Bolivia, where the president and more than a half dozen ministers were diagnosed, casting a shadow over an upcoming election. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu Writing and additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter Editing by Brad Haynes and Marguerita Choy) What gives some people immunity from the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19? Some scientists are studying whether it is the presence of antibodies. Others are studying a part of the human immune system, known as T cells, which can protect people from viruses. Recent studies show that some recovered patients who tested negative for coronavirus antibodies developed T cells in their immune systems. The reaction is believed to be the result of their COVID-19 infection. The studies are small and have yet to be confirmed by outside experts. However, some scientists now say that people who show few signs of sickness from the new coronavirus, or show no signs at all, may be actually killing off the infection with their T cells. The findings add to the evidence that an effective COVID-19 vaccine will need to push T cells to work in addition to producing antibodies. This may also affect several treatments that are being developed. The recent findings may explain how immunity to the virus might work. Dr. Alessandro Sette is studying the reaction to the coronavirus at the La Jolla Institutes Infectious Disease and Vaccine Center in California. He said there is growing evidence that people exposed to the virus have a transient (short-lived) antibody response, or they have a T cell response without creating antibodies. When a virus gets past the bodys infection-fighting white blood cells, another defense reaction starts. It causes the production of cells that attack the invading virus. The defense includes antibodies that can identify the virus and lock onto it, preventing its entry into a persons cells. The bodys defense also can include T cells that can kill both invaders and the cells they have infected. How effective are antibodies against the coronavirus? The world is now six months into the COVID-19 outbreak. The coronavirus has infected more than 12 million people. But scientists are not sure whether the antibody reaction to the virus infection is strong or lasts over time. Some scientists think this could mean T cells have an important job protecting humans against illness. T cells are often important in controlling viral infections. We are seeing evidence of that, John Wherry told Reuters. He is a director of the University of Pennsylvanias Institute for Immunology. Reuters reports that a recent, small French study that has not yet been confirmed by experts, examined immunity in family members. It found that six out of eight family members in close contact with relatives who had COVID-19 developed a T cell response. Importantly, tests did not show that they had coronavirus antibodies. A Swedish study of about 200 people had similar results. It found a strong T cell response in most individuals who had few or no signs of sickness following coronavirus infection. The T cells were present whether or not any antibody response was found. Memories of coronavirus Examining T cell responses could also help explain longer-term immunity. There is some evidence that T cells developed after exposure to other coronaviruses which cause the common cold could help fight off the new virus. The new virus is also known as SARS-CoV-2. A study by the La Jolla Institute found T cells that reacted to SARS-CoV-2 in about half of stored blood samples collected between 2015 and 2018. That might mean that earlier infections with the common cold coronaviruses might help protect against the new virus. It is a potentially encouraging piece of evidence, Wherry said. The current vaccine candidates against COVID-19 aim to create antibody and T cell responses.The recent findings suggest the importance of the T cell response in human medical tests. We believe that the optimal vaccine design would be one with both an antibody and T cell response, Sette said. After an infection or vaccination, the immune system keeps a number of memory cells that are ready to quickly attack the same virus in case of a future infection. Many countries are using blood tests that look for antibodies to estimate how many people have been infected. But measuring memory T cells is much more difficult. It also remains unclear what combination of immune system cells will result in the best protection from the virus. It is a lot easier to collect antibody data, said Daniela Weiskopf. She is an assistant professor at the La Jolla Institute. Im Susan Shand. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. Quiz - Studies Suggest T Cells Important in Fighting Coronavirus Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story immunityn. to be unaffected by a disease negativeadj. a bad reaction exposedadj. to be out in the open or available responsen. an answer or reaction to something samplen. a test amount potentiallyadv. possibility encouragingadj. a positive sign optimaladj. in the best case UN Urges Inquiry into Violence by Anti-Terrorism Force Against Malian Protestors By Lisa Schlein July 19, 2020 The U.N. Human Rights Office is calling for an investigation into the excessive use of violence by an elite counter-terrorism force in Mali against anti-government protestors last weekend, causing many civilian casualties. MINUSMA, the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in Mali, has confirmed at least 14 protestors were killed and another 154 injured during a violent clampdown by FORSAT, a special anti-terrorism unit operating in Mali. Rights monitors believe this elite special force may have violated its anti-terrorism mandate by suppressing civilians protesting endemic government corruption, alleged electoral fraud and other grievances. Witnesses report the special forces fired lethal ammunition during clashes with demonstrators that erupted July 10. During the protests, at least 200 people were arrested. All have been released pending trial. Mali's President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, says his administration will investigate the violence. Spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Liz Throssel welcomes the announcement. "It is essential that all alleged human rights violations and acts of violence committed during the demonstrations are the subject of prompt, thorough, transparent and independent investigations and that those responsible are held to account," she said. "In line with its mandate, the MINUSMA Human Rights and Protection Division has launched a fact-finding mission to examine allegations of serious human rights violations perpetrated in connection with the protests." Throssel notes demonstrations across Mali have been generally peaceful, though there have been incidents of protestors destroying and looting private and public properties. Thousands of people have been killed since 2012 when a Jihadist insurgency erupted in Mali. The Central region of Mopti is a major hotspot. Escalating violence between the Bambara and Dogon ethnic groups has increased. More civilians are being killed. Instability is rising. Throssel tells VOA another issue of concern is the proliferation of fake news and messages online inciting violence. "I think in many ways, it is important not to actually repeat what kind of fake news is being put out there. But suffice to say it is something that the Human Rights and Protection Division of MINUSMA have highlighted and is very concerned about precisely because there are these tensions it risks enflaming tensions further," she said. The U.N. Human Rights Office is calling on both the Government and opposition groups to show restraint and to resolve differences through dialogue, warning ongoing confrontation risks spiraling out of control. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Dakota Access Pipeline is currently mired in a legal battle that has no definitive end in sight. Earlier this month, the extremely divisive pipeline that has been the subject of widespread protests and sociopolitical conflict from its inception, was ordered by a district court to shut down operations and dry out by August 5. This ruling immediately sparked huge waves of both celebration and backlash, as well as a near-immediate appeal. As long as the matter remains tied up in litigation, however, a U.S. appeals court has ruled that the Dakota Access Pipeline can continue running. Despite this temporary permission to continue business as usual, this litigious quagmire is causing local oil companies to ask a lot of questions and reconsider their business model as the oil industry is grappling with uncertainty as it ponders how to keep shipping Bakken crude to market, as described by North Dakotas Bismarck Tribune. As the oil industry waits with bated breath to see what will be the outcome of the Dakota Access Pipeline appeal, oil transportation has become a hot topic of conversation. If this pipeline can be shut down, why not others? What happens then? Many observers anticipate a shutdown could result in a resurgence of trains carrying Bakken crude, reports the Bismarck Tribune, a prospect that has rail safety advocates and farmers concerned. If the Dakota Access Pipeline is shut down, experts project that the shuttering of this major oil artery would eventually prompt oil companies to ship another 200,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude via rail, the equivalent of about three more oil trains leaving the region each day. In the past, the idea of transporting oil and gas by rail has been criticized by environmentalists and other concerned parties, even earning the somewhat alarmist moniker of bomb trains. These concerns are far from unfounded, however. You dont need to look too far, however, to find plenty of cautionary tales from previous experiments in sending oil and gas by rail, from spills, explosions, and accidents to a runaway oil train in Quebec that killed nearly 50 people when it derailed in a small town in 2013, Oilprice reported last year. Less extreme, but still a problem, oil transport hitting the road causes major traffic jams for the ag sector. When oil train shipments soared in 2013 and 2014, they caused headaches for farmers and grain elevators seeking to ship crops via trains across the same tracks, reported the Tribune. Related: Can Saudi Arabia Extend The OPEC Deal Until 2022? While many of the drawbacks to transporting oil and gas by train are legitimate, the practice has plenty of benefits as well. Proponents argue that its necessary to close pipeline gaps and deliver enough fuel to the thirsty Northeast, where current pipelines infrastructure is insufficient to meet demand. Furthermore, this development could help to offset the steep decline of coal shipments by rail. Both sides of this argument are likely to see a resurgence of headlines in coming months as the Bakken debacle gets settled. Whether more oil trains hit the tracks depends on the outcome of the latest legal maneuvering over the pipeline, writes the Bismarck Tribune. At the moment, the order to shut down the line is on an administrative hold as the case moves to a panel of judges on a federal appeals court. If more oil were to be shipped by sea, however, there would likely be widespread celebration in the oil tanker industry, which has been suffering thanks to COVID-19. From an absolute perspective, global oil transportation is still down substantially, Ben Nolan, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus, told Investing.com. Near term, an increase in OPEC production should drive rates higher, but it wont take too long for that to be offset by floating storage and cargo movements that are way down. If more pipelines go the way of the Dakota Access, we will start to see a lot of contention over whether that offset oil hits the road or the waves, and what that means for competing industries, other sectors that use the same land, and some very real environmental concerns. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying it is a source of pride for people who love the South. The Republican president was asked on 'Fox News Sunday' if the flag, a symbol of U.S. By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying it is a source of pride for people who love the South. The Republican president was asked on "Fox News Sunday" if the flag, a symbol of U.S. slavery and white supremacy for many Americans, was offensive. "It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about," Trump responded. "When people proudly had their Confederate flags they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South ... I say it's freedom of many things, but it's freedom of speech." Trump has in the past appeared sympathetic to the flag and symbols of the Confederacy of the 1861-65 Civil War. In 2017, he criticized the removal of monuments to the Confederacy and said there were "very fine people on both sides" of a deadly clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Earlier this month, he criticized NASCARs ban of the Confederate flag from its events. Breaking with several of his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has promised to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act over an amendment to remove the names of Confederate generals from military bases within a year. "We won World Wars out of these, out of these military bases, no I'm not gonna go changing. I'm not gonna go changing," Trump said in the interview, which was taped on Friday. He drew a parallel to the Black Lives Matter movement that was born out of police brutality targeting Black Americans. "Im not offended either by Black Lives Matter. Thats freedom of speech," Trump said. Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, who last month endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" the Confederate flag represents something that was never the United States of America. "It was the Confederate States of America. They were not part of us and this is not the time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then," said Powell, who is Black. "This is time to move on. Let's get going. We have one flag and only one flag only." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Sonya Hepinstall) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Duggar family feud has been simmering for months, but if Derick Dillards recent comments are any indication, the dispute is about to boil over. Now, it seems like Derick isnt the only Duggar family member who is getting involved in the drama. Amy Duggar King, the familys rebellious cousin, appears to be speaking out, albeit a lot more subtly than Derick. In her most recent Instagram post, Amy seems to throw shade at her uncle, Jim Bob Duggar, on his birthday. The Duggar family celebrated Jim Bobs 55th birthday on Sunday, but Derick and Jill had other plans Jim Bob celebrated his 55th birthday on July 18, and while the Duggar family had a gathering to celebrate the familys patriarch, Jill and Derick were nowhere to be found. Also missing from the family event was Amy and her husband, Dillon King. Instead of hanging out at the familys Springdale, Arkansas compound, Amy, Dillon, Jill, and Derick had a meal together at Dillon and Amys business, Wellingtons. RELATED: Counting On: Is This Proof That Jim Bob Duggar Is Lying to His Entire Family? Jill failed to acknowledge her fathers birthday, but the Duggar family offered a heartfelt message to Jim Bob on Instagram. In the last week, Jill has shared snapshots from spending time with her friends, a motion sickness remedy, and a recipe to Instagram. She did not mention her famous family at all. Family followers largely believe that is by design. Jill has chosen to stay pretty quiet about her family in recent months, but her husband and cousin are taking a different route. Amy Duggar King throws shade on Instagram The Duggar family may have been celebrating Jim Bob, but Amy and her party were celebrating freedom. Amy took to Instagram to chronicle her double date with Jill and Derick. That didnt strike family followers as interesting, though. Amy has been vocal about her support of Jill in recent months. Her choice of words in her caption, however, has caused some debate. In the caption, Amy wrote, Our new favorite word: Freedom! She went on to tag her husband, the family business, and Jill and Derick in the post. Amy Duggar | Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images RELATED: Counting On: Does A Recent Instagram Picture Prove Jill Duggar Isnt Allowed to Spend Time With Her Siblings? What does the caption mean? Well, it seems to have a little something to do with Jill and Derick making a break from the Duggar family and Counting On. Amy has been as open as possible about the fact that the Duggar kids live in a pretty oppressive environment. She has stated that she was not allowed to visit with her cousins outside of the familys home, and Derick has theorized that Jim Bob is keeping Jills siblings away from her out of fear of the influence she could have on them. Perhaps Amy is letting the world know that freedom is worth walking away from the money and notoriety that Counting On has brought the Duggar family. Will Derick and Amy share more information about their famous family? Dericks recent dump of information took place on TLCs Instagram page. While hes slowed down on answering questions right now, it likely wont be the last time he shares information about the Duggar clan. Derick reportedly plans to publish a tell-all book about his life inside the Duggar family. Reportedly, he has an interested publisher, and Jill will be co-authoring the non-fiction offering, according to Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball. RELATED: Counting On: Derick Dillard May Have Just Revealed the Reason for the Duggar Family Feud Right now, Derick is the only one talking openly about the family, and there seems to be a good reason for that. Derick admitted that he was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement last year, but declined to do so. Amy has been pretty open about the fact that she signed an NDA at some point. There is no word on if that agreement ever expires. Jill, nor her siblings, have never spoken about signing contracts or NDAs; however, family followers largely believe they may have signed legal paperwork barring them from speaking openly about their experience. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan has reviewed recommendations and suggestions regarding the development of national programs, plans and laws in the field of human rights protection, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. This was stated during an event dedicated to 'International Obligations of Turkmenistan in the area of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law'. The meeting was attended by heads and representatives of relevant ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan, representatives of public organizations of the country, the United Nations (UN) permanent coordinator in Turkmenistan Elena Panova and the Head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Centre in Ashgabat Ambassador Natalya Drozd. Thus, the Turkmen side expressed its commitment to further expand the base and mechanisms for the protection of human rights and freedom. Further steps and priority areas of cooperation in 2H2020 were discussed. The representative of Interdepartmental Commission, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov spoke about the results of activities in Turkmenistan to implement the country's international legal obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law in 1H2020. As it was reported earlier, Turkmenistan and the UN have reviewed the Joint Action Plan of the Interdepartmental Commission on the implementation of Turkmenistan's international commitments in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law and the UN office in Turkmenistan for 2H2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva (Editor's note: Below, in full, are the 10 legislative proposals recently put forward by the New York State Sheriffs' Association in response to recent protests and demonstrations for racial justice, as well as local reactions to the proposals. They have been reprinted as written.) New York State Sheriffs Association: In a series of coordinated press conferences, New York State Sheriffs presented a number of legislative proposals aimed at protecting law-enforcement personnel and the public they serve. These proposals were the result of weeks of conversations among Sheriffs about the recent and ongoing confrontations between police and the public across our nation. "Officers are trained in de-escalation, but that requires cooperation on both sides," noted New York State Sheriffs Association President Jeffrey Murphy, Washington County Sheriff. "An officer's split-second reaction to a perceived threat perhaps may later be thought all wrong. There is a time and place to question an officer's actions, but not in the middle of the street when the officer is under pressure to control a situation on behalf of the public's safety." Two of the ten legislative proposals presented include increasing the felony level for those who resist arrest and for those who fail to retreat or halt when ordered by a police officer. Another six proposals address related crimes against officers such as assault, aggravated harassment, criminal doxing and stalking of officers. Additionally, Sheriffs encouraged the legislature to recognize and highlight the work done by law-enforcement personnel by passing a $500,000 disability and death benefit and designating May 15 of each year as a state holiday - Police Memorial Day - to honor the more than 1,500 officers who have died in the line of duty to New York State. "We call upon the Legislature and the Governor to enact these proposals in recognition of the sad fact that, in the performance of their difficult and dangerous work, too many police officers lose their lives," said President Murphy. NEW YORK STATE SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION TEN LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE Unfortunately, recent attitudes fostered toward the police in some cases have excused or even glamorized resistance to lawful authority. When an individual refuses to comply with a lawful order, the police officer is faced with a choice between walking away from the wrongdoer or taking some action. Action often leads to reaction, and escalation begins. Officers are trained in de-escalation, but that requires some cooperation on both sides. When escalation begets escalation, tragedy can result. An officers split-second reaction to a perceived threat may perhaps later be thought to be all wrong by those observing the incident after the fact, under no pressure or stress, but police officers do not often have the luxury of cool reflection before taking action. We call upon the Legislature and the Governor to enact the following two proposals in order to reemphasize the importance of citizen compliance with directives of law enforcement officers. There is a time and place to question an officers actions but not in the middle of the street when the officer is under the pressure of trying to bring a situation under control for the safety of the public. 1. Resisting Arrest: Make Resisting Arrest a Class E felony which cannot be reduced by plea bargaining, and make it an offense for which a judge could require the posting of bail. 2. Failure to Retreat: Make it a Class D Felony for any person to approach or remain within 25 feet of a police officer engaged in the performance of his or her duties when such person is ordered by a police officer to halt or retreat and such person fails to immediately do so. Police officers have a difficult job. Most want to do the job right, and then go home safely to their families at the end of their shift. Unfortunately, in the current climate of disrespect for the police, some bad actors think they have been given license to harass and assault police officers with impunity. We call upon the Legislature and the Governor to enact the following six proposals for the protection of police officers, who must be kept safe so they can keep our citizens safe. 3. Assault on a Police Officer. Increase the level of seriousness by one degree for the current crimes pertaining to assault upon a police officer. 4. Penal Law 120.05(3) - Assault in the Second Degree, causing a peace or police officer physical injury, should become a class C felony. Penal Law 120.08 - Assault on a Peace Officer, Police Officer, Firefighter or Emergency Medical Services Professional, causing serious physical injury, should become a class B felony. Penal Law 120.11 - Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer or Police Officer, causing serious physical injury by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument should become a class A felony. 5. Aggravated Harassment of a Police or Peace Officer: Make it a Class D Felony, for a person to cause, or attempt to cause, any police officer or peace officer engaged in the performance of his or her duties to be struck by any substance or object including, but not limited to, bottles, rocks, bodily fluids, spittle, urine, seminal fluid, feces, flammable liquids or other noxious, hazardous or dangerous substances or objects. 6. Hate Crime Against a Police Officer: Make any crime committed against a police officer because of his or her status as a police officer a hate crime, with a concomitant increase in penalty, as is currently provided with respect to hate crimes against members of other protected groups. 7. Aggravated Offering a False Accusation Against a Police Officer: Make it a Class D Felony to falsely accuse a police officer or peace officer of wrongdoing in the performance of his or her duties, and create a private right of civil action for the officer against the false accuser. 8. Criminal Doxing of a Police Officer or Peace Officer: Make it a Class D Felony to dox a police officer or peace officer because of the officers status as a police or peace officer, or to dox any other person because of that persons relationship to, or affiliation with, a police or peace officer. 9. Stalking a Police or Peace Officer: Make it a Class E Felony to follow or surveille a police or peace officer for no legitimate purpose, whether such officer is on or off duty, or to approach within one hundred yards of the private residence or place of lodging of a police officer, without the consent of said officer, for reasons related to the officers status or service as a police or peace officer, or for the purpose of intimidating the officer or the officers family. We call upon the Legislature and the Governor to enact the following two proposals in recognition of the difficult, dangerous job our police officers are asked to perform, and in recognition of the sad fact that, in the performance of that difficult, dangerous job, too many of them lose their lives. 10 (a). Disability and Death Benefit: Provide a $500,000 benefit for police officers who are seriously disabled or die from injuries incurred in the line of duty, in recognition of the high-risk occupation of a police officer, in order to provide some measure of security for the future for the officer and his or her family should the officer be disabled or killed in protecting the public. 11 (b). Police Memorial Day: Make May 15 a State holiday in honor of the more than 1,567 police officers who have died in the line of duty in New York, and require the State Division of Criminal Justice Services to annually organize a fitting memorial ceremony at the Police Memorial Wall at the Empire State Plaza in Albany on the Monday falling closest to May 15, and require the Governor to appear in person at such ceremony to say aloud, in tribute, the names of the police officers who died during the previous year from injuries incurred in the line of duty. Recent racially charged incidents involving police and citizen encounters have cast a dark shadow on our law enforcement profession. While we must work to ensure that members of our agencies are held to the highest standards, we must also make sure we do everything possible to ensure their safety as well as the safety of the public we serve. Auburn/Cayuga branch of the NAACP: The Auburn/Cayuga Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has no choice but to condemn the endorsement of New York State Sheriffs Associations Ten Legislative Proposals by Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck. For the past year and a half, organizations in Auburn have been proud to work closely with Sheriff Schenck in our collective pursuit of racial justice, the elimination of bias, the hiring of Black and Brown officers, and the strengthening of community policing, in which both our officers and our citizens are safe and respected. Though only small steps have been taken thus far, we have been grateful to Sheriff Schenck for his proactive approach. It is therefore alarming to see the same Sheriff, who publicly recognized that racism exists in his department, endorse these legislative proposals, which shield police officers from accountability and will disproportionately harm Black and Brown people. For example, since 2013 Black people make up 28 percent of all police killings despite only representing 13 percent of the national population. Imagine if the police officers that killed George Floyd could hide behind one of these legislative proposals. In a recent Facebook post by Sheriff Schenck, he endorses NYSSAs Ten Legislative Proposals, which are laced with Jim Crow-coded language. If our judicial system were free of racismfairly doling out punishment for criminal behavior equally to both Black and White people, and holding accountable those police officers who murder Black and Brown peoplethen these legislative measures wouldntt be questioned or feared. But our judicial system is not free of racism. In these measures, NYSSA proposes no action to safeguard the lives of citizens and eliminate racism. Instead, NYSSA seeks to reinforce a Blue Wall of silence and intimidation, thus impairing the ability of citizens to insist on their constitutional rights, to surveil potential unlawful activities, and to defend themselves when unjustly attacked. If, instead, NYSSA had sought to work with activists to develop a strategy that protects both citizens and officers (whom we respect and honor), we would applaud the endeavor. But they did not. Here are just a few examples of how these proposed legislations can be weaponized against people of color. Resisting Arrest: Research indicates that Black defendants are significantly more likely than white defendants to be additionally charged with resisting arrest. As Law Professor Scott Holmes writes, it is all too common for officers [to] use the Resisting charge as a discretionary tool to suppress dissent and penalize vulnerable arrestees. Dont believe it? Look up the case of London Wallace, a 17-year-old who was beaten by police and charged with resisting arrest. Resisting arrest is commonly used to justify excessive force; in fact, it was used as a justification in the killing of George Floyd. Failure to Retreat: Under this proposal, the killings of Philando Castile and George Floyd would never have been caught on tape. This proposal rolls back any legal recourse that Black and Brown families have to seek justice by observing and recording police interactions. It gives cover to any police officer to operate in secrecy and not be held responsible. Assault: While we too wish to see our officers better protected and free from violence, this proposal is contextualized in language mirroring the days of slavery and Jim Crow when officers were, in the words of criminologist Gary Potter, commissioned to control a dangerous underclass that included African Americans, immigrants, and the poor. Note, for instance, the line immediately preceding this proposal: [We] are the thin blue line between the citizens and anarchy. In addition, these charges could too easily be used in cases of selfdefense against excessive, life-threatening forceor in cases where the officer is injured accidentally. Stalking a Police or Peace Officer: While African Americans are frequently stalked without cause (by police through racial profiling and by citizens, such as in the case of Ahmaud Arbery) and are even killed in their own homes while sleeping, we feel no one should be subjected to this mistreatment. How will you protect African Americans from being victimized? Are you willing to create tougher sanctions for officers who violate this right? Are you willing to prosecute citizens who do? If you are, then we stand with you on this proposal. Disability and Death Benefit: We value the dangerous and valiant commitment good police officers practice daily. While we support the benefits to the police officers and their families, how will NYSSA support the wrongful death or disabilities of citizens at the hands of rogue officers, such as first responder Breonna Taylor? NYSSA had an amazing opportunity here to address the systemic causes of recent negative attitudes toward police and work with their communities to build a better, fairer, safer system for all. Instead, NYSSA has chosen to present the reaction, rather than the cause, as the fundamental problem. These attitudes are the direct result of a pattern of racist bias and a system that intentionally protects rogue police officers in harming and killing unarmed Black and Brown men, women, and children. In the many cases that have received national attention, we have witnessed officers blatant disregard to their oath of office. There are many documented cases of officers using successful de-escalation strategies, while others do not engage these strategies and quickly move to domination. Unfortunately, people of color experience this behavior more often than those who are White. We commend NYSSA for recognizing that Most [officers] want to do the job right Our concern is for the officers whose racism and violence tarnish the great work of those who put their lives on the line to protect our communities. The NAACP commits to work with law enforcement to ensure that our officers make it home safely every night. But we have to ask: What are we as a community and as law enforcement willing to do to ensure that Black and Brown people make it home safely every night? The time to police your own has come and gone. The continuous disregard for Black lives and the modern day lynchings of George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, and many others have casted doubt and mistrust upon law enforcement. Are the sheriff and police departments willing to weed out and hold accountable officers who engage in racist behavior and endanger the lives of Black and Brown people? In contrast to these dangerous and reactive proposals, the Auburn/Cayuga Branch of the NAACP remains committed to collaborate with the Auburn Police Department and Cayuga County Sheriff in proactive, positive measures for change. Finally, to Sheriff Schenck: we respect you and value your service; please do not undermine all our hard work together, and all your courageous solidarity, by endorsing these proposals. The NAACP stands with your department; we support you. We are here to help, and we are here to make sure your officers, as well as our citizens, make it home safely. In turn, we need to see leadership move quicker in implementing implicit bias training, instituting better accountability and representation, and detoxing officers of the fixed mindsets that Black Lives do not Matter. Because, like White Lives, Black Lives do Matter! We believe Cayuga County is better than this. Dr. Eliezer Hernandez President Auburn/Cayuga Branch NAACP Bill Berry Jr., Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace: It is unfortunate the states Sheriffs elected not to dwell in a state of mindfulness or appreciate the root causes of the current state of social injustices. Being reactionary is not necessarily being proactive or finding a fair and equitable solution to a vexing problem of race-based policing. They have decided to ignore the realties of what many in society, as well as NYS residents now understand to be inequities in the protocols, policies, and implementation of law enforcement. They have elected to build a deeper wall of mistrust by adopting what they think will solve the problem of policing by recommending and centering their proposal on enhanced legal charges, more stringent jail time, no accountability for police actions and personal safeguards for police that many other professions do not have and who are often in adversarial stances with society. And they wonder why there is mistrust. The divisive moods and tenors driven by diametrically opposite political, cultural, and social racial thinking is significantly more rampant and overt throughout all levels of society. Leaders whether elected, appointed or deemed as such by a community should understand these dynamics and seek new or revised legal codes that address the foundations of a problem and not escalate raw feelings that pander to a selected cohort, especially when there is already a wall of indifference, disrespect, and disregard. The militaristic thinking and above the law attitude routinely exhibited by law enforcement will no longer be tolerated or left unchallenged; sheriffs know that. Their response instead of engaging in difficult dialogues with the community they say they serve and therefore, seeking common ground based in respect, sheriffs chose to ramp up the legalities of law enforcement. They seek safeguards under the law, when officers bring a full arsenal of protective gear, weapons, battering rams, armored vehicles, tear gas, pepper spray, tasers etc. when there is any plans of a protest even before the protest startstheir wall of blue behind shields with batons at the ready. The protestors? They bring signs, chants, bullhorns, bottled water, face coverings, their convictions, and their bodies. Bottom line, the sheriffs proposals are at its core, mean-spirited and the willingness to crack heads and ask questions later. Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck: Today I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Auburn / Cayuga Branch of the NAACP, the Auburn Human Rights Commission, and the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace regarding my recent support for Legislative proposals made by the New York State Sheriffs Association. We were also joined by Chief Shawn Butler with the Auburn Police Department. The proposals include increasing resisting arrest and failing to retreat when ordered by an officer, to a felony while addressing crimes against officers such as assault, aggravated harassment, criminal doxing, and stalking of an officer. It also adds a recommendation that the state pass Legislation that would provide a $500,000 death benefit to officers killed in the line of duty and designation of a yearly Police Memorial Day, honoring the 1,500 officers who died in the line of duty to New York State. On July 18th the Auburn / Cayuga Branch of the NAACP condemned my support of these Legislative proposals based on concern that these proposals will insolate officers that police in a manner that has a negative impact on people of color and that threaten the safety of those in that community. They did share a number of specific concerns in their release that included the failure to include community members in the process of drafting them to address systemic causes of negative attitudes towards police to build a fairer, safer system for all. During our meeting today we discussed specific concerns and reasons for the condemnation of these proposals by the organizations represented today. We also talked about frustration related to the lack of community input in creating them. Based on our conversations, I have a clearer understanding of the issues that have impacted the lack of support for the proposals by these groups. Moving forward, I will be taking additional steps to make sure that input from our local community is welcomed during the drafting of related proposals. In addition, we discussed my reason for supporting the proposals and my need to ensure the safety of the citizens we serve, as well as the members of our Sheriffs Office. As Sheriff, protecting the people I lead, as well as the people we serve, is job one. I will fully support initiatives that ensure the safety of the men and women of the Sheriffs Office and those living in our community; however, I understand that this cannot authorize nor promote bias in our policing methods. Nor can it be ignored. The members of our Sheriffs Office must, and will be, held accountable for their actions and dealt with appropriately when they do not live up to our mission to provide a safe community and enhance the quality of life of all citizens in our community. I stand committed to continuing our conversations with the organizations represented today and members of our community to address issues related to racism and discrimination in Cayuga County. They do exist here locally and we all need to work to eliminate them. Further, the members of our Sheriffs Office and I welcome a continued partnership with the Auburn / Cayuga Branch of the NAACP, Harriet Tubman Center for Justice and Peace, the Human Rights Commission and others to address policing in our community, issues related to race, and diversifying our agency. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 KYIV -- A monument commemorating journalist Pavel Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home, has been unveiled in the Ukrainian capital to commemorate the fourth anniversary of his killing. Sheremet, who worked for the online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda, was leaving his apartment on July 20, 2016, to head to the studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under his vehicle exploded, killing him. The monument, by Ukrainian sculptor Nazar Bilyk, depicts a large creased sheet of paper with Sheremet's name inscribed on it. Sheremet's friends, colleagues, other journalists, and Kyiv residents attended the July 20 ceremony in the capital. Hennadiy Chyzhykov, the head of Ukraine's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who introduced himself as Sheremet's friend, described him as "a man with a big heart, for whom someone else's pain was a pain of his own." Chyzhykov expressed hope that those responsible for Sheremet's killing would be brought to justice. Sheremet's killing underscored concerns of a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities, while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case. In December, Ukrainian investigators arrested three suspects in Sheremet's case -- Yana Duhar, Andriy Antonenko, and Yulia Kuzmenko. Vladyslav and Inna Hryshchenko, a married couple, who were suspected in another unrelated case, have been declared persons of interest in the case. All five took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine's east, where government forces are fighting against Russia-backed separatists. The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December that the group's goal was "to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine" by killing Sheremet. In January, Ukraine's Prosecutor-General's Office said additional evidence was needed for the case to go to trial. Sheremet's mother, Lyudmila Sheremet, told RFE/RL in December that she does not know whether the suspects are guilty or not but that she is afraid "that innocent people may be hurt" as officials try to show they're making headway in the case. U.S. experts and activists on North Korea have criticized South Korea's decision to clamp down on North Korean defectors' groups for agitating Pyongyang by sending propaganda leaflets across the border. Robert King, former U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told Voice of America on Saturday, "The problem with the South Korean government's decision to ban balloons is that it came after a particularly vicious blast from Kim Yo-jong. The South Korean government's quick announcement that it was banning fliers on balloons looks like South Korea simply buckling under to a North Korean demand." "It does not position the South Korean government to deal effectively with the North by responding in such a servile and obsequious way." On June 4, Kim Yo-jong issued a hysterically worded statement demanding that the South Korean government ban the dissemination of propaganda leaflets across the border. Just four hours later, the Unification Ministry promised to ban the campaign and last week revoked the charitable status of two defectors groups, Fighters for a Free North Korea and Kuensaem, which are at the forefront of the flyering campaign. Greg Scarlatoiu of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea told VOA, "This is a catastrophic decision. It is also clear indication that the current [South Korean] government is suppressing the voices of former North Korean activists critical of the Kim regime in order to appease the North Korean leadership." "For over two decades we have been praising South Korea as an economic powerhouse and, most importantly, a democracy that has been a role model for others in the region and beyond," he added. "The crackdown on activists and organizations critical of Kim Jong-un raises a serious question: Is South Korea still the democracy we used to know?" Lee Sung-yoon at Tufts University called the measure a "national disgrace." Suzanne Scholte of the North Korea Freedom Coalition said the latest measure by the South is "terrible" and the Moon Jae-in administration appears once again to be more concerned about the North Korean regime "than the Korean people -- north or south." WABC-TVBy JOSH MARGOLIN, AARON KATERSKY and JACK DATE, ABC News (NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J.) -- The suspect in the fatal shooting of a federal judge's son, who was an attorney that had a previous case in front of the judge, has been found dead, law enforcement sources told ABC News. The son of Judge Esther Salas was shot and killed, and her husband shot and injured in an attack at the family's New Jersey home on Sunday night. Salas was not hurt in the attack. Her son, Daniel Anderl, 20, died, Francis "Mac" Womack, the mayor of North Brunswick, New Jersey, told ABC News. Salas' husband, Mark Anderl, is in critical but stable condition as of Monday morning, according to law enforcement sources. The suspect was a white man who wore a face covering and a FedEx uniform, law enforcement sources told ABC News, and he used an ordinary car to make a getaway. The suspect has now been identified as Roy Den Hollander, a Manhattan lawyer and self-described antifeminist, multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the case told ABC News. Hollander's body was discovered in a car by a municipal employee in the town of Rockland, New York. He died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sources said. New York State Police were on scene and the FBI was called. A FedEx package addressed to Judge Salas was discovered in the car, sources said. FedEx Spokesman Jim Masilak said in a statement, "We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities." At about 5 p.m. Sunday, the gunman knocked at the door to the family's North Brunswick home. Daniel Anderl answered the door and was shot first, before his father was also shot. "He was shot through the heart," Womack said of Daniel Anderl, who was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. "Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks," Catholic University President John Garvey said in a statement Monday. "He turned 20 last week. We all mourn and grieve this loss to our University community." Salas had received threats in the past, sources said. Authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between those prior threats and the shooting, or whether it possibly involved the husband's work as a criminal defense attorney. "As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any," said Mayor Womack, who is personal friends with the judge and her husband. In a 2015 case before Salas, Hollander represented a woman who wanted to register for the military draft. He was replaced last June as the woman's lawyer before the case was fully resolved. The court docket did not indicate a reason for his replacement and the woman's current attorney could not be reached. Hollander had previously sued Manhattan nightclubs for favoring women by offering ladies' night discounts and sued the federal government over a law that protects women from violence. He has also sued Columbia University for offering women's studies courses, accusing the school of using government aid to teach a "religionist belief system called feminism." New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the shooting "a brazen and cowardly act of gun violence at their home in North Brunswick. We give our full support to Judge Salas and her husband at this most trying time. This is an unconscionable tragedy." We all mourn and grieve this loss to our University community. Our deepest condolences go out to Daniels parents, Esther Salas and Mark Anderl. We pray too for Daniels father, who was also shot and is in the hospital. Catholic University President (@CatholicPres) July 20, 2020 The New Jersey State Police, the North Brunswick Police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office are also involved in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals have been called to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official. "I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey's federal bench," New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez said in a statement. "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice." U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr also offered his condolences to Salas and her family. "This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter," Barr said in a statement. Salas is the first Latina woman to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Libyan Interior minister reaffirms rejection of Haftars government militarization project Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The minister of Interior of the government of national accord (GNA), Fathi Bachagha, Monday reaffirmed he backed any project aimed at restoring stability and peace in Libya, an official source said here For almost 20 years, Russia has pursued its economic cooperation and other geo-strategic interests using the Declaration on Strategic Partnership agreement signed in 2001 with the Arab Republic of Algeria in the Maghreb region. The Maghreb also known as Northwest Africa, the Arab Maghreb is a subregion of North Africa that is effectively a western part of the Arab world and is predominantly Muslim. Russia has an excellent relations in this region compared to the rest of Africa. While that two-decade old Declaration on Strategic Partnership agreement has primarily allowed Russia to step up military-technical cooperation by supplying arms and military equipment, it also sets out principles for the consolidating long-term bilateral policy goals between the two countries. During her weekly media briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hinted about the official visit of Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum. "Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with the Algerian Foreign Minister in Moscow on July 22 in order to maintain dialogue on the current issues of bilateral relations and the issues on the regional agenda," the diplomat said. She reminded that Russia and Algeria had signed the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in 2001, which set out the long-term goals of joint work. "In nearly two decades, we have managed to expand the basis of our cooperation significantly. We are successfully developing mutually beneficial ties in the economic, military-technical, research and humanitarian spheres, and in 2019, the turnover between two states reached $3.4 billion. This is a significant figure," Zakharova said. Undoubtedly, Russia has tried to sustain its multifaceted bilateral relations with Algeria that plays an important role in maintaining regional stability in North Africa. Sabri Boukadoum has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since April 2019. In this short period though, he has expressed his country's keenness on resolving the Libyan crisis through dialogue and maintaining the integrity of the country's territory. According to him, Algeria does not accept the presence of foreign forces in Libya, regardless of which country they represent. Currently there is an intense fight between the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces (the opposition from the Eastern region) to control the Libyan capital. There are external forces already supporting the two warring groups. The inflow of arms for the conflicting sides in Libya is only aggravating the situation in the country. It adds to the involvement of foreign mercenaries and the presence of extremist and terrorist groups, whose activities reinvigorated jointly with the military escalation and is threatening the local, regional and global peace. This development largely worries Algeria that wanted to assist Libyans in addressing "structural governance and security issues" and prevent a new Arab Spring from spilling over unto its territory. From Russia's perspective, besides Algeria's role in ensuring regional stability in North Africa, this country makes a significant contribution to the fight against terrorism in the Sahara-Sahel zone, actively participates in international efforts to achieve national accord in Mali, and has a constructive mediating potential in the Libyan settlement. On this basis, Russia wants to proceed from the premise that the upcoming talks help to strengthen multifaceted bilateral cooperation and to engage in the peaceful negotiation process in its neighboring Libya. As a sign of cordial friendship, Russia prompt responded to Algeria's request for humanitarian aid by delivering a cargo full of medical protective equipment to help tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic. That aid was purchased and delivered by Rosoboronexport, which is the sole State Arms Exporter, on instructions from the Russian government late April. Algeria has one of the biggest number of coronavirus-related deaths among the African nations, according to official statistics. On July 8, while addressing the first political consultation meeting at the foreign minister level between Russia and three members of the African Union, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya has been vacant for almost half a year ago. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been unable to appoint a successor so far. His first proposal for UN Secretary-General position was Foreign Minister of Algeria, Ramtane Lamamra, and was supported by most countries except the American colleagues. They refused to support his nomination. Then, another proposal put forward to appoint former Foreign Minister of Ghana, Hannah Tetteh, but for some reasons Mr Antonio Guterres has failed to have her nomination approved, according to Sergey Lavrov. The political consultation meeting at the foreign minister level between Russia and three members of the African Union was established after the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi last October. The three African Union countries are the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are the former, current and next presidents of the African Union. Late January 2019, just before Russia's presidential election and the first Russia-Africa summit, was the last time Lavrov paid a working visit to the Maghreb countries, including the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Tunisia. Since then the Minister has maintained regular contacts. Lavrov hopes the upcoming bilateral talks with Sabri Boukadoum could lay a new roadmap to the diverse aspects of the bilateral relations and the possibility of strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of spheres. Both are looking to have indepth discussion into adopting strategies toward resolving the crisis in Libya. Both countries, of course, want the effective use of the Joint Russian-Algerian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as the instrument for full-fledged realization of the all the set policy goals including those outlined during the Sochi last year. Significant to recall that Russian and Algerian leaders also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi. During the discussion, Putin said that Russia was ready to render the Algerian people assistance in strengthening their statehood and sovereignty. He further indicated that Moscow attached great importance to developing inter-state strategic partnership with Algeria "which is based on the solid traditions of longstanding friendship and mutual respect." The Kremlin report says Algeria is among Russia's major partners in Africa in the sphere of military and technical cooperation. The largest arms contract worth $7.5 billion was signed in 2006 as part of a deal, under which Russia agreed to write off Algeria's debt owed to the Soviet Union. Besides bilateral relationship, Russia relates with Algeria in the framework of the broad partnerships between Russia and the African Union, and Russia and the Arab League. The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the southeast by Niger, to southwest by Mali, to the west by Morocco and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. Kester Kenn Klomegah frequently writes about Russia, Africa and BRICS. President Donald Trump speaks to the media while meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday. Read more President Donald Trump said Monday that he may send more federal law enforcement to Philadelphia and other major cities even though protests here have remained peaceful in recent weeks. This announcement seemed to take local officials by surprise, with both Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw saying they did not receive any advance notice of the presidents comments. Its unclear if Trump will send federal officers to Philadelphia, and if they are, which agencies would be involved or when it would happen. Kenney said he would oppose such a move. The presidents threat is wrong on many levels. To send federal agents to police U.S. cities that have not requested such aid can only impede the work of local governments and exacerbate already heightened tensions in these cities, Kenney said in a statement. And to target cities that are led by Democratic mayors is clearly a politicization of federal resources that should outrage all taxpayers. Trump lauded the use of force by local and federal officers during protests in Portland, Ore., that have followed the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. In Portland, theyve done a fantastic job, Trump said Monday during a meeting on the GOPs coronavirus relief bill. Trump also mentioned New York, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, and Oakland, Calif., as cities where he would consider sending more federal law enforcement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to send about 150 federal agents to Chicago this week, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday. While the Portland protests have led to some violence, like a fire in the police union headquarters and the federal courthouse, most have remained peaceful. And those protesters appear more determined after seeing aggressive responses by federal officers, like using tear gas and pulling demonstrators into unmarked vans, according to local media, accounts from protesters, and videos circulated on social media. We are in a fight to save our democracy, Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. If federal authorities come to Philadelphia with the same unjustified and unconstitutional tactics that theyre using in Portland, they can expect a strong response from us and from our partners who are pushing America to reckon with its history of brutalizing Black people. Oregon officials have said the federal officers presence in the states largest city is not welcome. The city has seen almost two months of nightly protests, and the federal officers are making tensions worse, they said. Their presence is neither wanted nor is it helpful, and were asking them to leave, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said, according to the Washington Post. In fact, were demanding that they leave. Jennifer Crandall, a spokesperson for William M. McSwain, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said her office had no comment about Trumps remarks. Pat Trainor, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Drug Enforcement Administration, said he was unaware of the DEA or any other federal agencies being mobilized at this time. District Attorney Larry Krasner compared Trumps threat to fascism. My dad volunteered and served in World War II to fight fascism, like most of my uncles, so we would not have an American president brutalizing and kidnapping Americans for exercising their constitutional rights and trying to make America a better place, which is what patriots do, Krasner said. Anyone, including federal law enforcement, who unlawfully assaults and kidnaps people will face criminal charges from my office. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has sued federal officials, alleging that unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland streets without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action. Officers across the country have responded with force to people demonstrating against racism and police brutality. In Philadelphia, officers teargassed and assaulted peaceful protesters and deployed military-style vehicles in a residential neighborhood. The city has since apologized for some of its tactics. READ MORE: I couldnt breathe': Inside the West Philly neighborhood teargassed by police More than 140 Philadelphia protesters and residents have sued the city, saying the June 1 teargassing of a crowd of demonstrators on I-676 and the police use of rubber bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas along 52nd Street in West Philadelphia the day before violated their constitutional rights to free expression and freedom from excessive force. Natasha Merle, a senior counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which is representing 13 plaintiffs in one of the federal suits about the use of force along 52nd, said she has serious concerns about the recent deployment of federal troops during protests. If what is happening in Portland expands to Chicago, Philadelphia, other cities, we would think that is an unconstitutional overreach by the federal government, Merle said. Weve already brought our lawsuit on behalf of Black communities in Philadelphia already being traumatized. Federal officers deployed in Philadelphia would only continue that trauma. Staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article. In less than a month of the news of Sushant Singh Rajputs tragic demise shaking us, reports started to float that a film based on his life would be going on the floors soon. Now, it's confirmed that filmmaker Shamik Maulik will be directing the film titled Suicide or Murder: A Star Was Lost. Producer Vijay Shekhar Gupta made the announcement on social media, alongside sharing the first poster of the movie. "A boy from a small town became a Shining Star in the film industry. This is his journey. Introducing @officialtiwarisachin _ as 'The Outsider' in #SuicideOrMurder," he wrote. Talking about the movie, Gupta earlier shared with Indianexpress.com, Sushant Singh Rajputs death by suicide came as a shock to all of us, but it is not new. Many actors who come to the industry to chase their dreams of making it big here end up not getting work. Many take this route, and some keep struggling all their lives. So, we wanted to tell a story of how actors from small towns who dont have godfathers in Bollywood struggle. Now that Sachin will be playing the role of Sushant, we did a bit of digging to know more about Sachin. 1. He gained popularity way before Sushants death as he was active on TikTok. People started to compare him with Sushant and notice the uncanny similarities with the actor on TikTok. 2. If you watch and notice his Instagram videos, he does a good job in imitating the actor's dance moves and mannerisms. 3. Interestingly, he is also a preacher of Lord Shiva. 4. He was born on 7th July 1994 in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, India in a middle-class family. Sachin completed his graduation from Uttar Pradesh University. 5. He had over 779.7K followers and 16.4 million likes on TikTok. After the platform was banned, he made his Instagram account. 6. He has always dreamt of becoming an actor and with this movie, he will enter into the Bollywood league. While a few people think no one can replace Sushant, others are happy that he is getting a chance. We hope Sachin Tiwari gives justice to the role of Sushant and lives up to the expectations of a million fans. His behaviour resulted in her turning down work to avoid confrontations, with her salary "going down every year I was with him". Heard's evidence forms part of a libel case that Depp has pursued against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence during the pair's tempestuous relationship. The actress yesterday faced questions over 14 allegations of domestic violence - all denied by Depp - which the tabloid's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), relies on in its defence of an April 2018 article that called the Hollywood star a "wife-beater". Johnny Depp, pictured outside court on Monday, has strongly denied abusing Heard. Credit:Getty Images The court heard further details of the couple's often volatile relationship, with Heard, 34, claiming that Depp, 57, "explicitly threatened to kill me many times" and told her that "death was the only way out" of their marriage. Ms Heard said some of the alleged incidents of abuse were "so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far". After their first meeting in 2009 on the set of The Rum Diary, Heard said Depp was "engaging and intellectual" and "affectionate" and said the early days of their relationship were like "magic". "When we were together it was always just the two of us. We would be at his compound, behind the gates. It was like I was dating a king, with his level of fame and the way he lived," she said. She continued: "We loved the same music, and poetry, and art - we would just sit and talk for hours. "He was engaging and intellectual and dark and funny. He knew so much about life, and he had lived longer and so much more than me. "I was captivated. I had never been with someone like him." But their whirlwind romance quickly took a dark turn, with both high-profile stars accusing the other of infidelity, substance abuse, an uncontrollable temper and serious physical violence. In this court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook, actress Amber Heard being being cross-examined by Eleanor Laws as she gives evidence at the High Court in London. Credit:Elizabeth Cook Reflecting on the day they got married in February 2015, Heard said they fought on their wedding night over his drug use. "He had lost weight and he would disappear into the bathroom for long periods during the wedding," she said. "He was even more possessive than usual and he was just not making sense a lot of the time. "I tried to smile through it and entertain our guests. But I had never felt more lonely in my life." During yesterday's hearing, Heard cited numerous occasions when Depp allegedly abused her, starting in 2013. "I remember the first time he hit me. It changes your life forever," she said. An incident took place during a trip to Australia in March 2015, which she likened to "a three-day hostage situation". "Over the course of those three days, there were extreme acts of psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence. It was the worst thing I have ever been through," she said. On the second day, Heard claims that the actor hit, pushed and choked her and spat in her face. A photo used in evidence of Amber Heard with marks on her face that she says were inflicted by Johnny Depp in May 2016 Credit:LHC/AP "He grabbed me by the neck and kept smashing my head against the fridge," she said. "At some point he pulled me around by my neck and pushed me down against the bar. "He was pressing so hard on my neck I couldn't breathe. I was trying to tell him I couldn't breathe. I remember thinking he was going to kill me in that moment. "I really thought I might die." Later that day, Heard found the dress she had been wearing during the attack wrapped around pieces of steak, the court heard. "[Depp] has ripped the gown into pieces and put raw meat in it," Heard said. "It was really messed-up." In a separate incident five months later, Heard told the court that Depp pinned her against the wall on a train in Malaysia. "I remember having my hands up trying to block the blows. Again, I thought he might actually kill me. I thought I might die." Later that year, on December 15, Heard claimed that she experienced "one of the worst and most violent nights of our relationship" the day before she appeared on The Late Late Show hosted by James Corden. "Johnny grabbed my hair and slapped me in the face and screamed and swore at me saying that he was going to kill me," she told the court. "I ended up deciding to do the show because I didn't think I could cancel at the last minute. "I remember being in pain and had some difficulty getting ready. I remember they put a lot of make-up on me to cover the bruises and I wore red lipstick to cover up my bleeding lip," she continued. Loading During yesterday's hearing, which often resulted in a tense exchange of words between Heard and Depp's lawyer, the American actress was accused of telling "complete lies" by Eleanor Laws QC. "Do you remember any of this or are you just making it up as you go along?," Ms Laws asked. "This is all lies, isn't it? You are making it up as you go along." For Subscribers Aberdeen filmmakers release trailer for latest work called 'Homebody' The group is currently crowdfunding and hopes to begin production of the film in late spring. A financial deal that fell apart on the one-yard line could bring an end to a 150-year-old Houston-area energy firm and force 1,250 employees out of work, court filings show. Tomball-based BJ Services filed for Chapter 11 reorganization Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston, after a $75 million financing deal with private equity firm CSL Capital Management, one of the companys three owners, fell apart, records show. The proposed transaction was nearly final, but fell apart on the one-yard line as the last remaining issues could not be resolved, CEO Warren Zemlak wrote in the filing. BJ Services, which is privately held, owes about $357 million and has laid off 800 employees since March and furloughed 200, court records show. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur is scheduled to hear the case Tuesday afternoon. Service Sector: BJ Services to expand use of natural gas-powered tech BJ Services is asking Isgur for seven days to save its failed refinancing deal. If the company fails to reach a deal with investors and lenders in Chapter 11 proceedings, the company would sell all of its assets and lay off its remaining workers, said Sarah Foss, an energy industry bankruptcy expert with financial service Debtwire. It would be tragic for a company that has been around since the 1870s and all those people, Foss said. It would also become one of the largest oil and gas liquidations this year. BJ Services is working with its customers to keep crews operating at active sites until buyers for its business units are found. In a deal that would save 300 jobs but wouldnt close for several weeks, an disclosed buyer offered to buy the companys oil well cementing business for more than $30 million, court records show. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox In a separate deal, CSL offered to buy three fracturing fleets, the companys Titan series of equipment and all intellectual property saving another 215 jobs, records show. Founded by mining equipment maker Byron Jackson in 1872, BJ Services became a private company in 2016 under a deal that ended with CSL Capital Management and New York private equity firm West Street Energy Partners owning 53.3 percent and Houston oil-field services giant Baker Hughes the remaining 46.7 percent. Some 18 oil-field services companies with a combined $28.6 billion of debt had filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. through June, according to law firm Haynes and Boone. Michelle Michot Foss, an energy industry expert with Rice Universitys Baker Institute, said the filings are just the beginning for the struggling oil-field services sector, which was in trouble before the coronavirus pandemic. The sector, which ranges from drilling rig operators to hydraulic fracturing crews to equipment manufacturers, was hit with billions of dollars of losses during the 2014-16 oil crash and again last year when oil prices were stuck under $60 a barrel. "This is a moment of reckoning for the business model on U.S. onshore shale plays," Foss said. The Ogun State Government has replaced the striking doctors working at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital COVID-19 Isolation Centre, with volunteer doctors. Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the facility, situated in Sagamu, had on July 1, begun a strike. This paper, however, reported how some doctors at the isolation centres joined the industrial action last week. Some of the doctors complaints include non-implementation of the new minimum wage, hazard allowance, inappropriate remuneration, low entry-level and absence of a life insurance policy for its members. According to the doctors, the alleged refusal of the state government to appropriately attend to previous warning letters had shown that the government was less concerned about their plight. On Monday, Special Assistant to the Governor on public communications, Remmy Hassan, disclosed to PREMIUM TIMES that the striking doctors at the isolation centre had been replaced. READ ALSO: They were replaced by volunteers. It is a stop-gap measure. We cannot stop the treatment at the isolation centre. They have the right to go on strike. Remember it is a national strike. We are doing our best and we just hope that it does not take too long, he said in a telephone interview with our reporter. The Secretary, ARD, OOUTH, Tope Osundara, confirmed the replacement to Punch newspaper, adding that the doctors were hopeful that the government would call for a meeting this week. Ogun State as of Sunday night has recorded 1,174 COVID-19 cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Bengaluru, July 20 : Ahead of the 9-day Covid lockdown in Bengaluru ending on Wednesday morning, Karnataka Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar on Monday reiterated it would not be extended. "Lockdown will not be extended after July 22 morning in Bengaluru, as decided by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa," he told reporters after a review meeting of the Covid situation in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts at his home office. Sudhakar, however, added that night curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. will continue daily and total lockdown will be observed on Sundays till August 2 across the state. On the advice of health experts, the state government re-imposed the lockdown from 8 p.m. on July 14 to 5 a.m. on July 22 to contain the surging Covid cases in the city in the 'unlock' period since June 1. Asserting that lockdown was not a solution to control the pandemic, Yediyurappa on July 17 said it would not be extended beyond July 22 morning. The Chief Minister, however, urged the citizens to stay at home during the lockdown, and wear mask, wash hands and maintain social distancing if going out for buying essentials or on an emergency work. Of the 3,648 new cases registered across the state on Monday, Bengaluru accounted for 1,452, taking its Covid tally to 33,229, including 24,574 active, while 698 died of the infection so far, with 31 during the day. The southern state's Covid tally touched 67,420, including 42,216 active, while 1,403 patients succumbed to the virus so far, with 72 during the day. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE:CYD) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 19% in the last quarter. But that doesn't help the fact that the three year return is less impressive. After all, the share price is down 32% in the last three years, significantly under-performing the market. See our latest analysis for China Yuchai International While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During the three years that the share price fell, China Yuchai International's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 12% each year. So do you think it's a coincidence that the share price has dropped 12% per year, a very similar rate to the EPS? We don't. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time, despite the disappointment. It seems like the share price is reflecting the declining earnings per share. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on China Yuchai International's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for China Yuchai International the TSR over the last 3 years was -16%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. Story continues A Different Perspective China Yuchai International provided a TSR of 2.9% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 5.7% a year, over half a decade) look better. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand China Yuchai International better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for China Yuchai International that you should be aware of. We will like China Yuchai International better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:53:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's bullion market has incurred a loss of 184 million U.S. dollars during the lockdown as a result of economic downfall due to COVID-19 that has left the market still. The sale of gold has come into halt as the price has gone up in the domestic market with few customers even during the wedding season. "In an average, gold weighing 35 kilograms used to be traded in a day when the situation was normal whereas over 50 kilograms of gold used to be traded during the wedding season," said Tej Ratna Shakya, former president of Federation of Nepal Gold Silver Dealers' Association. However, barely 5 kg of gold is being traded daily across the nation amid the pandemic, according to Shakya. The country has been under lockdown since March 24, along with a series of restrictive measure which has been recently relaxed to resume economic activities. According to Shakya, gold market used to trade gold worth 502 million U.S. dollars annually, but this year has been ruined by the COVID-19 outbreak. "An average of 46 million U.S. dollars was lost per month during this period," he told Xinhua on Monday. The bullion market opened with an increased value on June 7. Since then the price has been constantly rising in the Nepali bullion market. "There has been no business to start with and the loss will continue to pile up if the condition worsens or does not improve soon," Shakya added. "The world is going through economic turmoil and Nepal is no exception, so people are investing in gold which is the reason why the price is uncontrollably rising." Nepali gold entrepreneurs are worried if the situation persists they will be displaced with no investment to run their businesses. Enditem Pupil wins national technology competition: prodigy or fraud By:Wu Jiaqi | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-07-20 10:30 In the recent China Adolescent Science and Technology Invention Contest, one of the awards went to a sixth-grade boy surnamed Cheng, who undertook graduate level research regarding rectal cancer. While Cheng was showered with positive social attention, some people raised doubts about his achievements. Bear in mind that this is not a voice of jealousy, but a cautious one that caught a glimpse of ananomaly in the research log. At first, it seems as if Cheng didnt even really understand what genes are- the most basic building block of the human anatomy. However, throughout the course of4 days Cheng miraculously gained an understanding of PCR technology, a significantly more advanced branch of technology. For a child who didnt even know what a gene is, said Li Ling, a PHD student ,its impossible for him to fully understand the direct correlation between fragments of a gene and cancer.Indeed, a lot of the things mentioned in Chengs report involved topics considered difficult even for graduate students; its very unlikely for Cheng to be able to improve that much that quickly independently. A day after the scandalbroke, the Kunming Animal Research Division of the Chinese Science Academy revealed that Chengs parents are both researchers at the institution, and Cheng has conducted research on institution grounds. This shocking revelation further enhanced the possibility that Cheng had used excessive external help when competing in the tournament. The final punishment was given on July 15th, where Chengs father publicly apologized for his excessive participation in his childs contest. He claimed the incident to bea misinterpretation of the rules, when the competition explicitly states that the project report must be done solely by the participant. Chengs award was revoked, and he was banned from entering the contest again. This has happened before as well, but Cheng just seems to be another repeat of precedents. Throughout the years, the China Adolescent Science and Technology Invention Contest has been questioned multiple times for indulging academic dishonesty. If proven true, this could bring a damaging social narrative on scientific studies in China in general, since it is the biggest and most prestigious scientific competition for teens in all of China. Precisely because of this, many people see this competition as a pathway for a better education, since the Zhongkao and Gaokao exams both value this contest as a point adder. Theres the motive, whats the crime. Despite having imprinted a bad narrative, such acts also violate both the fairness of education and the purity of technological invention, the exact cornerstones a contest like this is built on. As the public are exposed to these repeated mistakes, we can see that authorities are trying to manage the contest with a firmer hand by enforcing better supervision, background checks, and scientific evaluation on project outcomes. The Gaokao system has also prohibited extra marks awarded to winners of the contest in hope to reduce cases of misconduct. Although these means did not exactly lead to a satisfactory end, it is still a step in the right direction. Mr.Deng Xiaoping once said,youths are the future of the country, the hope of science. We are all eager to see a brighter future, as the contest can return to its prior purity. LESPLUGA DE FRANCOLI, Spain - Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters protested the visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia on Monday to the northeastern region as part of a royal tour across Spain that is meant to bolster spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visit the Royal Monastery of Poblet, northeastern Spain, Monday, July 20, 2020. Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters are protesting Monday the visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to the northeastern region as part of a royal tour across Spain that is meant to bolster spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic. The visit comes as a barrage of media leaks have revealed how the king's father, former monarch Juan Carlos I, allegedly hid millions of untaxed euros in offshore funds. (David Zorrakino/Europa Press via AP) LESPLUGA DE FRANCOLI, Spain - Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters protested the visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia on Monday to the northeastern region as part of a royal tour across Spain that is meant to bolster spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic. The visit came as a barrage of media leaks accuse the kings father, former monarch Juan Carlos I, of allegedly hiding millions of untaxed euros in offshore funds. Prosecutors in the countrys Supreme Court are determining whether the king emeritus can be investigated for receiving the funds from Saudi Arabia, possibly as kickbacks for a high-speed railway project. Juan Carlos hasn't publicly addressed the allegations against him. The scandal is the latest to rock the Spanish royal family. In mid-March, it prompted Felipe to renounce any inheritance he could receive from his father and stripped him of the annual stipend as king emeritus. Juan Carlos abdicated on behalf of his son in 2014. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. With that backdrop, the royal couple launched a visit to all of Spains 17 regions that was designed as a show of support for the citizens and the economy as it recovers from the first wave of the pandemic. The Catalan leg of the tour was initially planned for last week covering several towns and Barcelona, but the monarchy said it had postponed it and scaled it back to a short visit to a monastery because of the spike in virus cases in and around the regional capital. Protesters on Monday carried photos of Felipe upside down and letters completing the sentence Catalonia doesn't have a king" during a march organized by ANC, the region's largest pro-independence civil society group. The march was headed to the Royal Monastery of Poblet, where the king and the queen were visiting, but police blocked access at the main road. Some of the activists tried to reach the monastery by venturing into nearby vineyards. High-speed and regular trains in and out of the northern Catalan city of Girona were also delayed or cancelled due to acts of vandalism, according to a tweet by Spains railway infrastructure operator, ADIF. A photo circulated on messaging apps showed tires burning on railways next to a sign showing a crossed out upside down image of a crown. Tensions between separatists in Catalonia, which has a population of 7.5 million, and those in support of Spanish unity came to a head in late 2017 following a banned referendum met with police violence that led to the prosecution of top elected officials and activists. The governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar with Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday at New Delhi. (Photo- Twitter/ @jdhankhar1) New Delhi: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the "worrisome situation" in the state. During the meeting, the governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said. Dhankhar before the meeting had tweeted: "Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation." "Also state of affairs and affairs of State @MamataOfficial. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of WB people," he tweeted. The governor had also said that he would discuss with the home minister about his constitutional duties provided under Article 159 that includes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and will "devote myself to the service and well-being of the people". "I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE," Dhankar said in another tweet. On Sunday, the governor had said there was no room for complacency for the state government when it came to dealing with rising COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in West Bengal. A manipulated video of President Nixons Apollo 11 address to the nation has been released online to highlight the dangers of media misinformation. The deepfake video uses deep-learning and artificial-intelligence technology to create doctored footage that depicts Nixon falsely announcing that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became stranded on the moon during the 1969 landing. Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace, a voice actor impersonating president Nixon says in the doctored video. In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood, he continues. Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts. The seven-minute documentary, produced by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Centre for Advanced Virtuality, is titled In Event of Moon Disaster and brings to life the speech written by William Safire as a contingency in case the landing went awry. In reality, Armstrong and Aldrin landed safely on the moon on 20 July, 1969, and later safely returned to earth alongside crewmate Michael Collins, meaning the speech was never used. "This alternative history shows how new technologies can obfuscate the truth around us, encouraging our audience to think carefully about the media they encounter daily," project co-leader Francesca Panetta, XR Creative Director at MIT Virtuality, told Space.com in a statement. The documentary has been selected by several film festivals since its debut in 2019 as an art installation in a 1960s-era living room. Recommended Twitter bans deepfakes ahead of US elections The new website allows anyone to view the video and provides resources surrounding deepfakes and the dangers they pose. Its our hope that this project will encourage the public to understand that manipulated media plays a significant role in our media landscape, and that with further understanding and diligence we can all reduce the likelihood of being unduly influenced by it, project co-leader Halsey Burgund, a fellow at MIT Open Documentary Lab, also told the website in a statement. WASHINGTON An agitated President Donald Trump offered a string of combative and often dubious assertions in an interview aired Sunday, defending his handling of the coronavirus with misleading evidence, attacking his own health experts, disputing polls showing him trailing in his reelection race and defending people who display the Confederate flag as victims of cancel culture. The presidents remarks, delivered in an interview on Fox News Sunday, amounted to a contentious potpourri more commonly found on his Twitter feed and at his political rallies. The difference this time was a vigorous attempt by the host, Chris Wallace, to fact-check him, leading to several clashes between the two on matters ranging from the coronavirus response to whether Trump would accept the results of the election should he lose. The Coronavirus The president made a litany of false claims about his administrations handling of the virus, despite evidence that key officials and public health experts advising the president made crucial missteps and played down the spread of the disease this spring. In the interview, Trump falsely claimed that the United States had one of the lowest mortality rates in the world from the virus. Thats not true, sir, Wallace said. Do you have the numbers, please? Trump said. Because I heard we had the best mortality rate. The United States has the eighth-worst fatality rate among reported coronavirus cases in the world, and the death rate per 100,000 people 42.83 ranks it third worst, according to data on the countries most affected by the coronavirus compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Trump said that by increasing testing, his administration was creating trouble for the fake news to come along and say, Oh, we have more cases. Trump falsely claimed that the coronavirus case rate in other countries was lower than in the United States because those nations did not engage in testing. When Wallace pointed out a low case rate across the European Union, the president suggested it was possible that those countries dont test. And when Wallace pointed out that the death rate in the United States was rising, Trump replied by blaming China. Excuse me, its all too much, it shouldnt be one case, Trump said. It came from China. They shouldve never let it escape. They shouldve never let it out. But it is what it is. Take a look at Europe; take a look at the numbers in Europe. And by the way, theyre having cases. Trump called Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, an alarmist who provided faulty information in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. I dont know that hes a leaker, Trump said during the interview. Hes a little bit of an alarmist. Thats OK. A little bit of an alarmist. Trump said that Fauci had been against his decision to close the borders to travelers from China in January. That is misleading: While Fauci initially opposed the idea on the grounds that a ban would prevent medical professionals from traveling to hard-hit areas, he supported the decision by the time it was made. Trump also said Fauci had been against Americans wearing masks. Fauci has said he does not regret urging Americans not to wear masks in the early days of the pandemic, citing a severe shortage of protective gear for medical professionals at the time. Trump said he doubted whether Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was correct in predicting that the pandemic would be worse this fall. I dont know, Trump said. And I dont think he knows. He said public health experts and the World Health Organization got a lot wrong early on, including a theory that the virus would abate as the weather warmed one that Trump himself had promoted repeatedly. Then the president reiterated his earlier claim, unsupported by science, that the virus would suddenly cease one day. Its going to disappear, and Ill be right, Trump said. Because Ive been right probably more than anybody else. The Election Trump insulted Fox News pollsters as among the worst when presented with data that showed him trailing former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, claiming that he had seen polls that showed him winning. I understand you still have more than 100 days to this election, but at this point youre losing, Wallace told Trump after detailing a new Fox News poll that showed Biden leading the president by 8 percentage points, 49% to 41%, among registered voters. First of all, Im not losing, Trump replied, because those are fake polls. They were fake in 2016, and now theyre even more fake. The polls were much worse in 2016. But in reality, the Fox News poll was much better for him than another major survey released Sunday. A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Biden with a double-digit lead: 55% to 40% among registered voters. The numbers were part of a slate of polls showing Bidens lead widening as the pandemic weighed on the presidents approval ratings. Trump said he was not worried about losing the election with the decision this pst week to replace his campaign manager, Brad Parscale. Trump called Parscale a great digital guy before saying that many of his 2016 campaign hands were getting more involved. He did not mention his new campaign manager, Bill Stepien, by name. When told that Biden was chosen in the Fox poll as the more mentally sound candidate, Trump disputed that finding and defended his cognitive test results to Wallace, who said he had taken the same test that the president had bragged about acing this month. Wallace pointed out that one of the questions asked to identify an elephant. Its all misrepresentation, Trump said. Because, yes, the first few questions are easy, but Ill bet you couldnt even answer the last five questions. Ill bet you couldnt. They get very hard, the last five questions. Trump suggested that he might not accept the results of the election should he lose. Wallace, who spent the interview grilling the president a tactic he has used in other high-profile interviews pointed out that Trump said the same thing in 2016. You dont know until you see, Trump said. It depends. I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election. I really do. Trump, who has voted by mail, has repeatedly warned, without evidence, that mail elections would involve robbed mailboxes, forged signatures and ballots printed by foreign countries. Race and Policing Trump again tried to attack Biden, claiming that the former vice president wanted to defund the police. The president suggested this was evidenced by his work with more progressive Democrats to create a charter pledging to work together on matters including changes to policing. It says nothing about defunding the police, Wallace said of that document. Oh really? It says abolish; it says defund. Lets go! Get me the charter, please, Trump said, before demanding to see the document. In a promotional clip of the interview, Wallace said the president had been unable to find evidence that Biden sought to defund or abolish the police. When Wallace asked the president if he could understand why Black people would be angry about their increased likelihood to be killed by police, Trump reiterated a claim he made in another interview last week: that white people are fatally shot in high numbers, too. I mean, many, many whites are killed, Trump said. I hate to say, but this is going on for decades. Statistics show that while more white Americans are killed by the police overall, people of color are killed at higher rates. Trump also refused to back down from supporting people who were against abolishing the Confederate flag, even as Wallace pointed out that they had used it in defense of slavery. The president equated the movement to pull down the flags and Confederate monuments to cancel culture, a term more commonly used to describe a boycott against a person, often a celebrity, who says or does something culturally offensive. And you know, the whole thing with cancel culture, we cant cancel our whole history, Trump said. We cant forget that the North and the South fought. We have to remember that. Otherwise well end up fighting again. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Amid speculation that Galaxy Fold 2 may not be introduced at the upcoming Samsung event, industry insiders here said on Monday that the new foldable smartphone is likely to be unveiled next month. The world's largest smartphone maker released a 13-second video for its August 5 Galaxy Unpacked' event on its Twitter account, with a message "one fold, infinite possibilities." The video shows Samsung's mystic bronze-colored droplet transforming into a butterfly-like object, which denotes the Galaxy Fold smartphone which had the butterfly image wallpaper when it was first released last year. Industry insiders said the latest teaser confirms that the South Korean tech giant will unveil its latest foldable smartphone at the online event, alongside other new mobile devices, such as the Galaxy Note 20 phablet and the Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds, reports Yonhap news agency. According to industry sources, Samsung is reportedly considering lowering the price of the Galaxy Fold 2. The price for the Galaxy Fold was $1,985 in South Korea but sources said the Galaxy Fold 2 could be sold at a lower price than the predecessor. "Like the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy Fold 2 could come up with a lower price tag compared to its predecessor to boost sales," an industry official said. Industry insiders predicted that Samsung's Galaxy Fold 2 may be available on the market after September following the Galaxy Note 20's release, which is expected to be launched on August 21 in South Korea. The specs of the Galaxy Fold 2 have not been confirmed, but foreign tech reviewers have predicted that the Galaxy Fold 2 will feature a 7.6-inch screen when unfolded, while having a 6.23-inch cover display, both larger than its predecessor's 7.3-inch and 4.6-inch displays, respectively. WASHINGTON Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday pledged that if he is elected president, he will end President Donald Trump's so-called Muslim travel ban on his first day in office. "I will end the Muslim ban on day one. Day one. And I will work with Congress to pass hate crimes legislation like the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act and the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act," Biden said to attendees of the Million Muslim Votes Summit, an online conference hosted by Emgage Action, the nation's largest Muslim-American political group. One of Trump's first actions as president in 2017 was to suspend entry to the United States of travelers from seven majority Muslim nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, for 90 days. The executive order created chaos at airports around the world, and lawsuits against the ban quickly followed. After federal judges barred the first ban's implementation, Trump issued a second ban that was also quickly tied up in federal courts. A third version of the ban was issued by the White House in the fall of 2017, and this one applied to six majority Muslim countries and two non-majority Muslim countries. The following year, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the third ban, which remains in place today. Speaking on Monday, Biden said Muslim communities "were the first to feel Donald Trump's assault on black and brown people with his vile Muslim ban. That fight was the opening barrage in what has been nearly four years of constant pressure, insults and attacks" by Trump against minorities. Biden pointed to the rise in reported hate crimes in America over the past three years and to several recently announced Trump political appointees who have expressed openly Islamophobic views. "Donald Trump has fanned the flames of hate in this country across the board," said Biden, "through his words, his policies, his appointments and his deeds." Reached for comment, Trump campaign spokeswoman Courtney Parella told CNBC, "President Trump understands that our faith is what unites us as a nation. He has and will continue to staunchly defend religious freedoms for all Americans." Biden currently leads Trump by an average of 8.6 points in national polls, according to Real Clear Politics' polling average. And while polling of Muslims is limited, a 2018 Pew Research survey found only 13% of American Muslims identified as Republicans, a number that has changed little over the past decade. Thus far in his reelection campaign, however, Trump has shown little interest in reaching out to groups that haven't traditionally supported him, choosing instead to champion issues such as Confederate monuments and law enforcement that excite his base. Police in Delaware have arrested a 12-year-old boy who they say stole a pickup truck from a gas station, then led officers on a high-speed chase before crashing and trying to flee on foot. Delaware State Police said the middle-schooler took off in a red 2003 Ford Ranger while its owner was using the ATM at the Wawa gas station at 4000 North DuPont Parkway in New Castle just after noon on Saturday. The 41-year-old owner of the stolen pickup truck told police that he left the vehicle running and the doors unlocked. A 12-year-old Delaware boy has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle after allegedly stealing a Ford Ranger from this Wawa gas station in New Castle As he left the Wawa, the Ford owner observed his truck speeding away with a 'young male' behind the wheel, according to a press release from the Delaware State Police. Troopers searched the area and spotted the stolen vehicle in a parking lot behind a motel. They tried to pull the 12-year-old over, but he allegedly refused to stop and pulled out of the parking lot onto Eastbound West Avenue, leading officers on a chase. The pursuit continued onto Lambson Lane, where the juvenile suspect lost control of the Ford and crashed into a parked car. After that, the pint-size suspect made a U-turn and began driving westbound on West Avenue at a high rate of speed. The juvenile allegedly led troopers on a chase alone Lambston Lane (pictured), where he lost control of the stolen vehicle and crashed into a parked car In the area of 11th Street the boy failed to negotiate a curve, lost control and crashed again, this time striking a guardrail. Undeterred, police said the tenacious tween jumped out of the pickup truck and tried to escape on foot, but he was apprehended after a brief chase. Police said the boy is facing nearly a dozen charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, hindering prosecution and disregarding a police officer signal, which are felonies. The youth, who has not been named, was released to his guardian on a $8,008 bond. By PTI DHAKA: Trade between India and Bangladesh through the Petrapole-Benapole border in West Bengal resumed on Sunday after the state government opened the border for Bangladeshi lorries three months following its closure due to COVID-19, officials here said. Officials said the cross-border truck movements began at 2 on Sunday afternoon. India had allowed export of goods from Petrapole, the largest land border port with Bangladesh, on June 7. But the West Bengal government was demanding that truck drivers coming from Bangladesh have to undergo a 14-day quarantine, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, before entering the state with goods. As a result, consignments were halted at land borders "Finally, the West Bengal authority opened the border for Bangladeshi lorries this afternoon as we sent an emergency letter to New Delhi on Friday seeking the central government's intervention," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said. Momen said Bangladesh continued to allow Indian trucks inside its territory through the Petrapole- Benapole land port, "but the West Bengal authority refused to reciprocate" for the past three months in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The minister said that the denial of West Bengal eventually prompted his office to seek New Delhi's intervention on the issue. Officials at Benapole Port said the West Bengal government debarred entry of Bangladeshi trucks since March 23, while the cross-border trading witnessed a virtual standoff on Wednesday when Bangladesh side also declined Indian trucks entry through the land border as a mark of protest. Benapole-Petrapole land port accounts for 70 per cent of bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) on Friday also sought intervention of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to resolve the stand-off. The exporters raised serious concerns over halting of consignments at the West Bengal-Bangladesh land border saying if the stalemate continues, it would impact the bilateral trade. Meanwhile, the trade between Bangladesh and India remained unhindered through Akhaura point bordering Tripura. About 60 per cent of exports and imports between the two countries take place through the land routes. India's major export commodities to Bangladesh include raw cotton; cotton yarns, fabrics; iron and steel; petroleum products; auto and vehicle components; spices. While the major items imported by India include ready made garments; vegetable oils; raw jute; jute yarns; inorganic chemicals. WASHINGTON - The emerging GOP coronavirus relief bill appears likely to embrace some of President Donald Trump's key priorities, despite opposition from within his own party, including a payroll tax cut, little aid to state and local governments, and measures tying school funding to the reopening of classrooms. Some of these provisions are already sparking pushback from key Senate Republicans, and an even bigger showdown with Democrats appears inevitable. That clash could come Tuesday, when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows are set to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for the first bipartisan talks on what will almost certainly be the last major coronavirus relief bill before the November elections. Mnuchin and Meadows will also meet with Senate Republicans on Tuesday as they seek to quell any discontent. In a sign of the hard sell the White House faces, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sounded skeptical when asked about the payroll tax cut Monday evening. "I think you'd better ask me after [Tuesday] so we can hear from the administration if they're really serious about it," Grassley said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is giving Congress three weeks to write the bill before adjourning for summer recess. With multiple issues dividing the two parties and creating rifts between the White House and Senate Republicans, it's shaping up as a daunting task. Mnuchin said Monday that the White House wants the bill to amount to roughly $1 trillion in new programs, though officials are expected to use budget gimmicks to make the initial package slightly larger. Still, Democrats were looking for a much bigger bill. Their opening offer is a $3 trillion package they passed in May that would extend unemployment benefits, include new stimulus checks, and help cities and states, among other things. At a White House meeting Monday, Trump touted the benefits of a payroll tax cut, something he has pushed for close to a year, telling reporters: "It's a tremendous saving, and I think it's an incentive for companies to hire their workers back and to keep their workers. So the payroll tax cut, to me, is very important." During the private portion of the meeting, Trump called a conservative economist he's friendly with, Art Laffer, and put him on speakerphone to discuss the benefits of a payroll tax cut and how best to structure it, according to several people familiar with the events. Laffer confirmed the call in an interview with The Washington Post. The payroll tax is the 7.65% tax paid by employers and employees that goes toward the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. The administration is considering structuring the payroll tax cut in the legislation as a deferral rather than an outright cut, which would keep down the technical cost of the overall bill, according to one person briefed on the package, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Such a deferral could require Americans to pay back the tax cut at a later date, but lawmakers could decide to waive the repayment. Congress already deferred the employer portion of the payroll tax cut in an earlier coronavirus bill. After first floating the idea of a payroll tax cut last year, only to be met with bipartisan opposition, Trump renewed his push once the coronavirus pandemic began to devastate the economy this spring. Still, Senate Republicans have repeatedly rebuffed him. Trump has said such a tax cut would give workers more money to spend, but critics argue that unlike sending stimulus checks to individual Americans, cutting payroll taxes benefits only those who have jobs. More than 20 million Americans remain unemployed. Illustrating the tricky path forward, Mnuchin insisted to reporters that the payroll tax cut would be in the legislation. He was then asked about a Washington Post report over the weekend that said the White House wanted to block new money for coronavirus testing. Mnuchin responded, "I'm not going to comment on the specifics," even though he had freely opined on the payroll tax component. Mnuchin and other White House officials have faced enormous pushback from lawmakers in both major parties over blocking this funding, with Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., telling reporters that the idea was "wrong." Blunt also criticized the proposal to put conditions on education funding for school districts. Trump has made the payroll tax cut a major sticking point and said he may not sign the legislation if it doesn't include the cut. McConnell appears set to include the provision in his bill. There were signs Monday, however, that he could face difficulties getting Senate Republicans to fall in line. "I think it's problematic because, obviously, the trust funds for Social Security and Medicare are already on their way to insolvency," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters Monday, referring to cutting the payroll tax. "And then we'd raise them again, we'd raise taxes . . . I'm not a fan." Schumer did not wait to discuss the legislation with White House officials before denouncing it in a Senate floor speech Monday. "It appears that the Republican proposal is unlikely to meet the moment," Schumer said. "From what we understand from press reports, McConnell's bill will prioritize corporate special interests over workers and Main Street businesses. It will fail to adequately address the worsening spread of the virus. There are currently between 20 million and 30 million unemployed Americans, and from all accounts the Republican bill will not do nearly enough for them." Earlier, at the Oval Office meeting, Mnuchin confirmed that Republicans plan to reduce a $600-per-week enhanced unemployment benefit, approved in March, which will begin running out for millions of Americans later this week. Republicans argue that workers are making more on unemployment than they would on the job. "We're going to make sure that we don't pay people more money to stay home than go to work," Mnuchin said, adding that he hoped to see Congress act on the issue before benefits expire at the end of the month. During the private portion of the Oval Office meeting, Trump criticized the enhanced unemployment benefit, saying it never should have been agreed to in the first place, according to three people familiar with the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it. The president's comment highlighted resentment among some congressional Republicans toward Mnuchin, whom they blame for cutting bad deals with Democrats on the first four coronavirus bills, which pumped about $3 trillion into the economy in March and April. Those bills passed with major bipartisan support, but it's already clear that the coming deal - if there's an agreement at all - will not inspire such widespread accord. With the economy still reeling, and coronavirus infections and deaths on the rise, the coming days will be key in whether the negotiations succeed or fail. Mnuchin said he wants a deal on the unemployment benefits by next week. The emerging GOP legislation will also contain liability protections for businesses, health-care providers and others, which McConnell has repeatedly described as a red line for him. The bill is expected to omit new aid that Democrats have sought for cities and states, instead allowing governors and local leaders more flexibility to spend the $150 billion already allocated, according to two other people with knowledge of the talks. Under the GOP plan, states would get money for schools - but it would be explicitly tied to schools reopening, a major focus of late for Trump, according to the first person briefed on the negotiations. It was unclear how exactly the money would be structured to prod schools to reopen or what would constitute reopening. People involved with the talks cautioned that negotiations were ongoing and that provisions were fluid and subject to change. Republicans are aiming to roll out their legislation this week and expect it to cost $1 trillion, though they also predict that the price tag will grow significantly once horse-trading with Democrats begins in earnest. Pelosi and Schumer have made clear that additional aid to cities and states is a top priority. Democratic votes will be needed for any final deal to pass the House and Senate. - - - The Washington Post's Paul Kane contributed to this report. Technavio has been monitoring the cereal ingredients market and it is poised to grow by USD 121 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 3% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005432/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cereal Ingredients Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report of 2020-2024 on COVID-19 Impact The market is fairly fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Frequently Asked Questions- 1. At what rate is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2019-2023? A. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3% during the forecast period. 2. Based on segmentation by product, which is the leading segment in the market? A. The rice segment is expected to be the leading segment in the global market during the forecast period. 3. What are the key factors driving the market? A. The health benefits of cereal ingredients and the increase in the vegan population are among the key factors driving the market growth. 4. Who are the top players in the market? A. Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bunge, Cargill, Nestle and SunOpta are some of the major market participants. 5. Which region is expected to hold the highest market share? A. The Americas The health benefits of cereal ingredients will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Cereal Ingredients Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Cereal Ingredients Market is segmented as below: Type Rice Wheat Corn Other Cereals Geographic Landscape The Americas APAC EMEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30403 Cereal Ingredients Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cereal ingredients market report covers the following areas: Cereal Ingredients Market size Cereal Ingredients Market trends Cereal Ingredients Market analysis This study identifies increase in the vegan population as one of the prime reasons driving the cereal ingredients market growth during the next few years. Cereal Ingredients Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the cereal ingredients market, including some of the vendors such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bunge, Cargill, Nestle, and SunOpta. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cereal ingredients market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Cereal Ingredients Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist cereal ingredients market growth during the next five years Estimation of the cereal ingredients market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the cereal ingredients market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cereal ingredients market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product Comparison by product Rice Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Wheat Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Corn Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Other Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by product PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Americas Market size and forecast 2018-2023 EMEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 10: MARKET TRENDS PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Archer Daniels Midland Company Bunge Cargill Nestle SunOpta PART 13: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005432/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ BILLINGS, Mont. A coalition of states, environmentalists and American Indians on Monday renewed its push to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from public lands after a previous effort to halt the lease sales was dismissed by a federal judge. Joined by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and several environmental groups, Democratic attorneys general from California, New York, New Mexico and Washington state filed a lawsuit challenging the administrations coal program in U.S. District Court in Montana. They alleged the administration acted illegally when it resumed coal sales that had been halted under Obama due to climate change and other concerns. The case is among scores of legal challenges that environmentalists and their political allies have launched to counter the Trump administrations push for more domestic energy production and less stringent regulations. Interior Department spokesman Conner Swanson panned the lawsuit as a laughable attempt to revive an issue that the court already addressed. Under Trump, the Department of Interior lifted a 2016 moratorium on federal coal sales and concluded they have limited environmental impacts. The Department is confident the court will agree that the analysis by our career experts is lawful and based on the best available science, Swanson said. Attorneys for the states and other plaintiffs in the case argued that the administrations environmental review was flawed, because it was based on just four leases that were sold under Trump and did not look at hundreds of existing leases and potential future sales. The Trump administration has repeatedly thrown out the rule book in order to benefit super polluting coal companies. Its not only immoral its illegal, and we intend to prove it, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Federal coal sales account for about 40% of U.S. coal production, primarily from large strip mines in western states including Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah. Coal mining companies saw demand for the fuel drop dramatically over the past decade due to competition from natural gas and renewable fuel sources. Trump has sought to prop the industry back up, but thats done little to slow its downward spiral and the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the decline. In May, U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said the administration had fixed its initial failures to consider the climate change consequences from ending the moratorium. That ruling came after the administration in February released an analysis that said resuming coal sales would mean little difference over time in greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal. But Morris declined to weigh in regarding the accuracy of the administrations conclusions, saying only that the analysis was enough to fulfill the administrations immediate obligations. The state attorneys general said the administration considered emissions only from a handful of leases and failed to capture the cumulative, long-term impact of the coal program. They argue the Interior Department analysis also ignored other harms, including damage to wildlife and the land from coal mining, pollution from burning the fuel and the vast quantifies of toxic ash that is generated by coal-burning power plants. SOUDERTON All five of the people who applied to fill the Souderton Borough Council first ward seat that became open when Dan Yocum became mayor were "fantastic, super-qualified, well-rounded," council President Tracy Burke said at council's Jan. 17 work session as the board began discussion to reach a consensus on which to appoint following interviews of the candidates earlier... BEIJING/HONG KONG, July 20 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng Motors, backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, said on Monday it has raised around $500 million in the latest funding round. As enthusiasm builds for more climate-friendly vehicles, the share prices of EV makers, including Tesla Inc and Nio Inc, have surged in recent months and auto makers are looking to the markets for funds. Xpeng's rival Li Auto earlier this month filed for a U.S. initial public offering. The investors in Xpeng's C+ funding round include Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse and Sequoia Capital China, Xpeng said in a statement. It did not disclose the valuation of the six-year-old company. Xpeng, led by chief executive He Xiaopeng, is making electric G3 sport-utility vehicles and P7 sedans with autonomous driving capabilities in two Chinese plants. The funding will enable Xpeng to further develop intelligent vehicle technologies. It also plans to have around 200 showrooms in China by the end of this year. Last November, Xpeng raised $400 million from investors including Xiaomi Corp. Sources told Reuters at the time that investors valued the company at nearly $4 billion. (Reporting by Yilei Sun in Beijing and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; editing by Barbara Lewis) The State Department blacklisted the head of Russia's republic of Chechnya and his immediate family on Monday, accusing him of human rights violations that have worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. The sanctions, added to those already in place, apply to Ramzan Kadyrov, his wife, Medni Kadyrova, and two daughters. "The Department has extensive credible information that Kadyrov is responsible for numerous gross violations of human rights dating back more than a decade, including torture and extrajudicial killings," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement issued while he was en route to Britain. Though the United States has repeatedly assailed Kadyrov, Pompeo said the abuses are continuing and even intensifying. "We are concerned that Mr. Kadyrov is now using the excuse of the coronavirus pandemic to inflict further human rights abuses on the people of the Chechen Republic," he said. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, wrote on Facebook, "It will be hard to respond reciprocally, but we will figure something out," according to Sputnik News. Kadyrov, whose Facebook and Instagram accounts have been suspended, breezily dismissed the State Department and Pompeo on another platform. In a message on Telegram, Kadyrov posted a photo of himself holding two guns and surrounded by other weaponry and wrote: "Pompeo, we accept the fight! What comes next will be more interesting." Kadyrov took over as Moscow's favored Chechen leader in the years after his father was assassinated in a 2004 explosion in Grozny. Akhmad Kadyrov was a well-known resistance figure fighting for Chechen independence from Russia during the first Chechen War from 1994 to 1996. But during the Second Chechen War, which President Vladimir Putin launched in 1999 as he prepared to take over the Kremlin, the elder Kadyrov switched sides and backed Moscow, seeing elements of Islamic extremism in the insurgency. He became Moscow's chosen Chechen leader, a role ceded to his son in the years after his death. Since the younger Kadyrov took over as president of Chechnya in 2007, political analysts have remarked on an unspoken pact between Grozny and Moscow, which essentially gives him free rein over the republic on Russia's southern border so long as he tamps down on separatist sentiments and doesn't pose problems for the Kremlin. But at times, Kadyrov's activities - including reports of torture and police brutality - have drawn international condemnation. Some of those who have sought to bring attention to abuses have been killed. In 2009, Natalya Estemirova, an activist who worked on Chechnya at the Russian human rights group Memorial, was abducted and murdered. Oyub Titiev, who took over as Memorial's representative in Chechnya, was sentenced to four years in a prison colony last year on drug charges widely condemned by human rights advocates as concocted. He was released early on parole later last year on time served. Several Chechens with ties to Kadyrov's security services were found guilty of killing Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on a bridge next to the Kremlin in 2015. In 2017, Chechen authorities rounded up men believed to be gay or bisexual and subjected many of them to abuses, including torture and forced disappearances, leading to widespread international condemnation. At the time, Kadyrov denied the activities, saying gay people in Chechnya do not exist. In subsequent years, Chechen authorities have launched similar anti-gay crackdowns. Kadyrov built his strongman brand in part through a popular Instagram account with millions of followers in which he posted selfies with well-known people, wild animals and an array of weapons alongside exhortations to his followers and regular praise of Putin. In 2017, Facebook, which owns Instagram, pulled his account after the United States added him to the Magnitsky List, the 2012 law that targets Russian human rights violators. He has subsequently opened other accounts that have been shut down, and at one point, Chechnya created its own version of Instagram to move his followers there. When the United States and 15 other nations created a fact-finding mission into the reports of rampant abuses, the ensuing report said "harassment and persecution, arbitrary or unlawful arrests or detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions" had occurred amid "a climate of impunity." Adjunct Associate Professor Glendon Parker with postdoctoral researchers Noreen Karim (left) and Tammy Buonasera (right) examine samples in the lab in September 2019. Parkers lab developed a new method based on tooth enamel protein used to estimate the biological sex of 55 skeletons recovered from ancestral Ohlone villages in the Bay Area. Credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis A new method for estimating the biological sex of human remains based on reading protein sequences rather than DNA has been used to study an archeological site in Northern California. The protein-based technique gave superior results to DNA analysis in studying 55 sets of human remains between 300 and 2,300 years old. The work is published July 17 in Scientific Reports. The method targets amelogenin, a protein found in tooth enamel, said first author Tammy Buonasera, postdoctoral researcher working with Glendon Parker, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Davis. The technique was developed in Parker's laboratory. Buonasera, Parker, Jelmer Eerkens, professor of anthropology, and colleagues compared three methods for sex determination: the new proteomic method; DNA analysis; and osteology, or analysis of the size, shape and composition of the bones themselves. They applied these methods to remains from two ancestral Ohlone villages near Sunol, California. The site is being excavated by the Far West Anthropological Research Group of Davis in collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. Amelogenin is a protein found in tooth enamel, the hardest and most durable substance in the human body. The gene for amelogenin happens to be located on both the X and Y sex chromosomes, and the amelogenin-Y protein is slightly different from amelogenin-X. The method works by retrieving a tiny amount of protein from a tooth. All proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids, so the protein is analyzed to give the amino acid sequence, which then defines the protein. Each of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids is specified by a three-letter code in DNA, so it is possible to work backward from the amino acid sequence and figure out the likely DNA code. Superior to existing methods The researchers were able to determine the sex of all of the remains using the new protein method and all but five using DNA methods. Results from osteology and proteomics agreed in almost all cases, although examining bones themselves was only effective for about half the skeletons. The protein method allowed them to estimate sex for children, which is not possible from osteology. It was reliable even when the signal from DNA was weak. "This is a more sensitive technique for older skeletons where we would expect more DNA degradation," Parker said. Being able to determine the biological sex of human remains provides a greater window into the persona of each individual. Anthropologists are interested in determining biological sex because sex interacts with health and can have a large impact on how people form an identity and are treated within a society, Eerkens said. "Almost every human society around the world incorporates sex and gender as a way to classify people, and these can affect your status and who you associate with in society," Eerkens said. While gender and biological sex are not the same thing, they are linked, so the ability to estimate sex gives archeologists important insight when attempting to understand the cultural aspects of gender, which are not as readily preserved. For example, in a society based on small villages, people often have to find mates outside their village. Depending on cultural rules, either men or women will leave the village to marry. Explore further The whole tooth: New method to find biological sex from a single tooth More information: Tammy Buonasera et al. A comparison of proteomic, genomic, and osteological methods of archeological sex estimation, Scientific Reports (2020). Journal information: Scientific Reports Tammy Buonasera et al. A comparison of proteomic, genomic, and osteological methods of archeological sex estimation,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68550-w Arshad Khan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Monday announced the launch of latest Redmi Note 9, the latest in their best-selling smartphone series. Redmi Note 9 will be available in 4GB + 64GB, 4GB + 128GB and 6GB + 128GB storage variants for Rs 11,999, Rs 13,499 and Rs 14,999 respectively across various platforms starting on July 24, 2020. The Redmi Note 9 predecessor, Note 8, was launched in India last year and it became the number one selling android phone globally in Q1 2020. Xiaomi expects Note 9 to replicate the success of Note 8 in the India on the back of superior configuration and lower prices than rival Samsung, OPPO and Vivo models in the category. Anuj Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Xiaomi India, said, "Redmi Note 8 is the most popular Android smartphone globally, while the entire Redmi Note series has broken multiple records with over 18.5crore+ shipments as per Canalys Estimates, Smartphone Analysis, May 2020." ALSO SEE | Xiaomi puts 'Made in India' banners to cover branding at stores Xiaomi also reiterated that it is one of the first adopters of the Make in India initiative and 99 per cent of its smartphones are made locally. The Chinese company has been facing a backlash since the tension between India and China peaked last month following a deadly clash of troops in the Ladakh region. "We have seven plants across India and we have helped create 50,000 plus jobs. Our aim is to help India become a global manufacturing hub... We are committed to bring in more and more exciting devices here," Sharma said. Talking about the phone, Xiaomi said Redmi Note 9 aims to cater to the growing need of high-performance smartphones in the segment. The performance and gaming focussed octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 processor features two Cortex-A75 cores clocked up to 2.0GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked up to 1.8GHz. As compared to the Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 9 brings a 21% increase in performance. Redmi Note 9 features a quad-camera array consisting of 48MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors. A 13MP AI selfie sensor powers the front camera. Redmi Note 9 features Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, P2i water-resistant coating, 4m pyrolytic sheet, as well as reinforced corners to protect against accidental drops and splashes, the company said. The Government has signed new deals which it says will provide more than 90 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine. In a statement from Business Secretary Alok Sharma, the Government said it has secured an agreement for 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed and currently at phase two trials by BioNTech and German firm Pfizer. Mr Sharma said the Government has also done an in-principle deal for 60 million doses being developed by Frances Valneva. The partnerships mean England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could have access to enough doses to vaccinate and protect priority groups such as those at increased health risk and frontline workers. Mr Sharma said the new agreements would ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk. He added: The hunt to find a vaccine is a truly global endeavour and we are doing everything we can to ensure the British public get access to a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. The figure of 90 million is in addition to the 100 million doses of vaccine that are being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca, as well as another at Imperial College London which started human trials in June. Initial data from the Oxford/AstraZeneca trial which is now in its third phase of human trials in Brazil expected to be released on Monday, with high expectations over its efficacy. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty encouraged people to take part in coronavirus vaccine trials, adding that the willingness of patients to take part has already led to improved care around the world. Professor Whitty said: Now that there are several promising vaccines on the horizon, we need to call again on the generosity of the public to help find out which potential vaccines are the most effective. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said every volunteer will be doing their bit towards finding a vaccine for Covid-19 that will have the potential to save millions of lives around the world and bring this pandemic to an end. A Brooklyn woman who died after being shot multiple times after she confronted a group setting off illegal fireworks was following official advice to settle disputes neighbor-to-neighbor rather than calling 911, it has emerged. Shatavia Walls, 33, died after being shot eight times on July 7th when she asked a group of people to stop setting off fireworks near a playground. Last month Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said that setting off illegal fireworks was a 'nonviolent act' and urged New Yorkers to 'go talk to the young people or the people on your block who are using fireworks' instead of calling 911 or 311. Shatavia Walls, 33, died from being shot at eight times after she asked a group of people to stop setting off fireworks near a playground on July 7 Shatavia Walls, 33, was hit eight times in a barrage of bullets on July 7 at 1259 Loring Ave in the Pink Houses (above) around 8.30pm after she asked a man in her neighborhood to stop setting off fireworks. She died from her wounds on Friday While visiting her mother, siblings and extended family in NYCHA's Pink Houses in East New York on July 4th, Walls went to speak to a group who were seen to be setting off fireworks in a playground close to where young children were playing. There was a scuffle between Walls and members of the group before she was chased back inside her mother's building and shot at, according to Wall's mother Helen Testagros. The first bullet missed her but Walls managed to pick up the shell casing and also managed to grab the driving license of the alleged gunman who dropped it as he ran away. She then called 911 to report what had happened together with the details from the ID. A police officer watches fireworks set off near a crime scene in Brooklyn on July 5 But three days later on July 7th, fireworks were once again being set off from the playground and Walls decided to speak to those who were lighting them. The man who had previously shot at her three days earlier was not present initially but one of his friends went to fetch him. 'He was chasing her, hopping over the gates, shooting,' said Testagros to the New York Post. 'He walked over. She was on the ground shot. And he kept shooting until the gun went 'click, click, click,' said Testagros. Walls was hit a total of eights times. Her companion Kelvin Hernandez was also hit. Last month Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said that setting off illegal fireworks is a 'nonviolent act' and urged residents to 'go talk to the young people or the people on your block who are using fireworks' instead of calling 911 or 311. A cop watches fireworks go off in Brooklyn on July 5 She was able to identify the person who fired the deadly shots from her hospital bed but ended up dying from her wounds three days later at Brookdale Hospital. Her mother told the Post that she had specifically been following Adams' advice in attempting to engage those who were setting off the explosives. 'She watched the news. Yes, she heard it,' Testagros said. 'It was probably in the back of her mind.' Testagros does not think the advice is sensible. 'It's not a good idea. You don't know who you are approaching,' she said. 'These kids are not respectful anymore. They're more ruthless.' The man who is alleged to have carried out the killing has not yet been arrested, charged or formally identified despite Walls identifying the alleged perpetrator. 'We can never and will never condone any form of violence. The person who shot Ms. Walls must be found and held criminally responsible. My heart goes out to her and her entire family on this horrific incident,' Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said. Pictured in a press conference on July 8 In a statement, Adams expressed his sympathies to Walls' family but did not move to dissuade people from attempting a 'neighborly approach.' 'My heart goes out to the family of Shatavia Walls on this horrific incident. Gun violence has hurt too many innocent people in our city, from one-year-old Davell Gardner to this dynamic young lady. Dangerous people are shooting innocent people for senseless reasons. I renew my call for cracking down on the scourge of illegal guns. 'Our call is to continue building an ecosystem of public safety that includes community response and police,' Adams continued. 'Whenever someone exhibits violence we should call the police, but whenever we can communicate peacefully with our neighbors, we should do so. Against court records, Gal Pissetzky, the top Chicago lawyer hired to defend Ramon Abbas, who is facing wired fraud charges in the United States, has insisted that he remains his attorney in Los Angeles. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Abbas, popularly addressed as Hushpuppi, had settled for a government lawyer after his case has been transfered to another district on Wednesday. Court records showed that Mr Abbass case has been transferred to the Central District of California for prosecution. 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. Reacting to PREMIUM TIMESs report, Mr Pitsetssky said the court order obtained by this paper is not correct even when a signed copy was sent to him. I am still and will continue to represent Mr. Abbas in California, he said in response to enquiries sent to him. Commenting on the decision contained in the court order, Mr Pitsetssky stated that the choice was not made by his client. The reason the court Order states that he wishes to have an appointed lawyer is because it is usual practice to mark this box.No one asked Mr. Abbas what box to mark, and it was automatically marked. I am Mr. Abbas lawyer. He will not have a court appointed lawyer. This paper cannot verify Mr Pissetzkys claims from the defendant because he is currently in prison. Mr Abbas, 37, who was resident in Dubai and known for flaunting extravagant lifestyle on social media, was arrested last month over wire fraud allegations and 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. If convicted, he could spend the next 20 years in U.S. federal prison. Ukraine's SPF to check possible Russian origin of funds of Dnipro Hotel auction winner 16:59, 20.07.20 3707 The investor who has won the auction will be vetted for compliance with legal requirements. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Maria Cellina Wijaya and Rizqy Rahmatyah (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya Tue, July 21 2020 When Jakarta became the epicenter of COVID-19 transmission, other regions, including the East Java capital of Surabaya, lagged behind the capital city in implementing restriction policy. When large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) were enforced in Greater Surabaya (Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik) on April 28, positive COVID-19 cases in Surabaya had already reached 372. As a comparison, New Zealand imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25, when 205 cases were reported. However, the PSBB policy actually did not lower single-day infection rates in East Java. On June 26, after three PSBB periods, East Java emerged as the leading contributor of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, overtaking Jakarta, with 66.9 percent of national cases. Experts warn that Surabaya may emulate Wuhan in China, where the pandemic began. A record-breaking single-day case of 463 came on July 19, bringing the toll of confirmed cases to 18,129, higher than the total cases in Vietnam. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login "We have that dual threat," Cuomo said. "Other states with virus increasing, that's pressuring us. And you have these congregations, that by definition have to be increasing the viral spread. With both of those pressuring our progress its math. Its going to have an effect." Cuomo again criticized the Trump administration for how it has handled the pandemic, describing their response as "incompetent." "The federal government is still in denial and refuses to follow the science," the governor said. "In New York, we did it in the science, on the numbers, on the data. The solution is science. ... Five months later, this country is totally unprepared to deal with this. "Its like we are on Day One of Covid. It did not have to be this way." One state facing a recent major outbreak is Georgia, which has recorded more than 22,000 cases in the past week. Cuomo reiterated his gratitude for those who helped New York during the most intense days of the coronavirus crisis and said the assistance to Georgia was an effort to repay that. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan unexpectedly sharply changed his attitude towards the two blocs formed in the post-Soviet space after the collapse of the USSR. Until recently, he did not hide his skepticism about Armenia's participation both in the economic bloc, the EAEU, and in the military-political bloc, the CSTO. However, after a week ago, units of the Armenian armed forces, violating the ceasefire on the section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Tovuz region, fired on Azerbaijani positions from artillery installations and received an adequate response from Azerbaijan, Pashinyan suddenly recalled allied relations. First, Yerevan turned to the CSTO for help, but, naturally, did not receive support, and therefore decided to make a good face in a bad game: yesterday, the press secretary of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Anna Naghdalyan stated that Armenia "does not see the need to seek help from the CSTO in connection with escalation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border "because he" controls the situation. " An equally unexpected maneuver was the appearance of Nikol Pashinyan in Minsk, at a meeting of representatives of the EAEU. Recall that the Armenian Prime Minister refused to go to the Victory Parade in Moscow due to the difficult situation in the country with the coronavirus. Now the situation is even more complicated - COVID-19 is simply raging in Armenia. In addition, given the aggravation of the border conflict with Azerbaijan, it is generally strange for the Supreme Commander to leave the country. Nevertheless, something drew Pashinyan to Minsk. In the capital of Belarus, the Armenian prime minister continued the tactics of political maneuvering. He insisted on the need for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Azerbaijan, but at the same time told each vis-a-vis the "Armenian truth" about the situation on the border. A special calculation was, of course, for a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishutin, through whom the Armenian Prime Minister tried to enlist the favor of the Russian leadership. Meanwhile, experts saw in Pashinyan's appearance in Minsk an attempt by any means, if not to drag Russia into the conflict, then to achieve a demonstration of priorities. However, in principle, Moscow cannot take a pro-Armenian position, bearing in mind that the course of distance from Russia was taken precisely under Pashinyan, who came to power in the wake of US-backed protests and brought to power his associates, whose names are associated with the Soros Foundation. This is the ex-coordinator of the electoral programs of the organization Transparency International Armen Grigoryan, who was appointed to the post of head of the National Security Council, and the head of the State Control Service David Sanasaryan, ex-representative of the pro-Western Heritage party, headed by American Armenian Raffi Hovhannisyan, reminds Nezavisimaya Gazeta. ... Under Pashinyan, a criminal case was initiated against the South Caucasus Railways (the Armenian subsidiary of Russian Railways). According to local media outlets, Argishti Karamian, a young functionary who was recently appointed head of the National Security Service, could be behind the incident. Experts agree that the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and attempts to force Moscow to take sides put Russia in an extremely uncomfortable position, and the more acute the situation is, the faster the Russian leadership will need to make a decision. However, it is quite obvious that Pashinyan's attempts to keep partners for fools are unlikely to find understanding both in Moscow and in other capitals of the CSTO and EAEU member states. Dianna Bautista hugs a participant in her Shear Love program, which teaches former sex workers to become hairstylists. (Courtesy of Dianna Bautista) SoCal Stylist Saves Thai Women From Sex Trafficking Pattaya, a city on the east coast of Thailand, is known for more than its gorgeous beaches, tropical weather, and thriving night-life. Its also known as the worlds sex capital, and its sadly infamous for child sex trafficking. Dianna Bautista sold everything she owned and moved from Southern California to Pattaya in 2014 to help girls and women who have been exploited. She had an idea of what to expect, but didnt understand the scope of it until she was standing there. I had been to many red light districts before, Bautista told The Epoch Times. She had done shorter trips to other regions to help exploited sex workers before moving to Pattaya to dedicate her life to it. So stepping into Pattaya was not a shock. But I was taken back by the vastness of it, Bautista told The Epoch Times. It feels like you cant go any place in Pattaya without seeing a brothel. The red light district spans miles down the coast, she said, and inland through some parts of the city. Bautista directs the non-profit Shear Love, a beauty school for trafficking survivors. It gives them a vocation, while providing all kinds of counseling to help them start a new life. Shear Love is a partner program of Free Rain International (FRI), a global, faith-based organization that provides vocational education to survivors of trafficking. FRI also offers specialized training for people who want to be involved in the fight against trafficking. A student practices in Shear Loves vocational training program in Pattaya, Thailand. (Courtesy of Shear Love) The majority of female students in our beauty and sewing programs have come from sexual exploitation, Bautista said. Many of them have been forced to prostitute themselves. Bautista spoke of a young girl, a minor, Shear Love is currently working to repatriate. Knowing that hundreds of men abused this poor girl has been unsettling for us all, she said. But there was no way that our team could sit back while that was happening on our watch. What has kept us going is knowing that she is no longer being sexually assaulted by predators, she is being completely protected from those who sought to hurt her, and shes in full-time therapy being treated for her psychological scars, Bautista said. Her road to recovery will be very long, but the important part is that it has started and she never has to go back to the life she once knew. Bautista has watched young girls work through great emotional trauma. Its made her reflect on how lucky she was to have a happy childhood. How Childhood Should Be She grew up in Corona, in Riverside County, and like many children so close to Anaheim, her happy early memories include trips to Disneyland. Her mother and aunt would dress her and her friends in identical T-shirts so they wouldnt lose us. We always looked like were all on a school field trip, but it was a blast! She was five when she discovered her passion for hairstyling. I used to style all my dolls hair using my moms Paul Mitchell hair products, she recalled. Then I cut my best friends hair in junior high with my moms orange-handled kitchen scissors. I got in a lot of trouble. By the time she got to her high school prom, she was the one all her friends knew to go to for hairstyling. She realized how lucrative updos for proms and weddings could be, so she began her career as a hairstylist. For 11 years, Bautista styled hair for magazines and red carpets. But a mission trip to Kenya in 2010 was the catalyst for a different path. It caused her to want to serve in the world, she said. A Different Path When Bautista was walking through a Kenya slum with friends, she noticed a shack with a sign in front that read salon. After speaking with a social worker, she learned that anyone who wanted to own or run a business simply placed the name of the business in front of his or her home. The simplicity of this system got her to thinking. I really wanted to do something to help these women who lived in the slums and were really good at hair, but didnt have any education, Bautista said. Shortly after I came back from that trip, I met someone who was about to leave for Brazil to teach women how to cut hair. I said, Im coming, just so you know! And I went! In blog post on Sept. 1, 2011, she chronicled the wave of emotions she experienced during those turbulent first hours in Brazil: From 4:30 [a.m.] to 10:02 [a.m.], I went from excitement to irritated to bored to sad to complete confusion. Some miscommunication had left her waiting for hours at the airport for a pastor who was supposed to pick her up, but didnt show. While she was waiting, she read a letter friends had given her. There was no coincidence that the letter VJ and Ashley wrote me was supposed to be read when I was alone in an airport alone in a country where I am the foreigner, she wrote in the blog. If you get a chance, read Psalm 91. Psalm 91 is about not having fear, about having faith in God and His protection. He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust, it reads. Time and again, Bautistas faith has been a source of energy and strength for her. When asked how she sets up and sustains these programs, she said, Short answer: Jesus. My faith has deepened as a result of my obedience, she said. Its an obedience to a calling from God that she feels to do the work she is doing. I find myself being more compelled to do things that I wouldnt normally do from being in my safe Southern California bubble. Many of the people who know about the work that we do at Shear Love and Free Rain see it as brave. But I feel obedience is the biggest factor in why we do the work we do. Obedience trumps fear every time, she said. Overcoming her fears and following her calling wasnt easy though, she said. I felt as though God was asking me to go for a long time, but my fears and insecurities were standing in the way and I wasnt being obedient Kind of like a parent whos super annoyed with their teenage daughter who just wont clean their room. Once I made the decision to actually leave, a huge weight was lifted off of me, and I felt as though God was pleased that I was finally listening. I feel like He let out a huge sigh of relief. From 2011 to 2014, Bautista spent most of her time on the move. During those years, she helped establish vocational skills programs in Uganda, Brazil, Mexico, India, Cambodia, and other countries throughout Southeast Asia. The countries that weve started programs in have all come to us, she said. Weve been connected with them through friends or partners or social media, and they had a need that we could meet. She recalled a time in India that helped her decide to do this long-term rather than just making short trips to help. Full-Time Dedication She was walking through a red-light district one morning with one of her Shear Love colleagues. As we walked through, we saw a 9-year-old girl being sold for sex by her father. We knew right then that girls parents needed another way to provide for their family, Bautista said. Within about three years of doing this work short term, I realized that we wouldnt truly see long-term effects unless someone was there long term. The other reason I finally decided to go was that every single time I came back from a short-term trip, I found myself counting down the days until I went back. She was in Cambodia when her best friend and Free Rain co-founder, Kaylie Housewright, told her it was necessary for Bautista to continue her work in Thailand. So Bautista went to Pattaya and never left. Pattaya A Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reported in June that Thailand has about 145,000 sex workers. It did a survey with sex workers in a few cities, including Pattaya, amid COVID-19 and found 91% of respondents became unemployed or lost their source of income following the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Three quarters of the respondents could not make enough money to cover daily expenses and 66% could no longer cover the cost of housing. People walk past bars in Pattaya, Thailand, on April 28, 2019. (Romeo Gacad/AFP via Getty Images) While Pattaya has an international reputation for its red light district, some officials have disputed it. There is no such thing as prostitution in Pattaya, Apichai Krobpetch, the Pattaya police superintendent, said in 2017, according to the Bangkok Post. Krobpetch said the estimated 27,000 sex workers in Pattaya reported on by British newspapers at the time was fabricated. Where did they get the figure? Anyone can make up this information. Surang Janyam, the director of Service Workers IN Group Foundation, also said the 27,000 figure was inaccuratebut his message was much different than Krobpetchs. He said, according to the Bangkok Post, 27,000 sex workers in Pattaya is way too low. We have a lot more sex workers than that. Bautista says an estimated 85 percent of the 8 million tourists who visit Pattaya annually are there to purchase sex. Our outreach team is often propositioned by men, she said. Because of the reputation Pattaya has, this has been a continuous issue. During one evening recently, one of the teams outreach leaders was out meeting women and providing them with the opportunity to get out of their current situation with our help. When she came back for debrief she said, I dont know which one was worse: the cockroach on my leg or the drunk 70-year-old mans hand on my thigh. Dianna Bautista (R) works with others at Shear Love in Pattaya, Thailand. (Courtesy of Shear Love) Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation are in the open, Bautista said. You can go into any bar, hotel, massage parlor, or most restaurants, and negotiate a price for sex with a man, woman, or transgender. While children are still kept hidden from the public eye, its still not hard to find a child thats for sale. Life in Shear Love While theres no typical day in this line of work, Bautista said, most days look something like this: at 10 a.m., life skills courses begin for beauty, barber, and sewing students. Those skills include lessons in English, budgeting, business management, mentoring, counseling, and devotions. After a lunch break, vocational training courses run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bautista has noticed some outstanding results. Weve seen women take control of raising their own children. It is not often that we see young mothers caring for their own kids in Thailand. They often take their children up to the villages where they came from, and their parents raise them, while they come back down and work in the red light district to provide. Some students have gone on to open their own businesses. Others have returned to the red light district in order to empower other women and bring them out of the situation that they were once in. A key component in this work is that each one of us on our team knows that this is our purpose, she said. While passion fuels you, purpose sustains you. If you dont have purpose in doing this work and know that Jesus has called you to this work, youll never last. That, paired with consistent counseling and mental health care, is vital to success in this field. While Bautista rarely misses the United States, she does wish she could see her nieces and nephews more often. (She also admits that she occasionally misses eating Chipotle.) I like to visit, but after about two weeks back, Im itching to leave again, she said. I honestly dont think Ill ever move back to America. I believe God has me on the trajectory that He wants me on and I have committed to staying obedient to His call. Wherever it may be. Representative image Amid the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, e-commerce companies have begun offering insurance and income protection plans for their delivery personnel, vendors and suppliers. Many e-tailers have bought medical insurance covers ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh for their full-time and freelance delivery partners, Mint reported. "Companies, mostly in the e-commerce sector, who have frontline workers and delivery boys, are now buying insurance plans with sum assured of up to Rs 5 lakh per person to cover against COVID-19 risks. The premium for such products is around Rs 2,500," Sanjay Datta, Chief of Claims, Underwriting and Reinsurance at ICICI Lombard General Insurance told the publication. Moneycontrol couldnt independently verify the report. Walmart-owned Flipkart purchased insurance policies for all its 1.2 lakh supply chain staff and delivery staff, the report said. Also read: Does covering pre-existing ailments make Corona Kavach and Rakshak must-haves? 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 "Our employees and partners are covered under a medical and accident cover of up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. This apart, Flipkart offers a term-life cover of Rs 3 lakh for contract employees and a minimum term cover of Rs 25 lakhs for full time employees. Our employees are also covered under Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)," Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice-President, Flipkart, told Mint. An Amazon India spokesperson told the paper that associates working for the company directly or hired through staffing agencies are provided medical insurance cover under the ESIC. Two-weeks paid leave is given to anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or is placed under quarantine. Swiggy, Zomato, and BigBasket have also begun offering COVID-19 insurance cover to their delivery personnel. "Swiggy is providing options to employees to personalise their medical policy as per their health profile. This includes additional top-ups up to Rs 10 lakh (self and dependants), hospitalisation cash cover, consumables cover and EMI protection plan at additional costs," Swiggy said, as quoted by Mint. File pic Rajeev Sharma A political question intriguing many at this moment is: how is it that Congress leader and Chief Minister Kamal Naths government was toppled in Madhya Pradesh while the Congress government in Rajasthan has not seen a similar fate at least for now? There are a few similarities in the political situation in both these states that heighten such comparisons and questions. Both states, along with Chhattisgarh, went to the polls in December 2018 and the Congress managed to form governments here. In Chhattisgarh, though, the Congress victory was more emphatic. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, however, the majorities were thin and also saw rebellion from the local stalwart Congress leaders: Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh, and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan. While Scindia pulled off the coup against Nath with the support of 22 MLAs, Pilot, who boasted of a support base of 30 MLAs, has not yet walked the talk. There are multiple reasons as to how and why political events have shaped up the way they have in these two states. One, Ashok Gehlot started his third innings as Rajasthan Chief Minister with a greater majority of MLAs than the numbers that backed Nath in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress won 99 out of 200 seats in the Rajasthan assembly. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member assembly emerging as the single-largest party in the hung assembly with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) close behind with 109 seats. Unlike Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh was a script fraught with political machinations, horse trading and cloak-and-dagger scenes. Two, which is more important, is that unlike Nath, Gehlot was not content with the 99 the party won. He went on to further solidify his position by gaining the support of smaller, regional parties, such as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and independents, taking his support base to 117 seats. Nath did not venture or was not successful in such political manoeuvres. Three, in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP stalwart and Naths predecessor, is said to have encouraged and fuelled Scindia's dissidence. However, in Rajasthan, the BJP stalwart and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje seems to have maintained a distance from Pilot. Four, soon after the Nath government was toppled, the entire nation went into a lockdown. This, in turn, gave Chouhan time to strengthen his base. In Rajasthan, no such external factor is in place, and Gehlot has been sharper in protecting his supporters. Nath resigned days before the lockdown was announced; Chouhan was sworn in a CM on March 23. The next day, on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and announced the national lockdown that went on for 68 days. The events occurred then even prompted many to accuse the national leadership to wait for events in Madhya Pradesh to take place before announcing the national lockdown. Five, unlike Scindia, Pilot mistimed his moves and overestimated his support base. Also unlike Scindia, Pilot didn't join the BJP, and, therefore, has fallen between the cracks leaving MLAs supporting him confused. Eventually, Pilot's support base has eroded. Six, perhaps Pilot's biggest miscalculation was his oft-repeated statement that he won't join BJP and hinting at launching his own regional party. If thats the case, the next assembly elections are scheduled for 2023, and Pilots supporters would be unsure and tired of the long battle ahead. When endless fighting caused disenchantment among soldiers of Alexander the Great, Pilots supporters stand little chance. Added to this is a potent weapon unleashed by the Rajasthan assembly speaker when he issued disqualification notices to 18 dissident Congress MLAs from the Pilot camp. The case is now being heard by the Rajasthan High Court, and in case of an unfavourable court order, Gehlot is sure to go for a floor test. Given the current numbers, Gehlot is likely to weather this storm comfortably. Gehlot has already met the Governor and the chances are that a floor test should take place in Rajasthan soon. Interestingly, both Scindia and Pilot have so far refrained from attacking the party high command. This does not rule out the possibility of U-turns and unseen political permutations and combinations. After all, theres nothing called impossible in politics. SATSUMA-SENDAI, Kagoshima, Japan - A Hinomaru national flag owned by a Japanese soldier who died on Iwoto island, historically referred to as Iwo Jima, was found in the United States and recently returned to his family. The island located in the Ogasawara Archipelago was the site of a fierce battle between Japan and the United States toward the end of World War II. The flag had been in the possession of U.S. Marine John L. Platt, who found it in the vicinity of Iwoto's Mt. Suribachi. Platt passed away in 1974 and his son recently offered to return the flag to its original owner, which led to Japanese and U.S. historians searching for the family to which it belonged. They determined from writing on the flag that it had come from what was then Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. The search was continued by the association of Kagoshima bereaved society and others who found that the flag had belonged to Tomoyoshi Okamoto. Tomoyoshi Okamoto from Sendai (currently Satsuma-Sendai), Kagoshima, died on Iwoto in 1945 and his remains were never returned. However, Yumiko Okamoto, 64, who married the eldest son of Tomoyoshi's younger brother, was glad that at the very least his flag has made it home. She said there was an altar to her husband's uncle in his family home with a photo on which the words "died honorably at Iwoto" are written on the back. Okamoto is believed to have become a soldier at age 23 on Feb. 28, 1941. He belonged to the 145th infantry regiment of the former Imperial Japanese Army and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. After U.S. forces landed on the island in February 1945, an intense monthlong battle commenced in which more than 29,000 Japanese and U.S. soldiers are said to have perished. Many in the 145th infantry killed in the clash were from Kagoshima. At a ceremony held at Satsuma-Sendai City Hall on June 23 to commemorate the flag's return, Mayor Hideo Iwakiri handed the flag to Yumiko Okamoto. The flag is believed to have been given to her husband's uncle when he was heading off to war, and was inscribed with names, Sendai's district of Nakamura, a prayer for good fortune in battle and other words of encouragement. The flag is to be donated to the Sendai Historical Museum. "I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the return of the flag," Yumiko Okamoto said. "I want many people to see it and think about the consequences of war." According to the prefectural association, eight offers have been made to return the personal belongings of soldiers killed in the war to their families in the prefecture, but in at least three cases, no relations have been found. "More than 70 years have passed since the end of the war, and it is now more difficult than ever to locate the families," said association official Kazunori Hamasaki. In the United States, meanwhile, a nonprofit organization is said to be actively working to return items left by Japanese soldiers to their families. "I want to help have these items returned, as many as possible, to the bereaved families," Hamasaki said. He said the decline was attributable to the transition of production activities of PT Freeport from open mining to underground one, which, he estimates, could prolong for two years. When the company returns to normal operation, Indonesia's gold production is likely to reach about 120 tons per year, he added. The number of gold mining companies nationwide currently stands at 28. Therefore, even if Freeport cannot return to normal by the end of the year, he predicts the national gold production in 2020 is not too far from the 100 tonne figure. Freeport is a US gold mining company with a total production of 80 tons per year, making it the largest contributor to Indonesia's gold production. YEREVAN, 20 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 20 July, USD exchange rate is up by 0.19 drams to 482.81 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 2.29 drams to 553.06 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.01 drams to 6.73 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 2.51 drams to 607.86 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is up by 5.61 drams to 28054.95 drams. Silver price is down by 1.21 drams to 297.41 drams. Platinum price is up by 36.07 drams to 12790.71 drams. (Newser) Morgan Bullock is a 20-year-old resident of Richmond, Va., who posted a video of herself dancing to hip-hop on TikTok. Not so unusual. But in Bullock's case, she accompanied the music with traditional Irish dancing, her passion since she first saw it performed as a young girl, reports the New Statesman. In a first-person account in the Irish Times and in an interview with the BBC, Bullock explains that while she received a lot of support online, she also took grief from critics who accused hera Black womanof cultural misappropriation. story continues below "I love the idea of being someone that people who may not fit the mold of a 'typical' Irish dancer can look up to," Bullock says, per the New Statesman. "Being in the position to inspire others as a Black woman in Irish dance is just amazing to me." As it turns, Bullock has some important allies in her corner. An Irish radio program was interviewing her when Padraic Moyles, lead dancer in Riverdance, called in to invite her to perform with the troupe when it visits the US. "Thank you for having the guts ... to put yourself out there," Moyles told her, per the Irish Examiner. No word on when Riverdance will be able to resume touring. (Read more uplifting news stories.) The film industry has largely welcomed the federal government's $400 million incentive to attract Hollywood movies and television series but warned about the urgent need for more support for hard-hit Australian productions. The Location Incentive, to run over seven years, aims to create 8000 jobs annually and take advantage of the country's success managing COVID-19 compared to such rivals for international production as various US states, Canada and Eastern Europe. Announcing the scheme after visiting director Baz Luhrmann on the set of his planned Elvis Presley movie on the Gold Coast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Hollywood filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Ron Howard had already inquired about bringing productions. "Our film industry, our screen industry, will be a key part of our COVID recovery," Mr Morrison said. The scheme allows foreign producers to get cash grants that top-up the existing tax offset of 16.5 per cent to a more internationally competitive 30 per cent, with government modelling suggesting it will attract $3 billion in foreign expenditure. HOANG DINH NAM American tourists are to be barred from entering the Bahamas from Wednesday, amidst resurgent levels of COVID-19 in the U.S. The situation in the Bahamas has deteriorated at an exponential rate since the reopening of international borders on July 1, the countrys Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis, said. He said the countrys national airline, Bahamasair, will cease flights to the United States, effective immediately. From Wednesday international flights and commercial vessels carrying passengers will not be permitted to enter the borders unless they come from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Minnis did not call out the U.S., by name, but pointedly said citizens in other countries were ignoring health guidelines. Florida, one of the largest tourism markets for the Bahamas, reported 12,478 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Execution comes days after social campaign against death sentences to three men for taking part in protests. Irans judiciary has announced the execution of a man convicted of spying for the intelligence agencies of the United States and Israel. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, who was arrested in 2018, was executed on Monday morning over the charge of espionage so that the case of his betrayal to his country will be closed forever, the judiciarys Mizan Online website said. The former translator had been found guilty of receiving large sums of money from the USs CIA and Israels Mossad, said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. Last month, the judiciary said Majd had spied on former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani, adding, however, that the case was not directly connected to the top generals assassination earlier this year. On January 3, a US drone strike in Iraqs capital, Baghdad, killed Soleimani, leader of the IRGCs Quds Force, raising fears of a full-blown conflict between the US and Iran. Tehran retaliated for his killing by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at the bases housing US troops in Iraq. Majd was not an IRGC member but infiltrated many sensitive areas under the cover of being a translator, Mizan said. He was found to have been paid American dollars to reveal information on adviser convoys, military equipment and communication systems, commanders and their movements, important geographical areas, codes and passwords until he came under scrutiny and his access was downgraded. Iran said last week it had executed another man convicted of spying for the CIA by selling information about Irans missile programme. The latest execution came days after an unprecedented online campaign saw Iranians taking to social media in droves to express their opposition to the death sentences handed to three men accused of participating in anti-government protests last November. Their executions have been suspended, one of their lawyers, Babak Paknia, said on Sunday. "IT Jobs Trend or Career?" was the opening workshop of TEK Talks This is the opening event for the series of TEK Talks workshops, following the co-operation agreement between INTEK and TST signed earlier in May. The series aims to equip IT students and those who are eager to venture into the IT industry with more information and values of IT industry and occupations. Taking place at Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, the workshop welcomed some 150 students from high schools and universities across the city. As the opening of TEK Talks series, the IT Jobs workshop targets to clarify the facts about current trends in the IT industry, as well as the potential of job development with these trends not only in Vietnamese but also in international markets. Thus, youngsters can figure out what they should do, learn, and focus on to set a steady foot in the IT industry. The workshop attracted some 150 students in Ho Chi Minh City Co-ordinating and speaking at the workshop s were experts in the IT industry, including Duc Le CEO & founder of the Center of IT Innovation and Business Operation Solutions (CIIBOS); Long Huynh development manager at Bouygues Construction IT Vietnam; Luzz Nguyen HR strategic advisor cum TNT project curriculum director; Toan Vu curriculum director at INTEK Institute; and Jennie Hoang Phuong chief marketing and admission officer at INTEK Institute. At the event, young IT-lovers were able to enter the IT world, with sharing about current trends in IT industry, blockchain, IoT, big data, AI, machine learning, potential career opportunities in Vietnam and in the world, as well as guidance on how the youth should pursue their goals in the field in todays IT industry. Through the IT Jobs workshop as well as the TEK Talks series, INTEK and TST wish to create a comprehensive IT playground for Vietnamese students wishing to enter and explore the upscale IT world, lavishing them with knowledge and opinions from veterans professionals whose expertise perspectives on the IT fields, market trends, and essential skills will be an important launching platform for young enthusiasts. Toxic positivity is the concept of being only happy and positive through everything in life and avoiding all things which trigger negative emotions. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought in a lot of mental health issues and they affect not only those who get the disease and those who treat it but also the general population, including essential workers and those sheltering in place. Anxiety, stress and depression had all been growing concerns before the pandemic and recently there was another very real problem addition to that list -- caution fatigue. Sure, stress can have severe effects and anxiety can ruin some of the best days and moments for an individual. However, far from all the chaos, there is another thing that would be as bad for you if not worse than stress itself -- toxic positivity. If you have ever told someone or been told things like be positive and everything happens for a reason, then you have experienced toxic positivity first-hand. Toxic positivity is the concept of being only happy and positive through everything in life and avoiding all things which trigger negative emotions. While this approach may seem harmless to some, experts say this is not good for your emotional and mental health. Optimism or toxic positivity Optimism is when a person remains positive about the outcome of a situation. Optimistic people are likely to know that their failure is not permanent and there is scope for change. Over time, experts have suggested the benefits of a positive mindset and how it reduces your risk of heart diseases, improves immunity and gives you several other health benefits. However, there is a difference between having a positive outlook on life and being happy. You can be sad about a situation and still have a positive feeling about the future. We have confused being happy with the ability to apply a positive mindset, wrote Dr Jocelyn Brewer, a registered psychologist, in an article on the online portal for Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. The concept is everywhere in popular culture that you wont even realise you are looking at it until you become aware of the issue. Remember those happy looking people on social media platforms and the many positivity quotes subtly pushing you to chase happiness? When you run after happiness and ignore all your negative feelings, you set yourself up for failure. How to deal with it Now we are not saying you have to be a sad or negative person. Rather, accept your sad emotions. Avoiding emotions does not make them go away. They just stay there in your head, becoming bigger and bigger until you face them head-on to move past them. Experts say that humans were not designed to only feel happy all the time. Besides, difficult emotions give you a greater chance of survival. When you are scared or sad, it makes your mind and senses work on assessing the situation and the environment so you can come up with a solution to the problem. The Canadian Mental Health Association suggests that if you want to help someone, give them validation and hope instead of toxic positivity. The latter will help them speak up about their problem and not feel bad about feeling sad or other negative emotions. So the next time you see someone sad, do not tell them to never give up, to be positive or to find the silver lining. Instead, tell them it is okay to be tired at times, it's okay if quitting is all they can think about and it's okay to not be able to see the positive side of the situation. Show your belief in them and point out how they have dealt with hurdles before and remind them how they managed to overcome those. Tell them it is normal to feel negative at times and let them think about what could go right when there are a lot of things that can go wrong in a situation. For more information, read our article on How to protect your mental health during COVID-19 pandemic Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. While the majority of the Duggar family was celebrating Jim Bob Duggars 55th birthday on July 18, Derick Dillard and his wife, Jill Duggar, were hanging out with the familys rebellious cousin and her husband. The gathering at Wellingtons and the evidence that it happened have family followers chattering away. Not only did Amy Duggar appear to throw shade at her uncle, but Derick Dillard may have confirmed, once and for all, that he and his wife dont mind having an alcoholic beverage now and then. The Duggar family doesnt drink Michelle and Jim Bob do not drink. They have stated that fact repeatedly, and even took to protesting businesses that served alcohol in the past. According to a Reddit user, the familys ultra-conservative Christian Ministry, the Institute of Basic Life Principles, considers any level of imbibing to be akin to alcohol abuse. Members of the ministry are encouraged to abstain from drinking completely. RELATED: Counting On: Do Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar Drink? That doesnt mean all of the Duggar kids avoid alcohol entirely, though. Rumors have swirled that Jinger and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, may drink wine. The pair, however, has never confirmed that rumor. The Duggar girls have admitted to giving an alcoholic beverage a try at the fancier events they attended as a family, according to In Touch. In the old interview, however, none suggested drinking was something they would indulge in again. Derick Dillard has alluded to the fact that he may drink Derick kicked off rumors that he indulges in alcohol from time to time when he took to Twitter to suggest he never said he didnt drink. Derick didnt go into further detail, but the comment was enough for family followers to start speculating on his drinking habits. There are plenty of reasons to believe Derick doesnt have an issue with people who drink and might drink himself. Where did you read that? I dont think weve ever said that. Derick Dillard (@derickmdillard) July 3, 2018 RELATED: Counting On Fans Are Convinced That Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Drink Alcohol Derick had a traditional schooling experience, including living on campus at Oklahoma State University. According to Niche, OSU has a solid party scene, and students have plenty of access to bars and special events. Derick also lived aboard for several years, where access to alcohol would not have been difficult to come by. Again, his drinking habits were all speculation, until now. Derick Dillard may have just finally confirmed his stance on alcohol Derick and Jill recently joined Amy Duggar and her husband, Dillon King, at Amy and Dillons most recent business venture, a whiskey and cigar lounge. Amy documented the visit on Instagram, and Derick left a comment on the photo. In his remark, Derick stated, Thanks for treating us! We had a great time! Good food, drinks, and company (not necessarily in that order ;). RELATED: A Former 19 Kids and Counting Crew Member Spilled Tea on the Famous Family While Derick never specifically stated what he was drinking, family followers assume he had an alcoholic beverage. After all, few people would mention good drinks unless they were drinking a cocktail or some other custom concoction. On the day Jill and Derick visited Wellingtons, the lounge was serving an adult brunch, complete with a Mimosa bar. Scientists in Australia and the United States have been able to 'upconvert' low energy light into high energy light, which can be captured by solar cells, in a new way, with oxygen the surprise secret ingredient. The results are published in Nature Photonics today. While the approach's efficiencies are relatively low and more work is needed to achieve commercialisation, the research is an exciting development, according to senior author Professor Tim Schmidt from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science and UNSW Sydney. "The energy from the sun is not just visible light," Prof. Schmidt explains. "The spectrum is broad, including infrared light which gives us heat and ultraviolet which can burn our skin. "Most solar cells, charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras and photodiodes (a semiconductor that converts light into electrical current) are made from silicon, which cannot respond to light less energetic than the near infrared. "This means that some parts of the light spectrum are going unused by many of our current devices and technologies." To extend the range of sensitivity of these devices, and potentially increase the efficiency of solar cells, one strategy is to 'upconvert light', turning low energy light into more energetic, visible light which can excite silicon. "One way of doing this is to capture multiple smaller energy photons of light and glue them together," Prof. Schmidt says. "This can be done by interacting the excitons (bound states of electrons and electron holes that can transport energy without transporting net electric charge) in organic molecules." Until now, this had never been achieved beyond the silicon band gap, which is the minimum energy that is required to excite an electron in silicon up to a state where it can participate in conduction. However, Exciton Science researchers, based at UNSW Sydney, have resolved this challenge. And they transformed a familiar foe - oxygen - into an unlikely friend to achieve their goal. Together with collaborators at RMIT University and the University of Kentucky, the researchers used semiconductor quantum dots (nanoscale man-made crystals) to absorb the low energy light, and molecular oxygen to transfer light to organic molecules. Usually oxygen is detrimental to molecular excitons, but at such low energies its role changes and it can mediate energy transfer, allowing the organic molecules to emit visible light, above the silicon band gap. Contributing author Professor Jared Cole of RMIT University says: "What's interesting is that often without oxygen, lots of things work well. And as soon as you allow oxygen in, they stop working. "It was the Achilles heel that ruined all our plans but now, not only have we found a way around it, suddenly it helps us." The efficiencies are still low, but the scientists have strategies to improve this in the near future. "This is only an early demonstration, and there's quite a lot of materials development needed to make commercial solar cells, but this shows us it's possible," Prof. Schmidt says. And lead author Elham Gholizadeh, also of UNSW Sydney, is optimistic about the potential of the work to make a rapid positive impact on the research field. "As this is the first time we've been successful with this method, we will face some challenges," she says. "But I'm very hopeful and think that we can improve the efficiency quickly. I think it's quite exciting for everyone. It's a good method to use oxygen to transfer energy. "Violanthrone doesn't have the perfect photoluminescence quantum yield so the next step will be to look for an even better molecule." ### Most competitive exams in India have GK questions as an essential component. Reading up on all the India GK there is to know is not an easy task, but you can brush up on your GK today with these GK 2020 questions and answers. This GK Question Bank is updated daily to help you with the most relevant and up-to-date GK questions. These GK 2020 questions are perfect to solve when you are studying for a competitive entrance exam, preparing for an interview, or reading up on GK today for your own knowledge. India GK is quizzed in several competitive and entrance exams, including but not limited to those for the UPSC, SSC, IAS, CGL, CHSL, CDS, Railways, Defence, Banking and MBA exams. Here, along with aptitude and banking questions, GK in English is also tested. Also Read: GK Questions 2020 For June 10 | Daily Updated Quiz On National & International Affairs How to solve GK quiz online Various general knowledge practice tests and mock exams are available to help check your preparedness for competitive exams. They typically have multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in a general quiz format and G.k questions on current affairs. Regular practice with daily GK questions helps to improve one's score in such quizzes along with an improvement in ability to recollect details. It might also help to expose oneself to news or discuss easy general knowledge questions with friends & family and gradually move to more specialised ones. Such questions can be found below or in various GK questions pdf available online. Also Read: Current Affairs 2020 For June 10 | Daily Updated Quiz On National & International Affairs Top GK Questions for July 20, 2020 1. The main reserves of phosphorus in the biosphere is in the -------------------. hydrosphere atmosphere lithosphere troposphere 2. The headquarter of ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia are situated at -------------. Bangkok Geneva Santiago (Chile) Baghdad 3. The headquarter of all the following international organization are based at Vienna, excepted ---------------. United Nations Industrial Development Organization Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries United Nations Development Programme International Atomic Energy Agency 4. Murder of a brother -------------. Patricide Regicide Homicide Fratricide 5. The chemical name of Vitamin B is --------------. nicotinamide ascorbic acid riboflavin thiamine 6. The major minerals found in Uttar Pradesh are --------------. limestone and dolomite rock phosphate and dolomite copper and graphite None of the above 7. The first lady Prime Minister of a country was ---------------. Srimavo Bhadaranaike (Sri Lanka) Maria Estate Pew (Argentina) Junko Taibei (Japan) None of the above 8. The headquarter of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are situated at ----------------. Vienna Geneva Rome Paris 9. The headquarter of 'Assam Rifles' at ------------------. Shillong Kohima Aizawl Itanagar 10. Having superior or intellectual interests and taste ---------------. Elite Highbrow Sophisticated Fastidious 11. The Loktak lake facing environmental problems is situated in ---------------------. Orissa Assam Manipur Kerala 12. The dance in Himachal Pradesh, performed indoor, solo or duet, especially when life comes to a standstill during cold winter is ----------------. Luddi dance Munzra Giddha parhaun Rouf 13. The first Indian actress to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha was ----------------. Nargis Dutt Hema Malini Jaya Prada None of the above 14. The first recipient of Bharat Ratna award in 1954 was -----------------. S. Radhakrishnan Rajagopalachari V. Raman Jawaharlal Nehru 15. To cause troops, et to spread out in readiness for battle ------------------. Disperse Deploy Collocate Align 16. The industrial organization of Atomic Minerals Division, Heavy Water Board (HWB) is located at --------------. Mumbai Kolkata Hyderabad Jadugude, Bihar 17. The main objectives of the UN are ------------. to maintain peace and security in the world to work together to remove poverty, disease and illiteracy and encourage respect for each other's rights of basic freedom. to develop friendly relations among nations All of the above 18. The member of SEATO (South-East Asia Treaty Organisation) are -----------------. Australia, France, New Zealand Philippines, Thailand UK and USA All of the above 19. A voice loud enough to be heard ---------------. Audible Applaudable Laudable Oral 20. The language spoken in Sikkim are ----------------. Nepali, Hindi, Lepcha, Bhutani Marathi Bengali, Tripuri Manipuri 21. The main crop of Meghalaya is ----------------. rice wheat barley sugarcane 22. The battle tanks that have been modernized to keep pace with the latest technology development is --------------------. Vijayanta T-55 and T-72 Arjun All of the above 23. A light sailing boat built especially for racing -------------------. Canoe Yacht Frigate Dinghy 24. The credit for developing the polio vaccine goes to --------------. Jones Salk Alb E. Sabin J.L. Baird J. Perkins 25. The market condition when goods and services are not freely available and thus the prices are relatively high is called ----------------. rights issue sinking fund seller's market recession 26. The Indian Air Force celebrated its Golden Jubilee in ----------------. 1962 1972 1982 1992 27. One who is in charge of museum --------------. Curator Supervisor Caretaker Warden 28. The highest national award in India given for exceptional work for the advancement of art, literature and science --------------. Bharat Ratna Padma Awards Gallantry Awards None of the above 29. The common pesticides which are in use consist of ---------------. PCBs organochlorines olefins heterocyclic compounds 30. The Heads of Government of the countries which are members of the Commonwealth meet -------------. once a year biennially at intervals of three years as and when necessary Also Read: Current Affairs 2020 For June 09 | Daily Updated Quiz On National & International Affairs GK 2020 Answer 1. The main reserves of phosphorus in the biosphere is in the -------------------. Answer- lithosphere 2. The headquarter of ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia are situated at -------------. Answer- Bangkok 3. The headquarter of all the following international organization are based at Vienna, excepted ---------------. Answer- United Nations Development Programme 4. Murder of a brother -------------. Answer- Fratricide 5. The chemical name of Vitamin B is --------------. Answer- thiamine 6. The major minerals found in Uttar Pradesh are --------------. Answer- limestone and dolomite 7. The first lady Prime Minister of a country was ---------------. Answer- Srimavo Bhadaranaike (Sri Lanka) 8. The headquarter of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are situated at ----------------. Answer- Vienna 9. The headquarter of 'Assam Rifles' at ------------------. Answer- Shillong 10. Having superior or intellectual interests and taste ---------------. Answer- Highbrow 11. The Loktak lake facing environmental problems is situated in ---------------------. Answer- Manipur 12. The dance in Himachal Pradesh, performed indoor, solo or duet, especially when life comes to a standstill during cold winter is ----------------. Answer- Munzra 13. The first Indian actress to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha was ----------------. Answer- Nargis Dutt 14. The first recipient of the Bharat Ratna award in 1954 was -----------------. Answer- Rajagopalachari 15. To cause troops, et to spread out in readiness for battle ------------------. Answer- Deploy 16. The industrial organization of Atomic Minerals Division, Heavy Water Board (HWB) is located at --------------. Answer- Mumbai 17. The main objectives of the UN are ------------. Answer- All of the above 18. The member of SEATO (South-East Asia Treaty Organisation) is -----------------. Answer- All of the above 19. A voice loud enough to be heard ---------------. Answer- Audible 20. The language spoken in Sikkim are ----------------. Answer- Nepali, Hindi, Lepcha, Bhutani 21. The main crop of Meghalaya is ----------------. Answer- rice 22. The battle tanks that have been modernized to keep pace with the latest technology development is --------------------. Answer- Vijayanta 23. A light sailing boat built especially for racing -------------------. Answer- Yacht 24. The credit for developing the polio vaccine goes to --------------. Answer- Jones Salk 25. The market condition when goods and services are not freely available and thus the prices are relatively high is called ----------------. Answer- seller's market 26. The Indian Air Force celebrated its Golden Jubilee in ----------------. Answer- 1982 27. One who is in charge of museum --------------. Answer- Curator 28. The highest national award in India given for exceptional work for the advancement of art, literature and science --------------. Answer- Bharat Ratna 29. The common pesticides which are in use consist of ---------------. Answer- olefins 30. The Heads of Government of the countries which are members of the Commonwealth meet -------------. Answer- biennially Also Read: GK Questions 2020 For June 09 | Daily Updated Quiz On National & International Affairs Roger Stone, a political operative whose 40-month prison sentence was commuted this month by US President Donald Trump, his long-time friend, used the racial slur 'negro' on air while verbally sparring with a Los Angeles-based Black radio host. The exchange occurred on Saturday's 'Mo'Kelly Show', whose host - Morris O'Kelly - grilled Mr Stone on his conviction for lying to Congress, tampering with witnesses and obstructing the House investigation into whether Mr Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Mr O'Kelly on his programme's website said "Stone could have reached for any pejorative, but unfortunately went there", adding that "Stone offered an unfiltered, unvarnished one-sentence expression of how he saw the journalist interviewing him". Mr O'Kelly characterised 'negro' as the "low-calorie version of the N-word." Mr Stone's attorney yesterday said he was unaware of the broadcast and had no immediate comment. Mr Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison, but Mr Trump commuted that sentence on July 10 - just days before Stone was to report for detention. As Mr O'Kelly asserted that Mr Stone's commutation was because of his friendship with Mr Trump, Mr Stone's voice goes faint but can be heard uttering that he was "arguing with this negro". Mr O'Kelly then asks Mr Stone to repeat the comment, but he goes momentarily silent. The first part of Mr Stone's statement was not entirely audible, but the radio programme transcribed the complete sentences as, "I can't believe I'm arguing with this negro". Mr O'Kelly persisted on having Mr Stone respond. "I'm sorry you're arguing with whom? I thought we were just having a spirited conversation. What happened?" he said. "You said something about 'negro.'" Mr Stone said he had not. "You're out of your mind," he added. During the programme, Mr Stone said the president acted out of compassion and that the jury in his case was tainted. "I did not get a fair trial," he said. "My life was in imminent danger," he added, saying he was at risk of being infected by the coronavirus in prison. "I think the president did this as an act of compassion. He did it as an act of mercy." At one time, 'negro' was common in the American vernacular to describe African Americans. By the late 1960s, the word was scorned by activists in favour of such descriptors as 'Black'. These days, some view the antiquated word as derogatory. STEPANAKERT, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan introduced today newly-appointed minister of healthcare Ararat Ohanjanyan to the ministry staff, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The President thanked Arayik Baghryan for effectively heading the field for a long time and wished success to the new minister in his responsible mission. President Harutyunyan once again stated that having a free and high-quality healthcare system in the Republic is one of the priority principles of the presidential program. He said all types of corruption phenomena should be ruled out on the path of reforms. He added that the process will be carried under the control of the National Security Service, and those, who will not follow the rules, will be held accountable. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan C ompanies were today urged to grasp the nettle in using the virus crisis as a catalyst to tackling the gender imbalance in the City. The surprise success of working from home for many firms in lockdown has improved prospects for parents attempting to juggle employment and childcare. City of London Corporation policy chair Catherine McGuinness told the Standard: Covid-19 has disrupted the ebb and flow of City life, but the pandemic also presents an opportunity for employers to rethink how they can support their staff. Providing it is safe to do so and in accordance with the latest Government guidance, many workers will want to come back into the City as soon as possible. But the restrictions have shown us that there are positive changes regarding flexible working arrangements and child care that can be made to help ease the burden of office life which too often falls disproportionately on women. McGuiness said her own organisation, which manages to Square Mile in London, had introduced policies including greater working flexibility, improved maternity pay and shared parental and adoption leave. One of the Citys great strengths is its diversity. But we still have lots of work to do. Any lessons from the Covid-19 crisis should be drawn upon as we seek to make the City a more welcoming place for women and people from different backgrounds, he added. Ross Mitchinson, co-chief executive at investment advisor Numis, said: I think it will be really good for people like mums who return to work after having a child. Having that flexibility makes a really big difference. We are definitely positive on the impact in terms of diversity and inclusion. Where lockdown has not been as good is helping younger people who are trying to learn you learn a lot from being around more senior people in the office. However proposals to shorten trading hours in part to help improve diversity took a blow this month when a body representing equity markets in Europe said it did not support the idea. The Federation of European Securities Exchanges said instead companies should introduce shift work to address the issue. There are fears London and Europes standing in the finance world could be weakened as a result of any shortening of hours. The timezone sitting between Asian and American trading hours is seen as a key boost to trade. Former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy, now an advisor at private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice, said the shift to working from home could help employers access staff with the best skills. Its essential that you have access to all the talent that its in the whole of the country and youre not missing out on really good people because of gender or ethnicity or social background, he said. I think all employers are increasingly aware of that and doing their best to ensure they increasingly spot talent everywhere in the organisation. Taking cover: Taoiseach Micheal Martin leaves after the first face-to-face EU summit since the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: John Thys/Pool via REUTERS TDs and senators will be required to wear face coverings in Leinster House and the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) where parliamentary sittings are being held. The new rule will also apply to Oireachtas staff, political employees and the media. In an email to TDs and senators, Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail said wearing face coverings can play an important part in addressing the spread of the virus in indoor settings where it is not always possible to adhere to two metres social distancing. Therefore, I am strongly encouraging members to wear a face covering in shared spaces and circulation areas, where at all possible, with effect from today, Monday, 20 July, he said. I would also encourage members to wear face coverings in the chamber and in committee rooms, when not speaking or making a contribution. Members are requested to use their own face coverings, however, the facilities unit will have reusable and disposable masks available if required, he added. Mr O Fearghail said Leinster House is a shared workspace and it is in everyones interests that those working there adopt a consistent and safe approach to returning to work during the Covid 19 pandemic. When four National Peoples Party (NPP) lawmakers withdrew support to Manipurs N Biren Singh-led government on June 17 and threatened to bring it down, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s central leadership quickly swung into action. Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda immediately met the disgruntled lawmakers and NPP chief Conrad Sangma to deal with the crisis. The crisis blew over by June 25 when Singh shook hands with his detractors. Similar intervention in February helped resolve a potential crisis in Karnataka, where several BJP leaders were upset over the denial of cabinet berths. The grievance redress mechanisms of political parties in such situations have been in the focus again as the Congress government in Rajasthan faces a rebellion by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and his followers. The fresh crisis for the Congress comes months after its government was toppled in Madhya Pradesh when 22 lawmakers resigned to pave the way for the BJPs return to power. In both cases, rebels have expressed dissatisfaction over the partys grievance redress system. BJP general secretary Anil Jain, who is the partys Haryana and Chhattisgarh in charge, said the party has multiple systems for addressing issues. ...decisions are taken collectively; it is the partys position, not an individuals choice. So clashes do not occur. Our party is not an individual or a personality-centric party; it is based on an ideology, said Jain, who was instrumental in sorting out differences between Haryana chief minister M L Khattar and his cabinet colleague, Anil Vij. Bhupinder Yadav, BJPs general secretary and Bihar in-charge, echoed Jain. ...there is a mechanism for addressing issues and decisions are made in a democratic manner. The other difference is that while in the BJP, the highest decision-making body is the Parliamentary Board, in Congress, it is the Gandhis. A third BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said tensions and disagreements are expected and all parties have safety valves to prevent spillovers. Differences or clashes between personalities is not a new phenomenon. We have seen this happen between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, between L K Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In such cases, these leaders used to supplement each other or even surrender to the other leader, the third functionary said. He said Advani had to show deference to Vajpayee, who was seen as a mass leader. In the BJP, there is also a third authority, which is sometimes seen to serve as the safety valveits ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The RSS can be described as a friend, philosopher and guide. People can share their views with the [RSS] functionaries and also seek advice, this leader said. To be sure, not all disagreements were amicably solved. Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh, who served as finance and external affairs ministers in the Vajpayee government, had a bitter parting with the BJP after complaining of being sidelined. Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who also quit the BJP, made public their disagreements with the partys leadership. Congress leader Pranav Jha rejected the suggestion that his party does not have a proper redress system and said the BJP not only irons out but steamrolls and eliminates differences. From L K Advani to Uma Bharti and Sushma Swaraj, [these] are all examples. We, on the contrary, are a democratic party of living individuals, who aspire and compete like it happens all across the world. Ashoka University assistant professor Neelanjan Sircar said it is the very construct of the Congresss structure that is not based on ideology and makes it vulnerable to defections. A fundamental challenge for political parties in India is how they prevent defection and how they engineer defection. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The word on the street last week was that it was the German government which forced the hand of the Spanish and then Balearic government into shutting down streets in the Playa de Palma, Magalluf and Sant Antoni. Balearic government sources denied such claims, but at the start of last week it was common knowledge that Germanys health minister had expressed concerns about reports of German tourists partying in the Playa de Palma without masks or apparently, any regard for coronavirus-related social distancing. He said the tourists could cause a risk to other passengers on their flights, as well as people back home. Over the weekend a number of Spanish papers delved into the issue of resort closures and it appears that at least three senior members of the German government contacted central government in Madrid to underline just how worried they were about what was going on the Playa de Palma. It appears that, once Berlin had hung up on Madrid, the Spanish government was on the dog and bone to Palma and before we knew it, the Balearic Minister for Tourism caught everyone by surprise, including President Francina Armengol, who was not particularly in favour of such drastic and immediate action, by ordering the street closures. As far as we know, the British government said nothing but it certainly looks likes it was Germany which pulled the trigger. Since the pandemic started, most of us have got used to making video calls to our friends and family. They have been a welcome diversion from the pain and confusion that this virus has brought to our lives here in the UK. For me, these calls have meant I have been able to come closer to some of the communities that the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) works with. And it has filled me with dread. On a video call to a doctor in Yemen recently, he told us that he had already lost five medics from Covid-19 at the few remaining health facilities in the war-torn country. He is now worried that without any proper personal protective equipment, he and others will no longer be able to keep the hospitals running. While his remains open, he knows of countless others that have closed their doors. For me this is personally devastating. I was born in Yemen and moved to the UK aged four. I have regularly returned at first to see family, and then more recently in a professional capacity as the poor but stable country has descended into civil war and become home to the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, even before Covid-19. Currently the official death toll from Covid-19 in Yemen is 418. But gravediggers in the southern city of Aden tell a different story. Theyve never been so busy, and cemeteries are expanding to make room for the dead. The DEC has identified seven precarious places to prioritise funding from our coronavirus appeal the worlds five most fragile states, along with Afghanistan and the worlds largest refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. I have visited many of these after the DEC has launched appeals for them in the past. Each context is different. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty In fragile, conflict-ridden and drought-hit Somalia, I think of Hamsa and her daughter Sada who I met in 2017. Their family lived in a simple tent in a camp for displaced people after losing everything in the drought that year. Conditions were basic and they were reliant on aid organisations for food and medical care. In the UK we take washing our hands for granted, but in similar camps, were hearing that people are washing their hands with ash because they have no soap. What about the Rohingya children I met in a child-friendly space in Coxs Bazar? The space was an oasis of calm and play for them amid the sprawling and crowded camp where shelters are perched on muddy slopes. With large families sharing small tents, the population density thought to be a key factor in the spread of Covid-19 is one and a half times more than New York City. Social distancing is very challenging. Those children and their parents were already scarred, mentally and often physically, by their escape across the border from Myanmar where they fled a brutal military crackdown. Their tormentors came with guns, grenades and knives. Now they are under threat from a new, silent enemy. With no ventilators or intensive care beds available, how many more family members will they lose to Covid-19? And the virus is not the only threat on the horizon. The secondary effects could be even more deadly than the disease itself. Global food supplies are being disrupted on an unprecedented scale. The World Food Programme predicts that the number of people facing acute hunger could almost double to more than a quarter of a billion. In Yemen, I met Omar, who at one years old weighed 5kg half of what he should. DEC charities and other aid organisations are working hard to protect people from the virus, support health systems and fight hunger in the worlds most fragile communities. Simple interventions soap, handwashing stations, isolation wards, basic food supplies make a huge difference. The people we work to support need your help now more than ever. Will you stand with them? Saleh Saeed is chief executive of the DEC Five years ago today, an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up at a cultural center in Turkeys southeastern border town of Suruc. The attack killed 33 civilians, the first in a wave of bloody jihadi attacks against Kurdish activists and their allies inside Turkey. Families of the victims say justice has yet to be served. Seyh Abdurrahman Alagaoz killed himself along with the tens of idealistic youths who had arrived from across Turkey. They were planning to carry toys, medical supplies and other materials to Kobani, the mainly Kurdish Syrian town directly across the border from Suruc that was reduced to ruins in a bloody standoff with IS. Families of the victims held separate gatherings in Suruc, Istanbul and Ankara to commemorate the tragedy. In Suruc, police backed by armored vehicles and water cannons threatened to intervene when families went to unfurl posters of the deceased. At a joint news conference in the city of Urfa, lawyers for the victims families said authorities had refused to cooperate from the get-go, part of what they charge is an ongoing effort to shield the perpetrators. They presented evidence of the governments alleged cover-up in a report. Only one of the bombers three alleged accomplices, Yakup Sahin, has been caught so far. Prosecutors are demanding life sentences for him and his co-conspirators, who are thought to be in hiding in Syria. Bureaucrats who may have been complicit or criminally negligent have not been investigated despite plaintiffs repeated demands. Surucs former police chief was prosecuted for failing to act on intelligence that should have flagged a potential attack. Mehmet Yapalial was sentenced to less than two years in prison in January 2017. He got off with a roughly $1,000 fine to be paid in installments, provoking outrage among victims loved ones. The case remains shrouded in mystery. The question of how Alagoz, a radicalized Kurd from the southeastern province of Adiyaman, was able to enter Suruc unhindered despite being on the authorities radar remains unanswered. Evidence submitted by the plaintiffs has not been admitted. Five hours worth of security camera footage recorded by multiple sources in the aftermath of the blast is being withheld by prosecutors. Had the Suruc massacre been illuminated, the other massacres would not have been carried out, argued Serdil Izol, a member of the families defense team. Izol was referring in particular to the suicide bomb attack targeting Kurdish peace activists that occurred three months later in the capital Ankara. Some 104 people died, making it the worst terror attack in Turkeys history. One of the perpetrators was identified as Alagoz brother, Yunus Emre. Their father had filed a criminal complaint against Yunus in October 2014 saying he had probably joined an armed terrorist group. Cagla Seven, a survivor of the Suruc carnage, demanded that Ahmet Davutoglu, who was prime minister at the time, testify in the case. Davutoglu recently launched a new center-right party to challenge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and has publicly hinted that he was aware of the nefarious activities of the state. If the ledger on the fight against terrorism is exposed, many people will no longer have the courage to appear in public, he said without naming anyone. Turkeys laissez-faire approach compounded by a steady of flow of thousands of foreign fighters through its borders to Syria dealt a serious blow to its international image from which it has yet to recover. So it came as something of a shock when Turkey bragged last week that it had exfiltrated a Moldovan woman and her four children from al-Hol camp in Kurdish-administered northeast Syria in a joint operation with Moldovan authorities. The camp is home to around 60,000 wives and children of Islamic State fighters. Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency reported that Nadia Barkal and her Syrian husband had decided to move from the Moldovan capital Chisinau in 2013 to reside in Syrias Manbij district in Aleppo province and that he had been killed in military clashes in 2017. The article made no reference to IS. Manbij, where IS planned the Paris attacks of November 2015, was wrested from the jihadis by US-backed Kurdish forces in June 2016. Barkal was received at Chisinau airport by Moldovan President Igor Dodon, suggesting that she comes from a powerful family, sources speculated. The Autonomous Administration of northeast Syria blasted the operation in a statement saying Turkey had repeatedly sought to break IS brides and their children out of al-Hol. Privately, Syrian Kurdish officials aired bemusement as to why Turkeys national intelligence agency MIT would allow the affair to be advertised. One of the officials speculated in an interview with Al-Monitor that MIT director Hakan Fidans political rivals within Erdogans fractious inner circle might have deliberately leaked the story to Anadolu. The aim may have been to embarrass the spy chief just as he is reportedly lobbying to replace the outgoing Turkish ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic. MIT is widely known to be a key interlocutor with a wide array of Sunni opposition rebels in Syria, including more radical factions that later broke off to join IS. Anne Speckhard, director of the Washington-based International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, has interviewed over 200 IS detainees, including an emir who provided detailed accounts of Turkeys alleged complicity with the jihadis. He told me all about how he had been assigned basically as the [IS] ambassador to Turkey my words, not his. He claimed to have negotiated with Turkish MIT and military and to have even been invited to a meeting with President Erdogan which never materialized, recalled Speckhard in an interview with Al-Monitor. He claimed to have negotiated agreements about the entry of foreign fighters across the Turkish border, reentry for medical care, water levels in the Tabqa dam to allow for generating [IS] electrical energy needs and for supplies brought in from Turkey. He was very credible and Iraqi intel said the same about him. I interviewed him for five hours. Speckhard continued, This latest act, however, was completely brazen as it flouts that Turkey is part of the US-led global [anti-IS] coalition. The silence of the global coalition members is indeed strange but maybe we will see outcry sometime this week as its indisputably material support of a woman suspected of having been a part of [IS] to have helped her escape the camp, and for a NATO country to do this is clearly unacceptable. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday (July 20) said that he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi at 12 noon on Monday to hold discussion over states worrisome situation. Governor Dhankar tweeted welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in his mind and his actions are inspired to mitigate woes of the people of state. "Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation. Also state of affairs and affairs of State under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of West Bengal people," tweeted Governor Dhankar. Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation. Also state of affairs and affairs of State @MamataOfficial. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of WB people. Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 19, 2020 In another tweet, Governor Dhankar said that he will discuss issues with Shah as part of his duty under Article 159. "Will discuss issues with Home Minister today-part of my DUTY under Article 159,i.e, to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, devote myself to the service and well-being of the people. I pledge total commitment for West Bengal people," said Dhankar. Will discuss issues @MamataOfficial with Home Minister today-part of my DUTY under Article 159,i.e. To the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution; Devote myself to the service and well-being of the people. I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 20, 2020 Meanwhile, BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, on Sunday (July 19) slammed TMC-led government in West Bengal over an alleged incident of gangrape and murder of a teenage daughter of a BJP worker in North Dinajpur district and said that people of the state are terrorised by TMC goons. The Darjeeling MP also said that he has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to take cognizance of the matter. "I have requested Hon`ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji and Hon`ble Governor H. E @jdhankhar1 ji to intervene and ensure that the murderers of our daughter from North Bengal is brought to justice. I have requested for a Central Probe into her murder," he tweeted. Jessica Sauer never imagined that she would not be able to return home, especially for a parent's funeral. But two weeks after her father's sudden death, the Australian expat living in Scotland has found herself locked out of the country as prices surge amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Sauer, 26, received the devastating news on July 5 that her father Steven, 58, had passed away unexpectedly in her hometown, Armidale, in northern NSW. She and her partner Connor McLeod, 28, immediately kick-started the complex process to get her Scottish boyfriend a visa so he could accompany her back home. Jessica Sauer, 26, learnt on July 5 that her father Steven Wright (pictured together), 58, passed away in her hometown Armidale Although still waiting approval, the couple rushed to buy flights on July 12 after learning the NSW Government were about to start charging overseas travellers for hotel quarantine, costing around $4,000. But when they arrived at Manchester airport six days later for their Lufthansa flight, they were told they were not allowed board. The issue was not Mr McLeod's Australian visa status however, but the fact that Japan, their stopover destination, is currently prohibiting non-nationals from entering the transit terminal without a visa. They were told their only options were to book the next available economy flight on August 31 or buy a business class seat for a whopping 6,000 - around $11,000. 'I burst in tears and rushed to the bathroom. It was the most devastated that I have ever felt in my life,' Ms Sauer told Daily Mail Australia. 'The dread of having to call my mother and sister and tell them I wouldn't be home. 'We were next to teenagers in shorts boarding a flight to go on holiday in Spain, and there we were just trying to go home to bury my father.' 'I felt so helpless. I felt like I had no hope left in humanity. ' The couple did not think to check transit visa requirements as they have never encountered them in the past. Ms Sauer and her partner Connor McLeod, 28, (pictured together) were stopped from boarding their Lufthansa flight on July 18 due to a new Japan transit rule prohibiting non-nationals from waiting in the airport without a visa Having provided their passport details at the time of booking, they expected the airline would have flagged the restrictions prior to their flight. 'The worst case scenario at that stage was Connor not being able to board the flight and me going on without him,' Ms Sauer said. 'We never comprehended that an Australian citizen would have a problem getting on the flight. 'In no normal world would you have to check that you would have to pass through a country. We had not been notified at all and we had no idea we should have to check.' Adding to their devastation, a rising demand on business class seats meant there was no guarantee they would be able to secure a ticket. Since the number of arrivals allowed to enter was slashed from 7000 to 4000 earlier this month, Ms Sauer was told airlines have been selling the majority of available tickets from their business class pool to cover the cost of flying below capacity. 'It's disgusting. The woman at the service desk told us the other day they 42 people in business class and only six in economy,' she said. Ms Sauer now fears she will not be home in time to attend her father's funeral with her sister (pictured together) and her mum Ms Sauer pictured with her father (left), sister Madeleine, (second left), grandmother Eunice (centre), and mother Deb (second from the right) during a trip home last October 'This whole process makes me sick, that airlines will just take your money and not have a care in the world for your best interests but also to my home country for making it impossible for an Australian Citizen to return home in an emergency.' Ms Sauer has paid $1500 for her father's body to be embalmed, in the hope she will see him one last time before he is cremated. With $8000 worth of flight refunds pending, and the prospect of now having to foot the bill of quarantine, she has no spare money to purchase an upfront ticket home. Even if she made a flight tomorrow, the time frame to say goodbye to her dad is closing in. 'It impossible to comprehend we have to wait another six weeks to come home. 'Even if I arrived in the next few days I would still be running out of time with quarantine. If I miss that time frame, I will miss the cremation.' 'It's like being told your dad is dead but then getting back and being given a box of ashes. 'You miss the process and you have no concept that box is your dad.' Over the past two weeks Ms Sauer has contacted Australian authorities more than a dozen times for advice only to be told to 'wait'. 'We have called the Department of Home Affairs, the Global Service Centre to try and push things on. We have been on the phone four or five times. But overall, we have just been told the same thing - just wait,' she said. Ms Sauer, a telecommunications consultant, met Mr McLeod while working the snow season at Falls Creek in 2015. The couple then began travelling across the globe together to work at other ski resorts The couple have now settled in East Lothian, Scotland, where McLeod is originally from 'We went to the Australian embassy in the UK. They were pretty unhelpful they just directed us to check the latest travel information on the website. So did the Department of Home Affairs. ' The Australian, who has spent more than five years chasing ski seasons across the globe, settled in Scotland in 2017, where the couple now own a home. Aside from paying for their mortgage, they now have the added expense of paying for her father's unexpected funeral and travel costs. Ms Sauer, a telecommunication consultant, is struggling to pay the bills and has had her hours reduced in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Ms Sauer said if she had made her July 18 flight, she may have been able to handle the quarantine fee should she have to, but the exorbitant cost of rebooking flights amid the government's latest regulation has made new tickets inaccessible. 'I know there is a pandemic, and s**t is hitting the fan, and we have to quarantine, I would even be okay paying for it if we had made the flight,' she said. Ms Sauer said is concerned about the effect the situation is having on her mum Deb and younger sister Madeleine, 24, who are now 'on hold' waiting for her return. 'They are trying to be strong and carry on without me but it has already been two weeks.' She believes she would not be facing such dire circumstances had the government not restricted incoming travellers and had a system in place to fast track entry for those in extreme situations. 'There is no system in place to help people in exceptional circumstances,' she said. Ms Sauer pictured back in Australia with her father, sister and mother for Madeleine's 21st birthday in 2017 'Zero help. Zero guidance. Nothing. We have been given absolutely no help, just told ''you have to wait". They don't care. 'We submitted forms two weeks ago to ask for a quarantine exemption to go straight to my sisters house and that has still not come back.' 'If they are letting 4000 people in every week, are they all going home for deaths?' 'If not, who the f**k are they letting in? Why are they not prioritising? 'I can't believe they let people from their own country go through this.' The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications would not comment on why a system has not been set up to assist those who classify as an exceptional case. However, they said intake limitations, which were put in place to help ease pressure on state quarantine systems and help redirect resources to fighting Victoria's second wave of COVID-19, were 'vital' to managing the disease. 'The Australian Government understands Australians will have concerns at this time about possible delays in returning home,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'However, the measures to cap passenger arrivals are vital to maintain the integrity of Australias quarantine system, which is the most effective intervention in managing the spread of COVID-19.' 'The Government encourages all Australians to get in touch with their airline or travel agent for information on potential alternative travel arrangements if their flight is affected.' Still seeking other options to get home early, but losing hope, Ms Sauer has managed to maintain her sense of humour. She reminisces about the last time she saw her father, during a trip home last year, and when they last spoke six weeks ago. Back then she could not have imagined the extraordinary challenges she would face trying to see him again during a global pandemic. 'If you were going to die suddenly on me dad, could you not have waited a bit longer?' she said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lufthansa for comment. Gold prices fell for the third session in 4 days in Indian commodity market, tracking steady global prices. On MCX, August gold futures remained choppy after hitting a record high Rs 48,967 per 10 gm earlier this month. Gold futures on MCX were trading Rs 15 lower at Rs 48,952 per 10 gm today against the previous close of Rs 48,967 per 10 gm. Gold August Futures today touched an intra day high of 48,985 and a low of 48,858 today, after opening at 48,910 per 10 gm. Silver also edged lower, with futures on MCX declining Rs 24 to Rs 52,845 per 10 kg. Recently, overseas gold price has remained steady above the 8-year record-high $1,800 per ounce. Comex Gold dropped 0.07% to 1,807 per ounce, Spot gold was steady at $1,808.53 per ounce while US gold futures were remained unchanged at $1,809, supported by a weaker US dollar. Hopes of coronavirus vaccine development and steady upward momentum in equity markets have kept capped gains for the yellow commodity. Gold prices have been trading near record high amid rising coronavirus cases and ongoing tensions between the US and China. Hopes of more government spending around the globe through major central banks has caused a surge in demand for precious metals in recent times. In another update, Gold imports plunged 94% to $688 million (about Rs 5,160 crore) during the first quarter of 2020-21, according to data from the Commerce Ministry. This was due to a significant fall in demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of the jewellery industry. Britannia Industries share price hits all-time high post Q1 earnings Stocks in news: HDFC Bank, Canara Bank, Muthoot Finance, Vodafone Idea, YES Bank A usually quiet North Brunswick neighborhood is on edge Monday morning hours after a gunman dressed as a FedEx driver shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge and wounded her husband. I had fallen asleep reading around 3 p.m. and woke up suddenly (a while later), said Marion Costanza, a neighbor and longtime family friend. Something woke me up, I swear to God I thought I heard a shot. I thought, its not the Fourth of July. Daniel Anderl, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, died in the shooting, while Salas 63-year-old husband Mark Anderl, 63, underwent surgery Sunday evening and is in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to township Mayor Francis Mac Womack. Salas, who sources say was in the basement of the home at the time, was not injured in the 5 p.m. shooting. A massive manhunt is underway for the gunman involving multiple federal, state and local agencies. Another neighbor, Wenfeng Zhang, said Monday morning he heard people talking loudly and then bang, bang. Zhang said he usually simply opens the door when someone knocks but will now reassess that strategy. The door Handle and door bell removed from front door at the home of Judge Esther Salas, where her husband Mark Andrel was shot and their son Daniel was killed, in North Brunswick, N.J. July, 20, 2020Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for I think we just have to be very careful, he said. I think from now on I might set up a camera. When strangers open the door you should think about it before you open the door, adding, my wife didnt sleep well last night. His wife, Jenny Wang, said she heard a sound that she assumed was something else entirely. I didnt realize it was a gun bing, bing, bing, I thought it was a firework. Wang said her husband saw a delivery truck drive away. My husband didnt realize the guy was a criminal. On Monday morning, investigators removed the doorbell and door handle of the Salas and Andrels home. Costanza, meanwhile, could think only about the family and Salas, with whom she was supposed to have dinner with later this week. She was devastated when her son left for college I think for a week she cried, so can you imagine this permanent loss? I cant even imagine as a mother and a grandmother, what it would be like to lose your only child. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBIs Newark office at 973-792-3000, option 2. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. New Delhi, July 20 : Soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi through yet another video over the India-China stand-off, BJP President JP Nadda on Monday hit back at what he called the "dynasty's shenanigans" and China's "strategic investments" in one dynasty. "We saw yet another (failed) edition of 'Project RG Relaunch' today. @RahulGandhi ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynasty's desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India," Nadda tweeted. "Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing a lot of land to China in the UPA (rule) years, MoU signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more." Questioning Rahul Gandhi's controversial meeting with Chinese officials during the 2017 Doklam stand-off between the troops of the two countries, Nadda tweeted: "Many leaders in the Congress also disapprove of one dynasty's shenanigans!" The BJP chief added: "For years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM @narendramodi. Sadly for them, PM Modi's connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party." Rahul Gandhi had flayed Modi over the India-China border face-off issue, saying he had fabricated a "fake" strongman's image to come to power and now his biggest strength is "India's biggest weakness". By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has summoned Serbia's Charge d'Affaires Danica Veinovic over delivery of large amount of military ammunition and mortar from Serbia to Armenia, the ministrys press service reported on July 20. Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said that according to reliable and confirmed information, a large amount of ammunition was sent from Serbia to Armenia, including mortars and ammunition of various calibers. Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov noted that during the offensive operations in the direction of Tovuz on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, Armenian armed forces units mainly used mortars of different calibers, fired artillery and mortar shells at the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, that were ensuring the security of borders and civilians. He stressed that 11 Azerbaijani servicemen,including an army general, and a resident of the border village were killed during the attacks. Khalafov stressed that Serbia and Azerbaijan have strategic partnership relations. In this regard, the two countries signed a declaration of friendship and strategic partnership at the presidential level in 2013 and a joint action plan for strategic partnership in 2018. He stressed that these documents stipulate that Serbia supports the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the state borders of Azerbaijan in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, including resolutions of the UN Security Council and OSCE resolutions. Furthermore, Khalafov emphasized that Azerbaijan remained committed to the strategic partnership between two countries, and demonstrated a consistent position in supporting Serbias territorial integrity. In this regard, it was stated that the unfriendly step of the Serbian side in support of the aggressive policy of Armenia and the ongoing aggression against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan causes deep regret and bitter disappointment among the Azerbaijani people and leadership. Khalafov stressed that Azerbaijani expects from Serbia explanations and elimination of the reasons that led to such actions. Serbian Charge d'Affaires Danitsa Veinovic said that she had no information on the issue, promised to convey the information to the Serbian side, expressed regret over the incidents and hoped that they would not damage the Serbian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership and friendship. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The famed Hornbill Festival in Nagaland is unlikely to be held this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said on Monday. The 10-day Hornbill Festival that usually starts on December 1 celebrates the culture and heritage of different tribes of the state. It is attended by lakhs of people from across India and abroad. The tourism industry is in a dire condition due to the pandemic and if the situation doesnt improve, the state government may not be in a position to host the Hornbill Festival, Tourism Advisor H Khehovi Yepthomi told reporters. The tourism industry in Nagaland is largely dependent on the mega event with the festivities starting as early as mid-October at local levels and culminating in December. The festival enables tour operators, hoteliers, guides, transporters and a myriad of handicraft artisans and restaurant owners to earn enough to sustain them through the lean monsoon season, Yepthomi said. We have absolutely no tourist traffic since February and we are certain that if this dire situation continues then the entire industry will collapse in another six months, he added. The festival, for which thousands of people make travel plans not only to Nagaland but also several other states in the Northeast, is being held over the last 20 years. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, Yepthomi said small-scale theme-based events can be organised in district headquarters like Made in Nagaland, Crafted in Nagaland, Flowers of Nagaland, etc so as to manage crowding and this will also act as the right platform in giving opportunities to local entrepreneurs in rebuilding a community towards sustainability, which has always been the goal of Hornbill Festival. The states tourism industry will also get an opportunity to revive itself, he said. The scale and the type of the festival may be considered after studying the ground realities in October- November, he said. Stating that the Tourism Department is working out a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for a steady reopening, Yemtphomi said the sector will have to redesign its services and utilities and institute certain protocols, including social distancing rules, contactless payment, besides management of the number of people within a facility. The department is working to set up Destination Management Organisations in coordination with representatives from key departments of the state such as Health, Home, Transport and Municipal Affairs to ensure efficient flow of tourists, and safe and sustainable use of tourism services and infrastructure, he said. Yepthomi, an MLA, said the Tourism Department would hold a consultative meeting with Kohima-based tribal hohos for their views before taking any decision on the Hornbill Festival. He said the government has started gathering details of around 20,000 people who came back to the state from other parts of the country due to the lockdown to conduct training for skill enhancement so that they can be provided employment in the hospitality sector. We are trying to provide employment opportunities to these people and will come out with the modalities within a couple of weeks, he said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Kentucky couple was placed on house arrest after one of them tested positive for coronavirus and refused to sign documents agreeing to quarantine at home. Elizabeth Linscott and her husband, Isaiah, displayed their ankle monitors on NBC affiliate WAVE last week. Linscott told the station that after testing positive for coronavirus and later refusing to sign a Self-isolation and Controlled Movement Agreed Order, the Hardin County Sheriffs Department arrived at their Hardin County home with stay-at-home orders for her, Isaiah and their infant daughter. Elizabeth Linscott and her husband Isaiah are on house arrest after Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19 and decided not to sign documents agreeing to self-quarantine. (WAVE3) I open up the door and theres like eight different people, Isaiah said. Five different cars and Im like what the hecks going on? This guys in a suit with a mask, its the health department guy and he has three different papers for us." The ankle monitors the couple was ordered to wear will alert law enforcement if they travel more than 200 feet from their house. Elizabeth Linscott said she got tested for COVID-19 so she could visit her parents in Michigan with less worry. But she tested positive, without symptoms, and she said the local health department asked her to sign documents that would stop her from traveling anywhere without calling the department first. She said she chose not to sign the documents because "if I have to go to the ER, if I have to go to the hospital, Im not going to wait to get the approval to go." The couple said they did not refuse to self quarantine, and had planned to do so. Thats exactly what the Director of the Public Health Department told the judge, that I was refusing to self-quarantine because of this and that was not the case at all. I never said that," Elizabeth Linscott said. We didnt rob a store, we didnt steal something, we didnt hit and run, we didnt do anything wrong." The Linscotts told WAVE that they plan to get an attorney. Neither Elizabeth nor Isaiah Linscott responded to additional requests for comment. Story continues The Lincoln Trail District Health Department, which services the Hardin County Health Center, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said the office "serves Court Orders from both Hardin Circuit and District Courts on a daily basis." A Kentucky courts spokeswoman said she could not comment on pending court cases. New Delhi, July 20 : The ongoing pandemic has impacted the recovery of loans given by IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN), and also delayed the sale of the real estate assets of the IL&FS Group, IL&FS non-Executive Chairman Uday Kotak said on Monday. Kotak also said that the pandemic is likely to impact the valuations of the realty assets. Talking to the media, through video conference, he also said that the proposed sale of some road assets have also been impacted due the pandemic. An Italy-based company which was a bidder for the Pune-Sholapur road project has withdrawn its bid as a result of the current situation arising out of the pandemic, IL&FS Managing Director C.S. Rajan said. However, despite the obstacles posed by the pandemic, the IL&FS Group expects to address about Rs 57,240 crore debt out of the total debt of over Rs 99,000 crore. The revised estimate is well above the 50 per cent mark of the overall debt. The aggregate value of debt being addressed is now estimated as over Rs 57,000 crore, with around Rs 50,500 crore likely to be addressed by March 2021. The rest of the unaddressed or unresolved amount would be taken as a haircut. IL&FS has, till June 30, addressed debt of Rs 17,640 crore from a combination of completed asset sales, debt repayment to green entities, debt discharged in non-green entities and available cash balance across the group. Further, the sale of 15 entities is in advanced stages with resolution of over Rs 8,500 crore. Efforts towards resolution of additional debt of Rs 6,600 crore are likely to continue beyond FY21, as the board expects the resolution of major holding companies to take a longer time. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed The Vietnamese stock market may have found a new equilibrium in current price areas, according to Mirae Asset. The correction of the market in June was a necessity when the VN Index was experiencing growth beyond expectations (increasing by 37 percent from a low of 659 points on March 24) after Vietnam successfully contained the epidemic. Mirae Asset believes that the recent strong recovery of the market was also fueled by cheap capital costs created by the government's economic stimulus policies. Now, the market is reassessing the basic elements of the economy following negative GDP growth in Q2. VN Index lacks new supportive factors to make a breakthrough in the short term as there are still many factors affecting investors decisions. Covid-19 continues globally, threatening plans to open economies. The General Statistics Office (GSO) estimated that GDP is growing by 0.36 percent in Q2, the lowest in the last 10 years. According to Mirae Asset, VN Index lacks new supportive factors to make a breakthrough in the short term as there are still many factors affecting investors decisions. Covid-19 continues globally, threatening plans to open economies. However, Mirae Asset believes that there are still investment opportunities in six out of business fields listed by the company. Retail is believed to be one of the business fields to see high growth rates because of the improved income of families and strong FDI inflow to Vietnam. MWG and DGW are the two shares praised by Mirae Asset. The pharmacy industry is also one of the few business fields which can maintain growth in 2020 and upcoming years. The spending per head on drugs is expected to maintain a 8.8 percent per annum growth rate from 2018 to 2028. Investors have been advised to invest in IMP and PME. As for the steel industry, HPG, NKG and HSG are receiving optimistic remarks. It is expected that steel exports will recover soon as the key markets of the US, Japan and Malaysia m gradually open again. The fact that the Chinese government is encouraging public investments will help Vietnams structural steel manufacturers avoid oversupply and help boost sales. Industrial zone development was one of the few business fields which have had good business results in Q1, with more than 80 percent of businesses reporting satisfactory growth rate of up to 50 percent. The share that investors are most interested in are ones of businesses with large land funds ready for lease in the next two years. GVR, PHR, SZC, NTC and KBC are the most promising shares. VSD has reported a sharp rise in the number of investors joining the stock market. As of June 30, there were 2,058 million transaction accounts, mostly from individual investors. Thanh Lich Stock market will sustain strong growth: securities watchdog chief The stock market celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. It has already made great contributions to Vietnams economic development while its future prospects look very bright due to its fundamentals. (Natural News) As America continues to be hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, a growing number of major retailers are stepping up their efforts to help keep the virus under control by requiring customers to wear masks. While places like Starbucks, Costco, Panera Bread and Best Buy have been requiring customers to wear masks before entering their stores for some time now, many major retailers were allowing people to decide for themselves until recently. On Wednesday, however, Walmart announced that an order goes into effect on July 20 covering 4,800 locations, along with roughly 600 Sams Club stores throughout the U.S. The store said that it is making the move in the interest of bringing consistency to the chain; 65 percent of its stores are found in areas that are already covered by various mask laws. Starting on Monday, they will be placing health ambassadors at the doors of their stores to check if customers are complying with the rules and help them find a solution if they dont have a face covering. Walmarts announcement was followed by a similar one from Kroger, who said that they will require customers to wear masks at all of their grocery stores. This move come amid a push by the National Retail Federation (NRF) to have all of its members require customers to wear masks for the safety of everyone. Other major retailers requiring masks include Home Depot, Apple, CVS, Lowes, Kohls and Target. Both Home Depot and Target have said they will provide complimentary masks for guests who do not have them. The NRF stated: Shopping in a store is a privilege, not a right. If a customer refuses to adhere to store policies, they are putting employees and other customers at undue risk. Enforcing mask rules is proving difficult The Retail Industry Leaders Association has urged stores not to leave the task of enforcing mask mandates up to store employees. Some people have been reacting violently or downright bizarrely to being told they must wear a mask to enter an establishment. Last week, for example, a woman who was told to leave a Verizon store in California because she wasnt wearing a mask urinated on the floor of the store. In Florida, a man was caught on film shoving a Walmart employee three times after he attempted to stop him from entering without a mask. The employee ended up falling to the ground in the altercation. There have been countless similar stories in recent weeks of heated confrontations and people causing scenes after being asked to wear a mask by a store employee who is just doing their job, which has become a lot more difficult while trying to stop the virus from spreading. Some grocery store workers have expressed frustration over the situation, pointing out that they are not police officers and are not trained to handle such situations. Many report that the environment at their stores is tense. People who cannot wear a mask because of certain health conditions may be exempt in some cases, but this is also proving difficult to enforce. However, despite some claims that HIPAA prevents business owners from asking why a person isnt wearing a mask, the truth is that the regulation does not apply to individuals or business owners. It is perfectly legal for a business owner to ask a person who isnt wearing a mask why they arent doing so, even if it means discussing a medical condition. Of course, the individual isnt required to answer, nor is the business required to allow that person inside. Some retailers are encouraging customers who cant wear a face mask for medical reasons or those who simply dont want to wear one to shop online or arrange curbside pickup instead. Right now, 28 states and Washington D.C. have statewide mask mandates, and it wont be surprising to see more states follow suit as this disease continues to spread and kill people throughout the country. Sources for this article include: TheMostImportantNews.com 6ABC.com USAToday.com Campaign: Laura Collins faced an ordeal when newborn son Luan was rushed from Limerick to Cork for life-saving treatment. He is now a healthy, happy toddler A young mother has launched a campaign for every Irish maternity hospital to be equipped with special brain-cooling treatment after her miracle son defied a life-threatening birth condition. Laura Collins, from Clare, launched the campaign as she vowed to work to ensure no other mother endured the ordeal she faced when her son, Luan, was born at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). Luan was born in December 2018 but was found to be suffering from a condition known as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). It is essentially a form of brain damage that occurs when a baby has experienced reduced oxygen or blood supply before, during or even after the birth. The primary treatment for HIE is known as brain cooling, which allows the infants brain time to heal and recover. However, UHL was not equipped with such facilities. In fact, only four Irish maternity hospitals three in Dublin and one in Cork have such brain-cooling facilities. The new campaign aims to ensure that no mother or newborn baby should be put at a geographic disadvantage because of where the birth occurs. Luan had to be taken from his mother and rushed to Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH). Even the ambulance which brought Luan from Limerick to Cork had to be urgently dispatched from Dublin as it required specialist equipment. Laura felt totally helpless as she waited for the ambulance to arrive to help save her son. I couldnt hold my baby and just be there with him, she said. Thanks to the skill of surgeons in Limerick and Cork, Luan made a full recovery and is now a happy, healthy and rambunctious toddler. So-called brain cooling involves placing the baby on a special blanket and bringing down their temperature to between 33C to 34C. Thereafter, the babys temperature is gradually increased to normal body temperature over a six- to 12-hour period. Critically, this treatment should start within six hours of birth and can last for three days. It is the only medical intervention to help reduce brain damage for newborns. Laura launched the campaign out of appreciation for her sons life so that other parents are spared her ordeal. Other babies, like Luan, who are born in hospitals where the treatment is not available, face an agonising race against time to get to the nearest maternity hospital where brain cooling is available, she said. The failure to get the baby the treatment that he or she needs, within that crucial time frame of six hours, can result in life-limiting brain injuries or even death. Lauras plea has been assisted by Limerick-based solicitor Carmel Finnegan. Ms Finnegan specialises in birth injuries and has dealt with HIE cases as part of her work with Dennison Solicitors in Abbeyfeale. In 2019, Ms Finnegan launched a campaign to petition the then-health minister Simon Harris to have brain-cooling equipment installed in all Irish maternity hospitals. Every baby born in Ireland deserves to have the same chance, and their chance of survival should not be dictated by geography, she said. They have now pleaded with the new Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to take urgent steps to ensure that every Irish maternity hospital can offer brain-cooling treatment for babies. An early human trial of Oxford Universitys experimental coronavirus vaccine has yielded a strong immune response in hundreds of people, according to newly released data. The potential vaccine, which the U.K. university developed in partnership with drugmaker AstraZeneca, was administered in a trial that involved 1,077 people and caused an immune response in people aged 18 to 55 that lasted two months or slightly longer, according to data published Monday by the medical journal The Lancet. The vaccine, which is made from a combination of coronavirus genetic material and a virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees, caused the body to produce antibodies against the coronavirus and caused a reaction in T-cells, a type of white blood cell that also helps stave off infection. We are seeing good immune response in almost everybody, said Dr. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, which focuses on developing vaccines. What this vaccine does particularly well is trigger both arms of the immune system. Larger trials of the vaccine, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, with about 10,000 participants are currently underway, and a trial looking to test 30,000 people in the U.S. is expected to begin within the next few weeks, Hill said. Even as testing of the vaccines effectiveness is underway, AstraZeneca said it is working to manufacture 2 billion doses, including 400 million for the U.S. and UK, with distribution to the public pending on the success of the clinical trials. The vaccine caused no serious adverse events but did cause minor side effects including fever, chills, headache, and muscle pain. At least 23 of about 100 experimental coronavirus vaccines have reached the human trial stage, including Oxfords trial. Widespread availability of a vaccine for the coronavirus, which has infected more than 14 million people globally and killed more than 606,200, is expected next year if trials are successful. More from National Review Here are Canadian immigration pathways for tech workers Canada offers many visa pathways for global tech talent. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canadas tech sector has been booming in recent years. Even in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the sector remains strong with companies actively recruiting talent. Due to its need for more ICT workers, Canada offers many permanent and temporary pathways to support the sector. These include general programs for skilled workers, and specific programs dedicated for tech talent. Whether you wish to move to Canada on a permanent or temporary basis, the following are key options for you to consider. Express Entry Express Entry is Canadas main way of managing skilled worker applications for permanent residence. It is an extremely popular option for global tech talent looking to immigrate to Canada. Tech workers are the main occupational group of immigrants who move to Canada through Express Entry. A major benefit of Express Entry is its dynamic and quick nature. You can successfully obtain an invitation to apply for permanent residence within just days of submitting a completed profile assuming that you are one of the highest-ranking candidates. If you are one of these lucky individuals, the federal government will aim to process your permanent residence application within six months of you submitting it. If you are a tech worker who has not lived in Canada before, your best bet of being eligible for Express Entry is through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). The FSWP accounts for nearly half of all individuals who obtain an ITA. You need to meet minimum eligibility criteria and obtain at least 67 points to meet the FSWPs requirements. Before getting into the Express Entry pool of candidates, your eligibility for the FSWP will be determined by the likes of your age, education, language skills, and work experience. Find out if you are eligible for Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is your next best bet for obtaining Canadian permanent residence if you have not lived in the country before. Canadas Constitution gives the countrys provinces and territories the right to operate immigration programs. The PNP operates in nearly every jurisdiction. Provinces can nominate immigration candidates that meet their labour market needs, and then the federal government goes ahead and processes their permanent residence application. Provinces and territories offer general pathways for skilled workers as well as specific ones based on where they have labour shortages. Tech is a significant area of need, which is why some provinces operate tech worker streams. Two of the most notable are offered by the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The Ontario Tech Pilot is for workers who have experience in one of six tech occupations. Candidates need to have an Express Entry profile. Ontario has held two Tech Pilot draws in 2020, including one during the pandemic, in May, which saw over 700 candidates successfully receive invitations for a provincial nomination. B.C.s Tech Pilot invites immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on an almost weekly basis so long as they have a job offer in one of 29 tech occupations. The province has held 14 tech draws in 2020, including earlier this month, with over 1,500 people receiving provincial nominations so far this year. Find out if you are eligible for any of Canadas skilled worker programs Start-up Visa The Canadian government also operates the Start-up Visa program. It exists to attract innovative entrepreneurs who are looking to operate a business in Canada. It is an attractive option for tech talent and has significantly different selection criteria from skilled worker programs. Notably, successful candidates need to be endorsed by an entity that is designated by the Canadian government (an angel investor, venture capital firm, or business incubator). Such entities are responsible for supporting the entrepreneurs success once they come to Canada. Global Talent Stream Canada offers plenty of temporary resident pathways for tech workers who either do not want to settle in Canada permanently, or want a quicker pathway into the country before submitting a permanent residence application. In fact, working in Canada temporarily can enhance your chances of obtaining permanent residence since many immigration programs such as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are meant to support this process. One of the more notable temporary visa options is the Global Talent Stream. It enables Canadian employers to hire tech talent and bring them to Canada in about four weeks. The Global Talent Stream is one component of Canadas Global Skills Strategy which has facilitated the arrival of over 40,000 tech workers to the country since 2017. Canadian immigration during COVID-19 The pandemic has affected Canadas immigration operations but the country is still enabling temporary visa holders to enter the country to work. Invitations to successful immigration candidates are also continuing since Canada is planning to welcome them into the country once the pandemic has subsided. All this to say, Canada remains open to global tech talent who want to call this country their new home. Do you want help with a work permit or the Start-up Visa? Please contact wp@canadavisa.com 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Chinese Netizens Outraged by State Medias Narrative on Floods As millions of Chinese in flood-hit regions are suffering tremendous losses, Chinese state media blamed the Internet for creating a false impression (alternative translation: an illusion) that the flooding in China this year is more serious than previous years. The Internet keeps spreading information about floods to your cell phone. It is the improved Internet access that gives everyone a false impression that flooding is getting more serious year over year, a state-run TV anchor said. OTTAWAIran has the final say over who gets to analyze the flight data recorders from the Ukrainian passenger jet that its own Revolutionary Guard shot down in January, says the head of Canadas Transportation Safety Board. Kathy Fox, the chair of the TSB, said in an interview Monday that Canada wants to change the section of international aviation law that gives Iran the authority to lead the investigation and control what information is released publicly. But she said that is a complicated process that wont happen any time soon. Fox confirmed the long-awaited downloading of crucial flight data and cockpit voice recordings from the Jan. 8 crash was completed successfully in Paris on Monday. The safety board sent a team to Paris to witness the downloading of the data. Its not clear to us whether some of that work is going to be done in France or whether Iran is simply going to take the data and go back and do it in their country, Fox said in an interview Monday. There were 176 people who died when Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran, including 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents and dozens of others with connections to Canada. Iran initially denied responsibility for the crash, but was forced to acknowledge the shootdown after video footage on social media appeared to show at least one missile striking the jet. The tragedy unfolded after Iran launched missiles into Iraq at two American military bases in retaliation for the U.S. having killed a top Iranian general. Irans delegate to the International Civil Aviation Organization told the UN agency on March 11 that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders would be sent to Ukraines aviation investigators by March 25, but later blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for a delay. Fox also made clear that she was able to say what she did publicly because Iran gave the necessary permission required under international aviation law to do so. Under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the State of Occurrence in this case, Iran becomes the lead investigator for the crash because it happened in Iran. But Iran could ask for help from another country or designate another country to lead the investigation, as was the case when Ukraine turned to the Netherlands to lead the probe into the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels over eastern Ukraine six years ago. ICAO permits countries to delegate. For whatever reason, Iran has chosen to lead it. They have the right to do that, said Fox. This begs the question about whether Annex 13 is suitable for these types of circumstances, and weve certainly told the families we think it needs to be looked at and revised to take into consideration these very unique types of events. Hamed Esmaeilion, a Toronto-area dentist whose wife and nine-year-old daughter were killed on the plane, said victims families are outraged and wont accept any report that comes solely from Iran. Now we see the murderer is writing a report about his murder, said Esmaeilion, who has become a spokesperson for the victims families and loved ones. Esmaeilion said hes not optimistic Iran will allow an independent international investigation to unfold now, given its past stalling, and its most recent report that human error led to the January crash. The last report is laughable, said Esmaeilion. The report depicted a chain of events where the shootdown could have been avoided. It said that the Revolutionary Guards surface-to-air missile battery that targeted the Boeing 737-800 had not been properly reoriented after it had been moved. The report said those manning the battery could not communicate with their command centre and that they fired twice on a plane that they misidentified without getting approval from their superiors. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne rejected the Iranian finding of human error as the cause. It cannot just be the result of a human error, Champagne said in an interview. There is no circumstance under (which) a civilian aircraft can be downed just by the result of human error in this day and age. The minister called the uploading of the black boxes a long-overdue step in the investigation. Iran has been stalling for many, many months now. We have been pushing, we have been raising the issue to the board of ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, asking them to take steps. Esmaeilion said investigators need to focus more on the workings of Irans Russian-made Tor system, known to NATO as the SA-15, which is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles. The black box is a distraction here. There are more important questions, he said, including who kept the sky open and why they (Iran) destroyed the crash site. Fox said the Dutch investigation on behalf of Ukraine was credible and answered key questions after 15 months. Why was it shot down? Why was the airspace in that time in Ukraine not closed? Why were airplanes still operating out of there? Those are the same questions that people have for this accident, said Fox. Champagne acknowledged the flight recorders would form one part, albeit an important one, of a flight-safety investigation and an international criminal investigation to identify the people responsible for shooting down the plane. Britain, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sweden also lost citizens when the plane was destroyed, and the countries formed an alliance with Canada to deal with Iran. Champagne and his counterparts from those countries have been pushing Iran to release the flight recorders and they will continue to push for answers. All the facts and circumstances point to more than just a human error, so certainly we will continue to pursue vigorously the investigation. We will continue to hold Iran the Iranian regime to account. RACINE With the redistricting of state and federal districts coming up, the City of Racine is considering asking if voters support a nonpartisan procedure for redrawing the states maps. The proposed advisory referendum for the Nov. 3 ballot was brought forward by Alderman Natalia Taft of the 13th District to the Finance and Personnel Committee, which Taft chairs, on Monday. The committee modified the proposed language of the question then sent it on to the City Council recommending approval. Nonpartisan procedures The original language for the advisory referendum asked: Should the Wisconsin Legislature create a nonpartisan procedure for the preparation of legislative and congressional district plans and maps? Respondents can answer either Yes or No. Alderman John Tate II of the 3rd District suggested that the question be changed to ask whether the Legislature should create/adopt a nonpartisan procedure because Gov. Tony Evers is in the process of developing such a procedure, which he has dubbed the Peoples Maps Commission. Tate wanted the referendum to reflect the option to adopt Evers commission. Knowing the dynamics that exists right now, I think the Legislature is quite inclined to create something different when the governor is doing it, said Tate. Last week, Evers announced that a panel of three retired judges, appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, would select members of the redistricting commission, including: Janine Geske, who was appointed by former Republican Gov. Lee Dryfus to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 1981. Geske was appointed in 1993 by former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where she served until 1998. Paul Higginbotham, who served on the Dane County Circuit Court from 1994-2003. He was appointed by former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to the Court of Appeals, District IV, in 2003, where he served until 2017. Joseph Troy, who was elected to the Outagamie County Circuit Court in 1987. He resigned in 2007 after 20 years as a judge. Advocates have praised the commission as a means to provide transparency and give courts a nonpartisan alternative if the process ends up in litigation. Other experts doubt whether the creation of the commission, which doesnt change state law, will have much of an effect on how the maps are drawn. Fifty-one of the states 72 counties have passed resolutions in support of nonpartisan redistricting. A January 2019 Marquette Law School Poll found that more than 70% of respondents also prefer nonpartisan maps. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be conducted virtually and live-streamed for the public on the citys Facebook page: Facebook.com/CityOfRacineWI/. This article has been corrected to reflect Alderman John Tate II's suggestion that the language of the referendum be changed to create/adopt a nonpartisan procedure, such as the one being established by Gov. Tony Evers. Mitchell Schmidt from Lee Enterprises contributed to this story. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A rusting car recovered from the River Bann on Saturday may hold answers to a 30 year old mystery. Tobermore man James Patterson (54) vanished without trace on October 6, 1991. Mr Patterson - who worked for the old DoE Roads Service and lived alone outside the small Co Londonderry village - was last seen visiting the Mid-Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt, where it is believed his sister was a patient. Appeals for information about what happened to him went unanswered. But in a statement issued on Saturday, the PSNI said that a Ford Orion car discovered at the bottom of the Bann at New Ferry, near Bellaghy, was "potentially linked" to the disappearance of Mr Patterson. The PSNI carried out an operation yesterday to recover the car from the river bed. Speaking ahead of the car's recovery, a police spokesperson said: "The Ford Orion, which was discovered by local Community Search and Rescue on Saturday, July 18, is potentially linked to the long term missing person James Patterson who went missing in 1991. "Once the vehicle has been removed from the water, it will be subject to forensic examinations." One eyewitness - who asked not to be named - described the scene at the water's edge yesterday as rescue teams worked to bring the car up from the depths of the river. "There were about two dozen people there, some from the police, others from the Fire Service, as well as community volunteers, he said. "The car had been dragged out of the river onto the bank, and covered with a blue tarpaulin. "Police were turning away traffic - New Ferry is very popular for boating - and I'm sure there were more than a hundred people with boats or canoes heading for the slipway who were turned away from the scene." Expand Close James Patterson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Patterson The car was discovered by the Community Rescue Service (CRS), who carry out continuous checks at rivers and slipways around Northern Ireland. CRS spokesman Sean McCarry explained: "We are briefed about all the historic missing person cases in Northern Ireland, because we do all the searches for the police. "As part of an ongoing operation, we were scanning with our sonar to check around slipways etc, and we discovered a couple of objects - one of them being a car. "Once we discovered the car, we carried out a further operation to see whether it was relevant or not. "Once we believed it was relevant, we informed the police, and they began an operation to recover the car from the river. "It wasn't a straightforward operation, but it's not something we've never done before. "Hopefully, once the police do their forensic work, there may be a result that will clear up questions for a family somewhere," Mr McCarry added. Ulster Unionist Party councillor Derek McKinney, who lives in Tobermore, said he too hoped there would be news that would bring closure to the Patterson family. Mr Patterson's brother Willie died several years ago - without ever knowing what had happened to his brother, the councillor said. "If there is something found, I just hope it will bring some sort of closure to the family," Mr McKinney told the Belfast Telegraph last night. Nearly a year after two teenage murder suspects were found dead in the Manitoba brush, the RCMPs oversight body will review a complaint over how the national police force handled the high-profile manhunt. The father of one of the suspects, who made an initial complaint against the RCMP last January, has requested a review from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC). The CRCC, an independent body that reviews the RCMPs internal investigations into complaints, now has to decide whether the Mounties have done enough to respond to concerns raised about the investigation into the deaths of Chynna Deese, Lucas Fowler and Leonard Dyck in northern B.C. last fall. Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, were charged with the death of Dyck, and were suspects in the deaths of couple Fowler and Deese. All the victims were killed in northern B.C. before the two suspects fled across the country to the remote community of Gillam, Man., where they shot themselves in the wilderness. Nine months later, Schmegelskys father, Alan Schmegelsky, raised a complaint with the RCMP over their handling of the $1.5-million search. At the heart of the complaint is whether the police force failed to properly inform and keep contact with the elder Schmegelsky while it was going on. Schmegelskys official complaint claims he should have learned about key aspects of the investigation directly through the police, not the media, despite the fact that he was not Bryers primary caregiver. Schmegelsky also alleged the RCMP violated his rights by requiring him to sign a nondisclosure agreement before viewing a video the suspects made before their deaths. I dont want this to happen again I dont want any father to find out his son is missing through the media; I dont want any father to find out his son is dead from the media, Schmegelsky is quoted as saying in an official complaint made to the commission. According to a June letter sent to Schmegelsky, an RCMP officer appointed to investigate the complaint had finished his report, which is currently being reviewed by the commission in Ottawa. But whatever the report concludes, the commission will be limited in how it can respond. Krista Stelkia, a researcher in the area of police oversight at Simon Fraser University, said in a previous interview that the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission will decide whether it believes the RCMPs internal investigation into the complaint was adequate. If it determines it was not adequate, the commission will then write up its own report, which will be delivered to the RCMP commissioner. With all that being said, it is important to emphasize that one of the biggest criticisms of the CRCC is the lack of enforcement power it has been given, Stelkia told the Star in an email. The CRCC has no legislative power to impose discipline or to influence the disciplinary process and can merely only make recommendations to the RCMP commissioner. Another major criticism is that most of the complaints received by the commission are only investigated internally by the RCMP, Stelkia wrote. The exceptions are public interest investigations initiated by the commission, such as the investigation into the death of Colten Boushie, a young Indigenous man who was shot and killed on a Saskatchewan farm by farmer Gerald Stanley, who was acquitted. Schmegelsky was the only one of the suspects parents to speak publicly during the manhunt and his public pleas for police to update him became a through-line of the deadly saga. Manitoba RCMP spent about $800,000 during the 17-day search through the provinces northern terrain. B.C. RCMP estimated their costs at about $750,000. Those costs include the major crime investigation and specialized support services such as air services and forensic identification. They do not include the cost of the Canadian Armed Forces, whose members were also involved in the nationwide search. The RCMP told the Star last week that the investigation into McLeod and Schmegelsky is essentially complete and that the only tasks remaining on the file are mainly administrative. Clarification July 22, 2020: This story has been edited to clarify the review by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission. Read more about: Rafale to S-400 air defence systems all set to add more firepower to Indian Air Force First batch of five Rafale jets to arrive in India on July 29 India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, July 20: The first batch of five Rafale fighter jets is likely to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on July 29, according to an official statement. It said the final induction ceremony will take place in the second half of August. "The first batch of five Indian Air Force Rafale is likely to arrive in India by end of July. The aircraft will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on July 29 subject to weather," the IAF said. IAF may deploy Rafale fighters in Ladakh sector amid border row "IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Post arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest," the IAF said. Official sources said the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of the IAF's efforts to enhance its operational capabilities along the Line of Actual Control with China in view of the border row with the country. In a separate statement, the IAF said the top commanders of the force will take stock of the current operational scenario and deployments at a three-day conference here beginning Wednesday. "The plan of action for operational capability enhancement of the IAF in the next decade will also be discussed," it said. Officials said arrival of the Rafale jets will further strengthen the IAF's combat capabilities. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. As tensions with China soars, IAF ramps up deployment The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets. Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden. It is powered by a unique rocket-ramjet motor that gives it far more engine power for much longer than any other missile, said an official. Rajasthan crisis peaks: Ashok Gehlot calls Sachin Pilot 'worthless' | Oneindia News Besides the missile systems, the Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others. The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The IAF spent around Rs 400 crore to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangars and maintenance facilities at the two bases. Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. Vodacom launched South Africas first live 5G mobile network in three cities Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town with further rollouts planned to other parts of the country. This network supports both mobile and fixed-wireless services and is currently available on 20 live 5G sites 18 of which are in Gauteng, and two in Cape Town. Vodacoms 5G network uses the 1 x 50MHz of temporary spectrum in the 3.5GHz band which has been granted by ICASA. Vodacom said at launch that, given enough spectrum, 5G will work at average speeds of between 150Mbps-200Mbps. Peak speeds will reach above 1Gbps. The speeds and latency will be determined by the coverage at the users location and the load on the network at a given point in time, said Vodacom. Other factors that need to be taken into consideration include how far away you are from a mast, which spectrum is being used, and how many people around you are using 5G. Vodacom said that upload speeds will initially not be as good as download speeds, and can be expected to be between 10Mbps-20Mbps depending on coverage. This is because the customer device has lower transmission power to communicate back to the base station, relative to a base station communicating to the customer device. This is also combined with other elements such as the lower propagation characteristics of higher frequency bands such as 3.5GHz, which dont travel as far as lower frequencies. The uplink performance will improve as newer devices support capabilities such as uplink and downlink decoupling, it added. Testing network performance MyBroadband tested Vodacoms 5G performance on Tuesday 14 July using two 5G smartphones the Huawei P40 Pro and the LG V50 ThinQ. We tested the download speed, upload speed, and latency using MyBroadbands speed test app in three locations Midstream, Menlyn, and Eco-Park. To ensure a neutral testing environment, MyBroadbands speed test servers are hosted at NAPAfrica in Teracos vendor-neutral data centres. The results showed that the device you use makes a remarkable difference in the performance which you experience. The average download speed on the Huawei P40 Pro was nearly three-times higher than the LG V50 ThinQ. The upload speed and latency on the Huawei phone were also much better than on the LG V50. The tables below provide an overview of Vodacoms 5G network speeds using the Huawei P40 Pro and the LG V50 ThinQ. Huawei P40 Pro 5G performance on Vodacoms network Huawei P40 Pro 5G Performance Component Performance Average Download Speed 403Mbps Maximum Download Speed 555Mbps Minimum Download Speed 273Mbps Average Upload Speed 33Mbps Maximum Upload Speed 38Mbps Minimum Upload Speed 17Mbps Average Latency 17ms Lowest Latency 15ms Highest Latency 20ms LG V50 ThinQ 5G performance on Vodacoms network LG V50 5G Performance Component Performance Average Download Speed 141Mbps Maximum Download Speed 171Mbps Minimum Download Speed 62Mbps Average Upload Speed 27Mbps Maximum Upload Speed 36Mbps Minimum Upload Speed 4Mbps Average Latency 29ms Lowest Latency 25ms Highest Latency 36ms Huawei P40 Pro versus LG V50 ThinQ The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah says he will go after reckless citizens who have ignored to wear their nose mask in public to help curb the spread of Coronavirus. He vowed to arrest individuals who purposely refused to wear their mask or wear it incorrectly in public. Even the President has said that the wearing of the mask is compulsory to all. Someone's irresponsibility cannot cause the lives of others. We will not allow that, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show 'Ghana Montie'. Mohammed Adjei Sowah is championing the WearYourMask campaigning with the police and the military in the city of Accra. Ghanas case count now 27,667 Update on Sunday provided by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on COVID-19 indicates that 607 new cases have been recorded. This takes the new count to 27,667 with 23,249 recoveries/discharge. Active cases are now 4,270. Three more persons have died taking the death toll to 148. 8 are in a critical condition while 4 remain on ventilators and 25 cases severe. Regional breakdown below Greater Accra Region - 15,136 Ashanti Region - 5,841 Western Region - 2,253 Central Region - 1,140 Eastern Region - 1,077 Volta Region - 502 Bono East Region - 294 Upper East Region - 282 Northern Region - 271 Bono Region - 266 Western North Region - 216 Oti Region - 146 Ahafo Region - 103 Upper West Region - 74 Savannah Region - 57 North East Region - 9 Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ward Nelson, an attorney with Miller & Martins corporate law department in the firms Chattanooga office, was named chair of the Tennessee Bar Associations Business Law Section effective July 1. The Business Law Section of the TBA focuses on furthering the knowledge of its members in corporate, LLC and partnership law, the Uniform Commercial Code and banking law, as well as matters of taxation, debtor and creditor relations and litigation practice related to such areas. As chair, Nelson, together with his section committee, will have responsibility primarily for providing continuing legal education, monthly alerts on legal developments, and making recommendations from the section to the TBAs Board of Governors regarding legislation, in these areas of Tennessee law. This year, the section is hosting its annual Business Law Forum as a 2-day live virtual event on July 23 and July 29 offering five general and one dual continuing legal education credit hours to attendees with emphasis on tax issues relevant to Tennessee corporate attorneys. Miller & Martin is again a proud sponsor of this program which will feature a session titled Volunteer Taxation: Choice of Entity in Tennessee to be presented by Miller & Martin attorney Ansley Moses. Mr. Nelson has over 30 years of experience in the areas of corporate, healthcare and transportation law, primarily for merger and acquisition and private equity transactions. His background as a Certified Public Accountant has proved invaluable in structuring and evaluating financial aspects of business transactions whether buy-side and sell-side in various industries including floor covering and logistics. He also represents healthcare clients with transactional and contract matters. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers among The Best Lawyers in America for Health Care Law since 2007. - Saudi Arabia's king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been rushed to the Faisal Specialist Hospital - King Salman was hospitalized on Monday, July 20, over inflammation of the gallbladder - The news was reported by the Saudi Press Agency Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Disturbing reports from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) indicate that King Salman bin Abdulaziz has been rushed to hospital over deteriorating health condition. According to Reuters, the SPA revealed on Monday, July 20, King Abdulaziz was taken to the Faisal Specialist Hospital for medical tests due to inflammation of the gallbladder. READ ALSO: Fashion goals: 7 times Tracey Boakye 'slayed' after giving birth The news has forced Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the prime minister of Iraq, to cancel his scheduled visit to the kingdom. Saudi Arabias King Salman (Source: UGC) Source: UGC READ ALSO: Efia Odo's birthday cake goes viral in new video Meanwhile, it was reported that following the spread of coronavirus infection around the world, the Saudi Arabian government had said that this year's Hajj is going ahead but would be restricted to only residents of the country. This was disclosed in a statement that was shared on the official Twitter page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday, June 22. READ ALSO: Martha Ankomah gives fashion goals; flaunts curvy body in African print According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the decision to cancel international pilgrimage this year was due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring the safety of pilgrims. The Saudi Arabian government was restricting the hajj rites to various nationalities who already resided in the country due to the uncertainty that surrounds the spread of coronavirus. READ ALSO: Chairman Wontumi gives English lessons in new hilarious video The ministry went on to note that its top priority is to always enable pilgrims to perform Hajj and Umrah safely and securely. Also, there were reports that Saudi Arabia could limit numbers at the annual hajj pilgrimage to prevent a further outbreak of coronavirus after cases in the country topped 100,000. Statistics available showed that some 2.5 million pilgrims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long hajj, from across the world including Nigeria. The hajj and the lesser, year-round umrah pilgrimage earn the kingdom about $12 billion a year. Sources quoted in the report said authorities are now considering allowing "only symbolic numbers" this year, with restrictions including a ban on older pilgrims and additional health checks. Vox Pop: Ghanaians rate the performance of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's administration.| #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Source: YEN.com.gh Training his guns on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda said on Monday his allegations against the Union government are weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. In a series of tweets, Nadda said the former Congress president prefers to believe the Chinese army over his own government. We saw yet another (failed) edition of Project RG Relaunch today. @RahulGandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mudslinging. Attempts to politicise defence and foreign policy matters shows one dynastys desperation to wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India, Nadda tweeted. His comments came in the wake of Gandhis second video on the India-China border standoff, in which he said the Chinese are attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modis image as they understand that for him to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of his image. Gandhi also said that if Modi allowed the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the prime minister will no longer be worth anything for India. Reacting to the attack on Modi, Nadda tweeted: In recent years, be it Doklam or the present, @RahulGandhi Ji prefers briefings from the Chinese instead of believing Indias armed forces. Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China? Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynastys shenanigans! Nadda criticised the Gandhi scion by saying that just as he had tried to allege wrong-doing in the deal for the Rafale combat jets, he was again trying to create a wrong impression about China. He also made a reference to donations received by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from the Chinese embassy. Since the 1950s, China has made strategic investments in one dynasty that has given them rich dividends. Remember 1962, giving away of a UNSC seat, losing lot of land to China in the UPA years, MoU signed with much fanfare in 2008, funds to RGF and more, Nadda said in another tweet. The BJP and the Congress have been engaged in a verbal duel over the India- China face-off. While the Congress has accused the BJP-led central government of not being transparent about the developments in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the BJP has retorted by accusing the Congress of lowering the morale of the army and politicising a critical national security issue. For years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM @narendramodi. Sadly for them, PM Modis connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party, Nadda said in a tweet. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A medical doctor helped save a 3-year-old boy at a hotel pool in Montvale, N.J. on Saturday, police said. A family member removed the drowning child from the 3-foot end of the pool at the Courtyard by Marriott on Chestnut Ridge Road, Montvale Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. Dr. John Blundell, who was visiting New Jersey from the Buffalo, New York area, performed CPR and revived the young boy prior to first responders arriving, Sanfilippo said. Adding to the incidents success, Montvale officer Scott Gaston was less than a minute from the scene when it was dispatched and administered oxygen and comfort the boy as other officers also headed to the scene. The boy was then taken to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. (It is) incredibly fortunate that the doctor... was in the right place at the right time, Sanfilippo said. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Note that June sales are for contracts typically signed in April and May.. From SacRealtor.org: June 2020 Statistics Sacramento Housing Market Single Family Homes June sales rebounded with 1,506 sales for the month, up 45.9% from the 1,032 sales in May. Compared to one year ago (1,527), the current figure is down 1.4%. ... The Active Listing Inventory decreased 15.8% from May to June, from 1,775 units to 1,495 units. Compared with June 2019 (2,362), inventory is down 36.7%. The Months of Inventory decreased from 1.7 Months to 1 Months. This figure represents the amount of time (in months) it would take for the current rate of sales to deplete the total active listing inventory. ... The Median DOM (days on market) increased from 9 to 10 and the Average DOM decreased from 19 to 23. Days on market represents the days between the initial listing of the home as active and the day it goes pending. emphasis added 1) Overall sales decreased to 1,506 in June, down 1.4% from 1,527 in June 2019. Sales were up 45.9% from May 2020 (previous month).2) Active inventory was at 1,495 down from 2,362 in June 2019. That is down 36.7% year-over-year. This is the fourteenth consecutive month with a YoY decline in inventory. A Belfast man with hearing loss has spoken about the challenges that face covering rules bring to his daily life. Paul Clarke (49) said simple tasks like going to the supermarket, picking up prescriptions and even ordering fast food can become a nerve-racking experience. Paul uses a hearing aid, but out in louder environments he relies on lip reading and facial expressions to understand what people are saying. Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport, and Health Minister Robin Swann has called for the rules to apply to all shops in the near future. It remains unclear if those working in shops and public transport will be allowed to briefly remove face coverings to help them communicate with those with hearing loss. "For me I've found things really difficult since lockdown started," Mr Clarke said. "For one thing, going to chemists has been really hard as nine times out of 10 the person behind the perspex screen is wearing a mask and they can't hear what I'm saying properly so they take down the wrong personal details. "Even in fast food places, everyone behind the screens has a mask on when you're trying to put an order through. They're repeating their order back to you and you can't hear them so it just becomes frustrating." Expand Close Paul Clarke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paul Clarke He added: "You get embarrassed if you don't get the message across properly and you can just feel stupid at having to repeat yourself." With pandemic restrictions likely to continue into the winter, Mr Clarke said he was worried those with hearing loss would cut themselves off from the outside world. Claire Lavery, who is director of Action on Hearing Loss in Northern Ireland, said it was importance to get clear guidance from Stormont departments on exemptions for those working in retail and public transport. "I'm worried that deaf people will just stay at home, that going to the shops is too stressful," she said. "Another big issue is returning to work. "The guidance for employers has been really vague in Northern Ireland." CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing (BA) said the company and Etihad Airways will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to test ways to reduce emissions and noise as part of the ecoDemonstrator program. Boeing and Etihad will work with industry-leading partners, including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to conduct aircraft noise measurements from sensors on the airplane and the ground. The testing program is expected to last about four weeks before Etihad enters its Boeing 787-10 into service. The ecoDemonstrator program utilizes commercial aircraft to test technologies. The 2020 program, which will begin testing in August, is the first to use a Boeing 787-10. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Take a look at some of the biggest movers in the premarket: Halliburton (HAL) The oilfield services company earned 5 cents per share for its latest quarter, compared to Wall Street forecasts of an 11 cents per share loss. Revenue came in below estimates, however, amid a significant drop in global activity. Noble Energy (NBL) Chevron (CVX) will buy Noble Energy in a $5 billion stock-swap deal, valuing Noble at 7.6 percent above its Friday close. It is the largest oil patch takeover deal since the pandemic hit. Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) The nation's largest egg producer reported quarterly profit of $1.24 per share, 4 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was slightly below forecasts. Cal-Maine benefitted from a rebound in egg prices following a long period of depressed prices, as consumers stocked up due to shelter-in-place orders. The company will not pay a fourth-quarter dividend, based on the metrics involved in its variable dividend policy. EBay (EBAY) EBay is near a deal to sell its classified ads unit to Norway's Adevinta for roughly $8 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. A cash-and-stock deal could be announced as soon as today. Nikola (NKLA) The electric truck maker's shares are under pressure after the company filed for a new stock offering of up to 53.4 million shares related to warrants. Facebook (FB) Walt Disney (DIS) is slashing ad spending on Facebook, according to The Wall Street Journal, joining hundreds of other companies that have paused ad spending on the social media giant's platform. Disney was Facebook's top U.S. advertiser during the first half of 2020. Southwest Airlines (LUV) Nearly a quarter of Southwest Airlines' pilots have accepted either early retirement or voluntary leave offers, according to a memo seen by CNBC. About 2,230 pilots will leave the airline after accepting those offers. Delta Air Lines (DAL) Delta told pilots that furloughs could be avoided if they agree to a reduction in guaranteed minimum pay, according to CNBC. KKR (KKR) KKR is in talks about a potential $4 billion acquisition of French medical clinic and hospital operator Elsan, according to a Bloomberg report. Elsan is currently owned by private-equity firm CVS Capital Partners. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) The drugmaker is buying a 10% stake in German biotech firm CureVac, betting on the success of the mRNA technology currently being used to develop Covid-19 vaccines. Uber Technologies (UBER) The ride-hailing company has signed a four-year agreement with Alphabet's (GOOGL) unit to use the Google Maps Platform Rides and Deliveries Services. Financial terms were not disclosed. Starbucks (SBUX) Starbucks was rated "overweight" in new coverage at Wells Fargo Securities, which said the strength of the coffee chain's business model may be underappreciated in the face of Covid-19 related disruptions. Amazon (AMZN) Goldman and Jefferies both raised price targets on Amazon stock to a Street-high $3,800 per share, with both pointing to accelerated online spending this year. Amazon shares have fallen for the past five sessions, the longest losing streak since late May. Its 7.4% decline last week was its largest weekly drop since late February. Boeing (BA) Boeing is running out of space to store newly built 787 Dreamliners, according to a Bloomberg report, with more than 50 jets currently on its premises. Moderna (MRNA) J.P. Morgan Securities downgraded the drugmaker's stock to "neutral" from "overweight" in a valuation call, given the stock's nearly fivefold gain year-to-date. The firm emphasizes the call is not based on any diminished expectations about Moderna's progress in developing a Covid-19 vaccine and that it is still bullish on the company long term. Chandigarh, July 20 : No student will be struck off the rolls of private schools in Punjab on account of non-payment of fees until the final decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which on Monday issued notice on the appeals filed by the state. The move comes as a major relief for parents of students of private unaided schools who had expressed financial difficulty in paying fee for the lockdown period, and whose wards were consequently facing threat of being removed from the schools. The interim relief came during hearing on the appeals filed by the Advocate General's office on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. This relief will be applicable to all those students and parents who are unable to pay school fees and who had filed an application before the school and the state regulator, under the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, showing financial difficulty. The high court asked the school authorities to decide on applications of such parents expeditiously. The state had filed an appeal before the division bench against the order of a single judge allowing the schools to charge fees irrespective of whether they were offering online education or not, and to charge actual expenses incurred, for the lockdown period. The single judge had allowed parents facing financial difficulty to apply for exemption or waiver of fee. After extensively hearing parties for more than two hours on the question of interim relief, the bench, of Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha and Justice Arun Palli, noted orally that ordinarily the court would only have issued notice on the appeals, but the interim order was currently being passed given the apprehension and anxiety expressed by the Advocate General on the effect of the judgment passed by the single judge. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Filipino cuisine is one of the hottest food trends in the country. Bad Saint, a modern Filipino restaurant in Washington, D.C., is one of the hardest tables to get in that city. At a Jollibee restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida, people wait for as long as 90 minutes to satisfy their craving for Filipino fast-food fried chicken. But people in Cleveland arent all that familiar with Filipino food. Jenika Gonzales is trying to change that, one Lumpia at a time. Filipino food is a blend of a lot of cultures, you see the Chinese, Thai and Spanish influences, she says. People in Cleveland just need to be introduced to the cuisine for them to fully understand it because the flavor is already there. Its matter of doing marketing and storytelling. Somebody just needs to do it, really, she says. Gonzales, a marketing graphic designer by day, has been trying to raise Filipino cuisines local profile for three years. She and her mother, Belina, emigrated from Marikina, Philippines to Parma in 2006 when she was 14 years old. When I was young, I didnt really care much for Filipino food since I always got it at home, she says. But when Gonzales moved out on her own, she started to miss it and realized there arent many places here to get a taste of her homeland. In fact, when local Filipinos get in the mood for some Pancit or Dinuguan, they have few choices: Melys Kainan, a takeout and catering business in Parma or Nipa Hut, an Asian market with a food counter in the back, in Parma Heights. Or they could try showing up at their mom, lola or titas house and hope there are leftovers in the fridge. So, Gonzales, whose family owned a catering business back in the Philippines, taught herself how to cook, learning techniques and recipes from her mother and grandmother. The internet filled in the blanks. At first, it was for fun. Id cook for friends and do it for parties. A lot of my friends were like, What is this? So, I kind of introduced Filipino food to a lot of my friends, she says. From there, Gonzales started an Instagram page where she posts photos of her dishes and shares recipes. In 2017, she started leveraging her social media following and passion for Filipino cuisine to raise money to help cover lawyer fees associated with bringing the rest of her family over from the Philippines. Gonzales hosted Kamayan pop-ups at restaurants like Jukebox and The Plum. Kamayan is a traditional Filipino feast where the food is placed on banana leaves on communal tables and diners eat with their hands. She also collaborated with The Black Pig on a few Filipino recipes. Jenika Gonzales sells two varieties of Filipino Lumpia egg rolls to friends and family on her Instagram page. More recently, Gonzales was looking for a creative way to support her mom and other family members who were furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic. She came up with Lumpia Po, a Filipino egg roll delivery service. Ive always wanted to start something with my family just to kind of give them a more stable like source of income and promote the food, she says. Gonzales is selling the Lumpia to mostly family and friends. She splits cooking duties with her mom, but does all of the delivering herself. The egg rolls are available in pork or veggie and arrive frozen. Just plop them in the deep fryer and, in a few minutes, theyre ready to eat. A lot of my friends and a people I know are already familiar with Lumpia. Its an egg roll. Its pretty standard when it comes to the Asian community, she says. But Gonzales is being modest, says Joe Cimperman, her boss at Global Cleveland and one of Lumpia Pos first customers. The thing about Lumpia is they are the ultimate under promise over deliver food, he raves. They seem nice when you meet them but one bite as they bathe in that sweet heavenly sauce tells you this is one dynamic filled delight from the Philippines you shant soon forget. Jenika and her mom make me feel like I got off the plane in Manila and I headed to a meal of a lifetime. Buoyed by reviews like that, Gonzales is still in the process of figuring how to expand the business and has received advice from Melissa Khoury and Penny Barend Tagliarina, the Lady Butchers behind Saucisson. Im seeing it as a frozen wholesale type of business, but I imagine it being not just your regular Lumpia, she says. Gonzales hopes to incorporate flavors of some of her favorite Filipino dishes into the Lumpia like Adobo (chicken thighs in soy sauce and vinegar), Kare-kare (oxtail in peanut sauce) or Palabok (noodles in shrimp gravy). For now, Lumpia Po remains a fledging side hustle for Gonzales and her mom. But it could become a stepping stone for something bigger, perhaps even that elusive Filipino restaurant the city sorely lacks. Oh for sure, she says. Ive been slowly doing it in terms of introducing the culture and cooking the food. But right now were kind of just like getting our feet wet. NEW YORK - Chevron will take over Noble Energy for $5 billion in the first big deal announced since the coronavirus pandemic shook the energy sector. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - This Oct. 8, 2019, file photo the logo for Chevron appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Chevron Corp. says it will acquire Noble Energy in an all-stock deal valued at $5 billion. The San Ramon, California-based Chevron has been shopping for an acquisition for months as oil prices have tanked due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) NEW YORK - Chevron will take over Noble Energy for $5 billion in the first big deal announced since the coronavirus pandemic shook the energy sector. Chevron has been shopping for assets since last year and with crude prices down more than 30% this year, it jumped Monday with its all-stock offering for the independent Houston oil and gas driller. Based on Chevrons closing price on Friday, Noble Energy shareholders will receive 0.1191 shares of Chevron for each Noble Energy share. But with the list price comes a lot of debt. Energy companies had been taking on enormous debt even before the pandemic with energy prices have bouncing all over the place. Noble is no exception. The total enterprise value of the deal is $13 billion, with Chevron assuming Nobles debt. Other big players, seeking to cut costs and load up on assets, will likely follow Chevron's lead, said Gianna Bern, a finance professor at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business. This is the first wave of acquisitions," Bern said. Last year, as it pursued potential buyout targets, Chevron lost out when Occidental Petroleum made a $38 billion deal for one of them, Anadarko, even though Chevron is five times the size of Occidental. While Occidental's valuable holdings in the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico appeared to be a good match, Chevron said at the time that it favoured discipline over winning at any cost. It's found another match in Noble Energy. The acquisition brings to Chevron low-cost, proven reserves in addition to cash-generating offshore assets in Israel, strengthening the company's position in the Mediterranean. Noble's portfolio will also add to Chevrons U.S. acreage in the Permian Basin and in Colorados DJ Basin. Noble Energys multi-asset, high-quality portfolio will enhance geographic diversity, increase capital flexibility, and improve our ability to generate strong cash flow," said Chevron Chairman and CEO Michael Wirth. "These assets play to Chevrons operational strengths, and the transaction underscores our commitment to capital discipline. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. That discipline is mandatory for any company in the energy sector this year. On Monday, energy services company Halliburton reported a quarterly loss of about $1.7 billion, and that was better than industry analysts had expected. The 57% plunge in revenue was not. Energy demand has bounced back as economies reopen globally. U.S. crude prices that fell for first four months of the year are gaining ground, and have been positive since May. It appears prices may remain positive for July, but prices are seesawing and the longest positive streak this month has been two days. Surging cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., the world's largest economy, now threaten to hamstring an industry already hit hard by layoffs. Chesapeake Energy, a shale drilling pioneer that was once one of the largest natural gas producers in the world, filed for bankruptcy protection last month. Shares in Noble rose 5% Monday, but crude was weak, heading closer to $40 per barrel. New rules forcing pubs to offer smokers and non-smokers separate outdoor areas will 'add logistical complexity and restrict capacity' as businesses attempt to recover from lockdown, industry insiders have warned. Ministers last night tabled an amendment to the Business and Planning Bill requiring pubs, cafes and restaurants in England to make 'reasonable provision' for non-smoking seating. While smoking has been banned inside pubs and restaurants since 2007, there are currently no controls on outdoor eating and drinking. Planning Minister Chris Pincher said: 'These changes will allow everyone to enjoy outdoor eating and drinking whether they smoke or not, with appropriate provisions made for non-smokers and smokers.' The Government has recently faced calls to ban smoking anywhere on a premises due to fears of an increased risk from secondhand smoke as more Britons sit outside amid social distancing. But ministers last night rejected an outright ban, instead instructing businesses in England to offer dedicated outdoor seating areas for smokers and non-smokers. The move has been criticised by industry experts who claimed 'it should be up to licensees to make the decision on whether smoking is permitted in their outside areas and if so how best to organise designated spaces'. Pubs, cafes and restaurants in England must offer separate non-smoking areas outside, the Government said last night Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, told MailOnline: 'This Bill is designed to make it easier for pubs to operate al fresco hospitality. Pubs have been closed for more than three months in lockdown and need as much help as possible to get back on their feet. 'This proposed amendment to the business and planning bill will not only add logistical complexity and cost but also restrict capacity. 'We believe that it should be up to licensees to make the decision on whether smoking is permitted in their outside areas and if so how best to organise designated spaces. 'Each publican knows their customers and their needs best and should be allowed the flexibility to meet these needs, especially at this challenging time.' Steven Alton, CEO of the British Institute of Innkeeping, added that most pubs 'already manage smoking areas outside their venues and will continue to ensure that every customer is catered for.' He said: 'With pubs trading at reduced capacity, and increased overheads, the majority are not making a profit at this point, so to further restrict their businesses unnecessarily would put further strain on our vibrant and vital industry.' Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, added: 'The important thing is that venues can use outside space to attract customers, to make up for lost trade during lockdown and safeguard jobs and livelihoods. 'Having smoking and non-smoking sections will impose burdens, however, the key thing is that people can confidently return to safe hospitality venues, and the overall effect of this legislation will certainly help in that regard.' Under the new guidance, establishments are asked to display clear 'no smoking' signage in designated areas, with no ash trays provided or left on furniture in smoke-free zones. 'Licence holders should aim for a minimum two-metre distance between non-smoking and smoking areas, wherever possible,' it added. Smoking has been banned inside pubs and restaurants in England since 2007, but there are currently no controls on outdoor eating and drinking Planning Minister Chris Pincher said: 'These changes will allow everyone to enjoy outdoor eating and drinking whether they smoke or not, with appropriate provisions made for non-smokers and smokers' The Business and Planning Bill, introduced last month, is intended to help the hospitality sector as it reopens following lockdown. Mr Pincher said: 'We are supporting our pubs, cafes and restaurants to safely reopen and securing jobs by making it quicker, easier and cheaper to set up outdoor seating and stalls to serve food and drink, whilst protecting public health against the transmission of Covid.' It comes after calls for smoking to be banned outside bars, restaurants and cafes over health fears were last week slammed by pub owners and customers. Kyle Michael, from the Launton Arms, in Launton, Oxfordshire said: 'As a non smoker myself, I personally would welcome non smoking areas, but as a publican facing one of the worst challenges with Covid we've faced since the indoor smoking ban, this is not a welcome move and it seems some politicians simply do not understand pubs at all.' One Briton wrote on social media: 'What is it with some politicians and their determination to decimate the economy and attack ordinary people?' A second said: 'Pubs will suffer for this. People are so damn precious about being offended by a bit of smoke. 'Why can't they just go into the pub quickly. People were never like this before smoking became an issue. The power of suggestion.' The Government today announced British factories will produce millions of face coverings each week in a 14 million investment. Calls for smoking to be banned outside bars, restaurants and cafes over health fears were last week slammed by pub owners and customers It comes as the Government announced British factories will produce millions of face coverings each week in a 14 million investment. Pictured: Michael Gove The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove said today that suppliers in Port Talbot, Wales, and Blackburn in north-west England, had started producing 'high quality' face coverings, with another site in Livingston, Scotland, to begin in the coming weeks. It is part of a Government drive to increase production of face coverings in the UK, he added. Face coverings are already compulsory on public transport in England and the Government has made it mandatory to wear them in shops and supermarkets from July 24 to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Government guidance also encourages the wearing of face coverings in enclosed public spaces where it is less easy to socially distance or where people are more likely to come into contact with people they would not normally meet. Mr Gove said: 'This is a major step to ensure that this country can meet any increase in demand for face coverings by working with British firms to establish the capability, capacity and skills required to manufacture these items at scale. 'These production lines will be able to get millions of face coverings to the public, without putting any additional pressure on NHS supply chains.' The Cabinet Office said the Government had bought 10 production lines, which include 34 tons of equipment and machinery, while a further 10 have been commissioned from Coventry-based automotive company Expert Tooling and Automation Ltd. The manufacturers are expected to produce millions of masks a week, it added. Amid the political crisis in Rajasthan following a rebellion by ousted deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 of his followers in the state assembly, the government s intention of calling a special session of the House may be to gain the moral high ground, political experts said on Sunday. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot called on governor Kalraj Mishra on Saturday evening for a courtesy meeting to brief the latter on the Covid-19 pandemic and the states efforts to control it. A state government official said, requesting anonymity, that the CM also gave the governor a list of 103 MLAs in the 200-member assembly supporting his government and discussed the possibility of holding a special session so he can face a floor test to prove he has a majority. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not demanded one. The CM has gone ahead and suggested a floor test to attain the high moral ground, said political commentator Narayan Bareth. He said the meeting was also aimed at removing any doubt in the mind of the states constitutional head about the government being in a minority. Prakash Bhandari, another Jaipur-based commentator, said the list that the government gave to the governor doesnt have names of the 19 Congress MLAs that of Sachin Pilot and his 18 followers. The government wanted to give out a message that it was ready to face the House without these rebel MLAs, he said. BJP leaders said the government should have opted for a floor test much earlier if it actually had the numbers. If they have the numbers, they should not have herded their MLAs and put them in a hotel for a week, said Rajendra Rathore, deputy leader of the opposition in the assembly. Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi didnt rule out a special session next week for a floor test. If a session is called, we will take all MLAs supporting us in buses from the hotel to the assembly, he said. The Rajasthan high court will resume hearing on joint petitions by 19 rebel MLAs against the disqualification notices served on them by speaker CP Joshi. The speaker has given them until 5.30 pm on Tuesday to reply to the notices. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said only a floor test can decide whether a government has the required numbers to stay in power or not. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rakesh Goswami Rakesh Goswami leads Hindustan Times bureau in Rajasthan. He loves to write on social issues and has been a journalist for 20 years, including 8 years as a broadcast journalist. ...view detail Messaging platform Whispir has defended its technology, used for coronavirus contact tracing in Victoria, saying the delays in notifying the public about their exposure to COVID-19 has nothing to do with its system. "It's nothing to do with us, our platform is super efficient," Jeromy Wells, chief executive and founder of Whispir said. "These kinds of use cases are complicated and there are many stakeholders." Jeromy Wells, chief executive and founder of Whispir, which is being used for contact tracing in Victoria. Victoria's contact tracing efforts have come under fire after some people were left waiting for weeks to receive guidance from the state's Department of Health and Human Services. Mr Wells said the initial contact tracing was performed by a team of people and Whispir's platform came into play only after the necessary information is uploaded. Bad news wrapped in protein Professor Glenda Gray gives insights into the pandemic in South Africa, its impact and its trajectory. On 19 July, in a much-anticipated webinar, Professor Glenda Gray took alumni on a journey covering the seven-month-old COVID-19 pandemic, which was part historical, part biological and part medical. Within the first 10 minutes, the webinar reached its 500-person capacity and additional participants were able to view the event live on the alumni YouTube page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crwrVrTKnzw Professor Gray, a highly respected academic and leader, is the first female President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). She is the Chair of the Research Committee on COVID-19, bringing together scientific evidence and experience to the Minister of Health and the National Coronavirus Command Council. Key early warning system She outlined the history of the then unknown pneumonia, which could be traced back to 17 November 2019, which morphed into the World Health Organisations declaration of a public emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020 which affected 19 countries and had a tally of approximately 7 000 cases. On 8 January 2020, in the Journal of Travel Medicine, academics who studied travel data and infectious disease vulnerability indices, saw the potential for the international spread of an unknown disease. It listed 20 cities considered to be at risk. Professor Gray emphasised the importance of an early warning system, which must be implemented in future to detect emerging pandemics. She provided an outline of the four known human coronaviruses, which recur seasonally in two to four year cycles. A major concern is that infection appears to provide immunity from reinfection for only a short period of time. The transmission of COVID-19 is also a concern as it has spread even under lockdown conditions, social distancing and the wearing of masks. Movement across the globe Over time the pandemic has moved into low and middle-income settings and continents where testing will be crucial. The more you test, the more you get a feel of the epidemic, the less you test, the harder it is to understand the burden in your country. South Africa is currently the only African country which is doing a substantial amount of testing. The runaway train South Africa currently has among the highest infection rates in the world. The reason why our numbers continue to climb is because we havent managed to get our infection reproductive rate under zero. The only time you can contain an epidemic is if your reproductive rate is under one. This means one person who has an infection, has not infected one or more people. Weve always hovered between 1,1 and 1,5. It has had a similar trajectory throughout the lockdown period. By the time we had testing up and running, community transmission had already occurred and we were overwhelmed with testing, with long turnaround times, and were soon unable to identify cases fast enough to isolate their contacts and quarantine them. What happened is the runaway train with community transmission - thats well established. When will South Africa peak? We havent yet peaked although we are far above the average compared to when European countries peaked...Our trajectory is completely different, (and) similar to what you see in Mexico, Peru and Brazil. South Africa seems to be following the trajectory of other low-middle income settings. We havent yet peaked although we are far above the average compared to when European countries peaked. For example, Gauteng has 33,4 daily new infections per 100,00 population, whereas Italy peaked at 9,3 daily new infections per 100 000 population. South Africa has 19,9 daily new infections per 100,000. Our trajectory is completely different, (and) similar to what you see in Mexico, Peru and Brazil. Bad news wrapped in protein Professor Gray described the COVID-19 virus as bad news wrapped in protein. She said what makes it more severe than other COVID infections is that it invades the deep tissues of the human body, the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. It is 1000 times better at infecting humans than its closest relative because it evolved from several coronaviruses that merged together. It is also 1 000 times better at binding to ACE2, which is the called the bodys entry key. The good news Encouragingly, Professor Gray said there has been a reduction in mortality and ICU admissions in South Africa due to early use of oxygen, high flow nasal oxygen, and the use of dexamethasone and anti-coagulants. The cumulative cases by age distribution in South Africa as well as hospital admissions mimics global trends. Most people admitted are 50 years and older. Slightly more men than women are admitted, with very few children admitted or dying. Mortality is associated with comorbidities of diabetes, hypertension, obesity. TB and HIV are also risk factors. Children manage the COVID-19 much better. This may be a culmination of them having less ACE2 receptors, a different immune response as well as more recent exposure to other coronaviruses that may provide some cross protection to them. We are trying to see why children are largely spared. But that is good news for all children at a global level. Road to a vaccine Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands remain our main line of defense to prevent its propagation until the coronavirus circulates out in two or three seasons time. Normal vaccine development pathways take between 10-15 years. There is a hope that we can get one in 12 to 18 months. But you can see how challenging this is given that it took us 60 years to find a vaccine for polio, 15 for Ebola, and still nothing for MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) six years later. Its a very ambitious project and a race against time. See more about Wits participation in the vaccine search here. https://www.wits.ac.za/covid19vaccine/ In light of a recent court decision, the Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA) is calling on the Ontario Provincial Government to engage in meaningful mediation with the breeders of Standardbred racehorses in Ontario to resolve the harm caused by the previous Liberal government in unilaterally and without warning ending the Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP). The SARP was a successful partnership negotiated between the previous Progressive Conservative Government and the horse racing and breeding industry. The breeders of Standardbred racehorses began a legal challenge over six years ago. In a Superior Court of Justice ruling on June 29 (here), Justice M. Emery determined that breeders of Standardbred horses in Ontario should be compensated for damages that they incurred as a result of the cancellation of SARP. The agricultural industry of breeding, training and racing Standardbred horses in Ontario is an essential component of a strong and vibrant agricultural economy. Without the producers of the racing horses, the racing industry in Ontario would struggle to find an adequate supply of horses to fill Ontario race cards, never mind export these equine athletes to foreign markets. Horse breeding is a major employer and economic driver in all parts of Ontario, particularly in small rural communities where most of the activity occurs. OHHA maintains that the Standardbred breeders have suffered injury long enough. We encourage the Government to come to the table to settle this case and avoid any further hardship on the horse breeding industry. Unfortunately, some of the plaintiffs in the original action have passed away while this suit worked its way through the judicial process. OHHA believes that a mediated settlement, rather than a prolonged and costly appeal process is the proper and just way to resolve this issue. The government asked the Court to decide and the Court has given everyone the benefit of its review of the situation. OHHA calls on all members of Provincial Government to support a settlement to bring this long standing, outstanding issue to resolution. Its time the government sheath its legal sword. Rural Ontario is watching. (OHHA) Donald Trump is exploring options for circumventing Congress by consulting with a Bush-era lawyer that tried to legally justify torture via waterboarding. John Yoo told Axios that he was consulting Mr Trump on a US Supreme Court ruling on immigration that could allow Mr Trump to issue executive orders to skirt federal law. Mr Trump said in a Fox News interview Sunday that he intended to use the interpretation of the law to attempt to force his decisions on healthcare and immigration, as well as "other plans" through. Mr Yoo is a lawyer known for a legal defence of waterboarding he produced for the George W Bush administration in August 2002. He was the deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the time. Mr Yoo's upcoming book argues Mr Trump has returned the power to the presidency that the founding fathers intended it to have. The attorney's ideas hang on a Supreme Court ruling last month that blocked Mr Trump from ending the Barack Obama-era DACA immigration program. Mr Obama instituted DACA using an executive order, and Mr Yoo believes the same laws protecting DACA could protect executive orders issued by Mr Trump for at least two years into his successor's term, should he lose the 2020 US election. The Supreme Court's ruling against DACA was not that the program could not be disassembled, but that Mr Trump's attempt to dismantle the program did not follow proper procedure. Constitutional experts have criticised Mr Yoo's theories as ignorant to the limits on the reach of the executive branch and by the president's specific powers. They also took issue with Mr Yoo's historical commentary, arguing the founding fathers intended to prevent tyranny, not enable another tyrant by providing means by which to skirt Congressional oversight. Regardless of Mr Yoo's understanding of executive powers, the question the attorney raises - which he discussed at length in the National Review - is not if Mr Trump can issue executive orders legally, but rather if he issues them, who would actually stop him? "Even if Trump knew that his scheme lacked legal authority, he could get away with it for the length of his presidency. And, moreover, even if courts declared the permit illegal, his successor would have to keep enforcing the program for another year or two," Mr Yoo wrote. Mr Yoo's article was later spotted on Mr Trump's desk. According to Axios, two Trump White House officials spoke with reporters anonymously and said that while the president is interested in Mr Yoo's ideas, the White House isn't going to rely solely on issuing executive orders. "You have to act in good faith, and think that what you're doing is good and legal," one of the officials allegedly said. The CARES Act's weekly $600 unemployment benefits that have supported more than 30 million Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic is set to expire in 10 days if Congress does not decide to extend the duration. US Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, however, does not seem to be focused on finding a solution to help the citizens. Unemployment Benefits Currently, the Senate is taking their recess and will promptly return to work on July 20 and McConnell said on Monday in an interview with reporters he had no immediate plans to initiate formal talks about the stimulus package, as reported by Salon. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, allegedly told his caucus that McConnell has not discussed any negotiations about the coronavirus. If the situation continues to follow McConnell's timeline, the Senate and White House officials would have less than a week to discuss and come to agreements about the legislation before the unemployment benefits return to the rate they were before the pandemic, which was maxed at less than $300 every week for some states. On Tuesday, Representative Don Beyer stated McConnell may have let down the millions of Americans that relied on the unemployment benefits with a sudden and immediate decline in income that will come by the end of July. Beyer added that since the Senate has to make a decision by July 25 to extend the unemployment benefits for it to be processed on time, McConnell's statement that they will start discussions next week makes the end of the weekly financial support imminent. Also Read: Second Stimulus Could be Distributed Quickly Once Approved but Limited to Fewer People Too much money According to CNBC, Republicans are intent on letting the weekly unemployment benefit end due to its generosity as well as their desire to encourage people to go back to work and not rely on government support. The Labor Department stated that there are currently about 32 million Americans that are receiving unemployment benefits. Among critics, the major problem they see is the amount of money citizens earn from not having a job surpasses that when they were working which is especially true for lower-wage individuals. The University of Chicago published a paper in May that showed around two-thirds of eligible workers collecting unemployment benefits which would have exceeded their earnings from their jobs. The study also revealed that a fifth of the individuals would have doubled their financial earnings. Senator John Cornyn stated that the government should not be paying its citizens not to work, but rather, politicians should work on how to help people get back to work or find jobs. Between May and June, a significant surge of job gains was recorded which totalled approximately 7.5 million that urged Republicans to have a firm stance about not extending the weekly unemployment benefits and to start promoting laid-off citizens to return to work. One of the ways politicians discussed is giving a cash bonus to individuals who return to work. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that a potential new unemployment subsidy would be expected not to exceed 100 percent of an individual's lost wages. In an interview with reporters, Mnuchin noted the government would not be doing the same as the previous CARES Act as the nation is in a dramatically different situation. Mnuchin said that several businesses have reopened, giving more opportunities for people to be hired. Related Article: $600 Unemployment Benefit Extended? May Depend on How It Affects Economy @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A NH90 helicopter is pictured on Nov. 17, 2011 at Eurocopter's headquarters in Marignane, southern France. (Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images) Dutch Military Helicopter Crashes in Caribbean, Two Killed AMSTERDAMA Dutch military helicopter crashed in the Caribbean Sea near the island of Aruba, killing two of the four people on board, the Dutch defense ministry said on Monday. Rob Bauer, the Dutch armed forces chief, said it was not clear what caused the helicopter to crash some 12.5 kilometers (7.77 miles) off the coast of the Dutch island at the end of a coast patrol surveillance flight on Sunday. The helicopters 34-year-old pilot Christine Martens and 33-year old tactical coordinator Erwin Warnies were killed. The other two crew members were not seriously injured, Bauer said. Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer Chief of Dutch Defense attends a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in The Hague, Netherlands, on July 20, 2020. (Lex van Lieshout/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) Pending an investigation into the crash, all Dutch NH90 helicopters will be grounded until further notice. There was no immediate comment from NHIndustries, the helicopters manufacturer based in Aix en Provence, France. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was shocked by the crash and offered his condolences to the victims families. By Bart Meijer Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:52:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN children's fund (UNICEF) and the government of Puntland in northeast Somalia on Monday launched the Learning Passport, a digital remote learning platform where children can access educational content both online and offline from their homes. Abdullahi Mohamed Hassan, Somalia's Minister of Education and Higher Education said children will be able to access high-quality lessons in line with the official curriculum and not become the hidden victims of the COVID-19 crisis by missing out on an education. The initial stage of the rollout will see more than 11,000 children, almost half of them girls, being able to access over 600 recorded lessons and videos for Grade 8 students, with 12 subjects already uploaded. It can be accessed using a computer or through a mobile application. According to UNICEF, Puntland's ministry has become the first ministry of education from Africa to adapt the Learning Passport platform for the dissemination of their curriculum to reach out to more children. It said more lessons are under development and will be uploaded onto the Learning Passport to enable all primary and secondary students to have access to this innovative learning platform. Teachers will be able to monitor children's progress and parents can also access learning materials so they can play a critical role in supporting their children's education. Enditem Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, paid a courtesy visit to former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, at his hilltop home in Minna, Niger state on Saturday July 18. 78 years old Retired General Babangida, was the Military leader from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. See more photos of Babangida and the governor below; Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopoli/- Enough, is Enough ! After a Lot of Concessions to a Minority of so-called "Frugal", alias "Stingy" States, which Initially seemed to have practicaly HiJacked the overall atention at a Crucial EU Summit on a Recovery Fund to Face the Deadly Virus' Crisis, an Opposite Tide and Criticism apparently Emerged Later-on, from Various Other Countries, as a Key Part of a Wider Search for a Balanced Deal, while also Unexpectedly Extending EU Leaders' Political Discussions into a 4rth Day, (if not, perhaps, Week !), which have Already Broken an Historic Record High Longevity... ----------------------- + Meanwhile, anOther, Related, but Sudden "U-Turn" was Also the Fact that, in the Hard Fought Role of ...Press and Medias' main Popular "Star", This Time, Dutch Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eurevivalsummitneedseuropeanvision.html, etc), was practically Replaced, in real Practice, by ...Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN ! (See Infra)... --------------------------------- "Frugal" States' Chief Rutte, after Consuming some Dishes, (including Expensive Cherries)... Indeed, the so-called "Frugal", and Recently Nick-Named Also "Stingy" (sic !) 4 Countries of Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Austria, erratically Followed, sometimes, by a New, Young Finnish Prime Minister of a Shaky 2020 Coalition, After Exerting Heavy Pressure, (mainly by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but Also his Austrian Counterpart, Sebastien Kurz, in anOther Way), Already managed to reportedly Receive perhaps Too Many EU Concessions... F.ex., among others, also : (1) on Ensuring their own Rebates, (at least 3 of them); (2) on making them Even Bigger ; (3) on Substantialy Diminishing the initially scheduled EU Grants, instead of Loans, (by Priority addressed to Poorer and/or Harder Hit by the Virus, Countries) ; (4) probably Even on Reducing the Overall Sum for the relevant, EU's planned "Recovery Fund" ; (5) on Measures to Better Control the Hand-over and Use of EU Funds by recipient Countries ; (6) while Also, iniially quasi-Monopolizing Long Collective Meetings with the Press for Publicity, (Contrary to this Exceptional EU Summit's Official Rules, which Oppose that) ; - Etc+, ... + Despite All those Moves, However, several among those 4 or 5 "Frugal" or "Stingy" Countries, (which include 1 "Liberal" and 2 "Socialist" Governments, added to Only 1 Right plus "Green" one), while Expressing their Pleasure for those First Acquisitions, reportedly, Still Insisted to Ask for ...even More such EU Concessions : - F.ex., they Anew Demanded to Further Reduce Grants (instead of Re-Imbursable Loans) at Even Lower Levels ; - they (mainly the Netherlands, perhaps partly Austria) Persisted into Asking a kind of Individual "Veto" Power over EU Recovery Funds' release and use, (aparently UnSatisfied yet by a Proposal for a Collective European Mechanism of Monitoring) ; - (mainly the Netherlands) appeared to Lead Pressure for Delicate and Controversial Financial "Sanctions" to EU Member Countries Accused to bypass "Rule of Law", (notoriously Targetting particularly Hungary and Poland, etc., but possibly Others too, Sooner or Later)... + Etc.... => Such Moves, reportedly Started to Provoke Various Critical or even Negative Reactions from Several Concerned and/or Other EU Countries, apparently Nervous or Even Shocked by a, probably, too "Greedy" Attitude by, at least Some (mainly the Dutch, but not only) among the so-called "Frugal" States, (which Motivated Attempts to rather Call them, from Now on, "Stingy"...). - This Included, Inter Alia, also Italian Prime Minister Conte's reported outcry about an alleged ..."Blackmail" on Europe, (particularly,; it seems, by Dutch Prime Minister Rutte), Even if he might have, Perhaps, Exagerated when he, Apparently, Pleaded for the Lack of almost Any more Monitoring of those EU Funds, Not Even by an adequate, New EU Mechanism, (Contrary to what some EU sources have Proposed)... + On anOther Point, (Apparently the Total Volume, and the Grants' Ratio, inside EU's Recovery Fund, etc), French President Macron, (who had Notoriously Agreed on that with German Chancellor Merkel since May 2020), reportedly Warned that EU should Not Make even "More Concessions" which would be "to the Detriment of the European Ambition !" And Both Merkel with Macron, reportedly Left this EU Summit's OverNight Discussions, Earlier than Others, while, However, Continuing to Support EU Council President Michel's Efforts to Extend EU Leaders' Talks, even through Monday etc., Hoping that More adequate Proposals and Reciprocal Compromises May Help Find, at last, an Agreement, over a Balanced, Good Deal, so that "Europe realises even an, apparently, <> (sic !), as Michel characteristicaly stressed... ------------------------------------------------- + In that overall Context, Rutte's Initial quasi-Monopoly to a Unique, Long "Questions/Answers", Collective Session with several Journalists, (Despite this Exceptional EU Summit's official Exclusion of such Moves, allegedly Because of the Virus), which Inevitably Gave an outright Publicity to Most "Frugal" or "Stingy" States' desiderata, (See, f.ex., inter alia, also at: ..., etc), => Now, it's Mainly (and UnExpectedly) the ...Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, at the Heart also of the "Visegrad" Group of Central-Eastern EU Countries, (After Earlier meeting also with Michel, Macron, and Others), who Started to Give several Sharp Critical Replies ! --------------------------- - Orban First, Started by "Excusing" himself for the ..."ExtraOrdinary Circumstances" in which the Journalists had to "See" and "Communicate" with him, Nowadays, since this Press Briefing, Exceptionaly, had to take place, Curiously, at a ...Remote Parc, Outside of EU Council's Building, under Pretext of the Virus, (while, on the Contrary, that of Rutte, Obviously took place right in Front of EU Council's Main Entrance for Heads of State/Governent, as it was Regularly Done Before the Virus)... --------------------------------- Giving a Topical OVERVIEW of the Current Situation in this Crucial EU Summit, he stressed, from the outset, that, Today (Sunday Afternoon, 19/7/2020), - "Basically, we (EU) Still have mainly 4 Confrontational Issues, which are the Obstacle to Reach an Agreement Up to Now". - "Only (sic !) 4. Which means that the (EU) Council and Charles Michel made a very Good Job, to Limit the Number of Open Questions : When we (EU Summit) had Started, they were Dozens !... But Now, it's Only 4", he praised. => So, "I think that We (EU) have Good Chances to make a Deal !", Viktor Orban, with a Surprizing Optimism, Highlighted, Despite his usual and present (See Infra) Critical stance... - In fact, "We (EU Summit) Must, We Have to Make a Deal !", he stressed. -"Because Unity is the Only Way to get Out of this Challenge !", he Voluntaristicaly Urged, Later-on, thus, perhaps, Explaining his stance. Indeed, -"Nothing is More Important than Make a Deal on the Economic Crisis !", Viktor Orban underlined. + "As things stand (See Infra), probably, - "It Takes some Time, But, IF Everybody is Ready to Stay, We (EU) Can Make a Deal !", he Concluded, in fine, (See Infra). ---------------------------- - "Now, it's Obvious, that the Reason for which we managed to Reduce the number of Disagreement points", "is Basically, that We (EU) are All Conscious of How Serious the Situation is : ... It's Dramatic, anyway. Economically. COVID is one thing, but we are speaking about the Consequences in Our (EU) Economies. It's Worse than you think !...", he Warned. => - As a Result, "the Mood among us (EU Member States' Leaders), is rather Pessimistic. It's Not a Strong Enough Word on How we See the Future... So, we see that Big Dangers are approaching the European Economy !" - "First, Because of the Consequences of the 1st Wave of the Pandemic, and, Secondly, because of the 2nd Wave, which We (EU)'ll All Expect, could come"... => "So, We (EU Summit) are Aware that We Have to Make a Deal !". And "We (EU Summit) are Negoticating under the Pressure that a Deal is a Must", he stressed, from the outset. --------------------------------- Until Now, -"We have Already Invested 2 Days, and this is the 3rd Day", he observed. >>> - "And, I think that we Need, in order to Make a Deal on the Still Open Remaining Questions, Several More Days !"..., Orban UnExpectedly Warned. As far as it concerns, -"Us, Hungarians, we are Ready to Stay, Even for more than a Week, if We (EU) have to make a Deal", he Smiled... -"Because Negotiating (might) Take a Week !", he audatiously Revealed... => - "So, we doN't Want to Go Home withOut Having a Solution for Europe !", Viktor Orban Vowed. - "It's Not just about Hungary, Because Hungary is just a Small Story inside the Big Novel. Just a Small Chapter". + And, "Hungary is Rather in a Good Shape". "It does'N't mean that the Future is Not Dangerous for Us (Hungary). But, at this Moment, We (Hungary) are in a (quite) Better Position, in terms of the Pandemic, and the Economic Consequences, and the Financial Circumstances, as well". (F.ex.: Budapest reportedly tries to Simply Lower a 70% Debt to 60%, while Italy is around 130%, France More than +100%, and "Greece...", as he had Observed Earlier). - "But, ...it's about the European Economy !" F.ex., "Even if Hungary is Not Part of the uro2one, However, IF the uro2one Suffers, We (H) Will Suffer" too ... => -"Therefore, We (EU Summit) Must, We Have to Make a Deal !", he reiterated. -"Because Unity is the Only Way to get Out of this Challenge - on Economy"... >>> -"So, Probably, we'll See EachOther (also) during Next Week, Several Times !", he Prognosticated, Smiling to Journalists... - Indeed, "Nothing is More Important than Make a Deal on the Economic Crisis !", Viktor Orban underlined. i.e. "Vacations, ... Domestic Political Issues, ... Even Foot-Ball, ..., etc", he Joked. => - "So, there are Plenty of Reasons to Stay (at Brussels), IF Necessary", in Conclusion. ---------------------------------------- >>> - Now, "On the 4 Questions :', Orban re-Started. ------------------------ - "The 1st one is on the Overall Size of this ("Next Generation") Fund Package, to properly Handle this Economic Crisis" I.e., "How Big it should Be ? It's Still Open", he felt, (But, withOut Insisting on that Point). --------------------------------- - "The 2nd, is What should be the Ratio, Inside this Package, of the Grants and and the Loans", he reminded. + And, "there are Some Countries, (Basically the Dutch anyway), which would like to Create a Mechanism ...(?), which would provide an Influence, to the Dutch+, to Control the Spending of the Money, basically of the South". he resumed, (Perhaps, Too Hastily, since, in Fact, it Seems that the Dutch Want a "Veto", While President Michel and Others, Including, reportedly, France, etc., Seek to set up an appropriate "European Mechanism", which, IF it is Adequate, might Properly Solve that Issue)... => -"So, it's, Basically, a Dispute between the Dutch and the Italians", he felt, so that, - "In What concerns Hungary, We are Firmly Standing on behalf of the Italians, in this Dispute", Orban openly Announced. - In Consequence, "the Best Way, in what we Can do, is for the Money to Go to those Who are in Need, and Help them to Spend it as Much and as Soon, As They Can (?), in order to Stabilize Their Economy," "Instead of having Complicated, Bureaucratic, and Long Disputes, about Programs, or what so ever"... "Because, if you Give something on the Right Time, you give Twice !"..., according to an "Hungarian Wisdom"..., he Simply found, (Apparently, Excluding a priori the Possibiliy to Create an Efficient and Rapid enough, European Mechanism of Adequate Monitoring). - "That's about Grants and Loans", he Stoped on that Point, in general. ------------------------------------------------- + As "For Hungary, we are Not Treated Properly. But, Anyway, we Can Live, even With That"..., he found. - Indeed, "Previously, When the Negotiations had Started, the Difference between Countries Belonging to the Same Category as Hungary, like Portugal and Greece, that Difference (in EU Funds) was Humiliating !... The Same Size of the Country, the Same Population, the Same Income level, on Purchasing Power, (Otherwise, it's Even Smaller in Hungary : 7 to 11)"... That Differencies were 9 Billions, 10 Billions , etc. So, that Difference was not only Absurd Economically, but Also Humiliating !", he Denounced. - - "Now, We (Hungary), are in the 2nd Level, anyway. So, it's Double Standards. We haveN't got What the Others have. - But, OK, in order to have (EU) Unity, and Be Together, We (Hungary) are Ready to Accept it. It's Not Fair, But, at least, it's Not Humiliating. That's our position", he agreed. + "Be aware of the Fact that we, Hungarians, take Money from the "Next Generation" Fund, which are basically Loans, with a Sum of Money which is Lower than what we Shall Pay Back in the Forthoming 30 Years. So, in the Long Term, this Business is Negative, for us. But we (H) Can Live with that". -------------------------- + "The 3rd Point is Rebate :" - "Rebate is a Privilege of the Rich Countries !" So, "We (H) would Like to get withOut that", Orban urged... - "That Was Created by the Brittish". But "BREXIT Happened", so "Rebate Should Go also !", "Because it's a Privilege". Inded, it's "Because of the Brittish Rebate, (that) is WAS Logical to keep some Equilibrium provided Also for some Other Countries, as well. But, Now, the Brittish are Not Here, Anymore"... => -"So, it's a Privilege Like it was for the Aristocrats, in the 19th Century (sic !)..." On the Contrary, If We (EU) like to be Equal, We Should, simply, Get Rid of it. But, Rich Countries (NDLR: Except Germany+) Insist on that. They doN't Move, Not Even a single Step !", he regretted. >>> - "Which is a Problem, any way", and "Could be the Final Problem, (and) the Biggest one !", Orban Warned. ------------------------ + "And the 4rth (Open Question) ... is <>, he arrived to "Hot" Issues, (notoriously Concerning Particularly Hungary, Poland, and Other EU Member States, at least According to their Critics)... - "What is going on" there, "is a little bit Strange : Because there is 100% Agreement (between All EU Member States) on the Rule of Law. Everybody said, as (French) President Macron Formulated it, that <>. And it's Correct. So, IF Somebody does Not Accept the Rule of Law, Should Leave the EU Immediately !"... "He should Not just be Punished by Money, or Anyhing Else". It should, Simply, be a: -<>"... "Because this (EU) Community is Based on the Rule of Law", the Experienced Prime Minister of Hungary, (which was the 1st former Central-Eastern European Country to Accede into the CoE, with its ECHR, in Strasbourg), stressed. -So, "We (Hungary) Like This approach, it's OK". + "AnOther Issue is How we (EU) can Strenthen the Financial Control on how we Spend the Money. For which We (EU) have Institutions, Procedures, etc., and If the (EU) Commission Wants, We (EU) Can Make it Even Stronger. That's OK". >>> - "However, the (Current Draft) Proposal is Not to make a Stronger Financial Control, Or to make it More Clear on the Rule of Law Procedure, But (on the Contrary) they Would like to Create a New Mechanism : So, this is Not the Old "Rule of Law" Mecanism, Related to the (EU) Budget", But "this is Not the Case". Anyway, "that would be a Request for a Modification of the (EU) Treaty", Orban Pointed out. - "So, that Idea is to Create a New <> Mecanism". But, in order "to Create a New Mechanism, a New Instrument, it Takes a Long Time to be Negotiated. Because it's a Legal Instrument : It Must be Precise, it must have Clarity, and so on", he Warned. -"If We (EU) would like to do so, We (Hungary) are Not Against it, But Let's Discuss it !" However, "it Takes Weeks...". So, "We (H) are Ready to do so, But a (New) Legal Instrument and Mecanism Must be a Proper one". (...) - "That's where We (EU Summit) Are" Now... --------------------------------- => - But, "Who are the Main Fighters ?" (on that point).. -"Red Box : The Dutch ! (Rutte)"... -" Blue Box : Hungary !" (i.e. Viktor Orban himself)... - "'It's so Simple"... he described, Smiling. - "I doN't Know What's the Personal Reason for the Dutch Prime Minister (always a Single) to Hate Me" (a Husband, Father of 4 Daughters and a Son), "or Hungary", he Wandered... - "But, he's Attacking so Harshly, making so Clear that, Because Hungary, in His Opinion, does Not Respect the Rule of Law, it Must be Punished, Financially !..." -"That's His (Rutte's+) Position, which is Not Acceptable, Because there is No (Official EU or CoE) Decision about What is the <> Situation in Hungary", he argued. - In this regard, "We (H) are Ready, and I Just Initiated such a Proposal, in this (EU) Summit, to Ask the Germans (as current EU Presidency) to give a Guarantee that the EU Council will Negotiate and take a Decision on Rule of Law Procedure Against Hungary", he Revealed. So, "Instead of Creating a New Mechanism, complete What We (EU) Already Have, and what Was Initiated", he Proposed. - "So Please, Make a Decision on Hungary, as Soon as you can !", he urged. ---------------------- [Naturally, "Eurofora" has a Duty to remind the Fact that inside the EU Council, such Procedures depend from Unanimous Decisions, so that a Good Ally (f.ex. Poland, here) could, in Theory, Save an Accused Member State. While, on the Contrary, in the above-mentioned New proposed Mechanism, such Decisions would depend just from a Qualified Majority... However, this is Not an Excuse for some to, Eventually, Attempt to Bully, "Corner", and Harm one, two, or more Other Countries, in fact, just Because they might have a Minority (or "Avant-Guard", Advanced) Position, f.ex., on Issues such as Natural Family and Natural Births, Protection of Human Embryo from Genetic Manipulations, EU Roots in Christian Religion, lawful European Culture Migrants, Instead of Massive Non-European and Islamist irregular Mass Migration, Risking to result in "Parallel Societies" and Social Conflicts, etc, (Even if this might, perhaps, be Hidden Behind some Exagerated or False Accusations around some Hostile and Aggressive NGOs Funded by Foreign Money and Systematically Attacking Legitimate Governments Democraticaly Elected by the People, and/or some, more or less Excessive or Arbitrary Judges, Appointed during Previous Governments, who sometimes, show Blatant Contempt to Democraticaly Elected New Governments, and Partiality or even Hostility, systematically Undermining or Blocking their Policies, and/or Excessively or even Arbitrarily Harassing, Accusing, Prosecuting and often Condemning, for Exagerated, Caricatural or False Pretexts, even Respectable and practically Innocent Elected Politicians, Focusing, almost Exclusively, Against those who are Not of their Likes... (Comp. f.ex. Risks of Corruption and/or Arbitrariness among Judges and/or Prosecutors, particularly in certain Countries, recently Denounced by CoE's Anti--Corruption Watchdog "GRECO", etc).] --------------------------- - "So, the Dutch (Guy) would Like to Punish Hungary, But, the Major Problem, is Not the Prime Minister (Rutte). Because, you know, Prime Ministers Can make a Deal...", Orban suggested. - "It's Not Easy with Him", (Rutte), But, Theoretically, it's Not Impossible", Orban found. - In fact, "the Problem are the Parliaments : Because the Dutch Parliament has a Resolution, and the Hungarian Parliament anOther one, which are Diametrically Opposed to Each Other : So, we have Tension and a Dispute Between the 2 Governments and the 2 Parliaments", (where f.ex. Rightists are Notoriously Active...). "So, we Have to Settle this Issue, Somehow", he suggested. + Questioned, Later-on, about "the Position of Parliaments" (Comp. Supra), and "How Much Room for Maneuvre (he) ha(s) for the Rule of Law" Issue, (Ibid), the Hungarian Prime Minister, soberly but Positively Replied that - "I Have Some !"... - However, "I simply canNot Avoid to have a Direct Relation and Discussion Between the Hungarian and the Dutch Parliament", he added. Because "that Difference canNot be Settled through the Prime Ministers" alone, (Perhaps due also to Various Other Parties inside those Parliaments: Comp. Supra). -"So, the Dutch and Hungarian Parliaments should Find a Way on How to Consult and Manage. That's the Way out", he found. --------------------------------------------------- + NGOs, MIGRATION, etc. --------------------------------------------------------- + Meanwhile, (in a Partly Related Issue), "I made a Proposal, which was Rejected, But I Try to Put it Back Again", in one way or anoher, "and this is About NGOs. Because", according to "my Experience, in Recent Years, NGOs who Play a Political Role, - Obviously, WithOut Denying that Fact, Even Saying that they would Like to have an Influence on the Public Opinion, on Political Issues - That Kind of NGOs got a Lot of Money, from the Budget of the EU, and, then, they Came into Member States and Attacked the Governments", he Criticized. - "So, the EU (Commission) Funded Critical, Political Opposition Against the (EU) Member States' Governments : I think it's Not Good. It's Bad. They Should Not do that", Orban argued. => - "So, I made a Proposal that the Control and the Regulation of That Kind of activities, in Financial terms, etc;, should be the Same as it is relevant to the Political Parties at EU Level, here" (i.e. in Brussels). -"We (EU) Need the Same Regulations, in terms of Financing, Political NGOs and European Political Parties. But it was Rejected (in that EUC. Summit), anyway", he noted. "But, I Try to push it through again"... ---------------------------------------- + On AnOther Partly Related Issue, + Questioned If he "still, would Like to have a Western Society in Hungary ?", - Orban, laughing, Firmly Replied Affirmately, But, However, he also Added, that, Nowadays, "Because of the (Mass) Migration, it's Now More Complicated" than usually : - "The (Recent Mass, Iregular, Non-European Culture, mainly Pushed by Turkish Smugglers since 2015/2016+) Migration Changed our Conception of the (so-called) "West" : >>> - "Because We (Hungary, and Other Countries) wouldN't like to have <>, <>, Based on (Non-European Culture, Mass) Migration. We doN't have that Approach", as he said, (Obviously Based also on Chancellor Angie Merkel's Notorious -"No to Multi-Culti !", and Focus on Boosting German Natality, as well as Attractivity for Intra-European Mobility of EU Citizens from 27 Other Countries, particularly between 2009, 2010 and the 2013 Election, when she had Succeeded to almost Reach ... Full Autonomy of her ChristianDemocrat Party in the Government, with More than +40%, for the 1st Time in recent History ! See, f.ex., inter alia, Also: ... + ..., in her Electoral Speech of August 2013 at LudwigsHafen, Near her Mentor's, Helmut Kohl's Family Home, where Viktor Orban also was a Frequent Visitor)... - "So, Now, the Difference between the Western and the Eastern Parts of the European Continent, is obvious, Because of (That Kind of) Migration Question, and the Consequences of that in the Political Thinking", he, Obviously Too Rapidly and Schematically, Hasarded, (Perhaps Forgetting the Recent Strong and Growing Reactions of Many German, French, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, a.o. People, Even Brittish, for whom this was, in Fact, a Main Reason of the Majority Vote for BREXIT, since Back on 2016)... - But, "it (Migration) is anOther Issue", which, Now, "is Not Part of the (7/2020 EU Summit) Negotiation Today", Orban diplomatically pointed out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> A "NEW (EU) MECHANISM" ON "RULE OF LAW" ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Questioned if it was "EU Commission" which Pushed that Controversial Draft Text on "Rule of Law", (Comp. Supra), Orban Replied that "It's Basically, Introduced by Charles Michel, Based on the (EU) Commission, I Think". >>> But the Man who Represents that Text, Sociologicaly and Politicaly, is the Dutch Prime Minister (Rutte) : He is the Fighter" on that. - "Charles Michel Only said that it's a Possible Suggestion for Compromise" (NB), and "the EU Commission said that - "We Support it", But the Dutch Prime Minister (Rutte) represented the Fighting, about it !... - I.e., almost "the Same <> Mess Also, on Grant and Loan Ratio"... => - "So, the Dutch Prime Minister (in fact) is the Leadar of All these Disputes!", "Yesterday (Saturday)", Orban Denounced. --------------------------------------------- - "We (Hungary) said that we think that the EU does Not Need such a New Mechanism. What We (EU) Have, it's OK". But, "If You like a New one, Do it Seriously : A New Mechanism canNot be done in (Only) 5 Sentences ! Comme on... " It needs "a Legal Masterpiece, a New Wisdom", "It's Not Done Like That"... - "Because Rule of Law, as (French) President Macron said, is "Existential". So that, IF somebody is Not Ready to Accept Rule of Law, he Should be Kicked Out of the (European) Community ! Not just say that "you should Pay some Money"... No, it's Not the case". But he should "Leave the (EU) Community". Because "it's Essential". - "Rule of Law" was the Basis to Fight Against the Communist ("Socialist") Regime", from "Where I Come", Viktor Orban Reminded. -"in the Name of Freedom ! Because the Communist ("Socialist") Regime was Not Based on the Rule of Law". + "And, Besides that, If you like to Invest in European Society, then you Fight for the Rule of Law. So, I am a Fighter of the Rule of Law. Because >>> Fighting for Freedom, and Fight for Rule of Law, is the Same thing, in the Central European Mind"... - So that, "If Anyone is Not Ready to Accept it", then, "Please, Leave the (EU) Community ! Because it's a Community of Values, as well", he reiterated. ----------------------------- + On anOther Question about the "Rule of Law", Orban said that -"this is Not for me to Reply, Because I am Not Asking Anything" more or new there. -"Until Now, it was for the European Union's Court to Take All the Decisions : That was Very Simple ! Because a Legal Procedure Must be Concluded by a Legal Decision". - "But Now", on the Contrary, "They (Rutte's Followers) would Like to have a Legal Procedure, Concluded by a ...Political Decision, made By Politicians, as we are !" he Denounced... - "It's Not My Idea", and "I would"Nt like to Defend or Attack that Idea, But it's Strange..." Because, in Fact, "it's Not Legal, it's Political !" - In Fact, they argue that "What Counts is Not the Text, But ...the Context" (sic !). However, "that was the Communist ("Socialist") Argument !", Orban Denounced (See Infra). - "The Legal Text does Not Count", (they Claim, in Fact)s, "But the Context" does, for them... However, "We (EU) CanNot take That as Basis for a New (EU) Instrument !", Viktor Orban Clearly Stressed. ------------------------------ ++ Questioned anew about the so-called "Rule of Law" alleged Issue, Orban made it Clear that, in fact, "it's Not about a Modification of the Already Existing Mechanism", f.ex. "making an Addition, or something like that", etc. "No ! It's a New Mechanism. It clearly says that it's Separated from any other Rule of Law Mechanism. It's a New one". - "I think that it's a Question IF it has Any Legal Basis in the (EU) Treaty at all... So, the Conclusion of that Discussion Could be that We (EU) Have to Create, First, a Treaty Basis", he Warned. - "But, anyway, it's a New Mechanism, and Legal Mechanisms Must be with a Legal' Crafting. "It Must be very Well Defined, in terms of Categories that we Use, and the Procedure, as well", Orban stressed. >>> - F.ex., "You know, I'm Coming from an Ex-Communist ("Socialist") Country : How Was that, Under the Communist ("Socialist") Regime, 30 Years Ago ? - When, the Communist ("Socialist") Regime decided to Attack Us, Even Me, Personaly, they Used UnClarified (ImPrecise, Vague) Legal Terms : Exactly the Same which are Written in the Proposal of the (Nowadays "Liberal" Party's) Dutch Man !... He Uses Communist ("Socialist") Terms", but "He's Not Aware of that !", Orban Denounced. -"But, he (Rutte) is Using Exactly the Same ones : " F.ex., "he says <>. So, When I was Arrested by the ("Communist") Police, and I Asked them : - <>, They Said : - "<>... What the Hell does it Mean ?", he Wonderd... + -"And, then, the Other Term that the Dutch Prime Minister uses in the (his) Paper is : - <> - <> Yeah.. >>> - "So, these Guys, who INHERITED Freedom, Rule of Law, and Political Democracy, They Do'Nt have any Experience on what We have, Personaly, FOUGHT for that ! So, THEY INHERITED Freedom", while "WE FOUGHT or that... ", Viktor Orban Denounced. => - So, "They Used Terms which are Dangerous" (for Freedom), "Because they are Dangerous for us". + "But, Despite those Ridiculous Elements, of that Proposal, I Tried to take it Seriously, and Say : - < - "So, We (Hungary) are Ready to do so, Even for Days" (sic !)..., he Vowed. -------------------- +++ - Questioned Whether he might be "Ready to BLOCK the Whole (EU) Agreement, IF You doN't Find a Deal on the <> ?", Orban, naturally, made it Clear, that, in fact : - "It's NOT ME !" Simply Because "I Initiated Nothing, in That Respect"... "So, we Have to Clarify, that, IF the Deal is Blocked, it's Not because of Me, But Because of the Dutch Guy !" (Rutte), Since - "He Initiated something" there, "While", on the Contrary, "I am Standing on the STATUS QVO, as it Is until Today : In the (EU) Regulation on the <>, Financial Control of the (EU) Budget, and All that kind of things. I think it's OK". - On the Contrary, - "They would Like to Reach Something, which is Not Good enough. So; IF there is a Brake, it's Because of Them !", he Criticized. >>> - In general, "I doN't like the "Blame-Game", But", here, "the Dutch Man" (Rutte) "is the Real RESPONSIBLE man FOR THE WHOLE MESS that We (EU Summit) have" Today !, he strongly Denounced. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Questioned about "Yesterday's (Saturday Evening's) Meeting" with Rutte, Orban Replied that, in his view, Unfortunately, ... "the Dutch Prime Minister, for Whatever Reason, Hates (sic !) especialy the Hungarians... He's More UnPolite vis a vis Hungarians than anyone else...". - However, "Here, My Position is Not to Explain the Policies of Other Countries", he Cautiously Declined. "But, there was inFighting..., let's put it in that way". ------------------------------------- + However, Questioned "if (he) would like a Bilateral Meeting" with Rutte, Orban Smiled, and Replied that - "It Depends on the Taste" of that..., "But, Any Way, I am Ready !", as he Ensured. => And, in Fine, Orban Joked: - "Sorry, But" Now, "I think that I Have to Go Back to ...My Dutch Friend" (Rutte), as he Stoically said with a Bitter but Real Smile, Returning to EU Summit's Talks... --------------------- => "So, these are the Main 4 Issues", Orban concluded, on Sunday Afternoon. - "This was the Situation" inside the EU Summit, until Now. => - "It Takes some TIME, But, IF Everybody is Ready to Stay, We (EU) Can Make a Deal", Viktor Orban Opimistically Concluded, (See Also Supra). +"The Point is Not How Long it is, But to Reach a(n EU) Deal, No Matter How Long might be the Road to arrive there", he Clearly Stressed. (../..) ("Draft News) New Delhi, July 20 : Even though deemed necessary, localised lockdowns along with hurdles to demand augmentation have slowed down India's economic recovery process. State governments have imposed area specific lockdowns of limited duration to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections. However, these lockdowns have also disturbed the supply chains and revival plans of the industry. Presently, the rising cases of Covid-19 infections have led to a reimposition of lockdowns in some important economic centres such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Economy watchers have opined that these sudden local lockdowns have added to many uncertainties facing the Industry. "These sudden localised or regional lockdowns have added to the uncertainties faced by businesses. It impacts their plans, strategy and supply chains, thereby slowing down the recovery process and in essence the revival of economic activity," Sunil Kumar Sinha, Principal Economist, India Ratings & Research told IANS. Inda-Ra has predicted a (-) 5.3 per cent contraction in India's GDP for FY21 based on the challenges of rising infection rates, lower demand and localised lockdowns. "The challenge in front of the economy is one of demand augmentation and this can happen if the government invests in quick turnaround infra projects and also provides a stimulus for private consumption." "Even though bumper harvest, healthy monsoon and festive season will side in demand generation, it is vital for the government to spend and to encourage consumption by all means possible for an early revival." According to Suman Chowdhury, Chief Analytical Officer at Acuit Ratings and Research: "Such recurring lockdowns at the local level will be witnessed across India over the next few months till the incidence of fresh cases declines to acceptable levels or a vaccine is discovered. Clearly, this will continue to disrupt the services and the industrial sector and increase the risks of a higher contraction in GDP in the current year." "The sectors such as retail, hospitality, transport, trade, real estate, and construction will be unable to witness any meaningful revival due to such disruptions." The rating agency has already revised its GDP contraction forecast to (-) 10 per cent for FY21. "The Covid-19 shock has clearly derailed the growth path cyclically further, with 1QFY21 GDP looking to contract more than 25 per cent. Policy makers had earlier faced a stark trade-off between lives and livelihood as they imposed a national lockdown but now the localised lockdowns are hampering even the sequential growth momentum," said Madhavi Arora, Lead Economist, FX and Rates for Edelweiss Securities. "Meanwhile, tepid fiscal response and the monetary transmission asymmetry would only mean the downward growth cycle could stretch further. Domestic structural overhang in the form of strained balance sheet of private economic agents and global concerns might limit sustained sequential growth pick up ahead." Last week, rating agency ICRA revised downwards its forecast of India's 2020-21 GDP contraction to 9.5 per cent from an earlier estimate of 5 per cent. It cited the climbing Covid-19 infections resulting in a spate of localised lockdowns in some states and cities as the reason for the sharp downward revision. ICRA said that these localised lockdowns are arresting the nascent recovery that had set in during May-June 2020. "The Indian economy had started to recover from the troughs experienced in April 2020, when the lockdown was at its severest, and many sectors seemed to be adjusting to a new normal. However, the unabated rise in Covid-19 infections in the unlock phase and re-imposition of localised lockdowns in several states, appear to have interrupted this recovery," Aditi Nayar, Principal Economist, ICRA, said in a statement. "Given the severity of the pandemic and the duration of the safety measures that need to be employed, we now expect a deeper pace of GDP contraction in Q 2 FY2021 relative to our earlier forecast. We also anticipate more unevenness, as different regions move in and out of lockdowns, and persisting labour supply mismatches affecting supply chains and consumption patterns." (Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Samir Ali - Trend: By committing recent provocation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Armenia again grossly violated international conventions, Member of the Presidium of Azerbaijani Bar Association, Lawyer Vugar Babayev told Trend. According to him, by shelling civilians, Armenian armed forces commit unimaginable war crimes. The Armenian soldiers even shelled the Tovuz district hospital, he said. The Armenian leadership should be called criminals, since it committed almost all the war crimes stipulated by the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan on Azerbaijani land. Some of them are violation of international humanitarian law, violation of laws and customs of warfare, etc. Giving a direct order to attack civilians is a particularly serious war crime. At the same time, the Armenian side has violated and continues to violate international conventions, the supporters of which are both Azerbaijan and Armenia itself. The Tovuz District Hospital is a humanitarian facility that is directly protected by the Geneva Convention. The shelling of this object is a ground for introducing the strictest international sanctions against Armenia. By committing the war crimes, Armenia also grossly violated and continues to violate the requirements of the Hague 1907 Convention on the Laws and Customs of the Land War, Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949," Babayev said. The lawyer noted that the policy of the Armenian state is mainly to implement its illegal claims through terror and committing war crimes. The events which recently took place on the border showed that the people represented in the current Armenia leadership, just like their predecessors, have criminal and terrorist mentality. As an example the facts can be mentioned that orders to commit serious crimes such as the occupation of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, violence against the civilian population, appropriation of their property, cruel treatment of prisoners of war, the perpetration of terrorist acts on the territory of Azerbaijan, came from the leadership of Armenia, he said. During the preliminary investigation conducted on criminal cases instituted for the above crimes, these facts were fully proved. Im sure that the persons who have committed these heavy crimes will soon answer before the world community," Babayev stressed. Law & Order: SVU fans, rejoice! On Sunday, Mariska Hargitay posted a selfie with Christopher Meloni to her Instagram and added the caption: 'It's on.' The post appears to be a confirmation of what Meloni hinted at earlier this month - that his return as the headliner of a new Law & order spin-off will include a reunion with his former on-screen partner and co-star. Reunion confirmation: Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay posted a selfie with Christopher Meloni to her Instagram on Sunday and added the caption: 'It's on' In the snap, the two smile into the camera as they touch heads and Hargitay holds onto Meloni's hand as he puts one arm around her. The actor starred for 12 seasons as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler and his partnership with Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson was one of the most successful in TV history. Meloni, however, walked away from the Dick Wolf procedural in 2011. Hargitay remained, with her character now heading up the Special Victims Unit and the record-breaking NBC drama is now is going into its 22nd season with the actress in the lead role. Exited: Meloni and Hargitay originated the roles of Elliott Stabler and Olivia Benson in Dick Wolf's Law & Order: SVU. But Meloni walked away in 2011 after 12 seasons Star power: Hargitay remained, with her character now heading up the Special Victims Unit and the NBC drama is now is going into its 22nd season with the actress in the lead role Back in harness: Meloni returns this fall as Detective Stabler In Law & Order: Organized Crime in which he heads up an elite squad tasked with taking down NYC's crime syndicates In an interview with the NY Post, published on July 7, Meloni promised that when his Law & Order: SVU character returns to TV this fall, he will reunite with Hargitay's Olivia Benson. 'It just has to be. Benson and Stabler are inextricably linked, locked and connected,' Meloni, 59, told th Post. In Law & Order: Organized Crime, Detective Stabler returns to head up an elite squad tasked with taking down New York's City's most powerful crime syndicates. He's back on the job comes 'after a devastating personal loss', according to NBC, and the series follows him as he aims 'to find absolution and rebuild his life'. Meloni suggested the eagerness of fans to see Stabler and Benson back together will lead to multiple crossovers between Law & Order: SVU and the upcoming new spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime. 'I think there is truly and deeply a worthwhile, inherent drama in exploring that relationship and the complexity of how Stabler left the unresolved emotions both characters feel and how the fans feel,' Meloni said. The new show is scheduled to premiere in the fall on Thursdays at 10 p.m. right after Law & Order: SVU. Production, however, has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. About 20 people, including two district police chiefs, have been killed in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan as fighting rages in the war-torn country, authorities said Sunday. On Sunday morning, three Taliban militants were killed, and two militants, one Afghan Local Police (ALP) constable and a civilian were wounded during a clash at an ALP checkpoint in Archi district of northern Kunduz province, ALP commander in Archi Mohammad Amin told Xinhua. Two of the slain militants had recently been freed from Kunduz provincial jail on parole, Amin added. Two Taliban militants were killed and one police officer wounded after they attacked a police checkpoint with guns in Nahri Saraaj district of southern Helmand province earlier on Sunday. Four Afghan police officers, including a district police chief, were killed in an improvised bomb explosion in Sarobi, a district in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province. "On Saturday night, Darya Khan Talash, police chief of Sarobi, and three district police officers were martyred following an improvised bomb explosion along a road in Sarobi," provincial police spokesman Shah Mahmoud Arian told Xinhua. A police vehicle was destroyed, he said, adding, "The martyred police officers were on the way to a scene where Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint in surrounding areas of Sarobi. They were part of a unit of responding police." The deceased police chief had served as police officer in ranks of Afghan National Police for 18 years. In southern Zabul province, similar to Sarobi attack, Sahib Jan, police chief of Naw Bahar district and one police officer were killed and six police personnel wounded in two separate incidents on Saturday. "Sahib Jan was martyred and four police wounded following a Taliban improvised bomb explosion in Shahr-e-Safa locality of Zabul. One police officer was killed and two wounded in Zabul's Shamulzay district," local TV channel Tolo News reported. Taliban militants have frequently used the tactic by initiating an attack and targeting responding groups of security forces by improvised bombs or direct ambushes. In a separate development, three pro-government militiamen and three Taliban militants were killed, and three fighters and a militant were wounded during clashes at a security checkpoint in Qara Bagh district of eastern Ghani province Saturday night, Wahidullah Jumazada, spokesman of the provincial government, told Xinhua. Also on Saturday evening, three civilians were killed, and eight civilians and one policeman wounded after a Taliban rocket struck near a district office building of Tagab district in eastern Kapisa province, Shahiq Shorash from the provincial police told Xinhua. In early March, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani issued a decree to release 5,000 Taliban inmates on parole, and the Taliban agreed to release 1,000 soldiers. The exchange of prisoners was part of a peace deal inked between the Taliban and the United States in Qatar in February. More than 4,400 Taliban prisoners and over 840 Afghan security forces have been released by the two sides so far. Afghan leaders, including President Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban reduce violence and agree to a ceasefire since February. The militants, however, have intensified fight-and-run attacks, killing and injuring scores of servicemen and civilians. In the meantime, Ghani and Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah held a telephone discussion with U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Friday, discussing security issues and the need to urgently start peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, reported local Ariana News TV. O'Brien was quoted in the report as saying the United States supported a united, sovereign and democratic Afghanistan that will not become a safe haven for terrorism. The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, who collapsed at the public he... The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, who collapsed at the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC had been sick. Director, Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, Charles Obi Odili disclosed this in a statement obtained in Port Harcourt. The statement says Prof. Pondei who had been ill for more than 2 weeks ignored his doctors advice to honour the National Assembly. Odili stated that it was unfair to hold Pondei personally liable for acts which took place when he was not the head of the Commission. This morning, his condition deteriorated, and his doctors advised against attending the hearing. However, he ignored his doctors advice because of the realisation that his traducers will use his absence at the hearing to soil his name and reputation. He thought he could make it through the hearing and take care of his health later. As it turned out, his doctors were right. Prof Pondei is in a stable condition at a clinic in Abuja. Given this incident, the Commission wishes to make the following points: Prof Prondei became Ag Managing Director of NDDC on February 20, 2020. By May 5, the two arms of the National Assembly ordered a probe of his tenure of exactly 74 days at the time, two-third of which was spent under COVID-19 lockdown conditions. 100 percent increase in train fare is unjust, insensitive - Shehu Sani NEWS:100 percent increase in train fare is unjust, insensitive - Shehu Sani Prof Pondei, as the Managing Director of the Commission, has an official duty to answer for the activities of the Commission like what happened between 2008 2012 which is the subject of another hearing based on the auditor generals report for the period. When the two arms of the National Assembly called for a probe, it was over a missing N40 billion. The Commission took the rare step of publishing all payments made by it under Prof Pondei. No organisation in Nigeria, public or private has ever got to that level of transparency in our national history. As this publication undermined the claims of his accusers, the subject of the public hearing changed to financial recklessness. While this might appear insignificant, it amounted to changing the goalposts to smear a clean man. While misappropriation of N40 billion is a matter demanding objective proof, the question of financial recklessness is one open to subjective judgement, the statement reads. The Commission who expressed delighted that Hon Olubunmi Ojo, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC has recused himself from the hearing, suggested that everyone should be made to answer for his role in the misappropriation of the resources of the Commission since its creation. The European Commission has confirmed that a grant of 8.8m for a Kildare line DART upgrade has been awarded under the EU's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The DART Expansion Programme aims to create a full metropolitan area DART network for Dublin and includes upgrades on the Kildare, Maynooth and M3 Parkway on the Maynooth/Sligo Line, as well as new stations to inter-exchange with bus, LUAS and Metro networks. The 8.8m upgrade will provide services to Drogheda on the Northern Line and Celbridge/Hazelhatch on the Kildare Line. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the news and said that the DART Expansion will double the capacity of Irelands rail network. Read More DART Expansion is set to double the capacity of our rail network and will facilitate an important reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a shift towards a climate resilient society. For the Kildare line, the project will facilitate more services, greater capacity and electrification, as well as enhancing the infrastructure into Heuston Station - one of the busiest rail corridors in the country, he said. Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said that the government is committed to prioritising plans for major public transport projects. The current rail system in Dublin is approaching capacity, and without investment, will leave the railway struggling to accommodate the population growth projected for the region. I am pleased that this project has secured financial backing from the EU, she said. The support for this Design phase continues the support we have seen over decades from the European Union for the development of rail infrastructure and services in Ireland, added Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnrod Eireann. Just 14 out of 167 people convicted of animal cruelty in Northern Ireland over the past three years were given custodial sentences, it has emerged. Seventy-seven fines were handed out during the same period and 45 people were banned from keeping animals in 2018 alone. In one example, a mother and daughter from Belfast who allowed two dogs to starve to death were ordered to complete 150 hours of community service. In another case in Newry last year, a dog burned with acid had to be put down because of the severity of its injuries. The DUP's Robin Newton, who obtained the figures, tabled a series of Assembly questions to learn more about the details of the 14 custodial sentences. The former Assembly speaker also called for a crackdown on animal abuse. "There must be no tolerance of animal cruelty - and that message must be delivered through the courts," the East Belfast MLA said. "Evil people attacking or abusing animals will not go unpunished. "While 14 custodial sentences may seem to be small out of the overall number of convictions, it is very hard to draw proper conclusions without knowing the details of each case. "I am passionate about the protection of animals and I have asked further questions to get more details. "On a positive note, I welcome the fact that acts of cruelty to animals are being punished by a custodial sentence. "I remember previous cases where there were outrageous acts against defenceless household pets, yet the culprits were given a mere slap on the wrist." Mr Newton also conceded, however, that the picture had improved considerably since the introduction of cruelty legislation, which was most recently updated in 2015. "For too long animal cruelty was not given the kind of attention it deserved," he said. "Cruelty of any kind needs challenged head-on and tackled by the authorities." The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals has called on the Executive to set up an official register of animal abusers. Two missiles hit Baghdads Green Zone, near the U.S. embassy, Iraqs Al Sumaria television channel reported. One more missile fired at central Baghdad exploded in another quarter of the Green Zone, Al Sumaria said citing a source in the Iraqi security agencies. According to the source, it was impossible to spot the site where the missiles had been fired from. No data about casualties or damages were immediately available. According to the television channel, the missile attack was staged when Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was visiting the Iraqi capital. At the very moment of the attack, the Iranian top diplomat was finishing a series of talks with the Iraqi top officials in the Green Zone. SHELTON Firefighters quickly put out a small blaze at a house on Hill Street Sunday afternoon, according to officials. Shelton Fire Department Deputy Chief Paul Wilson said the department responded to the call shortly after 4 p.m. He said the house was on the 100 block of Hill Street. Wilson said the first firefighters on the scene reported heavy smoke coming from the home. He said Assistant Fire Chief Mike Plavcan called for mutual aid from the Derby Fire Department, adding that the fire was quickly put out. The fire was in a 4-by-12 crawl space to the right side of the front stairs, said Wilson, adding that firefighters stretched a 1-3/4-inch fire hose to help in extinguishing the blaze. Wilson said the fire moved to the first floor floor boards and deck. According to Wilson, there were no injuries from the fire and the family living there was not displaced. The fire is under investigation by the fire marshals office. We know that traditionally, African Americans have poorer health outcomes across every age strata you can look at, said Olubukola Nafiu, the lead researcher and an anesthesiologist at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. One of the explanations thats usually given for that, among many, is that African American patients tend to have higher comorbidities. They tend to be sicker. Seated outdoors in the waterfront restaurants of Platja dAro, a municipality in Spains Costa Brava, are not the usual international tourists. This year, its visitors from Catalonia, especially Barcelona, who have come to the coastal town for a holiday. The change comes after the Catalan regional government recommended that residents of Barcelona and its metropolitan area, Figueres and Vilafant in Girona province and the city of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, stay at home and avoid traveling to second residences in a bid to curb the rising coronavirus numbers. But some residents have interpreted this news as a call to take a quick holiday before authorities introduce a formal ban on travel. We have not gone on vacation, we have four children between the two of us and this is the first break without them since everything began Barcelona resident Angels Everything has changed. In the month of July, it was usually foreign tourists who came in larger numbers, but this year it has been very slow. So, during the week its calm and on the weekends its really busy. Those who have come from Barcelona this weekend say that it could be their last, and that they wanted to take advantage in case they are confined again, explains Bryan, the manager of M&B restaurant, which is crowded with patrons, like every other establishment on the same street and in the main artery of town, Nuestra Senora del Carme. While the Catalan government has insisted that the limitation on movement was a recommendation, and not a confinement order or ban, there are concerns that mandatory lockdown rules will soon be introduced. It was these fears that prompted Paco and Angels to book an apartment in Platja dAro this week. Yes, we know that they recommended against leaving because there are outbreaks in Barcelona but we decided to give ourselves a weekend of freedom precisely in case they confine us, says Angels. We have not gone on vacation, we have four children between the two of us and this is the first break without them since everything began. It was necessary. We wear a face mask, we keep a safe distance and we dont go out in groups, adds Paco. A couple on Plajta d'Aro. Toni Ferragut Another couple from Barcelona is walking out of a small hotel on the beach. They had made the booking for the weekend 10 days ago and decided to come to Platja dAro despite the recommendations against travel. They have to say things clearly. Its a recommendation, not a ban, says Laura. Cristina, a resident of Barcelona, also decided not to change her plans to go visit her mother in Castell dAro, another municipality on the Costa Brava. Seated with three friends in an outdoor cafe in Platja dAro, she agrees that the messages from the Catalan government have been inconsistent. We strictly followed the [three-month] lockdown [implemented in mid-March], we are taking every precaution, now we are going to the beach at 9am to avoid people. We are not meeting in large numbers, she says. If the Catalan government believes we must not leave under any circumstance, they have to explain that and argue why. Until then, common sense and prudence must prevail. Of course there is a little fear of contagion, but if Barcelona is confined, things will be terrible, argues David, the owner of Montbarmar restaurant, who explains that business in the area was devastated by the coronavirus lockdown in Spain, which was one of the strictest in the world. Platja dAro is a popular holiday destination for residents of Barcelona, especially those who bought second homes in the town during the 1980s. Locals in the area could not say whether more or less visitors from the Catalan capital had come last weekend than others. On Friday, 416,000 cars left Barcelona, a drop of just 10% compared to a normal weekend in summer. Perhaps there were fewer [visitors from Barcelona], but it was hardly noticeable. There are families or parts of them, who have already settled in. The grandparents stay with the children and the parents go in and out to work. Others work remotely, says Mari Carmen Miquel, the head of the boutique Marcfranc, which has also seen a spike in visitors over the weekend and a fall during the week. Unlike the beaches of Barcelona, several of which had to be closed last weekend, there is no problem with overcrowding in Platja dAro and safe distances can be easily respected even on a sunny day in July. English version by Melissa Kitson. Kanye West needs help. Urgently. He's not a presidential candidate - he's a very sick man having a very nasty 'episode'. The rap star's performance last night at his supposed 'campaign rally' in Charleston was one of the most shocking and disturbing celebrity meltdowns I've witnessed, and whilst it's easy to laugh and mock him, I genuinely believe it's now too serious to do that. It wasn't just his wild rambling delivery that was so unsettling. We've seen this kind of thing many times from Kanye before and most of it smacks of attention-seeking narcissism. What was so troubling about this one was what he was actually saying. He warmed up with an appalling attack on famed slave abolitionist Harriet Tubman, saying she 'never actually freed the slaves. She just had the slaves go work for other white people.' This about a woman who repeatedly risked her life, with a massive bounty on her head, to free at least 300 slaves over a 10-year period. Kanye West's performance last night at his supposed 'campaign rally' in Charleston was one of the most shocking and disturbing celebrity meltdowns I've witnessed, and whilst it's easy to laugh and mock him, I genuinely believe it's now too serious to do that Kanye West needs his wife to stop posting titillating pictures of herself to millions of strangers long enough to force him to get the help everyone can see he so urgently requires Kanye, wearing a bulletproof vest and with '2020' shaved into his head, said his then girlfriend, now wife, Kim Kardashian, rang him in tears when he was working abroad eight years ago to tell him that she was pregnant with their daughter North, and that she had the abortion pills in her hand when he had a 'divine intervention' The couple now have four children, including North, 7, Saint, Chicago, 2, and Psalm, 1 Yet astonishingly, this wasn't even the most offensive thing Kanye spewed out last night. That came when he suddenly turned to the subject of abortion. Kanye, wearing a bulletproof vest and with '2020' shaved into his head, said his then girlfriend, now wife, Kim Kardashian, rang him in tears when he was working abroad eight years ago. 'In the Bible it says thou shalt not kill,' he said. 'I remember that my girlfriend called me screaming and crying. And I'm just thinking - and at that time I was a rapper, I was out there, I had different girlfriends and everything. And I was like.. I don't give a f***. So, my girlfriend called me, and I just thought to myself, 'Please don't tell me I gave Kim Kardashian AIDS.' Some of the 200-strong crowd groaned, others actually cheered this horribly inappropriate remark. (Can you even imagine the horror and outrage from those cheering if Donald Trump ever said something like that?) He continued: 'Then she said, 'I'm pregnant.' I said, 'Yes!' Then I said, 'No.' I gotta tell you what was in my mind. She was crying. She said she was pregnant, and for one month, and two months, and three months, we talked about her not having this child. She had the pills in her hand. When you take the pills, and if you take it, the baby's gone.' Kanye said he eventually got divine intervention to tell him what to do. 'I was sitting up in Paris, and I had my leather pants on. I had my laptop up.. and the screen went black and white. And God said, 'If you f*** with my vision, I'm going to f*** with yours.' And I called my wife and she said, 'We're gonna have this babywe're gonna have this child.' He added: 'Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didn't want to. She stood up and she protected that child.' After his outburst, Kanye began to cry, and shriek in a voice so high-pitched it was impossible to work out what he was saying, until he suddenly became very clear: 'I almost killed my daughter! I ALMOST KILLED MY DAUGHTER!' Whatever your view of abortion, that's a very hurtful thing for any child to learn at that age, let alone one who will now have to see and hear the world gossiping about it because her mother and father are so famous As the crowd cheered again, Kanye became even more emotional: 'You know who else protected a child? Who do you think might have protected a child? My mom saved my life. My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There would have been no Kanye West, because my dad was too busy!' At that point Kanye began to cry, and shriek in a voice so high-pitched it was impossible to work out what he was saying, until he suddenly became very clear: 'I almost killed my daughter! I ALMOST KILLED MY DAUGHTER!' 'We love you Kanye!' some members of the crowd shouted back, suggesting there is no limit to their blind adoration of their hero. I didn't love Kanye in that moment. In fact, I found the whole thing utterly horrifying and cringe-making. What kind of husband and father starts screaming hysterically on live TV about nearly aborting one of their children? The daughter he was talking about was the couple's first born, North, who is now seven years old. My own daughter is eight, very computer literate, and picks up everything and everything said about her. North will now know that for months before she was born, her parents contemplated aborting her. Whatever your view of abortion, that's a very hurtful thing for any child to learn at that age, let alone one who will now have to see and hear the world gossiping about it because her mother and father are so famous. And did Kanye give a moment's thought to what his wife may think of this bombshell revelation becoming public knowledge in such a grotesque way? Where is Kim in all this, anyway? I know her own publicity-seeking shamelessness knows no bounds, and that she gets a kick and enormous financial reward - out of the world talking about the most intimate details of her family, however ugly the reasons. But what happened last night is beyond a joke. Her husband is beyond a joke. Where is Kim in all this, anyway? I know her own publicity-seeking shamelessness knows no bounds, and that she gets a kick and enormous financial reward - out of the world talking about the most intimate details of her family, however ugly the reasons Kim Kardashian must do something that she has so far in her life shown zero desire or ability to do: take a family crisis back behind closed doors and save her husband from himself He's a mentally ill man with a lengthy history of bi-polar episodes who is currently self-imploding before the public's eyes in a way that should horrify any wife. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that Kanye's absurd announcement several weeks ago that he was running for president one an ecstatic Kim greeted with an emoji of an American flag - was going to blow up like this. Yet her only public pronouncements in recent days have been to post more semi-naked photos of herself on social media from her new underwear collection, to drive yet further vast wads of cash into the Kardashian bank vaults. We're told by TMZ that Kanye's family is 'shocked beyond words' by his abortion rant and believe he is 'desperate need of professional help.' Yes, he is. But he's getting no help from anyone who claims to love him. They're all just sitting back and watching him humiliate himself on a massive stage. What Kanye West needs is an intervention. He doesn't need his fans screaming 'I LOVE YOU!' He needs them screaming 'GET HIM HELP!' He doesn't need his family anonymously briefing a tabloid website about how shocked they are. He needs his family to step up, stop enabling this cr*p, and do something. Most importantly Kanye West needs his wife to stop posting titillating pictures of herself to millions of strangers long enough to force him to get the help everyone can see he so urgently requires. 'They're going to try to tell you that I'm crazy!' Kanye screamed last night. 'The world's crazy! He's right on both counts. Kim Kardashian must do something that she has so far in her life shown zero desire or ability to do: take a family crisis back behind closed doors and save her husband from himself. Last week, the United Kingdom banned Huawei from its 5G telecom network, reversing an earlier decision to allow the Chinese tech giant a limited role in building the country's super-fast wireless infrastructure. CCP's mouthpiece Global Times on Monday, citing scholars said that the move can have a "devastating consequences" on bilateral ties and on Britain's economy. 'Largest recipient of Chinese investment' Chinese officials have criticized the UK's decision and vowed to take "all necessary measures" to protect Chinese businesses. Though Chinese officials have not announced specific measures, they have stressed that the move has seriously undermined mutual trust and Chinese businesses' confidence in the UK market. An article in Global Times says that in a recent interview with the Times, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming hinted that Chinese investments into the UK could be at risk as Chinese companies are wary of Huawei's treatment by the UK. "In the past 10 years. Chinese investment in the UK increased 20 timesThis is a big opportunity for UK," Liu said, noting that with $20 billion Chinese investment, the UK is the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Europe, according to a transcript published by the embassy on Sunday. "I think UK really missed the opportunities." The reports state that apart from the massive investment from Beijing, China was the UK's second-largest trading partner after the US in 2018, with two-way trade reaching 68.3 billion pounds ($85.78 billion), according to UK official data. 'UK appears to be keen to join US' Chinese students also contribute at least 1.7 billion pounds a year to UK universities, according to the UK's National Institute of Economic and Social Research, which warned a trade conflict with China could result in a 90% fall in UK trade and a 0.75% drop in GDP. READ | US to impose visa bans on some employees of Huawei over human rights abuse in China In what appears like a warning, the mouthpiece, citing various "scholars" and "experts", said that "the risk of long-term damage to bilateral ties and business deals is increased, not just over Huawei but an increasing number of issues, including Hong Kong and the South China Sea, where the UK appears to be keen to join the US and interfere." READ | China slams US clampdown on Huawei, accuses UK of having no 'autonomy on the issue' Huawei's statement on 5G ban Expressing disappointment over UK's decision to ban it from 5G networks, Huawei in a statement issued in Beijing said, "This disappointing decision is bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone. It threatens to move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide." READ | UK asks Japan to help build its 5G wireless networks without Huawei "Instead of 'levelling up', the government is levelling down and we urge them to reconsider. We remain confident that the new US restrictions would not have affected the resilience or security of the products we supply to the UK," it said. Huawei said its future in the UK has become "politicised". "This is about US trade policy and not security," the statement said. READ | China to take 'necessary measures' to safeguard its interests after UK's Huawei ban (With agency inputs) Government has implemented stricter COVID-19 alert level 3 regulations as the country enters the peak of its battle against the virus. These regulations include a national curfew and a ban on alcohol sales and distribution. Many may wonder if these changes will affect the delivery services they use on a regular basis. MyBroadband has therefore asked some of South Africas most popular delivery companies what the new regulations mean for their operations. Uber Eats Uber Eats told MyBroadband that because of the national alcohol ban, it no longer offers alcohol deliveries on its app. In terms of the curfew, Uber Eats said it is working to seek clarification on the restaurant trading hours announced by President Ramaphosa, and said it will announce its actions in due course. Delivery people will still be able to accept delivery requests from 07:00 21:00 daily, Uber Eats said. Outside of these hours, the Uber Eats app will be unavailable. Drivers and delivery people have permits and are required to keep them in case they need to show them, said Uber. Uber will continue to operate as normal at all times across South Africa, however, riders travelling during the curfew will need to ensure they have the relevant permits in line with government regulations. Bolt Business Delivery Bolt told MyBroadband that nearly all of the businesses it works with operate during the day. This means that the curfew will have minimal impact on Bolt Business Delivery. The alcohol ban will not have any effect on Bolt Business Delivery, as the category had not yet engaged with alcohol vendors to provide a delivery service, Bolt said. Pargo Pargo said that one of the bigger effects the national curfew will have on its business is that customers will not be able to collect their orders from its pickup points whenever they want. In Pargos vast nationwide network of 2,500 Pickup Points, some operate 24/7, Pargo explained. Now that the curfew is in place, consumers will not have the same freedom to collect their orders whenever they please. Pargo added that it will not deliver alcohol to any of its pickup points because of the national alcohol ban. Overall we do not expect too much of an impact from these new regulations, said Pargo CEO Lars Veul. We have seen a surge in Ecommerce deliveries over the last few months and expect these to keep growing due to the safety and convenience online shopping offers. Parcelninja Parcelninja told MyBroadband that no negative impact is being incurred by the business as the result of the lockdown. We continue with our existing protocols together with our courier partners, said ParcelNinja. Now read: Nissan unveils electric crossover SUV The Honda Checkered Flag Event is taking place right now at Steele Honda Right now, Steele Honda is hosting its Honda Checkered Flag Event and promoting this event to drivers in the St. Johns area. Drivers in the area can visit Steele Honda to take advantage of current special lease offers and bonus cash. Several Honda models are available with special incentives during the Honda Checkered Flag Event. Drivers can lease a 2020 Honda CR-V LX 2WD CVT from $80 on a weekly lease. With this offer, drivers do not have to pay any down payment or security deposit. Plus, customers who purchase a 2020 Honda CR-V during the event could be eligible for a $750 CR-V bonus. Steele Honda encourages interested drivers to get in contact with any questions about its special offers. Another Honda vehicle that is on sale during the event is the 2020 Honda Accord Sedan LX CVT. This model can be leased starting from $85 on a weekly lease. Customers will not be asked to pay down payment or security deposit for this incentive. Plus, the price includes freight and P.D.I. Steele Honda is also advertising their current special offer for the 2020 Honda Civic Sedan DX 6MT. During the event, drivers in the area can start leasing a 2020 Honda Civic for just $52 on a weekly lease. Again, there is no down payment or security deposit. With this model, customers can get a $1,000 Civic bonus when they sign during the Honda Checkered Flag Event. Interested drivers are encouraged to visit the dealership in St. Johns or to call the dealership at 709-579-1999 to learn more about the special offers and applying for financing at Steele Honda. More information can be found on the dealership's website, steelehonda.com PONTIAC, MI -- An in-person review hearing is set Monday morning for a 15-year-old girl who was placed in custody for not completing schoolwork. Oakland County Judge Mary Ellen Brennan denied an emergency motion by the teens attorney for release, but the review hearing is set for 10 a.m. July 20. ProPublica reported that the 15-year-old girl -- only identified as Grace -- has been in Oakland Countys Childrens Village since mid-May for violating probation in a case involving allegations of assault and theft. A judge cited a failure to submit to any schoolwork and getting up for school. The girl was a high school sophomore at Groves High School in the Birmingham Public School District when she was charged with assault and theft last year. She was placed on probation in mid-April and, among other requirements, was to complete her schoolwork. School disagrees with judge who locked teen up over online schoolwork The teen, who has ADHD and receives special education services, struggled with the transition to online learning and fell behind. Finding the girl had violated probation, Brennan on May 14 sentenced her to detention. From the start of the pandemic, the district sought to hold students harmless given the challenging, virtual learning environment they were thrust in due to no fault of their own, spokeswoman Anne Cron said July 16. The district maintains that belief today. Brennan said the Groves High School student was a threat to the community based on an assault allegation involving her mother, the Associated Press reported. The judge told the girl in May that she was sending her to Children's Village to get treatment and services. Brennan has declined to comment on the case but her husband defended her. Ed Lennon, an attorney, said his wife was concerned about the safety of the girls mother during a statewide stay-at-home order related to COVID-19. The "mother may potentially be subject to more assaults by her daughter" if the two had been allowed to continue living together, Lennon said. We remain hopeful that Judge Brennan reconsiders her earlier decision, and releases Grace back into the care of her mother, said Jonathan C. Biernat, the attorney for Grace. A statement released by Graces mother reads: While we attempt to untangle the web that now confines my daughter and keeps her away from me, her family and the support that she needs, I want to thank the seemingly endless number of people--including numerous elected officials-- who have expressed their concern and offered their support at the rallies. This situation is an emotional challenge, but is also a window into the brokenness that demands and deserves attention and repair as to prevent other children and families from being negatively impacted by a system that is supposed to offer protection and support. The Oakland County Prosecutors Office has July 24 to respond to the attorneys request for expedited reconsideration in the case. The court will then issue a written opinion on the request. A Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police vehicle is parked on the other side of a tape police line along the Tidal Basin, in Washington on March 23, 2020. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo) One Killed, 8 Others Injured in Washington Shooting At least one man died and eight others were wounded Sunday in Washington, D.C. after three men opened fire on a busy street in the citys Columbia Heights neighborhood, police said. Nine victimseight men and one womanwere rushed to local hospitals following the incident just before 5 p.m. on 14th Street and Spring Road, Police Chief Peter Newsham said during a press briefing at the scene. One of the victims was later pronounced dead. As of Sunday evening, two others were in serious condition, Newsham said, noting that the remaining five shooting victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. This type of brazen daylight activity in a very, very busy block Im sure was scary for this community, Newsham said. They are putting everyone in this community in jeopardy. 7.19.20 Chief Newsham provides update regarding shooting that occurred at 14th Street & Spring Road, NW. thank https://t.co/CiP0gU1uZV DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 19, 2020 He said police are searching for three black male suspects in what is believed to be a targeted attack. Two of the men were heavily armed with long guns, while the other had a pistol, Newsham said. The three men came out of a vehicle and ran down the block before opening fire on a group of people, he continued. Shooting Investigation at the intersection of 14th Street NW and Spring Road NW. L/O for 3 B/Ms, 2 wearing all black with black hoodies and 1 wearing a grey hoodie, the D.C. Police Department said on Twitter. Last seen in a dark blue or black vehicle with tinted windows going N/B 14th St NW. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911. Shooting Investigation at the intersection of 14th Street NW and Spring Road NW. L/O for 3 B/Ms, 2 wearing all black with black hoodies and 1 wearing a grey hoodie. Last seen in a dark blue or black vehicle with tinted windows going N/B 14th St NW. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 19, 2020 Newsham said it appeared multiple victims were targeted in the attack, which appeared to stem from a crew dispute. He said some of the victims were known to law enforcement. Were familiar with some of the players, he added. The Epoch Times contacted the Metropolitan Police Department for comment, but did not hear back prior to publication. Its ridiculous, its absolutely ridiculous that anyone would do that in broad daylight, Newsham said, recalling the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Davon McNeal in Southeast D.C. over the July 4 weekend. We cant have that. Innocent people could get killed, he continued. You start shooting like this, theres high potential that somebody else could get hit and very seriously hurt. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser told reporters at the scene that investigators were working hard to bring people to justice. The shooting comes amid a recent surge in violence across major U.S. cities. I think its shocking, Bowser said. Everybody should be outraged that in the daytime when people are frequenting our restaurants, frequenting our businesses, that there could be an attack. According to police figures, Washington has seen 103 homicides so far this yearsome 23 percent higher than the citys homicide total at this time in 2019. Newsham last week called the D.C. murder rate at this point in the year disturbing. I think weve talked about the increase in gun violence in our city for the last three years, Newsham said during a news conference on July 13. Its really kind of troubling because if you look at violent crime in our city, every other category of violent crime, weve had significant progress in reducing those numbers across the city, and its the gun violence thats the challenge I think we all need to tackle. We dont have a magic wand to stop this, but we definitely need to think about what were doing right now, because its not working, Newsham added. The police chief urged anyone with information connected to Sundays shooting incident to contact the D.C. police department on (202) 727-9099. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has introduced new Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kyrylo Shevchenko and said he supported his independence. The event was broadcast live on the head of state's Facebook page. "Today I am glad to officially introduce the new chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, Kyrylo Shevchenko," Zelensky said. He stressed that he supports the importance of the independence of the NBU governor. At the same time, Zelensky noted that in addition to independence, the NBU head must have three important qualities - professionalism, courage, and responsibility. "I am convinced that Mr. Shevchenko is just such a person," Zelensky said. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint Shevchenko governor of the National Bank of Ukraine. Prior to that, Shevchenko held the post of Ukrgasbank CEO from May 2015. Earlier, the NBU was headed by Yakiv Smolii, who submitted a statement of resignation to the president on July 1 due to "systematic political pressure." On July 3, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Smolii as NBU governor. op Several prominent Muslim American elected officials endorsed Joe Biden for president in a letter organised by Emgage Action before an online summit on Monday that featured the presumptive Democratic nominee. Among those signing the letter are Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Indiana Congressman Andre Carson, all Democrats. Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, served as a high-profile surrogate for Bernie Sanders before he exited the presidential race in April making her support for Biden potentially helpful as the former vice president seeks to mobilise Muslim voters for this election. The letter coincides with a summit that Emgage Action has titled, Million Muslim Votes, underscoring its emphasis on boosting Muslim turnout in November. Biden addressed the gathering on Monday. US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, was among several Muslim American US politicians who endorsed Joe Biden on Monday [File: Erin Scott/Reuters] Joe Bidens presence serves not only to galvanise Muslim Americans to cast their ballots, but to usher in an era of engaging with Muslim American communities under a Biden administration, said Wael Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action. We anticipate that a Biden administration would provide Muslim American communities platforms to speak on issues affecting us, represent us within the administration and in policymaking discourses. The pro-Biden letter from Muslim American elected officials decried a number of President Donald Trumps domestic and international policies, including his administrations ban on travellers from several predominantly Muslim countries and his pullout from the Iran nuclear deal. Our number one goal is to remove Donald Trump from office and to replace him with someone who can begin to heal our nation, the letter said. A Biden administration will move the nation forward on many of the issues we care about, it said, citing racial justice, affordable healthcare, climate change and immigration. In 2000, the GOP nominee George W Bush courted Muslims far more than the Democrat (even visited a mosque in Michigan) but that relationship didnt last. https://t.co/ZZlWMxVGcv Asma Khalid (@asmamk) July 20, 2020 The Muslim American officials also praised Bidens agenda for their communities. Among other goals, Biden has pledged to rescind the Trump administrations travel ban affecting Muslims on day one if hes elected, a pledge he repeated in his address to the summit on Monday. Biden told the summit that no group has felt the sting of Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric more than Muslim-Americans. Muslim communities were the first to feel Donald Trumps assault on Black and brown communities in this country with his vile Muslim ban, Biden said. That fight was the opening barrage in what has been nearly four years of constant pressure and insults, and attacks against Muslim American communities. Biden told the group he would seek out Muslims to serve in his administration and work with Congress to pass new legislation abolishing religious and racial profiling by authorities. Hes making a mockery of what we stand for, Biden said of his Republican opponent. We can do something about it. Im here today to ask you to join me in the fight to rip this poison from the government root and stem, or as the famous case said, root and branch. Other state- and local-level Muslim American officials signing onto the pro-Biden letter hail from 10 states, including Michigan a state where Alzayat said he believes there are more than 150,000 registered Muslim voters. Those numbers in a swing state that Trump won by fewer than 11,000 votes make Emgages goal of maximising Muslim voter turnout especially powerful in Michigan, but the group also has chapters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida. A lot is at stake, Alzayat said. The importance of Muslim American voter participation in this upcoming election cycle is greater than it has ever been. Youssef Chouhoud, assistant professor of political science at Christopher Newport University, said Bidens appearance at Mondays summit was a very meaningful step but noted that he did not participate in a large Muslim gathering last year addressed by Sanders and another then-presidential candidate, Julian Castro. Both attended a forum held at an Islamic Society of North America convention. Many Muslim Americans have particularly lauded Sanders for the way he engaged their communities. You have this community that is kind of, you know, ripe for political engagement, Chouhoud said. Negative enthusiasm against another Trump term, he added, is going to be the glue that holds Muslim voters together. And if you make them feel valued, they are much more likely to turn out. Farooq Mitha, senior adviser for Muslim engagement with Bidens campaign, said reaching out to Muslim American voters is a priority for Biden, pointing to his own appointment as an example. The campaign has hosted events with Muslim Americans and met with community leaders over the past months, he said. A Biden presidency offers Muslims an opportunity to be engaged with government, rather than being shut out like many other groups that have been alienated and demonized by the Trump administration, he said in response to emailed questions. Muslim communities can have an outsized impact in many states and we are working every day to earn their support. Love Island's Marcel Somerville has announced that his girlfriend Rebecca Vieria is pregnant with his first child. The Blazin' Squad star, 34, also emotionally revealed that the happy news comes one year after his influencer girlfriend tragically suffered a miscarriage. Marcel, who recently nearly died after a scary hospital stint, shared that he discovered he was going to be a father while recording in the studio. Oh baby! Love Island's Marcel Somerville has announced that his girlfriend Rebecca Vieria is pregnant with his first child (pictured in 2019) The couple are yet to find out the gender of their first child together and are going to their first scan next week. He told OK! Magazine: 'I was in the studio with my headphones on and she tapped me on the shoulder. 'She had loads of pregnancy tests in her hand, just to make doubly sure. It was crazy! It's my first baby and I've been waiting a long time for this, so it's just mad.' Upsetting: The Blazin' Squad star, 34, also emotionally revealed that the happy news comes one year after Rebecca tragically suffered a miscarriage Marcel and Rebecca have been together for 14 months, they celebrated their one-year anniversary in May. They first met at a London nightclub in 2018. The couple revealed that they had been trying for a baby for months and it 'took a little while' to get pregnant after they tragically suffered a miscarriage. Marcel shared that their miscarriage happened 'very early' in the relationship and that the ordeal brought them closer together. Lovely stuff: Marcel, who recently nearly died after a scary hospital stint, shared that he discovered he was going to be a father while recording in the studio He told the magazine: 'We both took it really badly. It took a little while for us to get over it, but it did make us stronger because when you go through something like that, it makes you be there for the other person.' The couple added that they 'still worry' during their current pregnancy and that Rebecca took '100 tests' to make sure she was pregnant. It's happy news all-round for the cast of Love Island 2017 as Marcel's co-star and close friend in the villa, Camilla Thurlow, is expecting her first child with beau Jamie Jewitt. Sweet: It's happy news all-round for the cast of Love Island 2017 as Marcel's co-star and close friend in the villa, Camilla Thurlow, is expecting her first child with beau Jamie Jewitt (pictured on the show) Camilla, 31, and Jamie, 30, both met on the ITV2 dating show and they announced the reality star's pregnancy in May. It comes after Marcel recently revealed that he nearly died after being rushed to A&E with COVID-19 symptoms. Talking about the scary incident during the interview, the musician revealed that he has discovered he has Type 1 diabetes and was unknowingly suffering with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Another Love Island baby! Camilla, 31, and Jamie, 30, both met on the ITV2 dating show and they announced the reality star's pregnancy in May Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. The former Blazin' Squad star gave an update from his hospital bed in June after being admitted with 'violent vomiting and passing out'. Marcel shared that it had been a 'very hard few days' and being rushed to hospital was the 'worst' moment of his life. Scary: It comes after Marcel recently revealed that he nearly died after being rushed to A&E with COVID-19 symptoms, he has since discovered he has Type 1 diabetes and was unknowingly suffering with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) The musician shared a video of himself hooked up to wires in a hospital bed as he candidly shared: 'It's been a very, very hard few days for me. Thursday was literally the worst day of my life. I nearly died.' What is diabetic ketoacidosis? Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. DKA was first described in 1886 and, until the introduction of insulin therapy in the 1920s, it was almost universally fatal. Today the risk of death with adequate and timely treatment is currently around one to four per cent. Symptoms of a DKA episode include nausea and vomiting, pronounced thirst, excessive urine production and abdominal pain. According to figures just four per cent of people with type 1 diabetes develop DKA each year. Advertisement Marcel then thanked fans for their prayers and blessings, he emotionally added: 'Keep sending them my way because I need them, thank you so much, big love, Marce.' In June, it was reported that Marcel had been rushed to hospital amid fears he had contracted COVID-19, which he has now discovered was actually Diabetic Ketoacidosis. The former Blazin' Squad star was admitted to hospital after 'violet vomiting and passing out', according to OK!. A source told the news outlet: 'Marcel has been feeling unwell for a few days and didn't have any energy. One day he vomited violently and then passed out. 'He's been admitted to hospital and has a fever and is still feeling weak. He's been in hospital for two days and they're still awaiting test results to rule out coronavirus.' MailOnline contacted a representative of Marcel Somerville for comment at the time. Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the reality star has been spending his time in lockdown with his stunning girlfriend Rebecca. While she did not publicly speak of her beau's hospitalisation, Rebecca did take to her Instagram Stories to repost his most recent snap on the image-sharing platform, along with the caption: 'Love you.' Marcel and Rebecca celebrated their one-year anniversary in May, with the muscle-bound musician posting a touching tribute to his belle on social media. Happy couple: Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the reality star has been spending his time in lockdown with his stunning girlfriend Rebecca Sharing a snap of himself planting a kiss on Rebecca's cheek, he wrote: 'Happy Anniversary @rebeccavieirax my sweetness! Mad spending our anniversary on lockdown but there's no one in the world I'd rather be spending 24/7 with mama. 'Love you so much! We've had a mad year, if they only knew! But we're here about to start the next 365 Let's Go, I'm so ready.' For her part, Rebecca uploaded an image of the pair posing for a selfie together in a car, as she stated: 'Our First Ever Anniversary... 'It's been probably the hardest year ever but throughout it all you have been by me and held me up, when I almost lost myself God sent me you and I look at you as a blessing everyday.. 'Anniversary in quarantine but your still making every second special, since midnight actually... ready for the future my life @marcel_rockyb....' London native Marcel appeared on the 2017 season of the ITV2 dating show Love Island, in which he placed fourth alongside then-girlfriend Gabby Allen. Fame: London native Marcel appeared on the 2017 season of the ITV2 dating show Love Island, in which he placed fourth alongside then-girlfriend Gabby Allen (pictured in 2018) FARMINGDALE, N.Y., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF), announced today that its subsidiary, Systems Engineering Group (SEG) in Columbia Maryland, has been awarded a $119M threat engineering task order from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) supporting SeaPort-NxG. Through this award, SEG will provide numerous threat-based engineering services including combining intelligence analysis, physics-based modeling, simulation development and software integration to support the development and testing of combat systems and weapons. SEG will also apply its knowledge and data in support of system requirements development, algorithm design and engineering performance analysis related to integrated air and missile defense, counter-hypersonics, space sensing and surface/subsurface warfare for sensors, weapons and integrated weapon systems. "We at SEG are thankful and honored to continue supporting the Navy's Threat Engineering team. Threat Engineering lies at the very heart of the Navy's Digital Engineering transformation. We and our partners are excited to provide best of breed solutions that accelerate the delivery of robustly-designed and thoroughly tested capabilities to the Navy," says Michael Anderson, Vice President and General Manager SEG. Recognized as an industry leader in the design and development of threat-based engineering products, SEG has been supporting systems and programs under this effort for the last 25 years. For information about SEG and their services, please contact Kimberly Chernick at [email protected] or visit www.telephonics.com/seg. About Systems Engineering Group (SEG) Headquartered in Columbia, MD, SEG provides sophisticated, highly technical engineering and analytic support to customers. As a leading provider of combat, radar and missile systems engineering and analysis, SEG is a key source of systems engineering expertise for U.S. integrated air and missile defense initiatives. In addition to government program offices, we also work extensively with national laboratories, the Intelligence Community and prime contractors. About Telephonics Telephonics, founded in 1933, is recognized globally as a leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions that are deployed across a wide range of land, sea and air applications. Telephonics designs, develops, manufactures and provides logistical support and lifecycle sustainment services to defence, aerospace and commercial customers worldwide. Visit us at www.telephonics.com or on our social media channels: Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn About Griffon Corporation Griffon is a diversified management and holding company that conducts business through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Griffon oversees the operations of its subsidiaries, allocates resources among them and manages their capital structures. Griffon provides direction and assistance to its subsidiaries in connection with acquisition and growth opportunities as well as in connection with divestitures. In order to further diversify, Griffon also seeks out, evaluates and, when appropriate, will acquire additional businesses that offer potentially attractive returns on capital. Griffon currently conducts its operations through three reportable segments: Consumer and Professional Products ("CPP") conducts its operations through The AMES Companies, Inc. (" AMES "). Founded in 1774, AMES is the leading North American manufacturer and a global provider of branded consumer and professional tools and products for home storage and organization, landscaping, and enhancing outdoor lifestyles. CPP sells products globally through a portfolio of leading brands including True Temper, AMES , and ClosetMaid. Companies, Inc. (" "). Founded in 1774, is the leading North American manufacturer and a global provider of branded consumer and professional tools and products for home storage and organization, landscaping, and enhancing outdoor lifestyles. CPP sells products globally through a portfolio of leading brands including True Temper, , and ClosetMaid. Home and Building Products ("HBP") conducts its operations through Clopay Corporation ("Clopay"). Founded in 1964, Clopay is the largest manufacturer and marketer of garage doors and rolling steel doors in North America . Sectional garage doors are sold to residential and commercial customers through professional dealers and leading home center retail chains throughout North America under the Clopay, Ideal, and Holmes brands. Rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use are sold under the CornellCookson brand. . Sectional garage doors are sold to residential and commercial customers through professional dealers and leading home center retail chains throughout under the Clopay, Ideal, and Holmes brands. Rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use are sold under the CornellCookson brand. Defense Electronics conducts its operations through Telephonics Corporation, founded in 1933, a globally recognized leading provider of highly sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and communications solutions for defense, aerospace and commercial customers. For more information on Griffon and its operating subsidiaries, please see the Company's website at www.griffon.com. Company Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Brian G. Harris Michael Callahan SVP & Chief Financial Officer Managing Director Griffon Corporation ICR Inc. (212) 957-5000 (203) 682-8311 Forward-Looking Statements "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Information concerning risks and uncertainties that may impact the company's results and forward-looking statements are set forth in Griffon Corporation's filings with the SEC. The company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 2020 Telephonics Corporation. 815 Broad Hollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735. All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. SOURCE Telephonics Corporation Related Links http://www.telephonics.com IRVING, Texas, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PLH Group, Inc. (" PLH Group ") today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has appointed Peter J. Sandore as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He will assume day-to-day leadership of the Company and will also join PLH Group's Board of Directors. Sandore has held key executive and operational leadership positions, as well as strategic roles advising multiple companies on performance improvement programs, corporate acquisitions and company integrations. "The Board and I are confident that Peter, a construction services industry veteran, is the right leader to take PLH Group to the next level," said Michael Caliel, PLH Group's Chairman of the Board. "As a proven and respected leader with broad industrials sector expertise, Peter has demonstrated a track record of driving operational success and profitability for public and private companies. Peter's authentic and results-oriented leadership style matches our organization and we believe this will accelerate business improvements and performance." "I am very excited to be joining PLH Group," said Peter Sandore. "The Company has a great business model that benefits from leading essential infrastructure service solutions for customers, with an extremely talented management team and a strong reputation in the industry. I believe PLH Group is well-positioned to capitalize on future growth in the electric and pipeline segments." Sandore recently advised company management teams and Boards of Directors as a management member at Business Resource Consulting, LLC. Prior to that, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer and later Chairman of the Board of Sabre Industries, Inc. Previously in his career he held senior management positions at Fansteel, The Siemon Company and American Tower. About PLH Group, Inc. PLH Group is a leading full-service construction and specialty contractor that serves the electric power and pipeline markets. PLH Group has assembled a North American team of top quality companies that deliver services covering the broad range of needs of its customers from pipeline construction and related directional drilling to electric transmission, distribution and substation construction including specialized foundations and helicopter airborne operations. Safety, expertise, and collaboration distinguish PLH Group's diversified infrastructure service solutions. For more information, visit www.plhgroupinc.com. Media Contact: Investor Relations Contact: LaElle Hartman Rick Black Hartman Brink, LLC Dennard Lascar Investor Relations 901-628-6299 713-529-6600 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE PLH Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.plhgroupinc.com Check out the news you should not miss today: Society Vietnams novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tally stood at 383 on Monday morning, with the latest case announced on Sunday. The 383th patient is a Myanmese ship crew member who entered Hon Gai Port in the northern province of Quang Ninh on June 23 and was quarantined upon arrival. Vietnam currently has 26 COVID-19 patients in treatment while 357 have beaten the disease. Police in the central province of Quang Nam on Sunday said they had quarantined 21 Chinese nationals who attempted to escape when local authorities inspected a tourism villa where they were staying in Dien Ban District on Saturday. Phu Quoc International Airport on the namesake island recently received a flight carrying 132 experts from South Korea who were put in quarantine after landing, airport director Nguyen Minh Dong said on Sunday. Nearly 100 people tested positive for narcotics after police on Sunday inspected a bar and karaoke parlor in Trang Bom District, Dong Nai Province and detained many customers suspected of using the drugs. More than 570 blood units were collected during the Hanh trinh do (Red Journey) blood donation drive jointly held by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and the provincial steering committee for blood donation in the northern province of Bac Giang on Sunday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Business Retailers in Ho Chi Minh City have reported rising purchase power for household appliances during the National Sales Promotion Month 2020 from July 1 to 31, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. More than 18,740 enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City, mostly in District 1 and Tan Binh District, stopped operating in January-June, the municipal Department of Taxation recently announced. Education The Vingroup Innovation Foundation under Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroups Big Data Institute has signed an agreement to offer a master training program with five leading universities and research institutes in Vietnam in order to improve the quality of young human resources in data science. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! DETROIT -- Michigan native Richard Wershe Jr., also known as White Boy Rick was released from a Florida halfway house Monday after spending more than three decades behind bars, according to the Associated Press. The longest serving, non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan history, will return to the state to serve 13 months on parole. Wershe, 51, spent almost 30 years behind bars in Michigan for a conviction of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver before being sent to a Florida prison. That stint in prison resulted from a car theft scheme he participated in that involved his sister and mother. Wershe was convicted on racketeering charges in 2006 while he was still in prison in Michigan. In 2017, the Michigan Parole Board voted to grant Wershe parole for his drug conviction, ending his sentence in Michigan. However, he was turned over to the U.S. Marshals and taken to Florida to serve his sentence there. Recently, Wershe was living in a halfway house in Florida while awaiting his full release. Hes anxious to get home, Wershes attorney, Ralph Musilli, said. His head is in a good place. He has a good support group here, and he is finally ready get back into the real world. Wershes life story was the inspiration for the 2018 film White Boy Rick which starred Matthew McConaughey. The film focuses on his early life and involvement as an informant for the FBI, before he was arrested on the cocaine charge. He is scheduled to be off parole on Aug. 22, 2021. The state pension age for women born in the 1950s is increasing. Since 2010, the age at which women qualify for state pension has risen from 60 to 65 years old. However, many have expressed their concerns over the changes, giving rise to movements such as the BackTo60 and Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) which claim the increase has been made unfairly. Recommended Seven women explain why they want pension age dropped to 60 The changes impact approximately 3.8 million women born in the fifties, with many saying they were not given sufficient notice to bolster savings to make up the shortfall in state pension. The issue was brought to court last year by Julie Delve and Karen Glynn - both in their 60s. But, in October 2019 it was ruled that the change was not discriminatory and their case against the government was dismissed. Now, they have escalated the case to the Court of Appeal, where they will appear on 21 July 2020. But, what does it mean? Here is everything you need to know. What is state pension? The state pension is a regular payment given to those of a certain age by the British government. This payment is intended to ensure that everyone has a solid base upon which to retire and to assist in financially supporting them. State Pension is funded through national insurance contributions and eligibility is contingent on ones own contributions. For this reason, not everyone is entitled to a state pension and you must meet the following requirements to receive it: Work in the UK Have reached state pension age Made national insurance contributions for 35 years, if you qualify after April 2016 Either pay voluntary NI or be credited with them from the government if you are not in work What is the court case about? The retirement age for women was increased from 60 to 65, in line with that of men, in November 2018. Plans to increase the state pension age were first announced in the Pension Act 1995 but these changes were accelerated as part of the Pension Act 2011. The changes affected around 3.8 million women born in the 1950s, with many stating they were not given sufficient notice to prepare for up to six years without their state pension. In 2019, Julie Delve and Karen Glynn took the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to court and claimed that the changes were discriminatory on the grounds of sex and age. However, on 3 October the High Court ruled that the increase in the state pension age was not discriminatory, as the women had claimed. March for Women's Lives: History in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 March for Women's Lives: History in pictures March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Thousands rally in Washington DC on 25 April for the March for Women's Lives in favour of abortion rights AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Thousands rally in Washington DC on 25 April for the March for Women's Lives in favour of abortion rights Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Thousands rally in Washington DC on 25 April for the March for Women's Lives in favour of abortion rights Getty Images March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Thousands rally in Washington DC on 25 April for the March for Women's Lives in favour of abortion rights AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Demonstrators participating in the March for Women's Lives make their way over the Brooklyn Bridge to a rally at New York City Hall on 28 August 2004 AP March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 A demonstrator punches an effigy of President Bush as thousands take part in the March For Women's Lives Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Anti-abortion counter-protesters oppose the March For Women's Lives in Washington DC Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 A police officer stands between two priests outside the US Supreme Court during the March for Women's Lives in Washington DC AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 Pro-choice activists shout slogans during the March For Women's Lives Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2004 The 2004 March for Women's Lives on the National Mall in Washington DC Jfruh March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2017 Protesters gather during the Women's March on Washington on 21 January Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2017 Protesters gather during the Women's March on Washington on 21 January Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2017 Protesters gather during the Women's March on Washington on 21 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2018 A woman shouts as she attends the Womens March on New York on 20 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2018 Protesters hold up placards during the Women's March in London on 21 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2018 Protesters hold signs as they attend the Womens March on New York on 20 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2018 Protesters hold signs near the White House following the Women's March on Washington on 20 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2018 A young protester hold up placards during the Women's March in London on 21 January Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2019 Protesters rally at the Womens March on Washington on 19 January AFP/Getty March for Women's Lives: History in pictures 2019 Protesters rally at the Womens March on Washington on 19 January AFP/Getty The court rejected the argument that the legislation breached the European Convention on Human Rights, on the basis of case law which establishes that a state can introduce a new legislative scheme which effects changes from a given date based on age. The judges also concluded that there was no direct discrimination on grounds of sex, because this legislation does not treat women less favourably than men in law, rather it equalises a historic asymmetry between men and women, and thereby corrects historic direct discrimination against men. Why is the case going to the Court of Appeal? After being disappointed by the result of the court case, Ms Delve and Ms Glynn, along with the support of campaign group BackTo60 decided to continue their legal battle. In January, the women were granted permission to appeal the High Court result, which will take place in London over the course of two days beginning on 21 July. Joanne Welch, the founder of BackTo60, previously told The Independent they were confident about the appeal. When they were robbed of the state pension with virtually no notice from the government, some of the womens lives were annihilated and that is no exaggeration, she adds. But when the pandemic hit, 1950s women were forced out on to the frontline. Many work in retail, hospitality, cleaning and care homes. We know women are facing homelessness and destitution. They have no choice not to work because they are not entitled to sufficient benefits. There are some workplaces where risk assessment not in place. She continued: Women feel abandoned. They tell us they were robbed and now they are abandoned amid a pandemic. I would have never got involved in this if I didnt believe it was an injustice. Ive never done anything like this in my life. What do BackTo60 hope the outcome will be? BackTo60 is looking to get full repayment for the years of pension that millions women have lost out on as a result of the recent changes. You can read more about the BackTo60 campaign here. Boston police are investigating the shooting deaths of two youths on a Dorchester street Sunday afternoon. In a press release, police said officers responded to a call reporting a shooting near 46 Wildwood St. at about 4:42 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, officers located two juvenile male victims suffering apparent gunshot wounds. Both were transported to local hospitals but later pronounced dead. Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact Boston Police Homicide detectives at 617-343-4470. Tips can be called in anonymously to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS. Information can be texted to the police by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will protect the identities of those assisting with this investigation. Chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia Gegham Gevorgyan today addressed official letters to Head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service of the Russian Federation Igor Artemev and member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission for Competition and Anti-Monopoly Regulation Serik Zhumangarin in regard to the ban on the sale of fruits exported from Armenia in the territory of Russia these past few days, particularly the ban set by the owners of the Food City market for wholesale and retail trade. The letters particularly emphasize that the actions arent economically justified, obstruct free sale of goods between member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, are manifestation of discrimination and create unequal conditions in the transnational market, violating the general rules of competition that are enshrined in the Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union. The chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition voiced hope that the colleagues of the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union will consider anti-competitive practices and will take operational measures to restore equal conditions for competition in the market in order to rule out anti-competitive practices. MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum discussed his battle with depression and alcoholism Monday during his first public statement since entering rehab in March. Gillum apologized to supporters in an 11-minute Instagram video and explained that the depression he had been fighting for years worsened after losing his 2018 race to Gov. Ron DeSantis. I totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had on my life, Gillum said. Gillum thanked his wife for her support in the video. The couple have three children. Fire rescue crews and police officers responded to the Mondrian South Beach hotel in Miami Beach in March for a suspected drug overdose. Gillum and two other men were in the hotel room, and Gillum was inebriated, police said When officers arrived, Gillum was so intoxicated he could not communicate, police said. Police found a substance in the room that appeared to by crystal methamphetamine, but Gillum was not charged with a crime. He left the hotel after rescue workers confirmed that he had stable medical signs. One of the other men was taken to a hospital, according to the police report. Gillum said previously that he was in Miami Beach for a wedding and did not use illegal drugs. After the hotel room encounter became public, Gillum announced he was entering a rehabilitation facility. Gillum, 40, was the first Black nominee in a major political party to run for governor in Florida. After the electoral defeat, the former Tallahassee mayor mounted an effort to register Democratic voters in Florida and frequently appeared on cable news channels as a political commentator. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor United Nations: India's bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council has received a strong support from many UN member states, including the UK and France, who emphasised that the world body's top organ must reflect the emergence of new global powers. More than 50 speakers shared their suggestions, perspectives and concerns over reform of the 15-nation UNSC during a General Assembly session held last week. "Many favoured bolstering representation for such emerging powers as Brazil, Germany, India and Japan. While some spotlighted the progress made in recent years through the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform process, others voiced deep frustration that more had not yet been achieved," a summary of the November 7 meeting posted on the UN website said. Among the large number of nations supporting a permanent seat for India and other emerging powers like Brazil and Germany were two veto-wielding permanent members of the Council, the United Kingdom and France. UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said at the session that Britain believes in a modest expansion in the permanent and non-permanent categories is the approach that the UN member states should collectively pursue. The increase in membership should be such that it balances representation with effectiveness. Rycroft reiterated his country's support for permanent seats for Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, alongside permanent African representation. Referring to British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India last week, her first bilateral trip outside Europe since taking office, Rycroft said she discussed "that very issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi." "Our support is steadfast, and I look forward to working through all available avenues to reach the more representative and more effective Council that we seek," he said. France's Deputy Permanent Representative Alexis Lamek said his country wished to see the Council reflect the emergence of new world powers, for which it supported the candidacies of Germany, Brazil, India and Japan and the increased representation of African countries in both the permanent and non-permanent membership. The five permanent members should also refrain from using the veto in cases of mass atrocities, a commitment that France had already made, he said. German ambassador to the UN Harald Braun, speaking on behalf of the G4 Group of Brazil, India, Japan and Germany, said Council reform was an urgent matter, saying the Council must be rendered fit-for-purpose in order to face the current global challenges of peace and security. He added that all regions must be adequately represented to ensure legitimacy and effectiveness. During the session, India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin, in a stinging criticism of the Security Council, had said that the 15-nation body is "stuck in its own time warp and politics." He had also lamented the "never-ending carousel of discussions" on UNSC reforms saying "it is time to break the impasse" to urgently reform the UN body that is "unresponsive" to the current global situation. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has threatened to reverse New York City's reopening plan and close all bars and restaurants because too many are allowing large groups to gather. The infection rate of people tested in New York City is now just 1.3 percent, with Brooklyn (0.9 percent) and Manhattan (1.1 percent) showing lower numbers than any other borough. Statewide 519 people tested positive - 1.05% of 49,342 people. Hospitalizations have fallen to their lowest since March 18 - 716 - and the three-day average of the number of people dying in the state every day is now 11. Despite the encouraging numbers, Cuomo says there are still too many young people, particularly in the city, flouting social distancing rules. They are 'reckless and stupid', he said, but the bar and restaurant owners who are allowing them to gather and the cops who are turning a blind eye to them are also to blame. Bars and restaurants in New York City were finally allowed to offer outdoor service on June 22 after an excruciating, 14-week closure that crippled the economy and put many out of business. Indoor dining is indefinitely postponed, due in part to the huge surge in cases being seen in other states where it was allowed to resume. Scroll down for video NY Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday threatening to close all bars and restaurants People at a bar in Buswick, Brooklyn, over the weekend, where people flouted social distancing rules Steinway Street in Astoria was one of the areas Cuomo pointed out on Monday in his presentation NYC INFECTION RATE Bronx - 1.9 % Brooklyn - 0.9 % Manhattan - 1.1 % Queens - 1.3 % Staten Island - 1.9 % Citywide: 1.3 % Advertisement On Monday, Cuomo warned: 'We cannot allow those congregations to continue. 'If it happens... I'll tell you what's going to happen. 'We will have to roll back the bar and restaurant opening if the congregations continue, if the local governments don't stop it, that is what is going to happen. 'One plus one still equals two,' he said. He showed photos of crowds at bars in Astoria, Queens, and on the Lower East Side as examples, but large gatherings have been seen all over the city. Bars and restaurants were allowed to resume outdoor dining on June 22. Many had been offering take-out throughout the pandemic which created a problem of people gathering in streets with drinks. Last week, Cuomo tightened the rules. Now, anyone who sits down at an outdoor bar or restaurant must order food with their alcohol drinks. Hospitalizations are now at their lowest since March 19 - 716 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 People gather in the East Village on Saturday outside a bar. The bars have been open since June 22 on an outdoor basis only, but they have been offering take-out drinks for months While many have adhered to the rules strictly, others have flouted them. The White Horse Tavern in the West Village had its liquor license suspended for repeatedly violating social distancing rules. Others, like Lola Taverna in Soho, have been the subject of complaints from New Yorkers. Last week, a worrying number of 'mask-free pandemic parties' popped up all over the city. They were secretly promoted on WhatsApp and involved huge crowds of youngsters showing up at the parties to dance along to music by DJs. New York had by far the highest number of cases in the US at its worst in March and April. Now, as cases continue to soar in other states which were more relaxed in their approach to lockdown, Cuomo is taking his tactics to them to try to help. On Monday, he and a team of delegates departed for Georgia. His repeated boasts about flattening New York's curve has enraged conservatives who blame him for the initial surge in cases. Egypt has been selected by China to serve as a future hub for manufacturing a coronavirus vaccine in Africa once it is developed by Beijing, the Egyptian health ministry said on Monday. Egyptian health minister Hala Zayed met with Chinese Ambassador Liao Liqiang to discuss Egypts participation in the testing of coronavirus vaccines in cooperation with a Chinese firm. The meeting discussed means of cooperation between the health ministrys national vaccination centre, VACSERA, and a Chinese company carrying out trials to develop a vaccine to pave the way for manufacturing it in Egypt once it is proven effective, the ministry said in a statement. The quality and capacity of production lines in Egypt will be assessed to begin manufacturing the vaccine once it is developed, it added. Earlier this month, Egypt said it was working on developing four coronavirus vaccines that have been registered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) among a list of candidate vaccines in global pre-clinical evaluation. The four vaccines, which have not yet been approved for human clinical trials, include DNA plasmid, inactivated-whole virus, influenza A H1N1 vector, and protein subunit vaccines. No coronavirus vaccine has yet been developed, and many countries are conducting human trials of several existing antiviral drugs to test their efficacy. Two of the most talked-about drugs are the Russian-approved Avifavir, and the American Remdesivir. Local production of both antiviral medications began in Egypt in June by two local drug-makers, with Remdesivir having already been supplied to many hospitals. Avifavir, also known by the name Avigan, is based on the Japanese influenza drug Favipiravir which was approved for manufacturing and sale in Japan in 2014 and became a generic drug in 2019. Remedisvir -- originally developed to treat hepatitis C and was then tested against Ebola virus -- is manufactured by the US Gilead Sciences Inc which helped, according to clinical trials, hospitalised coronavirus patients recover more quickly. Egypt has been seeing a significant drop in detected coronavirus cases, registering daily cases lower than 1,000 in the past few days. Egypt recorded 603 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total infection tally to 87,775, including 4,302 fatalities since the outbreak of the virus in mid-February. Search Keywords: Short link: DGAP-News: Encavis Asset Management AG / Key word(s): Expansion/Funds The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Corporate News Encavis Asset Management AG acquires additional wind farm in France for special fund "Encavis Infrastructure Fund II" Neubiberg, July 20, 2020 - Encavis Asset Management AG (Encavis AM), a subsidiary of the SDAX-listed solar and wind farm operator Encavis AG (ISIN: DE0006095003, Prime Standard), acquired an operating wind farm in France from Energiequelle GmbH. This investment is now part of the Encavis Infrastructure Fund II (EIF II), a special fund distributed exclusively by BayernLB. The fund is administered by the Service-KVG HANSAINVEST Lux S.A. and is still open to participation by institutional investors. The acquired wind farm "Senonnes", located in the region "Pays de la Loire" in the Northwest of France, was connected to the grid in May 2019. The total generating capacity of around 11.5 Megawatt (MW) is provided by five E-82 wind turbines from Enercon. "The "Senonnes" wind farm, advantageously located north of Nantes, perfectly complements the EIF II portfolio. Another step into the regional diversification of the fund's portfolio. Investments were made in Germany, The Netherlands and France so far," comments Karsten Mieth, Speaker of the Management Board of Encavis Asset Management AG, the transaction with Energiequelle GmbH. "We have many years of experience in the French market and are pleased to have found a trustworthy partner and investor in Encavis. In addition to our joint mission towards the energy transition, we -above all- value the professional and personal way we work together," says Michael Raschemann, Managing Director of Energiequelle GmbH. About Encavis Asset Management AG: Encavis Asset Management AG offers institutional investors tailor-made portfolios and fund solutions for investments in the growth market of renewable energies. The Company has been successfully investing in this sector since 2006, covering the entire value chain from asset sourcing to the operational management of investments. Encavis Asset Management AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of SDAX-listed Encavis AG (ISIN: DE0006095003, Prime Standard) and, as part of the Encavis Group, benefits from their many years of experience and a broad industry network. Encavis AG is one of the leading independent power producers (IPPs) in the field of renewable energies in Europe. The Company acquires and operates solar power plants and (onshore) wind farms in Germany and nine other European countries. The Encavis Group's total generation capacity currently exceeds 2.5 gigawatts (GW). Encavis AG's environmental, social and governance performance has been rated "Prime" by ISS ESG, one of the world's leading ESG research and rating agencies. Further information on the Company can be found at www.encavis.com. Contact: Encavis Asset Management AG Tanja Van den Wouwer Head of Marketing & Communications Tel.: + 49 89 44 23 06 025 E-Mail: tanja.van_den_wouwer@encavis.com 20.07.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de FAIRFAX, Va. A white Virginia police officer accused of firing a stun gun at a Black man without provocation was indicted Monday on misdemeanor assault charges. The Washington Post reports that a grand jury handed up Fairfax County police Officer Tyler Timberlakes indictment one week after county prosecutors dropped the same charges for procedural reasons. Timberlake faces three misdemeanor counts of assault and battery stemming from the June 5 incident, which was captured on video. Last Monday, a judge granted prosecutors request to drop the charges so they could seek an indictment that allows him to be tried by a circuit court jury. If the case remained in district court, prosecutors couldnt have appealed an acquittal, whereas defense lawyers could have appealed a conviction to the circuit court. Timberlakes attorneys had opposed the request for the charges to be dropped in district court. They have denied that the officer did anything wrong and said he mistook La Monta Gladney, the man Timberlake encountered, for another man with a criminal record. Body camera footage released by police shows Timberlake fired his stun gun at the unarmed man. Other officers who arrived at the scene before Timberlake had spent several minutes trying to persuade Galdney to get into an ambulance to go to a detox center. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A self-described anti-feminist lawyer found dead in the Catskills of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound is the prime suspect in the shooting of a federal judge's family in New Jersey, the FBI said Monday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The headquarters of Deutsche Bank is seen in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, May 18, 2020. The bank will hold a virtual annual shareholders meeting in Wednesday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) A self-described anti-feminist lawyer found dead in the Catskills of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound is the prime suspect in the shooting of a federal judge's family in New Jersey, the FBI said Monday. Roy Den Hollander, who received media attention including appearances on Fox News and Comedy Central for lawsuits challenging perceived infringements of mens rights, was found dead Monday in Sullivan County, New York, two officials with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. The FBI said Den Hollander was the primary subject in the attack and confirmed he had been pronounced dead but provided no other details. Found among his personal effects was information about another judge, New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, a state court spokesperson said. A day earlier, a gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person went to the North Brunswick, New Jersey, home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and started shooting, wounding her husband, the defence lawyer Mark Anderl, and killing her son, Daniel Anderl. Salas was at home but in another part of the house and was unharmed, said the officials, who could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Den Hollander was involved in a lawsuit, filed in 2015, that was being heard by Salas involving a woman who wanted to register for the men-only military draft. In writings posted online, Den Hollander derided the judge as having traded on her Hispanic heritage to get ahead. A package addressed to Salas was found along with Den Hollanders body, the officials said. In a screed Den Hollander posted online, he also wrote of posing as a FedEx delivery person to speak with a young girl, the same tactic the gunman apparently used at the door to the judges home. News media is set up in front of the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, Monday, July 20, 2020, in North Brunswick, N.J. A gunman posing as a delivery person shot and killed Salas' 20-year-old son and wounded her husband Sunday evening at their New Jersey home before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Den Hollander was best known previously for unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of ladies night promotions at bars and nightclubs. His litigation, and willingness to appear on television, earned him spots on The Colbert Report and MSNBC. Another lawsuit argued night clubs were violating human rights by charging men hundreds of dollars for bottle service. In 2008, he unsuccessfully sued Columbia University for providing womens studies classes, saying they were a bastion of bigotry against men. Daniel Anderl, Salas' son, was set to be heading back shortly to The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he was named to the Deans List this spring. I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderls tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey. Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks, university President John Garvey wrote on Twitter. He turned 20 last week. Salas, seated in Newark, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Prior to that, she served as a U.S. magistrate judge after working as an assistant public defender for several years. In more than 2,000 pages of often misogynistic, racist writings, Den Hollander criticized Salas life story of being abandoned by her father and raised by her poor mother as the usual effort to blame a man and turn someone into super girl. In another section part of a collection posted online that resembled an early draft of a memoir he wrote about being treated recently for cancer, and wanting to use the rest of his time to wrap up his affairs. No more chances now, if there ever really were any, for glory and fortune, but maybe a little old time justice as in all those 1950s television westerns I watched as a kid when the lone cowboy refused to give up without a fight, he wrote. The only problem with a life lived too long under Feminazi rule is that a man ends up with so many enemies he cant even the score with all of them. But law school and the media taught me how to prioritize." Den Hollanders writings also point to a possible connection to the area where he was found dead. He described going to a family cabin in the Catskills community of Beaverkill, about 40 minutes by car from Liberty. Den Hollander filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing more than $120,000 in credit card debt, as well as rent and other expenses. In the filing, Den Hollander estimated he made about $300 a month from his work, with the bulk of his income coming from a $724 monthly Social Security payment. Salas, born in California to a Cuban immigrant mother and Mexican father, spent most of her childhood in Union City, New Jersey. After helping her family escape a devastating house fire, she acted as her mothers translator and advocate, foreshadowing her career in law as she argued her familys case to welfare officials, according to a 2018 magazine profile. In the profile, Salas spoke of her son possibly following his parents into the legal profession. Hes been arguing with us since he could talk practicing his advocacy skills," Salas told New Jersey Monthly. I don't want to dissuade him, but I was pulling for a doctor. Several college friends had spent the weekend visiting Daniel for his birthday, leaving just hours before the shooting, neighbour Marion Costanza said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. These are people that will never see their friend again. Then to think of Esther losing her only child. Its just devastating, said Costanza, a lawyer who watched Daniel grow up, and had dinner plans this coming week with his parents. I want the world to know what a beautiful kid this was, she said. Its just devastating. Salas' highest-profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife Real Housewives of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Monday that the FBI and the U.S. Marshals will continue investigating the shooting, adding: This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated. ___ Sisak reported from New York and Balsamo from Washington, D.C. By Storay Karimi HERAT (Reuters) - In the eastern Afghan city of Herat, 18-year-old high school student Somaya Faruqi adjusts a suction cap as she puts the finishing touches before unveiling a low-cost, lightweight ventilator created by her and six other young women. The all-female Afghan Robotics Team, which has won international awards for its robots, started work in March on an open-source, low-cost ventilator as the coronavirus pandemic hit the war-torn nation. It took the team almost four months to finalise the ventilator, which is partly based on a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) design, and they received guidance from experts at Harvard University. The device is easy to carry, can run on battery power for 10 hours, and costs roughly $700 to produce, compared with the $20,000 price of a traditional ventilator. "We are delighted that we were able to take our first step in the field of medicine and to be able to serve the people in this area as well. All members of our team feel happy because after months of hard work, we were able to achieve this result, Faruqi told Reuters. Although the ventilator still has to undergo final testing from health authorities before it can be used, officials welcome it in a country with only 800 ventilators to treat the fast-growing number of coronavirus cases in a health system damaged by decades of war. Health Ministry spokesman Akmal Samsor said once the ventilators were approved they would be rolled out in Afghan hospitals and the design shared with the World Health Organization. "We appreciate the initiative and creativity in Afghanistan's health sector...after they are approved, we will use these ventilators and we are determined to contract with companies so we can also export them," he said. Afghanistan has recorded around 35,500 COVID-19 cases and 1,181 deaths, though experts warn the true count is probably far higher due to low testing rates. (Reporting by Storay Karimi, Jalil Rezaee and Orooj Hakimi; additional reporting by Hameed Farzad and Sayed Hassib; writing by Charlotte Greenfield, editing by Ed Osmond) Amid rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Bihar, over 30 people have tested positive for the deadly virus at state Health Department in Patna. It is learnt that 18 people linked to Health Minister Mangal Pandey have tested positive for coronavirus. Five people in contact with Principal Health Secretary Uday Singh Kumawat also tested positive for COVID-19. The test report of Additional Secretary Kaushal Kishore has also come positive. At least 8 security guards of Disaster Management Minister Lashkmeshwar Rai has also tested for coronavirus. All the guards have been sent to home quarantine. Bihar registered over 1200 cases on Sunday and the state has now registered over 26,000 coronavirus cases. A three-member central team reached in Patna on Sunday (July 19) to review the COVID-19 situation in the state. During their visit, the central team has directed the state's health department to focus on tracking and testing to combat the deadly virus. The Centre's decision to send a team has come at a time when BJP's alliance partner Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing strong criticism for failing to handle the coronavirus outbreak. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan on Saturday (July 18) welcomed the Centre's decision to send a team to review the coronavirus situation in the state and said, "The spiralling coronavirus cases in Bihar might soon lead to an explosive situation and has become a matter of concern for the people of the state. Keeping in view the circumstances, the Central Government has decided to send a team to Bihar so that the situation can be brought under control." Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the Centre's decision to send a team to Bihar sends a clear message that the "Nitish Kumar government is manipulating COVID-19 numbers" in the state. Tehran, July 21 : Iranian Foreign Ministry hailed Syria's recent parliamentary elections as "successful," said the ministry's website. In a statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Monday said the Syrian elections were held at a time when Syrian people experienced pains and hardship because of the conflicts and damage imposed by "terrorist groups, the presence of foreign occupying forces, and cruel unilateral sanctions," Xinhua news agency reported. He expressed hope that recent elections in Syria would be a step towards peace, stability, and progress of political talks among Syria political groups. Iran has been a major ally of the Syrian government in its fight against the armed rebels since 2011. In this week's TravelSkills on SFGATE newsletter.... If you thought the outlook was bleak for airlines (as we wrote about recently), wait until you read about what's happening at big downtown hotels that typically cater to summer vacationers, and fall season conventioneers. Business and bookings that had been on an upward track, have suddenly started to stall as new surges of the novel coronavirus and new travel restrictions have broken out in the United States. Some 8,000 hotel closures could happen, according to a key trade organization. Read: How many hotels can survive COVID-19? Speaking of new travel restrictions, the Bahamas is the latest nation to explicitly deny entry to U.S. travelers, despite the painful fact that it derives most of its tourism revenue from Americans. Travelers from Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe are still allowed in with a recent COVID-19 test. Read: US tourists banned from Bahamas due to coronavirus concerns. Please note our new TravelSkills on SFGATE newsletter format! Let us know what you think about the new conversational style versus to old list of links. Send me an email at chris@travelskills.com with your feedback! Thanks! -- Chris As usual, our weekly Saturday morning airline news and routes roundup up is chock-full of interesting developments. This week we chronicle yet another airline putting its Boeing 747 fleet out to pasture, and -- in this case -- "with immediate effect." With Hawaii pushing back its plan to allow mainland travelers in without quarantine, Hawaiian Airlines has scaled back its plans to revive many flights to West Coast cities. JetBlue, Alaska and American team up in what we think could portend a post-pandemic merger. Plus, United expands at LAX while American retreats. Read: Routes: Hawaiian drops Bay Area revival; Airline grounds its 747s for good + more airline news Tell your friends about TravelSkills on SFGATE and have them sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts or forward this email to them! As we frequently report on airlines reviving more of their suspended international routes, some readers have wondered how the carriers can make money on these services when overseas passenger travel is banned or severely restricted, especially for Americans. Airlines are filling their seats with something else to eke out a few extra dollars -- and these passengers don't require much attention at all. Read: How airlines make money flying empty planes. Airbnb's latest attempt to appease hosts and customers amid a tumultuous year was met with a searing backlash on social media. The online vacation rental marketplace, headquartered in San Francisco, initiated a feature last week offering customers the chance to donate money and "kindness cards" to hosts. Ugh. Read: Airbnb asks people to donate money to landlords, backlash ensues. So you think you can fly to New York and flout the new 14-day quarantine rules? Don't take your chances. NY governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that quarantine scofflaws face a $2,000 fine and a mandatory quarantine order for failing to fill out personal information on a tracing form that New York will use to help make sure individuals stay indoors. Read: Non-compliant travelers face $2,000 fines in New York Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. Email: chris@travelskills.com | Twitter: @cjmcginnis | Facebook: @TravelSkills Emergency Preparedness CU Boulder and Purdue Announce Return-to-Campus Testing Plans Two campuses have announced plans to require virus testing of students as part of coming back to campus. The University of Colorado Boulder said that students choosing to live on campus will be required to undergo a COVID-19 RT-PCR test, also known as a molecular test, within five days before moving into the residence halls. Most molecular tests require a nasal or throat swab and are considered highly accurate. Purdue University has also mandated testing for students before the start of the fall semester and has already identified positive cases for people who have come on campus. At UC Boulder, the campus will be extending its move-in period to accommodate greater physical distancing. For students who are unable to be tested before they arrive, the university noted that it would be preparing "a limited number" of the RT-PCR tests as well as "rapid-response" tests on campus. University staff will be able to obtain testing on campus as part of ongoing monitoring and contact tracing. According to a memo issued by Provost Russell Moore and Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Patrick O'Rourke, the school is "working on plans to conduct surveillance testing to monitor up to 9,000 students, staff and faculty at higher risk for infection using pooled testing." This is a population-based strategy to detect the presence of infection within small groups. The university is also planning to implement monitoring of a daily wastewater at 20 campus locations, focusing on residence halls and specific high-use buildings. And the institution said it was developing contact tracing capabilities "that will serve in conjunction with contact tracing through Boulder County Public Health." Contact tracers, at least some of whom will be students, will be trained as part of a memorandum of understanding with the county health department. For those identified as having the virus, the campus has set aside facilities designated for isolation and quarantine for students living on campus. Mask-wearing will be expected. "These protocols, developed under expert guidance, will need to be aided by personal responsibility, respect and compassion for your fellow campus and community members," the memo added. Students returning to Purdue's West Lafayette campus are expected to complete a COVID-19 test and file the results with the university's "Protect Purdue Health Center" (PPHC). That's a virtual operation that will coordinate the work of COVID-related case management on campus. It's led by Esteban Ramirez, an internist and clinical assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine-West Lafayette, which is on the Purdue campus. The cost of testing an expected 40,000 students will be covered by the university. Those testing positive are advised not to travel to West Lafayette or come to campus until they've isolated for 14 days and are medically cleared to return by the PPHC. Recently, the university announced that an initial group of students who have arrived on campus for the school's "Summer Start" and "Early Start" programs and were tested as part of their arrival and orientation process had an infection rate of 0.60 percent. Of 504 students and mentors participating in those programs, three tested positive. None had symptoms; all were temporarily living in the isolation area. The testing in that situation used an FDA-authorized, saliva-based qPCR test, developed by a Rutgers University spin-off, RUCDR Infinite Biologics, and its collaborators. While students are being required to undergo testing, the same isn't true for faculty and staff, unless they've been sick, experienced symptoms of coronavirus or been exposed to someone who has tested positive. They are being asked, however "to adhere to the components of the Protect Purdue Pledge," which states: "I pledge to take responsibility for my own health, the protection of others and help keep the Purdue community safe from spread of COVID-19 and other infections as identified and instructed by the university." An Iraqi delegation, led by Finance Minister Ali Allawi, arrived in Saudi on Sunday for an official visit Saudi Arabia and Iraq signed investment agreements on energy and sports, the kingdom's state TV reported on Monday. An Iraqi delegation, led by Finance Minister Ali Allawi, arrived in Saudi on Sunday for an official visit. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was due to arrive on Monday but his trip was canceled after King Salman was admitted to hospital for medical checks. Search Keywords: Short link: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) The Philippine National Police will look into a report that Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas and his men threatened the family of a retired cop to move out of their home within camp grounds. PNP Chief Archie Gamboa said authorities will roll out a probe after CCTV footages posted by a man named Arles Delos Santos went viral on Facebook last Saturday. In the video, Sinas arrived at the property flanked by at least 10 cops in uniform and went to remove the makeshift gate, where they were confronted by the family residing in the house. There was at least one policeman carrying a high-powered rifle based on the video. "We will investigate kung paano nila na-carry out itong order na ito but of course, alam naman natin na ang video would speak a thousand words, that's why we will investigate what happened during that confrontation [We will investigate how they carried out this order but of course, we know that the view would speak a thousand words, that's why we will investigate what happened during that confrontation]," Gamboa said in a Monday briefing. Sinas, who reportedly insisted that the government owns the property and the family should not be staying there, personally confronted the residents in a loud voice. A man in a wheelchair was seen reasoning with the police officer, while another cop grabbed the cell phone of one of the residents when he was seen taking a video recording. Sinas and his group eventually left. Delos Santos said they presented documents like a land title and a special power of attorney from the land owner to prove that the house is private property and they had every right to live there, claiming that the document is signed by Sinas himself. This is not the first time when Sinas was in hot water after he rose to power as Metro Manila police chief. In December, Sinas was under fire for snapping at a lady reporter who was trying to get an interview, while in May, he was charged for holding a birthday feast or mananita with fellow cops in the middle of the lockdown. Gamboa said Sinas explained to him that he had a huge group of officers with him as they went around the camp looking for possible quarantine sites amid rising infections among the PNP, which has reached more than 1,500 cases. RELATED: UN sounds alarm on PH's 'highly militarized' lockdown response "This is a lot owned by the Philippine National Police and I'm sure marami nang notices [there have been many notices] that have been given to them to vacate," he added, noting that it was his directive to set up quarantine areas in all regional headquarters. Offhand, the police chief said existing rules allow PNP personnel to avail of free housing or quarters, which they have to vacate within a month after leaving the service. Gamboa admitted that there were illegal settlers among PNP-owned properties, which they are seeking to remove. CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report. THE HAGUE, Netherlands - A Dutch military helicopter has crashed into the Caribbean Sea near the island of Aruba, killing two of the crew, the Defence Ministry said in a statement early Monday. The NH90 helicopter was nearing the end of a coast guard patrol when it crashed Sunday afternoon near the island. The cause of the crash is under investigation, the ministry said. A 34-year-old pilot, Lt. at Sea Christine Martens, and 33-year-old tactical co-ordinator, Lt. at Sea Erwin Warnies, were killed. The two other crew escaped without serious injury, Defence Chief Lt. Adm. Rob Bauer said. The helicopter was based on a navy patrol ship, the Groningen. The ship was working to secure the wreckage and the helicopters black box, Bauer said. Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld expressed condolences to the families of the victims in a tweet. Bauer said the rest of the Dutch militarys fleet of NH90 helicopters has been grounded pending the investigation. THE grandeur that was Greece blossomed further in the person of Stagiras Aristotle (384-322 BC). Being Platos star pupil, Aristotle was presumed to be the next head of Platos center of learning known as the Academy. However, politics and nepotism reared their ugly heads, and Platos nephew took hold of the prized position. Disgusted, Aristotle left Athens. Fortune smiled on him when Philip of Macedonia, searching for a tutor of his 13-year-old, Alexander, hired Aristotle. The wise man from Stagira promptly schooled the heir-apparent in the liberal arts: liberal because they were exclusively taught to free men. Liberal because the subjects, especially philosophy, were designed to liberate the minds of the students from mere opinions, harmful prejudices and popular beliefs (doxa) in order to reach real knowledge(episteme). During the 14 years of tutelage under Aristotle, Alexander widened his intellectual horizons, deepened his understanding of humanity, learned the art of statesmanship: skills which proved very useful when he embarked in his ambition to conquer and be the master of the then known world. Aristotle left the royal court of Macedonia realizing that he, who fostered lofty ideals while keeping in mind the ground on which to plant his feet, had played a very important role in molding the intellect and character of the man the whole world would later know as Alexander the Great. CHANDIGARH, India, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the current pandemic crisis alarmingly rising, it has become hard for the Indian students whose dream of studying abroad has been shattered or has been postponed as of now. Canada has always been the most preferred destination for higher education amongst the Indian students which can be evident from the fact that more than 1.40 lakh Indian students took admission to various Canadian Universities in 2019 registering an increase of 35% over the previous year. Keeping the current situation in mind, Chandigarh University has come to offer relief to the Indian students who wished to travel to Canada in 2020 for their higher education. Chandigarh University has joined hands with top ranked Canadian Universities, Okanagan College and Vancouver Island University, British Columbia, Canada to offer International Articulation Programs in Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Computer Applications, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelors of Computer Sciences and Degree program in Hotel Management. While giving details about the International Articulation Programs, Dr. R.S. Bawa, Pro-Chancellor, Chandigarh University said, "Indian students need not waste their precious academic year due to COVID-19 but can apply for Canadian Universities through these Articulation Programs offered at Chandigarh University. The students joining these programs will study 1 or 2 years at Chandigarh University and will migrate to Canada to complete their remaining academic learning tenure." In addition, Chandigarh University will also offer in-house IELTS Training and Visa Interview Training to the students during the one or two years of their academic stay at university. "The main benefit of the International Articulation Program is that the students will save on their academic fees as they will have to pay Indian Fees during their stay for one or two years at Chandigarh University and in addition the students will enjoy the benefits of Credit Transfer Benefit Scheme," added Dr. Bawa. "Indian Students undergoing these programs stands to benefit as they will be going to Canada through a safe and economic way and will not be dependent on unscrupulous immigration agents who always try to misguide them to mint money," said Prof. Jade Bethune, Recruitment Specialist, Okanagan College, Canada. "The students will get all the benefits like jobs after completion of degree and will also be eligible for the PR of Canada like all other international students coming to Canada," added Prof. Jade. About Chandigarh University Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and an autonomous educational institution approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. Website: https://www.cuchd.in/studyabroad/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnlXW8xWS8s SOURCE Chandigarh University HOUSTON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) and Tufts University's Tisch College of Civic Life are proud to announce a new virtual gap experience for high school graduates: the Civic Action Gap Semester . The Civic Action Gap Semester is an opportunity for students to explore social change across the Americas, make an impact through a civic volunteership, engage with their community, and earn college credit. Open to all students regardless of college plans, participants can join virtually from anywhere in the world. This unique gap experience offers a virtual volunteership with a community organization and equips high school graduates with knowledge and tools to become tomorrow's leaders. Collaborating with an online community of their peers, students will learn how to take action around social issues while working with professionals in fields such as public health, equality and justice, and food security. Students will be engaged in active learning about effective social change, including curriculum and workshops about racial justice education. They will also meet one-on-one with a career mentor and take tailored Spanish-language classes. Rooted in the pillars of leadership, cultural humility, and civic engagement, the Civic Action Gap Semester was designed by AMIGOS and Tufts University specifically for this moment. These organizations have worked together for the last six years, collaborating to bring Tufts University's 1+4 Bridge Year students to Latin America with the AMIGOS Gap Program. While committed to international gap year experiences, both institutions recognized the need for innovation in the era of COVID-19. "Young people have enormous power to recognize and address critical social issues," said Sara Nathan, President & CEO of AMIGOS. "They are eager to construct a more inclusive and open world. Our goal is to empower these young leaders to take an active role within their communities and create positive social change." Alan Solomont, Dean of the Tisch College of Civic Life, adds: "For those students who decide to take a gap semester, we are proud to collaborate with AMIGOS to offer this innovative program for civic impact. Through a combination of academic coursework offered by Tufts University's Tisch College, a community of supportive peers, and a safe, volunteer placement with a local organization, we see this program as a bridge for young people looking to make a difference in very uncertain times." Interested young people will need English proficiency, enthusiasm for civic engagement, and a desire to learn about Latin America. The Civic Action Gap Semester is open to 1722-year-olds and has a special introductory fee of $3,475 for the 6-week semester and $7,975 for the 12-week semester through September 1, 2020. Students in the 12-week semester will be enrolled in the course "Internship for Social Change", a Tufts Civic Studies course, and will earn 3 course credits upon completion. Need-based financial assistance is also available. For more information on the Civic Action Gap Semester, visit civicactiongapsemester.org . Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1965. AMIGOS provides safe and authentic volunteer and immersion programs for young people ages 13 to 22. Volunteers get the opportunity to explore a new country, learn Spanish, bond with their host family, and make a positive impact by working on a community service project side by side with local peers and community partners. Relationships with local and international organizations built over 55 years enable collaborative engagement in communities across the region. Media Contact: April Hearne, [email protected] , (713) 782-5290 ext. 103 SOURCE AMIGOS Related Links https://amigosinternational.org Human trials for India's coronavirus vaccine candidate will begin soon at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Speaking to media, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that the results for the first phase of testing are expected to come in September or October. COVAXIN is the first indigenous coronavirus vaccine, being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). AIIMS, Delhi is one of the 12 facilities shortlisted by ICMR for conducting clinical trials of Covaxin. So far, 1,800 volunteers have registered to participate in the COVAXIN human trials at AIIMS, Delhi alone. However, only 100 healthy volunteers will be recruited at the hospital. The first dose of COVAXIN under Phase I trials will be administered to 50 volunteers at first, and to the remaining 50 after confirming that the vaccine candidate is safe. Overall, 375 volunteers between the aged 18-55 years will take part in Phase I trials for COVAXIN. Only people with no co-morbidities and women with no pregnancy will be allowed to to be part of the trial in the first phase. In the second phase, 750 people will be recruited between 12-65 years, Dr Guleria said. "If the first phase we see if the vaccine is safe and how much of the dose can be administered. Multiple doses will be tried. First, low doses will be administered, and if it's safe then we will increase the dose and see if it's effective," Dr Randeep Guleria said. "We will work on everything step by step and on a protocol based manner. The efficacy of the vaccine and expediting the trail would depend on if everything goes well- or else we will be back to the drawing board - so we are6 taking that risk. But we will work towards simultaneous manufacturing also, as the vaccine shows promising results, we will also look at a manufacturing base," he further added. Phase I results are expected to arrive in two-three months, Dr Guleria said. After administering the doses, the volunteers will be monitored to see how many anti-bodies were created and check for side effects in Phase II. In Phase III, larger trials will be conducted to see large population efficacy and therapeutic benefits of the vaccine. "The efficacy of the vaccine and expediting the trial would depend on everything going well, or else we will be back to the drawing board. But we will also work towards simultaneous manufacturing. As the vaccine shows promising results, we will also look at a manufacturing base," Dr Guleria said. COVAXIN is a coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research. Work on developing COVAXIN began in May this year, based on the COVID-19 strain isolated at the National Institute of Virology, Pune. In June, Bharat Biotech announced that it completed pre-clinical studies, and managed to demonstrate "safety and immune response". Following this, Bharat Biotech was given the go-ahead by the government to test COVAXIN on human volunteers. Also Read: SBI, IDBI, Canara Bank, PNB, other PSBs to raise thousands of crores as fear of NPAs looms large Also Read: 'Sharing a Coke, wearing Bata shoes': HDFC Bank chief Aditya Puri takes a walk down memory lane New Mandatory Face Mask or $200 Fine Rule in Victoria From midnight on July 22, Victoria will become the first Australian state to make mask-wearing mandatory, as the community spread of the CCP virus shows little sign of slowing. Residents caught not wearing a face cover can expect a $200 (US$140) fine. In a press conference on July 19, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that it would be mandatory to wear a mask in Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. The announcement came after he revealed that there were 363 new cases and two more deaths due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. Another 275 cases were recorded on July 20. The lockdown of Greater Melbourne will end on Aug. 19, after six weeks. However, Andrews revealed that Victorians could be forced to wearing a mask for many many months, with it possibly becoming a nationwide regularity he said. Related Coverage More States and Localities Require Masks in Public Amid Rising New Cases Andrews said there were some exemptions to the new rule. For example, those who have a medical reason, kids under 12 years of age, those who have a professional reason or if its just not practical, like when runninghowever, you will still be expected to carry your face covering at all times to wear when you can, said Andrews. Teachers are also exempt from wearing a mask while teaching but VCE, VCAL students or those at school for onsite supervision will have to wear one. Likewise, everyone will be have to wear one on the way to and from school. A mask also doesnt have to be worn if you are driving alone or with someone from your household. But face coverings are required if you are transporting people outside the household, or if conducting deliveries. Previous government public health guidelines in March said that if people felt well, they should not wear a mask. However, new findings from the Peter Doherty Institute have said that mask-wearing can help reduce the spread of the virus from people who are not showing symptoms. As confirmed by Professor Sharon Lewin, masks have different functions depending on if the person is unwell or not. For healthy people, wearing a mask for a long time was seen as unnecessary. Weve known for a long time that if you wear a mask for a prolonged period, they dont work as well. Lewin says new evidence shows that asymptomatic people could still spread the CCP virus to others, meaning greater precautions are needed. But the only way to deal with that is universal mask-wearing, so all of us wear a mask because we dont know whether were infectious at any point in time, and that has changed dramatically, she said on Nines Today Show. We have much better evidence, just over the last two to three months that this does work. Related Coverage Potential Consequences of Wearing Face Masks Lewin is confident that numbers will start to stabilize now that ten days have passed since the lockdown of Greater Melbourne and Mitchell shire. Any time you introduce an intervention with attacking this coronavirus you dont see the result for about seven to 10 days which makes things very tricky, she said. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is also urging Sydneysiders to wear masks as new COVID-19 cases also continue to rise. The active phase of the Kavkaz 2020 military exercises of the Russian Armed Forces is scheduled for September 21-26, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Vadym Skibitsky, has said in an interview with the Segodnya online news site. According to him, after the exercise begins, the strength of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine will be about 120,000 servicemen, at least 500 tanks, 300 planes and hundreds of pieces of other equipment and weapons. As of today, the activity of Russian troops is observed at the training grounds of the Southern Military District of Russia and at naval training grounds in the Black Sea, he said. "The active phase of the Kavkaz 2020 exercises is scheduled for September 21-26. The main training grounds that will be involved are located in the Southern Military District. The exercises of the Russian troops, which are planned for this summer-autumn period, will take place near our borders. After the start of the active phase, the number of troops will be about 120,000 servicemen, 3,000 armored combat vehicles, including at least 500 tanks, 300 aircraft, 250 helicopters, 50 ships and up to five submarines. This is the threat that is clearly written out in the Military Doctrine of Ukraine," Skibitsky said. He noted that the scale and scope of strategic military exercises in Russia began to grow rapidly after 2014. When asked whether Russian troops are active near Ukraine's borders today and where exactly, he said: "Now there is activity, for example, in the Rostov region at the training grounds of the Southern Military District of Russia, at the naval training grounds in the Black Sea near occupied Crimea." op Halton Region police have charged the man driving the truck that struck and killed an animal rights protester last month, but the group shes a part of is calling the charge feeble. The 28-year-old man from North Perth has been charged with the Highway Traffic Act offence of careless driving causing death in the June 19 incident that left 65-year-old Regan Russell, of Hamilton, dead. Halton police arent releasing the mans name as the charge isnt criminal. There were no grounds to indicate this was an intentional act, or that a criminal offence had been committed, Supt. Kevin Maher said in a release Monday. This investigation included the interview of several witnesses, analysis of physical evidence, and a technical reconstruction of the collision, he added. In addition, video footage that captured the entirety of the incident was reviewed by investigators. Animal Save Movement wants police to release video footage of the incident. Halton police havent responded to a request for comment on Animal Save Movements statement on the charge or their call for the video to be released. Russell was struck by the driver of a transport truck that was hauling pigs through the gates of Fearmans Pork meat processing facility at Appleby Line and Harvester Road at around 10:20 a.m. on June 19. The truck with its cargo of squealing pigs remained at the scene for several hours as police blocked off the area and began their investigation. Witnesses said Russell was struck while giving water to the pigs in the truck, but Halton police have neither confirmed nor denied those accounts. Her sudden and violent death sparked protests by animal rights activists demanding action against the truck driver and improving laws to protect such protests. Anita Krajnc, co-founder of the group Toronto Pig Save, said in a statement Monday that the charge is feeble and do not amount to justice for Regan. Russell was a respected and revered animal rights activist, Krajnc said earlier. What happened to this activist is beyond tragic. She was a beautiful, beautiful woman who was kind and compassionate, loved animals, wanted the world to go vegan, said Krajnc. She has been doing animal activism for years. She just spoke her mind, she was very articulate. She was a beautiful woman and I cant believe she is dead. Shes an angel and she was giving thirsty pigs water. Fellow protester and Russells friend, Kelly Simpson, said there is outrage over what happened and activists are still angry because criminal charges werent laid in the case. Animal Save Movement and others, including Russells husband, Mark Powell, say her death should serve as a catalyst for the Ontario government to repeal Bill 156, which creates animal protection zones that prohibits animal rights activists from approaching or interacting with farm animals in a truck or motor vehicle. In pursuing justice, we have this to say; it does not end with a senseless death or a major meat distributor. This is not just a fight for vegetarians, vegans, and animal rights activists. This is a fight for the sanctity of our rights as free citizens to demonstrate for what we believe in, Powell said in a statement. WASHINGTON -- Attorneys for Michael Flynn and the Trump administration each urged a full federal appeals court here Monday not to rehear Flynn's case, arguing that an earlier order requiring a U.S. judge to dismiss the prosecution should stand. In a 19-page filing, the defense for President Donald Trump's former national security adviser again criticized U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington for seeking to hold a hearing on whether the Justice Department's May request to undo Flynn's guilty plea is in the public interest. "The district court has hijacked and extended a criminal prosecution for almost three months for its own purposes," Flynn attorneys Sidney Powell and Jesse Binnall wrote in an argument to judges on what is often called the country's second most powerful court. Flynn's attorneys said Sullivan's request for a full rehearing by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to defend his move was unprecedented and "rife with errors and misrepresentations." "To allow Judge Sullivan to delay and generate litigation against a criminal defendant is unconstitutional," they added, because the "Executive Branch has exclusive authority and absolute discretion to decide whether to prosecute a case." Sullivan on July 11 requested a rehearing after a divided three-judge panel ordered him to dismiss the prosecution and said he was wrong to appoint a retired federal judge to argue against the government after it abandoned its adversarial role. Sullivan's attorneys argued that the panel majority's opinion marked a "dramatic break from precedent" that "threatens to turn ordinary judicial process upside down" by shutting down a trial judge's review of pending motions before rendering a decision. "It is the district court's job to consider and rule on pending motions, even ones that seem straightforward," wrote Sullivan's attorneys, led by Beth Wilkinson. "This Court, if called upon, reviews those decisions - it does not preempt them." In a 2-1 ruling against Sullivan in late June, Neomi Rao, an appellate judge and recent Trump nominee, wrote that Sullivan overstepped his role and committed a "clear legal error" by refusing to immediately close the case and by appointing former federal judge John Gleeson to act as the court's amicus counsel. The panel wrote that Sullivan could not "scrutinize the reasoning and motives of the Department of Justice" in dropping Flynn's prosecution and that prolonging the case would "constitute irreparable harms that cannot be remedied on appeal." But Sullivan's filing said that Rao's opinion rushed to judgment, citing precedents stating that the government can dismiss a case only with the permission or "leave" of a trial court, and that appeals courts weigh in after lower judges rule, not before. Sullivan said the panel also improperly relied on arguments not raised before him and erroneously gave the government relief - ordering him to approve the Justice Department's motion - even though it was only Flynn who petitioned the appeals court. "Any one" of these flaws weaken the legal standard usually required for a writ of mandamus - that no other remedy is available - the type of extraordinary relief Flynn sought to shortcut the regular appeals process, Sullivan's team argued. The alternative threatens "to turn mandamus into an ordinary litigation tool," inviting "forum shopping" by parties to bypass trial judges, Sullivan's team said. Sullivan was to hold a hearing in the past week to scrutinize the politically charged case testing the limits of the judiciary's power to check the executive branch. Flynn was the highest-ranking Trump adviser convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Flynn, 61, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in December 2017 to lying in an FBI interview on Jan. 24, 2017 to conceal conversations with then-Ambassador Sergey Kislyak of Russia shortly before Trump took office. Although Flynn pleaded guilty and cooperated in Mueller's inquiry, he reversed course after Mueller's investigation ended and Attorney General William Barr took office in 2019 and began undoing its work. Flynn switched defense teams, accusing prosecutors and his former attorneys of coercing him into pleading guilty and concealing FBI misconduct. Barr ordered a review of Flynn's case in January. And in June, in a move that prompted a career department prosecutor to quit the case, Barr determined that Flynn's January 2017 FBI interview was unjustified because it was "conducted without any legitimate investigative basis." As a result, the department concluded, any lies Flynn told about his contacts with Russia and other foreign governments were immaterial to any crime. In Monday's filing, Flynn repeated claims that he is actually innocent despite his sworn admissions, that a guilty plea is not a conviction and that actions by two federal judges voided his pleas. As a judge, Sullivan has no standing to seek an en banc hearing, they argued. "In lay terms, umpires don't get to swing bats or run bases; they suffer no harm when one team wins and the other loses," Flynn's attorneys argued. The government echoed Flynn's arguments in a separate filing Monday, saying Sullivan is not entitled to second-guess the executive branch's constitutional authority to decide when to continue a prosecution. Sullivan's inquiry into whether dismissing the case is legitimate and in the public interest is an impermissible "intrusive" action by the judiciary and "would usurp [that] core executive power," the government said. The filing was submitted by Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt for the Justice Department's criminal division, acting U.S. attorney Michael R. Sherwin for the District of Columbia and their subordinates. The full court now has several options. It can reject Sullivan's request and require the dismissal of Flynn's case, vacate the panel's decision and reconsider Flynn's petition, require oral arguments, or rule whether and how Sullivan may continue proceedings. Flynn's defense has cited recent disclosures by a Barr-ordered review of FBI communications about the case before Flynn's key interview with investigators in arguing he was railroaded into pleading guilty. The case of the retired Army lieutenant general has energized Trump and his supporters who say Flynn was set up by anti-Trump investigators in the FBI. But legal experts said the material was unlikely to convince a judge that agents entrapped Flynn. Many current and former Justice Department officials view the reversal as a troubling sign of the department giving in to pressure from Trump. "The Government has engaged in highly irregular conduct to benefit a political ally of the President," Gleeson wrote in a brief requested by Sullivan. Gleeson argued that Flynn's lies about coordinating activities with Russia's ambassador during the transition amid an investigation into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia "is about as straightforward a case of materiality as a prosecutor, court, or jury will ever see." Trump in 2017 said he had to fire Flynn because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI. But recently Trump reversed course, saying Flynn's conduct was lawful and suggested he might pardon Flynn if his prosecution is not dismissed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 07:41:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 18, 2020 shows Taq-e-Bast, an ancient site which has been destroyed, in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Hundreds of historical monuments representing ancient civilizations ranging from Greek, Buddhism and Islam have either been destroyed or badly damaged during the protracted war and civil strife in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture has signed a contract with a local firm, the National Development Company, for the restoration of 12 historical monuments. (Photo by Abdul Aziz Safdari/Xinhua) July 20 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Monday informed his fans on social media that his mother has been declared healthy by the medical parameters and can self-quarantine at home for 7-8 days. He took to Instagram to share a video in which he shared a health update about his mother and brother. Anupam shared that his mother was well taken care of by the staff of Kokilaben Hospital and he thanked everyone for their good wishes at this time. He further sent out a positive message to not alienate people who are suffering from COVID 19. Posting a two and half minute video on Instagram, Kher wrote, Mom has been declared healthy by all medical parameters by the doctors at Kokilaben Hospital. She will now be quarantining at home. Thank you all for your love, faith & prayers. Love heals. Be kind to people whose family member has Covid +. Stay safe but dont be distant emotionally from them. God is kind. Doctors & @my_bmc officials/employees are real HEROES. #KokilaBenHospital #DulariRocks #Love #Kindness #Compassion Khers mother Dulari had tested positive for COVID 19 along with his brother Raju Kher and his wife and their daughter. Anupam Kher is constantly updating his fans about his mothers and brothers treatment on social media. Celebrity Shamita Shetty and several other fans congratulated Kher after hearing the good news and wished him and his mother good health. Press Release July 20, 2020 Transcript of Interview of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on The Source with Pinky Webb of CNN Philippines On the Anti-Terrorism Law Q: Are you looking at the growing concern regarding the law? SP Sotto: I know for a fact that there is nothing unconstitutional in the law. In fact, during the drafting and the amendments and during the period of interpellations, the committee consulted constitutionalists and we consulted experts not only on terrorism but other laws that might be misconstrued. I think the main cause of this dissent is because of misinformation. There are a number of issues that I have seen on social media that are not in the law. Most of what they are saying is not in the law. Probably those who started the ball rolling against the anti-terrorism law is just against the, either against the government, or they are afraid it might be abused, but there are proper safeguards. As a matter of fact, the law is flooded with safeguards. That's why I am very confident that the Supreme Court will not strike it down. Q: The CBCP very recently issued a pastoral statement regarding what they call is a pattern of intimidation detrimental to the freedom of expression. This is with regards to the anti-terror law and of course the shut-down of ABS-CBN. Having the CBCP coming out with a quite strongly pastoral letter statement, again, isn't it time to maybe look into the concern or the fear of some? SP Sotto: I do not know why they are associating the ABS-CBN problem with the anti-terrorism law, if that has anything to do at all. Now, the point being raised that I read was that it is against freedom of expression, or freedom of assembly. It means that they have not read the law. They have not specifically centered on Section 4 of the law because if you do you will see that that is the catch-all safeguard for all these type of freedoms that they are mentioning. Very clear, we made it a point that shall not, shall not. Yun ang maliwanag, when you use shall in the law, it means it is imperative, ano? Shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action or other similar exercises of civil and political rights. Maliwanag yun. Pag sinabi mo you are worried like which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person then it causes physical (unclear), no, it is not classified as that. If you are having a protest or a rally and there is a riot and some people get hurt, and the people to blame will be charged in the revised penal code, not in the anti-terrorism law. That is very specific, they should read it. Q: What you are basically saying is what is not considered terrorism as you read a while ago which forms part of Section 4, which is under what are the, who can be tagged as terrorist, what are the acts of terrorism. There are a number of those and then doon po sa ilalim, doon nakasulat yung provided that terrorism as defined in this section shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, etc. Very clearly, what you are trying to tell me, pag nagkaroon ng rally, protesta on a particular issue, nagkagulo doon sa protestang yun, meron pong namatay o merong nasaktan, this will not fall in any way or form as an act of terrorism? SP Sotto: No, not at all. It is very clear, very specific. In order to be considered an act of terrorism, the intent and purpose taken must be established. (Unclear) of the enumerated acts, without the underlying purpose, any act without the underlying purpose of terrorism, the violations will be under the revised penal code or other special laws, not as acts of terrorism. That is very clear. Q: Which leads me to my next question. I know that you are saying this, Sen. Ping Lacson was saying this as well, yung intent or purpose. The question is who decides what the intent in, and the purpose? SP Sotto: The answer is the situation. They are blaming, they are saying it going to be the Anti-Terrorism Council that will say that, no. The facts, what happens, or what happened, will determine, and there will be the courts to determine, not the Anti-Terrorism Council. The Anti-Terrorism Council has no power to do that. Again that is another mistake by those who are against the Anti-Terrorism Council which has been there since 2003. The Anti-Terrorism Council is already there since the Human Security Act which was a dead letter law. Q: The Human Security Act f 2007 so the intent, yan p will be determined by the courts, that is what you are saying. SP Sotto: Yes. Q: In the meantime, let me just add this, while it is being considered by the court for judgement, what happens to these people who are part of this protest or this rally, there was harm, bodily injury, or death? SP Sotto: There are specific laws, special laws already in the revised penal code that covers all that. It will not fall under terrorism. I think that is the point that most of them are saying, ika-classify lahat agad sa terrorism? Sila ang nagka-classify, hindi naman batas. The ones who are saying against the law are the ones who are saying they can be classified under the anti-terrorism law. It's not, they are not going to be classified as far as the law is concerned. Sila ang nagka-classify ng sarili nila na kasama sila sa terrorism but they are not. Even on the first day that the protests were coming out, I saw some person holding a placard saying activism is not terrorism, sabi ko sino ang may sabi na terrorism an activism, hindi ba? Wala naman nagsasabing ganoon, it is not even in the law. As a matter of fact, activism is not, already, ang liwanag, nasa batas, hindi kasama. Wala, talaga ang tingin ko ano lang, ang pinakamaganda is for us to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court because we are very confident that if they read through the law and look into the records of the journal of both Houses of Congress, they will see that there (unclear) is a very, sabi nga, plain sight law that is targeted specifically for terrorism because terrorism in the country today is at its peak, especially in the south. Q: When you talk about activism is not terrorism and you are saying that it is clear, activism is not terrorism, here is one point that could be raised. Yung Malaybalay police, they released an infographic on social media that pointed to people who were rallying for press freedom, for the franchise of ABS-CBN, as engaged in terrorism. SP Sotto: Who said that? Q: The Malaybalay police pero they apologized. They posted this on social media. Meron silang placards defend press freedom, and then at the side, it says malalaman mong sila ay para sa terrorismo, papatulan lahat ng issue basta laban sa gobyerno. SP Sotto: Sino ang nagsabi noon? Q: It was posted on Facebook. SP Sotto: We should not believe everything we see on Facebook, hindi ba? We should not believe everything we see in Facebook, and then the guy who placed that was playing safe, because he used parang. The way you read it, sabi mo parang and therefore he places a doubt already in his statement. Parang lang pala eh. Q: No, not parang, malalaman mong sila ay para sa terrorismo. Papatulan lahat ng issue, basta laban sa gobyerno. I am gonna send that to you on Viber. SP Sotto: Sige. But again, as I said, huwag natin patulan lahat ng nakikita natin sa Facebook. It is not government who said that, it is not the courts who said that. On the issue of terrorism, the courts are supreme and very clear in the law. Q: But it is also true that it is the police who will implement it? SP Sotto: Depende, because more specifically in the south, it is the Armed Forces, the AFP. Yes, of course, when it comes to peace and order, the police will be involved, but may pananagutan sila, mas mahigpit ang pananagutan nila, di ba? Oras na nagkamali sila, as a matter of fact, what we incorporated, this is not found in any other anti-terrorism law in the world. It is only in the Philippines, this kind of safeguard which says that if a person is arrested for terrorism, the arresting officer must inform immediately a court, the nearest court, and the Commission on Human Rights. Hindi lang siya ang sasabit, pati ang superiors niya, sasabit. This is the only provision that can be found only in the Anti-Terrorism Law of the Philippines, not in the other parts of the world. The other countries, they are stricter than ours, yung atin ang pinaka conservative. Nagtataka nga ako bakit may mga nakikisamang mga foreigner na nagcocomplain, they are even coming out against the Anti-Terrorism Law of the Philippines when their anti-terrorism law are harsher than ours and then as longer yung detention nila. So really, this is something else. I think it's anti-government ang mas nakakarami. Q: I guess you are referring to the at least 45 American lawmakers who have actually called upon the Philippine government to immediately repeal this controversial anti-terrorism act? SP Sotto: Correct. Not only that, meron ding mga Fil-Ams or may mga Australian-Filipinos na ang iniisip nila ay pinipintasan yung anti-terror law ng Pilipinas, samantalang yung anti-terrorism lang ng Australia ay mas mahigpit. Lalo na yung sa U.S. These U.S. congressmen must investigate their Homeland Security Law where they can be arrested by the mere hitsura pa lang. Pag hindi nagustuhan ang hitsura mo pwede kang arestuhin and then you will be brought to even Guantanamo Bay, hind ipapaalam sa korte, hindi katulad nung sa atin. At saka ano ang nangyayari doon? May waterboarding, merong kung anu-ano, kung anu-ano ang ginagawang torture. Meron ba sa atin noon? Pero maliwanag doon sa homeland security law nila, ang higpit, why are these congressmen n centering on their laws that (unclear)? Why pick on the Philippines when we have the most conservative anti-terror law in the world. They want us to remain as the haven of terrorists? That is what is happening now, it is pretty much what happened to the issue of drug trafficking. Since the time that we removed death penalty in the Philippines, when it comes to high-level drug trafficking, we became the haven of these manufacturers of illegal drugs sapagkat all other countries around us, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Thailand, all these, they have death penalty for drug trafficking, tayo lang ang wala. So what did they do? They manufacture here. In the same way acts of terrorism if you will recall there were a number of terrorists and terrorism acts that have happened in this part of Asia and the jump off from the Philippines. You can check with the AFP if you are not familiar with these reports from the intelligence or the ISAFP. Q: A comment from Martin Aviles on Facebook, ang sabi po niya it is a question of trust. The people do not trust the government. SP Sotto: It is very subjective, the fellow is right. Those who are protesting against the law do not trust the government. It's as simple as that, he is correct, but we should not, we must not mistrust our government. Hintayin mo muna, kung nakita natin may hindi ginawang masama, di ba? Madali yan. I have an answer for this, the same answer that I gave when the people were complaining about BARMM. Yung nirereklamo nila na baka daw pag ginawang autonomous yung BARMM and all that, tapos we are giving them P75 billion a year, (unclear) reklamo, baka bibili lang ng armas. We even placed safeguards already but they say that. It's trust, it is because of trust. So I said, the answer is simple, eh di irepeal. It is only a law, it is not in the constitution. Eh di irepeal natin. Therefor, what I am saying as far as the anti-terrorism law is concerned, pag nakita nating inabuso and we mistrust the government in implementing and executing this, repeal the law. Pero now, nandoon pa lang tayo (unclear) implementation, we are trying to catch up with the rest of the world, because in the rest of the world, tayo lang ang kasama, Philippines lang in this part of the world ang kasama doon sa top 10 na ang kapitbahay natin don sa as far as coddling terrorists are concerned, that is the way they termed it, is that Iran, Iraq, Congo, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Philippines, kasama tayo doon because hindi natin hinaharap yung problema ng terrorism at yung human security act natin after so many years, iisa lang ang conviction. At saka yung conviction na yun ay mukhang nakapag bail pa. So, tingnan muna natin. Let us try not to mistrust our government. On the ABS-CBN franchise. Q: Meron pa po ba kayong nakikitang legal remedies for ABS-CBN or is this the end for them? SP Sotto: It is all in the hands of the House of Representatives. It is very clear in the constitution, private bills must emanate from the House of Representatives exclusively. The word in the constitution is exclusively and a franchise of a company, of a broadcast station company is a private bill, so it is in the hands. The bills that have been filed on the ABS franchise I think were tabled by the committee. So it's only in the hands of the House of Representatives. The Senate cannot do anything about it, the Executive Department cannot do anything about it, it is their prerogative, specified by the constitution. Q: There is a lot of talk, may lumabas na Zoom meeting si Cong. Defensor, Marcoleta, Remulla, a lot of things. What do you make of all this? Do you feel that this needs to be something to be pursued of at all? SP Sotto: What I can say is that they should concentrate on the reconstitution of their land title because when I was vice-mayor of Quezon City in 1989 or 1990, there was a fire in the Quezon City Hall. There was a fire, I am not sure now, it was ages ago, but the entire floor of the Register of Deeds was burned down. That was what happened as a matter of fact I was the acting mayor because Mayor Simon was abroad. After that, Quezon City residents and real property owners were asked to reconstitute. As a matter of fact my property, the house and the land of my wife in Quezon City, we had to reconstitute. It took us one or two years but the local government then made representation with the Register of Deeds to facilitate it kasi dati court ang (unclear) ng reconstitution and we had a specific ordinance to allow such and such. We asked the national government to allow (unclear) reconstitution. (Unclear) what, thirty years ago? They should have reconstituted para nawala yung isang problema nila katulad noon. And there are other issues, I am not too familiar with it because I have really tried to avoid dipping my finger into the issue or the controversy because once it reaches us, then it will be part of our jurisdiction kaya mas mabuting hindi kami nagsasalita kung tutuusin. Q: I think ang sinabi ninyo lang, pag magkaroon ng people's initiative ang sabi ninyo pipirma kayo. SP Sotto: Yes, because ang sinasabi ko I really doubt the possibility because people's initiative does not include private bills eh a franchise of a certain company or corporation is a private bill kaya kung ako (unclear) sila ng (unclear), because I already told them that if it reaches the Senate I will vote in favor of the franchise. That's why I said (unclear) you think you can (unclear) people's initiative on this which I seriously doubt, it is not part of the constitution, it is not allowed. But if so, alright, I will sign. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Three men were arrested on Saturday over three separate incidents of minor girls being sexually assaulted in Chennai and Kancheepuram. In the first case, K Murali (36), a history-sheeter, is alleged to have raped his daughter and the daughter of a woman with whom he was in a relationship. The girls are aged 16 and 13. Recently the girls complained to the woman, who took the matter to the police, said an officer. Murali has been booked under the POCSO Act and remanded in judicial custody. Murali has a gangrape case pending against him. In the second case, the city police arrested a 21-year-old for kidnapping a 12-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her while holding her hostage, in Tiruttani. The victim was rescued by the railway police in Tiruvallur and handed over to an all-women police station in the city. The accused, G Venkatesh, was remanded in judicial custody. Police said that the accused took the victim to Reni Gunta and Tirupati as well and sexually assaulted her when she was in his custody. In another incident in Kancheepuram district, a 60-year-old man has been arrested for impregnating a Class VII girl. When the 12-year-olds parents were away for work, their neighbour Gunasekaran (60) allegedly raped her several times. The girls parents came to know that she was pregnant and a complaint was lodged at a local police station. After investigation, Gunasekaran was arrested and remanded in judicial custody. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) WASHINGTON Democratic leaders on Monday made public a letter they sent a week ago to the FBI requesting the agency brief all members of Congress about efforts by foreign governments to spread disinformation ahead of the 2020 election. Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation, said the letter, which was sent July 13 by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. We believe it is imperative that the FBI provide a classified defensive briefing to all Members of Congress and that the briefing draw on all-source intelligence information and analysis, consistent with due regard for the protection of sensitive intelligence sources and methods, the letter stated. No further details were included about the nature of the threat, but a congressional official told Yahoo News that the Democratic leaders provided the FBI with a classified addendum that draws, in large part, from the Executive Branchs own reporting and analysis. The counterintelligence experts at the FBI must provide the full Congress with a defensive counterintelligence briefing on these threats before the August recess, said the official. Congressional officials declined to comment on the specific classified information that prompted their concerns. However, Politico reported that at least part of the impetus for the letter was a fear that a Senate investigation kicked off by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., had become a channel for foreign actors to attempt to spread damaging information about Joe Biden. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee who was not party to the letter, issued a statement about similar concerns in May, accusing Johnson of using the Homeland Security Committee to chase right-wing conspiracy theories about Biden and Ukraine. Story continues Chairman Johnson explicitly supported Vice President Bidens diplomatic efforts in Ukraine, but now wants to pretend something nefarious happened to help Donald Trump, Wyden wrote. More alarming still is foreign disinformation of unknown authenticity and origin. Though the authors of the letter didnt specify what disinformation they were concerned about, the classified annex may have included specific examples of disinformation or conspiracy theories created or promoted by "foreign actors. Top congressional leadership in both parties, along with senior members of the intelligence committees part of a select group known as the gang of eight have access to classified information that most members of Congress are not privy to. We know foreign actors are working to influence the results of the U.S. presidential election, and members of Congress and other public figures are absolutely targets, just as they were in 2016, because of their ability to amplify narratives and influence voters, said Cindy Otis, vice president of analysis for Alethea Group, a firm that works with political candidates to identify and mitigate disinformation. Already we have seen Russian state media and websites we know are linked to the Kremlin push the same conspiracy narratives some members of Congress have pushed, such as the claim that the election will be rigged, as well as claims of antifa and anarchists overrunning U.S. cities, continued Otis, a former CIA analyst whose new book on disinformation, True or False: A CIA Analysts Guide to Spotting Fake News, will be published at the end of July. FBI Director Christopher Wray. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) All members of Congress should take this threat seriously and ensure they receive regular briefings on the issue, Otis said. The letter requested that FBI Director Christopher Wray have his office outline a plan for such a briefing of all members of Congress by Monday, July 20. The fact that the Democratic leaders released the letter publicly on the day they had requested to see a plan suggests that the FBI has so far declined to grant their request. An FBI spokesperson told Yahoo News that the FBI received the letter and declined to comment further. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: There are two development programs in Tavush Province, and one of them is the ongoing fundraiser that has already been launched. This is what Governor of Tavush Province of Armenia Hayk Chobanyan told reporters today. We have gear the funds collected through verified platforms towards the solution to the primary issues. In September, the regional governors office of Tavush Province will host an online investment conference, and an official statement will be issued soon. Our goal is to declare once again in September the main and priority strategic programs that will not only help enhance our economy, but also strengthen our borders, he said. - Morgan Stanley has named Lucy Quist the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Technology & Operations - The American multinational investment bank and financial services company named Quist for the position in 2020 - Lucy Quist was serving as the managing director for the company before her recent appointment Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana! Ghanaian-British business and technology executive, Lucy Quist, has been named the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Technology & Operations at Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York. Lucy Quist was appointed as the managing director of the multinational company in 2019. Until her elevation in 2019, the international business leader served as the vice president of the FIFA GFA Normalisation Committee. Lucy Quist/Photo credit: Facebook.com Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Fashion goals: Stunning photos of Despite, Ofori Sarpong, Fadda Dickson and Ken Osei in luxurious suits In 2014 she imprinted her name in the sands of time when she became the first Ghanaian woman to be appointed CEO of a multinational telecoms business. The chartered electrical and electronic engineer served as the CEO of Airtel Ghana, now AirtelTigo, and also served in a senior leadership role at Millicom and Vodafone before her appointment as CEO of Airtel Ghana. The Ghanaian trailblazer has served in various capacities in and outside the African continent. She has also worked with Ford Motor Company where she served in many roles for a decade. READ ALSO: Abraham Attah: 5 photos of Ghanaian teen actor showing his powerful grass to grace story Lucy Quist has also worked for other prestigious companies including the Royal Bank of Scotland. The alumna of the University of East London holds a first class degree from the university and an MBA from INSEAD. Lucy Quist is also the author of The Bold New Normal. In another story, technology giant, IBM Corporation, has named Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh as the new regional head for their North, East, and West Africa divisions. Kyerematen-Jimoh will be responsible for IBM operations in over 40 countries in Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ghana, and Tunisia. Until her appointment, Kyerematen-Jimoh was the Chief of Staff to the senior vice president in charge of Global Markets and Sales in IBMs corporate headquarters in New York. Kyerematen-Jimoh, who was previously the country manager for Ghana, joined IBM in 2011 as the marketing manager for the West Africa market segment. READ ALSO: Video: Meet the two brothers who are paving roads in Ghana with granite cobblestones Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion: Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our page. Source: YEN.com.gh The black boxes from downed Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 have arrived in France. "The black boxes of a Ukrainian passenger plane Iran forces mistakenly shot down in January have arrived in France, French air investigators said on Saturday," AFP reports. A source at France's Bureau for Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) said the boxes had arrived and would be at the agency from Monday. A 20-member international team will examine the boxes. Mohsen Baharvand, an aide to Irans foreign minister, earlier said that the downed jets black boxes were transported to Paris on Friday, accompanied by Iranian civil aviation and judicial officials. 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 Boris Johnson today admitted there may not even be a coronavirus vaccine ready by the end of next year, scuppering hopes that one would be ready to be rolled-out in September. The Prime Minister claimed he has his 'fingers crossed' that a jab is eventually found but admitted he isn't 100 per cent confident one will be proven to work and warned we 'can't count in it riding over the hill like the cavalry'. Britain must keep following social distancing, washing their hands and wearing masks in confined spaces to 'drive the virus down by our own collective action', Mr Johnson said. His comments come as ministers today announced deals with two foreign pharmaceutical firms to buy 90million doses of separate experimental vaccine candidates. UK officials are now taking a spread-betting approach to vaccines, buying up stocks of various untested ones that they think could work, in the hope that one or more of them will pay off. Agreement has been reached for 30million doses from German firm BioNTech and the US company Pfizer, and 60million doses from France's Valneva. The figure is in addition to the 100million doses of vaccine that are being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca, as well as another at Imperial College London which started human trials in June. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the new agreements would 'ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk'. But the government's vaccine tsar today scuppered hopes of Oxford's vaccine one of the front-runners in the world's race against time for a jab being ready for September. Oxford scientists have already said they are '80 per cent' confident they can have their jab available for the autumn. Kate Bingham, chair of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce, revealed she was still 'hopeful' it would be ready by the end of 2020 but admitted that academics are unlikely to get enough data to prove it works until the end of the year. Results of the first wave of trials of the Oxford jab called AZD1222 are set to be published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet today. But the results will not prove it can save lives, meaning it won't be licensed and rolled-out yet. A vaccine against coronavirus being developed in Britain is showing positive signs it could work (stock image) Speaking on Sky News this morning, the Prime Minister said: 'I wish I could say that I was 100 per cent confident we'll get a vaccine for Covid-19. 'Obviously I'm hopeful I've got my fingers crossed but to say I'm 100 per cent confident that we'll get a vaccine this year, or indeed next year is, alas, just an exaggeration we're not there yet. 'If you talk to the scientists they think the sheer weight of international effort is going to produce something. They're pretty confident that we'll get some sort of treatments some sort of vaccines that will really make a difference. 'But can I tell you that I'm 100 per cent confident? No. 'That's why we've got to continue with our current approach - maintaining the social distancing measures... we've got to continue to do all the sensible things; washing our hands. All those basic things.' Mr Johnson added: 'It may be that the vaccine is going to come riding over the hill like the cavalry but we just can't count on it right now.' It is not clear exactly how much the Department of Health has paid for the vaccines, but it announced in May a 131million fund to develop vaccine-making facilities. And it has given Valneva the French company supplying 90million doses an undisclosed amount of money to expand its factory in Livingston, Scotland. Ms Bingham, who is a high-profile health technology investor and has a degree in biochemistry, explained on BBC Radio 4 that the deals with BioNTech and Valneva was part of a spread-betting approach to make sure the UK has stocks of the working vaccine if one is found. She said: 'The announcements show that the UK is on the forefront of global efforts to source and develop vaccines and we are doing so across a range of different technologies with a range of different companies around the world. 'It's important because we have no vaccines against any coronavirus, so what we're doing is identifying the most promising vaccines across the different types of vaccine so that we can be sure that we do have a vaccine, if one of those proves to be safe and effective... Kate Bingham, a biotech investor and leader of the UK Vaccine Taskforce, said she was still hopeful a Covid-19 vaccine could be created by the end of the year WHAT ARE THE LEADING COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATES? University of Oxford Oxford University academics began developing the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in January. It is now named AZD1222, after the researchers signed a manufacturing partnership with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Human trials started on April 23 and they are now in the final phase, with trials being carried out in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Lead of the project Professor Sarah Gilbert told The Times she is '80 per cent' confident of its success. The science behind Oxford's vaccine attempt hinges on recreating the 'spike' proteins that are found all over the outside of the Covid-19 viruses. It is made from a weakened version of an adenovirus from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans. Imperial College London Fifteen volunteers have already been given Imperial's trial jab and testing is expected to ramp up to include as many as 200-300 participants in the coming weeks. A second trial, with 6,000 people, will come later. But Professor Robin Shattock, lead researcher, said the vaccine won't be available until at least 2021 even if everything goes according to plan. If the jab works, the team want to make it as cheap as possible so the entire British population could be vaccinated for the 'really good value' of just under 200million. Imperial's vaccine also attempts to mimic the spikes on the outside of the Covid-19 virus. However, it will work by delivering genetic material (RNA) from the virus, which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. Pfizer/BioNTech US drug giant Pfizer famous for Viagra and German firm BioNTech have been working on a number of potential Covid-19 vaccines under the 'BNT162 program'. It reported positive preliminary results from the ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial of one called BNT162b1 on July 1. Tests on 24 volunteers showed that it was well tolerated and produced dose dependent immunity. Dr Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, said the vaccine 'is able to produce neutralizing antibody responses in humans at or above the levels observed' in Covid-19 survivors. Pfizer received fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two of their four potential Covid-19 vaccines this month. The vaccine is one which injects RNA - genetic material - which codes the body to produce proteins that look like the spike proteins that would be found on the outside of the real coronavirus. Valneva French firm Valneva have yet to begin human trials of their Covid-19 vaccine, called VLA2001. Company bosses hope to scale up testing by the end of this year. The jab is currently only in pre-clinical studies meaning it is being tested in the lab and on animals. If proven successful, the vaccine will be manufactured at its facilities in Livingston, Scotland and in Solna, Sweden. Valneva's jab is based on injecting people with dead versions of the coronavirus. This is called an inactivated whole virus vaccine and works by injecting the virus itself but versions that have been damaged in a lab so that they cannot infect human cells. They can be damaged using heat, chemicals or radiation. Even though the viruses are inactivated the body still recognises them as threats and mounts and immune response against them which can develop immunity. Moderna Massachusetts-based Moderna was the first US company to start human trials of its potential Covid-19 vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, on March 16. The jab has proven to trigger an immune response in all 45 injected volunteers, according to a study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine on July 14. Moderna's shot showed early promise in its phase 2 human tests last month. The company reported that it triggered antibody production on par with that seen in recovered coronavirus patients. CanSino Chinese vaccine Ad5-nCoV, made by CanSino, was the very first shot to enter clinical trials earlier this year and is a leading candidate. A trial of 108 healthy volunteers in China showed it safely triggered an immune response in participants. Results published May 22 in The Lancet showed most of the people dosed with the vaccine had immune responses, although their levels of antibodies thought to neutralize the virus were relatively low. Researchers saw a stronger ramp-up of other immune compounds, called T-cells, that might also help fight the infection off. Johnson & Johnson The drug giant started work on the vaccine in January, two months before Covid-19 was labelled a global pandemic. A vaccine trial spearheaded by Johnson and Johnson will start recruiting people in September, with clinical data available by the end of the year. An 'emergency use' batch of the vaccine is anticipated to be authorised as early as 2021, which would likely be prioritised for vulnerable people. CureVac CureVac, a German company, secured permission last month to begin first phase clinical trials of its attempt at a coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine, named CVnCoV, works by injected RNA designed to force the production of coronavirus-like proteins in the body and trigger an immune response. The first trials will involved 168 people between the ages of 18 and 60 in Germany and Belgium. Advertisement 'We just need to wait and see what the clinical trials tell us but I think again it's important to recognise that it's unlikely to be a single vaccine for everybody. We may well need different vaccines for different groups of people.' Ms Bingham said that although it would be ideal to have a 'sterilising' vaccine that would completely stop the virus, that could be too ambitious. 'I think we may need to start off with and recognise is that the vaccines may just stop the level of mortality so we may just find a vaccine that helps reduce the symptoms rather than provides a full sterilising immunity 'If I look with my rose-tinted specs, I think they [Oxford University] could get data by the end of the year. They're running studies in the UK and in Brazil and South Africa. 'What I would hope we would see is strong safety data in all of the relevant populations who are most at risk which will come out in the UK trial. And I would hope to see efficacy signals which means data that shows the vaccine prevent infection or reduce the symptoms coming out of those two studies. 'It all depends on how much infection we see. The regulators will need to look at the data and every aspect of the vaccine and then they will take a view on whether this is a vaccine that should be licensed for use more broadly.' Ms Bingham added that she was hopeful getting a vaccine by the end of the year was 'still possible' but such low numbers of coronavirus cases make it difficult to test one in Britain. Valneva, the French company developing a vaccine that the UK has bought 60m doses, it creating a jab based on injecting people with dead versions of the coronavirus. This is called an inactivated whole virus vaccine and works by injecting the virus itself but versions that have been damaged in a lab so that they cannot infect human cells. They can be damaged using heat, chemicals or radiation. Even though the viruses are inactivated the body still recognises them as threats and mounts and immune response against them which can develop immunity. The BioNTech vaccine, on the other hand, is one which injects RNA - genetic material - which codes the body to produce proteins that look like the spike proteins that would be found on the outside of the real coronavirus. AstraZeneca, which is working in partnership with Oxford University, is already manufacturing a vaccine in the hope that it will work. The UK Government agreed to buy them without seeing results of clinical trials, which have not been completed yet. But the team from Oxford, and another working on a different jab made by the American pharmaceutical company Moderna, have both revealed people in their studies are showing signs of immunity. Each has been working on separate experimental jabs for months to try to protect millions of people from catching the coronavirus in future. People being given the Oxford vaccine have been developing antibodies and white blood cells called T cells which will help their bodies fight off the virus if they get infected, it is reported. And experts at Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said participants in their trial - of a different type of vaccine - all successfully developed antibodies. The vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking it's infected with Covid-19 and causing it to produce immune substances that have the ability to destroy it. While early research focused on antibodies, scientists are increasingly turning to a type of immunity called T cell immunity which is controlled by white blood cells which has shown signs of promise. One source on the Oxford project told ITV News: 'An important point to keep in mind is that there are two dimensions to the immune response: antibodies and T-cells. 'Everybody is focused on antibodies but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the T-cells response is important in the defence against coronavirus.' Oxford's phase 3 trial is involving around 8,000 people across the UK and also up to 6,000 people in Brazil and South Africa, where the jab may be easier to test because more people are infected with the coronavirus. The vaccine is being manufactured by AstraZeneca, based in Cambridge, England, and millions of doses have already been ordered by Number 10 in the hope that it will work. In the early stages researchers will want to see that the jab is safe for people to take and doesn't cause serious side effects, and also that it seems to be stimulating the immune system in the right way. If it passes these checkpoints researchers are expected to move on to even larger tests with thousands more members of the public. In its own tests Moderna, the US pharmaceutical company, reports that its vaccine has passed these early milestones and now plans to move on to bigger trials. Researchers at the company last night announced that all 45 volunteers in its early phase had developed immune responses after being given the vaccine. They also found the jab one of the front-runners in the global coronavirus vaccine race was safe and no participants suffered any serious side effects. But more than half reported mild or moderate reactions such as fatigue, headache, chills, muscle aches or pain at the injection site. Scientists said side effects were a 'small price to pay' for protection against Covid-19. Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government's top infectious disease expert, said: 'No matter how you slice this, this is good news.' Moderna was the first US company to start human testing of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus on March 16, 66 days after the genetic sequence of the pathogen was released by China. It's now preparing to start a 30,000-person trial later this month to prove the vaccine really is strong enough to protect against the coronavirus. The share price of the company surged on the news as it stoked hopes of progress in the global battle against Covid-19. The US federal government is supporting Moderna's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars in funding. Its vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, works using ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is a chemical messenger in human bodies that contains instructions for making proteins. The jab introduces RNA which programmes the body to make proteins that look like those found on the surface of the coronavirus, which triggers the immune system to react because it recognises those proteins as a danger - even though they aren't actually attached to a virus and can't cause any harm. This then trains the body to recognise these as a foreign invader, and mount an immune response against it. The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, involved three groups of 15 volunteers aged 18-55. The groups tested 25, 100 or 250 micrograms of the vaccine. Everyone got two doses, 28 days apart. The team reported a dose-dependent effect, whereby the participants grew a larger antibody response the higher their vaccination dose was. In comparison, the University of Oxford team's jab works by injecting a damaged part of the real coronavirus that has been attached to another, harmless, virus. It's a type of immunisation known as a recombinant viral vector vaccine. Speaking in a television interview this morning the Prime Minister said he has his 'fingers crossed' but isn't 100 per cent confident that a coronavirus vaccine will be found The UK has ordered 30million doses of a vaccine created by the German company BioNTech (pictured, its headquarters in Mainz) Researchers place genetic material from the coronavirus into another virus that's been modified. They will then inject the virus into a human, hoping to produce an immune response against SARS-CoV-2. The carrier virus, weakened by genetic engineering so it doesn't make people ill, is a type of virus called an adenovirus, the same as those which cause common colds, that has been taken from chimpanzees. A quarter of Britons could REFUSE to take coronavirus vaccine despite risks being 'overestimated by web myths', new survey shows More than a quarter of people in the UK may refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus, a worrying survey reveals. Results will be released today for a global frontrunner vaccine, developed at Oxford University, showing whether it is safe and triggers a positive immune response. But shocking figures show, even if this first step is successful, and the treatment is proven to work in the coming months, 14 per cent of people in the UK say they would be unwilling to be vaccinated. Another 13 per cent say they dont know if they would refuse a vaccine, according to a national survey. There are concerns social media is being overwhelmed by anti-vaxxer myths and scare stories, which the Daily Mail has campaigned against following a resurgence of measles and mumps. Millennials are among the most wary, with a coronavirus vaccine most opposed by people aged 25 to 34. The key to beating the virus is to achieve herd immunity, which most experts say means at least 60 per cent of the population having been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: If we get an effective vaccine, and almost everyone takes it up, overnight all the restrictions can stop and life will return to normal like it was before March, with no social distancing or restrictions. Advertisement If the vaccines can successfully mimic the spikes that are found on the outside of Covid-19 inside a person's bloodstream, and stimulate the immune system to create special antibodies to attack it, this could train the body to destroy the real coronavirus if they get infected with it in future. One of the other leading vaccine candidates, being made by Imperial College London, works in a similar way to Moderna's, instead of Oxford's. It will try to deliver genetic material (RNA) from the coronavirus which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. It will transport the RNA inside liquid droplets injected into the bloodstream. Oxford's vaccine could be developed so rapidly by Professor Sarah Gilbert, a vaccinology expert, and her team because they already had a base vaccine for similar coronaviruses. Professor Gilbert said earlier this month that protection from a jab against coronavirus should last for several years at least. She told MPs she was optimistic that a vaccine would provide 'a good duration of immunity'. Professor Gilbert is the world-renowned expert leading an Oxford University team devising a vaccine, so her claim could help to dispel the fears over how long protection against Covid-19 might last. Concerns had been raised after those with other types of coronavirus which are less dangerous and cause the common cold were able, in tests, to be reinfected within a year. But Professor Gilbert told the Commons science and technology committee there may be a better result from a vaccine than the natural immunity acquired when individuals simply recover from a virus. She said: 'Vaccines have a different way of engaging with the immune system, and we follow people in our studies using the same type of technology to make the vaccines for several years, and we still see strong immune responses. 'It's something we have to test and follow over time we can't know until we actually have the data. 'But we're optimistic based on earlier studies that we will see a good duration of immunity, for several years at least, and probably better than naturally-acquired immunity.' The key question is whether the vaccine will protect them from becoming infected, or simply make them less ill. It may also work less well in older people because their immune systems are weaker. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, also gave evidence to the committee, warning that the UK must 'prepare for the worst' this winter, rather than rely on the development of a vaccine. Scientists at Moderna in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are developing a vaccine which uses RNA to force the body to produce proteins that look like the coronavirus and spur the immune system into action Experts in an Oxford Vaccine Group lab in England have developed a vaccine which injects a damaged and harmless section of the coronavirus in order to provoke the immune system But he said he has now seen tests for coronavirus of a good standard which can produce a result in a 'few minutes'. Sir John said: 'That would be transformative because we could all test ourselves regularly and test our kids after they've been off to a rave and all that stuff.' He also urged Britons to have the flu jab to 'avoid pandemonium in A&E departments'. GLAXOSMITHKLINE INVESTS 130M IN VACCINE CANDIDATE The British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline said it will invest 130million in a coronavirus vaccine being made by the company CureVac. In a Dragon's Den-style deal GSK, a company worth 82billion, will help to pay for German CureVac's jab candidate in exchange for a 10 per cent ownership stake in the company. CureVac's vaccine, which GSK called 'cutting edge' works by injecting genetic material called mRNA, which forces the body to make proteins that look like they are part of the coronavirus, therefore forcing the body to mount an immune response. The government in Berlin has a 23 per cent stake in CureVac and the EU has invested 75million euros (68m) into the company. GSK's agreement with CureVac covers the research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of up to five mRNA-based vaccines. The development could expand the range of diseases that can be prevented or treated, GSK said. Roger Connor, president of GSK Vaccines, said: 'GSK's self-amplifying mRNA (SAM) vaccine technology has shown us the potential of mRNA technology to advance the science of vaccine development, and CureVac's experience complements our own expertise. 'Through the application of mRNA technology... we hope to be able to develop and scale up advanced vaccines and therapies to treat and prevent infectious diseases quicker than ever before.' Dr Franz-Werner Haas, acting CEO at CureVac, said: 'We are delighted to partner with GSK. With this collaboration, we are gaining a world-class partner whose expertise and global footprint will allow us to further develop and translate the value of our platform into potential products for the world.' Advertisement Trials of a potential antibody treatment that could protect older people from coronavirus have also started. Instead of a traditional vaccine the proposed treatment would see patients given a three-minute infusion of antibodies to the virus that could provide protection for up to six months. For people whose immune systems do not respond to a vaccine, including those taking immunosuppressant drugs or undergoing chemotherapy, it could provide alternative way of developing resistance to the virus. Older people also have less of a response to vaccines so the antibody infusion could help give extra protection for older people who are more at risk from coronavirus, reported The Times. Pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca are trialling the treatment and the drug maker is also working with Oxford University on a potential vaccine. As well as preventing people catching the disease antibody therapy can help people who have caught it recover more quickly. Sir Mene Pangalos, who heads the company's research into treating respiratory diseases told The Times: 'There's a population who are elderly that [may not] get a particularly good immune response to the vaccine, 'In those instances you might want to prophylactically treat those patients with an antibody to give them additional protection.' It is not yet clear if the treatment will work and the first human trial will only have around 30 participants. If no safety issues arise larger scale testing could begin in the autumn. Sir Mene added: 'We're going to do this as fast as we can. Obviously we've got to show that you're safe but antibodies are well known entities - it should be safe. The trial comes following initial research at Vanderbilt University in the United States which looked into monoclonal antibodies, which can imitate the antibodies created by the body after being infected by coronavirus. However the antibody therapy is not expected to be an alternative to a vaccine as it will cost a much while not providing protection for as long a period of time. The quest for a coronavirus vaccine took a strange turn last week when Russian hackers were accused of trying to steal data from the UK, US and Canada. 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.' The Russian government has denied the allegations that it hired hackers to try and get information about Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. 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 - a British company - to manufacture its 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.' Rajasthan crisis: Pilot still in touch with Priyanka Gandhi India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Jaipur, July 20: The contact between the Congress and Sachin Pilot remains even after the latter moved the Rajasthan High Court challenging the disqualification notice issued to him. Reports say that Pilot is still in touch with Priyanka Gandhi, the AICC general secretary. Pilot is said to have telephoned Priyanka over the weekend. However, no details of the conversation were available. It was indicated that both are open to a meeting. Meanwhile, Congress leaders have not ruled out the possibility of convening an assembly session this week. The BJP, on the other hand, believes that the crisis is beyond a point of no return and it is only a matter of time before the Ashok Gehlot government falls. Raj HC tells Speaker not to act against Pilot, rebels until Tuesday Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News The BJP's calculation suggests that there are 21 MLAs with Pilot, including 19 Congress rebels and two independents. The 21 MLAs along with the BJP's 72 and three of its ally, RLP would have 96 in the 200 member house. Meanwhile hearing on the petition filed by Pilot and the rebels would resume today. Last week, the court had deferred the hearing and directed the Speaker not to act on the disqualification notice until Tuesday. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the launch of a new Startup Competition as it looks to identify innovators with the power to further tourisms contribution to sustainable development. As the United Nations specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO has been guiding the sectors efforts to contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through the Tourism 4 SDGs online platform. Now, as the global community faces just 10 years to reach this ambitious agenda for people and planet, tourisms unique ability to advance several of the SDGs is more relevant than ever. Against the backdrop of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNWTO has launched the SDGs Global Startup Competition. Organised in partnership with Wakalua, the innovation hub of leading tourism group Globalia, the competition has strong private sector backing, with the Advanced Leadership Foundation, Amadeus, Amazon Web Services Activate, BBVA, ClarkeModet, The Far Co, Globant, Google, IE University, Mastercard, Mentor Day, Plug and Play and Telefonica as lead promoters of innovation. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashviki said: Tourisms cross-cutting nature is unique. As a sector, it touches on almost every part of our economies and our societies. This competition will rally all sectors around efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and place innovation and sustainability at the heart of global economic recovery. The competition is not only open to innovators within the tourism sector. Startups of every kind, from all over the world, are invited to participate provided that they: Are innovative in nature and provide value-added solutions Are sustainability-driven Are scalable, with potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions) Are an Early Stage or Series A startup Have a tested pilot and business plan Have been accelerated before Have a full-time team already in place The 17 most disruptive startups (1 for each of the SDGs) will be given support to scale-up and make a real difference to the future of destinations. UNWTO will present the best ideas to its Member States, Affiliate Members and investors, providing them with a unique networking and matchmaking opportunity. Additional benefits on offer include the chance to pitch at a special UNWTO Demo Day and access to technological support and to the UNWTO Innovation network, as well as a curated mentorship programme with both one-on-one and group training sessions on key topics such as Intellectual Property, sustainability in business and leadership. Applications are now open and will close on September 20. The winning startups will be announced in November. - TradeArabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:38:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, July 20 (Xinhua) -- As Italy seeks to boost its agriculture sector and the "Made in Italy" brand as it relates to high-quality foodstuffs, analysts say the Chinese market will play an important role in the sector's recovery. Earlier this month, government officials and private sector representatives held a special meeting -- mostly with online participation -- focusing on updating and modernizing the "Made in Italy" brand, through promoting products and innovation, such as the use of blockchain technology as a way to guarantee authenticity and freshness. On July 6, the government set aside 1.15 billion euros (1.31 billion U.S. dollars) in aid to farmers as part of its relaunch decree. But the consultancy Nomisma said in a report recently that it could take even more resources to help Italy recover from the damage from the coronavirus lockdown. Analysts said the export sector would be a key part of the recovery, with trade to China a key aspect. "The 'Made in Italy' brand is already well known and well respected," Giorgia Palazzo, a partner with Expense Reduction Analysts who focuses in part on export issues, told Xinhua. "But the brand has to be modernized, publicized, and made to be more focused." Palazzo said exports to China of high-end Italian food production -- wine, cheese, cured meats, and other such products had been steadily rising through last year. The trend has reversed so far in 2020, due mostly to the worldwide economic slowdown related to the coronavirus pandemic. Palazzo said Italian agricultural exporters should take specific steps to assure that when global economic growth restarts that "Made in Italy" agricultural exports to China and other countries pick up where they left off. "There are new ways to innovate, such as blockchain, as well as traditional methods, like the participation in trade fairs," Palazzo said. "Chinese consumers are spending more on high-quality goods. Italy has to stand ready." Denis Pantini, head of the agro-industry division for Nomisma, said it made sense for "Made in Italy" food exports to China to be a priority. "All export markets are important, but in the case of China there is a great deal of room to grow," Pantini said in an interview. "Before the pandemic, Italian wine imports made up only around 6 percent of the Chinese import market; Italian food products were only around 2 percent. That shows how much potential there is." Pantini said Italy should work to promote "Made in Italy" products online in China while relying more on that brand rather than on regional equivalents. "In many international markets, consumers don't know what it means for a product to be from a specific region of the country," he said. "But they do know what it means when something is produced in Italy." A man accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in a Dublin park had followed two teenage girls around the same location weeks earlier and performed a sex act on himself, it is alleged. The 19-year-old woman went behind bushes to go to the toilet after socialising in the park when Ahmed Yagoub (56) allegedly exposed himself to her and grabbed between her legs. In the earlier incident, he allegedly masturbated in front of two 16-year-olds after following them from a local shop. Gardai objected to bail, saying they believed Mr Yagoub had a number of different identities and the incidents he is alleged to have been involved in "appear to be escalating". Judge Anthony Halpin deferred a decision on bail and adjourned the case for a week at Dublin District Court. Mr Yagoub, with an address at The Crescent, Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, is charged with sexual assault and offensive conduct of a sexual nature by exposing himself and masturbating. The prosecuting garda said the accused made no reply to one charge; to a second he replied "I didn't do it" and to the third: "I didn't do anything." Objecting to bail, she said the most recent incident was alleged to have happened at a park in the west of the city on July 11. Two friends, one aged 19 and the other aged 17 were socialising and went to go to the toilet in bushes. The 19-year old was going to go to the toilet when she noticed a man behind her. She pulled up her trousers and he grabbed her by the buttocks, then pinched her vagina area over her clothes, the garda alleged. She jumped up and saw the accused had his genitals exposed. The 17-year old also saw the man's testicles and started screaming. The girls ran out of the bushes and the suspect ran from the scene. They alerted the friend they were socialising with and he recorded the suspect on his mobile phone. A garda later identified the accused from the footage. In an earlier incident on June 26, two 16-year-olds were in a store near the park when they saw the accused and believed him to be following them. He said hello and they asked "Are you following us?", the garda continued. He walked away and the girls left the store and walked across the car park. Mr Yagoub could be seen in the car park and a witness said she saw the girls go into the park, with the accused following them. She could see him from behind and believed him to be masturbating. They then turned around and it was alleged they also saw him masturbating. Mr Yagoub told gardai he did see the girls in the shop and he was in the park but suggested that if he did take out his genitals, he may have been "peeing". The garda said the accused had recognised himself on the video and admitted he saw the two teenagers and they were going to the toilet but denied any sexual offence. Passport Mr Yagoub had been working for a food company and worked under different names and with a different PPS number. He had arrived from Argentina in January and "overstayed his welcome". He was in possession of an Algerian passport and gardai had strong suspicions he would abscond if granted bail. Defence barrister John Griffin said the accused was married and resided at the home address given. He said the accused could lodge cash bail and sign on twice daily at a garda station. The garda said she was still not sure of his identity and believed he had "a number of identities". Japan to subsidise manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars to invest at home and Southeast Asia instead of China. Japans government will start subsidizing some companies to invest in factories in Japan and South-East Asia as part of efforts to reduce reliance on manufacturing in China. Fifty-seven companies including privately-held facemask-maker Iris Ohyama Inc. or Sharp Corp. will receive a total of 57.4 billion yen ($536 million) in subsidies from the government to invest in production in Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday. Another 30 firms will receive money for investments in Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations, according to a separate announcement, which didnt provide details on the amount of money. While the METI statement doesnt explicitly state the money is to move production out of China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in March that Japan needed to bring production back home or diversify output to Asean nations and elsewhere to cut reliance on any one country such as China. The government will pay a total of 70 billion yen in this round, the Nikkei newspaper reported. The payments come from 243.5 billion yen that the government earmarked in April to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains, with the money aimed at helping companies shift factories back home or to other nations. As U.S.-China relations deteriorate and the trade war worsens, theres been increasing discussions in the U.S. and elsewhere about how to decouple economies and firms from China. Japans decision is similar to a Taiwanese policy in 2019, which was aimed at bringing investment back home from China. So far, no other country has enacted a concrete policy to encourage the shift. China is Japans biggest trading partner under normal circumstances and Japanese companies have massive investments there. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has damaged those economic ties as well as Chinas image in Japan. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying for years to improve relations with China after anti-Japan riots in 2012, but the fallout from the pandemic and the ongoing territorial dispute over islands and gas fields in the East China Sea have undercut those efforts. Mastermind Fareed Faisal used diplomatic channels to smuggle 230 kgs of gold to Kerala India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Fareed Faisal, the mastermind in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case allegedly used diplomatic channels to smuggle 230 kilograms of gold. Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that Faisal may have moved gold through diplomatic channels on 20 or more occasions. It has been found that the racket was operated with ease owing to diplomatic immunity enjoyed by the diplomat, sources tell OneIndia. The agencies had to seek prior permission from the Ministry of External Affairs to open the diplomat's bags. Three bags had come in between June 27 and July 3. Kerala Gold Smuggling was carried out with ease owing to diplomatic immunity The sudden exit of the diplomat Rashed Alshemeili has also set the tongues wagging. He is a key witness in the case, but he made a sudden exit to his country. He enjoys immunity under the Vienna Convention. However on Sunday, he reached Delhi and took a flight to UAE. On Saturday, the NIA had requestioned the Interpol to issue a blue corner notice against Faisal. He has been accused by the NIA for forging documents, smuggling and also terror funding. The Indian embassy has also intimated the UAE government about blocking Faisal's passport. Faisal has a business in Dubai and is residing with his family at Al Rashidiya. He was picked up from his residence and questioned by the police. He revealed that he had smuggled 230 kilograms of gold into Kerala. The National Investigation Agency which was permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the case is looking into a wide range of issues. A hawala network and the possible terror funding are on the radar of the NIA. The Enforcement Directorate too may join the probe soon, if any angle relating to money laundering crops up. Sources tell OneIndia that there is a high possibility of money laundering in this case and the ED is keeping a close watch on the developments. Wide network of hawala operators under scanner in Kerala Gold Smuggling case Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News The case has been registered under sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against four accused persons including Swapna Prabha Suresh. The case relates to the seizure of 30 kg of 24 carat gold worth Rs.14.82 crores at Trivandrum International Airport, the NIA said. Eric Felten is a meticulous reporter and analyst of the Russia collusion hoax. We have previously posted several of Erics RealClearInvestigations columns on the subject. RCI has just posted Erics column The Primary Subsources Guide to Russiagate, as Told to the FBI. RCI authorizes the republication of its articles with attribution and we are happy to take advantage of the opportunity here. Eric writes: Much of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Donald Trump was built on the premise that Christopher Steele and his dossier were to be believed. This even though, early on, Steeles claims failed to bear scrutiny. Just how far off the claims were became clear when the FBI interviewed Steeles Primary Subsource over three days beginning on February 9, 2017. Notes taken by FBI agents of those interviews were released by the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday afternoon. The Primary Subsource was in reality Steeles sole source, a long-time Russian-speaking contractor for the former British spys company, Orbis Business Intelligence. In turn, the Primary Source had a group of friends in Russia. All of their names remain redacted. From the FBI interviews it becomes clear that the Primary Subsource and his friends peddled warmed-over rumors and laughable gossip that Steele dressed up as formal intelligence memos. Steeles operation didnt rely on great expertise, to judge from the Primary Subsources account. He described to the FBI the instructions Steele had given him sometime in the spring of 2016 regarding Paul Manafort: Do you know [about] Manafort? Find out about Manaforts dealings with Ukraine, his dealings with other countries, and any corrupt schemes. The Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI that he was clueless about who Manafort was, and that this was a strange task to have been given. The Primary Subsource said at first that maybe he had asked some of his friends in Russia he didnt have a network of sources, according to his lawyer, but instead just a social circle. And a boozy one at that: When the Primary Subsource would get together with his old friend Source 4, the two would drink heavily. But his social circle was no help with the Manafort question and so the Primary Subsource scrounged up a few old news clippings about Manafort and fed them back to Steele. Also in his social circle was Primary Subsources friend Source 2, a character who was always on the make. He often tries to monetize his relationship with [the Primary Subsource], suggesting that the two of them should try and do projects together for money, the Primary Subsource told the FBI (a caution that the Primary Subsource would repeat again and again.) It was Source 2 who told [the Primary Subsource] that there was compromising material on Trump. And then there was Source 3, a very special friend. Over a redacted number of years, the Primary Subsource has helped out [Source 3] financially. She stayed with him when visiting the United States. The Primary Subsource told the FBI that in the midst of their conversations about Trump, they would also talk about a private subject. (The FBI agents, for all their hardnosed reputation, were too delicate to intrude by asking what that private subject was.) One day Steele told his lead contractor to get dirt on five individuals. By the time he got around to it, the Primary Subsource had forgotten two of the names, but seemed to recall Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The Primary Subsource said he asked his special friend Source 3 if she knew any of them. At first she didnt. But within minutes she seemed to recall having heard of Cohen, according to the FBI notes. Indeed, before long it came back to her that she had heard Cohen and three henchmen had gone to Prague to meet with Russians. Source 3 kept spinning yarns about Michael Cohen in Prague. For example, she claimed Cohen was delivering deniable cash payments to hackers. But come to think of it, the Primary Subsource was not sure if Source 3 was brainstorming here, the FBI notes say. The Steele Dossier would end up having authoritative-sounding reports of hackers who had been recruited under duress by the FSB and how they had been using botnets and porn traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal data and conduct altering operations against the the Democratic Party. What exactly were altering operations? the FBI asked the subject. The Primary Subsource wouldnt be much help there, as he told the FBI that his understanding of this topic (i.e. cyber) was zero. But what about his girlfriend whom he had known since they were in 8th grade together? The Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI that Source 3 is not an IT specialist herself. And then there was Source 6. Or at least the Primary Subsource thinks it was Source 6. While he was doing his research on Manafort, the Primary Subsource met a U.S. journalist at a Thai restaurant. The Primary Subsource didnt want to ask revealing questions but managed to go so far as to ask, Do you [redacted] know anyone who can talk about all of this Trump/Manafort stuff, or Trump and Russia? According to the FBI notes, the journalist told Primary Subsource that he was skeptical and nothing substantive had turned up. But the journalist put the Primary Subsource in touch with a colleague who in turn gave him an email of this guy journalist 2 had interviewed and that he should talk to. With the email address of this guy in hand, the Primary Subsource sent him a message in either June or July 2016. Some weeks later the Primary Subsource received a telephone call from an unidentified Russia guy. He thought but had no evidence that the mystery Russian guy was that guy. But that was pure speculation as the mystery caller never identified himself. The Primary Subsource labeled the anonymous caller Source 6. The Primary Subsource and Source 6 talked for a total of about 10 minutes. During that brief conversation they spoke about the Primary Subsource traveling to meet the anonymous caller, but the hook-up never happened. Nonetheless, the Primary Subsource labeled the unknown Russian voice Source 6 and gave Christopher Steele the rundown on their brief conversation how they had a general discussion about Trump and the Kremlin and that it was an ongoing relationship. For use in the dossier, Steele named the voice Source E. When Steele was done putting this utterly unsourced claim into the style of the dossier, heres how the mystery call from the unknown guy was presented: Speaking in confidence to a compatriot in late July 2016, Source E, an ethnic Russian close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, admitted that there was a well-developed conspiracy of co-operation between them and the Russian leadership. Steele writes Inter alia, yes, he really does deploy the Latin formulation for among other things Source E acknowledged that the Russian regime had been behind the recent leak of embarrassing e-mail messages, emanating from the Democratic National Committee [DNC], to the WikiLeaks platform. All that and more is presented as the testimony of a close associate of Trump, when it was just the disembodied voice of an unknown guy. Perhaps even more perplexing is that the FBI interviewers, knowing that Source E was just an anonymous caller, didnt compare that admission to the fantastical Steele bluster and declare the dossier a fabrication on the spot. But perhaps it might be argued that Christopher Steele was bringing crack investigative skills of his own to bear. For something as rich in detail and powerful in effect as the dossier, Steele must have been researching these questions himself as well, using his hard-earned spy savvy to pry closely held secrets away from the Russians. Or at the very least he must have relied on a team of intelligence operatives who could have gone far beyond the obvious limitations the Primary Subsource and his group of drinking buddies. But no. As we learned in December from Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Steele was not the originating source of any of the factual information in his reporting. Steele, the IG reported relied on a primary sub-source (Primary Sub-source) for information, and this Primary Sub-source used a network of [further] sub-sources to gather the information that was relayed to Steele. The inspector generals report noted that neither Steele nor the Primary Sub-source had direct access to the information being reported. One might, by now, harbor some skepticism about the dossier. One might even be inclined to doubt the story that Trump was into water sports as the Primary Subsource so delicately described the tale of Trump and Moscow prostitutes. But, in this account, there was an effort, however feeble, to nail down the rumor and speculation that Trump engaged in unorthodox sexual activity at the Ritz. While the Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI he had not been able to confirm the story, Source 2 (who will be remembered as the hustler always looking for a lucrative score) supposedly asked a hotel manager about Trump and the manager said that with celebrities, one never knows what theyre doing. One never knows not exactly a robust proof of something that smacks of urban myth. But the Primary Subsource makes the best of it, declaring that at least it wasnt a denial. If there was any denial going on it was the FBIs, an agency in denial that their extraordinary investigation was crumbling about them. UPDATE: At Eric Feltens request, I have revised the paragraph beginning And then there was Source 3. since originally posted. The 'green' list of countries safe to visit should not be treated as a holiday list as confusion mounts over the mixed messages about reopening international travel. The long-awaited list was expected to be released by the government today but it emerged late last night that ministers are unlikely to discuss it now until later this week. Cabinet was set to discuss the list on Monday and then the July stimulus package on Tuesday. However, Taoiseach Micheal Martin was kept at an EU leaders summit overnight, pushing back the government's timetable this week. Cabinet could agree a list of under 20 countries that have low rates of Covid-19 but the government is still insisting non-essential travel should be avoided. This contradiction has triggered warnings from key health professionals about the mixed messages being sent to the public. It is strongly expected that Norway, Finland, Lithuania and Estonia will be on the list as will Cyprus, Malta, and Hungary. But Portugal, Spain, France, the UK and the US-with higher rates of the virus-will not make the list. The benefit of the list is that anyone who travels to the countries will not need to self-isolate for two weeks when returning home. Equally, travellers arriving from them don't have to quarantine. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan insisted that the table of countries, if agreed, should not be treated as a "holiday list". He denied to RTE that there were mixed messages being sent out, saying there were countries with different circumstances and with similar or lower levels of Covid-19. The overall advice would still be to avoid non-essential travel, he reiterated: This is the summer and autumn to spend your holidays here at home. But Cillian De Gascun, chair of the expert advisory group to NPHET, said the list could lead to confusion and provide people with mixed messages. There is also growing criticism about travellers entering Ireland from high-risk countries who are not subject to mandatory quarantine rules. The Royal Society of Medicine's Dr Gabriel Scally called for joint North-South harmonisation on travel restrictions. He said it was "an error" to leave the door open to international travel. Dr Scally also noted that Belfast Airport and Dublin Airport would have different lists of countries, while there would be free travel across the Irish border. Mr Ryan blamed a lack of coordination with politicians in the North and on London on the failure to enforce isolation rules for those arriving into Ireland. If we did get that with both those institutions [there], of course you would look at that as an option." If you want to go down the route of having quarantine, that [the situation] would make it not effective because you would have that open door to the North, so you couldn't actually lockdown in that way. A key factor in the list decision making is expected to be the number of virus cases for every 100,000 people in a country, compared to Ireland. The latest European data shows in the two weeks up to 17 July, Ireland confirmed 4.3 cases for every 100,000. This was the ninth lowest incidence of Covid-19 in Europe. Countries with lower levels included Malta (0.8), Finland (0.9), Hungary (1.2), Estonia (2.0), Norway (2.2), Lithuania (2.8), Latvia (3.0) and Cyprus (3.7). Other countries are slightly higher, including Italy on 4.6 cases. But infection rates are far higher Spain, France, the UK and US. The government is also set to beef up tracing methods with changes to its passenger locator form, while protocols for safe travel will also be agreed. There were suggestions the green list may be scrapped, in part because of the fluid situation around Covid-19 and because of the mixed messages. But many ministers expect it to go ahead. Nonetheless, the delay in Cabinet discussing the issue has also added to the confusion now. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said clarity was needed while Labour's Ged Nash called for stringent restrictions for travellers arriving here. Russia may have deployed combat dolphins to help its war effort in Syria, new open-source research suggests. Satellite imagery appears to show marine mammal pens were at the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, for a period in late 2018. Writing in Forbes, open-source researcher H I Sutton says the dolphins probably came from a Black Sea unit near Sevastopol, Crimea. They may have been deployed to "counter enemy divers who might try to sabotage ships in the port" or to retrieve objects from the sea, he wrote. The pens appeared only from September to December 2018, leading Sutton to speculate the dolphins may have been a test. Or it may not have ended well. Russia has a history of training marine mammals for military tasks. During the Cold War, the Soviet navy is believed to have taught dolphins to use their echolocation to search for underwater mines and detect submarines. A retired Russian colonel told The Guardian the cetaceans were even trained to plant explosive devices on enemy ships. After annexing the Crimea region, Russia took control of the Ukrainian navys dolphin facility in 2014. The Russian Defense Ministry in 2016 said it would pay $26,000 for three male and two female bottlenose dolphins to be delivered to Sevastopol. In April 2019, a fisherman discovered a tame beluga whale off Norway's coast wearing a harness that suggested it came from a Russian naval facility. Russia has fought in Syria alongside government forces since September 2015, when it intervened militarily and turned the tide of the war in the regimes favor. A Russian-backed offensive on the last rebel stronghold of Idlib in December forced roughly 1 million people, a majority of them women and children, to flee their homes. Tartus is home to Russias sole naval base outside the former USSR. In 2017, Moscow inked a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to lease the Mediterranean naval facility for another 49 years. The United Arab Emirates has launched its first mission to Mars. The 160m mission is aimed at providing a picture of the Martian atmosphere and studying daily and seasonal changes on the planet. It is also aimed at advancing the UAE's science and technology sector, enabling it to move away from its economic reliance on oil. After two delays due to bad weather, the Amal (Hope) Probe was launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre just before 11pm Sunday, UK time. Around an hour after its launch, the probe deployed solar panels for its communication and other systems as it sped towards Mars at an average speed of more than 75,000mph. Omran Sharaf, project director of Emirates Mars Mission, said about an hour-and-a-half after the lift-off that the probe was sending signals. The journey to Mars will take seven months before the probe orbits the planet and sends back data. It is one of eight active missions exploring Mars, some orbiting and others having landed on the surface, and the UAE has plans for settlement on the planet by 2117. The UAE, which has a population of around 9.4 million, announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched its National Space Programme three years later. Hazza al Mansouri became the first Emirati in space when he flew to the International Space Station in September. UAE has also put three Earth observation satellites into orbit - two developed by South Korea and launched by Russia and the third was developed by the UAE and launched by Japan. Mr Sharaf said the Mars mission "sends a very strong message to the Arab youth that if the UAE is able to reach Mars in less than 50 years, they could do much more". Bozorgmehr Sharafedin LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday as coronavirus cases increased in many countries across the globe, but investors remained cautiously optimistic about ongoing talks over a European Union recovery fund to revive economies affected by the pandemic. Brent crude LCOc1 was down 35 cents, or 0.8%, at $42.79 per barrel by 1121 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 slipped 36 cents, or 0.9%, to $40.23. As things stand, prices are not likely to produce any sizeable gains very soon, until a signal that the pandemic slows down, said Rystad Energys head of oil markets Bjornar Tonhaugen. Even though in Europe the virus has been cornered, the Americas and some Asian states still have a long way to go. More than 14.5 million people have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and more than 604,000 have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the pathogen, according to a Reuters tally. Investors are looking to the EU summit for trading cues, with leaders showing the first signs of compromise over carving up a proposed 750 billion euro ($858.3 billion) recovery fund to revive economies. Japans oil imports fell 14.7% in June from the same month a year earlier, official figures showed on Monday. The drop was not as pronounced as in May, when they fell 25% year on year. Also underscoring the impact of the virus, Japans exports plunged 26.2% in June from a year earlier, ministry of finance data showed on Monday. While fuel demand has recovered from a 30% drop in April after many countries imposed strict lockdowns, usage is still below pre-pandemic levels. U.S. retail gasoline demand is falling again as infections rise. We recognise that further improvements in demand will be difficult to achieve, but also do not expect a return to April and May lows, JBC said in a note. Graphic: IEA Lockdows vs Coronavirus Cases - here Rising tension between China and the United States also put pressure on prices. Chinas embassy in Myanmar on Sunday accused the United States of outrageously smearing the country and driving a wedge between it and its Southeast Asian neighbours over the contested South China Sea and Hong Kong. Saudi Arabias 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been admitted to hospital, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder. The king has ruled the worlds largest crude oil exporter and close U.S. ally since 2015. Graphic: Oil Demand Second Coronavirus Wave Scenario - here Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Additional reporting by Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Jan Harvey To wear or not to wear face masks? Wearing them seems like a sensible thing to do during a pandemic but, somehow, its become one of the greatest debates in the 21st century. While its normal for people in Asia to wear face masks, why has it taken Australia so long to get serious about wearing them? Perhaps because its seen as an Asian thing. In places such as Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, Ive found its normal for people to wear face masks when they are sick or to protect themselves from pollutants. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews started wearing a face mask on Sunday. Credit:Getty Images Generally, Asian societies place an emphasis on civic responsibility. Hong Kong became more vigilant after SARS and the H1N1 flu emerged. In March, our family and friends in the city said there was a sea of mask wearers on the streets and public transport. In Singapore, youll be fined if you dont wear one outside. In comparison, Australian governments have been slow to encourage face masks. Victoria has only just announced face coverings will be compulsory while outdoors in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire to the citys north from Thursday. Sydneysiders have been advised to wear masks in public where they cannot social distance. Beer output in the first quarter decreased by 19 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Habeco, the brewer that owns Hanoi and Truc Bach beer brands, reported a loss of nearly VND100 billion in Q1. Habecos board of management explained that the company is affected by Decree 100 which imposes heavy fines on drunk drivers and the social distancing period during the epidemic which led to demand decreases. Habecos net turnover in Q1 2020 dropped by 50 percent compared with the same period last year to VND775 billion, which caused the gross profit to drop by more than 55 percent to VND148 billion. While the turnover dropped sharply, the operation cost remained nearly unchanged (the sale cost decreased slightly by 3 percent to VND185 billion and the corporate management cost increased by 4 percent to VND80 billion), which made the company incur the pre-tax profit of VND96 billion. Meanwhile, it made a profit of VND98 billion the same period last year. While the turnover dropped sharply, the operation cost remained nearly unchanged (the sale cost decreased slightly by 3 percent to VND185 billion and the corporate management cost increased by 4 percent to VND80 billion), which made the company incur the pre-tax profit of VND96 billion. This was the first time in the last 10 years the company reported a pre-tax loss of nearly VND100 billion. According to Bao Viet Securities (BVSC), 2020 will be a year of challenges for Sabeco. It cited Sabecos prediction that the beer market would be affected in the short term and would take consumers time to adapt to the new policy. Sabeco, the biggest brewer in Vietnam, has had to temporarily close some breweries and partially suspend the operation of some others as the demand decreased sharply in the epidemic. It postponed the plan to increase production capacity in Cu Chi and Soc Trang and suspended some investment projects. The brewer, hoping that business performance would see strong recovery in the second half of the year if there is no second Covid-19 wave, aims for net turnover of VND23.8 trillion, down by 37.2 percent, and net profit of VND3.352 trillion, down by 39.4 percent. To improve its profit, Sabeco plans to boost exports to offset the decline in the domestic market. Currently, exports bring only 2 percent of Sabecos total turnover, but the figure is expected to increase in the future. Saigon and 333 beer would be the first products to be exported. According to the Vietnam Association of Liquor, Beer and Beverage (VBA), many brewers saw sales decrease by 40-50 percent in recent months. It predicted that many small producers may have to shut down because of big difficulties during Covid-19, which would lead to the fall of VND30 trillion to tax collection. Despite current difficulties, beer consumption is expected to increase in the time to come and the market will become more competitive. Mai Lan Vietnams beer market expects big changes in 2020 Vietnams beer market would have great changes in 2020 as the country has always been a potential market for domestic and foreign beer enterprises. The COVID-19 pandemic was accelerating Vietnams shift towards omni-channel purchasing behaviours and retailers should capitalise on this momentum to drive expansion and increase penetration rates in the post-COVID period, Retailers should offer omni-channel shopping in the post-pandemic period, according to Deloitte. Photo vnexpress.net COVID-19 was changing Vietnamese consumer habits. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a greater focus on health and wellness and dining at home as well as a broad-based shift towards e-commerce, a recent report by Deloitte wrote. As a result of the pandemic, for instance, more than 50 per cent of Vietnamese consumers have reduced their frequency of visits to supermarkets, grocery stores and wet markets, while 25 per cent of them have increased online shopping. The pandemic was also accelerating online grocery shopping. The COVID-19 outbreak has introduced e-commerce to a large number of Vietnamese consumers who had earlier not been interested in online grocery shopping and e-payments. On Shopees platform, for example, the time that Vietnamese consumers spent shopping increased by more than 25 per cent after the COVID-19 outbreak, as they looked to purchase groceries and other daily essentials. The online shopping habits that many Vietnamese consumers have picked up during the COVID-19 period may become permanent changes that e-commerce players will need to adapt to. Several non-traditional retail players also seized the opportunity to make their foray into the market. For instance, ride-hailing player Grab launched its grocery e-commerce platform, GrabMart, in Viet Nam on 23 March 2020. The report said that with a dynamic e-commerce market, Viet Nam attracted the attention of both local and foreign players who had poured an estimated US$1 billion into the sector. The two largest cities, Ha Noi and HCM City, accounted for about 70 per cent of total e-commerce transactions. Key players include Lazada, Shopee, Tiki, Thegioididong, and Sendo, with Shopee occupying the number one spot with about 16.8 per cent share of combined monthly web traffic. Still, Viet Nams overall retail landscape remained predominantly offline, the report said, citing findings of a recent survey that 98 per cent of retailers cited brick-and-mortar stores and distribution channels as accounting for the majority of their sales turnover, with only 2 per cent citing e-commerce channels. Viet Nam had more than 666,700 traditional retail outlets, 1,289 convenience stores, 58 hypermarkets and 3,450 supermarkets in 2019. VNS Pandemic shock therapy turns retailers towards omnichannel The coronavirus pandemic has changed consumer shopping behaviour, prompting retailers to embrace online commerce to keep up with new trends. BJPs Gulab Chand Kataria, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said only a floor test can tell whether the government has a majority The beleaguered Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan might call a brief Assembly session in the coming week to prove its majority if the Rajasthan high court gives a favourable verdict to former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and his supporting MLAs who have challenged their disqualification by Speaker C.P. Joshi. On Saturday, Mr Gehlot had met governor Kalraj Mishra with a list of 102 MLAs supporting his government. Congress leader Ajay Maken, who has been sent to Jaipur from Delhi to help tackle the situation, said in a press conference: The decision on when and how the floor test will happen has to be taken by the chief minister and the government. It is the CMs discretion to move forward when required, and if it is required. Sources, however, said the Assembly session may be held as early as this week after the court verdict. In the 200-member Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including Mr Pilot and the 18 MLA loyal to him, who have rebelled against the chief minister. Speaker C.P. Joshi had earlier sent disqualification notices to the rebel MLAs, after which they moved the high court. The next hearing in the matter will be held on Monday. The RLD, which has one MLA, is a Congress ally, while the ruling party also has the support of 10 of the 13 Independent MLAs. The government considers both CPI(M) MLAs as being on its side. The Bhartiya Tribal Party, which has two MLAs, has announced support to the Gehlot government on Sunday, and said it was now in a position to punch way above its weight despite its minuscule presence in the state Assembly. We have two MLAs in a House of 200, yet we are in the position of kingmakers, BTP president Maheshbhai C. Vasava said. The two MLAs supported the ruling Congress in the state in last months Rajya Sabha polls. But when the power tussle between Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot resurfaced recently, the BTP said it would remain neutral. Mr Vasava said the party is now extending support to Mr Gehlot after an assurance that its demands related to the development of tribal areas will be met. Sources said this might mean an expansion of the Gehlot Cabinet and accommodation of new faces. While the Congress central leadership has fully backed Mr Gehlot in the political feud with his former deputy, they have also made it clear to him to clear up the mess and accommodate more people. In Jaipur, meanwhile, the Congress demanded the resignation of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, saying he has no moral authority to stay in the Union Cabinet when he is heard on audio clips that indicate a BJP conspiracy to topple the Rajasthan government. Mr Gehlot rejected the BJPs dismissal of the clip in which the ministers voice is heard, telling a television channel that he is prepared to quit politics if it is later proved that the tape is fabricated. As speculation grew over the Gehlot government facing a floor test in the Assembly after the CMs meeting with the governor, the BJPs Gulab Chand Kataria, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said only a floor test can tell whether the government has a majority or not. Amid the face-off between the Gehlot and Pilot camps, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said it is now up to the rebel leader to fall into the BJPs illusory trap or return to the fold and discuss their differences with the family. He said senior party leaders had talked to him several times in recent days. In an interview to PTI, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh said he had tried to get in touch with Mr Pilot three or four times but the Rajasthan leader did not take the calls. Age is on your side. Ashok (Gehlot) may have offended you, but all such issues are best resolved amicably. Dont make the mistake that Scindia made, he advised, referring to Madhya Pradesh leader Jyotiraditya Scindia switching sides to join the BJP in March this year. Advertisement Federal agents teargassed a group of mothers who formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration over the weekend as the mayor of Oregon's largest city ordered the officers to leave. Portland has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since George Floyd died under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25. While the majority of protests have remained peaceful, fires have been set in dumpsters near the city's courthouse and the walls of the building have been defaced. President Donald Trump previously vowed to protect federal property from destruction, prompting his administration to send in federal agents to quell demonstrations. But on Saturday, horrifying photos show those same agents teargassing a crowd, which included a group of mothers who were protesting peacefully in Portland. Scroll down for video Federal agents teargassed a group of mothers (pictured after being teargassed Saturday night) who formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Saturday The agents used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the mothers participating in the 'Wall of Moms' protest Saturday night The women had formed a human shield between protesters and law enforcement officials outside a federal courthouse, donning bike helmets and linking arms They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and 'Leave our kids alone' while chanting: 'Moms are here, feds stay clear' The agents used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the mothers participating in the 'Wall of Moms' protest. The women had formed a human shield between protesters and law enforcement officials outside a federal courthouse, donning bike helmets and linking arms. They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and chanted 'Moms are here, feds stay clear.' According to Melanie Damm, unidentified federal officers in military-style gear fired tear gas canisters into the group of mothers, clad mostly in white. 'The level of violence escalated by these GI soldiers was such an overreaction. You're seeing moms getting tear-gassed,' said Damm, herself a 39-year-old mom. 'We aren't young and Antifa-looking,' she said, referring to more militant anti-fascism protesters. And despite being teargassed, the mothers showed up to Sunday night's protest. According to Melanie Damm, unidentified federal officers in military-style gear fired tear gas canisters into the group of mothers (pictured toward the start of the protest on Saturday) They carried signs that read 'Angry mama bear BLM' and chanted 'Moms are here, feds stay clear' Despite being teargassed on Saturday, the group of mothers (pictured) showed up to Sunday night's protest dressed in yellow They continued to hold their signs, lock arms and chant for justice and for the federal agents to leave their city The moms were back in action on Sunday night. Some were seen holding signs that read, 'mom 4 justice' and 'George Floyd summoned ALL MAMAS' On Sunday night, a group of about 50 mothers once again formed a 'wall of moms' to protect protesters. Photos show the women mostly wearing yellow and locking arms while holding signs that read, 'George Floyd summoned ALL MAMAS' and ' silence is violence'. At one point during Sunday night's protest, the mothers started line-dancing together to a drum beat. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers 'are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.' Trump has decried the demonstrations in Portland, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as 'lawless anarchists' in a visit to the city on Thursday. 'We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,' Trump tweeted Sunday. 'Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!' The group of mothers are seen holding signs during Sunday night's protest that saw about 1,500 people attend At one point during Sunday night's protest, the mothers started line-dancing together to a drum beat One mother is seen wearing a shirt that says 'good trouble', a salute to civil rights icon John Lewis who passed away on Friday after losing his battle with cancer at the age of 80 In a statement, authorities explained that tear gas had been used on protesters after some demonstrators broke into a building Saturday night, set it on fire and started dumpster fires. The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later, Portland police said on Twitter. The department declared the gathering a riot, and began working to clear the downtown area. 'As the crowd was dispersed, several people in the crowd were arrested and officers were able to extinguish the fire. Portland Police did not use any CS gas,' the bureau said in a statement early Sunday. A group of protesters are seen wearing masks during a demonstration on Sunday Federal officers emerge from the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse barricaded entrances as protesters demand for the agents to 'get out' A firing line of federal officers engaged protesters from outside the federal courthouse on Sunday A woman is seen holding a Black Lives Matter sign during a massive protest outside the federal courthouse on Sunday Tear gas was deployed, according to pictures and video from the scene, but it was not necessarily CS gas. Fencing that had been placed around the federal courthouse had also been removed by protesters and made into barricades, police tweeted. Police said protesters had gathered Saturday evening at the Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct, vandalizing patrol vehicles and taunting officers as they reported for work. Later, as police dispersed a group that had gathered near North Interstate Avenue, people threw rocks and paint-filled balloons at officers. Some were injured, the statement said. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler (pictured) said federal officers 'are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave' Ongoing protests against police brutality on Sunday, July 19, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (Michael Arellano for DailyMail.com) Protesters topple the perimeter barricades outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse on Sunday Protesters chant, 'hands up! don't shoot!' during a demonstration in Portland Sunday night Demonstrators are engulfed in tear gas and smoke as federal officers disperse the crowd outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse Sunday night Federal officers face off with protesters one block west of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse on Sunday Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials, the unrest had frustrated Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters in the city. But Wheeler said the federal presence in the city is now exacerbating a tense situation. 'What we're seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, Wheeler said Sunday. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland's streets 'without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action'. The clampdown in the liberal city has drawn widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation (incident pictured) Throughout the recorded exchange, the federal agents never reveal what sparked the arrest or why the unidentified man was being taken into custody The two federal agents take the protester to an unmarked, grey minivan and drive away (pictured) ACLU files lawsuit against the DHS after federal agents were deployed to Portland to quell demonstrations The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday after federal agents were deployed to Portland, Oregon. The ACLU said it filed lawsuit 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.' Simon added: 'These federal agents must be stopped and removed from our city. We will continue to bring the full fire power of the ACLU to bear until this lawless policing ends.' ACLU also filed a lawsuit against the US 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 are 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. Advertisement Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to 'immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians'. However, federal officers and Portland police advanced simultaneously on demonstrators to clear the streets early Saturday, making arrests as protesters threw bottles and pieces of metal fencing. The action by Portland's police was condemned by Jo Ann Hardesty, a prominent member of the City Council. Hardesty said Saturday that local police 'joined in the aggressive clampdown of peaceful protest'. She also slammed Wheeler, telling the mayor he needed to better control local law enforcement. Hardesty, who oversees the city's fire department and other first-responder agencies, said in an open letter to Wheeler if 'you can't control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau'. Despite the lawsuits and the tactics being used by federal agents, US Homeland Security officials said on Monday that they have no intention of pulling back in Portland. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), law enforcement units were sent to Portland to help guard US government facilities after receiving intelligence about planned attacks around July 4. 'DHS is not going to back down from our responsibilities. We are not escalating, we are protecting,' Wolf told Fox News. About 1,500 demonstrators gathered Sunday night outside the federal courthouse. After protesters began knocking down sections of a large steel fence put up around the courthouse building, federal officers lobbed flash bangs from the front of the courthouse building. Tear gas canisters followed, filling the square outside the courthouse and forcing much of the crowd away. The tear gas continued intermittently past midnight. Early Monday, Portland police said federal agents used tear gas to disperse the crowd and moved to extinguish a fire that was lit within a portico of the courthouse. Wolf said federal law enforcement was doing its job. 'We're not going to apologize for it,' he said. 'We're going to do it professionally and do it correctly.' The clampdown in the liberal city has drawn widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deputy secretary, said on Monday the federal officers wore the same uniforms every day and the crowds knew who they were. He also defended the use of unmarked cars as routine. 'Unmarked police vehicles are so common it's barely worth discussion,' he told CNN. Cuccinelli said if federal authorities receive the same kind of intelligence threat in other places, they would respond the same way. 'It's really as simple as that,' he said. Cuccinelli also dismissed local leaders' calls to leave the city. 'We will maintain our presence,' he said. (NEW YORK) -- Here are today's In Crisis headlines: Nationwide Strike for Black Lives happening today Fast food and service workers across the country are expected to walk off the job between 11:00 and noon local time today as part of a Strike for Black Lives. Tens of thousands of employees are planning to halt work for eight minutes and 46 seconds, representing the time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyds neck when Floyd died during an arrest May 25. Among the groups expected to participate are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and members of the Fight for $15, who have been demanding a higher hourly wage for service industry workers; the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. The demonstration will also call for police reform, as well as healthcare security and safer work environments for essential workers. "Black people are dying, Black communities are in danger, and workers of all races have had enough," said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry in a statement to the press. "With the Strike for Black Lives, we are uniting the interconnected fights for racial and economic justice." Buffalo cops who pushed elderly protestor due in court today Two Buffalo, NY police officers who pushed an elderly white Black Lives Matter protestor to the ground last month, seriously injuring him, are due in court today. Officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe were seen on a widely-circulated video pushing 75-year-old Martin Gugino to the ground June 4 as he approached them, causing him to fall backward and strike his skull on the sidewalk, resulting in a skull fracture and brain injury from which he continues to recover. He was released from hospital June 30. The officers are charged with felony second-degree assault and were initially suspended without pay, but have since been placed back on the payroll, according to WKBW TV. Both face up to seven years in prison if convicted. COVID-19 numbers Here's the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths. Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University Global diagnosed cases: 14,508,892 Global deaths: 606,206. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 140,534. Number of countries/regions: at least 188 Total patients recovered globally: 8,134,747 Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University There are at least 3,773,260 reported cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country. U.S. deaths: at least 140,534. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 32,495. U.S. total patients recovered: 1,131,121 U.S. total people tested: 45,734,327 The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 406,807 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 19.5 million. That is second only to Brazil, which has 415,049 cases, as the most reported cases of any other single region in the world. COVID-19 headlines World passes 14 million COVID-19 cases, 600,000 deaths; US passes 140,000 deaths The world passed a trio of grim pandemic milestones over the weekend. The number of reported COVID-19 cases globally is now more than 14 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, with 14,508,892. Additionally, the number of deaths globally now exceeds 600,000, with 606,206. In the U.S., the number of COVID-19 deaths officially surpassed 140,000 over the weekend, with the toll now standing at 140,534. Based on reported data as of July 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast that COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. would likely number between 150,000 and 170,000 by August 8. One June 23, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. stood at just over 120,000; as of July 7, it was over 130,000, and surpassed 135,000 one week later. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. During an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, President Trump said he is "not a good loser," and would not commit to accepting the results of November's presidential election. Recent polls show former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, with a double-digit lead over Trump, but Trump said he can't lose to him because "the country, in the end, they're not going to have a man who who's shot. He's shot, he's mentally shot." Wallace followed-up by asking Trump how he will react if he is not re-elected in November, and Trump admitted, "I'm not a good loser. I don't like to lose. I don't lose too often. I don't like to lose." Because of safety concerns over in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic, some states are preparing to expand mail-in voting, and Trump made the baseless claim that this "is going to rig the election." Wallace asked Trump if this means he won't accept the election results, and Trump responded, "No. I have to see." When pressed, he added, "No, I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no, and I didn't last time either." More stories from theweek.com Florida sheriff shares doubts over being able to provide adequate security during Republican National Convention Kanye West wants marijuana to be free, and everyone who has a baby to get 'a million dollars' Joe Biden vs. the most interesting man in the world live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Whats common between CE Woolman, Walter Varney and Alexis Felix du Pont Jr? They were all pilots who later founded or owned airlines. And now, Sanjay Mandavia may join this list. Founder of Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC), claimed to be the countrys first standalone pilot training institute approved by regulators in India and Europe, Mandavia is in the race for Jet Airways. There may be a slight difference; Woolman with Delta Air Lines, Varney with Continental and United Airlines, and du Pont Jr with what eventually became US Airways, were legendary founders or co-founders of these carriers and played a significant role in their growth. Mandavia has a similar opportunity in hand to grow an airline, although it may be equally challenging. The FSTC founder, who has over 11,000 hours of flying, has formed a consortium with Imperial Capital Investments - an investment banking and wealth management provider based in Dubai - and Big Charter, which is owned by the Mandavia family. There is another trivia that underlines Mandavia's unique position. He was also a captain with Jet Airways, before joining Kingfisher Airlines, where he was the DGCA-approved check pilot on the Airbus 330. Later in 2012, he founded FSTC, which has two training centres in Gurugram and Hyderabad and claims to have trained over 1,000 pilots in last eight years. FSTC's Board includes DS Basraon, who was a senior commander with Kingfisher Airline and Vistara, and serial entrepreneur Ajay Relan. If he does win the race for Jet Airways, Mandavia will be among the very few pilots in the aviation world, who went on to own an airline. "Sanjay was always very entrepreneurial," said a senior industry executive who has worked with the FSTC founder. "Few pilots venture into management, and fewer start a company. This experience will come handy for him if he is successful with Jet Airways," added the executive, who didn't want to be named. The entrepreneurship has helped Mandavia, who had also announced plans to launch a regional airline FlyBig earlier this year, understand how the industry works. "One needs the experience to understand how the Indian bureaucracy works. Otherwise, getting a license to operate an airline can be a long exercise!" said another retired senior executive from the industry. That would be a handy skill when it comes to turning around Jet Airways. The airline last operated in April 2019, and its license, despite being 'current,' is at present suspended. Apart from getting the license back, the new owner will also need to work with the government to release airport slots that the airline earlier owned and have since been distributed among other carriers. Mandavia declined to comment for the story. Sources, however, told Moneycontrol that the aviator-cum-entrepreneur is set to present a resolution plan for Jet Airways before the deadline of July 21. Sanjay Mandavia (in brown blazer) seen here at FSTC's facility The competition Jet Airways's road - or runway - to revival has been long and unending. And delayed so often that few gave it a chance to fly again. In fact, not one suitor came close to even presenting a resolution plan. But that suddenly changed in May this year, when nearly a dozen interested parties came forward after the resolution professional overseeing the insolvency process floated a fresh Expression of Interest. The resolution professional later shortlisted the list of suitors to final four, who now have to submit the resolution plans that will be presented to the banks. Lenders, led by State Bank of India, have an exposure of over Rs 8,000 crore to Jet Airways. Overall, claims of about Rs 30,000 crore have been made on the airline. Apart from the Sanjay Mandavia-led consortium, the other three contenders are: 1. Consortium of Kalrock Capital Partners, a UK-based financial services firm, and entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan 2. Alpha Airways, which advisory firm CAPA says is based in Kyrgyzstan. A Google search doesn't throw up any website. 3. Sivakumar Rasiah, a Canadian investor that few know of in the aviation sector Mandavia's plan Sources close to the FSTC founder said Mandavia's plan is to operate both Jet Airways and FlyBig. "COVID-19, despite the devastation it has caused, has also brought about an opportunity in the aviation sector," said an executive. According to him, Mandavia will serve the metro routes with Jet Airways, which will be fed by the regional flights operated by FlyBig. Sources added that the regional airline's license has been delayed because of COVID-19, but "is in the works." An official said: "It is in line to operate flights in some of the regional routes, including those connecting the North-East." Not surprisingly, while Mandavia will want to revive the Jet Airways brand, he may not look to scale its operations to what the airline used to have before April 2019. Jet Airways had a fleet of about 120 aircraft. "Sanjay believes in operating a single-aircraft fleet. He likes the model IndiGo used to have before it got in the ATRs. US carrier Southwest Airlines, which mostly has Boeing 737, is another company he admires," said one of the senior executives quoted above. Among the most critical parts of turning around Jet Airways would be the financial part. Apart from taking on the huge debt mountain that the airline has, a new owner may also need to put in capital to restart operations. While the lenders may agree to a haircut in loan repayment, Mandavia will have to use the offices of Imperial Capital to raise funds. Little is know about FSTC's financial numbers, as it is privately held. Mandavia's charter business has been in the back burner for a while, point out industry executives. Sources, however, added that Mandavia has brought in Deloitte and law firm Luthra & Luthra to advise him on Jet Airways. While these names will provide heft and resources to Mandavia, the aviator-entrepreneur will also bank heavily on his experience to win Jet Airway. The winner of MasterChef Australia 2020 has been crowned after a whirlwind finale. Emilia Jackson, from Melbourne took out the top spot, taking home the trophy and $250,000, after battling it out with Laura Sharrad from South Australia for the coveted Back To Win title. Emilia Jackson has been crowned the winner of MasterChef 2020. Photo: Instagram/Channel 10 What the hell just happened? I cannot believe this, I just cannot believe that I have won Masterchef Back To Win, Emilia said in a winners video on Instagram. Emilia also took to her Instagram account just after the news of her win was announced to thank everyone who has supported her along the way. Had you have told me that 6 years later Id be standing here, having just done the entire crazy thing again, I would have laughed, she said. What an incredible time it has been, my MasterChef. A pivotal part of my growth in my 20s and now the perfect way to begin the next decade of my life. How lucky am i to have had such an exciting, fun and nostalgic adventure during what has been no doubt the worst year of many peoples lives. I am eternally grateful for the experience and the opportunity. She went on to thank the judges, Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo and her fierce competition Laura Sharrad. MasterChef's Laura Sharrad and Emilia Jackson in the MasterChef 2020 finale. Photo: Channel 10 Incredible, intelligent woman, successful business owner and loyal friend, I am eternally grateful to know you Loz, she wrote. After thanking her family and friends, she acknowledged all the people who have sent her well-wishes in her DMs which hasnt gone unnoticed. They have made this exceptional experience, even more spectacular, she wrote. Emilia revealed the next step for her is baking classes, a brand new line of cake mixes (which have already sold out), a baking bible and maybe a sneaky choux patisserie. Runner-up, Laura, didnt go home empty-handed, with the judges announcing she was heading off with $30,000. Both Laura and Emilia took to the pass in a nail-biting service challenge, dishing up over 60 plates each, including entrees, mains and desserts for the judges and all the returning contestants from the season. Story continues Things got off to a shaky start for Emilia, with her beef short ribs taking longer to cook than she anticipated, leaving judge Andy Allen to ask her if it was time to switch to plan B, Meanwhile, fans felt a wave of sympathy for Laura after she grabbed the handle of a scalding hot pan, burning her hand, meaning she spent the majority of the rest of the show cooking with just one hand. However, that didnt seem to stop her, as the judges raved over her Bonito with lilly pilly and saltbush entree. It was technically perfect, Andy said with Jock calling it the perfect Australian dish. Emilia beat out tough competition to take home the $250,000 prize. Photo: Channel 10 As for Emilias scallop entree, Jock said it was one of his favourite entrees hes tasted this year. Then it was time for the contestants to plate up their mains, with Laura pulling it out of the park with her pork, butter roasted turnips and muntries with thyme, massala and sage sauces. Melissa called the munties magical and commended her knowledge of Australian produce, while Andy called the dish challenging but in a good way. Emilia was worried her main course of beef short ribs with pepper and onion would be too dry but she needn't have sweated it because yet again, the judges couldnt compliment her dish enough. The finale of MasterChef Australia 2020 was intense. Photo: Channel 10 Its like a schnitzel on steroids. Im in a state of cat-like happiness. It is so good, Jock said, smiling as he looked down at an empty plate. Melissa agreed saying: I think she has made the right choice to commit to making it exactly how she wants it because it has paid off and its gorgeous. It was neck to neck, with Emilia breaking down in tears just before the dessert was served as the pressure of the environment overwhelmed her. Laura also battled through her emotions as she plated up her unusual dessert of Jerusalem artichoke gelato, caramel, crispy skin and cumquat gel. The judges werent impressed with her ice-cream, with Melissa calling it icy. Andy enjoyed the flavour profile however the texture of the ice cream put him off. Melissa said the crumb left her feeling like she had sandiness stuck in her teeth and while Jock called the crisp fantastic, he was also left underwhelmed by the ice cream. Its intelligent, its sophisticated. It has familiarity and comfort and warmth, Melissa said about Lauras menu. Emilia was worried about the pistachio and Davidson plum combination in her dessert but said that in her mind, they just worked. And it seemed she was right, with the judges smiling at each other as soon as they tasted the vibrant creation. Emilia has managed to show us French patisserie magic, Melissa said, with Andy saying the balance of flavours was perfect. The pair are the best of friends as well as battling contestants on the show. Photo: Instagram/Emilia Jackson 24-year-old Laura and 30-year-old Emilia made it through to the finale, after weeks of cooking up a storm in the MasterChef kitchen alongside some of the best chefs the reality show has ever seen. Emilia Jackson Emilia Jackson appeared on season six of MasterChef back in 2014, where she was eliminated during the semi-final. Fans might remember George Colombaris, who was a judge at the time, offering Emilia a position with his pastry team at The Press Club in Melbourne, just after she was eliminated, to which Emelia answered: "When can I start?" Emilia Jackson came third on MasterChef in 2014, the same year Laura placed second. Photo: Channel 10 Emilia went on to open up her own cake business after the show and she now creates decadent desserts for weddings, birthdays and engagements. I studied hard, practiced constantly and learned a lot from some of the best professional chefs in the business, as well as the talented contestants cooking alongside me, she says on her website. My time on Masterchef taught me that all I really want to do in life is make people happy through butter and sugar, which is why I launched Emelia Jackson Cake Designs. Laura Sharrad When Laura Sharrad was just 19-years-old, in 2014, she also appeared on season six of MasterChef, losing out on the top prize to eventual winner Brent Owens. While devastated over the loss, she went on to work as a pastry chef alongside now judge Jock Zonfrillo at his hatted restaurant, Orana, in South Australia. Laura Sharrad came second on season six of MasterChef in 2014. Photo: Channel 10 She then moved on to work at Andres Cucina and Hently Farm in the Barossa Valley before opening up her own restaurant, with her husband and fellow chef Max Sharrad, in 2019, called Nido Bar and Pasta. Speaking of returning to the show for a second chance at the win, Laura told Adelaide Now: I had a clear goal in mind, and that was to be in until the end. I came back because I knew I had a good shot at winning it. I knew I could do it if I tried hard enough. But you get this far and you feel like youve won already. Sign up to our daily newsletter here to get all the latest news and hacks. Or get in touch at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. A few weeks ago, Buster Graybill road-tested one of his works of art. The R.MUTT: Renegade Modernist Utility Travel Trailer is a functional piece designed to be a temporary living space and art studio. He and his wife recently took it on a three-day camping trip on the Llano River to test it out. It was awesome, Graybill said. It was really good to finally get outside our house. The trip and the R.MUTT itself has been in the works for about seven years. San Antonians had their first chance to see the work in the spring, when it was shown at the McNay Art Museum as part of the CAM Perennial, one of the big exhibits for Contemporary Art Month each year. Curator Lee Hallman asked the McNay staff if it could be parked on the grounds, and they agreed. Its a monumental object, Graybill said. Its 24 feet long its a beast. Its not an elegant, high-formalist public artwork. As detailed as the trailer is its outfitted with all sorts of tools, a water filtration system, a bed and an outdoor shower, as well as some contemporary art books and a whiskey bottle stashed in a fire blanket cabinet it also is a work-in-progress. Graybill intended to continue working on it from time to time on the McNay grounds, giving visitors a look at his process and the chance to talk to him about it. Because the trailer wouldnt be open all the time, a video about it was installed in the exhibition gallery. And thats all that remains of the R.MUTT in the show. On ExpressNews.com: Fiery installation on view at Artpace this summer The exhibit opened in February, just as worries about the coronavirus were starting to gather steam. Graybill remembers that at the reception, he reached out to shake someones hand, and the person shook his head, offering an elbow instead. He also remembers that he and his wife were hungry but didnt eat anything at the event because of their own uneasiness about the virus. About a month later, Graybill became concerned that the museum might have to close, and he thought he would feel better if he had the R.MUTT at home. They were very gracious and said, Absolutely. You called at the perfect time, because were literally closing our doors this afternoon, he said. And so I raced after work down to the McNay, hooked it up and brought it home. The museum reopened in June. The Perennial had been slated to close May 17 but was extended through Sept. 13. Graybill had planned to spend the summer working on the R.MUTT, so it did not return to the museum. That was the hard part, he said. I want it to be at the McNay, and if we werent dealing with this weird situation, I would just go up there and have my tools and be tweaking out on it, having a lot of people come and ask questions, but in this current time, I just dont feel comfortable with that. Its particularly disappointing because he liked how McNay patrons reacted to the work. I liked the contrast of it being parked right in front of the museum, and as people come in, theres this question of, Is this supposed to be here?, he said, laughing. And I dont mind that. For me, I like giving the viewer what they dont expect. And I know that there are people who are outside of contemporary and modern art theyre not familiar with it, they often dont feel like theres an entry point for them. I kind of feel like that person, who might go to the museum and walk away disappointed Im never going to look at art again might look at this and be like, This is art? Oh, well I guess arts not that bad! R.MUTT was inspired in part by the doomsday prepper movement, in which people stock up on food and other supplies to be prepared for cataclysms, as well as by the prevalence of post-apocalyptic themes and settings in popular culture. There was an escapist element and some humor to it when he first started thinking about it all those years ago. And now, I had to go move the survival trailer from the museum. And thats a weird feeling, he said. I was thinking of a different kind of survival when I initially was making this thing. I would see these survival shows where youre going to go out and you have a pocket knife and a ball of string to survive, and I was like, You know what? I think I need a trailer full of stuff! He thought about the project for a long time, not entirely sure hed ever be able to pull together the funds to build it. A grant from the Artist Foundation gave him the money to get started in 2013, and he threw himself into the project, working 15 to 16 hours a day, much of that time spent welding aluminum. The work came to a screeching halt when he went blind in his left eye. It took doctors a while to diagnose him with optic neuropathy, an inflammation of the optic nerve. His vision started to come back six months later, but it was years before he returned to the R.MUTT, partly because he had lost momentum and partly because its a costly enterprise. I thought I would never get back to it, because I needed more financial resources, he said. Thats where curator Sara-Jayne Parsons comes in. Parsons, director of the art galleries at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, had been following Graybills work since he was a student at the University of North Texas, where he received his bachelor of fine arts degree in 2001. He was always on my radar, Parsons said. He is one of the best artists working in Texas right now. Parsons came to visit his studio in the summer of 2018 with an eye toward an exhibit. She saw the trailer, which he described as a long-term project, and started asking him about it. One of the questions she had is how much money he would need to finish it. The more we talked about it, I got really excited, in terms of being able to support an artist, which is really important, but also thinking about how to bring something really unique to our students at TCU, Parsons said. And I have a lot of trust in him. It was a big project, really ambitious. I had come to know him and his work ethic, and the way he was talking about the project, I thought it was something we could help him with in terms of project management and budget. On ExpressNews.com: Art Puzzle Project spotlights San Antonio artists The funding allowed Graybill to resume work on the piece. Gregory Elliott, chairman of the art department at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he teaches, allowed him to use the colleges facilities. He was even able to hire a grad student to help. And, of course, I was still cramming too much work into a short time period, he said. So I now realize this will probably be a project that never ends. The R.MUTT debuted last fall on the TCU campus as part of an exhibit of Graybills work titled Abstract Utility. It was parked outside the gallery and drew attention right away, with people knocking on the door, eager to see what was inside, Parsons said. She was impressed with the aesthetics of the piece, as well as by the tremendous thought throughout it. I was surprised by the scale of it, she said. When I got inside, I was really knocked out by the level of detail. Everything had a function and a purpose. The work that Graybill is doing on the piece now is aimed at getting it ready for a mobile arts residency he is planning in Colorado next summer. The trailer will serve as a base camp, as well as a way to engage folks he encounters along the way. He recently got a research grant through UTSA to put in a solar energy system. So Ill have a fairly large and capable battery bank and solar power, solar panels, he said. So it can actually function off grid. Part of the reason he wanted to take R.MUTT out to the Llano River was to see just how doable it was to live in it short-term. He had occasionally used it as an office, but that was about it. I never even had time to try it out as an actual functional object it had just been an artwork. But part of the concept had been that it would function as both, he said. And ideally, I wanted it to be both a public art work, but also a mobile studio, so that I can travel, do kind of my own self-guided art residencies and do installation-type work and stuff like that. He also had envisioned the piece as a way to spark discussion with people outside of art galleries. The trip demonstrated that it works on both counts. They camped in a fairly remote area, and there were just a few other campers out. Folks did come over to ask about it, but not many. So it was great to get to use it, and it was nice to kind of be quasi-incognito for the first time being able to use it on our own and not have to be in public in the way that it has been on exhibition, he said. In the future, Im hoping when Im camping and doing things like that, that it will open conversations. Its just that, for that first one, we were so mentally fatigued by everything we just wanted to look at the river. Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Deborah, become a subscriber. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Its a long-held perception that the will of the Congress high command is the final word for everyone in the party. While the composition of the high command has transitioned from Indira Gandhis and Rajiv Gandhis teams to those of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, this rule has remained a constant. The Ashok Gehlot versus Sachin Pilot fight in Rajasthan is another instance, and maybe even mark a trend of the high command realizing that it is better to go with the regional leader than impose its own favourites on a state unit. That Sachin Pilot is a favoured face is undeniable. Pilot and Rahul Gandhi both belong to the 2004 batch of first- time members of Parliament. As young MPs, they formed a clique that would, among other things, attend live music concerts at Blue Frog (a now defunct club) where their colleague Milind Deora would be playing the blues. As Rahul Gandhi became party general secretary, Pilot also grew, becoming a minister of state in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. They both went to St. Stephens College, although Rahul Gandhi didnt complete his degree there, but they also shared other, deeper commonalities. Both had fathers who were trained pilots and both lost them too early in life. Also read: Buzz grows over Rajasthan special session, floor test And yet, a week after Pilots rebellion against Gehlot, the message to him is unequivocal: he is welcome to come back, but it wont be by undermining his boss. Gehlot has proved he has the numbers and while Pilot may have genuine complaints against him, they cannot afford to upset a man who commands the maximum number of legislators in Rajasthan. This despite the fact that Pilot has Priyanka Gandhis ear. The two have spoken at least twice in the course of the week. Rahul and Sonia have also conveyed to mediators that they would like him to stay, but not at the cost of overriding party discipline. Its as if things have come a full circle in Rajasthan since 2014. Thats the time when the same high command handpicked Pilot to lead the party in Rajasthan after its worst-ever performance of winning just 21 seats out of 200 in the 2013 assembly elections. Pilot took on that assignment after eliciting a promise that Gehlot wouldnt interfere in the state. And for two years or so, Gehlot held no real position other than being part of a screening committee for Punjab polls in 2016. In 2017, he was made a general secretary in Delhi, which meant that Pilot got full credit for winning the three crucial by-polls in early 2018. Despite chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia holding helm in the state, Pilot delivered the Lok Sabha seats of Ajmer and Alwar and Mandalgarh assembly seats with record margins. His word would now be the last word in the state. Also read: Rajasthan horse trading probe: Jain had Rs 100 crore budget to buy 3 MLAs, claims police Thats the reason why a contentious rule brought by Pilot for ticket distribution in the assembly polls that year was enforced despite major opposition. According to that rule, all those who had lost the elections twice would not get a ticket. Many like general secretary in charge Avinash Pandey opposed it, arguing that it was unfair as many contenders had lost in 2013 due to a wave in favour of Narendra Modi. But Pilots insistence on that rule led to the alienation of many Congress politicians in the state. Alok Beniwal, Laxman Meena, Mahadeo Khandela, Sayam Lodha and Deep Chand Kharia were all denied party tickets so they contested as independents and won. Zubair Khan got his wife to contest and she won, Richpal Mirdhas son contested and won; there are several other such names. This decision became one of the major factors behind the Congresss lukewarm win (99 out of 200 seats). When Ashok Gehlot was installed as chief minister and Pilot only as his deputy, it was after feedback that the older man would be able to command a larger group of people during a crisis. It also helped that Gehlot had won over Rahul Gandhis trust during the 44 days they spent together in Gujarat. Incidentally, Rajasthans independents now form a chunk of the support base for Ashok Gehlot. A recap of these circumstances is perhaps necessary to understand the bewildering sequence of events in the week gone by. It explains why weve constantly been hearing two voices. That of Ashok Gehlot mocking his good-looking, English-speaking challenger while Randeep Surjewala (the voice of the high command) encourages him to come back; The Gehlot-led legislature party issuing a show-cause notice and removing him as deputy chief minister while Surjewala says the doors of the party are always open. At one point, it would have been unimaginable to hear two voices; the high commands would drown out all else. Whatever happens to Pilot, this change in the emergence of regional power is here to stay. A man is sprayed by a police officer during a protest against racial inequality in Portland, U.S., July 18, 2020, in this still image obtained from a social media video: THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE via REUTERS Christopher David, a 53-year-old disabled Navy veteran, was so angry at the sight of federal officers sweeping up protesters in the last few nights on the streets of Portland, Oregon, that he decided to go and talk to them about it. The city resident, who served more than eight years with the US Navy, got on a public bus on Saturday and headed to a protest in front of the city courthouse in the hope he could ask them some questions. I was enraged simply because I did not think they were taking their oath of office seriously or they were compromising their oath of office, Mr David told The Independent. So I actually went down because I wanted to talk to them about it. His advances were rebuffed, however, and he was the victim of a brutal attack that was caught on video and went viral on Sunday. In the video, first shared by a reporter from the Portland Tribune, Mr David is seen taking a series of baton blows from a federal agent, without reacting to any of them, before he is finally forced back by pepper spray to the face. I stood my ground at that point and just stayed there ... I did nothing provocative. They just started whaling on me with batons, and I let them, Mr David said. I probably couldve taken a lot more baton blows if they had not sprayed pepper spray all over my eyes, he added. The use of federal agents to quell protests in Portland has drawn heavy criticism from local and national leaders. Federal officers from the US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Protective Service have been deployed to Portland on orders from the Trump administration. Their mandate was to protect federal buildings, but they have been accused of driving unmarked cars and seizing people from the street in recent days in the city, which has seen nightly protests for racial justice since the police killing of George Floyd. Mr David detailed how the federal officers streamed out of the courthouse building Saturday night and immediately started pushing people down in the intersection. Story continues It was just chaos, Mr David said about the moment. That is when I wanted to walk over to them and talk to them because they were not adhering to their oath of office. Were any of you enlisted? Why are you not keeping your oath of office? Mr David shouted at the officers over the noise of the crowd. The moment was described as chaotic from Mr David because the officers were already taking aggressive and crazy action against protesters within minutes of leaving the courthouse. There didnt seem to be any design, or strategy, or plan to what they were doing, he said. It was bizarre. It almost looked like they were scared. Footage then showed Mr David standing still in front of the officers with his hands down at his side. He was carrying nothing in his hands and only had a backpack on him holding his ID and wallet. One officer then started beating him with a baton when another sprayed pepper spray in his eyes, which encouraged the man to finally step away from the federal agents and move back towards the crowd. My hand is pretty damaged. The hand surgeon splinted it for now, but it looks like plates, screws and/or pins await me on Friday. Tazerface (@Tazerface16) July 19, 2020 The moment went viral after it was first shared on Twitter, with people calling Mr David Captain Portland and commending him for not moving when officers used aggressive force. That guy is a brick. And wow. Cant believe that is how someone harmless-looking is treated, one Twitter commenter wrote after viewing the footage. Footage stopped with Mr David walking away, but that wasnt the end for him. A street medic named Tav, who uses the pronouns they/them, helped move the man away from the crowds because the pepper spray left him struggling to see. Then, with the assistance of friends, the medic got Mr David into an ambulance so he could be taken to the VA hospital nearby. Although the altercation with officers was brief, the moment left the mans hand severely damaged after one baton hit slammed right against his knuckles. It is pretty damaged. I am probably going to have to have surgery, Mr David said. It was in the emergency room when Mr David found out hed become a viral star from his clash with federal agents. I exchanged phone numbers with Tav so I could call them later and thank them for rescuing me out of the park, he detailed. Tav was the one who then called him and revealed that everyone was now referring to him as Captain Portland following the altercation. I had no freaking idea, he added. I would really, really, really like to thank Tav. Shes my street medic angel who pulled me out of the park and took me to safety when I couldnt see anything anymore. She stayed with me the whole time and then her and her friends drove me around to find an ambulance. Tazerface (@Tazerface16) July 19, 2020 State and local officials have spoken out against the Trump administration for its use of federal agents to quell protests. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has called for the agents to be removed from the city, calling their use a direct threat to democracy, but the Trump administration hasnt budged. In a tweet published on Sunday, Mr Trump claimed his administration was trying to help Portland, not hurt it. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal, he wrote. But residents like Mr David saw the administrations response as an effort to create discontent in any big, blue city. This is just the first domino to fall, he said. He is trying to see how far he can push it in Portland and create some kind of model for other cities so he can stir up enough chaos and discontent to try and win the election again. All of this is just doubling down on his strategy of division and chaos. Mr David admitted there were protesters showing more aggressive behaviour during Saturday nights protest, including breaking down fences outside the courthouse and placing them up against the front doors. But how federal officers responded, he said, was not justified. Their response is incredibly disproportionate and it is designed to incite anger, division, chaos, and riots, he said about the federal agents. Thats the only reason theyre here. Theyre not trying to quell the city or dominate it. Theyre trying to stir up chaos, because that is how Trump operates. Despite the injury to his hand, Mr David was considering attending another Portland protest. But now he has considered using his voice in different ways following his altercation with officers. Id do it again but sometimes I have to listen to better advice from other people, he said. I am 53 and am not indestructible. Read more Trump struggles for answers on many issues in heated interview Police unable to shut down illegal rave attended by over 3000 people Trump accuses Obama and Biden of spying- live Trump denies Confederate flag is racist Trump again insists coronavirus will disappear, citing no evidence Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg speaks to the media during a press conference in Melbourne, Australia, Sept. 28, 2018. (AAP/David Crosling/via Reuters) Aussie COVID-19 Business Relief Program to Reform After September JobKeeper, the federal governments economic protection measure against the financial impacts of the CCP virus, will shift from a flat rate to a tiered system under changes proposed by the federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Appearing on Sky News on July 20 the treasurer explained the changes were part of the federal governments next wave of income support after the initial JobKeeper period ends on September 27. This has been the single largest one-off economic measure that the Australian government has ever undertaken, some $70 billion, said Frydenberg. But because the government wanted to get people through the COVID-19 crisis, the treasurer noted that some people received more money than they were earning prior to the crisis and that has been one of the issues we have looked at as a government. JobKeeper currently provides a $1500 fortnightly payment to all those businesses, including sole traders, who were eligible for the subsidy. But Frydenberg assured Australians that the modifications of the wage subsidy would not affect those who still needed support. AAP reported on July 20 that Australian businesses will also face increased scrutiny over their eligibility for the JobKeeper program with companies now having to provide revenue statements that prove they qualify under the new modifications. If that turnover is approved sufficiently and they are opening their doors, seeing more foot traffic through their shops, then the JobKeeper program may not be applicable to them, Frydenberg revealed. Currently, in the existing JobKeeper scheme, companies that have a turn over less than $1 billion and have experienced a 30 percent fall in revenue can apply for the subsidy. Firms that earn more than $1 billion must display a drop in profits of 50 percent. Australian Labor Party (ALP) frontbencher Tony Burke told AAP that he agreed that the JobKeeper program needed to be better targeted through retesting businesses and tapering payments. Theres been a reasonable amount of waste and lack of targeting in how the government handled it the first time around, he told ABC radio. But the ALP has so far refused to set an amount for JobKeeper. The Australian Workers Union has said that the government needs to extend the current JobKeeper payment for airline workers around Australia beyond September. The aviation industry has been left crippled by COVID-19 with tens of thousands of workers being stood down or facing redundancy. JobKeeper has been a lifeline for AWU aviation members who are battling to make ends meet and face many more months ahead before they can return to work, said the AWU on July 10. Daniel Walton, National Secretary of the AWU, said people are worried about their future. There are thousands of workers relying on JobKeeper to get them through this crisis. Its keeping them afloat but only just. Cut off JobKeeper, and you will see families across Australia struggle to cope, he said. Floating the idea of an aviation sector JobKeeper the AWU believes the government should only remove the JobKeeper program for aviation workers when domestic and international borders can be reopened. Air India has opened bookings for International flights to the United States starting July 22. Under the fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission, the airline has announced 180 flights, bookings for which can be made on its official website, booking offices or authorised travel agents. In June the US Department of Transportation (DoT) had said that it would restrict charter flights from India, accusing New Delhi of engaging in "discriminatory and restrictive practices". #FlyAI : 180 Flights between India and USA under Vande Bharat Mission are scheduled. Tickets can be booked through Air India website, booking offices and Authorised Travel Agents. pic.twitter.com/mQklq3wInk Air India (@airindiain) July 19, 2020 Following the announcement, the Civil Aviation Ministry said that it has received requests from several countries, including the US, France and Germany for allowing their air carriers to participate in the transportation of passengers along the line being conducted by Air India under the Vande Bharat Mission and that the ministry was examining the requests. Also Watch: Air India and domestic private carriers are allowed to operate flights under the programme which has pre-fixed ticket charges. The fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission began on July 3 to bring back Indian stranded abroad amid the pandemic. With a limited demand, Air India recently proposed a 60 per cent salary cut for pilots amid the coronavirus pandemic which has infected 55 of its cockpit crew members. While scheduled international flights have been suspended in the country since March 23, Air India has been operating international repatriation flights all around the world under Vande Bharat Mission. Moreover, since scheduled domestic passenger flight operations resumed on May 25, the airline has been operating services domestically too. AN INSIDE JOB Christine Flowers was carrying on about the church fires and a defacing of Catholic statues and Ill wager any amount of money these things are being carried off by right-wingers trying to catch the medias attention. Then they blame other people it to try to make these other people look bad. Im sure thats whats happening. Now these people are being paid to go around and destroy these things to try to make other people look bad. Thats just how disgusting right-wingers are. ONE GOOD DEED On Sunday my son took me to the Aston diner for breakfast. Around 10 a.m., when he asked for the check, he was told that somebody else took care of it. Well, Id sure like to thank that generous person. THE 101-YEAR-OLD WWII VETERAN FROM POST 3460 ENOUGH ALREADY I think Old Media Mustang and Bob from Sharon Hill should get a room. Then maybe theyd have something a little more exciting to do rather than call into Sound Off and trash our president every single freaking day. And the fact that you let them is why I canceled the paper before and am ready to do it again. Everyone is disgusted with it. Nobody likes it. I mean, you know, no one understands that I know why I continue to read them almost every day. Havent we had enough of them? Enough is enough. I dont care about their feelings about the president. CORRUPTION EVERYWHERE Isnt it interesting? Steve Mnuchin, Treasury secretary, recently stated We should obviously make sure there is some fraud protection referring to another small business loan distribution. Will that fraud protection be as good as a recent distribution that went like this: Betsy DeVos, worth $5.4 billion, received $6 million; Kanye West, worth $1.3 billion, received between $2 and $5 million (Mnuchin refuses to release exact amount). Jared Kushner, worth $324 million, received upward of $6 million. Even Elaine Chao, worth $24 million, received between $350,000 and $1 million (another one Mnuchin wont release exact amount oh, shes Mitch McConnells wife). OK, Im done! Im physically sick writing about this corruption at its finest. Theres so much more and Im hoping youll go to the trouble of fact checking it yourself. Our America will no longer be if Putins puppet in the White House gets another four years! GERRIE FROM WALLINGFORD WOLF GETS IT DONE Time for Impeachment? Are you out of your mind? Are you looking at whats going on in Florida and Texas and these other states that have opened early and theyre going through this coronavirus? Are you living in a glass bubble or something? Its not time for impeachment. Its time to thank Gov. Wolf for doing a good job with this. You need to just stop and calm down and look at look at the facts, mister. Theres something definitely wrong with you. If you want everything opened up go ahead and youll go get coronavirus. Is that what you want? Cause thats whats going to happen. If you do that, you probably dont like Cuomo, either. MR. T SEEING THINGS Those darn pigeons! As I came out of the Acme yesterday in the parking lot I saw this gentleman get out of his car. He parked right near me, a little white car, but I noticed there was pigeon dirt off all over his windshield. I mean, Im sure it was dangerous situation driving. Im sure he couldnt see through that. Well, he got out and he proceeded to put his mask on went into the supermarket. I hope that somebody reads this and knows the gentleman. Maybe your kids could volunteer to clean his car, put your hose on it or use a couple of buckets of water with sponges and gloves and clean his car up. As I said, he was a very elderly gentleman, and I know he couldnt see well out of his windshield. A CONCERNED SENIOR UNFAIR Why are school taxes the same as last year or higher? Kids were only in school half a year. We shouldnt have to pay all these taxes. NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Tue, July 21, 2020 04:00 547 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667f259a 4 Inforial Free For nearly 30 years, I have often seen them die of nothing. I am sure this would not have happened if hospitals were near, I recall someone say to me upon entering Papua. In response to this very big issue, these Papuans replied: we have the right to live a healthy life. My relationship with Papua began in October 2018, upon the request for consulting on hospital operations established by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and KORINDO Group. The hospital is located in Asiki village, Jair district, the Boven Digoel Regency, Papua. KOICA is a cooperative development organization in Korea for realizing sustainable development and humanitarianism. Meanwhile, the Korindo Group, with its headquarters in Jakarta, first expanded to Papua in 1993, after it had already established its plywood, paper and plantation businesses in the suburbs of Kalimantan and Jakarta. In the early days of its entry into Papua, the company started its business based on the plywood factories, creating a huge number of jobs by operating oil farms as well. Among its various business areas, however, there were no healthcare facilities. Despite that, they established one hospital there to improve the health and quality of life of the residents of Asiki. Korindo Groups joint business with the KOICA has ended, and the former will fully manage its business operations and the costs by 2025. Local government will bear the full operating expenses from 2030 and by then, the local government and Korindo Group will have shared the operational expenses as well. What I wondered was why is Korindo Group so passionate about running this hospital that brings no profit and will be dedicated to the local government in the future? Firman Jayawijaya, a doctor from the Asiki clinic answered my curiosity: "the purpose of hospitals is not just to treat sick people but also to act as a catalyst to protect human rights and the lives of residents so that they can stand on their own feet and live their own lives. After 36 hours of travel from Seoul, South Korea and in transit in Jakarta, I finally entered Asiki clinic in the middle of the forest and it was a modern building with basic medical facilities. This went against the stereotype that companies will prioritize profits when they get involved with local businesses. Papua, a place geographically left behind, is a place that needs a lot of help, especially in the health and medical sector. According to the statistics of Boven Digoel Health Center in 2016, the infant mortality rate that year was 115 per 1,000 people and the neonatal mortality rate was 54 per 1,000 people during the same period, ranking first and seventh in all Indonesian provinces, respectively. The percentage of pregnant women visiting hospitals also stood at 22 percent, far below the Indonesian average of 87 percent. Papua has traditionally been more dependent on traditional remedies than on modern medicine. The nearest hospital that can provide simple first aid in the Asiki region is a two-hour walk, and the only hospital that can accommodate severely ill patients and patients in need of first aid is more than six hours away. For these various reasons, the situation in Papua's local health care system was not good, and a company that had been watching the situation for a long time provided a solution to the problem. More than simply building a hospital and installing medical equipment to provide services to the community, Korindo Group is training local medical personnel, including doctors, pharmacists and nurses, to establish a framework for local health care in accordance with the Health Ministry's policy; the framework has also been well-maintained. The Asiki Clinic, furthermore, is a primary care institution that focuses on changes in awareness and behavior. It has a maternity class for those who are reluctant to visit hospitals to enable a healthy pregnancy and childbirth through education on the importance of prenatal and postnatal examinations and safe childbirth. It provides customized health education of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to high-risk residents, and regularly visits the valley villages and forest villages with no nearby hospital to provide vaccinations, medication, and other treatments. The Indonesian government is trying to provide integrated primary health care as a part of its public health policy but it seems to lack the finances and manpower to cover geographically marginalized areas like Asiki village. Thank you and goodbye: Residents of Kapoho village escort medical staff of the Asiki clinic in Papua as these medical workers head back to where they live upon delivering mobile medical treatment to the neighboring village. (./.) The village was in the blind spot of primary healthcare facilities; therefore, its access to the healthcare services for local residents was limited. Under these circumstances, the Asiki clinic is contributing to the local health care system of local governments in a complementary manner by providing essential health and medical services to underprivileged local residents under the keynote of Indonesia's public health policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korindo Group has also donated masks and protective clothing to the Papua community, which lacks medical and protective equipment, while asking them to pray for the safety of residents and medical staff. Private companies are making such an invisible move to the community for the least human rights that Papua's neighbors should deserve. Now Im thinking again about the meaning of primary healthcare, with the memories of Papua embedded on my thoughts. In the Declaration of Alma Ata in 1978, we set our sights on achieving Health for All, yet we are still endeavoring to achieve that goal after more than 40 years. Many countries, including the Indonesian government, still seem far away from the goal, despite their constant efforts to achieve it. But I believe that company like the Korindo Group, albeit having a business line that seemingly is unrelated to healthcare, has developed clinic Aski to achieve this goal and that the local unit's efforts to learn how to protect its health through this place will one day help it to achieve this goal of ensuring health of all. Local government officials, clinic staff members and local residents whom I met to discuss the future operation of the clinic were all calling the Asiki clinic as "our clinic". Just as this clinic belongs to the Asiki region, it will not be long before one day, health has truly become ours with various cooperation and efforts. Even today, the Asiki clinic is still treating patients, providing health education, first aid to patients with severe diseases, taking them to higher-level hospitals, and checking on residents who are not visiting the clinic. Meanwhile, the Korindo Group, like the patronizing eldest brother of the region who always keeps a strong guard, will always be involved in these efforts. The clinic is an excellent example of tripartite cooperation among the Korean government, Indonesian enterprises and Indonesian local governments. From now on, the challenge for us is to find ways to maintain and manage the clinic in a sustainable manner, treating it like the communitys treasure. To operate and manage the clinic in the current level, the minimum finances of medical personnel, medicine, and facility operating expenses must be secured. Various attempts are necessary to improve the clinic's profit structure so that it is steadily maintained even when the clinic is handed over to the local health authorities in the long term. I believe we will overcome the difficulties if the efforts of the health authorities to protect the health rights of local residents and the efforts of the private company, Korindo Group, have met. It has been two years since I went there, and I still remember the gratitude of the residents and the pride of the clinic staff. I hope that in the long years ahead, the clinic will remain the residents go-to place anytime they need to solve their health problems. Health for all the people of Papua! Myong-sun Cho, a Ph.D in Health Science from Ewha Womans University, is a professor of Vision College of Jeonju, South Korea, who was previously a visiting professor to Ewha Womans University from 2017 to 2020. Previously, she served as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) expert with Korea International Cooperation Agency (2012-2017), following a five-year stint as director at Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (2008-2012). (./.) Toronto police have arrested one suspect and are seeking a second in the fatal shooting of Jordon Marcelle outside Scarborough Town Centre earlier this month. The 26-year-old Toronto man was found with gunshot wounds just outside the shopping centre on the afternoon of July 10. He died in hospital soon after. On Monday, police said in a news release that Tristawna Ona Christian, 21, of Toronto, had been arrested Saturday. She was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. The news release said Shaquille Jameel Taesean Small, 26, of Toronto, is wanted on the same charges. Det. Jason Shankaran said police believe a man shot Marcelle before fleeing the scene in a vehicle driven by a woman. Shankaran said the two suspects also face attempted murder charges because a person who was walking with Marcelle when he was shot narrowly missed getting struck by gunfire. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad A total of 256 megawatts of lost capacity has been recovered in the country, Azerenergy JSC reported on July 20. According to the statement, the company achieved significant success in restoring lost capacity by carrying out reconstruction and repair work at 6 modular power plants along with thermal and hydro power plants of the country. Thus, prior the adoption of the Rehabilitation program in autumn 2018, 12 out of 72 units at 6 modular power plants did not work at all, and the rest of the units did not work at full capacity. After reconstruction of 12 idle units and replacement of main spare parts imported from abroad, as well as repair of other units, all 6 modular power plants of the country completed reconstruction, repair and rehabilitation works. As a result, a total of 256 megawatts of "lost" capacity has been recovered, including 95 megawatts at the Sangachal Power Plant, 20 megawatts at the Baku Power Plant, 15 megawatts at the Shahdagh Power Plant, 47 megawatts at the Khachmaz Power Plant, 40 megawatts at the Astara Power Plant and 39 megawatts at the Sheki Power Plant. Earlier it was reported that, within the framework of the program until 2022, it is planned to restore about 1000 MW of "lost" generating capacity. The total cost of the program on rehabilitation of the energy system of Azerbaijan is estimated at AZN 560 million ($329.4m). It should be noted that an accident occurred at the Azerbaijani thermal power plant in Mingechevir city in July 2018. As a result, power supply was cut off in 39 cities and regions across the country. A special State Commission came to the conclusion that one of the main reasons for this accident in the power system of Azerbaijan, was the unpreparedness of Azerenergy, the existing technical and a number of other shortcomings in the activities of the company, which did not allow an adequate response to the incident. The Ministry of Energy and "Azerenergy" in the second half of 2018 signed a contract with the German VPC to conduct a technical audit of the Azerbaijan thermal power plant, development of the general plan for the rehabilitation of this plant, as well as optimization of electricity transmission in the system of Azerenergy. Azerenergy OJSC was established in 1996 under the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. By enabling the activity of the electro energy system of the country, Azerenergy Open Joint-Stock Company realizes the coordination of the electricity production and transmission, single center-controlled electric stations, substations, system-organizing high-voltage - 110, 220, 330, 500 kW electricity transmission lines and their dispatcher management tools. Indian authorities have been accused of using the country's surging coronavirus pandemic as a chance to round up and hold critics protesting against Narendra Modi's treatment of minorities. While attention has in recent weeks been focused on accelerating deaths in the country, as many as a dozen prominent activists have been held under tough sedition and anti-terrorism laws. India's coronavirus restrictions, which have closed the courts, have left lawyers unable to file bail applications or even meet their detained clients, 'The New York Times' reported. The nation of 1.3 billion is currently wrestling with one of the world's largest outbreaks of the virus and its case toll last week passed one million. Before the coronavirus reached India, the country was rocked by protests over new citizenship laws which make it easier for non-Muslim migrants to become citizens. Millions protested, with critics claiming it was evidence of Mr Modi's anti-Muslim agenda. Tensions erupted in February, with communal violence in Delhi which killed scores, most of them Muslim. Protests fizzled out after Mr Modi announced a strict lockdown in March to halt the spread of Covid-19 but high-profile protesters have recently been seized. Those held include a youth activist who highlighted police brutality against Muslims, an academic who spoke against the citizenship law and a student who helped organise rallies. Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told 'The New York Times' the cases appeared to be "politically motivated". "The urgency to arrest rights activists and an obvious reluctance to act against the violent actions of the government's supporters show a complete breakdown in the rule of law." The government-appointed Delhi Minorities Commission last week said Muslim homes, shops and vehicles were targeted during rioting that erupted in north-east Delhi in February. Yet the commission said police had charged Muslims for the violence, even though they were the biggest victims. The police rejected any bias in their handling of the disorder. The 10-year-old boy was wounded in the ankle and calf, and the 11-year-old boy was struck in the arm, police said. They were taken to Comer Childrens Hospital in good condition, according to police. KAMPALA The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $9.9 million through the international non-governmental organization GiveDirectly, in partnership with the Government of Uganda, to deliver cash transfers supporting Ugandans who lost their livelihoods as a result of COVID-19 and necessary public health restrictions. Through this significant contribution, the U.S. government, under the guidance of the Government of Uganda, will provide direct cash grants to eligible participants in six cities recently designated by the Ministry of Local Government. The initial rollout of the activity is taking place in the coming week in Lira, later followed by Moroto, Gulu, Kabale, Mbale, and Mbarara, with the final order to be determined. Note: Ugandans are not able to register themselves or others to become eligible for the program but will be identified through socio-economic data, to ensure that the project is fair and equitable. As many people are reduced to eating smaller food rations and face hunger as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, the monthly cash grants will help them meet their basic needs. And as the U.S. Mission previewed in May, this injection of cash into local markets will boost small businesses ability to function until the communities they serve are again able to sustain the marketplace. USAID, in partnership with GiveDirectly and the Government of Uganda, is committed to helping those most in need get through this period without losing their businesses and ability to earn their living. The grants will enable the small entrepreneurs and traders to bounce back the moment the situation eases and the markets return, said Richard Nelson, the USAID Mission Director in Uganda. As we expand our urban infrastructure, the partnership with GiveDirectly and USAID will be essential for supporting the livelihoods of Ugandan citizens within our newly created cities. Ugandans are struggling during this difficult time and we are committed to doing everything we can to strengthen our citizens economic prospects, said Hon. Namuyangu Kacha Jenipher, Minister of State for Local Government. The cash grants are part of the U.S. governments Feed the Future initiative that works to improve food security and stabilize markets in Uganda. They will strengthen the Ugandan peoples resilience during a period of economic instability and complement other USAID programs that are helping Ugandans respond to the impacts of COVID-19. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, USAID/Uganda has invested $23.4 million to counter the impacts of COVID-19, including the $9.9 million awarded through GiveDirectly, as well as other interventions, such as disease prevention and control, and assisting communities to manage shocks and stresses induced by COVID-19. This USAID response is part of the U.S. Mission in Ugandas overall commitment of $35 million to Ugandas COVID response effort, as well as the U.S. governments commitment of over $1 billion in assistance aimed at fighting the pandemic in more than 120 countries around the world. GiveDirectly is the first and largest nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the worlds most vulnerable. Founded in 2009, GiveDirectly has delivered over $260 million in cash to over 270,000 households living across the world. Related Kanye West shocked the world when he announced earlier this month that he was running for president of the United States. And on Monday, Karl Stefanovic made a cringeworthy joke while discussing the 43-year-old rapper's presidential campaign on Channel Nine's Today show. The news segment started off with the father of four, 45, asking U.S. correspondent Tim Arvier for an update on Kanye's rally in South Carolina. Oh, dear! Today host Karl Stefanovic (left) made a cringeworthy dad joke about Kanye West's presidential campaign on Monday - leaving Nine's U.S. correspondent, Tim Arvier, speechless Karl began: 'Kanye West is right now addressing voters in South Carolina as he kicks off his bid to become president of the United States of America. Tim, what did he have to say?' Tim reported that the American rapper 'outlined policies such as free marijuana if he won the election. He talked a lot about god and religion too, before breaking down in tears while discussing his family.' He added: 'What will be interesting to see is if he does continue with his campaign is if he does manage to take away votes from Donald Trump or Joe Biden.' Quoting a line from Kanye's 2010 song Power, Karl then said: 'No one man should have all that power, Timmy. Do you know what I'm saying?' Segment: The news segment started off with the father of four, 45, asking U.S. correspondent Tim Arvier for an update on Kanye's rally in South Carolina (pictured) Tim stared at the camera blankly for several moments before chuckling awkwardly. Karl then burst into laughter and admitted he wasn't sure where he'd heard the expression, saying: 'It's a song I think. I've heard it somewhere!' On July 4, Kanye announced on Twitter that he would be running for president in November. Cringe! Tim summarised what Kanye had said, prompting Karl to quote one of the rapper's songs: 'No one man should have all that power, Timmy. Do you know what I'm saying?' '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!' he tweeted alongside the hashtag #2020VISION. On Sunday, Kanye held his first campaign event in South Carolina, wearing a bullet-proof vest and with 2020 shaved into his hair. 'I don't give a f**k if I win the presidency or not,' he said. 'There are homeless people in front of the Gucci store. I care about these things. And I am in service of God.' iStock/MotortionBy: KARMA ALLEN, ABC News (PHILADELPHIA) -- Police are searching for the body of a Philadelphia toddler who was allegedly abducted and murdered by his babysitter earlier this month. Family members said 2-year-old King Hill had been presumed dead by police on Monday, nearly two weeks after he vanished from his home in Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. Police arrested 24-year-old Tianna Parks of Philadelphia on multiple counts Monday, including murder, interference with the custody of children, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice. The death of King Hill is an unbearable tragedy that is compounded by Tianna Parks actions," Philadelphia District Attorney Krasner said in a statement Monday. "This precious babys family and community deserve to know how he died. They deserve the opportunity to bury and mourn him with dignity. This child deserved so much better in life. My office will continue to work alongside the Philadelphia Police and FBI to seek justice for his death. Police said Marvin Reese, King's stepfather, dropped off the child with Parks at least two weeks before making the missing persons report. Reese initially told police that King was last seen by a babysitter who claimed to have returned King to his mother on July 8. But the toddler's mother said he was never dropped off and she assumed he was still in his stepfather's care. Family members said they called police as soon as they realized King was missing on July 8, but police believe the child was last seen alive on July 5. Investigators with the Philadelphia Police Department along with the FBI said cellphone and video evidence led them to believe that the child had died. "Wherever he is at, whatever happened to him, just bring him back so we can put King to rest," Kimberly Hill, King's maternal grandmother, told ABC affiliate WPVI-TV on Monday. "He was amazing, everybody loved King." Parks was being held without bail on Monday. It's unclear if she has retained an attorney. Philadelphia Police Department Capt. Mark Burgmann said the case was one of the toughest in his 40-year career. "We've put a tremendous amount of resources to this, probably more resources than we've ever devoted to any other investigation I've had here in the past over 40 years," he said during a press conference last week. "We're leaving no stone unturned here. We're not going to stop until the child returns." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS) US Calls on Chinese Regime to End Persecution of Falun Gong The United States has called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to immediately end its depraved abuse and mistreatment of the spiritual practice Falun Gong. Twenty-one years of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is far too long, and it must end, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a rare statement by a top administration official about the repression. Extensive evidence shows the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] government continues to repress and abuse this community to this day, including reported torture of Falun Gong practitioners and detention of thousands, he said on July 20, the 21st anniversary of the start of Beijings persecution campaign. Pompeo also demanded that the Chinese regime release imprisoned adherents of Falun Gong and account for the whereabouts of missing practitioners. His comments add to those of about 30 U.S. lawmakers and officials who issued statements expressing solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners on the anniversary. Hundreds of lawmakers around the world also condemned the regimes brutal suppression. U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said he talked to Falun Gong representatives on July 20 about Beijings ongoing persecution. Im inspired by Falun Gong practitioners perseverance, while under threat from PRC government pressure to renounce their beliefs, Brownback wrote in a tweet. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that includes meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practice spread widely in China, with at least 70 million people practicing by the end of the 1990s, according to official Chinese estimates at the time. On July 20, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners in China found themselves the targets for persecution when the CCP deemed Falun Gongs popularity a threat to its rule and banned the practice. Adherents have since been subjected to harassment, detention, and torture in an effort to coerce them into giving up their beliefs. Millions have been detained, according to estimates by the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC). More than 4,000 are confirmed to have died from torture, according to Minghui.org, an online clearinghouse for information about the persecution of Falun Gong, although this is likely to be an understatement of the real death toll given the difficulty of obtaining sensitive information from China. Since 1999, the Communist Party of China (CCP) has sought to eradicate Falun Gong, a spiritual practice originating in China, and its peaceful practitioners and human rights defenders who have fought for their right to practice their beliefs, Pompeo said. The secretary described the story of Zhang Yuhua, a Falun Gong adherent who survived detention in China. Pompeo welcomed her last year at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington hosted by the department. After surviving what she described as torture while in a labor camp and a prison in China, she advocates on behalf of her imprisoned husband, Ma Zhenyu, who has endured months of torture because he refuses to renounce his Falun Gong beliefs, he said. Zhang was repeatedly imprisoned and suffered torture in China for a combined period of 7 1/2 years before escaping to the United States in 2015. She was among 27 survivors of religious persecution to meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last July. Zhang told Trump about the plight of her husband, imploring the president to take action. She feared Ma would have his organs harvested by the communist regime. Forced organ harvesting still exists, so we should take action, Zhang said at the time. Words dont work. Evidence of this grisly practice has mounted since allegations first emerged in 2006. An independent peoples tribunal in 2019, after a yearlong investigation, found beyond a reasonable doubt that the CCP has killedand continues to killimprisoned Falun Gong practitioners for their organs for sale on the transplant market. FDIC spokesperson Zhang Erping applauded the United States support for the groups cause for freedom of conscience, association, and expression. His [Pompeo] press statement and longstanding support will inspire tens of millions of Chinese people to continue their struggle for freedoms, Zhang said in a statement. We call on the international community to follow Americas lead and help end this two-decade-long, horrific persecution of Falun Gong in China. Boyega in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm) John Boyega has made his last appearance in the Star Wars saga, it would seem. The British actor, who made his name as ex-stormtrooper turned resistance fighter Finn in the sequel movies, has told fans that he's now officially 'moved on'. Read more: Boyega thanks fans for love and support after BLM speech On Friday, Boyega posted a picture on Instagram of his return to the make-up chair, sporting a protective mask and gown, while the make-up artist is shown in a full visor. Back on set! he captioned. Have a nice day everyone. John Boyega (Credit: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP) He then exchanged messages with fans, when one suggested: Force Finn in action with Green lightsaber dressed in black is all I want from next SW film! Boyega then dropped the bombshell: Lol no thank you. Ive moved on. Though when another fan weighed in with: Really just got those Disney bucks and dipped, Boyega replied: Nope. Not into playing one role for too long. I have more to offer than that. Thats all. Boyega appeared as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Between the high-profile projects, he also appeared in period civil rights movie Detroit, tech-drama The Circle with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, and the Pacific Rim sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising. Since The Rise of Skywalker, he's filmed US drama Naked Singularity with Olivia Cooke and Bill Skarsgard. Read more: John Boyega and Joe Cornish plotting Attack The Block sequel The project seen his latest Instagram post is likely to be the filming of Small Axe, a new mini-series for the BBC and Amazon created and directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen. The anthology series will explore the experience of being black in Britain, with Marvel star Letitia Wright and Black Mirror's Malachi Kirby also on the bill. It was recently announced that hes also set to star in IRA thriller Borderland, with fellow Star Wars alumnus Felicity Jones and Jack Reynor. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/17/2020 -- AMA Research added a comprehensive research document of 200+ pages on 'K-12 Makerspace Materials' market with detailed insights on growth factors and strategies. The study segments key regions that includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific with country level break-up and provide volume* and value related cross segmented information by each country. Some of the important players from a wide list of coverage used under bottom-up approach are Follett Corporation (United States), GoldieBlox (United States), MakerBot Industries, LLC (United States), SparkFun Education (United States), littleBits (United States), TechShop (United States), 3Dexter (India), LEGO Education (United States), Raspberry Pi Foundation (United Kingdom). A special chapter in the study presents Impact Analysis of COVID-19 on Global K-12 Makerspace Materials Market along with tables and graphs related to various country and segments showcasing impact on growth trends. Request a sample report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/5903-global-k-market-12-makerspace-materials K-12 makerspace material is defined as the place in K-12 schools which allow students to create, invent, discover, tinker and explore new ideas using a wide-ranging of materials, often, referred to as K-12 makerspace materials. Various benefits of using K-12 makerspace materials for students such as engage students in hands-on projects, develop problem-solving skills and encourage self-direction, foster teamwork, decision-making, creativity, and higher-level thinking, support stem, social studies, and vocational education curriculum, among others. Rising adoption of modern methodologies of learning such as game-based learning, experiential learning, and blended learning are propelling the growth of the market. Market Segmentation & Scope Study by Type (Robotic Toolkits, Construction Materials, Art and Craft Materials), Application (Pre-primary School, Primary School, Middle School, High School) Avail 30-50% Discount on various license type on immediate purchase @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/5903-global-k-market-12-makerspace-materials A View on Influencing Trends: Introduction of AR and VR Worldwide and Increased Emphasis on Mobile Makerspaces Growth Drivers in Limelight: Increasing Popularity of Maker Movement Increasing Emphasis on Makerspace-Aligned Curriculum Challenges that Market May Face: Complexity in Managing Makerspaces Check Complete Table of Content @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/5903-global-k-market-12-makerspace-materials Country level Break-up includes: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Nordic, Others) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, Australia, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Middle East & Africa, Others) On Special Request we do offer a dedicated and focus report on regional or by country level scope. GET FULL COPY OF Latest Published COVID-19 Impact Analysis Study of United States K-12 Makerspace Materials Market @ --------- USD 2000 And, Asia-Pacific K-12 Makerspace Materials market study with Commentary on COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Sales Growth @ --------- USD 2500 Some Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global K-12 Makerspace Materials Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the K-12 Makerspace Materials market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the K-12 Makerspace Materials Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the K-12 Makerspace Materials Chapter 4: Presenting the K-12 Makerspace Materials Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5-7: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2014-2019. Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the K-12 Makerspace Materials market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile. Market Estimates by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various countries (2020-2025). Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Finally, K-12 Makerspace Materials Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. How Research Study of AMA helps clients in their decision making: - Creating strategies for new product development - Supporting & Adjust Investment/business decisions - Benchmark and judge own competitiveness - Aiding in the business planning process - Serving as a credible, independent check on company internal forecasts - Supporting acquisition strategies Key Development Activities: In May 2016, the Follett Corporation (United States) Company has launched new makerspace bundles for K-12 Libraries. In addition, it encourages students' inquiry and exploration through hands-on production. Hence, it will affect the growth of the market in the future Buy full version of this report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/buy-now?format=1&report=5903 Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About Advance Market Analytics Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. Woolworths has closed two distribution centres in Melbourne until further notice after more employees tested positive to coronavirus in recent days. Deep cleaning is now underway at the produce and national distribution centres located on the same property in Mulgrave in the city's south-east. Another 12 employees tested positive over the weekend in addition to five cases recorded last week. The majority of cases were detected in Woolworths' voluntary proactive COVID-19 testing program at the sites. Thirteen of the 17 cases are from the produce distribution centre. Two Woolworths distribution centres in Mulgrave have closed after 17 staff tested positive A Woolworths spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the decision to close the produce distribution facility was made on Saturday night after six new cases were recorded. Another six staff have since tested positive to take the weekend tally to 12. The adjoining national distribution centre closed on Sunday night but has recorded no new infections since four staff tested positive last week. The affected centres distribute fresh food and packaged items to a high number of Woolworths stores across Victoria. The supermarket chain doesn't expect the closures to result in delivery delays or stock shortages at stores at this stage. 'Were currently using temporary measures to deliver produce from alternate distribution centres to ensure we can maintain fruit and vegetable supply in our Victorian supermarkets,' a Woolworths statement read. 'All other Victorian distribution centres remain open and continue to dispatch stock deliveries to stores as normal.' Woolworths closed two distribution centres after 12 staff tested positive over the weekend. Pictured are healthcare workers testing Melburnians at a testing facility in Hoppers Crossing It's currently unknown when the distribution centres will reopen. 'While the results of surface testing for the presence of COVID-19 at both sites have come back negative, were putting our team and customers first by taking the precautionary measure to suspend operations,' the Woolworths statement added. 'Weve conducted forensic cleaning at both centres and will work closely with the Department of Health and Human Services to determine when the facilities can recommence operations. 'Well provide our full support to any team member required to self-isolate in line with advice from the DHHS.' Victoria's second wave of infections continues to grow after 275 new cases were recorded on Monday. Pictured are medical workers and police at a public housing tower in North Melbourne on Saturday, where residents remained in lockdown Woolworths had implemented stricter health and safety controls at the sites since the first case was detected on July 13. They include temperature checks and health screening of staff prior to arrival, offering masks to workers, deployment of nurses at the affected sites and no access for non-essential personnel. The latest shutdown comes after Woolworths recently temporarily closed a centre dedicated to fulfilling online orders after an employee tested positive. It's been another horror day for the outbreak in Victoria with 275 new cases recorded on Monday. It's the 15th consecutive day the state has recorded a triple-digit increase in new infections. Alibaba Group Holding Limited-backed (NYSE: BABA) Xpeng Motors Technology Ltd. said it raised nearly $500 million in a Series C+ funding round, even as electric vehicle sales see a slump in mainland China. What Happened Investors that participated in the funding of the Chinese EV maker included Hillhouse Capital, Coatue Management, Aspex, and Sequoia Capital's local division, Bloomberg reported Monday. Xpeng last raised $400 million from both corporate and individual investors, including Xiaomi Corporation (OTC: XIACF), in a Series C funding round in November. The company is also reportedly planning to list its shares in the United States, seeking to raise about $500 million in an initial public offering. Why It Matters Xpengs latest round of fundraising gives it a boost in the worlds largest EV market and pits it against the market leader Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and local competitors such as Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO). The funding comes at a time when the company has started the deliveries of its P7 sedans. Domestic sales of electric vehicles fell by 4% in 2019 to 1.2 million units in China, for the first time ever, as Beijing slashed subsidies by half, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. The local EV companies face an additional challenge as the market share of Elon Musk-led Tesla continues to increase in the country. Photo credit: Xpeng Motor Technology Ltd. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Award-winning lyricist Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Stephen Ward) has given details about a gender-switched production of Tell Me On A Sunday that was in the works before being interrupted by COVID-19. Talking to the BBC, Black spoke of transforming the 1979 musical (co-created with Andrew Lloyd Webber) which follows an English girl from Muswell Hill who travels to New York. The new version is about a gay man making the same journey, set in the same period. The song cycle has formerly starred the likes of Marti Webb, Claire Sweeney and Bernadette Peters. Sweeney's version was updated for the 21st century back in 2010. Black said: "We workshopped it in a rehearsal studio with Rebecca Frecknall as director. We knew immediately it could open up resonant new areas of the story." Frecknall recently helmed the award-winning revival of Summer and Smoke with Patsy Ferran, and more recently The Duchess of Malfi at the Almeida. Black, 81, also said that he himself contracted COVID-19 earlier this year, and had to spend nine days in hospital fighting the virus. Whether or not Frecknall's production of Tell Me on A Sunday will ever be seen remains up in the air, with Black stating he will "be so delighted if we can put it together". The lyricist is also working on a musical version of iconic film The Third Man, while rejigging his 2006 musical adaption of Debbie Wiseman's Feather Boy, which originally ran at the National Theatre. Gender-switched re-imaginings of classic musicals has become an increasingly popular move, especially following Marianne Elliott's award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company, led by Rosalie Craig and Patti LuPone. John Tiffany previously attempted to stage an all-male version of the same show, though this did not progress beyond the planning stages. The lyricist will also be appearing in conversation with Michael Grade this Thursday at 7pm via the Kings Place KPlayer, online. "The immune system has two ways of finding and attacking pathogens antibody and T cell responses," Oxford professor Andrew Pollard said in a release. "This vaccine is intended to induce both, so it can attack the virus when it's circulating in the body, as well as attacking infected cells. We hope this means the immune system will remember the virus, so that our vaccine will protect people for an extended period." The researchers said the vaccine produced antibodies and killer T-cells to combat the infection that lasted at least two months. Neutralizing antibodies, which scientists believe is important to gain protection against the virus, were detected in participants. The T-cell response did not increase with a second dose of the vaccine, they said, which is consistent with other vaccines of this kind. The researchers are calling their experimental vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222). It combines genetic material from the coronavirus with a modified adenovirus that is known to cause infections in chimpanzees. The phase one trial had more than 1,000 participants in people ages 18 to 55. A potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has produced a promising immune response in a large, early-stage human trial, according to newly released data published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet. Adrian Hill, director of Oxford's Jenner Institute, told CNBC on Monday the strong immune response means the vaccine is more likely to provide protection against the virus, though nothing is guaranteed. He said scientists hope to begin human trials in the United States in a few weeks. The vaccine was found to be well-tolerated and there were no serious adverse events, according to the researchers. Fatigue and headache were the most commonly reported, they said. Other common side effects included pain at the injection site, muscle ache, chills and a fever. "We are using single-dose and two-dose of the vaccine," he told "Worldwide Exchange." "It looks like both give useful immune responses even though after two doses we see stronger immune responses." Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of Toronto, said he was "extremely excited" by the new data, adding there was more to "sink your teeth into" than the data released by Moderna. He said he doesn't know why AstraZeneca's stock is down on the news. "I don't understand the stock market but I do understand infectious diseases," he said. The potential vaccine is one of at least 100 being developed across the world for Covid-19, which has infected more than 14 million people worldwide and killed at least 606,206, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 23 of the vaccine candidates are already in human trials, according to the World Health Organization. Last week, biotech firm Moderna released promising data on its vaccine trial, saying it generated a "robust" immune response. That trial included 45 healthy participants and was run by the National Institutes of Health. Earlier this month, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, alongside German drugmaker BioNTech, released positive results from its closely watched early-stage human trial. The company said its vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies in all participants who received two of the 10 or 30 microgram doses after 28 days, according to the preliminary data. AstraZeneca said in June it is working with industry partners to manufacture and distribute 2 billion doses of the vaccine with Oxford. The drugmaker is ramping up manufacturing while trials are still underway so the vaccine can be publicly distributed as early as possible if it works, according to Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is working with AstraZeneca on the drug's production. Participants were split into four groups. The researchers noted the early-stage trial had limitations, including lack of information on older adults, and those with underlying health conditions. They said these groups are being recruited in their ongoing late-stage trial of the vaccine in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. Participants recruited in this study will be followed-up for at least one year to continue to study the vaccine's safety and the immune response it provokes. While Oxford's data is promising, scientists warn that questions remain about how the human body responds once it's been infected with the virus. The answers, they say, may have important implications for vaccine development, including how quickly it can be deployed to the public. One critical question among scientists is whether antibodies produced in response to Covid-19 offer protection against getting infected again. Scientists hope the antibodies provide some degree of protection against getting Covid-19, but they can't say that definitively yet since the virus was discovered just six months ago. It hasn't been studied in depth and some patients appear to have been reinfected after recovering from Covid-19. "I would say there's a lot of optimism," said Dr. Jonathan Abraham, a professor at Harvard Medical School's Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology. "But I think the optimism is making a lot of assumptions. The assumptions include that what we're seeing now is a type of infection where if you get infected and you're reexposed shortly after that you won't be infected again." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, has repeatedly said he's "cautiously optimistic" scientists will be able to create at least one safe and effective vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021. CNBC's Saheli Roy Choudhury contributed to this report. Mexico City: Carrying sniper weapons, the men could be mistaken for members of Mexico's beleaguered army. However, a closer look at the video that went viral in the country on Friday reveals that they are wearing bullet-proof vests emblazoned with "CJNG" - the acronym for the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, one of the biggest and most violent of the gangs that now operates across almost all of the country. New Generation Jalisco Cartel displays its hardware. The camera slowly pans along the line of heavily armed men and a huge convoy of armoured vehicles. The video, now being investigated by the authorities, is the latest show of power from the group. Read next: Becoming CEO in the middle of a global pandemic Murray was instrumental in the creation of Gallaghers Five Steps to Return to the Workplace guide, which provides high-level, generalized ideas that firms may want to consider as they move through the process of reopening. The guide acknowledges that for many firms, if not all, this is an unprecedented situation in which the connection between organizational well-being and risk management has never been more apparent or important. One of the first things we talk to our clients about as they consider re-opening is their team, and the importance of bringing all key stakeholders together, Murray told Insurance Business. Thats what weve done here at Gallagher. Weve brought our collective resources together so that we have the right people around the table to share their insight to help solve this problem collectively. We believe that our clients are best suited to do the same, which means bringing together the business owners, executives, management, human resources, finance, safety, risk management, and so on, so that they can make a decision thats right for their business. Gallaghers five-step plan is broken down into: 1) determining eligibility to re-open; 2) implementing policies and procedures by role and function; 3) implementing facilities policies; 4) assessing and managing operations, supply chain and third-party vendors; and 5) maintaining customer and public relationships. Back to Murrays point about bringing key stakeholders together, a lot of the plan revolves around good communication. Everything that businesses do in preparation for re-opening whether thats clarifying legal obligations with lawyers and local regulators; building new employment practice guides; disinfecting facilities and re-tooling machinery; and reviewing contracts with third-party vendors it must all be affirmed with clear and concise communication. Read more: Businesses missing the mark on risk assessments - Gallagher The best approach were able to articulate to our clients is to follow the advice of the various jurisdictions, regulatory boards and authorities [that are issuing mandates and guidance], and then to bring together all key stakeholders [internally, as well as from Gallagher and other third-parties] to produce a comprehensive business continuity plan, said Murray. Once businesses have that comprehensive plan, they need to implement it and train their employees around it until they feel comfortable that theyre doing the right thing. Thats the goal right now to reopen, to make sure everybodys safe, and to have a plan on how to move forward. But that plan has to be flexible. Companies have to recognize that the path forward will not be a straight line. The plan needs to solicit feedback from the various stakeholders (customers, public, employees and so on) and companies have to be prepared to adjust the plan in real-time to manage for potential claims that may come down the pipeline. Right now, the top priority should be having a comprehensive business continuity plan, with the right parties involved and ready to adjust that plan in real-time if necessary. While COVID-19 has been very challenging, Murray and his peers have been able to see the opportunity in shifting the conversation into lessons learned through the recovery process. He commented: It all comes down to continuity of operations, supply chain management, and, once again, having the right conversations and communication with key stakeholders. Its exciting to see effective risk management in real-time, and I think thats what were seeing as we consult with our clients around business continuity. Attorneys for the Commission on Judicial Conduct on Monday made the case that Judge Paul M. Sushchyk, an associate justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, willfully engaged in multiple violations of judicial codes of conduct including allegedly touching a womans butt without consent during a conference last year charges that the Sterling judge explicitly denies. A woman who works in the Administrative Office of the Probate and Family Court reported the alleged incident in the spring of 2019, leading to formal complaint and charges against Sushchyk filed in February 2020. The woman alleges that after a dinner event as part of a two-day judicial conference in April of 2019, the judge walked behind her as she sat with coworkers at a table at Bayzos Pub in Brewster, and, without her consent, placed one of his hands under [her] buttocks or buttock and pinched or squeezed her buttocks or buttock. The Commission on Judicial Conduct, the state agency overseeing investigations into judges, began a formal hearing over Zoom Monday after finding sufficient cause for formal charges following the womans complaint. But Michael Angelini, representing Sushchyk, argued the womans claims were implausible and variously stated. He argued there were no witnesses and that the woman presumed that shed been intentionally grabbed by the judge. Howard Neff, executive director and attorney for the commission, described the woman as courageous for coming forward despite fears over her career. Neff said the woman was so shocked at that moment, that a person serving in such a highly regarded and respected position ... had done this to her, that she didnt react at first. She didnt know what to do. After consulting with several people, the woman filed her complaint, Neff said, adding that she wasnt out to get anyone and had nothing really to gain and everything to lose. Neff noted the womans description of events had been consistent and he urged Superior Court Judge Bertha D. Josephson to consider the complainants thoughtful, measured actions and the judges emotional, nonsensical and arguably inconsistent responses to the allegations against him. The complaint documents also allege that Sushchyk later spoke with someone else at the table and removed a silver flask from his coat pocket, stating that there was whiskey inside the container. Angelini said the judge explicitly denies each and every one of these allegations. He does so in the strongest possible terms. He respects the fact that we have a system of justice that allows anyone to make a claim against someone else. Angelini noted that the woman did not see the judge do anything to her or with respect to her, and that there were no other witnesses to this. She doesnt know who, if anyone, did this to her. She did not see it happen. She has presumed what happened. When it comes to the flask, Angelini said that during friendly conversation, the judge noted that he had a small flask in his coat pocket, lifting it about one inch so the top of the flask was visible, but he didnt actually remove it. Angelini added that it was no violation of law to carry a flask at a restaurant or anywhere else. Its neither an illegal or embarrassing or inappropriate act. On May 10, 2019, Sushchyk told Chief Justice John Casey, who was investigating the initial complaint, that he couldnt have done this and could not recall this incident, and that if anything like that had happened, he would be able to recall it. Im not that kind of person, I would never intentionally hurt anyone, but especially a woman, he said, according to Caseys report on his investigation. In a signed statement 10 days later, Sushchyk described what happened as he was returning to his table from the bathroom, threading his way between patrons and tables. I was somewhat unsteady on my feet, feeling the effects of past hip replacement surgery, long day (I had driven to Brewster that morning from Sterling), the evening meal and the alcohol consumed, the judge wrote. I recall that as I began to pass (the complainant), to steady myself, I placed my hand in the direction of her chair and came into momentary contact with a portion of her lower body. The woman, in her complaint, said the alleged grab lasted a few seconds and felt like it was made using a whole hand. In her testimony Monday, she said it lasted 5, 10, 15 seconds. The commission has charged that Sushchyk violated a host of judicial conduct codes related to impartiality, bias, harassment and proper treatment of litigants, witnesses and court personnel, and that he engaged in willful judicial misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and unbecoming a judicial officer, and brings the judicial office into disrepute. As of noon Monday, the woman who filed the complaint continued to testify, with several more people, including Sushchyk, set to testify. 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. Related Content: The Ministry of Investment and Trade noted that though the export turnover of the processing industry could not regain the strength it had before Covid-19, the recovery was very clear. The Ministry of Investment and Trade (MOIT) has released a report on industrial production and trade activities in the first half of the year, showing an export decrease of 1.1 percent compared with the same period last year to $121.21 billion, the first decrease since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. In June, Vietnams total export turnover fell by 1 percent, but export turnover of the domestic economic sector increased by 3.7 percent, while the turnover of foreign invested enterprises (FIEs), including crude oil exports, decreased by 6.4 percent. However, export turnover in June increased by 9.5 percent over the month before, reaching $21 billion. Exports of fuels and minerals saw sharp increases, 27.6 percent for crude oil, 46.9 percent for petroleum products, and 102.6 percent for ore and minerals. As for farm produce, seafood exports increased by 5.9 percent, vegetables and fruits by 11.2 percent, tea by 23.7 percent and rubber 44.7 percent The Ministry of Investment and Trade (MOIT) has released a report on industrial production and trade activities in the first half of the year, showing an export decrease of 1.1 percent compared with the same period last year to $121.21 billion, the first decrease since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. Export turnover of these products surged by 10.5 percent to 17.4 percent. Of these, chemicals exports saw the highest increase of 29.3 percent, camera and accessories 22 percent, textiles and garments 17.8 percent, and computer and electronics 10.4 percent. Exports to China and the US, the two major markets, saw satisfactory results. Exports to China brought turnover of $19.5 billion, up by 17.4 percent, while the figures were $30.3 billion and 10.3 percent, respectively. MOIT emphasised the growth in exports to CPTPP member countries. Export turnover to Australia, for example, increased by 2.3 percent, Chile 1.6 percent and Mexico 2.6 percent. MOIT believes that the encouraging results were gained thanks to trade promotion activities that the ministry and businesses have implemented recently. MOIT joined forces with Chinese local authorities to organize three online trade conferences to help Vietnams farm produce penetrate more deeply into the Chinese market. It also organized an online conference with India and a Vietnam-Japan conference on consumer goods. MOIT said the opportunities to export products to CPTPP markets are very great. Two tons of Vietnams litchis sold out several hours after they were put on sale at supermarkets in Tokyo and Osaka. The first 30 tons of mangos were exported by enterprises in Son La province to the US, Canada and Australia in June. According to Ngo Tuong Vy from Chanh Thu Fruit Export, the companys exports have increased by 30 percent since the new normal status was set up. Mai Lan Hundreds of people spilled on the streets of Canada's Toronto on Sunday protesting heavily against the human rights violations conducting by the Communist Party of China in regions of Tibet, aggression in Ladakh, and the introduction of the draconian national security legislation in Hong Kong amid high-voltage anti-China slogans urging the world to take a stand against the aggressor state. More than a hundred Torontonians of diverse background staged a protest against the Communist Chinese regime outside the Chinese consulate in Toronto on Sunday. Speakers urged the Chinese communist party to free Tibet and Hong Kong and also opposed Chinese aggression in Ladakh. They also urged the Canadian Government to boycott Chinese goods in Canada. They asked international communities to intervene in order to get two Canadians released who have been held hostage by the Chinese government. They also raised voice against the human rights violations against Uyghurs. The Protesters from Iranian diaspora raised voice against the Iranian regime from selling Iran to China. Also read: No in-person rallies, says Trump after defiance on masks as Covid cases rise in US Also read: Afghan lawmakers condemn pak shelling in East Afghan provinces Tibetans and Vietanamese diaspora also participated in this protest. All speakers urged the Canadian Government to implement magnitsky sanctions on Human Rights violators in China. A large number of Indian diaspora holding tricolour also participated in the protest to oppose Chinese aggression in Ladakh. On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in a stand-off with Chinese PLA at Galwan Valley in Ladakh. Also read: Huge embarrassment for Pak: Baloch activists hold anti-Pak protests in Germany For all the latest World News, download NewsX App The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday asked the Maharashtra government and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to a plea on whether the family members of Telugu poet and social activist, P Varavara Rao (81), who is an accused in the Elgar Parishad/Bhima Koregaon case, be allowed to see him from a distance at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital following his worsening health condition. Rao, who had tested coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive on July 16 and suffers from old-age related health issues such as neurological ailments, was transferred on Sunday morning to Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital from the state-run St Georges Hospital, whose healthcare facilities are few and far between. The court issued the directions after Raos counsel Sudeep Pasbola informed the bench that the undertrial could be on the verge of death and his bail application be expedited. The court paid heed to Pasbolas prayer and directed the state government and NIA to respond by Wednesday and his bail plea will be heard the following day. Pasbola informed a two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices SS Shinde and PV Tavade, that Raos health condition was rapidly worsening since he was lodged in Navi Mumbais Taloja Jail. It had further aggravated after he was shifted to Sir JJ Hospital last week, he added. His counsel said his multiple health issues have flared up since he tested Covid-19 positive. Rao also suffered a head injury following a fall from his bed at Sir JJ Hospital. Mr. Rao is in an extremely critical condition and it can be said that he is on the verge of death. His wife, through an affidavit filed on July 15, has requested permission to see him at the hospital, submitted Pasbola. The counsel cited his critical health condition and his wifes request to pray before the bench that his bail plea must be heard expeditiously. The gravity of Raos health condition overtook the issues raised in an earlier plea, filed last week through advocate R Satyanarayan, seeking an inquiry against the superintendent of Taloja Jail, and the matter could not be heard on Monday. The petition has alleged that the jail authorities did not comply with the prescription issued by the doctors at Sir JJ Hospital, when Rao was admitted there on May 28, leading to the worsening of his health condition. He had become delirious and incoherent, which was also corroborated by his wife and daughters, when they spoke to him over the phone on July 11. Additional solicitor-general Anil Singh, who appeared for NIA, submitted that Rao has been accorded the best possible treatment at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital after he suffered the head injury. He is being taken care of as per the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), he added. Singh also cited ICMR guidelines to make the point that the next of kin of Covid-19 patients are barred from any visitation right at a hospital. Public prosecutor Deepak Thakare, who appeared for Maharashtra government, submitted before the court that Raos family members could interact with him via a video link. Later, both Singh and Thakare informed the court that they would take instructions from their respective authorities and the bail plea will be heard on Thursday. On May 28, Rao was taken to Sir JJ Hospital after he had lost consciousness. Later, he was discharged on June 1. At that time, the family members had alleged that he was hurriedly discharged in a bid to obstruct his bail plea before the special NIA court, a fear that came true on June 26. The NIA, which had taken over the Elgar Parishad case from Pune Police in February, had opposed the bail plea, as Rao was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAAPA), 2019, where there is no provision to grant him temporary bail. Earlier, on January 1, 2018, violence erupted between Dalits and Marathas near the village of Bhima Koregaon in Pune district, where thousands of Dalits had gathered to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon. In the battle, the British Armys Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the Brahmin Peshwa rulers of the Maratha empire. The commemoration took place a day after an event in Pune called the Elgar Parishad was held. The Pune Police conducted a preliminary probe and claimed that the violence in Bhima Koregaon was the result of speeches made at the Elgar Parishad event. They alleged that banned Maoist groups organised the event, and a first information report (FIR) was also filed. In June 2018, the Pune Police arrested five activists and lawyers from Pune, Nagpur, and Delhi Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, and Shoma Sen for their alleged links to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and also for organising the Elgar Parishad event. In August 2018, the police arrested four more activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, and Rao. While Gautam Navlakha and Dr. Anand Teltumbde were arrested on April 14 this year, taking the total number of the accused in the case to 11. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday called Sachin Pilot "useless", using the Hindi word "nikamma" in a no-holds-barred attack on his former deputy with whom he is locked in a power tussle. Referring to the dissident leader's tenure as the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Gehlot claimed that nobody raised questions for the sake of the party even when they knew that he didn't work. "We knew he is 'nikamma' (useless), he is 'nakara' (idle) and not doing any work," the chief minister told reporters, his choice of blunt words indicating that there is no chance now of a reconciliation between the two. Gehlot did not mention Pilot by name, referring once to him as his "young colleague" and recalling that the he had been given important posts by the party at an early age. The chief minister claimed that Pilot used to say, "Did I come here to sell vegetables? I came here to become the chief minister." He said Rajasthan was the only state where there had been no demand to change the PCC president over the last seven years, suggesting that this was to prevent trouble within the party. Gehlot said he had talked about a conspiracy to topple his government, but nobody believed that somebody with an "innocent face" could be involved. He repeated his remarks about Pilot having a good command over Hindi and English and an influence over the media across the country. Gehlot accused Pilot of "backstabbing" the Congress, saying it was unfortunate that a PCC president had been trying to make his own party sink by colluding with the BJP. He said that the BJP move to topple his government would prove self-destructive for that party in the next elections. Pilot has been upset after the Congress picked Gehlot over him for the chief minister's post, following the December 2018 elections. His supporters insisted that it was Pilot's leadership as the state Congress head which led to the victory. Last week, Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled openly, defying a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings. He was then sacked as deputy chief minister and PCC chief. Gehlot said it was unfortunate that Pilot was playing this "game" even after getting important assignments within 10 or 12 years. He reminded that senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi have appeared in court in the past for the BJP and the BJP-led government at the Centre, and claimed that they charged crores for each appearance. He asked if Pilot would pay their fees. Gehlot said the Congress party will pay for the hotel stay of the MLAs who are holed up in a resort near the state capital. He claimed that BJP state president Satish Poonia and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore travelled to Delhi secretly, returning overnight. BJP leaders had earlier denied the suggestion, which implied that they met the dissidents who are said to be camping in hotels in Gurgaon near Delhi. "They are lying because they are learning from Pilot. He also used to go to Delhi driving himself, leaving security behind," the chief minister said. He claimed that the dissident MLAs are not allowed to use their mobile phones. On the petition filed by the 19 dissident MLAs in the high court, the chief minister said he hoped that justice will be done. The dissidents have challenged the disqualification notice they received from the assembly Speaker. Asked about the possibility of a floor test in the assembly, Gehlot said, "You know what is to happen. The high court's decision will also come, the assembly will also function. All decisions will also be taken." He added, 'Satyameva Jayate' (Truth alone triumphs). In China, speaking Uighur is forbidden. Kashgary recalls being shocked when she met another young Uighur who grew up in China but knew less of the language than she did. We are really facing cultural genocide at this point, says a mother whose two children attend Ana Care and Education. She spoke on the condition that she be unnamed because she fears retaliation against her family. Uighurs in diaspora are the only ones who have the ability and possibility of maintaining this culture and language. The state of emergency, which has been in effect since 2017, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and containing the coronavirus crisis Egypts parliament approved on Monday President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis decree extending the countrys state of emergency for three more months effective 27 July. The state of emergency, which has been in effect since 2017, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and containing the coronavirus crisis. According to the bylaws of the Egyptian House of Representatives, two-thirds of parliament must approve imposing or extending a state of emergency within seven days of the decree. Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that more than two-thirds of the majority approved the new extension. Abdel-Aal said Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced in a letter to parliament on 13 July that the emergency law is an effective tool for containing the coronavirus outbreak that has swept the country since March. Not to mention that the emergency law is still a necessary tool in fighting the forces of darkness exploiting the turmoil in the Arab region and the Middle East to carry out despicable acts against innocent civilians as well as members of the Armed Forces and police, hoping to destabilise Egypt," he said. According to the articles of the decree, the Armed Forces and police shall take all the necessary measures to combat the dangers of terrorism and its financing sources in order to maintain security throughout the country, protect public and private property and save the lives of citizens. In April, parliament approved the presidents request to extend the state of emergency for three more months till 26 July. The emergency law can only be implemented for three months, after which it has to be renewed by the president and should be approved by the parliament. The state of emergency was declared for the first time in May 2017 by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi when two churches were bombed in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday, killing 47 people. According to Article 154 of the 2014 constitution, the state of emergency is to be announced after consulting with the cabinet. Then, the decision should be reviewed by parliament in no more than seven days after its approval by the cabinet. Search Keywords: Short link: The homes of wealthy Americans generate about 25% more greenhouse gases than residences in lower-income neighborhoods, mainly due to their larger size. In the nation's most affluent suburbs, those emissions can be as much as 15 times higher than in nearby lower-income neighborhoods. Those estimates come from a new University of Michigan study of 93 million American homes. It is the most comprehensive study of U.S. residential greenhouse gas emissions, according to the authors, and the first to provide nationwide rankings by state and zip code. It is also the first nationwide study to find correlations between affluence, residential floor space and greenhouse gas emissions, they say. In addition, the U-M researchers determined that the U.S. residential housing sector won't be able to meet the Paris climate agreement's 2050 emissions-reduction targets solely by phasing out fossil fuels in electricity generation. In-home fuel burning and electricity consumption must also be reduced. New homes will have to be smaller, and denser settlement patterns will be needed. A paper summarizing the study's findings is scheduled for publication July 20 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Residential energy use accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States," said study lead author Benjamin Goldstein, a postdoctoral research fellow at U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability and at the Erb Institute. "Although houses are becoming more energy efficient, U.S. household energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions are not shrinking, and this lack of progress undermines the substantial emissions reductions needed to mitigate climate change," he said. "Despite the urgency, fundamental questions remain unanswered about U.S. household energy emissions. For example, researchers have lacked the nationwide building-level data necessary to identify the states with the most energy- and carbon-intensive housing stocks." To help answer some of these questions, Goldstein and his colleagues used data at the building level to estimate the residential greenhouse gas emissions of about 93 million homes in the contiguous United States--78% of the national total. Information from CoreLogic, a database of standardized tax assessor records of about 150 million U.S. land parcels, was used to evaluate the influence of climate, income, building attributes (age, housing type, heating fuel) and the electrical power grid in driving residential emissions. Household "greenhouse gas intensity" is a measure of the emissions per square meter of residential floor space and takes into consideration the types of fuels used to generate electricity at a given location. The team's state-by-state rankings show that GHG intensity is lowest in the West and highest in the central United States. Regional variations were driven mainly by the amount of energy needed to heat and cool homes and by the type of fuel used to generate electricity. "Energy intensity," the amount of energy used per square meter of floor space, was low in warm or mild regions of the country but markedly higher in cold north-central and Northeast states. The three most energy-intensive states in 2015 were Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin. The three least energy-intensive states that year were Florida, Arizona and California. The U-M researchers found that greenhouse gas-intensive electricity production can erase the benefits of low household energy intensity. Also, states with extensive use of carbon-intensive home heating fuels--such as Maine, where two-thirds of households are heated with fuel oil--diminish the benefits of low-carbon electrical grids. In their study, the researchers also estimated per capita household energy emissions for 8,858 zip codes across the country. The zip code-level analysis showed that income is positively correlated with both per capita energy use and emissions, along with a tendency for wealth and living area to increase together. Wealthier Americans have estimated per capita carbon footprints about 25% higher than those of lower-income residents, with emissions up to 15 times higher in especially affluent suburbs. One section of the study compared the Boston and Los Angeles areas to see how the interplay of income, building type and energy infrastructure distribute greenhouse gas emissions across urban landscapes. In both cities, the high-emissions neighborhoods were primarily high-income or extremely high-income locations. In contrast, more than half of the lowest-emissions neighborhoods in both cities were home to residents living below the poverty threshold. The study's findings suggest two interventions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions tied to U.S. residential energy use: 1) reducing fossil fuel use in homes and in electrical generation and 2) using home retrofits to cut energy demand and in-home fuel use. As part of their study, the U-M researchers modeled four scenarios to test if various technology transitions--such as decarbonization of electrical grids and home energy retrofits--could enable the United States to meet 2025 and 2050 residential-sector targets of the international Paris Agreement. The researchers concluded that if the U.S. electrical grid is decarbonized, meaning that fossil fuels are phased out, then the residential housing sector can meet the 28% emission-reduction target for 2025 under the Paris Agreement. However, meeting the 2050 Paris Agreement target of an 80% emissions reduction would require more: aggressive home energy retrofits and a transition to low-carbon residential energy sources, as well as a move toward smaller U.S. homes and denser settlement patterns, the researchers concluded. In November 2019, the Trump administration formally notified the United Nations that the U.S. is withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. "Our exploratory scenario-based models indicate that meaningful reductions to residential emissions will require concurrent grid decarbonization, energy retrofits, and reduced in-home fuel use," said study senior author Joshua Newell, an associate professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. "The scenarios also suggest that making new construction low-carbon will require smaller homes, which can be promoted through denser settlement patterns," he said. ### The PNAS paper is titled "The Carbon Footprint of Household Energy Use in the United States." The other author is Dimitrios Gounaridis of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. Financial support for the work was provided by the National Science Foundation through its Environmental Sustainability program. Benjamin Goldstein Joshua Newell (Alliance News) - The UK government has signed new deals which will provide more than 90 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, according to multiple reports. BBC Radio 4's Today programme and Sky News reported the government has secured an agreement for 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed a and currently at phase two trials a by BioNTech and US firm Pfizer Inc. There has also been an in-principle deal done for 60 million doses of a vaccine that is being developed by France's Valneva. The figure of 90 million is in addition to the 100 million doses of vaccine that are being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca PLC, as well as another at Imperial College London which started human trials in June. UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the new agreements would "ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk". By PA Reporter source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. An off-duty CPD officer who is familiar with the man tried to defuse the argument, but while trying to detain the man, he was cut when he fell to the ground, police said. The man also bit the officer in the hand during the struggle, police said. Ouattara, 78, had said he would step down and named his close ally, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, as the RHDP party's candidate for the Oct. 31 ballot Ivory Coast's ruling party said on Monday it had asked President Alassane Ouattara to stand for a third term after the death of his chosen successor. Ouattara, 78, had said he would step down and named his close ally, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, as the RHDP party's candidate for the Oct. 31 ballot. But Gon Coulibaly died on July 8, leaving the party without a candidate in the run-up to an election that is expected to test political stability in the world's top cocoa producing nation. The vote is expected to be the most hotly contested since 2010, when Ouattara's victory over incumbent Laurent Gbagbo sparked a brief civil war in which 3,000 people died. Coulibaly's death, less than a week after he returned to Ivory Coast from an extended medical leave in France for heart issues, had raised fears of a scramble for power. "A majority of our supporters have turned to President Alassane Ouattara. He is our solution, and I have explained this to him," the party's executive director, Adama Bictogo, told RFI radio. Ouattara's candidacy would help avoid bitter succession battles, Bictogo added. "Why should we take the risk when we have this certainty," he said. "If he (Ouattara) refuses, we then we'll look into it and make a decision. For now, I have no other candidate in mind." Ouattara would announce his decision in the next few days, Bictogo said. Ouattara has previously said he would prefer to hand over power to a new generation, although he also says he has the right to run again under a new constitution adopted in 2016. Octogenarian ex-president Henri Konan Bedie of the former ruling PDCI party has declared that he will run in the election. Search Keywords: Short link: Health authorities are confident hygiene and social distancing measures will reduce the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools as NSW students return to class for term three. The NSW Department of Education will press ahead with the easing of restrictions in public schools, including allowing special religious education volunteers back onto campus, and the resumption of inter-school competitions and work experience. Some principals said they were nervous students' return would exacerbate COVID-19 outbreaks in south-west Sydney, particularly after a cluster at Al-Taqwa College in Melbourne led to 173 cases. Al-Taqwa College is at the centre of Victoria's largest COVID-19 cluster. Credit:Joe Armao But Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the NSW Department of Education had "strong, COVID-safe practices". On August 3, Grand River Raceways marquee event, Industry Day, turns 30. It began at the Elora, Ont. tracks predecessor, Elmira Raceway, in 1990 as a celebration of the harness racing industry to be featured as an afternoon card on each Holiday Monday in August. The Battle of Waterloo was added in 1998 as the focal point of the event, offering a $200,000 contest for Ontario-sired pacing colts and geldings. Its female counterpart was added in 2009, dubbed the Battle of the Belles. The 30th edition of Industry Day is Monday, August 3, and the 10-race card will kick off at 12:30 p.m. (EST). The 23rd annual Battle of Waterloo and 12th annual Battle of the Belles will be contested for estimated purses of $240,000 and $160,000 respectively. Elimination dashes for both finals will be drawn on July 22 and contested on Monday, July 27 starting at 6:30 p.m. (EST). The Industry Day card will also include both Grassroots and Gold series divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies in the Ontario Sires Stakes. Grand River Raceway officials are currently mapping out an Industry Day spectator plan. Last week, the Province of Ontario initiated Stage 3 in the COVID-19 reopening plan which permits indoor gatherings of up to 50 people and outdoor gatherings limited to 100 people with physical distancing protocols. As of this writing, the track remains closed to guests with an announcement forthcoming this week. Race programs and live streaming video in HD are available for all cards at www.grandriverraceway.com and wagering is available through www.hpibet.com. COSA-TV, which is managed by the Central Ontario Standardbred Association, will present exclusive Industry Day coverage in a live, two-hour special hosted on its social media platforms. The show is hosted by Greg Blanchard, Mark McKelvie and Jaimi MacDonald and will include coverage of the Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles, feature stories about the contenders, and prizing opportunities for viewers. (Grand River Raceway) The Calcutta High Court on Monday turned down a plea for a CBI investigation into the unnatural death of BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy. Chandima Roy, the wife of the MLA, had filed the petition before the court on Friday seeking a probe by the central agency into his death, alleging that he was murdered. Rejecting the plea, Justice Shivakant Prasad directed the additional director general of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) -- which is investigating the case of MLA's death -- to monitor the probe. The court also directed that a medical board review the post-mortem report, whose findings were questioned by the petitioner, and submit a second opinion in two weeks. It said that the head of the forensic department of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital will preside over the board. Opposing the prayer for a CBI probe, Advocate General Kishore Datta submitted that the state CID started investigation in the case within a day of the incident, and one person has been arrested already. The Hemtabad MLA, who the West Bengal Police claimed died by suicide, was found hanging from a bamboo pole of a shop about a kilometre away from his home at Bindal village in North Dinajpur district on July 13. Alleging that it was a case of planned murder, the petitioner's lawyer Brajesh Jha prayed for an investigation by a central agency, preferably the CBI. The petitioner also claimed that the state police had arrived at the conclusion that Roy died by suicide even before the post-mortem report arrived. Maintaining that an impartial probe was not possible by any agency of the state government, she had prayed for an investigation by the CBI. Christine Melendez, a Chesterfield high school Spanish teacher and CEA board member, said she was out on Monday to advocate for those who unfortunately have not left their homes [and] advocating for those who might not understand this is an option, there is a vote. Republican Del. Carrie Coyner, a former Chesterfield school board member, spoke at the pro in-person return rally. If it were me, I would be focusing on students with disabilities, language learners and our Pre-K through third-graders [to get them] back in school full time. They are the most vulnerable, Coyner said in an interview. Our middle and high income families will be fine ... but our low income families dont have those same opportunities, including small group home schooling and hiring teachers for their children, Coyner said. Speaking to the group, Coyner said, I really hoped our crowd would be more diverse. Latino residents in Chesterfield make up 38.3% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, with Black residents making up 23.2% of all cases, according to state data. St. Louis top prosecutor has charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who pointed guns at protesters marching by their mansion last month, with felony unlawful use of a weapon. The McCloskeys, who are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s, also face a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault, the Associated Press reported. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis. Many have defended the McCloskeys, saying they were legally protecting their $1.15 million home as several hundred protesters marched by on their way to the mayors home a few blocks away. The couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with No Trespassing and Private Street signs, according to a police report. A protest leader has disputed this version of events, saying the gate was open and undamaged. Mark McCloskey allegedly met protesters with a semi-automatic rifle, screaming and pointing the gun at them before his wife joined him with a semi-automatic handgun, yelling at protesters to go and pointing it at them. No shots were fired. An attorney for the couple, Joel Schwartz, in a statement called Gardners decision to charge disheartening. I unequivocally believe no crime was committed, he said. Gardner is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if they are convicted, though Missouri Governor Mike Parson said in a radio interview Friday that he would likely pardon the couple if they were convicted. Parson, who co-authored Missouris castle doctrine law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders, has said that the McCloskeys had every right to protect their property. More from National Review A teenage girl was allegedly followed and sexually assaulted in a CBD restaurant earlier this month. A police spokeswoman said the 15-year-old girl was walking into a Swanston Street restaurant when a man grabbed her lower body about 6.30pm on Wednesday, July 1. CCTV images of a man police are looking to speak to following the alleged sexual assault of a girl in Melbourne on July 1. Credit:Victoria Police "The teenage girl managed to run up the stairs and alerted friends who were already inside," the spokeswoman said. The same man had earlier harassed the girl's friends, police believe. Advertisement 1. On 14 July 2020, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and indeed the entire Nation, was thrown into mourning as a result of the death of one of our shining young stars in the person of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the NAFs first female combat helicopter pilot. Her unfortunate demise has elicited an overwhelming outpouring of condolences, prayers and support to the NAF as well as the Arotile Family. This has no doubt been so, not just for Tolulopes outstanding accomplishments at the tender age of 24, but also because of her sterling personal qualities of excellence, hard work, dedication to duty, confidence and courage, which endeared her to her superiors, subordinates and peers in the Service. Unfortunately, because of the peculiar circumstances of the incident that led to her death, a rash of falsehoods, innuendos, conspiracy theories and the likes have been propagated in the public space, especially on Social Media. The NAF sincerely hopes that the findings of the just-concluded preliminary investigation into this unfortunate and painful incident will address the misinformed issues raised in the Social Media on the tragedy. 2. Moreover, while it would have been ideal for the entire investigation to be concluded before details on the incident are released, the NAF, in sensitivity to public concerns occasioned by the spread of false information, appreciates the imperative to provide more clarity at this very difficult moment. Please note that the details being revealed today have already been communicated to the Arotile Family, who ideally should be allowed to mourn their daughter and sister in peace, but for the unfortunate nature of the sad occurrence. 3. In line with the normal procedure in the Nigerian Air Force during such occurrences, an investigation was immediately instituted to formally determine the circumstances of the incident. Accordingly, the preliminary investigation has revealed the following details: a. The Late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, a Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG) Enugu, attached to the Air Component of Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, having recently completed her Promotion Examinations, was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment. During this period, she stayed with her sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, at Sabo Area in Kaduna, visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary. b. On 14 July 2020 at about 10.55am, Late Flying Officer Arotile received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she comes to the Base so that they could work out the modalities. Subsequently, at about 10.58am, the Late Arotile placed a call through to Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, the Group Operations Officer (GOO) of 405 HCTG, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment. It must be highlighted that the call FROM Flying Officer Karimo as well as the one TO the Squadron Leader Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over 5 hours before the incident which led to her death. c. Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs Adegboye, where the Deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele. Her elder sister later dropped her off at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that 3 of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School (now Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna; Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with Registration Number AZ 478 MKA. It is noteworthy that Messrs Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base. d. Upon recognising their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the Deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction. In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries. e. Flying Officer Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an Accident & Emergency Nurse at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital Kaduna, administered First Aid. f. Flying Officer Arotile was confirmed dead by the On-Call Doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020, as a result of the head injuries. g. The trio of Messrs Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho and Festus Gbayegun were immediately detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna as investigations began. They were subjected to Toxicology Tests at the 461 NAF Hospital but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems. It was however discovered that the driver of the vehicle, Mr Nehemiah Adejo, did not have a valid drivers license. h. Traffic Officers from the Kawo Police Station and the Kaduna State Police Command as well as Road Traffic experts from the Federal Road Safety Corp were also called in to provide support during the investigation. 4. Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that: a. The death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle. b. Being a civil case, the matter will be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws. 5. The Nigerian Air Force, being a highly professional and disciplined organization, will not join issues with any individuals or groups regarding the spurious allegations of foul play espoused in some quarters. Suffice it to say that Flying Officer Arotile was a pride of the NAF in whom the Service had invested massively in terms of resources, time and energy. Consequently, it is ludicrous for anyone to even remotely insinuate malevolent intent on the part of the Service against one of its most prized assets. 6. Furthermore, it is extremely sad and disheartening that, rather than allow the Arotile Family and the Nigerian Air Force to grieve for our dearly departed Tolulope in peace, many have chosen to politicize her death, while others are using the incident to push meritless, misguided ethnic and religious agendas. The Nigerian Air Force wishes to implore everyone to respect the sensibilities of all those who have suffered most by this loss, those who really knew Tolulope her family, her friends and her Nigerian Air Force colleagues. It is of absolute importance that the memory of this Fallen Hero and our precious child is not tainted by the propagation of misplaced sentiments and wild shenanigans. Before I end this august address, may I respectfully, on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, the entire personnel of the NAF as well as members of the Arotile Family, express my profound appreciation to all those who in one way or the other have shown concern, support and sympathy over this unfortunate incident. Thank you for your attention. IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA Air Commodore Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force 19 July 2020 On Wednesday 29 July 2020, at 08:30 CEST, Bilia's report for the second quarter 2020 will be published. On the same day Bilia arranges press and analyst meetings, where CEO Per Avander and CFO Kristina Franzen will present the report and answer questions. There will be one meeting in Swedish at 09:00 (CEST) and one meeting in English at 14:00 (CEST). They are telephone meetings and you call telephone number +46 (0)8 22 90 90 and enter code 674445. If you need a toll free phone number outside Sweden, please contact us for a country specific telephone number. Gothenburg July 20, 2020 Bilia AB (publ) For information please contact: Per Avander, Managing Director and CEO, +46 Kristina Franzen, CFO, +46 Facts about the Bilia Group Bilia is one of Europe's largest car dealership chains with a leading position within service and sales of cars and transport vehicles. Bilia has about 140 facilities in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Bilia sells cars of the brand Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Renault, Lexus, MINI, Dacia, Alpine and transport vehicles of the brand Renault, Toyota and Dacia. Bilia has today a fully expanded business with sales of new cars, e-commerce, spare parts and store sales, service and repair workshops, tyres and car glass and financing, insurance, car washes, fuel stations and auto salvage under the same roof, which gives a unique offer. Bilia reported a turnover of about SEK 30 bn in 2019 and had about 5,000 employees. Attachment Over one hundred of Falun Gong practitioners are practicing exercises on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCP's persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 2020. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) Calling For an End to Persecution at the Washington Monument Over one hundred people gathered at the Washington Monument under the baking sun in over 100 degree Fahrenheit weather on July 19. They wore the same characteristic yellow T-shirt and did slow-motion exercises together. The groups bright clothes and peaceful music attracted passersby to stop, who picked up the flyers the group had prepared. These were local Falun Gong practitioners. While they do their practices exercises regularly, this days group exercise had special meaning. They were marking the 21st anniversary of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) campaign to persecute them, which began on July 20, 1999. Their practicing together was a public act of mourning for their fellow practitioners who had been killed during the persecution, they said, and also an affirmation of the goodness of Falun Gong. Over one hundred of Falun Gong practitioners are meditating on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual practice, in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 2020. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance whose adherents practice five meditative exercises. In May 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi first taught it to the public. By 1999, 100 million people in Chinaone in 13 Chinesewere practicing Falun Gong, according to Chinese state reports. Falun Gong adherents talked with The Epoch Times about why they had taken up this spiritual practice. The three characterstruthfulness, compassion, and toleranceattracted me. I thought if everybody followed these characters, the society would be a very wonderful one, said Yu Jing, a former employee of Pipeline Bureau of China National Petroleum Corporation in northern Chinas Hebei Province. Falun Gong practitioner Yu Jing attends the group exercises in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) I couldnt take care of myself before practicing [Falun Gong]. Having the disease of rheumatoid arthritis, I even couldnt hold a glass or a meal bowl, Li Yingmei said. After practicing Falun Gong for a short period of time, I was able to do everything, and have been very healthy since then. The then-head of the CCP Jiang Zemin launched a brutal persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. He expressed concerns in a letter that he wrote to the Politburothe highest Party organizationon the evening of April 25, 1999, helping prepare the way for the persecution to come. [Falun Gong is] a kind of national organization, with many followers from the Communist Party, officials, scholars, soldiers, as well as workers and peasants, Jiang wrote in the letter. He feared Falun Gongs traditional moral teachings were a threat to the legitimacy of the CCPs ideology, which is based on atheism, materialism, and the idea of struggle. Falun Gong practitioner Li Yingmei attends the group exercises in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) Wang Hong, a former taxi driver from Shenyang in northeastern Chinas Liaoning Province, recalled how he responded to the persecution. I thought that the CCP launched the persecution because the top leaders didnt know what Falun Gong was. So, I went to Beijing to tell them the truth. Wang and his fellow practitioners arrived in Beijing on July 22, 1999. Out of Wangs expectation, the regime didnt listen to him, but tortured him in labor camps and prisons for several years. The regime sought to force him to give up his belief. Falun Gong practitioner Wang Hong attends the group exercises in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) Yu Jing and Li Yingmei also suffered torture in prisons when they were in China. One day in August 2000, I was sent back to my cell after being beaten brutally for hours at Langfang Detention Center in Hebei. The prisoners in the cell cried when they saw me. They told me that my face was swollen to a size as big as a basin, Yu recalled. Yu and others witnessed their fellow practitioners being tortured to death. Such as Yang Xiaohui and Cao Baoyu from Hebei Province, Li Wendong from Beijing, and so on. On Sunday, Wang, Yu, Li, and their fellow practitioners stood in front of the Washington Monument, and practiced all five exercises in freedom. They felt grateful, and with the banners they displayed, and in the informational fliers they passed out, asked people to help stop the persecution. Falun Gong practitioner Xue Bin attends the group exercises in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) In the past 21 years, Falun Gong practitioners have gathered together to mourn the dead practitioners peacefully on July 20, Xue Bin, a Falun Gong practitioner said. Our firm and faithful spirit opposing the persecution is a model to others. Xue added CCP cant represent China, and CCP isnt China. The fundamental nature of the CCP is evil, which can be seen from its persecuting Falun Gong as well as spreading the CCP virus, passing the Hong Kong version of the national security law, and so on. We believe that God is disintegrating the CCP. Now is the time to countdown to the end of the CCP, Xue said. Over one hundred of Falun Gong practitioners are sitting on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong practitioners are practicing exercises on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong practitioners are practicing exercises on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong practitioners are practicing exercises on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C. on July 19, 2020. (Yi Ping/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong practitioners are practicing exercises on the grass in front of the Washington Monument to urge the stopping of the CCPs persecution of their spiritual discipline, in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 2020. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times) The Autonomous Administration has accused Turkey of smuggling members of the Islamic State out of Syria and revitalise ISIS in the region writes Asharq Al-Awsat. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, accused Turkey of smuggling and receiving ISIS members and their families and supporting the terror groups cells while crippling the counter-ISIS efforts of the international coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Abdulkarim Omar, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Rojava, stressed that Turkeys admission to smuggling a Moldavian ISIS wife and her four children represents hard evidence that the country is involved with extremist cells. The SDF had captured 24 individuals suspected of being ISIS recruits as part of its second phase of countering terror. The Rojava, in a statement, pointed out to documented evidence that confirms Turkeys involvement with ISIS. In its statement, the Rojava said that Ankara helping save a Moldavian woman and her children from al-Hol camp is dangerous evidence that Turkey continues to seek revitalizing ISIS in the region. The Turkish intelligence had freed the woman and her four children from the camp, where ISIS wives and family members are held in northeastern Syria, Anadolu reported on July 17. The Turkish state-run agency claimed that the woman, Natalia Barkal, had traveled to Syria with her husband and children in 2013 to do business. Anadolu didnt clarify what type of business would take an entire family to a war-torn country. The identity of her husband or his whereabouts also were not disclosed. According to Turkeys claims, Barkal and her four children were illegally held in al-Hol by Kurdish forces. The Turkish intelligence freed them upon an official request from Moldavian authorities. Al-Hol, which is located in eastern al-Hasakah, is hosting 67,000 people, including 40,000 family members of ISIS fighters. An entire section of the camp is dedicated for foreign wives of ISIS terrorists. The camp is run by the US-backed SDF. Omar, for his part, said that all women who escaped the camp had headed towards Turkey. According to investigations into women who attempted escaping, they were planning to head to Turkey. SDF authorities at the camp thwarted the attempt of four women to escape with their children two days ago. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. A new grant ensures backing for test facility, that will demonstrate technology that can store green surplus energy in giant water balloons hidden beneath 'moving hills' With a grant of almost DKK 5 million from the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme, EUDP, under Danish Energy Agency, work is about to begin on building a 100 sqm test facility to demonstrate new technology that stores green surplus energy in giant underground water balloons. In collaboration with the entrepreneurial company AquaNamic, Aarhus University will now start construction of a 100 sqm demonstration facility for new energy storage technology that can store green energy in water. Basically, the technology uses surplus energy to pump water from a reservoir into a giant, specially designed membrane buried under massive amounts of soil, a so-called 'moving hill'. The project has received DKK 4.9 million in funding from the EUDP, and the aim of the project is to ready the technology for implementation. "The plan is to build a test facility of minimum 10x10 metres in order to best simulate a full-scale system. There is a huge need for storage technologies as we move into a future with more and more renewable energy. We are already experiencing having to give away energy because we can't store it optimally yet," says Kenny Srensen, professor (Docent), who is heading the project from the Department of Engineering at Aarhus University. The Danish Energy Agency's latest baseline projections show that the Danish electricity network will not be 100% based on renewable energy until 2028 at the earliest. Even though we are far from reaching our target at the moment, there are already paradoxical situations in which energy production exceeds consumption and generates negative energy prices because the energy cannot be stored and used later. It then costs money to get rid of electricity, and without better storage options, this trend will just accelerate in the future. Today, there are only a few energy storage technologies that function on a large scale, and the most dominant and mature technology is the so-called PHS systems, Pumped Hydro Storage, where excess electricity is used to pump water from lower-lying areas to a higher-lying reservoir. There aren't many mountain lakes in Denmark, and the plan is therefore to pump water into a membrane lying beneath a large mound of soil. Water is pumped in using excess electricity, and once the energy needs to be used again, the valve is opened and, under the tremendous pressure of the soil, the water is pushed out of the balloon through an electricity-generating turbine. It's a kind of gigantic topographical hill-battery, and we're not talking small numbers. The final project aims at creating a balloon of 330 x 330 metres buried under a maximum of 25 metres of soil that will be raised by up to 14 metres when the balloon is filled up. This will store 230 MWh. "We're about to begin analysing, designing and testing selected critical technologies related to the membrane and to the construction of the 'movable hill ' that will form the terrain part of the battery. Naturally, we'll have a strong focus on abrasion testing for the membrane, and we'll need to develop a specially designed test rig to carry out lifetime tests for representative membrane solutions," says Kenny Srensen. The project is being developed in collaboration between AquaNamic, Solmax, PlanEnergi, Vestas, European Energy, AquaEnergy andAarhus University. The technology has been developed by AquaNamic and, since 2018, Aarhus University has contributed with verification and further development. The exact location of the demonstration facility is still uncertain, but it will be somewhere with local support for the project. ### BRIDGEWATER, N.J. The investigation into the shooting death of the son of a federal judge Sunday continued Monday with the FBI naming a dead attorney as the primary suspect. The FBI identified attorney Roy Den Hollander as the suspect in the shooting in a tweet Monday afternoon and added Hollander was dead. A spokesperson for the FBI's Newark, New Jersey, office declined to comment further, but Hollander's website describes him as an "anti-feminist lawyer." U.S. District Judge Esther Salas' son, Daniel Anderl, and husband, defense attorney Mark Anderl, were shot in their New Jersey home in North Brunswick Township. According to The Associated Press, the attack began with a man who posed as a delivery driver and knocked on the door. Francis "Mac" Womack told ABC News that Daniel Anderl was shot through the heart. ABC News, citing law enforcement, said Mark Anderl was in critical condition. Hollander died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, The Associated Press reported. "Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet Sunday. Here's what we know about the incident: Who was Roy Den Hollander? Den Hollander identified himself on his website as being an "anti-feminist lawyer," saying he battles against the "infringement of Men's Rights by the Feminists and their fellow sisters the PCers." Cases he worked on include a federal suit claiming that New York City nightclubs discriminated against men by offering free or reduced admission to women on ladies nights. The suit was dismissed. He also claimed that Columbia University's women's studies program was a violation of Title IX and the U.S. Constitution. Title IX states that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of sex under any U.S. Department of Education program. That case was also dismissed. Story continues In a case involving Den Hollander and Salas, Elizabeth Kyle-Labell sued the Selective Service System in 2015, asking to be allowed to register, and was represented by Den Hollander. "My client is saying, 'Look, I'm being discriminated against because I'm being prevented from doing something that other people can do because of my sex,'" Den Hollander said in 2019. Salas ruled in 2019 that the lawsuit could proceed days after a judge in Texas declared the male-only draft unconstitutional in a case brought by two men. The last action taken by Salas on the case was canceling a scheduled oral arguments motion June 25. It's unclear whether Den Hollander had previous interactions with Salas' husband or son. What happened in the shooting? According to NBC New York, Anderl and his son were shot multiple times on the front step of their home in North Brunswick off of Hidden Lake Drive about 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Salas was not injured in the shooting. The perpetrator was believed to be a lone gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person, The Associated Press reported. Who is Esther Salas? Salas, a federal district court judge, presided over a wide ranges of cases in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, ranging from trademark infringements, the draft and suspected terrorists. She was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas Salas presided over the bank fraud trial of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice and her husband, Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice. They have both been released after serving sentences in federal prison. Salas also has been assigned to preside over a class-action lawsuit brought against Deutsche Bank that alleges the financial institution had poor financial reporting practices and failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Who was Daniel Anderl? // REWORK FOR PRINT // Daniel Anderl, the son of federal Judge Esther Salas and criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, died in the shooting. He was preparing to enter his junior year at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He made the university's School of Arts and Science's dean's list for the spring semester. Daniel Anderl's mother says he planned to go to law school. The 20-year-old was an alumnus of St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. He was a great kid and well-liked, St. Joseph High School Principal Anne Rivera said. He was a well-rounded student and did well in school. He epitomized what it is to be a St. Joseph man. We are in shock and we are so sad for the family. They remain in our thoughts and prayers. Contributing: Greg Tufaro and Suzanne Russell, Bridgewater Courier News; Jay Cannon and Jordan Culver, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on Bridgewater Courier News: Suspect in NJ shooting at judge's home is 'anti-feminist lawyer' Coronation Street has filmed what is likely the world's first socially distanced stunt after lockdown restrictions were lifted. The high-stakes scene saw Gary Windass (Mikey North) push Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) out of the way of a speeding car. To avoid contact between the actors and to adhere to the UK's social distancing guidelines, a mannequin was dressed in Sarah's clothes and used in place of Tina in certain shots. Production: Coronation Street has filmed what is likely the world's first socially distanced stunt after lockdown restrictions were lifted Although Gary attempts to save Sarah's life, things take a turn for the worst when he is then mowed down himself. When Rick Neelan's engraved watch is found in the woods, Sarah demands answers from Gary about his involvement in the loan shark's disappearance and his web of lies unravel. Terrified by Gary's admissions, Sarah runs away from him to call the police. As Gary chases Sarah down the street, a car hurtles towards her and Gary dives into the path of danger, pushing her to safety and ultimately saving her life. Action: The high-stakes scene saw Gary Windass (Mikey North) push Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) out of the way of a speeding car The stunt was originally scheduled to be filmed on location, in the woods, but this was also amended in the interest of safety for the cast and crew. Gary knows that Sarah could have easily taken his secret to the grave and he still risked himself to save her. But as her relationship with her husband Adam hangs in the balance, will she return the favour and keep Gary's murderous secret quiet? It comes after the soap had to delay a big stunt due to the coronavirus and it now will likely not take place until 2021. Rules: To avoid contact between the actors and to adhere to social distancing guidelines, a mannequin was dressed in Sarah's clothes and used in place of Tina in certain shots Showrunner John Whiston said the big event would involve almost everyone in Weatherfield but he was not sure it would be ready in time for the show's 60th anniversary. Speaking to The Sun Online, he said: 'What we've had to strip out of our planning for the 60th was some of the bigger Hollywood-style elements, because after lockdown we didn't have the time to build and install all of the things we originally planned to do. 'So we've peeled that all away, and much to my immense relief, what we've discovered underneath those Hollywood layers is three or four really good stories. Plot: As Gary chases Sarah down the street, a car hurtles towards her and Gary dives into the path of danger, pushing her to safety and ultimately saving her life 'A strong community story there I think, I think there is that sense of street by street community.' Coronation Street will celebrate its 60th anniversary on December 9, with bosses preparing for the milestone long before the coronavirus emerged. It comes after the news that the soap's older stars are likely to return to the famous cobbles by autumn according to veteran star Bill Roache. The soap has resumed filming after lockdown was eased but only the younger and less vulnerable actors are involved in production at the moment. Change: The stunt was originally scheduled to be filmed on location, in the woods, but this was also amended in the interest of safety for the cast and crew Yet Bill, who plays Ken Barlow, hopes he will be back on screen for the show's 60th anniversary later this year. The 88-year-old told The Mirror: 'I'm looking forward to it I don't want to slow down. I want to speed up! 'They have started filming again, but not for us oldies. But probably by the autumn they have said we could be back. I had no idea until they contacted me and they asked me if I wanted to go back and I said yes. 'Then I had to get a doctor's report that he considers the protocols they have got are good, which he has done.' ITV bosses previously confirmed that older cast members will be kept at home during the first few weeks of filming. Hyderabad, July 20 : The Telangana High Court on Monday again slammed the state government over its handling of the Covid-19 situation and directed six top officials, including the Chief Secretary, to appear before it on July 28. The Principal Secretaries of Medical and Health, and Municipal Administration, the Director of Public Health, the Director of Medical Education and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner were the other officers summoned by the court. The court asked the government to respond why no action should be taken against the officials who are repeatedly ignoring its orders. A division bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy expressed its unhappiness over the government not implementing orders passed by it on earlier occasions. This is the fourth time the court has pulled up the government and expressed its displeasure over the poor handling of the pandemic in the state. Last month, the court had summoned the Director of Public Health and the GHMC Commissioner. Hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) on various issues related to Covid-19, the court on Monday made it clear that this is the last chance for the government. "This is the fourth and last chance given to the government ..or else the court would make sure that heads start rolling," the bench remarked. The court made some serious remarks on the way the government is handling the situation and took it to task for not implementing its earlier orders for conducting more Covid-19 tests, providing better treatment facilities, maintaining transparency and disseminating all the information to people. The bench pointed out that Telangana was far behind states like Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala in conducting tests. It said the statistics show that the state is lagging in tests per million. Stating that the pandemic had taught every country in the world that the healthcare sector should be taken care of, the bench said those who don't learn the lesson will face the situation seen in countries like Spain, Italy and the US. Meanwhile, Telangana on Monday reported 1,198 new Covid cases, taking the state's tally to 46,274. According to the media bulletin issued by the Health Department, seven people succumbed to the virus on Monday, pushing the death toll to 422. Officials said 1,885 people recovered in the single day, taking the total number of recovered to 34,323. With this the state further improved the recovery rate to 74 per cent. The number of active stands at 11,530. A total of 11,003 samples were tested on Monday. With this the number of tests conducted so far rose to 2,76,222. According to the bulletin, the tests per million population is 6,906 while the cumulative sample positivity rate is 16.8 per cent. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bangladesh: overcoming industry pressures Published 20 July 2020 Cement demand in Bangladesh has been growing fast and potential is strong. However, in 2019 producers faced a number of setbacks, added to which now is the COVID-19 impact. By EBL Securities Ltd, Bangladesh. From unfavourable tax measures to escalating raw material prices, intensified competition, price wars, the weakening taka (BDT), slowing demand and increased cost of borrowing, nothing seemed to be working in favour of Bangladeshi cement manufacturers in 2019. During the year the US$3bn cement market posted a mere six per cent YoY growth in demand against an imposing 15.5 per cent advance in 2018. Cement exports also slowed as only US$10.41m worth were exported during the FY18-19, compared to the US$12.59m earned a year earlier, with India being the main destination. To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login LEAMINGTONPolice say a woman was shot and wounded in Leamington early Sunday. Essex County provincial police say they are looking for a female suspect. The incident, which apparently followed an altercation, occurred at a home around 1:30 a.m. Police had no information on what might have prompted the shooting. They did say the victims injuries were not life-threatening. They also warned against approaching the suspect. New Delhi: At least four people were killed and 14 others injured in an explosion at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on Saturday morning, reports said. An explosion struck the largest US military base in Afghanistan early today, causing some casualties, NATO said. No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurs as the Taliban step up nationwide attacks before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs. We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties, the military coalition said in a brief statement. Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation, it added, without offering any other details. The explosion underscores a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan. Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents. Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistans largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015. Read more: Taliban attack on German consulate in Afghanistan kills 4 For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Several states across the U.S. continue to see spikes in cases, including Florida which reported more than 10,000 new virus cases for a fifth day over the weekend. Ohio is seeing its own surge in infections, with its governor warning it "could become Florida." A potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University, in connection with AstraZeneca, has produced a strong immune response in an early-stage human trial, a study published in The Lancet said. A district mayor in eastern Turkmenistan has died of the coronavirus, according to sources, as the secretive Central Asian state continues to deny the existence of COVID-19. The death of Hasan Metkuliyev, the mayor of Farap district in Lebap Province, comes amid reports that hospitals are filling up with sick patients and deaths from suspected coronavirus cases are soaring across the country. Sources told RFE/RL on July 20 that the district official's wife and deputy had also tested positive for COVID-19 and were being treated at the Turkmenabat Infectious Diseases Hospital. The source confirmed all district leaders in Lebap Province are currently required to undergo coronavirus testing. Turkmenistan insists that the country has no cases of coronavirus, despite ample indications the virus is devastating the country. A witness at a city hospital in the capital, Ashgabat, told RFE/RL that wards were filled with patients and deaths were mounting. RFE/RL correspondents report that the capital is in a state of panic, not only because of the virus but because the health-care system is in dire condition and rife with corrupt doctors and officials. Despite ignoring the coronavirus, Turkmen authorities have taken unprecedented health measures recently in an apparent attempt to prevent the spread of the disease. After prohibiting mask wearing up until July 8, the authorities ordered people to wear face masks in public to protect against "dust." Movement around the country has been restricted and markets and shopping malls have also been closed. The sudden reversal came as representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) made a delayed visit to the country in early July to assess the epidemiological situation. At a July 15 press conference, WHO mission chief Catherine Smallwood said the team had not seen or heard anything that would contradict the government's assertion that coronavirus does not exist in Turkmenistan. However, Smallwood did recommend that the authorities take "critical public-health measures in Turkmenistan, as if COVID-19 was circulating" in the country. She also commented on the "reports of increased cases of acute respiratory disease or pneumonia of unknown cause." The WHO team visit in early July came after RFE/RL had earlier reported Turkmen authorities were trying to hide the extent of the pandemic in the country. Kalani Faagata and Asuelu Pulaa had a bitter confrontation on a road trip to California to celebrate their sons second birthday with Kalanis family on a recent episode of the fifth season of TLCs 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After. Asuelustill angry that he hadnt been able to take his sons, Oliver and Kennedy, to his home country of Samoa for a vacation due to a measles outbreakgot in an argument with his mother-in-law, Lisa Faagata, during the car ride. He even called Kalani a lying b*tch for saying he didnt help enough with the boys. Afterward, Asuelus relationship with Kalanis family became even more strained during a tense weekend in California. Kalanis sister, Kolini, had plenty to say about her brother-in-laws behavior, as did their dad, Low Faagata. Kalani Faagata and Asuelu Pulaa | Kalani Faagata via Instagram Kalani reflected on the tense confrontation shed had with Asuelu After Kalani and Asuelus argument, Asuelu hopped on the nearest bus and disappeared without telling his wife where he was going. When I got here, I wanted to talk to Asuelu and just try to defuse the situation, Kalani told 90 Day Fiance producers. And instead, it turned into him just grabbing all of his s*it and walking out of the door. Then her dad and sister arrived, and Kalani was too embarrassed to tell them what was going on. In particular, she didnt want the whole family to get into an argumentespecially because Asuelu and his in-laws already didnt have a very good relationshipand negative affect little Olivers birthday party. Looking exhausted, Kalani said sadly, Im in blocking my emotions mode, where I just have to fake a smile for my son. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Asuelu Wants to Go to Samoa With Kalani and the Kids Despite a Dangerous Measles Outbreak RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Kalanis Dad Threatens to Give Asuelu an A** Whooping The 90 Day Fiance star had to drive around the area to convince her husband to return After Asuelu boarded a bus, Kalani explained that she texted him repeatedly to find out where he was. But her husband sent her three false locations to drive to instead, leading her on a wild goose chase around the area. Finally, Kalani threatened to get back on the bus to Utah with their sons if Asuelu didnt change his behavior. At last, Asuelu revealed the hotel where hed booked a room. When Kalani met up with her husband, she convinced him to come back to her familys house, saying she didnt want her son to be punished for their argument. The next morning, over a tense breakfast, Kalanis family asked why Asuelu had locked himself in his bedroom and refused to spend time with them. Lisa sheepishly told Low that they had had a heated conversation in the car. Low, for one, was not happy about his son-in-laws behavior, or the way hed spoken to his wife and daughter. Well, I definitely think he owes you guys an apology, he declared. But Kalanis best efforts to lure Asuelu away from his video games and out of their bedroom didnt work. He doesnt want to talk to anybody, she told her waiting family. Kolini told 90 Day Fiance producers that she sympathized with her sister, especially when Asuelu showed up late to his own sons birthday party and wouldnt help with the preparations. Thats going to be a problem, if its every holiday that this happens, Kolini lamented. I feel awful for my sister. She breastfeeds still. She has two babies sucking life out of her, and now she has a husband that just sucks the life out of her. Asuelu refused to apologize to his wife for his behavior While Asuelu and Kalanis son seemed to enjoy his birthday party with family and friends, there was palpable tension between his parents when Asuelu finally made a last-minute entrance. When Asuelu was still in Samoa, I would imagine, like, weddings and birthday parties, Kalani told TLC producers. And now hes here, and hes just choosing not to come around. The 90 Day Fiance star said she couldnt believe that Asuelu wouldnt take accountability for his antics, especially after hed made such harsh remarks to her and her mother. Asuelus in the wrong. And the fact that hes not accepting that, its rude and its wrong, Kalani declared. Kolini wasnt impressed with Asuelus late arrival, either, arguing that it was manipulative on his part to put on a show. Its kind of frustrating that he decided to just come out and put on a show for everyone, she told 90 Day Fiance producers. But Im not surprised. Thats just what he does. Asuelus a fine actor. I know its bulls*it, but, I mean, whatever makes him feel better. After the party, Asuelu and Kalani had a moment alone. Asuelu seemed to broach the sensitive subject of their argumentbut he didnt apologize for his actions. This weekend is really rough, right? And Im excited we all make babies happy, Asuelu told his wife nervously. Kalani asked leadingly, Is there anything you want to say to me? After a lengthy pause, Asuelu asked simply, What else do you want me to say? Kalani looked crestfallen by her husbands refusal to express regret for the names hed called her. ROME (AP) An Italian police officer testified Wednesday at the murder trial of two Americans about trying in vain to stop blood pouring out like a fountain from his partner who was fatally stabbed last summer on a Rome street. The two young men from the Bay Area were in Italy's capital as vacationers a year ago, and are charged in the killing of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello on a street near their hotel on July 26, 2019. The 2018 Tamalpais High grads, Finnegan Lee Elder, now 20, and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, now 19, said in pretrial questioning that they mistook Cerciello and his partner as criminals trying to attack them and that they scuffled with the Italians to defend themselves, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege that Elder stabbed Cerciello 11 times and that Natale-Hjorth hid the murder weapon, a military-style attack knife that Elder allegedly brought in a suitcase from the United States. Under Italian law, defendants having a role in a murder case can also be charged with homicide. The confrontation followed an alleged attempt by the tourists to buy cocaine earlier in the evening in a Rome nightlife district. After allegedly paying for the drug, the Americans realized they were swindled and didn't receive it. Angry, the Americans snatched a backpack with a cellphone inside that belonged to the drug dealer's go-between, the prosecution contends. The backpack's owner told police that when he called his own phone, one of the Americans answered and demanded money and cocaine in exchange for returning the bag. Cerciellos partner, Andrea Varriale, testified that the two officers were dispatched on a pre-dawn mission to retrieve the bag. Working in plainclothes, Varriale said he wore a polo-shirt and jeans while Cerciello wore a T-shirt and long shorts. Varriale testified that he pulled out his badge from his pocket and yelled, Carabiniere! to identify himself as a police officer, as did Cerciello. The defense has insisted the Americans didn't realize the two were police officers and didn't see any badges. Varriale also testified that both he and Cerciello were unarmed. He said they cautiously approached two men at the appointed retrieval site, thinking the pair looked suspicious with their sweatshirt hoods pulled up over their heads on a steamy summer night. Varriale said the Americans immediately attacked them. I didn't even get to say Whats your name?" when he grabbed me, we went down, we rolled, in a kind of funny way, on the ground." Prosecutors have said Varriale scuffled with Natale-Hjorth, while Elder wrestled with Cerciello. When I realized he just wanted to get free, I had my shoulders against the ground, I understood it was better to let him go," Varriale said. He said he first sensed something was wrong when he heard Cerciello yelling in a strange voice "'Stop! Carabinieri!" At one point, I looked to the left, Mario was on his feet, swaying. They stabbed me, they stabbed me," Varriale said his partner called out. I saw the blood coming out like a fountain to the ground," and Cerciello was having a hard time breathing," the partner testified. Cerciello, 35, died shortly after in hospital. Varriale told the court he didn't see either defendant pull a weapon. Natale-Hjorth has told investigators he didnt know his friend brought a knife to the backpack exchange rendezvous. The day's hearing was abruptly ended after Cerciellos father-in-law collapsed in the courtroom as the court was listening to a dramatic audio tape of Varriale's call for an ambulance for his dying partner. As Varriale struggles to stem the bleeding with his polo-shirt and tells the police dispatcher the street name, he alternately calls out desperately, Mario, Mario. Cerciello's widow, clutching a photo of her newlywed husband, sobbed. The Americans, like everyone else in the courtroom wearing face masks in accordance with anti-COVID-19 laws in Italy, turned to watch the commotion. The remainder of Varriale's questioning by prosecutors, and the expected start of defense cross-examination, was postponed till Thursday. At the hearing's start, Judge Marina Finiti reminded Varriale that he himself is a defendant in a separate case. Hours after the slaying, as the suspects were being questioned at a police station, Varriale allegedly made a video of Natale-Hjorth sitting blindfolded as an officer asks him his name and other information. Blindfolding a suspect violates an Italian law, which is supposed to safeguard the dignity of criminal suspects. Later this month, the court is expected to hear the findings of a psychiatric evaluation of Elder requested by the defense. The Americans' turn on the witness stand isn't expected until after the court returns from an August vacation recess. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency through Video Conferencing here today 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 15th April 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. Sitharaman 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 India's comprehensive economic package to address recovery and growth amounting to over $295 Billion, about 10 per cent of India's GDP. Adding to this, Amt. 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. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) See also: Denver disgrace deepens as Michelle Malkin calls out perps and enablers of attack on Sundays aborted pro-police rally Conservative author and activist Michelle Malkin was brutally assaulted and prevented from speaking as she made her way to the speaker's platform at a pro-police public rally in downtown Denver on Sunday. The patriotic event, the 6th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day billed as "family friendly," was advertised in advance on social media including at Malkin's Twitter, where she has 2.2 million followers. Michelle Malkin @michellemalkin 9:32 AM MDT July 18 There are talkers. There are doers. Which one are you? Coloradans: Join @randycorporon @Casper4Colorado @stevereams me & many other patriots downtown Denver 3pm TOMORROW for 6th annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. NOW MORE THAN EVER. (Hi @jaredpolis) Advertisement for the Denver pro-police event on social media. Malkin was live-streaming the event from her cell phone on Periscope Sunday afternoon as the situation deteriorated after masked thugs wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts assaulted two speakers and then set upon Malkin. A diminutive child of immigrants from the Philippines who legally moved to the U.S. in the late 1960s, Malkin, who was born in Philadelphia in 1970, describes herself as a "little brown woman" with a "big mouth." Malkin linked to the entire 35-minute long Periscope video at her Twitter feed. On the video, which had been viewed over 150,000 times by early Monday, several individuals identifying themselves as Black Lives Matter accost Malkin as one or more of them unfurl collapsible batons and begin pushing and beating on Malkin. In the process, she loses a shoe and is eventually assisted in escaping to a waiting car by the event's security volunteers, at which point the video feed ends. Malkin was understandably distraught at this unanticipated violent turn of events and expressed frustration that Denver police, who were visibly present in the area, did nothing to stop the attacks or to allow the peaceful pro-police rally to continue. At 3:55 P.M. MDT Sunday, right after being prevented from speaking, Malkin tweeted: So @jaredpolis [Colorado Democrat Governor] @DenverPolice [Denver] Chief Pazen, are you ok with pro-police patriots being swarmed, targeted and assaulted in a clearly orchestrated attack??? I caught it all on video and recorded the faces of the brutal animals. Please @realDonaldTrump we need LAW & ORDER!!! S.O.S! Screen grab from 31 minutes into Malkins Periscope video. Her description: "This was me shouting at masked BLM/Antifa thugs who swarmed our stage UNPROVOKED. This was me after witnessing a veteran & an organizer who had just led group prayer getting beaten on stage while police did nothing. This was me shouting at masked Antifa wielding a baton." Source: Michelle Malkins Twitter. Hours later, Malkin spent late Sunday night into Monday morning on her Twitter account, issuing a variety of tweets describing what happened as she linked to video clips that documented the events. Michelle Malkin @michellemalkin 12:43 AM MDT July 20 This is the moment the Antifa thugs bum-rushed the stage. I filmed the guy with the huge longboard that pro-police organizer Ron McLaughlin was beaten with just minutes after praying. Michelle Malkin @michellemalkin 12:52 AM MDT July 20 Here's where BLM bitches attacked several women on stage. We were sprayed in our faces w/aerosol string, which @kyleclark thinks is hilarious. BLM girl takes off mask & lays hand on woman in front of me as I shout at her to get back. Michelle Malkin @michellemalkin 1:08 AM MDT July 20 This is the moment one of our people was beaten on stage by invading BLM/Antifa. Then BlackBloc lady took out baton. That's why I screamed @kyleclark. The crap BLM bitch sprayed in my face was still all over me. Malkin took special aim at a local Denver television news reporter who described the BLM "protesters" as meeting the pro-police rally with "opposing free speech." Michelle Malkin @michellemalkin 10:58 PM MDT July 19 Opposing speech? Why dont you post the screengrab of the masked Antifa militiawoman wielding a collapsible baton at me or the bloodied organizer on stage beaten with a bullhorn & longboard @KyleClark you think this is funny?? You are a sick man. Ken Cuccinelli, the senior official performing the duties of the deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (AKA acting deputy secretary of DHS), took note of the events in a response to a tweet by Portland, Oregon conservative journalist and documentarian Andy Ngo. Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli@HomelandKen 7:46 PM MDT July 19 Outrageous violence. These tyrannical, left-wing anarchists hate free speech. If you do not agree with them, they believe you must be beaten down literally. Until recently, violence of this kind to suppress conservative free speech was largely limited to the nation's leftist-dominated college campuses. Obviously, a new page has now been turned as many of America's leading cities all of them under Democrat party control have abandoned enforcing laws big and small. The expression of free speech is now openly threatened off the campuses. Which one of the Bill of Rights will be next? Michelle Malkin speaks at an event in Greenville, South Carolina February 18, 2016. Photo by Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 3.0. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. He also appears in the media, including recently as a guest analyst on BBC World News. Peter's website is http://peter.media. For updates on his work, follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka. One day after Gov. Brian Kemp sued the mayor and city council of Atlanta over its mandatory mask rule, he addressed the lawsuit against Atlanta and Georgias recent surge in COVID-19 cases at the Georgia capitol. Lisa Aurilio, chief operating officer, Akron Children's Hospital Steve Abdenour, chief operating officer, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Dr. Donald Dumford, medical director for infection prevention, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Chris A. Barker, Summit County Public Health's emergency preparedness/compliance supervisor who also coordinates preparedness for the Northeast Central Ohio Regional Healthcare Coalition (NECO), a collaboration among hospitals and health care systems and their partners in Summit and 13 surrounding counties. (TNS) When the pandemic began to unfold in Ohio and around the globe earlier this year, there was widespread concern about acquiring enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent health care workers and others from becoming infected with COVID-19 and to stop them from passing it on.Those worries seemed to ease here after Ohioans stayed at home for much of the spring, flattening the pandemic curve.But now that cases are on the rise again Summit County remains at state Level 3 (red), with very high exposure and spread are area hospitals, health care systems and others still able to buy the N95 masks, gowns and other PPE they need?The Akron Beacon Journal last week reached out to three local health care systems and Summit County public health officials for an update, asking each the same nine questions about PPE supplies, cost and reuse.The answers below come from:Summa Health did not respond to individual questions, but did provide a general statement about PPE, which follows the questions and answers below.As COVID-19 cases are again on the rise, how is the supply of PPE in your health system and/or public arena (nursing homes, day care centers, etc.)?We continue to work on our supply chain and developing a secure, reliable supply chain for our hospital. We are increasing our supply in expectation of surge needs that are typical for the pediatric population in the fall.At this time, we have sufficient PPE to meet the needs of our caregivers and patients.In general, the availability of PPE has improved since the onset of the pandemic, but many private distributors are still providing material based on priority allocations (allocating to critical infrastructure/health care organizations). Requests are either partially filled or fulfilled in full based on the original request. It depends on the product request.How many weeks of supplies do you have, and are you confident that the supply chain can provide every item you need to maintain adequate supplies of all items at all times?We have four or more weeks' worth. We partnered with several vendors that have shown a reliable source to meet our needs.We are confident in our supply chain. We don't have a time frame to provide inventory.As a provider who spends about 85 to 90% of [his] time seeing patients in the hospital, I've felt very comfortable in the hospital and confident in how our supply chain is handling the pandemic.The volume of resource requests have dropped since the onset of the [pandemic]. This is a positive indicator overall as organizations are procuring PPE through various means. This picture could change, however, based on national and international factors.Are there any particular items, like N95 masks, in short supply?We have continued to acquire the PPE needed to safely protect our patients, families, and staff. None of the PPE are in an endless supply, but we review our current and projected use daily/weekly to ensure that our patient/family/staff needs are met.N95 supplies are sufficient.Shortages for specific types of PPE have ebbed and flowed since the onset of the pandemic. Face shields, surgical masks and isolation gowns were some notable products that had been challenging to procure, but coordination with the state and private resource providers has helped address these product gaps. At present, N95s continue to be a challenge when seeking specific makes/models of respirators. Emergency-use respirators are available, but many agencies are seeking specific makes and models of respirators as their staff are "fit tested" on these products. (A "fit test" fits the seal between a respirator face piece and someone's face, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)Has the cost of PPE risen? If so, could you give some examples?Prices have both decreased and increased depending on the item. For example, early in the pandemic, the cost of N95 was above $5 each. This has come down closer to 90 cents each. However some items, like gowns, have actually gone up from 43 cents to over $2 each.We are part of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise that handles the sourcing and price negotiations of all products we use, including PPE.(Deferred to the hospital officials because they have more experience with direct procurement and purchasing.)Are any PPE items now or soon to be rationed or limited? Some hospitals, for instance, allow health care workers only one N95 mask per shift. Also, if there are limits, is that entirely due to supply, or is cost a factor, too?We have continued to use appropriate PPE based on screening questions, clinical symptoms and types of procedures. Currently, no rationing of PPE. I'm not sure that I consider one N95 per shift "rationing" per se.We have put practices in place to help us control the proper use of PPE per CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines in order to be responsible in our consumption.We have strategies to be good stewards of our supplies. This isn't because we're concerned about our supply right now, but because we want to make sure we have supplies three, four or five months from now. This situation is going to go on for a long time and hospitalized COVID-19 patients require a lot of resources, so health care providers everywhere have to do their best to conserve what we have.Rationing of PPE is still a factor. Rationing ebbs and flows based on specific products being requested from distributors/vendors. PPE reuse is still in place for certain products [like N95 masks] and follows CDC guidance.Have you changed suppliers or otherwise changed how you stock/supply PPE since the pandemic began? Has it proved successful?We have used multiple suppliers, both US and international but we have used only those N95 clinically that meet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards. Changing suppliers has required us to revisit and update fit testing with the new N95s specifically this has proven to be quite time and labor intensive, but again a process that had to be undertaken due to variability in supply of certain mask types/manufacturers.We are part of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise that handles the sourcing and distribution of PPE supplies. The system of ordering and allocation has proved successful.Are you getting any supplies from Ohio and/or U.S. manufacturers who began making PPE only after the pandemic began?The supply from the Ohio stockpile continues to be limited but we do on occasion get a distribution. Distribution is based on numbers of COVID patients treated. As we have had few pediatric patients admitted to the hospital, we get lower amounts of supplies from the stockpile than other hospitals that have treated more patients. We are now getting our supply of N95s out of Texas, where we previously received these from Asia.We are working with several Ohio companies that retooled to supply products including gowns, face shields and cloth masks.Yes, the state is providing material through the Ohio Department of Health. I can't speak as to how the material is procured at the state or federal level, but the products are provided through various manufacturers, including organizations which transitioned into PPE production.Early on in the pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine praised Battelle machines that sterilize N95 masks for reuse. Has your hospital/health system used this (or similar) technology to reuse any of its PPE? And are you confident this technology and/or system (labeling masks, etc.) works?We have resterilized through Battelle but have set those aside and have not reused. We would use if we have no other choice.Cleveland Clinic created its own vapor phase hydrogen peroxide system (which would be similar to the Battelle device) to sterilize appropriate PPE. Used products are collected weekly for this purpose.Summit County Public Health provided organizations with information regarding Battelle. We use them internally for N95 [mask] cleaning.What does the public need to know about PPE at this stage of the pandemic crisis?COVID-19 has continued to be a disease that predominantly affects adults so the frequency of COVID in our patients continues to be quite low, with even fewer that require hospitalization. That said, we have continued to acquire the PPE needed to safely protect our patients, families, and staff in case parents/family members/caregivers are symptomatic and to protect against asymptomatic COVID infections in our patients or family. None of the PPE are in an endless supply, but we review our current and projected use daily/weekly to ensure that our patient/family/staff needs are met.They should know that we're feeling safe in the hospital. PPE is there to protect health care workers from getting infected and subsequently to protect our patients, colleagues, friends and family from getting exposed to us. As someone who spends nearly all his time seeing patients in the hospital, I have felt very safe. The public should remember, too, that PPE should be for reserved for front-line health care workers. I encourage you all to save N95s and surgical masks for the nurses, nurses' assistants and doctors who are working with COVID-19 patients. For the general public, the most important preventive measures are social distancing, masking in public places and good hand hygiene.PPE is still a concern and organizations should be closely monitoring PPE needs and resources as this crisis has not ended.Summa Health has and will continue to provide PPE for employees. Depending on the level of patient interaction, this may include cloth masks, N95 masks, goggles, shields and gowns. We monitor our supplies daily and should PPE supplies become limited, we will work with our county and state health care partners and continue following CDC guidelines to keep our employees, patients and visitors safe. Throughout the pandemic, Summa Health has received generous PPE donations from local businesses and community members and we are thankful for their support.Reporter Amanda Garrett can be reached at agarrett@thebeaconjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @agarrettABJ 2020 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)Visit the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. As EU negotiations over a coronavirus recovery fund and a new budget for the bloc ran into an impasse, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte was singled out by one leader this weekend as the "man responsible for the whole mess". Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused him of that, while Spanish and Italian diplomats have taken to calling him "Mr. No No No!". Standing up for not spending money on European projects requires a naysayer, and Rutte has taken on the role with calculated determination as leader of a group of smaller "frugal" nations. While he may cut a less colourful figure than Margaret Thatcher a generation ago, Rutte's readiness to don the mantle of parsimony after Britain's departure from the EU is solidly grounded in public opinion and politics at home. The Dutch, who support EU membership by a two-thirds majority, take pride in both their history as a trading nation and their traditional Calvinist thrift. 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 Dutch taxpayers are aware that they are proportionately among the largest contributors to the EU budget, and the idea of giving or lending more is unpopular. The "Mr. No" moniker derives from an April video clip, frequently retweeted, that shows a Dutch waste collector shouting at Rutte not to give money to "those Italians and French". "Oh, no, no, no." Rutte replied. "I will remember this." Critics say the Dutch reluctance to spend now is misplaced, given the country's large trade surplus with the rest of the EU. Unicredit economist Erik Nielsen argued in a note on Sunday that the Dutch 2018 net budget contribution of 2.4 billion euros "tells only a small part of the real financial story". "According to the Tax Justice Network, that same year, the Netherlands' tax haven structures helped them grab 6.7 billion euros in tax receipts from Germany, France, Italy and Spain," he wrote. But conversations in the Netherlands more often focus on whether Dutch prosperity is the result of a tougher work ethic, and whether it is fair to share funds with countries that have a lower retirement age. Domestic politics also play a role. With national elections looming in March, Rutte's conservative VVD Party must jockey with far-right parties for exactly those voters most likely to be euro-sceptic. In addition, his current centre-right coalition lacks a majority in parliament. Any compromise struck in Brussels now that goes too far in the eyes of the Dutch might not be ratified later in The Hague. This rejection happened in 2005 and again, to a deal Rutte had agreed to, in 2016. New Delhi: Delhi Police on Saturday received nearly 4,500 calls till 6 PM as cash-strapped people standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs resorted to violence in some parts of the city. "We received over 4,000 calls today. There were sporadic incidents of violence reported from the city but there were no reports of any grievous injury," said Sanjay Beniwal, Special Commissioner of Police (Operations). Police said a case of stone pelting at IDBI bank in Roop Nagar was reported and one person was arrested. At 12 noon, Imran (44), who had already withdrawn money from the bank once, tried to go inside again and was stopped by a security guard, they said. He got into a scuffle with the guard and called six-seven other men who resorted to stone pelting, police said. Imran is a resident of Malkaganj and was arrested from the spot, police said, adding they are scanning the CCTV footage from the bank to identify the other accused. Also read: Currency exchange: Long queues, dry ATMs add to woes of people across country "No one was reported to be injured in stone pelting. The bank operations resumed after few hours," said a senior police official. He said a case under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) IPC has been registered against the accused. There were dime a dozen rumours floating about incidents of violence even as Twitter added more fuel to fire, police sources said. A purported video from Metro Mall in Seelampur area of northeast Delhi went viral where people were "plundering goods" and police had to intervene. Ajit Singla, DCP (Northeast) said, "The reports of miscreants taking away stocks from a mall in Seelampur area are false and baseless. It is a self-catering Mall which allows entry to card holders only and routine disbursal of stocks was being done." He said some mischievous elements tried to show it as looting but local police intervened immediately and removed the miscreants. "No complaint of looting received. Regular operations are being carried out in all market places in Delhi. Strict action as per law is being taken any such rumour mongering," he said. NEW YORK Bayer AG failed to persuade a California appeals court to overturn a verdict favoring a school groundskeeper who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer but reduced the amount of damages by 74% to $20.5 million. The decision by the California Court of Appeal came after a San Francisco jury had in August 2018 awarded $289.2 million to the plaintiff Dewayne Johnson for his non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a sum later cut by the trial judge to $78.5 million. Johnsons case is separate from Bayers agreement on June 24 to pay up to $10.9 billion to settle nearly 100,000 lawsuits in the United States linking glyphosate-based Roundup to cancer. If upheld, the verdict and payout could make it harder for Bayer to resolve lawsuits by other plaintiffs. The German drugs and pesticides company inherited liability for the lawsuits when it bought Creve Coeur-based Monsanto Co., which had produced Roundup, for $63 billion in 2018. In a statement, Bayer called Mondays decision a step in the right direction but said it may appeal to the California Supreme Court, calling the verdict inconsistent with the evidence and the law. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 15:08:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- At 7:30 p.m., as lines of residents wait to be served snacks at food stalls at a night market on a bustling square in the city of Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, vendor Zhang Junqiao operates an entirely different stall. With four medical patient simulators placed on the ground, Zhang carries out training on first-aid skills like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the anti-choking Heimlich maneuver for locals, together with nine other doctors. Zhang, 33, is the initiator of the stall. As an anesthetist from the Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, he was a member of Shandong's 10th medical team aiding the fight against COVID-19 in central China's Hubei Province. Multiple citizens flocked to his stall and some of them took part in one of the training exercises. Among them, Abbas, a 23-year-old Indian student who graduated from Weifang Medical University this year, performed chest compressions on a patient simulator, following detailed instructions given by Zhang. "Although I can perform CPR, I came here to learn because I want to sharpen up my skills," said Abbas. "There is a misconception that you can master how to perform CPR through watching videos. However, actual operation differs greatly from what is showed in the videos," said Zhang, adding that is why he established the stall. According to the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, China reports around 550,000 cases of sudden cardiac death on average per year, including instances outside of hospitals. Zhang noted that although ordinary people may not be as professional as medical workers when performing CPR, they can also save lives in emergencies. He has a full schedule. By day, he engages in his own anesthetist work at the hospital and offers first-aid training to doctors and medical students. By night, he sometimes rushes to communities to give CPR lectures to residents or runs his stall on the square. Between his shifts, he invests his free time in popularizing CPR knowledge and practical skills among the general public, which is his long-held aspiration. Zhang started to run his stall on June 7 after purchasing patient simulators at his own expense. He also initiated a non-profit "Heartbeat Action" to better achieve his dream. Besides the nearly 70 medical workers in Weifang, more than 30 medical staff from other places across the country got in touch with Zhang, hoping to be a part of the action and together make a difference. Zhang provides them with teaching aid and funds, and passes on his teaching experience to them. At present, an increasing number of kindergartens, communities and students' parents are applying for Zhang's CPR training. He said he has conducted more than 30 popularization activities since June 12. After his stall went viral on Chinese social media as netizens hailed his benevolence, Zhang said he was a little bit nervous. "I don't want to be an online celebrity. I just hope more medical personnel can become the main force popularizing pre-hospital first aid and save more lives," he said. Yet Zhang has an even bigger plan. He wants to collaborate with more high schools and help students master CPR skills during their teens. To back up his aspiration, Zhang's hospital not only provides him with equipment to teach CPR, but also started to build a "Heartbeat Action" experience center which will later open to the public. "Taking what I have learned and giving back to society is a form of acknowledgment, and is extremely worthwhile," said Zhang. Enditem The mayor of Fuengirola, Ana Mula, and councillor Rodrigo Romero, opened the new Age Care Association drop-in centre in the town on Wednesday. The local council has stressed the importance of the association's work for elderly British residents in the area. Mula wished the organisation luck in the new premises and highlighted the importance for the town hall of close collaboration with the local international community. The mayor was welcomed by Age Care vice-president Tom Tarr and welfare leader Ray Mynott and his wife Linda. The centre, near Las Rampas, is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 11am and 1pm. Contact 657494635. New correspondent announcements have been made by Nine and Seven. Carrie-Anne Greenbank (pictured) becomes the next European correspondent for Nine News, replacing Sophie Walsh who is returning to Nine Sydney. She has been with Nine for over a decade, and Nine Melbourne for the past four years, previously with Nine Brisbane, and Gold Coast and WIN News in regional Queensland. In a note to staff, news boss Darren Wick noted, Among the major stories shes covered were the 2018 Royal Tour, the 2017 Dreamworld ride tragedy, natural disasters in Queensland, shark attacks and bikie battles. Shes reported from Tahiti, Thailand, Jordan, Uganda, Mozambique and Samoa, including presenting and producing two documentaries for Nine Aussie Mum, African Heart and hunder on the Reef. She begins in the coming months. Meanwhile Melbourne based journalist David Woiwod had his last day on Sunrise last Friday before flying to the US to join the Seven News US bureau. Woiwod has covered a number of Victorias biggest stories including the Bourke Street attack, Essendon Airport crash, the committal of Cardinal George Pell and the Victorian bushfires. A former state political reporter, he has covered also covered international stories including the Nice Terror attacks in France and the UKs decision to leave the European Union. Click here to read the full article. When large parts of the U.S. were effectively shut down in March as the coronavirus spread across the country, some media companies pushed back their in-person events to the fall. Among them was Time magazine, which in mid-March postponed its second celebrity-filled Time 100 summit due to take place the following month until September, although it didnt release an exact date. But now, as cases of the coronavirus continue to spike in many U.S. states and with social-distancing rules still in place, the publisher told WWD the event wont take place in-person this year. It was a similar story for the Vogue-backed Met Gala, which was postponed in March, only to be canceled for 2020 in May. Its expected to be resumed by the museum next year. In fact, by now many media companies have pushed back in-person events until 2021 and even then its likely to be a wait-and-see approach. None of us have a crystal ball so its impossible to know for sure, but were optimistic and planning for more IRL events sometime in first-half 2021, said Jason Wagenheim, president and chief revenue officer at Bustle Digital Group, which owns Bustle, Mic and Nylon. Just like the universe told us when it was time to shut down, it will tell us when its time to open back up for IRL events, he added. Right now, were focused on running a healthy virtual events business and making sure our partners have lots of creative ways to connect with our readers. Fortune Media, too, is tentatively looking at the first half of next year, having halted all in-person events until the second quarter. As of now, its next one Fortune Brainstorm A.I. is scheduled for May 3 and 4 in Boston. The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal also have no plans for in-person events this year. The Los Angeles Times, which produces 90 or more events each year, postponed its large in-person offerings during the spring and has yet to make a final call on its event calendar for the remainder of the year and 2021. Story continues Were paying close attention to public health guidance related to the coronavirus and our own coverage of the health risks and deaths associated with it. Well continue to adapt our event plans along the way, until its safe to gather people together in-person again, a spokeswoman said. Elsewhere, a few media outlets are still planning to hold in-person events, but these will be mainly small-scale in the U.S. While Popsugar has pushed back its annual Play/Ground festival that draws a crowd of around 15,000 to New York to 2021, it is still planning on holding its pop-up Sugar Chalet. The Dodo, which shares the same parent company, Group Nine, as Popsugar, will hold some iteration of its Best Dog Day Ever event. Its understood that both of those will have safety measures in place, like timed entry and capped attendance, contactless entrance, sanitizing stations and social distancing. Popsugar is also finalizing the venues and locations closer to the event dates to give it flexibility due to COVID-19 on-the-ground realities varying across the country. At magazine publisher Meredith Corp., brands Southern Living and Real Simple will host small, local in-person events if advertisers and consumers feel comfortable attending. Southern Livings Idea House, an annual advertising-sponsored show house, in Asheville, N.C., will begin to host tours in a few weeks. The Real Simple Home on Manhattans Upper West Side will offer smaller client tours this fall, as well as a slate of virtual events. Safety continues to be our top priority and guidelines will be implemented for visitors at each of these events, it said. The Economist Group has four in-person events in Asia and EMEA scheduled to start in October through the end of the calendar year, but it is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to respond as needed. Turning Virtual But whether or not companies are tentatively hosting smaller in-person events this year, nearly all are organizing virtual events something they pivoted to in early March, not wanting to lose out on the revenue stream that has become increasingly important to the industry in recent years, as well as boosting audience engagement. That includes Aya Kanai, the new editor in chief of Marie Claire. Her first Power Trip, the magazines 36-hour, invite-only networking conference for women entrepreneurs, was due to take place in San Francisco in November, but has been postponed until spring 2021. Instead, this October it will go virtual for the first time with Power On, which will be launched in conjunction with its second digital cover. The yet-to-be-revealed cover face will be a speaker at the event, in addition to a second celebrity keynote speaker and panels of female executives. We want it to feel like a really glamorous fabulous event so were peppering in the A-list celebs and all that stuff, Kanai said in a Zoom interview. Sponsors include Dell, United, Chase and Dermstore. The New York Times has also been busy, running 125 virtual events during lockdown with a total audience reach of 800,000. It had intended to host about 80 live events in 2020, including The New York Times Food Festival, its largest consumer event with around 55,000 guests last year. That was scheduled for October, but has been canceled, as well as its popular 2021 travel show. Our intention is to remain virtual for the remainder of 2020, said NYTLive managing director Jessica Flood. So far as the return in 2021, we are having a lot of conversations with our internal return-to-office committees and taking the advice of government officials on the safest practices in New York, but also around the globe. At the moment, we are really intending and have had such success with our virtual events that that is the way we will continue on until we feel we have the government advice to think about in-person return, she continued. Flood also manages the Times Center, which is in the publishers New York office and is where the paper holds many events, and is working on reconfiguring the space to make it appropriate for social distancing. To date, its biggest virtual event has been Offstage: Opening Night, which included songs, stories and conversations with a gaggle of Broadway stars. It was watched by 25,000 people when it was first streamed and later by 61,000 views on YouTube. One of the biggest learnings for us is that we can reach a global audience, added Flood. Our events have been reached in 115 countries so far and we can engage people who wouldnt necessarily be able to come to an event in New York or in London or in one of our major hubs where we did the majority of our events in-person. It has also partnered with the French Fashion Federation, as well as Camera della Moda to stream Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks on the NYTimes.com platform, since the shows went virtual for the first time in their history. As for how to monetize virtual events, thats through sponsorship for The Times. The majority of its in-person events were ticketed, but virtual ones are free. It has maintained some sponsors for certain projects such as MassMutual, who had committed to a three-part in-person series Unfinished Work, which was moved to the virtual space and also is working with new ones such as PayPal, according to Flood, who added garnering sponsorship is a continuing work in progress. As for using events to boost subscribers, that also is something its working on. We noticed that about half our attendees are not current subscribers and were working to engage that group over the long term in a variety of different ways, but one of our early thoughts is a new suite of subscriber-only virtual events, which were aiming to roll out next month, she said. In Washington, D.C., The Atlantic has revealed that The Atlantic Festival, its largest annual event, will take place virtually in September. Last years speakers included Nancy Pelosi, YouTube chief executive officer Susan Wojcicki and Disneys then-ceo Bob Iger and attendance surpassed 2,000. This year its aiming to reach an audience of at least 1 million over four days and thinking outside the box for its speaker list. Once we were faced with the fact that in-person events were just totally unrealistic, we instantly thought, well, this is not the type of thing that should go away. This is really just an important moment for The Atlantic brand, said Hayley Romer, The Atlantics publisher and chief revenue officer. It gave us the opportunity to think a little bit more broadly about speakers. Were no longer constrained by location. People dont have to block off a couple of days to get there. So I think thats an exciting opportunity. Were going to have people phoning in from various locations. This event is free for the first time (ticket prices for 2019 ranged from $50 to $975), with The Atlantic also focused on sponsorship rather than ticketing. For publishers, no ticketing means hopefully more guests and subsequently more sponsors and, according to Romer, a number of sponsors of the live event wanted to come on board for the virtual one. It now has a total of nine sponsors, compared to 16 at last years live event. But this comes after The Atlantic significantly reduced the size of its events team in a recent round of coronavirus-related job cuts. (It now has 10 people on its live events team versus 50 earlier this year.) Romer explained that its events team will work on it with other staffers, but its also bringing on Don Mischer Productions to help increase the quality of virtual production. As for what the future holds, Romer said improving data and government guidelines will just be the base line for considering live events again. I dont know when people will begin to feel comfortable gathering in spaces with lots of people again and I would say certainly its important for us that people do feel comfortable and were not necessarily looking to be the first live event back in existence, she said. I think we want to always be responsible and ethical about these things. A hybrid model While virtual offerings are unlikely to match the revenue that in-person events bring in, when the latter do finally return, that doesnt mean the former will disappear. Leigh Gilmore, general manager of live journalism and events at The Wall Street Journal, believes this is the beginning of a new hybrid model. In the short-term, virtual events will be a necessary substitute, but in the long-term, they will complement and enhance in-person events, she said. Humans are inherently social, and the in-person meeting will remain important. The virtual element will enhance and expand the traditional event, and the new normal will be a hybrid model. For more, see: The Atlantic Lays Off Nearly 20% of Staff Amid Coronavirus Fallout The New York Times Quits Apple News Aya Kanai Replaces Anne Fulenwider as Marie Claire Editor Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The New Mexico Technology Council honored six women for their career achievements and efforts to mentor and inspire others in an all-virtual celebration July 9 that attracted hundreds of viewers. The councils annual Women in Technology award ceremony, now in its 12th year, was scheduled for a live event in March, but the coronavirus lockdown forced organizers to postpone, said Tech Council Executive Director Deborah Breitfeld. We were a week away from our live event when the government closed things down, Breitfeld said. We had to pivot fast into the virtual world to continue with council activities, but we held out hope of still doing the annual event live. When we realized that cant happen, we reached out to our members and local networks to do it online. Albuquerque-based Heritage Audio Visual managed logistics, pre-producing biographical videos of the honorees, acceptance speeches, and keynote address while allowing the council to host the actual award presentations live. Some 200 people participated, and the archived YouTube video link for the celebration has logged more than 500 views. We even had a good morning pre-celebration show to recognize our sponsors that included a spoof, Breitfeld said. Council members wore flannel pajamas and slippers as if they mistakenly thought the whole thing was a Zoom event where their wardrobes couldnt be seen. Everything went really well. The annual awards aim to highlight the achievements of local women as role models who can inspire others to pursue education and opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math, said Council Chair Sheila Mendez. Its important to take time to acknowledge women in New Mexico for their achievements in technology and their mentoring and advocacy for other women to pursue STEM careers, Mendez said. We want to encourage and inspire more young women. Keynote speaker Amy Lynch, Comcast senior vice president for the Mountain West Region, emphasized the important of such mentorship in her address while imploring women to stand up for themselves and pursue their goals. We are the architects of our own future, Lynch said. The initiative and responsibility to build your future is yours. Make time for your own development. Lynch said one of the biggest lessons she learned from 25 years in media and technology is the importance of pulling people up alongside ones own achievements. Be a shoulder for other women to stand on, Lynch said. Teach, inspire greatness. We each serve as a living example to one another. The annual awards and the Technology Councils activities in general help to do that in New Mexico, where women in technology fare much better than in other U.S. cities. The 2020 edition of Best Cities for Women in Technology, an annual report published in February by the financial research and consulting firm SmartAsset, ranked Albuquerque as fifth best among 59 cities surveyed in 2019. Thats up from sixth place in the 2019 report, and 12th best in 2016. The report shows Albuquerque as third-lowest in gender pay gap, with women here on average earning 97% of what their male counterparts do, surpassed only by Houston, Texas, and Long Beach, California. Nationally, women earn on average just 83% of what men do. SmartAsset says women in Albuquerque currently hold 31.2% of all local technology jobs, up from 29.7% in the 2019 report, and 27.3% in 2016. Thats still low, but its much better than the national average, where women hold just 25.7% of all tech jobs. Outreach to younger women is what helps change things, Breitfeld said. We have so many women here working hard to grow STEM education, including the women honored in this years awards. Awardees are evaluated based on outstanding work in the technology profession, volunteer and community service, exemplification of an entrepreneurial spirit, and active mentorship of other women. This years six honorees were chosen from 49 nominees. The award winners are: Carol Adkins, director for Sandia National Laboratories Energy and Earth Systems Center Sarah Boisvert, founder and CEO of Fab Lab Hub LLC in Santa Fe Jill Meyers, aviation consultant with Meyers AeroConsulting LLC Kimball Sekaquaptewa, chief technology director at Santa Fe Indian School Sharon Sessions, physics professor at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Caren Shiozaki, executive vice president and chief information officer at TMST Inc. in Santa Fe The council also awarded scholarships to two women who are pursuing engineering degrees at the University of New Mexico. Anna Janicek won a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by Nusenda Credit Union, and Eva Paola Nunez won $2,5000 sponsored by ISACA She Leads Tech. When Ervina and Prefina were born two years ago, they were conjoined at the skull, back-to-back. For most of their lives, they never saw the others face except when they looked at their reflections in a mirror. In early June, the twins finally had the chance to gaze directly at each other after 30 doctors and nurses separated them during an 18-hour surgery. We were very, very happy, Dr. Carlo Efisio Marras, head of neurosurgery at Bambino Gesu Childrens Hospital, told TODAY. Their mother ran to me and she started to dance. She took my hands and she started jumping, so after that we jumped together. It was a very very magical, fantastic moment. When Mariella Enoc visited the Central African Republic she met Ermine and her daughters who were conjoined at the head. Enoc, president of Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital believed her hospital could successfully separate the girls. (Courtesy Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital) Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. The twins mother, Ermine, felt overwhelmed by the attention and declined a request for an interview, the hospital told TODAY. In July 2018, the family came to the hospitals attention when its president Mariella Enoc visited the Central African Republic and saw the twins. She told Ermine that her Vatican hospital could help. In September 2018, the family arrived in Rome and the twins underwent the first part of the separation in May 2019. The second part took place in June 2019. They had a very complex malformation, Efisio Marras explained. The number of surgeries were three because the aim of the surgery was to create new circulation. If we did a separation in just one step the results could be very bad. Life for conjoined craniopagus twins is very difficult and there's a high mortality rate. (Courtesy Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital) The team examined the girls skulls to make sure they could separate the two without harming them. When doctors determined they could do it, they pondered whether they should do it. They only wanted to separate Ervina and Prefina if they would have a better quality of life afterward. This means, what are the possibilities or the opportunities that we can give to these girls for their future? Efisio Marras said. After an 18-hour surgery with 30 doctors and nurses, Ervina and Prefina are living life independently. (Courtesy Bambino Gesu Pediatric) Conjoined craniopagus twins have a survival rate that is quite low and about a 70, 75% mortality rate in the first year of life, he added. The twins were a total posterior craniopagus the back of their entire skulls were joined and they shared blood vessels. Yet, they did not share any brain tissue, making it safer for separation. Following surgery, doctors performed an MRI and it showed the separation didnt damage their brains. Story continues It was remarkable that the brain was absolutely safe, healthy, Efisio Marras said. The attitude of the two girls were quite fantastic because they were absolutely interactive. Mom, Ermine, feels grateful that her daughters have a new chance at life following their separation surgery. (Courtesy Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital) As far as Efisio Marras knows this is the first surgery of this type performed in Italy or even the world. He attributes their success to a group of colleagues working from what other surgeons such as Dr. James Goodrich, who separated craniopagus twins Jadon and Anias McDonald in 2016 had done before them. The reason why we got the results is because the group (of doctors and nurses) was absolutely good, he said. There are plenty of things in this process you have to take into account. We had to consider all the details. After the girls woke from their surgery they were happy and dancing to music, just like they would do when they were conjoined. (Courtesy Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital) But Efisio Marras and the team feel grateful that Ervina and Prefina have a new chance at life. They will monitor them for a year and expect for them to develop normally. We were very happy because we had the opportunity to separate them with complete success, he said. It was joy, pure joy. Breaking down the Pakistani aviation scandal in maps and charts. Karachi, Pakistan On May 22, an Airbus A320, operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crashed into a densely populated neighbourhood in Karachi, just about a kilometre away from the citys main Jinnah International Airport. The crash killed 97 of the 99 people on board, and one person on the ground, according to official data. This was PIAs second crash in five years. In December 2016, an ATR-42 flying from Chitral to the capital, Islamabad, crashed into a hillside near the town of Havelian, killing all 47 people on board. RELATED | Deadly skies: Pakistani pilots allege systemic safety failures According to the Flight Safety Foundation, there have been 60 serious safety-related incidents reported in Pakistan since 1956. This does not include other incidents or manoeuvres such as an alleged recent pattern of unsafe approaches which are privy only to the airlines own Flight Data Management System (FDMS) and the countrys aviation regulator, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). Since 1965, PIA has had 10 fatal crashes of its commercial aircraft, with at least 757 people killed in those accidents, according to the Flight Safety Foundation. Including all airlines, Pakistan has seen five major air crashes in the last 10 years alone: the two PIA crashes mentioned above, an Air Blue Airbus A321 crash that killed 152 people in 2010, a charter airline Beechcraft 1900-C crash that killed 21 later that year, and a Bhoja Air Boeing 737 crash that killed 127 people in 2012. [Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera] How did it get so bad? Founded in 1955, PIA was for years a trailblazer in the realm of commercial aviation, becoming the first Asian airline to operate jet aircraft and helping to set up other airlines in the region, including the current commercial aviation giant Emirates. As competition in the sector increased, and the state-owned airline continued to be burdened with high costs, revenues began to decline. In recent years, an airline that was once at the heart of innovation has found itself unable to keep up with changing commercial travel standards. PIA is heavily staffed, with one of the highest employee-to-aircraft ratios in the world. Employees have historically had good job protection through a strong union, and there have been near-constant allegations of appointments within the airline at all levels due to political coercion. In recent years, the government has repeatedly attempted to revamp the airline, with at least six top leadership changes in the last 10 years alone. The result has been a stop-start series of restructures, rebrands and fleet expansion efforts. [Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera] In September 2018, the-then CEO Musharraf Cyan was removed by Pakistans Supreme Court for the violation of guidelines during his appointment. Cyan said he was removed because he had led a rebranding effort of which the Supreme Court disapproved. We wanted to modernise PIA into the current aviation age, Cyan told Al Jazeera. It is an airline which is stuck in the past. Air Marshal Arshad Malik was appointed Cyans successor. Malik took over as a serving three-star officer in the Pakistan Air Force, from which he retired in July 2020. He continues to hold the CEO post. What is the fake licence scandal? In June 2020, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Pakistans aviation minister, made an explosive claim on the floor of Parliament: that more than 30 percent of Pakistani pilots held dubious licences, obtained through fraudulent methods. The statement caused an uproar in aviation circles, forcing authorities to ground 262 pilots. Several countries, including Malaysia, Ethiopia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Vietnam, Bahrain, and Turkey, grounded all of their Pakistani pilots until their credentials could be verified. For PIA, the disruptions went even further grounding 101 of its 452 pilots, but also seeing its landing rights in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States suspended. Abdullah Khan, the PIAs spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that the airline was being conflated by many with the PCAA, the countrys aviation regulator, which is responsible for issuing licences. Out of 262 pilots, 101 pilots are from PIA, and the rest are from other airlines, he said. PIA is the generic brand, everything has been clumped together. People attribute everything wrong with aviation to be PIA, when that is not the case. [Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera] What are the implications for PIA? The implications of this crisis for an airline already mired in extensive debt are complex. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled much of the worlds aviation sector, with commercial aviation seeing drastic drops due to worldwide flight restrictions and a fall in demand. PIA had already reduced its daily domestic and international flights from about 110 to just eight. Haemorrhaging money, PIA has now seen its landing rights in the EU and the UK, both major markets for its international flights, stripped. In the US, where the airline had been lobbying the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to allow it to fly direct flights for the first time, a preliminary authorisation that allowed evacuation flights for stranded Pakistanis was cancelled. How safe is Pakistans aviation sector? International airlines generally seek three major safety certifications: the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , and the Third Country Operator Authorisation from European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA). EASAs current ramp inspection rating, also known as a Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) rating, for PIA is 0.66, according to airline spokesman Khan. In 2018, that rating was at 2.38, according to then-CEO Cyan. A lower SAFA rating indicates a higher level of compliance with EU safety requirements. How healthy is the airline financially? [Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera] The airline carries three billion dollars in debt due to losses accumulated across several years, a crippling burden that is stunting growth. PIA is per se not a normal company when you look at the financial health of a company, the assets are always balanced out with liabilities and equities, said spokesperson Khan. In PIA, there is a very lopsided situation where the assets and the total liabilities are at a 1:5 ratio. Khan said the companys current revenue numbers cannot sustain the debt, and it requires constant injections from the government. The problem is that the debt is so large, that the government cannot fit [it] into one, or even three financial years because there is not enough depth in the budget to allow that to adjust the amount, he said. The government has tasked the current management with focusing on maintaining operational profitability, so that the debt does not continue to rise. Last year PIA saw a 42 percent increase in gross profits the first time in eight years. The national carrier had incurred a loss of Pakistani rupees 19.7 billion ($118m) in 2018. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government is considering selling two hotels owned by the airline the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City and the Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opera in Paris to generate much-needed revenue. Follow Alia Chughtai on Twitter: @AliaChughtai. Beverley Campion was 31, fit and healthy when she went for a routine antenatal appointment with her consultant. Already mum to two beautiful boys, the Dublin mum's third pregnancy had so far been smooth sailing and, as she lay down for a routine appointment in the National Maternity Hospital that day, her main concern, after checking all was well with baby, was wondering where her scar would be on this, her third Caesarean birth. "I'd been diagnosed with a condition called placenta previa [a fairly common condition where the placenta is embedded higher in the uterus] at my 20-week anatomy scan, so I assumed the section scar would need to be in a different location," explains Beverley. "I was curious how this C-section would differ from the others." After a brief scan, the consultant told her she would need to come back in five days for a more detailed ultrasound. "I told them that I was due to attend the foetal assessment clinic in two weeks anyway, but the consultant said I'd need to come back much sooner than that," says Beverley. "I had a feeling then that something more serious was potentially happening with my pregnancy." Five days later at the foetal assessment clinic, Beverley, then 33 weeks pregnant, was diagnosed with placenta accreta. Also known as placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), it affects approximately one in 750 women. Although rare, its incidence is increasing - from 0.8 per 1,000 deliveries in the 1980s, to three per 1,000 in the last decade. At the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, approximately 10 to 15 patients are diagnosed with PAS each year. "Placenta accreta develops when the placenta is embedded too deeply into the lining of the womb," explains Dr Fionnvola Armstrong, Placenta Accreta Fellow at the National Maternity Hospital. "Normally the placenta attaches to the innermost lining of the womb, known as the endometrium, and will separate from the endometrium following the delivery of the baby. In placenta accreta, the placenta invades beyond the endometrium and is unable to separate." Studies suggest the rise in incidence of PAS is linked to an increasing Caesarean-section delivery rate. "Previous Caesarean section is a common risk factor," reveals Dr Armstrong. "The greater the number of Caesarean section deliveries, the greater the risk. Studies show that the rate of PAS increased from 0.3pc with one previous C-section to 6.74 for women with five or more Caesarean sections." Other risk factors include having the condition placenta previa, having previous surgery that may affect the lining of the womb (such as removal of fibroid), infertility treatment and/or having retained placenta on a previous pregnancy. Usually PAS is diagnosed on ultrasound, with the first signs generally seen at the 20/21-week anatomy scan, although sometimes signs may not be apparent until later in the pregnancy. While some women may present with vaginal bleeding, the majority of those with the condition will have no symptoms. Awareness of PAS, outside of the medical community, remains relatively low. "I had never heard of PAS," says Beverley. "I didn't recognise the words placenta accreta or relate them to pregnancy." As her scan continued, Beverley's consultant and team noticed her bladder may also be invaded by her placenta. It was discussed with her and her husband that Beverley would need to be admitted to hospital until the delivery of their baby. "This was devastating for me," she says. "The thoughts of leaving my two sons, Sean [eight at the time] and Fiachra [then four] just made me crumble. I felt like my pregnancy, as I knew it, was becoming so distant and estranged to me." Beverley was admitted to Dublin's National Maternity Hospital at 34 weeks pregnant and monitored extensively until 36 weeks when, in June last year, her baby daughter Eabha Faye was delivered and taken straight to NICU. Beverley endured more than two-and-a-half hours of extensive surgery during which her uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes were removed and she lost two litres of blood. "I spent a further 24 hours after surgery in a high-dependency unit and it wasn't until two days after delivery that I got to meet my daughter," she says, sadly. "There was no skin-to-skin contact when she was first born and this still weighs heavy on my heart." As in 90pc of PAS cases, Beverley cannot have any future pregnancies. "I'm 32 now and have lost my fertility, the chance to have a baby is no longer an option for us," she says. The scar she was initially curious about is a vertical line running 16 centimetres down her torso, but she sees it as a reminder that what she went through was a life-saving surgery. She is a survivor. Sadly, not all cases have the same outcome. Early diagnosis and planned delivery massively reduce the risk of mortality, and outcomes are continuing to improve for patients affected with PAS. But it is a life-threatening condition and it's estimated that 2pc of cases end in fatality. One in four women will require blood transfusion. Other risks include infection, damage to adjacent organs and the potential development of blood clots in the leg or lung. One in 10 women will suffer a major complication requiring an additional procedure or return to the operating theatre. "The timing of the surgery usually means that babies are born prematurely and will require admission to the neonatal unit," adds Dr Armstrong. "This condition is rare and mortality from it is rare, but tragically it does happen," says Naomi Cooney. Six years ago, Naomi's 34-year-old sister, Eleanor (Ellie) McConnell was diagnosed with placenta accreta early in her pregnancy with her fourth child. Like for Beverley, PAS was a completely unknown term for Naomi. "I had never heard of the condition before my sister Ellie was diagnosed with it," she says. "Given the diagnosis was so early into her pregnancy, we didn't expect her pregnancy to continue but, despite the odds, it did and my little niece, Lily, was delivered at just over 26 weeks, weighing one pound and 14 ounces." Tragically Ellie died five days later due to complications arising from placenta accreta. "She left behind her husband, daughters who were four and three, her son who was one-and-a-half, her new little baby, her parents, siblings and extended family," says Naomi. "It was devastating. It still is." Because PAS is rare, the support available to those diagnosed is limited. "When my sister, Ellie, was diagnosed, with the exception of doctors, we did not find a single person who had heard of it or anyone who had gone through it," explains Naomi. In a bid to address this situation and lend much-needed support to any women and families dealing with PAS - and in the hope of creating something positive out of her family's huge sense of loss - just over 12 months ago, Naomi helped launch a support group: Placenta Accreta Ireland. The group, in partnership with the National Maternity Hospital, works alongside the medical community caring for mums with PAS and provides meetings, information and shared stories from women who have gone through it. Mums from all three Dublin maternity hospitals attend meetings, with educational resources - like the beautifully illustrated videos created by Lucy Scott (Doodle Diary of a New Mum) - available online via the National Maternity Hospital's website. The online content was launched in February this year, and has already been accessed worldwide and is currently being recorded in other languages. "I'm very pleased and proud of what we've achieved," says Naomi. "The condition is rare and often mums feel isolated, so for them to have this group is invaluable. Talking to other mums who have lived the experience and are survivors of the condition is a tremendous help to those newly-diagnosed with it." She adds: "It's bittersweet for me. My sister Ellie meant the world to me. To be able to play a part in helping any mum who has been impacted by this condition allows me to honour Ellie in a special way. There's a lot more I want to see Placenta Accreta Ireland accomplish. For me, everything we have achieved to date and all we will achieve into the future is Ellie's legacy. Every single part of it." nmh.ie/support-services/placenta-accreta-service.14585.html What is placenta accreta? Placenta accreta is a rare condition that happens when the placenta attaches too firmly to the uterine wall. Women who have had one or more previous C-section deliveries are at an increased risk for placenta accreta due to scarring of the uterine wall. Other risk factors include a full or partial placenta previa (when the placenta is near or covering the cervix), a maternal age of 35 or higher, and uterine conditions including endometriosis and fibroids but it can happen to women without any known risk factors as well. If you notice any third-trimester bleeding or spotting, see your doctor immediately. Placenta accreta is typically diagnosed with an ultrasound during routine prenatal care. The tussle between retired IAS officer Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar and Andhra Pradesh government over his reinstatement as the state election commissioner (SEC) took another turn on Monday. While Ramesh Kumar approached governor Biswabhushan Harichandan requesting that he be restored as the SEC as per the directions of the state high court, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Monday moved the Supreme Court again to stall any such move. The high court, which is presently hearing a contempt petition by Ramesh Kumar against the state government, gave an interim order last week, asking him to make a fresh representation to the governor. Nimmagadda, who met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan in Vijayawada, contended that the high court had confirmed his reinstatement as SEC, as the Supreme Court had dismissed the petition of the state government thrice and refused to grant the stay. In a statement after the meeting, Ramesh Kumar said the governor had given him a sympathetic hearing and assured to look into his representation. I am hopeful to get justice at the earliest, he said. However, the YSRCP government moved the Supreme Court again seeking a stay on the high court taking up the contempt petition filed by Ramesh Kumar. It argued that the high court could not take up such a contempt petition at a time when the matter was pending before the apex court. It may be recalled that the Jagan government had, on April 10, removed Ramesh Kumar from the post of SEC through an ordinance reducing the tenure of the SEC from five to three years and appointed a retired judge in his place. Ramesh Kumar challenged the ordinance in the high court, which struck down the same on May 29. The state government moved the SC challenging the high court order and sought a stay, but the top court refused to grant the same. When the government refused to reinstate him as the SEC, the retired IAS officer filed a contempt petition last week. The high court asked him to approach the governor and posted the case to Friday for next hearing. New Delhi, July 20 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) has initiated a probe against a man and his company IMG Ventures, allegedly promoted by some Bollywood and TV personalities, after accusations of blackmail and sexual assault on many young women on the pretext of offering modelling opportunities. "As it is a very serious issue in which many young girls have come forward and given some proof, the NCW will be doing a thorough inquiry into the matter and taking up the matter with police authorities concerned," National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma tweeted. "I have received a complaint from Yogita Bhayana against one Sunny Verma, promoter of IMG Ventures, who according to the complaint has been blackmailing and sexually assaulting a number of women on the pretext of (providing) modelling opportunities. A number of TV and film actors are also promoting his company in a video advertisement." The complainant has alleged that the company is promoted by Bollywood and television stars, including Mahesh Bhatt, Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, Mouni Roy, Rannvijay Singh, Prince Narula, and Esha Gupta. In her complaint to the NCW, People Against Rape in India (PARI) founder Yogita Bhayana alleged that Sunny Verma, through his company, invites young women/girls on the pretext of organising Miss Asia contest with a claim that the contest will launch them as models. The complaint further mentions that to make it look genuine, his company has also been charging entry fee of Rs 2,950 from each applicant. Once the girls apply, they are asked by female accomplices of Sunny Verma to submit nude pictures in order to get better ranking in the contest. "After receiving the nude pictures and sometime even before that, Sunny used to get in touch with the girls to push them for completely nude pictures and videos. He also used to allude as well as threaten them to submit to his sexual desires if they were interested in modelling as a career or wish to win the contest," the complaint said. The complaint claimed that once Sunny established physical relations with the young women, he used to blackmail them for regular sexual favours and many girls/women from across the country have suffered sexual and mental assault at the hands of Sunny and his accomplices. In her complaint, Bhayana said, "I have now received several letters, texts and audio clips from several girls as proof of this modus operandi of Sunny Verma and IMG. The girls have written details of sexual harassment under the condition that their names and identity will not be revealed. They have also shared their chat screen shots and audio call records with Sunny Verma. The chats are full of demands of sexual favours from Sunny Verma." "We request the NCW to take cognisance of our complaint and take appropriate action against Sunny Verma, his female accomplices, the partners of the company as well as against the Bollywood stars who are promoting IMG Ventures in spite of knowing everything," the complainant said. STAMFORD Dozens of painters with rollers and brushes marked Broad Street in downtown Stamford Sunday afternoon with a Black Lives Matter mural in 18-foot high letters in red, green and yellow, in what organizers say is the largest mural of its kind in the state. The large-letter format of the mural was aimed at calling attention to police brutality and social injustices around the nation, prompted by the recent deaths of a number of African Americans at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Atlanta and Louisville, Ky. Two Stamford residents taking part in painting had never met before, but they said they shared the same cause as they put down twine and tape on the pavement to block out a letter of the mural in front of the Ferguson Library. Its an amazing cause, said Dan Romaniello, who is white, Were trying to stop injustice, and we want to shine a light on that. His work partner, Gilberto Lorite, who described himself as Afro-Latino, said he was happy to partner with local residents of other races and ethnicities to create a symbol in bright, bold letters. Were trying to spread love, and to bring people together, he said. A 23-year-old Stamford man, Santigie Manseray, said there was a lot of distress and pain in the Black community following the death in May of George Floyd in Minnesota that triggered large-scale protests across the country. Looking at the multiracial crowd of hundreds of people who came to downtown Stamford for the painting event and rally, Manseray, a member of the Stamford chapter of the NAACP, said there was a sense that progress could be made. I see a coming together to make change. This, right here, shows the optimism. But weve got to keep on going, he said. The president of the Stamford NAACP chapter, Guy Fortt, had been working since 6 a.m. Sunday on the project on a hot, humid day, but he said the work was energizing. The key to it is the conglomeration of all these people, all of us, working together, to enrich ourselves, to make a union and a bond, he said. Valerie Cooper, a Stamford arts educator, used her credit card to buy supplies for the project. She called the mural a peaceful vehicle to stand against the systemic racism and injustice that African Americans face in todays society. A website has been started to help defray the costs of the mural, which did not receive taxpayer funding, Cooper noted. The painting went off without incident, with the assistance of police officers who blocked off traffic, as well as the citys public works department. Two motorcyclists revved their engines repeatedly as the event began to disrupt speeches, then drove off. Iyaba Ibo Mandingo is a professional artist and educator who came from Bridgeport to his native city to take part in the mural. He was lending his skills and expertise with a brush, he said, as he applied a cadmium yellow paint to the asphalt, and he also wanted to encourage young people to take an interest in the arts. He said the statement that Black Lives Matter, in 2020, was kind of a shame on us, but it was worth stating in bold letters. A noontime rally brought out some 70 people for speeches and invocations by Stamford clergy. The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez of St. John Episcopal Church told the crowd the civil rights movement was born in the church. Looking over the attendees, Martinez said, This is a beautiful sight: white people, Black people, Asians, Hispanics. ... All of them coming together, all united in the vision that Black lives matter. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, Speeches are not enough. We need action laws, reform with real teeth. Blumenthal said laws preventing chokeholds by police officers, racial profiling and no-knock warrants were necessary in Washington and Hartford. And theres got to be action on housing, education and health care, he continued. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, told the crowd, Police brutality is a symptom of a much larger edifice of prejudice and systemic racism. ... Its a 400-year-old edifice that will not go away in a day. A number of state representatives and Stamford city leaders also took part in the rally. Mayor David Martin said he hoped the large Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Stamford could be seen from outer space. Speakers also cited the recent deaths of two prominent civil rights leaders, Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia congressman, and the Rev. Cordy Tindell Vivian, a close ally of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Hispanic activist, Angelica Durrell, spoke in Spanish and English about social injustices and the recent wave of protests over the police killings. Let us channel our anger and frustration into action, she said. Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the name of The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez of St. John Episcopal Church. Mission, Upper Haight Photo: Borderlands Books An open letter from more than three dozen financial sponsors of Borderlands Books is calling for owner Alan Beatts to resign and divest from the business. Beatts, who's run the science fiction and fantasy bookstore since 1997, has been accused of attempted rape by his daughter, and of threatening a former partner with assault at knifepoint. The accusations have rocked the publishing industry and the community that's formed around the bookstore, which had been set to close its 19-year home on Valencia Street and move to the Upper Haight this year. In 2017, Beatts raised nearly $2 million in personal loans and grants from supporters to purchase the Haight location, formerly home to Recycled Records. With his lease on Valencia expiring this year, the new store was meant to provide a permanent, stable home for Borderlands. Now, 38 of Borderlands' financial sponsors are calling for Beatts to step aside, making room for them to support a new operator for Borderlands. "We cannot support Borderlands while Alan might use his position as owner to do and conceal harm," the supporters write in their letter. "We demand that he relinquish ownership of the store, and divest financially from it." Beatts, as well as two of the letter's signatories, declined to comment for this story. On Twitter, a Borderlands patron posted an alleged statement from Beatts shared to a private Discord server, in which he denies the allegations. "Getting Borderlands to the point that I am unnecessary has been a goal for several years," Beatts writes. "But it's a long process and one that has barely begun. Right now, I cannot see any way that Borderlands can possibly operate without me ... Regardless of any other considerations, that is not an option." Alan Beatts of Borderlands Books wrote the following information to a Discord server with Borderlands sponsors. I received these screenshots and am posting them for the world to see. Thread, 1/5 pic.twitter.com/zwghSfIGv0 Buer Watt (@BuerWatt) July 12, 2020 In addition to calling for Beatts' resignation, the letter's signatories are asking for their names to be removed as official sponsors on the store's website and on its interior displays. "We hope that we can resume support and sponsorship of Borderlands (or a successor bookstore) under different ownership and management," they conclude, suggesting a worker cooperative as one potential alternative. Camden Avery contributed reporting to this story. Description Parents are invited to learn more about Ivy League School by attending an upcoming information session on Monday, July 20. You will be able to hear from our administration and faculty who have an in-depth understanding of our unique approach to learning that truly focuses on your child. Below, you will find three registration times. Please see time schedule below: Preschool (Toddlers through Pre-K) will be meeting at 9:30 a.m. Elementary (Grades K through 4) will be meeting at 10:30 a.m. Middle School (Grades 5 through 8) will be meeting at 11:30 a.m. Click the here to register. Our second photo shows Hope. Meet Hope ... Esperanza in Spanish and Xi Wang in Mandarin! We ordered her last Fall to beautify the campus and she arrived in April. As a welcome addition to the collection of statues that already grace our campus, she is the embodiment of the sense of wonder that we will continue to cultivate in your children. So much of what we are going through as a community and as parents is evident in her expression. While Hope is a statue, hope is not a strategy. Toward that end, we have been listening, ideating, and envisioning what school will look like when we are able to reopen our campus for your children. We thank you for your support as we navigate these uncharted waters together. We know that you will join us in welcoming Hope to our campus and we look forward to meeting you on July 20. The coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University induces a strong immune response and appears to be safe, according to preliminary trial results. The early stage trial, which involved 1,077 people, has found that the vaccine trains the immune system to produce antibodies and white blood cells capable of fighting the virus. It also causes few side effects. Professor Sarah Gilbert, co-author of the Oxford University study, described the findings as promising but said there is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the Covid-19 pandemic. The results came as the UK secured 90 million doses of other promising Covid-19 vaccines, while clinical trials of a new inhaled coronavirus treatment showed it significantly reduced the number of hospitalised patients needing intensive care. Boris Johnson, the prime minister, said the results were very positive as he congratulated the team of scientists working on the vaccine. There are no guarantees, were not there yet and further trials will be necessary but this is an important step in the right direction, he said on Twitter. Matt Hancock, the health secretary also told MPs the virus was on the back foot in Britain as the number of new cases and hospital admissions continue to fall. In research published on Monday in the journal Lancet, scientists said the vaccine produced a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55 provoking a T-cell response within 14 days of vaccination and an antibody response after 28 days. More trials will need to be conducted to establish how long these cells last within the body. It is also unclear whether the vaccine can prevent people from falling ill or lessen the symptoms of Covid-19. Researchers said the vaccine caused minor side effects more frequently than a control group, but some of these could be reduced by taking paracetamol, with no serious adverse events from the vaccine. The data included in the paper covered the first 56 days of the trial and is ongoing. Phase two and three trials evaluating the vaccines effectiveness have been expanded beyond the UK to South Africa, Brazil and the US, where infections rates are still high, to allow researchers to assess whether it can block or limit transmission among large populations. As well as continuing to test our vaccine in phase three trials, we need to learn more about the virus for example, we still do not know how strong an immune response we need to provoke to effectively protect against Sars-CoV-2 infection, Professor Gilbert added. The studys authors have also noted that more research is needed to confirm the findings in different groups of people including older age groups, those with other health conditions, and in ethnically and geographically diverse populations. Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Show all 12 1 /12 Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Marc Lyons ICU Consultant, East Cheshire NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Emma Kelly Critical Care Nurse, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Laura Arrowsmith COVID-19 Ward Cleaner, Leighton Hospital, Crewe PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Stuart Brookfield Paramedic, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Claudia Anghel Midwife, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Sarah Jensen Chief Information Officer, Barts Health NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Anne Roberts District Nurse, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ali Abdi Porter, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Jack Hannay Manikum 111 call handler, West Midlands Ambulance Service PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ade Williams Superintendent Pharmacist, Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Farzana Hussain GP, Project Surgery, Newham PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Roopak Khara General Adult Psychiatrist, West London NHS Trust PA The vaccine, called AZD1222, is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. It has been weakened to ensure it does not trigger any disease in humans and is modified to express the spike protein seen on Sars-CoV-2 the tool used by the virus to invade human cells. When this genetic material enters the human body, it helps teach the immune system to recognise the Sars-CoV-2 virus, according to co-author professor Andrew Pollard. Oxford University has partnered with AstraZeneca to produce the vaccine globally, with the pharmaceutical giant already committed to making two billion doses. The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, while a number of other governments around the world, including the US, France and Germany, have entered into supply deals with the company should the candidate prove effective and gain regulatory approval. AstraZeneca has said it will not seek to profit from the vaccine during the pandemic. If our vaccine is effective, it is a promising option as these types of vaccines can be manufactured at large scale, said Professor Gilbert. A successful vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 could be used to prevent infection, disease and death in the whole population, with high-risk populations such as hospital workers and older adults prioritised to receive vaccination. Global Justice Now, which campaigns on issues of trade, health care and justice in the developing world, said AstraZenecas claim that it will sell the vaccine at no profit during the pandemic is not good enough. Heidi Chow, a senior policy manager, told The Independent: It needs to fully disclose its costs and prices so that this can be verified. The company has also left the door open to profiteer from this publicly-funded vaccine after the pandemic, when the need for vaccination may still exist. This vaccine has been paid for by the public purse and if it ultimately proves to be safe and effective, it should be a global public good and openly licensed. AstraZenecas vaccine is among the leading candidates currently being developed, with about a dozen others in the early stages of human testing or poised to start, mostly in China, the US and Europe. The American biotech firm Moderna, based in Massachusetts, was the first to announce that its vaccine candidate had produced an immune response within people. The company said in May that the levels of antibodies developed by participants in its phase one trial mirrored those seen in patients who have recovered from the virus. BioNtech and Pfizer have also delivered positive results from early trials into their MRNA-based vaccine. An ideal vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 should be effective after one or two vaccinations and work in target populations including older adults and those with other health conditions, researchers say. They add that it should confer protection for a minimum of six months, and reduce onward transmission of the virus to contacts. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) addresses her weekly news conference with Capitol Hill reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 18, 2020. Democratic leaders are warning that Congress is being targeted by a foreign interference campaign geared toward disrupting November's presidential election. The top two Democrats in Congress and the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees released a letter on Monday to FBI Director Christopher Wray saying they are "gravely concerned" that Congress "appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign." They wrote that the campaign "seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November." The brief letter, which is marked as unclassified, was sent on July 13 but was not available to the public before Monday. Markings on the letter suggest that it was accompanied by a classified attachment. A congressional official, who declined to be named because the attachment was not public, said the document is based in large part on reporting and analysis from the executive branch. The letter was signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Democrats cited the "seriousness and specificity" of the threats and called for a defensive briefing to be provided to all members of Congress as quickly as possible. They asked Wray to outline a plan for the briefing by Monday. Carol Cratty, a spokesperson for the FBI, declined to comment beyond confirming that the bureau received the letter. Investigations by the U.S. intelligence community and Congress have determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the intention of benefiting President Donald Trump. Former special counsel Robert Mueller, who was tasked with investigating Russian interference, found no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia but did find that the Trump campaign expected to benefit from the country's actions. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said earlier this month that he had begun receiving intelligence briefings and warned that Russia and China were both seeking to meddle in the race. Earlier this year, Sen. Bernie Sanders was reportedly warned by U.S. officials that Russia was seeking to bolster his bid for the Democratic nomination. Dixie Thompsons sewing prowess and classroom dedication have helped to change the lives of more than three generations of Jacksonville-area residents. The 84-year-old Thompsons one-of-a-kind doll clothes are sought-after collectors items, and the woman who never met a stranger in my life opened her heart and home to students during 46 years of teaching at Our Saviour School in Jacksonville. Ive had a wonderful life. Its just been so good with me, Thompson said. Thompsons story began in Beardstown, where her parents owned and operated a hotel that proved to be an exciting environment for a child and everything was there. But Thompsons mother died when Dixie was 11, and Dixie was unaware at the time that her mother had been a master seamstress. It took some high school home economics class rebellion for Dixie to realize her inherited potential. The teacher wanted me to make an apron out of a pillowcase, and I said Im not wasting my time on that, so I bought a pattern that was unbelievable, and she said you cannot believe youre going to make that in this classroom, Thompson said. And that was the beginning of it right there. I worked on that thing for six months. I got it done, and it was a long-sleeve, flared, little fancy thing. But I did it. Thompson made her first wedding dress for a friend at age 18, and the happy bride told other friends. The next thing she knew, Thompson was sewing more wedding, prom and first communion dresses, plus christening dresses made from mothers wedding gowns. Thompson used the money she made from sewing to pay for college education in Colorado. Thompson settled in Jacksonville and began a long-time participation in the annual Elliott State Bank Dress-A-Doll contest, an effort that was an offshoot of the doll clothes she had been making for her daughters. People saw those contest clothes and kept asking why I didnt make doll clothes for other people. Well, I just wanted to do it for fun, Thompson said. Then along came my grandkids and they just kept piling up on me, and pretty soon I was making a lot of doll clothes. When I made something I made it especially for that doll, I always made it special, Thompson said. I once made matching cheerleader doll clothes for twin girls to put on their dolls because they were both cheerleaders, then along came another set of twins and I made doll clothes for them. Thompsons creations were a staple at the annual RCHS/OSS Dreams fundraiser, where she would make ten doll clothing outfits, hang them on tiny hangars in a custom-built closet, and they would be auctioned as a set. Some of those got to be pretty expensive because everybody wanted them, Thompson said. The last one sold for $500. But thats good, the church got a lot of money out of that. I probably have 200,000 miles on my sewing machine, Thompson said. I had to quit most of my sewing because my hands got really arthritic and I had a stroke. I still make each one of my grandkids and great-grandkids special blankets, but thats about the most I can do now. But sewing is only half of Dixie Thompsons story. She began teaching at Our Saviour School in 1966, and 21 days after Thompson started, the original school burned down. I thought that was a sign, and that I was going to quit. But Monsignor said you cant quit. We just got a place for you and now youre quitting? Thompson said. I spent 31 years in the regular classroom and 15 years in art class. I have no idea why I taught art, Id never taught it in my life, but that seemed interesting to me. Thompson soon began taking students to her nearby home after class because Our Saviour didnt have an after-school program. She regularly had up to nine students in her home every day until about 5:30 p.m., and there were several additional students who would need to occasionally spend the night because of their parents work schedules. Thompson figures she raised a couple of kids during her years of teaching. Thompson tried to retire after serving 31 years in the classroom, and made it for 24 days before, Monsignor called and said they had hired two new sixth-grade teachers, neither one of whom were Catholic, and he wanted to get somebody back in there, Thompson said. So I went back and I taught just in the mornings. But then I was bored in the afternoons, and thats when I started teaching art. I finally quit when I was 80 years old because I thought that was enough time, Thompson said. By the third generation I had gotten into, I realized I had taught some of their grandpas. And that was enough for me. Forty-six years of teaching means that Thompson can seldom go anywhere without meeting someone who was in her classroom. My students were my friends. Sometimes I cant get the name right, but I can look at somebodys face and think, they belong to the Kaufmans, or they belong to the Tobin family, Thompson said. I dont always get it right, but I get it close. I know their grandmas, their parents, and them. That makes me feel happy. Thompson was wed at the age of 16 but the marriage lasted only long enough for six children, five of whom remain, and she now has 15 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren with another on the way. That extended family recently planned a surprise 84th birthday party complete with a COVID-19-safe parade by her house. We had about 200 people come through, Thompson said. There were some that I didnt recognize because they had grown a bit, some had beards and they didnt have those in second grade. Thompson wouldnt change a thing about her life and considers herself to be truly blessed with what shes been able to do and the friends she has made. Her advice for others to achieve that kind of happiness is simple. Look at the future and just be kind to everybody, even if you dont agree with them, Thompson said. You will find that life just opens up to you if you are considerate and kind. . If you have a suggestion about someone who should be profiled, send their name and any contact information available to communitynews@myjournalcourier.com. Outbreak is spreading from Mbandakas urban centre to surrounding remote villages in forests along the Congo River. Ebola cases in western Democratic Republic of the Congo have risen to 60 with funerals a particular concern for the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan said another three cases were detected at the weekend, making a total of 56 confirmed and four probable infections in an outbreak announced last month in DRCs Equateur province. The disease is active, not controlled, Ryan told a virtual briefing from the UN agencys headquarters in Geneva, noting burial practices as a worry. The outbreak is DRCs 11th since Ebola was identified in 1976. Equateur province includes part of the River Congo, a large geographical area where communities are linked across, and people travel, long distances. It is spreading from Mbandakas urban centre to surrounding remote villages in forests along the Congo River, some of which can only be accessed by canoe or all-terrain vehicles. Deadliest outbreak A separate outbreak of Ebola in Ituri and North Kivu provinces of eastern DRC was declared over last month. That epidemic, the second-largest on record, saw 3,463 confirmed and probable cases and 2,277 deaths over two years. Health Minister Eteni Longondo called the longest, most complex and deadliest outbreak in the countrys history. The two epidemics have no common viral strain, according to the WHO. The virus is passed on by contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of an infected or recently deceased person. The death rate is typically high, ranging up to 90 percent in some outbreaks. DRC is facing a measles outbreak that has killed more than 6,000 people since early last year, as well as recurring flare-ups of cholera and malaria. It is also struggling with the new coronavirus, with 8,249 cases including 193 fatalities. WHO officials worry that because of these competing health crises, there could be a lack of funding for the Ebola epidemic. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) President Rodrigo Duterte will show up at the House of Representatives next Monday to deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address, his spokesman said. "I can confirm for the first time that the President will be physically present in Batasan pagdating ng SONA sa ika-27 ng buwang ito. Naka-schedule ang rehearsal, at patuloy ang preparation [The rehearsal has been scheduled and preparations continue]," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during his regular press briefing. Philippine presidents typically deliver their annual address to the public at the Speaker's podium at the plenary hall of Batasan Complex in Quezon City, which has evolved into a red carpet event every fourth Monday of July. In an advisory, the House of Representatives said all commercial media will not be allowed to enter the Batasan premises on Monday upon the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Only personnel of the government-owned Radio TV Malacanang will be allowed to enter and set up broadcast equipment to cover the President's speech, which will be fed for use for all media outlets. The SONA will also be aired live through RTVM's Facebook and YouTube channels. The plan is in place barring any "supervening events," Roque said. A separate discussion is ongoing as to who will be invited to physically join Duterte in Batasan, as authorities wanted to avoid a mass gathering as much as possible. A maximum of 50 lawmakers may attend the Congressional address, but Roque said it is unsure if members of the Duterte Cabinet will be allowed to join the proceedings in person. Existing rules in Metro Manila limit gatherings to 10 people while official business and high-level events operate at partial capacity, as the region remains under general community quarantine until end-July. Roque said the President will definitely discuss the government's coronavirus response and how the economy will recover from this slump, as well as his priorities for the last two years in office. It took a while for Malacanang to finalize how this year's SONA will be carried out due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has infected more than 67,000 people so far and led to more than 1,800 deaths. The House of Representatives has tallied 17 coronavirus cases among its ranks, mostly involving Congressional staff. A backup plan was to keep Duterte in the Presidential residence and set up a live broadcast from the Malago Clubhouse to Congress and for nationwide airing. RELATED: Going online for Duterte's SONA a 'safe fallback' Palace Authorities are advising protesters to move their annual rally held along Commonwealth Avenue to online platforms in light of the pandemic. "Tingin ko, kasinlinaw ng sinag ng araw na ang pagtitipon-tipon po ay magreresulta sa mas mabilis na pagkalat ng sakit na ito [I think it's clear as day that having a gathering will result to a faster spread of this disease]," Roque added. Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa said separately that police personnel will practice maximum tolerance should protesters show up around Batasan. RELATED: Groups announce massive SONA protests "The PNP will always balance that freedom of expression that many people want to exercise and of course, keeping the necessary measures lalo na doon sa quarantine protocols in mass gatherings [especially to implement quarantine protocols in mass gatherings]," Gamboa told reporters Monday morning. Meanwhile, Roque said he could not comment on calls made by media groups demanding to air the full speech of Duterte in Jolo, Sulu last week. Several media outlets reported that the speech was spliced to remove the President's rants against shuttered network ABS-CBN and Rappler. "Kung merong magrereklamo siguro dahil siya ay na-censor, ang Presidente mismo ('yun) [If there's anyone who will complain for being censored, it should be the President]," Roque added. Duterte has been addressing the public every time he makes a decision on quarantine rules every two weeks, which is often taped and aired around midnight. As implementing formal COVID-19 safety protocols becomes necessary for resuming economic activity around the world, Brivo, the global leader in cloud-based access control and physical security platforms, introduces the Brivo Facility Safety Features to its portfolio of security products. Included automatically in Brivo Onair, Brivo Visitor, and Brivo Mobile Pass, Brivos Facility Safety Features are designed to support the management of COVID-19 safety protocols for facilities already using the Brivo suite of products. We understand that keeping employees safe is the number one priority for businesses as they begin to return to work. Dealing with COVID-19 is going to be our reality for quite some time, says Steve Van Till, CEO at Brivo. Our goal is to support and empower our customers to implement smart, cloud-based access control solutions that ensure everyone in their buildings can return safely. By including Facility Safety Features in the Brivo products they already use, our customers can implement these new processes quickly and adjust quickly as protocol guidance changes. As more states begin to reopen their economies and others are experiencing a spike in new COVID-19 cases, there is an even greater need for access control systems. As of July 17, 2020, 51% of America has reopened according to Brivos Commercial Reopening Index, which monitors credential holder activity from commercial access control data across the U.S. Brivo Facility Safety Features offer four solutions for businesses looking to protect everyone in their buildings and improve access control in the new normal: Contact Reporting: Generate targeted reports listing specific user access events and potential contacts to seamlessly create contact tracing lists Personnel Control: Suspend user access automatically until they go through a screening checkpoint, controlling traffic flow and reducing close contact Visitor Reporting: Screens all visitors for COVID symptoms and notifies hosts when a visitor may pose a risk Mobile Self-Screening: Use Brivo Mobile Pass to identify users with COVID symptoms before they enter a site, reducing the possibility of viral spread Current Brivo customers can turn on all of these features from their existing Brivo Onair account. To learn more about Brivo Facility Safety Features visit here. About Brivo Brivo is the global leader in cloud-based access control and security platforms for commercial and multifamily properties. Our mission is to provide Simply Better Security solutions that improve user experiences for property managers, tenants, employees, and visitors. With over 20 million users and 1,500 authorized resellers, our SaaS platform has been unifying the security experience across access control, mobile credentials, video surveillance, identity federation, visitor management, intercoms, and elevator control since 2001. Hundreds of software partners and end users use our APIs and SDKs to extend our solutions to unique vertical market offerings. More than ten years of SOC audits underscore our commitment to protecting customer privacy and data security. Brivo is privately held and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Ivy West, an elections judge, cleans a booth between voters at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Silver Spring on June 2. (Robb Hill for The Washington Post) Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday defended his decision to hold a traditional election in November, despite growing concerns from voting rights advocates and election officials about the impact of his choice amid a global pandemic. Hogan (R) said he opted for a normal election instead of a vote by mail only because of the chaos that occurred during the June 2 primary, when the state mailed ballots to every voter and opened only a few polling sites in each jurisdiction. Far more voters than expected opted to cast their ballots in person, leading to huge lines and hours-long waits in many places. Im encouraging everyone to vote by mail instead of vote by mail only, which is what some of our Democratic colleagues are pushing for, Hogan said during an appearance on the television show The View, where he explained his decision to open all polling sites in the state and mail absentee-ballot applications to every voter, rather than the ballots themselves. In the primary we had, the State Board of Elections screwed up getting ballots out, Hogan said. They mailed the wrong ballots. They mailed Spanish ballots to English speakers. They sent things to the wrong districts. They got them out too late. Democratic elected officials are calling on Hogan to mail ballots to every voter and offer limited in-person voting on Election Day, with more polling sites available than during the primary. Voting rights advocates have increasingly criticized Hogans decision not to limit polling sites or mail ballots to the entire electorate. Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) has urged Hogan to reverse his order, saying it could have devastating consequences. [Maryland to open all polling places on Election Day] We dont believe that Gov. Hogan is acting in the best interest of Maryland voters, said Joanne Antoine, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that voters consider alternatives to casting ballots in person. States across the country are deciding the best ways to hold the November elections, with some opting for mail-in ballots and limited polling sites and others, like Maryland, moving toward a traditional election, albeit with a robust mail-in option. The use of mail-in ballots in November has increasingly become a partisan issue, with President Trump repeatedly and without evidence raising questions about the security of mailed ballots and pressuring Republican governors not to expand voting by mail. About two dozen states are embroiled in legal challenges over how elections will look this fall. In Maryland, Democratic elected officials have raised concerns about the costs of running the polling sites and finding workers to operate them. Most poll workers are seniors, who are especially vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R). (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) Hes literally taken a step backward in the face of a global pandemic, said Del. Nick J. Mosby (D-Baltimore City), who chairs the House subcommittee on election laws. Mosby said Hogan is pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party with his directive for the November election. Requiring voters to send in an application for an absentee ballot, he said, is a step that will only cause confusion and voter suppression: It adds no value to increasing democracy. Hogan said he wants voters to have multiple options, even as he encourages people to vote by mail. Were encouraging to vote by mail. If you dont vote by mail, we have early voting and encouraging early vote . . . he said. And then on Election Day, were actually going to have the polls open, in case we have the problem we had in the primary. Read more: Maryland to open all polling places on Election Day, mail application for absentee ballot to each voter Voting problems in D.C., Maryland lead to calls for top officials to resign In new guidance, CDC recommends alternatives in addition to in-person voting to avoid spreading coronavirus " " This illustration shows William the Conqueror pushing his helmet back to show troops he is alive during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images Like other larger-than-life figures from world history, William the Conqueror was a man of paradoxes. While personally pious and deeply faithful to his church and his wife, he was also a ruthless political aggressor capable of brutal acts of violence to preserve his power. Whether or not he was a "good" man, the French-born William left an indelible mark on the English-speaking world by spearheading the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. William's victory at the Battle of Hastings ended six centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule in England and imposed French and Latin words into Old English, creating the blended language we speak today. Every English monarch since William is considered a descendent of him. But how exactly did this illegitimate son of a French duke rise to become King of England and one of the most fearsome figures of the 11th century? Advertisement William the Bastard Silences His Critics William was born around 1027 in the town of Falaise in the Normandy region of France. His parents were Duke Robert I of Normandy and a woman named Herleve (or sometimes Arlette), the daughter of a tanner. Robert and Herleve weren't married, but they weren't exactly illicit lovers, either. According to David Bates, author of the Yale University Press biography "William the Conqueror," Herleve was Robert's long-time "concubine" and partner, a relationship that wasn't uncommon in 11th-century France. "What constituted a 'Christian marriage' wasn't actually made clear in canon law until the early 13th century," says Bates. "[Robert and Herleve's relationship] was a bit unusual, but not dramatically so." What's clear is that Robert, who didn't have any other children, saw William as his legitimate heir, an unusual step at the time. And when Robert died during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, 8-year-old William became Duke of Normandy. The young Duke's enemies, who tried unsuccessfully to steal his land and title, insultingly called him "William the Bastard." By the time William was in his early 20s, he had quashed several internal rebellions and even captured neighboring territories. As Duke of Normandy, "he had a very strong reputation as someone not to mess with," says Hugh Thomas, history professor at the University of Miami and author of "The Norman Conquest: England After William the Conqueror." As proof of William's fame as a formidable fighter and political leader, he had no trouble recruiting thousands of men from Normandy and Northern France to sail with him on an incredibly risky venture the 1066 invasion of England to claim its throne for the Normans. Advertisement Who Were the Normans? Norman means "men from the north" and that's exactly who they were Viking invaders who settled in Northern France in the 900s C.E. Over time, they converted to Christianity and started speaking French, but they "continued to think of themselves as a distinct group," says Thomas. England, meanwhile, had been ruled by Anglo-Saxon kings since the first Germanic tribes conquered the land known today as England in the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. The Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English and lived in "shires" ruled by aristocratic lords loyal to the king. According to William, he was hand-picked to become the next king of England by Edward the Confessor, who died without an heir in 1066. But William wasn't the only pretender to the throne. "It would have made for a good soap opera," says Bates, listing the various distant relatives who claimed they were the rightful heirs, including Harold Godwinson (a member of a powerful family), who said that Edward had chosen him as successor on the late king's deathbed. "Since Edward was childless, everyone knew some terrible crisis was going to come," says Bates. "They had an awful long time to prepare without knowing exactly what form it was going to take." Harold was crowned king on Jan. 6, 1066, but his reign would last just nine months and end with his death by a Norman sword. Advertisement The Battle of Hastings The Norman invasion of England wasn't a rash attack. William took seven months to plan his campaign, eventually transporting 7,000 men and an estimated 3,000 horses across the English Channel on 600 Viking-style long boats. William's timing, it turned out, was perfect. His nemesis, now dubbed King Harold II, was distracted by a Norwegian invasion of Northern England, allowing the Normans to land unchallenged in Southern England. After Harold fought off the Norwegians, he marched his battle-weary soldiers straight to Hastings, where William's veteran cavalry and archers sat waiting. "It was a long and hard-fought battle, and a skillfully fought victory for William," says Bates. " " The Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the events leading to the Battle of Hastings, was probably commissioned by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, half-brother of William the Conqueror. This section shows Harold II, last Anglo-Saxon king of England, swearing an oath of loyalty to William, then Duke of Normandy. Harold broke the oath when, following the death of Edward the Confessor, he claimed the throne of England. William responded by invading England, taking the crown after defeating Harold at Hastings. Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images The English, who had the upper ground, formed a shield line and repelled countless uphill attacks by the Norman cavalry. William himself had three horses killed under him. When a rumor spread that William was dead, he famously took off his helmet and rode through the ranks to rally his troops, a scene captured in the historic Bayeux Tapestry. In a brilliant move, the Normans feigned retreat, which tricked some of the less-experienced English soldiers to break ranks and expose holes in their defense. "It's not very bright," says Thomas, "chasing on foot people who are on horseback." The Normans circled back and broke through the English line, killing Harold and his two brothers. The king-less English scattered in a panic and the grueling, day-long Battle of Hastings went to William, who was crowned King of England on Christmas Day, 1066. Advertisement The 'Harrying' of the North As expected, Harold's supporters didn't roll over and accept William the Conqueror as their king. During the first years of William's reign, his enemies mounted numerous rebellions and uprisings, but none as sustained as those in Northern England centered around the shire of York. To put an end to the fighting, William resorted to a scorched-earth tactic called "harrying" that was well-known in medieval times, but perhaps never executed with such severity. To "harry" is to burn and destroy the land and its resources so completely that nothing is left to sustain a rebellion. According to one 12th-century chronicler, as many as 100,000 peasants died from the famine that followed William's decimation of the north. "This episode shows William being capable of extreme violence to achieve his ends," says Bates. "It's his ruthlessness taken to extremes." When William took the throne, he left much of the Anglo-Saxon government in place, since it already had a sophisticated bureaucracy that included coinage and taxation. But he eventually took the dramatic step of dispossessing most of the Anglo-Saxon nobles and handing their lands over to loyal Norman elites. Latin became the official language of English government, explains Thomas, because it was a language that both English and Norman bureaucrats could understand. While the lower social classes continued to speak Old English, the English elites and their hangers-on started speaking French, and it remained the language of the upper classes well into the 13th century, says Bates. As a result of the Norman invasion, modern English contains roughly 10,000 French words, and an estimated 58 percent of English words are derived from French or Latin. Interestingly, William spoke no English and was illiterate, like many noblemen of the day. Advertisement William's Gift to Historians Once William installed loyal Norman subjects as feudal lords, he wanted to determine exactly how many resources were under his control. So, he ordered a nationwide survey of every shire, farm, shop and household down to the number of sheep in the yard and bushels of grain in the storehouse. "It's this massive undertaking by the standards of the time," says Thomas. "The local people compared it to the Last Judgement, when every single sin and good deed would be counted." " " An extract from the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the '"Great Survey" ordered by King William the Conqueror. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images When this huge collection of demographic and economic information was published, it was dubbed the Domesday Book, pronounced "doomsday." To this day, historians covet the reams of 12th-century data captured by this wildly ambitious survey. "There's nothing else before or after that survives like that," says Thomas. "It's this incredible snapshot of England's economy." Advertisement Death and Royal Legacy Despite being King of England, William mostly ruled from Normandy, where he was also besieged by rebellions. In 1087, a year after the completion of the Domesday Book, William fell from a horse while attacking the French city of Mantes and died from his injuries. He was buried in the Abbey of St. Stephen in Caen, France, a building that William constructed in 1077 as a favor of sorts to the Church. Pope Leo IX had opposed William's marriage to his close cousin Matilda in 1050, but William promised to build a pair of abbeys in Caen if the Pope agreed to bless the union, which he did. A simple stone laid in the abbey is etched with this epitaph: "Here lies the invincible William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England." William and Matilda had 10 children, including William II, who succeeded his father as King of England. The current Royal Family of the United Kingdom is related to William by way of a complicated and twisting pedigree. There have been four English kings named William and will likely be a fifth if Prince William assumes the throne as expected. Now That's Cool You can thank the Normans for popularizing some of the most common names in the English language, including William, Robert, Henry and Alice. Before the Norman invasion, babies were given good Anglo-Saxon names like Aethelred, Eadric and Leofric. President Donald Trump and Chris Wallace clashed repeatedly as the Fox News host corrected the president on several facts during an interview that aired Sunday. One of the more contentious moments from the "Fox News Sunday" interview that gained national attention occurred when Trump said he would "be right, eventually," about his belief that the coronavirus will simply "disappear." On two occasions, Trump called for staff to bring him fact sheets related to points Wallace disputed that the U.S. has "one of the lowest mortality rates in the world" from COVID-19 and that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden wants to "defund the police." On both occasions, the documents brought to the president did not appear to prove him right. Here are some of the highlights from the hour-long interview: 'I'll be right eventually': Donald Trump defends his handling of COVID-19 and the presidency Testing behind rise in cases Trump repeated his false claim that more testing in the U.S. is behind the rising number of infections rather than increased spread of the coronavirus. "Chris, that's because we have great testing, because we have the best testing in the world," Trump said after Wallace produced a chart showing a large spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. "If we didn't test, you wouldn't be able to show that chart. If we tested half as much, those numbers would be down." Wallace explained that while testing across the nation was up 37%, the number of infections was up 194%. "It isn't just that testing has gone up, it's that the virus has spread. The positivity rate has increased," Wallace said. Trump did not back down, arguing many of those "cases shouldn't even be cases" because they involved young people who only got "the sniffles," despite health experts' warnings that young people can still become seriously ill from the disease. Story continues "Cases are up because we have the best testing in the world and we have the most testing," Trump insisted. New stimulus?: Trump sets down markers on next COVID package as Republicans huddle at White House 'It's not true, sir' When Wallace said the U.S. had the seventh-highest mortality rate from COVID-19, Trump said he thought "it's the opposite." "I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world," Trump said. Then-President-elect Donald Trump is interviewed by Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday" in Trump Tower, in New York, Dec. 10, 2016. "It's not true, sir," replied Wallace. "We had 900 deaths on a single day." Trump asked White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany to bring him the statistics. "Do you have the numbers, please? Because I heard we had the best mortality rate," he said. When she produced the document, Trump said it proved him right and that "it shows what fake news is all about." "I don't think I'm fake news," Wallace said. In a voiceover added to the interview, Wallace explains the chart used by the White House did not include all of the countries with lower COVID-19 mortality rates than the U.S. 'I'll be right eventually' Wallace played a clip of Trump's early statements saying the coronavirus was not a threat to the U.S., including his claim that "at some point that's going to sort of just disappear." "I will be right eventually. You know I said, 'It's going to disappear.' I'll say it again. It's going to disappear and I'll be right," Trump said. He did not explain why or how the virus would go away, but he said it was true "because I've been right probably more than anybody else." Trump won't commit to accepting election results "I'm not a good loser," Trump confessed. "I don't lose too often. I don't like to lose." When asked if he was a "gracious loser," Trump said,"you don't know until you see. It depends." "I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election. I really do," he added, repeating an unsubstantiated claim he has made since the coronavirus pandemic sparked calls for mail-in ballots in many states. More: No presidential winner on election night? Mail-in ballots could put outcome in doubt for weeks Trump would not commit to accepting the result of the election, telling Wallace, "I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense." He pointed out that he said the same thing in 2016. "I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no. And I didn't last time either," Trump said. 'Sir, he does not' When Trump claimed that Biden wanted to "defund the police," Wallace told him, "Sir, he does not. Trump insisted that a policy pact between Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, called for defunding the police. "It says nothing about defunding the police," Wallace said. "Oh really? It says abolish, it says defund. Let's go," said an agitated Trump, calling for McEnany to bring him the document. "I look forward to seeing that," Wallace replied. In a voiceover added after the interview, Wallace said the "White House has never sent us evidence that Bernie-Biden platform calls for defunding, or abolishing police, because there is none." 'I don't care what the military says' When asked if he considers the Confederate flag offensive, Trump said, "We can't cancel our whole history. We can't forget that the north and the south fought. We have to remember that, otherwise we'll end up fighting again." Trump said he would veto the National Defense Authorization Act if it included an amendment to rename military bases named for Confederate generals because "all of these forts that have been named that way for a long time, decades and decades." When Wallace said the military supported renaming the bases, Trump said, "I don't care what the military says. I'm supposed to make the decision." More: Trumps COVID-19 response, race relations and overall approval ratings drop amid pandemic, survey finds Trump wondered what Fort Bragg would be called if its name was changed. "We're going to name it after the Rev. Al Sharpton?" he speculated, referring to the civil rights activist and MSNBC host. "We won two world wars, two world wars, beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg, we won them out of all of these forts and now they want to throw those names away," Trump said. "And no, I'm against that, and you know what, most other people are." 'It's slavery' Trump said the effort to remove monuments and to ban the Confederate flag was the result of schools teaching children "to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes but were villains." Wallace asked Trump what his statement about schools was based on. "I look at school. I watch, I read, look at the stuff," Trump said. The president then turned his ire on the New York Times Magazine's "1619 Project," though he confessed he did not know what it was. The project, which "aims to reframe the countrys history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative," draws its name from the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in the U.S. "Now they want to change 1492, Columbus discovered America. You know, we grew up, you grew up, we all did, that's what we learned. Now they want to make it the 1619 project. Where did that come from? What does it represent? I don't even know," Trump said. "It's slavery," Wallace explained. "That's what they're saying, but they don't even know. They just want to make a change," Trump said. "Cancel culture I hate the term, actually, but I use it." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump vs. Chris Wallace: Top moments from testy Fox News interview The latest Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong may be a consequence of loopholes in the testing and quarantine exemptions for crew members of aircraft and vessels who returned from overseas, according to local infectious and respiratory disease experts. Crew members who contracted the virus overseas could have spread the disease through taxi drivers, who in turn further spread it to restaurant workers and customers, eventually producing outbreaks in local communities, they said. This assessment came as the special administrative region reported 73 confirmed cases on Monday, 60 of which were local infections, bringing the total number of Covid-19 patients in the citys latest flare-up to 567. Leung Chi-Chiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Associations advisory committee on communicable diseases, told local media that as the city relaxed quarantine measures early last month, confirmed cases began to grow among exempted aircraft and vessel crew members, leading to community infections. Yuen Kowk-yung, a professor of infectious diseases and head of microbiology department at the University of Hong Kong, said taxi drivers could be the source of local infections, but added that infected crew members could have also spread the disease on other forms of transportation. Local health experts began to call for review of the exemptions after a cargo pilot who returned from overseas was later confirmed infected on July 4. The 54-year-old cargo pilot, who had visited Kazakhstan and Turkey, was exempted from coronavirus testing and quarantine upon his arrival, and simply subject to medical observation. He was only confirmed to have the disease after he went to a private doctor on July 3. On July 8, the city reimposed quarantine measures and mandatory testing of crew members. The following day, the city reported eight imported cases, four of which were aircraft crew members. David Hui, a professor of respiratory medicine and chairman of the medicine department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also criticized the exemptions on Saturday. He added that it was difficult to trace the sources and close contacts of about 40% of local infections, so thats why this wave of outbreak is so severe. In response to criticism, the Hong Kong government clarified in a statement on Sunday that linking the latest wave of infections to the quarantine exemption arrangement is a misunderstanding. The statement said that the quarantine exemption arrangement must be in place to ensure the normal operation of Hong Kong on all fronts under the epidemic, including the need to safeguard adequate supply of food and necessities, ensure normal governmental operation and sustain commercial activities in the interest of Hong Kong's economic development. The categories of people exempted under the regulations are essential personnel which include cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers, aircrew, sea crew and foreign consular staff, it said. It also added that there had not been any confirmed Covid-19 cases among exempted people arriving from the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan, refuting rumors in Hong Kong that the virus could have been brought in by exempted travelers from the Chinese mainland. Relaxation of social distancing rules also contributed to the virus further spread. Starting on Jun. 19, the limit for outdoor public gathering had been loosened to 50 people from eight, and indoor activities such as wedding ceremonies were also allowed. Many confirmed cases in the latest outbreak have been linked to locations with eased social distancing measures, including restaurants, schools and supermarkets. Hong Kongs inadequate testing capacity is also believed to be contributing to the difficulty of containing the outbreak. The city can only process 5,000 tests per day, far less than Beijings capacity of 300,000. Hong Kong Universitys Yuen said that in the last five months, Hong Kong was unable to conduct extensive testing and thus failed to trace local transmissions which left hidden risks of community outbreaks. If the situation continues to get worse in a week, the government should consider issuing stay-at-home order, Yuen told local media on Monday. Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com) and editor Gavin Cross (gavincross@caixin.com) Catch a new season of the multiple Emmy Awardwinning CNN series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell tonight, Sunday, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. You can also live stream it on Hulu + Live and Sling. The eight-part docuseries follows comedian Bell as he traverses the nation, using humor to explore hard-hitting questions and spark honest dialogue about race in America. In the extended season five premiere, Where Do We Even Start With White Supremacy?, Bell is joined by his mother, Janet Cheatham Bell, for a conversation about how prejudice affected his childhood. Next, he visits Pittsburgh for an up-close look at racial inequality in the city and a talk with Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, whose synagogue was attacked by a white supremacist in 2018. Past seasons have kept viewers riveted with episodes featuring Bell visiting a KKK group and watching members burn a cross. The new season promises equally powerful and timely explorations. Among the topics Bell will examine are independent farming, the gig economy, reparations, the homeless crisis in L.A., the public education system, and the experiences of Iranian Americans in New York City and Venezuelans in Florida. What channel is CNN on? You can find which channel CNN is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish. Where can I watch United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell if I dont have cable? Hulu + Live ($54.99/month) allows you to live stream shows and sports from a variety of networks. You also get access to Hulus library of content. You can also watch Bells docuseries on Sling ($30/month). Thought Leaders Dr. Andrea Dunaif System Chief, Division of Endocrinology Mount Sinai Health System In this interview, Dr. Andrea Dunaif talks to News-Medical about their genetic analysis study which suggests there are different subtypes of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and the impacts that this could have on determining the causes of PCOS and developing more effective treatments. What led you to begin this research? We are beginning to understand the complexity of genetic diseases in general. These conditions include obesity, type 2 diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). All of these conditions are probably heterogeneous collections of disorders that have a final common path. They look similar but have different causes. We conducted cluster analysis, which is a method for determining whether there are similarities in sets of data. The data analyzed in this study were hormone levels and metabolic parameters including glucose, insulin, and body weight measured in women with PCOS. We were able to show that there were two distinct clusters of hormone levels and metabolic traits. Further, we were able to replicate these findings in a second group of women with PCOS. Therefore, this was an objective assessment that demonstrated that there were subtypes of women with PCOS. Image Credit: Alena Menshikova/Shutterstock.com What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? The name PCOS is inaccurate because there are no cysts in the ovaries. The so-called cysts found with ovarian ultrasonography are actually the follicles that contain the oocytes or eggs. These follicles are arrested in development because of the hormone imbalance and appear as multiple small, round holes around the edge of the ovary. This finding is called the pearl necklace sign. PCOS is actually an endocrine syndrome, characterized by a slight increase in male hormone production by the ovaries and, often, the adrenal glands. Frequently, there is a disruption of ovulation. This produces another key symptom - infrequent periods, often fewer than six to eight periods per year. Decreased frequency of menses is a clinical sign of not ovulating. The result of less frequent ovulation is infertility. The pituitary hormone, LH, that stimulates male hormone production by the ovaries, is frequently increased in PCOS, while the pituitary hormone that controls follicle maturation, FSH, is slightly reduced. In about 1980, it was discovered that women with PCOS are also insulin resistant. I was just finishing my training as an endocrinologist around this time and I was fascinated by the association of metabolic problems and diabetes risk with a reproductive disorder. How did you conduct your investigation into PCOS? My whole research career has been focused on understanding these metabolic problems and the diabetes risk associated with PCOS. Through this research, it became apparent that there was very likely a genetic component of PCOS. PCOS is not a typical dominant or recessive kind of genetic condition known as a Mendelian disorder. In contrast, PCOS is what is known as a complex genetic disorder that required genetic susceptibility interacting with environmental factors. The most common medical conditions that run in families, such as type 2 diabetes, bipolar disorder, and PCOS, are complex genetic disorders. For example, it is clear that you need to have lifestyle factors, in addition to genetic risk, to develop type 2 diabetes. We have been able to apply new methods that have enabled genetic analysis on these types of complex genetic diseases. We started enrolling women with PCOS and their families in the mid-1990s. What really enabled the current study was that we characterized these women in detail and very precisely. We measured a number of hormone levels, both reproductive and metabolic, in a highly reproducible way by using central laboratories and state-of-the-art techniques. We were able to recruit a large population of women with PCOS who were consistently and comprehensively characterized. This dataset turned out to be ideal for doing the cluster analysis. How many people suffer from PCOS? PCOS is exceptionally common. The classic and most severe form of PCOS, called NIH PCOS, characterized by the infrequent menstrual cycles and high male hormone levels, affects about 7% of reproductive-aged women worldwide. The diagnostic criteria were broadened in 2003, in a conference Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. These criteria, which added ovarian appearance on ultrasound, are known as the Rotterdam criteria. In addition to NIH PCOS, the Rotterdam criteria added women with polycystic ovaries and high male hormone levels, but with normal cycles, and women with polycystic ovaries and irregular cycles but without high male hormone levels. About 15% of premenopausal women worldwide who fall into one of these PCOS categories. Furthermore, PCOS tends to be very underdiagnosed because physicians do not know a lot about it. Women see, on average, two physicians before they get a diagnosis, and it often takes several years for the correct diagnosis to be made. Often, women diagnose themselves with information they find on the internet. Image Credit: lanatoma/Shutterstock.com How was genetic analysis carried out on the participants? The genetic analysis used in this study was called genome-wide association. With the sequencing of the human genome in the mid-2000s, it became possible to map the entire genome. You could then investigate what areas of the genome were associated with your condition of interest. It has been a great way to uncover new biology about conditions because you do not need any preconceived notions about disease causes. You are just looking at the entire genome and asking, where are these signals that are associated with your disease? GWAS have provided important insights into the pathways that cause PCOS. The first GWAS was published in late 2011 in a Chinese population. The Chinese investigators found that the genes that control how the gonadotropins, LH, and FSH, act on the ovary were significant signals. In 2015, we published the first GWAS in European PCOS and found that the gonadotropin, FSH, was an important gene signal. This finding was confirmed in the second GWAS in European ancestry PCOS published shortly thereafter. These studies implicated gonadotropin secretion and action as important pathways in PCOS development. GWAS also discovered that a gene called DENND1A was associated with PCOS. Further research indicated that this gene is very important in regulating male hormone production. We used the hormonal and metabolic data from our PCOS GWAS cases. We performed a cluster analysis to investigate whether there were subgroups within the PCOS cases. We then repeated the GWAS with these subtypes and discovered new genetic signals associated with the reproductive and metabolic subtypes. This finding was very exciting because it supports that the clusters identify biologically distinct groups of PCOS. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to identify PCOS subtypes with unique genetic signals. We have discovered new genes regions, but we have a lot of work to do before we understand what genes in these regions are responsible for these signals and the function of the genes. What does this research suggest are the possible subtypes of PCOS? Our findings indicate that there are reproductive and metabolic subtypes of PCOS. Investigators have suspected that there are PCOS subtypes but no one has ever identified them by an unbiased data mining approach and independently confirmed that the subtypes thus identified were characterized by distinctive biologic features, in our study, by genetic differences. It is important to note that all of the PCOS cases we studied had the severe NIH form of PCOS, characterized by infrequent menses and high male hormone levels. Future studies will investigate whether there are PCOS subtypes in the milder Rotterdam forms of PCOS. Image Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock.com What were the characteristics of the reproductive subtype? PCOS women with the reproductive subtype have higher levels of the gonadotropin, LH, the pituitary hormone that is important in regulating male hormone production by the ovaries. LH levels are typically increased in the circulation in women with PCOS. It is ironic that the experts at the NIH and Rotterdam conferences on the diagnostic criteria for PCOS decided that LH levels should not be included in the hormones tested for diagnosing PCOS. Our findings suggest that LH may indeed be a useful hormone for the diagnosis of PCOS. Unfortunately, at the time that decision was originally made, we did not have these data, but they show the value of scientific evidence compared to expert opinion for determining diagnostic criteria. The reproductive subtype is also characterized by lower body weight and higher sex hormone-binding globulin levels. In addition, women with this subtype have higher testosterone levels, but these levels do not distinguish the subtypes as effectively as the high LH levels. What were the characteristics of the metabolic subtype? The women who have the metabolic subtype have a higher BMI as well as higher glucose and higher insulin levels. We know that, overall, women with PCOS have about a 4-fold increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The metabolic subtype may identify the PCOS at the highest risk. If this is true, we could focus efforts to prevent diabetes on the metabolic subtype. Image Credit: goffkein.pro/Shutterstock.com What do your results suggest about a third group? There were a number of PCOS cases that did not have a distinct subtype and were identified as indeterminate. It is interesting that an important gene signal in PCOS, in general, is FSHB, the gene for the gonadotropin, FSH, was associated with this indeterminate subtype. We need larger studies to understand the importance of this subtype. How could these findings illuminate the possible causes and treatments of PCOS? We found very strong gene signals associated with the subtypes. GWAS studies are designed to find common genes that are present in 5% or more of the population, and the signals that are associated with these genes are usually pretty weak. The associated genes increase the disease risk by 10 or 15%. In this study, and we need to replicate these findings, the signals were much stronger, increasing risk by three to five-fold increases. We hope that it will be easier to map the genes associated with these signals. Gene discovery is key for identifying pathways that cause disease and that can be targeted with drugs. Genes with strong signals are very useful for predicting who will get the disease. PCOS cannot be diagnosed until a girl has gotten her periods. However, we know that daughters of women with PCOS have features of the syndrome, like higher male hormone levels, well before they get their period. If we had a genetic test, we could say, "Your daughter is the one who is going to get this. And, hopefully, we will have therapies that are safe enough that we could use it to prevent the disease." Image Credit: Branislav Nenin/Shutterstock.com Do you hope your research will instigate more research into this area of womens health? Absolutely. I think what the limiting factor is, is funding. Here in the United States, the National Institute of Health really is a conglomerate of different institutes that fund different diseases. There is just one institute, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and they are sort of all of women's health, all of child health, all of disabled person's health. Whether they are men or women, they are kind of not interested usually in women's health globally, and particularly women's and men's reproductive health. It is true for both men and women. It is only at this one institute, competing with all these other meritorious research areas. And so, it gets a smaller share of a small pie and it is very sad. There is an old saying here that was invoked early on when it was noticed that there were so many fewer studies of women, and women's health was really grossly underfunded. It is that you fund what you fear, and mainly these are guys, and mainly they are worried about heart disease. What are the next steps for your research? Our next steps are to replicate and confirm these genetic findings in additional populations of women with PCOS. This research should move quickly because we have collaborators who already have all the needed data in additional populations with PCOS. The next step will be to find the genes are that are giving the signals and to look in diverse populations because it is very plausible that they are going to be different genes if you are African American than if you are of European ancestry. We are realizing that it is critical to understand genetics in diverse populations. We hope that this research will be translated into changing the way PCOS is diagnosed and, ultimately, treated. It has been very gratifying for me to do research that has actually changed the way these patients are diagnosed and treated. I think that is the most satisfying thing for me as a physician and a scientist, to have had an actual impact on patient care. Obviously, ours is just one study, and we have to replicate it, as do others. However, I think this type of research represents a new direction in medicine in which diseases are beginning to be classified based on scientific information rather than on expert opinion. Gene discovery is now a major way to develop new disease therapies because it tells us about what pathways are important so we can develop drugs to target that pathway. Where can readers find more information? https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/pcos About Dr. Andrea Dunaif Andrea Dunaif, M.D., is System Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease for the Mount Sinai Health System and the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Dr. Dunaif graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and obtained her M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her training in Internal Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and her subspecialty training in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Dunaifs first faculty appointment was at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine where she rose to the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine. Before returning to Mount Sinai in 2017, Dr. Dunaif held a number of leadership positions in academic medicine, including the inaugural Director of Womens Health at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Director of Harvard Medical Schools Center of Excellence in Womans Health. She was the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University where she served as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine for 10 years and Vice-Chair of the Department of Medicine for Research for 5 years. Dr. Dunaif is an internationally recognized expert in endocrinology and womens health. Her research on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder of reproductive-age women, has shown that it is a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further, this research has revolutionized the treatment of PCOS with insulin-sensitizing drugs. More recently, she has made major advances in elucidating the genetic causes of PCOS and in discovering markers of PCOS risk in children and male relatives. Dr. Dunaif has published more than 190 scientific articles and book chapters. She has edited four books. She has received numerous awards and honors including the Endocrine Societys highest award for patient-oriented research, the Clinical Investigator Award, the Arnold Adolph Berthold Medal Prize from German Endocrine Society, and the Ricardo Azziz Career Award from the AEPCOS Society. She has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Dunaif received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Athens Medical School. She is a past president of the Endocrine Society, the largest global organization for endocrinology, a former associate editor of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and Obesity and a past Chair of the National Institutes of Health Integrative and Clinical Endocrinology and Reproduction Study Section. (Sharecast News) - London stocks were on course for a muted open on Monday as talks over an EU coronavirus rescue fund were set to continue. The FTSE 100 was called to open eight points lower at 6,282, with EU leaders due to resume talks about a 750mln rescue package later in the day amid divisions over the split between loans and grants. CMC Markets analyst David Madden said: "The sooner the bloc can agree on the terms of the rescue the better for everyone, especially countries like Spain and Italy, which were hard hit by the health crisis, and are rely heavily on tourism." In corporate news, GlaxoSmithKline said it would invest 130m in a collaboration with CureVac to develop and make up to five mRNA-based vaccines and monoclonal antibodies targeting infectious disease pathogens. The deal includes 104m in cash upfront and a one-time reimbursable payment of 26m for manufacturing capacity reservation, upon certification of CureVac's commercial scale manufacturing facility currently under construction in Germany. CureVac will be eligible to receive development and regulatory milestone payments of up to 277m, commercial milestone payments of up to 329m and tiered royalties on product sales, GSK said. Synairgen said clinical trials had shown that its Covid-19 treatment sharply reduced the risk of patients developing severe forms of the illness provoked by the novel coronavirus. The company said that SNG001, an inhaled formulation of interferon beta-1, reduced the risk of becoming severely ill by 79% and that those administered the treatment were more than twice as likely to recover from Covid-19 Commenting on the news, Richard Marsden, the company's boss, said: "We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients who progressed from 'requiring oxygen' to 'requiring ventilation'". A TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) TikTok Is Spyware for the Chinese Regime, Cyber Experts Warn TikTok, the short-video app used by millions of mostly young Americans, cant be trusted, due to its links to the Chinese regime and should be banned, cybersecurity experts warned. The app, owned by Beijing-based internet giant Bytedance Technology Co., has come under intense scrutiny after the Trump administration confirmed that it was mulling a ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps U.S. operations on security grounds. Critics warn that the app could be used as a spying tool for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and users content could be censored if the Party deems them politically sensitive. The company has denied these claims and sought to distance itself from its Beijing owner, pointing to its American board members and new chief executive. It says its servers are located in the United States and Singapore, and that it would not share user data with the Chinese regime if requested. Not to Be Trusted Chinese security laws compel companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked. Casey Fleming, CEO of intelligence and security strategy firm BlackOps Partners, described TikToks claim that it could simply refuse to comply with such laws as propaganda and gaslighting. U.S. companies operating in China are required to abide by local intelligence and security laws, he told The Epoch Times. Fleming said Americans commonly make this mistake when viewing the Chinese regime: We believe China is the same as the U.S. or the free world. We believe that their intentions and goals are the same. But this could not be more wrong, he said. The CCP has a handle on every aspect of society in China, and is engaged in a program of unrestricted warfare to supplant the United States to become the worlds sole superpower, according to Fleming. All technology coming out of Chinaeither manufactured in China, created in Chinais controlled by the CCP, he said. Mark Grabowski, an associate professor specializing in cyber law and digital ethics at Adelphi University, described TikTok as Chinese government malware masquerading as a social media app. He noted that the apps privacy policy is expansive, allowing it to collect and access vast swathes of information on a users phone. It collects a range of data including a users web browsing history, geolocation data, and what other apps a user is running. The app collects way more data than it needs to, Grabowski said in an email. For example, its odd that TikTok does GPS [Global Positioning System] tracking since TikTok videos dont display location information. Gary Miliefsky, a cybersecurity expert and publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine, agreed: When I look at the features of TikTok, I would say that they dont need all those permissions. In 2014, Miliefsky discovered that many of the top mobile flashlight apps in the Google Play store were designed by cybercriminals or linked to China and Russia. In the case of one of those apps, he found that it was turning on the users microphone and connecting to servers in Beijing. Miliefsky believes TikTok is a scaled-up version of these flashlight apps: It is probably a very robust piece of spyware. If you want to spy on a country, why send in a spy the old-fashioned way? Why not just send in a great app and make it go viral? he told The Epoch Times. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment about security concerns. Growing Opposition Governments and organizations have started taking action against the app. India in June banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, saying they posed threats to the countrys security and sovereignty. The Pentagon last December ordered military personnel to delete TikTok from government devices. U.S. lawmakers in March introduced a bill to bar federal employees from using the app on government-issued phones. Wells Fargo recently instructed employees to remove TikTok, while the Democratic and Republican national committees have warned their staff against using the app. Meanwhile, a U.S. panel is conducting a national security review of ByteDances $1 billion acquisition of social media app Musical.lywhich was rebranded to TikTokin 2017. In 2019, TikTok paid a $5.7 million fine to settle U.S. government charges that it had illegally collected personal information from users under the age of 13 in violation of child privacy laws. Federal agencies are currently looking into whether the company has complied with this agreement, according to Reuters. South Korea recently fined TikTok over similar privacy breaches. Elements of activist hacking group Anonymous also recently turned its attention on the social media app. A Twitter account linked to the group posted on July 1: Delete TikTok now; if you know someone that is using it, explain to them that it is essentially malware operated by the Chinese government running a massive spying operation. The tweet shared a Reddit post by an engineer who claimed to have reverse-engineered the app and found that it was collecting an enormous amount of personal informationmuch more than other social media apps like Facebook and Twitterand went to great lengths to hide this. This information has not been confirmed by security researchers. The Reddit user bangorlol has since created a subreddit to share data for independent researchers to investigate. A report by security research firm Penetrum found that the app does an excessive amount of data harvesting. From our understanding and our analysis it seems that TikTok does an excessive amount of tracking on its users, and that the data collected is partially if not fully stored on Chinese servers with the ISP [internet service provider] Alibaba, the report said. Alibaba is a major internet company in China. Recently, TikTok users ran an iPhone software that lets them know when an app is collecting their data, and found that TikTok was copying their keystrokes every few seconds. The company said it was actually an anti-spam feature and issued an update removing it. Back in March, it was caught by security researchers doing the same thing, and had said it would stop the practice within a few weeks. Feeding Big Data Fleming said that personal data collected by TikTok and other Chinese apps is being absorbed into big data and scraped with artificial intelligence by the CCP. This massive pool of information can then be tapped into to carry out economic or political espionage, he said. In recent years, the regime has stolen huge amounts of Americans personal data. In 2014, Chinese hackers stole from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management sensitive personal information detailed in the security clearances of millions of current and former federal employees. That same year, Chinese hackers breached Anthem Inc., a health insurance company, to steal the personal records of 80 million people. This year, four Chinese military officers were indicted for the 2014 hack of credit-reporting agency Equifax, which resulted in the theft of 145 million Americans financial records. Grabowski said among the tens of millions of young TikTok users in America, many are targets that the CCP is keen to spy on or exploit for blackmail. These include congressional staffers, Silicon Valley engineers, research lab assistants, and journalists, he said. They potentially have access to sensitive government, industry and R&D informationand so does TikTok by extension, Grabowski added. Fleming said that TikTok as well as any other Chinese-developed appsuch as video conferencing app Zoom, a U.S. company whose software is developed in Chinashould be banned in the United States. Citing the Chinese regimes actions over the past six months, including its coverup of the CCP virus outbreak, implementation of a draconian security law in Hong Kong, and growing aggression in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan, Fleming posed the question, Do these actions speak to you of a trusted technology partner? Anti-Russian sanctions will stay in place. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv says that Russia's unauthorized construction of warships in occupied Crimea violates international norms. "Russia's unauthorized construction of warships on sovereign Ukrainian territory, which it seized by force, violates international norms once again. Sanctions will stay in place until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine and withdraws from the Donbas. #CrimeaIsUkraine," the Embassy said on Facebook on July 20. Read alsoSea Breeze 2020 drills start in Ukraine on July 20 UNIAN memo. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had occupied the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held for Crimeans to decide on accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities reported that allegedly 96.77% of the Crimean population had voted for joining Russia. On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin. The West did not recognize the annexation in response to which sanctions against Russia were introduced. Ukraine's parliament voted to designate February 20, 2014, as the official date when the temporary occupation of Crimea began. She's been soaking up the sun in Marbella alongside her famous family as lockdown restrictions eased. And Natalya Wright, 19, made the most of her idyllic break as she showed off another incredible bikini display on Instagram on Sunday. The younger sister of former TOWIE stars Mark and Jessica Wright looked stunning in a floral two-piece while striking a series of poses in front of a sea-themed whitewashed wall. Blooming lovely: Natalya Wright, 19, made the most of her idyllic break as she showed off another incredible bikini display on Instagram on Sunday Taking to Instagram with four separate images, Natalya highlighted her sensational model frame in the blue floral two-piece. Beaming in the shots, she left her brunette hair fall in a tousled style and added a summery touch by placing a large red flower over her ear in two of the images. The Essex beauty kept her accessorises to a minimum by sporting a cross-chain necklace and watch while holding onto her circular shades. Captioning the sun-soaked beachy shots, she penned: 'Found a flower, put it in my hair & felt cute @houseofcb bikini'. Sun-soaked: The younger sister of former TOWIE stars Mark and Jessica Wright looked stunning in a floral two-piece while striking a series of poses Sea-national: Taking to Instagram with four separate images, Natalya highlighted her sensational model frame in the blue floral two-piece The brunette was scouted by Select Model Management, who have Daisy Lowe, Sam Rollison and David Gandy on their books, at the age of just 16. But with work commitments on hold she has made the most of recently relaxed lockdown restrictions by jetting off to Majorca for a hastily booked holiday with sister Jess, who is expected to marry fiance William Lee-Kemp on the island in June 2021. Speaking to HELLO! magazine in June, Jess explained that Majorca has been like a second home to her as her family have a house on the island. She said: 'I've been dreaming of a fairytale wedding since I was little, when I used to dress up in my mum's net curtains. Mane attraction: She left her brunette hair fall in a tousled style and added a summery touch by placing a large red flower over her ear in two of the images 'Now I can't wait for the moment I've been imagining for so long, walking up the aisle in a fabulous dress to marry Will.' Of the location, she added: 'We've enjoyed some amazing holidays here and I practically grew up on the island because it's where my family has a second home.' It's understood that sister-in-law Michelle Keegan will serve as a bridesmaid when the couple do finally exchange vows. One Tuesday this past May, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced she was spending the night at the hospital. The announcement sent the usual shivers down the spines of liberals across America, who, given Ginsburgs advanced age and serial bouts with cancer, are stricken with fear each time word comes that she is facing yet another health scare while Republicans are in a position to name or control the Senates approval of her successor. The details accompanying the May announcement, however, offered considerable reassurance that no shift in the makeup of the often-polarized court was imminent. While any trip to the hospital by an 87-year-old is cause for concern, according to the courts news release, the problem was a minor one: The courts much-celebrated liberal trailblazer had a gallstone. Only months earlier, Ginsburg had declared herself "cancer free," and the court's statement emphasized that Ginsburgs gallbladder condition was benign and the treatment she faced was non-surgical. On Friday, however, Ginsburg confirmed that the May statement did more to obscure the truth about her health than to illuminate it. It turns out that in February, the justice got word that a regular scan found lesions on her liver. A biopsy appears to have confirmed that the growths were malignant cancer, as Ginsburg says she embarked on immunotherapy and then chemotherapy when the first treatment proved unsuccessful. The five-month delay that preceded Ginsburg's statement Friday was just the latest episode to prompt concern among courtwatchers that the justices are being too opaque about their health. Earlier this month, it emerged that Chief Justice John Roberts had fallen, bled profusely and required stitches on his head while on a morning walk near his home in Maryland in late June. Roberts spent the night in the hospital, but the episode was not acknowledged by the court until The Washington Post got a tip about it and asked for comment. Story continues And back in 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia's death while on a hunting trip in Texas stunned the legal and political world. However, days later, a sheriffs report revealed that the 79-year-old Reagan appointee was suffering from a slew of undisclosed illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea and coronary artery disease. Scalia looked a bit overweight, but the public had no idea about the long list of afflictions. Critics say the public is entitled to more information about the justices medical condition. With the court sharply divided on many pivotal issues, an unexpected health crisis on the part of one justice has the potential to upend official Washington. But the fact that the justices enjoy life tenure and have little in the way of oversight to monitor their competence also makes questions about their health more urgent than for other public officials. On the one hand, Ginsburg is to be commended for the statement [on Friday,] but from what she said ... it seems we should have had a statement several months ago, said David Garrow, a renowned legal writer and historian of the civil rights movement. Garrow contends that the evasion that Ginsburg and other justices have engaged in surrounding their personal health undermines the publics right to know about the performance of public officials who commonly remain in their posts into their 80s well after most Americans their age have retired. The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court as seen in November 2018. Seated from left: Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Samuel Alito Jr. Standing behind from left: Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh. Why is it in a society that, for lack of a better word, is modernizing as fast as this one do we have so much disproportionate power in the hands of people over the age of 80? asked Garrow, who authored a key law review article two decades decrying what he called decrepitude on the Supreme Court. Im going on 68 now and I know darn well Im not as good as I was 10 years ago, added Garrow, a former law professor at Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh. We have, to my mind, a sad and tragic culture of just defaulting forward and refusing to acknowledge even being delusional about our loss of capacity. Ginsburg insisted on Friday that she was still on top of her job, saying she remained fully able" to handle her work full steam. Its unclear just what prompted Ginsburg to publicly acknowledge on Friday that her cancer returned almost half a year ago. She was in the hospital again early last week for an infection that may have been caused by a clogged stent placed in her bile duct last year. That may have altered the calculus about continuing to keep the liver cancer under wraps. Ginsburgs Friday afternoon statement suggested shed decided to break her five-month silence about the recurrence because shes confident shes getting better. Satisfied that my treatment course is now clear, I am providing this information, she wrote. In her days as a hard-charging courtroom litigator, Ginsburg might have turned a jaundiced eye on a witness offering up the kinds of statements shes been releasing on her health in recent years. They could charitably be called incomplete; less charitably, misleading or duplicitous. There is no law that requires justices to make any disclosure about their health, though the issue is typically discussed at a closed-door Senate Judiciary Committee session before they are confirmed. Certainly, Ginsburg has every right to keep mum about her health, but that is not the path she has chosen. Nor does it seem that her legions of fans would be satisfied with being strong-armed on the matter. The justices workout sessions have become a central part of the Notorious RBG brand, with the liberal icon agreeing to have her exercise routine videotaped for the documentary RBG and even doing a few reps on camera with the comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert for his Late Show in 2018. Of course, as Ginsburg notes, her detractors also watch her health closely. Shes fond of recounting Sen. Jim Bunnings comments about her in 2009 when she was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Bunning, a Kentucky Republican, said at the time that Ginsburg had bad cancer the kind that you dont get better from. He said she probably had less than a year to live. There was a senator, I think it was after the pancreatic cancer, who announced with great glee that I was going to be dead within six months, Ginsburg said in an interview last July with NPRs Nina Totenberg. That senator, whose name Ive forgotten, is now himself dead, and I am very much alive. The justice and Totenberg shared a good laugh over that quip. What Ginsburg didnt mention in the interview was that a blood test shed taken earlier that month indicated her cancer had recurred. About a week after the interview, a malignant tumor was found on her pancreas. The court would acknowledge that round of illness only after she completed three weeks of treatment at Sloan Kettering and after photographers spotted her leaning heavily on a marshal while in New York City. There was a subtle sign this past week that some at the court might be seeking some distance from Ginsburgs often diversionary statements on her health. The statement the court issued on Friday was described as coming directly from Ginsburg, rather than one on behalf of the court. All of the other statements about Ginsburgs health and the health of other justices posted on the courts website over the past decade were issued as news releases from the court. (One of three statements the court issued in 2009 revealing her first pancreatic cancer diagnosis was written in the first person.) A court spokesperson declined to explain why the most recent statement came directly from the justice, and to discuss whether the earlier statements on her health were complete or candid. Time after time, news organizations have been complicit albeit unwittingly in creating a misleading image about Ginsburgs health. After the court ceased public operations in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Law360 reported that Ginsburg was continuing her workout routine despite dangers the virus poses to the elderly. The only reason why I didnt shut the justice down is because, hey, she ain't having it, Ginsburgs longtime trainer, Bryant Johnson, told the legal news outlet. A Supreme Court spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said a special private space had been set aside for her to exercise, even though the courts employee gym was shuttered. In this Dec. 15, 2018 file photo, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appears at an event organized by the Museum of the City of New York with WNET-TV held at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York. Filmmakers from the Oscar nominated RBG film have been collecting signatures and get-well notes from Hollywood A-listers to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is recovering from lung cancer surgery. Some accounts echoing the news about Ginsburgs exercise regimen repeated her statement in January that she was cancer free. Concerns prompted by the pandemic also led the court to offer generic reassurances on several occasions earlier this year that all the members of its bench were in good health. Ginsburg, other justices healthy as U.S. Supreme Court adjusts to coronavirus, the headline on a March 20 Reuters article said. While there is no sign that any justice has contracted the virus, Ginsburg has conceded that at that time she knew about the liver cancer and was in treatment for it. While Ginsburgs major health challenges have put the spotlight on her, its hard to say whether she is more forthcoming or less forthcoming than other justices on the issue, because so many of them are basically silent about their health status. Scalias unexpected death in 2016 prompted one longtime Supreme Court reporter, the National Law Journals Tony Mauro, to inquire about each justices health. I was struck by the fact that after Scalias death, we learned about all his ailments after he died and I thought: Why isnt this happening while theyre alive? Mauro said. I sent individual letters to each justice, hoping at least some would respond. They did reply, but via a single, three-sentence letter from the chief justice in September 2016. You can expect to see an able and energetic court when we reconvene in October, Roberts wrote. The Courts Public Information Office will continue to provide information when a need to inform the public arises. The response was notably more meager than the interviews and responses The New York Times received when it sent out a similar round of queries to the justices in 1987, Mauro noted. Based on the handling of Roberts fall and gash to his head last month, it now appears that his cryptic pledge means that even when a justice spends the night in the hospital, no need to inform the public may be seen. Accidents and illnesses may not be acknowledged until and unless rumors about them begin to spread. Mauro said he suspected other justices might be following Roberts lead by being taciturn about their medical condition. The chief has been very reclusive when it comes to his own health, Mauro said. This may be too simplistic, but I think the rest of the justices to a degree take their cue off the chief. Its Supreme Court exceptionalism. The Supreme Court thinks its different from every other branch in disclosing stuff like that, added Mauro, who formally retired last year after four decades covering the high court. I think thats wrong. I dont think were entitled to know every little problem a justice has, but if its a significant problem that could affect their ability to work, I think its relevant. Alberta cuts funds to countrys busiest drug site, July 17 This is another example of why I would never vote for a party led by a religious zealot. Alberta Premier Jason Kenny shuts down a life-saving drug site on the premise of unaccounted funds. Ideology once more trumps the welfare of people. Why would the United Conservative Party not continue a program shown to be significant value in managing the opioid crisis, while identifying and bringing to justice those responsible for the financial malfeasance? Because the UCP is heavily influenced by the religious right who see drug addiction as a moral failing rather than a health issue. This decision will cost lives. 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 New Delhi: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the border standoff in eastern Ladakh, saying that the Chinese were targeting the PMs image as a strong leader, and that he feared that Modi was succumbing to it. They (Chinese) understand that in order for Narendra Modi to be an effective politician, in order for him to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of Chhappan (56) inch, and this is the real idea the Chinese are attacking, Gandhi said in the second part of a series of short videos on the India-China border face-off he released on Monday. His reference is to a comment made by Modi in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where he referred to his 56-inch chest -- to reiterate his strongman image. That strongman image is Inias biggest weakness now, Gandhi tweeted in a message accompanying the video. His comments drew a swift riposte from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda, who said that the Congress leader preferred to believe the Chinese army over Indias own government, and described him as weak on facts and strong on mud-slinging. In his first video released on Friday, Gandhi claimed that a troubled economy, foreign policy and neighbourhood had prompted China to adopt an aggressive posture against India. Titled Chinas Strategic Game Plan, the second video, which is two-and-a-half minutes long, is Gandhis take on how the Chinese have triggered the border issue to put pressure on Prime Minister Modi. It is simply not a border issue. The worry I have is that Chinese are sitting in our territory today. Chinese dont do anything without thinking about it strategically. In their mind they have mapped out the world and they are trying to shape the world. Thats the scale of what they are doing, he said. And they (Chinese) are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing is that they are attacking his (Modis) image... They are basically telling Mr Narendra Modi that if you do not do what we say, we will destroy the idea of Mr Narendra Modi as a strong leader, Gandhi claimed. He then went on to ask how Modi will react to the situation. Will he take them on? Will he take on the challenge and say absolutely not, Im the Prime Minister of India. I do not care about my image, Im going to take you on. Or will he succumb to them? asked the former Congress chief. The worry I have so far is that the Prime Minister has succumbed. The BJPs Nadda, in a series of tweets, said the video showed Gandhi wanted a weak India and a strong China. We saw yet another (failed) edition of Project RG Relaunch today. @RahulGandhi Ji was, as usual, weak on facts and strong on mud-slinging, Nadda tweeted. Why does one dynasty want a weak India and a strong China? Many leaders in Congress also disapprove of one dynastys shenanigans! he added, in a reference to the Nehru-Gandhi family. For years, one dynasty has been trying to destroy PM @narendramodi. Sadly for them, PM Modis connect with 130 crore Indians is deep-rooted. He lives and works for them, Nadda wrote. Those who want to destroy him will end up only further destroying their own party, he said in a fourth tweet. This article by Jeff Schogol originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. A Navy veteran has become an internet sensation after video went viral showing him shrugging off repeated blows from police batons and pepper spray in the face during protests in Portland over the weekend Christopher James David was commissioned on May 25, 1988, and served on active duty as a civil engineer corps officer until Jan. 31, 1996, according to his official Navy biography. He left the Reserves on June 30, 2000. His awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Rifle (Marksman), and Pistol (Expert). The incident occurred late Saturday night as David was attending the protests that have been happening in Portland for more than a month. In the video taken by Portland Tribune reporter Zane Sparling, David can be seen surrounded by at least four law enforcement officials, who are dressed in military-style camouflage. David, meanwhile, is wearing a distinctive Navy sweatshirt and backpack. Heres the longer version of the protester being struck repeatedly by federal police tonight in Portland pic.twitter.com/v9BljIkLK0 Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) July 19, 2020 At first, one officer pushes David back, but David does not retreat. Then, an officer hits David at least three times with his baton; once again, David does not move. Eventually, another officer sprays David directly in the face with what looks like pepper spray. David pulls an about-face and then gives all of the officers the middle finger with both hands. David told The New York Times that he had asked the officers why they were violating the Constitution just before they used force against him. "I'm appalled and disappointed at the feds' behavior -- that whoever led them and trained them allowed them to become this way," David told The New York Times. "This is a failure of leadership more than it is a failure of their own individual behavior toward me." He also tweeted Sunday that one of his hands was severely injured during the encounter: "The hand surgeon splinted it for now, but it looks like plates, screws and/or pins await me on Friday." Task & Purpose was unable to reach David as of Monday. Doug Brown, a photographer for the ACLU of Oregon, was at the protest Saturday night and said he witnessed the entire episode. He said David was standing in the street, posing no threat, when law enforcement officers began to hit and pepper spray him. "He was just like complete passive resistance," Brown told Task & Purpose. "He just took it." David's stoicism while being beaten by law enforcement has earned him the nickname "Captain America" on Twitter. Meanwhile, he tweeted that he plans to return to the protests despite his injuries. "This won't stop me," David tweeted Sunday. -- This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. More articles from Task & Purpose: The Army is trying to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle for the third time again Kunsan Air Base airman dies after being found unresponsive in dorm room 11 reasons Warhammer 40,000 is a lot like the US military QUITO, Ecuador, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Republic of Ecuador (the "Republic" or "Ecuador") announced today that it is seeking to modify the terms of approximately U.S.$17.4 billion of its external bonds (as listed in Table A below, the "Eligible Bonds") and to that end it has commenced a solicitation of consents from eligible holders to amend each series of Eligible Bonds and their respective indentures (the "Consent Solicitation"). In conjunction with the Consent Solicitation, the Republic is inviting those Eligible Holders (as defined below) to exchange their Eligible Bonds for a package of new securities (as listed in Table B below, the "New Securities") to be issued by the Republic under a new master indenture. Table C below sets forth certain financial terms of the New Securities. The invitation to exchange and the Consent Solicitation, together, are hereinafter referred to as the "Invitation". The terms and conditions of the Invitation are described in the invitation memorandum dated today (the "Invitation Memorandum"). Throughout its debt restructuring process, Ecuador engaged in good faith with its bondholders, providing information with transparency and seeking to adjust the terms of its outstanding debt while respecting inter-creditor equity. On July 7, 2020, the Republic announced that it had reached agreement in principle on the commercial terms of its proposed restructuring with an ad hoc group of institutional holders that, at the time, collectively held a substantial portion of the aggregate outstanding principal of the Eligible Bonds. The group has expressed to the Republic its support for the commercial terms of the restructuring of the Eligible Bonds as set forth in the Invitation. The Invitation constitutes the second step in the process initiated earlier this year to adjust the terms of Ecuador's outstanding debt to its diminished payment capacity and lack of access to the international financial markets. The Republic has pursued prudent fiscal, monetary, and economic policies to consolidate its public finances and boost economic growth. Although these measures have in recent years proven effective in part (i.e., budget deficits have declined, the Ecuadorian Central Bank has increased reserves, and economic reforms have improved the competitiveness of the Ecuadorian economy), additional measures are necessary to put Ecuador's economic development on a long term positive trajectory. Ecuador remains vulnerable to external shocks due to its weak fiscal position, lack of economic buffers and limited monetary tools. The outbreak of the COVID19 crisis and its severe impact on Ecuador, and the significant drop in the export price for Ecuador's crude oil have compromised severely Ecuador's ability to meet its domestic and foreign commercial and financial obligations. On April 17, 2020, the Republic announced that it had received the consents of the holders to amend the Eligible Bonds and the respective indentures to provide short term relief from its financial obligations. Those amendments and certain related measures allowed Ecuador and the holders of Eligible Bonds as well as other creditors, and official sector partners including the International Monetary Fund (the "IMF"), to engage proactively and in an orderly manner in a negotiation intended to create new and appropriate conditions of sustainability for Ecuador's debt burden. Adjusting Ecuador's debt profile to sustainable terms is a condition to the success of any program that Ecuador can develop to achieve the goals referred to above. The Invitation is a key component of that process. Summary of the Invitation Pursuant to the Consent Solicitation, by tendering their consents, Eligible Holders will authorize and instruct the trustee for the series of their Eligible Bonds (the "Trustee") to modify any outstanding bonds of such series and their respective indentures. If approved, the proposed modifications (the "Proposed Modifications") will give effect to the following amendments: (a) With respect to all series of Eligible Bonds : Each series of Eligible Bonds will be modified to replicate the maturity and economic terms as the New 2040 Bonds (see Table B), without changing the ISIN numbers of such Eligible Bonds and without re-issuing new Global Notes. The modifications will include reducing the outstanding principal amount of the applicable Eligible Bond such that, for every U.S. $1,000 principal amount originally due, only U.S. $911.30 principal amount will remain outstanding. principal amount originally due, only U.S. principal amount will remain outstanding. Remove provisions limiting certain modifications in the context of exchange offers and issuances of new notes in the context of consent solicitations. Reduce the single series modification threshold for approval of non-reserve matters from at least 66 and 2/3% to more than 50%. (b) With respect to all series of Eligible Bonds except for the 2024 Bonds: Exclude from the events of default cross-defaults, and defaults arising from the entering or issuance of judgments and arbitral awards relating to, (1) any Eligible Bonds (whether or not modified by the Proposed Modifications), (2) any New Securities, (3) the 7.25% Social Housing Notes due 2035 issued by the Republic, and (4) the 4.625% Notes due 2021 issued by La Empresa Publica de Exploracion y Explotacion de Hidrocarburos Petroamazonas EP and guaranteed by the Republic. Eliminate certain requirements to waive events of default. (c) With respect to the 2024 Bonds : Eliminate all covenants and events of default (except for events of default relating to the payment of principal amounts). Incorporate collective action modification provisions for multiple series aggregation, including with securities issued under indentures having similar provisions. Incorporate provisions to permit the Republic and the Trustee to agree to certain technical modifications without the consents of holders, as well as to add covenants or security interest to the benefit of holders. The Proposed Modifications will only become effective if the requisite consents contemplated in the applicable indenture are obtained and the other conditions set forth in the Invitation Memorandum are satisfied or waived in the Republic's sole discretion; however, the Proposed Modifications will not become operative until (i) the Republic has completed (and not terminated) the Consent Solicitation, and (ii) each Eligible Holder who has delivered its consent and whose consent has been accepted by the Republic receives the New Securities and the New PDI 2030 Bond (as defined below), in each case as set forth in the Invitation Memorandum. The Republic has retained the right, in its sole discretion and subject to the Minimum Participation Condition (as defined below), to (a) re-designate at any time (including after the Consent Deadline) one or more series of Eligible Bonds (other than the 2024 Bonds) that will be subject to the Proposed Modifications on an aggregated basis, (b) consider the Proposed Modifications effective with respect to one or more series of Eligible Bonds if the Republic receives the requisite consents with respect to such series, and (c) re-designate at any time one or more series of the Eligible Bonds (other than the 2024 Bonds) as to which the Proposed Modifications are 'uniformly applicable' (as defined in the respective indenture) and consider the Proposed Modifications effective with respect to such re-designated series if the Republic receives the consent of not less than 75% of the aggregate principal amount of all such re-designated series at the time outstanding. Eligible Holders who deliver their consents under the Consent Solicitation will also submit a tender order to exchange their Eligible Bonds for New Securities. Such consents may only be delivered at or prior to 5:00 p.m. (Central European Time), on July 31, 2020 (the "Consent Deadline"). At or prior to the Consent Deadline, Eligible Holders may not deliver their consents without also tendering their Eligible Bonds, and may not tender their Eligible Bonds without delivering their consents. However, Ecuador may in its sole discretion extend the Consent Deadline for one or more Series of Eligible Bonds. Eligible Holders who deliver valid consents (together with the related tender orders) at or prior to the Consent Deadline that are accepted will receive at the Settlement Date (as defined below) the New Securities in exchange of their accepted Eligible Bonds, and will also receive 86% of the accrued and unpaid interest on their validly tendered and accepted Eligible Bonds up to, but excluding, the Settlement Date, in the form of a new zero-coupon bond due 2030 (the "New PDI 2030 Bonds") (see Table B below). Such Eligible Holders will not receive any payments in respect of accrued and unpaid interest other than the New PDI 2030 Bonds in the applicable amounts. Table C sets forth the principal amount of each New Security that will be delivered to such Eligible Holders, depending on the series of Eligible Bonds tendered pursuant to the Invitation. Eligible Holders whose tender order is delivered after the Consent Deadline and accepted pursuant to the Invitation will not receive any payments or any New PDI 2030 Bonds in respect of accrued and unpaid interest. Ecuador reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any and all consents and tender orders with respect to any series of Eligible Bonds. However, if Ecuador accepts consents delivered so as to modify any series of Eligible Bonds, it will accept all Eligible Bonds of any other series of Eligible Bonds that have been validly tendered. Eligible Holders who do not submit valid consent and tender orders or whose valid consent and tender orders are not accepted by the Republic will have their Eligible Bonds modified pursuant to the Invitation if we receive the requisite consents to the Proposed Modifications with respect to that series of Eligible Bonds. In this event, the economic terms of such holder's modified Eligible Bonds will differ significantly from the economic terms applicable to its Eligible Bonds prior to the effectiveness of the Proposed Modifications. By delivering their consents and tender orders, Eligible Holders whose Eligible Bonds are accepted by the Republic will agree to (A) waive any and all defaults and cross-defaults, as applicable, that may have occurred or will occur under the Eligible Bonds (prior to the effectiveness of the Proposed Modifications and consummation of the Invitation with respect to such Eligible Bonds) as the result of (i) any failure by the Republic to pay interest and any additional amounts on each originally scheduled payment date set forth in the Eligible Bonds occurring between March 27, 2020, and September 1, 2020, (ii) a default under any series of Eligible Bonds for which the required consents are not obtained on or prior to the Consent Deadline, and (iii) the entering or issuance of judgments or arbitral awards relating to any series of Eligible Bonds for which the required consents are not obtained on or prior to the Consent Deadline, and (B) waive and release the Republic from any and all claims such Eligible Holders may have now or in the future in connection with or arising out of any such defaults and cross-defaults, as applicable, and acknowledge and agree that any such defaults and cross-defaults shall be deemed cured upon the effectiveness of the Proposed Modifications and consummation of the Invitation. No interest will accrue on the amount of interest between the originally scheduled payment date set forth in the Eligible Bonds and September 1, 2020. The effectiveness of the foregoing waiver (x) with respect to individual Eligible Holders, will not be subject to any condition, and (y) with respect to each series of Eligible Bonds will only be contingent upon receiving the requisite consents for such Series. The Invitation is subject to certain conditions, including (i) the announcement of a staff-level agreement on a program with the IMF by the Settlement Date (the "IMF Condition"), (ii) the receipt by the Trustee on the Settlement Date of an opinion from the General Legal Coordinator of the Ministry of Economy and Finance with respect to certain legal matters relating to the New Securities and the new indenture (the "GLC Opinion Condition"), and (iii) the receipt by the Republic of consents and tender orders that will result in at least 80% of the aggregate principal amount of all series of Eligible Bonds (other than the 2024 Bonds) being modified pursuant to the Proposed Modifications or otherwise exchanged for New Securities on the terms described in the Invitation Memorandum (the "Minimum Participation Condition"). None of the IMF Condition, the GLC Opinion Condition or the Minimum Participation Condition may be waived by us. The Invitation will expire at 5:00 p.m. (Central European time) on July 31, 2020, unless extended or earlier terminated (in each case with respect to one or more series) by the Republic at its sole discretion with respect to each series of Eligible Bonds (the "Expiration Date"). Consents and tender orders may not be revoked or withdrawn at any time at or prior to the Expiration Date except in the limited circumstances described in the Invitation Memorandum in the Republic's sole discretion. In such cases, Eligible Holders may not validly revoke their consent without also withdrawing their tender order submitted in conjunction with such consent. Prior to the Consent Deadline, Eligible Holders may not validly withdraw a tender order without also revoking the consent given in conjunction with such tender order. We will terminate the Invitation unless settlement of the Invitation occurs on or prior to August 20, 2020 (the "Settlement Deadline"); provided that, the Republic shall have the right to extend such deadline to September 1, 2020, with the consent of the holders representing a majority of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of all series of Eligible Bonds as reasonably determined by the Republic in its sole discretion. On August 7, 2020, or as soon as practicable thereafter, but no later than the Settlement Deadline (the "Settlement Date"), the supplemental indentures and the new indenture will be executed, the New Securities will be issued and all Eligible Bonds exchanged pursuant to the invitation to exchange will be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. The Republic has engaged Citigroup Global Markets Inc. to act as dealer manager (the "Dealer Manager") for the Invitation. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the information, tabulation and exchange agent (the "Information, Tabulation and Exchange Agent"). Any questions or requests for assistance regarding the Invitation may be directed to the Dealer Manager or the Information, Tabulation and Exchange Agent at the contact information set forth below. Lazard Freres is acting as Financial Advisor to Ecuador in connection with the Invitation. Eligible Holders, or custodians for such holders, of Eligible Bonds may obtain a copy of the Invitation Memorandum by contacting the Information, Tabulation and Exchange Agent at the contact information set forth below, or by download, following registration, via: https://gbsc-usa.com/ecuador. Table AEligible Bonds Title of Security ISIN / Common Code Outstanding Amount 10.750% Bonds due March 28, 2022 (the "2022 Bonds") XS1458516967; XS1458514673 / 145851696; 145851467 U.S.$2,000,000,000 8.750% Bonds due June 2, 2023 (the "2023 Bonds") XS1626768656; XS1626768730 / 162676865; 162676873 U.S.$1,000,000,000 7.950% Bonds due June 20, 2024 (the "2024 Bonds") XS1080331181; XS1080330704 / 108033118; 108033070 U.S.$2,000,000,000 7.875% Bonds due March 27, 2025 (the "2025 Bonds") XS2058848826; XS2058845210 / 205884882; 205884521 U.S.$600,000,000 9.650% Bonds due December 13, 2026 (the "2026 Bonds") XS1535072109; XS1535071986 / 153507210; 153507198 U.S.$1,750,000,000 9.625% Bonds due June 2, 2027 (the "9.625% 2027 Bonds") XS1626529157; XS1626530320 / 162652915; 162653032 U.S.$1,000,000,000 8.875% Bonds due October 23, 2027 (the "8.875% 2027 Bonds") XS1707041429; XS1707041262 / 170704142; 170704126 U.S.$2,500,000,000 7.875% Bonds due January 23, 2028 (the "2028 Bonds") XS1755432363; XS1755429732 / 175543236; 175542973 U.S.$3,000,000,000 10.750% Bonds due January 31, 2029 (the "2029 Bonds") XS1929377015; XS1929376710 / 192937701; 192937671 U.S.$2,125,000,000 9.500% Bonds due March 27, 2030 (the "2030 Bonds") XS2058866307; XS2058864948 / 205886630; 205886494 U.S.$1,400,000,000 Table B New Securities New Security Terms New 2030 Bonds(1)(2) Up to U.S.$3,768,000,000 principal amount of bonds due 2030(3) New 2035 Bonds(1)(2) Up to U.S.$8,606,000,000 principal amount of bonds due 2035(3) New 2040 Bonds(1)(2) Up to U.S.$3,460,000,000 principal amount of bonds due 2040(3) New PDI 2030 Bonds(2) Zero-coupon bonds due 2030 (1) Interest at varied rates on these New Securities will accrue semi-annually (other than the first interest period) until maturity starting on the Settlement Date, as set forth in Table C. (2) Principal on these New Securities will be payable semi-annually in ten equal installments leading up to the respective dates of maturity. (3) The principal amount shown for the New Securities assumes a 100% participation in the Invitation. Table C Financial Terms of the New Securities New Securities Interest Rate Accrual Maturity Principal Repayment New 2030 Bonds From and including the Settlement Date to but excluding July 31, 2021: 0.500%; From and including July 31, 2021 to but excluding July 31, 2022: 5.000%; From and including July 31, 2022 to but excluding July 31, 2023: 5.500%; From and including July 31, 2023 to but excluding July 31, 2024: 6.000%; From and including July 31, 2024 to but excluding July 31, 2030: 6.900%. July 31, 2030 Principal on the New 2030 Bonds will be repaid in U.S. dollars in ten equal semi-annual installments starting on January 31, 2026 through maturity. New 2035 Bonds From and including the Settlement Date to but excluding July 31, 2021: 0.500%; From and including July 31, 2021 to but excluding July 31, 2022: 1.000%; From and including July 31, 2022 to but excluding July 31, 2023: 2.500%; From and including July 31, 2023 to but excluding July 31, 2024: 3.500%; From and including July 31, 2024 to but excluding July 31, 2025: 5.500%; From and including July 31, 2025 to but excluding July 31, 2035: 6.900%. July 31, 2035 Principal on the New 2035 Bonds will be repaid in U.S. dollars in ten equal semi-annual installments starting on January 31, 2031 through maturity. New 2040 Bonds From and including the Settlement Date to but excluding July 31, 2021: 0.500%; From and including July 31, 2021 to but excluding July 31, 2022: 0.500%; From and including July 31, 2022 to but excluding July 31, 2023: 1.500%; From and including July 31, 2023 to but excluding July 31, 2024: 2.500%; From and including July 31, 2024 to but excluding July 31, 2026: 5.000%; From and including July 31, 2026 to but excluding July 31, 2027: 5.500%. From and including July 31, 2027 to but excluding July 31, 2028: 6.000%. From and including July 31, 2028 to but excluding July 31, 2029: 6.500%. From and including July 31, 2029 to but excluding July 31, 2040: 6.900%. July 31, 2040 Principal on the New 2040 Bonds will be repaid in U.S. dollars in ten equal semi-annual installments starting on January 31, 2036 through maturity. New PDI 2030 Bonds 0% July 31, 2030 Principal on the New PDI 2030 Bonds will be repaid in U.S. dollars in ten equal semi-annual installments starting on January 31, 2026 through maturity. Table D New Securities Distribution Eligible Bonds New Securities (excluding the New PDI 2030 Bonds)(1) 2022 Bonds U.S.$300.00 principal amount of New 2030 Bonds U.S.$495.30 principal amount of New 2035 Bonds U.S.$116.00 principal amount of New 2040 Bonds 2023 Bonds U.S.$229.00 principal amount of New 2030 Bonds U.S.$495.30 principal amount of New 2035 Bonds U.S.$187.00 principal amount of New 2040 Bonds 2024 Bonds U.S.$300.00 principal amount of New 2030 Bonds U.S.$495.30 principal amount of New 2035 Bonds U.S.$116.00 principal amount of New 2040 Bonds 2025 Bonds 2026 Bonds 9.625% 2027 Bonds 8.875% 2027 Bonds 2028 Bonds 2029 Bonds 2030 Bonds U.S.$189.00 principal amount of New 2030 Bonds U.S.$495.30 principal amount of New 2035 Bonds U.S.$227.00 principal amount of New 2040 Bonds (1) Principal amount of New Securities per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Eligible Bonds. Eligible Bonds New PDI 2030 Bonds(1) 2022 Bonds U.S.$78.92 2023 Bonds U.S.$50.78 2024 Bonds U.S.$42.68 2025 Bonds U.S.$57.89 2026 Bonds U.S.$53.51 9.625% 2027 Bonds U.S.$55.90 8.875% 2027 Bonds U.S.$59.78 2028 Bonds U.S.$36.07 2029 Bonds U.S.$47.59 2030 Bonds U.S.$69.92 (1) Principal amount of New PDI 2030 Bonds per U.S.$1,000 accrued and unpaid interest of applicable Eligible Bond up to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (assuming that the Settlement Date occurs on August 7, 2020). This announcement is for informational purposes only and is not an invitation or a solicitation of consents of any holders of Eligible Bonds. The consent solicitation and invitation to exchange to holders of Eligible Bonds is only being made pursuant to the Invitation. Holders of Eligible Bonds should read the Invitation Memorandum carefully prior to making any decision with respect to delivering their consents or tendering their securities because it contains important information. Ecuador will make (or cause to be made) all announcements regarding the Invitation by press release in accordance with applicable law. We have not registered the Invitation or the Eligible Bonds under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities law. The Invitation may not be made in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Invitation is being made only to (A) "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, (B) "accredited investors" within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Regulation D under the Securities Act ("institutional accredited investors") and (C) (x) persons outside the United States, (y) if located within a member state of the European Economic Area or in the United Kingdom, a "qualified investor" as defined in Regulation (EU) 1129/2017, and (z) if located outside the EEA or the UK, is eligible to receive this invitation under the laws of its jurisdiction. 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Requests for additional copies of the Invitation Memorandum, the eligibility letter or any other related documents may also be directed to the Information, Tabulation and Exchange Agent. The Dealer Manager for the Invitation is: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 390 Greenwich St, 1st Floor New York, NY 10013 Attention: Liability Management Group U.S. Toll-free: +1-800-558-3745 Collect: +1-212-723-6106 Email: [email protected] The Republic of Ecuador Ministry of Economy and Finance Av. Amazonas entre Pereira y Union Nacional de Periodistas Plataforma Gubernamental de Gestion Financiera, Pisos 10 y 11 Quito, Ecuador (Financial Advisor to the Republic of Ecuador) Lazard Freres 121 Boulevard Haussmann 75008, Paris SOURCE The Republic of Ecuador Related Links http://gbsc-usa.com/ecuador The national assembly has refused to pay for vehicles bought for members of the house of representatives since 2017, 12 contractors invo... The national assembly has refused to pay for vehicles bought for members of the house of representatives since 2017, 12 contractors involved have alleged. The vehicle bought by the eighth national assembly, included Peugeot 508, 2017 model, and Toyota Hilux pick-up vans and other office equipment, and were reported to have been captured in the budget. In an April 25, 2017 letter to one of the contractors, the national assembly said payment would be based on satisfactory completion of the contract. Otaru Otaru & Co, the legal firm representing the contractors, on July 3, 2020 wrote a letter of demand to the clerk of the national assembly asking that the money owed, which was put at N875 million, be paid. If the national assembly that is reputed for making laws for the good governance and welfare of the citizens of Nigeria could not fulfil its obligations under a simple contract, can we really say that the members of the national assembly are really distinguished and honourable members of the hallowed chamber, the letter read. The contractors also threatened a lawsuit if the outstanding sum of N875 million is not paid within seven days from the date of receipt of this letter. But the national assembly failed to respond to the demand. In another letter to President Muhammadu Buhari dated July 17, the contractors asked the president to look into the matter and to ensure justice is done. It is as a result of your zero tolerance for corruption that we, on behalf of our clients, convey to you sir, the refusal of the National Assembly to pay our clients the various contract sums owed our clients despite the supply of various cars and office equipment to the National Assembly by our clients since 2017, the letter read. On the instructions of our clients, we wrote letters of demand to the Clerk of the National Assembly and up till now, there is no any iota of response to our letters of demand. Sir, as our President who has zero tolerance for corruption, we have it on good authority that funds have been provided for the National Assembly by your government to pay all outstanding debts owed by the National Assembly, but the principal officers of the National Assembly chose to look the other way and have failed, refused and/or neglected to pay the debts owed our clients despite both oral and written demands. The contract was said to have been executed when Mohammed Sani-Omolori was clerk of the national assembly. The National Assembly Service Commission last Friday replaced Sani-Omolori, who was due for retirement, with Ojo Amos Olatunde who now serves in acting capacity. In 2019, the national assembly came under criticism for budgeting about N5 billion for cars. Both Ajibola Basiru and Ben Kalu, spokespersons for the senate and house of representatives respectively, were not reachable for comment on the matter. A MIDDLE-aged man suffered serious injuries after a stabbing in Cork. The incident occurred in Blackpool shortly after 3pm and resulted in a 55-year-old man sustaining an apparent wound to his torso during an assault. Gardai and emergency services were alerted and raced to the scene. The man received emergency medical treatment at the scene from paramedics before being rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) by ambulance. He was scheduled to undergo emergency surgery. It is understood his condition is serious but not life threatening. Gardai sealed off the area where the incident occurred at Dublin Street pending a full technical examination by forensic officers. A man in his 70s was later arrested by gardai and is now being questioned in relation to the circumstances of the incident. There were a number of people in the area at the time of the assault. Door to door inquiries will be conducted to determine if anyone living locally heard or saw anything suspicious. Gardai will also examine CCTV security camera footage from the area to determine movements of individuals to and from the area at the time of the suspected stabbing. WASHINGTON - A decade ago, when the shale boom was still in its infancy, developers lined up to build long-distance natural gas pipelines to supply distant markets with low-cost energy to replace aging, dirty coal and oil-burning power plants. But after years of legal fights with environmental groups trying to eradicate carbon-emitting fossil fuels, pipeline companies are backing off large-scale pipeline projects. The decision by its developers earlier this month to cancel the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline project is just the beginning, experts say. Theres so much uncertainty on the project timeline and the cost you are unlikely to see another major natural gas pipeline built (that crosses state lines), said Sam Andrus, executive director of North American gas at the consulting firm IHS Markit. These environmental groups have made it their explicit goal to delay these projects and raise the costs. And theyre getting better at it as time goes on. If more pipelines go the way of the Atlantic Coast, it would limit markets for natural gas producers in states such as Texas, which produces more gas than any state and has watched its economy thrive under oil and gas boom brought on by hydraulic fracturing. A recent study by the American Petroleum Institute predicts that demand from oil and gas producers would support the construction of more than 17,000 miles pipelines during the next five years. But between legal fights with environmentalists and Democratic state politicians such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo moving to block pipelines from their states to address climate change, it looks unlikely that anywhere close to that amount will be built. FIGHT GOES ON: Tensions around natural gas pipelines increase with pandemic We need infrastructure to get our production out to areas with the most demand, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president at API. Its essential we get these projects up and running. Pipeline companies, as well as their trade group the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, declined to comment. Immediate protests The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, proposed by North Carolina-based Duke Energy and Virginia-based Dominion Energy, was announced six years ago in a bid to connect the United States largest natural gas basin, the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, with southern states that had long relied on coal for power. But to construct the pipeline, the companies needed to cross the Appalachian Mountains, largely a federally protected wilderness area that includes parts of a famed hiking route, the Appalachian Trail. Protests began almost immediately, setting off a legal fight, which, along with project delays, drove the cost of the pipeline from $4.5 billion to $8 billion, the developers said earlier this month. That is likely to have a chilling effect on the lenders and investors that pipeline developers rely on for financing, said Stephen Brown, an energy consultant and former industry lobbyist. Pipeline companies have to decide and say, We probably cant build everything we want and our clients want, and what can we get across the finish line in a reasonable amount of time, he said. Youre going to have to pick your targets a little more carefully and investment capital is going to get scarce. While environmental groups might succeed in shutting down a specific project, they do not have the financial resources to wage legal campaigns against all new pipelines, said David Bookbinder, an attorney with the Niskanen Center, a Washington think tank that advocates for the environment. FEDERAL INTERVENTION: EPA moves against states' pipeline blockade They might target high-profile projects such as Keystone XL or the Permian Highway pipeline, which Houston-based Kinder Morgan is building through the Texas Hill Country to growing local opposition. But most pipelines are unlikely to enter the public consciousness. It takes a lot of effort to run a campaign like that (against Atlantic Coast Pipeline), Bookbinder said. Theres around six lawsuits against the Permian Highway, but there are probably a dozen other pipelines under construction no one is paying attention to. But pipeline developers are paying attention and adjusting their plans. Shorter is better Financial analysts tracking the industry say companies are beginning to shift from building new pipelines toward expanding existing routes. They also are focusing on shorter pipelines that do not cross state lines and are less likely to attract the attention of environmental groups. For instance, a series of new oil and gas pipelines out of the Permian Basin are all headed to the Texas Gulf Coast, instead of running to markets in California or the Midwest. There are still some industry friendly states, said Natalia Patterson, an analyst at the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. If you want to build a pipeline within Texas, youre dealing with the Texas Railroad Commission, but if youre taking it across into Louisiana, its (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) and national attention. President Donald Trump has made moves to help pipelines and other infrastructure projects along, including his recent decision to overhaul the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts in their decision making. The act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970. FUEL FIX: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox But the administration efforts to date to help industry have struggled to withstand legal scrutiny. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had failed to conduct an adequate environmental assessment before signing off on the Dakota Access pipeline project in North Dakota and ordered the pipeline shut down though the U.S. Supreme Court later allowed the pipeline to continue operations. The administration has not helped itself by rewriting these rules, said Brown, the energy consultant. By rewriting them in such a sloppy legal manner theyre being overturned by the courts left, right and center and that adds to the legal quagmire. james.osborne@chron.com Twitter.com/@osborneja China's top state-asset regulator has urged the country's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to increase profitability and deepen reform. Addressing a recent video conference attended by the heads of central SOEs, Hao Peng, chief of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), said most of the central SOEs should strive to achieve relatively rapid growth in the second half of the year. Efforts should be made to deepen reform, optimize and stabilize industrial and supply chains, and defuse major risks, according to the conference. A three-year action plan for SOEs reform is expected to take the country's reform in state-owned assets and firms to a new stage. In the first half of the year, central SOEs led in work and production resumption, drove the development of all types of market entities and improved production and operation, according to the SASAC. In the January-June period, the combined revenue of the 97 central SOEs fell by 7.8 percent from one year earlier to 13.4 trillion yuan (about 1.91 trillion U.S. dollars), narrowing by 4 percentage points compared with the decrease in the first quarter. The central SOEs' combined profits stood at 438.55 billion yuan in the first half of the year, down 37.7 percent year on year, narrowing by 12.6 percentage points compared with the decline in the first five months. By Mei Mei Chu KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia is losing up to 25% of its potential palm oil yield due to a labour shortage that is expected to worsen in the coming months, the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) said on Monday. The group, which represents plantation firms, said the government's decision to freeze the recruitment of new foreign workers until December could lead to the "demise" of the industry. "Pre-COVID, we were already short of 36,000 workers. This (shortage) has already resulted in us not realising our potential production by 10%-25%," MPOA Chief Executive Officer Nageeb Wahab said in a conference. Malaysia, the world's second-biggest palm oil producer, relies on workers from countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh as they account for 84% of its plantation workforce. Thousands have already left palm estates for home as borders closed, and the group said it had not been able to replace those who had left. A dearth of workers could delay palm fruit harvesting and curb oil output, especially ahead of the peak production season that starts around September. Nageeb said plantation companies were actively hiring locals in support of the government's policy, but locals were not interested in what they see as dirty, dangerous, difficult and demeaning. "If this (local recruitment effort) fails, we will need the government to help us," he added. Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Willie Mongin said the ministry was in talks with industry groups to address the labour concerns. "We will discuss and formulate a strategy to address labour shortage issue," he said during the conference. Willie also said Malaysia was planning to file a World Trade Organisation (WTO) case against the European Union over its restrictions on palm oil biofuel by this year. "We are adamant and steadfast in taking legal action against the EU on its discrimination towards Malaysian palm oil," he said. (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Subhranshu Sahu) PSEB 12th Result 2020: Punjab School of Education Board (PSEB) has not yet finalised the date for declaration of class 12th results, a PSEB official told HT. Refuting reports in section of media claiming that the result will be declared on Monday, Janak Raj Mehrok, PSEB examination controller said, We are under process and no date has been finalised yet to declare the results of Class 12. Its a fake news that we are declaring the result today. However, sources told Hindustan Times that preparations are being made for declaration of Class 12 results and there is a possibility of it being released late in the evening on Monday. Punjab Board had to cancel the pending exams of class 12th this year, due to Covid-19 pandemic. School education minister Vijay Inder Singla had earlier informed that it would not be possible for the education department to conduct the examinations in the near future due to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. This year, the result will be declared on the basis of the best performing subjects as examinations of some subjects have already been taken by the PSEB before the virus outbreak. For example if any student has appeared in the examinations in only three subjects, the average of the marks obtained in the best two performing subjects will be awarded in the subjects for which examinations have not been conducted, the education minister had said while elaborating best performing subjects formula. The marks of practical subjects and on the job training, for vocational subjects will also be awarded on this basis. In case of open-school students, PSEB will declare the results on the basis of credit carry formula. Students will be awarded average marks on the basis of the marks obtained by them in the subjects (credit carry formula), which were passed by them in earlier sessions. In the year 2019, the pass percentage was 86.41%. The girls had performed better than the boys in the Punjab with a pass percentage of 90.86%. The pass percentage for boys was 82.83%. How to check PSEB 12th Results 2020 after it is declared: Visit the official website at pseb.ac.in Log on to the official website, pseb.ac.in On the homepage, click on PSEB Punjab Board Class Class 12th Result 2020 Enter your roll number and other required details Click on submit Your PSEB 12th Result 2020 will be displayed on screen Download and take its print out SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A medical doctor helped save a 3-year-old boy at a hotel pool in Montvale on Saturday, police said. A family member removed the drowning child from the 3-foot end of the pool at the Courtyard by Marriott on Chestnut Ridge Road, Montvale Police Chief Joseph Sanfilippo said. Dr. John Blundell, who was visiting New Jersey from the Buffalo, New York area, performed CPR and revived the young boy prior to first responders arriving, Sanfilippo said. Adding to the incidents success, Montvale officer Scott Gaston was less than a minute from the scene when the call came in, Sanfilippo said. Gaston administered oxygen and comfort to the boy as other officers also headed to the hotel, Sanfilippo said. The boy was then taken to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. (It is) incredibly fortunate that the doctor... was in the right place at the right time, Sanfilippo said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Changes to regulations and the creation of new lending programs have, and will continue to help consumers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, CUNA wrote Friday to the House Small Business Committee for its hearing on oversight of pandemic recovery programs. CUNA thanked Congress for its efforts to establish the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as the Federal Reserve for creating a PPP Liquidity Facility, which made it easier for credit unions to make PPP loans without liquidity concerns. CUNA also called on Congress and the Small Business Administration to address PPP lender liability concerns. Credit unions and other lenders essentially acted as agents of the government disbursing funds to small businesses during this time of need, the letter reads. Congress and the SBA ought to do the right thing by holding lenders harmless for errors that may have been made as a result of unclear, ambiguous or inadequate guidance, as well as misstatements and fraudulent activity on the part of borrowers. Congress should use upcoming recovery legislation to protect lenders from PPP related liability. The SaniPen When designing the SaniPen, we knew that refills were an important part of our design. We didnt just want to create a superior hand sanitizer formulation, we also wanted to decrease the impact of plastics on our environment. Horizon Concepts, LLC has just launched The SaniPen: The highest quality, most environmentally-friendly and most convenient hand sanitizer on the market today, perfect for kids going back to school, airline travel and everyday use. The SaniPen is made from 75.00% isopropyl alcohol and aloe. It does not have an offensive smell like ethyl alcohol hand sanitizers and it is soft on the hands. Nurses, doctors and all front-line health care workers love the convenience of the SaniPen because it clips on to lanyards, belts and scrubs like it was perfectly designed to do. Moms and dads that pack lunches for their kids going to school love the SaniPen because its easy to clip on to backpacks or add to lunch boxes. We launched the SaniPen based on real market needs," said Javier Zapien, Managing Partner of Horizon Concepts, LLC. Most hand sanitizers are made with inferior formulations like ethyl alcohol that smell offensive and dry out your hand. The SaniPen is made with isopropyl alcohol and aloe and comes in a convenient pen format that easily clips on to kids backpacks, scrubs and lanyards. Best of all, its refillable so you wont have to buy single-use plastics over-and-over again. TheSaniPen is Environmentally Friendly. Recently, the FDA issued a warning about 9 different hand sanitizers manufactured with methanol, a wood alcohol, that is more toxic than beneficial for human use. Since the SaniPen only uses isopropyl alcohol and aloe as its main ingredients, theres no concern about potential toxicity. More Recently, Health Canada announced it has also recalled hand sanitizers that contain industrial grade ethanol. Theres a growing concern that in the rush to bring hand-sanitizers to market, some companies use the least expensive hand sanitizer formulations as possible to increase their profit margins. The SaniPen is far more environmentally friendly because Horizon Concepts, LLC sells bulk hand sanitizer to refill the SaniPen. Refilling the SaniPen is simple: its a basic screwcap design that is intuitive to refill. Neil Stone, Managing Partner of Horizon Concepts, LLC comments, When designing the SaniPen, we knew that refills were an important part of our design. We didnt just want to create a superior hand sanitizer formulation, we also wanted to decrease the impact of plastics on our environment. The SaniPen is a Perfect Promotional Product. Horizon Concepts, LLC will white-label and/or brand the SaniPen for your business. We envisioned the needs of businesses post covid-19 needing to supply their clientele with hand sanitizer in a format that would help their clients remember their business. Because the SaniPen is so convenient and clips on to clothing, customers will always remember the free gift of health they received from your business said Javier Zapien, Managing Partner of Horizon Concepts, LLC. The SaniPen Qualifies for Volume Discounts When Ordering in Quantities Greater Than 500. The SaniPen sells in quantities of 5, 10, 25-99, 100-250, 251-500 and 500+. If you order 500 or more SaniPens, Horizon Concepts will give you a volume discount, use your company logo on the SaniPen and ship directly to you. Our goal is to help businesses that have a high volume of client or employee contact protect themselves. Said Neil Stone, Managing Partner of Horizon Concepts, LLC. About Horizon Concepts, LLC: Horizon Concepts, LLC manufactures the SaniPen, available for sale across the United States and all U.S. Territories. To order, simply navigate to https://www.thesanipen.com, email us at info@TheSaniPen.com or call us direct at (833) 726-9736. By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: TDP president N Chandrababu Naidus letter to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan was full of lies, Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said here on Sunday. Speaking to mediapersons, the minister said Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was only implementing the promises made before the elections. He said the YSRC promised to make all parliamentary constituencies in the State as districts and same was being implemented now. The three-capital proposal is to ensure equitable development of all three regions of the State. Naidu is speaking lies and he has taken patent for his lies, Satyanarayana alleged. Naidu should know what the Sivaramakrishnan Committee said in its report. The Narayana committee on capital did not take any opinion from people, he pointed out. In fact, the Sivaramakrishnan Committee, in its report, vetoed the idea of setting up capital between Krishna and Guntur districts. The committee was totally against the setting up of capital in Amaravati as fertile lands in the region will be destroyed and has also talked about decentralised administration, he pointed out. Naidu never considered the Sivaramakrishnan panel report, he said. Jagan has got two bills passed in the Assembly for decentralisation of administration by locating executive capital in Visakhapatnam, legislative capital in Amaravati and judicial capital in Kurnool. However, Naidu got the bills stopped in the Legislative Council. TDP members, who are in majority in the Council, behaved rudely with the YSRC members and ministers, he said. The decision to decentralise administration was welcomed by people of North Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. It was even appreciated by the people of Krishna and Guntur districts as the legislative capital was proposed to be set up in Amaravati, he observed. The minister refuted the claims of Naidu that TDP government had spent Rs 10,000 crore on Amaravati. The previous government had spent only Rs 7,635 crore on Amaravati and of this, only Rs 5,674 crore was spent on actual works. While Rs 329 crore was paid towards interest on loans, Rs 321 crore was given to architects in the form of advances. As much as Rs 1,300 crore was spent on land pooling and Rs 4,941 crore was secured from various banks and HUDCO as loan for the capital project, he clarified. The minister said works of some projects in Amaravati will be resumed in August as the government was committed to the development of the legislative capital. Were now $343 billion poorer as a nation because of COVID-19. As a result, our national debt will reach unprecedented levels. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Were now $343 billion poorer as a nation because of COVID-19. As a result, our national debt will reach unprecedented levels. While some Canadians will dispute how the government is supporting Canadians and businesses during the pandemic, many will argue it didnt have much choice. Theres certainly some truth to that. The numbers are massive. But whats most concerning is that the government appears to lack an economic recovery strategy. And the food service industry desperately needs one. To that end, some countries are launching interesting programs to help the hospitality industry. In Britain, for example, a voucher program called "eat out to help out" was launched to support restaurants, pubs and other food establishments. Its corporate welfare, of course, but the pandemic is different, very different. Very rarely has one event affected both sides of the economy at once. Both supply-side economics and demand have been hard hit. So the British government is spending more than 500 million on its voucher program over 13 days. Its a lot of money. The program covers August only, Mondays to Wednesdays, for a total of 13 days. All registered establishments will offer meals at half price, with a maximum discount of about $15 per person (roughly 10), including children. Consumers can use vouchers as many times as they want, so they can use the vouchers over consecutive days. Vouchers cant be used for takeout or delivery, only for sit-down meals. Alcoholic drinks are excluded. Restaurant operators could register for the program on the British governments website starting on July 13. From fast food to fine dining, operators can make claims and be reimbursed directly by the government. Canada could follow Britains footsteps, but such an initiative has significant and obvious downsides. For one, the ethics of a government giving money to consumers so they can eat junk food is questionable. Most governments in the western world have been beating the health drum for some time, including the British government. Supporting fast-food chains with public funding seems a little awkward. Plus, some of these establishments are part of huge conglomerates. Public funding given to well-resourced global franchises is problematic. On the other hand, the financial viability of many of these establishments is an issue. Estimates suggest 30 to 50 per cent of all restaurants will close within a year due to COVID-19. Public support for establishments that are bound to fail may be ill-timed. But the hospitality industry isnt just about continuity; its also about jobs, people, human capital and communities. Many people in the industry have precarious financial situations and need work, and who they work for matters less. For consumers, encouraging restaurant use means we get to congregate and feel somewhat normal again. But according to a recent survey, more than half of Canadians still dont want to be close to a restaurant over the short term, which is understandable. Many others, however, want to but may not be able to afford it. So a restaurant voucher scheme could be the difference between staying home and contributing to an economy in desperate need of affection. If such a program is implemented in Canada, the government should expect something back from operators. As a start, restaurants that benefit from the program would need to do their part by paying decent wages. A basic income or a substantial universal income subsidy would be more broadly effective, but no such program exists yet. 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. Menu prices would need to be adjusted. Since June, many reports suggest prices have gone up, not down. Vouchers could push prices higher, since operators would know patrons only need to cover half the costs. Public programs can motivate consumers to go out, but restaurant operators would need to do their part, as well. Some clarity on expectations for both industry and government should be expected. All Canadians would pay for this, so it needs to be done right. Theres no such thing as a free lunch. Its time to get creative about putting our economy back to work. Giving consumers incentives to go out safely and participate in the economy, support restaurant operators and entrepreneurs, is more critical than ever. Many restaurant operators need help, and the rest of us could use a break from our kitchens. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. Troy Media Protests Continue In Russia's Far East Over Arrest Of Local Governor By Current Time July 19, 2020 Mass rallies continue to rock the Far Eastern Russian region of Khabarovsk as the backlash against the arrest of a local governor rattles the Kremlin. Thousands of people took part in protests across the region, including in Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and Birobidzhan. The fresh rallies come after tens of thousands peacefully demonstrated in the city of Khabarovsk on July 18 to demand the release of Khabarovsk region Governor Sergei Furgal. Despite the protests not being given official permission, no detentions were reported. Organizers put the size of the July 18 protests at some 50,000 people in a city of only 600,000 people. Furgal, who was arrested in Khabarovsk on July 9 and transferred to Moscow, is charged with attempted murder and ordering two murders in 2004-05. On July 16, the Moscow City Court in a closed-door decision upheld Furgal's pretrial detention. 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. Furgal was elected governor of the Khabarovsk region, which borders China, two years ago in an upset for the longtime incumbent, who represented the ruling United Russia party. The continuing protests, far from the Russian capital, are a rare public show of defiance of the Kremlin and come following a controversial nationwide vote that set the stage for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036. The authorities have been unnerved by the protests, with the regional capital's mayor calling for calm and saying such rallies were illegal and could spread the coronavirus. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) had also warned of an alleged terrorist threat involving explosives, which it claimed to have already foiled. In addition, authorities in Khabarovsk said they were considering a return to strict quarantine in the region and attributed this to the "difficult situation with the spread of coronavirus infection." With reporting by dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/more-protests -in-russia-khabarovsk-over-arrest-of -local-governor/30735947.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tourists visit Aijing Zhuang, a historical stockaded village, in Tongan Township of Yongtai County, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 19, 2020. Multiple measures have been adopted to conserve the historical villages in Yongtai County. Cultural tourism actvities have thrived in the county's many finely preserved, stockaded villages. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Pubs and restaurants in NSW could be forced to shut their doors again if the state's coronavirus infections continue to rise. Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Sydneysiders to limit their activities as the state recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. Government sources claimed tighter restrictions - such as the targeted closure of pubs and restaurants, as well as compulsory face masks - are more likely than total lockdown if infections continue to climb. NSW health authorities have also urged young people to take the virus 'seriously', as a person in their 30s battles coronavirus in intensive care. Queensland Health on Monday also confirmed a man in his 20s had been rushed to hospital after contracting the killer virus overseas. Victoria reported 275 infections and the death of an aged care resident in her 80s, bringing the number of deaths in the state to 39 and the national toll to 123. Tasmania recorded its first coronavirus case in more than two months after a young woman returned to the island from infected Victoria. Pubs and restaurants in NSW could be forced to shut their doors again if the state's coronavirus infections continue to rise Pubs and restaurants in NSW could be forced to shut their doors again if the state's coronavirus infections continue to rise. Pictured: Health workers are seen in PPE Three of the 20 cases reported in NSW in the 24 hours are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, bringing the total number of cases linked to the cluster to 48. Eight new cases are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, four are linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, four are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a person who has returned from Victoria. Ms Berejiklian said she was concerned that NSW was at a 'critical point' in the pandemic. She said the state has the chance to get ahead of the virus and control the spread if residents limit their activities and practise social distancing over the next few weeks. 'If you cannot guarantee social distancing where you're going ... you must wear a mask,' she told reporters in Sydney. 'We encourage everybody to limit their behaviour or activity in the next few weeks especially around large crowds.' The state government has already tightened some coronavirus restrictions by reducing pub bookings from 20 to 10 and limiting venues to a max of 300. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, several ministers have claimed the mood in cabinet is 'extremely anxious' and NSW needs to reintroduce further restrictions. 'Lockdowns of sectors could happen, predominantly pubs and restaurants,' one minister said. Pictured: Medical staff at a pop-up COVID-19 site in Casula, Sydney's south-west Another minister said there was 'no appetite for a full lockdown' but a feeling that some restrictions needed to be altered. 'I think there is a feeling that some things may have gone too far, too quickly and we will need to tighten some areas again,' the minister said. 'I think given the cautious nature of Gladys, she was probably pushed further into opening things up by [Deputy Premier John] Barilaro and [Treasurer Dominic] Perrottet than she felt comfortable with.' Another minister told the publication they think masks will be seen 'before a shut down', adding that a complete lockdown doesn't seem likely. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there were 96 people being treated for coronavirus with two patients in intensive care including a person in their 30s. 'I also would like to highlight that one of those cases in intensive care is actually a person in their 30s,' Dr Chant said. 'I think it always is important to highlight that because often we tend to say, ''This disease affects the elderly'' - and it does on average, but there will still be young people that are impacted. A couple wearing face masks in Melbourne this week. The protective item will be mandatory in the state from 11.59pm on Wednesday Victoria reported 275 infections and the death of an aged care resident in her 80s on Monday The worrying spread of the highly contagious virus comes as thousands of protesters plan another Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller slammed demonstrators for 'playing Russian roulette' as COVID-19 cases continue to grow NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller slammed demonstrators for 'playing Russian roulette' as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Mr Fuller says NSW Police will attempt to block the protest planned for July 28 in the Supreme Court. He urged the public not to be 'selfish' during this time, encouraging people to protest online in order to protect the community. 'Looking at the intelligence coming out of the Black Lives Matters protest in Melbourne, and that people who attended it came from the vertical towers, there are serious concerns,' he told The Australian. 'I don't want to see the same thing happen in NSW, and getting a big group together for a Black Lives Matters protest in Sydney, when you know the dangers, is playing Russian roulette with the nearly eight million people who live in the state. 'We'll be going to the Supreme Court to stop it from going ahead win, lose or draw, if anyone turns up and breaches public health orders, we'll start writing tickets for a thousand dollars.' More than 4000 people have registered their interest in attending the rally, which aims to highlight the issue of Aboriginal deaths in custody. Event organisers provided 'a COVID-19 safety checklist' on Facebook on Monday, encouraging protesters to obey social distancing, wear masks and obey hand hygiene, with 'safety teams' present at the rally to monitor and provide these items if needed. 'While large crowds continue to gather in Sydney for commercial purposes ... we will continue to assert our rights to protest,' the Facebook post read on Monday. Pictured: Black Lives Matter protesters gather at Sydney's Town Hall on June 6 A terrifying map shows how far coronavirus has spread across Sydney, with cases continuing to pop up at gyms, McDonald's, busy pubs, restaurants and supermarkets The worrying spread of the highly contagious virus comes as thousands of protesters plan another Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney. Pictured: Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney on June 6 Tasmania's public health department confirmed the new COVID-19 case on Monday night. The woman had been in hotel quarantine in Tasmania's south but is now being treated in the Royal Hobart Hospital. The state had last recorded a COVID-19 infection more than 60 days ago and became free of active cases in mid-June. The new infection takes Tasmania's overall number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 227. Further information about the woman is expected to be revealed on Tuesday. 'I've said to Tasmanians on many occasions, we will see positive cases,' Premier Peter Gutwein said. 'Importantly, this one has been picked up in our hotel quarantine.' Tasmania has banned the entry of non-essential travellers from Victoria but residents are allowed to return home from the virus-hit mainland state provided they quarantine in government accommodation for two weeks. Queensland Health reported one new coronavirus case on Monday, following the positive test result of a man in his 20s. From Thursday, face masks will be compulsory for Victorians living in locked down areas People walk along Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Residents are being urged to avoid public transport and social gatherings as case numbers increase The man, who was on a freight ship off the coast of Queensland, has been transferred to Sunshine Coast University Hospital. There are 18 crew members still on board. They have all tested negative to coronavirus but will stay on the ship, which is currently anchored 17km off Queensland's coast, to undergo further testing. Queensland currently has two active COVID-19 cases. Both cases are in hospital. Almost 3,000 coronavirus cases remain active in Victoria, with 147 people in hospital, including 31 in intensive care. Sixteen of those in intensive care are on ventilators, a state government spokeswoman told AAP. After more than a fortnight of triple-digit case number increases every day, including a record 428 on Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews said it was too soon to know if the curve was flattening. 'We had a very big day Friday and then we had a substantial drop-off, even though we had done more tests,' he told reporters on Monday. Mr Andrews said it could take up to two weeks for the effects of the stage three lockdown in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire to be reflected in the figures. 'Let's wait to see how the week unfolds, certainly, we're always happier to report lower numbers than higher ones, particularly when you see testing continue at such a high rate,' he said. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, face masks will be compulsory for Victorians living in locked down areas. People wear masks as they walk around Melbourne on Sunday. The city has been under a second lockdown for almost two weeks Pictured: Medical staff at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Sydney on July 11 If residents of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire leave their house for one of the four allowed reasons without a mask or face covering after Wednesday, they could be hit with a $200 penalty. Swinburne University of Technology dean of Health Science Bruce Thompson has urged Victorians to treat their face masks like underwear. 'Assume your mask is like underwear. So don't take it off in the middle of public. Don't fiddle with it in the middle of public, don't share them with somebody else,' Professor Thompson said on Monday. 'The concept of actually taking your underwear off in public and putting them on a kitchen bench is horrible - but that's effectively what you are doing.' He recommended having six to 12 masks ready for use on rotation, just as a person would with underwear. 'Masks are important and they are basically another tool in the armoury,' Prof Thompson said. 'The only way for the virus to actually spread is it has some form of human-to-human contact, either direct touching or via a droplet or something like that because someone is in very close proximity to them.' - Details about Ghana's ambitious plan to become like Singapore in the year 2020 have surfaced online - It all started when former president, Jerry John Rawlings, presented a plan to the House of Parliament in the mid-nineties - Details show that Rwanda has, however, taken steps to actualise the dream of becoming like Singapore Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in In the mid-nineties, Ghanas former president, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, presented a plan to Parliament which sought to ensure that Ghana becomes Africas Singapore. The aim was to ensure the country becomes a middle-income status nation by the year 2020. YEN.com.gh has learned that Rwanda employed a similar strategy but the results available on the progress of the two African countries are different. READ ALSO: Ken Ofori-Atta: Finance Minister to present mid-year budget review in July Ghanas Vision 2020 was a bold plan to ensure Ghana follows Singapores footsteps in transforming itself from a third-world country to a middle-income country in a short time. Details available show that Singapore is currently listed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the worlds third-richest country per capita; Ghana currently stands at number 126. Details show that in the 1990s the Lee Kuan Yew-led Singapore became a global financial, trading, and industrial centre. Its free market and economic growth over the years inspired Ghana to imitate it. President Akufo-Addo Source: bbc.com Source: UGC A report by dw.com shows that it is credited for having a robust economy and modern infrastructure. Ghana, over the years, has reportedly taken steps to reduce poverty but faces challenges with respect to the uneven distribution of the standard of living. Rwanda, on the other hand, is reportedly the only African country on record to have come close to emulating Singapores story. It currently boasts of year of strong economic growth, clean streets in the capital, Kigali, and donor praise for fighting corruption. The countrys economic record looks good, but is reported to be deficient in its fight to protect human rights. Critics of Rwandas president, Paul Kagame, argue that the economic gains were secured at the cost of suppression of dissenting views and media rights. In other news, YEN.com.gh has learned that a Swiss-based company, NEK, is ready to construct 1 000 megawatts of wind power for Ghana. This forms part of plans to see to the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832). Details available show that the project would be executed in two phases: 150 megawatts of wind power for phase one and 75 megawatts for phase two. READ ALSO: Ghanaian steel factory gets $1.2m support from IFC to create jobs Read the best news on Ghana's #1 news app. Install our latest news app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on or Instagram now! Source: YEN.com.gh Indias formal jobs market seems to be stabilising and hiring is expected to pick up over the next six months, but the recovery seems to be uneven with most opportunities emerging from sectors that were least affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. Several industries such as education and healthcare are expected to lead the way in fresh recruitments as the spread of Covid-19 and the lockdown have led to a sharp spike in demand, according to a survey of hiring intent by staffing firm TeamLease, which works with more than 3,500 companies. While the pandemic has forced many firms to downsize, a few industries are also benefiting from the changed realities of the post-pandemic world. The firms that expressed their intent to hire soon include healthcare, online education, e-commerce and packaged consumer goods. However, hiring by airlines, hotels and many manufacturing companies will likely remain anaemic. TeamLease defines hiring intent as the percentage of hiring managers planning to recruit in the near future and does not indicate the volume of hiring. The current circumstances dont lend itself to any comparison with the past when it comes to future of employment. We have to make do for now with the optimism simply around various businesses intent to hire rather than the quantum of hire, Rituparna Chakraborty co-founder and executive vice-president at TeamLease. While hiring intent can change in future, the top-ranking sectors in the survey are expected to do the bulk of their hiring in the next six months. As many as 33% of healthcare and pharma hiring managers surveyed said they intend to hire soon. The education sector has also seen a sharp uptick in e-learning solutions, with many looking to upskill, leading to a surge in demand for remote learning solutions across segments. Here, 27% of respondents remain optimistic about hiring new employees. Firms in packaged consumer goods and farm equipment are likely to feel more confident about hiring as demand has either neared the pre-Covid-19 level or have exceeded it. Even as a demand revival takes hold, intermittent and localised lockdowns have disrupted manufacturing and supply chains. The e-commerce sector ranked No. 3 on hiring intent. It is expected to add a significant number of jobs with 26% of hiring managers responding in affirmative. Likewise, a good monsoon and the governments increased allocation to rural employment schemes is expected to create a diverse range of jobs in the rural sector. The FMCG sector also features prominently among the top job creators followed by IT, energy and retail sectors. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Press Release 20 July 2020 Weave Co-Living Expands into Singapore with SGD500 Million Joint Venture Advertisements Hong Kong-based Weave Co-Living ("Weave"), is making its debut in Singapore with a planned investment of SGD500 million in a joint venture ("JV") with Singapore-based fund management firm, 32 Real Estate Private Limited ("32RE"). Weave will hold an 80% stake in the JV, while funds managed by 32RE will hold the remaining 20%. Together, both partners are committing total equity of SGD150 million. Sachin Doshi, founder and chairman of Weave, stated that the strategy is to acquire serviced apartments and hospitality assets in order to reposition, redesign and rebrand them into Weave properties. Weave has anticipated to purchase two assets in Singapore by the end of 2020 with an initial target to have 600 to 800 accommodation units. 32RE will be the acquisitions and project manager for the JV in Singapore. Weave currently owns and operates a portfolio of six properties with more 600 rental units in Hong Kong, valued at approximately USD300 million. In November 2018, Weave secured USD181 million investment from US-based private equity firm, Warburg Pincus LLC. After Singapore, Weave intends to enter Australia, Korea, India and other key markets in the region in the coming year. Singapore and Malaysia Aim to Commence Cross-Border Travel From 10 August Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to set 10 August 2020 as the target date to reopen borders between the two countries for some residents and business travellers. On 14 July, both countries have agreed to implement two schemes - the Reciprocal Green Lane ("RGL") and Periodic Commuting Arrangement ("PCA"). The RGL will allow travel for essential business and official purposes. Those eligible will have to abide by measures, including taking swab tests and submitting their itineraries. The PCA will allow residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country. After at least three consecutive months in their country of work, they can return to their home country for a "short-term home leave" before returning to their country of work to continue work for at least another three consecutive months. The requirements, health protocols and application process involved for entry and exit into both countries will be published 10 days before the implementation of the two schemes. Japan Plans to Ease Travel Restrictions for Ten Asian Countries As of 1 July 2020, there are 129 countries and regions affected by Japan's entry ban as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 pandemic. In June, Japan first unveiled plans for a travel bubble with four countries including Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. This month, Japan plans to discuss with ten more countries including Brunei, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Japan states that business travellers and international talent will be the top priority, followed by foreign students and then tourists. Malaysia Airlines ("MAS"), and Japan Airlines ("JAL") will formally launch a joint business partnership on 25 July after a few months of delay due to travel restrictions between both countries. The partnership will see the two carriers cooperate commercially on flights between Malaysia and Japan. MAS and JAL will offer four weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo Narita in July and August. Syracuse, N.Y. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon is criticizing fellow Republican and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for failing to send money to help local governments amid the coronavirus pandemic. This is a joke McMahon tweeted Sunday night, along with a story from Axios.com that reported McConnell, so far, doesnt favor sending federal money to help local governments make up for lost revenues and extra costs caused by Covid-19. This is a Joke. @senatemajldr threre is still time to get this right.https://t.co/KEbJQsjrO4 Ryan McMahon (@CHM_McMahon) July 19, 2020 Smaller communities such as Onondaga County and Syracuse have missed out multiple times on past coronavirus relief money from Washington. And it appears they could be on the cusp of missing out again. Its a dereliction of duty, McMahon said today, adding he had no qualms as a Republican criticizing another from his party. He is a national leader. We have a national crisis. It started in March. The CARES Act provided millions to communities with half a million or more people. Onondaga County, with a population of about 460,000, got nothing. The same is true for Syracuse the city has received zero federal dollars so far to pay for government expenses. Since then, federal money has gone to local hospitals, businesses and people claiming unemployment insurance. But five months into the pandemic, local governments such as Onondaga County and Syracuse have receive no direct help. The county is facing a growing $100 million shortfall in a $1.3 billion budget, McMahon has said. In coming days, congressional leaders are considering yet another coronavirus relief package before wrapping up work this summer. Already, House Democrats have passed a $3 trillion package that includes money for places like Syracuse and Onondaga County. In the current version, Onondaga County would receive $172.6 million this year and $86.3 million next year. Syracuse would get about $242 million this year, and $121 million next year. McConnells version is closer to $1 trillion and doesnt include any money for governments such as Syracuse and Onondaga County. Instead, he wants to reallocate money already doled out to states to help smaller governments, The Washington Post and others are reporting. In his tweet Sunday, McMahon offered some hope. There is still time to get this right, the county executive wrote. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources 9 days for coronavirus test results? Systems failure threatens CNYs handle on virus Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations keep falling, 13 more people die NY schools reopening: We read 145 pages of rules on masks and woodwinds so you dont have to 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. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In Kenya, there are new reports highlighting concerns over harmful pesticides used in food production, and the impact this will have on people's health. Moina Spooner from The Conversation Africa asked Ibrahim Macharia to shed light on Kenya's pesticide use and what must be done to manage it better. What types of pesticides are being used in Kenya and are there any that are of particular concern? There's a long list of pesticidesabout 1,345 productsthat are registered for use in crop production in Kenya. From this list, 11 pesticides are classified as highly hazardous by the World Health Organization and 237 as moderately hazardous. For instance, some are classified as cancer-causing (24), prone to causing mutations in DNA (24), creating development disorders (35), disrupting the nervous system (140) and showing clear effects on reproduction (262). Yet the amount of pesticides that Kenya uses is growing. For instance, the volume of imported insecticides, herbicides and fungicides has more than doubled within four years, from 6,400 tons in 2015 to 15,600 tons in 2018. Demand has grown because of increased, more intensive agricultural production and the emergence of new pests and diseases. Many of the more harmful pesticides have active ingredients, such as glyphosate, that are banned or heavily restricted in other places, such as Europe. There are estimates that at least 32% of the pesticide active ingredients that are currently registered and being sold in Kenya have been withdrawn from the European market, due to their serious potential impact on human and environmental health. Is there any evidence that pesticides are having adverse effects on the health of Kenyans? Though there's no comprehensive epidemiological health study related to pesticide exposure in Kenya, there are a few studies which show that these pesticides are having a negative effect on our environment and our health. For instance, I did a study, published in 2015, where I investigated acute illness related to pesticide use among 363 farmers from seven major vegetable producing districts. Over three years, pesticide application increased by 47% and my findings showed that so did incidences of pesticide-related health impairments. The most frequently reported symptoms were sneezing, dizziness, headache and blurred vision, and skin irritations. Pesticide-related acute symptoms increase significantly with the number of pesticide products handled. I also found that many products sold in the local markets have high levels of pesticides with harmful active ingredients. Kenya's Plant Health Inspectorate Service indicates that 46% of the fresh vegetables sold in Kenya have high levels of pesticides with harmful active ingredients, kale (94%) being the leading culprit. Every year, due to stringent measures by the European market, fresh Kenyan produce is rejected because of harmful levels of chemical residue. Unfortunately, much of this produce then finds its way into local fresh produce markets and is consumed by unsuspecting Kenyans. In another study I did on vegetable production, I found that the indirect cost of pesticide use is about US$12.83 million each year. This is attributed to vegetable losses, livestock losses, human health costs, disposal of empty pesticide containers and damage prevention costs. Over 58% of the farmers also observed the death of beneficial arthropods and birds 24 hours after spraying pesticides. This shows that the toxic effects of pesticides is very real, and we should be worried about human health and our environment. Last year, agricultural lobby groups stepped up calls for a ban on certain pesticides which have been linked to cancer. Their findings showed that 24 products in the Kenyan market are classified as carcinogenic, meaning they have the potential to cause cancer. Who is meant to regulate pesticide use and are they doing enough to protect consumers? There are a few agencies that should be regulating pesticide use. The Pest Control Products Board regulates the importation and exportation, manufacture, distribution and use of pest control products in the country. Agrochemical Association of Kenya is supposed to provide education and awareness to farmers on pesticide use and application for the benefit of the environment and human health. The National Environment Management Authority regulates waste disposal including pesticide wastes and use. And the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate is responsible for testing crop samples to ensure pesticide residues are at safe levels. They are trying, but it's still not enough to control pesticide misuse and adulteration. Most pesticides have harmful active ingredients but people still want to use them because they want to protect their crops. In addition to this, the majority of the farmers aren't well protected. Many lack the proper training when it comes to using pesticides safelyfor instance not spraying when it's windy. They also don't have personal protective equipment for when they spray and don't store the pesticide very well. Farmers also use pesticides that have been prohibited or are outdated, overdose pesticide and don't dispose of leftover pesticide properly. This exposes people, and the environment, to high risks. What else must be done to protect the health of Kenyans There should be a complete ban of pesticides that are classified as moderately or highly hazardous (Classes I, II, and O). Though there are no safe synthetic pesticides, pesticides that are of low threat should be promoted while making optimum use of integrated pest management. This is a system that incorporates preventive cultural, mechanical, physical, biological and chemical controls. Pesticide users, including agro-chemical shop operators, must have targeted training on which pesticides to select and how to handle them. This includes the safe disposal of unwanted pesticides and empty pesticide containers. To help us understand the extent of the issue, epidemiological health studies related to pesticide exposure should be started. This should include the regular testing of food samples. Results should be made public by the Kenyan Plant Health Inspectorate Service. Explore further Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. In this file photo taken on May 21, 2020 Worker move a coffin with the body of a COVID-19 victim out of a refrigerated container before its cremation at the El Angel crematorium, in Lima. The new coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 600,000 lives worldwide, an AFP tally showed July 18. A total of 600,523 deaths were recorded globally out of 14,233,355 cases, a count based on official data showed, including 205,065 deaths in Europe -- the worst-affected continent.(Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP) An additional 189 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the toll to 13,187, according to the ministry's daily report. The report also showed 4,090 new infections had been recorded, bringing the total caseload to 353,590. Peru, with 33 million inhabitants, has the second-highest number of cases in Latin America, after Brazil. It also has the third-highest death toll, after Brazil and Mexico. The country's hospitals are close to collapse as the number of patients continues to climb. There is a shortage of medical equipment and other resources that has led to complaints by health workers. Doctors and nurses protested their situation Sunday outside a hospital in the city of Arequipa, during a visit from President Martin Vizcarra. "Vizcarra, enough with the deceit, the patients are dying," they shouted at the doors of the hospital as the president arrived. Peru lifted on July 1 a mandatory quarantine placed on 25 regions including Lima where the government says the coronavirus is "descending", despite 70 percent of the country's cases being recorded in these areas. From Monday, restaurants will open at 40 percent capacity as the government seeks to restore the plunging economy. Dhaka, Jul 20 (UNI) The outgoing Spanish Ambassador Alvaro de Salas Gimenez de Azcarate has paid his farewell courtesy call on the Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting on Sunday afternoon, Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen commended Spanish governments efforts to curb the spread of COVID19 pandemic, and also apprised the Ambassador of the government of Bangladeshs timely and effective policies in this regard. Spanish Ambassador informed that many people died of COVID19 in Spain, and its tourism sector has been hit hard by COVID19, leaving many people jobless. However, Spain will need seasonal workers for agriculture in the summer season. Foreign Minister requested the Ambassador to consider employing seasonal workers from Bangladesh as they have already expertise in the agriculture sector. Reiterating Bangladeshs commitment to combat the devastating effects of climate change, Foreign Minister recalled the successful visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend the COP25 in Madrid in December 2019. The Foreign Minister and Spanish Ambassador, both expressed that arrangement of VVIP level visit between Bangladesh and Spain may elevate existing bilateral relations to a newer height. Mentioning the existing investment-friendly schemes of Bangladesh, Foreign Minister called for more investments from Spain as well as sharing expertise, especially in the energy and tourism sector with Bangladesh. Foreign Minister mentioned that Bangladesh has exported 6.5 million PPE to the USA as well as supplied medicines, such as Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine to some countries during COVID-19 pandemic. Spain may rely on Bangladesh if PPE and other pharmaceutical products related to prevention/treatment COVID-19 need to be imported. Foreign Minister thanked Spanish governments continued support for the Rohingya issue. He further appealed for imposing economic sanction on Myanmar by the international community so that Myanmar abide by its commitment for safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya people. Finally, Spanish Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the all-out support extended during his tenure in Dhaka and Foreign Minister wished him success in his future assignments. UNI MAZ ASN 2309 $120 Million Recapitalization and Renovation Project Pushes Forward with Tax Credit Program Currently at Risk; Industry Groups Push for a Minimum 4 Percent Housing Credit Rate to Ensure the Continued Preservation and Development of Affordable Housing for Millions NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its continued efforts to help preserve critical affordable housing in the United States, Greystone Affordable Development recently closed a $120.5 million transaction its first in the state of Texas in collaboration with Burnet, Texas based Hamilton Valley Management, Inc., an owner and manager of affordable multi-family housing in rural areas of Texas. Utilizing the housing industrys critical 4 Percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit), which is currently in crisis due to historically low rates, Greystone Affordable Development will redevelop, modernize and secure affordable rental homes for thousands of Texans. The rehabilitation of these properties, and the jobs that will be created during the extensive rehabilitation, would not be possible without the Housing Credit, our nations primary tool for financing affordable rental housing, said Tanya Eastwood, President, Greystone Affordable Development. Unfortunately, the program is facing significant challenges, threatening the development of affordable housing across the country at a time when it is needed more than ever. We support the immediate enactment of federal policies, such as the Moving Forward Act, H.R.2 and the Emergency Affordable Housing Act of 2020, which creates a minimum 4 Percent Housing Credit rate that would strengthen the purpose and efficacy of the Housing Credit and provide more affordable homes across the nation. Hamilton Valleys portfolio of affordable housing properties for this transaction includes 23 aged USDA Rural Development Section 515 properties, comprising 802 apartment homes serving low-income households in 14 counties across Texas. Greystones affordable housing preservation group worked closely with USDAs Rural Housing Service (RHS) Texas State Offices, as well as the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs to coordinate and secure the financing needed to acquire and rehabilitate this at-risk and much-needed housing. Story continues We now know first-hand the importance of the Housing Credit and what it can do to keep thousands of residents in their affordable rental homes, said Dennis Hoover, President, Hamilton Valley Management, Inc. The complexity of this transaction is truly incredible, and we are grateful to the many groups that contributed to its success. We thank the development team, investment partners, the Texas office of USDAs Rural Housing Service and the Texas housing agencies Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, as well as Texas Housing Foundation for their continued partnership. They have all come together to preserve over 800 rental units. The financing plan combined both public and private funding and included: Tax-Exempt Bonds Single issuance of $35.9 million in multifamily private activity tax-exempt bonds by Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. The short-term bonds received an A-1+ rating from S&P Global. Low-Income Housing Tax Credits Purchase of 4 Percent Housing Credits by Boston Financial Investment Management, L.P., generating $19.1 million in capital contributions. RHS 515 Debt Assumption and subordination of $19.3 million of original USDA Section 515 debt. The Section 515 program is a direct loan program designed to provide subsidized loans to developers of affordable housing in rural markets. In addition, 94% of the 802 apartment units will continue to receive Section 521 Rental Assistance provided by RHS. Senior Debt $29.5 million in long-term debt comprised of USDA guaranteed 538 loans, provided by Greystone Servicing Company LLC. Other Other funding sources included additional financial support of $16.7 million. With the financing in place, the rehabilitation plan includes a fast-paced construction process, estimated to be complete within 16 months, during which no residents will be permanently displaced. Substantial renovations, averaging $37,200 per unit, will include both interior and exterior improvements. Particular emphasis will be placed on bringing the properties, built between 1987 and 2003, up to modern standards, addressing accessibility, functional obsolescence and deterioration. We are thrilled to be a part of this transformative process for Hamilton Valley as the issuer of almost $40 million in tax-exempt bonds, said David Danenfelzer, Senior Director, Development Finance, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. States must be able to leverage every tool possible to increase the availability of affordable housing, and we are grateful to play a role in keeping this critical housing stock accessible to Texas residents. With the new landscape we are facing today, the preservation and creation of affordable housing is only going to get more difficult unless programs such as the 4 Percent Housing Credit are available for owners such as Hamilton Valley, said Teresa Morales, Director of Multifamily Bonds, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. We are happy to have played a role in this important transaction, and to have helped preserve homes for thousands of Texans. This collaboration was a long time in the making, and I am humbled by the trust put into Greystone by Hamilton Valley, Will Eckstein, Senior Vice President, Greystone Affordable Development. There are barriers to getting deals such as this done in regular circumstances; however, even with todays new hurdles, our team, as well as our partners, truly rose to the challenge to make this a success for the many residents relying on this affordable housing. As our first transaction in Texas, we have forged a new path here and look forward to bringing the impact of Housing Credits to more affordable communities statewide. The deal team included: Architect Wallace Architects, LLC (Columbia, MO) Bond Counsel Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (Dallas, TX) Developer Hamilton Valley Management, Inc. (Burnet, TX) Developer Consultant Greystone Affordable Development (Raleigh, NC) Co-Developer's Counsel Coleman Talley LLP (Jacksonville, FL) Co-Developer's Counsel The Law Offices of Claire G. Palmer, PLLC (Irving, TX) Equity Boston Financial Investment Management, LP (Boston, MA) Equity Counsel Kutak Rock LLP (Omaha, NE) Financial Advisor Hilltop Securities Inc. (Austin, TX) General Contractor Great Southern, LLC (Valdosta, GA) Investment Bidding Agent Hilltop Securities Inc. (Dallas, TX) Issuer (Bonds) Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (Austin, TX) Issuer (LIHTC) Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs (Austin, TX) Issuer's Counsel Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (Dallas, TX) Rating Agency Standard & Poors Rating Services (New York, NY) Rebate Analyst Hilltop Securities Asset Management (Dallas, TX) Senior Lender Greystone Servicing Company LLC (Warrenton, VA) Senior Lender's Counsel Ballard Spahr LLP (Washington, D.C.) Subordinate Lender USDA Rural Housing Service (Washington, D.C) Trustee Wilmington Trust National Association (Dallas, TX) Trustee's Counsel Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLC (Austin, TX) Underwriter Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. (Montgomery, AL) Underwriter's Counsel Tiber Hudson, LLC (Washington, DC) About Greystone Affordable Development Greystone Affordable Development, an affiliate of Greystone, is a development and transaction management group that is focused on meeting the challenges associated with the recapitalization, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing throughout the U.S. To date, the group has coordinated the preservation of approximately 14,000 apartment homes with another 5,300 in various stages of completion in 14 states. The groups mission is to create meaningful and significant impacts on communities by helping to provide low-income households with decent, safe affordable housing. About Greystone Greystone, together with its affiliates, is a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Our range of services includes commercial lending across a variety of platforms such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS, FHA, USDA, bridge and proprietary loan products. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greystone.com. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Rebel YSRC MP K Raghurama Krishna Raju on Monday contributed three months of his salary for the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. The foundation stone for the construction of the temple is likely to be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5. The MP made the contribution through a cheque of Rs 3.96 lakh and addressed a letter to the Chairman, Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. "Along with the billion Hindus world over, we are also anxiously awaiting the memorable occasion of laying of foundation stone by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji,'' he said. Raghurama Krishna Raju, who won on a YSRC ticket in the 2018 elections, represents Narasapuram constituency. In the recent past, he has been vocal against the policies of the YSRC government in the state. Raghurama Krishna Raju raised his voice against the proposal of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to auction its lands, government's move to introduce English medium education in the state and the sand mafia inviting the wrath of the party leadership. A showcause notice was served on the MP. As he did not respond to the notice, the party had recently met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and sought disqualification of Raghurama Krishna Raju for his alleged anti-party activities. Two days back, the MP wrote a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy urging the government to set up Goshala Development Committees in the state for protection of cows in the wake of incidents of cows kept at Goshalas run by temples and NGOs dying in the recent past. "Caring for the cow and calf is close to the hearts of Hindus,'' he said in the letter to Jagan Mohan Reddy and asked the latter's intervention in setting up the committee to help protect cows and prevent recurrence of incidents of cows dying. Alabamas K-12 schools will be getting $170 million in federal coronavirus relief funds from the states $1.9 billion share of CARES Act funding to buy $100 million in digital devices and $70 million in health care supports. The federal money comes with strings, according to an announcement by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. The $70 million for the Education Health and Wellness Grant Program will go directly to school districts and can only be used to pay for the following items: Salaries for health care professionals or aides to provide COVID-19 response or care, Contracts for COVID-19 testing, Temporary facility improvements and supplies for nurses work areas for COVID-19 response, Creation of isolation areas for symptomatic students, Temperature screening equipment Modifications to school buses to mitigate or isolate the spread of COVID-19 I appreciate Governor Iveys continued commitment to education in Alabama, state Superintendent Eric Mackey said in the release. The health and well-being of our students, teachers, and staff is a virtal part of being able to deliver high-quality instruction to our students. All districts will receive at least $70,000 in health and wellness grants, and additional amounts beyond that are weighted based on the number of students considered vulnerable. The full allocation amounts are available at the end of this article. Related: How will Alabamas K-12 schools reopen? Schools will also receive $100 million to purchase digital devices and software to facilitate virtual learning. All districts will receive a minimum of $100,000, with additional amounts weighted as for the health and wellness grants. Districts must submit a written plan before receiving the funds. I appreciate Gov. Iveys work with the State Board of Education, the superintendent and others to implement a program through which local school systems can utilize CARES Act funding to meet students technology needs for the upcoming school year, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said in the release. The money must be spent by Dec. 30 according to federal regulations. Iveys announcement comes after lawmakers and the Alabama Association of School Nurses battled with the state Department of Education over who should dictate how health care support money should be spent. State senators wanted a prescriptive approach ensuring all school districts received a free-standing isolation and nursing unit separated from the school building, a thermal imaging system to screen for fever, and testing equipment for every school. Senators also wanted to add 300 school nurses in schools without a dedicated nurse. Related: Reopening Alabamas K-12 schools: Here are the plans State education officials pushed back, saying the decisions about what health care supports are needed should be made by district officials. Mackey submitted a new plan to Ivey late last week, meeting a deadline Ivey set at the state school boards work session last week. Some schools open as early as Aug. 5, while half a dozen systems, including Mobile County, have announced theyll start all classes virtually. The $170 million in awards are on top of federal money already received by school districts since the pandemic began. In May, K-12 schools received $195 million and in June, Ivey awarded $49 million to schools. STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - She was tired of wearing black, but the teenager knew she had to, at least for one more day. So after Nadeen Ismael swept the floors and arranged the couch pillows just the way her parents liked them, she returned to their bedroom. Behind the door, Nadeen, 18, reached up for her mother's favorite sweater, still hanging next to the leather jacket and Levi's jeans her father left there after his last day at work three months earlier. Across the hall, her sister, Nanssy, 13, put on the black shirt adorned with a sequined gold star that their mom, Nada Naisan, had been given as a teenager in Iraq. In another bedroom, the girls' brother, Nash, 20, pulled on black socks, pants, shoes and a button-down, all gifts from his mother, who did so much of his shopping that he wasn't sure what sizes he wore. Their house was quiet that morning in mid-June, as it seemed to be almost all the time now. Nada wasn't frying omelets in the kitchen next to the "BLESS OUR HOME" sign, insisting that her two oldest children sit and eat and talk with her. Their dad, Nameer Ayram, wasn't crooning the made-up song in Chaldean about Nanssy that always made her laugh. "Bobbit baba," he most liked to call her - "Daddy's girl." All dressed, Nash walked to the small bedroom his sisters shared. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Ready," Nadeen responded. "Let's go," said her brother, who hoped that this day would mark the end of the hardest time in their lives and not the start of something harder. News that the novel coronavirus had arrived in Michigan first reached their working-class suburb north of Detroit in early March, but the siblings didn't worry about it because they seldom worried about anything. That's how their mom and dad wanted it. The family had come to the United States eight years earlier after escaping Iraq, a country that had grown increasingly dangerous for Chaldean Catholics like them. Nash and Nadeen still remembered the sounds of bombs and bullets in Baghdad. In their new home in Sterling Heights, their parents tried to give them everything they could. Nameer worked long hours on the line at an auto parts manufacturer to cover the lease on the cardinal-red Camaro that his son badly wanted, and Nada never let her daughters cook or do laundry because, she said, there would always be time to teach them later, when they were ready to face life on their own. Now, on a day when none of their three children felt ready, they headed up a road their father traveled each morning before dawn on his way to the plant, toward the mall where their mother bought Nanssy the Taylor Swift calendar that hung on her wall, past the restaurant where they all celebrated Nadeen's high school graduation last year. At last, the stone arch over the entrance to White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery came into view. The girls arrived first, stepping out of a car into a clear-sky morning, just shy of 70 degrees. They walked onto the grass of a long, narrow section of memorial plaques, searching for No. 222 among the oval-shaped metal markers pressed into the ground. "I'm not sure which one," Nanssy told her sister. "Maybe that one over there," Nadeen replied, looking toward a distant section of unearthed dirt. "Here it is," Nanssy said, pointing. And there before them was not one grave, but two. - - - On the first day the pandemic closed schools in Michigan, Nanssy was lounging on the couch, scrolling through YouTube videos, when her dad walked in the front door. The seventh-grader got up and gave him a hug. "Why are you back so early?" she asked in Arabic. He was tired, Nameer said. He felt sick. At his wife's urging, Nameer got a coronavirus test the next day, March 17, and soon learned he was infected. Nada, 46, slept on the couch and ordered her children to stay in their rooms, away from their father. But in a 1,300-square-foot home, quarantine proved impossible. Even after her own cough began, she kept cleaning and cooking, and each time Nameer, 52, used the one bathroom they all shared, his wife donned a mask and gloves and scrubbed every surface with bleach, hoping it would be enough to keep her children safe. That was always what she and Nameer wanted most, and their kids understood that for as far back as their memories stretched. Nash was no older than 4 or 5 on the day he broke free from his father's hand in Baghdad and darted onto the road. With Nadeen in his arms, Nameer rushed into the street, pushing Nash out of the way and tossing his daughter into the grassy median, just as a car snapped his leg. Years later, Nadeen and a cousin accidentally scalded Nanssy during a bath when she was a baby. Her lips looked as though they'd melted, and her right ear drooped down to her cheek. "It was a horrible thing to see," Nadeen recalled. "The doctors told my mom, 'She's dead.'" Nada refused to accept that and remained at her daughter's bedside for two weeks in a dim, windowless hospital room, praying that Nanssy would survive. And she did. The kids seldom heard their parents talk about love, or even say the word, but they felt it. In Baghdad, where all five of them shared a bedroom without air conditioning, they would stay up late into the night laughing, telling jokes and stories. They knew, too, that their parents adored each other. At their wedding in Iraq in 1998, the couple slow danced to Whitney Houston. Twenty years later and 6,200 miles away, at the celebration after Nanssy's first Communion, they looked just the same - Nada's hand in his, Nameer's cheek against hers. They never explained exactly what led them to flee Iraq, but the kids surmised that their dad's work at a Catholic charity might have made them targets. In 2012, they moved to Michigan's large Chaldean community, where they had no family, knew no English and lost a common last name because of a quirk in the immigration paperwork. Nameer and Nada worked hard, helping their kids earn citizenship and saving enough money by 2017 to make a small down payment on a half-century-old beige-brick ranch house in a peaceful neighborhood where people kept their yards neatly trimmed. It was the "better future" Nada and Nameer had so long talked about with their children, whom they never pressured to move out or choose careers or, really, grow up at all. Nadeen, demure and artistic, didn't make many friends, but with Nada there, she never felt the need. Her mother was "a sister, a mother, a friend, a best friend - like, everything," said Nadeen, who wore her dark hair long and curly, because that's how Nada liked it. Nadeen relied on her guidance every day, even choosing to major in physical therapy at a community college because her mom thought it would suit her. Nanssy was the most independent of the three, wearing her dark hair short and straight, because that's how she liked it. She was petite, like her siblings, but headstrong. She hated crying and resisted breaking down in front of anyone. Nanssy wanted to join the Army one day, in part because she liked the idea of proving that women are as strong as men. Nash had worked since high school at a local restaurant, but did the job more for the camaraderie than the money. He liked fast cars and had collected so many speeding tickets that, for a time, his license was suspended. With his parents' encouragement, he'd planned to spend the summer traveling through Europe, visiting relatives, reveling in his unburdened youth. But now their father was secluded in a bedroom and their mother was sprawled on a couch, demanding that none of her children come near her. About 4 a.m. on March 22, she opened the door to Nash's bedroom and told him to call 911. She couldn't breathe. Her son, delirious with a fever of his own, dialed from his bed. Nanssy woke up when the ambulance's red and blue lights flashed through her bedroom window. By then, she'd also developed symptoms, so Nadeen had moved into the basement. Nanssy hurried downstairs to wake her. Nadeen and her mother came to the door, where the paramedics explained that they couldn't risk helping her outside. She would have to come on her own. "Do you want me to walk you there?" Nadeen asked. "No," her mother said. "Don't touch me." She staggered down the driveway and drooped onto the stretcher. Nadeen, wearing only her pajamas in the freezing night air, watched them load her mother into the ambulance, close the door and disappear into the darkness. A day later, Nadeen was standing there again, having just called 911 for her dad, whose cough had become more violent. In her panic, she forgot the word "ambulance," briefly lapsing into Arabic. By then, Nameer had already talked to his wife, and they'd decided he should go, both because he needed help and because they wanted to protect their children. When the ambulance arrived, this time in the light of day, a paramedic got out and peered at the house. "I've been to this address before," he said. "Yeah," Nadeen replied. "You took my mom." - - - Nash awoke to the text from his mother 36 hours after she was driven to the hospital. "How are you?" she asked in Arabic that Monday. It was the fourth time she'd messaged to check on him. He had been sleeping, he replied, but felt better. She told him to wear gloves around the house, for his sisters. Nash had already asked if he should come see her. "Don't ever come here," she wrote. "Never." From Nameer's room at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital, four miles from their house, he reassured his children that everything would be fine. Nada, in another bed inside the same hospital, sounded nervous to Nash, but she masked any hint of fear from her daughters when they talked. On the second night, when Nanssy called her mother to FaceTime, Nada said she should be home by the end of the week. On the third, she said it might take a few days longer than expected. On the fourth, her mom didn't answer. Nash learned from a cousin in France who'd been in touch with hospital staff that Nada and Nameer weren't getting better. They'd each been placed on machines to help them breathe, Nash was told March 26. Neither of his parents were awake anymore. That night, while Nash was praying at church, he got a call from Zeana Attisha, his boss at Sahara Restaurant. She offered to help, but Nash didn't even know what to ask of her. He had no idea how to reach his parents' doctors, but if he did, what would he say to them? Nash couldn't bear to tell his sisters why his parents had stopped responding to them, and now, suddenly, Nadeen had come down with a raging fever and severe nausea. He felt lost. "Lean on me. Don't worry," texted Zeana, who started joining in calls to the hospital and told him what to try for Nadeen: Tylenol, Gatorade, soup, cold rags. Zeana, 51, is also Chaldean, the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States in 1967. She understood that in their culture, parents often didn't want their children to leave home, or take on the stresses of adulthood before marriage, no matter their age. Zeana knew how much help Nash would need. "I appreciate u so much I really don't have no one here other my parents," he wrote her on March 27. The next day, a doctor called him to warn that his dad could be dead in 12 hours, prompting Zeana to demand that Nameer be transferred to another hospital better equipped to treat him. And he was. "I'm tired from everything honestly," Nash wrote to her on March 30, just before heading to CVS, where he had to ask a staff member what a thermometer was and where he could find one. "They just called for my dad they said he's doing really bad today morning till now and his heart might stop there is a chance and they can't do nothing about it and they said they are doing their best. To keep him alive," he texted on April 11, the same day Zeana started a GoFundMe campaign because she couldn't imagine how Nameer's children would make it without him. "The hospital for my mom called the nurse talked she's like half of the brain isn't working and her lungs are getting bad," Nash wrote on April 15, while he was waiting for a coronavirus test with Nadeen, who still didn't know the truth. The teen had started cleaning the house, just the way Mom did, so that when Nada returned, she would feel proud that her daughter could take care of their home on her own. "They putting a tube in her lungs. They asked for permission. I said do what u got to do," he texted Zeana on April 20. One day later, at 4:46 a.m., Nash shared what he'd just learned: "She passed away." Zeana was asleep and couldn't help guide him through what to do next, as she had after all the other devastating news - about septic shock and kidney dialysis, withering livers and dying lungs. That morning, he was on his own. He woke Nadeen up, and she followed him to their kitchen, where a note with a phone number and a message in Arabic, written by their mother, was still pinned to the fridge: "Emergency for corona." Nash looked into his sister's eyes. "Mom died," he said. "You're lying!" Nadeen cried. "She's dead," he told her again. Weeping, she slumped onto one couch, and he onto another. "Are we going to tell Nanssy?" she asked him later that morning. How could they? She would be crushed, Nash argued. They should wait. When Nanssy woke up, she could tell something was wrong. Just a bad dream, Nadeen said, but her sister didn't believe that. It was about Mom and Dad, right? Their father was still in the hospital, Nadeen assured, but she wouldn't say where their mother was. "What about Mom?" Nanssy asked, again and again, until Nadeen couldn't hold it in. "Mom is dead," she said, and the sisters wept together. At Nada's funeral, the mourners weren't allowed to gather inside the church, so they passed through the parking lot in their cars, rolling down windows to hold up signs - "STAY STRONG" - and shout that they were sorry for the family's loss. Outside, beneath a spitting gray sky, the Ismael children watched from behind their masks. By then, Nash had told his sisters the truth about their father, and Nadeen decided she had to see him. At the hospital, she put on gloves, a mask and a face shield and walked into the room of an emaciated man she didn't recognize. He had a tube down his throat and dried blood on his nose and an unfamiliar beard. She held his hand, turning away each time she felt her eyes well. "Mom's at home waiting for you," Nadeen told him, hoping the lie would make a difference. Later, a nurse helped the girls call him over FaceTime, but Nanssy pushed the camera out of view. She couldn't stand to see her father look like that. On Mother's Day, a week after Nadeen's visit, Nash learned that his father's heart was failing, and that the doctors had given him a fourth dose of a medication intended to keep his blood pressure up. It wasn't working. Nash didn't tell his sisters. Nadeen cleaned the house again that day, doing whatever she could to keep busy and off Snapchat, where friends and cousins were posting photos of their own mothers. Nanssy conjured her favorite memories of her mom: how she smelled like roses and gave the best, squishiest hugs and would always fall asleep on the couch when her baby girl played with her hair. Nash went to church, to make one more plea. "Please not today," he prayed. His dad fought through the afternoon and evening, past midnight and into the next morning, holding on until just after 1 p.m. on May 11. Twenty days after their mother's death, their father was gone, too. With Zeana's help, Nash made a list of 10 people who could come inside the church. He sorted through photos of his parents for a cousin in Iraq who wanted to make a poster celebrating their lives. He opened their closet door and picked the clothes that his father would be buried in: the black shoes and matching socks, the gray suit, the tie with the red dots, the favorite pink shirt. - - - Something was on fire. Nash couldn't see the smoke, but he could smell it, seeping through the vents of his dad's old 2012 Dodge Journey. He pulled over. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked a friend who was with him that afternoon in June. A mechanic later discovered what was wrong: the engine had run out of oil. For days, he and his sisters had lived off delivery orders through their mom's DoorDash account, though they had no idea where the money came from to pay for it. None of them had bank accounts or credit cards, and Nash didn't want to spend the $300 in cash he'd found in a drawer behind his parents' bed. Zeana opened a tab at Sahara to keep them fed, but she also worried about their bills. Nash retrieved his mother's phone from the hospital after her intubation, and Zeana told him to search it for a banking app. When he discovered that the mortgage appeared to be past due, he tried to pay it. A moment later, he found his parents' checking account, drained of all but $900. The mortgage payment bounced. Nash tried to learn as much as he could as fast as he could, but he often felt overwhelmed, especially on the morning nine days after his dad's death when he discovered a $188,629 hospital bill that he was terrified they might have to pay. His family's Medicaid, Zeana told him, would cover it. The GoFundMe raised more than $200,000, and she found lawyers who volunteered to sort out Nameer and Nada's finances and life insurance. Nash deeply appreciated the generosity but knew they couldn't rely on it forever. He wanted his family to count on him. He opened his first bank account, then applied for unemployment and tried to figure out whether Nadeen might be eligible, too. He decided to use the donations to pay off the house, ensuring that he and his siblings would always have a place to live. After he returned his leased red Camaro, because the insurance was in his dad's name, Zeana promised to help him get a new one. No, Nash told her. It would only get him into more trouble, and he couldn't risk that anymore. Like Nash, Nadeen struggled at first, burning a pot of red rice she tried to cook and bleaching her brother's clothes in the wash. She wanted to help, though, and intended to get her driver's license and keep pursuing her college degree. She'd heard physical therapists made good money, and that was important because, along with Nash, she'd agreed to serve as her sister's guardian. Through Zeana, the girls met Ranna Abro, who offered to spend time with them. She was young, at 32, and also Chaldean. They got along right away, watching anime and talking about boys. After Ranna found a message from the city on the door, warning of a fine if the knee-high grass wasn't cut, the three of them went to the garage and pulled out Nameer's mower. Nadeen knew how to turn it on, and when she did, each of them took turns cutting patches. Before they finished, Nanssy paused. She thought about what they were doing and what it meant. "So who's going to take care of me now?" she asked. "It's going to be me," Nadeen told her. Nanssy seldom talked about how she felt, but Nash and Nadeen knew she was suffering, too. Nanssy started sleeping more in her parents' bed, where she used to curl up next to her dad. She treasured their bird, Coocoo, who lived in a cage on top of the fridge, but she pleaded with Nash to get a puppy. She missed spending time as a family - vacationing at Niagara Falls, watching movies with Arabic subtitles on for their parents. She and Nash and Nadeen didn't do that anymore. With a puppy, Nanssy thought, they would all have fun again, because what brought them together now was almost never fun. One day last month, just past noon, Nash called his sisters into the kitchen to help him clean up chicken wings left out from the night before. On the counter nearby was a handwritten letter from his mom's hospital - "Please accept our sincerest condolences..." - and a sheet titled "Resources for Grief." None of them had called any of the numbers. "I can't pick up the garbage. It's too heavy," Nanssy complained. When Nash came over to do it, he noticed the mess of birdseed Coocoo had shed on the floor. "This bird's going away," Nash snapped. "Why?" Nanssy objected. Tired and frustrated, Nash tied up the trash bag and took it out the back door, triggering a beep from the security system he'd installed to keep his sisters safe when he wasn't home. Nadeen kept sweeping the floors. Nanssy watched YouTube videos on her phone. Nash went to the living room. Nadeen's phone buzzed, and she picked up. From the couch, Nash looked over. "No," Nadeen told the caller, who thanked her and hung up. "What was it?" he asked. Something about unemployment, Nadeen said. She didn't understand. "Oh my God," Nash said, voice raised, because he knew it took weeks to get a call back from the unemployment office. Any chance Nadeen had to get help, he assumed, had just vanished. "Do you know what you lost right now?" he asked. She didn't have any idea, and really, he couldn't know either. But that wasn't the point. To Nash, it felt like one more failure. His head fell into his hands. Minutes passed. No one spoke. Nash, trying to calm down, sat up and took a drag on the vape pen he'd been struggling to quit. Nadeen went to the front room to arrange the couch pillows. At last, Nanssy said something. "Nash, you're not getting rid of this bird," she told him. "What, he's going to get rid of Coocoo?" Nadeen asked. "Mom loved it," Nanssy said. "And he can't get rid of something Mom loved." - - - The sisters, dressed in black, had just searched the grass and found the metal marker, numbered 222, in front of their parents' graves. They'd come to the cemetery that sunny June morning to commemorate the day when, according to Chaldean tradition, their father's soul would ascend to heaven. A month earlier, at his funeral, Nadeen had stood in this same spot, listening to a priest ask God for mercy as she reckoned with what the virus had taken from them. The reality of it all was overwhelming. Her knees wobbled, and her face turned pale. She saw double. Then Nadeen collapsed. Now, as she unwrapped bouquets of poppies and daisies and dug their stems into the dirt, it was her sister who couldn't stand to be there. Nanssy retreated back to the car, alone. Before a half-dozen mourners joined Nash and Nadeen around the graves, she checked on Nanssy. "If there's anything wrong, you can tell me," Nadeen said. "I don't know. I just don't feel well," the 13-year-old replied. When the ceremony began, Nanssy got back inside the car because she wanted to talk to God by herself. She asked that her mom and dad would have a good life in heaven and that the other kids whose parents were sick from covid-19 - thousands of them across the country - would be OK. She asked that Nash and Nadeen would live a long time. "So they can stay with me," she prayed. After a while, Nash walked over to talk to her. She asked if they could come back later, just the two of them. Of course, he told her. Afterward, at the house, Nadeen went to the kitchen to help prepare the dolma, vegetables stuffed with ground lamb and beef. She had never learned her mother's recipe, Nanssy's favorite, but Nadeen was doing her best to replicate it. Nash changed out of his black button-down and escaped to the covered deck. A gold chain with a cross, now affixed with his mother's wedding ring, hung from his neck. As he took a drag on his vape pen, a friend came around the back to tell him Nanssy had left. "Why?" he asked. "I don't know," the woman told him. "She's crying." Nash rushed to the end of the driveway, where he could see his sister walking up the street, a block away. He called her cell. "What do you want?" she asked, voice quavering. "Why are you crying?" "I'm not crying," she insisted, even though she was. "Come back, right now," he told her. Nanssy returned, running past him and into the house. He didn't know what was wrong and doubted that he could fix it anyway. If he gave her time, he figured, she'd get over it. What Nanssy wouldn't say is that she'd been listening to music on her iPhone when an old favorite, "I Loved Her First," began to play. The country song was about a father's devotion to his daughter. Nanssy had once imagined it playing at her wedding, as she danced with her dad. Inside, Nadeen followed her sister to their room. She found Nanssy on the bed, beside her stuffed animals. Her arms were crossed, her head bowed. "What's going on?" Nadeen asked, leaning down. "Nothing," she said. "Are you crying about Mom and Dad?" she asked in Arabic, explaining that it was OK if she was. Nadeen would understand. "I'm not going to tell you," she said, because Nanssy knew what her brother and sister were trying so hard to do for her, but the people she wanted to tell were gone. July 20, 2020 Yerevan, Armenia On July 19, 2020, the #AraratChallenge movement turned one. Launched a year ago during a symbolic ceremony held next to the Armenian Genocide Memorial, #AraratChallenge is a global crowdfunding initiative reflecting the impact of the Aurora humanitarian movement. In everlasting memory of 1,500,000 innocent martyrs who perished in the Armenian Genocide, it intends to unite at least 1,500,000 contributors and supporters globally and has already brought together more than 24,000 people, raising more than $180,000. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the #AraratChallenge movement used the funds collected since July 2019 to make a $120,000 donation to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia and help Armenian health professionals on the frontlines with lung ventilation devices. Donations received during the second cycle that starts after July 2020 will be directed to different humanitarian causes in Armenia, with projects supported by #AraratChallenge to be selected annually. We are tremendously thankful to all the people who support us, especially to those who were inspired to commit to donating regularly. Their recurring contribution allows Aurora to support the fight against COVID-19 in Armenia and to continue making a tangible impact on the lives of people there. The #AraratChallenge campaign is not only a great way of putting your Gratitude in Action, but also a truly universal movement uniting people from all walks of life. Only together can we address the major humanitarian challenges, so we hope to see hundreds of thousands more supporters joining us, said Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. #AraratChallenge is part of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Charitable Foundation. At the core of the movement is Mount Ararat, a universal symbol of renewal and second chances. Just as the Armenian orphans that survived the Genocide had a chance to start a new life, #AraratChallenge provides an exceptional opportunity for everyone to join this movement and give a second chance to those who need it most. The video-based crowdfunding campaign is set to increase the impact and reach of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative in Armenia to combat poverty, improve healthcare and provide education to those in need. I cant express how grateful we are to everyone believing in our mission and making it possible. In spite of the COVID-19 outbreak, in spite of all difficulties, this has been an amazing year for the #AraratChallenge, which proved that every dollar counts when it comes to making an impact. The invaluable support of donors who subscribed to a regular donation ensures the sustainability of the #AraratChallenge movement and helps us to change lives of people in Armenia. As descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, there really is no better way to give back, and we encourage all to support #AraratChallenge on a regular basis in the new cycle, said Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. Today, Aurora perseveres in its efforts and enters a new crowdfunding cycle that will be aimed at addressing humanitarian needs in Armenia. Join the #AraratChallenge movement, create your own video message and donate as little as $1 a month to help Aurora continue its mission. Final year B Tech, B Phama, MBA, M Tech examinations of engineering and management colleges affiliated to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University will begin from first week of September, said vice chancellor prof Vinay Kumar Pathak. The students will be given multiple choice questions (MCQ). For the first time final year students academic performance will be measured on basis of OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheet. It will ensure speedy evaluation so that results could be declared in quick time. This year there will be no easy type question answer examination, said vice chancellor Prof Vinay Kumar Pathak. He said, The university will conduct the theory examination in offline mode (pen and paper) in three shifts of two hours instead of usual three hours. All practical/project viva examinations are proposed to be conducted between August 1 and 21. The examination of the carry over papers of the final year students will also be conducted along with the regular examinations. The admit cards of the students will be distributed by the institute preferably online. All the institutes having final year students will be self-centre for theory examination. These decisions were taken at the academic council meeting of the University held on Monday. As we have resorted to MCQ and OMR based examination, we have reduced duration of examination to two hours each because it is less time consuming, Pathak said. As per the standard practice, university will appoint external examiners for the project/thesis/practical subjects who will conduct the viva using online platforms like Zoom, Google Meet or other meeting app. Any student, who is not able to attend the final assessment of the project viva, will get an additional attempt. Opportunity for Improvement Any student who wishes to improve his/her awarded grades will be given one attempt in the next academic year. Students can appear in examination of that subject in the subsequent academic year end semester examination (Even Semester examination 2020-21). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rajeev Mullick Rajeev Mullick is a Special Correspondent, he writes on education, telecom and heads city bureau at Lucknow. Love travelling ...view detail Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 10:30:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) has recorded a 17th case of COVID-19, prompting concerns over a potential outbreak in the national capital of Port Moresby. A 48-year-old woman, who passed away following a battle with breast cancer was confirmed to have tested positive for the virus, local media outlet the Post Courier reported on Monday. According to official accounts the woman is the first person in PNG to die after contracting the virus. The Post Courier reported that the infection was detected during routine swabbing of patients who had died after showing respiratory symptoms at Port Moresby General Hospital. Last Thursday local health authorities revealed a cluster of five positive cases who were staff members at the Central Public Health Laboratory. The facility is attached to the hospital and responsible for testing COVID-19 swabs. Health experts continued to investigate whether the outbreak was the result of a breach in laboratory protocols or community transmission. Rapid contact tracing was underway to identify those who had been in contact with the infected staff members and cancer patient. Enditem Long awaited but unmistakable signs of significant progress at the former McLouth Steel site have been occurring some obvious and others less so. This column will report on developments both observable from West Jefferson, and others less apparent; as well as on what the future may hold for this site and other waterfront industrial sites in Trenton. As longtime Downriver residents can attest, the blighted and vacant former McLouth Steel site had been an eyesore for over 20 years. More importantly, it has been an environmental hazard in dire need of remediation. To briefly review history, after the unpaid tax foreclosure process unfolded a few years ago, a new owner/developer was sought to tear down the blighted structures and clean up the land. With the overwhelming support and approval of the late, great Trenton Mayor Kyle Stack and Trenton city officials, a new owner/developer was selected to pay the millions due in back taxes and interest to purchase the property from the Wayne County Land Bank. An agreement between the new owner, EPA and Michigan EGLE required that the buildings be demolished, the land cleaned up and then, pending city of Trenton approval, the property would be redeveloped. The minimum investment costs for the owner were to be at least $20 million. So far, acquisition costs and the cleanup alone have cost well over $20 million, and were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire demolition and clean up would most likely have already been completed. Driving by the site now, observers can witness firsthand the tremendous amount of tear down, remediation and cleanup work that has already been accomplished 44 of the 45 structures have been demolished with removal of materials containing asbestos, PCBs and other waste. Brian Kelly, the EPAs on-scene coordinator of the cleanup project, has publicly stated that the cleanup is going very well and that the owners and contractors cleaning up the site are doing exceptional work in remediating the site. Once the remediation is completed, increased attention will be placed on the redevelopment phase. Simultaneously, this Wednesday, the City of Trenton Planning Commission will meet via Zoom teleconferencing at 7 p.m. to review and hear comments on the proposed revised zoning ordinance and zoning map. These plans have been under consideration for years, even before the foreclosure of the McLouth property. This proposed revised zoning ordinance, over 200 pages in length, and zoning map, can be found on the citys website. One of the revised zoning designations is called the Waterfront Industrial District (WID), and its description can be found on pages 98-102 of the proposed ordinance. More importantly, what would and what would not be allowed in a WID is spelled out in great detail on those four pages. The two largest parcels that the proposed WID would apply to are the former McLouth Steel site, now known as the MSC Land Co. and Crown Enterprises site, and the Trenton Channel DTE Energy power plant site. The waterfront DTE Energy site is set to be decommissioned and shut down by May 2022. Amid the discussion about possible future uses of the McLouth site, misinformation unfortunately has been circulating. However, at no time during the selection process by the city of Trenton did any entity come forward with a proposal to pay the tens of millions in back taxes and remediation costs and then turn the site into a public park with complete public access. That was never a realistic option that was put forth by anybody. It is my understanding, however, that the current owners are seriously considering implementing a portion of the site that would allow and permit public access to the waterfront. I encourage them to do precisely that, and in my opinion, the larger that area, the better. Which leads to my last point. For years, the city of Trenton has been a pillar community in the Downriver area. Trenton has had outstanding public servants who have made decisions with the best interests of its residents first and foremost in their minds. Before any redevelopment can take place at either the soon to be former DTE site or the former McLouth Steel site, Trenton city officials will have to approve specific site plans for those properties. That is an unmistakable and important fact that cannot be ignored, twisted or misrepresented to advance anyones personal, political agenda. It is well known, well documented and indisputable, that Trenton city officials care a great deal about their community and its residents. When the final decisions are made by Trenton officials on how to best zone their city, balance their tax base and approve site plans for specific parcels, I have no doubt that the compass will be focused on what is in the best interests of the city of Trenton and its residents as a whole. Joseph Palamara (D-Grosse Ile) is the Wayne County commissioner for the 15th District. Amelia Windsor has embraced post-lockdown rules in London, wearing a mask as she joined commuters on the underground this weekend. The royal, 24, who is 39th in line to the British throne, appears to have returned to her London home after spending lockdown at her parents' Cambridge property. The model, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, was seen wearing a dress and a mask as she got on the tube yesterday, writing: 'All masked up n ready to gooo! (dress second hand from portobello vintage market)'. Scroll down for video Amelia Windsor has embraced post-lockdown rules in London, wearing a mask as she joined commuters on the underground this weekend Putting on a chic display, Amelia opted for a sleeveless floral dress which fell just below the knees, teaming it with trainers and a large basket bag. Wearing her hair loose, she sported multiple bracelets and a monochrome resusable mask, as she perched in the standing area on public transport. One follower remarked: 'Nice to see the great great granddaughter of the king using public transport'. The snap racked up almost 4,000 likes, as fans enjoy a glimpse into the socialite's everyday life following her return to the city. The model, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, was seen wearing a dress and a mask as she got on the tube yesterday, writing: 'All masked up n ready to gooo! (dress second hand from portobello vintage market)' The royal, 24, who is 39th in line to the British throne, appears to have returned to her London home after spending lockdown at her parents' Cambridge property Amelia has modelled for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and designed her own range of accessories in collaboration with Penelope Chilvers. She is represented by Storm models, which represents the likes of Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne. Additionally she has been named as a contributing editor in Tatler Magazine, and reportedly interned at jewellery house Bulgari, during her time studying at Edinburgh university. Despite most of the royals keeping their private life off social media, Amelia is a big fan of Instagram and regularly shares glimpses at her glamorous life with her followers. One follower remarked: 'Nice to see the great great granddaughter of the king using public transport' Lady Amelia has a blossoming following of 83,700 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posts snaps from glamorous fashion events, as well as her adventures exploring trendy parts of the capital. She previously told Vogue UK about Instagram: 'It allows anyone to be creative and imaginative. I also love that we can share all the beautiful and meaningful things we see and hear in the world. I find it so inspiring and uplifting.' The society beauty, who is 36th in line to the British throne, was also named among Vanity Fair's 2017 Best Dressed List. Despite often rubbing shoulders with A-listers, Amelia was not on the invite list for the royal wedding in May. She is the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and his wife, Sylvana Tomaselli, the granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince Harry's third cousin. The royal, who graduated with a degree in Italian and French from the University of Edinburgh last year, is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent. She is regularly snapped out and about in her local neighbourhood of Notting Hill, where she enjoys a vast-array of hobbies including pottery and ballet classes. Lady Amelia fled to her parents' home in Cambridge in late March, joining the Londoners escaping to visit their second homes at the start of the UK's coronavirus-related lockdown, The chairperson of Vision Indramegh Cooperative Society at Punwale, Hinjewadi has filed a complaint with the Hinjewadi police as regards a Covid-19 positive society member who allegedly broke her home quarantine after she tested positive and flew to the UAE. An FIR has not yet been filed in the case though Yashwant Gawari, senior inspector, Hinjewadi police station, said, We have received letters from the housing society and a doctor. We will lodge an FIR after investigating the doctors complaint. According to information revealed by the chairperson of the society, who requested anonymity, the woman and her husband are residents of the UAE, and the woman was in Pune without her husband. The woman, aged in the below-30 category, underwent the test at the Aditya Birla Hospital and was declared positive on July 11. Because she was asymptomatic, she was under a 14-day home quarantine, the chairperson said. A statement from the Aditya Birla Hospital said: She got herself tested on July 11. She had to go Dubai, so she wanted to do the Covid test. She tested positive, but since she was not showing any symptoms we advised her home quarantine. The woman flew to Sharjah on July 18. Her home isolation was to end on July 24. Several calls to the woman in the UAE by HT have gone unanswered. Housing society members found her missing on the night of July 17, and got to know her location when she sent a text message from Sharjah airport on July 18 noon, the chairperson said. The message, a copy of which is with HT, reads: your covid-19 test on 18/7/2020 at Sharjah International Airport reported that your result is negative. Please stay safe and healthy. She left the building filling out wrong information at the gate. Only her message on July 18 gave us the details, said a member of the society who received the message. We lodged a complaint the same day we received her message, said the chairperson, adding that Vision Indramegh Cooperative Society is under the society cluster containment zone. While the woman left for Dubai, we are still not allowed to go to our offices. We dont know when we will be out of the cluster containment zone, the chairperson said. Dr Amit Mane, from the health department of the Pimpri Cinchwad municipal corporation (PCMC), said, I have already complained to PCMC police commissioner Sandeep Bishnoi and the Hinjewadi police station. Action will be taken against the woman. Shravan Hardikar, PCMC commissioner said, People should not behave in this manner. What if she had tested positive at Sharjah airport, it could have caused many problems. She should have completed her home isolation before going to the UAE. Federal officers respond to violent protests outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images) House Democrats Call for Watchdogs to Probe Federal Force Against Civil Unrest Three Democratic House committee chairs have called on government watchdogs to probe the recent use of federal force in response to protest violence. In a letter to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and Homeland Security Department Inspector General Joseph Cuffari on July 19 (pdf), the chairs urged immediate investigations into the Trump administrations use of federal law enforcement officers in several cities amid protests that were sparked by the police-custody death of George Floyd, saying some of them have devolved into civil unrest that threatens the safety and livelihoods of residents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appear to have increasingly abused emergency authorities to justify the use of force against Americans exercising their right to peaceful assembly, wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). Reports from Oregon this week make clear that this misuse of resources and personnel remains a growing threat, they stated in the letter. Accordingly, we write to request an investigation by your offices into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States. Meanwhile, Portlands police chief and black leaders denounced the recent violence and vandalism directed against the police precinct and area businesses by rioters on July 17, with Chief Chuck Lovell calling the actions, not only reprehensible, but theyre evil. Black leaders in the community criticized those responsible for acts such as damaging black-owned businesses, decrying the activity as the work of delinquents and terrorists. Over the weekend, rioters broke into a Portland Police Association building and set it on fire, according to the Portland Police Bureau. As the crowd was dispersed, several people in the crowd were arrested and officers were able to extinguish the fire. Portland Police did not use any CS gas, the bureau said July 19. Rioters use fencing to barricade an exit from the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images) Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Ore., on July 17, 2020. (Mason Trinca/Getty Images) President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on July 19 that he is seeking to help Portland after months of protests and riots by sending in federal law enforcement. We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it, the president wrote. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal! The lawmakers wrote in their letter that investigating the use of federal force to quell protest violence is a matter of utmost urgency. Citizens are concerned that the Administration has deployed a secret police force, not to investigate crimes but to intimidate individuals it views as political adversaries, and that the use of these tactics will proliferate throughout the country. Therefore, we ask that you commence your review of these issues immediately, they wrote. The use of federal officers to respond to protest-related violence also has triggered a backlash from Portlands mayor and Oregons governor. Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, called on the Trump administration to pull back on federal response units, claiming that those actions are adding fuel to the unrest. Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city, Wheeler said July 17. In a lawsuit against the federal government, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum requested that the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Protection Service stop making arrests in the city. These tactics must stop, Rosenblum said in a statement. They not only make it impossible for people to assert their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully, they also create a more volatile situation on our streets. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. After an incredibly restrictive upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian home, former Counting On star Jill Duggar seems to be branching out and trying a whole bunch of things that would leave dad Jim Bob aghast. The 29-year-old mother-of-two was pictured out at Wellington's in Springdale, Arkansas this weekend, a whiskey and cigar lounge owned by her cousin Amy's husband Dillon King. And while Jill wasn't actually photographed partaking in either vice, her husband Derick Dillard, 31, did thank the other couple for treating them to 'good food, drinks, and company.' Go, girl! Jill Duggar, 29, was pictured out at a whiskey and cigar lounge owned by her cousin Amy's husband Dillon King this weekend Snark? Amy, 33, said their new favorite word was 'freedom' on Instagram and Jill's husband Derick Dillard thanked them for 'good food, drinks, and company' Jill, Derick, Amy, and Dillon all posed inside the lounge, Jill dressed in a jumpsuit she'd previously picked up from Amy's store. Amy shared the photo on Instagram this weekend, taking a dig at Jill's parents and her restrictive upbringing in the caption. 'Our new favorite word: Freedom!' she wrote. While Jill didn't comment on the snarky caption, Derick did chime in, writing: 'Thanks for treating us! We had a great time! Good food, drinks, and company (not necessarily in that order.) Though the picture doesn't show Jill or Derick actually drinking or smoking cigars for that matter Jill did post some snaps of the cheese and charcuterie plate they enjoyed which seems to be a perfect pairing for a glass of wine. Visiting any type of bar is a major departure from Jill's upbringing in a strict evangelical Christian family, where she and her siblings were raised to stay away from alcohol. For some fundamentalist Christians, even wine is off-limits and they believe that references to wine in the Bible actually mean grape juice. Yum! Though she wasn't pictured with alcohol, she did share a photo of a tasty cheese and charcuterie plate Strict: Visiting any type of bar is a major departure from Jill's upbringing in a strict evangelical Christian family, where she and her siblings were raised to stay away from alcohol No big deal! Her 'rebel' cousin Amy has no problem with alcohol, and seems to be supporting Jill while her relationship with the rest of her family is strained Shop 'til you drop! Jill has stopped by Amy's clothing store quite a bit, and posts photos of clothes she picked up Jill, however, has been stepping away from a lot of her parents' stricter teachings and her husband has hinted before that they may not mind a drink here or there. In 2018, when a Twitter user asked Derick why they didn't drink wine, he seemed to deny it. 'Where did you read that?' he said. 'I dont think weve ever said that.' Jill has 'rebelled' against her parents' rules and teachings countless other ways, too, wearing pants and even shorts, cutting her once-long hair, planning to send her son Israel to public school, taking relatively openly about sex (within the confines of marriage, of course), piercing her nose, and some fans speculate using birth control (the couple has not confirmed this; though Derick did say that his own parents used birth control). Unfortunately, some of this and the couple's refusal to film for the family's TLC reality show anymore has led to strained relationships with Jill's parents. Derick has claimed on numerous occasions that Jill's father, Jim Bob, restricts her visits to their home and that Jill has to ask permission to come over, especially if Jim Bob isn't there. Jill even reportedly had to get permission from Jim Bob to go do her sister Jessa's house when she gave birth to daughter Ivy last year. Down with the tyrant! Meanwhile, Derick has been calling out Jill's dad Jim Bob for restricting their access to the rest of the family Derick has had some truly scathing words for his father-in-law, who doesn't seem to place similar restrictions on older son Josh, who admitted molesting four of his younger sisters, including Jill, as well as a fourth child when he was a teenager. Last week, he even went so far as to compare Jim Bob, 55, to Jeffrey Epstein, accusing him of placing a higher importance on money than following Jesus. '[Counting On is]s still under his control. And he will attack the victims if they threaten his show. 'We were humiliated and threatened when we first tried to not film,' he added. 'We have to break this culture, that cares more about money and ratings than protecting the most vulnerable. 'Jeff Epstein already showed us that if you have enough money, power, and influence, you can get away with anything. Sadly, it doesnt stop with him. There are many more stories in this world that are not too different, existing in a culture where it can still thrive.' Meanwhile, cousin Amy has also been throwing shade at Jim Bob and company though hers are much, much more subtle. Shady lady! Amy seemed to throw some indirect criticism at her extended family on Instagram earlier this month while sharing a photo with her cousin Jill Taste of freedom: She wrote that Jill 'smiles just a bit brighter these days,' which people have taken as an observation that she is happier since getting some distance from her parents Earlier this month, Jill paid a visit to her clothing store, 3130 Clothing, where she did some light shopping with some help from her cousin. The store was empty on the occasion, giving Jill and Amy a chance to walk around without masks and pick out clothes for Jill to take home. Jill also got to spend time with her aunt Deanna and Amy's son Dax. Before leaving, Jill posed for a photo with Amy, with the two smiling wide for the camera. 'You smile just a bit brighter these days! So proud of you hippie chick!' Amy wrote. Amy had long been considered the 'rebel' of the very conservative Christian family. While her uncle Jim Bob and aunt Michelle had incredibly strict rules for Jill and her siblings governing their dating, their clothes, and how they spent their time Amy grew up more secular. She even admitted to having sex before marriage, while her cousins all save their first kiss for their wedding day. Someone to lean on: Jill stopped by Amy's store to shop and the pair appeared to have a great time. The cousins seem to be growing closer as Jill sees other family members less They see it, too! Commenters agreed that Jill looks happier, and are glad to see she has Amy to turn to Despite Jill's strained relationship with her parents, she appears to be thriving in a more lax environment and one that doesn't include her childhood abuser, big brother Josh. Her cousin Amy and fans have taken notice. Several commented on Amy's post, with one writing: 'So proud of her and the hard work she is putting in to be authentic to herself and her husband and boys!' 'She looks so much happier,' observed another. 'It seems like she is doing well making a lot of crucial changes away from that life, its good to see,' said yet another. On Reddit, commenters wondered at how Amy's 'post is clearly throwing shade at the Duggars,' with several pointing out that Jill's big sister Jana liked the post seemingly missing the veiled criticism. Her own way: Jill grew up in an uber-strict household but seems to be departing from some of her parents teachings since marrying Derick Dillard No shame: She wears previously off-limits clothes and talks about sex (within marriage, of course) but the changes seem to have driven a wedge between her and her parents Enabler: Jim Bob reportedly restricts Jill's access to the family home, and she is unwelcome at some family gatherings but Jill's abuser, sex pest Josh, is inexplicably welcome 'Her smile is finally reaching her eyes!' wrote another. 'Unlike a meek Michelle smile, this one is real and were all here for it! Go Jill! Screw your toxic family!' For years, Amy had kept mostly mum about her famous extended family, with many speculating that she has signed an NDA to keep her quiet. Lately, however, she seems to be skirting around those limitations, commenting publicly if indirectly on the other Duggars. On June 29, Jinger, who lives in LA with her husband Jeremy Vuolo, shared an Instagram post advising fans to pray away anxiety. 'Theres so much going on around us that can make us worry. Anxiety could be a serious struggle every day if we let it be! But believe it or not, the Bible has a lot to say about it,' she wrote. 'One of my favorite Scriptures is Philippians 4 where we are told to rejoice always and never be anxious. Throwing punches: Amy also took a veiled dig at her cousin Jinger last week It's that easy! Jinger, who lives in LA with her husband Jeremy Vuolo, shared an Instagram post advising fans to pray away anxiety Not so rebellious: While Jinger has dyed her hair and wears pants these days, her values still remain mostly traditional Amy commented on another post about Jinger's remarks, arguing that mental health is serious business and you advising that people 'pray away' anxiety isn't OK 'The obvious question is, how? And the answer is thankful prayer: In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' Jinger's quotes were later shared by a celebrity gossip account, where Amy weighed in in the comments. 'I am a Christian and anxiety isn't something you can "pray away,"' she wrote. 'Sure, prayer does help me when I feel extremely overwhelmed, but it's OK to seek counseling and take medication. 'It's OK to not be OK. For some it's truly a daily battle, mental health is serious and depression can seriously cripple people. 'Taking the proper steps to help you cope and hopefully overcome your anxiety is no easy task. Nobody should be ashamed for it either.' The US went through another weekend of bloody gun violence, with fatal shootings and people wounded by gunfire across Chicago, Washington DC and New York City, according to police. In Chicago, seven people were fatally shot and at least another 53 were left wounded by gunfire, police said. That was up from the same weekend last year, when 43 people were shot, including three who died in gunfire. The US went through another weekend of bloody violence, with fatal shootings and people wounded by gunfire across Chicago, Washington DC and New York City, according to police. Cops in Chicago are pictured at the scene of one of the shootings that rocked the city A suspect is handcuffed in Chicago, which saw seven people fatally shot and at least another 53 were left wounded by gunfire this weekend Last weekend, Chicago was 64 people shot, including 13 deaths, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The weekend also saw violence in Washington DC, where a man was shot dead and at least eight people were wounded when three gunmen opened fire on a busy street Sunday afternoon. Police Chief Peter Newsham called the Columbia Heights daylight shooting 'brazen' when the shooters jumped out of a vehicle at the intersection of 14 Street and Spring Rd NW. The gunfire erupted just before 5.pm on a 'very, very busy block' the chief said. The shooting victims included eight men, including the one killed, as well as one woman. The shooting was attributed to an ongoing dispute between neighborhood groups. 'It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous that anybody would do that in our community. It's insane,' Newsham said. In Washington DC, a man was shot dead and at least eight people were wounded when three gunmen were said to have opened fire on a busy street Sunday afternoon. Police Chief Peter Newsham (pictured) called the Columbia Heights daylight shooting 'brazen' Nesham said the the shooters jumped out of a vehicle at the intersection of 14 Street and Spring Rd NW and opened fire Police taped off the crime scene (pictured) after the violence erupted just before 5.pm on a 'very, very busy block' the chief said 'I don't know what people are thinking if they think they can enter a block and lay down that many rounds. They're putting everybody in this community in jeopardy.' Police are searching for the suspects, all believed to be men. Two carried long guns and the third a pistol, police said. 'Everyone should be outraged that in the daytime, when people are frequenting our restaurants, frequenting our businesses, that there could be an attack on a DC street,' Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Meanwhile, in New York City one person was killed and another 10 were wounded over the weekend. The violence ended a week with more than triple the number of shootings than the same period a year earlier, sources told the New York Post. In New York City one person was killed and another 10 were wounded over the weekend. Cops are pictured investigating at a playground where two people were shot on Atlantic Avenue NYPD and EMS personnel are pictured responding to a shooting on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn after this weekend's shooting spree in New York NYPD cops are pictured speaking with residents in Brooklyn at the scene of one of 11 shootings in the city this weekend, including one man who was killed in Brooklyn One of those injured was a man holding his one-year-old son, the Post reported. The father, Michael Reid, 39, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg on Carlton Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn just before 9.30pm Saturday while holding his baby, police said. The baby was not hurt. The fatal shooting in New York happened outside a bicycle store on Nostrand Avenue, also in Brooklyn, shortly after 4.pm Saturday. A 23-year-old victim who suffered a leg and stomach wound was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 15:14:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) special summit which aims to decide on the next seven-year budget and a massive recovery fund dragged into the fourth day early Monday with disputes over core issues still unresolved. European Council President Charles Michel resumed the plenary at dawn after a prolonged midnight break, but only to announce it would reconvene in the afternoon. The heads of state and government of the EU member states, in their first physical meeting since the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, seemed resolved to reach a deal despite the arduous negotiations for three days and nights. The summit, which kicked off on Friday, had been scheduled to end on Saturday. Officials said the discussion was headed in the right direction as the leaders were seeking consensus on proposals to authorize the European Commission to borrow 750 billion euros (857 billion U.S. dollars) and give the money as grants and loans to the pandemic-hit member states. "We would not like to go home without having a solution for Europe," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters on Sunday afternoon. He said all the leaders are aware how serious the situation is, considering the pandemic and possible second wave of outbreaks, and a deal to mitigate the fallout "is a must." The long list of disagreements has been reduced to only four points thanks to Michel's brokering efforts, Orban said. The most difficult issue was rebates, a term referring to the compensation offered to some wealthy countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, which claim to have made excessive contributions to the EU budget even if based on objective economic criteria. European Parliament Speaker David Sassoli has said the time has come to eliminate the rebates, which are "unfair and difficult to justify." Michel has made a middle-ground proposal allowing countries with long-held rebates on their European contributions to continue to get them. The Netherlands and Austria were said to be tough on the rebate issue during Sunday's negotiation, and called for setting up a new mechanism to supervise the beneficiaries' commitment to the rule of law. Earlier in the day, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that despite some progress, there was still "a long way to go" to reach an agreement. During dinner time, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa tweeted a chart from the European Commission, showing the great benefits achieved by EU member states thanks to the single market against their contributions to the bloc's long-term budget, formally known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). "The EU was built on the assumption that you can trust each other to cooperate in good faith. This kind of trust is why countries have opened their borders and their markets and created a single market. Its benefits largely outweigh the cost of contributing to the MFF," said Jansa, referring to the intention of wealthy EU countries to ask for more rebates, an assertion largely rejected by the rest. Besides, the overall size of the fund and the ratio of grants versus loans were also points of contention. The frugal countries wanted to lower the total to 700 billion euros (798 billion dollars) with the non-payable grants to an amount not exceeding 350 billion euros (399 billion dollars), while the rest of the bloc members preferred the original package of 750 billion euros (857 billion dollars) with two thirds in grants and one third in loans. Enditem The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has pointed out the major factor responsible for the woes of the Niger Delta ... The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has pointed out the major factor responsible for the woes of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Akpabio explained that lack of proper supervision was responsible for the woes of NDDC, adding that there was a need for the inclusion of the Niger Delta Affairs Minister into the Presidential Monitoring Committee for effective monitoring and supervision of the Commission. He made the disclosure while answering questions at the ongoing probe by the House of Representatives committee, when he was being queried for being almost in charge of the entire supervision and monitoring of the commission. But according to Akpabi, Lack of proper supervision was responsible for the woes of NDDC. There is need for the inclusion of the Niger Delta Affairs Minister into the Presidential Monitoring Committee for effective monitoring and supervision of the Commission. The House of Representatives is currently investigating NDDC over alleged fraud, mismanagement of funds, among others. Akpabio appeared before Committee on Monday. Recall that the committee had on Friday summoned Akpabio, following allegations levelled against him by the former Managing Director of the NDDC, Joy Nunieh. The House Committee is investigating alleged mismanagement of funds by the current NDDCs Interim Management Committee (IMC). Nunieh had accused Akpabio of fraud, padding, sexual harassment, among others. However, Akpabio has ordered his lawyer to commence legal actions against Nunieh over the said allegations. Conservative MP Peter Kent reads a statement from Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer congratulating Falun Dafa adherents on the Falun Dafa Day on May 12, 2018, in Toronto. (Evan Ning/The Epoch Times) Unbelievable Brutal Persecution: Canadian Parliamentarians Call for Action to End Falun Gong Persecution Canadian legislators and activists mark 21st anniversary of Falun Gong persecution in online event; 63 Canadian parliamentarians join over 600 parliamentarians from around the world in a statement on the persecution Twenty-one years after Chinese communist dictator Jiang Zemin launched a far-reaching campaign to eradicate Falun Gong, the peaceful meditation practice is still undergoing severe persecution in China. Canadian parliamentarians from different parties want that to end, with some calling for the government to use the Magnitsky law to impose sanctions on those who are instrumental in persecuting Falun Gong adherents. Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual movement that promotes values that are widely shared, and yet they have faced unbelievable brutal persecution, said MP Garnett Genuis, the Conservative shadow minister for Canada-China relations. Genuis, along with a dozen other parliamentarians and human rights activists, spoke at an online event marking 21 years since the persecution of Falun Gong started in China on July 20, 1999. Police officers arrest a Falun Gong practitioner in Tiananmen Sqaure in Beijing on Jan. 10, 2000. (Chien-Min Chung/AP Photo) Liberal MP Judy Sgro, former minister of citizenship and immigration and co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong, said she marks this occasion annually on Parliament Hill to stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong practitioners and to make clear our intentions to campaign for liberty and tolerance. This year, due to the pandemic, the event was held online. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It was introduced to the public in the early 1990s, and attracted a huge following within a short time, with government surveys showing between 70 and 100 million considering themselves adherents. This popularity prompted Jiang, the leader of the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the time, to start a campaign of persecution against the practice in 1999, the aim being to eradicate it. In the face of totalitarianism, the Falun Gong have been steadfast in their beliefs, Sgro said. I commend all Falun Gong practitioners for their unwavering commitment to safeguard the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance, three words that I believe the entire world should use as their basis for their principles to ensure safety and good health for everyone. Conservative MP Peter Kent, also a former cabinet minister and co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong with Sgro, said his caucus will always stand with persecuted religious minorities, and said he hopes for a day that the freedoms in Canada can also be enjoyed in China. Liberal MP Judy Sgro, co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong, speaks at a celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa marking the anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Gong, on May 9, 2017. (Evan Ning/Epoch Times) A day when the tenets of Falun Dafa, Falun Gong, can be spoken aloud in Tiananmen Square truthfulness, compassion, tolerance, Kent said. Most of the speakers talking at the event are also part of a group of current and former Canadian lawmakers who, along with over 600 of their global peers, signed a joint statement this week calling for an immediate end to the persecution of Falun Gong. The persecution of Falun Gong in China has been one of the harshest campaigns against a faith group in modern times, the statement says. In all, 63 current and former Canadian parliamentarians from all parties put their names to the statement. Separately, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a global coalition of lawmakers established to coordinate policies to address the Chinese regimes growing influence around the world, issued a statement condemning the persecution of Falun Gong. Co-chairs of the Canadian members of the coalition include former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler and MP Genuis. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer also issued a statement, marking 21 years since the beginning of the illegal and violent persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) The Chinese Communist Party must stop its illegal widespread surveillance, arbitrary detention, imprisonment, and torutre of Falun Dafa practitioners and other religious minorities, Scheer said. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also issued a statement to mark the occasion, noting that Falun Gong adherents undergo torture and death in China. Then-federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney, now the premier of Alberta, speaks at a Falun Dafa event in Ottawa on May 7, 2014. (The Epoch Times) On this sad and solemn anniversary, we remember these martyrs to freedom of conscience and religion and we admire and applaud the strength and courage of the millions of Falun Gong practitioners still suffering persecution, Kenney said. Elizabeth May, the parliamentary leader of the Green Party, told the audience listening in on the online event that she has consistently attended rallies to mark the July 20 anniversary to express solidarity with the cause of Falun Gong, and hopes the persecution will end. I respect enormously the peaceful work that [Falun Gong adherents] do, May said. Green Party MP Elizabeth May speaks at a celebration on Parliament Hill marking the 25th anniversary of Falun Gong, May 9, 2017. (Evan Ning/Epoch Times) Dark Day in Human History Conservative MP Michael Cooper, a member of the Canada-China Legislative Association, said July 20 marks a dark day in human history. Twenty-one years later that campaign of terror continues, Cooper said. The crimes of the Chinese communist regime against peaceful Falun Dafa practitioners are well documented, and they should shock the conscience of the world. Before the persecution began, Falun Gong was celebrated by Chinese officials for providing moral teachings and improving the health of practitioners. Conservative MP Michael Cooper speaks during the International Falun Dafa Day celebration in Edmonton on May 11, 2019. (Pingsan Qu/The Epoch Times) According to author Clive Hamilton in his 2018 book Silent Invasion, for outsiders it is strange that loose organization promoting a spiritual practice and with no political aims, should have provoked such a ruthless crackdown. However, Hamilton writes, CCP leaders felt threatened by a movement with more members than the party and attracting greater devotion. Cooper said the campaign of persecution that was started in 1999 has included murder, torture, and human organ harvesting. Stephane Bergeron, a Bloc Quebecois MP and his partys foreign affairs critic, noted the different forms of persecution suffered by Falun Gong adherents in China, and outlined a number of actions taken by other jurisdictions to combat organ harvesting in China. For example, he said, the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 passed a resolution asking Beijing to end the persecution of Falun Gong, and the European Parliament issued its own declaration in the same year calling for an end to forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China. The declaration said in part that there have been persistent credible reports on systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of conscience in the Peoples Republic of China, primarily from practitioners of Falun Gong peaceful meditation and exercises but also from Uighurs, Tibetans, and Christians. Bloc Quebecois MP Stephane Bergeron in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) Bergeron said he urges Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to confront the Chinese government on these dishonourable practices that violate the most fundamental rights of every human being on this planet. Last year, a peoples tribunal in London, England, found that the Chinese regimes sustained practice of forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong adherents constitutes a crime against humanity. The China Tribunal was chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, who led the prosecution of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal. Combatting Organ Harvesting In his talk, MP Genuis said its time Canada passed new legislation addressing the issue of organ harvesting. Genius has been among the parliamentarians championing the adoption of laws to combat organ trafficking, and a bill to counter the issue has been introduced by Conservative Sen. Salma Ataullahjan. Besides this bill, there are a number of other actions the Canadian government can take to address the issue of organ harvesting from Falun Gong adherents in China, David Matas, an international human rights lawyer, said in his talk. Former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour (R) presents a revised report about forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China, while report co-author and international human rights lawyer David Matas looks on, in Ottawa, in a file photo. (Matt Hildebrand/The Epoch Times) Matas, along with former MP and secretary of state David Kilgour, were the first to investigate Chinas forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong adherents in 2006. Some of the actions the government can take include joining the Council of Europe convention against trafficking in human organs; raising the issue at the U.N. Human Rights Council; using Canadas Magnitsky legislation to sanction the perpetrators; and taking action at the provincial level to set ethical and professional standards for health centres and doctors when it comes to dealing with transplant tourism. Former justice minister Cotler, who also introduced a private members bill to combat organ harvesting while he was a legislator, said that all those involved in illegal forced organ harvesting should be called out. Magnitsky Legislation Cotler, a co-chair for the Canadian members of the Interparliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), said hes very pleased that the organization has made asking for justice for Falun Gong practitioners in China a priority. On this 21st anniversary, we have to make justice for the Falun Gong and accountability for their human rights violations a priority as a matter of principle and policy for the international human rights movement for parliamentarians, he said. Former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler (L) and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis speak at an event in Ottawa on April 4, 2017. (The Epoch Times) Cotler, who is also a professor of law, said Canada should use its Magnitsky legislation to sanction those involved in the persecution of Falun Gong. Cotler is among a number of current and former Canadian parliamentarians who are urging Ottawa to use the Magnitsky Act to target those responsible for the persecution of Falun Gong. Examples of sanctions include barring targeted individuals from entering Canada, or engaging in financial transactions in Canada or with Canadians outside the country. James Bezan, a Conservative MP and one of the legislators asking for the use of Magnitsky legislation to get justice for Falun Gong, said implementing the legal tool is the very least Canada and other allies can do to ensure that those gross human rights violators are held to account. Conservative MP James Bezan speaks at an event celebrating Falun Dafa Day on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, on May 8, 2019. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times) I dont think any of us will ever rest until they are held to true account for their crimes against humanity, Bezan said at the event. He added that the first thing China can do to prove that it is on a path of being someone that we can trust and work with is to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. Ending the Persecution Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, said in a statement that July 20 is a mournful anniversary but also a time to honour the remarkable strength, perseverance, and courage of Falun Gong practitioners and family members in China and around the world who refuse to give in. He also said the CCPs persecution of Falun Gong has extended to Canada. A recent report put out by the Canadian Coalition on Human Rights in China, which Amnesty is a part of, outlines cases of harassment, threats, interference, and violence against groups targeted by the CCP in Canada, including Falun Gong. Neve also noted that Canadian citizen Sun Qian is currently incarcerated in China for her belief in Falun Gong, and was recently given an eight-year sentence. Sun Qian, a Falun Dafa adherent and Canadian citizen detained in China since February 2017, in an undated photo. (The Epoch Times/Handout) Neve urged the Canadian government to act on the recommendations of the coalition and ensure that Falun Gong and other human rights defenders working here in Canada on Chinese human rights concerns, can do so safely, and to urge the Chinese government to end the persecution. Former MP Kilgour said that media, politicians, and activists have to ensure that Falun Gong adherents dont think the world has forgotten about them, and should speak out against the suppression of the practice. Even those who have become vocal in recent months about the CCPs contempt for human dignity rarely mention Falun Gong, as if it were taboo, he said. Its time to break this silence. Rabbi Reuben Bulka, a former co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said the CCP is murdering its own people with the persecution of Falun Gong, and the world needs to stand up to stop it. These people [Falun Gong] are being murdered day in and day out for their organs, and we cant just be simply sitting by and doing nothing, Bulka said at the event. Conservative Sen. Thanh Hai Ngo, who joined the over 600 parliamentarians as a signatory to the joint statement calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong, said Canada and other countries around the world should follow the United States in sanctioning human rights violators in China. Conservative Sen. Thanh Hai Ngo addresses the crowd celebrating the Falun Dafa Day on the Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 9, 2018. (Jonathon Ren/The Epoch Times) If we dont do anything, they will take it for granted, Ngo said in an interview. MP Sgro said the persecution can be ended with world awareness about human rights abuses in China. I think the only way that will stop is when the world demands that China respect the human rights of everyone, she said in an interview. As long as Im a parliamentarian, and even afterwards, I will continue to be an advocate for human rights issues around the world, specifically the Falun Gong. U.S. President Donald Trump condemned protests in Portland, Oregon, and violence in "Democrat-run" cities on Sunday as his Republican administration moves to intervene in urban centres he says have lost control of anti-racism demonstrations. Federal law enforcement officers, armed with a new executive order aimed at protecting U.S. monuments, last week started cracking down on crowds gathering in Portland to protest police brutality and systemic racism. After a chaotic night in Portland that saw a police association building set on fire and officers shooting tear gas at a group of mothers protesting police brutality, Trump and Portland's mayor traded barbs over who was to blame for the escalating unrest. "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE," Trump wrote in a Twitter post. Facing declining polling numbers before his November 3 election against Democrat Joe Biden, Trump is making "law and order" a central campaign issue to appeal to critical suburban voters. The crackdown in the liberal bastion of Portland drew widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on Sunday that it was federal authorities who were sharply escalating the situation. "Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism," Wheeler said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave." Wheeler and Oregon Governor Kate Brown, both Democrats, called the move an abuse of power by the federal government and the state filed a lawsuit against the U.S. agencies involved. Story continues On Sunday, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives demanded internal investigations into whether the Justice and Homeland Security departments "abused emergency authorities" in handling the Portland protests. Nationwide crackdown White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf are working on measures the administration can take to counter the unrest. "You'll see something rolled out this week as we start to go in and make sure that the communities, whether it's Chicago or Portland, or Milwaukee, or someplace across the heartland of the country, we need to make sure our communities are safe," Meadows said on "Sunday Morning Futures." The announcement is expected to expand a new Justice Department initiative that sends federal law enforcement into cities facing protests. Moms tear-gassed In Portland on Saturday night, Melanie Damm said she saw unidentified federal officers in military-style gear fired tear gas canisters into a group of mothers, clad mostly in white, who were protesting against police brutality. "The level of violence escalated by these GI soldiers was such an overreaction. Youre seeing moms getting tear-gassed," said Damm, herself a 39-year-old mom. "We arent young and Antifa-looking," she said, referring to more militant anti-fascism protesters. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Trump attributed the increase in violence in cities such as Chicago and New York by saying "theyre Democrat-run cities, they are liberally run. They are stupidly run." The Republican president last month threatened to send U.S. military troops to quell protests that erupted over police brutality and racism after the killing of a Black man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer. Oregon's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Marshals Service, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), saying they had violated peoples' civil rights by seizing and detaining them without probable cause. (REUTERS) New Delhi, July 20 : In the time of pandemic, even passing out parades of paramilitary forces have turned virtual. Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy on Monday reviewed the passing out parade at CISF NISA Hyderabad through webinar. Eleven Assistant Commandants (probationer), 79 Sub-Inspectors and 10 Assistant Sub-Inspectors passed out from CISF NISA Hyderabad. CISF DG Rajesh Ranjan and other senior officers were also present. Though it's a grand affair for the force, in times of Covid-19, for the first time, e-Passing Out Parade was organised. The Parade was witnessed electronically by the families, friends and general public. In her welcome address, Director of NISA Hyderabad Anjana Sinha presented a report on the training activities. She complimented trainees for their sincerity and dedication and hoped the rigorous training imparted at the centre would stand in good stead in their professional career. The DG emphasised the role of CISF in protecting vital installations. The CISF's endeavour was to nurture the core qualities, like discipline, turnout, physical fitness and professionalism of all the officers and personnel that render the vital edge in the functioning, he added. During the occasion, the message from Home Minister Amit Shah was read by the DG. Shah praised the CISF officers and personnel for their uncompromising determination and immaculate professionalism in securing the citizens and national assets during the Covid-19 epidemic. Applauding the CISF's growing role in the changing security scenario of the country, Reddy said it creditably secured airports, critical and very sensitive establishments. He also praised the women CISF personnel and their role in securing the most critical assets of the nation. "The officers who passed out today, during the course of their training, acquired skills in a wide array of subjects, from indoor subjects like industrial security, security of buildings, monuments & vital installations, intelligence & surveillance, aviation security, IS duties, fire prevention & fighting, human rights, VIP security, forensic science, law, science & technology, modern electronic security gadgets, computers, human behaviour, CISF Act & Rules," read a statement issued on the occasion. To meet and overcome the challenges of internal security and those arising from Naxal and terror groups, the trainees were subjected to jungle camp training, raids, ambush & counter-ambush, night navigation and QRT type practical training as well. We are the co-leaders of the Renewables Work for PA coalition of more than 100 renewable energy companies working together to increase the states renewable energy as an economic development response to COVID. Pennsylvanias Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) has led to millions of dollars in local community investment and nearly 10,000 renewable energy jobs since its inception in 2004. Acting now to increase the AEPS to 18 percent renewable energy by 2025, including 5.5 percent in-state solar power will protect that investment and set the Keystone state on a job growth trajectory that charts a path toward economic recovery amid the current pandemic. As the fourth largest power sector in the country, Pennsylvania has the potential to lead on clean energy -- an industry sector touted as a smart investment that is not directly tied to the variability of the stock market. That being said, Gov. Tom Wolf and commonwealth legislators have only one legislative session left to act to protect and expand clean renewable energy jobs and to stabilize the industry overall before the AEPS flatlines on May 31, 2021 at 8 percent renewables with a 0.5 percent solar goal. Such a move will bring necessary economic relief to communities across the state while increasing family-sustaining energy jobs and building a cleaner, more diverse, and secure Pennsylvania energy infrastructure. While Pennsylvanias AEPS has been effective to date, the goals set forth in the AEPS lag well behind neighboring states like New Jersey, New York, and Maryland, all of which have set ambitious renewable energy goals that are at least 50 percent higher than Pennsylvania. As a direct result, these states stand to benefit more than Pennsylvania from increased private investment and skyrocketing job growth because they have implemented renewable energy markets that provide more stability and predictability than the markets that currently exist in Pennsylvania. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, solar and wind installers and technicians have been the nations top two fastest growing jobs categories for the past several years. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania ranks 25th and 19th in the nation for both solar and wind energy generation capacity, respectively, and the state will rapidly fall further behind other states unless our elected officials act now to increase the AEPS goals to keep pace with neighboring states. Even more critically, this action is needed to enable Pennsylvania to remain economically competitive as America begins to recover from one of the worst national emergencies in world history. We should only be prioritizing policies that make the lives and welfare of every Pennsylvanian better. Thats why our coalition of more than 100 Pennsylvania renewable energy companies and advocates are calling for the Pennsylvania legislature to set a measured, modest and achievable renewable energy target: 18 percent renewable energy by 2025, including 5.5 percent in-state solar power. Economic modeling shows that the proposal will: Create tens of thousands of jobs in the solar, wind, hydro, biogas, and other renewable energy industries; Provide more than $1B annually in cost savings to Pennsylvanians and generate millions of dollars in property tax revenue to local municipalities; Save many family farms by creating billions of dollars in solar lease payments that provide reliable income to landowners for 20 years, enabling them to keep farming; Diversify the Commonwealths energy mix to protect consumers from volatile pricing resulting from relying too much on a single fuel source; Lower electricity costs for all consumers by hundreds of millions of dollars by shaving peak demand for electricity; and Require absolutely no state funding. Increasing the AEPS goals to 18 percent by 2025 with 5.5 percent solar will result in robust economic development and employment growth all without requiring tax credits or additional funding. In fact, acting to ensure Pennsylvanias renewable energy market is as robust as possible only adds to state and local tax revenues at a time when communities across the commonwealth need it the most. We need action now. Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania Consultant for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2); Ron Celentano, President, PASEIA (Pennsylvania Solar and Storage Industries Association), and Bruce Burcat, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition. The St. Louis couple who emerged from their mansion in a gated community and aimed weapons at protesters marching past them last month were each charged Monday with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon. Lawyers Mark McCloskey, 61, and Patricia McCloskey, 63, have said they were merely defending their home on a private street in an upscale neighborhood from a crowd that was marching to Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson's house to protest racial injustice. Video and photographs showing Mark McCloskey wielding a rifle and Patricia McCloskey aiming a pistol at the marchers created a firestorm of controversy between those who felt the couple was legally defending their home and those who felt they were menacing peaceful protesters. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who filed the charges against the McCloskeys, did not order the couple to surrender or be arrested. Instead, as part of Gardner's reformist approach to reducing incarceration for low-level crimes, she issued them summonses and said she would consider them for a diversion program, which would enable the charge to be dismissed if a counseling or other remedial course were completed. The charge carries a possible penalty of probation up to four years in prison. Mark McCloskey appeared on Fox News Monday night and said, "It's a totally upside-down world. The prosecutor apparently thinks her job isn't to keep us safe from criminals, but to keep the criminals safe from us. .... We're not going to apologize for doing what's right." He said the protests over racial injustice are "a concerted effort to destroy our way of life. To change the fundamental social contract, do away with capitalist democracy and replace it with mob rule." The McCloskeys' attorney Joel Schwartz called the charges "disheartening, as I unequivocally believe no crime was committed." Schwartz said the McCloskeys "support the First Amendment right of every citizen to have their voice and opinion heard. This right, however, must be balanced with the Second Amendment and Missouri law, which entitle each of us to protect our home and family from potential threats." In a statement Monday, Gardner said "it is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest." She said if the McCloskeys completed a diversion program, "I believe this would serve as a fair resolution to this matter." To enter the St. Louis circuit attorney's diversion program, one must plead guilty, and if the program is completed, the guilty plea is withdrawn and the charge dismissed. Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson said in a radio interview last week that he would likely pardon the McCloskeys if they were charged. "I think that's exactly what would happen," Parson told host Marc Cox when asked if he would issue a pardon. "I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail." The governor tweeted out a link to the interview and noted, "We will not allow law-abiding citizens to be targeted for exercising their constitutional rights." Legal experts said that the Second Amendment right to possess a gun does not necessarily allow an individual to brandish it at another person. The Missouri governor may only grant a pardon after a conviction is imposed. The charges are likely to further stoke the hostilities aimed at Gardner by President Donald Trump and top Missouri Republicans. The governor has called for Gardner to resign, and a U.S. senator demanded that she be investigated for civil rights violations. She also received death threats and racist insults from around the country as the case erupted into a national debate over protesters' rights vs. the self-defense and Second Amendment rights of homeowners. After video of the McCloskeys went viral, Gardner said she would investigate. The city's first African American prosecutor said she was alarmed that "peaceful protesters were met by guns and a violent assault. We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation or threat of deadly force will not be tolerated." Earlier this month, St. Louis police obtained a search warrant and seized the two guns brandished by the McCloskeys. Soon after, state Republicans publicly criticized Gardner, and Trump declared her "a disgrace." Republican Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter to the Justice Department Thursday saying Gardner's investigation was an abuse of power. Gardner told The Post that she believes the Republican attacks were coordinated, calling them "a modern-day night ride," evoking the terrorist acts of the Ku Klux Klan. She said Hawley's letter was "a dog whistle of racist rhetoric and cronyism politics." The St. Louis police chief told reporters on Tuesday that investigators had applied for criminal warrants to Gardner's office. The McCloskeys, who have a history of filing lawsuits including against their own property managers, claimed that they acted appropriately after "a mob" smashed their way through the private development's gate. "The only thing that stopped the crowd from approaching the house was when I had that rifle," Mark McCloskey said in an interview with NBC affiliate KSDK. "[It was] the only thing that stemmed the tide." But video obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shows that the gate to Portland Place was open when the protesters arrived. Moments after the march moved past his house, Mark McCloskey can be seen yelling at protesters and wielding a rifle. His wife soon joined him and the couple moved from the front door to the lawn adjoining the street, with Patricia McCloskey repeatedly pointing a small pistol at protesters. Missouri law defines felony unlawful use of a weapon as when a person "exhibits, in the presence of one or more persons, any weapon readily capable of lethal use in an angry or threatening manner." The sentencing range if convicted is probation up to seven years in prison. Misdemeanor assault is defined as when a "person purposely places another person in apprehension of immediate physical injury." The possible sentence is probation to 15 days in jail. The McCloskeys and their supporters have said that the "castle doctrine" in Missouri law, and elsewhere, empowers a homeowner to stand their ground and use deadly force when threatened. But Harvard Law School Professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. said Friday that "the law is crystal clear in Missouri, that a reasonableness argument is necessary for a defendant to take advantage of the Castle doctrine. The defendant has to be reasonably afraid of being in imminent danger." Sullivan said that despite the McCloskeys' claim that the entire Portland Place neighborhood was private property, and the protesters were immediately trespassing, "the castle doctrine would still be unavailable. The doctrine removes one's duty to retreat. But they could only use deadly force if they reasonably felt they were in imminent danger. Based on the video evidence, that's a very difficult argument to make," because the protesters were unarmed and did not move toward the McCloskey residence, Sullivan said. "Otherwise," Sullivan said, "the castle doctrine would swallow up all of the existing law and we'd have a 'Wild Wild West' out there." Chinese scholar Xu Zhangrun has penned a passionate call for solidarity among China's embattled dissidents after his release from criminal detention, which came after he published several articles and open letters critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and its supreme leader Xi Jinping. In an open letter to fellow alumni of Beijing's Tsinghua University, which fired Xu after his release from prison earlier this month, Xu said he was "still healthy," and could work hard to earn enough to eat. He said he plans to make enough money to buy food through selling his writing. He also hit out at ruling Chinese Communist Party officials for maintaining an "extravagant lifestyle" when most of the population are struggling to get by. "Most of our compatriots are barely able to feed themselves and are struggling to survive," he said. "Half of China is under water and the rainstorms keep coming," he added, in a reference to massive flooding across the Yangtze river basin this summer. "The bad points of our political system won't change, and countries around the world are starting to defend themselves against it," Xu said, adding that Chinese academics are afraid to be isolated, so "languish" within it, not speaking out. "But totalitarian power will be defeated, and freedom will finally come to my land," he said, calling on Tsinghua alumni to redirect their financial donations "where it is most needed," instead of giving the money to him. "It is our responsibility and our fate to live through this time, to suffer, to keep the fires alive in the dark night, and to welcome the dawn," he wrote. Xu's letter came after hundreds of Tsinghua alumni raised more than 100,000 yuan in donations to help Xu after he lost his job. Moral courage Canada-based lawyer Lai Jianping said he had been following Xu's case closely, and that his latest letter sent out a loud message to fellow Chinese citizens and dissidents. "The most important part is that he is thinking deeply about the future of the entire country and its people, and that he hasn't lost faith or confidence," Lai said. "This is so valuable, because it is moral courage." "It's quite hard for people like Professor Xu to make a living ... although he could probably get paid for writing certain articles," Lai said. Independent journalist Gao Yu said the allegations of "seeking out prostitutes" were irrelevant, and that Xu is being targeted for his critical writings. "This is a speech crime [Xu is being targeted with] ... and the authorities ... are trying to pretend it's not," Gao said. "In the absence of material evidence, he is being framed," she said. "They just pin prostitution charges on people." Authorities in Beijing detained Xu on the morning of July 6 after he called online for political reforms, on allegations of "seeking out prostitutes." He was released a week later, but later told the media that he had been fired from his teaching post and subjected to public sanctions for "moral corruption" by Tsinghua University's law school. Charges of "seeking out prostitutes" have been used before by the Chinese authorities to target peaceful critics and activists, or anyone who runs afoul of local officials and powerful vested interests. Purge in the universities Since party general secretary Xi Jinping began an indefinite term in office in March 2018, his administration has stepped up a purge of liberal intellectuals from higher education institutions. Friends said at the time of Xu's detention that it could be linked to the publication of one of his books in New York last month, a collection of some of his most controversial essays and articles. Xu recently also criticized the Beijing municipal authorities for demolishing an artists' village, and said that the administration of ruling Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping is taking China into "a dead end." In a 10,000-word essay dated May 21, 2020, Xu described China as isolated from "global civilization," which would de-Sinicize in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Wang Tiancheng, who directs the U.S.-based Institute for China's Democratic Transition said China is growing more isolated internationally as a result of the pandemic. "In the short term, it is clear that China is extremely isolated," Wang said. But he added that there are many variables: "It is still too early to tell how things will pan out in the long run." "There are protocols in infectious disease control," Wang said. "If a country doesn't follow them, it is doomed to fail [in its attempts to control COVID-19]" Sociology professor Guo Yuhua of Tsinghua University said China hasn't really allowed civil society to play a role in its development. "I dont think China has acclimatized to international norms," Guo said. "Regardless of whether a country is developed or developing, there is usually some form of civil society ... which plays a certain role [in governance]." Demand for an end to targeting Xu's essay called for China's leaders to be held politically accountable, for the release of prisoners of conscience, including journalists and human rights lawyers, and for an end to the political targeting of academics. Xu was notified by Tsinghua in April 2019 that he should cease performing any duties, after he published an article last July hitting out at the return of totalitarianism under the ruling Chinese Communist Party, including the abolition of presidential term limits and a cult of personality around Xi. Xu has also called for amendments nodded through by China's National People's Congress (NPC) in 2018 to be revoked, and for an end to massive international expenditure to boost China's influence overseas, as well as for legislation requiring officials to publish details of their assets and financial interests. He had also published articles hitting out at "red" imperialism and calling for an upgrade to China's political system. Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has defended the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trusts invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the bhoomi pujan on August 5 to mark the beginning of the temple construction in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya amid criticism by the Congress and the NCP for different reasons. It has also asserted that the groundbreaking ceremony will be performed in line with all the laid down protocols for ensuring distancing and safekeeping during the Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday, Alok Kumar, the international working president of the VHP, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said the controversy over the invitation to the PM who is yet to confirm his presence, is unwarranted. There is no confirmation on who will be present for the ceremony. The invitations have been sent out by the trust after deciding the names unanimously, he said. Reacting to Congressman Hussain Dalwais comment that former PM Jawaharlal Nehru had refused to attend a similar ceremony for the Somnath Temple which was reconstructed, Kumar said Indian secularism celebrates all religions and does not negate them. The secularism to us means that the state does not prefer of patronize any religion and treats all of them equally, he said. He went on to add, It is a matter of record that PM Nehru had declined to attend the inauguration of Somnath Temple. However this is only half-truth. It must be recalled that Somnath Temple was inaugurated by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Nehru had sent a letter to Prasad advising that the President of a secular country should not attend the temple function. Dr. Rajendra Prasad had retorted that he was prepared to resign from the Presidency if that was Nehrus view of the matter. Nehru did not pursue the matter. Former chief minister and Congress MP Digvijay Singh also questioned the invitation to the PM. Talking to news agency ANI he said If PM Modi lays the foundation stone of the temple on August 5, all Shankaracharyas and Swami Ramnareshacharya ji of Ramanandi sect should be invited to the function and made members of the Nyas. He also objected to the Centres decision of not including Shankaracharyas in the Nyas, but filling it up with VHP and BJP leaders. Reacting to Singhs statement Kumar said, it was the Supreme Courts decision to allow the central government to appoint the trust. On the allegations that the ceremony is being held in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kumar said, We believe that the central government, the government of UP and other governments are engaged in a determined war against Corona and on all fronts. They have successfully contained the endemic. India is progressing in finding a vaccine. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had also criticized the timing of the bhumi pujan and said while the Maharashtra governments priority is to handle the Covid crisis, some feel that the coronavirus pandemic will vanish by erecting the Ram Temple. The VHP hit back saying that the country and its life cannot be put on hold for an indefinite period. Efforts are being made to resume normal life while taking precautions. The efforts to revive the economy, industry and services are urgently necessary and are being attempted. Similarly all social, religious and spiritual activities must go on, Kumar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A poll of Independent voters in battleground states reveals significant differences in income and confidence in Biden among unaffiliated voters who support Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris as top choice for vice president. Support for Elizabeth Warren Support for Kamala Harris Choice for Vice President You Gov Blue Logo The poll of 538 Independent voters living in twelve battleground states, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, was fielded by Data for Progress and YouGov Blue. The July 2020 poll included a variety of questions gauging battleground state voters' views of the vice presidency and their views on who Joe Biden should choose as his running mate. While many Independents are undecided, those with an opinion are tied between Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as the preferred vice-presidential nominee. No other potential nominee breaks 5 percent. Among Independent voters who report they currently do not lean toward either party, Senator Warren is the first or second choice of 23 percent of those voters, and Senator Harris is the first or second choice of 21 percent. Warren is the first choice of 11 percent of these pure independents and Harris is the also the first choice of 11 percent. Among all independents, the results are also statistically tied. But there are significant differences in voter profiles. "Most of Senator Warren's support comes from voters in households that earn under $60,000, less than the median income," says John Ray, Senior Political Analyst of YouGov, which conducted the poll for Data for Progress. (The median household income for 2018 as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau was $63,179.) "Most of Senator Harris's support," Ray says, "comes from voters with a family income of more than $70,000, above the median family income." The poll further shows that 18 percent of Independent voters from households earning less than $30,000 say Senator Warren is their first choice for vice president. In contrast, 5 percent of those with household income of under $30,000 name Senator Harris as their first choice. Senator Harris receives 26 percent support, or a five times higher rate of support among voters in households that earn more than $150,000 a year. Similarly, Senator Warren is the preferred candidate among Independent voters who reported they were unemployed. Fully 16 percent of unemployed Independent voters supported Senator Warren as their first choice, more than three times the level of support of the next nearest candidate. The first choice among Independents who are employed full time is statistically tied between Senator Harris and Senator Warren (13 percent to 11 percent). Senator Warren leads Senator Harris 4-to-1 among voters unsure about Biden but who think his pick for vice president is important: About 21 percent of those voters would prefer Senator Warren to be the nominee for vice president, with Senator Harris trailing at 5 percent. "Among battleground-state persuadable voters who are unsure about voting for Biden, Elizabeth Warren is the clear first choice for vice president," says Sean McElwee, Co-founder and Executive Director of Data for Progress. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE POLL INCLUDE: Of those voters who are currently dissatisfied with the idea of voting for Biden but report they would consider voting for him, 26 percent support Senator Warren as their top vice presidential nominee, far higher than all other choices. Among Independent voters who report they currently do not lean toward either party, Senator Warren is the first or second choice of 23 percent of voters, and Senator Harris is the first or second choice of 21 percent. The Senators are statistically tied among all independent voters. Most of the Independents polled who say Senator Warren is their first choice for vice president are from households with under $60,000 in income, less than the U.S. median household income of $63,179 . By contrast, most of the Independents polled who say Senator Harris is their first choice are from households with over than $70,000 income, or more than the median household income . in income, less than the U.S. median household income of . By contrast, most of the Independents polled who say Senator Harris is their first choice are from households with over than income, or more than the median household income . The poll shows 18 percent of those from households with less than $30,000 a year support Senator Warren as their first choice. The poll shows only 5 percent of those from households with less than $30,000 a year support Senator Harris at their first choice. Twenty-six percent of voters in households with more than $150,000 per year in income say Senator Harris is their first choice. The next candidate with relatively high support among highest-income Independent households, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth , receives 12 percent support. a year support Senator Warren as their first choice. The poll shows only 5 percent of those from households with less than a year support Senator Harris at their first choice. Twenty-six percent of voters in households with more than per year in income say Senator Harris is their first choice. The next candidate with relatively high support among highest-income Independent households, Senator , receives 12 percent support. Independents want the vice president's ability to handle the economy to be the top issue guiding Biden's choice of a vice president. Independents rank Senator Warren most effective on the economy by more than 3-to-1. (See release issued July 17, 2020 .) .) More battleground-state Independents rate Senator Warren as the most effective president on day one if called to serve. Biden has noted that readiness to serve as president on day one is critical to his choice for vice president. (See release issued July 17, 2020 .) READ THE FULL BLOG: https://www.dataforprogress.org/memos/battleground-poll-results-of-independents-employment-income About Data for Progress Data for Progress is a trusted public opinion research organization and multidisciplinary group of experts using state-of-the-art techniques in data science to support progressive activists, and causes. We provide voter file analysis, digital communications, polling, policy development, and message guidance. For more information, please contact: Sean McElwee ([email protected]) About YouGov Blue YouGov Blue is a division of YouGov serving Democratic and progressive clients. Leveraging YouGov's panels, methodology, and technology infrastructure, we are pioneering novel capabilities and strategies. YouGov Blue's online survey tools, polling experience, and digital environment allow us to provide a unique suite of products to help our clients achieve their goals. We work with think tanks, interest groups, unions, candidates, and analytics and polling firms to help them gain insights from online surveys. We provide services for all stages of the survey research process, including questionnaire design, sampling design, survey fielding, weighting, reporting, and analysis. We are matched to the major voter files and have expertise in using voter files to enhance survey analysis. Our team combines academic and political experience to ensure that our practice is grounded in both methodological rigor and the needs of our clients. For more information, please contact: John Ray ([email protected]). SOURCE Data for Progress Related Links https://www.dataforprogress.org Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington,DC on June 10, 2020. ( Andrew Harnik / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) Pompeo: US Foreign Policy Grounded in Unalienable Rights The Trump Administrations foreign policy is focused on the national security of America, religious freedom, and is 100 percent pro-life, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a speech given at The Family Leader Summit held on Friday in West Des Moines, Iowa. Our founders built our country on a commitment to essential rights, unalienable rights that come from these amazing documents, our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, and our nations foreign policy must be grounded in those central understandings, Pompeo said. National security is the first duty of any government as understood by the Founding Fathers and it is also the highest priority of any Secretary of State, and certainly for President [Donald] Trump as well, Pompeo said, adding, I wish some mayors across America knew that too. The main threats to national security that the United States faces today are China working to take down freedom all across the world, Russia trying to poison our democracy, our institutions and using disinformation to sow discord in America, and Iran with its desire to spread the Islamic Revolution all over the Middle East, Pompeo said. Prior administrations underestimated the real threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Pompeo said, adding that for many years foreign policy thinkers have believed that the more we traded with China, the more free that nation would become and the less risk they would be to the American people. However, the foreign policy based on this assumption failed, with the CCPs continued threats toward Taiwan, its undermining of Hong Kongs freedom, and ongoing severe violations of the human rights of its people, said Pompeo. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, hold up signed agreements of phase 1 of a trade deal between the United States and China, in the East Room at the White House in Washington on Jan. 15, 2020. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The Trump administration recognized the fact that the CCPs policies put Americans at risk, Pompeo said, and took action to counter its efforts to crush the worlds freedom. Examples of such counteraction are the imposition of sanctions and travel restrictions on CCP officials, countering the regimes propaganda about the coverup of the CCP virus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and revising agreements with Hong Kong, Pompeo said. The administration is also working on putting an end to Chinas theft of American intellectual property and making better trade deals with China, as stipulated in Phase 1 of the U.S.-China trade agreement. The policy on Iran has also fundamentally changed, said Pompeo. The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal signed by the previous administration that provided the Iranian regime with money to continue to fund terrorism, posing a risk to the United States and the Middle East region, he said. The brand new Iran policy implemented by the Trump administration deprives the Iranian regime of blood money, diplomatic sanctuary, and deters the regime from aggression, he added. Defending Religious Freedom President Donald Trump shakes hands with Yuhua Zhang, a Falun Gong practitioner who survived persecution in China, at the White House on July 17, 2019. (Screenshot/The White House) Pompeo said that he was proud of the work the administration has done to defend religious freedom. Today, four out of five people around the world dont enjoy full religious freedom, Pompeo said. The State Department instituted in 2018 the annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, where world political and religious leaders convene to discuss the challenges faced by religious believers, devise ways to combat religious persecution and discrimination, and to increase respect for freedom of religion or belief, according to a State Department statement. The last year the Ministerial was the largest human rights conference ever held at the State Department, Pompeo said. The State Department has also established training programs on religious freedom for foreign service officers, he added. The administration especially criticized Chinas war on faith, Pompeo said. Last year in August, Vice-President Mike Pence met with representatives of three religious groups persecuted in ChinaChristians, practitioners of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, and Uyghurs and Uyghur Muslimsalong with other advocates for religious freedom. President Donald Trump and U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback met with survivors of religious persecution of different faiths from 17 countries including China, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Burma, Sudan, and Cuba. Trump spent almost half an hour asking them very personal questions, hearing stories of burned homes and of imprisoned family members, and reaffirming the American commitment to religious freedom, Pompeo said. This administration appreciates and knows that our rights come from God, not government, Pompeo added. On July 20, the 21st anniversary of the start of the CCPs campaign cruel campaign to eradicate Falun Gong, Pompeo called on the PRC government to immediately end its depraved abuse and mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners, release those imprisoned due to their beliefs such as Ma Zhenyu, and address the whereabouts of missing practitioners, according to a statement. Ma Zhenyu is the husband of Dr. Yuhua Zhang, who joined the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom and described how she was imprisoned and tortured for her belief, Pompeo recalled in the statement. Zhang advocated at the Ministerial for her husband who has endured imprisonment and months of torture because he refuses to renounce his Falun Gong beliefs, Pompeo said. Twenty-one years of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is far too long, and it must end, Pompeo stated today. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline that includes meditative exercises, and a set of moral teaching based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Pro-life Support in Foreign Policy America sets the tone for the rest of the world with respect to defending rights of the unborn, Pompeo said, adding, abortion quite simply isnt a human right. It takes a human life. The administration reinstated the Mexico City Policy so that no American taxpayer money is used to perform active abortions anywhere in the world, he added. Pompeo said that he and Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, mobilized 20 countries to deliver a joint statement at the U.N. criticizing pro-abortion language in U.N. documents, adding that in many parts of the world this kind of language is verboten. Family Leader Summit Pompeos wife, Susan, when introducing her husband at the sold-out Family Leader Summit, emphasized the positive impact Pompeos faith has had on his life and his work. His faith especially resonated with those world leaders who themselves are of faith, regardless of what their religion was, she said. They feel that they share a common bond with him because of faith, she said adding that it is a pretty good place to start diplomacy at. The Family Leader is a Christian organization with a mission to strengthen families by inspiring leadership in the home, the church, and the government with Christian values, according to its website. West African mediators proposed a route out of Mali's political crisis on Sunday, but admitted the opposition's main demand was a significant stumbling block. ECOWAS team chief and former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan said the West Africa bloc could not call for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's resignation, as demanded by the opposition. "We met with the M5 four times and we couldn't resolve our differences," he said, referring to the opposition June 5 Movement. "ECOWAS cannot come to Bamako and see to the setting up of an interim government," he added, explaining that this would trigger a "major crisis". "We have to take one step at a time." President Keita and the June 5 Movement -- which is set on his resignation -- are locked in a political standoff that last week spiralled into violent clashes, leaving 11 dead. On Sunday, the mediators from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) capped days of talks between the parties and proposed a raft of measures to soothe soaring tensions. These included forming a new power-sharing government under which 50 percent of members would be from the ruling coalition, 30 percent from the opposition and 20 percent from civil society groups. But the prospect of the proposals ending the impasse looked highly uncertain. The June 5 Movement had already spurned proposals put to them by the mediators on Friday, after days of talks, insisting that Keita must resign. The opposition alliance has been tapping into deep-seated frustrations in Mali over the 75-year-old president's perceived failures in tackling the dire economy, corruption and the country's eight-year-long jihadist conflict. Many Malians are also incensed at the outcome of long-delayed parliamentary elections in March and April that handed victory to Keita's party. AFP was unable to immediately reach either Mali's government or the June 5 Movement for comment. - Opposition resistance - Mali's current crisis has concerned its allies and neighbours, who are anxious to avoid the poor, war-torn state 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. Fighting has also spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Keita, who first came to power in 2013 on hopes of change, has been under increasing pressure to resolve the conflict. But much of the current tension in Mali was sparked in April, when the constitutional court tossed out 31 results from the parliamentary elections, which led to protests. The June 5 Movement then emerged -- channelling anger over a range of issues -- and staged two mass rallies demanding Keita's resignation last month, before organising the July 10 rally which turned violent. The movement is an alliance of political, social and civil-society leaders gathered around powerful imam Mahmoud Dicko, who is seen as its de facto leader despite not being a formal member. On Sunday, ECOWAS mediators suggested appointing new judges to the country's constitutional court so that they could revisit the decision on the disputed seats. Their proposals were substantially similar to conciliatory gestures unsuccessfully floated by Keita himself in a bid to soothe anger, but rejected by the opposition. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, a member of the ECOWAS mediation team, suggested there was room for progress despite opposition hostility, however. "Dialogue is not over," he said. "I can tell you that imam Mahmoud Dicko accepts the broad outlines of our recommendations." AFP was unable to immediately reach Dicko for comment. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Jonathan suggested that Malians unhappy with Keita should focus on the next presidential election. "In most countries, when the president is on his second term, nobody thinks about that president again," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:43:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy research center is inaugurated in Beijing, capital of China, July 20, 2020. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration ceremony and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy research center was inaugurated here Monday. The center was established by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the China Institute of International Studies. It aims to coordinate resources nationwide and carry out comprehensive, systematic and in-depth studies, explanations, and introductions of the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. Focusing on studying the nature, theory, practice, communication, policies, and specific subjects of the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, the center aims to give full play to the guiding role of the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy in China's diplomatic practices, and serve the construction of theory, system and mechanism, and capacity of the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a new era. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration ceremony and delivered a speech. He called for deep study and earnest implementation of the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy to break new ground for the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Enditem Even in curve-flattening San Francisco, its impossible to walk down a sidewalk without seeing someone sans mask spewing spit particles into the air as if 140,000 Americans havent died from the pandemic. The hordes of open-mouth breathers make doing just about anything a frustrating and dangerous experience. But how does one translate those feelings into effective activism? From personal experience, I can confirm that the dudes in the Mission with bandanas around their neck like they just got back from Fashion Week dont want to hear a snappy retort that masks work better when you actually wear them. So to improve my mask-shaming game, I consulted a source who knows how to talk to unreasonable people who might accidentally kill someone: Gary Noesner, former chief of the FBI crisis negotiation unit and author of Stalling for Time. No surprise, Im doing it all wrong. RELATED: Why it's so hard to avoid touching your face: an investigation As soon as you venture into a tone or demeanor that sounds critical, they will immediately get into a defensive posture, says Noesner. Whether they feel strongly about it or not, they feel compelled to defend their freedom to do what they want. So any approach like that is inevitably going to fail. The first thing you notice when talking to Noesner is his soothing tone. His sentences sound like ocean waves, the pitch gently rising with curious questions and falling in calm reassurances. Its a stark contrast to the harsh assertive voice I want to use at people who dont understand the word asymptomatic. You might say, Excuse me, could I chat with you for a second? I see that you dont have a mask on, and I know thats a personal choice, and a choice that you need to make. But I have this vulnerability medically. Or my son does. Or my daughter. If not for yourself, you might make others feel more secure,'" says Noesner in a re-enactment so convincing that I almost reach for my mask, even though Im inside my home. He explains that using science or the law or politics wont stop bad actors; this type of coercion requires a personal appeal. He describes that strategy as an I message. Instead of putting blame on the maskless, flip the problem on yourself. Be vulnerable and admit that youre concerned because theres things you dont know about this virus, and that scares you. RELATED: What I learned from talking to complete strangers on the phone for a week Another effective strategy is to show interest in hearing their perspective. Particularly people who are angry, they feel that theyre not heard or understood or appreciated. Its certainly true in my line of work, but generally in life, he says. Its really hard to argue with someone whos asking you in a sincerely genuine, very non-confrontational way to share your thoughts on something. Playing devils advocate, I retorted to Noesner that the plandemic is an invention of Bill Gates and George Soros, who are cooking the books to push 5G networks and vaccinations, and also are probably shooting off the fireworks outside my window at night. So youre telling me that you feel as though someone is bastardizing these numbers and has an ulterior motive for doing that? And that motive is that you take a vaccine, thats what I understand? he says, using a tactic called mirroring in which you repeat someones argument back to them. Sometimes when you lay it out in a non-threatening way, even they can hear how ridiculous it is. Last, but certainly not least, its important to accept that some people will only accept the minor inconvenience of mask-wearing if someone they love becomes sick with COVID-19. As easy as it is to want to scream at maskless Valencia Street brunchers sitting at cafe tables within 3 feet of pedestrians (which let me remind you IS ILLEGAL IF YOU DONT HAVE FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH), you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Or in this instance, fewer cases of coronavirus by avoiding talking in all-caps. What youre really talking about is influencing behavior, says Noesner. You influence it by creating a respectful, trusting relationship. You do that by being non-threatening, and non-aggressive. That is the pathway to success. You stay calm and patient and understanding and acknowledge their points of view, and ask them to consider thinking a little differently, and thats the best you can do. Dan Gentile is a culture editor at SFGATE. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere A Russian businessman suffered serious reputational harm when named in a former British spys 2016 dossier about alleged links between Donald Trump and Russia, lawyers have told a judge. Lawyers representing Aleksej Gubarev, who has sued Christopher Steele, told Mr Justice Warby that part of the Steele Dossier named the businessman. They said one memorandum made grave allegations as to knowing involvement in the hacking of the computer systems of the United States Democratic National Committee in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election. Mr Steele is fighting the case. The judge began overseeing a High Court trial in London on Monday. He is expected to consider evidence and argument over five days. Mr Gubarev took legal action after BuzzFeed published the Steele dossier in January 2017, the month Mr Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. Andrew Caldecott QC, who leads Mr Gubarevs legal team, said the case centred on one memorandum from the dossier. The dossier consisted of memoranda, he told Mr Justice Warby, in a written case outline. President Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/PA) Seventeen were published to the world at large by BuzzFeed on January 10 2017, when Mr Trump was president-elect but not yet inaugurated. The general subject matter of the memoranda was the relationship between Mr Trump, his campaign team and Russia. The publication predictably attracted enormous publicity both online and in the mainstream media. He said one memoranda named Mr Gubarev and made grave allegations as to knowing involvement in the hacking of the computer systems of the United States Democratic National Committee in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election. Mr Caldecott said Mr Gubarev had suffered serious reputational harm. Detail of the case emerged at a preliminary hearing earlier this year. Lawyers representing Mr Gubarev then described the dossier as a notorious document. Mr Caldecott said the dossier had been commissioned by a company acting for a law firm. But he said the ultimate client had been the Democratic National Committee and/or Hillary Clintons presidential election campaign. Auditors have wrapped up a four-month investigation into concerns Australia's government-owned green bank improperly awarded lucrative contracts to fintech RateSetter, with Energy Minister Angus Taylor set to review the findings shortly. Mr Taylor in March requested his department secretary carry out an inquiry into the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation's decisions to award contracts worth $100 million to RateSetter without going to tender, following widespread complaints by rival energy lenders. An independent review was conducted into alleged conflicts of interest between the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and RateSetter. Credit:Justin McManus Documents seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald show the probe was carried out by auditors RSM Australia. Spanning four months, the auditors looked into Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) seed-funding decisions in 2016-17, whether there was evidence of improper treatment in dealings with RateSetter and what arrangements were in place for future engagements with the company. RSM's inquiry is now complete and has been submitted to the government. "The independent review has been provided to Minister Taylor who will consider the report," a spokesman for the minister said. Instead of actually helping everybody, said Kendrick Anderson, 27, a hopper, they just went along with that system they already have going. In a city that makes millions of dollars off Mardi Gras, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Essence Festival, when you see City Council members swinging beads and Mayor Cantrell second lining, our guys are riding behind them, cleaning it all up. But these men feel invisible and uncared for. Dont my uncle, the other hoppers and their families deserve the dignity that Dr. King spoke of a half-century ago? Isnt it about time to do right by these Black men, and meet their simple demands to be treated as significant in their own city? Daytrian Wilken is the spokesperson for the City Waste Union in New Orleans. This was written in collaboration with Emily Yellin, who produced the video series 1,300 Men: Memphis Strike 68 on The Root.com. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. The death of a teenage girl that triggered violence in parts of north Bengal was caused by poisoning, and there were no signs of sexual or physical assault, police said on Monday, quoting her postmortem report. IMAGE: BJP Mohila Morcha president Agnimitra Paul, centre, stages a protest against alleged rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl at Chopra in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, in Kolkata, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, termed the autopsy report of the 17-year-old girl, who was the sister of a BJP activist, a 'cover-up' and reiterated its demand for an impartial probe into the incident. The ruling Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of trying to 'make an issue out of a non-issue'. A delegation of the BJP Bengal leadership, which included Union Minister Debasree Chaudhuri, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and apprised him about the situation. "We met Amit Shah Ji and briefed him about the situation in Chopra," Chaudhuri told PTI from New Delhi. The BJP Mahila Morcha organised a protest rally in Kolkata during the day over the death of the teenage girl on Sunday, but it was stopped by the police at the outset. 'No signs of external injury seen. Effects of poison. However, final opinion reserved pending till receipt of chemical examiners report,' the postmortem report said. It also said there were neither injury marks anywhere on the body nor signs of sexual or physical assault. The videography of the post-mortem was done, police said. Alleging rape and murder of the girl, a mob had gone on a rampage in North Dinajpur district on Sunday, setting fire to several police vehicles and government buses on the National Highway 31 in the Chopra area near Siliguri. The girl, who had gone out of her house at Sonapur village on Sunday morning to relieve herself, was found dead a few hours later. The villagers alleged that she was raped before being murdered. Meanwhile, the dead body of a youth was found in a pond in the same Chopra area Monday morning. The police are investigating whether the two deaths are linked in any way. Police also said they have so far arrested 16 people for their alleged involvement in the Sunday violence. The incident has caused the latest face-off between the TMC and the BJP, with the saffron party alleging that the girl was murdered as she was the sister of a BJP activist. BJP state vice president Raju Banerjee said, "Goons of TMC murdered the girl as she is the sister of a BJP activist. The police are trying to pass off the rape and murder as a suicide." He also said a BJP delegation reached Chopra this morning, but it was denied permission to take out a rally with the body of the girl in the area. BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha termed the autopsy report a 'cover-up' exercise to 'protect' the culprits. The TMC termed the allegations baseless. Senior TMC leader and minister Goutam Deb said, "The BJP is trying to fish in the troubled waters and is attempting to make an issue out of a non-issue." "An incident has happened; the police are investigating the case. But, the BJP doesn't have the patience to wait for its conclusion. The BJP is disturbing the peace of the area," Deb said. Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Left-backed Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) also protested in Jalpaiguri district's Dhupguri area over the incident, leading to tensions. The area remained tense for the second consecutive day Monday, even as a massive police contingent has been deployed to maintain peace. The BJP Mahila Morcha rally led by its state unit president Agnimitra Paul, which was to be held from Gariahat to Deshapriya Park in south Kolkata, was stopped by police at the outset. Global stock markets have been stressful for everyone this year. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis cut revenue for many firms, as consumers chose to stay at home. Luckily, the Canadian government responded quickly with the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). On the bright side, dips in the market like these are a great time to buy stocks. You can even use this time to take advantage of dollar cost averaging in investing. Dollar cost averaging is an investment strategy where you add to your current positions when the price of the stock falls. The average price you paid for the entire position decreases. When the market value rises again, you will earn on the upside. Alternatively, you can find some great stocks that will easily adapt and recover from the changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon the world. Stock tip #1: Avoid COVID-19-impacted travel stocks A recent poll showed that 85% of Canadians want to close the U.S.-Canadian border throughout the rest of 2020. Moreover, 90% of Canadians agree with mandatory 14-day quarantine restrictions for anyone who enters Canada. Lastly, 92% of Canadians dont see themselves travelling into the United States this year. What does this mean for travel stocks like Air Canada? These arent the best options to buy the dip on the market. In fact, you might want to avoid these altogether right now. There will come a time to re-enter travel stocks. Now is not that time. Once the world gets closer to some resemblance of normalcy, then we can talk about investing in travel stocks. Stock tip #2: Buy uptrending stocks Uptrending stocks are your best bet. Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX:ATD.B)(TSX:ATD.A) initially fell during the March stock market selloff and then climbed to new highs. The stock is now up 12.57% this year. Alimentation is a strong Canadian brand with a global presence. The company owns convenience stores throughout North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The price-performance of this company is actually pretty surprising. The company had the following to say about the impact of coronavirus on the firms goals: Story continues Due to the implementation of restrictive social measures in the various geographies in which the corporation operates, the COVID-19 pandemic had a meaningful impact on financial results, mostly driven by declining traffic across the network. Fuel volumes declined rapidly following the initial response to the crisis but stabilized during April, while fuel margins overall benefited from the rapid and steep decline in crude prices as well as by changes in the competitive landscape. Merchandise sales benefited from a higher average basket which helped offset in part the lower number of visitors. Stock tip #3: Avoid overvalued stocks Sometimes it can be difficult to tell when a stock is overvalued. Alimentation is a good example of an ambiguous stock pick. It is uptrending during a coronavirus pandemic that is having a meaningful impact on its bottom line. Positive price moves that seem to counter logic, and facts might be telling you that something else is going on. Alternatively, the stock may be due for a downward correction. Ultimately, no investment comes without risk. Use your best judgement and research your options thoroughly before making any decision. The post 3 COVID-19 Stock Market Tips appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Debra Ray has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD INC. 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 Samsung's president and head of mobile communications T.M. Roh said in a blog post Monday that Samsung will announce five new products during the company's big "Galaxy Unpacked" event on Aug. 5. Samsung didn't say what it will unveil, but it has teased a new Galaxy Note phone. The company typically unveils its large-screened Galaxy Note devices best known for the pen that slides into the side in August. Samsung usually packs in all of the latest hardware and software it has to offer into its Galaxy Note phones ahead of Apple's iPhone event, which is typically held in September. Rumors suggest this year's model will be called the Galaxy Note 20. tweet According to tweets from Max Weinbach, who frequently digs through Samsung's early phone code, Samsung is expected to also announce a 5G version of its Galaxy Z Flip phone that launched in February, a new Galaxy Fold device that will launch later in the year and a new pair of headphones that compete with Apple's AirPods. Samsung typically uses its Galaxy Note events to announce new smartwatches, too. tweet Samsung's event will be livestreamed from South Korea, instead of hosted in person, due to the coronavirus pandemic. A Western Sydney church hosted a crowded congregation of worshipers hours after the site was deep cleaned after a parishioner tests positive for coronavirus. The Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Harris Park held a mass at 6pm on Saturday after Father Danny Nouhs son Michael tested positive for COVID-19. Michael is a regular attendee at the church, which was deep cleaned three times on Saturday after his diagnosis, before parishioners flocked to the venue for the evening service. The service was streamed on the Our Lady of Lebanon YouTube channel and shows patrons ignoring social distancing while queuing for communion, with no face masks or personal protective equipment worn by the priests. Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Western Sydney hosted a crowded congregation of churchgoers (pictured) hours after the site was deep cleaned following a positive coronavirus diagnosis Father Nouh posted a Facebook update for churchgoers on Sunday after the church was closed following Michael's positive diagnosis. 'Instructions were followed to undertake a deep clean of the church premises according to the "safe work NSW standards",' his post reads. 'That process was followed immediately and the cleaning was undertaken before any further services were held. 'We were advised that the church did not require closing. The decision was subsequently taken to close the church as a precautionary measure only. 'We have taken all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of our parish community.' Michael was exposed to the virus earlier this month after attending Thai Rock restaurant at Wetherill Park. The church was deep cleaned three times (pictured) before the Saturday evening mass and closed on Sunday The community, youth and pastoral center of the church have also been deep cleaned Following his diagnosis, Father Nouh and his family went into isolation and were tested for the disease, with all but Michael returning a negative result. The church have urged anyone who attended the parish between July 15 and 18 and is showing symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested. The community, youth and pastoral center of the church have also been cleaned. The church is set to reopen on July 21. There were 24 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in New South Wales on Sunday, sparking fears of a wider second wave outbreak. Google Maps Police are searching for those responsible for a triple shooting on the far West Side on Sunday morning. San Antonio police were called to Loop 410 near Medina Base Road around 5:15 a.m. for the incident and found three people inside a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. Police said the person in the driver's seat had a gunshot wound to the head. Reverend Al Sharpton has hit back at President Donald Trump after he used the civil rights activist's name to mock efforts to rename Fort Bragg. In an interview on Fox News on Sunday, President Trump poked fun at the efforts of those seeking to rename the military base in North Carolina which is currently named after the Confederate General Braxton Bragg. Speaking to news anchor Chris Wallace, the president said: 'Because I think that Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, all these forts that have been named that way for a very long time. 'Fort Bragg is a big deal. We won two World Wars, nobody even knows General Bragg. We won two World Wars. Reverend Al Sharpton has hit back at President Donald Trump after the leader mocked the efforts of those trying to rename the military base Fort Bragg in North Carolina On Sunday, the president shared his thoughts on efforts to rename the military base 'Go to that community where Fort Bragg is, in a great state, I love that state, go to the community, say how do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg, and then what are we going to name it? 'We're going to name it after the Rev. Al Sharpton? What are you going to name it, Chris, tell me what you're going to name it?' Following the comments Sharpton told TMZ: 'I think it was failed sarcasm and I think it was because I'm usually the one that stands up to him on race issues. 'When he thinks race I'm one of the names that comes to him because like a flea that won't get out of his eye. I've been the racial person that has been all in his eye for decades about his bigotry and his racism.' When asked about why president felt so passionate about the confederate flag, the activist went on to say: 'I used to give him the benefit of the doubt but the only way he can be comfortable with that is that he is a bigot. 'Why would you want to fight passionately to honour bigots unless it's fine with you. If bigotry is fine with you then you are a bigot'. During his interview on Sunday, President Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol and said it was a source of pride for people who love the South. The Republican president was asked on 'Fox News Sunday' if the flag, a symbol of U.S. slavery and white supremacy for many Americans, was offensive. 'It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about,' Trump responded. President Donald Trump refused to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol during an interview on Fox News During his interview the president said that when people held the Confederate flag they were not talking about racism 'When people proudly had their Confederate flags they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South ... I say it's freedom of many things, but it's freedom of speech.' Trump has in the past appeared sympathetic to the flag and symbols of the Confederacy of the 1861-65 Civil War. In 2017, he criticized the removal of monuments to the Confederacy and said there were 'very fine people on both sides' of a deadly clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Earlier this month, he criticized NASCAR's ban of the Confederate flag from its events. Breaking with several of his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has promised to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act over an amendment to remove the names of Confederate generals from military bases within a year. 'We won World Wars out of these, out of these military bases, no I'm not gonna go changing. I'm not gonna go changing,' Trump said in the interview, which was taped on Friday. He drew a parallel to the Black Lives Matter movement that was born out of police brutality targeting Black Americans. 'I'm not offended either by Black Lives Matter. That's s freedom of speech,' Trump said. Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, who last month endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, said on CBS' 'Face the Nation' the Confederate flag represented something that was never the United States of America. 'It was the Confederate States of America. They were not part of us and this is not the time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then,' said Powell. 'This is time to move on. Let's get going. We have one flag and only one flag only.' - Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja was arrested on Saturday, July 18, at 2am after he was found drinking with his friends during curfew hours - He was taken to Kilimani Police Station but was released and asked to report back for recording his statement - He failed to do so prompting police officers to launch a manhunt - It was reported that he had gone into hiding at a home of a senior government officer in Karen estate - On Monday at around 10am, the super senator emerged and surrendered to police at Kilimani Police Station Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja has finally surrendered to police and recorded a statement at Kilimani Police Station in the company of his lawyers. Sakaja arrived at the station on Monday, July 20, in the company of his Makueni counterpart Mutula Kilonzo Jr and lawyer George Khaminwa, among other legal representatives. READ ALSO: Moses Kuria accuses Uhuru, Raila of instructing media houses not to interview him Senator Johnson Sakaja (on phone with blue face mask) as he arrived at Kilimani Police Station on Monday, July 20. Photo: Abraham Mutai Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Mbunge Junet Mohammed anachungulia hatari ya kukamatwa na EACC kuhusiana na sakata ya NYS As earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, the senator had gone missing and could not be reached on his phone or reply to messages. The self-proclaimed super senator was arrested on Saturday, July 18, at around 2am after he was found drinking at Ladies Lounge in Nairobi's Kilimani estate during curfew hours He was released on Saturday at around 9am but was asked to report back at the station at around 3pm but failed to do so prompting a police search. He agreed to come back and complete this process, but now he cannot be reached. We still want him here, said Nairobi regional commander Philip Ndolo. READ ALSO: Tottenham vs Leicester City: Harry Kane nets brace as Spurs defeat Foxes 3-0 Detectives visited his house along Dennis Pritt Road where they found his car parked and his mobile phone in the house in what appeared like he had been whisked away to safety. Police camped at the senators house until late in the evening as they pursued other means of tracking him. Other reports indicated the senator had been taken to safety at a senior government official's house in Karen estate. READ ALSO: Senator Murkomen in heated exchange with lawyer Makau Mutua over anti-Ruto remarks It was reported that when the top government official realised police were closing in on his home, he ordered them to stand down until Monday, July 20. Sakaja eventually recorded a statement with the police in the company of his lawyers. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Source: TUKO.co.ke The successor to the Samsung Galaxy M31 is coming on July 30. Samsung just confirmed the big launch for the Galaxy M31s and teased the devices key features through its Amazon landing page. Starting with the display we can see an Infinity-O display with a centered punch hole - a first in the Galaxy M series. The panel itself will be an sAMOLED one with FHD+ resolution but theres no word on the exact screen diagonal for now. The back will house an L-shaped quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary camera with the companys Single Take function which allows users to take multiple photos and videos simultaneously. As with the M31, the key selling point of the M31s will be its 6,000 mAh battery. This time around Samsung will offer 25W fast wired charging as well as reverse charging which will likely require a USB cable, effectively turning the phone into a power bank. The image of the phones back also reveals it will not come with a rear fingerprint scanner which could imply an in-display scanner this time around. The phone is also expected to come with the Exynos 9611 SoC, 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB storage. The M31s is rumored to come with an INR 20,000 base price and will ship with Android 10. Source The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 35 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 5,639, while the number of deaths remains at 111. 348,610 tests have been carried out in Luxembourg since the start of the outbreak, a rise of 3,866 since Sunday's update. Out of the 5,639 confirmed cases, 4,591 are residents. The average age remains at 43. As a reminder, the Ministry of Health only communicates the number of new infections, tests, and virus deaths on weekends. As such, the numbers below are as compared to Friday, not yesterday. Luxembourg currently has 1,065 (+100) active infections. Seven people are currently in intensive care (+3), and 46 (+9) are in standard care. 990 (+2) patients have left the hospital since the start of the pandemic. The effective reproduction rate (Rt_eff) is now 1.17, from 1.26 on Friday, while (Rt) reproduction rate is now at 1.32. 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 The heartbroken girlfriend of tradesman killed on the job broke down after his final moments were revealed in an inquest into his death. Luke Bray, 24, was electrocuted while working in the roof of a home in Carlton, in Sydney's south, in February 2018. Mr Bray's fiancee, Jaime-Lee Digby, wiped away tears as the court heard he was working on a beam when his co-worker heard a noise and thought he was singing to himself. He then found Mr Bray slumped over with a cable in his hand, 9News reported. Another colleague tried desperately to resuscitate Mr Bray but he died at the scene. Luke Bray, 24, was electrocuted while working in the roof of a home in Carlton, in Sydney's south, in February 2018 (pictured, right, with his fiancee Jaime-Lee Digby) Counsel Assisting Steve Kelly told the inquest that investigators found there was an illegal bypass of the mains, which lead to him being electrocuted. It is alleged that the illegal electrical wiring is what lead to Mr Bray's death as he worked on the Carlton house. Mariam Hamade had leased the home and in 2014 received a $857.09 power bill, which was twice as much as the average household in the region. She was put on a payment plan and over the next two years her electricity more than halved. She later told police the reason behind it was 'changing from electric heating to gas heating.' Mr Bray's fiancee Jaime-Lee Digby (pictured, together) wiped away tears as the court heard his co-worker found him slumped on the floor and desperately tried to save his life Police raided the home of her brother Rabih Hamade in Bardwell Valley, in south Sydney, and found evidence of similar illegal work. It's alleged similar electrical work had been done on another home at Mt Pritchard which could have made a faulty appliance live and dangerous. The inquest will determine who is responsible for the bypass at the Carlton home, and what caused Mr Bray's death. Ms Digby has previously spoken to the media about the horrific ordeal and their whirlwind romance. 'Luke and I met on the Navy, we were on the same ship together. Things went very, very quickly,' she said. 'When this happened it tore my entire life apart. I lived here all by myself at the time, so I had to fly my parents down from the Sunny Coast to go and identify his body. 'I then had to collect his belongings from the police station, which had a receipt for an engagement ring...its been very, very painful.' Following Mr Bray's death, Ms Digby shared the heartbreaking story of the engagement ring on her Instagram page. It is alleged that the illegal electrical wiring is what lead to Mr Bray's death as he worked on the Carlton house (pictured) A devastated friend on the scene after Mr Bray was electrocuted while working in the roof of a home in Carlton, in Sydney's south, in February 2018 'When it came time to identify his body and collect his belongings I was made aware of something incredibly special inside his wallet,' she wrote. 'In his wallet was a receipt for a beautiful cushion cut Halo engagement ring from Armans Jewellery.' Ms Digby entered a competition posted by Armans Jewellery in the hope of winning a ring. 'We had always spoken about the day that we were to meet each other at the aisle and I would like nothing more than to fulfill his dream,' she wrote. 'Winning this competition would complete me and our aspirations of becoming engaged as he was so desperate and worked so hard to make it happen.' Russian tourists were the top spenders in Vietnam last year, with the average Russian spending over US$1,830 on his/her trip, according to the 2019 Vietnam Tourism Report published recently by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Russian tourists at Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province - PHOTO: DAO LOAN British tourists were the second highest spending travelers in Vietnam with US$1,715, followed by American, Australian and French tourists with US$1,570, US$1,541 and US$1,443, respectively. Russian tourists also tended to stay for the longest period, with the average duration of their vacations in Vietnam reaching over 15 days, followed by British tourists with 14.46 days, French tourists with 12.76 days and American and Australian tourists with 12 days. Tourists from Asian countries spent less and stayed for a shorter duration. The average Japanese, Korean and Chinese tourist spent US$935, US$872 and US$1,021, respectively. Their stays in Vietnam lasted six to seven days on an average. The average foreign tourist spent US$357 on accommodation, accounting for 33% of the total cost, US$258 on food, US$167 on other goods and US$162 on transportation. Vietnam received more than 18 million international tourists in 2019, an increase of 16.2% compared with 2018. Tourism revenues were estimated at US$32.8 billion, including US$18.3 billion from foreign tourists (56%). The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism predicted that compared with 2019, international tourist arrivals in 2020 will dip by 60% or more, depending on the Covid-19 situation. In the first half of this year, the country received only 3.74 million international tourists, a 55.8% decrease year-on-year. Although Vietnam has brought Covid-19 under control, the inbound market is not likely to recover strongly in the coming months because the pandemic is still spreading across the world. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism expected that the country will receive 4-6 million international tourists this year. SGT Dao Loan Stunning beauty of Nha Trang revealed through lens of Russian photographers With Nha Trang city being considered one of most popular destinations for Russian tourists visiting the country, lets take a close look at the areas beauty as seen through the eyes of various foreign photographers. THE Farrell family have been steeped in pedigree Hereford breeding for generations. Breeding the best, showing the best and buying the best is a formula that has seen the herd at Trillick-a-Temple, outside Longford town, become a byword for Hereford excellence. The Trillick Herefords balance the characteristics of the traditional Irish Hereford of the 1940s with the current demands of dairy farmers for bulls that can breed progeny with size and scope for profitable beef. "The market today does not want a small little bull," says JJ Farrell. "I can see the changes that have been made since my father's time and it has been a big change in Hereford cattle." "It is hard job to get that balance right but that's what we are all striving for. It is a big thing going forward because the dairy man wants a bull that will produce a good type of calf with easy calving to sell well for the beef man. Expand Close Steil Gerard, a past stock bull which had a big influence on herd, pictured with JJ's son Ciaran F / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Steil Gerard, a past stock bull which had a big influence on herd, pictured with JJ's son Ciaran F "I'm in dairying as well and I will try out a new bull on my own herd for easy calving. If he is producing difficult calvings, he's culled. The large dairy farmer does not want a bull producing difficult calvings." Selected bloodlines have been imported from UK and as far afield as Australia and this in turn has produced sires for leading herds in the UK as well as many bulls sold into the AI service in Ireland. "Steil Gerard was the backbone of a lot of the females that we have. He was by a Churchill Storm son. Three of us were on a trip to Australia, and Churchill Storm and Yarram Pompeii came in at that time," says JJ. "Churchill really clicked with me. The minute that I saw him I said 'that is the bull that I want' and I bought one of the first bulls bred by him, Steil Gerard. He did a good performance at Tully and then came to the sales where I bought him, and he really lived up to my expectations. "One animal that stands out in my memory is a cow called Lugboy Madonna. My father bought her from Mick Campbell in Strokestown in 1996, just one week before he died suddenly at the untimely age of 73. "My father was a great influence on me. He was a quiet man, but he knew his cattle very well and that cow always had a special association with the farm and bred about ten heifers for us. There was always a special thing with that heifer. "Going out to the sales, I always think of my father going down the road and ask him to look after me today and I believe that he does. He left us with a great herd. He loved the Herefords and I inherited it from him. I have a passion for the Hereford." Bulls sold to Irish AI centres include Trillick Best (NCBC), Trillick George (Bova AI), Trillick Hotspur (Eurogene AI) and Trillick Emmett (Eurogene AI). The Farrells have also sold five bulls to British buyers, and semen from Hotspur Emmet and George has been purchased by a breeder in Australia. Trillick Knockout stands out among the exports. Sold after the 2014 summer show season, he won the 2015 UK Horned Bull of the Year. JJ says that showing the Reserve Champion and receiving the two top prices of the day, 7,100 and 4,200, from Irish breeders at the breed society's 2013 show and sale was "a fantastic day" for the herd. Last August, an elite production sale of heifers in association with the Belleen and Corlismore herds recorded an average of 3,150, and arrangements are afoot for another elite production sale this autumn with venue and date to be finalised. The Trillick herd's story goes back over 70 years to when JJ's grandfather, James Farrell, bred prize-winning whitehead cattle as they were commonly called at the time. JJ's father Patrick carried on the tradition. And JJ and his wife Concepta are now assisted by their daughters Clare and Hannah and son Ciaran, a teacher, who are all actively involved on the farm and maintaining the Trillick herd's reputation into the future. 'When I am buying a bull, I am looking for style, character and easy calving' After more than seven decades breeding the traditional Hereford, the Farrells introduced the polled Hereford to the Trillick herd in 2019. "I bought five polled heifers last year and I'm now up to around 10 polled females and will work off them," says JJ Farrell. The Trillick pedigree herd comprises of 40 breeding Herefords alongside a dairy herd, and the plan is to increase the pedigree herd to around 60 head of horned and polled cattle over the next few years. Expand Close Trillick Governor which sold for 7,100 pictured with J J Farrell and his daughter Clare; Glenn Jacob, Irish Hereford Society, and Michael Fox, judge. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Trillick Governor which sold for 7,100 pictured with J J Farrell and his daughter Clare; Glenn Jacob, Irish Hereford Society, and Michael Fox, judge. "I bought some very good polled cows with calves at foot at a dispersal sale in west Cork last year. The polled Hereford is still not that big in Ireland and if I can get 15-20 cows into the herd, I should have a pick of five or six polled bulls for customers," says JJ. "I believe that there is a market for them in dairy herds where farmers don't want the trouble of dehorning the calves." As well as being an experienced breeder, JJ has also judged at Hereford shows in Ireland, Britain, Denmark and Sweden. And his son Ciaran has represented the Hereford Society at the world conference in Canada, in the young handler's class. JJ believes "the best judges are always outside the ring" and he is always on the lookout for excellence in the breed, whether judging or viewing animals at home or abroad. "I like seeing the different lines of cattle in the different countries. Each country has a different type and they all have their own merits, and it's educational to see what others are doing with the breed," he says. "We can dive into some of their traits. We dived into Australia a lot and it has been good for the Hereford in this country. Everyone knows that I have dived into the bloodlines in the UK by buying bulls there and that has been very successful for us. "I think the English bloodlines have mixed very well with the Australian bloodlines for us and still kept the breed character, which is lovely to see. I love to see breed character being continued. "When I am buying a bull, first of all I want style, character and easy calving. I want the bull or the heifer that will catch the eye the minute they go into that ring, something I feel that we had lost a little bit." Of the Irish Hereford he says: "We are as good as the best of them and we can all learn from each other. We are always trying to get new bloodlines because it is a very small pool. "New semen has been brought in over the last 10-15 years. It has been quite good. The English bloodlines have been good to us. "We did go to Canada a long time ago and brought in some good bloodlines that gave the breed size and scope without losing conformation, and it may be time to take another look at Canada." Exports of pharmaceuticals, dairy goods and drinks are reaching American markets at record speed by sea since the launch of Ireland's first direct shipping cargo link to the US. John Kirkland, managing director of Independent Container Line (ICL), confirmed it is winning business from other routes since launching its weekly service from the deep-sea terminal at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, bound for the US port of Chester, south-west of Philadelphia. It is the first direct container service to the US from Ireland. Previously exporters shipping by container had to reach the US via UK or continental European ports. These longer, more complex routes - requiring containers to travel east to be offloaded, stored and transferred to second vessels - mean goods typically take at least 17 days to reach US ports. In winter, stormy seas and missed transfers can add weeks to those trips. "We're offering something unique. Ireland can expand its exports to the United States with our product," Mr Kirkland said in a phone interview from Antwerp, the firm's European base. "Our product allows customers' supply chains and inventories to reduce, because they have a weekly service." The Port of Cork is building the 86m Cork container port at Ringaskiddy, expected to open early next year. Once complete, that terminal will be big enough to host multiple cargo vessels carrying up to 6,000 TEUs, the standard cargo measurement short for 'twenty-foot equivalent units'. For now ICL's four-ship fleet, with vessels able to carry between 2,500 and 3,100 TEUs, is the first shipping company to 'turn right' into Cork Harbour when heading from Europe to the US. It docks temporarily in Ringaskiddy's bulk cargo terminal. ICL operates a single counter-clockwise route on the Atlantic. Its ships leave Antwerp on Wednesdays, visit Southampton in England on Thursdays, Ringaskiddy on Saturdays, and Pennsylvania 10 days later. They return to Antwerp after loading up at a second US port near ICL's North Carolina headquarters. Until now, many Irish customers had transferred goods to Southampton for collection there. New customers include stalwarts of Munster industry. "The big ones are dairy products, pharmaceuticals and spirits, the famous Irish whiskeys. We're already carrying lots of commodities. Our market base is building up every week," Mr Kirkland said. Cork business and port chiefs report interest from exporters across the island, even north of the Border. "The US market is hugely significant for Ireland, not just for Cork. This direct connectivity is of national importance," said Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy. He said the option to ship directly would attract "the full range of goods that get to the US by other routes". Maxine Hyde, general director of Ballymaloe Foods, said her firm currently ships via Liverpool to New Jersey, a potential 18-day journey. "Cutting a week out of shipping time would be absolutely brilliant," she said. "It's always a game to manage your stock of what you have available over in the US, and what potential orders may come. The longer the shipping times, the more difficult that is." China has had no environmental concerns for Myanmar. The Chinese exploitation of Letpadaung Copper Mines is one example. by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan In an unusual and not normally seen in diplomatic circles was the open letter by United States Embassy in Myanmar openly accusing China of steadily eroding the sovereignty of the countries of ASEAN including Myanmar. George N. Sibley, Charge d Affaires at the US Embassy at Myanmar in a statement to media under Guest Column openly accused China of undermining the sovereignty of the nations in the region. He made the following points: 1.Chinas actions in Hongkong and in the South China Sea are part of a larger pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbours. 2. The South China Arbitral Tribunal concluded that Chinas claim to the South China Sea is a violation of international laws. Yet China has rejected the findings of the Tribunal. 3. China has displayed arbitrary fishing bans and has harassed ships in the South China Sea. It has continued to block ASEAN Countries in accessing their natural resources off their coasts. 4. In Myanmar the threat from China to the sovereignty of the nations in the region takes the shape of infrastructure projects and Special Economic Zones that pile up their debt and get regulatory control. These projects benefit China far more than to those people in Myanmar. 5. Nearly 80 percent of Myanmars reported human trafficking cases in 2019 involved women being trafficked to China. The Chinese Law Enforcement Agencies have looked the other way without taking any action. 6. China has had no environmental concerns for Myanmar. The Chinese exploitation of Letpadaung Copper Mines is one example. 7. Thus the sovereignty of the nations in the region is not lost through any dramatic overt action but through a cascade of smaller ones that leads to slow erosion of sovereignty over time. 8. The US would support any action by ASEAN in standing up to China in troubling foreign policy and economic practices. The charges are serious and specific and these were made on Saturday the 18th of July. The Chinese Embassy responded the next day calling the accusations as an outrageous smearing of the country. Yet the Embassy could not anything substantial to meet the specific charges made against China. It was not a coincidence that on the 17th July, a day prior to the US Embassys statement, the Army Chief, Min Aung Hlaing assured China that it will continue to support the implementation of the Belt & Road Initiative in Myanmar.. Significantly, he added that he believed that China will support the Peace Process and national development in Myanmar.. China has been playing a double game in showing support for the peace process and at the same time supporting the ethnic armed groups. We have written a large number of articles in this site. To u,s China appears to be the main problem that while playing a mediator role in the ethnic conflict it is quietly supporting the armed ethnic groups that are active in Myanmar. Could it be interpreted that what the Chief really meant was that he would support the BRI provided China also supports the peace process in Myanmar. In the past the Chief has openly expressed about Chinas support to the ethnic groups and the recovery of huge cache of Chinese weapons from the ethnic outfits. With the South China Sea dispute hotting up and the US Navy periodically challenging Chinas ownership, it has become imperative for Beijing to speed up its ambitious CMEC project. In 2018 Myanmar agreed with China on the 1700 KM long China Myanmar Economic Corridor starting from the densely populated Yunnan province all the way to Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port and the Special Economic Zone. That would give China a direct access to Indian Ocean, bypassing the Malacca strait=s a traditional passage that will be vulnerable in times of conflict. Chinas requirements cannot be met by the other corridor in Pakistan which runs through a difficult terrain and connects not so densely populated region of China with the Arabian Sea and hence the importance of the opening through the Kyaukphyu port in Myanmar. A true copy of the Guest Column is attached as an annexure. Annexure: How the Erosion of Sovereignty Elsewhere Impacts Myanmar at Home By George N. Sibley 18 July 2020 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. OTTAWA - Iran has the final say over who gets to analyze the flight data recorders from the Ukrainian passenger jet that its own Revolutionary Guard shot down in January, says the head of Canada's Transportation Safety Board. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A police officer stands guard as debris is seen from an Ukrainian plane which crashed in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2020. Canadian investigators are in Paris today to take part in the long-awaited downloading of data from the flight recorders of the Ukrainian passenger jet shot down by Iran in January. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Ebrahim Noroozi OTTAWA - Iran has the final say over who gets to analyze the flight data recorders from the Ukrainian passenger jet that its own Revolutionary Guard shot down in January, says the head of Canada's Transportation Safety Board. Kathy Fox, the chair of the TSB, said in an interview Monday that Canada wants to change the section of international aviation law that gives Iran the authority to lead the investigation and control what information is released publicly. But she said that is a complicated process that won't happen any time soon. Fox confirmed the long-awaited downloading of crucial flight data and cockpit voice recordings from the Jan. 8 crash was completed successfully in Paris on Monday. The safety board sent a team to Paris to witness the downloading of the data. "It's not clear to us whether some of that work is going to be done in France or whether Iran is simply going to take the data and go back and do it in their country," Fox said in an interview Monday. There were 176 people who died when Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran, including 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents and dozens of others with connections to Canada. Iran initially denied responsibility for the crash, but was forced to acknowledge the shootdown after video footage on social media appeared to show at least one missile striking the jet. The tragedy unfolded after Iran launched missiles into Iraq at two American military bases in retaliation for the U.S. having killed a top Iranian general. Iran's delegate to the International Civil Aviation Organization told the UN agency on March 11 that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders would be sent to Ukraine's aviation investigators by March 25, but later blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for a delay. Fox also made clear that she was able to say what she did publicly because Iran gave the necessary permission required under international aviation law to do so. Under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the "State of Occurrence" in this case, Iran becomes the lead investigator for the crash because it happened in Iran. But Iran could ask for help from another country or designate another country to lead the investigation, as was the case when Ukraine turned to the Netherlands to lead the probe into the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels over eastern Ukraine six years ago. "ICAO permits countries to delegate. For whatever reason, Iran has chosen to lead it. They have the right to do that," said Fox. "This begs the question about whether Annex 13 is suitable for these types of circumstances, and we've certainly told the families we think it needs to be looked at and revised to take into consideration these very unique types of events." Hamed Esmaeilion, a Toronto-area dentist whose wife and nine-year-old daughter were killed on the plane, said victims' families are outraged and won't accept any report that comes solely from Iran. "Now we see the murderer is writing a report about his murder," said Esmaeilion, who has become a spokesman for the victims' families and loved ones. Esmaeilion said he's not optimistic Iran will allow an independent international investigation to unfold now, given its past stalling, and its most recent report that human error led to the January crash. "The last report is laughable," said Esmaeilion. The report depicted a chain of events where the shootdown could have been avoided. It said that the Revolutionary Guard's surface-to-air missile battery that targeted the Boeing 737-800 had not been properly reoriented after it had been moved. The report said those manning the battery could not communicate with their command centre and that they fired twice on a plane that they misidentified without getting approval from their superiors. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne rejected the Iranian finding of human error as the cause. "It cannot just be the result of a human error," Champagne said in an interview. "There is no circumstance under (which) a civilian aircraft can be downed just by the result of human error in this day and age." The minister called the uploading of the black boxes a long-overdue step in the investigation. "Iran has been stalling for many, many months now. We have been pushing, we have been raising the issue to the board of ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, asking them to take steps." Esmaeilion said investigators need to focus more on the workings of Iran's Russian-made Tor system, known to NATO as the SA-15, which is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles. "The black box is a distraction here. There are more important questions," he said, including "who kept the sky open and why they (Iran) destroyed the crash site." Fox said the Dutch investigation on behalf of Ukraine was credible and answered key questions after 15 months. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Why was it shot down? Why was the airspace in that time in Ukraine not closed? Why were airplanes still operating out of there? Those are the same questions that people have for this accident," said Fox. Champagne acknowledged the flight recorders would form one part, albeit an important one, of a flight-safety investigation and an international criminal investigation to identify the people responsible for shooting down the plane. Britain, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sweden also lost citizens when the plane was destroyed, and the countries formed an alliance with Canada to deal with Iran. Champagne and his counterparts from those countries have been pushing Iran to release the flight recorders and they will continue to push for answers. "All the facts and circumstances point to more than just a human error, so certainly we will continue to pursue vigorously the investigation. We will continue to hold Iran the Iranian regime to account." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Kings Lynn Foodbank are urgently seeking a new Trustee Treasurer to work with a fun, friendly, team who are all passionate about combating food poverty in Kings Lynn. Kings Lynn Foodbank are urgently seeking a new Trustee Treasurer to work with a fun, friendly, team who are all passionate about combating food poverty in Kings Lynn. Christian pregnancy charity gets Yarmouth hub TimeNorfolk, the Christian pregnancy loss charity, has opened a space dedicated to counselling for bereaved parents in Great Yarmouth. Read more Family days at Norwich Cathedral The schools and families learning department at Norwich Cathedral are holding two sessions morning and afternoon for a Family Activity Day at the Cathedral on Wednesday February 16. Read more Churches prepare Queen's Platinum Jubilee plans Churches, Christian charities and youth organisations are working together to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the four-day Bank Holiday from June 2-5 and a new website has been created to celebrate the Queen's 70 years of faith and service. Read more Eckling Grange cares for the elderly Despite some bad press, there are some Care Homes where 'Care' really does mean 'what it says on the tin', and a star example of this is the Norfolk Christian residential care home, Eckling Grange, at Dereham. Read more New Commission to look at use of Norfolk churches A new Church Buildings Commission has been launched with the purpose of looking at the church buildings across Norfolk and Waveney in terms of their use and sustainability. Read more Norfolk link to teaching opportunity with TCKs A Norfolk couple working in Asia have been helped by teachers of Third Culture Kids, and a programme is now inviting more people to get involved with it. Read more Norfolk charity seeks mentors for prison leavers Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) continues to provide a Both Sides of the Gate Mentor support service to people leaving prison in Norfolk. Read more Prayer and Worship week for Sheringham church Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham has launched a Prayer and Worship week as they seek Gods guidance for 2022 Read more South Norfolk church schools are set to merge The Diocese of Norwich St Benets Multi Academy Trust has been given the green light to amalgamate Harleston CE Primary Academy and Archbishop Sancroft High School into one All Through School. Read more Norwich conference looks at how to tackle spiritual abuse Following a series of revelations about high-profile Christian leaders, a group of Norfolk churches is organising a conference to look at spiritual abuse and godly leadership. Read more Revelation vacancy for Centre Manager The Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe is seeking to appoint a Centre Manager. Read more Gardening morning at N Norfolk Christian centre The Pleasaunce Holiday Centre in Overstrand is holding a work-party morning on Saturday February 5 and would like as many people as possible to join in to help get the gardens ship-shape. Read more Poringland Bible teachers look at a building project The Way of the Spirit is starting the New Year with a meeting in Poringland to explore the Book of Nehemiah. Read more House of Genesis needs part-time support worker The House of Genesis is seeking a part-time (20 hours per week) Support Worker to contribute to the day-to-day running of the charity, which provides accommodation to homeless adult men in Norwich. Read more Church marriage open to all? Regular contributor Philip Young shares with us his personal view on whether churches should marry same-sex couples. Read more Christian retreat centre has new Chair of Trustees Paul Dunning has recently been appointed as Chair of Trustees of the Quiet Waters Christian Retreat Centre. He explains how he got involved and how others can do the same. Read more Magdalene Group: Women's Specialist Practitioner The Norwich-based Magdalene Group needs a Womens Specialist Practitioner to provide gender and trauma-informed support to women experiencing multiple disadvantage and provide support to female sex workers and victims of sexual exploitation and coercion. Read more Roderic OGorman has accepted an apology from actor John Connors after he took part in a social media campaign linking the Childrens Minister to views purporting to condone paedophilia. Mr OGorman was subjected to online abuse stoked by far-right Twitter accounts which re-posted a photo of him with British human rights and LGBT activist Peter Tatchell at Dublin Pride in 2018. The minister said that Dublin Pride was the first and only time he had met Mr Tatchell, who has attracted criticism over a 1997 letter he wrote to the Guardian newspaper about under-age sex. Mr Connors, who was a vocal critic of the minister online and called for his resignation, released a statement on Twitter on Sunday night apologising to Mr OGorman, and said he was experiencing difficulties with his mental health following the death of his grandfather. He wrote: I would like to publicly apologise to the Minister for Children, Disability and Integration Roderic OGorman for remarks I made about him online and at a recent rally outside Leinster House on July 11th. They were so wrong and unfair on every level. Read More Irish Rail apologises for lack of social distancing on train I allowed myself to lead and be part of an online frenzy that cast hurtful and false assertions on his character and pursued him in the most unfair way. Mr Connors said there is no justification for his actions, and said he had lost his way. Actor John Connors speaks during a March for Innocence demonstration in Dublin calling for the resignation of Minister for Children Roderic OGorman after he was pictured alongside British LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell at a pride march two y The last number of years Ive experienced a number of tragedies which has taken its toll on my mental health. I know I have not dealt with grief, anger and other issues and I have recently found myself unravelling. This is no way to excuse what I said and how I behaved. Looking back, Im sick to my stomach. Mr Connors said that as a Traveller, he has battled bigotry his whole life. My deranged pursuit of Minister OGorman played a huge part in the homophobic backlash he received from the very bigots I despise, he said. Today, Mr OGorman said he accepted Mr Connors apology and wished him well. I very much appreciate the statement and email from @johnconnors1990 The matter between us is fully resolved as far as Im concerned. Take care of yourself John. https://t.co/22dc9St6Ri Roderic OGorman TD (@rodericogorman) July 20, 2020 He tweeted: The matter between us is fully resolved as far as Im concerned. Take care of yourself John. Mr Connors said he will withdraw from social media to address his personal issues and concentrate on his acting career. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan answered questions from Kommersant. Kommersant: Is it safe to say that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been pushed back? Anna Naghdalyan: Back in 2016, Azerbaijan dealt a strong blow to the peace process, the consequences of which hadnt been fully overcome. Over the past two years, we specifically made progress the ceasefire violations indicator dropped, an agreement was reached to prepare the peoples for peace, and the first step for this became the reciprocal visits of journalists. Kommersant: Can there be any talk about humanitarian exchanges in the future? Anna Naghdalyan: We had reached an agreement on preparing peoples for peace, but the recent events and the Azerbaijani leaderships aggressive statements showed that the people of Azerbaijan must prepare the leadership for peace, not the other way around. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: With one more death, the toll in Assam flood rose to 85 even as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the Northeast in the next two days. The latest death was reported from Kamrup (Metro) district which took the toll to 85. Combined with 26 deaths in the rain-triggered landslides earlier, 111 people died so far. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 24.3 lakh people from 2,254 villages across 24 of the states 33 districts have still remained affected. Standing crop affected was in areas of over 1.09 lakh hectares. Altogether 48,197 people were lodged in 468 relief camps in 18 districts, the ASDMA said. Major rivers such as Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Kopili, Beki, Kushiyara and Jia Bharali were in a spate, flowing above the danger level. At the one-horned rhino fame Kaziranga National Park, 113 animals, including 11 rhinos, perished so far due to various reasons including drowning and vehicle hits. The incidents of vehicle hits occurred on a national highway that traverses beside the park. Even as the state has been witnessing moderate to very heavy rainfall at isolated places for the past two days, the IMD prediction does not look good for the state. The monsoon trough at mean sea level passes through Amritsar, Ludhiana, Meerut, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Bhagalpur and eastern end lies close to the foothills of the Himalayas. In addition, convergence of moist southerly/south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal over the Northeast is taking place at lower tropospheric levels Due to these favourable meteorological conditions, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is very likely over the Northeast during July 20-22, isolated extremely heavy falls also very likely over Assam and Meghalaya during July 20-21 and over Arunachal Pradesh on July 20, scientist Sunit Das of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Guwahati, told this newspaper. After taking stock of the situation in Barpeta district on Monday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said flood and erosion had been causing devastation for a long time. According to him, Assam loses 9,000 hectares of land due to erosion every year. He informed that the Centre would take up the issue of flood with Bhutan from where floodwaters come down every year to wreak havoc in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a national committee which recommended the setting up of North East Water Management Authority under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman to permanently solve the issues of flood and erosion in Assam, he added. SINGAPORE, July 18, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) today announced a launch of the international version of its web-based business intelligence suite, CIC Data Pro, and Leads Generation Service. CIC will offer the new packages in partnership with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to eligible members under the Rising in Support of Enterprises (RISE) Programme. The SBF RISE Programme aims to help Singapore businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tide over the challenges following COVID-19, push on with digital transformation efforts and emerge stronger.CIC Data Pro leverages big data analytics to drive insights from a collection of 1.5 billion records of customs and trade data in a broad range of industry verticals, from manufacturing, import-export, wholesale and logistics to financial services. The data will enable businesses to uncover new market opportunities and identify reliable partners and suppliers from more than 90 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas. It will provide customised market insights into the trading activities of global companies, and information on counterparties, production specifications and past shipment details.CIC Data Pro is currently available on the CIC platform, and is part of the suite of solutions offered by CIC to help companies reduce transaction costs, optimise the efficiency of their supply chains across cross-border trading, financing, logistics, compliance and risk management, achieving greater trading synergies globally. More than 40 companies, including global leading supply chain financial company, Linklogis and renowned enterprises have subscribed to take advantage of CIC Data Pro's data services.Mr Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of CIC, said, "Every industry has been impacted by the global spread of Covid-19. Businesses around the world are facing greater risks and challenges with the disruption of production and supply chains coupled with increased uncertainties of customer demand. CIC Data Pro and Lead Generation Service will enable companies to diversify their revenue sources and extend the global reach of their supply chains, building business resilience against the pandemic."In an effort to double support for Singapore's business community in the covid-19 aftermath, CIC will also on-board GeTS CALISTA Finance with a US$20 million (S$27.8 million) fund for B2B trade finance. This fund will enable businesses and SMEs of the option to use CALISTA Finance to address short-term liquidity challenges, and to fulfil trade financing needs seamlessly, securely, and smartly.CIC is a joint venture by Singapore digital bank hopeful ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX). As Singapore's first physical commodity B2B e-trading platform powered by blockchain technology, CIC looks to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and create a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. Since launching in October 2018, CIC has achieved a gross merchandise volume of US$12.7 billion (S$17.7 billion), with over 5,000 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China, among other countries in Asia.SBF RISE Programme details: https://www.sbf.org.sg/activities/sbf-rise-programmeGeTS CALISTA Finance details: https://globaletrade.services/calistatm-financeCommodities Intelligence Centre (CIC): https://www.cic-tp.com/en/homeFor media enquiries, please contact:PRecious Communications for ZALL GroupEmail: ZALL@preciouscomms.comFrom http://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/60296/commodities-intelligence-centre-(cic).Source: Commodities Intelligence CentreCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered that most classrooms in the state stay closed. (Associated Press ) As coronavirus infection rates continue to spike around the country, states and cities are diverging in their response on how to contain the spread of COVID-19. President Trump and many governors are insisting that public schools reopen for the fall, as is the case in Florida, while other states and regions are adopting a more cautious approach. Los Angeles and San Diego, for instance, announced last Monday that their public schools would be online only this fall. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered that most school classrooms in the state stay closed. And he has rolled back the reopening of many businesses and closed indoor dining and social spaces, even as Georgias governor rescinded local mask orders. Political leaders in California have largely had public support for their decisions. One reason may be that Californians have greater faith in scientists than do people elsewhere in the country. New data from the American Enterprise Institutes Survey on COVID-19 and American Life show that California residents hold science professionals in high regard. The survey asks how much confidence, if any, respondents have in various groups of people local government, news media, college professors, federal government officials being able to act in the best interests of the public. Some 45% of Californians said they had a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the best interests of the public, compared with 38% nationally and only 35% of Floridians surveyed. The inverse is true in the case of President Trump: Only 12% of Californians have great confidence in him acting in the publics interest, compared with 20% of Floridians. The data reveal that 68% of California residents think scientists make decisions and recommendations based on fact and systematic investigation. Other parts of the country think differently. Only 47% in Texas, 51% in Florida and 54% in the South (17 states, including those on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, up to Maryland) believe the same. These are significant differences and may help explain the political reticence and delay among leaders in some of those states to impose tighter coronavirus restrictions, such as mask mandates, despite the surge in new infections. Story continues No surprise, these sentiments toward science during the coronavirus crisis play out in attitudes about personal behavior in the pandemic. For instance, when asked whether one would be comfortable attending a worship service in person, 50% of Californians said they would be very uncomfortable doing this, compared with 39% of Floridians and 42% for the rest of the nation. Similarly, when asked about attending a sporting event, 60% of Californians said they would be very uncomfortable, compared with 43% of Floridians. The same pattern is seen in socializing with friends and taking children to playgrounds. Californians are more cautious because they are aware of the dangers of such behaviors. In terms of public policies, Californians are more apt to accept the evidence and advice that doctors and scientists have presented to the public. The survey also found that when asked to weigh the costs and benefits of shutting down businesses and social life, 65% of Californians supported shutdowns to keep the public safe. That number was appreciably lower in Florida and Texas both at 54%. Californians are not experiencing COVID-19 differently from the rest of the country. Almost 90% are following the coronavirus news closely and are feeling the dire economic impacts, just like Americans everywhere else. Its important to note that Californians are not embracing scientific evidence because the state is overwhelmingly liberal. The survey shows that California leans slightly to the left; 37% of Californians say they are liberal, 33% say they are conservative, and the remaining 28% declare themselves as moderate. California leans a bit more left than the national average, which generally leans to the right. As White House officials push to reopen the country and public schools, most Californians are rejecting that dangerous impulse based on science. Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. A fire that broke out on Saturday morning severely damaged the historic Gothic St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in Nantes, in western France. Fire authorities arrived at the cathedral just before 8 a.m. after receiving calls from passers-by reporting smoke and flames coming from the building. They discovered a violent fire at the level of the organ behind the rose window, and their intervention was focused on this area, according to the fire department chief Laurent Ferlay. More than 100 firefighters intervened and were able to put out the blaze by 10 a.m. While the overall structure of the building so far appears to have been saved, the greatest losses were to the organ and the stained glass windows behind it, which were completely destroyed. The grand baroque organ had been built in 1620 and restored five times over the last 400 years. Mathieu Lours, an architectural historian specializing in cathedral architecture, told France Info, It is a great drama because this is one of the most beautiful organs in France that has just gone up in smoke. Before and after image of the Nantes cathedral's grand organ and stain glass windows destroyed by the fire on Saturday Michel Bourcier, one of the titular holders of the organ, told France Info that the organ had survived the bombings of the Second World War [during an Allied bombardment of Nazi-occupied France], a fire in 1972, and then, within a few hours, went up in flames. It was the most important organ from the region and so this is a heritage loss, and a severe blow to culture. The stained glass windows had been installed in the 19th century but also contained remnants of 16th-century glass. Other items lost included a 19th-century painting by Hippolyte Flandrin. The organ had reportedly been threatened with destruction in the course of the 1789 French Revolution, as were many other Church artifacts. A leading organist of the time, Denis Joubert, had allegedly convinced the revolutionary committee to instead use the organ for the playing of the Marseillaise and other tributes to the revolution. The cause of the fire remains unclear. The public prosecutor for Nantes, Pierres Sennes, announced on Saturday that an investigation had been opened for voluntary arson. He stated that three distinct starting points of the fire had been found, separated from one another by a substantial difference. Two were found at the ground floor, on the left and right side of the building, and a third 30 meters above ground level, at the height of the grand organ. He added that investigators had not found in the external entrances a sign of a break-in. On Sunday morning, Sennes announced that a volunteer at the cathedral had been arrested and placed in police custody as part of the investigation. However, on Sunday evening, Sennes confirmed that he had been released without charge. The rector of the cathedral, Hubert Champenois, stated that the volunteer was a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee who arrived in France several years ago. The refugee had been responsible for closing up the cathedral on Friday evening and investigators wanted to obtain precise information about the timetable of this person. Diocese administrator Francois Renaud stated that several dozen volunteers work at the cathedral, but that at night, the inspection is done by an employee of the cathedral. The fire in Nantes takes place almost exactly 21 months after the devastating April 15, 2019 fire at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Most of the priceless monuments upper walls were severely damaged, its roof was destroyed and its spire collapsed. The Notre-Dame fire highlighted the catastrophic impact of the French ruling class austerity policies and the starving of funds for maintenance and protection of the cultural jewels of humanity. The fire system at the cathedral was highly complex and required considerable training to be able to read its warning signals and determine the location of a fire. When the blaze occurred, the lone employee on site was unable to determine the fire location and incorrectly concluded that it was a false alarm. The employee had been there three consecutive days and was beginning a second straight shift because his replacement did not arrive. Moreover, according to Le Canard Enchaine, the security system had previously been manned by two people, which would allow one to keep an eye on the detectors while the other made a time-consuming trip to the potential source of the fires. The second security position had been removed due to funding cuts. The first heavy monsoon rainfall in Delhi claimed four lives on Sunday, including that of a mini-truck driver who got trapped in a waterlogged underpass, as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to defend his government by blaming the lack of preparation on the coronavirus pandemic. As the Delhi BJP charged that the very first spell of heavy rain this season exposed the AAP governments preparations, Kejriwal said a blame-game should be avoided. Nearly 100 places across the city were waterlogged, the traffic came to a standstill on important roads, and at least 10 houses collapsed in a slum area in Anna Nagar, which is behind the WHO Headquarters near ITO, displacing the residents. A small NDRF team was sent to Anna Nagar to take stock of the situation. Many residents shared on social media videos and pictures of rainwater gushing into their houses and vehicles wading through waterlogged roads. The maximum cases of waterlogging were reported from North Delhi Municipal Corporation (36) followed by New Delhi Municipal Council (32) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (30), officials said. The municipal corporation officials said more than 66 incidents of felling of trees or their branches were reported, in addition to around a dozen wall collapse incidents. A 56-year-old man from Uttarakhand drowned after his mini-truck was stuck under the waterlogged Minto Bridge in central Delhi. Police said Kundan Kumar was trying to navigate his vehicle through the waterlogged underpass but the vehicle got stuck in the neck-deep water. His body was found floating on the street. An eight-year-old boy died after he fell in a roadside ditch in Saurabh Vihar in southeast Delhi, police said. A 28-year-old man who worked at a scrap shop in Sriniwaspuri in Gandhi Camp died in a similar accident outside the shop. Police said their inquiry found that the area was filled with up to three-ft-deep water following the rainfall and the man fell into a pothole. His co-workers lifted him but he was unconscious and declared brought dead at AIIMS. The fourth accident happened in northwest Delhis Jahangirpuri. A 56-year-old man lost balance on a slippery road and hit a cemented electric pole. He was taken to BJRM Hospital but was declared brought dead, police said. Water-logging was reported from several areas including at Minto Road, Azadpur underpass, South Avenue Road, Pul Prahladpur underpass, Azad Market, Moolchand underpass and near Batra Hospital, according to Delhi Traffic Police. Water-logging was also reported at Youth Congress office on Raising Road. At Zakhira, six people stuck inside a bus submerged in water had to be rescued. According to Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg, the firemen could not use a ladder to climb atop the bus and they had to carry people on their backs to safer grounds. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta said Kejriwal had promised to make Delhi like London and Paris but in reality people are unable to step out due to waterlogging. East Delhi BJP MP Gautam Gambhir shared pictures of waterlogging and tweeted, Heard that Delhi government is running rainwater harvesting scheme on London-Paris like roads. When will the advertisements be seen Kejriwal ji. Kejriwal, however, said that this was not the time for any blame-game over waterlogging as all agencies have been busy combating the coronavirus. This year, all agencies, be it Delhi government or MCD, were busy in prevention of COVID-19. They faced many difficulties due to corona. This is not the time to blame each other. All have to fulfil their responsibilities together. Wherever there is waterlogging, we will try to pump out water immediately, he said on Twitter in Hindi. But former Delhi BJP president and and his main challenger in February polls, Manoj Tiwari, tweeted: Arvind Kejriwal ji your preparations are exposed by the first rains of monsoon. A solid plan should be prepared to deal with the rains so that Delhi could be prevented from submerging and people saved from difficulties. Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia said the Delhi government is closely monitoring the situation and appropriate steps will be taken to address the issue. He requested BJP to work together and not indulge in a blame-game. The India Meteorological Department, which had predicted heavy-to-very heavy rainfall over parts of northwest India, said 74.8 mm rainfall was recorded in Delhi till 8:30 am on Sunday. Rainfall recorded below 15mm is considered light, between 15 and 64.5 mm is moderate, and above 64.5mm is heavy. However, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said no one had expected that there would be such heavy rainfall. In a statement, AAP spokesperson and DJB Vice-Chairperson Raghav Chadha said the water-logging problem has been a huge issue but in the last 2-3 years, after the AAP government came to power, the situation drastically changed. At a time when all agencies are busy combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unfortunate that the BJP is blaming us for water-logging. Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary said the rainfall unmasked the faulty working of both the ruling AAP and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations. The swelling water of drain at Anna Nagar near ITO swept many houses, he said after visiting the affected families. The monsoon reached Delhi on June 25, two days earlier than its usual date. But it remained subdued since. The IMD has predicted normal rainfall in the national capital during the monsoon season. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Noops , the world's first protein-rich, plant-based organic oatmilk pudding, launches online and in select Northeast grocery retailers. Founded by Gregory Struck, who previously founded Hungryroot, Noops is poised to turn the snack world upside down with the introduction of an innovative superfood pudding that's packed with real ingredients and powerful nutrition. Noops The new company recently closed a $2 million pre-seed capital investment with lead investor, NYC-based 25madison , as well as Unovis/ New Crop Capital and Siddhi Capital . With the goal of creating a healthier future with food that is absolutely delicious, Noops will be using the funds to continue to pursue product innovation, further commercialize and expand into retail and foodservice, and invest in strategic marketing and operations. Noops's indulgent, luxurious sweet-tooth satisfaction comes from clean, purposeful ingredients like organic oats, organic dates and organic sunflower seed protein. Vegan, non-GMO, OU Kosher and allergen friendly, with no added sugar, each 4.75 ounce serving of Noops Oatmilk Pudding provides 5-7 grams of protein, 5-7 grams of fiber and about half the carbohydrates found in conventional competitors. Decadent flavors including Cocoa, French Toast, Sticky Bun and Mocha offer spoon-licking snack and meal options that will delight pudding fans of all ages while providing gut and immunity-boosting prebiotics and heart-healthy whole grains. Founder and CEO Gregory Struck created Noops after surviving cancer and a rare genetic disease, in part by adopting a plant-based lifestyle. "Healthy eating gave me a second chance at life, and that was the impetus for starting Noops. Our mission is to make nutritious, planet-friendly, plant-based real food with more taste and more flavor than less nutritious alternatives," says Struck. "We're inspired and motivated by those looking to make a change in the way they feed themselves and their loved ones without compromising on food satisfaction and enjoyment." Noops 4.75 oz cups are available for pre-order online beginning on July 20th in four tasty flavors--Cocoa, French Toast, Sticky Bun and Mocha. Noops will roll out in select natural specialty retailers and on Instacart throughout the end of this month. Multipacks (8, 16 and 24 cups) in single and variety flavors can be purchased at eatnoops.com. To get the scoop on Noops, head over to their website, eatnoops.com, Instagram, @eatnoops, or feel free to drop them a line at [email protected] . About Noops Noops is flippin' snacks! Noops was founded in 2019 after Gregory Struck adopted a plant-based lifestyle and successfully fought his way back to health after a bout with cancer and a rare genetic disease. Disappointed by the lack of delicious and healthy options in today's overly-processed food system, Gregory was prompted to action after one too many sugary, junk food-fueled children's birthday parties. Full of indulgent sweet tooth satisfaction, real deal nutrition and purposeful ingredients, Noops remade pudding from the ground up. Plant-based Noops Oatmilk Pudding is organic, non-GMO, dairy-free, Certified OU Kosher and Fairtrade, made using clean, natural ingredients and without any added sugar. Each 4.75 ounce serving of Noops is only 180 calories, with 5- 7 grams of fiber and 5-7 grams of plant protein. Noops is gluten-free and allergen-friendly, with no wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, coconut, or sesame. To learn more, head over to their website, eatnoops.com , Instagram, @eatnoops , or feel free to drop them a line at [email protected]. MEDIA CONTACT: Carissa Izquierdo | Olivia Levis 213-317-3448 [email protected] www.startrco.com SOURCE Noops Related Links http://eatnoops.com PRESS RELEASE WORLDWIDE SALES RESULTS 1ST HALF 2020 Groupe Renault sold 1,256,658 vehicles in the first half with a strong electric momentum and a sales recovery in June With the Covid-19 pandemic context, Groupe Renault sold 1,256,658 vehicles in the first half, with a strong commercial recovery in June. The Renault brand was thus the number one brand in Europe in June. On the electric market, ZOE is the best-selling car in Europe, with growth of nearly 50% to 37,540 units in the first half and a record level of orders at 11,000 units in June. In the second half, the Group steps up its product offensive with the launch of the E-TECH Hybrid range and Twingo Z.E. in Europe, the arrival of a new Duster in the Americas and a new SUV in India. The Group is on track to meet its CAFE targets for 2020. Boulogne-Billancourt, 07/20/2020 With the Covid-19 pandemic context, Groupe Renault suspended sales and industrial activities in most countries from mid-March and saw its sales fall 34.9% to 1,256,658 units in the first half, in a market down 28.3%. The Group's sales volume decline was mainly due to its high exposure to countries that have undergone a strict lockdown. The world is going through an unprecedented crisis with a major impact on our business. As soon as the recovery began, our plants and sales network quickly mobilized to meet our customers' needs, with demand sustained in June by government aid measures in Europe. We are starting the second half of the year with a very high level of orders, a satisfactory level of inventory, a rising price positioning across the entire range, and a new E-TECH Hybrid offer that is unique in its segment and already very well received said Denis le Vot, member of the Executive Committee, Senior Vice President Sales and Regions of Groupe Renault. Electric vehicle: ZOE leader in a growing market The sales volumes of the Renault brand worldwide rose by 38%, with more than 42,000 vehicles sold in the first half. In Europe, ZOE is the best-selling car with a sales growth close to 50% to 37,540 units and reached a record level of orders in June with nearly 11,000 orders. The electric offensive with the arrival of Twingo Z.E. and the launch of E-TECH Hybrid engines (New Clio Hybrid, New Captur Plug-In Hybrid and New Megane Estate Plug-In Hybrid), have strengthened the Group's trajectory towards achieving its CAFE objectives for 2020. Story continues In Europe The sales of the Group amounted to 623,854 vehicles, down 41.8% in a market that was down 38.9%. The Group successfully renewed all its B-segment models under the Renault brand (Clio, Captur and ZOE). New Clio was the best-selling vehicle within the B-segment in Europe in the first half, with 102,949 units sold. In the first half of the year, the Dacia brand recorded a 48.1% decline in sales to 161,334 vehicles sold, impacted by its exposure to the retail market strongly affected by the Covid-19 crisis. In June, Group sales in Europe picked up with Renault and Dacia achieving respectively 10.5% (leading brand) and 3.5% market share. The Dacia brand is benefiting fully from customers' return to the sales network taking advantage of its full range of engines: LPG, gasoline and diesel. Outside Europe, the Group was particularly affected by the market downturn in Russia (-23.3%), in India (-49.4%), in Brazil (-39.0%), and China (-20.8%). In Russia In the Group's second-largest country in terms of sales volume, Groupe Renault is the leader with a market share of 30.2%, up 1.4 points. Sales fell 19.5% in a market that contracted 23.3%. The Renault brand's market share rose 0.3 points to 8.1%. Arkana confirmed its success with more than 7,000 vehicles registered in the first half and established Renault in a brand-new coupe-SUV segment in Russia. LADA confirms its position as the leading brand on the Russian market with a 20.8% market share, to which must be added 1.3% for the NIVA model (AVTOVAZ) which has just been rebadged LADA in July. LADA Granta and LADA Vesta remain the two best-selling vehicles in Russia. In India Group sales fell 28.7% in a market that was down 49.4%. Renault reached a market share of 2.8% (+0.8 points). Nearly 13,000 Tribers were sold in the first six months. In the second half, the Renault range (Kwid, Duster, Triber) will be expanded with the arrival of a brand-new SUV. In Brazil In a market down 39.0%, Group sales fell 46.9%, mainly due to the new strategy of improving profitability and repositioning vehicle prices. In China The Group's volumes were down 21.2% in a market that declined by 20.8%. The Group is currently implementing a new strategy aimed at refocusing its activities on LCVs with Renault Brilliance Jinbei Automotive Co, Ltd and electric vehicles with eGT New Energy Automotive Co, Ltd (eGT) and Jiangxi Jiangling Group Electric Vehicle Co. Ltd (JMEV). In South Korea The Group recorded a 51.3% increase in sales in a market up 6.9% thanks to the success of its new XM3 model launched in March 2020, which sold more than 22,000 units over four months. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Rie Yamane rie.yamane@renault.com Press Officer +33 6 03 16 35 20 Group sales by Region PC+LCV June Ytd* 2020 2019 % var. France 242,534 379,454 -36.1 Europe** (Excl France) 381,320 691,833 -44.9 France + Europe Total 623,854 1,071,287 -41.8 Africa Middle-East India & Pacific 150,734 217,977 -30.8 Eurasia 297,455 346,272 -14.1 Americas 113,826 205,767 -44.7 China 70,789 89,749 -21.1 Total Excl France + Europe 632,804 859,765 -26.4 World 1,256,658 1,931,052 -34.9 * Sales ** Europe = European Union (exclude France, Romania, Bulgaria) + Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Serbia and Balkan states Sales by brand June Ytd 2020 2019 % var. RENAULT PC 623,895 1,008,613 -38.1 LCV 136,404 216,436 -37.0 PC+LCV 760,299 1,225,049 -37.9 DACIA PC 195,767 366,861 -46.6 LCV 15,391 25,381 -39.4 PC+LCV 211,158 392,242 -46.2 RENAULT SAMSUNG MOTORS PC 53,142 33,463 +58.8 ALPINE PC 700 2,847 -75.4 LADA PC 147,844 193,325 -23.5 LCV 4,870 5,757 -15.4 PC+LCV 152,714 199,082 -23.3 AVTOVAZ PC 8,520 0 +++ JINBEI&HUASONG PC 1,213 4,415 -72.5 LCV 68,912 73,954 -6.8 PC+LCV 70,125 78,369 -10.5 RENAULT GROUP PC 1,031,081 1,609,524 -35.9 LCV 225,577 321,528 -29.8 PC+LCV 1,256,658 1,931,052 -34.9 Group Renault: 15 markets - June Ytd Volumes 2020* MS PC+LCV 2020 (units) (% ) 1 FRANCE 242,534 27.2 2 RUSSIA 192,158 30.2 3 GERMANY 80,421 6.1 4 CHINA 70,732 0.8 5 ITALY 63,530 9.9 6 BRAZIL 59,941 7.9 7 SOUTH KOREA 55,242 6.1 8 TURKEY 49,131 19.3 9 SPAIN 48,275 12.0 10 BELGIUM+LUXEMBOURG 31,106 11.3 11 UNITED KINGDOM 27,057 3.5 12 INDIA 26,245 2.8 13 POLAND 21,687 10.6 14 ROMANIA 21,299 37.0 15 ARGENTINA 19,875 13.6 *2020 June Ytd (sales), excl Twizy Attachment How does one interpret the present political crisis in Rajasthan? Is it the power struggle between the old guard and the young Turks? Is it the ambition of the younger leaders like Sachin Pilot, who haves no patience to wait for their turn? Is it the weakness of the Congress high command, which failed to recognise the danger? Is there a BJP hand in destabilising the Ashok Ghelot government? Is it the ego clash between Ghelot and Sachin Pilot? Above all, is it the leadership crisis in the Congress? The answer is that it is a bit of all of these. The crisis could have been averted had the leadership believed in the motto a stich in time saves nine. No doubt a bitter power struggle has been going on for some time in the Congress between the old guard and the new at all levels. The old guard fears that they would be side lined if the younger lot gets absolute power. That was one of the reasons the old guard has been blocking the handover of complete control of the party to Rahul Gandhi and brought back Sonia Gandhi as the party chief after Rahul Gandhi resigned last August as partys interim president. The young Turks, on the other hand, are getting impatient and when they see there is no future in the party, decide to move out. This was the case for Jyotiraditya Scindia to exit earlier and it is the turn of Sachin Pilots rebellion now. Since power is the only criteria for many in politics, they are no exception. It is not a big secret in the Congress circles that chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Pilot were having an ego clash. Insiders claim that Sachin was planning to do a Scindia in Rajasthan in March, but the Covid-19 outbreak halted it. He was getting impatient, as the Congress high command did nothing to resolve the brewing crisis. The Congress case is that Pilot was given his due in the party. He became an MP when he was barely 26, became the partys state president and then moved on to become the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan. He was part of the inner circle of Rahul Gandhi. When Rahul resigned last year after the Lok Sabha polls, the names of both Scindia and Pilot were doing the rounds for the post of the party chief. The other young leaders are also growing increasingly restless. Most were once part of Rahul's inner coterie. The Congress is blaming the BJP for these desertions but the blame to a large extent goes to the Congress leadership. After having encouraged the younger leaders like Scindia and Pilot, they were dumped when the time came for their turn to become the chief minister in 2018. The BJP was waiting with open arms to embrace the sulking leaders. The BJPs strategy has been to import leaders of stature from other parties and weaken the opposition. Starting from Himant Biswa Sarma in Assam, the BJP operation has been successful in luring others like Sanjay Singh, Scindia, Jay Panda to name a few. When Scindia quit the Congress, a BJP leader said, We have got Scindia and also a government. Similarly, if Sachin joins the BJP, he will bring a government with him. The question is what does the leaders like Scindia and Pilot get in BJP? Scindia got a Rajya Sabha berth and a promise to be made a minister. The same may go to Sachin. Could these leaders emerge as an alternative power centre to Prime Minister Narendra Modi? The answer is a big NO. At least in the Congress, they were seen as an alternative to Rahul Gandhi. So they want to prove their clout by bringing down the Congress government if they do not have their way. With all these internal problems the Congress party is imploding. The solution is in the hands of the present Congress leadership. The Congress party seems to be a loser even after winning a state because of its own factionalism. Several Congress leaders young and old are worried about their future in a party, which has not learnt its lessons. The Grand Old Party is on its way to become a regional party. The Congress leadership should realise it. The last time it happened was in 1997, when Sonia Gandhi entered politics but she was able to bring the party to power in 2004. The same Sonia Gandhi looks helpless now. For a course correction, the top leadership should be accessible and at least meet those with grievances. Secondly, they must check indiscipline and factionalism in the party. The third is to devise a long- term strategy to attract the youth and talented people. But how can they lure the youth when young and presentable leaders are leaving the party? The fourth is to set the house in order. Lastly, this kind of Aya Ram Gaya ram and resort politics should be checked. Whether Sachin remains or not the problem remains. The top priority should be to resolve the leadership crisis first. Barrister Christopher Ndong, lawyer defending Ayuk and co BBC Barrister Ndong Christopher Nveh, Secretary-General of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM party of Professor Maurice Kamto, has sounded alarm bells that his life is under threat. Ndong blew out the information after five unknown gun-totting men stormed his Buea residence Thursday, July 9 at about 9:00 p.m. asking after his whereabouts. The human rights lawyer cum politician quotes his son who was watching television at the time of the incident as saying that the gunmen who raided the house were five in number. The group of five was made up of three persons dressed in military attire with guns and two others in civilian wear. When the five arrived at the house, they told me that someone has directed them to come and see the two rooms in the building that have been earmarked for rents. I quickly asked them why they were coming in at night when they could have come in the morning to see the rooms. In response, they said, they wanted to see it and then come in the morning to pay for it, The Post quotes Barrister Ndongs son as saying. As we moved up and I was about opening the door, two of the men in uniform stood behind him. When the door opened, they pushed me in and held me to the wall. They began to ask for my fathers phone number and as I hesitated to give them, they ordered me at gunpoint to do it. As they took the phone, it went off because the battery of the phone was already low. In anger, they throw back the phone at me saying that they know that the building belongs to Barrister Ndong, Ndongs son recounted to The Post. The armed men are said to have asked when Ndong will be in Buea. But I told them that I dont know because he does not announce his coming. He often comes without notice, the lawyers son said further. The armed men left promising to pay a return visit on July 12. When they did, Barrister Ndong was nowhere to be found. Ndong says since he does not have a problem with anybody, he does not know why armed men will be looking for him. He says he has informed the national and international community that his life is under threat by unknown gunmen in the Southwest Region. In the wake of the incidents, Professor Maurice Kamto, National President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, urged authorities to open an investigation in a bid to bring the authors of such threats to the life of Barrister Ndong to book. I wish to reiterate the CRM position as concerns the civil war going on in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, for the Government to seek a solution to this crisis ravaging the two Anglophone Regions. Consequently, the Secretary-General of CRM and his family cannot be considered as a party to be targeted in one way or the other in the said conflict, Prof. Kamto said. The situation is very preoccupying. It adds to the already numerous denunciations on the violation of human rights of the civilian population carried out in the two Anglophone Regions by the civil war and also in the Far North Region. Wilmot council has delayed its decision about what to do with the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald beside the townships municipal office in Baden. But the protests about that statue arent going away. Instead they are intensifying, in Wilmot and across Canada. Sit-ins continue in Baden, demanding that the statue be removed from the park and to an indoor location. Its mere presence causes pain and anguish, said one of the protest leaders, Cheyanne Thorpe. And the plaque beside it offers only a blatantly whitewashed version of history. Meanwhile, in Toronto, on the weekend, pink paint was thrown on another statue of Canadas first prime minister. And so, at their next meeting July 27, Wilmot councillors have an agonizing decision to make about what was once a celebrated gift to the township a collection of life-size statues of Canadas prime ministers. These were installed in 2016 at no cost to the township. At the opening ceremonies four years ago, 1,200 people gathered and sang O Canada to welcome them. Hundreds of people, many in Wilmot, have donated $800,000 to cover the costs. Thousands of hours of volunteer time have also gone into creating school resources to supplement the education of children who visit the statues. There are five statues up so far, and four more waiting to be installed. Indigenous activists and their allies say the statue of Macdonald in particular is a traumatic reminder of his oppression of Indigenous people. He set into motion a system by which Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools, the goal of which was to eradicate their culture and language so they could assimilate into the new nation. By the time Sir John A. Macdonald died in 1891, Indigenous peoples were confined to reserves, their lands flooded with settlers, their children stolen, their culture outlawed, said Lori Campbell, Indigenous activist and educator. Coun. Angie Hallman has proposed halting development of the project until after consulting with Indigenous groups. But her idea has now become the perilous middle ground between people who want them removed immediately, and others who want them to stay. Pat Mighton said she and her husband, Dennis, were delighted to learn this gift would be coming to Wilmot. To halt its progress would be unfair to the people of Wilmot on whose behalf the township accepted this gift, she told council last week. Also, it sends the wrong message to anyone considering any future gift of any kind to this township, she added. Another resident, Glen Mathers, asked other important questions. What about the artists who created the statues? Does the township have a responsibility to them? Is the township in a contractual agreement that says it will keep all the statues? Who is going to pay for storage if they are removed from the park? And what about the donors? he continued. Do we have to repay them for the contributions theyve made already? There was no indication that these issues had been considered. Coun. Jeff Gerber reminded the room that Macdonald was not the only one to oppress Indigenous people through residential schools. The last of these school did not close until 1996, which means every prime minister up to Jean Chretien bears responsibility. My point is not to absolve anyone, but to implicate everyone, he said. Exactly the problem. Our collective understanding of the shameful foundation of this countrys history is growing faster than the ability of democratic institutions to respond. Wilmot councillors seem to understand the problem. But they still are a long way from understanding how to manage the response. L ondons Tube map is set to be reimagined by Harry Potter star Emma Watson and author of Why Im No Longer Talking To White People About Race Reni Eddo-Lodge. The pair will join forces with Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, the minds who reimagined New York City's subway system, naming the stops after prominent female figures. Watson, Eddo-Lodge, Solnit and Jelly-Schapiro will apply the same notion to Londons Tube network, renaming stops after women, non-binary people and female groups. How does it impact our imaginations that so many places in so many cities are named after men and so few after women? What kind of landscape do we move through when streets and parks and statues and bridges are gendered and its usually one gender, and not another? What kind of silence arises in places that so seldom speak of and to women?, Solnit said after the New York City map went viral. This map was made to sing the praises of the extraordinary women who have, since the beginning, been shapers and heroes of this city that has always been, secretly, a City of Women. And why not the subway? This is a history still emerging from underground, a reminder that its all connected, and that we get around. The map was included in the book Nonstop Metropolis and later made into an iconic poster. Solnit and Jelly-Schapiro now want to do the same thing for London, renaming stops after women who have made and continue to make the city. The pair also want your help - and are asking for people to fill in this Google Doc with suggestions, nominating names for them to consider. The New York City map includes names like Yoko Ono, Jacqueline Onassis, Greta Garbo, Bette Midler and Nora Ephron. Perhaps, instead of Camden we can have Amy Winehouse? Westminster can be swapped to Margaret Thatcher and Queens Park could now be known as Zadie Smith. Think about the women who have made an impact on London and nominate your suggestion here. Hungary's Orban: 'the Dutchman' is responsible for EU summit disarray Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban leaves after a meeting of an EU summit on a coronavirus recovery package at the European Council building in Brussels By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Sunday that Dutch leader Mark Rutte was responsible for the deadlock at a European Union summit, where leaders were set to haggle for a third day over a vast stimulus plan for their coronavirus-hit economies. "I don't know what is the personal reason for the Dutch prime minister to hate me or Hungary, but he is attacking so harshly," he told reporters in front of the steps of a European history museum in a Brussels park, a short walk from the summit venue. "I don't like blame games but the Dutchman is the real responsible man for the whole mess... The Dutch prime minister, he is the fighter." Orban, a right-wing nationalist who has accumulated unprecedented powers since winning election a decade ago, has clashed with the EU's executive and other member states for years over his perceived backsliding from democratic governance. A group of wealthy and fiscally "frugal" northern states led by the Netherlands has blocked progress at the summit towards agreement on a 750 billion euro fund to revive Europe's economies. They want strict control over how funds are spent, and there has been a fierce argument over whether money could be withheld from countries that fail to live up to democratic standards. Hungary, where Orban has tightened the noose around media, academics and civil society, threatened even before the summit got under way on Friday to veto the package over a proposal to freeze funds for states undercutting the rule of law. "What's going on is a little bit strange because there is a 100% agreement on the rule of law," Orban said. "If somebody is not ready to accept the rule of law [they] should leave the European Union immediately. They should not be punished by money." He said "these guys who inherited freedom, rule of law and political democracy" did not have the experience that he and others in eastern Europe had fighting against communism. There was no immediate comment from Rutte's office. Story continues Rutte told a news conference in the Hague on July 10 that developments in both Hungary and Poland were "very worrying". "We have the principle of rule of law, and of democracy, and that Europe is not only a market and a currency, but also a community of values and you can have conditions," he said. (Writing by John Chalmers; reporting by Kate Abnett in Brussels; additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam, editing by Alexandra Hudson) Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte looks on next to Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and France's President Emmanuel Macron prior the start of the European Council building in Brussels, on July 18, 2020 EU leaders stood at an impasse on Monday after three days of haggling over a plan to revive economies throttled by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the chairman of their near-record-length summit urged them to make one last push on "mission impossible." Charles Michel reminded the 27 leaders of the European Union that more than 600,000 people had now died as a result of the coronavirus around the world, and it was up to them to stand together in the face of an unprecedented crisis. "My hope is that we reach an agreement and that the headline ... tomorrow is that the EU has accomplished mission impossible," the European Council President said at their third dinner in a row at the Brussels conference center. "That is my heartfelt wish ... after three days of non-stop work." The leaders are at odds over how to carve up a vast recovery fund designed to help haul Europe out of its deepest recession since World War II, and what strings to attach for countries it would benefit. Diplomats said the leaders may abandon the summit and try again for an agreement next month, but as they negotiated into the early hours of Monday a deal still looked possible. On the table is a 1.8-trillion-euro ($2.06-trillion) package for the EU's next long-term budget and recovery fund. The 750 billion euros proposed for the recovery fund would be raised on behalf of them all on capital markets by the EU's executive European Commission, which would be a historic step towards greater integration, and then funneled mostly to hard-hit Mediterranean rim countries. Commissioners Court Discusses Repairs To Franklin Street Annex The Hill County Commissioners Court met in a regular session Tuesday, July 14, and continued discussing renovations to the county's annex on Franklin Street in Hillsboro. The county has consulted with two different architectural firms in an attempt to address water leaks and repair the building's facade. The court sought drawings on the project from MRB Group after initially obtaining a proposal from another company that came in above the desired scope and budget for the project. Multiple discussions have been held in court about how to spend the least amount of money on the project while making necessary repairs, as the county plans to eventually move offices elsewhere. With the former jail on Waco Street being renovated as a long-term county storage facility, approximately one-quarter of the Covington Street annex will be freed up, County Judge Justin Lewis said. All of the current storage at the Franklin Street annex will also be moved to the new facility. With those adjustments, offices that are currently in the Franklin Street annex will move to the Waco and Covington street buildings. "This will allow the county to shrink its footprint in the downtown Hillsboro area to free up the space for new business and give us some relief in our maintenance budget," said Lewis. The lone bidder on the Franklin Street project was ICE Construction, which submitted a bid of $325,000 to perform the work. While Lewis said that the price was fair for the work the company proposed, it was far beyond what should be spent on the building. "I think we have a duty to do what we can to the building, but we also have a duty to the taxpayer not to waste money here," Lewis said. As discussion continued about what the building is worth, and how much money is worth putting into it, Lewis suggested having it appraised to determine the value. The court voted to allow the judge to negotiate with the construction company to adjust the scope of the work, and any proposed action will come back before the court for approval. Commissioners also voted to approve a contract with ICE Construction for projects that were previously approved to renovate the former jail on Waco Street to create the secure records storage facility and perform repairs inside the courthouse. The court also observed and recorded an independent auditor's report from William Sanders for Hill County Emergency Services District (ESD) 1. According to the report, the ESD's assets exceeded its liabilities by $686,464 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019. The auditor said that this compares favorably to the previous year, when assets exceeded liabilities by $541,320. The ESD reported an ending governmental fund balance of $580,299 for the fiscal year, which was $61,911 higher than the previous year. The surplus was reported to be due to a slight increase in revenues, combined with a substantial reduction in expenses. Discussing employee health insurance, the court voted to absorb a 3.8-percent increase in insurance costs rather than passing it on to employees. The increase amounts to about $60,000 annually. Commissioners also voted to approve Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant assurances to allow the county to seek the grant funds. The funding is available to help secure and improve election administration. Hill County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hemrick and Lewis reported that personal protective equipment distributed to the county through the state has been provided to local fire departments, ambulance crews, law enforcement officers and other facilities as needed. Some of the masks are also being carried by local law enforcement agencies to distribute to those found in violation of the governor's mask order. Lewis said that he is continuing to provide updates about COVID-19 case numbers as cases continue to increase. "I don't put those numbers out to scare anybody, because I don't want anybody to live in fear," Lewis said. He said while Hill County residents should not worry about what is going to happen, they should take precautions, such as wearing masks and washing their hands. He added that the local hot spots are the biggest population centers in Hill CountyHillsboro, Whitney and Itasca. Lewis said that while the numbers he receives and reports to the community are actual numbers, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website runs the same numbers through a formula to arrive at active cases and recoveries. The fact that DSHS relies on these estimations has caused discrepancies in the actual numbers reported at the county level and what is available on the DSHS website. "There are some people who think this isn't real," Lewis said. "I promise you, this is a real disease. It kills real people and makes real people sick." The judge explained that while many who contract the virus are asymptomatic and most will recover, the community should take precautions for those who could have worse outcomes. The next regularly scheduled meeting for the Hill County Commissioners Court is Tuesday, July 28. MISSAUKEE COUNTY, MI Several people were injured, and one person was airlifted to the hospital after a crash near Michigans Merritt Speedway. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Houghton Lake Post responded to M-66 near N. Morey Road in Missaukee Countys Pioneer Township at 11:20 p.m. on July 18. Once on scene, troopers found a Ford pickup truck laying on its driver side and a GMC pickup truck with front end damage. An initial investigation indicated that both vehicles had just left nearby Merritt Speedway and were travelling north on M-66 when the Ford attempted to pass the GMC. When the Ford was passing and returning to the northbound lane the trucks made contact. The front driver side of the GMC contacted the rear passenger side of the Ford causing the Ford to roll over three times. The driver of the Ford, a 22-year-old Lake City man, was ejected from the vehicle and landed on the west side of M-66 Hwy. He was unconscious and sustained life-threatening injuries. He was flown to Traverse City Munson Hospital. None of the three men in Ford were wearing seat belts, according to police. The two passengers in the Ford suffered severe injuries and were also treated at the hospital. The driver of the GMC, a 28-year-old man from Luther, was arrested for the operating while intoxicated causing incapacitating injury. The parties involved were friends, according to police. Troopers were assisted at the scene by troopers from the MSP Cadillac Post, Missaukee County Sheriff Deputies, Lake City Fire Department and Life Flight out of Traverse City Lao military students receive graduation degrees (Photo: baokhanhhoa.vn) According to Colonel, Dr. Le Xuan Hung, Principal of the university, the success of the course will continue to contribute to strengthening the solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian armies and peoples. During the course, Lao and Cambodian military students were trained with knowledge of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh ideology, Vietnamese revolutionary guidelines and a number of necessary social sciences and humanities related to military activities; and given worldview, scientific methodology, political qualities, ethics and working style. Cambodian military students receive graduation degrees (Photo: baokhanhhoa.vn) In addition, the trainees were also equipped with knowledge in the basic sciences, and telecommunications majors, ensuring that after graduation officers are capable of doing well in advising, commanding and training telecommunications divisions; effectively exploiting the telecommunications equipment in the Lao and Cambodian armies; and being capable of self-studying and researching to improve their qualifications, meeting the development requirements of modern warfare./. I t was uncomfortable to watch. The tears, the outlandish promises ($1 million to women who dont abort their babies, free marijuana), the criticism of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. At a small rally in South Carolina on Sunday, rapper-turned-designer-turned-political hopeful Kanye West, dressed in a bulletproof vest with '2020' shaved into the back of his head, set out his stall as a presidential candidate to a chorus of boos and cheers . His wife Kim Kardashian was notably absent. In the past, she has defended her husbands eccentricities, but as someone who also scrupulously manages her own public image, the potential First Lady appeared to want no part in this particular circus. AP Meanwhile, unconfirmed rumours of Wests deteriorating mental state continue to swirl behind the scenes. At the rally, he broke down in tears describing the moment he told Kardashian not to abort their eldest child North West, 7. Following the speech, Kardashian was bombarded on social media with calls to protect a man who fans believe could be in the middle of a manic episode. But concerns over his mental health notwithstanding, is Wests run for president serious ? Most political experts say the rapper has a snowflakes chance in hell of getting to the White House in November. He has missed the registration deadline in a number of key states, including Texas, New York, North Carolina and New Mexico. Kanye West makes his first presidential campaign appearance 1 /9 Kanye West makes his first presidential campaign appearance AP AP AP REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS He will need to collect thousands of signatures to run in others, including Florida (300,000), though his enormous social media platforms could help speed up that process. In some states, Americans can also vote for him as a write-in candidate - simply by putting his name on the ballot - but his late entry as an independent to the race and confusing manifesto (in a four-hour interview with Forbes he declared a West White House would be run like the fictional Black Panther kingdom of Wakanda) make him unlikely to capture widespread appeal. But could even this last-minute and chaotic run impact the race for Democratic candidate Joe Biden or his old friend Donald Trump, whom he once praised for his dragon energy and donned a MAGA cap for? John Owens, Professor of United States Government and Politics, told Evening Standard Insider last week that the chances of West having a real impact on the election are almost zero thanks to the lateness of his entry and confusing message. First Lady? West's wife Kim Kardashian and children / SplashNews.com But pollsters are not writing West off completely, not least because his pitch feels distinctly Trumpian. The rapper first expressed his desire to enter politics at the Video Music Awards in 2015, the same year The Donald was being dismissed as a joke reality show candidate. Like Trump, West has flip-flopped between right and left - the rapper previously supported Obama, before throwing his weight behind Trump - and his speech would be marked as an instant voter turn-off were it not any more rambling than the man who now holds the nuclear codes. Then theres Americas particularly febrile atmosphere, still reeling from a pandemic and riots over police brutality. Kanye could position himself as the protest candidate for those who feel angry and disenfranchised - even if his unpalatable views on Tubman and previous comment that 400 years of slavery was a choice will have alienated a large chunk of his base. Getty Images Trump was early to recognise the power of social media as a political soapbox. With restrictions on large gatherings, Kanye could harness his own set-up of devoted fans to whip up a movement - he has 29 million Twitter followers to Joe Biden's 7 million. Though a President Kanye West looks virtually impossible with just four months until voters go to the polls, there's a chance the rapper could move the needle for either Trump or Biden. As pollster Terrance Woodbury told the Washington Post: I do not want to take Kanye West seriously. But I know that we have to. Loading.... Wests run might look like a joke, but America has learned the hard way not to ignore a wildcard. Lucknow, July 20 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati on Monday slammed the Centre and the state governments for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the virus can be contained by making proper arrangements and not by "jugaad". "It is a matter of concern how COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest pool of poor and backward people in the country. The state and the Central government must take notice of this situation. Coronavirus cannot be controlled by 'jugaad' but by making a proper arrangement," the BSP president tweeted. Last week, Mayawati had stressed upon the plight of migrants during the pandemic and had said that they are reeling under poverty due to rampant unemployment in the state. "Migrant workers, who returned to Uttar Pradesh, are suffering due to coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. They are in search of jobs but due to unemployment, they are reeling under pathetic financial stress. This situation of them is very serious and a worrisome issue," BSP chief had tweeted. She had said in another tweet, "In most government made COVID care centres in Uttar Pradesh, adequate cleanliness and arrangements have not been made. It would be better for the government to pay attention that these COVID care centres do not become the centres of spreading the disease." Iran has executed a man convicted of spying for the United States and Israel, state media reported on Monday. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a former translator, was accused of reporting the locations of Iranian troops in Syria and those of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. The powerful commander was killed last January in a US drone strike in Baghdad. Irans judiciary said Majd, who was arrested in 2018 and convicted last month, did not play a direct role in Soleimanis assassination. Spokesman for the judiciary, Gholamhossein Esmaili, claimed Majd received money from both the CIA and Israels Mossad intelligence agency. Esmaili warned at a news conference in June that Majd would face the consequences of his conviction, adding, His masters will also witness the determination, might and intelligence reach of the Islamic Republic. Last week, Iran executed Reza Asgari, a retired Defense Ministry employee, found guilty of selling information about Irans missile program to the CIA. In February, Irans top court upheld the death sentence for Amir Rahimpour, another Iranian charged with passing along nuclear secrets. In July 2019, Irans Intelligence Ministry said it captured 17 people charged with spying on the countrys nuclear and military activities for the CIA. President Donald Trump dismissed Irans claim of a US spy ring as totally false. After China, Iran has the worlds highest use of the death penalty, Amnesty International said in its annual report on executions. The Islamic Republic put at least 251 people to death in 2019, the group said. Iran on Sunday halted the executions of three men accused of involvement in last Novembers deadly anti-government protests. Killing the three men would send a deplorable message to the world, Trump tweeted in Farsi last week. THE ISSUE: A USDA food aid program leaves some areas, including New York, underserved. THE STAKES: If fixed, the program could be a vital resource for America's hungry families. ---- This, at least, is pretty straightforward: It's awful for farmers to be stuck dumping their milk and plowing under their vegetables while America's children go hungry. In contrast, the federal government's attempt to fix it is a tangled mess. As the pandemic shut down restaurants, schools and other large institutions, some farmers were saddled with perishable food they could not sell. Meanwhile, rising numbers of Americans were struggling to feed their families as the economy tanked. The U.S. Department of Agriculture came up with a plan to address both problems with one solution: Under the Farmers to Families Food Box program, a network of distributors would box up farm surplus and get it to food banks and other organizations that feed the hungry. But instead of the USDA managing the distribution directly, or relying on established food nonprofits, the department put the contracts out for bidding and, in a hasty approval process, awarded millions to companies that lacked experience in food distribution or even the proper licensing. Food banks didn't have existing relationships with these new distributors, and the poorly conceived procedures left food banks competing against each other for the farm boxes. These inexperienced private contractors wound up delivering far less food than the program had pledged. What's more, there was no regional parity: Areas where no companies won a contract were simply left out. The state of Maine, for example, had no distributors in the first round of contracts. And New York? The food box program barely fed us at all. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In the first round, awarded in early May, companies serving the Northeastern United States received just 4 percent of the program's funds, despite the fact that 10 percent of the U.S. population lives in the region and despite the fact that New York and New England had been hit hard by the virus and its economic havoc. In contrast, the Southwest got more than five times as much, though their COVID caseloads in May were comparatively low. One might say: Well, in fairness, they were working quickly to get those contracts in motion, so it's understandable they may have made some errors in their best-intentioned haste to get food to people's tables. But in the second round of contracts, the Northeast has again received just 4 percent of the program's funds. More than a dozen New York lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, expressing concerns about the food box program and asking how contracts were awarded and how regional funding decisions were made. They are right to push for answers. Because with a reworked distribution strategy, one that draws on existing community networks and services, this program could become a strong link in the food chain. And even amid the other crises we're grappling with, hunger can't wait. Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 : New development in the controversial Kerala gold smuggling case on Monday indicated that money received from the illegal operation benefited the Malayalam film industry as well, the NIA probe shows. This is one of the major developement after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's close top aides were booted out due to their alleged links to key players. The NIA is also likely to take statements from a few airline staff operating from the airport, here. Smuggling of gold took place on several occasions in the last one year, and one of the beneficiary was the film industry. The NIA has also taken - statements from a Kerala Police official- Jayaghosh, the gunman of the UAE Consulate here who first was reported missing and later traced out in a bushy area near his house with his wrist slashed, apparently in a suicide bid. The NIA officials met him at the hospital where he is convalescing and he said he went with P.S.Sarith to the airport to clear the now controversial gold baggage that was addressed to the UAE Consulate. He said he never had a clue of the contents and knew it contained gold only after the media reported. The call records of his that has now come out show a few calls were made between him and the two prime accused Swapna Suresh and Sarith. The Kerala Police who took Jayaghosh to the hospital after he was found has recorded his statement before a magistrate. However the NIA will return to take more statements from Jayaghosh, once he is discharged from the hospital. The gold smuggling case which has large scale ramifications first surfaced when Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was arrested by the Customs on July 5 when he was facilitating smuggling of 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage to Thiruvananthapuram from Dubai. It turned murkier when the name of Swapna, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here and employed with the state IT Department, surfaced. The case turned full circle when their links with senior IAS official M. Sivasankar, who has been suspended and booted out from two key posts - principal secretary to Vijayan and also the State IT secretary, were unearthed. The office of Vijayan has come under a cloud after his former IT Fellow -- Arun Balachandran, also has been removed from his present top post in the IT department, as he admitted that he had booked a flat in the capital city on the directions of Sivasankar. The NIA also suspects the gold smuggling was done by the duo using fabricated documents of the UAE Consulate. The NIA has by now arrested Sarith, Swapna and Sandip all who had a direct role, while Fareed who is based in UAE has also been picked up by the authorities in UAE where he resides, after the Indian government cancelled his passport. The Customs, which was the first agency to probe the case by now have arrested around six people, who they believe have been either the recipient of the smuggled gold or been a facilitator. Though Vijjayan continues to wash his hands off and claims his office is clean, the Congress and the BJP, however, are up in arms and despite Covid protocols in force in the state, while the Congress party has suspended all open protests and demonstrations following a High Court directive till July 31, the BJP continues to take to the streets and on Monday they are observing a 'black day' in the state demanding Vijayan's resignation. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Given the economic uncertainty, difficulty in securing acquisition debt and inability to actually visit senior care properties during the pandemic, it is no surprise that M&A activity was so low this quarter. The number of publicly announced seniors housing and care acquisitions in the second quarter of 2020 dropped below 60 transactions for the first time since the second quarter of 2013, with 59 deals, based on new acquisition data from Irving Levin Associates M&A database, Deal Search Online. This represents a 40% decline from the 99 transactions announced in the first quarter of 2020 and a 50% decrease from the 117 deals in second quarter of 2019. Buyers also committed fewer dollars to Q2 deals, spending a total of $1.35 billion on seniors housing and care deals, a 50% drop from the $2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2020. Given the economic uncertainty, difficulty in securing acquisition debt and inability to actually visit senior care properties during the pandemic, it is no surprise that M&A activity was so low this quarter, stated Ben Swett, Editor of The SeniorCare Investor. Because of the way dealmaking also petered out from the 22 deals in April to 20 in May and then to just 17 transactions in June, the third quarter may slow even more. Two deals comprised about 60% of the quarters total dollar volume: Welltowers sale of two seniors housing portfolios for approximately $500 million and $300 million, respectively. The first transaction included seven senior living communities scattered throughout Florida and operated by Discovery Senior Living, while the other featured six Midwest senior living communities operated by Senior Star. Kayne Anderson Real Estate Advisors bought the Florida portfolio and announced one other deal during the quarter. Tryko Partners, Fairstead and Omega Healthcare Investors also each announced two acquisitions. As per usual, private senior care providers made up the majority of buyers, counting for nearly 50% of all Q2 acquisitions. REITs and real estate investment firms made 25% of the deals, and 14% were announced by private equity firms. Those ratios were similar to the previous quarter. Skilled nursing deals made up a larger ratio of the transaction volume compared with the first quarter of 2020 but still represented a minority with 44%. Seniors housing, which comprises independent living, assisted living, memory care, CCRC and age-restricted properties, took 56% of the quarters deal volume. Looking at the properties that sold in those transactions, the ratio was 50-50 between skilled nursing and seniors housing. Nationally, skilled nursing facilities have so far seen more dramatic declines in census, due to the postponement of elective surgeries and the fact that they care for a frailer and more medically complex patient population, continued Swett. But seniors housing communities have also suffered from declining occupancy, and questions about how long-term demand for these property types will change following COVID-19 still remain. All long-term care M&A deals dating back to 1993 can be accessed on the Deal Search Online database and can be purchased via a site license. All quarterly results are published in The Health Care M&A Report for all 13 sectors of health care, which is part of the HealthCareMandA.com. In addition, annual results of the seniors housing and care acquisition markets were published this year in the 25th Edition of The Senior Care Acquisition Report. The comprehensive report has 400 pages of transaction details and valuation statistics in a two-volume set, separated out by seniors housing and skilled nursing. For information, or to order the reports, call 800-248-1668. Irving Levin Associates was established in 1948 and has headquarters in New Canaan, Connecticut. The company publishes research reports and newsletters, and maintains databases on the healthcare and seniors housing M&A markets. Syracuse, N.Y. Under the current coronavirus orders from New York State, nearly 2,000 Syracuse University students would need to quarantine when they arrive for the fall, a reality that Mike Haynie, the schools Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, called one of its biggest challenges. There are currently 22 states listed on New Yorks quarantine list. For students coming from those states to meet the current quarantine requirements, they would all need an individual residence space with an individual bathroom. Syracuse would need to look at off-campus housing options in order to quarantine that many students It is a very challenging situation because, by the letter of the law, quarantine requires 14 days of an individual being in a single room with a non-shared bathroom, Haynie said. The ability for Syracuse University as an institution, simply as a function of physical infrastructure, to support a 14-day requirement for 2,000 students would be, maybe, a bridge too far for us. Were working on contingency plans and an alternative to accommodate those students in a residential way. We will have to leverage resources off our campus if it comes to that. Syracuse is hopeful that some changes will be made by the state regarding quarantine rules that will ease the burden for colleges. We are hearing through our professional association in New York State that there might be some conversations underway in Albany about the opportunity to restructure some of those requirements for colleges and universities as they bring students back to the state, Haynie said. Haynie said the school is hoping to provide some guidance early this week to families whose children will be required to quarantine. The mandatory quarantine will be a challenge for many of the states colleges and universities, particularly those who attract out-of-state students from across the country. Ithaca College told students from quarantine states last week that they will not be permitted to return to the school campus until their home state is dropped from New Yorks quarantine list because it does not have a way to ensure adequate housing for them. For Syracuse students who test positive for coronavirus during the school year or are exposed to someone that has, Haynie said the school plans to utilize the school-owned Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center for both quarantine and isolation housing. The hotel has 235 rooms. During a question-and-answer session on Friday, Syracuse University officials detailed a number of other ways in which they expect the college experience to be different for students at the start of next year. The school said that it will set up tents that will allow students to congregate in small groups outside and socialize in the fresh air and said that, at least early in the semester, most students wont eat in dining halls but will utilize to-go meals. The school said that students from one residence hall will not be able to visit students in another residence hall. Students who live in the same dorm are expected to be able to visit the rooms of other students in that dorm, as groups living in the same space will be treated like a family unit. The tents, as well as other larger spaces on the schools campus, will give students from different living spaces an opportunity to get together. We need to use our outdoor spaces, said Amanda Nicholson, the schools assistant provost and dean of student success at Syracuse University. Were putting up tents and we are going to have them there for two months, which is most of the semester, so that students can do things outdoors, so we can arrange small group activities in the fresh air. Well find new spaces in the library. Well find spaces wherever we can so we can increase the number of opportunities to meet up safely. Another place where students traditionally socialize, the schools dining halls, will also be largely unavailable at the start of the year for dine-in eating. The state has put significant limitations on the density allowed in restaurants as the combination of indoor space and the time spent sharing a meal has made it a potential source of coronavirus spread. The school said that it hopes to expand dining options to include more in-person dining over the course of the semester. Still being developed, Marianne Thomson, the schools associate vice president and dean of students, said of the schools dining options. We know that dining and how we eat is how we build communities. There will be a lot of take-out options, a lot of grab-and-go options. As we move into the semester there will also be seated options. I think our plan, in the beginning, is to do primarily grab-and-go in the dining halls and then move to more seating later in the semester. We are considering all of that with a mix of safety and community building. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS AND COLLEGES College students confront falls reality: A lot of people are upset were paying more for less Syracuse University may look much different when students return: Sports, parties, office hours, more Syracuse University will require negative coronavirus test from students before they arrive on campus Syracuse University releases suggestions for fall reopening: Dont hold doors and keep 12 months of PPE How will Syracuse University test 20,000 students for coronavirus? By pooling their saliva Contact Chris Carlson anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1639 An employee at a call centre hit by a Covid-19 outbreak has recalled how staff would breach social distancing rules, as the government has announced an investigation has been launched. The 19-year-old woman started working at the Sitel call centre at Eurocentral business park near Motherwell in Scotland just days before lockdown and has now tested positive for coronavirus. Six cases were reported on Sunday within the call centre, which is working on Test and Trace cases for NHS England. A track and trace call centre near Motherwell in Scotland has been closed and an urgent investigation is underway after six cases of coronavirus were identified among workers The building has now been closed, with employees working from home, while a deep clean takes place and all staff are expected to be tested for Covid-19 within 24 hours. The teenager, who spoke anonymously to the PA news agency, used to work on the Test and Trace team before being switched to another section. She said workers did not always follow guidance on social distancing and she thought staff on the Test and Trace team were more 'lax' about following Covid-19 regulations. 'There are social distancing measurements in place, there is a desk and a half between each desk, there are one-way systems, hand sanitiser everywhere,' she said. 'They have a social distancing ambassador, he goes round making sure everyone is following the rules. 'So they do have a lot in place.' But she said a lack of seating in communal areas where employees spend their breaks meant staff would often sit together. She said: 'There's benches and they have tape, and where there is no tape you can sit, so there are two metres in place. A potential cluster of coronavirus infections is being investigated at a Scottish Covid-19 test-and-trace call centre 'But there are not enough seats so people are bumping in together. 'They do put the things in place, it's just the workers aren't enforcing them.' The teenager added: 'Down in the track and trace they are getting one to two calls a day, so they are sitting doing nothing, they are sitting playing games with each other just to keep the time going,' she said. 'The rules are more lax down there and that's why we think it has obviously come from there.' She is now in quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus. 'Honestly, it's not hit me. I've got asthma, so I've got my inhalers at the ready,' she said. 'You just need to take each day as it comes, what's meant to be will be. That's the only way you can go about it, there's no point making yourself feel worse.' The whistleblower's comments echo concerns raised this morning by MSP Monica Lennon. MSP Monica Lennon says call centre staff raised concerns with her about PPE and social distancing at the building in Motherwell, Scotland, which she says she reported to police The member for central Scotland tweeted: 'Its an anxious time for those awaiting results. 'Did public health authorities do proper due diligence on Sitel before awarding the contract? 'At the start of lockdown I was contacted by several people who were worried about the virus spreading at the contact centre. (Sitel staff working on Virgin contract in same building.) 'I passed my concerns to the police who responded and were liaising with environmental health. The MSP said that staff raised concerns about PPE, hygiene and social distancing and that bosses were not accommodating of home working, including for those in shielded households. She added: 'In April, I received complaints that when an employee got COVID-19 a member of the same household continued to attend work. 'Staff felt scared and worried theyd lose their jobs if they questioned the company. Sitel was just one of many employers we received concerns about. 'Its right an investigation into the outbreak is underway and I hope that workers finally get the fair treatment they deserve.' Ms Lennon, who is a Scottish Labour health spokeswoman since confirmed she had previously reported Sitel to police and public health authorities after staff contacted her regarding conditions in the call centre. Ms Lennon said there should be 'sanctions against bad bosses who put public health at risk'. She added: 'Contact centres like Sitel in Lanarkshire, who run the site where there has been an outbreak, have been named and shamed for their treatment of staff, when many of them could have worked from home. 'My office has previously had to report Sitel to the police and relevant health authorities earlier in the lockdown because of staff complaints.' Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney has not ruled out penalties being levied against the company. Mr Swinney has already said investigations need to be carried to 'get an understanding' of how guidance was being followed within the facility. When asked on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio programme on Monday if penalties could levied against Sitel, Mr Swinney said: 'These are all issues that will be explored but what our primary focus is on is to make sure that we interrupt any transmission of the virus.' An NHS Test and Trace spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of a local outbreak of Covid-19 at the Sitel site in Motherwell. 'This is being managed by Sitel and colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire, who are following appropriate test and protect action in line with Scottish Government advice. 'We take the safety and well-being of our staff very seriously. 'Everyone at the site is currently working from home while a deep clean takes place, and will be offered a test within the next 24 hours.' Dr David Cromie, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, said: 'We became aware this morning of a number of potentially linked cases of coronavirus in Lanarkshire. 'We instigated some immediate measures to reduce risk and are currently investigating the situation.' In March, Labour MP Luke Pollard raised similar concerns about an NHS 111 call centre, also operated by Sitel, after workers had contacted him. Staff at the call centre in Plymouth told Mr Pollard they were working 'desk-to-desk' and in close proximity in an apparent breach of coronavirus guidelines. The volume of complaints prompted Mr Pollard to pen a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and ask for action to be taken. In response to the claims, Sitel strongly denied they were true. Sitel was contacted for comment about the test and trace centre in Motherwell and a spokesman said: 'We are aware of a local outbreak of COVID-19 at our site in Motherwell. We are urgently investigating this alongside colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire. 'We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff very seriously. Everyone who has been working at the site we have requested that they book and complete a test within the next 24 hours. 'The site has been deep cleaned and all social distancing guidelines have been followed.' Figures released by the Scottish Government on Sunday showed Scotland recorded 23 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in 24 hours - the highest increase in almost a month - and up two from 21 on Saturday. A further 27 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in Britain today, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths during the pandemic to 45,300 NHS Lanarkshire said it had been notified about 'potentially linked cases' of Covid-19 infections in the area on Sunday Three of these were in the Lanarkshire health board area. This figure has now risen in each of the last five days - up from three on Tuesday - although no further deaths of people with the disease have been recorded. It is the highest record for new cases since June 21, when there were 26 positive test results. Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch previously said he would not be concerned with fluctuating figures when there was a recorded spike of 21 new cases on Saturday. He told BBC Scotland: 'I expect day-to-day variation and the next thing I look at is the spread around the country. 'So 21 in one small town would worry me much more than 21 spread around the country - and these 21 are spread around the country.' A further 27 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in Britain today, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths during the pandemic to 45,300. It comes after track-and-trace staff have failed to reach half of people who have been in contact with Covid-19 patients in Blackburn - as the town hurtles towards a local lockdown. Professor Dominic Harrison - public health director of Blackburn with Darwen Council - revealed the figures and warned of an 'exponential growth' of new infections if the system did not become more efficient. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 he said the Lancashire area faces a 'rising tide' of infections. After actor Kangana Ranaut's interview with Arnab Goswami, the journalist held yet another panel discussion called 'Bollywood Lobby', recently. Actor Kasthuri Shankar was one of the panellists for this discussion. Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, most of these panel discussions are being conducted using video conferencing apps like Skype. The highlight of this particular panel discussion was strangely the meal that Kasthuri Shankar was seen eating amid the discussion on live television! Now, the viral clip has been floating on Twitter and people are actually appreciate her for showing her authentic self on live television. I need the confidence level of this lady in my life. pic.twitter.com/DoWWQgBKgc Scotchy(Chronological) (@scotchism) July 19, 2020 Responding to one of the posts on Twitter, she wrote, "Nothing to do with confidence. I spent 60 minutes watching Arnab in hypermode, He wasn't gonna let me talk anyway, so I left and grabbed lunch. But forgot to sign off skype. Apologies to everyone for the mess up! No offence or disrespect intended!" Lol. Nothing to do with confidence. I spent 60 minutes watching Arnab in hypermode, He wasnt gonna let me talk anyways, so I left and grabbed lunch. but forgot to sign off skype. Apologies to everyone for the mess up ! No offence or disrespect intended! Kasturi Shankar (@KasthuriShankar) July 19, 2020 Another user asked, "I have a question. Were you eating sevai? Smart decision when Arnab is on monologue mode." Kasthuri replied, "Pongal. Helps you sleep regardless of ambient noise." However, this is not the first time that someone has been spotted eating or drinking on live television. A couple of years ago, the late Vinod Mehta was spotted drinking during a televised debate. Raghu Karnad had jokingly written: "My old boss, Vinod Mehta, shows the nation how to get through a @timesnow debate." My old boss, Vinod Mehta, shows the nation how to get through a @timesnow debate. pic.twitter.com/e4LZ207SMc Raghu Karnad (@rkarnad) December 23, 2013 Well, kudos to Kasthuri for setting her priorities straight! If the man won't let you speak, you might as well as eat some yummy food, so what if it's on live television for the whole nation to see? Eleven European countries - including major holiday destinations like Italy and Greece - could be eligible to make the 'green list' of countries even as ministers continue to warn against non-essential foreign travel. It comes as the Government has been accused of causing confusion, with mixed messages over plans for changes to Covid-19 restrictions on international travel - the announcement of which is being delayed. The Government plans to publish a 'green list' of countries where rates of new coronavirus cases are similar to or lower than Ireland. People travelling from those countries will not be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Ireland. Insurance Ireland last night advised anyone planning on booking a holiday to a green-list country to check with their insurer first to see if they are covered. It said: "A green list does not equate to a relaxation of the non-essential travel policy. Read More "Government advice still remains that only essential travel should be undertaken and we await further clarity on any change to this position." The latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show there are 11 countries that currently have lower rates of Covid-19 cases than the 4.9 people per 100,000 in Ireland. They are Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Hungary, Finland and Malta. Should the green list include countries with slightly higher rates of cases, then places like Germany, Netherlands and Denmark could make the cut too. Government sources last night said decisions on the green list were still being finalised and will "come down to the wire". But a series of ministers who took to the airwaves yesterday, including Dara Calleary and Michael McGrath, strongly signalled that the official advice will remain not to travel for non-essential purposes. Public Health expert Professor Gabriel Scally said the situation was "confusing". He told RTE Radio: "I can understand, there is pressure from the airline industry, from international tourist interests to open things up. But I would prefer to take the safe road that keeps the virus at bay and keeps it out of the country." Sinn Fein TD Louise O'Reilly claimed it was "absolutely unacceptable" that on the one hand the Government was saying that no non-essential travel should be undertaken, while on the other it was publishing a green list. She separately criticised proposals for a 'staycation subsidy' set to be included in the Government's July stimulus package to allow families to reclaim a portion of their hotel or restaurant bill. She told RTE's 'The Week in Politics' it would "disproportionately benefit people who have money in the back pocket and who can go out and spend" over people who don't. She argued that a voucher scheme as proposed by Sinn Fein would "benefit everybody". Labour TD Duncan Smith said the clear public health advice was still to avoid travel but he suggested "many people will take the publication of the list as permission to travel to those locations". He said the matter needed to be quickly clarified. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan rejected suggestions that the green list represented a list of overseas holiday destinations. He said the recommendation was for people to holiday at home this summer and autumn. He also disagreed that there were mixed messages on the issue. Australia is among a small number of countries experiencing a distinct second wave of COVID-19 with hundreds of new cases being reported every day after 12 weeks of a flattening curve. Australia's trajectory resembles those of Japan and Israel but experts say different factors have led to similar scenarios in each country. On Monday, NSW recorded 20 new cases, while Victoria registered 275. There were 296 new cases nationwide. "We're not alone and it's definitely a sign in some countries that they shouldn't have taken their foot off the brake, if you look at Israel you can readily identify an easing of restrictions before the decks were cleared," emeritus professor of public health at the University of Sydney Stephen Leeder said. OFX Daily Market News Posted by OFX AUD Australian Dollar The Australian dollar finished another week with solid gains, although still unable to settle above the 0.70 cent level against the Greenback. The pair has been comfortably consolidating above the 0.6900 level since July. Any upside on the Aussie started last week with the labour market figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, which showed the countrys unemployment rate had risen to 7.4 per cent for the month of June. The highest its been since 1988. The coronavirus outbreak in Victoria still remains in the headlines. After the state of Victoria recorded 363 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday it will be compulsory from Thursday that face masks be worn. There are no scheduled data releases in Australia on Monday. All eyes this week will be on the Reserve Bank of Australia Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes for July, which are released on Tuesday. On Thursday, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver the latest economic statement update which will include information about government support programs. Both Monetary and Fiscal policy will be closely watched this week as the downside risks to the economy continue due to the resurgence of the coronavirus in Australia. From a technical perspective, the AUD/USD pair is currently trading at 0.6987. We continue to expect support to hold on moves approaching 0.6930 while now any upward push will likely meet resistance around 0.7025. Key Movers The Greenback was broadly lower on Friday as the euro rose to just under a four-month high, with negotiations underway between European Union leaders on a recovery fund that could lift the bloc out of the current recession. The 27 EU leaders met over the weekend to put together a new stimulus plan however they are struggling to reach consensus on the 2021-27 budget, which is proposed above 1 trillion euros, and a linked new recovery fund worth 750 billion euros, meant to help rebuild southern economies most affected by the pandemic. The EUR/USD pair closed a fourth consecutive week with gains in the 1.1420 area, its second-best daily close this year. The Greenback remained under pressure on Friday as the number of new coronavirus cases in the US continued rising to daily records of over 70,000 per day. On the data front, the US published the preliminary estimate of the July Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, which came in at 73.2, much worse than the 79 expected and falling from 78.1 in the previous month. There are no scheduled releases in the United States on Monday, with the market now heavily focused on the prospect of another US fiscal stimulus package coming in over the next two weeks. Story continues Expected Ranges AUD/USD: 0.6900 0.7030 AUD/EUR: 0.6080 0.6180 GBP/AUD: 1.7880 1.8020 AUD/NZD: 1.0620 1.0720 AUD/CAD: 0.9450 0.9550 Posted by OFX The post Aussie dollar range-bound amid growing COVID-19 concerns appeared first on . London: British scientists have made a breakthrough in the race to find a coronavirus vaccine, with the first round of human trials showing the shot is safe and induces the strong immune response needed to fend off infection. The results are highly significant because the University of Oxford vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is considered one of the leading candidates in the global race to bring the devastating pandemic to an end. Professor Adrian Hill, the director of the university's Jenner Institute, said "it's possible" some people could be given the vaccine as soon as December this year. But that assessment is based on an assumption that future testing phases produce good results and that regulatory approvals are swiftly granted. The first people to receive the vaccine in December would be those in at-risk categories. With 11 days left on the clock, the Iimmigration Bureau today confirmed that a proposal to extend the visa amnesty is now before the government. Bureau spokesman Chengron Rimpoldee told Coconuts Bangkok the proposed extension, said to be until Sept. 26, will very likely be approved as many nations borders remain closed due to the pandemic. The current amnesty ends July 31, and the extension could be approved as soon as Tuesday, when the cabinet convenes its weekly meeting. Related Phew! Thailand to extend visa amnesty for foreigners This article, Thai immigration amnesty extension very likely, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Delhi reported less than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in seven weeks on Monday, as AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said the national capital seems to have hit the peak but cautioned against any lowering of guard. As COVID-19 numbers appeared to be declining steadily, the AAP jumped to credit the "Kejriwal model" for the success. The BJP, however, said the Centre brought the coronavirus situation under control after it had gone out of the Delhi government's hand. Delhi recorded 954 cases on Monday, according to a health department bulletin. The bulletin said the number of tests conducted too was the lowest in July. It said 11,470 tests (4,177 RT-PCR and 7,293 Rapid Antigen) were conducted. On previous days, except for July 6 and 13, the number of tests ranged 19,000-22,000. Guleria said Delhi appears to have hit the peak but cautioned against any laxity. "My feeling is that certain areas have hit their peak. Delhi seems to have done so because the cases have declined significantly. But certain areas are yet to reach their peak. Cases are increasing in certain states. They will reach the peak later," he said. According to the bulletin, the death toll from the coronavirus infection in Delhi has risen to 3,663 with 35 fresh fatalities, and the total number of cases reached to 1,23,747. The active cases have declined steadily over the last week, bringing the figure down to 15,166 -- the lowest in 44 days -- while the recovery rate touched nearly 85 per cent. This is for the first time since June 1 that less than 1,000 cases were recorded in a 24-hour span. For the last nine days, fresh cases were being reported in the range of 1,000-2,000. Delhi had crossed the 1,000-mark in COVID-19 tally on April 11. On June 23, it reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947 till date. The number of containment zones in the city stands at 696. The AAP was quick to laud its government for "successfully" fighting the pandemic. "Amid this pandemic, the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has successfully fought this battle, AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said. Kejriwal led this battle from the front, Singh said, adding COVID warriors including doctors, nurses, sanitation workers and police officials were in this fight together. "The Kejriwal model of fighting the COVID battle is now not only being discussed in our country but it is being discussed across the world," he said. Singh said the Centre needs to admit that community spread of the coronavirus is happening in the country and follow Delhi''s lead in containing the virus by ramping up testing "on a large scale". "The Centre...must replicate what the Delhi government did," Singh said at a press briefing. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the biggest examples in this respect where testing is being carried out just in name only, Singh alleged. Hitting back at Singh, Delhi BJP General-Secretary Rajesh Bhatia said the AAP is "running away" from its responsibilities. "Now, they are saying there is community spread, if it is so what were they doing to stop it. The thing is COVID situation had gone out of Delhi government''s hand and was brought under control by Union Home Minister Amit Shah," Bhatia said. However, Singh said the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh was now following the "Kejriwal model" and implementing the home-isolation rule. When the Aam Aadmi Party government of Delhi brought the home-isolation rule, the Centre opposed the idea and said every patient should be admitted to hospital. "But today they are also following the home-isolation rule, he said. Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain resumed work after recovering from COVID-19. The 55-year-old minister had been administered plasma therapy after which his condition improved. He was discharged from hospital on June 26. In his absence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia looked after the health and home departments and PWD. Zarif Arrives In Baghdad Two Days Before Iraqi Premier's Visit To Tehran Radio Farda July 19, 2020 Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Baghdad for a visit weeks after a new prime minister was appointed in Iraq, who seems to have a tougher stance toward Iran's proxy militias is scheduled to visit Tehran on July 21. Upon his arrival Zarif told reporters, according to Iranian media, that he will review the case of former Iranian Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a U.S. drone attack in Baghdad on January 3. Zarif said the purpose of his trip was to follow up on agreements reached during President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Iraq in March 2019, when the two countries agreed on several economic and trade deals, including building a railway linking Iran with Iraq. Iraq, which receives financial and military support from Washington, has attempted to balance its relations with the United States and Iran, which carries significant political influence among Iraq's Shiites and controls a vast network of armed militias. This has led to anti-Iran sentiments that has manifested itself in popular protests since October 2019. The protests brought down the previous Iraq government and after months of uncertainty Mustafa Al-Kadhimi became prime minister. He has exhibited more independence from Iran and a tougher stance against Iran's armed proxies. Zarif in Baghdad said he will meet with the Iraqi president, prime minister and many other leaders. Al-Kadhimi will travel to Saudi Arabia and Iran on Monday and Tuesday, in what is a traditional approach by Baghdad to balance relations with its two powerful neighbors who are each other's arch enemies. Zarif however said that his visit to Baghdad was planned long before and is not a visit to plan Al-Kadhimi's trip to Iran. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/zarif-arrives -in-baghdad-two-days-before-iraqi-premier-s -visit-to-tehran/30735674.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Iraq call for respecting nat'l sovereignty IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Baghdad, July 19, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Speaker of Iraq's Council of Representatives Mohamed al-Halbousi in a meeting on Sunday emphasized respecting Iraq's national sovereignty. Both sides called for not interfering in the local affairs and conferred on the necessity for the exit of the US troops from Iraq. The senior officials also explored avenues for boosting parliamentary relations and bolstering ties between the two countries in various economic, commercial, and energy, as well as cultural sectors. Zarif, heading a high-profile delegation, arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad earlier on Sunday for a one-day visit to the neighboring country and will then depart for Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Earlier on Sunday, the Iranian foreign minister and Iraqi President Barham Salih met to examine the issues of mutual concern. Zarif has also attended a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein earlier on Sunday. Meanwhile, he and the chairman of Hashd al-Shaabi, aka Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Falih al-Fayyadh have met to examine the recent regional developments, as well as issues of mutual interest. 7129**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A father accused of trying to kill his three-year-old daughter has had his court hearing postponed after he woke from a coma with pneumonia. Shaun Mate, 43, was found unconscious alongside his daughter Eloise at the family's Eden Hills home, in Adelaide's south-east on Thursday. A bedside court hearing was scheduled for Monday, but was postponed after his lawyers told Christies Beach Magistrates Court Mate had woken with a lung infection on Sunday and remains in intensive care. The bail hearing will now take place in Adelaide's Magistrates Court next week, ABC News reported. Shaun Mate and his daughter were found unconscious in an allegedly 'gas filled bedroom' Magistrate Kym Millard also ordered a psychiatric assessment be completed before the case resumes. Mate and his daughter were rushed to hospital after being found unconscious in a bedroom just after midnight on Thursday. Police were called to home following a frantic Triple-0 call from the man's distraught wife. She told the operator she found him and their three-year-old daughter unconscious in a 'gas filled bedroom'. Officers were later seen removing several gas canisters from the home. His wife and the couple's six-month-old daughter were in another room at time and were unharmed. Mate and his daughter were treated at the scene before they were transferred to Flinders Medical Centre in a critical condition. The girl was later transferred to the Women's and Children's Hospital and placed in a induced coma, with her mother remaining at her bedside. The little girl's condition has since improved and she is no longer in an induced coma. For confidential support call Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636. Mate's wife (pictured with her husband) made the frantic Triple-0 call just after midnight Shaun Mate (pictured with paramedics on the stretcher) was rushed to Flinders Medical Centre on Thursday night Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexicos ban on indoor restaurant dining was put on ice for a few hours Monday, only to be reinstated by the state Supreme Court later in the day. The New Mexico Restaurant Association, along with several restaurants around the state, had filed a lawsuit last week seeking to block Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration from enforcing its reimposed ban on indoor dining at eateries and breweries. A state judge in Carlsbad issued an order Monday morning that temporarily prevented enforcement of the ban, paving the way for restaurants statewide to reopen indoor dining spaces at 50% capacity. At least some eateries quickly did so, but the reprieve was short-lived as the Supreme Court allowed the dine-in ban to be reimposed after the Governors Office filed an emergency petition. The states highest court also ordered that both sides file responses in the case by next week. I am grateful for the courts quick action, Lujan Grisham said in a statement. Businesses all across New Mexico have been battered by the effects of this pandemic; they are owed consistency and fairness, which my administration has endeavored to provide at every opportunity. The legal two-step is playing out among rising tensions over business restrictions enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed 578 people in New Mexico. Several lawsuits have been filed targeting Lujan Grishams emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic, including a separate case that hinges on the governors authority to issue steep fines to businesses found to be in violation of the states public health orders. But the governors authority to impose restrictions has been generally upheld, with a federal judge ruling in one recent high-profile case that a requirement that houses of worship operate at 25% maximum capacity was legal and did not violate religious freedoms. Meanwhile, many restaurant owners have called the governors decision to reinstate the ban on indoor dining unfair, saying there is no evidence that eateries are to blame for rising COVID-19 case numbers across New Mexico. In their lawsuit, the restaurant association said at least 210 restaurants around the state have gone out of business due to the state-ordered closures. In response to the Supreme Courts ruling, the restaurant association accused the Governors Office of gamesmanship to get the case moved to a different venue. Our restaurants will comply with the health order and continue using our COVID safe practices until we have our day in court, the groups executive board said in a statement. We are still requesting that the Governor engage in a dialogue with our industry to address the pandemic in a way that does not ruin businesses. However, at least some restaurants have defied Health Secretary Kathy Kunkels July 13 ban on indoor dining by remaining open for service. Higher risk activity Governors Office attorneys said in their Supreme Court petition Monday that restaurants were increasingly becoming a trouble spot for COVID-19 after being allowed to reopen at limited capacity on June 1. Over the past two weeks when indoor restaurant dining was allowed, there were 49 rapid responses launched statewide after a restaurant employee tested positive for the virus, according to the court filing. That was up from five such incidents at New Mexico restaurants in the first two weeks of June. Sustained indoor contact in an environment where face coverings cannot be worn, such as at restaurants, is unsafe, said Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki. He also called the initial decision by District Judge Raymond Romero a bad ruling and said that Lujan Grisham had been preparing to file a response in the case on Monday before the judge issued the temporary restraining order that was later suspended. The Governors Office petition to the Supreme Court included an affidavit from Human Services Secretary David Scrase, who said data exists that suggests indoor dining in the U.S. has been linked to spreading COVID-19. Preliminary data suggests that the reopening of indoor dining even at a limited capacity has generally correlated with a rise in cases among the general population and restaurant workers, the motion says. This data aligns with early scientific consensus identifying indoor dining as a higher risk activity. Virtual protest Critics of the Lujan Grisham administration say the governor has unfairly singled out restaurants and other small businesses since the pandemic began in mid-March. The economic survival for many of these restaurants continues to hang in the balance, state Republican Party chairman Steve Pearce said Monday. While eateries are still allowed to operate patio dining at limited capacity, and to provide delivery and curbside takeout, the New Mexico Restaurant Association says such services are not practical in some cases. Not all restaurants and beverage service establishments have drive-thru or outdoor service available, thus rendering them unable to carry on any business under the current public health order, and serving the public outdoors in a record heat wave is detrimental to the health of the patrons, as well as the employees, the plaintiffs original lawsuit says. Many restaurants held a virtual protest of Lujan Grishams dine-in ban last week, though some restaurant owners have sided with the governor and decided to stay closed for now. The Supreme Court did not indicate Monday whether it will hear oral arguments in the case, but ordered the restaurant association to file a response by July 27. [July 20, 2020] Burkina Faso increase telecom tax to 7% Sydney, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on the Burkina Faso outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Burkina-Faso-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Although all three mobile network operators have universal service licenses, only Onatel, majority-owned by Maroc Telecom, also operates a fixed-line network. Mobile telephony has experienced strong growth since competition was introduced in 2000. There has been some fluidity in ownership, with Zain having been acquired by Bharti Airtel before being sold on to Orange Group in 2016. Market penetration remains below the African average but continues to grow steadily. Onatels FasoNet is the countrys leading internet service provider, offering DSL and EV-DO services. Internet penetration is extremely low, exacerbated by the high cost of connectivity despite price cuts introduced since 2011 in the wake of improved international bandwidth via fibre links through adjacent countries. These links provide access to the regions international submarine cables. Although about 50 ISPs have been licensed, only three compete with FasoNet, and collectively these have fewer than 1,000 subscribers. As a result of poor fixed-line infrastructure the mobile operators have bcome significant players in the internet sector, accounting for most connections. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key developments: Revised Finance Law increases telecom tax to 7% of telco revenue; BKF/021 infrastructure project largely completed; Parliament launches inquiry on mobile network infrastructure coverage, pricing of services, and QoS; Main One to increase broadband bandwidth with new PRICAO fibre cable; Government begins computer subsidy program for university students; Burkina Faso joins G5 Sahel countries to eliminate roaming fees; Orange Burkina Faso launches LTE-A services, extends Orange Money services; Government progresses with XOF23.6 billion project to provide metropolitan fibre-optic infrastructure; Report update includes the regulator's annual reports and market statistical data to 2019, telcos' financial and operating data to Q1 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Onatel, Telmob, Bharti Airtel (Zain, Celtel), Orange Burkina Faso, Moov (Telecel, Etisalat), FasoNet, ZCP, Delgi, Cenatrin, CFAO Technologies, River Telecom, Net Access, Maroc Telecom, Vivendi. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Burkina-Faso-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg [email protected] Europe Office +44 207 097 1241 Oceania Office +61 280 767 665 [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\broadband-stimulus's Homepage ] Media personality Mia Freedman is fighting to remain in residence at her $12 million eastern Sydney home, after a court was told a contract to buy the property was rescinded amid a series of disputes with its owner, including who should pay for replacing the roof. Freedman, 48, who is also known as Mia Lavigne, and her husband Jason Lavigne entered into a deed in December 2014 which allowed them to live at the prestige property in Bellevue Hill with the option of eventually purchasing it. They have lived there since early 2015. Mia Freedman and her husband Jason Lavigne in 2012. Credit:Michele Mossop Since, the pair allege, they have suffered ongoing water leaks from the "defective" roof, which is "in such a state of dilapidation" it needs to be replaced. They say they have been required to carry out "significant repairs" to ensure no water gets in. The owner, Somna Lala Kumar, denies the roof is in such disrepair. Strategically located facing the Arabian Sea, the Oman Sea and Arabian Gulf, the Sultanate of Oman boasts of spectacular green landscapes and untouched, lush natural beauty at its finest. Sharing land borders with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman possesses a unique blend of serene deserts, countless beaches with golden sand, Indian summer monsoon rainfalls and verdant vegetationmaking it the perfect getaway for tourists coming from neighboring countries and other parts of the world. With the heat of the summer season, which officially began on June 21 and will end on September 22, the exciting three-month period makes for the best time to visit Oman and have that perfect getaway. With its pleasant climate, the Sultanate is a haven for tourists wishing to experience fun outdoor activities. Adventure lovers and eco-tourists can engage in a wide array of exciting activities while basking in Omans exceptional nature as well as moderate temperatures in some tourist sites. The visitors can also easily move from one tourist spot to another -- from the Sultanates beautiful beaches to high mountains and lively valleys. Omani peoples generosity, hospitality and friendly nature are drawing praises from the visitors as well, with the countrys citizens always ready to welcome their guests with open arms and make them feel special. Oman is one of those tourist destinations that has something for everyone, thanks to its diverse terrain and recreational activities that appeal to travelers of different age groups and with varied experiences. The coastline of Oman, known for its countless beaches, is ideal for water activities, diving and fishing during summer, while its valleys, mountains and unique terrain serve as the perfect retreat for tourists who are wishing to spend some quiet time in calming natural surroundings and engage in adventures such as climbing, camping and hiking. An array of fun activities awaits nature lovers, adventurers and eco-tourists in the Sultanate. During this time of the year, visitors can explore the Sultanates landmarks while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and tranquility of nature. Oman is the best destination to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and take part in remarkable experiences that revive the body and mind. The summer season in Oman signals the start of Khareef, or autumn, in Dhofar Governorate. Visitors enjoy Dhofars cool weather and stunning green landscape during Khareef when the governorate transforms to offer domestic and foreign tourists alike with a perfect summer getaway thanks to its pleasant and mild climate. We all look forward to summer vacations every yearwishing it to be a holiday that makes us spend quality time with our family and friends, escape our stressful daily lives and unwind and rejuvenate. A summer holiday spent in Oman will help you achieve all these. You will come back for more as you discover something new about this magnificent country with every visit. The Sultanate offers various options to guarantee that its visitors and tourists have an unforgettable experience and enjoy unique tranquility that helps restore the vitality and serenity of the mind. - TradeArabia News Service - NDC flag-bearer, John Mahama, wishes 2020 WASSCE students all the best - The former president said he is supporting the candidates in prayers - Over 300,000 students across the country are sitting the exams Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Former president, John Mahama, has sent his best wishes to the 300,000+ students who are writing the 2020 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The timetable for this years WASSCE will begin with Project Work for Visual Arts candidates on Monday, 20 July 2020, while the theory papers will begin from 3 August until 5 September. In a Facebook post, Mahama said: Best wishes to our gallant WASSCE candidates who are beginning their exams today. This is certainly not the best of times to sit for an exit examination but bear in mind that you have made yourself, your parents, and the entire nation are proud of your outstanding courage to write at this time. Mahama wishes Akufo-Addos Free SHS students the best as they write WASSCE Source: Facebook/John Dramani Mahama. Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: President Akufo-Addo fit; he resumes work today Ghana has for successive years been known and celebrated for producing the best WASSCE results in West Africa, and that is why, you, even before stepping into the examination hall, are already our heroes. Nothing can change that. Good luck," he said. The West African Examination Council (WAEC), which conducts the WASSCE concurrently in anglophone West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia) announced on 20 March that it was indefinitely suspending the annual exam due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, upon discussions with Ghana following the countrys decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions and allow final year students to return to school, it was agreed that the exams will be held independently for Ghana. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that final year senior high school students across the country will begin the 2020 WASSCE in Ghana on Monday, 20 July. In all, over 375,737 candidates will sit the examination in various subjects. Out of the figure, about 188,163 are females while the remaining 187,573 are males. The majority of students (313,837) sitting exams are the first batch of students who enrolled in the Akufo-Addo Free Secondary High School policy. "We shouldn't blame the government, SHS students got infected at their homes" - Traders claim: READ ALSO: Dominic Fobih: Angel FM signs 10-year-old boy as sports presenter Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Published on 2020/07/20 | Source New poster added for the upcoming Korean movie "Farewell Restaurant" (2019) Advertisement Directed by Lim Wang-tae With Go Yoon, Aprilann,... Synopsis A fresh romantic musical set against the backdrop of the Greek island of Skopelos! Hae-jin, a chef who suddenly broke up through Kakao, left for Skopelos, Greece, the same island he promised to come with for the summer vacation. Hae-jin opened a Korean restaurant called Farewell Restaurant. For couples' last farewell before their breakups, they play music and comfort them. And then one day, Eleni, a Greek girl came... and he falls in love again. Release date in Korea : 2020/08/27 A Cape Coast based travel and tour company, Torch Light Tours has made a passionate appeal to the Akufo-Addo government to help fix the infrastructural shortcomings at the Cape Coast Metro Hospital. The Cape Coast Metro Hospital which is one of the Covid-19 centres in the Central Region deserves major rehabilitation works as the sea breeze has destroyed medical equipment and the infrastructure; thus the facility was built in 1938. The broken glasses, corrosion and rusting and the general wear and tear at the hospital cause many discomforts for patients and other clients of the Cape Coast Metro Hospital. Donating a television set, food items, consumables and an undisclosed amount of money to the hospital, CEO of the Torch Light Tours, Michael Kojo Orleans called for governmental support to help the hospital deal with the infrastructural deficits. The structures are fast deteriorating and need fixing by government. This hospital plays a huge role in the lives of residents and other people from adjoining Districts. It should be a priority for government to make this place a hospital that befits the people of Cape Coast, he said. " . . this hospital has given a lot to the people of the Central Region and beyond for decades and its about time we gave the hospital our support, he added. Michael Kojo Orleans intimated that inasmuch as the governments efforts are much appreciated, the intervention of government in the current state of the Cape Coast Metro Hospital now will be a huge relief, not only for the staff, but also the residents of Cape Coast. Government has done a lot and us also as citizens ought to do something to complement the efforts of government. The television, we believe, will help deal with the boredom some of the patients go through while the others will support the hospital, he averred. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Derek Acheampong Bonsu, thanked the organization for supporting the hospital; explaining that the TV set has come at an opportune time to help patients battling with the coronavirus reduce complications related to boredom. The TV set couldnt have come at any time other than this time. It will help kill boredom some of the patients go through and also help for our health educational purposes, he ended. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New Delhi: Aiming to reach out to more viewers in the northeast, public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is planning to launch by Christmas a new Doordarshan channel DD Arunprabha in the region. Officials told PTI that in a recent meeting, the Prasar Bharati board approved a proposal to launch the channel, which will focus primarily on the viewers of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim but will have content for other states of the region as well. It is expected that the channel will come up by December 25. The Board has cleared the decision. We expect to launch by December 25, Prasar Bharati Chairperson A Surya Prakash said when contacted. We are very happy with this development as we want to pay greater attention to the northeast, he added. Doordarshan already runs a channel for the northeast region. Sources said that a lot of programming content for DD Arunprabha is already being planned by Doordarshan including a special show that focuses on the regions diverse and delectable cuisine. Another show is based on the monasteries in the region, while there will also be music and singing based reality shows including one that focuses on bands. In addition there will be programmes on educational awareness, career counselling. There will be programmes on governments programmes like startup India and Skill India etc. Sources said a lot of programmes will be Hindi and English apart from the local languages, as the aim is to come up with a northeast channel which also has a national connect. We aim to reach the hearts of the people through vibrant content and a lot of out focus is centred on the youth, DG Doordarshan Supriya Sahu said. It is learnt that the channel will be uplinked from Itanagar and that a major part of the funding requirement will be met by the Centre. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn gestures during a news conference at the Lebanese Press Syndicate in Beirut PARIS (Reuters) - Former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn took a swipe at his old employers in a newspaper interview on Sunday, calling the Renault and Nissan results "pathetic", driven as much by a lack of joint leadership than the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghosn, who was also the chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp, was arrested in Japan in late 2018 on charges of underreporting his salary and using company funds for personal purpose - charges he denies. He fled to Lebanon from Japan. "There is a market confidence problem in the alliance. Personally, I find the results of Nissan and Renault pathetic. The two companies are looking inwards. There is no longer any real mix of management between Renault and Nissan, but a distrustful distance, " he told Le Parisien newspaper. Ghosn compared the share price fall from November 2018 to June 2020 of competitors General Motors Co and Toyota Motor Corp of 12% and 15% respectively to Nissan dropping 55% and Renault 70%. "All of these manufacturers are facing the same COVID crisis, but Renault and Nissan are being punished more than the others,' he said. Ghosn fled Japan to Lebanon, his childhood home, in December as he awaited trial on charges of underreporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. Ghosn was questioned in Lebanon in January. He has said he will cooperate fully with the Lebanese judicial process, but it is unclear what cooperation there will be between Tokyo and Beirut. French prosecutors have also stepped up their investigation into alleged misappropriation by Ghosn of funds at Renault and had summoned him in France on July 13, but he did not attend. "There is a technical obstacle. My passport is in the hands of the attorney general in Lebanon, because Japan has issued an international arrest warrant for me," Ghosn said. "I also want to be sure that my security is assured and that I am guaranteed freedom of movement." (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Peter Cooney) A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy loads evidence bags into a van after raiding an illegal cannabis dispensary in Compton in 2018. State lawmakers are considering new fines for landlords and advertisers that aid illegal pot shops. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press) Alarmed that unlicensed cannabis sellers continue to dominate Californias pot market, state lawmakers are moving toward imposing steep new fines on businesses that provide building space, advertising platforms and other aid to illicit operations. Those who provide assistance to illegal pot sellers would face civil fines of up to $30,000 per day under legislation approved unanimously by the state Assembly that is now pending in the Senate. A final vote on the proposal is expected sometime after lawmakers return to Sacramento this month. Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) said she introduced the bill out of concern that as much as 80% of the cannabis sold in California comes from the illicit market, despite voters approving legal and licensed sales that began in 2018. Despite some success during the first two years of legalized cannabis sales, the illicit market has flourished, Rubio said. In addition to dwindling tax revenues, the underground market presents public safety and health threats to California. But the proposal has divided advocates for legal marijuana. The United Cannabis Business Assn., which represents licensed firms, asked Rubio to introduce Assembly Bill 2122, saying it brings much-needed support in enforcement. Licensed retailers have struggled as many Californians continue to buy from the illicit market sellers, who charge lower prices because they do not pay state taxes or abide by costly state regulations, including testing and security requirements. The illicit cannabis market must be shut down to ensure that legal operators can see an increase of patients and consumers which creates union jobs while we contribute to local and the State of California's tax revenues, the UCBA said in a letter to legislators. However, the measure is opposed by the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also known as NORML, which argues the bill is overbroad and heavy-handed. Story continues In general we would rather see 'carrots' to assist people in securing commercial licenses by lowering the barriers to entry, rather than 'sticks,' be they criminal or civil, said Ellen Komp, deputy director of California NORML. The group supports an existing law requiring advertising for cannabis businesses to include a state license number. NORML officials said many illicit operators display fake licenses to fool those they do business with, so it is not always easy to ascertain whether a cannabis business has a license. Komp suggested the state can help licensed businesses by addressing the fact that two-thirds of the cities in California do not allow licensing of cannabis businesses. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the leading supporter of the legalization initiative Proposition 64 in 2016, has said enforcement is an important part of building a legal industry. But the state Bureau of Cannabis Control has previously run into roadblocks in attempting to enforce laws requiring cannabis businesses to be licensed. In 2018, the bureau sent a letter to Weedmaps, the internet site that provides consumers with information on cannabis firms, directing it to cease and desist from displaying listings of unlicensed sellers. Weedmaps said it was protected from such an order by the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which gave platforms such as Facebook and YouTube safe harbor from being held liable for the content of their users' posts. However, last August, the firm announced it would end the practice of listing unlicensed cannabis businesses on its Yelp-like platform. Still, state officials say ads for illegal operators can be found elsewhere on the internet and said sharper teeth are needed in state law to give enforcement real bite. A Weedmaps spokesman said the firm is neutral on the Rubio bill, but the company warned lawmakers that the measure "has the potential to capture non-nefarious actors across multiple media platforms who are not intentionally supporting the illicit cannabis market." To address concerns from the newspaper industry, Rubios bill provides fines for aiding and abetting, which require knowledge that a cannabis business is illegal and intent to help it. A publisher would not likely be fined if it put up an ad of a licensed business that later had its license expire or taken away, according to Taylor Woolfork, a spokesman for Rubio. But there have been allegations by state officials that some websites have used false license numbers on ads. That could be taken as evidence that the advertiser knew the ads were for unlicensed firms, and therefore was aiding and abetting, Woolfork said. We are not looking to fine folks who make honest mistakes, he said. The measure would also give the bureau more enforcement power when building owners are found to have knowingly leased storefronts to unlicensed marijuana retailers. Cannabis sold in those stores does not meet established standards, evades state testing and puts people at risk, Rubio said. In December, state regulators served search warrants at 24 unlicensed shops in Los Angeles, seizing $8.8 million in cannabis products, and confiscated nearly 10,000 illegal vape pens and $129,000 in cash. Rubios bill would also allow fines against landlords who rent space to shops they know are unlicensed. The legislation is one of the few cannabis-related bills left to be considered this year as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced legislators meeting in a truncated session to pare back the number of measures not related to the health crisis. The industry had also hoped this year might see success for a measure by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) that would have cut the state excise tax on marijuana sales from 15% to 11% for three years while eliminating a cultivation tax for that period. Bonta said that while the tax cut bill will not be moving forward this year, I remain committed to supporting our legal operators, ending the illicit market, and fulfilling California's promise to the voters under Prop. 215 and Prop. 64 to provide legal, safe, and regulated adult-use and medical cannabis. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) The Department of Health-Central Visayas says some 50 residents in a government-run drug rehabilitation in Cebu province have been infected with COVID-19. DOH-7 Spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said the infected residents from the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Argao, Cebu have already been isolated, adding that they have yet to confirm their levels of infection -- whether they are asymptomatic, or with moderate or severe symptoms. Loreche said they are still determining how the virus got into the facility, considering that the rehabilitation center is located two hours from Cebu City. One theory is that the virus was transmitted by one of the staff members, given the sustained community transmission in the region. The total number of cases in the region as of July 19 is at 11,668, with 3,188 recoveries and 534 deaths. Nationwide, the total number of COVID-19 cases is at 68,898 with the addition of 1,521 new cases. Recoveries climbed to 23,072, while the death toll is at 1,835. READ: PH records 1,521 new COVID-19 cases as total climbs to 68,898 Trader Joes says it is in the process of changing packaging on some international products after an online petition said current labels are racist.' According to CNN, the online petition has more than 1,700 signatures. The petition says, We demand that Trader Joes remove racist branding and packaging from its stores. The grocery chain labels some of its ethnic foods with modifications of Joe that belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. For example, Trader Mings is used to brand the chains Chinese food, Arabian Joe brands Middle Eastern foods, Trader Jose' brands Mexican foods, Trader Giottos is for Italian food, and Trader Joe San brands their Japanese cuisine. The Trader Joes branding is racist because it exoticizes other cultures - it presents Joe as the default normal and the other characters falling outside of it. Trader Joe's says it is in the process of phasing out names like "Trader Mings" and "Trader Jose" that have appeared on its international food productshttps://t.co/wr3BuZau9c The New York Times (@nytimes) July 19, 2020 CNN reported that Trader Joes said it had already been in the process of updating its labels that include any variation of Trader Joes. While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect -- one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day, Kenya Friend-Daniel, a spokeswoman for Trader Joes, said in a statement. In Pennsylvania there are Trader Joes stores in Ardmore, Jenkintown, Media, North Wales, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State College and Wayne. READ MORE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Pandemic-Related Coin Shortage Impacts Retailers The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in fewer coins circulating throughout the United States economy, causing a nationwide coin shortage that is impacting some business operations. Many retailers throughout the country have either implemented no-change policies or requested that customers pay with debit/credit cards or use exact change whenever possible. In Hill County, some businesses had signs up last week asking customers to use exact change or pay with cards. Citizens National Bank President Andy Smith said that while the Hillsboro bank has been limited as to the amount of coin it can purchase/order for cash shipments from the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas, there has been nothing out of the ordinary at the bank. "We have not had any customers, business or personal, request large or unusual amounts of coin from us," Smith said. The shortage has been caused, in part, by fewer coins circulating due to the virus-related shutdowns. The U.S. Mint's production of coins has also decreased due to measures put in place to protect its employees. "The primary issue with coin is a dramatic deceleration of coin circulation through the supply chain," according to information released by the Federal Reserve. "As of April 2020, the U.S. Treasury estimates that the total value of coin in circulation is $47.8 billion, up from $47.4 billion as of April 2019. While there is adequate coin in the economy, the slowed pace of circulation has meant that sufficient quantities of coin are not readily available where needed," the release stated. With establishments like retail shops, bank branches, transit authorities and laundromats closed, the typical places where coins enter society slowed or even stopped the normal circulation of coins, the Federal Reserve said. The coin supply chain includes many participants, from the U.S. Mint, which produces new coins, to the Federal Reserve, which distributes coins on the U.S. Mints behalf, as well as armored carriers, banks, retailers and consumers. The Federal Reserve said all of those participants have a role to play in resolving the issue. This month, the Federal Reserve announced that it will convene a U.S. Coin Task Force to work together to identify, implement and promote actions to reduce the consequences and duration of COVID-19 related disruptions to normal coin circulation. The task force is expected to release its first findings by the end of July. Every two weeks, Zombie House Flipping star and Hummelstown native Keith Ori writes about the notable differences between growing up in Pennsylvania and living in Florida. One of the key differences between Central Pennsylvania and Florida, and perhaps really just Florida and anywhere else, are the way problems are handled. I have strong reason to believe that Penn State offers a major in Hunkering Down, with a minor in Waiting for the other shoe to drop, and individual classes in preparing for the worst and making Tucker Carlson faces. The difference, I think, is in the anticipation, or lack thereof. In Pa., natural disasters always seem to catch people off guard, no matter how many times they happen. Its almost like, Hey, we follow all the rules, eat healthy, and only make major purchase decisions after exhaustively studying Consumer Reports, so what the hell? Ill give you an example; In September 2011 my mom called to explain the Swatara Creek had flooded. By itself this is unsurprising because during my childhood the Swatara seemed to flood so often that I thought that the absence of flooding meant the creek was low. I also felt it was odd that our local pre-Revolutionary War steakhouse, the Union Canal House, was only open in between the times it literally became a canal itself. Anywhere else in the world a restaurant that floods every fifteen minutes for 300 years wouldnt be a restaurant anymore. But not Central Pa. Its almost as if theyre trying to give perseverance a bad name. My mom explained that the Swatara had flooded to a uniquely high level and that the Derry Township offices were starting to flood. I replied, Well, at least they have the new one to move into., thinking of the present offices that were built especially to mitigate flooding risks. No, she said calmly, Im talking about the new one. Of course. So where Pennsylvanians seem to think that part of their property tax goes toward ensuring everything remains normal, native Floridians generally anticipate that even the most mundane circumstance might spiral completely out of control at any moment. Hurricanes are like that. They start as little bitty storms off the West Coast of Africa and play a sort of Russian Roulette with the southern United States. Interestingly, we suck at predicting exactly where theyre going to go. In fact, the hurricane path prediction model is nicknamed the spaghetti model because it looks as if someone took a handful of limp spaghetti and dropped it on a map of the Atlantic ocean to divine the path of the storm. Ive always felt that based partly on this, native Floridians have been conditioned to accept that absolutely nothing works properly or reliably. The real fun, however, is reserved for people who move to Florida from other, more staid parts of the country. No amount of preparation is sufficient for what they will encounter here. You know how the hometown newspapers in Pennsylvania publish police logs with stolen gazing ball or mailbox flap removed as legitimate crimes? Police in Florida would openly ridicule you for trying to report something like that because the bar here is so much higher. For example, my 65-year-old, next-door neighbor, Eppie, had her car stolen one night. The police found the car a week later and returned it to her, drivable, but somewhat worse for the wear. Heres where this becomes epic: Later, as Eppie was driving, a phone started ringing. A phone that wasnt hers. Jammed under the seat, she found the phone and answered it. It was the perps baby momma. Eppie knew this because the name on the phone said Baby Momma. Now, Eppie, I should explain, is not like your neighbor. Her preparation for Hurricane Irma consisted almost entirely of ensuring that she had enough pistol ammunition. You know, for the hurricane. She answered the phone and immediately got into a raging argument with the baby momma. Words were exchanged. Harsh words. Harsh enough that next thing Eppie knew the perp himself called and asked her to please do him a solid and leave his baby momma out of it. Eppie declined; she never turns down a fight when theres a shot at a lead role. The baby momma found this so disturbing that she called the police herself and reported Eppie. That is Florida in a nutshell. So youve been warned; if you want to relocate your family to Wonderland youre not allowed to express surprise that the neighbor girl, Alice, is tweeking, talking rabbits are running about, and the HOA president calls herself the Queen of Hearts. In summary, I can offer this -- I was recently interviewed by 48 Hours about a serious crime that was committed in my neighborhood. The interviewer, a sober, experienced New York journalist, asked me with a straight face if Id noticed anything weird prior to the crime happening. I didnt know what to say. I mean, its Florida. How would you know? READ MORE: Think central Pa. is quirky? Try living in Florida | Keith Ori Police in Boston are investigating three violent incidents - two stabbings and a shooting - that occurred hours apart late Sunday night and early Monday morning, authorities said. In Roxbury, at 11:18 p.m., officers responded to the report of a shooting at 77 Maple St. in Roxbury, police said. The victim, police said, sustained life-threatening injuries. Police didnt publicly provide any more information regarding the victim. Hours later in Dorchester, officers responded to the report of a person being stabbed in the area of Livingstone Street and Ashton Street just prior to 2 a.m. on Monday., police said. An investigation revealed two men were stabbed and were walk-ins at local hospitals, police said. One of the victims sustained-life threatening injuries, police said. Authorities didnt provide any more information. The incidents come after two youths were shot and killed Sunday afternoon in Dorchester in the area of 46 Wildwood St. Officers found two juvenile male victims suffering from gunshot wounds, at 4:42 p.m. on Sunday, police said. Both were transported to local hospitals and later pronounced dead. Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact Boston Police Homicide detectives at 617-343-4470. Tips can be called in anonymously to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS. Information can be texted to the police by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Carborundum Universal announced that the voluntarily de-registration of Thukela Refractories Isithebe , South Africa (TRI), the Company's wholly owned step down subsidiary (subsidiary of CUMI International, Cyprus) which has since ceased operations has been approved by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), South Africa. By virtue of the finalization of the de-registration, Thukela Refractories Isithebe, South Africa has ceased to be a subsidiary of CUMI International and accordingly a step down subsidiary of the Company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Investor Presentation and Webinar Links Perth, July 20, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Rumble Resources Ltd ( ASX:RTR ) ( FRA:20Z ) is pleased to announce that it will be presenting at the "Meet the CEO's" virtual session hosted by Reach Markets.The Company is pleased to invite shareholders and new investors to attend the webinar, which will commence at 12.00pm (AEST) / 10.00 (AWST) on Wednesday 22 July 2020.Investors can register here:Managing Director Shane Sikora will be discussing the following key catalysts:- Recent oversubscribed $6 million equity raising;- The Western Queen High-Grade Gold Project;- The Lamil Gold-Copper JV Project - Paterson Province; and- The Fraser Range Nickel-Copper-Gold JV Projects - Fraser Range.There will also be a short Q&A session after the presentation.About Rumble Resources Ltd Rumble Resources Limited (ASX:RTR) (FRA:20Z) is an Australian based exploration company, officially admitted to the ASX on the 1st July 2011. Rumble was established with the aim of adding significant value to its current gold and base metal assets and will continue to look at mineral acquisition opportunities both in Australia and abroad. A dive instructor has been arrested for allegedly raping a German tourist during an excursion off Majorca, local media says. The alleged sex attack is said to have happened after the holidaymaker remained in the boat with one of the monitors while her friends began their dive with other instructors. She told her friends what had happened when they returned to the boat before making a formal complaint at a Civil Guard station in Santanyi in south-east Majorca. Majorcan paper Ultima Hora said the incident happened on Friday during a dive trip off Cabrera, a national park which is 11 miles off the southern coast of Majorca. A dive instructor has been arrested for allegedly raping a German tourist during a dive excursion off Cabrera (file image), an archipelago off the coast of Majorca The force has yet to make an official statement. The woman, who underwent a medical examination at Son Espases Hospital in Palma after filing her complaint, is understood to be German. The dive instructor, who has not been named, has denied any wrongdoing and has been released without charge by an investigating judge pending an ongoing criminal probe. Statements are due to be taken in the next few days from friends of the holidaymakers who went on the diving trip. German tourists were the first to return to Spain when the country began to re-open its borders after the coronavirus lockdown last month. Britons were allowed to enter the country from June 21, but England only lifted its own quarantine rules on July 10 meaning people no longer have to self-isolate when they return from Spain. The Cabrera national park belongs to Spain's defence ministry and is described as 'one of the most beautiful gems of the Mediterranean'. Holiday firms offer boat tours around the archipelago and its series of caves, offering people the chance to go swimming or snorkelling in the Mediterranean. Recognizing the critical need for a digital agency platform that is readily customizable and configurable, Innoveo utilized the power of its no-code Skye technology to develop a comprehensive, scalable solution. Built for mid-tier brokers and broker aggregators, eBro is designed to provide complete functionality and digitization. Innoveo eBro is a dynamic web-based platform that connects B2B/B2C customers with the Broker and Insurer in real time. Key attributes that distinguish eBro include the following: Delivering an end-to-end solution and a seamless digital experience in real time for Customer+Broker+Insurer through the entire policy lifecycle, including policy proposals, ready-quotes, bind and buy, claims, billing and payments, and ongoing customer service. Advanced Analytics/AI configures robust data to drive strategic decisions for business growth, operational effectiveness, and profitability Workflow automation processes power operational efficiencies, improved business performance and business growth, leading to increased revenue and profitability Easy connectivity with legacy technology, third party platforms and agency management systems via API's The functionality of Innoveo eBro provides the ease and affordability of an out-of-the box solution combined with the ability to completely customize and configure eBro to their agency's product lines and carriers, including their branding. New product lines and insurance carriers can be swapped out and/or added within 48 hours. Currently, eBro built-in product lines include the following: Business Owners' Policy (BOP) Directors & Officers (D&O), Cyber, Mid-Tier P&C Specialty Insurance. Amir Ghaffar, President and CEO, Innoveo, "The insurance broker market is at a critical crossroads. Many agencies are hampered by multiple platforms, manual processes, and the need for in-person meetings during a time that requires the ability to interact with customers remotely and operate 100% digitally. With the launch of eBro, we are providing agencies the capacity to navigate a challenging market with rapid digitization (less than one week), omnichannel CX for enhanced customer experience, seamless and real-time interaction between customer-broker-carrier, resulting in a competitive advantage and increased revenues." In addition, Amir Ghaffar, added, "Today's insurance consumers are demanding instant gratification. 60% of small businesses will be owned by millennials within the next five years. We believe Innoveo eBro offers the most comprehensive concierge platform to empower brokers in serving customers and insurers. The combination of easy configurability and complete process digitization is our unique differentiator in the burgeoning Insurtech space." The leading insurance agencies will be those who embrace digitization. Innoveo eBro is a dynamic web-based digital platform designed to drive value for Insured, Broker and Insurer and maximize agency efficiencies, customer engagement and revenue growth. About Innoveo Founded in 2007 in Zurich, Switzerland, Innoveo operates as a technology software provider with a global footprint. Its flagship product, Innoveo Skye, is a no-code platform that provides digital players in the insurance and agency sectors with the latest technology, enabling them to transform and digitalize faster, and, introduce new products into the market across multiple distribution channels in just weeks. Innoveo's main offices are in Zurich, London, New York, Hong Kong, Budapest, and Valencia. For more information visit: www.innoveo.com. Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Twitter Facebook SOURCE Innoveo Related Links www.innoveo.com Scientists at Oxford University say their experimental coronavirus vaccine prompted a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot in early trials. The vaccine, called AZD1222 and being developed by AstraZeneca and scientists at the United Kingdoms University of Oxford, did not lead to any serious side effects, and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses, according to trial results published in The Lancet medical journal on Monday. In the research, scientists said they found their experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55 that lasted at least two months after they were immunised. We are seeing good immune response in almost everybody, said Dr Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University. What this vaccine does particularly well is trigger both arms of the immune system, he said. Hill said neutralising antibodies are produced molecules that are key to blocking infection. He said larger trials evaluating the vaccines effectiveness, involving about 10,000 people in the UK as well as participants in South Africa and Brazil are still under way. Another big trial is slated to start in the US soon, aiming to enrol about 30,000 people. Head of emergencies at the World Health Organization praised the good news from the results shown in early trials, but warned theres a long way to go. We now need to move into larger-scale real-world trials, Dr Michael Ryan told reporters at a news conference in Geneva. But it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose government has helped to fund the project, hailed the results as very positive news. Hope and caution Wafaa el-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University, told Al Jazeera a timeline of six months will likely determine if the vaccine is safe and effective for mass production. I think in all likelihood were looking at six months. I do think the development of these vaccines for COVID-19 has been moving at an accelerated pace At the same time, there is movement for the manufacture of these vaccines in the hope that if the data do show success meaning safe and effective that we will have already the manufacturing capacity in place at that point, said el-Sadr. But, she added: I do think its important to stress again that we cannot let our guard down. We dont have a vaccine in hand. We dont have a safe and efficacious vaccine yet, and for the foreseeable future we have to be careful to adhere to the public health measures that we know can prevent transmission of this virus. Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, reporting from Oxford city, said the progress looks hopeful but there are no guarantees at this stage. The ideal vaccine needs to be effective after one or two doses, it must be good for elderly people and target participants such as people with existing health conditions. It also needs to be effective for a period of longer than six months and at this stage its too early to say whether or not this vaccine actually meets those criteria, he said. Further research needed How quickly scientists are able to determine the vaccines effectiveness will depend largely on how much more transmission there is, but Hill estimated they might have sufficient data by the end of the year to decide if the vaccine should be adopted for mass vaccination campaigns. Hill said Oxford has partnered with drugmaker AstraZeneca to produce their vaccine globally, and that the company has already committed to making two billion doses. There was a hope that if we had a vaccine quickly enough, we could put out the pandemic, Hill said, noting the continuing surge of infections globally. I think its going to be very difficult to control this pandemic without a vaccine. AstraZenecas is among the leading vaccine candidates against a pandemic that has killed more than 600,000, alongside others in mid- and late-stage trials. AstraZeneca has signed agreements with governments around the world to supply the vaccine should it prove effective and gain regulatory approval. The company has said it will not seek to profit from the vaccine during the pandemic. Roy Den Hollander Men's rights attorney and self-described "anti-feminist" Roy Den Hollander is suspected of killing and critically injuring the son and husband of federal Judge Esther Salas. While authorities have not officially named the suspect found dead in an apparent suicide, sources began confirming his identity after it was first reported by The Daily Beast on Monday. The New York attorney's body was reportedly found at a campsite near Liberty in the New York Catskills, about two hours from the New Jersey home where Ms Salas's husband, Mark Anderl, and son, Daniel Anderl, were gunned down on Sunday. On Mr Hollander's website, the self-described anti-feminist says "now is the time for all good men to fight for their rights before they have no rights left." He is known for suing nightclubs in Manhattan for supposedly discriminating against men by offering ladies' night discounts. He is believed to have had a case before Ms Salas in the US District Court challenging the military's male-only draft on behalf of a New Jersey plaintiff, Elizabeth Kyle-Lebell, who was twice denied registration for Selective Service. In 2019, Ms Salas dismissed Ms Kyle-Labell's argument the male-only draft requirement deprived her of due process, but allowed another one that a male-only draft deprives women of "equal protection of the law" -- to proceed, according to USA Today. Oral arguments were scheduled for last month but postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances", according to the case docket viewed by The Beast. On his resume, Mr Hollander describes his expertise as "anti-Feminist litigation, investigations, and advice on general corporate matters". He placed the origins of his activism to a bitter divorce from a woman he married in Russia in the late 1990s. That experience aimed his anger toward feminists and laws that favoured women, according to a 2008 report in The New York Times. Story continues That year he filed a class-action lawsuit against Columbia University for offering women's studies courses that accused the college of using government aid to preach a "religionist belief system called feminism" that was a "bastion of bigotry against men". In 2016, Mr Hollander filed a lawsuit against reporters from NBC News, ABC News, CNN, PBS News Hour, The New York Times and The Washington Post, claiming how they reported on then-candidate Donald Trump was a violation of the civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act. Read more Son of US federal judge killed and husband wounded in attack by gunman National president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi in an interview with Premium Times According to PREMIUM TIMES, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has explained that Nigerian universities may not be reopened even if the federal government orders the resumption of all schools amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, on Sunday, also clarified his position on the reports that the union urged the government not to reopen schools until 2021. The government on March 19 ordered the closure of all tertiary, secondary and primary schools nationwide over the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country. A few days after the governments directive, ASUU commenced an indefinite strike, which is still on. The union commenced the strike over the federal governments decision to withhold the salaries of its members who defied the order of government to enrol in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS). While the federal government has now issued a guideline for resumption dates for final year students in primary and secondary schools, nothing has been said about tertiary institutions. Mr Ogunyemi while speaking with our correspondent said, First, we did not say schools should not be reopened until 2021. We only advised that schools be reopened anytime it is considered safe for our children. They have brought out guidelines and conditions for school resumption, they must now supervise and ensure that those conditions are met. Beyond formulating a policy, they must see to its implementation. So, we are saying it is not just a matter of putting things on papers but implementation from primary schools to tertiary institutions. Speaking further, Mr Ogunyemi said even if the government eventually reopens schools, it has nothing to do with universities battling with a series of crisis. Talking of universities, it should be noted that the crises are beyond COVID-19. There are fundamental crises that will make universities reopening longer and impossible for now. We had long told government our position and until they meet necessary conditions, universities are not resuming even after COVID. There are outstanding issues and government is not ready to fix our universities and provide enabling learning environment. For instance, we are talking about revitalisation if our institutions are well equipped, there is no reason why coronavirus should stop academic activities. You cannot talk about social distancing in universities without talking about additional lecture rooms. So, we have two crisis delaying resumption. The health crisis and the refusal of government to make our universities standard, he said. Mr Ogunyemi urged the government to pay as much attention to education as it is paying to health. Government should not pay attention to health sector and neglect education sector. If the could raise taskforce to look into COVID-19, they should do so to address the challenges of education sector which include revitalisation funds for universities so that our institutions can be up to standard. In the same view, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and some other students who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES have expressed their displeasure over the long closure of Nigerian institutions. In a statement by its Zone D coordinator, Kowe Amos, NANS said the refusal of authorities to take proactive steps shows a lack of political will linked to years of unseriousness and recklessness on the part of our political office holders. However, it must be made known that at the receiving end of this indecisiveness are students that are left idle at home with nothing worthwhile being done to ensure that students resume to classes. Should the federal government eventually ask schools to resume, university administrators will comply, but Mr Ogunyemis explanation indicates the lecturers will not be resuming classes until ASUUs concerns are addressed. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said Monday that shes not interested in following Lincolns lead she believes any mask mandate should come from Ricketts, not local entities. Stothert said she has been encouraged by how many people she sees in public wearing masks and by the declining percentage of people testing positive in Douglas County. Stothert also said that enforcing a local mask mandate would not be a good use of police resources. I wish everybody would wear a mask in Omaha, Stothert said. I understand the importance of it. I understand how they work, and I think they are critical in controlling COVID. I would rather people (wear) them on their own and be responsible. Ricketts said he too encourages people to wear masks its one of several practical steps, along with hand-washing and social distancing, that can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But the current trend of coronavirus cases and hospitalization rates in the Lincoln area doesnt support the need for a government-issued mandate, he said. P rince Harrys lawyers have branded allegations that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's foundations breached Charity Commission rules deeply offensive. Harrys legal team will formally write to anti-monarchy group Republic to contest its claims. In a strongly worded statement, the dukes lawyers said his charity work was "his life's focus" and Republic's allegations were "deeply offensive". It went on to say: "The duke has not, nor has he ever, had any personal financial interest in his charitable work." Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, has reported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's foundations to the Charity Commission for alleged "inappropriate use of charitable funds, conflicts of interest and lack of independence". The claims were made after Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal charitable body received a six-figure grant from William and Kate's Royal Foundation. Harry's fledgling not-for-profit sustainable travel organisation Travalyst also received funds from the Cambridges' foundation, and it has received the assets of Sussex Royal, which is in the process of being wound up. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex's legal team, Schillings, said: "The Duke of Sussex has always and continues to remain deeply committed to his charitable work. "This is his life's focus, and his devotion to charity is at the very core of the principles he lives by, and is obvious through the impact and success of his many charitable projects throughout the UK and beyond. "To this point, it is deeply offensive to today see false claims made about the Duke of Sussex and his charitable work." The statement went on to say: "Travalyst (which was founded within Sussex Royal) is a non-profit organisation for which the duke receives no commercial or financial gain, as is the case with all of his charitable commitments. "The duke has not, nor has he ever, had any personal financial interest in his charitable work. The interest has always been clear: to support others and to make a positive difference." Graham Smith, Republic's chief executive, said in his letter to the Charity Commission: "The Royal Foundation gave a grant of 145,000 to Sussex Royal and 144,901 to a non-charitable organisation (Travalyst). "In both instances it appears the only rationale for the decision was the personal relationship between two patrons, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge. "Neither patrons are trustees of the Royal Foundation, so there is also a question mark over the independence of the trustees of the Royal Foundation. "The Sussex Royal charity has since decided to close, and it is reported that they will transfer all their funds to Travalyst. "Again, this appears to be a personal decision by a trustee (the Duke of Sussex) to fund another of his projects, rather than to ensure the funds are being used for the original purposes for which they were donated." The Royal Foundation had operated under the names of the Sussexes and Cambridges and was behind national campaigns like the Heads Together mental health project. But in June last year Harry and Meghan revealed they were to formally split from their joint charity and form their own charitable organisation. The now-defunct Sussex Royal foundation was established, while William and Kate renamed their organisation the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Sussexes, who now live in Los Angeles after choosing financial and personal freedom over being working royals, are establishing their new foundation called Archewell. In his letter Mr Smith called on the Charity Commission to "investigate both charities for inappropriate use of charitable funds, conflicts of interest and lack of independence". A Royal Foundation spokeswoman said: "The grants made to Sussex Royal were to support the charitable work of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. "They were fully in line with governance requirements and were reported transparently." A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: "We have received a complaint on this issue. "As with all concerns raised with us we will assess the information provided to determine whether or not there is a role for the Commission. "We have not made any determination of wrongdoing." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 01:54:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A screenshot taken from j20strikeforblacklives.org on July 20, 2020 shows the graphics, phrases and sentences specially designed for the movement. (Xinhua) The movement is joined by a coalition of over 20 labor unions and racial and social justice groups in more than 25 cities to confront what protesters in the recent "Black Lives Matter" movement and some senior politicians in Washington, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called "systemic racism" in American society, a claim the Trump administration, however, denied. WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of workers across the United States, including those working at airports, fast food restaurants, nursing homes and on farms, staged a strike Monday to protest racial injustice against African Americans, according to the organizers. Dubbed "Strike for Black Lives," the nationwide general strike called on workers to take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in every U.S. time zone at noon, hold a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds at the time, or walk off their jobs for the same duration of time, the time span Black man George Floyd was suppressed by a white police officer in Minneapolis who knelt on his neck until he lost consciousness and later died in late May. A screenshot taken from j20strikeforblacklives.org on July 20, 2020 shows the graphics and phrases specially designed for the movement. (Xinhua) According to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that organized the strike, the movement was joined by a coalition of over 20 labor unions and racial and social justice groups in more than 25 cities to confront what protesters in the recent "Black Lives Matter" movement and some senior politicians in Washington, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called "systemic racism" in American society, a claim the Trump administration, however, denied. In addition to seeking justice for the Black community "with an unequivocal declaration that Black Lives Matter," the strike also demanded that officials and candidates use their executive, legislative and regulatory authority to rewrite rules ensuring that Black people can thrive, that "corporations take immediate action to dismantle racism, white supremacy, and economic exploitation wherever it exists, including in our workplaces," and that every worker has the opportunity to form a union, the SEIU said in a description of the strike on its website. In a press release issued on July 8 announcing the strike, the SEIU said workers and activists will join force "to demand corporations, government take action to confront triple threat of white supremacy, public health emergency, broken economy." A screenshot taken from j20strikeforblacklives.org on July 20, 2020 shows the graphics, phrases and sentences specially designed for the movement. (Xinhua) "We cannot achieve economic justice without racial justice," said Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU. "Today, in this national moment of reckoning, working people are demanding fundamental changes to America's broken system." The strike came at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is still raging in the country, infecting over 3.7 million people and claiming more than 140,000 lives. A continuation of the anti-racism demonstrations that swept the nation after the death of Floyd, the strike was planned amid a surge in violent incidents across the nation that tragically resulted in the deaths of a number of young children. Pound Sterling loses out in global markets, UK isolation undermines long-term currency profile, Sterling/Euro trades at 2-week lows The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate was able to make net gains to above 1.2550 with Sterling-Euro (GBP/EUR) rallying to near 1.1000. The UK currency lost ground again on Monday with GBP/EUR at 2-week lows just below 1.0950 with expectations that the UK would lose out in global investment stakes. Image: GBP/EUR chart Fear of missing out undermines UK confidence The coronavirus crisis has increased pressure for huge fiscal support and investment inflows at a time when the UK has left the EU. The EU Summit to decide on the recovery fund started on Friday with expectations that talks would continue on Saturday. In the event, there was no resolution on Saturday or Sunday despite intense negotiations until late in the night. Talks will resume later on Monday with some hopes that a deal was close after Dutch Prime Minister Rutte stated that progress was being made. Christopher Wong, FX analyst at Maybank in Singapore commented; "Given that they can narrow down their differences to just 50 billion (euros), markets are somewhat still hopeful of a compromise agreement, though the risk of the deal being called off totally remains. "If they do come to an agreement, we should see a further rally in the euro," said Yujiro Goto, chief currency strategist at Nomura Securities. Euro/dollar has strengthened to 4-month highs just above 1.1450 and gains in the pair have tended to keep GBP/EUR under pressure while helping to underpin GBP/USD. Image: GBP/USD chart GBP/EUR could gain some relief if the talks collapse later on Monday. If the recovery fund is approved, there will be fears that the UK will tend to lose out in relative terms given that the UK has left the EU. China tensions remain in focus A further increase in tensions with China was also a potential negative impact for the UK currency with the UK embroiled in a fresh row with Beijing over the Uighurs as well as Hong Kong security laws. Kit Juckes, head of FX strategy at Societe Generale commented; Sterling does well on the big risk-on days, rallies back, and then as soon as its not a day where theres significant risk appetite in the market, it shows its true colours a little bit more. There is concern about the UK economy, there is concern that the MPC (monetary policy committee) might end up easing further. MUFG continues to see the pound as vulnerable on yield grounds; The 5-year Gilt yield record low of -0.094% was threatened yesterday with the economic data this week failing to shift these building expectations. "Incoherent government policy on COVID, high frequency data that indicates a more subdued recovery, a budget deficit profile that is worse than most other major economies and rising Brexit uncertainties all point to GBP being singled out as higher risk than most other G10 currencies." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 14:01 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667ca79e 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,west-sumatra Free All schools in Pariaman, West Sumatra closed their doors again and returned to online instruction on Monday after two staff members of a school in the city tested positive for COVID-19. The two were found to have contracted the novel coronavirus after taking part in swab testing administered on 1,500 school staff members in the city last week. "The tests were conducted on Friday and two of the results came back positive on Sunday," Pariaman Education Agency head Kanderi confirmed on Monday. Kanderi said a teacher who tested positive was believed to have had contact with 90 students and 40 other teachers and staff members since school doors reopened on July 13. The school itself, which Kanderi said had enforced COVID-19 health protocols during classes and operations, has 580 students enrolled. Read also: Indonesia starts school year with caution during pandemic According to the West Sumatra COVID-19 task force, Pariaman is one of four regions in the province known as areas with low-risk transmission. The three others are Pesisir Selatan regency, Sawahlunto city and Pasaman Barat regency. The city was among 104 regencies and cities considered to be "green zones" which were allowed by the government to reopen junior and senior high schools on July 13, which also marked the start of the new school year. Since then, Pariaman had allowed fourth-year elementary students and senior high schools to return to schools, West Sumatra COVID-19 task force spokesperson Jasman Rizal said. "However, the schools in [Pariaman] will again be closed since we have found two new cases," Jasman said as quoted by kompas.com. Jasman said authorities in Pariaman had started contact tracing and would perform swab tests on those who had interacted with the two people who tested positive. (afr) Chennai, July 20 : After questioning DMK President M. K. Stalin's silence on the issue of denigrating Hindu God Lord Murugan, senior Tamil Nadu Minister S. P. Velumani on Monday fired another salvo at Stalin. In a tweet Velumani urged Stalin not to be a fear monger comparing China with Chennai in respect of the coronavirus spread. Velumani also urged Stalin 'to take the necessary medicine to cure himself of the fear mongering disease.' Earlier in the day Stalin had said the coronavirus spread in Chennai is higher than that of China. Stalin said despite many state ministers testing positive for coronavirus, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami like a gramophone record with a scratch has been repeating that there is no community spread of the virus and it will be controlled. Velumani told Stalin not to keep the people of Chennai in a constant state of fear issuing statements comparing the state capital with China. Though Chennai leads the coronavirus infection table in the state, the numbers have come down from a daily infection rate of about 2,000 cases to less than 1,200. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Truck fire closes part of interstate BARRY A portion of Interstate 72 was shut down for about nine hours after semi-truck caught on fire Saturday. Illinois State Police said a semi being driven by Erik Elgby, 37, of Springfield caught on fire about 7:45 p.m. Saturday. The fire was put out and no injuries were reported, but eastbound lanes were shut down until about 4 a.m. Sunday. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Joshua M. King, 38, of 742 N. Main St. was arrested at 3:12 p.m. Sunday on a warrant accusing him of criminal damage to property. Ashley N. Boyer, 32, of 927 Hackett St. was arrested at 1:11 a.m. Sunday on charges of disorderly conduct after being accused of fighting with a patron at The Emporium at 214 E. State St. James M . Griffeth, 51, of 224 N. Stanton St., Bluffs, was arrested at 1:11 a.m. Sunday on charges of resisting or obstructing a peace officer and obstructing identification after being accused of not cooperating with police during an investigation at The Emporium at 214 E. State St. Tiffany L. Swarringin, 33, of 609 E. Independence Ave. was arrested at 7:50 p.m. Friday on charges of resisting a peace officer and unlawful use of a weapon and on warrants accusing her of failing to appear in court on a probation revocation, endangering the welfare of a child and theft of a motor vehicle. ACCIDENTS Madelynn E. Ganz, 19, of Arenzville was cited on a charge of following too closely after the vehicle she was driving and one being driven by Derek M. Edmonds, 38, of Jacksonville collided at 1:16 p.m. Friday at West Morton and Westgate avenues. Latonja B. Binion, 50, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of failing to yield after the vehicle she was driving and one being driven by Judith M. Taylor, 78, of Jacksonville collided at 5:23 p.m. Friday at South Church Street and Beecher Avenue. Compiled by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and David C.L. Bauer A man has been charged over video of an Instagram influencer performing a sex act with a dog, which later went viral on Tik Tok. Tony Vidler, 41, was arrested at his home in Argents Hill, on the NSW mid north coast, last month and charged with bestiality and distributing an intimate image without consent. Vidler told Daily Mail Australia he denied the allegations levelled at him and would be defending himself in court. It is understood the fishing charter operator met the teen on a Sugar Daddy website and police will allege during conversations he gained access to an intimate video of her. The teen - who has 23,000 Instagram fans - claimed he threatened to send the video to her boyfriend and family, unless she sent him another one, this time with the animal. After doing so the teen soon found the video circulating on social media, leading her to defend herself and plead her innocence on her Tik Tok and Facebook pages. It came after a video of an 18-year-old Instagram influencer performing a sex act with a dog went viral. After doing so the teen soon found the video circulating on Tik Tok, leading her to defend herself and plead her innocence on her personal social media 'First of all I am sorry to anyone who has seen the video and I'm sorry to anyone who knows me. Second of all I never did that for pleasure and I didn't do it for money,' the teen said. 'There is actually a bigger story behind it but I'm not going to sit on Tik Tok and share my story. 'It's an investigation with the police (and) although what I did was disgusting and wrong, I'm not getting in trouble for it and my dog won't be getting taken off me. 'I am trying to move on with my life and I hope that made sense.' In the days after the apology the teen posted another video in which she referred to a 'bigger story' at play, she posted another video in which she claimed she had been blackmailed by someone. She told those watching her Tik Tok live video that the man had access to another video of her which he had threatened to share with her relatives. 'He was saying that if I don't make the video he would send the other video to my boyfriend and to my Nan, and put it on a DVD in my Nan's letterbox,' she claimed. The teen claimed she had been 'sent money' by the money for the initial video and 'did not think to go to the police' because of fears she may be complicit in fraud. 'I just thought that I would do it and that no one else would find out about it... and if I just made the video that it would just go away,' she said. 'If people are going to continue messaging on my stuff feel free to message me and I will call and talk about the full story.' NSW Police raided Vilder's home on June 24 and inside allegedly found cannabis, a mobile phone, a laptop, an SD card and a USB stick. Vidler (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia he denied the allegations levelled at him and would be defending himself in court In the days after the apology the teen posted another video in which she referred to a 'bigger story' at play, she posted another video in which she claimed she had been blackmailed by someone NSW Police raided Vilder's home in the early hours of Wednesday, June 24 and inside allegedly found cannabis, a mobile phone, a laptop, an SD card and a USB stick. That afternoon they returned to the home and arrested him. 'A man has been charged after a video containing bestiality was shared on numerous social media platforms earlier this month,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'About 12.30pm on Thursday 4 June 2020, officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District, with the assistance of Mid North Coast Police District, commenced an investigation after they were alerted to a video that depicted sexual acts between a woman and a dog. 'At 3.30pm the same day, a 41-year-old man was arrested at the Argents Road address and taken to Macksville Police Station where he was charged with possess prohibited drug, bestiality and intentionally distribute intimate image without consent.' In a statement, the NSW RSPCA said they could not comment as the matter remains before the courts. Vidler was granted conditional bail to appear in Macksville Local Court on Thursday 6 August 2020. The Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday initiated a probe into alleged low-cost imports of a certain type of yarn from China, which is impacting the domestic industry. The Commerce Ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has started the probe to assess if the subsidy programme of China for exports of 'Viscose Rayon Filament Yarn above 60 deniers'' is impacting the Indian industry. Association of Man-Made Fibre Industry of India (AMFII) has filed an application before the DGTR, on behalf of domestic industry, for anti-subsidy investigation on the imports of this yarn from China. The applicant has alleged that material injury to the domestic industry is being caused due to subsidized imports from China and has requested for imposition of countervailing duty on these imports. The product resembles silk, cotton and wool in its feel and texture. It is used in making woven fabrics, home furnishings, knitting and others. It is a popular choice for making fabrics such as georgettes, crepes and chiffons. "On the basis of the duly substantiated written application by or on behalf of the domestic industry, and having satisfied itself, on the basis of the prima facie evidence submitted by the domestic industry, substantiating subsidization" of the yarn originating in or exported from China, "the authority hereby initiates an investigation to determine the existence, degree and effect of alleged subsidies...and to recommend the amount of countervailing duty, which, if levied, would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry," the DGTR said in a notification. If it is established that subsidies by China are impacting domestic industry, the DGTR would recommend the amount of countervailing duty, which if levied, would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry. The period for investigation is from April 2019 to March 2020. However, it will cover the data of 2016-19. Under the global trade rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a member country is allowed to impose anti-subsidy or countervailing duty if a product is subsidised by the government of its trading partner. These duties are trade remedies to protect domestic industry. Subsidy on a product makes it competitive in price terms in other markets. Countries provide subsidies to boost their exports. India and China both are members of the Geneva-based multi-lateral organisation. China is a major trading partner of India. Etihad Airways and Boeing will work together starting in August on the seventh iteration of the ecoDemonstrator programme to test innovative technologies in the air, building on the core innovation and sustainability tenets of their strategic partnership signed in November 2019. The ecoDemonstrator programme utilises commercial aircraft as flying testbeds to accelerate technology development that will make commercial aviation safer and more sustainable now and into the future. The 2020 program will be the first to use a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. It will leverage the Etihad Greenliner programme as part of the broader Etihad-Boeing Strategic Partnership to test cutting-edge technologies and explore blue sky opportunities to improve airspace efficiency, reduce fuel use, and cut CO2 emissions. Tony Douglas, Etihad Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer, said: This is the latest programme under Etihads industry-leading strategic partnership with Boeing, focusing on innovating real-world solutions to the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry." When we launched the partnership with the announcement of the Etihad Greenliner programme at the Dubai Airshow last year, we promised it was just the beginning of a deep, structural partnership between our two organisations that would go on to lead the industry towards a sustainable future. The ecoDemonstrator programme is founded on innovation and sustainability. These are core values for Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, and Etihad and Boeing see a great opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge to minimise the impact of aviation on the environment. Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal said: Industry collaboration is a key aspect of Boeings ecoDemonstrator programme that enables us to accelerate innovation. Were proud to broaden our sustainability partnership with Etihad Airways by testing promising technologies that can reduce emissions, help commercial aviation meet our climate goals, and allow the industry to grow in a responsible manner that respects our planet and its natural resources. Boeing and Etihad will work with industry leading partners, including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to conduct aircraft noise measurements from sensors on the airplane and the ground. The data will be used to validate aircraft noise prediction processes and the sound reduction potential of aircraft designs, including landing gear, that are modified for quieter operations. In addition, a flight will be conducted during which pilots, air traffic controllers and an airlines operations center will simultaneously share digital information to optimize routing efficiency and enhance safety by reducing workload and radio frequency congestion. Test flights will be flown on a blend of sustainable fuel, which significantly lowers aviations environmental footprint. The testing programme is expected to last approximately four weeks before Etihads Boeing 787-10 is entered into service in Abu Dhabi. - TradeArabia News Service (Natural News) A hotline that allows people to report others for not wearing masks has been set up in Ohios Cuyahoga County, following Gov. Mike DeWines order mandating the use of masks in several high risk areas within the state. Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, in a statement, said that the hotline was launched in order to allow the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to focus on contact tracing and testing. This is because Cuyahoga County currently does not have enough manpower in law enforcement to identify, track down and apprehend violators. Budish insists, however, that the hotline and its online counterpart are not meant to aggressively prosecute those who choose not to follow Governor DeWines mask mandate. Sending the Sheriff out and putting people behind bars for violating the mask law, thats not what this is about, Budish said, adding that this is not the first time that the government has enacted intrusive yet necessary policies. (Related: Scientists: Face masks reduce risk of coronavirus infections by 65 percent.) Look at seat belt laws, those are intrusive. I remember when they were first coming in, people hated it, Budish said. As per the order, individuals who see others violating the governors mask orders should forward complaints to the countys new hotline at 216-698-5050, or through the countys website. County workers will then contact the subject of the complaints whether they are individuals or businesses in order to inform them that a complaint has been filed against them, Budish said, adding that the complaints also will be forwarded to the Board of Health, as well as the relevant city or village authorities. In addition, the Sheriffs Department could reportedly investigate or potentially file charges and take further action should a violator of the mask order become the subject of repeated complaints, or if an individual commits a serious non-compliance. According to Budish, those who violate the states order can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail as well as a fine amounting to $750. Its our hope that this kind of action wont be necessary, Budish said during a press conference. I can assure you that no one wants to penalize people for not wearing a mask. So far, the hotline has received about 500 complaints. These have varied from employees to customers to police officers not wearing masks. Meanwhile, some of the complaints have also involved individuals at house parties, auto repair shops and fast food joints. 19 Ohio counties now potentially critical COVID-19 hotspots Aside from Cuyahoga County, 18 other counties within Ohio have been ordered by Governor DeWine to implement mandates required the wearing masks in public due to their high number of coronavirus infections. The order affects the following counties: Athens, Allen, Delaware, Licking, Lucas, Richland, Scioto, Union, Butler, Cuyahoga, Clermont, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Lorain, Montgomery, Pickaway, Summit and Wood. These counties, according to authorities, are now under Red Level, which means that they have met up to four of the seven indicators mentioned in the Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System. These indicators new cases per capita, sustained increase in new cases, proportion of cases that are not in congregate settings, sustained increase in COVID-19-related emergency room visits, sustained increase in COVID-19 outpatient visits, sustained increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions and intensive care unit occupancy determine a countys risk for the virus, and function as an early warning system for the residents of that county. No matter where you live, you are at risk for this, Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said. As per DeWines orders, those who live in the mentioned counties must wear masks whenever they are in any indoor space that is not a private residence. This is on top of wearing them outside when it is not possible for them to stay six feet away from people outside of their household. In addition, DeWines mask order also requires individuals to wear masks when they are waiting for or using public transit and other transportation services. Local health departments, DeWines office said, will be the ones to enforce the mask order, adding that they do not anticipate the involvement of law enforcement except in extreme cases. At least 70,601 people have been reported to have COVID-19 in Ohio, of which 3,103 have died. Sources include: Breitbart.com Content.GovDelivery.com News5Cleveland.com USAToday.com Cincinnati.com Fox8.com Coronavirus.JHU.edu One in three office workers want to continue working from home after the coronavirus threat is over, a survey has revealed. The study from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found that 32 per cent of people are expecting to at least partially work from home even after the lockdown has ended. The survey also showed a strong demand from Brits for more flexible working, up from a tenth in 2019, as reported by The Telegraph. Pablo Shah, a senior economist at the CEBR, told the newspaper: 'This seismic shift, taking place in months rather than decades, will transform the worlds of property, transport, retail, leisure and, not least, fashion. Ten years ago, this would not have been possible.' The research further indicated that between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of employees will be working from home on any one day in 2021. It comes as Boris Johnson altered guidance on Friday for home workers in an effort to get them back to offices and save Britain's High Streets which continue to be deserted despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. Commuters wearing face masks walk through the ticket barriers at Waterloo Station in London on June 15 Fewer than one in six workers in cities have returned to the office fuelling fears over the survival of cafes, pubs and restaurants. However Mr Johnson's new guidance put him at odds with Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, who told MPs on Friday that working remotely 'remains a perfectly good option'. He then went even further as he said many companies had found working from home had not been 'detrimental to productivity' and as a result there is no need to move away from the policy. Yesterday the Foreign Secretary admitted there will be more remote working even after the coronavirus threat has passed. But stressed that the country was in the middle of a 'severe economic downturn' and it would help if fewer people worked from home now that the virus is receding. Yesterday the Foreign Secretary admitted there will be more remote working even after the coronavirus threat has passed However attitudes to returning to the office appear to be changing, poll released at the weekend has suggested. It found 54 per cent believed it was worth the risk of travelling back to work to avoid an economic crash, the Sun on Sunday found. In an interview at the weekend, Boris Johnson said he wanted to avoid a second nationwide lockdown, comparing it to a 'nuclear deterrent'. He told the Sunday Telegraph that he 'certainly' does not want another blanket shutdown and 'nor do I think we will be in that position again'. The new guidance states that from August 1, employers can urge workers to come back to their office so long as it is Covid-secure. Mr Raab said yesterday on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: 'What we have said is from August 1, while we're carefully monitoring the virus, we do need to get the economy back firing on all cylinders as best we can. Commuters wearing a face mask travel on TfL Victoria Line underground train carriages, heading towards central London, on June 15 'We know we're in the middle of a severe downturn. And so we're making sure, with employers, that they've got the Covid-secure workplaces in place and we've had great co-operation from business. 'And we're also saying to employers you've got this remote working facility, we know that's important. I think we'll all do a bit more remote working in the future. 'But we also trust employers to say, 'Actually, do you know what? We do need more people coming back to work'. And therefore we're giving them that discretion. I think that's right.' Some of Britain's largest employers say they will allow staff to work from home for months to come. In London, only one worker in eight has gone back. In the City, just 800 of Goldman Sachs' 6,000 London staff have returned. Fewer than 2,000 of the 12,000 at JP Morgan are back. The figures come from an analysis of mobile phone data in 67 cities by the Centre for Cities think-tank on behalf of the Times. The data suggests that Basildon in Essex has seen the highest proportion of staff go back, at 49 per cent, and Edinburgh the least at 12 per cent. Workers in the biggest cities are the least likely to have returned amid fears over the risk of long commutes on public transport. The figures correspond with official data showing that rail services were operating at only 16 per cent capacity. The roads are back to 86 per cent of normal levels. Andrew Carter, of Centre for Cities, said: 'Many office workers understandably will continue to work from home even as Covid-19 restrictions lift, and whilst this may well be the right decision for them as individuals, for the national economy the sum of these decisions will have a cost.' Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has joined his counterpart in Punjab and has drawn Prime Minister Narendra Modis attention to the farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, promulgated on June 5. He has stated in a letter to the PM that the ordinance is against the agrarian communitys interest and has pleaded for its withdrawal at the earliest. On Sunday, the CM wrote to the PM, claiming the ordinance would reduce employment opportunities and is at odds with the countrys federal structure and the welfare state model. The CM said that Chhattisgarh is an agriculture-dependent state and 70% of its population is engaged in farming and allied activities. Baghel stated that significant progress has been made in the production of paddy, maize, sugarcane, and soybean through the advanced technology, quality seeds, and various schemes of the state government that sought to safeguard farmers interest. The state primarily grows paddy, which is procured by Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Limited in Raipur, on behalf of the Central government-run Food Corporation of India (FCI), at a minimum support price (MSP). Chhattisgarh supplies locally-produced usna (parboiled) rice, which helped the country successfully combat the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, the CM said. He pointed out that the ordinance allows farmers and traders to buy and sell farm produce outside mandi premises, exemption on a fee on the sale of notified agricultural produce, and transactions can also be made by those who dont even have a licence and a Permanent Account Number (PAN). Baghel joined the issue for a uniform rule, citing that different types of agricultural produces are produced in various parts of our country, where marketing practices are influenced by the corresponding nature and conditions of the farmers, whose interests are safeguarded under the Mandi Act. He batted for farmers and said that farm folks are at the mercy of market forces. The efforts to increase agricultural production are meaningless and unprofitable until the marketing of agricultural produce at a reasonable price can be ensured in the interest of farmers. The Mandi Act has been implemented in a bid to achieve this objective. The Act is periodically amended by the Central government to include single registration, online trading, private mandi premises, direct purchase, single-point market fee, and marketing of livestock. The mechanism seeks to enforce a transparent and competitive system in the private and public sector, he stated in the letter. Baghel cited that the Mandi Act is rational in its present form. However, if any modification is required, the state government is equipped and open to such a suggestion, he added. The CM warned that the ordinance seeks to make the Mandi Act ineffective and lakhs of farmers in the unorganised sector would be at the mercy of unbridled market forces amid the adverse economic impact of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. At present, the Mandi Act stipulates that a farmer can sell his agricultural produce anywhere outside or inside his native state without paying any market fee. But the ordinance aims to do away with the existing mechanism, much to the dismay of hapless farmers, Baghel added while pointing out the cascading effect such as joblessness to hamals (porters), tulais (those who are engaged in weighing the farm produce) and many others indirectly connected to the mandis, including officials and employees, which dont augur well for a welfare state like India, the letter stated. He also urged the PM to take note of the proposed closure of an open auction bid at a mandi -- an electronic tender process -- that seeks to ensure competitive price mechanism for agricultural produces that could immensely harm farmers commercial interests. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The pursuit started at about 9:30 p.m. after members of the departments crime suppression unit who were conducting a street narcotics investigation in the 1600 block of 5th Avenue observed several people standing near a dark SUV in the middle of the block, Rogers said. Though the typical peak of hurricane season is still several weeks away, forecasters Monday were monitoring a trio of weak tropical systems in the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. The first system, a weak low-pressure area, formed over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. "The associated shower and thunderstorm activity is currently disorganized, and little additional development is expected before the system moves inland over Texas tonight or Tuesday," the hurricane center said. Although this system is not a significant concern, Weather.com said "it could enhance rainfall near parts of the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts." The second system is a tropical wave now spinning over the Bahamas and Cuba, the hurricane center said. Once the wave moves into the Gulf of Mexico late Tuesday, more favorable conditions for tropical development are forecast, AccuWeather said. Forecasters were keeping watch on three separate tropical disturbances in the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic on Monday, July 20, 2020. However, at this time, meteorologists believe the system will not have time to ramp up to a hurricane and the chance of a tropical storm developing from it is 10-20% and for a tropical depression to evolve from it is between 20-30%, according to AccuWeather. Just like the first system, parts of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts could see enhanced showers and thunderstorms from this system late in the week, Weather.com warned. The third disturbance is a tropical wave in the central Atlantic Ocean that's has a low chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm, the hurricane center said. If any of the systems become a named tropical storm, it would get the name Gonzalo. So far this year, six tropical storms have formed in the Atlantic Basin, with the most recent being Tropical Storm Fay 10 days ago. Fay soaked portions of the northeastern U.S. with heavy rain. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical systems developing in Gulf, Caribbean, Atlantic A large fire that broke out close to hundreds of sunbathers on Bournemouth beach was started by someone cooking in a hut, rescue services said. The fire, on West Undercliff, affected three beach huts and spread over around 100 meters of heath on the cliff face on Monday afternoon. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was called at 3.51pm and it took multiple crews and a helicopter to bring the blaze under control. A spokeswoman said it was understood th fire started in the beach hut when a camping stove was knocked over. She said the blaze had been brought under control by 5.30pm, although crews had remained at the scene damping down for a few hours more. No-one was injured in the incident. The fire had caused a huge plume of black smoke to billow over the area. Beach-goers were forced to move away as the flames engulfed a cliff behind the sand, spreading up the scrub-covered cliff. Several people reported hearing an explosion at a beach hut where the fire is thought to have started. The stretch of beach in front of the cliff along the West Cliff promenade, which was packed with hundreds of sun-worshippers, was evacuated. Fire chiefs warned nearby householders to keep doors and windows closed because of the smoke, and police warned people to avoid the area. Recommended The scenes on Bournemouth beach make Britain a global jackass Eight fire engines were sent to help tackle the blaze. Sun-lovers flocking to Bournemouth beach have been criticised in recent weeks for ignoring social-distancing rules during the pandemic. With agencies During our most recent Power Line show for subscribers (an edited version which you can listen to here), John asked Steve about the possibility that, given the deep divisions in the U.S., the country might one day split peacefully into two. Steve suggested that if President Trump is reelected, many on the left will probably wish to secede. This prompted me to ask, what about on the right, if Trump loses. Steve responded that the right will accept a Trump defeat because we are constitutional conservatives. Maybe I should have asked the question a little bit differently: What about Trump, if he loses? Will he accept the result of the election, in that event? The answer, I think, is probably not. Trump didnt even accept the fact that he lost the popular vote in 2016. He alleged that voter fraud accounted for his deficit of nearly three million votes. Trump had previously declined to say he would accept the result of that election, if he lost. Given his past behavior and the problems with holding an election during a pandemic (or, if were lucky, its immediate aftermath), theres a good chance that Trump wont accept the result of Novembers balloting if he loses. This doesnt mean he will refuse to vacate the White House, in that event. It means he likely will insist that he won and that Joe Bidens victory is illegitimate. It also means that Trumps core supporters wont accept Bidens election, either. Genuine constitutional conservatives will accept it, I assume, but a large segment of the right probably will not. In a postscript to the edited version of our Power Line show, Steve discussed the Democrats history of not accepting the legitimacy of Republican victories in presidential elections and/or the legitimacy of Republican presidencies themselves. In the case of President Trump, many Democrats called for resistance and some have, in effect, resisted. Republicans dont have the same history. However, birthers like Donald Trump never fully accepted the legitimacy of Barack Obamas presidency and, as discussed above, many Republicans are unlikely to accept the legitimacy of Joe Bidens (if things come to that). In a portion of our Power Line show that was edited out, I looked beyond the 2020 election and asked about how conservatives would react in two scenarios. First, what if Democrats gain control of Senate, abolish the filibuster, and grant citizenship and the right to vote to 15 million illegal immigrants, thereby making it nearly impossible for conservative candidates to prevail in national elections and in most congressional ones? Second, what if Democrats impose radical gun control measures, including confiscation a real possibility if, as many Democrats contemplate doing, they pack the Supreme Court? In either scenario, I suspect that many conservatives will resist in one serious form or another. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 Trend: Russia hopes that the situation on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be resolved as soon as possible and the emotional background around this conflict will normalize, Spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov was commenting on the information about the impact of this conflict on the trade sector in Moscow, Trend reports referring to TASS. The spokesman stressed that both Armenians and Azerbaijanis having Russian citizenship are respected members of the Russian society, but "it is obvious that the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border cannot leave these [Russian] citizens indifferent". "We hope that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible and thus, the emotional background will also normalize," Peskov added. 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-year-old Aziz Azizov was killed. The battles continued on July 16, during which one more serviceman of Azerbaijani army - Nazim Ismayilov -was also killed. Ranchi, July 20 : The death of an elephant in Betla National Park in Jharkhand is becoming more controversial by the day. Now, Jamshedpur MLA Saryu Rai has written to Chief Minister Hemant Soren demanding a high-level probe into the matter. The female elephant was found dead in Murkatti area of Betla under the Palamu Tiger Reserve. Demanding a high-level probe into the matter, the MLA said that the culprits should be identified and punished. "If it is not done then wild animals in the state especially in the PTR will be affected," Rai said. He said in the letter that a deep wound was found on the head (skull) of the elephant. The skull of an elephant is quite strong, it is impossible to pierce it with normal blows. Such a wound on an elephant's skull can only be caused by a rifle bullet. He said, "It was found during the postmortem that the wound is quite deep, yet the veterinarian who did the postmortem did not mention it in his report. According to the postmortem report the elephant died of liver disease. In such a situation the report should be scrutinised." After the death of the elephant, wildlife lovers have been demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter. They suspect that she could have been shot or killed with a sharp weapon. Rai, who is active in the field of environmental protection, said that a tigress was also killed in the PTR a few days ago. Thereafter, three bisons also died in suspicious circumstances. The MLA has expressed apprehension that a hunter-gatherer gang has entered the PTR which is killing the wildlife, while the authorities are not able to catch the gang. Rai wrote in the letter, "They (officials) are not even ready to accept the status quo. Their interest is in suppressing and under-reporting such incidents, it is not right." Rai in his letter also accused the then forest department officials of shamefully covering up a tigress' death. He said that a call attention motion was also tabled in the Assembly, but following the Covid-19 outbreak it could not be discussed. The response given by the government is also misleading. Rai stated that the reason for the death of the tigress is not what the forest officials have told the House. The corpse of the elephant was seen by the forest workers who went out on patrol in Betla National Park on the morning of July 14, after which the incident was reported to the senior officials of the forest department. BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD As of Monday, Baltimore County has a total of 9,828 positive new coronavirus cases, according to the Baltimore County Health Department, and 492 deaths. The state has 78,685 confirmed cases and 3,252 deaths total, reports the Maryland Department of Health. More than 11,897 people have been hospitalized. The number of confirmed cases in Baltimore County nursing homes stands at 1,466. The number of death cases in Baltimore County nursing homes is at 215. The following zip codes have the highest confirmed case counts in Baltimore County as of July 20: 21117 with 666 cases 21234 with 683 cases 21207 with 607 cases 21133 with 566 cases 21220 with 532 cases The county health department has its own website created to monitor the situation, broken down by new cases per day and other data. The CDC advises doing the following to stop the spread of the virus: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If this is not available, use hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Keep 6 feet of space between people. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. This article originally appeared on the Catonsville Patch State Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Robinson on Monday rejected a challenge to Gov. Ned Lamonts executive order allowing mail-in Republican and Democratic balloting for the Aug. 11 primary. The lawyers for four Republican primary challengers to veteran 1st District U.S. Rep. John Larson and 2nd District U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said the governors order, carried out by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, was an example of illegal governmental overreach. Robinson quickly turned down their request, stressing that it should have been filed with lower state courts. Within hours, the plaintiffs attorneys Proloy K. Das and Matthew A. Ciarleglio filed a new action in state Superior Court, and asked Robinson to reconsider his decision. Neither the Secretary of the State nor the Governor may ignore the Constitution and unilaterally create no-excuse absentee voting for everyone, the lawyers said in a statement released Monday night. Only Connecticuts citizens can amend the Constitution. The plaintiffs brought this action in order to enforce the Constitution and to protect the integrity of our elections. Todays decision did not address whether the Secretary and the Governor have acted unlawfully. They are desperately trying to avoid having the constitutionality of their actions reviewed and we will continue to press for a court ruling. Robinson, in a brief written decision that he intends to expand upon, said that while the plaintiffs cited a precedent-setting case that proved the constitutional importance of primaries, It does not, however, speak to the remedies available under state law with respect to disputes that arise during that process, including with respect to absentee ballot procedures that are governed by state constitutional and statutory law. Attorney General William Tong, defending the order, focused on the political and public health situations in addition to the law. No one should have to risk their lives to vote, Tong said in a written release after the ruling. This case was part of a nationwide right-wing voter suppression campaign challenging the ability of Americans to safely exercise their right to vote during this unprecedented public health crisis. The plaintiffs sued the wrong individual under the wrong statute in the wrong court and we are grateful for the Supreme Courts adherence to the rule of law. Robinson wrote that the plaintiffs, who asked for a hearing this week on the merits of their case, should have filed their case in state Superior Court. More News Absentee ballot applications mailed to CT major party voters The ruling may discourage other challenges, including a case filed in state Superior Court by sitting Republican lawmakers, including state Sen. Eric Bethel of Watertown and state Rep. Jason Perillo of Shelton. At issue was Merrills plan to mail absentee ballot applications for the Aug. 11 primaries to all voters registered as Democrats or Republicans. Voters would be able to vote by mail without an excuse such as illness or absence from the state due to military or work obligations if they felt threatened by coronavirus. That was in response to Lamonts move to reduce the health threats of in-person voting in the pandemic. Only enrolled party members are allowed to participate in Connecticut primaries. Under a bill before the special session of the General Assembly this week, that same mail-in privilege would be extended for the November presidential election which Lamont cant order because the public health emergency expires in September. During an hour-long teleconference earlier Monday, Tong said the challenge doesnt take into account the public health emergency and the governors power to issue executive orders. He stressed that the state law being challenged does not even pertain to primaries. The reason why they didnt plead that the governor doesnt have the authority, is because that argument isnt only frivolous, but its dangerous, Tong said during the hearing. Robinson asked the lawyers to stay near their computers, hinting that he might rule from the bench after the unusual hearing. Das, representing two 1st District and two 2nd District Republicans, told the chief justice that the goal was to protect the right of people to vote under the terms of the state Constitution. He alleged that Merrill added another category for qualifying for absentee balloting above and beyond state law. Just because the secretary of the state has misled individuals by adding a seventh category as far as the basis for which they should be able to vote by absentee ballot doesnt mean that individuals that have been following that directive dont lose their rights, Das said. We are simply asking that the ballots not to be sent on the 21st, that the court can hear argument on the merits on the 22nd. Tong called the plaintiffs attempt to delay the mailing of ballots almost devoid of legal analysis. Today is a good day for Connecticut voters, said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the election watchdog. When COVID-19 struck, Gov. Lamont and Secretary Merrill took common sense actions to ensure that Connecticut residents could vote in the upcoming August elections, without risking their health. This legally frivolous and logically backwards lawsuit sought to strip away those protections, forcing voters to choose between their health and their voting rights. The proposed legislation will be the subject Tuesday of an online public hearing before the Government Administration & Elections Committee. Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, co-chairwoman of the GAE Committee, said Monday night that the bill would essentially codify Lamonts executive order on the primary and for the Nov. 3 general election. Under the bill, local election officials would be able to start opening and counting absentee ballot on election morning instead of the evening, Flexer said. There are also procedures to speed up the accounting of envelopes that contain completed ballots. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Pete Voss, a Google spokesman, said the virus alert apps that use the companys software do not use device location. Thats including for people who test positive for the virus and use the apps to notify other users. The apps use Bluetooth scanning signals to detect smartphones that come into close contact with one another without needing to know the devices locations at all. Since 2015, Googles Android system has required users to enable location on their phones to scan for other Bluetooth devices, Mr. Voss said, because some apps may use Bluetooth to infer user location. For instance, some apps use Bluetooth beacons in stores to help marketers understand which aisle a smartphone user may be in. Once Android users turn on location, however, Google may determine their precise locations, using Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth beacons, through a setting called Google Location Accuracy, and use the data to improve location services. Mr. Voss said apps that did not have user permission could not gain access to a persons Android device location. Apple, which does not require iPhone users of the virus apps to turn on location, declined to comment on Googles location practices. The Android location requirement underscores a troubling power imbalance between governments and two tech giants that dominate the mobile market, some security and privacy experts said. Countries using the software, they said, have little recourse against the new global standards that the companies are setting for public health technology. Google and Apple, for instance, bar government virus apps using their technology from tracking users locations. But Google may determine and use the device locations of Android users of the apps, depending on their settings. We are giving too much control to two big companies, said Alexandra Dmitrienko, a professor of secure software systems at the University of Wurzburg in Germany. They are monopolizing it. Russian opposition activist Aleksei Navalny has announced that he will be closing his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which has angered oligarchs and officials alike with his blistering investigations, after a Kremlin insider won a large defamation lawsuit. However, Navalny said he would open a new organization soon to continue his work exposing corruption at the highest levels of the Russian government. "Not a joke. Not a marketing trick. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, which I established nine years ago, will soon be taken away by Putin's Chef and his friends," the activist said in a July 20 tweet. FBK last year lost an 88 million-ruble ($1.2 million) defamation lawsuit filed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Kremlin insider known as "Putin's Chef," after it accused his catering firm of serving meals at Moscow schools that caused a bout of food poisoning. FBK currently has 7,607 sponsors that donate money on a monthly basis. That money would now go to Prigozhin if FBK was not liquidated, Navalny said in his tweet. "Instead of the previous FBK, we are creating a new legal entity and will continue to work," spokeswoman Kira Yarmish said on Twitter. During its nine years of existence, the FBK has been instrumental in exposing corruption in Russia, producing dozens of detailed investigative videos on oligarchs, government officials, executives at state-owned companies, and their friends and relatives. Putin has extended state control over the media, including national television, during his more than 20 years in power as either president or prime minister, neutering its work and turning it into a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. That has left hard-hitting investigative pieces to independent outlets like FBK, which has largely relied on open-source information, such as property documents as well as photos and videos published on social media, to expose its targets. The following are among the five most popular videos produced by the FBK. Medvedev's Mansions The 50-minute video Don't Call Him Dima explored the wealth of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who has sought to portray himself as a politician with more liberal values and a fighter against corruption. Published in March 2017, the video has garnered 35 million views, the equivalent of one-quarter of the Russian population, and more than double any other video produced by the FBK. The investigation started after a Russian hacker broke into Medvedev's telephone in 2014 and published his seemingly harmless exchanges, including information about his purchases of gadgets online, Navalny says in the introduction. Following the online trail left by the purchase data, Navalny and his FBK team say they discovered a business empire secretly owned by Medvedev through nonprofit organizations, including mansions, yachts, and vineyards. Medvedev "is crazy about money and elite real estate, not gadgets like we all thought," Navalny tells his audience in the video. The prime minister is "one of our country's richest individuals and one of its most corrupt officials." Medvedev denied the allegations and called Navalny "a scoundrel," adding that commenting on the video would only benefit the activist. The Prosecutor And His Sons FBK's second-most popular investigation, with 12 million views, focuses on Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika and his family. The 43-minute film, released in December 2015, accuses Chaika's two sons of using the cover of their father's subordinates to illegally enrich themselves. The FBK alleged that Chaika's family and senior officials in the Prosecutor-General's Office had business ties to a notorious gang that for years terrorized a small town in southern Russia. The gang's leaders were convicted of murdering 12 people, including four children, in 2010. Chaika has described the allegations as "a hatchet job" financed by William Browder, an American-born British citizen who was a prominent investor in Russia before he was banned from the country in 2005. Browder has been instrumental in getting the United States and European countries to pass laws granting their governments the power to sanction Russian individuals for corruption and human rights abuses. The film alleges that Artyom Chaika, who is a permanent resident of Switzerland, illegally privatized industrial facilities and businesses in Russia that has allowed him to purchase a luxurious hotel in Greece and a villa in Switzerland. The film also claims that Chaika's other son, Igor, who owns several large Russian business enterprises, has been illegally awarded state tenders for construction and development projects in Russia. The Oligarch And The Sex Teacher An FBK investigation titled Yachts, Oligarchs, Girls: A Man Hunter Exposes A Bribe Taker follows the social-media posts of self-proclaimed Belarusian sex trainer Anastasia Vashukevich -- aka Nastya Rybka -- to connect Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska to one of country's top foreign-policy officials. The FBK video, which uses Vashukevich's posts, appears to show then-Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko being offered lavish treatment on Deripaska's yacht in 2016. The two also appear to discuss U.S. politics. In the February 2018 video, which has garnered more than 11 million views, Navalny goes on to claim that Prikhodko's sojourn on Deripaska's yacht effectively amounted to a bribe from the oligarch. He also listed the deputy prime minister's hugely valuable property holdings in and around Moscow. After the FBK published the video, Vashukevich was arrested in Thailand on charges of violating labor laws and deported. She was detained in January 2019 in Russia upon her arrival at a Moscow airport. She was eventually released and returned to her native Belarus. Putin's Hideaway The Secret Dacha Of Putin, released in August 2017, alleges that the Russian president uses a venerable country house on a Russian island near the Finnish border for holidays. The 50-hectare property, located on the islet of Lodochny, not far from the city of Vyborg, in a bay north of the Gulf of Finland, is home to several buildings and a helicopter landing pad. In the video, which has more than 10 million views, Navalny says land records show that the property belongs to Oleg Rudnov, a Putin confidant from St. Petersburg who headed a company called the Baltic Media Group. Rudnov headed another company belonging to another Putin confidant, classical musician Sergei Roldugin, who has been alleged by the Panama Papers investigative project to be a conduit for some of Putin's secretive wealth. Mishustin's Money One of Navalny's most recent investigations targets the country's new prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, who was appointed by Putin in January to replace Medvedev. The immediate family of Mishustin, who previously oversaw Russia's federal tax agency, owns property in and around Moscow valued at 2.8 billion rubles ($40 million) despite the fact that he has largely worked for the government his whole life. Mishustin has claimed that his wealth was largely earned during a two-year stint with a Moscow-based private equity firm from 2008 to 2010. The money was then invested in high-interest-yielding bank deposits, he claims. The video, released on January 28, has been viewed more than 9 million times. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20, 2020 13:13 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667c78b6 1 World Rafale,Dassault-Rafale,Jet-fighters,Prabowo-Subianto,Austria,Eurofighter-Typhoon,typhoon Free Surprises in Indonesian defense procurement seem like a constant feature now. After initial clearance from the United States State Department to buy an MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, news broke that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto intended to buy jet fighters from Austria. Austrian newspaper Die Presse reported on Sunday that Prabowo had sent a letter to his Austrian counterpart Klaudia Tanner offering to buy the country's 15 Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters. The letter was dated July 10 and arrived at the Austrian Defense Ministry late last week, Die Presse reported. The Austrian Defense Ministry, however, declined to comment on the offer, the newspaper said. As I was always impressed by European technologies and know-how, I would kindly ask your support for the following proposal, which hopefully leads to a mutual benefit for our two countries, Prabowo said in a letter circulated among various media WhatsApp groups on Monday morning. There has been no official confirmation from the Defense Ministry on the authenticity of the letter, though it is consistent with Die Presses report. Prabowo was referring to information he received from someone named WD Grosse that Austria had acquired 15 Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters in 2002. To achieve my target of modernizing the Indonesian Air Force, I would, therefore, like to propose to enter into official deliberation with you, your Excellency, on purchasing all 15 Eurofighter Typhoons from Austria for the Air Force of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo said. Prabowo said he was fully aware of the sensitivity of Typhoons in Austria, which has been in a legal fight with European defense and aerospace giant Airbus over alleged overpricing. Austria bought the 15 Typhoons in 2002 in a contract worth 2 billion (US$2.28 billion) and has filed a lawsuit to recoup 1.1 billion against Airbus. Airbus is leading the Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH consortium in manufacturing Typhoons in cooperation with other European defense firms, British BAE System and Italian Leonardo. The consortium has four assembly lines in Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom as the four original users of Typhoon. Die Presse, however, said that selling Typhoons to Indonesia would be complicated, as it needed approval from the four countries. However, as the consortium did come to Indonesia for a roadshow in April 2015 offering the Typhoon, observers say it may not be that difficult to secure that approval. During the roadshow, in which the consortium brought a full-scale replica to state-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesias plant in Bandung, West Java, the consortium offered to move an assembly line from Spain to Bandung should Indonesia decide to procure the Typhoons. Austrias Typhoons are from Tranche 1, a marker for basic operational capabilities, which focuses more on air-defense missions, while the consortium has offered upgrades to Tranches 2 and 3, which greatly improves the fighters ground attack capabilities. Earlier this year, news broke that Indonesia would buy Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft from France following Prabowos visit to the country in January. French newspaper La Tribune reported that Indonesia was interested in procuring 48 Rafale jet fighters, in addition to two Scorpene submarines and two Gowind corvettes. Both the Typhoon and Dassault Rafale (which translates to "gust of wind") actually began as projects among the aforementioned European countries to build a common jet fighter in the late 1970s, before France decided to develop one on its own in 1985 due to differences in technical requirements including whether a jet fighter should be carrier-capable. Currently, there are three major Rafale versions. The French Air Force uses the single-seater Rafale C and double-seater Rafale B, and the French Navy uses the Rafale M, which is carrier-capable. Meanwhile, Indonesia has yet to move forward with its $1.1 billion contract to buy 11 Su-35 Flanker-E "Super Flankers" from Russia due to financial complications and the possibility of facing sanctions from the United States through the latter's Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Although President Joko Jokowi Widodo has instructed Prabowo to put a lid on all foreign procurement, local defense companies do not have the capabilities to produce a jet fighter just yet. Indonesia is currently working to make its own jet fighters by securing a 20 percent share in South Koreans KF-X program, which Indonesia joined in 2010. Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) is working with PT DI to design and manufacture the jet fighter, in which Indonesia is projected to buy 48 aircraft while South Korea is slated to buy 120. The KF-X jet fighter will have its first roll out in 2021 and the first flight is scheduled in 2022, The Korea Herald reported on July 8. The Herald reported that there will be six prototypes and one will be delivered to Indonesia. The first batch of mass-produced KF-X aircraft is expected between 2026 and 2028. They will be equipped with limited air-to-ground weapons in addition to air-to-air weapons, the Korean newspaper reported. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 00:13:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAPUTO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 100 Mozambican miners crossed the border back to the neighboring South Africa on Monday to resume work, as South Africa has partly lifted the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 and opened its boarder for essential crossing. The process is expected to gradually cover over 3,000 migrant miners and will continue until September, according to the national director of Migration Work in Mozambique, Alice Saide, who spoke to the press at the border point Ressano Garcia in Maputo. "The return process is being followed by a series of protocols, from the mining worker's place of origin. The recruiting agency had to find appropriate vehicles, which provide toilets and food on board, and have enough space to carry out the activity," she said. Every time there are places of quarantine emptied in South Africa, a new list of miners will be shared with Mozambique to send a new group, said Saide. Since the beginning of the process, around 600 Mozambican miners are said to have returned to their jobs. Enditem St. Louis top prosecutor on Monday charged a husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (547 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this June 28, 2020 file photo, armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey, standing in front their house along Portland Place confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house in the Central West End of St. Louis. St. Louis top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday, July 20, 2020 that she is charging a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP File) St. Louis top prosecutor on Monday charged a husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are white, are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner told The Associated Press that their actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise nonviolent protest last month. It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis, Gardner said. An attorney for the couple, Joel Schwartz, in a statement called the decision to charge disheartening as I unequivocally believe no crime was committed. Supporters of the McCloskeys said they were legally defending their $1.15 million home. Gardner is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if the McCloskeys are convicted. Typically, class E felonies could result in up to four years in prison. Several Republican leaders have condemned Gardner's investigation, including President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Sen. Josh Hawley, who has urged Attorney General William Barr to undertake a civil rights investigation of Gardner. Parson said in a radio interview Friday that he would likely pardon the couple if they were charged and convicted. FILE - In this June 28, 2020 file photo, armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey, standing in front their house along Portland Place confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house in the Central West End of St. Louis. St. Louis top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday, July 20, 2020 that she is charging a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP File) Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement Monday that he filed a brief requesting that the charges be dismissed under the state's Castle Doctrine. The right to keep and bear arms is given the highest level of protection in our constitution and our laws, including the Castle Doctrine," Schmitt said in the statement. This provides broad rights to Missourians who are protecting their property and lives from those who wish to do them harm. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, said on Twitter that the charges were an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment." He called for a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office to "determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this familys constitutional rights. Gardner said Trump, Parson and others are attacking her to distract from their failed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues. St. Louis, like many cities across the country, has seen demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyds death in Minneapolis, and the McCloskeys' home was initially incidental to the demonstration on June 28. Several hundred people were marching to the home of Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson, a few blocks from the McCloskeys' home. Krewson had angered activists by reading on Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police. The McCloskeys live on a private street called Portland Place. A police report said the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with No Trespassing and Private Street signs. A protest leader, the Rev. Darryl Gray, said the gate was open and that protesters didn't damage it. Mark McCloskey confronted protesters with a semi-automatic rifle, screamed at them and pointed the weapon at them, according to a probable statement from police officer Curtis Burgdorf. The statement said Patricia McCloskey then emerged with a semi-automatic handgun, yelling at protesters to go and pointing the gun at them. Protesters feared being injured due to Patricia McCloskeys finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanour, the statement said. No shots were fired. Photos emerged as memes on both sides of the gun debate. Trump spoke by phone with Parson last week to criticize Gardner's investigation. Parson, when he was in the Legislature, co-authored Missouris castle doctrine law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders. He has said that the McCloskeys had every right to protect their property. Gardner declined to discuss why she decided the castle doctrine didnt apply. Schwartz said the McCloskeys support the First Amendment right of every citizen to have their voice and opinion heard. This right, however, must be balanced with the Second Amendment and Missouri law, which entitle each of us to protect our home and family from potential threats. Gardner, St. Louis first Black circuit attorney, has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016. Most notably, her office charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped, but Greitens resigned in June 2018. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A private investigator Gardner hired to investigate the claims against Greitens was later indicted for perjury for allegedly lying during a deposition. His case is pending. Gardner also has butted heads with police leaders, especially after she developed an exclusion list of more than two dozen officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns. The move angered Police Chief John Hayden, who also is Black. In January, Gardner filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city, the police union and others of a co-ordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit also accused entrenched interests of intentionally impeding her efforts to change racist practices. Several Black leaders in St. Louis have expressed support for Gardner, including Democratic U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, who has said protesters should never be subject to the threat of deadly force, whether by individuals or by the police. ___ This story has been updated to remove an incorrect reference to a second charge, a misdemeanour. No misdemeanour charge was filed. Scientists in a Nordic study have found that keeping primary schools open during the coronavirus pandemic may not have had much bearing on contagion rates. There was no measurable difference in the number of coronavirus cases among children in Sweden, where schools were left open, compared with neighboring Finland, where schools were shut, according to the findings. The study compares two countries that share similar societal models, including access to universal health care, but that adopted very different strategies to tackle covid-19. Sweden avoided a proper lockdown, while Finland imposed tougher social distancing. Indicative data show there is no difference in the overall incidence of the laboratory-confirmed covid-19 cases in children aged 1 to 19 years in the two countries; contact tracings in primary schools in Finland found hardly any evidence of children infecting others, according to the working paper by the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. What's more, there's no increased risk for teachers, according to a Swedish comparison of cases among day care and primary school staff, compared with risk levels in other professions. It's not the first time researchers have raised questions about the merits of shutting schools during the pandemic. A French study last month found that schoolchildren don't appear to transmit covid-19 to peers or teachers. That investigation established that kids seemed to show fewer symptoms than adults, and to be less contagious. But the authors also said more research was needed. Hanna Nohynek, chief physician at the infectious diseases unit of Finland's health authority and a co-author of the Nordic research, said that "children get sick with Covid-19 much more rarely and less severely." She also cautioned that more data is needed, and that "children's role in the transmission needs further study." But for now, "it would appear that their role in transmitting Covid-19 isn't at all as big as with other respiratory infections, such as influenza," Nohynek said. After two months of remote learning, Finnish children returned to school in May, and national infection rates have continued to decline since then. But some countries have had dangerous outcomes when reopening schools, albeit for older children. In Israel, bringing students back to the classroom accelerated the spread of covid-19 among middle and high school students. Israel's example underlines how countries' varying circumstances on the ground can make all the difference, Nohynek of Finland said. "The situation in Israel is very different, with a worse outbreak in society, but also bigger classes in schools and smaller rooms," as well as larger families, she said. In a recent interview with "PBS NewsHour," Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the "default position is that you should try, to the best of your ability, with all considerations to the safety and welfare of the children and the teachers, we should try to get the children back to school as best as we possibly can." He also warned against blanket decrees on the subject, given varying contagion levels across different areas. "You cannot compare a district or a county in which there are no infections with a situation where you have a lot of infections. You've got to use judgment," Fauci said. Sweden's strategy for fighting covid-19 remains among the most controversial in the world. Its decision to leave much of society open, including primary schools, has coincided with a considerably higher death rate than in the rest of the Nordic region. About 95% of those who have died are over 60. Swedish health authorities say they've managed to stabilize the spread of the virus, thanks to citizens' voluntarily adhering to social distancing guidelines. In a recent interview, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said recently he remains "convinced" that his country has chosen the right strategy. Over the past year, Black leaders have regularly held protest marches outside the fences that surround the site on which the new federal courthouse building in Harrisburg is being built. They march for a bigger piece of a construction jobs pie that, in their view, has been largely unserved to residents of the majority-Black city in which the courthouse is rising. Its not a new complaint. Labor historians, state studies and workers all agree that for a variety of reasons construction is a sector of the American economy that has historically been more resistant than most to calls for integration. Thats a problem because the industry is a stepping stone to a solid middle-class life. The reasons, some say, are as old as racial injustice in America itself. Kyron Robinson, operator of ProRank Business Solutions, a Harrisburg firm that seeks to help minority-owned businesses navigate the state contracting process, says the disparity has roots in Jim Crow laws that came as a backlash to Reconstruction Era policies, and institutionalized discrimination in hiring, training and access to capital that tended to lock African-Americans out of the field for generations. Firms that filled the vacuum in the intervening years started with mostly-white workforces, and over the years have relied heavily on kinship and legacies to fill out their crews. Labor scholars have noted that historically, even construction unions workers perpetuated whites-only hiring and training practices. That was then. But even now, because construction contracting is a business that requires a lot of investment in labor, equipment and supplies or the financing to get them you dont find a lot of Black-owned businesses in this field. Especially businesses scaled up to the size where they can compete for large, new-build projects, as opposed to home repair or renovation. It has also, at times, been a field where overt prejudice could flourish. Workers who have crashed through the barriers here say they have felt it. When I started with the Sheet Metal Workers (Union), there was almost one hundred people in the local, and when I went in I was only one of three minorities. And the number of minorities has always been down in the single digits with that union, said James Brown, a 40-year veteran of the construction business in the midstate, who runs his own Browns Building Services. I heard the N word a few times on the job and just had to shut up and bear it, Brown, now 65, said. I knew that I was, you know, one of a kind. I have worked on so many big projects and there was only a couple that I would see another minority on, and Im talking about in all the trades. There was only one, or two, projects where I saw another minority on my trade. That was really a rarity. Policy initiatives launched in the wake of Americas Civil Rights era helped to give Black businesses and workers more opportunity: In 1983, Congress passed the first laws creating set-asides for small, minority-owned businesses in federally-funded construction projects; court and regulatory rulings required building trades unions to end discriminatory practices and create training opportunities for Blacks and other minorities. But progress has been uneven. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that while Black people comprise 12% of the workforce, they make up just 6% of the workforce in construction numbers that have been relatively unchanged for 25 years. This graph shows how Black participation in the construction industry has lagged the workforce as a whole for an entire generation.Engineering News-Record Pennsylvania has not been in the vanguard. According to U.S. Census Bureau Quarterly Workforce Indicators, the African-American share of the construction workforce statewide from building homes to hospitals to highways stood at 4.4 percent last summer. African-Americans make up 10 percent of the states overall workforce. People who identify as Hispanic account for another 4.5 percent statewide. By industry sectors, only farming and mining had a lower Black participation rate. Central Pennsylvania doesnt raise the average: Black employment represented 3.0 percent of the construction workforce in the Harrisburg / Carlisle metro region (Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties); 2.6 percent in York / Hanover; and 2.4 percent in Lancaster. Its even more startling when you consider the number of Black-owned contracting businesses. A 2018 disparity in contracting study for the state Department of General Services noted that while there are a significant number of small, minority-owned firms, Black-owned firms would probably be available for in other words, capable to bid on just 0.4 percent of the states construction contracts, as measured by dollar value. This is because bonding, insurance and other requirements often knock them out. This is not so much about blaming the people in the industry today, Robinson said, as it is the systems the people in power, over time, have built. Historically, white people have a tendency to think that: If Im doing something racist, I have to be a bad person. That makes me bad.' The reality of it is that, everyone raised in American culture is prejudiced to varying degrees. Its something called implicit bias that we all have. And the short answer is it doesnt matter why youre making the decision. It doesnt matter if youre doing it consciously or youre doing it implicitly. The impact is the same. The key question for everyone to consider now, Robinson said, is are you committed to changing racist behavior. Jerry Williams of Harrisburg sprays primer onto dry wall at a construction site in Carlisle. Williams works for Trihanson Development, one of a handful of Black-owned contruction contractors in South Central Pa. What we have to honestly learn how to do is deconstruct the implicit bias; the bias thats running in our sub-conscious, he said. We have to work hard to identify and single out those behaviors. Its going to take education, resources and possibly a considerable amount of time to begin to undo this. An uneven playing field. Black contractors say theyre up against an ingrained white establishment that has history, relationships and resources on its side. Consider financing. Harrisburg attorney Mary Powell, interviewed last week by PennLive, noted that for most Americans, a home is the primary asset collateralized to start a new business. The median home value for a Black homeowner in Pennsylvania from 2012 through 2016 was $100,000, compared to $168,000 for white homeowners, according to the 2018 study for the state Department of General Services by BBC Research & Consulting. This means the minority contractor has a harder time not only getting the capital to invest in workers, equipment and supplies, but also the kind of bonding that is required by many construction contracts. A 2019 small business credit survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that in 2018, only 31% of Black-owned businesses received all the funding they applied for, compared with 49% of white-owned businesses, 39% of Asian-owned firms and 35% of Latino-owned businesses. Blacks led the league in total denials, the same report found, with 38% of Black-owned small businesses reporting they did not receive any of the financing they applied for, compared with 33% of Latino-owned businesses, 24% of Asian-owned businesses and 20% of white-owned businesses. Once in business, theres this reality: The established firms, understandably, have a bias to work with the firms that they already know. It may not be intentionally meant to exclude other races, but it effectively does just that, by reinforcing the bonds of the club that minority contractors simply havent been able to join. That also flows down to rank-and-file jobs, Powell said. Many contractors give all of their hiring opportunities to established relationships - family members, high school friends and church members... This is also a form of de facto racism since that minority worker did not go to your high school, and, likely, will never be a family member or church member." Similar barriers can exist in other economic sectors, Powell said, but they can be magnified in construction because it is both capital and deal intensive. Signs of hope. Administrators say minority student enrollment is growing in the construction trade classes at Dauphin County Technical School, in a hopeful sign for the future. The group of students shown here was gathered for an October 2019 award presentation. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Whether its a recognition of systemic racism or just a pressing need to grow the workforce, there are steps being taken to try to correct this situation. Most of them start with training opportunities. Representatives of both the midstates union halls and non-union contractors have pointed to new efforts to try to get more minorities into the four-year apprenticeship pipeline that creates earn-while-you-learn opportunities for new workers, and leads to journeypersons papers, the tradesmans equivalent to a college diploma. Dave Sload, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Keystone chapter which covers all of South Central Pennsylvania, said the programs ABC runs in eight different fields ran at 15.7 percent minority participation in the 2019-20 school year. That share has increased in each of the last three years. It also recently launched pre-apprenticeship programs in the Reading and Lancaster areas, where students can knock off up to one-year of their classroom training while still in high school. In Berks County, there is also a new re-entry program for interested people coming out of prison. Robinson, with ProRank, noted Thursday that latter kind of effort is especially important. Construction can be a salvation for ex-cons because it is a field that is largely devoid of statutory bans on ex-felons coming to work. This is probably one of the only industries where you can come in with a felony or a record and make forty or fifty dollars an hour, he said. Theres a huge population thats coming in and out of jail. Black and white and Spanish and every color. More of these programs are being contemplated for the Harrisburg area, Sload said. Even further back the pipeline, minority participation appears to be strong at local career and technical schools. Dauphin County Vocational Technical Schools Construction Academys enrollment had a total enrollment of 197 in 2019-20, assistant administrative director Frank Flamini told PennLive last week. Forty-one of those students were Black, another 49 were Hispanic. Dauphin County is a diverse community, and I think our school reflects that, Flamini said. What could still be better. Powell and others would like to see reforms to state and federal procurement codes that would revamp set-aside programs that have been weakened over the years by steps such as combining all disadvantaged groups minorities, veterans, women, the disabled, LGBTQ into the same pot. Powell said it would be helpful for minority contractors to get a separate slice of the contracting pie that is all their own once again, as the set-aside programs were originally designed. Or to get some relief from certain bonding and insurance requirements that often create insurmountable barriers to their ability to bid for public works jobs. Lack of access to capital is a big barrier for Black business owners. Jameson Christopher said he surmounted that problem when starting his company by establishing lines of credit with paint suppliers and other firms, so he could get the materials he needed to do the job before he was paid. JIMMIE BROWN | PennLive Several contractors reached for this story said they believe its time for the regions banks to be a little more pro-active when it comes to extending credit to start-up businesses, especially those from predominantly Black neighborhoods. Theres definitely talent in the community, said Tarik Casteel, owner of TLC Construction & Renovations in Harrisburg, but a lot of time its overlooked. Two of the areas more successful Black contractors, Casteel and Jameson Christopher, of Trihanson Development, are case studies in having to make end-runs around the banks to get themselves established. Trihanson started by establishing direct lines of credit with paint suppliers and other firms, which as Christopher was getting his commercial painting business established allowed him to get the materials he needed to do the jobs before the first payments came in. Casteel said he used equity earned from rehabbing and reselling homes in Harrisburg to build his initial source of capital. He has since been able to use his track record to enter into development partnerships with larger companies for a series of high-profile commercial and residential projects in the city. Both believe it is still demonstrably harder for many, smaller Black-owned businesses or start-ups based in low-income neighborhoods to get loans or lines of credit from banks. While that didnt stop them, they believe it discourages many who want to blaze their own trail but have minimal resources. The bottom line, those interviewed for this story said, is that the nurturing of more Black-owned businesses will do more than anything to bring more Blacks into the job sites. if Black-owned contractors had been thriving in construction for the last 100 years, you dont think there would be a bigger Black workforce? Robinson asked. If you had a hundred more Black-owned construction companies, you would have thousands more Black-owned contractors in the labor pool. That gap in Black-owned businesses, creates the gap in the contractor workforce. The seeds for the turf war in Rajasthan between Gehlot and Pilot were sown long ago. It is easy to get distracted by the breakneck speed of events that have occurred in Rajasthan over the past ten days. First, the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Sachin Pilot after they claimed to have stumbled on a plot to topple the Congress regime. Then, an upset Pilot, who rebelled against the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot (all the while insisting he wouldn't join the BJP) was removed from the posts of Rajasthan deputy chief minister and state Congress. And to top it all off, allegations of horse-trading were levelled against Pilot by Gehlot, and those in the rebel camp responded by accusing the chief minister of "deluding the public". Not to mention the public digs that Gehlot took at Pilot (without directly mentioning him), remarking that "being handsome and speaking good English" is not enough. As the fate of Pilot and 18 other dissident Rajasthan MLAs challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the state Assembly Speaker hangs in the balance, it is well worth examining how the Congress arrived at this juncture. The seeds for the turf war in Rajasthan between Gehlot and Pilot were sown long ago. Congress' rout in 2013 Indeed, in some ways, the story begins in 2013, when the Congress in Rajasthan, after winning just 21 of 200 seats in Assembly polls was at its nadir. Pilot at the time was given the task of reviving the grand old party's fortunes in Rajasthan with the assurance of non-intervention by Gehlot. Gehlot, the old Congress warhorse with a long list of achievements chief minister at 47, former PCC chief and the spearhead of multiple successful state campaigns was consigned to the sidelines for the next couple of years in favour of Pilot, said to be among Rahul Gandhi's inner circle. While Gehlot was drafted into a screening committee for the Punjab polls in 2016 and made a general-secretary in Delhi in 2017, Pilot delivered three crucial by-poll wins for the Congress in early 2018 and that too with record margins. An uneasy peace Then, the troubles began. First, differences of opinion emerged over candidate selection. Nevertheless, Rajasthan stuck to the trend of voting out the incumbent government, and the Congress came to power. Subsequently, when the high command overlooked Pilot in favour of Gehlot for the chief minister's post, Pilot (and his supporters in the party) was said to be a little more than just peeved. It took the intervention of Rahul Gandhi, the then Congress chief, to make peace between the veteran and the young buck. Rahul repeatedly met with Gehlot and Pilot before inviting them to his residence together to come to terms, part of which were said to be responsibilities being split between the two leaders and portfolios being "equally shared" by members of their camps. That didn't happen. Gehlot ended up with nine departments, including the key portfolios of home and finance, to just five for Pilot (who got public works, rural development, Panchayati Raj, science and technology and statistics). Gehlot lashes out Then in 2019, came the Lok Sabha polls. By this time, Gehot had made it fairly evident his eagerness to kick off his son Vaibhav's career by fielding him from Jodhpur. However, Vaibhav was handily defeated by the BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat by a huge margin of 2,74,440 votes. The loss of the seat, which had become a prestige issue (Gehlot had held it five times from 1980 to 1999) did not sit well with the chief minister who had also been accused of being "obsessed" with his son. Gehlot responded by lashing out at Pilot, reasoning that his deputy should bear responsibility for the Congress loss as he'd got Vaibhav the party ticket from there. Gehlot later claimed his words were being taken "out of context", but Pilot refused to comment. Pilot returns fire In September 2019, the induction of six BSP MLAs into the party became the latest flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot. Soon afterwards, Pilot returned fire. Just days after the BJP slammed the Rajasthan government over law and order issues, the young Congress leader alleged that the situation in his state had "deteriorated" and that the government needed to do more. This was seen as little more than a thinly-veiled attack on his erstwhile boss, who held the home portfolio and caused quite a bit of embarrassment for the government. By December, the rift had deepened. As the Rajasthan government celebrated completing a year in office, Pilot was, quite literally, nowhere to be seen. No posters or photographs of the then deputy chief minister went up and the achievement of his ministries did not even receive a mention in the booklet launched by the government. It would have been better if the works under my ministries were also showcased as part of the one-year celebrations of the government, the Economic Times had then quoted a clearly upset Pilot as saying. By 4 January, Pilot was openly lashing out at his own government over the deaths of 107 children in Kota's state-run JK Lon Hospital, saying the response from the administration "should have been more sensitive." Pilot added that it was not a small incident and that accountability for the entire episode should be fixed. "As many as 107 children have died in the hospital. This is very painful. Our response to the entire matter was not satisfactory to some extent. The response could have been more sensitive and we should have been more compassionate," Pilot told reporters. Whatever happens next, it seems that reconciliation between these two individuals is extremely unlikely. With inputs from agencies The deputy First Minister has led Northern Ireland tributes 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. Michelle O'Neill said she was "saddened" to learn of his death, adding: "John was a dear friend to those struggling for rights and equality in Ireland." In 2013 Mr Lewis was part of a US Congressional delegation who joined John Hume and other Londonderry people in a march across the city's Peace Bridge. Expand Close John Lewis during the demonstrations in Selma (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Lewis during the demonstrations in Selma (AP) SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said: "John Lewis's impact extended far beyond America's shores. "His example inspired civil rights activists here too where, six years ago, he joined another remarkable civil rights champion John Hume crossing the Peace Bridge in Derry. "His legacy on our island is a great one. He will be sorely missed." Meanwhile, in Atlanta flags were lowered to half-mast indefinitely to honour Mr Lewis, who represented the city for more than 30 years in Congress. The city's mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said words cannot describe the loss . Expand Close John Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011 (Carolyn Kaster/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011 (Carolyn Kaster/AP) US President Donald Trump ordered flags 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 Saturday. In a tweet, Mr Trump said: "Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family." Expand Close 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 Atlanta (Linda Schaeffer/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 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 Atlanta (Linda Schaeffer/AP) Former President Barack Obama said: "Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did." Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the civil rights activist, told CNN: "From a historical standpoint, there are few who are able to become giants... John Lewis really became a giant through his examples that he set for all of us." After a months-long hiatus, it sounds like the regular White House coronavirus briefings will be back. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that the news conferences were to restart Tuesday evening. It's not immediately clear who will participate and how often the briefings will happen, but if they're at the White House, it's a safe bet that Trump will take center stage like he did in the past iterations. His comments to reporters suggest as much. "It's a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with the vaccines and the therapeutics," he said Monday in announcing the return. Restarting these briefings carries political pros and cons for Trump, who is down in the polls to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in large part because Americans disapprove of how the president has handled the coronavirus pandemic. But Trump is struggling so much that he may not have a choice other than to get back on camera daily or near daily, said GOP strategist Doug Heye. Trump has got to find a way to be seen as a leader on the coronavirus as cases continue to rise, including in Republican-majority states, as he's being criticized by even some GOP governors, and in the face of reports about how he and his administration have not contained the virus. Let's examine how these briefings could help or hurt Trump's reelection changes. - - - Help: He can dominate the news cycle again Over the weekend, The Washington Post and The New York Times published long pieces about how the virus is resurging in the United States while nearly the rest of the industrialized world has it comparatively tamed. The broad takeaway from both stories: Trump and his administration did not recognize - or did not care - that governors opening states in May would lead to high rates of infections, which the federal government and those states were still unequipped to deal with. ALSO Virus is crushing United States That's not a narrative Trump wants out there, especially since it seems to be resonating with Americans. In a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week, more than half of Americans, 52%, say they strongly disapprove of how the president is handling the pandemic. In March, when the United States started shutting down and Trump got a brief bump in support, 36% said that. So, with these briefings, Trump has a chance to talk about what he wants to talk about. His comments Monday suggest that eyeballs on him is very much on his mind: "I was doing them, and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching in the history of cable television, and there's never been anything like it," he said. - - - Hurt: He'll probably say something that will dominate the news cycle Republicans in Congress and outside advisers hope Trump will let scientists and experts on the task force do most of the talking. But they publicly urged the president to do the same thing last time around, and he ignored them. His instinct to take center stage in these briefings led to him insisting that he alone has the authority to open states, push an unproven drug, predict the virus would go away in the summer, criticize reporters for asking tough questions and, eventually, wonder whether disinfectant can be injected into coronavirus patients. The briefings ended shortly after that. Months later, Trump continues to spread false information about the virus that suggests he either does not know or does not care to know about how dangerous it is. In a Fox News interview with host Chris Wallace that aired Sunday, Trump inaccurately said cases were up because testing was up, and he brushed off nearly 1,000 people dying a day as young adults who "have the sniffles." - - - Help: He can play up issues his base likes to hear about China and its handling of the coronavirus. The culture war he's started against wearing masks. Confederate monuments. Sending federal troops into U.S. cities to get tough on protesters. Criticizing Democrats. These are all issues Trump regularly talks about on his Twitter feed and probably would bring up in these briefings. - - - Hurt: He will play up issues his base likes to hear about That strategy may have narrowly won him the 2016 election, but there's no evidence it's helping him win in 2020. Polls show that he is actually losing support from groups that have made up key constituencies that disapprove of his coronavirus response. - - - Help: He'll be on TV much more than former vice president Joe Biden One of Trump's criticisms on his presumptive November opponent is that Biden, who is following the Trump government guidelines to avoid large crowds, is hiding out from the American people. Trump held a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., in June to try to contrast himself with Biden. He's not scheduled to hold any more rallies (attendance in Tulsa was not high), but going on TV nearly daily could help him make that case. This pro assumes that being out and about during a pandemic is a positive, which is not a guarantee, given Americans are still largely afraid that they or their loved ones will contract the virus. - - - Hurt: He'll have to answer for his administration's failures And those failures are well-documented. Journalists have had months to demonstrate not just how Trump and his administration missed the virus coming to shore in February and botched testing to get ahead of it but also how the administration completely missed the virus spreading to the South and West as states reopened at the beginning of the summer. The Washington Post analyzed Sunday: "Many countries have rigorously driven infection rates nearly to zero. In the United States, coronavirus transmission is out of control. The national response is fragmented, shot through with political rancor and culture-war divisiveness. Testing shortcomings that revealed themselves in March have become acute in July, with week-long waits for results leaving the country blind to real-time virus spread and rendering contact tracing nearly irrelevant." ". . . The fumbling of the virus was not a fluke: The American coronavirus fiasco has exposed the country's incoherent leadership, self-defeating political polarization, a lack of investment in public health, and persistent socioeconomic and racial inequities that have left millions of people vulnerable to disease and death." - - - Help: If the briefings go right for him, they can boost him In a nation divided and scared, people are hungry for information. And a leader. And guidance for how to live their lives now. (Should they wear a mask in public like scientists and health officials urge, or skip one like Trump frequently does? Should they send their children to school in the fall? Can they go back to the office and places of worship?) In restarting the coronavirus briefings, Trump has the potential to revive their original intent to perform the above services for anxious Americans. If he can do that (or step aside and allow other officials to do it for him), he could see a bump in his approval rating similar to the small one he had when the coronavirus first shut down the nation in March. "Presidents get bumps in crises," Heye said. Trump will want to be careful not to conflate the two: The growth that Trump saw in his approval ratings around the time of starting the briefings was not linked to the briefings themselves. - - - Hurt: There's little evidence that Trump wants to take the virus seriously Trump still hasn't acknowledged the virus's resurgence publicly, which many experts saw happening as early as May. He only wore a mask in public for the first time this month, and he continues to question the data his own government is providing about rising cases and deaths and the effectiveness of masks and social distancing to tame the virus. A continuation of how Trump has been handling the pandemic - but now broadcast to the nation and world in regular coronavirus briefings - could be disastrous for him politically. US Navy issues 'stop-work order' following second warship blaze Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 12:14 PM The US Navy has issued a "stop-work order" to a major shipyard in Norfolk following a blaze aboard an amphibious assault ship, the second fire to hit a warship in San Diego this week. The fire aboard USS Kearsarge, which was said to have been caused by a spark from welding nearby, was extinguished Friday by a fire watch, a sailor assigned to put out large blazes on a ship or on is tracks. In response, the Navy issued the "stop-work order" for all ships in maintenance at General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard to ensure compliance with safety protocols, Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Rory O'Connor told Defense News on Saturday. The incident came as General Dynamics NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols, according to Anthony Paolino, a spokesman for the company. Paolino said that NASSCO would fully support the Navy's measure in the wake of this week's massive blaze and explosion aboard Bonhomme Richard, another San Diego-based amphibious assault ship. The explosive blaze, which heavily damaged the warship, was believed to have been finally extinguished on Thursday, following a four-day costly and highly hazardous firefighting effort. Firefighting crews from a dozen San Diego-based ships and more than 400 sailors assisted federal firefighters to combat the conflagration. The origin of the fire and the extent of the damage are still unknown and Navy officials have not said whether the ship will be repaired. The blaze on the 844-foot vessel broke out last Sunday, sending pungent plumes of smoke into the San Diego skies for days. The US Navy said the ship had been docked for scheduled maintenance between deployments. Scores of American sailors and civilians were injured in the massive fire and a large explosion that followed it. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Texas Education Agency should reconsider its decision to restart standardized testing in the upcoming school year in light of growing COVID-19 cases and looming budget cuts. Rather than restart standardized testing, now is the time to create a more innovative and cost-effective testing system. TEA canceled standardized testing for the past school year due to the pandemic, but chose not to skip a second year of testing despite national health concerns. Without multiple years of student achievement data, the state is unable to track student growth from year to year, which is a key accountability measure. There is logic to restarting testing, but the system is not in the best interest of students, teachers or families. As educational researchers and former school administrators, we recognize the inherent value of testing and maintaining a system of accountability. If used appropriately, standardized testing data can help the state support and improve struggling districts and schools. Yet, the current testing and accountability system in Texas is costly and inefficient, and it has not led to narrowing achievement gaps. Texas is not unique in its ineffective system of accountability. Researchers consistently report that achievement gaps at the secondary level have not been closed since the advent of the nations standardized testing and accountability law, the No Child Left Behind Act. The state needs to rethink its approach. Budget cuts, learning loss due to extended school closures and teacher burnout dictate that the state should dramatically reduce testing. Texas currently spends millions of dollars a year on an anxiety-provoking testing process. Testing kits frequently show up in classrooms with zip-close bags because students often throw up on tests due to testing anxiety, but those tests must still be submitted. These should not be the type of conditions that are reproduced for students once schools reopen. One solution is drastically cutting back on the number of students tested each year. The National Assessment of Educational Progress assesses a representative sample of students rather than an entire student population. This allows the U.S. Department of Education to predict how each district, school and student would perform. Only testing students from select schools and districts will limit costs and testing anxiety. A standardized testing policy that limits testing to only randomly selected students and schools will also save the state significant resources that extend beyond testing costs. Students currently lose approximately 10 instructional days to standardized testing and test preparation. This lost instructional time is an added expense on an already financially burdened system. A reduction on time spent on testing will result in additional time for teachers to instruct and intervene with their struggling students. Educators are vital to improving student outcomes, but they often feel stressed about standardized testing, which can only heighten burnout and turnover amid the pandemic. Now is not the time for schools to increase stress, especially because many veteran principals and teachers are considering retiring due to their concerns about COVID-19. Texas needs its most experienced educators and leaders to stay at work and help guide schools through these difficult times. Texas policymakers need to ensure education dollars go to creating healthy, safe and supportive schools. Testing cannot be a priority at this moment, and finite resources cannot be squandered on an imperfect testing system. Every educational dollar needs to be used as efficiently as possible to ensure students thrive academically and socially, and testing is not part of that equation. David DeMatthews is an associate professor of educational leadership and policy in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Lebon Daniel James III is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. The French government is to issue a decree on Monday making the wearing of face masks compulsory in all indoor public spaces. The term is not defined in French law and the prime minister still has to clarify the places concerned and how the measures will be enforced. Here's what we know so far. The compulsory wearing of facemasks was originally scheduled for 1 August but concerns over a resurgence in new Covid-19 infections pushed the government to bring forward the decree to 20 July. As of Monday, wearing a mask will be compulsory in enclosed spaces, as announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex. This concerns shops, establishments open to the public, covered markets and banks, health minister Olivier Veran tweeted on Saturday. Preventative measures and screening remain essential to effectively fight the virus. The notion of a closed public space is not precisely defined in French law, but given the idea is to target places frequented by large numbers of people, the decree will likely be based on what is known as an ERP (establishment welcoming the public). Masks are already required in concert halls, cinemas, theatres, on public transport and in care homes for the elderly. In bars and restaurants, staff are required to wear them all the time and customers on entering and when they move away from their table. No shopping without a mask As from Monday, masks will have to be worn in all shops, indoor markets, banks, museums and monuments, indoor car parks, hotel lobbies, train stations and university amphitheatres. The issue of wearing masks in shops had been a bone of contention. Until now it was up to individual businesses to decide on whether or not to require customers to wear a mask on entering, putting shop assistants in complicated situations. From Monday all customers will have to wear masks in all shops, whatever their size. Francis Allard, a specialist on aerosols with the French Scientific Research Centre (CNRS) welcomed the measure, particularly in shopping centres. There's a real risk, he told Le Parisien. In shopping centres, air conditioning means air is often recycled internally. Little fresh air comes in, favouring the spread of the virus. Customers refusing to wear a mask will not be allowed in, warned Jacques Creyssel, general delegate with the Trade and Retail Federation (FCD), an umbrella group for France's main supermarket chains. Grey areas Private companies are not concerned by the decree, and can decide on their own policies on a "case by case basis prime minister Jean Castex told Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France. In general, however, employees will be required to wear masks during meetings or if the minimum 1-metre distancing cannot be respected. New recommendations will be added to existing health protocols, the prime minister told the Senate. It is still unclear whether people will have to wear masks in church, or when watching a film at the cinema. Since cinemas reopened on 22 June, they must respect physical distancing measures, leaving free seats between spectators. People have had to wear masks in lobbies and when they move around the cinema, but not during the film itself. We need regulations to be harmonised so they are easy to read and everyone can understand them, otherwise people won't respect them," Allard said. Fines It is still not clear what will happen if people do not comply with the new rules. Currently, failure to wear a mask on public transport can lead to a fine of 135. The Prefet of Mayenne in west France which has recently seen a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases has introduced such a fine and made the wearing of masks obligatory throughout the department. Belgium recently introduced fines of 250 for failing to wear masks in designated areas and England is to introduce a 110 fine for people caught shopping without a mask. Emily Ratajkowski is saying goodbye to her bright blond locks, just one month after undergoing her striking quarantine makeover. The naturally brunette supermodel implied an imminent return to her signature chestnut brown tresses with a new Instagram post, which showcased her heavily highlighted hair. 'Bye blondie its been fun,' the 29-year-old supermodel captioned her latest snap of her laying on top of husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in their living room. Cozy: Emily Ratajkowski is saying goodbye to her bright blond locks, just one month after undergoing her striking quarantine makeover The lovebirds, who wed in February 2018, looked exceptionally comfortable, as they soaked up some quality time together on a mint green couch next to their beloved pup, Colombo. The Inamorata founder, who is an ambassador for haircare brand Kerastase, seemed to be loving her new hair color, as she's been posing up a storm with her bleached hairdo for weeks. The hair transformation marked the first time that Emily ever dyed her hair - with the model and actress revealing in a statement that she has never before dared to undergo such a daring transformation. Bye blonde: The naturally brunette supermodel implied her imminent return to her signature chestnut brown tresses with a new Instagram post, which showcases her heavily highlighted hair 'Ive never colored my hair or changed the length significantly in my entire life!' she said. 'Im absolutely thrilled that Kerastase gave me their blessing to become a blonde. I just celebrated my birthday and am so happy to be coming out of quarantine with a fresh new look. She added: 'Beauty is meant to be fun and expressive and this is definitely, hands down, the most fun Ive ever had with my look before.' Unrecognizable: Emily Ratajkowski debuted her newly bleached hairdo on Instagram, showcasing her signature brunette tresses in a much lighter shade Emily and Sebastian recently returned back to New York after spending much of lockdown in their Los Angeles home. They caught a flight out of The Big Apple in April, shortly after the CDC issued an advisory, asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' The model previously told British GQ: 'You know, [my husband and I] have been a little bit on the fence. My parents are in California, but as we know the responsible thing is to not travel right now.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:08:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 123,151 tons of dry rubber in the first half of 2020, up 18 percent compared to the same period last year, said a General Directorate of Rubber report on Monday. The kingdom made a gross revenue of 160.7 million U.S. dollars from exports of the commodity during the January-June period this year, up 15 percent over the same period last year, the report said. "A ton of dry rubber averagely cost 1,305 U.S. dollars in the first semester of 2020, about 33 dollars lower than that of the first semester of 2019," it said. The Southeast Asian nation exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. According to the report, Cambodia has so far planted rubber trees on a total area of 404,701 hectares, in which the trees in 250,107 hectares, or 62 percent, have grown big enough to be tapped. Enditem Head injuries may be worryingly common among police officers, according to a new pilot study led by the University of Exeter. In a sample of 54 UK officers, 21 (38.9%) reported having suffered a "traumatic brain injury" (TBI) resulting in a loss of consciousness in their lives. This proportion is far higher than the estimated rate of 8-12% in the general public. Officers with a history of TBI reported higher levels of ongoing "post-concussion symptoms" such as headaches, memory problems and anxiety. These officers were also moderately more likely to report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drinking alcohol to cope, and much more likely to report symptoms of depression. The pilot study is one of the first to examine this issue among police officers, and the researchers say more investigation is urgently needed. "The main thing to take away from this is that we need to look after people who are in the front line of public protection," said Professor Huw Williams, of the University of Exeter. "TBI has been extensively linked to mental health difficulties including PTSD, depression and alcohol abuse. "Being a police officer is a dangerous jobwith a risk of both physical and mental traumayet there has been a surprising lack of research investigating the presence and influence of TBI in the police. "Our pilot study is based on a relatively small sample size, but it illustrates the importance of screening for TBI and offering treatment and support where necessary." Professor Williams added: "Many police forces are moving towards a more sensitive, 'trauma-informed' approach to dealing with the public. "We expect police officers to turn up in a variety of hideous situations, so it's vital that they are given then help they need to recover from and traumaincluding brain injuriesthat they suffer." Interestingly, two thirds of the TBIs reported happened outside of police work. The study does not explore the circumstances of these injuries, but the researchers say officers may be more likely than the public to engage in high-risk leisure activities, and some may have been injured in previous work such as military service. All TBI cases in the study were classified as "mild"with loss of consciousness of less than 30 minutes. However, the authors noted that repeated TBI was commona matter of "particular concern" as this is known to raise the risk of mental health issues. "TBI, including mild forms, can cause significant and potentially long-lasting cognitive, emotional and behavioural impairments," said lead author Nick Smith, of the University of Exeter. "This includes a three-fold increased risk of suicide in those suffering from any TBI. "However, with the right support and treatment, it is possible to recover from TBI and avoid getting into negative coping mechanisms such as alcohol abuse. "In other fields, such as sport, head injuries have received a great deal of attention, and protocols have improved dramatically. "We need to take similar care of police officers." Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Prescott-Mayling, a co-author of the paper, said: "We have some fantastic support for our staff but we need to treat people according to their needs and as early as possible. "The trauma people are exposed to can have lasting effects. "This applies to our staff as much as to people from our communities. "We welcome this research and its findings." Of the 54 officers in the study, nine met criteria for PTSD and 21 met criteria for mild or more severe depression. The studyconducted in a UK police constabularysuggests a surprising parallel with the UK prison population, as previous research has suggested about 60% of inmates have suffered a TBI. More information: Nicholas I.J. Smith et al, A Pilot Study of Brain Injury in Police Officers: A Source of Mental Health Problems?, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2020). Nicholas I.J. Smith et al, A Pilot Study of Brain Injury in Police Officers: A Source of Mental Health Problems?,(2020). DOI: 10.1111/jpm.12676 RADNOR, Pa., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF ARIZONA Richard Di Donato, Individually and On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, v. Insys Therapeutics, Inc.; Michael L. Babich; Darryl S. Baker; and John N. Kapoor, Defendants. No. 16-cv-00302-NVW CLASS ACTION SUMMARY NOTICE OF (I) PROPOSED SETTLEMENT WITH DEFENDANT JOHN N. KAPOOR; (II) SETTLEMENT FAIRNESS HEARING; AND (III) MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES AND LITIGATION EXPENSES TO: All persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Insys Therapeutics, Inc. ("Insys") common stock during the period from March 3, 2015, through January 25, 2016, and were damaged thereby ("Class"). Certain persons and entities are excluded from the Class as set forth in detail in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement between Lead Plaintiff and Defendant John N. Kapoor dated July 1, 2020 ("Stipulation") and the Settlement Notice described below. PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY; YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING IN THIS COURT. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona ("Court"), that the Court-appointed Lead Plaintiff and Class Representative Clark Miller ("Class Representative"), on behalf of himself and the Court-certified Class in the above-captioned securities class action ("Action"), has reached a proposed settlement of the Action with defendant John N. Kapoor ("Defendant Kapoor") for consideration of at least Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars in cash ($700,000) with the potential to increase to up to Ten Million Dollars in cash ($10,000,000) (the "Settlement Consideration") in accordance with the terms and schedule set forth in the Stipulation. If approved, the Settlement will resolve all claims in the Action against Defendant Kapoor only. Please Note : This settlement does not resolve any of the claims asserted against the other defendants in the Action. A hearing will be held on October 15, 2020 at 9:30 a.m., before the Honorable Neil V. Wake at the Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse, 401 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85003, Courtroom 401, to determine whether: (i) the proposed Settlement of the Action with Defendant Kapoor should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (ii) the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Defendant Kapoor, and the releases specified and described in the Stipulation (and in the Settlement Notice described below) should be entered; (iii) the proposed Plan of Allocation should be approved as fair and reasonable; and (iv) Class Counsel's motion for an award of attorneys' fees and litigation expenses should be approved. If you are a member of the Class, your rights will be affected by the pending Action and the Settlement of the Action with Defendant Kapoor, and you may be entitled to share in the Settlement Consideration. This notice provides only a summary of the information contained in the detailed Notice of (I) Proposed Settlement with Defendant John N. Kapoor; (II) Settlement Fairness Hearing; and (III) Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Litigation Expenses ("Settlement Notice"). You may obtain a copy of the Settlement Notice, along with the Claim Form, on the website for the Action, www.InsysRXSecuritiesLitigation.com. You may also obtain a copy of the Settlement Notice and the Claim Form by writing to the Claims Administrator at Insys Therapeutics, Inc. Securities Litigation, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 170999, Milwaukee, WI 53217; by calling toll free 1-866-905-8102; or by sending an email to [email protected]. If you previously submitted or plan to submit a Claim Form in connection with the settlement of the Action with defendant Darryl S. Baker ("Baker Settlement"), it is not necessary to resubmit a Claim Form for this Settlement. Your Baker Settlement Claim Form will also be processed in connection with this Settlement. If you did not previously submit or are not planning to submit a Claim Form in connection with the Baker Settlement and you are a member of the Class, in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the proposed Settlement with Defendant Kapoor, you must submit a Claim Form postmarked (if mailed), or online, no later than October 10, 2020 , in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Claim Form. If you are a Class Member and do not submit a valid Claim Form either in connection with this Settlement or in connection with the Baker Settlement, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement of the Action with Defendant Kapoor, but you will nevertheless be bound by any releases, judgments, or orders entered by the Court in the Action. Any objections to the proposed Settlement of the Action with Defendant Kapoor, the proposed Plan of Allocation, and/or Class Counsel's motion for an award of attorneys' fees and litigation expenses, must be filed with the Court and delivered to Class Counsel and Defendant Kapoor's Counsel such that they are received no later than September 24, 2020 , in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Settlement Notice. As this Class was previously certified and, in connection therewith, Class Members had the opportunity to exclude themselves from the Class, the Court, in connection with the Baker Settlement, exercised its discretion not to allow a second opportunity for exclusion in connection with the settlement proceedings. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, DEFENDANT KAPOOR, OR DEFENDANT KAPOOR'S COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE. All questions about this notice, the Settlement of the Action with Defendant Kapoor, or your eligibility to participate in the Settlement with Defendant Kapoor should be directed to the Claims Administrator or Class Counsel. Requests for the Settlement Notice and Claim Form should be made to the Claims Administrator: Insys Therapeutics, Inc. Securities Litigation c/o A.B. Data, Ltd. P.O. Box 170999 Milwaukee, WI 53217 1-866-905-8102 [email protected] www.InsysRXSecuritiesLitigation.com All other inquiries should be made to Class Counsel: KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Johnston de F. Whitman, Jr., Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 Telephone: (610) 667-7706 Facsimile: (610) 667-7056 -and- Jennifer L. Joost, Esq. One Sansome Street, Suite 1850 San Francisco, CA 94104 Telephone: (415) 400-3000 Facsimile: (415) 400-3001 [email protected] www.ktmc.com DATED: July 20, 2020 BY ORDER OF THE COURT United States District Court District of Arizona SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (Newser) A man was killed and eight others were wounded in a brazen Sunday afternoon shooting on a busy street in northwest Washington, DC. Three men opened fire on a group of people standing on the street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood just before 5pm, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said. Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted attack, the AP reports. Two of the shooters were armed with long guns and one had a pistol, Newsham said. Dozens of evidence markers were placed on the sidewalk next to shell casings behind yellow crime scene tape. A white plastic chair was toppled over and a bike could be seen thrown down on the sidewalk nearby. story continues below The victims, all adults, included eight men and a woman, Newsham said. Two of the victims remained in serious condition on Sunday evening; the other six had non-life-threatening injuries, he said. This type of brazen daylight activity in a very, very busy block Im sure was scary for this community, Newsham said at a news conference at the scene. They are putting everyone in this community in jeopardy. Investigators have already collected surveillance video from nearby businesses and some of the victims were also known to law enforcement, Newsham said. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said investigators were working hard to bring people to justice. (Read more Washington DC stories.) Press Release 20 July 2020 UK millennials are the most likely to book an international trip in 2020 - with 49% agreeing* that they would rebook in a survey by GlobalData. Short haul travel trips to European destinations have now come into play, but the government need to collaborate with the aviation industry in order to start considering how long-haul flight operations will operate to ensure a full recovery, says GlobalData, a Leading Data & Analytics company. Advertisements Johanna Bonhill-Smith, Travel & Tourism analyst at GlobalData comments: "The news that UK millennials are the most likely to embark on international trips in 2020 is not a surprise, as this age group is already recognized as one of the most active traveler demographics. People around the ages of 25-34, typically seek more remote destinations, therefore, the prospect of a long-haul flight will not likely be as intimidating compared to other age groups. Moreover, millennials are not in the vulnerable risk zone for COVID-19 and will therefore be the most confident to travel." From 3 July, the UK Government released a list of 60 countries where UK travelers will be exempt from quarantine, but, for the moment, it remains that the majority of countries outside of Europe still require UK travelers to quarantine on arrival. Bonhill-Smith adds: "As the transition period for Brexit comes to an end, Europe will still appeal as a travel destination, yet countries further afield may hold a greater appeal. However, long haul travel may be labelled with 'red' zones, which should soon be a key consideration when travelling." Pre COVID-19, travelers were more or less in total control of their holiday decisions based on the attractiveness of a destination - the government now holds greater power in the purchasing processes and should continuously be working with the aviation industry to reach this 'new normal'. Bonhill-Smith concludes: "Common international standards need to be organized for long haul travel to become possible to not only restore confidence in the travel market, but also aid travel recovery." * Based on 'strongly agree' or 'agree' responses Head of the Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Edmon Marukyan has posted on his Facebook page a video presenting what really happened on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Azerbaijans aggressive actions, Azerbaijans terrorist statements, etc. The video, which is titled Azerbaijani Aggression and its Legal-Political Consequences, is translated into Russian and English and will be presented to Armenia's international partners. Azerbaijan resorted to military provocation by attacking the state border of the Republic of Armenia, and thereby violated Article 2 of the UN Charter. And after that, strikes on Armenian villages, houses of civilians, a kindergarten, as well as organizations for the production of masks, which is of great strategic importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and strike on other civilian targets, of which strikes on kindergarten is the most disgusting. Ministry of Emergency Situations cars heading to help the injured and wounded, all of this together testifies to violations of the relevant Geneva Conventions, and this, in essence, is a war crime. And if we summarize the actions of Azerbaijan, we can say that the Azerbaijani military-political elite resorted to war crimes against the neighboring peace-loving people of the Republic of Armenia, Marukyan emphasized. Touching upon the fact that the statements by international organizations are targeted at both sides and call on both sides to a ceasefire, Marukyan said it is unambiguous that the attacking side, the side resorting to provocation, is to blame, and the Armenian side is only in the role of defending, fighting back and demanding peace. Accordingly, in this regard, I would like to appeal to our international partners and demand, ask to be objective. We are all obliged to be objective in such situations because if we are not objective when making such assessments, then we will allow future provocations, and then we will allow future attacks. As for the question why Azerbaijan is taking such steps now, Marukyan said the following: Azerbaijan, in fact, is in a very grave condition because over the past two years, whatever Azerbaijan did, it lagged behind the changes taking place in Armenia. And the coronavirus pandemic was added to this, because Azerbaijan, in fact, is in a deplorable situation in this matter. No matter how much Azerbaijan, as a closed society, tries to hide the numbers, no matter how much it tries to harbor information, a bad situation reigns there. Added to this is the socio-economic situation. Added to this are falling oil prices since the start of the pandemic. And there is a serious, tangible drop in Azerbaijans populations income. And to this the political processes that are the result of inter-clan struggle are added. In Azerbaijan, the opposition has been completely destroyed. Azerbaijan, in order to be able to achieve internal unity, must take some steps. With a stiff-board back and a pronounced tone of defiance, Dominic Raab announced to the Commons he was ripping up the United Kingdoms extradition treaty with Hong Kong immediately and indefinitely. How he almost savoured those two words. Martial arts expert Mr Raab was in tough-guy mode. Black belt time. He wore that intense glare which reminds you of a character from a 1970s chop-socky movie. Once again, the Foreign Secretary was flicking an upturned digit towards Beijing over its recent behaviour in Hong Kong. Time was that when the UK wished to rattle tea cups in the Far East we used to send a gun boat. Things are little different now of course. But the forcefulness of Raabs language was still striking. With a stiff-board back and a pronounced tone of defiance, Dominic Raab announced to the Commons he was ripping up the United Kingdoms extradition treaty with Hong Kong immediately and indefinitely On Hong Kong, his message to Beijings top brass was blunt: The UK is watching. The whole world is watching. Murmurs of approval that greeted Raabs statement were slow and steady. Like a rolling, gurgling growl. Think an V8 motorcar with the choke cylinder pulled out full. There had been much talk recently about Chancellor Rishi Sunaks high standing around Westminster. But Raab too is on a good run. His response to the Hong Kong crisis has sent his stock soaring. There is a twinkle about him. He is enjoying being Foreign Secretary. For a while, Labour MPs would try and goad him. His slightly inclement temperament made him an easy target for jibes. But these days theyre happy to ride on his coat tails. Raabs opposite number Lisa Nandy said she strongly welcomed his announcement, even so far as offering him warm thanks. SNP spokesman Alyn Smith also welcomed Raabs tone, agreeing that despite everything he also wanted a relationship with Beijing as it was key partner with Scotland in renewable energy. From what Im told, its also a big purchaser of much of his best whisky. 'His response to the Hong Kong crisis has sent his stock soaring. There is a twinkle about him. He is enjoying being Foreign Secretary,' says Henry Deedes As support for Raabs statement arrived from all sides, much focus was given to the plight of the Uyghur Muslims said to be under persecution in Chinas western region. Shocking footage had been aired on Andrew Marrs Sunday programme which appeared to show Uyghurs being herded onto trains to internment camps in the Xinjiang province. Neil OBrien (Con, Harborough) said the images, as well reports of the Chinese selling off the hair of Uyghurs, bore chilling echoes of the 20th centurys most despicable events. Nus Ghani (Con, Wealden) wanted to know whether, since UN wa ht be able to carry out its own investigation to see whether genocide had taken place. Raab patiently pointed out that getting access to Xinjiang might just be a bit tricky. There was an interesting legal query raised by Craig Mackinlay (Con, South Thanet), who was concerned that, under its new law in Hong Kong, China might be able to extradite an individual from the UK via another country with which we hold a treaty. Raab was confident we had safeguards to mitigate against such circumstances. Police detain a protester during a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Yet some members felt that Raab had been too diplomatic in his statement about some of the world. Bob Seely (Con, Isle of Wight) pondered whether it was time to admit that the China we hoped for was not the China were getting. Graham Stringer (Lab, Blackley and Broughton) agreed Raab was being far too optimistic in hoping Beijing might just suddenly fall into line. Tobias Ellwood (Con, Bournemouth E) went even further by saying it was time to stop the pretence that China shared our values. He thought it high time for a strategic overhaul in our foreign policy approach towards Beijing. Raab gently noted that Ellwood had been a junior Foreign Office minister himself but for some years and had never expressed such a view. Perhaps it was his good natured loyalty? Thats probably why Im on the backbenches, Ellwood replied jokily. Today Raab will meet with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Much to discuss on the China front. Not least what we can expect back in terms of retaliation. LABOUR leader Alan Kelly has pledged to dig into the finances of the Shannon group in a way hes never done before. It comes after he met workers at King Johns Castle on a visit to Limerick. Some 150 full-time and seasonal workers are facing redundancy at the end of August, after the operators of Limericks prime tourist attraction decided to close the site for winter due to what they say is a lack of tourists coming from the USA due to Covid-19. The move has led to calls for the Shannon Group to be stripped of the responsibility of running both King Johns and Bunratty Castle. I think these workers have been treated despicably. These workers arent paid a lot. They do an incredible job, and this needs to be resolved. Im going to dig into the finances of the Shannon Group to a level where I have never done before. I'm going to ask an inordinate amount of questions, because it seems like the workers are the last afterthought. We all know about Covid-19, but this goes beyond it, he told the Limerick Leader, The idea so many of the various different assets are being closed at the end of August, yet the government is taking out two-page ads telling us all to to stay-cate in Ireland is a farce, it's a complete contradiction. While Limerick and the mid-west did not get any Cabinet ministers in the new administration, Co Limerick Fine Gael deputy Patrick ODonovan was given one of the highest profile junior posts that of managing the Office of Public Works (OPW) Mr Kelly feels if King Johns Castle was taken over either by the OPW or council, it might spell a brighter future for staff. They cannot continue to be treated from season to season like this. We need to look at the whole Shannon Group, the way in which it's being managed. There are so many questions. I think Patrick O'Donovan needs to look at where the future of Shannon Heritage is going, and for me, that is with the OPW and the councils. At least then, theyd be able to plan, use economies across so many different sites. They would be able to be consistent in their approach to marketing and product development, he added. Tipperary TD Mr Kelly says he maintains a huge interest in Limerick. Limerick being prosperous is very important to the Mid-West for me in my normal work as a TD and as leader of Labour it's very important to me. For me, Limerick is my city, he added. London: China's ambassador to Britain says he cannot rule out cases of Uighur women being sterilised in the Xinjiang region, after being confronted with footage of blindfolded and handcuffed prisoners being herded onto trains in Xinjiang on live television. Liu Xiaoming appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, to warn Britain that it would face a "resolute response" if it followed in the footsteps of the United States in sanctioning Chinese Communist Party officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where more than one million Uighurs are thought to be imprisoned in re-education camps. On his BBC program, host Marr played the drone footage, which has been widely shared online for almost a year and asked Liu: "Can you tell us what is happening here?" Liu at first declined to answer the question, contending that Xinjiang was "the most beautiful place in Xinjiang" instead. This summer, after six weeks of race-related agony, protests, riots, horrific acts of violence, a wildfire of iconoclasm, and a nationwide reckoning on matters of race, all of it whipped from one frenzy to another by a media that exists to exaggerate and profit from conflict, renaming the Washington Redskins seemed like a no-brainer. Surely this was the most obvious public step forward we could make as a culture, a small but significant indication that business as usual was no longer tolerable. The team name may have had no relationship whatsoever to the death of George Floyd, but it was the lowest-hanging fruit on the tree of racial re-evaluation. In the summer of 2020 we probably wont be able to end systemic prejudice, rebalance economic inequalities, or reform policing behavior, but this was one thing we could do to start things off. Right? Yet the public shrugged. Only 29 percent say the name should be changed, because most people see no slight in the Redskins name. A 2016 poll found only nine percent of American Indians thought the name was offensive; 90 percent were not offended. A poll taken just last summer and published in the Post, the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper published in a city named after a slaveholder whose name National Review is withholding so as to express its opposition to racist nomenclature, showed that most Indians are proud of the Redskins name, which has in the past frequently been used by tribal members themselves. The [name of city redacted] Post didnt publish the actual results of the survey, apparently because the data didnt align with its staffers views on the matter, but this strangely elliptical story on the poll said respondents (500 American Indians) were given a slate of 40 different adjectives to describe how they felt about the name, and most of them said proud. (Other options included disappointed, empowered, embarrassed, appreciative, and hopeless.) It is beyond obvious that the hubbub over the name Redskins was an obsession whipped up by politically correct white liberals for whom language is a sort of disgusting crumb-strewn carpet to which they daily take a magnifying glass, then ritually attack with the Roomba of good intentions in an effort to clear it of all specks of prejudice. We may not be able to solve the problems associated with the actual police, but it tickles the amour propre to deputize oneself as a member of the language police and to set about righting the most comically irrelevant alleged wrongs. Story continues The Redskins name, accompanied as it is by a logo depicting a noble-looking warrior, should not cause anyone a moments worry about whether it is intended to malign a racial minority. America has celebrated our ties to Indian culture, back to the earliest European settlements, in places such as Massachusetts and Manhattan whose names were preserved. Sometimes celebration takes on a slightly goofy overtone, as with the Tomahawk Chop beloved by Atlanta Braves fans, but youd be deeply silly to think the purpose of the Chop was to embarrass Indians rather than to express allegiance and enthusiasm for a team named in their honor. Even Chief Wahoo, the buck-toothed caricature used as the Cleveland Indians logo for decades, was obviously meant in the spirit of fun, not denigration. Nobody buys tickets to go to the ballpark to take up the colors and logos of some concept they hate. Chief Wahoo was no more meant as an insult than the Fighting Irish logo beloved by Notre Dame, where generations of Irish Americans have proudly matriculated and declined to feel insulted by the implication that they enjoy a good donnybrook. The inability to take anything in a generous or light-hearted spirit the mass personification of the Thats not funny meme is a hallmark of that scowling, ill-tempered, mentally shriveled 29 percent whose cultural obsessions, no matter how irrelevant or weird, quickly become the countrys. If, after half a summer of relentless propagandizing, 29 percent opposition to the Redskins name is as much as the PC troops can rally to their side, the number at a more relaxed moment must be more like 25, or even 20, percent the leftmost tranche of the left-wing party. From that minority, however, come the vast majority of our opinion journalists, news editors, museum curators, television talking heads, university administrators, and the rest of the generalship of the culture. Thats the problem with the 29 percent their ideas are unpopular but they wont shut up about them till they get what they want, and they control most of the megaphones. Perhaps the loudest megaphone is Twitter, whose users have repeatedly demonstrated the power to overrule even the editors of major newspapers and make major institutions and corporations such as FedEx, which pushed the Redskins to rethink their name, quake with fear. The prospect of having an unwelcome hashtag attached to their brand for 48 hours is so terrifying to most organizations that theyll quickly hurl themselves at the feet of the mob, offering whatever tribute is demanded. In a country ruled by the 29 percent, it ought not surprise anyone that the self-appointed cultural administrators become ever more despised. Nor should the NFL, which has repeatedly embarrassed itself this off-season by prostrating itself before the woke mob, be surprised when its ratings take a tumble this season. More from National Review Considering the "Packer Pecker" (C8), Les Shearman of Darlington is feeling "Barangarooted. Packerstan Protectorate: Our penal colony now has a penile colony." Joy Cooksey of Harrington adds: "Pickled people-packers are incapable of becoming perfectly proper Packer-people without uplifting and appropriate propaganda-packaging and particularly prestigious parentage." "Is there a collective name for people who ask about your recent travel experience merely as a pretext for then outlining in excruciating detail their own latest travel adventure or planned trip?" asks Ken Dundas of Banora Point. I think that's what they call a Segway Tour, Ken. Jenny Stephenson of Wollongong certainly isn't bragging: "Past travel across the world or Australia is one (or two things). Try doing a return day trip in the 1930s from Wollongong to Canberra with the only stop being Parliament House in a Ford Model T bus, courtesy of Dion's Bus Service (which will celebrate its 90th anniversary this year). Not to mention a Dion's return day trip to Sydney via Lawrence Hargrave Drive, pre-Grand Pacific Drive or sealed roads." Another kind of food bravery (C8) comes from Geoff Lyons of Lane Cove who recalls seeing a cafe blackboard advertising "a Caprese salad of tomato, basil and freshly sliced buffalo. Below that was leak soup!" "Steve Beckenham (C8) might be interested to know that my dad was a Dalmatian," writes George Manojlovic of Mangerton. "But he hasn't been spotted for quite some time now. Had my mum been from Labrador, I would have been a real mongrel." Barely days after the date for the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was finalised, the Shiv Sena said that it will see if political social distancing is followed in invitations to various people, including Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the Sena chief does not need an invitation to visit Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Ayodhya for the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir on August 5. Following that there were speculations if Thackeray, whose party has been at the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement since the late 1980s, would be invited. BJP and Shiv Sena stitched the political alliance in the backdrop of the movement and Hindutva ideology in Maharashtra in 1989. The former allies, BJP and Sena, parted ways late last year after the latter formed a government in Maharashtra with the support of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party. I have heard through the media that the date for the ceremony has been decided. The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas (Trust) has given an invitation to the prime minister. So he will go to Ayodhya on this occasion, we regularly keep going to Ayodhya. They will decide on the invitation, how many people to call, how to maintain social distancing. It is also to be seen if they follow political social distancing, Raut said in an apparent jibe at the BJP. He added that the Sena chief has been visiting Ayodhya regularly even before he became the chief minister and will continue to do so. The senior Sena leader added that the party has paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple and it was instrumental in removing obstacles for it. Shiv Sena has a connection with Ayodhya and it will remain eternally. It is not a political connection. Shiv Sena has never gone to Ayodhya for political gains. The road for Ram Mandir was paved by the Shiv Sena. The obstacles to building the Ram Mandir were cleared by the Shiv Sena not for politics, but because of [our] faith and for Hindutva, he said speaking to reporters in Mumbai. On Sunday, South Mumbai MP and former union minister Arvind Sawant said that the Sena does not bother about an invitation to visit Ayodhya. He added that Thackeray during his last visit donated Rs 5 crore on behalf of the party to the temple trust for the construction of the Ram Mandir. Jammu, July 20 : The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army busted a terror-funding module of the Lashkar-e-Toiba on Monday with the arrest of one person, officials said. Police said it had received a tip-off from a reliable source that the banned outfit LeT had activated a module of its members for carrying out terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Jammu region, and delivery of funds was to take place in Jammu in furtherance of this motive. "A team of SOG Jammu and Peer Mitha Police arrested Mubashir Bhat of Sazan in Doda, who is a part of the module and tasked by his handlers from across the border to visit Jammu and collect hawala money for use by terrorists and their supporters," police said. Police said a bag containing Rs 1.5 lakh concealed in a tiffin box was seized from the accused. "His initial questioning revealed that the money was sent by Haroon, a self-styled commander of LeT from Pakistan, to be delivered to the terrorists through their overground workers in Doda," police said. Police has registered a case and probing the matter. Great British Menu star Paul Ainsworth has hit out at diners who failed to show up for reservations at his Cornish pub, comparing them to 'panic buyers at the start of lockdown'. The TV chef, 41, from Southampton, appeared on Good Morning Britain alongside Bake Off star Candice Brown and chef Allegra Benitah to debate whether guests should pay a deposit to prevent them not showing up for bookings. He said that it was 'unbelievable' so many diners cancelled last week after he and many other establishments have struggled to cope during lockdown, with his own restaurant borrowing money to prevent any redundancies. It comes after fellow TV chef Tom Kerridge also recently hit out at 'selfish' customers who did not show up for bookings at his London eatery. Great British Menu star Paul Ainsworth (pictured) hit out at diners who failed to show up for reservations at his Cornish pub The TV chef, 41, from Southampton, appeared on Good Morning Britain where he compared the diners to 'panic buyers at the start of lockdown' He said: 'We just couldn't believe it, especially with all the awareness Tom Kerridge raised on the weekend. 'It had been a really positive start, lockdown had been really tough with the amount of money we borrowed so we didn't have to make redundancies. So to have 27 no- shows in one day was unbelievable.' He added: 'I think it was like the beginning of lockdown, when we saw those scenes of panic buying. ' I think when people knew they were going to be able to go out on July 4, it was the case of booking loads of tables and making sure they had somewhere to go out.' He appeared alongside Bake Off star Candice Brown (bottom left) and chef Allegra Benitah (bottom right) to debate whether guests should pay a deposit to prevent them not showing up for bookings He told that it was 'unbelievable' so many diners cancelled after he and many other establishments have struggled to cope during lockdown Candice, 35, from London, went on to reveal that her pub, The Green Man, has introduced a 10 deposit at lunch and a 20 deposit in the evening to ensure they don't lose business. She explained their capacity has reduced from 40 to 20 people, and hit out at diners who don't show up for bookings, branding them 'rude' and saying their behaviour is 'unacceptable'. 'We're in a tiny village pub we have to take out half our tables, said Candice. 'If we had 20 people not turn up, we would have no business. We fought hard to keep our business running. Candice, 35, from London, went on to reveal that her pub, The Green Man, has introduced a 10 deposit at lunch and a 20 deposit in the evening to ensure they don't lose business TV chef Allegra defended diners who could potentially be worried about dining out post-lockdown, and said that booking a table is 'the fist step of confidently eating at a restaurant' 'It's about survival and I don't get this thought process if you have booked a table not having the common decency just to make a phone call and say, "I can't come". She went on: 'We've had a couple of no shows, we've had people swap their bookings and we're not animals, we're not horrible, of course we'll swap it, or if there is an extreme circumstance we give their money back. We're not awful human beings. 'But the hospitality industry is just trying to survive at the moment, we're on our knees and we're trying to survive. Twenty seven no-shows is unacceptable, it's rude and costing lives and money and businesses.' Meanwhile, TV chef Allegra defended diners who could potentially be worried about dining out post-lockdown, and said that booking a table is 'the fist step of confidently eating at a restaurant.' This comes after celebrity chef Tom Kerridge (pictured) has took to social media to slam customers who failed to show reservations at his upmarket London restaurant She said: 'I think dining out in a carefree way is a thing of the past. People are scared to go out again. They don't know what it will be like, and people are really feeling the pinch. 'I think booking a table is the fist step of confidentily eating at a restaurant, there are a whole stream of conversations and questions and imposing a deposit is one restriction on already highly restricted diners.' Paul agreed with Allegra, yet felt he had been given no other option but to impose a deposit at his eatery. Paul agreed with Allegra, yet felt he had been given no other option but to impose a deposit at his eaterie 'I actually agree with what Allegra is saying,' said Paul. 'We've had credit card details for eight years, we take the number and all that. But what's happening now is people are cancelling their card.' 'I want it to be free and easy, I don't want to book a deposit, to take money from them straight away isn't something I want to do - but we're being backed into a corner. 'The majority of people will pay a deposit and say "How can people not turn up?" and I do believe this is still a minority, but if we're not careful it will end up ruining it for everyone.' The Ukrainian side considers the mentioned visit a gross violation of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine against the norms of international law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine has issued a strong protest over the illegal visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized and continues to adhere to the principled position of the inadmissibility of uncoordinated visits by Russian officials to the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol," the ministry said in a statement on July 20, 2020. In this regard, the Ukrainian side considers the mentioned visit and other trips of Russian officials to the Russian-occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which are carried out despite of the repeated warnings and protests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a gross violation of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine against the norms of international law. Read alsoU.S.: Russia's construction of warships in occupied Crimea violates international norms The Ukrainian diplomats also said these visits violate the norms of resolutions of the UN General Assembly A / Res / 68/262 of March 27, 2014 "Territorial integrity of Ukraine", A / Res / 71/205 of December 19, 2016, A / Res / 72/190 of December 19, 2017, A / Res / 73 / 263 of December 22, 2018, A / Res / 74/168 of December 18, 2019 "The situation with human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine", A / Res / 73/194 of December 17, 2018, and A / Res / 74/168 of December 17, 2018 Res / 74/17 of December 9, 2019 "The problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as the Black and Azov Seas," the Baku Declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (2014), and other resolutions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. "Ukraine once again condemns the measures taken by the Russian Federation on the further militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which poses a significant threat to regional security," reads the statement. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands that the Russian side immediately stop all the above-mentioned international illegal actions and eliminate all the consequences they have caused. "The Ukrainian side draws attention to the fact that all responsibility for the negative consequences for the whole region lies, in accordance with international law, on the Russian Federation as the occupying power, its officials, illegal 'Crimean authorities' and their representatives who make illegal decisions and commit illegal acts," the report says. Russias foreign ministry has not confirmed reports about the release of two Russian nationals, Maksim Shugalei and Samer Hasan Ali Sueifan, employees of the Russian non-profit organization Foundation for National Values Protection who were detained in 2019. "The Russian foreign ministry does not confirm this information," TASS cited a ministry official as saying. Al Hadath television channel said earlier in the day, citing its own sources, that the two Russians had arrived in Istanbul. No further details were given. Shigalei and Sueifan were detained in Libya in May 2019. The Tripoli-based Attorney Generals Office has accused them of meddling in Libyas domestic affairs and elections, and of conducting public activities in the country without permission from local authorities and security agencies. Moreover, the Attorney Generals Office claims that the Russian men had gone to the locations they were barred from visiting. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on July 18 that Russia had received written guarantees of the Libyan Government of National Accord that the issues of the Russian nationals release would be resolved soon. The scene outside of New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas' home after the shooting. YouTube/Eyewitness News ABC7NY A gunman has shot dead the 20-year-old son of a US District Court Judge and injured her 63-year-old husband The shooting took place at Judge Esther Salas' family home in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The suspect is believed to have been dressed as a FedEx delivery driver when they arrived, reports said. Salas previously served as a public defender and federal magistrate judge. In 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed her as a district court judge. The suspect was found dead Monday with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, ABC reported. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A gunman has shot dead the son of a New Jersey-based federal judge and wounded her husband, multiple reports say. Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson confirmed to The Associated Press (AP) that Daniel Anderl, the 20-year-old son of US District Court Judge Esther Salas, died after being shot at their family home in North Brunswick, New Jersey on Sunday. Salas's husband, 63-year-old criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, was also shot. He underwent surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, and is in stable but critical condition, the New Jersey Globe reported. Salas was unharmed in the incident, according to both NBC4 New York and the New Jersey Globe. The suspect is believed to have been dressed as a FedEx delivery driver, the AP reported, citing an unnamed judiciary official. The source added that Salas was in the basement at the time of the shooting. The New Jersey Globe also reported that the man was dressed as a FedEx driver. The gunman was found dead in Liberty, New York. He was found in a car with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. It is not immediately clear who was the target of the attack. A law-enforcement source told CNN that the son opened the door with Salas' husband "right behind," and the door opened to a "hail of gunfire" before the suspect fled, CNN reported. Story continues A neighbor said the shooting happened at around 5 p.m., The New York Times reported. The FBI in Newark announced its agents are investigating the shooting, according to the tweet. NBC4 New York also reported that US Marshals, New Jersey State Police, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General are also investigating. Salas previously served as a public defender and a federal magistrate judge. In 2010, then-President Barack Obama appointed her as a district court judge, making her the "first Hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey," according to NBC4 New York. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey offered his condolences to Salas and her family in light of the shooting. "I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey's federal bench," Menendez said in a statement to The Lakewood Shopper's Shlomo Schorr. "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice," he continued. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also tweeted on Sunday night: "Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act." The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Four days before the shooting, Salas was assigned to the ongoing lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, according to Newsweek. Investors accuse bank executives of making false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies, and failing to monitor "high-risk" customers like Jeffrey Epstein. Read the original article on Insider Over the last two decades, India and China have become significant players in the digital ecospace with profiles that are different but convergent. India may be the worlds back office, but its presence in products software and hardware is relatively small. China, on the other hand, is big in both domains. On the basis of a back-of-the envelope calculation, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of their digital sectors over the past two decades appear roughly comparable: Indias digital sector has grown, on average, annually by around 35%, while China has recorded 50%+ growth. However, thanks to compounding of the difference in growth rates over 20 years, the final picture today is different. In 2019, Chinas digital economy claimed to have crossed $5 trillion or over a third of the countrys total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In comparison, Indias current digital economy is estimated around $300 billion, or nearly 12% of the GDP. Chinas digital surge has not only reinvented the economy, but has also bolstered the nations growth rate. In 2019, for instance, its digital sectors 15.5% growth was the biggest contributor to the national GDP growth of 6.1%. Globally, Chinas digital economy is second only to the United States (US). Although the US still dominates with 18 companies in top-30 digital companies by market capitalisation (2019), China has seven companies in the list, including Alibaba ($402 billion), and Tencent ($398 billion). Recently, however, there are signs that this lopsided China-Indias digital paradigm might be correcting. Chinas domestic digital economy is getting saturated and its attempt to expand globally is encountering increased resistance. Last month, India banned 59 Chinese apps. The United Kingdom (UK) reversed its decision to allow Huawei to operate 5G telecom system, and, in this, joined a number of western countries uneasy about Chinese digital exports. In contrast, Indias digital economy seems to be getting a tailwind. Over the past three months, Jio, the largest Indian telecom operator, has managed to get Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of over $20 billion from 13 global investors for its platforms. Google has announced its intention to invest $10 billion in Indias digital economy over the next five to seven years. Foxconn, which assembles Apple phones here, intends to ramp up mobile production by investing $1 billion in India, already the worlds second-largest mobile manufacturer. Despite the enormous global economic challenges, the four Indian technology majors have had healthy growth in their turnover during Q2/2020. While these may be early hopeful signs of gains in Indias digital journey, we need to acknowledge its strategic importance. At this juncture, we need to study the Chinese strategy over the last two decades to become a digital superpower. In the late 1990s, China realised the potential of these emerging technologies and leveraged them. Foreign digital companies recieved permissions to ply their wares in Chinas huge market, but these were withdrawn soon in a seemingly systematic manner, and the entire domestic digital ecospace reserved for its home-grown entities. Thus, China is the only major economy where Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google (FAAMG) are either absent or remain marginal players. Their Chinese clones took full advantage of a near-monopoly to grow exponentially. Meanwhile, China invested heavily in digital hardware technologies from chip-making to telecom systems and acquired companies and start-ups abroad. Thousands of Chinese students and researchers went to western technical institutions to specialise in these domains. While many of the pathways China took to become a digital superpower are relevant to us, replicating them has since become more difficult. Having lost China, FAAAM are determined not let go of India. They have also become more possessive about their technologies. On our side, too, the ecosystem has often rendered only tepid support to the home-grown digital companies. Indian IT companies grow despite the government. There is little point in rediscovering the wheel we should try and leap-frog into the future. To this end, a strategy leveraging our market size and competence to foster alliances between domestic and foreign digital companies will serve us best. The government can and should make this possible by creating a positive and forward-looking framework and adopt best global practices, particularly on Intellectual Property Rights, data security, taxation, land acquisition and employment. A high-powered inter-ministerial entity could be created to supervise the digital sector and accelerate decision-making. Non-resident Indian (NRI) techno-entrepreneurs should be encouraged to lead this synergy, particularly in creating research and development capacity in emerging technologies, clubbed as the Industrial Revolution 4.0. We also need to develop human resources through better academia-industry interface, adopt employment-friendly syllabi and train our workforce. We also need to appreciate that unlike the brick and mortar economy, digital technologies are less beholden to lure of either geo-economics or size. If the countrys digital economy soars, it will have comprehensive spin-offs for the Indian economy and society from faster growth to higher employment generation to greater self-reliance in an area, both critical at present and strategic in the future. These are reasons enough for us to act particularly in the current challenging economic times. Mahesh Sachdev is former high commissioner to Nigeria, and is author of Nigeria: A Business Manual. He heads Eco-Diplomacy & Strategies, New Delhi The views expressed are personal YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of the Armenian foreign ministry Anna Naghdalyan says the recent actions unleashed by Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border showed that the Azerbaijani people should prepare their leadership to peace, rather than the Azerbaijani leadership to prepare its population to peace. Earlier we have reached an agreement on preparing populations to peace. However, the recent incidents and the aggressive statements of the Azerbaijani leadership showed that it is not the Azerbaijani leadership that should prepare its population to peace, but the Azerbaijani people must prepare their leadership to peace, the MFA spokeswoman said in an interview to the Russian Kommersant newspaper. Anna Naghdalyan added that back to 2016 with unleashing the April War Azerbaijan caused a large blow to the peace process, the consequences of which have not been overcome to the end, and the recent actions of Azerbaijan returned the peace process to the 2016 April situation. In the past two years we have recorded concrete positive movements as the number of ceasefire violations has declined, an agreement has been reached to prepare populations to peace, and the recent exchange program of journalists was the first step of its implementation. But the hatred rhetoric and threats of the Azerbaijani leadership in the past months, their militaristic statements, on the background of which the recent escalation took place, returned the peace process to the situation of 2016 April, Anna Naghdalyan said. Since July 12th, Azerbaijan has launched a series of cross-border attacks against Armenias northern Tavush province. Overnight July 19-20 the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has been relatively calm. The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime 9 times from firearms in different parts of the border, firing nearly 137 shots at the Armenian positions. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Chris Wallace's interview of President Trump went about as expected. Wallace, a NeverTrump from the beginning of Trump's entry into the presidential campaign of 2016, was idiotically gleeful in his feeble attempts to embarrass Trump with phony polls and other media challenges to his presidency and campaign. Given how wrong the polls were in 2016, it's foolish of Wallace to tout them again. Wallace was eager to defend the hapless Biden, who, as Trump said, cannot put two sentences together even as he is reading them from a teleprompter. One obvious reason for this is that Biden did not write them, did not even think them. At the moment, he is just a front, like Woody Allen in the film of that name. He is only the visible manifestation of the Democrat presidential nominee, and he is a pathetic one at that. He is not competent; he barely ever was. As Robert Gates wrote in his book, Joe Biden has been wrong on foreign policy for forty years. Full interview. Wallace's thoroughly biased interview began and ended with his obvious disdain for the president. Every time he is about to be disrespectful, he says "respectfully, sir." Wallace clearly disrespects this president, who promised to drain the swamp. His questions drip with oleaginous contempt. Wallace is a second-generation member of that swamp. Like the rest of the left, he cannot fathom why so many millions of Americans love the man, love what he got done before the virus arrived from China. Trump has handled this pandemic well, but no Democrat will ever admit that. Having to bail out the governors who were so dangerously ill prepared for such an event has been embarrassing. Instead, the party of Ilhan Omar and Al Sharpton praises the inept Gov. Cuomo of N.Y., who oversaw thousands of needless deaths of elderly victims by forcing them into nursing homes rather than the field hospitals or the hospital ship Trump had delivered. Cuomo is barely more capable than NYC Mayor de Blasio, who has made his city seem like a scene from the film Escape From New York. In the film, N.Y. City has become so crime-ridden that it has devolved into a maximum-security prison. De Blasio has released thousands of prisoners onto the streets because of COVID. What sense this makes is anyone's guess, but the rise in the crime rate is the obvious result. Did Chris Wallace want to address any of these crises in the Democrat-run cities that have been relinquished to the violence of BLM and Antifa? Oh, no. He interrupted Trump every time he uttered that truth. And to make matters worse, these Democrat leaders in their blighted cities refuse the federal help the president has offered. Surely, their citizens can see the terrible damage governors like Newsom, Whitmer, Pritzker, and Murphy, and mayors Walz, Durkan, et al., are doing to their constituents. This will be a law and order election. Those who want to support the violence brought to their cities by BLM and Antifa, both organizations apparently generously funded by Soros and his pals, will vote for the wretched Biden. Those who love this country will vote to re-elect the president. Wallace is so comfortably immersed in his bubble of leftism, his ease among colleagues who think exactly as he does, that he is seemingly unaware of how his bias taints his every question. And with each "gotcha" question, he is clueless that Trump gets the better of him. Like the rest of the left, Wallace loves COVID! After all of the Democrats' past efforts have failed to remove Trump from office, they are convinced the virus will be his undoing. Wallace attempted to fact-check the president's answers on the subject; he did so poorly. Everyone knows that the media and the medical establishment are tampering with the numbers, that despite known cases rising due to testing, mortality is down. Chris made a fool of himself on this topic; like Biden, he favors his own manipulated "facts" over truth. Wallace cited Dr. Redfield of the CDC! Like the WHO, the CDC is shot through with bias and corruption. After all that has been revealed about that institution, it is shocking that Wallace would bring it up. Wallace reveres the duplicitous publicity hound Dr. Fauci, who has been wrong on nearly all aspects of the virus from day one, just as he was during the AIDS epidemic. Wallace showed clips of Trump early on in the pandemic but none of Fauci's wrong-headed predictions and prescriptions. That is how the left produces its fake news. It picks and chooses the bits and pieces of what has actually occurred and paints a thoroughly dishonest picture of the truth. For example, Joe Biden is on record calling for the de-funding of the police, but Wallace denied this. It was in an interview, not so baldly stated in his frightening Biden-Sanders Unity Agreement, a document that should scare the hell out of every American. Wallace delighted in bringing up Trump's niece's ridiculous book, more proof that Wallace has descended into the gutter of gossip politics, National Enquirer territory. This is how low Fox News Sunday has sunk. Wallace thinks he is fair! That is how disconnected from reality he is. He grovels to Democrats and insults Republicans with relish. The clip of his interview with Comey is hardly evidence of his fairness. Comey's party is irrelevant because his actions are indefensible; even Wallace can see that. Most egregious on Wallace's part was his introduction of "new polls" that show Biden beating Trump. Wallace could not conceal his delight in relating these to the president. Wallace is a thug in a small-man body. His behavior in this interview is reminiscent of the memorable quote from the old film, People Will Talk: to paraphrase, Wallace is a "little man. He is little in the mind and the heart. In that interview, he tried to make a man little whose boots he couldn't touch if he stood on tiptoe on top of the highest mountain. And now he is even littler than before." Wallace did himself no good in that interview. He revealed himself even more clearly as an instrument of the swamp and an enemy of the American people. Most long-time Fox viewers gave up watching Fox News Sunday long ago for good reason. Since Trump became president, the Sunday show we once looked forward to as an antidote to the blatant prejudice against all things pro-American/conservative that CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC spews each Sunday has failed us. Wallace long ago made FNS a clone of those anti-Trump programs. Who can deny, as Wallace did to the president, that young people are being taught to hate their own country in school, especially in university? That is an undeniable fact and yet Wallace denied it. The man lives in the same bubble as the rest of the swamp. Trump came out of this interview like the leader he is, truthful, spontaneous, far better informed than Wallace on a wide variety of subjects and as the man who should be and will be re-elected. A Biden victory would mean the end of America as founded, a nation based on freedom, individual rights and the equality of all mankind. Wallace embarrassed himself as surely as Brian Stelter embarrasses himself every time he opens his mouth, for Wallace, like the rest of the never-Trumpers, loathes not only Trump but his many millions of supporters. Trump is the 2020 incarnation of Ronald Reagan, a lover of the country and its people, all of them. Wallace and his ilk truly despise those of us who support this president. Photo credit: YouTube screen grab. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) Another 1,521 people in the country have caught the coronavirus disease, the Department of Health reported on Monday. This brought the tally of infections to 68,898, based on the latest case report. Of the newly reported cases, the DOH said 1,209 are fresh or were detected in the last three days, while 312 are late cases or were part of the validation backlog. Majority of the new cases came from the National Capital Region, which logged 1,237 infections or around 80%. Meanwhile, 51 came from Cavite, 51 from Laguna, 34 from Rizal, and 22 from Davao del Sur, the DOH said. For recoveries, the department confirmed an additional 607, for a total of 23,072 patients who got well. It also listed four more deaths, raising the death toll to 1,835. Two of these were from Central Visayas, one from NCR, and the other from Davao region. The ages of those who died range from 58 to 68 years old, the DOH added. It urged the elderly who are at higher risk of more serious complications of COVID-19 to exercise more caution amid the pandemic. The country currently has 43,991 active cases of the disease. Of this number, 90.6% are mild, 8.5% are asymptomatic, 0.4% are severe, and 0.5% are critical. Dr. Darwin Bandoy of the University of the Philippines COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team also linked the increase in cases to community transmission and improved testing capacity. He said they are projecting cases to reach 76,000 by August 1. Bandoy said models and projections are useful for response and to instill behavioral change among people in strictly observing minimum health standards as the economy reopens. RELATED: UP, UST researchers predict 85,000 COVID-19 cases in PH by end-July COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad reached 9,136, after the Department of Foreign Affairs said 135 more tested positive for the virus. It also said ten more died, while another 39 recovered, pushing the total count to 644 deaths and 5,360 recoveries. Worldwide, the disease has hit some 14.5 million people and killed around 606,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University. A federal appeals court has overruled a judges decision allowing the Texas Republican Party to hold an in-person convention in Houston, marking a big win for the the nations fourth-largest city in an ongoing battle with the state GOP. In an order issued Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Fridays ruling that would have permitted the Republican Party of Texas to host an in-person convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It came one day after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner vowed to appeal the case. Judge Lynn Hughes, of the Southern District of Texas, had ruled Friday that the city of Houston violated the GOPs constitutional rights by canceling the event. Turner, a Democrat, had directed convention center operators earlier this month to cancel the Texas GOPs contract to hold an in-person convention this weekend. The mayor said he believed the three-day event could not be held safely amid a surge of coronavirus cases in Houston and much of Texas. The party sued, alleging breach of contract, but it lost an appeal at the Texas Supreme Court on Monday. The ruling Saturday came as Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, for the fifth consecutive day and more than 100 deaths linked to the disease for the fourth day in a row. State health officials also noted Saturday that there were another 10,158 confirmed coronavirus cases and 130 additional fatalities. Hospitals in the Texas have been straining under one of the worst outbreaks in the United States. The total number of Texans hospitalized with the disease rose to 10,658 Saturday, from 10,632 Friday. That seven-day average for positive tests was just over 16%. The in-person convention was initially set to run from Thursday to Saturday. But James Dickey, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said Friday the party was still on-track to try a virtual gathering this weekend. A young, sun-like star encircled by its planet-forming disk of gas and dust. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Planets form from gas and dust particles swirling around baby stars in enormous spinning disks. But because this process takes millions of years, scientists can only learn about these disks by finding and studying a lot of different examples. Through a project called Disk Detective, you can help. Anyone, regardless of background or prior knowledge, can assist scientists in figuring out the mysteries of planet formation. Disk Detective is an example of citizen science, a collaboration between professional scientists and members of the public. "We're trying to understand how long it takes for planets to form," said astrophysicist Marc Kuchner, the Disk Detective project lead at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Citizen Science Officer for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Tracing the evolution of these disks is the main way that we know how long planet formation takes." Disk Detective has just relaunched with a new website and a new dataset of about 150,000 stars. This new version of the project focuses on M dwarfs, which represent the most common type of star in the Milky Way galaxy. It also concentrates on brown dwarfs, which are balls of gas that don't burn hydrogen the way stars do and often more closely resemble giant planets like Jupiter. After reading the instructions, participants can start identifying disks right away in Disk Detective. The interface presents a series of real astronomical images and asks visitors questions that will help determine more definitively if a disk is present. The images come from NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), which now operates as NEOWISE, as well as the ground-based Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii and the NASA-funded Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), which operated from 1997 to 2001. "We have multiple citizen scientists look at each object, give their own independent opinion, and trust the wisdom of the crowd to decide what things are probably galaxies and what things are probably stars with disks around them," said Disk Detective's director, Steven Silverberg, a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. Advanced users learn more about the objects they're studying using professional data archives. Those who contribute substantial insight receive credit on scientific papers describing the discoveries made through Disk Detective's efforts. Professional scientists then follow up on citizen scientists' input using more sophisticated tools and new observations. Fifteen citizen scientists have already become named co-authors on peer-reviewed scientific papers through Disk Detective. One enthusiastic Disk Detective "superuser" is Hugo Durantini Luca, a computer technician in Cordoba, Argentina. He began classifying disks with the project in 2014 and since then has taken on additional responsibilities: writing tutorials, moderating discussions, and even helping use telescopes in South America to follow up on interesting targets. While he became involved because of his interest in detecting planetary systems and analyzing images, he says he highly values "the way you are able to work with the science team directly." He is in frequent communication with Kuchner and other professional astronomers, and he participates in a weekly video call for superusers. "I think we are going to have an interesting new season," Durantini Luca said. "The new way we are processing the data will allow us to analyze the image[s] with better detail." Citizen scientists at Disk Detective made an important discovery in 2016: a new class of disks, called Peter Pan disks. Most disks around young, low-mass stars should lose their gas, due to planet formation and natural dissipation into space, after 5 million years. Yet Disk Detective citizen scientists discovered a disk with plenty of gas orbiting a star that is roughly 45 million years old. Since then, seven similar mysteriously young-looking disks have been found, each at least 20 million years old. Scientists are still puzzling out why planet formation goes on for so long in these disks. They predict that citizen scientists may find as many as 15 new Peter Pan disks through the newly revamped Disk Detective. "To figure out how disks evolve, we need a big sample of different kinds of disks of different ages," Kuchner said. More recently, Disk Detective's efforts resulted in a discovery announced on June 2 at the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) 236th meeting, which was held virtually. With the help of citizen scientists, astronomers identified the closest young brown dwarf disk yet, one that may have the capability to form planets. This 3.7-million-year-old brown dwarf, called W1200-7845, is about 333 light-years away. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year; the closest star beyond the sun is over 4 light-years away. "There are not many examples of young brown dwarfs so close to the sun, so W1200-7845 is an exciting discovery," said Maria Schutte, a predoctoral graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, who led the study and presented the findings at the AAS meeting. Durantini Luca and other citizen scientists were included as coauthors. Since the last Disk Detective data release, ESA's (European Space Agency's) Gaia satellite has delivered an unprecedented bounty of information about the locations, movements, and types of stars in the Milky Way. The Disk Detective science team used the new data from Gaia to identify M dwarfs of interest to the project. A second improvement to the project is that the new images from the surveys listed above have higher resolution than the previous batch of data, making more background objects visible. "NASA needs your help," Kuchner said. "Come discover these disks with us!" Explore further Citizen scientists spot closest young brown dwarf disk yet More information: Check out the revamped Disk Detective project at Check out the revamped Disk Detective project at diskdetective.org SENECA FALLS, N.Y. -- A 23-year-old man was airlifted to a Syracuse hospital this weekend after the utility terrain vehicle he was riding in overturned in the town of Seneca Falls, police said. A LifeNet helicopter transported Zachery Bishop, of Seneca Falls, to Upstate University Hospital after the crash at 8:47 p.m. Saturday on Farron Road, Seneca Falls police said in a news release. Bishop was a passenger on the UTV, a large, powerful vehicle that typically seats passengers side-by-side. Seneca Falls police identified the driver as 30-year-old Andrew Daily, Seneca Falls. Police say Daily was traveling westbound in a field when he turned and the UTV rolled over. Daily had minor injuries, and was treated and released at the scene. Bishop was airlifted to Upstate University Hospital, but police say his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Bengaluru, July 20 : A bunch of young asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients at a Covid Care Centre (CCC) in Karnataka's Ballari district broke into a jig in a flash mob video which has gone viral on social media, an official said on Monday. "The Covid patients did the flash mob on their own, it was not organised. They were just having a good time. One of our doctors was there who took the video and shared it with us," Ballari Deputy Commissioner S.S. Nakul told IANS. In the flash mob, which occurred on Sunday, 10-15 lively young Covid positive men and women were seen grooving in sync to an old Kannada movie song in the CCC. Wearing masks and forgetting their problems for some time, they danced to a 21-year-old famous song, 'Mastu Mastu Hudugi', starring popular Sandalwood star Upendra and yesteryear Bollywood starlet Raveena Tandon, from the movie 'Upendra'. For their flash mob, the youngsters chose a song which was wildly popular in both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh from the psychological thriller movie 'Upendra', which was released in 1999. They formed two parallel lines to dance beside their partitioned beds in the neatly maintained and well lit CCC while two people were also seen the video minding their business as the others danced. Nakul said there are 10 CCCs in Ballari district, accommodating 650 asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic Covid patients. Ballari accounts for 2,428 positive cases, out of which 1,080 are active while 60 people have succumbed to the virus in the district so far. GEDmatch, the DNA analysis site that police used to catch the so-called Golden State Killer, was pulled briefly offline on Sunday while its parent company investigated how its users' DNA profile data apparently became available to law enforcement searches. The company confirmed Wednesday that the permissions change was caused by a breach. The site, which lets users upload their DNA profile data to trace their family tree and ancestors, rose to overnight fame in 2018 after law enforcement used the site to match the DNA from a serial murder suspect against the site's million-plus DNA profiles in the site's database without first telling the company. GEDmatch issued a privacy warning to its users and put in new controls to allow users to opt-in for their DNA to be included in police searches. But users reported Sunday that those settings had changed without their permission, and that their DNA profiles were made available to law enforcement searches. In a statement on Wednesday, the company told users by email that it was hit by two security breaches on July 19 and July 20. "We became aware of the situation a short time later and immediately took the site down. As a result of the breach, all user permissions were reset, making all profiles visible to all users," the email read. "This was the case for approximately 3 hours. During this time, users who did not opt-in for law enforcement matching were also available for law enforcement matching, and conversely, all law enforcement profiles were made visible to Gedmatch users." The statement said that the second breach caused user's settings to reset, allowing law enforcement to search profile data for users who had previously opted out. At the time of writing, GEDmatch's website was offline. DNA profiling and analysis companies are increasingly popular with users trying to understand their cultural and ethnic backgrounds by discovering new and ancestral family members. But law enforcement are increasingly pushing for access to genetic databases to try to solve crimes from DNA left at crime scenes. A spokesperson for the company on Wednesday said the company had reported the incident to the authorities. The company told TechCrunch that it had not received or responded to any law enforcement requests during the two-day incident. Story continues GEDmatch does not publish how frequently law enforcement seeks access to the company's data. Its rivals, like 23andMe and Ancestry .com, have already published these so-called transparency reports. Earlier this year Ancestry.com revealed that it rejected an out-of-state police warrant, indicating that police are still using DNA profiling and analysis sites for information. "The acknowledgement of an issue is a start, but if a 'resolution' means simply correcting the error, there are many questions that remain," Elizabeth Joh, a professor of law at University of California, Davis School of Law, told TechCrunch. "For instance, does GEDmatch know whether any law enforcement agencies accessed these improperly tagged users? Will they disclose any further details of the breach? And of course, this isn't simply GEDmatch's problem: a privacy breach in a genetic genealogy database underscores the woefully inadequate regulatory safeguards for the most sensitive of information, in a novel arena for civil liberties," she said. "It's a mess." Updated on July 22 with confirmation of the security breach. First published on July 19 at 5:38 p.m. ET. 257 new COVID-19 cases on July 19, including 5 imported cases The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 257 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore as of 12pm on July 19, bringing the national tally to 47,912. Majority of the cases continue to be foreign workers living in dormitories. Of the new cases, 98 per cent are linked to known clusters, while the rest are pending contact tracing. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Lawrence Wong There were also five imported cases, including three Singaporeans/Permanent Residents who returned to Singapore from India on June 26 and July 3, and from Azerbaijan on July 4. The remaining two cases are a Dependants Pass holder and Work Pass holder who is currently employed in Singapore. They arrived in Singapore from India and Philippines on 7 July. 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. In addition, there were eight cases in the community. Seven of the cases are asymptomatic, and were detected through proactive testing. ERC is kicking off the program at the Burr Ridge Village Center (701 Village Center Drive, Burr Ridge, IL) by offering selected participants free space beginning in October 2020 for up to three months and for three different uses retail, event and community. Through Pop Local, participants will gain unprecedented access and support to reach local residents in Burr Ridge and surrounding areas. ERC has designated retail space available that will be free to a selected participant beginning October 1 for up to three months, through the holiday season, as well as provide resources to build out their space and marketing support to draw attention to their business. In addition, ERC will provide other event and community groups the opportunity to use additional available space during that concurrent three months. "While we have all seen the impact of COVID-19 across a variety of industries, we feel uniquely positioned to support our local community by giving small business owners, entrepreneurs and community groups access to our lifestyle center," said Ramzi Hassan, President of ERC. "We have seen firsthand the changes in retail and we have taken the time to thoughtfully and creatively adapt to the new environment, realizing that now is the time to take a different approach to the available space at our centers. We are looking forward to using our industry expertise and resources to shine a light on different organizations that otherwise would not have this access, as well as provide our community with experiences and services that suit their needs and interests." The overall program goal is to offer small business owners and entrepreneurs the opportunity to test out their products and/or service in a traditional brick and mortar space where real-time feedback can be gained from consumers. In addition to retail space, ERC's Pop Local program gives back to the community by offering a place for local non-profit and charitable groups to provide residents access to their service offerings through different outreach efforts and events. Local small business owners and entrepreneurs that are interested can apply through an online application form at ShopPopLocal.com from July 13 August 10. Submissions will be narrowed down to five finalists and selected participants will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on specific criteria outlined by ERC. Finalists will be contacted in August for in-person interviews, with the official program participants notified by late August. ERC will expand the Pop Local programming to their other lifestyle centers throughout the Midwest. For more details on the Pop Local program, and to apply, please visit ShopPopLocal.com. About Edwards Realty Company Edwards Realty Company is a leading real estate investment, development and management firm with three decades of experience investing in communities. Over the past 30 years, Edwards Realty Company has developed a diverse portfolio of mixed-use properties across the Midwest. Their open-air centers are "Centers of Attention" in their respective neighborhoods and represent an innovative convergence of community, compassion, commitment and commerce as evidenced by the tenant mix and vibrant events and activities such as Pop Local. Edwards Realty Company invests, develops and manages its properties strategically to ensure they become part of the fabric of the communities in which they are located. SOURCE Edwards Realty Company Related Links http://www.edwardsrealtyco.com NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller speaks to the media at a press conference in Sydney, Australia on July 6, 2020. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Aussie Police to Stop Black Lives Matter Protest in Court Amid COVID-19 Fears NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has urged against participating in another Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in the Sydney central business district on July 28, as the state battles to extinguish the spot fires of the CCP virus that has spread from Victoria. Organisers have lodged a protest application and more than 4,000 are expected to attend, but NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told 2GB he intends to block the rally and take the protesters to the Supreme Court. Relying on some pretty good intelligence from Victoria, we know how dangerous these protests can be, in terms of health, Fuller said. A number of people who came to the protests [in Victoria] were living in those vertical towers. Fuller is referring to the public housing towers at the centre of an outbreak. Last week, Victoria reached a record number of 428 cases on July 17. Yesterday, the state recorded 363 cases and three more deaths, promoting a move to make masks mandatory starting this Wednesday. Its just not the time, Fuller said. He suggested looking at other options that dont involve the health risks a large scale protest would. Theres so many other forums at the moment, the way that people can communicate, that they can protest. Weve all changed our lifestyles and all changed the way we do our business, Fuller said. The leftist BLM movement erupted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and calls for justice over the death of American man George Floyd, while also harbouring and advocating communist values. Recent protests around the world have turned into violent demonstrations involving the vandalism of statues across multiple cities and states. Related Coverage Captain Cook Statue Allegedly Damaged by Australian Greens Party Employee U.S. journalist Andy Ngo wrote of BLM on Twitter, saying: BLM at its core is a revolutionary Marxist ideology. Its founders have made no secret of their worship of Communist terrorists & fugitives. They want regime change & the end of the rule of law. Antifa has partnered with them, for now, to help accelerate the break down of society. As of July 19, NSW Health recorded 20 new cases and have called on people to redouble their efforts to stop the virus spreading. Today, 200,000 NSW students returned to schools. As a result, the state is tightening its border with Victoria even further. From midnight tomorrow, all travel permits need to be reapplied and travel will only be allowed for work, study, or health. The Armenian Armed Forces first and foremost scored a brilliant victory during the recent events on the border in Armenias Tavush Province. This is what ex-spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan told reporters today, adding that the victory further strengthened the spirit, will and determination of the Armenian people. Asked how he would comment on the statement of the Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement in which the Movement touches upon the developments on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and, on behalf of the member states, blames Armenia for launching military operations, Hovhannisyan said the following: This is a political issue. Im not too authorized to answer political questions, but I dont think the Movement was the first organization to blame Armenia. Azerbaijans allied states have also blamed Armenia, but Armenia shouldnt respond to all statements. Thanks to Armenian diplomats efforts, some countries of the civilized world have given a soberer and more correct evaluation and blamed the Azerbaijani side, particularly for shelling the peaceful population. Kylie Jenner's best friend Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou sent temperatures soaring on Saturday in a remarkably affordable hot pink bikini from Australian fashion label White Fox Boutique. The 23-year-old California native posted two Instagram photos in a neon two-piece which costs $49.95 (AUD) for the top and $34.95 (AUD) for the Brazilian cut bottoms, with the caption: 'On my happy girl s**t.' The model showcased her flawless curves and taut stomach in the shots which have racked up 974,000 likes - a valuable endorsement for the Sydney headquartered website which has since sold out of the bottoms in every size. But shoppers can still get their hands on the top in sizes small and extra-large. 'Scroll down for video Kylie Jenner's 'BFF' Stassie Karanikolaou wears a neon pink bikini from White Fox Boutique The 23-year-old model showcases her flawless curves in the $49.95 top and $34.95 bottoms White Fox marketing manager Tina Innes said Instagram promotions from top influencers are crucial to success in the age of digital retail which has seen countless brick-and-mortar stores buckle under financial strain. 'Having someone like Stas wear White Fox puts the brand at the forefront of consumers minds,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'It really allows us to connect with our global audience and give them access to on-trend, high quality pieces at affordable prices.' Good news then that the Kardashian-Jenner clan and their associates are fans of the Australian brand, with Khloe Kardashian, 36, posing in a white corset top and family friend Paris Hilton, 39, wearing a pink blazer dress in the past two months alone. A model wears the $49.95 'L'Escala' bikini top from White Fox Boutique Stassie and Kylie pose for an Instagram photo in matching outfits in October 2019 Stassie has been part of Kylie's inner circle since the two were young teens, but her status as the cosmetics mogul's 'BFF' only came about when Jordyn Woods was unofficially stripped of the title in April 2019. Jordyn, Kylie's 'wifey' who was regarded as a second mother to daughter Stormi, was tangled in a cheating scandal with Khloe Kardashian's boyfriend Tristan Thompson, the father of her daughter True, which triggered her excommunication from Hollywood's most famous family last year. Stassie has stepped into the role ever since, posing for 'twin' photoshoots and holidaying with Kylie and close friends like Sofia Richie and Victoria Villarroel. In addition to collaborations with White Fox and fast fashion giant PrettyLittleThing, Stassie is an ambassador for Rihanna's lingerie line, Fenty. Changes have been made to international student visas to support Australian jobs and keep the industry competitive amid the coronavirus pandemic. International students contribute $40billion annually to Australia's economy and support up to 250,000 jobs. When the country closed its international borders to slow the spread of COVID-19, the education sector took a large hit. In a bid to remedy this the Government is putting forward five changes to visas to ensure international students are not worse off due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the country closed its international borders to slow the spread of COVID-19, the education sector took a large hit Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the changes should give international students confidence in visa arrangements Student visas will be granted when lodged outside Australia so when borders re-open students will have their visa and can make travel arrangements. International students will not be charged when lodging a further student visa application if they have not completed their studies because of COVID-19. Current visa holders studying online outside the country due to the coronavirus can use the study to count towards the Australian study requirement for a post-study work visa. Graduates who had an international student visa will be allowed to apply for the post-study work visa while outside Australia. Applicants will be given additional time to provide English language results if COVID-19 disrupted access to the services. Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge said the changes will provide assurance both to international students in Australia and those who did not have the chance to get in the country due to COVID-19. International students contribute $40 billion annually to Australia's economy and support up to 250,000 jobs Student visas will be granted when lodged outside Australia so when borders re-open students will have their visa and can make travel arrangements (People pictured in Sydney) 'These measures back the international education sector our fourth largest export sector and will assist its recovery,' Mr Tudge said. 'In making these changes, we have been guided by the principles that the health of Australians is key, but that international students should not be further disadvantaged by COVID-19.' Mr Tudge said bringing international students into Australia will support the education sector as well as local communities and businesses. Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the changes should give international students confidence in visa arrangements. 'Our remarkable efforts in controlling the spread of the virus mean we can begin to welcome back international students in a COVID safe way once state borders re-open and face-to-face learning resumes,' Mr Tehan said. Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the changes should give international students confidence in visa arrangements. Pictured are students at University of Sydney 'As well as supporting jobs, international education builds our connection to the rest of the world and supports a number of critical industries like health, aged and disability care.' The changes come amid growing concerns from universities they will lose Asian students to the UK and North American tertiary sector as those destinations ease border closures. Modelling released by the Australian sector's peak body estimates revenues a $16billion drop in over the next three years. Universities hope the work visa eligibility will allow them to compete with institutions in the UK and Canada, which are expect big numbers of international students to arrive for the upcoming start of the northern hemisphere academic year. The federal government was also tipped to reduce or waive visa renewal fees for students who have had to extend their stay in Australia due to being unable to return home. The Central Regional Police Command says it has arrested two persons believed to be part of a group of one hundred individuals, both Nigerians and Liberians who stormed the Gomoa Budumburam Police station after the Police shot and killed a resident in the area. Maa Chain Johnson and Ama Amponsah were part of others who besieged the police station in a protest after one Previous Aba Agbebilay a Nigerian National who was wielding a machete and threatening to butcher individuals he came into contact with was gunned down by the police. The two will be put before court today, July 20, according to police sources. The Police say some people among the group pelted stones and sachet water at the Gomoa Budumburam Police causing damage to some window glasses at the station. According to a statement from the Regional Police Command and signed by the Central Regional Police PRO DSP Irene Oppong the two will be charged with unlawful assembly and causing unlawful damage. Background The 29-year old man died from gunshot wounds after police tried to disarm him for terrorising residents with a cutlass at the Budumburam Taxi Rank in the early hours of Saturday. DSP Irene Oppong, Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer had said the man was shot in the leg and on the left arm by the Police in an attempt to disarm him when he attempted to attack the police with a weapon. She explained that on Saturday, July 18, at about 0330 hours, the Kasoa Divisional Police received a distress call that a young man armed with two cutlasses was terrorising residents at the Gomoa Buduburam Taxi Station. She said a patrol team was dispatched to the scene and upon arrival met the man armed with two cutlasses chasing people around. DSP Oppong said he started attacking the police with his cutlasses upon seeing them and they shot him in the leg in an attempt to disarm him, but he grew more violent and aggressive. She said the Police then shot him on the left arm to disarm him, but he fell and died as a result. They retrieved a car key from the deceased's pocket. The body has since been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary in Accra for preservation, identification, and autopsy while investigation is ongoing. ---citinewsroom Frontier IP Group PLC - London-based specialist in commercialising intellectual property - Proposes fundraise of at least 3.6 million shares at 55 pence each, raising a minimum of GBP2 million. Proceeds will go towards working capital needs and funding for investees. Also notes investee Cambridge Raman Imaging Ltd completed a GBP250,000 funding round. The investment will go towards its aim of developing a graphene-based ultrafast laser technology which can be used in medical microscopes to track tumours. Current stock price: 64.05 Year-to-date change: down 3.0% By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. President Akufo-Addo has completed his 14-day isolation and will start attending to business from his office on Monday, July 19, 2020. This was disclosed by the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday. According to Mr. Nkrumah the President of the Republic Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is expected to resume out-home engagements from tomorrow after a 14 day precautionary self-isolation period the presidents precautionary self-isolation was on the advice of doctors after at least one person within his close circle tested positive couple of weeks ago. The President has during the period been working from the presidential villa at the Jubilee House. He is expected to from Monday attend to business from his office at the Jubilee House and additionally he will attend to some engagement outside Accra during the week he said. The Minister expressed gratitude to al well-wishers who have been concerned with the health of the President since the news of his isolation broke some two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. This is after he tested positive for the virus some weeks back. According to Mr. Nkrumah, the latest test conducted on the Minister came out negative and thus he has recovered from the virus. Source: daily guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The fund is worth a combined 1.8 trillion. EU leaders have been in negotiations since Friday to decide on the bloc's budget for the next seven years and what form a 750 billion pandemic recovery fund will take. There is division over whether it should be made up of grants or loans and what conditions are attached. A new revised plan has replaced 50 billion in grant aid with loans, with the headline figure of 750 billion unchanged. The ongoing talks in Brussels mean a meeting of Cabinet here today will now be delayed. It was expected that ministers would sign off on a "greenlist" of countries it's safe to travel to at the meeting. However, that's now set to take place later this week. If you're in the market for health insurance, HealthCare.gov can help you find specific options quickly and easily. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions, such as your state of residence, employment status, the number of people who need coverage and any relevant health issues. If you're wary of providing the government with your information, know that the system is unable to retain any of the data you provide. Based on this information, the insurance finder pulls up options that may be relevant to your situation. For example, a father of two who just lost his job would receive 10 options, including one about COBRA coverage, enrolling in a spouse's plan, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Advertisement If this man decided that he wanted to purchase a new plan, he could enter his ZIP code to pull up specific companies offering insurance in that area. HealthCare.gov currently has information from more than 1,000 insurance carriers and more than 5,000 individual plans and products. The consumer can view each of the plans that a company offers, from the benefits to the doctors who are covered by the plan. The links to that information are provided by the insurance companies themselves, which means they have an incentive to provide easy-to-understand information and affordable care. After all, if you're comparing a company that has a confusing benefit system and a byzantine Web site to a company that makes things very easy to understand, you're more likely to go with the latter option. In October 2010, HealthCare.gov will include pricing information for these plans, though it should be noted that those numbers will be only estimates. An individual would still have to go through the underwriting process at the insurance company and may be subject to a different fee. Still, the administration is hopeful that the basic estimates will give people a better idea of how much certain plans cost so that you won't have to waste time pursuing one that's completely out of your league. Though HealthCare.gov will provide pricing information, consumers can't buy insurance through the site. For that, they'll have to go directly to the insurer (HealthCare.gov lists contact information). HealthCare.gov will continue to evolve until 2014. At that point, the site will also function as a portal to all state-administered insurance exchanges, which are required by the new legislation. In the short term, however, there are yellow feedback boxes located all over HealthCare.gov; the government is requesting user feedback on each page so that the site can continually be improved for consumers. If you'd like to learn about other features of the health care reform legislation, see the links on the next page. Theyre expected to reunite on the small screen in the fall, but Law & Order: SVU fans dont have to wait for a new spinoff series or crossover episodes of the classic show to see former co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni together again. On Sunday night, the pair behind the beloved duo of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler shared a couple photos on social media that are good enough to tide over their most devoted fans. Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. Its on, wrote Hargitay alongside a sweet shot of her and the on-screen partner she parted ways with almost 10 years ago. In the outdoor pic, Meloni, 59, has one arm around his old pal as they smile and lean in close. Hargitay, 56, later shared an almost identical shot with the caption, Easy like Sunday mornin. The actor followed those up with one of his own from the same casual shoot featuring one added subject. Ladybug on my face n a lady on my arm, he wrote of the snap. He added the apt hashtag #hanginWithBenson, which is just what his character will be doing again soon. Image: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Jessica Burstein / NBC) In March, Law & Order viewers learned that a new installment of the long-running franchise was on the way for the fall TV season one that would bring back Stabler and an opportunity for him to deal with some unfinished business with his past partner. In Law & Order: Organized Crime, the detective will return to the NYPD after a decade away, but first, hes expected to swing by his old precinct. "Its pretty clear that Elliot will be in the 'SVU' season opener, showrunner Warren Leight revealed during an SVU behind-the-scenes podcast in May. I think that much I know." But according to Meloni, Stabler and Benson are likely to come face to face on OC, too. "How my character left was really unsatisfying, I think," the star recently told the New York Post. It almost feels that (we'll) do one or two (crossover) episodes and move on our merry way." And the more he spoke about it, the more certain he seemed. "It just has to be," Meloni noted. "Benson and Stabler are inextricably linked, locked and connected. I think there is truly and deeply a worthwhile, inherent drama in exploring that relationship and the complexity of how Stabler left the unresolved emotions both characters feel and how the fans feel." Mumbai, July 20 : Amit Sadh is ready to make a sacrifice for his "Breathe: Into The Shadows" co-star Abhishek Bachchan. The actor is ready to be quarantined for a full month after giving a tight hug to Abhishek! On Monday, Amit took to his verified Instagram account to share an emotional message for Abhishek, who is currently battling COVID- 19 in the hospital along with his father Amitabh Bachchan, wife Aishwarya and daughter Aaradhya. Amit thanked Abhishek for being the "best senior" and prayed for his speedy recovery. "This one is for my senior, my brother, @bachchan. The actor whom I've been closely following and looking upto since Guru, Yuva, Bunty & Babli and the list goes on and on. Bro, I just want to thank you. Thank you for being the best senior. For being an actor who treated me like his equal. You never once let me feel that you're more or I'm any less. You're the best listener in between takes." "My performance as Kabir Sawant in Breathe is invaluable, incomplete without you. My celebration of 'Breathe', the happiness of our series reaching the depths of our country will not begin or conclude without this mention. You inspire me and I can't wait to get back on a set to work with you. I love Jay and I love Avinash. They became great friends. I love the relationship that developed between Kabir and Jay, and Kabir and Avinash." "As you read this, I just pray to God that you, Mr Bachchan and your entire family (Aishwarya, Aradhya) recover from COVID and come back home healthy. So that you and I can meet and I can give you a tight hug. If they want to quarantine me for that for two weeks, I'm ready to be shut in for a month. I love you so much bro. Can't wait to see you soon!" -- Syndicated from IANS There is no shortage of activist groups denouncing allegations of police brutality. Sometimes it's legitimate; every honest person admits that unwarranted acts of violence against undeserving citizens occur. How could they not? There are about 700,00 sworn officers in the United States who make over 50 million contacts with the public every year. The act is getting played out, though, because to suggest that every fatal result is tied to racism or that the actions of a minute few should speak for the entire group is a gross absurdity. Last week in Chicago, a protest of sorts obediently marched to the tune of hackneyed charges of systemic injustice. The tired narrative droned on about bad policing, police targeting of the black community, and too much jail or prison time. This kept the crowd from considering alternatives to their afternoon work, such as offering a token of gratitude to thankless peacekeepers in their own backyard, the murder capital of America. One wonders if they know that out of the 560 homicides, 475 victims were black, killed not by the police or whites, but by other blacks. By all means, protest. But when people complain about the system being rigged, they need to remember they voted for their system, and they've been voting for the same system for quite a while. The mayoral offices have been run by Democrats since before the Great Depression, which means only about 2 million out of 350 million total Americans were alive the last time the city voted for a Republican. Most recently, Obama acolyte Rahm Emanuel helmed the city between 2011 and 2019, and currently a woman by the name of Lori Lightfoot, whose sole victory in the role comes from being the first openly gay, black mayor of the town, presides over the carnage. While it is a hallmark of leftism to celebrate immutable characteristics, what it does not do is focus on her decision-making. Despite Ms. Lightfoot's previous work as a president of the Chicago Police Board and now helm as mayor, the city continues to see hundreds of black-on-black homicides a year. The figure will surely rise this year as she commands police to back off from doing their jobs. Are the dire circumstances in the black community the fault of the criminal justice system and the police? The Democrat-voting crowd in a city therefore run by Democrats seem to think so, but the numbers suggest otherwise. A big-picture view will help introduce us to the data. In 2018, the most recent year available, according to the police department itself, Chicago centers fielded over 3 million civilian 911 calls for support. In a city with just over 2.5 million residents, that's an average of over one per person per year. As high as that number is, even more incredible is that in 2007, they received 5 million calls, or two for every resident that year. While not every call resulted in a direct police dispatch, the city nonetheless recorded over 3 million police-civilian interactions in 2018. Of those contacts, 85,000 resulted in arrests. Put another way, only one out of every thirty-five contacts police initiate ends in an arrest. All of this is innocuous enough. What about police brutality and violence? According to the reports, police had to respond with additional force 309 times. For all of the media coverage of police firing willy-nilly on suspects, the entire Chicago police force a group over 12,000 strong discharged their firearms only 43 times. Most of the use of force was with a taser. It is this statistic on firearm use that deserves a second look. In the course of making 3 million contacts and conducting 85,000 arrests, only 43 firearm discharges were necessary. In other words, the odds of the Chicago police firing upon a person after making contact with him is 0.0014%. It would be like placing quarters end to end for an entire mile and trying to have someone guess which one you're looking at. And that quarter would be threatening your life, so it more rightly deserved to be identified. Of the 43 firearm discharges, not every shot fired was lethal. In fact, the entire force averaged 10 civilian deaths per year between 2013 and 2018, an amazing decline in use of force from years past. While that would still lead protesters to suggest that each death was excessive, since 2007, just one of the 400 deaths by police was found to be unjustified. Most fatal encounters end after a suspect displays a commensurate use of force against police or other civilians. One of the great lies told by Democrats, Black Lives Matter, and the media is that police represent systemic racism. The narrative goes that instead of wanting to make their communities safer, they sign up for the thankless role and low pay because it allows them to hunt down blacks. Because this is never reported, it might surprise you to know that between 2007 and 2016, over 95% of all Chicago police officers never even fired their weapon. Perhaps those 95% of officers missed the day of training on "How to Be a Systemic Racist." What is not laughable is the fact that along with the uncertainty that comes with making public contact comes the very real physical danger police put themselves in. In the course of making public contacts, the department reported that 1,242 officers were injured during use of force encounters. Unjustified shootings? A complete myth. Of those, 337 faced severe assault. In light of this information, it's astounding that more use of force did not occur. It certainly would have been warranted. It has been said before and bears repeating. The brave men and women who put on the uniform every day, particularly in an extremely volatile and dangerous city like Chicago, deserve our utmost respect. The black community performed a boycott of sorts on July 2 to remind us of their economic buying power, but life generally went on as normal. If the Chicago police took a day off, the result would be pure death and chaos, really affecting black lives. It's time to get priorities in order. It's time for Black Lives Matter to thank a police officer for making black lives matter. Parker Beauregard writes conservative cultural commentary. He has been published on American Thinker, Right Wire Report, and other conservative news outlets. He can be followed on Twitter and Parler at LastBestHope76. Contact him at thelastbesthope@protonmail.com. Over the last decade, One Call has experienced rapid growth while developing a comprehensive suite of post-injury solutions for customers and the injured workers they serve. More growth is underway as the company expands its suite of solutions to include pre-injury offerings such as safety, injury prevention and wellness for a post-COVID workforce. "We have to remain grounded in our people," said Thomas Warsop, One Call CEO. "None of the company's milestones could have been accomplished without our incredible team. As we continue to expand with a focus on the needs of customers, employers and workers during this unique time it's important to keep our team's needs top-of-mind while also recruiting additional top talent. There's a real need for a chief people leader to be at the table as we map out our company's exciting future." Lewis will oversee One Call's human resources department for its more than 2,000 employees, which includes a strong mix of both new talent and seasoned professionals who have been with the company for many years. Her first objective will be to lay out an overarching vision focused on culture and engagement, diversity and inclusion, and top talent acquisition and retention. Lewis' HR career spans more than 25 years. For the past nine years, she has been based in Jacksonville, most recently serving as senior vice president of global human resources for Pontoon Solutions, a global HR outsourcing company specializing in improving an organization's talent. While at Pontoon, she is credited with creating a people-centric organization, attracting and developing the best talent, and positioning the company as a leading 'Great Place to Work.' Prior to Pontoon, Lewis served in various HR leadership positions for companies such as PSS World Medical (now McKesson Corporation), CHEP USA (A Brambles Company) and General Electric. She is the recipient of a variety of notable industry and community awards, including the HRO Today HR Superstar Award (2017, 2018, 2019) and the National Diversity Council Glass Ceiling Award (2016). Lewis is also active in her community she sits on the board of advisors for Wolfson Children's Hospital's annual challenge event and Changing Homelessness and is a graduate of and volunteer for Leadership Jacksonville. Lewis received her Master of Human Resources Management from the University of South Carolina and her Bachelor of Science in Business Management/HR from Clemson University. "This is an incredible opportunity to make a mark on this company's future," said Lewis. "One Call has experienced a lot of innovative development over the years, but after meeting with many of the company's leaders, I'm convinced the best is yet to come. I'm excited to be a part of it and honored to be chosen to build on this strong foundation, creating a people first culture of inclusion focused on attracting, retaining and developing the industry's best talent." "When I met with Terri, I knew pretty immediately we had found our candidate," said Warsop. "She is an experienced, first-class professional who is well-suited to blend our business and people-centric goals. She is going to be a wonderful addition to senior leadership and our entire One Call team." About One Call As the nation's leader in specialty network management services for the workers' compensation industry, we place injured workers at the heart of everything we do. We utilize creative and innovative solutions to timely and efficiently connect injured workers with quality provider networks across a multitude of health care services. Our foundation is built on an unwavering commitment to deliver exceptional service and unparalleled clinical expertise to drive outcomes. For more information and the latest news, visit us at onecallcm.com, LinkedIn (One Call), Facebook (@onecallcm) and Twitter (@onecallcm). Media Contacts: Lisa Noakes One Call, Sr. Director, Communications & Content Marketing [email protected] SOURCE One Call Related Links https://onecallcm.com Pune, India, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Oil & Gas Downhole Cables Market is to reach USD 2,393.0 million by 2028 from USD 1,369.8 million in 2020. The demand for Oil & Gas Downhole Cables is expanding at a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period. The energy sector and oil & gas industry has a huge demand for various applications in insulation, drilling, communication and other array of applications. Cables and wires in downhole equipment are installed in severe conditions that can affect their performance from vibration and abrasion to high temperatures. So, they need to be much stronger, perform reliably and last longer to survive deep drilling. At the same time, cables and wires need to be smaller and more flexible to fit inside cramped spaces of smaller tools. Growing preference for deployment of encapsulated cables in Oil & Gas applications and growing demand for fiber optics is anticipated to drive the demand in the global Oil & Gas Downhole Cables market. Request For a Sample Copy Of This Research Report @ https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/request-sample-63084 Downhole fiber optic cables have applications in coil tubing (CT), steam assisted gravity drain (SAGD), where temperatures can reach 300C, to some of the deepest shale gas to offshore wells. Significant improvements in glass chemistry, interrogation technologies, and analysis applications have led the way to a robust down-hole sensing solution. Ability to Withstand Harsh Environmental Conditions to Benefit the Tubing Encapsulated Cable (TEC) Segment Based on type, the tubing encapsulated cable (TEC) segment is expected to be the largest market, by type holding a market share of around 42.1% of the global market in 2020. This segment is also projected to be the dominant one during the forecast period as these cables are especially designed to withstand the harsh environments associated with the oil & gas industry. TEC (Tubing Encapsulated Conductor) cables that are used in the oil & gas industry to monitor, provide power and transmit signals in a downhole application. Furthermore, these cables can be utilized for data transmission including downhole gauge applications. Applications in Monitoring, Data Transmission, and Corrosion Resistant Ability to Propel the Growth of the Oil and Gas Production Segment Based on application, oil & gas downhole cables market segmented into oil & gas production, data collection, well monitoring, powering downhole equipment, and instrumentation & control. Oil and gas production segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global oil & gas downhole cables market in 2020. This market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. Oil & gas production is expected to dominate the global downhole cables market during the forecast period. Downhole cables meet the specific requirements in oil or gas industry. These types of cables are permanently installed either cemented in behind the casing or strapped to the production tubing. The cables include optical fibers, metal types to deal with different corrosive environments, thicknesses of metal tubes to handle different pressure requirements and outer encapsulations for improved handling and abrasion resistance. Enquiry Before Buying This Report @ https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/enquiry-before-buying/enquiry-before-buying-63084 Exploration and Production (E&P) Of Oil and Gas in North America Fostering the Global Oil & Gas Downhole Cables Market North America is the largest regional segment and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% over the forecast period. This regional segment is projected to account for a significant market share during the forecast period due to the increasing per capita energy consumption and exploration and production (E&P) of oil and gas in the region. The oil & gas industry in Asia-Pacific is likely to showcase positive trends owing to the rising demand, increasing commodity prices, and ongoing mergers and acquisitions in the region. Moreover, the increased drilling activities in the region by national oil companies is also boosting rig utilization rates, which will boost the demand for downhole cables that are important components of rigs. Keeping in mind this growth rate, Oil & Gas Downhole Cables manufacturers are making significant efforts in adopting advanced technologies largely by entering into collaboration and partnerships that will help in increasing sales of Oil & Gas Downhole Cables or by developing advanced products. In May 2020, LS Cable & System was awarded a KRW 66 billion contract for Wisconsin-based, American Transmission Co.s Straits Cable Replacement Project. LS Cable & System will transport, manufacture, and oversee the installation for the project of two new cables. In March 2020, ABB Ltd established a new distribution center to provide its products to the customers on the western part of the U.S. Some of the leading players in the global Oil & Gas Downhole Cables market are Prysmian Group, ElandCables, Nexans Group, NKT A/S, ABB Ltd., Marmon Group, GalaxyWire.com, Texcan Division Of Sonepar Canada Inc, LS Cable & System Ltd, Belden Inc, WL Gore & Associates Inc, Ztt International Limited, TRATOS, AFL, Sampsistemi. Buy Now Complete Report @ https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/oil-gas-downhole-cables-market/single_user_license The study is based on a report by Quince Market Insights titled, Oil & Gas Downhole Cables Market, By Type (Tubing Encapsulated Cables (TECs), Fiber Optic Cables, and Others), By Installation (Onshore and Offshore), By Application (Oil & Gas Production, Data Collection, Well Monitoring, Power Downhole Equipment, and Instrumentation & Control), By Region (Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa) Market Estimate & Forecasting To 2028 Browse Related Reports Power Transmission Towers And Cables Market, By Voltage (132 KV to 220 KV, 221 KV to 660 KV, > 660 KV), By Current (HVAC, HVDC), By Type (Power Transmission Towers, Power Transmission Cables), By Region (North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Rest of the World) Market Size & Forecasting 2028 https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/industry-analysis/power-transmission-towers-and-cables-market/63024 Global Medium Voltage Cables Market, By Voltage Range (1-25kv, 26-50kv, 51-75kv, Others), By Installation (Overhead, Underground, Submarine), By End User (Mining, Utilities, Commercial, Industrial, Infrastructure, Renewable, Others), By Region (North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Rest of the World) Market Size & Forecasting (2016-2028) https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/industry-analysis/global-medium-voltage-cables-market/14605 Global High-Voltage Cables Market, By Type (Overhead, Underground, Submarine), By End User (Infrastructure, Industrial, Renewable), By Region (North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Rest of the World) Market Size & Forecasting (2016-2028) https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/industry-analysis/global-high-voltage-cables-market/12339 About US Quince Market Insights is a global market research and consulting company publishing syndicate studies as well as consulting assignments pertaining to markets that promise high growth opportunities in strategic future. We are dedicated team of analysts with strong base in technical expertise as well as thorough understanding of the market dynamics. Some of key areas expertise includes chemicals, advanced materials, construction, mining, food & agriculture, automotive, machines & equipment, and others. We analyze emerging trends in relatively nascent markets that promise high growth opportunities in future. We focus towards precision research practices that provide accurate market estimations and forecasts. This helps our clients to make proper estimations with regards to demand analysis, regional growth, major competitors, and dynamics of the market. As long as science fiction writers have been imagining it, scientists have been trying to make it a reality. The holy grail of clean energy. The silver bullet solution to global warming. The power of the sun brought down to Earth. Thats right, nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion, if and when it becomes a reality, will change the energy industry--and the world--as we know it. It is, essentially, the key to limitless, renewable, and carbon-free energy. And not only is it many times more powerful than nuclear fission (the process of dividing atoms that currently powers nuclear plants) it does not require any radioactive materials, and therefore does not produce any hazardous radioactive nuclear waste. And, with no radiation, there is no risk of the nuclear meltdowns that have become synonymous with nuclear energy thanks to the tragedies at Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island. In the south of France, 35 nations are collaborating under the banner of the ITER project, building the worlds largest tokamak, a space-age looking device that employs ultra-powerful magnets to create and manipulate hot plasma into a torus (for the laymen among us, a donut) shape in order to achieve nuclear fusion. ITERs magnetic field coils are the most powerful superconductive magnets ever designed according to Forbes, and the tokamak in southern France will employ 18 of them, weighing in at a whopping 6,000 metric tons. These 35 nations have been toiling away on this project for 35 years--and theyre getting close to a breakthrough. The tokamak functions by merging hydrogen atoms, as occurs naturally on the sun, to form helium atoms, producing incredible amounts of energy, which the tokamak harnesses in the form of heat, which in turn creates steam, which spins a turbine, which creates energy that we can use to power our homes, our industries, and, indeed, our world. Related: The Race To Complete The Worlds Most Controversial Pipeline Story continues ITER aims to bring its massive tokamak online and achieve first plasma in just five years. Last year, when ITER first announced its 2025 first plasma projection, the consortium had just reached a major milestone with the installation of the cryostat base and lower cylinder, bringing the project to 65 percent completion. Manufactured by India, the ITER cryostat is 16,000 cubic meters, ITER officials said in a release. Its diameter and height are both almost 30 meters and it weighs 3,850 tons. Because of its bulk, it is being fabricated in four main sections: the base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, and top lid. Now, in 2020, its all about magnets. The plasma volume inside the tokamak at ITER will be several times larger than that generated by any previous fusion reactors. Because of the high temperatures, metal cannot be used to confine the highly unstable plasma, explains Forbes. Therefore, an enormous magnetic field is used to contain the plasma and ensure the fusion reactions can happen. This is achieved by a series of toroidal superconducting magnets, or field coils. The magnets that are our greatest hope for achieving commercial nuclear fusion are the size of five- and six-story buildings, each weighing in at 310 metric tons, with a width of nine meters (29 feet) and a towering height of 16.5 meters (54 feet). Japans Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group delivered the first installment of what will be 18 massive magnets to ITER in January of this year, seven and a half years after they were commissioned. If commercial fusion becomes within reach when ITER goes online in 2025, the ramifications are impossible to overstate. We could conceivably keep average global temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 degrees Celsius this century while still keeping up with energy demand. We could stop catastrophic climate change in its tracks, and change global geopolitics forever, thereby resolving countless conflicts, as dirty and finite fossil fuels become obsolete. Some of the greatest problems of our time will be solved thanks to the tireless work of scientists, human imagination and ambition, and some really, really big magnets. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas surpassed 4,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic Monday but officials in Houston, one of the hardest-hit cities in the U.S., say they are cautiously optimistic about recent trends following weeks of alarming surges at hospitals. Texas reported more than 7,400 confirmed new cases and at least 62 new deaths. The virus continues taking a particularly hard toll along the Texas-Mexico border: Hidalgo County has reported more than 140 deaths over the past week, and the county judge on Monday signed a shelter-at-home order. The new order, which goes into effect Wednesday, sets a curfew, limits travel and gatherings and recommends all nonessential businesses cease any activity that cant be provided at curbside or by takeout. This action will help us do the right thing to save and protect each other from this deadly disease by sheltering at home, said Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez. In nearby Starr County, where the Department of Defense had sent one of five teams of Navy doctors to help the only hospital, County Judge Eloy Vera said they were considering creating an ethics committee to discuss rationing hospital resources. It sounds cold, and I hate to think that we would even have to do it, but we need to at least consider what chances a patient has of surviving, Vera said. But in Houston, officials say they are seeing signs of optimism. Dr. David Persse, Houstons health authority, said during a news conference that the positivity rate for COVID-19 testing has slightly dipped in recent days and the number of people requiring hospitalization seems to have tapered off a bit. The positivity rate was at 24.5% on Friday, slightly down from a high of 25.9% earlier this month, Persse said, adding that the positivity rate was still very high. Persse said some of the reasons why hospitalizations might have leveled off recently include hospitals doing a better job of treating patients and the length of time people are staying at medical facilities is getting shorter. Story continues I think this is good news. This is no reason for us to take our foot off the brake, however, Persse said. Thats probably my biggest fear. My fear is that anytime theres good news, I dont want people misinterpreting that were winning the battle. Right now, were kind of at a stalemate. If we want to win this battle, we need to keep doing everything that we do that we know works: wear the mask, no large gatherings, wash your hands, etc. Those things work. The economic toll of the virus on Texas also sharpened into focus a little more Monday as the state's budget forecast plummeted to a projected $4.6 billion shortfall, less than a year after state officials had expected a surplus. Republican Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the forecast remains highly uncertain and depends on whether the outbreak continues to spread in Texas. Consumers and businesses must be confident the virus is controlled before economic output, employment and revenues return to pre-pandemic levels, Hegar said. ____ Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo barring any last-minute changes will visit the Eastern Region on Wednesday. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Monday said while in the Eastern Region, the President will break grounds for the commencement of the new Eastern Regional Hospital to be located in Koforidua. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the money will be handed over to the contractor to start the ultra-modern hospital which is part of the list of hospitals to be constructed under the ruling government. It may be recalled that the President in his eighth COVID-19 address to the nation announced the construction of hospitals in some 88 districts across the country. There are 88) districts in our country without district hospitals; we have six (6) new regions without regional hospitals; we do not have five infectious disease control centres dotted across the country; and we do not have enough testing and isolation centres for diseases like COVD-19. We must do something urgently about this. That is why Government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure, the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing 88 hospitals in the districts without hospitals, he said. Meanwhile, the President has resumed work today after being in isolation for 14 days. He tested negative for coronavirus. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.K. suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and placed it under an arms embargo in moves likely to significantly exacerbate a diplomatic spat with China after it imposed a new security law on the former British colony. The moves are "a necessary and proportionate response," U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the House of Commons on Monday. The suspension will stay "unless or until there are clear, robust safeguards which are able to prevent extraditions from the U.K. being misused under the new national security legislation," he said. Though halting the extradition pact and suspending arms sales is largely symbolic, it marks the latest condemnation by Boris Johnson's government of Chinese conduct in Hong Kong, and will trigger anger in Beijing. It comes less than a week after the U.K. banned China's Huawei Technologies from next-generation wireless networks on security grounds and follows London's invitation to as many as 3 million Hong Kongers to apply for British citizenship. "This embargo means there will be no export of weapons from the U.K. to Hong Kong of potentially lethal weapons and ammunition," Raab said. "It will also mean a ban on any equipment, not already banned, that might be used for internal repression such as shackles, intercept equipment, firearms and smoke grenades." Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Monday before Raab's statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin accused the U.K. of "brutal" meddling in China's internal affairs and urged the British government to halt its "wrong words and actions." The diplomatic row with China has come at an inopportune time for Johnson, who is trying to reset the U.K.'s ties with the rest of the world after divorce from the European Union this year. His government wants to secure free-trade deals with countries around the world as it seeks to deliver the benefits it promised from Brexit. But the prime minister is facing extreme pressure on his China policy both from lawmakers in his own Conservative Party and from overseas, especially U.S. President Donald Trump. It was the Trump administration's sanctions on Huawei that finally led to the U.K. banning the company from its 5G networks. That followed repeated warnings from Washington., which is embroiled in a long-running trade stand-off with Beijing, that it would halt intelligence-sharing if London didn't fall into line. The pressure from the U.S. is unrelenting. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visits London this week to meet Raab and U.K. lawmakers to discuss a range of topics, including "the fact that China now concerns everyone," Conservative lawmaker Bob Seely said in an interview. Meanwhile a growing number of Tory MPs, like Seely, are pressuring Johnson to rethink the U.K.'s relationship with China over its behavior in Hong Kong, reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. They're clearly influencing government. In a Sky News interview on Sunday, Raab was asked if the U.K. and China still enjoy a "golden era" of diplomatic relations -- a term coined just five years ago by then Prime Minister David Cameron. "It's not a phrase I would use," Raab said. Chinese officials have also warned of the consequences for the U.K. if it treats China as a "hostile" partner. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last week that the U.K. government has a choice: "Will it remain independent or will it become a catspaw for the U.S.?" Johnson told broadcasters on Monday he wants a "calibrated" policy toward China and won't be pushed into being a "knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue." Britain is concerned about Hong Kong and the "rights of the people of Hong Kong to participate in democratic processes," he said. According to U.K. Home Office figures, between 2016 and 2019 there were only two extraditions completed from Hong Kong to the U.K. and none in the opposite direction. Between 2010 and 2015 there was one extradition from the U.K. to Hong Kong, and one the other way. "China is a giant fact of geopolitics; it's going to be a giant factor in our lives in the lives of our children and our grandchildren," Johnson said. "So we've got to have a calibrated response and we're going to be tough on some things, but also we're going to continue to engage." A new method for estimating the biological sex of human remains based on reading protein sequences rather than DNA has been used to study an archaeological site in Northern California. The protein-based technique gave superior results to DNA analysis in studying 55 sets of human remains between 300 and 2,300 years old. The work is published July 17 in Scientific Reports. The method targets amelogenin, a protein found in tooth enamel, said first author Tammy Buonasera, postdoctoral researcher working with Glendon Parker, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Davis. The technique was developed in Parker's laboratory. Buonasera, Parker, Jelmer Eerkens, professor of anthropology, and colleagues compared three methods for sex determination: the new proteomic method; DNA analysis; and osteology, or analysis of the size, shape and composition of the bones themselves. They applied these methods to remains from two ancestral Ohlone villages near Sunol, California. The site is being excavated by the Far West Anthropological Research Group of Davis in collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. Amelogenin is a protein found in tooth enamel, the hardest and most durable substance in the human body. The gene for amelogenin happens to be located on both the X and Y sex chromosomes, and the amelogenin-Y protein is slightly different from amelogenin-X. The method works by retrieving a tiny amount of protein from a tooth. All proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids, so the protein is analyzed to give the amino acid sequence, which then defines the protein. Each of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids is specified by a three-letter code in DNA, so it is possible to work backward from the amino acid sequence and figure out the likely DNA code. Superior to existing methods The researchers were able to determine the sex of all of the remains using the new protein method and all but five using DNA methods. Results from osteology and proteomics agreed in almost all cases, although examining bones themselves was only effective for about half the skeletons. The protein method allowed them to estimate sex for children, which is not possible from osteology. It was reliable even when the signal from DNA was weak. "This is a more sensitive technique for older skeletons where we would expect more DNA degradation," Parker said. Being able to determine the biological sex of human remains provides a greater window into the persona of each individual. Anthropologists are interested in determining biological sex because sex interacts with health and can have a large impact on how people form an identity and are treated within a society, Eerkens said. "Almost every human society around the world incorporates sex and gender as a way to classify people, and these can affect your status and who you associate with in society," Eerkens said. While gender and biological sex are not the same thing, they are linked, so the ability to estimate sex gives archaeologists important insight when attempting to understand the cultural aspects of gender, which are not as readily preserved. For example, in a society based on small villages, people often have to find mates outside their village. Depending on cultural rules, either men or women will leave the village to marry. ### Additional authors on the paper are: at UC Davis, Michelle Salemi, Randall Haas, Julia Yip and Brett Phinney; Alida de Flamingh, Hongjie Li and Ripan S. Malhi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Laurel Engbring and Brian Byrd, Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Davis; Diane DiGiuseppe and Dave Grant, D&D Osteological Services, San Jose; Charlene Nijmeh and Monica Arellano, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, Milpitas; and Alan Leventhal, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and San Jose State University. The work was partly supported by a grant to Parker and Eerkens from the National Science Foundation. Lenovo owned Motorola One Fusion Plus handset will once again go on sale today in the Indian market. The sale will commence at 12 pm IST, through Flipkart. The smartphone will be offered with exciting offers such as 5 percent unlimited cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank credit cards, 5 percent off on Axis Bank Buzz credit cards & no-cost EMI options. Moto G8 Power Lite Smartphone to Go on Sale Today at 12 Noon via Flipkart, Check Prices & Offers. Motorola One Fusion Plus flaunts a 6.5-inch FHD+ Total Vision display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio. For photography, the smartphone features quad rear camera setup with a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP macro vision lens & a 2MP depth sensor. For clicking selfies & attending video calls, the mobile phone gets a 16MP pop-up selfie camera. Motorola One Fusion Plus India Launch Today (Photo Credits: Flipkart) Powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 730 Chipset, the handset comes packed with a 5,000mAh battery with 18W turbo power charging support. The sleek-looking mobile will be offered in 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage configuration. The smartphone will be made available in moonlight white & twilight blue shades. Motorola One Fusion Plus' price has been increased by Rs 500 & now costs Rs 17,499. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2020 10:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). RTHK: EU leaders struggle to salvage virus funds deal Squabbling EU leaders held a make-or-break dinner on Sunday to try to break three days of deadlock in talks over a huge coronavirus rescue package. EU Council President Charles Michel, the summit host, gathered the 27 leaders for dinner after a day of small group meetings that failed to yield a major breakthrough in the search for a deal. He made a last-ditch proposal for the 750-billion-euro rescue deal aimed at bridging a gaping rift with a coalition of "Frugals" the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Finland. The Frugals, led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, have sought to slash the scale of the package of loans and grants that Brussels wants to help the countries hit hard by the epidemic. As fears rose that the summit would collapse without agreement, Michel suggested cutting the grant portion of the deal to 400 billion euros down from his initial proposal of 500 billion and raising the loan part to 350 billion, up from 250 billion. In a heartfelt speech over dinner, Michel reminded leaders of the devastating human cost of the pandemic 600,000 dead including 200,000 in Europe and urged them to come together to complete a "mission impossible". "The question is this: are the 27 leaders, responsible for the people of Europe, capable of building European unity and trust?" Michel said, according to a copy of his remarks. "Or will we present the face of a weak Europe, undermined by mistrust?" But a senior aide to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said they were only prepared to accept a maximum of 350 billion euros as grants in the package, and even this was subject to conditions. "It's about the rebates, higher climate ambitions, and that we include a mechanism that makes so that countries will not be able to get money from the EU budget or this recovery package if they do not follow the principles of rule of law," Paula Carvalho Olovsson told the TT news agency. At the start of what she said was probably the "decisive" third day of the extraordinary summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said there were still many divisions among the leaders, and so it proved. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-07-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In the latest attack against the United States Administration, Chinese Mouthpiece Global Times Editor Hu Xijin balmed the US' top leadership for inciting China-US hatred. The Chinese 'mission media' stooge said Mike Pompeo, Robert OBrien, William Barr and Mark Esper take turns to attack the Communist Party of China. Labeling them as a Cold war 'Gang of four' he further alleged that if in future there is cold war than US Secretary Pompeo should be held responsible. Earlier the Chinese stooge had called United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as the 'common enemy to mankind' over the growing differences between the United States and China on issues like Coronavirus pandemic and the Hong Kong security law. Pompeo on Sunday responding to the stooge's allegation of being termed as 'the common enemy to mankind' said that his administration is 'doing the right thing for the people of America' while addressing the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. Soon after Pompeo countered the allegation, the Chinese mouthpiece Global Times Editor took to Twitter and said "You, OBrien, Barr and Esper take turns to attack CPC and incite China-US hatred. You are like a cold war Gang of Four. If you finally bring cold war back to the world, you are indeed the common enemy of mankind". READ | China stooge trembles at democracy; blurts delusional 'Trojan Horse' spin on Hong Kong law You, OBrien, Barr and Esper take turns to attack CPC and incite China-US hatred. You are like a cold war Gang of Four. If you finally bring cold war back to the world, you are indeed the common enemy of mankind. pic.twitter.com/EFpF0ZO3hG Hu Xijin (@HuXijin_GT) July 19, 2020 READ | China stooge justifies harassment threat against US nationals; gives tit-for-tat logic On Thursday the Chinese stooge also accused Pompeo of destroying 'basic civilization of diplomacy between major powers'. His accusation came in response to US President Donald Trump signing the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and the related executive orders which aim to end the preferential treatment given by the US to Hong Kong. US-China's deteriorating relations The US-China relations have drastically deteriorated as the US has taken a number of measures against China. Trump has been blaming China since the outbreak of Coronavirus and has pulled out from the World Health Organisation (WHO), citing its bias towards China. He also recently said that his administration is mulling over the US-China trade deal amid tensed relations with Beijing. The US has also announced visa bans on senior Chinese officials involved in restricting access to foreigners to the sensitive region of Tibet and reaffirmed its support for 'meaningful autonomy' for Tibetans. Moreover, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that they are considering a ban on TikTok and warned American citizens from using Chinese-origin applications. READ | 'Destroying diplomacy between major powers': Chinese stooge wails over US' HK Autonomy Act READ | 'Abandon Cold war mentality': China warns US after mouthpieces declared 'foreign missions' Advertisement Another day of scorching summer heat is set to hit 70 million Americans along the East Coast on Monday, with more than 48 percent of the US tipped to experience temperatures in excess of 90 degrees within 24 hours. The blistering summer sunshine comes as part of a heat dome encapsulating much of the country which has had a particular effect on the Northeast over the last 48 hours. New York City bared the brunt of the heat across the weekend, and heat advisories implemented Sunday have since been extended through Monday evening as the dangerous surge is set to continue. During his daily press conference this morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the mercury could top 100F in the Big Apple later today. Heat index values which factor in humidity are likely to as register as high as 103 degrees throughout Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather service. Another day of scorching summer heat is set to hit 70 million Americans along the East Coast on Monday New York City bared the brunt of the heat across the weekend, and heat advisories implemented Sunday have since been extended through Monday evening as the dangerously surge is set to continue (pictured: crowds gather at Coney Island on Monday) Beach goers enjoy the hot summer day at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York on Monday Heat index values which factor in humidity are likely to as register as high as 103 degrees throughout Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather service. Heat index values which factor in humidity are likely to as register as high as 103 degrees throughout Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather service The blistering summer sunshine comes as part of a heat dome encapsulating much of the country which has had a particular effect on the Northeast over the last 48 hours According to NBC 4, weather experts say that Monday could end up being the hottest day Central Park has seen in nearly five years. Anticipated to reach 97 degrees over the park, that number is just four degrees shy of its all time record of 101, which was recorded back in 1980. The city has opened 145 air-conditioned cooling centers across the five boroughs during high heat advisories with a number of safety and social distancing measures in place. Though Monday will prove to be the hottest day, the heat is expected to continue throughout the week. Tuesday's weather will still be hot, though the mercury will fall to the low 90s, with thunderstorms Wednesday night expected to bring up to a quarter of an inch of rain and lower temperatures in the high 80s. However the weather will bounce back into the low 90s on Thursday and is expected to hover around that number into the early part of next week. The city says it isnt anticipating a widespread shattering of all-time heat records, however record highs will at least be neared or matched at LaGaurdia, JFK and Bridgeport airports. Though Monday will prove to be the hottest day, the heat is expected to continue throughout the week. Crowds are pictured on Coney Island beach on Sunday The heat is expected to continue throughout the week. Sunbathers are seen on New York's Smith Point Beach on Monday Sunseekers crowd on to Smith Point Beach on New York's Fire Island on Monday as temperatures skyrocket During his daily press conference this morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the mercury could top 100F in the Big Apple later today Bryan Restrepo (left) holds his children Lucas, 3, and Sofia 6, alongside Yonh Gomez holding his son Luis, 5, as people enjoy the hot weather at Rockaway Beach on Monday The city has opened 145 air-conditioned cooling centers across the five boroughs during high heat advisories with a number of safety and social distancing measures in place Though Monday will prove to be the hottest day, the heat is expected to continue throughout the week Tuesday's weather will still be hot, though the mercury will fall to the low 90s, with thunderstorms Wednesday night expected to bring up to a quarter of an inch of rain and lower temperatures in the high 80s Elsewhere across the East Coast, a number of other states are also bracing themselves for triple-digit heat indexes as the hazardous conditions are set to span from Maine to Florida. The coasts other big cities, including the Acela corridor from Washington to Boston, will suffer their hottest day of the summer so far, with excessive heat warnings in place across the region. The scintillating forecast comes hot on the heels of a weekend that featured temperatures flirting with, or climbing into triple digit figures. Baltimore reached 100 degrees on Sunday, with Washington DC managing 99 degrees, and New York City soaring up to 94. With a registered high of 95 degrees, Boston experienced its hottest day of the year so far Sunday, with that record set to be eclipsed Monday by temperatures of 97. Philadelphia could reach 98 degrees for the fourth time in five years Monday. Similarly, in DC, temperatures are forecast to hit 99 degrees on Monday, having already reached 90 degrees by 9am. Weather experts say that Monday could end up being the hottest day Central Park has seen in nearly five years The city says it isnt anticipating a widespread shattering of all-time heat records, however record highs will at least be neared or matched at LaGaurdia, JFK and Bridgeport airports Hundreds of New Yorkers also flocked to Coney Island to soak up the blazing summer sunshine on Monday afternoon One beach dweller is seen taking shelter from the sun in a tent with her dog as temperatures each 95F at the Rockaway Beach on Monday A young boy cools off in the sea at Rockaway Beach as temperatures in the city continue to sore following an incredibly warm weekend Tuesday's weather will still be hot, though the mercury will fall to the low 90s, with thunderstorms Wednesday night expected to bring up to a quarter of an inch of rain and lower temperatures in the high 80s In fact the heat is so intense in DC that the city's government closed all COVID-19 testing locations on Monday. 'Periods of high heat and humidity can cause medical problems such as heat exhaustion and stroke,' the D.C. government warned in a release. The citys morning low of 83 degrees would tie for the citys second warmest night on record if it holds until midnight. Meanwhile, in Richmond, temperatures are predicted to rise as high as 101 degrees, tying with the all-time record that it registered on Sunday. More records are possible today with 15 states from South Carolina to Maine under Heat Advisory and Warnings. The warnings affect more than 70 million Americans. Record highs will also be possible in Hartford, Connecticut, which is forecasted to be 97, just three degrees away from its 100 degree benchmark. Factoring in humidity, some parts of southern and central New Jersey will feel like its near 114 degrees, the National Weather Service said. Monday also features a significant chance of a few isolated thunderstorms in DC and Philadelphia but the storms will only bring a brief, localized cool-down. Elsewhere across the East Coast, a number of other states are also bracing themselves for triple-digit heat indexes as the hazardous conditions are set to span from Maine to Florida New York says it isnt anticipating a widespread shattering of all-time heat records, however record highs will at least be neared or matched at LaGaurdia, JFK and Bridgeport airports A lifeguard presides over Rockaway Beach on Monday. Severe temperature warnings have advised New Yorkers to stay at home People enjoy the hot weather at Rockaway Beach, New York, as temperatures are due to hit 95F today, and possibly even exceed 100F Scores of people were seen basking in the sunshine early Monday afternoon, with more hot weather expected across the week The sweltering temperatures across the next 24 hours could prove dangerous for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions. Residents of urban areas who lack sufficient air conditioning are at significant risk of developing deadly heat illness as elevated overnight lows have not fallen enough to provide the body with relief. Much like in New York, authorities in dozens of other areas have had to alter how cooling shelters operate to comply with social distancing guidelines. The surging temperatures across the East Coast have been caused by a pair of high pressure systems known as heat domes, which effectively form protective bubbles over large areas, preventing precipitation from moving in. The bigger a heat dome grows, the hotter and longer-lasting a heatwave becomes - and experts predict the current dome could last through to the beginning of August. Another significant heat dome is entering the Pacific Northwest, with the potential to expand into the midsection of the country during the coming days. Medford, Oregon, is forecast to hit 103 degrees on Monday, with Portland set to climb into the lower 90s. Boise, Idaho, is also tipped to top 95 degrees, a few degrees above average. Salt Lake City, meanwhile, is expected to hit 98. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:38:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Nurses Association (INA) started a nationwide strike on Monday amid a second coronavirus outbreak in Israel. The strike, which includes nurses at hospitals and clinics across the country, broke out after negotiations with the Ministry of Finance failed. According to a statement issued by the INA, this is an emergency strike, meaning nurses will only deal with urgent cases. However, they will also continue to carry out coronavirus tests. The INA demands the immediate training of new nurses, especially for intensive care units to treat patients and operate breathing machines. Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has expressed support for the nurses' struggle, according to a statement issued by his ministry. The minister said "the shortage of nursing manpower is not just because of the coronavirus, it is an ongoing problem in the health system." He added that "the Finance Ministry should increase the number of standards out of concern for the health system, patients and the workload." Enditem Thank you for tuning in to episode 82 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by our friends at PSCU. As the nations premier payments CUSO, PSCU proudly supports the success of more than 1,500 credit unions. Over the last few months, human capital, remote work, and efforts surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion have been front and center for credit unions across the country. To learn more about the important conversations and work being done in these areas, Im sitting down with a regular guest of the show, Jill Nowacki. Jill is the Founder and CEO of Humanidei, a human capital firm serving credit unions, and also my human. During the episode, Jill and I discuss the well-being of credit union employees and members, and how the pandemic has amplified many of the problems individuals and families are facing. We also talk about the need for credit unions to expand the economic capacity of their communities going forward, why credit unions must be willing to take a meaningful stand, and Jills hopes for the credit union movement over the next year. Additionally, we also learn about Jills passion for credit unions and how the work shes done over the last year has positioned her to help credit unions navigate our current work environment. We also talk about courageous leadership and taking risks, in which Jill shares an apt Chinese Proverb The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second-best time is now. We also talk about some leadership myths, the need for mentors and networks to help us feel normal during this crazy time, and how Jill is balancing being a CEO, teacher, and summer camp counselor. We wrap up the show with some revamped rapid-fire questions that I made just for Jill, since she has been on the show a few times already. Jill shares that if she wasnt working in human capital or with credit unions, she would be a novelist. She also tells us about some of her new daily routines, her current favorite song, and the book she thinks everyone should read. Jill gives us a lot to think about in this episode. Be sure to give it a listen! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List How to find Jill: Jill Nowacki, President/CEO of Humanidei jill@humanidei.com www.humanidei.com LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Show notes from this episode: A big shout-out to our friends at PSCU, an amazing sponsor of The CUInsight Experience podcast. Thank you! Check out all the outstanding work that Jill and her team at Humanidei are doing here. Shout-out: James Wileman Book mentioned: Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! by Stephen Manes Shout-out: Jills son Crosby Shout-out: Teresa Freeborn Shout-out: Tracie Kenyon Shout-out: Caroline Willard Shout-out: Samantha Paxson Shout-out: Randys sister and brother-in-law Shout-out: Jills brother Shout-out: Randys mother Song mentioned: Nobody But You by Blake Shelton (Duet with Gwen Stefani) Book mentioned: Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F Saad and Robin DiAngelo Shout-out: Renee Sattiewhite Shout-out: Brian Schools, President and CEO of Chartway Federal Credit Union Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Jill Nowacki (episodes 4, 18, 37 & 64), James Wileman, Teresa Freeborn, Tracie Kenyon, Caroline Willard, Samantha Paxson, Renee Sattiewhite In This Episode: [02:34] Welcome back to the show, Jill! [03:19] Jill shares answers to some big questions shes been asking. [04:50] Do you have a best practice for credit unions around employees and children going back to school? [06:13] Jill discusses some challenges we had before the pandemic and how they have become amplified. [08:20] Jill speaks about how she thinks the pandemic will change the way members interact with credit unions. [11:30] What do you think credit unions need to do differently to stay relevant? [12:56] Jill shares what she will be proud to have accomplished a year from now. [13:51] Jill speaks about what inspired her to start Humanidei. [15:12] Listen, as Jill discusses how the inspiration has changed since she started the company last year. [17:53] Jill says that it takes courage to be a great leader. [20:24] The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second-best time is now. is something Jill says all the time. [21:50] Jill speaks about a myth that she wants to debunk. [23:23] Is there a mistake you are seeing leaders make during this pandemic that others can learn from? [25:24] Jill speaks about how important mentors are to make us all feel more normal. [27:24] Stay connected and extend grace are what Jill suggests doing when you feel lost. [28:38] Listen as Jill shares what her day looks like now and what she says would be a perfect day. [30:22] Jill tells us what she does when she has a day off and needs to recharge. [32:11] If you could do one job with nothing to do with credit unions or human capital, what would it be? [32:38] Being in charge of project management for a hotel construction is something she would never want to do. [33:48] Jill shares what she had to do each day, or her day feels off. [34:43] Is there a song you have been listening to a lot recently? [35:46] What book do you think everyone should read? [36:28] Taking care of each other has become more important during this pandemic, and harmony is less important. [38:15] Jill shares who she thinks about right now when she hears the word success. [39:44] Thank you so much for being on the show again today! [40:04] Jills final thought is, Be well and be kind. Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 : Turning the heat on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Monday wrote to CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury seeking his intervention in the way things are going from bad to worse in Kerala under Vijayan. Chennithala's letter stated: "As a party which claims to hold high political moral grounds, the onus is on its leadership, with you (Yechury) as the helmsman, to explain this state of affairs and take necessary action against an erring Chief Minister." "It is indeed preposterous to suggest that the Chief Minister was unaware about what was happening in his office and the departments under his charge, given his functioning style and the functioning codes of your party. I am prompted to write this letter in the context of the wayward functioning of the Left Democratic Front Ministry, led by Vijayan, who is also a Politburo Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). "This primarily concerns corruption, nepotism and criminalisation of the State administration and gross deviation from the CPI (M)'s proclaimed ideology and code of conduct for party leaders holding public office, a position that has been sharpened over the decades by the numerous party congresses and plenums," pointed out Chennithala. The gold smuggling case first came to light when P. S.Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was arrested by the Customs on July 5 when he was facilitating smuggling of 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage to Thiruvananthapuram from Dubai. It turned murkier when the name of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here and employed with the state IT Department, surfaced. The case turned full circle when their links with senior IAS official M. Sivasankar, who has been suspended and booted out from two key posts -- principal secretary to Vijayan and also the State IT secretary, were unearthed. "The Chief Minister has washed his hands off by feigning ignorance about the developments related to his office. The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has now taken over the probe to investigate the larger ramifications of the gold smuggling case. Reports suggest that even Ministers and the Speaker of the State Assembly are guilty of indiscretions in their interactions with some of the main accused," reads Chennithala's letter. He further wrote that now that the NIA is set to widen the scope of its investigations, the office of the Chief Minister is also bound to come under the scanner. "It has become abundantly clear that the state leadership of your party has absolutely no control over the functioning of the Chief Minister or his office. In this context, the people of Kerala are eagerly waiting for a convincing response on your party's stand on the issues that have been raised," states Chennithala. Meanwhile, the CPI-M central committee is holding an online meeting for two days later this week where this issue is likely to figure. The single biggest advantage that Vijayan has in the party is his iron grip over the cadre since 1997. Also scheduled to meet is the ruling Left Democratic Front, which would be the first meeting after Vijayan started to feel the heat due to the case. Now all eyes are on the CPI, the second biggest ally, which has been taking potshots on the controversy. On Thursday, Vijayan and State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have called a meeting of the staff members of all the CPI-M state minister's as part of a damage control exercise, as the image of the Vijayan government has taken a beating for sometime. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text When Rep. Elijah Cummings became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol last fall, the public poured into Statuary Hall, a choir from Morgan State University sang, and admirers cried and hugged. That was before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. Now, with the Capitol closed to tourists, and those allowed inside the building encouraged to stay two metres apart, congressional leaders are puzzling over how to safely and appropriately honour Rep. John Lewis, a 17-term congressman from Georgia, the senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus and an icon of the civil rights movement who died Friday. Congress has honoured more than 40 individuals by allowing their remains to lie in state in the Capitol, including, most recently, Cummings, former president George H.W. Bush and Sen. John McCain. The occasions have drawn thousands of people, many of them travelling from far away and lining up for hours to pay their last respects. Many of his supporters believe that such an honour would be fitting for Lewis, who is widely regarded as an American hero. But congressional leaders have also emphasized the need for lawmakers to set an example for the rest of the country by avoiding large crowds, as a public memorial to Lewis would surely draw. Washington currently bans mass gatherings of more than 50 people, although President Donald Trump ignored that when he hosted a Fourth of July celebration at the White House this month. On Saturday, it was clear lawmakers had not yet figured out how to balance their desire to honour Lewis within the confines of virus restrictions. He will be honoured and celebrated in the fashion so deserving of him, said Rep. Joyce Beatty, the first vice-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He would want us to do it in a safe and healthy way. I think there is enough space for masked-up social distancing to pay our respects. Beatty, who said she considered Lewis a mentor and a friend, suggested there were other ways to honour Lewis, particularly his commitment to the power of protest. Maybe its something we do outside? she continued. Maybe we march in his honour? John came into existing marching. Why wouldnt we march behind him, as one way to say Rest in power? Lewis, who was known as the conscience of the Congress for his moral authority acquired through years of protest for racial equality including being beaten and bloodied during voting rights demonstrations in Selma, Ala., and across the Jim Crow South announced late last year that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The Congressional Black Caucus is a family, and we just lost our elder, said Rep. Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. We knew he was sick. We knew he was terminally ill. But it doesnt make a difference. Its a very painful day for all 55 of us. Bass said that Lewis should be given the maximum recognition, but its a little too soon to plan specific honours. Right now, youre caught up in grief and coming to grips that our nation lost a hero, Bass said. Members of the caucus recalled Saturday how they looked to Lewis for guidance on how to make decisions regarding moral issues. Lewis supported legalizing same-sex marriage before other Democrats did, helping change minds on the issue, recalled Rep. Al Green. If the Honourable John Lewis was for it, that made it safe, Green said. A lot of votes passed because it was known he would be voting yes. Green said he had the honour of being arrested alongside Lewis on two occasions: once, in 2006, while protesting genocide in Sudan and a second time, in 2013, while rallying for immigration reform. If you go to jail with someone, you get to know them, Green said. I was a follower; he was a leader. I knew if he was doing it, it was what he called good trouble. Green said he believed Lewis should have the honour of lying in state. He recalled how Lewis commitment to nonviolent protest continued even after police attacked and brutally beat civil rights demonstrators at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965. We have to celebrate his life, Green said. Lying in state is part of the celebration of the life of a great American. He was not an ordinary person. He would not agree with me saying that, but he was not. To love the way he loved? To take what he took on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and still preach love? Youre not an ordinary person. With Lewis death, Rep. Sanford Bishop is now the third-most senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The two men had known each other for more than 50 years. They were both born in Alabama but rose to political heights in Georgia. Alabama named us, but Georgia claimed us, Bishop recalled Lewis saying to him. If there is a way to honour John in the Capitol, it will be done, Bishop said. I certainly believe he is befitting the honour of lying in state. But, he added: John Lewis would want for all people to be safe. As news of Lewis death spread, honours and praise poured in from around the country. But there was one voice members of the caucus said they did not wish to hear from: the president of the United States. Bass and other Congressional Black Caucus members said they would prefer it if Trump, who insulted Lewis even before he was inaugurated, would avoid talking about him in death. Trump posted on Twitter Saturday that he was, Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family, Trump wrote. I dont want him to speak about John Lewis, Bass said. I dont want him to have a microphone where he talks about John Lewis, because I believe he is incapable of showing the proper respect. I dont believe he has the capacity to have an ounce of empathy. Beatty agreed. If you dont have something good to say about a person when theyre living, dont make comments about them when theyre gone, Beatty said. Silence would the best thing for him at this moment. Read more about: SVP and Director at IBM Research Arvind Krishna speaks on stage during the 2016 Wired Business Conference in New York on June 16, 2016. IBM shares rose as much as 6% in extended trading on Monday after the company reported second-quarter earnings that were better than analysts had expected. Here's how the company did: Earnings: $2.18 per share, adjusted, vs. $2.07 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. $2.18 per share, adjusted, vs. $2.07 per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Revenue: $18.12 billion, vs. $17.72 billion as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Adjusted earnings per share were down 31% on an annualized basis in the quarter, and revenue declined 5%, according to a statement. It's the company's second consecutive quarter of revenue decline as the coronavirus hit the company's results. The company's net income, which came out to $1.36 billion, was down 46%. However, the company improved gross margins in three of its five units. IBM's total gross profit margin was 48%, up from 45.1% in the first quarter and up from 47% in the year-ago quarter. "It's likely that we see that the economic recovery is looking to be longer and more protracted than we might have hoped for back in March," Arvind Krishna, who replaced Ginni Rometty as CEO on April 6, told analysts on a conference call with analysts on Monday. IBM did not update its full-year guidance. In April IBM withdrew its guidance for the full year because of the pandemic. Mary Katherine, who also goes by MK, covers health care for The Post and Courier. She is also pursuing a master's degree in data science. She grew up in upstate New York and enjoys playing cards, kayaking and the Blue Ridge Mountains. 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. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Can you recognize a digitally manipulated video when you see one? It's harder than most people realize. As the technology to produce realistic "deepfakes" becomes more easily available, distinguishing fact from fiction will only get more challenging. A new digital storytelling project from MIT's Center for Advanced Virtuality aims to educate the public about the world of deepfakes with In Event of Moon Disaster (moondisaster.org). This provocative website showcases a "complete" deepfake (manipulated audio and video) of President Nixon delivering the real contingency speech written in 1969 for a scenario in which the Apollo 11 crew were unable to return from the moon. The team recruited a voice actor to record the speech, then worked with the companies Respeecher and Canny AI to reproduce Nixon's voice and facial movements, using a combination of sophisticated deep learning and AI technologies. The result is a seven-minute film showing how thoroughly convincing deepfakes can be. "Media misinformation is a longstanding phenomenon, but, exacerbated by deepfake technologies and the ease of disseminating content online, it's become a crucial issue of our time," says D. Fox Harrell, professor of digital media and of artificial intelligence at MIT and director of the Center for Advanced Virtuality, part of MIT Open Learning. An interdisciplinary team of artists, journalists, filmmakers, and computer scientists has created a robust, interactive resource site where educators and media consumers can deepen their understanding of deepfakes: how they are made and how they work; their potential use and misuse; and what is being done to combat them. Also included is a new documentary on deepfakes from Scientific American, centered on a behind-the-scenes making-of feature on In Event of Moon Disaster. "This alternative history shows how new technologies can obfuscate the truth around us, encouraging our audience to think carefully about the media they encounter daily," says Francesca Panetta, project co-lead and XR Creative Director at MIT Virtuality. The project is supported by the MIT Open Documentary Lab and the Mozilla Foundation, which awarded In Event of Moon Disaster a Creative Media Award last year. These awards are part of Mozilla's mission to realize more trustworthy AI in consumer technology. In Event of Moon Disaster previewed last fall as a physical art installation at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, where it won the Special Jury Prize for Digital Storytelling. The new website is the project's global digital launch, making the Moon Disaster film and associated resources available for free to all audiences. "It's our hope that this project will encourage the public to understand that manipulated media plays a significant role in our media landscape," says co-director Halsey Burgund, a fellow at MIT Open Documentary Lab, "and that with further understanding and diligence we can all reduce the likelihood of being unduly influenced by it." About the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality The MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality pioneers innovative experiences using virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and other computing systems that may be used to construct imaginative experiences atop our physical world. The Center's approach to engineering and creative practices pushes the expressive potential of these technologies to simulate social and cognitive phenomena, while intrinsically considering their social and cultural impacts. Part of MIT Open Learning, the Center supports both creative projects and research endeavors. SOURCE MIT Office of Open Learning Related Links https://openlearning.mit.edu The suspect in the fatal shooting of a federal judge's son, who was an attorney that had a previous case in front of the judge, has been found dead, law enforcement sources told ABC News. The son of Judge Esther Salas was shot and killed, and her husband shot and injured in an attack at the family's New Jersey home on Sunday night. Salas was not hurt in the attack. Her son, Daniel Anderl, 20, died, Francis "Mac" Womack, the mayor of North Brunswick, New Jersey, told ABC News. Salas' husband, Mark Anderl, is in critical but stable condition as of Monday morning, according to law enforcement sources. The suspect was a white man who wore a face covering and a FedEx uniform, law enforcement sources told ABC News, and he used an ordinary car to make a getaway. MORE: Murder of Judge Esther Salas' son highlights surge in threats to federal judges and their families The suspect has now been identified as Roy Den Hollander, a Manhattan lawyer and self-described antifeminist, multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the case told ABC News and the FBI confirmed. PHOTO: Police respond to reports of a shooting at the home of federal Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick, New Jersey, July 19, 2020. (WABC) Den Hollander's body was discovered in a car by a municipal employee in the town of Rockland, New York. He died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sources said. New York State Police were on scene and the FBI was called. A FedEx package addressed to Judge Salas was discovered in the car, sources said. FedEx Spokesman Jim Masilak said in a statement, "We are aware of the media reports and are fully cooperating with investigating authorities." At about 5 p.m. Sunday, the gunman knocked at the door to the family's North Brunswick home. Daniel Anderl answered the door and was shot first, before his father was also shot. "He was shot through the heart," Womack said of Daniel Anderl, who was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. PHOTO: A man walks past the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas on July 20, 2020, in North Brunswick, N.J., after a man shot and killed Salas' son, Daniel Anderl, and injured her husband, Mark Anderl. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) "Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks," Catholic University President John Garvey said in a statement Monday. "He turned 20 last week. We all mourn and grieve this loss to our University community." Story continues Salas had received threats in the past, sources said. Authorities are investigating whether there is any connection between those prior threats and the shooting, or whether it possibly involved the husband's work as a criminal defense attorney. "As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any," said Mayor Womack, who is personal friends with the judge and her husband. MORE: New Jersey police officer saves unresponsive baby born in train station In a 2015 case before Salas, Den Hollander represented a woman who wanted to register for the military draft. He was replaced last June as the woman's lawyer before the case was fully resolved. The court docket did not indicate a reason for his replacement and the woman's current attorney could not be reached. Den Hollander had previously sued Manhattan nightclubs for favoring women by offering ladies' night discounts and sued the federal government over a law that protects women from violence. He has also sued Columbia University for offering women's studies courses, accusing the school of using government aid to teach a "religionist belief system called feminism." PHOTO: A New York State Trooper stands guard outside the home of attorney Roy Den Hollander, who was found dead after allegedly killing the son of federal judge Esther Salas and wounding her husband, in Catskills, N.Y., July 20, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the shooting "a brazen and cowardly act of gun violence at their home in North Brunswick. We give our full support to Judge Salas and her husband at this most trying time. This is an unconscionable tragedy." The New Jersey State Police, the North Brunswick Police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office are also involved in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals have been called to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official. Our chaplain, Father Jude DeAngelo, will offer Mass tonight at 7 PM for Daniel and his family. Please join me and our entire campus community as we extend our deepest condolences to Daniel's family and friends. May he rest in peace.https://t.co/85hcEbBCI3 Catholic University President (@CatholicPres) July 20, 2020 "I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey's federal bench," New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez said in a statement. "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice." U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr also offered his condolences to Salas and her family. PHOTO: Law enforcement are seen officials outside the home of federal judge Esther Salas, where her son was shot and killed and her defense attorney husband was critically injured, in North Brunswick, N.J., July 20, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) "This kind of lawless, evil action carried out against a member of the federal judiciary will not be tolerated, and I have ordered the full resources of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service to investigate the matter," Barr said in a statement. Salas is the first Latina woman to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey. This report was featured in the Tuesday, July 21, 2020, episode of Start Here, ABC News daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 'Anti-feminist' lawyer identified as shooter who killed Judge Esther Salas' son then self originally appeared on abcnews.go.com LAKE ELSINORE, CA Cary Jay Smith, the convicted sex offender who was recently released from a state psychiatric hospital and had briefly relocated to Corona before coming to Lake Elsinore, has also left that city, officials said Sunday. "Cary decided to leave the Lake Elsinore area. Thank you to everyone who engaged with us upon learning he was in our community," the Riverside County Sheriff's Lake Elsinore station posted on Facebook. Authorities did not say where he was headed next, but authorities said at 3:41 p.m. Sunday that Smith had moved to a motel in Northern San Diego County. A protest against Smith staying in the area had been planned but was called off following the announcement that he had left Lake Elsinore. The 59-year-old Smith was released from Coalinga State Hospital on Tuesday after spending 21 years there for openly fantasizing about raping and killing children. He stayed in Los Angeles for one night before making his way to Orange, where he checked into a halfway home on Thursday, said Sgt. Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department. On Saturday morning, Corona police said Smith had relocated to a motel in that city, where he was being surveilled by law enforcement. "Mr. Smith is not on any form of supervised release or required to register as a sex offender. Smith can move around without restrictions," Corona police said in a Twitter message. At 9:05 p.m. Saturday, Corona police tweeted: "A short time ago Cary decided to leave the City of Corona. Thank you to everyone who engaged with us upon learning he was in our community." A few hours later, the Riverside County Sheriff's Lake Elsinore station issued a community alert. "Convicted Sex Offender Cary Smith is CURRENTLY in the city of Lake Elsinore," it read. "...Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department are currently watching Smith while he is staying at a local hotel to ensure the safety of our community. Smith is not on any form of supervised release nor is he required to register as a sex offender. Smith is allowed to move around without restrictions. Story continues "We will update the community when he leaves the city." A short time ago Cary decided to leave the City of Corona. Thank you to everyone who engaged with us upon learning he was in our community. Corona Police Dept. #CoronaPD (@CoronaPD) July 19, 2020 Last week, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel issued a news release about Smith and sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking for help researching why Smith was no longer required to register as a sex offender despite a conviction and requirement to do so in 1985. Newsom's office referred questions to the Department of State Hospitals. Ken August of the Department of State Hospitals said state and federal privacy laws prohibited the department from commenting. Smith appeared to be "very mild and passive" when McMullin spoke with him Thursday night. State and Orange County Health Care Agency officials referred Smith to the facility. Police warned the administrator of the facility about Smith's past, but he was accepted. Smith pleaded guilty in 1985 to a misdemeanor sex offense against a child, requiring him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Spitzer said. However, in 2005, that requirement was lifted for an unknown reason, Spitzer said. "We need to look into this and know why he is no longer a lifetime 290," Spitzer said, referring to the code in the law that requires sex offenders to register with authorities so they can be tracked. "We believe he is a lifetime registrant," Spitzer said. In 2002, prosecutors attempted to charge Smith with sexual assaults on a 13-year-old, but the case was thrown out because of an issue with the statute of limitations, Spitzer said. Smith was committed to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino in 1999 on a psychological hold when his wife gave a psychiatrist a letter her husband wrote that described sex acts he fantasized about on a 7-year-old boy in his neighborhood in Costa Mesa, according to prosecutors. The state kept him locked up in a state hospital under a civil commitment that concluded he was a danger to children, according to prosecutors. Under that law, he had the opportunity to seek release in a trial every six months. But during the hearings he has testified that he continues to fantasize about sexually assaulting and killing young boys, prosecutors said. "He calls himself Mr. RTK," which stands for Rape, Torture, Kill, Spitzer said. "That's what I think has kept him in. He says, `If you don't cut off my penis and hands I will molest again.' " Spitzer said he has no real connection to the case because it was a civil commitment, but wanted to warn the public about the potential danger. "It's just really upsetting and aggravating to me that one of the governor's departments released a guy who is such an aberration and outlier and it doesn't advise the public," Spitzer said. "That's crazy to me. So the only thing I can do under the law is warn people and get his picture out there and build awareness of him, but I can't do much else." It was the county counsel's office that had the authority to object to Smith's release, but it was apparently not notified this time and the hold on him expired on Saturday, Steel and Spitzer said in their letter to Newsom. Spitzer said his office has been in touch with the state Attorney General's Office to determine why the sex offender registration requirement was lifted and whether it can be reinstated. City News Service Related coverage: This article originally appeared on the Lake Elsinore-Wildomar Patch Russia-led forces used automatic grenade launchers, sniper rifles, and other types of small arms near the village of Shumy. A Ukrainian soldier was shot dead in an enemy attack in Donbas, Ukraine's east, on July 20, 2020. "A serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a fatal gunshot wound amid an enemy attack while he was on a combat mission," the press center of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook on July 20. Read alsoUkrainian soldier wounded amid 13 enemy attacks in Donbas on July 18 Russia-led forces used automatic grenade launchers, sniper rifles, and other types of small arms near the village of Shumy. "The Joint Forces Command expresses deep and sincere condolences to the family and friends of the killed soldier and emphasizes that such vile actions by the invaders will not go unpunished," the JFO HQ said. On July 19, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 17 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas. They used proscribed weapons, namely, 122mm and 152mm artillery systems, 82mm and 120mm mortars, as well as grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns, and rifles. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported on July 19. When Cambridge-based smart-chip maker Arm Holdings was sold to Japan's Softbank in July 2016 for 25billion the deal was greeted in government circles with near rapture. Softbank's charismatic boss Masayoshi Son was demonstrating that the UK was open for business post-Brexit referendum and assurances were won over jobs and R&D budgets. Son recognised the intellectual value of Arm's processor designs which reached to the internet of things. The company's creation of smart chips would drive Artificial Intelligence (AI). Chips are down: The disappearance of the firm best prepared to be Britain's tech champion into a speculative overseas holding company was a terrible mistake The disappearance of the firm best prepared to be Britain's tech champion into a speculative overseas holding company was a terrible mistake. Arm is a product of the UK's world-class research universities and held intellectual property and patents nurtured by the British taxpayer through the education system. No other Western democracy would have let such technology disappear abroad with minimum scrutiny. Arm's 'systems on a chip' (SoC) has developed into a 80billion global market. Plans are reportedly afoot to restore the British firm to a public listing with Goldman Sachs leading the drive. Softbank's ownership has been far from smooth. A chunk of equity went to Son's Vision Fund in which Saudi Arabia holds a big stake, and Softbank sold 51 per cent of Arm's profitable China offshoot to Chinese partners for 615m. Beijing was getting its hands on valuable Western technology on the cheap. If Arm's owner had been American, the deal would have been blocked. Softbank is seen as a highly indebted deal maker overloaded with duff investments. Most fraught has been its exposure to tech-property wunderkind WeWork which nearly collapsed. Softbank has recently made disposals to raise cash to erase a debt mountain and fund buybacks. Amid the turmoil, Arm has moved back to centre stage. It recently emerged that the firm was 'restructuring' and two enterprises, IoT Platform and Treasure Data. were being transferred into new entities operated by Softbank. Each of the deals betrayed pledges made that the company would benefit in R&D and employment under Softbank management. Instead it has gradually been denuded of people and businesses. Nevertheless, what is left is valuable. Arm has a monopoly in processor designs for systems on the chip. Apple is among a number of companies that have switched from Intel on its Mac computer to Arm-designed chips. Arm hopefully is taking suitable precautions given Apple's reputation for ruthless treatment of suppliers. When will Arm relist, at what price and on which market? Even in its denuded state, Arm could list as soon as next year at 32billion and attain a value of more than 40billion by 2025. It would be a tragedy if, as a result of naivety in Britain, a triumph of UK tech engineering were to end up with a dominant Japanese shareholding and quoted in New York. As one of the only senior living communities actively publishing a podcast, Aldersgate Life Plan Community is leading the charge to tear down ageism and educate society by sharing stories that present a positive view of aging. The latest episode of Aldersgate OnAir features Boris Henderson and Veronica Calderon, as they share their deeply personal experiences of growing up in America as people of color in poverty. Henderson and Calderon work in pivotal roles at Aldersgate. Henderson is the Chief Strategy Officer and Calderon is the Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Officer. As an Ecuadorian immigrant and a man of color, Calderon and Henderson share their deeply personal stories about growing up in an America that treats people differently based on the color of their skin. They also delve into what the Aldersgate community is doing to make a difference. Through their actions and words, they are working to make their local community and the world a better place. The episode explores the American Dream and what it means to be a Dreamer. James Truslow Adams coined the term "The American Dream" in his 1931 book The Epic of America. His American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement...regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." Veronica Calderon reflects on the American Dream as she shares how she immigrated to America from Ecuador. Calderon states, The American Dream can be very painful and sometimes people just dont see the road that leads you to it, but they just see now, how far weve come. Calderon discusses the importance of education and educating ourselves around our biases. We are not asking for more, we are just asking for equal treatment, she adds. Henderson shares his insights and perspective as a Black man growing up in Charlotte. He says, It is the great hope of every Black man I know to have an equal chance and not to live in fear if a wrong move is made. He shares the importance of mentors and how his mentor transformed his life. We have to cross the artificial barriers that we made so we can come to the realization that human beings are human beings and lets make judgments on how you treat me as a human being, Henderson adds. Calderon also shares, To whom much is given, much is required. For both Boris and me, weve had mentors and angels along the way whove helped us and we dont take that lightly. Theres an urgency in us to pay that forward. We believe being not racist is no longer enough. Being anti-racist is an active commitment requiring both inner and outer work on ourselves and our communities. Henderson and Calderon answer the difficult questions about what it will take to leave behind outdated ways of thinking and acting to come up with some real-world, collaborative solutions. They discuss what it takes to be a good mentor, the importance of education and how doing better fuels the motivation to move forward. The collaborative team at Aldersgate has adopted the following position on racial justice: Aldersgate and Generations are committed to being Antiracist. They are going to listen, learn and act. They will use their unearned privilege to identify and dismantle inequitable systems for the benefit of their elders, their staff team members and their community. #BlackLivesMatter Henderson and Calderon speak unedited, honestly and from the heart because the best way to solve a problem is to start with the truth. Listen to this Racial Justice episode of the Aldersgate OnAir podcast at https://aldersgateuniversity.com/racialjustice/. Aldersgate OnAir provides the community with intriguing stories about Aldersgates unique philosophy and perspectives on ageism, as well as how Covid-19 is affecting senior living communities. Listen to all the episodes at https://aldersgateuniversity.com/podcast/. Aldersgate is an inclusive community that values the richness of diversity and engages people of different thoughts, lifestyles, skills, talents and resources in creating communities and services. Each individual has a voice and is valued. The residents at Aldersgate are actively involved in society through their volunteer efforts, tutoring, and more. Aldersgate shows the impact senior living communities can have on society and what it means to give a voice to older adults, the unexpected loudest protesters. Aldersgate is a nonprofit Life Plan community that has been an integral part of the Charlotte, NC, community for more than 70 years. Aldersgate honors all elders and is actively involved in redefining and shaping the future of senior living through their commitment to creating and fostering, diverse, caring communities where everyone has a voice and value. The community offers an enriching, quality living and working environment for older adults and society at large, regardless of age, color, gender or orientation. Aldersgate is committed to being antiracist and uses its unearned privilege to identify and dismantle inequitable systems for the benefit of its elders, staff team members and community. This nonprofit Life Plan community employs people from 34 different countries. For additional information, visit https://aldersgateccrc.com/. Iran's Zarif In Baghdad As Iraq Seeks To Balance Regional Ties By RFE/RL July 19, 2020 Iran's foreign minister has held a series of meetings with top officials in Baghdad as Iraq's new prime minister seeks to balance complex regional ties. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on July 19 met with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, President Barham Salih, the head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, Faeq Zeidan, and the leaders of some parliamentary blocs. Zarif will also travel to Irbil to meet with officials in the autonomous Kurdish region. Several hours after Zarif landed in Baghdad, three mortar shells struck the heavily fortified Green Zone, where Iraq's government and many foreign embassies are located. No casualties were reported. The high-level Iranian visit to Baghdad comes as Kadhimi heads to Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia, on July 20, followed a day later by an official visit to Tehran. In Saudi Arabia, Kadhimi will meet Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to work on expanding economic cooperation, while in Iran he is expected to meet Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The trips have heightened speculation that Iraq may seek a mediating role to sooth regional tensions between Tehran and Riyadh in a bid to avoid their rivalry playing out in Iraq. Iraq is walking a tricky tightrope trying to balance its close economic, political, and security ties with Iran, while expanding relations with Tehran's rival gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia. "Iraq seeks to assert its balanced and positive role in making peace and progress in the region," Kadhimi tweeted after the meeting with Zarif. After meeting with Foreign Minister Hussein, Zarif said a strong and peaceful Iraq is inseparable from the security of Iran. "For us, a strong Iraq, a peaceful and tranquil Iraq, and an Iraq with good and constructive relations with all of its neighbors is a synonym to our own strength, tranquility, stability, and peace," Zarif said. The former chief of Iraqi intelligence, Kadhimi emerged as a compromise candidate for the premiership in May with the tacit support of Tehran, Washington, and Riyadh. He came to the premiership after his predecessor was forced to resign under the pressure of months of mass protests against corruption, poor services, and Iranian influence in the country. Iraq also seeks to avoid becoming a battleground in escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, which has some 5,000 troops based in the country. The U.S. troops have supported Iraq's fight against the Islamic State extremist group but are viewed by Iran as a threat. Iraq's concerns about becoming a proxy battlefield have been heightened since a U.S. drone strike in January in Baghdad killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of the Iran-backed Kataib Hizbullah militia and deputy head of Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Units. That drone strike led Iran to retaliate by firing missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops and came close to unleashing a full-blown war between Iran and the United States. Since taking up office in May, Kadhimi has struggled to fulfill a promise to rein in Iran-backed paramilitary groups, which are accused of carrying out rocket attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic facilities. In late June, Iraqi security forces detained 14 members of Kataib Hizbullah during a raid in Baghdad, saying that they were planning attacks on U.S. interests. Under pressure, the government released all but one of the militia members days later, in a sign of how difficult it will be for the state to control paramilitary groups. Kadhimi is also set to visit Washington in the coming weeks. In addition to addressing their security relationship, the United States is urging Iraq to develop its diplomatic and economic ties to its Persian Gulf neighbors. In particular, the United States has pressured Iraq to end its electricity dependence on Iran by expanding energy ties with Gulf Cooperation Council members. With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-zarif- in-baghdad-as-iraq-seeks-to-balance- regional-ties/30736162.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WASHINGTON The House of Representatives held a moment of silence Monday to honor the life of congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis. "The world is a better place because John Lewis spent his life pursuing freedom, justice, opportunity, love, and peace for all of humanity," Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Democrat considered the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation, said as he led the House in a bipartisan remembrance. "He inspired us as the conscience of Congress." Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., said the nation had lost a "giant," and "it's times like that we must be reminded of the shoulders we stand on. Shoulders of giants like John Lewis." For several minutes, dozens of lawmakers on the floor of the House stood silent as the chamber marked its remembrance for Lewis, who represented downtown Atlanta for more than 30 years and championed civil rights causes in Congress. Lewis died Friday night after a months-long battle with cancer. The clerk of the House choked up as she read a resolution expressing condolences for Lewis and making arrangements for members to attend his funeral, which the House promptly adopted. "We are all deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague. All of us who served with John know that he always worked on the side of the angels. Now he is with them. May he rest in peace," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday in a letter announcing the moment of silence. More: Rep. John Lewis, who 'risked his life and his blood' as a giant of the civil rights movement, dies of cancer at 80 Some people posted letters on the door of Lewis' office in Washington, D.C., over the weekend and on Monday, thanking the congressman for his service and expressing their condolences. A woman takes a photo of notes left at the office door of John Lewis on July 20 in Washington, D.C. On Monday morning, a black drape was installed above the door of his office, and black ribbons were placed over the plaques beside the door. A table was placed next to the door for flowers as well. Story continues Moments ago a drape was installed above John Lewis DC office door. 3 handwritten notes are also on the door. pic.twitter.com/FvlOuss3Dm Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) July 20, 2020 Pelosi said Lewis' family would wait until after the memorial services for civil rights leader Rev. C.T. Vivian, who died last week, to announce plans for Lewis' funeral. More: Rev. C.T. Vivian, civil rights veteran who worked with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 95 The speaker asked members of Congress to observe the moment of silence for Lewis in place because of coronavirus-related restrictions on the number of members allowed on the floor of the House of Representatives. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rep. John Lewis: US House holds moment of silence for congressman The letter references the growing body of scientific evidence is tipping toward the benefit of wearing masks when in group settings like schools', Berta wrote in an email. Scientists and health professionals continue to research and learn about COVID-19. We educators need to be attentive to their work and deploy the results in schools to keep our students and all staff healthy and safe. She concludes a comprehensive plan for school to open safely needs to include the requirement or expectation that face coverings be worn throughout the school day by students and staff'. I really hope we can get this mask issue behind us so we can have our students and teachers focus on teaching and learning as well as the re-establishing of relationships. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has posted the following on his Facebook page: Dear compatriots, since we have been recently receiving several letters and phone calls from citizens asking us how they can provide financial assistance to the Armenian army, I would like to inform those citizens that they can transfer their donations to the Insurance Fund for Servicemen. The donations can be transferred online via the link shown below. I would also like to ask everyone to refrain from taking the initiative to obtain items for the army. You can simply transfer the money to be spent for those items to the Insurance Fund for Servicemen, the activities of which are fully transparent and are under supervision prescribed by law. Thank you in advance. By Ayya Lmahamad Some 983 citizens were fined during the past 24 hours across the country for violating the strict quarantine regime, the main traffic police department under the Ministry of Interior reported on July 20. All 983 were fined according to Article 211.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Of them 919 were drivers who failed to follow the quarantine regime requirements and 64 were citizens not using facial masks in the public transport. In the meantime, 285 cars, which had sought to leave these territories were stopped, and returned back during the reporting period. Earlier, it was reported that 36,013 citizens were fined in the period of June 21 and July 15 for violating the quarantine regime, 635 drivers were fined during June 14-16 lockdown, while 2,524 drivers were fined during June 6-7 lockdown. Azerbaijan first introduced quarantine regime on March 24, and on June 18 decision was taken to extend special quarantine regime until August 1. On July 17, Cabinet of Ministers announced decision to prolong a strict quarantine regime till August 5. The new lockdown imposed on July 20 to August 5 include Baku, Jalilabad, Ganja, Masalli, Sumgayit, Yevlakh cities and Absheron district, and Goranboy, Goygol, Mingachevir, Barda, Khachmaz, Siyazan and Sheki. There is a change in the SMS permit system to control the citizens movement. According to the new rules, the duration of the permits have been extended from two to three hours. The work of beauty salons and barber shops have also been resumed under the new rules. The work of transportation, will remeain suspended over the weekends on July 25-27 and August 1-3. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Nord is expected to be priced lower than the OnePlus8 series phones, although it retains all the premium features that are characteristic of their devices When OnePlus launches its latest offering on Tuesday at 7:30 PM (IST), it is slated to be the worlds first smartphone launch through Augmented Reality. What would be of greater interest to OnePlus die-hards that it will be the first OnePlus phone after the 5T (launched in February 2018) that would be priced under USD 500 (INR 37,500 approx). But the feature that has everyone talking is that the Nord comes with Google Duo, Phone and Message apps pre-installed instead of its own SMS and dealer apps. One Plus released a video on Instagram confirming this, saying this would ensure the smoothest Android experience. The switch means that many OnePlus fans might miss the serious spam filtration capabilities that OnePlus own messaging app provided. What it also means is that the OnePlus Nord will be RCS (Rich Communication Services) compatible. This may interest users in the US when the phone hits that market. OnePlus has confirmed that Nord will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset which comes with 5G support and is paired with the OxygenOS 10 operating system based on Android 10. Leaks suggest the OnePlus Nord is likely to come with a 6.44-inch AMOLED panel running at a refresh rate of 90Hz. The phone is expected to be available in two variants, with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and storage of 128GB or 256GB. The OnePlus Nord is likely to be powered with 4,115 mAh battery with 30W fast-charging support via the USB Type-C port. OnePlus Nord will reportedly come with a quad-camera set-up that houses a 48-megapixel Sony IMX 586 sensor with an f/1.75 lens and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) support. It will also boast an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens with 119 field-of-view (FOV), a 5-megapixel macro lens with an f/2.4 aperture, and 2-megapixel depth sensor unit. Industry watchers say priced right the Nord would help OnePlus return to the Affordable Premium or medium-priced smartphone segment. Few life stories are as humbling as that of John Lewis, a civil rights icon and longtime Democratic congressman from Georgia who died Friday at age 80. Hoping to provoke this country to renounce the oppressive discrimination against Black Americans, he walked into certain confrontations with racist cops, Ku Klux Klansmen, hate-spewing citizens and unjust institutions, unarmed and armored only with the nobility of his cause. And even after being beaten, jailed and threatened with worse, he did it again and again, determined to stay on the path of nonviolence and prove that hate could be overcome by love. Who has that kind of courage? Who is so steadfastly principled? Lewis was famed for many things he did in his younger days he was one of the original Freedom Riders who put their lives on the line defending the integration of public buses; as the 23-year-old leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he gave a fiery call to action at the famed 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (a warm-up to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s famous I Have a Dream speech); he was in the vanguard of a voting rights march out of Selma, Alabama, in 1965 that was brutally attacked by police, who fractured Lewis skull. But as remarkable as that record is, it shouldnt overshadow the role he played since his election to the House in 1986. He wasnt an active legislator so much as a constant reminder of the gap between this countrys founding ideals and its reality. He was a partisan Democrat, yes, but more than that he was the conscience of the Congress, which is why he was admired by so many of its members on both sides of the aisle. Losing Lewis voice is particularly gutting now, as the country is confronting anew the poison that he spent his life trying to extract. George Floyds death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer triggered a wave of protests about police brutality, but the demand for reckoning goes well beyond that. We are being called to confront the structural racism and institutional barriers that have kept a knee on the neck of generations of Black, Latino and other disempowered Americans. This country has enormous income inequality as well as a yawning wealth gap between white and Black and Latino Americans. The problems are getting worse, not better, as a disproportionate share of the gains from the decade of pre-COVID-19 economic growth were captured by the folks at the top of the economic ladder. Meanwhile, efforts to narrow the racial gap directly through programs like affirmative action are resisted by conservatives in legislatures and the courts, who argue for a color-blind approach that would cement the disadvantages brought about by centuries of discrimination. Lewis faith in nonviolent protest was coupled with a firm belief in the transformative power of democracy. Thats why one of his signal legislative achievements came long before he was elected to the House. The march he helped lead over the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the outskirts of Selma and more pointedly, the horrifying racist violence it unleashed and exposed to the nation galvanized support for the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, overcoming entrenched opposition from powerful Southern Democrats. But to this countrys great shame, Lewis voting rights legacy is under increasing attack. Republicans across the country have used the myth of rampant voter fraud to engage in cynical voter suppression, buoyed by a disastrous 2013 Supreme Court ruling that allowed communities with histories of discrimination to adopt new voting rules without getting the Justice Departments approval in advance. The fight for justice and equality for all is never ending. Lewis liked to tell people, Never give up, never give in, never give out. The best way to honor his memory is to heed those words, especially when it comes time to vote. Los Angeles Times CLEVELAND, Ohio Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the Cleveland Indians at 7 p.m. in the second of three exhibition matchups with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Saturdays game at Progressive Field will again feature Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and the Indians starting infield backing Clevinger in his third outing of summer training camp. The Indians will travel to PNC Park on Wednesday to play the final exhibition game between the two clubs at 7 p.m. Tonights game airs live on SportsTime Ohio. You can follow along with updates from Indians beat reporters and other media below. - 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 More Indians coverage Civale was determined to finish what he started in 4-1 Indians intrasquad victory Logan Allen, Scott Moss reassigned to Eastlake and 3 more things we learned Friday Are Carrasco, Clevinger ready to roll for the Indians next week? Podcast Indians sign 2020 draft pick Tanner Burns of Auburn to $1.6M deal Carlos Carrasco goes five innings and Bradley Zimmer homers -- again Oliver Perez, Carlos Santana keep rolling and 4 other things about Indians Franconas message to Class of 2020: Find what your passion is, grab it with both hands Bradley Zimmer making it hard to be overlooked MLB Network to air Indians vs. Pirates exhibition game on July 18 Yu Chang, Bradley Zimmer continue to mash at summer camp: Podcast Mike Clevinger struggles in Wednesday intrasquad; Bradley Zimmer, Yu Chang homer Tyler Naquin keeps making strides and 4 more things about the Indians With over 11 lakh people being affected with Covid-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started in India and the situation is pretty bad. "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," Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India told ANI. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here On Monday, India saw a record single-day jump of 40,425 Covid-19 cases, pushing its tally past the 11-lakh mark, while the total number of recoveries crossed 7 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll due to the disease rose to 27,497 with 681 fatalities reported in one day. The data updated at 8 am on Monday showed that the total number of Covid-19 cases stands at 11,18,043. India's Covid-19 tally crossed the 11-lakh mark, just three days after it crossed the ten-lakh mark. Concurring with the IMA chairman, Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman of Centre for Chest Surgers at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital said he was not only a 100 percent certain there was community spread but that it has been there for some time. "This should not come as a surprise. It is not a new discovery, the IMA has only stated it for everyone to see," he said. Dr Monga further said that the Covid-19 is penetrating 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)? he asked. Dr Monga cautioned that these issues are very important and the state governments should take full care and seek help of the Central government to control the situation. The Government has come under further pressure to overhaul pension tax reliefs after the Parliament's financial watchdog found that it did not understand whether the expensive scheme was actually effective. Pension tax reliefs, which are Government's top-ups to the pension pots of millions of people, are estimated to have cost the Treasury a mammoth 38billion a year in 2018-19. While expensive, its rationale has been that it provides an incentive to save long-term. But the Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinises the value for money for public spending, said the Government did not actually understand the impact of pension tax breaks, including pension reliefs, and called for a wide-scale review of the policy. Pension tax reliefs: The PAC said the Government doesn't know if they encourage saving for retirement or whether it just enables those already saving comfortably to save more It said: 'The Government has not made any assessment of whether that huge cost actually encourages saving for retirement or reduces dependence on state retirement benefits, or whether it just enables those already saving comfortably to save more.' The report is likely to add to ongoing speculation that Government will eventually cut pension tax breaks for higher earners, and take the opportunity to introduce a flat rate of relief which may be more intuitive. The PAC also said it was concerned that low-paid and part-time workers were not benefiting from pension relief an issue which This is Money has been highlighting since 2018. 'Around 1.75 million low-paid and part-time workers earning less than the personal allowance of whom around three quarters are women, will not be getting tax relief on their pension contributions after being auto-enrolled into employer pensions,' the report said. Should pension tax relief be hacked back to a flat 20 per cent? This is Money's Editor, Simon Lambert, argues it would mean an even worse deal between the generations on pensions. Read more here. In their manifesto, the Conservatives promised a 'comprehensive review' of this loophole which sees workers, mostly women, earning between 10,000 and 12,500 lose pension top-ups automatically paid to the better off. Then at this year's Budget, they promised they would launch a consultation by spring, but this was again delayed due to the impact of coronavirus. We have repeatedly highlighted the scandal since spring 2018, and pointed out the unfairness of penalising the worst off workers, while the rich get their full whack of pension cash. Kate Smith, head of pensions at Aegon said: 'Many of the UK's lowest earners, mainly women, don't earn enough to pay income tax and are in net pay pension schemes which don't benefit from pension tax relief. 'This is a growing problem and one that has still not been addressed by the government.' Then at this year's Budget, the Government promised they would launch a consultation on the loophole by spring, but this was again delayed due to the impact of coronavirus Victoria Todd, head of Low Income Tax Reform Group (LITRG), said: 'We welcome the Public Accounts Committee drawing attention to the issue of low-income workers missing out on tax relief on their pension contributions. This is an issue we have been drawing attention to for some time. 'Its recommendation of publishing more data is helpful in terms of making the issue more transparent so that policymakers can understand the impact, which according to the existing data shows that many more women are affected than men. 'However, we would like to see government taking action to address the issue.' A Government spokesman said: 'HMRC and HMT are constantly working to improve the transparency of reliefs and the National Audit Office has recognised the improvements in increasing oversight. 'HMRC has further committed to expanding the coverage of the cost estimates we publish to provide more information on the cost of reliefs while strengthening the approach to evaluations.' She is known for her sultry bikini and lingerie picon social media. And Demi Rose has set pulses racing once again as she showcased her pert derriere on Monday whilst basking in the Mediterranean sun in Ibiza, Spain. The Instagram influencer, 25, looked sensational wearing a minuscule shimmering magenta dress. Look back at it: Demi Rose peered down at her voluptuous physique wearing a Club London dress which she posted to social media on Monday as she holidayed in Ibiza, Spain She looked over her shoulder as she flaunted her ample assets in the figure-hugging dress. Demi looked like she was ready for a night on the town as she posed in the sequin number from the fashion brand, Club London. The strappy mini dress featured a revealing slit and cowl neck line that exposed her cleavage. Brunette beauty: The Instagram sensation, 25, looked stunning as she rocked a magenta sequin dress with a slit and cowl neck and opted for a natural and pretty makeup look Demi finished off the look with an expensive pair of Tom Ford ivory heel sandals that are adorned with a gold padlock. The brunette bombshell decided to leave her voluminous locks in a loose natural wave. She opted for a simple eye makeup finish but accentuated her lips with a soft pink shade and gloss. Strike a pose: Demi put her curves on full display in the shimmering pink number as she leant on her knee and gave a sultry look surrounded by vibrant emerald foliage The model has posted a series of snaps this week from her trip abroad. On Sunday, she showcased her famous curves wearing a multi-coloured bikini with tassels. She perched on the edge of a boat with her water-drenched hair sweeping down her back. Ample assets: Demi posted another revealing snap from her Ibiza holiday on Sunday as she posed on the side of a boat surrounded by turquoise water Sporting a pair of stud earrings, the social media star shot another seductive look towards the camera. The beauty has been taking time away from the UK as an opportunity to reflect. On Monday, she posted a cryptic message to her Instagram account about what freedom means to her. Demi shared to her followers what she believes freedom is: 'Ignoring people's judgements, being happy in what you know and letting go,' followed by a heart emoji. Before her Ibiza escape, she was isolating in her London flat amid the coronavirus pandemic and spent her time doing meditation and reading as most of her travel plans were scrapped. 'Corona really f**ed us up, really majorly f**ked us up. I hope you're all staying safe and me... I am meditating, I'm trying to read a lot of books. 'Me and Teddy are really bored. I really want corona to f**k off, honestly.' By Ayya Lmahamad In January-June the volume of import and export operations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine exceeded $443 million, local media reported with reference to State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on July 18. According to the statement, Azerbaijan exported goods worth $230.4 million for the first six months of this year to Ukraine. Moreover, the cost of goods imported by Azerbaijan from Ukraine amounted to $213 million. It should be noted that, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Ukraine reached $808 million in 2019. Earlier, it was reported that during the reporting period, Azerbaijan exported oil and petroleum products to Ukraine for total of $170.8 million. In the first half of the year, Azerbaijan increased export of oil and petroleum products to 773,515 tons, which is by 2.4 times or 453,817 tons more than in the same period in 2019. Ukraine is Azerbaijans second largest trade partner in the post-Soviet space after Russia. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz eBay is in talks to sell its online classifieds business eBay Classifieds Group to Norwegian Adevinta, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported citing multiple sources. Information that eBay is looking for potential buyers for a division of the Classifieds Group, the global leader in the online classifieds market, appeared back in February this year. Then it was estimated at $ 12 billion, but the COVID-19 pandemic hurt the business, and now the company expects to sell it for at least $ 8 billion, WSJ sources say. While the deal with Adevinta will be formalized both through payment in cash and in shares. The sale of the Classifieds Group will be part of eBay's long-term development strategy. Back in 2015, eBay spun off the PayPal payment service as a separate company. Last year, activist investors who own a stake in eBay, including investment funds Elliott Management and Starboard Value, increased pressure on the company's management to divest all non-core assets. This view was not shared by the then CEO of the online auction, Devin Wenig, who was eventually forced out of office in September. And already last November, the company received $ 4.05 billion from Viagogo, which bought the StubHub ticketing service from eBay. eBay's online classifieds service operates outside the US - in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and some countries in Europe and Africa. Its revenue last year was $ 1.1 billion, compared with $ 7.6 billion from eBay's auction business. Adevinta operates digital marketplaces in 16 countries - mainly in Europe, Mexico, and Latin America. At the same time, the market value of the entire Norwegian company is just over $ 8 billion - about the same amount as the online classifieds service eBay estimates its business. Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The second "African Union/European Union" forum of local and regional government leaders will be held from 19 to 21 October, 2020, according to a press release from the "United Cities and Local Governments of Africa" (UCLG Africa) If government doesnt step in soon to rescue the child care industry decimated by COVID-19, there will be little left of child care to save. That was the overriding message expressed by child care providers, advocates and elected officials at a video press conference Thursday urging Congress to approve a bill that would provide $50 billion in support to child care centers across the country. Child care is in a fight to survive, said Karen Rainville, executive director of The Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children. We are approaching a catastrophic situation. In the roughly four months since the pandemic began, more than half of Connecticuts approximately 4,000 child care centers have closed, creating a domino effect of negative economic, social and health impacts on workers and on families who rely on the service so that parents can work. An estimated 45,000 child care slots in the state are expected to disappear in the coming months. Some centers closed voluntarily, while others were forced to after workers tested positive for the virus, said Tennille Smalls, who runs a child care center out of her New Haven home that primarily serves the children of essential health care workers. She said she decided to send her 15-year-old son to a family members home during the workday to try to prevent his possible exposure to the virus. We are faced with the huge fear of losing our businesses while also risking our health and the health of our loved ones, Smalls said during the Crisis in Child Care press conference held by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance and other organizations. Calling the issue a national disgrace, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said passage of a $50 billion federal aid program known as the Child Care Stabilization Fund will be his top priority when Congress reconvenes in the nations capital on Monday. He said he also planned to raise the issue with Gov. Ned Lamont. It is a moral imperative, Blumenthal said. It is a social and economic requirement that we move forward and that we make it a priority. Julie Clark runs a preschool and childrens center Woodbury. She is still considering whether to reopen and face lower enrollment coupled with the high cost and lack of availability of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. We are businesses, she said. We are often seen as just a lovely group of people who love children, and were also that, but we are business owners, and we must especially now have the support of the federal government in order to continue to exist. RIDGEFIELD To make Branchville more walkable and inviting, town and state planners have been working on a $2.3 million plan that includes new sidewalks, street lamps and landscaping, as well as a redesigned highway intersection. Branchville has been over the years kind of the forgotten child of Ridgefield, and its time we addressed that area and gave it a good face for people coming into town, First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. Plus, make it pedestrian friendly it just is not now at all. A vision of Branchville thats really built around a pedestrian-friendly village thats the core of it, said Francisco Gomes, of Fitzgerald & Halliday, a consultant on the project. The basis of that is a walkable community. Ridgefield residents had some questions, but seemed generally supportive of the plan as described at a virtual meeting attended by about 30 people last week. Overall, I think the proposal is great, John Ancona said. The towns 20 percent share of the $2.3 million project would be $460,000, and has already been approved by voters. Former town engineer Charles Fisher, who retired but has continued working for the municipality in a consulting role, outlined the project. Sidewalks, street lights, traffic signal improvements, pedestrian bridges and other site amenities are planned, he said. The ultimate goal is to improve the economic viability of Branchville and tie it in to the other economic centers of Ridgefield, Fisher said. Bridge project Also planned as a separate but related project is the reconstruction of the two bridges at Portland Avenue and Depot Road over the Norwalk River at either end of the Branchville train station. Both bridges ... its going to help this entire area, Fisher said. Thats going to help get people in and out of the railroad station better. When everything is done its going to be a great project for that whole area. The Portland Avenue Bridge project will involve the addition of a new traffic signal at the intersection with Route 7. Route 7 will also be widened in the area to accommodate the addition of a left-turn lane. The Depot Road Bridge is at the Route 102 intersection where there is already a traffic light. The Depot Road Bridge which was closed last fall due to safety concerns will be repaired first, so it can handle traffic in and out of the train station while the Portland Avenue Bridge is reconstructed. Combined with our project, theres a sizable infrastructure improvement being undertaken in the Branchville area, said Jonathan Richer, senior project manager with Tighe & Bond, the other consulting firm working on the project. The improvements planned in the area include: Realignment of the routes 102 and 7 intersection Signalization of the Portland Avenue intersection, with a left-turn lane on Route 7 New 6-foot-wide sidewalks in much of the area A pedestrian bridge over Cooper Pond Brook by the intersection of routes 102 and 7 Improved pedestrian crossings Bus stop facilities The project came out of multiple corridor studies, the Route 7 Corridor Study 10 years ago, the Branchville TOD study, Richer said. Both identified the lack of pedestrian facilities as an impediment to development in this corridor. The Branchville TOD or transit oriented development study Richer referred to was done for the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, a regional planning agency, and sees Branchville with its train station as a hub for development. The plan, completed in 2017, lays out an ambitious vision for Branchville and suggests a variety of zoning changes that could lead to extensive long-term development. The preferred development concept envisions 189 apartments, 192 townhouses, 38,000 square feet of commercial space and 1,022 parking spaces being added in the coming years, generating a projected $3.2 million annually in new tax revenue. But barring major changes from the state, zoning and development in Branchville will be controlled by the decisions of Ridgefields Planning and Zoning Commission. To accommodate that much development, Branchville would need some kind of sewage disposal facilities that do not now exist. Still, the sidewalk, intersection and bridge improvements being worked on fit with the vision of the longer range Branchville TOD plan. Sidewalk system The main thrust of the project is providing a more coherent sidewalk system. Where there are sidewalks in the corridor theyre not connected and dont lead to any logical end points, Richer said. There are a couple of isolated segments constructed as part of development projects, but they dont lead you to the train station, or a crossing thats something were trying to correct. So, the plan is to add sidewalks with decorative street lamps and plantings that would make the area easier for pedestrians to navigate while creating more of a village atmosphere. The main new sidewalk would be on the west side of Route 7 the side that looks across the highway at the train station starting at the bridge just north of the intersection of Route 102 and running south to the Wilton town line. A new sidewalk would also extend up the north side of Route 102, as far as Florida Road. The goal of the new sidewalks is to make Branchville a comfortable place to walk around said Gomes, the Ftizgerald & Halliday consultant. The sidewalks would be 6-feet wide, with a planted buffer area separating them from the traffic. There would be street trees planted and lampposts. Were introducing a decent amount of landscaping, Gomes said. Weve tried to separate the sidewalk from edge or roads as much as we can that distance varies, he said. Investment Planners hope this will trigger more private investment in the area. Residential, retail, services, maybe restaurants it will become more active and vibrant as a village, Gomes said. Its possible eventually these sidewalks might be lined by storefronts. Pedestrian comfort and safety is another goal. We have safe pedestrian crossings at all the roadways, Gomes said. At Branchvilles main intersection at routes 7 and 102 on the west and Depot Road on the east we have sidewalks on all four corners of the intersection and we have crosswalks on all four sides, Gomes said. A question from the public concerned right-on-red turns at the intersection. There is no turn-on-red now, Marconi said, and I dont anticipate that changing. There would also be a crosswalk on Route 102 from the sidewalk on the north side of 102 to the CVS plaza on the south side. Pedestrian bridge There would be a new pedestrian bridge over Cooper Pond Brook, a tributary to the Norwalk River, which runs along Route 102. The pedestrian bridge over would be separated by about 12 feet from the existing bridge, which carries Route 7 traffic over the brook just south of the 102 intersection. Neither we nor the town felt it was safe to put pedestrians on roadway side of existing bridge, Richer said. The pedestrian bridge will have a rusted steel look with a composite wood decking, he said. The plans would also improve accommodations for the Route 7 Link buses that Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) runs between Norwalk and Danbury. There is HART bus service through this area the 7 link. There are only a few buses a day. Currently, they just stop at the edge of the road not handicapped accessible. Its not comfortable and safe, Gomes said. We propose wide sidewalk sections that meet ADA requirements on both side of Route 7 to serve northbound and southbound buses, he said. The stop for southbound buses would be in front of the parking lot that serves the Tusk and Cup and various retailers, and the stop for northbound buses would be just north of Depot Road. That would provide safe loading and unloading, Gomes said. Thats a tremendous improvement for the people that do use that service. Traffic Although the train station provides a signature amenity, Branchville is dominated by routes 7 and 102 that meet there. Route 7 is a major north-south thoroughfare, Richer said. Its primarily a commercial corridor and has very few sidewalk facilities. Route 7 in Branchville is traveled by more than 18,000 vehicles each day, traveling on average about 38 mph, he said. And Route 102 Branchville Road is also a major roadway, he said, with a traffic volume of about 7,000 vehicle per day. The average delays at the traffic signal in Branchville are over 80 seconds in the morning and over 60 seconds in the afternoon, the consultants said. In reconfiguring the intersection, the project would address the lack of access ramps for wheelchair users at crosswalks. The redesign will also eliminate the island in the middle of Route 102 at the intersection, shortening the distance pedestrians have to cross. The plan for extending sidewalks along Route 7 also involves reducing the frequency and width of commercial driveways something the consultants referred to as improved access management. You want to provide access to land along the corridor, but improve safety for users, Richer said. Driveways should be no more than 30 feet wide when theyre too wide its hard for pedestrians to cross, he said. Properties should not have multiple access driveways when not necessary, Richer said. We dont want multiple points where vehicles are entering and exiting the corridor right next to each other, he said. It makes it more difficult for pedestrians when there are a lot of conflict points to cross. Land acquisition Dennis McDonald, of the state Department of Transportations Division of Rights of Way, said the project would be accomplished mostly on what is already state property. Right now, were looking at some minor partial acquisitions, he said. Property owners with land the state needs for the project will receive a letter of intent to acquire a portion of their property, with a property impact map included. A valuation will take place, and the property owner will receive a written offer of acquisition, McDonald said. The property owners would have time to review, and a negotiation, if they wish, he said.. If an agreement is not reached, the state will use its power of eminent domain, McDonald said. Eminent domain is a legal taking of property by the government with the property owner receiving compensation, but not necessarily with their agreement. If the state pursues eminent domain, McDonald said, the property owners can continue to negotiate. Construction in 2022 The schedule for the project has preliminary design approval this September, final design approval in June 2021, and construction expected in 2022. The planners involved in the project said it is designed to address concerns people have raised. We did hear from people, Gomes said. ...They would just like to come down and walk around comfortably ... come down here, run a couple of errands, and do it on foot and not have to drive from parking lot to parking lot. A US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, is expected to conduct maritime drills with Indian warships near Andaman and Nicobar Islands this week, against the backdrop of the India-China border standoff, people familiar with developments said on Monday. The drills also come at a time when tensions have mounted over Chinas activities in South China Sea, where the US Navy just conducted a major exercise. The Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy is currently carrying out manoeuvres near Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The two navies will conduct a passage exercise near the islands to hone interoperability, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. USS Nimitz has transited the Malacca Strait and is on its way to the Persian Gulf, they said. A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills. While the Malabar exercise will be conducted later this year, it is always good to exercise with like-minded navies and exchange best opportunities whenever there is a chance, said naval affairs expert Captain (retired) DK Sharma. There was no official word from the Indian Navy on the exercise with the Nimitz carrier strike group. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are more than 1,200 km from the mainland. A significant volume of Chinas oil imports passes through Malacca Strait, 350 km from these islands. The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships on the planet, is returning from an operational deployment in South China Sea. A carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan was part of the US drills in South China Sea. The US deployment to South China Sea came after Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy conducted drills in the contested waters, provoking a sharp reaction from neighbouring countries and Washington. The US Navy has said its operations in South China Sea are designed to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. The stage is also set for Australia to be part of the next Malabar naval exercise conducted by India with the US and Japan, as reported by Hindustan Times on July 17. The next edition of Malabar, already delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to be held by the end of the year. The formal invitation to Australia is expected to be extended after some time in view of delicate negotiations between India and China on disengagement and de-escalation to end their standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China has also been wary of the Quadrilateral security dialogue or Quad that was revived in late 2017 by India, the US, Australia and Japan, and these suspicions have increased since the four countries upgraded the forum to the ministerial level last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Pixel 4 still has some technical issues several months into its lifespan. Android Police has found that Pixel 4 XL users on Googles forums and Reddit are complaining about their phones glass backs peeling off. This appears to stem from the battery swelling not an unheard of issue, but rarely with this kind of frequency. There are also claims this might be inherent to the design. One Reddit user claiming to manage a uBreakiFix store said the Pixel 4 XL had a widely known problem with faulty connectors that lead to battery swelling. Staff are are supposedly told to avoid acknowledging it as a known issue despite relatively common incidents. In a statement Engadget received, uBreakiFix said: We defer to manufacturers regarding alleged device issues, and we have no known technical service bulletins regarding battery swelling issues in the Pixel 4 series. Customers who experience any non-user induced issues with their Pixel device can get it repaired under warranty at their nearest uBreakiFix. Weve asked Google for comment. However, it doesnt appear to be treating the peeling backs as a recurring problem. Another Reddit user reported having to negotiate with Google to get their phone fixed under warranty. Its not certain how widespread the problem is, but the timing is less than ideal. Google appears close to releasing its budget Pixel 4a phone, and claims of poor build quality (even if for a different model) might hurt the 4as chances. Update, 7/20/20 1:00PM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from uBreakiFix. Spacecraft Hope took off at the launch site at 6.58am. The launch marks the beginning of the UAEs most ambitious space project yet, aimed at studying the weather on Mars as it evolves throughout the planets year. The probe will now spend the next seven months traveling through deep space, periodically correcting its course with a series of engine burns. It is expected to try and put itself into an elongated orbit around Mars at some point in February, where it will analyse the atmosphere and climate throughout the course of each Martian day. "This probe represents hope for millions of young Arabs looking for a better future. There is no future, no achievement, no life without hope, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. said. The Emirates Mars Mission will be a great contribution to human knowledge, a milestone for Arab civilisation, and a real investment for future generations. Hope blasts off this morning Image MHI As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continue to grow in Texas, the Lake Houston area is also experiencing a similar rise. The Lake Houston area now has 2,536 confirmed cases and 47 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from Harris County Public Health as of July 20. Meanwhile, more than 1,300 people have already recovered in the seven zip codes that comprise the Lake Houston area 77339, 77345, 77338, 77044, 77396, 77346 and 77532. EDUCATION: Humble ISD limits guests for graduations next week at Turner Stadium due to rising coronavirus cases As of 9:30 p.m. on July 19, the world reached 14,448,751 confirmed cases and 605,116 deaths, the United States had 3,768,055 confirmed cases and 140,500 deaths, and as of 7 p.m. Texas reached 334,586 confirmed cases and 3,991 deaths, according to the Houston Chronicle data team. Gov. Abbott vows not to close state under one condition Despite rumors across social media, Gov. Greg Abbott said he will not re-institute a statewide lockdown in Texas as long as individuals continue to wear masks. His mask mandate from July 2 is still in effect. In addition to the mask mandate, Abbott also ordered bars shutdown once again and he scaled back on restaurant capacity. "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." Return of in-person learning More Information Data on the coronavirus as of July 20 from Harris County Public Health can be viewed by zipcode. These zipcodes cover the Lake Houston area. 77396 585 confirmed cases 224 active cases 357 recovered cases 4 Deaths 77346 484 confirmed cases 198 active cases 283 recovered cases 3 Deaths 77338 516 confirmed cases 187 active cases 308 recovered cases 21 Deaths 77339 150 confirmed cases 105 active cases 31 recovered cases 14 Deaths 77345 52 confirmed cases 45 active cases 7 recovered cases 0 Deaths 77044 482 confirmed cases 244 active cases 235 recovered 3 deaths 77532 267 confirmed cases 172 active 93 recovered 2 deaths See More Collapse It is less than a month before public schools return to campus amid the pandemic. Humble ISD has created a plan for reopening with intentions to participate in in-person classes while also facilitating virtual learning for families who want their students to stay home. Of the 38,000 responses, about 65 percent of families elected to return to in-person classes that will be split on an A/B schedule by last name and 35 percent will remain in an online learning platform, according to Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen. We have to monitor the data and we may have to make a change, but as of right now we have solid plans in place that we need to have in place, and well make the best decisions as we move forward, Fagen said in a July 14 Board of Trustees meeting. CORONAVIRUS: As COVID infections soar, Gov. Greg Abbott eludes media scrutiny Getting tested Anyone can receive a test whether or not they have symptoms, but individuals must call 832-393-4220 for an access code and directions to the nearest testing site. For more information on public testing, visit the citys website here houstonemergency.org/covid-19-testing or go to the Walmart testing site in Fall Creek by registering at MyQuestCOVIDTest.com. It is recommended by the Centers for Diease Control and Prevention (CDC) to wash hands with soap frequently for at least 20 seconds and to physically distance when around others. Although it is currently mandated, the CDC also recommended to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth as well as covering coughs and sneezes to prevent any potential spread of the virus. Clean and disinfect surfaces daily, or when they get dirty and monitor your health for any symptoms, according to the CDC. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The occupier activity in Abu Dhabi's office sector has remained relatively subdued since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, a trend which is expected to continue over the coming quarter, according to a report by Knight Frank Middle East. As of Q2 2020, average prime rents across Abu Dhabi were recorded at AED 1,640/sq m, average Grade A rents at AED 1,203/sq.m and average Citywide rents at AED 946/sq.m, stated Knight Frank in its Abu Dhabi Office Market Update for Q2 2020. On average, Citywide office rents across Abu Dhabi fell 8% in the year to Q2 2020, whilst Prime and Grade A rents fell by 0.3% and 3.0% respectively over the same period. Market wide vacancy in Abu Dhabis office market registered at 22.1% as at Q2 2020, down from 22.8% a quarter earlier. Over a 12-month period to Q2 2020, vacancy in Grade A and Citywide stock has increased by 4.8 and 4.3 percentage points respectively, whereas Prime vacancy has fallen by 10.3 percentage points over the same period. Taimur Khan, Associate Partner, said: Where there has been market activity, it has been centred around consolidation of space or as a cost saving measure, or a combination of both. Despite limited occupier activity, there has been very little movement in headline rents, however, incentives to retain occupiers and attract new tenants are abundant. According to Knight Frank, initial estimates show that Abu Dhabis GDP grew by 1.9% in 2019, up from 1.2% in 2018. As a result of the economic fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Abu Dhabis GDP is expected to fall by 7.2% this year, Whilst economic growth is expected to return in 2021, where GDP is forecast to register a growth rate of 5.1%, Abu Dhabis economy will only return to its 2019 GDP level by 2022, it added. Knight Frank said currently there are estimated to be 37 active office projects within Abu Dhabi, with delivery dates up to 2024, which are either being executed or in the study or design phase. The total value of these projects currently is est Employment in Abu Dhabi is estimated to have increased by 2.7% in 2019. As economic activity contracts, so will employment, where in 2020 total employment is expected to decline by 5.4%. "Despite the economic headwinds the capital faces, the Abu Dhabi Government and its related entities are set to push ahead with approved projects and even fast-track certain expenditures as part of the Ghadan 21 stimulus package, said Khan. As a result, employment is expected to return to its 2019 level by 2021, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Heavy rain in Nepals Terai region and plains of North Bihar during past 24 hours has caused flooding in Bagmati, Adhwara group of rivers, as a result of which all major rivers are flowing above the danger mark. According to the disaster management department, a population of over 3 lakh from 32 blocks of eight districts has been affected by the floods. The districts affected are Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and East Champaran. Water Resources development minister Sanjay Jha said through tweets that heavy rains lashed several parts of the state. We are maintaining a constant vigil on water level of rivers and embankments, said Jha. Flood water of Bagmati, Lakhandei and Rato entered many villages under three blocks, Aurai, Katra and Gaighat, of Muzaffarpur district. The flood waters also washed away makeshift bridges at more than 10 places, disrupting traffic between villages to district as well as block headquarters in Muzaffarpur. In Darbhanga, a population of over 41,000 in 127 villages under 32 panchyats of six blocks has been affected by the floods so far. An official said that of the 32 flood-hit panchayats in the district, eight were completely affected whereas 24 were partially affected, prompting the district administration to launch relief measures. Meanwhile, Dharbhanga district magistrate (DM) Thiyagarajan SM has directed the senior in-charge officials in the concerned blocks to visit the flood-hit on a regular basis and monitor the situation. As many as 150 boats, including 31 government boats, were pressed into service. According to circle officer of Keoti block Ajit Kumar Jha, some of the flood-hit villages in 9 panchayats include, Atraha, Jalwara, Kothia, Pindaruch, Shekhpur, Gami, Matiyani, Ladari, Nanoura and Khirma. ClickTrades Review - The Importance of Dynamic Analysis and Educational Tools in Online Trading During challenging periods as recent months have been, trading the financial markets needs to be done with dynamic analysis and with the assistance of proper educational tools. Were living in unprecedented times, so we need to be minded about how assets might behave in the long run. Fully aware of its customers need for such resources in order to have a better in-depth view of market conditions, ClickTrades had developed a comprehensive trading offer, designed to help traders navigate the volatile behavior of prices. ClickTrades is a reputable International trading brand owned by KW Investments Limited, authorized and regulated by the Seychelles FSA. It provides access to 2,100+ instruments (CFDs on FX, shares, blends, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, bonds, and ETFs) as well as an innovative trading software compatible with any device, and multiple trading tools like Trading Central. We present here an in-depth analysis of their offer, so traders will have the opportunity to learn more about this brokers trading offer and their different educational tools. Rule-based trading system To be a professional trader, one should have a rule-based trading system adapted to a particular set of instruments and certain market conditions. With educational resources and assistance from analysts, ClickTrades aims to provide their clients with the opportunity to educate themselves more about the world of trading and, at the same time, develop their very own trading methodology. The advantages of having a well-designed trading system are numerous. Firstly, this will provide more clarity when markets behave unusually. As long as there are rules in play to determine the market context, a trader will always be able to understand the market context (bullish, bearish, ranging, etc.) and spot areas of interest (support or resistance levels) where a majority of market participants want to open trades. Educational Resources at ClickTrades With the help of ClickTrades educational tools, traders can achieve a better point of view and have a deeper understanding of the markets, technical and fundamental analysis, and to benefit from other various premium tools. The list of educational resources includes: - Dedicated account representatives always able to work on technical or trading-related matters. - One-on-one meetings with account representatives for Signature account holders. Using these resources, traders would be able to gain a better understanding of the trading world. ClickTrades is fully committed to working on the education of its customers, and its making sure they get all the tools needed in stiff market conditions as in 2020. Trading Central One of the most important educational and trading tools available at ClickTrades is surely Trading Central. Developed by an award-winning company, specialized in market analytics and research since 1999, Trading Central is designed to optimize trading sessions for both beginners and experienced traders. It is a dynamic and efficient product, providing access to a multitude of technical indicators that had proven to work on multiple asset classes like CFDs on shares, commodities, indices, forex, ETFs, and bonds. Trading Central is a Certified Member of three Independent Research Providers (IRPs) Associations and supports investors through a dedicated charting methodology to choose the strategy that suits their trading style. The good news is that ClickTrades had already integrated Trading Central in its proprietary WebTrader platform. This means traders will be able to benefit from all its features while monitoring the markets, without having to log into a separate website. To constantly outperform the market and reduce downside risks, traders need to leverage all the features they have at their disposal. Some retail traders might downplay the importance of educational tools and dynamic analysis, but ClickTrades took it as a mission to offer a better understanding of the existing challenges in the financial markets, and providing proper educational tools for that. The ClickTrades brand is well-known for its commitment to the highest regulatory standards, as well as for its customer-oriented approach. Risk Warning: The materials contained on this document are not made by ClickTrades but by an independent third party and should not in any way be construed, either explicitly or implicitly, directly or indirectly, as investment advice, recommendation or suggestion of an investment strategy with respect to a financial instrument, in any manner whatsoever. Trading CDFs involves significant risk of loss By Justin Weinger 2020 Copyright Justin Weinger - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. On Monday, SC asked the UP government to consider adding a former apex court judge and a retired police offer in the inquiry committee. It is your duty to uphold law and order in the state, Supreme Court told the Uttar Pradesh government. Gangster Vikas Dubeys encounter is being probed by an inquiry committee. On Monday, SC asked the UP government to consider adding a former apex court judge and a retired police offer in the inquiry committee. The Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to reconstitute the inquiry committee as per the directions of the apex court. The UP government said that a retired Supreme Court judge and a retired police officer will be included in the reconstituted panel. Also read: UAE launches Hope mission to Mars from Japan Also read: Community spread of Covid-19 in Delhi: Satyendra Jain after resuming work It is your duty to uphold law and order in the state, Supreme Court told the Uttar Pradesh government. Supreme Court is hearing two petitions seeking a high-level inquiry into gangster Vikas Dubeys encounter. Even police have fundamental rights, Lawyer Harish Salve, told the court. He appears for UP DGP. He also pointed out the fact that the gangster had slaughtered eight police officers. The bench led by CJI S A Bobde said that they are appalled at the fact that such a person was released on bail despite all he has done. This is a clear failure. The bench asked for a clear report of all those orders. To become a part of the inquiry committee, the bench said, it cannot spare a sitting top court judge. Appearing for Uttar Pradesh, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, sought some time to take instruction and get back to the court on the issue. On July 3, shortly after midnight, bullets were fired from rooftops in Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were going to arrest Dubey. All the policemen present there were ambushed in the firing. Also read: MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 announced: Meghalaya Board records lowest pass percentage in 5 years For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The family of 81-year-old Telugu poet P Varavara Rao, booked in the Elghar Parishad case, asked the state government for regular updates on the veterans health and to allow a family member to assist him with his activities, as he is unable to do anything on his own. While he was shifted from Taloja Jail to JJ Hospital to St George Hospital to Nanavati Hospital during the last one week, the family got an official information only when he was tested Covid positive. All the other information is known to the family through secondary sources, read the statement signed by Raos three daughters P Sahaja, P Anala and P Pavana. Not sharing health updates of a person in judicial custody with his family is illegal, unconstitutional and inhuman, the petition further said. The information of shifting him to Nanavati Hospital and worrying news of health status and deterioration for the last two days, including Nanavati finding a head injury, was known to family through friends in media and civil society only. In the absence of official and transparent information, various speculations, rumours and half-truths are also being spread causing further anxiety to family and friends, the statement added. The family demanded that the entire process related to Raos treatment should be made transparent and the family should be informed officially by the authorities. The family also asked for Raos test reports and a contact from the authority and hospital for regular update on Rao. Meanwhile, the Bombay high court (HC) asked the state and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take instructions on whether Raos family can see him from a distance at Nanavati Hospital, as his condition is said to be extremely critical. Rao suffers from neurological issues, and was transferred to Nanavati Hospital from the state-run St George Hospital early on Sunday morning. Pasbola informed the court that Rao could be on the doors of death, and hence, his bail application should be expedited. The court asked the state and NIA to respond by Wednesday, after which they will hear the bail application on Thursday. Mr Rao is in an extremely critical condition and it can be said that he is almost on the verge of death. Hence, his wife, through an affidavit filed on July 15, requested permission to see him, submitted Raos counsel Sudeep Pasbola. He added that in the light of Raos critical condition and the request made by his wife, the court should decide on his bail application expeditiously. Pasbola informed a division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice PV Tavade that Raos health was declining since the time he was in Taloja jail, and worsened after he was shifted to Sir JJ Hospital last week. Pasbola said that even as Rao was tested positive for Covid-19, his other ailments were also getting aggravated. He further said that owing to his deteriorating health, Rao also fell from the hospital bed at JJ Hospital and suffered injuries to his head. Owing to the gravity of Raos health, the issues raised in a petition filed by advocate R Satyanarayan, seeking an inquiry against the Taloja jail superintendent, did not come up for hearing. Satyanarayans petition alleged that the jail authorities did not comply with the prescription issued by Sir JJ Hospital doctors when Rao was admitted there in May, as a result of which his condition deteriorated and he became delirious and confused a fact which was confirmed by his wife and daughters after they spoke to him on July 11. However, additional solicitor general Anil Singh, who appeared for NIA, submitted that after it came to light that Rao suffered head injuries after falling from the cot, he was rushed to the multispeciality Nanavati Hospital, where he is getting the best possible treatment. Singh added that Rao was being taken care of as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines. After hearing the submission the court observed, We are not doubting your bona fide but please take instructions if family members of Rao can visit or see him at the hospital from a reasonable distance, the bench said. However, Singh submitted that as far as the guidelines are considered, no such visits to Covid-19 patients are allowed. Public prosecutor Deepak Thakare submitted that the video-conferencing facility could be utilised if the family wanted to interact with Rao. Both Singh and Thakare informed the court that they would take instructions and hence the hearing on the bail application and petition should be adjourned to a later date. The court after accepting the statements by NIA and states counsels said it would not be passing orders on merits and directed Singh and Thakare to take instructions and posted the matters for further hearing on Thursday. The US Surgeon General has begged Fox News viewers to wear face masks in an appearance on the network on Monday morning. Dr Jerome Adams issued the simple but urgent plea on Fox & Friends emphasising the importance of personal responsibility to tackle the surge in coronavirus cases. It is pretty simple, but again it relies on the individual people of America doing the right thing, and that's why I'm pleading with your viewers. I'm begging you: Please understand we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering, he said. He continued: We're not trying to take away your ability to go out when we say keep restaurant capacity under 50 per cent. We're saying if we do these things we can actually open and stay open. In addition to face masks, Dr Adams also stressed the importance of social distancing, reminding viewers that, as Dr Deborah Birx had previously said: If we're doing all these things, we can significantly turn things around in the course of a matter of weeks. The surgeon general confirmed that federal teams were being dispatched to cities currently struggling to cope with the number of cases of Covid-19 such as Houston, Miami, and Phoenix. Dr Adams says that public health officials in the federal government are all on the same page. In an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace on Sunday, president Donald Trump, who has now been seen in public wearing a mask, said that he still believed that people should be free not to wear masks and that masks cause problems, too. Polling from Gallup shows that whether or not individuals wear masks is split along party lines. Only 24 per cent of Republicans say they always hear a mask versus 61 per cent of Democrats. By Monday the US had 3.77 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than 140,000 officially recorded deaths. She accidentally burnt her hand after picking up a hot pan full of bubbling caramel. And on Monday, MasterChef: Back to Win viewers were quick to voice their concerns over hygiene when finalist Laura Sharrad was forced to continue cooking in an uncovered bandage. 'Why doesn't Laura have a glove over her bandage? That is disgusting,' one viewer wrote. 'That is disgusting!' On Monday, MasterChef viewers were left concerned after Laura Sharrad (pictured) was forced to continue cooking in an open bandage after burning herself in the grand finale 'Laura's exposed bandage is the definition of unhygienic,' a second wrote along with a sick emoji. Meanwhile, a third asked: 'Am I the one concerned about the hygiene issue of Laura's bandage touching people's food?' 'I am in so much pain right now, but I need to get that pork off the pan. This is the most excruciating burn I've ever had,' said Laura, 24, as she continued with the challenge at hand. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Ten for comment. No time to spare: 'I am in so much pain right now, but I need to get that pork off the pan. This is the most excruciating burn I've ever had,' said Laura, 24, as she continued with the challenge On Monday's grand finale Laura and Emelia Jackson were tasked to prepare a three-course meal for the show's judges and eliminated contestants. 'That's over 60 plates from each of you. You will have four hours until service starts. You have an open pantry, and we're judging your menu as a whole,' judge Melissa Leong told them ahead of the mammoth challenge. Emelia Jackson was crowned the winner of MasterChef: Back To Win at the end of the episode. Ouch! On Sunday, MasterChef: Back to Win viewers were quick to voice their concerns over hygiene when finalist Laura Sharrad was forced to continue cooking in an uncovered bandage She takes home a whopping $250,000 - which she says will help build her cake business - and the MasterChef 2020 trophy. The emotional chef embraced runner-up Laura Sharrad, who was undone by her overly icy gelato dessert. There was good news for Laura, however, who was gifted $30,000 to help grow her business. Likewise, second runner-up Reynold Poernomo was given prize money of $20,000. Coronavirus death count in Brazil raced towards 80,000 after the country recorded 716 more deaths pushing the total number of deaths to 79,488. The number of people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 2,098,389, after tests detected 23,529 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua reported. Brazil's coronavirus death count races towards 80,000. Sao Paulo is the epicenter of the outbreak. Read More.. Sao Paulo, the most populated state, is the epicenter of the nation's outbreak, with 19,732 deaths and 415,049 cases of infection, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 12,114 deaths and 138,524 cases, and Ceara, with 7,178 deaths and 146,972 infections. Source: IANS Advertisement Brazil has the world's second-largest outbreak, after the United States, in both numbers of cases and deaths. Former mayor of Brazzaville, capital of Congo Republic, Christian Roger Okemba; has been sentenced to 5 years in prison over charges of corruption. Head of the criminal court of Brazzaville, Christian Oba, confirmed that, the former mayor was found guilty of embezzling of public funds. His wife, Anastasie Eleonore Okemba, was also handed a three-year suspended sentence. The Okembas are to pay the Brazzaville mayors office a fine of 304,000 euros in addition to their sentences. Six other co-accused persons were found guilty of complicity, including former budget director general, Nicolas Okandzi According to his lawyers, they will file an appeal. Okemba had been accused in February by municipal officials of transferring more than 1.9 million euros to a private account for the municipality. Dieudonne Bantsimba succeeded him in May to complete his term of office, which runs until 2022. 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. Featured Video The minister said Egypt has 'internal tools' to address any problems that might result from Ethiopias dam Egypts Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati told MPs on Sunday morning that the state will never stand idle in the face of the challenge posed by the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD). It is by no means an easy case and we have a lot of challenges in this respect, but we will never stand still or just stand as spectators, Abdel-Ati said, adding that Egypt has internal tools to address the problems that might be caused by the GERD. Abdel-Ati said Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is closely following the GERD negotiations. A mini African summit on the GERD will be held on Tuesday (21 July), he said. Abdel-Atis statements came during a meeting held by parliaments small and medium-scale enterprises committee to explore the possibility of offering loans to farmers who wish to modernise their irrigation systems. Abdel-Ati said the ministrys strategy focuses on rationalising the use of Nile water in agricultural projects. For example, the state is expanding on the use of sprinkling irrigation systems instead of the old-fashioned flood irrigation system which has been in use in Egypt since ancient times, he said, adding that the government is keen on helping farmers obtain soft-term loans to adopt modern irrigation systems that can save water. Kamal Marei, head of the small and medium enterprises committee, said the Egyptian people are following the progress of negotiations over Ethiopias dam because the Nile water is a matter of life and death. We have full confidence that the countrys political leadership is keen to have the GERD negotiations achieve the countrys supreme interests, Marie said. Search Keywords: Short link: 3 A Man Sued An Airline For $34,000 Over One Wrong Letter In 2014, Edward Gamson and his wife took off from London for a long-awaited holiday in the idyllic Spanish town of Granada ... or, at least, that's what they thought for the first 20 minutes of the flight. That's when Gamson noticed that the in-flight monitor showed their plane heading west of England, not south, the direction you usually go when you want to end up in a place south of where you are. He asked an attendant why, exactly, they were going west, who told him they were going to the Caribbean country of Grenada. As Gamson tells it, the airline's helpfulness ended there. Continue Reading Below Advertisement British Airways claims they apologized and offered the couple a flight to another destination plus enough frequent flyer miles for another trip, but Gamson says that didn't happen, and apparently, the couple went through a "three-day" ordeal after landing in the Caribbean and never actually got to, you know, Granada. That all made Gamson pretty unhappy, as he says he provided the exact city, country, and airport code when booking the flight, so he came up with how much he lost in return flights and wages - $34,000 - and sued British Airways for it. It went well at first: The presiding judge tossed out an attempt to strike out part of the lawsuit and allowed it to head to a full hearing, explaining that "This case proves the truth of Mark Twain's aphorism that 'the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug,' except here, only a single letter's difference is involved." Unluckily for Gamson, the judge's appreciation of Mark Twain seemed to wane, since the lawsuit was later dismissed and British Airways walked away without having to pay a penny. The latest word was that Gamson was deciding whether or not to appeal, but that was in 2014, so he probably just shook his fist at legalized corporate tyranny and moved on. At least there's a kind of happy ending: He and his wife got to Granada later on and said it was so beautiful, it was worth the wait. Maybe not worth $34,000, though. Rajasthan crisis: Cannot issue whip for a party meeting says High Court India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Jaipur, July 20: The Rajasthan High Court said that a whip cannot be issued for a party meeting. The observation came in the wake of the Congress submitting that disqualification notices were issued to Sachin Pilot and others for anti-party activity after they skipped two meetings of the Congress MLAs called by Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot. Pilot's team argued that such notices cannot be issued by the Speaker, when the assembly is not in session. Congress MLA in Rajasthan alleges Sachin Pilot offered him money to join BJP The matter is being heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta. Appearing for the Speaker, senior advocate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that there is limited ground to challenge the Speaker's order in court. There is limited ground to challenge the order of the Speaker. Moreover, the petition filed by Pilot is premature, he also said. The Speaker has the right to be wrong, Singhvi also said. On Friday the court directed the Speaker not to act on the disqualification notices issued to Sachin Pilot and rebels till Tuesday. Pilot, who was sacked as deputy chief minister of Rajasthan has said in his petition that dissatisfaction against the party's leadership cannot be a ground to make an MLA amenable for disqualification. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News He also speaks of freedom of speech and expression in his amended petition before the Rajasthan High Court. Mere expression of dissatisfaction or even disillusionment against the party leadership cannot be treated to conduct falling within clause 2(1) (a) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The petition also challenges the validity of the clause under the 10th Schedule, while stating that this provision can be so widely construed that the very same fundamental freedom of speech and expression of a member of the House is jeopardised. While dealing with this in the past, several Supreme Court judgments have held that indulging in any anti-party activity tantamount to voluntarily giving up membership of the party, the petition also read. The basis of the disqualification notices by the Speaker was expressions of dissent by some MLAs. It is necessary that the High Court examines the validity of the same under the 10th Schedule. Further Pilot has also sought for declaring 1(1) (a) of the 10th Schedule as ultra vires since it impinges upon the fundamental right of free speech. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A $194.7 million grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation will establish the University of Arkansas Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R), transforming the research, innovation and economic development culture of the university. The grant is one of the largest single private gifts ever given to a university for advancing research and economic development and counts toward the $1.25 billion goal set for Campaign Arkansas, the university's capital campaign. "All transformational solutions start with questions," said University of Arkansas Chancellor Joseph E. Steinmetz. "How does the University of Arkansas distinguish itself as a great research university among a sea of great and distinguished universities? How do we do that in a way that drives economic development and creates clear avenues for industry involvement? How do we ultimately change the culture of collaboration in such a way that it advances the research and commercialization profile and production of the university? And how do we change the way we do science on campus? "The creation of an interdisciplinary and wholly integrative research institute was the answer." I3R is envisioned as a unique approach to research that will distinguish the University of Arkansas by creating a flexible, state-of-the-art collaborative framework designed to facilitate the integration of research across five overlapping clusters of innovation: Data science Food + technology: Food systems and the future of food Materials science & engineering Bioscience & bioengineering research in metabolism Integrative systems neuroscience The grant will grow the university's research engine and also drive commercialization and entrepreneurship education. "Arkansas has long been known for its entrepreneurial spirit and as a place where businesses thrive. This grant will support the University of Arkansas as it seeks to drive innovation and transform entrepreneurship and research to commercialization for industries nationwide," said Steuart Walton, chairman of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation Board. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, "The enhancement of the University of Arkansas's focus on research to commercialization and entrepreneurship education will have a lasting impact on the state, its businesses, and economy. The funding is a clear position of confidence in the University of Arkansas and will strengthen their position as a leading public research university." "Even during this time of uncertainty - in higher education and beyond - we know the University of Arkansas is positioned to become a national leader in research and innovation," said Heather Larkin, president and CEO of the Arkansas Community Foundation and board member of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. "This grant is a step toward building a stable economy and a future where we are better equipped to respond to a changing environment." The grant from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation will be used support the construction of the university's new research facility, which will house the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research and to endow the I3R, which will serve as the hub for many activities. Not only will the building and institute add much-needed research space, and act as an interactive and integrated hub for the innovation clusters, it will drive innovation on the edges between identified research clusters. Funding will help attract and hire 20 new faculty with established research programs and a history of external support. These hires will seek to diversify the University of Arkansas faculty in experiential as well as demographic dimensions. "This grant will have an enormous impact not only on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region and state, but on our campus as well," said Charles Robinson, interim provost and vice chancellor for student and academic affairs. "This change will be accomplished through deep engagement of university faculty and students in research, discovery and innovation, entrepreneurship education and commercialization of research." The goals for this grant are to: 1. Increase external support for research and grow the research engine. 2. Increase industry collaboration. 3. Grow commercialization of university research as well as university-related entrepreneurship. 4. Align the university's productivity, expertise, and reputation to be competitive with the top public institutions in the country. "The difference to the Northwest Arkansas economy we expect to realize in the next 20 to 30 years includes a significant increase in the scale and scope of the university's research profile and reputation," Steinmetz said. "We will realize an increase in federal research dollars expended locally, which aids the overall economy of the region and state, and is a short-term multiplier. "The longer-term results will be seen through the attraction of a diverse group of people for whom an academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem is appealing, and who will add intellectual and creative talent to Arkansas. Increases in applied research, commercialization and resulting startups will also impact everything from regional quality of life to healthcare." In addition to establishing I3R, the grant also provides funding for the I3R Research Facility, entrepreneurship education and an expansion of the University of Arkansas' presence in Northwest Arkansas through the establishment of a physical presence in Bentonville, designed to serve as a spoke of the I3R hub. The Bentonville Campus is subject to approval by the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees and appropriate accrediting agencies. Funding Overview Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R) - $88 million I3R Research Facility - $89 million Entrepreneurship Education - $3.5 million Bentonville Campus - $14 million Information about I3R programs and project support, and a more detailed funding breakdown are available as a part of the I3R Fact Sheet. Background This is the second major investment by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation into research and commercialization at the University of Arkansas. In 2018, a "phase I" grant of $23.7 million provided the groundwork for some significant infrastructure needs at the U of A. "The Foundation has enabled the university to build our strategy and capacity in research, sponsored programs, signature faculty hires and technology transfer," Steinmetz said. "We have also made great strides in invention disclosures and patent productivity, offering funding for research with high potential for commercialization, a gap fund for emerging startups, and professional development and supports for would-be entrepreneurs both on and off-campus." The "phase I" grant was also instrumental in building the infrastructure to support the Technology Ventures Office, the Office of Economic Development, and the Office of Research and Innovation. These investments have resulted in many significant positive outcomes, including: Patent productivity reaching an all-time high of 130 Significant staffing up in Technology Ventures and research grant development specialists "Corporate concierge" to connect industry to campus R&D capabilities $180.2 million in total R&D expenditures; $5.1 million in industry-sponsored research expenditures 14 research projects with high commercialization potential funded 15 teams participated in regional NSF Innovation-Corps and 2 teams participated in national I-Corps experiential education providing valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business $105,000 in gap funding was awarded to four teams Launched a Startup Village, providing supports and services to startups Three startup companies licensed U of A technologies Eliminated barriers to industry research connectivity by changing U of A System policies allowing industry to keep IP generated at the U of A Laid the infrastructure that enabled the university and Northwest Arkansas Council to launch the Small Business Emergency Assistance program in eight days in March 2020, from concept to first customer following the COVID-19 pandemic. ### About the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation: Established in 1987, the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation supports education initiatives and community initiatives in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. About Campaign Arkansas: Campaign Arkansas is the soon-to-close capital campaign for the University of Arkansas to raise private gift support for the university's academic mission and other key priorities. The campaign's goal is to raise $1.25 billion to support academic and need-based scholarships, technology enhancements, new and renovated facilities, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, study abroad opportunities and other innovative programs. CONTACTS: Amy Schlesing, executive director of strategic communications University Relations 479-575-3033, amys@uark.edu Photo credit: Rodin Eckenroth - Getty Images From ELLE The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake welcomed a second son into their family. The Mail said that the couple had their son earlier last week and have been spending time at home with the new baby and his older brother, Silas (5). The Mail added that Biel's mother, Kimberly Conroe Biel, has been spending much of the week with the family. Biel and Timberlake have quarantining at their home in Montana, where Biel reportedly gave birth this week. The couple has not made an official statement about the new addition. In November of last year, Timberlake was filmed holding hands with 30-year-old co-star Alisha Wainwright while out at a bar in New Orleans. A month later he released a statement apologising for his 'lapse in judgement'. Lately Timberlake and Biel have been using their social media to uplift and give visibility to the Black Lives Matter Movement and have not been posting much personal content. The last post Timberlake published, on July 17, was a video of Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza, who spoke about the work she is doing at Black Futures Lab. The last thing Biel posted was this gif of herself from the movie I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998): On Father's Day, she posted this shot of Silas and Timberlake with the message: 'To the dad who not only protects and provides but most importantly, PLAYS, and puts up with all our shenanigans. And teaches and guides and comforts and accepts and respects. Being a dad can sometimes be a thankless job, but today we hope you know how important you are in our lives. We love you forever and ever and a day. Love mom and Silas .' You Might Also Like Eight-five infants under the age of one have tested positive for the coronavirus in Nueces County, Texas. The county, which includes Corpus Christi, has seen the number of new cases skyrocket in July after seeing a slight flattening trend. The virus has infected dozens of babies, including the death on July 6 of a baby of less than six months old. The director of public health for Nueces County, Annette Rodriguez, told CNN on Saturday, We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that all have tested positive for COVID-19 and these babies have not even had their first birthday yet. She urged, Please help us stop the spread of this disease. Nueces County, on the Gulf of Mexico, has seen a rise in cases and deaths in July in the wake of the reopening, with 2,416 cases and 9 deaths at the beginning of the month, compared to 8,407 cases and 90 deaths as of Saturday, an increase in cases of over 300 percent and deaths by 1,000 percent. This is in a county with a total population of approximately 326,000, meaning that about 2.6 percent of the total population has been infected, twice the infection rate of the United States, which stands at 1.2 percent. In Corpus Christi, as of Saturday a total of 90 people had died from COVID-19, although this is most likely an undercount due to shortages in testing. According to city numbers, the 7-day averaged daily case was 26 a month ago. As of Saturday, it stood at 236, for a 14-fold increase in daily cases. The total number of people who have died in Texas stood at 3,865 as of Saturday, far surpassing the 2,977 deaths from 9/11 terrorist attacks, with a new grim record of 174 deaths on Friday alone. Out of the 254 counties in the state, only 5 have reported no COVID-19 cases. Stretches of South Texas have seen coronavirus infections spread so quickly in recent weeks that local hospitals are being pushed to their limit. The four-county region in the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend has just 21 ICU beds still available for a population of about 1.4 million people, according to the latest state data. Ambulance operators describe wait times of up to 10 hours to deliver patients to overflowing emergency rooms. In the Coastal Bend region, which includes Corpus Christi, a trauma service division managed by the Regional Advisory Council reports hospital bed usage is upwards of 80 percent and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds are completely full. Health professionals and scientists have warned that this causes an increase in deaths from other ailments and diseases that otherwise would be treated, as patients are turned away as ICU and ER beds are overwhelmed. Nueces County Medical Examiner Adel Shaker has requested an additional refrigerated truck to store bodies, as the countys existing morgue is full. The mobile morgue was scheduled to arrive on Saturday. The county has also written to the Texas Division of Emergency Management asking for additional staffing, personal protective equipment and the construction of field hospitals. The governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, as recently as July 16 signaled his commitment not to impose a new lockdown. Abbott told KPRC-TV in Houston on Wednesday that it seems like people ask him about a shutdown like a thousand times a day. People are panicking, thinking Im about to shut down Texas again, he said. The answer is no. That is not the goal. Ive been abundantly clear. Abbott is touting measures hes taken in recent weeks, including a statewide mask mandate and an order shutting down bars. He said it will take a few weeks to see a reversal to the surge in coronavirus cases. On Thursday, Abbott defended his response to the coronavirus at a virtual Texas Republican convention after acknowledging widespread discontent among party members who have criticized even the governors mask mandate. The last thing that any of us want is to lock Texas back down again, he said during the convention. Abbott is trying to shift the blame for the rise in cases on young people, whom he blames for not wearing masks. This claim is obviously false given the fact that people have been infected at places, such as bars and restaurants, that should have been closed under a lockdown. The news of the infections of infants in Corpus Christi is particularly concerning. The specific literature from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 in infants states that transmission is thought to occur primarily through respiratory droplets during the postnatal period, though there are concerns that it may spread during birth or late pregnancy. It also states that data suggest that infants (less than 12 months of age) may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with older children, though the information is not conclusive. The CDC states that there are complications reported with COVID-19 in infants, and that in a minority of infants severe disease requiring mechanical ventilation has been reported in COVID-19 positive neonates [infants who were just born]. The infection of infants exposes the criminality of the Texas governments efforts to reopen, and the reopening efforts throughout the US and globally, where workers are told that their children will be safe being sent back to school and daycare. This is combined with the failure to heed the warnings of scientists and health professionals, who have warned against premature re-openings, and emphasized the need for massive testing, treatment and the closing of all nonessential businesses. Given recent revelations on the many complications and additional symptoms from the virus, such as widespread blood clotting, liver failure and, in children, Kawasaki-like disease, it is a fair to conclude that sending children back to schools and daycare, where the virus would spread like wildfire, will not be safe for children or infants. The longevity of the effects of the disease are unknown, and may prove to be long term or permanent, much in the same way as polio left people crippled long after being treated. On July 14, the White House Coronavirus Task Force designated almost half of the counties in Texas as red zones, or counties that have at least 10 percent of tests coming back positive. Roughly 4 in 5 people in Texas live in these zones. The task force document suggests red zones should close nonessential businesses and limit gatherings to less than 10. These modest demands will most certainly fall on deaf ears as the state government, following the Trump administrations lead, has repeatedly asserted that it will take no serious measures to fight the virus. The U.K. has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong amid rising tensions with China over its new national security law in the former British colony. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced in a speech to the House of Commons on Monday that the treaty would be suspended indefinitely, accusing China of a "clear and serious violation of the U.K.-China joint declaration, and with it a violation of China's freely assumed international obligations." He also vowed to extend the arms embargo that has been applied to mainland China since 1989 to Hong Kong, suspending all exports from the U.K. to Hong Kong of potentially lethal weaponry, its components and ammunition, along with any equipment that might be used for "repression." Beijing has denied violating international law and has accused the U.S. and U.K. of trying to destabilize the region by meddling in Chinese affairs. The U.K.'s move comes amid widespread condemnation of Beijing's security law, which stipulates that acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion are punishable by life sentences, following a prolonged period of pro-democracy protests in the city. "I am particularly concerned about Articles 55 to 59 of the law, which give mainland Chinese authorities the ability to assume jurisdiction over certain cases and to try those cases in mainland Chinese courts," Raab told the House. "The national security law does not provide legal or judicial safeguards in such cases, and I am also concerned about the potential reach of the extra-territorial provisions." New Delhi, July 20 : Despite Covid-19 pandemic hampering the economic revival, electric two-wheeler manufacturer Okinawa on Monday announced aggressive dealership expansion plans. Accordingly, the company targets taking its dealerships to 500 from the current 350 plus network. "The brand also plans to target sub dealers apart from the primary dealers while expanding its footprints," the company said in a statement. "While Covid-19 has forced a slowdown across the industries, Okinawa had shared the plan to accelerate its marketing activities and strengthen its dealership network." Recently, the brand has announced a hike in dealership margins from 8 to 11 per cent, to support the partners amidst the unprecedented Covid-19 spread. According to the company, it would primarily be targeting cities in the states - Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam and eastern region. "Okinawa dealership network has been operating with limited staff and in accordance with the advisory issued by the brand." "With about 30 per cent of the dealerships operational, the brand delivered over 1,000 vehicles within a span of 30 days post the company resumed its services abiding the government rules. The aggressive expansion plan of the company follows the rising demand of electric vehicles among customers." NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. - A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge in New Jersey and shot and injured her husband Sunday at the family home, the states chief district judge said. The shootings occurred at the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and killed her son, Daniel, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. Her husband, defence lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured, Wolfson said. The gunman posed as a delivery driver, according to a judiciary official who wasnt authorized to comment and spoke anonymously to the AP. They said Salas was in the basement at the time and wasnt injured and her husband is recovering from surgery. The perpetrator, believed to be a lone gunman, was not in custody, the official said. The FBI tweeted Sunday night that its looking for one suspect in the shootings. Salas, seated in Newark, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Prior to that she served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in New Jersey, after working as an assistant public defender for several years. Her highest-profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife Real Housewives of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. Salas staggered their sentences so that one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who backed Salass nomination to the federal bench, said in a statement Sunday night, My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. In an emailed statement, Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the shooting a senseless act and said this tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. The red kite reintroduction scheme may be the biggest species success story in UK conservation history, according to environmental experts. The triumphant comeback of the bird of prey now sees thousands of breeding pairs soaring above the UK especially over the Chilterns, southeast, Yorkshire and the midlands 30 years on from the start of the scheme to bring them back to England. Danny Heptinstall, a senior international biodiversity adviser at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, said: In 1990, the UK had only a few dozen red kites; 30 years later there are over 10,000. The once-vanished species were common city scavengers, feeding on carrion and worms in medieval London. Their distinctive forked-tail silhouette caught the eye of Shakespeare, who wrote about them in Coriolanus and The Winters Tale. Recommended Record sightings as red kites enjoy second wind However, red kites were extinct in both England and Scotland by the 20th century, thanks to them being killed as vermin, the taxidermy trade and egg collecting. A small population remained in Wales but it was neither substantial nor healthy enough to recolonise the rest of the UK, even once the species was protected. In a reintroduction scheme that was seen as radical at the time, 13 young red kites from Spain were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the border of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, in July 1990. Meanwhile, a similar scheme started in Scotland, followed by further reintroductions in both countries. The birds first successfully bred in 1992 and at least 37 pairs had bred in southern England by 1996. A red kite is released into the wild (PA) Natural England chair Tony Juniper said the red kite stands out as a true conservation success story. He said: Red kites are one of our most majestic birds of prey with a beautiful plumage, and are easily recognisable thanks to their soaring flight and mewing call. Persecuted to near-extinction, they have made a triumphant comeback in England over the past three decades. Jeff Knott, the RSPBs operations director for central and eastern England, said: In the 1980s, anyone wanting to see a red kite had to make a special pilgrimage to a handful of sites. Today it is a daily sight for millions of people. In a few short decades we have taken a species from the brink of extinction to the UK being home to almost 10 per cent of the entire world population. It might be the biggest species success story in UK conservation history. But Kellyanne Conway, the presidents counselor, publicly said that the presidents poll numbers were better when he was doing the briefings and that she hoped he would again. Vice President Mike Pences team has also wanted him to do more, but the presidents communications aides bristled at the vice president appearing at them when they thought Mr. Trump should be leading the effort. By the end of last week, Mr. Kushner and Ms. Hicks were rethinking their concerns, according to people familiar with the discussions. The pandemic is the No. 1 topic of conversation around family dinner tables and Zoom conversations, so the president is smart to ensure his message is getting into those discussions, said Cliff Sims, a former White House media aide under Mr. Trump. If we learned anything during the 2016 campaign and in the White House, its that hes always his own best messenger and our ability to shape the debate is always bolstered by having him out front. But Democrats scoffed at the notion that the president would handle the briefings any better this time around. Its pretty clear that the resumption of briefings is more about Trump feeding his own ego, in an absence of other forums, and sharing his own distorted version of history directly with his base than it is about sharing fact-based updates with the American public, said Jen Psaki, a White House communications director under President Barack Obama. The original coronavirus briefings from March to April were made-for-television events, with scientific information provided by public health experts often overshadowed by a confrontational president castigating governors, lawmakers, China, reporters and others he deemed insufficiently grateful to him for his leadership. He used them to defend his administrations response to the virus and to promote a pet drug as a possible treatment over the advice of his own experts. Mr. Trump eventually quit holding them after he was widely mocked for suggesting that people might be able to counter the virus by ingesting or injecting disinfectants like bleach, an offhand comment that sent public health agencies scrambling to warn the public not to try such an approach because it could be fatal. But in recent weeks, the surge of cases has frustrated Mr. Trumps effort to play down the seriousness of the continuing pandemic. The United States now records more than twice as many cases each day as it did during the height of the daily briefings, and the number of deaths, which had fallen substantially, has begun to rise again as well. White House officials have said in recent days both that the president is too busy to attend coronavirus task force meetings and that he is working around the clock on the virus. But even as hospitals fill up and governors reverse decisions to reopen, Mr. Trump has continued to insist that the virus would simply vanish on its own. The Bahamas is shutting down its borders to visitors from the United States after witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases. In a national address, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced that he would be closing all airports and seaports to tourists after the number of new coronavirus cases in the country increased by 15 on Sunday. Dr Minnis said that new restrictions would stop all outgoing flights to the U.S. as of Wednesday but visitors from the United Kingdom, Canada or the European Union would still be permitted into the country. The move comes less than three weeks after the Caribbean country reopened its borders to international visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic on July 1. The Bahamas will be shutting down all airports and seaports to U.S. tourists after witnessing a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. Pictured: Passengers leave the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship in Bahamas in March amid the coronavirus pandemic Bahamian Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis (pictured) has announced that he will be shutting down all borders after the number of new coronavirus cases in the country increased by 15 on Sunday In his speech Dr Minnis said: 'So today, I am announcing a number of measures we are reinstating to address the number of new cases we are seeing here at home. My government has consulted heavily with health officials. 'We are taking these strong actions to save lives. I understand the frustration and the disappointment of many Bahamians and residents that may ensue as we reimplement certain restrictions, but as a country, we have to do what is right and what is necessary. 'If we do not take these measures now we will pay a higher price and deadlier price at a later date. At the onset, of the Covid-19 pandemic, we acted early to prevent widespread sickness and death. We must do so once again.' He added: 'Regrettably, the situation here at home has already deteriorated since we began the reopening of our domestic economy. It has deteriorated at an exponential rate since we reopened our international borders.' Under the new restrictions, commercial flights carrying passengers from the U.S will not be permitted to enter the Bahamas from Wednesday midnight. In his speech Dr Minnis said that while he understood the frustration he was taking these strong actions to save lives Visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union will still be permitted to visit as long as they can show proof of a negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test result from an accredited lab. The test must be taken no later than ten days before the date of travel. Returning Bahamians will also be required to show the negative test upon arrival into the country and those who cannot will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. Meanwhile those seeking to travel domestically will be required to complete an electronic Health Visa before they depart. On Sunday, the island nation recorded 15 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 153. "Two additional cases, parishioners who also attended services on these days, have now also returned a positive result for COVID-19, both of whom are in isolation," a NSW Health spokeswoman said. People who were at the July 15 5.30pm mass, the 6pm mass on July 16, and a 1pm funeral and 6pm mass on July 17 must self isolate and watch for symptoms, the spokeswoman said. The church has been cleaned but will remain closed. Diagnosed cases have also been linked to venues including the Holy Duck! restaurant in Chippendale, Paddington's Love Supreme pizzeria, and Paddington's Village Inn pub, however; there is no clear link yet between those cases and existing clusters. Authorities search for source of Batemans Bay Soldiers Club outbreak Of the 20 new cases confirmed on Monday, three have been linked to the outbreak linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula in Sydney's south-west, taking that cluster to 48, Dr Chant said. Eight cases were linked to the Thai Rock restaurant, being four people who dined there and four close contacts; four cases were in hotel quarantine, and one case is of a person who was infected in Victoria and has been isolating in NSW. The remaining four are the previously reported cases linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. On Sunday it emerged a cluster linked to the club had doubled to eight, after new cases were confirmed in one staff member, two in people who had dined there and one close contact of a previously confirmed case. Four other cases, all diners, were previously reported. Two pop-up clinics have been opened in Batemans Bay, and several regional hospitals also have COVID-19 clinics, but opposition health spokesman Ryan Park said he had heard of people being turned away from "at capacity" clinics or waiting up to four hours in drive-through clinics. "People are being really patient and doing their best but two overwhelmed pop-up clinics doesn't cut it," he said. "It is absolute mayhem in Batemans Bay at a time when every hour of every day counts we must test, test and test." Loading Mr Park said he was concerned about the older community of retirees in Batemans Bay, who have already gone through the tough summer of bushfires. "The government must learn its lesson and pull out all stops to ensure everyone who needs a test can get one in a timely manner," he said. People who attended the Batemans Bay club on July 13, 15, 16 and 17 must self-isolate and immediately get tested. NSW Health said if the test came back negative, people must stay in quarantine for the full 14 days, and if they develop any symptoms they should get tested again. Dr Chant said the source of the Batemans Bay outbreak was so far unknown. "But we do have a better handle on the chains of transmission," she said. People who attended five other venues over various dates have previously been directed to self-isolate for 14 days and get tested immediately. Those venues are Campbelltown Plus Fitness for people who attended between 9am and 10am on July 11; the Thai Rock restaurant on July 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14; Planet Fitness Casula between July 4 and 10; the Picton Hotel on July 4, 5, 9 and 10, and the Crossroads Hotel between July 3 and 10. Sutherland Local Court in Sydney's south has also been closed after a person who was at court last Wednesday later tested positive, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice said on Monday. Tighter restrictions for border Loading In the face of growing cases both in NSW and Victoria, strict new border restrictions will be enacted from midnight on Tuesday. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said a new border zone would be introduced along the Murray River, restricting entry for those on the Victorian side for limited purposes. "I make no apologies for taking the steps required to protect the health and jobs of NSW citizens," he said. It's only natural for teams of Olympic athletes to spend a lot of time in each other's company - and Nacra 17 duo Thomas Zajac & Barbara Matz (AUT) were no different. But when the COVID-19 lockdown affected countries all over the world, sailors were forced to keep off the water and train apart from their team-mates - an unusual concept for the Austrian pair. "We've spent a lot of time together during the last three years: summer and winter, in the gyms, in the car, in the plane, on the water," said Zajac. "It was a bit strange not to see Babsi every day, but we survived it!" A period of uncertainty for Olympic athletes culminated in the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which has required all involved to adapt to this unprecedented situation. But how would a sailor prepare, alone under lockdown conditions, for another year without knowing when they would be able to race again? "It was not so easy because nobody knew what will happen, so we tried not to lose the goal," Zajac continued. "Soon there will be some Olympics - now it's one year away. "We had a lot of contact with the federations, we did some online lessons and this is how we stayed focused - [keeping to] a daily routine." "We were doing a lot of physical work at home, mainly bodyweight workouts, and we were biking a lot, running a lot," added Matz. "We had a lot of online meetings and we saw each other through the screen nearly every day, so it was not so much time apart! "We can trust each other that we both have a goal to reach; we know that everyone is giving their best every day so that we can reach our goal." Speaking at the start of July, Zajac & Matz elaborated on their plan to head to Spain and train against other nations for the first time in months. With the world beginning to adjust to the changes brought by the global pandemic, the Rio 2016 bronze medal winner is hopeful that it won't be too long before he and Matz are racing once more. "Our big goal was to go to Tokyo to train in the Olympic venue," Zajac explained. "We would have liked to stay there during the Olympic period, but at the moment we don't know if we can go there. We have to think in only two-week periods. "We spent some time in Croatia which was cool; it was our first time on the sea again. "This weekend we're going to Santander in Spain, to train with the Spanish, Finnish, British and Argentinians, so we're looking forward to that. "Then we'll see; I hope we can do some regattas at least in September." In a new feature alongside Hempel, Official Coatings Partner and title parter of the Hempel World Cup Series, called "Trusting the Process," we'll be checking in on our Olympic sailors, finding out how they continued to train during lockdown, and how they will prepare for the rearranged Olympic Games in 2021. After witnessing over 1 per cent rally in both the Sensex and Nifty last week, investors will continue to focus on June quarter earnings. Further, stock-specific developments, global cues and updates related to Covid-19 will also remain on their radar. That apart, listing of Rossari Biotech on July 23 will be closely watched by the market participants. The public offer of the company, which was open for subscription between July 13 and July 15, was subscribed 79.4 times. On the earnings front, over 250 companies, including Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, Hindustan Unilver (HUL), ITC, L&T, and Asian Paints, among others are slated to report their quarterly numbers this week. Today, as many as 40 companies are scheduled to report their results today. The list includes names such as ACC, Den Networks, and SBI Cards. Meanwhile, India on Sunday reported its highest single day spike of 38,902 cases and 543 deaths. The caseload rose to 1,113,400, according to Worldometer. However, the the Union Health Ministry said that India's Covid-19 fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world. And, now let's focus on some of the key developments that took place during the weekend. Private sector lender HDFC Bank posted a 5.15 per cent rise in profit before tax (PBT) at Rs 8,973.8 crore for the first quarter ended June 2020 (Q1FY21). It had posted a PBT of Rs 8,533.6 crore in quarter ended June 2019 (Q1FY20). The Net Interest Income (NII) grew by 17.8 per cent on a Year-on-Year basis. Pharma company Glenmark, which favipiravir under brand Fabiflu for treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 patients, has come under the scanner of the countrys drug regulator overpricing of the drug and claims of its therapeutic efficacy. Indias largest airline IndiGo is in talks to raise around Rs 3,000 crore while travel demand has collapsed during the pandemic, according to a Business Standard report. And, now, let's have a quick look at the market snapshot for today. The Indian are likely to see a flat-to-negative start today as indicated by the SGX Nifty which was trading around 10,875.80 levels, down 42 points around 7:28 AM. On the global front, Asian shares were subdued in the early trade as investors eyed efforts to stitch together more fiscal stimulus in the eurozone and United States to help economies ride out the effects of a record jump in Covid-19 cases globally. Always knew Sachin Pilot as 'nikamma', but kept quiet in partys interest: Ashok Gehlot India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jaipur, July 20: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday described his former deputy Sachin Pilot as a "worthless' person, "doing nothing", but said he raised no question over it in the party's interest. In his statement, he, however, did not name him. He said no demand was raised to change the PCC president, a post which Pilot held for the last seven years in Rajasthan. Rajasthan crisis: Gehlot meets Governor after 2 BTP MLAs pledge support to Congress Gehlot said he "used to talk about conspiracy to topple his government but nobody believed that he (Pilot), having an innocent face, good command over English and Hindi and influence over the media across the country, can do this". "Rajasthan is the only state where no demand was raised to change the PCC president in seven years. We knew that nothing is happening here. We knew he is "nikamma" (worthless) and "nakara" (idle), still we did not question this in the interest of the party," Gehlot told reporters. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News "I am also not here to sell vegetables," Gehlot said. Earlier in the day, the Rajasthan High Court began hearing on the writ petition filed by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident party MLAs from Rajasthan, challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the state Assembly speaker. The petition was taken up by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta on Friday and arguments were heard. A group of women demonstrate outside the Justice Center in Portland, Oregon, during a protest against racial inequality on July 18, 2020. Caitlin Ochs/Reuters A group of mothers joined Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Portland on Saturday and Sunday, spurred by the deployment of federal agents to the city by the president. Pictures and videos show the women forming a human chain to protect protesters. The leader of the group, Bev Barnum, said they hoped their non-threatening appearance would keep the feds at bay, but they were still hit with tear gas on Saturday night. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A group of about 30 women gathered in Portland, Oregon on Saturday and Sunday night to form a human chain or "Wall of Moms" to protect Black Lives Matter protesters from federal agents. The leader of the group, Bev Barnum, told BuzzFeed News she was spurred to action by the recent reports of unidentified federal agents apprehending protesters in the street and forcing them into unmarked cars. "As most of you have read and seen on the news, protestors are being hurt (without cause)," Barnum wrote on her "Wall of Moms" Facebook page. "And as of late, protestors are being stripped of their rights by being placed in unmarked cars by unidentifiable law enforcement." President Donald Trump's administration deployed federal agents to Portland last week to help bring an end to more more than 50 nights of protests. But local officials say that the federal agents have been overstepping their authority, and are only making the violence worse. Barnum created her Facebook group on Friday, and the group gathered to protect protesters on Saturday and Sunday night outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. They chanted "Moms are here, feds stay clear" and held up signs with messages like "Angry mama bear BLM" and "Moms are pissed." Story continues On Saturday, the women wore all-white outfits, and bike helmets for safety. Barnum said she hoped their non-threatening appearance would keep federal agents from confrontations with the protesters. "We wanted to look like we were going to Target, like normal people," Barnum said. "We could tell by their body language. There were two federal officers in front of us that seemed to say: 'We don't want to shoot ya'll,'" Barnum added. Members of the group were exposed to tear gas Saturday night. Caitlin Ochs/Reuters But the peace only lasted so long. Around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, federal agents started using flash-bang devices, batons, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The women's protest ended shortly after some of their members had been exposed to tear gas. However, they returned on Sunday night, and plan to continue participating in the demonstrations going forward. "We'll be out until no protester needs protecting," Barnum said. Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-module Read the original article on Insider Tehran (AFP) - Iran on Monday executed a former translator convicted of spying for the US and Israel, including helping to locate a top Iranian general killed later by the Americans, the judiciary said. The killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January brought decades-old arch enemies Iran and the United States to the brink of conflict. The judiciary's Mizan Online website said Mahmoud Mousavi Majd's death "sentence was carried out on Monday morning over the charge of espionage so that the case of his betrayal to his country will be closed forever". Its spokesman said earlier this month that Majd had been sentenced to death for spying on "various security fields, especially the armed forces and the Quds Force and the whereabouts and movements of martyr General Qasem Soleimani". Majd had been found guilty of receiving large sums of money from both the US Central Intelligence Agency and Israel's Mossad, said the spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran retaliated against the United States for his death by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq, but US President Donald Trump opted against responding militarily. While the attack on the western Iraqi base of Ain Al-Asad left no US soldiers dead, dozens suffered brain trauma. - 'American dollars' - Majd was arrested about two years ago and was not directly involved in the killing of Soleimani, according to a statement the judiciary issued in June. Majd had migrated to Syria in the 1970s with his family and worked as an English and Arabic language translator at a company, Mizan said. When war broke out, he chose to stay in the country while his family left. "His knowledge of Arabic and familiarity with Syria's geography made him close to Iranian military advisers and he took responsibilities in groups stationed from Idlib to Latakia," the site added. Story continues Majd was not a member of the Revolutionary Guards "but infiltrated many sensitive areas under the cover of being a translator". He was found to have been paid "American dollars to reveal information on adviser convoys, military equipment and communication systems, commanders and their movements, important geographical areas, codes and passwords" until he came under scrutiny and his access was downgraded. Iranian state television showed footage of what it said was one of Majd's CIA handlers, saying the alarm was raised after the interception of communications between the two. It also showed Majd in an apparent confession video saying he had received coded messages and reportedly met his handlers with documents, including "photos and identification documents of forces and commanders". - Executions and arrests - According to the report, he had been planning to also work with Saudi Arabia's intelligence services before being detained. He was arrested in October 2018, Mizan said. Iran said last week it had executed another man convicted of spying for the CIA by selling information about Iran's missile programme. Reza Asgari had worked at the defence ministry's aerospace division for years but retired four years ago, after which he sold "information he had regarding our missiles" to the CIA in exchange for large sums of money. Iran in February handed down a similar sentence for Amir Rahimpour, another man convicted of spying for the US and conspiring to sell information on Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran announced in December it had arrested eight people "linked to the CIA" and involved in nationwide street protests that erupted the previous month over a surprise petrol price hike. It also said in July 2019 that it had dismantled a CIA spy ring, arrested 17 suspects between March 2018 and March 2019 and sentenced some of them to death. Trump at the time dismissed the claim as "totally false". DES MOINES Citing COVID-19 concerns, legislative leaders on Friday said they will allow Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to mail absentee voter request forms for the Nov. 3 general election to all of the states registered voters. Fridays unanimous vote was an about-face for majority Republicans who had opposed Pates decision to mail the forms to Iowans before the June primary, which saw record turnout. We want as many people as possible to vote, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said. We want this election to be as accessible as possible, we need it to be predictable for campaigns, we need it to be uniform across the state so Iowans in every county are treated the same, and we need it to be as secure as possible. This proposal accomplishes all of those things. However, Democrats on the 24-member Legislative Council said that stance was a shift from last months session when majority Republicans voted to force Pate to seek the councils approval if he planned a similar emergency statewide mailing in the future. Im glad majority Republicans are no longer mad at Paul Pate, said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who tried unsuccessfully to get council members to agree to extend the period for absentee balloting before the Nov. 3 general election from 29 days to 40 days. Due to coronavirus pandemic concerns among Iowans who prefer a vote-from-home option rather than stand in line at a polling place, some county auditors had begun printing absentee ballot request forms some with pre-populated information on the form filled in for the voter. However, GOP council members, who met via teleconference Friday, agreed with Pates call for them to prevent county auditors from doing that along with sending information on how Iowans who lack a drivers license can get a four-digit voter ID number. They want only blank request forms sent. A new state law instructs county auditors on how they may confirm and correct information on the absentee request forms they receive but that change currently is being challenged in court. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to allow county auditors to proceed with their separate absentee ballot request mailings, but Whitver argued that Iowans need confidence that election laws will be uniform, secure and free from fraud across the state. You wont have 18 counties sending out absentee requests and 81 not sending them out, he said. All Iowa voters will have access to an absentee ballot request, no matter the county they live in. Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, said it is GOP legislators who have muddied the process. Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, said Republicans have to eager to meddle with the election system in an effort to confuse voters with changes. And Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, accused the Republican leaders of engaging in scare tactics aimed at misleading the public. After lawmakers approved Pates request, representatives of his office said they planned to begin work on finalizing the blank absentee ballot request forms, hopefully by the end of the month, and launching an effort to promote the vote-from-home option for the Nov. 3 election. I want Iowa voters and poll workers to be safe during this pandemic while we conduct a clean, fair and secure election, Pate said in a statement after the meeting. After consulting with all 99 county auditors, I believe the best way to accomplish that goal is by mailing an absentee ballot request form to every active registered voter in the state, he said. Voters will still have the option of casting their ballot in person, and we will provide resources to protect Iowans who choose that method. This process worked great in the June primary, and I believe it will work in the general election. Apartments with over 3 Covid cases to be containment zones for 7 days: Check BBMP's full guidelines Mid-Air collision of two IndiGo flights averted at Bengaluru airport; DGCA to probe, take strict action 2 cops deputed for CM Bommai's security held for trying to 'extort' money from drug peddlers Karnataka's first free plasma bank set up in Bengaluru amid COVID-19 surge India oi-Briti Roy Barman Bengaluru, July 20: Karnataka has received state's first free plasma bank in Bengaluru on Sunday. This comes days after the Karnataka government announced a one-time incentive of Rs 5,000, the state's first free plasma bank has been set up in Bengaluru. According to a health department official, the plasma bank will operate in Victoria Hospital in collaboration with Sai Krushna Charitable Trust. Coronavirus: Arvind Kejriwal launches second plasma bank for COVID-19 patients in Delhi "Initially, this is open to donors who wish to contribute life-saving plasma. Once we get adequate donors, the free plasma bank will open for recipients as well," a health officer in Bengaluru Urban told Indianexpress.com. To donate plasma, those who have recovered from the coronavirus infection can call 080-47190606, the officer added. What is a plasma bank? Plasma bank acts like blood bank, and has been created specifically for people who are suffering from Covid-19 infection. The antibody-rich plasma from a Covid-19 recovered patient is extracted and administered to a current infected patient to find out if the antibodies can help patients recover. Who can donate plasma People between the ages of 18 and 60, and weighing not less than 50 kg are eligible. Women who have given birth are not eligible, as the antibodies they produce during pregnancy (after being exposed to the blood of the foetus) can interfere with lung function. People with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer are also excluded. In such centre, donors' detailed medical history would be checked and physical examination like height, weight, blood pressure have been checked. Meanwhile, while Karnataka on Sunday reported more than 4,000 cases and Bengaluru reported 2,156 new Covid-19 cases and 36 new deaths. The city's total cases increased to 31,777, out of which 24,316 cases are active. The new deaths increase the total fatality to 667. The city's positivity rate is 12.82 per cent. Bengaluru till Sunday added 50 more containment zones, as the total number of active containment zones reached 6,160 across the city. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News According to BBMP, Bengaluru South has 2,014 containment zones, 1,056 in Bengaluru East, 976 in Bengaluru West, 733 in Bommanahalli, 405 in RR Nagara, 358 in Mahadevapura, 262 in Yelahanka and 103 in Dasarahalli zones. New Book: 'Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win' NEWS PROVIDED BY Jenean Gimler July 20, 2020 HOUSTON, Texas, July 20, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- Jenean Gimler, author of the inspirational book, Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win, was released on Amazon on July 8, 2020. Insightfully intriguing, Jenean Gimler brings into the 21st century, the dust ridden artifact of the priestly breastplate and how this artifact is relevant for the church today. She unveils the hidden code of this breastplate to reveal the breastplate of righteousness by connecting the dots between the priestly breastplate, the tribes of Israel, the Hebrew calendar and the constellations. Written to unravel the secrecy of the breastplates, by revealing who originally owned the breastplate, and the meaning behind it all. This book reveals little known history, a battle plan to overcome our arch enemy, a prophetic outlook and a call to arms for the modern day church. Jenean gives practical advice on how to spiritually wear the breastplate so that you are always dressed and ready for battle at a moment's notice. Written to wake up a sleeping church to fight the giants that are in our land today, thereby becoming more than conquerors. With in-depth research and insight, Dressing for the Battle, Armed to Win will reveal that the role of every believer is to be a spiritual warrior who is destined to win, transforming their individual lives by using the breastplate every minute of every day. Using her own personal battles, of character attacks on her family, death threats, depression, fear and even thoughts about taking her own life, Jenean outlines how through the darkest hours, God revealed His provision for her; the breastplate. SOURCE Jenean Gimler CONTACT: Jenean Gimler, 832-5710-9997 Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Monday announced the sack of more than 1,000 aides for non-performance. Those affected include technical assistants (TAs), senior technical assistants (STAs) and executive assistants (EAs) to the governor. Mr Umahi disclosed this on Monday during the swearing-in of three caretaker chairmen of Ikwo, Afikpo North and Ivo LGAs and the coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, at Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki. He said the dissolution would take effect from August 1, 2020. The governor, who expressed disappointment at the poor performances of the appointees, said: It is time to work. I have no business with anybody who has an appointment and doesnt want to work, said Mr Umahi. Let me announce my disappointment at the technical assistants, senior technical assistants and executive assistants. We have over 1,000 of them. Yet, my deputy and myself go out of our way in this COVID-19. We have over 360 liaison officers. We have a lot of management committee members. I dont know where else you will get a position and go on sleeping and be waiting for an alert (salary). It cant happen under me. By 1st of August, all Technical Assistants (TA), Senior Technical Assistants (STAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs) are dissolved, he said. The governor said there would be a fresh round of appointments into the positions. He said the dissolved appointees would be given the opportunity to reapply if they meet certain criteria. READ ALSO: One of the criteria is that they must be ready to show their farms and what they achieved in their first appointment If you are one of them and you want your job back, you will be given a form to fill and a Ministry or Department must endorse you. When they endorse you, we hold that Ministry or Department responsible for you. The appointment we make is a source of social security, source of empowerment and source of bringing young men and women to learn the act of governance. And if you are reapplying and if you have no agricultural farm, then, dont apply. You must show me where you are farming because we are doing everything possible to turn the minds of our people from appointment position to business minds. That is the only way to go. So, if you are reapplying, one, you must tell us what you did before; two, show us where your farm is and we will google it, to make sure you are not lying; and three, you must be sponsored by commissioners, SAs, SSAs, boards and commissions, he said. As Pune citys positive Covid-19 cases continue to rise, political blame game continued over the grants allocated to the city by the state and central governments to deal with the crisis. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is ruling in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), as well as Centre, blamed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for not allotting funds to the city to deal with the crisis. Jagdish Mohol, BJP state unit president, said, PMC had spent more than Rs200 crore during the ongoing Covid-19 crises in the city, but the state government has given only Rs3 crore till date. As the BJP is in power in PMC, the state government is intentionally not giving funds to Pune city. Instead of classifying over the corporations grade, the state government should consider the criteria of positive patients in the municipal corporation while issuing the funds, he said. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Deepali Dhumal who is also opposition party leader in PMC has criticised the BJP government over the issue. Dhumal said, BJP city unit president should raise the same question to the Central government. BJP leaders from PMC donated their salary to the Prime Ministers fund, then also the central government did not give any sizable grants to the city. BJP has six MLAs and MPs in the city. They should ask the central government for help here, said Dhumal. Dhumal said, Maharashtra government has released GST grant which is more than Rs600 crore. During the BJPs tenure at the state level, the government had reduced the GST share of the city. Earlier it was Rs140 crore per month, but the state government increased it to Rs152 crore per month, which the state has released for April, May, June, said Dhumal. The progressive positive count of the city is 37,386, while the death count is 976 as of Sunday. Members of the Colorado National Guard inprocess to state active duty at Joint Force Headquarters, Centennial, Colorado, April 6, 2020. More than 250 Colorado National Guard members have been mobilized to help the State Emergency Operations Center and the City and County of Denver with COVID-19 response. Each servicemember entering SAD completed a medical screeing and briefing on current COVID-19 operations. Chevron announced July 20 it would buy the Noble Energy company for about $5 billion. The acquisition marks the biggest American energy deal to be signed since the novel coronavirus crisis crushed global demand for oil. Noble Energy has a portfolio of assets that include offshore wells in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including off Israels coast, off the west African coast and onshore in the United States. Naturally, from Jerusalems point of view, the deal could have far-reaching repercussions on the countrys own energy market and its aspirations of becoming a global energy player. In its press release announcing the acquisition, Chevron stated, "Noble Energy brings low-capital, cash-generating offshore assets in Israel, strengthening Chevrons position in the Eastern Mediterranean." Noble Energy has stakes in both Israels mammoth gas fields Tamar and Leviathan. It was Noble Energy that discovered Tamar in 2009 and Leviathan in 2010. In 2013, the company started producing gas in the Tamar field, and in December 2019, the company started production of natural gas from Leviathan, the firms largest discovery to date. Tamar holds some 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, about half of the amount in Leviathan. Noble also has a stake in Israel's offshore Dalit field. Israels Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz who has been spearheading Israeli gas drilling initiatives, including the East-Med project for a natural gas undersea pipeline reacted enthusiastically to the news. Welcoming the deal, Steinitz wrote, The acquisition of Noble Energy by the energy giant Chevron is a tremendous expression of confidence in the Israeli energy economy, and in the continued development and export of natural gas from the State of Israel." Steinitz added that his ministry will examine the request for the transfer of ownership to the fields once it is submitted, as Israeli law requires the approval of the countrys petroleum council for such a move. Experts note that in the past, giant energy companies such as Chevron had avoided deals that involved Israel, so as not to provoke their Arab partners. The current deal might indicate a shift in that policy. Israeli economic newspaper Globes quoted Noble chairman and CEO David Stover as saying, "The combination with Chevron is a compelling opportunity to join an admired global, diversified energy leader with a top-tier balance sheet and strong shareholder returns." Still, some Israeli analysts warn that the deal could push the Israeli energy market into uncertainty, as it could encourage Noble Energy to get out of its holdings in Tamar and Leviathan. The Leviathan field is less likely to be affected, as the company holds 40% of its stocks and considers it as a major asset, but the deal could affect Tamar, where the company holds the minimal number of shares authorized by Israeli authorities for an operator. Click here to read the full article. Saks Fifth Avenues president and chief executive officer Marc Metrick has some reassuring words to vendors about the health of the luxury retailer. Over the past six weeks, our business has increased over the same period last year, with stores and online running positive comps, Metrick said in a letter to vendors on Friday. Ive had the privilege of visiting several of our reopened stores and as we look at our competitors, some of which are still in the process of reopening, Saks continues to set the standard for providing a safe, easy and personalized luxury shopping experience. Last month Saks reopened all 40 of its stores in the U.S. and Canada. We are pleased to see that business is rebounding and exceeding our expectations, Metrick wrote. Other major retailers, including Macys Inc., have said that while business is way down due to the pandemic, its exceeded their expectations since stores began reopening in recent weeks. Now retailers are concerned that stores around the country may have to close again due to the spike in coronavirus cases in many states. Metricks letter, obtained by WWD, was an apparent effort to reassure vendors about the condition of his company and ability to navigate through the pandemic, and provide some transparency into the business. Metrick does furnish business updates to vendors, but last February, Saks parent company, the Hudsons Bay Co., went private so it no longer reports financial results publicly. The pandemic has also obscured the outlook for Saks and all retailers selling nonessentials, leaving vendors extremely cautious and uncertain on how to deal with stores. Saks, as market sources have noted, has been canceling orders, delaying payments and even seeking merchandise on consignment, meaning requesting goods without paying for them until they are bought by shoppers. Story continues One vendor complained that since Saks went private, its harder to get a read on the stores financial condition and have orders factored. Consequently, I wont ship to Saks without getting paid in advance. I cant afford to take another hit. I got burned by Neimans, said the source, referring to the bankruptcy declared by the Neiman Marcus Group on May 7. However, two financial sources indicated Saks financials are shared with factors quarterly, orders are being approved, though the access Saks provides to its financials is limited. According to the vendor source, pre-pandemic, Saks was on a 30-day pay schedule, but extended it to 120 days during the outbreak and is down to 60 days. Whatever money Saks owed us, they are paying, the vendor said, referring to June orders for November and December holiday deliveries. There is ordering for holiday but its light. While Metrick cited positive comps for the last six weeks, the vendor source had a different take on the brands business at Saks: Its not even close to last year. Womens is not fabulous. September will be the big test. Saks e-com has been healthy, but highly promotional, said another executive at a brand that sells Saks. At the stores, when they started to reopen around mid-May, business was getting better and better until week four when there was a resurgence of coronavirus cases. Then there was a very quick drop off. Another major retailer confirmed the same pattern to me. But there have been some really good pockets of business at Saks, like mens contemporary, and mens shoes, probably driven by sneakers. We do drop ship for Saks as customers buy the merchandise, said the fashion executive. It wouldnt surprise me if they extend that to more categories to lessen their inventory liability. We are shipping Saks, the executive added, noting that as far as any outstanding payments from Saks, Were pretty much caught up. They have extended their terms as most [retailers] did. Its pushed out to 60 to 90 days. The source said strategy meetings between Saks and vendors on plans for 2021 will be held in the next few weeks. Saks and other retailers will be benchmarking 2021 plans against 2019, and looking at 2021 down 10 to 20 percent, the source said. Metrick, seemingly looking to disassociate Saks from its competitors, stressed, It is important that we do not paint the entire industry with a broad brush as there are some of us who have been forward-thinking, even prior to the pandemic, and are continuing to exceed the demands of todays consumer. For fall, Metrick said he is cautiously optimistic, but energized nonetheless. Across the fleet, Metrick wrote, we are working to strike the right balance between providing a safe environment while also offering fun and escapism. To do that, were innovating with new services, such as off-hours appointments, virtual styling appointments and events, and same-day delivery to the Hamptons so that customers can enjoy the experience of luxury shopping however they feel most comfortable.We have been seeing both new and existing customers responding well to our enhanced safety protocols and taking advantage of our new service offerings, with a particular affinity for off-hours appointments and concierge services. While casual products are selling best, Metrick cited an increased interest in fashion. In our stores, handbags, womens shoes and mens wear are in high demand and performing well. Mens continues to be one of our strongest categories, especially as our customers are rethinking their wardrobes and shifting to more casual wear given the current circumstances. Saks digital business has been strong and weve seen an influx of new customers onlineOverall category performance has been consistent with what weve seen in stores. Additionally, beauty has been performing exceptionally well. In other news at Saks, Metrick cited: The formation of a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, comprising a cross-section of Saks corporate and field associates from underrepresented populations. Saks continuing to become an independent operating company by moving several functions previously under a centralized HBC corporate structure, into Saks. HBC in the last couple of years shed several holdings including its European retail operations, Lord & Taylor and Gilt Groupe, reducing the need for centralized operations. Bringing back furloughed workers in a phased approach. Ongoing full remodels of the Bal Harbour, Fla., and Beverly Hills stores, while other construction projects have been put off. Launching a revamped saks.com in the fall with more personalization, tailored product recommendations, curated content, improved site speed and search functionality. Investing in an innovative customer data platform to leverage supercharged analytics to better serve customers. Metrick said Saks cash position remains on a solid footing, adding, When the crisis began, we, like many of our peers, initiated a process to raise incremental liquidity, not knowing the severity of the pandemic and where it would take us. Ultimately, given we are in a stronger cash position than expected, we are happy to have not rushed into raising incremental liquidity at expensive rates and on restrictive terms. As you know, Saks, and our holding company, HBC, have substantial assets, including valuable, unencumbered real estate, Metrick wrote. While we do not need supplemental liquidity at this time, we have the ability to add it to our business should the need arise. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Two weeks ago I wrote in this space about Cold War memories and a man named Gary Powers who was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 while piloting a U2 spy plane taking pictures. In my inbox the very next day was a note from his son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., 55, of Fairfax, Virginia, who has his computer set up so that anytime there's something written about his dad that goes online, he gets an alert. He has made it part of his life's mission to set the record straight about his dad. "I am rather disappointed in your story that only references the negative side of my fathers reputation," Powers began. "(It) does not include the updated facts that show he followed orders, is a hero to our country (and was) posthumously awarded the POW Medal and Silver Star," he wrote. "It took over 40 years for my dads reputation to be cleared and the record set straight about his conduct and cause of the U-2 shoot down, all of which you left out of your article. I hope next time you will do better research and give both sides of the story as opposed to just the negative side." Ouch. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. Classmates of a teenager who allegedly killed her cousin on a rural New South Wales farm will be offered counselling as they return from holidays today. The girl's school will gather for an assembly today to explain the support available to the local community after the horrific incident on Wednesday, July 8. The country town has been rocked by the death of the 10-year-old girl who had been staying with her relatives in Gunnedah, north-east NSW, for the school holidays. Police allege the girl was murdered by her 14-year-old cousin who they found dazed at a farmhouse some three kilometres away. While the details of the case and the gruesome manner in which the young girl died can not be published by the media, the incident has been the talk of the small town. A 10-year-old girl was allegedly murdered by her cousin, 14, on a farm in Gunnedah, in NSW, on Wednesday, July 8. The incident has rocked the local community with teachers and students at the local high school provided counselling While the details of the case and the gruesome manner in which the young girl died can not be published by the media, the incident has been the talk of the small town (pictured) 'The school offers its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim, and this tragedy will devastate many people in our community,' the school principal said. 'Counselling is being arranged at the school during the second week of the holidays for students who feel anxious or otherwise affected by the young person's death. 'Families of students in relevant year groups will be contacted by the school and information about attending these sessions provided. 'Further counselling for students will occur at school when Term 3 starts on 20 July 2020.' So serious was the alleged murder that the first police officer on the scene has taken leave after being severely disturbed by what confronted him at the property. The officer - a longtime member of the local Gunnedah force - was granted leave by NSW Police, who are ensuring he receives the necessary support. Police Association of NSW president Tony King said the impact of the job on officers' personal welfare is often forgotten about. 'Police officers regularly encounter situations and circumstances that are horrific,' Mr King told Daily Mail Australia. So gruesome was the alleged murder that the first police officer on the scene has taken leave after being severely disturbed by what confronted him at the property (Pictured are officers at the scene last week) Gunnedah, known best for being the hometown of supermodel Miranda Kerr, is about an hour west of Tamworth and 450km from Sydney 'Every scene of a fatality, particularly those involving children, is extremely difficult. 'Our officers are human and aren't immune to the impacts of handling difficult cases that no one else in any other other job would ordinarily have to confront, let alone on repeated occasions. It's a hard job.' It was just before 6.30am on Wednesday, July 8, when the older girl's mother walked into their room to check on them before going out to begin work on the farm. When she returned just half-an-hour later she found her niece horrifically killed and her own daughter vanished. Dazed and confused, the alleged teenage killer had walked three kilometres across a wheat field with the sharp weapon allegedly still in her hand. The young victim had gone to stay with relatives on the farm for the school holidays. The tragedy has divided the two families, with the victim's father launching a furious rant against his sister-in-law and her husband on Facebook. After the victim's mother posted on Facebook stating she did not blame her sister or brother-in-law for the tragedy, her husband launched into a furious rant in response. 'You are deadset unf***ing believable,' the man wrote. The victim's father lashed out at the alleged killer's parents, saying her death was 'preventable' Forensic police collect evidence from in and around the farmhouse where the alleged murder occurred In a separate post the victim's father described his daughter's death as 'preventable'. 'All the news reports state good family from Gunnedah,' he wrote. 'This crime was completely preventable.' His emotional tirades followed a post from his wife on her sister's Facebook page. In it she urged locals in Gunnedah - which has been rocked by the death - to 'show some compassion' to her relatives, who she said she still has a 'deep, deep love' for. 'I love you a lot, our family will get through this together and work through this day by day together,' the victim's mother wrote. 'My sister and her family are going through immense circumstances and I speak for (my daughter) as her mum, and we feel only deep, deep love. The 10-year-old girl was visiting her cousins on the remote farm for a school holiday sleepover The teenager did not appear in Tamworth Children's Court (pictured) on Thursday and was refused bail until her next court date on September 16 'If everyone including the Gunnedah community can please show some compassion and kindness to my beautiful sister, her husband and family where the tragedy unfolded that would mean a lot.' The age of the alleged killer and victim mean they, nor any family members, can be named or identified by Daily Mail Australia. Just days before the incident, the alleged teenage killer had been suspended from her local high school for throwing scissors at a classmate. The alleged murder rattled the sleepy country town of around 10,000 people, known best for being the hometown of supermodels Miranda Kerr and Erica Packer. Police spent days combing the nearby wheat and cotton paddocks for clues as they try to answer the many questions remaining about the incident. A close neighbour a few paddocks down the road was shocked the little girl he remembered playing in the grass was accused of a heinous crime. 'I used to see her and her sister running around the paddock, playing, or with her parents at cattle market,' he said. The area is renowned for its wheat and cotton farming, which is among the biggest in Australia Police and state emergency service volunteers meticulously searched paddocks and fields for what is believed to be the alleged murder weapon 'She was always very polite and happy, I never had any qualms with her. How does this happen?' The deceased girl is from Orange, a town west of Sydney past the Blue Mountains, and also from a locally prominent family. Police have refused to give details of the girl's injuries except that that were substantial, and the court has suppressed such information anyway. A post mortem examination was carried out last week and should provide police with more clues about how the alleged murder unfolded. The teenager did not appear in court on Thursday and was refused bail until her next court date on September 16. The zombies of "Peninsula" are helping bring moviegoers back to cinemas. 20 Jul After more than two weeks since cinemas nationwide reopened, Malaysian moviegoers are regaining their confidence to return as they can be seen frequenting their favourite cinemas again. The biggest draw is no doubt the release of the new "Train to Busan" sequel, "Peninsula." The Korean zombie movie marks the first big release since cinemas reopened. Prior to it, cinemas were playing reruns and older titles while cinephiles gradually reacquaint themselves with the new cinema environment. "With the release of "Train to Busan Presents Peninsula" on 15 July, we see an increase of 400% in admission," Cora Lee, TGV Cinemas' Brand & Communications Assistant Manager, told Cinema Online. She added that the newly opened TGV Tasek Central is among the top five TGV Cinemas locations that are showing positive attendance from local moviegoers, with the other four locations being TGV Central i-City, TGV Sunway Velocity, TGV Sunway Pyramid and TGV 1 Utama. Meanwhile, Jason Teo, mmCineplexes' Director of Marketing and Business Development, stated that the response from mmCineplexes patrons has been positive since all locations reopened. "Early indication of the booking trend for the upcoming weekend is encouraging," he added. Garuna Murthee, Managing Director of LFS Cinemas, said that LFS locations in Kuala Terengganu and Sandakan continue to do well. To attract customers to Petaling Jaya locations, however, LFS has introduced a new promo especially for "Peninsula" ticket holders. He added that even though LFS Cinemas locations primarily screen Tamil titles, there is currently no new releases from both India and Malaysia, and the earliest that local Tamil film producers will release their titles are either in November or December this year. A new promotion by mmCineplexes introduces the lowest ticket price in Johor, PJ and Penang. Among the new promotions introduced by cinemas to further encourage the return of moviegoers are: - TGV Cinemas: Customers purchasing with debit card can enjoy RM12 movie tickets all day at Standard, Deluxe, and Deluxe+ halls. - LFS Cinemas: Each "Peninsula" ticket purchase comes with complimentary popcorn and drink. - mmCineplexes: Starting from 18 July until 31 August 2020, the following locations will sell RM10 movie ticket during weekday and RM12 movie ticket during weekend. mmC eCurve Damansara mmC Bukit Jambul Penang mmC Prangin Mall Penang mmC IOI Mall Kulai mmC Segamat Central mmC JB City Square Story continues GSC has yet to respond during the time of writing but a quick look at its online bookings indicate that moviegoers are also eagerly visiting GSC locations to catch "Peninsula" on the big screen. A screenshot from one of the GSC locations screening "Peninsula". When asked if there has been a significant shift to online booking since cinemas reopened with strict SOPs, Cheah Chun Wai, MBO Cinemas Chief Operating Officer, said that for MBO Cinemas, the moviegoers are making more online bookings. "There's still a small fraction of customers purchasing their last-minute tickets at the kiosks but otherwise, many have migrated to purchasing tickets and F&B online. To further encourage this, we are offering additional F&B discounts for online purchases," Cora said of TGV Cinemas' customers ticket booking habit. As for LFS Cinemas, its online booking is momentarily unavailable due to the upgrading of LFS Kuala Terengganu's system but Mr. Murthee assured that it will be up and running again by this week. Congress legislators, supporting chief minister Ashok Gehlot amid a revolt by his former deputy Sachin Pilot, have been holed up in a hotel on the outskirts of the state capital of Jaipur. Ashok Gehlot had shifted his 100-plus legislators to Hotel Fairmont on July 13 to shield them from the pulls and pressures of politics that could jeopardise the survival of his 18-month-old government. They have been watching movies, attending cooking classes and playing antakshari or a musical game at the 245-room luxury resort. A video showing them singing the popular Hindi song Hum Honge Kamyaab has been shared widely on social media. #WATCH Rajasthan: Congress MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot play 'antakshari' at Hotel Fairmont in Jaipur. pic.twitter.com/MfCfxaKpLM ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2020 The members of legislative assembly (MLAs) are heard singing Hum Honge Kamyaab in an apparent signal of solidarity in the 42-second video clip. Before this, they watched Dilip Kumar and Madhubalas epic Mughal-e-Azam, Aamir Khans blockbuster movie Lagaan as well as cult classic hit Sholay starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Sambit Patra had taken a jibe at Congress MLAs over the weekend, saying they were neglecting the people of their constituencies as they are busy watching movies and learning how to make pizza, pasta. The Congress has accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading to bring down the Gehlot government. The BJP has rejected the allegations. The Congress government in Rajasthan continues to be in turmoil after the simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was sacked from the posts of Rajasthan deputy chief minister and state unit president last week. The 42-year-old leader and 18 MLAs who are supporting him, were also issued disqualification notices by the speaker of the state assembly. The battle has now reached Rajasthan High Court, where a two-judge bench is hearing petitions filed by Pilot and 18 MLAs challenging their disqualification notices. On Friday, the high court had directed that no action be taken against Pilot and the other rebel Congress MLAs until Tuesday and had deferred the hearing of their plea challenging the speakers notices. Health professionals are tired and fed up, said Sara Labelle, chair of OPSEUs Hospital Professionals Division which represents more than 25,000 hospital professionals across the province. We have risked our health and safety, and that of our families. Thousands of us have tested positive for COV When: Monday, July 20 times are listed below. What: Ontarios hospital allied and paramedical health professionals are staging rallies against the Ford government. Thousands are expected to join in the day of protest. This group, Pharmacy Technicians, Medical Radiation Technologists, Laboratory Technologists, Speech Language Pathologists, Physiotherapists, Social Workers and over 250 different types of health and paramedical professionals are exhausted after working through the entire first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic under the emergency regulations passed by the Ford government that cancelled vacations and weekends, overrode collective agreement protections for professionals scheduling, enabled redeployments without notice, required staff to work if they have tested positive and are asymptomatic, and much more. Now the Ford government has introduced Bill 195, which they plan to steamroll through the Legislature prior to July 22 when the legislature closes for the summer enabling them to extend the emergency regulations for up to a year. Despite being exposed to COVID-19 positive patients the health professionals were forgotten when the province gave other staff in hospitals the pandemic premium. Yet without them, no diagnosis can happen, no COVID-19 tests would be processed, no blood drawn, no therapies to aide recovery, no treatments, no intubation, no social work support, no medications distributed and much more. Still, the provincial government has refused to extend the pandemic premium to the health professionals. In the professions this is a fundamental matter of respect for the work they do and fairness in recognizing the vital role they play. Despite working side-by-side with other hospital staff treating the same patients, who were given access to N95 masks and superior PPE, many of this group have not had appropriate access to PPE. Throughout the first wave, they have been required to wear the same masks and PPE until visibly soiled an unacceptable level of infection control and workplace safety. Health professionals are tired and fed up, said Sara Labelle, chair of OPSEUs Hospital Professionals Division which represents more than 25,000 hospital professionals across the province. We have risked our health and safety, and that of our families. Thousands of us have tested positive for COVID-19. We have dealt with being retested week after week. We have worked weekends with no notice, lost our vacation time, and accommodated changes to plans over and over again. Yet the Ford government has ignored and disrespected us. We have had enough. Before a second wave, we are demanding key improvements to our health and safety, respect for our rights, and respect for the work that we do to help keep Ontarians safe. Demands: We deserve the same pandemic pay that all of our colleagues in hospitals are getting. We require access to a safe level of PPE and the development of a secure adequate supply chain. We oppose Bill 195 and the extension of the emergency regulations up to another year, including regulations that override our schedules, force redeployments, require unsafe reuse of PPE, violate our collective agreements and hard-fought rights. This Bill is a power grab that is unnecessary, even dangerous and should be withdrawn. Locations: Ajax-Pickering: Lakeridge Health Ajax site, 580 Harwood Avenue South 12 to 1 contact Leanne Weatherill (905)213-5772 Bowmanville: Lakeridge Health Bowmanville site, 47 Liberty St S 12 to 1 contact Leanne Weatherill (905)213-5772 Burlington: Joseph Brant Hospital Northshore Blvd 11 to 1 contact Betty Palmieri (289)260-6785 Cambridge: Cambridge Memorial Hospital 700 Coronation Blvd 12 to 1 contact Barbara Verall (519)212-5185 Hamilton: St Josephs Healthcare West 5th Campus 100 West 5th Street, Charlton and King Street E 11 to 1 contact Betty Palmieri (289)260-6785 Lindsay: Ross Memorial Hospital 10 to 12 sidewalks Kent and Angeline Street London: LHSC Victoria Hospital 800 Commissioners Rd E and University Hospital 339 Windermere Road 11:00 to 1:30 contact Steve McCaw (519)709-6634 Newmarket: Southlake Hospital 566 Davis Drive 11:30 to 1:30 contact Lori Dennis (705)341-2860 Niagara Falls: Niagara Health 5546 Portage Road 12 to 1 contact Brenda Allen (905)348-4863 Oshawa: Lakeridge Health Oshawa site, 1 Hospital Court 12 to 1 contact Leanne Weatherill (905)213-5772 Ottawa: The Ottawa Hospital/EORLA/CHEO Civic Campus Carling Avenue near emergency department, General Campus Smyth Avenue near the main entrance contact 11:30 to 1:30 Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital 43 Bruyere St 12 to 1 and Saint-Vincent Hospital 60 Cambridge St. N. 12 to 1 Contact Krista Curtis (613)697-1317 Perth: Perth District Hospital 33 Dummond Street 12 to 1 contact Peterborough: Peterborough Regional Health Centre 1 Hospital Drive 11:30 to 1:30 Port Perry: Lakeridge Health Port Perry site 451 Paxton Street 12 to 1 contact Leanne Weatherill (905)213-5772 Sarnia: Bluewater Health Sarnia site 89 Norman Street 11 to 1 contact June Weiss (519) 466 3372 Scarborough: Scarborough General Hospital Centenary Hospital 2867 Ellesmere Road 11:30 to 1, Grace Hospital 3030 Birchmount Road 11:30 to 1 and General Hospital 3050 Lawrence Avenue East 11:30 to 1 contact Kingsley Kwok (416) 835-3377 Smiths Falls: Perth and Smith Falls Distric Hospital 60 Cornelia Street W 12 to 1 St Catherines: Niagara Health 1200 Fourth Avenue 12 to 1 contact Brenda Allen (905) 348-4863 Toronto: Baycrest 3560 Bathurst Street 12 to 1 Humber River Regional Hospital 1235 Wilson Avenue 12 to 12:30 contact Gayatri Samaroo (647) 669-6048 Sunnybrook/Shared Hospital Labs 2075 Bayview Avenue 12 to 1:30 pm Welland: Niagara Health 65 Third Street 12 to 1 contact Brenda Allen (905) 348-4863 Whitby: Lakeridge Health Whitby site 300 Gordon Street 12 to 1 Leanne Weatherill (905)213-5772 For more information: Sara Labelle 905-914-4037 mobile. The shipping industry has warned in recent months about increased incidents of piracy and kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly around Nigeria Pirates have kidnapped seven Russian sailors from the crew of a ship in the Gulf of Guinea, the Russian Embassy in Nigeria said on Monday. The seven Russians were among 13 crew members pirates abducted from the Curacao Trader 210 miles off the coast of Benin last Friday, the embassy said on its official Twitter account, but did not provide further details. The shipping industry has warned in recent months about increased incidents of piracy and kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly around Nigeria. Pirates this month attacked an oil production vessel off Nigeria and kidnapped nine Nigerian nationals. Search Keywords: Short link: Nelson Mandela spent his whole life fighting against inequality and injustice. As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, he said, none of us can truly rest. I was honoured to deliver this years Nelson Mandela lecture on the occasion of Madibas birthday, 18 July, and I chose rising and unsustainable inequality as my theme. From the exercise of global power to racism, gender discrimination and income disparities, inequality threatens our wellbeing and our future. We desperately need new thinking to halt and reverse it. We often hear that a rising tide of economic growth lifts all boats. But in reality, a rising tide of inequality sinks all boats. High levels of inequality have helped to create the global fragility that is being exposed and exploited by COVID-19. The virus is shining a spotlight on inequalities of all kinds. It poses the highest risk to the health of the most vulnerable, and its social and economic impact is concentrated on those who are least able to cope. Unless we act now, 100 million more people could be pushed into extreme poverty and we could see famines of historic proportions. Even before COVID-19, people everywhere were raising their voices against inequality. Between 1980 and 2016, the worlds richest 1 per cent captured 27 per cent of the total cumulative growth in income. But income is not the only measure of inequality. Peoples chances in life depend on their gender, family and ethnic background, race, whether or not they have a disability, and other factors. Multiple inequalities intersect and reinforce each other across the generations, defining the lives and expectations of millions of people before they are even born. Just one example: more than 50 per cent of 20-year-olds in countries with very high human development are in higher education. In low human development countries, that figure is 3 per cent. Even more shocking, some 17 per cent of the children born twenty years ago in those countries have already died. The anger fueling recent social movements, from the anti-racism campaign that has spread around the world in the aftermath of George Floyds killing to the chorus of brave women calling out the powerful men who have abused them, is yet another sign of utter disillusionment with the status quo. And the two seismic shifts of our age the digital revolution and the climate crisis threaten to entrench inequality and injustice even more deeply. COVID-19 is a human tragedy. But it has also created a generational opportunity to build a more equal and sustainable world, based on two central ideas: a New Social Contract, and a New Global Deal. A New Social Contract will join Governments, their people, civil society, business and others in common cause. Education and digital technology must be two great enablers and equalizers, by providing lifelong opportunities to learn how to learn, to adapt and take on new skills for the knowledge economy. We need fair taxation on income and wealth, and a new generation of social protection policies, with safety nets including Universal Health Coverage and the possibility of a Universal Basic Income extended to everyone. 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 Global Deal must be based on a fair globalization, on the rights and dignity of every human being, on living in balance with nature, on respect for the rights of future generations, and on success measured in human rather than economic terms. We need global governance that is based on full, inclusive and equal participation in global institutions. Developing countries must have a stronger voice, from the United Nations Security Council to the Boards of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and beyond. We need a more inclusive and balanced multilateral trading system that enables developing countries to move up global value chains. Reform of the debt architecture and access to affordable credit must create fiscal space to generate investment in the green, equitable economy. The New Global Deal and the New Social Contract will put the world back on track to realise the promise of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals our globally-agreed vision of peace and prosperity on a healthy planet by 2030. Our world is at breaking point. But by tackling inequality, based on a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal, we can find our way to better days ahead. We are being told that white people are racist, inherently so. And that there is nothing they can do about it. We are also being told that black people can't be racist, period. Think about this. We are being told that one group of people is racist and another isn't due entirely to the color of their skin! What could possibly be more racist than that? This would be an amusing Babylon Bee spoof...yet it is real and happening all around us every day. But, sadly, there is more. Ever so much more. People who wish to peacefully attend one party's political rally are called selfish monsters, those who loot stores and burn down buildings are deemed heroic. Conservatives have been chased off nearly every campus in the country for years. Outright institutional bias against them is now being sanctioned and codified. Even more chillingly, Big Tech companies are ever more eager to harass, shadowban, demonetize, and silence those with traditional beliefs. Those in the mainstream media air only what fits their remarkably narrow agenda and edit audio and video in a deliberate attempt to make conservatives look bad. They even outright lie when they feel it is "necessary." Their whitewashing and laundering of any misdeeds by those who support their agenda now borders on the breathtaking. They no longer bother even to hide their contempt for those who differ with their cultural and political world view. Christians are routinely mocked, their religious icons besmirched and now even vandalized by those on the left. Recently, statues of many famous Americans have been defaced, vandalized, moved, or destroyed. First, the Marxist mob came for the low-hanging fruit, Confederate generals and those clearly associated with slavery. But bloodlust is not easily sated, and soon they assaulted monuments to those with tenuous connections to slavery, racism, or the Confederacy. Then they went after those who had no connections to them those who had, in fact, literally fought them. Statues of Abraham Lincoln, the man who was assassinated as a result of his unshakable opposition to the Confederacy's actions and his proclamation freeing the slaves, were targeted. And of Ulysses S. Grant, the one general whom Lincoln could trust to prosecute the war against those who embraced slavery a man who not only won that war, but aggressively pursued the Ku Klux Klan; a man who freed the one slave he was given and who was eulogized by Frederick Douglass; a man who, as president, worked tirelessly to protect the civil rights of newly freed black slaves. This orgy of destruction even migrated to Europe and swallowed up a statue of Winston Churchill, who stood alone in the West against Hitler's Third Reich for many agonizing months. It has consumed a statue of Father Junipero Serra, a Roman Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order who founded the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California. (Fr. Serra was canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis, the first saint to be canonized in the United States.) The mob is ruthless, insatiable. But it is anything but invincible. All it takes to stop it is the will to do so. Sadly, that will is nowhere to be found. At least as of yet. So it marches on, defacing and destroying everything in its path, as the left always does St. John's Episcopal Church, the World War II Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. US Park Service photo. To sum up, America and its history are being marginalized. All those who made the ultimate sacrifice, who gave the last full measure of devotion, have been marginalized. The silent majority is being marginalized...and had better find its voice soon, or it will never be able to do so. "Marginalized"? Marginalized?! Americans with traditional values particularly straight, white, conservative Christian males are being subjected to marginalization on steroids. They are now the least favored and protected group in the nation and are routinely denied a forum, silenced, shunned, mocked...marginalized. Canceled. Erased. A group of Chinese fishermen have slaughtered two protected dolphins after catching them at sea to obtain the mammals' teeth. The eight culprits allegedly wanted to wear the dolphins' teeth in the hope of warding off evil spirits - a superstition believed by people in their coastal hometown. Police have arrested two of them on suspicion of killing wild animals while the rest are on bail pending a trial, according to state media. A group of Chinese fishermen have slaughtered two protected dolphins (above) for their teeth. Police have arrested two of them on suspicion of killing wild animals while the rest are on bail The eight culprits allegedly wanted to wear the dolphins' teeth (one of them pictured) in the hope of warding off evil spirits - a superstition believed by people in their coastal hometown The suspects caught the pair of Risso's dolphins between November and December last year in the East China Sea off the province of Fujian, reported People's Daily citing police. Police from the Quanzhou Coast Guard said that the perpetrators had 'cruelly killed' the mammals, a second-class protected animal species in China. One of the leading suspects, known by his surname Zhan, initially told the police that the dolphins had already been dead when they caught them. Zhan claimed that he cut up the dolphins for their meat, but the police suspected that Zhan had lied about his motives, one officer told Pear Video. Police from the Quanzhou Coast Guard in Fujian province said the perpetrators had 'cruelly killed' two Risso's dolphins, a second-class protected animal species in China (file photo) After hearing about the locals' superstition about dolphins' teeth, officers asked Zhan about the false belief out of the blue during an interrogation. The question caught the suspect off guard and led him to confess to the killing. Zhan admitted that he and the others had decided not to release the dolphins back to the sea to kill them for their teeth. An officer from the Quanzhou Coast Guard said that one suspect, Zhan, admitted that he and the others had decided not to release the dolphins back to the sea to extract their teeth A picture released by state media People's Daily shows one culprit being questioned by police Anyone who is found guilty of killing wild animals can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if the circumstances are serious, according to the Chinese criminal law. If the individual's action is deemed to have 'particularly serious consequences', he or she can be jailed for more than 10 years. Quanzhou police caught all of the eight suspects in March. Two of them have been formally arrested, while the other six are on bail. The case is under further investigation. What would you give for a mighty station wagon? If youre Australian, probably not much they tend to go a bit unloved down here. Unfortunately, that means New Zealand is prioritised over us when it comes to some of the coolest car releases. Enter: BMWs M340i xDrive Touring a bloody fast estate car; maybe the most exciting car that BMWs made in the last decade, and it sadly wont be sold in Australia any time soon. BMW have started testing the M340i xDrive Touring in New Zealand ahead of a wider Kiwi release. Hang on, New Zealand is a market the fifth the size of Australia what gives, BMW? It appears Wagons really take a back seat (so to speak) in Australia and this is the perfect example of that: the 3 Series is one of the most iconic and dynamic model lines in automotive history, encompassing legends like the E30 and E46 all the way to todays G20, and yet the latest and greatest reincarnation of the 3 series The M340i xDrive Touring isnt being offered here. Lets break it down: M340i refers to the engine, the B58M30 3.0L inline-six. Other G20 models only get a four-cylinder, so this is the biggest engine available for this model. Its also turbocharged, and puts out a healthy 285kW (382hp). xDrive is BMWs all-wheel drive system. So far, so normal. The kicker is the Touring moniker: this means its an estate as opposed to a small sedan. And that makes all the difference for the Australian market. The reality is that estate cars, shooting brakes and station wagons just dont sell in Australia like they used to, or like they still do in other parts of the world. Weve got too much of an appetite for SUVs, and so BMW doesnt see the business case for bringing their most exciting car down under. Its a shame because estate cars offer the perfect combination of performance and practicality. An SUV might beat a wagon for ride height and comfort but it will never beat them for driving dynamics even monsters like the Lamborghini Urus cannot beat an estate car like the M340i xDrive Touring for sheer automotive pleasure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Moorhouse (@ajmooseman) on Jun 18, 2020 at 9:21am PDT Weve grown too Americanised, in both preference, intellect and physique. You want to know a sad truth about why SUVs, crossovers and hatchbacks are so popular both here and in the United States? Because theyre easier to get in and out of than a sedan or coupe. Thats right: maybe weve just grown too portly The Americans would at least would complain about it, but were not even up to that. This is why we cant have nice things. Europeans and Kiwis have no qualms about stepping into an estate, however, and therefore get access to beauties like this 3 Series. Its a poor reflection on Australian automotive tastes that even tiny New Zealand is a more profitable market for these kinds of cars than Australia. Australians need to be more adventurous. Stop ordering boring car colours, stop buying boring cars and start exercising, so that the car companies bring the cool stuff over here. If you want in on the big boot action, all hope is not lost, however. Check out this rare Audi RS4 Avant estate selling in Melbourne. Read Next Growing up in Glenmont in the 80s and 90s, Chinese-American filmmaker Sue Ding didnt run across too many folks who looked like her in books, in movies, in television. Sure, there were Asian-American characters here and there. But they werent fleshed out. They usually werent more than an amalgam of cliches. They werent real. Then, one day, she met Claudia Kishi. I first encountered the Baby-Sitters Club books and the character of Claudia in elementary school, you know at the Scholastic book fair, said Ding, recalling Ann M. Martins colossally popular series of novels tracking a tight group of gal pals in Connecticut. I read the first couple pages. Who is this really cool Asian-American character you know, who is bad at school? Like, what is this? And is artistic, and is fashionable? So began Dings fascination with Claudia, a decades-long love now culminating in her new film on Netflix: The Claudia Kishi Club, a 17-minute documentary short featuring interviews with Asian-American creatives citing their connection with the smart, artsy, quirky Claudia and the affirmation they found in her portrayal. Produced and directed by Ding, The Claudia Kishi Club streams on Netflix along with The Baby-Sitters Club the platforms reboot of the 1990 HBO series. In the new show, Claudia (played by Momona Tamada) is as Claudia always was: an interesting and popular kid who, oh, by the way, just happens to be Japanese-American. As a US-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, Ding related to her from the start. I would read tons and tons of books, but I rarely encountered characters of color, she said on the phone from Los Angeles. And you know, even when there were characters of color even if they werent kind of, like, bad stereotypes they were often tokenized. They were often sidekicks. Kind of background characters. Then along came Claudia, offbeat and confident, always stashing candy, making art, rocking her own fashion and contrary to stereotype doing not so great in the classroom. She was bubbling in the background as Ding went through Bethlehem Central High School, worked a summer internship at Albany Institute of History and Art, graduated from Brown and earned a masters in media studies at M.I.T. It was sometime in the early 2010s, she thinks, when she began to notice Baby-Sitters memes and tributes all over the blogosphere and social media. She saw breakdowns of Claudia fashion, BuzzFeed quizzes, things like that, she said. I think it was just millennials coming of age and really, you know, being nostalgic and becoming excited about the media that had been really important to them growing up. But I also noticed, within that world, a lot of Asian-American women specifically talking about Claudia as this really important character and role model for them and up until that point, I hadnt realized how many people had very similar experiences to me. And that got her thinking. Thats where the seed of the documentary really came from. . . Not just celebrating my love for the character, but approaching that through the lens of Asian-American creators who grew up with the character and, ultimately, felt inspired by her. Featured in the film are interviews with artists from varied disciplines talking about Claudias impact on their psyches and careers. Finding her was affirming, they say. Reassuring. For graphic novelist Gale Galligan, the artist behind recent books in the Baby-Sitters Club Graphix series, the character helped her feel that theres not one way to be an Asian person. I can just be me, and thats fine. Without such representation, says YA author C.B. Lee, You perceive the world as a world without you in it. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Dings film bounces nimbly from interviewee to interviewee, folding in fun, stop-motion segments with drawings and collages. She shot those herself I did all of it on my living-room floor and did much of the editing, too. Normally when youre editing a film, youre just on the computer, you know, she said. And a big part of my production on this was going to Michaels in the morning and getting glitter glue . . . I felt it was a very Claudia approach to it. Funded with a $17,000 Kickstarter campaign, the very scrappy indie project made it into the SXSW Film Festival. After the pandemic hit, the festival canceled its in-person events but streamed the movies online. Someone at Netflix saw The Claudia Kishi Club and reached out to acquire it. Ding hopes a range of viewers will see the film and respond to its message. Of the target audience, she said, I think its beyond Asian-American people. Its for anyone whos self-empowered by a meaningful character who theyve encountered whos ever wanted to see themselves represented and empowered by that. She also hopes the film drives home the need for diversity across pop culture and more equitable representation in front of and behind the camera including those with the money and power to fund new productions. We need people telling their stories, she said. All of that, Ding said, is important moving forward. And all of it underscores her 17-minute love letter to a bright, lively, creative, boldly eccentric kid who showed a generation of Asian-Americans theyre not alone and showed everyone who watched, no matter their background, that they can be who they are. Shes just out there, living her best life. And you think her outfit is weird?, the filmmaker said. She just doesnt care. Before the board of education approves the final budget, we will have been operating school for a month, Grossi said. Well know what type of model is being used, well have a better idea of how expenses are and have more information from the state of Illinois and our auditors. The numbers will change, but Im very comfortable about how far along we are in the process. TRANSFER TO EURONEXT PARIS First listing of shares on Euronext Paris on July 23, 2020 Group Management Board changes as the next development phase begins Transfer to Euronext Paris and timetable Today, Solutions 30 SE (Solutions 30) announced that it has made available the prospectus approved by the CSSF on July 17, 2020 in preparation for the admission of Solutions 30 shares on the regulated market Euronext Paris of Euronext via a direct listing. The group's market capitalization was 1.4 billion Euros at July 17, 2020, which enables Solutions 30 to be listed in compartment A of Euronext Paris. The percentage of its share capital held by the public (free float) represented 76.4%. Solutions 30 shares will be delisted from Euronext Growth on July 22, 2020, after market close. Equity trading will begin on Euronext Paris on July 23, 2020. Following this transfer, the ISIN code (FR0013379484) will remain unchanged, but the ticker will become S30. The prospectus can be consulted on Solutions 30 website, under the heading "Financial Reports and Documents." A history of strong, profitable growth Since its creation in 2003 and its first listing on Marche Libre (now Euronext Access) in 2005, Solutions 30 has experienced rapid development, combining organic and external growth. The group Solutions 30 is now the European leader in rapid-response multi-technology services. Its business model has proven its strength and its ability to support a strong, profitable growth trajectory driven by two major structural trends: the rise of the digital economy and the energy transition. Solutions 30's success is based on a unique proprietary technology platform, a veritable driver of efficiency that optimizes the 60,000 call-outs carried out daily by 10,000 technicians in Europe on behalf of a portfolio of reputable, loyal customers. With 682 million in revenue in 2019 and more than 6,300 employees, the group has more than quintupled in size in four years and its market capitalization reflects this dynamic growth. The transfer of Solutions 30 shares to the Euronext Paris regulated market goes hand in hand with this change in size and opens a new chapter in the group's history. Change in the Group Management Board With the evolution of the group's structure, the Group Management Board changes. Luc Brusselaers, Chief Revenue Officer, will join the Group Management Board. Franck D'Aloia will become the Chief Operations Officer in charge of transformation, and Joao Martinho has been appointed Chief Operations Officer in charge of performance, while Karim Rachedi, the current Chief Operations Officer, will take a step back. The Group Management Board will continue to consist of five members: Gianbeppi Fortis , Chief Executive Officer, continues to guide the group's strategy. , Chief Executive Officer, continues to guide the group's strategy. Amaury Boilot , Chief Financial Officer, continues to oversee administrative and financial matters for the group. , Chief Financial Officer, continues to oversee administrative and financial matters for the group. Luc Brusselaers , Chief Revenue Officer, coordinates the Solutions 30 group's sales force to maximize synergies, standardize processes, and grow sales across Europe. , Chief Revenue Officer, coordinates the Solutions 30 group's sales force to maximize synergies, standardize processes, and grow sales across Europe. Franck D'Aloia , Chief Operations Officer in charge of transformation, oversees the integration of acquired companies and supervises changes to the group's organization and processes. , Chief Operations Officer in charge of transformation, oversees the integration of acquired companies and supervises changes to the group's organization and processes. Joao Martinho, Chief Operations Officer in charge of performance, runs day-to-day operations, ensuring the efficiency of the organization and customer satisfaction. The division of operations into two roles with a consolidated role for sales reflects a development strategy seeking a balance between organic and external growth, with the twofold goal of increasing market share and the portion of revenue that comes from recurring activities (63% of Solutions 30 group revenue at the end of 2019). The Group Management Board relies on a Group Executive Committee to handle group-wide functions and on Country Executive Committees to manage each country. Under the new organizational structure, Karim Rachedi will continue to work with Solutions 30 as a consultant for the Group Management Board, especially for start-up phases in new markets, as he has very successfully done in the past. "I have devoted the last 16 years to Solutions 30. It has been a very demanding adventure, one that has asked a lot of me but also filled me with passion. I am, and will remain, someone who feels most at home in the field, so I am very happy to hand over operational control of the group to Joao and Franck. They understand the company fully and have effectively managed it through a period of strong growth but also one that includes the sudden crisis related to the Covid-19 pandemic. For my part, I expect to remain involved with the group, helping it to enter new markets and continue growing. That's what I know and like to do," emphasized Karim Rachedi. Gianbeppi Fortis, Chief Executive Officer, stated in conclusion, "Our group is ready to join the regulated market of Euronext Paris, with a balanced, solid organization and the new skills it needs to both provide more structure and maintain the agility and entrepreneurial spirit that are its strength. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Karim. I know that I can count on him to continue sharing his experience with the teams. The transfer to Euronext Paris sets the group on an ambitious path of development and reaffirms our objectives of achieving virtuous, sustainable growth. I am very pleased to welcome Luc to the Group Management Board to help us achieve these goals. His experience is valuable to us, and over the last year, he has done a remarkable job improving the structure of the group's sales and marketing. More and more with each passing day, our teams show their unfailing commitment and involvement on a daily basis, even in a particularly demanding context. Together, we are ready to face new challenges and to lead the group towards the goal of a billion euros in revenue. Our markets have demonstrated great resilience and are making a very dynamic comeback after two months of crisis. Today, Solutions 30 is stronger and ready to pursue a development strategy that is both highly ambitious and also responsible towards all of our stakeholders." About Solutions 30 SE The Solutions 30 group is the European leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike. Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, it's digital technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world even more interconnected in real time. With more than 30 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a network of more than 10,000 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Iberian Peninsula, and Poland. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised. Solutions 30 SE is listed on Euronext Growth Contact Analysts/investors: Nathalie Boumendil | Tel: +33 Press: Samuel Beaupain | Tel: + 352 2 777 4210 | media.relations@solutions30.com Attachment The headline in the Texas Tribune read, Spurred on by Gov. Greg Abbotts coronavirus handling, Democratic strategists launch PAC to defeat him in 2020. The accompanying story was news, but its also a pretty serious leap. Sure, coronavirus has made Abbott an easy target for those on the left and the right, but we are getting ahead of ourselves if we think the governor isnt the prohibitive favorite to win his partys nomination and the ensuing general election in 2022. While Democrats should be pleased they finally have credible candidates considering a run for the states top office, there is a reason that neither of the Castro brothers has been willing to go public with a run for office. Even coronavirus hasnt provided that path. I have talked about Gov. Abbott in before and about those who have sought to pick fights with Texas most powerful politician. He certainly isnt getting the sympathy of being the man in charge of the most delicate situation to hit politics in my lifetime. Arrows are coming from both sides, and those wannabes are telling the governor what they believe he has done wrong. But few are saying what he should be doing instead. We have heard calls from prominent Republicans that the Legislature should be called into special session, yet nothing has led us to believe any solution would be credible and that a special session would be anything other than a serious waste of time. My hope is that those who want to spend a day or four years in Abbotts shoes come to the table with alternatives to the governors plan. If you believe the economy was opened too quickly, let us know how you would have handled the economic punches being felt by everyday Texans. If you believe his response to the education crisis has been deficient, tell Texans what you would have done differently. Are you going to tell parents they have no choices when it comes to their childrens academic achievement and their own well-being? Are you really going to tell private schools that they must follow certain rules? We get that it is easier to score political points by taking advantage of the frustrations of an electorate. We have even seen it locally when people campaign on whats wrong with little idea about how they would make it right. We have confidence in Texas voters who will demand more than finger-pointing and unrealistic expectations from those sitting very comfortably on the sidelines. They will want answers, and those who are really paying attention will see Pollyanna doesnt apply here. It is right to question leadership and proper to demand answers, but it is entirely irresponsible to make reckless accusations and suggest solutions exist without going into detail. Texans deserve better. Advertisement Astronomers have published the largest and most complete 3D map of the Universe ever created. It includes more than four million individual galaxies and ultra-bright quasars and is the result of two decades of research from an international team of researchers. The map provides an accurate look at the scale and expansion of the universe from shortly after the Big Bang onwards. Pictured, the SDSS map. It is colour-coded to represent different types of galaxies and how they were spotted. The key for colours and galaxy type is in the bottom left. The images on the right are examples of each type of galaxy seen Pictured, a still image taken from the animation released by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). It shows a map of the universe in expansion Will Percival of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, who was involved in the project, said it yields a 'complete story of the expansion of the universe'. The map relies on the latest observations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), titled the 'extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey' (eBOSS). Data was collected over six years from an optical telescope in New Mexico. Lots is known about the earliest portion of the universe's life as many researchers have studied the Big Bang. However, there has always been a gap in knowledge in the middle portion of the universe's existence, lasting around 11 billion years. Kyle Dawson of the University of Utah said the map was partly created in an attempt to tackle this 'troublesome gap'. Pictured, a shot from the animation showing the location of the Sun and our Solar System in the Milky Way. The presence of the Milky Way made some portions of the Universe unobservable and left black swathes By observing the size and scale of the universe by identifying more than four million distinct galaxies, it also allows researchers to paint a chronological image of the universe/ The further away a galaxy is, the older it is Will Percival of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, who was involved in the project, said it yields a 'complete story of the expansion of the universe', spanning from our closest celestial neighbours (pictured) to the most distant galaxies Einstein's Theory of Relativity is proved right again Observations of a pulsar and white dwarf orbiting another star helped astronomers prove a cornerstone of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity right - again. Researchers from the University of Manchester found that the pulsar - a type of neutron star - and a white dwarf accelerated to another star at the same pace. This is the strong equivalence principle - it says any two objects in the same gravitational field will fall with the same acceleration regardless of their mass. There was speculation that this wouldn't apply in particularly extreme environments, such as those of pulsars - a type of neutron star, but this study proves it holds true. It's also known as freefall and this is the second time the theory has been shown to be accurate - the first was from observations of a star orbiting a black hole. Advertisement Through 'five years of continuous observations, we have worked to fill in that gap, and we are using that information to provide some of the most substantial advances in cosmology in the last decade,' he said. Astrophysicist Jean-Paul Kneib of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, who initiated eBOSS in 2012, said the goal was to produce 'the most complete 3D map of the Universe throughout the lifetime of the Universe'. The map, published as a still image and also as a 3D animation, focues on four main categories of celestial objects. The first are galaxies near Earth, but to create the part of the map dating back up to six billion years, the team also studied large, red galaxies. Farther out, they used blue galaxies and finally, to map the Universe eleven billion years in the past and more, they used quasars. Quasars are super-bright galaxies lit up by material falling onto a central supermassive black hole. Dark swathes on the map are areas where the astronomers cannot see because observations were blocked by the Milky Way. But the map reveals that the expansion of the Universe began to accelerate at some point and has since continued to do so. The researchers said this seems to be due to the presence of dark energy, an invisible element that fits into Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity but whose origin is not yet understood. Astrophysicists have known for years that the Universe is expanding, but have been unable to measure the rate of expansion with precision. Comparisons of the eBOSS observations with previous studies of the early universe have revealed discrepancies in estimates of the rate of expansion. The currently accepted rate, called the 'Hubble constant', is ten per cent slower than the value calculated from the distances between the galaxies closest to us. Phone tapping is an assault on personal freedom and bringing down a democratically-elected government using money amounts to "treachery", the Shiv Sena said on Monday referring to the Rajasthan political crisis. It needs to be decided which one of this is a bigger crime, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, claiming the Rajasthan telephone tapping episode has exposed many. It said a lot of revelation will come to the fore in case someone hears secretly the conversations among Congress leaders and those (conversations) reach party leader Rahul Gandhi's ears, and claimed some people are hell-bent to not let the Wayanad MP work properly. This, in effect, hurts the entire opposition, the Shiv Sena said. Its comments came in the wake of the Centre seeking a report from Rajasthan chief secretary on allegations of phone tapping after two audio clips of conversations purportedly regarding a conspiracy to topple the states Congress government emerged. The FIR registered by Rajasthan Police's Anti-Corruption Bureau 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 Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday asked if the Congress government in the state resorted to unconstitutional methods to tap the phones of politicians, and demanded a CBI probe into what it called a saga of illegalities and concocted lies. Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots deputy Sachin Pilot rebelled. The Congress later removed Pilot as the deputy chief minister and also as the party's state unit head. "Phone tapping is an offence and assault on personal freedom. It is treachery to bring down a democratically-elected government using money. Hence, it needs to be decided which one is a bigger crime, the Shiv Sena said. "The deal which was on between the BJP and Sachin Pilot was to the extreme of exchanging money. That means it was decided that the Rajasthan government would be brought down by offering money and purchasing majority engaging in horse trading," it alleged. "Chief Minister Gehlot exposed that Sachin Pilot's rebellion against injustice was a lie (not genuine) and for that, brought to light the phone conversation between Pilot and BJP leaders. It is shocking and equally sensational," it further said. "The central powers pressure and money was used to bring down the Gehlot government," the Shiv Sena charged, adding that the Congress foiled it. It further said phone tapping is an assault on ones personal freedom and the Centre ordering a probe into the episode was right. "Now the question is what was the emergency in the country or the state that led to the Gehlot government hearing the conversations? Activities were on in Rajasthan to bring down a majority government and MLAs were being bought at increasing prices, the Shiv Sena alleged. Pilot's rebellion was driven more by money than morality. This is nothing but corruption and the Gehlot government has registered an offence against Union minister Shekhawat based on evidence, it said. The BJP is not ready to speak about the serious offences and allegations against Shekhawat, it further said. Why those who are seeking President's rule in Rajasthan have not made Shekhawat resign? First make Shekhawat resign, atone for poaching of MLAs and then point a finger towards the Gehlot government, the Shiv Sena said. It said phone tapping is not limited to Rajasthan only. Allegations are being made about shadows of invisible Emergency hovering over the country, it said. "Games are being played these days to debilitate opponents politically, socially and mentally by dislodging them from their governments (in the states), it claimed. The Shiv Sena, which formed government in Maharashtra with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress last year, alleged that the dramatic events, unfolding before the Maha Vikas Aghadi regime was established in the state, were tinged with phone tapping of leaders of the three parties. It also said disputes within the Congress are unending and are raked up by certain people, as if to not let Rahul Gandhi succeed. The Congress lost power in Madhya Pradesh out of such disputes, while the Rajasthan government has been saved for the moment, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. The Rajasthan phone tapping episode has exposed many. But a lot of revelation will come to the fore if someone hears secretly conversation among Congress leaders and takes it (conversation) to Gandhi. Some people have been hell-bent on not letting Gandhi work properly. This is hurting the entire Opposition, it said. Rising tensions spark more China-US clash speculation Global Times By Chen Qingqing and Cao Siqi Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/20 0:03:40 As China-US relations continue fraying amid escalating tensions on a series of topics including Hong Kong, the South China Sea, Huawei and Xinjiang, there have been speculations on whether a hot war between the two major powers is looming. Viewing China as a Cold War-styled rival and hyping extreme anti-China rhetoric are tactics of certain American policy hawks aiming to manipulate public opinion and pursuing elections result, some Chinese observers said. In his latest phone interview, US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said his top priority since he became secretary was to implement the National Defense Strategy, and China is major problem for the US, according to an official statement released on the website of the US Department of Defense. . "We're in an era of great power competition and that means that our top strategic competitors are China, then Russia," Esper said, noting that China is becoming a bigger problem as it has the population and economic power to displace the US. The US official also described the Communist Party of China (CPC), not a rising China itself, as a concern to US politicians, claiming it comprises of a long-term challenge and threat to the Western world. The two countries, first engaged in trade disputes two years ago, have been witnessing growing confrontations on more aspects including high-tech, diplomacy, people-to-people ties and ideology. When both sides are pondering whether the two countries are edging closer to a new cold war, or even a complete decoupling, such thinking is dangerous and makes the world nervous, as other countries can't easily choose a side between two different power blocs in a highly integrated world, like what they had been forced to do during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, according to some Chinese observers. An all-time low Facing constant verbal attacks, reckless smear campaigns and even rumors on China-related topics, from some senior US politicians and major US media outlets, Chinese officials and observers agreed that China-US relations are at an all-time low. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the US' America First policy, pushing egoism, unilateralism, bullying to the extreme, which is not how a big power is supposed to behave, in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday. The US has lost its mind, moral ground and credibility as it constantly shifts responsibility to others, launches smear campaigns amid the coronavirus outbreak and incites trouble leading to confrontations in international relations, Wang was quoted as saying in a statement on the ministry's website on Saturday. The possible ban considered by the White House on CPC members and their families from traveling to the US is seen as a paranoid and McCarthyist move driven by ideological bias, which reminds the public of ideological confrontation that split the world in the Cold War era. A growing number of negative views among some politicians towards China, which are essentially expressed regarding security concerns about China, actually constitute a serious regression in its mentality, Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, told the Global Times on Friday. "It reminds me very much of the Cold War. In fact, such thinking is Cold War thinking: China is the evil enemy and it has to be rejected," Jacques said, noting that they reduced China only to a communist regime but the whole of Chinese history gets lost in the process, so they have no understanding whatsoever of China. Still, such political and ideological bias doesn't represent the overall Western view of China, especially when the White House is now packed with anti-China American hawks such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is notorious to the Chinese public for his relentless and disgraceful attacks on topics ranging from the South China Sea to Xinjiang and Hong Kong. "The harsh anti-China rhetoric of some US politicians, which is trying to instigate a new cold war, won't be accepted by rest of the world... and the world won't go back to the old days," Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, In addition, social inequality and related divergences have been deepened in the US due to its completely chaotic response to the coronavirus outbreak, and such a America in decline is becoming too fragile to initiate a new cold war against other countries, which is just unrealistic, the professor noted. "But some politicians, particularly those in GOP facing elections, have gone too far in this game, as they won't give up on hijacking public opinion for the upcoming election," he said. New cold war 'unlikely' "These key US government departments jointly voicing their opinions shows that the US treats China as its primary opponent and is launching a comprehensive containment strategy against it with the signs becoming increasingly obvious, the tactics becoming more and more diverse, and the force becoming stronger and stronger," Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Sunday. However, Xin believes that a new cold war will not emerge between China and the US because China has never intended to challenge or replace the US, and has no intention of confronting the US in a comprehensive manner. Recently, some Western media outlets have been dedicated to hyping up China-US competition, suggesting that a new cold war between the two powers is looming, and even a hot war is possible as the US has thrown down the gauntlet to China on several occasions. "Such suggestions are misleading," Xin said, noting that the cold war refers to the fierce rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union and participation was mutual. Unlike the US, China has never wanted a repeat of the Cold War and always showed clear restraint in its attitude and cautiousness in strategy. Meanwhile, during the Cold War, the two camps had been formed and were antagonistic to each other. The situation is different from today's global context, Xin pointed out. "Some people in the US are still immersed in the memories of the Cold War and seek to win it again. However, they fail to realize that their fantasies will not fool the people in the world and the tide of the globalization will not allow them to push the humanity back into the Cold War era," Xin said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israels government ratified July 19 the East-Med pipeline agreement, which was signed last January with the governments of Cyprus and Greece. The three countries have agreed to advance a project of a pipeline that would transport natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. According to the projects outline, the 1,900-kilometer (1,180-mile) undersea pipeline would be able to transfer up to 12 billion cubic meters a year from offshore gas reserves between Israel and Cyprus to Greece, and then onto other countries in southeast Europe. Italy is expected to be the first entry point to the continent. The project aims at providing around 10% of the European Unions natural gas needs, thus diminishing the continents energetic dependence on Russia. In 2009, drillings offshore located a significant gas find named Tamar. A year later, more gas was discovered in another undersea location named Leviathan. While some of the gas is expected to be sold to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, the East-Med pipeline should offer Israel the possibility of moving significant gas quantities to Europe. The country aspires to launch the pipeline in five to six years, with the hope that energy prices will go up again by then, after the coronavirus-induced crash. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has been spearheading the project practically since its inception. His ministry says that pre-studies of the project indicate good technical, economic and financial feasibility. It also estimates that once the coronavirus pandemic is over, energy prices will stabilize anew. For Israel, the construction of the pipeline could offer great economic advantage, on top of security benefits and a strong alliance with the partnering countries. Upon the signature of the agreement in January, Turkeys Foreign Ministry slammed the deal, calling it "a new example of futile steps in the region that try to exclude our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." Tensions over the project have grown even further in the last few months, over Turkeys own exploration in the area and a deal it signed with Libya, delimitating maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. On June 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara with Libyas UN-supported Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Erdogan said on that occasion that his country would step up its cooperation with the Libyan government, to drill for natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean. A day later, EU spokesman Peter Stano reiterated European support of the project, saying that the pipeline is a Project of Common Interest under the 4th Union List and the related feasibility study receives EU funds. Israel has been careful not to react publicly to Turkeys statements on the issue, or provoking Erdogan in any way on his conflict with Greece and Cyprus. Jerusalem must now focus on getting Italy on board, for the project to be indeed feasible. Still, even before the launching of the pipeline construction, Israel already registered some security and strategic achievements. On June 16, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was the first leader to arrive to the country since the pandemic began. Showcasing again bilateral ties, the Greek parliament ratified July 7 an agreement with Israel for the procurement of defense equipment and services, in what is considered further strengthening of ties between the two energy allies. More so, Greek Ambassador to Israel Panagiotis Sarris welcomed the July 19 ratification, throwing also in a warning to Turkey over its objection to the project. The East-Med pipeline turns energy into a catalyst for regional cooperation and stability, for the benefit of all. We want Turkey as an equal partner and not as the neighborhood bully, but this is currently proving difficult, Sarris said. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover resulted in a surplus of $1.5 billion in January-May 2020, the State Statistics Committee has reported. According to the report, in January- May 2020, legal entities and individuals in Azerbaijan carried out trade operations with partners across 166 countries. Products were exported to 98 countries and imported from 155 countries. During the reporting period, the countrys foreign trade turnover amounted to $9.8 billion. Out of which, the value of exported products amounted to $5.8 million, or 57.7 percent, and the value of imported products amounted to $4.2 million, of the trade turnover. Thus, the surplus amounted to 41.5 million. Moreover, foreign trade turnover decreased by 30.1 percent in actual prices and by 19 percent in real terms, including imports by 42.7 percent and exports by 2.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, during the reporting period, exports of non-oil gas products decreased by 8.9 percent in actual prices and by 14.5 percent in real terms, compared to the same period last year, and amounted to $721.5 million. 34.8 percent of exports accounts to Italy, 17.9 percent to Turkey, 4.5 percent to Israel, 4.1 percent to India, 4 percent to Russia, 3.5 percent to Greece, 3 percent to Croatia and Ukraine, 2.8 percent to Georgia, 2.7 percent to China, 2.3 percent to Czech Republic, 2 percent to Tunisia, 1.9 percent to Portugal, 1.6 percent to Germany and Vietnam, and 10.3 percent for other countries. Likewise, exports of non-oil and gas products fell to Russia (37.6 percent), Turkey (20 percent), Switzerland (9.9 percent), Georgia (9.8 percent), China (3.3 percent), Italy (2.5 percent), Ukraine (2.4 percent), Kazakhstan (1.7 percent), Iran (1.2 percent), USA (1.1 percent), Belarus (1 percent), Germany (1 percent), and Turkmenistan (1 percent). 18.5 percent of the total value of imported goods account to Russia, 14.7 percent to Turkey, 13 percent to China, 8.6 percent to the United States, 5.3 percent to Germany, 4.3 percent to Ukraine, 4.1 percent to Italy, 2.8 percent to Iran, 2.6 percent to the United Kingdom, 1.9 percent to Japan, 1.7 percent to Korea, 1.6 percent to France and 20.9 percent to other countries. Additionally, in January- May 2020, exports of potatoes decreased by 7.7 percent, fruit and vegetable juices - by 5.1 percent, vegetable oils - 1.9 times, tea 7.5 times, canned fruits and vegetables - 1.1 percent, margarine and other food additives - 1.7 times, polyethylene - 42.2 percent, ferrous metal pipes - 1.7 times, export of fresh vegetables - 1.8 times, fresh fruits - 33.3 percent, sugar - 12.7 percent, tobacco - 25.9 percent, natural grape wines and grape juice - 49.3 percent, cotton fiber - 26.6 percent, cotton yarn - 18.8 percent, untreated aluminum - 15.9 percent, bentonite clay - 5.2 percent, compared to the same period of 2019. Compared to the same period last year, in January- May 2020, imports of fresh fruits decreased by 15.9 percent, vegetable oils - 23.8 percent, butter and other dairy oils and pastes - 32.5 percent, tea - 5.2 percent, beef - 35.2 percent, poultry and its by-products - 4.5 percent, fresh vegetables - 25.2 percent, cars - 30 percent, medicines - 1.7 times, rolled steel - 29.4 percent, rods from ferrous metals - 48.3 percent, mineral fertilizers - 2.1 percent, computers, units and devices - 26,5 percent, ferrous metal corners - 2.3 percent, buses - 1.4 percent, household refrigerators - 39.1 percent, cement and cement clinkers - 1.5 percent, import of wheat - 38 percent, sugar - 6.5 percent, potatoes - 0.6 percent, cigarettes - 79,2 percent, ferrous metals - 7.7 percent, rubber tyres - 17.5 percent, furniture - 21.2 percent, trucks - 12.6 percent, polyethylene - 14.3 percent, household air conditioners - 35.1 percent, washing machines - 7.3 percent. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 20 Years of being passionate performers- It has been an incredible ride. Radixweb carries open and multidimensional perspectives, necessary to solve the worlds greater business challenges. Transform to outperform with us, said Dharmesh Acharya, COO, Radixweb. Radixweb, a global leader in IT strategy and consulting, custom software development and enterprise solutions, marks 20 years of its Purpose, Pride and Perseverance. The company makes the celebrations double as Radixweb has recently named as the Best of the Best forward-thinking companies on the 2020 Global Outsourcing 100 list by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) - https://www.iaop.org/Content/25/195/5148. Kudos to our able technologists who have tirelessly transformed businesses and communities over the last two decades! Radixweb has a decade-long uninterrupted track record of being innovation-led, which is instrumental in how we bring to reality the innovation journey of the businesses we work with., stated Divyesh Patel, CEO Radixweb. The recognition by IAOP is an affirmation that the solutions provided by Radixweb have had transformational impacts for its clients. 20 years of innovation is a terrific milestone, but this is just the beginning. We are proud to be named the Partner of choice by global leaders for two decades of delivering consecutive excellence, said Dharmesh Acharya, COO, Radixweb. Our goal at Radixweb is to make our clients more competitive in their industries through continuous innovation that accelerates growth at speed. Radixweb is laser-focused on helping its clients solve immediate business challenges and delivering breakthrough solutions at speed, using its combined expertise across strategy and consulting, industry, technology, and operations. The company is also focused on enabling the clients intelligent enterprise transformations to leverage business automation capabilities. Speaking on Radixwebs resilience, Pratik Mistry, Senior Business Head, stated, It lies within our DNA. Radixweb is committed to serving clients with integrity. The world will not return to the old normal quickly. We cannot remain unaffected, but the best we can do is to keep ourselves well prepared. In such an event of a disruption, we have been implementing the best practices, technologies, and solutions that effectively maintain business continuity for our people and clients. The company has been centered on assisting the clients even during a global pandemic. Enabling a 100% remote working for its employees, Radixweb has ensured that the clients concerns are duly addressed even while being physically absent from the workspace. And this sincerity is not sporadic as Radixweb inculcates the same core value in every project they undertake. We are more than ready to help global business reopen, recover, and stabilize faster. Our expertise in business, technology, and industry to use advanced technology helps businesses reduce cost and risk, achieve compliance, accelerate speed to market, and create new revenue streams to enable intelligent enterprise transformations, Pratik added. We are the Partners of choice to help businesses accelerate their journey to digital transformation. We deliver sustained value for clients that make a difference in the real world. Radixweb has been investing to accelerate intelligent solutions, enhance customer experience portfolio, and build software systems that elevate digital customer experiences, stated Varix Patel, Operation Head, Radixweb. Radixweb congratulates its people, partners, and clients for 20 years of adapt, achieve and grow. It is preparing to build the next two decades of innovation together. About Radixweb Radixweb is a trusted partner of choice for crafting custom software development and software outsourcing services for worlds leading organizations. Combining deep domain expertise, unmatched experience and specialized skills, it serves across 25 countries to over 2900+ SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Achieving trust through outsourcing, Radixweb enables rapid response to changing market and technology needs. For more information, visit https://radixweb.com/ Trump expressed his understanding of the concerns related to the negative ramifications of the Libyan crisis, praising the Egyptian efforts that enhance the path of the political process in Libya Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed the latest developments concerning the crisis in Libya and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in a phone call on Monday, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said. El-Sisi reviewed Egypt's steadfast and strategic stance towards the Libyan cause that aims at restoring the state's pillars, preserving its national institutions, and avoiding further deterioration of the security situation through undermining illegal foreign interference, the statement added. It only added more complication and escalation to the issue until its repercussions have come to affect the entire regional security and stability, El-Sisi described the illegal foreign interference during the phone call with his American counterpart. Trump expressed his understanding of the concerns related to the negative ramifications of the Libyan crisis, praising the Egyptian efforts that enhance the path of the political process in Libya, according to Rady. Turkey has recently transferred thousands of Syrian Jihadis and mercenaries into Libya to back the Government of National Accord (GNA) in its war against the Libyan National Army (LNA). In June, El-Sisi warned that Cairo has a legitimate right to intervene in the war-torn neighbouring country, describing Sirte -- which is located around 900 kilometres from the Egyptian border -- as a "red line" for Egypt. He also said any intervention by Egypt would mainly be aimed at protecting Egypts western border, achieving a ceasefire, and restoring stability and peace in Libya. The Egyptian presidential spokesman said that Monday's phone call tackled the current developments of the GERD and other matters related to the strategic bilateral relations between the two countries. The latest round of negotiations between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa saw no resolution of differences on major issues of contention over the hydropower project, which has been under construction on the Blue Nile since 2011. The round was mediated by the African Union and observed by representatives from the US, the EU and South Africa, the current president of the AU. The decade-long disputes over the GERD are set to be tabled during a mini-African summit on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. In my last column, I wrote that the European Union (EU) has been leading the way in data privacy, China in censoring and surveilling citizens, and America in having legislative hearings to determine how much US Big Tech can get away with. Last week, Mint reported that the European Unions top court struck down a key method called Privacy Shield, used by Facebook Inc. and other companies to transfer data across the Atlantic, amid fears over potential surveillance by the United States. With impeccable comedic timing, news simultaneously leaked out that US President Donald Trump has secretly given the Central Intelligence Agency more powers to launch cyberattacks against countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. This could include other nations as well, at least according to a former US government official quoted in the news report here. The scrapping of Privacy Shield means that over 5,000 businesses that ship useful European data to the US will have their activities in disarray. They will have to structure a new arrangement for such data to continue to flow. It is worthwhile to note that Privacy Shield was itself put together after the earlier arrangement called Safe Harbor was struck down by the same court for the same reasons in 2015. As long as computing clouds" were small, such free data transfers by companies between nation states they operated in did not pose a threat. No one noticed until leaks by Edward Snowden revealed widespread cyber spying by Americas spooks. It was only after those 2013 leaks did individual governments start to understand the relevance of such data infrastructure to their security and data economies. The original Safe Harbor for trade in EU-US data was itself a result of increased EU activism after Snowdens revelations. Enough has been written and said about Indias decision to ban 59 Chinese apps that were collecting data from Indians to train Chinese Big Techs algorithms. People have poked fun at this decision on social media platforms. Yet, the truth is that the Indian governments decision is brilliant. If the ban stands, it will have a significant negative impact on the speed at which Chinese Big Tech is catching up with US Big Tech. Indian digital data is very valuable to both US and Chinese Big Techand, of course, to home-grown data giants such as Reliances Jio Platforms. Speaking of data generation and collection, the fact that many builders of data algorithms are still very dependent on manual labour is not something that Big Tech likes to admit. I have written before of the tribulations faced by human beings who act as filters and have to pore over horrific videos to keep them off social media sites such as Facebook. But manual labour in the digital space does not stop with real-time censors. All sorts of artificial intelligence algorithms, such as those needed for self-driving cars, need to be trained by humans who can exercise judgement to label pictures. Manual processes are also needed for, say, exceptional cases of mundane matters such as invoices that automation vendors offerings are unable to deal with. The Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, which should by now have been automated out of existence, is still alive due to this. In fact, BPO still thrives because it has used the automation of lesser tasks to pivot into tasks that are less repetitive and therefore less amenable to automation. Countries such as those of the European bloc, the US, Russia, China, India and several others are all likely to respond with uncoordinated national moves around data protection. This has not escaped the attention of international associations. For instance, last July, the Osaka track" was formed after the G-20 met in Osaka, Japan, to thrash out global rules that could govern data traffic in a way that would allow the free flow of data with trust"whatever that means. In my opinion, it is unlikely that in the post-covid scenario, nations will arrive at a coordinated plan on how to handle data. It is even less likely that they would follow the rules, even allowing for a fairy-tale scenario that they could actually create a coordinated set of data tenets to live by. It is more likely that we will see a greater wave of nationalism over each countrys data throw-off" from its citizens. Data is now synonymous with national interest, and we will see a protectionist environment in the short to medium term. This does not bode well for global trade. The 5,000-plus firms that are dependent on the shipping of data from the EU to the United States might find a workable solution to the problem that the EU courts 16 July decision has created for them. But there is nothing to stop the same court from dismantling the new agreement in future. Meanwhile, China began censoring what its citizens can read, see and hear on the web and shut down data flows from that country long before Snowdens 2013 expose. In hindsight, Chinas censors now look like expert long-range economic planners. After some years of protracted negotiations between data trading blocs and nations, we might see the equivalent of the World Trade Organization, which was set up for the trade of goods, come into being for the information age. Until then, we may have to live with the lowest common denominator of tit for tat. Siddharth Pai is founder of Siana Capital, a venture fund management company focused on deep science and tech in India Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. When I was 8, I learned that families werent supposed to eat in front of the TV. Meal times are for talking to each other, not for staring at that box, said Jenni-Lynns mom, who babysat for me when my parents worked late. I had asked if I could watch Mork and Mindy while eating my plate of Sloppy Joes. Thats not how we do things here, she said. My cheeks burned as I caught the exasperated look she exchanged with her husband before she sat me down at their long wooden table. But that was how we did things in my home. My parents, Chinese immigrants who moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, communicated to us that it was dinner time by blasting the Family Feud soundtrack from the kitchen TV. As Richard Dawson smooched the ladies, Mom set the table. Dad slumped in his chair, grumpy from the 12-hour days he spent folding other peoples underwear and towels. By the first question, we were slurping soup and reaching across the table with our chopsticks. By the second question, we were playing along. Sometimes we joked about the matching outfits wed wear on the show. Other times, my sister and I used our awkward Chinglish to translate phrases like name the most macho guy in Hollywood. Dad insisted that if we ever made it onto the show, one of his daughters must play the head of household role. Iran continues cement exports to Afghanistan 20 July 2020 A total of 54,000t of cement have been exported to Afghanistan from Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, since the start of the Iranian year on 20 March. The cement was transported by 2,056 trucks through the Milak border crossing, said Ayoub Kord, head of the Roads and Urban Development Organisation of Sistan and Baluchestan province. Published under Beyond the Evil and On to the Good: Joseph, Nektarios and Us A woman aged in her 80s is the latest person to die in Victoria of COVID-19, as the state recorded another 275 new cases. Of the cases, about about 30 are linked to known outbreaks and the remainder are being investigated, Premier Daniel Andrews said. The woman's death takes the state's toll to 39. More than 26,000 tests were conducted yesterday. There are 147 people in hospital with COVID-19, 17 more than yesterday, and 31 in intensive care, three more than yesterday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the newest member of an exclusive club of nations to send a spacecraft to Mars when it successfully launched the Hope Probe from Japan on Monday. The Mitsubishi-built H2A rocket blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan to push the probe out of Earth's orbit. The launch comes on the back of six years of planning and development as the rockets propelled the probe towards Mars in a bid to map the atmospheric changes on the Red Planet. "Congrats to the team that worked on the Hope Mars Mission. Its truly amazing what ... Yves here. Coronavirus is testing all of our formal and informal systems, and too many are being found wanting. One is the EU. Even though EU nations as a whole did a vastly better job of getting on top of coronavirus than the US and UK, despite Italy being an early train wreck, the EU is blowing its performance with the disease via its austerity fixation fatally undermining their responses to the regional and global economic impact. The EU had the chance in the wake of the crisis to implement meaningful reforms but instead resorted to a combination of band-aids and financial gimmickry. Notice how as Varoufakis points out, this picture is grim on its own terms. His assessment does not include additional deflationary pressures from Brexit and the US, the world consumer of the last resort, having a second Covid-19 downdraft from its weakened position. And let us remind readers that the downside is not just more contraction, more shredding of social safety nets, more hardship for low and middle income households, and more public strife, as bad as all those are. The Italian banking system is at risk of collapse. Were that to happen, it has high odds of being a Creditanstalt-level dislocation. By Yanis Varoufakis. Originally published at his website While the media are reporting the news of the deadlocked EU Summit negotiations over the so-called Recovery Fund, an eerie silence prevails regarding the Elephant in the Room: The huge wave of austerity the Eurozone is sleepwalking towards. Lets look at the facts. Even if the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Rutte, and the rest of the frugal four, were to remove their objections to the Recovery Funds terms and conditions, the net fiscal effect across the Eurozone will be no more than 1% annually for three years. Now, let us turn to the Elephant in the Room: the dreaded return of the obligation to balance government budgets, the infamous Fiscal Compact. According to the optimistic scenario of the European Commission, the Eurozones mean government budget in 2020 will be -8% of total Eurozone GDP . Of this, next year, the nascent steady-state recovery will remove, at best 4%, leaving the Eurozone, on average, with a -4% 2021 budget deficit. Moreover, as this is a mean, some countries (e.g. Italy and Greece) are facing, in 2021, a steady state budget deficit in excess of -8% (down from -15% in 2020). Which means that, to get back to balanced budgets, on average, the Eurozone will impose upon itself fiscal austerity of approximately 4% of its aggregate GDP, with countries like Italy and Greece facing an austerity nightmare in excess of 8% of their crushed GDP. If this were to be allowed to happen, the Recover Funds 1% annual fiscal boost will be countered by a 4% fiscal austerity wave. As Europe begins to recover from the pandemics disastrous effects, Brussels will be hitting our economies over the head with a sledgehammer. And yet, ultimate proof that the EUs establishment resembles the Bourbons (in that they forget nothing and learn nothing!), our great and good leaders refuse to discuss this ominous Elephant in the Room, choosing instead to invest hours in endless negotiations over the 1% fiscal boost and whether it should be reduced or how it will be managed. Regarding that, relatively insignificant (in macroeconomic terms), so-called Recovery Fund, lets take a quick look at what our leaders are fretting about. Five are the issues at stake. The first three sound important but it is only the last two that constitute truly burning issues. The three lesser issues are: The overall size of the package (to be financed by debt the EU Commission will take out from private debt markets on behalf of member-states) and the distribution of these monies between grants and loans. While it is true that loans are irrelevant (as member-states and EU companies are facing insolvency, not illiquidity), it is unlikely that this will be a major sticking point. The allocation of the monies between different countries. Here, I fear, the Dutch Prime Minister has a good point: It was silly for the Commission to specify how much money each country would get on backward looking metrics while not taking into account the (yet unknown) effects of the pandemic on the economies, and health systems, of member-states The voting mechanism by which payments will be authorised or blocked: Will Holland have veto power? Will Qualified Majority Voting be used to enable payments? Or to block them? (As we know, the default matters a great deal in decision making, private or collective) And now to the two, truly, burning issues: Conditionalities: The Dutch (and others hiding behind them, including I dare say Berlin) want pre-conditions for disbursement e.g. for the Italian government to legislate, e.g., pension cuts before it collects monies. As this is no less than the politically debilitating troika process that Greece and other countries know well, the demand for conditionalities is a blocking move (especially for Rome) by whomever insists on them. Rebates: One way of pacifying governments that do not want to be seen by their electorates to cave in to mutualisation (e.g. the Dutch PM), or which are not in the Eurozone and cannot see why they should be paying for its ill-design (e.g. Sweden), is to promise them rebates of the monies committed. However, this means that, to preserve the size of the Fund, countries like Germany, France and, yes, Italy, must fork out more. So, thats the state of play. Once more, all night negotiations in Brussels, in the midst of a crippling crisis, are focusing on the lesser issues and studiously avoid talking about the Elephant in the Room, that is Europes natural, and self-defeating, proclivity toward austerity for everyone, except for the financiers and the captains of corporations who are treated to the most extravagant of socialisms. Since its start in 1790, King Arthur has evolved from America's first flour company to the leading baking resource, providing bakers with hundreds of ingredients, baking mixes, and tools, and a thousands-strong library of free recipes and resources. In recent months, baking has become a national pastime, with 80 percent of infrequent bakers those who previously baked a few times a year - now baking at least a few times a month. King Arthur responded rapidly to keep bakers baking by placing an enhanced focus on its already robust baking education resources, refreshing its digital presence to better engage bakers and fulfill direct to consumer sales, and introducing a new 3-pound bag of flour to get product to consumers faster. These shifts have empowered the brand to introduce baking to more people than ever before, and to engage with bakers everywhere in a meaningful and educational way. "King Arthur has always been a baking company at heart. The rebrand reaffirms our belief in the power of baking, and our commitment to inspiring bakers through every single touchpoint including our teaching and our products," said Karen Colberg, King Arthur Baking Company's Co-CEO. "Our mission is rooted in building stronger communities, fostering the connections that come from baking and sharing. The new positioning as a baking company will enable us to continue to grow and welcome all bakers, from passionate life-long bakers to beginners." The King Arthur Baking Company rebrand is the product of a rigorous 18-month brand research and creative strategy process, centered on our commitment to sharing the love and joy of baking. "We set out to design a logo that's equal parts premium, authentic, and joyful to reflect the essence of the brand and strengthen the emotional connection bakers have with us. The logo, combined with our name change, harnesses who we are. We are bakers and we revel in the joy of baking," said Ruth Perkins, Senior Creative Director at King Arthur Baking Company. To celebrate the rebrand, King Arthur Baking Company is launching a digital campaign. Consumers can share photos of their baking creations with new GIFs and stickers on social media or try out the new Crown filter on Facebook and Instagram. The new logo and company name are officially live on the King Arthur Baking Company website and new product packaging will be rolling out in stores throughout the fall. About King Arthur Baking Company: King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking since 1790. Headquartered in Norwich, Vermont, a certified B Corp, and 100% employee-owned, King Arthur Baking is the ultimate baking resource, providing the highest quality ingredients for the most delicious baked goods, while inspiring connections and community through baking. King Arthur's superior flours and mixes are available in supermarkets nationwide. Visit KingArthurBaking.com for more specialty baking items, mixes, gluten-free products, recipes, guides, and more. Follow King Arthur Baking Company on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. SOURCE King Arthur Baking Company By Huw Jones LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Regulators in Britain and the European Union said they have dusted off their no-deal Brexit agreements to avoid disruption in cross-border asset management. Britain left the EU in January, but unfettered access to the European market has continued under a transition agreement that ends in December. Negotiations of a new UK-EU trade pact have stumbled, and Britain's requests for direct financial market access are being separately by Brussels. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Friday that memoranda of understanding (MOUs) drawn up in February 2019 in case Britain left the bloc without a transition deal "remain appropriate". They will now come into effect after the end of December, when the transition period expires, ESMA and the FCA said in separate statements. One MoU allows for EU and UK regulators to swap information, a legal requirement for the continuation of "delegation", or funds registered in EU countries like Ireland and Luxembourg outsourcing stock-picking to managers in London or elsewhere outside the bloc. Delegation avoids the need to move portfolio managers to where the funds are domiciled. "This was a rare bit of good news," a senior official at a UK-based asset management company said. In 2019, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock had considered temporarily moving some UK-based asset managers to New York before the original MoUs were agreed, since the United States already had such cooperation agreements with Brussels. The other MoUs cover credit-rating agencies, allowing regulators to swap information on Moody's, S&P and Fitch whose analysts in London rate companies in the EU. Trade repositories are also covered. Brussels is assessing whether to grant direct financial market access, known as equivalence, to a range of financial services from January. London and Brussels missed a deadline at the end of June for completing assessments, but Britain said last week it had now returned all EU questionnaires. The bloc has said it will allow EU investors to continue using derivatives clearing houses in Britain temporarily after December. (Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by Larry King) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 13:32:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Fiji reported on Monday one more COVID-19 cases, bringing the current number of active COVID-19 cases to nine in the island nation since July 6 this year. Fiji's Acting Permanent Secretary for the Health Ministry James Fong said on Monday that the new case is a 50-year old woman, who is the wife of one of the earlier announced border quarantine cases from the same repatriation flight carrying 107 passengers from India on July 1 this year. After her husband tested positive, they were both moved from the Fijian government designated quarantine facility to the isolation facility at the hospital in Lautoka, the second largest city in the island nation, Fong said, adding that she had tested negative on the first round of testing conducted for all passengers, but tested positive during the second round of testing. According to Fong, all the passengers on the flight were kept under strict border quarantine conditions when they arrived in Fiji's third largest city of Nadi, including completing 14 days quarantine in the Fijian government-designated quarantine facilities, where they are supervised by the Fijian military and screened daily for symptoms by staff from the Ministry of Health. They were cleared and released at the end of the 14-day quarantine period. Fong stressed that as long as Fiji's border quarantine and infection prevention control protocols are upheld, there is no risk to the Fijian public from border quarantine cases. Currently, Fiji still maintains a nationwide curfew from March 30 this year. Enditem Heather Mills' former fiance has taken the Vatican to the High Court over a 450million deal that allegedly saw the Holy See use worshippers' charitable donations to buy prime London property. Millionaire financier Raffaele Mincione previously owned 60 Sloane Avenue, which once housed the Harrods showroom, and has now begun two legal claims over the Vatican's purchase of the building. The case could throw rare light on a complex web of transactions involving Swiss banks, Luxembourg investment houses and, allegedly, millions of pounds worth of donations from Roman Catholics as part of the annual Peter's Pence appeal. Millionaire financier Raffaele Mincione (pictured on the left with art gallery boss Kadee Ratibor in 2017) was previously engaged to Heather Mills (right) The ornate terracotta-fronted building at 60 Sloane Avenue was built in 1911 and is due to be converted into 49 luxury flats, reported The Times. It is now owned by SA60 Ltd, the registered office of law firm Mishcon de Reya, but has been ultimately controlled by the Vatican since November 2018. How the death of 'God's Banker' in 1982 prompted dark claims of a mafia murder A spotlight was placed on the Vatican's financial dealings in 1982 after a leading Italian banker was found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London in an officially-unsolved incident. Roberto Calvi, who was known as 'God's Banker' due to his close ties with the Vatican, was wearing an expensive jacket weighed down with bricks and stuffed with cash. Roberto Calvi, who was known as 'God's Banker' Calvi was chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which had recently collapsed as part of a scandal that implicated a senior Vatican official and prompted dark rumours of laundered Mafia drug money. Italian police concluded Calvi had taken his own life but his son, Carlo Calvi, commissioned an independent forensic report, which concluded in October 2002 that he had been murdered. In 2005, Italian prosecutors brought murder charges against five suspects but all were acquitted after the subsequent trial in Rome. His son remains convinced he was murdered by the Mafia. Advertisement Vatican authorities opened a criminal investigation into the deal last year and on October 2 officers led by the Pope's bodyguard Domenico Giani raided two key Vatican officers, the Financial Information Authority and the Secretariat of State. The subsequent leak and publication in Italian media of an internal police notice bearing pictures of five Vatican employees suspended following the raids left the Vatican in turmoil. The shaven-headed Giani, who was often seen by the pope's side or running along beside the popemobile as it moved through crowds, signed the notice which showed the five, including a woman, in a format similar to a 'most wanted' flyer. Pope Francis was said to be furious over the leak of the notice though they were not formally suspected of anything and while the investigation was still in its infancy. A raid also took place on the home of the office of Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, 59, a former senior official in the secretariat of state. It came days after the Pope revealed his concerns about 'suspicious financial situation, which aside from their possible unlawfulness are not in keeping with the nature and purpose of the church'. Vatican News, the church's information service, said the official probe surrounded claims of corruption, embezzlement and abuse of authority. Gianluigi Torzi, 41, a financial adviser who served as a middleman in the sale, was later charged with extortion, embezzlement, aggravated fraud and money laundering, according to Swiss media. He was later released on bail on June 15. Mr Mincione had his phone and tablet computers seized by police but has always denied wrongdoing. He has now lodged two separate High Court legal claims against the Vatican. One has been filed on behalf of his Luxenbourg-based Athena Capital Fund against the secretariat of state, while separately his WRM Group is suing SA60 Ltd. No specific details about the nature of the claims are currently available. The Vatican, Mr Mincione, his lawyers and Mr Torzi all declined to comment when contacted by The Times. Mr Mincione previously owned 60 Sloane Avenue, which once housed the Harrods showroom, and has now begun two legal claims over the Vatican's purchase of the building French prosecutors investigating a fire that damaged the Gothic cathedral in the western city of Nantes have cleared a volunteer of suspicion, leaving many questions about the incident unanswered. Government officials promised Monday to ensure the cathedral would be restored. Police cleared the volunteer, a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee, of all suspicion on Sunday and released him after questioning him on "procedural grounds". The man had been in custody since Saturday afternoon as part of an arson investigation into the fire that apparently broke out at three parts of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral in Nantes, in western France, in the early hours of the morning. Police said they wanted to clarify elements of the schedule of the volunteer, who was responsible for closing the cathedral on Friday and was the last known person on site before the fire. Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said the man had been held as part of normal procedure and later confirmed he had been released without charge. The man's lawyer, Quentin Chabert, said earlier Sunday there was nothing that directly links my client to the fire. Cathedral rector Hubert Champenois said the man was a Rwandan asylum-seeker who volunteered as an alter server and that he had known him for four or five years. I trust him like I trust all the helpers, Champenois said. Many questions over cause of fire With the volunteer freed from custody, many questions remain about what caused the fire that destroyed the cathedral's 400-year-old grand organ, stained-glass windows and a painting. Police are treating the fire as intentional but have not ruled out accidental cause. So far investigators have found no signs of a break-in and it is not clear how or when a suspect may have entered the cathedral. Forensic teams were on-site Monday but so far investigators say they have found no flammable material and are unable to explain why three separate fires appear to have been ignited at separate ends of the building. Cathedral staff have not ruled out an accidental fire. The electric system was dilapidated in many places, a clerk, Jean-Charles Nowak, told BFM television. The electric panel was refurbished recently, but it's an old building with cables all over the place, some in out of the way places. It's possible there was a short circuit. State to cover repairs Fire officials said the organ was completely destroyed and its platform unstable, but that the fire was not as severe as the one that destroyed the spire and parts of the roof the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in April 2019. The French government said it was prepared to finance repair work on the 15th-century structure in Nantes. The state will take responsibility for the restoration of the Nantes cathedral, said Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance, on BFM television. The state, which owns the cathedral, will take responsibility for its restoration work, Le Maire tweeted with a link to the interview. I lived in Nantes for six months and had the opportunity to listen to this organ, a 17th century monument. It's very sad. The fire was initially reported at 7:45 on Saturday morning. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about two hours. New Delhi, July 20 : Hitting out at NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's remarks on the temple construction amid COVID pandemic and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's backing to it, the VHP on Monday called their objections "beyond comprehension" and said various activities can't be put off during the health crisis. "... all social, religious, and spiritual activities must go on. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple issue cannot remain on the back burner. It is only appropriate that the Prime Minister visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, perform 'bhumipujan' and the temple construction proceeded," VHP International Working President Alok Kumar said. He stressed that since the health crisis was here to stay for a while, other works cannot be put away. "The country and its life cannot be put on a standstill for an indefinite time," Kumar said, pointing out how Unlock 1.0 and 2.0 were effected keeping this in mind. A day earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Pawar said: "We always think about what should be prioritised. As of now, our priority is to help those infected with coronavirus to recover. Some people think that coronavirus will go away after the temple is constructed." On Saturday, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust met to decide on the date for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the religious function. The construction was to begin a few months ago, but postponed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March. The VHP chief also said that the organisation was conscious of the fact that the construction had to be done while following all healthcare precautions and guidelines of the government in view of the pandemic. "Only a small number of people will be invited to the religious ceremony," he added. As for Pawar's emphasis on "priority", Kumar said: "We believe that the central and UP governments, as well as other states, are engaged in a determined war against coronavirus on all fronts. They have successfully contained the pandemic. India is moving ahead in finding a vaccine." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text California Firm Charged for Scheme to Export Chemicals to Chinese Military Chip Maker Federal authorities charged the president and an employee of a California-based company on July 20 with conspiring to illegally export specialty chemicals to a Chinese state-owned manufacturer of chips used in military systems. Tao Jiang, the CEO of Broad Tech System Inc., and Bohr Winn-Shih, the firms equipment engineer, allegedly conspired to illegally export specialty chemicals from a Rhode Island-backed manufacturer to China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 55th Research Institute. The institute, also known as NEDI, is a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-owned enterprise that researches, develops, and produces core chips and key components for the Chinese militarys air defense systems, airborne fire control systems, manned space systems, and other national projects. The indictment is the latest in the Trump administrations all-of-government effort against the CCPs large-scale effort to pilfer American technology and intellectual property. As part of the law-enforcement prong of the U.S. effort, the FBI has opened more than 2,000 investigations related to China. 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, Attorney General William Barr said on July 16. According to the indictment, Tao and Shih attempted to export chemicals called Photoresist and HPRD441, which are used in the manufacture of computer wafers. Photoresist is a specialty chemical that interacts with light to create pathways between chips on computer boards. On Oct. 25, 2018, the Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center flagged an intended export of 58 gallons of Photoresist to NEDI. The export was halted and returned to the manufacturer. Four days later, Jiang called the company and requested to order 94 gallons of Photoresist. In subsequent communications and follow-up orders, Jiang and Shih misled the manufacturer and a freight forwarding company about the ultimate recipient of the chemicals by claiming the shipments were meant for NTESY Technology Co. Jiang, his company, and Shih were charged with conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Act, and money laundering conspiracy. Emails cited in the indictment show that Jiang and Shih were well aware of the export prohibitions to NEDI. On Aug. 1, 2018, the U.S. End-User Review Committee added NEDI to the list of entities believed to be in the business of illegally procuring goods for unauthorized military and technological use in China. On the same day, according to the indictment (pdf), Jiang emailed Shih about the designation. Shih, after calling up the relevant government agency, confirmed to Jiang that NEDI is on the list. Two weeks later, Shih received an email informing him that a company wouldnt provide a quote for an order since NEDI was added to the blocked entity list. Ravindra Rao Commodities were largely trading sideways to lower in the international market, tracking a mixed trend in equity indices and rebound in the US dollar. Comex gold was trading mixed near $1,810/oz after gaining 0.4 percent the previous week. Gold continued to trade in a range near $1,800/ as the market awaited fresh triggers. The wait-and-watch trend was also evident from unchanged ETF holdings. Gold holdings with SPDR ETF were unchanged for a third day at 1,206.888 tonnes, the highest level since April 2013. In the last few days, gold has moved largely in tandem with commodities and equities as market players have switched between riskier assets and the safety of the US dollar. The US dollar index was on a firmer footing during the day, after hitting over 1-month low in the previous week, as growing worries about global economy amid rising virus cases, increased geopolitical tensions relating to China and uncertainty about EU recovery fund enhanced its safe-haven appeal. Global virus cases have been rising steadily, however, a fresh surge in countries like the US, Australia and Japan has forced them to reimpose some restrictions and rollback reopening plans. The US and China have been at loggerheads over various issues and are taking measures against each other while tensions are also rising between China and other countries. Talks on a proposed 750-billion euro EU recovery fund continued amid differences over how much of it should be distributed through grants and how much should be set aside for low-interest loans. Adding to the uncertainty, minutes of the Bank of Japan meeting showed that many board members were gloomy about the countrys recovery as the impact from the outbreak deepened. Gold may witness choppy trade as market players assess virus situation, US-China tensions and additional stimulus measures but general bias may be on the upside due to growing challenges for the global economy. After gaining 0.1 percent in the previous week, NYMEX crude was trading moderately lower near $40.5/bbl. The near-flat close in crude for the last two weeks shows a lack of direction in the market. Price has managed to hold above $38 but is struggling to sustain above $41. The mixed trade is due to a lack of clarity on the impact of fresh surge in virus cases on the global recovery and the production policy of the US and OPEC. Directionless trade was also evident in equity markets as players assed virus cases and widening rift between the US and China against economic data and corporate earnings that showed that recovery was picking up. Market players are also trying to gauge additional stimulus measures by central banks and governments in the face of rising risks. Feds downbeat outlook has kept hopes of continuing stimulus measures alive. Similarly, on the supply side, US crude production has stabilised near 11 million barrels per day while the decline in rig count has slowed down. The number of rigs drilling for crude fell by 1 to 180 rigs, lowest since 2009. OPEC and allies have decided to reduce the pace of production cuts from 9.7 million barrels per day to 7.7 million barrels per day, starting August. Actual cuts are expected to be higher as some producers may cut more to compensate for their overproduction in the last few months. Crude is supported by reports of lower production by Norway. A Reuters report said Norways crude oil output fell 12 percent to 1.54 million barrels per day in June, 4.1 percent below the official forecast which corresponded to a production cap of 1.61 million bpd set by the government. However, weighing on the price is lower Japanese imports. As per Reuters reports, Japans oil imports fell 14.7 percent in June from the same month a year ago. Crude may continue to witness listless trade unless it breaks out of the $39-41 range but the general bias may be on the downside amid shaky risk sentiment. The focus may continue to be on the economic data and corporate results from major economies, development relating to the virus outbreak and the US-China tensions. (The author is VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities) The views and investment tips expressed by experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The National Centre for Public Health eased restrictions on travel from Canada and Portugal on Saturday. Canadas Covid-19 risk assessment was modified from red to yellow, and that of Portugal from yellow to green. In order to prevent the re-introduction of the virus and the outbreak of the epidemic in Hungary, previously announced entry restrictions for other countries remain in place. Those returning from yellow and red countries are subject to random health checks at border points, temperature measurements and questionnaires, and official home quarantine. Travellers with proof of a negative PCR test for the coronavirus may be exempt from official home quarantine. President Akufo-Addo has sent a goodwill message to all the 375, 737 final year Senior High School students who are beginning their West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from today, Monday, 20 July 2020 across the country. Nana Akufo-Addo said every Ghanaian acknowledges that education is the key to the future of the country and we, therefore, must do everything possible, even in the midst of a pandemic, to guarantee the prospects of our youth, protect their potential, and, thereby, help preserve our collective future. The President urged everyone associated with the conduct of the final examinations - that is - teaching and non-teaching staff, invigilators and students to abide by the enhanced hygiene, mask-wearing and social distancing protocols as the country fight to defeat COVID-19. Nana Akufo-Addo wished the students the best of luck and Godspeed in their examination. Meanwhile, Nigeria has pulled out of this years WASSCE citing health concerns with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. WASSCE is a West African examination for final year high school students written by Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia. ---classfmonline Detached home values in the Greater Toronto Area have not only held their own but have seen significant gains through the first half of the year as the regions housing shortage persists, according to a report from Re/MAX. The average price of a house rose in 95 per cent of the 65 neighbourhoods on the Toronto Region Real Estate Boards (TRREB) Multiple Listings Service map. In the City of Toronto, 60 per cent of those neighbourhoods saw double-digit increases as did half of those in the 905 communities between January and June. But the shortage of homes transcends all housing categories, said Re/MAX regional executive vice-president Christopher Alexander. Even though home sales stalled in late March and April, pent-up demand and a shortage of listings is going to continue to boost prices, he said. Our inventory challenges are severe and we need a plan from all levels of government to tackle it. Until we find a way to create more housing were going to continue to have upward pressure on pricing, he said. The 2020 Hot Pocket Communities report showed the six Toronto MLS districts with the greatest average price gains were: The Annex, Yonge-St. Clair, Casa Loma, Wychwood (C02 on the MLS map) where detached houses sold for 25.7 per cent more year over year in the first six months $2.9 million on average. Oakridge, Birchcliffe-Cliffside (E06), which saw an 18.4 per cent gain to an average price of $1.1 million. Houses in High Park, Swansea, Roncesvalles, South Parkdale (W01) also saw an 18.4 per cent appreciation to $2.06 million. Oakwood-Vaughan, Humewood, Cedarvale, Forest Hill South (C03), which saw a 17.7 per cent gain to about $2.4 million. The W08 area of Etobicoke that includes Islington-City Centre West, Etobicoke-West Mall, Markland Wood, Eringate-Centennial-West Deane, Princess-Rosethorn, Edenbridge-Humber Valley, Kingsway South, where the average price rose 17 per cent to about $1.7 million The average price in Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico (W06) rose 16.2 per cent to $1.2 million. Although based on relatively few sales, the gains remain meaningful, said Alexander. It indicates that the professionals that still have their jobs and job security are driving the market right now, he said. Although sales were down in many areas, six MLS districts saw a growth in sales, the King area of York Region; the Bridle Path, York Mills and Sunnybrook (C12 on the TRREB map); Innisfil and Oshawa all saw double-digit sales growth. With the exception of the Bridle Path, the GTAs most expensive real estate area, affordability was the common denominator in the other hot-selling districts, said Re/MAX. Those areas had an average price of between $600,000 and $650,000. Some of those home owners are moving out to recreational markets that are going berserk right now, as people move to less populated areas at a time when they cant travel by plane, said Alexander. But he believes that trend will be short-lived. Alexander also said that the slower growth in the condo segment is temporary. The more expensive and unaffordable the freehold sector becomes, its going to drive people back to condominiums, he said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declined a request for him to reinstate the Auditor General (AG), Daniel Yao Domelevo. In a letter dated June 30, 2020, the President had directed the AG to proceed on his accumulated leave from 2017 to 2019, which totalled 123 days, and when Mr. Domelevo replied creating the impression that the government was subjecting him to witch-hunting, the President added his 2020 leave making it 167 days. As a result, a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) started mounting campaigns against the government and asked the President to rescind his decision of asking Mr. Demelevo to proceed on his accumulated leave. According to the coalition, even though the decision is said to be grounded in law, a proper examination of the context of its application in relation to the independence of the AG showed what they claimed to be interference in the mandate of the AG. Speaking on behalf of the coalition at a press briefing in Accra recently, the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Dr. Kojo Asante, said framers of the 1992 constitution could not have intended to create a simple employer-employee relationship between the appointing authority, thus the President and other independent offices such as the AG. If this understanding is accepted then it means that the President can direct the Chief Justice, the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Commissioners of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to proceed on leave when he sees fit, he said. Later, two other concerned persons Korieh Duodu (son of Cameron Duodu) in the UK and Lolan Sagoe-Moses in Accra claimed in a petition to the President that the directive was an unconstitutional and flagrant interference with the independence and mandate of the Office of the Auditor General, and called on the President to reconsider the decision. They contended that Article 187(7) (a) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which states that the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority provides a clear and unambiguous constitutional basis for the independence of the AG. However, a letter dated 13th July 2020 and addressed to the two signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo-Asante, declined their request. He acknowledged receipt of the petition by the two in a letter dated 8th July 2020, saying the President encourages people to be citizens and not spectators and, therefore, your petition is welcome, and its contents have been duly noted. Nana Bediatuo-Asante, however, noted that the position of the President as contained in the letter dated 3rd July 2020 from this office to the Auditor General remains the same, insisting that the argument made in your (the two) petition were considered prior to the President taking the decision to request Mr. Daniel Domelevo to take his accumulated leave from 1st July 2020. Accordingly, he indicated that the President is unable to grant the request in your petition. The President, however, wished them well in their endeavours much as he disagreed with them and declined their request for the controversial AG to be reinstated. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video English French TORONTO, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) today filed its submission to the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) responding to its request for comments on Proposed Amendments to National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations and Changes to Companion Policy 31-103CP Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations to Enhance Protection of Older and Vulnerable Clients. We commend the CSA on its efforts to provide regulatory guidance on issues of financial exploitation and diminished mental capacity of older and vulnerable clients, said Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC. There is a growing need for support in these areas, and future guidance will assist our members in providing the best possible service to these clients. IFIC made specific recommendations, including providing a safe harbour for representatives and dealers who rely on the temporary hold provisions to protect their clients, and clarifying that collecting information about a trusted contact person should be separated from the existing know your client requirement. IFIC also recommended that the CSA develop a course on financial exploitation and diminished mental capacity in partnership with elder law experts to ensure that there is a consistent national understanding of these important topics. About IFIC The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is the voice of Canadas investment funds industry. IFIC brings together 150 organizations, including fund managers, distributors and industry service organizations, to foster a strong, stable investment sector where investors can realize their financial goals. By connecting Canadas savers to Canadas economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation. For more information, please contact: Sayed Amin Shalabi sets out to review changes in the world order in the last two decades, detailing the relative decline of the US and the rise of such powers as Russia and China. Reviewing not only the present moment but also the last few centuries, Shalabi concludes that a new order is emerging in which no one power will have the ability to shape the world or determine issues of war and peace. The book starts with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia which introduced a system of peaceful coexistence among sovereign states. That concept was to become central to the world order. Shalabi moves onto the French Revolution (1789) and the Congress of Vienna (1814), which reasserted the principles of Westphalia in new ways. The author moves onto the two world wars and the Cold War, during which a bipolar order emerged for the first time in the wake of World War II, with the US and the Soviet Union facing off. But when the US emerged as the sole superpower following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Shalabi argues, the unipolar world order did not last for very long with uncertainty building up as various powers including Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa expressed their disaffection, perhaps the most vocal being Russian leader Vladimir Putin who intervened in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014, and boosted Russian presence in the Middle East. But it is China that remains paramount. Shalabi feels that, whatever the future structure of the world multipolar, non-polar or bipolar China will be central. Through such schemes and initiatives as the 16 + 1 formula and the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing is active not only in Asia but across over 70 countries, notably in the EU, and multinational organisations. Shalabi cites the March 2019 summit that brought China together with France and Germany. Shalabi devotes the last chapter to the effects of these changes on Egypt, starting from the colonial race of the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century and progressing onto independence, conflict with the West over the High Dam leading to the nationalisation of the Suez Canal and the Tripartite Aggression and the alliance with the Soviet Union. This alignment was reversed after the 1973 War and the peace process, with the US-Egyptian alliance climaxing when Egypt took part in the coalition to expel the the Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1990. More recently Egypts two revolutions of 2011 and 2013 have reflected international transformations, enabling a new multipolar strategy in place of the pre-2011 alliance with the US. Together with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, Egypt is adopting a balanced approach to the changing power structure. Shalabi, who has contributed regularly to the Weeklys opinion page, has been a diplomat since 1961, serving in Prague, Belgrade, Moscow and Lagos before becoming our ambassador to Norway in 1990. In 1966 he took part in the establishment of the Foreign Ministrys Institute for diplomatic Studies and in 1999 of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, an NGO, serving as executive director in 2000-2015. He is the author of many books including World Order at the Crossroads in 1967, From the Cold War to the Search for a New World Order in 1996 and Egyptian American Relations from 1952 to 2015 in 2015. *Reviewed by Doaa El-Bey *A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The idea behind bringing puppets to protests has various aims. Its a common language that unifies us all, they said. It makes us look bigger, it confuses our opposition, it unifies us: all ages, children and elders, and all races. Puppets can even psychically protect demonstrators, forming a barricade between them and police. Throughout the weeks of protests, Lamberta has given away flatsos to any person of color who wants to take one home. So far, they estimate they have given away (and subsequently remade) over 30. At one protest, they recall standing beside a 13-year-old Black teen who held onto a large cloth banner, displaying a fist, for hours. At the end, they told him to keep it. If you give something away, that person might become an artist, might become an activist for the rest of his life, if hes staring at a 12-foot banner of a fist in his bedroom, they said. Washington: Indian-origin California attorney general Kamala Harris has potential to become the first woman president of the United States, a media report has said, days after Hillary Clinton was unable to break the highest glass ceiling. 51-year-old Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, won the US senate seat from California in a landslide election this Tuesday, becoming the first black and Asian senator from the state. Soon thereafter she has launched her nationwide campaign against Trump's anti-immigrant policies and mass deportation. "Meet Kamala Harris, who could become the first woman president. California's popular attorney general is headed to Capitol Hill. The White House might be next," The Huffington Post wrote on Saturday. The article came a day after she denounced Trumpism. Noting that she has already made history with her senate win, the daily said she has impressive track record as California attorney general and has top Democratic leadership including the outgoing President Barack Obama and the vice-president Joe Biden on her side. "These alliances could help boost Harris' profile across the country should she choose to run for president in 2020," The Huffington Post wrote. In her concession speech, Clinton had said that the glass ceiling could be broken much earlier than thought. "I know we still have not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now," Clinton told her supporters in New York on Wednesday. "To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams," Clinton said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Chris Dickert How do you get children to learn their parents language, when everyone around them is speaking English? Thats what the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, set out to do when he met with the Director of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University, Dimitris Krallis over Zoom to discuss StaEllinika. The online platform and suite of apps was designed by an SFU-led international team of experts to teach the Modern Greek language to learners in the Greek diaspora, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Patrick Wright has been named Nebraskas new information security officer, moving into state government from the private sector.Wright, who started the new role July 13, formerly worked in enterprise security operations at Farmers Mutual Insurance. He moved into the office previously held by Chris Hobbs, who now serves as director of IT for the Diocese of Lincoln, according to his LinkedIn profile.Wright is working directly with and is part of the enterprise Risk Mitigation and Compliance team, said Holly West, public information officer for the Nebraska Office of the CIO.Wright graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in 2018 with a bachelors degree in information technology.Hobbs had served in the position since 2012. Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome has accused members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), who are from the Volta Region, of spreading lies against their kith, who are members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region, resulting in the recent deployment of military personnel to border towns there to, ostensibly prevent aliens from infiltrating Ghana with COVID-19 Mr Woyome also called on the border townsfolk to form watchdog committees to stop the unlawful invasion of their homes by the military personnel, some of whom they have accused of harassment and intimidation. Speaking in an interview with Citi TV, Mr Woyome called on the government to leave the people of the Volta Region alone to assess the government and make their own decision on who deserves their vote rather than guarding the ballot. He stated: Leave the people of Ghana alone to assess and go and do a free and fair election. What I expected them to do now is to be building bridges. What I was expecting them to do now is to ensure that every Ghanaian that is there, they should be resolving issues and stop this panicking. Let the people of Ghana freely choose who to rule over them. The idea that we will steal, the idea that we will manipulate and people are saying it everywhere: who are these people? They dont even have shame. No character. Nothing. And they continue every day to just disturb the peace of this country. Mr Woyome indicated that the people of the border towns in the Volta Region have the right to form watchdog committees to avoid being suppressed by the security forces unlawfully. The chiefs and people of those areas in the Volta Region have the absolute right to form community watchdog committees in order to stop these hooligans holding guns, disturbing the peace and entering peoples homes to stop them. If you dont have a paper from the court, they must not be allowed to enter anybodys compound. In doing so, theyll be doing themselves the legitimate duty, and this country, and exercising their rights. The businessman also reminded the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who hail from the Volta Region to stop peddling lies that push the government into taking such actions. Voltarians that are in the NPP, you came to the NPP today, you were not even part of the UP thing and other things; you were not part of it. You came because of your own reason or how you might be treated in your NDC, but be very careful, youre living in a community as a minority and you cannot continue generating lies and sending fear and everything to make a government to send in troupes. These are all lies. Togolese are Togolese, Ghanaians are Ghanaians. Im not also going to tell the ruling government the consequence of what they are doing when there is a change of regime. What I want to say is that I want to come personally now, for the personal bond that we share between us and Nana. I just want to suggest to him that he should be extremely careful. Mr Woyome further appealed to the government and the security forces to leave the border townsfolks alone to enable them go about their duties freely. I am also suggesting to the people that they should form community watchdogs because some of these military men may be operating without lawful order. So that when they arrest anyone of them who were entering their house, whether they have weapons or not, the community should arrest them and put them in the nearest police station and call the media. Leave these people alone. Let them go to their farms. Let them eat. They are sleeping in fear. What is this, Mr Woyome added. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A man whose personal injuries claim was dismissed after a judge questioned his credibility now faces a legal costs bill of over 37,000. Patrick Ward sued for in excess of 60,000 in damages over injuries allegedly suffered when he was a passenger in a car which ended up in a ditch on a country road in Co Offaly in 2016. But after hearing the case in the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Twomey said he was "not satisfied that Mr Ward is a credible witness regarding anything that allegedly happened". The judge said he could not be satisfied of "any detail of the claim as alleged by Mr Ward", who was unemployed at the time the case was heard. He awarded two of the defendants in the case, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) and Liberty Insurance DAC, their costs. Details of their costs in successfully defending the case have been outlined in a decision published by the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators (OLCA). Chief legal costs adjudicator Paul Behan allowed them costs of 37,571. The MIBI and the insurance company can now seek to recover that amount from Mr Ward, of Kilcruttin, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Neither Mr Ward nor his solicitors attended the OLCA hearing, which proceeded in their absence after hearing an affidavit of service had been filed. He sued Michael Ward, of the same address, the MIBI and the insurance firm, alleging he sustained neck, rib and eye injuries as a result of the accident, said to have occurred at 1am on February 16, 2016 between Shannonbridge and Cloghan. However, his evidence was that his injuries cleared up in a short number of months and the only treatment he received was pain killers, anti-inflammatories and eye drops. In his judgment last year, Mr Justice Twomey said he could not be satisfied if the claimant was in the back seat or the front seat, was asleep or awake, whether the car slipped on a bend or on a straight, whether or not it slipped on snow, or whether it drove into a ditch as a result of an oncoming car or went straight into it with no other cars in the vicinity. The court heard that in a form completed for the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) in April 2016, Mr Ward stated he was a front seat passenger when the car went around a bend and lost control. But in a second PIAB form completed in December 2016, he stated he was a back seat passenger when the car skidded in snow. In a reply to particulars in September 2017, it was stated Mr Ward was asleep in the back seat when the vehicle lost control. His solicitor later gave evidence that he assumed this was not Mr Ward's instruction but a mistake on the part of the solicitor, which could have arisen due to the fact he was also representing Dermot Ward, a cousin of the plaintiff. The judge said that while it was possible the solicitor's assumption was correct, it was equally possible Mr Ward did instruct him he was in the back seat. An MIBI claim notification form completed on behalf of Mr Ward in December 2016 stated the vehicle was "rounding a bend" when it lost control. There was no reference to snow and road conditions were described as "OK". But a report from an emergency medicine consultant said Mr Ward told him he was a front seat passenger in the car and the cause of the accident was not snow or a bend, but a car travelling in the opposite direction. It also emerged that another cousin, Paul Ward, claimed to be the front seat passenger in a separate personal injury summons. The judgment said that when cross-examined, Mr Ward never accepted any responsibility for the inconsistencies but blamed his solicitor or the doctor for incorrectly referencing what he had said or his cousin for giving incorrect information in his personal injury summons. Two fugitives who allegedly escaped a Virginia juvenile correctional center with the help of two of the facility's employees nearly a week ago have most recently been spotted in Pennsylvania, officials said. The Lancaster County District's Attorney's Office said Saturday that Rashad E. Williams, 18, and Jabar Ali Taylor, 20, stayed at an area Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel earlier in the week. They also were seen on surveillance footage at a nearby Turkey Hill market, authorities said. The district attorney's office warned the public that they are "dangerous fugitives" who should not be confronted. According to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, the pair escaped the 284-capacity Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center in Chesterfield County in the early morning hours of July 13. The duo allegedly used a cord to choke a security staff member until he lost consciousness, then allegedly used the employee's keys to exit the unit. They then escaped through a hole cut in the facility's perimeter security fence and left in a getaway car, officials said. PHOTO: Jabar Taylor, left, and Rashad Williams. (Lancaster County District Attorney's Office) Taylor, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and aggravated malicious assault stemming from the 2015 stabbing deaths of two men. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 2016. In May, a judge denied an attempt by his legal team to reduce his sentence. Williams, of Washington, D.C., was convicted of malicious wounding and robbery and sentenced to 18 years in 2019. Both were due to be transferred to an adult Department of Corrections facility when they turned 21, officials said. Taylor turns 21 on Aug. 25. MORE: Delaware police say they arrested 12-year-old car thief U.S. Marshals had initially believed the two would travel north, where they "both have significant ties." Three people have been arrested so far in connection with the escape, police said, including two Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice employees who worked at Bon Air. Destiny L. Harris, 23, of Chesterfield County, was charged with two counts of aiding with the escape of a juvenile on Tuesday. The next day, Darren Briggs, 42, of Lawrenceville, Virginia, was charged with one felony count of providing a cell phone to a prisoner. Both are no longer employed by the agency, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Director Valerie Boykin said. Story continues A relative of Williams' -- Gerald Thornton, 33, of Philadelphia -- was charged with two counts of aiding with the escape of a juvenile, according to ABC Richmond affiliate WRIC. MORE: Texas crash caused by alleged drunk driver kills 3 members of Thin Blue Line motorcycle club, injures 9 U.S. Marshals are offering a reward of $5,000 for information that leads to the escaped convicts' capture. "The danger posed by these fugitives and their escape should not be taken lightly by anyone," Nick E. Proffitt, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement. "The fugitives went to great lengths to affect the escape, and they pose a significant threat to any law enforcement officer or member of the public who may encounter them." This was the first escape at Bon Air in over 20 years, according to Boykin. On Friday, the director said she was launching a "full security analysis" of the "old campus." "DJJ had been working for years to replace it with a more modern facility with state-of-the-art security and treatment design components," she said in a statement. "While those efforts are ongoing, we are committed to determine if security enhancements are needed." 'Dangerous fugitives' from juvenile facility last spotted in Pennsylvania: Officials originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Salas was in the basement at the time of the attack and hasn't been injured. The shooter, who posed as a FedEX agent, has not yet been apprehended. A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge as he answered the door of the family home Sunday in New Jersey and shot and wounded the judge's husband before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. The shootings occurred at the North Brunswick home of US District Judge Esther Salas, and killed her son, Daniel, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack, Wolfson said. Salas was in the basement at the time and wasn't injured, according to a judiciary official who wasn't authorized to comment and spoke anonymously to the AP. The perpetrator, believed to be a lone gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person, was not in custody, the official said. The FBI tweeted Sunday night that it was looking for one suspect in the shootings. Daniel Anderl, a college student, was the judge's only child, the official said. Salas, seated in Newark, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Prior to that she served as a US Magistrate Judge in New Jersey, after working as an assistant public defender for several years. Her highest-profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. Salas staggered their sentences so that one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the man's intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor "high-risk" customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who backed Salas's nomination to the federal bench, said in a statement Sunday night, "My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice." In an emailed statement, Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called the shooting "a senseless act" and said "this tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn't done." The family members of Elgar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao, a COVID-19 patient, on Monday demanded that the Maharashtra government allow one of them to attend to the poet since he is reportedly not in a position to do anything on his own, even as they sought clarity on his health condition. Alleging that there was no communication about his health, the family in a statement in Hyderabad said the government should share information on his health condition as some media reports suggest that he suffered head injury. 'It is the family's right to get official transparent updates on his health status, line of treatment and probable risks, but the prison, police and health administrations in a gross dereliction of their duties have not come out with the much needed information,' they alleged. They demanded that the Maharashtra government allow a family member to assist/attend the poet 'since he is reportedly not in a position to do anything on his own'. The family also wanted the government to immediately direct the hospital or prison administration to provide transparent, official updates on Varavara Rao's health status and line of treatment on a regular basis once or twice in a day as long as he is in hospital. The family also demanded that the government make all his medical records accessible and to remove hurdles and 'enable the judicial process to grant regular bail or interim bail on health, age and the grounds that he is suffering from COVID-19, so that his family will take care of his health in a hospital of their choice'. Rao, 80, was undergoing treatment at the state-run St George Hospital in south Mumbai since July 16 after testing positive for the coronavirus infection. He is behind the bars for about 22 months and had approached the special National Investigation Agency court, seeking bail on medical grounds and the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Rao and nine other activists were arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, which was initially probed by the Pune Police and later transferred to the NIA. The novel coronavirus has invaded every part of our country without restraint. Its crossed countless borders all over the world leading to a global lockdown. It has harmed half a million individuals in its path. It fails to discriminate people based on their status, wealth, age or citizenship. No one is immune from being hurt by the illness. Due to this, the world has had to make drastic choices to keep people safe. Humans are naturally social creatures, but we have been instructed to stay at home, resist going outside, and to not see our friends and family. While as a community we are so separated from each other, the COVID-19 crisis is also revealing how much compassion and empathy the world has for each other. We are lifting each other up in a time where we have to stay distant. Here are some of the lessons COVID-19 has taught us about unity. We are in this together. Many citizens of a world in peril have shone beacons of light. People are standing together in spirit even as they cannot do so physically. Isolated from each other, they reaffirm the resiliency of the human spirit by singing and chanting and applauding from balconies, through windows and on rooftops. The comfort, support and hope these acts of shared humanity engender are as infectious as the virus, as life-affirming as COVID-19 is deadly. They are sending the world a message: "We are united in this battle. We are strong. We are human." These acts have been on huge scales, with worldwide celebrities taking to social media to bring people together. It also has happened in the smallest of towns, where citizens are hanging art outside of hospitals encouraging their hardworking nurses and doctors. The message is certainly clear: no one is alone. We all have a duty to our society. At times we struggle to want to follow the stay at home orders. When it's a nice day outside, we yearn to go to the beach and enjoy a normal day outside. Yet as a society we are overcoming the annoyance we might feel to do what is best for society. We are instead staying connected online, by using Facebook to video chat with our families down the street. Young adults are hosting virtual happy hours, and music artists are playing on livestreams. Churches are still holding sermons online and encouraging those to spread the Word of God. By communicating and entertaining via these routes, we are protecting those who are most at risk for the coronavirus. It has become the common duty for all non-essential employees, and those who do have to work are thanking those who follow the orders immensely. This is a group effort to defeat the virus, and is much bigger than ourselves. We all can show support. One question you might start hearing people ask more often is "how can I help?" Hospital staff, police, and all essential employees are slaving away each day to try and get our communities through this pandemic. Some still have to worry about where their children will be during the day since they can't go to school, or how they will get to their next meal. Communities all over the nation are stepping up to help during this time, with restaurants donating food to groups of exhausted nurses or daycares staying open for essential employees. Some gas stations are offering free gas to those who still have to go to work, while others are doing their part by simply staying at home. There is not a single one of us who is not affected negatively by the coronavirus. Rather than bash about "who has it worse", communities are showing their support to various groups of people in monumental ways. It's become inspiring. Our unity doesn't have to go away. We want desperately to feel good again, to get back to the routines of life, to not lie in bed at night wondering how were going to afford our rent and bills, to not wake to an endless scroll of human tragedy on our phones, to have a cup of perfectly brewed coffee and simply leave the house for work. However the previous normal our society was chugging along with wasn't exactly perfect. The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the nasty underside of our society: how broken our healthcare system is, how fragile small businesses are, how hard it is for many to trust our government, and how horribly our world was being affected by pollution. Rather than turn our backs on these problems, we should continue to stay unified after this pandemic and help increase everyone's quality of life. We as a nation have deeply disturbing problems, but they no longer have to be ignored. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we go about our daily lives. It has caused us to go against our very nature to socialize and instead stay confined to our homes in hopes that the virus will soon pass. While we feel so far apart from others, this dark time in the world has proven to also be one of great unity. We all are coming together to get through this. Brazils crude oil exports to Asia increased during the first half of the year as most of the countrys competitors for the Asian market cut production to match the slump in oil demand driven by the coronavirus outbreak. Reuters reports that Brazilian oil exports to Asia averaged 1.07 million bpd during the first half of the year, up 30 percent on the year. June marked a record, when average daily deliveries hit 1.62 million bpd. There were reports late last year that Brazil could join OPEC, but in January, energy minister Bento Albuquerque said the country had decided to stay out of the cartel as it planned to boost production. The idea is just to increase our production and to participate more in the international oil and gas market, Albuquerque told Bloomberg in an interview. But this is not a plan for Brazil to join OPEC or any other association or group of oil and gas producers. We dont want restrictions, we want to increase our production. If Brazil had agreed to become a member of OPEC it would have been obliged to cut production to compensate for the slump in oil demand caused by the combination of an oil price war and the coronavirus pandemic. In hindsight, the governments decision was even smarter than it looked at the beginning. Some 70 percent of Brazils crude oil exports arrive at Chinese ports, Reuters reported, citing a statement by Petrobras. According to traders who spoke to the news agency, Brazil had good quality oil available when Asian economies began to reopen after the lockdowns, while Europe and North American were just beginning their lockdowns. In addition to an attractive price, Asian buyers liked Brazilian crude oil because of its low sulphur content: low-sulphur oil has been in great demand since the International Maritime Organisation effected its new emission rules for maritime fuel at the start of this year. Editors note: Find pricing data on Brazils no.1 export blend Lula and other major crude blends on our oil prices page. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Credit: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology Scientists from the Skoltech Center for Life Sciences (CLS) and their colleagues from the Higher School of Economics (HSE), Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza (RII) in St. Petersburg and the Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems of RAS (IITP RAS) in Moscow undertook the first study of COVID-19 genomic epidemiology in Russia. The researchers performed genetic analysis of 211 virus samples taken from patients in Russia between March 11 and April 23. Their findings confirm the assumption that COVID-19 made its way into Russia from Europe in late February and early March. Right now, Russia ranks fourth in the world in terms of COVID-19 case count, although the outbreak occurred in Russia later than in many neighboring countries. A possible reason is that Russia has shut down its border with China early. However, it is only through genetic analysis of viral samples that one can obtain precise data on the spread of the virus and the efficiency of various infection control methods. Viruses mutate fast, so by studying viral mutations and comparing viral genome sequences, one can reconstruct the evolution and spread of the virus in a population. A group of researchers from Skoltech CLS, HSE RII, and IITP RAS led by Georgii Bazykin, a professor at Skoltech, looked at the pattern of COVID-19 spread in Russia at the early stages of the pandemic. By combining genetic data on the strains circulating in Russia with travel history data, the scientists concluded that Russia's viral diversity results from at least 67 distinct virus imports into different Russian cities in late February and early March. It was found that, unlike many other countries, Russia got its virus from Europe and not China. Importantly, many early imported COVID-19 cases did not lead to transmission within Russia. However, at least nine different coronavirus strains that are currently circulating in Russia have not been encountered elsewhere. A separate analysis concerns the major COVID-19 outbreak at the Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics in St. Petersburg where over 400 people got infected at the institute's hospital. It was discovered that the Vreden hospital's viral strain has subsequently stread over St. Petersburg, contributing to the overall epidemiological situation in the city. "It's not just about the history; genomic epidemiology also helps interpret future events. For example, imagine that Russia opens its borders, and case counts start to rise. Is this a coincidence, or do those cases originate from newly imported virus? By comparing the genomes of new and old viruses, we will be able to tell," explains professor Bazykin. Explore further First Russian citizen is diagnosed with COVID-19 More information: Andrey B Komissarov et al. Genomic epidemiology of the early stages of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Russia, (2020). Andrey B Komissarov et al. Genomic epidemiology of the early stages of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Russia,(2020). DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.14.20150979 Leading Republicans were preparing to meet Donald Trump on Monday over the United States next Covid-19 aid package as the administration baulked at calls for more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate relief plans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion (800 billion) package in a matter of days, but divisions between the Senate Republican majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. (PA Graphics) Congress will return session this week as the coronavirus crisis many had hoped would have improved by now continues to worsen and just as earlier federal emergency relief expires. Mr Trump insisted again on Sunday that the virus would disappear a view that did not match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the USs alarming caseloads and death toll. Mr McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Mr Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to fine-tune the legislation, acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News. The package from Mr McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 (958) cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits. President Donald Trump has insisted again that the coronavirus will disappear despite the worsening situation in the US (Patrick Semansky/AP) But as the White House weighed in, the administration was criticising plans calling for some $25 billion (19.96 billion) in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administrations objections were first reported by The Washington Post. Mr Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed the Democrats vast $3 trillion (2.4 trillion) proposal and virus cases and deaths had only increased since. Story continues Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been preparing to roll out the new aid package (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mr Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Mr Trumps GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill. The payroll tax Mr Trump wanted has also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion. Mr Trump said on Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed. I want to see it, he said. Politicians were returning to a partially closed Capitol building still off-limits to tourists to consider what will be a fifth Covid-19 aid package. After passing the $2.2 trillion (1.76 trillion) relief bill in March, Republicans hoped the virus would ease and the economy would rebound so more aid would not be needed. But with Covid-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the apparent repeat of the pandemics devastating cycle has left Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses have been shutting down again, schools have been unable to fully reopen, and jobs are continuing to disappear, all while federal emergency aid expires. Its not going to magically disappear, said a sombre Mr McConnell last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state Kentucky to thank front-line workers. As Mr McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count than any other country. THE Minority in Parliament has asked the Ministers of Defence and the Interior to respond to its concerns that there has been clandestine recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Police Service (GPS) and Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). The Leader of the Minority, Haruna Iddrisu, said the attention of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) had been drawn to such recruitment without public advertisement serving notice to Ghanaian citizens to prepare themselves for recruitment into these important state institutions and security agencies. According to him, information gathered by the Minority indicated that about 1,600 had been recruited into the GAF, saying in respect of the GPS, the last time the public witnessed a public advert in accordance with the Constitution and the public service requirement and regulation was in 2017. So we are asking fundamental questions. How come in 2018, 2019 and 2020 there is no official public notice? he queried. GAF, I am told, there is some training going on. At the police depot, there is some training going on between Tesano and Palogu in Bolgatanga, Haruna Iddrisu, who is also the NDC MP for Tamale South, noted. This is not an acceptable public service practice. The Constitution requires that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of gender, geography, religion ethnicity and region. The idea of a public notice allows every eligible legitimate Ghanaian citizen desirous of joining the security agencies to apply and go through a rigorous process of recruitment into the security agencies. I am requesting the Minister for the Interior and Minister for Defence to respond appropriately in Parliament, he added. Besides, Mr. Iddrisu said if that has been done or is being done as reported, it raises fundamental questions of efforts to politicize the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service. And that only young people belonging to a certain political party are deemed qualified and are being recruited for this purpose. That is an affront to the constitutional provision of non-discrimination and that can undermine the nation and unity of our country. The Minority Leader, therefore, urged media practitioners to take particular interest in these matters and probe further how the young people were identified, recruited and being trained. Some of them have been at training almost for four months. We are all in this country, and they cannot hide because we have the budget statement and the number of (personnel of) the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces up to date into the public services. So any additions will be subjected to a thorough audit and investigations tomorrow by us But we dont want to be seen turning away the opportunity of these deserved young people, he added. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Credit: N. Culbert/IAEA. Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted to humans by blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Mosquitoes are known to contribute to the spread of a number of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, yellow fever and Zika. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this class of diseases accounts for 17% of all infectious diseases in the world, causing over 1 million human deaths per year. Developing methods to reduce the spread and prevalence of these diseases is thus of utmost importance, as it could ultimately save countless human lives. In recent years, scientists have devised a number of control methods to reduce or manage harmful insect populations without injecting harmful chemicals into the environment. One of these methods is the sterile insect technique (SIT), a form of insect birth control that entails the use of radiation to sterilize male mosquitoes, which are then released into the air in a target area and start mating with wild female insects. As a sterile male and a fertile female do not produce any offspring after they mate, SIT produces a decline in the insect population. In order to reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases, however, large amounts of good quality sterile insects need to be released continuously over affected geographical areas. Techniques for the cost-effective aerial release of sterile mosquitoes over extended geographical regions are thus a bottleneck to enabling the application of SIT on a large scale. With this in mind, researchers at the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Insect Pest Control Laboratory in Vienna, WeRobotics and Biofabrica Moscamed Brasil have recently developed a system to apply the SIT using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to manage and reduce vector-borne-disease-transmitting mosquito populations. This unique system, presented in a paper published in Science Robotics, entails the release of sterile mosquitoes in the air over large geographical areas using UAVs. "We report on a fully automated mosquito release system operated via drone," said Jeremy Bouyer, a medical entomologist who carried out the study, who also works within the joint FAO/IAEA division of nuclear techniques in food and agriculture. "The system, tested in Brazil, enabled a uniform dispersal of sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes while maintaining their quality, leading to a consistent sterile-to-wild male ratio." Credit: N. Culbert/IAEA. The key goal of the study carried out by Bouyer and his colleagues was to measure the survival, dispersal and sexual competitiveness of sterile male mosquitoes after they were mass-produced, sorted, handled, irradiated, marked and released within a geographical area using UAVs. The UAV-based release system they devised uses a canister in which mosquitoes are chilled down to 8-12 C and compacted. Each canister can contain up to 50,000 sterile males. When the canister opens, the mosquitoes fall into a rotating cylinder that releases them into the open air with each of its rotations. "The rotation speed controls the number of sterile males released per minute," Bouyer said. "It is fully automated, and release rates can be controlled depending on the location and speed of the drone. Our findings represent a major breakthrough in the application of SIT against mosquitoes. It supports cost-efficient releases, also over areas densely populated by humans." So far, the researchers have evaluated the system in Brazil, with the aim of reducing the population of Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that can spread vector-borne diseases. Overall, they found that the sterile male insects that they released into the environment were able to compete with wild males in mating with females. This means that they effectively induced sterility in the overall Aedes aegypti mosquito population within that geographical region. The UAV-based system for the release of sterile mosquitoes could significantly reduce the costs of SIT implementations, making them easier to carry out on a large scale. Their method could also prove to be ideal for SIT operations, as it might overcome limitations such as inaccessibility, enabling the release of sterile male mosquitoes in areas that are difficult to reach. "In the future, it is envisioned that adult mosquitoes are irradiated when already packed into cassettes that can be shipped via courier services to release sites," Bouyer said. "These cassettes would be loaded directly into the drones for release, eliminating the need for a release center." In Brazil, the researchers evaluated their mosquito release system using a drone that weighs approximately 12kg. In their next studies, however, they plan to develop a smaller UAV prototype that weighs 900g, conforms to the C1 European drone category, can take on a 200g payload of mosquitoes (~30,000 individuals) and can fly up to 15 minutes over urban areas. "Another challenge for the large-scale application of SIT against mosquitoes is the use of more cost-effective sex-sorting technologies," Bouyer said. "This is important to ensure no mass-reared female mosquitos are released, as they bite and transmit diseases. The IAEA, in partnership with the FAO and collaboration with other partners, is developing the technology to address this, with some trials planned soon." Explore further UN to test impact of mosquito sterilisation on disease spread More information: J. Bouyer et al. Field performance of sterile male mosquitoes released from an uncrewed aerial vehicle, Science Robotics (2020). J. Bouyer et al. Field performance of sterile male mosquitoes released from an uncrewed aerial vehicle,(2020). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aba6251 Perspective-summary : robotics.sciencemag.org/content/5/43/eabc7642 Journal information: Science Robotics 2020 Science X Network Jonathan Van Ness added a Texas pup to his adopted animal family. The star of Netflix's "Queer Eye" shared a picture with Pablo, his new furry friend from Austin Pets Alive. "One of my biggest gratitudes is the resources to be able to provide for my lil (big) adopted animal family, they help me through everything, maintain a schedule, smile a lot & feel connection," Van Ness wrote on Instagram. The animal shelter noted that "Pablos life is about to get so much more fabulous." READ ALSO: Seguin physician accused of fatally shooting a couple, found dead Van Ness and Co. were filming the sixth season of Queer Eye, the hit makeover show, in Austin when the pandemic arrived in March. His co-star, Antoni Porowski, soon fostered a dog from Austin Pets Alive. Van Ness was recently spotted hiking in the Hill County by a fellow celebrity. Brene Brown, a San Antonio native and best-selling author, said she "socially distanced hugged" when the pair bumped into each other on the trail. On Monday, Van Ness used his adoption announcement to highlight several causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement. He concluded, "I hope you can adopt a cat or a dog to get you some cuddles through this because, we have lots more work to do!" Hackers Attack Telecom Argentina, Demand USD 7.5m In Monero Telecom S.A., the largest telecommunications company in Argentina, has suffered a ransomware attack as hackers demand USD 7.5m ir privacy coin monero (XMR) to be paid until the night of Tuesday, July 21. If the company does not meet the deadline, the payable amount will rise to USD 15 million (XMR 216,189). Source: Adobe/adragan The hackers are not only demanding the ransom to be paid in XMR but also left a message with links where to buy this privacy coin. An image of the ransomware leaked to Twitter. Source: Alex Kruger @krugermacro Per the local news outlet, the attack has not affected users or internet and telephone services provided by Telecom Argentina. Still, the company has reportedly lost access to Office365 and OneDrive files. Other affected internal systems include corporate VPN, Citrix, Siebel, Genesys, the Customer and Field Service virtual machines, and internal users PCs. The attack has likely come through an attachment in an email, according to speculations on social media. Twitter user @pablowasserman said that the malware targeted companys customer relationship management (CRM) software Siebel, which contains data from its clients. In a leaked internal memorandum to employees, the company said it was looking for a viable solution as soon as possible, simultaneously asking its employees to avoid certain behaviors like using the corporate network, open suspicious files or emails from unknown recipients, and turning off computers until the situation is normalized. Telecom Argentina S.A. is yet to issue an official statement on the situation. According to local reports, the attack had started as early as Wednesday, when employees began noticing trouble accessing companys VPN and other databases. Preliminary estimates indicate that the attack may impact daily operations of at least 18,000 teams. The malware used in the attack is REvil ransomware, also known as Sodinokibi, which was first detected on April 17, 2019. The malware is used by a financially motivated group GOLD SOUTHFIELD. Ransomware is a type of malware that aims to encrypt files on infected computers and makes them inaccessible until payment is made. Even when the payment is made, there is no guarantee that the hackers will unlock the files. The hack happened just a few days after the massive Twitter hack, which is now being investigated by the FBI. Meanwhile, in June, Cryptonews.com reported that ISIS-affiliated website has switched from accepting donations in bitcoin (BTC) XMR due to insufficient privacy measures on the Bitcoin network. Reactions . __ This article was edited for clarity and space at 05:00 UTC. German biotech firm BioNTech and US drugmaker Pfizer on Monday reported additional data from their experimental Covid-19 vaccine that showed it was safe and induced an immune response in patients. BioNtech's US shares gained 12 per cent, while Pfizer's stock rose 3.6 per cent in early trading. The companies said the data also demonstrated an induction of high level of T-cell responses against the novel coronavirus. More than 150 possible vaccines are being developed and tested around the world to try to stop the pandemic. There are 23 candidates in human ... Congressman John Lewis, one of the last surviving figures of the civil rights movement, died Friday, July 17 after a months-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. Tributes poured in from the corporate media and from leading Democratic and Republican politicians. The Trump administration ordered flags flown at half-staff on federal buildings and US military bases. Lewis played a prominent role in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, serving as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963 to 1966. He was arrested more than 40 times at protests across the American South and beaten repeatedly by racist mobs and racist police and sheriffs. He was the youngest (and last survivor) among those who addressed the 1963 March on Washington, and later led the 1965 protests in Selma, Alabama, culminating in the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where state troopers attacked and beat protesters, including Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull. President Barack Obama awards the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Congressman John Lewis. (Image Credit: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) The youthful Lewis had physical courage and moral passion, but this was combined with complete prostration before capitalist politics. His political evolution personified the subordination of the civil rights struggles to the Democratic Party, which ultimately led its surviving leadersafter the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.to take their place in the political establishment and corporate structures of American big business. After 16 years of participation in struggles for desegregation and voting rights, Lewis lost a race in 1977 for a congressional seat in Atlanta, then took a job in the Democratic administration of Jimmy Carter in 1977, as a deputy director of the VISTA public service program, which included the Peace Corps. He returned to Atlanta to run and win a seat on the city council in 1981, before finally gaining the congressional seat in 1986 that he held for the next 34 years. In his legislative career, Lewis became a thoroughly predictable Democratic Party hack, a longtime supporter of Nancy Pelosi, who described him as the conscience of Congress. Given its character as a cesspool of corruption and defense of corporate interests, being the conscience of Congress is like being the moral guardian of a brothel. Lewis viewed the election of Barack Obama as the first African American president as the culmination of his political efforts, no matter that the living standards of workers, including black workers, continued to decline, and the American government carried out wars and assassinations around the world at Obamas direction. In other words, Lewiss goal was the integration of the American political elite by the incorporation of African Americans, while not challenging the economic and social structure of American imperialism in the slightest. Below, we reprint a perspective column from January 16, 2017, on Lewiss political evolution. * * * From Selma to the CIA: John Lewis, Donald Trump and the demise of the civil rights establishment By Patrick Martin, 16 January 2017 In an interview conducted Friday for NBCs Sunday morning program Meet the Press, Democratic Representative John Lewis announced that he would boycott the inauguration of President Donald Trump because, I dont see this president-elect as a legitimate president. There are many reasons to reject and oppose the presidency of Donald Trump: he personifies the financial oligarchy that now dominates the US political system and seeks to subordinate all public policy to its mad drive to amass ever-greater wealth; he has filled his cabinet and White House staff with ultra-right ideologues, fellow billionaires and ex-generals; his government is committed to a program of drastic cuts in spending for education, health care and other public services, combined with a massive military buildup. Lewis, however, mentioned none of these things. He based his rejection of Trump on the report by US intelligence agencies about Russian hacking during the 2016 presidential election campaign. I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, he said. Thats not right. Thats not fair. Thats not the open democratic process. No evidence has been presented proving that the Russian government was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. The hue and cry over Russian hacking has two purposes: to conceal the actual content of the leaked emails, which showed the right-wing and antidemocratic character of the Clinton campaign, and to whip up public opinion in the United States in favor of political, economic, diplomatic and ultimately military retaliation against Russia. There is not the slightest genuine democratic content to Lewiss critique of Trump. He did not cite Trumps loss of the popular vote by nearly three million votes, or the impact of voter ID laws enacted by many Republican-controlled state governments to suppress minority voting. His attack on Trump consisted solely of embracing the CIA-led anti-Russian campaign in language reminiscent of the 1950s redbaiter Joseph McCarthy. There is a grim historical irony here. During the years of the most intense struggles for civil rights in the South, in the 1950s and 1960s, the FBI, the police in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, and the southern Democratic politicians all claimed that protests against segregation were the work of outside agitators, communists sent in to do the bidding of the Soviet Union. But John Lewis, who played a significant role as a student leader during those years and led the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, has remembered only one thing: denouncing your opponents as tools of Russia is a proven propaganda tactic. A congressman from Atlanta for the past 30 years, Lewis personifies the recruitment and corruption of a section of middle-class African-Americans to reinforce the domination of capitalist politics. Civil rights leaders like Lewis were co-opted as part of a conscious strategy of the US ruling elite to refurbish the Democratic Party and the state machinery as a whole. Dozens of major cities were turned over to African-American mayors, some of them veterans of the civil rights struggles, others merely cashing in on it. The Congressional Black Caucus expanded its number from a handful to more than thirty. With the assistance of programs like affirmative action, slots were created for black academics, government officials, military officers, corporate executives and ultimately CEOs. These positions were not very numerous, but they were well paid, politically symbolic and gave a cover of diversity for the depredations of American big business and the crimes of the Pentagon. US imperialism incinerated tens of thousands of defenseless Iraqi conscripts while General Colin Powell, the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed the press on the progress of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. In similar fashion, Powell, as the first black secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, the first black female national security adviser, were at George W. Bushs side when he launched the illegal 2003 invasion of Iraq. This process culminated in the election of Barack Obama, the first African-American presidentalso the first president to assert the right to assassinate American citizens, using drone-fired missiles, anywhere in the world. Obama, a creature of the military-intelligence apparatus, expanded the war in Afghanistan, launched a new war in Libya and engaged the US military once again in war in Iraq and Syria. He continued and strengthened the police state operations of the CIA, the FBI and the National Security Agency. It is noteworthyand characteristic of this corrupt layer of African-American Democratic politiciansthat John Lewis has never opposed the military-intelligence operations of the Obama administration. On the contrary, Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama in 2011, the same year Obama authorized the drone-missile assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen. Some 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. made a critical step forward when he sought to combine the struggle for democratic rights at home with opposition to imperialist war abroad, courageously coming out against the war in Vietnam. There is not a shred of such principle among those who today seek to wrap themselves in Kings mantle in order to cover their own right-wing politics. After Dr. Kings assassination in April 1968an event that was undoubtedly linked to his turn against the Vietnam Warhis acolytes made their peace with the establishment. Some of them, like Andrew Young, who had always stood on the right wing in Kings councils, became open apologists for US imperialism, with Young serving as US ambassador to the United Nations in the Carter administration. Others, like Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond and John Lewis, became political hacks for the Democratic Party, giving this party of big business a progressive cover as it moved further and further to the right. Lewis also served in the Carter administration, running several antipoverty programs, before winning a congressional seat in 1986. In recent years, he has cashed in quite literally on his role in the 1960s, with his Faith and Politics Institute selling seats to lobbyists for $25,000 apiece to his annual visit to Selma to reenact the 1965 march. The enlistment of Lewis in the warmongering anti-Russian campaign only underscores the political challenge facing the American working class. No section of the Democratic Party will conduct a genuine or principled struggle against the monstrous right-wing program of the Trump administration and the Republican Congress. The Democratic Party, like the Republicans, defends the profits and wealth of the financial aristocracy and the global interests of American imperialism. 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... Danniella Westbrook at the National Film Awards UK in 2018 in London, England. (Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage) Former EastEnders star Danniella Westbrook has had confirmation her divorce to husband Kevin Jenkins settled six years after the pair separated. The actress split from businessman Jenkins in 2014 after 13 years of marriage. However, an official divorce never materialised and Westbrook took to Twitter last year to call out her ex, demanding their separation be made official. On Instagram, she posted a screenshot of an email saying: "Your divorce is now complete." Read more: Danniella Westbrook: 'Im one cocaine relapse away from dying' She wrote: "Well that was a long & happy chapter of my life 19years married too Kj and can honestly say not only do we share the most amazing child we shared many happy memories laughs lessons and love. "I married a great man together we over come so much we held each other up & lived a beautiful life, he showed me the world & i couldnt off chosen a more hardworking happy man to marry. Danniella Westbrook and then-husband Kevin Jenkins arrive for the UK celebrity film premiere of Scary Movie 3, held at the UGC cinema Haymarket, central London. (PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) "And just as children grown up and move away so sometimes sadly does love &friendship & no matter how hard you both try its just unfixable. "Life is too short 2 just make do and it takes a love and respect for each other to say good bye & turn rhe page. I have nothing but respect for my ex husband & wish him nothing but love blessings health wealth & happiness as today seals the end off our marriage. [sic] Despite her philosophical words, her public demand for the marriage to be ended officially was not quite so positive or polite. On Jenkinss birthday last August she posted a video to her Twitter account asking for a divorce. She said: "So it's the 23rd of August, which can only mean one thing. A very, very happy birthday to my darling husband Kevin. And I have the perfect present for you. How about we get a divorce?" Read more: EastEnders star Danniella Westbrook given 'all clear' following womb cancer battle Story continues A follow-up tweet read: "After 19 years and his constant cheating and him miraculously now suddenly broke after selling his company for millions I think ok to ask for a divorce after 5 years of separating and asking for one [sic]. "I don't want and never have wanted money or a house or car just the paper signed." The former couple have an 18-year-old daughter named Jodie. Westbrook also has a 23-year-old son named Kai from a previous relationship. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle Omaha has long been blessed by the strong community spirit displayed by Creighton University. The fifth anniversary of The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson as the universitys president provides an occasion to note Creightons importance to Omaha. Creighton University, founded in 1878, has a long tradition of working with community partners to help Omahans. At present, Creighton students and faculty work with some 95 local institutions. Involvement on health care and social services are especially strong and fruitful. The universitys partner organizations include CHI Health (medicine), Lutheran Family Service (help for individuals and families in need) and Siena Francis House (homeless). Such community engagement helps students and faculty appreciate the Jesuit principle of service to others, which in turn can deepen an individuals spiritual self. Creightons health care outreach extends to several rural communities. And Creightons School of Dentistry has long shown great interest in serving Nebraskas Native American community through outreach clinics as well as recruitment of Native American dental students. Indian stock continued their gaining streak and ended over 1 per cent higher on Monday, led by buying in financial and IT counters. The S&P BSE Sensex gained 399 points over 1.08 per cent to settle at 37,418.99 levels while NSE's Nifty breached the crucial 11,000 level to end the session at 11,022, up 120.50 points or 1.11 per cent. Telecom stocks were in focus amid the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) hearing in the Supreme Court in the last hour of the trade. Vodafone Idea witnessed a highly volatile session and ended flat at Rs 8.95, up 0.79 per cent following the observations by the Supreme Court in the case. The Counsel for Vodafone Idea said in the apex court that the total revenues over 10 years were Rs 6.27 trillion, of which Rs 4.95 trillion was spent on expenses. Besides, the entire net worth of the company has been wiped out over the last 15 years. Bharti Airtel ended nearly 2 per cent higher at Rs 578.50 on the BSE while Tata Teleservices was up 5 per cent at Rs 3.66. Besides, HDFC Bank ended 3 per cent higher at Rs 1,132.80 on the BSE after the private sector lender reported a 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in net profit at Rs 6,659 crore for the April-June quarter (Q1FY21), supported by operational income. The stock was the biggest contributor to the Sensex's gains, followed by Infosys, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, and HCL Tech. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (MMFSL) ended over 10 per cent higher at Rs 229.60 after the company said its board approved a 1:1 rights issue at Rs 50 per share, amounting to Rs 3,089 crore. Among sectoral indices on the NSE, barring Nifty Pharma, all the other indices ended in the green. Nifty IT rallied the most - up 2.6 per cent to 17,258 levels. Nifty Bank gained 1.6 per cent to 22,321.85 levels. Nifty Pharma, on the other hand, slipped 1.6 per cent to 10,304.60 levels. Broader markets, too, participated in the rally. The S&P BSE MidCap index rose 0.9 per cent to 13,654 points while the S&P BSE SmallCap index gained 1 per cent to 12,915 levels. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday tweeted that he would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah today to discuss the state's worrisome situation. He added that the welfare of people of West Bengal is uppermost in his mind. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he will meet Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday and apprise him of the states worrisome situation. Will discuss issues, Mamata Banerjee, with Home Minister today-part of my duty under Article 159,i.e. To the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution; Devote myself to the service and well-being of the people. I pledge total commitment for West Bengal people, Dhankhar tweeted. Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation. Also state of affairs and affairs of State under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of West Bengal people, Dhankar tweeted highlighting that welfare of people of West Bengal is of foremost concern to him. This meeting comes in the backdrop of the tussle between the Governor and the chief minister over several policy matters in the state. On Thursday, the West Bengal Governor had said stated that education is politically caged and controlled in the state, which would hurt the interests of students. Will discuss issues @MamataOfficial with Home Minister today-part of my DUTY under Article 159,i.e. To the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution; Devote myself to the service and well-being of the people. I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 20, 2020 Also Read: PMs strongman image is Indias biggest weakness: Rahul Gandhi Also Read: Assam floods: 85 dead, over 70 lakh affected Education is the soul of a society as it passes from a generation to another. It is unfortunate that in our state education is politically caged and controlled. The political grip on education is tightening, itll hurt students, education scenario and society in large, said Dhankhar. The Governor criticised the state government for not allowing vice-chancellors of universities to attend a video-conference with him even though the Governor is the chancellor of all state universities. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi questions Centre on bank defaulters, asks whether govt will take action For all the latest National News, download NewsX App STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A small British study of hospitalized coronavirus (COVID-19) patients showed promising results for a new treatment for the illness, the New York Times reported, while scientists cautioned that the findings lacked sufficient details to validate exactly how effective the drug was. The double-blind trial, which was conducted by a British biotech company called Synairgen and has not been peer-reviewed, only involved 101 patients but found the use of an inhaled form of interferon beta a protein the body naturally produces in response to viral infections could reduce the odds of patients becoming severely ill by 79%. We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who progressed from requiring oxygen to requiring ventilation, said Richard Marsden, the CEO of Synairgen. Adding that the treatment showed those who received it were at least twice as likely to recover to the point where their everyday activities were not compromised through having been infected by SARS-CoV-2, Marsden said the drug also significantly reduced breathlessness, one of the main symptoms of severe COVID-19. However, while admitting the result of the study looks promising, Simon Maxwell, a professor of clinical pharmacology and prescribing at the University of Edinburgh who was quoted in the New York Times, said the report is of an outcome in a relatively small number of patients, and so it is too early to draw reliable conclusions. (Bloomberg) -- Chinese chipmakers have surged in the past year, boosted by Beijings support for self-sufficiency in semiconductors and as adoption of 5G and artificial intelligence prove resilient amid the pandemic. Theres no sign that rally is about to slow even as their stocks looks increasingly expensive. Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd., a developer of AI chips, rose as much as 34% today, extending its first-day surge of 230% on the Shanghai Stock Exchanges STAR board. It follows top chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., which jumped 202% on its Shanghai debut last Thursday. Other chip stocks that have also rallied include Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., which has posted gains of about 139% since the start of this year, while Will Semiconductor Ltd. and Gigadevice Semiconductor (Beijing) Inc. are the fifth- and seventh-best performers on the CSI 300 Index in the past twelve months. Thats left chipmakers trading at lofty valuations. SMICs first-day surge meant its Shanghai stock has a price-to-earnings multiple of 278 times, more than three times that of its Hong Kong-traded securities. Advanced Micro-Fab is trading at about 400 times forward earnings, compared with 13.9 for the Shanghai Composite Index. Still, local investors are looking past the high valuations and any concerns over rising U.S.-China tensions and are instead banking on Beijings support for the semiconductor industry as it seeks to reduce reliance on American technology. These kind of high valuations will become a new normal during a three to five year period when the industry is still developing and remains backed by supportive government policies and access to capital financing, said Kevin Wang, vice president and semiconductor analyst at Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd. If they can maintain their current growth rate then definitely the PE and share prices will continue to rise. This is likely to occur as China accelerates its localization. Story continues To accomplish this goal, the government last year created a $28.9 billion semiconductor investment fund and has also provided subsidies and introduced supportive policies for the industry. Adding to that is a post-pandemic explosion of government and private sector investment in 5G wireless networks, cameras and sensors and AI software, spurring continued bullishness among domestic investors. Advanced Micro-Fab rose as much as 11% today, its biggest intraday gain in two weeks. Will Semiconductor and Gigadevice climbed more than 1% earlier today. Outside mainland China, some investors may be turning more cautious. SMICs shares slumped 25% in Hong Kong on the day its Shanghai stock debuted and are down about 33% from the record reached July 13. The H-shares are trading at about HK$29.25, or the equivalent of about 26.38 yuan, about a third of its shares on the mainland. The discrepancy between the valuations of semiconductor companies in Shanghai and Hong Kong is driven by onshore Chinese investors that believe domestic localization will drive future investment into the industry, according to Nicholas Yu, a portfolio manager at Ovata Capital Management Ltd. For unique technology in China, people are very willing to pay a premium for it because whatever earnings they have right now arent indicative of future earnings power, he said. (Updates with stock moves) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. When the Batavia Downs live racing meet gets underway on Wednesday, July 29, there will be no fans in attendance due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. However, there will be one exception. Listed owners of horses in to go will be allowed on the track apron starting opening night. General spectators or guests of owners will not be allowed onto the grounds until further notice as per New York State Gaming Commission regulations. If you are going to have horses racing this meet and would like to watch them in person, please take note of the protocol that needs to be followed in order to do so. Listed owners must make a reservation to attend in advance and be put on a list that will allow them to enter. Reservations must be made 24 hours before race time. The number to call to make a reservation will be on the Batavia Downs Facebook page and also the overnight sheet once the first draw is completed. Listed owners who register will receive email confirmation and security will only let in those that have registered and are on the list. Upon arriving at the track, a temperature check and health status questionnaire must be completed by each listed owner in the lobby. Once that process is complete, you must then proceed through Park Place to the apron. No one is allowed to walk through the gaming floor to the apron. Masks must be worn at all times and social distancing is required and will be strictly enforced. Also there will be no food or beverage service available. Listed owners will be also be allowed in the winners circle for pictures if their horse wins, but anyone doing so must remain masked and observe proper social distancing. Also please be aware that owners coming from states that are on the New York State Coronavirus Quarantine List are not allowed to attend at anytime. (Batavia Downs) The NSW Police Commissioner has issued a desperate plea for Sydneysiders to not attend another Black Lives Matter rally being planned for the city. A turnout of more than 4,000 has been estimated for next week's rally as New South Wales battles to control a second outbreak of coronavirus that has spread from Victoria. Posters promoting the upcoming event have been plastered across the city while organisers have lodged a protest application. Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has vowed to do everything in his power to stop the planned July 28 rally from legally going ahead and will appeal to the Supreme Court to block it. Another Black Lives Matter protest has been planned for Sydney on July 28, which NSW Police hopes to get blocked by the Supreme Court. Pictured is the city's first rally on June 6 The Commissioner is on high alert after Victorian health authorities confirmed at six attendees among the 10,000 at the Melbourne protest on June 6 has since tested positive. However the department refuted claims the protest was linked to an outbreak cluster in Melbourne's public housing towers, which has contributed to a second wave of new infections that has spread interstate. 'Relying on some pretty good intelligence from Victoria, we know how dangerous these protests can be, in terms of health,' Commissioner Fuller told 2GB morning host Ben Fordham on Monday. 'At the moment, you just can't take chances.' More than 4,000 protesters are expected to attend next week's rally in Sydney, sparking fears a second wave of coronavirus cases will worsen. Pictured is the June 6 protest in Sydney Despite a second wave of new infections, authorities insist there's no evidence to suggest the Melbourne attendees acquired the virus from the protest Victoria is now struggling to control another horror outbreak with Melbourne placed in a six week lockdown. New South Wales recorded its highest number of cases in months on Monday with 20 new cases, in addition to 18 on Sunday. Commissioner Fuller urged protesters to steer clear of the upcoming Sydney rally and pledge their support for the Black Lives Matter movement in alternative forums. He will direct officers to issue fines if the rally is declared illegal. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller (pictured on July 8) urged Sydneysiders to pledge their support for the Black Lives Matter movement in alternative forums 'If the numbers get above what is lawful at that time, then we can start writing tickets and that will be the instruction I'll be giving officers,' Commissioner Fuller said. 'Whether I can write two or three thousand tickets, I don't know. But do you want to be that person to get the first ticket?' He had this message for anyone who's planning to attend on July 28. 'It's just not the time,' Commissioner Fuller said. 'We know from Victoria that lives will be at risk and it's just not worth it.' The last Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney was held at The Domain (pictured) on July 5 with another planned for July 28 Tens of thousands of Sydneysiders took to the streets to pledge their support for the worldwide movement on June 6. Two more protests have since been held in Sydney. Admin of Telegram channel to be released from detention TASS, Maxim Shemetov 16:22 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) Investigators would overturn detention of the Police Ombudsman Telegram channels admin Igor Khudyakov in a porno peddling case, lawyer Maxim Pashkov told RAPSI on Monday. An investigator of major crimes took such a decision because of the charges volume change, the attorney said. Khudyakov is to be released from detention in 1-2 days, according to the attorney. Khudyakov was placed in detention in late May. He was arrested on April 23 in Volgograd and charged with illicit production and distribution of materials with sexual content by a group of people. According to Pashkov, the case was opened over publication of sex photos of a VKontakte female user in a closed chat. Searches were conducted in his premises, after which Moscow police reported a new criminal case over porno peddling against Vladimir Vorontsov, the creator of the Police Ombudsman Telegram channel. Khudyakov pleads not guilty. Vorontsov was arrested in Moscow on suspicion of extorting 300,000 rubles ($4,000) from a former Interior Ministry employee in May. Later, he was put in detention. According to the police, the arrested has demanded the money for non-distribution of personal photos, a source has said. From 2012 to 2017, the victim served in Moscow police. In October 2017, the suspect called him and demanded 300,000 rubles threatening to publicly share his personal photos, the statement reads. The victim refused and his photos were published in the Telegram channel. ST. LOUIS St. Louis top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday that she is charging a white husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s. They also face a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault. Gardner said in an interview with the AP ahead of more broadly announcing the charges that the McCloskeys actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise nonviolent protest. It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis, Gardner said. Gardner is recommending a diversion program such as community service rather than jail time if the McCloskeys are convicted. Typically, class E felonies could result in up to four years in prison. Supporters of the McCloskeys said they were legally defending their $1.15 million home. Photos emerged as memes on both sides of the gun debate. Several Republican leaders have condemned Gardners investigation, including President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Sen. Josh Hawley, who has urged Attorney General William Barr to undertake a civil rights investigation of Gardner. Parson said in a radio interview Friday that he would likely pardon the couple if they were charged and convicted. Gardner said Trump, Parson and others are attacking her to distract from their failed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues. St. Louis, like many cities across the country, has seen demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyds death in Minneapolis, and the McCloskeys home was initially incidental to the demonstration on June 28. Several hundred people were marching to the home of Democratic Mayor Lyda Krewson, a few blocks from the McCloskeys home. Krewson had angered activists by reading on Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police. The McCloskeys live on a private street called Portland Place. A police report said the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with No Trespassing and Private Street signs. A protest leader, the Rev. Darryl Gray, said the gate was open and that protesters didnt damage it. Video posted online showed Mark McCloskey wielding a long-barreled gun and Patricia McCloskey waving a small handgun. No shots were fired. Trump spoke by phone with Parson last week to criticize Gardners investigation. Parson, when he was in the Legislature, co-authored Missouris castle doctrine law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders. He has said that the McCloskeys had every right to protect their property.Gardner declined to discuss why she decided the castle doctrine didnt apply. The McCloskeys attorney, Albert Watkins, said they are longtime civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. He said they grabbed their guns when two or three white protesters violently threatened the couple, their property and that of their neighbors. Gardner, St. Louis first Black circuit attorney, has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016. Most notably, her office charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped, but Greitens resigned in June 2018. A private investigator Gardner hired to investigate the claims against Greitens was later indicted for perjury for allegedly lying during a deposition. His case is pending. Gardner also has butted heads with police leaders, especially after she developed an exclusion list of more than two dozen officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns. The move angered Police Chief John Hayden, who also is Black. In January, Gardner filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city, the police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office. The lawsuit also accused entrenched interests of intentionally impeding her efforts to change racist practices. Several Black leaders in St. Louis have expressed support for Gardner, including U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, a Democrat, who has said protesters should never be subject to the threat of deadly force, whether by individuals or by the police. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2020 file photo, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., participates in a panel during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in Clive, Iowa. Several prominent Muslim American elected officials, including Omar, endorsed Joe Biden for president in a letter organized by Emgage Action ahead of an online summit that starts Monday, July 20 by the advocacy group and features the presumptive Democratic nominee. (Marcio Jose Sanchez, File/Associated Press) Democrat Joe Biden urged Muslim Americans on Monday to join him in the fight to defeat President Donald Trump as he addressed an online summit hosted by the advocacy organization Emgage Action to mobilize Muslim voters ahead of the presidential election. I want to earn your vote not just because hes not worthy of being president, the presumptive presidential nominee told participants. I want to work in partnership with you, make sure your voices are included in the decision-making process as we work to rebuild our nation. Biden also reiterated a pledge to overturn a Trump administration ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim countries, calling it vile. Wael Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action, said by email that the organization was seeking to maximize Muslim American turnout in key battleground states. In Michigan alone one of the states where the organization has chapters and where Trump won in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes he said he believed there are more than 150,000 registered Muslim voters. Several prominent Muslim American elected officials endorsed Biden for president in a letter organized by Emgage Action ahead of the summit. Among those who signed the letter are Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Indiana Rep. Andre Carson, all Democrats. Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, served as a high-profile surrogate for Bernie Sanders before he exited the presidential race in April making her support for Biden potentially helpful as the former vice president seeks to mobilize Muslim voters this fall. Muslim American voices matter to our communities, to our country, Biden said. But we all know that your voice hasnt always gotten recognized or represented. Emgage Action has titled the event Million Muslim Votes, underscoring its emphasis on boosting Muslim turnout in November. Joe Bidens presence serves not only to galvanize Muslim Americans to cast their ballots, but to usher in an era of engaging with Muslim American communities under a Biden administration, Alzayat said by email before the summit. The pro-Biden letter from Muslim American elected officials decried a number of Trumps domestic and international policies, including his administrations travel ban and his pullout from the Iran nuclear deal. A Biden administration will move the nation forward on many of the issues we care about, the letter said, citing racial justice, affordable health care, climate change and immigration. The Muslim American officials also praised Bidens agenda for their communities. Among other goals, Biden has vowed to rescind the travel ban affecting Muslims on Day One if hes elected. In his address, he pledged to include Muslim American voices in his administration, if elected, and to speak out against human rights abuses against Muslim minorities around the world. Ill continue to champion the rights of Palestinians and Israelis to have a state of their own as I have for decades, each of them a state of their own, he said. Other state- and local-level Muslim American officials signing onto the pro-Biden letter hail from several states, including Michigan. A lot is at stake, Alzayat said. The importance of Muslim American voter participation in this upcoming election cycle is greater than it has ever been. Trumps reelection campaign, meanwhile, has included Muslim voters in its faith outreach on behalf of an incumbent who has prioritized religious liberty in his agenda. President Trump understands that our faith is what unites us as a nation, Courtney Parella, deputy national press secretary for the reelection campaign, said in a statement. He has and will continue to staunchly defend religious freedoms for all Americans. Omars signature on the endorsement letter expands on her statement last week, via Twitter, that she would vote for Biden. New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez another member of the quartet of congresswomen of color, often known by the nickname the Squad, who have become progressive luminaries since their arrival in Congress also has said she would vote for Biden in the fall. But Ocasio-Cortez, who served on a task force that helped shape a climate change plan designed to unite Biden and Sanders backers, has yet to issue a full-throated Biden endorsement. Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, another Squad member and former backer of Sanders presidential bid, was conspicuously absent from the Emgage Action-organized letter. Farooq Mitha, senior adviser for Muslim engagement with Bidens campaign, said reaching out to Muslim American voters is a priority for Biden, pointing to his own appointment as an example. The campaign has hosted events with Muslim Americans and met with community leaders over the past months, he said. A Biden presidency offers Muslims an opportunity to be engaged with government, rather than being shut out like many other groups that have been alienated and demonized by the Trump administration, he said in response to emailed questions. Muslim communities can have an outsized impact in many states and we are working every day to earn their support. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Police in Benidorm have been criticised after an officer appeared to place his knee on a man's neck as he was arrested - the same restraint that killed George Floyd. The incident took place on Poniente Beach in Benidorm after the man wandered on to the sand without a mask on and with his dog, despite guards telling him the area was too crowded and pets are not allowed. By the time police arrived the man had stripped off and refused to get dressed, sparking the scuffle which ended with him being pinned to the ground. People who saw the video online quick to accuse the officers of being too heavy-handed with the man, despite those on the beach applauding as he was led away. Police in Benidorm have been criticised after one officer appeared to place his knee on a naked sunbather's neck as the man was arrested One British expat wrote on social media: 'Look at what happened to George Floyd and they do the same thing again. 'He doesn't look like a dangerous man to me.' Another added: 'What a disgusting society. People expressing happiness at the arrest of a man who's not harming anyone. 'I think the arrest is over the top. Shameful.' As the video starts it shows one officer escorting the man out of the water and on to the beach, after he had been swimming in the water with his pet dog. The naked man sits down on the sand to pick up his swimming shorts, before standing up in order to put them on. But he then turns towards the beach and raises his arms in the air, prompting a second officer who has been taking care of his dog to come rushing over. That officer then trips the man who then begins wrestling with the officers, before eventually ending up face down in the sand. At that point, the second officer can be seen placing a knee on the naked man's upper back while his colleague reaches for his handcuffs. Officials said the man had to be restrained after he defied guards to walk on to a crowded beach, argued with police and then assaulted and officer It takes the officer some time to unhook the cuffs, requiring the assistance of a passerby before the man can be properly restrained. Throughout the ordeal, he is lying on his front with the officers on his back. The police wore face masks but the naked man was not wearing one. Masks are compulsory in all public spaces in Mallorca, with a 90 fine for breaches. A spokesman for Benidorm Council said: 'Appropriate force was needed to restrain him after he assaulted an officer. 'He was touching his privates and arguing with the police. 'One form of restraint is what you see in the footage and he was handcuffed while he was lying on the ground and taken away. 'Theres nothing more to be said. Were talking about someone who ignored instructions and became violent and he needed to be calmed down.' A well-placed source said the unnamed man would probably end up receiving a fine. Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti is said to be completely broke and unable to pay his legal fees. California attorney, Dean Steward, who is representing Avenatti, ended up filing a motion in federal court on Saturday which revealed details of his financial trouble. It leaves former hot-shot lawyer Avenatti requesting taxpayer help to cover costs. Just how bad a position financially Avenatti is in however, remains unclear after the details were sealed from public view and prosecutors. 'The bottom line is that Mr. Avenatti has run out of funds, and faces a complex trial lasting as long as six weeks,' Steward wrote in the federal filing. Avenatti, who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Donald Trump has recently been staying at the home of a friend in California after being released from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan due to coronavirus fears. But he still faces three ongoing criminal cases. Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti has run out of money and is now unable to pay his legal fees Dean Steward, a California attorney who has represented the discredited lawyer for more than a year is now looking to use funds from the public purse Steward has represented Avenatti for more than a year after he was previously represented by lawyers from the federal public defender's office. Now Avenatti's funds have run out, he is proposing to retain Steward on as his counsel using funds set aside to help indigent clients, according to the New York Post. 'The retainer has long since run out and defendant does not have funds to pay counsel,' Steward says. 'Such an arrangement would save considerable taxpayer funds, over starting fresh with new counsel.' It's not clear when Los Angeles Judge James Selna will rule on the matter. The 49-year-old is currently confined to his friend's tiny apartment in Venice Beach, near Los Angeles. Avenatti was granted a 90-day temporary release after making $1 million bail from Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York in April. His $1 million bond was posted by a friend, Hubert Bromma Stormy Daniels' former attorney is also banned from using any digital devices that allow internet access while he is on a 90-day release from jail due to coronavirus fears Judge James Selna ruled at the time that Avenatti could not possess or use any digital devices that allow internet access. Avenatti had been locked up since mid-January when a judge revoked his bail and sent him to jail while he awaited his federal trial for attempting to extort Nike for $25million. He was convicted on February 14, 2020 on the charges and was being held in a federal detention facility in New York City awaiting a June sentencing on the Nike case. He also faces criminal trials in New York accused of defrauding former client Daniels and in Los Angeles for cheating clients and others of millions of dollars. He has denied wrongdoing in both cases. In normal presidential elections, the labours of campaign strategists don't change much. Underlying conditions in the country drive the outcome. In the re-election race of US President Donald Trump -- who rivets enough national attention to blot out the sun -- they matter even less. That marketer's talent, now a crippling 2020 weakness, renders last week's sacking of campaign manager Brad Parscale a minor development. "Trump is the message, Trump is the strategist, Trump is the campaign manager," observes Kevin Madden, a longtime aide to Republican politicians from George W. Bush to John Boehner to Mitt Romney. Against that reality, the plans of new campaign manager Bill Stepien represent mostly "a bunch of noise." Rather than signaling a turnaround, the move underscores how badly Trump has already damaged his own prospects. Two new national polls in recent days showed the President with a double-digit deficit against Democratic opponent Joe Biden. Trump, not Parscale, dug that hole. The President started digging long before the coronavirus upended American life. Trump's crude, truculent, divisive style has made him the first President never to reach 50% approval in the Gallup Poll. He led House Republicans to crushing defeat in the 2018 midterm elections even as the economy grew smartly. By January 2020, as the Democratic primary campaign heated up, Trump trailed Biden by nine percentage points in CNN polling. In the rolling series of national crises since, Trump has deepened and hardened his disadvantage. That in turn has eclipsed his opportunity to do what presidential re-election efforts typically do: boast of the incumbent's accomplishments, draw a flattering contrast with his opposition, and outline a hopeful second-term vision. Trump has all but abandoned trying to arrest the pandemic that has so far claimed the lives of more than 138,000 Americans. He repeats obviously false assessments of the crisis, resists promoting the mask-wearing health experts agree would help, and disdains the expertise of his own scientists. Coronavirus shattered the economic expansion Trump had claimed as his shining achievement. Now his impatience to restore lost growth, by pushing states to re-open prematurely, has accelerated viral spread. That has dampened the nascent recovery, forcing major cities and states to consider re-imposing the costly restrictions Trump pushed so hard to lift. Protests for racial justice following the death of George Floyd complete the fumbling portrait. The 74-year-old President inflames the crisis instead of calming it, indulging instincts for 1960s-era white backlash as most voters seek something different for a diverse 21st century nation. From mask-wearing to racially-offensive language to banishing the Confederate flag, the President has driven institutions symbolizing heartland America toward his opponents. "When a Republican president is on the wrong side of a cultural war with Walmart and NASCAR, Republicans might pause to think about the insanity Trump makes you defend," tweeted Stuart Stevens, a longtime GOP ad-maker. Other Republicans warn his dishonest broadsides against mail-in voting will hurt the party by discouraging GOP absentee ballots. Last week's Quinnipiac University poll catalogued the wreckage on two principal gauges for incumbent presidents. Three-fourths of voters expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the nation; 60% disapproved his job performance. By two to one, voters said Trump hurts rather than helps efforts to stop coronavirus, and that they distrust what he says about it. They preferred Biden over Trump on handling the pandemic, health care, racial inequality and even the economy. Overall, Trump trailed in their prospective November matchup by fifteen percentage points, 52% to 37%. Shifting conditions can narrow that national gap, and Trump's smaller deficits in battleground states. But it's far too big for a new campaign manager to erase with well-targeted campaign events, energetic turnout operations, or sharp negative ads. In a normal campaign, "a well-played hand can be worth a point or two on the margins in a particular state," notes Daron Shaw, a University of Texas political scientist who advised both of George W. Bush's winning presidential bids. In 2020, Shaw says, "Trump is such a dominant presence that (voters') opinions of Biden don't even matter in some ways. " Nor can Trump ride memories of the buoyant pre-coronavirus economy with his "return to greatness" slogan because, Shaw adds, "you can't be out of step with reality." Republican House and Senate campaigns welcome Stepien's elevation anyway. Colleagues cite his calm demeanor, savvy, and past work for more conventional Republicans such as Bush, John McCain and Chris Christie. That makes Stepien likelier to understand the needs of others in the party than either Parscale or Trump. "It's still uphill, but he can fill in some of the potholes and smooth out some of the bumps," says GOP pollster Glen Bolger. The hill looms exceptionally steep. At this point in 2012, when Madden served as the Republican nominee's spokesman, Democratic incumbent Barack Obama led Romney in the Gallup Poll by four percentage points. That ended up Obama's winning popular-vote margin. "You really don't learn how little these campaigns matter until you stop working on them," Madden says now. "What were those 18-hour days for? National Conference (NC) vice president, Omar Abdullah has threatened to sue Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel for linking his release from detention under the Public Safety Act to the political turmoil in Rajasthan and to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot in particular. I am fed up of the downright malicious and false allegation that what Sachin Pilot is doing is somehow linked to my or my fathers release from detention earlier this year. Enough is enough. Mr @bhupeshbaghel will be hearing from my lawyers, Omar, a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister tweeted. I am fed up of the downright malicious and false allegation that what Sachin Pilot is doing is somehow linked to my or my fathers release from detention earlier this year. Enough is enough. Mr @bhupeshbaghel will be hearing from my lawyers. Cc @RahulGandhi @INCIndia @rssurjewala https://t.co/Gojb7vN1V3 Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 20, 2020 Baghel in an interview to The Hindu had said, And as far as Sachin Pilot is concerned, not that I have been tracking the Rajasthan events so closely, but it does make one curious why Omar Abdullah was released? He and Mehbooba Muftiji were booked under the same Sections of the law, while she is still languishing, he is out. Is it because Mr. Abdullah is brother-in-law of Sachin Pilot? Following Omars threat, Baghel took to Twitter to say, Please do not try to turn this tragic demise of democracy into an opportune moment Omar Abdullah ji. The allegation was only a question asked, and we will keep asking it, as will the country. The tragic demise of democracy began with the imprisonment of the leaders who believe in democracy like Mr. Abdullah, Ms. Mufti and other leaders of Kashmir. The release of @OmarAbdullah is duly welcomed but we shall continue to demand the release of all others. (1/2) Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) July 20, 2020 The NC leader dismissed Baghels comeback saying the Congress doesnt know its friends from its opponents. You can send your answer to my lawyers. This is what is wrong with the Congress today, you dont know your friends from your opponents. This is why you people are in the mess you are in. Your question was malicious and will not go uncontested, he said in another tweet. The National Conference also condemned Baghel comments. The party has taken note of and expresses strong objection to an interview given by CM of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel wherein he had maliciously suggested that the release of our Vice President Omar Abdullah from preventive detention was somehow related to Sachin Pilot or the present political situation unraveling in Rajasthan, the NC said in a statement. The party unequivocally rejects such malicious, false and politically motivated statements that are used for convenient political posturing, the statement said. This statement further said apart from being false and scurrilous the allegation is also defamatory to the reputation of Omar Abdullah. It is within the province of public knowledge that the release of Omar Abdullah happened after judicial intervention was sought from the Supreme Court and the illegal order of detention of Abdullah was challenged. Given the indefensible nature of the illegal detention order the same was revoked by the Government during the course of the proceedings before the Supreme Court, the statement said. Omars sister, Sarah Abdullah is married to Sachin Pilot. She had approached the Supreme Court in February and challenged her brothers detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA) under which he was imprisoned. Later, the government withdrew the Public Safety Act of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and they both were freed. Currently only one former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti who is also the PDP president is detained under Public Safety Act. Sen. Ted Cruz warned the Texas GOP State Convention if the Democrats win the Lone Star State both the White House and the Senate are gone. 'If the Democrats win Texas it's all over,' Cruz said by video to virtual convention attendees. 'Texas is the single biggest target for the left in 2020, politically speaking. There are 38 electoral votes at stake. There's a U.S. Senate seat at stake. And Texas is the key to national domination for years to come,' the Texas Republican pointed out, in the video address he posted to Twitter Sunday. Polling has shown the race between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden tighter than expected in Texas, once a reliably red state, where voters picked Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nine points. But the latest RealClearPolitics polling average for the state puts Trump ahead by just one-fifth of a point, with every poll since June being inside the margin of error. 'And make no mistake, the Democrats and the liberal media, they're doing everything they can to take Texas,' Cruz said. 'The last five Texas polls in a row have shown President Trump and Joe Biden in a virtual tie.' 'This is a real race,' Cruz warned. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz warned the Texas GOP State Convention that if Democrats win the state of Texas 'it's all over.' 'Texas is the single biggest target for the left in 2020, politically speaking,' Cruz told attendees in a video address he posted to Twitter Sunday Sen. Ted Cruz warned that the polls showed a close race in Texas between Democrat Joe Biden (pictured) and President Donald Trump. 'We've got four months to stop a blue wave from destroying the great state of Texas,' he warned Sen. Ted Cruz echoed statements made by President Donald Trump (pictured) involving Democrats tearing down statues as part of 'Black Lives Matter' activism. 'They're tearing down America,' Cruz said. 'We can't let that happen' He pointed to his 2018 re-election bid, which Cruz won, but by only 2.6 points. 'And just two years ago, all of us saw what an all-out political assault looks like in my race against Beto O'Rourke,' Cruz said. 'That race was unlike anything Texas had ever seen before.' Cruz talked about going up against O'Rourke's $80 million war chest and how O'Rourke's effort 'more than doubled Democratic turnout in the state of Texas.' 'Let me tell you right now, every one of those crazed angry leftists that showed up in 2018, they're showing up in 2020 and they're even angrier,' Cruz said. 'They hate President Trump and far too many of them hate America.' 'We've got four months to stop a blue wave from destroying the great state of Texas,' he warned. Echoing Trump, who has leaned in to culture war issues as part of his re-election plan, Cruz accused liberals of wanting to tear down statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even black abolitionist Frederick Douglass. 'They're tearing down America. We can't let that happen,' Cruz said. While statues of the founding fathers and Christopher Columbus have been targeted - and a Douglass statue in Rochester, New York was vandalized - the broader issue has been whether statues of Confederate fighters should remain, as the south seceded from the United States to preserve slavery. Since the Memorial Day killing of black Minneapolis man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, the issue of Confederate statues and monuments has become part of the political dialogue. Trump has said he supports the continued use of Confederate names on military bases and said on 'Fox News Sunday' that he wasn't offended by the Confederate flag, statements that play to his base, but don't necessarily expand his support, especially as states like Texas turn bluer. Cruz's colleague Sen. John Cornyn is on the ballot this fall and he'll be facing off against Democrat MJ Hegar, who beat Royce West in the Democratic primary runoff race last week. A poll conducted earlier in July shows Cornyn with a comfortable lead. A CBS News/YouGov survey has 44 per cent of Texans supporting Cornyn and 36 per cent supporting Hegar. Another 15 per cent of those polled said they were unsure how they'd vote in the U.S. Senate race. Above, Christopher Steele. The FBI notes of February 2017 interviews with his dossier's dubious "Primary Subsource" have finally been released. By Eric Felten, RealClearInvestigations July 20, 2020 Much of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Donald Trump was built on the premise that Christopher Steele and his dossier were to be believed. This even though, early on, Steeles claims failed to bear scrutiny. Just how far off the claims were became clear when the FBI interviewed Steeles Primary Subsource over three days beginning on Feb. 9, 2017. Notes taken by FBI agents of those interviews were released by the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday afternoon. The Primary Subsource was in reality Steeles sole source, a long-time Russian-speaking contractor for the former British spys company, Orbis Business Intelligence. In turn, the Primary Subsource had a group of friends in Russia. All of their names remain redacted. From the FBI interviews it becomes clear that the Primary Subsource and his friends peddled warmed-over rumors and laughable gossip that Steele dressed up as formal intelligence memos. Paul Manafort: The Steele dossier's "Primary Subsource" admitted to the FBI that he was clueless about who Manafort was. So he scrounged up a few old news clippings about the Trump campaign manager and fed them back to Steele. Steeles operation didnt rely on great expertise, to judge from the Primary Subsources account. He described to the FBI the instructions Steele had given him sometime in the spring of 2016 regarding Paul Manafort: Do you know [about] Manafort? Find out about Manaforts dealings with Ukraine, his dealings with other countries, and any corrupt schemes. The Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI that he was clueless about who Manafort was, and that this was a strange task to have been given. The Primary Subsource said at first that maybe he had asked some of his friends in Russia he didnt have a network of sources, according to his lawyer, but instead just a social circle. And a boozy one at that: When the Primary Subsource would get together with his old friend Source 4, the two would drink heavily. But his social circle was no help with the Manafort question and so the Primary Subsource scrounged up a few old news clippings about Manafort and fed them back to Steele. Also in his social circle was Primary Subsources friend Source 2, a character who was always on the make. He often tries to monetize his relationship with [the Primary Subsource], suggesting that the two of them should try and do projects together for money, the Primary Subsource told the FBI (a caution that the Primary Subsource would repeat again and again). It was Source 2 who told [the Primary Subsource] that there was compromising material on Trump. And then there was Source 3, a very special friend. Over a redacted number of years, the Primary Subsource has "helped out [Source 3] financially." She stayed with him when visiting the United States. The Primary Subsource told the FBI that in the midst of their conversations about Trump, they would also talk about a private subject. (The FBI agents, for all their hardnosed reputation, were too delicate to intrude by asking what that private subject was). Michael Cohen: The bogus story of the Trump fixer's trip to Prague seems to have originated with "Source 3," a woman friend of the Primary Subsource. He was not sure if Source 3 was brainstorming here regarding the supposed Prague intrigue. One day Steele told his lead contractor to get dirt on five individuals. By the time he got around to it, the Primary Subsource had forgotten two of the names, but seemed to recall Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The Primary Subsource said he asked his special friend Source 3 if she knew any of them. At first she didnt. But within minutes she seemed to recall having heard of Cohen, according to the FBI notes. Indeed, before long it came back to her that she had heard Cohen and three henchmen had gone to Prague to meet with Russians. Source 3 kept spinning yarns about Michael Cohen in Prague. For example, she claimed Cohen was delivering deniable cash payments to hackers. But come to think of it, the Primary Subsource was not sure if Source 3 was brainstorming here, the FBI notes say. The Steele Dossier would end up having authoritative-sounding reports of hackers who had been recruited under duress by the FSB -- the Russian security service -- and how they had been using botnets and porn traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal data and conduct altering operations against the the Democratic Party. What exactly, the FBI asked the subject, were altering operations? The Primary Subsource wouldnt be much help there, as he told the FBI that his understanding of this topic (i.e. cyber) was zero. But what about his girlfriend whom he had known since they were in eighth grade together? The Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI that Source 3 is not an IT specialist herself. And then there was Source 6. Or at least the Primary Subsource thinks it was Source 6. Ritz-Carlton Moscow: The Primary Subsource admittedhe had not been able to confirm the story about Trump and prostitutes at the hotel. But he did check with someone who supposedly asked a hotel manager, who said that with celebrities, one never knows what theyre doing. And that was enough for the rumor to make it into the dossier. While he was doing his research on Manafort, the Primary Subsource met a U.S. journalist at a Thai restaurant. The Primary Subsource didnt want to ask revealing questions but managed to go so far as to ask, Do you [redacted] know anyone who can talk about all of this Trump/Manafort stuff, or Trump and Russia? According to the FBI notes, the journalist told Primary Subsource that he was skeptical and nothing substantive had turned up. But the journalist put the Primary Subsource in touch with a colleague who in turn gave him an email of this guy journalist 2 had interviewed and that he should talk to. With the email address of this guy in hand, the Primary Subsource sent him a message in either June or July 2016. Some weeks later the Primary Subsource received a telephone call from an unidentified Russia guy. He thought but had no evidence that the mystery Russian guy was that guy. The mystery caller never identified himself. The Primary Subsource labeled the anonymous caller Source 6. The Primary Subsource and Source 6 talked for a total of about 10 minutes. During that brief conversation they spoke about the Primary Subsource traveling to meet the anonymous caller, but the hook-up never happened. Nonetheless, the Primary Subsource labeled the unknown Russian voice Source 6 and gave Christopher Steele the rundown on their brief conversation how they had a general discussion about Trump and the Kremlin and that it was an ongoing relationship. For use in the dossier, Steele named the voice Source E. When Steele was done putting this utterly unsourced claim into the style of the dossier, heres how the mystery call from the unknown guy was presented: Speaking in confidence to a compatriot in late July 2016, Source E, an ethnic Russian close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, admitted that there was a well-developed conspiracy of co-operation between them and the Russian leadership. Steele writes Inter alia, yes, he really does deploy the Latin formulation for among other things Source E acknowledged that the Russian regime had been behind the recent leak of embarrassing e-mail messages, emanating from the Democratic National Committee [DNC], to the WikiLeaks platform. All that and more is presented as the testimony of a close associate of Trump, when it was just the disembodied voice of an unknown guy. Perhaps even more perplexing is that the FBI interviewers, knowing that Source E was just an anonymous caller, didnt compare that admission to the fantastical Steele bluster and declare the dossier a fabrication on the spot. But perhaps it might be argued that Christopher Steele was bringing crack investigative skills of his own to bear. For something as rich in detail and powerful in effect as the dossier, Steele must have been researching these questions himself as well, using his hard-earned spy savvy to pry closely held secrets away from the Russians. Or at the very least he must have relied on a team of intelligence operatives who could have gone far beyond the obvious limitations the Primary Subsource and his group of drinking buddies. But no. As we learned in December from Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Steele was not the originating source of any of the factual information in his reporting. Steele, the IG reported relied on a primary sub-source (Primary Sub-source) for information, and this Primary Sub-source used a network of [further] sub-sources to gather the information that was relayed to Steele. The inspector generals report noted that neither Steele nor the Primary Sub-source had direct access to the information being reported. One might, by now, harbor some skepticism about the dossier. One might even be inclined to doubt the story that Trump was into water sports as the Primary Subsource so delicately described the tale of Trump and Moscow prostitutes. But, in this account, there was an effort, however feeble, to nail down the rumor and speculation that Trump engaged in unorthodox sexual activity at the Ritz. While the Primary Subsource admitted to the FBI he had not been able to confirm the story, Source 2 (who will be remembered as the hustler always looking for a lucrative score) supposedly asked a hotel manager about Trump and the manager said that with celebrities, one never knows what theyre doing. One never knows not exactly a robust proof of something that smacks of urban myth. But the Primary Subsource makes the best of it, declaring that at least it wasnt a denial. If there was any denial going on it was the FBIs, an agency in denial that its extraordinary investigation was crumbling. Voters heading to the polls this election season in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania may find themselves facing billboards, projections and even cornfield cutouts designed by the countrys leading artists with a simple refrain: Enough is enough. We are at a precipice in this country, and we are either going to move forward or we are not, said the artist Carrie Mae Weems, who has created new artworks for the Enough of Trump initiative alongside nearly a dozen other influential artists like Deborah Kass, Jeffrey Gibson and Shepard Fairey in collaboration with People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy group started by the television producer Norman Lear. The nonprofit organization plans to exhibit its collection of nearly two dozen artworks across the country this fall as Americans decide who their next president will be. Art has the power to connect with peoples hearts as well as their minds, said Mr. Lear, who helped found the organization in 1980 to oppose the growing political power of such right-wing religious groups as the televangelist Jerry Falwells Moral Majority. This campaign will get people thinking and talking and feeling in their guts how much theyve had enough of this president. And well remind them that the only remedy for that is to vote. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:04:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Three government troops and 17 gunmen were killed in an encounter in Jibia, Katsina state, in northern Nigeria over the weekend, military spokesman Bernard Onyeuko has confirmed. Members of Combat Team 1, with air support, on Saturday captured a "notorious bandits' stronghold," known as Dangote camp, deep in the forest in Jibia area, the spokesman said in a statement reaching Xinhua late Sunday. Initial resistance by the gunmen was subdued by the troops, resulting in heavy casualty on the gunmen, according to the spokesman. "At the end of the encounter, 17 bandits were neutralized while several others were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds as evident by the trails of blood along their escape routes," Onyeuko said. He said one officer and two soldiers were killed while four other soldiers were wounded in action. Weapons, ammunition and motorcycles were also captured from the fleeing gunmen, Onyeuko said. Northern Nigeria has witnessed a series of gunmen attacks in recent months, leading to deaths of troops and civilians. Security forces are engaged in several operations in that part of the country to root out illegal armed groups. Enditem One Luxembourg resident in ten cannot afford paying for an annual one-week holiday away from home. According to statistics released by Eurostat, 29% of residents aged over 16 were unable to pay for a one-week holiday away from home in 2019. This percentage has gradually decreased since 2010, when around 39% of European citizens were unable to leave their home country for an annual holiday. "However, due to lockdowns and border closure implemented across the world in 2020 to slow down the rapid spread of the coronavirus, this downward trend is likely to halt in 2020," Eurostat noted. Romania recorded the highest share of citizens (54%) unable to pay for a holiday. Luxembourg, Denmark, and Sweden are at the other end of the scale, with 11% of Luxembourg residents able to pay for a one-week annual holiday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkey, Libya and Malta on Monday held a trilateral meeting in Turkish capital Ankara discussing cooperation and efforts to ensure stability in the eastern Mediterranean. "We have agreed that the cooperation between our countries will continue in the upcoming days for the peace of the region," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a joint press statement. Akar held the meeting with Interior Minister of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) Fathi Bashagha and Malta's Minister for Home Affairs, Law Enforcement and National Security Byron Camilleri. The ministers discussed steps to be taken to reach stability in the Mediterranean, said the Libyan minister in the written statement, noting that further efforts were needed to support his country's stability. He accused Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based army of Libya, of harming the regional security. Camilleri, for his part, pointed at the fact that the Mediterranean is one of the world's deadliest migration routes. "Turkey, in this sense, notified us that it will give concrete and important support," he said. Turkey backs the Tripoli-based GNA led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and has signed a military cooperation agreement to support its fight against Haftar. Turkey sent troops to Libya as part of this accord. Since the uprising which killed former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been divided between the powers of GNA and the eastern-based Libyan National Army of Haftar. Enditem Owner Christine Maniaci has been ordered to close her door again at Salon Touche in Redondo Beach, Calif., on July 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) SoCal Salon Owners Say They May Not Recover From New Closures IRVINE, Calif.Salon owners across Southern California are worried that new mandatory closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic may bankrupt their businesses. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a vast statewide closure of indoor activities on July 13, including bars, movie theaters, and restaurants. He also mandated the closure of fitness centers, places of worship, and hair salons in counties that show troubling COVID-19 trends. In conjunction, the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology announced all hair salons, barber shops, and personal care services (which includes nail salons, esthetic salons, and electrology offices) that are within the monitored counties must close immediately. After months with little or no income, the new closures caught many salonists by surprise. We didnt really have a lot of time to prepare financially the second time around, cosmetologist Michelle Wilson told The Epoch Times. You know, some of us only had two weeks. Some of us had a bit longer, but trying to catch up and then kind of save for a rainy day was nearly impossible. Wilson reopened her business, Velouria Beauty Lounge in Porterville, following a May 26 announcement allowing salonists to reopen. She was open for six weeks until she was forced to close again. Whether she can afford to open again is up in the air. For other salonists, however, the decision has already been made. Owner Christine Maniaci cuts a friends hair at Salon Touche in Redondo Beach, Calif., on July 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Closing the Doors I just closed my salon completely Im shutting the doors, salonist Michelle Hallman told The Epoch Times. Hallman has owned Harbor Hair in Redondo Beach since 2018. She rents a studio through Phenix Salon Suites and works alone, seeing dozens of clients a week, but when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus hit and stay-at-home orders were implemented on March 19, she had to close her doors. Hallman reopened on June 3. She went back to work for a week, then decided to pull back again when she saw COVID-19 numbers in her county rising. By the time she felt it was safe to finally reopen, Newsom had targeted her industry again. This time, she closed her doors for good. The cost of lost business was too great to recover on her own. Shell be moving in with another salonist in Redondo Beach, splitting the cost of rent in another suite. She was paying upward of $3,000 for rent in Phenix Salon Suites. Im going to go rent from another salon owner who is a very strong advocate for the industry. Im going to go help her out, she said. Unfairly Targeted Devin Daly, a subleaser at Phenix Salon Suites, collects rent from tenants. He then pays a portion to the landlord. Daly told The Epoch Times that he forgave salonists who were unable to cover their rent during the shutdown, but landlords still expected the full amount to be paid. That weight falls on his shoulders. Youre talking $3,000. No independent contractor or sole practitioner hairstylist will be able to pay $3,000, he said. Daly said the first wave of shutdowns was brutal. He feels salonists are lost in the system because government aid, such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and the Small Business Administrations Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), doesnt apply to the industry. Now hes losing tenants who are going out of business, which has made it even more difficult for him to pay his landlord. Were getting crushed, Daly said. We lost several hundred thousand dollars that well never be able to recover. The first shutdown was a body blow, but we were able to get up off the mat, he said, but if its another 10 weeks, I dont know that well be able to come back. Daly said he felt everyone was sharing the responsibility during the first shutdownbut now salons and the beauty business in general are being very unfairly targeted. There are giant gatherings on beaches, people dining outdoors, not social distancing or wearing masks, and all that being allowed, and its absolutely wrong, Daly said. [Salonists] are fully trained in safety and sanitation. Theyve taken that up a notch and are complying 100 percent with the guidelines. And theyre getting shut out of business, he said. A woman wearing a face mask passes Salon Touche in Redondo Beach, Calif., on July 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Worse Than the First Time Another stylist in Redondo Beach, Christina Maniaci, has owned Salon Touche for the last 18 years. She has seven stylists working for her. Theyre normally all booked up, but COVID-19 has changed that. When salon restrictions were lifted, protests were taking place countywide, so she delayed her reopening. So we chose to stay closed just for safety reasons, and then we opened. And we were only open for a week and we got shut down again, Maniaci told The Epoch Times. Financially, her business took a huge hit, yet she did not receive a nickel from unemployment funds. Most of her regular clients are afraid of the virus and wont book appointments, she said. They still do not feel comfortable coming in, she said, even though she follows state guidelines to create the cleanest, most controlled area possible. As a business owner, she said the re-closures are worse than the first mandates in March. She spent hundreds of dollars to prepare for reopening, hiring a cleaning crew and stocking up on hair supplies, sanitation items, and disposable gowns. As an owner, it put me out several hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollarsjust to be turned around and shut back down again, Maniaci said. I havent even had a chance to even recover from that, let alone the loss of income from the last several months that we were closed, so Ive taken a big hit, she said. In announcing the new closures, Newsom said, Were moving back into a modification mode of our original stay-at-home order but doing so utilizing a dimmer switch, not an off-on switch. In response, the hair styling industry is calling for a statewide initiative that would allow them to operate outdoorsbut current Board of Barbering and Cosmetology regulations state that all related services must be performed inside a licensed establishment. Online Learning Google Reveals New Features for Meet Google has unveiled some of its plans for updates to Meet, the web conferencing tool that's part of the company's G Suite for Education. The basic thrust is to give instructors more control over their real-time sessions and help them make the classes more engaging. Among the updates expected this year are these: Educators will have more control over who gets in and what they can do once they're in virtual classes. If a teacher ejects a student from a meeting, the student won't be able to ask to rejoin ("knock"). If the instructor rejects a knock twice, it won't show up anymore on his or her interface during the session. Once a class is over, instructors can end the session for everybody at once. A default setting will prevent anonymous attendees from joining an education session, though institutions will be able to opt-in and allow anonymous participations for designated sessions. Both instructors and students will be able to blur out their backgrounds or replace them with presets or uploaded images, through the instructor will maintain control to disable that particular functionality. Instructors will also be able to mute all participants, disable in-meeting chat and restrict who can present. An additional setting will require that the moderator join in on the session before the class begins. Meet will include a hand-raising function that will prevent class disruptions until the instructor is ready to take questions or comments. A collaborative whiteboard will help participants share their ideas. A larger tiled view will allow the instructor to show up to 49 participants at one time. And closed captions will be available in languages besides just English. Mock-ups of expected functionality in Google Meet, planned for release sometime this year. Google has also announced premium features, such as the ability to track attendance based on who has joined the class; breakout room functionality; and question-and-answer and polling to encourage student participation at key moments. The company hasn't announced timing for the features, other than to state that they'll appear in the application this year. What The Rocks needs is a good look at its own history of management. Successive advisory and management bodies with seemingly little interest in history have managed to turn the historical maritime precinct into a bland, "phoney colony" mess. Most Sydneysiders see it as a disappointment. It is the one place that should and could take us back to a better understanding of our colonial beginning through museums, music, stories and heritage events. A weekly market, occasional non-heritage related events such as the Aroma Festival and bright signage simply doesn't cut the mustard. - Warren Fahey, Potts Point Has soul been sold? What an ungracious, ad hominem attack by Mayor Jilly Gibson on her predecessor (Letters, July 20). North Sydney has always been dead at night and on weekends. Adding another big building or three will not make a jot of difference. As for its soul, it's that patch of grass in front of the historic MLC building at lunchtime on a summer's day. - Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn I'd like to challenge Jilly Gibson's definition of soul. Just take a look at Parramatta: brand new buildings and skyscrapers, but nothing to do at night, no live music, no young people, streets deserted after 5pm except for the homeless ... and that was pre-COVID-19. New doesn't guarantee emotional vibrancy. - Alice Khatchigian, Ermington North Sydney used to be a community where people had a voice, where the voice was heard, where politicians listened and soul ultimately triumphed. With Cr Gibson at the helm, the community is no longer, the voice is muffled and soul has departed. - John Gavaghan, Cammeray Koalas condemned through neglect What will it take for the Berejiklian government to do something to help the fate of the koala ("Koala shield 'fundamentally failing' ", July 20)? Week after week, we read new reports of how ungoverned land-clearing is destroying koala habitat. And the government sits by while it happens. How will the Premier feel if the koalas disappear from the wild because of inaction on the part of her government? It makes me very sad to think that young people in our country will grow up never knowing koalas in the wild. - Stuart Laurence, Cammeray Sadly, we have yet another reminder of how badly government delays in preserving our precious wildlife are playing out in eastern Australia. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has the power to intervene to protect precious remaining koala habitat from further destruction by the Forestry Corporation of NSW, a state government entity, which has continued to carry out felling of dwindling forests in the wake of the summer's fires. If the minister waits any longer to decide whether she might upgrade koala status from vulnerable to endangered, there may not be enough of them left to make the change meaningful. - Margaret Roberts, Narrabundah, ACT The missing prince This is the opposite of "married with children". It is "married without parents" ("Exclusion from photos cements prince's shame", July 20). - Mustafa Erem, Terrigal Tweak tax to fix rents Supporting Noelene Jensen-Wolf, (Letters, July 20) I'd suggest that when a rented residential or commercial property becomes empty, then the costs of earning income from the property should cease to be deductible until it again is tenanted. That would make negative gearing unavailable during the period the property is empty and would pressure landlords to accept market rents. - Peter Pitt, Potts Point Capital earnings, Brenton White (Letters, July 20), are not necessarily rewards for work, just as poverty is not necessarily the consequence of not working. Karl Marx was never against the benefits of capitalism, one of which is surplus value-generating compound interest on capital. Every dollar I save that I invest is a dollar that could be put to work for society if only the government would buy my surplus savings. But the government doesn't want my money, nor do banks. What they want is debt, my indebtedness. - Keith Russell, Mayfield West A privatised monopoly Most of the NBN's value is in its legislated monopoly ("NBN's $51b value under review", July 20). The Coalition's switch from the optical fibre network of the Labor plan to a network based on old pay TV networks means NBN Co has little capability to compete with high-capacity, low-cost fibre networks. The key issue is the natural monopoly pit and duct network (large holes in the nation's footpaths) built by the Commonwealth but now owned by Telstra. We cannot have real competition for high capacity optical fibre services if the natural monopoly is privately owned. - Peter Egan, Artarmon Divergent lanes Are the members of the "car is king" group who wanted to remove bike lanes still in the NSW government, because Rob Stokes seems to be singing from a different hymn book if he is encouraging more people to walk, cycle and run? ("Parks pandemic popularity sparks public space revolution", July 20) - Neil Reckord, Armidale No precedent is no excuse The Chief Justice of the Federal Court says "past rulings" prevent changes to a law that allows workers to be paid as contractors at less than the minimum wage ("Judges' hands tied on law that undercuts minimum wage", July 20). Really? The learned judges (albeit in the High Court) were not restrained by 200 years of "binding precedent" when they handed down the Mabo judgment. They remedied an injustice then and they can do likewise now. - Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga No case for Huawei ban Huawei Australia takes strong issue with your editorial ("The case for banning Chinese-owned app TikTok has yet to be made", July 20). You claim that any ban on TikTok must be justified by the federal government with a "strong case on national security grounds as it did with the banning of Huawei's involvement in Australia's 5G network". The federal government never made a strong case on national security grounds for banning Huawei from 5G. It never even attempted to make that case before or after imposing the ban. Two years on from the ban's imposition and Huawei Australia has never even been officially notified the ban exists much less any national security reasons for it. The federal government banned Huawei only after the Trump administration called for it to do so when Malcolm Turnbull visited Washington DC in February 2018. - Jeremy Mitchell, chief corporate affairs officer, Huawei Australia Wamberal woe betide The posh beachfront houses at Wamberal at risk of being swallowed by the sea should bring home to us quite literally the real danger of climate change and rising sea levels. I wonder if the Coalition government politicians who cracked pathetic jokes and laughed at Pacific islanders who voiced concern over climate change and rising seas are laughing now? - Rajend Naidu, Glenfield It is wonderful how supportive the Australian public is if you have lost a house to flood or fire, even if you have built in an area prone to such disasters. However, build on the coast and lose your house to an extraordinary storm event and apparently you are on your own. - John Mizon, Collaroy Beach erosion has been happening for millennia. It is a natural process. People who insist on building on sand dunes close to the high tide mark have the same mindset as those who build timber houses on top of a timbered ridge with bush practically right up to their back door. We have to take responsibility for our own actions. - Ann Clydsdale, Bathurst The future is here Droughts, heatwaves, bushfires, smoke pollution, a bleaching reef and now a collapsing coastline ("Storm erosion puts beachfront homes, residents on edge", July 18-19). All within 12 months. Such a pity that neither federal nor state Coalition governments take climate science seriously. If they did, we would be reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and completely by 2040 and we would have a 100 per cent renewable energy target, with a price on carbon to achieve these ambitions. Instead, we have a coal and gas plan. And in 30 years, the seas will have risen another half a metre. - Harry Creamer, Port Macquarie Name changers Try living in Australia with my given name (Letters, July 20). When a man who obviously considers himself the height of wit (and, strangely, they're always men) asks if I'm Randi, my response is to tell them they can call me Ms Svensen. - Randi Svensen, Wyong Markets regulator SEBI on Monday released framework to enable verification of upfront collection of margins from clients in cash and derivatives segments. The new framework will come into effect from December 1, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in a circular. The regulator has reiterated that the applicable upfront margins will be collected from the clients in advance of the trade. SEBI said clearing corporations will send minimum four snapshots of client wise margin requirement to trading member (TM) or clearing member (CM) for them to know the intra-day margin requirement per client in each segment. It further said number of times snapshots need to be sent in a day may be decided by the respective clearing corporation depending on market timings subject to a minimum of four snapshots in a day. The snapshots would be randomly taken in pre-defined time windows. For commodity derivatives segment, SEBI said last snapshot for commodity derivatives will be generated at 5 PM. The client wise margin file provided by the clearing corporations to trading or clearing member will contain the end of the day (EOD) margin requirements of the client as well as the peak margin requirement of the client, across each of the intra-day snapshots. The member will have to report the margin collected from each client, as at EOD and peak margin collected during the day, in a manner prescribed by the regulator. EOD margin obligation of the client will be compared with the respective client margin available with the TM/CM at EOD and peak margin obligation of the client, across the snapshots, will be compared with respective client peak margin available with the TM/CM during the day. "Brokers won't be able to offer intraday margins beyond VAR+ELM (Value at Risk and Extreme Loss Margin). This could result in huge reduction in intraday turnover which is almost 90 percent of all turnover. This is because if excess intraday margin provided could result in margin penalty," Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO, Samco Group said. "Our estimate is that almost 30-35 percent of the intraday turnover is based on additional leverage provided by brokers. Now assuming full margin is required, Total turnover would shrink by approximately 20 percent (since balance part margin was still being collected from clients)," he added. Rudra Shares and Stock Brokers also said it would hit intraday as well as arbitrage traders as the maximum turnover in cash segment is from intraday trades. "It is already implemented in the derivative segment, now the Sebi will gradually implement in cash segment as well with effect from December 1, 2020 and from September 1, 2021, it will get fully implemented," he added. With regard to penalty, SEBI said higher of the shortfall in collection of the margin obligations at the two prescribed manner will be considered for levying of fine. The verification of availability of margins with TM/ CM will be done by exchanges or clearing corporations on a weekly basis by verification of the balances in the books or of the TM/ CM in respect of the client. "Now the industry and exchanges will need to adjust to this new reality. This probably will also accelerate the market share towards discount brokers like Samco Securities from full service brokers," Jimeet Modi said. "Differentiated margins was a service offering by full service brokers which has now been arbitraged away. Interesting times ahead!," he added. SEBI said peak margin obligation of client across snapshots will be adopted in a phased manner. For three months from the date of implementation, SEBI said 25 per cent of peak margin obligation of the client across the snapshots will be compared with respective client peak margin available with the TM/CM during the day. This will be 50 per cent for subsequent three months and thereafter75 per cent for subsequent three months and finally 100 per cent. It further said shortfall in collection of margins will be calculated by taking into consideration the phased adoption of peak margin obligation of client. During the period of phased adoption, the member should be able to demonstrate that the balance peak margin obligation has been funded from the member's own funds and not from any other client. In a separate circular, SEBI said it has modified the eligibility criteria for selection of underlying commodity futures for options on commodity futures. The regulator has decided to do away with the requirement of "the underlying 'Futures contracts' on the corresponding commodity shall be amongst the top five futures contracts in terms of total trading turnover value of previous 12 months". The decision has been taken on the basis of representations received from stock exchanges and stakeholders. (With inputs from PTI.) BRIDGEPORT A person suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a stabbing on Colorado Avenue Monday afternoon, according to police. Police said the stabbing happened around 4:09 p.m. in the area of 200 Colorado Ave. The victim has not been cooperative with police, Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Scott Appleby said Monday evening. As of 4:45 p.m., police were still on scene investigating the incident. This story will be updated as more information is released by authorities. Ghana is at an important crossroads. There is a need for a new and sustainable response to contain the alarming spread of the COVID-19 virus amongst the population. On Thursday, 9th July 2020, four health unions, comprising the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Registered Nurses and Midwives Association of Ghana (GRNMA), the Health Services Workers Union of the TUC (HSWU) and the Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) held a press conference to express concern over the increasing rate of infections and the severe impact on health workers. In terms of figures, they disclosed that 770 health workers had contracted COVID-19. The number includes 190 doctors, 416 nurses, 156 health service workers and 23 pharmacists. In total, 10 health professionals from this group had died. The Unions identified the alarming rate of infections and the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other protective consumables as the main threat to health workers. At the same time, election activities are ramping up and the Electoral Commissions (EC) compilation of a new register, which aims to register some 18 million Ghanaians is in full swing. Political parties are also preparing to move fully into campaign mode. Given the reality that the country is heading for a public health crisis if nothing is done quickly, and the reality that Ghana faces a constitutional crisis if elections are not held on 7th December 2020, what are the options to consider to avert both a public health and constitutional crisis? The Public Health Reality Ghana is facing an imminent public health crisis. The recent alarming rate of increase in the COVID-19 case count, particularly the seven-day positivity rate is a serious concern. First, total cases as at 31st May was 7,881. Within four weeks (June), the number of cases increased from 9,860 to 17,441. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), total case count as at 12th July 2020 was 25,430, meaning 7,989 cases have been added in just 12 days of July. According to Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, CDD-Ghana Democracy and Development Fellow on Public Health, the signs were there as far back as 17th April 2020 when Accra and Kumasi were placed under lockdown, during which period, Ghanas cumulative case count began to double weekly. From 641 cases on April 17th to 1,279 cases within seven days. Before that, it had taken four weeks from 12th March when the first two cases were announced to get to 506 cases. Second, the increase in the cumulative rate reflects the increase in the prevalence rate. The prevalence rate has reached alarming proportions in the last few weeks. Currently, we are at 84 out of every 100,000 persons infected. This has more than doubled since 5th June 2020 when it was 31 out of 100,000 persons infected. In its 12th July update report, the GHS stated that the average positivity rate for routine surveillance was 8.29 per cent and enhanced contract tracing was 7.15 per cent on average from March to July, suggesting an already high number of people testing positive from the tests conducted. However, even this figure requires additional reconciliation, given the current cumulative increase. A week by week case count suggest a higher positivity rate, some as high as 23 per cent which should give a greater cause for concern in terms of estimating a breaking point for Ghanas health infrastructure and personnel. Third, there were 21, 511 recoveries/discharges, 139 deaths, 3,780 active cases as at 12th July. We still dont know what proportion of the total cases are discharges (one test) or recoveries (two tests) to estimate the patient management burden per week. Moreover, with the time lag between testing and test results, it is also difficult to track how the active case count compares with the cumulative case every seven days. Lastly, another dimension which is troubling and should motivate a much stronger, urgent and long-term response is the threat of a chronic disease burden on the population, particularly respiratory complication in the years to come. In essence, the fewer people who get the disease, the better it is for the management of the countrys disease burden now and in the future. It is, of course, no surprise that the recent spikes in the case count have coincided with the gradual easing of government restrictions, the failure of enforcing strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols and the high incidence of non-compliance by the majority of citizens. On 31st May 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced further easing of restrictions to allow the resumption of churches, schools and political activities, among others. With a high incidence of community spread by the end of May, the reintroduction of limited forms of mass gathering from the beginning of June appears to have increased the risk of infection. So far, the churches have proven to be better equipped in enforcing the restrictions. Unfortunately, all other categories of activities allowed to operate have struggled to enforce the observance of COVID protocols. A few days ago, the Ministry of Education reported some Second Cycle Schools have reported COVID-19 cases, a month after final year students were asked to return to school. A high incidence of political activity related infections has also been reported. Several high profile politicians contracted the virus after the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) held its parliamentary primaries, with one unfortunate fatality. Also, following an event to acclaim President Akufo-Addo as the NPPs flagbearer for the 2020 elections, leading political figures have contracted the virus, forcing the President to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days. Infections in the workplace are also rising and prominent state institutions like the Ministry of Finance and Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have had to shut down their physical premises temporarily. Given the public health reality and the impending crisis, something needs to be done in the next two to four weeks to stem the rate of infections. Otherwise the consequences will be dire for all citizens. The Elections and Governance Reality The alarming spread of the COVID-19 cases has led to calls for the ongoing voter registration exercise to be stopped. There have been similar calls for schools to be closed to allow students to return home. Unfortunately, when it comes to elections, it is difficult to see any viable alternative option for conducting an election on 7th December. Article 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana sets out the term of office of a President as four years from the day he is sworn in. A person elected as President can only serve two terms. No provision in the Constitution caters for a situation where a Presidents term can be extended even by a day after its expiration. Article 298 empowers Parliament to enact legislation to provide for a matter not provided for in the Constitution. However, it is important to note that an Act of Parliament is subordinate to the Constitution. Therefore, any legislation aimed at providing for [a] matter which is inconsistent with the Constitution would be unconstitutional. Thus the Article 298 window cannot be used to extend a President's term after it expires because the Constitution is crystal clear on the duration of a President's term. It has been suggested that Article 113 may provide a solution. Article 113 envisages a situation where Parliament has been dissolved but fresh elections cannot be held, due to a public emergency (including war). Under such circumstance, the lame duck President, with the support of two-thirds majority votes of MPs, may extend the life of Parliament. The extension of Parliaments life under Article 113 (2) is valid for a 12-month period at a time, but cannot exceed four years. In this Article 113 scenario, the President (whose term has/may have expired) leaves the scene. Whether or not the Speaker of Parliament in this scenario, can act as President, pending fresh elections, is a matter of constitutional interpretation. The Article 113 scenario may seem practical but it is problematic on two fronts. First, Article 60, which allows the Speaker to act as President, in the absence of the President and the Vice President, envisages a situation where the President and Vice President are temporarily absent, not when the Presidents term has expired. The expiration of the term of the President coterminous with that of the Vice President is permanent unless the President is re-elected. Second, Article 112 (4) provides that parliamentary elections should be held latest 30 days before Parliament is dissolved. It is important to note that Article 112 (4) is subject to Article 113 (2) discussed above. Therefore, Article 112 (4) can only be applicable in the absence of a public emergency contemplated by the framers of the Constitution under Article 113(2). No public emergency has been declared in Ghana by the President yet as a result of the COVID - 19 pandemic. Therefore, we can assume that Article 112 (4) is in full effect and must be complied with. Ghana combines its presidential and parliamentary elections. The dissolution of Parliament occurs on the 6th of January, the same day the Presidents term expires. As such, the circumstances where a President can recall a dissolved Parliament before an election is held cannot exist in the current arrangement. This means elections must be held on 7th December 2020 to either renew the mandate of the current President or give a fresh mandate to another person. If elections must be held in December, we cannot walk back on the ongoing voter registration exercise. Already the process has been significantly delayed even as the EC tries to address different challenges including the failure of applicants to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Some of the delays mean the plan by the EC to conduct a mop-up exercise after 38 days or so will have to be extended to mop up some applicants, particularly from phases 1 to 3 of the exercise. After that, there will be an exhibition of the voter register and other processes before a magistrate certifies the register to be valid for the elections. If further delays are managed then it is likely nomination of candidates will be taken at the end of September or in October. This will be followed by the transfer of votes, special voting and voting day. Political campaigns are likely to be in full swing after the voter registration at the beginning of September. All these election-related activities mean that there are going to be many instances of large crowds gathering for one activity or the other and therefore an increase in the risk of COVID-19 infection. In essence, we are between a rock and a hard place. No amount of screaming and shouting will shift the two realities. Therefore, as a country, we must stay calm, think smart, be proactive and respond to the challenge. The irony of the countrys predicament and that of many countries in our situation is that we need the structure and stability of government to coordinate an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no substitute for an effective State. Unfortunately, our country is also caught up in the chaos of competitive and highly partisan electioneering. Parties do not want to share the limelight as they make their case to the electorate. At the same time, opposition parties are waiting for the smallest mistake or public disaffection to jump on and show voters the incompetence of their rivals. However, the State, the government or the Executive cannot do it alone. There is a need for a broader Co-Leadership amongst the State, the Government, the Executive, the political parties, organized citizens (CSOs), traditional authorities, religious bodies, media and the creative arts. Combining these institutions would significantly improve the trust between the State and its citizens. These groups also have the reach and social capital to influence citizens across Ghana in ways that the State will struggle to. Lastly, they would help cut through the partisan noise to get citizens to take more responsibility. The next two to four weeks are crucial for Ghana and the following actions can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and build the much needed trust to move the country in the same direction: 1. Enhanced citizen engagement - The all hands on deck strategy: The National COVID-19 Team used the Enhanced Surveillance Monitoring strategy to identify positive cases and isolate them for treatment. Using the same logic, Ghana must go beyond the current structure of education and information to an enhanced strategy. The President should empower the Coordinator of Ghana's Coronavirus Response Programme, Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, to convene a two-day national meeting to discuss the role of various stakeholders in educating and promoting compliance with COVID-19 anti-spread protocols. This should be small and short meetings with various groups, including political party leaders (general secretaries, national organizers and national youth and women organisers); the National House of Chiefs; heads of religious bodies; editors and owners of media houses; heads of Civil Society Organizations; creative arts persons from the music and film industry; among others. Some of the interventions for political parties could include using information and educational materials developed by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to educate citizens jointly at registration centers; all party leaders can appear together in infomercials to educate citizens. Besides, political parties working with law enforcement have to strategize on political campaigns. Traditionally, even if candidates arrive at a town or city at night, their supporters will still mobilize people to meet them and it will turn into a rally. But large gatherings at night would be a disaster. So, there must be some consensus that allows for effective compliance with the protocols. For traditional leaders, it can involve the Yaa Naa or the Asantehene doing an occasional broadcast to citizens in their respective traditional areas. For the creative arts, working with artists like Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Nana Ama McBrown, Lil Wayne and Stoneboy can transform the way the public health message will be received by the youth. A number of these citizen groups can self-finance their interventions as part of their contribution to support their fellow citizens. 2. Co-financing mass testing and personal protective equipment (PPEs): It is very difficult to fight the disease if we do not know who has it, who does not, who is sick and who is not. The country must look at ramping up testing again. Considering the challenges that health workers are facing and the threat to our capacity to manage the current impact on our health infrastructure, we will have to prioritize health sector workers, not just frontline workers. Also, if we have to keep the schools open then we will have to also prioritize students. In addition, we will need to identify some essential workers (security services, election officials, electricity and water provision staff) and prioritize them. The challenge is the cost of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is a $100. Ghana has performed some 327,000 tests which equates to $32.7million so far. Currently, some private hospitals are charging about 200 Ghana Cedis to collect samples and send to Noguchi for processing. Citizen-led fundraising to fund testing can make a significant difference to our current response. The private sector can also help test their employees if they have the means to do so to reduce the burden on the state. The COVID-19 Trust Fund is generating some good amount of resources that can be used to fund testing for health workers and students. The approach should be extended to financing PPEs for health workers. These are consumables and we should expect shortages if cases surge. Bearing in mind that cost is a factor, it is surprising that Ghana has not embraced the cheaper (about $40) Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) used to test for antibodies. Basically, the RDTs, which can give you results in 20 minutes or less, detects whether there is the presence of antibodies in a persons body which indicates that a person has contracted the disease before or is currently infected. RDTs are considered less accurate but is increasingly being used in a number of jurisdictions to improve testing. Interestingly, a Ghanaian start firm Incas Diagnostics and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have developed an RDT test kit which gives results in 20 minutes. Their product is currently going through Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) approvals. Our COVID-19 disease profile shows a lot of people are asymptomatic. Given that reality and the cost of PCRs, an anti-body test should suffice to identify a lot of people so we can isolate or track them to even learn more about the disease. Another government policy which requires explanation is the decision to prevent private hospitals from administering the test for COVID-19. Considering the financial burden, would it not be helpful if citizens who can afford to take the test pay for it fully, so that the State can worry about those who cannot afford it. It is simply a game of identifying infected persons and isolating them. At the moment, you will pay GH188 at Nyaho Hospital for them to take your sample, and the sample will be sent to Noguchi for processing, which will take two to three weeks for the results to be ready. It means the government is absorbing the $100 cost of the PCR kit. Why should a government with scare resources insist on bearing all the cost which can be absorbed by some citizens? Lastly, if the testing strategy is to work then the turnaround time for results have to improve significantly.The average 2-3 week time lag would be a problem. Certainly, RDTs will help in this regard but beyond that, there is need for more test centers. There is some indication that some of the regional testing centres that were set up to boost testing would become operational soon to augment the response. If the financial burden for testing is reduced, the state could invest in infrastructure for processing the test. 3. Donating more makeshift isolation centres: Several churches and individuals have donated various structures to the government to be used as isolation centres. This should be encouraged and publicly recognized. The state must also provide some incentives for people who have taken this step. Unfortunately, such people have been stigmatized for doing their civic duty, and it is for this reason that we must turn this issue of stigma on its head. 4. Fighting COVID-19 stigmatization: It is incredible to hear the horror stories from friends who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are having to hide from people for fear of being stigmatized. It is such a shameful act but it is one borne out of ignorance and fear of the unknown. The NCCE and the President have had cause to raise concerns about this issue but it continues unabated. The messaging around stigmatization must be central to the Enhanced Public Engagement Strategy. Conclusion Ghana is in a precarious situation in terms of the rate of spread of the COVID-19 virus..At the same time, we have no option but to hold elections come 7th December 2020. It means activities in the electoral calendar such as the voter registration exercise would have to be implemented. To reduce the spread of the virus and ensure the country avoids a constitutional crisis, the Executive must adopt a Co-Leadership Strategy by bringing several non-State actors political parties, traditional authorities, religious leaders, CSOs, media and the creative arts together to support an enhanced engagement strategy. Citizens should support the financing of testing for health workers, students and essential State workers. Government should also review its policies on the use of RDTs and allow private hospitals to support testing. Lastly, we will need more testing sites to improve turnaround time and we must intensify the anti-stigma campaign. The Writer is the Director, Advocacy and Policy Engagement, Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chester County appears to be among those parties that will be discussing a possible settlement this week of efforts before the state Public Utilities Commission to ensure safety measures and proper communications regarding the Mariner East 2 Pipeline project, according to those familiar with the case. The county is apparently joining with East Goshen, the Downingtown Area School District, and the Rose Tree-Media School District in meeting with representatives of Sunoco Pipelines on Thursday. News of the settlement in discussions caused concern among local pipeline safety activists, particularly because the original plaintiffs of the suit before the PUC three Chester County residents and four Delaware County residents, nicknamed the Safety 7 had not been invited to join the settlement conference, a prospect they deemed unfair. Laura Obenski, an intervenor in the PUC action from Uwchlan, said that she had learned of the meeting in an email from commissioners Chairwoman Marian Moskowitz last week. But when contacted Monday about the conference, Moskowitz demurred by saying first that she could not comment on legal matters, and later that she was not completely certain that the county would be included in the conference because of questions about its legal representation. That is what I understand but I am not sure, Moskowitz said of the settlement conference in an interview. I have to hear it from the lawyers. Attorney Michael Bomstein with the Clear Air Council of Philadelphia, who represents the original plaintiffs in the case said in a telephone interview Monday that he understood that the conference would include only certain parties who were invited and would be held this week. I have been told that Sunoco, through its counsel, has reached out to certain lawyers to discuss the possibility of a settlement, and that a settlement conference had been set, in the PUC case, Bomstein said. It is a divide and conquer strategy. It is another case of whatever Sunoco wants, Sunoco gets. He noted that the PUC judge overseeing the case had already set a timetable for settlements for all concerned, but that was not part of what the parties and Sunoco plan for this week. Bomstein also noted wryly that in other pipeline proceedings, Sunoco had complained of being locked out of settlement proceedings between Clean Air Council and other parties. Sunoco spokeswoman Lisa Coleman declined comment, citing the ongoing litigation. In her email dated July 17, Moskowitz lauded Obenskis efforts, along with other concerned citizens, to seek to ensure safety protocols, cooperation and transparency from Sunoco regarding the Mariner Pipeline. These are reasonable requests that you are all entitled to, and they are the same requests that Chester County Government, particularly through our Department of Emergency Services, have asked of Sunoco ever since the Mariner 2 pipeline activity began, Moskowitz wrote. The legal actions that the county has taken, and will continue to take, against Sunoco are done so to ensure the health and safety of every one of our residents. Moskowitz then let Obenski know that the county would for the time being continue to be represented by a Philadelphia law firm, Reger Rizzo & Darnall, in upcoming negotiations with Sunoco, even though it had previously signaled that it was terminating its contract with the firm over issues regarding over-billing in the PUC matter. Although we have ended our relationship with Reger Rizzo & Darnall for future representation in the (PUC) matter, we have asked the firm to represent Chester County as they are for East Goshen Township at next weeks settlement conference for which we have a set fee arrangement, he said. We are in the process of setting up interviews for representation in this matter going forward. Obenski said she had objections to the announcement on two fronts: first, that the settlement conference excluded the original plaintiffs, other residents such as herself, and other governmental entities, such as the West Chester Area School District; and second, that Reger Rizzo would continue to represent the county. It just seems so disingenuous, she said. Short of ceasing operations (along the pipeline) and developing a public safety and communications plan by Sunoco, I am not sure there is any settlement worth addressing. To my mind, there is no negotiations to be made about it. But Im not as upset that there is some negotiations going on as I am that not everyone is at the table, she added. Otherwise, its not done in good faith. She also cast doubt on the Reger Rizzo firm being able to properly represent the county after it had essentially been fired for the over-billing concerns that were publicly revealed after Obenski released results of her efforts to find out how much the county was paying the firm for its representation before the PUC. Moskowitz, on Monday, suggested that it made sense for the Reger firm to represent the county at the meeting this week because it was aware of the countys interests, and that it would do so while the county continued to look for a new firm to handle the case should it proceed. But no settlement of the suit would be final unless all the parties including the residents agree to its conditions. In an online petition drive Obenski began over the weekend, she asked supporters to demand that the county and the other settlement participants give way unless the parties were all in. Our community has worked hard to collectively oppose the dangerous Mariner East project in this legal proceeding before the PUC, she wrote. Dont let Sunocos tactics tear that apart tell your township, school, and county officials to say no to participation in settlement discussions that are exclusionary. Instead, say yes to the collective power and unity of our communities working together to stand up and stand together. We will not settle for anything less than all in and neither should our elected officials who are responsible for our collective safety, Obenski wrote. As of Monday afternoon 198 people had signed the petition. In 2019, the county commissioners decided to intervene in the legal challenge by residents and others to Sunocos pipeline plans before the state PUC. The county agreed that Sunoco does not have a proper emergency plan in place in the event of a pipeline catastrophe, which could lead to property damage, personal injury, or death. The lawsuit before PUC asked it to grant residents emergency relief and shut down the existing Mariner One pipeline that transverses the county, and to halt work on the Mariner Two pipeline that has drawn howls of protest across the region. A hearing on the request was held by the PUC in October, and another session is scheduled for September. The commissioners, by joining with the residents involved in the challenge, essentially contend that Sunoco has failed in communicating with its emergency services officials, and lacks coherent plans for an emergency. They have shown a complete disregard for the safety of our residents, for our emergency responders, and for the community, said then-Vice Chairwoman Kathi Cozzone. Its been very frustrating. For more than two years, the commissioners and leadership from the countys Department of Emergency Services have been formally requesting crucial pipeline emergency safety information and procedures from Sunoco, either directly or through the PUC and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, in order to prepare mass notification plans and neighborhood emergency practices in the event of a Mariner East pipeline disaster. The commissioners contend those requests have gone unanswered. To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544. WARSAW, July 20 (Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused on Monday the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Austria, called the "frugal" states in talks on the EU post-COVID recovery package, of being stingy and egoistic. Speaking on Polish television just before negotiations were to resume on the fourth day of the summit, Morawiecki commented on the latest proposal from the chairman of the talks Charles Michel to reduce the amount of grants in the package. "It is a certain amount -- forced by a group of stingy, egoistic states which look at things very narrowly through the prism of their own interests -- an amount for further negotiations," Morawiecki said. Poland is likely to be one of the top beneficiaries of the recovery package, receiving tens of billions of euros in grants and cheap loans even though it is one of the countries least affected by the coronavirus pandemic. "Now, tentatively, there is on the table the sum of 390 billion euros in grants," Morawiecki said on TV. "We are pushing for the total of grants and loans to be close to 750 billion euros." (Reporting by Alicja Ptak, writing by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Foo Yun Chee) This annual naval exercise in the Black Sea coast will involve 27 vessels, 9 aircraft, and 2,413 sailors from ten countries (Bulgaria, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Romania, US, Turkey, and France). This annual naval exercise in the Black Sea coast will involve 27 vessels, 9 aircraft, and 2,413 sailors from ten countries (Bulgaria, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Romania, US, Turkey, and France). Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) (Picture source: U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria) Breeze 2020 will improve the military readiness of all participants. The USS Porter, pictured here, will take part in the exercise alongside its NATO allies. The ships Commander Craig Trent said: Porters presence in the Black Sea is crucial to building a secure maritime environment and ensuring freedom of navigation. Porter and her crew look forward to operating in the Black Sea alongside our allies and partners in support of mutual maritime interests in the region. Porter, along with additional U.S. Navy P-8 aircraft from Patrol Squadron VP (47), will be participating in the U.S. and Ukrainian cohosted exercise Sea Breeze. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. Sea Breeze seeks to build combined capability and capacity to ensure maritime regional security and foster cooperative relationships among partnering nations. Sea Breeze is in its 20th iteration and is scheduled to involve 2,000 personnel from eight nations, comprised of 27 ships and 19 aircraft. Nations scheduled to participate in Sea Breeze 2020 include Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States. After years drifting toward drama, Steve Carell made a movie with Jon Stewart and a show with the Office creator. So why arent we talking about them? Photo: Focus Features Americas adopted a lot of screen dads for itself over the years. Steve Carell has never really become one of them, despite being a celebrity with an endearingly dependable air, one who comes across as sturdy and as unassuming as, to cite a description attributed to Stephen Colbert in a New Yorker profile, a manila envelope against a tan wall. However menschy Carell might be as a person, as an actor, his strong suit has been playing absolute weirdos who just happen to look like the most dashing attendee of a harried PTA meeting. His finest creation, Brick Tamland in the Anchorman movies, takes this dissonance to such extremes that its almost avant-garde, his character essentially an extraterrestrial in the body of a television weatherman not so much a walking dumb joke as an elaborate bit about what you can get away with in public when you have a veneer of blandly handsome presentability. Carells funniest roles (and his best dramatic one) tend to be paeans to the hollowness of a certain type of masculine authority. He is, in effect, an anti-dad. In 2005, the most pivotal year in Carells career, he appeared in two of the defining comedic works of the young millennium, performing in both as men unsuccessfully playacting at their idea of normalcy. In March, The Office kicked off the wobbly first of what would go on to be nine seasons on NBC, with Carell in the role of nightmare regional manager Michael Scott. Ricky Gervais originated the U.K. version of the character as a smarmy narcissist, but Carell rooted his American equivalent in a desperation for approval, gradually turning Michael into someone you cringed on behalf of rather than at. In August, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which Carell co-wrote with director Judd Apatow, premiered in theaters, with Carell playing Andy, a guy whod made it to middle age as untouched as one of his mint-condition collectibles. Andy also managed to get to 40 untouched by the romantic posturing in which his co-workers ineptly attempt to instruct him its ultimately his willingness to be vulnerable that gets him laid. Key to these roles was a measured sweetness guided by Carell, who gave Michael pathos and Andy charm without tamping down their respective strangeness. They were proof that Carell was capable of being not just a talented member of an ensemble but an actual star. Looking back at those parts makes the last few months in Carells career all the more confounding. 2020 seemed like it was going to be another significant year for the 57-year-old, one in which hed make a triumphant return to comedy after spending a not-quite-decade tilting toward the somewhat (The Big Short, Last Flag Flying, The Morning Show) and wildly (Foxcatcher) more dramatic. Carells far from the first comedic actor to take a turn toward the serious, though his yielded mixed results hes frequently a less dimensional presence in these roles, which tend to flatten out the subversive incongruities hes worked out so well before. But this summer he once again had a new show and a new movie coming out, both comedies from trusted past collaborators. Space Force, from Office creator Greg Daniels, had a premise that sold itself a Netflix series goofing on the sci-fi-sounding military branch that Donald Trump had signed into existence. Irresistible was Jon Stewarts second go-round as a writer-director, as well as the former Daily Show hosts long-awaited return to political satire, a film about dueling political strategists who transform a Wisconsin mayoral election into a national battle. It was shaping up to be Carells year. Carells funniest roles (and his best dramatic one) tend to be paeans to the hollowness of a certain type of masculine authority. He is, in effect, an anti-dad But, as it turned out, 2020 would be no ones year, though the pandemic cant entirely be blamed for why Space Force and Irresistible fell so remarkably flat. They are projects that would play as anodyne in regular times the turbulence of the summer in which they premiered just making their relevance-adjacency more obvious. But both are also anchored by performances from Carell that feel lost, as though he werent confident in, or even aware of, the intended tone for either project. He comes across as curiously reluctant to be the punch line of the joke as though somewhere along the way, he just lost his taste for playing the fool. And Mark R. Naird, the general Carell plays in Space Force, and Gary Zimmer, the Democratic strategist he plays in Irresistible, sure seem like theyre meant to be fools. Or at least, foolish, characters whove risen to the top of their respective military-political mechanisms by being devoted to their work and never picking up their heads long enough to consider what their work means to the country. Gary is a jaded D.C. professional who, smarting from the 2016 presidential-election loss, heads to a struggling Wisconsin community hoping to rack up a much-needed triumph by persuading a former Marine to challenge the Republican mayoral incumbent. Once hes there, he talks down to and over the locals while slavering over evidence of the salt-of-the-earth authenticity of his candidate, Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper), like Gollum with the ring. Gary is all Stewarts ideas about soulless political machinery incarnate and yet Carell imbues the character with a sitcom-lead haplessness. Moments that are meant to highlight Garys oblivious condescension instead play as failed jokes, like when he devours a gift of strudel in his car (he enjoys baked goods?) or orders a Bud and a burger at a bar that doesnt serve either (why wouldnt they tell him?). In a sequence in which Gary explains the superiority of haricot vert to Jack, who points out that the term is just French for green bean, Carell pulls his punches in terms of line delivery to the point where the exchange comes off like a Tarantino-esque act of shooting the shit: You know what they call green beans in France? The twist in Irresistible is that spoilers ahead its the town thats using Gary instead of vice versa. The residents staged the viral video that brought Jack to his attention in an effort to fuel the struggling local economy with the money brought in by the dueling parties. But the reveal that Gary is a patsy, rather than a protagonist headed for redemption, could only work if the movie allowed the audience to invest in the other characters in some way. Instead, it holds focus on Gary, and Carell, so good at being grating in the past, appears to like the character too much to give him the truly unpleasant edge he requires for the third act to be anything other than baffling. Irresistible would surely have been a mess, regardless it blithely treats racism as a surface concern incidental when compared to economic anxiety. But the way that Carell softens his character contributes to a blunting of the films depiction of the D.C. machinery hes a part of. The conclusion doesnt feel all that distinguishable, tonally, from a happily-ever-after for everyone involved. Steve Carell in Space Force. Photo: Aaron Epstein/Netflix Space Force is ultimately as apolitically political as Irresistible, despite a setup that would seem to make satire of the Trump presidency unavoidable. There are brief bits of contact, like a story line involving uniforms designed by the First Lady but while the series references Dr. Strangelove in everything from its production design to the character of Dr. Adrian Mallory, played by John Malkovich, its stubbornly respectful of military devotion and the wonders of space travel. What humor it has is drawn almost entirely from the character level, from the idea of an eccentric group of scientists and soldiers trying to make it to the moon a workplace comedy on a maddeningly grand stage. And at the core of that dynamic is General Mark R. Naird, who believes himself to be in the final stages of rank-climbing his way toward the top of the Air Force when hes rewarded instead with a position that seems destined to failure. It takes a few episodes to grasp that Marks stoicism isnt a veneer but the point of Carells performance. The character is meant to be beleaguered but noble, striving toward his assigned goal despite impossible circumstances and impossible pressure. But its difficult to invest in Mark when theres so little to him beyond a tendency to self-soothe by singing Carells primary gesture toward comedy. Mark is otherwise less a source of laughs than a counterbalance to them, the straight man to everyone else onscreen. The contrast between the uptight, rule-following officer and the absurd administration hes forced to contend with cant exist if the shows unwilling to really delve into the latter. Carell is, once again, gentle with his character to the point of seeming protective, as though Mark cant be a figure of thwarted dignity and complicit in accommodating capricious demands from above at the same time. A darker, more amusing alternate-universe version of Space Force would rack up a body count as its characters rush to meet the alarming deadlines theyve been given. The version we have maintains a sense of vague geniality throughout, even when presenting the prospect of nuclear war. These characters Carell once so naturally depicted these blustering figures who are out of their depth but pretending not to be just dont play as funny in quite as friendly a way at the moment. Steve Carell didnt set out to become a professional funny person. In a 2018 Esquire profile, he described falling into comedy out of necessity when he was getting started in Chicago, where he joined Second City and met the likes of Colbert and Adam McKay. I clearly did better at that than the straight stuff, he explained. I think there are generally more actors who audition for straight roles, so just by the odds, I think you have better odds going for a comedic role because some people are afraid to try it. Theres a tendency to assume that someone with the kind of genius that Carells shown himself to be capable of, especially when it comes to improvisation, must feel a calling for what hes doing. But for Carell, comedy seems to be just another acting challenge, something he moved away from in the 10s not out of a desire to rebrand, but out of interest in other types of material. And its hard not to feel, when watching Irresistible and Space Force, that his heart just isnt in these roles. And, maybe, its hard to blame him, when these characters Carell once so naturally depicted these blustering figures who are out of their depth but pretending not to be just dont play as funny in quite as friendly a way at the moment. One of the reasons that Irresistible and Space Force are both so disappointing is not that theyre bad. (Well, Irresistible might be, while Space Force is just terribly middling.) Its that they start off close to but then hurriedly back away from tougher topics in favor of a type of humor thats as stiflingly cozy as a wool sweater in August. Their failures of nerve are echoed in Carells performances, and his instincts to soften these characters, hesitating to really hang them out to dry when they deserve it, further muddles material that was already unclear as to its targets. No one else can balance the empathetic and the off-putting quite like Carell at his best, but in these latest roles, the calibration is all off. Theres no question that Mark R. Naird and Gary Zimmer see themselves as imperfect heroes in their minds. But Carell plays them that way as well, regardless of what their respective stories might suggest as though, having put in so much time making abrasive and ridiculous characters enjoyable, hes grown concerned about not being likable enough. Its as though, having carved out a place for himself as a kind of off-kilter uncle, Carells opted to make a late run at being Americas father figure after all and frankly, we could probably use fewer of those. As heavy rains lashed Delhi on Monday, leaving several parts of the capital heavily flooded, a 19th century mosque seems to have been damaged by the inclement weather. Located in Old Delhi, the Masjid Mubarak Begum mosque was built in 1822 as the palace and later the dome of Mubarak Begum, the senior most partner of the elderly Sir David Ochterlony , who was the British resident in the Mughal Court. Photos and videos that went viral on social media show one of the three domes of the mosque reduced to rubble. But while the mosque itself was a relic from another time, its patron and Shahjahanab's famous courtesan, Mubarak Begum, was also a notable character from her times. In a series of tweets, historian and novelist William Dalrymple revealed how the mosque got its infamous second name, "R***i kia masjid". Dalrymple Mubarak Begum was born into a brahmin family but then she traveled to Delhi and converted to Islam. She served as a courtesan in the Mughal Court before becoming Ochterlony's partner. Mubarak Begum was wife of Sir David Ochterlony. She started off a Brahmin girl in Pune; found her way to Delhi where she converted to Islam & married Ochterlony, who built her the last great Mughal tomb, Mubarak Bagh. She then remarried a noble who fought vs the British in 1857. pic.twitter.com/xr1SI0Xh3R William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) July 19, 2020 The historian further said that the courtesan fell from grace when she started getting airs about being the partner of Ochterlony and wanted be called "Lady Ochterlony". This did not sit well with locals as well as her former Mughal patrons who gave her mosque the name, thus earning her mosque its peculiar title. Ochterlony loved her nevertheless and built her several shrines to prove his devotion including the Mubarak Bagh. After Ochterlony's death, Mubarak Begum remarried a noble who fought vs the Brits in 1857, a conflict which destroyed Mubarak Bagh, only fragments of which survive. Her Haveli remained a place of high Mughal culture & here Fahatullah Baig set The Last Mushairah of Dehli. pic.twitter.com/rzI1btopL9 William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) July 19, 2020 After Ochterlony's death, Mubarak Begum married a nawab who went on to fight the British in 1857 in which Mubarak Bagh, built by her former paramour Ochterlony, was destroyed. Several Delhiites and history loved bemoaned the loss of the glorious red sandstone structure that had so far withstood the vagaries of time and infamy. As per a report in The Indian Express, live monuments such as temples and mosques are not considered under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the apex body in charge of maintainence and restoration of heritage sites. The report noted that the Delhi Waqf Board would be taking cognisance of the damage and work toward the repair and restoration of the red sandstone structure. Washington Two Syracuse hospitals will receive a second round of emergency aid from the federal government to help recover from steep financial losses during the coronavirus pandemic. Upstate University Hospital qualified for $13.7 million in additional aid, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. St. Josephs Hospital will receive $8.05 million from the federal government. The money is from a $10 billion federal fund distributed to coronavirus hot spot hospitals across the nation. To qualify for aid, hospitals had to show they admitted more than 161 patients with Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, between Jan. 1 and June 10. The federal government agreed to pay hospitals $50,000 per eligible admission. All told, 86 New York hospitals will receive $680 million in the latest round of funding to bail out cash-strapped hospitals across the state. Upstate University Hospital previously received $20.3 million in aid through the federal CARES Act. St. Josephs Hospital qualified for $11.5 million. Crouse Hospital in Syracuse received $8.1 million in the first round of aid but did not qualify for a second round of funding. Central New York hospitals have furloughed hundreds of employees, imposed pay cuts and reduced expenses to help address steep financial losses during the coronavirus crisis. Experts have warned that hospital closures and bankruptcies are possible. The hospitals lost income after the state required hospitals to temporarily cancel profitable elective surgeries in March and April and make more beds available for coronavirus patients. St. Josephs lost about $18 million in April alone, and furloughed 500 of its 4,800 employees the same month. It also announced plans to close its money-losing urgent care centers in Liverpool and Fayetteville. The new federal aid will help reduce losses that totaled about $35 million through the end of June, but wont pay for the restoration of any previous cutbacks, said Meredith Price, chief financial officer for St. Josephs. The hospital still has about 200 employees on furlough, Price said Monday. U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., advocated for the extra aid with President Donald Trumps administration, noting that hospitals across New York were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. New York hospitals and health systems lost hundreds of millions of dollars per month because of canceled elective procedures, increased staffing and overtime costs, expanded bed capacity, and increased spending on supplies and equipment, Schumer said. More than 406,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for the virus and more than 25,000 have died from Covid-19 since the state became the epicenter of the pandemic in March. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources 9 days for coronavirus test results? Systems failure threatens CNYs handle on virus Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations keep falling, 13 more people die NY schools reopening: We read 145 pages of rules on masks and woodwinds so you dont have to Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 NASA says it has postponed the launch of its newest space telescope because of the coronavirus crisis and technical issues. The U.S. space agency says the launch of its James Webb Space Telescope is now planned for October 31, 2021. The launch has been delayed many times. Before the recent postponement, it had been set for March 2021. The Webb is supposed to replace NASAs Hubble Space Telescope, which has been in operation for 30 years. NASA has identified the new telescope as a top science priority. The large infrared telescope has a nearly seven-meter mirror for exploring space. It is designed to look deeper into space and offer more answers about the past than any other spacecraft. The James Webb Space Telescope was first set to fly more than 10 years ago, but has faced major development delays. Its last planned liftoff was canceled in 2018. NASA officials said things seemed to be progressing well for the March launch date until the coronavirus hit. NASA said restrictions related to the health crisis had slowed work on the telescope by its main maker, Americas Northrop Grumman. Mission success is critical, but team safety is our highest priority, NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk told The Associated Press. Thomas Zurbuchen is with NASA's Science Mission Directorate. He said, "Webb is the world's most complex space observatory, and our top science priority, and we've worked hard to keep progress moving during the pandemic." NASA noted that costs related to the latest postponement would not be greater than the $8.8 billion spending limit for development on the project set by Congress. Officials say several important tests will be carried out on the telescope in the coming months. The project team will also seek to reopen and refold Webbs massive sun shield one last time. The shield is needed to keep the infrared telescope cold in space. NASA plans to transport the telescope next summer to its launch site in French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America. The Guiana Space Centre is a French and European Space Agency launch site. After the launch, Webb will travel 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to orbit the sun. It will unfold the sun shield and deploy its mirror, which is designed to look for signs of light from far-away stars and galaxies. Eric Smith is a NASA program scientist with the Webb program. He said the telescope will seek to observe light from the first generation of galaxies that formed in the early universe after the Big Bang. Webb is also designed to study the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets for possible signs of life. NASA says it plans to keep the Hubble and Webb telescopes operating together for a time. Smith noted that while Webb will be exploring new things, it will also be looking at many of the same things that Hubble did. For me, it will be seeing old friends with completely new eyes, Smith said. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story priority n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done first infrared n. technical: producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light mirror n. a piece of glass with metallic material on one side that produces an image of anything in front of it pandemic n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people shield n. an object used to protect something refold v. a process in which the sides of something are folded on top of each other to make it smaller site n. place where something happens galaxy n. a large group of stars from the same universe Big Bang n. the large explosion that many scientists believed created the universe exoplanet n. planets that orbit a star outside the solar system IPAN Increase in Military Expenditure Unjustified and Destabilising The Australian Governments increase in military expenditure is pure fear-mongering and compromises urgent social needs. The objective to project significant military power far from Australias shores only contributes to regional instability while undermining our security and peaceful relations with our neighbours. The Morrison governments decision to spend $575 billion on the Defence budget over the next ten years to 2029-30, including $279 billion in defence capabilities, is of great concern to the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN). There are numerable pressing issues impacting on the well-being of Australians that are more deserving of such budgetary investments. That the federal government has committed to spending this eye-watering amount over the next decade in the midst of a massive health and economic crisis makes it all the more extraordinary, stated IPAN spokesperson Dr Vince Scappatura. Prime Minister Scott Morrison invoked the spectre of the 1930s and 1940s collapse of the global and regional order to justify the largesse bestowed on the Defence portfolio, but Australias security environment in no way reflects such dire circumstances, stated Dr Scappatura. IPAN does not support the Defence Departments decision to significantly expand the ADFs force-projection capabilities, including in expeditionary combat and the acquisition of long-range strike capabilities and ballistic missile defence systems that are clearly directed at China. The strategic priorities, threat assessment and capability investments detailed in 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plan indicate that the governments priority is not the defence of Australia, but the exercise of military power and influence in support of Americas quest to maintain its regional dominance, explained Dr Scappatura. The Defence Update reconceptualises Australias immediate region and area of direct strategic interest to the mainland and maritime areas covering the north-eastern Indian Ocean, South East Asia and the South West Pacific. Defences strategic objectives are to deploy its military power in this vast expanse and beyond in order to shape, deter and respond with credible military force. This is not a strategy to defend Australia. The acquisition of long-range strike weapons and ballistic missile defence systems can only be credibly employed in the defence of American military bases, assets and infrastructure hosted by Australia, as well as deployed Australian forces, involved in offensive action against China, stated Dr Scappatura. IPAN urges the Australian government to respond to increasing great power competition and regional instability via increased efforts in diplomacy, aid and multilateralism. Australias goal should be to de-escalate strategic rivalry, not contribute to the further militarisation of the region. This new defence strategy is being construed by the government as providing an independent and sovereign military capability to defend Australias interests. It can be more readily understood as a response to pressure from Washington, and the pro-US lobby in Australia, to join in Americas efforts to contain Chinas rise. Australia, as in the past, is acting as Americas deputy sheriff, Dr Scappatura explained. IPAN rejects the long-standing bi-partisan consensus to submit Australia to assuming the role of Americas sub-imperial power. The Defence Department should be directed to pursue a strategy that asserts an independent and peaceful role for Australia. We should be investing heavily in our diplomatic resources to build mutual trust and security in the region, not mobilising for war with China on behalf of the United States. The depiction of China as an ominous threat to Australia, coupled with significant military preparations for force-projection and expeditionary combat, contribute to rising tensions, fear and mistrust, increasing the likelihood of a devastating military conflict in the region, stated Dr Scappatura. Media Interviews: Dr Vince Scappatura 0422 837 002 IPAN Media Liaison: Kathryn Kelly: 0417 269 984 A young Falun Dafa adherent holds a sign asking for China to stop killing prisoners of conscience for their organs in a parade in Washington on July 20, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Australian Politicians Join Online Rally Condemning Beijings 21-year Persecution of Falun Gong Australian political leaders have joined an online rally condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its ongoing persecution of Falun Gong, amid a backdrop of increased scrutiny of Australia-China relations. July 20 marks 21 years of persecution suffered by practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual practice in communist China, claiming the lives of over 4,300 adherents. On July 20, 1999, nearly 1 in 10 Chinese citizens became enemies of the state solely because they wished to live their lives according to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearanceas taught in Falun Gong. The rally was joined by 18 speakers including federal and state politicians, experts, activists, and supporters commemorating the lives lost at the hands of the CCP. Liberal Sen. Eric Abetz (Tas) said: You dont have to support Christianity or any other faith to know that within the depth of your soul that the freedom to practice your religion is a fundamental God-given right. Senator Eric Abetz in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10, 2014. (Graham Denholm/Getty Images) National agreements, treaties and statements, and civil societies honour and uphold those freedoms, Abetz said. So its not a matter of surprise that parliamentarians from all sides of parties in Australia combine today with Falun Gong practitioners to offer support for Falun Gong in the persecution and oppose that which has manifested itself in a brutal systemic campaign to eliminate the spiritual discipline of Falun Gong, said the senator. Liberal Sen. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW) was critical of past governments for their weak attitude towards Beijing, blaming it on greed. Those who were responsible for foreign policy were prepared to ignore the Chinese Communist Partys skulduggery so long as the rivers of gold continue to flow in, Fierravanti-Wells said. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is congratulated by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in Canberra, Australia on Sept. 21, 2015. (Stefan Postles Pool/Getty Images) She said Australia needed fortitude to stand up to the CCP. The Australian public will not tolerate business as usual with the communist regime in China post-pandemic, and now more than ever, is receptive to understanding Beijings illegal activities, especially the human rights abuses, she said Now more than ever, we need to remain strong and resolute in our condemnation for Beijing, Fierravanti-Wells said. Greens Sen. Janet Rice (Vic) said that despite the relative safety of Australia it was important to acknowledge those who were worse off: It doesnt matter that its thousands of kilometres across the sea. It does not matter that I have never been to China. What is going on in China matters to us as human beings and its our responsibility to be reaching out and doing everything we can to be trying to be working for justice. Janet Rice, the newly elected Senator for Victoria, spoke at a rally against Chinas organ harvesting crimes in downtown Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 22, 2013. (The Epoch Times) I really do want to congratulate the people whove been doing this for the last 21 years who have been really exhibiting those values of Falun Gongtruthfulness, compassion, and toleranceand standing up for the rights of people who are being persecuted in China, she added. Rice also said Parliament was currently considering introducing Magnitsky-style laws in Australia which would target known human rights abusers and provide authority to ban travel to Australia and freeze assets. North Queensland Member of Parliament George Christensen said the CCPs atheist ideology meant it was afraid of groups with spiritual beliefs: They do not like Falun Gong, they do not like its practitioners, they do not like Christians, they do not like Buddhists, they do not like Muslim Uyghurs and there are reasons for that. George Christensen speaks at Parliament House on December 7, 2017 in Canberra, Australia. (Michael Masters/Getty Images) Half of them is because all of those [religious followers] hold that there is a higher power, a higher power then the Chinese Communist Party, they will not accept that, and thats why theres such persecution of people of faith including Falun Gong practitioners, he added. In March, the China Tribunal, an independent peoples tribunal established to inquiry into the organ harvesting of political dissidents and found that adherents of Falun Gong were one of the main sources of forced human organ transplants in China. Participants in todays rally included senators Eric Abetz, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Janet Rice, and Alex Antic. Federal Members of Parliament included George Christensen, Adam Bandt, and Tim Wilson. State members of parliament included Bernie Finn, Robin Scott, Edward ODonohue, and Fred Nile. Other speakers hailed from different walks of life such as law, business, media, and academia, including: Bon Nguyen, Peter Westmore, Sophie York, Paul Folley, Andrew Bush, Emeritus Professor David Flint, and Ruan Jie The United Arab Emirates launched its first-ever interplanetary Hope Probe mission to Mars from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre at 01:58 a.m. (local time) on Monday. The UAE will be the first Arab nation to embark on a space mission to the Red Planet in a journey that contributes to the international science community as a service to human knowledge. The United Arab Emirates launched its first-ever interplanetary Hope Probe mission to Mars from Japans Tanegashima Space Centre at 01:58 a.m. (local time) on Monday. United Arab Emirates (UAE) launches its first mission to Mars, the Hope Mars Mission from Japans Tanegashima Space Center, UAE Space Agency said on its Twitter page. The spacecraft is expected to reach Mars orbit in about 200 days from now and then begin its mission to study the Red Planets atmosphere, WAM news agency reported. Once it enters Mars orbit in the first quarter of 2021, the Hope probe will mark the UAEs 50th anniversary. Also Read: Anti-China sentiment intensifies: Japan extends help to Hong Kongers Also Read: Indian-Americans hold anti-China protests in Washington The probe will travel 493 million kilometres into space in a journey that will take seven months, and will orbit the Red Planet for one full Martian year of 687 days to provide the first truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere. The Hope probe will be the first to study the Martian climate throughout daily and seasonal cycles. It will observe the weather phenomena on Mars such as the massive famous dust storms that have been known to engulf the Red Planet, as compared to the short and localised dust storms on Earth. It will also examine the interaction between the upper and lower layers of the Martian atmosphere and causes of the Red Planets surface corrosion, as well as study why Mars is losing its upper atmosphere. Exploring connections between todays Martian weather and the ancient climate of the Red Planet will give deeper insights into the past and future of Earth as well as the potential of life on Mars and other distant planets. The Hope Mars Mission is considered as the biggest strategic and scientific national initiative announced by UAEs President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2014. The UAE will be the first Arab nation to embark on a space mission to the Red Planet in a journey that contributes to the international science community as a service to human knowledge. The interplanetary mission is the first by any West Asian, Arab or Muslim majority country. Also Read: Baloch activists hold massive anti-Pak protest in London For all the latest World News, download NewsX App As the Ashok Gehlot government struggles to retain power in Rajasthan, the Bhartiya Tribal Party says it is now in a position to punch way above its weight despite its minuscule presence in the state assembly. "We have two MLAs in a House of 200, yet we are in the position of kingmakers," party president Maheshbhai C Vasava told PTI on Sunday. At a joint press conference with the Congress on Saturday, BTP legislators Rajkumar Roat and Ramprasad Dindor made it clear that they are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. This ended days of uncertainty over where the Gujarat-based party's loyalties lie. The two MLAs supported the ruling Congress in the state in last month's Rajya Sabha polls. But when the power tussle between Gehlot and his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot re-surfaced recently, the BTP said it will remain neutral. Vasava said the party is now extending support to Gehlot after an assurance that its demands related to the development of tribal areas will be met. "We have fought against the Congress and the BJP on tribal issues but if the government now assures full support on the issues raised by us, why shouldn't we support it? After all it is fulfilling the agenda of tribal welfare and development," he said. When the crisis began last week, Vasava issued a whip directing both Roat and Dindor not to support any leader or party in case there is a floor test in the assembly. However, Sagwara MLA Ramprasad Dindor expressed defiance of the whip, saying both of them will support the state government. Later, party office-bearers and the MLAs held discussions with the chief minister on their demands. "We had supported the Congress government in the Rajya Sabha elections last month after an assurance by the chief minister on our demands," Chorasi MLA Roat said. "But the demands were not fulfilled. Some of them could have been met in just one day," he complained. The party then thought of not extending support to him, the MLA said. Last week, Roat appeared in two video clips, alleging that he was being stopped by Rajasthan police from travelling to his constituency in Dungarpur district. He claimed that police personnel had come in two vans and taken away his car keys. He also alleged that some people were forcing him to come with them. The videos were circulated by the Sachin Pilot camp and the BJP had questioned the state government over them. But Roat later dismissed the episode as a "misunderstanding" with police. He said the party's agenda is development of tribal areas and they have raised 17 demands before the CM. Some of the demands are related to reservation in jobs and the utilisation of funds for tribal areas. The BTP came into being in 2017 in Gujarat, and expanded into Rajasthan the next year. In the December 2018 assembly elections, it fielded 11 candidates in the tribal belt in southern Rajasthan. Raot was 26 when he won and most other candidates too were young. "The youth are our power. Today's youth is educated, understands issues and understands how the tribal people were deprived of their rights. We fielded many young candidates and the party's performance was very good," BTP state president Velaram Ghoghra said. The crisis in Rajasthan Congress has been brewing since the party picked Gehlot over Pilot for the chief minister's post. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president when he and 18 other MLAs stayed away from two Congress Legislature Party meetings. The rebel MLAs were served notices by Speaker C P Joshi after the Congress sought their disqualification from the assembly. The Rajasthan High Court will on Monday resume hearing their petition challenging the notices. Including the dissidents, the Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-member assembly and the BJP 72. If the 19 Congress dissidents are disqualified, the current strength of the state assembly will reduce to 181, slashing the half-way mark to 91 and making it easier for Gehlot to retain majority support. In the past, the ruling party has claimed the support of 13 independents, two MLAs each from the CPM and the BTP), and one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Armenian protesters in the Netherlands did not expect that the Azerbaijanis who were in the courtyard of the diplomatic mission of their country would display aggression and provoke. A trainee , Ashkhen Baklachyan, a member of Armenian Students Association Gladzor told Armenian News - NEWS.am. According to her, the city hall allocated only two hours to the Armenian side for the protest action. She noted that Azerbaijani activists began to throw plastic water bottles and stones at them. As a result of this incident, a young girl was injured. On Sunday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced people of Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire would be required to wear a mask while outdoors and those who fail to do so would face fines of up to $200. This contradicted earlier messaging from the federal government who have deemed the wearing of masks unnecessary. In this episode, climate and environment editor Nick O'Malley is joined by national health reporter Dana McCauley to decipher what to do in the face of conflicting messaging around masks. Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for sustainability of news coverage. Perths rental market is on a steady path to recovery, which is good news for investors but alarming for those already under rental stress, especially with soaring job losses off the back of the pandemic. New figures from the Real Estate Institute of WA found median rents had improved 13 to 23 per cent for affluent beachside and riverside suburbs, from Trigg down to Madora Bay and inner-city suburbs Joondanna and Osborne Park, over the past 12 months until May. Perth rentals are slowly regaining momentum due to its tight market, says REIWA. Credit:Erin Jonasson The exception was City Beach, which had a 12 per cent correction, dropping to $750 a week. REIWA president Damian Collins said people should exercise caution when looking at each suburb since any fluctuations could simply come down to what housing stock had come up for lease; in the case of Mt Claremont, median rent jumped 23 per cent Perths highest climb to $800 despite being adjacent to City Beach, which recorded the worst growth. Netanyahu's corruption trial resumes amid COVID-19 protests, economic fallout Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 4:11 PM An Israeli court has resumed the corruption trial of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a two-month delay amid mounting protests over his corruption and poor handling of the coronavirus crisis. On Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court decided that the evidentiary phase in Netanyahu's corruption trial would begin in January next year, with witnesses being heard three times a week. The decision was taken after the judges accepted a request by Netanyahu's lawyers to give them additional time due to the coronavirus crisis and having more time to study the case's investigative materials. Netanyahu did not attend the Sunday session as a spokesman for the prosecution said the session would be focused on a technical discussion Netanyahu, the first serving Israeli prime minister to go on trial, was indicted last November in at least three cases of alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He is accused of receiving extravagant gifts from his billionaire friends, and granting media tycoons some regulatory favors in return for more agreeable coverage of himself and his family. In the first hearing in May, the premier denied the charges. At the time, the court agreed to give an additional two-month break to his lawyers due to the pandemic. The second hearing was focused on the additional amount of time his lawyers requested and the timeline of the trial. Furthermore, in Sunday's hearing, which was described as being technical, only the defense attorneys were present, not the accused. Netanyahu, 70, clinched in April a power-sharing deal with centrist and bitter rival Benny Gantz, after the pair failed to secure parliament seats sufficient to form a majority administration following three inconclusive elections since April 2019. If found guilty, Netanyahu will face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine for his bribery charges, and a jail term of up to three years for the allegations of fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu's second hearing on Sunday opened as the Tel Aviv regime is contending with mounting public discontent over his poor handling of the health crisis following a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and the re-imposition of coronavirus curbs in recent weeks. Rising unemployment, part of which caused by the pandemic's economic fallout, has also led to the public outrage over Netanyahu's handling of the crisis. On Saturday, Israeli police resorted to water cannons to disperse protesters around Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem al-Quds. In Tel Aviv, thousands of demonstrators convened to demand better aid from the regime to help their businesses badly hurt in the health crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address " " Puerto Rico boasts a broad range of cultural influences. iStockphoto.com As one of the first European colonies in the New World, Puerto Rico has a rich and storied history. The territory, which is made up of the main island of Puerto Rico as well as some smaller islands, is situated in the Caribbean between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands. And as a result of its complex past and multiple influences, today it reflects a blend of Spanish, African, indigenous and North American cultures and customs. Ethnically, Puerto Ricans are largely mixed, but according to government figures, about three quarters of the residents are mostly of Spanish origin, while blacks make up about 7 percent of the population [source: CIA]. While the Puerto Ricans still predominantly speak Spanish, many also speak English, and both are considered official languages there. And although Catholicism has been extremely influential both religiously and culturally since colonization, a significant Protestant presence has been growing since the 20th century. Advertisement Before Christopher Columbus arrived in what is now called Puerto Rico, the native Taino people were living there as hunters and gatherers with some limited knowledge of farming. They were a mostly peaceful people who had been often threatened by attacks from their enemies, the Carib (the peoples the Caribbean was named for). On his second voyage to the Caribbean in 1493, Columbus rescued some Taino prisoners from the Carib on the island of Guadeloupe and agreed to bring them back to their home -- an island the natives called Boriquen, meaning Land of the noble lord. However, Columbus claimed the island for Spain and christened it San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). Later, the capital became known as San Juan and the whole island was called Puerto Rico, meaning rich port. As many as 50,000 Tainos lived on the island when Columbus arrived, but after several decades of harsh Spanish rule and disease, the population declined drastically. So, the Spanish soon replaced Taino workers with imported African slaves to mine the islands gold and later work in the sugar and ginger plantations. The modern mixture of ethnicities is thanks to intermarriage between the Spanish, Taino and Africans. The island became an important strategic military outpost thanks to its location. Despite attempts by the French, British and Dutch to gain control of it, Puerto Rico remained under Spanish rule until 1898, when it was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War. Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, M.P for Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency and Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs has made a passionate urgent call to the African Union and United Nations to arrest the political instability in Mali. According to him after Malis difficult transition to multiparty democracy in the 1990s and the 2012 coup detat, the situation in Mali has arguably been a delicate one, and today, it is on the brink of yet another chaotic political instability. In a statement released chronicling events, the MP outlines the need for the two bodies to intervene to bring about concrete solutions to end the political turmoil. Read below his full statement AN URGENT CALL TO THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE UNITED NATIONS TO ARREST THE SITUATION IN MALI 1) There is an ongoing strife in Mali that has made international airwaves due to the threat it poses, not only to life and property, but also to the foundational state systems that have painfully been built over the past two decades. After Malis difficult transition to multiparty democracy in the 1990s and the 2012 coup detat, the situation in Mali has arguably been a delicate one, and today, it is on the brink of yet another chaotic political instability. 2) Africanews online reported that on July 12th 2020, protestors in Mali ransacked government buildings targeting ruling-party members. This was the dreadful highlight event that culminated from tensions between the opposition movement, claiming the lives of several persons during demonstrations days before. 3) News reports attribute the predicament to the dissatisfaction of economic conditions in Mali and perceptions by civil groups of the unsatisfactory government leadership particularly in dealing with jihadist groups. 4) Nonetheless, the current situation has taken a new dimension after ECOWAS mission led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan reported an unsuccessful attempt to find common grounds between the opposition movement and government, to break the deadlock spurring violent clashes and destructive protesting in Mali. 5) Unfortunately, the M5-RFP group who are leading the protests have indicated plans to resume hostilities in the coming days, in their desire to force the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. 6) It is on this basis that I make this urgent call to the African Union and the United Nations to quickly coordinate with each other and step in to first and foremost support local efforts to safeguard the lives of the general civil society in Mali. 7) The international community cannot sign off on this development when lives are in danger and the Malian state is also in danger of being run down. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) that operates a station in Timbuktu can coordinate with local security to prevent and minimize any form of damage associated with such political unrests. 8) The AU and the UN should also expedite a strategy that will allow for mobilization of a new envoy with improved proposals, building on the lessons from the inefficacious ECOWAS mission. 9) The AU/UN effort should be a joint team and it is critical to understand that the mediation action should not be viewed as one of choice and it must be undertaken otherwise the entire West Africa region may be affected if there is instability in Mali as we know that Mali is an important trade route connecting the West African sub region to the North. 10) We cannot allow the terrorist groups to take the opportunity to intensify their activities and also increase their presence in the sub region in the midst of the instability in Mali, rolling back any progress of the MINUSMA operation. 11) I am convinced that the devoted intent of our international organizations through the resourcefulness of additional peace mission officials and personnel will bring about concrete solutions to end the political turmoil. Yet still, this is highly dependent on the ability to act swiftly to arrest the situation in Mali before any significant collapse. Signed Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh M.P Nsawam Adoagyiri Chairman Committee on Foreign Affairs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video by Mathias Hariyadi The prelate is in isolation but in good conditions. The vicar general and two other Capuchin friars were also positive. Episcopal staff are under observation. Medan (AsiaNews) - The Archbishop of Medan, his vicar general and two other Capuchin religious in the area have tested positive for coronavirus. The prelate, explains the archdiocese spokesman, "is in good condition. He is able to shower and eat without external help. All the necessary safety procedures have been activated". In addition to Msgr. Kornelius Sipayung ofm, Fr. Michael Manurung, Fr. Borta Rumapea and Fr. Jody Turnip, all of the Franciscan family are also positive. A total of 15 people who live or work permanently in the bishops residence have all been tested and are all in voluntary isolation. To ensure the regular activities in the Archdiocese, Msgr. Sipayung "extended his duties" to Fr. Benyamin AC Purba ofm: the religious has the task of managing the situation until the restoration of normalcy. The same Fr. Purba invited all those who had had contact with the Archbishop to go to the health centers in their area, to dispel any possible doubt of contagion. In particular, the religious invited the faithful from the areas of Brastagi and Pematang Siantar (visited by the prelate in early July) to carry out the tests against Covid-19. LONDON Amber Heard has accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of abusing her both physically and verbally while he was allegedly bingeing on alcohol and drugs, claiming that at various times during their tempestuous relationship she feared for her life. On the first day of her testimony Monday at Britains High Court in London, Heard also denied accusations she was a heavy drug user and drinker as well as a controlling and abusive person. The court is examining Depps libel suit against The Sun newspaper over an April 2018 article that labelled him a wife beater for allegedly abusing Heard. Chronicling a series of incidents over their deteriorating relationship, that purportedly included Depp throwing a magnum of champagne and a phone at her and even a hostage situation in Australia in March 2015, the 34-year-old actress insisted any action she took in response was purely in self-defense. She also denied having a problem with her temper following questioning by Depps lawyer, Eleanor Laws. Johnny often put me in a situation where I was confronted with unimaginable frustrations and difficulties, often that were life-threatening to me. she told the court. When I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself and that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence, she added. The court heard a recording of an argument between the pair, who were married from 2015 to 2017, in which Depp accuses Heard of throwing pots and other items at him the night before. Heard said she had hit but not punched Depp and that she only threw things to escape him. Heard said the argument, like so many others, had stemmed from Depp passing out once again in the bathroom after another binge. I was worried about Johnnys life and this is the context of this argument, one of many that ended in a physical altercation of sorts, she said. Depp, 57, is suing The Suns publisher, News Group Newspapers, and the papers executive editor, Dan Wootton, over the article. The Hollywood star, who strongly denies abusing Heard, was at the court to hear his ex-wifes evidence. In written testimony released as she took to the witness box, Heard said that at various times during their relationship she endured punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking. She said some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. According to Heard, Depp explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. She said he blamed his actions on a self-created third party that he referred to as the monster. Heard told the court that she loved Depp when he was himself but that she was terrified of the monster. The actor also dismissed evidence from witnesses such as Depps security guard, Sean Bett, that she was the one who would start an argument. These things happened behind closed doors, she said. Heard also disagreed wholeheartedly over a line of questioning from Laws at the end of the session that she had used make-up to fake injuries, notably at the couples penthouse in Los Angeles on May 21, 2016 when police were called to an incident. Heard said Depp has a unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality and that he is very good at manipulating people. Heard has been present throughout the trial, watching the proceedings as her ex-husband gave evidence over five days. Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations she made of suffering domestic violence by Depp in various locations between 2013 and 2016 which The Suns publisher News Group Newspapers is relying on in its defense of the April 2018 article. Depp and Heard met in 2009 on the set of the film The Rum Diary, which was released two years later. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce the following year, and the divorce was finalized in 2017. Depp 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, judge Andrew Nicol has heard from Depp and from several current or former employees who have backed his version of events. Heard claimed in her written testimony that Depp often didnt remember what he had done because of the amount of alcohol and drugs he had consumed, and that it was as if it hadnt happened for him. Heard is due to back in court Tuesday and her testimony is now expected to last for four days instead of three. Technavio has been monitoring the hydration backpack market and it is poised to grow by USD 55.37 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005430/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Hydration Backpack Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report of 2020-2024 on COVID-19 Impact The market is moderately concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Frequently Asked Questions- 1. At what rate is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2019-2023? A. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. 2. Based on segmentation by distribution channel, which is the leading segment in the market? A. The specialty stores segment will account for the highest market share. The availability of trained staff and the presence of a wide range of branded products is a prime factor driving the growth of this segment. 3. What is the key factor driving the market? A. Ease of use and optimized hydration is one of the key factors driving the market growth. 4. Who are the top players in the market? A. Cascade Designs, Inc., Columbia Sportswear Company, Osprey Packs, Inc., Samsonite International S.A., and VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC are some of the major market participants. 5. Which region is expected to hold the largest market share? A. North America 6. What is the major trend for the hydration backpack market? A. Diversification of distribution channels is a major trend in the market. The ease of use and optimized hydration will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Hydration Backpack Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Hydration Backpack Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Specialty Stores Department Stores Online Stores Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30853 Hydration Backpack Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our hydration backpack market report covers the following areas: Hydration Backpack Market size Hydration Backpack Market trends Hydration Backpack Market analysis This study identifies diversification of distribution channels as one of the prime reasons driving the hydration backpack market growth during the next few years. Hydration Backpack Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the hydration backpack market, including some of the vendors such as Cascade Designs, Inc., Columbia Sportswear Company, Osprey Packs, Inc., Samsonite International S.A., and VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the hydration backpack market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Hydration Backpack Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist hydration backpack market growth during the next five years Estimation of the hydration backpack market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the hydration backpack market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of hydration backpack market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL Market segmentation by distribution channel Comparison by distribution channel Specialty stores Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Department stores Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Online stores Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by distribution channel PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 10: MARKET TRENDS Increasing number of M&A Focus on product advances Diversification of distribution channels PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Cascade Designs, Inc. Columbia Sportswear Company Osprey Packs, Inc. Samsonite International S.A. VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC PART 13: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005430/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ The claims for star Hotels are high: Even in the case of a star, the property must meet at least 46 minimum standards for example, a television in the room and Wake up service. Cleanliness and the daily bed, as a matter of course, are also in the lowest category of the German hotel classification of Hotel and restaurant Association Dehoga, performs the classifications. Almost 8000 Hotels, therefore, in Germany the voluntary rating system, and nearly 40 percent of the country's registered Hostels. Every three years, the Association reviewed whether or not they meet the requirements of their respective star classification. "As a guest, you receive a safe and transparent Overview of the services and offers that you a classified tourist accommodation provides," says the website of the German hotel classification of Dehoga. It is thus hardly surprising that the Keeper of the stars can be sensitive if others want to copy the evaluation system, or homes, even with stars not advertise that they are entitled to officially. Got to feel now also Google. The regional court of Berlin prohibits the Internet giant, not to designate the properties in the search results as star Hotels, as long as these have been officially adopted by the Dehoga as such excellent. the centre for protection against unfair competition in Bad Homburg had Complained. The verdict from the month it became known early on Monday. The search engine service has recognized it already. Thus, Google had provided for the display of search results by hotel's restaurants with information such as "3-star-Hotel" or "4-star-Hotel". The competition headquarters is not criticised as "misleading" because many of the accommodations "did not possess a valid hotel classification". Not to be confused with these now forbidden notes from Google there is also star displayed ratings and reviews from users. This stay of the decision of the court unaffected. "This is a breakthrough for transparency and security in the presentation of the hotel offered by far the most important search platform for Hotels on the Internet," said Markus Luthe, managing Director of Dehoga, a subsidiary of the German hotel classification, on Monday, the decision of the court. "Google fed its star information for the user, not traceable sources and not explained well-classified Hotels to "star-Hotels"", it was the part of contest Central. "We already exchange via a data interface on a daily basis and automated with Google, what are the Hotels in Germany over a recent classification have." Updated Date: 20 July 2020, 11:20 Two Rockets Fall Near US Embassy Inside Baghdad's Green Zone, Source Says Sputnik News 13:39 GMT 19.07.2020 BAGHDAD (Sputnik) - Two rockets fell on Sunday near the US embassy inside Baghdad's so-called green zone, which houses heavily fortified government facilities and foreign diplomatic missions, a source in the Iraqi security services said. "Two Katyusha rockets fell today at noon [around 09:00 GMT] ... near the US embassy in the green zone, without causing any casualties", the source said. Early on 5 July, the US Patriot air defence system repelled a rocket attack that targeted the US embassy in the Iraqi capital. One child was reportedly injured when the rocket fell on a residential building, located near the diplomatic mission. The attack on the embassy happened several hours after the US forces located in Baghdad's Green Zone tested the Patriot defence systems. Iraqi lawmakers have condemned the test, stating that it was a provocation. The green zone occasionally suffers from rocket attacks on account of it being the location where the government buildings and foreign embassies are situated, which is also not far from Baghdad International Airport, adjacent to a military airfield. As a rule, such incidents do not result in casualties among the civilians and do not entail significant damage. In mid-June, the joint command of the Iraqi armed forces said that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi had ordered the creation of special committees to curb such attacks. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A motion to waive the three readings and go straight to the third and final reading did not pass. Council Member Carl Warford said he wouldnt mind having another go in case we want to change something. The council will vote on the second reading at the next meeting. In other action, the council voted to declare a dog potentially dangerous after it bit a local teenager. Gunner, an Australian shepherd owned by Kaitlyn Kavan, got out of the front door at her home in the 1700 block of North Linden Street on June 25 and jumped on a teenage boy who was mowing the lawn next door. The dog bit the teenager and broke the skin, but the youths parents did not seek medical attention. The police were called to the scene and photographs were taken of the injury, which were shown to the city council. The dog was up-to-date on shots and license. Kavan told the council the 18-month-old dog is protective by nature and young, but as a pet owner, she is not taking the situation lightly. July 19 (Reuters) - An explosion occurred at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province on Sunday but there were no casualties, the official IRNA news agency reported. The blast was caused by the wear and tear of a transformer at the power plant in Islamabad, the managing director of the Isfahan power company told IRNA. There have been several explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities since late June. (Reporting By Shahrzad Faramarzi) Police are investigating after a brazen shooting on Highway 401 in Scarborough resulted in a driver being injured Monday morning. At around 9:30 a.m., police received calls about someone in the back seat of a moving car firing at another vehicle on the westbound lanes of the highway near Meadowvale Road in Scarborough. The second driver pulled over to call 911 right after being hit, and did not sustain life-threatening injuries, police said. The suspect was seen in a dark coloured sedan. Westbound Highway 401 ramps in the area from Meadowvale, Port Union and Rylander Roads are closed as police investigate. She's pregnant with her third child, and second with husband Evan Ross. And despite the surge in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles, Ashlee Simpson stepped out on Sunday with her husband and daughter Jagger to meet up with friends. The 35-year-old dressed for the summer's day in a loose-fitting brown spotted maxi dress with a contrasting dark blue and brown patterned lightweight duster. Summery: Pregnant Ashlee Simpson stepped out on Sunday in Malibu wearing a loose-fitting brown spotted maxi dress with contrasting dark blue and brown patterned lightweight duster Simpson kept one hand on her belly as she arrived at the Malibu Country Mart and opted for comfort with a pair of hi top sneakers. She wore her blonde hair tied back into a bun at the nape of her neck and sported dramatic white-framed sunglasses. As required when out in public, she donned a face mask and completed her ensemble with large gold hoop earrings. She shared her happy baby news via social media on April 30, showing off her positive pregnancy test, and a gender reveal event in June revealed she's expecting a boy. Family lunch: She arrived at the Malibu Country Mart with her husband Evan Ross and their daughter Jagger, who turns five later this month Doting mom: She wore her blonde hair tied back into a bun at the nape of her neck and sported dramatic white-framed sunglasses and large gold hoop earrings Pandemic precautions: The couple and their pals all donned face masks as is required when in public in Los Angeles due to a surge in coronavirus cases Simpson has a son Bronx, 11, from her first marriage to musician Pete Wentz that ended in 2011 after three years. She married Ross in August 2014 at his mother Diana Ross's estate in Connecticut. Their daughter Jagger was born on July 30, 2015. Having a boy: Simpson, 35, announced in April that she's expecting her third child. In addition to Jagger, she has a son Bronx, 11, with her ex-husband Pete Wentz whom she divorced in 2011 Baby: She married Ross in August 2014 at his mother Diana Ross's estate in Connecticut. Their daughter was born on July 30, 2015, and last month they revealed they're having a son Hopes of ending the Covid-19 pandemic with a vaccine grew today after promising data revealed Oxford University's experimental jab is safe and provokes an immune reaction that lasts for at least two months. Hugely-anticipated clinical trial results of the vaccine one of the front-runners in the world's race for a jab revealed more than 91 per cent of volunteers injected produced an immune response against the coronavirus that lasted a month or more. Immune responses remained strong for at least 56 days, according to results in The Lancet. But it won't be licensed for human use yet because it has not been proven to work and the results only show it has promise. The scientists who did the study, however, said it is 'possible' that the vaccine could be ready by December if tests keep going according to plan. Another added that people in the most at-risk groups could get the first jabs in the winter. Crucially, nobody suffered any bad side effects from the vaccine and it is stimulating the immune system as scientists hoped. Some people developed headaches, tiredness and pain in their arm after they were given the jab, but scientists claimed none of the side effects were severe. Oxford University's vaccine called AZD1222 is already being manufactured by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the UK Government has ordered 100million doses ahead of time. Researchers on the project said 'the early results hold promise' but added much more is still needed.' Infectious disease scientists warned 'there is still a long way to go' before any vaccine is rolled out. If the vaccine is given to the public it is likely to be in two doses given close together, developers said, because that seems to strengthen the body's response. Another study also published in The Lancet today showed that a vaccine being developed in China is showing promise and produces strong immune responses. The eagerly awaited results come after Prime Minister Boris Johnson this morning tried to temper expectations when he admitted he wasn't totally confident there would even be a vaccine by the end of next year. Ministers did, however, today announce deals for a further 90million doses of two types of experimental jab being developed in France and Germany. Britain is shoring up stocks of vaccines in development all over the world in its spread-betting approach in the hope that at least one of them will pay off. One of those, made by BioNTech, has shown good results in early trials which proved it could produce a safe immune response in a group of 45 people. Oxford scientists have already said they are '80 per cent' confident they can have their AZD1222 jab available for the autumn The share price of AstraZeneca, which is manufacturing Oxford's vaccine, fell today as the results of the early trial were announced, suggesting they did not live up to the hype investors had been expecting Results from the first phase of clinical trials of Oxford's vaccine were published today in the British medical journal, The Lancet. They revealed that the Covid-19 vaccine, named AZD1222, had been given to 543 people out of a group of 1,077. The other half were given a meningitis jab so their reactions could be compared and scientists could be sure the effects of the coronavirus jab weren't random. Researchers wanted to find out whether the vaccine boosted either of two types of immunity antibodies, which are disease-fighting substances; and T-cell immunity, with T cells able to produce antibodies and also to attack viruses themselves. The vaccine produced 'strong' responses on both accounts, the study found. It showed that the T cell response aimed at the spike protein that appears on the outside of the coronavirus was 'markedly increased' in people who had had the jab, in tests of 43 of the participants. These responses peaked after 14 days and then declined before the end-point of the trial at 56 days. BORIS JOHNSON ADMITS HE IS NOT 100% CONFIDENT BRITAIN WILL GET A VACCINE THIS YEAR OR NEXT Boris Johnson today admitted there may not even be a coronavirus vaccine ready by the end of next year, scuppering hopes that one would be ready to be rolled-out in September. The Prime Minister claimed he has his 'fingers crossed' that a jab is eventually found but admitted he isn't 100 per cent confident one will be proven to work and warned we 'can't count in it riding over the hill like the cavalry'. Britain must keep following social distancing, washing their hands and wearing masks in confined spaces to 'drive the virus down by our own collective action', Mr Johnson said. Speaking on Sky News this morning, the Prime Minister said: 'I wish I could say that I was 100 per cent confident we'll get a vaccine for Covid-19. 'Obviously I'm hopeful I've got my fingers crossed but to say I'm 100 per cent confident that we'll get a vaccine this year, or indeed next year is, alas, just an exaggeration we're not there yet. 'If you talk to the scientists they think the sheer weight of international effort is going to produce something. They're pretty confident that we'll get some sort of treatments some sort of vaccines that will really make a difference. 'But can I tell you that I'm 100 per cent confident? No. 'That's why we've got to continue with our current approach - maintaining the social distancing measures... we've got to continue to do all the sensible things; washing our hands. All those basic things.' Mr Johnson added: 'It may be that the vaccine is going to come riding over the hill like the cavalry but we just can't count on it right now.' Advertisement Antibody immunity, on the other hand, peaked after four weeks and remained high by day 56, the point at which the last measurement was taken, meaning it may well last for even longer. After 28 days, up to 100 per cent of a group of 35 people still had a strong enough 'neutralising' immune response to destroy the virus, researchers found. A neutralising response means the immune system is able to destroy the virus and make it unable to infect the body. The researchers could not test this on more people because they didn't have enough time, they explained. Scientists had to wait a month after vaccinating people, with many of them vaccinated in late May. And Sir Mene Pangalos, a vice-president of research and development at AstraZeneca, said the tests used were 'very laborious' so the team weren't able to get more data in time for the paper. Sir Mene added that the researchers were 'veering towards a two-high-dose strategy' because that seemed to be producing the strongest immune response. Professor Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford, said: 'Its possible therell be a vaccine being used by the end of the year. 'What that needs is enough cases in the probably about 50,000 people who will be in trials by six weeks time, including the very large US trial, and to have an adequate incidence. 'But of course the vaccine has to work. Even if it worked by early November, it might be a little before that, you might have emergency use authorisation in a month and then you would be deploying in December. 'So its possible but we certainly cant guarantee it that depends on incidence of the disease, as I said earlier.' And vaccine researcher Dr Sandy Douglas added: 'A really important part of the question of when the vaccine will be available is Who will it be available to? 'I think the vaccine may be available for some people in high risk groups in the UK by the end of the year. But it wont be made available to everybody immediately. 'Its likely to be given to the people who have the most to gain from it earliest, then gradually introduce it for other people.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the update on the vaccine was 'very encouraging news'. Congratulating the Oxford team and praising the 'leadership' of AstraZeneca, he tweeted: 'We have already ordered 100 million doses of this vaccine, should it succeed.' ASTRAZENECA SHARES SLIDE ON RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT The price of shares in AstraZeneca tumbled this afternoon as investors appeared underwhelmed by the results of the vaccine trial. News about the trial results had been teased last week in a blog by ITV political editor Robert Peston and hype had been building over recent days. Between last Tuesday, July 14, and this afternoon, the price of stock had risen 15 per cent from 85.49 per share to 97.96 at 2.30pm today. But when the results of trial dropped at around 2.40pm, the share price plunged to 91.15, and it finished the day on the London Stock Exchange at 93.20. Today's fluctuation in AstraZeneca stock Advertisement Boris Johnson tweeted: 'This is very positive news. A huge well done to our brilliant, world-leading scientists & researchers at @UniofOxford. 'There are no guarantees, we're not there yet & further trials will be necessary - but this is an important step in the right direction.' A second study, of a vaccine being made by the Chinese company CanSino, has also had promising results published in The Lancet today. That jab, which works in the same way - by piggybacking coronavirus genes onto a common cold virus - has also produced both antibody and T cell immunity. The study involved 508 people, of whom 253 received a high dose of the vaccine, 129 received a low dose and 126 were given a placebo. In a group who were given a high dose of the vaccine, 95 per cent of people still had immune responses 28 days after receiving the jab. More than half of them (56 per cent) still showed what is called a 'neutralising' antibody response, meaning their immune system could destroy the virus completely. And 96 per cent of them had a 'binding' antibody response, meaning their antibodies could latch onto the viruses and prevent them getting into the body but did not destroy them completely. In the low dose group, 47 per cent of people had a neutralising response after four weeks and 97 per cent had a binding response. 91 per cent still had some form of immune reaction a month after the jab. The results of both trials came after announcements earlier today that the Government has bought orders for two other potential vaccines from France and Germany. Agreement has been reached for 30million doses from German firm BioNTech and the US company Pfizer, and 60million doses from France's Valneva. Data from the Oxford study show that Covid-19 antibody responses were greater in people who had been given two doses of the vaccine (third column from left, the higher dots represent a greater number of antibodies. Second from left was one dose, and far left was a placebo. Some people had antibody responses in the placebo group, which scientists said was likely because they had Covid-19 without knowing before joining the trial) BioNTech's vaccine is another one that has shown good results in early trials. A first-phase study on 45 adults, nine of whom received a placebo, found that the vaccine was well-tolerated and didn't produce serious side effects. BRITAIN SIGNS DEALS WITH TWO PHARMA FIRMS FOR 90MILLION DOSES OF DIFFERENT COVID-19 VACCINES Britain has signed deals with two foreign pharmaceutical giants for 90million doses of different experimental coronavirus vaccines. Agreement has been reached for 30million doses from German firm BioNTech and the US company Pfizer, and 60million doses from France's Valneva. The figure is in addition to the 100million doses of vaccine that are being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca, as well as another at Imperial College London which started human trials in June. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the new agreements would 'ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk'. It is not clear exactly how much the Department of Health has paid for individual vaccines, but it announced in May a 131m fund to develop vaccine-making facilities. And it has given Valneva - the French company supplying 90m vaccines - an undisclosed amount of money to expand its factory in Livingston, Scotland. But campaigners have been critical of the UK using its buying power to swoop over the heads of poorer countries and snap up promising jabs. Heidi Chow from Global Justice Now said: 'This UK-first approach exposes the governments rhetoric on equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines as mere lip-service. 'Buying up advanced supplies of unproven vaccines encourages other rich countries to do the same which will ultimately leave poorer countries without. The only way to beat this pandemic is through collaboration rather than competition.' Roz Scourse, from Medecins Sans Frontieres, added: 'This deal is the UKs latest attempt to get first access to COVID-19 vaccines. 'Access to a successful vaccine should not be determined on who can pay the most, but on health needs and should prioritise health care workers and vulnerable populations worldwide. 'Despite what the UK has been saying about the need to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines globally, what these secretive deals will actually do is use up initial supplies of vaccines, undermining allocation according to need.' Advertisement It also triggered the immune system in the right way in all of those who it was given to. The immune reaction was dose-dependent, meaning people who received larger doses produced a larger immune response. The figure is in addition to the 100million doses of vaccine that are being developed by Oxford University in partnership with AstraZeneca, as well as another at Imperial College London which started human trials in June. The speed at which Covid-19 vaccines are being developed has been described as 'unprecedented' and a marvel of modern science. Normally it takes years or even decades to get one into human trials but international collaboration, huge amounts of funding and the instantaneous publishing of scientific research online has allowed scientists to do it in record time. The Oxford jab, for example, took just 103 days to get from being designed on a computer to entering human trials. Long, repeated testing means it takes, on average, 10 years to develop a vaccine, according to the Wellcome Trust, But the Prime Minister remained realistic about the prospects of a jab, saying people couldn't rely on one being made. Speaking on Sky News this morning, Mr Johnson said: 'I wish I could say that I was 100 per cent confident we'll get a vaccine for Covid-19. 'Obviously I'm hopeful I've got my fingers crossed but to say I'm 100 per cent confident that we'll get a vaccine this year, or indeed next year is, alas, just an exaggeration we're not there yet. 'If you talk to the scientists they think the sheer weight of international effort is going to produce something. They're pretty confident that we'll get some sort of treatments some sort of vaccines that will really make a difference. 'But can I tell you that I'm 100 per cent confident? No. 'That's why we've got to continue with our current approach - maintaining the social distancing measures... we've got to continue to do all the sensible things; washing our hands. All those basic things.' Mr Johnson added: 'It may be that the vaccine is going to come riding over the hill like the cavalry but we just can't count on it right now.' It is not clear exactly how much the Department of Health has paid for the vaccines, but it announced in May a 131million fund to develop vaccine-making facilities. And it has given Valneva the French company supplying 90million doses an undisclosed amount of money to expand its factory in Livingston, Scotland. Kate Bingham, chair of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce, revealed she was still 'hopeful' it would be ready by the end of 2020 but admitted that academics are unlikely to get enough data to prove it works until the end of the year. Ms Bingham, who is a high-profile health technology investor and has a degree in biochemistry, explained on BBC Radio 4 that the deals with BioNTech and Valneva was part of a spread-betting approach to make sure the UK has stocks of the working vaccine if one is found. She said: 'The announcements show that the UK is on the forefront of global efforts to source and develop vaccines and we are doing so across a range of different technologies with a range of different companies around the world. 'It's important because we have no vaccines against any coronavirus, so what we're doing is identifying the most promising vaccines across the different types of vaccine so that we can be sure that we do have a vaccine, if one of those proves to be safe and effective... WHAT ARE THE LEADING COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATES? University of Oxford Oxford University academics began developing the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in January. It is now named AZD1222, after the researchers signed a manufacturing partnership with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Human trials started on April 23 and they are now in the final phase, with trials being carried out in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Lead of the project Professor Sarah Gilbert told The Times she is '80 per cent' confident of its success. The science behind Oxford's vaccine attempt hinges on recreating the 'spike' proteins that are found all over the outside of the Covid-19 viruses. It is made from a weakened version of an adenovirus from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans. Imperial College London Fifteen volunteers have already been given Imperial's trial jab and testing is expected to ramp up to include as many as 200-300 participants in the coming weeks. A second trial, with 6,000 people, will come later. But Professor Robin Shattock, lead researcher, said the vaccine won't be available until at least 2021 even if everything goes according to plan. If the jab works, the team want to make it as cheap as possible so the entire British population could be vaccinated for the 'really good value' of just under 200million. Imperial's vaccine also attempts to mimic the spikes on the outside of the Covid-19 virus. However, it will work by delivering genetic material (RNA) from the virus, which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. Pfizer/BioNTech US drug giant Pfizer famous for Viagra and German firm BioNTech have been working on a number of potential Covid-19 vaccines under the 'BNT162 program'. It reported positive preliminary results from the ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial of one called BNT162b1 on July 1. Tests on 24 volunteers showed that it was well tolerated and produced dose dependent immunity. Dr Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, said the vaccine 'is able to produce neutralizing antibody responses in humans at or above the levels observed' in Covid-19 survivors. Pfizer received fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two of their four potential Covid-19 vaccines this month. The vaccine is one which injects RNA - genetic material - which codes the body to produce proteins that look like the spike proteins that would be found on the outside of the real coronavirus. Valneva French firm Valneva have yet to begin human trials of their Covid-19 vaccine, called VLA2001. Company bosses hope to scale up testing by the end of this year. The jab is currently only in pre-clinical studies meaning it is being tested in the lab and on animals. If proven successful, the vaccine will be manufactured at its facilities in Livingston, Scotland and in Solna, Sweden. Valneva's jab is based on injecting people with dead versions of the coronavirus. This is called an inactivated whole virus vaccine and works by injecting the virus itself but versions that have been damaged in a lab so that they cannot infect human cells. They can be damaged using heat, chemicals or radiation. Even though the viruses are inactivated the body still recognises them as threats and mounts and immune response against them which can develop immunity. Moderna Massachusetts-based Moderna was the first US company to start human trials of its potential Covid-19 vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, on March 16. The jab has proven to trigger an immune response in all 45 injected volunteers, according to a study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine on July 14. Moderna's shot showed early promise in its phase 2 human tests last month. The company reported that it triggered antibody production on par with that seen in recovered coronavirus patients. CanSino Chinese vaccine Ad5-nCoV, made by CanSino, was the very first shot to enter clinical trials earlier this year and is a leading candidate. A trial of 108 healthy volunteers in China showed it safely triggered an immune response in participants. Results published May 22 in The Lancet showed most of the people dosed with the vaccine had immune responses, although their levels of antibodies thought to neutralize the virus were relatively low. Researchers saw a stronger ramp-up of other immune compounds, called T-cells, that might also help fight the infection off. Johnson & Johnson The drug giant started work on the vaccine in January, two months before Covid-19 was labelled a global pandemic. A vaccine trial spearheaded by Johnson and Johnson will start recruiting people in September, with clinical data available by the end of the year. An 'emergency use' batch of the vaccine is anticipated to be authorised as early as 2021, which would likely be prioritised for vulnerable people. CureVac CureVac, a German company, secured permission last month to begin first phase clinical trials of its attempt at a coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine, named CVnCoV, works by injected RNA designed to force the production of coronavirus-like proteins in the body and trigger an immune response. The first trials will involved 168 people between the ages of 18 and 60 in Germany and Belgium. Advertisement 'We just need to wait and see what the clinical trials tell us but I think again it's important to recognise that it's unlikely to be a single vaccine for everybody. We may well need different vaccines for different groups of people.' Ms Bingham said that although it would be ideal to have a 'sterilising' vaccine that would completely stop the virus, that could be too ambitious. 'I think we may need to start off with and recognise is that the vaccines may just stop the level of mortality so we may just find a vaccine that helps reduce the symptoms rather than provides a full sterilising immunity 'If I look with my rose-tinted specs, I think they [Oxford University] could get data by the end of the year. They're running studies in the UK and in Brazil and South Africa. 'What I would hope we would see is strong safety data in all of the relevant populations who are most at risk which will come out in the UK trial. And I would hope to see efficacy signals which means data that shows the vaccine prevent infection or reduce the symptoms coming out of those two studies. 'It all depends on how much infection we see. The regulators will need to look at the data and every aspect of the vaccine and then they will take a view on whether this is a vaccine that should be licensed for use more broadly.' Ms Bingham added that she was hopeful getting a vaccine by the end of the year was 'still possible' but such low numbers of coronavirus cases make it difficult to test one in Britain. Valneva, the French company developing a vaccine that the UK has bought 60m doses, it creating a jab based on injecting people with dead versions of the coronavirus. This is called an inactivated whole virus vaccine and works by injecting the virus itself but versions that have been damaged in a lab so that they cannot infect human cells. They can be damaged using heat, chemicals or radiation. Even though the viruses are inactivated the body still recognises them as threats and mounts and immune response against them which can develop immunity. The BioNTech vaccine, on the other hand, is one which injects RNA - genetic material - which codes the body to produce proteins that look like the spike proteins that would be found on the outside of the real coronavirus. AstraZeneca, which is working in partnership with Oxford University, is already manufacturing a vaccine in the hope that it will work. The UK Government agreed to buy them without seeing results of clinical trials, which have not been completed yet. But the team from Oxford, and another working on a different jab made by the American pharmaceutical company Moderna, have both revealed people in their studies are showing signs of immunity. Each has been working on separate experimental jabs for months to try to protect millions of people from catching the coronavirus in future. People being given the Oxford vaccine have been developing antibodies and white blood cells called T cells which will help their bodies fight off the virus if they get infected, it is reported. And experts at Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said participants in their trial - of a different type of vaccine - all successfully developed antibodies. The vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking it's infected with Covid-19 and causing it to produce immune substances that have the ability to destroy it. While early research focused on antibodies, scientists are increasingly turning to a type of immunity called T cell immunity which is controlled by white blood cells which has shown signs of promise. One source on the Oxford project told ITV News: 'An important point to keep in mind is that there are two dimensions to the immune response: antibodies and T-cells. 'Everybody is focused on antibodies but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the T-cells response is important in the defence against coronavirus.' Oxford's phase 3 trial is involving around 8,000 people across the UK and also up to 6,000 people in Brazil and South Africa, where the jab may be easier to test because more people are infected with the coronavirus. The vaccine is being manufactured by AstraZeneca, based in Cambridge, England, and millions of doses have already been ordered by Number 10 in the hope that it will work. In the early stages researchers will want to see that the jab is safe for people to take and doesn't cause serious side effects, and also that it seems to be stimulating the immune system in the right way. If it passes these checkpoints researchers are expected to move on to even larger tests with thousands more members of the public. In its own tests Moderna, the US pharmaceutical company, reports that its vaccine has passed these early milestones and now plans to move on to bigger trials. Researchers at the company last night announced that all 45 volunteers in its early phase had developed immune responses after being given the vaccine. They also found the jab one of the front-runners in the global coronavirus vaccine race was safe and no participants suffered any serious side effects. But more than half reported mild or moderate reactions such as fatigue, headache, chills, muscle aches or pain at the injection site. Scientists said side effects were a 'small price to pay' for protection against Covid-19. Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government's top infectious disease expert, said: 'No matter how you slice this, this is good news.' Moderna was the first US company to start human testing of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus on March 16, 66 days after the genetic sequence of the pathogen was released by China. It's now preparing to start a 30,000-person trial later this month to prove the vaccine really is strong enough to protect against the coronavirus. The share price of the company surged on the news as it stoked hopes of progress in the global battle against Covid-19. The US federal government is supporting Moderna's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars in funding. Speaking in a television interview this morning the Prime Minister said he has his 'fingers crossed' but isn't 100 per cent confident that a coronavirus vaccine will be found QUARTERS OF BRITS MAY REFUSE TO TAKE COVID-19 VACCINE, POLL SHOWS More than a quarter of people in the UK may refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus, a worrying survey reveals. Results will be released today for a global frontrunner vaccine, developed at Oxford University, showing whether it is safe and triggers a positive immune response. But shocking figures show, even if this first step is successful, and the treatment is proven to work in the coming months, 14 per cent of people in the UK say they would be unwilling to be vaccinated. Another 13 per cent say they dont know if they would refuse a vaccine, according to a national survey. There are concerns social media is being overwhelmed by anti-vaxxer myths and scare stories, which the Daily Mail has campaigned against following a resurgence of measles and mumps. Millennials are among the most wary, with a coronavirus vaccine most opposed by people aged 25 to 34. The key to beating the virus is to achieve herd immunity, which most experts say means at least 60 per cent of the population having been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: If we get an effective vaccine, and almost everyone takes it up, overnight all the restrictions can stop and life will return to normal like it was before March, with no social distancing or restrictions. Advertisement Its vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, works using ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is a chemical messenger in human bodies that contains instructions for making proteins. The jab introduces RNA which programmes the body to make proteins that look like those found on the surface of the coronavirus, which triggers the immune system to react because it recognises those proteins as a danger - even though they aren't actually attached to a virus and can't cause any harm. This then trains the body to recognise these as a foreign invader, and mount an immune response against it. The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, involved three groups of 15 volunteers aged 18-55. The groups tested 25, 100 or 250 micrograms of the vaccine. Everyone got two doses, 28 days apart. The team reported a dose-dependent effect, whereby the participants grew a larger antibody response the higher their vaccination dose was. In comparison, the University of Oxford team's jab works by injecting a damaged part of the real coronavirus that has been attached to another, harmless, virus. It's a type of immunisation known as a recombinant viral vector vaccine. Researchers place genetic material from the coronavirus into another virus that's been modified. They will then inject the virus into a human, hoping to produce an immune response against SARS-CoV-2. The carrier virus, weakened by genetic engineering so it doesn't make people ill, is a type of virus called an adenovirus, the same as those which cause common colds, that has been taken from chimpanzees. If the vaccines can successfully mimic the spikes that are found on the outside of Covid-19 inside a person's bloodstream, and stimulate the immune system to create special antibodies to attack it, this could train the body to destroy the real coronavirus if they get infected with it in future. One of the other leading vaccine candidates, being made by Imperial College London, works in a similar way to Moderna's, instead of Oxford's. It will try to deliver genetic material (RNA) from the coronavirus which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. It will transport the RNA inside liquid droplets injected into the bloodstream. The UK has ordered 30million doses of a vaccine created by the German company BioNTech (pictured, its headquarters in Mainz) Oxford's vaccine could be developed so rapidly by Professor Sarah Gilbert, a vaccinology expert, and her team because they already had a base vaccine for similar coronaviruses. Professor Gilbert said earlier this month that protection from a jab against coronavirus should last for several years at least. She told MPs she was optimistic that a vaccine would provide 'a good duration of immunity'. Professor Gilbert is the world-renowned expert leading an Oxford University team devising a vaccine, so her claim could help to dispel the fears over how long protection against Covid-19 might last. Concerns had been raised after those with other types of coronavirus which are less dangerous and cause the common cold were able, in tests, to be reinfected within a year. But Professor Gilbert told the Commons science and technology committee there may be a better result from a vaccine than the natural immunity acquired when individuals simply recover from a virus. She said: 'Vaccines have a different way of engaging with the immune system, and we follow people in our studies using the same type of technology to make the vaccines for several years, and we still see strong immune responses. 'It's something we have to test and follow over time we can't know until we actually have the data. 'But we're optimistic based on earlier studies that we will see a good duration of immunity, for several years at least, and probably better than naturally-acquired immunity.' The key question is whether the vaccine will protect them from becoming infected, or simply make them less ill. It may also work less well in older people because their immune systems are weaker. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, also gave evidence to the committee, warning that the UK must 'prepare for the worst' this winter, rather than rely on the development of a vaccine. Scientists at Moderna in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are developing a vaccine which uses RNA to force the body to produce proteins that look like the coronavirus and spur the immune system into action Experts in an Oxford Vaccine Group lab in England have developed a vaccine which injects a damaged and harmless section of the coronavirus in order to provoke the immune system GLAXOSMITHKLINE INVESTS 130M IN VACCINE CANDIDATE The British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline said it will invest 130million in a coronavirus vaccine being made by the company CureVac. In a Dragon's Den-style deal GSK, a company worth 82billion, will help to pay for German CureVac's jab candidate in exchange for a 10 per cent ownership stake in the company. CureVac's vaccine, which GSK called 'cutting edge' works by injecting genetic material called mRNA, which forces the body to make proteins that look like they are part of the coronavirus, therefore forcing the body to mount an immune response. The government in Berlin has a 23 per cent stake in CureVac and the EU has invested 75million euros (68m) into the company. GSK's agreement with CureVac covers the research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of up to five mRNA-based vaccines. The development could expand the range of diseases that can be prevented or treated, GSK said. Roger Connor, president of GSK Vaccines, said: 'GSK's self-amplifying mRNA (SAM) vaccine technology has shown us the potential of mRNA technology to advance the science of vaccine development, and CureVac's experience complements our own expertise. 'Through the application of mRNA technology... we hope to be able to develop and scale up advanced vaccines and therapies to treat and prevent infectious diseases quicker than ever before.' Dr Franz-Werner Haas, acting CEO at CureVac, said: 'We are delighted to partner with GSK. With this collaboration, we are gaining a world-class partner whose expertise and global footprint will allow us to further develop and translate the value of our platform into potential products for the world.' Advertisement But he said he has now seen tests for coronavirus of a good standard which can produce a result in a 'few minutes'. Sir John said: 'That would be transformative because we could all test ourselves regularly and test our kids after they've been off to a rave and all that stuff.' He also urged Britons to have the flu jab to 'avoid pandemonium in A&E departments'. Trials of a potential antibody treatment that could protect older people from coronavirus have also started. Instead of a traditional vaccine the proposed treatment would see patients given a three-minute infusion of antibodies to the virus that could provide protection for up to six months. For people whose immune systems do not respond to a vaccine, including those taking immunosuppressant drugs or undergoing chemotherapy, it could provide alternative way of developing resistance to the virus. Older people also have less of a response to vaccines so the antibody infusion could help give extra protection for older people who are more at risk from coronavirus, reported The Times. Pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca are trialling the treatment and the drug maker is also working with Oxford University on a potential vaccine. As well as preventing people catching the disease antibody therapy can help people who have caught it recover more quickly. Sir Mene Pangalos, who heads the company's research into treating respiratory diseases told The Times: 'There's a population who are elderly that [may not] get a particularly good immune response to the vaccine, 'In those instances you might want to prophylactically treat those patients with an antibody to give them additional protection.' It is not yet clear if the treatment will work and the first human trial will only have around 30 participants. If no safety issues arise larger scale testing could begin in the autumn. Sir Mene added: 'We're going to do this as fast as we can. Obviously we've got to show that you're safe but antibodies are well known entities - it should be safe. The trial comes following initial research at Vanderbilt University in the United States which looked into monoclonal antibodies, which can imitate the antibodies created by the body after being infected by coronavirus. However the antibody therapy is not expected to be an alternative to a vaccine as it will cost a much while not providing protection for as long a period of time. The quest for a coronavirus vaccine took a strange turn last week when Russian hackers were accused of trying to steal data from the UK, US and Canada. 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.' The Russian government has denied the allegations that it hired hackers to try and get information about Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. 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 - a British company - to manufacture its 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.' Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 20, 2020) - Red Light Holland Corp. ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company") (CSE:TRIP) (Frankfurt:4YX), an Ontario-based corporation positioning itself to engage in the production, growth and sale of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, is pleased to announce that it has placed an initial order (the "Initial Order") for 10,000 units of its previously-unveiled psychedelic truffles microdosing packs ("Microdosing Packs") with McSmart (as defined in the Company's Listing Statement), an independent and established third party producer, wholesaler, and distributor of truffles within the Netherlands. The Microdosing Packs, which will be supplied, produced, and packaged by McSmart under the Red Light Holland brand, are expected to be offered for sale within the Netherlands as early as September 2020, through three Smart Shops operated by McSmart, as well as through Red Light Holland's proposed e-commerce platform and McSmart's current e-commerce platform. Red Light Holland Microdosing Packs (click here to view an enhanced version of this graphic) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2017/60082_6ab9a4568461b91c_001full.jpg "We are extraordinarily proud, at Red Light Holland, to be able to sell legal Microdosing Packs responsibly- with an anticipated release in the first week of September 2020 to the Netherlands market. As well, we are very excited to work alongside McSmart, one of Netherlands most respected companies in this sector. Red Light Holland continues to take crucial steps towards being able to deliver its products at a rapid pace and our path to generating revenues has truly begun! Real revenues, real people, and real proud!", said Todd Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. The Initial Order is the first major order from Red Light Holland for Microdosing Packs to be supplied, produced and packaged by McSmart. The Company intends to continue to assess market demand and project sales performance within the Netherlands on an ongoing basis as current economic conditions evolve. Story continues About Red Light Holland Corp. The Company is an Ontario-based corporation positioning itself to engage in the production, growth and sale (through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform) of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws. For additional information on the Company: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: 647-204-7129 Email: todd@redlighttruffles.com Website: https://redlighttruffles.com/ Forward-Looking Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Readers are further cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking statements (including, but not limited to, the assumption that (i) the Company will be able to execute on its business plan and/or enter into the medical psychedelics market as proposed, (ii) the Company will receive one or multiple licenses, permits, and authorizations from time to time necessary to execute on its business plan and/or enter into the medical psychedelics market, (iii) the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, (iv) there will continue to be a demand, and market opportunity, for the Microdosing Packs and//or the Company's other product offerings, (v) the Company will be able to establish, preserve and develop its brand, (vi) the Company will be successful in attracting and retaining required personnel, (vii) McSmart will successfully supply, produce, package, and distribute the Microdosing Packs, on the terms and within the timelines anticipated by the Company, (viii) current and future economic conditions will neither affect the business and operations of the Company and McSmart, nor the Company's ability to capitalize on anticipated business opportunities within the Netherlands, and (viiii) the Company will successfully develop its e-commerce platform and promote the Microdosing Packs through its e-commerce platform), although considered reasonable by management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and result in actual results differing materially from those anticipated, and as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements, forward-looking financial information and other metrics presented herein are not intended as guidance or projections for the periods referenced herein or any future periods, and in particular, past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of the Company in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast or projection of the Company's future results. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60082 Petrolern, an Atlanta-based technology company, has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to further develop and commercialise its state-of-the-art machine learning-based technology for real-time acquisition, compression, transmission, and processing of large subsurface datasets. Developed by Petrolerns data scientists and subsurface engineers, this technology has the potential to completely change how oil and gas fields and other resources are operated. Although originally developed for subsurface CO2 plume monitoring, this novel technology can add significant value to the oil and gas and geothermal energy industries as well. This low-cost technology can drastically increase safety and project profitability and has already attracted the attention of several oil and gas operators, utility companies and fiber-optic technology firms. Petrolerns CEO, Dr Hamed Soroush, says: Dealing with large data sets has been always a challenge for the industry, keeping real-time monitoring and control of subsurface operations, until now, only a dream. I am very proud of our talented team for turning the dream toward reality. This is the fifth such contract we have been awarded in the past two years from government and industry with the objective to improve the accuracy and resolution of subsurface characterization and monitoring. We continue to increase our client-base, and technology partnerships for our R&D activities. Petrolern is a leading-edge service and technology provider of real-time technologies and downhole tools for oil and gas, carbon storage and geothermal reservoir monitoring solutions. It enables safer operations and more cost-effective decision making for drilling, completions, stimulation, production, and storage, and promotes the development of greener energy solutions. Tradearabia News Service Labour today demanded Chancellor Rishi Sunak bring forward a new funding package to prop up businesses hit by local lockdowns as the party warned a lack of support would risk people disregarding the rules. Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds suggested if firms which are told to shut because of a coronavirus spike cannot access Government cash to keep them afloat then they could fail to comply with restrictions. Ms Dodds said that would 'obviously have a very significant impact on all of us' because flouting restrictions would hamper efforts to stop the spread of infection. Local lockdowns are now the Government's main strategy for tackling new coronavirus outbreaks. Ministers believe the a 'whack-a-mole' approach of pouncing on local surges in infection will prevent the need for another national lockdown. But Ms Dodds said without a funding lifeline for affected businesses and workers the measures will not be 'as effective as they could be'. Meanwhile, the shadow chancellor also said Labour will oppose any move by Mr Sunak at the autumn Budget to increase taxes. Anneliese Dodds, the shadow chancellor, has urged the Government to bring forward a funding package to help firms hit by local lockdowns Meanwhile, Ms Dodds said Labour would oppose any move by Rishi Sunak to increase taxes at the autumn Budget She said the Government should be focused on growing the UK economy to pay for the crisis. It comes after Labour appeared to advocate imposing a wealth tax to pay for the economic damage done by lockdown before then backing away from the proposal. The Government is in the process of winding down its furloughed workers scheme with the programme already closed to new applications. But Ms Dodds suggested it should be reopened to firms which are asked to shut during local lockdowns amid fears statutory sick pay will not be enough for workers who are asked to stay at home. She told The Guardian: 'If there is insufficient financial support there, that means they are not as effective as they could be. 'And that would obviously have a very significant impact on all of us.' Ms Dodds said there 'needs to be some kind of package there to support jobs and employment'. 'Unless you have that, you're going to be risking people's ability to comply with the guidelines,' she added. Ms Dodds' comments come after Boris Johnson announced last Friday that councils and ministers are getting new powers to impose 'lightning lockdowns'. The powers will allow local authorities to 'close specific premises, shut public outdoor spaces and cancel events'. Ministers will be able to close whole sectors or types of premises in a specific area and impose local stay at home orders. Ms Dodds sparked a political row at the start July after she suggested Labour is in favour of imposing a wealth tax to pay for the damage done by the crisis. But she subsequently insisted the priority should be on growing the UK economy to pay for lockdown as the party seemingly cooled its support for the policy. She has now gone even further as she said Labour will oppose any move by Mr Sunak to increase taxes at his autumn Budget. She said that increasing income tax or VAT 'wouldn't be helpful at this stage' and that where Mr Sunak 'needs to be focused right now is on growth above all.' Australias stock market dropped back to where it was a week ago with a 0.5 per cent decline on Monday in a low-volume session weighed down by the big banks. The index closed at 6001 points, once again showing it cannot move past the 6000 level with confidence. The Australian sharemarket slipped lower on Monday. Credit:Tamara Voninski Traders appeared to be treading water in anticipation of the federal governments economic update later this week, or an outcome from European Unions stalled trillion dollar economic negotiations. The US reporting season and local concerns about the spread of the coronavirus are also likely to have weighed on sentiment. Volumes were about 30 per cent below the 20-day average, according to Portfolio manager at Tribeca Investment Partners, Jun Bei Liu. She added there was little news flow ahead of Australias reporting season, but pointed to some action in the communications sector, which dropped 1.5 per cent, the biggest decline in three weeks. Heavyweight Telstra dropped 1.7 per cent to $3.40 and recently merged TPG fell 5.3 per cent. Ms Liu said an advertisement from Optus over the weekend hinted the mobile price wars could be returning, which would put pressure on profit margins. For the first time in many years Telstra put up their prices two or three weeks ago and everyone thought Optus would then follow,'' she said. "But then on the weekend Optus talked about how they would support their customer during this tough time. Instead of using Telstra's price rise as cover to increase its own prices, Optus has put the pressure back on. The advertisement was addressed directly to Telstra customers asking "Why make a tough year even tougher?" and telling them not to put up with rising prices. Meanwhile, the energy sector dragged as West Texas Intermediate oil dropped for the third day in a row down to $US40.34 per barrel. Petrol retailer Viva Energy declined 5.7 per cent to $1.65 and Ampol declined by 2.8 per cent as COVID-19 spread increased the chances of more lockdowns around Australia. Oil producer Woodside dropped 2.6 per cent to $20.10, Origin Energy fell 2.1 per cent to $5.64, Santos fell 3.5 per cent to $5.16, and Beach Energy dropped 3.3 per cent to $1.47. Financials were also under pressure and dropped about 1 per cent. The big four banks all dropped around 1 per cent while Bendigo & Adelaide bank declined 5 per cent to a six-week low of $6.77. As COVID-19 began forcing shutdowns across the nation, small-business owners looked to their insurance policies. Were they covered? Not surprisingly, the policy language caused more than a little confusion. The debate over whether business policies provide business interruption coverage for lost revenue from these types of closures has led to significant litigation and multiple class action lawsuits. The issues ultimately will be settled by the courts. But you shouldnt need an attorney to understand the fundamentals of your insurance policy. This situation reminds me of a line from the movie Cool Hand Luke: What weve got here is a failure to communicate. Todays insurance policies are minefields of legalese and jargon. Take these examples: If the Declarations do not show a Limit of Insurance providing a specific Coverage or Coverage Extension, then such Coverage or Coverage Extension is not provided by this Policy even though the language for such Coverage or Coverage Extension may appear within the Policy. Really? You may qualify for a contingent non-forfeiture benefit. Why not just say you can still receive benefits even if you stop paying for this policy? A cynic might wonder if confusing the consumer may be the goal. At a minimum, they might think consumer satisfaction isnt a high priority. No one not a business owner, a homeowner, a renter, a driver should be confused by the basic language explaining what their insurance covers. Policies should be in user-friendly language. For complex subject matter and legal issues, an insurer could include summaries in plain language in readable type, right up front. Since becoming Texas insurance commissioner almost three years ago, Ive been advocating for the use of plain language. Its an issue I noticed in my prior experience as an attorney and judge. I was part of an effort to rewrite jury instructions to ensure that jurors could genuinely understand the legal principles needed to reach an appropriate verdict. The project was driven by objective testing to confirm what language confused jurors and what language was understandable to the average juror. A similar approach is long overdue in insurance. Heres a recent example of the value of plain language: Last year, the Texas Legislature passed strong protections against surprise medical bills. The law included an exception if a patient signed a disclosure. Consumer advocates worried the exception could be abused if patients were asked to sign forms they didnt understand. The form we developed starts with a clear title: Do you agree to pay more for out-of-network care and give up important legal protections? It explains the rights the consumer would waive by signing the form and includes an estimate of how much the consumer might be billed as a result all in plain, user-friendly language. Have you ever heard of a form getting praise? This one did. I dont see a scenario where a consumer gets this form and doesnt know what theyre getting into, one consumer advocate testified during a hearing. Exactly. A clearly worded form reduces confusion and the odds of long and expensive court battles. And weve only made a start in Texas. Were also exploring ways to improve some of the most common insurance documents, including the explanation of benefits from a health plan and the summary page with a homeowner policy. Were also working to provide new tools to help consumers easily compare policies when shopping for insurance. These are the types of fundamental changes that could help transform the consumer experience, but consumers will benefit most with a national commitment to plain language. There is far too little support for it in the industry today, and thats baffling. Plain language benefits everyone. Consumers will understand what theyre buying and what theyre not buying. Insurance companies will see fewer complaints and lawsuits. Its win-win. The coronavirus outbreak has spotlighted potential confusion and costly legal fallout caused by bewildering insurance policy language. We need a coordinated effort to strengthen and enforce plain language requirements in state laws. And the industry should recognize and embrace the important long-term benefits of consumer-friendly policies. Topics Lawsuits Texas Russia's UK envoy: COVID-19 vaccine hacking claims nonsensical Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 6:10 AM Moscow's ambassador to London has rejected allegations made by the UK and its allies that Russian intelligence services attempted to steal data on coronavirus vaccine research projects from laboratories around the world. Britain, the US and Canada accused Russia on Thursday of helping a group of hackers known as the Dukes or Cozy Bear target labs working to develop coronavirus vaccines. Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Ambassador Andrei Kelin said, "I don't believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it." Kelin said he had only learned about the hacking collective's existence from British media reports. "In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible," the senior Russian diplomat added. Kelin further said a Russian pharmaceutical firm had already entered a partnership with Astra Zeneca to manufacture the coronavirus vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford, should it prove effective. The hacking claims come while Moscow's own vaccine plans are at an advanced stage, with Russia saying that it could be among the first states to roll out mass immunization. A Russian research center also said last week that it had successfully completed the clinical trials of the world's first coronavirus vaccine on humans. 'Russia has no interest in meddling with UK affairs' The Russian envoy also rejected allegations that Russia had interfered in the UK's last year general elections. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said earlier this week that Moscow "almost certainly" sought to interfere in the 2019 elections by "amplifying" stolen government papers online. Kelin, however, said his country had no interest in interfering with Britain's domestic politics. "I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference," he said. "We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference because for us, whether it will be (the) Conservative party or Labour party at the head of this country, we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now." Kelin said Russian officials had discovered "several cyber-attacks" originating from the British territory during Russia's recent constitutional referendum, but Moscow was not "accusing the United Kingdom as a state" of being involved in the attacks. Kelin did not specify the nature of the alleged attacks. London and Moscow have been engaged in a major dispute since 2018, when the UK accused Russia of attempting to poison ex-Russian Sergei Skripal to death using Novichok, a powerful chemical nerve agent, in Salisbury. Russia rejected any involvement, saying the substance could have originated from the countries studying Novichok, including the UK itself. Asked about that dispute, the Russian envoy said Moscow was ready to move on from the controversies. "We still do not understand why some spy story should disrupt these important business relations which will be very helpful to Britain... when it is exiting from the European Union," he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In a legal first, a man has been jailed in Vietnam for killing another man 14 years ago in the United Kingdom. It is the first time a trial has been held in Vietnam for an offence committed in a foreign country. Le Minh Tu appears in court in Hung Yen where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Photos courtesy of Gwent Police Le Minh Tu, 47, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the People's Court of Hung Yen Province for the killing of 44-year-old Tran Nguyen who died after being badly beaten in November 2006. Detective Chief Inspector Justin OKeefe of Gwent Police said: This was the first time a trial was held in Vietnam for a foreign offence. Its taken years of work liaising with a range of authorities, but we never lost hope that we would see the outcome we now have. Le Van Tuan, Chief Judge of Hung Yen Province Peoples Court told VNS: Right after receiving the case, we have closely worked with relevant authorities from the UK, followed all appropriate procedures to ensure the right person is prosecuted for the right offence. The case has clearly proved the effective co-operation between the two countries. A representative from the UK Embassy attended the court on Monday, saying the UK was very pleased with the helpful co-operation from Vietnam. Nguyen had been brought to the UK in the back of a lorry in 2006 and was illegally employed looking after a cannabis factory. Victim Tran Nguyen who was found unconscious and unresponsive outside the Royal Gwent Hospital in the United Kingdom in 2006. That factory was raided by a rival gang and the drugs stolen, and Nguyen was thought to have been the inside man in the robbery. As punishment, he was taken from Newport to a house in London where he was beaten and tortured. The gang even telephoned his wife in Vietnam so she could hear him being beaten on the phone. They told her she must pay more than VND1 billion (US$50,000) or Be prepared to collect your husbands corpse. After the attack, he was driven back to Wales and dumped outside the Royal Gwent Hospital where he later died. In 2008, three Vietnamese nationals went on trial at Cardiff Crown Court and were eventually convicted of manslaughter and jailed for a total of 23 years. The fourth suspect, Le Minh Tu, fled the country and was not arrested at the time. Police in the UK had information he was first living in Germany, then the Czech Republic before returning to Vietnam. DCI OKeefe added: In 2007 the Vietnamese Government passed a law that no Vietnamese national could be extradited to face criminal charges which presented us with a problem. Every month for the last 13 years I have been in communication with the National Crime Agency, or the Home Office, or the British Embassy in Hanoi to see what we could do to try and progress this. Now, 14 years since the assault, he has been captured by police in Vietnam, tried and convicted of the unlawful killing. DCI OKeefe said: This has been one of the most logistically challenging enquiries ever faced by Gwent Police. For a considerable time, we didnt know the identity of the victim or the circumstances leading to his death. This outcome demonstrates the commitment of all authorities, to work together to bring offenders to justice. Id like to thank the Ministry Of Public Security in Vietnam who have progressed the prosecution on our behalf, together with the National Crime Agency. NCA Head of Region for Asia Pacific, Mark Bishop, added: This was a truly landmark case which came about because of unprecedented co-operation between the NCA, Gwent Police and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. We worked closely with them to exchange evidence, resulting in this conviction. Tran Nguyens family have been through a horrendous ordeal and have had to wait 14 years for this verdict. I hope it brings some form of comfort or closure to them. It demonstrates that no matter what the offence or where in the world offenders may be, we can track them down and we can bring them to justice. As well as being sentenced to 12 years in prison, Le Minh Tu was also ordered to pay the family of the man he killed VND116 million. Widow speaks of devastation after death of her husband In 2008 a trial was held in the United Kingdom that, at the time, was one of the most expensive ever conducted in Welsh legal history. Three members of a drug gang were jailed for a total of 23 years for the beating that left a man dead. All three convicted, like the victim, were Vietnamese nationals involved in the illegal production of cannabis in Wales. Le Van Cong was convicted of manslaughter over the killing and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2008. Tran Nguyen, 44, a father-of-two, was accused by the gang of stealing plants from the cannabis factory he tended in Newport, South Wales. After a four-month trial at Cardiff Crown Court which cost in the region of $1.6 million, Huynh Van Quynh, 51, was jailed for nine years. Huynh Van Quynh was jailed for nine years in 2008 in connection with the death of Tran Nguyen. Le Manh Toan (aka Than Van Le), 32, and Le Van Cong, 50, were sentenced to seven years each. All three had denied murder. Le Manh Toan (aka Thanh Van Le) was jailed for seven years following a four-month trial at Cardiff Crown Court in 2008. In a statement read to the court at the time, Nguyens widow said she feared for the safety of herself and her family after speaking to the police. Pham Thi Thien said: When I heard the news of my husbands death it was devastating for me and my children. You can imagine the situation when a wife loses her husband and children lose their father. My husband was a healthy person and he was beaten to death. At the time, a fourth man, Le Minh Tu who was wanted in connection with the death had vanished. Fourteen years later, as he was sentenced for the unlawful killing at the People's Court in Hung Yen Province, justice was finally served. VNS Paul Kennedy and Vu Thu Ha The data extraction is being carried out with an Iranian investigator and observed by Canadian, U.S., Swedish and British experts and representatives from UIA, Boeing and engine maker Safran. Investigators examining the black boxes from the Ukrainian jet accidentally shot down by Iran have recovered its cockpit voice data, France's BEA accident investigation bureau said on Monday. Iranian forces say they downed the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 jet on January 8 after mistaking it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States. All 176 people on board including 57 Canadians were killed, as reported by Reuters. "CVR data including the event itself has been successfully downloaded," the BEA said in a tweet, referring to the cockpit voice recorder. It did not elaborate on the content of the audio, which records pilots' verbal communications and other cockpit sounds. The release of any further information is a matter for Iranian authorities leading the investigation, a BEA spokesman said. Iran agreed in June to send the recorders to the BEA for analysis, ending a long standoff with Canada, Ukraine and France. Read alsoReuters: Canada confirms black boxes of downed Ukrainian airliner arrive in Paris Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Iran's transfer was a much-needed and long-overdue step. But he expressed doubt over an interim report by Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation that blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders. "I don't put much credibility into that report. It's not just the result of human error I think that would be an oversimplification of what really happened," he told Reuters by telephone. "We need to understand who the responsible people are, who gave that order, how could the airspace still be open, how were these missiles fired?" The aircraft was shot down hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander. The data extraction is being carried out with an Iranian investigator and observed by Canadian, U.S., Swedish and British experts and representatives from UIA, Boeing and engine maker Safran. A New York City journalist known for her kind demeanor and passion for storytelling was killed in a moped accident on Saturday, according to the station where she worked. Nina Kapur, 26, died at Bellevue Hospital following the incident in Brooklyn, said CBS New York, where Kapur had worked as a reporter since June 2019. [Kapur] was known for her contagious smile and love for storytelling, the station said. She will be missed. Prior to her gig at CBS New York, Kapur was a reporter for News 12 Connecticut and a weekend anchor at WDVM, according to her LinkedIn profile. She graduated from Syracuse University in 2016. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that officers responded to a 911 call reporting a motor vehicle collision in the Greenpoint neighborhood around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The spokesperson said a 26-year-old man was operating a Revel motorbike, which are available to rent throughout the city, when he swerved "for an unknown reason," sending him and his passenger, Kapur, onto the roadway. An investigation into the crash is ongoing. Her CBS New York colleagues mourned her death on Twitter, with anchor Chris Wragge writing that the team would miss [her] smile, [her] warmth, [and her] presence. Our hearts are broken. @CBSNewYork @ninakapur1 we will miss your smile, your warmth, your presence. Rest In Peace young lady. pic.twitter.com/b4rBhvHWGx Chris Wragge (@ChrisWragge) July 20, 2020 Finding it hard to report today, but pulling myself together because I know [she] wouldnt want me to fall apart, added reporter John Dias. She was a true angel on earth, and now she is a real one in heaven. Love you, Nina! RIP. @CBSNewYork and the world lost one of its best. Story continues Finding it hard to report today, but pulling myself together because I know @ninakapur1 wouldnt want me to fall apart. She was a true angel on earth, and now she is a real one in heaven. Love you, Nina! RIP. @CBSNewYork and the world lost one of its best. pic.twitter.com/cTH1ZRoXuH John Dias (@JohnBDias) July 20, 2020 In an emotional Facebook post, former WDVM colleague Aliah Williamson paid tribute to Kapurs zest for life, as well as her kindness. She made life look so worth living. There wasnt a trip she didnt take, an adventure she didnt go after, a moment she didnt live life to the fullest, Williamson wrote. I wanted to live like Nina someday, but now I want to live like her today. Because life can be too short and you never know what tomorrow will bring. She added: In addition to being incredibly talented, impressive and confident Nina was kind. Theres not a negative thing anyone could say about her. Natalie Grim, who was an intern at WDVM during Kapurs tenure, tells PEOPLE she was so professional and fun to watch. I definitely admired her there, and watching her move markets was really inspiring, she says. Rapper Kanye West held a political rally Sunday night in North Charleston, South Carolina, sharing his thoughts on everything from abortion to Harriet Tubman. West announced earlier this month that he is running for president, and while he has qualified to appear on the ballot in Oklahoma, he still needs to collect thousands of signatures to get on the ballots in other states, including South Carolina. In order to gain access to the event, attendees had to sign a COVID-19 liability release form, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. West packed a lot into the hour-long rally, which included a brief question-and-answer period. At one point, West claimed that Tubman who escaped slavery and went on to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad "never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people." This elicited jeers from some in the audience, The Associated Press reports. West said he believes marijuana should be free, and grew emotional when discussing abortion. While it should stay legal, there needs to be support for women who are considering the procedure, West said, with one example being that everyone who "has a baby gets a million dollars." More stories from theweek.com Creator of cognition test Trump brags of acing says it's 'supposed to be easy' for unimpaired people Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, and a cartoon elephant recap Trump's mortifying interview with Chris Wallace Joe Biden vs. the most interesting man in the world JALALABAD, March 26,2017 (Xinhua) -- Drug smugglers stand handcuffed after being captured during an operation in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, March 26,2017. Afghan security force members have seized 219 kg drugs and detained eight suspected smugg Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 20 : Cracking down on the illegal gathering in bars and restaurants in view of the coronavirus pandemic, Delhi Police have busted another hookah party in a bar in Paschim Vihar east area. A total of 41 people have been arrested in the raid, including the owner of the bar. This is the second raid within a week at a bar in the same area. "With the arrest of 40 lockdown violators and a owner of Bar, and with the recovery of whiskey, beer and hookah, the police team of the P.S. Paschim Vihar East has busted illegal gathering of people amid the pandemic," said A. Koan, DCP Outer Delhi. On Sunday, when police reached near Cross Road Cafe during patrolling, they heard a lot of noise from the cafe, so they decided to check it. Later, Station House Officer (SHO) of the area Krishan Ballav Jha along with his team raided the premises and found men and women partying without any fear of contracting the disease and violating social distancing norms. It was found that the owner Tanway Singhal was offering whiskey, beer and hookah to 40 persons (15 girls and 25 boys) who were inside the cafe. The team seized liquor and hookahs from the spot. Subsequently, an FIR was registered and the owner of the cafe was arrested. A total of 40 persons were booked for the lockdown violation. Earlier on July 14, a total of 31 persons, including seven women were found violating the lockdown conditions in the Playque restaurant at Pushkar Enclave in Paschim Vihar. They were held under the appropriate sections of the law. The owners of the restaurant were also held. Earlier in June this year, the Delhi Police raided west Delhi's popular eating joint Qubitos which reopened after being shut for almost three months. The restaurant got into trouble after 38 persons were nabbed for celebrating a birthday party in violation allegedly of social distancing norms. Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland is continuing to live with her and Prince Harry and is helping take care her grandson, according to US Weekly. The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, are currently living in Tyler Perry's exclusive Beverly Hills $18million (14.5million) mansion with 14-month-old son Archie - which is a 24,545 square foot, eight-bedroom home known for its absolute privacy. 'Doria Ragland continues to live with Meghan, Harry and Archie,' a source claimed, speaking to Us Weekly. 'This has been the most time she has spent with her grandson since he was born. Doria, 63, is reportedly enjoying being on grandma duty, spending quality time with the 14-month-old, 'get[ing] up in the morning and read[ing] to him,' and helping Markle make his 'all-organic' baby food. Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland continues to live with her and Prince Harry, source tell US Weekly. Pictured, Meghan Markle arrives with her mother Doria Ragland at Cliveden House hotel in the village of Taplow near Windsor on May 18, 2018, the eve of her wedding to Britain's Prince Harry Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Archie as they meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, 25 September 2019 It comes after reports last month that Doria, a former social worker, is acting as an 'unofficial nanny' to Archie and to help the couple out as they find their feet in the United States. A scroll back through Tyler Perry's account gives a tantalising view of his eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom Tuscan-style villa, which sits on 22 acres on the top of a hill in the ultra-exclusive Beverly Ridge Estates guard-gated community, offering sweeping views of the city from the backyard. Photos posted by the Meet The Browns star, show a home with a luxury sunken bath, high ceilings and a spacious kitchen with a marble island - not to mention a chic white and grey nursery originally designed for the tycoon's son, Aman. A source previously told Mail Online that Meghan wants to keep her mother close as she is 'her rock' and now 'doesn't trust many people' outside of an immediate circle of family and friends. It is reported that Doria, a former social worker, is getting Archie up in the morning and 'read[ing] to him,' and helping Markle make his 'all-organic' baby food The $18million dollar Los Angeles mansion owned by Tyler Perry where they are living It is believed Meghan Markle had the full support of her mother when she and Prince Harry quit as senior royals back in January. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped the bombshell news that they were quitting, dividing their time between North America and the UK and would work to become financially independent, the royal family and the rest of the world were caught off guard. However, Meghan reportedly had the backing of her Los Angeles-based mother, who 'was really worried about Meghan... and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first,' the insider said. The friend added: 'Doria is very much about being true to oneself and so of course she will continue to encourage Meghan to take the road less traveled.' African Union ECOSOCC endorses Justice Ishaq Bello following his nomination by President Buhari to represent Nigeria at ICC, Hague. The endorsement was announced by the Nigeria Representative, African Union ECOSOCC, Dr. Tunji Asaolu when he led his team to visit the Chief Judge in his Chambers on Tuesday in Abuja. Asaolu said Bello's nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari to represent Nigeria at ICC was a wonderful decision by Mr. President considering the role Justice Bello has played so far in ensuring fairness in the FCT High Court and securing justice for Nigerians forgotten in Jail. He said "your hard work and integrity is noteworthy, bringing necessary reform and dynamism into the Court", with over 35 years of experience as a Legal practitioner and currently Chief Judge it highlights basic and exemplary hallmarks of meritorious service. "Indeed, your leadership style and qualities are outstanding and highly recommended for Africa to imbibe in bringing about a prosperous continent and the Africa We Want, Asaolu Said. Dr. Tunji said African Union ECOSSOC finds Justice Bello equipped to serve as Judge of the International Criminal Court and fully endorse him as a worthy Pan-African that will represent Nigeria and Africa well. As the Chief Judge of the FCT, Bello paid attention to the de-congestion of prisons in Abuja. He started visiting prisons within his jurisdiction, releasing over forty awaiting trial prisoners in the process. By the end of October 2017, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Prison Reforms and De-congestion, now Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reforms and De-congestion, by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The appointment as chairman of the committee was made following a National Executive Council resolution on prison reforms. Justice Bello in his response, appreciated the African Union and President Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy to be nominated to serve as a Judge at ICC. Justice Bello assured AU of a robust partnership that would bring about the defense and protection of human rights in Africa. The endorsement was announced by the Nigeria Representative, African Union ECOSOCC, Dr. Tunji Asaolu when he led his team to visit the Chief Judge in his Chambers on Tuesday in Abuja. Asaolu said Bello's nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari to represent Nigeria at ICC was a wonderful decision by Mr. President considering the role Justice Bello has played so far in ensuring fairness in the FCT High Court and securing justice for Nigerians forgotten in Jail. He said "your hard work and integrity is noteworthy, bringing necessary reform and dynamism into the Court", with over 35 years of experience as a Legal practitioner and currently Chief Judge it highlights basic and exemplary hallmarks of meritorious service. "Indeed, your leadership style and qualities are outstanding and highly recommended for Africa to imbibe in bringing about a prosperous continent and the Africa We Want, Asaolu Said. Dr. Tunji said African Union ECOSSOC finds Justice Bello equipped to serve as Judge of the International Criminal Court and fully endorse him as a worthy Pan-African that will represent Nigeria and Africa well. As the Chief Judge of the FCT, Bello paid attention to the de-congestion of prisons in Abuja. He started visiting prisons within his jurisdiction, releasing over forty awaiting trial prisoners in the process. By the end of October 2017, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Prison Reforms and De-congestion, now Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reforms and De-congestion, by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The appointment as chairman of the committee was made following a National Executive Council resolution on prison reforms. Justice Bello in his response, appreciated the African Union and President Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy to be nominated to serve as a Judge at ICC. Justice Bello assured AU of a robust partnership that would bring about the defense and protection of human rights in Africa. Leinster House, Dublin, the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Irelands temporary ban on evictions will be extended until August 1, the Government has said. A short extension under existing emergency legislation will allow time to bring forward robust new laws that will provide real protection to tenants and property owners, housing minister Darragh OBrien added. He said: The rent freeze and eviction moratorium were brought in under emergency legislation targeting all tenancies regardless of individual tenants circumstances. It is well known that they could not be extended indefinitely so it is important we have strong legislation, which combines targeting those who are most vulnerable with longer term measures to address rent arrears, in place prior to the Dail recess. This legislation will be brought to cabinet on Thursday. He said previously that anyone who has lost their job as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and is struggling to pay their rent may be eligible to apply for the rent supplement. He added: As outlined in the Programme for Government, improving the standards, security and affordability for all renters is a key priority for this Government and is something I am totally committed to. The ban on evictions had been due to expire later on Monday. Waters owned and lived in the red brick 1889 house, located at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave., in Chicagos North Kenwood neighborhood, from 1954 until he moved to Westmont two decades later, according to published accounts and interviews. He and other musicians held jam sessions in the basement. Chef Dominique Crenn is well known for rising to the occasion when there are people who need to be fed. Last week, Petit Crenn, the chef's popular Hayes Valley bistro that closed its doors for commercial service on July 7th, rose from the rubble of the COVID-19 crisis in a new iteration: The restaurant has been transformed into a community kitchen devoted to nourishing the city's food-insecure. Each week the fine dining restaurant will prepare 1,500 meals for distribution to San Francisco's most vulnerable residents through Glide, the Tenderloin's long-standing social justice and social services organization. The new initiative is the first West Coast collaboration for the New Yorkbased organization Rethink Food, which is dedicated to building a more sustainable and equitable food system. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Rethink worked with around 20 restaurants to turn their daily excess foodfood that would otherwise be thrown into landfillsinto 8,500 weekly meals to feed struggling New Yorkers. But when cases of COVID-19 suddenly spiked, shutting down New York overnight back in March, Rethink had to pivot quickly to face a new reality. With no time for restaurants to use up the perishable items in their kitchens and store rooms before suddenly having to close, "we basically had the world dumping all their excess foods," says Winston Chiu, cofounder of Rethink. The organization received 60,000 to 70,000 pounds of excess in just a matter of days. Meanwhile, restaurant staff, along with workers from all walks of life, were suddenly unemployed. Many were left to wonder where their next meal would come from. Chickpeas wait to be added to Petit Crenn's first Rethink meal. (Kimberly Zerkel) "We knew what a meal can do," explains Chiu. The question was "how do we use restaurants at this time to stabilize the economy, rehire workers, and feed people?" The organization realized that by subsidizing Rethink's existing restaurant partners, they could not only keep them and their staff afloat through the crisis, but keep them preparing thousands of meals a day that could be distributed through their trusted nonprofit collaborators to food-insecure households. Crenn followed Rethink's work closely. For years she had been thinking about ways restaurants could use their assets to feed not just their guests, but the community as a whole. So when the coronavirus erupted, so did an opportunity for collaboration. "It's literally a win-win situation," she says. "COVID or not-COVID hunger is going to be around forever, but when a restaurant opens their doors, they also have to have a part of the business that will give back to the community. When you give back to the community, you also rebuild." With a grant, Petit Crenn has been able to rehire a team of staff to feed those in need. The vegetarian, dairy-free mealslike couscous with smoky eggplant and vegetables, the first meal the kitchen produced last weekcost the restaurant $6 a plate to prepare using organic produce from Crenn's farm as well as other locally produced foodstuffs. When the meals are ready, representatives from Glide distribute them to 300 individuals within their assistance network. Working through established social services organizations is an important aspect of the program's success. "A lot of times emergency food is not dignified," explains Chiu. Distributing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the community in Chinatown, for example, doesn't do much to build trust. Working through existing culturally sensitive organizations that local people recognize and respect is far more successful. "They've laid out the groundwork. They have a real relationship and we want to allow them to strengthen their ties." Masked team members prepares meals at the transformed Petit Crenn. (Kimberly Zerkel) Petit Crenn is the first Rethink-certified restaurant in the Bay Area, but it won't be the last. The organization is currently working to expand the initiative here into a network similar to the one they've built in New York. Other programs, including the Horn Initiative launched by Oakland restaurant Horn Barbecue and the Lee Initiative, have similarly begun to collaborate with chefs in SF, Oakland, and beyond to feed the food-insecure as well as frontline healthcare workers. One of them is Nelson German, chef-owner of Oakland's AlaMar and Sobre Mesa. Since the crisis began in March, "instead of just being open for service, we have also been a relief kitchen," he says. After working with the Lee Initiative for close to three months, AlaMar is now preparing 100 to 150 meals per day for the homeless through World Central Kitchen, and Sobre Mesa is making breakfasts for frontline healthcare workers through East Bay FeedER. "Give back and better things come towards you. I learned that from my mom and grandma," German says. While Petit Crenn will remain closed to the public to partner with Rethink for the next six months, Crenn herself has plenty of ideas for the future. She envisions a food infrastructure in the Bay Area that revolves around its restaurants, mom-and-pop and Michelin-starred alike. From production to plate, feeding everyone from the homeless to school kids to the elderly would be in the hands of small local farms, producers, businesses and organizations, replacing the corporate structures that currently provide institutions with over-processed foods with low nutritional value. "We need to go back to feeding the community the right way, feeding the community with food that is goodgood for the food system, good for your body," In the meantime, she says, don't forget that small actions can have a big impact. "Think about where you're buying your things because eating and buying is an act of activism." // Petit Crenn, as well as Bar Crenn, remains closed for restaurant service but hopes to reopen to guests in 2021. The fine dining restaurant Atelier Crenn is open for takeout of farm-fresh brunches ($38/person), Crenn Kits ($145), and outdoor brunch and dinner service; place orders and make reservations on Tock. Follow chef Dominique Crenn on Instagram. Seamless, end-to-end, feature-rich membership management system packs a powerful punch Built by the gym industry for the gym industry, CircuitTM is the superior choice for gym operators of all shapes and sizes SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 20 July 2020 - Evolution Wellness Solutions (EWS) today launched its cloud-based membership management system, Circuit, to the global marketplace, now giving gym operators access to a world class solution to support their operations. Circuit is owned and managed by EWS, part of the Asia based Evolution Wellness Group (Evolution Wellness), the owner and operator of Asia's largest wholly-owned network of fitness clubs, including Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First. "Circuit was born from within the Fitness First gym environment and refined over two decades. Then known as MembersFirst, it was the backbone of the Fitness First Group's global operations, supporting the operations of more than 400 Fitness First clubs in 23 countries across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East at its peak, all with highly localised functionality facilitating member check-ins, to billing, and personal trainer bookings," said Evolution Wellness Group CEO Simon Flint. "We acquired the intellectual property for MembersFirst in 2018, and set about building upon the solid fundamentals to bring it up to a feature-rich, best in class, cloud-based solution, and rebranded it to Circuit in 2020." EWS CEO Michelle Ripley, who has been involved in the development of Circuit since its early MembersFirst days, said, "With its rich history and pedigree serving one of the largest gym chains in the world, we are confident that Circuit is the superior choice for gym operators of all shapes and sizes, having evolved alongside the fitness industry throughout this time and in tandem with the increasingly sophisticated and technologically-savvy gym customers. It's a seamless end-to-end solution built around 'real world' membership journeys which address the inefficiencies and shortfalls of many of today's software alternatives." Story continues From membership administration and POS, to flexible billing cycles, reporting and analytics, to corporate account management, Circuit empowers gym owners with data and insights not only for better decision-making especially around optimising secondary spend, but also towards enhancing the member experience. Circuit is modular and highly customisable making it easy to integrate with other third party systems including payment processors; it's ideal for multi-brand, multi-site operations. The unique Circuit Group Fitness and Personal Training management modules drives gym operator efficiencies in the management of classes, revenue, staff performance and productivity, thus avoiding the overhead of managing and consolidating data across disparate systems. Circuitis also available with an integrated mobile app solution, which supports existing member engagement through features such as gamification, and social integration, and acts as an enabler to opening up and addressing a wider non-member audience such as through the pay-as-you-go functionality to retain them into the ecosystem improving revenue and acquisition opportunity. The mobile app is adaptable and flexible, with one such recent example being allowing time slot bookings with controlled capacity for gym access, whether for group fitness classes or access to the cardio, weights, and freestyle areas, thus ensuring safe social distancing and meeting contact tracing requirements. "In essence, Circuitis a solution that's built by the gym industry for the gym industry," said Ripley. "Being so closely linked to the gym industry means that we get a unique front-row seat to witness the challenges facing full service, multi-site operators as well as boutique gyms today across various markets and customer archetypes." Today, Circuitsupports Evolution Wellness's operations in Asia, underpinning close to 1.5 billion member transactions annually. Its geographically-dispersed technical team across three continents allows for 24/7 customer and tech support, while its attractive commercial terms and robust onboarding process offer a seamless transition. For enquiries or more information about Circuit, please visit https://bit.ly/circuithq. About Circuit Circuit was built by the gym industry, FOR the gym industry. Born in a gym environment and refined over 20 years, it offers seamless end-to-end membership management solutions, and is the superior choice for gym operators of all shapes and sizes. From membership administration and POS, to flexible billing cycles, finance reporting, reporting and analytics, to corporate account management, Circuit empowers gym owners with data and insights for greater, more informed decision making, and towards enhancing the member experience. About Evolution Wellness Evolution Wellness is the owner and operator of Asias largest wholly-owned network of fitness clubs. Established in 2017 following the coming together of two leading fitness brands in Southeast Asia Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First were on a journey of growth from fitness to wellness. Our vision is to build a comprehensive wellness ecosystem for our members and customers, and providing a compelling range of propositions to help them become the best versions of themselves. With a network of more than 170 properties across six countries, were focused on leveraging the strength of our brands, and continuing to grow our business through continuous innovation, expansion, diversification, with robust strategic governance. For more information about Evolution Wellness and our portfolio brands, please visit www.evolutionwellness.com. UK Suspends Extradition Treaty With Hong Kong The United Kingdom has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong following Beijings imposition of a draconian national security law on the former British colony, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. The government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely, Raab told the House of Commons on July 20, because the imposition of this new national security legislation has significantly changed key assumptions underpinning our extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong. The national security law, which went into effect on June 30, criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, and collusion with foreign forces against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Riot police detain people after they cleared protesters taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale De La Rey/AFP via Getty Images) Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the SinoBritish Joint Declaration, as it violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law. Canada, Australia, and the United States have already suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong in response to the legislation. Raab also announced that the UK is imposing an arms embargo on Hong Kong. Given the role China has assumed for internal security of Hong Kong and the authority it is exerting over law enforcement, the UK will extend to Hong Kong the arms embargo that weve applied to mainland China since 1989, he told Parliament. Under the new rules, the UK will ban exports to Hong Kong of any potentially lethal weapons, components or ammunition, and any equipment that might be used for internal repression, such as shackles, detective equipment, firearms, and smoke grenades. Police fire tear gas toward protesters at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), in Hong Kong on Nov. 12, 2019. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images) The United Kingdom is watching, and the whole world is watching, Raab said while pledging to lead the international response to the situation in Hong Kong. We will continue to play a leading role in engaging and in coordinating our actions with our international partners as befits our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong, he said. Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary of the opposition Labour party, said Labour strongly supports the governments new measures, and thanked Raab warmly for taking the steps forward. But she urged the government to go further by imposing Magnitsky sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses and reviewing Chinese involvement in British nuclear power projects. After the Chinese regime imposed the national security law on Hong Kong on June 30, the British government announced it will extend immigration rights for an estimated 3 million Hong Kong residents who hold British National (Overseas) status. Under pressure from the U.S. and British parliamentarians from both ruling and opposition parties, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also banned Chinese telecom firm Huawei from further input into the UKs telecoms infrastructure by the end of 2020, and has promised to purge all existing Huawei kits from the countrys 5G network by 2027. A man who campaigned for a woman's 'right to know' about her partner's violent past after his daughter was murdered by her ex-boyfriend has died aged 76. Michael Brown died at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield on Saturday following a short and sudden illness. Mr Brown, a former prison officer, had campaigned for the introduction of 'Clare's Law' - named after his daughter, Clare Wood - which allows people to find out if their partner has a history of domestic violence. Mother-of-one Miss Wood, 36, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton in 2009. After lobbying politicians and the media, Mr Brown said he was 'quietly delighted' when Clare's Law, or the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), came into force in England and Wales in March 2014. Michael Brown (pictured) died at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield on Saturday following a short and sudden illness It was introduced in Scotland in 2016 and Northern Ireland in 2018. It is also being trialled in Australia and Canada. The scheme enables victims and potential victims to obtain information about a partner's previous convictions, allowing them to make an informed decision about the relationship. Mr Brown's sister, Carol Whicher, said: 'Michael never stopped fighting after he lost his daughter Clare in such horrific circumstances. Clare Wood, 36, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton in 2009 'He didn't want anyone else to suffer the same fate she did and always said if he could save just one person from a life of domestic abuse then his campaigning had been worth it.' Earlier this year, Mr Brown, from South Elmsall in West Yorkshire, received a British Citizenship award. He was also patron of Endeavour, a domestic violence charity in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Ms Wood was strangled and set on fire by a man who became known as the 'Facebook fugitive'. Just 72 hours earlier, he was freed by police who dismissed him as a 'quiet, mild mannered man'. Ms Wood was initially charmed by Appletons persona after meeting him on social media, but his violent side soon surfaced and he subjected her to a string of sexual assaults. After they split he strangled her and set her on fire in Salford in February 2009. In the days after her murder, detectives issued a warning that her ex-boyfriend might attempt to communicate with other women via the internet. Clare's Law enables victims and potential victims to obtain information about a partner's previous convictions, enabling them to make an informed decision about the relationship. Pictured: Mr Brown with Nicola Sturgeon Unbeknown to Miss Wood, Appleton, from Salford, had a history of violence towards women. Six days after Miss Woods body was found, Appleton was discovered hanged in a derelict pub. Ms Wood had first called police about Appleton in October 2008 after he damaged her front door, threatened her with an iron and threatened to kill her. On another occasion when Miss Wood dialled 999, police delayed their response 26 times - claiming there were no patrols available. An officer finally turned up more than 24 hours later. The Independent Police Complaints Commission later ruled she had been badly let down by police. Miss Wood's family's campaign was also taken up at the time by Salford and Eccles Labour MP Hazel Blears and backed by police and then-home secretary Theresa May, who agreed to run the pilot. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. HOUSTON In the first big deal since oil prices crashed four months ago, Chevron agreed on Monday to buy Noble Energy for roughly $5 billion in what many experts consider the beginning of a sweeping consolidation in the U.S. oil industry. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a sharp decline in oil demand, putting intense pressure on oil companies with large debts. This includes Noble, which is based in Houston and has operations in Colorado, Texas, the eastern Mediterranean and West Africa. But it has also created an opportunity for oil giants to gobble up smaller fish and extend their acreage in places like the Permian Basin, which straddles Texas and New Mexico. Chevron, for one, already has a large presence in the basin and easy access to large pipeline networks, which should help the company put Nobles assets to good use. In a downturn like this, the strong get stronger and the weaker players try to survive as best they can, and some will be bought, said Duane Dickson, Deloittes vice chairman and U.S. oil, gas and chemicals leader. There will be some bankruptcies and mergers and acquisitions like you saw today and I would expect that will continue and potentially pick up speed. PHOENIX With the coronavirus spreading out of control and Arizona cities beginning just last month to require residents wear masks in public, a few hundred people gathered in Scottsdale to make clear they didnt approve of the heavy hand of government telling them to cover their faces. A city councilman, Guy Phillips, came to the podium and ripped off his black face mask, declaring, I cant breathe! He later insisted his comment was meant to highlight the oppressive nature of masks, not to mock the dying words of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, though Phillips words were widely interpreted as racist. The episode highlights the visceral opposition to government mandates, a fierce individualism that has endured among some in Arizona since the days of the Wild West. The buzz-off attitude is taking on new importance as the state has become one of the worlds top hot spots for the spread of the coronavirus. The message that my mask protects you, your mask protects me, isnt always well-suited to the mind-your-own-business mentality of a state that produced Barry Goldwaters small-government conservatism and John McCains self-styled maverick persona. Historically, Arizona has been something of a loner state, and many Arizonans seem to still like that image, wrote David Berman, a retired Arizona State University professor who has written extensively on the states history and political culture. Its a very strong streak in Arizona. It has been for a long time Were out here, were individuals, we dont need the government, keep it small, let us do our thing,' he elaborated in an interview. Arizona has problems trying to quell these instances of individualism and fun-loving, Ill do it myself. Get out of my way.' Most people in Arizona are wearing masks, many without hesitation, especially in urban areas. But for those who refuse, or who only grudgingly do as theyre told, theres a deep skepticism of government mandates. Many distrust the scientific consensus that the coronavirus is dangerous and that its spread can be mitigated with masks. One of our very first things we fought for in the Revolutionary War was the idea you cant have a king over you making laws, we have a democratic process, said Sherry Wootan, 54, a Republican who declined to say where in Arizona she lives. And thats for a reason. Wootan said she wears a mask only when required, and she doesnt cover her nose. Arizonas government response was haphazard and slow, even as cases rose in June, which likely played an outsized role in the state becoming a hotbed for the disease. But some see Arizonas independent streak as a confounding factor, leaving a sizable chunk of the populace hostile to to the sacrifices recommended by public health experts. Without rigorous polling on the issue, its hard to know how big the mask-skeptical group is. Since its territorial days, Arizona has shown a tendency to prioritize the economy and the accumulation of wealth over other values, in large part to attract East Coast investors to the hot and distant desert, Berman said. Even before statehood, mining companies were given latitude to operate with minimal government oversight, sometimes with serious consequences. In many ways, the state still proudly eschews pressure to conform to practices normalized in the rest of the country. It still doesnt observe daylight saving time, and was the last state to adopt Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday, which lawmakers resisted until voters approved in 1992, only after losing the chance to host the Super Bowl over it. Its social welfare programs are bare-bones. Since the outbreak began, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has pledged to handle his response the Arizona way with a lighter touch. Through most of June, with virus cases rising exponentially, he resisted pressure to slow the economic reopening or order people to wear masks in public. He eventually empowered mayors and county leaders to order masks. He routinely urges people to wear them, but he has declined to issue a statewide edict. Ducey has allowed nearly all businesses, including restaurants, to keep operating. The restrictions in place now are less strict than those in place in the spring. This month Arizona has reported among the highest case rates per capita of all U.S. states. Ninety percent of intensive-care hospital beds are in use, and the state has routinely set records for the number of hospital beds and ventilators being used by patients with COVID-19. We get email a lot of emails You need to mandate masks, you need to close everything up. At the same time, you have to balance your economy, said Billie Orr, vice mayor of Prescott, a conservative town north of Phoenix that has not adopted a mask mandate. Orr and other city leaders are recommending masks, but say it makes no sense to impose a mandate that the small police force would have trouble uniformly enforcing. Frank Hogan, a 44-year-old insurance and risk consultant in Phoenix, said he respects the right for business owners to mandate masks on their property, but he would not wear one if told to do so when visiting a government building. Hogan, a registered Republican, said he describes himself as a libertarian. For anything to be a law it has to be approved by the legislature, Hogan said. Its not an executives job whether its a mayor or a county supervisor or a governor or a president to make law. It is their job to enforce law. Mask skeptics are vocal online, especially in Republican circles and anti-government groups. Many interviewed for this story declined to give their full names, but were angry about the idea of being forced to wear a mask or stay away from certain businesses. They used words such as kings, dictators or tyrants to describe government leaders imposing the mask mandates. People in Arizona are tired of it. Were tired of having local despots insist people wear masks, said Melissa, a 47-year-old resident of the Phoenix suburb of Mesa who wouldnt give her last name, saying she distrusts the media. Kelly Townsend, a conservative state lawmaker who is pushing for the Legislature to limit Duceys unilateral emergency powers, described Arizonas culture: Im going to do my thing and Ill leave you alone. Youre going to do your thing and leave me alone. And everyones happy. When she arrived in Arizona, she said, it was a contrast to the follow-the-rules culture in her native Oregon. Regardless of what political spectrum were on, we want self-determination, Townsend said. We dont want to be maltreated. Thats not isolated to one party. All of us feel that way. Others blame another culprit: Ducey. Yes, Arizonans are independent and tend to take their own path, said Terry Goddard, a former mayor of Phoenix and attorney general who ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Democrat twice. But the issue here is more about leadership and confusion at the top than resistance to government overreach. Ukraine and Canada are ready for more fruitful security cooperation. Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine Larisa Galadza discussed the prospect of expanding their cooperation during an official meeting, the press service of the Security Service informs. "Canada fully supports the implementation of democratic reforms in Ukraine and is ready to provide the necessary assistance to the Security Service of Ukraine on this important issue," the Ambassador said. Ivan Bakanov thanked the Canadian partners for the proposal and noted that the development of international cooperation was extremely important for the effective fight against present-day challenges. "Canada is a reliable strategic partner of the Security Service of Ukraine, so we are interested in sharing the best practices and knowledge. In turn, the Service is ready to share the experience gained in recent years of successful counteraction to the hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation," the Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine said. ol WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers said Sunday that they don't want tweets or condolences to honor civil rights icon John Lewis. They want policymakers to get to work to honor the Georgia congressman's legacy. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the House majority whip, urged President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to pass legislation that would expand voting rights in Lewis's name. "It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020," Clyburn said on CNN's "State of the Union." "That's the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting. " Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., also echoed this sentiment in interviews on Sunday morning and called for swift passage of the legislation, called the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The House in 2019 passed the legislation, which would restore key protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013. Lewis lost his months-long battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday night, at a pivotal moment for race relations in the United States. Protesters in cities from coast to coast are demanding widespread reforms in the wake of the May killing of George Floyd, a black man, in police custody. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are surging in states nationwide, shedding fresh light on the inequities black Americans encounter in health care. Clyburn also called for the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., to be renamed in honor of Lewis, a lifelong friend. The bridge, named after a former Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader, became a critical site during the civil rights movement. On Bloody Sunday in 1965, Alabama state troopers beat peaceful demonstrators there, including Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull. "Edmund Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," Clyburn said during an interview on NBC News's "Meet the Press." "Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man, John Lewis, the personification of the goodness of America, rather than to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms." Photo for The Washington Post by Astrid Riecken Today's protests have prompted cities nationwide to reconsider monuments and other honors granted to people with ties to the Confederacy or other racist legacies. An online petition to rename the bridge in Lewis's honor was drafted last month and has gained more than 450,000 signatures. Lewis's death comes amid accusations that Trump has sought to foment racial divisions in the United States as Election Day approaches, rather than unite the country. Trump did tweet a message of sympathy and prayers on Saturday about the Georgia congressman, who was one of the most vocal critics of the president's policies and rhetoric in Congress. Pressley, appearing on CNN, said she wished Trump didn't tweet at all. "If you really want to honor the life of John Lewis, you don't do things like gut the fair-housing laws," she said on CNN. "You don't sow the seeds of division." Pressley said she was a "beneficiary" of Lewis's activism. "There would be no Ayanna Pressley and countless others were it not for John Lewis," she said. Many leaders on Sunday spoke of Lewis's impact on Congress, where he was known as a moral compass for both parties in an increasingly divided political environment. "There is a need for more John Lewises," Colin Powell, a former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Not just one, but many. We got a lot of work to do. " In Atlanta, mourners gathered Saturday at the site of a 65-foot-tall mural depicting Lewis. The mural has stood in the Sweet Auburn district - the beating heart of the city's black business community during the days of segregation - for years. A steady stream of visitors stopped by Saturday to drop off flowers or notes, take pictures, or simply stand and look on. Bouquets, posters and handwritten messages were left at the site. Some of them had simple messages such as "silence equals violence" and "love one another," while others shared deeply personal stories of encounters with the congressman or recollections of how he served as an inspiration. Sisters Saundra Howard Jackson and Lorna Howard also were moved to pay a visit to the mural on Saturday. They live in nearby Decatur, Ga., but like Lewis originally hail from Alabama. They are planning to visit the Edmund Pettus Bridge and hope to see it renamed for Lewis. "Something in me moved," Lorna Howard said about hearing of Lewis's death. She hasn't left her house much since the pandemic began but made an exception to pay tribute to him. "They've left us," said Lorna Howard, referring not only to Lewis but also C.T. Vivian and Joseph Lowery. "Those civil rights icons have passed. Who is going to take the baton now? Who is going to keep it going?" Lewis was just 23 when he delivered his famous speech at the March on Washington in 1963. Many mourners expressed hope that a new generation of leaders emerges from the wave of protests that swept the United States in recent weeks. "Lewis started out when he was a student - 17, 18 years old," Howard Jackson said. "The movement struck a chord with him to endure, to get to meet Dr. (Martin Luther) King. He had the spirit. It took people like him to be courageous and lead peaceful protests to get things changed." The United Kingdom will ensure the world knows the nature of the "reprehensible behaviour" Russia is engaged in, according to its Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. It follows accusations Russia's intelligence services tried to steal details of research into Covid-19 vaccines. Russia's ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin rejected the claims and said there was "no sense" in the allegations made by Britain, the United States and Canada. Speaking on Sky News' 'Sophy Ridge On Sunday' programme, Mr Raab said it was "outrageous and reprehensible" that the Russian government is engaged in such activity. "We're absolutely confident that the Russian intelligence agencies were engaged in a cyber attack on research and development efforts and organisations in this country and internationally with a view either to sabotage or to profit from the R&D that was taking place," he said. "And I think the point is, first of all we've seen this as part of a wider systematic approach to cyber taken by Russia, and at the time that the world is coming together to try to tackle Covid-19, particularly come up with a global solution for a vaccine, I think it's outrageous and reprehensible that the Russian government is engaged in this activity. "So what we're doing with our allies is making sure people know, making sure the organisations know so that they can better defend against it, but also just calling Russia out, we will do this. "Now you will see us holding Russia to account and making sure the world knows the nature of the reprehensible behaviour they're engaged in." Mr Raab added: "As a leading member of the international community, a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia should be engaged in that collaborative international effort." Also speaking on the programme, opposition shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour "got it wrong" on Russia, having "prevaricated" after the Salisbury attack in which former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned. Following the May 2018 incident, then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was criticised for not condemning Russia more firmly over its actions. Ms Nandy told 'Sophy Ridge On Sunday': "I think we got it wrong on Russia and I made a feature of this during the Labour leadership campaign because I felt that it really needed to be said. "When the Salisbury attacks happened, we prevaricated, we equivocated, we called for dialogue at a moment when chemical weapons had been used on the streets of the UK. "And what that did was not only to let an authoritarian regime that has invaded its neighbours, that has interfered in elections across European democratic countries over several years, that has had an appalling record of human rights against its own people, against LGBT people, Muslims and other minorities, and used chemical weapons on the streets of the UK, we didn't just let them off the hook, we also let the Conservative government off the hook. "Because I believe the Conservatives have been desperately slow to wake up to the threat that is posed by the current Putin administration and we should have been much quicker to act in relation to that." Ms Nandy added: "By prevaricating about issues like Salisbury, we let the Tories off the hook. "I strongly believe that has to change and that we have to have a much more strategic approach to Russia." Karachi, July 20 : When Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's blue eyed Minister Ali Haider Zaidi on Saturday accused an opposition Sindh Minister of sheltering a drug cartel, it was not an off the cuff political barb at the Bhutto family. In a tweet the next day, Zaidi accused Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (ruling in Sindh province) of being involved in "kidnapping, extortion, corruption...even murder". For India and the world, the port city of Karachi seems to be ruled by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. But in Sindh, many like Ali Haider Zaidi feel that organised crime gangs have been unleashed in Pakistan's largest city by a coterie of ministers in the PPP ruled provincial government. In fact, the Bhutto family is often targeted by its rivals for patronising one of the most dreaded underworld dons, Uzair Baloch, who is involved in the killing of more than 150 people. Uzair is presently lodged in Karachi Central Jail, but he operates his gang from behind the bars. India's most wanted fugitive, Dawood Ibrahim, is reportedly residing here at the posh Clifton area, and continues to detach himself from local rivalry over drugs, extortion and crimes like kidnapping for ransoms. Dawood's notorious D-Company focuses more on international syndicate crimes and Hawala operations. As of now, D-Company's feud with Lyari gangs has not come to light. Lyari, a densely populated Karachi borough, is infamous for its criminal gangs, mostly involved in drugs and gun running. At the moment, Lyari gangs affiliated to Uzair Baloch (41) rule the roost in this port city where the underworld primarily thrives on drugs smuggled from Afghanistan. Uzair shot into limelight when he gunned down rival underworld lord Pappu Ashraf in 2013. According to records of Karachi police, Uzair with around 20 armed men barged into a bungalow in the posh Defence Housing Area (DHA) and abducted Ashraf, his two aides and later killed them. Having dual citizenship of Pakistan and Iran, Uzair used his political clout while shifting between the two countries. To tame the dreaded gangster, the authorities in 2017 handed over Uzair to the Army to investigate a case of espionage. Meanwhile, Federal Maritime Minister Ali Haider Zaidi shared a video with the media, revealing an unholy nexus between Uzair and the Bhutto family. In a bid to expose PPP President Asif Zardari, a video containing a statement of an insider, known as Jan Habib, was released by Zaidi. According to Geo TV, Jan Habib revealed that the PPP would transfer police officers on the whims of Uzair. "This is true. IG Sindh's transfer was also done and the interior ministry used to stand at their (the gangsters') door in the form of Rehman Malik," Jan alleged. In the video, Jan claimed that Uzair had personally met Zardari. Jan said, "Zardari met Uzair and it was an important meeting. Uzair called me and said Zardari called him and wanted to meet him and he has to go (to the meeting) with Qadir Patel. Zardari wanted his so-called 'brother' (Uzair) to contest elections from Lyari." The allegations of Imran Khan's close aide Zaidi has once again shifted focus to the underworld of Karachi. The heat is mainly on the Lyari gangs, but can later affect the D-Company, which maintains close relations with the political leadership in Pakistan. Satellite imagery of Africa. Credit: Public Domain The World Health Organization voiced alarm Monday at the spread of COVID-19 in Africa, warning that South Africa's surging numbers could be a "precursor" for outbreaks across the continent. "I am very concerned right now that we are beginning to see an acceleration of disease in Africa," WHO's emergencies chief Michael Ryan told a virtual press conference. Until recently, Africa had remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic compared to the surging numbers seen in other parts of the world. With more than 15,000 deaths and close to 725,000 cases,the continent remains the world's second least affected after Oceania. But the situation has become increasingly worrying, particularly in South Africa. The country, which over the weekend saw its death toll from the novel coronavirus pass the 5,000 mark and which has registered well over 350,000 infections, is by far Africa's hardest-hit. But Ryan warned that the situation there could be seen as "a warning" for what the rest of the continent might have in store. "While South Africa is experiencing a very, very severe event, I think it is really a marker of what the continent could face if urgent action is not taken to provide further support," he said. "South Africa may unfortunately be a precursor, it may be a warning for what will happen in the rest of Africa." 'A wake-up call' Ryan pointed out that South Africa's outbreak began earlier than those in a number of other African countries. It had first spread in wealthier areas but had now moved to poorer and more rural areas, he said. "Therefore, South Africa is experiencing that acceleration," he said, stressing though that the acceleration was no faster than elsewhere on the continent. While South Africa's numbers were by far the largest, they had "only" increased by 30 percent in the past week, he said. By comparison, numbers in Kenya had increased by 31 percent, in Madagascar by 50 percent, in Zambia by 57 percent and in Namibia by 69 percent, he pointed out. "I think what we are starting to see is a continued acceleration of transmission in a number of countries," he said. "This isn't just a wake-up call for South Africa... We need to take what is happening in Africa very, very seriously." Ryan pointed out that a number of the countries experiencing the greatest increases were wracked "fragility and conflict", urging international "solidarity and support". Explore further WHO warns pandemic accelerating in Africa 2020 AFP A mother has been charged with causing the death of her daughter and stepson after allegedly crashing her car with illicit drugs in her system. Stacey Cunningham was driving her Mazda sedan on the WA Day long weekend when she collided with a ute in Georgina, near Geraldton, on June 1. Her daughter Harmonie, 10, and seven-year-old stepson Nate were in the back of the car. They were both killed on impact. Another passenger in his 30s who was sitting in the back seat was seriously injured in the crash, while Cunningham, her partner and the driver of the ute all walked away virtually unscathed. Harmonie, 10, (left) and her seven-year-old step brother Nate (right) were in the back of the car and died in the crash On Monday, police confirmed Cunningham had been charged with two counts of careless driving causing death. She was also charged with careless driving causing grievous bodily harm and allegedly driving with a prescribed illicit drug in her oral fluid or blood. She will face Geraldton Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The day after the horror crash, Cunningham said she and her partner had decided to take the kids away for a last minute trip. 'We just decided to take off for the weekend - have a weekend away with the kids,' she told The West Australian a day after the crash. 'We were playing in the sand dunes ... the kids were having so much fun. It was on the way home when it happened.' Stacey Cunningham was driving her Mazda sedan on the WA Day long weekend when she collided with a ute in Georgina, near Geraldton, on June 1 The family paid tribute to Harmonie and Nate in a statement after the crash, describing them as smart, energetic and caring. 'Harmonie was smart, she loved gymnastics and was extremely independent,' the statement said. Cunningham previously described Harmonie as a 'little mother' to everyone around her. 'Harmonie was like a 10-year-old mother to everyone younger than her, she tried to boss everyone around,' she said. She said her daughter loved her partner and Nate as though they were her biological father and brother. 'Nate was energetic, a chatterbox... who always made you laugh.' In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, a Public institution is an institution conducted with the approval, and from the funds of the public. While explaining that whenever such an institution ceases to have public support, it forfeits its right to exist, Gandhi observed that most institutions maintained on permanent funds are often found to ignore public opinion, and are frequently responsible for acts contrary to it. And instead of living like nature, from day to day, they (public institutions) in some cases abandon the ideals of public trust. The above worries were expressed years ago in far away India. However, each time I ruminate on; first, the recent squabble between Godswill Akpabio, the Minister for Niger Delta with the former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Joi Nunieh. Secondly, the staged walk-out from the House of Representative committee by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, on Wednesday 16th July, 2020, when it appeared for the continuation of the investigative hearing of the commissions financial dealings. And, the Lawmakers order of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to immediately arrest the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, for contempt of the legislature, the above thought about public institutions and public trust by Ghandhi comes flooding. Indeed, while I sympathize with the people of the Niger Delta region and President Muhammadu Buhari on whose shoulders lay the crushing weight of uninspiring leadership in both NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry precipitated by a bunch of people that daily demonstrate lack of commitment to their mission while masquerading as leaders, I must quickly underline that the situation says something else. The Federal Government and of course other Nigerians should begin to see the problem in the region as a national one and not restricted to the region. To shed more light on this piece, the Niger Delta Development Commission is a federal government agency created on the 5th of June 2000, by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It was a response to overwhelming human deprivation in the Niger Delta. It succeeded the highly politicized, incompetent and grossly corrupt, Oil Mineral Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) that was established in 1993. OMPADEC was not the first agency established in Nigeria charged with the development of the oil rich Niger Delta. In 1960, the newly independent government of Nigeria established the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB). This agency was virtually moribund. The NDDC was conceived as a fresh beginning and a more focused effort on development in the Niger Delta. According to the NDDC Act, the commission is funded by: Federal Government contribution, which shall be equivalent to 15% of the monthly statutory allocations due to member States of the Commission from the Federation Account: Oil and Gas processing companies contribution of 3% of their total budget: 50% of the Ecological Fund allocations due to member states: proceeds from other NDDC assets: miscellaneous sources including but not limited to, grants-in-aid, gifts, interests on deposits and investments, loans by Federal and State Government and any local or foreign bodies, and donations. Despite this good intention, NDDC right from the year 2000, when it was created by enabling Act has refused to get it right in terms of leadership. This explains why the region is still stuck in the mud of underdevelopment despite its huge financial, human and natural resources. In the estimation of so many Nigerians particularly those from the Niger Delta region, the Commission and Niger Delta Ministry by extension manifests, and glaringly qualify as a nanny that deliberately kills children that they were hired to protect. Take as an illustration, the commission going by the words of Kemebradikumo Pondei, Acting Managing Director, used N1.5bn as COVID-19 Palliatives to take care of its management and staff. This is happened at about the same time that disease and illiteracy walked the creeks, rivers and estuaries of the Niger Delta, Again the Commission according to media reports spent N40bn in three months without due process, and have since inception received from the Federal Government well over 15 trillion Naira from inception, And just on Tuesday 14th July, 2020, The Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the office of the Accountant General of the federation further inflicted a terrible wound on the agency following the revelation that the commision illegal spent N81.5 Billion between January/July 2020. Yet, no tangible infrastructures to show for it. From the above and other chilly revelations that will be discussed in the course of this intervention, it is important to appreciate Mr. President recent declaration that his administration wants to bring about rapid, even and sustainable development to the region. And therefore, directed that auditing firms and investigative agencies working in collaboration with National Assembly Committees to resolve the challenges in the NDDC must initiate actions in a time-bound manner and timely share information and knowledge in a way to speedily assist the administration diagnose what had gone wrong in the past and what needs to be done to make corrections in order to return the NDDC to its original mandate of making life better for people in Niger Delta. However, I must quickly underline that it is obvious that NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, as public institutions have lost the public trust which is the most important alchemy in public leadership. As there exists fundamental instances that point to the fact that present happening in both NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, occurred neither by accident nor new but a reoccurring circle. A compelling reason for the Federal Government to reflect on the present challenge and develop a new solution to the challenge. Supporting this claim is the July 2004 report by the Social and Economic Rights Action (SERAC)s fact-finding mission to the Niger Delta which among other objectives sought to: ascertain the quality and structure of governments intervention through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Federal Ministry of Environment. NDDC according to the report claimed that it has built 40 roads, constructed 90 units of water projects, 129 electricity projects and forty seven shore protections and jetties as at February, 2003. SERAC fact finding mission visited some of the communities where NDDC claims to have provided development projects. The problem with these claims is that the costs quoted are usually above what such projects should cost in market value. The NDDC water jetty for example was a project started by the defunct OMPADEC. All that NDDC has done is to resuscitate the project. Another important reason, the report added for the failure of the NDDC to impact meaningfully on the lives of the people is the democracy deficit in the designing and implementation of its projects. NDDC has run itsef like another public bureaucracy. The commission does not engage the communities and civil society in the Niger Delta. Some human rights and environmental activists interviewed have never been approached by the agency for their support with information and technical skills in responding to the human crisis in the Niger Delta. The report noted that decisions about projects the agency intends to embark upon are taken without the inputs of the affected communities. The result of lack of consultation is that so many otherwise useful projects are held down due to resistance of community leaders who demand a voice both in the structuring of the project and its execution. Interpretatively, the event of the past weeks can best be understood and explicated using the general structural paradigm of crime. Propounded by criminologists, the structural theory holds that crime is a creation of society and that people tend to take to crime principally as a consequence of existential conditions, which make criminal living, not only attractive but also compelling. The structural materialism of crime is thus hinged on the understanding that the structure matters. Viewed from the above prism, the next question that will be of greater importance is; how do we solve this nagging development challenge of the region? The answer is a simple one. Mr. President and his handlers, must, as they have demonstrated in the past, understand that neither NDDC nor the Niger Delta ministry can engineer prosperity in the region. Rather, there is an urgent need to appreciate the development of the region from a rights-based perspective. Government must desist from the current political and non-participatory approach to appointments. It is time to embrace a broad-based consultative approach that will give the Civil Societies Organizations operating in the region and people of the Niger Delta, some sense of ownership over their own issues. In the face of all these regrets, i believed and still believe that we have a mutual responsibility to deliver Niger Delta region. Utomi Jerome-Mario is a Lagos-Based Media Consultant The illegal waste inside and outside Edenderry Mill on the Crumlin Road The illegal waste inside and outside Edenderry Mill on the Crumlin Road Residents in north Belfast are up in arms over gigantic stacks of rat-infested illegal waste that has been allowed to fester just yards from their homes. The filth mountains - shown in the photographs on this page - have built up in a unit at the Edenderry Mill complex, a former linen mill on Crumlin Road which is now a mixture of industrial units and residential apartments, and nearby derelict land. The rubbish pileup has been reported to the Belfast City Council's environmental health team, and also to the Department for Agriculture, Environment and the Rural Economy (DAERA) which has responsibility for policing waste management in Northern Ireland. But local residents are furious as the waste - which included hazardous material such as asbestos sheets and oxygen cylinders - hasn't been removed. Meanwhile, the stench worsens and clouds of black flies have forced residents to keep doors and windows closed. Some have even moved out. "It's been stinking for five weeks now and nothing has been done," Stacey Graham told the Belfast Telegraph last night. "The flies are everywhere. People can't open their doors for flies and the rats are roaming around everywhere. "We're being told that action is being taken, but there's been absolutely no movement in the last lot of days - so the residents are now having to take a stand to raise awareness of the issue. "It's awful. People can't even open their windows, and the rats are roaming the streets in daylight. It's no way to have to live. "It's just not good enough." Local politicians said they are pushing hard for action. North Belfast MLA William Humphrey described the waste situation as "scandalous" and said: "We will not relent until it is removed." The MLA called on his DUP colleague and Environment Minister Edwin Poots to intervene. Court Area Councillor Brian Kingston, a former Lord Mayor of Belfast, said: "We were contacted three weeks ago by a resident who had visited the industrial estate and had seen a large amount of waste material being stored in an industrial unit. "We reported this to Belfast City Council Environmental Health Officers asking them to investigate this operation, in the belief that this was the cause of recent widespread complaints by residents of flies and rats in the Sydney Street West and Cambrai Street areas. "Council officers confirmed that this was an illegal waste storage facility and referred the matter to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, for investigation with a view to prosecution." But residents want action, not words. "It's just not good enough. We need something done about this," Ms Graham said. In a statement, DAERA said it was aware of the matter which is currently under investigation. HONG KONG, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BELKIN Laser, the Israel-based start-up offering a 1-second, non-invasive glaucoma laser treatment, announces a round B financing with an oversubscription totaling US$12.25 million. The funding was led by CR-CP Life Science Fund, a leading global life science investor. The financing also attracted new ophthalmology-focused investors and companies including Rimonci Capital, Santen Ventures, BioLight Life Sciences and C-Mer Eye Care Holdings, chaired by prominent ophthalmologist Dr. Dennis Lam. Proceeds from this financing will ensure that BELKIN is well-capitalized to support the continued global commercialization and upcoming clinical trials of the Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (DSLT), the optimum first-line glaucoma treatment designed to offer a simple, user-friendly and patient-friendly laser treatment that can be utilized in any clinic and hospital as an initial treatment for glaucoma, even prior to the use of eye drops. The DSLT procedure, a non-contact laser technology and a potential game changer, would do the equivalent of an SLT (conventional glaucoma laser) in one second, overcoming the problem of low compliance with eye drop treatment. Globally 130 million people have glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OHT), a leading cause of blindness, but there are only 200,000 ophthalmologists and just 6,000 glaucoma specialists to treat them worldwide. China accounts for almost 20% of the world's glaucoma population with more than 20 million patients, with only 500 glaucoma specialists and overall 36,000 ophthalmologists available. Only high-end technology can bridge this gap. BELKIN's automated, non-contact, painless treatment is activated by a touchscreen, controlled by a high-resolution image acquisition algorithm and a proprietary eye tracker. This unique technology, the brainchild of Prof. Michael Belkin, can be easily used by all ophthalmologists, and optometrists where regulation allows, dramatically increasing the number of treated patients, both in central and rural areas, while opening a new revenue stream for their clinics and hospitals. "CR-CP is pleased to support BELKIN in this oversubscribed financing," said Liu Da, general manager and MD at CR-CP Life Science Fund. "BELKIN's technology aligns perfectly with our investment strategy of developing long-lasting, profitable partnerships which will greatly benefit Chinese glaucoma patients." "These investments signal to us that the industry has trust in our technology, which will impact the lives of millions of glaucoma patients by opening a new viable drop-less treatment option." said Daria Lemann-Blumenthal, CEO of BELKIN Laser. "The good news is that fast, easy and effective glaucoma treatment is one step closer for millions of patients." Prof. Michael Belkin, founder and medical director of BELKIN Laser, is an internationally renowned scientist and entrepreneur, whose previous Israel based glaucoma company, Optonol, was sold to Alcon in 2010 for US$200 million. BELKIN's Medical Advisory Board is comprised of global leaders in glaucoma and comprehensive ophthalmology from China, USA, UK, and Singapore. Five out of the six Medical Advisory Board members are listed in the top 100 ophthalmologists in the world. Prior to this round BELKIN raised US$6.6 million, which includes the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) incubator grant at the Rad Biomed Accelerator, as well as the prestigious European Horizon 2020 grant of US$3 million. An additional US$2.5 million investment was raised as part of the Series A financing round led by ZIG Ventures from Singapore. About CR-CP Life Science Fund: CR-CP Life Science Fund is a private equity fund with an investment focus on early/growth stage companies in the life science universe. The fund's mission is to help Chinese people get early access to global innovative life science products and technologies, thus it invests in such technologies that can fulfill the unmet need of Chinese patients. About BELKIN Laser: BELKIN Laser, an Israeli clinical-stage medical device company, established in 2013 and is developing an intuitive, automated one-second glaucoma laser treatment, aimed at promoting accessibility to first-line drop-less glaucoma care by allowing any ophthalmologist and other eye care providers to treat many more patients in any location. Visit the BELKIN Laser website to learn more. Contact: Da Liu, General Manager CR-CP Life Science Fund [email protected] SOURCE CR-CP Life Science Fund By Agency Reporter Rapper Kanye West ranted against abortion and pornography, argued policy with attendees and at one point broke down in tears, at his first presidential rally in South Carolina. West, 43, a former supporter of President Donald Trump has left voters befuddled over whether his campaign is genuine or a publicity stunt to help sell albums or merchandise. At the rally in Charlestons wedding venue and convention centre, he largely rambled in his speech that lasted just over an hour. He denounced abortion, swore, called on random members to speak, appeared to be putting forward policy proposals on the fly. He made comments that left even those in attendance muttering in disbelief. Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves. She just had the slaves work for other white people, he said at one point when discussing economic inequality. The event, which was livestreamed on YouTube and carried on local television stations, did little to clarify whether West is genuinely attempting to win the presidency. The campaign he launched with a July 4 tweet has already missed several deadlines to appear on key state ballots. At times, he even seemed to suggest he was more interested in disseminating a message than winning the presidency. Freedom does not come from an election. The freedom comes from you not loading up the pornography. The freedom comes from you not taking the Percoset, he said at one point. West appeared on stage with 2020 shaved into the back of his head and wearing what appeared to be a military-style vest. He argued that abortion should be legal but heavily discouraged, suggesting he would promote a policy as president that anyone who gives birth to a child be given $1 million or something in that family. West referred to the Bible and Christian teachings multiple times, and broke down in tears at one point while describing how he was nearly aborted by his parents. The only thing that can free us is by obeying the rules that were given to us for a promised land, he said. Abortion should be legal because guess what? The law is not by God anyway, so what is legality? The event carried few similarities with typical polished candidate events. The venue appeared to lack audience microphones, so West repeatedly told the crowd to be silent so audience members he called on could be heard. Related The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), announced on Monday that Professor Rishikesha T. Krishnan has taken charge as its new director following the superannuation of Professor G. Raghuram. Professor Krishnan has earlier also served as director of IIM Indore and is known as a thought leader on the management of innovation. Those in the management and corporate circles also know him as the author of "From jugaad to systematic innovation: The challenge for India." Speaking to Businesstoday.in on his immediate priorities and vision on what should lie ahead for the institute, Krishnan says his immediate priority is to ensure a seamless transition from offline to online for the students and faculty. "All our long duration degree programmes are running online so our main priority is to ensure that the students have a good educational experience through the online platform. On this, we have done a lot internally in terms of helping our faculty develop skills to teach online, investing in improving our IT infrastructure that with our faculty, which is mostly on campus, we are able to recreate the classroom experience on the online platform too," he says. "We have a Centre for teaching and learning, which was set up couple of years ago, has collaborated with the IT team and helped the faculty in the transition to online." Krishnan further says that one of the thrust areas will be focusing on strong research skills of the faculty (IIMB has 100 faculty members) on some of the key problems faced by the country. "We are in the process of identifying two or three areas such as health, MSMEs or urban issues and put our research engine to play and come up with big ideas, useful policy and programme recommendations, both for the government and the businesses." It is perhaps with good reason that many within the academic world have welcomed the development. Janat Shah, director at IIM, Udaipur, who has known Krishnan for at least 25 years feels Krishnan is best placed to take IIMB into the international league of leading institutions globally, build on the India growth story and play a part in helping solve some of India's problems. Shah also feels Krishnan's deep understanding of India's innovation system may prove useful apart from the fact that he has worked on issues crucial to India such as innovation and data privacy. In a note shared by IIMB, Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, has been quoted as saying: "We are delighted to have Professor Rishikesha Krishnan as IIMB's Director. As a well-regarded faculty member of IIMB and a proven administrator during his term as Director of IIM Indore, Professor R.T. Krishnan combines academic and administrative excellence. Under his leadership, IIM Bangalore is sure to set impressive standards in innovation and technology." Congratulating Professor R.T. Krishnan on his appointment, the outgoing director Professor Raghuram says: "I am certain that IIMB will benefit from his excellent scholarship, and administrative and people skills." Also Read: Rebooting Economy VIII: COVID-19 pandemic could push millions of Indians into poverty and hunger Also Read: AGR case: Vodafone Idea, Airtel seek 15 years to pay dues; Supreme Court reserves order Bannon: AG Barr Put Corporate America On Notice About China Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said Sunday it was Attorney General William Barr who put corporate America on notice about Beijing, as he called on the United States to stop playing games with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Bannon said Barr specifically used the words collaborator and appeasement, to call out corporate America, including Hollywood and big tech, for kowtowing to the regime in Beijing for the sake of profits. Those words were specifically chosen by Attorney General Barr to put corporate America on notice, the former White House strategist said during an appearance on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures. Then he talked about FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act], he told host Maria Bartiromo. He talked about you guys being lobbyists and actually being unregistered foreign agents. Bannon made the remarks after Barr on July 16 said Hollywood and U.S. technology companies have allowed themselves to become pawns of Chinese influence at the expense of freedom and openness in the United States. Attorney General William Barr speaks about an initiative to prevent online child sexual exploitation, at the Justice Department in Washington on March 5, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) In a speech given at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last week, Barr pointed to the hypocrisy behind Hollywoods practice of self-censorship in order to secure access to the worlds largest movie market. Every year at the Academy Awards, Americans are lectured about how this country falls short of Hollywoods ideals of social justice, he said. But Hollywood now regularly censors its own movies to appease the Chinese Communist Partythe worlds most powerful violator of human rights. For instance, a scene in the zombie blockbuster World War Z was altered to remove the suggestion that the virus that started the apocalypse originated in China, Barr said. Americas tech giants have also aided the regime in building surveillance technology and censored their products in exchange for access to the Chinese market, Barr said. U.S. tech firm Cisco Systems, for instance, helped Beijing build its vast internet censorship and surveillance apparatus known as the Great Firewall, he said. Others, such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Apple have shown themselves all too willing to collaborate with the CCP, Barr added. The Cisco Systems logo is seen in a file photo. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Apple, he said, has removed several apps from its Chinese app store after pressure from Beijing, and moved some of its iCloud data to servers in China, despite concerns that it would expose the data to access by the CCP. Officials at Google, Apple, Yahoo, and Microsoft didnt immediately respond to requests from The Epoch Times for comment. Appeasing the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] may bring short-term rewards, Barr continued in a message directed at U.S. business leaders. But in the end, the PRCs goal is to replace you. Bannon in his remarks echoed Barrs condemnation of the Chinese regime, as he praised the attorney general for his magnificent speech. He urged the United States to stop being a supplicant on the CCP virus, which has caused the deaths of over 140,000 people nationwide. We have to tell them [CCP], I believe, you turn over every piece of information, you open up the P4 lab, you let Americans and other scientists from around the world go in there and interview everybody, get every document, or were going to cut you off, Bannon said. Were going to cut you off from the U.S. dollar. Were going to sanction your banks. And were going to sanction the highest members of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Qishan and Xi [Jinping]. Bannon and Barrs remarks come as the Trump administration sharply escalates its rhetoric and actions against the Chinese regime on a wide range of issues, including human rights, espionage, Hong Kong, and its coverup of the CCP virus outbreak. In the past week alone, Washington has sanctioned CCP officials responsible for rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the region of Xinjiang, formally opposed Beijings territorial claims and aggressive actions in the South China Sea, ended Hong Kongs special privileges with the United States following Beijings imposition of draconian national security law, and signed into law a bill that sanctions officials involved in suppressing freedoms in Hong Kong and the banks that do business with them. Its time to stop playing games with this murderous dictatorship, Bannon added. They lied. The American people have died. Cathy He contributed to this report. The damaged oil tanker, with the front of its bow missing, off the coast of Western Australia. An environmental disaster is threatening the Western Australian coastline after the worst oil spill in the nation's history. 20,000 tonnes of crude pours into sea as Greek tanker breaks up in flames Up to 20,000 tonnes of crude oil escaped early yesterday from a crippled Greek tanker, the Kirki, creating an oil slick 60 kilometres long and more than 400 metres wide. The slick was 200 kilometres north of Perth last night, 20 kilometres from the village of Cervantes and one of the world's most valuable fishing zones. Although the slick was reported to be drifting south-west away from the coast last night, authorities said that should the wind turn coastward and the seas rise again, it might hit the coast within days and threaten marine and bird life havens. A national emergency plan to contain the spill was to begin at first light today. Overnight, Qantas, Ansett and charter aircraft from Melbourne flew chemical dispersant and oil booms to the area, and the oil-rig tender Lady Kathleen was towing out to sea the larger portion of the Kirki. It was planned to stop about 180 kilometres off the coast and assess damage. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is considering suspending Britain's extradition treaty with Hong Kong, after China imposed a tough new national security law. As tensions have grown with Beijing, Raab said it can no longer be business as usual.'' He is reportedly planning to follow the example of the United States, Australia and Canada on Monday by suspending extradition arrangements with the territory. We're working with our international partners to see what other offers they will make to the people of Hong Kong and I've also said that we'd review a whole range of other considerations,'' Raab told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday. One of the things that we reviewed is our extradition arrangements and I will be updating the House (of Commons) on the conclusion of that review." The review comes only days after Britain backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the UK's new high-speed mobile phone network amid security concerns fueled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has already criticized China's decision to impose a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong. The UK has accused the Beijing government of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the UK returned control of Hong Kong to China in 1997, and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible residents of the community. Beijing has objected to the move. China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, last week described the offer as gross interference in Chinese affairs. Liu told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday that Britain was dancing to the tune of the US and accused Western countries of trying to foment a new cold war with China. He also rejected the allegations of human rights abuses against the mainly-Muslim Uighur people. MOSCOW -- Russia's Health Ministry has denied a report by Bloomberg that political and business elites have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against COVID-19. On July 19, Bloomberg cited an unnamed individual close to the work on developing the vaccine at the Moscow-based Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology as saying that several hundred people had received the experimental vaccine since April. The news agency added that its reporters had also talked to some participants in the experiment who received the vaccine free of charge. Health Ministry aide Aleksei Kuznetsov rejected the report on July 20, saying that that the test trials of the vaccine had yet to be finished. "After the trial tests, in accordance with the law, the process of the registration of the new vaccine will start. At this point, the vaccine has not been allowed to circulate to be available for citizens. Its use beyond clinical research is impossible," Kuznetsov said. Aleksandr Ginzburg, the director of the center, added on July 20 that he was not aware of any early access being given to anyone for the experimental vaccine. Bloomberg's report said that top managers of the Rusal aluminum giant and the chemical holding firm Phosagro were vaccinated as well with the experimental vaccine. The companies declined to comment. The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriyev told RBK news agency in an interview published on July 19 that he and members of his family also had taken the vaccine. Dmitriyev said earlier last week that it was his understanding that the third phase of the vaccine's test trials will start on August 3 and include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, adding that the vaccine will start being distributed across Russia as early as September. Last week, the United States, Canada, and Britain accused Russian government-backed hackers of trying to steal secrets of their COVID-19 vaccine efforts. Russian officials deny the allegations. Russia's health authorities on July 20 reported that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 777,486, including 12,427 deaths, the world's fourth-highest number of positive tests. With reporting by Bloomberg, RBK, The Bell, TASS, and Interfax BERWYN, Pa., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE American: ANVS), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing Alzheimers disease (AD), Parkinsons disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, is pleased to announce its CEO Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D. will present the Companys novel approach to treating PD at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicines Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Center (PD&MDC). The talk, Rethinking Parkinsons Disease, takes place Monday, July 20, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Recognized by the Parkinsons Foundation as one of 45 worldwide Centers of Excellence, the PD&MDC is one of the largest of its kind in the country and the preeminent in the Philadelphia region, providing care to thousands of patients each year. Dr. Maccecchini will discuss how high levels of neurotoxic proteins begin a toxic cascade, leading to impaired axonal transport, inflammation, nerve cell death and loss of cognitive and motor functions in PD, AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Maccecchini will present data demonstrating reversal of the toxic cascade in animals and humans using ANVS401, Annovis Bios lead compound, as well as discuss the Companys latest Phase 2 clinical trial targeting early AD and PD, including trial sites and clinical timelines. About Annovis Bio Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimers disease (AD), Parkinsons disease (PD) and Alzheimers in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We expect our treatment to improve memory loss and dementia associated with AD and AD-DS, as well as body and brain function in PD. We have an ongoing Phase 2a study in AD patients and plan to commence a second Phase 2a study in PD and AD patients. For more information on Annovis, please visit the companys website: www.annovisbio.com . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, expect, believe, will, may, should, estimate, project, outlook, forecast or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness and anticipated results of ANVS401 clinical trials and the approval of any allowances or additional patents. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled Risk Factors in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations: Dave Gentry, CEO RedChip Companies Inc. 407-491-4498 Dave@redchip.com SOURCE: Annovis Bio, Inc. Two East Midlands hospitals are in the process of rolling out robots which use ultraviolet light to disinfect wards, theatres and corridors. The battery-powered machines stand around 5ft tall and cost around 71,000, it is believed. And the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust will be using the machines which kill 99.99 per cent of bacteria, the robot's manufacturers claim. Research into the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic reveals it can be neutralised and killed using intense ultraviolet light. Some East Midlands hospitals are planning to roll out robots which use ultraviolet light to disinfect wards, theatres and corridors. The battery-powered machines stand around 5ft tall and cost around 71,000, it is believed Staff in the Infection Prevention and Control team at Derby and Burton hospitals are now being trained to properly use the new equipment (pictured) 'That UV light inactivates SARS-CoV-2 is not surprising,' said Paul Hunter, professor at the University of East Anglia. 'UV inactivates most viruses very efficiently. Indeed UV disinfection is widely used for disinfection of drinking water. 'Given the nature of coronaviruses we would expect them to be especially sensitive to disinfection by either hypochlorite (bleach) or UV light.' Danish engineers at UVD Robots made the contraptions and say they can sterilise areas in less than ten minutes. Staff in the Infection Prevention and Control team at Derby and Burton hospitals are now being trained to properly use the new equipment. They will be autonomously roaming around the hospitals in the coming weeks and are currently mapping the area so they Helen Forrest, Infection Prevention and Control Lead Nurse, said: 'We're really pleased and excited to have these new UVD Robots available at our Trust. 'This state-of-the-art technology will allow us to enhance our excellent, existing environmental cleaning service, and keep our hospitals safe for our patients, including those who are most vulnerable. 'This is a tried and tested technology in environmental disinfection and will enable us to keep key clinical areas, such as Theatres, well disinfected and safe for our patients.' Danish engineers at UVD Robots made the contraptions and say they can sterilise areas in less than ten minutes UVD Robotics vice president Simon Ellison told the BBC that after treating a room the machines leave a strange smell, much like burnt hair UV light kills the virus by disrupting its membrane, causing its DNA to break apart. The developers said the machine will need to work alone, as its light is so strong it could also damage human cells Dan Harding, managing director of Sychem, the UK Distributor for UVD Robots, added: 'UV Disinfection is a proven means of disinfecting areas and destroying microorganisms. 'It offers a very innovative method of disinfecting and decontaminating an area, by using high doses of UV-C light. 'The UVD Robot is exceptional in its performance and is completely autonomous, which is really cutting edge in the world of interrupting key transmission pathways in healthcare.' UVD Robotics vice president Simon Ellison told the BBC that after treating a room the machines leave a strange smell, much like burnt hair. UV light kills the virus by disrupting its membrane, causing its DNA to break apart. The developers said the machine will need to work alone, as its light is so strong it could also damage human cells. The trust has launched a competition for staff to name the two robots with the winners receiving an Amazon Echo Dot. Kim Kardashian has been playing the supportive wife for her husband Kanye West amid his bizarre last minute presidential bid. But the KKW Beauty mogul is also staying busy with her own professional pursuits during the campaign. She put her signature curves on display Sunday, as she took to Instagram in a sizzling set of underwear for a SKIMS campaign photo shoot. Serving body: Kim Kardashian put her signature curves on display Sunday, as she took to Instagram in a sizzling set of underwear for a SKIMS campaign photo shoot The 39-year-old donned the mesh halter bralette and mid waist thong in clay, featuring a strap across her taut midriff. The post came as Kanye, 43, held his first campaign rally, following the July Fourth announcement of his candidacy on Twitter. He wore a bulletproof vest as he appeared in front of a small crowd at the Exquis Event Center in Charleston, South Carolina. The Jesus Is King artist made several controversial statements in the bizarre rant, including: 'Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people.' Damn Kanye Who are the people in his circle allowing him to do this to himself?#kanyecampaign pic.twitter.com/jopYp0QyA9 QP (@IamQuidpro) July 19, 2020 Campaign trail: The post came as husband Kanye West held his first campaign rally, following the July Fourth announcement of his candidacy on Twitter Bizarre rant: The Jesus Is King artist made several controversial statements in the bizarre rant, including: 'Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people' He also indulged some very personal details about his marriage and their first pregnancy with daughter North, when asked about his thoughts on Planned Parenthood: 'In the Bible, it says, "Thou shall not kill." 'I remember that my girlfriend called me screaming and crying, and I was just thinking, because at that time I was a rapper I was out there, [had] different girlfriends and everything... and she said, "I'm pregnant." And I said, "Yes!" And then I said, "Uh oh." 'She was crying and for one month and two months and three months, we talked about her not having this child. She had the pills in her hand.' Kanye revealed that Kim convinced him they should keep the child: 'I'm in the apartment where my wife was actually robbed, and I have my laptop up and I have all of my creative ideas, Ive got my shoes, Ive got my next song cover and the screen went black and white. 'And God said, "If you f*** with my vision Im gonna f*** with yours." And I called my wife and she said, "Were gonna have this baby," and I said "Were gonna have this child." Personal details: He also indulged some very personal details about his marriage and their first pregnancy with daughter North, when asked about his thoughts on Planned Parenthood (pictured in February, 2020) Looming divorce: Kanye said through tears: 'Even if my wife wants to divorce me after this speech she brought North into the world even when I didnt want to. She stood up and she protected that child' Happy family: Kim, 39, and Kanye, 43, tied the knot in 2014, and they share daughters North, seven, Chicago, two, and sons Saint, four, and Psalm, one He continued through tears: 'Even if my wife wants to divorce me after this speech she brought North into the world even when I didnt want to. She stood up and she protected that child.' The YEEZY founder also revealed his plan to ban the emergency contraceptive Plan B, after denouncing Planned Parenthood and vaccinations in his recent Forbes inteview. He and Kim tied the knot in 2014, and they share daughters North, seven, Chicago, two, and sons Saint, four, and Psalm, one. A source recently told People that Kim worries for Kanye's struggle bipolar disorder during his campaign: 'Kim is concerned, as well as her whole family. It's super stressful for Kim, because Kanye's behavior is very unpredictable. She is worried. 'The episodes usually last for a few weeks and then things go back to normal. Kim hopes it will be the same this time.' The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough will reopen to the public on Saturday after being closed for the past four months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums are now allowed to reopen in Ontario, with precautions, under the provincial governments reopening of the economy from the pandemic lockdown. The reopening is with limited hours. The museum will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until further notice. Work is continuing at the 910 Monaghan Rd. museum to implement new safety protocols. When visitors walk through our doors, they will still be greeted by our stunning array of canoes and kayaks, the rushing waterfall, and sounds of nature just as they have always been, although they will notice the new protocols we have put in place to help keep our community safe, executive director Carolyn Hyslop stated. The new safety protocols include: Requiring all visitors, volunteers, and staff to wear a face mask or covering in the museums galleries and store. Requiring hand sanitization upon entrance to the museum and promoting sanitization throughout your visit with newly installed hand sanitization stations. Limiting visitor capacity and staggering entrances to the galleries to promote physical distancing. Implementing a defined route through the museums galleries with reminders to keep your distance from other visitors. Encouraging contactless forms of payment at the admissions desk and store. Cash will not be accepted. An enhanced and increased cleaning schedule. After months of social isolation, we know people are craving new experiences and opportunities to safely engage and connect, Hyslop stated. We have reimagined how we offer these experiences and are looking forward to sharing the history and stories of Canada by canoe with visitors once again. Were ready when you are. All events, programs and workshops remain cancelled for the rest of the summer. The museum will continue its virtual CCM From Home content online at canoemuseum.ca/ccm-from-home/ The U.S. sanctions on Irans oil and other industries are scaring foreign firms which are unwilling to sign any deals in any sector with Iran and are even rescinding existing contracts, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Monday, as carried by Radio Farda. The U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Irans oil exports in the spring of 2018, when President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the so-called Iranian nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as the agreement is officially known. The U.S. sanctions and the risk of secondary sanctions if firms continue to do business with Iran had many companies withdraw from developing Iranian energy resources, including Frances supermajor Total, which was the first to return to Iran after the lifting of the previous sanctions in 2016. After the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Irans oil industry and exports, Total which had signed a deal to take part in the development of Phase 11 of the supergiant South Pars natural gas field said in May 2018 it would not be in a position to continue the South Pars 11 gas project and would have to unwind all related operations before November 4, 2018, unless it was granted a specific project waiverwhich it was not. Companies in other industries have also left Iran because of the U.S. sanctions. Iran now has to rely on our own domestic capacities, Zanganeh has recently said. That is why Iran signed this month deals to boost the capacity of two of its oilfields with local companies. Iran may see some of the sanctions eased should Joe Biden win the U.S. presidential election in November. Biden has signaled that he would revisit and renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal, which could potentially lead to easing of some sanctions in exchange for Tehran returning to compliance under some revised form of JCPOA. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Thousands of working people of all races and backgrounds are expected to walk off their jobs today in support of Black Lives Matter. Organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and supported by several unions and social justice organizations, the Strike for Black Lives is described on the official website as "a day of reckoning" to "withhold our most valuable asset - our labor - in support of dismantling racism and white supremacy to bring about fundamental changes in our society, economy and workplaces." The unions involved include some of the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers in the agriculture, fast-food and service industries and thus represent a large percentage of the black and Latinx working class. Accordingly, the organizers of the Strike for Black Lives are drawing attention to the extent to which racial discrimination and economic inequality are intertwined for black and brown people. This alliance has deep roots. In fact, one of the participating unions is the United Farm Workers. Founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta as the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, the UFW has long worked to cultivate cross-racial alliances, including with the Black Panther Party, in its efforts to gain union representation, equitable pay and safer working conditions for agricultural workers. During the 1960s, as the UFW organized strikes and boycotts in the grape and lettuce fields of California, the union worked to advance the interests of all people fighting for equality. It is this spirit that drives the Strike for Black Lives. On the surface, the Black Panther Party and the UFW might have appeared to be at odds. Chavez, a devout Catholic and admirer of Mohandas Gandhi, was committed to infusing the philosophy of nonviolent resistance into all of the union's efforts. In contrast, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, Calif., in 1966 in response to rampant police brutality in that city and advocated for armed self-defense and monitoring of arrests as solutions. And yet, despite differences in their guiding principles and tactics, the leaders of both groups made a conscientious effort to identify and act upon their commonalities. When the UFW launched a nationwide boycott of California table grapes in 1968, the Black Panther Party became one of the union's most ardent and loyal supporters. Party leaders called on members and allies to boycott grapes in their speeches and in the pages of their weekly newspaper, and Panthers attended rallies in the Bay Area in support of the UFW. The Panthers and the farmworkers saw one another as similarly exploited victims of the white ruling class and viewed camaraderie across racial lines as imperative in their pursuit of justice and equality. The alliance between the Black Panther Party and the UFW was strengthened when both groups launched simultaneous boycotts of Safeway grocery stores, the largest grocery store chain in the West, in 1969. The UFW targeted Safeway because it continued to sell California grapes despite the union's nationwide boycott. The Panthers boycotted for its refusal to donate to the Free Breakfast for Children Program that they had launched across the country to serve hot breakfast to 20,000 underprivileged children daily. By joining together, they increased attention to the boycotts and coordinated and shared resources on picket lines at Safeway stores, which the Panthers and farmworkers walked together. UFW organizer Gilbert Padilla recalled that when he organized the grape boycott in Los Angeles, Panthers on the picket line deterred police harassment because the Panthers "scared the hell out of them." Other UFW organizers stated that the mere possibility of Panthers on the picket lines persuaded some store owners to stop selling California grapes. In Oakland, the farmworker-Panther picket line was so effective that together they succeeded in forcing a Safeway store there to close. This collaboration also brought benefits for the Black Panther Party. The UFW aided and supported the Black Panther Party when it became the prime target of COINTELPRO, an FBI counterintelligence program aimed at destroying African American organizations and their leaders. Through COINTELPRO, FBI agents infiltrated the party, many Panthers were murdered and even more were imprisoned. Following the deaths of Chicago Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in a predawn attack by Chicago police on Dec. 4, 1969, and violent police raids on party offices in Los Angeles four days later, UFW organizers met with party leaders to discuss how the farmworkers could help defend the Panthers from such state-sanctioned violence. A UFW spokesman explained: "We felt it was not just enough to pass a resolution saying that what happened in Chicago and Los Angeles was not right. We discussed ways and means of making our bodies available to place between the police and the Panthers." Farmworkers in Seattle two months later participated in a huge rally in support of the local party office, which was to have been the target of an aborted raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. A UFW representative in attendance proclaimed, "We will not wait in silence while the enormous fire power of government is used in attempt to annihilate a group of Black People who have felt the same sting of racism, job discrimination, and exclusion that we have felt." Some farmworkers and members of other unions criticized the UFW leadership for their vocal support of the Black Panther Party and questioned allying with an organization that favored self-defense over nonviolent resistance. Nevertheless, Chavez reasserted the solidarity between the farmworkers and the Panthers: "We may not agree with the philosophy of the Black Panther Party, but they are our brothers, and nonviolence extends for whomever is being persecuted." For Chavez, the true spirit of nonviolent resistance meant fighting for justice for all, including those who did not subscribe to the philosophy. He therefore saw nothing paradoxical about his and the UFW's support for the Black Panthers. The Black Panther Party and the UFW continued to work together into the 1970s. In 1973, when Seale, the party co-founder, ran for mayor of Oakland, Chavez and the UFW endorsed him. Chavez also appeared with Seale at one of his campaign news conferences and walked the Spanish-speaking neighborhoods in Oakland on his behalf. Pictures taken of them that day were used in campaign materials directed to the Latinx community. These actions helped to legitimize Seale and the Black Panther Party in the eyes of older Mexican Americans. Although Seale did not win, he forced the white incumbent into a close runoff election and paved the way for the election of the first African American mayor of Oakland just a few years later. In short, the alliance between the UFW and the Black Panther Party showed that progressive labor unions and the Black Power movement were united in their pursuit of economic justice, racial equality and political power. Their determination to work together despite their differences resulted in important achievements, such as the UFW's victorious California grape boycott. The Strike for Black Lives is carrying on this legacy of collaborative political action. The strike's first demand declares, "Justice for Black communities, with an unequivocal declaration that Black Lives Matter, is a necessary first step to winning justice for all workers." Moreover, the strike is drawing attention to the workers who, due to the nature of their jobs and the policies of their employers, are most at risk of contracting and/or suffering economic consequences from the coronavirus. The alliance between the UFW and the Black Panther Party demonstrates the combined power of the Latinx and black communities and the real possibilities for change through collective action like the Strike for Black Lives. - - - Araiza is an associate professor of history at Denison University. She is also the author of "To March for Others: The Black Freedom Struggle and the United Farm Workers" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013). Our future belongs to patriots not globalists By Dr. Robert Owens On September 24, 2019 in the U.N. General Assembly: the seedbed of globalism, President Trump gave a major address charting a prosperous future for countries the world over, which is one built on the empowerment of citizens and respect for national sovereignty. Standing in the spotlight of attention from the Corporations Once Known as the Mainstream Media and staring down the glares from the New World Order fanatics our President zeroed in on the basic problems that have been seeping out of the UN and festering around the world for generations. He didnt equivocate. He didnt pull any punches, stating boldly, Globalism exerted a religious pull over past leaders, causing them to ignore their own national interests. Under the Bush-Clinton-Obama CABAL, before the miracle in November that gave us President Trump, our leaders like many others around the world, spent the bulk of their time and energy catering to the opinions of fellow global elites. Lost in the shuffle of this groupthink, in-crowd popularity contest were the interests of the hard-working, over-taxed, and under-appreciated people who built this country and keep it going. Our jobs were outsourced as the globalist insiders and their cronies became richer while everyone elses incomes stagnated or declined. They thought they had the skids greased as they shoved us into their New Normal. They didnt think anything stood in their way least of all that forgotten man, the American voter. Then after only three years of President Trump working tirelessly to Make America Great Again we became the worlds example of the success a country can experience when it starts focusing on the good of its own people instead of the social engineering of the statists and the bottom-line of the multi-national corporations. After briefly re-counting the previous record of managed decline our president pointed to his agenda of pro-growth, pro-worker policies such as historic tax cuts, deregulation, and trade reform. Driving home the evidence of the power of these reforms President Trump said, Wages are rising. Incomes are soaring. And 2.5 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty in less than 3 years. Throughout his speech, the president urged the assembles leaders to apply similar approaches to the problems in their own countries. All of President Trumps ideas have one thing in common: They put the interests of American people first. He spent his moment on the world stage to urge other leaders to abandon the failed attempt to forge a one-world UN dominated dystopian machine and instead let the invisible hand of enlightened self-interest create a better future for everyone. Americas blue-collar billionaire believes that building a better future starts at home not in the collective hearts of multi-national tribunals and organizations. This is an easy to understand message President Trump has sought to encourage his fellow world leaders to embrace ever since his stunning victory in 2016. He insists if others would follow the American blueprint: Putting their own citizens first instead of catering to the rich and famous while standing up for their own sovereignty prosperity will follow. As the president outlined in his speech this agenda includes: Fighting unfair trade: Old trade deals that outsourced our jobs are being thrown out, replaced by fair onessuch as the NAFTA-revamping USMCAthat give our workers a level playing field. Protecting individual freedoms: America is leading the way in promoting liberty as a human rights issue throughout the world, including championing the economic role of women in our societies. Shutting down dangerous open-border advocates: Unprecedented action is being taken to stop illegal immigration and put an end to human smuggling once and for all. Holding Iran accountable: President Trump called on fellow world leaders to join America in standing up to Iran, the worlds number one state sponsor of terrorism. Promoting a free Western Hemisphere: America stands with the people of Venezuela, and the events taking place there should remind everyone that socialism ultimately leads to poverty and authoritarianism. Hitting the nail on the head and summing up the beliefs and aspirations of millions President Trump said, The future does not belong to globalists the future belongs to patriots. The future belongs to sovereign and independent nations who protect their citizens, respect their neighbors, and honor the differences that make each country special and unique. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, Global Studies, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2020 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home KFC is 3D-printing chicken meat using animal flesh cells at a Russian research lab to provide customers with more ethically-sourced meat. The fast food giant is working with Moscow-based company 3D Bioprinting Solutions as part of its 'meat of the future' concept. The finger lickin bioprinting tech method uses chicken cells and plant material to reproduce the taste and texture of chicken meat, although it still uses chicken flesh. Researchers are taking lab-cultured chicken cells from a small sample of flesh, multiplying the cells to create a paste and 3D-printing the paste into cubes to be seasoned and delivered to restaurants. The project aims to create the world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets that will be 'as close as possible in taste and appearance' to the original product. KFC said will provide its partner with all of the necessary ingredients, such as breading and spices, to achieve the signature Kentucky-fried taste. The engineered substitute will be more environmentally friendly to produce than ordinary meat, although it won't be suitable for vegetarians or vegans. The final product is due to be tested in the Moscow labs this autumn. KFC and the Russian company are reproding the taste and texture of chicken meat 'almost without involving animals in the process' 'The idea of crafting the meat of the future arose among partners in response to the growing popularity of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the annual increase in demand for alternatives to traditional meat and the need to develop more environmentally friendly methods of food production,' KFC said in a statement. 'At the moment, there are no other methods available on the market that could allow the creation of such complex products from animal cells.' The biomeat excludes various additives that are used in traditional farming methods to create a 'cleaner' final product for the consumer. Cell-based meat products are more ethical and this particular production process does not cause any harm to animals. KFC which is responsible for the slaughter of around 1 billion chickens each year, according to PETA-backed campaign Kentucky Fried Cruelty said it 'remains committed to continuous improvement in animal welfare'. The corporation has already released a vegan burger that replaces the usual chicken breast fillet with a vegan Quorn fillet, back in January. KFC will provide its partner with all of the necessary ingredients, such as breading and spices, to achieve the signature KFC taste 'At KFC, we are closely monitoring all of the latest trends and innovations and doing our best to keep up with the times by introducing advanced technologies to our restaurant networks,' said Raisa Polyakova, General Manager of KFC Russia. 'Our experiment in testing 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken products can also help address several looming global problems,' said 'We are glad to contribute to its development and are working to make it available to thousands of people in Russia and, if possible, around the world.' 3D bioprinting technologies, initially widely recognised in medicine, are now gaining popularity in producing foods such as meat. Spanish food tech startup Novameat previously revealed its 3D-printed plant-based steak, made with peas, seaweed and beet juice, while MeaTech, an Israeli company, takes T-cells from an animal's umbilical cord to make meat products. According to a study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the technology of growing meat from cells has minimal negative impact on the environment. Scientists globally are working on solutions that would allow stable food provision for the growing global population while reducing the negative impact on the environment. Gas emissions from meat production contribute to global warming through releases of methane, a greenhouse gas 20 to 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and other solutions are needed to meet targets to help save the planet. Cruelty free: KFC has already brought plant-based chicken to several dozen stores in the US '[It allows] energy consumption to be cut by more than half, greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced 25 fold and 100 times less land to be used than traditional farm-based meat production,' KFC said. The global chicken restaurant chain has already partnered with Beyond Meat, an LA-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes. The partnership yielded plant-based chicken nuggets, trialled at multiple stores around the US in February this year. The product underwent a one-day test run at a single restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia last summer, and proved so popular that it sold out in less than five hours. Vishnu Shaji Newbie Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: KL 01 Posts: 19 Thanked: 145 Times DIY: Mobilio RS Headlights installation on a Honda Amaze Happiness do come in big boxes! Part Number Left :33150TE8K91 Part Number Right : 33100TE8K91 MRP is 17172 for a single unit and then GST(28%), would easily cross 40K price range for both! Voila! She's such a beauty to look at! Made in Indonesia Previous owner glued the wires in, I wanted a plug&play connection. Previous owner even gave me a pair of stock halogen bulbs that came with the headlights, not using it anyway! Test fit, just for size comparison. Boslla Bullet LED bulbs that the previous owner was using. It's a Tricolor LED with 3 different temperature scale. The White color is 6500K, Warm is 4300K, Yellow is 3000K. It even has an SOS mode which will basically turn the headlights to look like Hazard light, which I felt very annoying.Here's a picture for reference. 4300K is the closest temperature setting to that of Halogen lamps. Felt it pretty good since I'm running on stock fog lamps and it's yet to be upgraded. The color changing process is Turn on the headlights and you'll be by default in White light(6500K). Switch OFF and ON within 5 seconds and you'll go to the next light setting, that is Warm(4300K), do this again and you'll be on the next setting, Yellow(3000K) and following the SOS lights.Turn off the lights for 5 seconds and you'll be going back to the default setting, that is the White light. You can even Force Reset by quickly switching 3 times and it also will revert you back to the default White light. This is how it looks with the LED bulb in place, all tucked in perfectly, pretty flush I must say! Tip of the iceberg! One of our trickiest works was wiring this thing, gave sleepless nights and three complete redoes of wiring kit, due to one simple ulta-pulta wiring of Honda. Common for high/low was positive, instead of grounding and that too powered up only when headlight is on. High and low were switched with negative. We even stripped the Amaze once and installed lights and had to revert to stock light because of this issue. Blown fuse of Amaze, which we couldn't sort out as there was no proper designation chart in the car. Finally, sorted out the third time. Though there was umpteen installs on Brio and Amaze in Indonesia and a few in India, there was no detail or slight clue on installation anywhere on world wide web and on inquiry with fellow Kerala guys, all were done by a single shop in Cochin and needs a whole day. Luckily he was a good friend of mine and he said just get both the stock headlights back to working condition and asked me to come down to Kochi. It was the Pandemic time and I really didn't want to travel to Kochi just for this. Even my parents was against this idea, they asked me to wait until all this is over, which hasn't been over until today. Called up the guy who sold it and he said it was done at the same place and wiring was almost the same way I did. They did soldering, we did a 100% plug and play job with no wire cut. Pin out connection of the RS head lamp. Wiring diagram. Hope it will help the future installers. Last issue we faced was headlight not turning off. Positive for shutter was fed directly from the battery. Once the high beam is on, the connection completed through the shutter coil and remained on even after cutting supply, had to disconnect from battery each time. Sorted out by connecting to the stock headlight connector. The second iteration of the plug and play kit. Note the connection taken from the other side as the LH side conked off due to blown fuse, which we had no clue. In third version, tapped from the LH side itself. God knows how many times we bought these clips. At least 30 of them bought. Indicator wire length was short and we made a custom plug&play extension for that also and one to tap park light connection. Not even a single stock wire touched. Only headlamp leveler left, for which we need some male clips and the pin-out. Last picture in stock headlights. Front bumper successfully removed for the nth time! All working perfectly for the first time! Day and Night difference. With all lights OFF. The aesthetic difference this lamp makes is beyond describing! DRL ON DRL+ Low Beam(6000K) High Beam Warm mode (4300K) Yellow mode (3000K) A huge thanks to Dilip, a close friend of mine for being the mastermind in this DIY, Fin I've been owning my Amaze since July 2013, yes the first batch of Honda's noisy diesel engines. At the time of launch, Suzuki Dzire was the only competitor it had and this was a better choice. Later Mobilio was launched, nothing fancy there and after that Mobilio RS was launched. Ever since it's launch I was in desperate search of getting a pair of RS headlights as it was looking absolutely beautiful. I've came across few aftermarket headlights with a HID Bi-Xenon setup, but it failed to impress me. I once went to the Honda service center to book a set and for my shock each one was costing around 16K back then. It was too much money put into an headlight considering it only had a Bi-Xenon projector and a normal halogen bulb. Since then I've been try out on various sources to get hold on a pair of these headlights, sadly none was found since Mobilio RS was not a big hit back then and only few number of cars were ever sold. Tried sourcing a pair from Indonesia hoping that this would be costing less, but to my shock it almost costs the same after conversion.Years passed by, but the search was never stopped until I came across an ad from Kochi on Olx. He was running these RS lamps on his petrol amaze and he sold the car and hence selling these separately. He was running an aftermarket LED's on this and I bought this all together from him.Happiness do come in big boxes!Part Number Left :Part Number Right :MRP is 17172 for a single unit and then GST(28%), would easily cross 40K price range for both!Voila! She's such a beauty to look at!Made in IndonesiaPrevious owner glued the wires in, I wanted a plug&play connection.Previous owner even gave me a pair of stock halogen bulbs that came with the headlights, not using it anyway!Test fit, just for size comparison.Boslla Bullet LED bulbs that the previous owner was using.It's a Tricolor LED with 3 different temperature scale. The White color is 6500K, Warm is 4300K, Yellow is 3000K. It even has an SOS mode which will basically turn the headlights to look like Hazard light, which I felt very annoying.Here's a picture for reference. 4300K is the closest temperature setting to that of Halogen lamps. Felt it pretty good since I'm running on stock fog lamps and it's yet to be upgraded.The color changing process is Turn on the headlights and you'll be by default in White light(6500K). Switch OFF and ON within 5 seconds and you'll go to the next light setting, that is Warm(4300K), do this again and you'll be on the next setting, Yellow(3000K) and following the SOS lights.Turn off the lights for 5 seconds and you'll be going back to the default setting, that is the White light. You can even Force Reset by quickly switching 3 times and it also will revert you back to the default White light.This is how it looks with the LED bulb in place, all tucked in perfectly, pretty flush I must say!Tip of the iceberg!One of our trickiest works was wiring this thing, gave sleepless nights and three complete redoes of wiring kit, due to one simple ulta-pulta wiring of Honda. Common for high/low was positive, instead of grounding and that too powered up only when headlight is on. High and low were switched with negative. We even stripped the Amaze once and installed lights and had to revert to stock light because of this issue. Blown fuse of Amaze, which we couldn't sort out as there was no proper designation chart in the car. Finally, sorted out the third time.Though there was umpteen installs on Brio and Amaze in Indonesia and a few in India, there was no detail or slight clue on installation anywhere on world wide web and on inquiry with fellow Kerala guys, all were done by a single shop in Cochin and needs a whole day. Luckily he was a good friend of mine and he said just get both the stock headlights back to working condition and asked me to come down to Kochi. It was the Pandemic time and I really didn't want to travel to Kochi just for this. Even my parents was against this idea, they asked me to wait until all this is over, which hasn't been over until today. Called up the guy who sold it and he said it was done at the same place and wiring was almost the same way I did. They did soldering, we did a 100% plug and play job with no wire cut.Pin out connection of the RS head lamp.Wiring diagram. Hope it will help the future installers. Last issue we faced was headlight not turning off. Positive for shutter was fed directly from the battery. Once the high beam is on, the connection completed through the shutter coil and remained on even after cutting supply, had to disconnect from battery each time. Sorted out by connecting to the stock headlight connector.The second iteration of the plug and play kit. Note the connection taken from the other side as the LH side conked off due to blown fuse, which we had no clue. In third version, tapped from the LH side itself.God knows how many times we bought these clips. At least 30 of them bought. Indicator wire length was short and we made a custom plug&play extension for that also and one to tap park light connection. Not even a single stock wire touched. Only headlamp leveler left, for which we need some male clips and the pin-out.Last picture in stock headlights.Front bumper successfully removed for the nth time!All working perfectly for the first time!Day and Night difference.With all lights OFF.The aesthetic difference this lamp makes is beyond describing!DRL ONDRL+ Low Beam(6000K)High BeamWarm mode (4300K)Yellow mode (3000K)A huge thanks to Dilip, a close friend of mine for being the mastermind in this DIY, Fin YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Official representative of the Crisis Information Center Artsrun Hovhannisyan is confident that the Armenian Armed Forces are ready to defend the entire border of Armenia from any encroachment. The Armenian Armed Forces are ready to defend the entire border of Armenia from any encroachment, he said during todays briefing. Overnight July 19-20 the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has been relatively calm. The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime 9 times from firearms in different parts of the border, firing nearly 137 shots at the Armenian positions. Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mohammed Adamu, has said that a total of 41,863 police personnel had been promoted in the last 19 months. Mr Adamu disclosed this on Monday during the decoration of 10 newly promoted Senior Officers in Abuja. Since the inception of my administration as the I-G in January, 2019, a total of 41,863 officers and men of the Force across different ranks had been promoted to their next ranks, he said. He said the promotion exercises were a strategic management approach directed at motivating the workforce in addressing current and emerging internal security threats. Mr Adamu said the process had been guided by the principles of seniority, merit as well as reflective of records of discipline and invaluable experience. The I-G said the decoration followed the recent promotion of 6,601 personnel of the force by the Police Service Commission. He said one DIG, four AIG, three Commissioners, three Deputy Commissioners, eight Chief Superintendents, 607 Superintendents, 206 Deputy Superintendents and 5,769 ASP were promoted. Mr Adamu, who congratulated the newly decorated officers, urged them to deploy their intellect and demonstrate sound professional judgement in all their decisions at all times. Read also: The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decoration ceremony was attended by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The SGF congratulated the newly promoted officers and urged them to see the promotion as a call for improved services to the nation. Mr Mustapha pledged the Federal Governments commitment to the ongoing reforms of the Nigeria Police Force by the I-G. (NAN) CHICAGO - A Chicago man whose relatives had not heard from him in nearly four decades has been reunited with family members, thanks to a nursing home administrator who turned to social media after the 77-year-old man entered the home with no known next of kin. Antonio Talavera reunited with his long-lost brother outside a nursing home in the Humboldt Park neighbourhood two weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune reported. Antonio entered the Center Home for Hispanic Elderly in Chicago in June after being hospitalized from a fall and hampered by dementia. Nursing home records indicated Antonio had been living near 47th Street and Ashland Avenue with a friend and co-worker from a liquor store. The assistant administrator at the nursing home, Sonia Alonso, remembered a woman with the last name Talavera used to work at the home years ago. He contacted her through Facebook and found that Antonio had been separated from his family for nearly 40 years. They thought he was dead. According to his niece, Carmen Lebron-Talavera, Manuels daughter, the family does not know how or why Antonio got separated. After getting in contact with the woman through her social media, Alonso asked Antonio if he had a brother named Manuel. Is his nickname Neco? she asked, and immediately, with a look of recognition crossed his face, Antonio began to cry. Alonso set up a meeting; an emotional encounter for both Antonio and his brother, Manuel. Because his speech is limited, Antonio could not explain why he had lost touch. The family of 14 siblings had come to the Chicago area from Puerto Rico decades ago. The whole family was shocked, Lebron-Talavera said of finding Antonio. Were ecstatic about it. She said the hardest part was not being able to hug each other in precaution of the coronavirus. During a second meeting last week, Alonso wheeled Antonio outside to see his brother; both of them frequently breaking out into tears as other family members who came by began crying as well. Tio, no llore, his niece, Lebron-Talavera, said in Spanish, gently telling him not to cry. You dont have to worry, Alonso told Antonio Talavera. You have a family now. Youre not alone. Three people have been killed and 24 others injured after a glacier tour bus rolled over in Canada's southern province of Alberta. The sightseeing bus was climbing up a steep, rocky road to the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park on Saturday when it suddenly plunged 50 meters (about 164 feet) down an embankment and overturned, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Alberta Health Services said 14 of the 27 passengers were hospitalized with life-threatening head or pelvis injuries, five were in serious condition with broken bones and five others suffered minor injuries. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear and the RCMP has launched an investigation with the support of a collision analyst. A witness who watched the crash unfold told CBC News he was shocked that anyone made it out alive after the bus rolled over four or five times on its way down the embankment and multiple people were ejected from the vehicle. Three people were killed and 24 others injured when a glacier tour bus rolled over in Canada's southern province of Alberta on Saturday The sightseeing bus was climbing up a steep, rocky road to the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park on Saturday when it suddenly plunged 50 meters (about 164 feet) down an embankment and overturned, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police The cause of the crash was not immediately clear and the RCMP has launched an investigation with the support of a collision analyst. The Columbia Icefield, part of the Athabasca Glacier in the Rocky Mountains, is a major international tourist attraction in Alberta First responders from several local and federal agencies descended on the scene moments after the accident, according to local reports. A helicopter from Parks Canada, the federal parks agency, was used to transport the dead and injured from the crash site to five air ambulances up on the ice field or road ambulances on a highway lower down the mountain. Cpl Leigh Drinkwater of the RCMP confirmed that the driver of the bus was among the survivors but said he did not have additional information about that person's condition. The off-road bus, which is specially designed to drive on ice with oversize tires, was owned by Pursuit, a company that operates tours of the icefields between Banff and Jasper. Pursuit has already begun its own internal review of the crash. 'We started right away to review what happened, what is our process with our protocol at every step and so we're doing that internally but we are also working with the external teams to ensure that gets a fulsome review,' Dave McKenna, the president of the Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit, told CTV. A witness who watched the crash unfold told CBC News he was shocked that anyone made it out alive after the bus rolled over four or five times on its way down the embankment and multiple people were ejected from the vehicle Witness Angela Bye is seen speaking to reporters after she saw the bus crash through a telephoto lens on her camera The bus involved in the crash was one of 22 off-road 'Ice Explorers' that Pursuit uses to ferry tourists up onto the glacier. McKenna confirmed that seatbelts are not required on the buses, which aren't allowed on highways and have a top speed of 40kph (25mph). He said once the investigation is completed Pursuit will implement any recommended changes for things like seatbelts. 'We will wait until the investigation is over and we will listen to all the recommendations and anything we're required to do,' he said. CBC News spoke to a witness to the crash, Vanja Krtolica, who said he saw two or three people thrown from the bus as it tumbled down the steep hill. Krtolica and his family were on an earlier bus tour and had already visited the glacier when their bus was waiting to make its way down the mountain. He said he suddenly heard gasps from fellow passengers as they watched an oncoming bus gain speed before careening down the hill. 'That's when the bus hit the embankment sideways, flipped and probably rolled about four or five times, from what I could tell,' Krtolica said. 'My gut feeling was that it was very, very bad. The initial impression of the accident was that I don't know if anybody made it out.' Jasper RCMP detachment commander Sgt Rick Bidaisee (pictured) on Sunday said he was unable to share the identities of the victims as investigators were still notifying next of kin Emergency crews are still working to remove the bus from the crash site so it can be examined Jasper RCMP detachment commander Sgt Rick Bidaisee on Sunday said he was unable to share the identities of the victims as investigators were still notifying next of kin. He said officials were still working to remove the bus from the crash site so it could be examined to determine the cause. 'We are at the infancy stage of the investigation,' Bidaisee said, noting that they had ruled out any criminal intent. 'Safety is our paramount issue right now for all parties concerned in the recovery of the vehicle.' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to families of the crash victims in a tweet on Sunday. 'To those who lost a loved one in yesterday's bus crash at the Columbia Icefield, know that we are here for you and are keeping you in our thoughts,' Trudeau wrote. 'We also wish a full recovery to those who were injured. And to the first responders, thank you for your quick action and hard work.' South Africa's death toll from coronavirus has passed the 5,000 mark, according to official figures released on Sunday by the continent's hardest hit country. South Africa registered 85 new deaths from the virus in the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,033. A total of 13,449 new infections were also officially diagnosed, taking the number to 364,328, figures released by the health ministry showed. Minister of Health Zweli Mkhiz urged citizens to respect recommended hygiene measures. "As government, we have mobilised every resource... But government cannot manage this unilaterally," he said in a statement. "We are extremely concerned that fatigue seems to have set in and South Africans are letting down their guard at a time when the spread of infection is surging. "We see poor or no social distancing in communities. Masks are abandoned or not worn properly," he said. "This will directly influence the rise in numbers in the next two weeks. Our ability to break the cycle of infections depends on our willingness to remain focused and disciplined and take non pharmaceutical interventions seriously," the minister said. The peak of the pandemic in South Africa is expected over the next few weeks. Authorities imposed a strict lockdown in late March, but the measures have been progressively eased to avoid economic collapse. Keep Columbus and add 3 statues to circle To the Editor: I have a proposal for settling the debate raging over whether to take down the statue of Columbus in Syracuse. I would suggest that we not destroy, but rebuild. Let us redesign Columbus Circle to reflect our history and our future. I am proposing that the statue of Columbus is not taken down, but placed with the three other statues representing our community. The statue of Columbus would continue to represent the Europeans arrival in the Americas. A second statue would represent the Indigenous people of our community, possibly a statue of Hiawatha or whomever the Onondaga Nation would desire to represent them. The third statue would represent the slavery and freedom of Black Americans, possibly using such a figure as William Henry of Jerry Rescue fame, and a fourth statue representing the immigrants coming to our community, maybe a family arriving with a suitcase. All statues would face the tallest and current pedestal, which would have mounted on it something meaningful to represent our community, such as the white pine tree, a Native symbol for peace. Being symbolic, we might want our statues to be positioned in a north, south, east and west design. Hiawatha would be the north statue, Columbus the east statue, William Henry the south statue, and an arriving immigrant(s) would be the west statue. In regard to the debate, we cannot ignore the impact to the world of Columbus arriving in the Americas. He brought globalization with all its pros and cons: an exchange between the Old World and the New World of trade, plants, customs, food, animals, medicine, sickness, technology, people, etc. Whether for good or bad, globalization came to stay. It affected us then, and it affects us now. I recommend that Mayor Ben Walsh appoint a committee to redesign Columbus circle and its fountain. Until the design is complete, leave the Columbus statue as is. Let it continue to be a focus of discussion. Our country is imperfect. Our history is imperfect. As human beings, we are imperfect. Let us work together to build a better community. Ron Bourque Skaneateles Replace Columbus with symbol of justice To the Editor: The debate over the Columbus statue location will continue for time to come. We cannot resolve this by replacing this image with another, only to find later that the replacement also displayed undesirable human traits. If removing the statue of Christopher Columbus is considered in the best interest of peace, it would be better to rename the circle Justice Circle (for the proximity to the courts) and erect the statue of Lady Justice, complete with blindfold and balance scales. The Columbus statue should be moved to, say, a mall or other private property, where people can view it without the angst that a public display has caused for so long. Replacing it with a likeness of another person can only foster resentment in the present supporters of the explorer. We have more than our share of offended people. This time let us be smart and avoid installing one that has human failings. Justice is a commendable goal and positive idea. Justice isnt perfect, but it is an ideal we should strive to obtain. Patrick Ryan Jamesville Create a monument to honor our aspirations To the Editor: Now that we all know the unsavory past of Christopher Columbus, and the fact that he never actually set foot on United States land, there would seem to be no alternative -- and the right thing to do -- to remove at least the statue itself and the associated four busts below it from its pedestal. And, if so, what, if anything, should replace it? The circle has now become a symbolic plaza area for the city of Syracuse. And it's surrounded and framed by important public buildings and churches and is a well-used gathering place in good weather. So should it be a statue of an important person or representative of a group of a group of persons, like the Soldiers and Sailors monument in Clinton Square? In other words, should it honor someone's great achievements of the past or some groups achievement's or even some group's suppression? Probably not, since there does not appear to be an obvious candidate that would be universally accepted Or should it honor our goals and aspirations, like the Statue of Liberty ... what we stand for and what we want to achieve? And all of this is taking place in the context of a national uprising against injustices against Black and brown people where there is a true revolution going on with statues falling and flags coming down. So what are our collective goals and aspirations under these circumstances? Every arriving wave of immigrants, including those who came involuntarily as enslaved people, has had to fight for equity -- to be accepted, to own a piece of our great land. Or, like the native American who were already here, to not have their land taken away from them? For many the struggle is still taking place. As is the struggle to achieve justice, to be treated like any other person regardless of color, race or creed. Isn't justice for all also one of our great goals? So instead of trying to honor someone from the past, why not do an exciting step forward by stating our humanistic goals and aspirations: Equity and Justice for All? We could rename Columbus Circle to Equity and Justice Circle, remove the present statue, and maybe replace it with an eternal flame lantern on top of the existing pedestal. The eternal flame might be, say, a 5-foot-high flame shaped Plexiglas--frosted inside-- lantern with LED lights inside. The light could even be designed to flicker like a flame. The Equity and Justice Circle and Monument with its eternal flame could be an exciting solution that could be inspiring for many of us in Central New York and a statement about us to the rest of the world. David C. Ashley Syracuse Mayor cant go back and change history To the Editor: Mayor Ben Walsh, you have a lot on your plate. Why a committee to decide if a statue of Christopher Columbus should stay or go? After this major decision is made, what next? Street names, church names, synagogues, socialist progressive Democrats, Conservatives. This is a waste of time and money. Do you want to go back and change history? Do you want a living Constitution? Peter Salit Liverpool Statue debate is a distraction from crises we face To the Editor: I admire the approach of Mayor Ben Walsh and I greatly respect each and all of the members of the commission that he has appointed. I believe that each person will come with goodwill. But unfortunately, statements from many both in favor of removing the statue and in favor of keeping it seem to make it a great challenge to reach a consensus. I will hope and pray that that is possible in their projected eight sessions together in the next few months and I hope that that sessions may be available later or in real time and that notetakers will make the deliberations public so that we can understand exactly how these go. Personally, although I have weighed in on this issue, I am a bit sickened by the amount of time and energy that is being put into it in the midst of this pandemic, our economic issues stemming from it, the question of how to help schoolchildren and teachers in the fall, and the overriding issues of Black Lives Matter and the common desire for national and local police reform that has motivated thousands in unprecedented rallies in both rural, suburban and city venues. Id largely see this statute controversy not so much a manifestation of an important issue but a distraction from these others at this particular point in history. I also have some real objection to the headline given to the article by Philip Arnold and Sandy Bigtree (Embrace democratic values. Remove iconic fascist memorials, July 15, 2020). While there are significant aspects of this article that I would debate in other circumstances, I think a major issue is not this article but rather the headline. I dont know who would call this an iconic fascist memorial simply because the Italian fascist government helped finance the transportation when the actual monument and everything else about it was financed by local Italians! I also think that the reference to embrace democratic values Is an interesting one for this column. What is being done currently through this committee is an attempt to embrace democratic values by giving a wide voice to all people. The demands of crowds with bull horns - whether for its removal or for its retention - are only part of the democratic process and this committee and the deliberation is what is truly representative of democracy. Some see this issue as an extension of the current righteous iconoclasm with Confederate monuments. However, it seems to me that this is a different type of argument and we do not want to squander the widespread and enormous consensus about the violence done to African-American peoples and the needs for police reform by splintering our energies. The general public only has so much bandwidth for intellectual, historical, emotional and practical issues in this unprecedented time. Allow the commission to do its work! Address the issues that are much more critical in our lives in this city and help the mayor and all of our public officials to do that. No lives will be lost, no harm done if it takes months or much longer to figure out what to do with an 85-year-old statue! Put the attention where it belongs in helping our community. Deal with the pandemic, help our students, support local persons and economies who are particularly hurting, and address the major issues of police reform. Give the statue issue time and dont lump it with all of these others. Dave Pasinski Fayetteville Historical figures are products of their milieu To the Editor: History evolves. Human thought processes progress. Debtor prisons no more; no one is drawn and quartered in the village square. Recall it was four score and seven years from the time the Declaration of Independence declared all men are created equal to the Emancipation Proclamation. It was 50-plus years after that that women got the right to vote! And not 50 years after Stonewall that the Supreme Court gave gays the right to marry. Each historical figure is a product of his or her milieu. If we judged each by our politically correct lens of today, the walls of our National Portrait Gallery would be bare. We must learn from history lest we repeat it. All indigenous peoples suffered at the hands of (mostly European) explorers and many still suffer today, not only here but around the world in places like Brazil, China, Southeast Asia and others. Recognize Columbus for his skill and courage as a seaman and explorer and make note of shortcomings. At least have this discussion, or that history book on the shelf will keep repeating itself. David J. Seeley Manlius Take down Columbus and Confederate monuments To the Editor: How familiar is this debate: Should the Columbus statue come down? Should Confederate monuments be removed or relocated? Historians tell us that Columbus, despite being a great explorer, had enough negative interactions (to say the least) with Indigenous peoples to be an unacceptable tribute to Italian-American pride when measured by todays sensibilities. Although some historians, such as Carol Delaney, find excuses, and others, such as Howard Zinn, may have been too harsh, the overwhelming judgment of history is that the treatment of Indigenous peoples by Columbus was immoral, even genocidal. This is not to judge his personal culpability. I apply the same argument to Confederate statues. Clearly these figures fought against the United States to support a society whose economy and way of life were based on slavery. The fact that many of them were good family men, supported their local communities, went to church and in their own minds were righteous, does not change the fact that what they were fighting for required the subjugation of other human beings who were not considered fully human. The cause that they fought for allowed for rape and torture. Acknowledging for differences between Columbus and Confederate heroes, the conclusion is the same. The Syracuse statue should be put in context, perhaps in a museum which honors other Italians, the original intent of this statue. Many come to mind, from DaVinci to Fermi. Full disclosure: I am an Italian-American who loves my culture. The grandson of Felipo Donato Basciano, Maria LaMoglia, Michele Alvisi and Arcangela Casale. Daniel (Donato) Bassano DeWitt How to submit letters and commentary to Syracuse.com Veteran journalist, Elizabeth Ohene 20.07.2020 LISTEN Veteran journalist, Elizabeth Ohene, says the vision and drive of the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, leading to the construction of Ghanas first infectious disease treatment centre in Accra, has bolstered her confidence and pride in being a Ghanaian. Miss Ohene was speaking after visiting the infectious disease facility, which is scheduled to be handed over to government on July 17. Construction of the facility started on April 17 and exactly three months later, the facility is expected to admit the first batch of critically ill Covid-19 patients for treatment soon. After a brief tour of the facility, the former Minister for Tertiary Education, expressed her joy with the speed of execution, pointing out that the project reinforces the belief that the private sector is the engine of growth of the economy. Governments in our country do say that we will make progress when the private sector of our country is thriving, Miss Ohene said. That is something you hear from every government in this country so, in a way Im not at all surprised that the private sector took it upon itself, saw the need and stood up to do the things that theyve been doing. Im impressed. Im overwhelmed. She added that the completion of the project in a very short time reinforces her confidence in Ghana and that there is nothing Ghanaians cannot do if we put our minds to it. Im hoping that this project will be a pacesetter for the rest of the country in learning to do things in different ways, she said. That things can be done faster than we do normally. Things can be done cheaper than we do normally. Things can be done by cooperating. The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund was set up shortly after Ghana recorded its first few cases of the novel coronavirus by a small group of business executives to pool resources in support of the national effort to bring the pandemic under control. The Fund initiated several projects before settling on the construction of the 100-bed infectious disease treatment centre, located at the Ga East Hospital. The project has received support from both private and pubic sector operators who have contributed cash and services to ensure its successful completion. After handing over the facility in Accra, the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund is aiming to raise more money to construct three more infectious disease treatment centres in Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi. Watch video here: Syracuse, N.Y. The Maguire Family of Dealerships has dropped plans to relocate its Syracuse Nissan dealership to a larger site after new federal requirements for building in flood plains made the move too expensive. Philip Maguire, president of the Ithaca-based auto group, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency significantly raised height requirements for new buildings in flood plains, making construction of a new dealership at the companys low-lying site at the intersection of Hiawatha Boulevard and State Fair Boulevard cost-prohibitive. Wed have to put it on stilts, he said. Maguire announced plans in 2016 to move the Nissan dealership from West Genesee Street to a new, 59,800-square-foot building it planned to build next to its Dodge Ram dealership at the Hiawatha Boulevard site. But the project got delayed by a corporate crisis at Nissan, which negatively impacted the brands sales and global operations, he said. Nissan Motors chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on charges that he under-reported his income and misused company funds. Nissan fired him soon afterward. Ghosn escaped from Japan while on bail and is now a fugitive living in Lebanon. During the delay, FEMA changed the building requirements. The Maguire group acquired the Bill Rapp Nissan franchise at 3446 Burnet Ave. in 2015 and moved it to the former Saturn dealership at 716 W. Genesee St. while it looked for a permanent location. Maguire said he still views the West Genesee Street location as temporary until he can find another, larger site for the Nissan dealership. The auto group did move its Chrysler Jeep dealership, which it acquired from Lowery Bros., from West Genesee Street to the Hiawatha Boulevard site last year, joining its Dodge Ram dealership. That move did not require construction of a new building. However, the company plans to renovate and expand an existing building on the property because additions that expand a building by no more than 50% are not subject to the new FEMA requirements. The Maguire Family of Dealerships plans to renovate and expand its Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep dealership at the intersection of Hiawatha Boulevard and State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse. Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com The changes include a service drive-through area, showroom renovations, and expansion of service and office space for staff and service technicians, according to plans filed with the city. Plans for the $18 million project also include a five-story vehicle display tower visible from nearby Interstate 690, but Maguire said a final decision on the tower will be made after construction bids are received. The expansion is expected to add 17 jobs to the 73 already at the dealership. Construction is expected to start later this year. Maguire has applied to the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency for $2.4 million in tax exemptions for the expansion and renovation. The exemptions would consist of $1.5 million in property tax discounts over 10 years, an exemption worth $771,408 from sales taxes on construction materials and a $100,000 exemption from the state mortgage recording tax. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 The Karnataka government on Monday rejected outright, the Congress' charge of over Rs 2,000 crore misappropriation in COVID-19 equipment procurement, terming it as "malicious" and "far from the truth" and ruled out any enquiry into it. Sharing details about expenditure incurred in procuring various equipment, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan and Health Minister B Sriramulu, in a joint press conference, ruled out any inquiry and challenged the opposition to prove there was misappropriation. "Total procurement by the Health department is about Rs 290 crore and by the Medical Education Department, about Rs 33 crore," Narayan said. He said the charge was levelled with an intention to cause fear among officials and see that work does not go on smoothly. "There is not even a Rupee of misappropriation. We have been effectively working.. despite demand, procurement has been done at pre-COVID price... At a time when people are suffering,instead of responding to their difficulties, they (Congress) have behaved in an irresponsible way by levelling baseless charges," he said. Leader of the opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah had recently alleged that there were irregularities of Rs 2,200 crore in procurement of COVID-19 equipment, out of the total of about Rs 3,000 crore spent so far. The former Chief Minister had also demanded an inquiry into it, and the Congress party had recently launched the Lekka Kodi (Give Details of Expenses) campaign, putting pressure on the government to make the expenses public. The Deputy Chief Minister said he was speaking with facts and figures, which would also be placed in the assembly and that the government was ready for any debate. He said the allegations don't have any ground as there is not even an iota of proof of wrongdoing or misappropriation. Health Minister Sriramulu, challenging the opposition to prove the charges, said he would not stay in the post 'even for a minute' if these were found true. "What do they (Congress) think?... The Prime Minister is constantly monitoring us. We have doctors in the cabinet and there are good officials overseeing things," he said. He further alleged that Siddaramaiah was resorting to this as he desired to come to power and become Chief Minister once again. "If you want to level an allegation, let it be something that is at least nearer to the truth," he said. Clarifying on the procurement and expenditure so far, the Ministers and officials said initially almost all equipment was not available in the market because of non-manufacturing of COVID related equipment locally and due to the lockdown. So, the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society was directed to contact suppliers and obtain items available with them. Items or equipment available in the market was bought after price negotiations, they said, adding that over time, supply started increasing, helping in bringing down prices. Noting that all procurement was done in a transparent manner, Additional Chief Secretary, (Health and Family Welfare Department) Jawaid Akhtar said two committees -- the need assessment committee and technical committee- oversee things. Reacting to the Ministers' challenge Siddaramaiah said he will soon speak to the media "with all the details." Sharing details on purchase of ventilators and noting that there are also specifications involved, Sriramulu said total expenditure incurred was only Rs 10.61 crore. On procurement of PPE kits, he said about 9.65 lakh PPEs had been supplied so far at a total cost of Rs 79.35 crore, while Siddaramaiah has alleged Rs 150 crore was spent. On N95 masks, he said 11.60 lakh masks were supplied so far, for which Rs 11.51 crore was spent, while for 30,000 units of surgical gloves, Rs 28.5 lakh was spent. "The allegations are far from the truth...there is a huge gap as between the land and sky, between reality and what has been alleged," he said. Samsung will announce new five devices at its upcoming online Unpacked event on August 5th. Tae-moon Roh, the president and head of the company's mobile communications business, shared the tidbit in a blog post Samsung published on Monday. "At this summer's Galaxy Unpacked, we'll be introducing five new power devices," he said. "... you will be empowered to live life to the fullest with these devices in your hand (and in your ears, and on your wrist)." Based on that information and leaks we've seen in recent weeks, we can infer Samsung will announce three new phones, the Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Plus and Note 20 Ultra; a pair of true wireless headphones called the Galaxy Buds Live; and a new smartwatch at Unpacked 2020. In the second part of his post, Roh talks about three priorities Samsung's mobile division will focus on moving forward. The first is an emphasis on what he says are "meaningful innovations." Over the past six months, Roh says the company has invested significantly in research and development. He claims that investment will lead to "even bolder innovation." "We'll make mobile technology that's more personal, intelligent, useful and secure," Roh writes. In the near future, that means more foldable display phones and devices with 5G connectivity, according to the executive. You can also expect the company to double down the type of partnerships that have been a focal point of some of its past Unpacked events. Specifically, Roh mentions Samsung's ongoing relationship with Microsoft, suggesting the two companies have more planned. "This collaboration will only continue to expand through our gaming partnership with Xbox," he said. Lastly, Roh notes his division plans to be more agile. "The pandemic posed a stiff test," he said. "It meant transforming quickly to take care of our local communities, partners and employees, while still building resilience for future operations." Its worth noting all three of the priorities Roh outlines dont appear all that different from what Samsungs goals were when his predecessor, DJ Koh, was running the companys mobile division. For instance, the company has been working with Microsoft for years to bundle apps on its latest devices. Samsungs focus on foldable devices also predates Rohs appointment. Of course, whether any of that matters is a separate issue. What most people care about is whether the company will have an exciting slate of devices to share at its next major event. Well find out soon enough. During a blue-sky moment in 2018 near the end of a decade-long economic expansion, it was the United States that helped pull the world along as the extra cash from tax cuts and government spending flowed through domestic and global markets. But if it was US policy that pushed the world higher then, it is US policy that threatens to pull the world under now as the country's troubled response to the coronavirus pandemic emerges as a chief risk to any sustained global recovery. Officials from Mexico to Japan are already on edge. Exports have taken a hit in Germany, and Canada looks south warily knowing that any further hit to US growth will undoubtedly spill over. "Globally there will be difficult months and years ahead and it is of particular concern that the number of COVID-19 cases is still rising," the International Monetary Fund said in a review of the US economy that cited "social unrest" due to rising poverty as one of the risks to economic growth. "The risk ahead is that a large share of the US population will have to contend with an important deterioration of living standards and significant economic hardship for several years. This, in turn, can further weaken demand and exacerbate longer-term headwinds to growth." It was a clinical description of a grim set of facts: After the US government committed roughly $3 trillion to support the economy through a round of restrictions on activity imposed to curb the virus in April and May, the disease is surging in the United States to record levels just as those support programs are due to expire. More than 3.6 million people have been infected and 140,000 killed. Daily growth in cases has tripled to more than 70,000 since mid-May, and the 7-day moving average of deaths, after falling steadily from April to July, has turned higher. Meanwhile the country has fractured over issues like mask-wearing that in other parts of the world were adopted readily as a matter of common courtesy. With some key states like Texas and California now reimposing restrictions, analysts have already noted a possible plateau to the US recovery with the country still 13.3 million jobs shy of the number in February. A GLOBAL DISAPPOINTMENT For other major economic powers, that is a weight added to their own struggles with the virus and the economic fallout. The US economy accounts for about a quarter of world gross domestic product. Though much of that is service-related, and much of the direct impact of the virus is tied up in industries like restaurants with weak links to the global economy, the connections are still there. A lost job leads to lower consumer spending leads to fewer imports; weak business conditions lead to less investment in the equipment or supplies that are often produced elsewhere. Year-to-date US imports through May are down more than 13%, or roughly $176 billion. In Germany, whose measures to contain the pandemic are considered to have been among the most effective, exports to the United States plunged 36% year-over-year in May. Analysts see little prospect for improvement, with year-to-date US auto sales through June down nearly 24% from a year earlier. "That is really a disappointment," said Gabriel Felbermayr, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, in a recent interview with radio network Deutschlandfunk. The spike in US infections, he said, could not have been expected. In Japan, the speed of the recovery is seen tied directly to US success in stemming the virus. "Japan's recovery will be really delayed if the spreading of the coronavirus in the United States isn't stopped and US-bound exports from various Asian countries don't grow," said Hideo Kumano, a former Bank of Japan official who is now chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. PESSIMISM AT BOTH BORDERS The IMF projected US GDP will shrink this year by 6.6%, in line with many analysts' projections. The Bank of Canada is more pessimistic, forecasting US GDP to fall 8.1% on the year. That has already been lowered once as the health situation decayed. A further leg down would hit Canada directly, with perhaps three-fourths of the country's exports headed over the US border. "We did take down our US projection ... I would underline that there's a lot of uncertainty, and the principle source of the uncertainty is the evolution of the coronavirus itself," said BOC governor Tiff Macklem. At the southern border, Mexico is also posting record daily numbers of new cases, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has at times deflected criticism of his government's efforts by pointing to the US numbers. Lopez Obrador undertook a risky visit with President Donald Trump earlier in July, couching his journey to Washington as a matter of economic necessity as Mexico attempts to revive an economy that could shrink by 10% or more this year, according to forecasts. The Mexican president hopes the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, which took effect on July 1, will spur business and investment, but pessimism about the outlook has been growing. "To the point that people in the US are losing jobs or incomes it is a downward weight ... and it will have ramifications on the ability to consume globally," said Elizabeth Crofoot, senior economist at the Conference Board, which documented a record drop in global consumer confidence in a recent survey. "We take one step forward and two steps back." OTTAWAThe Liberal minister responsible for the Canada Student Service Grant met with WE Charity almost a week before the $912-million COVID-19 student volunteering program was announced, the Star has learned. Bardish Chaggers office confirmed Monday the youth minister spoke to WE co-founder Craig Kielburger on April 17 five days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the creation of the volunteer grant program a program designed to help students impacted by the pandemic. Chaggers office said the minister and Kielburger did not discuss the Liberals plans for a volunteering grant program during the phone call. Instead, the two discussed WEs pitch to create a social entrepreneurship program for young Canadians during COVID-19. Our office reviewed (WEs social entrepreneurship pitch) in early April, and this meeting, this phone call, was in reference to that. And it didnt go anywhere, said Dani Keenan, a spokesperson for Chagger, on Monday. Chagger did not mention the meeting with Kielburger Thursday while testifying before the House of Commons finance committee. The committee is probing the Liberal cabinets decision to outsource the volunteer grant program to WE, a decision that has seen federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion launch investigations of Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Asked if she discussed the grant program with WE before the cabinet discussion, Chagger said: I did not discuss this program, the CSSG (Canada Student Service Grant) program, with anyone at WE. Rachel Wernick, the senior civil servant who recommended to cabinet that WE administer the grants, told the committee she had approved a briefing note for Chagger about WEs social entrepreneurship pitch in advance of the April 17 meeting. WE Charity said last week it had circulated a proposal within the Liberal government on April 9, proposing an entrepreneurship mentoring program for young Canadians during COVID-19. WEs proposal was to run a 10-week program teaching young Canadians about social entrepreneurship, with a price tag between $6 million and $14 million. Wernick testified that multiple ministers and officials had received WEs pitch, but only two are known: Chagger and Mary Ng, minister for small business, export promotion and international trade. The Prime Ministers Office could not say Monday how many more ministers and officials were aware of WEs proposal. Wernick testified that she called Kielburger on April 19, two days after Chagger and Kielburger spoke on the phone, to inform WE about the upcoming volunteer grant program. When Trudeau announced the program on April 22, WE submitted a proposal focused on volunteering rather than social entrepreneurship. Wernick ultimately recommended the government select WE to run the program in early May. Chagger announced WE Charity had been selected to run the program at an initial cost of $19.5 million in a June 25 interview with the Star. During Thursdays committee meeting, Chagger revealed the federal government was ready to provide upwards of $43.5 million to WE. The eventual CSSG program looks very different from Kielburgers proposed social entrepreneurship program except that both were aimed at the same demographic. As he faced criticism earlier this month, Trudeau said WE, a Toronto-based charity, was the only organization that was capable of networking and organizing and delivering this program on the scale that we needed it. Then as the scandal grew, the Liberals and WE agreed to end the deal. The CSSG program will instead be administered by the federal government. But opposition parties suggest the Liberals tailored the $912-million program to award WE the contract, pointing to several connections between the charity formerly known as Free the Children, and the Liberals. Trudeaus wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, is known as an ambassador and ally of the charity, and it was later revealed that WE had paid $282,000 in speaking fees to the prime ministers mother and brother between 2016 and 2020. Morneaus daughter, Grace Acan, works for the charity. Both men have apologized for not recusing themselves from the cabinet discussion and ultimate decision to award WE the contract. Trudeau was not present in the House of Commons Monday, leaving Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to field questions about the scandal. The non-partisan public service recommended this structure as the only way to deliver the program in the required time. Obviously, the way this unfolded was regrettable, and that is why the charity is no longer administering the project, Freeland told MPs during Question Period. Opposition MPs will have a chance to question Trudeau directly on Tuesday, when he is scheduled to attend Question Period. Kentucky is the latest state to ask people who travel to coronavirus hotspots to quarantine when they return. Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday announced the state was asking anyone who traveled to states with a 15% case positivity rate to quarantine for 14 days when they get back. Ive been begging and pleading for people not to go when we know how much has been brought back, Beshear said, according to a report in the Courier-Journal. Sadly a person will go to the beach, a place where one in five people are testing positive, and theyll come back and theyll go to work and then theyll go to church and then theyll do a number of other things and it spreads throughout those areas. The quarantine request is an advisory and not an order, state officials said. Beshear cited several states affected by the advisory, including Alabama (18.3% rate of positive tests), Arizona (23.56%,) Florida (18.72%), Georgia (15.24%), Idaho (18.5%), Nevada (19.14%), South Carolina (15.71%) and Texas (15.10%). Beshear also included Mississippi, where the rate of positive tests is near 15%. Kentucky reported its largest single-day increase of new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 23,161 cases, 979 of which were newly reported. Thirty cases were from children 5-years-old or younger. Australian banknotes in Melbourne on November 7, 2017. (Paul Crocker/AFP via Getty Images) No More Stamp Duty in Bold Tax System Overhaul: Experts With economic change on the governments agenda financial experts are calling for the removal of stamp duty, and the introduction of a dual tax system, which could see income from savings and work separated and taxed differently. In a new report (pdf), the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Australian National University is urging the government to consider a system where income from savings is taxed at a standard rate of 10 percent. The proposal would cover income from superannuation, share dividends, capital gains, and interest earned from bank accounts. Currently, each savings type is taxed and calculated differently. Stacks of new style five Australian dollar note are seen from September 1, 2016. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Professor Robert Breunig, co-author of the report, said the current system was a mess at best, and a serious driver of intergenerational inequality at worst. According to Breunig, who is also the director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Australias current tax system was complicated and had contradicting goals: Some savings tax arrangements are progressive, taxing higher incomes more heavily, and some are regressive. Some favour the old but are punitive for the young. The system is complex and encourages Australians to engage in costly tax planning schemes, he added. The report also called for the removal of stamp duty as it significantly distorted buying decisions for young families and hurt the property market. A builder works on a house in an established suburb in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 2, 2006. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images) Stamp duty the report said created inefficiencies, and higher costs compared to other taxes in Australia. It also forced people to live further away from work and kept them unable to relocate for better opportunities. This, in turn, created more congestion, increased unemployment, and reduced productivity. According to Breunig, reforms would seem radical. But in reality, the reforms are reasonable and would bring us closer to the optimal tax system Australians deserve and this nation needs, Breuing said. In April, the Reserve Bank Governor Robert Lowe said Australia was facing the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression. The government has since unrolled a suite of measures and earmarked potential reforms to help revive the economy. A 10-year-old boy is in the 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 kilometres from shore with his father and two other men when a shark grabbed him from the boat, authorities said. Stanley in Tasmania, Australia (Screenshot/Google Maps) 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. 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 the hospital. A view from the coast in Stanley, Tasmania, in Australia (Screenshot/Google Maps) A 15-year-old boy died in a suspected shark attack while surfing in New South Wales, police said on Saturday, in 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. CNN Wire contributed to this report. Vietnam-Long An Waste Treatment JSC has already poured millions of US dollars into site clearance and infrastructure including construction of two bridges Long An Peoples Committee last week said that the Mekong Delta province is preparing necessary procedures to seek government approval to change the purpose of land set aside for the Green Environmental Technology Park in the province.F Consequently, Vietnam-Long An Waste Treatment JSC (VWSLA) sent a letter to Long An Party Committee and leaders of Long An Peoples Committee to express its concerns about the possible move. Tran Van Can, Chairman of Long An Peoples Committee, was said to have officially asked the National Assembly to consider and offer opinions on allowing Long An to change the purpose of nearly 1,600 hectares of the land site in question. The site would be used for industrial, urban, and commercial development instead of inter-regional waste treatment, as per the current purpose. The chairman explained that the initial landfill disposal project was developed years ago using technology that has become obsolete as it does not meet environmental requirements. Therefore, Long An wants to urge the investor to change the technology to incineration and waste-to-energy technology. The incineration factory covers around 200ha. Thus, Long An would like to ask for permission to use the remaining clean land of 1,600ha to call for investment in industrial, urban, and commercial development. This can also help us avoid wasting land resources, Can said. According to the letter from VWSLA, which is the official investor of the Green Environmental Technology Park, the company is completely unaware of any information related to the content of the article in which the Long An proposal first appeared. The province has not had any written notice or request for the companys opinion on the matter. The government had originally assigned the company to implement the Green Environmental Technology Park and was named the official investor in 2010, with an investment certificate granted in 2016. The project was reported to have the total investment capital of $600 million. At present, VWSLA has poured nearly $20 million into site clearance and infrastructure development in the form of two bridges, an approach road to the processing area, and fire protection systems. "Although we have made several working visits, the Peoples Committee has continued to refuse approval of the project." David Duong Chairman cum CEO, VWSLA David Duong, who is chairman cum CEO of VWSLA, said that the company had already made several adjustments to the project as requested by the local authorities. VWSLA has been seeking approval for new plans several times. It is the duty of Long An province but the local authorities transferred that to Thu Thua Peoples Committee for appraisal and approval, Duong said. Although we have made several working visits, the Peoples Committee continued to refuse approval of the project, saying it is too large and so they are not qualified to address it. Long An Peoples Committee has yet to offer any further guidance for VWSLA, and so the company expressed its shock at the potential revocation of its project. As foreign investors, we are really confused and worried if this information spreads to other investors, technology partners, banks, and relevant stakeholders. If they have any questions, we have to tell them that we dont understand whats going on, he stressed. The Green Environmental Technology Park project was slated to be Duongs efforts to make a vast contribution for the homeland as a Vietnamese-American businessman. As chairman of the Vietnam Business Association in the United States, Duong hopes the project will attract more overseas Vietnamese investors to return to the country in order to help develop it. Instead, he finds himself bewildered about the fate of the project. The Green Environmental Technology Park aimed to become one of two key waste treatment projects for the key southern economic zone. VWSLA not only invested in the scale of the waste treatment project, but also in advanced technology to process different waste components. It was also focusing on saving land resources for the region while ensuring health and safety for people. According to the VWSLA letter, if Long An province is able to move ahead with revoking the land site, the province should be required to make a compensation payment for losses of the company over the past 10 years. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Consultants have outlined for New Mexicos Democrat-led Legislature the financial consequences of adopting a state-administered universal health insurance program for all residents. The final report, commissioned by lawmakers in 2019, states such a system would improve affordability for low-income households. However, premiums for other families, employer contributions and payroll taxes likely would go up to pay for what could be as much as a $5.8 billion shortfall for the program over the first five years. In addition to employer contributions and higher premiums, the report states most of the cost could be financed by redirecting public funding from duplicative health programs. Still, additional funding sources may be needed to fully cover the cost of the program, depending on the structure of the plan, the report states. The analysis by Maryland-based KNG Health Consulting says New Mexicos effort to shift to a single-payer system would be the most ambitious state-based health reform ever carried out in the U.S. and that the states uninsured rate would likely fall below 1%. It also states that the use of health care services would likely increase as the vast majority of residents turn to public insurance. Under a state-administered plan, some segments of the private insurance industry would disappear, resulting in financial hardship to New Mexico households and businesses that are dependent on the industry, the report stated. The study looked at four scenarios that included a range of premium and cost sharing alternatives. Two of the scenarios also relied on stemming the growth of provider and hospital reimbursement rates. The effect on employers would depend on how policymakers implement contribution requirements, including the level of contribution and which employers would be exempt, the study notes. While the goal is to have all New Mexicans insured, the study acknowledges that the gains in coverage may be overstated since many uninsured residents are already eligible for Medicaid. Several states have contemplated universal health care as they deal with legal and financial hurdles while seeking to consolidate federal tax subsidies and spending on Medicare, Medicaid and health care exchanges. New Mexico cut its uninsured rate roughly in half by expanding Medicaid to more people on the cusp of poverty in 2014 during Republican Gov. Susana Martinezs tenure. Enrollment leveled off in recent years with about 10% of the population still uninsured. Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said that access to high-quality and affordable health care is a non-negotiable priority for her administration. As the race for the October governorship election in Ondo State intensifies, at least 10 aspirants of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have registered their readiness to battle the incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, in the primary holding today, Monday. They are: Olusola Oke, Segun Abraham, Olaide Adelami, Bukola Adetula, Jumoke Anifowose, Sola Iji, Isaac Kekemeke, Jimi Odimayo, Nathaniel Adojutelegan and Awodeyi Akinsehinwa. The primary is being supervised by an APC committee led by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. Mr Bello had reiterated the APCs position that an indirect method of primary will be used. This implies that delegates, including elected party officials at wards and local governments, as well as top political appointees and elected officials such as lawmakers will elect the partys eventual candidate. Majority of the aspirants, excluding Mr Akeredolu, had demanded a direct primary where all party members would vote. That request was rejected by the party. PREMIUM TIMES highlights the profiles of some of the major contenders for the governorship ticket. Rotimi Akeredolu The Ondo State governor, Mr Akeredolu, was a former attorney-general of the state and a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He had his primary education in Owo, where he was born to Christian parents before proceeding to Aquinas College in Akure, Loyola College in Ibadan, and the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he obtained his law degree. In 2012, in a keenly contested primary election of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Akeredolu emerged the partys governorship candidate and ran against the former governor Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party (LP), and Olusola Oke of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He finished third, polling 143,512 votes behind Mr Okes 155,961 votes. Mr Mimiko won with 260,199 votes. In 2016, on the platform of the APC, Mr Akeredolu ran again, and won. Mr Akeredolu has the Unity Forum, a faction of the party headed by former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi, believed to have been formed to thwart Mr Akeredolus ambition, to contend with. But the governor has asserted his readiness and confidence to defeat whoever the Unity Forum endorses. Apart from this, he would need to contend with the loss of his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, the state secretary, Ifedayo Abegunde, and the former chairman of APC in Ese-Odo LGA, Samuel Olorunwa, who have all left his camp. Olusola Oke A two-time governorship candidate in the state, Mr Oke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), came respectively second and third in both the 2012 and 2016 elections, first on the platform of the PDP and then Alliance for Democracy (AD). From Ilaje, the second most populous local government in the state, he left the APC in October 2017 after a controversial primary election which produced the incumbent governor, but rejoined in January 2018. Olusola Oke, One of the twelve aspirants jostling for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). [PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook page of Olusola Oke] Mr Oke was reported to have emerged the partys factional consensus aspirant to run against Mr Akeredolu in the coming party primaries, a speculation dismissed by the Deputy Senate Leader, Ajayi Boroface, who is a strong voice against the re-election of the incumbent governor. The media report suggesting that Unity Forum has adopted a consensus candidate to represent the Forum in Ondo APC governorship primary election is misleading, the senator representing Ondo North, the governors constituency, at the National Assembly said. Subsequently, the seven-member committee that falsely declared Mr Oke as the factions consensus candidate was dissolved while Ali Olanusi was also removed as chairman of the forum. Isaac Kekemeke An indigene of Ese-Odo LGA, Mr Kekemeke, with a political career spanning over 28 years, has a chest full of badges from both the PDP and the APC. Mr Kekemeke is the states founding chairman of the APC (2014-2018), a former secretary to Ondo State Government (2007-2009), a former Commissioner for Works, Lands, and Housing (2005-2007), and Commissioner for Justice (2003-2005). He served in most of those capacities during Governor Olusegun Agagu-led administration. Isaacs Kekemeke [Photo: SaharaReporters] Mr Kekemekes suspension as the states chairman of the APC and the appointment of his deputy, Ade Adetimehin, believed to be loyal to the incumbent governor, as replacement in 2018, lay bare the polarisation in the state chapter of the ruling party. Advertisements He was suspended by the partys disciplinary panel over alleged gross misconduct and anti-party activities. Mr Kekemeke, in an interview with journalists in late May 2020, vowed not to step down for anyone in his camp even the incumbent governor. He revolves his campaign promises around the maximal use of ICT, education, tourism and agro-allied industries if elected. Segun Abraham Mr Abraham, an ally of the partys national chairman, Bola Tinubu, is considered a dark horse in the race. This is the third time the Ikare-Akoko-born aspirant will be throwing his hat in the partys governorship primaries race. Olusegun Abraham In 2016, Mr Abraham was among the over 20 aspirants under APC jostling to unseat the incumbent governor, Mr Mimiko, from the Alagbaka Government Office. Despite being the anointed candidate of party leader, Bola Tinubu, he was defeated by Mr Akeredolu. He had also declared his intention to run for the governorship seat in 2012 under the ACN but was defeated by Mr Akeredolu who emerged the partys flagbearer. One of the arguments against the candidacy of Mr Abraham is that he often leaves the state for Lagos, where most of his businesses are, after elections and returns when another election approaches. Olajumoke Ajasin-Anifowoshe Despite the many obstacles against women in Nigeria political space and offices, some women have shown they can still compete. One of such is Ms Ajasin-Anifowoshe, a lawyer and former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Ondo State. Asides being the daughter of the first executive governor of old Ondo State, Adekunle Ajasin, she is the only female among the 12 aspirants jostling for the 2020 APC governorship ticket. Like the incumbent governor, she is an indigene of Owo, an alumnus of OAU, and was among the over 20 aspirants who contested for the same ticket in 2016. Ms Ajasin-Anifowoshe was at the time the Alliance for Democracy (AD) local government chairman in Lagos State and contested for Ondo ACN (now APC) chairmanship at a time, but lost. Olaide Adelami Mr Adelami is another kinsman of Mr Akeredolu from Owo. He is an Harvard-trained administrator and a former deputy clerk of the National Assembly. His campaign promises around job creation for the youth by harnessing the states agriculture potentials, without neglecting the place of education, healthcare and security, if elected. Others A known associate of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Executive Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Ifeoluwa Oyedele, has stepped down despite being cleared to contest. He stepped down for Mr Akeredolu. Others contesting are Olubukola Olarogha, Sola Iji, Odimayo Jimi, Awodeyi Akinsehinwa, and Nathaniel Adojutelegan. KAMPALA The majority of respondents in Uganda (78%) fear Covid-19 less in July than they did in March, a survey shows. Uganda registered its first case of Covid-19 on March 22, 2020, and instated lockdown measures in the same month. These developments were accompanied by a series of Presidential addresses and a significant increase in media coverage about the pandemic. However, according to a survey conducted in July by Whitehead Communications, most Ugandans no longer follow the presidential and ministry of health directives on social distancing as it was at the start. The majority (78%) of respondents in Uganda fear Covid-19 less in July than they did in March. Only 13% responded that they fear Covid-19 more in July than they did in March, according to their recollection. Ugandans are not all behaving the same in how seriously they apply public health directives like physical distancing, mask-wearing and hand washing. 35% of respondents report being very serious and 27% are somewhat serious, while 23% are somewhat relaxed and 14% are very relaxed, the survey says. 9% of respondents selected Other and provided open-ended answers to this question, which included: indifferent, dont care, dont know; consistent or never feared it; fearing poverty or security enforcers more than Covid-19; believing Covid-19 is a scam, hoax, doesnt exist or just a money-making opportunity for leaders. Whitehead Communications gathered 1,353 responses or 1,182 after data cleaning between the 6th and 15th of July, 2020, using a mixed methodology collecting results from a purposive sample both online and through phone calls. This report is intended to serve as a resource to decision-makers and the general public by providing research-based insights to inform public discussion and policy in response to Covid-19, the report reads in part. The survey comes amid the growing demand for the government to lift the lockdown measures. On May 4, President Museveni started easing some of the lockdown measures by allowing shops selling general merchandise, shopping malls and hardware shops to reopen. He also permitted motor vehicle garages and workshops for metal fabrication and furniture to reopen provided the operators wear face masks. The President later allowed private cars and public transport also to resume after nearly three months of suspension. But schools, churches, mosques, bars, arcades, beauty salons, gyms and saunas have remained closed to date. ======== *METHODOLOGY* : This survey, conducted in July delivers data on both public opinion and self-reported behaviour concerning key issues related to the impact of Covid-19 in Uganda. Whitehead Communications gathered 1,353 responses or 1,182 after data cleaning between the 6th and 15th of July, 2020, using a mixed methodology collecting results from a purposive sample both online and through phone calls. This report is intended to serve as a resource to decision-makers and the general public by providing research-based insights to inform public discussion and policy in response to Covid-19. Related Actor Shekhar Suman has shared his disappointment over the delay in handing over the case of Sushant Singh Rajputs death to the CBI. He said by the time the CBI will get the case, the evidences will be either tampered with or removed. He took to Twitter on Sunday to question the delay and wrote, I think by the time they hand over the case to the CBI,if at all they do,like it happens in the movies or crime novels,all the evidences will be either tampered with,removed or cleaned up and CBI will have nothing to look into.Sad! I think by the time they hand over the case to the CBI,if at all they do,like it happens in the movies or crime novels,all the evidences will be either tampered with,removed or cleaned up and CBI will have nothing to look into.Sad!#justiceforsushanthforum Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) July 19, 2020 We are all awaiting a #CBIEnquiryForSSR ..what is the delay?what are you all waiting for?Till another life is lost?A suicide case closes in two https://t.co/M8OxocFqhH's been 34 https://t.co/M8OxocFqhH is apparent, there is much more to it than meets the eye. Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) July 19, 2020 He said in another tweet, We are all awaiting a #CBIEnquiryForSSR ..what is the delay?what are you all waiting for?Till another life is lost?A suicide case closes in two days.Its been 34 days.It is apparent, there is much more to it than meets the eye. His actor son Adhyayan Suman had also shown his support to ex-girlfriend Kangana Ranaut who has also been pitching for a detailed inquiry into the Kai Po Che actors death and has called the ongoing investigation a sham. He tweeted, Sometimes its important to leave your past aside ! Its important we revolve as human beings ! Im just supporting a voice I feel will get us one step closer to a cbi inquiry for #SushantSinghRajpoot period . And no I dont have an agenda and I dont have a film releasing ! Shekhar recently lauded Sushants rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty who urged the home ministry to transfer the inquiry to CBI. Shekhar had earlier said that he will withdraw from the matter, citing the silence of Sushants family but is now back to raising his voice for the same. Finally Rhea has also come forward.Finally..slowly but surely ppl are showing https://t.co/02g9YzD6LB's a gud sign.#justiceforsushanthforum #hastenCBIenquiryforSushant Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) July 16, 2020 Also read: Adhyayan Suman calls ex-girlfriend Kangana Ranaut brave: Sometimes its important to leave your past aside Talking about Sushants death by suicide, he had earlier written on Twitter, Its crystal clear,if presuming Sushant Singh committed suicide,the way he was,strong willed and intelligent, he would have definitely definitely left a suicide note.My heart tells me,like many others,there is more than meets the eye. Sushant was a Bihari thats why the Bihari sentiment is at the forefront.But im not taking away the fact that it concerns ppl from all the states of India and there shldnt be another Sushant kind of tragedy with any young talent trying to make it on his own. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TORONTO, ONTARIO / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2020 / Electrovaya Inc. ("Electrovaya" or the "Company") (TSX:EFL)(OTCQB:EFLVF), a lithium ion battery manufacturer with industry-leading performance and substantial intellectual property, today reported its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2020 ("Q3 FY2020"). All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. Q3 FY2020 Financial Highlights: Revenue was $4.8 million (C$6.5 million), a four-fold increase compared to $1.2million C$1.6 million) for the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2019 ("Q3 FY2019"). Revenue for Q3 FY2020 also more than doubled compared to revenue of $1.9 million (C$2.6 million) for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2020. The strong sequential revenue growth resulted from robust customer demand and the scaling up of production. The Company generated a positive EBITDA 1 of $0.5 million (C$0.7 million). of $0.5 million (C$0.7 million). Net profit was $4.8 million (C$6.5 million), compared to a net loss of $1.2 million (C$1.6 million) in Q3 FY2019. The net profit in Q3 FY2020 was primarily attributable to a gain of $5.2 million (C$7 million) on the amendment of convertible debentures and strong growth in revenue and gross profit. Business Highlights: Strengthened operating performance during Q3 FY2020 as the Company scaled up production at its facilities in Mississauga, Ontario. Electrovaya's current order backlog exceeds $7 million (C$9 million). Sales are generated by the Company's OEM channel as well as through direct sales. Electrovaya's batteries are currently powering e-forklift systems in over 30 locations. On April 8, 2020, Electrovaya announced that it amended the terms of its C$15 million convertible debentures with a 9% coupon. The Company paid its lender C$2 million in cash, issued C$2 million of common shares of Electrovaya, and agreed to a further C$2 million cash payment on or before September 29, 2020 to satisfy all obligations under the debenture. On April 22, 2020, the Company announced that it closed an agreement with a financial institution for an additional secured C$4.5 million working capital credit facility. On July 2, 2020, the Company announced an agreement with the financial institution to increase its revolving credit facility from C$1.5 million to C$4.5 million. This brought the total credit facility limit to C$14.5 million. The facility supports the fulfillment of purchase orders and general corporate needs. As of the current date, the Company has repaid $3.3 million (C$4.4 million). Positive Financial Outlook: Electrovaya is experiencing strengthened customer demand for its products and has a significant order backlog. Accordingly, the Company currently anticipates further strong revenue generation in the coming months. Revenue for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020 ("FY 2020") is expected to exceed $12 million (C$16 million), while revenue for the calendar year ending December 31, 2020 is expected to exceed $16 million (C$21 million), barring unforeseen circumstances. See "Forward-Looking Statements". Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: Electrovaya is an essential business and has so far operated without major interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company's customers include large global firms in industries such as grocery, logistics and e-commerce that are continuing to provide critical services during this difficult period. The crisis has highlighted Electrovaya's important role in helping its customers execute mission-critical applications under highly challenging conditions. Electrovaya's major customers are generating increased revenue as the pandemic is driving demand for their products and services. Accordingly, not only have their orders with Electrovaya been unaffected by COVID-19, they are increasing. However, COVID-19 did disturb the Company's supply chain from many of its global vendors with resultant delays in delivery of the Company's products to its customers. Electrovaya considers the health and safety of its employees and other stakeholders to be of the highest priority. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Company has implemented a number of common-sense initiatives at its headquarters, including increased sanitization of frequently touched surfaces, use of masks, and social distancing guidelines, all of which somewhat reduces efficiency in operations. The Company's complete Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 are available at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.electrovaya.com. 1 Non-IFRS Measure: EBITDA does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. Therefore it is unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. We believe that certain investors and analysts use EBITDA to measure the performance of the business. EBITDA is defined as loss from operations of ~$36,000, plus finance costs of ~$525,000, plus stock-based compensation costs of ~$14,000, resulting in a positive EBITDA of approximately $503,000 (C$700,000) for the present Q3 quarter. Conference Call Details: The Company will hold a conference call on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) to discuss the Q3 FY2020 quarterly financial results and to provide a business update. Conference ID: 13707080 US and Canada toll free: (877) 407-8291 International: + 1 (201) 689-8345 To help ensure that the conference begins in a timely manner, please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. For those unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available for two weeks beginning on July 21, 2020 through August 4, 2020. To access the replay, the U.S. dial-in number is (877) 660-6853 and the non-U.S. dial-in number is +1 (201) 612-7415. The replay conference ID is 13707080. For more information, please contact: Investor Contact: Jason Roy Electrovaya Inc. Telephone: 905-855-4618 Email: jroy@electrovaya.com Media Contact: Peter Koven Bay Street Communications Telephone: 647-496-7857 Email: peterkoven@baystreetcommunications.com About Electrovaya Inc. Electrovaya Inc. (TSX:EFL) (OTCQB:EFLVF) designs, develops and manufactures proprietary Lithium Ion batteries, battery systems, and battery-related products for energy storage, clean electric transportation and other specialized applications. Electrovaya is a technology focused company with extensive IP. Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, Electrovaya has production facilities in Canada with customers around the globe. To learn more about how Electrovaya is powering mobility and energy storage, please explore www.electrovaya.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements that relate to, among other things, revenue forecasts and in particular the revenue forecasts for the fiscal year ending September 2020 and the calendar year endingDecember 31, 2020, continuation of anticipated positive EBITDA, anticipated further sequential revenue growth in fiscal 2020, the ability to satisfy the Company's order backlog, the Company's ability to satisfy its ongoing debt obligations, anticipated increased collaboration with OEMs and OEM channels constituting a source of sales growth for the Company, anticipated continued increase in sales momentum in fiscal 2020 through OEMs and directly to large global companies, including Fortune 500 companies, the future direction of the Company's business and products, the effect of the ongoing global COVID-19 public health emergency on the Company's operations, its employees and other stake holders, including on customer demand, supply chain, and delivery schedule, the Company's ability to source supply to satisfy demand for its products and satisfy current order volume, technology development progress, pre-launch plans, plans for product development, plans for shipment using the Company's technology, production plans, the Company's markets, objectives, goals, strategies, intentions, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "possible", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" (or the negative thereof) and words and expressions of similar import. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to: that current customers will continue to make and increase orders for the Company's products, and in accordance with communicated intentions, that the Company's alternate supply chain will be adequate to replace material supply and manufacturing, that the Company's interpretation of the effect of any comfort given to Litarion's auditors of the Company's financial support for Litarion's operations is correct, and that Litarion's insolvency process will proceed in an orderly fashion that will satisfy Litarion's debt without a significant negative effect on the Company or its assets, actions taken by creditors and remedies granted by German courts in the Litarion insolvency proceedings and their effect on the Company's business and assets, negative reactions of the Company's existing customers to Litarion's insolvency process, general business and economic conditions (including but not limited to currency rates and creditworthiness of customers), Company liquidity and capital resources, including the availability of additional capital resources to fund its activities, level of competition, changes in laws and regulations, legal and regulatory proceedings, the ability to adapt products and services to the changing market, the ability to attract and retain key executives, the granting of additional intellectual property protection, and the ability to execute strategic plans. Additional information about material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and about material factors or assumptions applied in making forward-looking statements may be found in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended September 30, 2019 under "Risk Factors", and in the Company's most recent annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis under "Qualitative And Quantitative Disclosures about Risk and Uncertainties" as well as in other public disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Revenue forecasts herein constitute future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks (collectively, "FOFI"), and generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above under "Forward-Looking Statements". Although management believes such assumption to be reasonable, a number of such assumptions are beyond the Company's control and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. FOFI is provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the Company's future performance, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The FOFI does not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with IFRS, and it is expected that there may be differences between actual and forecasted results, and the differences may be material. The inclusion of the FOFI in this news release disclosure should not be regarded as an indication that the Company considers the FOFI to be a reliable prediction of future events, and the FOFI should not be relied upon as such. SOURCE: Electrovaya, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/598161/Electrovaya-Reports-Q3-FY2020-Results-Strong-Revenue-Growth-Positive-EBITDA1-and-Net-Profit-for-the-Quarter A new trend in coronavirus infection has emerged in Midland County, says Midland County Health Director Fred Yanoski. Teenagers accounted for a third of the countys 45 new cases recorded since July 1, Yanoski said. "We have seen a change in the trend of our cases," Yanoski said. Our highest number of cases is that of the 0-19 age group mostly teenagers, he said. And the trend is happening elsewhere as well. Yanoski also announced the health department will update its website each week, usually Thursday afternoons, with detailed data on how coronavirus is affecting Midland County residents. The website is https://co.midland.mi.us/ Midland County added four new confirmed coronavirus cases in Monday's state report, bringing its pandemic total to 173 cases and nine deaths. It is not known if any of these new cases involve teenagers. Yanoski said the county's teen cases arent related to one event or one person but the department is finding, through contact tracing, there are gatherings at friends houses, parties and get-togethers or trips to other states. Younger folks move around very freely and tend not to take the cautions they need to, he said. He said teens who carry the virus, which is highly transmissible, might be asymptomatic or perhaps only experiencing mild symptoms so they dont take precautions such as wearing a mask, social distancing or limiting the number of people at gatherings. "I want to urge the younger population to take precautions," he said. Yanoski said this is a "fairly critical time" for the county, adding summer's hot temperatures haven't dissipated the virus. (The virus) has demonstrated it hasnt wanted to do that. He said a lot of people and businesses are taking precautions but everyone needs to. We need to learn how to responsibly mask and social distance to stay open," he said. "We need to buckle down. We're clearly doing things that have a negative impact." Yanoski said the department is still seeing the virus prevalent in household cases in which one member tests positive and other household members have symptoms of COVID-19 but have not been tested. So far, Midland County is listed as having 58 probable cases. In addition to Midland County's new cases on Monday, Bay and Isabella counties each added two cases, bringing their pandemic totals to 435 cases and 31 deaths and 161 cases and eight deaths, respectively. Gladwin County remained at 30 cases and one death, while Saginaw County added 18 new cases, bringing its pandemic total to 1,501 cases and 122 deaths. The state on Monday added 489 new cases and seven deaths. Overall, Michigan is at 74,152 cases and 6,126 deaths. The state lists the total recovered at 55,162 cases, as of July 17, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to June 17, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. The numbers are updated every Saturday. The Midland County health department lists its recovered cases at 132. The state report shows Midland County to date has performed 7,062 diagnostic tests and 601 serology (looking for antibodies) tests, totaling 7,663 tests. Gladwin County is listed as having administered 2,466 diagnostic tests and 95 serology tests, totaling 2,561 tests. MidMichigan Health which covers a 23-county region and has medical centers at seven sites, including Midland as of Monday has completed a total of 11,498 tests. Of those, 10,961 were negative, 84 positive and 453 are pending. The state reported on Monday that MidMichigan Health had 10 COVID-19 patients, including two COVID-19 patients in ICU and a 50% bed occupancy, the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by any patient regardless of COVID-19 status. Dr. Catherine Bodnar, Midland County Department of Public Health medical director, said it is critical for people to take the following steps: Socially distance at least 6 feet from non-household members. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. Wear face coverings in public. Stay home when sick. Covering coughs and sneezes. Throw used tissues in the trash right after use. Routinely clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning wipe or spray. If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available, call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also send an e-mail to: COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. It has been four months since Prince Charles rocked the world when he tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. The Prince of Wales was immediately forced into isolation at his Balmoral estate home. Everyone was at the end of their seats, thinking that the heir to the throne's life will be compromised and make yet another historical plot twist for the second in line. Unfortunately, another member of the royal family was hit by COVID-19, which proves that no one is safe from this novel virus, regardless of your life status. But this time, members of the British monarchy are not the ones in danger, but the royal family from Monaco. COVID-19 Health Scare In a heartfelt Instagram post on Thursday, the daughter of Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jazmin Grimaldi, opened up how she contacted COVID-19. She also detailed the physical and mental health struggles of the healing process. According to the 28-year-old royal, she was infected with the virus despite following protocols and taking extreme measures to sanitize and practice social distancing. "This wasn't a shock to me per se, because for over this past week, I have had COVID-19 symptoms," Jazmin confessed. "I have been social distancing. I only go out to get the groceries, and I always wear a mask, and I always sanitize," she added. The Monegasque-American, who was born out of wedlock from Prince Albert II's relationship to Tamara Jean Rotolo, described her symptoms and said she started having itchy throat and fatigue before chills eventually set it. "I had a fever pretty consistently for about three of four days. I tried to rest as much as possible. I did not lose my sense of taste or smell, but my appetite was little bit less than usual," Jazmin revealed. Prince Albert II's eldest child, who lives in New York, said that the symptoms got worse when she started getting frequent migraines, trying to self-medicate with icepack and rehydration products. "It was super debilitating, and it just hits you... I tried to sleep as much as I could, but it was pretty excruciating and exhausting," Jazmin shared. Raising Awareness Jazmin's father, the head of the Monaco royal family, was also infected by COVID-19 last March. That is why she is coming out and sharing her experience in the hopes of helping others battle the same health problems. In the end, Jazmin, who doesn't have an official royal title, encouraged her 17,800 Instagram followers to take the virus seriously and don't be afraid to reach out when they have health concerns. "We don't know enough, and even if we are young and resilient enough to fight it off, I don't wish it on anyone," Jazmin said. As of writing, Jazmin is still in isolation and on her way to recovery from the COVID-19. The deadly virus now has over 14 million cases worldwide and has taken the lives of more than 597,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. READ MORE: Future Queen! Camilla Gets The Best Birthday Gift From Queen Elizabeth II! Nearly 100 people have been killed and nine one-horned rhinos have drowned as floods continue to ravage India. Intense rain in the state of Assam has killed at least 84 people and displaced more than 2.75 million since May, authorities revealed earlier today. Rescue teams are also attempting to recover the carcasses of nine rare rhinos that have drowned in the past 10 days. Intense rain and flooding in the state of Assam has killed at least 84 people and displaced more than 2.75 million since May, authorities revealed earlier today (forest guards pictured retrieving animal carcasses from the flood water) Nine one-horned rhinos have also drowned at the Kaziranga National Park with others at the site forced to seek refuge on higher ground (pictured) Authorities are not only battling the extreme weather conditions but are also struggling to keep villagers separate amid the coronavirus pandemic as they are driven from their homes and huddle in shelters. 'It's hard to enforce social distancing when people are being ordered to move away from the rising waters,' said Sanghamitra Sanyal, a member of the northeastern state's flood management force. 'We're urging people to at least cover their mouth and nose with a piece of clean cloth.' Kaziranga National Park (pictured) is home to the world's largest concentration of one-horned rhinoceros with an estimated 2,500 out of a total population of some 3,000 of the animals Authorities are not only battling the extreme weather conditions but are also struggling to keep villagers separate amid the coronavirus pandemic as they are driven from their homes and huddle in shelters (pictured along the river Brahmaputra) It comes as officials warned that the water level in the Brahmaputra river was expected to rise again by 11 cm (rhinos pictured in flood water at a wildlife sanctuary in Pobitora, Assam) The floods have also inundated the Kaziranga National Park, home to the world's largest concentration of one-horned rhinoceros, with an estimated 2,500 out of a total population of some 3,000 of the animals. 'Nine rhinos have drowned and over 100 other animals have been killed,' said Atul Bora, Assam's agriculture minister who is Kaziranga's member of the state parliament. With the park waist-deep in water, rhinos, elephants and deer have been forced to seek refuge on higher ground such as roads and in human settlements. Rights groups accuse corrupt officials of siphoning off funds meant for flood projects, resulting in shoddy construction of embankments which are often breached (a one-horned rhino pictured in flood water at a wildlife sanctuary in Pobitora, Assam) Assam, famous for its tea plantations, is hit by flooding every rainy season despite flood-control efforts (pictured villagers huddled under temporary shelter) It comes as officials warned that the water level in the Brahmaputra river was expected to rise by 11 cm (4.3 inches), just two weeks after it burst its banks swamping more than 2,500 villages. Assam, famous for its tea plantations, is hit by flooding every rainy season despite flood-control efforts. Rights groups accuse corrupt officials of siphoning off funds meant for flood projects, resulting in shoddy construction of embankments which are often breached. A former priest in Mississippi has been indicted for wire fraud after federal investigators said he took more than $18,000 from parishioners for personal expenses. Father Lenin Vargas, who led St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville, was indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, The Commercial Dispatch reported. Vargas also served as pastor at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Macon until the Jackson Diocese removed him in December 2018 after he became the subject of a federal investigation. He was charged in the sealed indictment earlier this year. Vargas told parishioners that he had been diagnosed with cancer and that he was collecting money to build an orphanage and chapel in Mexico, his home country, according to the indictment. Parishioners donated $18,258 through checks to Vargas or a GoFundMe account opened in February 2015. Vargas did not have cancer but was diagnosed with HIV in 2014. His HIV medical treatments were covered by health insurance, the indictment said. Vargas sent some of the money collected to a friend who was involved with Vargas in business ventures in Mexico, court documents said. Federal prosecutors said Vargas also used the money on a dating website that caters to people who are HIV-positive, previous news reports said. The Diocese of Jackson in a statement Wednesday said the Diocese entered into an agreement with federal prosecutors to tighten financial controls in the Dioceses accounting offices and return parishioners donations. There are still steps to be taken and certainly more changes ahead, Bishop Joseph Kopacz said in the release. We still invite anyone to come forward with claims, and we will work to seek a just resolution with them, the statement said. We hope in Christ for new life and peace. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Mississippi Though its far from done, Ogden City officials are kicking the tires on an idea that would involve closing off Historic 25th Street to vehicular traffic.As the restaurant and bar industry continue to be hard hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with many Ogden area establishments still closed to dine-in service, Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell says the city is open to any and all ideas that might help local eateries and taverns. One idea that appears to be gaining some traction in city circles is temporarily prohibiting cars on 25th Street between Grant and Wall avenues, and then allowing businesses on the street to expand their seating and use the extra space to spread customers out.Scott Rogers, an English professor at Weber State University and an active Ogden-area musician, is among those supporting the idea. Rogers discussed the idea on his Facebook page and sent a letter on the topic to the Ogden City Council. Operating under the assumption that ... Utah keeps reporting 500-plus new cases of COVID-19 infections per day, the state will be forced to shut down bars and restaurants again, Rogers said in his letter to the council. As a working musician, the shutdown was devastating. Rogers worries about what a pattern of continued openings and closings would do to restaurants, bars and performers in Ogden. He said limiting 25th Street to pedestrian traffic only is a proactive way for restaurants and bars to remain open and could potentially serve as an impetus for the city to reimagine how the popular commercial corridor functions. Kim Bowsher, executive director of the Ogden Downtown Alliance, said her organization doesnt have a position for or against the concept but noted that the lift it would require of restaurants is heavy. She said it would involve working not only with the city, but also with the Weber-Morgan Health Department and the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.Its a substantial investment just to get the spaces built out to function this way, Bowsher said. Its not just a matter of putting up road closed signs and adding tables outside. Bowsher said in the brief discussions that have taken place so far, timing is also a concern. She said its obviously paramount to have things ready before the cold season hits, but on the other hand, some business owners have suggested that its now too hot to ask people to dine out on the asphalt. Impacting curbside food service is also a concern, Bowsher said, as well as being thoughtful of supporting retail in whatever decision is made. Longtime restaurateurs Kym and Pete Buttschardt have run the 25th Street staple Roosters Brewing Co. since 1995. Kym Buttschardt said right now, she doesnt have strong feelings one way or the other on the proposal. She said shes noticed that many 25th Street restaurants are already seeing fewer customers than normal, so distancing doesnt seem to pose much of a problem, and she also wondered how enthusiastic people would be to eat on the pavement during the summer heat. We have large outdoor dining areas already, so it doesnt really impact us the way it might impact some other restaurants, she said. But Im a team player. If theres a way to get creative and do it where it makes sense for everyone, thats great.Bowsher said the ODA is planning to work with restaurant owners more directly to develop a long-range plan that can address 25th Street businesses needs unique to the pandemic. Theres a lot to work through at this point in time, she said.As far as the city is concerned, Caldwell said decisions will be made only after strong input from the community on Historic 25th.Were working through it right now and taking comment and listening, he said. Its a tough, sticky situation. (Image Credit: AP) Seth Terkper, a former Finance Minister under the Mahama-led administration says government has been dishonest to Ghanaians on its budget expenditure. He said the current Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta has for sometime now hidden some expenditure accounting for the rising budget deficit. Briefing some journalists in Accra, the former Minister noted that government in a bid to secure the US$1bn bailout under the Washington-based lenders Rapid Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a deficit position which fails to tally with what it had earlier told Parliament. The Minister went to Parliament and gave us the estimated cost of COVID-19 which was about GH9.5bn. The financing which we secured purposely for COVID-19 the IMFs US$1bn, which should be about GH5.5bn, the World Banks support, Stabilisation Fund and other reliefs amount to about GH10bn. At the point the Bank of Ghanas financing, for example, was being considered, we had secured enough for COVID. So why were we getting those additional borrowings and the rest? The only explanation one can give is that the deficit being showed at 3.5 percent [of GDP], 4.7 percent [of GDP] was actually higher. This is something we had always pointed out. Now, we have an institution like the IMF adjusting our numbers. This means that the borrowing was being done, and now more borrowing is needed to finance items that were not been disclosed, which the Fund has classified as off-budget expenditure, he emphasized. He added that revenues from loads, covid and grants have already covered the cost of financing covid that was presented to Parliament. If you take the US$1billion from the IMF (Ghc5billion), US$250million from the Stabilisation Fund. Add World Bank, AMP. So we should know where the additional borrowing is going to go, Mr. Terkper intimated. According to him, the budget deficit has been underreported over the past two years, a reason government is demanding more than GH5bn above the estimated fiscal cost of COVID-19. The former Finance Minister also warned of fiscal credibility issues for Ghana if the current government continues to exclude exceptional cost from its budget reporting. So we are saying that it will be good for us to come now and explain why we have a difference with the IMF. I've said that in the past, Ghana's fiscal practice is to include all exceptional cost, and I hope that the mid-year review will go back to that. Government must reconcile its own position with the fund as it's important for its own fiscal credibility. Doing this for us will mean government's admission of adjustment to performance in the past, which was shown as stellar. But it's fair to Ghanaians, and especially when you accuse other administrations of poor performance. 2020 Mid-year budget review He is urging government in this years Mid-Year Budget presentation to Parliament to address the parallel figures as pointed out in the IMFs COVID-19 report which confirms its Article IV view of a deteriorating pre-COVID fiscal situation. "we expect government to present a future trajectory that includes the IMF and Rating Agency projections since they issue these reports in concurrence with Governments." Ken Ofori-Atta will later this week present the government's mid-year budget review to Parliament as required by the Public Financial Management Act. The budget review will focus on strategies to generate more revenue for the state after the Coronavirus pandemic threw the government's plans out of gear. Mr. Ofori-Atta says the budget will also consider extending some support to businesses and industries hit by the pandemic. This week's presentation aims at recovery for the economy, which has been affected by the virus. We need to look at the stimulus for the Small Micro and Medium Enterprises. The discussion with the banks was also for them to increase facilities to support the businesses which are much larger and to look at ways of deferring interest payments for at least the next six months. The presentation of the mid-year budget review to Parliament is in accordance with Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). Download Parallel GoG And IMF [Article IV & Covid-19] Fiscal Data Budget Deficit And Public Debt Click here WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will distribute $684 million to 86 New York hospitals this week to bolster institutions in coronavirus "hot spots." After Illinois, New York hospitals will receive the most funding of any state from the $10 billion national distribution of the "Provider Relief Fund," although the Empire State is not presently seeing a spike in new cases like states across the south. "New York and its hospitals have been amongst the hardest hit in the nation, and with this funding going out, the continuing frontline fight being waged by our health care system and its incredible workforce will receive the hot spot dollars they need, and so very much deserve, to keep saving lives, said U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer. Albany Medical Center Hospital will receive $5.6 million from the pool of funds, St. Peter's Hospital will receive $3 million, and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital will receive $2.6 million, according to Schumer's office. HHS is handing out the funds based on the number of coronavirus patients hospitals treated from Jan. 1 to June 10. So although the state has held its number of daily new cases relatively steady over the past month, New York hospitals will receive more funds than facilities in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Nevada, where positivity rates have increased dramatically in recent weeks, according to data from the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. "Since this distribution of funding for 'hot spots' does not take into account the latest spike in cases and hospitalizations in some parts of the country, we look forward to working with the administration to ensure that additional relief will be distributed to hot spots and all hospitals," American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack said in a statement. Hospitals with over 161 admissions for COVID-19 from January to early June will get this hot spot money $50,000 per eligible admission, HHS said. The top priority for HHSs administration of the Provider Relief Fund has been getting support as quickly as possible to providers who have been hit hard by COVID-19, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Because weve carefully targeted support, we can make payments to areas most in need as the pandemic evolves, like we are doing with this round of funds. Multiple pieces of coronavirus legislation awarded HHS a total of $175 billion to give to hospitals and health care providers in March and April. But as of late June, the administration still had not delivered $72 billion of the funds, a U.S. Senate committee investigation found. In May, 90 New York hospitals received $5 billion in hot spot funding from HHS half of the $10 billion the agency was distributing at the time. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve low-income patients also received millions in other payments. But hospital revenues have been slashed by months of cancellations of elective procedures as well as new costs associated with purchasing in-demand personal protective equipment and treating acute coronavirus patients. Albany Med experienced an operating loss of approximately $50 million since the start of the pandemic, said Matt Markham, the center's vice president of communications. It has not furloughed or laid off any employees to date, but predicts it will take a year to 18 months to fully recover. Albany Medical Center had 325 coronavirus inpatient admissions through June 10. "Albany Med is grateful for the support we have received from our elected leaders and their recognition of our mission," Albany Med President and CEO Dennis P. McKenna said. " ... The ability to reinvest in that mission strengthens our commitment to our patients, students, and workforce our most valuable asset. In late June, Trinity Health, the parent company of St. Peters Health Partners, imposed furloughs and schedule reductions to employees as a result of the pandemic; job cuts are also expected. Trinity Health oversees 92 hospitals and 106 continuing care locations in 22 states, including St. Peters, which itself oversees four hospital campuses in Albany and Troy and employs roughly 12,000 people in the Capital Region. Trinity Health President and CEO Mike Slubowski wrote in an email that the organization is projecting a $2 billion less in operating revenue for the next fiscal year compared to previous levels. A spokesperson for St. Peter's did not respond to questions about furloughs or layoffs, but said the federal assistance helped them buy PPE and cover other costs. "What we need is a Medicare reimbursement rate in the Capital Region that is fair and on par with the rest of the nation," a spokesperson for St. Peter's said. "Right now, hospitals in the Capital Region have received just 86 cents on the dollar in reimbursement for labor associated with providing care to Medicare patients. In comparison, hospitals in Western Massachusetts receive $1.23 for every dollar spent. Righting this wrong would bring the hospitals in our area an additional $110 million-plus in revenue each year." A change to the region's Medicare Wage Index was included in the House's most recent coronavirus package, the Heroes Act. The Senate is now negotiating their own legislation to respond to the pandemic; it's unclear whether that provision will achieve final passage. Nationally, more than 260 hospitals have temporarily furloughed or permanently laid off health care workers due to the COVID-19 crisis since March 20, a U.S. Senate investigation found. The American Hospital Association estimates a total financial impact of more than $200 billion in losses for hospitals and health systems over a four-month period due to the pandemic, an average of more than $50 billion per month. This article contains previous reporting from Bethany Bump. NANTES, France French officials launched an arson inquiry Saturday after a fire broke out in the famed Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of the western French city of Nantes. The blaze destroyed the organ, shattered stained glass windows and sent black smoke spewing from between the cathedral towers. Residents and tourists watched aghast, and emergency workers cordoned off the area around the monument, in the historical center of this city on the Loire River. A City Hall official said the fire broke out Saturday morning inside the cathedral, and the cause is unclear. The official is not authorized to be publicly named. No injuries have been reported. The local firefighter service said the roof is not affected by the fire and wasunder control. They brushed aside comparisons with Notre Dame cathedral in Paris whose lead roof and spire burned down in April 2019. For many, the Nantes fire will have brought back memories of that devastating blaze that threatened to topple the medieval monument in the capital. 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. Saturdays fire broke the main stained glass windows between the two towers of the 15th-century cathedral, and destroyed the organ, which dated from the 17th century and was called the soul of the cathedral by faithful. 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, said Gen. Laurent Ferlay, head of the firefighters in the Loire Atlantique area, during a press briefing in front of the cathedral. 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. It is a part of our history, a part of our heritage Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland told reporters. We all have these images in mind, this story in our hearts, but at this stage the situation does not seem to be comparable to that of 1972. That devastation had one upside the burnt-out wood was replaced by concrete that helped limit the scope of Saturdays catastrophe, Ferlay said. French Prime Minister Jean Castex and French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin were among officials planning to visit Nantes Saturday afternoon in reaction to the blaze. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP >> In the wake of several pedestrian fatalities, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors is moving forward with a multi-pronged plan to improve safety along Sycamore Street, the townships downtown commercial corridor. At its Jan. 13 meeting, the board voted unanimously to follow the short term and long term recommendations of its traffic engineer, Derek Kennedy, who was... PORTLAND, Ore. - A top Homeland Security Department official on Sunday vowed that the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland - and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities, if violence surged - as the mayor of Oregon's largest city implored federal agents to stand down amid escalating clashes with protesters. Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency had deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help defend federal buildings and officers in the Pacific Northwest city. He said the DHS also expanded its numbers in other cities as demonstrations had escalated in recent months. "You can expect that if violence continues in other parts of the country, the president has made no secret of the fact that he expects us where we can cooperate or have jurisdiction to step forward and expand our policing efforts there to bring down the level of violence," Cuccinelli said in an interview Sunday. DHS and Justice Department personnel have made about two dozen arrests since July 4 in the vicinity of the federal courthouse in Portland, not including short-term detentions of suspects whom agents want to question, according to a DHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss federal law enforcement operations in Portland. The protesters' use of black clothing, face coverings and diversion tactics have made it difficult for federal agents to identify people, they said. DHS teams were deployed to reinforce the Federal Protective Service in Seattle before July 4 in anticipation of major disturbances, but the Seattle team has been withdrawn, the official added. While the DHS official said there are no immediate plans to increase presence in other cities, the president of Chicago's police union on Saturday published a public letter to President Donald Trump, asking for federal assistance in controlling the "chaos" in the city. Union President John Catanzara also criticized Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat whose office called the letter "a stunt," in a statement to CBS. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Sunday implored the "dozens, if not hundreds" of federal agents to leave the city, saying on CNN that the Homeland Security officers were detaining residents in unmarked minivans, wearing badges with numbers instead of names. "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave," said Wheeler, a Democrat. In response, Cuccinelli said, "We don't have any plans to do that." "When the violence recedes, then that is when we would look at that," he said. "This isn't intended to be a permanent arrangement, but it will last as long as the violence demands additional support to contend with." Cuccinelli said the agency is not naming the federal officers, to protect them and their families from doxing and other harassment. Portland is in its seventh week of racial justice demonstrations, scarred with graffiti, burned buildings and boarded-up shops. City officials - who are also contending with the novel coronavirus - say the Trump administration is antagonizing protesters, violating their rights, and interfering with local efforts to quell the demonstrations. But federal officials say they are defending their federal officers and institutions in a city that cannot keep them safe. In an interview Sunday, Wheeler said the ongoing protests after the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody had settled into a calmer rhythm and the vandalism had subsided before federal agents arrived. But now, after multiple days of violent skirmishes between protesters and agents deployed by the DHS, the mayor said he worries that someone could be killed. Last week, video surfaced of CBP agents in military-style gear approaching 29-year-old Mark Pettibone as he walked home from a protest and taking him away in an unmarked van. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a federal lawsuit against the DHS and its agencies Friday alleging the federal government had violated Oregonians' civil rights by seizing and detaining them without probable cause during protests against police brutality in the past week. "If the federal government continues to ratchet up its incendiary rhetoric and if federal troops continue their unconstitutional occupation of our city, it could lead to someone being killed," Wheeler told The Washington Post. "Either a demonstrator or a local or state law enforcement official. If either case happens, there's no telling how the community might react." But Wheeler and the police union's tweets in early July show that the city had been facing violent threats before the DHS says it ramped up its presence. On July 3, Wheeler called for the "nightly violence" to end. "This has been going on for more than a month now," Wheeler tweeted July 3, saying groups were targeting the Justice Center and "threatening the safety of hundreds of inmates and employees inside." "They continue to hurt small businesses owned by people of color, instill fear in communities of color, and start fires in buildings with people inside, in one specific case, even bolting emergency doors so that they could not escape," he said in a tweet. The Portland police union, whose union hall was broken into and burned over the weekend, posted online July 8 that the union's executive board had "no confidence" that the City Council would stop the violence. Union officials said officers had "endured weeks of rocks, bricks, bottles, mortars, and other objects hurled at them with hate." "Enough," the union said in a Facebook post. Wheeler said there were "dozens, if not hundreds" of federal agents in Portland. Although Cuccinelli declined to provide a number, he said it was "somewhere in between." Cuccinelli said DHS deployed a number of federal agents to supplement the Federal Protective Service, which guards federal buildings such as courthouses, over the Fourth of July weekend amid growing intelligence that demonstrators were targeting federal buildings. A federal protective officer in Oakland, Calif., was shot and killed in May, allegedly by an Air Force sergeant seizing on the protests to sow mayhem. He said that the deployment took place five weeks into the violence in Portland, and that "for anyone to say that our arrival 30 or so days into daily violence in their city was caused by something that showed up later is just illogical and silly." "We had intelligence that the federal facilities were going to be further targets, so we deemed it unsafe for the FPS forces available by themselves," Cuccinelli said. He would not say how many agents have been dispatched to the city, but he said they were highly trained officers from ICE's criminal division, Homeland Security Investigations, which probes crimes such as drug and human trafficking, and the CBP's BORTAC tactical unit. He said they were deployed "substantially" over the July 4 weekend - several weeks into the demonstrations - as it became clear that Portland authorities were not tamping down the violence. He said the Federal Protective Service is in charge on the ground, and the CBP and ICE support teams are reporting to them. He also discounted a New York Times report that an internal DHS memo said the teams were not trained for mass demonstrations or crowd control. And he said they were operating with full authority under law. "All of the people in Portland are trained for the mission," he said. "All the officers present have crowd control training." House Democrats on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Oversight and Reform committees condemned the use of "violent tactics against peaceful protesters in the District of Columbia, Portland and elsewhere across the country, and demanded that the inspectors general of the Justice Department and the DHS open an immediate investigation into these actions. They sent letters to the Justice Department and DHS inspectors general, calling for an inquiry. "The legal basis for this use of force has never been explained - and, frankly, it is not at all clear that the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary are authorized to deploy federal law enforcement officers in this manner," they wrote, saying Attorney General William Barr "does not have unfettered authority to direct thousands of federal law enforcement personnel to arrest and detain American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights." Wheeler had not been told that federal forces would go to his city, he said, until after the officers were there, and he said he was never asked whether Portland wanted the federal government's help. And to top it off, he said, the federal forces had not helped to clean any of the property damage that acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf seemingly used as justification for sending federal forces in to deal with "violent extremists." "It's totally disingenuous," Wheeler said. "What we needed were people who were trained in de-escalation, containment strategy, targeted arrests of individuals who are actually engaged in illegal activity. Instead what they've given us is warfare on our streets." Movie Producer, Socrates Sarfo has taken a jab at actor John Dumelo who is running for Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in the Greater Accra Region. John Dumelo has been elected Parliamentary candidate on the ticket of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and will be competing the sitting MP, Madam Lydia Alhassan, in the impending national Parliamentary elections on December 7th this year. The actor, in an interview with Umaru Sanda on Citi TV, outlined his vision for the Creative Arts industry when elected MP saying he would introduce transformative initiatives to develop the Arts sector. John Dumelo's commitment to his vision might be solid but not everybody in the Creative Arts industry supports his Parliamentary candidacy. Socrates Sarfo is one person who thinks the actor doesn't deserve to go to Parliament. His reason is John Dumelo lacks leadership qualities to become the Ayawaso West Wuogon MP. "It's not every creative person that is a creative person for us to push him. No! There are creative people who don't have what it takes to be in leadership . . . John Dumelo, as industry, we meet and plan how to fix the industry's challenges but I've not seen him in even one meeting . . . Such a person doesn't have leadership qualities," he asserted. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Britain will on Monday suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in a further escalation of its dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony, newspapers reported. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who on Sunday accused China of "gross" human rights violations, will announce the suspension of the treaty in parliament, the Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers said, citing sources. Britain's Foreign Office declined to comment. Education Minister Gavin Williamson declined to comment on the reports ahead of Raab's statement, which is expected at around 1430 GMT, but he said Britain was always ready to speak out when it disagreed with Beijing. "We want to work with China and we always will want to work with China - it's an important player on the world stage. But we must always, and will always, speak out where we think they're doing things that are wrong," he told Sky News. Any move on extradition would be another nail in the coffin of what former Prime Minister David Cameron has cast as a "golden era" of ties with Communist Party rulers in the world's second-largest economy. But London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus outbreak. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei Technologies equipment to be purged completely from Britain's 5G network by the end of 2027. China has accused Britain of pandering to the United States. Britain says the new national security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an independent judiciary, that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world's biggest and most freewheeling financial hubs since 1997. Hong Kong and Beijing officials have said the law is vital to plug holes in national security defences exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests. China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs. Earlier on Sunday, China's ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction any of its officials, as some lawmakers in Johnson's Conservative Party have demanded. "If UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individual in China, China will certainly make a resolute response to it," Liu Xiaoming told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. "You've seen what happens in the United States - they sanction Chinese officials, we sanction their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat happen in... China-UK relations." Raab told the same programme he would not be drawn on future additions to Britain's sanctions list but he denied that Britain would be too weak to challenge China through this channel. Search Keywords: Short link: Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton was elected in 2018, and since taking office, he has focused his attention on pushing judicial reform in the county. Middleton, a Democrat, has also joined forces with Republicans to combat bipartisan issues like animal cruelty and human trafficking. Since taking office, youve tackled some heavy issues in the county. Human trafficking, bail reform and improving the juvenile justice system are among your most notable efforts. What can you tell us about the work youre doing and the changes youre trying to implement? My first priority will always be the safety of the community. My office has taken the lead on human trafficking investigations and has been zealous in prosecuting the most serious crimes, including violent offenses and crimes against children and women. My office has concentrated its resources on major offenders and providing alternatives to incarceration for low-risk, low-level offenders. Low-risk, low-level offenders who meet certain qualifications are offered pre-trial diversion. Our pre-diversion programs require accountability and rehabilitation for program participants. Defendants who do not fulfill the requirements of pre-trial diversion programs are prosecuted. My office is committed to evidence-based decision making and utilization of best practices. I have increased training and developed performance metrics in an effort to develop and recruit top litigators. I formed a partnership with New York University for the development of data-science tools to help manage cases and identify patterns. I created a public integrity division to investigate crimes involving public servants. In accordance with best practices, I have requested funding from the commissioners court for a civil rights division that will investigate allegations of police misconduct. We were awarded a grant from Governor Abbotts office for investigation of human trafficking. I have worked with other county officials and stakeholders to implement bail reform consistent with the requirements of the United States Constitution. In cooperation with other stakeholders, we have implemented policy changes within our juvenile division to eliminate the school to prison pipeline. I hope to eliminate double standards and maintain fairness and equality within our criminal justice system. MORE BY CLAIRE GOODMAN: We feel like were being targeted: Katy bar owners suffer under governors shutdown order Youre a Democrat, but in order to do your job effectively, youre constantly working hand-in-hand with Republican individuals. Youre part of the anti-human trafficking task force with Constable Wayne Thompson, a Republican, for example. Whats it like crossing party lines like that? How do you think it benefits the county when both political parties work together? Criminal justice should never be political. In fact, criminal justice reform has bipartisan support. President Trump championed the First Step Act which implemented a number of criminal justice reforms, including provisions that allow federal inmates to reduce certain sentences imposed under mandatory minimum laws. Moreover, Texas leads the nation in criminal justice reform. So crossing party lines has been natural and necessary for me to fulfill my duties as district attorney. Not everyone has been receptive to my efforts to cross party lines due to extreme partisanship. Extreme partisanship can cause people to abandon their values and logic in order to maintain the party line. At the beginning of my term, I was criticized for hiring three former Republican judges- Brad Hart, Chad Bridges and Michael Fields. Each of the former judges lost their elections in 2018. I hired them because I knew they were adept, progressive thinkers, and they all eagerly agreed to follow my vision for the office. Constable Wayne Thompson, a Republican, also shared my vision for eradicating human trafficking and animal cruelty, so working with him on those matters was logical and without friction. My collaboration with Constable Thompson has resulted in several joint operations and positive results for the community. Our county and our nation are best served when elected officials disregard political affiliation and focus on the merits of policies and legislation. Unfortunately, some people will oppose a good policy just because of the party affiliation of its proponent. Consequently, partisanship has the tendency to promote double standards and gridlock. When political parties work together, the integrity of the process is enhanced, and we obtain better legislation and better public policy because of the free-flow of ideas and evidence-based decision making. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Weighing risks: What makes one gathering safe, while another is declared dangerous? Fort Bend County is the most diverse county in the nation, yet youre the first Black DA in the county. Why do you think its taken this long for a person of color to hold your position? Do you think we can anticipate a more diverse representation moving forward? During Reconstruction, residents of Fort Bend county elected two African-Americans: Walter Moses Burton (sheriff, elected 1869) and William A. Price (county attorney, elected 1876). Fort Bend County was the location of the Jaybird Woodpecker War (1888 to 1889) which resulted in all-white primaries from 1889 until 1953. The United States Supreme Court declared the discriminatory practice unconstitutional in Terry v. Adams 345 U.S. 461 (1953). In the years following the Terry v. Adams decision, Fort Bend lacked diversity for many years. However, Fort Bend County has experienced a lot of growth over the last decade. During that time, the demographics of the county changed significantly. Until recently, voter turnout was low, which allowed one party to dominate politics. Now that the county is more diverse and has greater voter participation, I would expect that there will be greater diversity among our elected officials. Ive noticed that youre very outspoken about the importance of voting. What would you say to people that think their vote doesnt matter? Decisions by local officials have a direct impact on your quality of life. If you have an opinion about the way you are being governed or the quality of the services that you receive from government, you should express that opinion by casting a ballot for the candidate that has your best interest at heart. Margins of victory send a signal to elected officials as to how popular their platform or past performance was among voters, which will likely influence their decision-making during their subsequent term of office. An elected official who is planning on running for re-election will be mindful of the will of voters. Therefore, whether your chosen candidate wins or not, your vote has influence. Moreover, voter attitudes are highly contagious. One voters enthusiasm about voting may cause others to vote. So people should appreciate their right to vote and share positive attitudes about voting if they want to see meaningful improvements in society. claire.goodman@chron.com DALLAS, July 20, 2020 -- People who regularly exercise tend to have a lower risk of high blood pressure, even if they live in areas where air pollution is relatively high, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation. The risk-benefit relationship between air pollution and physical activity is an important public concern because more than 91% of people worldwide live in areas where air quality does not meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. "Extended outdoor activity in urban areas increases the intake of air pollutants, which can worsen the harmful health effects of air pollution," said study author Xiang Qian Lao, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shatin, Hong Kong. "While we found that high physical activity combined with lower air pollution exposure was linked to lower risk of high blood pressure, physical activity continued to have a protective effect even when people were exposed to high pollution levels. The message is that physical activity, even in polluted air, is an important high blood pressure prevention strategy." Researchers studied more than 140,000 non-hypertensive adults in Taiwan and followed them for an average of 5 years. Researchers classified the weekly physical activity levels of each adult as inactive, moderately active or highly active. Researchers also classified level of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as low, moderate and high. PM2.5 is the most commonly used indicator of air pollution. High blood pressure was defined as 140/90 mm Hg. The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology 2017 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults defines high blood pressure as 130/80 mm Hg. The researchers found: Overall, people who are highly active and exposed to low levels of pollution had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure. People who were inactive and exposed to highly polluted air had a higher high blood pressure risk. Each increase in PM2.5 level was associated with a 38% increase in risk of incident hypertension, whereas each increase in physical activity level lead to a 6% lower risk of hypertension. This suggests that reducing air pollution is more effective in preventing high blood pressure. The benefits of regular physical activity held up regardless of pollution level. People who exercised moderately had a 4% lower risk of high blood pressure than those who didn't exercise. People who exercised at a high level had a 13% lower risk of high blood pressure than the non-exercisers. "This is the largest study to analyze the combined effects of air pollution and regular physical activity on high blood pressure. Our findings indicate that regular physical activity is a safe approach for people living in relatively polluted regions to prevent high blood pressure. Exercise should be promoted even in polluted areas. The findings also put a spotlight on how strongly pollution can impact blood pressure, and how important it is to control pollution levels to prevent high blood pressure," Lao said. In 2004, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement concluding exposure to air pollution contributes to cardiovascular illness and death. A 2010 update elaborated on those risks, which include heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia and heart failure. Writing group author Russell V. Luepker, M.D., M.S., a volunteer expert for the American Heart Association said, "This study confirms our understanding of the role of physical activity in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension. It also reminds us of the importance of air pollution in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The link between pollution and cardiovascular disease may include the development of hypertension along with other factors associated with particulate matter in air pollution." The findings of this study are limited and cannot be generalized to other populations with higher exposure to air pollution because it only included people living in Taiwan, where ambient air was moderately polluted (the annual PM2.5 concentration was 2.6 times of the limit recommended by the World Health Organization). Researchers did not distinguish between outdoor and indoor physical activity, meaning they could not exclusively examine the association of PM2.5 and hypertension relative to physical activity outdoors or indoors. Researchers also included indoor cigarette smoking as a variable. ### Co-authors are Cui Guo, Ph.D.; Yiqian Zeng, M.P.H.; Ly-yun Chang, Ph.D.; Zengli Yu, Ph.D.; Yacong Bo, M.Sc.; Changqing Lin, Ph.D.; Alexis K.H. Lau, Ph.D.; and Tony Tam, Ph.D. The MJ Health Research Foundation in Taiwan provided the health data. RGC-General Research Fund and the Environmental Health Research Fund of the Chinese University of Hong Kong funded the study. Additional Resources: Available multimedia is on right column of release link - https://newsroom.heart.org/news/regular-exercise-helps-prevent-high-blood-pressure-even-in-areas-of-high-air-pollution?preview=966fdb6a6256b294bf64360c33ff5288 Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/aha-financial-information. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. Leaked memo shows DHS knew about situation in Portland Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 1:01 AM The US federal crackdown on protesters denouncing police brutality and racial injustice continues in Portland, Oregon. According to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times, the federal agents deployed to the city to crack down on nationwide protests did not have riot and mass crowd control training. "If this type of response is going to be the norm, specialized training and standardized equipment should be deployed to responding agencies," read the memo, compiled for acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. Protesters gather at the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Oregon on July 17, 2020. The memo was released amid reports of unidentifiable, camouflaged federal officers picking up protestors in unmarked vans. "DHS and DOJ [Department of Justice] are engaged in acts that are horrific and outrageous in our constitutional democratic republic," said Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley Friday. "First, they are deploying paramilitary forces with no identification indicating who they are or who they work for. Second, these agents are snatching people off the street with no underlying justification. Both of these acts are profound offenses against Americans." Merkley called on federal troops to withdraw from the US state, demanding a full investigation into use of force on protesters. "We demand not only that these acts end, but also that they remove their forces immediately from our state. Given the egregious nature of the violations against Oregonians, we are demanding full investigations by the Inspectors General of these departments." Tensions between police and protesters have risen further in the wake of the death of George Floyd by a white officer in Minnesota, which has triggered nationwide rallies. "I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets," Oregon Governor Kate Brown tweeted Thursday. "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 harm's way. 'Pawns of Trump' US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was granted expanded authorities under President Donald Trump's June 26 executive order to control the protests. "While the CBP respects every American's right to protest peacefully, violence and civil unrest will not be tolerated," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. "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. These criminal actions will not be tolerated." Trump has been accused of using the CBP to take on the Black Lives Matter protesters. "Border patrol agents have long been the political pawns of Donald Trump. It's no surprise that the agency that detained innocent children at the border was deployed to Portland for more political theater at Trump's behest," Ron Wyden, another senator from Oregon, told The Daily Beast. "A lot of serious questions remain about this abuse of power, but what is clear: Trump and his occupying army are escalating violence and trampling on the constitutional rights of Oregonians." The heavy handed crackdown came in response to the toppling of mostly Confederate monuments by the protesters over their racist origins. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amid internal rift in Rajasthan Congress, where former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot rebelled against the party and decided to be elusive with his supporting 18 MLAs, Congress sources say that the party leadership has tried its best to retain Pilot in the party fold. Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "two senior members of the Congress Working Committee spoke to him at least eight times. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal also spoke to him two to three times. Even members of the Gandhi family spoke to Pilot to persuade him to come back in the party fold." "Now Sachin Pilot has to decide if he wanted to be trapped in the BJP conspiracy or come out of the clutches," added Surjewala. Sources say Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also spoken to him but Pilot said he did not need the advice of the party leadership. Sources close to the deliberations said that Sachin Pilot's only condition was the Chief Minister's post but the party has told him to be accommodated outside Rajasthan. The Congress leaders who wanted him back in the party said, in condition of anonymity, that the Congress cannot rely on him anymore as he is hobnobbing with the BJP. The matter of the family should be sorted out within the family, it cannot be resolved through media channels and Sachin Pilot should immediately stop taking favours from the BJP, said Surjewala. Congress sources say Senior party functionaries Ahmed Patel and P. Chidambaram also spoke to Pilot. While Congress top leaders said that there is no progress on talks with him as the government is now safe and Sachin Pilot has to decide for the rapprochement with the party. The fight within the Rajasthan Congress came out in the open after the SOG (Special Operation Group) released tapped phone calls which discuss the rift between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot. After the SOG notice Sachin Pilot along with his supporting MLAs reached Delhi and the Congress appealed to him twice to attend the legislature party meet but it was all futile now as the matter of disqualification has gone to court. The Congress has alleged that it is the BJP's plan to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan by bringing Congress MLAs and Independents under their fold during the Rajya Sabha polls. Amid internal rift in Rajasthan Congress, where former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot rebelled against the party and decided to be elusive with his supporting 18 MLAs, Congress sources say that the party leadership has tried its best to retain Pilot in the party fold. Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "two senior members of the Congress Working Committee spoke to him at least eight times. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal also spoke to him two to three times. Even members of the Gandhi family spoke to Pilot to persuade him to come back in the party fold." "Now Sachin Pilot has to decide if he wanted to be trapped in the BJP conspiracy or come out of the clutches," added Surjewala. Sources say Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also spoken to him but Pilot said he did not need the advice of the party leadership. Sources close to the deliberations said that Sachin Pilot's only condition was the Chief Minister's post but the party has told him to be accommodated outside Rajasthan. The Congress leaders who wanted him back in the party said, in condition of anonymity, that the Congress cannot rely on him anymore as he is hobnobbing with the BJP. The matter of the family should be sorted out within the family, it cannot be resolved through media channels and Sachin Pilot should immediately stop taking favours from the BJP, said Surjewala. Congress sources say Senior party functionaries Ahmed Patel and P. Chidambaram also spoke to Pilot. While Congress top leaders said that there is no progress on talks with him as the government is now safe and Sachin Pilot has to decide for the rapprochement with the party. The fight within the Rajasthan Congress came out in the open after the SOG (Special Operation Group) released tapped phone calls which discuss the rift between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot. After the SOG notice Sachin Pilot along with his supporting MLAs reached Delhi and the Congress appealed to him twice to attend the legislature party meet but it was all futile now as the matter of disqualification has gone to court. The Congress has alleged that it is the BJP's plan to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan by bringing Congress MLAs and Independents under their fold during the Rajya Sabha polls. The funeral for the Rev. C.T. Vivian, the Baptist minister and close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., will be held Thursday in a private service. According to a release from the C.T. and Octavia Vivian Museum and Archives, the funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. The service will be open only for the family, the press release said, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Local news channel WSB-TV is scheduling a livestream to broadcast the funeral. Vivian died July 17 in Atlanta in his home, of natural causes. Fellow civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis also died the same day. Vivian was 95. MORE: Rev. C.T. Vivian, civil rights veteran who worked with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 95 'Work is still unfinished': Younger civil rights activists vow to continue work of Rep. John Lewis Civil rights activist C.T. Vivian poses in his home in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2012. On July 17, 2020, Vivian died at age 95. Here's the civil rights icon's life and career in pictures. The family is heartbroken at the loss of our father, but proud of his lifelong work to free America from its tradition of racism, hate and violence, Vivian's daughter Denise Morse said in the the press release. He loved all mankind and will be missed. Vivian's civil rights work stretched back more than six decades, to his first sit-in demonstrations in the 1940s in Peoria, Ill. He met King soon after the budding civil rights leaders victory in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. Vivian became an active member of what would become the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and later participated in the Freedom Rides in Mississippi. Under Kings leadership at SCLC, Vivian was national director of affiliates, and after Kings death in 1968, he continued to serve the organization. In 2013, President Barack Obama honored Vivian, who had continued to promote racial equality in recent years, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rather than sending flowers, the Vivian family asked that contributions be made toward The C.T. and Octavia Vivian Museum & Archives, Inc. to help preserve Vivian's legacy. Story continues 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. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: C.T. Vivian: Funeral for civil rights leader, MLK associate set for Thursday Disney has joined other companies like Starbucks, Unilever, Adidas, and has pulled out their advertising from Facebook. Disney has significantly reduced spending on the social network and Instagram amid concerns on the companys inaction over the spread of hateful content on its platforms. According to media reports, the company has also paused their ad spending on Facebook-owned Instagram for its another streaming service called Hullu. According to reports, Disney spent nearly $210 million for Disney Plus ads on Facebook in the US in the first half of 2020. It spent $16 million for Hulu ads on Instagram between April 15 and June 30. On 20 July 2020, at the invitation of the WCO Vice-Chair for East and Southern Africa (ESA) region, and the Commissioner General of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya joined other Directors General of Customs and officials of the region to observe the virtual launch of a new website for the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office Eastern and Southern Africa (RILO ESA). The RILO ESA website is an initiative by the region in collaboration with Global Trade Solutions (GTS), South Africa, a private sector company that provides innovative solutions and consulting services to the international trade and supply chain community. The website has both public and private portals, and foreseen to complement the existing communication tools utilized by RILO ESA for collecting and analyzing data, and to share information to enhance customs enforcement. In his opening speech, Secretary General Mikuriya praised the ESA region for being proactive and using this opportune time to develop the RILOs website as an additional tool to enhance communication in the region. He emphasized the profound role of RILOs in fostering Customs cooperation through information gathering, analysis and intelligence sharing, and noted their importance in supporting Customs administrations at this challenging time of COVID-19 pandemic to combat illicit trading and prevent criminal organizations from exploiting the international trade supply chain. Dr. Mikuriya mentioned the crucial role played by RILOs in joining Member countries to support WCO STOP operation on medical goods and supplies. Secretary General Mikuriya encouraged the RILO ESA to use the website to enhance its regional enforcement network, share best practices and global trends on crimes, and continue to support the WCO global RILO network. Ms. Faith Mazani, Commissioner General, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and host of the RILO ESA, officially launched the RILO ESA Website: www.wcoesarilo.org and welcomed this event as a historic and prestigious milestone for the region. She reiterated the great value of websites as communication tools for the region in order to enhance its capacity to share intelligence and combat smuggling, which is endemic to the region. The launch was supported by a representative of GTS. In his closing remarks, Mr. Philiso Valashia, WCO ESA regional Vice-Chair, and Commissioner Customs, Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), expressed his profound gratitude to GTS for the partnership and contribution to the regions strategic goal of strengthening intra-regional compliance and enforcement. He emphasized that the website needed to be functional after being launched, and invited the region to meet this expectation. The Vice-Chair acknowledged the role of the WCO Secretariat in providing support and guidance to the RILO ESA and expressed his gratitude to the WCO Secretary General. He concluded the launch by expressing his hope that the region will utilize the website to bring innovative solutions to meet the challenges posed by the actual global circumstances. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Civil rights icon John R. Lewis, the last surviving speaker of the 1963 March on Washington, died July 17, less than seven months after announcing that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. The Atlanta resident, 80, was a veteran not only of 33 years in Congress but also of the March 7, 1965, 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, he was knocked to the ground and beaten by white police officers. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality focused the country's attention on racial oppression in the South. "Congressman John Lewis was a true example of leadership, said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP's chief executive officer. He dedicated his life to equal justice for all Americans, bringing moral clarity to our national dialogue and inspiring individuals no matter what race, or party, or age or religion. Rep. Lewis was an icon for generations of Americans, from his march in Selma that led to the Voting Rights Act, to his work to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans." Youngest of the Big Six' Lewis was the youngest of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest effect on the civil rights movement. Lewis beating led President Lyndon Johnson to press Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later in 1965, removing barriers that had barred blacks from voting. "He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise, President Barack Obama said in a statement after Lewis death. 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." Lewis spent the final months of his life witnessing, if from the sidelines, seismic changes within American society. He viewed the recent protests for racial justice as a continuation of his life's work and expressed pride in demonstrators carrying on his legacy of what he long referred to as good trouble." Among the original Freedom Riders Lewis was born Feb. 21, 1940, near Troy, Alabama, and attended segregated schools. He graduated from American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, and also earned a bachelor's degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University in Nashville. He was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders, six black and seven white activists who rode buses starting in 1961 into the segregated South to call attention to states disregard for U.S. Supreme Court decisions on public bus desegregation. That same year, at age 21, he suffered his first attack: He was punched in the face and kicked in the ribs for his activism when he tried to enter a whites-only bus waiting room in Rock Hill, South Carolina. UPDATE: Suspect in killing at N.J. home of federal judge found dead The son of a federal judge was killed and her husband was wounded when a gunman opened fire at their home in Middlesex County Sunday evening, setting off a massive investigation involving multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies. Mark Anderl, 63, a well-known criminal defense attorney and the husband of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and their son, Daniel, 20, were shot at about 5 p.m. at their home in North Brunswick. Salas, who sources say was in the basement of the home at the time, was not injured in the shooting. The gunman may have been dressed as a FedEx deliveryman, two law enforcement sources told NJ Advance Media. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press that the couples son was killed and Mark Anderl had been wounded in the shooting. North Brunswick Mayor Francis Mac Womack said the judges husband was in critical condition and underwent surgery and is now in stable condition. He confirmed the couples son had died. The FBI said they were searching for one suspect, and asked for help from the public. Mark Anderl in a file photo.Noah K. Murray Anderl served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County before entering private practice. Their son was a student at Catholic University. He was planning on going to law school, said a friend, Joe Mauro. He had his whole future ahead... Judge Salas, who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic female to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison. Salas was nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge in December 2010. She was confirmed by the Senate in June 2011. She met her husband when he was an assistant prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutors Office and she was a second-year law school intern. I was literally getting fingerprinted when Mark came over to talk, she told NJ Monthly in a 2018 interview. Weve been inseparable since 1992. Salas worked nine years as an assistant federal public defender in Newark. She earned her bachelors and law degrees from Rutgers University. Gov. Phil Murphy said Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said he knows Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her for nomination to New Jerseys federal bench. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, he said. Anyone with information for investigators can call the FBI at 973-792-3000. Investigators at the shooting scene at Judge Esther Salas' home in North Brunswick Sunday, July 19, 2020.(Avalon Zoppo | NJ Advance Media) - Reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this story. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Christmas is coming early to a Canadian Tire in New Brunswick. A store in Moncton has packed its aisles with Yuletide holiday products at the height of summer, replacing wicker sofas and parasols with ornaments and artificial trees after a run on outdoor furniture during the COVID-19 pandemic. The location is essentially sold out of patio items, leading the retailer to display Christmas stock much of it from last year in its seasonal section, said manager Mary Robichaud. We are wiped clean when it comes to fire pits and patio furniture. Even patio umbrellas are running thin, said Robichaud. We had no stock to put out on the floor, so we had to put something. Typically, the shift to holiday lights and baubles begins in late autumn, not in 30 C heat waves. But as the last patio stock ran down, even floor displays were scooped up by buyers looking to enhance their backyards and balconies. A lot of it has to do with the COVID. A lot of people are planning on staying home for the summer, so I think the idea behind it is to kind of make your at-home living area the best it can be, Robichaud said. The need for household comforts was particularly pointed in Atlantic Canada, where all four provinces restricted regional travel until July 3. Canadian consumers stuck at home during lockdowns have spent more on furniture and home decor over the past three months. The pandemic has pushed outdoor furniture sales to new heights, with purchases growing despite store shutdowns as retailers ramped up delivery and curbside pickup, said market data firm ResearchAndMarkets.com. At Home Depot, patio products are among the areas experiencing a boost in demand since March. As vacations have been limited, customers are looking for new ways to spend time at home and setting up individual spaces for different activities, said Home Depot Canada spokesman Paul Berto. Patio furniture is very hot this season, with sales picking up tremendously, added Dan Knox, a supervisor at a Canadian Tire in Calgary. People seem to want to make their backyards prettier. Back at the Mountain Road location in Moncton, the sold-out products include trampolines and outdoor play sets with the odd result of plastic Christmas trees in the aisles amid a heat warning. Canadian Tire is a seasonal store. Really its either summer or full-on winter here, Robichaud said. The carols are still a half-year off, but the twinkling spirit of the holidays has already entered the outlet. I like it. It puts you in a good mood. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:CTC) By PTI JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Monday resumed hearing a petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs, challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the assembly Speaker. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for the Speaker, argued that the petition was premature as a decision was yet to be taken on disqualifying the MLAs from the House. He said that there was no scope for interference by a court over the show cause notices issued by the Speaker. The pilot camp moved court on Friday amid the infighting in the state unit of the Congress, as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot tussled for power. The petition was taken up a by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta. On Friday, the court heard arguments by the dissidents' advocate Harish Salve. The proceedings resumed on Monday morning and continued after a lunch break. The notices to the MLAs were served after their party complained to the Speaker that they had defied a whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings last week. However, the Pilot camp argues 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 that they represent in the House. Pilot was sacked as the Rajasthan deputy chief minister and the president of the state Congress unit after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Speaker C P Joshi has given the rebel MLAs up to 5:30 pm to reply to disqualification notices, which the dissident camp wants the court to quash. According to reports, researchers from the University of Alberta have discovered a fault system in Nepal which is capable of causing earthquakes in the densely populated regions of the nation. Reuters The team looked at seismic profiles -- essentially images that look like slices of the Earths crust -- collected during petroleum exploration by capturing sound waves bouncing off sedimentary layers under Ganga flood plain of the river. The data revealed that while the region of southwestern Nepal is laying flat, the production of thrusting from the movement of tectonic plates has arrived in this region. Mike Duvall, one of the researchers said in a statement, "Our research highlights the need to look below the surface, and farther afield, to fully understand earthquakes and structures within the Himalaya." He added, "This network of faults shows that Himalayan deformation reaches farther than we previously thought and provides a glimpse into the geometry and formation of nascent mountain ranges." Researchers do state the fact that this region hasnt recorded an earthquake recently, looking at scientific records dating back to only a century ago. But researchers feel that theres a massive potential for a devastating earthquake to occur. John Waldron explains, Most of these faults only slip every thousand years or so," he explained. "We discovered that a substantial part of this area has an almost horizontal fault underneath it, which has the potential to slip and cause a damaging earthquake. ALSO READ: Google's Building World's Best Earthquake-Tsunami Warning Tech Says Sundar Pichai Reuters He added, "Along the front of the mountains in Nepal are thrust faults, formed where the Indian subcontinent is being pushed underneath Asia," he said. "The movement is jerky, which produces earthquakes. Because this is a densely populated part of the world, these earthquakes can be catastrophic." Five years ago in 2015, Katmandu experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage to life and property. And the region in question, even though is far from Katmandu is densely populated. Kuwait's ailing emir hospitalized, crown prince assumes some duties Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 5:40 AM Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has taken over some constitutional jurisdictions of the country's monarch as per a royal decree, after the emir was admitted to hospital to undergo medical tests. The head of the state's office announced in a statement carried by the KUNA news agency on Saturday that the crown prince is to temporarily execute certain prerogatives of the 91-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah his half-brother. It said Sheikh Sabah, who has ruled the oil-rich Persian Gulf state since 2006, would undergo medical checkups, but gave no further details. In September 2019, Kuwait's ruler was admitted to hospital in the United States while on an official visit there, after suffering what his office described as a health setback back home in August. It led to a meeting with President Donald Trump being called off. He returned to the Arab country in October. The emir underwent urinary tract surgery in the United States back in 2007. Sheikh Sabah had his appendix removed in 2002, two years after having a pacemaker implanted. Separately, Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait Mohammad al-Hashel issued a statement on Saturday following the news of the emir's hospitalization, stressing the strength and stability of the dinar currency. On Friday, S&P Global Ratings revised Kuwait's outlook to 'negative' from 'stable', saying it expected the country's main liquidity buffer, the General Reserve Fund, to be insufficient to cover the state budget deficit. Kuwait's finances have been badly hit by low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, and the OPEC oil producer has been rapidly running down the General Reserve Fund. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 20, 2020) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce discovery of Tuvatu style lodes at Banana Creek, approximately 3 km northeast of the Tuvatu resource. Banana Creek is a new, high-priority greenfields target situated within Lion One's recently granted Navilawa tenement, part of its 100% controlled Tuvatu alkaline gold project, Fiji. Drill rig #1 recently completed two diamond drill holes at Tuvatu West and has now resumed deep drilling under the main Tuvatu lode system. Rig #2 has initiated drilling new targets within the Navilawa license area. Highlights: Since commencement of the dry season, approximately one and a half months ago, Lion One has been aggressively opening roads and trench cuts within the new, large Navilawa tenement situated north of the Tuvatu mining license. At present, efforts are focused at Banana Creek located approximately 3 km northeast of the Tuvatu resource, where the Company's team has discovered multiple outcropping lodes of similar nature to those seen at Tuvatu (Figures 1, 2,and 3). Recent assay results including multiple high grade results from the current benching and mapping program are presented in the first table below. Results from outcropping lodes include 39.74 g/t Au over 0.60 m, 17.37 g/t Au over 0.45 m, 10.82 g/t Au over 0.70 m and 12.71 g/t Au over 0.40 m at Banana Creek and its access and 31.22 g/t Au over 0.80 m at the nearby Vunilolo prospect. Systematic sampling of newly discovered structures continues, and more discoveries are being made daily. Lion One will update the market as more assays return. Diamond drill rig #1 recently completed two holes, TUDDH496 and TUDDH497, both north-oriented, at the western extremity of the Tuvatu West lode network in an area underlain by a profound controlled source audio-magnetotelluric ("CSAMT") resistivity gradient thought to be a major, deep-rooted structural zone that may have allowed mineralizing fluids to ascend near surface. Hole TUDDH496, inclined at -55 degrees, encountered numerous mineralized intervals between 72.10 and 312.66 m (see Table 2), the most significant of which include 0.73 m grading 6.86 g/t Au beginning at 267.20 m and 1.8 m grading 6.41 g/t Au. Hole TUDDH497, drilled from the same pad at a somewhat steeper inclination of -62 degrees, similarly encountered numerous mineralized intervals between 31.00 and 417.60 m, the most significant of which include 3.00 m grading 6.19 g/t Au beginning at 304.50 m and 1.27 m grading 4.41 g/t Au beginning at 357.63 m. Given the broad distribution of numerous mineralized structures in these holes, Lion One believes these intercepts are a high level expression of a deeper gold system underlying this area. Further drilling is needed at a deeper level, perhaps 200 meters vertically below these intercepts to determine how these multiple mineralized structures might come together into a feeder zone. Rig #1 has recently been moved to the pad on which deep hole TUDDH495 is situated. The original plan was to re-enter this HQ-sized drill hole with smaller NQ-sized drill pipe and extend the hole through the target area underneath the Tuvatu lode system. Upon investigating the status of this hole, it was recognized that the upper portion had collapsed, likely a result of wet season torrential rains coursing through near-surface fractured zones. Therefore, a new hole has been collared at a slightly different azimuth and will be drilled through the target zone. The bottom of hole TUDDH495 displayed promising zones of alteration and veining at its very end, possibly an indication of proximity to mineralized lodes. Diamond drill rig #2 recently commenced drilling new targets within the Navilawa tenement. Biliwi, where high-grade samples were collected early in 2020, is the first target to be tested in this tenement. Depending on awaited results from newly discovered lodes at Banana Creek discussed above, this rig may be shifted to that area very soon. A third diamond rig recently purchased by the Company is currently in transit from South Korea. Arrival of this rig is expected in a few weeks at which point it will join rig #1 in undertaking the Tuvatu step-out and feeder test program. "Crews in Fiji are finding new outcropping lodes daily at Banana Creek and surrounding areas as they open up roadcuts and trenches," commented Quinton Hennigh, technical advisor to Lion One. "Many of these are generating high-grade assays and appear similar to gold lodes seen at Tuvatu nearly 3 km to the southwest. We are now seeing a steady stream of assays come in from these new areas and we expect many more over coming months. Drill targets are quickly emerging at Navilawa. Two holes at Tuvatu West appear to have encountered high level splay structures, possibly above a deeper feeder structure. We plan more drilling at a deeper level in this area later this year. Meanwhile our Tuvatu step-out and feeder drill program continues. This is shaping up to be a busy, exciting year." Table 1: Gold results from recent rock chip Bench sampling in Navilawa Tenement area Bench number Coordinates From To Interval Au (g/t) Prospect Bench 1716 3922769.04 1876793.42 0.85 1.75 0.90 6.26 Kingston incl 1.50 1.75 0.25 11.69 Bench 1737 3922706.03 1877071.73 2.80 3.80 1.00 1.36 Central Ridge 4.30 4.90 0.60 7.53 4.90 5.90 1.00 1.14 6.90 7.40 0.50 2.55 Bench 1741 3922707.56 1877030.37 0.61 0.82 0.21 5.17 Kingston 1.20 1.32 0.12 6.30 1.55 1.75 0.20 8.92 Bench 1866 3923325.00 1878650.00 0.70 1.30 0.60 39.74 Banana Creek Bench 1867 3923328.00 1878645.00 0.70 1.40 0.70 1.69 Banana Creek 2.60 3.50 0.90 5.37 Bench 1886 3923424.00 1877539.00 1.50 2.40 0.90 5.45 ObaRidge/BananaCk access 2.60 3.10 0.50 1.55 Bench 1887 3923424.00 1877555.00 2.30 2.76 0.46 15.37 ObaRidge/BananaCk access Bench 1888 3923414.13 1878509.29 1.60 5.30 3.70 3.96 ObaRidge/BananaCk access incl 2.80 3.50 0.70 10.82 and 4.80 5.30 0.50 8.69 Bench 1897 3923433.47 1878602.21 6.50 7.00 0.50 1.42 ObaRidge/BananaCk access 7.00 7.30 0.30 4.83 Bench 1908 3923332.13 1878663.02 0.00 3.97 3.97 8.66 ObaRidge/BananaCk access incl 1.30 1.70 0.40 12.71 Bench 1909 3923327.76 1878660.28 0.00 1.40 1.40 6.75 Republic Ridge incl 3923327.76 1878660.28 0.70 1.40 0.70 11.58 Bench 1934 3923364.94 1878793.60 0.55 1.35 0.80 31.22 Vunilolo Although some samples from hole TUDDH497 have yet to be returned, results from holes TUDDH496 and TUDDH497 received to date include: Table 2: Drilling Results: TUDDH 496 & 497 (true widths still to be determined because of limited drilling in the area and depth below existing drilling makes interpretation difficult at this stage of exploration) Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Drilled Interval (m) Au (g/t) TUDDH496 72.10 72.60 0.5 1.12 123.00 123.20 0.2 4.78 194.50 195.90 1.4 2.31 196.90 197.70 0.8 1.87 233.00 233.90 0.9 1.59 267.20 267.93 0.73 6.86 Inc. 267.20 267.65 0.45 10.04 272.60 273.40 0.8 1.08 276.52 277.60 1.08 2.50 288.25 288.45 0.2 1.88 291.00 291.40 0.4 8.08 293.85 295.65 1.8 6.41 Inc. 293.85 294.15 0.3 22.76 and 295.37 295.65 0.28 16.13 305.90 306.50 0.6 7.75 312.45 313.32 0.87 1.61 Inc. 312.45 312.66 0.21 3.92 TUDDH497 31.00 31.50 0.50 2.61 135.80 136.50 0.70 1.33 279.70 280.00 0.30 2.07 284.50 285.00 0.50 1.34 304.50 307.50 3.00 6.19 Inc. 306.50 307.00 0.50 13.53 308.50 309.50 1.00 1.80 336.13 337.94 1.81 2.04 357.63 358.90 1.27 4.41 374.55 374.86 0.31 12.82 391.77 392.22 0.45 1.80 408.75 409.05 0.30 1.45 416.60 417.60 1.00 1.24 429.90 430.20 0.30 4.54 452.80 453.10 0.30 8.94 473.80 474.10 0.30 1.34 Table 3: Drill hole logistics of the holes in the current diamond drilling program. Note, TUDDH494 and 495 were terminated prior to target depths but will be followed up with TUDDH500 Hole No coordinates RL depth (m) dip azimuth TN N E TUDDH493 3920704.98 1876221.00 225.50 536.90 -55.0 97.00 TUDDH494 3920704.98 1876220.40 225.50 748.60 -67.0 97.00 TUDDH495 3920667.00 1876756.00 306.00 768.70 -75.0 240.00 TUDDH496 3920506.34 1875857.41 274.42 696.00 -57.0 61.00 TUDDH497 3920506.00 1875857.00 274.42 869.4 -63.0 61.00 Maps showing drill hole locations are available at www.liononemetals.com Figure 1: Current benching from Banana Creek prospect, SPL 1512, exposing intensely altered mineralised structures with sulphides rich veins and visible specks of bornite with magnesium oxide. Note that 5g/t Au was sampled from this area prior to benching. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/60078_77a7b1e554910ac3_001full.jpg Figure 2: Highly silicified veins in the vicinity of Banana Creek. This exposed Iliesa Vein contains gold and visible galena and sphalerite plus vuggy texture with other sulphides. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/60078_77a7b1e554910ac3_002full.jpg Figure 3: Exposed structure from recent benching at Banana Creek prospect. Lodes intersected are the same orientation as the Tuvatu UR lodes but dipping steeply to the west. Structure consist of intense alteration including quartz with sulphides rich veins and visible bornite. To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/60078_77a7b1e554910ac3_003full.jpg Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed, prepared, and approved by Mr. Stephen Mann, P. Geo, Managing Director of Lion One, who is a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI-43-101). Samples are analysed at the Company's own geochemical laboratory in Fiji, whilst duplicates of all results greater than 0.5g/t Au are sent to ALS laboratories in Australia. All samples are pulverised to 80% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish (ALS code Au-AA26). Multielement results are determined by ICP-OES in the Lion One laboratory. Samples which have returned grades greater than 10g/t Au by Au-AA26 have been reanalysed by gravimetric method (ALS code Au-GRA22). Check results are analysed by ALS Townsville, Queensland, Australia and include Au-AA26, and also Au-GRA22 where applicable. About Tuvatu The Tuvatu gold deposit is located on the island of Viti Levu in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji. The mineral resource for Tuvatu as disclosed in the technical report "Tuvatu Gold Project PEA", dated June 1, 2015, and prepared by Mining Associates Pty Ltd of Brisbane Qld, comprises 1,120,000 tonnes indicated at 8.17 g/t Au (294,000 oz. Au) and 1,300,000 tonnes inferred at 10.60 g/t Au (445,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited "Walter Berukoff" Chairman and CEO For further information Contact Investor Relations Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250 Email: info@liononemetals.com Website: www.liononemetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60078 This is true; as Zaid Jilani wrote recently, If it were harder for employers to fire people for frivolous reasons, Americans would have less reason to fear that expressing their views might cost them their livelihoods. But it seems strange to me to argue that in the absence of better labor law, the left is justified in taking advantage of precarity to punish people for political disagreements. None of this is an argument for a totally laissez-faire approach to speech; some ideas should be stigmatized. I recently spoke to Wasow about the reaction to Shor tweeting his paper. Much of what we call cancel culture is just culture, he said. Culture has boundaries. Every community has boundaries. Those boundaries are always shifting. In the age of the internet, they move faster, and therefore where those boundaries are is less clear and less stable, and it makes it easier for people to cross those lines. But its a problem when the range of proscribed speech is so wide that the rules are hard to even explain to those not steeped in left-wing mores. Writing in the 1990s, at a time when feminists like Catharine MacKinnon sought to curtail free speech in the name of equality, the great left-libertarian Ellen Willis described how progressive movements sow the seeds of their own destruction when they become censorious. Its impossible, Willis wrote, to censor the speech of the dominant without stifling debate among all social groups and reinforcing orthodoxy within left movements. Under such conditions a movement can neither integrate new ideas nor build support based on genuine transformations of consciousness rather than guilt or fear of ostracism. Its not always easy to draw a clear line between what Willis described as reinforcing orthodoxy and agitating to make language and society more democratic and inclusive. As Nicholas Grossman pointed out in Arc Digital, most signatories to the Letter probably agree that its a good thing that the casual use of racist and homophobic slurs is no longer socially acceptable. But those changes came about through private sanction, social pressure and cultural change, driven by activists and younger generations, he wrote. Willis reminds us that when these changes were happening, the right denounced them as violations of free expression. Of the conservative campaign against political correctness in the 1990s, she wrote, Predictably, their valid critique of left authoritarianism has segued all too smoothly into a campaign of moral intimidation, one aimed at demonizing egalitarian ideas, per se, as repressive. Dhaka, Jul 20 (UNI) A senior (retired) army officer has been declared persona non grata by the country's Army owing to his "unacceptable behavior". The Bangladesh Army has declared Lt General Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy (retd) persona non grata in all cantonments and areas inside cantonments since April 10 of 2019 due to his behavior, which is unbecoming of an army officer, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Bangladesh Army. According to the statemtent issued on Sunday, anyone declared persona non grata will be barred from medical care of CMH, Officers Club, CSD shops and other military establishments. The press release observed that lies against the Army made by Chowdhury in different social media have drawn the notice of the army authorities. His immoral behaviour during his service is embarrassing and not palatable for the members of the Armed Forces. His activities also cast negative and adverse impact on the serving officers in the army. MORE UNI MAZ GK 1519 Jason Gale had been 'really struggling' before going missing, due to the death of a close colleague in front of him and his dog, Badge Supermodel Megan Gale's brother was 'really struggling' before he went missing, having witnessed a colleague's death in a gruesome workplace incident and his loyal pet dog also dying. Family, friends and West Australian police are desperately searching for Jason 'Galey' Gale, the 49-year-old 'very private' sibling of one of Australia's most famous women. Mr Gale was last seen almost a week ago buying water and petrol during a stop in the bush town of Pingelly, some 160km south-east from his Bibra Lakes home. The industrial mechanic was known for 'going bush' but friend Belinda Murray said he had never disappeared like this before. 'He hasn't been the same since witnessing the death of a co-worker a few years ago, then the death of his beloved Dobermann (dog), Badge on top of that,' she said. Megan Gale (left and right) is the supermodel younger sister of Mr Gale - but unlike his star sister the tradesman is described as 'very private'. Ms Gale has, via a spokesperson, thanked family, friends and work mates for searching for her sibling, who lived on his own in WA A security camera still showing Mr Gale and his car in Pingelly, where he picked up water and petrol about 9.40am last Tuesday, in Pingelly, south-east of Fremantle 'I wouldn't be so worried normally if it hadn't been for that terrible accident and what it did to him,' Ms Murray said. Mr Gale lived on his own and his dog Badge was his constant companion, 'but he has passed away as well, so Jason will be feeling very isolated inside'. Ms Murray said Mr Gale 'really struggled' after the tragic 2018 incident at a wastewater plant south of Perth. Daily Mail Australia understands Mr Gale was one of a group colleagues who were there with the victim when he was struck and killed by a pipe. Ms Murray said Mr Gale is 'such a gentle soul' and was a 'very skilled, very clever' mechanical maintenance worker. Friends believe it would not be out of character for Mr Gale to have 'gone bush' but 'gotten a bit lost' in the process. A still of Jason Gale's 1999 silver-coloured Honda CR-V station sedan, with plates 1BOI107 when he was last seen a week ago It is not known why Mr Gale had travelled so far inland but friends said he often 'went bush' and was 'very private' WHAT POLICE KNOW ABOUT JASON GALE'S DISAPPEARANCE Mr Gale was last seen on Tuesday, July 14, in Pingelly, south-east of Fremantle, Western Australia. He was behind the wheel of a 1999 silver Honda CR-V sedan, with plates 1BOI107. Mr Gale, from Bibra Lake, is known to frequent areas including Collie, Pemberton, Manjimup Bindoon, Gin Gin, Narrogin and Wandoo. Advertisement He 'loved all nature and animals,' according to Ms Murray, and 'wouldn't hurt anyone or anything'. Mr Gale's famous sister lives in Melbourne with her family and has passed on its appreciation to everyone searching for her sibling. 'They (the Gale family) thank everyone for their support especially Jasons neighbours, close friends and work colleagues who have been assisting,' manager Lara Messenger said. Mr Gale, her mother, May, and the rest of her family live in the West and have kept low public profiles despite her incredible international success. A West Australian Police Force spokesperson said Mr Gale was last seen about 9.40am on July 14 in Pingelly. He was driving a 1999 silver-coloured Honda CR-V SUV, with plates 1BOI107 He is described as Caucasian, 180cm tall, with short grey-brown curly hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call 131444 immediately. For confidential crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 229, up 2.23% on the day as on 12:59 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 22.03% in last one year as compared to a 3.19% drop in NIFTY and a 3.18% drop in the Nifty Energy index. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd gained for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 229, up 2.23% on the day as on 12:59 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.76% on the day, quoting at 10984.5. The Sensex is at 37299.46, up 0.75%. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has slipped around 4.02% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 1.73% in last one month and is currently quoting at 14942.25, down 0.09% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 53.39 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 79.28 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark July futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 229.1, up 2.16% on the day. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 22.03% in last one year as compared to a 3.19% drop in NIFTY and a 3.18% drop in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 9.93 based on TTM earnings ending March 20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:42:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A brainstorming session for members of the chairpersons' council of China's top political advisory body was held Monday to discuss formulating the rules of consultation. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. The principles, contents, forms, and procedures of the CPPCC's consultative work were also discussed, among other topics. Applauding the achievements in the institutional construction of the CPPCC, the political advisors called for strengthening the awareness of consultation, and improving consultation capability and effectiveness. Noting that a wider range of topics should be covered, the advisors called for increasing the proportion of culture and ecology-related topics while continuing to focus on economic and social progress and people's wellbeing. They pointed out that various forms of consultation, including online consultations, should be promoted. Enditem General Motors CEO Mary Barra condemns discrimination against LGBT people, while Apple CEO Tim Cook defends immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. More and more business leaders are joining activists to address societys most divisive issues. Where are the top executives, though, taking concrete steps to address income inequality? Who is taking a pay cut to give their employees a higher standard of living? Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of the Reddit website, resigned from the companys board last month to make way for an African American director. An admirable gesture that few have emulated as Americans again reckon with institutional racism and centuries-old inequities. Forty years of tax cuts and crony capitalism have delivered the most dramatic gap between rich and poor in this countrys industrial era. Boards of directors have showered wealth on executive teams that have maximized shareholder value by cutting jobs and the benefits and salaries of the average worker. No one should be surprised that between 1989 and 2016, the gap between rich and poor Americans has more than doubled, according to Pew Research, the nonprofit data and polling firm. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Executive compensation is especially obscene during a recession The wealthiest 20 percent of Americans are capturing more than half the nations total income, according to Pew. The wage gap between white and Black Americans has grown, even when adjusted for all other factors, including education, according to Federal Reserve Bank data. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government and the Fed have pledged $7 trillion of debt to support the economy, but only 5 percent of the money went to working people. The rest propped up companies and the wealthy so they would not suffer significant losses. Five of the nations top billionairesJeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, and Larry Ellisonhave seen their net worth rise by $584 billion since March, according to Americans for Tax Fairness. Meanwhile, more than 15 million people have lost their jobs. Top executives, who are paid in stock, are raking in millions. In three months, about 600 billionaires increased their wealth by far more than the nations governors say their states need in fiscal assistance to keep delivering services to 330 million residents, Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, said. Their wealth increased twice as much as the federal government paid out in one-time checks to more than 150 million Americans. Almost everyone among the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans has seen their net worth rise during the pandemic. But this is not a new phenomenon, thanks to the Trump tax cuts, the wealthy have never paid such a small percentage of their income in taxes. Median CEO pay at the 500 public companies with the highest revenue was $12.3 million in 2019, according to Equilar, a firm that tracks executive compensation. Among S&P 500 firms, nearly 80 percent paid their CEO more than 100 times their median workers wages in 2018, according to the left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies. These are the same executives who talk about how employees are partners and team members. They rattle on about how the companys workers are the brands greatest strength. Every executive I interview wants to brag on their people, but when I ask about pay standards, they change the topic. The next time an executive brags about living well by doing good, ask them how much better must they do than their employees? How can they justify their pay when their employees have little or no health insurance? TOMLINSONS TAKE: Diversity is good for business, yet bias persists in Texas Which CEO will be first to reduce income inequality by cutting their compensation package? Im not talking about giving money to charity; Im talking about a pay cut concomitant with higher base wages and benefits for the lowest-paid employees. I wonder how many CEOs will ask about the wages and benefits paid by their contractors? Do they know how much the janitorial staff get paid, or do they only worry about which company made the lowest bid? A CEO who shaved $1 million off the C-suite pay packages could give their 100 lowest-paid workers raises of $10,000considering that the median household income in Texas is $60,000, that could make a significant difference in peoples lives. Taking the lead and speaking out on income inequality would also benefit the brands reputation, the same as clean energy and civil rights. Almost two-thirds of Americans consider income inequality a problem and believe businesses should do more to address it, according to Pew. Talk is cheap, which is why CEOs do so much of it. Heres a chance for them to do something real and prove they value their workers. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com (Reuters) - Chelsea fans can expect more from the London club in the transfer market as they look to bridge the gap with Liverpool and Manchester City next season, manager Frank Lampard has said. Chelsea have sealed deals for Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech and Germany forward Timo Werner, and have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz as they rebuild the squad following a close-season transfer ban last year. Lampard's side are third in the Premier League with 63 points, 30 points adrift of champions Liverpool, but can seal a Champions League berth by winning their two remaining league games. With an FA Cup final against Arsenal on the horizon, Lampard believes Chelsea have a lot to look forward to. "With what we do in the summer, there will be more to come," Lampard said. "We want to win the final. We want to close the gap." "We are working towards something. It doesn't come easy. We have seen that with other teams in recent years. It is step by step. We have shown lots of good stuff this year. "Three games won't define the progress we have made but we are at the business end." (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel) Your browser does not support the video tag. SOMERVILLE, Mass., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WaveSense , Inc. today announced that Joe Hinrichs, former Ford Motor Company Automotive President, has joined its Board of Directors effective immediately. The company also appointed Charles Chuck Stevens III, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of General Motors, and Kurt Lehmann, former CTO of Continental to its Advisory Board. These renowned automotive industry veterans join WaveSense at a time where the technology which originated in the military is moving to commercialization. WaveSense is delivering the most precise and reliable vehicle positioning system at a cost that allows broad adoption. Knowing where you are is fundamental to enabling the next generation safety and performance features the automotive industry is looking for, said Hinrichs. WaveSenses Ground Penetrating Radar provides always available, precise positioning that cameras, traditional radar and Lidar simply have not achieved. I am excited to contribute to WaveSenses rapid and broad adoption so that new and improved safety and performance features become available to drivers around the world. WaveSense works by mapping and tracking to the road's subsurface. A radar signal is sent 10 feet into the ground and the reflection creates a unique fingerprint of every inch of roadway. Together, these fingerprints form a map that allows precise positioning in any condition, including snow, heavy rain, fog, or on roads with poor lane markings all of which cause other positioning technologies to degrade or fail. WaveSense is working closely with leading automakers on next generation autonomous features for passenger vehicles. The company has completed pilots with Top 10 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers who are looking to deploy WaveSense technology in assisted and autonomous driving products at scale. Joe, Chuck and Kurt are world class leaders in the automotive industry, and they will be invaluable assets as WaveSense navigates customer partnering and scale up. Their guidance will help us move faster and smarter and were thrilled to have them as part of the team, said Tarik Bolat, CEO and co-founder of WaveSense. About Joe Hinrichs Joe Hinrichs, 53, is an automotive industry veteran who spent 19 years at Ford Motor Company, most recently as Automotive President. In this role he oversaw all of Ford and Lincoln global automotive business, including the global business units of North America, South America, China, Europe, and the International Markets Group. He also led the global automotive skill teams of Product Development, Purchasing, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs, Marketing and Sales, Information Technology, Government Affairs, Enterprise Product Line Management, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), Customer Experience, Quality and New Model Launch, and Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering. Hinrichss oversight of manufacturing played a key role in building strong UAW relationships that contributed to effective contract negotiations. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering Magna Cum Laude from the University of Dayton in 1989. Hinrichs also earned a master's degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School in 1994 as a GM Fellow while working for General Motors. He was GM's youngest plant manager at the age of 29 when he was leading the GM Powertrain Plant in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1996. The turnaround of that plant is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. About Charles "Chuck" K. Stevens III Chuck Stevens retired as Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor for General Motors in March 2019, after a 40-year career at the company. From 1994 to 2005 he held several leadership positions in General Motors' Asia Pacific Region. He returned to North America in 2006 and assumed the role of CFO for General Motors Canada and later GM Mexico in 2008 and CFO of GM North America in 2010. In 2014, Stevens was named Executive Vice President and CFO of General Motors Corporation, where he was responsible for leading the company's financial and accounting operations worldwide. He served in this position with GM until September 2018. Stevens also serves as a director on the boards of Masco Corporation, Flex Ltd, and Tenneco. He received his Bachelor of Industrial Administration from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Flint. About Kurt Lehmann A graduate of Michigan Technological University with 34 years in the automotive industry, Kurt spent the last 15 years in Europe with his most recent position as Corporate Technology Officer (CTO) reporting to the CEO of Continental Corporation. In this role his organization shaped the direction and vision of Continentals future technology and innovation portfolio in order to maintain Continentals role as a global technology leader. His tasks included further developing research and development processes, methods, and instruments in relation to embedded software and coordinating the ongoing optimization of Continentals global research and development network. Key innovation targets were pursued by technology trend scouting centered on the future-related fields of artificial intelligence, automation, electrification, connectivity, wireless technologies, cybersecurity, and new mobility services for future products. About WaveSense: WaveSense is the first company in the world to offer centimeter-level vehicle navigation in all conditions based on ground penetrating radar. Its mission is to enable autonomous navigation safely, precisely and reliably in any condition. It is the worldwide exclusive licensee of IP generated at MIT Lincoln Laboratory while the technology was being developed for the military applications. WaveSense was founded in 2017 and is funded by Rhapsody Venture Partners, a Cambridge, MA-based venture fund focused on investing in and bringing to market breakthrough innovations in hard science and technology. WaveSense was named the Top Autonomous Driving Project at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, and received the Best in Show award from PlanetM, the mobility initiative of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. For more information please visit https://wavesense.io/ . By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday dismissed as "frivolous" two PILs seeking preservation of artefacts recovered from the Ram Janmabhoomi site at Ayodhya. The top court also imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh each on the two petitioners and asked them to pay it within one month. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krishan Murari said that a five-judge bench has already given its verdict and this is an attempt through PIL to overreach the judgement. The counsel appearing for the petitioners said the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust has also accepted that there are many artefacts in the area that need protection. The bench sought to know as to why the petitioners have come before the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution. "You should stop filing such frivolous petition. What do you mean by this petition? Are you saying that there is no rule of law and the five-judge bench judgement of this court will not be followed by anyone," the bench said, adding that it intends to dismiss both the petition. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the court should also consider imposing costs. The bench then said that a cost of Rs 1 lakh each is imposed on both the petitioners which should be paid within one month from Monday. Petitioners Satish Chindhuji Shambharkar and Dr Ambedkar Foundation have moved the top court seeking preservation of artefacts recovered from the disputed site during the court-monitored excavation done during hearing of the contentious issue at Allahabad High Court. They have also sought preserving of artefacts which would be recovered after digging the foundation for the new Ram Temple at Ayodhya and said that it should be done under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). On November 9, settling a fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict backed the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town. Delivering a unanimous judgement on a case that has long polarised the country and frayed the secular tapestry of Indian society, a five-judge bench of the apex court headed by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said the faith of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the site was undisputed, and he is symbolically the owner of the land. Canadian Foreign Minister confirmed that the black box of the Ukrainian jetliner, which was downed in Tehran killing all 176 people on board, has arrived in Paris. Francois-Philippe Champagne took to Twitter to confirm the arrival of the black box after Iran delayed its release. The black box is expected to be sent to the Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau (BEA) on July 20. We have received confirmation that the black boxes of Flight #PS752 have arrived in Paris where they are expected to be brought to the @BEA_Aero tomorrow morning for analysis. Officials from @TSBCanada will be present. pic.twitter.com/AhBL12HZnk Francois-Philippe Champagne (FPC) (@FP_Champagne) July 19, 2020 Iranian officials have confirmed that the jetliner was accidentally downed by its own missile after vehemently denying such claims for days. Before Iran took the responsibility of the mistake, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau had pointed towards the preliminary review of the evidence, indicating the aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile. The members of the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752, which includes Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the UK, issued a joint statement welcoming the delivery of recorders to France's Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau. It said that the arrival of the black box was long overdue and is only a step towards completing the safety investigation. We reiterate our demand for Iran to conduct full, transparent, and independent flight safety investigation in accordance with international standards, the statement read. Read: Boeing Cuts 12,000 Jobs, Resumes Production Of Grounded 737 Max Jetliner 'Human error' The Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran (CAOI) released a report on the investigations last week, blaming "human error" and poor military communication for the downing of the plane. Earlier, the Iranian government had denied any cover-up after taking days confirm that the Ukrainian jetliner was mistakenly downed by its own missile. The European Union (EU) later demanded an independent and credible investigation, saying it important to launch a probe through a civil safety investigation conducted in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation rules. The Coordination Group has vowed to continue working to ensure transparency, accountability and justice, including reparations, for the families of the victims of the tragedy. Read: Iranian Health Officials Attempt To Explain Hassan Rouhani's '25 Million Infected' Remark Guam's largest business organization on Monday called on the government to look at industries outside of tourism to grow the economy, with the COVID-19 pandemic halting the visitor industry and bringing revenues down by $47 million, or 8.5%, in eight months. The revenue shortage is "concerning," according to the Guam Chamber of Commerce. The Republican Party of Guam, meanwhile, called on GovGuam to prioritize reducing the cost of running the government and to "do so immediately." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The CNMI and Hawaii, which also heavily rely on tourism, have reduced current fiscal year budgets and announced plans for government furloughs in light of reduced revenue. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, a Democrat, has said her administration has been prudent with resources, so no furloughs or other cost-cutting measures have been announced. Her budget director, Lester Carlson, said much of the revenue shortfall could be attributed to the movement of the tax filing date to July 15, from April 15. Republicans: 'Do the responsible thing' "While it is clear that the executive branch absolutely refuses to reduce costs, the legislative branch needs to do the responsible thing and identify cost-cutting measures," the Republicans said in a statement. "Even at the heart of the pandemic, knowing that government collections would be bleak, Adelup continues to hire, and other than a few Republican senators, the Guam Legislature said absolutely nothing." The administration is proposing a record $1 billion budget for fiscal 2022. The Democrat-led Legislature has been holding agency budget hearings leading to a vote on the 2022 budget. Potential new industries As for the Guam Chamber of Commerce's ideas for potential new industries for Guam, here are the ones it believes are attainable: Alternative dispute resolution Captive insurance Guam trust law Relocation of high-wealth individuals and business from Asia Pharmaceutical manufacturing relocation to U.S. territories Construction, ship repair and labor Safe haven port Satellite launching Silicon Village initiative The governor, during a prior news briefing, said her administration has started exploring alternative industries and luring businesses from Hong Kong, and beefing up agriculture and aquaculture. Advertisement Johnny Depp has enjoyed an evening in the pub with a mystery female friend ahead of another week in the High Court - with his ex-wife Amber Heard due to give evidence today. The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 57, made a pit stop at The Alfred Tennyson on Sunday, an upmarket gastro-pub in London's Belgravia neighbourhood. Sporting a large Rastafarian-style hat and puffing on a hand-rolled cigarette, Depp was followed out of the venue by a smartly-dressed female companion. It comes just hours before his ex-wife Heard, 34, will take to the witness box to counter claims that Depp made during his five days of evidence which wrapped up last week at the High Court in London. Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, the parent company of the Sun, for libel over a 2018 article which labelled him a 'wife-beater.' NGN is defending the article as true, and says Depp was 'controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs'. During Depp's 20 hours of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice, the actor claimed Heard severed the tip of his finger when she threw a large vodka bottle at him during one explosive row, and that either she or one of her friends had defecated in their shared bed as a prank. Depp, 57, made a pit stop at The Alfred Tennyson, an upmarket gastro-pub in London's Belgravia where a Sunday roast lunch will set you back 25. Sporting a large Rastafarian-style hat and puffing on a hand-rolled cigarette, the Pirates of the Caribbean star was followed out of the venue by an unknown female companion He also accuses her of having affairs with co-stars and with Tesla chief Elon Musk, which Musk denies. Heard, 34, will take to the witness box to counter claims that Depp made during his five days of evidence which wrapped up last week Depp's Sunday roast at the pub marks a more subdued preparation for the week ahead after it emerged he'd spent the days before the High Court showdown by playing guitar with rock legend Jeff Beck, 76. The pair even released a cover version of John Lennon's aptly titled 'Isolation' as a result of their 'jamming' sessions at Beck's home in Sussex, the Sunday Mirror reported. Heard is due to be called as the first defence witness on Monday and is expected to give evidence over three days. Mr Justice Nicol is also expected to hear an application by NGN's lawyers to call expert evidence about whether images purporting to show injuries to Heard have been 'manipulated or edited' in some way. Last Monday, on the final day of his evidence, Depp said: 'It seemed like everything [Heard] would accuse me of was something she had done to me.' On Thursday, the court heard written statements from two of his former partners, Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, who said he was never violent to them. Ms Paradis, 47, with whom the actor has two children, said: 'I have known Johnny for more than 25 years. We've been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together. 'Through all these years I've known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.' Ms Paradis' statement continued: 'I am aware of the allegations which Amber Heard has publicly accused Johnny of for more than four years now. Depp holds a hand-rolled cigarette between his lips as he steps out of the swanky London pub on Sunday evening Depp was followed out of the venue by a mystery woman just hours before the High Court in London is to hear evidence from the actor's ex-wife, Amber Heard Depp leaving the pub on Sunday. He finished giving evidence at his libel trial last Monday after some 20 hours in the witness box Depp holds a cigarette in his mouth as he leaves the pub in London's affluent Belgravia neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon Depp in Belgravia, London on Sunday. Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, the parent company of the Sun, for libel over a 2018 article which labelled him a 'wife-beater.' Depp's female companion paired a white sweater with a short black skirt 'This is nothing like the true Johnny I have known, and, from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me.' Ms Ryder, 48, who was engaged to Mr Depp in the 1990s, said in her statement: 'I knew Johnny very well years ago. We were together as a couple for four years, and I counted him as my best friend, and as close to me as family. 'I count our relationship as one of the more significant relationships of my life. 'I understand that it is very important that I speak from my own experience, as I obviously was not there during his marriage to Amber, but, from my experience, which was so wildly different, I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him.' Depp was ushered into a waiting car as he walked out of the pub on Sunday evening Depp opted for casual attire, wearing a reggae-themed hat, a green Von Dutch jacket, jeans and Puma trainers On Friday, the ninth day of the trial, the court heard from a long-standing friend of Depp that Heard had made her allegations to 'extort and blackmail him.' Isaac Baruch, an artist who has known the Hollywood star for 40 years, said Mr Depp told him that Heard 'likes to argue and likes to hit' and said: 'I'm not gonna hit her, I love her.' Giving evidence by video-link from the US, Mr Baruch said he saw Ms Heard's face and did not see 'a single mark' on May 22 2016, the day after Depp allegedly threw his ex-wife's 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'. Depp leaving the upmarket gastro-pub in London's central Belgravia neighbourhood The actor was seen holding a lighter as he prepared to spark up a hand-rolled cigarette upon exiting the venue Depp, with his back to the camera, after leaving the pub on Sunday afternoon He also told the court that Depp called Heard 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'. In his evidence, Travis McGivern a member of Mr Depp's 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 also 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 Heard late at night. Newly-appointed Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Kyrylo Shevchenko believes that Ukraine can become a regional financial hub in five years. "The National Bank will continue to pursue its policy of cooperation with international financial organizations and investors. I believe that in five years Ukraine can become a regional financial hub, which investors from all over the world will seek to invest long-term funds in," Shevchenko said after President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky introduced him to NBUs staff, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to him, the National Bank will continue to support the implementation of the main strategies of state-owned banks. To date, the corporate governance reform of state-owned banks is one of the most successful in the country. It is thanks to this reform that state-owned banks have become the most efficient institutions in the public sector. "The main thing for the National Bank of Ukraine is to ensure macroeconomic stability and consistency of the financial sector," Shevchenko stressed. On July 16, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appointed Kyrylo Shevchenko to the position of the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine on the proposal of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. Shevchenko became the eleventh governor of the National Bank in the history of independent Ukraine. ol Portland, Oregon: Top leaders in the US House said on Sunday they were alarmed by the Trump administrations tactics against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and other cities, including Washington, DC, and called on federal inspectors general investigate. Militarised federal agents deployed by the President to Portland, Oregon, fire tear gas at protesters. Credit:AP This is a matter of utmost urgency, wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney-General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, DC, Portland, and other communities across the United States. The mayor of Oregon's largest city said on Sunday the presence of federal agents is exacerbating tensions in Portland, which has seen nearly two months of nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 13:32:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry Monday morning said 681 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 40,425 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 27,497 and total cases to 1,118,043. This is the highest single day spike in terms of new COVID-19 cases in the country so far. "As on 8:00 a.m. (local time) Monday, 27,497 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," reads information released by the ministry. "The number of active cases in the country right now is 390,459," reads the information. Presently the country has entered Unlock 2.0 phase, though restrictions remain in full force inside the COVID-19 Containment Zones. As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise, human trials of a vaccine - COVAXIN, developed by "Bharat Biotech", started at a government-run hospital -- PGI Rohtak in northern state of Haryana on Friday. "Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well. There were no adverse effects," tweeted the state's health minister Anil Vij. Enditem Hackers Targeting Turkey & Syria With Spyware Cyber security analysts have found evidence of watering hole attacks against the Kurdish community in Syria and Turkey for surveillance and intelligence exfiltration purposes. A sophisticated threat called StrongPity, has reconfigured with new tactics to control compromised machines. Bitdefender researchers have recently found the APT group StrongPity has been targeting victims in Turkey and Syria. Using watering hole tactics to selectively infect victims and deploying a three-tier C&C infrastructure to thwart forensic investigations, the APT group has leveraged Trojanized popular tools, such as archivers, file recovery applications, remote connections applications, utilities, and even security software, to cover a wide range of options that targeted victims might be seeking. The data gathered while investigating this group suggests the attackers are interested especially in the Kurdish community, placing the threat in the geo-political context of the constant conflicts in the region. StrongPity was first publicly reported on in 2016 after attacks against users in Belgium and Italy that used watering holes to deliver malicious versions of WinRAR and TrueCrypt file encryption software. Since then, the APT has been linked to an attack in 2018 that rearranged Turk Telekom's network to redirect hundreds of users in Turkey and Syria to malicious StrongPity versions of authentic software. Although Syria and Turkey may be their recurring targets, the threat actor behind StrongPity appears to be expanding their victimology to infect users in Colombia, India, Canada, and Vietnam using tainted versions of Firefox, VPNpro, DriverPack, and 5kPlayer. This has been described as an evolving malware that employs a module called "winprint32.exe" to launch the document search and transmit the collected files. What's more, the fake Firefox installer also checks if either ESET or BitDefender antivirus software is installed before dropping the malware. Once the victim is compromised, components pertaining to persistency, command and control communication, and file searching are deployed on the victims machine. Based on instructions, the exfiltration component runs a file searching mechanism responsible for looping through drives looking for files with specific extensions. If found, they are placed in a temporary zip archive. They will be split into hidden .sft encrypted files, sent to the C&C server, and ultimately deleted from the disk to cover any tracks of the exfiltration. BitDefender: AlienVault: Hacker News: You Might Also Read: Turkey Using German Spy Software On Opposition Politicians & Activists: (HealthDay)In a quick policy reversal, the Trump administration on Thursday told the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to once again post data about COVID-19 hospitalizations on its website. Earlier in the week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered the CDC to stop posting the data because it was doing so too slowly. Instead, HHS would manage the data, CNN reported. Health experts slammed the HHS decision. "Given how political the response has been to date, it's a step backwards to have these data going directly to HHS in Washington," Richard Besser, M.D., former CDC interim director, told CNN. The CDC removed some of the data from its website Wednesday evening, but HHS told the CDC on Thursday morning to repost the data. Explore further Trump administration bypasses CDC on collection of coronavirus hospital data More information: CNN Article Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. H ollywood actress Amber Heard feared Johnny Depp was going to kill her as he repeatedly told her death was the only way out of the relationship, she told the High Court today. The star, 34, claims Depp was an abusive and controlling husband who regularly attacked her while high on drugs or drunk, punching her, pulling her hair and throwing glass bottles at her. Heard says the Pirates of the Caribbean star referred to their romance as dead or alive in dark conversations, and threatened to carve my face if she ever left him. She says her career was harmed by Depps controlling behaviour because he demanded to know details of nudity on screen and love scenes, and accused her of a string of affairs with co-stars including Kevin Costner and Eddie Redmayne. Heard started giving her evidence to the High Court this morning, in the third week of Depps blockbuster libel battle with News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun. He said to me time and time again, the only way out of this was death, Heard told the court from the witness box. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 1 /105 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on the first day .Jeremy Selwyn Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on the first day PA Johnny Depp on the first day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN) AFP via Getty Images Amber Heard with her sister Whitney Heard on the first day Johnny Depp's libel case PA Johnny Depp wearing a face covering AFP via Getty Images) Johnny Depp (right) being cross-examined by Sasha Wass QC (left) before the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, at the High Court on 7 July PA Amber Heard waves as she arrives at the High Court on the second day PA Johnny Depp arrives on the second day of the hearing his libel case Reuters AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Johnny Depp (L) arrives on the third day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July Reuters Photo showing Amber Heard injury alleged to have been caused by Johnny Depp An image Heard said was taken after this incident, showing a bruise on her arm. Lines of cocaine on a table that were allegedly taken by actor Johnny Depp PA An image of Johnny Depp apparently passed out on the floor Amber Heard and Bianca Butti leave the Royal Courts of Justice on 9 July Getty Images Amber Heard (R) arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July AP Amber Heard arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp photo spilt ice cream photo referred to in court Amber Heard American actor Johnny Depp gestures to the media as he arrives at the High Court on 13 July AP Amber Heard's pet teacup Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA One of the pictures shown in court Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 14 July PA Johnny Depp with injuries allegedly sustained from Amber Heard during an incident in Los Angeles PA Amber Heard being questioned by Sasha Wass QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London on 20 July Elizabeth Cook/PA Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 20 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Monday where she is due to give evidence against former husband Johnny Depp on 20 July PA Amber Heard image which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court on 20 July PA Johnny Depp arrives at Royal Courts of Justice on 21 July Getty Images Amber Heard with a bruising on her face, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London during a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Amber Heard with a friend, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Johnny Depp leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Video deposition of Amber Heard in US proceedings, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court PA Johnny Depp with a cast on his hand PA Amber Heard leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July PA Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 22 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July Getty Images PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July Reuters Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July REUTERS Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July Getty Images Amber Heard with her girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP via Getty Images REUTERS Getty Images AFP via Getty Images SplashNews.com PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS SplashNews.com REUTERS She claims Depp was violent regularly between 2013 and 2016, when she first made public her claims of domestic violence while filing for divorce and seeking a court-ordered restraining order. Johnny has said he was never violent or abusive towards me during our relationship. That is not true, Heard said in her witness statements made public today for the first time. (Elizabeth Cook/PA ) / Elizabeth Cook/PA He was both physically and verbally abusive. The physical abuse and the worst of the verbal abuse would usually happen when he was drunk or high on drugs, which was often. Much of the time he had difficultly recalling what he had done once he had slept it off. Depp denies he was ever violent in the marriage, insisting that Heard is behind a hoax against him and that she was in fact the abuser. But Heard insisted: The physical abuse included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. Amber Heard arriving at court on Monday / PA He threw things at me, especially glass bottles. He was always antagonised by shows of will, like me standing up after he had knocked me down. Often, especially earlier in the relationship, I wouldnt even block the blows; I would just freeze and disassociate. She added: Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. Heard claims Depps behaviour was extremely controlling and intimidating, including keeping track of her movements, where she was staying and who she was meeting, but she initially found his attention romantic. She said he used his charisma to talk away the violent incidents, blaming them on the monster within him. Heard claims Depp directed his intensity and darkness towards her, telling the court: When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking the way he talked about our relationship being dead or alive and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship. The way he would describe what he wanted to do to me if I left him or hurt him, for example, carving my face up so no one else would want me, and in his language towards others whom he didnt like or was threatened by, detailing how he wanted to have someone tortured or how cheap and easy it would be to have someone knocked off. Heard suggested Depp had accused her of having affairs in movie after movie, with other stars including Liam Hemsworth and Channing Tatum. She claims Depp suspected an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, nicknaming him pumpkin-head, while he called Tatum potato-head. Starting to answer questions this morning, Ms Heard insisted she had wanted to sign a pre-nuptial agreement with Depp. I made it clear I was not interested in Johnnys money, she said. The trial continues. Because our lanky old hound had to pee at 4 a.m., my son gets to learn to drive this summer. Let me back up: This is a story about the absurdity that is the DMV - the Department of Motor Vehicles. Shuddering yet? The DMV remains the live-action Kafka novel and alternate universe that's always been the stuff of nightmares. Now plunge that dysfunctional place into pandemic times and you see where this story is going. I needed a new driver's license after mine was stolen and my firstborn was turning driving age this summer, so we had to journey to Mordor. Learning to drive is the one thing American teens had left for them this summer - after the pandemic robbed them of socializing, sports, swimming pools, summer trips, jobs and internships, and all the other ways teens begin to test independence. Now imagine the voice-cracking moans of agony from 2004 babies like my sonwhen the coronavirus shut down DMVs across the nation. But fortunes changed in the District of Columbia when the DMV announced it would reopen in June by appointment only. I got to work and scored spots for both of us a week after my son's birthday. He studied harder for the driver's test than he had for all his finals. And I worked that list of required records like a Soviet-era Czechoslovakian about to face the Department of Documents. My papers would be in order. The dining-room table was covered in neat piles of every document I had: proof-of-residency packets for both me and my husband, our passports, months of utility bills, financial statements, my son's Social Security card and birth certificate, a vial of blood and the withered stump of his umbilical cord. I had this. "Not to be a pessimist, but I am a DC native and have never, ever managed to get through the DC DMV in less than two visits," my Facebook friend Corinne Rothblum warned me when I bragged online about how ready I was this time. Sure. And in normal times, you'd take another half-day off work next week and make it happen. But in covid times? The next available appointment was in November. We couldn't fail. We arrived 30 minutes early for his 3 p.m. appointment. The clerk looked up his name. "Oh. For a learning permit? We stop giving knowledge tests at 2 p.m.," she said. Nooooooo! This information, as far as I can tell, is nowhere on the website. We pleaded with her. She tried to see whether he could test at 2:30 p.m. "Sorry, they shut the machines down," she said. "You'll have to make another appointment." Blinking back failed Tiger Mom tears, I went inside for my own appointment while my son trudged back to the car he now couldn't drive until Thanksgiving. When the clerk asked for my Social Security card, unimpressed with all the color-coded paper clips on my stacks of perfect paperwork, I reached for my wallet - and my stomach did a flip-flop. I had forgotten something: That card had been stolen, too. "Do you have a W-2?" she asked, offering me a lifeline. I pulled it up on my phone. "It has to be a printed copy," she said. And no, she wouldn't print it for me. Nooooooo! The next available appointment? Yup, November. She gave me a temporary, paper license, which I'm sure will be seen as totally legit everywhere. When I returned to the car, I went in for a mama-bear hug of my red-eyed boy. "No, Mom," he said, pushing me away. "I'm so sorry." And he pointed to the spiderweb cracks across the windshield. "I threw my phone when I got back into the car," he said. And now paying off that windshield will be his new, nondriving summer activity. "The clerk told us we can keep looking for a canceled appointment online," I told him as he recited the rules of the road in a monotone the whole way home. This is more than just a First World, sad-teen story. Because the DMV is also the keeper of the American identification system, its dysfunction affects access to benefits and money, livelihoods and careers across the socio-economic spectrum. I've heard from folks whose expired IDs kept them from cashing disability checks. People whose new jobs were in limbo because they couldn't get a District license after moving here for work, or whose insurance is at risk of getting canceled because licenses aren't renewed, or who can't get a title transfer for a car purchase. Ivanka Trump is telling the unemployed to "find something new," but if that new thing - like delivering groceries or takeout - requires an ID, a driver's license or car registration that is up to date, they might be toast. It's not just here. I texted with a guy from Virginia whose fruitless, six-hour-long appointment to renew a license sent him back to the online lottery to try for another spot. He's been trying for a month. Officials have noticed the problem. The Department of Homeland Security announced that enforcement of Real ID - the enhanced national identification standards that will cover all driver's licenses - set to begin in October, is pushed back a year. A small help. And Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that licenses, registrations and inspections that expired after March will remain valid throughout the coronavirus crisis in Washington. But that does little for anyone needing to deal with the federal government (disability check) or outside companies (insurance), or who must travel or rent a car - and it leaves out the working poor who may be struggling with registrations that expired before the pandemic stuck. I tried to ask District of Columbia DMV Director Gabriel Robinson about this, but his staff pointed me to the announcements Bowser made instead. Back to the hound, the hero of our story. When I let the dog out in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I sat down to my perpetually open DMV appointment page, click-scroll-clicked and couldn't believe it - an appointment was available that day. The clunky online system doesn't make it easy to simply book the spot - that's another issue I didn't get to ask Robinson about - but I worked some 4 a.m. digital voodoo and snagged it. Dog and I danced and whooped around the house, waking everyone up. So this is how the rest of the District of Columbia is supposed to work around such a broken system? How many people have the luxury of time and a strong Internet connection (plus an incontinent hound) to make this work? The kid got up, studied some more. The papers were in order. He missed only two questions - and passed the test. He drove us home. And started on the yardwork that would begin to pay off that windshield. Meghalaya Board of School Education has released the MBOSE SSLC result 2020 today on their official website mbose.in. The pass percentage for this year is the lowest in past 5 years. Read complete report here. The pass percentage of MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 remained 50.31 per cent this year. The results were announced by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) today. The pass percentage recorded this year is the lowest in the last 5 years. The MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 is available at mbose.in. This year 50,081 students appeared for MBOS SSLC (Secondary school leaving certificate) or class MBOSE class 10 exams. In the year 2019, the pass percentage was visibly higher than this year. The pass percentage of MBOSE SSLC Result 2019 was 55.72 per cent. This years decline in the pass percentage was something that students and teachers were not expecting. Chetna Bose from Tura has topped the results with 568 marks. Sainava Modak from Whilong stands second with 565 marks. With 561 marks, Aninamdapisha P Byrsat from Shillong is at third position. The board result is being hosted by several other websites as well. This is done as the main website sometimes crashes due to higher traffic. The alternative websites that are also hosting the MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 are: Also read: MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 released: Know how to check and alternative websites Also read: Bank of Baroda Recruitment: Check vacancies, eligibility and other details Check MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 online: Visit the official website of Meghalaya Board, mbose.in. Click on the link for SSLC results 2020. Enter your login credentials that include your Roll Number. Click on the Submit button. Your MBOSE SSLC result 2020 will appear before you. Print/download your result for future reference. This year the Meghalaya Board did not release the result offline, keeping in mind the ongoing coronavirus situation. Also, the HSSLC (Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate) result was released by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) on July 13. This result usually used to come out in the month of May but this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the results got delayed. Also read: KVS Admissions 2020: Class 1 admission forms released, know where and how to fill and other details For all the latest Education and Jobs News, download NewsX App Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:25:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabweans are waiting eagerly for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to announce new lockdown restrictions as the country battles a wave of COVID-19 infections. The government last week halted the further re-opening of the economy and announced that Mnangagwa would soon announce the tightening of lockdown restrictions in hotspot areas. As of Sunday, Harare and Bulawayo had the highest number of COVID-19 cases with 483 and 475 respectively. Local transmissions, which had been contained at the beginning of the pandemic in March, have gone up drastically and are now just less than the number of imported infections. Apparently, most of the traceable local transmissions are happening in the workplace but health officials are also worried about those that are taking place with no known positive contacts. The government has so far deferred the re-opening of schools, which had been scheduled for July 28, to prevent transmission in schools. Also worrisome to authorities is the fact that some COVID-19 positive cases are only identified during post mortems. Harare City Council's director of health services Prosper Chonzi said this could be an indication that the country was not doing enough testing, hence missing the patients before they died. It could also mean patients were not presenting themselves for testing after having symptoms and this made mass community testing a necessity. He also said there was need for a complete lockdown to allow the country time to re-strategize on its national response. "Looking at this exponential rise in cases and looking at the number of deaths and weaknesses in our health system, we need to look at issues of lockdown again for at least a week or two of complete lockdown so that we can get on top of the situation. "This might give us an opportunity to re-strategize so that we do not continue to have more cases," said Chonzi. In the communities, many people are failing to observe social distancing and wearing face masks in public, thus raising the risk of more infections. Enditem The bureau also alleged that Townstone executives, including CEO Barry Sturner, made comments during the companys weekly radio shows and podcasts through which Townstone marketed its services that illegally discouraged African-American applicants from applying for a mortgage. The CFPBs lawsuit cites a comment made by Sturner on an episode of the podcast that recommended driving very fast through Markham a majority-African-American community. On another episode, Sturner described a Jewel grocery store in downtown Chicago by saying We used to call it Jungle Jewel. There were people from all over the world going into that Jewel. It was packed. It was a scary place. The company has also been accused of engaging in redlining by discouraging applicants from applying for mortgages for properties located in African-American neighborhoods, including by making discouraging statements during its weekly radio shows and podcasts. Townstone Financial, meanwhile, is accusing the CFPB an agency run by Trump appointee Kathy Kraninger of beating up on Townstone in order to silence conservative speech, as the company advertises and runs its radio show on a conservative AM radio station. The CFPB is using this case to drive all banking and mortgage companies away from advertising on conservative talk radio and to punish mainstream conservative political speech and social commentary, said James Bopp Jr. of The Bopp Law Firm, which is representing Townstone. The CFPB has long been controversial and just lost a case in the United States Supreme Court for being improperly structured. They have been waiting years to file a case on the eve of a presidential election to damage conservative voices. This is another federal agency weaponized to attack conservatives that needs to be stopped. Chicago is one of the worst cities in America when it comes to the mortgage-approval gap between Black and white borrowers, according to a recent Redfin study. In the Chicago metro area along with Milwaukee, Detroit, San Francisco and St. Louis mortgage denial rates are more than 10 percentage points higher for Black borrowers than for white borrowers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 03:57:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is in Brussels attending a European Union (EU) summit, said Sunday that Finland had been consulting with both the "frugal four" and other EU countries over EU's multi-annual budget and an ambitious recovery plan designed to lift the bloc out of the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Talking to Finnish national broadcaster Yle, Marin said that the "Frugal Four" is "the partner of Finland for co-operation with regard to the recovery package," but Finland also shares opinions with other EU countries on issues which she did not specify. The summit, the first face-to-face one since the outbreak of the pandemic, came at a critical moment as the bloc is seeking a consensus on the European Commission-proposed 750-billion-euro (857 billion U.S. dollars) recovery plan. The next seven-year EU budget worth more than one trillion euros is another focus of the summit. In the debt-financed 750-billion-euro recovery plan, 500 billion euros will be paid as non-repayable grants to crisis-hit countries and 250 billion euros as loans. But the EU member states differed greatly in talks. The "Frugal Four" refers to the four countries - the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Sweden. They opposed the scale of non-repayable grants, and called for linking aid to reform plans. Spain and Italy, the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, called for reaching the consensus as soon as possible. Marin repeated on Yle that the total volume of the EU COVID-19 recovery package must be reduced, and the share of direct assistance must be lower. In addition, Marin said Finland insists that the principles of "rule of law mechanism" be included in the results of the ongoing EU summit. Finland put forward the principle that the use of EU funding must be tied with the requirement that rule of law and joint values are applied in the receiver countries. Marin said that if an agreement looks possible the talks should continue until Monday. Germany news agency dpa, citing EU diplomats, reported on Sunday evening that the "Frugal Four" has suggested paring back the overall size of the proposed EU recovery fund from 750 billion euros to 700 billion euros in a bid to break the deadlock. "Under the suggestion, half this 700 billion euros would be paid out as grants, and half as loans," dpa said. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars) Enditem These supplies have enabled 11 central power stations in Al-Mahra Governorate to function properly and constantly, ensuring electricity reaches 82 rural communities and powering 24 projects providing basic services such as water supply and distribution facilities, hospitals and health centers. Al-Mahra Governor Mohammed Ali Yasser who received the fuel vessel alongside SDRPY Al-Mahra Director Eng. Abdullah Basulaiman, Al-Mahra Oil Company Manager Muhsen Ali and others affirmed the importance of the grant in helping hospitals and other essential service facilities to operate. He announced that SDRPY would soon launch projects to construct a 40-megawatt power station and a road through King Salman Medical and Educational City, to complement its support for services and development in the energy, education, health, water, agriculture, fisheries and transportation sectors. The grant has made a significant impact on stabilizing electrical currents and improving access to water in all areas of Al-Mahra Governorate, as well as alleviating the financial burden on local authorities in purchasing diesel. Continuous power cuts were a fact of daily life for the people of the province prior to the grant, and work was only possible for a few hours a day for most. Electricity in Al-Mahra is now readily available for both longtime residents and the displaced. "SDRPY's efforts are living manifestations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's seriousness in helping Yemen and building a better future for its citizens," said Eng. Basulaiman. "We are working to provide all that the Yemeni citizen needs in Al-Mahra and across Yemen's governorates," he explained, adding that the grant was intended to ensure the "permanence of electricity services, stability of electrical currents, improvement of the economy and living standards, and increased job opportunities." SDRPY organizes distribution of the oil derivatives grant in Al-Mahra Governorate through a receipt and delivery committee, in cooperation with the Al-Mahra Oil Company, the General Electricity Corporation, government authorities and civic organizations. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200599/SDRPY_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200600/SDRPY_2.jpg SOURCE Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen Crisis-hit Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Group on Monday said it expects to address over Rs 50,500 crore of debt by the end of the financial year 2021. This amounts to 48.98 per cent of the estimated overall debt of over Rs 99,000 crore. IL&FS Group's new board, headed by veteran banker Uday Kotak, expects the company to address over Rs 57,000 crore of debt, with around Rs 50,500 crore likely to be addressed by March 2021, the debt-ridden company said in a regulatory filing. "The revised value accounts for over 57 per cent of overall debt and is significantly higher than the average realisation, till date, for Financial Creditors under theI BC process," IL&FS said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Till June 30, 2020, IL&FS has addressed debt of Rs 17,640 crore, including cash balance of Rs 8,630 crore, from a combination of - completed asset sales, debt repayment to Green Entities, debt discharged in Non-Green entities and available cash balance across the group. Also Read: IL&FS case: Sebi imposes penalty of Rs 25 lakh fine each on ICRA, CARE Sharing a quarterly plan, the group's non-executive chairman Uday Kotak-led board said it will address additional debt of Rs 8,800 crore by Q2 FY21 (September quarter); Rs 18,000 crore by Q3 FY21 and over Rs 6,000 crore by the end of Q4FY21 -aggregating to Rs 50,500 crore by end of FY21. Efforts towards resolution of additional debt of Rs 6,600 crore are likely to continue beyond FY21, as the new board expects the resolution of major holding companies to take a longer time, the company said. The IL&FS board has developed a "group resolution framework" that received NCLAT approval on March 12, 2020. As part of the resolution efforts, IL&FS also proposes to set up one of the country's largest InvITs with a target gross value of Rs 13,000 crore. It includes three special purpose vehicles (SPVs) where debt of Rs 5,000 crore has been restructured. Also Read: IL&FS case: Bombay HC rejects MCA plea to ban Deloitte, KPMG for 5 years The group is in an advanced stage of concluding the sale process of 15 entities with resolution of nearly Rs 8,500 crore and plans restructuring additional debt of Rs 4,900 crore. The government had, in October 2018, seized control of the debt-strapped group and superseded its board with one led by Uday Kotak. The new board has till date met 42 times since October 2018 to ensure governance and vigorous oversight of the resolution process. During this period, total number of entities has been reduced from 347 to 276, which is expected to further reduce to around 60 entities by March 2021. Besides, the board has taken multiple steps and ensured preservation of key national road and power assets, it said. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says he "deeply" regrets falling asleep in the Dail last week and conceded it could damage him in his battle to stay at the party's helm. Mr Ryan said he "nodded off briefly" during voting on a Social Democrats motion on workers' rights last Thursday. He said that he did actually vote and that he believes he was one of the few party leaders there, but added: "I regret it deeply." Mr Ryan told RTE Radio's This Week programme "it was a moment of human frailty". Woken "You have to make sure that you continue and actually make sure you learn from such mistakes and stay alert every time, and I will be doing that," he added. Mr Ryan rejected criticisms that have been made in recent days that he had to be woken up to vote against a motion designed to protect workers. He said there was "no excuse" for falling asleep but insisted: "We were not denying workers' rights." The Transport Minister said he voted in support of a government amendment which commits to protecting workers. He said that his job is to attend Cabinet and help develop an economic stimulus - due to be announced tomorrow - which "lifts this country and helps those workers out of difficulty". "My job is to deliver jobs for the people in our country to help us out with a difficult period and I think I have the ability to do that," he said. "I've been giving my everything, working night and day all the time, flat out, full steam. "It's through that work I hope I can serve those people." He conceded that the incident "may well" harm him in the leadership battle against Catherine Martin with Green Party members voting this week. Mr Ryan said he would remind members that "under my leadership it has been the most successful period in the history of the party". Crisis He said he wants to use his experience to lead the party through the "difficult" period ahead. "It's going to be a very hard period because the country is in a difficult crisis - the whole world is - but I think I have the skills to actually do that well. "I'm committing to doing everything I can to deliver on it and I hope they will vote for me on that basis," Mr Ryan added. #PrimeroMiSalud Desde Arequipa, el presidente @MartinVizcarraC hace entrega del hospital temporal instalado en el Centro de Convenciones de Cerro Juli, implementado por la @AutoridadRCC para la atencion de pacientes COVID-19. En vivo: https://t.co/HbZjG0Bh5U The inquiry is currently in an information gathering phase. The board will decide who will be called to give evidence following the analysis of this material, she said. Six government departments were named as being of interest to the inquiry, including the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. Agencies put on notice include Victoria Police and Emergency Management Victoria. Security guards at the Stamford Plaza in the Melbourne CBD have been linked to a coronavirus outbreak. Credit:Getty Images More than a dozen hotels and security companies have also been named by the inquiry. Of note are the Rydges on Swanston and the Stamford Plaza, where outbreaks have been linked to further transmission in the community. Security contractors MSS Security and Unified Security were also named. The government agencies and private companies have until this Friday, or in some cases the following Friday, to provide documents to the inquiry before public examinations begin. To get this done I expect no less than full, frank and timely co-operation from all relevant government departments, entities and persons to enable me to do my job for the people of Victoria, Justice Coate said during her opening remarks on Monday. Justice Jennifer Coate on the first day of the hotel quarantine inquiry. Credit:Getty Images Opposition Leader Michael OBrien said the Premier, along with Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, Police Minister Lisa Neville and Jobs Minister Martin Pakula the three ministers with most oversight of the quarantine program must give evidence. This is the debacle that let COVID back into our communities, the debacle that led Victoria back into a second lockdown, Mr OBrien said. This is just too important for there to be any suggestion of cover-ups or any suggestion of anything less than full co-operation. The appointment of lawyers from the Victorian Government Solicitors Office to instruct inquiry counsel has already raised concerns about potential conflicts, though Justice Coate has satisfied herself there was no conflict of interest in government lawyers interrogating government officials. In a letter to Justice Coate on Monday, shadow attorney-general Ed O'Dononue said: "This decision, if accurate, raises at a minimum, the risk of a perception of a conflict of interest. Loading "I note the VGSO may have previously provided advice to the departments and ministers who are the subject of your inquiry, prior to its establishment," Mr O'Donohue wrote. Mr Andrews said the inquiry was independent and was "looking without fear or favour [to] give us the answers we need". Since the first security guard at Rydges on Swanston tested positive on May 27, allegations have emerged of lax training of guards, shortages of personal protective equipment and breaches of guidelines by personnel that have led to the second surge of the virus in Melbourne. Mr Andrews said on Monday that he was confident the inquiry would determine what went wrong. Im very confident that process will give us the answers that we are each entitled to, he said. What went on here is completely unacceptable to me. Counsel assisting the inquiry, Tony Neal, QC, said evidence already before the probe suggested a link between the current outbreaks and hotel quarantine. Tony Neal, QC, said evidence already before the inquiry suggests Melbourne's second surge in COVID-19 cases could be linked back to the failed hotel quarantine program. Credit:Getty Images "Comments made by the Chief Health Officer to the media have suggested that it may even be that every case of COVID-19 in Victoria in recent weeks could be sourced to the hotel quarantine program," Mr Neal said. The inquiry has the power to compel witnesses to appear and agencies to produce documents. The maximum penalty for ignoring an inquirys notice is a two-year jail sentence. Get our Morning & Evening Edition newsletters The most important news, analysis and insights delivered to your inbox at the start and end of each day. Sign up here. The first Arab space mission to Mars blasted off from Japan on Monday on a mission to unravel the secrets of weather on the Red Planet. The unmanned probe named Al-Amal -- Arabic for Hope -- took off after several weather delays, marking the next step in the United Arab Emirates' ambitious space programme. Here are some facts and figures about the oil-rich nation's project, which draws inspiration from the Middle East's golden age of cultural and scientific achievements. - Outsize plans - The UAE, made up of seven emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and freewheeling Dubai, has nine functioning satellites in orbit with plans to launch another eight in coming years. In September, it sent the first Emirati into space -- Hazza al-Mansouri, who was part of a three-member crew. They blasted off on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station. But the UAE's ambitions go well beyond that, with a goal of building a human settlement on Mars by 2117. In the meantime, it plans to create a white-domed "Science City" in the deserts outside Dubai, to simulate Martian conditions and develop the technology needed to colonise the planet. Under a national space strategy launched last year, the UAE is also eyeing future mining projects beyond Earth and space tourism, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic. - Hope's journey - The next milestone was the launch of the "Hope" probe, which officials say is designed to inspire the region's youth and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs. The 1,350-kilogramme (2,970-pound) probe -- about the size of an SUV -- lifted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on Monday at 6:58 am local time (2158 GMT Sunday) after poor weather delayed initial plans. The probe successfully detached from the Japanese launch rocket about an hour after blast-off, with a UAE space official hailing the launch as an "important milestone for the UAE and the region." Unlike the other two Mars ventures scheduled for this year, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, the UAE's probe will not land on the Red Planet but orbit it for a whole Martian year -- 687 days. Hope will take seven months to travel the 493 million kilometres (307 million miles) to Mars, in time to mark the 50th anniversary of the emirates' union in 2021. Once in orbit, one loop will take 55 hours at an average speed of 121,000 kph, while contact with the UAE command and control centre will be limited to six to eight hours twice a week. - Study and inspire - Three instruments mounted on the probe will provide a picture of the Mars atmosphere throughout the Martian year. The first is an infrared spectrometer to measure the lower atmosphere and analyse the temperature structure. The second is a high-resolution imager that will provide information about ozone levels. And the third, an ultraviolet spectrometer, is set to measure oxygen and hydrogen levels from a distance of up to 43,000 kilometres from the surface. Understanding the atmospheres of other planets will allow for a better understanding of the Earth's climate, officials say. But the project is also designed to inspire a region too often beset by turmoil, and recall its heyday of scientific advances during the Middle Ages. "The UAE wanted to send a strong message to the Arab youth and to remind them of the past, that we used to be generators of knowledge," Omran Sharaf, the mission's project manager, told AFP. The unmanned probe named Al-Amal -- Arabic for Hope -- took off from a Japanese space centre, marking the next step in the United Arab Emirates' ambitious space programme Key data on the UAE's "Al-Amal" hope probe and its journey to Mars Hope will take seven months to travel the 493 million kilometres (307 million miles) to Mars, in time to mark the 50th anniversary of the emirates' union in 2021 Vodafone Idea has announced that they will be supporting eSIM capabilities for Vodafone postpaid customers on devices such as iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone Xr, with support for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold coming soon. The service will first be available in Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat. Existing customers can avail eSIM services by doing the following: Send an SMS to 199 by typing eSIM email id (If no email id is registered with your mobile number, send SMS email email id to 199. Post registration you can reinitiate the eSIM process). If your email is valid, you will receive SMS from 199. You need to reply back with ESIMY to confirm eSIM request. Post your confirmation SMS, you will receive another SMS from 199 asking you to provide a consent over a call After providing your consent on the call, an email with a QR code will be sent to the registered email id. On your iPhone, go to Settings->Mobile Data->Add Data Plan Scan the QR code that was sent received via mail and follow the prompt on the phone. New customers on Vodafone will be required to visit the nearest Vodafone store with proof of identity and photograph to get new Vodafone eSIM connection. In related news, in June, Vodafone also activated support for the Apple Watch (GPS + Cellular) in select circles across India. Commenting on the availability of eSIM, Avneesh Khosla, Director Marketing, Vodafone Idea, said: I was delighted to read about the NJ Transit police officer who saved the life of a newborn baby after responding to the ladies bathroom in Newarks Penn Station on July 14. According to the Associated Press, the newborn was not breathing and was cradled in the mother's lap. Officer Bryan Richards immediately began chest compressions on the baby and decided to rush her to the hospital. As Officer Alberto Nunes drove, Richards continued to pump the girls chest, offering words of encouragement. NJ Transit later reported that the baby was doing well. I must add that this article brought tears to my eyes as I read it, and I am sure it did to countless others. This was truly a job well done by those caring police officers, doing whatever it takes to protect the lives of all people in their jurisdiction. In these troubling times, I pray for the safety of all police officers and thank them for all they do. Patrick Lavin, Farmingdale The writer is a retired Elizabeth police officer. Snowflake journalist not worth reading about The COVID-19 virus has devastated many areas of the country, while President Donald Trump reportedly is calling for cutbacks of funds for testing, tracing and treatment. Civil rights icon John Lewis passed away, leaving a legacy of courage and commitment to justice commemorated by those of all political stripes. Gov. Phil Murphys approval ratings are up because of his response to the pandemic, while there are still difficult issues ahead including school openings. However, Paul Mulshine chose to devote his July 19 column (Sign of the Times: Editor resigns over liberal bias at New Yorks leading newspaper) to a week-old story about a self-described centrist New York Times opinion editor (Barri Weiss) who quit her job voluntarily while millions have been forced out of work because she felt uncomfortable with the political atmosphere in the newsroom. I appreciate a range of opinions in the newspaper. But I dont appreciate wasting my time or my money reading old stories, better covered by others, about journalistic snowflakes who quit cushy jobs because they cant take the heat of real debate. Perhaps Mr. Mulshine should consider doing the same thing, so the Star-Ledger/nj.com can get a real conservative voice on its opinion page. James M. Giarelli, Lawrenceville We need to know how the other side thinks Paul Mulshines July 19 column about opinion editor Barri Weiss resignation from the New York Times because of alleged liberal bias was right on point. Im asked many times by my conservative friends why I continue to read this liberal newspaper. I tell them that I want to know what the other side is thinking. Mulshine stated it well: Most of the time I have a horse laugh at their naivete. But sometimes I learn something I dont know. As far as the cancel culture goes, it is not a new concept. Isnt that what the Nazis attempted to do in Germany? How did that work out for the world? Santi Condorelli, Verona Only open schools when its safe to do so President Donald Trump and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos, insist that, in the fall, schools need to reopen fully. They never seem to add the word safely, which, of course, is a word that is on the minds of parents and teachers throughout the country. Here is a perfect analogy: Imagine a long stretch of hot weather. People are looking for relief. Fortunately, there is a community pool that is open and available to the public. Theres only one problem: Somewhere in that pool there is a school of piranha lurking beneath the surface. What would you do? Would you jump in? Until our leaders can articulate a clear plan for safely reopening the schools, my message to them is this: Go ahead; jump in Mr. President. The water looks great! Al Mohrmann, North Plainfield Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Raipur, July 20 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday launched his government's flagship programme 'Godhan Nyay Yojana', the first of its kind initiative in the country for buying cow dung from those having cattle to be turned into eco-friendly vermi-compost. Baghel inaugurated the much-awaited scheme on the occasion of traditional local festival 'Hareli' by symbolically procuring 48 kg of cow dung from four farmers, who earned Rs 96 at the rate of Rs 2 per kg for a material that would, in the past, often fetch no money. At his official residence in Raipur, Baghel made the first entry of procurement in the Gauthan Committee Register. An entry was also made in the Cow Dung Sale Card which was handed over to the farmers, Krishna Kumar Chakradhari, Peelu Ram Dhruve, Sewak Ram Sahu and Shiv Narayan Sahu. All four farmers are from village Navagaon in Arang block of Raipur district, an official statement said. Worshipping livestock and farm equipment, the Chief Minister said the unique scheme will prove to be a boon for farmers and cattle growers, more so amid the economy-crunching Covid-19. It will also eliminate the problem of open grazing by cattle. Baghel said the scheme envisages the use of organic fertilisers, thus reducing dependence on chemicals. It will directly help improve soil fertility. Gauthan Samitis will procure cow dung from farmers and cattle owners at Rs 2 per kg. Women self-help groups will prepare vermi-compost from it and this will be sold for Rs 8 per kg to farmers. Other products will also be made from the procured cow dung. City of Hope: Mechanism that may lead to metabolic memory/sustained diabetes complications DUARTE, Calif. -- For people with diabetes, vascular complications like kidney disease and atherosclerosis, which can lead to poor health and even death, are seen at increased rates. In a new Nature Metabolism study, researchers led by City of Hope's Rama Natarajan, Ph.D., the National Business Products Industry Professor in Diabetes Research, identified for the first time an underlying mechanism for metabolic memory and its involvement in the development of such complications. Prior episodes of poor glycemic control can result in long-term sustained complications for people with diabetes even if they are able to institute good glycemic control later on in life. This phenomenon is called metabolic memory, but the way it works is not well understood. "While the link between epigenetics and diabetes and related complications has been reported before, this is the first large scale study in type 1 diabetes showing that a prior history of high glucose levels can cause persistent changes in DNA methylation to facilitate metabolic memory and trigger future diabetic complications," said Natarajan, the study's senior author, who is also professor and chair of the Department of Diabetes Complications & Metabolism within the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute at City of Hope. "This study provides the first evidence in humans supporting the link between DNA methylation in inflammatory and stem cells, a patient's blood sugar history and development of future complications." Natarajan and her colleagues collaborated with the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) clinical trial of type 1 diabetic patients to examine the role of epigenetics in metabolic memory. Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression and phenotypes that occur without changes in the person's genetic code. Epigenetic changes occur on chromatin which holds our DNA together in the nucleus and, in general, these alterations are induced by changes in lifestyles and the environment. The researchers led by Zhuo (Nancy) Chen, who is the study's lead author and a staff scientist in Natarajan's lab, profiled DNA methylation, a type of epigenetic modification, in archived blood DNA samples from 500 participants enrolled in the DCCT/EDIC. They then compared the DNA methylation to their glycemic history and future development of complications. The team found that a prior history of hyperglycemia may induce persistent DNA methylation changes in blood cells and stem cells at key loci, which are epigenetically retained in certain cells to facilitate metabolic memory, likely through modifying enhancer activity at nearby genes. This comprehensive study has systematically compared the epigenetic states of a large number of type 1 diabetic subjects with their glycemic history and their future development of key diabetic complications over 18 years, Natarajan said. Although epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in diabetic complications before using experimental models or epigenome-wide association studies, the direct mediation role of DNA methylation in metabolic memory and future complications development had not been systematically studied. Natarajan says that the study results could lead to the development of epigenetic marks as potential biomarkers for diabetic complication development and metabolic memory, which would help facilitate early intervention and prevent the progression to severe complications. In addition, the data can provide new insights into the mechanisms of metabolic memory related to the specific regions and genes affected by DNA methylation and these genes could also be potential drug targets. In fact, Natarajan is actively collaborating with Nagarajan Vaidehi, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine at City of Hope, and her group to use novel computational screening methods to identify small molecule inhibitors targeting molecules identified in the current study to aid in the treatment of complications and metabolic memory. Several other follow-up studies are under way in Natarajan's laboratory, including collaborations with scientists both inside and outside of City of Hope. In the current study, she and her team performed associations between DNA methylation and two major diabetic complications: retinopathy, which can lead to blindness, and nephropathy, which can lead to kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation. Chen and Natarajan now plan to study associations with other long-term complications of type 1 diabetes, and also evaluate DNA methylation as a biomarker for predicting complications development. "In addition, our team is expanding our study on the same group of patients as the Nature Metabolism research using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to examine epigenetic changes over the whole genome," Natarajan said. "The goal is to uncover additional regions where DNA methylation is associated with metabolic memory or complication development besides those uncovered in the current paper." Natarajan and her team are also continuing to collaborate with two co-authors of the Nature Metabolism paper, Arthur D. Riggs, Ph.D., the Samuel Rahbar Chair in Diabetes & Drug Discovery and director of the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute at City of Hope, and Joshua Tompkins, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the Department of Diabetes Complications & Metabolism, to examine DNA methylation at the single molecule level, and also evaluate epigenetic engineering approaches to reverse metabolic memory. ### The paper, "DNA methylation mediates HbA1c-associated complications development in Type 1 diabetes," included the DCCT/EDIC Study group and additional authors from City of Hope and from The George Washington University, The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and University of Texas at San Antonio. The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and The Wanek Family Project for Type 1 Diabetes at City of Hope. About City of Hope City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope's translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is the highest ranked cancer hospital in the West, according to U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals: Specialty Ranking. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. This story has been published on: 2020-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LUXEMBOURG / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2020 / Ternium S.A. (NYSE:TX) today released its 2019 Sustainability Report, which intends to be an integral discussion of the company's progress towards achieving its objectives in a sustainable way. Ternium's value proposition aims to achieve profitable operations on a sustainable basis, through a management approach that comprehends the interests of shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers, as well as of the community. The report has been prepared taking into account the guidelines established by worldsteel, the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The company's Sustainability Report describes the actions taken to achieve Ternium's goals in six focus areas: Delivering Ternium's business strategy. Improving our safety performance. Minimizing the company's environmental footprint. Realizing our people's full potential. Strengthening Ternium's value chain. Helping our communities thrive. The report also reinforces the idea of integrity as key to Ternium's long-term sustainability. The company continuously work on building a corporate culture of ethical behavior and transparency through a strong set of corporate governance standards. Ternium's 2019 Sustainability Report is accessible at its website www.ternium.com on the Investors section. About Ternium Ternium is Latin America's leading flat steel producer, with operating facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the southern United States and Central America. The company offers a broad range of high value-added steel products for customers active in the automotive, home appliances, HVAC, construction, capital goods, container, food and energy industries through its manufacturing facilities, service center and distribution networks, and advanced customer integration systems. More information about Ternium is available at www.ternium.com. Sebastian Marti Ternium - Investor Relations +1 (866) 890 0443 +54 (11) 4018 8389 www.ternium.com Story continues SOURCE: Ternium S.A. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/598131/Ternium-Releases-2019-Sustainability-Report Federal law enforcement officers, deployed under the Trump administration's new executive order to protect federal monuments and buildings, face off with protesters against racial inequality in Portland, Oregon, U.S. July 18, 2020: Reuters Donald Trump said the violence in Chicago is "worse than Afghanistan" in a recent interview and suggested he may send federal officers into additional cities. Mr Trump, seated in the Oval Office and speaking with reporters, claimed that the violence in Chicago this summer has been "worse than Afghanistan, by far." "This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen," Mr Trump said. Mr Trump praised the work of federal troops he sent to Portland and claimed that more would be on the way, potentially to other Democrat-run cities like Chicago. "We're going to have more federal law enforcement [in Portland]," he said. "They grab them, a lot of people in jail. These are people that hate our country." Mr Trump has frequently compared to Chicago to Afghanistan, and has been incorrect each time he has made the comparison. For reference, the United Nations reported that there have been at least 100,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan since 2010. The US invasion of Afghanistan began in 2001. While Chicago's homicide rate per 100,000 people is higher than Afghanistan's 20.7 per cent to 7.1 per cent, respectively those numbers do not include war deaths. According to a study the BBC conducted in 2019, an average of 74 men, women and children were killed each day in Afghanistan throughout the month of August. More people are killed in a month in Afghanistan than are killed in an entire year in Chicago, once war-related deaths are included. The protests in Democrat-run cities that were sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota and have continued through the summer. Demonstrations flared again when federal officers invaded Portland, sparking resistance from the local protesters that has escalated into increasingly heavy-handed crowd-busting by federal officers. Images from the protest include federal officers clubbing a peaceful protester with a baton, abducting protesters into unmarked vans, and spraying gas at a line of mothers who'd come out to support the protesters. Activists lit a police union headquarters on fire and clashed with the occupying federal officers. Story continues Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, said he wanted the federal officers to leave his city. "Their presence is neither wanted nor is it helpful and we're asking them to leave," he said. "In fact, we're demanding that." The Department of Homeland Security has indicated it has no plans to leave Portland until the "violence" is at a level the federal government deems appropriate. Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows indicated that the deployment of federal troops into Democrat-run cities may soon include Chicago and Milwaukee. Read more Veteran speaks out over video of federal officers beating him Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:35:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines and the World Bank have signed a 370-million U.S. dollars loan agreement for a project to support Filipino farmers, the country's Department of Finance (DOF) said on Monday. The project aims to speed up the process of splitting about 1.4 million hectares of land covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and then providing individual titles to these parcelized lots to some 750,000 farmer-beneficiaries. In a statement, the DOF said Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Achim Fock who was then the World Bank's acting country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, signed the loan agreement on July 14 for the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project of the Philippines' Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). "The SPLIT project will improve the bankability of farmers and enable them to access credit and government assistance," Dominguez said. Dominguez added the loan will support the Philippines' economic recovery program by intensifying assistance to farmers and making agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) more resilient to the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fock, for his part, said the World Bank expects the project to encourage ARBs "to invest in their property and adopt better technologies for greater productivity and higher incomes." Under the project, the collective certificate of land ownership awards (CCLOAs) will be parcelized into individual titles for some 750,000 ARBs to help fulfill the completion of the decades-old CARP. The government has redistributed about 4.8 million hectares of land to some 2.8 million ARBs under the agrarian reform program, but only 53 percent were in the form of individual land titles. The remaining 47 percent or about 2.5 million hectares are CCLOA titles that were issued to groups of ARBs in the 1990s as a temporary measure to fast-track the distribution of land to farmer-beneficiaries, according to the DOF. The parcelization of the CCLOAs into individual titles has been very slow, which is why about 1.4 million hectares remain to be subdivided among farmers under the SPLIT project. "Through the project, ARBs will be provided security of tenure by way of issuance of individual titles. If ARBs or members of their family fall ill, clear and valid documentation of their property will allow them to mortgage their land, sell, or pass it on to their family members through inheritance," the DOF statement read. The total cost of the SPLIT Project is 473.56 million U.S. dollars, of which 370 million U.S. dollars will be funded by the World Bank, while the government will provide the counterpart financing for the balance of 103.56 million U.S. dollars. The DOF said the loan agreement for the project carries a 29-year maturity period, inclusive of a grace period of 10-and-a-half years. Enditem Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Alice Smith tore her rotator cuff years ago but didn't consider fixing it until she tweaked it recently while cleaning, causing searing pain. Maryland had just lifted its pandemic-related stay-at-home order, and hospitals were again allowed to perform so-called elective procedures after a two-month break designed to keep space and staff available for COVID-19 patients. But that didn't mean Smith could see a doctor. "The pain was unbearable," said Smith, a retired Baltimore nurse. "And I couldn't get an appointment." Hospitals cautiously resumed serving patients beginning in May, but the return to normal has been more of a jog than a sprint. Few offered every procedure immediately because they needed time to set up new safety measures for staff and patients. And many like Smith found the line for an appointment was long because so many patients couldn't, or wouldn't, seek care while there were so many coronavirus cases. The drop in preventive care, surgeries and even treatments normally handled in emergency rooms has been severe, alarming the medical field who fear moreand sickerpatients are looming. The subsequent diminishing of revenue has strained the finances of the state and national health system. Further, hospitals must remain prepared to halt such procedures again should Maryland see another surge in COVID-19 infections, like those now being reported in many other states. Smith was going to have to wait months for surgery, but another patient canceled and left an opening at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Hopkins staff are now working six days a week to safely clear a backlog of elective procedures. It's a major shift for a hospital that cared for many of the state's sickest coronavirus patients. Despite a recent uptick in the number of Marylanders testing positive for the virus, statewide the number hospitalized with COVID-19 has been below 450 for about three weeks. That's down significantly from late April, when more than 1,500 were hospitalized. After many procedures were off-limits for weeks, "we now have large numbers of people who require semi-urgent and elective care," said Dr. Robert Higgins, Hopkins' surgeon-in-chief. "Scheduling them has been our challenge." Hopkins was performing about 120 daily surgical procedures before the pandemic, and Higgins said the hospital is operating at about 80% with normal levels expected in coming weeks. Cases are prioritized, with suspicious growths or painful conditions, for example, outweighing routine colonoscopies or knee replacements. Treatment for traumas, heart problems and other emergencies never stopped, though data shows even those dropped during the pandemic. "We don't want folks to delay care they think is essential," Higgins said. Hopkins and all other hospitals, along with doctors' offices and surgical centers, have instituted new measures, such as limiting visitors and spacing chairs in waiting areas. In-person consultations are avoided if telemedicine appointments will do. Facilities sanitize surfaces regularly, require masks and test patients for COVID-19 before surgery. Smith, who goes by Betsy, found all the extra measures comforting during a pre-surgery MRI at a Hopkins office at Greenspring Station in Lutherville and during the procedure in a Hopkins center in White Marsh. "They were very careful," she said. "I remained in my car until my MRI appointment and went in when I was called. Masks were mandatory. They asked me to sanitize my hands. I was tested for COVID. On every little thing, they were playing it safe." State officials continue to monitor hospital space and staff should coronavirus infections flare. About a fifth of hospital beds, including ICU beds, are now available. More are ready, though unstaffed. All the steps hospitals have taken, however, come with costs, said Bob Atlas, president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association. The ban on electives devastated hospital finances, and there continue to be costs for things such as protective gear. Supply chains remain "unsteady" and prices are "extremely high," Atlas said. The association estimated that the state's hospitals would lose about $1 billion in revenue for April through June, or about a quarter of their normal revenue. Some of the money has been recouped through temporary rate increases allowed by state regulators, and other funding has come from federal grants, but hospitals also have cut salaries and furloughed staff. "We still see a gap," Atlas said. "Hospitals have made serious adjustments to deal with loss of income from core parts of their business along with the heavy impact of added costs." The steep drop in elective care was surprising to many in the health care field, said Jonathan Weiner, health policy expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. So, too, was the financial fragility of the U.S. health care system. "The elective care drop has led to the biggest financial threat to health care provider solvency in recent history," Weiner said. There may be some positive aspects, however. Many experts believe a third or more of elective surgeries are unneeded, and the hiatus could help show which patients do well with less care, Weiner said. He also said public and private health insurers that are saving billions could lower premiums or put funds toward public health initiatives during the pandemic. Still, the number of patients who did not get needed carethe "COVID collateral damage"is certain to be considerable, Weiner said. A report from the American Hospital Association found the number of patients getting treatment was expected to remain well below pre-pandemic levels for the rest of the year. Hospital losses from the pandemic nationwide are expected to top $323 billion in 2020. The association said hospitals have had nearly a 20% drop in inpatient volume and almost a 35% drop in outpatient volume from 2019 levels. Some hospitals remain focused on COVID-19 patients, and the number could increase. The 13-hospital University of Maryland Medical System, which released its 1,000th COVID-19 patient in late June, said it still has to maintain capacity for the pandemic. It is, however, "carefully increasing patient access to a broader range of urgent and time-sensitive cases," said spokesman Michael Schawarzberg. Some hospitals in Maryland have found that not all patients are ready to return. A survey of 300 people by Greater Baltimore Medical Center in May found just over half didn't feel safe getting care at a hospital. Some said they were worried that people around them wouldn't be following public health guidance or that hospitals lacked protective gear. Others mistrusted the government's pandemic response. Dr. Terry Fairbanks, vice president for quality and safety for MedStar Health, among the state's largest health care systems, said doctors' offices have been calling patients to reschedule but are not getting everyone booked. "I believe patients are still hesitating to seek care," Fairbanks said. "We're worried about that. Some are hesitant even if they have something painful, like kidney stones. We try and explain that we've created a very safe environment for patients." Medstar's backlog was so large that the system, which includes seven hospitals in Maryland and three in Washington, is approaching normal service levels, he said. LifeBridge Health said its four hospitals gradually opened space, and doctors have been prioritizing patients with nonemergency needs, said Dr. Matthew Poffenroth, the system's chief clinical officer. At Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, for example, surgeons now can reserve as much operating time as they did before the pandemic. "There is an almost daily or weekly review with all the surgical chiefs," Poffenroth said. "They review the caseloads and prioritize them based on urgency." LifeBridge made another change that may appeal to patients. Officials began allowing the patients to bring a family member or other adult visitor into the hospitals. The system appears to be the state's first hospital system to make this change since the pandemic led all hospitals to curb visitors. The policy also includes end-of-life COVID-19 patients. After three months, LifeBridge officials said, it was in the "best interest of our patients, their families, our staff and our community." Explore further Victoria's latest elective surgery slowdown is painful but necessary 2020 The Baltimore Sun Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Do you want to pay your shopping bills in Bitcoin? Although the most famous crypto coin, there are a number of controversies regarding bitcoin. But vendors, merchants, companies are able to accept bitcoin (or other digital currencies) payments in different cities. On the other hand, there are several countries where digital currencies are banned. However, I have listed some of the top cities in the world where you can pay your bills in bitcoin. While some local cryptocurrencies are used as a medium of exchange, bitcoin can be used globally. So read on to learn which cities are also known as bitcoin hotspots. Measurement Metrics for the Adoption of Bitcoin Well, it's really hard to tell which cities have adopted bitcoin the most. For that reason, I used a set of measurement metrics based on which I compiled the list. In order to prepare the list of cities, I used different resources, all of which are stated below along with the measurement metrics. Number of ATMs: I gathered the data for the number of ATMs from the Coin ATM Radar. Number of Merchants: I used the Coinmap site to collect data on the number of merchants accepting Bitcoin. Bitcoin to Population Density: I obtained these data also from the Coinmap site. Based on these metrics for the adoption of bitcoin, these are the top 10 cities in the world where you can spend bitcoin. In case you want to invest in bitcoin then, thebitcoinloophole.co offers a great trading platform. 1. Vancouver Vancouver, the sea spot of Canada has nearly 40 ATMs where you can buy Bitcoin. Around 30 merchants accept bitcoin as payments in Vancouver. The first bitcoin ATM was found in Vancouver. More importantly, Canada is one of the strongest community of bitcoin, where many rules and regulations are made to accept bitcoin as a currency. 2. San Francisco The technology city of the United States, San Francisco is one of the major adopters of bitcoin. There are more than twenty-five merchants are accepting bitcoin, which includes some famous restaurants, bakeries, shopping malls, bars, etc. Around 20 places are there where you can purchase bitcoin from an ATM. 3. Amsterdam The capital city of Netherland, Amsterdam is also in the top lists of bitcoin hotspots. Here more than 10 ATMs are available where you can buy bitcoins. And more than 30 merchants are accepting bitcoin for their payments. Different types of merchants starting from barbers shops to shopping malls are accepting bitcoin in Amsterdam. 4. Slovenia The capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana has more than 200 merchants who accept bitcoin. And there are 4 ATMs where you can buy bitcoins. It has a population of around 0.3 million, so here the usage of bitcoin and population density is very high as compared to the above cities. 5. Tel Aviva The financial hub of Israel where most of the startups are established has more than a dozen merchants operating across the city. There are only two bitcoin ATMs and the population density of the city is around 0.4 million. One of the famous bitcoin events in the city is the Israel Bitcoin Meetup Group. 6. Tampa Surprisingly, there are 45 Bitcoin ATMs in Tampa in Florida where more than a dozen merchants accept bitcoin. 7. Zurich More than 0.4 million people are using 10 ATMs in one of the largest cities in Switzerland. This city is also the leading financial hub of Switzerland. More than twenty-five merchants are accepting bitcoin. 8. London Over 8.5 million people are living in the capital city of the United Kingdom, London. More than 130 merchants are accepting bitcoin and they also use bitcoin as a currency. There are 14 bitcoin ATMs available in the city. This is one of the most popular cities in the world for startups related to bitcoin and other crypto coins. 9. New York More than 8 million people are using 14 bitcoin ATMs. Over 30 merchants are accepting bitcoin in one of the famous cities of the world New York. 10. Buenos Aires Buenos Aires has more than 100 merchants who accept bitcoin. More than 10 bitcoin ATMs with a population density of around 3 million is an early adopter of bitcoin. Despite there are a lot of issues related to currencies in Argentina, still the city Buenos Aires is on the top list. An estimated 25 million people have contracted the coronavirus in Iran in the past five months, with around 14,000 deaths, the Iranian Health Ministry said, Anadolu agency reported. The ministry warned in a report that another 30-35 million people in the country are likely to be affected by the deadly virus in the coming months. Speaking during a meeting on Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the first wave of the virus outbreak had passed and now the country is grappling with a second wave of the pandemic. The [ministry] report says we should expect the number of people who require hospitalization to be twice the number of people hospitalized over the past five months, Rouhani said. Warning of a long haul, Rouhani warned that the second phase of the pandemic in Iran is likely to prolong until the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2021). On Saturday, Iran reported 2,166 new cases of the virus and 188 deaths, taking the overall tally to 271,606 infections and 13,979 deaths. Mustafa Qaniee, a senior official in Irans anti-coronavirus task force, said the estimated cases of 25 million include those patients who had no symptoms and didnt require hospitalization. Then Lightfoot, who campaigned on a platform of ethics and transparency, gave the windup and finally the pitch: I dont think its for my purposes as mayor, when theres been no criminal charge against anyone as an elected official, for me to say that the person should resign. I thought the governor and (Chicago state Rep.) Kelly Cassidy and it sounds like now others said it right, if those allegations are true, obviously, he should resign. But we dont know that they are true, yet. A man has appeared in court today charged with the murder of a Dublin man in Loughlinstown last October. Andrew Lacey (32), from Riverside in Loughlinstown, appeared before judge Ann Watkin at Dun Laoghaire District Court. He was charged with the murder of Derek Reddin (31) at the junction of Loughlinstown Drive and Cherry Court on the night of October 14 last year. He was pronounced dead at the scene, after being stabbed, and two men were arrested by gardai a short time later. Expand Close Derek Reddin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Derek Reddin Lacey made no reply to the charge when it was put to him. Wearing white runners, dark blue jeans, a light grey sweatshirt, and with his face covered with a face mask, Lacey stood silently in the court with his hands behind his back during the short hearing. Barrister Rob Crawley, appearing for Niall OConnor solicitors, applied for legal aid. Lacey was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill Court next Friday. San Antonio software company Globalscape Inc. will soon drop from the ranks of local publicly traded companies. HelpSystems LLC, an Eden Prairie, Minn., software company is set to acquire Globalscape in a deal valued at $217 million, including debt. The offer of $9.50 a share, announced today, represents a 16 percent premium to Globalscapes closing price of $8.19 a share Friday. The shares climbed $1.29 to $9.48 in early trading today. Globalscape develops and sells file transfer software for secure information exchange. It had 106 employees as of May and was founded in 1996. HelpSystems provides cybersecurity and automation solutions. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios Globalscape posts record year as turnaround continues Globascapes offering are a great fit with HelpSystems suite of security products, Globascape Chairman and CEO Robert Alpert said in a statement. Alpert is a principal of Globalscapes largest shareholder, Dallas-based 210/GSB Acquisition Partners LLC, which holds almost 3.3 million shares, or about 17.5 percent of the stock. Those shares are worth more than $31 million based on the tender offer from HelpSystems. Alpert took over as Globalscapes interim CEO in March 2019 following the death of CEO and President Matthew C. Goulet, who died unexpectedly following a flight to Atlanta. Goulet was 46. Alpert became permanent CEO in January. Globalscape, through its financial adviser Stephens Inc., will solicit alternative transaction proposals from third parties through Aug. 24. If a better offer is found, Globalscape may terminate the merger agreement with HelpSystems. The Minnesota company will have the right to match any higher offer, but would be entitled to a termination fee if a superior offer from a third party is accepted. Globalscape has had its shares of ups and downs over the last few years. In 2017, Globalscapes audit committee discovered that certain transactions circumvented the companys internal controls, causing it to overstate revenue and earnings. The company restated results for 2016 and part of 2017. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation in March 2018. A criminal probe also was begun. Those matters appear to be pending, according to Globalscapes latest quarterly financial report, filed with regulators in May. Also in 2018, the companys former vice president of global sales pleaded guilty to wire fraud for intentionally inflating sales numbers. Daniel Lee Burke was sentenced to five years probation in November 2018. He said he was under internal pressure to reach sales goals. Globalscape also settled a securities class-action lawsuit brought by stockholders against the company and some officers and directors. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants carried out a scheme to report better-than-expected earnings. The $1.4 million settlement contained no admission of wrongdoing, the company said in August 2018. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Last year, Globalscape generated record high revenue and profits. It earned $13.3 million, or 72 cents a share, on $40.3 million in revenue last year. That compares with earnings of $3.7 million, or 17 cents a share, on $34.4 million in revenue in 2018. The stock closed at a 52-week high of $11.99 after it announced the results in January. The shares closed at a 52-week low of $5.34 in March. The company attributed its turnaround to the newest edition of its flagship file-transfer software, which meets new data compliance regulations passed in the European Union, Canada and California. Enhanced data security has become a priority for governments around the world as cyberattacks and large data breaches have become commonplace. Globalscape has been capitalizing on new regulations that tighten the rules around transferring data to protect from theft. Globalscape paid a special dividend of $3.35 a share in December, which followed a 50 cents a share dividend in May 2019. Two months ago, Globalscape announced it would return a nearly $2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan it received in early April. The announcement came after may large firms were criticized for taking PPP funding, reducing the pot available for the programs intended recipients smaller businesses left cash-strapped by the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. HelpSystems is financing the purchase with cash and new debt. The deal has been approved by each companys board. Senior Globalscape management and current and former directors, who control 33 percent of the stock, have agreed to transfer their shares. Patrick Danner Patrick Danner covers banking, insurance, business litigation and bankruptcies. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD The visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Saudi Arabia has been postponed after the hospitalization of King Salman, the Saudi foreign minister said on Monday. "In recognition of the importance of the visit and a desire to make it succeed, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq has decided to postpone the visit," Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud wrote on Twitter. Al-Kadhimi was scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a one-day visit and then travel to Iran on Tuesday and later to the United States on his first foreign travel after becoming prime minister in May. Visiting both Saudi Arabia and Iran during one trip by Iraqi prime ministers has turned into a diplomatic practice to keep the balance between its two powerful neighbors. It is not clear if al-Kadhimi will still go ahead with his trip to Iran and the United States. Iran and Saudi Arabia are arch-rivals in the region, while Iraq's majority Shiites share religious identity with Iran and Arab identity with Saudi Arabia. Iraq receives financial and military support from Washington, another important player in the region. Baghdad also tries to balance its relations with the United States and Iran, which carries significant political influence among Iraq's Shiites and controls a vast network of armed militias. This has led to anti-Iran sentiments that have manifested themselves in popular protests since October 2019. The protests brought down the previous Iraqi government and after months of uncertainty Mustafa Al-Kadhimi became prime minister. He has exhibited more independence from Iran and a tougher stance against Irans armed proxies. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning Tuesday, July 21, Brainfuse will offer live assistance for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to all library HelpNow clients. Live FAFSA tutors will be available to help both students and parents with completing the FAFSA application. Tutors will be able to assist users at any stage of the application. Parent helping child fill out FAFSA application with assistance of Brainfuse tutors Get live help filling out your FAFSA application Brainfuse, one of the nation's leading online tutoring providers, provides access to free homework help, including live, online tutoring and test prep in a wide range of subjects for K-12 students. According to Francesco Lecciso, one of Brainfuse's co-founders: "For years, we have been committed to helping students overcome the academic challenges of gaining college admission. But we also recognize that there are many financial challenges. Seeking federal financial aid can be a daunting process for families, and live assistance in this area fills a critical need." For the latest information about Brainfuse, contact us at [email protected] or visit www.brainfuse.com. About Brainfuse Brainfuse is one of the nation's leading online tutoring providers, serving a diversified client base of libraries, school districts and colleges/universities for over 20 years. With Brainfuse, users receive real-time tutoring from instructors via our proprietary online classroom. We serve hundreds of library systems throughout the country, including the New Mexico State Library, New York Public Library, LA County Library, the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, the San Francisco Public Library, the Sacramento Public Library, and North America's largest homework help program through the Chicago Public Library. For more information about Brainfuse services, please contact us at [email protected]. Media contact: Diane Bizzle [email protected] 212-683-5212 SOURCE Brainfuse The U.S. has sent mixed signals to the rival sides over the course of the war. Although increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, Washington doesnt want to articulate a real, coherent Libya policy, Harchaoui said, leaving a void that has allowed Russia and Turkey to become major players. JUNEAU, Alaska - A conservation group has filed a petition seeking endangered species status for a subspecies of Alaska wolves. The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on July 15 for the protections for Alexander Archipelago wolves, which live in southeast Alaska, CoastAlaska reported. These wolves are being devastated by trapping and by clear cut logging of their forest home, said Shaye Wolf, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. And they need some stronger protections if theyre going to survive. The organization said the wolves are threatened by deforestation, hunting, trapping and climate change. This is at least the third time a petition has been filed to the Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the animals. The Center for Biological Diversity in 2016 petitioned for endangered species status for the wolves, the organization said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected the petition, concluding populations were stable almost everywhere except for a subset living on Prince of Wales island and its nearby islands, which the agency said represented 6% of the species population. The new petition said federal plans to halt protections for much of the wolf habitat makes the situation more precarious than it was in 2016. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Andrea Medeiros said in a statement that the agency will review the petition. The agency has until Oct. 13 to rule on the petitions viability, after which a formal inquiry could begin. Tom Schumacher, regional wildlife conservation supervisor for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the agency doesnt believe the wolves should be considered endangered. We think we can manage the wolves sustainably, Schumacher said. The Army's official video gaming team is battling criticism of its online conduct, traced back to a single emoji-laden tweet. The military, recognizing the enormous appeal of video game streaming, has a team that plays popular games such as "Call of Duty" and "Valorant" to showcase a slice of Army life and to reach potential recruits. But trolls and activists have bombarded the Army's esports team's chat channel and Twitch streams with references to wartime atrocities committed by the United States. About 300 of those Twitch users have been barred, the Army said. Legal experts say the bans are unconstitutional. "The government can't try to engineer the conversation of the public by saying only people who agree with us can respond," said Katie Fallow, a senior staff attorney at Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute. "The First Amendment means the government can't kick someone out or preclude them based on their viewpoint." The issue has strained the Army's efforts to rely more on digital recruiting through venues such as Twitch, where their prime targets for candidates - mostly young men and boys - hang out in droves. Twitch can get their streams in front of 80% of U.S. teenage males, the company has said, and users watched 5 billion hours of streaming content in the second quarter of 2020. By comparison, Netflix users streamed 6.1 billion hours in April. (Twitch is owned by Amazon, whose chief executive, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.) The Army can trace the beginning of the controversy to its own public awareness efforts and viral tweets. On June 1, the Army esports team responded to the chat app Discord on Twitter with heart emoji and uWu, an emoticon used to express happiness or defiance. It was retweeted more than 20,000 times, perhaps by some perplexed that the military was dipping so far into Internet culture and others angry about the recruiting strategy. By that evening, users went on a speedrun to see how fast they could get barred from the Army's channel, with some posting Wikipedia links to U.S. wartime atrocities. The bans on Twitch, in real time with commentary from soldiers, was spotlighted by activists and the streaming community. Jordan Uhl, a political consultant and activist, jumped on the stream on July 8, when Joshua "Strotnium" David, a Green Beret on the Army esports team, was streaming a round of the battle royale game "Call of Duty: Warzone." "whats your favorite u.s. war crime?" Uhl asked. The filter blocked the phrase. "what's your favorite u.s. w4r cr1me?" Uhl wrote, before posting Wikipedia's war crime entry. "You little Internet keyboard monsters," David said. "I won't stand for that. I'm bigger than you." Uhl was kicked off seconds later. "Have a nice time getting banned, my dude," David said on the stream. Uhl told Vice News that he was frustrated by the ban and the recruiting effort. "Kids have at least a right to know what the military does and has done," he said. His similar efforts on the Navy's Twitch stream earned a ban there, too, he said on Twitter. The Army defended the bans, saying the comments fell in line with harassment, which is forbidden by Twitch terms of service, said Lisa Ferguson, an Army spokeswoman. Many of the accounts used were newly created, pointing to an effort to throw the channel into turmoil and not discuss relevant topics, Ferguson said. "The Army eSports Team does not regulate viewpoints of participants on its social media forums," Ferguson said. "The Army may reasonably regulate the time, place and manner of discussions on its recruiting social media sites. Army eSports social media sites are nonpolitical forums for sharing information about joining the Army." The team has stopped streaming while it reviews "internal policies and procedures, as well as all platform-specific policies," Ferguson said. Vera Eidelman, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, focused on speech and technology, said the Army's defense is eroded by the relevance of the topic and the openness of the public forum. A private host would face fewer constraints, she said, but in this case, the host is the government. "Clearly at issue is that they didn't like the viewpoint and questions," she said. "That is precisely what the Constitution prohibits." Eidelman and Fallow pointed to relevant court rulings as examples. The Knight First Amendment Institute argued in court that President Donald Trump could not block individual users on Twitter because it was a government-led banishment on a public forum. Appeals courts upheld the ruling. A main thrust of the government's defense was that social media is an avenue for the president to speak, said Fallow, one of the attorneys who represented blocked users. But the institute said the tweets occur on an inherently active medium where dialogue takes place. "This is even clearer," Fallow said of the Army ban, because the conversations unfolded in real time in full public view. The incident teased out another issue that landed the Army in hot water over its merchandise giveaway that appeared to be little more than a fish for recruitment leads. Uhl had noticed a link put out by the Army that advertised a contest for a free and pricey controller. A link led to a recruiting page with no specifics about the contest, Uhl wrote in The Nation. "Once we became aware of the issues, we requested immediate removal," a Twitch spokesperson said. The Army acknowledged that the content was pulled down due to lack of transparency. "The team is exploring options to use platforms for giveaways that will provide more external clarity," the Army said. Kangana Ranaut has recently spoken about Swara Bhasker and Taapsee Pannu in a TV interview Kangana Ranaut, in a recent TV interview," said a Bollywood mafia was responsible for the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. She further criticised Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker, who recently responded to her jibes. I only have to lose here, because tomorrow they (referring to the movie mafia) will get some 20 needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker who will say oh only Kangana has a problem with Karan Johar, but we love Karan Johar," said Ranaut, according to The News Minute. In the interview, Ranaut wondered why Pannu and Bhasker were not working in big-budget films like Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday, despite being "better looking" and "better actresses". She asserted that many were afraid to question the status quo in Bollywood "Your existence is a proof of nepotism. What are you telling me how happy you are with this industry?" said Ranaut. Pannu told Hindustan Times that she was disheartened to see Ranaut make a "mockery" out of those who entered the Hindi film industry without any prior insider connections. She explained that she was not reluctant to question unfair practices in Bollywood like when she was replaced in Pati Patni Aur Woh. She also responded to Ranaut's remarks with a sly tweet. She retweeted her interview with the national daily and wrote, "Don't be bitter, be better." Here is Pannu's tweet Maine suna class 12th n 10th ke result ke baad humaara result bhi aa gaya hai! Humaara grade system ab official hai ? Abhi tak toh number system pe value decide hoti thi na #MaLifeMaRulesMaShitMaPot taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 19, 2020 Bhasker joked about Ranaut's remarks in a tweet. She noted that while Ranaut had called her a "needy outsider" and a "B grade actress", atleast she considered Bhasker better looking than Bhatt and Panday. Here is her tweet -Needy outsider - B grade actress (But) - better looking & better actor than Alia Bhatt & Ananya! Net net I think this was a compliment! Thanks Kangana! I think u are gorgeous, generous & a great actor ! Shine on #KanganaSpeaksToArnab #Nepotism @KanganaTeam https://t.co/fIg4i3Lz5F Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 19, 2020 Both actors received support on social media from various people from the film fraternity. Those who spoke in their favour included Richa Chadha and lyricist Neelesh Misra, among others. On Friday, 25 of the 1,314 financial sponsors of Borderlands Books in San Francisco were among the signatories to an open letter addressed to owner Alan Beatts, demanding that he relinquish ownership of the store in light of disturbing allegations recently made against him by an ex-girlfriend and his daughter. (Sponsors are those who invest $100 into the store on an annual basis, as per the stores business model since 2015.) Besides the 25 store sponsors, the letter, written by a group identifying itself as the San Francisco Sci-Fi & Fantasy Community, was signed by half a dozen individuals who identified themselves as either supporters or customers. By Monday morning, the list of signatories had grown to more than 60 names, 44 of them sponsors. A former employee also signed the letter. Below the open letter, which was published on Medium.com, the group described itself as a Bay Areabased group of science fiction and fantasy fans who believe that our community should be free of abusers, and safe and welcoming for everyone. In it, the sponsors disclose that they are withdrawing their sponsorship of the store and support for Borderlands because they believe the survivors [and] want to support them and any others Alan has harmed, whether or not they publicly come forward. Beatts's ex-girlfriend alleges that he attacked her with a knife four years ago; his 27-year-old daughter alleges that Beatts tried to rape her when she was 19 years old. In separate interviews with PW, the two women confirmed their allegations and requested not to be identified. Not only does the letter demand that Beatts relinquish ownership of Borderlands, which he founded in 1997, it demands that he divest financially from it as well. The sponsors also want their names struck from any public lists of current sponsors. More than a dozen of the signers of this letter are among the stores original 300 sponsors in 2015, who are spotlighted on a separate list of sponsors on the stores website. The original sponsors also want the word withdrawn placed next to their names on all sponsorship lists. We understand that alternatives to [Beattss] ownership, such as a workers co-operative, are being discussed, the letter states. We demand that he cooperate with these discussions and any transition plan they may generate. The letter concludes with its writers expressing their hope that they will be able to resume support and sponsorship of Borderlands (or a successor bookstore) under different ownership and management. Two Borderlands booksellers, one of whom is female and the other nonbinary, have resigned their positions since Tuesday's publication of PW's original story regarding the allegations against Beatts, leaving store general manager Jude Feldman, who is also Beatts's significant other, along with two remaining booksellers, the only workers at the store still on staff. The group responded to PW's request for more information by writing in an email: "The letter and the growing list of signatures is the only public comment we plan to make at the moment." Beatts declined comment on this petition in an email. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that both Borderlands Books employees who resigned last week are female. While one is female, the other identifies as nonbinary. This error has been corrected. Marks & Spencer will axe 950 staff in the first wave of a cull that will hit thousands of workers. Today's announcement comes after John Lewis and Boots have already shed thousands of staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with at least 65,000 jobs currently at risk across the country. Britain's high streets have been hammered by the crisis as millions of shoppers move to online shopping, and experts predict there will eventually be 250,000 redundancies across the sector. Shops are now allowed to welcome customers into stores but millions are still staying away, with footfall down 65 per cent last month compared to last year and sales tumbling by 48 per cent over the past three months. However, there are signs of hope in the wider job market, with more than a million vacancies still being advertised last week, as experts pointed to a significant increase in positions for IT professionals. Marks & Spencer will axe 950 staff in the first wave of a cull that will hit thousands of workers. Pictured is a store in Manchester Hundreds of job losses are expected at M&S as part of an ongoing restructuring plan which could ultimately see thousands of positions go. The strategy, dubbed 'never the same again' at the chain's annual results in May, is expected to bring about a complete overhaul in the business in the coming months as it adapts to the long-term impact of the pandemic. Sources close to the plans told Sky News that several thousand jobs were expected to be lost over the coming months as chief executive Steve Rowe pushes through the company's restructuring programme. The initial phase will see the first cuts to M&S's 78,000-strong workforce since most of its shops were temporarily shut at the start of lockdown. Later job losses are then likely to come after a review of costs by bosses in different parts of the company such as retail and property, clothing and home, and food and international. The total numbers axed are likely to amount to several thousand, it was reported. This morning the M&S share price fell 1.92% to 96.92p, as of 8.30am. The wider FTSE 250 was down 0.57%. Earlier this month, Boots axed 4,000 jobs and closed 48 stores, citing the 'significant impact' of Covid-19. Meanwhile John Lewis shut eight large stores, putting 1,300 employees at risk. Burger King also announced it would shutter one in ten outlets, jeopardising 1,600 positions. And around 5,000 employees have gone at Cath Kidston, Laura Ashley, Harveys furniture store, Monsoon, Accessorize and Harrods. Some 27,000 M&S employees were furloughed under the Government's job retention scheme, which was designed to prevent mass lay-offs. The strategy, dubbed 'never the same again' at the chain's annual results in May, is expected to bring about a complete overhaul in the business. Pictured is a branch at Westfield in Stratford, east London Britain's town centres - including Oxford Street in London (pictured) - saw 65% fewer shoppers last month compared to June the previous year In 2018, M&S announced plans to close up to 120 of its full-line clothing stores, more than half of which have now been shut. It now has just under 300 clothing and home shops in the UK. M&S has indicated that it will not pay shareholders a dividend for this year, while Mr Rowe has agreed to a pay freeze and, as in the last financial year, will not take an annual bonus. At least 65,052 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 M&S - 950 Advertisement An M&S spokesman said: 'We don't comment on speculation and, if and when we have an announcement to make, our colleagues will be the first to know.' Pizza Express was to latest high street chain to reveal it was struggling, as it plans to close around 75 of its 470 UK restaurants. The branches are facing closure as part of a financial restructuring of the business, which is one of Britain's biggest restaurant operators. The exact number of branches being closed is yet to be confirmed and could depend on the progress of talks with landlords, set to start next week. One source told Sky News the number could be higher or lower than 75, but is unlikely to be more than 20 per cent of the restaurant's UK outlets. That means as many 94 sites could be closed, impacting hundreds of jobs, with Pizza Express employing 8,000 workers in the UK. More than 250,000 High Street jobs could be axed in total as Britons move to shopping online during the coronavirus crisis. Retail expert Richard Hyman told The Sun: 'If you think there are 9.5million people on furlough, 250,000 redundancies is quite a reasonable number. 'Pre-pandemic online sales accounted for 30 per cent of non-food sales. That will rise to 40 per cent, which means hundreds of thousands of job losses. 'Lockdown has been the catalyst, not the cause. Big firms like John Lewis have needed to shut stores for years.' Yesterday, as many as 484 hopefuls applied for two 9-an-hour positions at the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, southwest London. General manager Mick Dore posted an advert for the roles on Twitter and was staggered by the response. He later wrote: 'I don't want to alarm anyone about the economy or anything, but I advertised two bar jobs at 4.30 on Thursday. We've had well over 400 applicants. Gulp.' The news is reflected across the country, with bosses seeing a huge influx of applicants for entry-level jobs that would usually be unpopular. It comes after Office For National Statistics figures last week showed workers fell by 74,000 last month, with 649,000 gone since lockdown was imposed in March. However, other data shows the British job market is showing signs of strength, with more than a million vacancies being advertised last week. There was a significant increase in job adverts for IT professionals, recruitment specialists said. A graphic, pictured, demonstrates the extent of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the UK economy The leisure and hospitality sector has borne the brunt of coronavirus job cuts, with London's Southbank Centre revealing last week it may have to cut two-thirds of its staff and Canterbury Cathedral asking workers to take voluntary redundancy. The Southbank, which is the biggest arts complex in Europe, warns 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. Chief executive Elaine Bedell, Hayward Gallery director Ralph Rugoff and music director Gillian Moore said in a letter to members that staff had been told that 'very significant losses' were likely by the end of the financial year. The Southbank Centre comprises a number of venues for the performing arts. Its three main buildings are the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery. The organisation, which has furloughed most of its 600 employees, has predicted that it could face a 5.1million deficit for the 2020-21 financial year, the Guardian reported. And Canterbury Cathedral's 300 staff were previously told it would have to make job cuts in a bid to counter a 'substantial loss of income' as a result of the coronavirus. As many as 484 hopefuls applied for two 9-an-hour positions at the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, southwest London 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. Deputy chief executive Anthony Walker told the BBC: 'We've seen two years of digital transformation happening in the space of two weeks. 'A lot of business leaders we've been talking to, and survey data, shows that digital will be more important to their business, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.' The past, present, and future of Quebec updated to 2020 (Part Seven) By Mark Wegierski Many of the problems of Canada derive from the fact that the country is, in essence, "two nations warring in the bosom of a single state". The "two nations" are, of course, English-speaking and French-speaking Canada (i.e., Quebec). A great number of problems of the Canadian polity can be traced to this initial dualism. English-speaking Canada traditionally often tried to pretend that Quebec simply did not exist; then it moved, probably too late, into a stance of extreme accommodation; and finally, when English-speaking Canada became generally very ideologically liberal, it moved to oppose Quebec in the name of so-called universal rights, and with a suspicion about Quebec's "illiberalism". In the October 25, 1993 federal election, the Bloc Quebecois, under the leadership of Lucien Bouchard, which was going to take the case for Quebec sovereignty to the Parliament of Canada, won 54 seats. It thus became the Official Opposition in the federal Parliament. The Bloc Quebecois, of course, ran candidates only in Quebec. The Liberal Party won 19 seats in Quebec, almost all of these from largely non-Francophone (non-French-speaking) areas. However, the Liberal Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, was also a Quebecker, though of course despised by the Quebecois nationalists. One former Tory running as an independent (who had been forced to resign from the P.C. party over corruption charges) was also elected. Finally, Progressive Conservative leader Jean Charest won one seat in Quebec, one of only two P.C. seats in the whole Parliament of Canada. In the September 1994, provincial election in Quebec, the main separatist party, the Parti Quebecois, formed the government with a two-thirds majority of seats, although with 44 percent of the popular vote, because of the "first-past-the-post" system of geographic areas called ridings. Again, most of the support for the provincial Liberal Party came from non-French-speaking areas of Quebec. The Parti Quebecois set the stage for the critical referendum on sovereignty, which took place on October 30, 1995. A number of factors have to be considered when discussing the run-up to this referendum. First of all, there is the fact that the famous French-Canadian "revenge of the cradle" has ceased to operate. In traditional Roman Catholic Quebec up to the 1950s, families of fifteen children were not uncommon. Today, Quebec has one of the lowest birth-rates, and highest abortion-rates in Canada, if not the world. Indeed, the situation is so acute that some Quebecois nationalists had dared to hint at instituting pro-natalist policies focussed on "old-stock" Quebecois. The proportion of Quebec's population in Canada is quickly dropping below 25%, and the demographic battle of the Quebecois is clearly being lost, which constitutes a profound psychological blow. There was the article in The Globe and Mail, April 7, 1995, pp. A1 and A8, "Quebec population drop fuels talk of political weight loss: Province may not be able to reverse trend, demographers say". Throughout the run-up to the campaign, the Parti Quebecois was faced with the obvious fact -- which, however, could barely be discussed in public -- that virtually all recent immigrants were going to vote overwhelmingly for Canada. The Parti Quebecois did argue that 200,000-300,000 votes in the 1994 Quebec election might have been cast illegally, and wanted to crack-down on this abuse. A prominent Bloc Quebecois party member and M.P. even dared to suggest that recent immigrants should not be allowed to vote in the referendum. Bouchard, of course, repudiated him right away -- relieving him of his special parliamentary functions. The PQ did, however, modify the procedure of compiling the electoral lists, which, according to the federalists, tended to work somewhat in the separatists' favour. Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau spoke to the Canadian Club in Toronto on November 22, 1994. (See the Toronto Star, November 23, 1994, p. A23, Your national will and ours no longer converge."). It appeared to me at that time as a rather forthright, fairly subtle, and quite sensible statement of a type of nationalism which was certainly far more meaningful than anything to be found in English-speaking Canada in the 1990s. The liberal English Canadian media indulged in such taunts at Quebec as the Macleans cover of a Cree Indian chief, dressed in military-style fatigues, shouting "NO!" English-Canadian liberals anticipated with relish turning the Cree in Quebec's north, and all the other minorities in Quebec, against the Quebecois cause. On September 8, 1995, the referendum question finally came out: "Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership, within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?" (Toronto Star, September 8, 1995, p. A1 and A28). The agreement of June 12, 1995 had included the Bloc Quebecois, led by Lucien Bouchard; the Parti Quebecois, led by Premier Jacques Parizeau; and a smaller sovereigntist party in the Quebec National Assembly (the Parliament of Quebec is now formally called the Quebec National Assembly), led by the young Mario Dumont. Jean Chretien, for most of the campaign, managed the federalist side abominably. When the federalists led in the early polls, he thought the issue settled, and said little about it. On September 18, 1995, he said he would not accept a "Yes" vote for sovereignty as valid, because he considered the referendum question to be too ambiguous. On October 15, 1995, Lucien Bouchard, who had been recently nominated as the chief representative of the "Yes" side, was considered by many to have made a truly huge "gaffe", when he said that the Quebecois were "one of the white races whose birthrates were very low, and that it would be a good idea if Quebecois women had more children". He was immediately assailed for being both racist and sexist. Interestingly enough, his condemnation by feminists was probably even more vociferous than that by anti-racists. Some typical comments were that he was, "telling women to have babies", and "trying to force women to have children regardless of their own preferences", etc. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home 'By not even acknowledging China's occupation of Indian territory Modi signalled to Beijing that he was not prepared to used forceful means to vacate the Chinese occupation, and that his government was reconciled to this loss of territory and accepted the fait accompli engineered by the PLA.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi interacts with Indian soldiers during his visit to Ladakh, July 3, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo National security expert Dr Bharat Karnad is the emeritus professor in national security studies at the Centre for Policy Research. A prolific author, Dr Karnad's most recent book is Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India's Global Ambition. He helped draft India's nuclear policy and authored India's Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Weapons and Indian Security. Dr Karnad was one of the first security experts to have issued several warnings about the Chinese incursion and occupation of Indian territory in eastern Ladakh. "Considering how much Prime Minister Modi has invested in his personal relations with Xi, the impression cannot be allowed to go out that the whole India-China relations edifice was built on shifting sand," Dr Karnad tells Rediff.com Contributor Rashme Sehgal. The first of a two-part interview: Senior government sources claim Prime Minister Modi is upset with General Bipin Rawat on how the chief of defence staff incorrectly advised him on how to handle the Ladakh crisis. I am not sure how General Rawat can be faulted for the 'do little, do nothing provocative' advice rendered by him to the prime minister. After all, it is natural for military advice givers to tack to the leanings of the PM. And Modi has in various summits and meetings with Xi Jinping shown a distinct tendency to accommodate Beijing. Modi was also reportedly upset with Leh-based 14 Corps Commander Lieutenant General Harinder Singh for the PLA's deep incursions in eastern Ladakh. One may hold the Leh Corps commander and the army brass responsible for the deep PLA penetrations into Indian territory, but the PMO cannot be absolved of the responsibility either. It is hard to imagine that the Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre, controlled by the army-run Defence Intelligence Agency, was not passing on the series of high-resolution satellite photographs detailing the PLA intrusions and build-up in Indian territory since the late summer of 2019 to army headquarters and the PMO. There is a view among defence experts that the Modi government is making misleading claims about the extent of disengagement along the LAC/ Why should the government be doing this given that today there is satellite imagery to corroborate what is happening on the ground? That's the point I made several weeks ago in my blog. Any misleading statements emanating from the government can be confirmed or belied by commercially available satellite imagery. Hence, it is politically foolhardy to lie to the people. IMAGE: Indian Army vehicles in Leh, July 15, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo There are reports that the PLA has refused to withdraw from the Hot Springs area and from Gogra. Is that correct? Even in Galwan, the buffer zone is being created in Indian territory. I am not sure about this. Gogra and the Hot Springs areas are where the two governments supposedly agreed to establish 'buffer zones'. My problem with the buffer zone concept is precisely that they encompass territory claimed by India and the 'no man's land' separating the two sides and, therefore, compromise India's claims on the LAC. And it leaves this belt of land vulnerable to permanent Chinese absorption. But newspapers and TV channels are reporting what they are being told by army sources who also qualify this information by stating that the army is spouting the line given to them by the national security adviser's office. What are your views on this. Of course, the NSA is in the business of micromanaging the public perceptions of the unfolding events in eastern Ladakh. Considering how much Prime Minister Modi has invested in his personal relations with Xi, the impression cannot be allowed to go out that the whole India-China relations edifice was built on shifting sand. IMAGE: An Indian Air Force Apache helicopter flying over the mountains in Ladakh, July 15, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo Commercial satellite imagery reportedly shows the LAC has shifted 12 to 15 kms in Depsang, 1 km in Galwan, 2 to 4 kms in Gogra and 8 kms in Pangong Lake. This would be by far the largest loss of territory to China since the 1962 war. Is this observation correct? I have been warning since the beginning about the quite considerable loss of territory. I estimate that China's policy of what I have called incremental annexation has resulted in the loss of some 1,300 sq kms of Indian territory in the new millennium. Should the buck not stop with NSA Ajit Doval? Well, yes, because he is supposed to ingest all intel, field reports, military briefings, analyses and recommendations from the China Study Group, et al, and alight on policy options for the PM. You have said repeatedly that Indian intelligence knew about the Chinese build up for the last one year. More specifically, intelligence had told the army about Chinese movements in the LAC area, but the army took this to be normal spring time activity. Would you say this has been an operational lapse by the army? As I have already said, there's no excuse for XIV Corps Headquarters in Leh or army headquarters in Delhi and for the army misreading imagery intelligence transmitted to the Defence Intelligence Agency by DIPAC. Is it correct to say that the government had considered the possibility of replacing the Northern Army commander and the corps commander but decided against it. I don't know about this specific case. But there's no reason why a corps commander the government judges to be incompetent cannot be replaced mid-operations. In fact, such replacement should be routinised. In your June 23 blog you highlight how Article 6 of the 1996 Agreement with China permits the attacked to use infantry weapons in defence. Why were they not used by Lieutenant Colonel Babu and his men when attacked by the Chinese? The Article 6 provision was first mentioned by former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General H S Panag. And hence I argued Babu should have gone prepared on his sortie for a rumble (confrontation with the PLA). Article 6 permits use of side-arms if attacked by the other party. IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist party of China, at their second informal summit in Mahabalipuram, October 11, 2019. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter What signal did Modi's June 17 statement not mentioning Chinese occupation send to the world and more especially to the Chinese? By not even acknowledging China's occupation of Indian territory Modi signalled Beijing that: 1. He was not prepared to used forceful means to vacate the Chinese occupation; 2. His government was reconciled to this loss of territory and accepted the fait accompli engineered by the PLA. Your June 23 blog suggests the Chinese had anticipated that Modi would not fight. You used the expression 'Modi's inaction in the face of provocation'. On what basis was this assumption based. On the basis of Modi's personal relations with Xi and warmer ties with China that he has ballyhooed over the year. Why were the heights on the eastern shore of the Shyok River facing the Daulat Bed Oldi/Karakoram-Depsang road not secured ten years ago? This, I have said, is the Indian Army's biggest blunder. The heights on the eastern bank of the Shyok River should have been secured as soon as the alignment of the DSDBO road was fixed. It was an elementary precaution to protect a strategic infrastructure asset, it did not take. Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Northern Ireland should act to protect itself against travellers from Great Britain spreading coronavirus, Stormonts deputy first minister has said. Visitors arriving from Great Britain are expected to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in the Republic of Ireland. People can cross the border from Northern Ireland unimpeded. First Minister Arlene Foster wants to preserve free movement for the sake of business and family life but her powersharing deputy, Michelle ONeill, urged the alignment of rules north and south of the Irish border. The Sinn Fein vice-president said: It is my view that, given that this is where the biggest risk comes from, we need to act on that. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain Michelle O'Neill Ms ONeill said she intended to discuss the matter with fellow Stormont ministers and the island of Ireland needed to act as one unit. She added: The community transmission there is so much higher. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain. It is something I am concerned about. She held talks with fellow devolved leaders in Scotland and Wales on Wednesday. The number of deaths recorded in Northern Ireland remains at 556, the Department of Health reported on Monday. The infection threat has been driven down over recent weeks. I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life Arlene Foster DUP leader Mrs Foster was asked whether a recent call by Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald for all people entering the island of Ireland to self-quarantine indicated a difference of opinion at the heart of the powersharing executive. We have to be driven by the science and advice we are given, were also very clear that we are in a common travel area and we respect that common travel area, Mrs Foster replied. The Republic of Ireland has decided to go on a different route and they dont respect the common travel area, thats a matter for them. But I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life, lets face it, as well, that we continue to have the UK working together and making sure we can have that travel across the United Kingdom. Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) There are about 60 countries on Northern Irelands safe travel list, but there are expected to be fewer on the Irish Republics list when it is published. The list had been due to be finalised at a cabinet meeting on Monday, but it was postponed late on Sunday due to the Taoiseachs need to remain in Brussels for an extended EU summit. Only countries that have a coronavirus infection rate the same or lower than Ireland will be included on the list. That means Great Britain and the US are set to be excluded, as potentially are popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain and Portugal. People crossing the border from Northern Ireland are not subject to restrictions on their movement. The DUP leader was asked about the different approaches on both sides of the border. We have always had differences as we work through Covid but I think the important thing is weve always communicated with each other, weve always understood why those decisions have been taken, she said. The decisions are taken around our travel regulations on the advice from the chief medical officer (Dr Michael McBride) working in the four nations approach across the UK, so theres an understanding as to why that is the case. Meanwhile, a Londonderry church has closed after two parishioners tested positive for coronavirus. Fr Neil Farren said services have stopped at St Marys Church in Ardmore until further notice. It was on July 20, 1969, that NASA's Apollo 11 reached the moon and astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the blue planet's natural satellite. The event was of paramount importance and went on to idolize Armstrong, who was the commander of the mission, and his great saying: "Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". But did you know that there exists a lot of speculation and lesser-known facts about the moon mission? Let's find out some of these: The reflector array Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin left things back on the moon. Apart from hoisting the American flag (which alone was a hot subject of conspiracy theories), they had also stationed the 'lunar laser ranging retroreflector array' on the moon. This machine worked for decades to inform the NASA scientists about the moon's orbit and the truth behind gravitational theories. Smell of the moon The soil of the moon is very hard to dust off and hence clung to the astronauts' suits. When the shuttle was closed the men also noticed an odour coming from the soil. It smelled that of the sky after fireworks. Moon trio had to quarantine As no human had been to the moon before, scientists were not sure about the microbes that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins could bring back with them. So the trip was put into a quarantine facility after coming back. Smartphones are light years ahead of computers on Eagle Apollo 11 had the best technology and the best support of its times but within 50 years, our normal smartphones have greater capabilities when compared to the computers aboard the module. You can catch the images from the historic day here. Or watch the moon landing in NASA' video above. The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has served a notice to Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for his alleged bid to destabilise the Ashok Gehlot-led government and directed him to record his statement, an official said. A notice has been served to the minister through his personal secretary, said Ashok Rathore, additional director-general of police (ADP), SOG, Rajasthan. Last Friday, the SOG had registered two separate first information reports (FIRs) after Congress chief whip in the Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi had lodged a complaint about three audiotapes that had surfaced the previous evening and quickly went viral on social media. Also read: Rajasthan HC resumes hearing on Sachin Pilot, 18 other rebel Congress MLAs plea The leaked audiotapes purportedly contained elaborate conversations between a rebel Congress lawmaker and others, including one Gajendra Singh, who could be heard discussing strategies to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan. The FIRs had identified the rebel Congress legislator from Sardarshahar, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, who has since been suspended by the party, and Sanjay Jain, a networker and known for his proximity to politicians cutting across party lines and also the bureaucracy. Jain was arrested by the SOG on Friday night and is being interrogated. The persons named in the FIR have been booked under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, Rathore said. Also read| Rajasthan horse trading probe: Jain had Rs 100 crore budget to buy 3 MLAs, claims police Minister Shekhawat and dissident lawmaker Sharma had issued separate statements and denied the charges levelled against them and termed the audiotapes as fake and blamed chief minister Gehlot for the trump-up charges. The voice on the audiotapes is not mine. I am ready to face any investigation, Shekhawat had said last week. The NigerianAir Force (NAF) has revealed the identity of the secondary school classmate who knocked down Nigerias first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile. Air force spokesman, Ibikunle Daramola gave the name of the man as Nehemiah Adejoh and also disclosed that he and two other civilians were at the Nigerian Air Force base in Kaduna to visit the wife of a squadron leader. He further revealed that Tolulope Arotile was awaiting deployment for her next assignment when the sad incident occurred. The Late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, a Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG) Enugu, attached to the Air Component of Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, having recently completed her Promotion Examinations, was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment. During this period, she stayed with her sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, at Sabo Area in Kaduna, visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary. On 14 July 2020 at about 10.55am, Late Flying Officer Arotile received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she comes to the Base so that they could work out the modalities. Subsequently, at about 10.58am, the Late Arotile placed a call through to Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, the Group Operations Officer (GOO) of 405 HCTG, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment. It must be highlighted that the call FROM Flying Officer Karimo as well as the one TO the Squadron Leader Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over 5 hours before the incident which led to her death. Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs Adegboye, where the Deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele. Her elder sister later dropped her off at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that 3 of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School (now Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna; Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with Registration Number AZ 478 MKA. It is noteworthy that Messrs Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base. Upon recognising their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the Deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction. In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries. Flying Officer Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an Accident & Emergency Nurse at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital Kaduna, administered First Aid. Flying Officer Arotile was confirmed dead by the On-Call Doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020, as a result of the head injuries. The trio of Messrs Nehemiah Adejoh, Igbekele Folorunsho and Festus Gbayegun were immediately detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna as investigations began. They were subjected to Toxicology Tests at the 461 NAF Hospital but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems. It was however discovered that the driver of the vehicle, Mr Nehemiah Adejo, did not have a valid drivers license. Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that: The death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle. WASHINGTON - The spiraling pandemic and the increasingly virulent politics around Washington's handling of the novel coronavirus are raising the pressure on Senate Republicans as they try to craft a fresh coronavirus relief package. As the Senate returns this week for a three-week sprint before the August break, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is facing competing demands from President Donald Trump and Republican senators, including some who are up for reelection in states hit hard by the virus and are coming under withering attacks by Democratic challengers over the pandemic. In particular, the expiration of an additional $600-per-week in unemployment insurance by July 31 is adding pressure on vulnerable GOP senators as 20 million to 30 million people remain out of work. McConnell and many other Republicans adamantly oppose extending the enhanced benefit at its current level, saying it discourages some from returning to work because they make more money by staying home. The Trump administration has further upended talks over the relief bill by trying to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing, angering some Republican senators. Some White House officials argue that they have already approved billions in funding for testing and that some of that money remains unspent. The election-year politics over the pandemic will be entwined with the contours of the next coronavirus package - a complicated dynamic McConnell will have to manage along with disputes within his conference over aid to states and localities, as well as a persistent negative view by the public of the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic. "We have to - together - get through this by making sure that people are able to get back to work, that businesses are able to survive, that individuals know that they're going to be OK," Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., said in a phone interview. Gardner said that his constituents are pressing him for more federal assistance and that he supports extending the enhanced unemployment benefit, though he is open to an amount less than the additional $600 per week. He said he is also open to Democrats' demands for more aid for states and localities, though he did not specify how much. The first-term Republican senator, who is facing former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, on Nov. 3, said he conveyed his request to McConnell in a call Thursday, pressing for the next relief package also to include more support for nationwide coronavirus testing. Another at-risk Republican senator, Susan Collins of Maine, told reporters in her state last week that she is seeking more state and local aid - particularly for towns with smaller populations - and a fresh round of aid for small businesses and education funding to help schools reopen. She wants to continue expanded unemployment insurance, but only just enough that the money makes up for lost wages. Countering many in her party, she stressed that "now is not the time" to worry that another costly rescue package will add to the rising debt. Nearly all Republican candidates' standing has fallen somewhat in the past month, according to strategists involved in Senate races, except perhaps for Gardner and Collins. All those factors will be taken into consideration as Congress rushes into the next phase of coronavirus legislation this week. McConnell is expected to unveil a pandemic relief proposal as early as Tuesday with a target value of $1 trillion, though some Republicans speculate that the figure could be larger. Extra attention is likely to be paid to the demands of vulnerable Republican senators, GOP officials said. But there are several complicating factors. Trump is insisting on a cut in payroll taxes, which fund Social Security, as part of the next package, though few Republicans are warm to the idea and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has repeatedly expressed opposition. There also will be haggling between the parties on education aid. The White House and Senate Republicans want to attach either incentives or conditions to tens of billions of dollars in new aid to help schools reopen, though Republicans are still debating whether to pursue carrots or sticks. The package is expected to include some sort of stimulus check for consumers - a maximum of $1,200 was included in the last major bill - but the size of the payments is not yet clear. "There may be a need for a broad-based payment of individuals like we did last time," Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, the fourth-ranking Senate Republican, told reporters late last week. "But for sure, there's a need to try to figure out how to have a more of a target in the recovery phase of the economy than [we] did in the March rescue phase." The prime red line for Senate leadership has been liability protections. McConnell has circulated a plan that offers schools, charities, businesses and medical workers a legal shield from being held responsible in coronavirus-related lawsuits unless there was gross negligence or intentional misconduct, according to a draft viewed by The Washington Post. The proposal has been shared with White House officials, who are reviewing it. Meanwhile, the states that have had the most dramatic spike in cases include Arizona, Georgia and Texas, all of which have Senate races in varying levels of competitiveness and where Democratic opponents have made the pandemic a central theme in their campaigns. "David Perdue and Donald Trump have nothing to run on but widespread disease, mass unemployment, a record of being wrong and being wrong such that Americans lose their lives, millions have lost their jobs," said Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is challenging Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., this November. "David Perdue will lose in November when his record is exposed." Perdue emphasized in a statement that he is seeking liability protections and more flexibility in aid for small towns in the next relief package. "While Democrats, like my opponent, are spreading false information to score political points during this crisis, my top priority is to protect the people of Georgia so we can continue to safely reopen the economy and start to get kids back to school," Perdue said. In Texas, Democrat MJ Hegar has repeatedly hammered Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for his response to the pandemic and comments the senator made this year that Democrats say minimized the severity of the crisis. "He said it was a mistake to expand unemployment insurance, and I'm not confident that he would support it again," Hegar said in a phone interview. "That's not a handout. That is our country, our capitalist economy responding to the economic crisis. So he should be thinking more about what is best for his constituents and not what Mitch McConnell tells him to say." Travis Considine, a Cornyn campaign spokesman, said the senator opposes just the enhanced unemployment insurance and added: "Senator Cornyn has delivered billions in relief for Texas hospitals, front-line workers, schools, and small businesses hit by the pandemic. MJ's false attack is just another example of her sticking to the script national Democrats have written for her." In Arizona, where case numbers are surging dramatically, polls have shown GOP Sen. Martha McSally well-behind Mark Kelly, her Democratic challenger. Kelly, a former astronaut, has begun targeting ads toward Native American communities in the state, arguing that the federal government is ignoring their needs in the pandemic. He is calling for extending the enhanced unemployment benefit; McSally has not taken a position on the issue, according to a spokeswoman. Kelly has also called on Congress to provide direct relief to Arizona's cities and towns. McSally has declined to back the additional aid, instead saying she supports "maximum flexibility" for money already distributed, which could allow localities to spend the money on services not specifically related to the coronavirus. Republicans are facing a somewhat unusual situation in Montana, where Sen. Steve Daines has found himself under increased pressure as his Democratic challenger, Gov. Steve Bullock, uses his gubernatorial perch to steer the state through the pandemic. Bullock declared a state of emergency and shut down schools, bars and restaurants early in March, then reopened the state early in late April. For a long time, the rural state had among the lowest infection rates and is now among the top three in economic growth, according to the Labor Department - a feat that Bullock and his staff mention to voters. But in recent days, Montana has been among the cluster of states where cases have been rising, a fact Daines's campaign has pointed out to reporters in a bid to cast doubt on Bullock's statewide response. Steven Law, a former top McConnell aide who heads the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC supporting Senate Republicans, said GOP incumbents have been effective in showcasing their response to the pandemic, including the trillions of dollars Congress has provided to support all elements of the economy. Law said the public has been eager to hear from incumbents on coronavirus-related achievements that might otherwise gain little notice. This has also allowed them to create their own profiles on the issue, separate from that of the president. "This class has been unusually forward-leaning in being part of the solution," Law said, "And more importantly, being forward-leaning in communicating about it." SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 20, 2020 / A hedge fund in the British Virgin Islands has increased its TRX holdings by $20 million USD, bringing its total balance to over 1 million TRX. The major investment shows the growing demand for crypto assets from institutional firms. The BVI-based hedge fund, which has a positive outlook on the TRON ecosystem, plans to increase its holdings of TRX further and to build a friendly and close-knit relationship with TRON. The firm has previously made investments and acquisitions in multiple blockchain projects and holds a range of crypto assets in its portfolio. TRON has reported an uptick in interest from institutional investors seeking exposure to DeFi by acquiring the native tokens of smart contract networks and the dApp ecosystem they support. The $20 million investment by the BVI hedge fund follows significant efforts by TRON to improve its compliance level and to enhance relationships with institutional investors. TRON has declared its intention to attract more institutional players, broadening interest in cryptocurrency as an investment vehicle, while bringing the benefits of decentralized technologies to a global audience. Through making it easier for funds to acquire TRX, while maintaining their reporting and compliance obligations, TRON hopes to facilitate an in-flow of funds into the cryptoconomy, fueling the development of innovative products and services built on blockchain technology. About TRON TRON is dedicated to building the infrastructure for a truly decentralized Internet. The TRON Protocol, one of the largest blockchain-based operating systems in the world, offers high-scalability, high-availability, and high-throughput support that serves as the foundation for all decentralized applications in the TRON ecosystem. The protocol also uses an innovative, pluggable smart contract platform to improve compatibility with Ethereum smart contracts. In 2018, TRON acquired BitTorrent Inc., an internet technology company based in San Francisco. The distributed technology designed by BitTorrent Inc. is smart, highly scalable, and keeps creators and consumers in control of their content and data. More than 170 million people use BitTorrent products every month. BitTorrent's protocol drives 40% of the world's internet traffic every day. Company: TRON Company Contact: Ryan Dennis Email: press@tron.network SOURCE: TRON View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/598052/Hedge-Fund-Increases-Its-TRX-Holdings-by-20-Million-as-the-TRON-Ecosystem-Grows The coronavirus pandemic may have changed the world, but some truths remain intact. On Monday, yet again, England were grateful for a rather different force of nature. Step forward, Ben Stokes. Their remarkable 113-run win over West Indies, which sets up a series decider here in Manchester on Friday and keeps alive their hopes of regaining the Wisden Trophy, owed much to many: Dom Sibley's patient first-innings hundred, a pair of hot streaks from Stuart Broad, and the skilful interventions of Chris Woakes and Sam Curran. But Stokes was first among equals, forcing himself through the wringer to such an extent that, with West Indies nine down, he withdrew from the attack with what he later described as a bit of stiffness code for absolutely knackered. England's own force of nature Ben Stokes put in a man-of-the-match display at Old Trafford He helped England complete a series-levelling win after beating West Indies by 113 runs Ollie Pope took a stunning catch to dismiss Kemar Roach for the final West Indies wicket Needless to say, he wouldn't leave the field, and celebrated with his team-mates when Ollie Pope pulled off a blinder at short leg to dismiss Kemar Roach off Dom Bess with 14.5 overs left on the final evening. A nation will be crossing it fingers that Stokes doesn't snap in two before the third Test, when England will be boosted by Jofra Archer's return from the Covid naughty step. Even before the last day began, Stokes had already done enough to be named man of the match. But his work was not complete. Resuming on 16 as England chased quick runs and a declaration, he survived a bad drop by John Campbell at deep cover to batter an unbeaten 78 from 57 balls in a total of 129 for three. That took his match aggregate to 254, made out of 443 while he was at the crease, and allowed Joe Root the luxury of giving his attack 85 overs, and therefore the option of a second new ball, to take 10 wickets. It was never needed, but it was a reassuring thought as the day unfolded. Later, Root conveyed his gratitude by calling his all-rounder 'Mr Incredible'. Stuart Broad struck three times to dismiss John Campbell, Shai Hope and Roston Chase Having scored the slowest of his 10 Test centuries in the first innings, Stokes showed off his full range in the second, reaching 50 in 36 deliveries, the quickest by an England opener, makeshift or otherwise. That's before mentioning the 11-over spell of bouncers that prised out the adhesive West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite on the fourth afternoon. If the ICC ranked players according to their versatility, they would have long stopped counting. Just as crucial was his dismissal of Jermaine Blackwood the hero of West Indies' chase at the Ageas Bowl on the stroke of tea for 55. Three balls earlier, Stokes had displayed insane levels of commitment by chasing Blackwood's off-drive all the way to the boundary off his own bowling. He intercepted it inside the rope, but the batsmen ran four anyway. If the gesture seemed futile, Stokes was not fussed. And when, moments later, he banged one in from round the wicket on a pitch that was offering little help to the old ball, Blackwood flapped a loopy leg-side catch to Jos Buttler. That ended a troublesome fifth-wicket stand of 100 with Shamarh Brooks, and broke open the innings. England were re-energised. Woakes inflicted a pair on Shane Dowrich with his 100th Test wicket, before Curran curved one into the pads of Brooks to end his classy 62. Bess made up for an indifferent performance by gating Jason Holder with a classic off-break from out of the rough, and Stokes who else? took the ninth wicket when Alzarri Joseph carved to point. The wicket of Roach completed a stunning turnaround from an England side who had to rise above both Archer's first-morning drama and the loss of the third day to rain. And when West Indies reached 242 for four on the fourth afternoon, Root's team were an unlikely 16 wickets short of forcing a result. Chris Woakes also crucially got in on the act and took two wickets in the final innings Dom Bess took the crucial wicket of Jason Holder the West Indies captain after tea Enter Broad for the first of two game-changing spells with the new ball. Between the wicket of Brooks in West Indies' first innings and the wicket of Roston Chase in their second, he took six for 26 in 11.5 overs that formed the best possible riposte to events in Southampton. He was adamant he had no point to prove, as if a body of work that now comprises 491 Test wickets did not require validation. But a track record does not guarantee a bright future, and on Sunday evening Broad very much had a point to make when he asked not to be placed in the same bracket as Jimmy Anderson, who is four years his senior. Had he failed to back up his angry response to being dropped with a haul of wickets, there is every chance the selectors might have omitted him from the third Test. Instead, he changed the complexion of the match, indelibly inking his name into Friday's starting XI. With West Indies set an unlikely 312, he had got England going with the wicket of Campbell in the first over, caught behind after Root belatedly reviewed what Broad rightly believed was the thinnest of edges. Woakes took care of Brathwaite, shuffling across his crease, before Broad produced a beauty to connect with the top of Shai Hope's off stump. When Chase shouldered arms to Broad soon after lunch, West Indies were 37 for four and apparently sinking fast. Had England reviewed a catch at the wicket against Brooks on 17, the innings might have ended quickly. Instead, he and the pugnacious Blackwood made England sweat only for Stokes to wrestle back control. He has no intention of relinquishing it now. Sam Curran also ended Shamarh Brooks' gutsy resistance by trapping him lbw for 62 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) - Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered on Monday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the deaths of drug convicts at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. In a department order, Guevarra directed the NBI, through its Officer-in-Charge Eric Distor, to investigate the death of high-profile drug convict Jaybee Sebastian and nine other inmates, who reportedly died due to COVID-19. Guevarra also instructed the bureau to file the appropriate charges, if evidence warrants, "against those who will be found responsible for any unlawful act." Distor is directed to submit progress reports on the investigation directly to the Office of the Secretary within 10 days. In any case, to dispel any doubt regarding the death of PDL (persons deprived of liberty) Sebastian and the eight others, (Bureau of Corrections Director General) DG (Gerald) Bantag welcomed an independent investigation on the matter, the Justice department said. BuCor said Sebastians remains were cremated in line with health protocols. Bantag earlier said that 21 Bilibid detainees died due to the coronavirus since March. In an earlier interview with CNN Philippines, the BuCor chief said some Chinese and Filipino drug lords were among those who died, but noted he could not release any names due to the Data Privacy Act. The National Privacy Commission, however, argued that there is justified public interest to release details regarding high-profile inmates, especially when the personal information being sought is linked to issues already on the minds of the public. The Data Privacy Act is not a cloak for denying the public's right to know, the commission said in a statement. A death certificate obtained by CNN Philippines over the weekend showed that Sebastian suffered acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, with the viral disease listed as a significant condition contributing to his death. He passed away at the Bilibid hospital, with his remains cremated at the Panteon de Dasmarinas on the same day. Photo: (Photo : Instagram/ml20xo) Michaela Lugton and Barry McLachlan saved their 22-weeks-old premature baby after ignoring the doctor's advice. Due to the baby's low chances of survival, the doctor suggested, six times, for the parents to turn off his life-support system. On March 3, 2019, the 21-year-old mom gave birth to her baby boy, Noah, who weighed only 450 grams. The medical team immediately brought the newborn into the neonatal intensive care unit and placed him on a ventilator since he could not breathe properly. Noah suffered from collapsed lungs, a grade two bleeding on the brain, and multiple rounds of sepsis. He also endured chronic lung disease and 12 operations that included eye surgery. Doctors advise to turn-off the life-support Lugton experienced heavy breathing and sickness when she was pregnant with Noah. Doctors told the young couple that their baby would have little chance of survival at 22 weeks. When Noah was in the hospital, doctors advised that the parents turn their baby's life-support off to let him go on his own. His parents refused and kept praying that their son would fight his way. In December 2019, nine months after his stay in the hospital, Noah went home. After his discharge, his parents brought him to their home in Edinburgh, Scotland. He had oxygen and feeding tubes, but he was declared a healthy little boy. The young couple was so proud of the sweetest little boy. They were devastated when they thought that they would lose him. They refused to turn off his life-support system because they were desperate for him to fight. Lugton said that despite going through so much, Noah never stops smiling. Mom suffered two miscarriages In November 2017, the couple met at a Tesco car park and fell in love at first sight. They immediately decided to start a family together. Lugton suffered two miscarriages. The teenage mom said that the doctors found out she has a binorculate womb, which meant a heart-shaped womb. The doctors said that it did not affect her fertility. Lugton went in and out of the hospital as soon as they knew she was pregnant for the third time. On February 24, 2019, she was in her 22nd week of pregnancy when her water bag broke. Her doctors gave her steroids just in case she gave birth prematurely. Expect the worse The doctors told the couple that their baby would not survive. The new mom begged doctors and nurses to help their baby live. However, on the same day Noah was born, doctors told the couple to expect the worse. The parents stayed with their son, and the doctors allowed them to take the baby out of his incubator. They cuddled him and made prints of his feet to make the most of his memories because they thought that it would be his last night. The next day at four in the morning, their baby was still fighting. Fifty percent chance of survival Suddenly, Noah developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), which is a disease that affects premature babies. He underwent surgery with a 50 percent chance of survival. After eight hours, he came out with a stoma to help him excrete body waste. Two days later, the stoma slipped out, so Noah had to undergo surgery again. After that, he developed NEC again, twice. The series of horrible experiences happened in nine months. On March 3, 2020, Noah turned one. He is now doing amazingly well even though he still suffers lung disease and is still on oxygen tubes. The couple could imagine their life without Noah. Lugton wants moms with premature babies to know that there is always hope even if the world is against them. See also: For a month, doctor cared for a baby whose parents are COVID-19 positive Mom and son serve homemade food to the needy during the pandemic Dad wore mermaid costume to grant daughter's 8th birthday wish ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI A group of local elected officials, including a state representative, are calling on the county commissioners to seek the resignation of St. Joseph Countys prosecutor. A July 20 letter addressed to the Board of Commissioners of St. Joseph County requests the board pass a resolution at Tuesdays meeting supporting the immediate resignation of Prosecuting Attorney John McDonough. McDonough has been under fire in recent months for an an alleged drunken driving arrest on May 11 near Three Rivers. The prosecutor filed a written waiver of arraignment on June 17 with the St. Joseph County District Court and is expected in court later this week for a pretrial. Related: Prosecutor left crash scene before returning, according to police reports The letter to the commission was written by Colon Township resident Tadd Davis and State Rep. Aaron Miller (R-Sturgis) and signed by nearly two dozen other constituents. Among them are Leonidas Township Clerk Don Overholt, Leonidas Township Trustee Mia Gilbert, Burr Oak Township Trustee Rich Baker and Fawn River Township Treasurer Jennifer Schwartz. The letter can be read in its entirety below. For two months we were expecting some response from Prosecutor McDonough and some resolution, some taking note of all the facts that have come out and there has not been that, Miller told MLive. We decided it was time to take action and call for his resignation. The letter to the county board was issued about two weeks before the Aug. 4 election. While the commission itself does not have the authority to force McDonough to resign, Miller hopes the commissioners will help put pressure on the prosecutor to do so. Miller said the issue is not centered around McDonoughs recent arrest, but problems which have been ongoing for several years. The state representative said he made his decision and announcement to endorse McDonoughs opponent in the Aug. 4 Republican Primary, David Marvin, days before McDonoughs arrest. Miller said he wanted to emphasize that nobody wishes ill will on McDonough. I want to separate the two issues of the elected office, he said. Its one thing to call for someones resignation, but ill will is a completely different thing. We wish all the best for John and his family, for whatever he is going through, but for the sake of the county, his elected office needs to change. St. Joseph County District 1 Commissioner Allen Balog (Three Rivers) said the letter caught him off guard and that as county governmental leaders he does not believe they should act too quickly on any demands. At this time, Im going to propose to the board that we follow protocol and take it to our executive meeting next week to discuss, he said. Balog said if the board decides to vote on the issue, it will be placed on the consent agenda for the boards next meeting on Aug. 4 the same day as the primary election. When asked about the fact they would then be voting on a resolution regarding the prosecutors status on election day, Balog said: The primary election is 14 days from tomorrow. Wouldnt it make sense for the voters of St. Joseph County to make that decision? McDonough did not return a phone call requesting comment on the matter. Letter to the county commissioners: Dear members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners: We the undersigned feel it is time to collectively take a stand regarding an elected member of county government who is an integral piece in the criminal justice system Prosecutor John McDonough. We hope this letter is interpreted as one based on calm and measured reflection regarding not just one isolated incident, but the continual lack of leadership, lack of work ethic, and mismanagement of the entire office of the prosecuting attorney of this county. To be very specific, Mr. McDonoughs habitual lack of attendance at his workplace for the last several years has resulted in a catastrophic backlog of criminal cases that has clogged the entire criminal justice system. His failure to meet the most basic expectation of showing up for work each day has resulted in many significant issues. His failure to provide the most basic training and guidance to assistant prosecutors has resulted in a revolving door of employees. Additional tax dollars are spent sending the new hires to basic training seminars, but he fails to provide them with the necessary support and guidance. Then, at times, he has fired them before the taxpayers realize a return on the investment. He will then spend months waiting for another suitable candidate to be hired, when the cycle starts again. Perhaps worst of all, as he currently continues to collect full pay and benefits, the county has had to outsource his work to another attorney at the expense of the taxpayers. He has repeatedly wasted taxpayer dollars by allowing cases to linger and be set for jury trial as he simply hasnt put the time and effort into reviewing the file. His inability to be reached by law enforcement during critical situations has negatively impacted the area police departments abilities to enforce the law and keep the peace. It has also resulted in serious errors in the protection of constitutional rights and procedures to properly collect evidence. He has cut last-minute deals for serious criminal cases while ignoring the advice of the assistant prosecutors that managed the cases and, even worse, without even consulting the victims of the crimes. Make no mistake, this all has harmed the pursuit of justice and, quite simply, Mr. McDonough has brought embarrassment to our county that we call home. You, as commissioners, have seen this happen multiple times over the past several years and are fully aware of the expenditures on training, hiring, firing, and human resources expended with regards to the previous two paragraphs. The assistant prosecutors that do succeed end up leaving the office for better opportunities because they are so overburdened by doing the majority of the work while Mr. McDonough simply fails to appear. The average resident unfortunately does not see the inner workings and strife described above. However, Mr. McDonoughs decision on May 11, 2020, to consume alcohol during business hours and his subsequent accident and arrest constituted a pivotal incident that brought some light to this extreme dysfunction. More importantly, Mr. McDonoughs choice to reportedly leave the scene of the accident, his behavior during the investigation, and his characterization of the incident in the weeks thereafter underscore his lack of respect for his elected position. According to the preliminary breath test at the scene on May 11, Mr. McDonough was above the legal intoxication limit for driving. Several hours later, the datamaster breath tests indicated it fell below the legal limit. Instead of taking repentant responsibility, though, he bragged to MLive reporter Ryan Boldrey in a June 23 story that [t]he breathalyzers were both below the legal limit[t]hats what counts in court. This clearly demonstrates a lack of respect for his elected office. Everyone is in agreement in the hope that Mr. McDonough receives the help he needs and that he improves his health for himself and his family. However, his history over the past several years demands his replacement and the incident from May 11 underscores that need. The posture he has taken with this recent incident further notably demands his resignation and we are duly asking for just that. After weeks of careful and thoughtful consideration and much waiting, we are also asking this board to lead, as you have been elected to do. As your constituents and as residents of St. Joseph County, we are calling on you to ask for Mr. McDonoughs resignation by official resolution at tomorrows regular meeting. Your approximately 61,000 total constituents deserve better. Sincerely, Your constituent residents of St. Joseph County, as signed below: Tadd Davis, Colon Township; Aaron Miller, Sturgis, 59th District State Rep.; Jennifer Schwartz, Fawn River Township Treasurer; Joe Schwartz, Fawn River Township; Nicole Edson, Colon Township; Duane Butcher, Fawn River Township; Amy Butcher, Fawn River Township; Dawn Everett, Fabius Township; Darcy Shinew-Howes, Park Township; Kendra Ackerman, Colon Township; Julie Carpenter, Leonidas Township; Ann Susemihl, Fabius Township; Deb Cupp, Nottawa Township; Robbie Hattan, Colon Township; Lyndsey Hattan, Colon Township; Tom Miller, Lockport Township; Gail Miller, Lockport Township; Don Overholt, Leonidas Township Clerk; Mia Gilbert, Leonidas Township Trustee; Rich Baker, Burr Oak Township Trustee; Larry Walton, Nottawa Township; Jack Coleman, Park Township and Steve Carra, Three Rivers. Also signing were Branch County residents Shanelle Mallen, Desa Middleton-Weed and Dera Weed Also on MLive: St. Joseph County prosecutor officially charged with drunken driving More than 100K customers still without power in Michigan Whitmer, Fauci among Michigans most-trusted sources on coronavirus, survey shows Kanye West wont be listed on Michigans presidential ballot in November TORONTO - CEOs representing more than 200 Canadian organizations, including three of Canada's big banks, have signed up to support the BlackNorth Initiative against systemic racism. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Bank buildings are photographed in Toronto's financial district on June 27, 2018. CEOs representing more than 200 Canadian organizations, including three of Canada's big banks, have signed up to support the BlackNorth Initiative against systemic racism. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin TORONTO - CEOs representing more than 200 Canadian organizations, including three of Canada's big banks, have signed up to support the BlackNorth Initiative against systemic racism. A list of the signatories was released Monday for an online summit of Canadian business leaders, who have pledged to create conditions to support the success of members of the Black community. The BlackNorth Initiative is led by Wes Hall, executive chairman and founder of Kingsdale Advisors, which advises many of Canada's large publicly traded companies. "Anti-Black systemic racism has to end," Hall said. "As business leaders, we must be aware that (systemic racism) has a material impact on our business, our Black employees and their families." The summit opened with comments from Hall in an interview-style presentation that was broadcast online from a theatre in Toronto. Hall said that even though he is a successful Black businessman, he and his family can't avoid the effect of systemic racism. "I live in a nice neighbourhood and the repairman comes to my house and he would say, 'Go get Mr. Hall, please," Hall said. "Or I'm driving to work (and) on a conference call with the chairman of the board of one of my clients and I get pulled over because my car is too nice." Hall said that 2020 could be remembered for "what COVID did to us all" or as the year that anti-Black systemic racism came to an end in Canada. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The goal of the BlackNorth Initiative is to use the same type of collective effort that has been used against the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Hall's co-chairs for the summit were Cisco Canada's Rola Dagher, CIBC's Victor Dodig and Fairfax Financial's Prem Watsa, who are all chief executives of their organizations. The BlackNorth Initiative lays out goals that include having at least 3.5 per cent of executive and board roles in Canada held by Black leaders by 2025. The push to deal with systemic racism has gained strength in recent months in the wake of demonstrations held across Canada and the United States. The initiative is supported by organizations in a wide variety of industries and the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP), which has 600 members. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. Boomerang child concealed mothers death to claim pension By:Wu Jiaqi, Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-07-20 10:09 On July 17th, a court sentenced a criminal, surnamed Wu, to 10 months in prison. While the crime wasnt murder, it was equally repugnant he kept the body of his late mother in a freezer for 7 months, just so that he could continue living off of her pension paycheck. When Wus mother fell ill in February of 2019, Wu, who was 43 and had been unemployed since 2016 and living with his mother, hired a careworker to look after her. However, Wus mothers condition continued to deteriorate and she entered a coma in early April. Shortly after that, she died with her son playing video games in the room next door on April 8th. After confirming the death of his mother, Wu dismissed the care worker. When asked about the day of his mothers death, Wu recalled,After the care worker left, I felt kind of sad in front of my mothers body, thinking that I will no longer be in the shelter of my mother. Being used to taking his mother for granted, he immediately thought of his mothers 4000-yuan-per-month pension. If no one knew that my mother was dead, I could keep getting my mothers pension. For his mothers body not to decay and smell, he bought a large freezer to contain her corpse. He also never left his home and refused to answer telephone calls or the door for almost 7 months in case anyone wanted to visit his mother. On November 2nd, after not having seen Wus mother for a long time, the neighborhood committee contacted the local police and asked them to help check on Wus household. After having a locksmith pick the door lock, the committee was surprised to find that Wu was at home. Wu explained that his mother was in Wuxi visiting relatives. Sensing that Wu was lying the committee became more alarmed after they spotted the unusually large freezer. When approaching the freezer and asking what was inside, Wu firmly refused to answer. The police opened the freezer nonetheless and apprehended Wu on the spot. The trial against Wu started in June of 2020. Given his honesty after apprehension, he was ultimately sentenced to 10 months in prison for fraudulently receiving 24 thousand yuan of pension after his mothers death. U.S. Seeding Outbreaks Around the World Mexicans Demand Protection No Aceptamos Visitas Spreading Fears of Typhus to Ebola to COVID Seeking Treatment in U.S. San Diego-Tijuana Transmission Public Health Action Lacking (TNS) Before the novel coronavirus claimed its first known American victim, President Trump was already reaching to connect the disease to the U.S.-Mexico border.During a Feb. 28 rally in South Carolina, he contended that we needed to build more border wall to keep the virus out, though it was already in and spreading.We must understand that border security is also health security, Trump argued. We will do everything in our power to keep the infection and those carrying the infection from entering our country.That same day, the U.S. had 63 known cases of COVID-19, and Mexico announced its first two confirmed cases. The next day, King County, Wash., announced a death from COVID-19, at the time the first known coronavirus death in North America. The United States started as the regions hot spot for the new infection and has only extended its lead. In April, Guatemalas health minister complained that the United States was deporting infected people to his country and referred to our country as the Wuhan of the Americas.Nevertheless, Trump and some of his allies have continued trying to frame illegal crossings of the Mexican border as a top potential source of coronavirus in the United States.Also on Feb. 28, nine members of Congress, including Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona, co-signed a letter to the secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense and Health and Human Services, demanding to know what was being done about cross-border spread from illegal crossings.Given the porous nature of our border, and the continued lack of operational control due to the influence of dangerous cartels, it is foreseeable, indeed predictable, that any outbreak in Central America or Mexico could cause a rush to our border, they wrote.Patients did eventually come from Mexico to U.S. border states, but they werent rushing an insecure border they crossed legally seeking treatment.Up till now, the administration and its allies have continued to focus on the alleged threat of infections posed by border insecurity. That focus ignored the fact that the United States was already a source of the virus to Mexico and Central America.It also ignored that public health campaigns in the border region, not wall-building, were what was needed to protect border-state residents from spreading the virus through normal interactions. The U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, set up to carry out such efforts, has been largely idle during the Trump administration, even during the pandemic when it was needed.On June 23 in San Luis, Arizona, Trump visited a newly built border barrier and said: It stopped COVID. It stopped everything.It didnt. And it was negligent to think the wall could protect people on either side of the border from a virus.President Trump has spread border-disease alarmism for years. Early in his campaign, in July 2015, he claimed in a statement that tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border.In December 2018, he tweeted that Democrats want Open Borders for anyone to come in. This brings large-scale crime and disease.So it was no surprise that as soon as coronavirus threatened, Trump and his allies warned migrants would bring it in if his wall was not built. The surprise was, the opposite happened.In the early stages of North Americas pandemic, it was the United States, not Mexico or Central America, that had the biggest outbreaks. Soon, the virus made it into American immigration detention centers.Even as the disease spread, Immigration and Customs Enforcement kept moving detainees around and sending them to their home countries on deportation flights. Soon our government was seeding outbreaks around the world, as the New York Times reported July 10.Guatemalas health minister, Hugo Monroy, told that countrys congress that on one deportation flight, 75 percent of the deportees were infected. In late April, the health ministry reported that 20 percent of those confirmed infected in Guatemala were deportees.Guatemala refused to admit deportees in May but allowed flights to resume in June after the United States began certifying the health of deportees and reducing the number of passengers on flights. Of course, it was too late.On March 20, the United States formally closed its border to nonessential travel from Mexico or Canada. It sounded like a severe measure, especially when the U.S. embassy in Mexico City repeatedly warned Americans living south of the border to return home or risk losing the chance.It turned out not to be that big a deal. U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents have been able to cross into the United States freely through ports of entry, though visa holders must show their travel is essential.Under the presidents emergency declaration, Border Patrol agents were allowed to immediately return to Mexico anyone caught crossing illegally, which undoubtedly kept some infected people from spreading the virus in the United States.But Mexico was reluctant to impose any checks, allowing Americans to cross the border freely through the ports of entry. That angered some Sonorans who felt the government was not offering them any protection from the American hot zone.On March 25 and 26, a small group of Nogales, Sonora, residents blocked the main road into downtown from Arizona.We wanted Mexico to take more precautions, organizer Jose Luis Hernandez said. We knew that if the infection spread in Mexico, there wasnt going to be capacity to confront the situation.In early May, city officials in Nogales, Sonora, set up sanitizing tunnels inflatable tubes alongside the road into Mexico. Drivers and passengers were forced to get out and walk through a disinfectant spray called Biozinc.As Arizonas cases surged in June, Sonoras did, too, and Sonorans became increasingly nervous about their viral neighbors to the north. Their fears reached a climax as the July 4 weekend approached and they envisioned infected Arizona residents pouring south to visit family or tourist destinations.Sonoran Gov. Claudia Pavlovich ordered state officials to turn away any travelers from Arizona without essential business in Sonora, though travelers to Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point, received a partial exemption.That raised anger in Sonoyta, the border town on the way to Puerto Penasco. Carlos Chavez Jaquez, a 21-year-old student at the University of Arizona, has been living with his mother in Sonoyta and organized a blockade on the July 4 weekend.The U.S. embassy and our government said only essential travel was allowed in Mexico. But Rocky Point was saying everyone was welcome, come and visit us, Chavez Jaquez said.Everyone is concerned about it, he added. We know that Arizona is one of the states with the most cases in the United States.Even remote pueblos in northern Sonora have learned that the hard way, by importing infection from Arizona.Take Saric, a small Sonoran town about 55 road miles southeast of the border crossing at Sasabe. A well-known Tucsonan, former Sunnyside High School Principal Raul Nido, has made the area his home for most of the last 10 years.Its where he lived his first seven years as a child and where his family owned a rural ranch that he began fixing up after retiring from Sunnyside in 2011.Connections to Arizona brought the virus into Saric and have changed the close-knit nature of the town, said Nido, interviewed Thursday when he was in Tucson to pick up supplies.The first resident to come down with the coronavirus apparently got it from attending a quinceanera in Rio Rico, Arizona, Nido said. Indeed, Sonoras health secretary noted that the 65-year-old had visited Arizona on March 16, got sick six days later and was hospitalized in Nogales, Sonora, on March 28. She ended up dying.It sent a chilling effect through the whole town, Nido said.A second case occurred in Sasabe, Sonora, and was also connected to Arizona, Nido said. The womans daughter was asymptomatic but infected in Tucson.Despite these illnesses, the rugged residents of Saric had not yet taken fully to wearing masks and distancing in June when car crashes killed two young men from the area, Nido said. After those deaths, family and friends poured into town from Arizona and Sonora for the funerals. More cases of COVID-19 resulted.Then all of a sudden people were wearing masks, Nido said. Then the store owners said, Were not accepting anyone into the store unless you wear a mask.?The cases imported from Arizona even reduced the residents usual social routine of making impromptu visits to each others homes, Nido said.Now, some residents have put signs on their doors saying No aceptamos visitas We dont accept visits.Treating immigrants and the Mexican border as sources of disease is nothing new the idea goes back more than a century.When the first surges of southern and eastern European immigrants began dominating East Coast arrivals in the late 1890s, the U.S. government began inspecting new arrivals for signs of, as the new federal law put it, loathsome and contagious diseases.At the U.S.-Mexico border, the most dramatic public-health blockade last century was against typhus, a set of bacterial infections spread by lice. An outbreak had occurred in Mexico, and in 1917 U.S. officials began a policy of trying to kill any lice that might be on Mexican people who were crossing the border.They tried to stop all traffic between the United States and Mexico, said John McKiernan-Gonzalez, a history professor at Texas State University and author of a book called Fevered Measures: Public Health and Race at the Texas-Mexico Border, 1848-1942. They gave customs authorities the ability to detain and fumigate people.U.S. officials stripped down Mexicans crossing the border and doused them with whatever the lice-killing substance was of that moment. Gasoline, DDT and other harsh chemicals were used. This led to rioting in El Paso in 1917, but the practice went on.In fact, McKiernan-Gonzalez said, it went on for 20 years after the outbreak was over. Only the demand for labor that came with World War II ended the practice.In more recent years, every outbreak of an exotic or threatening disease has brought warnings that it would certainly cross the U.S.-Mexico border.In 2014, it became all the rage among politicians and commentators on the political right to say the Ebola outbreak in West Africa would come through the Mexican border.Then-Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, who later became Trumps chief of staff, warned about it reaching Latin America.If Ebola breaks out in Haiti or in Central America , I think it is literally Katie bar the door in terms of the mass migration of Central Americans into the United States, Kelly said.It turned out to be hype. No migrants with Ebola ever reached the U.S.-Mexico border, and the handful of cases that reached the United States from travelers to Africa were quickly isolated and treated. Just one person died.As coronavirus surged in the U.S. Southwest in June, a new argument emerged: It was actually Mexicos outbreak causing the outbreaks in California, Arizona and Texas, not the reopening of those states after the initial shutdowns, or community spread within and among the states.In early June, the White House coronavirus task force discussed the idea that travelers from Mexico were causing the surges,andreported.Soon the idea spread it was a way to remove blame from governments that had reopened poorly or prematurely, while refocusing blame on Mexico.The Center for Immigration Studies, an immigration restrictionist group, has given fullest voice to the argument, referring to people crossing the border for treatment as COVID refugees:Enough evidence is now on hand that severely ill patients are pouring over from Mexico and adding to the American counts of hospitalization and death, probably coinciding with regular community spread resulting from recent mass protests, the centers Todd Bensman wrote.But Ive surveyed a half-dozen health-care officials in Texas, California and Arizona and found only one area where they thought people seeking medical attention from Mexico was a significant factor in hospital overcrowding and possibly disease spread Imperial County, California.Imperial County, a farming region west of Yuma where El Centro is the county seat, has only two hospitals, but it is across the border from Mexicali, Baja California. That city has more than 1 million residents and experienced a raging coronavirus outbreak that filled hospitals.Dr. Adolphe Edward, CEO of El Centro Regional Medical Center, told me a surge of patients from Baja California started arriving in May. Although the hospital doesnt track the nationality of patients, it was apparent that many were U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in Mexico who got sick with COVID-19.Theres no sign the patients crossed the border illegally, though the presidents longstanding fear but that they had permission to cross and sought treatment.Its common for American residents of Baja California to seek medical treatment in the United States. What was unusual is that so many needed it at once.The El Centro hospital became overwhelmed and ended up shipping patients to other hospitals around California, Edward said. While the flow from the south has slowed, the outbreak remains strong in Imperial County.The difference between then and today is that Ive got the state supporting us in terms of staffing, Edward said. Every day we wake up and pray that we have enough staff and enough energy to keep going.Once again, on July 9, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, penned a letter to federal officials demanding to know how the unsecured border was leading to infections in the border region. This time, though, he and his co-signers acknowledged legal crossings might also be a factor.The experience of San Diego and Tijuana shows that normal interactions from legal crossings is what has kept the disease flowing across the international line, just as it did between states like New York and New Jersey, or northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico.The regions outbreak started in mid-March in San Diego, said Dr. Andres Smith, medical director of the emergency department at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center.Within a week or so, the virus began spreading in Tijuana, where Mexicos worst outbreak of the time took hold in April and May, said Smith, who is also president of Tijuanas Red Cross emergency-medical service.It did reach a point where it got very scary for them because it looked like it was getting out of control, said Smith, who also worked in Tijuanas Hospital General in May.In Tijuana now, things are much better. The concern is that now in the South Bay of San Diego, and around San Diego, cases are going up again, he said. Now that Tijuana is better controlled, will the effect of San Diego create an effect in Tijuana?Those who think of the international border as a line that should stop the virus are missing the reality of the region.People move back and forth between San Diego and Tijuana, Smith said. Especially (from) the South Bay theres a large proportion of Mexican Americans who have family on both sides. They have businesses in Tijuana. So they go back and forth.Anywhere outbreaks occur, its that movement of people, their interactions, and their lack of precautions that keep spreading the disease.People keep trying to throw the other guy under the bus, said Dr. Edward, of El Centro. Mexicali would say the U.S. is bringing the COVID to us, and were saying You guys are bringing the COVID to us. And Yuma is saying You had the COVID, and you brought it to us. I dont think the virus checks on borders. I dont think it checks on whether its in Arizona or California.Or whether its in Mexico or the United States.The fixation on border security as a key factor in the pandemic has distracted from what should actually be done. That is: focus strictly on public health measures that keep people from infecting each other in their day-to-day lives.You need to build a public health infrastructure on both sides of this border because theyre connected in really difficult ways to disentangle, said McKiernan-Gonzalez, the Texas State University historian.While Trump has fixated on building more border wall to stop the virus, an organization founded 20 years ago to deal with disease in the borderlands has languished. For around four years, the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission has been essentially inactive, Arizonas two members of the commission told me.The commission has been non-participative in this event, said Robert Guerrero, the director of Arizonas Office of Border Health and the state health departments delegate to the commission.The equivalent organization on the Mexican side, the Comision de Salud Fronteriza Mexico-Estados Unidos, has remained active, Guerrero noted, hosting virtual seminars on the pandemic.Guerrero himself has been in constant communication with his counterparts in Sonora, and each of them produces a daily report for the other, he said. While that state-to-state relationship has been good, the borderwide communication that existed during the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 flu has not been there during this years pandemic.In 2009, when the pandemic hit, both sections got together, and we held a huge conference in Hermosillo, he said. It brought together HHS, CDC and their (Mexican) counterparts. It was very productive in developing cross-border messaging and whatnot. But right now the commission has not.While the commission has been AWOL, the builders of the border wall have been busy, coming to Southern Arizona from around the country, throwing up barriers as fast as possible. Two of them, staying in Ajo, became infected, or brought infection from elsewhere.It turns out that border security, as Trump and his allies envision it, is not health security at all. The pandemic that has raged in Arizona and other border states while Trump rushed to build more wall has proved that. Northern Ireland should act to protect against travellers from Great Britain spreading coronavirus, Stormonts deputy first minister Michelle ONeill said (Brian Lawless/PA) Northern Ireland should act to protect itself against travellers from Great Britain spreading coronavirus, Stormonts deputy first minister has said. Visitors arriving from Great Britain are expected to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in the Republic of Ireland. People can cross the border from Northern Ireland unimpeded. First Minister Arlene Foster wants to preserve free movement for the sake of business and family life but her powersharing deputy, Michelle ONeill, urged the alignment of rules north and south of the Irish border. The Sinn Fein vice-president said: It is my view that, given that this is where the biggest risk comes from, we need to act on that. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain Michelle O'Neill Ms ONeill said she intended to discuss the matter with fellow Stormont ministers and the island of Ireland needed to act as one unit. She added: The community transmission there is so much higher. Probably the biggest risk to us is travel from Britain. It is something I am concerned about. She held talks with fellow devolved leaders in Scotland and Wales on Wednesday. The number of deaths recorded in Northern Ireland remains at 556, the Department of Health reported on Monday. The infection threat has been driven down over recent weeks. I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life Arlene Foster DUP leader Mrs Foster was asked whether a recent call by Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald for all people entering the island of Ireland to self-quarantine indicated a difference of opinion at the heart of the powersharing executive. We have to be driven by the science and advice we are given, were also very clear that we are in a common travel area and we respect that common travel area, Mrs Foster replied. The Republic of Ireland has decided to go on a different route and they dont respect the common travel area, thats a matter for them. But I think it is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life, lets face it, as well, that we continue to have the UK working together and making sure we can have that travel across the United Kingdom. Expand Close Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) There are about 60 countries on Northern Irelands safe travel list, but there are expected to be fewer on the Irish Republics list when it is published. The list had been due to be finalised at a cabinet meeting on Monday, but it was postponed late on Sunday due to the Taoiseachs need to remain in Brussels for an extended EU summit. Only countries that have a coronavirus infection rate the same or lower than Ireland will be included on the list. That means Great Britain and the US are set to be excluded, as potentially are popular holiday destinations such as France, Spain and Portugal. People crossing the border from Northern Ireland are not subject to restrictions on their movement. The DUP leader was asked about the different approaches on both sides of the border. We have always had differences as we work through Covid but I think the important thing is weve always communicated with each other, weve always understood why those decisions have been taken, she said. The decisions are taken around our travel regulations on the advice from the chief medical officer (Dr Michael McBride) working in the four nations approach across the UK, so theres an understanding as to why that is the case. Meanwhile, a Londonderry church has closed after two parishioners tested positive for coronavirus. Fr Neil Farren said services have stopped at St Marys Church in Ardmore until further notice. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More It is a good time to book profits on the investments made through March to June which are yielding a handsome return. It's better to keep cash for a rainy day. Correction is overdue, however, timing it would be difficult," said Ambareesh Baliga, an Independent Market Expert, in an interview to Moneycontrol's Sunil Shankar Matkar. Edited excerpt: Q: Some experts say first half of FY21 is going to be bad in terms earnings and economic growth. Your thoughts? Also, are we in a bull phase? We have witnessed a global liquidity driven rally despite COVID-19 numbers shooting up in various geographies especially US, Brazil, India and a few other countries are facing a second wave. Developed markets had liquidity flows due to monetary policies and stimulus packages whereas India seems to be having liquidity flows from retail. Many have been sitting at home with nothing much to do. This has resulted in nearly 26 lakh demat accounts being opened at CDSL and I assume another 10 lakh at NSDL. So we have nearly 36 lakh new investors in the last 4 months. Most of them would be short term traders having tasted "beginners luck" since the markets have steadily gained around 40 percent from the low point. And it's normal investor psychology to pour in more funds when you are in profits and the cycle turns into virtuous one until the crack. The ground level reality is starkly different than the sentiment in the markets. Most of the businesses are struggling either with working capital, labour or supply chain issues and to top it, many regions have gone into second lockdown, increasing their woes. Quarter 1 is going to be a wash out which the markets have anyways discounted. However, in the latter half of the results season, when earnings are published along with cautious management commentary, it could trigger a sell off. As of now it seems even Quarter 2 would be slower than earlier envisaged due to the increasing COVID-19 numbers and the resultant restrictions. Now ICRA expects the real GDP for India to contract 9.5 percent against 5 percent earlier. Another reason for funds flowing into the markets is that none of the other asset classes are performing except Gold. Earlier safe money was parked in rated debt instruments via Mutual Funds which have suddenly turned risky in the last 2 years. The latest Mutual Fund data exhibits redemption pressure, but those funds seem to be finding their way into the markets due to the lure of quick money. Overall it is a mini-bubble building up. So it's time to be cautious. Q: Given the rally across equity segments so far and challenges going ahead, where would you invest your incremental money now, will it be in midcaps, expensive stocks, largecaps or something else, and why? As far as equity is concerned, I would prefer to wait it out. It is a good time to book profits on those investments made through March to June which are yielding a handsome return. It's better to keep cash for a rainy day. As mentioned earlier, the correction is overdue, however, timing it would be difficult. Largecaps are safe but for the portfolio to outperform it requires a few midcaps too. And I would invest in those midcaps where I am confident of the corporate governance of the management, a growth sector with comparatively low debt, predictable cash flows and a decent past track record. Q: Which seem more resilient in terms of growth during the lockdown? India continues to be a consumption economy, but discretionary consumption could take a hit due to the extended COVID-19 pandemic. However, lower value discretionary spends could see a huge uptick due to months of restriction. We have already seen a huge demand pull for FMCG products like snacks and ready-to-eat. The demand for 2-wheeler has improved sharply due to need for personal transportation and social distancing. Telecom sector has been the big gainer in terms of additional demand due to data consumption. Additionally I expect infrastructure sector to pick up as that's one sector which can initiate demand increase and employment across various sectors, thus would be a priority for the Government. Q: India Ratings believes that there could be additional around Rs 1.6 lakh crore of debt turning delinquent between FY21 and FY22 which is over and above the Rs 2.54 lakh crore anticipated prior to the onset of pandemic, taking the cumulative quantum to Rs 4.21 lakh crore. But look at the rally in banking and financials in last one month and from March lows. What is driving this rally? Financials too had majorly cracked in March 2020 during the initial outbreak of the pandemic but recovered quickly as the regulators and government took proactive steps to improve liquidity and tweaked the reporting standards to provide enough time to cushion the strain on the system. However, it simply means delay in the reporting of bad news. With moratorium ending on August 31st, we would know the real situation in the next few months. Till then 'trend is a friend' and that seems positive. Q: Rossari Biotech has dared to launch its IPO in current market and economic environment, which was unexpected. Do you think more IPOs will come in rest of the year? There is a time gap between secondary markets beginning to do well and launch of IPOs since regulatory process still takes time. Rossari was to have been launched just before the pandemic stuck India in March and they fortunately withdrew, thus have been able to launch again at an opportune time. Since the markets are overheated, I don't think there could be too many such issues before the correction sets in, though CAMs, Happiest Minds, ESAF Small Finance Bank, UTI AMC and Burger King are those which have immediate plans. Q: Ganesh (35 years) and Ramesh (35 years) are having Rs 10 lakh each and want to make their own balanced portfolio. What should asset allocation be like? Assuming Ganesh is aggressive investor and Ramesh is conservative investor. Ganesh, an aggressive investor, should have about 60 percent invested in equities and 40 percent in other asset classes which would include debt and gold. We don't have the liberty to look at various AIFs, REITs, Real Estate etc due to the constraint of capital. Of the 60 percent invested in equity, 60 percent should in largecap/bluechips and 40 percent in midcaps which could either direct or via mutual funds. He should invest about 5 percent to 10 percent in gold and balance 20 percent to 25 percent in Debt Mutual Funds with portfolio in AAA debt/Govt Bonds while keeping 10 percent of his funds in Bank Fixed Deposits, Post Office as well as Blue Chip Corporate Fixed Deposits. For Ramesh, I would reduce the equity investment to 40 percent with 80 percent of that in largecap/blue chips and 20 percent in midcaps. Gold would be 10 percent and 25 percent in debt mutual funds with portfolio in AAA debt/Govt Bonds while keeping 25 percent of his funds in Bank Fixed Deposits (5 percent), Post Office Schemes (10 percent) as well as Blue Chip Corporate Fixed Deposits (10 percent). Q: What are your top five stock ideas for the next one year? NBCC NBCC is a PSU which into EPC and PMC (Project Management Contract) with an order book of Rs 70,000 crore. Currently they have Rs 13,000 crore is under execution but once labour returns and completely deployed - it should rise to about Rs 33,000 crore. They are preferred contractors for government projects though there is a tendering process. A big positive was settlement of Amrapali Project where construction has now resumed and getting green clearance for their projects in Delhi which were stuck due to environmental issues. In fact they have been sold Rs 525 crore worth of units in the Delhi project in May 2020 which is a feat in itself. The next trigger would be to take over of JP Infra which will give them 2,000 acres of land for development. The stock had cracked from levels of over Rs 80 2 years back due to uncertainties regarding various projects which were stuck in the regulatory conundrum but now have got most of the clearances, thus it could be the beginning of a fresh move. Himatsingka Seide Himatsingka Seide operates amongst the largest capacities in the world for producing premium upholstery fabrics, drapery fabrics, bed linen products. They inaugurated their greenfield project in terry towels in October 2019 marking their foray into bath linen. As a turnaround story it became a multibagger during 2015-2018 moving from around Rs 40 to a peak of around Rs 400, with matching performance of EBITDA growth CAGR of 23 percent in 5 years till FY19. However Q4 FY20 proved to be a disaster - with exceptional write offs Rs 58 crore due to Italy Operations restructuring, inventory write down etc. I expect it to be back on track since both their manufacturing facilities were back in production in April & May (though currently the unit at Doddaballapur has been temporarily shut due to lockdown in that area). The management has confirmed that order books are nearly 75 percent of pre-COVID numbers and production in operating unit is back to near normal. Himatsingka has a strong brand portfolio through owned and licensed brands contributing 75-80 percent of its revenue. Though North America concentration of 80 percent of the topline is a risk but the management confirms that none of the major customers are at default risk. It could be among the major beneficiaries of customers moving away from China and the Rupee depreciation is favourable. Overall a good long term pick. Emami Emami is into natural skin care and healthcare products with brands like Boroplus, Zandu range, KeshKing, Fair & Handsome etc. Last year Emami had suffered lower revenue growth due to a long winter - but this year, a mild winter and long summer should help volume growth though at a slower pace due to COVID-19 pandemic. Their direct reach in the market is up more than 50 percent in last 3 years with nearly 10 lakh outlets. One of the pain points has been group debt and pledge of promoters shares. With the sale of Emami Cement this issue too is resolved. COVID-19 has brought back in focus health and immunity. Emami has immunity building products under Zandu brand which should do very well, whereas Rural economy is the least affected and is expected to bounce back well due to normal monsoons which is good for Emami Products. This could be a good immunity stock for the portfolio. Jyothy Labs Jyothy Labs is a leading brand in home and personal care segments including fabric care, household insecticides, personal care and dishwashing with strong brands like Ujala, Henko, Maxo, Margo, Exo, Pril, etc. It operates through 26 manufacturing facilities across 22 locations and has more than 5,000 stockists across the country. It has been a consistent performer with sizeable presence in South India. COVID-19 pandemic has put focus on Hygiene and Cleanliness. Pre-COVID - Fabric care segment witnessed strong 23.3 percent growth in Henko. Personal care segment grew 13.3 percent. Exo & Pril, have a strong footing in south India with around 30 percent market share whereas North India is an opportunity. Ujala market share is 80 percent - a clear leader. Overall, the Hygiene & Cleanliness theme will play out in this pandemic as well as post that which along with a rural consumption growth would make Jyothy Labs an attractive pick. TVS Motor Company TVS Motor is an interesting stock as COVID-19 has put the focus on personal transportation thus improving the prospects of 2-wheeler in the Auto sector which is already getting a fillip from the rural economy. Sales improved 3.4 times in June 2020 compared to May 2020 - ahead of competition just behind Hero Motocorp. TVS have been improving margins since last two years due to sustained cost reduction efforts and the management is confident of improving it further in the coming years as well. In Q4FY20, realisations increased substantially around 13 percent YoY to Rs 55,000 due to higher proportion of BS6 sales as well as focus on exports. Exports to Africa which has been its major market has been dependent on oil prices - And now with oil prices having bounced back well from the lows - Africa exports should look better. Though FY21 could be a period of recovery, we should see major growth in FY22, thus could be sought after stock. : 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. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday told reporters that his former deputy Sachin Pilot was acting on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was given money, backed by corporate houses from Mumbai, to bring down the Rajasthan government. He said he was an elected CM, not a vegetable-seller, indicating that he was aware of the alleged controversy for months. Hours before making these comments, he spoke to Vinod Sharma about the thinking in the party, the tapes alleging a BJP hand in the alleged move to topple the government, and the position in the state assembly. Edited excerpts: Are you on the same page as the party high command on Sachin Pilot -- you have accused him of a conspiracy to dislodge your government, but the central leadership seems willing to call a truce if he retraces his steps? Ive always followed the directions of the high command, not just on this issue but on each and every issue. Regarding this matter, all directions will be followed. The ideology and thinking of leaders of my generation has always been to make our party strong. (But a) few young people think their personal interests are bigger than those of the party; that they are superior to the high command. Thats why problems of such kind occur. I believe the party should strictly follow whatever the high command decides for the betterment of the country and the party. Also read| Who knew person with such innocent face will: CM Gehlot roasts Sachin Pilot You have furnished recorded tapes to prove his supporters attempts to topple your government. When did you come to know about it? What is the high commands view on that? I want to clarify that we have not furnished any tape. These audio clips had already gone viral on social media. We also got it on social media. The person who looks after our media sent it to the media to expose the lies of the BJP and its allies. But I know that they had been planning to topple the government for at least the last six months. Thats why at the time of Rajya Sabha elections we had to move [MLAs] to a hotel for 10 days. Had we not done so at that time, whats happening today would have then happened. Few of them (rebels) had a plan to leave at 2am on June 10 - the day before the death anniversary of late Rajesh Pilot. The rest of them were planning to leave after paying tributes to him at Dausa. I got this information at midnight. I talked to district collectors, spoke to my MLAs and asked them to come to Jaipur. I did not feel good putting up our legislators at a hotel. It was done to save democracy and our government. Their plan ended in failure. ALSO WATCH | With an innocent face...: CM Ashok Gehlots fresh attack on Sachin Pilot Several young Congress leaders have expressed support for Pilot. Why is Gen-X feeling restive? Is it that they dont see any future in the Congress? People who talk of a Congress-mukt Bharat should stop dreaming. Every Congress person who has faith in the partys leadership and its ideology and policies -- and who can work giving priority to the party rather than self-interests has a bright future in the Congress. Those who rise from frontal organisations such as the NSUI {National Students Union of India) , Youth Congress, Seva Dal, Mahila Congress and have worked at grassroots level cannot feel restive. They know if theyre working hard, with honesty and diligence, the party will look after them; that ample opportunities will come their way. Im an example of it. I worked in NSUI, was elected as an MP at the age of 28 and became a minister when I was 29. I was PCC {Pradesh Congress Committee} president three times, a central minister three times, and also a party general secretary three times. Now Im chief minister for the third time with the support and blessings of the people. I want to tell our young leaders that we, too, got chances when we were young but we never thought of disrespecting our seniors and the party leadership. We never promoted groupism or factionalism. I was already three-time president of the state unit when I became CM the first time. Young leaders should have a little patience. The party will give them many opportunities to take their political careers forward. Also read: Check authenticity first: Shekhawat after police notice over audio clips Have Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoken to you on the prevailing crisis? They appear keen on retaining Pilot in the party -- if that happens, will you restore his position in your government? Im in touch with the leadership. Any decision taken by the high command in this or any other issue will be followed. But Id like to add that they (Pilot camp) are so much hand in glove with the BJP that I doubt that theyd come back. In the forthcoming days, you will get to see that. Theyre sitting in a BJP-ruled state and enjoying their hospitality. The BJP government [in Haryana] is providing them police protection; its leaders are giving statements in their favour. What more evidence does one need to see that theyre in alliance with the BJP. The Pilot camp alleges that your desire to promote your son Vaibhav (who lost from Jodhpur to the BJPs Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections) prompted you to marginalise your deputy CM and his supporters. Thats totally absurd. I never placed my own or my sons interests above the party. Shekhawat is a big face in the Rajasthan BJP. They wanted to make him the state BJP president, but it didnt happen because of their internal conflict. Hes very close to Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS {Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh}. Vaibhavs name came up because there was widespread sentiment that only he could give Shekhawat a good fight in Jodhpur. Had he not fought, it wouldve sent out the wrong message that the Congress wasnt giving the BJP a tough fight in the CMs home district. I have never promoted Vaibhav in politics. During the Youth Congress elections, he ran a membership drive and wanted to fight elections. I discouraged him because I was the CM then. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the AICC committee for ticket distribution recommended Vaibhavs name for the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat. I was again the CM and I suggested that Namo Narain Meena, who was a central minister at the time, had the first right to fight from there. He later contested and won the seat. In 2019, Vaibhav was considered for two-three safer seats where the result could have been different. But the party fielded him from Jodhpur to send a message. Also read: In Gehlot vs Pilot, Congress backs regional leadership Is it true that Rahul Gandhi brokered a pact in 2018 that Pilot would succeed you as CM before the assemblys term ends in 2023? In my whole political career, Ive never heard the leadership promising a post to any leader in future. It was the Pilot lobbys campaign for the last five years that the high command has promised them the CMs office. Thats how they promoted groupism and put self-interest above the partys interest. Theyre totally exposed now. He (Pilot) is saying so to gain sympathy and to tarnish the leaderships image. Can you give the exact number of legislators whose support you have in the assembly? Youll get to know the exact number when we win the floor test by a thumping majority. This time, every MLA will hear the voice of his conscience and vote. Rajasthan is facing a major crisis of lives and livelihood. In such adverse times, our government has done commendable work. Ive done 21 hours of video conferencing with all MLAs and MPs representing the state. We got positive feedback across party lines. Its unfortunate that amid the coronavirus pandemic, BJP is doing horse-trading and trying to topple our government as they did in Madhya Pradesh. People are not supporting them in MP and the people will not support them in Rajasthan. How optimistic are you of sustaining in power for the remaining tenure of the assembly? We will definitely complete our tenure. We have already started preparing for the 2023 polls which I am sure we will win. What is your reaction to the BJP ally, Hanuman Beniwals claim that you were helped by Vasundhara Raje in preventing desertions of some Jat legislators? I have never compromised with my partys ideology. To say that Im getting support from someone (in BJP) is totally false. Everyone knows about Beniwals habit of saying anything about anyone. He has been speaking against Vasundhara Raje for the last 15 years; hes doing so now to get the blessings of the Modi-Shah duo. How strong is your evidence against Shekhawat in the alleged plot to topple your regime? He has denied playing any role and has questioned the genuineness of the tapes. Anyone who commits a crime does not accept it and tends to deny. As for evidence against Shekhawat or others, including Bhanwar Lal Sharma, who earlier attempted to topple five governments itll be better to ask the SOG {special operations group of Rajasthan Police} or other investigating agencies. The matter is under probe. Its not appropriate for me to comment at this stage. I believe that truth will prevail. (With inputs from Aurangzeb Naqshbandi) HDFC Bank Managing Director Aditya Puri fondly recollected memories of how he created India's biggest private bank at his last AGM (annual general meeting) held on Saturday. Puri, who is set to retire in October this year, when he turns 70 reminisced about the days when "a bunch of us so-called kids who had grown up in middle-class backgrounds sharing a coke and wearing Bata shoes" came together to start the bank 25 years ago. The banker is the longest-serving chief of any commercial bank in India. Under his watch, HDFC Bank catapulted to become the largest private sector bank by assets size, apart from being the most valued too. Also Read: HDFC Bank Q1 results: Net profit increases 20% to Rs 6,659 crore; provisions up 49% Puri further stated that while many other executives were enjoying their cushy jobs in foreign companies at that time, he had a passion to create a world-class Indian bank. He remembered when he was hiring people "from the broken office in Sandoz House", he told interviewees that if they "want to join the best bank in the world, come and join us". Puri recalled that when he wanted to start the bank, he did not have enough money, and went on to open the office at Kamala Mills in Mumbai. Sharing how the office was a complete mess, he enunciated, "we came back in the morning, the computers would not work as the damn rats had eaten up the cables." He recollected that this led to a situation where "initially we used to have our training centres under the trees." "Thank god we took the decision and we are where we are (today)," he said on the decision to open the bank. Also Read: Stocks in news: HDFC Bank, Canara Bank, Muthoot Finance, Vodafone Idea, YES Bank Dismissing rumours about an exodus of senior executives ahead of his exit, Puri clarified that some of them are taking temporary break as a stopgap arrangement to either pursue further studies or for personal reasons. He further acknowledged that the bank's internal inquiry into its vehicle financing business did conclude personal misconduct by some employees for which appropriate action has been initiated. Puri has emerged as the highest-paid banker among the top lenders for FY 2019-20, with a 38 per cent jump in his salary and prerequisites to Rs 18.92 crore. He earned an additional Rs 161.56 crore by exercising stock options during the year, HDFC Bank's annual report said. There's a new flex in Sin City, and it's being too rich. No, really. The flex is being so rich that you're having trouble counting your money. Grand Theft Auto Online's richest players are in a place where they have too much virtual money to possibly count. Since April, any player that logged into Grand Theft Auto Online had a free GTA$500,000 deposited directly into their Maze Bank accounts. It seems that Rockstar Games was not done handing out free money in GTA Online, though, as the developer had announced that there was another GTA$500,000 up for grabs, and indeed it was extremely easy to claim. Even when GTA 5 was announced for PS5 at Sony's Future of Gaming livestream in June, PS4 players were given the opportunity to collect a million GTA$ every month, until the next-generation version releases. So the rich keep getting richer - with a (so far) unlimited source of income. Players have mounting bank account numbers, some which so high, that players are having a tough time counting it. This was recently shared as an example by Reddit user u/Fighter_ who said help from GTA to actually count their money was what they needed. Another user also quipped in with a similar problem. While GTA online does have updates pretty regularly, the gaming community often makes meme posts like this to understand that if it gets enough attention, it may get addressed, and a possibility of it actually changing. Rockstar Games has also so far been available in about addressing many of the community's concerns in the past, aswell, so the genuine suggestions updates mixed with humour does go a long way. And it does have a valid point, we all have used the three, two number gap to add commas, why can't it just be in place? And while the GTA money is purely virtual, we're wondering if this is what real-life billionaires feel like, looking at their bank balances, even with commas. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) The Moldovan parliament rejected during a session on Monday a vote of no confidence in Ion Chicu's government, parliament speaker Zinaida Greceanii said. Last week, Alexandru Slusari, a deputy chairman of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party and the deputy speaker of parliament, presented a motion of no confidence against the current government. The initiative was supported by the former ally from the ACUM bloc, the Action and Solidarity Party, who believe that the government has failed to fulfill its responsibilities and mismanaged the socio-economic crisis. "The no-confidence motion against the government was rejected in a vote of 47 lawmakers," Greceanii said. The coalition of socialists and democrats, as well as an independent lawmaker, Alexandru Oleinic, voted against the motion of no-confidence. A total of 93 out of 101 lawmakers took part in the session. Therefore, the initiative was supported by 46 people with the required minimum of 51 votes. Meanwhile, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said that the motion of no-confidence in the government did not get enough votes because the initiative was meaningless in its nature. "The no-confidence vote failed because from the very beginning it was a meaningless initiative, political improvisation ... I think that now it is important for everyone to learn a lesson from what happened, both the opposition and the government, which is to leave behind these awkward events and decide what good can be done for people in the future," Dodon wrote on his Facebook page. The president then addressed the political parties, calling for a dialogue and urging them to work together on resolving issues the country is facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships. Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, M. Venkaiah Naidu has hailed the media for empowering the people with necessary information, analyses and perspectives about various aspects of the outbreak of coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic and partnering with the anxious people in the ongoing fight against the disease. He called media persons on the ground as frontline warriors for their dedicated efforts in presenting the narrative of the pandemic for wider awakening. In his Facebook post, titled Media: Our Partner in Corona Times, Naidu dealt at length with the role of media over the last few months since the virus outbreak and complimented the media and media persons for for effectively discharging their core function of informing, educating and empowering the people to cope with the pandemic and for being an important part of our lives during the crisis as trusted partners. He said that when people run into adversity, they look for information regarding its causes and consequences, its duration and the means of coping with it and it falls on the central and state governments and media to equip the people accordingly. The Vice President noted that besides being a vehicle of much required empowerment of people for taking informed actions against the spread of virus and fighting the disease, media played the role of a chronicler of the pandemic for use by prospective historians of the pandemic and as the bridge between the people and the governments for regular communication on the preparedness. He further said that media also set the agenda for debates in the parliamentary institutions with analytical insights into various aspects of the pandemic and its impacts on different sections of the society. He referred to special communication campaigns undertaken by the media to promote preventive measures like wearing masks, social distancing, frequent washing of hands, healthy eating, regular exercises, spiritual orientation, etc. Naidu commended the spirit of the media for pursuing the mission of informing the people despite running into tough time itself. He said, With the economy contracting due to restrictions, advertisement revenues have dried up. Scale of operations had to be adjusted and a good number of media persons had to take a cut in the pay. But, by and large, the media persisted with the mission of empowering the people, when it is needed the most. He also referred to the particular problem faced by the print media of hard copies not being distributed as they were presented as the carriers of the virus. Regarding print media, Naidu said, I follow more closely the print media. The amount of space provided for coronavirus and the unfolding pandemic, outscored even war time reporting. Innovative product spaces have been introduced and persisted with to cater to the information hungry readers. Extensive analyses of various aspects of the disease and its impacts still continue in a mission mode. Naidu, however, sounded caution regarding some sections of television noting that they should have avoided and should, henceforth, desist from hyping the situation as creating panic would further destabilise the already anxious minds of the people. He urged the netizens to use social media for disseminating only authenticated information about the virus, the disease and its cure instead of giving currency to misleading myths. He noted that masked reporters persisted with unmasking the ground realities like the hardship of migrant workers on their way home and in the process, some of them were tested positive and some even lost their lives. Calling media persons as frontline warriors for their dedication in presenting the pandemic narrative, Naidu paid tributes to such spirited media persons and offered condolences to the bereaved families. The Vice President observed that without the pro-active and missionary role played by the media, there would have been a vacuum in the fight against the pandemic. Regarding the agenda setting role of the media, Naidu stated that, By highlighting various aspects of the pandemic and documenting the same in factual and analytical manner, the media has set the agenda for debates and discussions on the management of the pandemic in our parliamentary institutions. Media reports would be the principal sources of reference for raising relevant issues. Alluding to some comments in the media, Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Naidu said that the parliamentary scrutiny of handling the pandemic is on course. Naidu stated, With the easing of restrictions on domestic air travel and to a lesser degree on rail travel, the Department Related Standing Committees of both the Houses of Parliament have resumed their meetings this month. They have undertaken examination of various aspects of management of the pandemic and its fallout. This, in effect means, the required parliamentary scrutiny of the handling of the pandemic started in about three and a half months of the last sitting of the apex legislature of the country. Any other shorter time frame may not have been possible given the situation prevailing in the country. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of McMillan Shakespeare Limited (ASX:MMS) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for McMillan Shakespeare The model We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$120.7m AU$80.4m AU$88.0m AU$94.0m AU$89.7m AU$87.4m AU$86.4m AU$86.3m AU$86.8m AU$87.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -4.62% Est @ -2.55% Est @ -1.11% Est @ -0.1% Est @ 0.61% Est @ 1.1% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 8.8% AU$111 AU$67.9 AU$68.2 AU$67.0 AU$58.7 AU$52.5 AU$47.7 AU$43.8 AU$40.5 AU$37.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$594m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.3%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$88m (1 + 2.3%) (8.8% 2.3%) = AU$1.4b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.4b ( 1 + 8.8%)10= AU$584m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$1.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$9.2, the company appears quite good value at a 40% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at McMillan Shakespeare as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.096. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For McMillan Shakespeare, we've put together three pertinent elements you should consider: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for McMillan Shakespeare you should know about. Future Earnings: How does MMS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The Ernakulam South Police have registered a case against producer Alwin Antony for allegedly assaulting a woman. As per reports, a 22-year-old model has accused him of sexually abusing after promising her roles in his future projects. Circle Inspector KG Aneesh has said that a case has been registered against the producer based on the woman's complaint. He was quoted as saying, "The woman had filed a complaint that the producer had promised her a role in a movie and sexually harassed her four times between January and March 2019. We have registered a case based on her complaint." The accused is allegedly absconding. Alwin Antony has bankrolled several hit Malayalam films like Nazriya Nazim- Nivin Pauly starrer Ohm Shanti Oshana and Prithviraj-Jayasurya-Indrajith starrer Amar Akbar Anthony. The 2018 film Mangalyam Thanthunanena starring Kunchacko Boban and Nimisha Sajayan was his last production venture, wherein he co-produced the project with Zachariah Thomas, Prince Paul and Angelena Mary Antony. The producer recently came into the limelight for his allegation against Rosshan Andrrews for allegedly breaking into the former's house and attacking him. A case was allegedly filed against the director. Reportedly, the police had also registered a case against Alwin and his friends for attacking Rosshan. SG 250 Producer Tomichan Mulakupadam Lashes Out Against Kaduva Makers! Fahadh Faasil: 'Malayalam Cinema Of The 80s Influenced Me A Lot' Syrian President Bashar Assad and his wife Asma, voted in Damascus at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs (Syrian Presidency via AP) Syrians were heading to polling stations in government-held parts of the war-torn country on Sunday to elect a new parliament amid strict health measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The vote is the third to take place in Syria since conflict began in March 2011. The war has killed more than 400,000, displaced half the countrys population and displaced more than five million as refugees, mostly into neighbouring countries. Expand Close Mr Assad has twice postponed the countrys parliamentary elections this year in light of restrictions in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus (Syrian Presidency via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Assad has twice postponed the countrys parliamentary elections this year in light of restrictions in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus (Syrian Presidency via AP) This years vote follows a new wave of US sanctions that came into effect last month, and a campaign to fight corruption that saw a wealthy cousin of President Bashar Assad come under pressure to pay back tens of millions of dollars to the state. The elections also coincide with Syrias worst economic crisis and a currency crash, which has dragged more of the countrys population into poverty. Some 1,656 government-approved candidates are running this year for the 250-seat Peoples Assembly. The total number of eligible voters has not been announced. No vote was being held in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria, or in the countrys northeast, which is controlled by US-backed Kurdish-led fighters. As in previous elections in Syria, the vote will produce a rubber-stamp body loyal to the president. Inside polling stations, workers were wearing masks and gloves, and voters had to use their own pens in the sanitised booths. Once their ballots were cast, they had to leave immediately, as no gatherings were allowed inside. People also had to keep a safe distance while waiting their turn. Mr Assad and his wife Asma, both wearing masks, voted on Sunday morning in Damascus at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. Information minister Imad Sarah said the vote emphasises the cohesion of the Syrian homeland, that after nine years of war, Syria will not kneel. Mr Assad has twice postponed the countrys parliamentary elections this year in light of restrictions in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Mr Assad himself is not standing for election. Syria, which had a pre-war population of 22 million, has reported 496 coronavirus cases and 25 deaths. But the actual numbers are likely to be far higher and increases have been reported in recent days. Syrias last parliament was elected in April 2016, when large parts of the country were outside of government control and people there did not take part in the polling. Since then, Mr Assads forces have captured much of Syria with the help of his allies Russia and Iran. Propel(x), a San Mateo, CA-based online investment platform for investors to source, evaluate and fund science and technology startups, closed a new round of financing in Q1 2020, which, including all converting notes, raised just above $5.5m. Backers included Franklin Templeton, FreeS Venture Capital, Sky Saga Capital, ZhenFund, MIT Alumni Angels of Northern California, and several other family offices and individual angels. Proceeds from the fund-raise will be used to build new features on the platform to allow investors to make informed investment decisions, as well as to grow operations and expand marketing. Founded by CEO Swati Chaturvedi and Lisheng Wang, MIT classmates, Propel(x) is an online investment platform that connects science and technology startups with investors. The company introduces its users to startups that are commercializing all kinds of deep technologies, including new forms of clean energy, life-saving drugs, new methods of space exploration, and innovative new materials, among other things. FinSMEs 20/07/2020 Emelia Jackson was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win on Monday night's grand finale episode. She takes home a whopping $250,000 - which she says will help build her cake business - and the MasterChef 2020 trophy. The emotional chef embraced runner-up Laura Sharrad, who was undone by her overly icy gelato dessert, which was accidentally left in an open freezer. Winner: Emelia Jackson (pictured) was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win on Monday night's grand finale episode Emelia was elated, crying out, 'Are you serious? Are you serious?' over and over in delight. 'I just can't believe it. It's been the most special experience of my life and I owe it all to the three of you,' she said, pointing to judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo, before paying homage to her competitor: 'And I owe it to this little lady. 'Being able to reconnect with Laura after so many years has been just magic for me. She's just incredible. She's just... so amazing.' As Emelia spoke, Laura, who was nursing a badly burned hand sustained during the competition, broke down in bitter tears. 'I can't speak, I can't speak,' she gasped, before managing to compose herself. Nice effort! She takes home a whopping $250,000 - which she says will help build her cake business - and the MasterChef 2020 trophy Wow! Emelia was elated, crying out, 'Are you serious? Are you serious?' over and over in delight Happy: 'I just can't believe it. It's been the most special experience of my life and I owe it all to the three of you,' she said, pointing to judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo, before paying homage to her competitor: 'And I owe it to this little lady' 'I'm pretty gutted. I'm not gonna lie. But, I'm so proud of her. She is amazing and she deserves this so much. Like, she's come so far. To watch her grow has been amazing,' Laura said. 'To reconnect with her has been amazing. To eat her food has been amazing. She really deserves this. She really, really does.' There was good news for Laura, however, who was gifted $30,000 to help grow her business. Likewise, second runner-up Reynold Poernomo, who departed the show on Sunday night, was given prize money of $20,000. Upset: As Emelia spoke, Laura (pictured), who was nursing a badly burned hand she sustained during the competition, broke down in bitter tears. 'I can't speak, I can't speak,' she gasped She said through tears: 'I'm pretty gutted. I'm not gonna lie. But, I'm so proud of her. She is amazing and she deserves this so much' Some good news: There was good news for Laura, however, who was gifted $30,000 to help grow her business Deserves it: Likewise, second runner-up Reynold Poernomo, who departed the show on Sunday night, was given prize money of $20,000 The finalists had been tasked with one of the show's most difficult tests - a three course Service Challenge, consisting of 60 plates of food from each of them. They were to serve the judges, and their fellow contestants, who returned for the finale. Judge Melissa Leong announced: 'You need to create a three-course menu - entree, main and dessert - for us and for your fellow contestants behind you'. 'That's over 60 plates from each of you. You will have four hours until service starts. You have an open pantry, and we're judging your menu as a whole. Tough! The finalists were tasked with one of the show's most difficult tests - a three course Service Challenge, consisting of 60 plates of food from each of them Judge Melissa Leong (centre) announced: 'You need to create a three-course menu - entree, main and dessert - for us and for your fellow contestants behind you'. That's over 60 plates from each of you. You will have four hours until service starts' Busy! They were to serve the judges, and their fellow contestants, who returned for the finale 'Whoever does the best overall job will be Australia's next MasterChef.' Emelia admitted she was 'nervous' as she revealed what her dishes would be. 'Entree is something really nice and light and bright - a little seared scallop number with turnips and apple, to get you started for a pretty heavy main - a beef short rib, frying it in an onion crumb and a Sichuan pepper sauce,' she said. For dessert, she had on offer a pistachio financier with Davidson plum and raspberry sorbet and meringue. Ouch! Laura hit a snag early in her cook when she badly burned her hand Help! A medic tended to her injury and wrapped it up so she could carry on Pain! 'Oh, God. This is the most excruciating burn I've ever had. Oh, my God. That hurts so much. The pain is getting worse and worse. Grrr! Like, I cannot even grab anything,' she said On with the show: Laura panicked at first saying she had 'lost the competition' because of her injury. After she calmed down, Laura covered up her hand and cooked on Laura meanwhile went for a seared bonito fish starter, with lilly pillies, fried saltbush, and Geraldton wax. Her main was pork with muntries instead of apples, with a triple sauce of marsala jus, sage emulsion and thyme oil, plus a dessert of Jerusalem artichoke and kumquat ice cream with wattleseed. Laura hit a snag early in her cook when she badly burned her hand while tending to her pork, and had to cook one-handed for a time. 'Oh, God. This is the most excruciating burn I've ever had. Oh, my God. That hurts so much. The pain is getting worse and worse. Grrr! Like, I cannot even grab anything,' she complained. 'And I can't keep my hand straight. I can't close it. It's so excruciating right now. I just... I don't even know what to do. I've lost this competition,' she declared. Yummy: The judges were impressed with Emelia's scallop and celeriac entree Judge Jock Zonfrillo (pictured) loved it and said: 'That has to be one of my favourite entrees I've eaten this year. What a way to start your menu' Judge Jock Zonfrillo tried to calm her down, saying: 'Just take a second, compose yourself. Think about what you've still gotta do before you do anything else.' Despite the pain, she got back on track and was able to dish up her entree in time. The judges were impressed with Emelia's entree, with Jock saying: 'There was nothing that I didn't like about this. 'That has to be one of my favourite entrees I've eaten this year. What a way to start your menu.' Delish: Laura's bonito fish entree fared similarity well, with her native ingredients praised Judge Andy Allen (pictured) said of her dish: 'It was technically perfect' Laura's entree fared similarity well, with judge Andy Allen saying: 'It was technically perfect'. Laura's main went over a treat, with Melissa saying she'd 'taken it to the next level by understanding Australian produce'. Emelia was desperately worried her beef rib main would be too dry, but Jock raved: 'Never before has meat and two veg been so magnificent. That's like a schnitzel on steroids. I'm in a state of catlike happiness. You know what I'm saying? It is so good.' The judges were impressed with Laura's pork dish also, and her 'complex' triple sauce. Emelia was desperately worried her beef main would be too dry, but Jock raved: 'Never before has meat and two veg been so magnificent. That's like a schnitzel on steroids. I'm in a state of catlike happiness. You know what I'm saying? It is so good' Loved it: The judges were impressed with Laura's pork dish also, and her 'complex' triple sauce Melissa added: 'Dare I say, at this point... we're neck and neck' Melissa added: 'Dare I say, at this point... we're neck and neck'. Laura hit a major snag right before dessert when she realised she had left her freezer open, with her gelato inside. 'I'm worried that, especially because it's a hot kitchen, that gelato could start to melt. And when the liquid refreezes, it could be really icy. Any mistake that happens could cost me the competition,' she worried. Unfortunately, Laura was right - Jock complained that the gelato was too icy, and the wattleseed too gritty. Oh no! Laura hit a major snag right before dessert when she realised she had left her fridge open, with her gelato inside. 'I'm worried that, especially because it's a hot kitchen, that gelato could start to melt. And when the liquid refreezes, it could be really icy,' she said Emelia did better, with her pistachio financier with Davidson plum, raspberry sorbet and meringue described as a 'high fashion dessert' and a 'fascinator of a dessert' by a stunned Melissa. She raved: 'Emelia has managed to show us French patisserie magic. The visuals are striking.' Andy added: 'The balance was perfect. The plum raspberry sorbet, like, that needs to be sold somewhere.' Oh no! Unfortunately, Laura was right - Jock complained that the ice cream was too icy, and the wattleseed too gritty Pretty! Emelia did better, with her pistachio financier with Davidson plum and raspberry sorbet and meringue described as a 'high fashion dessert' It was the desserts that the judging finally came down to - a bitter irony for Laura, who said she feared being undone by a dessert yet again. An emotional Laura revealed that she didn't want her final dish to be her doom, just as it was when she was runner-up in season six. Unfortunately, she faced the exact same result, with the judges revealing the competition had in fact come down to the desserts. Oh no! Laura revealed that she didn't want her final dish to be her doom, just as it was when she was runner-up in season six. Unfortunately, she faced the exact same result, with the judges revealing the competition had in fact come down to the desserts Melissa said: 'Before the desserts arrived, there was nothing in it. But this is the course that decided the winner. We said today would come down to the smallest of things, and it has' Fine details: 'Laura, while your gelato and crumb had some textural issues, Emelia, your dish had none,' Melissa said before revealing the winner Melissa said: 'Before the desserts arrived, there was nothing in it. But this is the course that decided the winner. 'We said today would come down to the smallest of things, and it has. 'Laura, while your gelato and crumb had some textural issues, Emelia, your dish had none. 'And that's why, Emelia, you are the winner of MasterChef: Back To Win,' she announced. Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn took a swipe at his old employers in a newspaper interview on July 19, calling the Renault and Nissan results "pathetic", driven as much by a lack of joint leadership than the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghosn, who was also the chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp, was arrested in Japan in late 2018 on charges of underreporting his salary and using company funds for personal purpose - charges he denies. He fled to Lebanon from Japan. "There is a market confidence problem in the alliance. Personally, I find the results of Nissan and Renault pathetic. The two companies are looking inwards. There is no longer any real mix of management between Renault and Nissan, but a distrustful distance, " he told Le Parisien newspaper. Ghosn compared the share price fall from November 2018 to June 2020 of competitors General Motors Co and Toyota Motor Corp of 12 percent and 15 percent respectively to Nissan dropping 55 percent and Renault 70 percent. "All of these manufacturers are facing the same COVID crisis, but Renault and Nissan are being punished more than the others," he said. Ghosn fled Japan to Lebanon, his childhood home, in December as he awaited trial on charges of underreporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. Ghosn was questioned in Lebanon in January. He has said he will cooperate fully with the Lebanese judicial process, but it is unclear what cooperation there will be between Tokyo and Beirut. French prosecutors have also stepped up their investigation into alleged misappropriation by Ghosn of funds at Renault and had summoned him in France on July 13, but he did not attend. "There is a technical obstacle. My passport is in the hands of the attorney general in Lebanon, because Japan has issued an international arrest warrant for me," Ghosn said. "I also want to be sure that my security is assured and that I am guaranteed freedom of movement." Karnataka: Fisherfolk not happy with Kisan Credit Scheme July 20,2020 | Source: The Times of India A move by the NDA government in its second term to set up a separate ministry for fisheries has not satisfied the fisherfolk, at least in this part of the state. This was apparent in a high-powered meet that minister for fisheries Kota Shrinivas Poojari convened to discuss situation of coastal fishing. Fishermen were not happy with terms under which loan has been made available to them as part of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme. Fishermen and dairy farmers were brought under the ambit of KCC scheme in May 2019 which was meant exclusively for farmers growing crops. Fishermen community leader Naveen Bangera said KCC is a non-starter. With maximum credit of Rs 2 lakh available under KCC with a requirement that collateral be provided for loan above Rs 1.6 lakh as per RBI norms, there are not many takers. Most fishermen invest more than the Rs 2 lakh credit limit, he said. We are not allowed to pledge our house as collateral for they are in the CRZ areas as they have been traditionally there since many years, he said. Yashpal Suvarna, another leader said fishermen must be considered on par with farmers and given liberal credit to carry out what is a traditional and skilled operation. Ramakrishna, director, department of fisheries too averred that banks are very rigid when it comes to giving KCC for fishermen. Praveen M P, lead district manager said concept of KCC for farmers, which is to provide them with an overdraft facility for maintenance purpose as per a scale of finance determined by the district level task force committee, holds good for fishermen and dairy farmers too. As per this very scale of finance, fishermen with boats of 15-24m length are eligible for KCC limit of Rs 2 lakh, those with boats of 10-15m length for credit limit of Rs 1.25 lakh Banks in Dakshina Kannada have disbursed Rs 2.25crore to 230-odd fishermen applicants of KCC since January this year, Praveen said. The state level task force is empowered to increase the scale of finance, Praveen said, adding it could also take a call on issue of allowing houses in CRZ area for collateral. State government could also form a trust for fishermen on lines of Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises, Praveen noted. PHILIPSBURG:--- With interest and some amusement, the United Democrats (UD) is taking note of the steady encroachment by the President of Parliament (PoP), Rolando Brison on the domains of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT). In the PoP's most recent political act, he traveled to The Netherlands to accompany the Prime Minister. What was achieved by this move? Is the PM not capable to represent this coalition Government? Whatever happened to dualism/the separation of power? Additionally in a recent social media comment and video, the PoP tried to spin the concerns of many, regarding the reopening of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA). "Many persons have expressed their opinions on flights originating from the United States of America and rightfully so," the UD stated. Even though repatriation flights are only now being arranged, it is done amidst confusion about the required testing for our citizens. "Bringing our people home should have been priority number one from the onset of this pandemic. A mutual agreement should have been sought when the US repatriated their citizens, that ours would have been included on those inbound flights." The UD further questioned, "What can we expect as a country for the resumption of flights and their frequencies? Is anyone talking to decision-makers or the network planning officials at the airlines?" Shouldn't communication on this matter originates from the Ministry of TEATT? In the past the current PoP, was seemingly relentless about convening endless meetings of the TEATT Committee, insisting on the presence of the then Minister of TEATT. "Now with scheduling ability and coalition support, why are meetings being postponed? Where are the pending meetings since they were so desperately needed? Was it a publicity stunt or just cheap politics?," the UD queried. Closed-door meetings by the PoP are now the order of the day. (Public transportation, Kingdom relations etc.) Where is the total transparency for the public? It is evident the especially the TEATT Ministry has to deal with a blatant interference of the PoP in the executive branch, inclusive of cabinet appointees. "Why is there still so much uncertainly of airlines resuming flights and flight frequencies? Has the Ministry of TEATT reached out to the network planning officials of the various airlines to ascertain more concrete information for the public at large?", the UD asks. To date, we still await a realistic economic recovery plan, tourism master plan, and a full update on the resumption of our cruise tourism sector. UD Press Release. Cheap as it is, this is no small bet. The deal value swells to $13 billion once Nobles nearly $8 billion in net debt is included. Opportunistic deals only make sense if you believe theres an actual opportunity, something thats been far from clear in an oil market that was already struggling before the pandemic hit. Seen in this light, Chevrons willingness to put capital to work on M&A is a massive vote of confidence. Maybe with good reason: Researchers said Monday that a coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc showed promising results in early human testing. But this is still a somewhat speculative bet and Chevron is one of the few oil and gas companies with the kind of balance sheet that affords it the ability to take such risks. As such, this purchase is unlikely to kick off a wave of M&A in the energy sector, Johnson Rice analyst Charles Meade wrote in a note on Monday. For all those hoping to ride off to glory in the M&A sunset, there is now one less horse to ride, he wrote. Figures revealing the number of racing greyhounds which have died will not become available before the final quarter of this year, the sport's governing body has said. The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) earlier this year commissioned the design of a new traceability system for Irish animals in the wake of a highly-critical RTE documentary on breeding practices within the sport. Broadcast last summer, it alleged that mass culling of slow animals is prevalent in Ireland. In response to a parliamentary question to the Department of Agriculture querying the number of greyhounds culled in 2019 and to date in 2020, Gerard Dollard, the IGBs chief executive, said the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the entity with chief responsibility for the notification of greyhound deaths. The ICC is the body which keeps record of official matings between greyhounds, while the deaths of any animals are required by law to be notified to the same authority within 14 days of said death occurring. The IGB provides racing and litter records for animals which have been registered as racing dogs only. Mr Dollard said the traceability system commissioned should be in operation within the final three months of 2020. The system, when operational and supported by statutory regulation, will enable traceability of all significant life events in the life of a racing greyhound, Mr Dollard said. The Irish Greyhound Board commissioned the design of a new traceability system following a documentary on breeding practices. File photo. Those life events include litter registration as whelps, juvenile mortality, transfer of ownership or retention by breeder, progress of racing career and retirement, he said. Provision within the traceability system will additionally be made for the capture of other significant key life events such as export and death, Mr Dollard added. A contract valued at 350,000 to design and implement a traceability solution was awarded by the IGB in late March 2020 to Event Log Limited, a firm specialising in the tracing of racehorses based in the British town of Cheltenham. That contract was one of two issued in the months following the RTE programme, the other being for the provision of greyhound care centres as part of the IGBs programme to significantly expand the care and welfare arrangements for racing greyhounds. Meanwhile, the IGB said a fire safety risk assessment at Youghal greyhound track has recently been commissioned, with any issues arising from same to be addressed in conjunction with Cork County Council. Youghal was among four tracks earmarked for closure by consultants Indecon in December 2019 as part of a review of the IGBs 18 stadia. However, the Cork track has since received a reprieve along with the stadium in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Youghal had not previously been required to engage with the local fire authority as it has no restaurant facility, the IGB said. Stamp collection on Bach Dang victory The stamp collection spotlights the historical battle by the Tran Dynasty against the Yuan - Mong army from China in 1288. It will be available on the public postal network from July 18th, 2020, to June 30th, 2022, at a price of 4,000 VND. The collection comprises a sample of stamps with a dimension of 54 mm x 37 mm, designed with hot colours by artist Nguyen Du from the Vietnam Post Corporation, showing the eagerness of Vietnamese troops in the largest battle in national history. The stamp also clearly depicts the image of a leader riding a horse to lead people fight invaders. Further illustrating the great struggle is the diagram of the battle. Earlier, a stamp set "Celebrating 700 years of victory over the Yuan-Mong invaders (1288-1988)" was issued on April 9th, 1988./. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Haiti - FLASH : Moise gives details on his project to electrify the country Saturday July 18, while traveling in the North, Jovenel Moise revealed some details concerning the upcoming installation in the country of 190 MW of electricity, announced this week by the Minister of Public Works. Concerning the 60 MW of gas electricity, he specified that a gas power plant with two gas turbines will be installed on land declared of public utility between the power plant and the Thor terminal indicating that it was a contract with General Electric (GE) in the final phase which will be handed over to the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA) which it requests that it grant the benefit of the urgency to all contracts for electricity. Regarding the 130 MW of solar energy, he mentioned a 65 million contract. This photovoltaic energy will be distributed throughout the territory : Port-au-Prince (50 Mw), Cap-Haitien (20 Mw), Gonaives (20 Mw), Port-de-Paix and Jacmel (10 Mw each), Jeremie (5 Mw) and the last 15 Mw will be installed in several dozen small towns, among others in the departments of Nippes and Grand'Anse... Concerning the exchanges, he mentioned a delay of 15 weeks for the gas power plant (after approval by the CSC/CA) but does not speak of a delay for solar installations, confining himself to indicating that the equipment will start arriving next October, but that the installation work of these solar power stations could extend beyond the end of his mandate. He said that concerning the solar power plants and the purchase of 11,000 poles (the first of which are expected in August), the CSC/CA had already given its opinion. While waiting for these new power stations and to temporarily alleviate the almost constant blackout problem, he announced 2 floating electrical stations, one of 79 Mw for Port-au-Prince and the other of 36 Mw for Cap-Haitien without specifying when the electric barges will arrive in Haiti, saying only "soon"... As for the role of Turkey in the financing of this project confirmed Friday by Michel Presume the new Director General Electricity of Haiti (EDH), the Head of State did not mention it, leaving in total blur the content of this mysterious agreement with Turkey.. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31311-haiti-politic-turkey-will-finance-2-power-plants-in-haiti.html SL/ HaitiLibre HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe police on Monday swooped in and detained a prominent journalist and an opposition leader ahead of anti-government protests planned for the end of this month, their lawyers said. The journalist, Hopewell Chinono, has a huge following on Twitter, where he regularly posts about alleged government corruption. He has also been using his account to encourage Zimbabweans to speak out and act against corruption. They are breaking into my home. Alert the world! Chinono tweeted as police raided his home. His lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said he is detained at a police station in the capital, Harare, but is being denied access to lawyers. The arrest of Chinono, a Harvard University Nieman Fellow, drew sharp criticism in Zimbabwe and abroad. Political intimidation of the press has no place in democracies, tweeted the U.S. embassy in Harare, which in the past has been accused by the ruling party of sponsoring Chinono. The Dutch embassy described his arrest as part of a worrying trend against free speech in #Zimbabwe. The organizer of the planned July 31 protest, opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume, is also in police custody, said Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which is providing lawyers for him. Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said Chinono and Ngarivhume have been charged with incitement to participate in public violence and would appear in court soon. Journalists, lawyers, doctors and nurses are among hundreds of people who have been arrested in recent months in Zimbabwe for protesting, striking for better pay or, in some cases, simply doing their work as tensions rise in the troubled southern African country. A deteriorating economy and reports of widespread corruption linked to government contracts for the purchase of COVID-19 personal protective gear and drugs amid poor service delivery have further stoked public anger. In June, Chinono said he feared for his life after ruling ZANU-PF party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa accused the journalist of seeking to embarrass President Emmerson Mnangagwa by linking the presidents family to alleged corrupt COVID-19 related contracts. Deprose Muchena, a regional director with Amnesty International, said the arrests are designed to intimidate and send a chilling message to journalists, whistleblowers and activists who draw attention to matters of public interest in Zimbabwe. He is being victimized for exposing corruption in government, said Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general, Foster Dongozi, in a statement. South Africa: Mthethwa devastated by passing of Moonyeenn Lee Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has paid tribute to Casting Director Moonyeenn Lee, remembering her for fearlessly defended the rights of actors. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She consistently did everything in her power to convince them to cast local actors over foreign actor and her dedication paid off, the Minister said on Monday. Lee passed away on Saturday due to complications caused by Coronavirus. She was brutally honest, a bit too honest for some and she had a fighting spirit that was fuelled by her commitment to the industry she served. We are devastated to learn of the passing of a member of the Living Legends legacy Programme (LLLP), colossal industry veteran and Casting Director Lee, who left us on 18 July, on Nelson Mandelas birthday, Mthethwa said. In her career, spanning nearly five decades, she casted or managed the casting of films such as the Oscar-winning Tsotsi, Fanie Fouries Lobola, the Oscar-nominated Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamond; the Oscar-shortlisted Black Panther and Emmy-winning series Homeland, among others. Lee was nominated for two Emmy Awards. She was renowned as one of South Africas leading agents and represented some of South Africas best-known actors through her company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (MLA). She received the Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award from the SAFTA's in 2017 in recognition of her status as an icon and champion of Actors, Directors and Producers. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) selected Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential) to provide a customized Prudential Financial Wellness Program to its members. It is designed to help WPO membersrepresenting women presidents, CEOs and managing directors of privately held, multimillion-dollar companiesassist their employees in improving their financial well-being. "As business owners, one of the biggest challenges our members face is attracting and retaining talent. Helping their employees cope with financial stress can assist in improving productivity and job satisfaction and even reduce turnover. We are excited to offer the Prudential Financial Wellness Program to help successful women entrepreneurs provide a unique offering to their employees that speaks to increased quality of life," said WPO Chief Executive Officer Camille Burns. Prudential's WPO-focused curriculum includes virtual and in-person seminars covering a range of more than 30 topics, as well as access to digital financial wellness tools, financial checkups, assistance with student loan debt and more, all offered at no cost. Watch a short video here highlighting Prudential's financial wellness solutions. "There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to financial wellness. It is unique to each individual and constantly evolving," said Salene Hitchcock-Gear, president, Prudential Individual Life Insurance and WPO executive sponsor. "Our research shows employees say that financial wellness programs demonstrate their employers care about them. WPO members will be able to reap the benefits of Prudential's Financial Wellness program by giving their employees access to expanded tools and capabilities that help them achieve lasting financial health." Prudential's financial wellness capabilities reach more than 10 million individuals across more than 3,000 institutions. The company has several solutions that focus on specific life events and customer needs, including Prudential Pathways, the company's on-site financial education program, Prudential Passages, a program that helps people make more-informed decisions and maintain financial wellness during a job transition, a digital financial wellness platform, student loan assistance capabilities, and debt management support. About Prudential Financial, Inc. Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2019, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise, and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com. About the Women Presidents' Organization An international membership organization, the Women Presidents' Organization is the premier peer advisory organization connecting successful entrepreneurs who own multimillion-dollar companies. The WPO has 2,000 members in 137 chapters on six continents. In monthly meetings, chapters of 20 women presidents from diverse industries invest time and energy in confidential sessions designed to drive their enterprises to the next level. Local WPO chapters are coordinated by a professional facilitator and meet monthly to share business expertise and experience in a confidential setting. For more information, call 212-688-4114 or visit www.womenpresidentsorg.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @womenpresidents. Like us on Facebook @TheWPO. Contact: Susan Johnson Women Presidents' Organization [email protected] (917) 601-5778 Mobile Jamie Lorenz Prudential Financial, Inc. [email protected] (973) 803-2450 SOURCE Women Presidents' Organization Related Links http://www.womenpresidentsorg.com After months of lockdown and travel restrictions, travellers looking for a secluded and activity-filled getaway in the Maldives are in for a treat. With novel comforts invested and stringent safety standards perfected, the Taj Group of Hotels have redefined its services and hospitality in its two stunning properties in the land of sun, sand and sea. Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives and Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa, Maldives are ready and primed to once again welcome guests to their sandy shores. Positioned globally for its signature hospitality and unparalleled experiences, the Taj Group of Hotels in the Maldives have encompassed all safety protocols defined by its parent company Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) in conjunction with World Health Organization (WHO), as well as the Maldivian Health Protection Agency (HPA), Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives. Both Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives and Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa, Maldives are fully equipped with well-trained staff, best practices and high-grade protective equipment and disinfectants to ensure the safety and comfort of guests. With the spirit of Tajness reinvigorated to face the new normal world, the resorts are committed to prioritise safety, hygiene and physical distancing while delivering authentic hospitality. All staff have been trained to delight guests, safely and with minimum contact at all touch points. In addition, technology has been infused to several processes including check-in, check-out, non-invasive thermal screening, dining and digital payments to ensure seamless, no-touch yet personalised experiences. To ensure physical distancing, the resorts have also redesigned layouts for seating and guest movement inside the hotels and out, including speed boats, resort buggies, lobbies, restaurants, service areas and common spaces. With safer rooms and regularly disinfected surfaces, furniture, crockery, linen and more, guests are reassured of utmost hygiene and safety. Taj hotels are also taking strict precautionary measures such as ensuring sufficient resting of suites and rooms after check-out before reoccupation. Travellers are assured of convenience when flying in, with the Maldives Government implementing several measures to make the island destination a welcome retreat. While tourists are not subject to any quarantine measures upon arrival to the Maldives, they are also not required to submit any medical test results for entry. However, for the safety of all, local health authorities will be performing random testing at no cost to travellers, while those showing symptoms of Covid-19 upon arrival will be subjected to a PCR test at their own expense. Even when departing the Maldives, the authorities have made available testing services for tourists requiring Covid-19 test results to return home or continue travelling. Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives and Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa, Maldives have introduced several attractive offers for travellers to book now and travel later, saving up to 25 per cent while receiving extra in-premise value additions. With the pandemic redefining the way we indulge and travel, remote cast-away experiences are enticing, safe and reassuring. And what better option than to have an island for yourself? The Taj Group of Hotels in the Maldives is introducing the concept of island buyouts unspoilt seclusion with an awe-inspiring backdrop in one of the worlds most magical destinations, all to yourself! Perfect for family getaways, wellness retreats or even high-level corporate meetings, island buyout can also be married with private flying, offered by Taj Air, renowned for its fine fleet of executive jets. This attractive travel option ensures that guests experience the best of Maldives with Taj hospitality whilst ensuring privacy, physical distancing and high levels of hygiene and safety. - TradeArabia News Service OTTAWA - The Opposition Conservatives accused the Liberal government of either corruption or ignorance Monday as they pressed for more answers around a decision to hand control over a major student grant program to an organization with longtime ties to the Trudeau family. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 20/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Finance Minister Bill Morneau speaks to media during a press conference in Toronto, Friday, July 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston OTTAWA - The Opposition Conservatives accused the Liberal government of either corruption or ignorance Monday as they pressed for more answers around a decision to hand control over a major student grant program to an organization with longtime ties to the Trudeau family. The House of Commons was sitting to pass a new bill to extend the wage subsidy program, send a special COVID-19 top-up to people with disabilities and to extend legal deadlines for court cases. While those measures were expected to pass on Tuesday with the support of all opposition parties, the same collegial spirit did not extend to question period. There, the dominant line of inquiry was around the Liberal government's decision to award WE Charity the responsibility for a $900 million student job program. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mother, in particular, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for participating in WE events, and Finance Minister Bill Morneau's daughter works for an arm of the WE organization. The organization has handed the program back to the government. Both Trudeau and Morneau have said they should have recused themselves from the decision. But the international development and youth empowerment group is now under scrutiny for its internal practices, adding further fuel to the opposition's charges that the decision to grant the contract to WE was suspect. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer pointed Monday to a report by Canadaland that red flags were raised in 2018 by auditors reviewing WE's financials, as well as the fact that their board had undergone a major shakeup earlier in the year. "Either the Liberals were aware of these issues and still approved the decision or they were incompetent," he said. "It's either corruption or incompetence, which is it?" It is neither, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland replied repeatedly, nearly reading verbatim from a sheet of paper with the Liberals' current top-line talking point on the issue: that the idea of having WE run the Canada Student Services Grant was brought forward by the non-partisan public service. "The way this unfolded was regrettable and the charity will not longer be administering the project," she said. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the government's approach to WE raises questions about whether the program was ever about students at all. "There were lots of ways to help students. This was not it," he said. "It was a billion-dollar bailout of close friends of the Liberal party and of the prime minister." The House of Commons had been recalled to pass the latest suite of COVID-19 measures. The Liberals want to extend the wage subsidy program to December and have its criteria loosened so more businesses can reopen and employ workers. The original program covered 75 per cent of wages, up to a weekly maximum of $847, for eligible companies and non-profits. Companies had to show a 30 per cent drop in revenues. The proposed changes will see the program pay on a sliding scale based on revenue drops due to the pandemic, with the hardest-hit businesses eligible for a 25 per cent increase to the previous maximum payment. The disability payment measures in the bill would provide up to $600 in a one-time payment to some Canadians with disabilities in order to help with COVID-19 costs. The Liberals had sought to pass that measure in a bill last month, but did not get unanimous consent due to the opposition concerns with other elements in that particular bill. Originally, the payment was limited to those who received the disability tax credit, but the new bill lays out expanded criteria to include, among others, veterans who are currently receiving disability supports. Singh said ensuring the disability benefit went to far more Canadians was a win for his party, and why the NDP will back the new bill. "It's still not enough and we will continue fighting," he told reporters afterwards. The Tories said they too support the disabilities measures, but the new wage subsidy plan is too convoluted and they want the government to make it simpler. Still, they intend to back the bill, having won concessions of their own: to get two days of debate for it instead of one, and at the same time securing the ability for the Commons committee on Canada-China relations to sit, as well as the public safety committee. Tuesday's sitting also opens up an opportunity for the Conservatives to do something else they were hoping to achieve Monday, but couldn't press the prime minister himself. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Trudeau took the day off Monday, and the Tories suggested he was skipping out on questions about WE. He is expected to attend Tuesday's sitting, as well as for the special COVID-19 committee of MPs that is scheduled to meet Wednesday. A lingering question is whether Trudeau will also appear at the House of Commons finance committee, where MPs want to grill him on the WE issue. Scheer said Liberal MPs should also be asking themselves questions about supporting their boss going forward. "If they allow him to continue, if they don't demand he resign, then they are telling Canadians that they are comfortable with his corruption," Scheer said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2020. What could have been proud news for a father turned sour as a husband allegedly abandoned his 27-year-old wife at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Western North Region, after realising she was carrying quadruplets, which she delivered last Sunday [July 19, 2020]. George Ackah, who is said to be a cleaner with a private firm outside his community, Sefwi Adukrom, has not returned to the hospital since his wife was admitted about five weeks ago. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Kwesi Adu-Gyamfi, told Graphic Online that the woman was referred from a private facility due to her critical condition. After receiving her, I assigned a medical officer to her permanently, we followed her until the 31-weeks where we admitted her and then to 36-weeks when she delivered. I must say that from the time of admission to the time of delivery, the husband who she said is a cleaner in a private firm, did not pass by the hospital nor answer his calls, he said. The unemployed wife, who lives with Ackah in Sefwi Adukrom, a farming community, already has two children with the man before the arrival of the quadruplets. She has, therefore, been left at the mercy of doctors, midwives and other health workers, who did their best to cater for the babies and their mother. The health workers at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai municipality, said after the delivery at about 11 a.m. last Sunday (July 19), they had to contribute to get the basic items needed for the upkeep of the children and the feeding of their mother. Initial scan Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the mother of the quadruplets first reported for antenatal at a private facility, where initial scan revealed triplets. After we performed thorough assessment with further scans we realised they were quadruplets, he said. For proper care, we adopted what we call Focus Antenatal; we assigned a midwife to the woman, but after some time we did not hear from her again, her phone was also not going through, he said. Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the mother of the quadruplets went back to the private facility she initially reported to at an anaemic stage and was immediately referred to the municipal hospital. Asked how her bills and other needs were covered, Dr Adu-Gyamfi said, From the day she was admitted, all her needs were covered by contributions of the hospital staff, the midwives and the doctors. Call for support Upon hearing of the plight of the woman, the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has supported the woman with GH2,000 and promised to do more. The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, who presented the donation on behalf of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, said she was touched by the plight of the woman. The hospital administration has also called on members of the public to support the woman and her four children. Dr Adu-Gyamfi mentioned some of the items needed for the upkeep as diapers, cloths, toiletries and detergents. 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 Amitabh Bachchan, who is presently being treated for Covid-19 at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, has shared a new update on Twitter. In his tweet, he thanked fans and said that he has been deriving strength from their love and wishes. T 3600 - In these times of trial .. the entire day is filled with your love and care .. and I can only express what best I can from here .. my immense gratitude, he wrote. T 3600 - In these times of trial .. the entire day is filled with your love and care .. and I can only express what best I can from here .. my immense gratitude .. pic.twitter.com/7ZbZauBmQG Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 20, 2020 Earlier, too, Amitabh has expressed his gratitude towards his fans and well-wishers. It shall not be possible for me to acknowledge and respond to all the prayers and wishes expressed by them that have shown concern towards Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me .. I put my hands together and say .. Thank you for your eternal love and affection, he tweeted a day after his hospitalisation on July 11. Amitabh and his family - son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan - are currently being treated for Covid-19 at Nanavati hospital. While Amitabh and Abhishek have been hospitalised since July 11, Aishwarya and Aaradhya were admitted on Friday, after initially being asked to be under home quarantine. Jaya Bachchan has tested negative for the virus. Also read | Anurag Kashyap weighs in on nepotism debate: First ask which actor, director is worst behaved, made supporting cast leave films The Bachchans bungalows - Janak, Jalsa, Pratiksha and Vatsa - were sanitised by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and declared containment zones. All their staffers tested negative for the virus. Meanwhile, fans of Amitabh in Kolkata and Ujjain conducted mahamritunjay yagnas for the well-being of the 77-year-old actor and his family. A hospital insider told PTI that the Bachchans were in the isolation ward and responding well to treatment. They all (referring to Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek, Aishwarya and Aaradhya) are ok. They are responding well to the treatment. They are in the isolation ward. Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan will be in the hospital maybe for a day or two, the source said. Aishwarya had a cough. She is ok now. Aishwarya and Aaradhya will have to be in the hospital for a couple of days, the insider added. Follow @htshowbiz for more Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov met with Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky on July 18, the NSDC press service has reported. "During the meeting, the parties discussed topical issues concerning the operation of the defense-industrial complex and the space industry, in particular the drafting of relevant long and medium-term documents for their development," the report says. Danilov said that the reform of the defense-industrial complex is being carried out in accordance with the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated February 18, 2020, "On the main indicators of the state defense order for 2020, 2021, 2022", enacted by the decree, No.59, of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky dated February 27, 2020. According to the NSDC secretary, the leadership of the industry should introduce a systematic approach to its development, in particular, taking measures to improve the coordination of military-industrial policy actors. He also stressed that the Government should resolve the issue of the legal organizational form of work of enterprises that are part of the Ukroboronprom State Concern . Danilov noted that defense industry enterprises should primarily focus on providing the army with modern high-tech weapons and equipment. He also emphasized the importance of scientific and technological development of the defense-industrial complex and the development of a roadmap for attracting foreign investment. During the meeting, special attention was paid to the issue of creating a missile program for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the development of the space industry. As Ukrinform reported, on July 16, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the resolution on the appointment of Oleh Urusky as Vice Prime Minister - Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine. ish Jaipur, July 20 : The officials of the Special Operation Group (SOG) on Monday issued notice to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the case of alleged horse-trading of MLAs in Rajasthan. A notice has been served to the minister through his personal secretary," confirmed Ashok Rathore, additional director-general of police (ADGP), SOG, Rajasthan. Shekhawat's personal secretary has confirmed of receiving the notice, however, he said the authenticity of the audio tapes must be proved first. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot's camp had released three audio clips a few days ago with purported conversation recorded between Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, an agent Sanjay Jain and Shekhawat. A notice in this context has also been sent to Bhanwarlal Sharma and Sanjay Jain has already been arrested. Meanwhile, Shekhawat earlier issued a statement saying that he has nothing to do with the audio tapes and that the voice and diction in the tapes don't match with his tone. Sharma has also denied the allegations. The SOG had registered two separate first information reports (FIRs) last Friday after Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint about three audio tapes which surfaced on Thursday evening and quickly went viral on the social media. The FIRs identified the rebel MLA from Sardarshahar, Bhanwarlal Sharma, who was later suspended by the party, and Sanjay Jain was arrested by the SOG on Friday night. The accused named in the FIR have been booked under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, Rathore said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Sudan's former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir, ousted amid a popular pro-democracy uprising last year, faces trial from Tuesday over the military coup that brought him to power more than three decades ago. Bashir, 76, who is already behind bars for corruption, could face the death penalty if convicted over his 1989 coup against the democratically elected government of prime minister Sadek al-Mahdi. The Khartoum trial starting at 0800 GMT against him and 16 co-accused comes as Sudan's post-revolution transitional government has launched a series of reforms in hopes of fully rejoining the international community. Sudan has also pledged to hand over Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face trial on war crimes and genocide charges related to the Darfur conflict, which left 300,000 people dead and millions displaced in a scorched earth campaign against a 2003 insurgency. It is the first time in the modern history of the Arab world that the architect of a coup goes on trial, although the man dubbed the true brain behind the military overthrow, Hassan Turabi of the National Islamic Front, died in 2016. "This trial will be a warning to anyone who tries to destroy the constitutional system," said Moaz Hadra, one of the lawyers who led the push to bring the case to court. "This will safeguard Sudanese democracy. In this way, we hope to bring an end to the era of putsches in Sudan." Bashir will be in the dock with 10 military personnel and six civilians, including his former vice presidents Ali Osman Taha and Bakri Hassan Saleh, as well as former ministers and governors. They are all accused of having plotted the June 30, 1989 coup when the army arrested Sudan's political leaders, suspended parliament and other state bodies, closed the airport and announced the putsch on the radio. Bashir, who was later elevated to the rank of general, stayed in power for 30 years before being overthrown on April 11 last year after several months of unprecedented, youth-led street demonstrations. - First coup trial - Hadra told AFP that Bashir and Saleh "have totally refused to cooperate with the commission of enquiry, but they will be present at the court". The lawyer said the accused are charged under crimes including Chapter 96 of the 1983 Penal Code, which had been abolished by Bashir, and which carries the death penalty for attempting to destroy the constitutional order. Hadra said that "this is the first time someone who launches a coup will be brought to justice" in Sudan, which has seen three coups d'etat since its 1956 independence from Britain. One of the 150 defence lawyers, Hashem al-Gali, charged that Bashir and the others would face "a political trial" being held "in a hostile environment on the part of the judicial system against the defendants". "In fact, this trial is aimed at the Islamic movement and its sole purpose is to present it as a terrorist movement, but we have prepared our defence and we will prove the contrary," Gali stressed. He argued Bashir's overthrow of Mahdi took place so long ago that it was beyond the statute of limitations and should therefore no longer be dealt with by a court. Former police general Salah Mattar, who was head of internal security in 1989, welcomed the trial, recounting how he had anticipated the overthrow. "I had observed movements and meetings of the National Islamic Front six months before the coup and made a report to interior minister Mubarak al-Mahdi, but he ignored it," Mattar recounted to AFP. "After the coup I was chased out with six high-ranking police officers." The trial takes place at a time when Sudan's joint civilian-military transitional government is introducing a host of reforms and has relaunched peace talks with rebel groups. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's administration has recently abolished rules restricting women's movements, outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation, scrapped a law against apostasy and relaxed a ban on alcohol. Khartoum hopes to soon be taken off the US State Department's list of countries that sponsor terrorism, a significant hurdle to receiving foreign aid and investment. Former president Omar al-Bashir, 76, who is already behind bars for corruption, could face the death penalty if convicted over his 1989 coup against the democratically elected government of prime minister Sadek al-Mahdi Moaz Hadra was one of the lawyers who led the push to bring the case against Bashir and others to court One of the 150 defence lawyers, Hashem al-Gali, charged that Bashir and the others would face 'a political trial' being held 'in a hostile environment on the part of the judicial system against the defendants' The UK's largest manufacturing trade body has called on the government to extend its jobs retention scheme by six months to prevent huge redundancies in crucial UK industries. Make UK has said that without support for 'strategic industry sectors' such as the automotive and aerospace industries, the coronavirus pandemic could cause the manufacturing sector to witness its biggest job losses in up to four decades. It comes as the pressure group releases a new survey showing that more than half of manufacturers are now planning to let people go in the coming six months, up from a quarter two months ago. (Above) An Airbus employee in Broughton, north Wales. Make UK has called for extra support for aerospace companies, like Airbus, to help stave off massive job losses Around a third of companies questioned by the Manufacturing Monitor survey also stated they were looking to make between 11 per cent and 25 per cent of their employees redundant. Make UK is now asking the government to keep the furlough scheme operating for an extra six months 'specifically for the automotive and aerospace sectors,' which they describe as being 'of critical importance to the long term health of the economy.' Aside from employing large numbers of people, it wrote that 'these high-value sectors have long supply chains employing significant numbers of people, with many companies based in Regions highly dependent on their success.' About 114,000 people directly work for the UK's aerospace sector, which had a turnover of 33.9billion and exported 31.8billion worth of goods last year, while the motor industry employs 823,000 people and is worth more than 82billion. Both sectors have announced thousands of job cuts since the start of the pandemic, with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Airbus, General Electric and Jaguar Land Rover announcing significant redundancies. 'There is no disguising the fact these redundancy plans make for very painful reading," said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, who also thinks the chances of a 'V-shaped recovery' are 'remote.' The motor industry employs 823,000 people and is worth more than 82billion in turnover 'As well as the distressing personal impact on livelihoods across the UK, industry cannot afford to lose these high-value skills which will be essential to rebuilding our economy and investing in the industries of the future.' Carmakers have been especially affected due to the severe drop in demand for new cars and because showrooms were forced to temporarily shut their doors to customers after the government initiated a lockdown in late March. Only 4,321 cars were registered in April, a record low, according to motor industry trade body The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Sales were also down 97.3 per cent from the same month last year when over 160,000 were bought. There has been a pickup in sales in the months since then, and in June, 145,000 new cars were registered. But this was still more than a third down on June 2019, which SMMT said was because of 'uncertain economic confidence and delayed re-opening of Welsh and Scottish showrooms.' Make UK found that the number of firms who expect trading to take a year or longer to return to normal has grown from just under a third in their previous survey to 42 per cent Make UK predicts that the motor vehicles sector will lose over a third of its gross value added this year while for the aerospace-dominant 'Other Transport' sector, it is forecast to fall 15 per cent this year. It wants the UK government to provide support to these industries that resembles the measures introduced by European governments in countries such as Germany, Italy and France. Germany has offered a subsidy of 3,000 to those wanting to buy an electric car and France has granted loans worth 23billion to the aerospace and automotive sectors. Make UK also found that the number of firms who expect trading to take a year or longer to return to normal has grown from just under a third in their previous survey to 42 per cent. Just under half of manufacturers have seen their logistics costs increase as well, with many hit by the rise in the cancellation of air and freight routes and the growing cost of freight rates. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-19 22:33:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Staff wearing protective suits clean garbage at a hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, July 10, 2020. (Photo by Yeshiel/Xinhua) The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 701,573 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. ADDIS ABABA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 701,573 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC in its latest situation update issued on Sunday morning said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the continent rose from 683, 905 on Saturday afternoon to 701,573 as of Sunday morning. The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the death toll from the pandemic surged to 14,937 as of the stated period. The Africa CDC further said that 369,120 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have so far recovered from the infectious virus. People ride bicycles along a road in Kampala, capital of Uganda, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Hajarah Nalwadda) Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, the highly affected African countries in terms of positive cases include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, and Cameroon. The Africa CDC also said that the Southern Africa region is now the most affected area across the continent in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, followed by the North Africa region. The West Africa region is the third most affected area in terms of positive cases, followed by the Eastern and Central Africa regions, respectively. Shoppers are starting to come back to their favorite brick and mortar storefronts as the pandemic restrictions allow consumers to exit from lockdown. But the impact of COVID-19 has etched some far-reaching changes in the retail industry that will not set back the strides online shopping has gained since March. That is a conclusion clearly visible in research published by TrustRadius in late June entitled Ecommerce Software Statistics and Trends. A new normal for retail remains in the wake of the forced reshaping of how retailers and consumers do business. Some employees are heading back to their physical offices as store workers settle into the reopenings. traffic analysis recently released by TrustRadius. For instance, some of the key highlights show the new top online shopping platforms for consumers in order of traffic are Shopify, SAP Commerce Cloud, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, according to the review site for business technology. To be clear, when referring to e-commerce software, TrustRadius means platforms or plugins that allow online sellers to create and host an e-commerce website, display a product catalog, offer a shopping cart, and provide customers with a secure way to conduct online transactions. The companys research includes both comprehensive e-commerce platforms from vendors like Shopify, SAP, Oracle, and BigCommerce. It also includes customer management systems plugins like WooCommerce in the reports e-commerce platforms category, explained Megan Headley, vice president of research at TrustRadius. TrustRadius does not use an e-commerce platform. Instead, we provide verified customer reviews for e-commerce software products, she told the E-Commerce Times. Key Highlights Predictions say that there could be between 20,000 to 25,000 storefront closures in the U.S. in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. As of June, total retail spending in the U.S. is expected to decline by about 10.5 percent for 2020. The two primary sales channels that make up total retail spending have seen opposite trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. While brick-and-mortar retail sales are expected to decrease by 14 percent, e-commerce sales are predicted to increase by 18 percent to US$710 billion in 2020. While the total retail sales have seen a large decrease during the first half of 2020, e-commerce sales have surged, Headley reiterated. Losses from in-person sales have made a large dent in the retail market. Online sales have soared as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A D V E R T I S E M E N T A huge spike took place over interest in e-commerce software, according to TrustRadius analysis. This spike was particularly evident among small business-friendly platforms like Shopify. TrustRadius has seen an 85 percent increase in traffic to the e-commerce software category from January through May 2020. In light of COVID-19 impact on retail sales, these statistics could be very encouraging for people in the e-commerce community, according to observers. For instance, 45 percent of e-commerce traffic currently comes from enterprises. Traffic to this category has increased by 85 percent in the past few months. Research Methods TrustRadius is a hub for buyers, sellers, experts, and users of business technology. So the activity we see on our website can be a helpful proxy for market trends, noted Headley. To collect this data specifically, her company examined internal website traffic usage reports using Google Analytics. Researchers verified that the patterns viewed reflected broader market dynamics using external data from sources like Google Trends. The companys researchers used reports from sources such as the New York Times, eMarketer, Statista.com, and the Washington Post to help researchers better understand the narrative behind the numbers they were seeing, Headley explained. E-Commerce Software Demand The company monitors all types of B2B technology. It has taken a keen interest in actively tracking how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected multiple software and hardware categories, including the e-commerce industry. TrustRadius reports aim to help both software buyers and vendors navigate this new business environment. More specifically, to help e-commerce software buyers find the product that best matches their business needs, the company conducts sentiment analysis on the review data it collects. The company also provides average ratings across a variety of product attributes. It then publishes a TrustMap that displays the relative popularity and overall score of products on TrustRadius, Headley detailed about her companys mission. Based on data from TrustRadius and external sources, its clear that interest in e-commerce software has been increasing as of February 2020, she said. The resulting spike in website traffic for products like Shopify, SAP Commerce Cloud, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a key indicator. A D V E R T I S E M E N T At play is a unique opportunity for e-commerce software vendors to reach out to their current and future customers to see how they are being impacted by the pandemic and offer support, Headley suggested. She sees a two-fold gain for those who do. One, there are likely additional e-commerce tools or strategies vendors can provide that will help their customers adapt to the changing business environment. Two, from re-thinking pricing tiers to developing new features, the impacts of the pandemic will change how e-commerce platforms go to market. Reviews from customers can help e-commerce software companies collect the intelligence they need. Changing Times The digital ecosystem is now much larger than we had predicted several months ago. It will only continue to grow moving forward, as it has become more nuanced and complex with the rise of direct-to-consumer, according to Michael Lagoni, CEO of Stackline. Historically, less than 10 percent of consumer brands and manufacturers sold products directly through their own direct-to-consumer site. Now, in 18 months, the ratio will be completely flipped, and the vast majority of brands will be operating a DTC platform of their own, he told the E-Commerce Times. The current DTC, e-commerce competitive landscape is going to be completely transformed. Until recently, smaller, more entrepreneurial digitally native brands built awareness through Facebook and Instagram. They ran their e-commerce business more nimbly around larger incumbent brands, who historically focused on the brick and mortar channel, Lagoni explained. However, many of the large incumbent manufacturers and brands who failed to put resources into e-commerce or integrate direct-to-consumer platforms, because of channel conflicts, are recognizing they cannot be as reliant on brick and mortar. Theyre navigating and changing their strategy very rapidly. Now, youre going to see a new wave of market entrance. Larger, more traditional brands will replicate digital marketing growth strategies smaller entrepreneurial companies employed successfully in the past, Lagoni predicted. Pandemic Fueling E-Commerce Growth The past quarters events have had conditions no one could foresee. E-commerce was already a growing industry that was forecasted to keep growing, according to Ben Parr, co-founder and president of Octane AI. The global pandemic caused E-Commerce growth to accelerate a couple of years ahead of what was forecast, he told the E-Commerce Times. With stores shutting their doors due to the pandemic, consumers who had never shopped online before discovered online shopping and recognized it as a comfortable option. Even with stores reopening, most consumers will view non-essential shopping as a risk, Parr continued. As the economy reopens, consumers will determine if the products they need are worth the risk of going into a brick-and-mortar store. They will choose to shop online in almost every case, he said. Paradigm Shift The paradigm has shifted forever, resulting in e-Commerce and other DTC consumer channels have become the cornerstone of a brands business, offered Shelly Socol, co-founder of One Rockwell, a digital commerce agency located in New York City. In the past, brand wholesale and retail channels were the foundation, and you would layer in e-commerce on top of that. With COVID this structure has been flipped on its head. There will be those who saw this early and succeeded, and those who could not make that shift will not survive, she told the E-Commerce Times. Even with all the adjustments being made by retail stores to encourage shoppers to feel safe and return to an in-store shopping experience, more people will be shopping on their devices as it is the safest way to shop. Online shopping will double or triple from the past. E-commerce will be the main channel where brands will invest their resources, and that being so, will guide their overall strategy, Socol suggested. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 20, 2020 2020/07/20 I. As agreed by the two sides, the 7th China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue will be held through teleconference on July 21. Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua of the State Council and French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire will co-chair the dialogue. Established in 2013, the China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue serves as an important platform for communication and policy coordination on strategic, overarching and long-term issues in the economic and financial sectors. It has played a positive role in deepening bilateral practical cooperation in these areas, enhancing communication and coordination on major international economic and financial issues, and in promoting the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. II. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Viet Nam Pham Binh Minh the 12th Meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation on July 21. The meeting will be held via videolink. CCTV: The US Department of Defense published an article which cites Defense Secretary Mark Esper as saying "We're in an era of great power competition and that means that our top strategic competitors are China, then Russia." China is the bigger problem, he said. The Chinese wants to rewrite the rules of the international order that have served the nations of the world - including China - so well since the end of World War II, the National Defense Strategy says. A rising China, by itself, would not concern US leaders, but a rising China under the governance of the Chinese communist party is a concern. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Certain individuals in the US have always looked at China-US relations with Cold-War mentality and zero-sum game mindset and instigated the containment and oppression of China. This is one of the important reasons why China-US relations are facing severe challenges. China has all along been an upholder of international order and champion and practitioner of international fairness and justice. It stands in stark contrast with the US, who has kept turning away from international treaties and organizations and selectively applied international law as it sees fit. The international community knows clearly who is a trouble-maker. China wants to rewrite, if anything, the obsolete model of a country seeking hegemony when growing stronger, and is firmly committed to finding a new path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation with other countries. The CPC leadership is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CPC is the fundamental guarantee for China's development and renewal, and a force contributing to world peace and common development. The US should respect and welcome the fact that the CPC is endorsed by the Chinese people, rather than wantonly smear its image, sow discords between the CPC and the Chinese people, and fan up an ideological confrontation and form a clique on the international stage. China's foreign policy on the US is consistent and clear. We are committed to developing a China-US relationship featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. In the meantime, we firmly uphold our sovereignty, security and development interests. We urge the US to reject its Cold-War mindset, zero-sum game mentality and ideological bias, view China and China-US relations correctly, stop those negative words and deeds, and work with China for moving the bilateral relationship back onto the right track of coordination, cooperation and stability. China News Service: US Secretary of State Pompeo said in a public speech in Iowa on July 17 that "we're telling the truth every day of where the coronavirus came from, and the communist coverup of that virus." I wonder if you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Secretary Pompeo's accusation against China is just another repeated lie that has no factual basis at all. As editor-in-chief of the Lancet wrote, the WHO and China explained what was going on in January, but certain countries didn't respond to it in the following six weeks, which is an unpardonable error. It is incorrect to accuse the WHO or China on conspiracy grounds. Shifting the responsibilities to China, pinning labels on the virus and resorting to politicization cannot solve the problems facing the United States. Respecting facts and science while enhancing anti-epidemic cooperation is the right way forward. We hope the US government can have a responsible attitude for the life and health of its people, and devote more time and energy on fighting the virus at home as well as boosting international cooperation. Ta Kung Pao: Reports say that Britain signals it may suspend extradition treaty with Hong Kong as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to make the announcement on the Hong Kong treaty when he addresses Parliament. Do you have any response? Wang Wenbin: China strongly condemns the UK's recent wrong remarks and moves on Hong Kong which disregard the basic fact that the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR is conducive to the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, grossly violate international law and basic norms governing international relations, and flagrantly interfere in China's domestic affairs. We urge the UK to stop going further down the wrong path to avoid greater damage to China-UK relations. People's Daily: Further to your announcement on the 12th Meeting of the China-Viet Nam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, could you shed some light on its background and agenda? Wang Wenbin: Currently, overall China-Viet Nam relations are on a positive trajectory. As this year is the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping held phone talks and exchanged congratulatory messages with General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trongon to mark the occasion on the eve of the Spring Festival, making strategic plans for advancing party and state relations. In the face of the sudden COVID-19 outbreak, China and Viet Nam stood in solidarity with mutual assistance and achieved major victory in the fight, which created good conditions for exchange and cooperation going forward. China looks forward to taking stock of progress in bilateral relations with Viet Nam at this meeting, and exchanging ideas in depth on coordinating exchange and cooperation in various fields with ongoing prevention and control efforts. We believe that with our concerted efforts, the meeting will deliver expected outcomes and contribute to our comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership. Reuters: Chinese embassies across Southeast Asia have responded strongly to US statements on the South China Sea on social media and in local newspapers, for example your embassy in Yangon accused the US of showing a selfish, hypocritical, contemptible and ugly face. Do you have any further comments on what seems to be an escalating war of words over the issue in the region? Wang Wenbin: The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has issued remarks on the article written by the US charge d'affaires to Myanmar. In fact, it is the US side that first attacked and criticized China and the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar is compelled to make clarification and refutation. The US statement is far-fetched and fact-distorting. China and Myanmar are close neighbors that share a friendly bond between us. Our cooperation has withstood the test of the times. The US move to slander China and its attempt to drive a wedge between China and Myanmar in our relations and cooperation is unpopular and will never succeed. China and Myanmar will further deepen cooperation, jointly build a community with a shared future and open up a new chapter in our bilateral friendship. BBC: You mentioned earlier that the UK may be in breach of international law in terms of its dealings with Hong Kong. Could you elaborate on this a little bit more and tell us which laws you were referring to? Wang Wenbin: The UK's recent wrong moves on the national security law for Hong Kong grossly interfere in China's domestic affairs and violate basic norms governing international relations and international law. We urge the UK to correct its mistakes and stop going further down the wrong path and interfering in Hong Kong affairs. AFP: Another question about China-UK relations. The British Foreign Secretary Raab on Sunday accused China of gross human rights violations over its treatment of minorities in Xinjiang. He said that "we want a positive relationship with China but we cannot see behavior like that and not call it out". Do you understand Mr. Rabb's concerns? How do you plan to address them? Wang Wenbin: The relevant remarks by the British side are nothing but slanders and smears. China has repeatedly stated its position on Xinjiang. Xinjiang-related issues are not about human rights, ethnicity or religion at all, but about combating violent terrorism and separatism. Regarding the so-called "forced sterilization", the fact is that the population of Uyghurs in Xinjiang grew from 5.55 million to 11.65 million over the past four decades, accounting for about 46.8 percent of the total population of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The so-called sterilization is totally nonsense. Phoenix TV: On July 17, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered remarks to the high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council on "Multilateralism After COVID-19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?" He pointed out in the speech that "The pandemic has underscored the need for a strengthened and renewed multilateralism". Does China have a comment? Wang Wenbin: The high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council on "Multilateralism After COVID-19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?" was held on July 17. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting and elaborated on China's position in his remarks titled "Firmly Uphold Multilateralism and Build A Community with A Shared Future for Mankind". He stressed that amid the once-in-a-century changes, we need a United Nations that safeguards world peace and security, and fairness and justice, a United Nations that advocates harmonious co-existence across different races, systems and cultures, a United Nations that champions common development by addressing the North-South gap, a United Nations that keeps abreast of the times and effectively responds to global challenges. State Councilor Wang called on the international community to uphold multilateralism and reject unilateralism and protectionism, support greater democracy in international relations and reject hegemonism and power politics, safeguard the international order underpinned by international law and reject unlawful acts and double standards, and to call for solidarity and cooperation and reject self-conceit and beggar-thy-neighbor practices. During this event, Secretary-General Guterres underscored the need for a strengthened and renewed multilateralism that is inclusive, effective and networked to improve global governance. Participants at this high-level segment all expressed support for multilateralism, the UN-centered international system, and solidarity against COVID-19 and other challenges. They also concur with China's proposals and propositions. It demonstrates the broad-based international consensus on upholding multilateralism. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, China stands ready to work with the rest of the international community to stay committed to the correct path of multilateralism, uphold UN authority, support a greater role by the UN, speed up implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, jointly address the pandemic and other challenges, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Bloomberg: The UK's most senior judge warned that the British judges would quit their role in Hong Kong if the national security law threatened the independence of the courts. What is your position on this? Wang Wenbin: The judiciary and the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have responded to this. The national security law for Hong Kong is aimed to plug loopholes in the HKSAR national security legislation and establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR. The independent judicial power including that of final adjudication enjoyed by the HKSAR under the Basic Law will not be affected. We are firm in our resolve to fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" and act in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law, to advance the full and effective implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong, and oppose foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs. Macao Monthly: On July 18, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered the 2020 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture held online. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare global inequalities and that the crisis is an opportunity to develop a new social contract that invests in health care, education and basic income for all and a new global deal that promotes equality of all countries. I wonder if you have a comment? Wang Wenbin: China supports stronger international cooperation against COVID-19 led by the UN and WHO. I might take this opportunity to brief you on the measures China has taken in this regard. China has pledged US$2 billion in both bilateral and multilateral channels to help with global COVID-19 response in terms of material assistance and economic and social recovery and development in affected countries. At the multilateral level, China has provided a total of US$50 million in cash in two batches to WHO in support of its work, offered donations to international organizations including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, helped launch WHO Solidarity Response Fund projects in China, and actively responded to the G20 call for debt repayment moratorium for the poorest countries by suspending debt repayments for 77 developing countries and regions. We are also speeding up efforts to establish a cooperation mechanism for Chinese hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals. China attaches high importance to international cooperation on vaccine development. We have joined WHO's global initiative on development of vaccines and drugs. Just recently China held a teleconference with WHO on advancing the Solidarity Trial project. Once China succeeds in developing and deploying a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, it will be made a quality global public good. This will be China's contribution to enhancing vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. BBC: It is expected that in the coming hours the UK will withdraw from its extradition arrangement with Hong Kong. If this happens, how will China respond to that? Wang Wenbin: Like I said, China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the UK's recent wrong remarks and moves on Hong Kong which grossly violate international law and basic norms governing international relations, and flagrantly interfere in China's domestic affairs. We urge the UK to stop going further down the wrong path to avoid greater damage to China-UK relations. I would like to add that China will firmly fight back in response to acts that interfere in China's domestic affairs. The Paper: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in a statement on July 17 that he is deeply concerned at the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the United States against European companies and interests. The EU has witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran, Cuba, the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nordstream 2 and Turkstream projects. "As a matter of principle the European Union opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business. Moreover, it considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law." I wonder what is China's position on this? Wang Wenbin: We noted this EU statement. China opposes the US unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdictions" against other countries based on its domestic laws, as they are in violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations, undermining other countries' legitimate rights and interests, and shunned by all. We support international cooperation by all countries based on internationally recognized rules. NBC: The UN's World Food Program has warned of famine of biblical proportions that the pandemic would drive millions to starvation. What is China planning to do on this issue? Is China prepared to set aside disputes and work with the US in the context of international cooperation to help the less fortunate nations, as in Africa for example where you were an ambassador? Wang Wenbin: The impact of COVID-19 on global food security has become one of the major concerns on the global agenda. We believe that all countries should strive to stabilize domestic food production and uphold normal agricultural production while ensuring epidemic prevention and control and safeguarding global public health. All should maintain stable food supply and price, reduce trade restrictions to ensure unfettered global food supply chain; support the role of FAO and other international organizations and strengthen information and experience sharing, technical cooperation and policy coordination in food production; increase funding and technical support to developing countries, especially the least developed countries so as to help them better guarantee food security and uphold global food security. As the largest developing country and a responsible major country, China has all along proactively participated in world food security governance. We sent experts and technicians to Asian, African, Latin American and the Caribbean and the Pacific Island countries and provided assistance to relevant countries to the best of our capacity. China has now become the developing country that contributed the most funds, sent out the most experts and conducted the most projects under the FAO South-South cooperation framework. Since COVID-19 began, China has been actively responding to initiatives of international organizations. At the request of relevant counties, we offered technical and material support to those countries affected by locust plagues and emergency food aid to a dozen countries. China actively puts forward propositions in the UN, G20 and other multilateral fora, and works with all sides to safeguard the stability and security of international food supply chain to avert regional crises. China stands ready to step up cooperation and coordination with all sides truly committed to helping developing countries to buttress global food security while combating the coronavirus, and to contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Reuters: According to reports from the Nikkei Business Daily, the UK government has asked Japan to help build its 5G networks without using Huawei technologies. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We stand against behaviors that reject certain businesses from particular country and even oppress foreign companies and block win-win cooperation under the pretext of national security without producing any solid factual evidence and in violation of market rules. Such practices will only erode one's own interests and credibility and stand in the way of development and progress for mankind. When it comes to "ocean color", both the wavelength and intensity of the colors leaving the ocean are important. Different species of phytoplankton and other substances in a body of water absorb and reflect different colors of light: clear open ocean water appears blue, water with lots of phytoplankton often appears green or turquoise, and water near the coast looks brown due to suspended sediments and dissolved organic material. PACE can see small variations in these visible color differences in far more detail than ever before. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Joshua Stevens Why are there so many songs about rainbows? For NASA's upcoming Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission, or PACE, the colors of the rainbowor, if you prefer, the visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrumare the key to unlocking a wealth of new data on skies and seas around the world. PACE's high-resolution instruments will see ocean and atmosphere features in unparalleled detail when the mission launches in 2023. By measuring the intensity of the color that exits Earth's ocean surface, PACE will capture fine details about phytoplanktontiny plantlike organisms and algae that live in the oceanthat are the basis of the marine food web and generate half of Earth's oxygen. Beneficial phytoplankton communities fuel fisheries, but harmful algal blooms (HABs) can poison animals and humans and disrupt tourism and fishing industries. When it comes to "ocean color," both the wavelength and intensity of the colors leaving the ocean are important. Different species of phytoplankton and other substances in a body of water absorb and reflect different colors of light: clear open ocean water appears blue, water with lots of phytoplankton often appears green or turquoise, and water near the coast looks brown due to suspended sediments and dissolved organic material. PACE can see small variations in these visible color differences in far more detail than ever before. As PACE spots all the colors of the rainbow over the ocean and atmosphere, it will provide scientists with new discoveries at every wavelength. From diatoms to dinoflagellates, each phytoplankton species has its own identity: Different functions within the ecosystem, different nutritional needs (and content, for predators!), and importantly for the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), different wavelengths of light that they absorb and scatter. Credit: Project Science Office / Sally Bensusen Ultraviolet and Violet Ultraviolet wavelengths (which are invisible to the human eye) and violet wavelengths (which are visible) help scientists learn about aerosols: particles in the atmosphere that may be organic or inorganic, solid or liquid, ranging from dust and soot to sea salt and chemical droplets. These wavelengths help reveal whether measured aerosols are natural or come from human activities. Ultraviolet and violet wavelengths will also help scientists study particles dissolved in the oceanspecifically, to distinguish between chlorophyll (a green pigment found in all phytoplankton) and other organic materials. Knowing the difference is important for studying how much carbon sinks and gets stored in the deep ocean. "Not all plankton do the same thing when it comes to carbon," said Ivona Cetinic, an oceanographer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and PACE's project science lead for biogeochemistry. "Some are better producers, some are better sequesterers who draw carbon dioxide down. Once the carbon enters the plankton, what happens later on depends on the type of plankton. If it's teeny-tiny, there's a big chance it will get eaten by a zooplanktonthey are teeny-tiny cows, no? which will get eaten by a bigger one, and so on. If those reactions happen close to the surface, the carbon comes back to the atmosphere. If the zooplankton poops, the carbon goes down into the deep ocean." Dust and other aerosols can interact with clouds and ocean life, and PACE will measure aerosol characteristics to improve our understanding and models of these interactions. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Joshua Stevens Blue Blue wavelengths help researchers differentiate between phytoplankton species. From diatoms to dinoflagellates, each phytoplankton species has its own identity: Different functions within the ecosystem, different nutritional needs (and content, for predators!), and importantly for the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), different wavelengths of light that they absorb and scatter. Colors in the blue range of the spectrum will allow scientists to see the composition of phytoplankton communities. "If you're looking at a meadow, it all looks green to your eyes, but you want to know all the players in that ecosystem," said Cetinic. "It's rare that you get just one type of plankton in a community; it's much more likely that they'll work together. They make up a microbial food web. PACE will allow us to resolve, not just one or two species, but the whole community." Tracking phytoplankton community composition and health is not only important for understanding the ocean now, but also for predicting how it could change in the future. PACE's Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) will give scientists valuable information about phytoplankton species, community structure and health. Understanding phytoplankton health can help predict harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which can generate harmful toxins that sicken marine wildlife and humans and deplete oxygen in the water as bacteria feed on numerous dead algae. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Joshua Stevens & Lauren Dauphin Green Green wavelengths are often used as a reference for the total amount of particles in the air. These are combined with shorter and longer wavelengths to further determine the size of these particles. Size is an important factor in helping scientists know at what they are looking. Natural aerosols like dust or sea salt tend to have larger particles than human-produced ones like soot or smoke, so particle size helps identify aerosols' sources. "There are several reasons it's important to better understand aerosols," said Andrew Sayer, an atmospheric scientist at NASA GSFC and PACE's project science lead for atmospheres. "One reason is more useful air quality forecasts. Another is linked to climate: The cooling or warming effect aerosols have on climate, the way they interact with clouds and affect cloud lifetime, is dependent on the vertical distribution of all these features. We'll be better able to monitor this from space. Satellite data can be used to interrogate the climate models more thoroughly and improve them." Similarly, different phytoplankton species are different sizes, so this variable helps identify who is who in a plankton community. Coastal areas are often colored very differently than the open ocean. Variations in the colors reflected back from coastal areas not only give scientists clues to the health of the organisms that live there, which also helps them prepare for coastal HABs, but also inform on outflows from riverine systems and watershed dynamics. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Joshua Stevens & Norman Kuring Yellow and Orange The OCI's yellow and orange wavelengths help scientists track phytoplankton health and physiology. Scientists can determine how healthy a phytoplankton community is by looking at how quickly the phytoplankton are growing, how efficient their photosynthesis is and what color they areall information they can gather with yellow and orange wavelengths. Understanding phytoplankton health can help predict harmful algal blooms, or HABs. When substances from land wash into the ocean, they sometimes become a feast for algae, allowing them to eat, grow and multiply rapidly. HABs can generate harmful toxins that sicken marine wildlife and humans and deplete oxygen in the water as bacteria feed on numerous dead algae. "Harmful algal blooms are not recent. We have writings from indigenous tribes in the Pacific Northwest that talk about things happening on the beach," said Cetinic. "It's just that today we're looking for it more, and also anthropogenic influences are making blooms more prevalent." While naturally occurring minerals can run into the ocean and feed algae, chemicals produced by humanslawn fertilizer, wastewater treatment chemicals and agricultural chemicals, for exampleare a much greater culprit. "When any ecosystem is in balance, it's never static. One thing is dominant, then it rolls over," said Cetinic. "But when an ecosystem is pushed out of its rhythm, one thing becomes dominant. During a harmful algal bloom, just one species has the capability to grow really fast, and it takes over." Ash from volcanic eruptions, like this 2020 eruption of Anak Krakatau, is one example of aerosols: Particles in the atmosphere that may be organic or inorganic, solid or liquid, ranging from dust and soot to sea salt and chemical droplets. PACE will measure characteristics of aerosols to better understand how they interact with ocean ecosystems, climate and phytoplankton. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin Red and near-infrared Red and near-infrared wavelengths give the team a look into a different portion of the ocean: Coastal areas, with waters fed by rivers and shallower bottoms with sediments that can be suspended after a storm, are often colored very differently than the open ocean. Variations in the colors reflected back from coastal areas not only give scientists clues to the health of the organisms that live there, which also helps them prepare for coastal HABs, but also inform on outflows from riverine systems and watershed dynamics. "With PACE, we can see the early developmental stages of blooms and say what species it is," said Cetinic. Early warnings allow businesses in coastal areas to prepare for HAB impacts, such as not harvesting or selling fish that consume the toxic algae, preparing veterinary offices for an influx of sick animals, aerating the water to prevent bottom-dwelling creatures from suffering lack of oxygen, and warning consumers not to eat sardines or oysters, she added. "Many of these kinds of early warning systems and measures are already in place in these coastal areas, so we'll be adding our data to their systems," Cetinic said. "Early information always saves money for local economies." In the Spring of 2020, the physical construction of the PACE spacecraft moved into high gear, with engineers working hard to build, assemble, and test the actual machine. When the global COVID-19 pandemic forced social distancing among the development teams, the challenge was how to keep making progress on this extremely important research initiative, even though most engineers and others involved with the mission's development could not actually work together in fabrication areas. It turns out that the extraordinary team bring PACE to life were not about to give up their goals, and in this video we hear from a range of NASA pros talk about how to keep going, keep standards high, and see their plans through even the most challenging of circumstances. Credit: NASA / Michael Starobin Short-wave infrared Just outside the range of visible light are the short-wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths, which have a number of uses for both the atmosphere and the ocean. SWIR wavelengths help scientists determine how clear the atmosphere is over the ocean, which is important for calculations of ocean properties at the surface. It also helps with similar calculations for the atmosphere over the coast, which helps with studies of clouds and coastal biology. "Clouds reflect sunlight, they trap heat and light," Sayer said. "We need a very accurate understanding of their brightness and physical location." By also monitoring how much sunlight gets blocked by aerosols, the OCI will help scientists resolve an important gap in modeling, said Sayer. Clouds and aerosols interact with each other in the atmosphere, but scientists need more information about how and where. "There are some seasonally repeating aerosol features where you often get aerosols above the clouds," he said. "For example, in the southeast Atlantic, there's a lot of agricultural biomass burning in central and southern Africa, which peaks in August to October. A lot of that blows off over the ocean, where there's a low-lying cloud deck. It's similar in southeast Asia. These aerosols make it harder to accurately determine cloud properties." In the same way, clouds make it harder to study aerosols, he said. "If you're a climate modeler trying to model the transport of aerosols around the world, there are large areas of the world where you're getting limited amounts of useful data," he explained. "With the OCI, having more spectral bands will really help fill some of those gaps. Having a hyperspectral instrument that goes into the ultraviolet range will make it much easier to quantify these aerosols, especially in combination with the polarimeters." Explore further NASA ocean ecosystem mission preparing to make waves To say that 2020 has been a difficult year would be an understatement. Nearly all companies around the world have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some even having to close down permanently. Needless to say, the automotive segment was hit hard too, with manufacturers temporarily ceasing production due to low sales. Now, it seems one major wheel supplier is facing bankruptcy BBS Wheels Germany. For reference, only BBS Wheels Germany has filed for insolvency. BBS Wheels Japan operates independently from its German counterpart and continues regular operations as of the moment. This would mark the third time that the wheel manufacturer has filed for bankruptcy in the past 15 years. BBS previously sought protection from creditors back in 2007 and 2011. According to Reifenpresse.de, the company filed for bankruptcy in Germany and blames falling demand for tuning products due to the environment brought about by the pandemic. Furthermore, they add the production of wheels was temporarily halted due to the contagious disease. She is best known for starring on her sofa for Channel 4 show Gogglebox, alongside her sister Ellie. And mother-of-two Izzi Warner left her home comforts behind for a glamorous new Instagram snap on Sunday, writing that she felt like Beyonce. The TV star, from Leeds, looked sensational as she posed wearing a cream silk blouse in the Instagram snap taken by her boyfriend Grant. 'Feeling like Beyonce': Gogglebox star Izzi Warner showed off her glamorous look in an Instagram photo of her by taken by her boyfriend Grant on Sunday Izzi paired the cream blouse with light-wash ripped jeans along with heeled black sandals and added a pop of colour with a coral pedicure. Her long caramel tresses were swept off her face by the breeze and she opted for minimal makeup to keep all eyes on her outfit. The mother-of-two accessorised with a black cross-body Gucci handbag and knotted her shirt at the waist to showcase her figure. Sisters: Izzi, (right) is most commonly seen sporting a fresh-faced look and relaxed attire on the show alongside sister Ellie Warner Captioning the picture on her Instagram she revealed how she needed her sister and Gogglebox co-star Ellie Warner to give her a post-lockdown trim. She penned: 'Feeling windswept like Beyonce, the best of a bad bunch when all you have is your bf to take pictures. 'Not had my lockdown hair cut yet @elliewarnerhair needs to get on the case.' Fans of the show were left stunned at the glam snap after Izzi is most commonly seen sporting a fresh-faced look and relaxed attire on the show. Her sister Ellie, 30, commented, 'Skinny Minnie', alongside pink love heart emojis. Wow: The Instagram picture left fans gobsmacked after Izzi is most commonly seen sporting a fresh-faced look and relaxed attire on the show One wrote: 'Wow Izzi you look amazing!!!' Another added: 'OMG you look incredible' A third penned alongside love hearts: 'You look amazing' Izzi has five-year-old Bobby and became a mum for the second time with daughter Bessie Rose in February. In April the sisters were the talk of social media as disgruntled fans hit out at Channel 4 for not following Government advice during the coronavirus crisis by watching TV with one another. Bessie Rose: Gogglebox star Izzi Warner gave birth to her second child, a baby girl, in February Fans of the show were expecting to see Ellie joined by her boyfriend Nat who had previously taken Izzi's place during the UK's lockdown, but Izzi was back with her sister on the most recent episode. Taking to Twitter to hit out at Channel 4, viewers shared their disappointment in the pair for not following the rules, after the show started with a statement saying the stars were adhering to social distancing. MailOnline contacted Gogglebox representatives and Ofcom for comment at the time. Adorable: Izzi pictured with her little boy Bobby and boyfriend Grant who took the Instagram snap In April Gogglebox were hit by complaints to Ofcom, as it was the subject of 20 objections to the TV watchdog. At the time, a representative for Channel 4 told MailOnline: 'Most of the families live together but where they don't, they are complying with PHE social distancing guidelines. 'Gogglebox will only film with families where it's safe to do so. The health and safety of our cast and crew is paramount.' Complaints: The sisters, from Leeds, were the talk of social media in April as disgruntled fans hit out at Channel 4 for not following Government advice by watching TV with one another West delivered a lengthy monologue, touching on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals. Columbia: Rapper Kanye West, in his first event since declaring himself a presidential candidate, ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman on Sunday, saying the Underground Railroad conductor never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people, comments that drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd. West delivered a lengthy monologue, touching on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals, before a crowd in North Charleston, South Carolina. Whether he is actually seeking the nation's highest office remains a question. Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th Century America. An African American who escaped slavery, she helped enslaved Black men and women travel north to freedom and fought for the Union during the Civil War. She later became a supporter of women's suffrage. On abortion, West said that while he believes it should be legal, financial incentives to help struggling mothers could be a way to discourage the practice. Everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars, he said as an example. Wearing a protective vest and with 2020 shaved into his head, the entertainer appeared on a livestream of the event. Several hundred people gathered in a venue, where gospel music played before West's appearance. The event was reportedly for registered guests only, although a campaign website had no registration or RSVP information. Speaking without a microphone, West became tearful at one point while talking about his mother, who died following plastic surgery complications in 2007. West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it was unclear if he was willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others. Last week, he qualified to appear on Oklahomas presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline. West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by noon Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. The entertainer tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed. Email to an address purportedly associated with the campaign was not returned Sunday afternoon. West, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, initially announced his candidacy on 4 July. By Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net Lucknow: A Muslim Corona Warrior from Rajasthan, Dr Azizuddin Sheikh who was fighting COVID-19 as a front line worker lost the battle to the deadly virus after contracting it 45 days ago, leaving his family in distress. Support TwoCircles Dr Azizuddin was a 40-year-old corona warrior from Rajasthan and has been a topper of his batch all through his study period. He also served in Arab countries for a few years and was serving as a paediatrician at Avanti Bai Hospital and Duffein Hospital, Lucknow. No one ever thought that in the continuous fight to save others, he will lose his life, says Saad, a close relative of Dr Azizuddin. His relative said that Dr Azizudin was a dedicated doctor who was working 16 to 17 hours battling the pandemic. He is survived by a wife and three small children. The family is worried about their survival and find themselves in a dilemma as he was the only earning member of the family. Uttar Pradesh reported its highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases on 16 July and the state also reported its highest single-day deaths. According to a family member, when Dr Azizudin started feeling the symptoms he isolated himself and then got himself tested. He used to console his family by saying Dont worry, I will come back soon. He was first admitted to Lok Bandhu Hospital and was later shifted to KGMU after his condition deteriorated. Later he was taken to SGPGIMS. He used to take every precaution. He even got the house sanitised many times, said Saad. If he would have not been dedicated towards his profession then he would have been alive today, he adds. Talking to TwoCircles.net a family member said that, after the reports came positive he had to call the concerned authorities many times to take him to the hospital. His family said he was very dedicated in serving people that he used to take minimal possible fees from his patients and when the family asked him to increase consultation fees his reply would be, They are poor people, how will they afford? After his death, one of his patients Alok Singh wrote about an incident. When I asked doctor Sahib why he charges so less, his answer was I have to answer Allah. The truth that he has left us will always be the reason for our grief. Effective July 27, Etihad Airways will resume passenger flights from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, to Shanghai, China. The service will operate with an initial weekly flight using a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring Business and Economy cabins. Robin Kamark, Etihad Aviation Group Chief Commercial Officer, said: We are delighted to announce the resumption of scheduled services to China, as we gradually return to more destinations on our global network, supporting the recovery of economic and social activities worldwide. Our priority now is to build the network back up on markets that have opened up and to provide a secure and hygienic flying environment across the entire guest journey. The restarting of passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Shanghai will cater to the large demand from business travellers in the UAE, China, and other economies in the Middle East and Africa. We are tremendously grateful to our customers and partners for their continued loyalty and we stand ready fly more frequencies to China when possible." Those wishing to book are advised to visit www.etihad.com to view their options, and to remain informed on the appropriate entry regulations at their end destination. Flights are also available for booking through the mobile app, by calling the Etihad Airways Contact Centre, or through a local or online travel agency. A list of other local Etihad contact centres is available at www.etihad.com/contacts. Important note Guests travelling on Etihad Airways flights to China will be required to show a negative Covid-19 PCR test result received within 72 hours prior to departure from Abu Dhabi, or from their departure airport if they are transferring from other cities via Abu Dhabi. In the UAE, guests travelling to all Etihad Airways destinations, including Shanghai, can make use of a new home testing service introduced in collaboration with Mediclinic. For a fee, UAE-based travellers can book a convenient Covid-19 PCR test at their home, or at a Mediclinic facility in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, or Dubai, prior to their travel. The service is also convenient for those crossing the Abu Dhabi border from other emirates to reach Abu Dhabi International Airport. The return to a larger network of international flights is being greatly supported by the Etihad Wellness sanitisation and safety programme, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who have been introduced by the airline to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with greater ease and peace of mind. More information on the stringent measures being taken by Etihad Airways to provide a healthy and hygienic travel experience is available at www.etihad.com/wellness. - TradeArabia News Service Two leading officials for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are suddenly out of office after an extension of their mandates was rejected by Tajikistan. The terms of Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir as the head of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and for Harlem Desir as the OSCE representative on freedom of the media expired on July 19. Both had been nominated for a second three-year term, but in both cases, the OSCE delegation from Tajikistan helped to block their reappointments. Both had also been known have annoyed the Tajik government. The offices of ODIHR and the representative for media freedom are responsible for monitoring compliance of OSCE commitments by all 57 member countries -- and Tajikistan is far from the only country to receive criticism. 'Terrorists' Allowed Tajikistan was joined by Turkey in blocking Gisladottir's extension, with both countries issuing diplomatic notes that said ODIHR had allowed "registration of representatives of criminal groups and people who committed terrorist acts" to attend the OSCE's annual Human Dimension Implementation Meetings (HDIM). The Turkish delegation to 2017 HDIM walked out due to the presence of representatives from the New York-based Journalists and Writers Foundation that Turkish authorities claim is a terrorist organization with links to the Fethullah Gulen movement, and boycotted the annual event in 2018 for the same reason. Turkish authorities accuse Gulen supporters of trying to stage a coup in Turkey in July 2016. Gulen outright rejects any involvement with the coup and many rights organizations and individual governments have accused Turkish authorities of using the coup to stage a far-reaching crackdown on alleged political opponents, as tens of thousands were fired from their jobs and detained or arrested after the coup. Tajikistan's delegation to the 2016 HDIM walked out when representatives from the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) attended and Tajik officials refused to participate in the 2017 conference. The Tajik government accuses the IRPT -- a moderate opposition group that was previously part of the ruling coalition -- of trying to stage a coup in September 2015, though there is no credible evidence to back this claim. Tajik authorities used the coup as a pretext to have a court declare the IRPT -- the second-largest political party in the country -- an extremist party, banned its activities, and imprisoned many of the party leaders still in the country. Tajik authorities have continued to accuse the IRPT of links to terrorist groups without offering any concrete proof. The IRPT had won parliamentary seats in all the elections from 2000 until 2015, when it failed to win any seats in elections where ODIHR monitors said campaigning was marred by "imbalanced coverage by the state media, negative reporting on the opposition IRPT" and, on election day, the "voting process was assessed negatively in 21 percent of polling stations observed; a high proportion that indicates systematic problems" and "serious violations were reported frequently, particularly regarding a lack of respect for safeguards to ensure that only eligible persons voted and that they did so only once." The ODIHR final report on Tajikistan's 2020 parliamentary elections, the first in 20 years without IRPT participation, noted, "Systemic infringements on fundamental political rights and freedoms have left no space for a pluralistic political debate, and genuine opposition has been removed from the political landscape." 'Excessive Criticism' Azerbaijan reportedly objected to renewing Desir's mandate as the OSCE's freedom of the media representative because of what Baku called Desir's "excessive criticism about the situation with freedom of speech in Azerbaijan." Tajikistan's reason was presumably similar. Desir had recently criticized the Tajik authorities on Twitter for actions against independent media organizations, most recently for blocking the independent Akhbor.com news site. And just a few weeks earlier, Desir condemned a physical attack on independent Asia-Plus journalist Abdullo Ghurbati and called on the authorities to find and punish the attackers. A group of 28 press-freedom, media-development, and journalism-support organizations released a statement about Azerbaijan and Tajikistan's refusal to prolong Desir's mandate, saying, "We respect the need for a consensus vote of all member states of the OSCE on the mandate renewal," but "we understand the move by Azerbaijan and Tajikistan is an attempt to weaken the essential watchdog function of the mandate." The statement pointed out that "As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, ensuring media freedom is more important now than ever." One article said Desir's reappointment had been blocked "by two of the worst countries with world press-freedom records." The reaction was similar from David Kaye, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. And from Agnes Callamard, a French human rights expert and the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. And from Rebecca Vincent, the director of international campaigns at Reporters Without Borders. One article went so far as to say, "The blocking of Desir by the two [states] raises the question of whether countries that have a tragic record in protecting journalists and the free press should be allowed to have such power in international fora." Will Anything Change? Tajikistan is scheduled to have a presidential election in November and the only question is whether longtime President Emomali Rahmon will choose to run for a fifth term or hand over the post to his oldest son, Rustam Emomali. Criticism of the poll is almost guaranteed from both ODIHR and the freedom-of-the-media office, but now the process of nominating new candidates must start and it is unclear when that might conclude. Complicating matters, Gisladottir and Desir's appointments were part of what was described as a "political package deal that was struck under the Austrian OSCE chairmanship three years ago," and "the actions of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Turkey led others -- including France, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and Armenia -- to deny the extension of Secretary-General [Thimas Greminger] and the [OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier] at a meeting among OSCE ambassadors in Vienna on July 10." So there are four top posts that require that unanimous consent of all 57 OSCE members before that package can be realized. Tajikistan got away with this veto of the extensions, but the Tajik government's revenge on OSCE institutions that have criticized it is likely to prove a Pyrrhic victory. The new chiefs of ODIHR and the freedom-of-the-media office will be similarly bound to point out the violations that the Tajik authorities have continually committed and show no signs of rectifying. And in the not-too-distant future, as Tajikistan tries to recover from the damage being done to the people and economy by the coronavirus pandemic, the government might find it has less places to turn to for help. The Karnataka government on Monday decided not to extend the weeklong lockdown - in force from July 14 to 22 - for state capital Bengaluru. This was announced by medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar after a meeting convened by the CM to review the situation in the city. The minister however clarified that other restrictions like night-time curfew and weekend curfew would continue to be in force as in other parts of the state, but it would be business as usual from Wednesday. Earlier home minister Basvraj Bommai speaking to the media had also reiterated that lockdown was not a solution and that there would be no extension of the same in Bengaluru. The decision by the government came despite a surge in Covid-19 cases. On Monday, the state recorded 3648 new cases taking the total to 67,420 cases which includes 23,795 discharges and 1,403 deaths. Bengaluru meanwhile recorded 1,452 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of active cases in the city to 25,574. Even as the Congress continued to allege that there were large scale irregularities and corruption involved in the procurement of equipment to treat Covid-19 patients, the government said they are false reports. Addressing the media, Deputy CM Ashwath Narayana and Minister for health and family welfare B Sriramulu claimed that all purchases were above board and have been done in a transparent manner. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European markets closed higher on Monday, as stocks gained in strength after a weak start, amid optimism about a potential coronavirus vaccine and on hopes the EU leaders will eventually agree on the size and composition of a proposed recovery fund. European Council President Charles Michel has proposed a new figure of 390 billion in grants combined with smaller rebate, as against an initial proposal of 400 billion. Still, the size is higher than the 350 billion proposed by countries including Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. According to a report in medical journal The Lancet, a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University with AstraZeneca seems to be safe and has produced strong immune response in early-stage human trial. The pan European Stoxx 600 moved up 0.75%. Among the major markets in Europe, Germany and France ended pretty stronger, with their benchmarks DAX and CAC 40 advancing 0.99% and 0.47%, respectively. Switzerland's SMI ended up 0.58%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 slid 0.46% as rising tensions between the U.K. and China after the British government suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong weighed on stocks. Among other markets in Europe, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey closed with sharp to moderate gains, while Austria and Iceland ended weak. In the German market, SAP gained nearly 2.5%. Infineon Technologies, Adidas, Merck, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Allianz and RWE advanced 1.4 to 2%. Munich RE and Vonovia also ended notably higher. Wirecard shares plunged more than 19%. Lufthansa ended nearly 2% down, while Bayer, Daimler and BMW lost 1 to 1.2%. In France, Dassault Systemes Group shares surged up 3.75%. Engie, STMicroElectronics, Worldline and Renault gained 2 to 2.3%, while Saint Gobain, Atos, Sanofi, Hermes International, Danone, Orange and Vivendi gained 1 to 1.6%. Accor lost about 2.6%, while Publicis Groupe and Total both ended lower by about 1.85%. In economic news, Germany's producer prices declined for the fifth consecutive month in June but the pace of annual fall decreased, data from Destatis revealed Monday. Producer prices fell 1.8% year-on-year in June, slower than the 2.2% decrease seen in May. Prices have been falling since February. Nonetheless, this was faster than the 1.6% rise economists had forecast. On a monthly basis, producer prices remained unchanged versus a 0.4% drop in May. Economists had expected a 0.2% rise. The euro area current account surplus declined in May largely reflecting the widening deficit on the secondary income, data from the European Central Bank showed. The current account surplus fell to EUR 8 billion in May from EUR 14 billion in April. In the same period last year, the surplus was EUR 23 billion. The trade surplus rose to EUR 17 billion from EUR 13 billion in April. Meanwhile, the surplus on services fell to EUR 4 billion from EUR 5 billion. Primary income decreased to EUR 5 billion from EUR 8 billion a month ago. At the same time, the deficit on secondary income widened to EUR 18 billion from EUR 12 billion. In the twelve-month period to May, the current account recorded a surplus of EUR 264 billion or 2.2 percent of euro area GDP, compared with a surplus of EUR 318 billion, or 2.7 percent of GDP in the twelve months to May. During twelve months to May, the cumulative surplus on the financial account declined to EUR 241 billion from EUR 334 billion in the same period a year ago. UK house prices increased in July suggesting that a mini-boom is gathering momentum, property website Rightmove said. Asking prices increased 3.7% year-on-year to GBP 312,625 in July. This was the highest rate since December 2016. Prices gained 2.4% from March pre-lockdown period. The number of monthly agreed sales was up 15% from last year. Further, in the five days after the stamp duty announcement it jumped to 35% up on the same days a year ago. Further, buyer inquiries surged 75% from the same period last year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Route 2 at Harpin Turn Closed for Motorcycle Accident NORTH ADAMS, Mass. A serious motorcycle accident near the Hairpin Turn has closed Route 2 from West Shaft Road to the Florida line. No traffic is being permitted between the Wigwam Western Summit and the Hairpin Turn. Westbound traffic is being detoured over Stryker Road. According to a release from North Adams Police, they are being assisted in the investigation of the accident by Clarksburg Police and the Florida Volunteer Fire Department. Lt. Anthony Beverly reported that the road is expected to be closed for several hours. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes. Further information will be released at a later point, Beverly said. In his first year of medical school, Malone Mukwende noticed that there were no depictions of dark skin in his textbooks and lessons. So last November, he joined forces with two staff members at the school, St. Georges, University of London, to create a guide, "Mind the Gap," showing how clinical conditions appear on dark skin. My motivations to create the book came from lived experiences like having people within my own community almost having a distrust for health care professionals because they have heard stories of misdiagnosis or had been misdiagnosed, Mukwende, 20, told NBC News. There's certain points where I knew for certain that in darker skin or skin, like my own, the diagnosis would not be the same, he said. At times, he added, it made him feel alienated. Now in his second year, Mukwende said in an interview with the British Medical Journal that he was inspired to create the guidebook as a way to help medical practitioners better understand and diagnose darker-skinned patients. Medical student Malone Mukwende is the co-author of a guidebook identifying medical conditions on dark skin. (St. George's University of London) Mukwende said that as part of a staff-student partnership project with two medical school lecturers, Peter Tamony and Margot Turner, he finally felt he was in a position to make a change where he saw it was needed. The guide compares images of different conditions on dark and light skin, and provides students and health care professionals with proper identification and descriptions of the skins reaction to multiple diseases. St. Georges has been supportive of the work. Mukwende, Tamony and Turner ran a training session for medical tutors at the school this month, and the administration is also making plans to incorporate the guide into courses across the university. But lack of instructional imagery showing darker skin tones is an issue that many health care professionals say stretches throughout the medical field and needs to be reformed before communities of color can be better served. In dermatology we spend a lot of time looking at photos, says Dr. Jenna Lester, a dermatologist at University of California, San Francisco. Thats one of the ways that we learn. To have someone tell you a description of how something looks in darker skin, but not show you a photo of it, is really not sufficient and it's not comparable to how we learn about rashes and people with lighter skin. Story continues The cover of At the end of May, she and other dermatologists from Howard and Stanford universities released a research letter in the British Journal of Dermatology pointing to the lack of images of dark skin in articles studying possible skin manifestations of COVID-19. This is a problem because skin disease often presents differently in skin of colour, they wrote in the research letter. This can lead to cognitive biases that can also impact differential diagnoses and physician-patient relationships. Lester said that understanding the difference between the way illness shows in various skin tones comes down to basic color theory. The same color surrounded by a different color will look different, she says. When color or light passes through other colors, it makes it hit your eye in a different way. So things that appear red or pink in light skin tend to appear purple to deep magenta in darker skin." The importance of learning about these differences is what inspired over 190,000 people to sign a petition for U.K. medical schools to increase the number of faculty members of color in clinical teaching. I think the world has just woken up to a lot of the problems which currently exist. Now that we have woken up to these problems we need to be able to make the future better because we can't be aware of these problems and do nothing about it, Mukwende said. He and his co-authors are in the process of trying to implement the book in medical schools across the U.K., with aspirations to have it adapted worldwide. I hope it also allows people to realize that this has been an issue for many years, he said, and that the issue now needs to be addressed. Advertisement Amber Heard feared she would perish in an attack by Johnny Depp where he allegedly compressed her neck and told her: 'I'm going to f**king kill you and I'll f**k your corpse'. Ms Heard's 39-page witness statement published today claims that Mr Depp 'threatened to kill me many times' and he would blame all his actions on a self-created third person he dubbed 'the monster' during three years of marriage where she felt 'powerless'. She claims that the megastar told her that the only way to escape their marriage was to die, and allegedly punched, headbutted, kicked and strangled her and once hurled a mobile phone in her face 'as hard as he could' after he 'wound up his arm back like he was a baseball pitcher'. Amber also alleges that Mr Depp repeatedly threatened to have her raped by other men and told her after one row on a flight: 'When we land, I can call some black brothers who can f**k you if you're so desperate for it'. Depp also allegedly told her: 'I will cut up your face so no one will want you ever again' and about how he knew people who could 'break a leg, real cheap'. Depp also accused her of affairs in 'movie after move' including Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum - even women co-stars like Kelli Garner. She alleged that he also said she had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, who he called 'pumpkin-head'. Her extraordinary allegations emerged as she began three days of evidence about allegations her megastar ex-husband Johnny Depp beat her and abused her often while on drink and drug binges including one occasion in Australia where she claims she was held hostage for three days. Wearing a cream blouse and dark pencil skirt, with her long hair braided to one side of her head, Miss Heard spoke about her ex-husband's alleged physical and verbal abuse as he sat feet away, claiming her weight dropped and she felt like a hostage and 'scared all the time'. In her bombshell witness statement the actress claims: Mr Depp allegedly told her 'death was the only way out of the relationship' before their divorce in 2016; She also claims Mr Depp kneeled on her back and hit the back of her head in a row in Tokyo over a pre-nuptial agreement; If Miss Heard attempted to seduce him while wearing something 'sexy' - her megastar husband would call her 'whore', 'slut', 'fame-hungry', 'gold-digger' and 'an attention whore'. Later he would say 'well I'm going to have to watch you get raped' and 'I hope you get railed by a bunch of f**king fellas.' Depp took their dog Boo and held her out of the window of the moving car while 'howling like a dog'; On a flight from Boston to LA in 2014 she claims Depp 'kicked me hard in the back' and kept verbally abusing me, saying things like 'when we land, I can call some black brothers who can f**k you if you're so desperate for it'. In March 2015 she claims their trip to Australia was like being held hostage for three days where she claims she was beaten, strangled and spat at as Depp allegedly told her 'you f**king make me do this'; On her 30th birthday in April 2016 she claims Mr Depp repeatedly pushed her over, smashed pictures and photographs around the apartment and left a note saying: 'Happy F**king Birthday'. Depp alleged she had affairs with co-stars at 'movie after movie' and also claimed she cheated with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, calling him 'pumpkin head' Amber Heard sketched giving evidence at the High Court in London while being watched by her ex-husband Johnny Depp who she has accused of threatening to kill her Mr Depp, 57, pictured today, will see his ex-wife describe his alleged abuse towards her and tackle claims she had an affair with Elon Musk Ms Heard, 34, is also expected to face accusations she had an affair with Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and claims from Mr Depp's friends that she fabricated domestic abuse to 'blackmail' her ex-husband when they divorced in 2016. Amber, who was hugged by her lawyer Jennifer Robinson outside court, has shared pictures of her apparently bruised face after Mr Depp allegedly threw a phone in her face - but the actor's witnesses have claimed there were no signs of injury when they saw her the following day. Mr Depp looked relaxed as he arrived at court where he is suing News Group Newspapers, the parent company of The Sun, for libel over a 2018 article which labelled him a 'wife-beater.' NGN is defending the article as true, and says Depp was 'controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs'. During Depp's 20 hours of evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice, the actor claimed Heard severed the tip of his finger when she threw a large vodka bottle at him during one explosive row, and that either she or one of her friends had defecated in their shared bed as a prank. Amber Heard has arrived at the High Court where she will give evidence for three days about allegations her megastar ex-husband Johnny Depp beat her and abused her Heard was hugged by lawyer Jennifer Robinson as they arrive at the High Court in London for the first day of her evidence Amber Heard has released this picture of her face after she alleged Johnny Depp attacked him before their marriage ended in 2016 Heard, 34, (pictured today_ will take to the witness box to counter claims that Depp made during his five days of evidence which wrapped up last week Miss Heard affirmed her oath before being taken to her witness statements in the trial bundle by Sasha Was QC, for NGN. And then Eleanor Laws QC, representing Johnny Depp, beganm cross examining Amber Heard. She suggested to the actress that she had 'ultimate control in the relationship', to which Ms Heard said: 'No, absolutely not', adding: 'No, I had very little decision-making power in that relationship.' Ms Laws then asked about the five penthouses in the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles which Mr Depp owned, and said to Ms Heard that she 'moved some friends and your sister in'. Ms Heard replied: 'Not exactly.' She added that her sister, Whitney Henriquez, did move into one of the penthouses and that her friend Raquel Pennington did so 'at his invitation'. Ms Laws continued: 'And it was you who wanted them there.' Ms Heard replied: 'Yes, I loved that they were there.' Ms Laws asked: 'And none of them paid any rent?' Ms Heard said: 'No, Johnny wouldn't let them.' Eleanor Laws then asked Amber Heard about the couple's marriage in February 2015, saying: 'At that stage, according to you, you had been subject to repeated and regular physical violence, is that right?' Ms Heard replied: 'Yes, that's right.' Ms Laws then asked Ms Heard about discussions with lawyers in January 2015 about a pre-nuptial agreement between herself and Johnny Depp, and suggested there was an argument about it. Ms Heard told the court: 'There was an argument in a hotel room in Tokyo that resulted in Johnny kneeling on my back and hitting me on the back of the head. 'He mentioned... it was more about Christi his sister, who handled most of his affairs. 'He said it was Christi, that he didn't want that, that he trusted me and, as he said to me time and time again, the only way out of this was death. 'He said this to me, to which I responded that of course I would sign whatever I needed to sign. 'But then Johnny was also accusing me of having an affair with a co-star and that is what led to the actual argument.' She said Mr Depp hit her in the hotel room and that 'everything else proceeded in the closet'. Mr Depp patted his heart as he greeted fans waiting to support him as his libel case against The Sun entered a tenth day today Mr Depp was mobbed outside the Royal Courts of Justice this morning as his ex-wife began her own evidence Johnny Depp 'had list of insults for Amber Heard's co-stars he accused her of having affairs with including Leo "pumpkin-head" DiCaprio, Channing "potato-head" Tatum and Jim "turd" Sturgess' The Hollywood stars Johnny Depp accused of having an affair with Amber Heard Eddie Redmayne James Franco Jim Sturgess - allegedly nicknamed 'turd' by Mr Depp Kevin Costner Liam Hemsworth Billy-Bob Thornton Channing Tatum - allegedly nicknamed 'potato-head' by Mr Depp Kelli Garner Leonardo DiCaprio - allegedly nicknamed 'pumpkin-head' by Mr Depp Advertisement Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of sleeping with at least eight co-stars including Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Kevin Costner and Channing Tatum and also suspected she had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio after an audition, the High Court heard today. Mr Depp nicknamed Mr DiCaprio 'pumpkin-head' and called Mr Tatum 'potato-head' during fits of rage sparked because her 'very jealous' husband took against any 'male co-stars he considered a sexual threat' in 'movie after movie', Ms Heard said. She also claims he would get particularly upset if she had to kiss someone else or had sex scenes in films and complained about how people were paying to watch her 'get f**ked on camera', the court heard. In a bombshell witness statement where she alleged Mr Depp repeatedly threatened to kill her and have her raped, she said: 'I had to justify to him why I was doing any movie, and it was much worse if there was any kissing or a sex scene in it. He would try and catch me out by taking my phone or telling me someone had told him I was having an affair and act as if he had information proving it when I really hadnt. 'He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was pumpkin-head, Channing Tatum was potato-head and Jim Turd Sturgess".' Mr Depp also accused her of having affairs with Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton and even women co-stars like Kelli Garner after movies, she said, adding: 'He would even get himself copies of the scripts I was looking at, without asking me, to review them for himself. 'His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldnt do. I found myself making concessions and turning down work'. Johnny Depp accused of 'pinning down' Amber and hitting her around the back of the head in a Tokyo row over a pre-nup she 'refused to sign' Amber Heard was today accused of refusing to sign a prenuptial agreement, which was alleged to be the source of a series of fiery domestic disputes between them. Eleanor Laws then reiterated Amber Heard's answer that Johnny Depp did not really want a pre-nup, to which Ms Heard responded: "I think Johnny, at least from my experience, had a very hard time... asserting himself if he felt that would make you feel poorly or badly about him, he would try to avoid it. "He did this a lot with his kids, I saw him do it with other people... he didn't want to be the bad guy, in some ways, he was allergic to that." She said Mr Depp would tell her it was his sister who wanted the pre-nup and that she asked for a meeting with Christi (Dembrowski) and told her she would hire a lawyer, which she did. Ms Heard said the lawyer worked on a draft of an agreement and it was sent to Mr Depp's team through Christi. Depp, 57, made a pit stop at The Alfred Tennyson, an upmarket gastro-pub in London's Belgravia on Sunday She added: "That is why we didn't need to have a fight about it because he wasn't claiming it was something he wanted, he said time and time again that he would tear it up, that the only way out of this was death." Ms Laws then asked why the pre-nup was never signed, to which Ms Heard said that it was left on Mr Depp's "team's" desk and "no-one did anything". Ms Heard added: "I did everything I could to make sure that we would be able to get married at this time." She said the evidence of Mr Depp's doctor, Dr Kipper, that Ms Heard had tried to move the wedding date was "mistaken". Eleanor Laws then read out text messages sent between Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski in February 2015, shortly before the wedding, which referred to getting Amber Heard to sign a pre-nup. The court heard Ms Dembrowski told her brother to get an agreement before the pair married, because "50% of post-nups never get signed". Ms Laws said: "He did want a pre-nup, didn't he?" Ms Heard replied: "I had no idea. He told me he didn't. What Johnny told me is that he would look it up and that the only way out of this was death. "He told me this time and time again and I offered time and time again to sign whatever it was that he or his team needed or wanted. "I made it very clear from the early days... that I was not interested in Johnny's money, I never had been, I never was." She added: "He's having this conversation with Christi because he wasn't having it with me." Ms Laws asked: "You didn't sign the pre-nup or any pre-nup, did you?" Ms Heard said: "No." Amber Heard took MDMA and magic mushrooms during marriage to Johnny Depp but denies 'addiction to cocaine and liquor' Miss Heard, pictured with her lawyer, claimed today that she was beaten and abused over three years and threatened to kill her Amber Heard said she had only taken MDMA during her relationship with Johnny Depp at Coachella and during a flight to Moscow which she said resulted in violence towards her and a flight attendant "who Johnny grabbed when he thought that she was hitting on me". She also said she took mushrooms with the actor once during a visit to a cabin in Hicksville, California, and without him during her birthday celebrations at the Coachella festival. The actress then said the pair had planned a "pre-party" before their wedding, which she spent on one side of Mr Depp's private island with her friends while he celebrated with his friends on the other. She added: "And my friends and I all passed around a bag of mushrooms and had what we called a cuddle huddle... on the beach." Eleanor Laws said: "So we have several medical professionals either lying or misrepresenting things?" Ms Heard said: "I don't fault them for what Johnny told them." Ms Laws asked: "Was Starling Jenkins lying when he said he saw you vomiting in a parking lot?" Ms Heard replied: "He was mistaken yes. I think he got my sister and I mixed up... we were wearing similar outfits. Whitney was vomiting." Ms Laws suggested Mr Jenkins was correct and knew it was Ms Heard, to which the actress responded: "I have never vomited in a parking lot in my life." The barrister then asked Ms Heard if she told nurse Erin Boerum that she had been sick. Ms Heard replied: "I recall telling her that I felt awful... I remember saying that... we were talking about my sister having sickness, stomach sickness, as she was pregnant." Eleanor Laws again referred to nurse Erin Boerum's note and put it to Amber Heard that she had told the nurse she was vomiting and had been high for 24 hours straight. Ms Heard said: "I did tell her I felt like vomiting and I wasn't high for 24 hours, I was in bed for 24 hours feeling the effects of the horrible decision to take both of those while also going through a break-up." Ms Laws said: "You are just lying as you go along, aren't you?" Ms Heard replied: "No." The barrister suggested to Ms Heard that Ms Boerum was her friend and would have no reason to lie, to which the actress said she didn't know what anyone's reason would be to lie. Ms Laws then asked if Ms Boerum was mistaken, to which Ms Heard said there were "tonnes of mistakes", because for example it said Johnny Depp was clean for a period following the detox trip, which Ms Heard said was not true. The barrister then asked Ms Heard to "just answer the questions" and said the actress was instead saying something negative about Mr Depp every time she was asked a question about herself. Ms Heard then said Ms Boerum's note was missing two words - "felt like". Johnny Depp's US attorney accused of 'sinister and macabre' tweet after witness called him 'the biggest a**hole under the sun' Johnny's Depp's US lawyer was today accused of sending a 'sinister and macabre' message aimed at Amber Heard's interior designer. Adam Waldman's tweet read: 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere' after she had given evidence on Friday and called him the 'biggest a**hole under the sun'. Adam Wolanski QC, for News Group Newspapers, said Mr Waldman has been observing proceedings from one of the few available seats in court, adding: 'We would ask that he refrains from posting further macabre, threatening and sinister messages about witnesses whose evidence he does not like.' Mr Justice Nicol said the phrase 'in memoriam' - a phrase referring to remembering a dead - was unwelcome. Mr Depp's barrister David Sherborne told the court it was a phrase Mr Waldman has used to refer to evidence which he believes to be in support of a lie. Mr Waldman was mentioned in proceedings on Friday when Amber Heard secretly recorded her interior designer raging against him for allegedly pressuring her to make a critical statement about the actress. Laura Divenere (left) claimed Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman (right) urged her to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed Adam Waldman's tweet read: 'In memoriam, Elon Musk's decorator Laura Divenere' after she had given evidence on Friday and called him an 'a**hole' Laura Divenere, who furnished the ex-couple's Los Angeles penthouse, said in her witness statement she never saw Heard with any injuries following a fight with Depp in May 2016. She even claimed in her written statement that Heard, 34, never spoke about being the victim of domestic abuse during her time with Depp, 57, who she described as 'delightful' and never aggressive. The alleged row has become a focal point of the Depp's High Court showdown against The Sun newspaper, who branded the actor a 'wife beater' in a 2018 article. But evidence of a conversation between her and Heard in which Divenere vented against Depp's US attorney Adam Waldman for leaning on her to brand Heard physically abusive in her High Court statement was then shared. In the conversation, Ms Divenere called Waldman the 'biggest a**hole under the sun' after he asked her to abandon Heard's version of the contentious 2016 fight. London's High Court was also today read a text from Waldman to Ms Divenere, who was strongly urged to cooperate with Depp's legal team or face being subpoenaed. And at the trial, Ms Divenere even conceded she had come under enormous pressure from Waldman to provide her statement, which she had not even written herself. In one section of her statement, referring to the incidents of May 2016, Ms Divenere claims: 'On none of those days immediately following the abuse claims did I observe any signs of physical abuse or injury, including any redness, swelling, cuts, bruising or damage of any kind.' When asked by Ms Wass, representing The Sun, whose idea it was to include this, Ms Divenere replied: 'Adam Waldman.' She added: 'Mr Waldman wrote the declaration, I just approved it and signed it.' Ms Wass asked Ms Divenere: 'I suggest that you felt pressurised by Mr Waldman to say things that were unfavourable about Miss Heard?' Ms Divenere replied: 'Yes.' When asked about allegations she made about Heard having an affair with James Franco and Elon Musk, while she was still married to Depp, Ms Divenere said: 'I did feel under pressure to say something about that.' When asked about another section of her statement, which refers to Heard having spent a night in jail for attacking her former wife, Ms Divenere said: 'That was Mr Waldman. I didn't know about that until he told me.' A text message from Mr Waldman to Ms Divenere was also read out in court, in which he asks her if she wants to 'remain on the side of the hoax' or the truth. Ms Wass asked her: 'Prior to this did you want to become involved as a witness between Miss Heard and Mr Depp. As a result of this text did you feel uncomfortable. Put under pressure?' Ms Divenere replied: 'I felt pressured.' The High Court also heard a conversation that was secretly recorded by Heard when she spoke with Ms Divenere after she made her statement last June. But the High Court in London heard a recording by Ms Heard of a conversation with Miss Divenere after she signed the statement, where she said Depp's US attorney Adam Waldman drafted the statement and pressured her into signing it. Ms Divenere said: 'He thought I was totally conspiring with you, and I.. literally took it that I was like this lying person and he was gonna go ahead and subpoena me.' Ms Heard then told her former aide: 'It's not your fault, you didn't know. I hid it from everybody'. TRENTON Missing in action. Mayor Reed Gusciora blamed COVID-19 for missing out on Trenton Central High Schools graduation last week. His name appeared as an invited guest on the commencement program, but he no-showed the event, and later released a statement on Facebook blaming his unexpected absence on the virus that has killed more than 140,000 in the U.S. Just another reminder to wear your mask, he wrote in a post Sunday. This past week, I came into contact with someone who may have had COVID. Although I took precautions and social distanced, I was not feeling well Monday night. I went for a COVID test on Tuesday at Henry J. Austin after a tele-medicine consultation. I was looking forward to TCHS graduation as I helped arrange the move to Thunder Stadium. I was also excited it was the first graduating class from the new high school that we all fought so hard to get. Unfortunately, I was still in self-quarantine and had to miss the festivities. Gusciora did not respond to a Trentonian phone call Monday, but further explained his no-show during an interview with Petersons Breaking News. A big congratulations to all of the high school grads, he said. Its exciting. This is a big milestone in their life. Its unfortunate that the first graduation class from the new high school, which we all fought so hard to get, was only a half-a-year effort. I unfortunately missed it, and I really apologize to everyone who I did. I had a scare with COVID. Gusciora who some critics lambasted as a clown for apparently not even sending someone in his place revealed he didnt get back the negative COVID-19 results until Saturday, a day too late. Mustve been the summer flu, Gusciora said. The focus should be all about the kids, not the mayors absence, he said. It was a real tight program, so I dont think anyone needed to hear a written letter from me. Each graduate received a written letter from the mayor, he said during the interview, to ensure they werent forgotten. I can understand the anger that people felt I was neglecting the students, he said. The $155 million new school opened in the fall, but classes were interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Seniors missed out on countless events like prom and spring sports. Once Gov. Phil Murphy green-lighted graduation ceremonies statewide with social-distancing precautions, Trenton officials kicked it into overdrive to salvage a ceremony, finally settling on Arm & Hammer Park. Officials also found alternative ways to celebrate the class of 2020s 416 seniors, putting up lawn signs with each graduates photo outside the school. The city also partnered to put up a handful of billboards around the capital. The virus has infected more than 3,700 people and killed more than 100 Trentonians. The figure includes deaths of those who lived at one of the four capital city nursing homes. It was at least the second time Gusciora was tested for COVID-19, both times coming back negative. He also told this newspaper he planned to get retested after his police director Sheilah Coley came back positive, but was asymptomatic, for the killer respiratory disease. The United States Navy's aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is set to take part in a naval exercise with Indian warships amid ongoing Sino-India border dispute. The US and Indian Navy will hold the PASSEX (passing exercise) near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, months before Malabar exercise as the Indian government mulls over the inclusion of Australia. The latest naval exercise comes on the back of US' operational deployment of freedom of navigation mission in the disputed South China Sea, led by the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan. The joint naval drills send a loud message to China of a possible military alliance between India and the US. The naval exercise will include warships, submarines, and frigates from Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) as well as the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered at Visakhapatnam. Malacca strait remains an important trade route for China and its Belt and Road project, which could be used by India to its advantage. Read: Myanmar: US-China Embassies Get Into A War Of Words Over South China Sea, Hong Kong South China Sea conflict China recently accused the United States of trying to drive a wedge between the countries in the Indo-pacific region by deliberately sending its ships to the South China Sea. During a regular press briefing, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that the US is sending ship in the contentious region to flex its muscles after two US Navy aircraft carriers arrived there. In a significant show of force, one B-52 Stratofortress bomber participated in a maritime integration exercise with the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike groups in the South China Sea on July 5. The US Navy said that the B-52 bomber, which took off from home station in Louisiana, flew the 28-hour mission to demonstrate US Indo-Pacific Commands commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. US Navy activities come after the Department of Defense raised concerns over Beijings military exercises in disputed waters of the South China Sea, saying it is will further destabilise the situation. The United States has been strongly objecting to Beijings sweeping claims on the South China Sea, calling it unlawful maritime claims. Read: India Rejects China's Territorial Claim Over South China Sea, Calls Water Body 'part Of Global Commons' Syracuse, N.Y. Opioid overdose deaths soared in Onondaga County in the first quarter of 2020, but county officials dont know yet if the increase is related to the coronavirus pandemic that began in March. Forty-one people died of overdoses in the first three months of the year. Thats more than double the 19 deaths recorded for the same quarter of 2019 and nearly as many overdose deaths that occurred in the first six months last year. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug about 50 times more potent than heroin, was involved in 38 of the deaths. The other three cases involved opioids other than fentanyl or heroin. The deaths were reported on the county health department website. The county Health Department could not explain why there was such a big increase. In order to more fully understand the overall trend, we are waiting on 2nd quarter data to see if the trend persists, the department said in an email. We continue to keep a close eye on this data, especially considering the additional stressors that may be impacting the community due to Covid-19. There were 12 overdose deaths in January, 18 in February, and 11 in March. Helio Health, a Syracuse addiction treatment program, has seen a spike in overdose deaths among patients in its outpatient program and among recovering addicts living in its housing program, said Jeremy Klemanski, president and CEO of the organization. Treatment providers across the state are seeing the same thing, according to Klemanski, a board member of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State. He said the Covid-19 pandemic is compounding the opioid epidemic. We are very alarmed, Klemanski said. Klemanski expects the upward trend to continue. Many people recovering from addiction have been isolated and cannot access 12-step meetings and some other support services that have been closed during the pandemic and are only available online, he said. Klemanski said rising unemployment also is fueling more drug and alcohol use. Helio has remained open during the pandemic and is seeing people in its clinic and through telehealth visits. We are making extra followup calls to check up on people who have not showed up for appointments, but unfortunately for some people that had not been enough, Klemanski said. Will Murtaugh, executive director of ACR Health, said people are using more drugs during the pandemic and not paying enough attention to what they are injecting. That Syracuse agency operates a syringe exchange program and a medical clinic for drug users in Syracuse. The syringe exchange program gives out Narcan, an overdose-reversing medication, and test strips people can use to determine if there is fentanyl in their drugs before injecting them. If they are not going to test it, it will kill them, Murtaugh said. James T. Mulder covers health news. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com Health officials investigating a coronavirus outbreak at an NHS test and trace centre in Scotland have confirmed a cluster of cases at the facility. Staff working at the site in Motherwell, run by the private outsourcing firm Sitel, were told to work from home on Sunday after NHS officials became aware of potentially linked cases of the novel disease. Scotlands deputy first minister John Swinney said on Monday morning that six people working at the call centre had tested positive for coronavirus. An NHS Test and Trace spokesperson said all employees working at the Lanarkshire call centre would be offered a coronavirus test within the next 24 hours. We are aware of a local outbreak of Covid-19 at the Sitel site in Motherwell, the spokesperson said. This is being managed by Sitel and colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire, who are following appropriate test and protect action in line with Scottish government advice. Recommended Coronavirus could reverse a decade of progress in tackling poverty We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff very seriously. Everyone at the site is currently working from home while a deep clean takes place, and will be offered a test within the next 24 hours. NHS Test and Trace is a service operated by the NHS in England to track and help prevent the spread of Covid-19 south of the border. Dr David Cromie, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, said: We became aware this morning of a number of potentially linked cases of coronavirus in Lanarkshire. We instigated some immediate measures to reduce risk and are currently investigating the situation. It came after Scotland recorded 23 new confirmed cases of coronavirus the highest increase in almost a month. Recommended EU coronavirus recovery plan hanging in balance on third day of talks Three of these were in the Lanarkshire health board area. This figure has now risen in each of the last five days up from three on Tuesday although no further deaths have been recorded. It is the highest record for new cases since 21 June, when there were 26 positive test results. Scotlands national clinical director, Jason Leitch, said he would not be concerned with fluctuating figures. He told BBC Scotland on Saturday, when there was a recorded spike of 21 new cases: I expect day-to-day variation and the next thing I look at is the spread around the country. So 21 in one small town would worry me much more than 21 spread around the country and these 21 are spread around the country. Additional reporting by Press Association Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Haiti - News : Zapping... Denial from the Ministry of Youth The Communication Unit of the Ministry of Youth informs that the information and tweets disseminated on social networks by individuals manipulated or ill-intentioned, reporting an attack on Saturday July 18, 2020 at Delmas 33 against the vehicle of the resigning Minister Max Attys are only unfounded rumors See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31302-haiti-politic-resignation-of-the-minister-of-youth-and-sports.html Cuba : 9 new Haitian doctors graduated Saturday, July 18, 9 scholarship recipients of Haitian-Cuban cooperation received their doctorate in medicine in Cuba in the presence of Ms. Regine Lamur, the Charge d'affaires of Haiti in that country. Dany Laferriere pays tribute... Dany Laferriere of the French Academy pays tribute to the Center for Art and to its artists who wrote its richest hours in his latest tasty work, "Vers d'autres rives" (dawn editions, 2019). It highlights in particular the powerfully innovative genius of these painters and sculptors discovered by Dewitt Peters, almost all of very modest origins, and who fascinated Breton or Malraux. Assistance to 200 pregnant women 200 pregnant women from the most remote areas of the Northwest have recently received dry ration food kits. Over 500 handmade masks have been distributed. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Haiti and the North West Health Authority continue to encourage people to respect containment to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 coronnavirus. Management of patients with psychosocial disorders Ms. Soinette Desir, Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, accompanied by members of her Office and a team from the Ministry of Social Affairs visited the Mars & Kline Psychiatric Center. During this visit, the Secretary of State made an inventory of the care of patients with psychosocial disorders. HL/ HaitiLibre A new metal 3D printing technology could revolutionize the way large industrial products like planes and cars are made, reducing the cost and carbon footprint of mass manufacturing. Why it matters: 3D printing also called additive manufacturing has been used since the 1980s to make small plastic parts and prototypes. Metal printing is newer, and the challenge has been figuring out how to make things like large car parts faster and cheaper than traditional methods. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:16:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FUZHOU, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Every day at 6 a.m., You Weide, 57, steers a boat to a floating house to scatter fish feed. He is welcomed by a shoal of large yellow croakers, deemed a top delicacy by Chinese gourmets. The fish, once abundant along China's vast coastline, was nearly extinct due to overfishing in the 1980s. Its population began to revive after decades of efforts by generations of fisheries experts, notably Liu Jiafu. SAVE THE FISH Born of a fishing family in Lianjiang County in the coastal Fujian Province in eastern China, Liu developed a keen interest in large yellow croaker at a young age. He was admitted to Shanghai fisheries college (now the Shanghai Ocean University) in 1964, a rare feat for a rural student back then. Upon graduation in 1971, he was assigned to work at a local fisheries sector. Until now, he still vividly remembers the scene that 250,000 tonnes of large yellow croakers were caught in the winter of 1974. However, Liu's joy soon turned into anxiety as no schools of large yellow croaker came to the area the next year or any year after. In 1979, the tragedy recurred in Sandu Bay in Ningde, a natural spawning field for the fish, when ships from several coastal provinces ravaged the waters and caught 60,000 tonnes of wintering large yellow croakers. In the 1980s, the fish was on the verge of extinction. "It was painful to see how the large yellow croakers were disappearing because of the overfishing and that I was a part of it," said Liu. "I felt some sort of an obligation to prevent them from going extinct." He had to start from scratch. He began learning everything about the species -- from induced spawning to breeding to artificial propagation. In 1985, his project on controlled breeding and artificial propagation of large yellow croakers was initiated with an investment of 10,000 yuan (about 1,429 U.S. dollars) from the provincial fishery department. Two years later, Liu's team hatched over 100 fries of large yellow croakers, and in 1990, the number soared to 1 million. Unfortunately, their fate was still grim. Large yellow croakers grow slowly and were not a welcome farmed species. Liu had to search for an alternative by setting up a lab to promote its commercialization. "We lived and worked on an old boat because we could not afford a house, and used Moso bamboo to replace plastic pipes in our research to save money," Liu said. In 1995, his team finally cracked the problem of slow growth and laid a foundation for mass commercial farming of the fish. FROM IN DANGER TO PROSPERITY You is among the first to raise large yellow croakers. "We could hardly survive 30 years ago because there was no fish offshore at all," he said. "There was almost no arable land in our village, and we had to feed on dried sweet potatoes." You built a pool to keep eel in the early 1990s but was left with a debt of over 3 million yuan after the village was hit by a rain-triggered flood in 1996. The desperate farmer turned to Liu for help upon hearing the good news about the large yellow croakers. You's large yellow croaker business began in 1997, and he paid off all the debt within a year. Now he is a leading figure in the industry, owning three companies producing 8,500 tonnes of large yellow croakers every year, with businesses ranging from fry hatching and breeding to the processing of the fish. Now Sandu Bay, once depleted of large yellow croakers, has become one of world's most concentrated aquafarming hubs. In 2019, the overall production of large yellow croakers in China was 198,000 tonnes, with about 83 percent of them produced in Ningde. The industry has created over 300,000 jobs and helped tens of thousands of local residents shake off poverty. Liu retired in 2014 at the age of 74, but he is still playing an active role in the industry. "I'm always ready to help," said Liu. "I hope my work can benefit more people." DREAM BIG Now large yellow croaker has become one of the most popular sea fish in China, a major seafood producer and consumer. To further improve its quality, Liu has advised farmers to use larger breeding cages which allow the species grow up stronger and healthier. "The current cage is just nine square meters, which can easily get overcrowded. We have enlarged it to 100 square meters, allowing the fish to swim freely as if they are in the wild," Liu said. At the age of 80, Liu still dreams big -- to make large yellow croaker a global delicacy like salmon. "We now produce about 200,000 tonnes of large yellow croaker every year, while the annual production of salmon stands at 2 million tonnes," Liu said. "We still have a long way to go in terms of innovation and market expansion." He is also striving to revive large yellow croaker population in the wild. "Preserving its genetic resources is only the beginning. My ultimate goal is to restore its wild stocks," the old man said. "That will be the perfect happy ending for my book on the species." Enditem Axonius, the cybersecurity asset management company, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named the company to its 2020 Emerging Vendors list in the security category. This annual list honors new, rising technology suppliers that exhibit great promise in shaping the future success of the channel with their dedication to innovation. The list recognizes channel-focused organizations across eight categories: Cloud, Data Center, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), Storage and Networking/Unified Communications. Axonius is the only company with a mission to fully solve asset management for cybersecurity a foundational challenge thats only increasing in complexity. Through its agentless and simple-to-deploy cybersecurity asset management solution, Axonius and its partners provide customers a comprehensive asset inventory, uncover security gaps, and automatically validate and enforce security policies. Axonius has experienced exponential growth due in large part to the adoption and commitment of our partner community. Our partners understand their customers have struggled with asset management for a long time, and now they finally have an elegant and simple solution to help their customers meet this challenge, said Mark Daggett, Axonius VP of Channels and Alliances. The channel has been key in scaling Axonius growing our exposure, and increasing our visibility to end users. This type of recognition wouldnt be possible without the invaluable support of our partners and a strong partner program, he added. CRNs Emerging Vendors recognizes pioneering technology suppliers in the IT channel that are driving innovation and growth. This list serves as a valuable resource for solution providers in search of the latest technologies. The Emerging Vendors list is selected by CRNs esteemed editorial team. These vendors are inspiring the IT channel with groundbreaking technologies and best-in-class offerings that are elevating businesses driving success with solutions built to battle the challenges of the IT channel. CRNs 2020 Emerging Vendors list recognizes vendors that are revolutionizing the IT channel with innovative solutions that meet the complex demands of our industry, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. It honors inspirational new vendors that are driving channel growth with state-of-the-art technologies that will continue to shape the channel into the future. The 2020 Emerging Vendors list will be featured in the August 2020 issue of CRN Magazine and online at http://www.CRN.com/EmergingVendors. About Axonius Axonius is the cybersecurity asset management platform that gives organizations a comprehensive asset inventory, uncovers security solution coverage gaps, and automatically validates and enforces security policies. By seamlessly integrating with over 250 security and management solutions, Axonius is deployed in minutes, improving cyber hygiene immediately. Covering millions of devices at customers like the New York Times, Schneider Electric, Landmark Health, AppsFlyer, and many more, Axonius was named the Most Innovative Startup of 2019 at the prestigious RSAC Innovation Sandbox and was named to the CNBC Upstart 100 list and Forbes 20 Rising Stars. For more, visit Axonius.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelco.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook 2020 The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company jhogan@thechannelcompany.com LONDON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EY today announces the win of three 2020 Microsoft Global Partner of the Year Awards, including Global Advisory Services Partner of the Year, Global Energy Partner of the Year and Global Financial Services Partner of the Year. Recognized as one of the top Microsoft partners across the globe, EY is being awarded for excellence in innovation and implementation support of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. The Microsoft Global Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and provided exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards are classified in several categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. The Global Advisory Services Partner of the Year Award recognizes EY teams' global capabilities that provide valuable consulting and advisory services and solutions, using Microsoft technologies, innovation and robust skills to help clients digitally transform. This recognition also showcases EY teams' ability to successfully leverage multiple Microsoft solutions, such as Azure, to deploy solutions powered by Microsoft. Of note, the award highlights EY teams' industry-leading global tax and audit Azure-based platforms, and specifically the EY Global Tax Platform (GTP), an automated cloud-enabled data management platform for enterprises to digitally transform tax. GTP is driving industry-wide innovation and disrupting the tax and finance market at speed, bringing together EY intellectual property and capabilities paired with Azure. In doing so, the platform seamlessly and quickly transforms tax and finance functions to reduce risk, help enable cost-efficient tax operations and provide increased value through data reuse, analytics, visualizations and more. In addition, the Global Energy Partner of the Year Award recognizes extensive EY industry insights, combined with Microsoft's powerful cloud technologies, which have led to the development of two innovative digital energy solutions: EY Digital Energy Enablement Platform (EY DEEP) and EY UtilityWave. Both are designed to help energy companies improve performance, gain efficiencies and support better decision-making by helping enable data-driven decisions that allow them to thrive in this new energy-efficient world. EY DEEP digitally integrates key processes across the oil and gas value chain including complex well engineering, production and maintenance optimization, supply chain management and financial modeling with a common data model to allow a broad extension of the platform across the organization. EY UtilityWave is an Internet of Things (IOT) and data platform that provides utility companies with the capabilities needed to address the biggest challenges of a digitized, dynamic energy system, in one business-focused platform. Lastly, the Global Financial Services Partner of the Year Award highlights innovative services and solutions built on Microsoft technology, specifically designed for clients in the financial services sector. The award recognizes the EY Global Financial Crime platform, a scalable and secure solution developed with Microsoft, to help modernize banks' financial crime operations. Hosted on Azure, the platform of solutions helps banks of all sizes comply with the financial sector's enhanced regulatory and security demands, while helping improve risk management effectiveness, increase automation and reduce client onboarding time. Jim Little, EY Global Microsoft Alliance Leader, says: "We are thrilled and honored to be recognized as the recipient of three noteworthy 2020 Microsoft Global Partner of the Year Awards. Across Consulting Services, Energy and Financial Services, as well as other broad functional and industry competencies, EY teams continue to collaborate with Microsoft to develop and provide innovative solutions, such as our Azure-based Global Tax Platform, which drives efficiency, value and risk reduction for the industry as a whole and disrupts the core delivery model. The awards also recognize EY value to industries, such as our Microsoft Azure and Power Platform-based offerings, EY DEEP, EY UtilityWave and the EY Global Financial Crime platform, which help accelerate clients' digital transformations and help create new business value. These awards validate EY teams' excellence in innovation and support implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology." Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft, says: "It is an honor to recognize the winners and finalists of the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that businesses around the world face from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realize their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honor and congratulate each winner and finalist." For more information, please visit ey.com/microsoft. Joanna Hardy EY Global Media Relations +1 212 773 4473 [email protected] SOURCE EY Related Links http://www.ey.com The third Rupert Cornwell Prize for Journalism has been won by Thomas Graham, a scientist by training and now a freelance writer on a broad range of topics. The annual award is aimed at younger journalists towards the start of their careers, and Mr Graham was the most impressive of the candidates in another crowded field of talent. His winning proposal is for a series of features on the Spanish North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, exploring in particular how the territories are being affected by the continuing migrant crisis. The onset of Covid-19 has, as elsewhere, complicated an already difficult life for those seeking refuge and a better life. I am very pleased and excited to have been offered this opportunity. It is an honour to undertake this project. I hope that I can live up to the reputation of a much-missed and fine writer, Mr Graham said. Recommended The Independent names the winner of the 2019 Rupert Cornwell Prize The 5,000 prize is supported by The Independent and will be awarded by the Rupert Cornwell Trust. On behalf of the judges and the trust, Cornwells widow Susan, US congressional correspondent for Reuters, praised Mr Grahams innovative and thoughtful proposal. We were especially pleased to see how Tom was able to identify so many intriguing and compelling stories in such a relatively neglected corner of the world. Tom is plainly a talented journalist who greatly deserves our support. In a competition which attracted a high calibre of candidates, the judges also highly commended Ellen Halliday and Amanda Coakley for their proposals which were extremely promising and imaginative. The Rupert Cornwell Prize was established in memory of the distinguished foreign correspondent and writer who died three years ago. The goal is to help fund a suitable journalistic project in any of the broad regions Cornwell spent much of his career covering North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. Thomas spends time in Bolivia when reporting on a story about some planned hydroelectric dams (Thomas Graham) Cornwell was one of the most elegant of writers in recent times, and embodied the pioneering spirit of The Independent when he joined it as one of its first recruits in 1986. He remained one of its wisest and most eloquent voices, writing for the title until his death in 2017. From his earliest reports for the Financial Times in Rome to chronicling the decline of the USSR, and on to the Trump phenomenon, he was a source of inspiration for all his colleagues, and now for a new generation of writers. With half of the Syrian population unable to votes, Abdel Nasser Hoshan has said that the election is unconstitutional and not representative reports Sham Network. Syrian lawyer and human rights defender, Abdel Nasser Hoshan, said that the regimes parliamentary elections will take place in the absence of more than half of the Syrian people due to forced displacement. Syrians are now all over the world and many are unable to return to their motherland due to the policies of arbitrary detention, forced recruitment, and security prosecution. Hoshan explained in an update to Shaam News that Article 34 of the constitution stipulates, the citizens right to participate in political life, including the right to run and vote. As for Article 59, it stipulates that, anyone who has reached the age of eighteen is considered a citizen who has the right to vote. Article 73 stipulates that, the speaker of the Peoples Assembly represents the people, signs on their behalf, and speaks in their name. He stated that, accordingly, the forced displacement of more than half of the Syrian population means depriving them of their political rights, including running and voting, and since the current elections take place in the absence of half of the Syrian people, this means, in Hoshans opinion, that the elections are in violation of Articles 34, 59 and 73 of the constitution. Therefore, the whole process is unconstitutional and the mode of representation of the Peoples Assembly and its Speaker is illegal because it represents only those who elected him as opposed to the entire population. Hoshan added that, more than 75 percent of the council members were from the Baath Party and were handpicked, while the rest belong to National Front parties. As for the independents, they are controlled by the military and the political system and lead the groups that have wreaked havoc on the country and have become stronger than the state in many areas. According to Hoshan, the messages that the Syrian regime is trying to send through its theatrical parliamentary elections are messages to the international community that the regime has succeeded in defeating terrorism and that stability has returned to the country, in addition to a message to the United Nations that the environment in Syria has become safe and neutral for the return of refugees to the country and that the UN must work to help refugees return to lead normal lives like the rest of their compatriots. The regime also wants to send a message to the world that Syria has begun to recover from the state of failure it was experiencing due to the war. Another message is one of defiance and disregard for the Syrian opposition, which had been coveting a new constitution and election law through the Constitutional Committee. Hoshan noted that the modified composition of the council was used by Bashar al-Assad to include a parliamentary bloc in the name of veterans, who are the regimes most vicious criminals, to give them parliamentary immunity to avoid prosecution for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that they committed against the Syrian people. He also noted that there is a predominance of council members who are loyal to Iran, which sends a message to Russia, which is trying to become the only entity that calls the shots in Syria. According to Hoshan, this would be impossible without the participation of Iran, whose fate has been linked to the fate of the regime in Syria. He added that the regime has been sending a message to its supporters that change is coming and that goodness will prevail in the country through the promises made by its candidates which are, of course, false electoral pledges. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Discover the 100 jobs with the highest average annual income that only require a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Northern Ireland risks losing decades of progress around gender equality in the workplace due to the coronavirus pandemic, experts say. The Equality Commission, networking organisation Women in Business and economists today warn that during the crisis, a lack of childcare for the children of working mothers has increased the risk of pushing society back to the 1950s. Research into the effects of lockdown by Queen's University's School of Psychology points to women facing "burnout". Economist Maureen O'Reilly said the Northern Ireland labour force survey had already reflected the departure of women from the workforce. "The first signs of labour market impact from the Covid-19 crisis suggests that women are making up a larger share of both the fall in jobs but also the rise in economic inactivity - that is people who aren't in a job nor are actively looking for one," she said. "This is worrying, because almost a third of women aren't active in Northern Ireland's labour market already; looking after family/home being the main reason. "We need to make sure this crisis doesn't take women out of the labour market who want to work, by understanding and addressing any barriers they face, childcare being an obvious one." Writing in The Times last week, columnist Alice Thomson said women need to be able to go back to work and have their voices heard - and suggested within government would be a good start. Calling for more female influence among the decision makers at Downing Street, she noted how, when Boris Johnson was hospitalised in April, four men shared his brief. Nor did childcare feature in Chancellor Rishi Sunak's mini- budget earlier this month. Roseann Kelly, chief executive of Women in Business, said many of the women entrepreneurs making up her membership had seen their business and income stop. Even when work was available for members, they were unable to accept it due to childcare availability issues. Mrs Kelly said she feared that with schools likely to only partially reopen - and childcare facilities facing an uncertain future as the need for social distancing affected their financial viability - mothers might again have to cut back on work commitments to take care of children. "If our government is really genuine about diversity and the importance of it to the economy, they, and employers, really need to look at subsidising childcare," she said. "Things could go back to the 1950s, where women have to be at home looking after children as there were no facilities for childcare. "It could very easily slip back for women if they are working from home or having to go part-time - all of those unconscious bias and barriers will be accentuated." Queen's University lecturer Dr Ioana Latu said research has uncovered evidence of pressure on women as they juggled working from home and caring for children, including home-schooling. Dr Latu, an assistant professor, said that a crisis such as a pandemic tended to make existing inequalities worse. She said: "In a pilot study on the general population, initial findings show that both men and women spent less time working during the pandemic than before it, but women spent more time on caregiving responsibilities whereas men spent more time on hobbies. "Also, a larger model showed that spending more time on housework, especially for women, and caregiving responsibilities - for both men and women in this case - led to greater work/family conflict which in turn led to more burnout. "In turn, burnout led to lower career outcomes such as weaker career progression intentions, lower career self-efficacy, and lower career aspirations." The pandemic has brought many anxieties to the fore for parents, particularly working mothers. The Equality Commission said that of the Covid-19-related sex discrimination enquiries it has received, half related to childcare issues. These have included employees being asked to return to work where there was no childcare available, and employers refusing furlough or working from home requests to accommodate childcare. Pregnant employees have also contacted the Equality Commission with concerns around being required to attend the workplace where the employee feels it is unsafe to do so, and where they have had a request to be furloughed refused. Some who have been returning from maternity leave have said that while colleagues were given an option to work from home at the start of the pandemic, they themselves are now being asked to come in. In conversations with mothers about the future of their working lives, one woman told the Belfast Telegraph that she feared that if gaps in childcare persist even after schools return, women could be at greater risk of redundancy because of the assumption that full-time hours will no longer suit them. Children - apart from those of key workers - have been schooled at home since the pandemic due to the closure of schools. Creches and other childcare facilities have been also closed, leaving working parents, whose jobs have continued uninterrupted during the crisis, facing the pressure of combining looking after their children while also working. Roisin Mallon, a senior policy officer at the Equality Commission, said it has been calling for a gender pay strategy from the Executive, which would require large public sector and private and voluntary sector employers to publish information on gender pay gaps. "The lack of childcare provision impacts women disproportionally and lone parents (who are predominately women) are likely to be particularly affected," she explained. "Further, for some employees there may now be a need for new or modified flexible working arrangements due to changes in circumstances." It is challenging, juggling working and my child. CASE STUDIES A self-employed mother of a four-year-old daughter who predominantly works from home. My husband is a key worker so hes been going into work while Ive been at home with our daughter. There have been times where Ive said to him, youre so lucky going into work. But he says to me: Its not like its a spa weekend! Im going into work. It is challenging, juggling working and my child. Some weeks I have been so busy, its felt like my head was going to explode. On the stressful days, I did keep thinking, we are lucky, we have our health. But it has been challenging, trying to pacify a child, with extra fruit, Pringles and marshmallows. I laughed when I saw the child come into their mum on TV to ask for two biscuits. Kids know full well that a parent on a work call is their opportune time to ask for a packet of crisps. Thank God for the mute button. But people are so understanding. With everything going on, hundreds of people have lost their lives, they dont mind being interrupted by your kids. With my husband a frontline worker, there was no question that he was going to be going to work while I was at home. Its been a challenging more than a negative and a lot of it would be mum guilt that Im still trying to work whereas if I was on furlough, I would have had 100% of my time to give. But in the grand scheme of things, I feel so lucky. There have been some lovely times and its been all about making the most of it. You have kids who would have been practically non verbal, now communicating and interacting better with siblings. A stay-at-home mother of two young children who works part-time from home. Her partner has worked full-time from home during the pandemic. What Ive found from some WhatsApp groups Im on would be parents commenting on how much their kids who would have additional needs have come on in this time spent at home with mum and dad. You have kids who would have been practically non verbal, now communicating and interacting better with siblings. I think its also made me realise how much time we spend running to things and actually the kids are more than happy to play at home. There is definitely also been more reflection and how it is stuff like time with the grandparents that matters most. But it has been hard too. I dont think Id realised how much I got done during the hours my child was at school. Having the parks closed too has also been tough because no play dates but with no space for kids to play, Another pro of everything is that I think its proved flexible working can work. Im hoping my partner has demonstrated he doesnt need to be in the office so will be able to do more from home. Hes got to spend lots more time with the kids which is so nice. Also with all the kids popping up on zoom calls its kind of taking parenting out from behind closed doors. Its okay to be a parent and working. I remember my mum telling me that when she had to go back to work when I was six weeks old, she felt she couldnt even talk about me at work because the attitude would have been that she shouldnt have her head elsewhere, she should be focused on work. Home-schooling is impossible. A mother of two children, aged seven and three, who works full-time hours from home. Her husband has been shielding. Home-schooling is impossible. I think anyone who works has found it impossible to do home-schooling. I know I have - you cant do both jobs properly. In my case, my daughters home-schooling has suffered and Im very concerned next year that if she only goes back two days a week and the rest of schooling is left to me, Im seriously concerned about the effect that will have on her education. Ive been working more than full-time hours from home. Normally we could have availed of childcare as my husbands a key worker but because hes been shielding, weve had the children with us 24/7. After this length of time, its definitely affecting the children, without a doubt. My son gets excited when he sees the postman as he hasnt had any contact with outside world for four months. Weve seen my parents but only from the outside of their house with no contact as my mother is shielding. And as Im the only one not shielding, Im doing all the shopping, as well as my work, as well as the schooling. I dont know what the future holds for me because of my type of work, you dont know if youll have a job in a month. So for me, Im feeling under a lot of pressure to work when the work is there. Im very, very anxious. I feel sick constantly, about what the future holds. Between now and schools going back, things could clear a bit or it could be worse. But I think all parents who are home-schooling, you feel like you are failing your children and letting them down because none of us are teachers, after all. But having more time together as a family has been really nice though its starting to wear a bit thin as my husband is shielding and other people are able to do things a family that we cant. We havent had time alone in over four months. Any time Ive been getting out its going to Tesco to get food and its going into a stressful environment of trying to shop, trying to stay safe, stay away from people as whatever happens, I cant bring the virus home. I feel really under pressure and really anxious. Quelling reports on India's ouster from the Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, Indian ambassador Gaddam Dharmendra, on Monday was invited by Iran Railways head Saeed Rasouli to review ongoing co-op on Chabahar-Zahedan railway. Moreover, Rasouli stated that vested interests were behind recent reports that Iran excluded India from the Chabahar-Zahedan railway. The MEA too had termed the reports speculative, asserting that the Iranian side was to nominate an authorised entity to finalise the outstanding technical and financial issues. Chabahar-Zahedan rail project awaits appointment by Iran of entity to finalise pending issues: MEA Iran invites India to review Amb Gaddam Dharmendra was today invited by H.E. Saeed Rasouli Dy Minister Roads & Head of Iran Railways to review ongoing co-op on Chabahar-Zahedan railway. H.E. Rasouli stated that vested interests were behind recent reports that Iran excluded India from Chabahar-Zahedan railway pic.twitter.com/RNb5wQKPm3 India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) July 20, 2020 Chabahar Port sets a new record of transporting 76 TEUs cargo, appears as a 'game-changer' India ousted from Chabahar port? Several media reports stated that Iran had ousted India from the long-cherished railway project due to allegedly delayed funding by India. An Indian company has been operating part of the Chabahar port since 2018 and has handled 12 lakh tonnes of bulk cargo and 8200 containers, as per reports. The Chabahar-Zahedan railway - a 628 km rail track along the Iran Afghanistan border to help carry goods from Chabahar port to Afghanistan - is a pivotal strategic interest to India. Speaking on these 'speculative' reports, MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said,The Iranian side was to nominate an authorized entity to finalise outstanding technical and financial issues. This is still awaited. He added, "IRCON which was appointed by the government of India to assess the feasibility of the project has completed site inspection and review of feasibility. US court upholds Turkish banker's conviction in Iran case China-Iran strategic partnership These reports had followed after China signed a US $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran amid hard-pressed US sanctions, as reported by the New York Times (NYT). The deal reportedly talks about expanding Chinese presence in Irans banking, telecommunications, ports, railways and dozens of other projects. In return, Iran is to provide a regular and heavily discounted supply of oil to China for 25 years. Moreover, the proposed draft also includes deepening military cooperation and intelligence sharing, as per the NYT report. Iran executes man convicted of spying on US-slain general What is the Chabahar port project? The port project - initiated in 2003 - was finally made operational in 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Iran. The port which was projected to bypass Pakistan and open Indian goods to markets in Afghanistan was delayed due to US sanctions on Iran. In October 2017, late Sushma Swaraj flagged off Indias first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan. The Israeli government was supposed to budget five billion shekels ($1.46 billion) to bolster the Arab education system from 2016 to 2020. This budget, part of a five-year plan meant to close gaps between Israel's Arab and Jewish populations, was set to end this year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took pride in the plan, which allocated more than any government had before it the purpose. But in a meeting convened by new Minister for Social Equality Meirav Cohen on July 14, it became clear that out of 15 billion shekels ($3.85 billion) the plan budgeted for several areas, scarcely more than half was actually delivered. The Education Ministry and the Finance Ministry were supposed to receive a third of the fund to add teachers, classrooms and instructional hours to Arab elementary and middle schools in order to close the gaps in educational performance and to better prepare students for high school. But little of the intended budget was actually granted, and from the data we have received, only 30% of the goal, about a billion and half shekels ($440 million), found its way to the intended recipient departments in the Arab education system. The Ministry of Education admits that it failed to manage the plan properly and did not channel the money into the right programs. In the meantime, the gaps between Jewish and Arab students in Israel have grown. Data presented to the Knesset education committee showed that the achievement of Arab students declined from 2015 to 2018, as shown in the results of the Program for International Student Assessment exams that are administered to middle school students every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for research, policy-making and curricula creation. The tests gauge students proficiency in three areas: reading, mathematics and science. In 2018, the testing emphasized reading proficiency. Israeli students received lower marks than average for OECD nations but the most notable data point was the substantial gap between Hebrew-speaking and Arabic-speaking students. Among Hebrew speakers, 4% of students were classified as excelling in all three proficiency areas, while among Arabic speakers, the percentage was miniscule. Of Hebrew speakers, 12% were classified as struggling in all three areas of proficiency, while more than half of Arabic-speaking students were classified as struggling in all areas. Compared to other OECD nations, Arab students in Israel are at the bottom of the chart, while Jewish students place a little higher than average. Tellingly, the average government investment was 24,000 shekels ($7,000) per Arab student and 43,000 shekels ($12,500) per student in the Jewish educational system. These figures include fees paid by parents, which are higher in the Jewish sector but cannot account for the full discrepancy. In the July 14 discussion, Knesset member Yousef Jabareen of the Joint List said, This is very worrisome data that should shake up the system and shows that the system must put together a pedagogical and budgetary plan as soon as possible to deal with the large gaps that were revealed by the PISA exams. Most troubling, though the exam tests reading proficiency in ones native language, the results of Arab students were the lowest since the PISA exams began. According to the experts, a gap of 30 points is more or less equivalent to a year of schooling. In math and science, were talking about a gap of three to four years between Jews and Arabs. In proficiency and native language reading proficiency, the gap is five years. Sharaf Hassan, chair of the education committee within the High Follow-Up Committee of the Arab Citizens of Israel, called for the creation of a committee including representatives of the Arab public to examine the results and form a strategy to advance education for Arab students. He added that during the coronavirus pandemic, the technological gap between the Arab and Jewish sectors must be closed such that Arab students are as supported in virtual learning as their Jewish peers. At the end of the discussion, the committee demanded that the Ministry of Education address the growing gap between Jewish and Arab education in Israel, including ending the budget disparities. The previous education minister, Rafi Peretz, established a committee of experts to address the issues in the Arab education system, but the committee has yet to submit a recommendation. Al-Monitor has learned from political sources that it has discussed creating an administration for Arab education in Israel empowered to effect real change. One of the most important areas for improvement is access to advanced technological education that would enable Arab students to enter the tech sector. But the poor infrastructure serving the Arab public in general, and the Bedouin in the Negev in particular, poses an obstacle. This infrastructure failed to adequately support virtual learning during the pandemic, and a large portion of Arab students lost half a year of school. New Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel promised to deal with the problem, but real change will more likely to come from the plan of Minister for Social Equality Meirav Cohen, who asked the Finance Ministry to extend the five-year plan until the end of 2021 and use that time to deliver the full funding intended for the sector. KYIV. July 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) Former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Volodymyr Zamana has reiterated that the accusation of high treason against him is illegal, and that he is convinced that this case should not be investigated by incompetent or biased people, but at least by the temporary investigative commission of Ukraine's parliament. "A year and two months have passed since the measure of restraint was changed, and I was released. During this time, not a single interrogation, in fact, was. Practically the same prosecutors who were under [former Military Chief Prosecutor Anatoliy] Matios are investigating. Concrete evidence of my betrayal There is no subversive activity or work for the Russia. The net remainder is only the accusation of carrying out the reforms that were not carried under me, but in 2012-2014," he said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. Zamana pointed out that there is no direct evidence in this case, and the 33-year-old investigator of the Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) or a military prosecutor are not competent to investigate the charges. "I believe that this case can only be investigated by, at least, a temporary investigative commission of parliament, with the involvement of the military, former chiefs of the General Staff, authoritative people of Ukraine. I am ready to answer all questions that will be raised. All the reforms carried out in 2012-2014 were done so collectively, on the basis of all the laws of Ukraine in force at that time. Therefore, I have nothing to fear. And to establish the truth, a temporary commission of inquiry is needed, which will analyze not only the situation for 2012-2014, but also for other years," he said. The ex-chief of the General Staff recalled that in 2014, martial law was not declared in Ukraine either throughout the country, or even in certain territories, and from February 20 to April 7, 2014, the head of the Anti-Terrorist Center under the SBU State Security Service was the only official authorized to organize and conduct an anti-terrorist operation. "We have seized the Supreme Council of Crimea, and there was not even a person to be appointed. High points on the peninsula were seized. Who prevented them from taking them back into control? Elementary things. Turchynov recently said he could not do this, because that the Armed Forces were not ready. At the time, different units of Ukraine's Internal Troops under the Ministry of Internal Affairs were active. Turchynov didn't figure out during five years in charge of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) what units were. He recently stated that at the time the annexation of Crimea, The Armed Forces were manned with conscripts. So, I say the following: let him show any document showing that in the beginning of 2014 contract soldiers could replace conscript soldiers and be used on the day we received an order (to deploy them)," he said. Zamana also claims that an operation was prepared in Crimea, about which he reported to the then acting President Oleksandr Turchynov and the leadership of the state on February 28, 2014. It involved additional fuel and additional food kits supplied to the grouping of Ukrainian troops in Crimea. "If there had been political will, then, naturally, there would not be such a shameful surrender of our territory. It is difficult for me to talk now about how this operation would develop, but the results would be unambiguous. There were people, and there was preparation," said. Zamana said that the main reason for the "surrender" of Crimea in 2014 was the absence of political decisions on the declaration of martial law in Crimea and the use of the Armed Forces. "The commander cannot order his units, combat missions by himself. This requires appropriate political decisions. During these six years there has not been a single decision by Turchynov or Poroshenko on the use of the Armed Forces, legitimizing the actions that commanders took upon themselves. Even in the Kerch Strait. [In November 2018], someone took a decision, but Poroshenko's signature is absent," he said. As reported, on February 25, 2019, law enforcement officers detained Zamana and notified him of suspicion of committing high treason. Chief Military Prosecutor Matios announced the measure the next day. On the night of February 26, Pechersky District Court of Kyiv remanded Zamana into custody until March 27, 2019 without setting bail. On May 16, 2019, the Spokesman for Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office Andriy Lysenko announced that the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine had completed a pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings against Zamana. On May 24, 2019 the Kyiv Court of Appeal released Zamana from custody. In this May file photo, the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is visible through heavy fog in Washington. With COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and a grim rising death toll, the pandemic's devastating cycle is happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Read more WASHINGTON Top Republicans in Congress were expecting to meet Monday with President Donald Trump on the next COVID-19 aid package as the administration panned more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate quick passage. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. But divisions between the Senate GOP majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. Congress was returning to session this week as the coronavirus crisis many had hoped would have improved by now only worsened and just as earlier federal emergency relief was expiring. Trump insisted again Sunday that the virus would disappear, but the presidents view did not at all match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the U.S.s alarming caseloads and death toll. McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to fine-tune the legislation, acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News. The package from McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits. But as the White House weighed in, the administration was panning some $25 billion in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administration's objections were first reported by The Washington Post. Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks. The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed Democrats' vast $3 trillion proposal and virus cases and deaths had only increased since. Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month at a rally in Oklahoma that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Trump's GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill. The payroll tax Trump wanted also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion. Trump said Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed. "I want to see it," he said. Lawmakers were returning to a partially closed Capitol still off-limits to tourists to consider what will be a fifth COVID-19 aid package. After passing the $2.2 trillion relief bill in March, Republicans hoped the virus would ease and economy rebound so more aid would not be needed. But with COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the pandemic's devastating cycle was happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses were shutting down again, schools could not fully reopen and jobs were disappearing, all while federal emergency aid expired. Its not going to magically disappear, said a somber McConnell, R-Ky., last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers. As McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count than any other country. Just as the pandemic's ferocious cycle was starting again, the first round of aid was running out. A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits would expire at the end of the month. So, too, would the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units. With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million usually about 200,000 many households were facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage. Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-at-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remained at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade's Great Recession. Pelosi's bill, approved in May, included $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funneled $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and called for $1 trillion to be sent to cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections. In the two months since Pelosi's bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections. If we dont invest the money now, it will be much worse, Pelosi said. (Photo : Zhifei Zhou / Unsplash) The police are condemning these as criminal acts. Reports all over the media said there are at least two people arrested in Seattle, with a police officer rushed to the hospital after protesters broke into an Amazon store Sunday after their march downtown. The Associated Press also contributed to the breaking story. According to the police, it was Sunday evening when the protesters broke windows of the East Precinct, and even threw an explosive device in the lobby, starting a fire. The fire is later extinguished nonetheless, leaving no injuries reported. Started early in the afternoon The protests began at around two in the afternoon, specifically nearby the intersection of Pine Street and 3rd Avenue. The Seattle police are tweeting updates about the incident. For instance, there traffic channels are showing the protesters blocking the intersection. Around 30 minutes later, Katie Daviscourt, a journalist in the vicinity tweeted a clip showing the crowd forming outside the Amazon Go store. There were already people spray-painting the store while others were smashing windows. The protesters were identified to belong to the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrators, and the Antifa militant groups. The journalist tweeted, "This protest has turned into a riot." Updates from Seattle police The crowd continued to move toward Pike Street at around 5 p.m., and at this hour on Sunday, two people were arrested. The protesters, according to Seattle authorities, were throwing bottles, rocks, and other goods at the officers, with one of the members of the police hurt and rushed to a nearby hospital. There were videos being posted on Twitter showing how the protesters smashed windows of not just the Amazon store, but other establishments too. The police officers tried their very best to block and mitigate the protest, for instance, installing barricades at the entrance to Interstate 5 so protesters are unable to enter, Seattle media reported. 'Criminal acts' The demonstrators moved their way from Westlake Park toward the Municipal Courthouse, before traveling back north to the West precinct, and destroying properties. The police issued their statement, "These are criminal acts, not peaceful protests." The protests are following the series of activism after the death of African-American George Floyd in the hands of Minneapolis authorities in May. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. INDIANAPOLIS -- With a nearly $5.1 million grant, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Quality Enhance Research Initiative (QUERI), VA, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University research scientists are working to implement and expand telehealth services within the VA. Funding for the Expanding Expertise Through E-health Network Development (EXTEND) QUERI will enable and evaluate the adoption of three robust, evidence-based programs through multiple models of telehealth. Telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support both local and long distance clinical healthcare, education and administration. This could include video conferences, streaming videos or audio, phone calls, digital education materials and much more. "The VA has been heavily investing and innovating the design and delivery of telehealth services over the past decade," said Teresa Damush, PhD, research career scientist at the VA, research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and co-leader of the EXTEND QUERI. "Our primary goal is to collaborate with our clinical stakeholders and utilize implementation strategies to facilitate the uptake and sustainment of telehealth services within three targeted contexts of VHA specialty care services to increase veteran access to high quality, evidence-based programs. Second, we plan to evaluate best practices for optimal communications and shared care between telehealth, primary and specialty care services and veteran patients." Dr. Damush is also a senior research professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. "The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a greater utilization of telehealth by providers in many health systems. The VA has paved the way for clinical providers to practice across state lines to increase patient access to specialty care services like the national, virtual acute TeleStroke services for rural emergency departments," said Linda Williams, M.D., EXTEND QUERI co-leader, VA core investigator, Regenstrief research scientist and IU School of Medicine neurology professor. "We hope to build on that momentum, implementing programs that will maximize the potential of telehealth and allow the VA to provide more accessible care to more veterans." The EXTEND QUERI will test various models of telehealth care within Indiana, across wider VA regions and nationally. Areas of focus are: TeleNeurology -- providing outpatient neurology consultations via telehealth for veterans at facilities with limited access to neurology care. The VA Video Connect system will connect neurologists directly to patients in their homes, at community-based clinics where the patient receives care, or to primary care providers for electronic consultation. TelePain -- providing chronic pain management via primary care telehealth. Regional telebhubs staffed by specialty nurses will work with primary care providers to deliver pain management to veterans. TeleGRACE (Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders) -- extending the reach of geriatrics' home and community-based care management via telehealth. Clinical staff will conduct virtual home visits and transmit patient evaluations to the centralized geriatrician and nurse practitioner located at the VA Medical Center to provide collaborative care management. Research scientists are working in collaboration with VA operational partners including the VHA Offices of Telehealth; Rural Health; and Specialty Care Services - geriatrics, neurology, pain; and primary care services. The EXTEND QUERI Center will compare these models of telehealth care delivery to other telehealth and community-based care strategies, conduct a rigorous implementation and business case evaluation, and deploy implementation strategies to locally adapt and sustain these telehealth models. "These projects were identified by drawing upon our partners' shared agendas," said Dawn Bravata, M.D., another co-leader of the project. Dr. Bravata is also a Regenstrief research scientist, VA core investigator and a professor of clinical medicine at IU School of Medicine. "We are excited to implement these evidence-based interventions in routine clinical care settings and hope to learn how to optimize them for the benefit of veterans and the providers who serve them." The EXTEND QUERI Center includes a rapid response core that will work with operational partners to support real-time, evidence-based decision-making as a learning health system in addition to the three planned projects. A mentoring core will train a new cohort of implementation scientists to investigate telehealth care systems to improve the quality and outcomes of care. This project is funded by VHA HSR&D QUERI Program I50 HX003205-01 from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2025. EXTEND is one of 10 QUERI centers funded in this round by VHA. More about the areas of focus TeleNeurology The team of research scientists will conduct a clustered randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of two teleneurology programs for outpatient post-stroke/transient ischemic attack consultations. One program is the standard consultation, where a specialist uses video technology to provide an evaluation and medical advice remotely. In the other program, called "Teleneurology to Local," local primary care providers are trained to provide the initial patient consultations with specialty e-consultation backup. The aim is to compare performance on stroke care quality metrics, patient and provider satisfaction, and costs of care. TelePain The TelePain project will focus on implementing collaborative care to help veterans manage chronic pain via primary care telehealth. These programs have been successful at reducing pain intensity and severity in a number of VA-funded studies, many led by VA and Regenstrief research scientists Kurt Kroenke, M.D., and Matthew Bair, M.D. "We are building from these models to implement them nationally into the recently formed VHA telehealth hubs," said Alan McGuire, PhD, VA research scientist and leader of the TelePain project. "Chronic pain is a serious problem faced by many veterans. We hope the TelePain program makes pain treatment accessible to a greater number of patients served by the VA." Dr. McGuire is also an associate research professor at IUPUI. The research scientists will test a high vs. low intensity implementation strategy bundle to determine implementation and effectiveness outcomes. Dr. Kroenke will serve as a consultant, and Dr. Bair will provide translational guidance. TeleGRACE The third component of EXTEND QUERI involves assessing the implementation of telehealth to extend the reach of the GRACE program, or Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders. The program is a multidisciplinary care model where geriatricians, social workers, nurses and primary care providers deliver home-based geriatric care management. The goal is to use technology to make GRACE available to veterans who live far away from a VA facility. Research scientists leading EXTEND QUERI Dr. Bravata is a co-leader of EXTEND and the leader of the TeleGRACE project, working with the VA Chief of Geriatrics, Cathy Schubert, M.D. Dr. Bravata will also co-lead the mentoring core. She is a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and a professor of clinical medicine at IU School of Medicine. She also serves as a core investigator for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Health Services Research and Development (VA HSR&D) Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC), Roudebush VA Medical Center. Dr. Damush is the corresponding EXTEND QUERI leader and will oversee the implementation arms of all three programs. She is also a co-leader of the mentoring core. In addition to her role as a research scientist at Regenstrief, she is a senior research professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. She also serves as a research career scientist at the VA HSR&D CHIC. Dr. McGuire is a core investigator for VA HSR&D CHIC, a clinical psychologist on staff at the VA, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI, and a clinical research scientist for the ACT Center of Indiana. In addition to leading the TelePain project, he will work on the rapid response core. Dr. Linda Williams first created and directed the QUERI Center in Indianapolis back in 2004. In addition to her role as a research scientist at Regenstrief, EXTEND QUERI co-leader Dr. Williams is a core investigator for VA HSR&D CHIC, and a clinical neurologist and director of the Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center at the Roudebush VA Medical Center. She also is a professor of neurology at IU School of Medicine. Laura Myers, PhD, from VA HSR&D CHIC, will lead the data core for QUERI Extend, enabling auditing and feedback on implementation strategies ### Other Regenstrief researchers involved in this project include Johanne Eliacin, PhD; David Haggstrom, M.D.; Marianne Matthias, PhD; Edward Miech, EdD; Nicholas Rattray, PhD; and Angela Rollins, PhD. The team will be joined by JoAnn Daggy, PhD, and Tony Perkins, M.S. from Indiana University; Lauren Penney, PhD, of San Antonio VAMC and the University of Texas, San Antonio; and John Ney, M.D. from University and Bedford VAMC. Jennifer Myers from the VA HSR&D CHIC is the project administrator. This project is funded by Veterans Health Administration HSR&D QUERI Program I50 HX003205-01 from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2025. EXTEND is one of ten QUERI Centers funded in this round by VHA. About the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Information and Communication The Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC) group is a diverse cadre of researchers joining together to transform the healthcare system, both within and outside the VA so every patient receives consistent, high-quality care. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its researchers are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About IU School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The Government of Uzbekistan pays great attention to the introduction of European standards in the textile production sector, a representative of Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztextileprom) told Trend in an interview. ISO quality standards are introduced in almost all enterprises of the Association's member enterprises. A number of large enterprises have Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) certificates, and established cooperation with international scientific institutes such as Hohenstein, KATRI, TUV and others. "Association, together with German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), started the project on sustainable development and added value in cotton industry, to introduce managers and agronomists of cotton-textile clusters to Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) quality standard. The trainings are conducted by international experts from the Organic Agriculture Research Institute (FiBL, Switzerland) and BCI certified experts," stated the representative. In 2019, the first organic cotton in Uzbekistan was grown and certified. This year, Uzbekistan planned to grow organic cotton on 1,000 hectares, and within the GIZ project cotton will be grown on 10,000 hectares, according to BCI standards. Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Turkey are the main consumers of textile products from Uzbekistan, State Committee on Statistics of Uzbekistan reported earlier. "Presently, Uzbekistan is capable to export yarns and fabrics to China, despite the fact that China is the leader in this field. The Baltic countries also show big interest in the product. Among other European countries, Poland is one of the largest importers of Uzbek textiles," stated the representative. The Government of Uzbekistan is working on obtaining status of a beneficiary country of European Union's system of preferences (GSP+) for Uzbek textile products, which will allow exporting the products to the EU market without duties. "We expect that following obtaining a GSP+ beneficiary country status, textile exports to the EU will increase several times," noted the representative of Uztextileprom. Uzbekistan is the sixth cotton manufacturer in the world. By the government decision, the country has completely abandoned the export of cotton fiber since 2019. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini TDT | Manama King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence Board of Trustees chairman Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa has lauded the contents of the annual 2019 report of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Human Rights and Democracy, citing its keenness to highlight Bahrains positive record in the field of religious freedom, which is included within the human rights field. Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa said that the praise of the Kingdoms human rights record by the annual report clearly reflects the extent to which religious freedom and belief is rooted in Bahrain, thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas sound visions, and keenness to reinforce the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence, as well as promote them locally and globally. The board chairman stressed that the report proves how the freedom of belief and worship is growing freely in Bahrain as an inherent right guaranteed by the constitution, being among the main human rights safeguarded in the Kingdom. This makes Bahrain a role model for guaranteeing and respecting religious freedoms regionally and globally, he said. Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa affirmed the King Hamad Global Centres commitment to continuing to launch more quality programmes that target a wider segment of Bahraini society, particularly youth of both genders, for the sake of instilling values of tolerance, co-existence, and respect for others, while focusing on conveying the most beautiful images in the models of freedom of religion and belief. Rep. Kim Sung-won, right, deputy floor leader of the main opposition United Future Party, and Rep. Kwon Eun-hee, floor leader of the minor opposition People's Party, submit an impeachment bill against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae to the National Assembly Secretariat, Monday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min The opposition are seeking to impeach Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae for "abuse of power" amid her conflict with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over how to carry out an investigation into an alleged blackmail case. The main opposition United Future Party (UFP), in partnership with the minor opposition People's Party, submitted an impeachment bill to oust the minister to the National Assembly Secretariat, Monday. "Minister Choo has violated laws governing the prosecution by abusing her power multiple times. She removed some prosecutors, who were doing their best in carrying out investigations, from their posts even though it was not a regular personnel reshuffle period," UFP floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young said during a party meeting at the Assembly earlier in the day. "Choo has committed the largest number of illegalities and damaged the independence of investigations more than any other former justice minister." According to the country's Constitution, a motion for impeachment against high-ranking government officials other than the President can be proposed when at least one third of the total 300 members of the Assembly agree to it. Such a motion can be passed when more than half of the total members vote for it. Under the law governing Assembly operations, a vote must be held between 24 and 72 hours after the impeachment bill is presented at a plenary session. The impeachment bill against Choo is likely to be submitted to the plenary session Tuesday and a vote may take place Friday. As the UFP holds 103 seats and the People's Party has three, while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) holds a supermajority of 176 seats, the bill is not likely to be passed; although Joo said, "I expect many DPK members to vote for the impeachment." This is not the first time for the opposition parties to seek to hold the justice minister in check. In early July, the UFP and the People's Party submitted a resolution calling for Choo to stop "suppressing" Yoon and maintain fairness in carrying her duties as minister. The UFP also proposed an impeachment bill as well during the 20th Assembly in July, but the bill was scrapped automatically as no plenary session was held within 72 hours. Since taking office in January this year, Choo has been in a power struggle with the prosecutor general. One of the clashes took place over the investigation into the blackmail case involving a former journalist and one of Yoon's close aides. Earlier this month, Yoon "gave in to" Choo by accepting the minister's order to recuse himself from the case. The investigation is currently being carried out by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office as Choo has called for; not by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office which Yoon wanted. Other cases they were at odds over included an inspection of the prosecution regarding a claim that prosecutors allegedly pressured witnesses to commit perjury in the probe of Han Myeong-sook, a former prime minister under the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Amid the conflict, Choo even said Yoon misdirected prosecutors as he did not "modestly listen to the justice minister's order." Two years into a very successful life span it looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has run into a potentially fatal display issue. As reported by Notebook Check many users have found a big issue with the display. This has forced many opt for a display replace outside of warranty. Many users have reported the device overheating as well as a yellow/green tint on the screen. This problem seems to have surfaced after a March security update. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 facing display issues Thus far the Galaxy Note 9 has stood the test of time broadly speaking. It received the 2.1 UI update this year even after many thought it would not. This kept it very much up to date with other models and kept users happy. Advertisement The device can now be purchased relatively cheaply as well given how old it is meaning that it continues to be a fan favourite. These reported of green/yellow tint and overheating are somewhat familiar. As is the issue springing up after a security update. A similar incident occurred on the Galaxy S20 Ultra earlier this year. The main difference between that situation and this was that most of the owners of Galaxy S20 Ultra still had the warranty to fall back on. Given the Note 9 has been out for around two years now this option is unlikely to work for these owners. Advertisement Samsung users may be forced to payout This could mean that Note 9 users may have to pay for a new display unit to repair their device. Thus far Samsung has offered little to no support for these issues and has no solution. Given it sprung from an internal update the hope is that the company may come up with a solution for owners. However, given the age of the device, this may not happen as the company may not view it as a priority. It looks like Note 9 users may have to pay up to $250 to fix their devices. This is very steep for a problem ultimately caused by Samsung themselves. Also considering how much a Note 9 is now worth, it probably is not worth spending that money. Advertisement Owners can still hold out hope that Samsung will come up with some solution. However, the longer the wait goes on the less likely that is to happen. Given the age of the device, if Samsung does not offer anything this may well be the end of Note 9 altogether. Teachers have vowed to show their students a map of Australia with original Aboriginal names of capital cities in a bid to better educate kids about the nation's indigenous history. Aboriginal studies group Connecting with Country posted a photo of the map to social media, titled: 'All our capital cities had names long before 1788,' referring to the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia. The map shows the Indigenous name for Perth as Boorloo, Darwin as Garrmalang, Brisbane as Meanjin, Melbourne as Naarm, Hobart as Nipaluna, Adelaide as Tarndanya, and Sydney as Warrang. The post gained attention from a number of teachers, who pledged to incorporate lessons about Australia's Aboriginal history and original names into their classes' curriculum. Aboriginal studies group Connecting with Country posted a photo of the map to social media, titled: 'All our capital cities had names long before 1788,' referring to the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia 'Thank you for sharing this. I've taken a screen shot so I can share it with my Year 5 class tomorrow,' one teacher said. 'I have added it to my slide presentation on Australian Geography for Year 3s,' said another. There was debate over the use Sydney's Aboriginal name 'Warrang,' with one person pointing out that Guringgai, Dharug, Gundungurra and Darawal are actually the city's names. 'These words do not pertain to tribes they are the names of areas they are not language areas or tribal areas they are geographical derived from the physical features of those areas which are embedded in the landscape,' the Facebook user said. 'To suggest that Sydney had a name before 1788 is incorrect as Sydney did not exist until 1788.' It comes after the Black Lives Matter gained momentum in Australia, with calls for certain states' names to be changed to avoid honouring colonialism. Aboriginal activist and former MP Lidia Thorpe called for Victoria's name to be changed because the state is named after British Empire ruler Queen Victoria. 'Anything that's named after someone who's caused harm or murdered people, then I think we should take their name down,' she said. Black Lives Matter protests also sparked calls to tear down monuments linked to Australia's colonial past. A 50-year-old statue of Captain Cook in Cairns is under threat after activists petitioned for it to be torn down over the British Royal Navy captain's treatment of Aboriginal people when his ship landed in Australia. The petition claims the statue is a 'slap in the face to all indigenous people', saying Cook's legacy was one of 'forced removal, slavery, genocide and stolen land'. Two other statues of the explorer, both in Sydney, have already been defaced as Black Lives Matter protests shine a light on racial inequality. There are growing calls for statues of Cook to be removed, though Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the explorer's legacy and controversially declared there was 'no slavery in Australia' - a comment he has since apologised for. Aboriginal activist and former MP Lidia Thorpe called for Victoria's name to be changed because the state is named after British Empire ruler Queen Victoria 'It's a slap in the face to all indigenous people,' a petition read. 'For us it represents dispossession, forced removal, slavery, genocide, stolen land, and loss of culture - among many other things.' Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has also voiced his support for the statues to stay. 'You can't rewrite history, you have to learn from it,' he told Sydney radio 2GB. 'The idea that you go back to year zero of history is in my view, just quite frankly unacceptable.' Mr Morrison has previously said he wanted to help the public to gain a better understanding of Captain Cook's historic voyage. 'That voyage is the reason Australia is what it is today and it's important we take the opportunity to reflect on it,' Mr Morrison said. New Delhi, July 20 : The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, will hold deliberations this week in Bhopal which are slated to be attended by its top functionaries including chief Mohan Bhagwat. This meeting, slated to be held between July 22 and July 25, assumes significance as it will come ahead of the much-speculated cabinet reshuffle. Apart from Bhagwat, General Secretary Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, and Joint General Secretaries Dattatreya Hosabale and Krishna Gopal will be present. The RSS top brass will take stock of organisational work, including that of its various affiliates, which had slowed down due to the pandemic. A resolution may also be passed in favour of 'Made in India' products and boycotting Chinese items, say sources. The RSS, earlier in a meeting in New Delhi, took a decision to lead the nationwide campaign against Chinese products. Since "Swadeshi" is a crucial part of the RSS, it is likely to brainstorm on ways and means it can use its massive cadre force to strengthen the Narendra Modi government's call for "Aatmanirbhar Bharat". Sources indicate that the RSS may also throw its weight behind the Modi government over its handling of the India-China border tussle that saw 20 Indian soldiers die in eastern Ladakh. With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi releasing new videos intermittently to question the government over the issue, that too is quite a possibility, added the RSS source. PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- interCaribbean Airways is pleased to announce new connecting services in the Eastern Caribbean between Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. With flights already available to St. Lucia, interCaribbean announces effective August 1, connecting services will commence from Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport to Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica. The scheduled expansion in the Eastern Caribbean will give connective travel to the existing 22 cities served by interCaribbean across its Pan-Caribbean network as services are restored. For more than two decades, interCaribbean' operations have been focused to the western area of the Caribbean, with services in some of the region's major cities in Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos. Established over 28 years ago by founder and present-day Chairman Lyndon Gardiner, a Turks & Caicos Islander, interCaribbean has been aggressively broadening its scope across the region in the last decade. In commenting on the actualization of his vision to become a household name in Caribbean travel, Founder and Chairman, Mr. Gardiner, states, "Building interCaribbean into what it is today has taken the full dedication of my entire team. The direction of the last 10 years culminates in introducing these new services to deliver a Caribbean-born and grown airline and become a leader in the region. It is my desire that every budding entrepreneur follows their calling and works towards their dreams. I did not start out imagining what we have become today, but continually calibrated and maximized every potential opportunity to grow this company. Our goal now is to fully consolidate ourselves in the region and become a globally recognized brand." The company rebranded in 2013 from Air Turks & Caicos to interCaribbean Airways, to create a true Caribbean brand that each country could proudly call their own. Company CEO, Trevor Sadler, stated, "the demand for our flights across the Caribbean continues to grow, with the introduction of jet aircraft into our fleet with more coming soon. We truly look forward to offering an optimal interCaribbean experience to the satisfaction of all customers. Never has it been easier to get around the Caribbean." With an impeccable safety record, and a pledge to offer more affordable air travel, interCaribbean promises to take advantage of the existing and emerging opportunities to propel Caribbean integration, and deliver a service that is accessible to everyone across a region bound together by history and culture. Visit interCaribbean.com to learn more about the company and its operations. About interCaribbean interCaribbean operates ERJ145 50 seat jets, EMB 120 30 seat Turbo Prop and 19 seat Twin Otter aircraft. Connecting the Turks & Caicos Islands, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Dominica, St Lucia and St. Maarten. Domestic flights are operated in the Turks & Caicos Islands, as well as in Jamaica between Kingston and Montego Bay. Media contact: Trevor Sadler 649-443-3102 [email protected] SOURCE interCaribbean Airways LONDON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Hoc Group of Ecuador Bondholders (the "Ad Hoc Group") is pleased to announce that it supports the commercial terms of the restructuring of all ten series of Ecuador's c.$17.4 billion in outstanding sovereign bonds and the legal enhancements to the Republic of Ecuador's indentures, as published today in the Republic of Ecuador's Consent Solicitation and Invitation to Exchange (the "Invitation"). The Ad Hoc Group comprises major institutional holders of Ecuador's external sovereign debt including, among others, funds managed or advised by AllianceBernstein, Ashmore Investment Management Limited and Ashmore Investment Advisors Limited, Ayres Investment Management LLP, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and its affiliates, BlueBay Asset Management LLP, and Wellington Management Company LLP. The Ad Hoc Group is advised by its international legal counsel, White & Case LLP. Funds managed or advised by members of the Ad Hoc Group collectively hold in excess of 53% of Ecuador's total outstanding sovereign bonds, including either in excess of or close to 50% in almost every individual series. The members of the Ad Hoc Group believe the successful completion of the transactions contemplated by the Invitation will make a substantial contribution to ensuring the sustainability of Ecuador's external debt in the medium term, paving the way for the country to achieve strong, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth. Alongside fresh financial support from the IMF and other international partners of Ecuador, the debt relief provided by Ecuador's bondholders upon completion of the announced restructuring will help the government respond effectively to the twin COVID and economic crises facing the country. The successful completion of Ecuador's debt restructuring will set an important precedent for post-COVID emerging market sovereign debt resolution, demonstrating how a debtor-creditor relationship founded on principles of good faith and mutual understanding can lead to a positive outcome for all parties. Announcement: Moody's withdraws equity fund assessment for one fund managed by Administradora de Titulos y Valores S.G.F.C.I.S.A. Global Credit Research - 20 Jul 2020 Buenos Aires City, July 20, 2020 -- Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo S.A. has today withdrawn the assessment of Alianza de Capitales FCI (The fund), a balanced fund managed by Administradora de Titulos y Valores S.G.F.C.I.S.A. (ATV). The fund is withdrawn at EF-4 equity fund assessment. ASSESSMENT RATIONALE Moody's has decided to withdraw the assessment for its own business reasons. Please refer to the Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo Policy for Withdrawal of Credit Ratings, available on its website, www.moodys.com.ar. ATV is a small-size Argentinian asset manager with 0.01% market share. As of June 2020, ATV had assets under management of approximately ARS 134 million. The principal Rating Procedure Manual used in assigning this rating was the Procedures Manual for Assessing the Investment Quality of Equity and Mixed Mutual Funds published in November 2019 registered with the CNV -- Comision Nacional de Valores in Argentina. Please see the Manuales de Procedimientos page on www.moodys.com.ar for a copy of this document. This rating has been assigned through processes that are consistent with those employed for the assignment of ratings of similar securities or entities by other affiliates of Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo in other jurisdictions under the methodology Investment Quality of Equity Funds published in September 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1194058. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. Please see www.moodys.com.ar for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. 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. Story continues Juan Bogarin Analyst Funds & Asset Management JOURNALISTS: 1 800 666 3506 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Marc R. Pinto, CFA MD - Financial Institutions Funds & Asset Management JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Latin America ACR Ing. Butty 240 16th Floor Buenos Aires City C1001AFB Argentina JOURNALISTS: 1 800 666 3506 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 2020 Moody's Corporation, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Moody's Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, "MOODY'S"). All rights reserved. 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Theres been a lot reported about San Francisco residents fleeing the city, causing rents to plummet and SF home sales finally embracing transparent pricing. But when looking at data from online real estate platforms, most of the real estate searching is still happening within the metro area and throughout California. According to Zumper, if you look at where people in San Francisco are searching to move on their site, in April and May 2020, the San Francisco Bay Area metro was still the #1 most searched for area, taking up 72% of total searches. This was followed by Sacramento, Los Angeles, Sonoma County and Seattle-Tacoma, showing that people seem to want to stay in California and definitely on the West Coast if they can. Redfin data shows a similar trend, with most Bay Area residents searching the real estate site within the Bay Area itself. Sacramento is the second most searched city, followed by Los Angeles and Seattle. Were seeing that people want more space and more land during this time, said Redfin lead economist Taylor Marr. Homebuyers are increasingly searching for only single-family homes. For people who may only commute into the office one day a week and work from home the rest of time, I think it will cause some of them to move to the suburbs, exurbs and second-cities like Sacramento, that are a long commute away from the Bay Area but still within a two-hour drive." A recent study done by Apartment List showed there may actually be less people considering moving out of the Bay Area than before the pandemic. There were 37.1% of San Francisco users considering leaving the region altogether and moving to a different metro now as compared to 39% prior to the pandemic. RELATED: SF homebuyers get pickier amid pandemic concerns, agents say The share of San Francisco users looking to move to suburban parts of the metro increased from 20% prior to the pandemic to 21.8% from April through June. There has been a nine percent quarter-over-quarter increase San Francisco residents searching for apartments in nearby secondary cities, such as Oakland and Berkeley, but interest in leaving the Bay Area, and especially leaving California, has declined substantially, according to the Apartment List study. Most notably, the share of users searching for apartments in lower-density cities remains stable, signaling that for many San Franciscans, moves are motivated by the search for more affordable housing, rather than a decreased interest in an urban lifestyle. People have always left the Bay Area for less expensive places, Marr said. As more companies follow in the footsteps of Facebook, Twitter and Slack in announcing permanent remote work policies, some tech workers are moving to different parts of the country but most of them have other reasons to stay put, like friends, family and culture. I think with remote work being an option for more people, the trend of leaving the Bay Area will accelerate slightly but not dramatically. Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa. When Robert Dick Tips great-grandfather bought land on the South Side of San Antonio that would become Texas first perpetual care cemetery, he also bought a family Bible. In it, Will H. Chambers wrote words of wisdom to his wife, for whom he bought the land as a wedding gift in 1907. His jottings include observations on how to get through tough times, including the annus horribilis of 1918, when the Spanish flu killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide and more than 880 in San Antonio. He wrote: Unvarnish the layers of complacency and prepare yourself for a formidable adversary. We find ourself in troubling and difficult times where we are saddened to avoid public spaces. Most have retired to their quarters and the streets are empty, rightfully so. As we dig each grave by hand we pray for our fellow man. Fast forward 102 years. Tips and his wife, Kristin, who own Mission Park Funeral Chapels, Cemeteries & Crematories, an end-of-life empire that sprang from that one plot of land, have used Chambers words to help them navigate a 21st century pandemic. His number one advice was, Be prepared, said Dick, who is chairman and CEO of the company, which includes nine funeral homes and three more under construction. So thats what we did. Bob Owen /Staff photographer As the coronavirus pandemic grinds on, funeral homes are having to deal with an influx of corpses and distraught families trying to properly grieve for their loved ones in the time of COVID-19. Some funeral home directors say their business has doubled and even tripled, especially in the last two weeks. Last Monday, we had 30 families here throughout the day, for funerals, cremations, to set up future funerals, said Guadalupe Delgado, who has owned Delgado Funeral Home on the West Side for 25 years. Its been extremely stressful, but were getting through it. Tony Hendricks, chief operating officer of Lewis Funeral Home, the oldest African American funeral home in San Antonio, said his staff handled the burial of the citys first COVID fatality in March, an 84-year-old Black woman. After that, there were one or two. But now were getting four or five (COVID deaths) in one week, and theyre still coming, he said. In March, as the Tipses watched the coronavirus chaos unfolding in New York swamped funeral homes, overflowing morgues, bodies illegally stacked in U-Hauls they began building a $500,000 cooler facility that could store up to 500 bodies. They questioned the wisdom of the project surely their existing copious capacity could handle the viral dead. We were hoping wed never have to use it, Kristin, the president and funeral director, said Wednesday. We turned it on this week. With the COVID-19 death toll mounting every day 176 people in Bexar County since June 1 some funeral directors worry the tidal wave that paralyzed the industry in New York City, where almost 23,000 have died, could happen here. In any case, the virus has already changed the face of grief for many in San Antonio. Initially, some families decided to put off funerals, hoping to wait until a time of lessened social restrictions, so more could come together safely to celebrate the life of the deceased. One funeral director said many families are reversing course on that, given the second surge of the virus and the unknown future. The idealized way most people hope to say goodbye holding a loved ones hand as they gently slip away is generally out for those whose relatives die of COVID. Most families dont get to see or talk to their stricken loved ones in the hospital, except via a video screen. Some mortuaries arent even conducting funerals anymore, given the contagiousness of the virus even on cadavers. They offer to quickly bury or cremate them, Delgado said. Bexar County has acquired two refrigerated trucks, each with room for 24 to 36 bodies, officials at the Metropolitan Health District said. Three more were on the way, a bleak convoy in dark times. The trucks will accommodate an overflow of deceased virus victims at area hospitals, when their morgues are maxed out, and a backlog of bodies at funeral homes, as a wave of families seek help and some delay the final salute. On ExpressNews.com: Refrigerated trucks on standby as deaths continue This is a morbid topic, and not one we enjoy talking about, said Mario Martinez, assistant director of Metro Health. But it underscores the severity of COVID-19 in our community. The sky is not falling The Tipses said that, unlike what happened in New York, their funeral chapels and cemeteries have not been overwhelmed, perhaps owing to the size of their network. They have not had to turn anyone away, even as the number of families seeking services has doubled since April. We dont want to give the impression that the sky is falling, said Dick. Things are just a little bit different. But adjustments have been necessary. Funeral home chapels fall under the same state regulations as houses of worship, which means theres no strict limit on how many mourners can attend a service as long as physical distancing is observed. Members of the same household may sit together but must stay at least 6 feet apart from other families and must leave every other row empty. Kristin said most families have chosen to limit the number of guests at visitations, rosaries and funerals to 10, in accordance with city-county restrictions on social gatherings. Its a hard decision, to pick which 10 people to invite, but most families are being very careful and understanding, she said. Bob Owen /Staff photographer Like other funeral homes in San Antonio, Mission Park has created alternatives to in-person funerals, such as drive-thru visitations, livestreamed funeral services and video obituaries. Funeral arrangements now can be made virtually or over the telephone. They created a drive-in theater option at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South on Southeast Military Drive, where mourners can observe a livestreamed funeral in the chapel on an outdoor digital screen while in their cars. We had more than 200 cars at one service, Dick said. We have parking lot monitors, who make sure people stay in their vehicles. The couple has plans to install 10 more of the 25-by-15-foot screens at their other funeral chapels. The Tipses said its not unusual for business to increase in the summer, when more people die from heat-related causes in San Antonio. COVID has complicated the situation, with some people avoiding seeking medical help for fear of the virus, until its too late, Kristin said. The Tipses said they will offer rented space in their new cooler to funeral homes, hospitals, nursing homes and other groups if the need arises. The dangers of embalming Helen Loring Dear of Porter Loring Mortuaries, founded in 1918, doesnt want to talk about the refrigerated truck she rented to serve as a makeshift morgue. She wants to respect the dignity and privacy of the families who seek services at Porter Loring. Dear, the great-granddaughter of Porter Loring Sr., said a truck arrived a few months ago for their McCullough Avenue funeral home as they were expecting the worst from the virus. She ended up returning it, but recently rented it again. Dear declined to say how much its being used. But she is forthcoming about the changes shes had to make at the funeral home near downtown. (Theres a second Porter Loring Mortuary on the far North Side.) The chapel can hold 300 but is now limited to gatherings of 50, with mandatory physical distancing. The smaller chapel that seats 80 is now limited to 20 mourners. Funeral arrangements can now be made via Zoom or phone. Services can be livestreamed or recorded from the funeral home or from churches or cemeteries. Everyone entering or leaving the mortuary is screened, including at a kiosk where temperatures can be checked. The biggest challenge for us is just keeping up with the state and local restrictions and regulations, making sure were abiding by all of them and relaying them to the families were assisting, she said. Family members who couldnt be there when their loved one died, because of visiting restrictions at the hospital or nursing home, can see them one last time, Dear said. They can have an open casket, if they wish, she said. We are placing what we call a veil over the casket, to prevent anyone from touching the deceased. For an open casket, the body must be embalmed, a process that comes with its own set of dangers for coronavirus victims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for the procedure, although the World Health Organization has recommended against embalming COVID-infected corpses. During embalming, a cadaver can expel aerosol droplets and other fluids that contain the still-live virus. To mitigate the risk, Dears staff waits 72 hours before embalming a confirmed or suspected victim of the coronavirus. Staff members wear additional protective gear. The same applies when employees are sent to retrieve a body infected with the virus from a hospital or nursing home. Dear said that as important as it is to say goodbye to a loved one, memorializing the persons life with friends and family is equally meaningful a ritual the virus has truncated. Bob Owen /Staff photographer Intimate encounters with hugs, tears and reminiscences are not possible now. Instead, a small circle of mourners wear masks, keep their distance from one another, and wash their hands. Closure may be hard to come by. Porter Loring has offered ways to help the healing process, and not just through livestreamed services or COVID-19 Zoom support groups. Mourners can send short video memorials viewable only by family members. They can sign an online guestbook. You can send photos and a voice message to a family via our website, Dear said. We will then place them in the chapel during the service. The last responders Hendricks of Lewis Funeral Home established in 1909 said the East Side institution has had enough refrigerated space in its morgue to accommodate the COVID-19 dead so far. But hes nervous about what could happen if the surge in infections and deaths doesnt abate. I foresee having to get a (refrigerated) truck, yes, he said. I see what has happened at other funeral homes across the nation, in New York and New Jersey, and I hope it doesnt get that way here. Hendricks said the embalming staff now treats every cadaver as if it was infected with the virus, using heightened precautions, because you never know. Someone who died in a car wreck might have COVID but was never tested for it, he said. The death certificate could say blunt force trauma but that person could have been infected. This is like AIDS but scarier, because there are just so many unknowns with the virus. And its airborne, living on surfaces. Its just a very scary situation. Bob Owen /Staff photographer Hendricks said he hasnt had to hire more staff. Hes able to handle the increase with his 15 full-time and 25 part-time employees. In many Black communities, the neighborhood funeral home is something of an iconic presence, which is true of the 111-year-old Lewis Funeral Home. It may be especially hard-hit by the virus because, while Black people comprise 8.6 percent of Bexar Countys population, they represent 11 percent of all COVID-19-related deaths to date, according to Metro Health records. People of color are dying at higher rates from the virus in part because of underlying health conditions diabetes, lung ailments, high blood pressure. Those conditions themselves are often the outgrowth of historical inequality and poverty, experts say. On ExpressNews.com: Low-income residents more likely to have worse outcomes with COVID Hendricks said that at first families were disgruntled when told of limits on the number of mourners who could gather in the 250-seat chapel or when the home discontinued its limousine service for funeral processions. Now, everyone is seeing the impact, so theyre pretty much OK with livestreamed services, with gatherings limited to around 10 people, he said. Everyones seeing these numbers going up, so families arent questioning anymore. Delgado, of Delgado Funeral Home, said the drastic increase in his business may mean other mortuaries have been unable or unwilling to deal with potentially contagious corpses. At this point, a lot of the smaller funeral homes are no longer accepting (those whove died from COVID) for viewing and funeral services, he said. They will only do direct graveside burial or cremations. People want to see their loved ones one last time, so theyre coming to us. He puts a glass shield over the casket during services to prevent transmission, he said. Delgados funeral home has five full-time staff members and two chapels that seat 300 and 80, respectively hes allowing only 25 people in each now. He said business has been so frantic that hes building a walk-in cooler to store up to 15 bodies. It should be ready in two weeks, he said. Delgados existing coolers can handle four bodies, which used to be enough. Not anymore. Hendricks, at Lewis Funeral Home, has watched as the nation focused its attention on first responders the nurses, doctors and emergency medical workers on the front lines of the pandemic. Well, those of us in the funeral business are last responders, he said. And were just trying to stay safe while we meet the needs of our families. Those who dont think we matter are in for a rude awakening. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. To read more from Melissa , become a subscriber. mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will today continue with its investigative hearing on the alleged financial recklessness at the commission. Expected to appear before the panel are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and the Acting Managing Director of the agency, Daniel Pondei, who was summoned at the last sitting on Friday. Mr Pondei, on Thursday, led a walkout on the committee. He appeared with other management staff of the commission, and accused the chairman of the house committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of corruption. He said because of that, his team will not speak before the committee. In May, a group accused Mr Tunji-Ojo of having benefited from award of contracts in the commission. The lawmaker, however, described the allegations as shameful and baseless. A lot of controversies have emerged in the NDDC in the past one year. Due to criticisms of the operations of the commission, President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2019, ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the organisation from 2001 to 2019. Lawmakers also commenced investigating the new management of the commission in May. ===================================== ===================================== PREMIUM TIMES will bring to you live updates of the panels sitting on Monday. The hearing is set to commence by 11 a.m. Stay on this page for the live updates. Lawmakers and invited guests seated at the venue of the investigation of alleged financial recklessness by the NDDC currently going on at the House of Representatives Lawmakers and invited guests seated at the venue of the investigation of alleged financial recklessness by the NDDC currently going on at the House of Representatives Lawmakers and invited guests seated at the venue of the investigation of alleged financial recklessness by the NDDC currently going on at the House of Representatives Lawmakers and invited guests seated at the venue of the investigation of alleged financial recklessness by the NDDC currently going on at the House of Representatives 11:07am Lawmakers already seated at the venue. Protocol officers of the ministry of Niger Delta affairs are already in the hall, an indication that the minister, Godswill Akpabio will honour the invitation. Earlier this morning, there were protests against the NDDC management at the gates of the National Assembly. The protesters were stopped by the police. 11:23am Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio has arrived the venue. The hearing has commenced. The chairman of the committee ordered that all armed security men be sent out of the venue. We have not condemned anybody, anybody who has any allegation against me should report to the relevant security agency. This investigation is not about anybody, its about the good of the people of the Niger Delta. I want to say it clearly that any issue against my person, I will please appeal that this can be sent to the relevant anti-corruption agency. I dont enjoy immunity. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, chairman of the house committee on NDDC said. The Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has stepped aside as head of the panel investigating alleged financial recklessness in the NDDC. He stated this on Monday during the continued hearing in the National Assembly. The NDDC acting managing director, Daniel Pondei, had on Thursday led a walkout on the committee. Advertisements Mr Pondei, who appeared with other management staff of the commission, accused Mr Tunji-Ojo of corruption. He said because of that, his team will not speak before the committee. The lawmakers later passed a vote of confidence on the committee chairman while they asked Mr Pondei and the Niger Delta minister to appear before the committee today, Monday. Both men appeared before the committee and were still there at the time of this report. In his remark, while stepping down, on Monday, Mr Tunji-Ojo said though he had the support of his colleagues, he preferred to step aside in order to give all parties a fair hearing. More details shortly The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Thomas Ereyitomi, has taken over as the coordinator. The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Mr Ereyitomi, is reading the verbatim report of the last sitting where the former acting MD, Joi Nunieh, appeared via Zoom. Some companies and civil society organisations also testified last Friday. The acting NDDC MD, Daniel Pondei, is the first to be quizzed. He has been placed on oath. Mr Pondei started by apologizing for the event which led to his walk out last week. He said the N81.5 billion was spent from October 2019 to May 31, 2020, indicating that it was spent by the interim managements within that period. He said from January May, N34 billion was given by the FG. He also said N51.9 billion was the amount spent by his committee out of the N81.5 billion our of which they used N38.6 billion for capital projects. He said all the hotels in Port Harcourt are being owed by NDDC, which he said he has settled. The N81.5 billion was spent between October 2019 and October 2020, the NDDC acting MD, Daniel Pondei, said. Of this, the incumbent interim management committee spent N59.1 billion. A total of N38.6 billion was spent on capital projects, he said. He said N35.3 billion of this was paid to contractors, whom he said were hired by previous administrations. Also, he added, N20.5 billion was spent on recurrent expenditure between February 20, 2019, and May 21, 2020. They are a backlog of debt for about three years, he said. Duty tour allowance hasnt been paid for three years; we cleared it, he added. Scholarship fee hasnt been paid since 2016, he said, adding that the NDDC paid N500,000 to each beneficiary. He said he has documents to respond to different accusations against the NDDC which has been put in the public domain. But the lawmakers declined the request. They asked him to speak only on documents he is tendering. He said there is a road called Infant Jesus in Delta State which has been a subject of controversy. A large chunk of money was approved for Infant Jesus by the NDDC, he said. Mr Pondei said he should be allowed to give his presentation since so many orders were allowed to do so without interruption. In responding to allegations against the IMC that they paid themselves for scholarship, Mr Pondei said scholarship payments for beneficiaries are being processed, adding that payments will be made for students from 2016 till date. He said the amount the IMC used to take care of NDDC staff as COVID-19 palliative was N1.32 billion, not 1.5 billion. He also disagreed with the committee that he went on extrabudgetary spending by approving that sum for themselves. The acting MD said he paid N641 million to Clear Point Communications to get local people to identify sites for NDDC projects because most times when they go on inspection, people do not know where the projects are. Mr Pondei slumps during the hearing and was promptly rushed to the hospital. He was answering questions posed by lawmakers when he slumped. The panel has gone on a 30 minutes break following the collapse of Mr Pondei All occupants in the hall have been asked to go out for a fresh screening. The lawmakers are yet to return and announce their next line of action. Mr Akpabio and the Executive Director (Projects) of the NDDC are still around. Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Majority Leader Alhassan Doguwa have joined the committee members. The Speaker apologised for the non-condusive nature of the hall. Im just wearing a two-piece agbada and I can feel the heat, he said, we are sorry for the condition under which you all are. This is not an adversarial nor even inquisitory hearing, the speaker said, its just a fact-finding hearing. 2:24 The Speaker and his entourage left the hall, urging the NDDC committee to carry on with the hearing. 2:26 p.m. The NDDC minister, Godswill Akpabio, was called forward for his testimony. 2:28 Mr Akpabio was placed on oath. As he began to give his account, Mr Akpabio requested that the doors be opened since the air conditioner has failed. Mr Akpabio said it wont be fair for lawmakers to give him just 10 to 15 minutes while other people were given more time to assassinate his character. He said since the chairman of the NDDC committee had recused himself, the investigation should be done afresh. The minister said the administration of the former MD of NDDC, Joy Nunieh, spent N23 billion while in office. Mr Akpabio tendered a document to the committee denouncing the claim by the former NDDC MD, Joy Nunieh, that he coerced her to take an oath. N40 billion cannot go missing from the account of the NDDC because it is domiciled in the CBN. Before this administration, NDDC had over 300 bank accounts with various commercial banks, Godswill Akpabio On the alleged missing N40 billion, he said no money was missing as the money is domiciled in the CBN. He added that before, when over 300 accounts were run by the NDDC, it was possible for such amount to be missing. But with the TSA used by NDDC under the current administration, it is not possible for such amount to get missing. He said part of the N1.5bn COVID-19 allowance that was earlier mentioned was also paid to retired staff. Mr Akpabio said there is an ongoing forensic audit, and he has not hijacked it. He explained that the source of funding the commission includes the statutory transfers by the federal government and the 23 per cent accrual from oil companies. N71 billion was released out of the N100 billion allocated to the NDDC in 2019, Mr Akpabio said. Asked by House spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu, if he has ever acted as the MD of the NDDC, Mr Akpabio said when things are not going as they ought to, he wades in. In one day, Mr Akpabio said, at a management meeting, some management members were paid N49 million each, and a total of N4.2 billion was withdrawn in a single day. He said the details of that spending have been submitted to the forensic audit committee. When asked why a medical doctor was appointed to be an executive director of projects, Mr Akpabio said the person should be someone who is versed in project coordination. The greatest project in the world is medical, which is COVID-19. He added that 60 per cent of the projects by NDDC are health-focused. Who will best fit the position of the executive director projects than a medical doctor who will implement the 60 per cent of the projects? he asked rhetorically. Most of the contracts in NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly, Mr Akpabio said. He said he is aware of these contracts but only the two chairmen will benefit from it. We must not allow the two chairmen of the committee to hijack the budget, he said. Mr Akpabio in his submission said he was misunderstood. He added that contracts were not given to the committee chairman, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. I dont think the NDDC has given any contract directly to Honorable Ojo, he said. 4:26 The committee completes the session with Mr Akpabio after which there was a request for adjournment of the meeting. The hearing has been adjourned indefinitely. Just before the hearing was finally ended, Kolawole Johnson goes under the oath and was asked to give his statement in five minutes. Mr Johnson is the Head of Research at the Act for Positive Transformation Initiatives, an NGO. NDDC spent N19.6 billion between June 1 and July 17, Mr Johnson said. If during investigation this is going on? he said. Mr Chairman, we have a long way to go in Nigeria. 4:41 After about 6 hours, the session was finally adjourned. GLENS FALLS U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand visited Glens Falls on Monday to call on the federal government to provide relief funding for local governments as the coronavirus continues to impact revenues. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said small governments like those in Warren County, including Glens Falls, face a substantial revenue shortfall because of the pandemic, and if relief from the federal level doesnt come soon, local governments will be forced to raise taxes or cut services. If the federal government fails to send state and local governments the direct aid they need, states will be forced to choose between raising taxes on families who are already struggling and cannot afford it, or making billions of dollars of cuts, she said. In Glens Falls, the city is currently facing a revenue loss of between 20% and 25%, Mayor Dan Hall said. We got to try and make it up somewhere, so any help we can get from the federal government, state government, were sure open to it, he said. The city, Hall said, has been operating with a reduced staff for the past number of years, but without federal aid, reductions in services are likely. No cuts have been made as of yet, and Hall said he hopes to avoid any as the city begins its budget-making process next month. Hopefully, well be OK. Were just hoping that we get some help from the federal government, Hall said. Gillibrand is one of the sponsors of a $1 trillion funding package that would provide relief for local governments. A similar bill cleared the Democrat-controlled House in May, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has yet to bring it to the floor of the Republican-controlled Senate for a vote. McConnell has said the federal government shouldnt provide relief to state and local governments, and instead has introduced similar legislation focused on providing relief to small businesses. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has for months criticized McConnell for his stance. New York currently faces a $13 billion deficit because of the pandemic. Gillibrand said the state will look to smaller governments to fill its own budget gap, meaning higher taxes for already struggling New Yorkers. This funding has real consequences on the lives of real people, she said. Meanwhile, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, has introduced her own legislation that aims to provide relief for struggling local governments. Stefanik is a sponsor of the SMART Act, which would provide $500 billion in aid to states, counties and smaller municipalities. The congresswoman has repeatedly called on the federal government to fund local governments since the onset of the pandemic, which first took root in New York back in March. In Glens Falls, Gillibrand said Congress has a lot to discuss before its August recess. Among those items is a decision on whether to provide another stimulus package to every American and extend a $600 unemployed insurance benefit to those who lost their job because of the pandemic. Republicans and the business community have spoken out against extending the enhanced unemployment benefit, arguing it has kept people out of work, but Gillibrand and other Democrats have argued the funds are necessary to keep families impacted by the pandemic afloat. Still, Gillibrand said ensuring local governments have relief is a priority for her in the coming weeks. Our local governments and our state governments should not be forced to wait another day, she said. Reporter Michael Goot contributed to this report. Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold. Love 7 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Fox News host has grilled Donald Trump, after the president bragged about acing a cognitive test, without providing any proof, or information about the test. Last week, the president claimed he recently did a test, claiming his results astounded doctors. However as CNN pointed out, the president, nor the White House, provided any information regarding the test. It now appears the test Mr Trump was referring to was the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa), which healthcare professionals use to identify a patients cognitive health and indicate whether they might be suffering from dementia. Sitting down with Chris Wallace on Sunday, local time, the Fox News host questioned Mr Trump on the test, which includes identifying animals and thinking of words that start with a specific letter. Donald Trump asserted Joe Biden could not pass the same test he supposedly 'aced'. Source: Fox News Mr Wallace brought up a recent poll which showed respondents believed the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, is more mentally fit to be president. I tell you what, lets take a test, Mr Trump said after the journalist presented him with the Fox News poll results. Joe and I will take a test, let him take the same test that I took. Mr Wallace then interrupted and said he took the same test the president was referring to. Well, its not the hardest test, Mr Wallace said, adding one of the questions asks the participant to identify three animals, one being an elephant. See, thats all misrepresentation, Mr Trump fired back. Because yes, the first few questions are easy, but I bet you couldnt even answer the last five questions, I bet you couldnt, they get very hard. Chris Wallace questioned Donald Trump on the test, which the president claims was "hard". Source: Fox News Well one of them was count back from 100 by seven, Wallace said. Let me tell you, you couldnt answer, you couldnt answer many of the questions. Ill get you the test, Id like to give it to you, Mr Trump said. But I guarantee you that Joe Biden could not answer those questions. Mr Trump claimed he answered all 35 questions on the test correctly. Last week he said he took the test recently and his result proved he was all there. Story continues How to cognitive pic.twitter.com/YM51OJ58qA Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) July 10, 2020 The US president told Fox News host Sean Hannity the doctors were very surprised by his results. I proved I was all there because I aced it. I aced the test," he claimed. Given the advanced age of Joe Biden, 77, and Donald Trump, 74, the mental capacity of both men has become a small election issue after the Trump campaign sought to seize on gaffes made by Mr Biden to cast doubt on his cognitive abilities. Painful to watch, but good job by Chris Wallace. Displays the psychological test that President Trump said he aced and claimed doctors were very surprised by his unbelievable results. Wallace: The test asks you to identify an elephant. pic.twitter.com/IYSoBThrcd Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) July 19, 2020 In 2018, Trump also took the MoCa assessment, and as Dr David Knopman, a Mayo Clinic neurologist who chairs the Alzheimers Associations medical and scientific advisory council pointed out two years ago, the test is not considered definitive. Its ultimately only a first pass at cognition, he told the Associated Press. Its not a diagnostic test, but its pretty sensitive in picking up subtle changes in cognition, things involving memory, attention and language but not mental health issues, Dr Ranit Mishori, professor of family medicine at Georgetown University added back in 2018. The test asks people to identify animals, draw objects like a clock face with a specific time, and come up with a number of words that begin with a certain letter in a set amount of time. Failing does not mean someone has dementia. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is a cognitive exam, which helps doctors determine a patient's cognitive function. Source: parkinsons.va.gov There might be a fixable problem, like depression or medication side effects. Maybe the person isnt a good test-taker, or, for counting task, was never very good at maths. In 2018, the test was widely discussed, which could make the test redundant. If people practice it, guess what? Its invalid, Dr Knopman noted. The 40-minute long interview didnt just cover Trumps alleged unbelievable test results, the two also discussed the coronavirus pandemic in the US and Trump incorrectly claimed Mr Biden wants to defund the police. With AP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. By Bui Van Trinh - Partner in charge of IFRS Convergence Advisory Deloitte Vietnam The implementation of an ERP system could offer the finance and accounting team the opportunity to revise or modify the way their economic transactions are being recognised, evaluated, and measured. In other words, the enterprises can choose to adopt IFRS in parallel with Vietnamese accounting standards (VAS) in their ERP system implementation. This way, they can claim their compliance with IFRS or the Ministry of Finances (MoF) Decision No.345/QD-BTC dated March 16 on IFRS convergence in Vietnam. Multiple-ledger system Current ERP solutions allow enterprises to comply with multiple accounting standards such as VAS and IFRS, and the concepts of primary and secondary ledgers or dual ledger systems are also common. The selection of accounting principles for primary and secondary ledgers does not necessarily reduce the degree of compliance with the selected accounting principle, but it is rather a way the ERP system is set up to assist its users. Which accounting principle to apply to the primary ledger should depend on the usage frequency of reports generated from it. Many foreign-invested enterprises tend to choose IFRS over VAS for their primary ledger simply because of their need to send monthly reports under IFRS to their parent company, whilst only obligated to report once a year in Vietnam per VAS. First-year choice IFRS 1 provides guidance on the first-time convergence for enterprises that wish to choose IFRS as their accounting principle. According to this standard, the enterprises need to decide when their first year to implement IFRS is, based on their desired convergence journey and the requirements under Decision 345. Once this decision is made, the enterprises will begin to build their detailed plan and integrate it into their ERP. Accounting policy decision IFRS is a set of principle-based standards, thus it will provide the opportunity for enterprises to choose the most suitable accounting policy, for example, to calculate their fixed assets depreciation or record the value of their investment property. Nevertheless, the enterprises need to thoroughly evaluate the differences between IFRS and VAS to make a sound decision. Referring to compliant accounting policy being applied in the industry may bring invaluable insights into this process. The accounting policy will provide principles for the recognition and measurement, as well as the presentation and disclosure of the enterprises economic transactions. They will also be fundamental for the design and modification of processes in an ERP project. Process modification The business process is a document describing from start to end all economic activities of an enterprise. The starting and ending point could be a point of time or an event, for instance, the procurement process starts when a purchase order is created and ends when all payments to the supplier are made. Along with changing the processes to ensure compliance with the selected accounting policy, the finance and accounting teams also need to take part in the evaluation of such compliance of other business processes, such as sales and returns of goods, or asset procurement. This is a necessary step to ensure absolute compliance with the selected accounting principle. Chart of Accounts design The Chart of Accounts (COA) is a hub where all economic transactions of an enterprise are recorded, and also a source from which all information is extracted to assist the decision-making process of many departments, such as actual revenue compared to planned revenue. The COA needs to be redesigned to not only ensure compliance with VAS and IFRS but also to meet the management requirements of the sales department, production department, and so on. A well-designed COA will considerably contribute to the extraction of data and the creation of useful reports from it, which in turn leads to timely and prompt decision-making. The COA must be completed at the same time as the consolidation of all processes for the configuration of the new system. Meanwhile, the finance and accounting team continues to build the prior years balance following selected accounting policy under IFRS, in preparation for its input into the system in the next phase. With more than two years of experience in ERP system implementation and as a compliance advisor, I could see how much attention being paid to these projects by business leaders, which is also one of the most essential elements for the IFRS convergence process. For enterprises that are in the progress of implementing their ERP system, there might be more complicated matters to take into consideration before modifying or extending the scope of their projects. IFRS Readiness Survey Decision 345 is aimed to increase the transparency and efficiency of financial information and improve corporate accountability in information disclosure. Accordingly, in phase 1 (voluntary application 2022-2025), the following enterprises that have the need and sufficient resources will notify the MoF before voluntarily applying IFRS to prepare the consolidated financial statements: the parent company of a large-scale state-owned enterprise or with loans financed by international financial institutions; parent company that is a listed company; large-scale public enterprise which is a parent company but not yet listed; and other parent companies. Enterprises with 100-per-cent foreign direct investment that are subsidiaries of foreign parent companies and have the need and sufficient resources will notify the MoF before voluntarily applying IFRS to prepare separate financial statements. Starting from 2025, upon the assessment results of phase 1, the need and readiness of the enterprises, and specific circumstantial information, the MoF will decide on the plan and timeline of compulsory IFRS convergence in the preparation of consolidated and separate financial statements. With the aspiration to learn about the readiness in general and the challenges that enterprises will face in their IFRS adoption following Decision 345, the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange with the support of Deloitte Vietnam is conducting a survey on the readiness to apply IFRS at enterprises. In order to have an overview of the readiness and challenges the enterprises are facing on their journey to adopt IFRS following Decision 345/QD-BTC, the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange with the support of Deloitte Vietnam co-conduct the readiness assessment on IFRS adoption survey, designed exclusively for the C-Suite level of enterprises in Vietnam. This pulse survey is available from now till July 31, 2020. Complete the survey: https://deloi.tt/32fuHJn. Many of us know that what is taught in seminaries could be very helpful in local churches. The brutal fact is that not enough seminary professors are engaged adequately with local churches. Our new initiative Seminary Now is a bridge from seminary to church and from church to seminary. I love what we are doing here and wait til you see who is offering TED-like lectures! Scroll on, and then you can sign up at a discount for this initial offer. There is a group offer too. Good for pastors and staff, good for SS classes and teaches, good for lay folks. We are partnering with professors and church leaders all over the place for this (see the links below). Seminary Now is a new, on-demand streaming video platform that provides exclusive Bible, theology, and ministry courses from todays leading teachers, ministry practitioners, and authors. Seminary Now is a new, on-demand streaming video platform that provides exclusive Bible, theology, and ministry courses from todays leading teachers, ministry practitioners, and authors. Like Netflix or Masterclass, subscribers get unlimited access to all coursesavailable on smart phone, tablet, and TV devices. You can earn also a certificate from Seminary Now by completing a learning track. Join today and access exclusive content from Scot McKnight, Brenda Salter McNeil, Ruth Haley Barton, and many more. Watch this video/vimeo: Visit SeminaryNow.com for a free preview of the new course offerings. At checkout, receive a limited-time 15% discount (pay only $17/month or $153/year) with coupon code TAKE15. Or check out the group pricing for your staff and lay leaders. Please forward this opportunity to others who you think would be interested in this new resource and like and share SeminaryNow.com on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. A Chinese coast guard ship (back) sails next to a Vietnamese coast guard vessel near China's oil drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea on May 14, 2014. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP via Getty Images In Southeast Asia, USChina Tensions Flare on Social Media Tensions between the United States and China over the South China Sea have erupted into a war of words on social media, in what analysts see as a change in U.S. strategy amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia. After Washington last week hardened its position by explicitly rejecting Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, U.S. embassies in the region produced an unprecedented flurry of op-eds and statements criticizing Beijings actions. The Chinese regimes response was fiery, accusing Washington of defaming China with untrue words so as to mislead the public in the region. We are a battleground now, Renato de Castro, an analyst with the Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Relations in the Philippines, told Reuters by phone. It will be a long game. A week ago, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Beijings claim to about 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea completely unlawful and accused Beijing of seeking a maritime empire. U.S. embassies in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Cambodia followed up with comments on Facebook and in editorials in local news outlets saying that Beijings actions fit a pattern of encroachment on others sovereignty. The U.S. ambassador to Thailand highlighted concerns about Chinese dams holding back water from the regions Mekong river during a drought last year. The embassy in Yangon drew parallels between the South China Sea and ways it said China was interfering in Burma, citing investments it said could become debt traps, the trafficking of women to China as brides, and the inflow of drugs into the country. In a Facebook post that twice referred to the United States as dirty, Chinas Burma embassy said U.S. agencies abroad were doing disgusting things to contain China. The statements attracted thousands of regional social media comments, many attacking China while questioning the motives of both countries. Thank you USA for doing what is the law requires, commented Chelley Ocampo under the U.S. embassy in the Philippines Facebook post. The war of words marks a strident new tack for U.S. diplomacy in the region, analysts said. The U.S. statements aimed to tie the South China Sea to local concerns about Beijing becoming an unequivocal threat to the sovereignty of the Southeast Asian nations, said Sebastian Strangio, author of an upcoming book on Chinas regional influence. Meanwhile, the Chinese regimes response was consistent with pugnacious wolf-warrior diplomacy since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, he said, referring to increasingly nationalist Chinese rhetoric. Strains have become more evident in the South China Sea recently, with U.S. and Chinese navies holding simultaneous exercises in the waterway. China couldnt afford allowing the U.S. to make appreciable gains in turning regional opinion, said Collin Koh Swee Lean, a research fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. At least some of the Southeast Asian governments may secretly, if not publicly, welcome the latest Pompeo statement and thereby possibly be emboldened to resist its [Beijings] moves in the disputed waters. By Poppy McPherson and Karen Lema Residents can travel off-island Residents on the Island will be able to travel to the UK and further afield as the Manx Government moves to stage four of its border policy from today. People who want to leave the Island and return must apply for a permit through the Governments website. A Manx Entry Permit must be obtained for return to the Island. A Landing Form is also compulsory and must be sent 48 hours before arriving back. Returnees have to self-isolate for 14 days under the latest stage. Chief Minister Howard Quayle said: The partial relaxation of the closed borders policy recognises that people are anxious to visit loved ones, maintain business contacts or to have a break. We said we would move from closed borders - Level 5 - to the next stage when the time is right. We regard the current Covid infection rate in England as acceptable for us to move to Level 4 and allow our residents more freedom. I am pleased we have reached this point but I would urge people to consider carefully what self-isolation means, as it is a big commitment over two weeks. Our Borders Framework provides a phased step-up, step-down approach, allowing us to relax or reinstate restrictions as the pandemic develops, and it is being kept under constant review. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alvaro Villalobos (Agence France-Presse) Madrid, Spain Mon, July 20, 2020 19:01 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667e4c77 2 Books Unorthodox,Deborah-Feldman,author,books,Spain,Literature,united-states,Germany,Netflix,Judaism Free Deborah Feldman was 23 when she fled her ultra-Orthodox home in New York with her son, sparking outrage in the closed Jewish community, her dramatic story inspiring the Netflix hit Unorthodox. In 2012, more than two years after her escape, Feldman published her memoir, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, which on Thursday went on sale in Spanish, published by Lumen, a division of Penguin Random House. The book's Spanish release follows the huge success of the Netflix mini-series, released in March, starring Israeli actress Shira Haas. The story is loosely based on the life of Feldman, who was born in 1986 into the Hasidic Satmar community in Brooklyn. An ultra-Orthodox sect, the Satmar Hasids are characterized by their extremely strict religious observances, their rejection of contemporary culture and opposition to the modern state of Israel. In this Yiddish-speaking environment, rules govern every aspect of life, from food and hygiene to clothing, hairstyles, books, and even sexual relations within marriage. Born to a father who was mentally ill and a mother who was a lesbian, Feldman felt the community's rejection from the outset. "I was a product of that scandal," she told journalists in an online interview. "I was treated already as if I were not one of them." Read also: Shira Haas is unforgettable, nomination-worthy in Unorthodox Forced to stop reading Feldman, who since 2014 has lived in Berlin with her son Yitzhak, says it was her love of reading which made her dream of another life, secretly choosing books in English -- which was forbidden. "Reading was an escape, it was an access to very far-out worlds. "I had a fantasy then of being a writer... an impossible dream," says Feldman, who is now 33 and has since written a second memoir called Exodus. Married off at 17, she was forced to stop reading because she didn't immediately fall pregnant. "I had my books taken away." The idea of leaving first came to her in hospital after giving birth when she was 19. What she wanted was to divorce her husband and keep custody of the baby but she was warned off the idea by a lawyer who told her: "Your chances are zero". Another lawyer later suggested the only option was to go public with her story, so she began to write it all down. Unorthodox, she says, was "written under the pressure of knowing that this is the only thing that is going to get you your freedom and secure your survival, and the survival of your child." Written in the present tense, the memoir was a huge success but it enraged the Satmar community. For them, she had "crossed a red line" and turned into an enemy, "someone like Hitler," she says. The fact that she was a woman, writing a non-fiction book about leaving the community, was seen as "offensive... very full of chutzpah," she said, using the Hebrew term for "audacity". Not only did the book raise awareness of her situation and help her win a divorce, but it paved the way for others: after its publication, "many people left the community". Read also: Scottish 'Holocaust heroine' who saved Jewish girls lauded in book 'No sense of self' Set in an extremely secretive world, the narrative focuses on questions of identity for a young woman in a community where gender roles are rigidly defined from an early age. But in such a context, issues concerning the vulnerability of women and minors are rarely, if ever, debated. "Judaism has always claimed to be too vulnerable to have conversations about injustice and discrimination within its community," she said, in a nod to centuries of persecution culminating in the Nazi Holocaust. "Ultra-orthodoxy is a problem for all of us," she said -- one which "the Jewish community needs to confront" while also being "a topic in Islam (and) even in Evangelical Christian sects". After her escape, she spent the first three years with barely enough money to survive, fearing that like others before her, she might become suicidal or suffer mental health issues. She also had to rebuild her own sense of identity. "You have no sense of self... your community has always defined who you are," she said, with those stripped of family, rituals, language and beliefs, facing a "true crisis". But with a young son who needed her, she didn't have much time to dwell on such issues, which ultimately pulled her through. "I credit my son for surviving this period." A typically bustling outpost north of Winnipeg where tourism and history intertwine within century old stone walls sat serene Sunday afternoon as visitors carefully strolled the paths of Lower Fort Garry. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/7/2020 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A typically bustling outpost north of Winnipeg where tourism and history intertwine within century old stone walls sat serene Sunday afternoon as visitors carefully strolled the paths of Lower Fort Garry. The national historic site just off Highway 9 and west of the Red River welcomed back visitors earlier this past week for the first time since COVID-19 arrived in Manitoba. Doors to the Big House, where trappers and visitors to the old Hudsons Bay Company trading post would have spent the night, before moving on to their next destination in the mid-1800s, were closed to modern day travellers, as were the doors to the provinces first penitentiary and the many restored outbuildings on the grounds. As a precautionary measure, Parks Canada has limited access due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the old stone structures werent designed with physical distancing in mind, interpretation co-ordinator Matthew Rothenberger said. Artifacts help tell the history of Lower Fort Garry, which reopened to visitors last week. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) "Were just not able to do that in almost every single one of our buildings," Rothenberger said. "They were not built for that at all." The novel coronavirus has changed the experience at Lower Fort Garry as it has done for most public attractions with visitors to the site asked to check-in at a table outside the welcome centre and then walk down an access road to the main gate. Once inside the stone walls, directional signs point daytrippers counter-clockwise through the fort on a self-guided living history tour that features a dozen physically distanced historical demonstrations led by interpreters in period costumes. On Sunday afternoon, a few families strolled the grounds, some wearing face masks, and all keeping a healthy distance from each other. Since welcoming back visitors to the fort last Wednesday, interest among locals has been steady Rothenberger said. And while the novel coronavirus delayed the opening of the fort where Treaty 1 was signed in 1871, Lower Fort Garry was one of the first if not the first Parks Canada national historic site to open its grounds, he noted. "Weve had groups showing up everyday," he said. "We are open only Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and this will be our offer for the rest of the summer." Interpreters impart historical lessons to Lower Fort Garry visitors on Sunday. The national historic site reopened last week with some new restrictions owing to COVID-19, but also some new ideas for sharing the provinces history with guests. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Staff have also developed a 55-kilometre guided driving tour to 10 nearby significant historical sites, which launches on July 23, and runs Thursday evenings, specifically in response to the pandemic. "Youll get to tune your radio into the tour and youll follow Parks Canada people around for about 90 minutes, visiting a bunch of the historical places in the area to sort of set the scene for how Manitoba was founded," Rothenberger said. Outside the fort, tucked beneath a stand of shady trees, Mike Johnston and his family were getting a lesson about First Nation and Metis contributions to life at the trading post. "Growing up I didnt know that we had Metis heritage because both my grandma and grandpa hid it because they thought it was kind of an embarrassing thing," Johnston said. "But in my moms generation and in my generation, finding those things out is now something that she feels she can celebrate and its been something Ive been learning about myself, which is a really interesting journey. "Its neat to come out to these places and see those aspects of myself," he said. An interpreter shows some artifacts to visitors. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Johnston was at the fort with partner Meagan Gyde-Johnston, children Nathaniel and Daphne Chopek, as well as in-laws Debra and Bob Gyde, who faithfully toted the cooler with the familys lunch. During a stop at the forge, one of the few indoor spots semi-open to visitors, Nathaniel was given a piece of iron crafted in the shape of a leaf a discard of one of the adornments made on-site for the Big House by the blacksmith on duty. "Ive always thought blacksmiths and what they do is super interesting," Nathaniel, 10, said. Johnston said the family spent the first week of July exploring parts of northern Manitoba, partly in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the province joining Confederation, and theyre working their way through a list of must-see places in the province, written not long after the coronavirus put other summer travel plans into question. "We used it as an opportunity to see as much of Manitoba as we can," Johnston said. 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. An interpreter walks through Lower Fort Garry, where Treaty 1 was signed in 1871. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) "A day trip is fun in the summer and were all home and its fun to get out and see and learn new things," Gyde-Johnston added. Across the park, John Inglis was playing tour guide for out-of-town guests Vic and Edna from Regina, who were visiting Lower Fort Garry for the first time. "Its one of the most historic places in Western Canada," Inglis said. "Ive been here a number of times and I never get tired of it." While disappointed he wasnt able to show off all of the park to his friends, Inglis said the historic significance imparted by a visit to Lower Fort Garry was not diminished. "Its an important place," he said. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca KENT COUNTY, MI A Rockford-area man was ordered to stand trial on an ethnic-intimidation charge after he allegedly pointed a BB gun, which appeared to be a rifle, at a Black man. Mark Tiffany, 54, is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, a five-year felony, and ethnic intimidation, a two-year felony. After a preliminary examination Monday, July 20, in 63rd District Court, Judge Sara Smolenski ordered Tiffany to stand trial in Kent County Circuit Court on both charges. The incident happened June 28 at Colonial Motel, 333 Northland Drive NE, where the alleged victim, Demetric Boyd, and the suspect lived in separate units. Boyd testified he was grilling with his then-8-year-old son in the motel parking lot when Tiffany opened his door and pointed a long gun, with a scope, at him. Tiffany was on the ground, about 75 to 100 feet away, with the weapon, Boyd said. Boyd thought he would be shot. I was traumatized by that, sir, he told Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Felix Tarango. He said he freaked out. I thought he was going to pull the trigger. He said he ran to the landlords office and asked her to call 911. He said he knew Tiffany as a drunk. He said Tiffany did not say anything to him before he allegedly threatened with the firearm but said he had made disparaging statements about Black people in the past, including that they should be eliminated. Rockford police Officer Jacob Rosin said he and Kent County sheriffs deputies talked to Tiffany after talking to Boyd and other witnesses. He said Tiffany said he had just bought a pellet gun but he did not have it out that day. He told police it was under his bed. Police recovered it there. Rosin said the gun looked like a rifle. Tiffany told police that his neighbors were out to get him over his statements two or three weeks earlier regarding Black lives not mattering, the officer testified. Tiffany made other racial statements, the officer said. Defense attorney Marcus Chmiel said his clients opinions or disparaging remarks were not enough to send the case to trial. Its not illegal to be racist , he said. He called the case a simple assault, if anything, involving a toy gun. In binding the case over for trial, the judge said she would not give in to emotion surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement but said the case should be left for a jury or judge to decide. Tiffany remains held in the Kent County Jail on $10,000 bond. Read more: Charges issued against Detroit police officer accused of shooting rubber pellets at 3 photographers covering protests State representative, other constituents call for resignation of St. Joseph County prosecutor Suspect allegedly tortured 15-year-old girl in abduction triggering Amber Alert Author Johan Zwaan details the struggles and losses his family suffered during the war and his fathers harrowing acts to help save many Jewish lives as part of The Dutch Resistance SAN ANTONIO, Texas, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WWII + VI: A Kids Memories of War and Postwar by Johan Zwaan presents the authors riveting story of growing up as a small child in German-occupied Holland during World War II. The book also chronicles the heroic acts of his father who was a doctor and part of The Dutch Resistance that helped rescue and save many Jewish lives from the atrocities of the Nazis. Zwaan recounts the struggles and losses his family suffered, as well as those around them in Gorinchem, Holland, while also providing historical facts of the major events that occurred during WWII. Zwaan was inspired to publish his familys experience to provide a keepsake for his children and grandchildren who would often ask him questions about WWII. He also hopes his memories will help educate readers on the events of the war and how they changed the world. This book becomes a must-read for those seeking inspirational narratives, especially during these catastrophic times, about good triumphing evilUltimately, these writings leave readers with a clearer understanding of daily life during World War II, which makes this book a distinctive, informative text about the importance of family, duty, and sacrifice that can benefit all who read it in these moments of societal questioning. The U.S. Review of Books WWII + VI demonstrates to readers through the acts of kindness and bravery of those during the war on the importance of helping others, keeping ones cool, and that sometimes it is a moral obligation to take risks for the betterment of all. To learn more, please visit www.johanzwaan.com. WWII + VI: A Kids Memories of War and Postwar By Johan Zwaan ISBN: 978-1-7960-7598-4 (HC); 978-1-7960-7597-7 (SC) 978-1-7960-7596-0 (e) Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris Story continues About the Author Johan Zwaan was born in Gorinchem, Holland in 1934 and lived there as a child during WWII and later attended the local classical high school, Gymnasium Camphusianum, which he completed at the age of 16. He then attended medical school in Amsterdam for a couple of years and was drafted into the Dutch Royal Army. After Zwaans discharge, he continued with medical school and received his M.D. in 1961 and Ph.D. in 1963. He had a career in Ophthalmology that took him around the world including three years in Saudi Arabia, 10 plus years at Harvard, and he eventually landed in San Antonio, Texas where he held a private practice until his retirement at the age of 82 and still currently resides. Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Attachment Lauren Dickerson LAVIDGE 480-306-7117 ldickerson@lavidge.com Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland should implement the same quarantine rules or risk a second Covid-19 surge, an expert has warned. Professor Gabriel Scally is a member of the independent 'Sage' group of experts. It is separate to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which advises the government on health matters. He said every effort must be put in place now to halt the rise in Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland, as official figures revealed another nine people here have tested positive for the virus. Epidemiologist Professor Scally said the current separate approaches by Northern Ireland and the Republic will be problematic for health officials in the coming months. We are crying out for an integrated system, he said. Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, has also said it would be preferable for the same quarantine policy to be put in place on both sides of the border. It would be better if we co-ordinate our efforts with them, he said. It comes as the Republic of Ireland finalises its so-called green list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine rules as part of the its strategy to suppress Covid-19. The details of the strategy were expected to be made public today but last night Dublin announced it would be delaying publication. It is expected that the Republics green list will be significantly different to the current quarantine rules for Northern Ireland, where people arriving from 59 countries and 14 British overseas territories are not required to quarantine. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Britain is unlikely to feature on the list, adding that the United States will definitely be excluded. Dr Scally criticised the current approach, which he said will see people flying into Dublin and Belfast and moving freely over the border regardless of the different quarantine rules. Northern Ireland should not be following blindly what Westminster is doing, to do that is a mistake, he explained. Northern Ireland, the Republic and Scotland have all done a good job in getting numbers of the virus down so low. What they should be doing now is trying to get it to zero and to do that, they have to prevent an increase in new cases. It is inevitable that there will be more cases as there is more international travel. What people dont seem to understand is that this pandemic is still in full flow in the west of the world and is getting worse by the day. The only way to be safe is to get to zero cases and stay at zero and the only way to stay at zero is by being extremely careful about people travelling into the country. The governments should be making use of the memorandum of understanding and talking about co-operation. There should be a system for the island, this is a crucial point in the whole history of this pandemic for Ireland. Both north and south, and in Scotland, we are starting to see the cases edge back up and thats worrying. If the trend continues over the summer, it is going to mean a very bad winter. The chair of the Stormont health committee, Colm Gildernew, is also calling for the implementation of an all-Ireland Covid-19 strategy. The Sinn Fein MLA said: It is an absolute truth that viruses do not recognise borders therefore our strategy must be the suppression and elimination of the Covid virus on an all-island basis. Public health officials across the entire island must act swiftly and cohesively if we are to return to any kind of normality. The evidence gained from epidemiological data from the north and south supports the case for coordinated action across the entire island if we are to suppress and eliminate the Covid virus. Meanwhile, Paula Bradshaw, Alliance Party health spokeswoman, said: I worry that we are missing the fundamental point that quarantine cannot be made effective in Northern Ireland until both the UK Home Office and Irish immigration authorities share information about who is passing through our ports of entry. At the very least, all arrivals into anywhere on the island of Ireland from England should be required to submit contact details for tracing and potential testing, and that information should be shared with authorities on both sides of the north-south border. Russia's U.K. Envoy Says Allegations Of Vaccine Hacking Make 'No Sense' July 19, 2020 Russia's ambassador to Great Britain has denied Western allegations that Moscow helped hackers target laboratories conducting research on vaccines to fight the coronavirus. Andrei Kelin told the BBC in an interview to be broadcast on July 19 that "I don't believe in this story at all. There is no sense in it." Britain, Canada, and the United States on July 16 accused Russia of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world. The British National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) said hacking group APT29, also known as the Dukes or Cozy Bear, had targeted organizations involved in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine in the three countries. APT29 hackers "almost certainly operate as part of Russian intelligence services," the NCSC said, adding that the United States and Canada shared its assessment. Following the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had "nothing to do" with any alleged cyberattacks on pharmaceutical companies and research institutes in the countries. Kelin told the BBC that the allegations made "no sense." "In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible," he said. In its advisory, the NCSC said Cozy Bear exploited software flaws to get access to vulnerable computer systems, and used malware to upload and download files from infected machines. They also tricked individuals into handing over login credentials with phishing and spear-phishing attacks. Britain did not say which organizations were targeted, or whether any information had been stolen. Based on reporting by the BBC and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-uk- envoy-says-allegations-of-vaccine-hacking -make-no-sense-/30735687.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address File photo of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The plea by now-sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot challenging the disqualification notices against him and 18 other MLAs is premature and even after the final decision, the court can only intervene on limited grounds, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing the Rajasthan Speaker has told the high court which is hearing the Pilot camps plea. The Pilot camp had on Thursday challenged the disqualification notices under the anti-defection law, citing that they hadn't done or said anything that would indicate that they were parting ways with the Congress. Pilot's team termed the notices under the Tenth Schedule a way to suppress their 'freedom of speech' and to impose the 'majoritarian views of the party on them'. The petition, filed jointly by Pilot along with 18 other MLAs, has challenged the validity of clause 2(1)(a) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India. This provision and the interpretations given to it by a body of judgments by the Supreme Court have held that indulging in any anti-party activity tantamount to voluntarily giving up the membership of the party. The petition has maintained that this provision cannot be so widely construed that the very same fundamental freedom of speech and expression of a member of the House is jeopardised. Pilot and others said: "Mere expression of dissatisfaction or even disillusionment against the party leadership cannot be treated to be conduct falling within the clause 2(1)(a) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India." Meanwhile, ahead of the hearing, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police has been hunting for the legislators of the Pilot camp. While it reached the State House in Delhi earlier in the day, by evening the team arrived at Manesar's Best Western Resort near Gurugram. News agency PTI stated that its sources in the Congress also did not rule out the possibility that an assembly session could be convened, even as party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala saying it is the prerogative of the state cabinet and the chief minister, and "they will decide appropriately". The Congress is mulling convening a session of the state assembly to checkmate rebel party MLAs, who are led by Sachin Pilot, in voting in favour of the government in the House or face disqualification, sources claimed. Nigerians on social media are currently reacting to the disposition of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he faces House of Representatives committee on Niger Delta. Akpabios session kicked- off immediately the lawmakers returned from a break that became necessary after the Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, collapsed while he was been interrogated by the lawmakers. Akpabio is currently undergoing questioning by members of the committee at the house of Representatives on allegations of fraudulent activities involving him and other top officials of the NDDC. Nigerians have described Akpabio as a smooth politician who sure knows how to have his way and maneuver himself out of any situation he finds himself no mattress how tight it may seem. Below are some of the tweets from Nigerians; Godswil Akpabio is a 'skillful' politician. He's had the floor for 15mins but his session at the ongoing #NDDCProbe still hasn't kicked off. He's been massaging egos, nitpicking & distracting everyone from the day's biz. A master of dilatory procedural & diversionary tactics! 'Fisayo Soyombo (@fisayosoyombo) July 20, 2020 Just see Akpabio, a professional politician dribbling and meandering his way through these questions while a Professor of Medicine fainted his way through. Nigerian politicians are con artistes who are shamelessly good at what they do. Malachy Odo II (@MalachyOdo1) July 20, 2020 Politicians are professionals sha, Akpabio that should be faltering is clear and concise (even if he's lying) Professor couldn't handle the heat. Ayobami (@dondekojo) July 20, 2020 Godswill Akpabio is making a presentation to the house. Title: how to talk yourself out of jail Babasola Kuti (@RealSolaKuti) July 20, 2020 Surgeon General Jerome Adams walks to the West Wing of the White House after a television interview in Washington on July 7, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Surgeon General Says Entire Administration Supports Wearing Masks U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the entire Trump administration is supportive of facial coverings to stem the spread of COVID-19, although he stopped short of calling for a federal mandate to wear masks. I think were letting the politics and the policy get in the way of the actual practice, Adams told Fox & Friends in an interview on July 20. I want everybody to know that the science tells us right now that, with the high degree of asymptomatic spreadup to 50 percent of people are spreading coronavirus without knowing that they have it, thats what asymptomatic or presymptomatic meansthat face coverings are a way that we can reopen and that we can stay open. A federal order mandating facial coverings would require a federal enforcement mechanism akin to federal troops being deployed in Oregon in response to protest-related violence, Adams said. He said that instead of forcing people to wear masks, he would rather help people understand the benefits of wearing facial coverings. If youre going to have a mandate, those work best at state and local levels, Adams said. You have the ability to work with people, educate them, and not let them feel like theres an outside entity trying to tell them what to do in a country where people very much rely on their freedom. White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a recent interview that state and local leaders should ramp up their efforts to encourage the use of masks. I would urge the leadersthe local political leaders in states and cities and townsto be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with the Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The surgeon general said members of the administration are all on the same page regarding the benefits of mask-wearing, and cited President Donald Trumps recent comments in support of donning facial coverings. We believe [masks] are one of the most effective ways to open our country, along with making sure were practicing social distancing and making sure were practicing good hygiene, Adams said in the interview. Last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said in a statement that masks are one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease. We are not defenseless against COVID-19, Redfield said. Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virusparticularly when used universally within a community setting. Trump has repeatedly resisted imposing a federal mask-wearing mandate, saying in an interview on Fox News Sunday that I want people to have a certain freedom and I dont believe in that, no. Still, the president said he is a believer in masks, adding, I think masks are good. The King Salman Energy Park (Spark) in Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has completed 60 per cent work on Phase 1, which consists of infrastructure, roads, utilities, and real estate assets established across 14 sq km, in addition to a dedicated three-square kilometer logistics zone and dry port. A total of SR6 billion ($1.6 billion) was invested in Phase 1 of this mega project, which is set to be completed in 2021. Upon completion, the project will add SR22 billion annually to the KSAs gross domestic product by 2035, while creating thousands of new highly skilled job opportunities. Commenting on this milestone, Dr Mohammed Yahya Al-Qahtani, Spark Chairman said: Achieving this feat strongly reflects our commitment to implement this unique project that is designed for the betterment of our community. Spark will be a new engine fueling the growth of the energy sector as well as driving the diversification agenda of our economy. As we take huge economic leaps, soon, we will be ready to attract the best talent and create new opportunities for our ambitious youth. Al-Qahtani added: "I would like to personally thank all of Sparks employees, tenants and contractors for their dedication and commitment to ensuring continued progress by using new technologies and innovative methods to meet deadlines in a safe and effective manner." Fifteen major energy companies have already signed agreements to invest in Spark, and another fifteen companies are currently in the pipeline. It is forecasted that foreign direct investment in Spark will exceed $2 billion in the next two years, once these investors finalise the construction of their facilities. Spark has also signed an MoU with the leading global logistics specialists, Hutchinson Ports to create a joint venture company to manage and operate the dry port and logistics zone. Once completed, Sparks investors and neighboring regional hubs will be able to benefit from world class logistics infrastructure and enhanced global reach. In April of 2019, Schlumberger commenced work on a $46 million facility, which will produce drilling solutions for the regional energy industry, as a result adding 260 jobs to the workforce. Yokogawa, another anchor investor in Spark, is in the final stages of construction work on its new high-tech equipment center. The Oilfields Supply Company Saudi (OSC) is also currently building an oil and gas industry user supply base to accelerate the growth of small and medium enterprises by providing ready-to-use factories with the latest specifications, along with a range of integrated services and logistical solutions. To date, OSC Saudi has completed 10 per cent of its construction and building work, becoming one of the largest investments in Spark, with a forecasted investment of $400 million, spanning over 1 million sq m. Other investors, including Baker Hughes, Halliburton, Al-Rushaid Group and Sawafi-Borets are in various stages of development, ranging from facilities design to appointing building contractors. In December 2018, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense laid the foundational stone for the 50 sq km park that will become a global center for the energy industry and technology. Spark will contribute to supporting the national economic development process for the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Spark is strategically located in the eastern region between Dammam and Al Ahsa. In 2019, Saudi Aramco established the Energy City Development Company to develop the parks infrastructure, roads and facilities and to oversee partnerships for operation and management of logistical and residential areas. The park will serve the entire energy sector and the Arabian Gulf, connected by railway to the GCC countries. Spark aims to attract local and international industry investors across five strategic sectors including upstream, downstream, petrochemicals, power and water treatment. Investors will benefit from Sparks wide range of services to help them achieve success and sustainability of their projects. Sparks readily available industrial project sites offer high-quality infrastructure which include internal road networks, an advanced network of electrical power, water, natural gas, sanitation systems, rainwater drainage and the most modern communication network in the Kingdom. To ensure the highest quality facilities management, Spark appointed ENGIE Cofely to provide administrative services and maintenance to Spark tenants. Engie Cofely will also be providing a facilities management training program specifically designed for Sparks employees. Tradearabia News Service Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Alexander Minnis addresses the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept 28, 2018. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) Bahamas Bars Americans, Others Over COVID-19 The Bahamas is barring American tourists and most other international visitors because of a surge in COVID-19 cases, the countrys prime minister announced July 19. The countrys airline, Bahamasair, halted all flights to the United States, effective immediately, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said in an address to the nation. Other outgoing commercial flights are being allowed to facilitate the departure of tourists. All international flights and commercial vessels carrying passengers will no longer be permitted to enter the countrys borders, save for flights from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. All returning Bahamians and approved visitors must test negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. People will be required to present documents attesting to the negative result, which must have been obtained no later than 10 days before the date of travel. Anyone without such documentation must self-quarantine for 14 days via an application called Hubcatt. People who refuse to the monitoring, or who arent approved by the Bahamas Ministry of Health, must quarantine at a government-identified facility at their own expense. They must test negatively at the facility, also at their own expense. People who submit falsified COVID-19 tests face a fine of up to $2,000 and up to two years in prison, officials warned. A U.S. State Department spokesperson referred The Epoch Times to the government of the Bahamas. A tourist smokes as he walks off the beach in Nassau, Bahamas, on Sept. 12, 2019. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Minnis said the series of strong actions is due to the Americas having the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, claiming that neighboring countries are experiencing overwhelmed hospitals and increases in deaths from the disease. For some places, it is unclear when or how they will get this virus under control. While there are countries that continue to make progress, such progress can be reversed because of what is happening in neighboring and other countries. Progress can also be reversed because of how citizens and residents within countries are following or ignoring health guidelines, he said. Expressing regret, Minnis added that the situation in the Bahamas has deteriorated at an exponential rate since we reopened our international borders. Health officials confirmed 15 new cases of COVID-19, making 49 total new cases since the borders fully opened on July 1. Travel within the country is still permitted but many beaches and parks are being shut down and a curfew is being imposed in Grand Bahama. All gatherings, including weddings and religious services, are forbidden as of July 20. The Royal Bahamas Police Force is responsible for enforcing the strict measures. Situated just 50 miles from the coast of Florida, the Bahamas is a group of islands that welcomed 7 million visitors in 2019. A large portion of the tourists are Americans. The CCP virus is believed to spread mainly between people in close contact with one another through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Prevention techniques include avoiding crowds, washing hands often, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily. COVID-19 primarily affects the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, killing a small percentage of patients. On This Day Japans Pompous Emissary to Occupied Burma in WWII Renzo Sawada, Japans ambassador to Japanese-occupied Myanmar. YANGONOn this day in 1943, Renzo Sawada commenced his new position as the first Japanese ambassador to Myanmar during Japanese rule of then Burma. Sawada was so arrogant and imperious that U Nu, Myanmars first foreign affairs minister during Japanese ruleand later the first prime minister of independent Myanmarleft his job to lead another ministry. Before serving as ambassador to Myanmar, Sawada served as councilor of embassy in France, consul general in New York and councilor of embassy in Manchukuo. He became vice-minister of foreign affairs in the Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoes cabinet in 1938 and was then appointed ambassador to France. Sawada, who was 55 when he was appointed as ambassador to Myanmar, lived near the Foreign Office, near Inya Lake on Pyay Road in Yangon. However, he only went to the Foreign Office twice during his tenureonce when he was received on his first arrival and once when he visited the office. If U Nu wanted to discuss anything with Sawada, he had to go to the ambassadors office, but if Sawada wanted to discuss anything, he spoke directly to Head of State Dr. Ba Maw. If he had any business with the Foreign Office, Sawada would not come himself but would only send his charge daffaires. U Nu, 37 at the time, transferred from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to lead the Information Ministry because he could no longer tolerate the Japanese ambassadors bossy manner. I much disliked having to put up with these slights, and as I could not escape being affronted I wanted to clear out, U Nu wrote in his book Burma under the Japanese about his experiences during five years of Japanese rule in Myanmar. Sawada returned to Japan while Myanmar was still under Japanese rule, and Itaro Ishii replaced him as Japans ambassador to Myanmar until Japanese troops left the country. In 1953, Sawada was appointed ambassador to head the Japanese Delegation to the United Nations. He worked to solve the problems of repatriation of Japanese prisoners held by the US and Japans admittance as a UN member. He oversaw almost all the preliminary negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union in 1955 in New York. He died at the age of 82 in Tokyo in 1970. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who was called a B-grade actress by Kangana Ranaut in a recent interview by the Queen actor, has received support from writer Kanika Dhillon. Retweeting a journalists tweet on Taapsees achievements, Kanika noted that apart from being a competent actor, Taapsees last 5 films have made money too. Kanika wrote: Attagirl! @taapsee... N not to forget... as per recent articles in public domain-n I quote her last 5 releases made 352 crat box-office- stating her as d Most successful n highest grossing actress of hindi film industry last year! Well take a bow! Red heart so proud o u! Retweeting Kanika, Taapsee wrote: I guess thats what qualified me for B grade. Kanika is best known for the story, screenplay and dialogues of films like Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Judgmentall Hai Kya, Guilty and in-production Haseena Dillruba. I guess thats what qualified me for B grade :) https://t.co/zMGtU7rgR9 taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 20, 2020 Attagirl! @taapsee ... N not to forget... as per recent articles in public domain-n I quote "her last 5 releases made 352 crat box-office- stating her as d Most successful n highest grossing actress of hindi film industry last year!" Well take a bow! so proud o u! https://t.co/r0FFceEm7R Kanika Dhillon (@KanikaDhillon) July 20, 2020 In an explosive interview to Republic TV, Kangana had taken a dig at actors Taapsee and Swara Bhaskar, calling them B-grade actresses and had said: For me, I have only to lose here (in Bollywood) because I know tomorrow they (movie mafia gangs) will get some 20 needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker, who will get up and say, Oh, only Kangana has problem with nepotism, but we love Karan Johar. If you love Karan Johar, why you both are B-grade actresses? You are better looking than Alia Bhatt and Ananya Panday. You both are better actresses. Why dont you get work? Your whole existence is a proof of nepotism. What are you telling me that how happy you are with the industry? So, I know this happen and the whole system will make me look like a mad person. Replying to Kangana, Taapsee told Hindustan Times, Its disheartening to see someone making a mockery out of outsiders and the industry that has given us so much. Imagine the parents whose kids are coming into the industry. What will they think of us? Like we are some nasty evil people sitting here to eat outsiders? On the question of not getting work, she said: In the last three years, I have been doing at least four films every year, and have five announced films right now. Who says I dont get enough work? I decided to keep my career graph slow and steady and thats exactly how its been going. Yes, Ive been dropped out of films and replaced with star kids but the fact that Kangana and her sister (Rangoli Chandel) try to discredit me and my hard work, call me names, put wrong allegations on me, is actually an equal level of harassment, if not more. All this because I refuse to sing her tune and because I refuse to see her as the flag bearer of outsiders because we all are not bitter people? Also read: Taapsee Pannu hits back at Kangana Ranauts accusations: I refuse to be bitter and take advantage of someones death for personal vendetta On the subject of her equation with the industry and Kangana accusing her of being happy with it, she said: I refuse to be bitter. I refuse to take advantage of someones death for personal vendetta and I refuse to make mockery out of the industry that gave me bread and identity. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Parents worried about sending their children back to school during the coronavirus pandemic will have the option to choose all-remote learning when schools reopen this fall, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. The Department of Education will be releasing guidance allowing for parents to choose all-remote learning for their children, Murphy said during his daily press briefing in Trenton Monday. Again, the details will be coming out later this week, but we wanted everyone to know now that we will allow for this step. He did not provide further details. There a lot of moving parts to this, Murphy said. We want to get it right. We want to do it responsibly. When asked if the remote option would apply to teachers concerned about falling ill, Murphy said that was not the general plan, but did say he did not want to predict the plans to be announced later this week. This is going to be focused on kids and parents, he said. One of the aspirations put forward by educators has been less density in the classrooms and some capacity limits. If kids are remote learning, that is indirectly addressing capacity and density in the classroom, Murphy said. The education department released guidance last month on reopening schools. While districts have autonomy in determining the details, the overarching rules mandated schools have at least some in-person instruction, require masks on staff and strongly encourage students to wear them unless they have a medical exception, keep social distancing and screen students and staff for symptoms. But the department also said districts should strive to ensure that every student has access to a device and internet connectivity to engage students in remote learning when necessary. Murphy has already lifted many restrictions put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus in March. But he said Friday the state has stalled largely in a holding pattern, with many indoor services and businesses remaining closed. Risks with indoor transmission, which poses greater threats than outdoor activity, have left many concerned about how well schools can restrict the spread of the virus. Murphy said school reopening may prove the trickiest step of all. We want to respect public health, but we also want to do everything we can to try to recapture that magic of some semblance of in-person education that no state does like New Jersey, he said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Exclusive: Mexico eager to lure firms from Asia under new trade deal Mexico's Economy Minister Graciela Marquez attends Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador daily news conference at National Palace in Mexico City By Stefanie Eschenbacher and Anthony Esposito MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico has spoken to a host of foreign companies, particularly steelmakers, in an effort to lure business from Asia to capitalize on a new North American trade deal, Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Monday. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) took effect at the beginning of this month, replacing its quarter-century-old predecessor, as the coronavirus pandemic wallops the global economy and international trade. The new deal includes tougher content rules both for autos and steel and aluminum than when the North American Free Trade Agreement was launched in 1994. "In steel we see the biggest opportunity," Marquez, a Harvard-trained economist, told Reuters in an interview. "We want to show these companies the opportunities that open up with this increase in regional content requirements." Marquez said the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has held talks with foreign steelmakers, including South Korea's POSCO <005490.KS>, Japan's Nippon Steel Corp <5401.T> and Mitsubishi Corp <8508.T> and Ternium , about investing in Mexico to produce steel for the auto sector. She said there is a possibility foreign steelmakers could partner with or take a stake in Mexico's Altos Hornos de Mexico . A spokesman said the Mexican company is not currently in talks. None of the other steelmakers immediately responded to requests for comment. Considering Mexico's diverse manufacturing base, Marquez said the government was interested in attracting a range of companies from across the globe. She said the government also would seek to speak with Apple and other U.S. firms about relocating their supply chain to Mexico. Retelling a recent conversation with Lopez Obrador, Marquez said she pointed to the cellphone she was holding in her hand and said, "These phones don't have to be produced in China, ... there is an enormous opportunity to produce them" in Mexico. Story continues The government is looking to attract North American and European firms producing in China, Singapore and Vietnam. Marquez said the new trade deal came into force at a "critical" juncture for both the Mexican and the global economy and that it could help Latin America's second-largest country recover from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Anthony Esposito; Editing by Tom Brown, Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler) A man testified at his Zoom trial on Monday that he wanted to sell illicit firearms smuggled into Canada from the United States, but that it never actually happened. Bill Allison, 48, a Toronto man who sold marijuana and owned several businesses, told the virtual court he received only two firearms which were for personal use, not to sell from a Florida-based gun supplier. The prosecution is alleging Allison formed a conspiracy to traffick guns with that supplier, a Toronto fugitive living in Florida named Ernest Wilson, a.k.a. Biggs. But defence lawyer Reid Rusonik spent Monday asking Allison to explain the content of wiretapped calls with Wilson that defence says are markedly different than what the Crown alleges. Allison and Wilson use a lot of slang that police and prosecutors say is coded language for guns and ammunition. In one call, Rusonik suggested to his client that Wilson was stringing him along because he wanted Allison to continue to sell marijuana in Toronto and the GTA that he was importing from Jamaica. Allison agreed, adding he felt his reputation had been hurt because the word on the street was that others were selling Biggs guns, not him. It makes me look like a punk, because Im able to distribute his weed but not his guns, Allison testified from a small room adjacent to a room where Rusonik was seated. Allison also agreed with Rusonik that Wilson was playing him to make him believe hed be receiving a shipment of firearms, when Wilson was instead sending them to Harris Poyser. Poyser was intercepted in May 2018 leaving Cornwall, Ont., for Toronto with 60 handguns. Poyser has pleaded guilty to firearms offences and is waiting to be sentenced in September. Wilson is dead after being murdered in Florida. Rusonik told Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly that because Wilson was leading Allison on, there is no agreement, and he is therefore not guilty of conspiracy. Wearing a black suit jacket, matching shirt and thick black glasses. Allison seemed to lose energy Monday as the day went on, perhaps suffering what has been called Zoom fatigue. I know its hot in these rooms. Youve got to lean in and sit up straight, Rusonik instructed his client at one point. In response to Rusoniks questions, Allison explained he needed a gun for personal protection because people sometimes get rowdy at the downtown lounge he owns. Rusonik played other wiretapped calls for which Allisons interpretations differed from those of police. Magnums, for instance, referred to wine rather than guns, he said, and other discussions that police said were about firearms were actually about food. During one call, for example, Allison testified he and his friend Otis were talking about cheese. I, our culture, Easter time you give like a piece of cheese, and a tin and a bun its a ritual, Allison said. Rusonik asked him to translate one passage in which he was speaking patois. Are you actually talking about cheese and buns? Rusonik asked. Yes sir, tasty cheese. The trial continues Tuesday. BREAKING: Babysitter arrested, charged in death of missing 2-year-old Pa. boy: report Its the worst news any family can receive: Their 2-year-old is dead and a suspect is in custody. But the boys body is still missing. The family of King Hill, missing since July 7 in Philadelphia told 6ABC that police broke this terrible news to them over the weekend. Yet, Philadelphia police arent talking about any of it publicly, as of yet. Philadelphia police tell 6ABC the case remains active, fluid and under investigation. Police had said previously that someone was not telling the truth about King's whereabouts. On Sunday, Kings family told 6ABC authorities informed them they believe King is dead and an arrest has been made. But the family said officials told them they have not located Kings body. Background on the case from 6ABC: King's stepfather said a babysitter dropped King off to King's mother at 33rd and Diamond streets on Tuesday July 7. However, King's mother said that never happened, and she thought King was still in the stepfather's care. When the stepfather realized King was missing, he said he called the police, touching off the ongoing investigation and search. Kimberly Hill, Kings maternal grandmother, told 6ABC she now wants closure by being able to bury her beloved grandson, whose body remains missing: Wherever he is at, whatever happened to him, just bring him back so we can put King to rest, Hill told the news station. He was amazing; everybody loved King. READ MORE: Pa. cocaine ring dispute leaves 2 dead, 2 arrested in double-shooting: cops Coroner Graham Hetrick says masks should be a choice, not a mandate, putting him at odds with medical consensus National neo-Nazi group holds illegal protest in Pa. park: cops Friends watched helplessly as 2 teen boys drowned in Susquehanna River Bodies of 2 teen boys pulled from Susquehanna River: Just how crazy it is 4 people struck by lightning, 2 killed in violent Pa. storm Accused burglar, 16, beats homeowner with his own cane: cops After teen dies jumping into quarry, Pa. police look to stop this deadly recreation Womans body pulled from Pa. lake after boating accident Pa. teen dies jumping into quarry with friends: He was the happiest person alive 1 dead after car slams head-on into Pa. ambulance Penn State football player with red, glassy eyes charged with drug possession after campus traffic stop Pa. man, 22, faces homicide charges in triple-fatal crash while street-racing his Ford Mustang Giant supermarkets limit cash transactions, citing national coin shortage Pakistan's Aviation Division has suspended 15 more pilots for having dubious licences, raising the overall tally to 93, as verification continued, it was reported on Saturday. The 15 are among the 262 pilots possessing suspicious licences, reports Dawn news. On Friday, Abdul Sattar Khokhar, spokesman for the Aviation Division, said a total of 262 pilots were identified as possessing suspicious licences by the Board of Inquiry and grounded immediately after identification on the instructions of the government. He said the federal cabinet had approved the cancellation of the licences of 28 pilots, out of these 262 pilots. They 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. Meanwhile, the process of verification of licences of 93 pilots has been initiated and the processing of the remaining 141 cases is expected to be completed within a week. The spokesman said the entire process of scrutiny and validation followed by necessary disciplinary action was being closely monitored and supervised by Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Last month, while furnishing before the National Assembly a preliminary report on the May 22 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash in Karachi, Khan had claimed that 40 per cent of the country's pilots held "fake licences". Also Watch: The issue has attracted global attention as global destinations, airlines and air safety agencies had suspended authorization of PIA. It brought global embarrassment to Pakistan and was declared as the biggest scam in the global aviation industry. Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin speaks during an online press conference on YouTube, Monday. Captured from YouTube By Nam Hyun-woo Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin has stressed the importance of the pricing of COVID-19 treatments that global drug makers including his company are developing, pledging that Celltrion will supply its antibody treatment cheaper than rivals companies will price their products. Seo criticized the prices of developed or in-development COVID-19 treatments as "too expensive," and said it would be "unrealistic" to provide treatment to more than 7 billion people across the world. Seo's controversial remarks are interpreted as being related to the pricing controversy of Gilead Science's remdesivir, which has been criticized for its $390 per vial price. "One of the most critical factors in COVID-19 treatment development is the price," Seo said during an online press conference on YouTube. "To end the pandemic, each of more than 7 billion people across the world has to be supplied with coronavirus treatments and vaccines." "That is, however, an unrealistic idea because the prices of drugs are too expensive. Only OECD member countries will be able to supply enough treatments and vaccines to their people." He also pointed out that no pharmaceutical firms or biotechs could say how long it would take to "free the world from the pandemic" and "how they can supply enough treatments," adding that COVID-19 treatment developers have a role in serving the public. Debates are ongoing whether or not the price of remdesivir, which is currently the go-to COVID-19 drug, is acceptable. Based on treatment patterns, most patients are expected to receive a five-day treatment course using six vials of remdesivir, which adds up to $2,340 per patient in the U.S. Seo said Celltrion had a similar concern. For its antibody treatment, Celltrion plans to spend 300 billion won ($250 million) for development. He said the company would be unable to cut development costs further and that it therefore had to reduce costs by lowering manufacturing costs and profits. "This is why I said the COVID-19 treatments should be a public benefit," Seo said. "By reducing manufacturing costs, we plan to provide treatments at a cost lower than any other companies. We don't seek profit from the pandemic." GC Pharma, a local pharmaceutical firm that is developing a COVID-19 plasma treatment, plans to offer its product for free. The company said it decided to do so in the interest of public health, but industry officials said the decision was possible because there was a limit to the number of patients who could be treated with plasma due to difficulties in mass production. Celltrion's COVID-19 treatment earned approval for its Phase 1 study last week, and the company will apply the drug to 32 healthy subjects this week. It will wrap up the phase 1 study in the third quarter of this year and plans to commercialize the treatment in the first half of next year. Seo said the Phase 2 study would have 200 to 300 subjects and Phase 3 would target 2,000 to 3,000 subjects in Korea, the U.S. and Europe. For these, Celltrion will manufacture 10 batches of its COVID-19 treatment candidate drugs for commercial validation in September, when the Phase 2 study is expected to finish. If it wins emergency use authorization (EUA), those drugs can be used for general patients. "Our facility in Incheon is able to manufacture drugs for six million people a year," Seo said. "Because we also have to keep the inventory level for other drugs, we are making efforts to find the right balance in allocating our manufacturing capacity." Seo also said he will relinquish the chairmanship at the end of this year as planned, even though the company's COVID-19 treatment projects would continue next year. "I will be in charge of COVID-19 treatment development until the end of this year, and the rest will be taken care of by my successor," Seo said without identifying his successor. "Celltrion is not a weak company whose COVID-19 projects will face difficulties due to the management changeover." In January last year, Seo said he would step down from his chairmanship at the end of this year, after the company secured a global sales network. Authorities vow to maintain presence as nationwide criticism over the federal response to Portland protests grows. Top Homeland Security officials on Monday said they had no intention of pulling back in Portland, Oregon, amid an outcry of criticism and Congressional calls for investigation, and defended the federal crackdown on protests there, including the use of unmarked cars and unidentified officers in camouflage. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent law enforcement units to Portland to back up the Federal Protective Service responsible for guarding United States government facilities after receiving intelligence about planned attacks around July 4, the DHS officials said. DHS is not going to back down from our responsibilities. We are not escalating, we are protecting, Chad Wolf, acting secretary of Homeland Security, told Fox News. President Donald Trump condemned protests in Portland and violence in other Democrat-run cities on Sunday as his Republican administration moves to intervene in urban centres he said have lost control of demonstrations. The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it. Unimaginably bad things would happen to America. Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. NO! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2020 Protests began across the country after the police killing of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May. Demonstrations have continued in Portland for more than 50 days. Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a news conference on Friday that things were starting to de-escalate when federal forces began acting, and have ratcheted up the tension on our streets. In Portland, federal officers last week started cracking down on crowds, using tear gas to disperse protesters and taking some into custody in unmarked cars, which local activists have referred to as abductions or kidnappings. Wheeler described the troops as Trumps personal army and alleged the use of federal forces is part of a White House coordinated strategy to bolster sagging polling data as polls show the president trailing his Democrat challenger Joe Biden. Portland police early on Monday provided details on another tense night between protesters and federal law enforcement in the city, saying federal agents used tear gas to disperse a crowd that had gathered outside a federal courthouse downtown. Federal officers reportedly deployed tear gas canisters at a group of mothers who had gathered near the courthouse over the weekend. A large group of mothers gathered on Sunday night in defiance of the response of federal troops, many wearing yellow shirts, they formed a defensive human wall to protect the crowd of demonstrators. It is beginning to look like repeatedly tear gassing a crowd of moms may have been a tactical error. pic.twitter.com/ythgPWLpz6 Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) July 20, 2020 Wolf, however, said federal law enforcement was doing its job. Were not going to apologise for it, he said. Were going to do it professionally and do it correctly. Calls for investigation The clampdown in the liberal city has drawn widespread criticism and legal challenges as videos surfaced of officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to arrest protesters without explanation. The states attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, on Friday filed a lawsuit against the DHS, US Marshals Service, US Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service saying their tactics infringe upon the civil rights of protesters in the state. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deputy secretary, said the federal officers wore the same uniforms every day and the crowds knew who they were. He also defended the use of unmarked cars as routine. Unmarked police vehicles are so common its barely worth discussion, he told CNN. Cuccinelli said if federal authorities receive the same kind of intelligence threat in other places, they would respond the same way. Its really as simple as that, he said. On Sunday, Democrats in the US House of Representatives demanded internal investigations into whether the Justice and Homeland Security departments abused emergency authorities in handling the Portland protests. Portlands mayor called the intervention an abuse of federal power and said it was escalating the violence. Cuccinelli dismissed local leaders calls to leave the city. We will maintain our presence, he said. People are five times more likely to catch coronavirus from their own family than from contacts outside their household, a South Korean study suggests. Researchers from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) looked at 5,706 patients who had tested positive for the disease and more than 59,000 people who came into contact with them. The findings showed just one in 50 infected people had caught the virus from non-household contacts, while one in 10 had contracted the disease from a loved one who lived with them. Infection rates within the household was higher when the first confirmed cases were teenagers, who were most likely to be mingling with others in larger social groups. This finding suggests that school reopenings could trigger future outbreaks, as a debate rages in the US about whether or not schools should reopen and how to strike a balance between alleviating working parents who have to rework their schedules and preventing a potentially deadly spike come autumn. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at household and nonhousehold contacts of more than 5,700 coronavirus patients. Pictured: Hand sanitizer offered to students during summer school sessions at Happy Day School in Monterey Park, California, July 9 Children from ages 10 to 19 had the highest rate of household members who contracted the virus at about 18.9%. Pictured: Des Moines Public Schools custodian Cynthia Adams cleans a desk in a classroom at Brubaker Elementary School in Iowa, July 8 A debate has been raging in the US about whether or not to reopen schools, with President Donald Trump in full support of starting up again in Fall 2020. Pictured: Trump during a roundtable on the Safe Reopening of Americas Schools at the White House, July 7 For the study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the team looked at more than 59,000 contacts of 5,706 COVID-19 patients in South Korea from January 20 to March 27. Household contacts were tested for the virus whether or not they exhibited symptoms but non-household contracts were only tested if they showed signs such as coughing or fever. Out of nearly 10,600 household contacts, 11.8 percent had COVID-19 as did 1.9 percent of more than 48,000 non-household contacts. Children under age 10 were about half as likely as adults were to spread the virus to other people. However, the highest COVID-19 rate among household members was for children between ages 10 and 19 with 18.6 percent testing positive. The Korean CDC says middle and high school students often don't have as good hygiene as adults and are less likely to practice safe social distancing. 'I fear that there has been this sense that kids just won't get infected or don't get infected in the same way as adults and that, therefore, they're almost like a bubbled population,' Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told The New York Times. 'There will be transmission. What we have to do is accept that now and include that in our plans.' President Donald Trump has been pushing for schools across the country to fully reopen for the fall semester. He called recommendations about school reopenings made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 'very tough and expensive guidelines' on Twitter earlier this month. Trump also threatened to cut funding if learning institutions do not fully reopen. However, public health experts have said that schools need to prepare with more than social distancing and masks but also by testing students and staff and, if someone tests positive, determining how long they quarantine for. Some countries have been successful such as Norway and Denmark but many, including South Korea, have had to close schools after reopening due to spikes in infections. In the US, there are more than 3.7 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 140,000 deaths. By ANI NEW DELHI: The Consumer Protection Act 2019 came into force from Monday with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan saying the new law will empower consumers. It will protect their rights through its various notified rules and provisions like consumer protection councils, consumer disputes redressal commissions, mediation, product liability and punishment for manufacture or sale of products containing adulterant or spurious goods. He said that the Act includes the establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. The CCPA will be empowered to conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute complaints or prosecution, order recall of unsafe goods and services, order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, impose penalties on manufacturers or endorsers or publishers of misleading advertisements. Paswan said the rules for prevention of unfair trade practice by e-commerce platforms will also be covered under this Act, according to an official statement. Every e-commerce entity is required to provide information relating to return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, modes of payment, grievance redressal mechanism, payment methods, the security of payment methods and charge-back options -- including country of origin -- which are necessary for enabling the consumer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage on its platform. The minister said an alternate dispute resolution mechanism of mediation has been provided in the new Act to simplify the adjudication process. A complaint will be referred by a consumer commission for mediation, wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it. The mediation will be held in the mediation cells to be established under consumer commissions. There will be no appeal against settlement through mediation. As per the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Rules, there will be no fee for filing cases up to Rs 5 lakh. Roisin Shortall said TDs and ministers should pay for their own masks (Niall Carson/PA) Politicians should pay for their own face coverings while working in the Dail, a TD has said. Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall said it would not be good practice if TDs and ministers were given face coverings for free. TDs have been encouraged to wear a face covering while they are in the Dail at Leinster House or the Convention Centre. Dail chairman Sean O Fearghail has asked public representatives to lead by example during the pandemic and wear face coverings to suppress the possible spread of Covid-19. I don't think it is good practice to be giving out masks free of charge Roisin Shortall Members are requested to use their own face coverings; however the Facilities Unit will have reusable and disposable masks available if required, his advice reads. Ms Shortall said politicians should wear cloth or reusable face coverings, as disposable face coverings are damaging to the environment. There are two element to this I dont think public representatives should be promoting the use of disposable masks, as people can go through several in one day and they harm the environment, she told the PA news agency. She said: I dont think it is good practice to be giving out masks free of charge. If this measure is to stay in place for the foreseeable future, it would come at a cost to the Exchequer. TDs and ministers should pay for their own masks. I am strongly encouraging Members to wear a face covering in shared spaces and circulation areas, where at all possible, with effect from today Sean O Fearghail, Dail chairman If masks are given out freely, people would become careless with them if they did not have to pay for them. Ms Shortall suggested Dail members and staff be required to make a payment for a cloth mask if they have forgotten to bring their own, in order to avoid cost and waste. It comes as the wearing of face coverings became mandatory in shops in the Republic of Ireland on Monday. Members are asked to wear them while in the Dail chamber and in committee rooms, not while making a contribution or speaking to the house, with effect from Monday. In a note sent to TDs on Monday morning, Mr O Fearghail wrote that the return to normal levels of parliamentary activity following the formation of Government requires extra vigilance and adherence to public health measures aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19. He said: The wearing of a face covering can play an important part in indoor settings where it is not always possible to adhere to two metre social distancing. Therefore, I am strongly encouraging Members to wear a face covering in shared spaces and circulation areas, where at all possible, with effect from today. Expand Close Eamon Ryan, Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport, wearing a face covering (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Eamon Ryan, Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport, wearing a face covering (Niall Carson/PA) I would also encourage Members to wear face coverings in the Chamber and in Committee rooms, when members are not speaking or making a contribution. The note includes a link containing guidance on the safe wearing of face coverings. The Clerk of the Dail will arrange for the issue of a similar notice to all parliamentary political staff and other users of the buildings such as journalists and advisers. The advice adds: This measure is an important step for the protection of Members and staff. It is consistent with the most recent public health advice, and I look forward to your co-operation in this regard. Massachusetts might not get happy hour back any time soon, but residents can order a martini to-go under a new law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker Monday. The bill, filed in May by Sen. Diane DiZoglio, lets restaurants with liquor licenses sell mixed drinks to-go if ordered alongside takeout food orders. Its 5 oclock somewhere because @MassGovernor just signed my cocktails to go bill into LAW, the Methuen Democrat tweeted. Thanks for supporting our local restaurants! Its 5 oclock somewhere because @MassGovernor just signed my cocktails to go bill into LAW. Thanks for supporting our local restaurants! https://t.co/YUwyANsVdl Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) July 20, 2020 The new law lets someone age 21 or older buy up to 64 fluid ounces of a mixed drink along with food orders to-go. The drink must be served in a sealed container and must be served before midnight or whenever a restaurant is allowed to serve alcohol until, whichever is earlier. If a mixed drink is being delivered to a customer, or if the customer drives to the restaurant to pick up the order, the beverage has to go in the trunk. DiZoglio promoted the bill as a way to help small businesses shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. Bob Luz, president of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, told senators in June 20% of restaurants may never reopen because of the non-essential business closures and gathering restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new law, to-go cocktails will be for sale until Feb. 28, 2021 or until the state of emergency is lifted, whichever comes later. The House and Senate came to an agreement late last week over a revised to-go cocktail bill, sending the bill to Bakers desk. The Legislature passed a bill in the spring that Baker signed allowing restaurants to sell beer and wine to-go alongside food orders because of COVID-19, while other states have allowed restaurants to sell mixed drinks as well. With the governors signature, Massachusetts now joins 30 other states and D.C. in allowing cocktails to-go to support hospitality businesses, said Jay Hibbard, vice president of state government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council. Local businesses have been severely impacted by COVID-19, and cocktails to-go provide an economic lifeline as they work to recover. We applaud Governor Baker for signing cocktails to-go into law and for supporting Massachusetts businesses. Massachusetts bars are a long way from reopening, as health officials warn that they may quickly become COVID-19 hot spots. The reopening advisory board had initially placed bars in Phase 3 of the reopening plan but later moved bars into Phase 4. Phase 3 began earlier this month with Baker saying that it will be the longest of the phases. The state wont move into the next phase until a vaccine becomes available. Related Content: Glioblastoma (GBM) has an average survival of 12-15 months, a period that has remained unchanged for two decades. GBM cells accumulate fats in lipid droplets and use them as energy for rapid cell division. This study shows that blocking an enzyme used to form the lipid droplets might be a new way to treat this deadly disease. Columbus, Ohio - Glioblastoma is a lethal form of brain cancer that accumulates fats in lipid droplets and uses them as energy for rapid cell division. Blocking an enzyme that GBM cells use to form the lipid droplets might offer a new way to treat this deadly disease, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). GBM has an average survival of 12-15 months after diagnosis, a period that has remained unchanged for two decades. New, more effective treatments are desperately needed. In earlier work, this same research team learned that GBM cells accumulate unusually high levels of fatty acids and use them as a source of energy needed for rapid cell growth. Normally, excessive levels of fatty acids are deadly to cells. In this study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the researchers looked at an enzyme called DGAT1 (diacylglycerol-acyltransferase 1). GBM cells use the enzyme to package fatty acids into lipid droplets. The enzyme converts fatty acids into molecules called triglycerides, which can be safely stored as lipid droplets in the cancer cells' cytoplasm. Blocking DGAT1 diverted the excessive fatty-acid molecules to mitochondria, the cells' energy-producing organelles, rather than to storage. This overwhelmed the organelles, causing them to produce high levels of destructive molecules called oxygen radicals (also called reactive oxygen species). This, in turn, damaged the mitochondria and triggered the cells to self-destruct through a process called apoptosis. "These findings suggest that inhibiting DGAT1 might offer a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of glioblastoma," says principal investigator Deliang Guo, PhD, professor of Radiation Oncology and director of Center for Cancer Metabolism at Ohio State. "This same approach might also apply to cancers such as prostate, colon, renal and others, which also show lipid-droplet formation," says Guo, who is a member of the OSUCCC - James Translational Therapeutics Program. For this study, Guo and his colleagues analyzed patient tumor tissue, multiple GBM cell lines and an animal model to examine fatty acid metabolism and lipid droplet formation in GBM. Key findings of the study include: Two enzymes, DGAT1 and DGAT2, are involved in the storage of triglycerides and the formation of lipid droplets, but DGAT1 is the dominant enzyme. Inhibiting DGAT1 suppressed triglyceride and lipid droplet formation, leading to high levels of fatty acid oxidation in mitochondria, severe oxidative stress and GBM cell death. In xenograft models, inhibiting DGAT1 suppressed GBM growth without noticeable toxic side effects. "Overall, our findings may lead to the identification of lipid-metabolism pathways that are unique to glioblastoma and other malignancies, and to new therapies for these cancers," Guo says. ### This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NS104332, NS112935, CA240726, CA227874), the American Cancer Society, OSUCCC start-up funds and Pelotonia Idea Grant. Other researchers involved in this study were Xiang Cheng, Feng Geng, Xiaoning Wu, Yaogang Zhong, Zhihua Tian, Chunming Cheng, Rui Zhang, Vinay Puduvalli, Xiaokui Mo and Arnab Chakravarti, The Ohio State University; Meixia Pan, Chunyan Wang, Xianlin Han, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; and Craig Horbinski, Northwestern University. About the OSUCCC - James The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only a few centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs sponsored by the NCI. As the cancer program's 356-bed adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice. With 21 floors and more than 1.1 million square feet, The James is a transformational facility that fosters collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care. Rutgers University The gunman who shot the husband and son of a federal judge in New Jersey is believed to be an anti-feminist lawyer who was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound hours later. Roy Den Hollander, 72, was discovered by a cleaning crew in the upstate New York town of Rockland, two law enforcement sources told The Daily Beast. He had with him a package addressed to U.S. District Judge Esther Salasas well as papers that contained the name of another mens rights lawyer, Marc Angelucci, who was gunned down at his home last week, the sources said. Den Hollander had a casea challenge to the militarys male-only draftpending before Salas, according to court documents. And in an essay posted online last year about his battle with melanoma, he made clear his animus toward the trail-blazing jurist, referring to her as a lazy and incompetent Latina judge. On his website and in bilious screeds posted in various places online, Den Hollander spewed invective about women and anyone else he felt had wronged him. Now is the time for all good men to fight for their rights before they have no rights left, blares his website, which also contains a compilation of misogynistic comments under the heading Jokes. The Daily Beast was the first to report that Den Hollander was the suspect in the ambush at Salas home, but the FBI later confirmed it. His family could not be reached for comment. The Manhattan attorneys emergence as the suspect was a shocking twist in the Sunday evening shootingwhen a man possibly dressed as a FedEx delivery driver showed up on Salas doorstep in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Daniel Anderl, 20, the judges only child, who was home from college, was shot through the heart and did not survive the attack. His father, criminal-defense lawyer Mark Anderl, 63, was said to be in critical condition after surgery. NBC New York reported that Salaswhose caseload has included cases involving Real Housewives celebs and Jeffrey Epsteinwas in the basement and was unharmed when the gunfire erupted shortly after 5 p.m. Story continues At 8:15 a.m. Monday, two Sullivan County Department of Public Works employees were doing storm clean-up when they saw a blue Toyota drive past, heading towards a dead end, sources told The Daily Beast. When they finished work, they saw the car parked on the shoulder of the road and found Den Hollander on the passenger side with a gunshot wound to the head. Inside there was a .380 pistol and the FedEx package, which investigators believe the lawyer may have intended to use to get face-to-face with the judge, the law enforcement sources said. The sources did not know the nature of the papers that mentioned Angelucci, an attorney who worked on similar cases and was shot dead at his house in California a week ago. The San Bernardino Sheriffs Office said Monday that no arrests have been made in Angeluccis death but had no further comment. Mens Rights Activist Marc Angelucci Shot Dead at His California Home The case Den Hollander was involved in as co-counsel that ended up in Salas courtroom was filed in 2015 on behalf of the mother of a 17-year-old New Jersey girl. It argued that the Selective Service Systems policy of barring females from registering for the draft while making it mandatory for males was illegal. A self-published memoir, first reported by NBC News, recounted his involvement and his hatred of Salas in typically sexist terms. The case began over the July 4th weekend of 2015, and was assigned to this hot Latina Judge in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey whom Obama had appointed. At first, I wanted to ask the Judge out, but thought she might hold me in contempt, he wrote before going on the blast her various rulings in the case, maligning her ethnicity and inspiring life story along the way. Salas, the first Latina to serve on the New Jersey federal bench, was appointed as a magistrate judge in 2006 and a district judge in 2010. Raised in New Jersey, she previously worked as a county prosecutor and then a federal public defender. Last Thursday, Salas was assigned to be the judge on a lawsuit brought by investors against Deutsche Bank and its CEO over its business dealings with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But prior to Sunday, Salas was probably best known as the judge who presided over the fraud case of Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice; she sentenced the couple to prison after a tongue-lashing in 2014. She met her husband in 1992 when the both worked in the same prosecutors office. Their only son, Daniel, was about to start his junior year at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where he played golf and was on the deans list. He had plans to apply to law school. Den Hollanders life, meanwhile, was by his own account one filled with disappointments. According to his website, his foray in the controversial and often toxic mens rights movement was sparked by his marriage to a Russian woman he met while working for the investigative firm Kroll Associates in the late 1990s; he alleges she was really a prostitute who swindled him. In a GoFundMe account under his name and his online writings, Den Hollander revealed he was battling incurable cancer and was angry about his medical care, posting a jeremiad about doctors who he felt were not responsive or were trying to push certain treatments on him. Over the years he had filed numerous lawsuits that alleged women get unconstitutional special treatment, and had pushed to outlaw Ladies Nights at bars and nightclubs and womens studies programs at universities. In 2016, he also filed a ludicrous suit against reporters from CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, CNN, PBS News Hour, The New York Times and The Washington Post, claiming their stories on President Trump amounted to a violation of the anti-racketeering statute used to prosecute mobsters. In a 2013 interview with the New York Daily News about the latest in his string of legal defeats, Den Hollander expressed frustration. Im beginning to think its time for vigilante justicecivil disobedience, he said, telling the newspaper that he may pull a Carrie Nation on the Ladies Nights clubs. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. San Francisco, July 20 : Microsoft upcoming foldable smartphone Surface Duo will reportedly come with an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and the top speaker grill. The smartphone is expected to offer an 11MP front camera, but it is not known if it will offer features such as Optical Image Stabilization or not, reports MSPoweruser. Microsoft is planning to ship the device with Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB RAM and 64GB or 256GB storage options. The smartphone houses two equal-sized 5.6-inch AMOLED displays. Each screen offers a 4:3 aspect ratio, 1800 x 1350 pixels resolution and 401ppi pixel density. Surface Duo's two displays held together with a fully rotating hinge can be adjusted to any angle, and a recent patent for this hinge mechanism has been published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The device is loaded with Android 10 OS and is expected to come with apps from Microsoft. Surface Duo will ship with a 3460mAh battery and will feature USB-C fast charging. It won't support 5G, maxing out at 4G LTE speeds instead. It is also speculated that the device lacks support for wireless charging and NFC. In February, an image of the same device revealed a new front-facing flash that was not there on the original prototype that was shown earlier. The Sarpy County Sheriffs Office on Sunday released the name of the man who died as a result of gunshot wounds near Offutt Air Force Base on Friday night. Marquell Dale, 20, was found dead at 2956 Ryan Ave. just after 11:15 p.m. Friday. Another male with gunshot wounds was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Sheriffs Office. No suspects are at large, according to a Sheriffs Office press release. The Sheriffs Office, the Bellevue Police Department and Offutt police are investigating. A youth activist who wanted to be a classical musician has whinged about having to apply for retail jobs at the age of 17. New South Wales Young Labor has released a three-minute video of members under 26 complaining about the job market. Belinda Thomas, 19, appeared in the Facebook video whingeing about having to apply for less glamorous jobs in retail before she became an adult. Scroll down for video A youth activist who wanted to be a classical musician has whinged about having to apply for retail jobs at the age of 17 'When I was 17, I needed income to support myself in order to have a claim of independence from my family situation,' she said in a video filmed at trendy Chippendale on the fringe of Sydney's CBD. 'Unable to use my 12 years of training as a classical musician to find a job, I ended up sending about 10 applications to retail jobs and only ended up scrounging one by chance.' Ms Thomas said she was only able to score this job because she 'had the exact same name as the interviewer's best friend' as she delivered a piece-to-camera monologue outside an art house Palace Cinema. Youth unemployment in June rose to 16.4 per cent, with the coronavirus recession making life in the labour market particularly tough for those aged 15 to 24. The jobless rate among the young was more than double last month's national average of 7.4 per cent, itself the highest since November 1998. One critic on Facebook questioned how Ms Thomas had expected the government to help her, considering coronavirus had caused live concerts to be cancelled since March. 'What's government got to do with jobs in classical music? Weird ad,' one man said. James Skibinski, from the Australian Taxpayers' Alliance, described the video as cringe-worthy. 'Rich people complaining they can't get a job with a diploma in underwater basket weaving,' he said. A generation ago, Young Labor prided itself on standing up for those in less fashionable hospitality and retail jobs. Former NSW Young Labor president Mark Arbib, who later served as a federal government minister, became involved in politics shortly after the early 1990s recession, following a dispute with his managers at a Sizzler restaurant when he was a university student. In Ms Thomas's case, the labour market had apparently conspired against her. Belinda Thomas, 19, appeared in the Facebook video whingeing about having to apply for less glamorous jobs in retail before she became an adult One critic on Facebook questioned how Ms Thomas had expected the government to help her, considering coronavirus had caused live concerts to be cancelled since March 'Entering adulthood isn't easy, but entering adulthood as a young woman when the whole system is already set up against you is terrifying,' she said. Unemployment during June amid COVID-19 Australia's unemployment rate climbed from a 19-year high of 7.1 per cent in May to 7.4 per cent in June - the highest since November 1998 Number without work climbed from 923,000 to a record-high 992,300 Close to a million people unemployed for the first time ever - surpassing 960,200 record set in December 1992 Unemployment increased even though 210,800 more people were employed as COVID-19 shutdowns eased That was because the participation rate increased from 62.7 per cent to 64 per cent as more people looked for work Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data for June Advertisement 'The burning desire you've had to succeed your whole life is suddenly met with a crushing roadblock just when you think you've got a new chance.' She then addresses stereotypes about young people being lazy, with one in five young women out of work. 'Believe me, these statistics don't exist because we're a lazy generation with our eyes and hands glued to our screen,' she said. Former prime minister Paul Keating, former NSW premier Bob Carr and federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese are all former NSW Young Labor presidents. The Young Labor video criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government for putting up fees for arts degrees but didn't mention how they are being reduced for occupations in demand such as nursing, teaching and science. NSW Young Labor president Paul Mills in the video said 'Scomo and the Libs have sent a message to young people telling them their lives are gonna get a lot tougher'. The video is even titled 'Liar from the Shire' in an apparent dig at Mr Morrison, whose Cook electorate in southern Sydney covers the Sutherland Shire. The federal government has already spent $70billion on the JobKeeper program providing $1,500 a fortnight wage subsidies to 3.3million workers, as the coronavirus shutdowns threatened to spark the deepest economic downturn since the 1930s Great Depression. In June, the government announced a $250million JobMaker plan to help the arts sector, financially struggling with social distancing rules. A generation ago, Young Labor prided itself on standing up for those in less fashionable hospitality and retail jobs Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is expected to announce an extension of the JobKeeper package on Thursday, which could see struggling workers given taxpayer help until June next year. The Coalition government's three welfare stimulus programs, adding up to almost $154billion, are triple what Kevin Rudd's Labor government spent in 2008 and 2009 at the height of the Global Financial Crisis. Australia avoided a recession during the GFC but is expected to sink into one this year for the first time since 1991. Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Young Labor and Ms Thomas for comment. She has been going into work throughout the coronavirus lockdown to present her drivetime radio show. And Kelly Brook looked radiant as ever as she arrived at Global Studios in London to host her Heart FM programme on Monday. The former glamour model, 40, cut a stylish figure for the day, donning a baby blue long-sleeved mini dress. Wow: Kelly Brook, 40, looked radiant as ever as she arrived at Global Studios in London to host her Heart FM programme on Monday The garment featured an embroidered detail and puffed sleeves along with a v-neckline. Kelly also sported white and tan trainers along with a pair of sunglasses as she made her way into the office. The TV presenter completed her look for the day by letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders. Earlier this month, Kelly claimed that sex gets better with age and said her longterm love Jeremy Parisi, 34, is a big fan of her curves. Outfit: The former glamour model cut a stylish figure for the day, donning a baby blue long-sleeved mini dress Speaking on Vicky Pattison's The Secret To... podcast, she said: 'My boyfriend is 35 and he is Italian, so, you know, he likes a nice large curvy woman so that's always a good thing! I think your sex life gets better as you get older! 'You get confident! You are not so hung up on stuff. You know what you enjoy. You know what you like, so you are not as scared to tell them. 'When you're young you don't tell them. They are like "is that nice?" or whatever and you're like "yeah!" When you're older you are gonna make sure you get what you want!' The pair have been in a relationship for nearly five years, having started dating in 2015. Looking good: The garment featured an embroidered detail and puffed sleeves along with a v-neckline Kelly famously began modelling aged 16 after she won a beauty competition, which her proud mother had entered her into. Campaigns for the likes of Bravissimo, Foster's and Walker's crisps followed, as well as shoots with lads' mags such as GQ, Loaded and FHM. FHM dubbed her the winner of their '100 Sexiest Women in the World' list in 2005, which polled 15 million people. United Nations, July 20 : The UN offered on Monday to help India deal with the Assam floods, if required. Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said: "Nearly four million people have been displaced in the state of Assam in India and neighbouring Nepal due to heavy flooding from monsoon rains, with the death toll at 189. The United Nations stands ready to support the Government of India, if required." He said that "in Nepal, authorities have urged people living along riverbanks and low-land areas in the Terai region to move to safe sites due to the possibility of floods. Access is the biggest challenge, with search-and-rescue efforts being hampered by landslides in remote areas. The World Food Programme is working on reaching impacted communities, with helicopters being the only viable option at present." According to Assam officials, the death toll from the deluge is 85, while around 2.4 million people in 24 of the state's 33 districts continue to be distressed. India has generally declined international assistance to deal with natural disasters. Dujarric said that according to the World Meteorological Organisation, locusts continue to be a serious threat to food security in parts of India, Pakistan and East Africa because of climate change linked to human activity. "WMO said that extreme weather events and climatic changes such as increases in temperature and rainfall over desert areas, and the strong winds associated with tropical cyclones, provide a new environment for pest breeding, development and migration," he added. India's Agriculture Ministry said last week that warms of immature pink locusts and adult yellow locusts are still active in Rajasthan's Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Pali and Sikar districts and Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur and Bahraich districts. It said that 79 control teams with spray equipment-mounted vehicles and over 200 Central government personnel, 50 technical officers and 22 drivers are working on locust control operations while 15 new Ulvamast sprayers have also reached India from Britain, the ministry said. Meanwhile, in Haryana, the government has stepped up efforts to control locust swarms after warnings of potential intense attacks in several districts after Wednesday. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) -- Syndicated from IANS Press Release July 20, 2020 Villanueva hopes SONA tackles massive jobs generation for displaced workers, OFWs Senator Joel Villanueva hopes that the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) tackles how the government intends to generate jobs for the millions of displaced workers, especially overseas Filipino workers, as the country struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19. With a record-high unemployment rate of 17.7% translating to 7.3 million unemployed persons based on the April 2020 labor force survey, the President's address should serve as a guidepost for all agencies to create and implement policies that would lead to the restart of the economy, the smooth reintegration of OFWs to the domestic labor force, and provide green lanes for in-demand Filipino seafarers for the global supply chain, the lawmaker explained. "Mahalaga po na matalakay ang plano ng ating gobyerno kung paano tutugunan ang problema sa kawalan ng trabaho ngayong pandemya. Habang wala pang bakuna laban sa COVID-19, tuloy pa rin po dapat ang buhay at kailangan maging handa ang bawat isa sa atin na mag-adjust sa new normal," Villanueva said in a statement. "We still call on our government to mount epidemiological monitoring and surveillance in places where there is high economic activity, such as the Metro Manila, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal), and Cebu. With epidemiological monitoring, we will be able to track how the disease is spreading and take appropriate measures to contain and stem it to prevent the healthy population from getting infected," he continued. Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, said he shared the observation of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III who sought the reopening of the economies in Metro Manila and Region 4A, explaining that about 2/3 of the country's Gross Domestic Product was generated there. But Villanueva reiterated that business confidence right now is directly tied to the government's ability to manage the pandemic well. "We need to boost the confidence of our businesses to resume their operations and of our workers to come back to work, that is why our government has to step up in preventing the disease from spreading," he said. As of July 19, the health department reported that 67,456 persons have been infected of COVID-19, with 43,160 cases listed as active. Some 2,241 confirmed cases were also reported on Sunday, and most of the cases came from the following areas: National Capital Region (1,625), Laguna (115), Cavite (76), Rizal (75), and Cebu (55). The government should also ensure that repatriated OFWs who lost their jobs abroad are provided enough assistance to start anew, the lawmaker said. According to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, OFW remittances could drop by up to 40 percent or about US$12 billion this year as a result of massive job losses overseas. In 2019, the central bank reported that OFW remittances reached US$30.13 billion. Aside from employment generation, the President's address should also provide concrete measures to ensure the continuity of learning for all learners in the new normal, Villanueva said. Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said that nepotism is the worst form of corruption in Nigeria The former Emir of Kano made this statement at a webinar themed: The sustainability of society, averred that corruption has impacted negatively on the society and that incompetent leadership has contributed to the degree of corrupt practices in the country. Sanusi also called for a reduction in the cost of governance in Nigeria and promotion of efficiency. He said; By Associated Press GENEVA: The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization is hailing good news in results shown by two COVID-19 vaccine candidates in early trials, but warns theres a long way to go. We now need to move into larger-scale real-world trials, Dr. Michael Ryan told reporters at a news conference in Geneva. But it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery. Ryans comments came as scientists at Oxford University, in a paper published in The Lancet, said their experimental vaccine had been shown to trigger a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot. Also in the medical journal, Chinese researchers published a study on their experimental vaccine, using a similar technique as the Oxford team, that reported an immune response. Ryan noted there are 23 COVID-19 candidate vaccines in clinical development, but until Monday only one had produced Phase 1 clinical data. Also Monday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concerns about the COVID-19's impact on indigenous peoples, particularly in the Americas. Tedros said more than 70,000 cases have been reported among indigenous peoples in the Americas, and over 2,000 deaths. During the fourth Democratic presidential debate in October 2019, in response to a line of questioning about his son Hunter Bidens conduct on the board of an energy company in Ukraine, former Vice President Joe Biden took an opportunity to remind voters that the real corruption was coming from inside the White House. The fact of the matter is that this is about [President Donald] Trumps corruption, Biden said. Thats what we should be focusing on. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders disagreed. I think it would be a disaster if the American people believed that all we were doing is taking on Trump and were forgetting that 87 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, the existential threat of climate change, the fact that half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, he said. On a debate stage that at the time held 12 candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, the exchange catalogued the stark ideological divide between the two men who would emerge as the final contenders in the race to take on Trump in 2020. For Sanders, the chief issue is the structural threat to Americas working class, which has existed since long before Trump took office. For Biden, the greatest current danger to the American people is Trump himself and he must be stopped at all costs. As Joe Biden prepares to clinch the Democratic nomination, the Associated Press reported on Monday that former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent critic of Trump, has been tapped to speak on his behalf at the Democratic National Convention next month. While its unclear whether or not the Kasich appearance will serve as an official endorsement, the move is clearly designed to further the campaign strategy that Biden has been laying the groundwork for since the earliest days of his candidacy. If the former Vice President has been propped up as a smiling, glad-handing alternative to the president, and not a pathway to any real progressive change, it makes sense to ensure that the circus tent is big enough to hold the large swaths of the GOP establishment Republicans who are already scrambling to distance themselves from the president. Story continues An appearance by Kasich would also be firmly in line with the grand Democratic tradition of fetishizing good Republicans so-called moderates who, like Kasich, echo their own centrist appeals for decorum and common decency. Its the same strategy Hillary Clinton often deployed during her own presidential run in 2016, which many of her left-leaning critics believe may have cost her the election. During his time as the governor of Ohio, Kasich implemented some of the strictest anti-abortion policies in the country, all of them aimed at limiting the scope of womens healthcare providers in the state. In 2016, he signed a bill that effectively stripped Planned Parenthood of $1.3 million in state funding, impacting the ability of an estimated 54,665 Ohio women to access vital services like cancer screenings and other vital, life-saving services. Later that year, he signed into law a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or fetal anomaly considered to be one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country, then or since. Kasich is a wolf in sheeps clothing, Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, told Mother Jones in 2015. Hes going out there trying to sell himself as a moderate, hes no moderate. He is an extremist. He isif not the worstamong the worst of anti-choice governors in this countrys history. If Kasich is a moderate, tell that to the pregnant women who have had to scramble across state lines as a result of his draconian 20-week abortion ban. If Kasichs appearance alongside the Democratic presidential nominee at the DNC represents no threat to the very base that the party exists to protect, tell that to the members of the LGBTQ+ community whom he told to take a breath and calm down amid the spread of anti-gay legislation throughout the South. The internal logic of this decision by the Biden campaign is as facile as it is unambiguous: Donald Trump is the Big Bad, and all those who oppose him are on their side. It doesnt matter that Kasich passed a 2013 budget that banned rape crisis counselors from referring victims of sexual assault to abortion services; he wears dad jeans and speaks in broad platitudes about wanting a United States, not the divided states, and, most importantly, he thinks Trump is unfit to serve in the Oval Office. For the Biden campaign, and for the Democratic Party political machine as a whole, politics is a cynical, superficial game, and their sales pitch has not changed: This fall, do you want a red tie in the White House, or a blue one? Dont forget to register to vote. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? What Progressive Election Wins & Losses Mean Trump's Attack On Mail-In Voting Helps No One Is Kayleigh McEnany Just Trump's Mouthpiece? Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mon, July 20, 2020 14:15 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667cb72e 2 SE Asia Goldman-Sachs,1MDB,Malaysia,asset-rescue,sovereign-wealth-fund,scandal Free Executives from US investment bank Goldman Sachs would resume negotiations with the Malaysian government this week over the recovery of assets lost in the scandal at sovereign fund 1MDB, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said on Monday. Last month, Tengku Zafrul said even compensation of $3 billion would be unacceptable, and that Malaysia would pursue its legal case against Goldman Sachs until an acceptable settlement was offered. Three units of Goldman Sachs Group Inc have pleaded not guilty in Malaysia to misleading investors over bond sales totalling $6.5 billion that the bank helped raise for 1MDB. Public outrage over the billions of dollars lost at 1MDB played a part in the defeat of then prime minister Najib Razak in a 2018 election. Najib's United Malays National Organization returned to power in March as a partner in a new coalition government led by Prime Minister Yassin Muhyiddin. Confirming the arrival in Malaysia of the Goldman negotiating team in a statement on Monday, Tengku Zafrul expressed hope that the talks would "enable us to move closer towards achieving the desired results on the recovery of 1MDB assets." A source close to the government said Malaysia's attorney-general, Idrus Harun, will lead the Malaysian team in talks with Goldman Sachs' executives. The source said it was unclear if a settlement would be reached, as "it depends on what GS is bringing to the table". The Malaysian attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Edward Naylor, Goldman Sachs's Asia head of corporate communications, declined to comment "at this stage". On Sunday, Singapore daily The Straits Times reported that a six-member team of Goldman Sachs top executives and legal advisors had entered Malaysia on July 18, on a special permit from the Malaysian government, to resume negotiations on the settlement deal. Malaysia had imposed a ban on foreign arrivals since March as part of strict measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement The Kardashians have been left 'shocked beyond words' after Kanye West revealed that he and his wife Kim considered having an abortion when she was pregnant with their first child North West. The 43-year-old rapper made the comments during a rambling and chaotic speech at his first presidential rally at North Charleston's Exquis Event Center in South Carolina on Sunday. He revealed that he and his 39-year-old wife Kim had considered aborting their daughter North, who is now seven, before he got a 'message from God'. However, his unscripted speech, which came two weeks after he announced his unlikely bid for president, has since left his wife and her family upset and alarmed, TMZ reports. Sources told the outlet that the family are 'shocked beyond words' by the Grammy-award winner's personal revelation and feel he is in 'desperate need of professional help' for what they claim is a bipolar episode. Family and friends close to Kanye have also been left upset because they feel the music artist is becoming a 'distraction to what is a very important election'. During his rally speech on Sunday, the rapper appeared to acknowledge that his comments would be met with a negative reaction by his family. He explained that if his wife were to divorce him after making the comments, he would still be thankful that she had North. Scroll down for video Kanye West took to the stage during a campaign rally at North Charleston's Exquis Event Center in South Carolina on Sunday to reveal that he and his wife Kim Kardashian had considered aborting their daughter Kanye West pictured with wife Kim Kardashian and their children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, in a photo posted on Father's Day on June 21, 2020 KANYE'S CHAOTIC RALLY SPEECH On how he nearly aborted his daughter: 'My girlfriend called me screaming, crying. I'm a rapper. And she said I'm pregnant. She was crying. 'My (laptop) screen went black and white. And God said, if you f*** with my vision I f*** with yours. And I called my girlfriend and said we're going to have this child. 'We talked about her not having this child. She had the pills in her hand! I almost killed my daughter! 'Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into this world, when I did not want to.' How he was nearly aborted by his parents: 'My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There would've been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy.' Denouncing abortion: 'Abortion should be legal but the option of maximum increase should be available. 'Everybody who has a baby gets a million dollars or something. 'No more Plan B - Plan A. 'It takes a village to raise a child. No matter how much money you have. Society is set up for single women to not have a village.' Claims Harriet Tubman didn't free slaves: 'Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people.' Gun ownership: 'When other countries come in, and you have no weapons, what do you think will happen?' 'You're enslaved. Guns don't kill people; people kill people.' Racism: He said he wanted to be on the board of both Adidas and Gap - for whom he designs clothes. He said black culture was exploited by white-owned companies all too often. 'I am sick of this black iconography being used by white corporations, for us to look up to and say this is us.' Other key quotes from his speech: 'I don't give a f*** if I win the presidency or not. 'There are homeless people in front of the Gucci store. I care about these things. And I am in service of God.' 'Politics, America, Trump, Biden, nor Kanye West can free us. 'The only thing that can free us is obeying the rules that were given to us as a promised land.' Advertisement 'Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into this world, when I did not want to,' he said. Those close to the rapper say they are also concerned that he is 'tanking some of his business' with his recent speeches and could ignite boycotts. Kanye has been open about his struggle with bipolar disorder and, in 2016, he spent time in hospital after a 'psychiatric emergency' that forced him to cancel 21 concert dates. Kim has previously defended her husband's rants and said in a 2018 tweet that he was a 'free-thinker' and entitled to his own opinion. She also appeared to endorse her husband's presidential bid when he first announced it two weeks ago by retweeting his message with an emoji of a US flag. DailyMail.com has contacted Kim's agent about his latest comments. During his rally speech, Kanye, who was dressed in a bullet-proof vest with 2020 shaved into his hair, shared that in 2013 Kim 'had the pills in her hand' to have an abortion before he was inspired by God to have the child. 'My girlfriend called me screaming, crying. I'm a rapper. And she said I'm pregnant. She was crying,' he said. Kanye said he was weighing up what to do, when he received what he interpreted as a sign from God while he was working on his laptop in Paris. 'My screen went black and white. And God said, if you f*** with my vision I f*** with yours,' he yelled. 'And I called my girlfriend and said we're going to have this child. 'Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into this world, when I did not want to.' The rapper went on to break down in tears as he shouted: 'She had the pills in her hand! I almost killed my daughter!' Kanye also revealed that his father wanted to abort him but his mother Donda 'saved his life'. 'My mom saved my life. My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There would have been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy,' he said. Kanye spent much of the rally discussing abortion, and announced that he wanted women to be given money by the government for bearing children, to discourage abortion. 'Abortion should be legal but the option of maximum increase should be available,' he said. 'Everybody who has a baby gets a million dollars or something. 'No more Plan B - Plan A.' The Bound 2 singer went explain that he wanted all mothers to be free from the worries of child care before pointing out that Steve Jobs was adopted. 'Steve Jobs was adopted,' he said. 'It takes a village to raise a child. No matter how much money you have. Society is set up for single women to not have a village. 'So I moved to a small town, in Cody, Wyoming.' The rapper's wife Kim gave birth to the couple's first child together, North, on June 15, 2013. She also shares sons Saint, 4, Psalm, 1, and two-year-old daughter Chicago with the musician, who she married in 2014. West's speech, clips of which went viral on social media, has provoked confusion, anger and concern for the musician's mental health. The couple welcomed North on June 15, 2013, they are also parents to Saint, four, Chicago, two, and Psalm, 14 months (pictured together recently) During his first presidential campaign the star discussed abortion and said his father wanted to abort him Attendees at the rally wore face masks, but removed them to go on stage and question West Following Kanye's rally speech, Real Housewives of Potomac star Candiace Dillard blasted the Kardashians and claimed they did not care for the rapper's well being. Following Kanye's rally speech, Real Housewives of Potomac star Candiace Dillard blasted the Kardashians and claimed they did not care for the rapper's wellbeing In an Instagram post Dillard said: 'If my husband was out in the public eye having a manic episode because that is what this is. Having a mental breakdowns because that is what is happening and making a complete mockery of our political system, I would be gearing up to enter him into a conservatorship. 'Kanye West needs to be committed temporarily. He is not well and that fact that his family the people that he leans on and depends on to take care of him are allowing him to be out in the world, allowing him to make a compete a** of himself. He is making a complete fool of himself.' She added: 'Where are you? Where is anyone in that family? Because at the point where he is breaking down crying, screaming like a child at a campaign rally. If I'm your wife I'm going to get you and we're going to get you some help. 'You are not here for him. This man is crying out and you are not here for him. I'm done with all of them.' The frustrated reality star later urged viewers to not let the rapper's display deter them from voting for 'viable candidates' in the election. 'Please don't allow this to deter you from voting for viable candidates who actually have the experience and the marbles and the mental stability to be able to do the job that needs to be done to get out country back to a place that makes sense,' Dillard said. Kanye shocks crowd by saying Harriet Tubman didn't free slaves as his lengthy monologue covers abortion, religion, trade and licensing deals Kanye shocked the crowd and drew condemnation during his speech when he claimed that anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman did not free slaves but 'just had the slaves go work for other white people'. 'Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people,' he said. One person was heard saying: 'Yo, we're leaving right now,' while another crowd member groaned: 'Come on, man.' Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th century America. Kanye shocked the crowd and drew condemnation when he claimed that anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman did not free slaves but 'just had the slaves go work for other white people' An African American who escaped slavery, she helped enslaved Black men and women travel north to freedom and fought for the Union during the Civil War. She later became a supporter of women's suffrage. He was immediately slammed by rapper Trey Songz following the controversial Tubman comments, saying that West and his bid for the presidency was getting 'in the way of progress.' 'They been sayin man Trey need to call these n****s before he just put em online blastin,' Trey said in an Instagram post. 'Ye you in the way of progress foreal, how you turn this goofy from who you were? I'm so confused, whoever got his number need to call him,' he concluded. In remarks that lasted just over an hour, he denounced abortion, swore, called on random members to speak and sometimes seemed to be putting forward policy proposals on the fly. His rambling monologue also touched on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals. 'I don't give a f*** if I win the presidency or not,' he declared. 'There are homeless people in front of the Gucci store. I care about these things. And I am in service of God.' 'Politics, America, Trump, Biden, nor Kanye West can free us,' he told the crowd. 'The only thing that can free us is obeying the rules that were given to us as a promised land.' He also said he wished to meet with George Soros to discuss building houses, and with Mark Zuckerberg to talk about improving internet connectivity in Africa. At times, West demanded 'absolute silence and absolute order' - and even asked audience members to point out anyone they heard talking - scolded the crowd for clapping at one point, and had another audience member ejected for an unclear reason. West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by noon on Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. The entertainer tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed Last week West posted a video of himself registering to vote in Wyoming. He has left voters confused over whether his campaign is genuine or a publicity stunt to help sell albums or merchandise He got into a heated exchange with a young woman named Georgia who he invited onto the stage to speak - although her comments were mostly inaudible. He said that he was concerned about gun violence, but supported gun ownership. 'When other countries come in, and you have no weapons, what do you think will happen?' he asked. 'You're enslaved. Guns don't kill people; people kill people.' West also discussed racism in the United States, proclaiming that he wanted to be on the board of both Adidas and Gap - for whom he designs clothes. He referenced his own wealth several times, noting, to laughter: 'As I said to a fellow billionaire...', and then trailing off. West said that, all too often, black culture was exploited by white-owned companies. 'I am sick of this black iconography being used by white corporations, for us to look up to and say this is us,' he said. Kanye's unlikely campaign for the White House: Rally event does little to clarify if West is actually trying to win the election The event, which was livestreamed on YouTube and carried on local television stations, did little to clarify whether West is genuinely attempting to win the presidency. He has offered virtually no details about his campaign, but the star - who famously wore a 'Make America Great Again' cap to a 2018 Oval Office meeting with Trump - said he no longer supports the president. Kanye has left voters confused over whether his campaign is genuine or a publicity stunt to help sell albums or merchandise. He has reportedly asked Jay-Z if he would be his running mate in the election. 'I reached out to Jay to possibly be my vice president, my running mate,' Kanye said during an interview with local South Carolina blogger Kris Kaylin. 'We have Michelle Tidball, who is a Christian pastor out of Wyoming, who is my running mate. But she would be open to taking another position if we found another running mate.' West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it was unclear if he was willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others. Last week, he qualified to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline. He was able to get on the ballot in that state by paying a $35,000 fee before the cut-off deadline in lieu of getting petition signatures. West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by noon on Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. The entertainer tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed. The deadlines to register as a write-in candidate have passed in several states, but many extend into August and September, leaving a small chance that West could muster enough petition signatures to get him on the ballots in those states. Several thousands of signatures are required for a write-in candidate in most states. West revealed on Independence Day that he was running for president Wife Kim Kardashian had little to say immediately after the announcement on July 4, but showed her support by tweeting an American Flag emoji in response Billionaire Elon Musk said West has his 'full support' when the rapper announced his run He announced his unlikely bid for president on July 4, tweeting: '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 has said that his wife Kim and Tesla founder Elon Musk were his advisors at the moment and that he had suggested Musk could be 'the head of our space program'. Earlier this month, the rapper filled out the first form required by the Federal Election Commission to run for president Form 1: Statement of Organization declaring that the Kanye 2020 committee will serve as the 'Principal Campaign Committee' with West as its candidate. He declared he will be running as a third party candidate for the BDY Party, which he says stands for the Birthday Party. Although West finished the first form to run for president, he has yet to fill out Form 2: Statement of Candidacy. The second and more important form would show that he has raised or spent more than $5,000 in campaign activity and would trigger immediate candidacy status under federal campaign finance law. The performer has sparked speculation over the years that he would potentially enter the presidential race one day, most recently in November, when he said he planned to run in 2024. In his Twitter announcement, West revealed little of his plans, but later spoke about his platform in an interview with Forbes. In his Forbes interview, West first seemed to say that he hadn't yet decided whether he would run as an independent candidate, but was giving himself the next 30 days to decide what to do, even though he'd have missed filing deadlines for several state ballots by that time. West said that he believed he could use coronavirus as a reason for being placed on those ballots. West said that he had decided to run and that his party would be called the 'Birthday Party' because 'when we win, it's everybody's birthday'. West has previously publicly supported Trump, wearing MAGA hats and even going to the White House to meet with him, despite admitting that he's never voted in a presidential election in his life. West told Forbes that he has since lost confidence in Trump and that 'it looks like one big mess to me.' The rapper, pictured in the Oval Office, had previously voiced his support for Trump but pulled it back as he announced his intentions to run, saying he lost confidence in the president West-Tidball 2020! In an interview with Forbes about his presidential run, Kanye West named Michelle Tidball (pictired right) as his running mate ahead of the 2020 election He named Michelle Tidball, 57, as his running mate ahead of the 2020 election. Tidball hails from Cody, Wyoming - the same town where West owns a $14 million ranch - but she has scrubbed clean her web presence in recent days. While there is no official deadline to enter the US presidential race, candidates must meet certain filing requirements under Ballot Access Laws that vary by state. The deadline to add independent candidates to the ballot had not yet passed in many states, including California, when West announced but were fast approaching. He had already missed deadlines to add his name to the presidential ballot in six states by July 4. Of the 538 Electoral College votes total, West has already missed out on 102 of those votes if he were to successfully make his way onto the ballot in other states as the registration date has passed for North Carolina, Texas, New York, Maine, New Mexico and Indiana. Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia all have July deadlines also. He could, however, have run in these states as a write-in candidate. Although, rules for this type of candidacy vary from state to state and in many states do not count or are tallied as part of the 'other' category. The late registration also the name of West's 2005 album would prevent him from standing any real chance against Trump and presumed Democratic candidate Biden. West's announcement was met with with mixed reactions of skepticism and excitement, as online bookmakers cut his odds of winning the election from 500/1 to 50/1. Advertisement By Rep. Richard Heath Jul. 20, 2020 | MAYFIELD By Rep. Richard Heath Jul. 20, 2020 | 12:29 PM | MAYFIELD Before I begin this column, I want to address Friday's announcement that a Circuit Court Judge voided all the Governor's COVID-19-related executive orders. While I was supportive of much of what the Governor did to slow the spread in the first few days of this pandemic, I have been pretty outspoken in questioning whether or not the Governor has the authority to take many of the steps he has taken since those days. Frankly, I found them inconsistent and arbitrary. The Governor is part of the Executive Branch, just one of the three branches of our state's government that must work together as well as hold each other accountable. No branch is more powerful than our constitution, and all must abide by the law. I am deeply concerned that the Governor's attorneys argued before the judge that there are no limits to the Governor's power. While I am sure this ruling will be appealed, I am hopeful that it leads the Governor to work with legislators and other stakeholders to address not only the public health issues, but also the ongoing unemployment insurance debacle, and other needs facing our state. It is also important to recognize that the judge may have voided the orders based on how they were enacted, it is still important to emphasize safety in how we operate our daily lives. My family and I will continue to listen to medical and public health officials and take the steps necessary to keep everyone safe. I also want to stress that, according to testimony during the hearing, public health experts believe that they have all the tools they need to regulate public health and fight COVID-19 without the Governor's executive orders. Being a good steward of your tax dollars is, to me, one of the most important tenets of good government. I believe you sent me here to Frankfort to be a guardian of that resource. So, when I see any government entity spending massive amounts of money without input from the legislature, I ask questions. This past week was a busy week that saw not only legislation officially become law, but also many of the Governor's actions of late fall under the microscope of the legislature's Government Contract Review Committee. Last month, the administration spent $225,000 to remove a statue from the Capitol Rotunda. While the Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis, placed there in 1936, there are many valid questions about the actual removal. For example, they awarded it without any actual bidding and the company set up the equipment necessary to do the job the day before the Commission gave the go ahead to do so. According to the administration, the state did not have a copy of the company's workers' compensation and liability insurance on file when they began work without approval, meaning the state could have been responsible if any workers had been injured. Also, when pressed by committee members, the administration was unable to share why the statue had to be removed immediately rather than go through a competitive bidding process. This contract has been handed over to both the Attorney General and the federal government for investigation. Another questionable situation that the Government Contract Review committee discussed was the Governor's refusal to honor the decision of the Fish and Wildlife Commission by offering Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Rich Storm a two-year contract renewal. The Commission has the legal authority to choose the Commissioner and the Storm has done an extraordinary job leading the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, an agency that does not receive any general fund dollars from the General Assembly. Under his leadership, the fund has more than tripled from $9 million to more than $28 million and great strides have been taken to make it more accountable to the hunters, fishermen, and boaters who fund it. Of course, being good stewards and guardians of your tax dollars also means that we need to pass laws that help Kentucky businesses grow and Kentuckians keep more of their hard-earned money. Our pro-business approach these past few years that we have held the majority in the House and the Senate has led to legislation that has helped get us to where we were before the pandemic. And that same approach to economic development will bring us back to where we need to be. Here are a few of those economic development measures we approved in 2020 that, as of July 15, are now law: HB 362 - Broadband is essential infrastructure in our digital economy. It is every bit as essential as roads and bridges are to our economic development efforts. We must take a targeted approach to accelerate access to broadband in our state's most underserved areas, and this bill combines public and private investment to accomplish that goal. It provides funding for construction, development, or improvement of broadband infrastructure, services, or related technologies in underserved or unserved areas of Kentucky. This legislation helps to bring broadband internet to counties that depend on reliable, fast internet for economic development and job growth, yet currently have little to no access. HB 186 This bill cleans up language for the Department of Workplace Standards in the Labor Cabinet to clarify that direct sellers those who sell everything from Avon to Pampered Chef to Norwex are not employees. This bill eliminates any extra hoops that direct sellers, many of whom are doing these jobs as extra income for their families, might have to go through. HB 374 This measure helps to preserve the rights of Kentucky's hard-working citizens by removing collective bargaining break waivers and preserving agreements made between employers and employees who are represented by a union. It will mandate collective bargaining agreements to be exempt from Kentucky statute as long as the employee receives ten six-minute rest periods for every four hours worked and eliminates any violation of current Kentucky law, which requires a 10-minute break every four hours HB 415 This legislation is already receiving national attention as a model for innovation and will benefit our bourbon industry, as well as the micro-breweries, wineries and other producers. It allows alcoholic beverage producers to send products directly to Kentucky consumers. The measure allows licensed producers, both in and out-of-state, to ship directly to Kentuckians and consumers in those other states that permit it. For example, Kentuckians would now be able to receive alcohol from out of state wineries. It will now be easier to make legal purchases, but we included provisions to protect the public. Products can only be shipped to "wet" areas where alcohol is legally allowed. Shipments would require a signature by someone over the age of 21 and must be shipped using a common carrier such as UPS. SB 263 This new law passed in the 2020 Regular Session creates the framework for a refunding process for employers who pay into the coal workers' pneumoconiosis fund once the fund is audited and closed. The Kentucky Workers' Compensation Funding Commission and the Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance Authority make the determination that final audits are complete, and the liabilities of the coal workers' pneumoconiosis fund are fully funded prior to the refund of any excess assessments to employers. SB 263 also requires employers to seek a refund to certify if they are in bankruptcy. The refund can only be used to pay workers who have unpaid wages. An employer will not receive a refund if it has an outstanding tax balance or has other unpaid public obligations. I hope to continue providing you updates through this column. And I will continue to be a good guardian of your tax dollars. As always, I can still be reached through the toll-free message line; if you have any comments or questions, just call 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at Richard.Heath@lrc.ky.gov. You can also keep track of the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at legislature.ky.gov. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The export of leather goods from Turkey to Uzbekistan slumped by 47.29 percent from January through June 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, having amounted to $2.3 million, the Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In June 2020, Turkeys export of leather goods to Uzbekistan massively dropped by 41.25 percent compared to June 2019 and amounted to $174,000. In 1H2020, the export of leather goods from Turkey to world markets decreased by 24.1 percent compared to 1H2019, having amounted to $630.5 million. Turkeys export of leather products accounted for 0.8 percent of the country's total exports during this period. In June 2020, Turkey exported $101.5 million worth of leather goods to international markets, which is 15.8 percent more compared to the same month of 2019. In this month, the countrys export of leather goods accounted for 0.8 percent of the its total exports. From June 2019 through June 2020, Turkey exported the leather goods worth $1.4 billion to foreign markets. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu A massive truck carrying an aerospace horizontal autoclave for delivery to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram reached the city today, a year after it started from Maharashtra. The huge truck started from Maharashtra in July 2019 and travelled across 4 states to finally make it to its destination. The aerospace autoclave weighs 70 tonnes, has a height of 7.5 metres and width of 6.65 metres. Because of its extremely huge size and the storage space it needs, the truck could not move more than 5 kilometres per day. The aerospace autoclave is manufactured in Nashik and transported to the VSSC Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala: A truck, carrying an aerospace horizontal autoclave for delivery to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, reached the city today a year after starting from Maharashtra. Staff say, "Started in July 2019 & travelled across 4 states. Hope to deliver this today" pic.twitter.com/XNaCjXa1C3 ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2020 The staff members had to use a rope to carry the cargo's weight and it was pulled using two axels on the front and back, both having 32 wheels each and a puller with 10 wheels. Weight has been distributed with the help of two axels. Due to the height of the machine, the staff was unable to transport this aerospace autoclave via Cargo in ship and thus had to opt for transportation via road. Apart from the huge size of the cargo, the truck's journey also got extended due to the nationwide lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus since March 25. The truck was reportedly stuck in Andhra Pradesh after the lockdown was imposed across the country. Also read: Delhi rains: Road caves in near ITO after downpour; nearby house collapses The $6 billion dollar scheme will be located in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue Borrowing a page out of the United States and Europes development as renewable energy innovators, the initiative will act as a catalyst for the creation of Vietnams clean energy sector. With the total investment estimated at $6 billion, the project promises to create breakthroughs in the domestic energy sector, stimulate vigorous job creation and economic growth in the era after COVID-19, and contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations between Vietnam and the US. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of relations between the two nations, Chan May hopes to bring them closer together. Chan May JSC couldnt be more excited to be a part of the worlds greatest success story that is Vietnam, said company CEO John Rockhold, an American citizen who moved to Vietnam almost 30 years ago in order to help in the normalisation of relations between the two countries. No stranger to working in Vietnam, Rockhold has spent the majority of his career building some of the countrys largest infrastructure projects. Chan Mays mission is to provide Vietnam with a source of clean energy to help it meet its development needs in the most sustainable way possible. In February, the Politburo issued Resolution No.55-NQ/TW on orientation of the National Energy Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045. Resolution 55 emphasises on rapid energy development using liquefied natural gas (LNG), reinforcing it to gradually become a key source of power for the national power system. The resolution prioritises sustainable energy development while fostering favourable conditions for all economic sectors, especially the private sector, to participate in energy development; ultimately, to meet the goals of the national socio-economic development strategy while protecting the ecological environment and ensuring national security and defence. In that spirit, the Chan May LNG Power Plant scheme, invested in and developed by Chan May JSC, will be located in Chan May-Lang Co economic zone in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. With the total capacity of 4,000 megawatts, the project expects to start construction in the first quarter of next year and launch the first phase of commercial operations in 2024, as an independent power plant with capital breakdown of 60 per cent US-owned and 40 per cent Vietnamese. When put into operation, the plant will provide an average power output of 24-25 billion kilowatt hours per year. The power plant project is a tie-up between both Vietnamese authorities and top American institutions Thousands of jobs will be created through the construction of the project, and Chan Mays true contribution to the country will be in the training and employment of hundreds of engineers and technicians. Chan May will work with local universities and training centres in Hue to develop training programmes to prepare the country for the labour force required for Vietnam to lead the region in clean energy production. Creating more and better jobs is central to our work at Chan May, said Rockhold. The World Bank estimates that 300 jobs are created with every $10 million of investment. However we see our impact on Vietnams labour force being much broader. Our hope is that we can help prepare it for the next wave of clean energy. Along with supporting the countrys energy and economic needs, Chan Mays goal is to become a model independent power project, whose success can be replicated throughout Vietnam. Accompanying the project are support programmes from the US government for private project investments of their citizens abroad, along with global leading partners in the financial, technology, operation, gas supply, and management fields. Some of these partners include the US Development Finance Corporation, US Asia EDGE, World Bank, International Finance Corporation, US Exim Bank, GE, Black & Veatch, Baker McKenzie, E&Y, McKinsey, and ERM. The Chan May LNG Power Plant views the secret to its long-term success to be the combination of a truly international team led by Vietnamese and long-term American expatriates, with top-notch local partners, a host of best of breed service and operating partners, and the strong commitment of local and national government leaders. The venture has been conceived and developed in conjunction with, and under the guidance of the local and central government and ministries in order to help Vietnam overcome the challenges it is facing to meet the demands of a rapidly-growing economy. The project has begun to work overtime in order to help Vietnam in its post-pandemic recovery. Chan May could not have made it this far this quickly without taking a truly international approach to developing the project, as well as working closely with both governments to figure out how to make this project a reality, said Rockhold. Chan May selected LNG not only as a base fuel to help transition the country from coal to more sustainable forms of energy, but also as a means to help make Vietnam more secure. It is working closely with the US Department of Energy and US Department of State to ensure the procurement and transportation of LNG from the US to Vietnam. A gunman shot the son of a federal judge at her home in New Jersey on Sunday, according to an official with knowledge of the situation. The Associated Press reported that he had died and that the judges husband also had been shot. The judge, Esther Salas, was home at the time of the shooting at her residence in North Brunswick, N.J., but was not injured, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the authorities had not made any public statements. Her son, Daniel Anderl, a college student, died in the shooting and her husband, Mark Anderl, was injured, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. The F.B.I. office in Newark said on Sunday night that it was looking for one subject in relation to the shooting. What silicone wristbands say about chemical exposure in Uruguayan children Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the Catholic University of Uruguay used silicone wristbands to examine the extent of chemical exposure among a small group of children in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is very concerning that young children are exposed to multiple chemicals, including those that have been banned in the U.S. because of demonstrated harms to health. BUFFALO, N.Y. Millions of children fail to reach their developmental potential worldwide, in part due to higher rates of exposure to current and legacy pollutants. Researchers studying chemical exposures among children in Uruguay turned to an unlikely data collection device as part of a recent study: silicone wristbands. These wristbands the kind many people around the world wear to show their support for a cause or organization are extremely effective in capturing certain types of harmful chemicals, and theyre easy for children to wear. Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the Catholic University of Uruguay used the wristbands to examine the extent of chemical exposure among a small group of children in Montevideo, Uruguay. The 6- to 8-year-olds wore the bands for seven days. After analyzing the wristbands, researchers found an average of 13 pollutants in each one collected. Some of the wristbands showed exposure to DDT, a harmful pesticide that has been banned for use in many countries, including the U.S., since the 1970s. The study, published recently in the journal Science of the Total Environment, is the first to apply silicone wristbands to measure childrens exposure to chemicals in a country outside of the U.S. The study was conducted as part of an ongoing research project in Montevideo led by Katarzyna Kasia Kordas, PhD, the papers senior author. Kordas is an associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health in UBs School of Public Health and Health Professions and co-director of UBs Community for Global Health Equity. The UB RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute provided funding for the study. One of the key findings from this research is that we still observe industrial and agricultural chemicals that have been banned from production for years and even decades, said Steven C. Travis, the studys first author, who is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry in UBs College of Arts and Sciences. We were also able to find specific differences between chemical exposures of the children in our study compared to children in the U.S., and identify potential reasons for differences in exposure, added Travis, whose major PhD adviser, Diana Aga, Henry Woodburn Professor of Chemistry in UBs College of Arts and Sciences, is a paper co-author. Silicone wristbands have become a popular method in recent years to measure personal exposures to organic chemicals because they are easy to wear and are a non-invasive sampling method. They also have a greater capacity to hold semi-volatile chemicals, and can capture chemicals for a longer period of time. More than 1,500 chemicals have been sampled using silicone wristbands, Travis said. Researchers analyzed wristbands in this study for 45 chemicals from among five groups: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and novel halogenated flame-retardant chemicals (NHFRs). NHFRs were the only chemical group not detected. Anywhere from eight to 19 chemicals were detected in each of 23 wristbands collected. The use of wristbands as a personal sampling device is an excellent alternative for assessing what harmful chemicals are accumulating in childrens bodies, rather than the old-fashioned way of collecting blood and measuring the chemical concentrations in the blood, said Aga. PCBs were found in 19 of the 23 wristbands. The researchers noted that the entry and trade of PCBs wasnt regulated in Uruguay until 2007, and that there were an estimated 40,000 transformers a major source of PCBs operating in the country in 2006. The presence of PBDEs was confirmed in 22 out of 23 wristbands. Concentrations of this chemical group, however, were much lower than those found in U.S. studies. That was surprising, according to the researchers. With this study, weve been able to link different exposures to certain lifestyle characteristics, Travis said. For example, we are able to suggest that not having carpets in the home may lead to lower exposure to brominated flame retardants, which were used widely in the production of carpet padding. Also, with the use of other studies, we can uncover differences in exposure based on various modes of transportation. Eleven wristbands contained all six OPFRs analyzed. Pesticides were also present, including DDT, which was found in 20 wristbands. It is very concerning that young children are exposed to multiple chemicals, including those that have been banned in the U.S. because of demonstrated harms to health, said Kordas. We know that when chemicals occur together in so-called mixtures, they could be more detrimental to childrens development than each chemical alone. Travis added, This emphasizes that we need to be more careful with the chemicals that we use for industrial and agricultural purposes, since they have the potential to remain in the environment and can affect people over decades. Study co-authors included Elena I. Queirolo and Monica Daleiro of the Center for Research at Catholic University of Uruguay, and James R. Olson, PhD, a UB Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Professions and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. PHILIPSBURG:--- Justice workers on St. Maarten has dispatched a letter to the President of Parliament Rolando Brison expressing what transpired at the Government Administration Building last week and the display by Minister of Justice Anna Richardson. The Justice workers through their unions are calling on the Minister to resign and to also send them a written apology for her behavior when she addressed them. The Minister has since apologized for her behavior on several media outlets but it appears that the unions and Justice workers will not be accepting such apology. Jaipur: Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday (July 20) hit back at the bribery allegations levelled against him saying he is saddened but not surprised by the 'bribe' charges. He said that the fresh allegations against him are an attempt at defaming him and attack his credibility. "I am saddened but not surprised to be at receiving end of such baseless, vexatious allegations being levelled against me. This is done solely to malign me and to stifle legitimate concerns I raised against Rajasthan party leadership, as member and MLA of Congress. This attempt further aims at defaming me and attack my credibility. Narrative is being redirected to avoid addressing the main issue," Pilot said. He said he will take a possible legal action against the MLA who levelled the charges against him. "I'll be taking appropriate, strictest possible legal action against the MLA who was made to make the accusations. I'm sure more such concocted allegations will be thrown at me to cause aspersions on my image but I'll be unfettered and remain firm in my beliefs and convictions," he said. Earlier in the day, Congress MLA from Rajasthan Giriraj Singh Malinga alleged that rebel party leader Sachin Pilot offered him money to join the BJP. He said talks were held at Pilot's residence and subsequently, he had alerted CM Ashok Gehlot about the conspiracy to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan. "I had a talk with Sachinji. He offered me money to join the BJP, but I refused, saying I will not join the saffron party," Malinga told reporters here. He did not disclose the amount that he was allegedly offered to join the saffron party. Asked if it was between Rs 30 crore and Rs 35 crore, Malinga said he was offered the "going rate". Malinga said he would not join the BJP even after resigning as an MLA. The former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Badi, along with five other legislators of the Mayawati-led party, was inducted into the Congress in September 2019. The lawmakers had handed over affidavits to state Assembly Speaker CP Joshi to merge the legislative party with the Congress. Replying to a question on why did he not raise the issue when he was offered money, Malinga said he had alerted Gehlot ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls that a conspiracy was going on to topple his government. He said efforts to topple the government were going on from December last year. Second quarter earnings season is upon us, and Wall Street watchers are focused on the results. Weighing in after looking at the initial results, investment firm RBC describes the earnings season as pivotal. After the grim results in Q1, investors are hoping for better earnings in Q2, but are girding themselves for the possibility of downward revisions. But for now, at least, the results have been, in RBC words, less bad than feared. The firm notes that 56% of the revisions to EPS estimates so far for 2020 and 2021 have been upward. Its a welcome positive sign, especially considering indicators that economic activity is faltering while COVID cases are rising. Restaurant bookings have stalled, and public transit activity is inconsistent at best. Its important to remember that Q2 saw lockdowns in April, reopenings in May, and the signs of a feared second wave in June. In the mid-term, RBCs analysts believe that markets which have tended to hope for a Trump win in the coming November election are starting to accept that former VP Joe Biden is currently in the lead. RBC points out that Bidens current economic positions may not be as unfriendly to business as is commonly assumed. The upshot is, that conditions are unsettled and investors are trying to remain upbeat. To help along the process, RBC has tagged three stocks that are worth buying, and sees at least 30% upside for each. We ran the trio through TipRanks database to see what other Wall Streets analysts have to say about them. The Gap, Inc. (GPS) One of retails most recognizable names, The Gap has had a hard time during the pandemic crisis. First quarter results released at the start of June and covering the period of the strictest lockdown policies showed an earnings loss of $2.51 per share. This was a far cry from the previous quarters 58 cent profit, and far below the 65-cent loss forecast. The impact of the pandemic on retail was clear as early as March; that month, Gap announced its Q1 dividend and later suspended it before payment. Story continues GPS stock performance has been volatile in recent months. The stock plunged in February and March, as the crisis ramped up, rallied when restrictions were lifted and retail activity restarted, and plunged again, less deeply, after the first quarter results. While the stock is still 24% from February levels, it has regained what it lost after the June earnings release. Covering GPS for RBC, analyst Kate Fitzsimons upgraded her firms stance from Neutral to Buy. She backs that with an $18 price target, suggesting an upside potential of an impressive 45% for the coming year. (To watch Fitzsimons track record, click here) In her comments, Fitzsimons described a clear path forward for the retailer: "With COVID-19 near-term pressuring results, we see multiple catalysts ahead for shares, including: 1) a fall 2020 analyst day, wherein the new management team including CEO Syngal and CFO O'Connell will update investors on brand metrics; 2) strength at Old Navy, with its value focus and off-mall penetration key assets and with execution issues in womens in the rear view; 3) the 1H21 launch of Yeezy Gap;and 4) benefits with occupancy and expense reduction efforts as 2020 store closures (likely above the original 170 target), rent renegotiation work, and expense reductions efforts at HQ take hold. With secular tailwinds for the Old Navy and Athleta brands at their backs, on top ofthe team's own self-help efforts, we expect shares are positioned for outperformance." Fitzsimons is clearly on the bullish side when it comes to GPS, but Wall Street is more cautious. The stocks analyst consensus rating is a Hold, based on 2 Buys, 10 Holds, and 2 Sells set in recent weeks. In a sign that GPS may be turning bullish, the stocks recent appreciation has pushed its value above the average price target of $12.38. The shares are currently selling for $12.89. (See GPS stock analysis on TipRanks) Cerence, Inc. (CRNC) The next stock on our list is an interesting tech company. Cerence develops AI systems and interfaces for the automotive industry. Cerence saw bookings and revenue increase during the 2020 fiscal second quarter. The reporting period covered calendar Q1, and saw bookings reach a company record of $533 million and revenue grow 23% year-over-year to $86.5 million. Cerence has been trading publicly since October of last year, after it spun off from Nuance, Inc. In that time, CRNC shares have gained nearly 50%, with most of that coming in the past three months. RBCs Joseph Spak explains why the stock could continue its rally: There is strong demand for vehicles to be an extension of the consumers digital life. Voice-powered assistants are increasingly important for a more intelligent, connected and safer driving experience. Further, post COVID-19, we believe voice may be an interface of greater importance vs. touch, especially in a shared situation. In line with his comments, Spak initiated coverage of CRNC with a Buy rating. His $50 price target implies a one-year upside potential of 28% for the stock. (To watch Spaks track record, click here) The analyst consensus on CRNC is a Moderate Buy. The stock has 5 reviews, breaking down to 4 Buys and 1 Sell. Shares are selling for $39.41; the average price target of $40.60 reflects some Wall Street caution, and suggests just a modest upside of 3%. (See Cerence stock analysis on TipRanks) International General Insurance (IGIC) The last on our list of RBC recommendations today is IGIC. This veteran of the insurance industry went public this past March, just in time for the coronavirus crisis and market collapse. Shares remain down after five months of volatile trading. IGI is well-known as a niche underwriter, and has some 20 years experience in the insurance industry. The company holds a risk portfolio in the energy, property, construction, financial, general aviation, and professional indemnity sectors. S&P Global Ratings gives IGI a rating of A-/Stable. The company boasts a market cap of $331 million, assets exceeding $1.01 billion, and 2019 net earnings of $23.5 million. In short, this is a solidly positioned, experienced underwriter in the insurance industry. Mark Dwelle initiated coverage of this stock for RBC. He sees a bright future ahead for it, writing, We see the company as a highly profitable niche underwriter of both insurance and reinsurance with a solid balance sheet and excellent underwriting credentials As investors get to know IGI and tradeable float increases we expect the multiple to rise reflecting the company's favorable operating fundamentals. Dwelle starts this stock with a Buy rating, and his $10 price target indicates room for a 40% upside over the coming year. (To watch Dwelles track record, click here) Dwelles is the only analyst review that IGIC has no record since the IPO. Shares are currently selling for $7.15. (See IGIC 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:31:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education (MOE) has issued a circular ordering national student contest organizers to check the veracity of award-winning projects. The circular was issued after certain contests reviewed entries with laxity that led to awards for several projects completed with the help of participants' parents. National contests for primary and secondary school students should improve review standards and procedures as well as supervision mechanisms to prevent cheating, it said. The circular also prohibited the charging of fees from participants. The MOE vowed to improve the management of such contests and punish those who violate rules. Enditem Whole Foods Market was sued on Monday by employees who accused the upscale grocery chain of punishing workers who wear Black Lives Matter face masks on the job. The 14 plaintiffs in the proposed nationwide class action accused Whole Foods, a unit of Amazon.com Inc., of sending workers home without pay or imposing disciplinary actions for wearing the masks and related apparel. Whole Foods said the masks violate its longstanding dress code banning clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising unrelated to the company. But the complaint filed in Boston federal court said Whole Foods has selectively enforced its code, and seeks an injunction to stop it from targeting Black Lives Matter supporters. Savannah Kinzer, a white plaintiff, said she was fired on Saturday after organizing co-workers in protest at a Whole Foods in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Many companies are making enthusiastic statements about how they support Black Lives Matter and protests that have shaken up the country, Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview. Whole Foods and Amazon have portrayed themselves as champions of racial justice, but when their employees try to speak out, they get muzzled. A Whole Foods spokeswoman declined to discuss the lawsuit, but said the company has zero tolerance for retaliation. She also said Kinzer was fired for lateness and missing shifts. Kinzer disputed this, and said Whole Foods has let employees wear masks bearing political messages and sports team logos, and let her wear a mask with the phrase Soup is Good, without incident. The plaintiffs come from four states, and several racial and ethnic backgrounds. More plaintiffs are expected. Black Lives Matter protests gained new strength after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where a police officer pinned his neck to the ground. On June 3, Amazon said Black lives matter and announced a $10 million donation to social justice organizations. The case is Frith et al v Whole Foods Market Inc, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No. 20-11358. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Matthew Lewis) Topics Lawsuits Why is Covid-19 killing Minorities doctors abroad where they are better equipped than in Africa? Yet more African health workers are ready to jump into airplanes arranged by the same unsrewpolous Agents that sold naive youths to Arab countries as body parts, prostitutes, slaves and househelps. If these youths are greedy half illiterates, what do you call our trained doctors? Let us face it, many of us are looking for greener pastures because capital expenditure that could have created a livable environment at home are used for personal emoluments of our political leaders. Their salaries are so high in Nigeria, no politicians even in the United States, the richest country comes close. Therefore, all the professionals and other workers think they are poorly paid since they shop in the same market as their politicians. Moreover, these politicians shop abroad with laundered money. They and their children relish the display of conspicuous spending everywhere including social media in disguise for how God has blessed them for working hard!. As a result, many Youths jump at the lure of promised opportunity to work in Britain and the United States in order to earn what they could not at home. Even if we give a copy of Treasury keys politicians have to those bent on leaving for overseas, it will not stop them. We will only encourage them to launder as much money as they possibly can. If they had the brain to improve their own environment, they would not be running abroad using any and every opportunity they get. It has more to do with ready-made convenience than building their country up: Surulere v. Olorunsogo. Instead, come out clean that a country like Kenya or Nigeria does not have the income of the United States to support such outlandish salaries. Kenya cut salaries after outcry. But Nigeria politicians could not let the outrageous salaries go. So they started borrowing outside to pay unsustainable emoluments. They are ready to sell the country to foreigners while they and their children relocate to foreign countries. It does not matter how they get there. We should not be surprised that African Youths argue ignorantly to justify jumping into the desert, sea, planes and ships without visas at the risk of their lives. It is even sadder that some of those that are exposed to adversities and suffering abroad send pictures and videos home lying about how lucky and great they are. Pointing out realities to them is pointless when they see Sakawa boys like Hushppupi, Invictus Obi, Nana Wan or Criss Waddle. Angola and Nigeria kleptomaniacs made more money from oil that hardly benefits their masses. Some of the Youths have given up while the others resign to crime and corruption as the way out of poverty. They are only waiting for their own turns to loot. No allocation of money from anywhere for any project or to any destination is safe. There are too many waiting to strike first and embezzle. If they cannot get one chance, they are bailing out of Africa no matter what they do outside. The problem is many jump from fry pan to fire. However, how do we explain the same risk or anger from the children of politicians and their cronies that are still plugging African countries, looting and laundering money out. Their children cry louder after African resources have been wasted to train them in the best professions and schools all over the world. The irony of blaming the poverty in the land being created by their parents is staggering. If their parents had used the same resources to improve infrastructure, there would be less youths risking their lives to venture out. One of the best answers given by a South African nurse for traveling out claimed she made enough money to send to her parents, send her brothers and sisters to medical and nursing schools back home. In order words, by venturing out, she was able to triple what she could for her family than staying home. Indeed, we can say the same about missionaries, explorers and foreign Investors making killer profits in Africa than anywhere else. They make enough money for their services in Africa to retire early in luxury in Europe and America. Even a mercenary in Africa takes certain risks to make much more fighting in Africa than a subsistence living at home with all the freedom taunted. While Africans go abroad to make enough money to live from one paycheck to another like most of their hosts, Europeans, Asians and Americans come to Africa for fortune to live in luxury they never imagined in their countries. The difference between cheap and inflated salaries for labor. However, if coronavirus is hitting Britains minority doctors harder and dying more, you are useless to yourself, your families and your Countries. Twenty- seven out of the 29 doctors who have died of covid-19 in the UK were ethnic minorities, most born overseas according to the British Medical Association. www.washingtonpost.com May 20, 2020. It is mere hypocrisy that the "grim toll has confounded health experts, alarmed minority physicians, and startled a nation that relies on immigrants to swell the ranks of its public health-care system". It sounds like those health experts in the United States trying to explain why blacks that make up only 13% of their population, die at a higher rate or more of them in correctional institutions than whites. They blame underlying pre-existing medical conditions. The same endemic risks these new African immigrants are going to face. If you are looking for international fame that will translate to wealth, discover or produce something at home that can compete with international products and name your price. No matter how much you wish to be like them, copy them or bleach your brain white, you can never be them, the real thing is your unique self. These young professionals that are fleeing African countries always complain that their laboratories at home are not well equipped for them to make 21st century discoveries in Arts and Sciences. The fallacy of that narrow excuse is that African countries have the biggest laboratory in the world - Bush. The same Bush and jungle that foreigners come and discover pharmaceutical products that turn them into multi- billion companies and billionaires. Our youths are too busy cramming for foreign examinations instead of searching for discoveries at home. Bombardier Park in Milton was transformed into the towns first ever drive-thru polling place June 9 so that residents could revote on the Milton Township School District budget. Balochistan separatists say more than 5,000 people have gone missing in decades of conflict in southwestern Pakistan. For more than 11 years, relatives of people who disappeared in the murk of a separatist movement in southwestern Pakistan have gathered outside the Press Club of Quetta wanting to know who took their fathers, husbands and sons. The daily sit-in protest in the provincial capital of Balochistan began on June 28, 2009, after a doctor, Deen Muhammad, was abducted by unknown men. Relatives suspect Muhammad, like many other missing ethnic Baloch, was snatched by Pakistani security forces hunting separatists, who for decades have waged a campaign for greater autonomy or independence. Sometimes less than a dozen join the daily protest, other days many more, but Muhammads two daughters have been among the regulars since they were eight and 10 years old. Our little hands were holding pictures of our father back then; now we have grown up and we still have no clue if he is alive, Sammi Baloch, now 21, told Reuters news agency by telephone from Quetta. When the weather is too extreme in Quetta to hold protest, a sit-in is observed by Baloch in front of the press club in Karachi, Pakistans largest city and a melting pot for different ethnic groups. Stop disappearing people The separatist movement in Balochistan, a sparsely populated, mountainous, desert region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, has both waned and intensified over the years. Last month, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) quit Prime Minister Imran Khans parliamentary bloc, frustrated by unfulfilled promises to address Baloch grievances including the festering issue of the disappeared. When he led the BNP into an alliance with Khans coalition two years ago, Akhtar Mengal gave the government a list of 5,128 missing people. Since then, more than 450 of the people on the list have been found or returned to their families, but during the same period, Mengal says another 1,800 were reported to have disappeared. If you cannot recover people, at least stop disappearing more people, said Mengal. Another Baloch party set up in the months prior to the 2018 elections with backing from the military establishment, according to political analysts is in a coalition with Prime Minister Khans party at federal and provincial levels. Balochistan Awami Party Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar told Reuters the numbers of the missing are exaggerated. But Mama Qadeer, who heads a group called Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, keeps his own count. In last six months, the number of Baloch missing persons has risen, he told Reuters by telephone. His son disappeared 10 years ago. In February last year, Qadeers group handed a list of 500 missing people to provincial officials. Since then, nearly 300 have been returned to their homes but 87 others disappeared in the first half of this year, according to the group. Last week, three soldiers were killed and eight wounded in an area known for attacks by Baloch rebels [Din Muhammad Watanpaal/Getty Images] But for all the durability of the Baloch struggle, the conflict has seldom drawn international attention. It grabbed headlines however in late June when a group of young Baloch fighters launched an attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi. Last week, three soldiers were killed and eight wounded in Balochistans Panjgoor district, an area known for attacks by Baloch rebels. But beyond giving the grinding casualty toll, the veil of secrecy over the conflict is seldom lifted, and foreign journalists are often discouraged from visiting Balochistan. Multiple calls, texts and emails to Pakistans human rights ministry, the military and Balochistans provincial government, seeking their comments for this story went unanswered. The military issued a statement last year sympathising with families of missing Baloch, while saying that some may have joined rebel groups and not every person missing is attributable to the state. Pakistan has repeatedly blamed India for fanning the rebellion in Balochistan, a charge New Delhi has consistently denied. For all the durability of the Baloch struggle, the conflict has seldom drawn international attention [Din Muhammad Watanpaal/Getty Images] China raises stakes A federal commission set up nine years ago listed 6,506 cases of enforced disappearances nationwide by the end of 2019. Most came from the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Only 472 were registered from Balochistan. Advocacy groups say Balochistans number is far higher, pointing to difficulty in having cases accepted by the commission. Theres hardly a home in Balochistan that hasnt had a relative or loved one picked up, Mohammad Ali Talpur, an aged activist who once fought alongside Baloch rebels in the 1970s, told Reuters. The conflict has a long, complex history, but since that time, the stakes rose as Balochistans wealth of copper, gold, gas and coal deposits caught Chinas eye. The prospects of Pakistans most reliable ally pouring in money excited successive governments, while heightening Baloch resentment over how little would come their way. Separatist fighters have frequently targeted Chinese construction in Gwadar, a port on the Balochistan coast, near the entrance to the strategically-important Gulf of Oman. In 2018, the Balochistan Liberation Army launched an assault on the Chinese consulate in the southern port city of Karachi, killing four Pakistani police and civilians. It was the most prominent attack by the group until June 29 this year, when its fighters attacked the stock exchange, again killing four people. The attack came a day after hundreds of relatives of missing Balochs gathered in Quetta to mark the 4,000th day of their protest since the disappearance of Deen Muhammad. Rachel Fletcher who is working in the Coxs Bazar area of Bangladesh A Belfast nurse is heading up a new coronavirus isolation and treatment centre in the world's largest refugee camp. Rachel Fletcher has been working in the Cox's Bazar area of Bangladesh for months, helping with efforts to build the centre, secure PPE supplies and train staff to treat patients. Ms Fletcher is a part of Save The Children's Emergency Health Unit, which is a team of international specialists who respond to deadly disease outbreaks across the globe. The former Belfast Trust nurse spent almost a year fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 and, more recently, was deployed to help those caught up in humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Cox's Bazar houses nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Burma. Families live in overcrowded conditions, making social distancing nearly impossible. There are only 18 intensive care beds in the entire Cox's Bazar district, which has a total population of more than three million people. Ms Fletcher, who is the manager of the newly opened treatment centre, travelled to Bangladesh with London nurse Rachael Cummings. "It's been a race against time to get the centre ready," said Ms Fletcher. "Conditions are tough. "We're here to support local health teams and walk with them on this journey, particularly when faced with the impossible decision of who gets a hospital bed and who doesn't, when resources are stretched." The Disasters Emergency Committee Coronavirus Appeal, which has raised over 5m since launching last Tuesday, will be providing funding to support the battle against the virus in Cox's Bazar. Rachel Pounds, head of Save The Children's emergency health unit, said: "We just don't know how this virus will play out in a congested refugee camp where children are already more vulnerable to infectious diseases because they lack access to regular healthcare, vaccinations and adequate daily nutrition. "This in turn makes them less able to fight off the virus if they get infected. "One of the most important parts of our Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo was community engagement and awareness and this will be essential again for our Covid-19 response in Cox's Bazar. "One of the best ways to slow transmission rates is to empower children and adults with the information they need to protect themselves and to understand how they can safeguard vulnerable family members from the virus. "The international community must urgently step up to support the government of Bangladesh and ensure much needed funding is allocated for Rohingya refugees and the host communities of Cox's Bazar to protect them against the impact of Covid-19. "Inaction could lead to a disastrous and preventable loss of life." The Government is matching donations made by the UK public to the Disaster Emergency Committee up to the first 5m. International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: "Clean water and healthcare in refugee camps are essential in containing coronavirus in the developing world - helping stop the spread of the pandemic and protecting the UK from further waves of infection." Kathmandu, July 20 Standard Chartered Nepal has contributed USD 200,000 to UNICEF programmes in Nepal for the communities impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The donation is a part of Standard Chartered PLCs US $5 million pledge to support emergency relief activities by Unicef that provide immediate protection and education of vulnerable children across 12 markets in Africa and South Asia, including Nepal, informs the bank in a statement. Funding across these markets will focus on activities such as the provision of remote education via TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and child protection measures, including alternative care arrangements and family tracing services for children separated from their families due to Covid-19, training of social workers to conduct home visits to vulnerable children for mental health support, and alternative care and protection services for children of parents or caregivers affected by Covid-19, reads the statement. Handing over the fund, Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, the Standard Chartered Bank Nepal CEO, said, By working together, we are able to support the delivery of rapid and effective emergency relief that aims to address some of the key challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver exits federal court in New York City, N.Y., on May 3, 2016. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) Sheldon Silver Sentenced to Over 6 Years Behind Bars for Corruption Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was on Monday sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme involving trading legislative favors to real estate developers in exchange for kickbacks funneled through a law firm. Silver heard his sentence in person in a Manhattan courtroom, in which Judge Valerie Caproni rejected the 76-year-old Democrats pleas to be spared jail and additionally imposed a $1 million fine. This was corruption pure and simple, Caproni told the disgraced former politician, the New York Post reported. The sentencing concludes a years-long battle by Silver to avoid time behind bars after being convicted twice before of exploiting his office in illicit schemes that netted the Democrat nearly $4 million. Silver was first found guilty of corruption in 2015 but was allowed to avoid serving a seven-year prison sentence while he appealed his case. After that conviction was overturned on a technicality, Silver was retried and again convicted in 2018 but remained free while he appealed. Earlier this year, that conviction was upheld. His lawyers argued for home confinement and community service, while prosecutors pushed for a seven-year jail term. Silver pleaded for leniency in a statement read in court, in which he said his legacy is in tatters and he is exhausted. Your Honor, I do not want to die in prison. This case has been going on for more than five years, but I feel like I have aged 15 or 20 years. My fate is in your hands, Silver wrote in a letter to the judge, as reported by The Associated Press. I was so angry with myself and still am. But now that anger has mainly turned to sadness, he said, the Post reported. My use of my office for personal gain was improper, selfish and ethically indefensible. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss praised Capronis decision in a statement following Silvers sentencing. Twice convicted by unanimous juries for abusing his powerful state office to enrich himself, Sheldon Silver will now finally report to prison to begin serving a sentence that can begin to repair the harm his conduct caused to the people of this District and to their trust in local government, Strauss wrote. I commend the career prosecutors and agents who have seen this case through two trials and two appeals, ensuring that Silvers crimes did not go unpunished and proving once again that this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop pursuing corruption, without fear or favor, at all levels of government, she added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 22:06:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has spent 60 million U.S. dollars within four months on different activities aimed at containing the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, Rwandan minister of health Daniel Ngamije said Monday. The small central African country recorded the first case of COVID-19 on March 14. As of Sunday evening, it registered a total of 1,582 cases, including 834 recoveries and five deaths. "The government had budgeted 73 million U.S. dollars for six months to contain COVID-19 outbreak, but so far, we have spent about 60 million U.S. dollars within a period of four months," Ngamije told a press conference in Kigali about the country's response to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in Rwanda. He added that the money was spent on putting in place COVID-19 laboratories, testing and treatment of patients, tracing and the cost of isolating contacts including accommodation and meals. "Managing COVID-19 is expensive for the government, but we have to keep fighting to ensure that we contain further spread of the virus within the population countrywide," he said. According to him, Rwanda has put in place strict measures against the virus including setting up a multi-sectoral task force to address the pandemic, improving laboratory capacity from 300 to 4,000 sample tests per day and giving timely treatment to patients, among others. The coronavirus tests the resilience of Rwanda's system, he said, noting that while the country has to fight with the pandemic, it must be in a way that doesn't cost much more than it already has. Rwanda has learnt that good governance, leadership and a strong health system are key towards implementing successful COVID-19 prevention measures, according to him. Currently, Rwanda has five hospitals all over the country where people can get tested and receive COVID-19 treatments, said the minister. Speaking at the same press conference, Rwandan Minister of Local Government Anastase Shyaka called on the citizens to be more vigilant about COVID-19 prevention measures especially at the time that more services are resuming operation. The central African country has so far recorded impressive progress in implementing COVID-19 preventive measures, despite a few cases of the violation of the measures, said the minister. Enditem Former President John Dramani Mahams son, Shafik Mahama has tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend in a glamourous yet simple ceremony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to famebugs, Shafik, who is the first son of the Mahamas married Asma, an Algerian who is based in the United Arab Emirates, where the couple met in school. The report said the ceremony was very private with just a few friends to the couple attending. Plans have been made for a bigger wedding to happen after COVID-19 but it will strictly be a family affair, according to the gossip blog. Asma the bride now Mrs Mahama, who is from the Northen African country, didnt take chances as she looked her best for her big day. We wish them all the best. Watch video from the ceremony below. Source: famebugs Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The House of Representatives held a tribute and moment of silence Monday afternoon to honor the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Lewis, a Democrat, died at 80-years-old Friday several months after he was diagnosed with advanced stage pancreatic cancer. His funeral will not be held until after his friend and fellow Civil Rights icon Reverend Cordy Tindell 'C.T.' Vivian, who died the same day, is buried. Following remarks from Georgia Representatives Sanford Bishop and Tom Graves on Monday, the House chamber stood in silence. Bishop boasted Lewis as a 'hero, colleague, brother and friend,' adding: 'The world is a better place because John Lewis spent his life pursuing freedom, justice, opportunity, love and peace for all of humanity.' 'While he is an icon in the history of America for his courage and his sacrifice in making good trouble, his enduring humility reflected the true temper of his character,' Bishop continued. 'He inspired us as the conscious of the Congress and we have all been truly blessed to know, love and share the life and legacy of this extraordinary human being.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Bishop and other members of the Georgia delegation in Congress would honor Lewis in lieu of normal proceedings. 'Because of the COVID-19 limitations, we are asking Members to observe this moment of silence in place,' the California Democrat wrote in a memo to colleagues. 'COVID will also affect plans for John's arrangements, which are pending,' she continued. The House of Representatives held a tribute and moment of silence Monday afternoon in honor of Georgia Representative John Lewis Lewis, a Civil Rights icon, died Friday several months after he was diagnosed with with late-stage pancreatic cancer The Georgia delegation led the remembrance of Lewis on the House floor. Georgia Representatives Sanford Bishop and Tom Graves made remarks ahead of a moment of silence House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the introduction of the bereavement resolution She announced in a memo to colleagues that the Democrat-led House would hold the moment of silence as she said 'COVID will also affect plans for John's [funeral] arrangements' Lewis' funeral will not be held until after his friend and fellow Civil Right icon Rev. C.T. Vivian, who also died Friday, is buried Pelosi also remembered on Monday morning her last conversation with Lewis, who she served in Congress with for 33 years. 'It was a sad one,' Pelosi told CBS This Morning on Monday of their conversation Thursday, the day before Lewis' death. 'We never talked about his dying until that day.' Pelosi, 80, lauded the Georgia lawmaker and civil rights icon for using his clout to back women's rights, LGBTQ rights and many other causes. The Speaker had to hold back tears as she got choked up talking about her longtime colleague. 'He always worked on the side of the angels and now he is with them,' Pelosi said. Pelosi will preside in the House Monday morning during a moment of silence in Lewis' honor. Some iconic lawmakers, like late Republican Senator John McCain, have had their caskets lie in repose in the Capitol Rotunda so people can come pay their respects. Lewis will not receive the same honor as the Capitol remains closed to the public during the coronavirus pandemic. For now, Pelosi said the congressional delegation from Georgia, under Democratic Representative Sanford Bishop, will honor Lewis during the moment of silence and a bereavement resolution. Pelosi lauded Lewis during an interview with CBS This Morning for using his clout as a Civil Rights icon to back women's and LGBTQ rights during his time in Congress as she got choked up when talking about her colleague of 33 years Both Lewis (left) and Vivian (right) were arrested during their fights alongside Martin Luther King Jr. for Civil Rights in the 1960s Lewis and Vivian both worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s as they fought for racial justices. They also both were arrested in their struggle for Civil Rights and both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Barack Obama. Lewis was awarded the medal in 2011 and Vivian in 2013. Vivian died from 'natural causes' in Atlanta just two weeks before turning 96. Democrats are now scrambling to decide who will replace Lewis on the ticket for the elections in Georgia 5th district. But top aide, and one of Lewis' most trusted deputies, Michael Collins said he is on the side of Democrats who want to replace his name with someone who is willing to step down in January to trigger a wide-open special election with a less-tight deadline. 'He believed very strongly that the people who represent the citizens should be elected by the citizens,' Collins wrote in a letter to members of the party's state executive committee. 'And that a free and fair election, where all individuals have a level-playing field, is in the best interest of our democracy.' The letter came just hours before the committee is set to decide among 131 candidates who have already applied since Friday to replace Lewis on the November ballot. Collins received a shoutout from Bishop for his close relationship with Lewis as the representative expressed his condolence to the longtime aide. Graduation season is over, but final theses are all the rage in Slovak politics. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Last Week in Slovakia is a commentary and overview of news in Slovakia that The Slovak Spectator subscribers receive in their inboxes every week as part of The Slovak Spectator online subscription. Subscribers also receive a pdf with an overview of news and have access to all of our online content. By subscribing you are helping us provide news about Slovakia you can trust. Thank you. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement This is the limited summer format of our news overview. More tests mean more cases, Donald Trump infamously told a rally of supporters last month with regard to the coronavirus testing in the US, with an appeal to slow the testing down please. In that, the coronavirus has much in common with another infection currently plaguing Slovak politics - plagiarism, as many commentaries and memes from the past week have pointed out. The coverage of Dennik N, which has been on to plagiarists ever since they first reported on Andrej Dankos copy-paste doctoral thesis, shows just how true the more tests - more cases concern is about plagiarists in the current government. Plagiarism is not limited to just one party, as it might have appeared two weeks ago, when Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollar (Sme Rodina) fiercely defended his academic paper in parliament. Since then, Education Minister Branislav Grohling of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has faced plagiarism allegations over his thesis. And then last Thursday, Dennik N broke its story about PM Igor Matovic's thesis. Full Matovic The Belarusian opposition's main presidential candidate has taken her two children to an EU country out of concern for their safety after receiving threats ahead of next month's election. Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has emerged as the embattled opposition's main candidate against strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, after other top contenders in the August 9 election were disqualified amid a widening preelection crackdown on dissent. Belarusian media reported on July 20 that Tsikhanouskaya had moved her two children to an undisclosed EU country with the help of Natallya Radzina, the editor in chief of Charter97, a news website critical of the authoritarian Belarusian regime. The children, aged 4 and 10, were taken out of the country along with their grandmother. Tsikhanouskaya previously said she and her family had received threats for participating in the presidential race. Radzina told the news website Tut.by that the presidential candidate was concerned she could be arrested and that her children could be taken away from her. Tsikhanouskaya became a presidential candidate because her husband, well-known vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was incarcerated again after he openly expressed his intention to run for president. A series of unlikely events have since thrust her to the center of the battle for Belarus's future, even though she says she harbors no personal political ambitions. Last week, the campaigns of three opposition figures unified around Tsikhanouskaya after two top opposition candidates -- former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka and prominent businessman Valer Tsapkala -- were disqualified from running against Lukashenka. The opposition's campaign to unseat Lukashenka after 26 years in power is now heating up with less than three weeks before the August 9 vote. It comes as Lukashenka has harshly responded to mounting public opposition to his rule. Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers, have been arrested as the government cracks down on rallies and demonstrations despite calls for restraint from Western governments and international institutions. After holding two mass rallies over the weekend, Tsikhanouskaya continued on July 20 to outline her plans for the country as campaigning moves into full swing. In an interview with the First National Channel of Belarusian Radio, Tsikhanouskaya said that it was impossible for Lukashenka to make Belarusian citizens love him "by force." "Does the incumbent president really expect that by beating people, throwing them to prison cells, fining them, he will force people to love him?" Tsikhanouskaya said. She also elaborated on the opposition's program of releasing political prisoners, holding new free and fair elections, and organizing a referendum to bring back the 1994 constitution that limited presidential powers. Tsikhanouskaya also pointed out several problems she will focus as president, including mass emigration, health care, education, reviving villages and small towns, and slowing down the spread of the coronavirus. Dozens of people were stuck upside down on a Russian fairground ride when it suddenly stopped 25ft above the ground. Guests were left hanging for eight terrifying minutes after a power failure on the ride in Nalchik which left them fearing for their lives. Children screamed on the ride while a watching mother fainted in fear and other guests said they had 'nearly died'. Stuck in mid-air: Dozens of people were stuck upside down on a Russian fairground ride when it suddenly stopped 25ft above the ground 19-year-old Moisey Shamilov, who was stuck on the ride with his girlfriend Lenora, said the power failure had been a 'terrible' experience. 'We nearly died. Me and Lenora were hanging there for at least eight minutes,' he said as he described the ordeal. 'The guy in charge was pressing the button again and again and nothing happened. 'Lenora was nearly dying there.' Children aged as young as 10 and 11 were 'screeching and screaming in fear' as they hung upside down, Shamilov said. Lenora, 19, said: 'I was hysterical, crying.' 19-year-old Moisey Shamilov, who was stuck on the ride with his girlfriend Lenora (pictured together left), said the power failure on the ride (right) had been a 'terrible' experience Guests were left hanging upside down for eight terrifying minutes after a power failure on the ride in Nalchik (pictured) which left them fearing for their lives The riders, who were strapped into their seats, said there were no managers around at the popular amusement park to help bring them to safety. After almost ten minutes, the riders were finally brought down. A statement from Park Nalchik said that the horror was caused by 'an electric power supply failure'. However, riders claimed there were technical problems and urged locals not to use the park. Shamilov posted to park officials: 'Take more care of the safety on your rides. You scared the children who were screeching and screaming in fear.' But the park said there had been a 'quick reaction' to rescue the stranded riders. Not much was achieved at the European meeting on Friday, and that wasnt exactly a surprise. The 750 billion rescue package was at the centre of the talks, and the original proposal was that 500 billion would be allocated as grants, and that 250 billion be distributed as loans. The Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark, expressed opposition to 500 billion being allocated as grants without conditions. There were concerns that funds wouldnt be used to tackle the health crisis. The countries in question, have been dubbed the frugal four, and they also called into question the size of the proposed grants, as they would prefer to see a higher percentage of loans. Talks continued over the weekend. In a bid to win over the frugal four it was suggested that 400 billion be dished out as grants rather than 500 billion. It was reported The Netherlands and Austria are pushing for 390 billion in grants, and 360 billion in loans, but nothing has been agreed upon yet. Discussions will continue this afternoon. It was put forward that a super emergency break be included in the package, meaning that any one government could question the use of the funds that are being deployed. Such a move would help ensure that the cash was been used for its appropriate purpose. The sooner the bloc can agree on the terms of the rescue the better for everyone, especially countries like Spain and Italy, which were hard hit by the health crisis, and are rely heavily on tourism. Stocks in Asia are mixed as the CSI 300 is showing solid gains, the Nikkei 225 is flat, while the Hang Seng has turned positive. The US posted mixed data on Friday. Building permits for June were 1.24 million, and that was a small increase from the 1.22 million in the previous update. The housing starts reading was 1.18 million, which was a decent jump on the 1.01 million registered in May. The preliminary reading of the University of Michigan consumer sentiment was 73.2 in July, its lowest in three months. The heath situation deteriorated in recent weeks, and a number of states have paused the reopening of their economies. That is probably why consumer sentiment slipped. Story continues The US dollar had a negative run last week and on Wednesday it fell to its lowest level in nearly one month. In the last few months the currency has been a popular flight to quality play, and conversely, when dealers have been in risk-on mode, it has typically suffered. Risk appetite has been a bigger factor in the dollars moves lately, than economic indicators. Inflation in the eurozone ticked up in June to 0.3% from 0.1%, but the core reading cooled to 0.1% from 0.3%. The core reading is often deemed to be a better gauge of underlying demand as it removes commodity prices from the measurement. Last week, Christine Lagarde, the head of the ECB, said that inflation is expected to remain low. In the first week in July, gold hit is highest level since September 2011, but last week it traded sideways. The commodity has a track record of being a safe haven trade, but since the greenback has also become a popular risk-off trade, that has reduced golds volatility, due to their inverse relation relationship. Oil lost a little ground last week as it was announced that OPEC+ will increase their output as of next month. In May, the group cut output by 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) as a way of propping up the energy market. The historic cut helped oil hit a three month high in June. Last week, it was announced the body would ease up on the production cuts to a reduction of 7.7 million bpd as of next month. The original agreement stipulated that production would be increase in August, and last week that was confirmed. It is worth nothing that oil hasnt fallen that much from the three month high that was registered in June. By Fridays close, WTI and Brent crude are only down 2.4% and 1.9% respectively from the June highs. At 7am (UK time) German PPI will be posted and economists are expecting it to rise from -2.2% in May to -1.6% in June. EUR/USD since late June it has been in an uptrend, and if the positive move continues, 1.1495 should be on the radar. If it moves through that level, it could target 1.1570. A break below the 1.1168 area might pave the way for 1.1060, the 200-day moving average, to be targeted. GBP/USD has been trading sideways in the past few sessions. A move higher might run into resistance at 1.2698, the 200-day moving average. A move through that level should put 1.2813 on the radar. Should it move lower, it might find support at 1.2418, the 100 day moving average. EUR/GBP should the bullish move from late April continue, it could target 0.9239. A break below the 50-day moving average at 0.8983, could put the 0.8800 zone on the radar. USD/JPY has been drifting lower for over one month and support could come into play at 106.00. A rebound might run into resistance at 108.37, the 200-day moving average. FTSE 100 is expected to open 8 points lower at 6,282 DAX 30 is expected to open 5 points higher at 12,924 CAC 40 is expected to open 6 points lower at 5,063 For a look at all of todays economic events, check out our economic calendar By David Madden (Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK) This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: "America's largest indoor water park" will open Nov. 12 in Round Rock, according to a news release by Kalahari Resorts. The "authentically African-themed" Wisconsin-based company announced its plans in 2016 to build its first property in Texas. In 2018, it broke ground at its Round Rock location. The company said Sunday in the release that the construction process is on track for its opening date. Kalahari Resorts, which is known for its massive indoor water parks, operates three properties in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin. According to the company, the Round Rock location will be the largest in its business and in the country. The site, which will be located off of U.S. 79 just across from Dell Diamond, is a $550 million, 350-acre complex that will include 20 indoor pools, 30 waterslides, 975 guest rooms and five restaurants. The massive building will also have three acres of outdoor pools as well as a rock-climbing wall, an adult grotto swim-up bar, a 23-foot LED projection TV screen and an 80,000 square foot adventure park. To highlight its "African-theme" design, the company installed 22 life-size sculptures - 12 elephants, seven zebras, a mother and her baby rhinoceros and a cape buffalo. It took 15 months to complete the structures as each stand about 10-feet tall and weigh around 10,000 pounds, according to the news release. The company estimates it will hire 700 employees. Open positions include lifeguards, managerial staff, culinary staff and information technology work employees. Virtual career exhibitions are hosted every Wednesday by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area. Scroll below to see photos and renderings of the Round Rock resort. Won Choi, Ph.D., MPH, is professor and vice chair for education in KU School of Medicine's Department of Population Health and will teach the Introduction to Epidemiology course. "Public and population health have always been critical for promoting health and preventing disease, but the current pandemic has revealed even more the importance of public health measures like social distancing to reduce morbidity and mortality," Choi said. Students will learn about biological, behavioral, societal, environmental and organizational risk factors for promoting health and preventing disease from faculty in the areas of epidemiology, health promotion, environmental health, policy development, health systems, public health, health services and population health. "Students can pursue a graduate degree like the Master of Public Health or the Master of Health Services Administration degrees," Choi said. "Graduates may also pursue careers as public health officers, infection control officers, healthcare consultants and many others. These jobs are available at the local, state and national level like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Dean of the Edwards Campus and the School of Professional Studies Stuart Day says the new online certificate allows more students to make a difference in the Kansas City region and beyond. "This certificate addresses a major and timely need," Day said. "We are thrilled to partner with KU Medical Center to offer this valuable credential, helping students advance their careers and serve their communities." About The University of Kansas The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. Its mission is to lift students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities and making discoveries that change the world. The KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park brings KU's high-quality academic and professional education programs as well as research and public-service benefits to the Greater Kansas City area, serving the region's workforce, economic and community needs. Contact: Hannah Lemon, KU Edwards Campus 913-897-8755, [email protected] SOURCE University of Kansas Edwards Campus Related Links http://edwardscampus.ku.edu DGAP-News: EQS Group AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. German premiere: EQS Group conducts fully virtual Annual General Meeting with live Q&A and voting Successful premiere: EQS Group has held the first fully virtual Annual General Meeting in Germany where shareholders were able to exercise all of their rights online. Shareholders not only had the opportunity to vote online but could also participate in the general debate with questions and comments. The only thing they had to forgo was cake which had always been served at previous events. The Munich-based RegTech provider wasn't actually breaking new ground. Eight years ago, EQS Group (initially under the name EquityStory AG) was the first listed company to invite its shareholders to participate in its AGM online and has been doing so ever since. These were however hybrid AGMs with virtual and on-site participation running in parallel as fully virtual AGMs were not permitted under German public company law. This changed with the recent law to mitigate the consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic, which was passed at the end of March and allowed for fully virtual AGMs. However, some of the new regulations, such as the possibility of excluding the right to ask questions online, were criticised by shareholder protection groups. Achim Weick, CEO and founder of EQS Group, who has only ever had positive experiences of online shareholder meetings, has a clear position on this: "The modern technologies, which we have been using for years, allow us to reproduce the content of the face-to-face meeting on the Internet and provide participants with a live experience on their own device. As a shareholder-friendly company, we therefore see it as our duty to ensure open and transparent communication without any restriction to shareholder rights." Other issuers can also continue to benefit from the pioneer's many years of expertise in digital investor relations: "We are a service provider that is passionate about this topic and we will continue to support our clients in holding their shareholder meetings online to further advance the digitalisation of the Annual General Meeting" Weick continues. In the first three quarters of 2020, EQS Group will, according to current expectations, support a total of around 50 AGMs as a technical service provider. Contact: Andre Marques CFO Tel.: +49 89-21029833 Mob.: +49 175-5250009 Email.: andre.marques@eqs.com Additional features: Picture: http://newsfeed2.eqs.com/equitystory/1096739.html Subtitle: EQS Group Virtual AGM 20.07.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Oil major Chevron Corp said on Monday it agreed to buy Noble Energy Inc in an all-stock deal, valuing the Houston-based oil and gas producer at $5 billion. The offer values Noble at $10.38 a share or 0.1191 Chevron share, a 7.5% premium to Noble's Friday close. The deal would value Noble at roughly $13 billion, including debt. Noble's assets will expand Chevron's presence in the DJ Basin of Colorado and the Permian Basin across West Texas and New Mexico. They would also add to Chevron's assets in the eastern Mediterranean and West Africa and yield potential annual ... Michigan farms and agricultural processors with at least 10 employees were allocated $15 million in COVID-19 grant funding earlier this month. Now, the smallest farms are getting a chunk of their own funding. Farms with fewer than 10 employees can take advantage of a new grant program announced Monday, July 20 by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The $1.25 million comes from Michigan's Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding. The funding can be used to offset coronavirus mitigation costs, such as testing, personal protective equipment, increased sanitation costs and more. Farms must be in good standing with the state and be current on all taxes to be eligible. The small businesses are eligible for $1,000 per employee. The application period starts at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21, at michiganbusiness.org/agsafety. Just like other small businesses, small farms and food processors are the backbone of the food and agriculture industry and are fundamental to our entire food supply chain, said Gary McDowell, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in a news release. Food and agriculture makes up a large component of Michigan's economy, contributing $104.7 billion to the state's economy every year and providing more than 800,000 Michigan jobs. This is the 18th coronavirus relief program from the MEDC. So far, the recovery programs have supported 3,400 businesses and helped retain nearly 15,000 jobs across all 83 Michigan counties, per the news release. One such program is the $100 million Michigan Small Business Restart Program, which is still accepting applications at michiganbusiness.org/restart. The funds help small businesses that lost income as a result of the pandemic. 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. RELATED STORIES Monday, July 20: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Chunk of $100 million Michigan small business aid must go to minority-owned businesses As Michigan braces for another coronavirus surge, here are 6 concerns among public health officials Tripura has detected 223 new cases of COVID-19, taking the state's tally to 2,892, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said. Of the new cases, 101 were detected among BSF personnel, he said. There are 1,114 active cases in the state at present, while 1,759 people have recovered. Five people have so far died and 14 patients have migrated to other states. Among the new cases are six people who returned to the state on flights, Deb said on Sunday night. Thirty of them tested positive after coming in contact with COVID-19 patients and 179 were found positive in antigen tests, he said. Only eight of the new patients have symptoms, he added. The chief minister said to tackle the pandemic the government is focusing on testing, tracing and treatment. "We are conducting the maximum number of tests to ensure safety of everyone, we have adequate medical infrastructure to tackle the pandemic. Requesting everyone to co-operate & not to panic," he tweeted. The BSF said all the newly-infected personnel are being treated at the COVID Hospital set up at its state headquarters in Salbagan here. "Our hospital is quite equipped to treat such patients. We have all facilities. Salbagan was also declared a containment zone," a BSF spokesperson said. "BSF personnel go home on leave and come back and many personnel are also transferred from outside. So, there is a risk of infection," he said. The BSF guards the 856-km-long border between India and Bangladesh that falls in Tripura. China is considering retaliating against telecom gear makers Nokia and Ericsson if the European Union follows the United States and Britain in banning Huawei Technologies from 5G networks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Britain last week ordered telecom operators not to purchase 5G components from Huawei from the end of this year and remove all existing gear made by the Chinese telecoms behemoth from the 5G network by 2027. Swedens Ericsson and Finlands Nokia are among the most immediate beneficiaries of the US-led campaign against Huawei. Chinas ministry of commerce is looking into export controls that would prevent Nokia and Ericsson from sending products it makes in China to other countries, the Journal reported. The retaliation would be a worst-case scenario that Beijing would use only if European countries came down hard on Chinese suppliers and banned them from their 5G networks, one person told the Journal. The EU has so far not recommended a ban on Huawei but has issued a so-called toolbox of security standards that member states should apply while using suppliers considered to be high risk to build 5G networks. Nokia and Ericsson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Uncertainty in the North African country after Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh resigns amid allegations of corruption. After just five months in office, Tunisias Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh has called it a day. His resignation on Wednesday came on the heels of a political scandal that has seen critics most notably the Ennahdha party accuse the head of government of abusing his authority for personal gain. Here, Al Jazeera takes a look at the reasons behind Fakhfakhs departure and what lies ahead for the North African country. How did Fakfakh become PM? Tunisia held a parliamentary election in October 2019 that saw Ennahdha secure 52 seats in the 217-member Parliament. As the largest parliamentary force, the self-styled Muslim Democrats had chosen Habib Jemli, an independent, for the post of prime minister. Jemlis proposed lineup, however, failed to secure Parliaments backing, leaving President Kais Saied in charge of naming the countrys next head of government. Saied in late January nominated Fakhfakh, who a month later managed to win parliamentary approval for his coalition government. When did the crisis begin? Almost as soon as Fakhfakh was picked by the president. The 48-year-old, an engineer by training and a former finance minister, drew the ire of Ennahdha after announcing his government would exclude parties suspected of corruption or whose ideology did not align with the goals of the 2011 revolution. While Ennahdha had run its campaign on an anti-corruption platform, it quickly changed course and called for the inclusion of media mogul Nabil Karoui and his Qalb Tounes party. In addition to run-ins with the law, Karoui has been accused of using his influential Nessma TV to bolster his political ambitions before the vote. In the end, the prospect of new elections was said to have deterred Ennahdha and other parties from rejecting Fakhfakhs government. Did Fakhfakh lose Parliaments confidence? In recent weeks, Ennahdha had increasingly voiced its frustration with Fakhfakh, mainly over an alleged conflict of interest. Other factors, including the prime ministers disregard for Ennahdha ministers in the decision-making process, are believed to also have played a role. Last month, an independent legislator published documents showing Fakhfakh owned shares in companies that won government contracts worth 44 million dinars ($15m). The prime minister denied the accusations and promised he would step down if investigators found any evidence of wrongdoing. His voluntary departure last week came after Ennahdha said it would file a motion of no confidence in Parliament. That threat, however, was made obsolete when Saied stepped in and called on Fakhfakh to resign. Why did Saied step in? Tunisias political system is complex. While Saied is the head of state, his mandate is constitutionally limited to foreign affairs and defence. The prime minister is responsible for the day-to-day running of the government and steering economic policy. As such, when Ennahdha leader and Speaker Rached Ghannouchi congratulated Libyas internationally recognised government on fending off an offensive by renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, it seemed to many Ghannouchi was overstepping his bounds. By calling on Fakhfakh to step down, Saied a former constitutional law professor who won by a landslide in last years presidential runoff vote effectively pre-empted Ennahdha from potentially having the upper hand in the next governments formation. Had Ennahdha succeeded in removing Fakhfakh via a no-confidence vote, it would have been tasked to form the countrys next government. What next? Fakhfakh will now lead a caretaker administration while the president must nominate a replacement who will have until August 26 to form a new government. Failure to agree on a new head of government will lead to Parliaments dissolution and new elections within three months. Max Gallien, research fellow at the UK-based Institute of Development Studies, said Tunisias political crisis stems from last years legislative and presidential elections when a fractured Parliament without a mandate and a popular president without a parliamentary base were voted into office. If the last days are any indication, building a stable government may take more than just a new prime minister, Gallien said. Bet On Becky extended her win streak to three on Sunday (July 19) with an effortless 1:53.3 victory in the first $108,000 two-year-old pacing filly Gold Series division at Georgian Downs. The Bettors Delight daughter and regular reinsman Jody Jamieson eased away from post 2 and settled fifth as stablemate Ring Of Kerry led the field of 10 to a :27.2 quarter. Heading by the grandstand for the first time Bet On Becky buzzed to the front, reaching the half in :56.2, and it was smooth sailing from there for the favourite. Off three-quarters in 1:25, Bet On Becky cruised home a three-and-one-quarter length winner in 1:53.3. City By The Bay finished second and Ring Of Kerry was third. I even think we could do okay with (driving) her, joked trainer Tony Beaton. She did it with relative ease again, by the looks of things. Jody was real happy with her too, so thats good. In the July 7 Gold Series season opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Bet On Becky delivered an impressive 1:50.4 victory, still the fastest mile clocked by a two-year-old in North America this season. She also posted a 1:54.4 win in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 26. With those two starts and a June 19 qualifier under her belt, Beaton gave his fledgling star a mini-vacation before prepping her for Sundays test. We kind of gave her an easier week there last week and then we trained her up pretty good there the other day and tried to make sure we had them ready for tonight, said Beaton. She showed she was ready anyway and, actually all four of them raced pretty good tonight. I was happy with all of them, but obviously Becky just stands out. In addition to Bet On Becky and Ring Of Kerry, Beaton trainees Turning The Table and Best Keepsake finished third and fourth in the other Gold Series division. All of the fillies save Best Keepsake are eligible for the July 27 Battle Of The Belles eliminations at Grand River Raceway and Beaton said that will be their next start so long as they remain happy and healthy. Bet On Becky is eligible to all of the major two-year-old pacing filly stakes in Ontario and has an action-packed schedule ahead if she continues to find the winners circle with the ease she has demonstrated in her first three starts. Becky is going to have a long, long season ahead of her if everything goes good. Shes paid into stuff right to the Breeders Crown, said Beaton, adding that filly will not be able to appear in every stake she is eligible for. We dont want to over race her, weve got to pick our spots. Well take it week-to-week and go from there. Weve got to stay healthy and sound before we do anything else. Beaton trains Bet On Becky for Larry Menary, Kenneth Ewen, Alan Alber and Michael Guerriero. The partners offered up $70,000 for the filly at last falls Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and have recouped $97,633 through her first three starts. Andra Day also picked up her second Gold Series victory with a pacesetting effort in the other $108,000 division. Starting from post 5, Andra Day left and moved forward from third when Turning The Table reached the :27.3 quarter. Comfortably in front at the :57.4 half, Andra Day soon faced pressure from favourite Best Keepsake, who challenged her through three-quarters in 1:26.1. Andra Day remained resolute however, and held off all challengers to score a three-quarter length victory in 1:54.1. Scarlett Hanover closed hard to be second and pocket-sitter Turning The Table was third. Shes small, but very tough and very, very gritty, said trainer Dr. Ian Moore. She is very fiery, and just all go, so were very pleased with how shes done. Moore trains the Shadow Play daughter for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC. Doug McNair was in the race bike for Sundays victory and her 1:54.1 win in the Gold Series season opener. Like Bet On Becky, Andra Day is eligible to the Battle Of The Belles, but Moore is not sure if the filly will compete in the eliminations or look ahead to the next Gold Leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on August 18. Ill be talking with the owners. She might be the only one, because shes small and probably will handle the half. I wont take the other one because shes a great big filly, said Moore of Andra Day and stablemate Alumni Seelster, who finished fifth to Bet On Becky Sunday after winning her division in the opening leg. Its a possibility, but right now Id say 50-50. Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Georgian Downs on Sunday, Aug. 16 with the third Grassroots Leg for the three-year-old trotting fillies. Also happening on the Sunday card, Louis Gregg collected his first training victory is his first career start. Three-year-old Shadow Play colt Carsons Kennedy ($21.70) came first over in the final turn of the evening's fifth race to win in 1:54.3 and give Gregg his first win. A fourth-generation horseperson, Gregg is the son of trainer Vicki Gregg, the grandson of longtime industry participants Pete and Jean Thibaudeau and great-grandson of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Allan Walker. (with files from Ontario Sires Stakes) To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs. Amid Beijing's new security law in Hong Kong, several teachers went to the streets and posted on social media to show their support of anti-government protests in the city. The educators, however, have been detained by law enforcement, some of which have lost their jobs as the Communist Party of China (CCP) continues its fight against oppositions. A new era in Hong Kong According to The Wall Street Journal, observers expressed their fears that the tradition of liberal education and critical thinking will be destroyed by the Chinese-style pro-CCP lessons and repression of political freedom. Beijing's controversial new legislation was passed in June after several years of protests resulting in the continuous build-up of pressure for anti-government individuals. The new law allows the Chinese government to wield much higher power to crush dissent and use its authority to monitor the city and consequently punish those it deems are responsible for subversion and terrorism. A headquarters has been set up by a powerful new security agency representing Hong Kong, and Beijing has recently deployed an experienced official that has previously encountered protests and media with the position of chief enforcer. The new security law requires an increased amount of supervision and regulation of school materials and teachings after teachers and instructional staff for months stated they did not discuss their political perspectives to their students or had a hand in protests. One protester who was arrested last year during a demonstration, Raymond Yeung, said that his supervisors told him that his contract would not be renewed after teaching for four years at the Diocesan Girl's School. Also Read: China's New Security Law Forces Fund Adviser to Step Down as Primary Elections Cited Illegal Differing political views Yeung noted the school's authorities conducted an investigation looking into him after a rally in January where the protester told other educations professors to take a political stand. The school Yeung taught at did not respond to requests for comments regarding the matter. A similar event happened when the school's management did not renew a secondary school teacher's work contract due to her alleged differing political views from the establishment. Novem Lee Kwan-Pui, a music teacher at Heung To Middle School, sent an email to her colleagues, students, and management writing of her disappointment and frustrations of her contract's termination, as reported by South China Morning Post. On May 11, Novem claims the school's principal, Wong Chung-Leung, told her via WhatsApp that her contract would be renewed for the following school year. Confronting the principal, Novem demanded to know the reasons as to why she was being dismissed and asking for a formal certificate, to which Wong has not replied to and refused to provide information. In Yeung' case, he considered that new security law to hinder everyone's attempts to talk about China's human rights movement and other political advances or viewpoints. In the past year, more than 1,000 teachers and professional educators have been arrested by officials relating to the protest movements along with 3,000 primary, secondary, and university students as government officials said schools were aiding the growth of discontent. Related Article: US Sanctions China for Allegedly Abusing Muslim Uighurs, Placing Them in Detention Camps @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BRASILIA, Brazil - Two more ministers in the Cabinet of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Monday they have tested positive for the new coronavirus, which has been raging through Latin Americas largest nation. The 65-year-old minister of citizenship, Onyx Lorenzoni, said he started having symptoms Thursday, but is now feeling better and working from home. Milton Ribeiro, the 62-year-old minister of education, said Monday on Twitter that he is also infected the fourth Cabinet minister so far, in addition to Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro himself tested positive July 7. He has said he has been taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which most studies have found to be ineffective and potentially dangerous for some patients. Lorenzoni said he is taking a closely related drug, chloroquine. The Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 716 additional deaths from COVID-19 and 23,529 newly confirmed infections. Brazil has now recorded more than 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 79,488 deaths. The highlight of day two of this years virtual Childrens Institute (CI8) had to be the freewheeling conversation between Newbery Medal recipients Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, sandwiched between indieCommerce/IndieLite one-on-one appointments and rep pick presentations. Not only did the conversation between the two authors, who are both African American, demonstrate once again the American Booksellers Associations commitment to diversity in its programming for this year's gathering, but the eventstreamed live Thursday morning, with an encore at the conclusion of the conference that afternoonalso proved that both Alexander and Craft are natural storytellers both on and off the page. The 60-minute conversation began with the two swapping stories about their creative processes: while Craft works at night, Alexander writes during the day. You're like a vampire painter, arent you? Alexander asked Craft, who responded by telling a story about how his nocturnal work habits are probably the result of his father working the night shift at the post office during his childhood. I was used to waiting till he was gone to get up and do stuff," Craft recalled. Whereas the pandemic has not really changed Crafts processesthough he has missed out on canceled appearances, including the Newbery awards ceremony in Chicago that the ALA called off being quarantined has had a significant impact on Alexander. I tell people that Im living a writers dream in the midst of a nightmare, Alexander said. I have nothing but time and solitude. Ive done some of my most productive, some of my best writing during this quarantine. The conversation shifted to a discussion about indie bookstores after Alexander asked Craft to name three indie bookstores that he remembered from the 1990s. The first store, Craft responded, was Hue-Man Bookstore in Harlemwhich was where, he reminded Alexander, the two first met in 2012. Marva Allen was the owner, Craft said, recalling that years earlier, he'd met Allen when he was self-publishing, and dropped in to persuade her to take a chance on him. I had one book on the shelf, then two books on the shelf, then three books on the shelf. My goal was to have a whole Jerry Craft bookshelf. You and I met because we got invited to do a Skype session to kids in Ghana. Remember that? Craft asked. We finished that, and we ended up talking, exchanging numbers. I remember thinking, That young man, he is going places. Hes got moxie. Alexander did not only remember that day, he recalled Hue-Mans early history in Denver, before it changed ownership and moved to New York City. He also disclosed that he sold his first picture book, Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band, to Sleeping Bear Press that same day, describing Craft as his good luck charm. Im like the walking dictionary of bookselling, Alexander added. Crafts second bookstore that he remembered from the '90s was Nkuru Books in Brooklyn, which was owned at the time by the mother of either Talib Kweli or Mos Def. Both rappers worked at the store. Craft recalled that his Mama Boyz comic strip that was compiled into book format featured a woman who owned a bookstore; her two sons worked there. Talib and [another store employee] thought that they were Tyrell and Yusuf [the lead characters two sons], Craft said, saying that he didnt realize until years later that Kweli and Mos Def had become famous rappers. What booksellers need to know, need to remember is that bookstores are sacred places, that can really help mold and shape us into beautiful human beings," Alexander said. "Teachers and educators have that power; booksellers have that power too. You open us up to these worlds that we had no idea existed. Craft noted that his third favorite bookstore from the '90s was Black Books Plus on Manhattans Upper West Side. He visited the owner, Glenderlyn Johnson, to show her his self-published books. At first, Johnson was reluctant to examine at his books, but once she did, she was impressed. Once she saw that it was professionally bound, edited, with an ISBN, then she became very supportive. We had nice conversations over the years, Craft said. At this point in the conversation, Craft and Alexander discussed Crafts commitment to dispelling stereotypes about Black women in his work, which is why his main character in Mamas Boyz was a bookseller. A lot of times, Black women, in books, in movies, in sitcoms, are school teachers or nurses," he said. "Theres nothing wrong with that, but I wanted something different. Ive always respected booksellers, I based a comic strip after them. Recollections of Becoming a Booklover The conversation turned to Alexander and Craft describing their childhood memories of books and how each became readersand eventually writers. Alexander grew up with a bookseller father who specialized in selling books by Black authors; he worked for his father from about ages five through 12, shelving books. I loathed books," he said, recalling how the family would accompany his father to shows and conferences all over the world, including the London Book Fair in the mid '80s, when they transferred a dozen boxes of books from Heathrow Airport to the exhibition hall via the London Underground. "While I was an avid reader, my father forced me to read books," he said of his youth. "I didn't necessarily like the books my father gave me. I sort of fell out of love with reading." But he "fell back in love" with books, when he discovered The Greatest: My Own Story by Muhammad Ali: I realized I just have to find my way to the books I enjoy. "I grew up in a book desert," Craft recalled, describing how intimidating it was to visit his local library as a child. Reading was always a chore, he said, because the only opportunities he had to read were in classes when nothing would depress me more than getting a book in English class that was 600 pages long. It was like I had to climb Mt. Everest. "I never saw books with Black characters that were not runaway slaves, [in the] Civil Rights movement, or persecuted," he continued, "and those weren't fun. Kids now have you, and Jason Reynolds, and graphic novels. "What's interesting," Alexander pointed out, regarding Craft's experience of not seeing himself in books as a child, "is that those books were out there. They were there. There were so many books with Black characters during the '70s, [after] the Civil Rights movement, the Black Power movement. He added, You had this plethora of books that featured Black characters, but you wouldn't know about it if your teacher or librarian or even your local bookseller wasn't putting these books up front making sure [readers] were aware. That's why booksellers are so important." Craft admitted to not knowing much about contemporary Black literature until he himself was a published author, recounting how he once had breakfast with Walter Dean Myers and Jacqueline Woodson during a literary festival, but didnt know who they were until later. I would have treated that breakfast differently if I had known, he said with a laugh. After the two swapped anecdotes about their historic Newbery Medal wins (there have been only five African American Newbery Medal recipients) and that famous early morning phone call to each from the Newbery committee, Alexander pointed out that words are powerful and meaningful, [and] allow us to imagine a better world, adding that he tries to keep that in mind when he writes. Alexander concluded a conversation that shifted back and forth seamlessly between the intense and the whimsical by asking Craft: "What do you think the role is of books and bookselling in this day and age when were looking at the awakening of racial injustice?" Craft replied: "I enjoy seeing the variety of books that I didnt see as a kid. I really do believe now there are no non-readers or reluctant readers: there are just kids who haven't found their book. Rattling off the names of some of the most critically acclaimed contemporary authors writing today who are people of color, Craft noted: There are so many different kinds of books and different kinds of authors coming out." What booksellers and librarians need to do, he suggested, is "really know the kid and match that kid with that book. Craft concluded the conversation with a final shoutout to booksellers, declaring: I realize how important booksellers are, because [books] really change peoples lives. New Delhi: Concerned over circulation of fake currency in the country, Finance Ministry on Saturday asked the Reserve Bank to set up a special cell to monitor such notes. RBI has been advised by Ministry of Finance to set up a Special Cell to monitor the receipt of fake currency notes and inform such instances to the law enforcement and investigative agencies, Finance Ministry said in a statement. The central bank has been asked to inform such matters to Economic Offences Wing of the State Police, Intelligence/Enforcement Agencies of the Central Government and also to the Ministry of Finance, it said. "One of the primary objectives of cancellation of legal tender character of old series of Rs 500/- and Rs 1000/- notes was to check the menace of terror financing through counterfeit currency notes," it said. The receipt of counterfeits/fake currency notes in Banks and Post Offices are, therefore, being monitored very closely, it said, adding a special watch is being kept on receipt of such fake notes in the States bordering our neighbouring countries. "The Law Enforcement Agencies have also been advised to maintain close vigil over possible movement of fake currencies and take prompt action as and when such cases are detected by them as well as by RBI and Banks," it said. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chief Secretary for Administration of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Matthew Cheung pledged unswerving efforts on Sunday to safeguard national security and expressed firm opposition to U.S. interference. In response to the United States signing into law the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" and announcing a series of restrictive measures with the U.S. president's executive order, Cheung wrote in an online article that the U.S. moves seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and constitute blatant interference in China's internal affairs. The HKSAR government will fully support the central government in adopting countermeasures against the U.S. hegemony, Cheung stressed. While the United States announced the revocation of Hong Kong's special trade treatment, Cheung noted Hong Kong's status as a separate customs territory under "one country, two systems" is conferred by the Constitution and the Basic Law and is recognized by multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization, but not granted or revocable by an individual country. Cheung said the United States introduced measures to attack China by creating issues in Hong Kong under the pretext of human rights, democracy and autonomy out of its own political agenda. It is hypocritical for the United States to undermine the relationship between the HKSAR and the central authorities under "one country, two systems" and to whitewash its abhorrent acts by the political slogan of "supporting Hong Kong people," Cheung wrote. The U.S. sanctions will not only harm the China-U.S. relations and the common interests of the two countries, but also bring substantial damages to U.S. businesses and people, he noted. In the article, Cheung also pledged that the government will track the development of the latest COVID-19 outbreak and roll out proper measures when needed. As the Legislative Council election is due on Sept. 6, the HKSAR government will as always guarantee that the election will be held in a fair, open, honest and orderly manner, Cheung wrote. (Photo : Petter Lagson / Unsplash) VPN networks must be secure for the users A total of seven Hong Kong VPN providers are being accused of violating privacy policies when they allegedly released private data from their users. These include UFO VPN, FAST VPN, Free VPN, Super VPN, Secure VPN, Rabbit VPN, and Flash VPN, VPN Mentor reported. In the report, it has been said that each of these providers has been found under the "no-log" VPNs, which mean that they are not recording user activity in the apps. However, those who scrutinized reportedly found activity logs in the shared server. The data include PII, email addresses, IP addresses, clear text passwords, phone models, home addresses, device IDs, and more. The leak also allegedly included connection logs, payment info, addresses, plain text passwords, and website activity. These providers are white labels that are rebranding services from a common provider, the report added. A VPN refers to a virtual connection series routed over the Internet, which are responsible for encrypting data as it moves through the client's devices and the Internet, or web servers. Many of the protocols have built-in encryption, including NNTPS, LDAPS, HTTPS, and more. Inaccuracy of information A correspondent from Engadget wrote, "A person of the companies, UFO VPN, claimed that it couldn't lock down its data promptly because of pandemic-similar staff changes. It also preserved that the logs were being only utilised for overall performance checking and have been supposedly anonymized." For instance, there are inaccuracies to the statements of UFO VPN, though they point to details that specific the explicit naming. Apparently, there are activities logged, debunking the zero-log claims. Implications These scrutinies only imply that there are challenges with white label VPN products, including rebranding actions for services without having to stay with their promises. "If you're concerned about the privacy of your data, it may be better to stick to major brands," Fingas wrote on Engadget. Customers who are particular about these data might choose to have another VPN provider that is not on the list. Hong Kong is a special administrative region from China. With these happening, it might be dangerous for the region since threats to authorities may take advantage of VPNs to stay away from censorship and surveillance from mainland China. Should this continue, it may be difficult for the authorities to combat dissidents. The challenges now moving forward is about changing login information and swapping details. Meanwhile, in other VPN news, 9News reported there is an estimated one billion Internet records exposed to a massive breach of data, affecting over 20 million people using VPNs. Researchers claim they uncovered an unsecured server shared by various VPNs. "The lack of basic security measures in an essential part of a cybersecurity product is not just shocking," the lead researcher stated. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mahesh M Goudar By Express News Service VIJAYAPURA: A 28-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten up for merely touching the two-wheeler belonging to an upper-caste person in Minajgi village near Talikoti in Vijayapura. After the family members filed a complaint, the local police have registered a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, however, no arrests have been made. The incident took place on Saturday. Kashinath Talwar (28), a daily wage worker by profession, a resident of Minajgi village of Talikoti, was going for work along with his father when the incident took place. In a complaint, Yankappa Talwar, father of Kashinath, alleged that, A group of villagers trashed my son accusing him of merely touching a motorcycle that was owned by an upper-caste person, which was parked near Chennamma Circle. The people also assaulted me and my sons wife and his daughter when we tried to rescue him from beating. The men used offensive words against our caste and threatened to set our community houses on fire, accused Yankappa. A complaint has been registered in Talikoti Police Station. Meanwhile, the villagers claimed that He was warned many times for his intolerable behavior after we found him showing his private parts to women and for touching them inappropriately. Enraged villagers thrashed him as he misbehaved with women on Saturday. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Shantveer E, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Basavana Bagewadi Sub-division, said that, After the complaint of family members, we have booked the cases under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. We have identified at least 12 people that thrashed the 28-year-old. Special teams have been formed to nab the accused. Even a group of women from the same village are filing a complaint against Kashinath for his misbehavior. The investigation is underway and it is too early to comment, stated DySP Shantveer. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Sameet Chavan The week gone by was an action-packed one for Indian markets, as well as for global markets. The domestic markets saw a roller-coaster move throughout last week. In fact, during the weeks, swings were wild, barring Fridays session where we witnessed a unidirectional northward move. A possible breakout from the sturdy wall of 10,850 was anticipated last week. It was expected in the initial part of the week but the market went through a correction first and so, the conviction became stronger during the middle of the week about Nifty surpassing the hurdle soon. Finally with Fridays late surge in banking conglomerates, Nifty has confirmed a breakout above 10,850, which resembles a Bullish Flag pattern on the daily chart. Now, the banking index seems to have regained strength which we believe should lead the movement in the forthcoming week. As far as levels are concerned, the up-move should ideally get extended towards the 78.6 percent retracement zone at 11,10011,200. Since we saw a small decline early last week, we will have to reassess the situation whether the markets have further steam left to go beyond these levels or not. Traders are advised to keep following stock-specific moves and the base now remains at 10,66010,560. Here are two buy calls for the next 1-2 weeks: Bharat Forge | Buy | LTP: Rs 377.70 | Target price: Rs 405 | Stop loss: Rs 362 | Upside: 7% Last month, after its previous quarterly numbers, the stock prices took a nosedive to test the lower end of the Broadening or Megaphone pattern on the daily chart. As per the requirement, the fall got arrested around it to form a reversal pattern which resulted in a confirmation of the 5th point. Since then, this counter has been continuing its upward momentum. If we look at the daily chart now, we can see the formation of a Bullish Flag pattern and the same has been confirmed last Thursday. Hence, last Fridays muted session can be construed as a good buying opportunity in the stock. SBI Cards and Payment Services | Buy | LTP: Rs 753.70 | Target price: Rs 825 | Stop loss: Rs 712 | Upside: 9% This was one of the most popular and hyped IPOs in recent years and due to its unfortunate timing at the coronavirus outbreak, the listing was very disappointing for investors. In fact, due to massive selloff thereafter, the stock prices plunged more than 30 percent in the following weeks. However, after forming a strong base around Rs 500, the stock has given a stellar move over the past couple of months along with the broader market recovery. Now, with last Fridays smart move, the stock has managed to give the highest ever close above Rs 750 mark. Although the historical price data is not sufficient, the chart structure and volume activity looks encouraging. (The author is Chief Technical & Derivatives Analyst at Angel Broking) The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The group, branded 'Boris' Babies' when they entered Parliament in 2019, are now being called 'f***ing nobodies' by Mr Johnson's allies. Senior party sources have pointed the finger at Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison and fellow Tory Alicia Kearns as ringleaders. As many as 20 recently-elected MPs are believed to have gathered at 1pm in the office of one of their number, Alicia Kearns (right), which swiftly became known as the 'Pork Pie Putsch' because she represents Melton Mowbray. Whips suspect three other relatively new backbenchers - Ms Davison from Bishop Auckland, Gary Sambrook (inset left), a freemason and MP for Birmingham Northfield and Chris Loder, a former train guard (inset right) from West Dorset - of being among the ringleaders. They are now being called the 'grey wolves' by some allies of the Prime Minister because 'they were not socialised in Parliament during the pandemic', according to Sky News. One Cabinet source was furious at the lack of loyalty, telling The Times: 'They were only elected because of him. Most of them are a load of f****** nobodies. It's nuts.' Downing Street is understood to be particularly annoyed about Miss Davison. Carrie Johnson, along with Dilyn, the PM's dog, and Rishi Sunak had campaigned for her in 2019 (left). And in a sign that all is not well, Nimco Ali, Carrie's best friend tweeted today: 'Honestly can't believe the audacity of @DehennaDavison. Girl get a grip'. Christian Wakeford, the first Tory to represent Bury South in more than 20 years, became the seventh MP known to have written to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee. Last year he admitted he approached Owen Paterson and called him a 'c***' after the government instructed MPs to vote to change parliamentary sleaze rules. Today he defected to Labour. Taapsee Pannu has hit back at a Twitter user who accused her and Swara Bhasker of standing with oppressors and hinted that they would be responsible next time a struggling actor gives up on life like Sushant Singh Rajput. She criticised the purely negative portrayal of how outsiders are treated in Bollywood and said that it could very well kill the passion of some talented artist, who might be scared to even give the film industry a shot. God forbid next time a struggling actor gives up on life like Sushant Singh Rajput please do remember how @taapsee and @ReallySwara stood with oppressors. What an unfortunate, bitter world, a Twitter user wrote. In response, Taapsee wrote, Next time another outstanding talent gets scared to even enter our industry n kills his passion and hope to contribute to Indian cinema coz some people painted purely negative picture about how outsiders are treated do remember YOU are ALSO responsible for it. Also read | Fatima Sana Shaikh says she cried when she discovered Shah Rukh Khan was married: It was like a legitimate break-up for me Recently, in an interview with Republic TV, Kangana Ranaut called Taapsee and Swara needy outsiders and accused them of trying to win Karan Johars favour. Calling out the practice of nepotism, Kangana said, What I want to convey through this interview is... for me, I have only to lose here... because I know tomorrow they will get some 20 needy outsiders like Taapsee Pannu or Swara Bhasker who will get up and say, Oh! Only Kangana has problems with nepotism. We love Karan Johar. If you love Karan Johar, why are you both B-grade actresses? You are both better looking than Alia Bhatt and Ananya (Panday). You both are better actresses. Why dont you get work? Your whole existence is proof of nepotism. What are you telling me about how happy you are with the industry? Taapsee hit back in an interview with Hindustan Times and said, I never mentioned anywhere I like Karan Johar or anyone she alleges, but I have never said I hate them either. So, the fact that you dont hate someone she hates, is equivalent to you like that person and you suck up to that person? I dont even know him beyond formal hi, hello, thank you. How is this even logical? Follow @htshowbiz for more A Sydney law firm has copped an online roasting for urging Melburnians to not wear a face mask in public and to challenge the fine in court. Masks will be mandatory for residents in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire whenever they leave their homes from midnight Wednesday. The move is a desperate bid to curb the state's second wave of new infections with another 363 new cases confirmed on Sunday. Anyone caught on public not wearing one without a valid reason risks a $200 fine. It comes as a Melbourne law firm evolved as one of Australia's relatively few white-collar coronavirus clusters with six new cases reported in recent days. It didn't take long for Sydney firm G&B Lawyers to weigh in on the controversial new measure announced by Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday. Melburnians were already following the directive to wear masks in public shortly after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the strict new rule on Sunday 'Free legal advice to all Victorians. Don't wear a mask. Get a $200 fine then elect to have it determined in Court,' the law firm posted on Facebook. 'Every single one of you 6.359million Victorians can challenge the fines in court. 'The Victorian Government won't fight you in court. It is far too expensive for them to do so.' The post sparked a divided reaction. 'Lawyers shouldn't be giving medical advice. As lawyers, you should know this,' one man commented. Another added: 'It seems to be medical advice (which they are not qualified to give) and I question whether it is aiding and abetting as it is encouraging people to defy the chief health officer's directions which is an offence. I can see people accepting this advice, not wearing a mask then catching COVID 19 and suing them.' Melburnians caught leaving their home without a face mask will risk copping a $200 fine from midnight Wednesday. Pictured is a couple following the government directive on Sunday One woman accused the firm of spruiking its political views. 'This is NOT legal advice!! On that logic, we can all go murder someone and the government won't have the resources to lock us all up,' she wrote. But many others appreciated the free advice and inundated the page with messages of support. 'Thank you for the legal advice, it's nice to see someone trying to help fight all this tyranny,' one woman wrote. G&B Lawyers sparked a divided response when it weighed in on the controversial measure G & B Lawyers later doubled down on its advice with a follow-up post. 'Now hiring. A criminal lawyer based in Victoria. Must have experience in challenging fines in Courts. Expect 6 million or so fines against individuals for not wearing a mask The online backlash extended to negative Facebook and Google reviews. 'Provided stupid and dangerous advice. Would not trust them to challenge a parking ticket,' one reviewer wrote. Another added: 'Unethical and immoral. Encouraging people to take their fines to court. So I can only assume they benefit from the cost of the clients legal fees.' The law firm has since hit back at the brutal trolls with a cheeky response. 'Hey trolls how are you going? Looks like we are winning. Guess this means you won't be paid this week!,' it wrote. The firm posted on Monday morning that it looks forward to the response from Victorian Daniel Andrews about the comments it has made on mask initiative. A Sydney law firm has urged Melburnians to not wear a face mask and to challenge the $200 fine if they're caught in public without one Daily Mail Australia has contacted G&B Lawyers for comment. Meanwhile, six cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Melbourne offices of a law firm that told staff they couldn't work from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Management at HWL Ebsworth sent staff home for the week on July 6 after the first employee case of coronavirus was identified at the firm's inner-city offices. Up until that point, the firm had previously told staff to continue to work from the company's CBD premises. HWL Ebsworth has now been labelled a 'key outbreak' by Victorian health authorities after the cluster grew from four cases last week, along with a public roasting from the Premier. 'I won't name the law firm but we did see a firm that's become a bit famous in recent days where they decided they wouldn't allow staff to work from home when clearly the vast majority of that work can be done from home. Now an outbreak in that very firm,' Premier Andrews told reporters on Sunday. The firm has since reversed the decision and given staff the option to work from home. Victoria's horror outbreak has continued with another 363 new cases confirmed on Sunday, prompting a government directive for face masks to be worn in public 'All of our Melbourne based professional staff that can work from home have been directed to do so,' managing partner Juan Martinez said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'Those team members that cannot work from home are operating on tailored arrangements, and our office environment has been set up to ensure that anyone that needs to work from the office can do so in a safe way.' 'We have been liaising very closely with the Department of Health & Human Services to ensure that we are complying in full with their directions.' Falun Gong practitioners gathered for a rally on the anniversary of the Chinese regime's persecution of the spiritual discipline in Washington, on July 18, 2019. (Li Sha/The Epoch Times) US Lawmakers Decry Beijings 21-Year-Long Unforgiving Persecution of Falun Gong More than 30 U.S. lawmakers and officials have decried the Chinese communist regimes 21-year-long campaign to eradicate the spiritual practice Falun Gong, resulting in the brutal suppression of millions of adherents. Marking the 21st anniversary of the start of the persecution on July 20, Sam Brownback, U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom; Gary Bauer, commissioner at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF); and 33 bipartisan lawmakers expressed support for Falun Gong practitioners and called on the Chinese regime to stop its assaults on the practice. For 21 years, the Chinese Communist Party has been waging an intensive, comprehensive, and unforgiving campaign against those who practice Falun Gong, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) wrote in a letter. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) wrote: Falun Gongs followers have been subject to abuse, torture, illegal imprisonment, and extremely cruel practice of organ harvesting. This brutal persecution is intolerable and must stop. On this 21st anniversary of Chinas persecution of Falun Gong, we are again reminded of the horrific brutality inflicted by Chinas govt on its own citizens. The Chinese authorities try to cover up these crimes, so it is all the more imp. for us to condemn them. See my statement: pic.twitter.com/YTwlgVSFCD Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) July 20, 2020 The U.S. officials were among hundreds of lawmakers around the world who issued or signed statements condemning the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) suppression of Falun Gong. More than 600 current and former lawmakers from 30 countries signed a joint statement demanding an immediate end to the persecution and the unconditional release of all detained practitioners and other prisoners of conscience in China. The Chinese Communist Party is at war with faith. It is a war they will not win, Ambassador Brownback said in a video statement. A persons belief is stronger than somebody that seeks to oppress them. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that includes meditative exercises a set of moral teaching based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Since its introduction in 1992, the practice spread widely in China with around 70 million people practicing by the end of the decade, according to government estimates at the time. Threatened by this popularity, the CCP banned the practice on July 20, 1999, launching an expansive campaign of persecution. Since then, vast swathes of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained or imprisoned as a result of their faith. Millions of adherents have been detained, and hundreds of thousands have been tortured, according to estimates by the Falun Dafa Information Center. More than 4,000 practitioners are confirmed to have died from torture, according to Minghui.org, a clearinghouse for information about the persecution of Falun Gong. However, due to the difficulty of obtaining information from China, the true death toll is likely to be many times higher. USCIRF Commissioner Bauer denounced the CCP for continuing to detain Falun Gong practitioners earlier this year when it should have been focused on containing the coronavirus pandemic. Many officials also expressed outrage over the Chinese regimes practice of forced organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners. Evidence of this grisly practice has mounted since allegations first emerged in 2006. An independent peoples tribunal in 2019, after a yearlong investigation, found beyond a reasonable doubt that the CCP hasand continues tokill imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners for their organs for sale on the transplant market. There is no place in the 21st century for forced organ harvesting, Bauer said in a recorded statement. Brownback said the administration would continue to raise this issue before international bodies and ask Beijing to open its organ transplant records to let the rest of the world see where their organs are coming from in the transplants that theyre doing. A November study published in the scientific journal BMC Medical Ethics found that there was highly compelling evidence that the Chinese regime was systematically falsifying its organ donation data. It found that the official figures conformed almost precisely to a mathematical formula, a quadratic equation. Bauer said the USCIRF urges the United States to conduct a thorough investigation into Beijings state-sanctioned organ harvesting. We believe an official U.S. government investigation will help shine a greater spotlight on this issue, and mobilize the political support necessary to take concrete action against Communist China for its crimes, he said. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) was among many who expressed hope that the persecution would not be extended into the 22nd year. I hope that one day soon Falun Gong practitioners in China and all over the world may exercise their principles free of oppression, she wrote in a letter. Other U.S. lawmakers who issued statements expressing solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners were: Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); and Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), Ron Kind (D-Wis.), William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Van Taylor (R-Tex.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), David Trone (D-Md.), Daniel Crenshaw (R-Texas), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Ron Wright (R-Texas), Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), and Del. Eleanor Norton (D-DC). This article has been updated to include four more U.S. lawmakers who issued statements. Many New Zealanders went to Europe to become racing drivers, surviving on their wits and on their practical abilities. Howden Ganley was one of them. He was 14 when he went to Ardmore near Auckland and watched the 1955 New Zealand Grand Prix which fired his ambition to get into racing. He trained as a mechanic and in 1961 headed for Europe where he soon found work and used the money he earned to pay for his racing. It was not until 1967 that he became a serious contender, having managed to scrape together enough money to buy a Brabham Formula 3 car. In 1971 he was hired to race for BRM and finished a strong fifth in the famous blanket finish at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. This was followed by a fourth place at Watkins Glen and a similar placing in the following year's German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. In 1973 he moved to Frank Williams's team and actually led the Canadian Grand Prix before fading to sixth place. He drove briefly for March the following year and then hooked up with the Maki team. The car was never very reliable and Ganley decided to retire from driving after a spectacular accident at the Nurburgring. He went into partnership with Tim Schenken, another Grand Prix driver, to form the Tiga racing car business but eventually sold out in 1987 and went into business outside racing. He served for a period as secretary of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) but then moved to the United States. Australian Greeks protest against right-wing coup Big meetings of Greek Australians in Sydney and Melbourne have condemned the conspiracy between the Greek King and extreme rightist forces that have deposed the elected Papandreou Government. Georgios Papandreou. In Athens, a demonstration of 200,000 supporting Papandreou was typical of a nationwide upsurge in defence of Greek democracy. A national general strike was scheduled for this week. Following the coup, Greece is threatened with foreign-backed repressions of the kind carried out there by the British and American armed forces in the immediate post war years, to establish a rightist dictatorship. For months warnings have been issued from democratic sources inside and outside Greece of an intended army coup to displace the Centre government of Papandreou. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, spearheaded by the USA, was named as the inspiration of the threatened coup. Papandreou was elected by a substantial majority at the general elections at the end of 1963. While not fulfilling his pledge to restore full democratic rights, he released most of the political prisoners, permitted considerable freedom of expression and reached a friendly agreement with socialist Bulgaria. But this, it seems, was too much for the Americans and coup rumours increased. Last week Papandreou decided to move in first by sacking defence Minister Garoufalias. But Garoufalias refused to resign. The Western-backed King supported him and in turn dismissed the Prime Minister, replacing him by a right-wing member of his own party. Sydney At one of the biggest meetings ever held in the Sydney Greek community last Sunday night, 500 people sent a cable of support to the deposed Prime Minister. The meeting, held in the Atlas Club, also cabled the King asking him not to interfere in Greek political life. Last Saturday, Atlas Club members distributed leaflets to the Greek community asking them to protest against the rightist coup detat in Greece. Thirty sellers sold 2,000 of a special edition of the Greek weekly Neos Kosmos in an hour last Saturday. Melbourne In Melbourne, a meeting of 400 Greek people last Sunday was addressed by Labor MHR for Yarra, Dr J F Cairns, Mr J Elefantis, President of the Greek Community, and Mr J Gogos, editor of the Greek newspaper Neos Kosmos. The meeting called unanimously for action in support of democracy in Greece. A broad committee has been formed to draw into activity all democratic organisations and individuals in Victoria who over the years have shown interest in the struggles of the Greek people. The meeting adopted by acclamation a resolution to demonstrate outside the Greek Consulate in Melbourne on Wednesday, July 21, at 5 pm. This article originally appeared in Tribune July, 1965. Authorities in Lassen County, California, ordered residents to evacuate from several areas after a wildfire, named Hog Fire, scorched around 5,200 acres since July 18. This footage, posted to Twitter by Carrie Kirby, shows thick smoke billowing from the fire near Lassen National Forest on July 19. According to ABC 10, the wildfire affected both private and US Forest Service land. Residents were ordered to evacuate from Lake Forest Estates, Phildow, Grey Eagle Lane, and areas north of Highway 36 and west of County Road A1 late July 19. Credit: Carrie Kirby via Storyful Well before you find yourself unable to make financial decisions or keep up with day-to-day money operations, youll want to lay out a clear plan for how, and who, you want to handle your finances. And I recommend you get clear about this early in your life. In Canada its very straightforward as to how you can establish the authorities over your banking and assets: a Power of Attorney (POA) or joint accounts. Yes, you still need a clear last will and testament that defines your wishes after you pass but prior to that, choosing a trustworthy representative for your financial wishes while you live is essential. POA has more options for rules A POA can do anything with your property or assets, but you can limit their authority, and thats a good thing. The other good thing is you can still act on your own accord even with a POA in place. A POA can be general, while you have your mental faculties, or continuing/enduring, in the event you lose your mental faculties. Your POA cannot make a will for you (or change your existing one), add or change a new POA, or amend a beneficiary on a life-insurance plan. And if medical challenges are on the horizon, youll need to establish a health directive, which is a different form of a POA. Joint accounts are effectively joint ownership and give the other party the freedom to do anything they want with the funds in the specific account they are joint on, without limitations. Theyre commonly used by spouses, and sometimes with adult children or caregivers. Obviously, there are greater risks with joint accounts, but you can manage some of the risk by setting up a dual-consent requirement for every transaction (or a threshold value; say anything over $500). That means that both account owners need to agree to the transaction. What makes a good POA relationship Trust. You should ask someone you trust, and in my opinion, a person who has a history of solid financial and personal judgment. It can be your spouse, a friend, a family member or anyone whos a willing participant. Your POA might ask for payment and youll want to be clear about any compensation system that you set up. Clarity. Being too specific or vague is bad news. If workable guardrails are not established, you risk the POA being unable to perform their tasks effectively. Be clear. Keep your POA up to date by reviewing it at your annual and mid-year financial check-ins. And, do not have a cast of characters all acting as your collective POAs sage advice that my money mentor gave to me years ago. Understand your banks role in the POA relationship. A POA can conduct your day-to-day banking, with your permission. Most financial institutions have strict policies and paperwork that must be followed for POAs. Know how your bank treats a POA, what their checks and balances are to prevent fraud, how often they will communicate with you and so on. Leave no room for surprises. What makes a good joint-account relationship Trust. Similar to the POA, you need to trust this person implicitly. Should a relationship break down, you risk the account being emptied, and its effectively legal to do so. You can contest it in court, but thats an expensive avenue and can take a lot of time to resolve. Good financial habits of both joint-account holders. Should the joint party get themselves into a financial pickle too much debt leading to orderly debt repayment or bankruptcy your account can be accessed by creditors. Also, if they simply spend too much money, your funds might be used to pay off high credit-card balances and such. Before you join accounts with anyone, even your spouse, assess both of your habits, deal with the bad ones and set clear boundaries. Understand what happens to the account when you die. Your financial institution will be able to provide an overview of what happens to your joint accounts when you die. Get those details! If youre not happy with the process, find another bank or consider a POA instead. POA can be tweaked by you alone A POA relationship can be changed. You can replace the person, update the limitations of the agreement, add another POA to increase accountability, convert the POA into an enduring POA and more. The bottom line is that it is a flexible tool to meet your changing needs, as compared to a joint banking arrangement where it would take a willingness from both parties to change the ownership on the accounts. In all cases, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a quality conversation with your lawyer about whether a POA or joint banking is better for you. You will also want them to weigh in on what happens when you pass away; taxes, probate, and more. Though joint banking is very convenient to set up, it has more risks than a clearly crafted POA arrangement. A mojave yucca flowers in a solar field with heliostats. Credit: Steve Grodsky, UC Davis With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them. But large solar energy facilities are one threat that cacti weren't built to withstand, according to a study by the University of California, Davis. The study, published July 20 in the journal Nature Sustainability, chronicles the impacts of ground-mounted solar energy development in the Mojave Desert on native plants and their cultural significance to indigenous tribes in the region. "We're talking about iconic and threatened plantscacti, especially, and Mojave yucca," said co-leading author Steve Grodsky, an assistant research ecologist at UC Davis. "These are the plants most people envision when they think about the desert, and they're also the most negatively affected by solar energy development." Location, Location, Location Solar energy is a key strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the threats of climate change. But like any development, where it's sited affects its overall environmental sustainability. UC Davis Assistant Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez and Grodsky are exploring where renewable energy can best coexist with wildlife, biodiversity and the environment to achieve overall sustainability. Their work is part of their Wild Energy Initiative, a research initiative of the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment, and of the Energy and Efficiency Institute. "This is really our moment to double down," said co-leading author Hernandez. "We need to not only build out renewable energy, we also need to develop it in the places that produce positive impacts. This isn't just about saving the cacti. It's about our need to achieve both climate change goals and sustainable development goals, which include protecting terrestrial ecosystems, at the same time." A beavertail cactus blooms amid the backdrop of a solar facility in the Mojave desert. Credit: Steve Grodsky, UC Davis Native Plants And Native Peoples For the study, the scientists measured the impact of solar development decisions on desert plants at Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, one of the world's largest concentrating solar power plants. They found negative impacts on the desert scrub plant community, including plants of cultural significance to 18 indigenous tribes. Among them are the Mojave yucca, a Joshua tree relative. Its leaves and fiber historically were used for making shoes, baskets, and building structures. Its roots can be used for soap, hence its common name "soap yucca." Other plants have provided medicine, tools and food, such as the fruits and pads of the beavertail prickly pear cactus. Management Options And Impacts There are a variety of ways to prepare land for solar installations, and some of these methods are more harmful to the desert plant community than others: The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert. Credit: Joe Proudman/UC Davis Bulldozing, or "blading," scrapes layers of earth away from the site. It's the most damaging to cacti, Mojave yucca and other native plants. It also primes the site for invasive grasses like Schismus, which present a fire risk to deserts maladapted to wildfire. Mowing also destroys cacti and Mojave yucca, but creosote and perennial shrubs can recover from it. "Halos" are roped off areas known to hold sensitive species that create islands of undeveloped areas within the facility. They can be effective for conserving native plants, including cacti and Mojave yucca. "From a management perspective, there are things we can do to help conserve native desert plants at solar facilities," Grodsky said. "But it's best to develop solar energy in marginalized lands like urban areas, places where ecosystems are heavily altered, rather than undeveloped desert." Previous research by Hernandez, Grodsky and colleagues examined dozens of alternatives to installing solar on undisturbed lands. These include siting solar on contaminated sites (like Superfund sites), landfills and salt-affected lands. Other options include "agrivoltaics," which co-locate agriculture and solar energy, andperhaps most promisingon the rooftops of large commercial buildings, such as warehouses. Explore further Video: Forecasting desert storms to empower solar panels More information: Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development, Nature Sustainability (2020). Journal information: Nature Sustainability Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0574-x Pushing the boundaries of medicine to deliver life-saving medicines Pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca face many challenges on their road to success: tough timeframes and patent limits, strict government regulations, and data siloes created through years of mergers and development. Read this short case study to learn how AstraZeneca is utilizing Talends Cloud suite to: Build and execute jobs in AWS Organize and govern data Integrate data without losing data quality And more. Police said all along that somebody wasnt telling the truth in the case of a 2-year-old missing since July 7. Now we know who it is Philadelphia police do not believe: 2-year-old King Hills babysitter. CBSPhilly.com reports the female babysitter has been arrested and charged with homicide in King Hills death. UPDATE: The babysitter has been identified as Tiana Parks in this 6ABC report on Twitter: The District Attorney @DA_LarryKrasner announced 2 yr old King Hills babysitter Tiana Parks is charged with murder in the death of the missing toddler missing since 7.7. Cell phone & video evidence led to authorities conclusion King is dead. His body has not been found. @6abc pic.twitter.com/WK5llotYEj Annie McCormick (@6abcAnnie) July 20, 2020 Reports of the babysitters arrest come on the heels of statements made by the boys family over the weekend that they were informed their missing son was dead and a suspect had been arrested. But the boys body has yet to be found. Philadelphia police are expected to release further details during a press conference at 1:45 p.m. Monday. Now, the focus is on recovering little Kings body so his family can give him a proper burial and find a measure of closure in this tragic situation. We dont even know where his body is, hes just out there laying somewhere. We dont know, and they said that we might never recover his body. Whatever they told her, my daughter did not want to hear no more, Kings grandmother, Kimberly Hill, told CBSPhilly. Background on the case from 6ABC: King's stepfather said the female babysitter dropped King off to King's mother at 33rd and Diamond streets on Tuesday July 7. However, King's mother said that never happened, and she thought King was still in the stepfather's care. When the stepfather realized King was missing, he said he called the police, touching off the ongoing investigation and search that has now resulted in the boy being declared dead and the babysitter arrested and charged. READ MORE: Pa. cocaine ring dispute leaves 2 dead, 2 arrested in double-shooting: cops Coroner Graham Hetrick says masks should be a choice, not a mandate, putting him at odds with medical consensus Family of missing Pa. boy, 2, say their son is dead and suspect is arrested, but cops are mum National neo-Nazi group holds illegal protest in Pa. park: cops Friends watched helplessly as 2 teen boys drowned in Susquehanna River Bodies of 2 teen boys pulled from Susquehanna River: Just how crazy it is 4 people struck by lightning, 2 killed in violent Pa. storm Accused burglar, 16, beats homeowner with his own cane: cops After teen dies jumping into quarry, Pa. police look to stop this deadly recreation Womans body pulled from Pa. lake after boating accident Pa. teen dies jumping into quarry with friends: He was the happiest person alive 1 dead after car slams head-on into Pa. ambulance Penn State football player with red, glassy eyes charged with drug possession after campus traffic stop Pa. man, 22, faces homicide charges in triple-fatal crash while street-racing his Ford Mustang Giant supermarkets limit cash transactions, citing national coin shortage In wake of rising number of coronavirus cases in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led government on Monday announced a complete lockdown across the state for two days every week. This week, the total lockdown will be in force on Thursday and Saturday. Making the announcement, State Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said that there were few places in the state where community transmission of COVID-19 has been detected. The decision has been taken to break the chain of transmission of infection. "There are a few places in the state where community transmission of COVID-19 has been detected. After talking to experts, doctors, enforcement authorities, and the police, we have decided to impose complete lockdown for two days every week in the entire state to break the chain (of transmission)," he said. Bandyopadhyay said that the decision has been taken following a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Also Read: Coronavirus update: India sees 40,425 new cases, 681 deaths in 24 hours All offices, transport services will be shut down on those two days, he said. "This week, the total lockdown will be in force on Thursday and Saturday. Next week, the shutdown will be clamped on Wednesday (July 29)," the home secretary said, adding that a review meeting will be held next Monday for further discussions on the matter. Currently, the lockdown is applicable only in containment zones till July 31. Also Read: Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Number of cases cross 50,000-mark; 1,343 dead in Pune West Bengal has reported over 42,000 coronavirus cases and over 1,100 deaths. The number of active cases is nearly 16,500. On Sunday, the state reported 36 deaths, the highest so far in a single day, according to a bulletin released by the health department. Kolkata recorded the maximum of 15 deaths, followed by neighbouring nine in North 24 Parganas, four in Hooghly, three each in Howrah and South 24 Parganas, and one each on Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur. During the last 24 hours, at least 2,278 people, the highest in a single day, tested positive for coronavirus, taking the infection tally to 42,487. Meanwhile, 1,344 people have recovered from the disease, while 13,471 samples have been tested. With PTI inputs Holding a former deputy SP of the state vigilance department guilty of framing a junior engineer in a fake bribery case, the Odisha Human Rights Commission has asked the state government to recover 5 lakh from the retired vigilance officer and pay it to the engineer. In his order, OHRC chairperson justice BP Das recommended that Himansu Sekhar Mishra, the former deputy SP of the vigilance department in Dhenkanal district pay 5 lakh to former junior engineer of Kamakhyanagar Notified Area Council Rajendra Prasad Mishra for framing the latter in a false vigilance case. On March 24, 2017, Rajendra Mishra was arrested by the vigilance over allegations of demanding and accepting a bribe of 25,000 from a contractor to facilitate an official work. He was then suspended from service. The junior engineer then moved the Odisha Human Rights Commission alleging he was framed in a false case by Himanshu Mishra, the former DSP of vigilance. He alleged that he was framed as he did not allow the contractor to execute some work in a sub-standard manner under his supervision. He alleged that the contractor conspired with the vigilance staff including the deputy SP and laid a trap. The former junior engineer submitted the CCTV footage of his office room in which a vigilance constable was seen keeping a bundle of 25,000 in his left side drawer at around 6.00 pm. When the engineer raised allegations of being framed, a DIG of vigilance conducted an inquiry and recommended departmental action against the DSP and others involved in the case. The OHRC chairperson said that after going through the report submitted by the DIG of Vigilance, recording statements of all the accused in the case and watching the CCTV footage, it was clear that the case against the junior engineer was a fake one. As the illegal and stage managed trap has tarred the junior engineers dignity and reputation, the commission said the victim is entitled to get compensation. The human rights panel also recommended that the contractor be black-listed and marked ineligible from getting any government contract in future. The commission, however, said the junior engineer can donate the compensation amount to the District Red Cross Fund of Dhenkanal if he wishes. Though Odisha claims to be turning aggressive against corrupt officials, its record in conviction is such cases is quite poor. In 2018, the department could get conviction in about 51 per cent of vigilance cases while in 2017 it was 47 per cent. The department is yet to release its conviction rate in 2019. It had also a high pendency at the investigation stage. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its report for 2017 said that over 92 per cent of vigilance cases were pending for investigation in 2017. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON France is to speed up the delivery of Rafale fighter jets to India on a special request by Delhi, which is likely to receive the first batch of six by 27 July. India's air force commanders are to meet this week in New Delhi to discuss the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, as well as the rapid operational station of the Rafale combat aircraft. The top brass will gather at the two-day commanders' conference from 22 July, where they will also deliberate on a range of other security issues and an in-depth review of the country's air defence system. Currently, a fleet of fighters like Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30, and the MiG-29 fighters have been deployed along the border, carrying out both day and night operations. In June, at least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, in the Kashmir region. It's the biggest military confrontation in nearly five decades. The possible deployment of the Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh sector is also on the agenda," a top air force official told RFI. "Its deployment will be game-changer for the IAF in potential air operations. Operational edge Acting on a special request by the IAF, France is sending six Rafale fighters, which will land at the Ambala base in northern Haryana, where the No. 17 Squadron "Golden Arrows" is to be based. Originally France was to deliver four jets in the first batch, officials said. In a phone conversation, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was assured by his French counterpart Florence Parly that despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rafale aircraft would be delivered on time. The six fighter jets are to arrive in fully-loaded condition along with the long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles, which can hit targets more than 150 kilometres away. There is no doubt that the Rafale fighters will add to the operational punch of the IAF. We need to operationalise it soon, a defence ministry official told RFI. In September 2016, India inked a direct deal with the French government to purchase 36 new Rafale fighter jets in a 7.87-billion-euro deal. India will also get latest munitions like the Meteor and Scalp missiles as part of the contract, along with a five-year support package that assures high availability of the fighter Out of the 36 Rafale jets, 30 are destined for combat, with the remaining six to be trainers. The suit, which appears to be the first of its kind across the country, sets up a confrontation between unions and politicians that could change the trajectory of school reopening over the coming weeks. In other parts of the country, including California and parts of Texas, many large school districts have concluded in recent days that it is not safe to hold in-person classes. But Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has been pushing for things to be different in Florida, which is home to five of the countrys 10 largest districts. Earlier this month, Mr. DeSantiss administration ordered schools across the state to reopen five days a week starting in August. His edict came as President Trump called for schools to reopen nationwide and threatened to cut federal funding for districts that did not teach in person. The American Federation of Teachers, the nations second-largest teachers union, and its local affiliate, the Florida Education Association, accused Mr. DeSantis of violating a Florida law requiring that schools be safe and secure. (An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the A.F.T. as the nations largest union.) The unions, along with parent and teacher plaintiffs, asked a state court in Miami to block the governors reopening order and allow local school superintendents and health departments to have full control over reopening decisions. Mr. DeSantis distanced himself from the executive order on Monday, noting at a news conference that it had been issued by the states department of education, not by him. You know, they have a board and they do different things, he said. The order was signed by Richard Corcoran, the states commissioner of education, a former speaker of the Florida House who was tapped for the position by Mr. DeSantis when he was governor-elect and who was officially appointed by the board. But Mr. DeSantis has urged schools to reopen for in-person instruction. If fast food and Walmart and Home Depot and I do all that so Im not, like, looking down on it but if all that is essential, then educating our kids is absolutely essential, Mr. DeSantis said this month. And they have been put to the back of the line in some respects. Residents of Hawkinsville in Californias north were told to evacuate after a wildfire broke out in the hills in Siskiyou County on July 18. The fire was first reported by CAL FIRE at around 5:30 pm local time. On July 19, the fire was 450 acres large and considered 15 percent contained by state firefighting authorities. Credit: ALERTWildfire via Storyful Healthcare workers from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are at higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than their white colleagues, TDs will be told tomorrow. In a submission to the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) will say research shows ethnic minorities are more likely to get the coronavirus and the Irish system has a high reliance on non-EU/EEA doctors and nurses. The committee will also hear, as of the July 11, of 26,076 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the country, 8,347 (32%) were healthcare workers. Some 319 were hospitalised, with 49 admitted to ICU. The committee is chaired by Independent TD Michael McNamara and includes leading politicians like Fianna Fails John McGuinness, Labours Duncan Smith and Solidarity/People Before Profit TD Brid Smith. They will hear that 7 healthcare workers have died as a result of Covid-19. Of the 8,347 healthcare workers who contracted Covid-19, 2,711 were nurses, 2,189 were healthcare assistants, and 507 were doctors. Some 2,657 cases (30%) were related to an outbreak in a nursing home, residential institution, or community hospital/long-stay unit, while 725 cases (8.6%) were linked to an outbreak in a hospital. More than 70% of healthcare workers contracted Covid-19 in the workplace. Many of the cases under investigation may also be linked to the workplace, the IMO will say. Ireland appears to have one of the highest rates of infection among healthcare workers in Europe and the IMO is calling on the HSE to ensure adequate supplies of PPE for the possibility of future surges of Covid-19 or other pandemics by stockpiling reserves, diversifying suppliers and creating incentives to encourage local manufacturing of PPE. The committee will also hear from the trade union Forsa which will say the rate of infection among healthcare workers is in excess of both the European and World averages. Forsa had many reports of healthcare workers who re-assigned to duties directly related to the pandemic response and became infected. Even those with the mildest of symptoms and effects at the time of infection, report that almost three months later, they feel that they are only close to full recovery now, the committee will hear. Forsa will say the infection of more than 8,000 workers means that 7% of the workforce were forced into workplace absence. This comes on top of normal absence rates. So, for direct intervention areas, during a pandemic, resources were decreased by in excess of 10%. However, large scale re-assignment took place on a voluntary basis into areas such as 7 day swabbing, nursing home settings, residential settings, the committee will hear. TDs will also take testimony from the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) which will say the lack investment in the sector before Covid-19 means services were already at breaking point. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) The Philippines version of the anti-terrorism law is the most conservative among other security measures in the world, Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III said Monday amid concerns on the measures implementation. The other countries, theyre stricter than ours, yung atin ang pinaka-conservative (ours is the most conservative), Sotto told CNN Philippines The Source. Sotto said it is only the country which has come up with a safeguard provision that compels an arresting officer to inform the nearest court as well as the Commission on Human Rights regarding a case. As such, he urged foreigners particularly lawmakers from the United States to focus and review their own harsher laws instead of picking on the Philippines situation. These U.S. Congressmen must investigate their Homeland Security Law Why are these Congressmen not centering their laws that they have? Why pick on the Philippines, when we (have) the most conservative anti-terror law in the world? They want us to remain as the haven of terrorists? Sotto questioned. Around 45 US lawmakers earlier urged the Philippine government to repeal the controversial measure, believing that it is vulnerable to being "weaponized against people" who will express dissent towards the government. Malacanang, however, dismissed these claims, stressing the country has a working judicial system that can decide on the constitutionality of the law. RELATED: Roque tells US lawmakers not to intervene on Anti-Terrorism Law, says PH is independent The anti-terrorism law formally took effect on Saturday, or 15 days after its publication on July 3. The Philippine National Police said authorities are still in the preparation stage for its implementation, as they await the release of the implementing rules and regulations. The measure, which repealed the Human Security Act of 2007, will give more surveillance powers to government forces. It will also implement stricter penalties for suspected terrorists including longer detention periods of up to 24 days with arrest warrants or charges. This is the moment a webcam caught video footage of a volcano on an Italian island spitting fireballs in a dramatic explosion. The active volcano located on the Italian island of Stromboli is known to erupt frequently and sometimes causes deaths. Alarming footage shows Mount Stromboli erupting in the early hours on Sunday morning, believed to be at around 3am, causing some vigorous fireworks. Alarming video footage shows a volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli spitting fireballs in an explosion during the early hours of Sunday morning The volcano is the main attraction on the Italian island, which holds around 500 people No people on the island were injured by the eruption and no damage was caused as the explosion only affecting the crater and the vent of the volcano. However, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology did manage to spot some debris and lava travelling down the slope of the volcano and onto an area where residents occasionally hike during the day. An eruption at Mount Stromboli last July killed one hiker and forced several residents to run towards the sea in fear of their lives. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology spotted some debris and lava travelling down the slope of the volcano which could have been dangerous for potential hikers Thankfully, no residents were hurt or killed by the explosion. Mount Stromboli did kill one hiker during an explosion in July 2019 The hiker was killed after being hit by flying debris at the beginning of the eruption, which took place just before 5pm in the afternoon. A second eruption occurred on August 28 that year at 10am, causing ash to rise up to 2km high, but there were no casualties. The island is believed to have a population of 500 people, according to records taken in 2016. Rajasthan, whose chief minister Ashok Gehlot is now embroiled in a political battle with his ousted deputy Sachin Pilot, generated the highest employment in the first month of the Centres flagship job scheme for migrant workers who have returned home in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Rs 50,000-crore Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 20, is spread across 116 districts from six states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. Bihar, the launchpad of the programme, has emerged as the top spender under it. Bihar is home to the second highest number of migrant workers, next only to Uttar Pradesh, who returned home after the government enforced the lockdown for the pandemic starting on March 25. It has spent ~2,558 crore under the programme, and Rajasthan has generated 41.1 million persondays of employment, according to government data accessed by HT. Also read: House schedule may change next session The job scheme was announced after at least 10 million daily wage workers returned home amid the lockdown that sparked fears of loss of livelihood. Policymakers clubbed together 25 schemes to generate jobs through the programme, primarily construction work that uses skilled migrant labourers. Only districts with at least 25,000 returnee migrant workers were eligible for the scheme. The scheme generated 110.2 million days of employment in the first month in all six states, underlining the demand for skilled jobs. The Centres other flagship programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), saw a surge in unskilled employment in the hinterland of India. The six states have collectively spent ~ 9,699.62 crore so far on the scheme that will run for at least 125 days. Rajasthan, geographically Indias largest state, started the MGNREGS season on a tepid note because of the lockdown, but it generated 41.1 million days of work at a cost of ~2,502.67 crore. It has completed 24,000 projects of rural housing and 13,000 pieces of work for laying of optical fiber cables. Bihar, now home to at least three million migrant returnees, has given 18.7 million days of employment. It, too, saw heavy participation in building rural houses for the poor (53,741 projects), followed by laying of fiber optic cable (16,856 projects). Bihar generated fewer than half the days of work that Rajasthan did despite spending more. Jharkhand, is yet to pick up pace. It created just 1.83 million days of employment and spent ~247.92 crorethe lowest among the six states. Experts said the spending patterns and extent of job creation can vary because of different factors. You need to see which projects are being taken up in higher quantity. Constructing national highways is less labour-intensive...construction of a rural house needs 2-3 workers whereas a cattle shed requires just one man, said former rural development secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra. Indias most populous state, UP, received over 3.5 million migrants in the last three months. Under the scheme, it has generated 27.2 million days of employment and spent ~ 2,142.29 crore. Madhya Pradesh created 18.8 million days of employment, spending ~1,903 crore; Odisha generated 2.44 million days of employment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Among other changes, lobbyists and the public will no longer be allowed to gather outside the legislative chamber doors and to send in notes asking senators to come out and meet with them. Only select staff members and limited numbers of legislative pages will be allowed inside the chamber. One balcony will be reserved for lawmakers with symptoms of the coronavirus who want to participate in debate and voting. Clear plastic dividers have been installed between the rows of desks in the legislative chamber and microphones have signs advising lawmakers not to touch them. Some senators will be asked to sit at tables under the balconies to maintain distance from others. But only time will tell whether the precautions will prevent an outbreak when 49 state senators, along with staff members, lobbyists, reporters and interested members of the public gather in one building every day for almost four weeks. I still have to cross my fingers and say a prayer every night that everyone stays safe, Scheer said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Investors can approximate the average market return by buying an index fund. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. Investors in InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG) have tasted that bitter downside in the last year, as the share price dropped 30%. That's well below the market decline of 9.2%. Longer term shareholders haven't suffered as badly, since the stock is down a comparatively less painful 15% in three years. It's up 2.8% in the last seven days. Check out our latest analysis for InterContinental Hotels Group There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Even though the InterContinental Hotels Group share price is down over the year, its EPS actually improved. Of course, the situation might betray previous over-optimism about growth. The divergence between the EPS and the share price is quite notable, during the year. But we might find some different metrics explain the share price movements better. InterContinental Hotels Group's revenue is actually up 9.2% over the last year. Since the fundamental metrics don't readily explain the share price drop, there might be an opportunity if the market has overreacted. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling InterContinental Hotels Group stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. Story continues What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between InterContinental Hotels Group's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Its history of dividend payouts mean that InterContinental Hotels Group's TSR, which was a 29% drop over the last year, was not as bad as the share price return. A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 9.2% in the twelve months, InterContinental Hotels Group shareholders did even worse, losing 29%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 9.8% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for InterContinental Hotels Group you should know about. InterContinental Hotels Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Washington, July 20 : A new poll has revealed that US President Donald Trump was 15 points behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the run-up to November's election, it was reported. The ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday which revealed a close margin, 54 per cent for Biden and 44 per cent for Trump, was the fifth consecutive high-quality national poll that showed the former Vice President ahead of Trump by 10 points or more, reports Politico news. Of the nine such polls conducted since the second half of June, Biden has led Trump by double digits in seven of them. Prior to the release of the ABC News/Washington Post poll on Sunday, Biden held a 9-point lead in the RealClearPolitics average. Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, 45 per cent of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Biden, and 43 per cent viewed him unfavorably. That was up slightly from 42 per cent favorable, 46 per cent unfavorable in June. Similarly, 44 per cent of voters surveyed by an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last week said they had a positive opinion of Biden, while 46 per cent viewed him negatively. Meanwhile, Trump's favourable ratings are in the tank, the Politico news report said. Majorities in the Quinnipiac (61 per cent unfavourable) and NBC/WSJ (54 per cent negative) polls gave the President poor image ratings. Meanwhile, Trump's re-election campaign has disputed the results of public polling, arguing that the President runs stronger against a "defined" Biden in their internal tests. But the Trump campaign's efforts to define Biden with a bombardment of negative advertising, especially in the battleground states, has yet to dent the former Vice President, the Politico report added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Holden (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Mon, July 20, 2020 16:49 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667db280 2 Entertainment amber-heard,johnny-depp,Court,Britain,libel-case,Hollywood,actor Free American actress Amber Heard told London's High Court that her ex-husband Johnny Depp had threatened to kill her, as she appeared on Monday as a witness against the Hollywood star in his libel action against a British tabloid newspaper. Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, publishers of the Sun newspaper, over a 2018 article which labelled him a "wife beater" and questioned his casting in the "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" franchise. The London court has already heard two weeks of evidence, including five days of testimony from Depp himself, which has laid bare the couple's volatile relationship and some shocking claims from both parties. Depp, 57, denies ever being violent with Heard or any other woman. He says Heard, 34, was abusive towards him. In a sworn statement to the court, released on Monday as she entered the witness box, Heard said the abuse she suffered at Depp's hands was extreme. Read also: Actress Heard to be quizzed over her Depp 'wife beater' claims "Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far," she said in the statement. "He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship." Heard said the actor would obsess about her appearance and would call her "a slut", "fame-hungry" and "an attention whore" if she wore certain outfits. "The physical abuse included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. He threw things at me, especially glass bottles." she said. In a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected the plea for CBI enquiry into the death of Debendra Nath Ray, the BJP MLA from Hemtabad. Roy was found hanging from a tin shed at a shop near his house in Bindal village on July 13 morning. The post mortem report said that his death was due to hanging and no other injury marks were found on his body. But the BJP has claimed that he was murdered. Later, his family with the help of the BJP moved the Calcutta HC and prayed for CBI enquiry into the case. A suicide note was found from the pocket of Ray. The note mentions the names of two persons and reads, "these two people are responsible for my death". The names are not being shared by the police as their role need to be investigated. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh had called it a 'cold-blooded murder' which 'is shocking and unfortunate'. He had asked for a CBI investigation as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) 'will not do fair enquiry.' A former caseworker for an SNP MSP accused of starting a rumour that a work colleague stared at the back of her head before going to the toilet to perform a sex act on himself was branded 'not credible or reliable' by an employment judge. Philomena Donnachie was alleged to have told people her officer manager, Matthew Leitch, would become so aroused from looking at her head he would 'often go to the toilet'. But she denied making these comments and when he complained said that putting the allegations to her amounted to sexual harassment. Philomena Donnachie was alleged to have told people her officer manager, Matthew Leitch, would become so aroused from looking at her head he would 'often go to the toilet' Ms Donnachie made allegations against her manager Matthew Leitch, pictured, which were dismissed by an employment tribunal. The tribunal ruled that Ms Donnachie was not a credible witness However an employment judge has dismissed her claims for sex and disability discrimination and described Ms Donnachie as 'not an entirely credible or reliable witness'. Ms Donnachie alleged she was regularly 'belittled' and 'undermined' at the politician's office in Greenock, Inverclyde, by Mr Leitch and that he was 'confrontational' and 'aggressive'. She sued Stuart McMillan, SNP MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, claiming constructive dismissal, sex and disability discrimination, as well as sexual harassment. The 58-year-old, who suffers from depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and had a stroke while working late in the office in 2016, claimed she was being victimised by Mr Leitch for being late to work. In a letter to Mr McMillan, Mr Leitch, 33, described various problems he had with the claimant's work, including not carrying out enough tasks while working from home and her timekeeping. He also detailed how he said he heard Ms Donnachie and one of her friends made comments at an SNP meeting that Mr Leitch stared at the back of the claimant's head, 'following which he often goes to the toilet. 'The insinuation was that Mr Leitch had become aroused whilst staring at the back of the claimant's head and had gone to the toilet to masturbate.' An employment tribunal held over seven days in January and March also heard that her friend, Geraldine Harron, said she believed Mr Leitch 'was attracted to the claimant'. SNP MSP Stuart McMillan, pictured, employed Ms Donnachie after meeting her during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum Mr Leitch asked Mr McMillan to investigate 'the claimant's conduct, poor performance and her untrue personal claims', the tribunal heard. But when an investigator tried to interview Ms Donnachie she went off sick for six weeks then handed in her resignation last June - on the day he tried to make contact with her for a second time, the hearing was told. She alleged a letter in which Mr Leitch's allegations were set out amounted to harassment and she told the hearing she was 'horrified' the word 'masturbation' was used. But the judges dismissed this claim and ruled Mr Leitch was entitled to question Ms Donnachie's productivity while working from home as well as her lateness. Employment judge Lucy Wiseman said in the panel's ruling: 'We concluded the claimant was not treated differently by Mr Leitch. 'We concluded Mr McMillan had reasonable and proper cause to put the allegations raised by Mr Leitch, including the allegation concerning masturbation, to the claimant. 'We concluded the allegation made by Mr Leitch was not unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.' When asked if she made comments alleging Mr Leitch would masturbate at work, the claimant 'considered the two people who told Mr Leitch about the alleged comments were lying', the judges said. Ms Donnachie began working for Mr McMillan in 2014, when she met him during the independence referendum. She described working for him as a 'whole philosophy and way of life for me'. Ms Donnachie took nearly a year off due to work-related stress and claimed she wrote to Mr McMillan to raise concerns, and said she was 'desperately trying to improve her health' - but never received a reply. The judges also said the timing of the claimant's resignation, on the day the investigator tried to make contact with her for a second time 'was more than coincidental'. Wood Dale, Illinois, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AAR (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators worldwide, today announced that certain of its subsidiaries expect to receive $57.2 million from the U.S. Treasury Department through the Payroll Support Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funds are expected to consist of a $48.5 million grant and an $8.7 million loan, and will be used exclusively to pay salaries, wages and benefits of employees in AARs U.S. airframe and landing gear maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations. We thank Congress and the Administration for passing legislation that recognizes the essential service that our MRO team provides to the aviation industry. We are also grateful to our employees for their tireless support of our airline customers, said John M. Holmes, President and Chief Executive Officer of AAR. We appreciate the Treasury Departments collaborative approach to identifying the AAR businesses that are eligible for assistance under the Payroll Support Program and are grateful to be able to keep the current workforce of these businesses in place. The loan portion of the funding is a ten-year, low-interest note that may be prepaid at any time at par. AAR will not issue warrants or other equity or equity-like securities in conjunction with the program. The program requires AAR to refrain from involuntary furloughs, layoffs and reductions in employee pay rates and benefits at our U.S. airframe and landing gear MRO operations from the date of signing until September 30, 2020. Additionally, the program obligates AAR to eliminate dividends and share repurchases until September 30, 2021 and to limit executive compensation until March 24, 2022. # # # About AAR AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AARs Aviation Services include Parts Supply; OEM Solutions; Integrated Solutions; and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Services. AARs Expeditionary Services include Mobility Systems and Composites Manufacturing operations. Additional information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. Story continues This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may also be identified because they contain words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, likely, may, might, plan, potential, predict, project, seek, should, target, will, would, or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled Risk Factors, included in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2019 and the Companys Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended February 29, 2020. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Companys control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AARs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Daniela Pietsch AAR CORP. 6302275100 Editor@aarcorp.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:30:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said the strengthened U.S. military presence in the South China Sea has undermined the situation in the region. "Actually, without outside interference, the situation in the region was cooling down, was quite stable," Cui said in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS show, that was aired on Sunday, in response to U.S. accusations against China over the South China Sea. "Unfortunately, countries like the U.S., particularly the United States, are trying very hard to intervene, to send their military, to strengthen their military presence in the region. The intensity and frequency is so high," he said. "But ironically, the United States is not yet a contracting party to the Convention on the Law of the Sea. I don't know how many people are aware of this," Cui said. The ambassador pointed out that the related ruling issued by a law-abusing tribunal in The Hague in July 2016 was "a unilateral action." "We rejected it from the very beginning. We don't think this is the right thing to do. But some people insisted on doing it. We have told them very clearly at the very beginning that this is not the right thing to do. We will not participate in such a ruling. So it's not based on very solid legal ground," he said. "But at the same time, we have a very strong position on our sovereignty, on the territorial claim in the region. Our claims have very strong historical and legal foundation," he said, adding that China wants to solve all the disputes with other countries through diplomatic negotiation. Recalling his experience some years ago of working on the Declaration of Conduct between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cui said:" Now we are working on the Code of Conduct, and we are making good progress." Enditem A coronavirus vaccine the University of Oxford is developing with AstraZeneca showed promising results in early human testing, a sign of progress in the high-stakes pursuit of a shot to defeat the pathogen. The vaccine increased levels of both protective neutralizing antibodies and immune T-cells that target the virus, according to the study organizers. The results were published Monday in The Lancet medical journal. AstraZeneca shares rose as much as 10% in London. "We are seeing very good immune responses, not just on neutralizing antibodies but of T-cells as well," said Adrian Hill, head of Oxford's Jenner Institute, in an interview. "We're stimulating both arms of the immune system." The results will be closely scrutinized as governments around the world seek to end a pandemic that's killed more than 600,000 people and triggered economic turmoil since erupting earlier this year. Moderna Inc., another front-runner, released results last week from an early-stage test that showed its vaccine raised levels of antibodies that fight the virus. Although stimulating production of neutralizing antibodies doesn't prove a vaccine will be effective, it's considered an important early step in testing. Results from testing in animals had already shown the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot provoked an immune response. Across the world, about 160 coronavirus vaccines are in various stages of development, according to the World Health Organization. The Oxford shot is close to the front of the pack and has already begun final-stage tests. AstraZeneca has said it may begin delivering doses to the U.K. as early as September. "We want other companies to have vaccines that work as well because the world will get more vaccine sooner," Hill said. "We just feel there is an advantage of having both arms of the immune system stimulated well." The British drugmaker received a boost when the U.S. pledged as much as $1.2 billion toward development. Under its agreement with Astra, the U.S. could begin receiving supplies as early as October. The U.K. has also struck a supply agreement for the shot, but on Monday it secured access to other drugmakers' experimental vaccines to hedge its bets and garner enough doses to cover its population of 66 million. The government secured deals with Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Valneva SE. Companies and universities are relying on an array of approaches in the fight against covid-19. The Oxford team has developed a technology that can speed up the process by using a harmless virus to carry some of the pathogen's genetic material into cells to generate an immune response. The proposed vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus that's genetically changed to make it unable to grow in humans. Oxford has inserted genetic material from the surface spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a way of tricking the immune system into fighting back. The platform stimulates both antibodies and high levels of killer T-cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system destroy infection. "We're very encouraged," Hill said. While the test doesn't prove the vaccine will work, "I think we're a bit more confident it should work this week than last week." Moderna's initial results were from the first group of 45 patients who received the vaccine Moderna's shares surged in U.S. trading after the results, despite a high rate of side effects among the patients who got the shot. The Oxford shot elicited neutralizing antibodies after a single dose, Hill said. That may be an important advantage in quickly raising immunity. "I don't read that clearly in the Moderna data," he said. "I think they need two doses to see plausibly protective neutralizing antibodies." A large trial is set to begin this month that will test Moderna's vaccine in a two-shot regimen. Astra will also prioritize a two-shot regimen, Hill said. "It gives higher titres of antibodies, which is important going forward," he said. Delhi reported 954 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday, with number of fresh cases dipping below the 1,000-mark for the first time since June 1 when 990 cases had been recorded. However, the number pertains to the weekend when fewer tests had been conducted only 11,470 as opposed to an average of almost 20,000 over the last three weeks. The city also reported 35 more deaths due to the infection, taking the total toll so far to 3,663. Delhis case fatality rate now stands at 2.96%. With fewer tests, the positivity rate the percentage of people who test positive among those tested also increased to 8.32. In comparison, the average positivity rate recorded over the last week was 7.61. Also read | In its fight against coronavirus, Capital has turned a corner: CM Kejriwal The number of tests had shot up in Delhi since the third week of June when the rapid antigen tests, which give results within 15 minutes outside of laboratories, had been introduced. The positivity rate had almost touched 37% in the second week of June when very few symptomatic people were being tested. The number of active cases or those living with the infection at any given time has also reduced to just about 15,000. The highest number of active cases reported in the city was just over 28,000 reported in June-end. Along with the number of active cases, the number of hospitalisations have also reduced, with just 3,517 people admitted to hospitals as on Monday, according to the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government. Delhi had massively scaled up Covid-19 infrastructure when the cases were shooting up in June. Currently, there are 15,462 hospital beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. Dr Shobha Broor, former head of the department of microbiology at AIIMS, said: There is a downward trend, but not everyone in Delhi has had the infection. For now, what has helped Delhi is the high testing rate, which in turn means that more cases must have been detected and isolated preventing further spread. It is not the time to slow down. The high testing rate must be maintained. The number of beds that have been earmarked so far should also remain because once we de-escalate getting the numbers back might be a challenge. The government should wait at least a month to decide if we can lower our guard. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Delhi on Monday began the process of recruiting volunteers for conducting human clinical trials of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, the premier medical institute's director Dr Randeep Guleria said. He also said that there is not much evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 happening at the national level. AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting Phase I and II randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trials of Covaxin. Trials are also set to begin this week at a Bhubaneswar-based institute, a senior official said. The human trials of BBV152 COVID Vaccine or Covaxin will begin on Wednesday in a special laboratory set up at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM (IMS & SUM) Hospital, in accordance with the protocols laid down by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), the official at the facility in Bhubaneswar said. The special laboratory -- Preventive and Therapeutic Clinical Trial Unit (PTCTU) -- was inaugurated at the institute on Monday by its dean Gangadhar Sahoo. "All necessary arrangements have been made for conducting the human trials. We expect to start from Wednesday," Dr E Venkat Rao, the principal investigator of the trial process and professor of community medicine at the hospital, told PTI in Bhubaneswar. Describing the new PTCTU as the first such 'dedicated human trial unit' in Odisha, Rao said it would facilitate clinical research in future. Some people have already volunteered to participate in the trial, he said. In phase I at AIIMS-Delhi, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and 100 of them, the highest, would be from the institute. The second phase, would include around 750 volunteers from all 12 sites put together, Dr Guleria said while addressing reporters. Phase I of the vaccine trial will be done on healthy people, aged between 18 and 55 years, having no co-morbid conditions. Women with no pregnancy will also be selected to be a part of the trial in the first phase, he said. In the second phase, 750 people will be recruited and they will be between 12 and 65 years of age, Dr Guleria said. Already, around 1,800 people have registered for the trial at AIIMS, he said. "In the first phase, we see the safety of the vaccine which is of primary importance and the dose range is also calculated," the AIIMS-Delhi director said. In the second phase, 'we see how immunogenic it is and that is subsequently followed by phase III, which involves a larger population to assess its efficacy and therapeutic benefit', Dr Guleria said. Covaxin, which is being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), had recently got the nod for human clinical trials from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). To a question, he said there is not much evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 happening at the national level. "But there are hotspots, even in cities where there is a spike in cases and it is likely that local transmission is happening in those areas," Dr Guleria said. Asked when a vaccine would be available, he said it will all depend on whether everything works out in a good manner. It is possible that 'we may say that the vaccine is safe and then we find that it is not giving that much efficacy. (Then) we do something more that may take a few more months', he said. "So, predicting exactly when the vaccine is going to be ready is a difficult business. But then say if everything works out ideally, then by the end of the year or early next year, we should be in a position to say that we can start manufacturing. But then there are lot of ifs and buts in that," Dr Guleria said. Asked if COVID-19 cases in India have hit the peak, he said, "My feeling is that certain areas have hit their peak. Delhi seems to have done so because the cases have declined significantly. But certain areas are yet to reach the peak." Cases are increasing in certain states and they will reach a peak a little later, Dr Guleria said, adding that some states in the south, some places in central Mumbai, and Ahmedabad seem to be showing a decline in cases. "But then having hit the peak and then come down does not mean that you have to let your guard down. In many cities outside India, especially in the US, when people felt the peak was over and started not following social distancing and not wearing masks, there was a spike in cases," he said. Dr Guleria underlined that even if cases come down, infection control and containment measures along with other dos and don'ts have to be followed. "Phase human trials have started. This is something which is very heartening because this is an indigenous vaccine. In India we don't do research and development," he said Making a new vaccine is a great achievement for India and 'we are now into research and development, making our own vaccine and being able to then mass produce it', Dr Guleria said. "We are very good in mass production. Even if a vaccine comes from any part of the world, India will be involved in its production because 60 per cent or more of the vaccines of the world are being made in India," the AIIMS-Delhi director said. Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS Dr Sanjay Rai said on Monday, AIIMS-Delhi started the registration and screening of individuals, and evaluating their health condition before vaccinating them. There are three formulations of the vaccine, and each subject will be given any one of the formulations in two doses in two weeks apart. The first 50 will get the lowest strength dose of the vaccine. If it is found to be safe in them, then it will be given to another 50 patients in high doses, said Rai, who is the principal investigator of the trials. The minimum time required for Phase I trial results to come out will be four to six weeks, he said. Anybody willing to participate in the trial can send an email to Ctaiims.covid19@gmail.com, or an SMS to or call to 7428847499, Rai said. Amid Chinas growing interest in the South China Sea, Indonesia has reportedly decided to conduct exercises in the vicinity of the Riau Islands. Through the years, China has claimed large sections of the water and has even assembled arms at several territories over disputed islands in the region. In recent years, there has been a spike in incursions led by China into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone surrounding the Natunas group of islands. But now Indonesia has reportedly attempted to strengthen its grounds. Even though the United States has repeatedly restricted Chinas interests of expansion but the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have avoided following Americas lead amid fears of either economic and military retaliation. The Foreign Brief has stated that if the US continues to adopt aggressive foreign policies instead of providing strong support against Chinas tactics, then the ASEAN members will also be motivated to hardline the deterrence measures and even the military confrontation. Read - Aksai Chin, South China Sea, & Other Gestrategic Interests For China In The 21st Century Read - Myanmar: US-China Embassies Get Into A War Of Words Over South China Sea, Hong Kong India dismisses China's territorial claim Reports stating Indonesia conducting exercises came just days after India took an affirmative and said the South China Sea is a part of global commons and noted that the nation stands for freedom of navigation and overflight in waterways. Even the United States rejected most of the territorial claims made by the Asian superpower in the disputed region and said that it has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will. It was when Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava was asked about US moves did he say that India has articulated its stance on the South China Sea on several instances and most recently was on May 21, this year. Meanwhile, China's embassy in Myanmar accused the United States of outrageously smearing" the nation and driving a wedge in its relations with other Southeast Asian countries over the South China Sea and Hong Kong. Indulging in a war of words online, the Chinese embassy lashed out at the United States and accused it of "selfish, hypocritical, contemptible" motives. The Chinese side also accused US agencies abroad of doing "disgusting things" to contain China's authority. Read - India Rejects China's Territorial Claim Over South China Sea, Calls Water Body 'part Of Global Commons' Read - 'America Will Stand With Friends Against Beijing - From Himalayas To South China Sea': US (With inputs from ANI) Image: AP New Delhi, July 20 : Indian and the US Navies carried out a swift exercise close to the Andaman and Nicobar islands on Monday as the stand-off between India and China continues for over two months. The passing exercise or PASSEX involved the super carrier USS Nimitiz returning from the South China Sea as it passes through Indian Ocean Region. A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the world's largest warship armed with F/A-18F Super Hornets as well as F/A-18E Super Hornets. India had earlier conducted a similar exercise with France and Japan in the seas. The drills come soon after Indian Navy carried out an exercise in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to test its capabilities and be battle ready against Chinese forays in Indian Ocean Region. The assets of the Eastern Naval Command and the Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Navy had been deployed in the war games. India is looking at strengthening its military diplomacy through the Navy to take on Chinese expansionism in the seas. In the next edition of the Malabar exercise, Australia is expected to join Navies of India, US and Japan, a move that could risk China's ire. India is expected to clear the way next week for a formal invitation to Australia following final government clearance and consultations with the US and Japan. Expected to be held by the year end, the war game will complement growing strategic and security cooperation among the four countries. Malabar 2020 will be taking place in the waters of Bay of Bengal by the end of this year. The last and the only time the Australian Navy had participated in this exercise was in 2007. The Malabar exercises between US and Indian navies were instituted in 1992. They were more regular since 2004 with other Asian nations joining in the annual event. China had objected to the only Australia participation in the drills along with India, Japan, US and Singapore in 2007. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed And though I knew that parenting a child with disabilities would have been different, perhaps harder, I never agreed with any of those comments. For me, it never seemed clear, anyway, just what to expect from a child with Down syndrome or from any child at all. I dont know how the baby would have changed me, or my family, or the world. None of us do. The following is posted on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia: This is how the employees of Nursing Home #1 of Yerevan are celebrating their victory over the coronavirus. The last results of the double tests for COVID-19 at the nursing home show that all the infected citizens have recovered from the virus. -Let us recall that the tests conducted at the nursing home last month showed that 33 senior citizens and 50 employees had been infected with the novel coronavirus. -Fortunately, there were no losses in this battle. With the help of outside groups, some African governments have announced measures to support learning from home. But many have been hindered by a lack of reliable electricity and poor internet connectivity. Even newspapers into which learning materials are inserted are not affordable for many in the region. In Uganda, for instance, annual per capita income was less than $800 in 2019, according to World Bank data. (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @deb_infosec) [Anti-China] TikTok Denies It is Controlled by Chinese Government: Data is Stored in US, TikTok Claims (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @FraserForMayor) [Anti-China] TikTok Denies It is Controlled by Chinese Government: Data is Stored in US, TikTok Claims TikTok denied allegations that it is controlled by China. It says that it is committed to growing in the United Kingdom. According to BBC News' latest report, the video-sharing app's head of public policy for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Theo Bertram, said that the popular app would not accept any request from China that is asking for its data to be hand over. Also Read: Twitter Bitcoin Hack: Here's a Shocking Info That Twitter Tries to Hide "The suggestion that we are in any way under the Chinese government's thumb is completely and utterly false," said Bertram via BBC News. TikTok's future in the United States was pressured by Washington. ByteDance, the owner of TikTok based in Beijing, but permanently operates in the Cayman Islands, stated that it is planning to transfer its headquarters in London, after coordination with the U.K. government. However, the U.S. still accuses TikTok of being connected with China, considering to ban the popular app, and will only allow it to continue its operations once it splits from China and becomes an American company. Also Read: Gedmatch Briefly Down as Company Probes on Police Accessing Its DNA Database Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, said that the American Tiktok users' data are at risk of having their data accessed by the Chinese Communist Party. "We are committed to growing further in the U.K.," said Bertram, however, he added that TikTok had not made any confirmation about the location where its international headquarters will be based. He said that if the Chinese government approached the video-sharing app to request its data, it would refuse. "ByteDance's decision on the location of their global H.Q. is a commercial decision for the company," said a spokeswoman for the Department for International Trade. TikTok claims that its data is stored in the U.S. The Daily Mail reported that TikTok's data is stored in the U.S., saying that the information is not available in China, as stated by Theo Bertram. "TikTok is a company incorporated in the U.S. There is zero truth to the accusations that the Chinese state has access to TikTok users' data," he added. The former Conservative party leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said that the serious concerns about TikTok are as big as with Huawei. Just like Huawei, TikTok has connections everywhere right now, allowing it to grow madly. Its feature that allows users to post short 15-seconds video made it possible for TikTok to be downloaded 738 million times across the globe in 2019. However, the popular video-sharing app was claimed by critics as a national threat because of the accusations stating that it has ties with China. Other reports said that TikTok allows users to message children sexually. The users were said to have committed the sexual offense three times before the app bans them permanently. Because of the issue, the policy of TikTok was changed, saying that the app has no tolerance for such behavior. The app's update comes as tensions rise between China and the U.K. over the government's previous decision to remove Huawei's 5G equipment from Britain's mobile networks by 2027. Also Read: Did TikTok's Witches Hex the Moon? WitchTok Community is Not Happy 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ANDI BOI is a great tool for schools, churches, corporations, and LGBTQ organizations that are interested in creating meaningful dialogue within the community. As part of DCT's mission to integrate the arts into classroom academics, for schools, a downloadable Behind the Curtain Resource Guide is also available . The guide is intended to provide helpful information for a teacher to use before and after seeing the production. The activities presented in the guide are designed to stimulate lively responses and multisensory explorations of concepts in order to use the theatrical event as a vehicle for cross-cultural and language arts learning. It is an opportunity to use theater as a springboard for dynamic learning, extending the dramatic experience of the play. ANDI BOI is about Andi, a transgender teen entering his first day of high school identifying as a male. Former classmates recall his last name when they hear it, but there is something different about Andi that keeps the dots from connecting clearly in their minds. Soon his new teachers, classmates, and his classmates' parents will figure it out. How will they react? With aggression? With compassion? With confusion? Inspired by one teen's journey, ANDI BOI is told with a sensitivity towards Andi and uses wit, heart, and warmth to help audiences find their way to greater compassion and awareness. "DCT has made it a priority to present stories about teens caught in difficult situations and the tough barriers they face, in part, because so little energy is focused on teens. This means a wall of confusion and rejection often meets them," said Robyn Flatt, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of DCT. "By offering ANDI BOI online, we will broaden awareness and understanding of these young people as human beings, as vulnerable young people among us. Hopefully through this knowledge and experience, we can provide a supportive space during their search to find true identity, and as a result, we make the journey less painful." A recent report from the CDC* reveals that two percent of high school students in the United States identify as transgender. Yet, it is clear that the experiences of each child are distinct and run the gamut from very difficult and life threatening to that akin to any teen going through a challenge. As such, the producing team wants to be clear that this play is far from an attempt to suggest every child's journey is the same. ANDI BOI is one story about one life that is largely devised by a playwright. It is not intended to represent an entire community, but rather be a starting point for conversation. DCT commissioned local playwright, Bruce Coleman, to write ANDI BOI. His first decision was to speak with some of the two percent of high school students who identify as transgender. For Coleman, this included talking to a young boy who recently transitioned and his parents. Using these conversations and research as inspiration, Coleman said he deliberately decided to use honesty and humor as tools for telling this story in hopes that it would have the broadest possible appeal. Coleman hoped to create an atmosphere of good will and understanding that will help audiences begin an important conversation around this topic. "I hope as people get to know Andi, they'll also get to know something about themselves," Coleman said. "As a gay man, I too kept a secret from my family until it became impossible to deny who I was anymore." Coleman continued, "I feared rejection from family and friends as they discovered who I am, but I ultimately took that rejection and turned it into strength. I have been pushed at by a society that wants to squeeze me into a box and force me to be a thing that goes against everything that makes me this person I am. But when all has been said and done and because of a strong belief in myself, I can finally achieve my heart's desire: To be seen, to be respected, and to be treasured. It's all Andi and I are asking for." DCT co-produced ANDI BOI with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and in partnership with First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Texas Instruments, Capital One and PwC are part of the collaboration which has national funding support from the Theater Communications Group (TCG) and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) awarded DCT and its partners a grant to support the production and the events surrounding ANDI BOI to help theater organizations implement and refine ways to increase audience engagement and community development with a focus on young audiences. Over the past 15 years, DCT has offered several teen issue plays that examine topics including bullying, learning differences, teen brain development, eating disorders, and dating violence. Subject matter resources lead a discussion after each of these types of performances. At the performances, teens and parents are provided information and perspective on the topic, as well as guidance on how to navigate the inherent trauma imbedded in these situations. Online, DCT has amassed a host of links and resources for audiences. "I believe theater provides a powerful tool during our children's transition to adulthood by spotlighting some of the serious challenges they and their peers encounter along the way," Flatt said. "It is up to us to help all our children, irrespective of color, creed, or gender orientation, to have a safe space for physical growth, an environment for creative discovery, and an open door for tolerance and acceptance." TEEN SCENE PLAYERS PRESENT ANDI BOI Written and Directed by Bruce R. Coleman Co-produced with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in partnership with First Unitarian Church of Dallas Created especially for ages 13 and up and those who love them (Contains adult language) Rental Price: Beginning July 20, ANDI BOI is $20 for a single showing. Available online at dct.org/andiboi Photo Credit: Karen Almond ANDI BOI partnering sponsors are: Texas Instruments, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Capital One. DCT 2019-20 Season Sponsors are: Texas Instruments, City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, The Shubert Foundation, TACA, The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Anonymous Family, The Carlson Foundation, March Family Foundation, and Hoblitzelle Foundation. General Sponsors Include: The Rosewood Corporation, VibekeJarnum& Niels Anderskouv, Karen & Ken Travis, Anonymous Family, Lisa K Simmons, Elizabeth & Bart Showalter, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, Inc., The Estate of Caroline Rose Hunt, and The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation. Additional Support is Provided By: Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, TXU Energy, Capital for Kids, Legacy Texas Bank, Frost Bank, Stephen M. Seay Foundation, Orien Levy Woolf & Dr. Jack Woolf Charitable Trust, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Karen & Jim Wiley, The Hersh Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef, Mickie& Jeff Bragalone, Holly & Tom Mayer and Maile& Charles Shea, Maintenance Inc., The Perot Foundation, Strake Foundation, Which Wich, and Green Mountain Energy, DCT's official renewable energy partner.Sensory-Friendly Sponsors Include:The Melinda & Jim Johnson Family Charitable Fund, Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, Chi Omega Christmas Market, The Sapphire Foundation, and DCT's Fall Family Party Contributors. DCT's National Touring Sponsor is Neiman Marcus. About Dallas Children's Theater Dallas Children's Theater features professional actors performing for an annual audience of 250,000 young people and their families through mainstage productions (9 in the 2019-2020 season), a national -touring company, and an arts-in-education program. As the only major organization in Dallas focusing solely on youth and family theater, DCT builds bridges of understanding between generations and cultures, instilling an early appreciation of literature, art, and the performing arts in tomorrow's artists and patrons. *Center for Disease Control the nation's health protection agency SOURCE Dallas Children's Theater Related Links https://dct.org China forces workers to create COVID-19 face masks that are shipped across the globe. The New York Times reported that the country is producing face coverings using "Uighur Labor." The Chinese companies were identified after a video obtained by the publication was released, revealing that a contentious labor program for Uighurs to address the demand for P.P.E. (personal protective equipment), which are delivered to other countries, including the United States. [THREAD] Chinese companies are using Uighur labor to make P.P.E. as the Covid19 pandemic drives up demand. We spent months investigating how the supply chain is connected with a highly controversial labor program. We even traced some masks to the U.S. https://t.co/e5oz643q5a pic.twitter.com/Y9SFmEgRGc Muyi Xiao (@muyixiao) July 19, 2020 Chinese companies are rushing to produce the gear for domestic and global consumption to drive the demand for PPEs as the global pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus, continues. The NYT's visual investigation found out that Chinese manufacturers are putting people to work against their will in the contentious government-sponsored program. Normally one or two people sleep in one bed, and if the weather is cold,three people sleep together. BenTallmadge (@BenKTallmadge) July 16, 2020 So while the Uighur men are being detained in concentration camps & worked as slave labor to jerk up Chinas GDP, their wives & sisters are being gang raped by the Chinazis! pic.twitter.com/Zbl9ouhKj2 The Uighurs are largely Muslim ethnic minority who are mostly living in the Xinjiang region of northwest China. Uighurs and other ethnic minorities, are sent by the Chinese programs into service and factory jobs. According to The New York Times' previous report, the Communist Party wants to supply Chinese factories with cheap labor by remolding Xinjian's minorities into loyal blue-collar workers. An order was given by the labor bureau of Qapqal, saying that the people in Xinjiang should undergo military-style training to become loyal and obedient laborers. Although the Chinese government claims that the workers are volunteers, critics say that the program forces the workers. Some Chinese companies are using "Uighur Labor" to export P.P.E.s globally The report confirmed that the controversial labor is now part of the P.P.E. supply chain. In Xinjiang, only four companies were reported by China's National Medical Products Administration that produced medical grade equipment before the pandemic started. However, the number of companies that produce quality P.P.E. rose to 51 on June 30. TNYT discovered that at least 17 companies are using Uighur Labor, after reviewing the state media reports and public records. I'd post a myriad of webms of Chinese workshop workers being maimed and killed in extremely unsafe conditions but these suicide nets will have to do. Also, Uighur genocide. China literally uses slave labor now. And even their "free" workers are treated like disposable objects.I'd post a myriad of webms of Chinese workshop workers being maimed and killed in extremely unsafe conditions but these suicide nets will have to do.Also, Uighur genocide. pic.twitter.com/7GbncrEkUB Neudaiz (@blueneudaiz) July 14, 2020 The companies in the list manufacture medical equipment primarily for domestic use. However, the investigation found that other Chinese manufacturers located outside Xinjiang are also using the controversial labor to export outside the country. The government program is widely publicized in state media to help decrease poverty in China. Dozens of videos and social media reports, containing the documents about the recent labor transfers, were collected by The Human Rights Investigation Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Uyghur Human Rights Project. Also Read: [BREAKING] Nearly 100 Babies, Mostly Infants, Infected with COVID-19 in Texas County 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The delegates participating in the ongoing primary election of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo State, have concluded the voting exercise. The voting ended around 8:30 p.m. after delegates from Akoko South local government voted. Sorting of ballot papers was about to begin as of the time of this report. Speaking earlier, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu told journalists that God would make all plans for him to be victorious, at the end of the poll. Asked if there was any complaint from him, Mr Akeredolu said he did not have any. I never wanted to be involved in all the complaints because I know that a farmer goes to farm with implements. The farmer only complains when he is not ready. In the APC, we know those who have been delegates over the years since APC came to be. We all know who the delegates are. I know the God I serve, He will do me well and all plans will fall in place. Meanwhile, Olusola Oke, who is also in the race said, they (aspirants) all desire a credible election. We cannot tolerate a situation where the APC will slide into opposition in Ondo State. If there is credible primary, any one of us that emerges from that process, we will all rally round to sustain the hold of our party on the state and Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the withdrawal of four aspirants. They said they withdrew from the race to move the party forward. That left seven aspirants battling with the governor in todays primary They are: Olusola Oke, Olaide Adelami, Bukola Adetula, Jumoke Anifowose, Sola Iji, Isaac Kekemeke, and Awodeyi Akinsehinwa. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China Mon, July 20, 2020 07:30 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667ad026 2 World novel-coronavirus,China,Xinjiang,coronavirus,coronavirus-testing,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,COVID-19-test,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona Free China launched mass health screenings in Xinjiang on Saturday 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 which had reported new cases and 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. Urumqi residents were also urged not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary. Strict lockdowns across the country and widespread COVID-19 testing largely brought the outbreak under control within Chinese borders earlier this year. But a new cluster emerged in Beijing in June and infecting more than 330 people before it was contained, after millions of people living in the capital were tested for transmission. Xinjiang was one of the first regions to let students return to school in late March after authorities declared an end to the initial wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims make up around half of the remote and landlocked region's population. Many of them complain of decades of political and religious oppression by China's ruling Communist Party, which the government denies. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. There are many parents who are working who will need to be away from home during the school day, Montgomery said. We have to help them. Its not going to help them to bring kids and create these congregate environments where they themselves may get sick and the parents get sick, but what can help them is that we have good effective safe child care. Five people were killed and 27 others injured in lightning strikes in West Bengal's Jhargram district on Monday as several places across the country received rains. The India Meteorological Department predicted widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in the national capital and its neighbouring areas over the next two days. "Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy showers very likely over Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh during the next two days," it said in a weather forecast. The rainfall intensity and distribution are very likely to decrease significantly thereafter, the IMD said. The flood situation in Assam remained critical with one more person losing his life in the deluge, in which over 24 lakh people were affected in 24 districts of the state, according to an official bulletin. The deluge has affected over 4.59 lakh people in Goalpara, which is the worst-hit district in Assam, followed by 3.37 lakh in Barpeta and around 3.35 lakh in Morigaon. The death of a person at Sonapur near Guwahati in Kamrup Metropolitan district on Monday pushed the toll from flood and landslide to 111 across the state. Of the total, 85 people were killed in flood-related incidents and 26 died due to landslides. Sporadic light rains and cloudy weather during the day kept the mercury in check in the national capital. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 32.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal. The mercury oscillated between 30 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius in most parts of Delhi. The convergence of moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal and southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea is likely to continue over northwest India for another two-three days, weather experts said. The monsoon though is also running through the region. These two factors together can lead to moderate to heavy rains in Delhi-NCR in the next 24 hours, they said. A family of three was killed and six others injured as a cloudburst hit two adjacent villages in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district on Monday. Eleven people, washed away in a swollen rivulet, are also reported missing, according to officials. Himachal Pradesh received widespread rainfall in the past 24 hours, with Dharamshala recording 62 mm rain. Manali received 28 mm rainfall followed by Naina Devi 26 mm, Nahan 23 mm, Sangrah 15 mm and Palampur 17 mm, the weather office said. Moderate rains along with thundershowers occurred at many places in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Heavy to very heavy rain occurred at isolated places over eastern parts of the state. Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning occurred at isolated places in the state. Several parts of West Bengal's Jhargram district witnessed lightning strikes, which claimed five lives, accompanied by heavy rain in the afternoon. The maximum temperatures hovered below normal limits after showers in parts of Haryana and Punjab on Monday. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, received light rains and recorded a maximum of 32.9 degrees Celsius, one notch below the normal. In Haryana, Hisar, which received 9 mm of rain, recorded a high of 34 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal. Karnal, which received light rains, recorded a high of 32 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal limits. Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab also received showers and the maximum temperatures settled a notch each below the normal at 33, 32.5 and 33.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Mumbai, July 20 : Actor Kunal Singh has wrapped up shooting for the television show Naagin 4. "It's hurtful to say goodbye to the most loved show. I still remember the feeling of joy when I got cast in it. I was on cloud nine. But who knows about destiny," he said about the Ekta Kapoor show. "I'm thankful to the makers for trusting and loving me. I want to work with the makers again," he added. Kunal feels that every ending has a new and beautiful beginning. "Like every sunset has a new sunrise, similarly every ending has a new and beautiful beginning. I'm looking forward to playing some challenging roles. I'm up for signing a new project." "I don't want to sit idle as it may cause depression. Working and keeping ourselves engaged will help me to be fresh and energetic," said the actor. Gunmen on Sunday stormed the residence of the lawmaker representing Dambatta Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Murtala Musa, and abducted his daughter. The victim, Juwairiyya, 17, is a senior student at Government Girls Secondary School, Jogana, Kano. Mr Musa confirmed the incident to Kano Focus, an online newspaper reporting Kano events. He said the incident occurred around 2 a.m at his residence in Kore village in Danbatta local government of Kano. The lawmaker said he was the prime target of the attackers. They, however, in my absence, abducted my daughter. They invaded my house and tied up my elder brother, whom they had mistaken for me, Mr Musa said. The lawmaker said he was in Kano when the incident occurred and the family is yet to be contacted for ransom for his daughters released. The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Haruna, did not respond to multiple phone calls seeking comments on the development. The cessation of cross-border artillery shelling of Azerbaijan's Tovuz region by the Armenian army was inevitable, since in five days of battles the Azerbaijani military completely defeated the aggressor's entire combat infrastructure in the area from which the fire was fired. Azerbaijani MP Arzu Nagiyev, who has been in Tovuz since last Monday, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, summed up the results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani military conflict on the border. "Armenia could not help but stop its provocation: those artillery batteries that fired at Azerbaijani positions and peaceful villages in the Tovuz region were fired and completely destroyed. Since the Azerbaijani army only responded to the aggression, after the termination of provocative strikes from Armenia, positional battles with the use of artillery and rocket launchers ended in general," Arzu Nagiyev explained. At the same time, of course, Armenia did not stop violating the ceasefire. "Small skirmishes with the use of automatic weapons continue along the entire line of contact and on the border. But now it is calm on this section of the border of Azerbaijan's Tovuz region with Armenia, only at night one can hear automatic fires. The population of the villages returned to an ordinary life. Also, there are no obvious movements of the Armenian army's new military equipment to this area," the Milli Mejlis MP noted. "The Azerbaijani army has shown the highest level of work. It is very important that our military was supported by the people so much. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the Azerbaijani army used minimal forces and means to suppress the aggression. The Azerbaijani army has more powerful weapons, which did not need to be used. But now Armenia should understand what the Azerbaijani military is capable of," he said. Arzu Nagiyev added that Armenia continues to hide its losses, since it does not want to report on the use of foreign fighters. "We have information about hundreds of wounded and killed from the Armenian side. From the side of Azerbaijan, all data on the dead are open: we have lost 12 servicemen and one civilian killed by Armenian artillery," the Milli Mejlis PM concluded. Savers have been denied 22billion in quarterly dividends after the virus crisis prompted an 'unprecedented' cut to payouts, figures show. Dividend payments plummeted by 57 per cent the biggest fall on record to just 16.1billion in April, May and June, according to Link Group. The second quarter was the worst for investors since 2010, with 30 firms cutting their payout and another 176 scrapping them altogether. 'Unprecedented': Dividend payments plummeted by 57 per cent the biggest fall on record to just 16.1billion in April, May and June One of the biggest hits came from major banks, which were ordered by the Bank of England to cancel dividends to help fortify finances. Just 61 firms increased their payout. Those to preserve the dividend included Legal & General, Standard Life Aberdeen and Unilever. But the mass cancellations came as a bitter blow to millions of pensioners and other investors. The biggest cuts included 3.2billion at HSBC, 2billion at Royal Dutch Shell, 1.5billion at Lloyds Banking Group, 1billion at Glencore and 812m at Aviva. Susan Ring, boss of corporate markets at Link Group, warned that 2020 would 'see the biggest hit to dividends in generations', adding: 'The cuts have been made to protect balance sheets in the face of horrendous disruption to trading. In the short term, this is painful for investors.' Link Group said British companies had taken the axe to dividends with 'unprecedented speed and ferocity'. Overall, it said three-quarters of firms that usually provide a second-quarter dividend had cut or scrapped it. That even eclipsed the first three months of 2009 the worst quarter for dividends during the financial crisis, when two fifths of companies cut or cancelled them. Link Group predicts total dividend payouts for 2020 could fall to 56.7billion in the 'worst-case scenario', down from 110.5billion last year. The best-case scenario is 61.6billion. The firm warned that it could take until 2026 for dividends to return to their 2019 level. It said many companies needed to reset their payouts to a 'lower, more sustainable level from which they can again start to rebuild'. This was echoed by Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, who warned that most boardrooms 'will not look to splash the cash too quickly if the good times do start to roll'. He said many firms would seek to build up 'a safety buffer'. Haiti - Diplomacy : Official position of Haiti in the China/Hong Kong conflict Following the promulgation followed by the entry into force, on June 30, of the National Security Law adopted by the central authorities of the People's Republic of China targeting the special administrative region of Hong Kong, as it to be expected for the Haitian government in a note dated July 16, aligns with the American position... Note from the Government of Haiti "[...] The Haitian Government is concerned about the possible consequences of this legal instrument on the fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed so far by the Hong Kong people. After an in-depth analysis of this text, the Haitian Government realizes that this law systematically violates the fundamental provisions of the Sino-British retrocession agreement as concluded in 1984. It is important to emphasize that the said agreement provides that from the year of handover, in 1997, the region would enjoy broad autonomy for half a century and that the sacramental principle 'one country, two systems', should in any event characterize the relations between the People's Republic of China and the special administrative region of Hong Kong. However, the National Security Law seems to call into question this principle, which the Chinese authorities had nevertheless promised to guarantee at the time of the conclusion of the Retrocession Agreement. It should also be added that this law intervenes in a context where the inhabitants of Hong Kong demonstrated massively for the respect and the defense of their fundamental rights, in particular their civil and political rights, recognized under the British administration and maintained in the Retrocession agreement. The Haitian Government deplores the fact that this law will inevitably lead to a significant, even irreversible, decline in the fundamental freedoms that have ensured the prosperity of Hong Kong and its people for several decades. Based on the opacity characterizing the definition of the offenses that this law would punish, such as secession, collusion with foreigners, terrorism and subversion and the heavy penalties that their alleged perpetrators face, the Haitian Government urges the Chinese authorities to bring back this controversial legal instrument which will only push back the prospect of establishing the atmosphere of harmony essential between the Hong Kong people and the Chinese mainland authorities. In short, the Haitian Government maintains that dialogue remains the royal road by which a solution can be found between the various protagonists involved directly or indirectly in this file." HL/ HaitiLibre Walt Disney has reportedly slashed its advertising spending on Facebook and its image service Instagram, as a growing list of companies have boycotted spending on ads with the social media platform because it allows hate speech. It's the latest setback for the social network headed by CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, as the platform faces a growing advertising boycott over its policies and actions on hate speech on its platforms. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said the time frame for Disneys pullback was not clear. It's the latest setback for the social network headed by Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, as the platform faces a growing advertising boycott over its policies and actions on hate speech on its platforms Disney was Facebooks biggest US advertiser for the first six months of 2020, according to research firm Pathmatics. Disney joins hundreds of other companies that have paused spending on the service. The report did not say whether Disney is officially joining the ad boycott. Some companies, such as Starbucks, are pulling back social media advertising due to hate speech and other concerns but have not officially joined the 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign. Walt Disney has reportedly slashed its advertising budget on Facebook and its Instagram photo and video sharing service. Visitors to Disney's Epcot Center are pictured this week A spokesperson for Disney did not immediately respond when Dailymail.com reached out. A Facebook spokesperson declined to speak about a specific advertiser, citing company policy, but also released a statement. 'We invest billions of dollars each year to keep our community safe and continuously work with outside experts to review and update our policies,' the statement said. 'We know we have more work to do, and well continue to work with civil rights groups, [the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, or GARM], and other experts to develop even more tools, technology and policies to continue this fight.' The economic fallout from the pandemic has also cut into companies' advertising budgets. A boycott of advertising on Facebook designed to get the social media platform to remove hate speech will next go global, said its organizers earlier this month. The 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign will now work on getting European companies to join the boycott and urge regulators to take a hard stand on Facebook. More than 160 companies already have agreed to not buy ads on the world's largest social media platform during the month of July, as called for by the campaign. Starbucks, while not officially participants in the boycott, said it would suspend advertising on all social media. The national coffee chain said it was working with civil rights groups to 'stop the spread of hate speech.' Coca-Cola and Unilever announced a similar pause on June 26, when Facebook saw its shares drop $56 billion in valuation in response to the negative publicity. Starbucks, while not officially participants in the boycott, say they will suspend advertising on all social media. Starbucks says it working with civil rights groups to 'stop the spread of hate speech' Coca-cola and Unilever announced they too would pause Facebook advertising on June 26, when the social media platform saw its shares drop $56 billion in valuation in response to the negative publicity Free Press and Common Sense Media, along with US civil rights groups Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League, launched the campaign following the police-related slaying of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. Floyd, a 46-year-old black father of five, died after former police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the man's neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest. Video footage of the incident taken by a bystander shows the police-related slaying, which triggered Black Lives Matter protests that have followed calling for an end to police brutality and systematic racism. The waste district committee meets outside for its July meeting. Northern Berkshire Waste District Finalizes Casella Agreement ADAMS, Mass. The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District has signed off on a proposed five-year contract with Casella Waste Systems. "This has been a six or seven-month process and I feel that we have done our due diligence," Program Director Linda Cernik said at Thursday's meeting, held outside the Adams Visitors Center.. "We didn't rush it and we took our time ... honesty I feel this is a good contract. It is a little bit higher than I anticipated but we knew that." The district previously held a contract with Republic Services and recently went out to bid for a new contract. Casella Waste Management purchased some assets of Republic in 2019. Changes were minor and mostly reflected small language tweaks "I kind of want to pat all of us on the back because this was a pretty big contract and without having any legal background we did a pretty good job," Cernik said. "The recommendations from the attorney were good but think we did a good job negotiating it and putting it all together." The district anticipates that waste removal rates will go up. Cernik gave an update on the planned partnership with North Adams and said conversations about the proposed Center For Hard to Recycle Materials (CHARM) at the North Adams transfer station are ongoing. "I think it is a nice collaboration," she said. "I think it will be an asset to the smaller towns who do not have the brush and electronics and we will resume this discussion.".. The district is made up of 13 communities in North Berkshire. The city of North Adams had considered becoming a member but decided partnering on certain programs would be more beneficial. Cernik took a moment to update the committee on recent collections during the pandemic and said things are going well. "Residents are being respectful and wearing masks and we are wearing masks," she said. She did thank all those involved in keeping the district functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have kept this going throughout the whole pandemic," she said. "It was nerve-racking at first but everyone folded in and followed CDC guidelines. Could you imagine if trash got shut down?" The committee did agree to take the month of August off especially now with the contract squared away. Cernik did ask the members to think about some districtwide goals for their September meeting. "Think about goals and what do we want to accomplish as a district," she said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: The government has allocated 10 trillion rials to upgrade buses in Tehran city, Mayor of Tehran city, Pirouz Hanachi said told journalists, Trend reports citing IRNA. He made the remark after the signing of a contract between Tehran Mayor's Office and Iran Khodro Industrial Group on the manufacturing and delivery of buses and minibuses to the mayor's office. According to Hanachi, 1,000 buses in Tehran city can be renewed. The part of them will be renewed by Iran Khodro. Hanachi added that there is a shortage of about 3,000 buses in Tehran city. The mayor noted that at present, the necessary steps are being taken to provide buses at the expense of local production. Hanachi emphasized that if these steps are satisfied, Tehran will not be able to import vehicles from other countries. Today, a contract was signed between the Tehran Mayor's Office and Iran Khodro Industrial Group on the manufacturing and delivery of 800 buses and minibuses and these vehicles will be delivered within 5 months. Scores of members of Russias business and political elite have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against Covid-19, according to people familiar with the effort, as the country races to be among the first to develop an inoculation. Top executives at companies including aluminum giant United Co. Rusal, as well as billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow as early as April, the people said. They declined to be identified as the information isnt public. The Gamaleya vaccine, financed by the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund and backed by the military, last week completed a phase 1 trial involving Russian military personnel. The institute hasnt published results for the study, which involved about 40 people, but has begun the next stage of trials with a larger group. Gamaleyas press office couldnt be reached by phone Sunday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didnt respond to a text message asking whether President Vladimir Putin or others in his administration have had the shots. A government spokesman couldnt immediately comment. Russia Is Trying to Beat the West to a Covid-19 Vaccine Russia has reported more than 750,000 cases of Covid-19, the fourth-largest total in the world, and Gamaleyas program is on a faster track than many rivals in the West. RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said last week phase 3 trials will start Aug. 3 and include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the vaccine distributed nationally as early as September. Western researchers typically run phase 3 trials for months to better understand safety and effectiveness. Gamaleyas candidate is a so-called viral vector vaccine based on 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 being developed by Chinas CanSino Biologics which is already in phase 2 trials with plans for more in Canada. Canada was among the countries -- along with the US and UK -- that last week accused Russian government-backed hackers of trying to steal secrets of their Covid-19 vaccine efforts. Russian officials deny the allegations. Experimental Vaccine The program under which members of Russias business and political elite have been given the chance to volunteer for doses of the experimental vaccine is legal but kept under wraps to avoid a crush of potential participants, according to a researcher familiar with the effort. He said several hundred people have been involved. Bloomberg confirmed dozens who have had the shots but none would allow their names to be published. Its not clear how participants are selected and they arent part of the official studies, though they are monitored and their results logged by the institute. Patients usually get the shots -- two are needed to produce an immune response Gamaleya says will last for about two years -- at a Moscow clinic connected to the institute. Participants arent charged a fee and sign releases that they know the risks involved. Dmitriev of the RDIF said he and his family had taken the shots and noted that a significant number of other volunteers have also been given the opportunity. He declined to provide further details. The Gamaleya Institute said it vaccinated its director, as well as the team working on the trial, when it started. In May, state-controlled Sberbank recruited volunteers among employees to test the institutes vaccine. One top executive who had the vaccine said he experienced no side effects. He said he decided to risk taking the experimental shots in order to be able to live a normal life and have business meetings as usual. Other participants have reported fever and muscle aches after getting the shots. Vaccine Race At Rusal, which had a relationship with Gamaleya from when it worked on an Ebola vaccine that the company sought to use for its operations in Guinea, many top executives have had the shots, according to people familiar with the effort. Fertilizer maker PhosAgro PJSC was also offered an opportunity, according to people familiar with situation, and is still considering it. Spokespeople for Rusal and Phosagro declined to comment. Some executives at major companies said they turned down the offer as the vaccine still needs to be tested and isnt yet confirmed to be safe. One tycoon said he decided against participating after his doctor told him it would take at least a year to understand the risks. Initial results from CanSinos trial showed its adenovirus-based vaccine had a diminished effect in some people who had a pre-existing immunity to that pathogen. RDIFs 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. The current situation with the vaccine looks like a race and sufficient clinical testing hasnt been done, Sergey Shulyak, chief executive officer at Moscow-based consulting company DSM Group, said on Friday. Kabul, July 20 : A key member of the Talibans political office in Doha has blamed the Afghan government for delays in the peace negotiations between the two sides which are aimed at ending the decades-long war in the country. The talks were expected to begin 10 days after the February 29 deal between the US and the Taliban, but it is dependent on the completion of a prisoner exchange by the Afghan government and the militant group. Shahabuddin Delawar, the key member of the Taliban's office in Doha, said on Sunday that the release of prisoners should be finalized and that the talks should be carried out with an inclusive delegation from Kabul, reports TOLO News. "The responsibility of all bloody incidents over the last four months is on (the Afghan government) because it should have released our 5,000 by March 15. We were ready to release their 1,000 prisoners in 10 days," he said. Another member of the office, Noorullah Noori, accused the US of violating the peace agreement, saying the Taliban has not declared a ceasefire with the Afghan forces. "Attacks on checkpoints and districts and public routes will continue as there is no ceasefire between us and Kabul," Noori said. The Presidential Palace, meanwhile, criticized the Taliban and said the group has not followed-through on its commitments for peace efforts. "They have not released our captives. You can see the violence level by the Taliban--where it has reached. "Terror, murder and attacks on civilians, government employees, religious scholars and hospitals continue," presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal brings out the double-edged sword of concerns for the people in the face of unprecedented flooding situation and the Covid-19 pandemic, reassures people that the state and the Centre alliance is doing its best to combat challenges. Six more people have lost their lives in flood-related incidents in Assam, taking the total death toll to 85, said the state government on Monday. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has informed that over 70 lakh people have been affected due to Assam floods. Speaking to ANI, Sonowal said, On one hand, people are troubled due to COVID-19 and on the other hand, there are challenges arising out of Assam Floods. Still, the people of our state continue to fight the battle. Central and state government are providing all kinds of assistance to the people. Over 70 lakh people have been affected due to Assam floods. People, as well as animals, are being rescued from the affected areas and being shifted to relief camps and safer locations, he added. Also read: Vikas Dubey encounter: Post-mortem report cites shock due to firearm injuries as cause of death Also read: Indias Covid-19 tally crosses 11 lakh mark, fatality rate drops below 2.5% While the flood situation in Assam remains critical with most of the rivers including the Brahmaputra flowing menacingly above the danger mark, the water level of the Barak river, which flows through Cachar district in the state, too, has been on the rise in the recent days. The overflowing of the Brahmaputra river has already damaged crops and triggered mudslides, displacing millions of people. At least 84 people have lost their lives in Assam due to severe flooding, the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said on Sunday. As many as 108 animals including nine rhinoceroses have died at the Kaziranga National Park due to heavy floods in Assam till yesterday. Also read: West Bengal agitates over teenagers rape and murder, politics wrestles on For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A California pastor has promised to keep his churchs doors open for worship, bucking a new mandate from the governor ordering houses of worship to close once again as cases of the coronavirus spike across the state. Pastor Greg Fairrington of Destiny Christian Church in the northern California city of Rocklin announced last week that the church will continue to hold in-person services on Sundays. The announcement came one day after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom reimposed restrictions on certain businesses and houses of worship in 29 counties, including Placer County, where Destiny is located. As a minister I have a Biblical obligation to have people come together to meet, Fairrington told National Review, adding that while he is not a constitutional expert, he also believes Californias new restrictions violate the First Amendment. Never before in our history has the government shut the church down. Weve been through wars, the Great Depression, all kinds of things, and weve never shut the church down, Fairrington continued. And so here we are with Covid, and we decided to shut the church down. We were good citizens. On Sunday, May 31st, Destiny Christian Church reopened with limited capacity when California lifted some social distancing restrictions. The church had been shut down for 11 weeks since March when the pandemic sparked lockdowns across the country. Now, however, faced with a second order to suspend indoor services, Fairrington says he feels compelled to defy the directive and called on the governor to provide scientific data proving that people contract the coronavirus at a disproportionate rate at houses of worship. Theres just no scientific data, the pastor said. I would say to the governor, give us a chance. I just dont think at this point I can abide by that, Fairrington said of the order. If you read history, once the government takes rights away, they are never given back, and so I believe this is a moment we have to take a stand as a church. Story continues In the meantime, the church is following safety protocol, keeping the church to 25 percent capacity and worshippers six feet apart while providing sanitation stations and requiring face masks. We are a very safe environment, he assured. I guarantee you our place is cleaner than Costco or Target. Of potential legal challenges to his decision, Fairrington said the church will have to address such obstacles when they arise, but he noted that Destiny Church has great personal relationships with Rocklins city council. Theyre our friends, and weve had open dialogue, he said. Im not asking them to compromise their role. I never would do that, and so I know they have to respond a certain way We want to be a blessing. We dont want to be a burden to them. The city of Rocklin said it has reached out to Destiny Church and that together we are working toward a solution where their services can be held and adhere to recently updated California safety requirements. We do so many great things that help our county and help our schools and people who are underprivileged, he said. But we believe at some point we cant kick this can down the road anymore. If we just keep on abiding, were going to have this conversation again in six weeks, six months, next year. Were going to lose our rights. Fairrington said he is also looking towards the future and thinking of his two children and future grandchildren. I want them to experience the same America that I grew up in, and this is quickly becoming different than the experience I had when I grew up. I want them to enjoy all the freedoms, he said. We are a hospital for all kinds of different people. The church is essential, the pastor said. I know these people, and they need the church in this moment. A number of other churches have adopted stances similar to Destinys, refusing to suspend in-person services in the wake of Newsoms recent order. In May, the Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 against another church, the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in the San Diego area, that attempted to defy Newsoms coronavirus restrictions against gathering for church services. More from National Review DoALL Cut Above Warranty logo and graphic. Im excited to announce the new DoALL Cut Above Warranty to the industrial sawing industry. 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With over 90 years of manufacturing history in the Minneapolis, MN area, the DoALL brand has been known for innovation from day one. With the most complete line of band saws in the industry, DoALL offers industrial sawing machines for high production, general-purpose, miter cutting, vertical contour, and custom engineered sawing solutions. Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi's 'open and natural smiles' showed they were 'lost in their own bubble of love', and conducting the wedding away from the public eye 'allowed the to show their genuine feelings', a body language expert has claimed. The couple tied the knot in a surprise ceremony on Friday, releasing pictures alongside the Queen and Prince Philip the following day. Beatrice, 31, and Italian property developer Edo, 37, 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. The couple opted to have a small ceremony with roughly 20 people in line with social distancing guidelines, and in order to shield the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who are in the vulnerable category. Body language expert Judi James has told FEMAIL that having a scaled-back wedding due to COVID-19 and the scandal surrounding Beatrice's father Prince Andrew, may have allowed the Princess and Edo Mapelli to have a more 'natural' wedding: She said of this picture: 'This more relaxed mode allowed the couple to pose with more inward-facing torsos rather than the more social, front-facing pose we tend to see from royal wedding couples. Bea looks out towards the cameras but her hand clasp is close to Edos body and he places his own hands over it fondly, beaming down at her with a proud, protective-looking smile.' And now body language expert Judi James has told FEMAIL that having a scaled-back wedding due to COVID-19 and the scandal surrounding Beatrice's father Prince Andrew, may have allowed the couple a more 'natural' wedding. She said: 'Royal weddings are often so top-heavy in terms of protocol, guest numbers and press attention that any moments of genuine intimacy and the kind of fun, loving body language most couples enjoy on their big day will often be lost. 'Its the non-royal partner who often suffers the most, trying not to buckle under the nerves caused by what is often their first exposure to all the kerfuffle that membership of the royal firm entails. 'One huge advantage of Beatrice and Edos pared-down event was that we got to see the couple lost in their own bubble of love together rather than over-sharing with a huge crowd.' The couple opted to have a small ceremony with roughly 20 people in line with social distancing guidelines. Judi said: 'The couple look happy and relaxed together in this more fun pose. Beas hand is on top in the clasp which breaks with the normal royal tradition of old-fashioned chivalry and the way their arms are bent emphasizes the sense of evenly-balanced togetherness.' She continued: 'Their timing was clearly less of an issue than when every moment is being shown live around the world, meaning they had time to peer happily out from the door of the church, and social distancing meant they could stand close together alone for the photos without the usual huge line-up of relatives to worry about. 'Edo could look more relaxed and Beatrice could look openly delighted and excited and their signals as a couple could be far fresher and more natural than usual.' Anaylsing the pictures, which were released on Saturday, Judi continued: 'Both Bea and Edo produced smiles of pure happiness and their mirroring suggested some like-minded thinking. 'Beatrice even broke with tradition and placed her hand on top of the clasp as they walked together, suggesting they were sharing the taking of the lead, and their rather sweet body language signals looked like a response to one another rather than polite sociability based on a large audience. 'Even the Queen was able to go into loving and supportive granny mode, leaning forward from the correct social distance to throw a warm, beaming smile at the couple as they posed for photos.' Anaylsing the pictures, which were released on Saturday, Judi continued: 'Both Bea and Edo produced smiles of pure happiness and their mirroring suggested some like-minded thinking.' Beatrice and Edo confirmed their happy news on Friday, but postponed sharing the photos until Saturday, so as not to overshadow Captain Tom Moore, who was knighted on Friday. The stunning photos show Beatrice and Edo posing standing in the flower-adorned arch of the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's home of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Notably Prince Andrew is not in the photos, with the Queen and Prince Philip standing at a suitable social distance from the happy couple in another photo. Beatrice opted for a a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen. The stunning tiered wedding dress featuring a fitted bodice encrusted with a drop-pattern of jewels, and boasting retro, semi-sheer puff sleeves. The ivory gown featured bejewelled straps and a flattering bustier, running into a ruffled floor-length skirt, and the royal wore her hair styled into a layered side-parting. Judi said: 'Even the Queen was able to go into loving and supportive granny mode, leaning forward from the correct social distance to throw a warm, beaming smile at the couple as they posed for photos.' Beatrice's floor-length veil was notably attached to one of the Queen's favourite tiaras, made by fine jewellery house Garrard in 1919 from a necklace given to Mary as a wedding present, before it was given to the Queen Mother in 1936 and later loaned to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Anne for their wedding days. The dazzling tiara was designed to look like a fashionable Russian headdress with 47 diamond bars. 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. 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.' Chifambas contract expired sometime in 2018, having been extended by four years after earlier serving for three years as Zesa chief executive. This time, the contract was not extended by effluxion of time, according to correspondence seen by The Herald. Tsehaitu Abye (center), Pennsylvania organizer for One Fair Wage, chants during a rally as part of the national Strike for Black Lives in Philadelphia on July 20, 2020. Workers are demanding the U.S. Senate pass the HEROES Act that provides PPE, essential pay, and extended unemployment benefits. Read more Dozens of Black workers many of whom have been working throughout the pandemic and their supporters rallied in Philadelphias blistering heat Monday as part of a national Strike for Black Lives. At a rally in Old City, between the African American Museum and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, many held signs reading Strike for Black Lives. Speakers noted that the location between buildings representing Black history and Americas wealth illustrated the ties between low-wage essential work and slavery in oppressing Black people. People say all lives matter, said Lance Biggs, an organizer with labor union 32BJ SEIU. We say all lives cant matter until Black lives matter. People say all labor has dignity. All labor cannot have dignity until all labor affords you a living wage. The nationwide day of action, part of the broader Black Lives Matter uprisings sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, took place in more than two dozen cities nationwide. It aimed to link the Black Lives Matter struggle to the fight for workers rights, and call attention to the racial discrimination that Black workers face on the job, which workers say has only worsened during the current health crisis. People were already struggling before this pandemic, Councilmember Kendra Brooks said at the rally at the African American Museum. We were already struggling trying to figure out how were going to take care of our families working two, three, even four essential-worker jobs. And theres no reason we should be begging now for a fair wage. At the rally, attended by members of labor unions and groups like 32BJ SEIU, Unite Here, and One Fair Wage, workers called on the U.S. Senate to pass the HEROES Act, which would provide personal protective equipment, hazard pay, and extended unemployment benefits to workers. At Chestnut Hill United Church, cleaners, dietary workers, nursing assistants, and other service workers at Chestnut Hill Hospital protested what they describe as a pattern of racial discrimination against Black workers. The HR director once told me he hasnt seen racism here, said Venus Russell, a unit support coordinator. I asked him, What color are your glasses shaded in? Because its here. Russell, a grandmother and member of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, said that Black workers, who make up the majority of the hospitals more than 200 service workers, have experienced harsher disciplinary measures than their white colleagues, have been called racial slurs, and once heard management refer to the lobby as a ghetto street corner when three Black workers were taking their break. In a statement, Tower Health spokesperson Jessica Bezler denied allegations of racial discrimination. Our employment policies and practices are applied consistently throughout the organization and do not tolerate discrimination or bigotry by any person, she said. Claims of bias are investigated thoroughly and appropriate actions taken based on facts. Workers here did not walk off the job, though some workers around the country did so as part of the national campaign. 32BJ SEIU, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, and Unite Here represent thousands of low-wage service workers in Philadelphia, including security guards, hospital cleaners, cooks, and airport wheelchair attendants. Those workers are part of the citys vast service sector: 320,000 workers who make up nearly half of the citys workforce. These workers make a median salary of $25,000 a year, according to a Drexel University analysis of census data from 2011 to 2016. Most of the citys service sector retail and fast-food workers, for example is not unionized, and makes lower wages and receives fewer protections than their union counterparts. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of 21 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. Online pharmacy startup PharmEasy is in talks to acquire smaller rival Medlife for about $200 million, a move aimed at consolidating its top position in a hotly contested market, sources said. Bengaluru-based Medlife has been looking to raise $100-150 million in growth capital for over a year but has not found an investor, two people aware of the development said, requesting not to be identified. The coronavirus outbreak has given online pharmacies a shot in the arm but positive unit economics remains a challenge. PharmEasy is probably the best candidate to acquire Medlife. They have the capital, can raise some more if needed, and see this as a long-term business, said a person close to the talks on condition of anonymity. Both companies didnt respond to Moneycontrols emails seeking their comments. Founded by Tushar Kumar and Prashant Singh in 2014, Medlife provides medicines, health products, doctor consultations and tests on its website and app. It has not raised any external venture funding so far--an anomaly in the sector--and has been supported by co-founder Kumars trust. Kumars father Prabhat Narain Singh is one of the founders of Alkem Laboratories, one of Indias largest pharmaceutical companies. PharmEasy, run by 91Streets Media and Technologies Pvt Ltd, is the market leader and the most well-capitalised player in the sector. It raised $220 million in a funding round late 2019, led by Singapores sovereign fund Temasek and Canadian pension fund CDPQ, among others. It was valued at about $700 million. For FY19, Medlifes revenue grew 165 percent to Rs 363 crore but its losses also climbed to Rs 404 crore, according to media reports. PharmEasys FY19 numbers were not available but a source pegged revenue at over Rs 400 crore. Sources said talks are still ongoing and the terms of the deal could change. Selling to PharmEasy would be the last option for Medlife, which in August 2019 appointed Ananth Narayanan as the chief executive officer. Narayanan was earlier the CEO of online fashion retailer Myntra, It is not unknown what his role would be if PharmEasy acquires Medlife. PharmEasy was founded in 2015 by Dhaval Shah and Dharmil Sheth. Its investors include Eight Roads Ventures, Nandan Nilekani-backed Fundamentum, and Swiss firm LGT. Investors have been expecting online pharmacies to consolidate into one or two big players, given the low margins in medicine retailing and additional services such as diagnostics and doctor consultation not taking off. For most of the epharmacy players--PharmEasy, 1mg, Netmeds and Medlife--these ancillary services do not contribute more than 10-15 percent to the revenue, though the unit economics in these services is better. Medlife had in May 2019 acquired Myra, another fledgling epharmacy that was backed by top venture firm Matrix Partners. A groundbreaking new coronavirus treatment dramatically reduces the number of patients suffering severe symptoms, according to preliminary trial results. The treatment, developed by Southampton-based biotech Synairgen, uses a protein called interferon beta which the body produces when it contracts a viral infection. Covid-19 patients inhale the protein into the lungs using a nebuliser, with the aim of stimulating an immune response. Initial findings, published on Monday, suggest the treatment cuts the chances of a hospitalised coronavirus patient developing severe symptoms of the disease by 79 per cent. Patients were at least twice as likely to recover to the point where everyday activities were not compromised by their illness, according to Synairgen. It said the trial also indicated the treatment significantly reduced breathlessness one of the main symptoms of severe Covid-19. There were also no deaths among patients treated with the new drug. Professor Tom Wilkinson, the trials chief investigator said: "We are delighted with the positive data produced from this trial, which is the result of a momentous coordinated effort. The results confirm our belief that interferon beta, a widely known drug that, by injection, has been approved for use in a number of other indications, has huge potential as an inhaled drug to be able to restore the lungs immune response, enhancing protection, accelerating recovery and countering the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Full data from the trial has not yet been released, nor has the study been published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, if the results are confirmed in larger studies the new treatment will be "a game-changer", Prof Wilkinson told the BBC. The trial was relatively small but the signal that the treatment benefits patients was unusually strong, he explained. The trial involved 101 volunteers, all Covid-19 patients, who had been admitted for treatment at nine UK hospitals, between March 30 and May 27. Half of the participants were given the drug, the others received a placebo. Patient groups evenly matched in terms of average age 56.5 years for placebo and 57.8 years for those receiving the protein treatment. "We couldn't have expected much better results than these," Synairgen chief executive Richard Marsden told the same news site. He described the results as "a major breakthrough in the treatment of hospitalised Covid-19 patients". Mr Marsden said the company will be presenting its findings to international medical regulators over the coming days. They will then seek approval for the treatment, which could take months unless they are granted emergency approval, as was the case with anti-viral drug Remdesivir. If it does get the green light, the treatment and nebulisers used to administer it will need to be manufactured in large quantities. Mr Marsden said he had instructed companies to start producing supplies back in April to ensure they were ready for a mass roll-out. Loading.... He told the BBC he expects Synairgen to be able to deliver "a few 100,000" doses a month by the winter. Wealth managers at global banks, including Britains HSBC, are reportedly scrutinizing whether their clients have ties to Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement in an effort to avoid tangling with Chinas controversial new national security law. The Credit Suisse Group AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Julius Baer Gruppe AG, and UBS Group AG are probing to determine whether clients fit the designation of politically exposed persons, Reuters reported. The designation, which is usually applied to politicians and government officials, can hamper or halt clients ability to access banking services. Bankers have scrutinized clients more intensely for political and government ties in China and Hong Kong and subjected them to more diligence requirements, a process that reportedly involves going through clients public comments as well as their recent social media posts. China approved the new national security laws in May. Pro-Democracy activists and other critics say the laws would effectively end the one country, two systems policy that has allowed Hong Kong its political freedoms and civil liberties despite still being technically governed by China. China claims that the laws, which were implemented earlier this month, are necessary to crack down on separatism, subversion, terrorism, and foreign intervention in Hong Kong in the wake of the pro-democracy protests against Beijing. The measure would also allow Chinas state security agencies to operate in the territory. Last month, HSBC signaled its support for Beijings national security law, the chief executive for the global banks Asia-Pacific region signing a petition in favor of the law. HSBC respects and supports any laws that stabilize the social order in Hong Kong and revitalize economic prosperity and development in Hong Kong, HSBC said in a statement. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in June before the law took effect that the United Kingdom would offer refuge and a path to citizenship to nearly three million Hong Kong citizens should the law be enforced. Johnson said the laws violate the terms of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the agreement the U.K. reached with China after Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. More from National Review A 26-year-old man was shot multiple times in the head and body, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition and died soon after. He later was identified as Devonte Merrill of Country Club Hills, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. Shiite Houthi tribesmen in Sana, Yemen, in 2019. The U.S. policy of backing Saudi Arabia against Iran in the region has underwritten violence and put innocents in the crossfire. (Hani Mohammed / Associated Press) When Americans elect a president, they choose a commander in chief. For that reason, as they consider who should lead the nation, issues of war and peace are often front and center. Not this time. As the 2020 election approaches, domestic concerns the COVID-19 pandemic, acute economic distress and demands for reckoning with pervasive racism are crowding out questions related to the nations global role. But to ignore what is happening beyond our borders is to overlook this important truth: Since the end of the Cold War, now three decades ago, the United States has lost its way in the world. Under President Trump, things have only gotten worse. Today, foreign policy defined as a principled and consistent pattern of behavior has ceased to exist. All that remain are noise and gestures, baffling our traditional allies and delighting those eager to take advantage of the bedlam that currently prevails in Washington. The essential problem is twofold: Those responsible for charting post-Cold War U.S. policy have misconstrued core U.S. interests. And they have vastly overestimated and therefore recklessly misused American military power. In no part of the world is this dual failure more in evidence than in the Middle East. The proof? The trillions expended since 9/11 to eliminate terrorism and spread liberal values with next to nothing to show in return. With the possible exception of Vietnam, no foreign policy initiative in all of U.S. history can match the global war on terrorism for producing results so radically at odds with declared intentions. So there is a pressing need to reassess U.S. policy toward the Middle East. Waiting for a more convenient occasion is not an option. Any such reassessment will necessarily begin with a realistic appraisal of U.S. interests. Two stand out: protecting the United States from attacks emanating from the region and promoting the free flow of commerce. Ensuring access to Persian Gulf oil per se does not qualify as a vital interest. In the near term, we dont need the oil our own hemisphere contains ample reserves. In the longer term, we shouldnt want it, the necessity of shifting to renewables having become irrefutable. Story continues Realism does not mean walking away from the region. It does mean approaching the Mideast in different ways. A primary goal of U.S. policy should be to restore stability to a region that Washingtons misguided affinity for coercive regime change has itself destabilized. Stable in this context is synonymous with mutual coexistence. Peace in the Middle East wont look like peace in Europe. But simply encouraging a cessation of war and promoting greater economic integration constitutes a worthy goal. To move toward that goal, the United States should refrain from picking sides in regional disputes, most prominently the rivalry pitting Saudi Arabia against Iran. While pouring weaponry into the region may benefit American arms manufacturers, the net effect is to underwrite violence, with innocents all too often caught in the crossfire. Yemen today offers a case in point. To promote stability, the United States should reposition itself as an honest broker, committed to solving problems through diplomacy and dialogue. That implies a willingness to talk to all parties no pariahs. To signal this shift toward diplomacy, the Pentagon should immediately commence a deliberate withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region. Does this imply that the United States should turn a blind eye to violations of human rights and forgo efforts to promote democracy? Not at all. But in such matters, America leads most effectively when it does so by example. The Black Lives Matter movement serves as a sharp reminder that we have our work cut out for us here at home. As for governments abroad that abuse human rights, the United States should hold all offenders equally accountable. Just as there should be no pariahs, so too there should be no free passes. A new paradigm for U.S. policy in the Middle East ought to revisit the terms of the U.S.-Israeli special relationship. Israel in 2020 is not the young and vulnerable nation with which the United States forged a special relationship decades ago. It is today vastly stronger and its enemies fewer and weaker. The only nation in the Middle East possessing a nuclear strike capability, Israel also has the regions most effective military forces. It is fully capable of defending itself by itself, without a $3.5-billion annual subsidy courtesy of the American taxpayer. Disregarding U.S. objections, successive Israeli governments have pursued a policy of creating illegal settlements on the West Bank. In doing so, they have effectively eliminated the possibility of creating a viable Palestinian state. The United States should not ratify or endorse that result. In sum: No pariahs, no free passes, no special privileges. And no magical solutions. There are none. But there is no ignoring this reality: The existing architecture of U.S. foreign policy is nearing collapse, and nowhere more than in the Middle East. Acting now to devise a replacement is imperative. The election of 2020 provides the right occasion to do just that. Andrew Bacevich, a contributing writer to Opinion, is president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, which has just published A New U.S. Paradigm for the Middle East. FM Zarif in Iraq to discuss regional security, US assassination of Gen. Soleimani Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 10:42 AM Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has traveled to Baghdad ahead of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's visit to Tehran on his first foreign trip. "My trip, which had already been planned, provides a good opportunity to make necessary arrangements before the Iraqi prime minister's visit," Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Baghdad Sunday. Zarif went straight into talks with PM Kadhimi as well as President Barham Salih, Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi, head of Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan and chairman of Hashd al-Sha'abi volunteer forces Falih al-Fayyadh. Topics on his discussions were agreements reached during President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Baghdad in March 2019 and the US assassination of top Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in January, Zarif said. In his talks with Kadhimi, the two sides explored ways to develop bilateral relations and discussed the latest developments in the region and the world as well as the situation in Iraq. At Baghdad airport, the Iranian foreign minister visited the site of the assassination where the car carrying Gen. Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Hashd al-Sha'abi, was targeted by a US drone on January 3. The assassination has returned to headlines following a series of interviews this month by Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in which she denounced the US act as "unlawful", angering Washington. Iran, Iraq pursuing assassination case Zarif told a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein that the assassination by the US was a great blow to the fight against terrorism and that Iran and Iraq were pursuing the case through legal channels. He said relations between the two countries are based on mutual respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Iraq and Iran, Zarif said, stood side by side to confront Daesh and defeated it but they should stay vigilant against a resurgence of the terrorist outfit. Iran sees Iraq's strength and peace as well as constructive ties with its neighbors as its own, Zarif said as he expressed Tehran's interest in boosting energy and trade relations with Baghdad. His Iraqi counterpart said he discussed economic ties and religious tourism with Zarif. After meetings in Baghdad, the Iranian foreign minister is expected to head to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to sit down for talks with President Nechirvan Barzani and other local officials. Ahead of his visit, Zarif told IRNA news agency that Iraq can play a role in maintaining security in the Persian Gulf. Kadhimi will travel to Saudi Arabia and Iran back-to-back next week as Baghdad is working to find a balance in relations with its neighbors. Commenting on the visit, former Iranian ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Danaifard said Iran is interested in strengthening relations with Iraq in various fields and is working to diversify them. "We hope that these strong relations will continue to grow to reach the levels aspired by both countries." Iranian diplomat Emir Mousavi said Kadhimi's visit represents "an important development in bilateral relations," and revealed that "economic and security cooperation will be among the priority items" on the agenda. Iraqi politicians say they have recently heard from their Iranian counterparts that "a strong, unified Iraq led by Kadhimi is better for Iran than an Iraq divided and dispersed". Iraq relies on Iran for trade and natural gas that generates as much as 45% of its electricity. Iran transmits another 1,200 megawatts directly, making itself an indispensable energy source for its Arab neighbor, but the United States is trying to pry Baghdad away from Tehran's orbit. The US has been enlisting its companies and allies such as Saudi Arabia to replace Iran as Iraq's source of energy. The US administration is pushing for a deal between Washington, Baghdad and six Persian Gulf states to connect Iraq's nationwide power grid to that of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the past, officials in Baghdad have said there is no easy substitute to imports from Iran because it would take years to adequately build up Iraq's energy infrastructure. They have said the American demand acknowledges neither Iraq's energy needs nor the complex relations between Baghdad and Tehran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Jewish people have had a presence in Europe for more than two thousand years, dating back to when the Roman Empire ruled much of the continent, and even beforehand. Today, just over 1.3 million Jews live in Europe. France now hosts the largest Jewish population in Europe, at 450,000. The Jews of Europe: From the Roman Empire to World War II A man holds up a Sephardi-style torah at the Western Wall, Jerusalem. Image credit: shlomi kakon Pikiwiki Israel/Wikimedia.org According to Josephus Flavius, a historian who lived during Roman times, up to six million Jews lived throughout the empire. Before the first century CE, the practice of Judaism largely centered on the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. But in the year 70 CE, following an uprising in the Roman province of Judea, the Temple was destroyed. The Jews, therefore, had to adapt their faith to endure without it. Thus began the advent of rabbinic Judaism, in which Jewish communities were by led by local religious leaders known as rabbis. After the fall of the Roman Empire, much of Europe, now largely Christian, became very hostile to the Jews, who were blamed in Christian dogma for being responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. For many centuries, Jews in Europe were relentlessly persecuted, facing a number of expulsions and massacres. They were barred from many occupations and often forced to live in confined neighborhoods known as ghettos. Statue of Maimonides, a medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher, in Cordoba, Spain During Europes medieval period, two branches of Judaism began to develop. One branch, Ashkenazic Judaism, became predominant among Jews in central and Eastern Europe. The other branch, Sephardic Judaism, dominated southern Europe, including Spain and southern Italy. By the early 20th century, Jews in Europe were overwhelmingly Ashkenazim. Europes Jews also developed a new method of communicating with each other: The Yiddish language. Derived from several languages, including German, Dutch, Hebrew, and to a lesser extent, Romance and Slavic languages, Yiddish became a form of universal communication between Jews of central and Eastern Europe. March or April 1938: Jews are forced to scrub the pavement in Vienna by the Nazis. Despite the persecution that the Jewish people of Europe endured over the centuries, they managed to establish thriving communities in much of the continent, especially in central and Eastern Europe. Before World War II, some nine and a half million Jews lived in Europe. The largest European Jewish community was based in Poland, where 3.3 million Jews lived. Other large, pre-WWII Jewish communities included the Soviet Union, with more than 2.5 million Jews, Romania, with 980,000 Jews, and Germany, which had 565,000 Jews. But the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, as well as the rise of antisemitism in general, in the 1930s prompted many Jews to leave Europe. Those didnt leave were mostly slaughtered in the Nazis campaign of genocide against European Jewry, which we now call the Holocaust. When the Nazis reign of terror came to an end, an estimated six million of Europes Jews were murdered. Europes Jews Today The Sarajevo Synagogue in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Image credit: Micha Huniewicz/Wikimedia.org Jews have inhabited France since the Middle Ages, and France was the first major country in Europe to emancipate its Jewish population, according them civil and political rights, following the French Revolution. More than half of French Jews now live in Paris and its suburbs, with most of the other half living in other major cities, like Marseilles, Lyon, and Strasbourg. In the mid-20th century, most French Jews were Ashkenazim, but in the 1960s and 1970s, many Sephardic Jews in North Africa, fleeing persecution in Frances former colonies, began settling in France. As a result, todays Jewish population in France is now 60% Sephardic. While France hosts Europes largest Jewish community, Jews make up a mere 0.5% of the countrys entire population. Indeed, Jews make up very tiny percentages of their respective countries total populations in all cases, whether the communities are large or small, and according to the table, this trend will continue into the mid-21st century. In fact, in many European countries, Jews comprise less than 0.1% of the total population. Gibraltar, a small British dependency on the coast of Spain, has the largest percentage of Jews in relation to its total population, at 2.1%, followed by Monaco at 1.7%, and Moldova at 0.6%. Other large Jewish communities in Europe include the United Kingdom, with 292,000 Jews, Russia, which hosts 165,000 Jews, and Germany, with 118,000 Jews. The number of Jews in Germany is small compared to the aforementioned pre-WWII Jewish population. Nevertheless, Jews have managed to make a remarkable comeback in the country, nearly tripling their numbers in the past fifteen years. The countrys Jewish population has grown in recent years due to immigration by Jews from Eastern Europe. Thus, what was once the center of European Jewry has recently lost even more of its Jewish population, and not many are left. Even seven and a half decades after WWII ended, Jews are still a rarity in Eastern Europe. Poland, which once hosted the largest Jewish population on the continent, now hosts just 4500 Jews. The situation is very similar in other Eastern European countries. Romania, which, as previously mentioned, once had nearly a million Jews within its borders, now has only 9000. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, formerly Czechoslovakia, once hosted 357,000 Jews. But now, they collectively host just 8000. Various governments, private citizens, and charitable organizations have made efforts to restore some of the vestiges of Eastern Europes pre-WWII Jewish communities. Some synagogues have been restored, as have some Jewish cemeteries. Regardless of such efforts, however, fully restoring Jewish life in the countries of Europe most affected by the Holocaust will be all but impossible. The Future of European Jewry As the table illustrates, the percentage of Jews in each of Europes countries is projected to stay the same into the mid-21st century. This may, however, be a best case scenario. Over the last decade or so, antisemitism in Europe has been on a significant upswing. This, along with economic problems and political instability, have already convinced many of Europes remaining Jews to leave the continent and seek a better life elsewhere. In fact, each year, thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union and France, where two of Europes largest Jewish communities still reside, leave Europe and immigrate to Israel. If this trend continues, many of Europes Jewish communities will not survive. On March 18, 2020, the Czech Republic became the first country in Europe to legislate mandatory coverage of the mouth and nose in all public areas in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. One could no longer walk down the street, use public transport, enter shops or pharmacies, go to school, or pass through communal areas of shared housing (such as elevators in apartment blocks), without covering their face with a scarf or face mask. Residents were given under 48 hours (i.e. until midnight March 19th) to comply with the new legislation. But how could they do so when face masks were already in short supply? In the days leading up to the announcement, there had been a popular upsurge in mask use. Surgical face masks were donned by politicians and public figures, including the Prime Minister, during press conferences, on TV, and in Parliament. Social media influencers, such as Czech entrepreneur Petr Ludwig, urged that everyone should be wearing masks, under the motto masks for all (Ludwig 2020). Prior to the nation-wide ruling, facial covering was already mandatory in some Czech towns and municipalities. Given, however, that many shops were already sold out of masks, the government mandate threatened to plunge the country into confusion. Notably, those caught mask-less faced not only social opprobrium but stiff legal measures; as one media outlet warned,the Czech prime minister pointed out that the deliberate spread of coronavirus is considered a crime with the sentence of up to 12 years in prison. If the police officers see someone without protective equipment on the face, they can order the person to leave the area or impose a fine of up to 10,000 korunas (362) (Remix 2020). The face mask law, which was (with some exceptions) largely rescinded on March 25, 2020, was part of a broad array of legislation promoting an aggressive stance against the spread of COVID-19. The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Czech Republic on March 1, 2020. Twelve days later, the government declared the first nation-wide state of emergency in modern history. Schools and many businesses were closed, and within a few days the international border was sealed off with all non-residents denied entry as of March 16. As of this writing over four months later (July 12, 2020), with 13,115 cases and 352 deaths, the nation has suffered comparatively lower rates of COVID-19 than neighbouring Germany and Austria (Onemocneni 2020). Face masks formed a pivotal part of the governments containment strategy (Babis 2020). But while the government was more than happy to mandate their use, it was roundly criticized for doing so without actually ensuring the availability of sufficient numbers of masks to keep everyone covered. Despite this, uptake of the new legislation was a resounding success as there was a near instant mobilization of face mask production. While some of this activity was spearheaded by small businesses, societies, and clubs (for example, fashion students at Pragues Academy of Art, Architecture and Design who sewed face masks for a nearby maternity hospital (Tait 2020), it was largely undertaken by individual women who swung into action across the nation. Photos: Antonio Cossa Women young and old pulled out their sewing machines and transformed their living rooms and bedrooms into sites of domestic production. Over 43,000 people, mainly women, joined the Cesko sews facemasks (Cesko sije rousky) Facebook group where they shared patterns, advice on mask sanitization, and tips on how to revitalize dusty sewing machines. A subtab of over 2,000 entries is devoted to detailing individual producers craftsmanship, sharing pictures of their productions or videos of themselves sewing in action. Photos: Antonio Cossa While production was not limited to women, it was largely a female endeavour, often portrayed as aligned with traditional gendered divisions of labour. Having now spent several weeks scrolling through posts on this and similar Facebook pages, all of the ones I read, bar one, were from women, some of whom appear to be sewing cloth masks in the hundreds. According to Czech anthropologist Petra Ezzeddine, women from ethnic minority groups, including members of Roma, Vietnamese, Muslim, and refugee communities, took a particularly prominent role, with local coverage highlighting their contributions to the nation-wide campaign. Photographer Antonio Cossa (whose images are reproduced here) has produced a stunning visual montage of womens efforts, documenting the intensity of their labour. Photos: Antonio Cossa The Cesko sews facemasks Facebook page acted as a clearance centre with posts from those who had more material than they could use, from sewers who offered to give away masks they made, and from those in need of facial coverings. Another website Damerousky.cz (literally: we will give face masks) was set up with an interactive map enabling those who need masks to quickly locate distribution sites. Photos: Antonio Cossa Need has multiple definitions. The initial drive was to have some sort of nose and mouth covering; while masks were being hurriedly made and distributed, there was also the proliferation of instructions (in both Czech and English) on how to produce your own emergency face mask out of a handkerchief and rubber bands or using an old t-shirt. For example, targeting English-speaking expats, Damerousky.cz offered detailed instructions on the No-sewing T-shirt style mask, explaining, You need a cotton shirt that you are not sorry to lose and some scissors. See the video tutorial, no need to understand Czech. But quickly, there were moves to not only diversify but upscale. Amidst the sea of plain white or light blue surgical-style masks often worn by state officials, there appeared masks of contrasting colours or paisley patterns. Face masks were transformed into creative emblems as men, women, and children donned camouflage masks, bright yellow masks decorated with black ribbons, masks emblazoned with images of fire trucks or Minecraft constructions, masks made to match cloth handbags. Within a few weeks of its launch, the Facebook site was inundated with requests for specific styles or themes (e.g. does anyone have masks decorated with white terrier dogs?). Trade in face masks was largely non-monetary, conducted on an as-needed basis. It was underpinned by social values that stress collective care and reciprocal responsibility (which are sometimes, particularly among older generations, articulated through the concept of solidarity (solidarnost), as promoted during the state socialist era (Trnka 2017a). Spurred in part by wariness of the states abilities (to provide masks, which were in short supply), members of the general public took on this task by providing for one another. The emphasis on collective care, moreover, shaped not only the wide-scale production and free distribution of face masks but the very rationale behind their use. Czech public health messages clearly delineated that wearing a mask enables one to protect others as the first step in an act of reciprocal care. A Public Service Announcement distributed by Czech entrepreneur and social influencer Petr Ludwig on YouTube and endorsed by officials in the Czech government evokes the #Masks4All motto: I protect you, you protect me (Czech PSA 2020). Foregrounding statements by Czech scientists, the video was filmed in English in order to make internationally accessible its call to other countries to follow the Czech example of mandating face masks. Its message received the highest level of government endorsement when a link to the video was tweeted by Prime Minister Andrej Babis as part of a pointed jab at President Donald Trump. Exhorting Trump to take heed of the Czech approach to Covid-19, Babiss tweet declared: Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, try tackling virus the Czech way.Wearing a simple cloth mask, decreases the spread of the virus by 80 %! (Babis2020). While masks have historically often been used to hide ones identity (i.e. the masked robber) or shield oneself (e.g. wearing a scarf to protect oneself from the cold), face masks have now been turned into a marker of collective care, signifying ones effort to protect others who will, in turn, endeavour to protect them and thus together protect the nation. These sorts of efforts may come more easily to a nation familiar with conceptualizing health as a public good. When it comes specifically to respiratory health, the Czech Republic has spent decades emphasizing the need for collective, and in particular, government-directed action to mitigate respiratory distress, as I have documented elsewhere (Trnka 2017a, 2017b). While responding to a global pandemic is different from trying to mitigate asthma, the sense of health, including respiratory health, as a collective problem in need of widespread, ideally state-led but also publically-engaged solutions, is arguably much more embedded in the disease imaginary in the Czech Republic than it is in places such as the United States. Face masks have also made frequent, and often dramatic, appearances on the political stage, particularly during public confrontations over the governments responsibilities to ensure air quality. In recent years, Czech media stories have repeatedly covered whether or not running or exercising in surgical masks will protect against inhaling toxins (often suggesting that they will not) (e.g. Leblova 2017). Czech environmentalists calls for collective action to support protecting respiratory health have involved their own set of facial coverings with activists eager to dramatically evoke the dangers of air pollution often donning rubber gas masks reminiscent of WWII (Trnka 2017c). In such contexts, the face mask is not only protective but confrontational, highlighting both an escalating threat as well as state neglect concerns that take us right back to current debates over COVID-19. As Tereza Stockelova, Katerina Kolarova and Lukas Senft (2020) of the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences have argued with respect to the COVID-19 face mask phenomenon, what started off as a largely cooperative endeavour is increasingly being portrayed by critics from all sides of the political spectrum as not only a case of state ineptitude (by passing a decree enforcing masks without providing them) but also a potential return to a totalitarian state that restricts civil liberties and demands citizens compliance with top-down measures instigated for their own good. Clearly, the face mask rulings have not only thrown the Czech Republic into the global spotlight, but reopened and created fresh political fissures. As the Czech Republic eases its way out of lockdown, face masks with or without white terriers have been in less demand. Since early April, masks have not been required in parks or outdoor nature areas, and in early May they disappeared from many school classrooms. Currently masks are no longer mandatory outdoors, on most public transport and in most in-door facilities, with some regional exceptions. Immortalized on Facebook, in print and online media, and in family photo collections, they may well remain a reminder of how a nation of sewers creatively rose to the challenge to keep its citizens covered in a collective effort to contain COVID-19. Susanna Trnka is a social and medical anthropologist at the University of Auckland. Her previous books include Traversing: Embodied Lifeworlds in the Czech Republic (2020), One Blue Child: Asthma, Responsibility, and the Politics of Global Health (2017), and Competing Responsibilities: The Ethics and Politics of Contemporary Life (edited with Catherine Trundle) (2017). An earlier version of this article was published on the University of Aucklands Project for Media in the Public Interest website. References Anonymous. 2020. Coronavirus: All Czechs Must Now Wear Face Masks of Keep Face Covered Outside Home. Remix. 19 March. https://rmx.news/article/article/coronavirus-all-czechs-must-now-wear-face-masks-or-keep-face-covered-outside-home Babis,Andrej. 2020. Mr. President @realDonaldTrumpTwitter post, @AndrejBabis, 29 March 2020. Czech PSA Makes the Case for Face Masks. 2020. NowThis. YouTube video. April 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_WxtSavZR4 Ezzeddine, Petra. 2020. Personal communication. 19 May. Leblova, Kristyna. 2017. Proti smogu rousky nepomuzou, upozornuji lekari. Novinky.CZ. 27 January. https://www.novinky.cz/domaci/clanek/proti-smogu-rousky-nepomuzou-upozornuji-lekari-40022617 Ludwig, Petr. 2020. Rousky a kriticke mysleni #RouskyVsem YouTube video. Posted March 14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xy2n941jM&feature=youtu.be OnemocneniCOVID-19. 2020. iDNES.cz July 12. https://www.idnes.cz/koronavirus Stockelova, Tereza, Kolarova, Katerina, Senft, Lukas (2020). Un/Masking the nation: The Political Economy of Epidemiological Protection in the Coronavirus Pandemic. Manuscript in Progress prepared for the special issue of Sociological Perspectives. Tait, Robert. 2020. Czechs get to work making masks after government decree. The Guardian. March 30. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/czechs-get-to-work-making-masks-after-government-decree-coronavirus Trnka, Susanna. 2017a. One Blue Child: Asthma, Responsibility and the Politics of Global Health. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Trnka, Susanna. 2017b. Efficacious Holidays: The Therapeutic Dimensions of Pleasure and Discipline in Czech Respiratory Spas. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 32(1):42-58. Trnka, Susanna. 2017c. Reciprocal Responsibilities: Struggles over (New and Old) Social Contracts, Environmental Pollution, and Childhood Asthma in the Czech Republic.In Competing Responsibilities: The Politics and Social Ethics of Responsibility in Contemporary Life. Susanna Trnka and Catherine Trundle, eds. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Pp. 71-95. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A car bomb attack in northwestern Syria's Azaz region killed five people and wounded 85 others, a local hospital in Syria and Turkish state media said on Sunday. The incident took place in the village of Siccu, across the border from Turkey's southern province of Kilis, Turkey's Anadolu agency said. It said 15 of the wounded had been taken to a hospital on the Turkish side of the border and that some were in critical condition. Azaz has been under the control of rebels backed by Turkey since Ankara's first incursion into Syria in 2016, in an operation that aimed to drive away Islamic State militants and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from its border with Syria. Ankara regards the U.S.-backed YPG as a terrorist organisation. The operation ended in 2017. Syria held a parliamentary election across government territory on Sunday. The country is struggling against a collapsing economy and new U.S. sanctions after President Bashar al-Assad clawed back control of most of the country. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen and Khalil Ashawi; editing by Barbara Lewis) Senior actress Shantamma passed away at a private hospital in Mysore on Sunday. She was admitted to the hospital due to age-related illness. Shantamma was reportedly not well for the past couple of weeks and was rushed to the hospital after she collapsed at her residence in Mysore. As per several media reports, most of the hospitals nearby refused to admit her due to the current COVID-19 situation. However, there is no official confirmation about the same. She was 95. Superstar Puneeth Rajkumar and former Chief Minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy mourned the loss of the actress. Remembering the actress, Puneeth said that she was very close to him and his family. Kumaraswamy wrote," It is said that Shantamma, a veteran artist who has acted as supporting actress in hundreds of film is no more. My condolences to the family members." Shantamma had acted in as many as 400 films. She started her acting career in the year 1956. Interestingly, her entry in films happened post her wedding with a famous dance master. Her best work includes Ranadheera Kanteerava, Indina Bharatha, Rupahi Raja, Bombay Dada along with many others. She is survived by four sons and two daughters. Aishwarya Arjun Tests Positive For COVID-19 French Biriyani Director On Danish Sait: He Gave Me The Idea To Dust The Script, Set It In Bangalore Henderson County News Legislature likely to move primary to June 7 The state Legislature will vote this week to delay the 2022 primary elections until June 7. The move was first reported by Carolina Journal over the MLK holiday weekend. Read Story Laurel Park Your Town Ecusta Trail work day volunteers exult in 'making the dream' Volunteers who came out Saturday for the first-ever Ecusta Trail work day expressed a common refrain when they described what inspired them to give their time. Whatever they can do to speed up the trails opening, they said, they will. Read Story Henderson County News Citing hazardous roads, city, county announce they'll be closed Tuesday Citing hazardous road conditions and overnight lows that will create black ice, both the city of Hendersonville and Henderson County announced that government offices will be closed on Tuesday. Read Story Hendersonville Business Power is back on throughout county Duke Energy crews restored power to more than 250,000 customers after winter storm Izzy moved through Carolinas on Sunday, the utility reported. The total number of power outages was a third of the three quarters of a million homes and businesses that Duke projected could lose power in the snow and ice storm. By daybreak Tuesday crews had restored power to all customers in Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties. Read Story Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 13:11:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The signing of the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" into law by the United States blatantly interferes in China's internal affairs, and seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, experts have said. The move attempts to sow chaos in Hong Kong, reflecting the U.S. Cold War mentality and zero-sum game ideology, and is a play of double standards worldwide, Humphrey Moshi, a professor of economics at Tanzania's leading state-run University of Dar es Salaam, said. Gyula Thurmer, president of the Hungarian Workers' Party, noted that the issue of Hong Kong is China's internal affairs and the U.S. move seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, posing a severe threat to world peace and stability. What the United States has done impaired its long-term cooperative relations with China, said Nasr Arif, former executive director of the Institute for Islamic World Studies of Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, noting that the world needs China-U.S. cooperation instead of confrontation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahmad Majdalani, secretary general of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, expressed his strong support for China to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, and voiced his opposition to foreign interference in China's internal affairs with any excuse. The U.S. move has nothing to do with democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, but aims to contain China's development, Tursunali Kuziev, a professor at Uzbekistan State University of World Languages, pointed out. Enditem The international community has urged the Group of Twenty (G20) to step up and play a bigger role as the global economy continues to suffer repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic. While there remains great uncertainty on the global economic outlook, the unprecedented actions taken by the G20 countries and others "have helped to avert a much worse outcome," Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva said Saturday at the conclusion of a virtual meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. "As we enter the next phase of the crisis, further policy action will be required, as well as increased international cooperation," she said. Georgieva's call for further actions from the G20 was seconded by World Bank Group President David Malpass, who, during the meeting, urged the G20 countries to extend the time frame of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) through the end of 2021. "We've made a great deal of progress with DSSI in a short period of time, but more needs to be done," said the World Bank chief, calling the effort one of the key factors in strengthening global recovery. In response, G20 officials have vowed on Saturday to take immediate and exceptional measures to address COVID-19. "We will consider a possible extension of the DSSI in the second half of 2020, taking into account the development of the COVID-19 pandemic situation," G20 officials said in a statement. The statement highlighted that the G20 will continue to facilitate international trade and investment and to build the resilience of supply chains to support growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development. Meanwhile, public health response remains vital. IMF chief Georgieva called it "the main priority" to protect people, jobs, and economic activity. "Across the world, countries have implemented exceptional measures to support individuals and workers. These lifelines should be maintained as needed and, in some cases, expanded," she told the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. Jeffery Sachs, professor of sustainable development and professor of health policy and management at Columbia University, said in a recent article that all G20 countries need to cooperate on global-scale policies to overcome the health crisis. Noting that an epidemic is a social phenomenon and needs a social response, the U.S. economist urged all people to be cautious until the pandemic is suppressed. "That means wearing face masks in public places, keeping a prudent distance from others, and monitoring ourselves and our close contacts for symptoms," he wrote. "As South Korea, Japan, and China have shown, the virus can be suppressed -- that is, new cases can be brought to near zero -- if this basic logic is followed," he said. London: Britain on Monday (July 20, 2020) announced that it is going to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong. "We will not consider reactivating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation," Raab said. The ban is another nail in the coffin of what the then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015 cast as a "golden era" of ties with China, the world`s second-largest economy. London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus outbreak. "Extraditions between Hong Kong and the UK are extremely rare, so this is a symbolic gesture, but a very important one," said Nick Vamos, Partner at London law firm Peters & Peters. Raab said he would extend a long-standing arms embargo on China to include Hong Kong, meaning no exports of weapons or ammunition and a ban on any equipment which might be used for internal repressions, like shackles and smoke grenades. Australia and Canada had suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong earlier this month. US President Donald Trump has also ended preferential economic treatment for Hong Kong. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered equipment from China`s Huawei Technologies to be purged completely from Britain`s 5G network by the end of 2027. China - once courted as the prime source of investment in British infrastructure projects from nuclear to rail - has accused Britain of pandering to the United States. Britain says the new security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an independent judiciary, that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world`s most important trade and financial centres since 1997. Raab was pressed by fellow lawmakers to consider targeted sanctions against individuals, over both Hong Kong and concerns about China`s treatment of Uighur Muslims in its Xinjiang region, but he said any such measures were not imminent. "We will patiently gather the evidence, it takes months," he said. Officials in Hong Kong and Beijing have said the law is vital to plug gaps in national security exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests. China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong`s affairs. On Sunday, China`s ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction Chinese officials, as some Conservative Party lawmakers have demanded. By Online Desk The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said on Tuesday said that this year's Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to conditions created by coronavirus. The traditional rituals shall be carried out as per past practice. Also, the Chhadi Mubarak shall be facilitated by the Government, a statement said. India recorded 37,148 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its tally to 11,55,191 , while the total number of recoveries increased to 7,24,577, according to Union health ministry data on Tuesday. The death toll due to the disease rose to 28,084 with 587 fatalities reported in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed. There are 4,02,529 active cases of the coronavirus infection currently in the country, while 7,24,577 people have recovered till now. Thus, 62.72 per cent people have recovered so far, it said. Meanwhile, Chennai recovery path registered another positive milestone on Monday as 1269 patients were discharged, taking the number of people who have recovered from the deadly coronavirus in the city to 70,651. With this, 81% of the total persons tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered. AKB48 member Kayoko Takita was confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus on Sunday. According to the idol groupas management company, the 23-year-old has been admitted to hospital for treatment. The announcement was made on 19 July on the groupas official blog, where it was revealed that Takita came down with a fever of 37.2 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on 9 July, which returned to normal the following day. The idol voluntarily refrained from going out during this time and avoided contact with others. After noticing a change in her ability to taste and smell on 11 July, Takita received a PCR test on 18 July. The following day, she received a positive test result, and after notifying AKB48 management, it was decided that she would be hospitalised from 20 July, under advice from the public health centre. Takitaas sense of taste and smell has returned and she is said to be suffering no symptoms such as fever or malaise. However, the management company is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health of their idol, who has been a member of the group since 2013. Though Takita had been working remotely from home since April, she did come into contact with another member of the group, 18-year-old Makiho Tatsuya, on 2 July. Tatsuya is confirmed to be in good health and reporting no symptoms of the virus, but has been instructed to self-isolate at home. Management says no other group members or staff have had any physical contact with Takita or Tatsuya within the past month. However, they will be seeking guidance from the public health centre on how to proceed and Tatsuya will receive a PCR test if deemed necessary. AKB48 is arguably the most famous idol group in Japan, with over 100 members spread out over five teams, plus a roster of junior atraineea members. The group regularly performs at the AKB48 theatre in Tokyoas Akihabara district, where performances are still scheduled to continue despite Takitaas positive test result, as neither she nor Tatsuya have been inside the premises recently. Advertisement The son of a federal judge has been shot dead and her husband critically wounded after they were attacked at their home by a gunman dressed as a FedEx driver. The attack happened at the home of Esther Salas, 51, an Obama-appointed District Court judge, in North Brunswick, New Jersey, on Sunday evening. The judge's 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl was killed, and her defense attorney husband Mark Anderl, 63, was critically injured. Daniel, who was the couple's only child, is believed to have opened the door to the gunman at around 5pm. He was shot 'in the heart' immediately, according to friends of the family. His father Mark was then shot several times when he went to the front door to see what had happened. The gunman fled. Judge Esther Salas was in the basement of her home when the gunman arrived. Her 20-year-old son Daniel (far right) answered the door to the assailant, who was dressed as a FedEx driver, and was shot in the heart. His father Mark (center) went to the door to see what had happened and was shot multiple times. Mark is in the hospital in critical condition The judge and her family were the targets of an assassination attempt on Sunday evening at their home in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey. The house is pictured on Monday morning Judge Salas had recently been assigned to a civil financial fraud case tied to Jeffrey Epstein. It was brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the bank made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor 'high-risk' customers including convicted sex offender billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. It remains unclear who the gunman was targeting. Daniel was the couple's only child Earlier this month the bank agreed to pay a $150million fine for continuing to work with Epstein after he was convicted of soliciting underage prostitutes in 2008. Judge Salas also sent TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice from the Real Housewives of New Jersey to jail for tax evasion and fraud. It's unclear whether her husband is actively involved in any cases. Friends say she often made remarks about her job making her a target for attacks but that recently, she was not concerned. 'As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any,' Francis 'Mac' Womack, the mayor of North Brunswick, New Jersey, told The Washington Post. 'She had some high-profile cases, and she was always a little concerned,' Marion Costanza, who lives three doors down from the family, said. Anderl was a prosecutor for 10 years before switching to private practice. During his time in the prosecutor's office, he tried more than 100 cases including 33 murder trials. , said that Daniel was 'shot through the heart'.Mark is reportedly in critical but stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick. Judge Salas is believed to have been in the basement of the home during the shooting and was unharmed in the attack. She and Daniel were close, neighbors said, and she was devastated when he moved away from home to go to college. 'I think she cried for a week and thats just in D.C. He was her only child,' Costanza added. She said Daniel was a good-natured boy who once brought her supplies during a snow storm. 'Theres no one like them. Theyre extremely good-natured. They would do anything for anyone,' she said. Police outside the family's home in New Jersey on Monday morning. No one has been arrested. Judge Salas is being guarded by the authorities The family home remained taped off on Monday morning. Neighbors were shocked and saddened by the attack The FBI, U.S. Marshals, New Jersey State Police along with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General have all been on the scene of the shooting throughout Sunday evening FBI agents at the home of Esther Salas, 51, an Obama-appointed District Court judge, in North Brunswick, New Jersey, whose son was killed and husband was shot by an unknown shooter The U.S. Marshals have also been called to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official Judge who was the target of an assassination attempt had recently been assigned a case with links to Jeffrey Epstein Judge Salas was assigned a case involving links to Jeffrey Epstein, pictured Last week, Judge Salas was assigned a case with links to Jeffrey Epstein. The case sees investors suing Deutsche Bank and its CEO Christian Sewing, alleging the bank made false and misleading statements before it agreed to pay a $150 million fine for compliance failures linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, and seeks unspecified damages. It claims shareholders lost money because of Deutsche Bank's dealings with Epstein, who was implicated in dozens of sexual abuse cases. He died in custody last August at the age of 66. New York regulators last week announced Deutsche Bank would pay the fine for 'significant compliance failures' over Epstein and two unrelated cases. Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the lawsuit. Last week, it said the settlement showed 'how important it is to continue investing in our controls and enhancing our anti-financial crime capabilities'. The lawsuit also names as defendants Deutsche Bank's finance chief James von Moltke and former CEO John Cryan. The named plaintiff is Ali Karimi, who lives in Connecticut, according to court documents. Epstein, 66, was found hanged in his New York City prison cell in August 2019 after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges, and his death was ruled a suicide. His former lover Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, was arrested on sex trafficking charges at a remote property in New Hampshire on July 2. She was denied bail on Tuesday and learned she must stay locked up until her trial next summer after she pleaded not guilty. Judge Salas is not involved with the current Maxwell case due before court in July 2021. Advertisement Another said: You don't expect anything like this around here. We all know our neighbors, we all greet each other and it's a quiet area.' Crime scene tape could be seen stretching around the perimeter of the family home located in the Hiddlen Lake section of North Brunswick. The street had been closed off to traffic. Salas staggered their sentences so that one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the man's intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man, the leader of the Newark Bloods street gang to 45 years in prison. She has also dealt with cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips according to NJ.com. The case was connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. Judge Salas had received death threats in the past but as of Sunday night, authorities have not suggested the shootings are linked to any of her previous cases. 'As a judge, she had threats from time to time, but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any,' said Mayor Womack to ABC News, who is friends with the judge and her husband. 'No words can express the sadness and loss we share tonight as a community after senseless shootings of the husband and son of USDC Judge Esther Salas,' she said. The mayor said investigators are now 'trying to get a hard make on the vehicle' to try and track the suspect. 'We commit to do all we can to support the family in this time, as well as all law enforcement agencies involved,' Womack said. The mayor noted how close the family appeared to be 'He's a very very exuberant, vibrant, one hundred percent pleasant person,' Womack said to CNN. 'He loves to talk about his wife, and he loves to brag about his son, and how his son would excel in baseball, and how he was doing down in college in Washington ... I'm just very sorry to see him going through this.' The U.S. Marshals have also been called to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official. Salas had sat a judge on the U.S. District Court for New Jersey in Newark, for nine years and was the first Hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench in the state. Before that she spent five years as a magistrate judge, and nine years prior to that as a federal public defender before President Barack Obama nominated her to serve as a District Court Judge in 2010. The daughter of a Cuban mother and a Mexican father, Salas spent part of her childhood on welfare after a fire destroyed her Union City apartment, according to The Globe. Her husband, Mark Anderl also works in legal circles and served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County, New Jersey for ten years before becoming a criminal defense attorney. Salas met her husband when he was working as a prosecutor and she was working as a law school intern. He spotted her 'getting fingerprinted' and came over to talk to her, she told New Jersey Monthly in February 2018. 'We've been inseparable since 1992,' she said. All manner of state and local law enforcement agencies were gathered outside the home on Sunday night Crime scene tape could be seen stretching around the perimeter of the family home located in the Hiddlen Lake section of North Brunswick. The street has been closed off to traffic Judge Esther Salas is pictured with students in an August 2019 photo posted to Twitter New Jersey's politicians were quick to react including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy The daughter of a Cuban mother and a Mexican father, Judge Salas is well known in the community and often gives talks to school children and gives tours of the court New Jersey's politicians were quick to react. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement: 'Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn't done.' So far, police have not announced any arrests or named any suspects, however the FBI tweeted it was looking for 'one subject' in the shooting 'I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey's federal bench. 'My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice,' said Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez in a statement. The FBI, U.S. Marshals, New Jersey State Police along with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General have been on the scene of the shooting throughout Sunday evening. 'The FBI is investigating a shooting that took place at the home of Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick Township, NJ early this evening July 19. We are working closely with our state and local partners and will provide additional updates when available,' the bureau said in a statement. So far, police have not announced any arrests or named any suspects, however the FBI tweeted it was looking for 'one subject' in the shooting. Anyone who thinks they may have relevant information should call the FBI in Newark at 973-792-3001. Russia has reportedly assured Azerbaijan that a snap "combat readiness check" of Russian troops ordered by President Vladimir Putin is not connected with the latest hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu announced the start of the "check" on Friday, saying that it will test the readiness of Russian armed forces for the Caucasus-2020 military exercises scheduled for September. He said it involves 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels deployed in Russias southern and western military districts bordering Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov telephoned Shoygu on Saturday to discuss this military event and other issues of mutual interest. The Russian defense minister emphasized that this event was planned and is not connected in any way with the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, it quoted an unnamed military-diplomatic source as saying. The check began as Putin chaired a session of Russias Security Council that discussed deadly clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that broke out on July 12 and left at least 16 soldiers dead. According to the Kremlin, Putin and other top Russian officials expressed deep concern over the fighting and stressed the urgent need to stop it. The United States, the European Union as well as Iran have also urged Baku and Yerevan to show restraint without holding either side responsible for the escalation. By contrast, Turkey, Azerbaijans closest ally, has blamed the Armenian side and promised military aid to Baku, raising the prospect of a more direct Turkish involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday that the Armenians will certainly pay for what they have done to Azerbaijan. As part of its military alliance with Russia, Armenia hosts about 5,000 Russian troops mostly stationed along the South Caucasus states closed border with Turkey. The Russian military base headquartered in the Armenian city of Gyumri is technically part of Russias Southern Military District. Commenting on the check ordered by Putin, an Armenian military spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian said: Russia is a big country with a powerful military and it may often organize such activities. I cannot comment on their connection with political or other events. Hovannisian also told reporters that Russian troops stationed in Armenia as well as an Armenian army regiment will take part in Russias upcoming Caucasus-2020 war games. Violent clashes erupted over the weekend between two armed groups in the Brega region, in Libyas Oil Crescent, the Libyan National Oil Corporation said in a statement. Violent Clashes took place over the past 48 hours in the Brega region, only hundreds of meters away from oil tanks, between armed groups called Al-Saiqa and the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), all of whom belong to Khalifa Haftar, the NOCs statement read. They exchanged gunfire using medium-sized, 23mm-caliber firearms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), which reflects the lack of responsibility and military discipline among these armed groups, whose actions jeopardize oil facilities and threaten the safety of NOC workers as well the residents in the surrounding areas. Libya has been in the throes of a prolonged conflict between Khalifa Haftars Libyan National Army, which is affiliated with the eastern Libyan government, and the UN-recognized Government of National Accord. LNA affiliates blockaded Libyas oil export ports in January this year as part of the conflict, eventually reducing the countrys oil production from above 1 million bpd to less than 100,000 bpd. Earlier this month, the National Oil Corporation lifted the force majeure on oil exports that it had imposed following the blockade, potentially giving OPEC+ a headache in the coming months as the group continues to withhold supply from the market. Two days later, however, it reimposed the force majeure, citing the renewed blockade on the oil ports. Libya had planned to increase its oil production to 2.4 million bpd over the next four years, but this was before the blockade began in January. Now, the NOC says it expects average production to be 650,000 bpd in 2022, in the absence of an immediate restart of oil production and because of the states failure to provide the requested budgets to address the many challenges resulting from the blockade." By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Four SIU students earn Diversifying Higher Education Faculty fellowships by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Four Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate students have been chosen for the highly competitive Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Fellowship. Those selected from SIU are Bryan Cotton, Daniel VanOverbeke, Chelesea Lewellen, and Kimberly Turner. Diversifying higher education faculty The programs goal is increasing the number of minority full-time tenure track faculty and staff at Illinois higher education institutions. The Illinois General Assembly established the DFI program in 2004 and it is open to Illinois graduate students who are members of an underrepresented group. The Illinois Board of Higher Education picks the fellowship recipients through an extensive application process. The fellowship provides a tuition waiver and monthly stipend. Fellows also attend a conference and network with one another as they prepare for careers in higher education. Recipients must agree to seek positions in higher education in Illinois upon completing their education. Two returning fellows Turner and Lewellen are returning fellows. Turner, of Chicago, is a doctoral candidate in political science focusing on how labor market distortions initiate mass protest. Her research interests are civil resistance and civil unrest in developing countries and the role of labor markets and education policy in initiating nonviolent mass protests and shaping their outcomes. She earned her masters degree in political science from Loyola University Chicago and her bachelors degree in political science from DePaul University. She is a former intern for the Department of State in Port au Prince, Haiti, and for the United Nations Association of USA. Turner was formerly a full-time faculty member with City University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Her goal is securing a faculty position in academic or research in Illinois. Lewellen, of Chicago, is a doctoral candidate in educational administration. She earned the 2020 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award as a graduate assistant for Workforce Education and Development in the School of Education. Lewellen said she looks forward to a career as a university faculty member because she has a deep passion for teaching and social justice and a sincere belief in the value of continued education, collaborating and mentoring. Educators have an awesome responsibility to engage our students with meaningful dialog and interest subject matter, she said. Each semester, I challenge my students to create collaborative learning environments and safe spaces for themselves and their peers. Knowledge is transformative and I find it thrilling to participate in such a vibrant occupation while continuing my own never-ending path of knowledge. Two new fellows VanOverbeke and Cotton are first-time selections for the 2020-2021 academic year. VanOverbeke, of Lake Villa, Illinois is a multiple SIU alumnus, earning bachelors degrees in economics, finance and business economics. In addition, hes earned masters degrees in accounting, economics, agricultural economics, and media in mass communication and media arts at SIU. An avid chess player, VanOverbeke plans to teach English in Israel for a year after graduation and then become economics professor and continue his research in economic development. Cotton, of Dolton, Illinois, is a masters student in college student personnel. He served as a graduate assistant with fraternity and sorority life in the Office of Student Engagement this past year. He completed his undergraduate degree at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan and worked for several years at the international headquarters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He volunteers with a number of organizations and is active with the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors. After completing his degree, he intends to secure a university position in fraternity/sorority life or multicultural affairs. Prestigious and helpful Todd Bryson, interim associate chancellor for diversity, said it speaks well of SIU and its students to have four students selected as DFI fellows. I am very proud of Kimberly, Chelesea, Brian and Daniel. These four students represent SIU very well, Bryson said. The DFI program is a great program and allows the State of Illinois to keep its best and brightest working in Illinois. My goal over the next two years is to have 10 Salukis participating in the program. Annulment of Yandex brand protection challenged in Russias IP Court RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:37 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) - Yandex company filed an application against Russias Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) which had invalidated legal protection of Yandex Afisha brand, according to the Intellectual Property Court (IP Court). In April, the Chamber for Patent Disputes of Russias Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) met a request of Afisha company, a structure of Rambler Group, seeking to annul legal protection of Yandex Afisha brand owned by OOO Yandex. The claimant is the owner of Afisha word trademark and believes Yandex Afisha brand to be confusingly similar to it. Moreover, the claimant says it owns a range of brands such as Afisha.RU, Mobilnaya Afisha and so on, what, Afisha company insists, is an additional argument in its favor. After having examined the arguments presented by the parties, when Yandex challenged the position sustained by claimant on the basis that Yandex component of the brand prevents it to be confusingly similar with the claimants trademark, the Chamber ruled in the favor of Afisha company. Russias Intellectual Property Court (IP Court) is yet to hear four petitions of OOO Yandex seeking early cancellation of legal protection of word trademarks owned by Afisha company; the Federal Service for Intellectual Property is to be a third party in the dispute. Amid the dozens of important global headlines, one controversy in Europe has failed to make the newsworthy cut a court order revealed in early June that the prohibition of religious symbols, including head scarves, is not a violation of human rights in Belgian schools. In November of 2017, a group of Muslim women took action against the Brussels university Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer on the grounds of discrimination for refusing to permit students from wearing any political or religious symbols to maintain a neutral learning environment. The court order stated this prohibition was not in violation of the Belgian constitution, thus permitting higher educational institutions to forgo allowing visual religious representation within their facilities. This event has notably sparked massive uproar in the Belgian and global Muslim community demanding local universities to determine their position on head scarves around 12 schools thus far have stated they will not uphold the court decision within their facilities. Pro-hijab activism has not been limited to the thousands of tweets and posts under #HijabisFightBack and #TouchePasAMesEtudes, as thousands have taken to the streets in lively demonstrations against the court decision as well. On July 5, over 1,000 gathered at Mont des Arts in Brussels for a protest organized by feminist Imazi Reine and the organizations Belge Comme Vous and La 5e vague. Demonstrators toted humorous and bold signs, atoned graduation caps and masks, with many hijabis and non-hijabis alike chanting in the crowd. Controversial rulings on Islamic clothing is no novelty in Europe especially in the last two decades. In 2016, a potential ban in individual French cities on the burkini, a fully covered swimsuit, was overturned. The ban was supported for hygiene purposes and to maintain societal customs. In 2011, France completely banned the burqa, a covering that masks the entire face and body except the eyes, from all public spaces with a risk of fine or imprisonment. Belgium soon followed suit with this decision alongside nations like Denmark in 2018 and Austria in 2017. Ironically due to COVID-19, governments are encouraging and even mandating that masks be worn in public spaces made of household items like T-shirts, cloth, or scarves. Would a niqab, a fabric that covers the face excluding the eyes, be considered a mask or an oppressive security threat in Belgium today? These ongoing attacks on Islamic coverings pose important questions about the perception of women in European society are they only valued when they dress like the traditional norm? Continuous strife to control how women dress appears to be more oppressive than the perceived oppression of the actual clothing. There is no denying that gender inequality in the Middle East remains a major issue, but the core Islamic religion cannot be smeared by misinterpretation. Muslim women, myself included, choose to wear a hijab to symbolize modesty and submission to God not as people who require saving through the enforcement of ignorant laws. Alpha Tauri will 'do a Racing Point' if the FIA declares that the Silverstone based team's controversial 2020 car is fully legal. Renault rounded out the weekend's Hungarian GP by doubling down on its official protest against the car that is being called the 'pink Mercedes'. "We hope that after the FIA decision there will finally be clarity," Red Bull's top Austrian official Dr Helmut Marko told Sport1. The decision is expected either this week or early next week. "If the Racing Point is legal, we will do the same with Alpha Tauri," Marko announced. "Then there will be at least four Mercedes, four Red Bulls and maybe up to six Ferraris on the grid next year," said Marko. Marko said Alpha Tauri's former identity, Toro Rosso, only managed to win a grand prix with Sebastian Vettel in 2008 thanks to the earlier customer car era. The sport ended that practice soon afterwards, but Marko says the Racing Point protest outcome could "save our second team money while making it more competitive". Asked how Red Bull would go about it this time around, he answered: "With the Racing Point model. "Take a photo of the car from every angle and then reproduce the parts. We believe you could leave that effort out by simply defining what is allowed and what is not," said Marko. (GMM) Russia 'tried to influence 2014 Scottish independence referendum but did not interfere with the Brexit vote', a report on Moscow's meddling in UK politics will reveal later today. MPs and peers on the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) carried out an investigation into the threats Moscow poses to Britain. Their delayed report on Russia to be published today is expected to say not enough was done in Whitehall to establish what role Russia played in the June 2016 vote on whether the UK should stay in the EU. It will also question whether Britain has gone far enough in clamping down on the offshore wealth of Russian oligarchs and imposing tough sanctions on those linked to Vladimir Putin. Boris Johnson has come under criticism for delaying the publication of a report about alleged Russian meddling in the Brexit referendum The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) claims Russia tried to influence the 2014 Scottish independence referendum According to the Daily Telegraph, the Russian attempts to influence the 2014 referendum were 'the first post-Soviet interference in a Western democratic election'. A source claimed the report will criticise the way successive British governments have failed to respond to the way Vladimir Putin has changed his nation's relations with the West. Boris Johnson has come under criticism for delaying the publication of the report after it was cleared for release by spies in October last year. The 50-page report is the result of an 18-month investigation by the former Intelligence and Security Committee, chaired by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve. A Whitehall source who has read the paper said the more interesting parts of the findings have been removed for security reasons. This had apparently added to concerns in Downing Street that the redacted sections would fuel suspicion in the weeks leading up to the general election in December last year. The comprehensive report will outline ways that Moscow has allegedly attempted to interfere in Britains affairs. Sources said the document had no smoking gun but it did detail extensive claims of Russian meddling spanning a number of years. It will point to allegations of involvement from Moscow in 14 suspicious deaths on British soil, a third source confirmed. Russia may also have meddled in the Scottish independence referendum, according to the report, which follows an 18-month inquiry. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin Russia may also have meddled in the Scottish independence referendum, according to the report, which follows an 18-month inquiry. One senior Whitehall source who has read the findings said it raised concerns that not enough was done to investigate Russian interference in the Brexit referendum in 2016. Former MI6 spy Christopher Steele, who compiled the explosive Russia-Trump dossier, was among those who gave evidence to the ISC. In his testimony to the committee, he wrote: My understanding, arising partly from personal experience with the Trump-Russia dossier, is that this Government perhaps more than its predecessors is reluctant to see (or act upon) intelligence on Russian activities when this presents difficult wider political implications. Former MI6 spy Christopher Steele (pictured), who compiled the explosive Russia-Trump dossier, was among those who gave evidence to the ISC Examples of this include reporting on the Kremlins likely hold over President Trump and his family/administration and indications of Russian interference in and clandestine funding of the Brexit referendum. Dominic Grieve, former chairman of the ISC, said: Im delighted it is finally coming out, it is nine months later than it should have been and there was no good reason not to publish it in October last year. Now people will have a better understanding on the threat Russia poses and if we are doing enough to counter it. Tory MP Dr Julian Lewis sparked a storm last week when he was elected as the new ISC chairman despite attempts by Downing Street to put former cabinet minister Chris Grayling in the post. Hope Macias signs a petition organized by workers demanding that Augie's Coffee reopen. The Inland Empire chain recently shut down for what it says are coronavirus-related reasons, but former workers claim it was in retaliation for unionizing. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) It was just like the heady pre-pandemic days at Augies Coffee on a recent Friday morning in downtown Riverside. About 80 regulars lined up outside the beloved Inland Empire mini-chain, which had meticulously built its reputation as a neighborhood hub through delicious drinks and woke politics. College students and county workers, cyclists in their spandex finest and flaneurs waited patiently for cold-brewed coffee, vegan cupcakes and breakfast tacos while chatting up their favorite baristas. All the hubbub happened outside, though. Augies was closed perhaps permanently. On July 4, the company announced the immediate shutdown of its five locations and laid off 54 employees, just a week after workers announced they planned to become one of the few unionized coffee shops in the U.S. Father-and-son owners Andy and Austin Amento blamed the demise of their business on the economic and health ravages of the coronavirus. In an interview conducted via email, Austin Amento, 31, maintained that the shutdown happened after a rapid loss of profits and a rash of managers quitting made him and his father worried that we were in line to become the next [coronavirus] hot spot. The regulars didn't buy it. Brianda Medina became emotional seeing customer support for the fired workers at the Riverside location of Augie's Coffee. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Many of the chain's workers had been customers first who were inspired to join the type of company that regularly helped nonprofits and applauded staff for organizing and participating in vigils for George Floyd. Now, customers were signing up for a different kind of activism. They stood in the blistering sun to put their name on a petition demanding that the Amentos rehire their workers. Someone had covered up an Augies logo with a poster that said Community, not coffee. Nearly everyone wore red, white and black pins that read "Augie's Union." I see my baristas more than I do my own family, said 20-year-old Marcial Zaroff-Hernandez of Yucaipa, who was there with his brother Ezra. Their go-to order: large coffee with oat milk. Im so proud of what theyre doing. Story continues These people are the backbone of our community, said Norman Ellstrand, a UC Riverside genetics professor who stopped by once a week before the university halted in-person classes in March. He was there with his wife, also a UC Riverside professor. So of course we would come out to support. It feels like my parents are getting a divorce, said 35-year-old Redlands resident Freedom Rode. I still dont want to believe what happened. Whats going on with Augies is drawing attention from more than just caffeine fiends. The company's struggle has attracted interest from baristas nationwide, as well as from local labor leaders who see the battle as a small-scale referendum on the Inland Empires economy. These young people are working people, too, said Karen Macias, a vice president for the AFL-CIOs Inland Empire Labor Council. She attended the Augies rally with a fellow board member and a platoon of tough-looking Teamsters who looked like their idea of fancy coffee was a Styrofoam cup paired with a bear claw. Its important to show up and support people fighting for an Inland Empire thats not all low-paying jobs, Macias continued. Were not cheap labor and land anymore. Workers organized a petition drive in front of the Riverside location, demanding that Augie's Coffee reopen. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Unionized coffee shops remain a rarity in an industry in which worker turnover is high and wages perpetually low. Two small New York-based chains have organized Gimme! Coffee in 2018 and Spot Coffee earlier this year and thats about it. This sector is crying out for unionization, said Mark Meinster, international representative for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, which helped Augies staff unionize the first-ever coffee shop to join the UE in its 84-year history. Meinster added that many workers at small businesses feel guilty even thinking about organizing, because no one believes their employers are Amazon or Walmart. But coronavirus has sparked a large-scale rethinking. Theres an added urgency," Meinster said, "given the immediate life-or-death safety issues many face. Thats what Augies workers say pushed them to organize. Melodye Anderson, 31, had worked at Augie's for six years. She handed out her vegan cupcakes underneath a tent while explaining the situation to the hungry. I felt we were working for a true ethical company, said the Redlands resident. We made our own syrups and cared about issues. But us losing our jobs showed the opposite. Im heartbroken. The problems started in May, when Augies began to slowly regain business. Employees who had refused to show up to work in the spring due to coronavirus fears said they found themselves shut out of shifts. Employees said they gave up hours so their colleagues could come back. Soon, everyone began to grumble about years of promised raises that hadn't happened and fear of job security as California deals with economic calamity and mandated shutdowns. We had some vague talks about what we could do, said catering manager Daniel Storll, 28. Any talk of unionization was the most hypothetical that it could be. Freedom Rode, center, and others at a rally in support of fired Augie's workers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) He and others reached out to the Democratic Socialists of America, which has a partnership with UE to organize workers. After a couple of video chats, Augies workers agreed that a union was the best way forward. At a tense town hall June 26 at the Redlands warehouse, they asked the Amentos to accept the request. We thought that the most devastating reaction was that they wouldnt recognize the union, and then wed have to go to a vote, said Anderson. Not lose our jobs. There was no hint wed get shut down, said 30-year-old Riverside resident Josh Penunuri. Augies had just bought expensive slushie machines for all of its locations and launched a social media campaign to promote the new item for summer. The layoffs gripped the Inland Empires activist scene; more than 150 people showed up to jeer the Amentos July 5 at company headquarters while Augies workers grabbed their severance checks. A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $21,000 for workers, and the UE filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that Augies laid off its workers as retaliation. Austin Amento denied the charge and added that his former staff has clarified that they have good intentions with their desire for a union, and we believe them. Asked whether Augies would ever reopen, Amento said some locations may potentially return, depending on how the pandemic plays out. Rehiring would be on a case-by-case basis, regardless of past interest in unionization," he said. In the meantime, Augie's offers local delivery for extra-large latte orders. That led to Augie's Union calling for a boycott, while its members told their individual stories on Instagram. Its been a trip to see the beginning and the end, said barista Brianda Medina, 28. She helped to open the Riverside location and mingled with loyal customers during the Friday gathering. Its just been a lot of years of miscommunications [with management]. We didnt feel like we were appreciated. We want to be important to them. Medina looked around and began to tear up. Its good to see," she said, "that our customers care, at least. COVID-19 or not, partial claim settlement remains the top-most complaint in the health insurance segment. Charges exceeding reasonable and customary rates, disease-wise capping and proportionate deduction clauses are the other key contributors, Milind Kharat, Insurance Ombudsman, Mumbai and Goa, tells Preeti Kulkarni in this exclusive interview. How have you been managing hearings during COVID-times, given that Mumbai has been the worst-affected city? How are policyholders attending hearings during this time? We have kept our office open, adhering to the guidelines of the local government. Complaints received via email are registered. We conduct online hearings with complainants and companies through video calls from office or from home. The awards passed are emailed to complainants and companies. Have there have been several complaints from patient-policyholders on insurance companies deducting amounts, particularly related to personal protection equipment (PPE) and other consumable charges, resulting in lower claim settlement? We have received a few complaints on COVID-19 claims. We have heard a couple of them relating to deductions from the claimed amount, and awards are being issued. The complaints first go to the companies grievance redressal mechanism; so, if there are more complaints, they will take them some time to reach the ombudsman offices. For COVID-19 claims, IRDAI has issued some guidelines and clarifications. The General Insurance Council has also come out with certain guidelines on treatment expenses under COVID-19 claims. We would take into account all these while resolving the complaints. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The IRDAI has also issued guidelines to insurers on denial of cashless claims by some hospitals, directing insurers to take action such hospitals Cashless facility is extended by insurers through their network hospitals by entering into agreements with them. If hospitals deny cashless claims and do not adhere to agreements with insurers, they can also be moved out of the networks. IRDAI has advised insurance companies to ensure that the hospitals extend cashless facilities for COVID-19 cases. If they dont, then action may be taken against the hospitals. On their part, insurers should proactively communicate with hospitals in advance to resolve any issues. This is where a hospital regulator could have helped, but insurers can complain to government authorities, the IRDAI has conveyed. If patients are denied cashless claims, they have to get the bills reimbursed by insurers and tend to receive lower claim settlement. What is the way out for policyholders? For COVID-19 and even in general, insurers sometimes make deductions on the grounds that hospital charges are high, under the customary and reasonable charges clause of the policy. They determine this on the basis of rates charged for similar procedures by similar hospitals in the city. But customary and reasonable charges are subjective and open to interpretation what is reasonable for one entity need not be so for another. This leads to disputes. Customers do approach us when they feel they have received lower claim amounts. We take a call on the dispute on the basis of the policys terms and conditions. Could you elaborate further on the other reasons for disputes? Disease-wise capping and proportionate deductions due to higher-than-eligible room rent, pre-existing diseases and non-disclosure (of existing conditions) are among the major causes of disputes. Other reasons are application of waiting period for certain diseases, capping in the policy, not giving continuity benefits under ported policy and various exclusions. For example, cataract surgery costs are often capped. But some hospitals charge over Rs 1 lakh, which insurers reimburse for lesser amounts. Customers often feel aggrieved here. Likewise, insurers fix package rates for certain procedures like angiography or angioplasty with network hospitals, but the hospitals charge more. We then look into policy terms to decide the cases. For example, if the package rate is not charged and its billed on an open tariff, then we ask insurers to compensate policyholders. Proportionate deduction is another major reason. If the room rent is capped at one per cent of the sum insured of, say, Rs 5 lakh and patient chooses a Rs 10,000-room, then all payable expenses are reduced proportionately except the costs of medicine. However, insurers, sometimes make mistakes in calculations. They cannot reduce the claim proportionately if the hospital does not follow differential pricing for room categories. That is, if the only difference is due to room rent and other expenses are fixed and not linked to room type, insurers cannot apply blanket proportionate deduction clause for the entire claim. Exclusions due to pre-existing diseases is also a key contributor to complaints. IRDAI has taken several steps to bring about standardisation of exclusion wordings and specify standard definition of pre-existing diseases, which will ensure greater clarity. When insurers do not take proper decisions as per policy terms or claim denial or deductions do not have justifiable reasons, the orders go against insurance companies. Do most life insurance complaints continue to be related to mis-selling of insurance products? What further steps can the regulator take to curb the practice? Most common complaints from life insurance are about mis-sale. Now, IRDAI has taken many steps including guidelines on benefit illustrations for curtailing mis-selling. Further steps could be taken in creating awareness amongst customers and customer education. Also, companies need to curb such practices by putting in place strong controlling mechanisms during sale as well as at the grievance redressal stage. How can policyholders insulate themselves against mis-selling? Mis-selling happens by promising loans, bonuses on lapsed policies, revival of lapsed policies or refund on such policies. Distributors also sell regular premium policies despite promising a single premium plan. On their part, policyholders should not get carried away by tall promises made by agents or intermediaries. They should directly verify with the insurer. Ask the insurance company representative to put the promises in writing. They should be alert and read the policy wordings themselves within the free-look period. What are the grounds on which the insurance ombudsman offices can reject complaints? If the claims are considered as per terms and conditions of the policy, such cases get rejected by the ombudsman. Complaints could also get rejected if the policyholder does not file the complaint within 12 months of insurer denying the claim or sending the final reply. However, on the case-to-case basis, we do entertain complaints even if not filed within the stipulated time period after calling for comments from insurance company. By Associated Press LONDON: Scientists at Oxford University say their experimental coronavirus vaccine has been shown in an early trial to prompt a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot. British researchers first began testing the vaccine in April in about 1,000 people, half of whom got the experimental vaccine. Such early trials are designed to evaluate safety and see what kind of immune response was provoked, but can't tell if the vaccine truly protects. Oxfords Covid-19 vaccine produces a good immune response, reveals new study. Teams at @VaccineTrials and @OxfordVacGroup have found there were no safety concerns, and the vaccine stimulated strong immune responses: https://t.co/krqRzXMh7B pic.twitter.com/Svd3MhCXWZ University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) July 20, 2020 In research published Monday in the journal Lancet, scientists said that they found their experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55 that lasted at least two months after they were immunized. We are seeing good immune response in almost everybody, said Dr. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University. What this vaccine does particularly well is trigger both arms of the immune system, he said. Hill said that neutralizing antibodies are produced molecules which are key to blocking infection. In addition, the vaccine also causes a reaction in the body's T-cells which help to fight off the coronavirus. The experimental COVID-19 vaccine caused minor side effects like fever, chills and muscle pain more often than in those who got a control meningitis vaccine. Hill said that larger trials evaluating the vaccine's effectiveness, involving about 10,000 people in the U.K. as well as participants in South Africa and Brazil are still underway. Another big trial is slated to start in the U.S. soon, aiming to enroll about 30,000 people. ALSO READ | UK secures 90 million doses of potential coronavirus vaccines How quickly scientists are able to determine the vaccine's effectiveness will depend largely on how much more transmission there is, but Hill estimated they might have sufficient data by the end of the year to decide if the vaccine should be adopted for mass vaccination campaigns. He said the vaccine seemed to produce a comparable level of antibodies to those produced by people who recovered from a COVID-19 infection and hoped that the T-cell response would provide extra protection. There's increasing evidence that having a T-cell response as well as antibodies could be very important in controlling COVID-19, Hill said. He suggested the immune response might be boosted after a second dose; their trial tested two doses administered about four weeks apart. Hill said Oxford's vaccine is designed to reduce disease and transmission. It uses a harmless virus a chimpanzee cold virus, engineered so it cant spread to carry the coronavirus spike protein into the body, which should trigger an immune system response. ALSO READ | FDA gives emergency approval for Quest COVID-19 test for 'pooled' sample use Hill said Oxford has partnered with drugmaker AstraZeneca to produce their vaccine globally, and that the company has already committed to making 2 billion doses. Even 2 billion doses may not be enough, he said, underlining the importance of having multiple shots to combat the coronavirus. There was a hope that if we had a vaccine quickly enough, we could put out the pandemic, Hill said, noting the continuing surge of infections globally. I think its going to be very difficult to control this pandemic without a vaccine. Numerous countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, U.S. and the U.K. have all signed deals to receive hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine which has not yet been licensed with the first deliveries scheduled for the fall. British politicians have promised that if the shot proves effective, Britons will be the first to get it. Chinese researchers also published a study on their experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the Lancet on Monday, using a similar technique as the Oxford scientists. They reported that in their study of about 500 people, an immune response was detected in those who were immunized. But they noted that because the participants weren't exposed to the coronavirus afterwards, it wasn't possible to tell if they were protected from the disease. CanSino Biologics vaccine is made similarly to Oxfords except the Chinese shot is made with a human cold virus, and the study showed people whose bodies recognized it didnt get as much of the presumed COVID-19 benefit. Still, Chinas government already gave special approval for the military to use CanSinos vaccine while it explores final-stage studies. In an accompanying editorial, Naor Bar-Zeev and William Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health called both the Oxford and Chinese results encouraging" but said further judgment should wait until the vaccine is tested on much bigger populations. Bar-Zeev and Moss also called for any effective COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed equitably around the world. Global planning is underway, but should be underpinned and informed by specific local realities, they wrote. Only this way can these very encouraging first earlyphase randomised trial results yield the global remedy for which we all yearn. Last week, American researchers announced that the first COVID-19 vaccine tested there boosted peoples immune systems just as scientists had hoped and the shots will now enter the final phase of testing. That vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna, produced the molecules key to blocking infection in volunteers who got it, at levels comparable to people who survived a COVID-19 infection. Nearly two dozen potential vaccines are in various stages of human testing worldwide, with a handful entering necessary late-stage testing to prove effectiveness. British officials said Monday they had also signed a deal to buy 90 million doses of experimental COVID-19 vaccines being developed by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and others. In a statement, the British government said it had secured access to a vaccine candidate being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, in addition to another experimental vaccine researched by Valneva. The vegetation wildfire is located near the Hermitage. We're currently dealing with a vegetation wildfire near the Hermitage in Lucan. Smoke is reducing visibility on nearby roads pic.twitter.com/Pd2R8a6Yhq Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) July 20, 2020 Dublin Fire Brigade has warned that drivers should expect reduced visibility in the area, as smoke is blowing on to nearby roads. #DUBLIN Smoke from a nearby fire is affecting visibility in the Lucan area. More here: https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) July 20, 2020 Millions of children fail to reach their developmental potential worldwide, in part due to higher rates of exposure to current and legacy pollutants. Researchers studying chemical exposures among children in Uruguay turned to an unlikely data collection device as part of a recent study: silicone wristbands. These wristbands -- the kind many people around the world wear to show their support for a cause or organization -- are extremely effective in capturing certain types of harmful chemicals, and they're easy for children to wear. Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the Catholic University of Uruguay used the wristbands to examine the extent of chemical exposure among a small group of children in Montevideo, Uruguay. The 6- to 8-year-olds wore the bands for seven days. After analyzing the wristbands, researchers found an average of 13 pollutants in each one collected. Some of the wristbands showed exposure to DDT, a harmful pesticide that has been banned for use in many countries, including the U.S., since the 1970s. The study, published recently in the journal Science of the Total Environment, is the first to apply silicone wristbands to measure children's exposure to chemicals in a country outside of the U.S. The study was conducted as part of an ongoing research project in Montevideo led by Katarzyna "Kasia" Kordas, PhD, the paper's senior author. Kordas is an associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions and co-director of UB's Community for Global Health Equity. The UB RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute provided funding for the study. advertisement "One of the key findings from this research is that we still observe industrial and agricultural chemicals that have been banned from production for years and even decades," said Steven C. Travis, the study's first author, who is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry in UB's College of Arts and Sciences. "We were also able to find specific differences between chemical exposures of the children in our study compared to children in the U.S., and identify potential reasons for differences in exposure," added Travis, whose major PhD adviser, Diana Aga, Henry Woodburn Professor of Chemistry in UB's College of Arts and Sciences, is a paper co-author. Silicone wristbands have become a popular method in recent years to measure personal exposures to organic chemicals because they are easy to wear and are a non-invasive sampling method. They also have a greater capacity to hold semi-volatile chemicals, and can capture chemicals for a longer period of time. More than 1,500 chemicals have been sampled using silicone wristbands, Travis said. Researchers analyzed wristbands in this study for 45 chemicals from among five groups: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and novel halogenated flame-retardant chemicals (NHFRs). NHFRs were the only chemical group not detected. Anywhere from eight to 19 chemicals were detected in each of 23 wristbands collected. "The use of wristbands as a personal sampling device is an excellent alternative for assessing what harmful chemicals are accumulating in children's bodies, rather than the old-fashioned way of collecting blood and measuring the chemical concentrations in the blood," said Aga. advertisement PCBs were found in 19 of the 23 wristbands. The researchers noted that the entry and trade of PCBs wasn't regulated in Uruguay until 2007, and that there were an estimated 40,000 transformers -- a major source of PCBs -- operating in the country in 2006. The presence of PBDEs was confirmed in 22 out of 23 wristbands. Concentrations of this chemical group, however, were much lower than those found in U.S. studies. That was surprising, according to the researchers. "With this study, we've been able to link different exposures to certain lifestyle characteristics," Travis said. "For example, we are able to suggest that not having carpets in the home may lead to lower exposure to brominated flame retardants, which were used widely in the production of carpet padding. Also, with the use of other studies, we can uncover differences in exposure based on various modes of transportation." Eleven wristbands contained all six OPFRs analyzed. Pesticides were also present, including DDT, which was found in 20 wristbands. "It is very concerning that young children are exposed to multiple chemicals, including those that have been banned in the U.S. because of demonstrated harms to health," said Kordas. "We know that when chemicals occur together in so-called mixtures, they could be more detrimental to children's development than each chemical alone." Travis added, "This emphasizes that we need to be more careful with the chemicals that we use for industrial and agricultural purposes, since they have the potential to remain in the environment and can affect people over decades." SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, joined San Francisco city leaders, among others, on Monday to announce new state legislation that would end mandatory jail sentences for people accused of nonviolent drug offenses. Under the current law, judges are banned from sentencing first-time offenders of non-violent drug crimes to probation. Additionally, judges are also banned from sentencing someone to probation who has a prior drug offense and has been convicted of a second offense like personal drug possession, Wiener said. Senate Bill 378, however, would repeal that law and give judges more discretion, allowing them to sentence those convicted of such offenses to probation and rehabilitative programs instead of jail time, if and when appropriate. According to Wiener, the laws establishing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offense were established in the 1980s -- during the country's War on Drugs -- and resulted in overcrowded prisons, full of mostly low-income people and people of color. "We have seen the damage that this mass incarceration in California has caused; tearing communities apart and tearing families apart, making it harder and harder to rehabilitate people and reintegrate people into society," Wiener said during an online news conference Monday. Previous versions of the bill have been introduced several times in the past years by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, and Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. The two have coauthored the bill's latest version along with Wiener. Although the bill has been in the works for years, Wiener said with COVID-19 spreading through the state's prisons, the time to push SB 378 forward is now. "We're seeing the spread around our prison system and it shows once more the huge downside of overincarcerating," he said. "Judges are actually forced to incarcerate people who would better be treated and supervised in their own communities under probation," Carrillo said. "Mass incarceration impacts families across our state and consumes billions of dollars that California should be investing in schools, infrastructure, health care, mental health and rehabilitation programs. Now over overcrowding and inadequate access to medical care has left correctional facilities across our state particularly vulnerable and defenseless against COVID-19." "Mandatory minimums have for far too long disproportionately impacted people of color and our working community," San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said. "It is high time that we recognize that these mandatory minimums and the power that they implicate for district attorneys has been abused. It's led to spiraling incarceration. It's led to disproportionate sentencing for people of color and meanwhile the war on drugs continues to cost the U.S. over $47 billion a year, even though we know it is a failure." "This is clearly a step in the right direction," San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju said. "This is expensive injustice. And the racial disparities because of where law enforcement is choosing to devote their resources are startling." 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. Boris Johnson today insisted he will not be 'pushed into becoming a knee jerk Sinophobe' as he warned Britain cannot 'completely abandon' its relationship with China despite rising tensions with Beijing. The Prime Minister said the UK does have 'serious concerns' about China's behaviour on issues like human rights abuses and Hong Kong. But he said China is 'going to be a giant factor in our lives, in the lives of our children and our grandchildren' and as a result Britain must adopt a 'calibrated response' of being 'tough on some things' while also continuing to engage on others. Mr Johnson's comments, made during a visit to a school in Kent this morning, came after MPs warned the UK is 'sliding towards a cold war' with China and it must 'work with its allies' to tell Beijing 'enough is enough'. Meanwhile, Dominic Raab will this afternoon announce the UK is suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a controversial national security law on the former British colony. It is thought he will say extradition arrangements will be shelved rather than completely torn up, with the latter option apparently being held back as a 'final lever to pull' should China fail to change tack. The move will prompt a further escalation in tensions between Britain and China with the two nations having clashed repeatedly in recent months over coronavirus, Hong Kong, Huawei and human rights. Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said it is time for a 'reset of our entire foreign policy' towards China after too long of 'turning a blind eye' to Beijing's unacceptable behaviour. Mr Raab's announcement on extradition will come on the same day that Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, is due to fly into the UK ahead of talks with the Foreign Secretary and Mr Johnson tomorrow. Boris Johnson, pictured during a visit to a school in Kent this morning, said the UK cannot 'completely abandon' engagement with China amid rising tensions with Beijing Mr Johnson said he would not be 'pushed into becoming a knee jerk Sinophobe' as he called for the UK to take a 'calibrated' approach to dealing with China The PM's comments came as Dominic Raab is expected to today announce that the UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong is going to be shelved Why is the UK suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong? China imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong at the end of June this year. The controversial legislation criminalises secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces but also curtails rights to protest and freedom of speech. Crucially, the rules apply outside the borders of China. This has stoked fears Beijing could try to use the extradition mechanism to drag any overseas residents involved in pro-democracy activism back to Hong Kong. The UK does currently have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong but it does not have one with China. There are fears that people could be extradited back to Hong Kong to be unfairly punished. Canada and Australia have both already suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong with the US currently considering whether to also follow suit. Advertisement However, while Mr Pompeo's visit was initially viewed as a likely 'victory lap' over the UK's decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from the 5G network, it has now been suggested he will hold the Prime Minister's 'feet to the fire' and urge even tougher action against Beijing. Meanwhile, Mr Pompeo is due to meet with a cross-party group of 20 MPs who are seen as 'hawks' on China before his meeting with the Foreign Secretary and PM in a move which will be seen by some as a snub to Number 10. Relations between Britain and China have rapidly deteriorated in recent months and Mr Raab's announcement on extradition will further inflame tensions, with Beijing having already warned the UK faces retaliation over its Huawei U-turn. Both Canada and Australia have suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong and the US is considering taking the same action. The moves come after China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong which criminalises secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces but also curtails rights to protest and freedom of speech. The rules apply outside the borders of China and this has stoked fears Beijing could try to use the extradition mechanism to drag any overseas residents involved in pro-democracy activism back to Hong Kong. The UK does not have an extradition treaty with China. Britain has already offered a route to UK citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers with British National (Overseas) status in response to the law being put in place. How the Hong Kong row between China and the UK unfolded June 2: Dominic Raab urges China not to go ahead with a proposed national security law and says the UK will offer a path to citizenship for Hong Kongers with BNO status if Beijing proceeds. June 30: The Chinese government decides to go ahead with imposing the law despite mounting international pressure, prompting an instant rebuke from the UK. July 1: Mr Raab makes a formal offer to up to three million Hong Kongers to come to the UK and announces a review of extradition arrangements. July 3: Canada suspends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. July 6: China'a Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, accuses Britain of a 'gross interference in China's internal affairs'. July 9: Australia suspends its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. July 20: The Foreign Secretary is expected to announce the UK is also suspending extradition arrangements with the former British colony. Advertisement Mr Johnson was asked this morning if the UK is going to reset its relationship with China and he replied: Lets be very clear, there is a balance here and I am not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uighur minority, obviously about the human rights abuses. We obviously have concerns about what is happening in Hong Kong and you will be hearing a bit later on from the foreign secretary about how we are going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about what is happening with the security law in Hong Kong. We have to think about the human rights, the rights of the people of Hong Kong to participate in democratic processes. He added: What we wont do, as I say, is completely abandon our policy of engagement with China. China is a giant fact of geopolitics, it is going to be a giant factor in our lives, in the lives of our children and our grand children. We have got to have a calibrated response and we are going to be tough on some things but also we are going to continue to engage. The expected shift on extradition comes a week after the Government announced it is banning Huawei from the UK's 5G network, with all of the firm's technology to be stripped out by the end of 2027. China is likely to dominate discussions during talks between Mr Pompeo, Mr Raab and Mr Johnson tomorrow. The 'hawk' MPs Mr Pompeo is also due to meet with believe the US Secretary of State will urge Mr Raab and Mr Johnson to further strengthen the UK's stance against China. The move by the Foreign Secretary comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to fly into the UK for talks with Mr Raab which will be dominated by China One source told The Telegraph: 'The visit has been written up as a victory lap, but that is plainly wrong. 'The Americans are not even remotely satisfied and the purpose of this trip is to hold the Prime Minister 's feet to the fire.' Mr Ellwood, a former defence minister, warned last night that the UK is 'sliding towards a cold war' with China having 'been duped over the last couple of decades' by Beijing. He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme: 'I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy, bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war, we can't do this on our own, we need to work with our allies. 'We turned a blind eye to what was going on with the Uighur population, we turned a blind eye to the uneven trade situation whereby Chinese companies could operate quite liberally within the UK and elsewhere but our companies couldn't operate within China and now I think it's time to say enough is enough.' China accused the UK of 'dancing to America's tune' in the wake of the Huawei U-turn. The White House has long urged its allies not to use the firm's technology over national security concerns - concerns Huawei has always rejected. Tensions increased yesterday as Mr Raab accused Beijing of being responsible for 'gross egregious human rights abuses'. China's Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, was confronted during a BBC interview with video footage of Uighur people being detained and forced onto a train in Xinjiang province. Mr Liu dismissed claims of human rights abuses as 'false accusations' as he hit back at suggestions that the UK could impose sanctions on any Chinese government officials involved in any such action. He said: 'That is totally wrong. We never believe the unilateral section. We believe that the UN has the authority to you know impose sanctions, and if the UK government goes that far, goes that far to impose sanctions on any individuals in China, China will certainly make resolute response to it. 'You have seen what happened between China and the United States. They sanctioned Chinese officials, we sanctioned their Senators, their officials. 'I do not want to see this tit for tat that has happened in China, UK relations. I think UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than dance to the tune of Americans, like what happened to Huawei.' Subscriber content preview OLYMPIA The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board on Thursday approved $3.2 million in grants and low-interest loans for community and economic development and rural broadband infrastructure in Cowlitz, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish and Walla Walla counties. Top awards included a $1.5 million loan and $500,000 grant to the town of Darrington to support the construction of a wood innovation center, and a $375,000 loan and $375,000 grant to the Port of Woodland for engineering and construction of dark fiber infrastructure. . . . Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:10:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday hailed Syria's recent parliamentary elections as "successful," said the ministry's website. In a statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the Syrian elections were held at a time when Syrian people experienced pains and hardship because of the conflicts and damage imposed by "terrorist groups, the presence of foreign occupying forces, and cruel unilateral sanctions." He expressed hope that recent elections in Syria would be a step towards peace, stability, and progress of political talks among Syria political groups. Iran has been a major ally of the Syrian government in its fight against the armed rebels since 2011. Enditem Shark fin dishes at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Korea Times file By Ko Dong-hwan Korean activists are targeting seven top-rated Seoul hotels that serve shark fin dishes. The activists are boycotting the establishments for ignoring ecological damage and because of human rights violations linked to the illegal stripping of fins from sharks. The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM) named Lotte Hotel Seoul, Lotte Hotel World, The Shilla Seoul, Grand Walkerhill Seoul, Westin Chosun, Le Meridien Seoul and Koreana Hotel after surveying 25 premium hotels in Seoul. KFEM said the number of Seoul hotels serving shark fin dishes was down from 12 in 2016, when the organization began campaigning against hotels selling shark fin soup and other shark fin dishes. "Our 2016 campaign had aroused enough public attention and support to deter some of the hotels from selling the foods," the activists said. KFEM released its report on July 14, which is internationally observed as Shark Awareness Day. The controversial reality of the shark fin industry was publicized in May by public interest advocacy group APIL. Kim Jong-chul from the Seoul-based group revealed how a Chinese fishing vessel exploited Indonesian sailors to maximize profits from catching and trading shark fins from around Samoa in the Pacific Ocean. Long Xing 629, described by Kim, was a tuna-catching vessel owned by Dalian Ocean Fishing but had special equipment for hooking sharks. The vessel left Busan in April 2019 and caught more than 20 sharks each day for 13 months. By the end of the journey, the vessel had 18 boxes each weighing 45 kilograms of shark fins. The sharks had their fins cut off and were then thrown back into the water where they were left to die because they could not swim. The sharks included mako sharks and smooth hammerheads, which are endangered. "There were 11 other Chinese vessels around Samoan islands that also caught sharks for the same purpose as Long Xing 629," Kim said in the report. "Because stripping sharks of their fins at the cost of the creatures' lives was illegal, the vessels, as they approached nearby ports, moved the boxes of fins to other ships to avoid possibly being searched." Shark fins being dried in Jakarta, Indonesia. Reuters-Yonhap Charlottesville City Council is ready to dole out about $2.3 million to area nonprofits and set guidelines for community meetings as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The council will allocate the money in the Vibrant Community Fund during its meeting Monday. The fund is the new iteration of the former Agency Budget Review Team process that the city uses to determine how it contributes money to nonprofits. About $2.3 million was available through the process for fiscal 2021. The city has been revising the process since 2018 and scored applications through a funding matrix focusing on the services provided and the quality of applications. Earlier this year, the council decided to fund certain programs at different levels based on where they fell within the scoring matrix. None of the applications would receive total funding. A majority of the money will go to 22 programs funded at 90% of their request for $1.37 million. Eleven projects were funded at 50% for $277,340 and 11 projects were funded at 60% for $410,100. Eleven arts and culture programs will receive 75% of their request for a total of $118,779. The process was derailed because of the pandemic, and last month, the council held a work session to go over revised applications that focus on how the pandemic has affected services and how nonprofits are adapting to a new way of life. The largest sum is going to the Child Health Partnership, which will receive $310,847 for its Home Visiting Collaborative. Other six-figure recipients are Offender Aid and Restoration, with $293,392; Shelter for Help in Emergency, at $202,500; Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless, with $130,500; and Piedmont Housing Alliance, at $128,201. In other business, the council will consider regulations on community meetings related to land-use applications. Development applications that werent submitted before the coronavirus pandemic started moving through the review process earlier this summer. The city recently started accepting applications that only required administrative review, but not proposals that needed a community meeting as part of the approval process because parameters for those meetings hadnt been approved. The Department of Neighborhood Development Services has proposed several regulations to govern how the meetings must be held. For rezonings and special-use permits, applicants must hold a virtual community meeting and allow people to provide comments electronically or by mail. Mail-in comments must be accepted for a minimum of 45 days from when neighbors were notified of the project. Virtual meetings must be recorded and available free of charge for video or telephone participation and the software must allow applicants to share site plans, illustrations and other documents. Participants will be given at least three minutes to ask questions or provide comments during the meeting. The proposed regulations also require that meetings are scheduled outside of business hours, preferably between 5:30 and 8 p.m. For site plan conferences, applicants must hold a similar level of public meeting, but only have to accept written comments for 30 days. To view the proposal, visit tinyurl.com/NDSguidelines. The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday. To register to participate, visit charlottesville.gov/zoom. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. During a briefing today, Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric declared that the UN Secretary-General calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to show restraint since the large-scale conflict between the states will become a disaster. Dujarric added that the Secretary-General is following the growing escalation between Azerbaijan and Armenia with deep concern and is calling for maximum restraint, stating that the large-scale conflict between the two countries will become a disaster. It all started so peacefully: people queued well-behaved with 1.5 meters distance on a Sunday morning in the mile-long Baker in line to wait behind the proper mask and with a, at least, to perceive the Smile to be patient. Prudent neighbors who went for the older Couple on the sixth floor for weeks shopping, so this is no infection, and had to risk exposing. Grateful residents, the clapped in the evening on the balcony, to show solidarity with the hospital and nursing staff, with Bank tellers and cashiers, who put every day their health at risk, so that life could somehow go on. This was not a war, because everyone had to eat, no one had to fight with weapons. This was an exceptional situation, which was initially accepted by all as such - and also: short term, everything is different. Johanna Duerr wood editor in the Department of society FAZ.NET F. A. Z. But the exception remained, and became the rule, it is Resignation, followed, followed, also it must be said low infection numbers in Germany, it is the summer and the feeling of being followed: no one can tell us how it goes. It's just always the way it had once been, never will be again. The on-the-Corona-the time we get back. It is never "normal" again. But how it is then? The awkwardness, the fainting these feelings can avoid many, except perhaps those who have financially set for life, or their business wouldn't be affected by a recession. Instead of good classified in bakery queues and to wait for an uncertain future, so Corona-deniers, conspiracy theorists and angry, of course. The cities at night, littered of party-goers, distance rules do not seem to apply in a large city Park anyway, and the potential for Aggression seems to be increasing: whether it Be to death, beat the bus driver in France who wanted to leave the passengers without masks a ride. Or the angry customer of a fast-food restaurants in Bremen, the Burger was not up to your expectations at the end you fought with the employees. Or the countless cashiers and cashier, the reports of verbal abuse by customers. Updated Date: 20 July 2020, 08:19 Lashkar module busted: Tiffin box from Pakistan with cash seized India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: A Lashkar-e-Tayiba module has been busted in Jammu and Kashmir. The module was busted by the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir police and the Indian Army. During the operation, the agencies arrested one Mubashir Bhat. He was on his way to visit Jammu to collect a consignment. It was found that Rs 1.5 lakh cash was concealed in a tiffin box, which was sent by a Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander from Pakistan. The handler has been identified as Haroon and he had sent the box through the over ground workers of the outfit. Pakistan terrorist from Lashkar involved in murder of BJP leader in J&K Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News The development is an important one as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba has for the past several months been struggling in the Valley. Most of its top commanders have been killed in various operations by the security forces. The module that was busted was trying to set up operations in various parts of the state. The money which was sent was to carry out terror acts in the Valley. The king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been taken to hospital suffering from an inflammation of the gall bladder. The 84-year-old is undergoing checks by doctors at a hospital in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, the state-run news agency SPA reported. No further details of his condition have been released so far. According to the NHS, inflammation of the gall bladder, also known as acute cholecystitis, is normally caused by a gallstone blocking the gall bladders main opening and can be treated by rest, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. King Salman is the last son of the founder of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Saud, to hold the throne of the kingdom founded in 1932. The health of the elderly monarch is of international concern due to the absolute power he can wield over Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds largest oil producers. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Although King Salman is effectively an absolute monarch, de facto day to day authority is believed to be vested in his son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The energetic 34-year-old, who will become the first of a new generation of Saudi rulers after a string of elderly sons of Ibn Saud, has sought to revitalise the kingdom since he assumed de facto rule in 2017. He has liberalised some of Saudi Arabias notoriously ultra-strict religious laws and allowed women to drive for the first time. He has also tried to shake up the nations economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues. More controversially, Mohammed bin Salman spearheaded an anti-corruption drive which has seen dozens of members of the sprawling royal family and top business figures purged from power. He has also intensified Saudi Arabias brutal intervention in the Yemeni civil war and in 2018 is believed to have been behind the assassination of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the countrys consulate in Istanbul. King Salman has not been seen in public for months during the coronavirus pandemic, but has appeared in state-run media images leading virtual cabinet meetings and phone calls with other world leaders. Iraqs new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has postponed his first visit to the kingdom which was due this week after hearing of the kings hospitalisation, the Saudi foreign minister has said. The UAE Health Authorities have reportedly issued a permit for up to 15,000 volunteers to take part in the trials. The first clinical Phase III trials of an inactivated vaccine to combat COVID-19 is underway in the United Arab Emirate capital of Abi Dhabi. The vaccine, developed by Sinopharm China National Biotec Group Company (CNBG), the trial is being carried out in a cooperation partnership between G42 Healthcare, an Abu Dhabi-based organisation leading the UAE's COVID-19 clinical trial efforts. Abu Dhabi's Chairman of the Department of Health, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, was reportedly the first recipient of the experimental shot, which was the first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine using inactivated virus. The Departments Acting Undersecretary Dr Jamal Al Kaabi is said to have followed him as the second volunteer in the trial. The trials are being carried out by trained health practitioners from the Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA). SEHA has reportedly converted five of their sites in Abu Dhabi and neighbouring emirate Al Ain into testing facilities, on top of a mobile clinic to ensure ready access of the experimental vaccine to trial volunteers. A key concern in clinical trials of global relevance like a COVID-19 vaccine trial, is to study the feasibility of a vaccine is to observe its effects in multiple ethnicities and races. Sinopharm sought after UAE's participation in the Phase 3 trials for the inactivated vaccine since it is home to a diverse range of nationalities. The UAE Health Authorities have reportedly issued a permit for up to 15,000 volunteers to take part in the trials. Houston Countys number of confirmed COVID-19 cases soared over the weekend. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported an additional 155 confirmed cases of the virus for Houston County from Friday to Monday morning a record for new cases over a three-day period in the southeast Alabamas largest and most-populated county, which has now reported 892 cases. Southeast Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charles Harkness said the steep rise in patients coming into the emergency room needing admittance is concerning for the hospital, which is on the verge of reaching capacity in terms of number of hospital beds and staffing. If numbers keep going up at this rate, it will stress the system, he said. The fourth floor of the Wiregrass largest area hospital has been turned into a floor for noncritical COVID patients. The turnover rate is high as many patients begin to recover a day or two after being admitted, but the majority of the rooms stay full, Harkness said. Hospital administrators are doing everything they can to deal with the influx of patients internally like requesting travel nurses from staffing agencies to oversee critical care patients and converting more rooms into negative pressure rooms for COVID patients. However, Harkness believes that area officials should begin seriously considering calling in the National Guard and preparing a site to house non-critical COVID patients seeking medical care before the rising number of cases overwhelm both Southeast Health and Flowers Hospital. We dont think its needed today, Harkness said. But, in New York, they waited too long and bad things happened to both COVID patients and non-COVID patients Were not in a panic stage. We just think lets start exploring what other options we might have. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Southeast Health, which previously reported most of its current admitted patients are from Houston and surrounding Alabama counties and northern Florida, reported another 19 patients were hospitalized due to the virus since Friday, making the current total inpatient count 49 on Monday morning. It also confirmed three more deaths over the weekend. On Monday afternoon, Flowers Hospital reported 41 patients currently being hospitalized due to the virus as well as three additional COVID-related deaths since Thursday. Flowers Hospital has had 550 positive cases in total while Southeast reports 380 confirmed cases. Other Wiregrass counties also saw cases grow at a higher rate over the weekend: Covington added 63, bringing its total to 553; Coffee added 53, increasing to 546; Dale gained 48 to total 538; Barbour gained 31 to total 479; Geneva gained 28 to total 146; Pike gained 23 to total 546; and Henry gained 20 to total 192. All counties saw a significant increase in the rate of new cases over a 14-day period except Pike County, which dropped a couple of percentage points. Dale Countys cases grew at the highest rate during the two weeks. Dales added cases over the last 14 days now make up 44% of all of its cases since March; Houstons new cases account for 43% of its case count; Geneva, 43%; Covington, 33%; Coffee, 29%; Henry, 29%; Barbour, 25%; and Pike, 18%. Houston had largest percentage point increase after new cases surged over the weekend, growing nine points since Friday. Harkness attributes the local spread of the virus to the general public not making social distancing and mask-wearing a high priority until recently, after Gov. Kay Ivey mandated face coverings statewide. He said hes seen a higher percentage of residents using face coverings while going to department stores over the last week and urges residents to continue following the order and adhering to the Centers for Disease and Prevention recommendations. On Friday, ADPH reported six of the eight Wiregrass counties were very high-risk environments for COVID transmission; Geneva and Pike are both high-risk. ADPH reported two additional deaths over the weekend one in Barbour County and another in Dale County giving Wiregrass counties 43 deaths since the start of the virus spread. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Centre and RBI to file their counter affidavits to the petitions by two cooperative banks in Tamil Nadu challenging the constitutional validity of some sections of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance of 2020, within four weeks. The First Bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy refused to grant any interim relief to the Big Kanchipuram Cooperative Town Bank Ltd and the Velur Cooperative Urban Bank Ltd which challenged provisions of the ordinance promulgated on June 26. "...unless there is an imminent tangible cause or evidence indicating actual invasion of the rights of the petitioner banks in running the affairs of the Society, it would not be appropriate to consider the issue of interim relief at this stage...," the bench said. The cooperative banks had sought stay on operations of the provisions of the ordinance which empowers the Reserve Bank of India todeal with incorporation, regulation and winding up of cooperative banks too. Citing a Supreme Court judgment by a constitutional bench, additional advocate general PH Arvind Pandiyan, who appeared for the cooperative banks, submitted that the subject matter falls exclusively within the competence of the State Legislature. "... hence, any law, including the impugned Ordinance, trenching upon Entry 32 of List II of the Constitution of India is liable to be struck down, as it is totally beyond the competence of the Parliament and, therefore, also beyond the ordinance making power of the Centre," he said. Opposing the arguments, senior counsel for the RBI, A L Somayaji contended that a cooperative society might be a state subject when it does other activities. But when it involves in banking activities then it falls under the purview of parliament, he said. "There are over 1,937 such banks which handle over Rs 7.27 lakh crore of loans primarily provided to agriculturists and middle-class people. The ordinance has been passed only to bring the banks under the banking regulations and protect the interest of the public," Somayaji said. Concurring with his submissions, additional solicitor general of India R Sankaranarayanan also submitted that when such societies exclusively do banking activity then they fall within the purview of parliament. The First Bench posted the matter for further hearing to September 1 after directing the RBI and Centre to file their counter affidavits within four weeks. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Even as the city reopens, life has been changed drastically for many Staten Islanders in their personal and professional lives due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While frontline workers continue to support the community, the community has been continuously making strides to support them in return. From food donations to PPE allocation, Staten Islanders have been looking out for those in need since the start of the pandemic. A trunk is stockpiled with meals from BurgerFi as a part of a nationwide donation. (Courtesy Eden II) SEVEN EDEN II LOCATIONS HONORED WITH HOT MEAL DONATIONS Staff and residents of seven Eden II group homes on Staten Island and Long Island were provided with meals to thank them for their dedicated work. The Marcum Foundation and BurgerFi joined together to create an initiative that has provided nearly 20,000 meals to COVID-19 frontline workers in 14 states. Eden II, which provides programming that supports people with autism throughout the five boroughs and Long Island, was one of the most recent to receive support from the two companies. BurgerFi chose to support Eden II programs due to Evan, who resides at an Eden II group home on Staten Island. When I saw the Marcum Foundation in my local BurgerFi donating meals to frontline workers, I immediately thought of all the hardworking staff from my sons group home, said Evans mom, Lauren Baker-Anderson. The restaurant is Evans all-time favorite restaurant, so when Baker-Anderson reached out the company sprung into action. It was an easy decision to include Eden II in our healthcare heroes program. COVID-19 has been a true hardship for everyone in group residential communities of all kinds, as the quarantine prevented families from visiting for weeks and new health protocols put extra stress on staff and residents alike, said Shaun Blogg, chairman of the Marcum Foundation and West Palm Beach office managing partner at Marcum LLP. We are deeply appreciative of Marcum and BurgerFis willingness to treat our staff and residents to these amazing burger meals, said Eden IIs Executive Director, Dr. Joanne Gerenser. It was a genuine bright spot for everyone, and we greatly appreciate the kindness. The non-profit donated food to all four NYPD precincts on Staten Island. (Courtesy Gaspare Randazzo) NYPD RECOGNIZED FOR HARD WORK ON 4TH OF JULY While NYPD was working to keep the borough safe on the Fourth of July, one community organization was looking out to make sure they felt appreciated. Members and friends of the Sons & Daughters of Italy, Fr. Capodanno Lodge #212 of Staten Island, visited all four NYPD precincts on Staten Island on the holiday. They brought drinks, chocolate, snacks, and more to keep the officers well fed and make them feel appreciated. All of the money for the donation was raised by a summer raffle the organization held. The other portions of the funds raised will be given to local food banks and families in need. NYC TECH COMPANY HELPS CITY WITH PPE While New Yorks fight against COVID-19 has been a gradual success so far, there is still a lot that needs to be done to keep it that way. One of the main contributing factors to the decline has been the use of personal protection equipment (PPE), which has caused the state to require NYC to maintain a 90-day stockpile of PPE. This is no easy task, which is why Transfix has stepped in to help out. Transfix is a logistics tech company that is based out of NYC. They have been working with Mayor Bill de Blasios office to help transport PPE around the city. Since May, Transfix has helped move over 150,000 pounds of PPE around the five boroughs at no cost to the city. The company is involved in the effort to make sure that the materials are where they need to be to allow the city to reopen. The organization donated meals to Eger Health Care in June. (Courtesy Vincent Perno) OVER 400 EGER HEALTHCARE WORKERS SERVED BY LOCAL ORGANIZATION Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Centers frontline workers have been battling COVID-19 since the beginning, and one Staten Island organization wanted to make sure they were feeling the love. Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 New York is a non-profit organization that includes veterans, motorcycle riders, and more who generally attempt to bring accountability for prisoners of war and those missing in action. Due to the virus, they shifted gears to honor the local nursing home. The non-profit delivered food for the entirety of the Eger Health Care staff, which is approximately 430 people. Members of the chapter wanted to thank the workers, particularly for all of the veterans that they take care of. The food was made in partnership with local pizzeria Barios Pizza and Catering. More good news: Have an uplifting story to share? Email rhumbrecht@siadvance.com. ONEILL Where does the Convention of States Project (COS) stand on the Second Amendment protected right to Keep and Bear Arms? Presumably they will have convention supporters assume that they are staunch supporters of the Second Amendment and that their claimed limited convention would n Lawyers for the former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced in Moscow to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in mid-June, say their client may be exchanged in September for Russian nationals held in the United States. Vladimir Zherebenkov told the TASS news agency on June 20 that Whelan, who denies any wrongdoing, remains at the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow as talks proceed. Whelan's other lawyer, Olga Karlova, told Interfax that "certain sources" informed Whelan's defense team that he may be exchanged in September, though "the information has not been confirmed." Karlova added that although the Moscow City Court formally informed the Lefortovo detention center's administration last week that Whelan's sentence had come into force, thus starting the process of defining in which correctional facility Whelan would start serving his term, her client will most likely stay in the detention center depending on "how successful the exchange talks are." Reports in June said that Russian and U.S. officials were in talks on a possible swap of Whelan for two Russians -- Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko -- who are serving lengthy sentences in U.S. prisons. The Moscow City Court convicted and sentenced Whelan to 16 years on June 15 after a trial that was held behind closed doors because the evidence included classified material, as well as due to measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The United States has called the proceedings a mockery of justice and demanded Whelans immediate release. Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said he was deeply disappointed by the verdict and sentence against Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish citizenships, and expressed serious reservations about the legal process." Russia's Foreign Ministry has rejected claims about the unfairness and excessive harshness of the sentence. The 50-year-old Whelan was arrested in Moscow in December 2018. Russian prosecutors claimed that a flash memory stick found in Whelan's possession contained classified information. Whelan says he was framed when he took the memory stick from an acquaintance, thinking it contained holiday photos. He has also accused his prison guards of mistreatment. Whelan was head of global security at a U.S. auto-parts supplier at the time of his arrest. He and his relatives insist he visited Russia to attend a wedding. Before the verdict, U.S. officials had urged Moscow to release Whelan following their criticism of Russian authorities for their "shameful treatment" of him. With reporting by Interfax and TASS A student listens to an online lecture at a classroom in Chung-Ang University, March 16, as schools opened for the spring semester online due to COVID-19. Korea Times file By Bahk Eun-ji More universities have considered conducting onsite exams for the second semester amid growing concerns over cheating on online tests, according to school officials, Monday. While controversy over fairness of online exams is growing as some students argue that tests should be taken in person, others raise concerns over possible infections. Many universities have faced cheating problems on exams held online during the spring semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the first semester, students of universities including Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University were found to have cheated on online mid-term exams usually by making group chat rooms on messenger services such as Kakao Talk or Telegram to share answers. As several students have been caught cheating, universities said they would sternly punish cheaters, but couldn't stop all cheating in final exams. In June, nearly 700 students of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies were found to have cheated on an online exam by sharing answers in an open group chat. The school authority discussed punishment at that time, and said it would come up with measures to prevent recurrence by strictly monitoring the test process through webcam. But at the same time, many school officials have no choice but to accept the fact that they have few options to prevent students from cheating during online exams. "After we observed the series of cheating cases taking place not only at our university but also others, there is no smart way to prevent students from cheating in online tests. We haven't decided yet, but plans to conduct the exam for second semester in a way that students come to school in person," a university official in Seoul who didn't want to be identified. Earlier this month, Yonsei University said it will carry out onsite exams for the midterms and finals for all subjects in the second semester. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections on campus, lectures will be mainly conducted online, and only tests will be held in person at classrooms. Like Yonsei, a growing number of universities are announcing their plans for the onsite exams. Last week, Kyung Hee University also decided to conduct face-to-face mid-term and final exams, and Hanyang University, which carried out its final exams of the first semester in person, is also likely to conduct onsite exams for the second semester. Students have shown mixed responses to the schools' decisions. Some argue that onsite tests are inappropriate during the pandemic, but others said they are inevitable to protect the fairness of testing. During a joint meeting of student leaders of departments of Seoul National University on June 5, they said "We hope that the school puts the students' rights to health at the top of their list when making administrative decisions," and requested the school to move the onsite tests online. DGAP-News: Corestate Capital Holding S.A. / Key word(s): Real Estate/Acquisition The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Corestate subsidiary Hannover Leasing to acquire ACPS headquarters for a major German foundation Frankfurt/Main, 20 July, 2020. Hannover Leasing, a subsidiary of Corestate Capital Holding S.A. (Corestate), advised a major German foundation on acquiring the new corporate headquarters of ACPS Automotive in Ingersheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, and was responsible for structuring the deal. The transfer of ownership, benefits and responsibilities will take place this October. Nils Hubener, Chief Investment Officer of Corestate: "For our client, we have structured a transaction with a contemporary investment property in the economically strong and growing metropolitan and technology region of Stuttgart. The building complex meets our high standards for sustainability and quality, will be DGNB Gold certified and is being leased on a very long-term basis. Besides the positive environmental characteristics, we have developed an attractive yield profile for our investors by means of efficient transaction and asset management structures in conjunction with balanced cash flow planning." ACPS is a market and technology leader for towbars/hitches for passenger cars, SUVs and vans. The new building, which was completed at the end of May, is being leased to ACPS for at least 15 years and consists of an office building and a research and development hall. The rental area is approx. 5,400 m, the plot of land just under 9,800 m. Press Contact Jorge Person T: +49 69 3535630-136 / M: +49 162 2632369 jorge.person@corestate-capital.com IR Contact Mario Gro T: +49 69 3535630-106 / M: +49 162 1036025 ir@corestate-capital.com About CORESTATE Capital Holding S.A. CORESTATE Capital Holding S.A. (CORESTATE) is an investment manager and coinvestor with around EUR 28 billion in assets under management. As a fully integrated real estate platform, CORESTATE offers its clients combined expertise in the areas of investment and fund management as well as real estate management services. The company operates as a respected business partner of institutional clients and wealthy private investors internationally. CORESTATE is headquartered in Luxembourg and has 42 offices, e.g. in Frankfurt, London, Paris, Madrid, Zurich and Amsterdam. The company employs around 800 people and is listed in the Prime Standard (SDAX) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Further information may be found at www.corestate-capital.com. Forward-looking statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by our management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of our company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports, which are available on our website at www.corestate-capital.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. 20.07.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de From now to the end of August 2020, the aviation sector will continue working with diplomatic and military agencies to conduct 50 more flights to bring over 13,000 Vietnamese citizens home, according to head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang. So far, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has coordinated with airlines to conduct over 60 flights repatriating nearly 16,000 Vietnamese citizens from about 50 countries and territories. So far, the CAAV has coordinated with airlines to conduct over 60 flights repatriating nearly 16,000 Vietnamese citizens from about 50 countries and territories, Thang told Sai Gon Giai phong newspaper. He added that the CAAV also collaborated with diplomatic missions to give permission to domestic and foreign airlines to use cargo flights to bring back 1,255 Vietnamese citizens stranded at international airports and transit points due to travel restrictions. Thang said with the domestic flight operations having returned to normal like in the period before the pandemic, the aviation sector has built plans on gradually resuming international commercial flights based on the COVID-19 situation in foreign markets. According to Thang, the plans were based on the principles of selecting destinations which have effectively controlled the pandemics spread in the community; keeping flight frequency at the minimum level to meet domestic quarantine capacity; and strictly adhering to epidemic control requirements of health authorities. Earlier, the Ministry of Transport had proposed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc allow the resumption of commercial flights between Vietnam and certain other countries in August. It suggested flights to priority areas, including Guangzhou (China), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Taiwan (China), Vientiane (Laos), and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) be reopened, with one flight per week for each. In line with these plans, each week will see between 2,500 and 3,000 passengers enter the country./. VNA CLEVELAND, Ohio A Cleveland police officer was shot in the arm early Monday morning, according to police. The shooting happened about 4 a.m. at a boarding house on East 81st Street between Euclid and Carnegie avenues in the citys Fairfax neighborhood. Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association President Jeff Follmer said in a text message to cleveland.com that the 26-year-old officer was taken to the hospital and is okay. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said later in the morning she was taken to University Hospitals. The officer is doing better, Williams said. Shes in stable condition and is doing better, but has a long way to go. Williams said a woman called 911 after a 42-year-old man with a gun threatened her and fired a gunshot through the floor. The woman was not injured. The 26-year-old officer and her 24-year-old partner went inside the home and found the man inside a second-floor bathroom, Williams said. Officers opened the bathroom door and the man fired shots at the officers. One officer fired back, Williams said. The 42-year-old man was not hit by the officers gunfire. The officers ran outside the home and the officer realized she was shot in the arm, Williams. The injured officer was taken to University Hospitals. A SWAT team surrounded the home and eventually arrested the man. He later complained of leg pain and was treated at MetroHealth, according to police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia. Officer found a gun inside the home. Williams did not take questions from reporters at the scene. The names of the officers have not been released, nor the name of the man arrested. Cleveland Ward 6 City Councilman Blaine Griffin said in a statement said he is thankful the officer will recover. Once again, senseless gun violence has no place in this community, Griffins statement said. It is imperative that this individual is held accountable for his actions. If he needs some help because he is in crisis, I hope he gets it. Read more from cleveland.com: 8-year-old hit by car in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood, police say Cleveland strip club receives second citation for violating Ohio Department of Health anti-coronavirus measures Akron police arrest Canton man accused of fatally hitting Akron man, daughter with SUV The youngest paid drug informant in FBI history has been released from custody in Florida, taking his first steps of freedom since he was incarcerated as a teenager 32 years ago. Richard J. Wershe Jr. - known more commonly as White Boy Rick - was discharged from a residential work-release program in Kissimmee on Monday, the state's Department of Corrections confirmed in a statement. The 51-year-old has been behind bars since 1988 for a non-violent drug crime, despite being one of the FBI's most productive paid drug informants having started working undercover for the bureau in Detroit when he was just 14. His controversial case garnered national attention and has even inspired a number of books and movies, including the 2018 feature film White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey. 'Hes anxious to get home,' Wershe's attorney, Ralph Musilli, told reporters Monday. 'His head is in a good place. He has a good support group here, and he is finally ready get back into the real world.' Richard J. Wershe Jr. known more commonly as White Boy Rick - was discharged from a residential work-release program in Kissimmee on Monday, the state's Department of Corrections confirmed The 51-year-old has been behind bars since 1988 for a non-violent drug crime, despite being one of the FBI's most productive paid drug informants having started working undercover for the bureau in Detroit when he was just 14 Wershe was arrested by Detroit police in 1987, aged 17, after being found in possession of 17 pounds of cocaine and $30,000 in cash. A jury later convicted him of possession with the intent to supply more than 650 grams of cocaine. He was initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, however, drug laws later changed allowing the possibility of supervised release. Wershe was the longest-serving nonviolent juvenile offender in Michigan's history. He was locked up in the state's Oaks Correction facility until 2017, before a parole board handed him over to US Marshals. He was then sent to Florida to serve time for a 2006 conviction stemming from his role in a car theft ring. The crimes happened while he was incarcerated in the state as part of the federal witness protection program. Growing up in the ghettos of Detroit, at 14 years old Wershe became friendly with a number of the area's most prominent, politically-connected drug dealers. The son of a notorious street hustler and con-artist, Ron Wershe Sr., the teen quickly garnered the attention of the FBI, who recruited him as a secret, underage informant. The deal was brokered by his father, who agreed to put his adolescent son's life at stake in exchange for FBI cash. 'I took the money. I wasn't doing all that well at the time,' Wershe Sr. later recalled to Atavist Magazine. 'And I thought it was the right thing keep some drug dealers off the street and get paid for it.' Wershe was arrested by Detroit police in 1987, aged 17. Officials reported that he was found with 17 pounds of cocaine in his possession and $30,000 in cash Wershe, 51, was videoed covering his head as he got into a car headed to Michigan on Monday Wershe was then taught by law enforcement how to pedal drugs and was planted inside one of the city's most dangerous gangs. He went on to become a gold mine of information about the city's highest-ranking drug dealers. At aged 15, he told the FBI that major dealer Johnny Curry had spoken of paying a bribe to Detroit detective inspector in order to quash an investigation into the murder of a 13-year-old boy. After Curry was convicted and sent to prison, he admitted to investigators that he had paid Detroit Police Homicide Inspector Gilbert 'Gil' Hill $10,000 to squander the murder probe. Wershe was even shot in the stomach while working as an informant for the bureau and helped to send a dozen corrupt police officers to prison. A year after the FBI dropped him as an informant without warning in 1986, he was arrested on the drug possession charges. At the time of his arrest, the media cited Wershe to be a dangerous cocaine drug lord known to his underlings as 'White Boy Rick'. Pictures of the baby faced felon were plastered all over the news. Often his face was placed atop a criminal hierarchy, showing the 17-year-old at the top of the ladder with the city's most hardened criminals presented as his subordinate. At his trial, the judge insisted he had no sympathy for Wershe, saying he was 'worse than a mass murderer'. At age 14, Wershe was taught how to pedal drugs and was planted inside one of the city's most dangerous gangs. He went on to become a goldmine of information about the city's highest-ranking drug dealers His controversial case garnered national attention and has even inspired a number of books and movies, including the 2018 feature film White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey Richard Wershe Sr. tried to get the FBI to help his son but they refused to intervene. His former handler Herman Groman told the Daily Beast the FBI and Justice Department didn't come to his aid because they'd most likely face intense criticism for enlisting a young teenager in the war on drugs. Over the next few decades, Wershe watched on as hitmen and murderers were imprisoned and released around him as he remained in jail on possession charges. 'I told on the wrong people,' he told the Daily Beast in 2017, voicing regret that he had missed out on a lot of time with his two daughters and son, who are now in their 30s. 'I've lost a lot of my life to things that aren't true,' he told the Detroit News the same year. 'I was never the drug dealer ... who was this huge kingpin. That couldn't be more wrong. I sold drugs for 11 months.' Much of Wershe's time in prison was spent in the federal Witness Security Program, as a result of his informant work on corrupt cops. For a time he was in Witness Security prison with Salvatore 'Sammy the Bull' Gravano, the government's star witness in their case against the late Mafioso, John Gotti. Groman says Gravano once told him on the phone: 'I don't understand it. I whacked 19 guys for John Gotti and I cooperated. I'm getting out of this place in April. This kid, who's never pulled the trigger on anybody... has got to stay here for the rest of his life. That don't make no sense,' the Daily Beast reported. After three decades in prison, Wershe is understood to be returning to Michigan where his mother, sister and son are living. He's still on parole until August 22, 2021 Speaking about Wershe's 'long overdue release', Groman said it's a 'difficult thing for me to process.' 'He was locked up when he was 17 years old for a non-violent drug crimepossessionand largely in part because of his cooperation with the FBI, and more specifically with me, on a major police corruption case, he essentially wound up not getting any credit for that and he ended up spending more than 30 years in prison.' After three decades in prison, Wershe is understood to be returning to Michigan where his mother, sister and son are living. He's still on parole until August 22, 2021. He won't be allowed to possess drugs, weapons, alcohol, or leave the state until after that term is served. 'I think it's going to be an interesting journey for him,' Groman told the Daily Beast. 'I think it can be fraught with a lot of peril. Think how much the world has changed in the last 30 years. You know, in every way. His world is going to be completely different.' "Ocean Spray is a unique company one that asks its leaders to speak the language of consumers, farmers, grocers, bankers, manufacturers and employees all at once. In Tom Hayes, we believe we have found a leader who can speak to all of these audiences and continue the transformation of this cooperative," said Peter Dhillon, chairman of the Ocean Spray Board of Directors. "Tom's expertise in supply chain management, his understanding of agriculture and the challenges faced by growers, and his decades of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry make him ideally suited to lead Ocean Spray into its second century. We are thrilled to welcome Tom on board." "For everyone who grew up in New England, the Ocean Spray name is not just a global brand it's part of our culture. The heritage of the company and its 700 farmer owners is one to be celebrated and shared across the world, and I want to ensure it is protected and positioned to grow for a long time to come," said Hayes. "Joining Ocean Spray at such a pivotal moment, as it approaches its centennial, presents an extraordinary opportunity to look toward the future, tackle new challenges, and ensure that this cooperative will succeed for another hundred years." A native of southern New Hampshire, Hayes earned a BA from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from Northwestern University. Prior to leading Tyson, Hayes was the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Hillshire Brands and Sara Lee. He has also held significant leadership roles at US Foods, ConAgra, and Kraft. Most recently, Hayes served as a partner at Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (e2p), a private equity firm that invests in middle market companies in the food industry. About Ocean Spray Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world's leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category. The cooperative's cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 100 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. Ocean Spray has more than 2,000 employees worldwide, operates nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, and earns approximately $2 billion in revenue annually. For more information visit: www.oceanspray.com or www.oceanspray.coop. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Related Links www.oceanspray.com Journalism of Drums heyday remains cause for celebration 70 years later The magazine grew to be the largest circulation publication for black readers in South Africa, and expanded to include East and West African editions. 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. 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. E'skia Mphahlele. Mphahlele felt that Drum did not deal seriously with social issues. Others argued that Drum was not explicitly committed to the liberation struggle. 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: 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. WASHINGTON A top Trump administration official dismissed the uproar over the use of unmarked vehicles by federal agents during protests in Portland saying it's "so common it's barely worth discussion." "Literally, every police department in America has them," Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said Monday on CNN's New Day. Controversy erupted last week after news reports that unidentified federal officers in unmarked vans were snatching protesters off Portland's streets and detaining them, as protests over the death of George Floyd stretched into several weeks. Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, died in police custody after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, and the incident has sparked a national reckoning over police violence against African Americans. Acting Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli, listens to a question during a briefing at the White House, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Cuccinelli's comments come as President Donald Trump announces his administration is drawing up plans to send law enforcement personnel to other cities he claims are besieged by "anarchists," although he provided few details. "Well, I'm going to do something, that I can tell you," Trump told reporters at the White House Monday, vowing to send more law enforcement personnel to Portland and praising federal officers' actions there. The heavy federal presence in Portland has drawn criticisms from Democratic lawmakers, civil rights groups and local leaders who saw the deployments as unwelcome intrusion. On CNN, Cuccinelli seemed to draw similarities between federal officers' use of unmarked vehicles in Portland with practices by local police departments. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said while police officers use unmarked vehicles, they are usually in uniform and have names or badge numbers. In Washington, D.C., it's not uncommon for police to use unmarked minivans, but officers are identifiable, Wexler said. Story continues Police stand guard as protesters gather July 16 in Portland, Ore. "And thats important. If youre a citizen, you dont know who youre dealing with unless theyre clearly marked," Wexler said. Local and state police departments also use unmarked cars during traffic patrols, but not without controversy. Last month, the state Supreme Court in New Mexico ruled that suspects in high-speed chases cannot be prosecuted if they are pursued by an officer in an unmarked car. Protester Conner O'Shea, 30, told USA TODAY that he and his friend were pursued by men they believed to be federal officers as they were heading back to their car in downtown Portland after participating in protests last week. As they were walking, an unmarked van pulled over to a sidewalk and "four or five dudes in camo jump out and start charging at us" O'Shea said, adding that he did not see any badges or insignia on the officers. O'Shea and his friend ran in opposite directions. He said his friend, Mark Pettibone, 29, was picked up by the federal officers. Pettibone, who did not return calls from USA TODAY, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he was "tossed into the van" and later placed in a cell without being told why he was being arrested. After he declined to answer questions and told the officers he wanted a lawyer, he was released, Pettibone said. In a statement Friday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that it detained a protester but disputed accounts that it did so without cause. The agency, which did not name Pettibone, said agents had information about a person suspected of assaulting federal agents or destroying federal property. Police respond to protesters during a demonstration July 17 in Portland, Ore. "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 department said, adding that agents identified themselves and were wearing the agency's insignia. The statement did not address the use of unmarked vans. In the interview with CNN, Cuccinelli also defended the Trump administration's militaristic response to the unrest in Portland, saying officials had received intelligence about planned attacks on federal facilities there. "If we get the same kind of intelligence in other places ... we would respond the same way," Cuccinelli said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said last week that she told Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf to "remove all federal officers" from Portland's streets. Lawmakers from Oregon have asked the inspectors general of the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to investigate, denouncing the unrequested presence and violent actions of federal officers in the city. 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, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, said in a statement. Chairmen of the House Judiciary, Armed Services and Homeland Security committees have also called for an investigation on the use of force by federal officers. "As Americans across the country exercise their First Amendment rights, the Trump Administration has repeatedly deployed federal law enforcement officials to try to silence them," Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, Adam Smith, D-Washington, and Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, said in a joint statement Monday. "Americans are watching the latest deeply disturbing use of federal law enforcement in Portland," the three committee chairmen said. Contributing: Lindsey Schnell, David Jackson and John Fritze This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland protests: DHS official Ken Cuccinelli defends federal actions In a matter of hours Monday, a district court judge allowed restaurants and breweries to reopen indoor service and then the New Mexico Supreme Court disallowed the reopening. On July 13, the New Mexico Restaurant Association and several New Mexico businesses filed a lawsuit against the governors ban on indoor dining at restaurants and indoor seating at breweries. District Court Judge Raymond Romero found the July 13 health order to cause immediate irreparable injury to businesses resulting in permanent loss of revenue, permanent business closure and/or bankruptcy, according to a 10-day injunction granted in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Eddy County. Restaurants and breweries would have been able to reopen indoor dining and seating at 50 percent capacity, according to the 21-paged injunction. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration filed an emergency motion with the state Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the district court decision a few hours later, meaning there could be no more indoor service. The Supreme Court ordered the parties to file their arguments with the high court within the next week. NMRAs attorney Antonia Roybal-Mack would like the stay to be lifted and for restaurants to follow guidelines set in the June 30 public-health order and open indoor service at 50 percent capacity. On Tuesday night, we filed a motion to lift the stay based on the grounds that the governors office did not follow the rules required for the Supreme Court to issue a stay, Roybal-Mack said. Until an evidentiary hearing can be held, she would like restaurants to resume indoor service. Let us put on our evidentiary hearing and let the governors office prove their statistics as to why restaurants are the reported cause of the spread of COVID-19 in New Mexico, Roybal-Mack said. She has also said restaurants arent causing COVID-19 spread. Lujan Grishams administration disagreed. Sustained indoor contact in an environment where face-coverings cannot be worn, such as at restaurants, is unsafe, said Tripp Stelnicki, spokesman for Lujan Grishams office. A bad ruling by a judge doesnt change that. New Mexico business operators should continue to abide by the states guidelines and restrictions; anything less is to risk the health and safety of employees, customers, their communities and indeed our entire state. There have been about 18,000 COVID-19 cases in New Mexico, with about 7,000 recoveries and about 600 deaths, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. The danger of COVID-19 transmission has risen and continues to rise increased cases, as we have seen, led to increased hospitalizations and subsequently more COVID-related deaths. New Mexico cannot afford to let up in its fight against this virus, Stelnicki said. The administration had been working great with the association and continues to serve restaurants and breweries and employees all across the state. Then the association sued us. Now it plays out in the courts. Its unfortunate but thats the path they chose, Stelnicki said. The next steps will take place there. CEO of NMRA Carol Wight said the governors administration made numerous appearances on webinars and Zoom meetings to clarify the COVID-safe practices and what was being allowed and what was not. Wight said the NMRA was never told there would be another shutdown. We were never asked if we thought there was something else we could do in order to avoid being shut down, she said. The governors office has not been working with the restaurant industry, Wight said. Just because they make a couple of calls to my members does not mean the governor is talking to the industry, and that is not right, Wight said. They are not talking to me. I represent this industry; nobody else in the state represents the industry. Wight said the NMRA is asking to talk with Lujan Grisham or her office, lawsuit or not. She would like to see if an agreement can be made or if they can negotiate something to help local restaurants and breweries. Click the links below to read court documents. 10-day injunction Emergency petition Motion to lift stay of TRO Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum, who is Black, tries to seem nonthreatening when she goes door to door to talk to voters. She chooses her clothes carefully. She stops to take notes on her phone at the end of driveways, rather than at front doors. And yet, two years ago, a resident of a mostly white, blue-collar neighborhood found Bynums campaigning so suspicious that she called the cops. Bynum is one of at least three Black lawmakers nationwide who proposed legislation to address racist 911 calls after they were questioned by the police while campaigning. Her measure, which allows victims of certain 911 calls to sue for damages, was signed into law last year. She said she designed it to make sure people of color can walk around neighborhoods without being harassed. If theyre not doing anything wrong, they should not be subject to police intervention, she said. Now similar bills are attracting new support amid nationwide protests against police brutality and yet more viral videos that show white people calling 911 to report Black people for no legitimate reason. New York lawmakers in June approved legislation that would allow victims of false, biased 911 calls to sue. The Democratic governors of New York and Michigan want to make it a crime to place false, racist 911 calls. Wisconsins Democratic governor has proposed legislation nearly identical to that proposed by state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, a Democrat, to allow victims of certain false 911 calls to sue. Her bill is modeled on Bynums measure. California lawmakers are considering legislation that would establish both civil remedies and criminal penalties for similar calls. But some Democrats dont want to create more criminal offenses that would land more people in jail, while some Republicans say the bills could harm public safety. In Oregon last year, Republican state Sen. Alan Olsen cast the only vote against Bynums bill. He told The Associated Press the legislation could discourage people from reporting crimes and make our communities less safe. Olsen did not respond to a Stateline request for comment. Almost all lawmakers who opposed the New York law allowing victims of 911 calls to sue were Republican, including GOP leaders in both chambers. This language should be tightened, in my opinion, to make it clear that civil liability only occurs if you know the statement is false, baseless or is made maliciously or intentionally, Assembly Minority Leader Pro Tempore Andy Goodell said during floor debate over the bill. And without that clarification and that narrowing of this language, we run the risk that we will chill the very type of assistance we rely on from the general public. Stubbs legislation died in the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature this year. Some law enforcement groups say new laws arent necessary. In most jurisdictions, misuse of 911 already is a crime, said Lynda Williams, national first vice president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. There are other misdemeanors already on the books, she said, and I think we have to stand on those. Theres no national database of 911 calls, so its hard to say whether false, racist calls are common. Its also impossible to know whether viral eyewitness videos of certain 911 calls illustrate a new trend or a long-standing problem, said Frederick Lawrence, a distinguished lecturer at Georgetown Universitys law school. Either way, Lawrence said, its a phenomenon that clearly requires our close attention. Numerous viral videos have caught national attention in recent years. But a Memorial Day video of a white woman in Central Park calling 911 after a Black birdwatcher asked her to leash her dog spurred many lawmakers to act this session. Im going to tell them theres an African American man threatening my life, the dog walker, Amy Cooper, told Christian Cooper, who is not related, before dialing the police. Its clear from the video that she wasnt being threatened. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has charged her with filing a false report, a misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in jail. Some lawmakers, however, say more needs to be done to address harm to the victims of false calls. In California, as in New York, falsely calling 911 is a misdemeanor. But the law doesnt address harm done to people hit with a false or biased accusation, said California Assemblyman Rob Bonta, a Democrat. It didnt contemplate who was truly the victim here, Bonta said of existing law. Oregons Bynum and other Black lawmakers know from experience that even peaceful interactions with the police after an accusation can be traumatic. Stubbs was canvassing Wisconsin voters in 2018, with her elderly mother and young daughter waiting in her car, when someone in the mostly white neighborhood called 911 to allege the family was involved in a drug deal. The episode still haunts her, Stubbs said. It was an extremely traumatic experience, she said. I was embarrassed, I was humiliated, I was degraded, I was profiled. Former New York state Sen. Jesse Hamilton, who is Black, also had to explain himself to police in 2018 after a woman called 911 to report him for handing out political flyers she disagreed with. I felt insulted, I felt humiliated, interrogated, he said. I couldnt believe it. Even as an attorney and a lawmaker who had done nothing wrong, he said he still feared hed be sucked into a long fight with the criminal justice system. And he knows hes one of the lucky ones. For some people of color, he said, a false 911 call could mean losing a life. While bills to allow lawsuits against biased, false 911 callers have been relatively unopposed in left-leaning states, Democrats disagree on whether callers should face criminal charges. In California, Bonta proposed legislation last month that would allow victims of such calls to sue and allow district attorneys to prosecute callers for committing a hate crime. But Bonta says not all his colleagues support the additional penalties. In California, were generally not in the business of creating more criminal offenses. Bynum declined to add criminal penalties to her Oregon law, which allows victims of certain 911 calls to sue in civil court. I dont believe in us filling our jails with more people, she said. New York lawmakers this year also killed a bill that would have made biased 911 calls a hate crime. Instead they approved legislation that, like Bynums, allows victims of such calls to sue for damages. New York state Sen. Kevin Parker, a Democrat, said he sponsored the new law because he thought it was more likely to pass and more practical. Hate crime statutes are very rarely used by prosecutors. New York state Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, a Democrat who sponsored the hate crime bill, countered that many victims of false 911 calls cant take their accusers to court. Usually the person thats been profiled doesnt have the mechanism to pay for an attorney, for lawyers, he said. Hamilton, the former New York state senator, also proposed legislation in 2018 which failed to advance that would have made calling the cops for false, discriminatory reasons a hate crime. He still thinks strict penalties are appropriate. Thats the only way youre going to stop people from doing it, he said. Lawrence of Georgetown University said that bias motivation isnt necessarily hard to prove: The cellphone video of Amy Cooper, for example, makes her motivation clear. And while he agreed that it can be difficult to sue for damages, he said that shouldnt stop lawmakers from letting victims do so. I dont think thats a particularly good reason for not providing people with rights, he said. --Sophie Quinton, Stateline.org Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Khartoum have been engaged in online talks mediated by the African Union since 3 July in a bid to reconcile views over the near decade-long disagreements caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The 11th day of online talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan saw the persistence of differences on major issues regarding the rules of filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt's irrigation ministry stated on Monday. The Egyptian announcement came following a meeting on Monday between the legal and technical committees of the three countries and another meeting between the countries' irrigation ministers to discuss the points of contention on both tracks. The three countries' irrigation ministers agreed to submit on Tuesday their final reports concerning the path of negotiations to South Africa, the current president of the AU in preparation for holding a mini-African summit. The statement didn't provide further details on the forthcoming summit. Leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia attended a virtual African mini-summit on 26 June in response to a call from South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chairperson of the AU. The summit was attended by member states of the Bureau of the AU Heads of State and Government. Following the summit, the AU called on the three nations to refrain from taking actions that may "jeopardise or complicate" its efforts to find an acceptable solution to outstanding issues over the $4.8 billion dam. Last Thursday, Cairo said it will not accept any incomplete deal that would not take into account the Egyptian concerns, stressing that Ethiopia's continued adherence to its intransigent stances on both the technical and legal aspects of the differences over the hydropower project shall reduce the chances of reaching an agreement. The Egyptian negotiators voiced their concerns about Ethiopia's failure to address rules regulating the filling and operation of the GERD during drought, prolonged drought, and dry years. The differences also include the rules of the re-filling following a prolonged drought, and the annual operation of the giant dam, construction of which near the Sudanese border started in 2011. Egypt is also concerned about future projects on the Blue Nile, a main tributary of the Nile, and demands binding dispute settlement mechanisms, things that Addis Ababa has refused to include in a deal. The previous round of negotiations between the three countries, held from 9 to 17 June, failed to produce an accord due to Ethiopia's refusal to enter into a legally binding agreement and its recurrent announcement that it will begin filling the dam in July with or without the approval of the two downstream countries. Search Keywords: Short link: AS Pro Kapital Grupp informs its investors about the initiation of the merger of two subsidiaries, PK Invest Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiary PK Bonum Ltd. On 29 June 2020, the General Meetings of Shareholders of both companies decided to initiate the merger between two companies, aimed at simplifying the groups structure. On 21 July, in Lithuania both companies will publicly announce about preparation of the Terms of Merger on 30 June. PK Bonum Ltd is a company, 100% owned by PK Invest Ltd. PK Invest Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of Pro Kapital Vilnus Real Estate Ltd. Pro Kapital Vilnius Real Estate Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of AS Pro Kapital Grupp. As PK Bonum Ltd activity was related to one project, which has been successfully completed, the parent company decided that is more efficient to integrate the PK Bonum Ltd into PK Invest Ltd. It is a common practice in the Group's strategy to establish subsidiaries for specific development projects. This enables transparent and more clear management of costs and activities related to a specific development. When the development project is completed, it makes sense to merge a specially established subsidiary with another group company to simplify the group structure. PK Bonum Ltd was the developer of a new apartment building in Vilnius, built in the residential quarter of Saltiniu Namai. It was a very successful project and the quarter has become a truly valued residential area on the border of Vilnius Old Town. Saltiniu Namai's new stage, Saltiniu Namai Attico, has also been very well received by customers. As PK Invest Ltd owns 100% of the shares in PK Bonum Ltd, the merger shall be implemented under the simplified procedure in accordance with applicable Lithuanian legal acts. Following the merger, the share capital of PK Invest Ltd will remain the same and all the assets, rights and obligations of PK Bonum Ltd will be taken over by PK Invest Ltd. After the merger, PK Bonum Ltd will be deregistered from the Register of the Legal Entities of Lithuania. The transaction is not considered as a transaction with related parties within the meaning of the stock-exchange regulations. As all the shares of PK Bonum Ltd are owned by PK Invest Ltd, the merger does not have any effect on the economic activity of the issuer. Allan Remmelkoor Member of the Management Board Tel: +372 6144 920 Email: prokapital@prokapital.ee July 14, 2020 On July 14 (Tue.), 2020, Mr. Kajiyama Hiroshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, and H.E. Mr. Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Industry, Indonesia, via video conference. Summary of the meeting On July 14 (Tue.), 2020, Minister Kajiyama held a meeting with Coordinating Minister Luhut and Minister Agus, Indonesia, via video conference. At the meeting, they exchanged frank views focusing on the post-containment period of the novel coronavirus disease, as the expansion of the coronavirus has been causing serious economic impacts. Following this, both ministers confirmed that Japan and Indonesia will strive to further enrich bilateral economic ties through promoting investments in trade and other efforts. Division in Charge Asia and Pacific Division, Trade Policy Bureau , We're sorry, this article is not currently available A woman has been charged with swindling dozens of people in California out of more than $10,000 by faking an ovarian cancer diagnosis since 2014. Kellie Kuhnel Walker's alleged scam only came to light last year, when law enforcement officials received a report from an acquaintance, revealing that the 28-year-old was pregnant, even though she claimed she had had her reproductive organs removed as part of her cancer treatment. Walker, who currently lives in New Mexico, was arrested on Thursday at Fresno Yosemite International National Airport in California. Kellie Kuhnel Walker, 28, has been charged with grand theft and theft by pretense. She is accused of faking an ovarian cancer diagnosis to swindle people out of money In 2014, Walker, then aged 22, announced to her family and friends that she had Stage 2 ovarian cancer, prompting Good Samaritans to organize this fundraising dinner According to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, in 2014, Walker, then aged 22, announced to her family and friends that she had Stage 2 ovarian cancer. The woman's loved ones responded to her health crisis by setting up a bank account and organizing a fundraising dinner, where it is believed more than 200 guests attended to support Walker. In addition to the bank account and charity dinner, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the supposedly cancer-stricken young woman with her medical expenses. 'Walker allegedly continued the cancer charade by asking close friends and family to drive her and drop her off at medical appointments,' the sheriff's office stated. 'Walker sent thank you emails to many of her donors letting them know she was currently going through chemotherapy treatments and thanking many of them for the funds they kindly donated to help pay her medical expenses.' Walker's alleged web of lies unraveled in early 2019, when a 'concerned citizen' tipped off law enforcement that more than $10,000 had been raised from around 60 people in Mariposa County to help Walker pay her medical bills. Some 200 people attended this event to support Walker and help her with medical expenses 'The citizen was worried the fundraising efforts may have been done so fraudulently because Walker was now pregnant,' according to the sheriff's statement. Financial crimes investigators spent a year interviewing people who donated money either through the GoFundMe page, or the local bank branch. On June 25, a warrant was issued for Walker's arrest, and last Thursday she was taken into custody at the Fresno airport and booked into the Mariposa County Jail on charges of grand theft and theft by false pretense. The 28-year-old was released after posting $50,000 bail. Dozens of people have left angry comments on the sheriff's office's Facebook page, expressing their outrage over Walker's alleged deceit. But Paul Hall, who claimed to be Walker's former stepfather, made an attempt to defend her, writing in a lengthy post that the woman had a difficult childhood, and that in recent years she has found God and repented her sins. 'I understand everyone's dismay and frustration. Wrong is wrong. What Kelly did was beyond not good,' he wrote. 'Kelly is a good person at heart. Those that really know her know this. She came to this place in her life largely due to circumstances way beyond her control, things that occurred as a young girl -- Which, is not an excuse but rather a reason, if you will.' Hall went on to say that he loves Walker like his own daughter, even though her behavior had cost him his relationship with her mother. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to collect donations. Paul Hall, Walker's then-stepfather, shared the fundraiser on social media at the time 'She is going to pay for her mistakes like we all must do,' he stated. 'I just ask that her friends and the community show her some mercy or at least let's not do the lynch mob thing based on what you know from headlines.' According to Hall, since turning to Christianity, Walker has shown remorse for her past conduct and 'has genuinely learned her lessons.' He appealed to people who know his former step-daughter's 'back story' to pray for her. 'You don't have to like her and your anger is justified, just understand people make mistakes and can change. She has. She is not the same person she was,' Hall wrote. She made a horrible mistake and she knows it. People do that sometimes in life.' If you are looking for a fun day trip during the next week, take a trip to Autaugaville and check out the sunflower field! Its located at 3301 Hwy. 14 west and is operated by Todd and Kim Sheridan. It truly is a magical place. The Sheridans have been planting 34 acres of sunflowers on their farm for five years now. The sunflowers only bloom for 9 to 11 days so they stagger the planting of the two fields to allow visitors to enjoy the flower through most of July. They opened the second field on Friday to visitors and Kim told me they hope to remain open through July 26th. The sunflower field is open to the public, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset everyday. If you want to pick some sunflowers to take home, they are priced at $1.00 per flower. There are also buckets for sale and other sunflower themed products. Drinks are also sold at the farm. Bring sunscreen and wear light clothing on your visit. On my visit, I met several folks that drove from other states to see the sunflowers. Todd told me that theyve had visitors from all over the country, including Texas, New Mexico and Washington DC. Check out the photos and video below and plan your visit. Their Facebook page link is here. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Jared Watson and Payton Gore picked a bucket full of sunflowers. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com A bee busy at work. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Drone photo of visitors walking through the field. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Bees are everywhere pollinating the flowers. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Sunflowers turned away from the afternoon sun. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Mary Bartholomew, 14, with a bucket full of sunflowers. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com View of the sunflower field from a drone. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Savannah Smitherman uses her daughter's stoller to get her sunflowers out of the field. She's holding daughter Adalynn Smitherman, 1 year old. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Lots of bees visit the flowers daily. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Visitors take a stroll through the field. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com A bee pollinates a sunflower. Visitors love the Sunflower Field near Autaugaville, Alabama. It's open again for the fifth year. You can see 34 acres of sunflowers in full bloom and pick some if you like. The field will be open to the public everyday until July 26th. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Whole Foods is being sued by employees who say the grocery retailer disciplined and retaliated against them for wearing 'Black Lives Matter' face masks on the job, including one who said she was fired. The proposed nationwide class action was filed on Monday in US District Court in Boston. It accuses the organic grocer of sending employees home without pay or threatening to fire them for wearing the masks, claiming it violated the company's dress code. However, staffers wearing masks conveying other messages were allowed to continue doing so, according to the lawsuit. On Monday a nationwide class action was filed against Whole Foods for allegedly disciplining and retaliating against workers who wore 'Black Lives Matter' face masks on the job. The 14 plaintiffs include Whole Foods employees in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California and Washington state. A Whole Foods in Boston pictured above Employee Charles Thompson (above) says he was written up for wearing an 'I Can't Breathe' mask last month. He participated in a protest with fellow co-workers outside the South Lake Union Whole Foods in Seattle, Washington on June 25 The 14 plaintiffs include Whole Foods employees in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California and Washington state. They staffers come from several racial and ethnic backgrounds. One plaintiff, Savannah Kinzer, said she was fired on Saturday after organizing co-workers to wear Black Lives Matter masks and protest Whole Foods' discipline. Employee Charles Thompson said he was written up for wearing an 'I Can't Breathe' mask last month. He participated in a protest with fellow co-workers outside the South Lake Union Whole Foods in Seattle, Washington on June 25. In that protest employees slammed Whole Foods management for not allowing staffers to wear Black Lives Matter apparel in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. 'Many companies are making enthusiastic statements about how they support Black Lives Matter and protests that have shaken up the country,' Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview. 'Whole Foods and Amazon have portrayed themselves as champions of racial justice, but when their employees try to speak out, they get muzzled.' Trent Wu, right, who says he was written up for wearing a mask with 'BLM' written on it, protests with other employees of the South Lake Union Whole Foods in Seattle, Washington on June 25 Chalk points to a group of workers of the South Lake Union Whole Foods as they protest against store management for allegedly disciplining them for wearing BLM gear at work A spokesperson for Whole Foods, which is a unit of Amazon.com Inc, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The spokesperson did say that workers are banned from wearing 'visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising' not related to the company. The spokesperson said Kinzer was fired for reasons unrelated to the masks. The plaintiffs want an injunction to stop Whole Foods from banning workers from wearing Black Lives Matter masks and apparel, and damages for workers sent home without pay or otherwise punished. A major capacity building project of the World Customs Organization (WCO) drew to a close on 30 June 2020. Over more than two years, the West and Central Africa Security Project (WCA-SP) was able to enhance the security capability of 14 WCO Member Customs administrations in West and Central Africa. The project focused on enhanced monitoring of trade in 14 chemicals that could be diverted for use in the illegal manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as the trade in detonators and transmitters. Conferences were held to raise awareness of the important role played by Customs in responding to the threat of IEDs. Customs officers also received technical training enabling them to identify attempts at smuggling precursor chemicals and other components used to manufacture IEDs. As with other WCO projects, a train-the-trainer approach was adopted to ensure that administrations could conduct their own national training, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of the project. Train-the-trainer courses brought together 37 representatives from all the participating countries who then began delivering courses in their respective home administrations. To further strengthen the capacities of the participating administrations, field officers were also offered a range of equipment to aid in the detection of IED components and precursor chemicals. Some 20 high-tech Raman Spectrometers for the identification of explosive precursor chemicals were distributed, together with 9,900 disposable test kits designed to provide a similar capability in the field. In addition, 640 hand-held metal detector wands were deployed to assist in detecting weapons and IED components, particularly at land borders and sea ports. In early 2020, the administrations participating in the project were given the opportunity to put what they had learned into practice and test their ability to identify illegal shipments during the WCO-coordinated Operation ALAMBA. In Marba, the language of southern Chad, the word alamba describes a collective fight undertaken by skilled men. The operation resulted in 119 seizures of various chemicals and IED components: 39 metric tons of cyanide; 7.8 metric tons of explosive components; 5,200 metres of detonating cords; 1,052 litres of nitric acid, 660 igniter components; and 220 litres of hydrogen peroxide. WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya noted that This Project demonstrates what the WCO in close cooperation with a generous donor, Members and dedicated experts is able to achieve in the area of security and safety. The sustainable approach taken to capacity building will ensure that the counter-terrorism capability of Customs in the West and Central African region will continue to grow. Dr. Mikuriya went on to thank the 14 Customs administration for their strong engagement with the WCO and commitment to addressing ongoing security threats. The WCA-SP was funded by the Government of Japan and benefited the Customs Administrations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Cote dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. Merak Capital, a leading an asset management firm, has formally launched its operations from Saudi Arabia under the Capital Market Authority (CMA) license. The firm is founded by Abdullah Altamami, Othman Alhokail and Abdulrahman Bin Mutrib, Saudi nationals with extensive track record in technology and investments. The core focus of the company is building a technology-centric team and investing across different asset classes from early stage ventures into later stages, as well as special technology projects. Merak Capital technology focus is aligned with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 plan which has identified the technology sector as a key catalyst for economic development. One of the key themes of the Vision is to invest heavily in technology and digitization to create a flourishing business ecosystem that is ready to meet the challenges of the future. With more than 34 million in population, 60% of which is at age under 35 years, and with almost 90% online presence, the kingdom is utilizing its market size and infrastructure to further technological growth. Abdullah Altamami, Founding Partner and CEO of Merak Capital, said: We are delighted to officially launch Merak Capital. Technology has become a primary engine of growth across sectors, with the acceleration of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer adoption, increased digitization in enterprises and governments, and financial technologies changing consumer and business behaviour at a rapid pace. The launch of our technology-focused firm has come at a critical time for the Kingdom as we pave the way to a new future. TradeArabia News Service Under Lightfoots new rules, the number of individuals who can be at a table in bars and restaurants also will be reduced to six, city officials said. Since June 26, when Chicago advanced to phase four of its reopening plan, restaurants have been restricted to 25% capacity, with a maximum of 50 people per room or floor, with tables at least 6 feet apart and with 10 or fewer people per table. More airline employees are signing up for buyouts, leaves of absence and early retirements as the threat of furloughs looms this summer amid the Covid-19 crisis. Close to 17,000 employees or about 28% of Southwest Airlines' workforce has signed up for partially paid extended leaves of absence or outright buyouts, the company's CEO, Gary Kelly, told employees Monday. Nearly 4,400 put their hands up for buyouts while close to 12,500 expressed interest in extended time off, Kelly said in a staff memo seen by CNBC. Airline executives have urged employees to take unpaid or partially paid time off to cut costs. The terms of $25 billion in federal aid prohibit carriers from furloughing or laying off workers until Oct. 1, though unions are pushing for billions more in aid to protect their jobs through the end of March 2021. The approaching expiration of the current round of aid means airline employees have to weigh potential furloughs against buyouts that include severance and an extension of health-care benefits. Companies are offering a host of buyout and early retirement programs as well as unpaid or partially paid temporary time off that provide health-care benefits but reduce carriers' labor expense. The results of the programs comes as demand for air travel eases during the all-important summer travel season. "Overall, I'm very pleased with the response to these programs," Kelly said in the memo, which was reported earlier by the Dallas Morning News. "I'm incredibly grateful to those of you who answered the call. I know there are stories behind every one of those 16,895 decisions from your incredible history at Southwest Airlines, to stories of what's ahead in your next phase." Southwest, which reports quarterly results before the market opens on Thursday, didn't immediately comment. At Delta Air Lines, the deadlines for pilots to apply for early retirement packages closed Sunday and 2,235 of them signed up, according to their union. "The voluntary early-out program participation exceeded our expectations, which is positive," said Air Line Pilots Association spokesman and Delta pilot Christopher Riggins. Libya has been in chaos since long-term dictator Moamar Kaddafi was killed and his government overthrown in mid-2011. Kaddafi was typical of many Middle Eastern rulers in that he started out as a career military man and, then when the opportunity presented itself, he staged a military coup to overthrow a weak and unpopular government, a post-colonial monarchy. Kaddafi had oil wealth and used it to stay in power since 1969. Kaddafi had basically bribed most Libyans since 1969 to not oppose him. But in 2011 revolution was in the air throughout the Arab world. Neighboring Tunisia and Egypt saw their dictatorships overthrown. Libya followed but, unlike Tunisia and Egypt, was unable to form a new government. The UN found that the revolution had destroyed the military and national police. Kaddafi was paranoid and quick to imprison or drive into exile anyone who might oppose him politically. Meanwhile, six million Libyans were angry that their welfare state was breaking down. The only politics that worked was local. That meant over a thousand local political, tribal and religious militias formed. These were armed by looting the large stock of weapons Kaddafi maintained for an unspecified emergency. The UN offered its services to help form a new government but found widespread chaos in the thinly populated country. There were about six million people in 2011, mostly in coastal cities. Violence since 2011 has left over 40,000 dead, but by 2015 fighting had died down and been replaced by fear of economic collapse. The UN was unwilling to send peacekeepers. In part that was because there much greater need for peacekeepers elsewhere. Then there was the fact that there was a lot less death and violence in Libya compared to other hotspots. Then there was the fact that Libya was rich in oil, so rich that up until 2011 Libya was a welfare state run by a somewhat unstable dictator. Many Libyans sought to flee if they could and by 2017 about a third of the 6.2 million population of Libyans had left the country, most of them to neighboring Tunisia. Most of the 2-3 million foreign workers have also fled. The people most likely to leave were the educated and talented Libyans the country needed most. This has made it difficult for the Tripoli and Tobruk governments to find qualified people to fill senior posts. UN efforts to help form a new government backfired. As a result, there have been two rival governments in Libya since 2015. The 2015 deal the UN brokered, backed and pushed through to create the GNA was a mistake and the UN later admitted they ignored the complexity of local politics in Libya and the ability of many local groups to block a nation-wide deal. The UN also played down the power many Islamic militias in Tripoli and Misrata (the major coastal cities in the west) retained while pretending to support or tolerate the GNA. Meanwhile, these militias refused to halt their private feuds and wars. Libya has created three governments since 2011. First came the General National Congress (or GNC), a temporary group whose main job was to create a new constitution for the voters to decide on. The GNC was to rule until the constitution was approved and elections held. GNC failed to attract the support of all factions or agree on a new constitution. In late 2013 the GNC illegally extended its power for another year. Despite that scheduled national elections were held in 2014. GNC did not like the composition of the new House of Representatives (HoR) government. The UN recognized the HoR but most of the GNC members, who tended to be more tribal and religiously conservative, refused to give up power, seized control of Tripoli and became known as the Tripoli government. The HoR and the government it had formed fled east to Tobruk and became known as the Tobruk government. The HoR rallied most of eastern Libya behind them. The UN recognized the H0R and condemned the GNC. By early 2016 the UN persuaded some GNC and HoR factions to merge and form the GNA. That did not work either, but the UN thought the new GNA could unite the country. That proved to be a serious misjudgment. The west and inland Libya remained chaotic but in the east the HoR government joined forces with Khalifa Hiftar, an elderly (currently 76) former Libyan army officer, who had been chased out of Libya by Kaddafi, gone to the United States, become a citizen and raised a family. He stayed in touch with some Libyans and after Kaddafi was gone Hiftar went back to eastern Libya, where he was from. After a few years, he had organized a coalition of former Libyan army units and local militias that agreed on one thing; the Islamic terrorist groups and Islamic (wanted a religious government) militias were the main obstacles to peace and unity. This new organization was called the LNA (Libyan National Army), partly to encourage more Libyan military veterans to join. Many did, including some who returned from exile. Hiftar has the support of most Libyans along with Russia, most Arab states, especially Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The UN opposes Hiftar, as does ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), the Moslem Brotherhood and pro-Brotherhood nations like Turkey, Qatar and Iran. The main argument against Hiftar is that he could turn into another dictator like Kaddafi, who was overthrown in 2011. Hiftar is unlikely to become another Kaddafi or ruler of Libya. He is 76 and in declining health. His sons are too young and too uninterested to become new rulers of Libya. Hiftar has no other extended family able or willing to establish a new dictatorship. Hiftar is a Libyan patriot who wants to leave a legacy of a unified, peaceful and prosperous Libya. All the Middle Eastern dictators took over when they were much younger than Hiftar and did not spend two decades living in the West and witnessing what peace and prosperity look like. More UN members are realizing that, as are a growing number of senior GNA officials. That popular support has played a major role in the LNA effort pacify the entire country. Hiftar was trusted to do what he said he would do; shut down and outlaw Islamic terrorist groups and restore peace. By 2019 Hiftar had done that in nearly 90 percent of the country. A major problem between Hiftar and the GNA was that Hiftar wanted to remain head of the armed forces and many factions in the GNA opposes that. The UN and the West wanted to limit Hiftars authority. Thus, another former officer (and recent subordinate of and rival to Hiftar) was named GNA Defense Minister. The GNA-Hiftar inability to trust each other was never resolved. Part of this distrust had to do with the fact that Hiftar was opposed to any sort of Islamic government. The GNA was supported by many powerful militias that were OK with an Islamic government. The Kaddafi dictatorship was an Islamic government and most Libyans do not want another one. But many Libyans in Tripoli (the traditional capital) and Misrata (just east of Tripoli) had good jobs with the Kaddafi Islamic administration and believe they could do well in a new Islamic government. Another problem is that since 2014 Hiftar has had the support of many Arab nations who see him as the kind of strong man who could unify Libya. Hiftar won over must Libyan factions through negotiation and the realistic prospect of peace and order. He would negotiate with tribal and militia leaders. He even won over one Salafist (Islamic) militia that believed in secular government and trusted Hiftar to respect their religious beliefs. Hiftar found a lot of allies among groups, like Berbers (ethnic kin to the people who originally settled the Nile River Valley and established the ancient Pharaonic empires) and black African tribes in southern Libya. These groups had had a difficult relationship with Kaddafi, who favored Arab Libyans over Berbers and other non-Arab Libyans. Hiftar wants democracy and Libyans agree with that. The UN opposed formation of a nationwide coalition until there was enough support for a peace deal between GNA and HoR to hold national elections. Factionalism in the GNA prevented the national elections deal. One of those GNA factions arranged to bring in an army of Turkish mercenaries to conquer the country. This has made the situation worse. There are several hundred thousand armed men in Libya. These men belong to the LNA, local militias or Islamic terror groups. Despite all those armed men, Libya remains a fairly low-level conflict because most of the armed men only defend their neighborhood. While there are many organized factions, the largest one is the LNA, which comprises about a third of the organized armed personnel in the country. That only comes to about 25,000 trained men who can be moved around the country. More than half of these armed men are militias that have accepted training and weapons from and leadership by the LNA. The most reliable LNA units are those organized along military lines (brigades, battalions and so on). The LNA is a disciplined force that takes care of its personnel and does not risk their lives needlessly. This makes Hiftar popular with his armed forces, especially since he selects subordinate commanders who believe in his style of military leadership. That means training the armed forces and taking care that they are fed and paid on time. Given his age and declining health, he was unable to move around a lot among his widely dispersed forces. As of early 2020, his forces controlled over 80 percent of Libya, including all the oil. Most of the non-LNA armed men are operating as local defense units while the large ones (like many in Tripoli and Misrata) support themselves via extortion or voluntary support from a clan or tribal organization. Casualties come from feuds between militias, usually over territory and/or access to resources and fighting against Islamic terrorists or militias that are interfering with national resources (mainly oil). During 2018 the area with the most casualties (30 percent) was the coastal city of Derna where local militias inside the city (and more mercenary or Islamic terrorist groups south of the city) have been fighting each other and the LNA for over a year. About half the casualties are from half a dozen hot spots in the desert south where groups fought and ultimately lost to the LNA, for control of oil or border control (smuggling routes). One reason for the success of the LNA is that it has become widely known that when the LNA moves in there is a lot less violence and general chaos. The LNA is the only armed group in the country that can do this on a large scale. All this violence is largely the result of there being no national government since the 2011 revolution. The only thing the GNA and LNA ever agreed on was the need to destroy ISIL. That task was largely accomplished in August 2016 when the coastal city of Sirte, the new ISIL capital, was finally freed from ISIL control. There were still some 200 ISIL fighters cornered in two neighborhoods but basically the city is controlled by GNA militias. The U.S. provided air support for nearly three weeks. This consisted of about 60 attacks with smart bombs, missiles or precision cannon fire. The targets were ISIL fortifications, armed vehicles and car and truck bombs (hit before they could be used). These air attacks saved hundreds of lives among the attackers and speeded up the advance. Before the air support arrived, the advance had slowed down considerably because of casualties from suicide bombers, roadside bombs and ISIL men fighting from well-fortified buildings. Low casualties became a priority and the American air support took care of that. Sirte was still a dangerous place to be in late 2016 because ISIL left lots of mines and other bombs that can be triggered by vehicles or people on foot. After the 2016 defeat of ISIL at Sirte, the GNA was gaining support but losing popularity because it could not quickly reverse the damage five years of fighting and chaos inflicted on the welfare state dictator Kaddafi created to keep himself in power. As many rulers, particularly in the Middle East, have learned is that if you devote enough oil income to provide some kind of welfare state you can easily stay in power for a long time and still steal billions for yourself, your family and your core supporters. This method usually includes, as it did in Libya, exploiting tribal, religious and ethnic differences when allocating the oil wealth. Kaddafi did all that successfully for decades. But when he was overthrown in 2011 the Libyan people could not agree on how to share wealth and power and have been fighting ever since. In doing that they have prevented the creation of a national government and destroyed their cherished, especially now that it was gone, welfare state. More and more Libyans are accepting the idea that their problems are basically one of bad attitudes. In other words, too much me and not enough we. The GNA will never be considered a success until it can restore the lost paradise. Meanwhile destroying the ISIL presence gained friends at home and abroad and that made it easier to make deals to get oil production going. Corruption continued to be a problem and the oil income was unable to revive the economy because of much lower oil prices after 2013 and too many local militias disrupting oil production and export. In Libya success is definitely not assured but by early 2020 the LNA had come closer than anyone else. Meanwhile, there were still lots of Islamic terrorists, including ISIL factions, operating outside the coastal cities. For example, in Derna (200 kilometers southwest of Benghazi) dozens of pro-Hiftar troops and militia were killed or wounded while driving the remaining Islamic terror groups from the area. Earlier in 2016 ISIL was driven from Derna, which they had been unsuccessfully trying to take since late 2015. Derna is about the same size (100,000 population) as the ISIL capital Sirte. The ISIL reverses at Derna are the result of stubborn local militias and the recent arrival of Libyan Army forces. Hiftar, the army commander, was not popular with some of the Derna militias, especially those composed of Islamic conservatives and these groups eventually fought back. They were slowly pushed out of the area. The LNA was not able to bring peace to Derna until 2019, mainly because of continued resistance by militias that wanted to be free to run parts of the city as their own. LNA forces closed in on Tripoli in early 2019 and the plan was to slowly (to keep LNA casualties down) push back the militias until the city was taken and the militia hold on Tripoli was finally broken. In December 2019 the LNA predicted that they would take control of Tripoli by the end of the year and then hold national elections in mid-2020. That did not happen, mainly because Turkey had openly pledged to protect Tripoli, Turkey also realized that an LNA victory would be an embarrassing defeat. More than that it would eliminate another recent agreement with the GNA, which granted Turkey the right to explore for natural gas in Libyan offshore waters. Most nations in the region consider this agreement illegal and a blatant attempt to block Greek and Israeli access to key portions of the eastern Mediterranean. In response to the LNA prediction, Turkey increased its material and personnel support for the GNA, which was in direct violation of the UN embargo on weapons shipments. Egypt and the UAE are also flying in military equipment, and Egypt ships it overland across their border with Libya. The Turkish intervention saved the GNA, which otherwise probably would have been out of business by the end of 2019. The ten-month battle for Tripoli has not produced massive casualties. By the end of 2019 about 2,500 people had died, nearly 20 percent of them civilians caught in the crossfire. Nearly 200,000 civilians have been displaced by the fighting, although many of those return to their homes after the fighting moves on. In early 2020, the Turkish contribution increased from about 2,000 Syrian Arab mercenaries and a few hundred Turkish troops serving in non-combat jobs to nearly a thousand Turkish troops and 10,000 Syrian Arab mercenaries. Turkey has also provided dozens of missile-armed UAVs that provide air support for the GNA forces. The LNA has access to missile-armed Chinese UAVs supplied by the UAE. The LNA has long been supported by the UAE. Russia and a few other Arab nations. The UAE has put troops on the ground, mainly to operate airbases the UAVs operate from. The UAVs have largely replaced manned warplanes as they are cheaper, have longer endurance and you dont need pilots. Training UAV controllers is a lot easier than aircraft pilots. The UAVs are not used a lot, averaging 4-5 sorties a day total (for both sides) during eight months of fighting. Some days are only one or two UAV sorties and then there are days where there are over a dozen, carrying out major attacks on base areas or in efforts to turn the tide in a battle. France has had some special operations troops with the LNA forces, mainly to monitor the situation. The U.S. also actively intervenes with air power against Islamic terrorist targets. Turkey does not consider that direct support for the LNA. The foreign military support for the UN backed GNA and the eastern (HoR) forces does not get much publicity from the participants. Thats because UN sanctions prohibit such outside support but the UN backed GNA is being kept alive by the Turkish forces and the weapons the Turks bring in. There are hundreds of Russian combat advisors and trainers in Libya and most of them have been there since 2018. These troops are civilian contractors working for the Wagner Group, which also has several hundred Russian technical advisors in Libya to keep LNA heavy weapons operational. Earlier in 2019 Russia revealed that it had increased its logistic and maintenance support for LNA forces. This support had been going on since late 2018 and has returned hundreds of Cold War era Russian armored vehicles and artillery to working order. This work was done with the battle for the Libyan capital Tripoli in mind. While Russia has been backing the LNA since 2016, the Turks only recently (mid-2019) came to the rescue of the GNA, which is trying to defend the city of Tripoli, its last stronghold. The Turks favor he GNA because the GNA is largely a collection of militias, several of them described as Islamic although not Islamic terrorists. Turkey is apparently also receiving financial backing from Qatar for this Libyan effort. The Turkish intervention is part of a larger conflict. Turkey is allied with Iran and Qatar against the rest of the Moslem world, especially Egypt and the Gulf Arab oil states. That is a major incentive for the Turks to get involved in Libya. One reason for Russia not publicizing their Libyan efforts is because Russia and Turkey are allies in Syria. Turks dont have any military or contractor personnel at the front lines but some have been killed or wounded by LNA airstrikes. The Russians are seen as reliable allies of Libya, even though it was Russia which supplied Libya with most of its weapons throughout the Kaddafi era (1960s to 2011) and is now delivering fewer, but more modern ones, like ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and portable anti-aircraft missiles to bring down UAVs. The Turks are seen as a former imperial overlord trying to make a comeback. The Turks also ignore the fact that most Libyans oppose the Islamic conservative militias that the Turks support and see the Turks as more of a threat than the Russians or Arabs who are backing the LNA. Turkey is threatening war with its neighbor Greece because of overlapping claims to offshore waters that might contain lucrative natural gas deposits. Turkey is also at odds with the United States in Syria. All these foreign adventures are an effort to distract Turkish voters from the current economic recession they are suffering from as well as their government's continuing suppression of internal criticism of the government. By May 2020 Turkish forces had pushed LNA away from Tripoli. Russia flew in MiG-29 fighters and Su-24 fighter-bombers to an LNA airbase and carried out some damaging attacks on Turkish forces. At the same time, Russia called on the LNA and GNA forces to accept a ceasefire. Russia held private talks with the Turks, pointing out that the Turks were very unpopular in Libya (a former part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire) and that the Turks needed Russian backing in Syria. The Ottoman Empire had been destroyed during World War I and in the 1920s renounced by the new (and still functioning) Turkish republic. The current Islamic government in Turkey had been elected in 2000 and remained in power with promises of reducing corruption. The Islamic government was now in trouble because it had become corrupt and sending Turkish troops into Syria and been unpopular with Turkish voters and the Libyan operation was even less popular. The Turkish government tried to get around that by hiring lots of Syrian Arab mercenaries to do most of the fighting in Syria and Libya. But Turkish troops were still getting killed in both places. Worse, mismanagement of the economy had caused a recession in Turkey and that led to Turkey sending a lot of the Syrian mercenaries home once the LNA had been pushed away from Tripoli. As long as the Turks remained in Libya a national government was impossible. The LNA still controlled most of the country and Libyans were seeing that the Turkish presence was not going to change that. The Turks could not afford the cost of hiring enough mercenaries to take control of the entire country in the name of the GNA. The longer the Turks remained in Libya the more the GNA would be seen as Turkish puppets. By now the UN had lost any credibility as a force of peace and unity in Libya. The UN has basically stood idly by as the Turks invaded and brazenly shipped in more weapons by sea. Egypt has sent troops to the Libyan border and threatens to send them into Libya to oppose the Turkish invasion. After nearly a decade of peacemaking efforts in Libya, the UN has little to show for it. Currently, most Libyans are opposed to the Turkish invasion that many Libyans interpret as a pretext to revive the old Ottoman Turkish Empire. No one is really sure what the current Turkish government is trying to achieve in Libya but most Libyans have concluded that it is not good for Libya. Male infertility is a topic that is rarely discussed. However, doctors have seen an increase in the number of male patients coming to sexual health clinics to seek help in recent years. Doctors have seen that different sexual health problems are being reported by men which were not prevalent before, also indicating more awareness and openness regarding male sexual health. Different male sexual health problems A study published in the journal International Journal of Impotence Research on 1 July 2020 stated that there has been a switch in the sexual problems which males complain about now. The scientists accumulated complete data of 2,013 patients who were continuously evaluated by a sexual medicine expert between the years 2006 to 2019. The scientists found that 824 patients were assessed for erectile dysfunction, 369 patients were diagnosed with curvature of the penis (Peyronie's disease), 322 patients had premature ejaculation, 204 suffered from low sex drive and the remaining 294 had other sexual dysfunctions. In this study, the scientists found that earlier, more men were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. However, more recently, men have been diagnosed with low sexual desire and Peyronie's disease. With the successful treatment options for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra and Cialis and awareness, men have been reporting more about other sexual dysfunctions as well. Cap-Score: A test to find out sperm quality Male infertility is one of the major reasons behind the increasing numbers of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cases throughout the world. Earlier tests like semen analysis, also called seminogram, were done to find out the quality and ability of sperm to fertilize. However, due to the lack of an appropriate diagnostic test for evaluating the fertilizing ability of men, most of the infertility cases get classified as idiopathic or unexplained. In a recent research article in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, scientists from various universities in the US used Cap-Score to test the sperm capacitation of males. Sperm capacitation is a natural process where the spermatozoa (motile male sex cell) changes its shape to be able to penetrate and fertilize the female egg. The Cap-Score is a test which determines the percentage of sperm that undergoes capacitation in a certain amount of time. Usually, 35 percent of sperms of a man with normal fertility would undergo capacitation. In this study, the scientists took the sperm samples from 292 patients and tested their ability to reproduce with the help of traditional sperm analysis test and Cap-Score. Out of these patients, 128 couples became pregnant after three cycles of Intrauterine Insemination (placing sperm inside a woman's uterus to facilitate fertilisation). The scientists found that those with high Cap-Score were able to fertilize more efficiently and resulted in a higher number of pregnancies. The scientists also found that men who constantly questioned their fertility showed impaired or reduced capacitation ability. Benefits of Cap-Score over traditional sperm analysis Scientists found that traditional semen analysis is unable to identify impairments in fertilising ability, which typically leads to a diagnosis of idiopathic infertility. The scientists found that unlike the traditional semen analysis, capacitation is a better test which helps in determining whether or not there would be a successful generation of pregnancy. Both these studies indicate that with better awareness of male sexual health issues, men choosing to report as well as get treatment for these diseases, and with the widespread adoption of better sperm analysis tests like the Cap-Score by the medical community, male sexual dysfunction and infertility can be better addressed globally. For more information, read our article on Low Sperm Count. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has taken a swipe at Convener of the Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voter Register (IPRAN) Bernard Mornah for taking part in the new voter registration exercise. Gabby on his social media described PNC Chairman, Bernard Mornah as CEO of Tsooboi Inc. saying Ghanas leading protestpreneur and CEO, Tsooboi Inc., Bernard Mornah, has registered to vote in December. What about you? Gabby in another Facebook post also said; "We must be making a lot of progress with voter registration when you see men of the feared Red Beret Brigade lining up to register. #RebelsRegister" Read the post below; Ghanas leading protestpreneur and CEO, Tsooboi Inc., Bernard Mornah, has registered to vote in December. What about you? #RegisterNowVoteLater pic.twitter.com/R4HzPMX24L We must be making a lot of progress with voter registration when you see men of the feared Red Beret Brigade lining up to register. #RebelsRegister Posted by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko on Saturday, July 18, 2020 Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) July 18, 2020 IPRAN had led several protests and petitioned several personalities including former presidents in a spirited effort to stop the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) from going ahead with its decision to compile the new register.Comments made by Mr Mornah, who is also National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), prior to the take-off of the exercise landed him in trouble as he was invited for interrogation by the Criminals Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.He was later granted a GH20,000 police enquiry bail.At one of the meetings of IPRAN, Mr Mornah had threatened to disrupt any exercise that will be done in the name of compiling the new register.But he was captured providing his details at a registration centre to get his name onto the new register in order to vote on December 7, 2020. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Part of the Chinese Communist Party's army of "internet trolls" in an undated leaked photo, in Fangzheng County, Harbin City, China. (The Epoch Times) Chinese Elites Harassed for Speaking Up Against Communist Partys Troll Army The Epoch Times has previously reported on how the communist regime has mobilized the so-called 50-cent Army, or professionally hired internet trolls, to sway internet public opinion in favor of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 2000. They create millions of messages a year, following orders of internal directives to target specific persons or groups, such as to make America the target of criticism and play down the existence of Taiwan. Recently, online photos began circulating widely, of prison inmates in China who were being trained to become part of the Chinese regimes troll army. According to an article posted on Chinese internet portal China News Center, prisoners or prisoners on death row would write social media posts praising the Party. Once they reached their online post quota, the reward would be to reduce their sentences. They were assigned to influence public opinion, promote the Communist Party, and defame people and countries that the Communist Party would like to discredit. Subsequently, many Chinese elite figures have become the victims of their efforts, as recently reported in Chinese media. A Famous Teacher, an Olympic Medalist, University Professors On July 3, the CCP Standing Committee of Tangshan city announced the dismissal of an official named Zhang Lijun, a representative to the local Party rubber-stamp legislature. Zhangs other post as a member of the municipal Education, Science, Culture, and Health Committee was also terminated. Zhang is also the principal of the Kailuan No. 1 Middle School, a key middle school in Hebei Province, has enjoyed a good reputation in China because of her outstanding teaching. She was once honored with the number one famous teacher award in Hebei Province. Zhang is a member of Chinas Writers Association. She had become the target of the 50-cent Army after she wrote an essay criticizing them. On June 3, Lao Lishi, a silver medal in the 10-meter womens platform in the 2004 Summer Olympics, wrote on her Weibo social media account: I am a good person, but get tough when I meet maggots. Maggots were a reference to the 50-cent Army. To support Laos comment, Zhang wrote an article titled, The one and only Lao Lishionce upon a time a diver, now a maggot terminator. Quickly, Zhang became the target of online attacks. The 50-cent Army found that Zhang had written an article to support Fang Fang, a writer in the central city of Wuhan who documented life during the CCP virus outbreak. That was enough for the 50-cent Army to report Zhang to the authorities, costing her political appointments. Likewise, Hubei University professor Liang Yanping was suspended after she expressed support for Fang Fang. On June 20, she was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Her university also suspended her from teaching. She was reported to authorities for writing a post on Nov. 8, 2019 mourning the death of a Hong Kong student who died during the anti-extradition bill movement in Hong Kong. This April, Liang wrote another post supporting Fang Fangs Wuhan diaries. She made other posts about the Hong Kong protest movement against Beijings encroachment on city affairs, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989, a topic that is severely suppressed and censored until this day. These posts were reported by the 50-cent Army. Subsequently, Liang was investigated by the university. On the evening of April 26, the official Weibo account of Wuhan University issued a notice stating that after netizens reported on professor Liang and her personal inappropriate behavior online, the university conducted an in-depth investigation. On June 20, a notice from Hubei University stated that Liang had repeatedly published and tweeted comments about Japanese-related and Hong Kong-related articles on social media platforms. The report said that they were severe violations of the Partys political discipline and political rules, as well as violations of teachers professional ethics, which have caused extremely adverse effects in society. The school announced that Liang should be expelled from the CCP and punished with a demerit record. Her qualification as a graduate faculty was cancelled and she was relieved from her teaching duties. Regarding Liangs punishment, Fang Fang said on Weibo: Hubei University has embarrassed all universities in China as well as Hubei Province. In addition to Zhang and Liang, Wang Xiaoni, a retired teacher at Hainan University; Liu Chuane, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Hubei University; Tan Banghe, Vice Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Central China Normal University; and Jing Ya, a professor of Nanchang University, were also reported by the 50-cent Army for their support of Fang Fang. Fang Fang, Writer in Wuhan Fang Fang is a popular writer in China. Her essays on life during the pandemic were recently translated and published in a book titled, Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City, and made available online on Amazon.com. Michael Berry, a professor of contemporary Chinese cultural studies at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), translated her work. As a result, Berry also became the target of the 50-cent Armys abusive language. According to her biography on Amazon.com, Fang Fang was born into an intellectual family in Nanjing city in 1955 and spent most of her childhood in Wuhan, where she witnessed many of the CCPs political movements under Party leader Mao Zedong, from the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution. She graduated from Wuhan University with a degree in Chinese literature. Fang Fang started her diary on Jan. 25 as she was stuck under lockdown in Wuhan. She recorded her experiences and thoughts, with a total of 60 articles published by March 25. Her writings, critical of local authorities measures, mader her a target of 50-cent trolls for nearly two months. In her final post on March 25, she condemned the 50-cent Army as the virus of Chinese society. She wrote, Despite the low quality of the extreme left, they are like the novel coronavirus that spreads in society with the fastest speed. She added that Wuhan residents are obligated to seek justice for those who died wrongfully due to authorities mismanagement of the crisis. Otherwise, it is a shame that Wuhan people will have to bear forever, she wrote. In her post titled, All the questions, but no one has answered them, she questioned why no officials have come forward to take responsibility for the crisis. She commented, Its funny that it used to be that officials would blame the experts, and experts would blame the officials. But now, they all blame it on the United States. In March, Chinese officials and state media began spreading the unfounded claim that the virus originated in the United States. Blocking the Truth and Suppressing the Voice of the People Fang Fangs online diary was met with many attacks from the 50-cent Army. Domestic publishers who considered publishing her diary soon withdrew their offers. Fang Fang wrote, I cant deal with so many teams of attackers gathering in Wuhan. But, Id like to know whos backing them up. Chinese commentator Cheng Xiaorong analyzed that the trolls are likely backed up by the regimes security and censorship agencies in charge of squashing dissent, such as the Political and Legal Commission, the Propaganda Department, the Cyberspace Administration, and the Public Security Bureau. From the Partys top to bottom, they are deployed layer by layer and operate in different ways with the purpose of blocking the truth and suppressing the voice of the people, he added. A body has been found in the search for a father of two who disappeared five days after he took a haunting 'accidental' selfie. Stephen Ridley was last seen on July 13 at around 3pm when he was taking his long, daily walk along a river near his home. The 59-year-old from Ely, Cambridgeshire, had snapped a final selfie just hours before he vanished. The photograph was automatically uploaded to iCloud and was seen later that evening by his family on their linked iPad at home after Mr Ridley did not return. His wife Denise, 55, believe the picture was 'accidental' due to the angle it was taken at. Mr Ridley's family say he had been feeling 'stressed and anxious' due to coronavirus and it was common for him to go out walking for hours at a time. His body was found in water at Roswell Pits Nature Reserve, near Ely, on Saturday. Stephen Ridley (pictured with wife Denise), from Ely, Cambridgeshire, was last seen on July 13 at around 3pm when he was taking his long, daily walk along a river near his home Mr Ridley, 59, is thought to have accidentally taken this selfie hours before he disappeared in Ely on Monday Cambridgeshire Police, who had been searching for him for days, say his death is not being treated as suspicious. Heartbroken Mrs Ridley, 55, shared the news on Facebook: 'This is something I never thought in my life that I would have to write. Unfortunately, this afternoon Stephen's body was found in Roswell Pits. 'We kindly ask at this time that you respect our family's privacy but we thank everyone for their kindness and support through this awful time. The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. 'We would also like to make a special thank you to Cambridgeshire, and specifically Ely Police for their amazing help and compassion in dealing with this difficult situation and our family. 'CAMSAR, Cambridge Search and Rescue, also deserves all of our thanks for all of their help during this past week and finally allowing us to have closure. 'Please remember all the good times that you have had with Stephen in the past. We have had so many messages from you all telling us about all the happy times that you have had with him and it is so heartwarming.' Mrs Ridley said her husband had been under a lot of stress and anxiety before his disappearance Mr Ridley took a selfie outside Riverside Bar and Kitchen in, Ely which looks on to this boating service area known as Ely Marina. The photo was pinged to the family iPad and found later Mrs Ridley signed the post off from herself, her two daughters Hannah, 22, and Lily, 13, and the family's dog, Minnie. Pictured: A copy of the missing person poster that was shared by Mr Ridley's family Meanwhile, Hannah simply posted on Facebook: 'I didn't think I'd have to imagine the rest of my life without you Dad, but I love you more than words can possibly say.' Speaking last Thursday, three days after her husband went missing, Mrs Ridley said: 'He's been under a lot of stress and anxiety recently - which we now think was more like depression - due to the coronavirus situation. 'It's so tough at the moment. It's affecting everyone in different ways.' She said her husband had recently taken early retirement from his job at a recruitment agency and was 'struggling to find his place'. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said on Saturday: 'Some sad news to share. We've found the body of a man in our search for missing Stephen Ridley. 'The body was discovered today (July 18) in the water at Roswell Pits, Ely. The death is not being treated as suspicious. 'Stephen's family have been informed and officers are working with the Coroner regarding the incident.' Gov. Mike Parson's cavalier statement to St. Louis radio host Mark Cox that most students will get COVID-19, go home and "get over it," did not sit well with a lot of people and has brought some national attention to our unelected governor. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK Non-Norwalk residents cant visit the citys public beaches on the weekends from now until Oct. 15. Mayor Harry Rilling announced on Monday that his July 17 executive order limiting non-resident access on Saturdays and Sundays will now be extended through the rest of the summer. Non-resident walk-ins and drop-offs will also not be permitted on weekends. Resident walk-ins will be permitted with proper identification. Saint-Herblain (France), July 20, 2020 Valneva SE , a specialty vaccine company focused on prevention against diseases with major unmet needs, today confirmed its participation in the UK government COVID-19 vaccine response program. Valneva has reached agreement in principle with the UK government to provide up to 100m doses of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, to be manufactured at its facilities in Livingston, Scotland. The UK government is expected to contribute to UK clinical studies costs and is negotiating funding to expand Valnevas Scottish facility. As part of its broader COVID-19 response, Valneva plans to further invest in its manufacturing facility in Livingston, Scotland and also in Solna, Sweden. Thomas Lingelbach, CEO of Valneva, commented, We are delighted to have been selected to participate in this important program with the UK government. This recognizes the strong track record and capabilities that we have built in the last fifteen years both in the UK and beyond. Our Livingston facility has been FDA approved for over a decade and we have a strong team both there and in Solna. We also envisage manufacturing vaccines to support the need for prevention of COVID-19 beyond the UK. On April 22, 2020, Valneva announced that it is developing VLA2001, an inactivated whole virus vaccine candidate against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. VLA2001 leverages Valnevas well-established platform for IXIARO , its vaccine approved for active immunization for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis. The Company is also collaborating with Dynavax to evaluate the potential use of its CpG 1018 adjuvant as part of the VLA2001 vaccine. This vaccine is expected to enter clinical studies by the end of 2020 and to potentially reach regulatory approval in the second half of 2021. About the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Disease SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus identified in late 2019 and belongs to a family of enveloped RNA viruses that include MERS and SARS, both of which caused serious human infections of respiratory system. The virus, which causes a disease named COVID-19, has never before been found in humans. Since this outbreak was first reported in late-2019, the virus has infected over 14 million people and has caused over 600,000 reported deaths (as of July 18, 2020). It has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) . Currently, there is no vaccine available for COVID-19. Story continues About VLA 2001 VLA2001 is a Vero-cell based, highly purified inactivated vaccine candidate against the SARS-COV-2 virus, leveraging the manufacturing technology for Valnevas Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine. The Company has designed a process that largely uses this platform in regards to upstream- and downstream process steps as plug-and-play with moderate adjustments. The process includes inactivation with BPL to preserve the native structure of the S protein. The combination with CpG 1018 is expected to induce a strong immune response and has the potential to generate high titers of neutralizing antibodies. About Valneva SE Valneva is a specialty vaccine company focused on prevention against diseases with major unmet needs. Valnevas portfolio includes two commercial vaccines for travelers: IXIARO/JESPECT indicated for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis and DUKORAL indicated for the prevention of cholera and, in some countries, prevention of diarrhea caused by ETEC. The Company has various vaccines in development including unique vaccines against Lyme disease and chikungunya. Valneva has operations in Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the US with over 500 employees. For more information, visit www.valneva.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn . Valneva Investor and Media Contacts David Lawrence Chief Financial Officer +447908627213 Laetitia Bachelot-Fontaine Director Investor Relations & Corporate Communications M +33 (0)6 4516 7099 investors@valneva.com Valneva Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Valneva, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical trials for product candidates, the ability to manufacture, market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for product candidates, the ability to protect intellectual property and operate the business without infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, estimates for future performance and estimates regarding anticipated operating losses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing. In addition, even if the actual results or development of Valneva are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments of Valneva may not be indicative of their in the future. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets," or similar words. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the current expectations of Valneva as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Valneva could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, unexpected clinical trial results, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, competition in general, currency fluctuations, the impact of the global and European credit crisis, and the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements made during this presentation will in fact be realized. Valneva is providing the information in these materials as of this press release, and disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Attachment The 'vast majority' of recovered coronavirus patients develop antibodies for several months, a new study suggests. Researchers found that more than 90 percent of people previously infected with COVID-19 developed an immune response that lasted at least 90 days. What's more, most of the patients had levels that not only attached to the virus but neutralized it so the pathogen could not enter and infect human cells. In a new study from Mount Sinai, researchers found least 92% of recovered coronavirus patients had moderate to high levels of antibodies that attach to the spike protein the virus uses to infect cells (above) About 50% of the low level antibodies were able to neutralizing the virus as did 90% in the moderate range and 100% in the high range (above) Three months after symptoms first appeared, people in the higher range had a slight drop in antibodies but those with low and moderate levels saw increases. Pictured: Jillian Golder has her blood drawn for a coronavirus antibody test at the University of Arizona in Tucson, July 10 For the study, published on the pre-print server medRxiv.org, the team analyzed more than 19,700 people screened at Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Researchers specifically looked for IgG antibodies, which are proteins that the body produces in the late stages of infection. IgG antibodies are believed to remain for months, and possibly years, after a person has recovered. Antibodies are defined at detectible at a titer, or level, of 1:80 or higher. Between 80 and 160 is low, 320 is moderate and 960 or above is high. For plasma therapy, which is when the liquid portion of blood is taken from a recovered coronavirus patient and transferred into a sick patient, levels are required to be 320 or higher per US Food and Drug Administration regulations. Of the more than 19,000 positive samples, at least 92 percent have moderate to high levels of antibodies that attach to the spike protein the virus uses to enter human cells. Next, they determined if the antibodies are able to neutralize the virus by testing 120 samples. About 50 percent of the low level antibodies had neutralizing activity as did 90 percent in the moderate range and 100 percent did in the high range. To see how long antibodies remained in the body, researchers tested 121 plasma donors who had a variety of levels three months after first experiencing symptoms. Those in the higher range had a slight drop but those with low and moderate levels saw increases. 'Our data suggests that more than 90 [percent]...make detectible neutralizing antibody responses and that these [levels] are stable for at least the near-term future,' the authors wrote. The study does not provide 'conclusive evidence' that antibodies protect people from becoming reinfected. However, 'researchers believe it's very likely they will decrease the odds ratio of getting re-infected and may attenuate disease in the case of breakthrough infection,' a Mount Sinai spokesperson told Fox News. Mount Sinai did not immediately reply to DailyMail.com's request for comment. In the US, there are more than 3.7 million confirmed cases fo the virus and more than 140,000 deaths. Rapper Kanye West kick-started his presidential run with a campaign rally in South Carolina on Sunday evening, touching on topics from abortion to religion. In the campaign rally, West delivered a long monologue talking about international trade, licensing deals, and others. West believes abortion should be legal but there should be financial incentives for struggling mothers to discourage the practice. He set an example during the campaign rally saying that, at the maximum, "everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars". ABC News reported that West broke into tears as he told the crowd about his father's desire to abort him before, and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, having their first child. They meant to terminate the pregnancy with their first child, North, when a "message from God" changed his mind, said a report from USA Today. "I almost killed my daughter. I love my daughter. ... God wants us to create," he said. He said that even if his wife asked for a divorce after his speech, she brought North into the world even when he didn't want to. He expressed admiration for his wife who protected their child. With his proposal to give pregnant women money to support themselves, he believed women will consider aborting less. He believed the move will let people start to have children which he called "the greatest gift of life." In the Campaign Rally West made his appearance in a protective vest and with "2020" shaved into his head. A live stream event showed what appeared to be several hundred people gathered in the venue. Before West came in, gospel music was playing in the venue. All who went to the venue were asked to sign a COVID-19 liability release form, practice social distancing and wear a mask. While there is no registration or RSVP information available on the campaign website, according to Los Angeles Times, the event is reportedly only for registered guests. Getting on the Ballot West is seeking to be on ballot in South Carolina as an independent presidential candidate. He missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in some states, making it unclear is he is willing to collect all the signatures he needs to qualify in others. West needs to have 10,000 signatures by Monday noon for his name to appear in the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. West posted a tweet listing all locations in the Charleston area for petitions to be signed. Last week, he met the deadline for filing in the Oklahoma presidential ballot. He paid the $35,000 registration fee to get on it. To reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, he will need more states on his side. As of now, there are only 306 electoral votes up for grabs in states that have not yet reached their filing deadlines. Democratic operative Bre Maxwell told ABC News that West's presidential run may encourage people to vote for the first time. West is among those first-timers as he just registered to vote for the first time earlier this month. West announced his candidacy on July 4 and, even now, there is still uncertainty if he will continue his run for the highest U.S. office. Want to read more? Check these out! Jaipur, July 20 : The human brain, just like any other organ, can also fall sick and have a problem too which could lead to mental illness, say experts. However, we at times, don't accept it, but it is a fact that any challenge related to the brain relates to mental illness and can lead to schizophrenia, bi-polar, acute anxiety and chronic depression, which are major mental illnesses and need psychiatrist's help and medicines, said Nivedita Singh, a psychologist, an author and the founder of Co-Create Change, while addressing a webinar 'Is your mind happy'. The webinar was held on Sunday to discuss measures on spreading awareness of mental wellness amongst millennials. It was also addressed by Raj Raghunathan, professor of business at the University of Texas at Austin who shared tips and tricks to resolve challenges related to mental illness. The session aimed to help those who doubted their own capacity, faced difficulty in coping with stress and were facing sudden emotional outbursts as well as those feeling lonely and depressed, said Raghunathan. Speaking on the occasion, Nivedita said, "People these days are confused about mental health and mental illness. They don't want to believe that the brain like other organs can also have a problem too." "Mental health is directly related to certain strengths in your life which can be built. For example, positive mental health needs to be built and nourished along with well being, happiness, life satisfaction, and other such factors," she added The session, organised by Pehla Sukh - India Wellness Initiative was powered by India Community Center, Crack the Wellness Code (CWC), Silicon Valley and managed by Indifamily Foundation, Rajasthan, was attended by many youths from across the border. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Ruth Morrissey spent the last two years of her life battling the State for truth and justice, prominent CervicalCheck campaigner Lorraine Walsh has said. Mrs Morrissey, who died on Sunday at the age of 39, was among hundreds of women impacted by the controversy around incorrect smear test results. Ms Walsh, a patient advocate, described her friend and fellow campaigner as a kind and gentle lady. She said she was left saddened that Mrs Morrissey spent the last two years of her lift fighting the State instead of spending time with her husband, Paul and their daughter, Libby. The State and two laboratories appealed against a High Court decision about the standard of care in cervical cancer screening. We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Ruth Morrissey. Ruth's arduous & courageous fight for truth & justice was not just for herself, but for all the women & families failed by CervicalCheck, & all of the women of Ireland. Our thoughts are with her family at this time. 221+ (@221plus) July 19, 2020 The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the appeals confirming that the High Court was correct in holding the State and the Health Service Executive (HSE) responsible for errors in the operation of CervicalCheck. The issue affecting the CervicalCheck national screening programme saw women receive all-clear smear results, when in fact a different result warning of cancer should have been flagged. Mrs Morrissey, from Monaleen in Co Limerick, was initially diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014. She was not told until 2018 that two smear tests she had undergone through the screening programme in 2009 and 2012 were reported incorrectly. She sued the HSE and two laboratories and was awarded 2.1m in damages at Dublins High Court. Ms Walsh was among those to pay tribute to the mother-of-one. Ruth was a kind and gentle lady, she was a real lady, such a lovely person and never a complainer, Ms Walsh told RTE Morning Ireland. She fought a really hard battle for herself and for all the rest of us, but sadly, she lost that battle to this horrible disease that is cervical cancer, its just a disgusting disease. She fought hard and she did so much for the rest of us as well. The State battled with her every day of her life for the last few years. They brought her to the High Court but she proved that CervicalCheck in the State had let her down and there was a breach of duty of care. They fought her again and they brought her to the Supreme Court and she proved it yet again, that there was a breach of duty of care which ultimately cost her her life. Im just sad for Ruth, that she had to spend so long of the last two years of her life fighting for what was right and fighting for the truth, and fighting for justice when she should have been spending that time with her lovely husband and her gorgeous daughter, Libby. She said that the stress of going to the High Court and Supreme Court had a huge burden on Ruths health. We are two years on from when this whole thing started and were no further on, she added. We still have these women having to fight the HSE and the State for what they have done to them and how they have let them down. Its shocking. Mr Morrissey said that the State nor the HSE never apologised to his wife. In a statement issued by the familys solicitor, Cian OCarroll said it is now too late to apologise. Mr OCarroll said: It was a terrible blow to her last year when the State joined again with those labs in appealing that High Court decision. By then, very sick and weak Ruth still made it to the Supreme Court hearings for one day. Mrs Morrisseys funeral will take place on Wednesday in Mary Magdalene Church, Monaleen. The Central team, which was on a visit to Patna to assess the states preparedness on coronavirus, has suggested increasing the number of hospital beds to keep pace with the rise in Covid-19 cases, as the tally reached 27,455 after 1,076 new infections were reported on Monday, with eight deaths pushing the states death toll to 187. Of the eight deaths, reported through the state health departments Twitter handle, East Champaran accounted for two, followed by one each in Begusarai, Bhojpur, Purnia, Sheikhpura, Siwan and Vaishali. Six deaths were reported on Monday at the AIIMS-Patna and five at the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), the two dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in Patna. The state had also decided to write to the Centre for support in providing oxygen, which the Central team said the state would need as the number of Covid-19 cases increase, said Bihar chief secretary Deepak Kumar. The team also pointed to the need to motivate doctors at hospitals in Bihar. In keeping with the Central teams advisory, the state had asked AIIMS-Patna to take over the 500-bed ESI hospital at Bihta, on the fringes of Patna, for Covid-19 care, said Kumar. We will also take support of private hospitals in management of Covid-19 cases, he added. Two private hospitalsthe Paras-HMRI and Ruban Hospital in Patna were given approval on Monday to treat Covid-19 patients amid the rising number of cases in the city. Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi allowed the two hospitals to set up coronavirus wards with 25 beds each to treat Covid-19 patients. These hospitals would, however, treat low to moderate cases only, said a source of the hospital. Kumar said in addition to private hospitals, the government would also increase the number of beds in its hospitals, including the NMCH and the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH). The state government has already asked all its medical college hospitals to have 100 isolation beds for Covid-19 cases. The PMCH was expected to commence the facility in the next couple of days, said sources. The chief secretary, whom the team members met before leaving for Delhi, said the team was generally satisfied with the measures the state had taken, especially during the lockdown, and also curbs imposed in containment zones. The team, however, advised better perimeter control and health screening of people residing within containment zones to contain the spread of the disease. Kumar said the Central team was satisfied with the open-ended measures the state had taken to ramp up testing through antigen rapid testing kits. The state would now not have any testing target, but would conduct testing of all symptomatic patients, who reach our facilities or mobile testing vans, said Kumar. The Centre had recently sent 10,000 rapid testing kits to the state. Meanwhile, testing facility had begun in 11 sub-divisional hospitals of the state on Monday, said Bihars health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh during the media briefing. He said the facility would begin in 27 other sub-divisional hospitals on Tuesday. Singh said there were 2,584 containment zones in Bihar of which 1,931 were in rural areas and 653 in urban areas. He said with the recovery of 938 Covid-19 patients, the total recoveries had gone up to 17,535, with a recovery percentage of 63.87%. A three-member Central team, headed by Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW) had visited the NMCH to assess its condition on Sunday. Other team members were Dr SK Singh, director National Centre for Disease Control, and associate professor of AIIMS-Delhi Dr Neeraj Nischal. The team also visited the Covid-care facility in Gaya before returning to Delhi on Monday. Etihad Airways to resume flights to Shanghai. Image: Etihad Airways. The service will operate with an initial weekly flight using a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring Business and Economy cabins. Robin Kamark, Etihad Aviation Group chief commercial officer, said: We are delighted to announce the resumption of scheduled services to China, as we gradually return to more destinations on our global network, supporting the recovery of economic and social activities worldwide. Our priority now is to build the network back up on markets that have opened up and to provide a secure and hygienic flying environment across the entire guest journey. The restarting of passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Shanghai will cater to the large demand from business travellers in the UAE, China, and other economies in the Middle East and Africa. We are tremendously grateful to our customers and partners for their continued loyalty and we stand ready fly more frequencies to China when possible." Syracuse, N.Y. After a scorching hot Sunday afternoon, damaging storms swept through parts of Upstate New York. Sundays temperature hit 95 degrees in Syracuse two degrees shy of the record set in 1946. The heat index, meanwhile, reached 99 degrees at 3:54 p.m. Sunday in Syracuse, according to the weather service. By late afternoon, parts of Central New York south to the Pennsylvania border saw rain, winds and/or thunderstorms. About 75 miles southwest of Syracuse, in Middlesex, Yates County, a newscaster posted a photo of two children posing next to an enormous tree uprooted by the storm. In Victor, near Rochester, one person shared on the Storm Trackers Team NY Facebook page a photo of a tree struck by lightning and another person shared a playground toppled by the strong winds. In Oswego and Cayuga counties, 911 dispatchers reported issues with boats on lakes as the winds began to pick up around 4:30 p.m. In Oswego County, there was a report of a 44-foot cruiser possibly taking on water near Frenchmans Island on Oneida Lake in Constantia, dispatchers said. Oswego County sheriffs deputies, as well as multiple fire departments with water rescue operations, including South Bay, Brewerton, Cleveland, Constantia and West Monroe, responded to the lake. Rescue crews were able to get the boat to shore and no one was injured, 911 dispatchers said. At the same time in Cayuga County, multiple agencies responded to Cayuga Lake in the village of Union Springs after someone called 911 to report a white Stingray boat taking on water, according to police dispatches. Water rescue operations from Union, Seneca Falls and Aurora were among the agencies that responded to Cayuga Lake, near Frontenac Park in Union Springs, according to the dispatches. The Cayuga/Seneca Fire Wire Facebook page told its nearly 10,000 followers that crews were out on Cayuga Lake for a capsized boat and a boater in distress. Emergency crews were able to help the boater and no injuries were reported, according to 911 dispatchers. After the storm swept through, temperatures dropped slightly, dipping to 80 degrees by midnight. Sunday was the second-hottest July 19 on record for the fourth time, according to the National Weather Service. Syracuse previously topped out at 95 degrees on this day in 1934, 1991 and 2013. The weather service issued a heat advisory this weekend for most of Central New York and the Southern Tier. The combination of high temperatures and humidity meant the air could feel as if it is in the mid to upper 90s, meteorologists predicted. Mondays forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high of 86 degrees slightly cooler than this weekends intense heat. ***Incident*** Cayuga Lake Union Springs Water rescue and Seneca Falls Water rescue are out in Cayuga lake for one capsized boat and one boater in distress. All subjects accounted for at this time. Posted by Cayuga/Seneca Fire Wire on Sunday, July 19, 2020 Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook A blog writer once learned to make kindness as a lifestyle through renting videotapes. Every videotape had a sticker attached with a writing, "Please be kind and rewind." The thing about kindness is that it is contagious. A simple act of kindness, however small, can have a rippling effect. One can spread love through random actions of kindness for all aspects of his life. Kindness can be directed towards yourself, family and friends, your workmates or colleagues, and pets. Sufficed by John Mayer when named his song "Waiting for the World to Change" back then. Now, we cannot merely rely on other people to make the world a better place. Therefore, the timing is right for people to be aware of their Personal Social Responsibility (PSR), reported Life Hack. With life not being made of purely rainbows and butterflies, human beings have a tendency to focus on mere survival, even resulting in hostility at times. Practicing kindness can be incorporated in our daily routine, according to ABS-CBN Lifestyle. It is not merely a habit for priests and religious people. Medical science has backing that doing acts of kindness changes our body chemistry and reaps benefits, including lowering our blood pressure, improving our mood, and improving positive thinking, reported Life Hack. People are being challenged nowadays to be a "RAKtivist" or a "Random Acts of Kindness activist." According to studies, setting forth the well-being of other people before our own without expecting a positive compensation or simply put, being altruistic, triggers the brain's reward centers. Also Read: Minnesota Trooper Stops Doctor for Overspeeding, Gives Face Masks Instead of Ticket "Be the reason someone smiles today," a blog suggested a habit towards making kindness as a lifestyle. Upon finishing a book you found favorable, you could recommend or lend it to a bookworm friend. A writer for Houston Chronicle narrated that when she and her husband were broken down the news that their daughter might be entirely blind, their NICU nurse silently pulled a portable divider around her crib to respect their mourning. When she had to offer her 10-year-old cats for adoption due to family reasons, the woman working at the Spring Branch Pet Rescue never made her feel judged. A situation wherein two strangers longing for connection has one trying to support the other in their own small way. You could also send a note to figure you admire or appreciate. The moral principle and practice of treating others as one's self would want to be treated is called The Golden Rule. It is helmed to be one of Jesus' most profound teachings. Sufficed by Maya Angelou when she uttered, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." The act of smiling is a contagious superpower as it is one of the easiest ways to bolster your mood. Towards the planet, you could exhibit making kindness as a lifestyle through picking up a piece of litter, planting a tree, and taking a moment to appreciate the trees for their generous service. Towards yourself, we suggest taking yourself on a date, writing a handwritten love note to yourself, and taking a nap. Related Article: Boy Uses Pocket Money to Donate Toilet Rolls Amid Coronavirus @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When they realised I had tested positive a few days ago, they shooed us away. My father was fighting for his life in the ambulance (representational image) I first experienced a fever and cough on June 23. I decided to get a test at a private diagnostic centre at Karkhana. It took me two days to give the swab and another day to get the result. I tested positive for Covid-19. I was terrified, but it seemed I was fine. I isolated myself at home, keeping away from my elderly parents. On the midnight of July 5, my father developed breathing difficulty. I panicked, because I might have infected him with Covid-19. I called the state helpline numbers 104, 108 and 180059912345. On every single call, I was told they couldnt do anything since my father hasnt tested positive for Covid-19. My fathers condition kept getting worse. I frantically started calling my friends and family, who, at around 2.30 am helped me get a nebuliser to help my father breathe. At 5 am, I was able to convince a 108 ambulance driver to help me. He told me that going to Gandhi Hospital would be useless without a positive test report. We went to a private hospital in the neighbourhood. The doctors refused to treat my father. After negotiations, they agreed to conduct a CT scan. They told me: If the CT report tells us your father has a lung infection, we wont touch him. It turned out my father did have a lung infection. We had to leave. We went to a large corporate hospital in Secunderabad. They made us wait for nearly two hours. When they realised I had tested positive a few days ago, they shooed us away. My father was fighting for his life in the ambulance. We went to another corporate hospital in Secunderabad. They made us wait for half an hour and sent us away. They apologised and said they didnt have beds available. The 108 driver had left by this time and I rented a private ambulance, whose driver said we should try our luck at Fever Hospital in Nallakunta. When we arrived there, we realised how bad things were. There was a huge line of patients hoping to get admitted. After waiting for some time, I confronted a doctor and begged him to help me. He told me: Who told you to come here? Your father needs oxygen to live and we dont have any. We cant help you. Dejected, and terrified, we decided to go to Osmania General Hospital. When we got there, I made my father wait in the ambulance and ran to the casualty ward. The situation there was horrifying. A security guard told me there was one empty bed but I would have to bring oxygen if my father needed it. Just then, I saw a police constable walking toward me. I thought he could help and told him my problem. After listening to me, he handed me a slip with a phone number. He told me he was there for his mother, who needed oxygen herself. He asked me to call the number if I wanted an oxygen cylinder. I realised that even policemen were as helpless as me. At around 5 pm, after many hours of running around the city with no lunch or even water, a family doctor, who was guiding me through the day, told me to return home. He told me to get a large oxygen cylinder with a gauge. My father would have to stay on oxygen and take some general medicines. He promised to guide me through the process. Over the next 10 days, I sat by my fathers bed, carefully monitoring his blood oxygen levels, pulse rate, temperature and fed him whatever he was able to eat. It was touch and go. On some days, he would sweat profusely and looked extremely weak. But today (Sunday), he is all right. He is able to sit up. He still needs some oxygen supply when he sleeps, but he has largely recovered. I dont want anyone to face the trouble I faced during those few hours. Not a single government hospital or helpline number helped me when I needed them. Only my friends and neighbours did; they checked up on me and my father regularly. Devonte Perkins and Brandon Elabor allegedly assaulted officers at the unlicensed event on an estate in Finsbury Park on Friday, during which police were met with hostility and violence and pelted with missiles, Scotland Yard said. Perkins, of Sibley Grove, Newham, was also charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause fear of violence and was remanded in custody to appear before Thames Magistrates Court on Monday. Elabor, of Tanglewood Close, Uxbridge, has been bailed to appear at the same court on September 11 charged with assaulting an emergency worker. Residents made more than two dozen emergency calls reporting noise and anti-social behaviour on the Woodberry Down Estate at around 11pm, the force said. These residents were scared to leave their homes and scared about what they would face outside their front doors in the morning, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy DOrsi. Advertisement Body-worn footage shows missiles being thrown at officers trying to scatter groups on the estate while other video shows lines of police marching people away from the scene, which is fringed by several police vans. Police across England have had to grapple with illegal raves since lockdown restrictions were eased. Avon and Somerset Police said they were powerless to stop an illegal rave near Bath swarming with more than 3,000 party-goers. The event, at the former RAF Charmy Down airfield about three miles from the city, began late on Saturday but was not shut down until Sunday afternoon. Chief Superintendent Ian Wylie said: It became impossible for us to do anything because of the safety of those party-goers, many of whom were drunk, many of whom were on drugs, and the safety of the officers attending. On Saturday, Greater Manchester Police said they had dismantled a planned event after talking to audio equipment suppliers. The force said it is monitoring for future planned raves after two large-scale unlicensed events in June. New Delhi, July 20 : Headache is a blanket term used to describe pain on one or both sides of the head and upper part of the neck. According to the WHO, every adult experiences headache at some point of time in life. The common causes of headaches are stress and anxiety, emotional distress, irregular eating habits, dehydration, high blood pressure, hot weather etc, Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher, Mumbai told IANSlife. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, there are more than 150 types of headaches. Headaches are called 'primary' when there is no underlying associated condition and 'secondary' when there is an accompanying systemic condition. In primary headaches, the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles in the head and neck region are strained, which may be accompanied by changes in chemical activity in the brain. Migraine, cluster headache, and tension headache fall under this category. Migraine is a type of primary headache, the cause of which is not clearly known; however, studies have suggested a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Migraine tends to run in families and is the sixth highest cause of days lost due to disability (absence from work) worldwide (WHO statistics). The classical symptoms of migraine are excruciating, throbbing pain on one side of the head (most commonly) that can last anywhere between a few hours to days. Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, smell, and sometimes even touch are hallmarks of the condition. Other symptoms include visual and sensory disturbances (known as aura), nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Some patients also experience tingling and numbness on the face and extremities. There have been several theories explaining the pathophysiology of migraines. Some theories proposed that dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the head caused the pain and associated symptoms. Thus, treatments revolved around regulating blood flow. However, it is now known that migraine is an extremely incapacitating neurological disorder involving nerve pathways and brain chemicals. There are different types of migraine, out of which migraine with aura, migraine without aura (70-90 percent), and chronic migraine are generally encountered. The other forms are menstrual migraine, hemiplegic migraine, migraine with brainstem aura (basilar type, rare), associated with vertigo, and cyclical vomiting syndrome. Till date, there is no definitive test to diagnose migraine. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms by process of elimination of other forms of headaches. Conventional treatment of migraine involves prescription medications, such as serotonin receptor agonists, tricyclic antidepressants, among others along with drugs to control associated symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (antiemetics). Avoiding certain foods and triggers has also been advised. Nonetheless, these remedies only help to reduce the intensity of an episode of migraine and do not provide definitive control of the condition. Cell-based therapy is a new modality that harnesses the intrinsic healing potential of the body for management of various conditions. In the context of migraine and other headaches, studies have shown that stem cell and growth factor activity can target neurogenic inflammation, which is now considered a key phenomenon in such conditions. Moreover, there are reports of decreased endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) function in patients with migraine, which may be associated with circulatory aberrations. Through the self renewal and multi-differentiation potential of mesenchymal cells in our body, it is possible to replenish the pool of EPCs, thus targeting the core pathology of migraine. With changing times and the varying presentation of diseases, it is essential to understand the pathology of the condition, in order to formulate more effective therapeutic modalities, and not just treat the symptoms. Cell-based therapy is one such modality that utilizes the innate healing potential of the body, and targets the underlying molecular mechanisms of diseases, thereby providing long-term safe and effective results. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hundreds of acres of land has caught fire in the western countryside of Homs, with some accusing the regime of arson reports SY 24. Once again, fires devoured large areas of land in the regions controlled by the Syrian regime and the militias that support it. Local sources said that this time the fire happened in the western countryside of Homs, which is one of the areas under the control of Lebanese militia, Hezbollah. According to the same sources, the fires spread over an area of 400 acres, starting from the village of al-Khansa and extending to the village of Bulad and olive groves in the same countryside. The fire also devastated agricultural land in the al-Qusayr region, in addition to burning herbs and forests in the village of Uzair, in the Talkalakh area, west of Homs. Other fires devoured 250 acres of agricultural land in the village of Rabah, northwest of Homs. The fires also spread over an area of three kilometers in the al-Rawdah area of the Homs countryside. The regimes civil defense team faced difficulty containing the fire. The regime-controlled government claimed that the cause of the fires was due to high temperatures, opponents said it was arson, and a way for the regime to take revenge against its people. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. A study published today found national governments repeatedly resisted the placement of 41 UNESCO World Heritage sites--including the Great Barrier Reef--on the World Heritage in Danger list. This resistance is despite the sites being just as threatened, or more threatened, than those already on the in Danger list. The study was co-authored by a team of scientists from Australia, the UK and the US. World Heritage sites represent both natural and cultural heritage for global humanity. Their protection sits within the jurisdiction of individual countries. An in Danger listing is intended to raise awareness of threats to these sites and encourage investment in mitigation measures, such as extra protection. Lead author Professor Tiffany Morrison from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU) says national governments responsible for these World Heritage sites use political strategies of rhetoric and resistance to avoid a World Heritage in Danger listing. "Avoiding an in Danger listing happens through partial compliance and by exerting diplomatic pressure on countries that are members of the World Heritage Committee," Prof Morrison said. She says World Heritage in Danger listings are increasingly politicised. However, until now, little was known about what that politicisation entailed, and what to do about it. The study found the net number of in Danger listings plateaued since the year 2000. At the same time, low visibility political strategies--such as industrial lobbying and political trade-offs associated with the listings--intensified. "Our results also challenge the assumption that poor governance only happens in less technologically advanced economies. Rich countries often have poor governance too," Prof Morrison said. "We show that the influence of powerful industries in blocking environmental governance is prevalent in many regions and systems." The Great Barrier Reef, under the custodianship of the Australian Government, is just one of the threatened sites that continues to evade the World Heritage in Danger list. Professor Terry Hughes, also from Coral CoE at JCU, says there is no doubt that coral reefs are in danger from man-made climate change. "The study makes no recommendation on which World Heritage sites should be formally recognised as in Danger but points out that virtually all sites are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic climate change," Prof Hughes said. "The Great Barrier Reef was severely impacted by three coral bleaching events in the past five years, triggered by record-breaking temperatures," he said. World Heritage in Danger listings are frowned upon by high-value natural resource industries such as mining, forestry and environmental tourism. Prof Morrison says the in Danger listings restrict the social license of fossil fuel industries to operate. "Industry coalitions therefore often lobby governments, UNESCO and World Heritage Committee member countries," she said. "They claim an in Danger listing diminishes their nation's international reputation and restricts foreign investment, national productivity, and local employment. Some also challenge the World Heritage system itself and undermine reports by scientists, non-governmental organisations and the media." These lobbying efforts heighten a government's sense of political threat by linking the listings to national economic performance, as well as to the individual reputations of politicians and senior bureaucrats. "At the same time, UNESCO is acutely aware of these dynamics and concerned about threats to its own reputation," Prof Morrison said. "Politicians and bureaucrats often work to conceal these dynamics, resulting in poor governance and continued environmental degradation." Prof Morrison says revealing and analysing these dynamics is a step closer to moderating them. The study provides new evidence for how interactions, from 1972 until 2019, between UNESCO and 102 national governments, have shaped the environmental governance and outcomes for 238 World Heritage ecosystems. It also provides examples of how concerned stakeholders can, and are, experimenting with countervailing strategies that harness these politics. "Given the global investment in environmental governance over the past 50 years, it is essential to address the hidden threats to good governance and to safeguard all ecosystems," the study concludes. ### PAPER Morrison T, Adger W, Brown K, Hettiarachchi M, Huchery C, Lemos M, Hughes T. (2020). 'Political dynamics and governance of World Heritage ecosystems'. Nature Sustainability. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0568-8 Business VoIP Provider AstraQom Opens Latin America Office Business VoIP provider AstraQom International is expanding its foothold in more global markets. This time, it announced a new headquarters location in Latin America - where it has seen particular growth in the last year. The new regional office is located in downtown San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to a report by Global Market Insights, the VoIP market in Latin America is predicted to grow by 15 percent from 2019-2025 as more residential customers enjoy broadband connections, Internet use and a telecom investment and cloud communications offerings are released into the market. AstraQom Latinoamerica will provide services for the company's global customer base and address the needs of its clients in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. Commenting on the news, Vickylextar Okang-Sowah, AstraQom Vice President for Corporate Relations said, "2019 proved to be a record-breaking year of growth for AstraQom around the world with a particularly higher than expected growth in Latin America. The decision to open our Latin American headquarters is a logical step in our business growth strategy. Our commitment to the provision of quality and relevant support to our valued clients fueled the decision to add a new regional headquarters to target the needs of our clients located in South America and Central America. Having a strong focused team residing in the region and coordinating the efforts of our country subsidiaries is very crucial to us," said Okang-Sowah. AstraQom is also a telecommunications cloud architecture operator providing what it describes as the world's biggest cloud architecture for VoIP with telecommunications circuits covering the entire planet. In addition to the new Latin America headquarters, the company also has operations in Brazil, the Philippines and Silicon Valley. Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 02:22:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Sunday by 84 cases to 2,856 while the death toll remained at 40, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. The Lebanese health ministry is considering imposing a heavier fine on those who do not commit to quarantine before receiving the testing result from 50,000 Lebanese pounds (33 U.S. dollars) to 7 million Lebanese pounds, NNA said. Many of the arrivals from abroad have not properly committed to quarantine measures, leading to the increased COVID-19 infections, it added. Lebanon has been fighting against COVID-19 since Feb. 21. Last month, China offered 17,500 masks, 1,500 protective suits, 1,320 goggles and 1,000 shoe covers to Lebanese public hospitals to help them fight coronavirus. Enditem DALLAS, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has developed a new COVID-19 modeling software program that is based on accepted probabilistic modeling techniques, and fuses publicly available datasets for COVID-19 infection statistics, sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention isolation guidelines, other publicly available data, and client or organizational-level data, and explores the differences between virus propagation based on various non-pharmaceutical interventions. This model can be manipulated to create and assess various scenarios which clients may access in combination with guidance from governments and health organizations, expert advice from medical professionals, and internal mitigation strategies and protocols. This may help inform the decision-making process with respect to restarting public transportation operations, like rail, road and aviation, or in planning and executing major capital programs. The probabilistic model has been reviewed by the Asset Management Group at the University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing and is being used to help clients, such as Network Rail High Speed on the High Speed One Network in the U.K., make decisions as they plan for remobilization and how future operations might be conducted. "This model enables us to help clients proactively design and deploy strategies that support people's wellbeing and build business continuity and resilience," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa Donald Morrison. "The modeling can be used over time to help clients understand the impact of existing mitigations, and is an example of the solutions that result from our Beyond If innovation strategy." "The application of Jacobs' impact modeling has helped to improve decision-making and understanding the effectiveness of our actions as a business in protecting our workforce and ensuring that we keep providing a vital service for the U.K.," said Network Rail High Speed Head of Asset Management Dr. Joao Rocha. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com While there has always been an imbalance of professional healthcare workers and services between urban and rural communities, the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified this problem. Dr Lungile Hobe-Nxumalo, chair of the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa, explained in a recent article that, while rural communities form 42% of the public health system in South Africa, only 15% of the doctors and 20% of nurses are based in rural areas. She added that the shortage of human resources is a challenge that will leave rural populations being hardest hit by the pandemic. Some of the beneficiaries of Umthombo Youth Development Foundation Storytelling This skills shortage is the reason the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) exists. The non-profit organisation identifies, invests in and supports rural youth who have the potential, and interest in becoming qualified healthcare providers. Partnering with 15 rural hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, the UYDF consigns its graduates to work at their local rural hospital for the same number of years they were supported for. Some of the health science disciplines on offer include doctors, emergency medical rescue services, biomedical technologists, nurses, radiographers and more.Through financial and mentoring support, the UYDF has yielded 434 graduates over the past 20 years. 98% of these graduates have returned to work in their rural communities on completion of studies, and the majority continue to work there. Just last year, the organisation supported 219 students. The average pass rate of supported students is over 90% compared to a national average for health sciences of 50%.Naturally, partners and donors are critical in helping the UYDF achieve its objectives. The Department of Health, the Department of Education, plus support from the districts and communities, as well as funding organisations and individual donors, ensure that the programme is sustainable and continues to provide life-changing opportunities to rural youth, while transforming the face of rural health.UYDF director, Dr Gavin MacGregor, said: It is costly to run the organisation, a clear vision, concrete plans and amazing partners have helped us make a difference to so many living in rural communities.To extend our programme to support more students in 2021, we need to raise an additional R6m in annual funding commitments before the end of this year. One area UYDF has historically struggled with is to put its amazing story in front of major donors, so we are delighted to announce a major pledge in this regard.Rogerwilco, the digitally-led marketing agency, which provided UYDF with a digital makeover in 2019, has committed services to the value of R600,000 for the next 12-months as part of its CSI initiative.It costs around R730,000 to educate and support one student, and so were partnering to help the UYDF tell its story to assist in its fundraising efforts. Our approach to helping them achieve this will be to adopt a precision targeted digital marketing programme that aims to put the message before key decision makers in corporates, foundations and trusts and in front of high net worth individuals," Rogerwilco CEO, Charlie Stewart, said.Its so important for us to be able to play a part in stimulating local youth development and ultimately help the UYDF build hope and prosperity within rural communities. While this coincides with Mandela Day, our involvement goes beyond a single day or even 67-minutes. Were proud to contribute to one of the most sustainable solutions for the long-term supply of professional healthcare workers, which is already severely overburdened," he said. Ekiti Government has 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 disclosed that Ekiti State had 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 Festival, 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 positive 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. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prominent among traditional festivals to be affected by government's position are: Annual Egungun, (Masquerade) festival, Ogun, (god of Iron) festival and celebration of Annual Cultural Days, by various towns among others.(NAN) With the global aviation industry struggling to get off the ground after the Covid-19 crisis, India is looking at several options to get the flying public back. Air France will operate 28 flights between Paris, and Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru from July 18 to August 1. Officials in India's civil aviation ministry told RFI that restrictions will be imposed by both the governments for incoming passengers meaning that only essential travel will be encouraged. After much negotiation, the country has established individual bilateral bubbles with France and the US to allow airlines of each country in the pact to operate international flights, said aviation minister Hardeep Puri. "Travel bubbles", "travel corridors" and "air bridges" are terms that describe formal agreements between governments allowing travellers to bypass strict quarantine measures based on the countries they travel between. Puri pointed out that air bubbles are "at a stage short of normal civil aviation activities". In other words, these flights are a little more evolved than the repatriation flights but have not yet reached the "normal" stage. More air bubbles to open In recent weeks, the Indian government has been holding talks with counterparts in the US, UK, Germany, UAE and France to allow airlines from these countries to operate in India. American carrier, United Airlines has already got the go-ahead for 18 flights, from July 17 to August 31. The American airline will operate flights between Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai, and Newark and San Francisco. Passenger flights have been suspended in India since 23 March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The government began resuming domestic flights on 25 May. Earlier this month, India announced an air bubble with the United Arab Emirates under specific conditions. International flights being operated by India are predominantly repatriation flights, in the hope that bilateral air corridors will help to rebuild passenger confidence. At least these air bubbles will begin to instil confidence and begin the process of normal operations soon. But we know it will take a while, Rajan Kumar of the Travel Agents Association told RFI. Another destination that has seen a lot of demand for travel is London and efforts are underway to re-establish bilateral air routes. During the pandemic, India operated over 900 flights in the world's largest repatriation exercise called "Vande Bharat Mission", that saw more than 147,000 Indians return and more than 52,000 passengers flown out to different countries. A report released by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last month said the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry could potential loss in operating revenues of up to 390 billion dollars. Back in 2014, I decided I wanted to teach. I realised that at the ripe old age of 40, I was a bit late to the education party, so I sought to find a niche which would theoretically blend my three main passions - forcing people to listen to my thoughts, the internet, and not leaving the house. I went on to enroll in an MA in eLearning. I had no idea what it was, or what it would entail, but it sounded right up my alley - learning through and with technology, and the course was delivered entirely online, despite the fact that it was actually run by Cork Institute of Technology, a 25-minute drive from my house. This was going to be it, my rebirth as a Great Educator, appearing like Big Brother in the homes of my students to instruct them in how to think; this was better living through technology, all hail the new digital messiahs. Except obviously, it didn't quite go like that, as having three young kids (and a fourth on the way), a full-time job, and the growing realisation that I actually don't especially like having to learn new things meant that I admitted defeat at some point in the first semester and dropped out, bringing the number of third-level courses I have dropped out of to an impressive three. I did my usual shrugging of my shoulders, thought, ah well, put it down to experience, and didn't think much about eLearning until this year, when it came into its own. What we call eLearning was once known as distance learning; some of us are old enough to remember the kids in Skippy The Bush Kangaroo using the radio for their education via the School Of The Air, while in more recent times the Open University and Khan Academy offer a vast array of qualifications without a physical campus. But eLearning goes beyond that - how many of us used a YouTube tutorial to learn how to change the filters in our car, how to build a playhouse out of pallets, or figure out how to illegally download the latest blockbusters? eLearning is everywhere, and our take-home from the last few months is that it will become more prevalent in the years ahead, and our kids' schools are surprisingly well prepared for it. From the first week, they were sending out homework packs, email updates, messages of support, getting us to download apps on our phones and log into websites to share homework and stay connected (special mention goes to my daughter's maths teacher, who set up a Maths Memes page where the class share goofy jokes with each other). So the schools can't be faulted for the trailing off towards the end of the school year. We, however, can. We started the home-schooling programme with great gusto, and ended it as wrecks. We never really thought teaching was an easy gig - even wading through the effluent of the Irish education system - homework - is an arduous task, but nothing really prepared us for hours of schooling every day. And by 'hours' I mean 'no more than three'. And this is where online education is tricky - without the structure and rigour of physical school, without being monitored by some benevolent Big Brother, how do you ensure people actually try? Do we learn as well at home, or do we even exercise as well at home as we do in a gym setting? Is there an element of being around other people which pushes us to excel? It depends on the person, and sadly for me, home is where I go to lie down, eat chips and put my brain and body into power-save mode. The take-home from our attempts at eLearning is that schools are farther along the transition to digital than we thought. My children's teachers showed that even in such strange circumstances as a pandemic and lockdown, they did not stop teaching, and we learned that while dropping your kids off to school may be a luxury in the future, technology means they won't be left completely adrift. Of course, school is about more than just lessons - there is a social aspect that is crucial for children to learn about how to work with others, and how to communicate with other people, so that they don't end up like those poor kids in Skippy, thinking they can translate the clicking of a kangaroo into a cry for help from a well. Despite some dramatic statements by Vodafone Idea to the Indian Supreme Court, Mondays long-awaited hearing on AGR dues payment seems to have ended fairly tamely with no payment timeline being agreed. According to reports in the Indian press, Vodafone Idea told the Supreme Court that over the last 15 years, the entire net worth of the company had been wiped out. Vodafone Idea's legal representative pointed out that the company has spent whatever it has earned on running its telecommunications infrastructure. It added that all of its tangible assets are secured with banks and no lender is willing to lend it more. Thus, Vodafone Idea again pointed out, it could not pay its AGR dues fixed last year at somewhere around $7 billion immediately. Some upfront payments have, however, been made, though about $6 billion has still to be found. Another leading operator, Bharti Airtel, is said to have a balance amount of about $3.47 billion waiting be paid to Indias Department of Telecommunications. In the event, there was no decision made. The Supreme Court reserved its order on the timeline for staggered payment of AGR dues. However, both Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel suggested that they might be able to complete their payments in 15 years. The government, by contrast, has suggested a 20-year payment period. The court has again insisted that the amounts suggested by the government can be taken as final and that no reassessment can be made. The next hearing will be on 10 August. On July 19, China's embassy in Myanmar accused the United States of outrageously smearing" the nation and driving a wedge in its relations with other Southeast Asian countries over the South China Sea and Hong Kong. In an online war of words, the Chinese embassy lashed out at the United States and accused it of "selfish, hypocritical, contemptible" motives. The Chinese side also accused US agencies abroad of doing "disgusting things" to contain China's authority. Read: China Determined To Give 'resolute Response' If UK Sanctions Chinese Officials Earlier, the US embassy in Myanmar had accused China of compromising the sovereignty of the smaller island nations and flexing its military muscle in the resource-rich region of the South China Sea. The American side had further criticised Chinas national security laws in Hong Kong and accused it of scheming larger patterns to "undermine the sovereignty of its neighbours". This is how modern sovereignty is often lost - not through dramatic, overt action, but through a cascade of smaller ones that lead to its slow erosion over time," the US embassy wrote in an official statement. Read: China Blasts Dam To Release Floodwaters As Death Toll Rises War of words China responded to the statement by accusing the United States of trying to dismantle flourishing China-Myanmar relations. It added US comments were another farce on a global tour" and aimed to "seek selfish political gains. US statements were indicative of Chinas dynamic grip on Myanmar. Chinas humungous investment projects in Myanmar were accused by the US as a Chinese political strategy for fulfillment of its territorial ambitions in the resource-abundant nation. China has posed as Myanmars only true friend with an ambitious agenda to establish Chinese influence as Myanmar reaffirmed its support for one China that includes Taiwan. In a response to the verbal spat between the two superpowers, historian Thant Myint-U from Myanmar observed, in a news agency report, that the sheer weight of China's giant industrial revolution" is already transforming Myanmar. He added that if multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects are considered, the border between China and Myanmar will become increasingly difficult to see. Read: China Declares 'Wartime State' In Region Around Xinjiang Amid COVID-19 Surge Read: US: Applications Taken For 1 Day To Replace Rep Lewis On Ballot (With Inputs from AP) Qatar Airways remains fuel-efficient. Image Qatar Airways 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. Environmentally conscious passengers can travel with the reassurance that Qatar Airways continuously monitors the market to assess both passenger and cargo demand to ensure it operates the most efficient aircraft on each route. Finding the right balance between passenger and cargo demand has enabled the airline to continue operating its full fleet of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft, helping take people home safely and providing reliable airfreight capacity to support global trade and the transport of essential medical and aid supplies. Qatar Airways is the largest operator of A350 series aircraft, and was the launch customer for both the A350-900 and A350-1000. With a total of 49 A350 variants in the current fleet at an average age of 2.5 years, and a seating capacity optimized for the current market, the A350 is perfectly positioned to lead the airlines rebuilding of its network. The 30 Boeing 787 aircraft in the Qatar Airways fleet also provide appropriate capacity to offer the right capacity on routes in Europe while markets recover. As the world prepares itself to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, Qatar Airways A350 fleet is the aircraft of choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker said: Qatar Airways Group has a strong record of industry leadership on sustainable operations. We take our responsibilities to care for the environment seriously and sustainability is at the forefront of our business planning across the group, this is why we have an average fleet age of less than five years, one of the youngest in the world. Thanks to our strategic and diversified investment in our fleet, the viability of our operations has not been dependent on any specific aircraft type. This has enabled us to be one of the few global airlines to never stop operating during this crisis, carrying over two million passengers and in the process becoming the largest international airline in the world. Our fleet mix has enabled us to continue operating routes throughout this crisis ensuring we do not leave passengers stranded. "As we rebuild our network, passengers can rely on us to operate an honest schedule of flights to take them where they want to go, using the right size aircraft to offer sensible capacity on each route. As a result, we will not resume flying our fleet of A380 until demand returns to appropriate levels. Having closely studied the environmental impact numbers, flying such a large aircraft with a low load factor does not meet our environmental responsibilities or make commercial sense. Our young fleet of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft are a much better fit for current global demand. The Boris Johnson government on Monday escalated its ennui with China following Beijings recent enactment of a security law for Hong Kong by suspending the extradition treaty with it immediately and indefinitely and banned the export of items related to suppressing riots. Londons latest action follows last weeks ban on Chinese company Huawei, high-profile expression of concern over the reportedly repressive treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China, and previous offer of a path to UK citizenship to Hong Kong citizens holding the British National (Overseas) passports. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the suspension in the House of Commons: I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely. And I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation, he added. UK is also extending to Hong Kong the arms embargo that is in force on mainland China since 1989. This includes no exports from the UK to Hong Kong of potentially lethal weapons, their components or ammunition, besides a ban on the export of any equipment not already banned, which might be used for internal repression, such as shackles, intercept equipment, firearms and smoke grenades. Calling upon China to live up to its international obligations, Raab said: We want to work with China. There is enormous scope for positive, constructive, engagementBut, as we strive for that positive relationship, we are also clear-sighted about the challenges that lie ahead. We will always protect our vital interests, Including sensitive infrastructure, and we wont accept any investment that compromises our domestic or national security. Mr Speaker, we will be clear where we disagree, and I have been clear about our grave concerns regarding the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. The opposition Labour supported the measures announced, calling it a step in the right direction. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the measures should lead to a new era in the two countries relationship. She said: This must mark the start of a more strategic approach to China based on an ethical approach to foreign policy and an end to the naivety of the golden-era years. Like him, our quarrel is not with the people of China, but the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, the actions of the Chinese government in the South China Sea and the appalling treatment of the Uighur people is reason now to act. We will not be able to say in future years that we did not know. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A member of the clinical staff at a hospital in Cambridge cares for a patient with coronavirus. Photo: Neil Hall/Pool via AP Shares in Southampton-based Synairgen (SNG.L) climbed by more than 450% on Monday after the biotechnology firm reported positive results from a trial of an experimental treatment for hospitalised coronavirus patients. In a statement, the company said that the treatment, known as SNG001, greatly reduced the number of COVID-19 patients who needed to go on a ventilator. The odds of developing severe disease during a 16-day treatment period were reduced by 79% for patients receiving the treatment compared to those who received a placebo, it said. In an interview with the BBC, Synairgen chief executive Richard Marsen hailed the results, describing them as a major breakthrough in the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. We couldn't have expected much better results than these, he said. READ MORE: Stocks rise on 'promising' vaccine trial and EU summit hopes The treatment sees patients inhale a protein called interferon beta directly into their lungs using a nebuliser, a procedure designed to stimulate an immune response to COVID-19. Synairgen said that, compared with those on the placebo, patients who received SNG001 were more than twice as likely to recover from the illness to such an extent that everyday activities were not compromised. Over the treatment period, the measure of breathlessness was markedly reduced, it said. While the treatment appears to prevent the conditions of those with moderate illness from worsening, the study did not produce any statistically significant evidence that those who were admitted to hospital with severe cases of coronavirus were more likely to be discharged from hospital. READ MORE: GSK invests 130m in Germanys CureVac The results from the Synairgen study come after a paper in a leading medical journal said a potential vaccine in a University of Oxford trial had been found safe. These early results hold promise, said Professor Sarah Gilbert of the University of Oxford. If our vaccine is effective, it is a promising option as these types of vaccine can be manufactured at large scale. AstraZeneca has already signed deals with the university and with countries including the UK and the US to supply doses of the vaccine if trials are successful. Since Trump has made such a stink about memorializing historical losers in statue form, the Trump Statue Initiative has decided to take it upon themselves to bestow the same honor on the famously narcissistic 45th President of the United States. As they explain on their website: The Trump Statue Initiative is a way for artists to share their point of view on our 45th President's most notoriously self-serving, narcissistic, and racist moments. And then memorialize his legacy in a way our President can truly relate: Realistic heroic statues. Yeah, unfortunately, statues and monuments are something the big guy is spending a lot of tax payers' dollars protecting right now, while we scramble to find funding to fight surging COVID-19 infections, historic unemployment, and daily racist attacks. We encourage you to join our movement and create special statues of your own, or perhaps vote for one of our pieces you see today to be a permanent installation here in historic Washington DC. Existing installations include "The Poser," located at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC: As well as "The Bunker," conveniently positioned in front of the DC branch of the Trump Hotel: During lockdown millions of us were suddenly forced to work from home for long hours every day for months at a time: smiling through endless Zoom meetings at the kitchen table, perching on the sofa to write reports or sitting on a hard chair in a spare bedroom. After all, how many of us who usually work in an office actually have an ergonomically designed chair at home? These unfamiliar work stations inevitably put a strain on the body, and according to a recent survey by the Institute of Employment Studies, there has been a 'significant increase in musculoskeletal complaints' in lockdown. More than half of those surveyed reported new aches and pains: 58 per cent in the neck, 56 per cent in the shoulder, and 55 per cent in the back. During lockdown millions of us were suddenly forced to work from home for long hours every day for months at a time: smiling through endless Zoom meetings at the kitchen table, perching on the sofa to write reports or sitting on a hard chair in a spare bedroom 'The body is designed to move,' says physiotherapist Uzo Ehiogu, a teaching fellow at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham. 'Pressure sensors around the body send signals to the brain to register discomfort and trigger the urge to move.' However, he says, the sudden pressures of working from home and sitting in an unfamiliar seat means more of us are ignoring those signals and thereby storing up problems. TACKLE NECK PAIN 'At the office you might have a comfortable chair, height-adjustable screens, wrist supports, perhaps a telephone headset,' says Tim Allardyce, a physiotherapist and osteopath at Surrey Physio. 'Then suddenly you're glued to the sofa for hours on end, peering down in to a laptop.' Tim says, as a result of this new working environment, he and his team are dealing with an increase in chronic neck pain (which he calls 'laptop neck'). Some people even work from bed 'a terrible place to work,' he says. 'Even if you prop yourself up with pillows, sitting puts you at a 45-degree angle with your neck craned forward looking down at a screen. 'This puts a significant amount of strain through your neck your head weighs about 8kg and the muscles which support it are designed for rotational movements not load carrying.' These unfamiliar work stations inevitably put a strain on the body, and according to a recent survey by the Institute of Employment Studies, there has been a 'significant increase in musculoskeletal complaints' in lockdown So what is the best solution? 'Reduce the amount of time you spend leaning forwards over a laptop to a maximum of 15 minutes,' says Tim. 'Raise your laptop on a pile of books so you don't have to look down, and make a point of continually moving around.' Perhaps the most frequently used 'home office' during lockdown has been sitting at the kitchen table. But spending too long in this position can trigger tenderness in the upper trapezius muscles, which run from the neck to the shoulders. Tim suggests that you try these three neck exercises ten to 15 times, two to three times a day: Neck retraction. Gently draw your head and neck back and in, so they're upright, rather than bent forwards. Rotate your head, to the left, then to the right, to improve the range of movement. Bend your head, taking your ear towards your shoulder on each side to mobilise a stiff neck and reduce pain. Working on a sofa or low chair can trigger problems in the lower back whether you find yourself propping a laptop on your knees or on a coffee table SAVE YOUR SPINE Working on a sofa or low chair can trigger problems in the lower back whether you find yourself propping a laptop on your knees or on a coffee table. 'Your spine naturally wants to be in an extended position with your shoulders back and your bottom slightly sticking out, but a chair with no lumbar support can allow your spine to move into a 'c-shape', which puts strain through the supporting muscles,' says Tim. He says the key is to take every opportunity to change your sitting position. In addition, use a cushion to support the lower back and 'try raising your laptop on a box so you can keep your spine straight rather than hunching, or spend part of your working day on a Swiss ball (usually used for exercise) which helps keep you upright'. Tim also suggests three back exercises to try two or three times a day: Lie flat on your back, with your arms stretched out to the sides, knees bent to 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor. Drop both legs to one side, knees together, then the other side to improve mobility. Return your legs to the starting position, and slowly lift your hips up into a 'bridge', then lower. This strengthens the core and lower back. Lie on your front, one arm outstretched, and lift opposite arm and leg off the floor (the 'superman') to improve lower back stability and strength. KEEP MOVING Tim suggests getting into the habit of stopping work briefly every 30 minutes for a one to two-minute walk, even if it's just a stroll to another room, throughout the day. 'As long as you stay active, any mild pain or stiffness accumulated during lockdown should gradually ease over six to eight weeks without needing treatment,' agrees Uzo Ehiogu. 5 OF THE BEST... BACK PAIN GADGETS Back pain blights eight in ten Britons at some point. Here, Dr Serge Nikolic, a consultant in spinal pain management in London, selects five of the best products to treat and prevent it. UPRIGHT GO 2 84.99, uprightpose.uk You stick this sensor on your upper spine and sync it with an app on your phone. It will give you statistics on how much of the day you slouch, compared with sitting/standing upright. It also vibrates gently when you slouch, to remind you to sit up. DOMYOS SOFT BALL 3.99 decathlon.com This low-cost Pilates ball is a firm favourite of physiotherapists. Balancing on it isnt easy, so you engage your core muscles, such as your hip flexors, just by sitting on it. Going back to basics like this will optimise your posture, preventing future problems and helping with sciatica and other types of back pain. PAINGONE TENS PEN 29.95, tower-health.co.uk Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines are small devices that emit tiny electrical pulses to interrupt pain signals going to the brain. This pen-shaped device dispenses with pads, gels and electrodes, making it simpler to use. The maker says it will ease chronic and acute pain. It shouldnt be used if youre pregnant, have a pacemaker or epilepsy. OMERIL UPGRADE POSTURE CORRECTOR 10.99, amazon.co.uk This is a Y-shaped adjustable brace you wear to pull your shoulders back, helping to align the spine and engage the supporting muscles, which get lazy with poor posture. PELVIC CLOCK EXERCISE DEVICE 83, amazon.co.uk You place this semi-inflated plastic ball under your bottom while lying on the floor with your knees bent and do exercises to work the core muscles. Often people dont realise they have a weak core until back pain strikes. ADRIAN MONTI The UAE has discussed its National Human Rights Plan, which will serve as a comprehensive and integrated national human rights framework in the country over the coming years. The UAE National Human Rights Committee held its second meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. The Committee discussed preparations for the plan, which aims to strengthen the UAE's efforts and underscore the measures it has taken in the context of its regional and international commitments. Gargash stressed that the UAE is keen to develop its institutional frameworks for human rights, a WAM report said. The national plan will build on the national policies, plans and strategies adopted by the UAE Government that promote human rights, and is part of the UAEs Vision 2021. He stated that the plan would bring many benefits to the UAE, the most important of which was documenting the country's efforts in the realm of human rights. It will also contribute to raising awareness, building capacity and developing national human rights specialists, as well as strengthening cooperation and partnerships with relevant United Nations agencies, mechanisms and committees. The Minister stressed that the first step in these preparations would be to examine the gains, efforts and achievements in human rights in the UAE. The following step would be to conduct a consultative process with civil society institutions in the UAE, and launch a community dialogue involving universities, academic institutions and others to involve more people in the preparation of the plan, which ultimately serves the interests of the community. It should be noted that during the Vienna Declaration and its Action Programme, adopted in 1993, the World Conference on Human Rights recommended that countries consider developing national action plans that outline the steps through which they intend to promote and protect human rights. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also prepared guidelines on the preparation of national action plans in this area. --Tradearabia News Service Residents of 18 properties including a block of flats at Wamberal have been ordered to evacuate their Central Coast homes for at least a month after huge surf washed away about 30 metres of beach. The Central Coast Council is due to hold an emergency meeting late on Monday to discuss how to restore the beach ahead of a high tide peak Wednesday evening. While locals and coastal experts debate responsibility for building a long-planned seawall along the 1.4 kilometre beach, the Insurance Council of Australia said as many as 300,000 properties around the country were vulnerable to storm surges, 20,000 of them deemed "high risk". Margaret Brice, a member of the Wamberal Protection Association and the owner of a property on Ocean View Drive, which had been partly undermined by last week's huge surf, said it was "very distressing for all the people involved". A Newbrige man whose wife lost her battle with cancer, and who himself is a survivor of the disease, along with his three brothers is urging people to take part in this years virtual Relay for Life. Relay for Life committee member, Peter ONeill said: Even though we will not be together physically this year, honouring Relay in this way will be an occasion to remember. Together we will celebrate our survivors, remember those we have lost and fight back with greater resolve. This August 8 and 9, the Relay for Life that was due to take part at Naas Racecourse will be live streamed virtually, with the public encouraged to set up their own relay teams at home. Mr ONeill said: We are very lucky that people support Relay for Life, we have raised half a million euros over the last number of years. The Irish Cancer Society can only cover the services with the money that it gets in, only about 2% comes from the Government. One of the most important aspects of the Relay for Life is the candle lighting ceremony. The candle bag is dedicated to a person with fabulous poems, sayings and pictures. Every year they are laid out, there are stands and each candle bag gets sand put onto it. The candles are laid out on rows, and anyone who buys a candle bag can see their candle bag, with their candle burning. He said: I can remember times at the Curragh, with 8,000 people plus. When a team registers for Relay, they could be two to three months fundraising each of them raising funds in their own village or their own town, concerts being put on and raffles taking place, and we would get corporate donations too. This year there is no emphasis on fundraising. Whatever we get in, it is a bonus, the whole thing is to honour Relay, and if funds come in, then great. We are asking the teams in their own town, village, or wherever, to light their candle bags at 9.15pm, our ceremony will be going live from Naas Racecourse. Mr ONeill says that while the Relay for Life this year may not raise as many funds as other years, they will come back bigger than ever next year. He said: Whatever money we make goes to the Irish Cancer Society. The money goes to services such as the night nurse service, they come into a persons home, and care for the person who is terminally ill. Also people drive patients to hospital for chemotherapy treatment and drive them back again. Money goes to a lot of services, including research. Mr ONeills wife Vera passed away from cancer in 2007, and Mr ONeill was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011. Also his three brothers, Joe, Dermot and Larry, were diagnosed with prostate cancer and have survived it. His father and his father-in-law also died from lung cancer. He said: I dont know of a single family who have not been touched by cancer. While the focus is not on fundraising this year, any donations would be welcome to ensure the running of vital cancer treatment services. Contact Irish Cancer Society, or Relay for Life Kildare if you wish to contribute to the virtual event this August. Ayodhya, July 20 : Ahead of the bhoomi pujan (land worship) on August 5 for the construction of the Ram temple, there is excitement among the sants and people over laying of the foundation stone of the grand temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the bhoomi pujan on August 3 or 5. However, no official announcement has yet followed from the PMO. According to sources, a consensus has already been reached that Modi will visit Ayodhya for bhoomi pujan. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust president, said, "All Ram Bhakts (devotees) are happy about Prime Minister Modi's imminent arrival in Ayodhya. He is a Rama as well as a Shiva bhakt. His arrival on the land of Ayodhya will be delightful. He will be performing his obligation towards the nation and society with bhoomi pujan which will pave the way for the construction of the Ram temple." Rajkumar Das, a Ballabhakunj Garhi official, said, "The Prime Minister is welcome to the land of Ayodhya. There has been an end to the controversies existing for so many years. People are happy that the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the Ram temple at Ayodhya." Saint Shashikant Das, Anjaneya Seva Sansthan president, said, "The temple of Shri Ram is going to be built in the holy city of Ayodhya. It is a matter of great pleasure that the first brick will be laid by Prime Minister Modi. Many sants have sacrificed their lives in the Ram Lalla temple movement. Prime Minister Modi has made a huge contribution in freeing Ram Lalla. It is an occasion for celebration by the whole country along with the people of Ayodhya." Iqbal Ansari, a party to the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid case, said, "I will welcome the Prime Minister when he comes to Ayodhya. He is the Prime Minister of our country. The state of Uttar Pradesh, including Ayodhya, will benefit as the sants have been demanding for a long time that the Prime Minister comes to Ayodhya. New plans for the development of Ayodhya will be unveiled once the temple construction begins. His visit to Ayodhya is auspicious. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians all welcome the Prime Minister to Ayodhya." Abhilash, who hails from Ayodhya, says the residents have been waiting for the Prime Minister for a long time. An invitation has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ayodhya on August 3 or 5. -- Syndicated from IANS The granddaughter of Britains Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Beatrice, got married to her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony in Windsor on July 17. The 31-year-old Princess was supposed to marry Mozzi, a millionaire property developer, at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace in London in May with around 150 guests but the wedding ceremony got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ongoing health crisis forced the Royal family to opt for a more intimate ceremony in the presence of a select group with strict social distancing measures. Queen and her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip joined the scaled-down wedding ceremony along with Prince Andrew and around 20 other guests. Released photographs The Buckingham Palace released two photographs of the wedding ceremony which took place at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. In one of the pictures, the newly-married couple can be seen with the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as Beatrice holds a flower bouquet in her hand. The official Twitter account of The Royal Family tweeted the pictures while announcing the marriage of Beatrice and Mozzi. It said that the couple celebrated their wedding with their closest family. The Buckingham Palance also revealed that Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell and the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both belonging to Her Majesty The Queen, during the wedding. Read: Queen Elizabeth Didn't Know About 1975 Australian Historic PM Sacking: Reports Queen Elizabeth II had worn the tiara on her wedding day in 1947 and the Buckingham Palace tweeted the pictures of the tiara and the couple on the wedding day seven decades back. Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell and the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both belonging to Her Majesty The Queen. The tiara was worn by Her Majesty on her wedding day in 1947. pic.twitter.com/LEXLdsSlW1 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 18, 2020 The marriage was held amid the brewing controversy around Beatrices father for his alleged links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his socialite ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, recently arrested in the United States and facing charges of conspiring with the Epstein to sexually abuse minors. Read: Queen Elizabeth To Make First Appearance In Months To Knight 100-year-old Veteran (Image Credit: Twitter / @RoyalFamily) Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday described his former deputy Sachin Pilot as a worthless' person, doing nothing, but said he raised no question over it in the party's interest. In his statement, he, however, did not name him. He said no demand was raised to change the PCC president, a post which Pilot held for the last seven years in Rajasthan. Gehlot said he "used to talk about conspiracy to topple his government but nobody believed that he (Pilot), having an innocent face, good command over English and Hindi and influence over the media across the ... Highly anticipated: With excitement and hype over the PS5 reaching fever pitch, many are asking: "Who cares about the price; when can I pre-order?" If some datamined information from a new PlayStation website is anything to go by, the answer might be very soon. It also indicates that purchases will be limited to one per household. The leak is the work of Reddit user Kgarvey, who went digging through the source code of Sony's new direct.playstation.com website. One of the main takeaways is that customers will only be able to "purchase one version of the PS5 Console: Disc or Digital." The global pandemic has changed the world in many ways, one of which is an increased demand for gamingspending on video games is at its highest in a decade, and more people are choosing home-based activities over going out and risking Covid-19 infection. As such, demand for the PS5 is expected to be huge, and Sony is reportedly doubling production to 10 million units. But it appears the company is still taking precautions to ensure consumers aren't left disappointed by limiting purchases, though anyone who wants a standard and digital version of the console, for whatever reason, will have to pre-order one of them from a third-party retailer. Elsewhere, the site also contains images for the "PS5 Compatible" logo that could appear on upcoming cross-gen games and previously released PS4 titles. Sony has promised that almost all of its top 100 PlayStation 4 games will run on the next-gen machine at launch, but it seems not every title will work on the PS5. The poster created a mock-up of Days Gone to show how it will look. They also note, however, that the logo may be intended for accessories. Sony offering pre-orders for the PS5 directly from its PlayStation shop is a new move for the company and one that will likely allow it to control its stock levels better. With the discovery of the PS5 references, does this mean that pre-orders are imminent? It certainly looks like we don't have much longer to wait. If Kgarvey is right, they'll be available to reserve within the next two weeks. And the fact Amazon's PS5 pre-order placeholder page is now live suggests it could be even sooner. I should probably start by saying to those unfamiliar with the official motto of Geneva, which is in Latin Post Tenebras Lux means light after darkness and is a reference to the City of Calvin, which played a key role in the Protestant Reformation by offering refuge to immigrants fleeing religious persecution. Modern Geneva expands on this historic status with a high level of diplomatic openness, hosting the United Nations regional headquarters (since 1946) and various embassies, consulates and foreign missions. The coronavirus pandemic caused business operations all over the world to grind to a halt in a matter of months, even weeks. But although things came to a stop, they didnt go away. Brands that had planned their new releases for months were obliged to think of creative solutions to bring their watches to locked-down markets, while respecting the fact that audiences who would normally have been enraptured with novel watches were now held hostage by a novel virus. One after another, international and regional trade exhibitions were called off. Watch companies were caught in an impossible situation from which there seemed no escape. Then one weekend, a few key industry leaders got on the phone with one another. Jean-Christophe Babin of Bulgari. Patrick Pruniaux of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin. Georges Kern of Breitling. Maximilian Busser of MB&F. Edouard Meylan of H. Moser & Cie. Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk. Pierre Jacques of De Bethune. And our own Brice Lechevalier. From this telephonic exchange arose a new initiative: Geneva Watch Days (GWD). In his article, published two weeks ago, Brice recounts the initial work to get the project off the ground. If you havent read it already, you really should its the only first-hand account of what happened behind the scenes when the disparate group of individuals that is now the GWD steering committee brought this new concept to the table. For four days at the end of August, a decentralised series of meetings and presentations will be held around the city of Geneva, designed to give the watch business a means to move forwards with their stalled commercial activities whilst keeping strictly to the recommended contagion-limiting guidelines. What is luxury? For many, a fine timepiece is a luxury. For others, luxury is the opportunity to interact with others without fear of being exposed to a virus. Geneva Watch Days will likely be the only Swiss event this year to give us the privilege of enjoying both forms of luxury, shining a light on the work that has been cast into the shadow by the pandemic. After darkness, light is the greatest luxury. The city of Tulsa has selected a firm to evaluate its community policing efforts as well as develop steps to advance and measure performance, it announced Monday. Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a news release that CNA Corp., a nationally accredited 21st century policing firm, will contract with the city to begin work in the fall. Bynum said CNAs work will build off the 77 recommendations made by the Tulsa Commission on Community Policing in March 2017. The work also will fill one of the voids created when the mayors proposal for an Office of the Independent Monitor failed; it would have entailed the OIM issuing TPD policy analysis and recommendations for community policing. The city is mandating that CNA use a community-based participatory action research model to engage community members and organizations as co-researchers who have personalized knowledge of the needs, concerns and strategies that affect them. Registrations for admissions of class 1 into Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Schools are now open. Find all the details about registration of class 1 and other class here. The admissions at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) schools are now open. KVS has released the registration forms for the admissions in class 1. The mode of filing these admission forms is online. The parents who are keen to admit their students into Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Schools can fill the form on the official website of KVS kvsonlineadmission.kvs.gov.in. Parents will come across an exclusive link on the official website where they will be able to apply for their wards admission into Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country. This is for class 1 for the session 2020-2021. Other than the official website kvsonlineadmission.kvs.gov.in, the parents can apply for the admissions into KVS schools using the KVS App. The app is for android mobile devices. The registration form for class 2 and 11 will also be available from today and will be available till July 25, 4 p.m. if vacancies remain. The forms are also available in offline mode. This information was released on July 17 stating that the registrations for class 1 into KVS Schools will start from July 20, 10 a.m. and the registration will end on August 7, 7 p.m. Here are the steps for the parents to apply for Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Schools: Apply online for KVS Admission 2020: Visit the online admission portal of KVS, kvsonlineadmission.kvs.gov.in . Read the mentioned details and guidelines on the page. Click on the Registration link or the Application link. Fill the required details. Click on the Submit Button. Keep one copy of the form safe with yourself for future reference. Also read: Bank of Baroda Recruitment: Check vacancies, eligibility and other details Also read: UGC Guidelines 2020: Over 700 universities ready to conduct exams KVS asked of parents not to bring their children to Kendriya Vidyalayas due to the coronavirus crisis. The KV 1st Class admissions forms are to be filled by parents online. After the form is filled, they have to scan and email it to KVS. The 1st round provincial select and waitlist of registered candidates will be uploaded on 11th August on KVSs website. If yet more seats remain unoccupied after the 1st round, then it will release the 2nd one on August 26th, and if repeated again, then a 3rd list will be announced. The final list will be out before September starts. 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 Bank employee unions have again raised their demand for a five-day working week, stating that reducing the number of working days would help bankers who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus disease due to their exposure to public. The Indian Banks Association (IBA) in January had rejected the unions proposal for a five-day working week but offered a 19 per cent pay hike to employees. At present, banks have holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays every month and on every Sunday. The All India Bank Employees Association in a statement said that the coronavirus threat is haunting bankers, where they are highly exposed to the general public dealing and now a five-day week is the requirement of the hour. The association noted that while whole world is carving for four-day working, the country is still looking for a way to opt for five-days banking. Talking to PTI, the president of All India State Bank Officers Federation, Deepak Sharma, said, Moreover, it will also be a positive step in the direction of Digital India in conformity with PMs vision. The working conditions in the Banks have been strenuous. Poor infrastructure, lack of adequate staff has made the officers work till late in the night, resulting in poor health, huge pressure on the officers, which culminates in serious work-leisure mismatches, life style diseases and of late, repeated acts of suicides being committed by the officers of the Banks. Officers are called upon to work on holidays and Sundays, frequently disrupting the personal life, Sharma claimed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Tennessee Department of Education on Monday released a free, optional supplement to support early literacy, TN Foundational Skills Curriculum Supplement, which follows evidenced-based research to build a solid foundation for literacy in pre-K through second grade. This supplement is completely free, optional, and uses a systematic and explicit approach to sounds-first instruction to help all students gain the foundational skills necessary to become proficient readers. Teachers, districts, and parents can access and download the materials in the supplement at any time here. "Early literacy is the foundation for the rest of a students educational career. We are incredibly excited to provide this free supplement to our Tennessee teachers, districts, and parents to assist in helping students learn to read, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. The supplement builds upon the critical work already happening across the state around literacy and will assist teachers and parents in explaining the relationship between sounds and vocabulary to kids and improve overall comprehension. The supplement was developed by Tennessee district leaders, teachers, and nationally recognized literacy experts, David and Meredith Libens, to be used by Tennessee districts, teachers, parents, and higher education agencies to support students foundational literacy skills. Implementation guides are available for district leaders, building leaders, teachers, and families along with digital learning opportunities to assist in facilitation and how to incorporate the materials into daily instruction. Resources are organized by agepre-K, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade and ancillary materials, six to ten units, decodable readers, and intervention support are available depending on grade level. These resources include teacher guides, student workbooks, and practice activities to help early learners focus on phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and fluency. Tennessee teachers and district staff shared their excitement regarding the supplement and the benefits it will provide on social media: I am so excited about the release of our TN Foundational Skills Curriculum Supplement. Tennessee teachers and students are certain to benefit from this explicit and systematic curriculum. - Joyce Harrison, Shelby County Schools #TNFoundationalSkills Supplement is a real page-turner! These materials are fantastic at providing teachers and students with excellent skills and support for reading and writing! - Carissa Comer, Putnam County Schools I could not be more excited for the new foundational skills curriculum supplement! I am thrilled to finally have access to a FS resource that helps teachers build a strong foundation for the readers in their classrooms. The support and tools in this supplement, along with the continued hard work of teachers, will make a profound impact in the literary lives of TN students. - Rachel Darnell, Elizabethton City Schools The Leader of Opposition in Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia Monday staged a sit-in protest in the House campus to highlight issues of incarceration of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi and non-release of pending funds by the Centre to Assam for flood relief. He also protested against the alleged use of Covid-19 by the state government for political purpose and steep increase in the prices of essential commodities in the state. Saikia claimed that the Centre had not released any aid to Assam under the NDRF during the last three-four years. Congress leaders of Assam had submitted memoranda to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh in August last year requesting them to urgently release central funds to tackle the perennial flood problem in the state. "They had urged the prime minister to declare Assams flood crisis as a 'national problem' but their appeals fell on deaf ears", he said. "The result of the Centres apathy and the state governments timidity in wresting Assams dues was that embankments could not be repaired on time and those affected by the ongoing bout of floods are not receiving adequate relief materials," Saikia said. He also alleged that there is ample evidence of the state government's failure to halt the spread of Covid-19 in Assam. Apart from the negligence which was exposed in the Guwahati central jail, there are countless reports of wrong test results, premature release of coroavirus patients, faulty implementation of quarantine norms from across the state. "At the same time the state government was trying to gain political mileage out of the situation. The opposition leaders are being prevented from reaching out to the public on the pretext of Covid-19, but BJP leaders are being given a free run to interact with the public without maintaining even basic safeguards. "As a result, numerous people in certain areas have either been infected by the disease or have had to undergo quarantine after coming into contact with BJP MLAs and other leaders," he alleged. Averring that lockdowns have deprived countless families of regular income, the Congress leader stated the skyrocketing prices of foodstuff, vegetables, medicines and fuel are compounding the plight of the common man. Claiming the KMSS leader's arrest was "vindictive incarceration by the state Government ", Saikia demanded immediate steps for resolution of the issues. Demanding immediate release of Akhil Gogoi on bail, the leader of opposition said, "although even the NIA had failed to furnish any proof so far, the BJP-led government in Assam is slapping case after case on the KMSS leader because of his resolute opposition to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and other anti-Assam acts of the BJP". "The BJP-led alliance came to power with a vote share of 41 per cent, which means that 59 per cent votes were cast against it. In spite of this fact, the government is trying to forcibly prevent opponents from highlighting issues which are crucial for Assam. This exposes the BJPs utter disregard for democracy and the Constitution", Saikia asserted. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) state unit in a press release has charged the Centre of failing to extend flood package to Assam and send a central team to assess the deluge situation. The Left party demanded compensation to the flood affected people and their rehabilitation, declaring Assam floods as a national problem and earmarking of special funds for it. S chools must prepare for the prospect of a local lockdown when they reopen this autumn, the Education Secretary has warned. Gavin Williamson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We have been clear to schools that they have to plan for a scenario where they are in a situation where we see local lockdowns, and how we have that continuity of education that flows all the way through. He suggested that teachers may have to use virtual lessons from the Oak National Academy if a school has to shut down. Councils now have powers to impose local lockdowns in response to future coronavirus outbreaks like Leicester, where schools were forced to shut again three weeks ago. A school in Leicestershire has revealed it plans to hold day-long lessons on the same subject from September to minimise pupils mixing with one another. Schools closed in Leicester when it entered a local lockdown / REUTERS Manor High School in Oadby has drawn up a fortnightly cycle of all-day lessons, The Times reports, such as Maths on a Monday and English on a Tuesday. Government guidance urges secondary schools to create year-group bubbles, kept apart in lessons, at break and lunch times and with staggered start and finish times, but in larger schools these could include 270 children. Many have brought in strict sanitary regimes. There are already mounting fears over the long-term hit to children who have missed five months of teaching, which would be compounded by further school closures in local lockdowns this autumn. Sir Patrick Vallance, the Governments chief scientific adviser, has warned there is "a risk" that "national measures would be needed if a second wave of infections hits Britain this winter. Mr Williamson warned parents would be fined if they repeatedly refuse to send children back to school in September, after a survey found one in ten parents may decline. Primary schools began reopening to reception, year one and year six pupils at the start of last month. Some secondaries have welcomed back year 10s and year 12s, to resume preparations for their respective GCSE and A-level exams next year. There are fears about the amount of teaching time pupils have lost during the pandemic / PA Mr Williamson also said on Monday morning that schools could decide how to spend the Government's new coronavirus catch-up funding from September, when Mr Johnson has vowed all pupils will return. He told BBC Breakfast the package equates to an extra 80,000 per secondary school and 16,000 for an average, small primary school. Mr Johnson will visit a school on Monday to unveil a year-on-year increase in pupil funding amid pleas from cash-strapped headteachers, set to be a minimum of 5,150 per secondary pupil and a minimum of 4,000 per primary pupil from 2021. Angry mobs took to violence on Sunday burning vehicles and setting the state alight as a 15-year old girl succumbed to injuries in an alleged case of brutal gangrape; while the BJP accused the ruling TMC and Mamata Banerjee government for the out of place situation of law and order in West Bengal. An angry mob torched burnt at least three police vehicles and two public buses at Kalgach area in Chopra over an alleged incident of gangrape and murder of a teenaged girl on Sunday afternoon. Chopra, falls in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. According to protesters, on Saturday night at around 11 pm, a 15-year-old girl went missing and was spotted this morning 700 meters away from her home in a brutal condition. Villagers took her to the Islampur hospital where doctors declared her dead. Following the incident, angry villagers blocked the National Highway 31 demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits. Police later resorted to a lathi-charge and tear gas shells which triggered a clash between police and the public. Also read: Assam floods: PM Modi takes stock, assures all support Also read: BJP has lied on Covid-19, GDP and Chinese aggression: Rahul Gandhi A total number of five vehicles were torched and many were damaged in the violence which went on for several hours. The girls body had been sent for a medical examination for further reports. Ashim Barman, a protester said, We are demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and strong action against them. We will continue our protest till we see any positive move by the police. Goutam Deb, the state tourism minister said that the girls death is very painful and added that the police would take action against the culprits. It is a very sad incident. We do not want to politicize it. An investigation will be done and the culprits will be punished as per law. We will be meeting the family of the victim tomorrow, he said. BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista on Sunday attacked the TMC led West Bengal government over the alleged incident in the North Dinajpur district. Taking to Twitter, Bista said that All of West Bengal has been terrorised by TMC goons TMC promised to turn Kolkata to London and Darjeeling to Switzerland, it never happened. But today, all of West Bengal has been terrorised by TMC goons. A 15-yr-old child of a BJP Karyakarta was raped and murdered in Chopra, yet the WB Govt is sleeping, he tweeted. Mamata Banerjee regime is conspicuously silent on the gruesome abduction, rape and murder of a 15 year old girl in the sensitive Uttar Dinajpur district of Bengal. This is not an isolated incident. Shri @RajuBistaBJP demands a free, fair and thorough investigation. pic.twitter.com/C1AJ17jYFf BJP (@BJP4India) July 19, 2020 We will not tolerate this lawlessness anymore. We will not allow Gundaraj to flourish in Bengal. We will not tolerate TMCs Gundaraj anymore. Enough is enough, we have to eradicate this politics of terror and murder from Bengal, he said in the tweet. BJP leader further said that he has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to intervene in the matter. I have requested Honble Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji and Honble Governor H. E @jdhankhar1 ji to intervene and ensure that the murderers of our daughter from North Bengal is brought to justice. I have requested for a Central Probe into her murder, he tweeted. In a subsequent tweet, he said, I am deeply hurt and enraged at the heinous murder of a bright 15-year-old child, from Chopra block of North Dinajpur district, which falls under my Lok Sabha constituency (Darjeeling). She had only recently completed her Madhyamik (Class X) exams. Also read: Away from political saga, Team Gehlot enjoys Lagaan, Yoga at fancy resort For all the latest National News, download NewsX App India has emerged as a hotspot, but new cases in neighbouring countries appear to be on the decline. India has now crossed the million mark and has the third largest number of coronavirus cases in the world after the US and Brazil. That's not surprising given its huge population, but its neighbours have also been hit hard by the virus. We've been looking at the scale of the outbreaks in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Global hotspot With cases doubling every 20 days, India is now a global hotspot for coronavirus. The numbers are still rising fast. However, the number of daily cases elsewhere in the region has followed a different trajectory, with confirmed infections showing a downward trend in most countries, after steep increases in May and June. In Pakistan, with the second-highest number of total cases in the region, there is cautious optimism about the downward direction of the infection curve. From a peak in mid-June of almost 6,000 new infections each day, that figure has fallen to less than 2,000 by mid-July. However, concerns remain and some say it's too early to conclude that the virus is under control. Similarly, Bangladesh, which has seen a total caseload of 196,323 as of July 16, saw its highest daily cases between mid-June and the beginning of July. After that, it has seen a downward curve in positive cases, with the infections currently doubling every 28 days. Afghanistan's doubling rate is slower than its neighbours', currently every 41 days. But questions have been raised about the reliability of its official figures. Nepal and Sri Lanka have much lower levels of infection overall. In Nepal, the government imposed a lockdown which went on for 100 days. In that period, most of the cases detected were in areas bordering India. Recent trends show daily numbers coming down, but experts suggest that may partly be because cases in the community are going undetected. Sri Lanka has had spikes of infections since April but has managed to keep numbers low. It has implemented a tight lockdown, traced contacts of positive patients and imposed strict quarantine rules for those infected. "A thorough contact-tracing system was in place using public health officers, local police, intelligence officials and local administrative officials," says BBC Sinhala's Saroj Pathirana. Sri Lanka has recently lifted the lockdown ahead of forthcoming parliamentary elections. Low rates of testing South Asia has about a quarter of the world population, but only 11% of total recorded infections are from this region. "Total number of cases per million in India and the rest of South Asia are low, but so is the number of tests per million," says virologist Dr Shahid Jameel. He says that while total numbers of tests in these countries seem high, when you compare it with the population size, the numbers have been "sub-optimal". For instance, India has scaled up its testing over time and has so far conducted 10.3 million tests. Pakistan has carried out more than 1.6 million. But per capita tests in these countries are far lower than in many other countries. Moreover, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, testing levels have fallen, which will have had an impact on the number of positive cases recorded. Pakistan, at its peak, conducted over 31,000 tests per day, but this has been scaled down since the last week of June, and they are not testing those without symptoms. A recent government survey conducted in and around the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, suggested that nearly 300,000 people may have been infected by the virus there alone, a majority of them asymptomatic. Bangladesh's testing numbers have also seen a downward trend, and the reliability of those tests has also been called into question because of a scandal around the sale of fake negative test certificates. In Nepal, a little over 300,000 tests have been conducted as of July 16. The government had said earlier that they would conduct 10,000 tests per day from July, but testing remains low, at around 4,000 a day. Testing data for Afghanistan is not available and the Red Crescent has recently expressed concern that the actual number of cases could be much higher than officially announced. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a benchmark range for adequate testing of between 10 and 30 per confirmed cases in a country or region. South Asian countries fare poorly on this measure. Russia and Japan, which have populations similar to Bangladesh, are testing far more widely, finding a positive case every 32 and 26 tests respectively. But Bangladesh is identifying one positive case for every five tests carried out, which is well below the WHO benchmark. Nepal was finding a positive case every 25 tests until June 14. Data after that is not available. Unreliable statistics Deaths recorded in these countries are far lower than in western countries, whether we look at absolute numbers or per head of population. This appears to be an encouraging sign, but it also calls into question the reliability of data in a region with a poor track record of spending on health infrastructure. "Many deaths are not reported within the vital registration system and the causes of deaths are mis-classified," said Professor Kamran Siddiqi, a public health expert at the University of York. But Dr Shahid Jameel says even if the deaths are under-reported, the difference is "quite stark". "The most plausible explanation is that the populations in South Asia are made up of far more younger people than say in Europe and the US," professor Siddiqi said. The average age of the population in these countries ranges between 18 and 34. BBC Alberta Forest Products Association Names Janis Simpkins as Senior Vice-President Janis Simpkins July 20, 2020 - The Alberta Forest Products Association is pleased to announce that Janis Simpkins has been appointed Senior Vice-President. She will also chair the association's environment committee and lead the organization's sustainable growth initiatives, including the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) portfolio. "Throughout her career, Janis has proven to be an exceptional leader," said AFPA President and CEO Jason Krips. "She has tremendous experience as a municipal leader and has served Albertans in a variety of critical roles with the Government of Alberta. I know that her expertise and vision will serve or our organization well for many years to come." Simpkins comes to the AFPA from Alberta Energy, where she has served as Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives. Her work with Alberta Energy has centered on providing leadership to the development of a unified and actionable strategy for Alberta's energy policy that aligns with ESG criteria and a long-term vision for the province's energy resources. Prior to moving to Alberta Energy, she held posts in both Indigenous Relations, where she spearheaded the development of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, and Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, where she held key files such as U.S. Relations Coordination, Investor Confidence and Northern Development. Before joining the Government of Alberta, Simpkins worked in the energy industry and served as Reeve of the Municipal District of Greenview. She is a recipient of the Governor General of Canada's Queens Diamond Jubilee medal, honouring significant contributions and achievements of Canadians, for her work with communities and commitment to public service. Simpkins will begin her role with the AFPA in August. The Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) is a non-profit association that represents companies manufacturing lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper, and secondary manufactured wood products in Alberta, Canada. For further information, visit: albertaforestproducts.ca . SOURCE: Alberta Forest Products Association DHS and Justice Department personnel have made about two dozen arrests since July 4 in the vicinity of the federal courthouse in Portland, not including short-term detentions of suspects whom agents want to question, according to a DHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss federal law enforcement operations in Portland. The protesters use of black clothing, face coverings and diversion tactics have made it difficult for federal agents to identify suspects, they said. The crash was reported at 3:53 a.m. after the driver of a red Chevrolet Camaro failed to reduce his speed and slammed into a black Ford Crown Victoria that burst into flames on impact, Illinois State Police said in a statement. Kolkata: Serpentine queues were witnessed in front of banks as harassed people waited for hours to withdraw money here even as ATMs ran dry on the second day after ATM withdrawal was allowed following a two-day moratorium. There were reports of damage to equipment in a SBI e-corner here as people vent their ire. Despite efforts by banks to ease the situation, people complained that ATMs were running dry within hours of re-opening and timely refilling was not being done in the metropolis or in the districts. SBI CGM P P Senggupta told PTI that about 1000 ATMs of 3000 were functional and acknowledged there are problems in currency management with logistics limitation. "There are are reports of some excess rush in a few locations. Currency management of Rs 100 notes and logistics limitation due to a sudden spurt in demand are creating some problems in meeting customers' demand. People will also have to realise and behave judiciously during this period," he said. The situation may continue for another few days before it normalises. The ATMs are managed by private agencies and they fail to cater to all ATMs despite their best efforts due to limited resource and such services can also not be ramped up overnight, according to bank officials. Things were also not smooth at bank counters for withdrawal or deposit of cash. People complained that even for deposits less than Rs 10,000 they are forced to bring an ID proof. "I'm an employee of a firm and came to Yes Bank Dalhouise branch to deposit old notes worth less than Rs 10,000 but the bank is asking for an ID proof for submitting the same. Government said it is mandatory for deposit in excess of Rs 2.5 lakh," a confused employee of a small private firm complained. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Broadway Hospitality Group has secured funding to begin building a 13,000 square foot, two-story rooftop bar and restaurant in the Mercantile Center, according to the Worcester Business Journal. BHG announced the project last December and referred to it as its biggest to date. The 500-seat restaurant is expected to become the flagship restaurant for the company that owns Tavern in the Square, The Broadway in South Boston and Tavitas and Tavern Allston. The $4.2-million purchase-and-financing agreement established between Webster Five Bank and 2 Mercantile LLC, was announced Monday, the report said. The terms of the loan call for Webster Five Bank to provide construction financing for the buildings core and shell, as well as for utility infrastructure with the tenant, the report said. BHG wasnt immediately available for comment. The brand of the restaurant to open in the Mercantile Center was not determined when the company announced the project in December, but the group did not want to open another Tavern in the Square, as there is a location down the road on Route 9 in Shrewsbury. Over the summer, officials announced that Ruths Chris Steak House would open inside the center next year. The steak house will occupy 8,200 square feet with 270 seats inside and an additional 70 seats outdoors. Already open at the Mercantile Center is the Fuel America coffeehouse and roastery. Fuel opened in early 2019 in a 5,000-square-foot space. Aside from restaurants, several businesses take up space in the Mercantile Center, including the state Department of Industrial Accidents, engineering and design firm VHB, and hundreds of UMass Memorial Medical Center employees. The restaurant will employ about 80 to 100 part-time employees and about 40 full-time employees. Related Content: In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion. " Albert Camus, French philosopher How can we, as entrepreneurs, find answers in a world vying for our attention with constant stimuli and distraction? According to Albert Camus, the only real progress we make lies in learning to be wrong all alone. Its in stepping back from this overwhelming volume of information that we can see our mistakes with greater clarity, and consequently find solutions. Giving ourselves time to think and process our decisions is crucial for progress, and this is especially true in times of turbulence and uncertainty. Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton spent years in solitude, and in his acclaimed book Thoughts in Solitude, he claimed that, We cannot see things in perspective until we cease to hug them to our bosom. Technology is undoubtedly one of the main culprits behind our resistance to spending time alone, but another is the fear of solitude itself. This used to be the case for me. Over twelve years ago, as a newly minted entrepreneur to my company, I thought I had to stay on top of my game by overloading myself with leadership development and training opportunities. I didnt think twice before accepting yet another meeting or answering emails late into the night. However, Jack Fong, a sociologist at California State Polytechnic University, notes that in moments of crisis, we are able to see situations more clearly when were not surrounded by external distractions. He refers to these as existentializing moments, or mental flickers of clarity that occur during inward-focused solitude. In Fongs words, we shouldnt fight these moments. Accept it for what it is. Let it emerge calmly and truthfully and don't resist it, Fong notes. Your alone time should not be something that you're afraid of. What I didnt take into account in my earlier years was the need for solitary reflection. I found that between trying to stay ahead of the curve and the relentless stream of distractions, it was becoming harder and harder to find the internal clarity Fong speaks of. For many of us, filling up our schedules is our go-to. As leaders, were action-oriented and not necessarily prone to quiet contemplation. But a lack of focus can significantly hinder our development. Related: Why Alone Time Gives Your Business an Edge Why we should commit to solitude In a story for Harvard Business Review, Mike Erwin reiterates what philosophers from the past have known for generations. Having the discipline to step back from the noise of the world is essential to staying focused. But it can also give us a competitive advantage. During this time, Ive been thinking a lot about the yearly trips I take to my hometown to help with the olive harvest. Most of my best and brightest ideas as an entrepreneur have come from these days of savoring sunshine with my family. My mind free to wander aimlessly. Needless to say, my next trip wont be anytime soon. But that doesnt mean I cant have those same benefits where I am. According to experts, we dont have to travel half-way around the world to experience enhanced problem-solving skills and focus. Solitude is a crucial and underrated ingredient for creativity, author Susan Cain told Scientific American in an interview. In our culture, snails are not considered valiant animals we are constantly exhorting people to come out of their shells but theres a lot to be said for taking your home with you wherever you go. Dont let the lure of distractions get in the way Im sure youre thinking to yourself right now: Sure Aytekin, being alone is all well and good in theory, but were in the middle of a pandemic trying to complete our work while also balancing childcare with other home responsibilities. How on earth are we supposed to squeeze in some alone time? I hear you. Solitude sounds like some lofty dream right now. I, too, am juggling many hats at home while trying to be as present as possible to my team. But the keyword here is presence. Most of us have more time in the day than we think, but the bulk of it often goes to our social media, emails, and other devices. Were so tuned in to whats going on in the outside world (understandably so in these times) but we also inadvertently tune out the interior one. In their book, Lead Yourself First, Erwin and co-author Ray Kethledge define solitude as a state of mind, a space in which to focus ones own thoughts without distraction and where the mind can work through a problem on its own. According to the authors, we can override our impulse to distract by building 15-minute pockets of solitude into our day. Instead of checking our inbox whenever we have 10 minutes to kill, we can make it a point to log out of our accounts. We can even transform mundane activities like sorting laundry into more mindful ones of reflection. The point is to create these spaces where we can give our undivided attention to just one thing. And its these smaller, self-imposed moments of solitude that can profoundly affect our productivity in the long run. Related: How Daydreaming and Solitude Helped This Entrepreneur Become ... Finding clarity in solitude In more recent years, scientists have approached solitude as something that can have therapeutic benefits if pursued by choice. It can help us better regulate our emotions, which is essential for managing teams and dealing with a crisis. In fact, getting better at identifying moments when we need solitude to recharge and reflect can help us better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout, explains psychotherapist Emily Roberts in a story for The New York Times. But its not just about being alone. Its a deeper internal process, solitude researcher Matthew Bowker points out. Ive noticed that when I can structure my days with these pockets of alone time built in, not only am I able to dig deep and access the clarity I need to identify work-related problems and solutions, Im also more mentally present to my family and whats in front of me. It might take a little bit of work before it turns into a pleasant experience, Bowker says. But once it does it becomes maybe the most important relationship anybody ever has, the relationship you have with yourself. Related: Should the Road to Success Always Be Lonely? Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Find Clarity in Uncertain Times 5 Ways to Relax and Recharge During the Holidays 8 Things Exceptional Thinkers Do Every Day Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Two private hospitals in Patna were given the approval on Monday to treat Covid-19 patients amid the rising number of cases in the city. Earlier, only government hospitals were allowed to treat Covid-19 cases here. Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi has allowed Ruban Hospital and Paras Hospital to set up corona wards with 25 beds each to treat Covid-19 patients, an official statement said. Applications have been received from several other private hospitals seeking approval for treating patients and a decision will be taken after proper review and verification, it said. The corona wards at the two hospitals are likely to start functioning in a day or two, sources said. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the local MP, had on Sunday urged state health minister Mangal Pandey to allow Covid-19 treatment at private hospitals to ease the pressure on government facilities. There are four dedicated hospitals in the state for treating Covid-19 patients, including two in Patna. These are Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and AIIMS in Patna, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur and Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in Gaya. The state has so far reported 26,379 cases of Covid-19 and most of them were detected in Patna where 3,696 people have tested positive. The state has been recording over 1,000 fresh cases every day since July 12 and 12,401 cases were detected in the last 10 days. Patna has also recorded the highest number of deaths in the state at 28. Total 179 people have died in Bihar so far. The state has 9,602 active cases at present. 100 Years Ago 1920: Determined to end the illegal shipment of whiskies from Baltimore through this city, United States federal agents have invoked a drastic law, dormant for years, which prohibits any movements of liquors during the night. A penalty of $100 for each cask or case found in a conveyance is contained in the law, and there is also a clause which permits the government to confiscate not only the whiskey but the conveyance. The first truck halted under the newly-enforced law was taken in charge by Officer Farrell, at Third Street and Highland Avenue this morning at 2 oclock. There were 250 cases of fine whiskies in the truck, which was loaded at the Melville Distillery in Baltimore for shipment to Newark. 75 Years Ago 1945: Canine treachery, exemplified by the phrase bit the hand that fed him, cost Robert Davison, 30, of 25 E. Fourth St., Media, a badly gashed left thigh on Thursday. A driver for a dog food delivery firm, he was making a delivery on Edmonds Avenue, Drexel Hill, near Marshall Road, when the bulldog for whom the food was intended, attacked. The victim drove to Delaware County Hospital, where he was treated for a severe gash. As he left the institution, he collapsed from the shock. He was returned to the hospital and later discharged. 50 Years Ago 1970: Construction on a 14-story, $8.6-million building at Fair Acres is scheduled to start about six months from now, according to a report by Harry A. McNichol, chairman of the county commissioners. Architectural plans for the building to house more than 300 men and women at the county home for the aged have been completed by the firm of Bellante, Clauss, Miller & Nolan of Philadelphia. 25 Years Ago 1995: After listening to the impassioned pleas of a dozen residents, Upper Darby council last night unanimously voted to table taking action on a land development plan for a drug store on the 832 Lansdowne Ave. site of the pre-Revolutionary War Enge House. The Delaware County Planning Commission had recommended disapproval of the proposal because it did not comply to township zoning. However, the township zoning hearing board granted a variance to developer Raymond Konyk Jr. 10 Years Ago 2010: An expensive winter and a pending bridge replacement have sent Newtown Township officials in search of state money to defray costs. Newtown is hoping to recover at least $60,000 related to Februarys record-setting snowstorms a fraction of the amount spent on public works and police department overtime, equipment repairs, and rock salt. COLIN AINSWORTH The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Pune district crossed the 50,000-mark after 473 more people tested positive for the disease, a health official said on Monday. The district now has total 51,885 COVID-19 cases, while the death toll due to the disease has reached 1,343, the official said. Out of the total cases, over 37,000 have been reported from Pune city, as per the figures. Also read: Bank unions write to Maharashtra CM over employees' safety at various state branches More snow on the way in Pennsylvania; here's how much to expect A motorcyclist was killed and a second biker left with potentially life-changing injuries after a horrifying accident with a tractor and trailer. The collision brings to 77 the number of people killed on our roads this year, two more than for the same period in 2019. That is despite the three-month lockdown because of Covid-19 when traffic was drastically reduced. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to the accident at 5pm on Saturday on the N74 at Moatequarter, Kilfeacle, Tipperary. Desperate The collision between the two motorcycles and tractor and trailer left a 25-year-old motorcyclist with critical injuries. Gardai, fire brigade units and paramedics were at the scene in minutes. Despite desperate efforts to stabilise the condition of the biker, he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later transferred to University Hospital Waterford, where a postmortem examination is to be carried out. The second biker, a man aged 33, suffered serious injuries and was treated at the scene before being rushed to University Hospital Limerick. There are fears his injuries could be life changing. The 21-year-old tractor driver was uninjured but treated at the scene for shock. A full examination of the roadway was conducted by forensic experts. Gardai have appealed for anyone who witnessed the collision or who travelled the route on Saturday evening and may have dash-cam footage to contact them at Tipperary Garda Station on (062) 80670 or the Garda Confidential Line (1800) 666111. Of the 77 people killed on Irish roads this year, 31 were drivers, 19 were pedestrians, 13 were passengers, 10 were motorcyclists and four were pedal cyclists. The rate of traffic fatalities has prompted both the Road Safety Authority and gardai to plead for greater care to be taken. Safety chiefs are baffled at accident rates, given that normal traffic volumes have been massively reduced by the closure of schools, colleges and child-care facilities. Tens of thousands of workers have also been working from home because of the coronavirus crisis. However, the Covid-19 lockdown has reduced the rate of the increase in road deaths from 20pc before March 12. The UK Government has announced the resumption of the exhibitions industry in the country as of October 1, meaning that England can once again welcome international business delegates from around the world. WTM London the event where Ideas Arrive is set to take place between November 2 and November 4 and promises to be one of the first major exhibitions to take place globally since the Covid-19 pandemic. This years event is centred on the concept of recovery, rebuild and innovate, as global travel and tourism leaders will meet to discuss the future of the industry and begin its resurgence. The show will reflect the diverse needs of the travel and tourism industry by incorporating both a live event, at ExCeL London, as well as a virtual event taking place online the week after. Furthermore, the leading travel technology exhibition, Travel Forward, which is co-located with WTM London at the ExCeL Centre, will also be taking place this year inspiring visitors to embrace the latest technology that will help rebuild the industry. Encompassing both WTM London, Travel Forward and the myriad of industry events taking place across the capital, London Travel Week will happen in 2020 embracing flavours and experiences from around the world giving attendees the chance to learn, network and socialise to accelerate their business needs. The highest standards of health and safety will be followed across all elements of the shows this year with WTM London, Travel Forward and London Travel Week adhering to UK Government guidelines on social distancing and all other aspects of Covid-19 prevention. Visitors can be safe in the knowledge that not only will they have the chance to meet other travel and tourism professionals in person for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19, but they will be able to do this in a safe environment too. WTM London will be once again taking place at the premier exhibition space in the UK, ExCeL London. ExCeL has been working with the AEV (Association of Event Venues) and other key stakeholders to develop the All Secure Standard, an industry wide benchmark to enable the safe return of organised events. The vast majority of the venue (90 per cent) has been restored to its original state now, with the remaining space secured as equipment storage for NHS Nightingale. This ongoing support will not impact the normal operation of our venue and the centre will be able to host safe, secure, and successful business events and conferences from October 1 onwards. Throughout the pandemic, the WTM Portfolio have delivered a wide variety of events and tools designed to help the industry in its recovery. The WTM Global Hub was launched in April creating an online resource filled with webinars, blogs and videos designed to assist all aspects of the industry. In June, the portfolio also debuted its first online exhibition ATM Virtual. The event was a huge success with over 12,000 attendees from 140 countries joining the proceedings for one-to-one meetings, conferences & seminars and virtual stand visits. Earlier this month, Travel Forward launched its inaugural Travel Forward Online event too. It brought together industry leaders from the global travel tech community to share their wisdom, discuss & debate the issues and to advance the adoption of innovative technologies to help smooth the transition to a new post-Covid reality. In response to the news about the resumption of the exhibition industry, WTM Londons Event Director Simon Press said: This is truly fantastic news to hear with regards to not only our industry but also the thousands of companies we directly support through WTM London in the global travel and tourism industry." We look forward to welcoming people to London this November in a safe way and providing the platform to help our industry recover, rebuild and innovate. In the lead-up to the event, we will be in constant communication with the UK Government with regards to plans surrounding the NHS Nightingale hospital in London making sure to find a solution for all parties involved." By hosting both a live and virtual event as part of WTM London 2020, we will be providing a truly essential service for the global travel and tourism industry as it looks to rebound heading into 2021. We look forward to welcoming you once again to the event where Ideas Arrive WTM London," he said. - TradeArabia News Service Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state, says the ordeal of Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime... Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state, says the ordeal of Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is hurting the country more than him. Magu is being investigated by a presidential panel for allegedly mismanaging loot recovered by the anti-graft agency. The former acting chairman was arrested on July 6 and released after 10 days in detention. In an interview with The Sun, Obi, who was the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate during the 2019 polls, said fighting corruption as an economic policy is a waste of time. He asked the federal government to focus on revamping the economy. What you hear today is not the news we should be hearing. What we hear today should be serious issues on the way we are going to go. We should be talking of a reliable roadmap. It should not be about how, in NDDC, Joy Nunieh slapped Akpabio, Oshiomhole vs. Obaseki, Magu this and that etc, he said. We are preoccupied with travelling in the wrong direction. Just open the newspapers, including your own today and you see what the headlines will be. It is about one rascality or the other. I said even during the presidential election that you can fight thieves, but that should not be the primary focus of a government. Fighting corruption as an economic policy is a waste of everybodys time. You can fight thieves, by what you are doing to salvage, strengthen, and rejig your economy. Let me tell you, what Magu is going through today is hurting the country more than it is hurting Magu, if you dont know. Some people think today that oh Magu is in a mess, that Magu is this and that, but do you know who is in a mess? Nigeria. Newspaper headlines in a serious economy should be that the government, for instance, has decided to support SMEs with this or that quantum of money. Obi said the debts Nigeria is servicing are not productive, asking the federal government to think of creative ways to generate revenue. Looking at the last budget, we are providing not less than N2.9 trillion for servicing of debt, but our education and health budget combined is about the third of this, he said. I can tell you that in the end, the amount we use in servicing the debt will be more than what is provided because we are borrowing more. Iran has executed a translator accused of being a US and Israeli spy who helped the US kill General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a translator, was put to death on Monday, according to Iran's judiciary website. It comes a week after defence worker Reza Asgari was put to death after being accused of selling secret information about Iran's missile program to the US. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd (left), a translator who worked with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has been executed for helping the US carry out the raid which killed Qassem Soleimani (right) Majd had been found guilty of receiving large amounts of money from the CIA and Mossad to supply information on the Quds force, which Soleimani headed, including the whereabouts of its commander. However, Majd was not directly involved in the killing of Soleimani at Baghdad airport on January 3, having been arrested two years ago. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike moments after he arrived in Iraq amid fears he was about to orchestrate attacks on the US embassy. The move brought Iran and the US to the brink of war, and in the end Tehran retaliated by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq. While the attack on the western Iraqi base of Ain Al-Asad left no US soldiers dead, dozens of them suffered brain trauma. President Donald Trump opted against responding militarily. Amid sky-high tensions, Iran accidentally shot down a passenger jet while mistaking it for an American warplane, killing 176 people - mostly Iranians. Majd had migrated to Syria in the 1970s with his family and worked as an English and Arabic language translator at a company, Iran's judiciary website claimed. When war broke out, he chose to stay in the country while his family left. 'His knowledge of Arabic and familiarity with Syria's geography made him close to Iranian military advisers and he took responsibilities in groups stationed from Idlib to Latakia,' the site added. Soleimani was killed in a drone strike on Baghdad airport on January 3 (pictured), almost causing a war between Iran and the US Majd was not a member of the Revolutionary Guards 'but infiltrated many sensitive areas under the cover of being a translator'. He was found to have been paid 'American dollars to reveal information on adviser convoys, military equipment and communication systems, commanders and their movements, important geographical areas, codes and passwords' until he came under scrutiny and his access was downgraded. He was arrested in October 2018, Mizan Online said. Iran said last week it had executed another man convicted of spying for the CIA by selling information about Iran's missile programme. Reza Asgari had worked at the defence ministry's aerospace division for years but retired four years ago, after which he sold 'information he had regarding our missiles' to the CIA in exchange for large sums of money. Iran in February handed down a similar sentence for Amir Rahimpour, another man convicted of spying for the US and conspiring to sell information on Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran announced in December it had arrested eight people 'linked to the CIA' and involved in nationwide street protests that erupted the previous month over a surprise petrol price hike. It also said in July 2019 that it had dismantled a CIA spy ring, arrested 17 suspects between March 2018 and March 2019 and sentenced some of them to death. Trump at the time dismissed the claim as 'totally false'. We have a lot of bike paths in Lake County that are very heavily traveled by young and old at different times of the day, Balbo said. Aided by these bike patrols, Balbo added, There is a police presence. The 10 bike patrol officers are divided into teams of two, with a pair always working together. While assisting at the Dyer rally, police cyclists stopped by the Little League field, where they met with players and explained their bikes to youngsters. Community policing as a tool is very important, Balbo said. When bike patrols were at those rallies in Dyer and Merrillville, theyre ensuring the safety of the public and the police. Depending on the weather, county bike patrols can operate May through October. Typically, Balbo explained, officers will arrive for work in squad cars, then, at some point in the day, they may leave for bike patrol duty. Nigeria has evacuated no fewer than 648 nationals stranded in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and some parts of Europe as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a government agency has said. The evacuees arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe Intl Airport, Abuja on Sunday via different airlines, namely: Emirate, Azman air, Euro air and Air Sudan. In a Twitter post Monday, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said 117 evacuees from Saudia Arabia arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday via Azman air while Emirate airlifted 324 stranded nationals in the UAE and arrived at about 3 p.m. Also, Euro Air moved 51 evacuees from Canada who arrived at about 6.45 p.m. on the same day. Meanwhile, another 22 nationals were said to have arrived from some parts of Europe namely, France, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, Holland, the United Kingdom. Earlier we reported that @airfrance flight AF936 with 22 Nigerians from (France, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, Holland, the United Kingdom and Canada) with other Nationals arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 2:44 p.m. local time from citizenM Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the Twitter statement read. It said 134 Nigerians who were evacuated from Sudan, also arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja via Air Sudan, on Sunday morning. COVID status All the returnees reportedly tested negative to COVID-19 and would proceed on a 14-day self-isolation as mandated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the agency said. EVACUATION SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY 19th July 2020. Azman air arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe Intl Airport, Abuja from Jeddah with 117 evacuees at about 11:30 pm local time. Emirate flight from Dubai arrived Murtala Muhammed Intl Airport, Lagos at about 3pm with 324 Stranded Nigerians. 1/4. pic.twitter.com/7ahk2otHGy Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 20, 2020 All Evacuees tested Negative to #Covid19 before boarding and are now on a 14 day SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria and PTF on #COVID-19, the tweet said. In the meantime, Nigeria has airlifted hundreds of its citizens across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused over 550,000 deaths globally. The exercise is part of government efforts to clear the backlog of stranded nationals around the world during the public health emergency. According to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the evacuation is targeted at least 500 Nigerians on a weekly basis. Castel Underwriting Europe B.V. (Castel Europe), a subsidiary of Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Hartford to acquire the renewal rights for Navigators Europe, the trading name of Bracht, Deckers & Mackelbert NV (BDM)ASCO Continentale Verzkeringen NV (ASCO), Rotterdam marine business. The renewal rights include a book of predominantly Dutch marine cargo, inland hull, land-based equipment and liability business. The Navigators Europe marine underwriting team, based in Rotterdam, will transfer to Castel Europe and will continue to be led by Duco Teijema as marine manager, Netherlands. Teijema will report to Gert van Middelkoop, head of Castels Marine Center of Excellence. Chinese police seal off the road leading to the Urumqi Intermediate People's court in Urumqi, farwest China's Xinjiang region on Sept. 17, 2014. (GOH CHAI HIN/AFP via Getty Images) Xinjiang Authorities Conceal Information About Latest Virus Outbreak as Citizens Panic As a local CCP virus outbreak in Urumqi, capital of Chinas far-western region of Xinjiang, continued to spread, authorities scrambled to locate the source. Locals started panic-buying and cleared supermarket shelves as authorities gave little information while enacting travel restrictions and lockdowns of residential areas. Authorities announced more COVID-19 patients and asymptomatic carriers on July 20. Meanwhile, 10 medical teams from 10 provinces arrived in Urumqi to assist in conducting nucleic acid tests on certain city residents. On Sunday, authorities upgraded two districts in UrumqiTianshan and Saybaginto high-risk areas, meaning there is a possibility of contracting the CCP virus if people travel there. Three other districtsToutunhe, Xinshi, and Shuimogouwere designated medium-risk areas. Source The Xinjiang-government-operated newspaper Xinjiang Daily reported on Sunday that Chinas State Council sent three working teams to Urumqi on July 18 to investigate the source of the outbreak. On Monday, authorities confirmed that a patient who was diagnosed in Kashgar city in southern Xinjiang was infected with the virus while she was in Urumqi. Chinese armed police patrol the streets of the Uyghur Muslim quarter in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China on June 29, 2013. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, authorities emphasized that all patients and asymptomatic carriers did not visit other countries in recent months. Xinjiang police also detained a local woman who spread information contradicting the official announcement. Officials were unable to confirm the source of the virus outbreak, but claimed that the first diagnosed patient was a 24-year-old woman who works for a shopping center at Zhongquan Square in Tianshan district. Authorities said the woman was treated at a local hospital on July 10 after exhibiting symptoms, including a sore throat. A manager at an Urumqi theater told The Epoch Times that a wedding ceremony attended by about a thousand guests was likely the ground zero of this outbreak. The epidemic started from Erdaoqiao. Now, this neighborhood is fully locked down, the manager at Theater of Delicious Foods, Songs, and Dances in Urumqi said on the phone. The theater is located on the fourth floor of Erdaoqiao Bazaar, a mall. Erdaoqiao is a Muslim business area in Tianshan district. Businesspeople from different cities in Xinjiang as well as Central Asia trade there. According to the manager, the patient zero was a guest who attended a Muslim wedding held at the theater on July 5. The married couple are Uyghur Muslims whose families operate a business in other Chinese provinces. The wedding guests came from different regions of China, he said. The Epoch Times could not independently verify the information, but other sources indicated that the theater was being considered a potential ground zero. On July 16, insiders from Urumqi sent a neighborhood notification to The Epoch Times, in which authorities notified a residential area that anyone who had visited the Erdaoqiao theater, as well as the nearby MGM bar and Bahtiya Ballroom on July 5; those who attended wedding ceremonies in Tianshan, Saybag, and Shuimogou districts; or had visited Kashgar and Ili cities must report themselves to local governments and take nucleic acid tests at hospitals. The notification said two symptomatic carriers were found at the Erdaoqiao theater and Bahtiya Ballroom. School students should avoid going to Urumqi, the notice added. Meanwhile, Director of the Urumqi Center for Disease Control and Prevention Rui Baoling said at a July 18 press conference that the outbreak started at a get-together, but did not provide further details. Some Chinese netizens posted on several social media platforms that the patient zero guest was an asymptomatic carrier from Beijing, but The Epoch Times also could not independently verify this information. Underreporting Urumqi announced the 24-year-old womans case on July 16. This was the first time the public was informed of a new outbreak in Xinjiang. That day, Zhejiang Province, all the way on the eastern coast of China, also announced an infection, a man who arrived in the province on July 10 from Urumqi. The man received a notification from Xinjiang authorities on July 14, in which he was required to take a nucleic acid test, according to the announcement. He then took a test in Zhejiang on July 15 and was confirmed to be an asymptomatic carrier that day. Chinese authorities typically require a person to do testing if he is considered a close contact or had recently visited an area designated as high-risk. Given the mans mandated testing, Urumqi authorities were likely aware of a local outbreak at least on July 14, but did not announce information until July 16. On July 16, doctors at the Xinjiang Infection Hospitala facility in Urumqi designated to treat COVID-19 patientstold The Epoch Times that they were not allowed to leave the hospital and that many patients were being treated there. Fearing repercussions for talking to the media, the doctors refused to provide further details, but said that people with other diseases should avoid visiting hospitals in Urumqi. On July 16, Urumqi enacted some lockdown measures, with authorities stopping metro and bus services, and canceling most of flights. On July 17, the neighboring Changji city also stopped all their bus services, though local authorities did not announce any infections there. On July 18, Urumqi, a city of 3.55 million, declared a wartime state to control the spread of the virus. ALAMEDA, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN) today announced that it will host a conference call to discuss financial results for the second quarter 2020 after market close on Monday, August 3, 2020 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. A press release with second quarter 2020 financial results will be issued after market close that day. Webcast & Conference Call Information The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing (833) 350-1434 for domestic and international callers (conference id: 8138127), or the webcast can be accessed on the "Events" section under the "Investors" tab of the Company's website at: www.penumbrainc.com . The webcast will be available on the Company's website for at least two weeks following the completion of the call. About Penumbra Penumbra, Inc., headquartered in Alameda, California, is a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies. Penumbra designs, develops, manufactures and markets novel products and has a broad portfolio that addresses challenging medical conditions in markets with significant unmet need. Penumbra sells its products to hospitals and healthcare providers primarily through its direct sales organization in the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia, and through distributors in select international markets. The Penumbra logo is a trademark of Penumbra, Inc. For more information, visit www.penumbrainc.com . Investor Relations Penumbra, Inc. 510-995-2461 [email protected] SOURCE Penumbra, Inc. Related Links http://www.penumbrainc.com Numerology is the study of the symbolism of numbers. It is used to determine a person's personality, strengths and talents, obstacles, inner needs, emotional reactions and ways of dealing with others. There are several hypotheses about the origins of numerology, some go back to the ancient Chinese and Hindu civilizations, others relate numerology to Egypt and Babylonia. The most popular numerology method in the western world is developed by Pythagoras, the famous Greek mathematician and philosophe, who believed that the universe is governed and explained by numbers. In the Pythagorean system, numbers were assigned to each letter in the alphabet. Find Your Name Number To begin learning what your name means, you must first get your core number. Write out all the letters of your first name and assign them with this number code. 1: A, J, S 2: B, K, T 3: C, L, U 4: D, M, V 5: E, N, W 6: F, O, X 7: G, P, Y 8: H, Q, Z 9: I, R From here, add up all the numbers in your name. For example, the name John would get a total of 20. From there, reduce the number into single digits by adding the two digits of the number together. For example, if you got a total of 13 you would add 1 + 3 to make 4. This is your true name number. However if you land with the number 11 or 22, do not reduce them. These are considered master numbers and have their own traits. What Your Name Number Means Now that you have your number, you can find out how numerology predicts your personality and future. Number 1 If your name number is a one, that means you are a true leader. You are able to take authority of any room, are driven for greatness, and will likely succeed in any career of your choosing. You have an artistic side that makes you great at coming up with innovative ideas others wouldnt. You are an independent soul that is confident with themselves. Number 2 You have a very finely tuned intuition, which leaves you open to a deep psychic understanding. You have a heart of a healer, which you can use to find deep love in your relationships, create unity between others, and have the friendships you desire. You are driven towards finding a life-long partner that is as romantic as you. Your career is also an important focus, and you are able to stay motivated and driven. Number 3 Those with the name number three are communicators. You have a smile that lights up a room which other people are attracted to. You make friends easily and due to your positivity, are seen as very trust-worthy. You can create the life of your dreams if you desire. Words are your forte, and you can manage any situation with peace and ease. Number 4 You are another naturally born leader, and are strong both mentally and physically. People count on you and your wisdom to guide them. You are honest, hard-working, and do anything for those you love. You have so much inside of you that you want to share, and you want others to benefit from your wisdom and resources. Number 5 Freedom is what motivates you. You have multiple talents and interests. A gifted story teller, you are magnetic and draw peoples attention to you. Fun loving, vivacious, and charming, you can be successful at anything you put your mind to. Due to your many talents, you can sometimes feel like you are lacking direction about which to pursue as a career. Number 6 A natural counselor, healer, and friend, you are the one everyone turns to for help. You have a strong sense of responsibility, especially to those you love and will never let anyone down. Because of your perfectionist nature, everything you do is of the highest quality, especially when it comes to helping other people. Number 7 Youre somewhat a mystic with the ability to see the truth in any situation. You have a deeply insightful mind that lets you see past others facades. With a strong intuition you can always find yourself in the right place at the right time. You dont always trust others, and find yourself in situations where you can feel betrayed or have the rug swept up from under you. Number 8 Your soul longs to be recognized for your achievements, which there are many. You can see the big picture of anything, and you are meant to be the one in charge. You are comfortable with money, status and power, so you can be a good steward of these resources and benefit the greater good. As you learn to accept your role as someone others look up to, you can be the leader you are meant to be. Number 9 You are an old soul. You were born with a deep intuitive wisdom and spiritual insight that is meant to be shared. A natural teacher and counselor, people will naturally be drawn to you. Your success will come from sharing your profound spiritual and creative gifts. Number 11 Being a master number, 11 means having an enormous manifesting potential. You are a born leader, spiritual teacher, and can inspire others through your words and actions. You are incredibly magnetic so people will naturally be drawn to your light. When you listen to your intuition, you will be guided to be the masterful leader who will heal and inspire others. Number 22 Another master number that has great manifesting power, 22 is the number of the master builder. You are driven to create a legacy. Through your immense intuition combined with your practical nature, you have everything you need for success on the spiritual and material planes. You are drive to create foundations for your family, and the world at large because you have cultivated the skills over several lifetimes to handle this masterful task. According to numerology, the numerical value of your name influences areas of your personal and professional development. Did this ring true for your name? Its amazing how connected we can be to the universe through this practice. 'India's future: To manufacture so efficiently that we do not need protection,' says Naushad Forbes. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Sociologist Ronald Dore was a great scholar of Japan. During a visit to Delhi in the early 1980s, he wrote a paper on self-reliance in India, sub-titled Sturdy ideal or self-serving rhetoric. It provides us with both the direction of what we must do to make self-reliance work (the sturdy ideal), and a clear warning of what to stay away from (the self-serving rhetoric). Dore's essential argument was that India needed to learn from the best in the world, that this learning required a systematic and considerable effort, and that in matters of self-reliance, learning mattered more than creating. Dore was writing at a time when self-reliance was key to Indian economic policy. It condemned us to sub-standard goods, sold at a high price. Remember that every new Premier Padmini or Ambassador we bought -- with a five-year waiting list -- was a 20-year-old design, and that the Indian Airlines published a timetable for the sole purpose of allowing passengers to calculate how late they were. India in the 1970s was a miserable place. We must not go back there. Launching a policy of self-reliance, the prime minister referred to two medical items (PPEs and N95 masks) in his first speech. And speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry annual general meeting, he asked why we imported 30 per cent of the air-conditioners sold in the country. All three examples have one thing in common: Imports from China. We export $15 billion worth of goods to China each year, mainly raw materials such as iron ore. We import $75 billion worth of goods from China (the Covid virus was supplied free), almost all manufactured goods, equal to around one-fifth of our national manufacturing output. China is a manufacturing superstar, with depth of supply chains across items. The government says this rediscovered self-reliance is outward-looking. But how can a policy that relies on tariff protection against imports be outward-looking? How can self-reliance help deliver a vibrant and competitive manufacturing sector? These questions have rekindled an old debate: Are we better off with a regime of tariffs and import substitution, or a regime of trade liberalisation and export promotion? Which of these will build globally competitive firms? There is much for us to learn from the experience of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in the 1950s-1970s. At the heart of self-reliance is tariff protection. Make no mistake: A tariff on imports is a tax on consumers, who pay more than they would without the tariff. How do we justify such a tax on ourselves? Only if the tax is temporary, five years, say, and results in a world-competitive industry that needs no further protection -- an industry the country would not otherwise have. The government has imposed a tariff on both ACs and the components that go into them -- compressors, controllers, evaporators, and such. A good phased manufacturing programme has a defined time-frame for the protection to go to zero. Instead, we have the tariff increasing over time to 30 per cent from the current 20 per cent for the finished AC and from 10 per cent to 20 per cent for components. Should the Indian consumer really be expected to pay 30 per cent more than the world price five years from now? And the schedule of tariff reduction must be fully credible. Taiwan used tariff protection across many industrial sectors in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s -- textiles, steel, plastics, consumer electronics, semiconductors. All of those were successful in establishing globally competitive industries, as the tariff protection went away. Their experience with cars was different -- protection was provided in the 1960s and early 1970s. The State then opened up the car market as scheduled -- in spite of protests from local industry that it would be wiped out (it was, but subsequently every other industry believed more strongly in the period of protection). So, we need a phased tariff reduction for ACs to zero, and we need it announced transparently ahead of time and stuck to so firms know exactly what to expect and can invest with confidence in a clear and unchanging policy. Tariffs always have to be removed before firms are entirely ready to deal with the removal -- competitiveness cannot be a choice left to firms. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are models for both the advocates of import substitution and export promotion. Any thoughtful study of Japanese industrialisation in the 1950s and 1960s, and South Korea and Taiwan's industrialisation in the 1960s and 1970s show how the governments actively intervened in protecting domestic firms. But they did so in a very special way. Firms often received protection in return for committing to specific export targets. In Taiwan, for example, firms had to export over half their output -- if these targets were not met, the protection was removed. The great advantage of exporting is that it forces competitiveness, with all manner of beneficial feedback from demanding buyers. Firms must also learn what product features are in particular demand -- features which may take time to develop, and which prepare the firm for future demand at home as well. Competitiveness is a reflection of what firms do, and firms respond to price signals and incentives. Making an AC compressor efficiently is a matter of learning. And learning, as Dore pointed out, takes conscious effort. When Hyundai Motors started making its first vehicles in 1968, they learnt how to manufacture efficiently by repeatedly disassembling and assembling the sample cars they had imported. Samsung did the same when they started making microwaves as a supplier to GE and eventually emerged as the world's largest manufacturer. Self-reliance for essential medical supplies, such as PPEs and N95 masks, during a global health emergency is a fine example of how idealism and challenge can deliver extraordinary results. Some weeks ago, when a team at CII started working on the supply chain, India produced zero PPEs and N95 masks. Thanks to an extraordinary response from small and large Indian industry, we are today the world's second largest manufacturer of PPEs (500,000 per day) and are now considering exports. The supply chain of raw materials is also local. And the import tariff on masks and PPEs' Zero -- as it should be. This is India's future: To manufacture so efficiently that we do not need protection. Self-reliance must be our sturdy ideal, not self-serving rhetoric to justify protection. Naushad Forbes is co-chairman, Forbes Marshall; past president CII; chairman of Centre for Technology Innovation and Economic Research, and the Ananta Aspen Centre. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Iraq Sunday and met with the countrys top officials, including the prime minister, president and foreign minister. Zarifs one day trip took place just before Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was scheduled to visit Irans regional rival Saudi Arabia, then Iran and later the United States, though the Saudi visit appears to have been delayed due to the kings health issues. This was Zarifs first trip to Iraq since the assassination of former Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport along with Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Upon landing at Baghdad airport, Zarifs first stop was a visit to a mural of Soleimani and Muhandis marking the spot where the two were killed. Iraq is in a difficult position, torn between its relations with Tehran and the need for an economic lifeline through regional countries and sanctions waivers offered by the United States. One role, according to Iranian media, that Iraq and its new Prime Minister Kadhimi can play is that of mediator between Tehran and Riyadh. According to an opinion piece by Iranian newspaper Arman Meli, given the passing of Omans Qaboos bin Said Al Said and the illness of Kuwaits emir, Kadhimi is now determined to take their place given his good relationship with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian officials. Pulling off the mediator role between these two regional rivals can elevate Iraqs and Kadhimis position not just regionally but also internationally, according to the article. A leader within Iraqs Fatah coalition reportedly claimed that Zarif has sent a message through Kadhimi that Iran is ready to resume previous agreements with [Arab] countries in the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia, with Iraq as intermediary. Khorasan newspaper also predicted that Kadhimi will seek to play the role of the mediator between Tehran and Riyadh and continue the attempts by previous Iraqi leaders. No prime minister will easily pass on such an opportunity to gain prestige for his country, said the newspaper, adding that economic relations between the two oil-producing countries were another matter likely discussed between the two sides. According to Khorasan, Iran is seeking around $5 billion from Iraq for previous deals, though this figure has not been reported anywhere else. Khorasan also wrote that Iran will be pursuing with Kadhimi the case of Soleimanis assassination and the withdrawal of US troops. Iran wants charges brought up against the United States and international pressure applied for the assassination, but the article noted that Kadhimi has already taken steps against some Iranian-backed groups and hinted that Kadhimi may not want involvement in such political maneuvering, particularly against the United States. A SCAN has revealed that a boy battling cancer for the third time has no new growth of the disease. Charlie Ilsley, 13, of Buckingham Drive, Emmer Green, was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 and now has a tumour on his spine. He underwent three weeks of a new form of immunotherapy treatment, known as CAR-T cell treatment, in Mexico City in the hope of saving his life. He flew home this week after an MRI scan. It showed no new growth from March 11 and he will now return to Mexico on August 5 for a follow-up scan to see if the treatment has had an effect. Charlie, who currently has no symptoms, was under the supervision of Dr Jason Williams, director of interventional oncology and immunotherapy at the Williams Cancer Institute, which also has branches in America and China. Mrs Ilsley said: Charlie had his scan and it showed no new growth from March 11 and hes been off treatment the entire time. Dr Williams wasnt expecting anything to happen yet as its too early but he wanted a baseline to compare as we are coming back to Mexico around August 5 for the next scan. He also said it (the tumour) looks different, not solid. He thinks this is the immunotherapy working. The treatment has cost 25,000, which has been raised by the public and supporters. The family now have to raise a further 4,000 for flights, the next scan and another stay when they return next month. An update on a Facebook page for Charlie set up Claire Brown, from Cheltenham, who led the online fundraising drive, said Mrs Ilsley cried when she was told the good news. But she said there was just 500 left in the bank and more money was needed. Mr and Mrs Ilsley had had to forgo work to go to Mexico with their son and will have to do the same next month, although the trip wont be as long. Mrs Brown wrote: Obviously, things would be a lot harder, even impossible, without the love, kindness and generosity of so many people. So many of you have invested in Charlie and were not going to give up now. We love this boy. His courage is awe inspiring. Hes captured so many hearts around the world. This is working. Charlie is heading towards what was considered a pipe dream a few weeks ago. Lets finish what we all started. Lets get him living the next chapter of his life hopefully cancer free. Earlier this year, the Ilsleys were told that the chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment that Charlie underwent had failed. Since then they have been searching for a new trial treatment. Charlie, who attends Highdown School in Emmer Green, was given the all-clear for the second time in August after radiation treatment in Turkey. But in November they were told the disease had returned after a lumbar puncture showed cancer cells in his spinal fluid. A scan in March showed the disease in his spine and elsewhere. Charlie had been receiving the drugs etoposide and topotecan but these treatments have ceased as they werent working. After his diagnosis in 2015, he underwent a 10-hour operation and had 31 sessions of radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy before being given the all-clear. Then in spring 2018 two tumours were discovered on his spine. To donate, visit www.justgiving .com/crowdfunding/teamcharlie2020 The claim: There have been multiple comprehensive studies at the deepest level held to scientific standards in controlled environments that have all said for decades, masks do not work with viruses. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest of North Carolina, at a campaign event as he runs for governor. PolitiFact ruling: False. Forests statement overlooks recent data, CDC guidance and the advice of one of President Donald Trumps top pandemic advisers. While face coverings alone cant guarantee protection from a virus, recent studies show they do reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Discussion: While virologist and Trump adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and other experts have said masks alone dont guarantee protection from the virus, they do believe masks can help slow the spread of COVID-19. When asked for the basis of Forests remark, campaign spokesman Andrew Dunn noted an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 1 titled, Universal masking in hospitals in the COVID-19 era. Dunn quoted a line from the authors opening statement, which reads: We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Authors go on to say the purpose of their article is to examine whether a mask offers any further protection in health care settings in which the wearer has no direct interactions with symptomatic patients. Authors later noticed that people were quoting their article to discourage mask-wearing, so they released a follow-up letter to clarify their position. We understand that some people are citing our Perspective article (published on April 1 at NEJM.org) as support for discrediting widespread masking. In truth, the intent of our article was to push for more masking, not less, researchers wrote in a June 1 letter. They acknowledged writing the sentence that Dunn cited, then said: but as the rest of the paragraph makes clear, we intended this statement to apply to passing encounters in public spaces, not sustained interactions within closed environments. A growing body of research shows that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is strongly correlated with the duration and intensity of contact. Dunn also cited a study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine in 2015, that examined the use of public health strategies to reduce virus transmissions. These interventions include home quarantine for infected persons, social distancing, reduction in public gatherings, and masks. Dunn pointed out that researchers wrote that there are widely disparate findings on masks effectiveness in combating viruses. The study examined existing reports, but found that many of the reports were flawed. Researchers reviewed 100 studies on intervention strategies and found inconclusive results for most of them, including masks. Of those 100 studies, researchers wrote that only seven met all selection criteria and pooled analysis was not feasible because they had significant design flaws. Researchers wrote: Reduction of viral transmission by non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) has a significant appeal and is often recommended. However, the efficacy of such interventions is unclear Despite the potential for NPI in preventing influenza transmission, there is very limited data available. Properly designed studies evaluating large populations including at risk patients and in a variety of communities are needed. That was 2015. Now fast forward to the emergence of COVID-19. About PolitiFact PolitiFact is a fact-checking project to help you sort out fact from fiction in politics. Truth-O-Meter ratings are determined by a panel of three editors. The burden of proof is on the speaker, and PolitiFact rates statements based on the information known at the time the statement is made. See More Collapse Researchers have launched multiple studies on potential methods for stifling the outbreak, finding that masks could help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Back in April, researchers wrote in the U.S. National Library of Medicine that to date, no study has been done to examine the effectiveness of masks against the SARSCoV2 causing COVID19. However, a recent study in patients with seasonal coronaviruses has demonstrated that surgical face masks significantly reduced detection of viral RNA in aerosols and shows a trend in reducing viral RNA in droplets. A study published in The Royal Society on June 10 found the results of two mathematical models show that facemask use by the public could make a major contribution to reducing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another study, published in The Lancet medical journal on June 1, found that face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection. Another study, coming out in the August edition of the International Journal of Nursing Studies, concluded that community mask use by well people could be beneficial, particularly for COVID-19, where transmission may be pre-symptomatic. Rachel Graham, assistant professor of epidemiology at the UNG Gillings School of Global Public Health, noted that a study out of Germany found that a mask mandate decreased the COVID-19 growth rate by about 40%. When it comes to mask-wearing, Graham said: Its not that theres no transmission, its that theres less. The CDC, which earlier this year said masks werent necessary in public places, changed its guidance on April 3 after studies found that the virus can be spread by asymptomatic individuals. Now, the CDC recommends nearly everyone wear a face covering saying they help protect people around you and are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings. PolitiFact has reported on the effectiveness of masks on several occasions, quoting experts who say coverings, when worn properly, can effectively reduce the spread of COVID-19 when combined with other prevention methods such as frequent hand washing and social distancing. The timing of the start of construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya the country is in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and an invitation extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend it by the trust mandated to oversee the construction have sparked a political debate. A day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar criticised the timing of the bhoomi pujan, set for August 5, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh questioned the invitation extended to Modi to the ceremony by the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which was formed last year to construct the temple. Singh said the Centre had appointed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders as members of the trust while overlooking religious figures such as the Shankaracharyas. If the Prime Minister lays the foundation stone of the temple on August 5, all Shankaracharyas and Swami Ramnareshacharya ji of the Ramanandi sect should be invited to the function and made members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said. He supported Pawar, who has criticised the timing of the function. You are right, Pawar saheb. Wish Modi-Shah had paid heed to what you said, then the situation of the country would have been different, he tweeted in Hindi, referring to the Prime Minister and home minister Amit Shah. Also read | Row over invitation to PM Modi for Ram Temple bhoomi pujan unwarranted: VHP Pawar, whose party is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi ruling coalition in Maharashtra, together with the Shiv Sena and Congress, said on Sunday that some people think building a temple in Ayodhya will help eradicate the Covid-19 pandemic. We are all thinking of how to fight the battle against Covid-19 but some people think that pandemic will be mitigated by building a temple. Our priority is to see how to improve the economy which has been affected due to lockdown, he told a press conference in Mumbai. His remarks exposed fissures within the Maha Vikas Aghadi. On Monday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed his party had laid the road to the Ram temple and removed the main roadblocks in its construction not for politics but out of faith and for the cause of Hindutva. Raut said Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray always visits Ayodhya. Uddhav Thackeray always goes to Ayodhya. He went when he was not chief minister and he went there after becoming chief minister too, Raut said when asked whether the chief minister will visit Ayodhya on August 5 when Modi is likely to attend the bhoomi pujan. The ties of the Shiv Sena and Ayodhya are intact. It is not a political relationship. We do not go to Ayodhya for politics and did not go there for politics in the past too. Rather, it is the Shiv Sena which laid the road to the Ram temple, he said. Asked about Pawars remark, Raut said, The fight against coronavirus is being fought by our doctors in white attire, whom we call devdoot (messenger of God) is only what I can say. The VHP, which has been at the forefront of the campaign to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya on a site Hindu groups believe marks the birthplace of the warrior-god, defended the invitation to Modi. It said the ceremony will be performed in line with all laid-down protocols that need to be followed to avoid transmission of the coronavirus. Alok Kumar, the international working president of the VHP, said the controversy over the invitation to the PM, who is yet to confirm his presence, was unwarranted. There is no confirmation on who all will be present for the ceremony. The invitations have been sent out by the trust after deciding the names unanimously, he said. GRAND PLANS After some changes are made to the existing model, the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya would become the third largest Hindu temple in the world, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, designated successor of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chairman of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. Architects Nikhil Sompura and Ashish Sompura, the sons of the projects chief architect Chandrakant Sompura, will prepare the new design. The architects have presented a rough sketch of the new layout before Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das. The temples height is likely to be 161 feet, width between 270 and 280 feet and length anything between 268 and 300 feet, he added. A formerbikie boss has revealed why he threw in his patch and turned his back on a life of crime while urging teenagers not to join gangs. Hamish Hiroki was the president of the New Zealand chapter of the notorious Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang, but left the club last year. Since his departure Mr Hiroki has posted a series of YouTube videos explaining his reasons for leaving and telling teenagers they can do better things with their lives. Since his departure Mr Hiroki (pictured with his wife) has posted a series of YouTube videos explaining his reasons for leaving and tells teenagers they can do better things with their life Hamish Hiroki was the president of the New Zealand chapter of the notorious Bandidos motorcycle gang, but left the club last year 'I know there's a lot of young followers that are joining clubs now and I think they feel the need to join clubs because everyone else is doing it,' he said in a video posted in May. 'The reason I joined the club was a sense of brotherhood and a sense of belonging to something.' The former president left the gang after falling into a negative head space and not wanting his son to follow in his footsteps. Mr Hiroki explained that at the time he had moved to Christchurch and didn't know many people. 'I wanted to join it since I was a young fella, because they were always guys I had looked up to, but plain and simple, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into really, I thought I did,' Mr Hiroki said. He said he 'lost himself along the way' because he was just following what others were doing around him. Mr Hiroki quickly climbed the ranks and became the boss of the first chapter he had ever joined. The former president left the gang after falling into a negative head space and not wanting his son to follow in his footsteps 'I know there's a lot of young followers that are joining clubs now and I think they feel the need to join clubs because everyone else is doing it,' he said in a video posted in May He was deported from Australia on gun charges in 2011, and said he'd had enough of the baggage that comes with leading a motorcycle gang. The former president said his first moment of clarity was when he visited his grandmother and she 'noticed a change'. 'She noticed that I certainly got a lot harder on the exterior and I couldn't see that because you can't see the changes when you're with yourself every day,' he said. Mr Hiroki attempted suicide while in the Bandidos, and since leaving the gang has embraced positive thinking to change his head space. He runs a weekly support group in Christchurch challenging men to do the same. Mr Hiroki left the Bandidos after falling into a negative head space and not wanting his son to follow in his footsteps He was deported from Australia on gun charges in 2011, and said he'd had enough of the baggage that comes with leading a motorcycle gang In his videos Mr Hiroki urges teenagers to look past joining clubs as there is no sense of brotherhood in a gang. 'I've had guys turn on me that were my best mates... it's not a brotherhood,' he said. 'It's a false sense of belonging to something, then at the drop of a hat everyone can turn on you.' Mr Hiroki said teenagers need to 'think carefully' about joining a club because it's hard to leave once inside. 'If you're man enough to join that club you be man enough to leave that club,' he said. 'You came in the front door you go out the front door.' Representative image The Air India Pilot's Association (ICPA) said it was not consulted on matters concerning leave without pay scheme issued by the company, Hindustan Times reported. This scheme which was touted was as a win-win situation for both the company and its employees was finalised without consulting the pilots, the report said. On July 17, the national carrier said it would allow employees to engage themselves with another company for this period, which would allow it to preserve cash-flow, Air India said defending the scheme, adding that it was in a very challenging financial situation and is taking recourse to several initiatives with a view to ensuring the continuance of its operations. Indian Commercial Pilots' Assoc. writes to Air India CMD stating that "any unilateral change by AI from agreed-upon wage settlement would be illegal & won't be in the interest of our national carrier... Such a situation has the potential to flair to an unprecedented magnitude" pic.twitter.com/3YptP3qMsM ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2020 The association in a letter to Chairman Rajiv Bansal said any unilateral change by Air India from the agreed-upon wage settlement would be illegal and will not be in its interest. It warned that such a situation has the potential to flair to an unprecedented magnitude. On 20 July, the Joint Action Forum of Air India unions moved to write to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, opposing compulsory Leave Without Pay scheme, calling it an illegal practice and not a voluntary scheme. Thiruvananthapuram, July 20 : After five long years of knocking on all doors and spending huge amounts of money to fight his case to keep his reputation intact, a whistleblower Air India staffer here is thanking God for giving him the strength to fight a fabricated sexual harassment case masterminded by the prime accused in the gold smuggling case. L.S. Sibu, who was a union leader of Air India and was working as Officer-Apron in the Ground Services Department, Trivandrum in 2014, when he brought to the attention of the CBI, the Central Vigilance Commission and the Prime Minister about financial irregularities at Trivandrum Airport. Starting then, Sibu's life took a turn for the worse, when he was transferred to Hyderabad effective April 2015. He had to wait till June 2015 to know the reason why he was transferred and was shocked to learn that 17 female employees had in a letter complained of sexual harassment by him. Sibu was in for more shock when the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Air India gave him a copy of the complaint in November 2015 and found a prima facie case against him. Sibu filed a complaint before the Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram in January, 2016. After preliminary investigation it was revealed that the complaint was false, fabricated and forged. Following the recommendation of the investigation officer. a case was registered in FIR 381/2016 at Valiyathura Police Station and it was entrusted to the Trivandrum District Crime Branch for a further probe. Air India and the members of the ICC filed four separate writ petitions before the Kerala High Court challenging the police investigation in this case. In all the four writ petitions the order was in favour of Sibu. The Crime Branch investigation unearthed evidence against Binoy Jacob, a former vice-president of Air India-SATS and Swapna Suresh - one of the prime accused in the gold smuggling case. But strangely the investigation did not progress any further and the investigation officer filed a report in the trial court which said that no evidence has been unearthed in the investigation and thus put an end to the probe. Unfazed by the volte face, Sibu approached the High Court and challenged the report of the ICC. In the meantime, the High court had also directed the ICC of Air India to conduct an enquiry whether the signatories in the complaint are the authors of the complaint. But Air India did not follow the interim order of the court, instead Air India filed a writ appeal against the order of the single judge. The writ appeal was disposed off in October 2018, directing the ICC to conduct the enquiry by summoning the female employees and taking their individual statements and to conclude the same within six months. The newly constituted ICC conducted the enquiry and submitted its report in December 2018. In February 2019, Sibu was informed that due to absence of sufficient evidence before the committee in support of the complaint, it is treated as closed. Sibu again approached the High Court and obtained an order for further investigation through the state Crime Branch in August 2019. During the investigation, three top Air India officials were quizzed by the police team. Swapna's statement was also recorded where she confessed to her role along with Binoy Jacob. After that the investigation did not progress due to the influence of Swapna in the Government. But after she was arrested in the gold smuggling case by the NIA from Bengaluru, early this month, the Crime Branch investigation is also in fast track, which was confirmed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sibu told IANS that the biggest source of his fight was his conscience, the support of his wife and daughter. "The fight for justice will continue, even when I know very well that justice delayed is justice denied. But, I will continue, as I lost my career, reputation and all my savings on court cases," said Sibu, who is currently posted in Hyderabad. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Confessed mass shooter Scott Dekraai appears during a court hearing in Orange County in a case that eventually helped expose a scandal involving the misuse of informants in the county's jails. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Orange County district attorney's office said two of its former prosecutors committed malpractice by willfully ignoring the use of a veteran government informant to obtain a confession from mass killer Scott Dekraai, according to an internal review that was made public Monday of the county's so-called snitch scandal. The 57-page report concludes that the two men tasked with prosecuting Dekraai the admitted gunman who claimed eight lives in the 2011 Seal Beach salon massacre made a "deliberate choice not to find out the criminal and informant history" of Fernando Perez, who was housed next to Dekraai when he confessed to the shootings days after his arrest. Dekraai's trial was key to revealing that the Orange County Sheriff's Department had made a practice of placing seasoned informants near high-profile defendants while in the county's jails, ultimately allowing them to question inmates about crimes for which they were awaiting trial without a lawyer present, a violation of their constitutional rights. The scandal has led to at least a dozen retrials in Orange County homicide cases as well as reduced sentences for other defendants. But the blame for the misconduct had largely been focused on the Sheriff's Department and former Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas. The report released Monday focused largely on the actions of former Assistant Dist. Atty. Dan Wagner and Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Scott Simmons, who oversaw Dekraai's prosecution. Both men resigned late last year and have since opened a defense firm in Irvine. Calls and e-mails to both men were not returned Monday. The report did not mention them by name, citing confidentiality laws, but described both of their job titles in relation to the case. These apparent acts of deliberate negligence have had devastating consequences to the victims families, the Orange County criminal justice system and its law enforcement agencies," the report read. Story continues The report's main conclusion was that the two prosecutors ignored voluminous evidence that Perez was a longtime jailhouse snitch for various law enforcement agencies, a fact that wasn't disclosed to Dekraai's defense counsel until years after his arrest. Less than a week after Dekraai was jailed, a sheriff's deputy told a district attorney's office investigator assigned to the case that Perez had provided good intel in the past and wanted to offer information in connection with the Seal Beach massacre. Less than two months earlier, prosecutors were also given a presentation about a federal takedown of Mexican Mafia members, dubbed Operation Black Flag, that would have included details about Perez's status as an informant, according to the report. The district attorney's office also kept an "Informant Index" that noted Perez had cooperated with law enforcement as far back as 1999, yet neither of the lead prosecutors checked the index after he became part of the Dekraai case, the report found. "During the first six months of the Dekraai case ... the prosecution team repeatedly ignored clear and compelling evidence that Perez was a veteran federal confidential informant," the report read. Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, who represented Dekraai and helped expose the informant scandal, said Monday's report revealed little in the way of new information. He argued many of the details about what Simmons and Wagner should have known about Perez were contained in filings he made during Dekraai's trial in 2014. The report also found the district attorney's office had done nothing wrong in five other cases that were negatively affected by the misuse of informants, a conclusion Sanders scoffed at. Weve written at length about other prosecutors ... weve detailed it in cases. And basically, the only thing we get out of this report is there wasnt enough information to make a determination," Sanders said. "The only way I can read that is they just werent willing to take on any of their other employees. Somil Trivedi, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who has previously sued county officials to make public a trove of information about its use of informants dating back to the 1980s, also said the report fell far short of the needed accounting of the impact of informant misuse on a wider range of criminal cases in Orange County. In 2018, Sanders filed a motion alleging that deputies who worked for the Special Handling Unit, which managed jail informants, had testified in at least 146 criminal cases without their possible connection to the scandal being disclosed. This is definitely an honest and thorough appraisal of what went wrong in Dekraai. The problem is the Court of Appeals has already done this work," Trivedi said. "Theres nothing new here, and by diving so deep into Dekraai you cant help but think they didnt put that safe effort into actually discovering if there was a systemic problem. While the report suggested "severe disciplinary" action against the prosecutors, their decision to resign late last year largely insulated them from consequences, continuing a pattern of barely anyone facing punishment in one of the county's largest law enforcement scandals. Earlier this year, a Times investigation revealed the California attorney general's office investigation into deputies at the center of the snitch scandal was woefully lacking. In the nearly four-year review, only four members of the Sheriff's Department were interviewed. The deputies who were the target of the state's investigation were not among them, The Times found, and no attempts were made to subpoena or compel testimony during the first two years of the probe, when it was run by Kamala Harris, now a U.S. senator. The deputies never faced criminal charges, and all three have since resigned. The U.S. Department of Justice is still conducting a review of the district attorney's office, but there is no timeline for when that might conclude, according to a spokeswoman for the office. Do you know who Sean's friend is? Email tips@dailymail.com He is the son of legendary rocker Rod. And Sean Stewart looked cosy as he stepped out with a mystery female companion in Malibu on Sunday. The star, 39, donned a black face mask for the outing as he also met up with a pregnant Ashlee Simpson during his day out. Stepping out: Sean Stewart looked cosy as he stepped out with a mystery female companion in Malibu on Sunday Sean, who Rod has from his first marriage to Alana Stewart, cut a casual figure in a buttoned-down white shirt. The Sons of Hollywood star, who previously dated Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof, slicked back his locks and showed off his tattooed arms as he stepped out. Meanwhile his companion looked very stylish in a black dress and covered her face with a blue mask. Cosy: Sean, who Rod Stewart has from his first marriage to Alana Stewart, cut a casual figure in a buttoned-down white shirt Earlier on Sunday, Sean joined Ashlee Simpson with her husband Evan Ross and daughter Jagger as the friends enjoyed a catch-up in Malibu. The 35-year-old dressed for the summer's day in a loose-fitting brown spotted maxi dress with a contrasting dark blue and brown patterned lightweight duster. Simpson kept one hand on her belly as she arrived at the Malibu Country Mart and opted for comfort with a pair of hi top sneakers. Catching up: Earlier on Sunday, Sean caught up with Ashlee Simpson and her husband Evan Ross Celebrity offspring unite: Rod Stewart's son Sean was among the friends Simpson and Ross met up with for lunch Summery: Pregnant Ashlee stepped out on Sunday in Malibu wearing a loose-fitting brown spotted maxi dress with contrasting dark blue and brown patterned lightweight duster She wore her blonde hair tied back into a bun at the nape of her neck and sported dramatic white-framed sunglasses. As required when out in public, she donned a face mask and completed her ensemble with large gold hoop earrings. She shared her happy baby news via social media on April 30, showing off her positive pregnancy test, and a gender reveal event in June revealed she's expecting a boy. Family lunch: She arrived at the Malibu Country Mart with her husband Evan Ross and their daughter Jagger, who turns five later this month Doting mom: She wore her blonde hair tied back into a bun at the nape of her neck and sported dramatic white-framed sunglasses and large gold hoop earrings Pandemic precautions: The couple and their pals all donned face masks as is required when in public in Los Angeles due to a surge in coronavirus cases Simpson has a son Bronx, 11, from her first marriage to musician Pete Wentz that ended in 2011 after three years. She married Ross in August 2014 at his mother Diana Ross's estate in Connecticut. Their daughter Jagger was born on July 30, 2015. Having a boy: Simpson, 35, announced in April that she's expecting her third child. In addition to Jagger, she has a son Bronx, 11, with her ex-husband Pete Wentz whom she divorced in 2011 YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport of the National Assembly, head of Armenia-Cyprus inter-parliamentary commission Mkhitar Hayrapetyan issued a message on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, the message runs as follows, Thousands of Cypriots were killed or wounded during the invasion and over 200 thousand became refugees. The northern part of Cyprus remains occupied by the Turkish authorities up till now. Turkeys permanent provocative, un-constructive and illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and rising belligerent policy hampers regional peace and stability. We express full and unconditional support and solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus and its people on the occasion of this tragic anniversary and reaffirm our support for Cyprus in the settlement of the conflict. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan An 82-year-old Chinese woman and her 64-year-old daughter have survived being stuck in a broken lift for four days by collecting and drinking each other's urine. The pair were using the elevator built inside their four-storey house to go upstairs when the machine suddenly stopped working, reported Chinese media. Without any tools around, they gathered the liquid waste by cupping their hands together while the other was urinating before drinking it to stay hydrated. They were finally rescued by firefighters in Chinas north-western province Shaanxi after living in survival mode for 96 hours. The incident came to light after the mother and daughter had recently been discharged from the Gaoxin Hospital in the city of Xian following full recoveries. The pensioner and her daughter were home by themselves when they took the in-house lift to the second floor for a shower, according to reports. After the machine broke down, they became stuck in the elevator and had no means of seeking help without carrying a phone. To survive with no food or water, the pair collected and drank each others urine with hands. Dr Yin, who treated the women, told Pear Video: The mother stood on her daughter's shoulders and used her fist to break the light above their heads. 'She then pulled out the iron wire inside the light bulb and used it to open a small gap between the lift doors. They would take turns to breathe the fresh air from the gap, said the medic. The mother and daughter miraculously survived being trapped in the malfunctioned machine for four days and three nights while living on the other persons urine. On the fourth day, the daughter finally managed to climb out of the lift through a wider gap after they prised the lift doors and called for help, according to Shaanxi Television. An 82-year-old Chinese woman and her 64-year-old daughter have survived being stuck in a malfunctioned lift for four days thanks to their urine. They have been discharged from hospital They were rushed to the Xian hospital after firefighters were called to the house and rescued them. Dr Yi said that the mother and daughter would not have survived without drinking the urine. She added: We know that urine contains mostly water. Although it has some toxins, it can still be used to sustain life temporarily. The mother and daughter have been discharged from the facility after fully recovering, according to the medics. PASADENA, Calif.A federal appeals court on Friday affirmed a lower courts summary judgment ruling in favor of data-center service Steadfast Networks LLC, which was sued by adult studio ALS Scan. In the case, ALS Scan contended that the Chicago-based hosting provider should be held liable for alleged pirated adult content that was found on Imagebam.com. Steadfast argued that it did not manage or operate the Imagebam site, and that it only provided computer storage. A majority panel for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 2-1, wrote that merely hosting a pirate site does not make the hosting service liable for any copyright infringement actions the site may be guilty of. Hearing the case de novo, the 9th Circuit panel said that the key issue on appeal was whether a data-center service provider has taken adequate simple measures to avoid contributory copyright infringement if it forwarded notices of such infringement to the hosting website and every alleged infringed material was taken down. We are sympathetic to ALS Scans whack-a-mole problem, but we are persuaded by the specific facts of this case that Steadfasts simple measures are enough, the 9th Circuit wrote. Further, ALS Scan apparently has not pursued other options that may ameliorate the whack-a-mole problem (e.g., taking action against Imagebams owner or the individuals uploading the unauthorized images). The 9th Circuit, in its unpublished decision, said that Steadfast forwarded each notice to Imagebams owner, and every infringing work was taken down. Steadfast did not operate, control, or manage any functions of Imagebam.com. It could not supervise, access, locate, or delete Imagebam accounts, the 9th Circuit said. It had no way of knowing, based on a URL hyperlink contained in the notices of copyright infringement, where the infringing works or the Imagebam accounts responsible for illegal uploads were located on Flixyas servers. What measures were available to prevent further damage to ALSs copyrighted images, Steadfast took. ALS Scan complained in its case that it is not enough to forward the infringement notices to Imagebams owner in light of the number of infringement notices that Steadfast has received. But the number of notices is legally irrelevant, the 9th Circuit said. To be liable for contributory copyright infringement, the knowledge required is more than a generalized knowledge by the carriers of the possibility of infringement because contributory liability [does] not automatically follow where the system allows for the exchange of copyrighted material, the appeals court said. The lone panelist in dissent of the decision, Judge Richard Clifton, said that the reason the majority appears willing to give Steadfast a free pass from liability for contributory copyright infringement is its conclusion that Steadfast has qualified for the protections provided in our cases for enterprises that provide Internet services. The majority expresses sympathy for the whack-a-mole problem faced by ALS Scan, but that sympathy does not solve the problem, Clifton wrote. Where, as here, there are allegations that the volume and magnitude of previous infringements caused a defendant to know that such infringements would continue tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, I would send this claim to the jury. While affirming the district courts grant of summary judgment in favor of Steadfast Networks, the 9th Circuit remanded the issue of attorneys fees back to the lower court. Exceptional circumstances are not a prerequisite to an award of attorneys fees under the Copyright Act, the panel said. The district court accurately discussed the various factors for awarding attorneys fees under the Copyright Act, but it also discussed whether there were exceptional circumstances (which is required under the Lanham Act but not the Copyright Act). In light of this ambiguity in the record, we reverse and remand on the issue of attorneys fees. Pictured: Telecommunications equipment in one corner of a small data center. (Wikimedia Commons) The U.S. has leverage because China isnt walled off from the West as the Soviet Union once was. The Chinese economy, and Hong Kongs, are dependent on trade and investment. Beijing needs relationships with the United States, Europe and other democratic trading partners or its economy will wither. Chinese companies like Huawei need to continue to do business with the West, but Western countries have other options. Sanctions and other punishments can be effective. U.S. companies can choose to move operations to other Asian nations with transparent governance. In light of utility company ComEds admissions about a broad scheme to advance its initiatives in Springfield by allegedly trading favors with House Speaker Michael Madigan, a growing chorus of lawmakers are demanding the powerful Democrats resignation. Madigan has yet to face any charges formally. However, U.S. Attorney John Lausch Jr. released details of a criminal complaint against ComEd on Friday that describes how the utility company engaged Madigans allies in a vast quid pro quo that ensured legislation that ComEd favored would pass in Springfield. In a statement, Madigan denied any wrongdoing. As of Friday afternoon, few Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives would publicly call for Madigan to step down, but some spoke up. Corruption at any level of government is not acceptable and needs to end, Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, said without directly calling for Madigans resignation. I have watched so many work harder than any human should in order to get elected and be the voice for their community. This culture needs to end, the dark cloud over all of our heads lifted. Being an elected official is a privilege. When anyone decides it is about their own personal gain, they no longer deserve that privilege. The sweeping federal corruption probe has targeted state lawmakers, Springfield lobbyists and local government officials as well. State Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, was one of the first Democratic state lawmakers to call for Madigan to step down. Her Friday statement referenced the federal probe into corruption in Springfield thats already led to federal charges against state lawmakers. In one of these cases, Speaker Madigans office urged a state representative and member of his own caucus to resign, effective immediately. That was state Representative Luis Arroyo, and he resigned after being charged with bribery by federal authorities, she said. I would encourage the Speaker to take his own advice and resign not only his speakership and legislative seat but step down as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, effective immediately. Several House Republicans also called for the speaker to step down. The allegations presented today are troubling and downright depressing, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said during a Friday news conference. Speaker Madigan needs to speak up on this issue, and if the allegations are true, he needs to resign immediately. Just as important, I hope that members of the General Assembly in the majority party, the Democratic Party, have the courage to finally stand up and demand an explanation of their leader that they have for decades elected to rule. The citizens of Illinois deserve so much better. Plainfield Republican Rep. Mark Batinick, who called for Madigans resignation early on in the corruption investigation, again called for the speaker to step down. I was the first elected official to call for the speaker to resign and that sentiment rings even truer today, Rep. Batinick said Friday. If we are going to truly root out corruption in our system, it starts from the top down. Elected officials need to be held the most accountable and with todays charges, it is clear that the time has come for the speaker to answer to the people of Illinois. East Dundee Republican and long-time Madigan critic Rep. Allen Skillicorn said, It is finally time for Michael J. Madigan to be held accountable for decades of abusing the public trust, starting with his resignation as Speaker of the House. Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, responded in kind. At the same time Illinois Democrats are pushing for a massive tax increase, residents are again confronted with Democratic corruption at the highest levels of their state government, Brady said, referring to a progressive income tax proposal on the November ballot. If the allegations reported today against Speaker Madigan turn out to be true, then he should resign. The lawmakers joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker in demanding Madigan step away from the positions hes held for decades, although Pritzker couched his statement pending Madigans guilt. With 2,202 identified COVID-19 cases reported Sunday, San Antonio experienced the largest single day increase since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The surveillance gave officials some insight to when the transmission may have happened and garnered reactions from conspiracy theorists that Mayor Ron Nirenberg's staff quickly shut down. RELATED: A viral tweet seemed to suggest San Antonio reported COVID-19 cases without testing. Not the case. The mayor's official Facebook page was updated with the news on Sunday. Nirenberg credited Fourth of July celebrations for the increase. "With a sharp spike in identified cases over the last few days, it's clear that our community didn't take the Fourth of July weekend as seriously as we'd hoped," the post reads. Hospitalizations had started to trend downward in recent days, but 55 patients were added on Sunday. Also over the course of last week, Dallas Fox News reporter Steve Eager penned a viral tweet saying Texas removed more than 3,000 cases from the statewide COVID-19 positive case count because San Antonio public health officials were "reporting 'probable' cases for people never actually tested, as 'confirmed' positive cases." San Antonio has been including antigen results in the tally, which the state considers "probable cases." Eager later followed up, saying he meant the results were misreported, not that the individuals were never tested at all, but the misleading information had already spread and fueled comments like the ones Nirenberg's staff replied to in the post's thread. "We're not interested in your promotion of false narratives or conspiracies amid a health crisis," the staff's comment from Nirenberg's page read. "People are sick and dying." The comment included a screenshot from the Texas Department of State Health Services showing antigen tests are an acceptable way to diagnose a COVID-19 infection. "We aren't inflating case numbers in San Antonio. If anything, the State is under-reporting active COVID-19 infections," the staff also said. Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye The son of a federal judge was shot and killed at their home in North Brunswick, New Jersey, on Sunday evening. Judge Esther Salas' husband, a criminal defense attorney, was also shot, and his condition is unknown, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone told ABC News. Salas, the first Latina to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey, was not hurt in the attack. North Brunswick Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack is friends with Salas, and told ABC News her son, a freshman at Catholic University, died after being "shot through the heart." As a judge, Salas received "threats from time to time," Womack said, "but everyone is saying that recently there had not been any." Law enforcement officials told ABC News it is believed that at around 5 p.m., someone dressed in a FedEx uniform arrived at the home, and authorities are now trying to determine the make of the vehicle they were driving. The FBI, New Jersey State Police, North Brunswick Police, and Middlesex County Prosecutor's office are all investigating the attack. More stories from theweek.com Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, and a cartoon elephant recap Trump's mortifying interview with Chris Wallace Creator of cognition test Trump brags of acing says it's 'supposed to be easy' for unimpaired people Kanye West wants marijuana to be free, and everyone who has a baby to get 'a million dollars' Canada's Foreign Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne is reviewing $6.8 million worth of security equipment purchased from a Beijing-based high-tech company that has been discovered to have connections with the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party. Canadas Foreign Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne has promised to review $6.8 million worth of security equipment purchased from a Beijing-based high-tech company that has been found to have connections with the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party. As per Global News reports, Canada, this week, posted details that Beijing-based Nuctech, a company owned by the Chinese government and founded by the son of former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao, has been awarded a deal by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to install X-ray scanning equipment and software systems to provide security for 170 Canadian embassies, consulates and high commissions worldwide. Responding to questions from the media, the Foreign Minister on Friday promised in a statement to review any possible issue relative to security or safety all appropriate actions (will be) taken to ensure the safety of our missions around the world. Also Read: Anti-China sentiment intensifies: Japan extends help to Hong Kongers Also Read: Covid-19 hits Xinjiang: China declares wartime situation after spike in cases We are currently looking into the offer with Nuctech company to provide some security screening equipment in our missions abroad, Champagne said in a statement. Global Affairs has not purchased any equipment from Nuctech at this time. In addition, I have today directed GAC officials to review our purchasing practices when it comes to security equipment and to continue reviewing the security of our missions around the world, the statement read further. The deal has been signed despite mounting concerns among some national security experts about Nuctechs growing access to sensitive facilities worldwide. Nuctech has been accused in the past of engaging in controversial business practices in Asia, Africa and Europe, including offering soft loans and illegal dumping. The New York Times has repeatedly reported on an alleged corruption case in Namibia involving Nuctech. According to Namibian prosecutors, in May 2008, three suspects allegedly received $12.8 million in kickbacks to help Nuctech secure a $55-million X-ray scanner contract, the Times reported. Critics of state-owned enterprises alleged that the Chinese government subsidises its companies to allow them to bid at lower prices than Western competitors. Meanwhile, in Europe, some analysts are complaining that Nuctech is making rapid inroads providing services to border security facilities due to Chinas state-backing, unfair practices, and potentially Beijings influence over some European politicians. Carleton University professor Stephanie Carvin, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service official, said the Nuctech contract for Canadian embassies presents security concerns, but she believes Chinas geo-economic strategy is the bigger concern. This is not Huawei. I am not as concerned as I would be with telecommunications, Carvin said. The issue is the fact companies like Nuctech are inherently anti-competitive, they may in some cases be beneficiaries of stolen technologies, and they want to fundamentally take over and undermine western technologies, Carvin added. Also Read: Baloch activists hold massive anti-Pak protest in London For all the latest World News, download NewsX App Astrophysicists on Monday published the largest-ever 3D map of the Universe, the result of an analysis of more than four million galaxies and ultra-bright, energy-packed quasars. The efforts of hundreds of scientists from around 30 institutions worldwide have yielded a "complete story of the expansion of the universe", said Will Percival of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. In the project launched more than two decades ago, the researchers made "the most accurate expansion history measurements over the widest-ever range of cosmic time", he said in a statement. The map relies on the latest observations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), titled the "extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey" (eBOSS), with data collected from an optical telescope in New Mexico over six years. The infant Universe following the Big Bang is relatively well known through extensive theoretical models and observation of cosmic microwave background -- the electromagnetic radiation of the nascent cosmos. Studies of galaxies and distance measurements also contributed to a better understanding of the Universe's expansion over billions of years. - 'Troublesome gap' - But Kyle Dawson of the University of Utah, who unveiled the map on Monday, said the researchers tackled a "troublesome gap in the middle 11 billion years". Through "five years of continuous observations, we have worked to fill in that gap, and we are using that information to provide some of the most substantial advances in cosmology in the last decade," he said. Astrophysicist Jean-Paul Kneib of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, who initiated eBOSS in 2012, said the goal was to produce "the most complete 3D map of the Universe throughout the lifetime of the Universe". For the first time, the researchers drew on "celestial objects that indicate the distribution of matter in the distant Universe, galaxies that actively form stars and quasars". The map shows filaments of matter and voids that more precisely define the structure of the Universe since its beginnings, when it was only 380,000 years old. For the part of the map relating to the Universe six billion years ago, researchers observed the oldest and reddest galaxies. For more distant eras, they concentrated on the youngest galaxies -- the blue ones. To go back even further, they used quasars, galaxies whose supermassive black hole is extremely luminous. The map reveals that the expansion of the Universe began to accelerate at some point and has since continued to do so. The researchers said this seems to be due to the presence of dark energy, an invisible element that fits into Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity but whose origin is not yet understood. Astrophysicists have known for years that the Universe is expanding, but have been unable to measure the rate of expansion with precision. Comparisons of the eBOSS observations with previous studies of the early universe have revealed discrepancies in estimates of the rate of expansion. The currently accepted rate, called the "Hubble constant", is 10 percent slower than the value calculated from the distances between the galaxies closest to us. Attendees at an anti-racism rally in Simcoe on Friday gesture in support of Norfolk County's migrant farm workers, who have faced increased discrimination in the community this year over concerns about COVID-19 transmission. A more inclusive community can start with a simple hello. Talk to migrant workers. Wave to them. Have a chat. Better yet, take a minute to say thank you, Imogene Stortini, of the Norfolk Community Alliance Against Racism, told more than 75 people gathered outside Simcoe town hall Friday night for a rally in support of Norfolks offshore farm workers. We ask you to join us in solidarity and demand zero tolerance for racism against migrant workers in Norfolk County, said Stortini. These men and women come to Canada as skilled workers. They do hard work that puts food on our tables. They deserve our respect, our solidarity, and our love. One migrant worker told The Spectator he would welcome more opportunities to interact with Norfolk residents. Its good to socialize, said Robert, who declined to give his last name. So if they want to know more, come and socialize with us. This is Roberts fourth year working on a Norfolk farm to support his family in Jamaica. He addressed the crowd at the rally, asking for more legal rights for migrant workers. I, and many other migrant workers, spend over half of the year in Canada and are not able to enjoy the benefits that Canadian residents are able to enjoy, Robert said. He cited the uncertainty of applying for work visas and not being able to access employment insurance as problems that could be solved by awarding migrant workers permanent residence status, as advocacy groups have been calling for. We pay every tax that a Canadian citizen pays, Robert told The Spectator. CPP, EI you name it, we pay them all. So I think we have a right to any benefits that are there for a Canadian working here. Alliance member Leanne Arnal said COVID-19 outbreaks on farms in Ontario, including at Scotlynn Group in Vittoria, have highlighted the need to improve working and living conditions for the thousands of migrant workers from Mexico and the Caribbean who underpin the Canadian food system. But she said there are some farms where workers dont have the ability to speak out about poor conditions for fear of reprisal. There are many farmers who are selfish, and we see a light shining on them right now. We are here to make a stand, Arnal said, imploring the community not to stigmatize migrant workers out of fear of the virus. These men and women are not a risk. They are at risk, the exact same way as you and I. Robert said he works at a farm where he is free to speak out when there are problems, but his experience is not universal. I have heard and I have seen disrespect and verbal abuse that other migrant workers have experienced in Canada, he said. I am not saying that all employers treat their employees this way. There are many good farmers. I wish the respect that I have experienced could be shared to all offshore workers. Simcoe farmer Brett Schuyler thanked workers for taking the risk of leaving home during a pandemic to grow food for Canadians, support this community, and support your families back home. I am proud to have the privilege as a farmer to work side by side with migrant farm workers. Every day Im inspired by the drive, the commitment, and the strong family values that the people at our farm demonstrate, said Schuyler, who usually employs over 100 migrant workers. Norfolk Mayor Kristal Chopp said along with the integral role migrant workers play in agriculture, they also bring tremendous heart and culture to this community. And for that, not only do they deserve our collective thanks, they deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion always. The mayor addressed the workers directly in English and Spanish. Please know that this community does care deeply about your health and well-being, and we are committed to making changes to protect you, she said. Holding the rally on a Friday evening meant farm workers could attend, and many did, listening from inside the square or on the grass of the Food Basics plaza across the street. It actually is a good event, because at least we can see that we are supported and really loved by the community, Robert told The Spectator. Stortini wants to see a change in attitudes in Norfolk. Growing up, she said, farm workers were presented through stereotypes at best a punchline to a joke, and at worst a threat to my well-being. She challenged residents to stand up and say something whenever they see or hear discrimination against migrant workers. Workers are not a threat to any of us, she said. Theyre our neighbours. New Delhi: In a big revelation in gangster Vikas Dubey case, the Special Task Force (STF) in its investigation has found involvement of two sacked UP policemen in his gang. The connection was found after the investigation team tracked the CDR (call detail record) of gangster Vikas Dubey. The CDR showed that Vikas Dubey was constantly in communicating with two unknown mobile numbers which on further investigation was found to be of two sacked UP policemen. The investigation reports also revealed that both the former UP police personnel were not present on the incident spot when Vikas Dubey's gang attacked the police team in Bikaru village. However, they were continuously in touch with Vikas Dubey and helped him plan the incident. Both the sacked policemen also helped Vikas in making arrangements of illegal arms and weapons. SIT said that they were in contact with Vikas for many years. Also Read: Supreme court to hear Vikas Dubey encounter case today; likely to set up inquiry team The police are now searching the two accused who were sacked from duty few years back. Vikas Dubey was shot dead while trying to escape after a car accident, the UP Police had announced on July 10, a day after his dramatic arrest in Madhya Pradesh. The police said that the encounter happened after Vikas Dubey snatched the gun of a policeman and opened fire on them in order to escape. Peter England in collaboration with HeiQ, Switzerland launches innovative antiviral collection Kolkata; Jul 20 (UNI) Peter England, a leading international menswear brand from the house of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, is set to offer a fashionable and stylish collection with virus and bacteria resistant properties. The brand has collaborated with Switzerland-based HeiQ, a global leader in textile innovation, to bring the unique HeiQ Viroblock fabric technology to India. Under this collection, Peter England will be launching work wear, lounge wear and face masks to meet complete lifestyle demands of the new-age consumer. Japans government will start subsidizing some companies to invest in factories in Japan and South-East Asia as part of efforts to reduce reliance on manufacturing in China. Fifty-seven companies including privately-held facemask-maker Iris Ohyama Inc. or Sharp Corp. will receive a total of 57.4 billion yen ($536 million) in subsidies from the government to invest in production in Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday. Another 30 firms will receive money for investments in Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations, according to a separate announcement, which didnt provide details on the amount of money. While the METI statement doesnt explicitly state the money is to move production out of China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in March that Japan needed to bring production back home or diversify output to Asean nations and elsewhere to cut reliance on any one country such as China. The government will pay a total of 70 billion yen in this round, the Nikkei newspaper reported. The payments come from 243.5 billion yen that the government earmarked in April to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains, with the money aimed at helping companies shift factories back home or to other nations. As US-China relations deteriorate and the trade war worsens, theres been increasing discussions in the US and elsewhere about how to decouple economies and firms from China. Japans decision is similar to a Taiwanese policy in 2019, which was aimed at bringing investment back home from China. So far, no other country has enacted a concrete policy to encourage the shift. Why the US Cant Easily Break Chinas Grip on Supply Chains China is Japans biggest trading partner under normal circumstances and Japanese companies have massive investments there. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has damaged those economic ties as well as Chinas image in Japan. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying for years to improve relations with China after anti-Japan riots in 2012, but the fallout from the pandemic and the ongoing territorial dispute over islands and gas fields in the East China Sea have undercut those efforts. New Era for China-Japan Ties Dissipates Over Trump-Xi Fight Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said the strengthened U.S. military presence in the South China Sea has undermined the situation in the region. "Actually, without outside interference, the situation in the region was cooling down, was quite stable," Cui said in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS show, that was aired on Sunday, in response to U.S. accusations against China over the South China Sea. "Unfortunately, countries like the U.S., particularly the United States, are trying very hard to intervene, to send their military, to strengthen their military presence in the region. The intensity and frequency is so high," he said. "But ironically, the United States is not yet a contracting party to the Convention on the Law of the Sea. I don't know how many people are aware of this," Cui said. The ambassador pointed out that the related ruling issued by a law-abusing tribunal in The Hague in July 2016 was "a unilateral action." "We rejected it from the very beginning. We don't think this is the right thing to do. But some people insisted on doing it. We have told them very clearly at the very beginning that this is not the right thing to do. We will not participate in such a ruling. So it's not based on very solid legal ground," he said. "But at the same time, we have a very strong position on our sovereignty, on the territorial claim in the region. Our claims have very strong historical and legal foundation," he said, adding that China wants to solve all the disputes with other countries through diplomatic negotiation. Recalling his experience some years ago of working on the Declaration of Conduct between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cui said:" Now we are working on the Code of Conduct, and we are making good progress." The multiple Chinese intrusions into India, occupation of our territory and the brutal murder of our soldiers undoubtedly constitute an intelligence failure. It is redux Kargil 1999 when the Pakistani army fronted by mercenaries and terrorists occupied the commanding heights that overlooked the Srinagar-Leh highway. However, despite repeated intelligence failures over the years, there is a demonstrated reluctance by the political and administrative elite to shine the light of accountability on our intelligence structures. The Kargil Review Committee (KRC) headed by the late Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam (the current foreign ministers father) had the following to say about the Kargil incursions in its executive summary. The Review Committee had before it overwhelming evidence that the Pakistani armed intrusion in the Kargil sector came as a complete and total surprise to the Indian government, Army and intelligence agencies as well as to the J&K state government and its agencies. The Committee did not come across any agency or individual who was able clearly to assess before the event the possibility of a large scale Pakistani military intrusion across the Kargil heights. A more damning indictment could not have been handed down. The committee further stated, It is not widely appreciated in India that the primary responsibility for collecting external intelligence, including that relating to a potential adversarys military deployment, is vested in RAW. The DGMIs capability for intelligence collection is limited. It is essentially restricted to the collection of tactical military intelligence and some amount of signal intelligence and its main role is to make strategic and tactical military assessments and disseminate them within the Army. Many countries have established separate Defence Intelligence Agencies and generously provided them with resources and equipment to play a substantive role in intelligence collection. For historical reasons, the Indian Armed Forces are not so mandated. Therefore, it is primarily RAW which must provide intelligence about a likely attack, whether across a broad or narrow front. This has changed somewhat with the constitution of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on March 5, 2002. The KRC report was equally critical of the role of the domestic intelligence service: The Intelligence Bureau is meant to collect intelligence within the country and is the premier agency for counter-intelligence. This agency got certain inputs on activities in the FCNA region which were considered important enough by the Director, IB to be communicated over his signature on June 2, 1998 to the Prime Minister, home minister, Cabinet secretary, home secretary and director general military operations. This communication was not addressed to the three officials most concerned with this information, namely secretary (RAW), who is responsible for external intelligence and had the resources to follow up the leads in the IB report; chairman JIC, who would have taken such information into account in JIC assessments; and Director General Military Intelligence. Interestingly, the Group of Ministers (GOM) constituted by Prime Minister Vajpayee in the wake of the Kargil Review Committee report devoted a full chapter to reviewing the intelligence apparatus but it was dropped from the report that was made public with the following notation, Chapter III Intelligence Apparatus Page Nos. 16-40 [Government Security Deletion] Para's 3.1 to 3.72 [Government Security Deletion]. What may have transpired in these deliberations was conjectured by the strategic commentator Manoj Joshi in a March 2014 policy report, entitled The Unending Quest to Reform India's National Security System. He wrote, All the recommendations on the area of intelligence in the 2001 GoM report were redacted in the report released to the public. Some information on the recommendations came through the press release accompanying the report. Other information came through scattered media reportage and an important article by the former deputy NSA in an annual publication of the NSCS. He further opined, Intelligence agencies are loath to accept any oversight as it is. In addition, given the inexperience of Indian politicians with matters relating to security, there are worries that information could leak. However, given the fact there are several senior politicians who have served government in key ministries, it should not be too difficult to construct an oversight mechanism comprised of former members of, say, the CCS. In some measure, however, there is reluctance on the part of the government of the day on this issue because the Intelligence Bureau is involved in a great deal of domestic political espionage. Paradoxically, Joshi was a member of the Naresh Chandra Task Force on National Security constituted by the then UPA government. It submitted its report on August 8, 2012. The contents of that report have still not been made public by successive governments. Contrast this with the American approach to 9/11 terror attack undoubtedly one of its biggest intelligence disasters. The 10-member bipartisan 9/11 Commission created by an act of Congress consisted exclusively of politicians. It analyzed and reported the tactical and institutional failures leading up to that terror outrage threadbare without any let or hindrance. The 585-page report put out in the public domain hardly has any or no redactions at all. In India there is an unnecessary and manufactured culture of secrecy enveloping our national security establishment. This is to enable them to obfuscate and escape scrutiny and accountability for their omissions. The argument that we live in a bad neighbourhood is at best specious. Other democracies that are transparent about the functioning of their intelligence systems to their respective parliaments remain equally vulnerable. That is why I had moved a private members bill in 2011, entitled The Intelligence Services (Powers and Regulation) Bill, 2011, to put our intelligence agencies on a sound legal footing and provide for parliamentary oversight over their functioning. The bill lapsed in October 2012 when I moved to government. The bill has been re-tabled in parliament with minor modifications and would have been moved in the Budget Session had it not adjourned prematurely due to Covid-19. Coming to the latest China fiasco. It is high time that parliament by special legislation should create a 10-member commission of parliamentarians drawn from both houses on the lines of the 9/11 Commission to study the national security paradigm between 1999 and 2020 and make binding recommendations for the future. Kanpur: The Supreme Court on Monday (July 20) asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider adding a former top court judge and a retired police officer in the inquiry committee which has been set up to investigate the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey. The bench said it cannot spare a sitting top court judge to become a part of the inquiry committee. The court in its hearing today said that the Uttar Pradesh government will present a new draft notification in the court on July 22 after which the bench will announce verdict in the case. The court added that it was appalled to see that the gangster got bail despite so many cases of severe crime filed against him. "This is a failure of the system," the court said. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, hearing a batch of pleas seeking court-monitored probe into the encounters of Dubey and his alleged associates, told the Uttar Pradesh government that they have to uphold rule of law. "You as a state have to uphold the rule of law. It is your duty to do so," the top court said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, sought some time to take instruction and get back to the court on the issue. Chief Justice Bobade asked the Solicitor General Mehta to explain how the Kanpur encounter was different from the Hyderabad, in which four gangrape accused were shot dead in November 2019. Mehta informed the court said that UP government has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. He added that gangster Dubey had tried to burn the bodies of police personnel who were killed during an ambush in Bikru village on July 3. On this, the CJI told the Solicitor General, "Don't tell us who Vikas Dubey was." Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on July 3. Dubey was killed in an encounter in the morning of July 10 when a police vehicle carrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape from the spot in Bhauti area, the police had said. Prior to Dubey's encounter, five of his alleged associated were killed in separate encounters. National Specialty Insurer QBE North America has announced the appointment of Becket McNab as chief human resources officer. McNab will be responsible for all North America human resources activities, including driving the companys focus on talent and culture. McNab joins QBE from Chubb, where she has been for almost 15 years, most recently serving as executive vice president of human resources for its Global Operations and Functional groups. As a member of the executive leadership team, McNab will report to QBE North America CEO Todd Jones. Prior to serving in Global Operations and Functional groups at Chubb, McNab was the executive vice president of Human Resources for Chubb Overseas General. Her career has also included stops at Richemont, Gerber Scientific, Nabisco International, PepsiCo and Save the Children US. East Massachusetts C&S Insurance has hired Chuck Quealy, Kelly Trabulsie and Eric McLaughlin to its team. McLaughlin, who comes aboard as a partner and executive vice president, brings more than 10 years of insurance sales experience to the C&S family, along with a production record in the post-acute healthcare and cannabis industries. Quealy joins C&S as chief operating officer to oversee the agencys new business processes, information systems, personnel roles and other activities geared toward overall efficiency and improvement. Trabulsie is heading the finance department as C&S controller. She brings a background in accounting, payroll and tax compliance to this role. Southeast AF Group has named Ian Podmore as director of Captive Operations at AF Specialty. Podmore will focus on business growth and profitability for new markets and business opportunity development through the use of insurance captives. He will be based in Charlotte, N.C. Eric Halter, managing director of AF Specialty, said Podmore will play a key role in the companys continued expansion of its product offerings and presence in the captive space. Podmore joins AF Group with more than 30 years of insurance experience in the U.S., Bermuda and the U.K. He most recently was head of Captive Underwriting and captive consultant at Willis Towers Watson. South Central BevCap Management LLC (BevCap), a captive insurance program manager based in McKinney, Texas, has promoted Lynn Coor to the role of chief operating officer. Coor oversees the agencys daily operations, manages/develops carrier relationships, runs human resources and accounting, and she also oversees the servicing of the BevCap Captive Group property and casualty program. She joined BevCap Management in 2008 as an account manager and was made partner in 2014. Coor has 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Midwest Great American Insurance Group in Cincinnati, Ohio, has promoted Randal M. Smith to divisional president within its Trucking Division. Smith first joined Great American in 1992. After leaving the company he co-founded, Transportation Specialists Insurance Agency, he rejoined Great American in 1999 within its Trucking Division. During his career at Great American, Smith has held numerous leadership roles in various functions, including product and business development, and dealer programs. He brings more than 28 years of industry experience to the position, along with expertise in product development and management, distribution channel management and alternative risk transfer. Horace Mann Educators Corp., headquartered in Springfield, Ill., has appointed Vice President Paul Haley as chief risk officer. Haley has led risk assessments for the companys business development efforts since 2018. Haley brings insight into Horace Manns business strategy and actuarial background to his day-to-day responsibilities for the companys Enterprise Risk Management program. Haley will report to CFO Bret Conklin, who oversees Horace Manns ERM processes. Haley has 35 years of experience in the life insurance sector, holding senior actuarial positions at Genworth Financial, Colonial Life and Prudential Financial before joining Horace Mann in 2018. West Mark Munekawa, senior vice president and surety manager at San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff Sawyer, has been elected as 2020-2021 president of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers. NASBP members specialize in providing surety bonds for construction contracts and other purposes to companies and individuals needing the assurance offered by surety bonds. Munekawa joined Woodruff Sawyer in 2001. He previously managed production offices in the San Francisco Bay Area for several surety companies and served on the board of directors for NASBP. Fairfield, Calif.-based GeoVera Insurance Holdings Ltd. has named John L. Forney CEO and member of the board of directors. Forney succeeds Kevin Nish, who has served as GeoVeras president and CEO since 2005 and has been responsible for managing the business since its formation as a division of USF&G in 1993. Nish will continue to serve as a member of GeoVeras Board. Forney comes to GeoVera with 20 years of experience advising and leading catastrophe insurance entities. He was most recently with UPC Insurance, a specialized property catastrophe insurance writer. GeoVera Insurance Holdings is a provider of specialty residential property insurance products, focused on catastrophe exposed property in the homeowners and residential earthquake markets. Size does matter at least when it comes to luxury cars. Indias growing appetite for stylish and large SUVs has left compact luxury cars gasping for breath, even forcing companies to pull them out of showrooms. Once hailed as volume generators, small luxury cars today are non-existent, with India mirroring the dwindling global trend. Mercedes-Benz, Indias largest luxury carmaker, has phased out three of its four models in the compact segment in less than a year. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class, B-Class, and the CLA, along with the GLA, once accounted for 30 percent sales volumes. GLA is the only surviving member now. All four shared a common vehicle platform. Martin Schwenk, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: At the moment, we are in the refresh phase. We will bring in the A-Class limousine and the GLA. Other models will remain quiet at the moment. We believe that with these models (A-class Limo and GLA), we have a complete lineup for the time being. We have a complete SUV lineup which is completely refreshed. The A-class limousine is a dynamic car, it is spacious and has a strong potential. Schwenk was responding to a question from Moneycontrol on why compact cars were pulled out from its lineup. Mercedes-Benz reported a 55 percent decline in sales during January-June period this year at 2,948 units as against 6,561 in the same period last year. Not far behind is BMW, Indias second-largest luxury carmaker. The German giant pulled the plug on the 1 Series hatchback, which was brought in to challenge the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. With little success, BMW continued selling the 1 Series for four years before falling sales brought the curtains down. No bigger than a Honda City, the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes-Benz AClass were entry level models in their respective segments, with prices starting from under Rs 25 lakh. Volvo Cars, the smallest of the top five luxury carmakers in India, had discontinued the V40 hatchback last year. The V40 was launched to compete against the A-Class and the 1 Series. Why did they fall out of favour? Favoured for their impressive road presence and backed with greater utility value, SUVs have quickly gained prominence across segments. Though no company shared model-wise volumes, dearth of demand and growing preference for SUVs have led to the demise of the compact luxury hatchback segment. The Volkswagen groupowned Audi did not enter the compact segment in India, citing unsustainable business case. Responding to a question on whether Audi senses an opportunity in the compact luxury car space vacated by its peers, Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head of Audi India, said: There has to be a strong business case with a potential for good volumes. Our experience tells us that entry-level luxury-car segment is very competitive. While it does bring in volumes, it is most difficult to sustain. As a brand, we can't compromise on price positioning. Mercedes launched a series of SUVs in India, including the all-new GLA, which is the entry-level SUV. Of the 12 models it retails in India, five are SUVs. BMW also bolstered its presence in the SUV segment with the launch of the new X1, locally assembled in India. Seven of the 20 BMW models on sales in India are SUVs. India following global trend The phenomenon is not restricted to India alone. For instance, the Jaguar XE, which was once hailed as the most important Jaguar ever made, has fallen well short of expectations. Launched as a rival to the Audi A4, Mercedes C Class and the BMW 3 Series sedans, the Jaguar XE sold under 22,000 units in FY20, a far cry from the 100,000 units a year target set during its launch in mid-2015. Despite its meatier price tag than the Jaguar XE, the Range Rover Evoque, the largest-selling SUV for Jaguar Land Rover, clocked 44 percent growth in volumes in FY20 at 83,200 units. Emerging from the Washington DC metropolitan area are three Gospel recording artists who are three award-winning songwriters and three preacher's kids "PK's" who have united with one mission - to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and have fun doing it! With a plethora of individual music awards, honors, and hit songs to their credit, CD Porter, Rob Mercer and Javon Inman have come together as DRK 2 LGHT - an authentic brotherhood of musical genius with the intent to impact the Kingdom with songs of healing and deliverance. DRK 2 LGHT was formed when Rob was asked to do a concert in The Gambia in April of 2016 and he invited Javon and CD to be a part. Behind the scenes, God was divinely forming a bond and brotherhood for ministry beyond West Africa for the three friends. It was their video-recorded performance of Israel Houghton's "Alpha & Omega" on the last day of their trip which garnered national attention thereby leaving the gentleman in wonder if they should pursue something more upon their return to the states. After prayer and a few conversations about the style of music they desired to create, DRK 2 LGHT was formed. Since then, DRK 2 LGHT has been working on new music and has inked a distribution partnership with rising Philadelphia based label ENON MUSIC GROUP (EMG). EMG with Sony/The Orchard will distribute DRK 2 LGHT's forthcoming EP set to release in 2021. "Enon Music Group signed DRK 2 LGHT because they embody everything EMG stands for - an independent artist who wishes to do music on a high level, from their hearts, with the desire to continue to lift the name of Jesus through song," says Garland Miche Waller, Vice President of Enon Music Group. "We also wanted to keep expanding our music base so that we are not only be known as a traditional Gospel or choir based label but that we are known to have a well-rounded catalog of music and artists. We see nothing but great things for DRK 2 LGHT, and we pray that our joint efforts manifest a successful project, and most importantly that GOD GETS ALL THE GLORY!" With EMG, DRK 2 LGHT has released their debut single "He Keeps On". Their funky first single has an urban groove and showcases Javon's, CD's and Rob's smooth vocal tones that effortlessly blend in harmonious swag. "He Keeps On" is produced by hit-maker Tone Jonez and written by Javon Inman. DRK 2 LGHT delivers a stellar performance with lyrics illuminating the goodness and truth of God's grace. "He Keeps On" is available on all digital music outlets. The song is also impacting Gospel radio across the county now .Javon is clear about the assignment for DRK 2 LGHT. He says, "We want to please God and that includes ministering to the broken and forgotten. I'm just super pumped because I get to do real ministry with two of the coolest and most anointed guys on the planet. Yep...I'm the blessed one." Get to know Javon, Rob and CD - DRK 2 LGHT on social media @drk2lghtmsc and get the first news about forthcoming music and events! Tags : DRK 2 LGHT Super Group javon inman Rob Mercer CD Porter WASHINGTON - Judy Shelton, an economist known for her criticism of the Federal Reserve, is poised to take a big step toward joining the central bank's board, adding a new layer of political tension as policymakers deal with the biggest economic crisis in decades. The Senate Banking Committee is set to vote Tuesday on Shelton's nomination, which appeared in jeopardy after several Republicans on the panel suggested Shelton's views made her too much of an outlier for a seat on the Fed's board of governors. Lawmakers and economists have raised concerns about Shelton's push to return the country to the gold standard, along with her views that the Fed should pull back its powers and keep closer ties to the White House. Opposition from just one Republican on the committee would have been enough to derail Shelton's nomination. After Shelton's confirmation hearing in February, her nomination looked like it was in trouble. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he was unsure whether Shelton could uphold the central bank's independence. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said Shelton "could be an outlier" for the role. Both lawmakers have since said that they will vote to confirm her. "I will not be the one to kill her nomination," Shelby said in March. "I try to help the administration. I have some misgivings about her, I raised them in the Banking Committee. But if the other Republicans want her, I'd vote to confirm her." On Monday evening, a spokesperson for Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., another senator who had concerns about Shelton, said the lawmaker would also support Shelton's nomination, essentially guaranteeing full support among the 13 Republicans on the committee. All 12 Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee staunchly opposed Shelton's nomination from the start. Earlier this month, Democratic committee members called for another hearing so Shelton could be pressed on the current economic crisis and how she would respond. "We are now in an economic crisis worse than the one Dr. Shelton was asked about at her confirmation hearing," the senators wrote to Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, after a vote date was announced. "Based on her answers at the hearing, we are deeply concerned that the situation we are in today would have been worse if Dr. Shelton were already sitting on the Board of Governors." In addition to criticizing the Fed for having too much power, Shelton has maintained that the country should link the U.S. dollar to gold, silver or some other benchmark so its value fluctuates less. The gold standard was abandoned by American economists and policymakers decades ago. Shelton has also advocated closer connections between the central bank and the White House, despite the fact that the Fed stakes much of its reputation on being politically independent. Shelton was an adviser to Trump's 2016 presidential bid and has advocated that the Fed's power over the economy needs to be reined in. Shelton's views have raised particular concerns among lawmakers and economists who say Trump has exerted extreme public pressure on the Fed in a way that undermines the central bank's authority. Before the current crisis, Trump routinely criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not doing what the president thought was enough to stimulate the economy. More recently, Trump dubbed Powell his "most improved player." The Fed's ability to steer clear of the political fray has proved especially tricky during the current crisis. From mask wearing to state reopenings, the country's public health and economic response to the pandemic have become intertwined with partisan fanfare. Shelton's nomination would add another layer of political tension to the Fed's efforts to steer the economy toward recovery. The Fed board has been operating with two empty seats since several of President Trump's previous picks, including businessman Herman Cain and conservative economist Stephen Moore, failed to rally enough support and withdrew over a series of personal incidents. On Tuesday, the Senate Banking Committee also will vote on the nomination of Christopher Waller, a St. Louis Fed economist. Waller's nomination has been far less controversial. If approved by the Senate, Shelton would fill one slot on the Fed's seven-seat board. But there is wide speculation that if Trump were reelected in November, he would decide against renominating Powell as chair when his term expires in 2022. If Shelton were to replace Powell, her critics say she could harness much more power over the country's economy. David Wilcox, former director of the Fed's Division of Research and Statistics, said he worried that Shelton's skepticism of the importance of the Fed as an independent body would cause her to view a board seat as "an integrated part of the president's economic apparatus." "With a more senior position would come a much wider capacity for inflicting damage on the institution, and more importantly, on the functioning of the American economy and financial system," Wilcox said. Still, some describe Shelton's views as healthy dose of balance at the Fed. Moore, an economic adviser to the White House whose nomination was criticized over his past writings and comments against women and gender equity, said Shelton's nomination should never have become so politicized. "Judy is certainly well qualified," Moore told The Washington Post. "It's healthy to have someone with Judy's philosophical orientation on the Fed. Whether you agree with her or not, the important thing is to have a variety of opinions. You need people to question what the chairman is doing." - - - The Washington Post's Heather Long contributed to this report. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the Indian diaspora in Kobe in japan. During his address he vowed to make India poverty-free and thanked Japan for its help during Gujarat earthquake. Highlights of speech: #Will check records since Independence. If I come across unaccounted cash, no body will be spared: PM Narendra Modi in Japan #Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it: PM Narendra Modi #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi on scrapping of Rs 500/1000 notes, says "was important to keep it a secret, couldn't share it with anyone" pic.twitter.com/qbYyegw8CV ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016 #This is not an overnight decision, first we had brought in a scheme. Its not that no opportunity was given, it was given: PM Modi # It is a massive cleaning campaign: PM Modi #I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldn't share it with anyone: PM Narendra Modi #WATCH: PM Narendra speaks in Japan on scrapping of Rs 500/1000 notes, says "salute countrymen for supporting the decision" pic.twitter.com/vjVc2bkurW ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016 #On the night of 8th November, Rs 500 and 1000 (gestures that they were scrapped), I thank the people of India: PM Modi in Japan #I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us: PM Narendra Modi #PM Modi mentions Newsnation exclusive story: "Earlier no one used to put a single rupee in river Ganga, now you can see notes flowing in it" Also read: Exclusive Video | Black money crackdown impact: Torn Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 old notes found floating in Ganga river in UP's Mirzapur #I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us: PM Narendra Modi #In response, poor of the nation showed their big hearts to us: PM Modi #We have asked poor people that even if they do not have a penny we will open their bank account: PM Modi #'First develop India', is my definition of FDI. however the other one is Foreign Direct Investment: PM Narendra Modi in Japan #I am committed to make India poverty-free: PM Modi #India is the fastest growing economy in the world #Kobe helped Gujarat during earthquake: PM Modi addresses the Indian community in Japan. #PM Narendra Modi meets Indian community in Kobe (Japan) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. US President Donald Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying it is a source of pride for people who love the South. The Republican president was asked on "Fox News Sunday" if the flag, a symbol of US slavery and white supremacy for many Americans, was offensive. "It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about," Trump responded. "When people proudly had their Confederate flags they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South ... I say it's freedom of many things, but it's freedom of speech." Trump has in the past appeared sympathetic to the flag and symbols of the Confederacy of the 1861-65 Civil War. In 2017, he criticised the removal of monuments to the Confederacy and said there were "very fine people on both sides" of a deadly clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. Earlier this month, he criticized NASCARs ban of the Confederate flag from its events. Breaking with several of his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has promised to veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act over an amendment to remove the names of Confederate generals from military bases within a year. "We won World Wars out of these, out of these military bases, no I'm not gonna go changing. I'm not gonna go changing," Trump said in the interview, which was taped on Friday. He drew a parallel to the Black Lives Matter movement that was born out of police brutality targeting Black Americans. "Im not offended either by Black Lives Matter. Thats freedom of speech," Trump said. Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, who last month endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" the Confederate flag represents something that was never the United States of America. "It was the Confederate States of America. They were not part of us and this is not the time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then," said Powell, who is Black. "This is time to move on. Let's get going. We have one flag and only one flag only." The bottom line is that Chinese air support will be compromised by three aerial tankers if they invade Taiwan. US airpower will degrade its initial blitzkrieg, and its units will be attacked by other US assets. If China does invade Taiwan and it takes too long, then it will be harder with US Forces coming to Taiwan's aid. This scenario will give the combined PLAN and PLA Air Force efforts into an unwanted power clash with warfighting units of the American military already wanting to teach Beijing a lesson, reported in Forbes. China talks big but they lack tankers and launching catapults. The PLA Air force and the PLAN are into saber-rattling but it is all for show because they lack keys to air domination. Critical equipment like tankers and catapult launch are vital components to getting a potent strike force for modern combat. Air tankers give US fighters a longer range to loiter in the air and take down targets. American carriers with catapults will launch more fueled up and ordnance loaded fighters. It is this lack of equipment that worries top Chinese brass. Investment in anti-ship missiles is the fear of dangerously engaging US Forces. To make it simple, the Chinese planes will have a shorter operational range with only three tankers. Another is the limited fuel and lighter weapons load out that will put them at the mercy of US combat air patrols (CAPs). PLA army asset cannot survive without air support that will be interdicted by the US Air Force. But, Beijing is not doing enough to stop a massacre of their forces, which is so little. Also read: Lethal US Navy Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Prove Their Worth in the Pacific in Repulsing Chinese Navy Strategists expect the PLA to land forces in the southwestern plain of Taiwan, as the invasion starting point. But Penghu Garrison even if circumvented will see missiles hitting the two-carrier invasion fleet at its flanks. Should Beijing choose to take out Penghu Island, the Taiwan garrison can hold off the PLA long enough to get the US Air Force wing at Japan to reinforce them. Next, the US Navy will scramble its carrier strike groups (CSGs) from Japan and the US to reinforce Taiwan. A battle in the East to the South China Sea will have the US Force reinforcements using aerial tankers to send up more planes longer. As a result, there will be withering Chinese air support in the Taiwan invasion. The PLA Air Force will suffer more bailouts due to fewer air tankers, and another is a possible turkey shoot with an American plane with more weapons. Sino aircraft carriers with ski jumps cannot send loaded planes without a deck catapult. Why air tankers are key to air superiority Both land-based strike and support craft from Kadena, Japan will benefit from American KC-135s that will fuel cap patrols, taking out PLA planes in the East China Sea, edges of South China with Yellow Seas. China has 1000 plus jet fighters but only three air tankers, also known as sitting duck. China can't invade Taiwan that easy from its deficiencies in aerial tanker support and getting planes fully loaded up with not even a steam catapult. Yes, the Chinese can attack with ICBMs and missiles but once the US planes are up, then Chinese forces will rue it. Related article: Chinese Navy Airs Threats, After the US Navy's Carrier Exercises in Philippine Sea @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Delhi: A day after celebrating her 38th birthday, global icon Priyanka Chopra on Sunday reminisced over how her husband Nick Jonas proposed to her for marriage two years ago. Priyanka shared a cute mirror selfie photo with Nick kissing her on the cheek and wrote, "To the greatest joy of my life. 2 years ago on this day you asked me to marry you! I may have been speechless then but I say yes every moment of everyday since. In the most unprecedented time, you made this weekend so incredibly memorable. Thank you for thinking of me all the time. I am the luckiest girl in the world! I love you." Nick soon reacted to his wife's post and dropped an adorable comment. "Thank you for saying yes. I love you beautiful," he said. Meanwhile, Priyanka ringed into her 38th birthday with Nick in California like this: Nick had proposed to Priyanka in Greece in July 2018. They had a roka ceremony in Mumbai in August and got married in two elaborate ceremonies at Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace in December. On the work front, Priyanka will be next seen in an OTT adaptation of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel 'The White Tiger' along with Rajkummar Rao. Charlap, 53, is the son of two professional musicians the theater and film composer Moose Charlap and the standards singer Sandy Stewart and has been playing professionally since he was a student at the High School of the Performing Arts in Manhattan. For more than 20 years, he has led one of the top trios in jazz, and he has collaborated with likes of Diana Krall and Tony Bennett (on their 2018 duet recording Our Love is Here to Stay). Like so many performers, Charlap had no idea when he sounded the last notes on March 8 at a jazz festival in Laramie, Wyo., that he was about to endure the indignity of extended, forced idleness. The hiatus, he said, has been definitely the longest I can remember. Im minus a central part of my life. Not to mention his livelihood. He was still able to teach remotely through the end of the spring semester at William Paterson University, in Wayne, N.J., where he is director of jazz studies. But weeks of lucrative bookings at top clubs like Birdland, and many concerts, were erased from his schedule. I had a very robust summer of work, Mr. Charlap said, traveling all over the world and the country, playing major festivals, my own festival, he said. (He serves as artistic director for the Jazz in July series at the 92nd Street Y.) Of course, all these things are now postponed or canceled. Ive lost a huge amount financially. Its a really big, big loss. But everyone is struggling deeply. On a hot day in London the former Mrs Depp sat down in the witness box and started by swigging from a bottle of water. By lunchtime she was on her third bottle. In the afternoon she got through at least another three. You cant say these Hollywood stars are ever unlike bedsheets hurriedly bundled into a boil wash knowingly underhydrated. It became clear very quickly that she is a certain type of woman. A luminous blonde. Beautiful, spirited, fuelled by a high-octane belief that she is always in the right. Someone not to be messed with, someone determined to prevail. In short, as far as many men are concerned, your basic nightmare. In Court 13, she finally got the chance to tell her side of the story. After a week of evidence from her ex-husband Johnny Depp, this was her moment. Whatever happened next, Amber would be heard. Amber Heard's (left, outside court today) testimony ranged over the distressingly short period of her and Johnny Depp's (right) relationship and marriage. From first kiss to last quarrel, it was barely a blip in the space-time continuum, writes JAN MOIR Are you telling the court the truth? asked Depps representative, Eleanor Laws QC, at one point. Yes, maam, she replied, as clear as a Texan belle. Her testimony ranged over the distressingly short period of the couples relationship and marriage. From first kiss to last quarrel, it was barely a blip in the space-time continuum: A simple pair of stars, two balls of boiling gas, who burned out long before their time. A lot happened, but Heards memory was not always constant. It was the afternoon, not the morning, she would say crisply of one incident, but remain hazy about others. Still, it was an improvement on Depp, who could barely recall what he had for breakfast. There was talk of bruises on Ambers face that appeared and magically disappeared, like clouds. But if I was out in LA I would be wearing make-up, she said, not unreasonably. Speaking of which, yesterday she was a vision. Expertly applied highlighter flared along her cheekbones, while one could only admire the faultless curve of her Hollywood jawline. At one stage she took a moment to apply some red lip gloss with a wand, check it in a tiny mirror, then blot it with the back of her hand. Miss Heard was ready for her close-up at all times. It became clear very quickly that Amber Heard (pictured outside court with her lawyer Jennifer Robinson) is a certain type of woman, writes JAN MOIR Some think that actresses (and actors!) cannot resist the temptation to ham it up in public, and the cool 34-year-old did nothing to disabuse anyone of that fond notion. Her repertoire ranged between cheerful politesse to injured innocence to a favourite long-suffering victim. There was the occasional grimace or a rare quiver of lip. Yet Miss Heard would often look up to the public gallery and smile with amusement and warmth, presumably at sister Whitney and/or partner Bianca Butti. Once she made the sign of the horns with her hand, now and again she produced the tiniest of eye rolls that seemed to say: Can you believe this garbage? Indeed. In the morning she had been ushered into court with a supporting arm by her female lawyer Jennifer Robinson, a gesture that seemed to semaphore victim status make way for the wounded woman. Over the past week in the UK, a lot of high-profile feminists have made their support clear for Miss Heard, despite the fact that the three-week trial is far from over. The Australian author Kathy Lette had a dinner for her at the weekend. Lovely. A whiff of any troubled Leftie global-celebrity female humanitarian activist in town and Kathys got the prawns on the barbie. Baroness Helena Kennedy (another invitee) can bring along the summer pudding and make a point of order. Cherie Booth QC and Jess Phillips MP have also shown their support, even if it has yet to be ascertained who is telling the truth. Back in the witness box, I liked Miss Heards look. If she were a dress pattern, she would have been called Big Day In Court or perhaps even Amish Accents. She wore a pleated cream blouse, a long black skirt and discreet gold jewellery to deliver testimony that was as neatly tailored as a row of pin-tucked ducks. Her hair was tied into a demure fishtail plait, just like Elsas in the fem-baby Disney cartoon Frozen. Be the good girl you always have to be? There was certainly an element of that. She certainly wasnt going to let it go any time soon. On a hot day in London the former Mrs Depp sat down in the witness box and started by swigging from a bottle of water. Pictured: A courtroom sketch of Heard's testimony In her evidence, she talked of how the alleged abuse in her marriage was hidden at first. Of how she loved Johnny but was terrified of the monster he could become under the influence of drugs and drink. It was a sobering vision. Amber smiled a lot even though she never missed an opportunity, not once, to load up her splatter gun and fire another custard pie in Depps direction. It felt like a misery stream-of-consciousness, a litany of woe upon woe. I had very little decision-making power in that relationship, she would say. We heard that he had a hard time asserting himself, didnt want to be the bad guy, had problems with feelings, was particularly abusive, extremely jealous, extremely insecure and Could you go a little bit slower, please, cried the judge, Mr Justice Nicol. However, Amber was not above admitting that she had her faults, too. I also, she said, pausing to put her hand on her heart and gaze heavenwards in a manner that may well become known as Markle-lite, have moments when I, too, felt jealous. The case continues. There is some mystery about the generation of names. Gay becomes gay and lesbian becomes lesbian and gay becomes LGB becomes LGBTQ becomes LGBTQIAPK becomes LGBTTQQIAAP+. We go from black to Afro-American to African American back to black to Black, and then to BIPOC, and then to whatever that will be five minutes from now. Political correctness and I remind you that this is a term the scolds invented for themselves, not something that conservative critics hung on them is a joint neurosis, which, in moments of particular intensity, can turn into the kind of moral panic we are seeing right now. On the matter of nomenclature, there is a very long magical tradition holding that to have access to the true (and necessarily secret) name of something gives one power over it. (Think of Adam, his dominion over the animals indicated by his having the authority to name them.) A great deal of psychology and sociology is built on that superstition: Take a group of behaviors, give them a name, and treat the synthetic concept as though it were an organic phenomenon. There is no such literal thing as narcissistic personality disorder or white supremacy or capitalism, which do not exist in the sense that Mycobacterium tuberculosis exists, but to give things scientific-sounding names political science spoke to the aspirations of a particularly delusional moment in our history and to treat them as discrete unitary phenomena gives us a sense of control and power over them. Another way of understanding this magical thinking of the great American bourgeoisie is that it is the result of market innovation offering jaded consumers new forms of psychic consumption. At a certain level of material abundance, some consumption shifts away from ordinary goods and services into more experiential forms of consumption. The lines between these are not distinct: For example, people who order a $1,000 bottle of wine in a restaurant are not necessarily paying for old grape juice; often, what they are paying for is the act of ritual consumption and a passage into the state not of having but of having had the 1996 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet. (The fellow who has a taste for very expensive wines but could not with a gun to his head tell a Bordeaux from a Brunello is a familiar type, and not necessarily insincere.) Luxury goods may combine both physical and psychic consumption an expensive watch is not about telling the time, and you dont go to Per Se or the French Laundry because you are hungry and at the most rarefied level of consumption dissolve into almost purely experiential consumption that does not look like conventional luxury at all: a picture with the president, or a personal audience with the pope or the Dalai Lama. The great marker of social status is the line between that which is expensive and that which money alone cannot buy: A Ferrari is one kind of status symbol, having children enrolled at Princeton is a different kind. Story continues (John Maynard Keyness theory of consumption was, by his own account, a psychological theory.) That kind of rarefied consumption is not reserved exclusively for wealthy people. It is one of the benefits that subsidizes volunteer work in churches and civic organizations, in which people often associate and form relationships with socially prominent members of their local communities. Other people are attracted to celebrity-adjacent jobs or accept relatively low-paying work in elite or elite-adjacent institutions for similar reasons. The pseudo-activism of social media and membership in the self-deputized sheriffs posse of political correctness provide some of the same benefits as genuine civic engagement without the need to attend all those tedious meetings. The displacement of Latino by Latinx does not achieve anything of genuine value for anybody with Spanish-speaking ancestry, but it does create new opportunities for rarefied psychic consumption, giving a new generation of consumers (overwhelmingly college-educated white people) an opportunity to enjoy the taste of being in a vanguard, an exquisitely refined psychic product that is necessarily rivalrous in consumption. The pattern repeats. Loosely organized coalitions such as Black Lives Matter, Antifa, or the Tea Party are rooted not in radicalism but in Tracy Flick-ism and Max Fischer-ism: Community organizers are people who start clubs to give themselves something to be in charge of for the purpose of achieving social status. Civic organizations and political parties have long operated on a kind of informal seniority system: You volunteer, you do grunt work, you work your way up, and you wait your turn. The turn against party elites is much more the result of frustrated party activists looking for a way to avoid waiting their turn than representative of a genuine shift toward populism in either of the two major parties. A car dealer or a jeweler will arrange lending for customers because those customers want their consumption now, not in two years, when they can afford it and we want our psychic consumption now, too. Hence the churn. The generation of new LGBTTQQIAAP+ designations or new racial nomenclature does not stop, for the same reason that fashion does not stop the point of the consumption is to distinguish the fashionable from the unfashionable, to display ones good taste or (since that is rare) at least ones knowledge of what currently is in style. New markers must be generated to do the status-conferring work that the old markers cannot do anymore. It is typical of the great genius of our business community that even radical changes in fashion end up commodified and made shopping-mall friendly in a remarkably short period of time: Think of how quickly the styles associated with punk rock or hip-hop were incorporated into mainstream fashion. With that in mind, can it be any surprise that the voguish pseudo-radicalism of our own time not only is embraced by Corporate America but is generously sponsored by it, with the new Red Brigades outfitted and funded by Google, PepsiCo, AT&T, NBCUniversal, Facebook, UBS, JPMorgan Chase, and Deloitte? Another way of saying psychic consumption is psychic tuberculosis. All the symptoms of the wasting disease are there to be seen, for those with the curiosity and the stomach to take a good hard look. More from National Review Much of Jalaluddin Rumis work was in rhyming couplets and retaining their meaning, thought or metaphor and yet delivering the English in rhythm and rhyme are a challenge, says Farrukh Dhondy who has translated a new collection of the 13th century Persian poets verses. A translation, the India-born British writer said, is a delicate thing and entails rendering a construction from one country, one culture, one century even, into an equally alluring construction in another. The popularised phrase in our time is lost in translation and the virtue of a translated verse, then, is keeping the loss of meaning and music to a minimum, he said. Rumi writes for much of his work in rhyming couplets. To retain the meaning of the couplet, the thought or metaphor that it contains, and yet deliver the English in rhythm and rhyme is a challenge, Dhondy, also a playwright, screenwriter and activist, told PTI. He said, Translations from one language, culture and century to another pose the two questions of all relationships: Is the beauty of one reflected in the other and is the other faithful to the one? Rumi: A New Translation, a HarperCollins India publication, is a selection from the vast ocean of works of the poet, in which Dhondy attempts to convey both the allure and the message of his verses. Asked if he has adopted any set of rules for translating Rumi, he replied: The only rule is to render as much of the truth of the verse, while ensuring that the English is presented with good grammar and not in some outlandish invention - and using rhyme and rhythm is not a rule, its avoiding the label of vandalism. Dhondy said all his life he had been brought up on English poetry and Hindi songs, and knew nothing of Rumi, except that his great grandfather had translated several Persian poets, including Rumi and Omar Khayyam, and copies of the books were proudly kept in the family. A friend of his presented him an anthology of Rumi translations once when he was catching a plane to go to Australia. The translations were tedious, boring and without rhyme, rhythm or charm and written in a pedestrian if pretentious Americanese or in some ungrammatical chopped-prose English. I stopped reading, he said. On my return to Mumbai I casually said to my mamaji that I thought his favourite poet was rubbish. He was absolutely shocked and began to recite Rumi verses in Persian which he had studied and memorised. His recitation was melodic and mesmeric, he said. Dhondy asked his uncle to translate and soon started to take notes in English and Hindustani. He sat up for hours and attempted to render these notes into verse. This was how Dhondy was attracted towards Rumi. He believes Rumi and the Sufis search for ways of orienting the mind and the emotions to accept that God or the primal energy of the universe, the essence that infuses all living things, is within oneself and discoverable. Human beings, however bound by empirical science, however sceptical about religion and God, are never free from wonder about life and creation. The Sufi path is a very attractive manifestation of this wonder and humans, in any age and culture, can find a resonance, if not solace, in it. A scholar and poet, Rumi (12071273) founded the Mawlawi Sufi order, a leading mystical brotherhood of Islam. He wrote the six-volume epic work, the Masnavi, known as the Persian Quran in verse. The popularity of Rumi in Iran is a manifestation of the continuity of a national culture - he may have lived in Konya in Turkey but wrote essentially in Persian, said Dhondy. His popularity in the US and in Europe is one of the clearest symptoms of the rejection by millions of the materialism that modern life, and its essentially capitalist organisation, traps them in, he added. Its a search for a meaning that an alienated way of life doesnt give them. It can induce a feeling, however shallow, of absorbing a spiritual message, he said. In India, some readers of the verse may be subject to the same motivation, but I sincerely hope that a few at least will recognise the closeness of the Sufi doctrine to those of Advait Vedanta. The Sufi professions of love, according to Dhondy, are expressed in terms of devotion to the beloved. The beloved in all Sufi expressions is not the girl-next-door or the person you met on Tinder, but God or the eternal spirit, the brahmand (universe) of which you are part. Very many of the idiotic American translations mistake this devotion to the beloved as professions to an active or desired sexual partner, he said. It perhaps accounts for their popularity. If Rumi, wherever he is, can read these translations, there will certainly be a rotating motion within a tomb in Konya, he added. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter If one person in your family tests positive for coronavirus, everyone in the household is listed as positive even if theyve never been tested. Everyone who dies during the coronavirus pandemic is counted as a COVID death. Wearing a mask is bad for you. Chances are, youve seen or heard one of those statements since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. But just because they are circulating doesnt mean they should be accepted at face value. The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Jefferson County Department of Health are addressing some of these rumors in a series of social media posts. Rumors and misinformation can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. Do your part to the stop the spread of rumors by doing three easy things: Find trusted sources of information; share information from trusted sources; discourage others from sharing information from unverified sources, ADPH said in a recent post. ADPH cited to examples of recent rumors or misinformation that have been circulated. From ADPH: Pictured are two examples of rumors or misinformation we have seen recently. The screenshot containing a rumor about tainted kits in Tuscaloosa is FALSE. We believe people are using recent quality control issues with out of state laboratories not used by Alabama and an incident where the CDC distributed tests that did not meet early quality control measures at the beginning of the pandemic in February to create rumors of tainted tests. With regard to the misinformation provided in the screenshot reading "So if your Corona test is positive it could also be the common cold," if you visit the link provided: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/serology-overview.html, you will see the excerpt that was screen captured is discussing the antibody test for SAR-CoV-2, not the viral test used to test current infection. This post is misrepresenting information which may lead you to believe that if you get a positive COVID-19 test result it means you could have a cold. The PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 is very specific, meaning a positive test is highly reliable. On a side note, the Alabama Department of Public Health does not recommend antibody testing for diagnosis of COVID-19 because of accuracy and interpretation of such tests. Antibody tests are not authorized by the FDA for diagnostic purposes in COVID-19 and some antibody tests have been removed from the market due to inaccuracy. Rumors and misinformation can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. Do your part to the stop the spread... Posted by Alabama Public Health on Saturday, July 18, 2020 Jefferson County The Jefferson County Department of Health has also provided answers to some of the most common coronavirus myths. Top of the list is one that just wont seem to go away: Question Ive heard in Jefferson County that if one family member tests positive, the entire family is counted as positive and that is what is inflating our numbers. Not true: Jefferson Countys care numbers are not based on the number of positive test results person. Only the first positive counts towards the case numbers. Example: If a person tests positive, has the virus and requires multiple tests to see if they are negative, those positive tests are not counted as additional positive tests. You can see more questions and answers below. EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Homicide detectives are trying to identify four men wanted in connection with a deadly shooting that happened Monday morning in East Cleveland, police said. Officers were investigating a report of gunshots when they found a man with a gunshot wound to the head on Charles Road near Euclid Avenue, police said. An ambulance took the man to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead just before 7:45 a.m., police said. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office will release the mans name once his family has been notified. Detectives on Monday released images of four men wanted in connection with the shooting. Detectives gave no indication that any of the four are the suspected shooter, and did not specify where they obtained the images. One image shows a man holding a wad of cash with what appears to be several guns in his waistband. The other three images appear to be taken from a security camera at an unidentified business. East Cleveland detectives are searching for these two men in connection with a deadly shooting that happened Monday, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the East Cleveland Police Departments detective bureau at 216-681-2162. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could receive a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, police said. Read more crime stories: Cuyahoga County to pay $140,000 to jail inmate attacked by officer while praying days after interview with U.S. Marshals over jail conditions Cleveland police officer shot, injured in citys Fairfax neighborhood, police say 8-year-old hit by car in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood, police say Cleveland strip club receives second citation for violating Ohio Department of Health anti-coronavirus measures Akron police arrest Canton man accused of fatally hitting Akron man, daughter with SUV Russian woman sentenced to community service for calls to breach COVID-19 lockdown flickr.com/ michael_swan 12:59 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) A court in Russias Perm has sentenced a local 38-year woman, who had called to violate the coronavirus self-isolation order, to the 300-hour community service, according to a statement on the official website of the Prosecutor Generals Office. She has been found guilty of distribution of false information about dangerous circumstances. According to court records, during the strict quarantine measures in early April, the woman created a group on one of the social networks where she distributed information with calls to breach the COVID-19 lockdown and published her own photos in public places. She also published similar posts on her own social media page. Earlier, Russias communications agency Roskomnadzor restricted access to these publications, the statement reads. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids police have identified a 24-year-old man who died following a shooting early Sunday morning in what was the citys 20th homicide of the year. Jordan Rashawan Ginns, of Kentwood, was found dead around 2:20 a.m. in the 700 block of Turner Avenue NW with multiple apparent gunshot wounds, according to police. The death is still being investigated, and there are no suspects yet, according to a Monday, July 20 news release. Ginns death is being classified as the 20th homicide of the year, following another homicide on Wednesday, July 15. The death capped off a weekend of violence, including two other shootings and a stabbing, in a year already marked by increased gun violence. Over the weekend, there were a few violent incidents besides the homicide including: A 23-year-old woman was stabbed during a fight at New York Fried Chicken on Franklin and Division. A 20-year-old man was shot during a drive-by shooting near Bradford and College. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the head during a reported gunfight near Joe Taylor Park. Last Wednesday, Martell Deon-Daajon Phillips, 23, was gunned down in broad daylight outside of the Wealthy Market. The following day, four shootings took place within 24 hours, including one in which a 2-year-old suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being struck in the arm. Members of the public with information about any of these incidents is asked to call Grand Rapids police, or to share anonymous tips to Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345 or silentobserver.org. Read more on MLive: Grand Rapids police, community leaders plead for end of senseless violence Grand Rapids sees homicide, stabbing and shootings over the weekend Scholarship created to honor Kalamazoo man who caught child dropped from burning building Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mon, July 20, 2020 09:00 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b588d 2 SE Asia Malaysia,toxic-waste-shipping Free Malaysia discovered 110 containers of hazardous heavy metals from Romania and bound for Indonesia that had illegally entered the country and were abandoned last month, its largest case of dumped toxic waste, state media Bernama reported on Sunday. Malaysia in recent years became the world's main destination for plastic waste after China banned imports of scrap. It has been negotiating with origin countries to take back hundreds of containers of plastic that entered the country illegally. Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said 1,864 tons of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) - a by-product of steel production that contains heavy metals like zinc, cadmium and lead - were found abandoned at the Tanjung Pelepas port in the southern state of Johor, according to Bernama. "The discovery of the EAFD, on transit in Malaysia and bound for Indonesia, is the biggest finding of its kind in Malaysian history," Tuan Ibrahim was quoted as saying. He said the EAFD, classified as a toxic waste under the Basel Convention, had been listed as concentrated zinc in declaration forms. "The Department of Environment, as the Basel Convention authority [for Malaysia], has not granted approval for or received notifications from the waste exporter to transit in Malaysia," he said. Malaysia has contacted the Romanian Basel Convention authority to arrange for the repatriation of the containers and have engaged Interpol for further investigations, Bernama said. The Romanian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:18:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in Thailand is looking to promote goods manufactured by Bangkokians with the award of an official seal called "Bangkok Brand," confirmed the city's governor Asawin Kwanmuang on Monday. The BMA's official seal may be granted for five categories of quality goods manufactured by individuals, groups of villagers, groups of community members and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs located in Bangkok, Asawin said. Those categories of quality goods for sales within the country or export include food, beverages, clothing, souvenir items and herbal products. Bangkok's manufacturers of quality goods may apply for the "Bangkok Brand" seal, which will be firmly pasted upon their products, at the branch office of the BMA's Community Development and Social Welfare Department in each of the 50 districts of the capital. Department officials are yet to determine whether any quality products may be awarded. Enditem Subscriber content preview SEATTLE King County Metro General Manager Rob Gannon is stepping down at the end of the month to become CFO for the city of Missoula, Montana. Gannon led Metro for four years, during which it was named best large transit agency in North America by the American Public Transportation Association. He also oversaw the transformation and restructure of Metro from a transit division to a full King County department. . . . A relatively low-tech stock trade is making Tesla's dizzying rally look like an under-performance. In Southeast Asia, makers of rubber gloves are attracting more investor fervor than even the electric cars and flame throwers of Elon Musk. Top Glove Corp. is up 428% this year in Kuala Lumpur, the most on the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, while Supermax Corp. has leaped more than 1,200%, compared with Tesla's 259%. That's due to the boom in glove demand thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, aided by a short-selling ban in Malaysia till year-end. The meteoric rise has been unprecedented by Malaysian standards, with the top three glove makers adding about 109 billion ringgit ($26 billion) in combined market value this year. More than $1 of every $10 invested in the nation's stock market right now is a bet on gloves -- a feat that makes the Southeast Asian nation a play on global hygiene, much like South Korea and Taiwan are for semiconductors. Top Glove resumed its rally Friday even after the U.S. moved to block imports from two of its units. "The rally in glove makers reminds many of Tesla but the sector's earnings outlook is more certain than that of Tesla," said Ross Cameron, a fund manager at Northcape Capital Ltd., which overseas about $7 billion in assets globally. The short-selling ban has had a minor contribution to the rally while "we expect the sector to report significantly more than 100% earnings growth next year," he said. Fund managers at Northcape and Samsung Asset Management have increased their bets on the sector this year, saying the shift in glove demand is structural and many market participants are still behind the curve. Some of the glove makers are planning bonus share issues after this year's eye-popping rally. The odds of some stocks getting more institutional allocation are set to increase as the companies have become big enough to be included in key indexes followed by international investors. Supermax and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd. are set to join the MSCI Malaysia Index after a review next month due to the meteoric rise in their stock price, Brian Freitas, an analyst on Smartkarma wrote in a note last week. "The stocks now rank very highly on free float market cap," the note added. Kossan shares have climbed 224% year-to-date. Still, a faster-than-expected development of a vaccine to treat Covid-19 risks putting the brakes on the spectacular rally in glove makers' shares. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has placed a detention order on disposable gloves made by Top Glove. Top Glove said in a statement on Thursday that the issue may be linked to foreign labor and it is reaching out to U.S. Customs to seek to resolve the matter within two weeks. Fund managers and analysts said the company could still ship its gloves to the U.S. using other units. Also any cancellation of orders would be offset by demand from other countries due to the acute shortage. The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association expects global glove demand to rise 20% to 330 billion gloves this year, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd. analyst Farah Diyana Kamaludin, who attended its briefing last week. For now, the order books have swelled, glove prices have skyrocketed and companies are aggressively expanding their capacity to meet orders. Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc / Index: AIM / Epic: EOG / Sector: Oil & Gas Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc ('Europa' or 'the Company') Director Retirement and Corporate Update Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, the UK, Ireland and Morocco focused oil and gas exploration, development and production company, announces that Finance Director Mr Phil Greenhalgh has informed the Board of his intention to retire. Phil, who has been Finance Director of Europa since January 2008, has agreed to remain on the Board until 14 October 2020 to ensure an orderly handover of his duties and to complete the Group Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31 July 2020. The Company does not intend to appoint a replacement Finance Director at the current time. Instead Phil's responsibilities will be divided and assigned to existing members of the team at Europa. In line with this, Ms Alison Fuller will become Financial Controller and Mr Murray Johnson will assume the position of Company Secretary. In addition, the Board has asked Executive Chairman Mr Simon Oddie to continue as Interim CEO for at least a further six months. Corporate Update The Company is pleased to provide a corporate update in relation to activity across its portfolio of multistage licences onshore UK, offshore Ireland and offshore Morocco and its ongoing cost management programme as part of its response to COVID-19 and volatile oil and gas markets. Onshore UK -Wressle Field Development Project ('Wressle') The development of the Wressle field in North Lincolnshire, in which Europa holds a 30% working interest, continues according to plan with first oil on track to commence in H2 2020. Under the development plan, Wressle is expected to commence production at an initial gross rate of 500bopd, which would more than double Europa's existing UK onshore production to over 200bopd. With an estimated breakeven oil price of US$17.6 per barrel, production at Wressle is expected to be very profitable at current oil prices of over US$40 per barrel. Further updates on progress made towards bringing Wressle into production will be provided to the market as and when it is appropriate to do so. Offshore Ireland - Inishkea and Edge prospects in Slyne Basin Europa recently announced the conditional acquisition of a 100% interest in Frontier Exploration Licence ('FEL') 3/19, which holds the 1.2 tcf Edge prospect. FEL 3/19 lies close to Europa's 100%-owned FEL 4/19, which holds the 1.5 tcf Inishkea prospect, and the ~1tcf producing Corrib gas field. Both licences therefore provide Europa with a key strategic position in the proven gas play of the Slyne basin. The acquisition of FEL 3/19 is subject to regulatory sign-off and once this has been received the Company intends to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the technical data covering the licence. Following this, the forward plan is to launch the farmout process for both licences in the Slyne Basin. Ahead of the formal launch of the farmout, the Company is in discussions with several interested parties. The Company notes the cessation of gas production at the Kinsale Head gas fields in the Celtic Sea earlier this month. Following this, the Corrib gas field represents the only source of domestic gas production in Ireland. Subject to regulatory sign-off for the transfer of FEL 3/19, Europa will hold 100% interests in what are currently the only large scale, drill-ready prospects in a gas play that has been significantly de-risked by the producing Corrib field and importantly lie close to existing processing facilities. As a result, Europa classifies FELs 3/19 and 4/19 as lower risk "infrastructure-led" exploration. Offshore Morocco - Inezgane permit Being largely desktop based, technical work has been able to continue on the Inezgane permit despite COVID-19 and associated lockdowns. This work is focused on reprocessing and interpreting 3D seismic data to de-risk large prospects in the Lower Cretaceous play, a prolific producer in West Africa. The Inezgane licence area is 11,228 square kilometres, i.e. equivalent to about 50 UKCS North Sea blocks, or over half the size of Wales. To date this work has resulted in the mapping of 14 prospects and 16 leads, which the Company estimates have the potential to hold in aggregate close to 10 billion barrels of unrisked oil resources. The identified prospects each have mean resources in excess of 150 mmboe which add up to total resources in excess of 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The prospects have stacked reservoir potential and include a wide range of structural styles including for example 4-way dip closure in the case of the 827 mmboe Falcon and 204 mmboe Turtle prospects. Europa has assigned a geological chance of success to these prospects of 20-35%. Ongoing work is focused on further de-risking these prospects and leads while the forward plan is to build a robust prospect inventory and, subject to the results, secure partner(s) to drill wells. In tandem with this workstream, the Company has maintained dialogue with operators who have expressed an interest in Inezgane. Cost Management Programme As previously announced, in response to volatile oil markets and the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, the Board, staff and consultants agreed to a reduction in remuneration and fees (see announcement of 31 March 2020 for further details). This had been set at 20% however the Board has now elected to increase the reduction in their remuneration and fees to 50% from August 2020 until further notice. The Company is also considering an award of share options to directors and staff and a further announcement will be made. Elsewhere, appropriate cost savings and adjustments are continuing to be made in the business whilst ensuring the integrity of the core strategy is maintained. Existing cash reserves are expected to be sufficient to finance current activity including the Wressle Field development. As mentioned earlier, once on stream, Wressle will transform Europa's production and in turn its revenue profile. Simon Oddie, Interim CEO and Executive Chairman of Europa, said: "On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Phil for the considerable and invaluable contribution he has made to the Europa story over the last decade or so. We wish him all the best for the future. In Alison and Murray, we have two experienced employees who will be taking on Phil's finance and corporate responsibilities and as a result I am confident the handover process will prove to be seamless. We are confident that the next year promises to be a highly active period for Europa, with Wressle due to come on stream later this year, our unrivalled position in the Slyne Basin gas play set to be bolstered further once the transfer of FEL 3/19 is completed, and with the ongoing technical work offshore Morocco to date confirming Inezgane's exciting potential." * * ENDS * * For further information please visit www.europaoil.com or contact: Simon Oddie Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Phil Greenhalgh Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Christopher Raggett finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Simon Hicks finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Frank Buhagiar St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Megan Dennison St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Notes Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc has a diversified portfolio of multi-stage hydrocarbon assets which includes production, development and exploration interests, in countries that are politically stable, have transparent licensing processes, and offer attractive terms. In terms of production, in 2019 Europa produced 91 boepd. Production is set to increase to over 200 boepd in H2 2020 once the Wressle field in the UK, which is currently under development, comes on stream at a gross rate of 500 bopd. The Company holds four exploration licences offshore Ireland which have the potential to host gross mean un-risked prospective resources of 3.9 billion barrels oil equivalent and 2.7* trillion cubic feet ('tcf') gas (*subject to regulatory approval for the transfer of FEL 3/19). The Company's flagship projects offshore Ireland are Inishkea and Edge, two near field gas prospects in the Slyne Basin which the Company classifies as lower risk infrastructure-led exploration due to their close proximity to the producing Corrib gas field and associated gas processing infrastructure. In September 2019, Europa was awarded a 75% interest in the Inezgane permit offshore Morocco. Initial results of technical work have identified 30 prospects and leads that have the potential to hold close to 10 billion barrels of unrisked resources. History preservationists earned a victory last month, when state representatives accepted Meadows Road Bridges nomination for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Lower Saucon Township bridges nomination marks the latest development in a years-long saga to preserve a 168-year-old structure once slated for replacement. On June 2, the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board voted yes on the recommendation which will now be forwarded to the National Park Service where review is typically completed within 45 days. The National Register of Historic Places contains a list of properties recognized for their importance to American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture. Being added to the list does not prevent destruction or require maintenance, but it does encourage preservation. DAVID GANNON/Getty Having launched a group designed to back Democratic politicians who would lead the resistance to President Donald Trump, Hillary Clintons support for those candidates has largely dried up. Over the first 18 months of the 2020 election cycle, her political outfit paid more in donation processing fees than it doled out in political contributions, campaign finance records show. The Onward Together Committee, which Clinton founded in the months after her 2016 election defeat, donated just $21,700 to six political candidates and political committees in 2019 and the first half of 2020, according to a Federal Election Commission filing this week. By that point in the 2018 election cycle, the Onward Together Committee had made $130,000 in political contributions, even as it brought in about $30,000 less during the equivalent period. The groups numbers could swell as election day approaches. On Thursday, Clinton hosted a digital fundraiser with former South Bend mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, with proceeds benefiting their respective PACs. But so far this cycle, Clintons PAC is lagging far behind its financial support for Democratic candidates during the 2018 midterms. That meager support during a crucial election cycle illustrates the degree to which Clinton has receded as a political force since her upset loss to Trump. While she vowed to stay politically active through the Onward Together Committee and an affiliated dark money nonprofit group, both organizations have dramatically scaled back their giving. Onward Together has prided itself on directing funding where and when it will be needed most, helping to lift up organizers, candidates, advocates, and activists who are fighting on the front lines to secure our democracy, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told The Daily Beast in a statement. We will continue that mission this election year, as the stakes have never been higher. A number of the Onward Together Committees beneficiaries this year arent even federal political candidates. The group has donated to South Carolina Senate hopeful Jaime Harrison and California state representative Christy Smith, whos running for a U.S. House seat in the state. But its other recipients are all at the state and local levelsa Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Montana, a mayoral candidate in Dallas, and a county commissioner candidate in Miami-Dade, Florida. Story continues The Onward Together Committee has also donated to Vote Mama, a PAC run by Liuba Grechen Shirley, a former Democratic congressional candidate in New York. The committee raised about $167,000 from January 2019 through the end of June, according to its FEC filing this week. That was actually more than the more than $137,000 it raised during the first 18 months of the 2018 election cycle. Hillary Clinton: We Have to Be Ready if Trump Doesnt Go Quietly Its donations, though, have dropped off considerably from that cycle, when it donated more than $287,000 to sixty one political candidates and committees, most of them at the federal level. The $21,700 the Onward Together Committee donated to candidates and PACs this cycle is actually less than the $26,500 its paid to its online donation payment processor, FEC filings show. Donations made by Onward Together, the dark money affiliate, to federal political committees have also fallen off considerably. From 2017 through June 2018, the group gave $250,000 to two such committees, the PAC associated with progressive civil rights group Color of Change and Swing Left, a volunteer-focused Democratic super PAC. By election day, it had donated another $275,000 to those groups and other others, Tech for Campaigns and the Latino Victory fund. So far this cycle, in contrast, its donated just $160,000 to federal political groups, according to FEC records, with contributions benefitting some of the same committees, including Color of Change and Swing Left. As a nonprofit, Onward Together will not be required to disclose more recent finances until after election day, meaning some donations to groups that arent registered as political committees may go uncounted until then. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The Real Housewives of Atlanta broke new ground for its first virtual reunion that aired in May. What wasnt new however, was the drama among the ladies. Nene Leakes, Kenya Moore, Kandi Burruss, and Porsha Williams kept the feud fires lit, and the dissension affected their interactions off camera. That led to rumors and questions about season 13 of RHOA. Kandi Burruss recently spoke about the status of the series. Kandi Burruss | Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images Kandi Burruss says RHOA started filming Fans of The Real Housewives franchise have been wondering about Bravos plans to move forward with production on future seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Burruss recently shared that the Atlanta housewives just started filming, but with rules in place. During an interview with Extra TV, she said taping started around July 16 and cast members are being tested regularly for coronavirus. Its a lot of rules because more than anything, they care about our safety. Were getting tested all the time. In a separate chat with Hollywood Life, Burruss commended Bravo for implementing safety procedures and weekly testing. She added she and husband Todd Tucker were already getting tested prior to filming RHOA, so she was used to the process. RELATED: RHOA: Kandi Burruss Calls out Tamar Braxton for Being Biased in Nene Leakes Feud Burruss cant confirm all the RHOA ladies for season 13 Its been confirmed that Eva Marcille isnt returning for the new season, but things are still up in the air for some of the other cast members. When Hollywood Life asked Burruss whether Sheree Whitfield and Nene Leakes would be joining the show this year, she said, I dont know, and I dont know. She said shed love for Whitfield to come back, but she just wasnt sure if it will happen. As for Leakes, I havent talked to Nene. I do not know what her plans are. Honestly, were so early in taping I wouldnt know whos coming back and whos not. Burruss explained production crews are currently taping their personal stories at the moment and they havent done any group scenes yet. She stated Bravos hinted at bringing new people on board, but the cast wont know until its time to tape with the other ladies. She cant confirm everyone just yet. Burruss also mentioned that she and Leakes are like oil and water sometimes but she would love for her to return to the series. She said ultimately, its up to her. RHOA cast rumors are rampant While Porsha Williams confirmed her contract for season 13, rumors about casting shake-ups have plagued the show since March. One RHOA rumor pegged MoNique as a replacement for Leakes, but the comedian addressed that on social media and flat out said it wasnt true. It is assumed Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey are coming back though neither of them verified it. Its said that Marlo Hampton and Tanya Sam are due back as friends of the show, but the speculation about Phaedra Parks were shot down. Fans may be in for a surprise about Whitfield, but its likely more casting details will be revealed in the coming weeks. RELATED: RHOA Season 13: Nene Leakes Finally Addresses Rumors on Housewives Status Four muggers are facing jail after they snatched a 15,000 designer watch from the manager of a Lord Sugar partner company. Adam Alarmeli, 22, Mohammed Laanani, 21, Ouail Lachebi, 22 and Oussama Soufi, 20, targeted Leigh Fitzsimmons for his Audemars Piguet timepiece in west London. Mr Fitzsimmons was robbed in Shepherd's Bush Green last year on October 13. Billionaire Apprentice star Lord Sugar invested in Cheshire-based Siteform Flooring Contractors Ltd, of which Mr Fitzsimmons is a senior contracts manager, according to his LinkedIn profile. Leigh Fitzsimmons, who is a senior contracts manager at Siteform Flooring Contractors Ltd, was robbed in Shepherd's Bush Green last year on October 13 Laanani also took a 30,000 Patek Philippe watch from Yaukei Lam in Shepherd's Bush on August 3 last year. He also robbed an unknown victim of a 5,000 Hublot Classic Fusion watch in Knightsbridge last October 13 and took a 600 Samsung A7 from Penka Tsenkova in Elephant and Castle on July 29. Laanani also robbed an unknown victim of a 5,000 Hublot Classic Fusion watch in Knightsbridge last October 13 The four muggers, all from Algeria, appeared via a nine-way video-link with their lawyers and a translator. They admitted all robbery charges against them at Southwark Crown Court. Alarmeli, Laanani, Lachebi and Soufi spoke to confirm their names and enter guilty pleas. Soufi had been granted bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court last month but has since had it rescinded and does not plan to apply for it again. Caroline Allison, prosecuting, said: 'The matter listed today for a plea and trial preparation on a four-count indictment on which all four appear on count four and Mr Laanani appears on count 1 2 and 3. 'Guilty pleas are indicated from all defendants. Alarmeli, Laanani, Lachebi, and Soufi admitted all robbery charges against them at Southwark Crown Court 'There are also proceedings in Cambridge where all defendants have also pleaded guilty to offences committed in October last year. All defendants are now in custody. Judge Gregory Perrins said: 'In terms of sentence Im happy to transfer the case to Cambridge. 'The case is being transferred that means everything is going to be dealt with on the same day by the same judge where you will appear remotely. 'You will all appreciate it will be a custodial sentence and you are all remanded in custody until that time.' Alarmeli, Laanani, Lachebi, and Soufi, all of no fixed address, all admitted robbery and were remanded in custody ahead of sentence at Cambridge Crown Court on August 17. The U.S. Air Force's first KC-10 Extender has officially received its retirement papers and headed to the Boneyard. The service last week retired a tanker from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, with more than 33,000 flight hours and at least 30 years of service, according to a news release. Nearly 23,000 aircrew members and maintainers supported the aircraft during its lifetime, and the aircraft refueled more than 125,000 aircraft from 25 different countries over its career, officials said. "This aircraft, like all the aircraft in our KC-10 fleet, has served honorably and provided life-saving fuel to warfighters executing global reach," Col. Scott Wiederholt, 305th Air Mobility Wing commander, said in a statement. Airmen from the 305th and 514th Air Mobility Wings at the base have used the aircraft, the release said. Read Next: 'I Don't Care What the Military Says:' Trump Rejects Renaming Fort Bragg The aircraft is the first to retire of three serving in backup status, known as Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI). The three aircraft were previously slated for retirement with congressional approvals in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the release said. The tanker, tail number 86-0036, first entered service at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, in December 1986, according to the 305th's historian Stuart Lockhart. It participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, was later relocated to Travis Air Force Base, California, and eventually found its permanent home at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in 1997, Lockhart said. Airmen from the 305th and 514th "enabled the strategic effects of combatant commanders, extended the powerful reach of the National Command Authorities and enabled soldiers and Marines in enemy contact a safe haven as KC-10s refueled their air support and air cover overhead," added Col. Thomas Pemberton, commander of the 514th Air Mobility Wing. The aircraft will now be used for spare parts while assigned to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the release said. Air Force plans call for the steady retirement of its aging tankers in favor of the KC-46 Pegasus, despite continuing technical issues with the new aircraft. In its 2021 budget request, the Air Force proposed retiring 13 KC-135 Stratotankers and 16 KC-10 refuelers. However, in both the Senate and House markups of the FY21 NDAA legislation, lawmakers have pushed back the divestment of some legacy tankers. Lawmakers last month set a minimum requirement of KC-10s: The Air Force must maintain 50 primary mission KC-10A aircraft in fiscal 2021; 38 in fiscal 2022; and 26 in fiscal 2023, according to both House and Senate legislation. The Air Force currently has 59 KC-10s, 56 of which are considered primary mission tankers. Last week's retirement brings the total aircraft inventory to 58 Extenders. Meanwhile, issues with the KC-46 remain -- chief among them a glitch in the aircraft's Remote Vision System (RVS) software. The Air Force continues to work with Boeing Co. to fix the troubled tanker, which was first delivered in January 2019 despite that problem. The service anticipates a 2023-2024 timeframe to have a fix in place for the system, which doesn't allow an airman to look at a clear, aligned visual of the boom connecting to another aircraft. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: KC-10 Tankers, B-1 Bombers Can Slowly Be Retired, Lawmakers Say COLUMBUS, OhioA report that Republican ex-Gov. John Kasich is expected to speak at this years Democratic National Convention on behalf of former Vice President Joe Biden brought a swift backlash on social media from Democrats in Ohio and around the country. In particular, candidates, staffers and activists voiced anger that Democrats would hand the spotlight to Kasich, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate who, as governor, clashed with Democrats on issues such as abortion, collective bargaining for public employees (i.e., the Senate Bill 5 fight in 2011) and other issues. With the exception of being anti-Trump, Kasichs record stands against everything our party supports, tweeted the Kent State University Democrats. His inclusion at the convention would be an affront to our values. While he has every right to support our nominee, the DNC should not allow him to speak at our convention. With the exception of being Anti-Trump, Kasichs record stands against everything our party supports. His inclusion at the convention would be an affront to our values. (2/2) The Kent State College Democrats (@kentstatedems) July 20, 2020 Yes, I think we should be willing to work with anyone who wants to defeat Trump, even if our only intersection is authoritarianism bad, tweeted Shawna Roberts, the Democratic challenger to Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson in Ohios 6th Congressional District. But he is a terrible choice as speaker for the convention. Whether we like it or not, it says to folks that Dems share ideals with Kasich. Yes, I think we should be willing to work with anyone who wants to defeat Trump, even if our only intersection is "authoritarianism bad." But he is a terrible choice as speaker for the convention. Whether we like it or not, it says to folks that Dems share ideals with Kasich. Shawna Roberts (@RobertsOhioD6) July 20, 2020 Good endorsement for Biden. BUT he has NO place on the stage at the DNC. Nope. Nope. Nope, tweeted Jen House, the Ohio-based chief of staff for the Young Democrats of America. When he was governor, John Kasich tried to strip workers of their rights to collectively bargain and signed around 20 bills restricting abortion care in our state. Good endorsement for Biden. BUT he has NO place on the stage at the DNC. Nope. Nope. Nope. https://t.co/QV2gzuPtNj Jen House (@jenhouse) July 20, 2020 Brianna Westbook, a DNC delegate from Arizona, tweeted she intends to organize to prevent Kasich from speaking. As a DNC delegate, I will aggressively push back and organize against letting a registered Republican that signed an abortion ban into law as governor speak at the DNC convention. CC: @TomPerez https://t.co/9GR5ZV0ZsU https://t.co/b3jFWAgW3J Brianna Westbrook (@BWestbrookAZ8) July 20, 2020 However, not everyone was opposed to Kasich speaking at the convention. Who else thinks its a great thing that Kasich is putting country over party and speaking at the DNC? wrote Lindy Li, a former congressional candidate and Biden DNC delegate from Pennsylvania. Our republic is in danger! Now is not the time for purity tests. Who else thinks its a great thing that Kasich is putting country over party and speaking at the DNC? Our republic is in danger! Now is not the time for purity tests. Cc @MittRomney Lindy Li (@lindyli) July 20, 2020 Marcel McClinton, a gun violence prevention advocate and former Houston City Council candidate, expressed a similar opinion. Our mission, as Americans, is saving our country from a rising fascist regime. That means we need republicans to ditch Trump. We should want them on our side. John Kasich being invited to speak at the DNC is a good thing. The move amplifies the larger goal here. Marcel (@MarcelMcClinton) July 20, 2020 Others had mixed feelings, such as Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat: Sykes added: Heres an important article that gives some context as to why the former Ohio Republican Governor speaking at the DNC isnt being well received by all democrats. Spoiler: Black people live in the Midwest. And we vote. But were also ignored. And its a reason why Dems lose. https://t.co/CyIDGWGlP8 Emilia Sykes (@EmiliaSykesOH) July 20, 2020 Michael McGovern, communications director for Innovation Ohio, a left-leaning think tank, expressed skepticism that Kasich will actually end up with a convention slot. $10 says this Kasich speaking at the DNC thing is over by Wednesday. No way labor and repro groups let that stand Michael McGovern (@mdmcgovern) July 20, 2020 Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis, when asked Monday for the state partys stance on Kasichs DNC appearance, referred comment to the Democratic National Committee and Bidens campaign. Phone calls to the DNC and Bidens campaign werent immediately returned Monday afternoon, though they each told other media outlets they could neither confirm nor deny the report, first made by the Associated Press. Read more Ohio politics and government stories: Heres when Ohio utilities will resume service shutoffs for unpaid bills Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he certainly would not rule out statewide mask ordinance Joe Bidens presidential campaign names Toni Webb its Ohio state director As promised, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes bill decriminalizing public health orders Ohios unemployment rate in June fell to 10.9% With a 30% stake in Atlantia, the Benettons would on that basis receive a holding of just over 10% in Autostrade, nudging them into the background. Its still not clear what the financial terms of this maneuvering would be. The pricing would have to be guided by what the outside investors decide Autostrade is worth, to demonstrate its gone through a free-market process. But the government is imposing a host of measures that reduce Autostrades value 3.4 billion euros ($3.9 billion) in compensation, maintenance and toll cuts, plus much harsher cancellation terms for its main motorway concession. NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In continuing its implementation of a fully comprehensive and integrated kidney care model, Dialyze Direct, the largest staff-assisted home dialysis provider in nursing facilities, announced today their strategic partnership with NANI (Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana), which is focused on improving patient care for those receiving dialysis treatments. NANI is currently the largest nephrology practice in the United States. The two groups will be working closely together on strategic initiatives designed to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. Additionally, NANI will be providing medical directors to Dialyze Direct in the Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan regions. With this, NANI professionals will be overseeing the clinical program and working closely in tandem with Dialyze Direct to ensure patients are receiving the absolute best quality experience and level of care. "We are very excited to grow our relationship with NANI. 2020 is a crucial year for dialysis patients amid our current pandemic, and at Dialyze Direct, we are committed to our patients and doing whatever we can to provide only an exceptional level of care," said Dialyze Direct's COO and co-founder, Josh Rothenberg. "With Dialyze Direct's on-site dialysis care model and our expansion into post-nursing home care and kidney care management, combined with NANI's professional clinical staff, this partnership is centered around one main goal of excellent patient care and treatment outcomes." Dialysis patients often have impaired immune systems and are at a higher risk of experiencing infection when entering conventional dialysis settings. With Dialyze Direct's on-site treatments, travel is limited for patients which is a game-changer. Dialyze Direct offers a gentler dialysis experience, making it an extremely safe practice while giving patients the ability to recover more comfortably and quickly. "We are excited to work with Dialyze Direct on this strategic initiative and look forward to the improvements in quality of care and patient outcomes that we believe will ensue from it," said NANI's CEO Brian O'Dea. "As the largest nephrology practice in the United States, we are uniquely positioned to assist Dialyze Direct in the exceptional care they deliver to residents of nursing homes and long term care facilities. We believe this partnership will serve as a critical catalyst in improving the lives of many patients within our regions." Dialyze Direct currently provides care to patients residing in New York, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. For more information on Dialyze Direct, please visit www.DialyzeDirect.com. About Dialyze Direct: Dialyze Direct is a leading kidney care innovation company, pioneering breakthrough solutions for patients suffering from kidney disease. Dialyze Direct has created a dialysis model resulting in significantly improved patient outcomes and quality of life while substantially decreasing costs for payers. With a mission to build the next generation of kidney care, Dialyze Direct works with the world's leading nephrology talent to develop new methods and technology to evolve the treatment options nephrologists have at their disposal. Dialyze Direct has launched operations in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas, and is in the process of launching operations in additional states. About NANI: NANI is the largest nephrology physician practice in the United States. Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, NANI is comprised of more than 100 providers specializing in comprehensive Nephrology related patient care. Since 1976, NANI has provided experience, innovation and reliability in kidney disease and blood pressure management. The group includes entities in Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey. NANI also operates Tower Physician Services, a management services organization. SOURCE Dialyze Direct Related Links http://www.DialyzeDirect.com The author of Room pens another, less harrowing novel about an adult and child trapped together: in this case, a retired professor who must take care of his 11-year-old great-nephew. Catholic lawyers have accused the state government of stalling the start of anti-slavery laws that would force it to confront the risk of forced labour in its own supply chains. The St Thomas More Society, a guild of Catholic lawyers and judges in NSW, has written to NSW MPs to express "dismay" about the government's two-year delay in implementing the Modern Slavery Act. Britain's first anti-slavery commissioner Kevin Hyland has also urged NSW to implement what he says is world-leading legislation. Former UK anti-slavery commissioner Kevin Hyland in Sydney earlier this year. Credit:Louise Kennerley The NSW government announced a parliamentary inquiry into the act after it was passed unanimously by Parliament in June 2018. The inquiry supported the enactment of the act by January 1 next year with some amendments including a three-yearly review. In a move to boost 'Make in India' initiative of the government, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has signed a Rs 557 crore deal with state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for procurement of 1,512 Mine Plough (MP) for Tank T-90 S/SK. "The contract has Buy and Make (Indian) categorisation with a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content in make portion of the contract," Ministry of Defence said in a notification on Monday. These mine ploughs will be fitted on T-90 Tanks of Indian Armoured Corps which will facilitate individual mobility to Tanks while negotiating mine field. Mobility of Tank Fleet will enhance manifold, which in turn would extend the reach of Armoured Formation deep into enemy territory without becoming mine causality. Also Read: Defence Ministry approves procurement of MiG-29s, Sukhois under Rs 38,900 crore plan With the induction of these 1,512 mine ploughs, planned to be completed by 2027, the combat capability of the Army will be further enhanced, the ministry said. A mine plough is a tank-mounted device designed to clear a lane through a minefield, allowing other vehicles to follow. Buried land mines are plowed up and pushed outside the tank's track path or tipped over. The T-90 Engineer Mine Plough gives a tank the ability to rapidly force a passage through mined obstacles by creating a cleared path for armoured fighting vehicles to follow. Also Read: India-China clash: Rafale jets with Meteor missiles to arrive next month Earlier this month, the Rajnath Singh-led defence acquisitions council (DAC) had approved for capital acquisition of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces. Proposals for an approximate cost of Rs 38,900 crore were approved, including acquisitions from Indian industry of Rs 31,130 crore with focus on indigenous design and development. Ahead of announcement, shares of BEML closed Monday's trade at Rs 642.05, down 1.25 per cent, on the Bombay Stock Exchange. By Chitranjan Kumar Mark Zuckerberg has lately become part of many controversies and once again he has found a way for people to keep talking about him. But, this time its due to a viral photo of the Facebook CEO that has surfaced on the internet. The 36-year-old can be seen surfing around in Hawaii and took the saying never go out without a sunscreen way too seriously. In the picture he can be seen with a face full of sunscreen and people are now comparing him to the Joker, villain from DC Comics. The Joker reference is real for the people and they are finding similarities in that scene where the Joker surfed in a vintage Batman series. And thats not about it, people are even comparing him to a shape-shifter and even a pineapple cake. A few also were concerned about him surfing amid a pandemic and the fact that he chose to surf while there are over 3.83 million cases in the USA. So, heres what people have to say about the picture and the memes will give everyone a laugh riot- This looks eerily similar! Was trying to think of who Mark Zuckerberg surfing reminded me of & then it came to me pic.twitter.com/ybue3Prbkr Tom Reagans Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) July 19, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg out here looking like the Joker on vacation pic.twitter.com/BZai7AgLlS Carlo (@yesthatCarlo) July 20, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg really keeps looking more like Data from Star Trek. pic.twitter.com/Eqtc1uLJ9b ((Fitzy)) (@TheFknLizrdKing) July 19, 2020 No one has ever seen Mark Zuckerberg and the ghost from Spirited Away in the same room, just saying pic.twitter.com/RZ54gjcHJz Brent Peabody (@brent_peabody) July 19, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg out here trying to help Aang defeat the Fire Nation. pic.twitter.com/xWVW5f3yuF Carter (@CarterJCamann) July 19, 2020 There's a fresh career just waiting for Mark Zuckerberg. pic.twitter.com/o56fyyiLCY Ivica Milaric (@filmzadanas) July 19, 2020 Woah!Got scared for a second...Umm, okay!You cannot vacay alone, Zuckerberg. You just cant!Ooh.I am just wondering what sunscreen brand is it? Wont ever use or recommend it to anyone.LOLPeople are very mean We missed out on a lot of memes, not fair! it should be illegal for whoever took those mark zuckerberg photos not to upload every single shot they took that day Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) July 20, 2020 According to reports, Mark Zuckerberg was surfing on a $12,000 pro surfer Kai Lenny. Also, even though Hawaii has less than two thousand Coronavirus cases, this time in the middle of a pandemic isnt the best time to go out surfing. Judicial independence 'cornerstone,' says HK legal system spokesperson as UK top judge questions national security law Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/19 11:12:51 There is only one UK judge currently serving at the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, and judicial independence as well as rule of law are cornerstones of Hong Kong society, which are guaranteed by the Basic Law, a spokesperson of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) judicial system was quoted as saying in media reports on Saturday, after the UK's top judge said the UK would assess whether UK judges should serve in HKSAR courts. Robert Reed, a non-permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal from the UK, came to serve in the court in 2017, according to the court's official website. He is currently president of the UK's Supreme Court. The judges include non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal from common law jurisdictions whose immense contribution to HKSAR has also been acknowledged by the HKSAR government, and this point has already been made by the Chief Justice of Court of Final Appeal on July 2, the spokesperson said. Currently, the Court of Final Appeal has 14 non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions, of whom nine are from the UK, four are from Australia and one is from Canada. "The independence of the legal system and rule of law are fundamentals of Hong Kong society, which is also protected by the Basic Law," the spokesperson said. Although the Chief Justice of Court of Final Appeal said that judges of foreign nationality will not be excluded as the national security law for Hong Kong comes into effect, some local legal experts pointed out that Hong Kong's legal system and judiciary have always adhered to the principle that conflict of interests should be avoided. Judges who have dual nationality or have made a pledge to another country are not fit to hear national security cases, according to some legal experts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A man from Guna, accused of committing a theft, was beaten and dragged on street by the locals with a piece of cloth tied around his neck on Saturday evening, the police said. An FIR has been lodged against eight unidentified people, who allegedly thrashed the man. This came two days after a Dalit couple allegedly consumed pesticide during an anti-encroachment action in Guna and another couple was beaten up by the police. Guna superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar Singh said, The second incident happened on Thursday but came to light on Saturday evening after a video of it went viral on social media. Vikas Mali, 30, a resident of Ashok Nagar is a drug addict. Earlier, he was booked under six different cases in Ashok Nagar. On Thursday, Vikas was roaming in grain market where some shopkeepers raised suspicion that he was trying to steal a packet of pesticide. They beat him up and dragged him with a piece of cloth around his neck on the street. Vikas got injured in the incident, said Singh. We are investigating whether he was stealing some thing or not but we cant allow people to take law in their hands to punish someone. We have lodged an FIR against eight unidentified people under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (using obscene words) and 506 (criminal intimidation), said Singh. The Opposition has launched an attack on the government. MP Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said, The law and order condition in MP is deteriorating due to indifference attitude of BJP-led state government. People are losing trust in law enforcement machineries. Poor people from SC/ST and OBC communities are being targeted and harassed unnecessarily. BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, Congress is unnecessarily trying to give a political angle to every incident. Swift action is being taken against miscreants and wrong doers by the state government. In an industry-first survey of the digital workplace and remote employee experience post-COVID, endpoint management leaders 1E found that enterprises are ill-equipped to support remote workers as the world shifts from office-based to anywhere-based and announces its virtual 'Work From Anywhere Conference 2020' for July 29-30 Conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, 1E unveils the findings of the industry's largest analysis of the remote employee experience and the digital workplace in 2020. In partnership with independent research agency Vanson Bourne, 1E surveyed employees across eight industries in the United States and found that enterprise IT teams are failing to deliver a positive remote employee experience. Data shows IT has more to do in order to prepare their organizations-and employees-for a work from anywhere enterprise in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. "Never before have we had this level of insight about the experience employees have with their devices-and IT generally-in the post-COVID world. In the work from anywhere enterprise, endpoint management tools are the central nervous system because the endpoint is no longer just a device. Endpoints have now become much more personal and integral to the lives of all employees, enabling them to stay connected and work. This research helps businesses understand the new digital employee experience and reimagine the traditional definition of the workplace," says 1E Founder and CEO Sumir Karayi. 46m Americans are now totally dependent on their laptop-but they're dealing with an influx of issues crippling the digital employee experience At its heart, the digital work from anywhere enterprise is about putting people first and serving their needs wherever they choose to work, but the data from 1E's latest research 'The New Digital Workplace: Employee Experiences with Universal Remote Working Since COVID' indicates that IT teams, along with over-burdened and ill-equipped service desks, are struggling to meet the needs of newly remote employees. Since the start of the pandemic, 46m people have moved from working in the office on a full-time basis to working from home full-time. That's a significant amount of people forced into new ways of working overnight and who are totally reliant on their laptop for work and communication. "IT must be able to understand and optimize the employee's world through the endpoint. But what the research shows is that the speed of change has left legacy IT tools ineffective in their management of remote endpoints and the digital employee experience. This research proves that legacy tools must be replaced with a new generation of endpoint management solutions designed to cope with the complexities of the work from anywhere enterprise; they need to be real-time, autonomic, and scalable," Karayi concludes. US employees take huge productivity hit when working remotely as 50m experience repeat IT issues-and then wait hours, days, and weeks for those issues to be resolved Almost all US knowledge workers (98%) said that device performance is critical to their ability to work remotely but 36m (53%) reported that their device performs slower outside the office and 33m (48%) flagged it as a top three issue that hinders their productivity and overall employee experience. 25m employees (37%) are also experiencing more issues working remotely, and those issues are taking much longer to resolve. 49m employees (72%) are reporting that it takes days and weeks to get issues fixed. Yet more worryingly, 50m employees (74%) experience repeat issues. But when issues are resolved, 46m employees (68%) are disrupted by the service desk, with only 21m (31%) of employees able to continue their work during the process. Shockingly, 18m employees (26%) said they couldn't work at all when an issue is being fixed. Needless to say, 50m (74% of employees) are feeling less connected than ever to their colleagues. "Too often we only ask IT about IT issues. What's refreshing about this research is that employees took part and were asked how they're coping in this new normal. The data shows how critical endpoint automation is so employees can just get their work done," says Paul Hardy, Evangelist, Chief Innovation Office, at ServiceNow. "The fact that 74% of employees are facing repeat issues proves that a lack of automation doesn't just impact the employee experience, but further burdens the service desk and holds organizations back from creating meaningful value and growth," comments Hardy. "The reality is that COVID has ripped up the enterprise IT book, and it's time to use research such as this to rewrite the norm." The work from anywhere enterprise and the remote employee experience beyond 2020 As well as the employee experience, the research has also found other issues for IT to deal with on the journey to a work from anywhere enterprise. Most damagingly, security (50m or 73% of respondents aren't concerned about their corporate device being hacked when working remotely) and software provisioning (24m or 35% of respondents don't have all the software they need to work from home effectively). Work From Anywhere Enterprise Conference 2020 In support of its latest research, 1E has also announced its virtual 'Work From Anywhere Enterprise Conference 2020' with ServiceNow, Forrester, Microsoft, NTT DATA, and Dion Hinchcliffe of Constellation Research all set to appear across July 29 30. Bringing together industry leaders in endpoint management, digital experience monitoring, and ITSM, the conference will unpick the research and help enterprises use the insights to build their work from anywhere IT strategy in 2020 and beyond. You can read the full research report here. About 1E 1E offers the only real-time remote endpoint management solution that helps IT deliver an unparalleled employee experience. Giving IT teams total control and visibility over all remote endpoints, Tachyon offers in-depth analytics to understand and improve the experience employees have with their endpoints. It delivers proactive issue identification and resolution at scale, service desk optimization with integration into ServiceNow, self-serve and self-heal capabilities, as well as real-time security and compliance monitoring and remediation. Tachyon is a vital tool in the enterprise's quest to support remote working at scale, deliver exceptional employee experiences, and transform into a truly digital workplace. www.1E.com About Vanson Bourne Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Their reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and their ability to seek the opinions of senior decision makers across technical and business functions, in all business sectors and all major markets. 1E and Vanson Bourne surveyed 300 knowledge workers in the United States across eight industries (retail, distribution, transport; financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, IT, business and professional services, and other commercial sectors) during the coronavirus pandemic. The full data of this exercise is available in your press pack. To achieve broader macro statistics, 1E and Vanson Bourne data was augmented with freely available data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics where the number of knowledge workers can be pulled from their breakdowns at 68 million. www.vansonbourne.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005032/en/ Contacts: MEDIA CONTACT Guy Little +44 7775 111 081 guy.little@1E.com Nepal's ruling communist party executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday said efforts were going on to resolve the intra-party differences and ruled out an early general convention of the party as proposed by embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The former prime minister made the remarks during his meeting with the Standing Committee members representing the former Maoist party. As many as 15 members from the 45-member powerful Standing Committee of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) attended the meeting, the Kathmandu Post reported. The meeting came on the eve of the conclave of the Standing Committee, which has been deferred seven times since June 24. On Saturday, 68-year-old Oli proposed to convene an early general convention of the party in order to resolve the intra-party rift. "Going for the general convention is not a bad idea but without proper preparations, it is not possible as various issues including the party ideology also need to be sorted out," Matrika Yadav, a Standing Committee member, quoted Prachanda as saying at the meeting. Prachanda's remarks came amid reports that he had reached an understanding with Prime Minister Oli on holding the general convention by November/December and that Oli would back him as the party chair. The Prachanda-led faction, backed by senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, until a few weeks ago had piled pressure on Oli to step down both as party chair and prime minister. The Madhav Nepal group on Sunday sought clarification from Prachanda if he had reached a deal with Oli on an early general convention and if he indeed had, why he did so without consulting his allies, the paper said. During Monday's meeting, Prachanda briefed his colleagues about the talks he had held with his co-chair, Prime Minister Oli and the secretariat of the chairmen-duo, the leaders of the former Maoist party said. Citing sources, the Rising Nepal daily said that Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' and Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekh Raj Bhatta were not present during the meeting held by Prachanda. "I am not fighting for any position. I just want to run the party through proper procedures and system," Prachanda said during the meeting, according to a senior leader of the party. Chief Whip of the ruling party and Standing Committee member Dev Gurung said that briefing of the series of meetings held between the Chairmen were done in Monday's interaction. "We recommended Chairman Prachanda to keep the party's unity intact by keeping up with the efforts put by the Chairmen to reach a consensus in a positive way," said Gurung. "Although some differences are seen within the party, efforts are being made to reach a consensus," said Gurung. "Chairman Prachanda is working for the betterment of the nation and citizens." Prachanda also assured the party leaders that he was for moving forward by resolving the problems within the party. He said efforts were going on to resolve the intra-party feud. The party on Sunday deferred the crucial meeting of its Standing Committee for the seventh time as the top leaders intensified efforts to negotiate a power-sharing deal between Oli and Prachanda. The Standing Committee's meeting was first called for June 24 after Prime Minister Oli alleged that some of the 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 Prachanda-led faction rejected the allegations, saying it is them who have asked for resignation, not India. They asked Prime Minister Oli to show evidence to support his allegation. 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. 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. As the Prachanda-led faction has demanded the Central Working Committee meeting to put pressure on Oli to step down, the Prime Minister proposed holding a general convention in November. During the informal meeting held at Prachanda's residence on Sunday morning, senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam rejected the idea of convening general convention, saying that it will not be possible to hold the general convention at this time of national crisis. The differences between the two factions, 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. Prachanda was made the executive chairman of the NCP in November last year under a deal between him and Oli. But the former prime minister was rarely given a chance to lead the party on his own, which some leaders say is one of the reasons he decided to form his own faction against Oli. Maricruz Martinez, a pre-K teacher at Vestal Elementary School, sat at a small desk. Beside her sat her daughter, who was draped in a long black covering and whose face was painted gray. The daughter represented death. This is what youre going to put me in if you decide to open up when were not ready, Martinez said, directing her message to state officials who have said they want schools to reopen for in-person instruction this fall. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Every day, Im going to walk into the classroom with death standing right next to me, waiting to take me or my children, Martinez said. On ExpressNews.com: Options for starting school year range from bad to awful for San Antonio parents, educators Her macabre simulation of a classroom sat on a trailer bed attached to a pickup. It was part of a parade of more than 30 vehicles that moved through neighborhoods of the Harlandale Independent School District on Sunday. Organized by the Harlandale Education Association, the motorcade was meant to push for greater latitude for school districts to set their own back-to-school dates based on the spread of COVID-19 in their areas. The teachers union wants students to receive remote instruction from home for as long as the coronavirus poses a threat. The association also is calling on the state to fully fund schools even if they suffer enrollment losses because of the pandemic and to waive the requirement that students take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, an annual standardized test. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor No to STAAR, 100 percent virtual and governor, our school districts need to have 100 percent funding from you, association president Julie Gimbel said before the motorcade left a parking lot at Harlandale Memorial Stadium. Taped to car windows were messages such as We love our students. No 2 STAAR, 100% online till safe return and My heart needs to be beating for me to teach. In San Antonio, COVID-19 cases have been on the upswing since June, and on Friday, the Metropolitan Health District issued an order prohibiting schools from reopening for in-person learning until Sept. 7 at the earliest. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Also Friday, the Texas Education Agency relaxed requirements for reopening amid criticism from educators, public health officials and legislators. The agency granted school districts a four-week transition period in which they can start the fall term via distance learning. Districts may apply for an additional four weeks of distance learning before bringing students back to campus. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Krista, become a subscriber. Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Chandigarh, July 20 : After Punjab, Union Territory of Chandigarh is planning to impose weekend curfews to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. UT Adviser Manoj Parida said on Monday that he had written to the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to agree to the Chandigarh proposal for such curfew in the tricity during weekends. "Weekend curfews only in Chandigarh will not be effective, unless the same is simultaneously imposed in Mohali and Panchkula," he wrote. At a high-level review meeting here, presided over by Chandigarh Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore, who is also the Governor of Punjab, the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali said that it has 184 positive cases. Chandigarh has 217 active cases. The Deputy Commissioner of Panchkula said it had 122 cases. California Congresswoman Maxine Waters appears on video posted on social media jumping out of her SUV to the aid of a black motorist who was pulled over by cops during a traffic stop in Los Angeles this weekend. The black Democrat told the person filming her that the cops had 'stopped a brother,' and that she was going to check on the situation. Waters claims that the deputies threatened her with a ticket for pulling over the way she did. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office later told DailyMail.com that the motorist had been pulled over as part of a burglary investigation. In the footage of the incident, posted on Facebook by a user named Marva Brown, Waters is seen on the side of the road explaining her actions. Scroll down for video California Congresswoman Maxine Waters appears on video (pictured) posted on social media jumping out of her SUV to the aid of a black motorist pulled over by cops during a traffic stop in Los Angeles this weekend The black Democrat told the person filming her that the cops had 'stopped a brother,' and that she was going to see what they were doing 'They stopped a brother, so I stopped to see what they were doing,' the 81-year-old lawmaker said in the footage 'They say I'm in the wrong place. They say they're going to give me a ticket,' she explained. 'That's ok, as long as I watch them,' Waters added. The person recording agrees with the congresswoman, and replies, 'Gotta do what they gotta do. Make sure.' 'I will,' said Waters as she walked away towards a female officer who watched her from nearby. Footage of the incident, posted on Facebook by a user named Marva Brown, shows Waters on the side of the road explaining her actions before going to speak with deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office who had made the traffic stop A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office told DailyMail.com that the motorist had been pulled over as part of a burglary investigation about 8.30am Friday. They said Waters initially pulled her vehicle up to the traffic stop and began 'yelling at the deputies'. The congresswoman was told she was obstructing traffic and to pull over. She was later released with a warning after she refused to sign a citation for the possible violation, the spokesperson said. The man who was pulled over was found to be in possession of a metal pipe, however, he also was released. A spokesperson for Waters was not immediately available when DailyMail.com reached out for comment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 12:47:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- There is "no so-called broad interpretation" of the national security law for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the criminal activities it bans are "very clearly defined" in it, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "I think the national security law, if we read it carefully, has six chapters and 66 articles. If you read all of them very carefully, you can see there is a very clear definition about the criminal activities the law would ban. It's very clearly defined," said Cui in an exclusive interview with Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS show, which was aired on Sunday. "There is no so-called broad interpretation. It's very clearly defined, the kind of actions, the kind of acts that will be banned by the law. So if people have no interest in getting themselves involved in such acts, they have nothing to worry about," he said. Cui noted China's guiding policy for the governance of Hong Kong is still "one country, two systems." "This has not changed. This will not change in the future. Hong Kong is now part of China. We have to defend our own country's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "This is what is meant by 'one country.'" "And within the framework of 'one country', on the basis of secure and stable 'one country,' 'two systems' can prosper in parallel, can prosper together. That's what is meant by 'one country, two systems,'" the ambassador explained. "The new law is intended just for that purpose, to maintain and safeguard 'one country, two systems,' to make Hong Kong more stable, more secure for everybody, for the Hong Kong residents as well as for foreign investors," he said, adding people could have a more predictable, safer environment to do their business in Hong Kong. "That's the real purpose of this law." "According to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, some of the national laws do apply to Hong Kong when they are concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity, unity of the country," he said. "They have to apply; otherwise, there's no 'one country.' But if people try to undermine or even destroy this very basis of 'one country,' then there is no place for the 'two systems.' So if people try to undermine 'one country,' they're actually undermining the 'two systems' as well," he said. Enditem If there were any doubt before the coronavirus pandemic, theres little now: China is not Americas ally; its not a strategic competitor; and its not an adversary. Simply put, China is an enemy. The Covid-19 outbreak, and resultant shutdown of the global supply chain, exposed the unsettling fact that America is dependent on China for many essential materials. America must deploy a practical strategy, not prioritize the eco-lefts political agenda, to eliminate the economic, health and national security risks that come with this dependence. In the wake of the pandemic, Americas reliance on China for medical supplies has been well documented. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) made the potential consequences of this reliance very clear in a March report. CRS wrote that Chinas role as a global supplier of various medical equipment means reduced production or exports from China could lead to shortages and increased costs of critical medical supplies in the United States. Early in the outbreak, the Trump Administration speculated publicly about holding China accountable for the global spread of Covid-19 and accused them of an intentional disinformation campaign. Shortly after these comments, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency stated that if China stopped medical exports, the United States would sink into the hell of a novel coronavirus epidemic. America cannot allow China this type of leverage, especially considering their readiness to use it at our expense. Unfortunately, Chinas materials dominance extends beyond the coronavirus. In a new study my group Power The Future documents Chinas virtual monopoly of rare earth elements (REEs) integral components of more than 200 products across a wide range of industries especially green energy technology like wind turbines and solar panels. The communist nation control 95% of these elements, so lets connect the dots: American leadership pushes a green agenda and American power transitions from domestic fossils to Chinese technology. Just as they did during the Covid crisis, China will gladly, aggressively exploit this position. Last year, Chinas rare earth producers explicitly stated their willingness to use Chinas dominance of the industry as a weapon in the trade war against America. Theyve done more than just threaten their adversaries, too. In 2010, after a Chinese fishing trawler collided with a Japanese coast guard ship near disputed islands, China dramatically reduced REE exports to Japan. Afterward, Japan was forced to fund ventures internationally, as well as invest in research and development domestically, to diversify its supply. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Chinas action toward Japan a wake-up call. Yet, despite America importing 80% of its REE supply from China at the time, the Obama Administration did nothing to diversify our resources. Regarding the same issue, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) stated that he was troubled that the worlds reliance on Chinese rare earth materials, in combination with Chinas apparent willingness to use this reliance for leverage in wider international affairs, poses a potential threat to American economic and national security interests. Yet, today, Markey and his activist allies seem to care little about Chinas dominance over what they hold dear: an economy powered by 100% renewable energy. Last year, the Trump Administration released a strategy to promote critical minerals development in the U.S. The plan is sensible and intended to break Americas dependence on China for REEs. Yet, sadly, the eco-left would rather allow Americas current vulnerability to China than support President Trump. The radical Sierra Club attacked the strategy as dangerous because, they claim, it comes at the cost of some of our most important landscapes. In the past few years America has liberated our energy out from under OPEC, the Saudis, and the Russians. As the worlds number one producer of oil and gas, we are not threatened by Iranian actions in the Straits of Hormuz or Islamic terrorism in the Gulf Region. This is what energy independence means. I call it energy dominance. The left used to call it no blood for oil. The reality is the same: America free from international unrest as she powers herself with domestic, abundant, inexpensive energy. Are we about to resume a position of subjugation only transposing OPEC for China? Are we going to, in the name of climate change or saving the planet put energy, the very lifeblood of our economy and existence, into the hands of communists? Biden claims we have nine years to fix climate change and promises a green future to save us. In reality green energy markets are owned and dominated by China, and if we go green we will go red. With our electric grid, our cars, our very power controlled by Xi Jinping it will be impossible for America to be energy independent again. Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs. Contact him at daniel@powerthefuture.com and follow him on Twitter @DanielTurnerPTF We've been told many times over the decades: the ever-growing population of the earth will end in a shattering overpopulation crisis of food shortages, environmental collapse and resource wars. Will COVID-19 change the picture? The pandemic has killed 600,000 people globally and is still likely in an early phase. The number of worldwide infections is accelerating. The pandemic "will have some impact" on the planet's future population, says Peter McDonald, professor of demography at Melbourne University. "But it's not the deaths, it's the births that will make the difference." How so? The number of deaths so far is equivalent to 1 per cent of the 60 million that would have been expected to die of all causes in the normal course of events. Illustration: Dionne Gain Credit: The bigger impact will come through economic uncertainty, says McDonald. "People will delay their first birth and, if a lot of people delay their first birth around the same time, you do get a bit of a jolt." Overall, in the scheme of planetary futures, though, McDonald still describes the likely effect of the pandemic as a "blip". PSEB 12th results 2020, pseb.ac.in, Punjab board class results 2020: Punjab School Educational Board (PSEB) has announced the PSEB 12th Results 2020 today. The results have been declared on the official website of the Punjab Board. PSEB 12th results 2020, pseb.ac.in, Punjab board class results 2020: Punjab Board has announced Class 12 board results today. The Punjab School Education Board, or PSEB, has shared the results on its online portal. Students can check their result by entering their roll number and date of birth. The results have been evaluated based on an alternate assessment scheme. The government of Punjab had cancelled the remaining examinations of 12th class due to the coronavirus crisis. PSEB has now released the results based on the subjects the student individually performed the best in. The government of Punjab, in a tweet, quoted the School Education Ministers words about Punjab governments decision to cancel all remaining exams of class XII. It also mentioned the Cabinet Ministers statement about PSEB declaring results according to the best-performing subjects. These results are now out on the Boards official website, pseb.ac.in. On the declaration of the result, State Education Minister Vijay Inder Minister said that the results have been declared on the basis of best performing subject formula. He added that out of the 2,86,378 students, 2,60,547 students successfully cleared the exam. The pass percentage this year is 90.98% and students belonging to rural areas have performed better than urban area students. Heres how to check PSEB 12th result 2020 online: Visit the official website of Punjab School Education Board, pseb.ac.in. Select the link for PSEB 12th Result 2020. Enter login credentials. Cross-check the details entered with your Admit Card details. Click on the Submit button. Download and Print your result for future reference. Also read: MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 released: Know how to check and alternative websites Also read: Bank of Baroda Recruitment: Check vacancies, eligibility and other details In the year 2019, the pass percentage of PSEB 12th result was 86.41 per cent. Out of the total 2,69,228 students that appeared for the exam, 2,32,639 students passed the exam. The pass percentage of urban areas was 86.94 per cent while that of rural areas was 85.73 per cent. The Board has used an alternative assessment scheme to evaluate the performance of the students for cancelled papers. Also read: UGC Guidelines 2020: Over 700 universities ready to conduct exams For all the latest Education and Jobs News, download NewsX App When the schools shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, Jerry Conner began to worry about the fate of his farm. Four Oaks Farms, a hydroponic operation in Wirtz, counted Franklin County Public Schools and Roanoke College among its customers. And the farmers markets where Conner also sells his lettuce and greens were scrambling to adapt. He estimated those two avenues make up about 80% of the farms sales. We really thought that was the end, we werent going to make it, Conner said. Theres not a large margin in farming. We didnt know what we were going to do. Initially, he said, there was a considerable amount of waste at Four Oaks Farms. But then, something shifted. People became more interested in buying local food, perhaps because of empty shelves at the big box stores or a desire to keep their dollars in the region. Four Oaks already had an online ordering system, and Conner said it took off. Then LEAP, which runs the West End and Grandin farmers markets in Roanoke, developed one of its own, offering another place for Conner to sell his lettuce and greens. I think most local farmers are going to tell you that theyre thankful in a way because of the new connections that have been made between the community and the local agriculture, Conner said. Thats not to say its been easy or inexpensive Conner said he had to spend a pile of money, not to mention time, individually bagging every item in keeping with low-touch or no-touch best practices. Agriculture is one of countless industries that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many farmers who can sell directly to consumers are weathering the pandemic well, though it often required a significant reworking of their business model. But others, like beef cattle and dairy farmers, have struggled because of issues on the processing side. Scott Sink, vice president of Virginia Farm Bureau who farms in Franklin and Montgomery counties, has experienced both. His produce stand has seen increased demand, but as a beef cattle producer, Sink has observed market uncertainty and disruptions to the supply chain. He also sells hay and said some dairy customers are buying far less than they usually would, or just doing without. Sink said the pandemic has created uncertainty for everyone agriculture touches. Youve got the producer, youve got the processor and youve got the consumer, he said. Usually youll have different blips always that happen. But this is something right now thats impacting all three groups. Logistics breakdown Early on in the pandemic, shoppers couldnt always find what they needed in grocery stores, something Sink said was particularly frustrating for farmers to see. Were producing and not getting the price we should be, but then at the upper end, theyre not getting the product as well, he said. Even farmers who have diversified to protect themselves are likely hurting given how many sectors are depressed, Sink said. Those who have managed to maintain their business by selling directly to consumers are still enduring a difficult growing season. Sink said hes had to replant some things three or four times because it was so wet and cool in the spring, and now his crops are enduring a hot, dry spell. Kevin Marshall, a beef cattle farmer in Botetourt County, said prices plummeted, which might come as a surprise given the lack of beef available at grocery stores at times during the pandemic. The problem, he said, was that meatpackers across the country were shut down, meaning cattle couldnt be sold, or were sold but couldnt be slaughtered. You hold on to them until the prices do come up, Marshall said. But then it gets to a point youve got to pay bills, youve got to get rid of them. You need money. Delaying the sale of cattle will drive up input costs for the farmer he has to keep feeding and caring for the animals. Even so, thats what Marshall did earlier this spring. When the shelves cleaned out in the stores, I thought for sure they [prices] were going up, he said. But they just dropped and they stayed. Some farmers, like those selling produce at local markets, can set their own prices, Marshall said. But beef cattle farmers are not so lucky; they have to take what they can get. The demand is there, and the supply chain was really screwed up by this COVID, he said. This is even confusing to me. Its kind of like a funnel. It just backed up. Even as the supply chain stabilizes, consumers may not choose beef. When people experience financial hardship, Marshall said, theyll cross beef off their shopping lists in favor of cheaper proteins, like chicken. He expects that trend to continue with high unemployment. Its just like a drought or anything else, he said. Youve just always got to have plan A, B, C and D. When those things arise, you just plan for the worst and hope for the best. Milk woes Dairy farmers have been battling low milk prices for several years, and COVID-19 offered no reprieve. Milk prices kind of hit an all-time low, said Courtney Henderson, whose family owns Cave Hill Dairy in Botetourt County. Although there was a milk shortage in grocery stores as people stocked their refrigerators and shelves with the essentials, Henderson said, milk was not actually in short supply. She said processors couldnt meet demand. While major milk consumers like schools were shuttered, the dairy processors that serve them are designed specifically to package milk into small cartons, rather than the gallon jugs found at the grocery store. Converting the equipment to meet needs elsewhere would be too costly, she said. Henderson said some farms, though not her familys, had to dump their milk. She knows their pain, having been forced to dump milk in the past because of a refrigerator malfunction. Its very heartbreaking watching everything that you spent all day doing go down the drain just like it never happened at all, Henderson said. Henderson said government assistance programs have helped Cave Hill Dairy through the pandemic, along with insurance programs the farm participates in. Before the coronavirus, Henderson said, the sixth-generation dairy farm was in a decent financial situation. There was hope that 2020 would be a good year for the industry. Small farmers adapt Michael Wallace, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said struggling producers are starting to see some relief as restaurants reopen and the agriculture supply chain normalizes. Farmers markets were forced to adapt quickly. Rather than browsing the stalls on a lazy weekend morning, customers instead placed pre-orders online. Although that transition required great effort, Wallace said, many producers liked knowing in advance how many orders theyd need to fulfill on a given day or what theres particular demand for. Farmers who already had the infrastructure in place to sell directly to consumers were at an advantage, but Wallace said others pivoted quickly, setting up websites and using social media to get the word out about their products and how to purchase them. I think the farmers ability to really embrace that direct-to-customer relationship really kind of helped them weather the storm, Wallace said. While Susanna Thornton of Thornfield Farm in Botetourt County saw her wholesale business serving restaurants and catering companies evaporate this season, the farm share program has grown significantly. The program is essentially a membership, where customers pay a fee upfront and receive produce all season long. Thornfields farm share has a waitlist, Thornton said, even after allowing in 50% more people this year. Increased demand from individual shoppers, whether through farmers markets, the Thornfield website or the farm share program, has helped to make up for losses elsewhere. The individual sales demand has been really high, Thornton said. Even though we had to kind of redraw the business model in terms of our retail sales, the demand was there, so it was just a question of how we could get the food out there safely. When the pandemic hit, Thornton set up a new website to allow for online ordering by customers who were not part of the farm share program. Keeping track of the various ordering systems while making sure customer orders are fulfilled when and where they want has been challenging. Its just been kind of a juggling act to figure out how to redo what we used to always do, Thornton said. Changes at home Thornton said she believes more people are seeking local food for several reasons. I think that the pandemic really just kind of has helped awaken people to the importance of their food and the food source, she said. Theres also been breakdowns in the supply chain at the national level, and we dont have that same problem as a local producer. Also, people have more time and theyre cooking more and theyre at home more, or at least theyre allocating their time differently. Despite the successes, Thornton looks forward to a return to normalcy. Shes missed the community at the farmers markets, along with the farm dinners and tours that usually accompany the farm share program. In addition, Thornton had hoped to expand the flower side of the business this year, which became difficult when weddings and events were canceled. Mark Woods said he cant say that his Woods Farms in Franklin County, which offers a variety of produce such as peaches and tomatoes, was negatively affected by COVID-19. Business has been pretty good because people are going back to their local farm stand, farm market and buying their product instead of going to Kroger or Food Lion or Walmart because they dont know where its coming from and 100 people aint touching that same tomato, he said. Woods said hes seen some new faces this year. People are getting back to basics, he said, with some even asking about canning. But he was well-positioned for this time, given that he primarily serves individuals. Though some of the farmers markets he sells at opened late this year, Woods still had his farm stand in Boones Mill. He used social media to get the word out to people who might ordinarily visit him at a farmers market. Woods said he appreciates the support from customers who are keeping their dollars local. I hope that people will still come after its all said and done, he said. I feel that they will. Youre going to lose some. But I feel that we will hopefully keep them coming. The price of natural gas fell nearly 5% on Monday, as lower U.S. LNG exports threaten to exacerbate inventories, which are already significantly higher than the five-year average. The price of natural gas was just $1.636 as of 4:27pm EDT, a drop pf $0.082 or 4.77%. The EIA reported that U.S. LNG exports fell week over week for the week ending July 15, with just four vessels with a combined carrying capacity of 15 Bcf leaving the United States that week. This is the lowest volume since the end of 2016a time when the Sabine Pass LNG was the only LNG export facility in the United States, according to FX Empire. Last year at this time, natural gas deliveries to U.S. LNG export facilities were setting records, according to the EIA. This year, the pandemic is cramping the style for the cleaner fuel, and inventories are well above the five-year average, at 3.178 billion cubic feet as of July 10. That compares to the year ago levels of 2.515 Bcf, and the five-year average of 2.742 Bcf. But the low prices did little to assuage Chevrons appetite for Houston-based energy producer Noble Energy, who is embedded with natural gas in a major Israeli gas project, Leviathan. Chevrons CEO sees the near-term oil market as cloudy. The crystal ball is cloudy right now. Theres so much uncertainty on the trajectory of the pandemic, the rate of development of effective vaccines and government policy interventions to try to manage risk between here and there. Its a fluid environment. We expect choppy economic and price activity, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said in an interview with Reuters. Chevron does see long-term demand growth for natural gas, however, largely from population growth and the push to lower greenhouse gas emissions. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Haines Boroughs biomass project has been officially disbanded after the assembly voted Tuesday to return a $900,000 Alaska Energy Authority grant. The grant, which the borough secured five or six years ago, was set to expire this fall. It would have partially funded a wood chip-burning biomass boiler system to heat municipal buildings, replacing the oil that currently fuels the system. At its largest scope, the biomass project would have cost $2.5 million to build and provided heat to the school, pool, library, administration building and the schools vocational education building. The sticking point for assembly members and borough staff at Tuesdays meeting was the lack of money to complete the project. Personally, I would really have liked to see the project go ahead, public facilities director Ed Coffland said in an interview Wednesday. The biomass project offered benefits including job creation, use of local resources and potential cost savings if the price of oil increases. Coffland said he thinks the assembly would have approved the project if full funding had been available. However, the potential benefits didnt change the fact that the borough lacked money to complete the project. We needed another million and a half, Coffland said. We might have been able to get by with a little less, but we havent found prospects for finding any more money for it. The assembly voted 5-1 in favor of returning the state grant, with Stephanie Scott the sole no vote. Several members expressed reluctance to return nearly $1 million in grant money, including Brenda Josephson who cast a very disappointed yes. Renewable Energy Alaska Project STEM educator Clay Good, who has been working with the borough and Southeast Conference as project information broker, said he thinks Tuesdays vote wasnt a fully informed decision. He said, based on comments made at the meeting, it sounded like there was confusion about the cost of the project and the type of biomass fuel involved. Good said the project could have been scaled back to heat fewer buildings, reducing the start-up cost. He estimates it would have taken $400,000 beyond the Alaska Energy Authority grant to heat just the school and swimming pool. At Tuesdays meeting, some assembly members and staff referenced wood pellet boilers, which Good said are an outdated element of the project. The proposal, in its current form, would have used chipped waste wood, which is cheaper to produce than pellets. Good said the plan was to source the wood chips from Haines Junction until somebody set up production in Haines using residue from local forest harvests. During past discussions, Haines conservation groups had raised concerns about the environmental harm of biomass combustion. Good said though not ideal, using biomass technology as a heating source on a small scale, with locally sourced fuel, is preferable to burning fossil fuels. However, he acknowledged that biomass is a bridge technology, the lesser of two carbon options. Ideally, biomass technology would fill in until Haines is able to replace it with carbon-free technology like solar or wind, a process that could take at least 20 years, he said. Southeast Conference executive director Robert Venables, who has been involved with the project since his time as Haines Borough manager in the early 2000s, said he doesnt fault the assembly for its decision. These are hard times and every project has an uphill battle thats not directly related to community or economic survival, Venables said. At present, the biomass project doesnt check those boxes. He added that if the price of fuel were currently higher, it might have been a different conversation. Venables said from his experience, every community needs two things to successfully pull off a project like the Haines biomass effort: a local advocate to drive the project and a long-term energy plan based on community input. He said Haines will struggle to implement any future energy projects without a unifying policy. The next step for Haines is to get with the community and the planning commission and really decide what the energy policy should be for the community, Venables said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Azerbaijan and Armenia on Monday to exercise maximum restraint after border clashes between the long-feuding former Soviet republics. "The secretary-general is following with deep concern the current tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He calls for maximum restraint, as a full conflict between these two countries would be disastrous," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The neighbors have long been in conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway, mainly ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh. But the latest flare-ups are around the Tavush region in northeastern Armenia, some 300 km (190 miles) from the enclave. 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. International concern is heightened because of the threat to stability in a region serving as a corridor for pipelines taking oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to global markets. Search Keywords: Short link: Roshne Balasubramanian By Express News Service CHENNAI: It had been almost a month since the coronavirus made its way into Tamil Nadu. Since the mid-week of April, the state began recording cases in double digits and we, as first responders, were preparing ourselves, or at least trying, to address any crisis that may come our way. But nothing could have prepared us for this. As we stepped into the first week of May, along with a dozenodd nurses, I was busy keeping track of the patients whod come to avail of appointment-based outpatient services. Our duties were not just to check their vitals but to also maintain a neighbourhood specific register. If any patient was from a containment zone, they had to be sent for a swab test and we had to monitor their symptoms, and follow-up on the results. This was our routine day in and out. Until then, our hospital was COVID-19 free. Within a few days, the situation turned on its head. We had a series of admissions; primarily traders from in and around the Panruti region and adjoining towns few among the many infected due to the Koyambedu cluster. Soon, shift charts were prepared and we were designated roles. Being a critical care nurse, I have seen everything life, death and sometimes resurrection too. But despite the decade- long training I had, I was unusually nervous when I had to step into the corona isolation ward for the first time. After all, nurses are those who offer not just first-aid and medicines but also words of kindness, a smile, touch and a lending ear as one waits to meet the doctor. In this situation, we were tossed out of our comfort zones. The touch was out of the equation. EXPRESS LLUSTRATION The smile concealed behind our mask and face shields, and as for lending an ear, we werent allowed to spend more than a few minutes with the patients. So, I was unsure about what I was taking on. It was 6.30 pm and I was gearing up for my first shift. I quickly had a bowl of rice and vegetables, sanitised my hands, used the restroom, sanitised myself again, stepped out and wore the personal protective equipment (PPE) suit. I knew I wont be able to even sip water after getting into it. By 7 pm, it was time to give the COVID patients their dose of medicines and dinner. I packed everything, arranged it on a trolley and nervously pushed it up two floors to the ward. Within a few minutes, I was beginning to sweat and suffocate under the layers of the suit. But I took a deep breath and stepped into the isolation facility. I was scared, worried. What if I get infected? What if something dreadful happens to me? I had moved to the hospitals quarantine facility to isolate myself from my husband and six-year-old son. I was scared I wont be able to see them again. But, I became a nurse for a reason. Hailing from a small village, Vannankudikadu in Virudhachalam, I became the first generation medical professional in our family in 2006. Despite the hardships, my father encouraged me to pursue my dreams of helping people. I couldnt let him down. Soon, I brushed my worries away and began giving the medicines and food to the patients. Mostly middle-aged men, the patients were weary and weak. I remember talking to all 30 patients for a few minutes. Some turned teary-eyed. For over a week, they hadnt seen their friends or family, and I realised even short conversations worked like a balm. For the next seven days, I spent about six to seven hours wearing the PPE suit, checking in on the patients and monitoring their vitals; taking tests, serving food and medicines, and trying not to think of the uncertainties. By then, six staff members in the hospital had been affected by the virus and were admitted. They had, perhaps, contracted the infection from the fever OP ward. As nurses, we were more vulnerable than doctors, especially given how frequently we had to come in close contact with patients. Usually, between us, the food-medicine trolley and the patient, there hardly is much distance. So we had to tread carefully. In a span of two months, the hospital saw 70 positive cases. For a small-town hospital, this was a big number. I keep thanking my stars. So far, our hospital hasnt seen even one COVID death and I am grateful for it. By the end of June, the 70-odd patients who were admitted recovered while in quarantine and reunited with their kith and kin. It was truly heartwarming. Now, we are back to zero cases. For 21 days, I stayed at the quarantine facility. With no contact with the outside world except for phone calls to my husband once or twice a day, it was a challenge. I took the required tests, and only after the reports came out negative did I meet my family. The homecoming was special but unfortunately, I couldnt even hug my son. Every day, I travel about seven kilometres to reach the hospital. I separate my belongings from my familys. I ensure I take every precaution while I am at work and when I go back home. I am not scared anymore. The patients who recovered have given me hope that we will tide through this situation. Shanthi Lakshmi* is a senior nurse with 14 years of experience. She works at a government hospital in Chidambaram. (As told to Roshne Balasubramanian) *Name changed More than three months after the process of farm loan waiver disbursement was paused owing to the cash-crunch in the wake of the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the state government disbursed 5,653 crore to about 8.5 lakh farmers in the past two weeks. The remaining 5.52 lakh eligible farmers are expected to get the amount over the next couple of weeks. Including the disbursement done earlier in February and March, the total disbursement has touched 17,646 crore covering 27.38 lakh farmers. Owing to the drop in revenue receipts, two schemes announced for farmers one for those with pending loan of more than 2 lakh and another for those who pay loans regularly have been put on hold. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress announced loan waiver to farmers with pending amount of less than 2 lakh in December. The disbursal for the same began in the last week of February after verification of loan accounts. The state government identified 32.9 lakh eligible farmers for the scheme with outstanding loans worth 21,467 crore. After the disbursal of 11,993 crore to about 19 lakh eligible farmers, the scheme was put on hold after the nationwide lockdown was announced in view of Covid-19, in March. However, as revenue receipts improved in June, the scheme was resumed and 5,653 crore has been disbursed since. We are disbursing the loan waiver to all the remaining farmers so that they become eligible for fresh farm loans during the ongoing kharif season. We expect all remaining farmers to complete their authentication by visiting the local centres or banks in the next few days. The scheme has been implemented in record time after it was launched, said Abha Shukla, principal secretary, cooperation department. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed all the district collectors to complete the disbursement at the earliest. State government had, on March 6, also announced a one-time settlement scheme for farmers who have pending loans of more than 2 lakh wherein it offered to pay 2 lakh once the remaining amount was repaid by farmers. In another scheme, the government had announced an incentive of up to 50,000 for farmers who are repaying loans regularly. Deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar had announced that the government may incur 15,000 crore more for the implementation of these two schemes. However, in the wake of revenue losses, these schemes have been put on hold. The decision about their implementation is unlikely to be done anytime soon, said an official from the finance department. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For some of us, these times are rich with nostalgia. The COVID-19-induced lockdown periods and their aftermath have been heavily redolent of Australia before the great opening up that began socially in the 1970s and economically in the 1980s. Few social options, limited mobility, a focus on family, a greater reliance on providing our own entertainment, the tut-tutting from on high about acceptable behaviour and the need to toe the line these were hallmarks of the suburban environment in which I was raised in the 1960s. Does it not sound like life in the COVID-19 age? Do we really want a return to 1970s Australia? Credit:Civil Aviation Historical Society Another feature of the Australia that existed a generation or so ago was the more powerful presence of the states in our daily lives and in our imaginations. Back then, with strong tariff walls and tight regulations governing wage-setting and the financial sector, Australians were inwardly focused and identified much more strongly with the states in which they lived. The states had their own banks, separate football competitions, different beer and soft drink brands, media personalities there was very little commercial TV networking and even their own Top 40 lists of hit records. Travellers moving between Victoria and NSW were stopped at checkpoints and required to surrender all fruit and vegetables to stop the spread of the fruit fly. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 16:41:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Scientists from Israeli Ben Gurion University of the Negev say that the COVID-19 virus can be tracked in waste water and the research findings could be used as a tool to locate outbreak regions. The researchers from Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the university have been taking sewage samples since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel in March. Hala Abu Ali, a master's student for desalination and water treatment and member of the team, has been crisscrossing the country's several waste water plants in recent months. Scientists are looking for RNA, the genetic matter of the virus. "We found a correlation between... the concentration of the RNA virus with the number of the positively tested patients in each area," said Abu Ali. Waste water plants are divided into various stages of purification of the water until the water can be brought to a level that it can be used again for different purposes. Samples are taken from each purification stage. Results from the laboratory take about eight hours. According to the research team, the virus can be found in very high levels when the waste water is at its first stage, straight from the sewage pipes. As the water passes through each purification stage, the presence of the virus decreases. The Ben Gurion study is not the only one, some other researchers all over the world are trying to determine the survival of COVID-19 in waste water, sewage and drinking water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no clear conclusion yet on the matter, but it is believed that the virus can be found in human excrements. Similar studies elsewhere have demonstrated the same correlation. "The research is trying to develop a precursor method, this is good but it will not solve the problem," said Prof. Dror Avisar, director of the Water Research Center at the Tel Aviv University. The goal of many of the studies is to pinpoint outbreaks by monitoring virus levels. One of the greatest challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic is the relatively lengthy period, in which carriers of the virus remain asymptomatic and can therefore spread it amongst the population considerably. This silent transmission is baffling researchers and medical teams around the globe. "Because (the virus) can be directly detected in the feces even before the symptoms start appearing in the body...it's an early stage warning that you have...it will help us predict if the virus will come back again," Abu Ali told Xinhua. Sewage surveillance is not new. The presence of disease in waste water has been studied for decades. Just a few years ago, Israel's sewage monitoring system detected an outbreak of the polio disease which had previously been thought to have been eradicated in the country. The findings led to a concerted effort by the government to increase vaccination rates against the disease. The WHO has conducted sewage monitoring in several African countries in recent years in order to predict outbreaks of polio. According to researchers around the world, there is a list of pathogens that can be detected in sewage systems. "If the virus survives in waste water, if it is contagious directly or through animals, the waste water must be treated, otherwise we will find ourselves in an endless cycle of disease spread," Avisar told Xinhua. As Israel, like other countries, finds itself in a turbulent period between easing restrictions and needing to impose new ones as virus levels fluctuate, sewage surveillance could be an effective tool. "In the future, waste water treatment plants will be requested to give weekly or monthly samples to the Ministry of Health to be detected for coronavirus," Abu Ali said. "We can pinpoint the area where there are patients and we can follow all the safety precautions by the Ministry of Health to all the people in the area, whether to be quarantined or tested," added Abu Ali. The research could be a significant change in how governments formulate policy that allows for relative flow of the economy and routine, while living alongside the virus. The research is being conducted in cooperation with the Bio-technology department of the Ben Gurion University and with the Israeli Ministry of Health. Enditem Companies producing personal protective equipment (PPE) in China are using Uighur labour to meet growing global demand, according to a New York Times investigation. Before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, there were four companies in the Xinjiang region making PPE this had risen to 51 by the end of June, the Times report states. Xinjiang, northwest China, is home to a large population of Muslim Uighurs who have been repeatedly persecuted by the government. Human rights groups and governments around the world have recorded a series of attacks on the Uighur minority, including alleged sterilisation programmes, forced labour and re-education camps. According to the Times report, Uighur people detained in these labour camps have been placed in factories during the pandemic to make face masks and other pieces of PPE. Recommended China forces birth control on Uighurs to suppress population The report states that, of the 51 companies making PPE in Xinjiang in June, at least 17 were participating in government-sponsored labour transfer programmes, which one expert said could be identified as forced labour. The rural poor that are being put into factory work are not going by choice, Amy K. Lehr, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told the Times. These are coercive quotas that cause people to be put into factory work when they dont want to be and that could be considered forced labor under international law. The Times analysed videos, photos, government documents, satellite images and shipping data which it says directly links Uighur labour to PPE factories that are shipping supplies to the US and other countries around the world. It highlighted a Chinese government broadcast showing around 50 workers arriving at the Tianshan textile factory in Xinjiang, preparing to start their new positions. But behind this propaganda is a hidden story, about a longstanding and highly controversial government labor program that experts say often puts people to work against their will, the Times report states. We identified several Chinese companies that use Uighur labor to produce PPE, and we tracked some of their shipments to consumers in the US and around the world. Chinese policy in the long-running conflict with the Muslim minority in Xinjiang also involves mass surveillance and incarceration without trial, campaigners say. It is thought that there could be up to 1 million Uighur people detained in camps across the Xinjiang region, which has a population of around 21 million. Recommended Labour calls for sanctions on Chinese officials over Uighur repression China has repeatedly denied accusations that Uighur people are being held against their in detention centres. Officials have previously said the facilities are used to hold vocational training programmes as part of the states battle against religious extremists. On Sunday, Chinas ambassador was confronted with footage purporting to show blindfolded Uighur detainees being led on to train. He denied human rights abuses, accusing so-called western intelligence of making repeated false allegations against China when he was shown the footage by the BBCs Andrew Marr show. The Independent has contacted the Chinese Embassy in the UK for comment. They found fame in the 2018 David Attenborough documentary "Dynasties". But numbers of painted dogs in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park are at their lowest level in 10 years. Predators, poor soils, inbreeding and people with cameras could be among the reasons why. In 2010 there were around 100 painted dogs, also known as African wild dogs, in Mana Pools, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Zambezi River in the north of Zimbabwe. That number has dwindled to as few as 20, according to the Painted Dog Conservation group (PDC). Right now the population is really fragile and we don't really understand the reasons why, said Peter Blinston, executive director of PDC, which has a research team stationed in the park. One big factor may be the soil at Mana Pools: it's hard to dig unlike softer soils in Hwange National Park, where there's also a population of painted dogs. When painted dogs want to move their dens as they do when the dens become flea-riddled or when predators like lions and hyenas become too much of a threat it's much harder in Mana Pools because the dogs can't dig out new ones. In fact in Mana Pools the dogs typically return to the same dens year after year. In other parts of Zimbabwe, the animals dig new holes each denning season, which typically lasts from June-August. If the Mana dogs feel absolutely compelled to move, they have to resort to using holes already made by burrowing animals like aardvarks or porcupines. Genetic bottleneck Evidence of inbreeding has now been accurately recorded in the park for the first timea likely consequence of the drop in numbers. "There is much we do not know about the dynamics of rapidly shrinking populations and how that affects their survival and persistence," says Ellie Armstrong, a Stanford University biologist and PhD candidate who, together with other researchers, has been working with PDC to gather genetic data on wild dogs, including those in Mana Pools. "Our initial results reveal incredibly low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding. We have also detected parasites and bacterial infections in several individuals," she told RFI. "It is our hope that we can shed light on some of the driving factors affecting the wild dogs at Mana Pools before they are locally extinct." Across Africa, painted dog numbers have plummeted from a high of around 500,000 in the early 1900s to just 7,000 now. Zimbabwe's total painted dog population is estimated at just 700, including the Mana Pools population. New blood A pack of painted dogs was recently relocated there. This was done primarily to prevent the dogs eating the goats of livestock farmers in the Mpindo area, near Hwange National Park but there's also a possibility they could boost the Mana Pools gene pool. The newcomers have been kept in an acclimatisation pen at Wilderness Safaris for the past 10 months with support from Zimbabwe's national parks authority. The three adults and 16 pups are due to be released in early September. Falling populations may require a shift in behaviour by those keen on viewing the animals. We've seen in the past 10 years dogs move their den, and those have [sometimes] been in instances where there has been a lot of foot traffic from tourists, Blinston said. He could not say "100 percent" whether this was to do with human disturbance or rather harassment from hyenas and lions. But because the dogs don't move den often, safari operators know where to find them, bringing tourists close. Film crews can also be a threat because of how near they need to be to the animals. If [the dogs] are disturbed, they'll move more often. And often pups perish on that move, says Blinston. Finding a balance Zimbabwe's national parks closed to the public on 30 March as part of a coronavirus lockdown . They have since reopened. Conservation group the Zambezi Society says painted dog dens should be out of bounds, except for legitimate research, while the pups are still in them. This season is different, but in the prior couple of seasons there has been real abuse by certain tour operators, said Richard Maasdorp, the society's strategic director. I've tried to bring this to the general tour operators' attention that they're starting to lose the ambience of Mana by crowding in on animals. The PDC's Blinston says curiosity shown towards the dogs by visitors to the park should be weighed against the animals' well-being. If nobody's interested in them their future is even more bleak. So, it's finding that balance you want people to want to see the dogs, but to also be respectful. Former Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Hemaram Choudhary on Monday condemned the intemperate language used by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot against his former deputy Sachin Pilot, saying this shows that he is flustered by the turn of events in the state. Choudhary, who is one of the 18 Congress MLAs supporting Pilot in his fight against Gehlot, is a former minister and a six-time legislator from the Gudamalani constituency in Barmer. He added that Gehlot has hurt the sentiments of the people of Rajasthan with his remarks against Pilot, and must apologise for them. This is unfortunate. If he doesnt apologise, the people of Rajasthan will teach him a lesson and never forgive him for this, he said, indicating the thinking within the Pilot camp. ALSO WATCH | Rajasthan legal chess game: Gehlot vs Pilot explained in 3 simple moves A prominent Jat leader of Rajasthan, Choudhary, in turn, attacked Gehlot for history of deceiving those under whom the party had won the assembly elections. Also read: Omar Abdullah fumes after Chhattisgarh CM links his release to Sachin Pilot In the past, we have seen what happened to Parasram Maderna and CP Joshi, and this time Pilot after the Congress came to power under their leadership. They were overlooked, and Gehlot became the chief minister thrice, Choudhary said. Meanwhile, another Pilot loyalist, Vishvendra Singh, who was sacked as a state minister, accused the Rajasthan government of strangling democracy. Assembly speaker CP Joshi has issued disqualification notices to 19 Congress legislators, including Pilot. They have approached the Rajasthan high court against the move. The speaker has told the court he will not take any action on the basis of the notices until 5.30pm on Tuesday. A court verdict in the matter is expected on Tuesday. Choudhary contended the Congress came to power in the 2018 assembly elections -- when it won 99 seats in the 200-member assembly -- only because of the hard work put in by Pilot after the party was reduced to 21 seats in 2013. Also read | More concocted allegations coming: Sachin Pilot after MLAs bribe charge Reiterating that the rebel Congress legislators who are supporting Pilot will not join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said their only demand is the immediate replacement of Gehlot. He should resign. The Congress cannot fight the next elections under his leadership. No pre-poll promise or even a single point in manifesto had been fulfilled so far. We are in the Congress and how can we go to the people with him as our leader and when we have given them nothing, Choudhary said. Asked why the rebel legislators were not heeding the Congress leaderships repeated demands to rejoin the family and air their grievances within the party fold, he said: In Rajasthan, there is no democracy in Congress party. It has become Ashok Gehlots Congress. And the Congress leadership has shut doors on us by sending the disqualification notices to us. So, what do we do? Choudhary also said the audio tapes that were leaked on social media -- they purportedly indicate a plot to bring down the Congress government in the state -- were fabricated to malign the Pilot loyalists. We have not done anything wrong and are not scared of any threats. We have not done anything against the party and our only demand is to change the leadership in Rajasthan. I want to tell all that we will definitely emerge victorious, Vishvendra Singh said. The Pilot camp also released a video of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and current Congress legislator Giriraj Singh Malinga, who on Monday alleged that Pilot had offered him money to join the BJP. In the video, Malinga was seen refuting claims that he was offered money during the June 19 Rajya Sabha elections. At that time, Malinga had dismissed media reports that he was offered to vote against the party candidate in the polls. The Congress won two Rajya Sabha seats while the BJP bagged one. By Express News Service Attahasa director AMR Ramesh is coming up with 10 one-hour episodes, which will star Kishore as Veerappan, besides local artistes as well as actors from Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu cinema; the digital series will be out in four Indian languages At his last announcement, director AMR Ramesh was working on a web series titled LTTE, which was backed by actor-producer, Rana Daggubatti. Now, he put this project on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, on hold. Instead, the director of Cyanide, Attahasa, and Police Quarters, is currently working on making a web series on Veerappan - Hunger for Killing. The 10-episode webseries will be made under AMR Pictures. The story written by director Ramesh has him taking productional responsibility along with Indumathi. Veerappan will have music composed by Vijai Shankar with two DOPS -- Vijay Milton and Vaidy S handling the cinematography. The curtain-raiser, which will be out on July 23, will reveal a few details. Ahead of that, Ramesh tells CE that he is getting ready to shoot for this series from August 10. The curtain raiser is more or less like a trailer. The shoot will be a 60-day schedule canned in Bengaluru and forests of Karnataka. The team will follow government orders, and we are taking safety measures, travelling with a limited crew, says Ramesh. As preparation for the shoot begins, Ramesh has been holding meetings with Kishore who plays the role of Veerappan along with crew. Along with Kishore, the actors who worked in Attahasa, including Ravi Kale, Sampath, Raai Laxmi, Viayalakshmi, Suchendra Prasad, will be joining the first 30-days schedule. In the meantime, I am in talks with a handful of well-known faces from Hindi, Tamil and Telugu industries, and the cast details will be revealed once theyve signed on the dotted line. The web series will also see Arjun Sarja, who had played the role of cop K Vijay Kumar in Attahasa. We have some unused episodes of the actor, from the film, which will come handy for the web series. We will approach Arjun Sarja in case we need more scenes to be shot, he says. Considering that the story of Veerappan has been attempted by a few directors, including himself, with Attahasa, is it necessary to tell another story of the forest brigand? Veerappan, as a film was only two-and-a-half hours, but that was highly compressed. Now, the story will be shot for 10 hours. In the earlier one, I could not present the deeper facts and couldnt do justice as there was a lot of pressure from the censor board and government. However, with the web series, there are no restrictions, says Ramesh, who adds that he also pushed himself to make the web series after watching Ram Gopal Varmas Killing Veerappan. I felt RGV didnt say anything in Killing Veerappan. When he doesnt have guts to use real names, real places, what is the point of basing it on a real-life subject? At least I had real names in my directorial. I also couldnt say everything I wanted to in Attahasa because of a lot of pressure. When the facts are already out in public domain, why dont filmmakers have the liberty of showing it on screen?, he questions. According to the director, the web series is a big platform, which will enable him to explore deeper into Veerappans life. I am making this assurance after watching different web series, including Aarya, Family Man, Paatal Lok, Mirzapur, and Sacred Games. I can confidently say that we have the best content in India, he says. While Attahasa explored the atrocities of Veerappan and his encounter with the police, Ramesh explains that the only one that could be highlighted was the story of police officer Vijaykumar. However, the web series will bring stories of Shanker Bidari, Kempaiah, Harshavardhan Raju, Jyothi Prakash Mirji, Madhukar Shetty, along with IPS officers Ravindra Prasad, Harishekaran , Ramkrishna Prasad, Bava, BB Ashok Kumar, Prabhkar Barki, Soudhagar, Nagaraj, BK Shivram, and others who encountered Veerappan in different situations, he says. Interestingly, this web series on Veerappan will be a show reel for his upcoming web series LTTE. We will be showcasing the Veerappan webseries, to the international market, and for people to sample our work before I begin the next web series LTTE. The latter will be a 100-episode series, which is the plan at the moment, he says. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, who are the most admired people in America? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 05:21:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called wearing masks "patriotic," seemingly endorsing the practice after an interview aired just the previous day in which he denied the effectiveness of doing so in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Trump in his tweet didn't explicitly say he would don masks from now on, but said "many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!" Along with the words, the president posted a picture of himself wearing a mask while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on July 11, the first time he wore a mask in full view of the press since the pandemic reached the United States. He was spotted wearing one behind the scene at a Ford plant in Michigan in May. Having resisted wearing a mask in the past, Trump has until recently denied the effectiveness of masks in curtailing the spread of the virus. "I don't agree with the statement that if everyone wore a mask, everything disappears," he said in an interview with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace aired Sunday, confirming that he won't issue a national mask mandate. The Monday tweet came as the confirmed cases in the United States surpassed 3.8 million and death toll topped 140,800, according to an update by Johns Hopkins University on Monday afternoon. Both of the figures are the world's largest, leading those of other nations by wide margins. Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters that he would resume the daily coronavirus briefings at the White House, possibly as soon as 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. "I think it's a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with the vaccine, with the therapeutics, and generally speaking where we are," Trump said. "So I think we'll start that, probably starting tomorrow." Trump appeared at the briefings featuring the White House Coronavirus Task Force almost daily between March and April, before the gatherings at the White House West Wing came to a sudden halt. Vice President Mike Pence and other task force members held the media sessions a few times during the past month when cases spiked sharply in the country. Enditem President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Haroutyunyan today introduced the personnel of the Ministry of Health to newly appointed minister Ararat Ohanjanyan. The head of state thanked Arayik Baghryan for managing the healthcare sector effectively and wished Ohanjanyan success, especially since he is assuming office during the coronavirus pandemic. Once again, Haroutyunyan stressed that having a free and quality healthcare system in Artsakh is one of the primary principles in the Presidents political platform and added that it is necessary to rule out all phenomena of corruption. Haroutyunyan assured that the process will be carried out under the supervision of the National Security Service and those who dont follow instructions will be held strictly responsible. The head of state also stated that ensuring social guarantees for medical workers is one of the key objectives of the governments policy and, in this context, the increase of their salaries is noteworthy. The must-watch TV of the moment is local news. As the spread of the coronavirus and fervent anti-racism demonstrations play out differently in cities, counties, and states across the country, Americans are relying on their local stations to broadcast essential information. The unfolding crisis has shown local news outlets to be indispensablejust as it has threatened their survival. This spring, viewership soared while earnings plummeted. Here you have more people consuming local news than at any time in recent history, says Steve Passwaiter, a vice president and general manager at Kantar, a consultancy firm. And whats happening? We cant find advertisers that want to take advantage of it. Ad revenue for local TV companies has dropped as much as 40 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. A poll taken in March by RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University found that 76 percent of local television stations were worried about losing business due to the coronavirus crisis. For Nexstar Media Group, the largest local TV news company in the United States, the spring brought surges in viewership and declines in revenue to match the rest of the industry. Perry Sook, Nexstars CEO, isnt as worried as youd think, though. The network has built its brand on promising to deliver high-quality local TV, and the means by which it proposes to do thataggressive consolidationbuffers against a troubling future. Today, after years of consolidation, Nexstar owns or operates 196 local TV stations in 114 markets across the United States, more than any other company. Sook has declared that Nexstar has the largest news gathering organization in the country, and staff at the corporate headquarters, in Irving, Texas, refer to their vast network as the Nexstar Nation. To journalists, this may not sound like a promising replacement for a robust economy of independently owned local stations. Even so, Nexstar doesnt fit neatly into popular story lines about media barons destroying local journalism. Unlike its conservative rival Sinclair Broadcast Group, which made headlines in 2018 for requiring anchors to read identical scripts, Nexstar doesnt broadcast synchronized or partisan content. And in contrast to the private equity firms that have gutted local print newsrooms nationwide, Nexstars corporate management largely comprises veterans of local broadcasting. Those distinctions, and Nexstars enormous reach across the country, make the company a unique bellwether of whether consolidation can be in the public interest. ICYMI: Campaign organizers say Facebook boycott will continue Sign up for CJR 's daily email The local TV news industry has changed rapidly in the past decade. Starting about fifteen years ago, a handful of companies including Nexstar, Sinclair, Tegna, and Gray Television competed to buy up independent stations and media companies. The vast majority of local TV stations nationwide are now owned by one of those big broadcasters. Sook founded Nexstar in 1996, when he purchased WYOU in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The company went public in 2003, after its first big acquisition. In 2017, Nexstar acquired Media General, which ran local newspapers and television stations, for $4.6 billion. Then, late last year, Nexstar finalized an acquisition of Tribune Media for $7.2 billion, a figure that includes the assumption of Tribunes debt. The deal sealed the companys dominance over Sinclair, which had tried to purchase Tribune in 2018 but failed to get support from the FCC. On paper, Nexstar stations reach 38 percent of American households that own a TV, just below the maximum allowed by market caps designed to prevent monopolies. In 2017, though, the FCC reopened an outdated loophole that in effect allows companies to control stations beyond the market cap, paving the way for accelerated consolidation. In reality, Nexstar says, its stations reach 63 percent of American households, well surpassing the cap. Now that the economy is in free fall, the near-monopoly status of Nexstar and Sinclair means that their stations will have a better chance of surviving. As of June, amid major layoffs across the media industry, the two companies hadnt reported furloughing or laying off any employees. The company can continue to boast that it serves the public good by keeping local news afloat; in its FCC application to acquire Tribune, Nexstar had argued that the consolidation would result in more airtime for local news and was therefore in the public interest. Of course, consolidation is in Nexstars interest, too. Much of the reason news companies seek to buy up stations is to increase revenue from retransmission fees: charges to cable and satellite companies for permission to air local content. Broadcasters that control a large share of the market have an advantage when negotiating with cable companies and are able to raise their fees, which customers absorb through increased cable rates. Retransmission fees now account for roughly half of Nexstars total revenueand the majority of these agreements are locked down until 2022, so this revenue is expected to remain steady or even increase. In January, before the pandemic hit, Nexstars stock price had nearly doubled from two years prior. Sook seems to have anticipated this; in 2019 he requested, and was denied, a bonus of $41.4 million in future stock options. (In 2019, Sooks compensation was worth $16.4 million, while the median salary of Nexstars thirteen thousand employees was $43,537.) This year, Nexstar can also count on election ad spending, which is a key component of nearly every television companys revenue. In 2018, a high-stakes midterm year, political advertising accounted for roughly 19 percent of Nexstars total $1.3 billion in ad revenue, in large part because the company owns stations in swing districts and states across the country. Now, without the usual in-person strategiesrallies, events, door-to-door canvassingand with reduced expenses, campaigns may allocate more funds to television. Earlier this year, Sook said that Nexstar was already taking in more revenue from political spending than ever before. Nexstars enormous reach across the country makes it a unique bellwether of whether consolidation can be in the public interest. Nexstar requires its stations to generate local content but otherwise gives them wide leeway. After Nexstar acquired WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2017, as part of its acquisition of Media General, the news team was encouraged to lead every newscast with a local story. That had been the longtime practice, staff told me when I visited the station last December. Their bread and butter is traffic and weather. They cover community events. Nicole Warren, the assistant news director, told me the team ask themselves questions like, How do we give a mother everything she needs to know before she gets out the door? For major stories, they do breaking news. WTNH produces local shows including Whats Right with Schools, Stretch Your Dollar, and CT Style, which features local businesses that have paid the station to appear. On Sunday mornings, the station airs Capitol Report, a half-hour roundtable conversation with Republican and Democratic public figures about hot topics being debated in Hartford. When I asked about accountability reporting, Rich Graziano, the general manager, told me that investigating government institutions is not his main priority for WTNH. The station has covered such stories, like the FBIs 2019 investigation of corruption in the administration of New Haven mayor Toni Harp, when they first surfaced in other outlets. Im not so focused on being first, Graziano said. One of his primary roles, as he sees it, is to help local businesses grow: We are in an advertising-based business, and we try to come up with different marketing solutions for our partners. WTNH staff described problems long familiar to local journalists across the country: too few reporters and too-quick turnarounds. Despite Nexstars claims that its consolidation is helping high-quality local news flourish, its stations are essentially left to face the same market pressures as any other. Those pressures can limit journalists ambition in deciding what to cover. The station airs eleven hours of local newscasts every weekday, starting at 4am and ending at 11:30pm. Thats a staggering amount of airtime, and it reveals a contradiction at the heart of the mandate to produce original local programming every day. Jon Rosen, the executive producer, explained: Due to, I think, the amount of people on staff that we have and having to fill so much news time, I think theres a challenge for us to constantly be coming up with original and new story ideas. WTNH staff aim for coverage that resonates, but out of necessity they also end up running items like the hack of a mans home security camera or the umpteenth update on the murder of a local woman. Local TV stations tend to have a glut of crime stories, ranging from the horrific to the mundane, because a steady stream of them are always arriving through the police blotter. To break up the bleakness, they mix in stories about local acts of charity. This spring, WTNH added even more hours of news programming, likely in a move to increase revenue. But the constant pressure to deliver content keeps producers and reporters in a daily churn that does not allow them time for longer or more complicated projectsthe kind of quality coverage that benefits the public. If Nexstars general mandate to encourage localism does not explicitly incentivize station managers to embrace a muckraking ethos, in other words, its unlikely to happen. Nexstar corporate officers suggested that its impossible to generalize about the stations or their programming. Susan Tully, Nexstars senior vice president of local content development, explains, Now we own a station in market 2 [in Los Angeles] and a station in market 195 [in San Angelo, Texas]. And everything in between. And the station size, the market size, the geographic part of the nation, it is so diverse and varied that there is no one way fits all. Investigative journalism, Tully says, is important to viewers in some markets and less so in others, and it is up to station managers to gauge demand. Blake Russell, executive vice president of station operations and content development, says that Nexstar sometimes supplies local stations with more staff when they expand their news programming: It depends on the market. While Nexstars corporate management has figured out how to make the company profitableamass power in retransmission negotiationsthey are no different from newsrooms anywhere in that they havent made this kind of reporting profitable. Their promise to expand high-quality local news coverage, then, relies on something unlikely if not impossible: dozens of individual station managers deciding to go against market pressures and sink resources into projects that may, over time, jeopardize their stations. The guiding principle that Nexstar passes down to station managerscommitment to localismis amorphous and lackluster Despite its branding emphasis on local news, Nexstars banner projects are designed to share state and national stories with regional audiences. In September, its cable network WGN America (a former Tribune holding) will launch a three-hour nightly prime-time program that will compete with cable news shows. Nexstar has also invested heavily in its Washington, DC, bureaupart of an industry-wide prioritization of national figures and newswhich conducts interviews with members of Congress and sends the interviews to stations in the states they represent. Nexstar is increasingly producing content that will be aired across multiple stations in a regiona plan that has both benefits and drawbacks for the public. Some regional broadcasts, such as town halls with lawmakers that run with limited advertising breaks, are a clear public service. In other cases, producing news reports and shows that are relevant across an entire state or regionor, less often, the whole Nexstar Nationserves to reduce cost. From a programming perspective, this regional strategy could be an opportunity to fulfill an acute need. Between 2003 and 2014, newspapers lost about a third of their full-time statehouse reporters, a significant loss. Nexstar is rolling out new state bureausit now operates news bureaus in twenty state capitalswhich could fill those gaps. These new bureaus are both a service to local residents and a relatively modest investment: the Jefferson City, Missouri, bureau, for example, which opened this year, has a single full-time reporter who can reach some 2.5 million viewers in at least four Missouri markets. The opportunities to foster necessary, dynamic journalism are therethey just need proper attention. One special Nexstar project demonstrates how the company can bring high-caliber local coverage to new audiences. In the spring of 2019, Sook and Timothy Busch, Nexstars president, were visiting a Nexstar station in El Paso when they realized that Nexstars local focus, numerous stations, and nonpartisan lens meant it was uniquely positioned to produce and aggregate stories from the southern border. That night they purchased the domain name BorderReport.com, and soon afterward Sandra Sanchez and Julian Resendiz, two veteran newspaper journalists, were hired to report for the new site. The Border Report team is small. Sanchez is based in McAllen, Texas; Resendiz, in El Paso. The two cover an enormous radiusoften driving multiple hours to cover a storyand usually write between two and four pieces a day, mostly related to migration. Their stories run on the website and are also aired on Nexstar stations across the border region, from San Diego to Albuquerque to McAllen, thereby reaching larger audiences than stories for a single local paper or TV station would. They have recently gained another digital reporter and a California correspondent. Sanchez and Resendiz are able to execute their stories because of their investigative skills and due to an ingrained conception of themselves as accountability journalists. It is this experience, as much as geography, that varies across the Nexstar Nation. The guiding principle that Nexstar passes down to station managerscommitment to localismis amorphous and lackluster in contrast to the Border Report journalists clear mission. And regardless of how much an individual station manager personally values accountability reporting, in the end that manager is tasked with keeping the station profitable, which means running more hours of news programming with a lean staff, making it much more difficult for a reporter to spend two months setting up a necessary interview with a government official. What the FCC proceedings showed without a doubt, however, were the hard limits of a media conglomerates ability to truly serve the public interest. At the same time that Nexstar has promoted itself as working in the public interest, it has also advocated that the federal government further loosen restrictions for media conglomerates. The company runs a corporate political action committee that has donated to dozens of congressional Democrats and Republicans across the ideological map. Several recipients of Nexstar donations, including Sens. John Thune, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar, and Ted Cruz, sit on the Senate subcommittee tasked with overseeing the FCC. Nexstar has also hired lobbyists to exert influence in Congress and at the FCC while simultaneously expanding its DC bureau, where its news staff covers Congress. When I asked Gary Weitman, Nexstars chief communication officer, whether Nexstars political activity presented a potential conflict of interest, he responded, The pac is there because Nexstar is in a regulated industry and there are a number of issues that its important to be heard on, and thats what the pac enables us to do. I dont see that as a conflict. In 2019, when Nexstar was seeking FCC permission to acquire Tribune, public interest groups including Common Cause filed a petition arguing that the merger would give Nexstar monopoly-like control, enabling it to keep raising retransmission fees. They argued that the merger would diminish local news because Nexstar lays off employees at some stations it acquires and relies too much on pumping content from its regional hubs. The criticisms have merit, but the picture is complicated: although Nexstars coverage is uneven, many of its stations nationwide do provide substantive local news. What the FCC proceedings showed without a doubt, however, were the hard limits of a media conglomerates ability to truly serve the public interest. In response to the petition, Nexstars and Tribunes attorneys argued that the public interest groups did not have standing to petition, a common legal argument. The FCC agreed, and in their final decision allowing the merger they went a step further and enshrined a new policy that restricts public opposition to future mergers. In a dissenting opinion, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called the new policy bureaucratic and cruel. She wrote, It perversely means that the public will have fewer opportunities to comment on the use of the public airwaves. As the political implications of the coronavirus crisis evolve in the coming weeks and months, in-depth local reporting will only become more urgent. State and local officials will confront profound dilemmas as they attempt to manage rampant unemployment, food insecurity, and pending evictions, all while facing unprecedented budget cuts. Officials will need to respond to the outpouring of grief and anger over state violence against Black Americans. The ideal figures to hold those officials to account are local journalists familiar with state budgets, local lawmakers, and the unique contours of their communities. Nexstar may well stay the course, or even thrive, but the public will need more than a broadcast of a governors press conference to understand how, why, and at whose behest elected officials are making decisions. We will see Nexstars dual purposesserving the public and expanding to maximize profitscontinue to be at odds. FROM THE MAGAZINE: Coping with the inundation of news online Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Meaghan Winter is a freelance magazine writer and author of the book All Politics is Local, forthcoming this October. Hong Kong: Patrick Nip visits monitoring centre Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip today visited the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer's monitoring centre at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point to give encouragement to officers participating in anti-epidemic work. Mr Nip was briefed on the use of the multi-tech approach in monitoring people under home quarantine. The approach includes the use of electronic wristbands and the StayHomeSafe mobile app, coupled with geo-fencing technology, artificial intelligence and big data analytics technologies to ascertain the concerned people are staying at their dwelling places. The civil service chief also spoke to officers on duty at the centre to learn more about their work, including how they support people under home quarantine to activate and use the StayHomeSafe mobile app, and how they handle their enquiries on home quarantine. Mr Nip was pleased to know that some serving and retired civil servants are also helping out at the centre as volunteers, with the serving civil servants vounteering after their own work to help fight the epidemic. He said the Government has all along been closely monitoring the epidemic situation in order to respond promptly. In view of the severity of the local epidemic situation, the Government needs to take further measures to significantly reduce the flow of people and social contact to stop COVID-19 from further spreading in the community, Mr Nip added. The Government has suspended non-emergency and non-essential services starting from today to enable officers to work from home, tentatively for one week. It will closely monitor the epidemic situation and review the arrangement in due course. Mr Nip said under the special work arrangement, many officers still have to work as usual to provide emergency and essential public services, including officers from the disciplined services as well as other frontline officers involved in anti-epidemic work from various departments. He thanked them for their dedication to duty and hard work amid the epidemic. This story has been published on: 2020-07-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. To protest censorship during the COVID-19 outbreak, a Chinese artist known as Brother Nut kept his mouth shut for 30 days, using metal clasps, gloves, duct tape and other items. In the project - #shutupfor30days - he also sealed his mouth with packing tape with 404, the error code for a webpage not found, written across it, a nod to the blocking of online content that is common in China for sensitive issues. If you ask me how an artist should digest unfair treatment, such as violence or censorship, my first reaction is: keep fighting, with art, said Brother Nut. Brother Nut, Chinese performance artist with taped mouth poses for a picture in Shanghai, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China July 13, 2020. (REUTERS) The 39-year-old artist has built a reputation for statement-making projects in a country where the room for dissent has shrunk and censorship has intensified under President Xi Jinping. China faced a barrage of criticism over the virus that emerged late last year in Wuhan, from being slow to sound the alarm to the treatment of a doctor who tried to alert authorities about the outbreak but was reprimanded by police for spreading rumours. The doctor, Li Wenliang, became a symbol of the outbreak in China and later died from coronavirus. Brother Nut, Chinese performance artist wearing a face mask poses for a picture in Shanghai, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China July 13, 2020. (REUTERS) Sometimes I feel my job is similar to that of an NGO or a journalist - seeking to raise awareness of social issues and the moves to counter them, said the soft-spoken, long-haired artist during an interview at a cafe in Shanghais M50 art district. Brother Nuts previous performances include tugging a battery-powered vacuum cleaner around Beijing and creating a solid brick from polluted air. In 2018, he invited a heavy metal band to play in a village polluted with heavy metals, prompting local environmental authorities to investigate the contamination. Brother Nut, Chinese performance artist, poses for a picture in Shanghai, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China July 13, 2020. (REUTERS) To speak up for investors who lost their savings in a financial scam, Brother Nut staged a torch relay dubbed Good Luck Beijing, which in Chinese sounds similar to Beijing Olympics. He was later detained for 10 days by police. Threats and calls from police are commonplace, which he said makes him angry, rather than fearful, although he does not want his real name to be published. Brother Nut, Chinese performance artist with three metallic clips sealing his mouth, poses for a picture in Shanghai, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China July 13, 2020. (REUTERS) Brother Nut acknowledged that during last months project to maintain silence, he sometimes spoke to himself while eating. We need expressions of art whenever and wherever. Theyre like flowers growing in cracks, and allow us to dance in the most desperate time, he said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jason Falovo joins the Cradlepoint team as vice president and general manager of Canada sales with more than 20 years of experience BOISE, Idaho, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cradlepoint , the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G Ready wireless network edge solutions, today announced that Jason Falovo joined its team as area vice president and general manager of the Canadian region. Falovo brings an extensive IT and networking sales background that spans more than 20 years. Falovo comes to Cradlepoint from Cisco Meraki, where he joined in 2012 as the regional sales manager of Canada East and its first employee in Canada, just before it was acquired by Cisco. Falovo worked his way up to sales director of Canada for Cisco Meraki, where he was responsible for all revenue across Canada and grew the business to more than $100 million annually. At Cradlepoint, Falovo is tasked with growing the Canadian market for Cradlepoints portfolio of branch, mobile and IoT wireless edge solutions and enabling the transition to wireless Wide-area Network (WAN) within enterprise and service providers driven by advanced LTE and 5G cellular services. He will be responsible for all carriers, partners and customers relationships within the region. I am thrilled to join Cradlepoint and help organizations transform their connectivity across Canada through wireless for branch, mobile and IoT, said Falovo. Cradlepoint is leading the way in Gigabit-Class LTE and 5G technology, and I see great opportunity to continue growing its successful Canadian business even more. During and coming out of COVID, LTE and 5G usage has accelerated across the country and will continue to become more strategic to Canadian organizations as all the major carriers have recently launched 5G in Canada. Falovos appointment supports Cradlepoints growth in Canada in recent years. Cradlepoints sales in Canada grew 73 percent in 2019 as the market increasingly adopts LTE as part of their WAN infrastructures and the regions 5G footprint continues to expand. Story continues Additionally, Cradlepoint signed on several significant customers and partners in recent months. The City of Winnipeg chose Cradlepoint for wireless connectivity for transit, and the City of Hamilton is also using Cradlepoint technology to connect cameras on 260 city buses and using WiFi as WAN to download data from the cameras. Radiant Communications, a managed service provider for enterprises in Canada, is deploying Cradlepoint as a network failover solution to ensure its customers do not experience interruptions to their business activities. Together with our initial team and some great reseller and mobile operator partners, Cradlepoint has grown Canadian region measurably over the last year, said Mark Pugerude, chief sales officer at Cradlepoint. We are excited to have Jason onboard to build on this momentum. His track record of market development at growth at Cisco Meraki speaks for itself, and we know his right leadership, fortitude and experience to do it all again as we enter the next phase of WAN transformation from software-defined to wireless-driven. About Cradlepoint Cradlepoint is a global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions for branch, mobile, and IoT networks. Cradlepoint NetCloud and purpose-built endpoints make the Elastic Edge a reality, enabling a secure, software-defined, and wireless WAN edge that connects people, places, and things over LTE and 5G cellular networks. More than 20,000 enterprise and government organizations around the world including 75 percent of the world's top retailers, 50 percent of the Fortune 100, and first responder agencies in 25 of the largest US cities rely on Cradlepoint to keep fixed and mobile sites, points of commerce, remote workforces, vehicles, and IoT devices connected and protected. Major service providers use Cradlepoint solutions as the foundation for innovative managed services. Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a development center in Silicon Valley and international offices in the UK and Australia. Learn more at cradlepoint.com or follow us on Twitter @cradlepoint. Contact Holly Langbein Highwire PR cradlepoint@highwirepr.com 916-769-2199 Opponents of Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita erected barricades in the capital Bamako on Monday, after international mediators failed to resolve a weeks-long political crisis that has shaken the West African country. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States ended a mediation mission in Mali on Sunday with a list of reform proposals. But the opposition spurned the proposals as they did not address its main demand -- that Keita resign. The president and the opposition June 5 Movement have for weeks been locked in a political standoff, which spiralled into violent clashes earlier this month, leaving 11 dead. But the uncertain conclusion of the mediation has left the path to exiting Mali's impasse uncertain. On Monday, many Malians were waiting for a reaction from the president and opposition leaders, who have not yet spoken on the issue. In outlying suburbs of Bamako, some protesters erected barricades and burned tyres, AFP journalists saw. But otherwise life in the city continued as usual, albeit with an increased police presence along Bamako's main arteries and bridges crossing the Niger river. Keita has been in power since 2013. The June 5 Movement has been tapping into deep-seated frustrations over the 75-year-old president's perceived failures in tackling the dire economy, corruption and the country's eight-year-long jihadist conflict. Many Malians are also incensed at the outcome of long-delayed parliamentary elections in March and April that handed victory to Keita's party. The opposition staged two anti-Keita protests last month and one on July 10, which turned violent after protesters stormed the premises of a state broadcaster, blocked bridges and attacked the parliament. Three days of clashes between protesters and security forces followed, leaving 11 dead and 158 injured, according to an official tally, in the bloodiest bout of political unrest in years. ECOWAS mediators on Sunday suggested forming a new unity government and appointing new judges to Mali's constitutional court, who could potentially re-examine disputed election results. However the June 5 Movement had earlier rejected any outcome that does not include Keita's departure. West African mediators said that they would set up a technical committee to oversee their recommendations, suggesting that talks between the two parties may continue. Summer in Canada has brought fewer new COVID-19 infections and an economy that is slowly reopening. But even as many Canadians are breathing a collective sigh of relief, health-care leaders are preparing for a winter unlike any that has come before. Every winter is difficult for hospitals in Canada, which are often over-full and under-resourced. But this year, a potential surge of COVID-19 cases could put further stress on an already stretched system. Better publicly funded homecare needs to be part of our strategy to prepare for what may be our worst winter yet. Weve known for a long time that homecare needs to be improved. In Ontario alone, there have been several expert reports in the last few years calling for homecare reforms and two successive governments have made changes to homecare governance. Yet, problems remain. In 2018, I led a study asking patients and caregivers from across Ontario about the challenges they faced when transitioning from hospital to home. Again and again, the same answer came up: patients just simply dont get enough homecare to meet their needs. Improving homecare was the top priority for people with different backgrounds and from different regions of Ontario men and women, patients and caregivers, kids and adults, those living in rural and urban areas, those living alone and those not, those with disabilities and those without, and those with many admissions to hospital and those with just a few. People shared their stories with us. A frail 90-year old woman being offered limited hours to help her stay in her own apartment. A middle-aged woman having to fight to get the services she needed. A loved one not having enough care to support both the morning and bedtime routines. A wife reporting frequent no-shows without any warning. A son reporting his father received homecare a week after being discharged instead of 24 hours as promised. Many comments were related to not having enough hours of support from personal support workers, but patients and caregivers also spoke about gaps in nursing, palliative care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Some mentioned they were lucky to be able to pay privately for some of these services but wondered about those who couldnt afford to do so. These challenges with homecare predate COVID-19. But things have only gotten worse. Anecdotally, wait times are longer, service is less consistent, and hours are still inadequate. At the same time, helping people stay safely at home has never been more important. Canada will need strong public health measures to avoid an increase in deaths from a second wave of COVID-19. That means smart testing, rapid contact tracing, instructions to isolate, and effective support to do so. Hopefully these measures will keep the COVID-19 numbers down. But if there is a surge, we need to ensure our hospitals have the capacity to support sick patients. That means keeping people out of hospitals whenever possible. High-quality homecare can help people transition more quickly and smoothly from hospital to home. It can help avoid potential readmissions but also reduce the number of admissions in the first place, keeping our hospital capacity open for potential COVID-19 cases. Better publicly funded homecare can also delay or avoid a transition to long-term care. Long-term care homes had high mortality rates from COVID-19 in the first wave and there are worries about what a second wave would bring. Even if someone wanted to enter a long-term care home, new rules meant to minimize spread of infection will also mean longer waits. Notably, our engagement with patients and caregivers found that improving publicly funded homecare was a top priority also for people living in long-term care. Its time to put into place recommendations from past reports calling for better homecare we need better funding for homecare, standards outlining the amount of care that is consistent across jurisdictions, and better integration with other sectors including hospitals and primary care. Improving publicly funded homecare will help us keep many of the Canadians most at-risk of COVID-19 complications safely at home out of hospital and high-risk congregate settings protecting them and opening hospital capacity for others. Theyll be better off but so will all of us. Read next: Businesses missing the mark on risk assessments - Gallagher Murray was instrumental in the creation of Gallaghers Five Steps to Return to the Workplace guide, which provides high-level, generalised ideas that firms may want to consider as they move through the process of reopening. The guide acknowledges that for many firms, if not all, this is an unprecedented situation in which the connection between organisational well-being and risk management has never been more apparent or important. One of the first things we talk to our clients about as they consider re-opening is their team, and the importance of bringing all key stakeholders together, Murray told Insurance Business. Thats what weve done here at Gallagher. Weve brought our collective resources together so that we have the right people around the table to share their insight to help solve this problem collectively. We believe that our clients are best suited to do the same, which means bringing together the business owners, executives, management, human resources, finance, safety, risk management, and so on, so that they can make a decision thats right for their business. Gallaghers five-step plan is broken down into: 1) determining eligibility to re-open; 2) implementing policies and procedures by role and function; 3) implementing facilities policies; 4) assessing and managing operations, supply chain and third-party vendors; and 5) maintaining customer and public relationships. Back to Murrays point about bringing key stakeholders together, a lot of the plan revolves around good communication. Everything that businesses do in preparation for re-opening whether thats clarifying legal obligations with lawyers and local regulators; building new employment practice guides; disinfecting facilities and re-tooling machinery; and reviewing contracts with third-party vendors it must all be affirmed with clear and concise communication. Read more: Gallagher extends risk management partnership in the UK The best approach were able to articulate to our clients is to follow the advice of the various jurisdictions, regulatory boards and authorities [that are issuing mandates and guidance], and then to bring together all key stakeholders [internally, as well as from Gallagher and other third-parties] to produce a comprehensive business continuity plan, said Murray. Once businesses have that comprehensive plan, they need to implement it and train their employees around it until they feel comfortable that theyre doing the right thing. Thats the goal right now to reopen, to make sure everybodys safe, and to have a plan on how to move forward. But that plan has to be flexible. Companies have to recognise that the path forward will not be a straight line. The plan needs to solicit feedback from the various stakeholders (customers, public, employees and so on) and companies have to be prepared to adjust the plan in real-time to manage for potential claims that may come down the pipeline. Right now, the top priority should be having a comprehensive business continuity plan, with the right parties involved and ready to adjust that plan in real-time if necessary. While COVID-19 has been very challenging, Murray and his peers have been able to see the opportunity in shifting the conversation into lessons learned through the recovery process. He commented: It all comes down to continuity of operations, supply chain management, and once again, having the right conversations and communication with key stakeholders. Its exciting to see effective risk management in real-time, and I think thats what were seeing as we consult with our clients around business continuity. New Delhi/Tehran, July 20 : As Tehran's relationship with Washington remains fidgety, it is walking a tightrope in its bilateral relationships with the US' rival, China and ally, India. Despite the US sanctions, which has slowed down the pace of the development of the Chabahar port in Iran by India, Tehran and New Delhi on Sunday shipped Afghanistan's first transit goods to China. Afghanistan's transit cargo of dried fruit was sent from Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar to the Indian port of Mundra, where it was unloaded and then loaded on another ship for its final destination, Tianjin Port in China, Iranian media reports said. Quoting Director-General of Ports and Maritime Department of Sistan-Baluchestan province, Behrouz Aghaei, media in Tehran said: "While the world is affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar has taken a big step to facilitate trade between Central Asian countries and Afghanistan with the countries of South and Southeast Asia and the Far East by establishing regular container transportation services." In the last one month, Afghanistan sent three transit consignments to India via Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. New Delhi has invested $500 million in the Chabahar port, which connects India with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. Chabahar consists of two separate ports -- Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths. India is to build two new berths under an agreement which became operational in 2016. Since December 2018, India has handed 82 ships with 12 lakh tonnes of bulk cargo in 8,200 containers from Chabahar. The government in its last budget doubled the allocated funding for the development of the port. Iran's use of the port to send Afghan transit goods to China on Sunday came after reports in New Delhi speculatively reported that the Hassan Rouhani government has decided to exclude India from the construction project of Zahedan, a railway line linking the Chabahar port with Afghanistan because of delays from India in funding the project. The Modi government denied the reports arguing that Tehran is yet to nominate an authorised entity to finalise the technical and financial issues related to the venture. But the Rouhani government's desperation to start work on the Chabahar-Zahedan railway is influenced by the fact that it wants to return to power in the elections which are due in 2021. Though India got a waiver from the US government for the development of the Iranian port, it is not clear whether railway and other projects are exempted from the sanctions. India has already exited the Farzad-B gas field project where the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was supposed to carry out explorations. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry's Director-General for West Asia Seyed Rasoul Mousavi tweeted: "Thousands friends are few and one enemy is many. Iran is a country for lasting and strategic friendships with all who want to be friends of Iran. Of course, Iran's neighbours, India, China and Russia, are at the forefront of Iran's foreign policy." His statement seemed allaying the concerns that many had raised in New Delhi after media reports said that Iran and China are on their way to sign an ambitious strategic partnership deal focused on security and economy. The deal is the fruition of the agreement reached between the two countries when President Xi Jinping had visited Iran in 2016. Iran is a signatory to Xi's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China plans to buy oil worth $280 billion from Iran whose economy has been badly damaged by the US sanctions. Exercising its typical modus operandi to invest in the debt-trapped countries hostile to the US, China also plans to build transport and manufacturing infrastructure in Iran worth $120 billion. For its projects in Iran, China will deploy its 5,000 security personnel, like it has in Pakistan for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The problem of the overlapping of state and federal legislation on the environment goes back at least to the historic campaign to stop the Franklin Dam in Tasmania in the early 1980s. The Tasmanian state government was happy to flood the pristine wilderness but the Hawke Labor government in 1983 saved the river, which is now deservedly on the World Heritage List. Since that decisive battle, major developments, from coal mines on the Liverpool Plains of NSW to gas fields in Narrabri, have increasingly been forced to pass environmental scrutiny at both state and federal level. It is a system that can offer valuable environmental safeguards but it also involves duplication which business claims raises costs unnecessarily. The Coalition has campaigned for a decade on cutting what it calls green tape and is only more determined in the current economic downturn. An interim report released on Monday offers a plan to resolve the tension but it will be very hard to find a solution that keeps both sides happy. While the unlock phases announced by the government now see a majority of economic activities coming back to operational pace, malls across Mumbai are still refrained from restarting the operations. With no relief in the rising number of COVID-19 cases across Maharashtra, the state government is still skeptical over taking a positive decision on the re-opening of shopping malls. However, malls are pushing hard to reassure the state government that they are safe enough to restart. The Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has written to Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray urging him and the state government to take concrete steps in the urgent opening of malls in the state. Maharashtra has more than 75 malls across the state, with almost 50 percent spread across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). SCAI has hinted at jobs of 5 million people in modern retail going under the hammer if malls are not allowed to re-open soon. To do away with fear psychosis of COVID-19, shopping malls across MMR are working on the installation of safety & hygiene measures laid down under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by SCAI and the health ministry of India. Thermal Cameras at entrances for temperature scanning at Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (Image Courtsey: Management) Anuj Arora, General Manager, Oberoi Mall said, Remaining cognizant of the fact that our patrons visit the mall to shop and spend quality time with their loved ones, safety measures such as auto thermal scanning at the entrance, ensuring regular and continuous sanitization of all high contact areas and adapting to new innovative technology to provide a wholistic contactless experience will certainly boost their confidence. Precautions taken by the malls and retail stores will be the most influencing factor in a patrons decision to visit and shop. Safety and hygiene measures installation As per the SOPs set by SCAI, a maximum of only one person will be allowed in the 75 sq ft area within malls and retail stores. Once the threshold of the number of patrons inside the malls reaches the permissible limits, entries will be restricted. Social distancing floor stickers will be placed across the malls to ensure a six feet distance is maintained. These floor markers will also be visible inside the lifts and at the escalators to make sure people maintain a safe distance between themselves. To limit the number of patrons, a 50 percent reduction in sitting capacity will be visible inside the malls including the food courts and restaurants. Inside the washrooms too, patrons will be made to follow social distancing as they will be allowed to use only the alternate facilities. The use of sensor-based water and soap dispensers will be encouraged at large. Alongside, parking capacity at the malls will also be reduced making sure vehicles are parked at alternate intervals. Along with deep cleaning of retail shops and surfaces through methods like fumigation, cold fogging, etc., the use of UV sanitization will be seen at large across the malls. While UV boxes will be used to scan the baggage at the entrance, UV towers will be installed inside the malls for disinfecting the coronavirus prone areas. Also, a few malls like in Viviana & Oberoi, UV sanitizations have been put in place on the escalator belts to sterilize the touchpoints. Contactless dining through QR code inside the Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (Image Courtesy: Management) Social distancing through digital means will be one thing to look out for when malls re-open in MMR. From digital payment facilities, to scan and pay for orders, a host of QR code activities will be installed inside the malls to facilitate the contactless shopping experience. Patrons visiting the malls will now have the option to schedule their visits to the mall by pre-booking the time slots online at their concerned retail stores. Naviin Ibhrampurkar, Head of Marketing and Corporate communications, Inorbit Malls said, For shopping malls, this is the time to explore new ways of engagement as consumers evolve with the new normal. We at Inorbit Malls in Mumbai will introduce the virtual shopping experience via video calls where there are human touch and technology going hand in hand. Consumers can browse for products via a video call with the store staff and get the desired products delivered to their home or schedule a pick up from the mall curbside and get their favorite products the same day. Social distancing floor stickers inside food court at Sea Woods Grand Central Mall, Navi Mumbai (Image Courtesy: Management) Jayen Naik, Senior Vice President - Operations and Projects, Nexus Malls said, In addition to implementing the SOPs issued by SCAI like checking of Arogya Setu app before allowing entry inside, the mandatory wearing of masks at all times, use of sanitizers and thermal screening of every individual, we have collaborated with Bureau Veritas, a certification organization, to launch the Safety First initiative across all the malls in our portfolio. As part of the initiative, Bureau Veritas will audit all our properties every fortnight to ensure 100 percent compliance of the specified guidelines and ensure optimum standards of health and safety recommendations are followed. Social distancing markings and UV sanitization installed at the escalator belt inside Viviana Mall, Thane. (Image Courtesy: Anurag Tiwari) Malls await the state governments decision While the malls are all geared up to again welcome their patrons, uncertainty is still here over how the latest the Maharashtra government allows them to re-open. Though malls continue to adhere by the restrictions imposed on them considering the safety of their patrons, retail partners and staff, discrepancies in the minds of mall owners continue to grow as the malls across other metros and tier-II cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, etc., which are equally prone to the spread of the virus, remain functional. Manoj K. Agarwal, CEO, Viviana Malls said, It is reassuring to see the confidence posed by the state governments across the country in SOPs of SCAI and the ability of malls to strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines and provide a safe shopping experience. We have urged the Maharashtra Government to give us the opportunity to at least start operating in a controlled manner and help in the industrys survival. Santush Kumar Pandde, Head, R City Mall is optimistic that operations for malls in MMR can resume early next month. Now that almost everything except malls is allowed, we expect the next is us. We have worked on various safety measures and SOPs to ensure that our customers, retailers, and our staff feel safe at all times. Malls across Maharashtra should now be allowed to re-open. According to Amitabh Taneja, Chairman, SCAI, the retail industry has already seen losses exceeding Rs 1,00,000 crore since the implementation of lockdown. While a time projection is difficult for recovering these losses, retailers and shopping centers have submitted their pleas to the state government to allow them to restart working as according to them further lockdowns will end up in drying their cash reserves. Naik stated that at Nexus Malls, within six weeks of operations across its five malls which have reopened in other parts of the country, the average weekly footfall has seen a week-on-week increase by 13-15 percent. Our conversions are over 90 percent since reopening and we have seen a 25 percent week on week increase in our sales numbers over the last six weeks, which is a good start. With the festive season around, if we are allowed to resume operations in Maharashtra, we will be on our path to recovery, he added. Though normalcy looks far from reality shortly across all verticals of society, shopping centres believe that if they are allowed to restart, things should stabilize within a year provided COVID-19 cases dont increase and a vaccine is found soon. Normalcy will only resume when the right treatment and vaccine for COVID-19 is in place. Post that it will take good six months to bounce back. With cases going up there is no certainty at this moment. It seems we will take one year to return to normal grounds, expressed Pandde. The United Arab Emirates Mars probe finally launched today after weather-related delays. The Gulf countrys president said the spacecraft, known as Hope, is a historic accomplishment for the UAE. Hope probe represents another high-quality, high-value addition to the UAE's outstanding achievements that will enter history as a source of pride for the UAE and its people, said Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to the state-run Emirates News Agency. Hope, or "Amal" in Arabic, took off from Japan on Monday. The probe was built by the Japanese company Mitsubishi. The launch was delayed twice due to bad weather. Hope will spend more than a year in Mars orbit to study its properties, including those which relate to dust storms. The probe is the first Mars mission from a country in the Arab world and has been widely reported as such. Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Rashid al-Maktoum, who leads the project, has said he wants Hope to prove Arabs can compete internationally in scientific achievement. The Emirates received praise for the successful launch of the Mars-bound Hope, including from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 19) Interior Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Dinos idea to hold a shame campaign against COVID-19 patients refusing to undergo quarantine in government facilities drew flak on social media. Speaking in an interview with 92.3 News FM aired July 17, Dino said such a campaign is important to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Kaya nga ngayon, tama nga rin siguro na magkaroon na din tayo ng shame campaign dahil hindi na biro itong COVID, Dino responded when asked about how to support Oplan Kalinga, the governments plan on sending mild or asymptomatic coronavirus patients without sufficient home quarantine facilities to government isolation centers. [Translation: That's why now, it might be right to a have a shame campaign since this COVID-19 is a serious matter.] Two days later, Dino apologized for having said the remarks. Im sorry, misquoted ako dun sa shame campaign. Ang sinasabi ko diyan, I-shame campaign na natin yung mga walang face mask, Dino said in an online media forum Sunday. He added, Hindi ko sinasabi na i-shame campaign yung mismong may sakit. We will protect nga them eh. Nagkamali siguro, hindi lang nagkaintindihan kasi mabilisan yung question, referring to how he was asked during the interview. [Translation: I am sorry, I was misquoted when I said the term shame campaign. I was saying, we should put in a shame campaign those who refuse to wear face masks. I wasnt referring to those who contracted the coronavirus. We will protect them. There may have been a mistake or misunderstanding as the questions were asked fast.] Commission on Human Rights spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline de Guia also weighed in on the remarks and reminded government agencies to address the issue as a health problem. We must remember that this is a health issue and that the primordial concern of the government at the very onset and up until now is to make sure that the health of the people is protected. Therefore, shaming them (COVID patients) is not at all protecting them nor having their best interest at heart, Atty. De Guia said in a phone interview. Dino also reiterated the importance of the Oplan Kalinga program, saying in the vernacular that it is free of charge. He also added that policemen will only have a supporting role in the system, and that healthcare workers will be the ones knocking on the doors of suspected patients homes. Yung mga nagsasabi na may tokhang, wala po. Ang purpose lang natin, buhayin yung mga pamilya nung mga, asymptomatic, symptomatic (COVID-19 patients), Dino said, allaying fears that the program is a mirror image of the PNPs drug operations. [Translation: Those who think that there will be something similar to Oplan Tokhang, there wont be any. The only purpose (of Oplan Kalinga) is to save lives of both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.] Dino, however, expressed his view that a show of force be done to make Metro Manila residents better comply with quarantine rules. His suggestion: heavily armed police with armored vehicles patrolling barangays, similar to the deployment of PNP Special Action Force (SAF) personnel in Cebu alongside their armored personnel carriers. Yung Cebu, bakit in one months time, napababa natin? (In Cebu, why is it that in one month's time, we were able to lower the number of cases?) Dino explained, linking the decline in cases to measures he called style-Martial Law. Nakita niyo, yung may merong mga APC, yung mga ganun. Kasi ang kukulit daw. Sabi nga ni Presidente (Duterte), matitigas ang ulo ng mga Cebuano. O, hindi naman pala eh, Dino claimed, citing the national polices response to lockdowns in the Central Philippines as being effective that no one dared to go out of their homes. But for the chief executive of the city with the most COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region, responses to the pandemic must be measured against the current situation. Speaking to CNN Philippines, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte says a two-pronged approach of information and education coupled with the enforcement of minimum health standards in line with existing laws and ordinances, is already more than enough in managing coronavirus cases in the city, which ranges from 80-150 new infections daily. Every situation merits a different approach, Belmonte said in a text message. At present, Quezon City has a higher recovery rate than active cases. We are the 16th local government unit (LGU) in the country in terms of cases per million even if we are the most populated city in the Philippines. QC also doesnt have an overburdened healthcare system, yet with bedspaces still available in our facilities, she added. Belmonte added, I believe it is still premature for us to adopt the methods that have been adopted in Cebu, and if the trend in our city continues as is, hopefully our numbers will go down without us ever having to adopt this method. She also said the mayors of Metro Manilas 16 cities and one municipality meet on a weekly basis, and that Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano is almost always present in these discussions. There are certain things that we Metro Manila Mayors must agree on and implement uniformly because the NCR is really contiguous and it makes no sense to differ in policy, Belmonte added, citing examples such as the regions quarantine status. "But with regard to other things, they respect the autonomy of the local government unit (LGU) if we choose to do things differently. These policy differences must be within the parameters and guidelines furnished by the Inter-Agency Task Force, Belmonte said, citing differences in liquor sale policies among the different Metro Manila local governments. CNN Philippines has reached out to Secretary Ano and the DILG Spokesperson, Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, for their insights on the issue. Both have yet to respond for a request for comment as of press time. We have had just countless outbreaks linked to bars and other indoor gatherings, said Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As cases are going up, more people are going into these environments and there is a greater risk that a whole bunch more people get it. If we want to be serious about opening schools, we have to do everything we can to eliminate excess risk. Donald Trump has insisted on reopening schools despite US cases of coronavirus continuing to soar: Getty As the coronavirus pandemic death toll grew to more than 140,000 people in the US, Donald Trump tweeted out a photo of himself wearing a mask and saying "many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me". The president said he would resume the White House's daily 5 pm EST briefings on coronavirus, which he has now taken to calling the "Invisible China Virus". As violence continued in Portland, meanwhile, Trump confirmed reports that his administration planned on sending "law enforcement" to major cities across the country. Two world wars, however, were described as "beautiful" during a Fox News interview as the president defended his resistance to renaming US military bases connected to Confederate generals. Trump's attacks on Joe Biden mental fitness during the interview didn't poll well with voters, while many viewers questioned the president's own performance during the heated sit-down with host Chris Wallace. Please allow the blog a moment to load A former New York City restaurant hostess is going viral on TikTok by 'rating' celebrities she has served in the past. And Melbourne footy WAG Rebecca Judd has expressed concern about how she would fare under a similar rating process. The 37-year-old revealed on the 3pm Pick-Up on Monday that she was extremely nervous about tipping etiquette while visiting the United States. Scroll down for video 'It gives me so much anxiety!' Footy WAG Rebecca Judd (pictured) has revealed that the viral TikTok cocktail waitress who rates celebrities has made her 'nervous' about tipping Julia Carolan, 23, has gone viral on TikTok with her videos about life in the service industry, spilling stories - good and bad - about the stars who have dined at restaurants where she worked. 'Kylie Jenner got slammed by her the other week for being a really bad tipper. Being a scab, apparently. Only tipped $20 from a $500 bill,' Rebecca said. 'Do with that information what you will!' Internet fame: Julia Carolan, 23, a former New York City restaurant hostess, has gone viral on TikTok with her videos about life in the service industry, spilling stories - good and bad - about the stars she has encountered, including Kylie Jenner Rebecca's co-host Katie 'Monty' Dimond agreed, saying: 'It's awful when someone is so filthy rich. They could give a $500 tip and wouldn't even notice.' 'What's the rule?' asked the wife of retired AFL star Chris Judd, sounding nervous. 'It gives me so much anxiety when I go to America. I never know what to tip! I never have enough money,' she added. However, Rebecca soon deflected to share a story about another 'scab' she knew. Dobbing in a mate! Rebecca claimed that she and her husband, Chris Judd (left), have a multi-millionaire friend who is a 'scab' tipper, just like makeup mogul Kylie Jenner 'Speaking of Kylie being a scab, we've got this friend who is filthy rich, talking hundreds of millions of dollars,' she began. 'Juddy [Rebecca's husband, Chris] would play poker with him and he'd steal the other players' chips when they weren't looking! 'And the other thing... he would fly business class and make his wife fly economy.' The 3pm Pick-Up airs weekdays from 3pm on KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne An online petition is making the rounds asking Trader Joe's to change the labels on some of its products that critics say have "racist" branding. The grocer has special labels on several of its international food items, with "Arabian Joe" appearing on Middle Eastern products, "Trader Ming's" on Chinese products, and "Trader Jose" on Mexican products. A petition, started two weeks ago by a high school senior in California, claims that these modifications perpetuate "harmful stereotypes," and this branding is "racist because it exoticizes other cultures it presents 'Joe' as the default 'normal' and the other characters as falling outside of it." Trader Joe's spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel said in a statement the company has already changed the packaging for a number of products with variations of the Trader Joe's name, but the process is ongoing. The international naming "may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness," Friend-Daniel said, but Trader Joe's recognizes "that it may have the opposite effect one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day." More stories from theweek.com Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, and a cartoon elephant recap Trump's mortifying interview with Chris Wallace Creator of cognition test Trump brags of acing says it's 'supposed to be easy' for unimpaired people Kanye West wants marijuana to be free, and everyone who has a baby to get 'a million dollars' Oakland will pay $32.7 million to settle lawsuits filed over a 2016 fire at an illegally converted warehouse dubbed the Ghost Ship that killed 36 people, the city announced Thursday. The City Council authorized settlements of lawsuits filed by the families of 32 victims. The amount also includes more than $9 million for Sam Maxwell, who survived the blaze but will live with severe, lifelong injuries and major medical expenses, a city statement said. This was a horrific tragedy that deeply impacted every corner of our community, said the statement from the city attorneys office. The settlement is one of the largest in city history but Paul Matiasic, an attorney for five families, called it insignificant. Theres no amount of money in the world that can bring their loved ones back, he told the East Bay Times. His clients contended the city was negligent and should have red-tagged the building. The city doesnt acknowledge any liability in the agreement but decided to settle because of the possible legal costs, the statement said. The settlement does not include about a dozen people who lived at the warehouse and were a part of the lawsuit, attorney Mary Alexander told the newspaper. These people are like wildfire victims, they had to run for their lives through smoke and flames and lost their homes, many of them displaced for a long time, Alexander said. On Dec. 2, 2016, fire swept through the warehouse during an electronic music party. The industrial building had illegally been turned into a residence for artists and an event venue. The building was packed with furniture, extension cords and other flammable material but had only two exits and no smoke detectors, fire alarms or sprinklers, authorities said. Prosecutors contend that Derick Almena, the master tenant on the warehouse lease, was criminally negligent when he converted and sublet the space. They charged him with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter but a judge declared a mistrial last fall. His retrial is scheduled for October. The blaze killed many young people trapped on the illegally constructed second floor. Prosecutors said the victims received no warning and had little chance to escape down a narrow, ramshackle staircase. The cause of the fire hasnt been determined, although some lawsuits said there were serious electrical problems with the building. Almenas attorneys argued city workers were to blame for not raising concerns about fire hazards in the warehouse. City officials had said the building hadnt been inspected for three decades, and when inspectors did visit the site in November 2016, they were unable to enter to investigate a report of illegal construction. Almena, who had been jailed since 2017, was released earlier this year over coronavirus concerns after dozens of cases were reported at the facility where he was held. He is confined to home without written court approval. A co-defendant, Max Harris, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges last year and no longer lives in the state. The buildings owner, Chor Ng, wasnt charged with a crime. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Le Maire also told French BFM TV that the future of Europe in the 21st century was at stake French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday an agreement on a recovery plan at the European Council meeting in Brussels was possible and a necessity. Le Maire also told French BFM TV that the future of Europe in the 21st century was at stake. "An agreement is possible. An agreement is a necessity", Le Maire said. EU leaders stood at an impasse on Monday after three days of haggling over a plan to revive economies throttled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Search Keywords: Short link: Tasmania has recorded its first coronavirus case in two months, while Victoria's horror outbreak shows little signs of slowing. Victoria recorded another 275 COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the state's total to 5,942 - about 3,000 of which are active. Face masks will be mandatory for anyone who steps outside in the Melbourne CBD and Mitchell Shire from 11.59pm on Wednesday. Tasmania's first case in 66 days, confirmed on Monday night, was a woman who had recently arrived from Victoria. In New South Wales a 30-year-old man is fighting for life after 20 new cases were recorded and linked to three growing clusters and returned travellers. Tasmania has recorded its first confirmed coronavirus case in two months while Victoria's total number of cases continues to climb after another 275 were recorded on Monday LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Victoria has recorded 275 new COVID-19 cases, taking the state's total to 5942, around 3000 of whom are active, with 31 in intensive care, 16 on ventilators. The death of a Victorian woman in her 80s took the national toll to 123. * NSW confirmed 20 new cases, including a 30-year-old in intensive care. All are linked to three known clusters including the Bateman's Bay Soldiers Club, or travellers in quarantine. * Queensland has one new case and Tasmania is investigating a suspected infection which could be the island state's first in two months. * Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged people in NSW to wear a mask if they can't socially distance. * She also ruled out moving the state's border with Queensland south to stop traffic bottlenecks at border checkpoints, saying it should be moved further north instead. * South Australia is to consider jail time for people breaching the state's border restrictions. * Federal parliament has been scrapped until August 24. A woman wearing a face mask walks through the city on July 20, 2020 in Melbourne ECONOMICS * Think tank The Australia Institute has released modelling showing more than half a million people will be thrown into poverty if JobSeeker is returned to its former amount. * JobKeeper is likely to switch from a $1500 flat fortnightly rate to a tiered system, closer to worker's pre-virus wages, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has said. * Small to medium-sized businesses will be able to access government-guaranteed loans of $1 million, up from a previous cap of $250,000, benefiting about 3.5 million extra companies. Face masks were made mandatory for people in the Melbourne CBD and Mitchell Shire after Victoria's total number of cases exceeded 5,000 (Victoria premier Daniel Andrews pictured) SPORT * The AFL is in talks with Tasmania and the Northern Territory to host matches due to Victoria's strict quarantine but a deal has yet to be struck. KEY DATES * July 22 - From midnight, residents of metropolitan Melbourne and in the Mitchell Shire must wear a face mask or covering when leaving their homes. * July 23 - The treasurer will hand down his economic and fiscal update, which will contain the government's response to a Treasury review of JobKeeper and the enhanced JobSeeker dole payment. * July 31 - The earliest date Tasmania may open its borders to the mainland after delaying the move, previously planned for July 24. * August 1 - Tentative date for WA to lift all remaining restrictions, except border closures and access to remote Aboriginal communities. * August 19 - The date flagged for Victoria's six-week lockdown to end at 11.59pm. AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS * Australia's total number of cases is now 12,069 with 3,551 active and 8395 recovered. * The national death toll as of Monday is 123: NSW 49, Victoria 39, Tasmania 13, WA 9, Queensland 6, SA 4, ACT 3. (Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states). GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS * Cases: at least 14,647,584 * Deaths: at least 608,987 * Recovered: at least 8,737,852 BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 Trend: The Azerbaijani army resolutely prevented provocation of the aggressor Armenia in the direction of Tovuz district on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and demonstrated the strength and power of the army to the whole world, Azerbaijani MP Nagif Hamzayev said. The events that occurred in the direction of Tovuz district on the Armenian- Azerbaijani border over the last 5-6 days demonstrated what Azerbaijan and its army are capable of, the MP said. At the same time, it was a vivid example of national unity, solidarity, struggle and patriotism of the Azerbaijani youth during all periods of history, Hamzayev said. The MP noted that these days Azerbaijan ha witnessed marches of thousands of young people supporting the Azerbaijani army to liberate the occupied Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian armed forces, ready at any moment to take up arms upon the order of President of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. After the presidents speech at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in the first half of 2020 and the tasks which were to be solved on July 15, the Azerbaijani youth appealed to the city and regional offices of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription with an appeal to join the fight against the Armenian armed forces, the MP said. This was a clear expression of their determination to fight for justice. Azerbaijani youth, distinguished by the activity in all spheres of public life and high combat spirit, were on the forefront during the hard days of the Motherland, Hamzayev said. We are proud that in the victorious march of Azerbaijan against the insidious intentions of the Armenian armed forces, our youth once again demonstrated the readiness to cherish the Motherland as the apple of its eye, the MP said. Our national army fought off the attack of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, while our youth gave response to the Armenian propaganda machine on social networks. Our young people have shown a tough stance against lies, information and fake news on social media, which tried to shake the spirit of patriotism prevailing in the Azerbaijani society, to distract the international community from the aggressive nature of Armenia, the MP said. As a result of the efforts of our young people, who disclosed fabricated information of Armenians by mentioning accurate facts, more false information and calls were removed from the internet, Hamzayev said. The exemplary behavior of our youth was a slap in the face of aggressive Armenian government and for betrayers who damaged the building of the Azerbaijani parliament, used force against the representatives of the law enforcement bodies, the MP said. Together with the youth of our country, the youth of the New Azerbaijan Party in Ganja city is always ready to support our army, prevent any Armenian provocations and defend every centimeter of our land under the wise leadership of our Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Hamzayev said. "While using hashtags on social networks, especially on Facebook and Twitter, young activists of New Azerbaijan Party conveyed to the world the information about the provocation committed by Armenia on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the MP said. The youth of Ganja city, thousands of patriots of Azerbaijan, our compatriots living abroad, reserve servicemen, disabled veterans of war appealed to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to join the battle in support of our army, Hamzayev said. We are proud that our young people, well aware of their duties and responsibilities to Azerbaijan and people, are fully ready to join the war upon the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, to liberate our lands from the Armenian invaders, the MP said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-21 04:07:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Syrian air defense missiles are seen in the sky over Damascus, capital of Syria, on July 20, 2020. The Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli missile attack over the capital Damascus on Monday evening, state news agency SANA reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli missile attack over the capital Damascus on Monday evening, state news agency SANA reported. The Israeli warplanes launched their attack from over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The air defense missiles were seen in the sky over Damascus chasing after the Israeli missile strike as people heard explosions around the capital. The Syrian state media report said several Israeli missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the Israeli missile strike targeted military positions of the Syrian army and the pro-government Iranian militias in the vicinity of the capital. Throughout the Syrian crisis, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria, as well as convoys transporting weapons to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia allegedly backed by Iran. Enditem Advertisement The crisis rocking the family of the late Nnewi based business magnet, Chief Pious Ogbuawa (YOKO President) took dramatic dimension recently with the sons engaging the social media to attack some of their fathers business partners, viz: Mr. Fang Du, a Chinese partner, Nonso Ukatu of the NONSEC Ltd; as well as Augustine Jideofor Emmanuel (a importer), which, our correspondent gathered, threatened their business relationship. In the said online publication, Ogbuawas children accused the said business partners of the attempt to hijack their family business by forcing them to sign bogus agreement that might pull the business down. The publication reads in part: P.O Ogbuawas third wife, Amaka, connived with some of Ogbuawas business partners, Nonso Ukatu (NONSEC) and Augustine Jideofor (AUSTIN-MANUEL) to take over the business empire of P.O. Ogbuawa & Sons Ltd. The trio contrived a figure of over 400,000USD as debt owed by the company to one Fang Du, a Chinese, and cajoled us, Uchenna and Onyedika Ogbuawa, to sign an agreement to pay the debt. The trio have already extorted the sum of 100,000USD out of the sum from the unsuspecting and innocent sons and legitimate heirs of late Chief Ogbuawa. Less than 2 weeks after extorting 100,000USD from us, they also concocted some stories and used police to freeze our business accounts. They also got police to get us, the sons of Ogbuawa, arrested and arraigned in court. Also in the said publication, Ogbuawas children also accused their fathers third wife of having sexual relationships with his late fathers business partners; an accusation that sparked crisis in both Ogbuawas household and the business. But, in a statement, yesterday, titled: A Retraction and Apology, signed by Ogbuawas second son, Onyedikachi, who is also a director in Ogbuawa and Sons Ltd, the children said they were withdrawing their earlier stand on the matter; adding that they were misled in doing online publication of 13th July, 2020; which, according to them, damaged the reputation of the affected business partners of Ogbuawa and Sons Ltd. The statement reads in part: For the past few days, the social media have been trending with the news of feud between my elder brother, Uchenna Ogbuawa and myself, in one side, and Mr Nonso Ukautu and Mr Augustine Jideofor Emmanuel, aka Austin Emmanuel, on the other. We have carefully reviewed the situation, and particularly retrospected on the invaluable assistance rendered to my late father by Nonso Ukatu, in view of the activation of credit sales relationship with Fang Du, a Chinese partner. I have, therefore, come to realisation of the fact that the raging fight between us and the above mentioned gentlemen, is unnecessary. The press release made by my elder brother and myself on 13th July, 2020, wherein damaging allegations were made against Nonso Ukatu, Austin Emmanuel and the DPO of the Central Police Station, Nnewi, is hereby, retracted by me. We were wrongfully advised and misled into subscribing to the said publication, which was against my wish and all that I had always stood for. I have, at all times, been a peaceful person, who will not subscribe to unnecessary acrimony or hostility in resolving any issue. The agreement for payment of debt owed our Chinese partner, Fang Du, by P.O Ogbuawa and Sons Nig. Ltd, was executed willingly and willfully by us under a circumstance devoid of any inducement, harassment or coercion. It is the wish of P.O Ogbuawa and Sons Ltd, which I am one of the directors, to continue to transact business with Mr. Fang Du and Nonso Ukatu, and honestly hope that the incident of the last few days will not truncate the said relationship, he concluded. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 04:22:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia arrested an extremist who was planning an attack against a security unit, the Interior Ministry said Sunday. "Thanks to the close coordination between Tunisia's intelligence services and various security units, an extremist, who pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State, was arrested," said a ministry statement. An in-depth investigation confirmed that this extremist had been trained to manufacture explosives and tried to obtain necessary materials to carry out an attack against a security unit, according to the statement. Tunisia has started to witness terrorist acts since 2011, with dozens of security and military agents, civilians and foreign tourists having been killed. Enditem NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller speaks to the media at a press conference at Sydney Olympic Park on July 8, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Police Warn of Virus Risk at Planned Rally NSW Police boss Mick Fuller has urged the public not to join a Black Lives Matter rally planned for July 28 in Sydney in case it sparks another virus cluster. Fuller says NSW Police will attempt to block the protest planned for July 28 in the Supreme Court, as case numbers continue to rise across the state. He urged the public not to be selfish during this time, encouraging people to protest online in order to protect the community. The question is, do you want your protest to be the one that puts NSW back five or 10 years economically because thats exactly what could happen, Fuller said on Sky News on Monday. I think it would be devastating to anyones cause to cause the next cluster breakout in NSW. Fuller said police will issue infringements at the event if their attempt to block the protest is unsuccessful. Win, lose or draw, we can still take action against people for breaching health orders, he said. More than 4000 people have registered their interest in attending the rally, which aims to highlight the issue of Aboriginal deaths in custody. Event organisers provided a COVID-19 safety checklist on Facebook on Monday, encouraging protesters to obey social distancing, wear masks and obey hand hygiene, with safety teams present at the rally to monitor and provide these items if needed. While large crowds continue to gather in Sydney for commercial purposes we will continue to assert our rights to protest, the Facebook post read on Monday. By Ashlea Witoslawski Once upon a time, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba and spent two years saying that he was not a communist or intent on turning the system upside-down. He even arrested people like General Huber Matos and others for calling him a communist. It was illegal back then for anyone to claim that the bearded fellow was a communist. One of those who called him a communist was Dr. Ignacio Segurola-Canto, my father's cousin, who spent 14 years in prison. We learned later that he was. He admitted it in a long speech months after the Bay of Pigs. So much for believing a communist! So I can forgive some in my parents' generation for not seeing the communist threat. They wanted to believe that the best was possible, and then many were executed, left the country, or spent their lives disillusioned with the system. I can't say the same thing for what we are seeing on our streets. Up in Portland, the mob is at least honest. These people are telling us up front what it's all about. It has nothing to do with making the U.S. a better nation. On the contrary, it's about destroying the nation: Lilith Sinclair is leading the marches that defy City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty's order to stay home. She describes herself as an Afro-Indigenous-Non-Binary Local Organizer in Portland. Personally, I wonder Sinclair fits all that on a business card. But more important is the rest of what she says. Sinclair, 25, is an activist who works with with [sic] the workers' rights group Portland Jobs With Justice. (That group is not directly connected to organizing the past week's protests.) Sinclair, who wishes to be referred to by the gender pronouns they and them, has been involved in activism for years, including volunteering at the Portland Occupy ICE Camp in 2018. Sinclair was an organizer of a march May 31 that drew thousands of demonstrators. During Sunday's rally, they led the group of over 1,000 demonstrators from Laurelhurst Park in Northeast Portland to downtown at the Justice Center. "We're not here for apologies," Sinclair said into a megaphone Sunday. "We're here to dismantle, defund and completely destroy the police." It does not get clearer than that. So forget George Floyd and marching in his memory. Forget police brutality and any injustice of the past. These people are telling us where they are coming from, and it's not a pro-U.S. orientation. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. According to the USDA July 12 crop report, this years soybean and winter wheat crop are respectively 34% and 39% further along than 2019 crop report data. Corn According to the USDA, 19% of Nebraskas corn has reached the silking stage, 11% ahead of last years data and falls 10% below the 2015-2019 average. Data places 1% of corn to have reached the corn dough stage, the R4 growth stage, of six stages of involved in corn development and maturity. Of corn throughout the state, the USDA reports 49% of corn to be in good condition, 22% in fair condition, 21 % in excellent condition, 6% in poor condition and 2% in very poor condition. Soybeans As of July 12, the USDA reports 57% of soybeans to have reached the bloom growth stage, 34% further along that 2019 crop reports. Of soybeans in the state, 13% percent of soybeans to have setting pods, 13% ahead of last years data and 9% further along than the 2015-2019 average. According to the USDA, 54% of this years crop is in good condition, 19% in excellent condition, 19% in fair condition, 4% in poor condition and 2% in very poor condition. Sorghum KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia discovered 110 containers of hazardous heavy metals from Romania and bound for Indonesia that had illegally entered the country and were abandoned last month, its largest case of dumped toxic waste, state media Bernama reported on Sunday. Malaysia in recent years became the world's main destination for plastic waste after China banned imports of scrap. It has been negotiating with origin countries to take back hundreds of containers of plastic that entered the country illegally. Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said 1,864 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) - a by-product of steel production that contains heavy metals like zinc, cadmium and lead - were found abandoned at the Tanjung Pelepas port in the southern state of Johor, according to Bernama. "The discovery of the EAFD, on transit in Malaysia and bound for Indonesia, is the biggest finding of its kind in Malaysian history," Tuan Ibrahim was quoted as saying. He said the EAFD, classified as a toxic waste under the Basel Convention, had been listed as concentrated zinc in declaration forms. "The Department of Environment, as the Basel Convention authority (for Malaysia), has not granted approval for or received notifications from the waste exporter to transit in Malaysia," he said. Malaysia has contacted the Romanian Basel Convention authority to arrange for the repatriation of the containers and have engaged Interpol for further investigations, Bernama said. The Romanian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by William Mallard) More than 50,000 Covid-19 tests have been carried out in Ireland in the past week according to official figures as it was confirmed that two more people have died here and further 21 have tested positive for the virus. Daily figures published on Saturday by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) show that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed that two people with COVID-19 have died. There has now been a total of 1,753* Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight Friday, July 17, the HPSC has been notified of 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 25,750** confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. Figures published on the Covid-19 Dashboard show that 50,150 cases have been recorded in the past week. That is nearly 10% of the total number of tests. The dashboard also showed that over 9,000 tests had been carried out in 24 hours this week. Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, urged people to equip themselves with knowledge about the virus. Arming ourselves with knowledge is the best defence we have against Covid-19. Make sure you know the symptoms cough, fever, shortness of breath, loss of smell/taste and act quickly in isolating and phoning your GP as early as possible if you experience them. Do not adopt a wait and see approach. "Once again, we must each play our part in stemming the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland - follow the public health advice, reduce your social contacts, keep a distance of 2 metres and plan to see others outdoors where possible, do not organise or attend house parties and wear a face covering when in shops or on public transport. "Lets not lose sight of our collective goal: to suppress COVID-19 in the community and thereby protect our health, that of our loved ones, and that of the most vulnerable across our society, he said. NPHET says the HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. NPHET says the COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community. *Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 death. The figure of 1,753 deaths reflects this. Sneezing is enjoyed in Ghana. It has always been welcomed with bless you and other positive responses. The Greeks and Romans take sneezing for wellness and express good wishes with phrases live long or May Jupiter bless you. Celsius of Rome suggests that sneezing is a sign of recovery from an illness. Aristotle believes sneezing is a Holy sign since it arises from the lungs, which are the principle and most divine parts of the human body. But the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic appears to have changed the narratives. Now one is stigmatized and shun because it is said to be a mode of spreading COVID-19. One dares not sneeze in public these days. Not even when the nose and mouth are well covered. It is a taboo. You will attract all the bad looks and curses strong enough to make you ask yourself difficult questions. The story of middle-aged Madam Comfort Anokye, an asthmatic patient, makes me feel bad. She was nearly beaten by people around her when she sneezed after an allergic attack. She said a few times, people around her deserted her and never got near because she sneezed. How does sneezing occur? Dr Clarence Basogloyele, a Medical Officer, at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital explains that sneezing process occurs in phases - nasal or sensitive phase and the respiratory phase. He says nerves in the airways are stimulated by chemicals, organisms, and viruses such as SARS COVID-19. The stimulation in the upper airways stimulates these nerve senses until a critical threshold is reached, which sends the person into the second phase, which is the respiratory phase. This phase co-ordinates respiratory muscles with the eyes and mouth. An inspiration against a closed glottis is followed by a rapid contraction for a powerful expiration though the nostrils and partly opened mouth. This is aimed at clearing the airway of its irritants, he said. Dr Basogloyele, says the first phase is that irritating nasal itch. The final stage kicks in when it reaches that critical threshold, which is that relieving sneeze. The numbers of particles expelled per sneeze are estimated to be about 40,000 particles ranging between 0.5-5micrometers in diameter. It is as a result of the particles exhaled that is why people need to cover their nose when sneezing. If an affected person exhales these thousand particles without a cover, people close less than a metre are likely to inhale the infected particles, he noted. COVID-19 Spreads The WHO, Ghana Health Service, and health experts including; Dr Rajiv Dhand, from the University of Tennessee, and Dr Jie Li, from Rush University in Chicago, agree that human-to-human transmission of the virus, often occurs when someone comes into contact with infected person's secretions. For anyone who grows anxious at the sound of a sneeze or a cough these days, Lydia Bourouiba's a fluid dynamics scientist at MIT offers little comfort. While sneezing is not one of the common symptoms of COVID-19, an asymptomatic person with seasonal allergies or a random sneeze could still spread the germ. Recommendation Ms Ewurabena Dadzie, the Health Technical Manager of World Vision Ghana in an interview says it is wrong to stigmatize people who sneeze because it is not the case that every sneeze contains COVID-19 virus. Sneezing is an involuntary action and relieves people from nasal congestion. It is wrong to label everyone who sneezes as carrying COVID-19 virus, rather individuals that have allergic condition must be encouraged to cover their nose as a preventive measure, she explained. As part of WVG COVID-19 response, she said a training manual was developed to train officers and partners to educate the populace. According to her, it has a component that tackles issues relating to stigmatizing people like Madam Anokye who has allergy and susceptible to sneezing. Ms Dadzie describes stigmatization as dangerous and can destroy communities and relationships. It drives people to hide the illness to avoid discrimination and prevent them from seeking health care immediately. Discourage them from adopting healthy behaviours, she added. It is not clear yet if, sneezing would regain its glorious and enviable place around the world when the COVID-19 dust settles. Till then, all and sundry must observe strictly, the anti-COVID-19 safety protocols including; covering of nose and mouth when sneezing and discard the tissue afterward. Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water and sanitize with an alcohol-based sanitizer as your contribution towards reducing the spread. GNA Supreme Court Chief Justice Valentyna Danishevska has said she does not see specific proposals for reforming the judicial system of Ukraine in the statements of the head of the executive committee of the National Reforms Council Mikheil Saakashvili or any attempt by the National Council to communicate with the judiciary. In an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency, she said: "Apart from slogans about radical revolutionary changes, we, in fact, hear nothing concrete. They talk about creating the perfect system that works perfectly. And there is a struggle over who will appoint these ideal judges." Answering the question whether the initiative to include foreign judges in the Supreme Court can be considered rational, the head of the Supreme Court noted: "About the initiative with foreign judges, I would say this: the results of the work of such a judge will depend on which state he or she comes from." "The Constitution requires the judge to be a citizen of Ukraine, to know the state language. Actually, I don't know any examples in the world that this practice would contribute to some kind of breakthrough," she added. Danishevska added: "As for the judicial system in Georgia. We are always happy about the success of our colleagues in other countries. However, it seems that Mr. Saakashvili himself was not delighted with the verdict of the Georgian courts against Mr. Saakashvili." She noted absence of any dialogue between the National Council and the judiciary: "There is no dialogue with the National Reforms Council, there were not even any attempts to communicate. If there are ideas, proposals for considering certain problematic issues, we will immediately respond, because we are the first who are interested in improving justice," she said. As for communications with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Danishevska said the head of state has not met with her personally, but there is communication with the President's Office after the decision of the Constitutional Court on the unconstitutionality of a number of provisions of the law on the judicial system and status of judges. "Whether this dialogue will be productive - time will tell. But our first marker is the launch of the High Anti-Corruption Court and the appointment to local courts and the oath of 400 new judges," she said. Danishevska said all branches of government in Ukraine should work to achieve a real result. "What happens in practice? As soon as the country approaches the next election campaign, then all candidates begin to increase their authority by humiliating others. After all, it is most profitable to designate the judicial system as the culprit, because it does not go to the polls. In order not to draw attention to other problems in the state, attention is constantly focused on the shortcomings of the judicial system, although it suffers from the same diseases as the entire society, all branches of government," she said. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected Chinas claims to most of the South China Sea as unlawful. In a statement, he said the U.S. seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law. He added the U.S. would oppose any attempt to use threat or force to settle disputes. Later in the week, Pompeo added that he would consider protecting other countries against China through legal means. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell also suggested at a conference last week that sanctions could be placed on Chinese officials over the issue. China has territorial disputes with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam over the South China Sea: a part of the Pacific Ocean rich in resources. All of them have weaker militaries than China. The U.S. has long opposed Chinas growing territorial claims. And American warships have regularly sailed in the important waterway to demonstrate freedom of movement there. Yet the comments represent a stronger U.S. position on Chinas claims over most of the South China Sea. However, only Taiwan welcomed the U.S. statement. Other governments avoided making direct comment. And Malaysias foreign ministry chose not say anything. Collin Koh is a maritime security research expert at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He said countries in the area will be watching for additional steps. 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, said Koh. Nguyen Thanh Trung is director of the Center for International Studies director at University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He said Vietnam, which needs China as a trading partner, probably welcomes Pompeos plan. But, he said, Vietnam likely hopes not to be singled out as a protected country. He added, I think that they hope the U.S. can confront China unilaterally or with some other allies. Stephen Nagy is a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. He said U.S. officials will probably only answer to major issues involving China without increasing a conflict. The U.S. government would ignore local fishing disputes and arguments over placement of oil production structures, he said. American officials might consider answering Chinese ship movements in waters claimed by other countries. This year, Chinese research ships have tested waters claimed by Malaysia and Vietnam. Nagy said, Its a very difficult line to walk between putting significant pressure back on the Chinese without it spiraling into a kinetic conflict." Im Jonathan Evans. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this story for VOA Learning English with reporting from VOA News, Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story maritime adj. related to sea travel unilaterally n. involving only one side spiraling adj. moving around in circles, moving further away and with speed kinetic adj. involving or producing movement or energy The Drug Controller General of India has sent a letter to the Glenmark seeking clarifications on pricing as well as claims of therapeutic efficacy. While Glenmark has claimed this drug is effective in comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, according to protocol summary (of clinical trials) the trial was not designed to access the Fabiflu in comorbid conditions. Glenmark, which markets favipiravir under brand Fabiflu for treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 patients, has come under the scanner of the countrys drug regulator over pricing of the drug and claims of its therapeutic efficacy. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has sent a letter to the Mumbai-based drugmaker seeking clarifications on pricing as well as claims of therapeutic efficacy. The move was triggered by a letter Nationalist Congress Party legislator Amol Kolhe wrote addressed to the health minister. The DCGI had given emergency use authorisation to favipiravir in the third week of June. It was an expedited approval following review by the subject expert committee (SEC) given the pandemic situation in the country. In his letter to Glenmark, V G Somani, Indias DCGI, who heads the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said that it received a complaint from a member of the Parliament (MP) regarding the drug favipiravir. This letter, however, did not name the MP. Kolhe, a medical professional, had written a letter to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on June 26, right after Fabiflu was launched. He had said that a patient has to take these tablets for 14-days (or around 122 tablets). At a price of Rs 103 per tablet, this would bring the total cost of treatment to Rs 12,500. He had urged the government should ensure affordability of the drug to the common people. Later, however, Glenmark slashed the price of the drug to Rs 75 per tablet bringing down the cost of treatment to Rs 9,150. Kolhe said six of the 12 centres for clinical trials were government medical colleges from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi. He claimed that while common people contributed to the trial as subjects, the drug is definitely unaffordable to them. Meanwhile, Somani referred to the MPs representation and said that while Glenmark has claimed this drug is effective in comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, according to protocol summary (of clinical trials) the trial was not designed to access the Fabiflu in comorbid conditions. Kolhe claimed in his letter that going by the protocol summary available at CTRI website, Fabiflu was not tested as monotherapy (only Fabiflu) in any of the mild or moderate patients... It was given along with ICMR-approved standard protocol treatment in selective clinically-stable Covid-19 patients. "Also, patients with 94 per cent SPO2 who are excluded from the trail. SPO2 is a measure of the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood in comparison to the amount of hemoglobin that is not carrying oxygen. Kolhe further alleged that the data clearly showed that the claims made by Glenmark in their press conference that Fabiflu alone is effective in mild to moderate patients are completely misguided to all clinical practitioners and people of India. Glenmark said it would respond to the DCGI as early as it could. Meanwhile, sources in the CDSCO claimed that the letter was sent to the company as an MP sought some clarifications. The company will now clarify on the points raised by the MP, a source said. Earlier this month, Glenmark had said it had started a post-marketing surveillance study on its brand Fabiflu to monitor the efficacy and safety of the drug in 1,000 patients. Glenmark has completed phase-III clinical studies, with favipiravir in mild-to-moderate Covid-19 patients in India. The results from the study would be out within 10 days or so, sources said. Glenmark is also conducting another phase-III clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of two antivirals drugs favipiravir and umifenovir as a combination therapy in moderate hospitalised adult Covid patients in India. The combination study, which is called the FAITH trial, is looking to enrol 158 hospitalised patients of moderate Covid in India. Photograph: PTI Photo An old boot store on Broadway will take on a new identity soon as a classic delicatessen with the opening of The Hayden. Owner Adam Lampinstein said that his new restaurant, located at 4025 Broadway near the intersection of Hildebrand Avenue, will have a full bar and will specialize in lunch and dinner. And on weekends, hell serve breakfast. We want this to be the classic deli experience that you would find in a place like New York City or Chicago, Lampinstein said. I think its something that has been a real void here in the San Antonio dining scene. And forget the buzz of brunch, which I think has been an overkill term. We are doing breakfast. Lampinstein hopes to open within two months and said the menu is still in development with consultation help from San Antonio chef Teddy Liang. But he expects the house-made pastrami will be a heavy hitter, as well as matzo ball soup and potato latke waffles. Rotisserie chicken, salmon and whitefish, charcuterie options and an array of pickled items will be available as well. The finalized menu will have 25 to 30 options, and will include salads, soups and at least six or seven sandwiches, Lampinstein said. We want to really establish the diner aspect of eating and have customers that come here two or three times per week as part of their normal routine. On ExpressNews.com: Chucks Food Shack: Grilling fruit adds options for desserts, cocktails and sauces The Hayden is nearly finished with construction, but Lampinstein said that he doesnt wish to open until his restaurant and bar until state rules limiting occupancy to slow the coronavirus pandemic allow for seating at 75 percent capacity. We want out customers to have that full experience, and a lot of that comes with the social aspect of being here, Lampinstein said. Our opening date will have a lot to do with the current climate. In addition to the bar, The Hayden also has plans to have a full coffee program with espresso and cold-pressed options, as well as a lineup of craft sodas. The Hayden, 4025 Broadway. Facebook: @thehaydensa Chuck Blount is a food writer and columnist covering all things grilled and smoked in the San Antonio area. Find his Chuck's Food Shack columns on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. To read more from Chuck, become a subscriber. cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver Washington, July 20 : American rapper Kanye West held his first campaign event since declaring himself a candidate for the US presidential election scheduled for November, the media reported. On Sunday, West delivered a lengthy monologue, focusing on a wide-range of topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals, before a crowd in North Charleston, South Carolina, reports Politico news. Wearing a protective vest and with "2020" shaved into his head, the 21-time Grammy winner appeared on a livestream of the event. Several hundred people gathered in a venue, where gospel music played before West's appearance. The event was reportedly for registered guests only, although a campaign website had no registration or RSVP information. West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it was unclear if he was willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others, said the Politico news report. Last week, the rapper qualified to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline. West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by Monday afternoon to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. He has tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed. West, who announced his White House campaign on the Fourth of July, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission last week, listing "BDY" - the Birthday Party - as his party affiliation, reports Politico news. The 43-year-old's late entry to the campaign trail comes as Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 15 points, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday. The rapper has sparked speculation over the years that he would potentially enter the presidential race one day, most recently in November 2019, when he said he planned to run in 2024, according to a report by the Daily Mail newspaper. New Delhi, July 20 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday took at dig at the Uttar Pradesh government on its handling of novel coronavirus crisis, saying its press conferences that play like tape recorder will not work anymore. Her remarks came after corona cases in Uttar Pradesh totalled 49,247, including 1,146 fatalities till date. In a series of tweets, the Congress leader said: "There are reports that beds in government hospitals in two major cities -- Lucknow and Gorakhpur -- are full. Covid-19 cases are rising and this condition of hospitals is worrying." "The concerns that were raised before the government three months ago are turning out to be real. Now, the UP government's press conferences that play like a tape recorder will not work. Attention will have to be paid to the prevailing situation," she said in her tweets in Hindi, attaching a news report on corona situation. The Congress leader has been critical of the state government over the its handling of Covid-19 pandemic, alleging that it is "indulging in propaganda" instead of dealing with the crisis. Earlier in the day, she highlighted the flood situation in parts of Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh and urged Congress workers to help the affected people. "Floods have disrupted the lives of people in areas of Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Lakhs of people are in trouble. We are ready to help the people in this crisis. I appeal all the Congress leaders and workers to help the people affected in all possible ways," she said in a tweet, posting also two pictures. In the shock of the fire in the Cathedral of Nantes has mixed on Sunday rage. The French heritage Officer Stephane Bern defendant on Saturday morning, allegedly by arson, damage caused as a sign of a "terrible nihilism". "One wonders what has become of our society if nothing makes more sense and has value," he said of the newspaper "Le Parisien". "We are faced with the Problem of living together, when you are attacking places of worship." Michaela Wiegel Political correspondent, based in Paris. F. A. Z. Twitter zuzusperren The police took on Saturday afternoon, a 39-year-old man from Rwanda who had been commissioned as a volunteer to the entrances to the Cathedral on Friday evening. On Sunday evening, the man came again. There is no connection to the fire and no further prosecution, as state's attorney Pierre Sennes. The fire broke out in herds on Saturday morning, three in Fire, under the organ in the main nave and the two Aisles. The organ from the year 1620, which had survived the last major fire in 1972, unharmed, was almost totally destroyed. Organ mistress Marie-Therese Jehan, who looked at the damage on Saturday afternoon, said in tears: "This hits me in the Mark. One of the largest and oldest organs in France is irretrievably lost. Three hours, the fire service needed people to bring the fire under control. Also the painted glass Windows from the 15th century. Century, the go back to Anne de Bretagne, suffered heavy damage, an has been completely destroyed. On the first photos that were released by the diocese, are charred pile of debris in the interior, remains of the main organ, which fell to the floor. the President of Emmanuel Macron thanked the firefighters, because they have "taken great risks to save this Gothic gem". Also with him are the flames aroused the memory of the fire in Notre-Dame in Paris on 15. April 2019, the cause of which remains unclear. "To Notre-Dame, the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in the heart of Nantes in flames", from tweeted Macron from Brussels. Prime Minister Jean Castex inspected, accompanied by culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot and Minister of the interior, Gerald Darmanin on Saturday, the fire damage and promised government assistance in rebuilding. The rightwing politician Philippe de Villiers demanded, to the new Church fire civilizational questions. "During the lock downs, the churches were closed. Now you burn, he said. The elites should think about the decline of the Occident. In fact, are deprived of in the past few months, countless churches in France, desecrated or fires have been damaged. At the beginning of July, the roof of St. Paul's Church in Corbeil-Essonnes, a suburb of Paris burned. In March 2019, a fire broke out in front of a wooden door of the parish Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. In February 2019, the Unknown made a fire in the Cathedral of Saint-Alain de Lavaur in the South West. In January 2019, the Saint-Jacob's Church in Grenoble, burned down. In five other churches, there was 2018 unexplained fires. In the Saint Peters Church in Orleans, the offender set fire to just touch leaves, they smeared also Graffiti on the Church walls. The investigators quoted, someone had written insults and "Allahu akbar" on the wall. Usually only the local press reported about it, if, as in Wihr-au-Val in Alsace or in Sumene in the vicinity of Montpellier Marie's statues are beheaded. Updated Date: 20 July 2020, 09:20 - The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) has called for an immediate review of existing petroleum agreements in Ghana - It added that all non-performing petroleum contracts need to be annulled with immediate effect - The call comes ahead of a mid-year budget review that is to be presented by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) has called on the government to immediately review all existing petroleum agreements. It has called for possible consideration of the annulment of non-performing contracts as a matter of urgency. COPEC argued that the outbreak of the coronavirus has worsened the level of upstream revenues and the non-performance of some contracts makes the situation worse. Ken Ofori-Atta Source: peacefmonline.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: 1D 1F: Parliament approves over $2 million tax waiver for inputs Per a report by citibusinessnews.com, COPECs Executive Director, Duncan Amoah, explained that the mid-year budget review to be presented on Thursday, 23 July 2020, should aid the government in the reconsideration of its position on oil contracts. This, he added, would help mitigate all associated risks as Ghana is losing both upstream and downstream revenues. Amoah again noted that it would be great to have Ghana reposition itself to obtain more stake in its oil business. He also suggested that the government needs to consider some form of investment from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation if it hopes for higher returns in the exploration and production of oil. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, will soon present the mid-year budget review to Parliament. Ofori-Atta will present it on Thursday, 23 July 2020, and the action is in line with the requirement of Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). It has been gathered that the minister will also use the opportunity to request supplementary estimates. READ ALSO: Vision 2020: Ghana and Rwanda's long-term plan to learn from Singapore Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Playstore now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh As cases of the novel coronavirus surged nationwide this week, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., suggested that North Carolina's Hispanic population may be harder hit by the potentially deadly virus because they are not practicing social distancing or wearing masks as frequently as other groups. "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 percent of the positive cases," Tillis, who is up for reelection in the fall, said during a Tuesday telephone town hall. "And we do have some concerns that in the Hispanic population we've seen less consistent adherence to social distancing and wearing a mask." Tillis's remarks, which gained traction Thursday after a short audio recording of the event circulated online, were condemned as "racist" by critics who argued that the virus disproportionately impacts Hispanics because many are essential workers. By Thursday night, at least two Latino Democratic lawmakers had publicly called out Tillis for his comments, noting that there is still a resistance to mask-wearing among conservatives. "This racist BS needs to stop," tweeted Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Tex.). "Latinos & 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." Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) echoed Escobar's comments, describing the hardships faced by a number of Hispanics amid the pandemic. "We pulled the food, slaughtered the animals, packaged the food that fed America," Gallego tweeted. "They did it at barely minimum wage and went back homes to big families under one roof [because] that is all they could afford." Gallego added that Tillis "could never do one full shift at a meat packing factory." "Respect the people that feed America," he wrote. In a statement to the News & Observer, Tillis campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo stressed Thursday that the senator 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." Tillis, in contrast with some other Republican lawmakers and President Trump, is a vocal mask proponent and has supported his state's stay-at-home orders, WUNC reported earlier this year. "The community faces significant challenges, including multi generational households that make it tougher to social distance, and the increased exposure risk for essential workers on the frontlines who are keeping our economy running," Romeo told the News & Observer on Thursday. "The government at all levels should assist the community in the fight to beat the virus and promote ways to keep residents safe and healthy, which is Senator Tillis' priority." One such method is the series of telephone town halls, which, according to Tillis's website, give North Carolinians a chance to ask questions and discuss the pandemic with the senator. During Tuesday's event, Tillis's comments about North Carolina's Hispanic population came as part of a longer answer to a question about whether police could enforce mask rules, the Hill reported. According to the news site, the original question did not mention the minority group. The portion of his response concerning Hispanics was captured in the audio recording, which appeared to first be shared by American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC. Tillis is locked in a competitive race for his seat against Democrat Cal Cunningham, a former North Carolina state senator. "Just wear the mask out of respect," Tillis could be heard saying at the beginning of the recording. He then went on to talk about the higher rates of infection among Hispanics, before acknowledging that wearing a mask and social distancing can at times be "an inconvenience." "But it's a minor inconvenience when you think about the fact that you may be infecting somebody or you yourself may have an underlying health condition that might make it an acute case that ultimately leads to death," he said. "So I don't know if we'd ever have enough police officers to go into every convenience store, grocery store and cite people for doing it. But I really hope we don't have to get to that point." By early Friday, North Carolina had more than 93,400 reported coronavirus cases and 1,588 deaths, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. Citing figures from state health officials, the News & Observer reported last month that Latinos make up 44 percent of the nearly 30,000 cases in North Carolina for which ethnicity is known. Health experts, such as North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services Mandy Cohen and Duke University professor Viviana S. Martinez-Bianchi, have attributed the "dramatically disproportionate impact" on Hispanics mostly to their essential worker status, according to the newspaper. "While others were able to isolate at home, you had to go out to work," said Martinez-Bianchi, addressing Latino workers at a June news conference. "You work in meat processing plants, in cleaning, in construction, in supermarkets, hospitals, and kitchens, in many cases, without access to personal protective equipment, such as these masks, which are so necessary to prevent the transmission of the virus from person to person." Still, Hispanics and other minority groups such as African Americans and Asians are more likely to regularly wear a mask in public compared to white people, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in June. The survey found that 74 percent of Hispanic adults said they had recently worn masks in stores or other businesses "all or most of the time," compared to 62 percent of white adults. More than 9,600 respondents' answers were recorded with a margin of error of 1.6 percentage points, the center said. On Thursday, critics accused the senator of, as one person put it, "saying his Hispanics constituents are to blame" for North Carolina's surge in coronavirus cases. The backlash came on the same day the U.S. saw a single-day high of new reported cases, recording more than 70,000. "You work in cramped spaces for min wage feeding the country and let's see how you are doing," tweeted Eric Garcia, a former independent congressional candidate in California. New Delhi: The Supreme Court will conduct an important hearing in the Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey encounter case on Monday (July 20,2020). A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde will hear the case. The Supreme Court is likely to constitute a commission of inquiry in the Vikas Dubey encounter case on the lines of Hyderabad's encounter. Two lawyers have filed a petition demanding a CBI / NIA investigation in the Vikas Dubey encounter matter. Responding to the Supreme court, the Uttar Pradesh government has said that the Vikas Dubey encounter was not fake. The UP Police affidavit said, ''The death of Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey, while he was in the custody of the state police, was not a fake encounter.'' The police further said that Vikas Dubey encounter should not be compared with the Telangana encounter, adding that Telangana didn't order a judicial commission but the UP government has constituted a judicial commission to investigate the encounter as per the guideline. It has also submitted photos of the police vehicle overturned at the scene, photo of Vikas Dubey's body, and photos of the bodies of the eight slain policemen who were killed in Bikru village by Vikas Dubey and his gang on July 3. Vikas Dubey was shot dead while trying to escape after a car accident, the UP Police had announced on July 10, a day after his dramatic arrest in Madhya Pradesh. The police said that the encounter happened after Vikas Dubey snatched the gun of a policeman and opened fire on them in order to escape. Rizal (CNN Philippines Life) In the last few months, consumer habits have drastically changed. As the Philippines continues the worlds longest COVID-19 lockdown, its clear that shopping malls previously a pivotal part of Filipino lives will continue to suffer from low foot traffic. As a response, many retailers have begun to shift to online operations. Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is the latest brand to open its online shopping platform to Filipinos. The brand launched its online store on July 16, in a virtual press conference hosted by endorser and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. Uniqlos wide selection of LifeWear pieces can now be purchased on the Uniqlo website or through their mobile app. According to Uniqlo Philippines COO Masayoshi Nakamura, the launch of Uniqlos online store is in line with the fast fashion brands mission to provide an outstanding level of service. The launch of UNIQLO Online store stems from the brands commitment to bring LifeWear clothing more accessible to our customers nationwide, Nakamura says. While consumers can still enjoy shopping at Uniqlos physical stores, the online store includes a number of exclusive features. In the online store, sizing now ranges from XS to 3XL for certain pieces. There is also a click and collect feature, which allows customers to purchase items online and pick them up at the Uniqlo store of their choice. This will allow them to try on items in person and return and exchange them immediately (but trying on clothes also depends on restrictions of the LGU where the store is located). The pay in store option also lets customers to choose items on the website and pay for it in-store. They can opt to pick up the item upon payment or have it delivered to their preferred address. The app also has a feature that allows customers to scan an items barcode to check product availability online or in other stores. Delivery is available nationwide, and is free for a minimum purchase of 2,500. *** Shop at uniqlo.com/ph Glenwood Springs, Colorado, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Linda Childears, president emeritus of the Daniels Fund, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Alpine Bank, Board Chairman Bob Young announced today. With our recent addition of four Front Range Alpine Banks, we felt it important to find a board member that will make a valuable contribution to our organization, said Young. We believe Linda Childears will do just that. Childears brings extensive banking experience, having served as CEO of the Young Americans Bank, president of Equitable Bank of Littleton and vice president of the First National Bank Corporation, as well as experience as a board member of the Colorado Bankers Association and the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. She is the past chair and a current board member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. In addition, she has served on over 25 state and local boards as well as five national boards, chairing nine of them. I am very honored to join the board," Childears said. I've admired Alpine Bank and its leadership for a long time. It combines two things I love: the banking business and a genuine relationship with the communities it serves." Childears has received several honors, most recently the Outstanding Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award from the Denver Business Journal. She has honorary doctorate degrees from Johnson & Wales University and the University of Denver. About Alpine Bank Alpine Bank is a $3.9-billion, employee-owned organization chartered in 1973 with headquarters in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. With 40 banking offices across Colorado, Alpine Bank employs more than 750 people and serves more than 145,000 customers with personal, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Alpine Bank has a 5-star rating for financial strength by BauerFinancial, Inc., the nations leading bank rating firm. The 5-star rating is BauerFinancials highest rating for financial institutions. Learn more at www.alpinebank.com. Story continues *Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank. Attachment Debbie Lundin Alpine Bank (970) 384-3259 debbielundin@alpinebank.com KEY HIGHLIGHTS SBI, which had earlier indicated that it had no immediate plan to raise capital, has now lined up a proposal to raise Rs 25,000 crore capital IDBI Bank, where LIC is the new promoter, has plans to raise Rs 11,000 crore equity capital to improve its capital base Unlike private banks, PSBs will not be able to raise capital from the market at a good price because they have low valuations in stock market In the last 5 years, the government has infused Rs 3.08 lakh crore capital in the PSBs. After private sector banks' capital raising exercise, the public sector banks (PSBs), which control over two-third of deposits and advances in banking, are also lining up to create capital buffers to absorb likely NPAs and capital erosion after the end of six-month loan moratorium. Currently, the chances of PSBs getting timely and adequate capital from fiscally constrained government looks very bleak. The banking regulator, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has already asked commercial banks to create capital buffers in view of COVID-19 related stress. The country's largest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), which had earlier indicated that it had no immediate plan to raise capital, has now lined up a proposal to raise Rs 25,000 crore capital. The IDBI Bank, where LIC is the new promoter, has plans to raise Rs 11,000 crore equity capital to improve its capital base. Bengaluru-headquartered Canara Bank and Central Bank of India have also firmed up plans to raise Rs 5,000 crore each through equity capital. The Punjab National Bank, which has sufficient capital with capital adequacy ratio at 14.14 per cent, is planning to raise capital towards the end of the year. But, unlike private banks, PSBs will not be able to raise capital from the market at a good price (equity) and rate (debt capital). The valuations of PSBs are very low in the stock market. So, any large amount of capital means higher equity dilution. The price to book, which is an indicator of the banks' valuation shows a huge gap between PSBs and private banks. For instance, the PSBs' market price to book value is less than one times, whereas the private banks have price to book of 3-5 times. Kotak Mahindra Bank has one of the biggest price to book of over 5 times. Most of the PSBs are largely dependent upon government for capital because of government ownership and low valuation in the market. In the recent past, the government has used the recapitalisation bond route to infuse capital. Under recap bonds, the government issues bonds which are subscribed by the PSBs. The money which the government receives as subscription from banks is pumped back to them as government capital. The government's net outgo every year will be the interest on bonds whereas the bond sits in the banks' book as investment. However, the full liability would crystallise on the government once the bond reaches its maturity or redemption. In the last 5 years, the government has infused Rs 3.08 lakh crore capital in the PSBs. The government had last used the recap bond route in 2017 to infuse Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital. The RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das last week said that a recapitalisation plan for PSBs and private bank has become necessary because of likely higher NPAs and capital erosion of banks post COVID-19. "Building buffers and raising capital will be crucial not only to ensure credit flow but also to build resilience in the financial system," said Governor Das. The current capital adequacy ratio of PSBs is at 13 per cent, though comfortable, but not sufficient if the NPAs spike post the lifting of six-month moratorium. In fact, banks are already sitting on high NPAs at 8.3 per cent. Currently, the banks' 40 per cent of the term loan book is under six-month moratorium. There are fears that there will be a spike in NPAs once the moratorium ends in August next month. Given the falling GDP, which is likely to shrink in 2020-21, the stress in the corporate sector and the economy will only increase, and the burden of which will eventually fall on the shoulders of the banks. Also read: 2,426 firms 'looted' Rs 1.47 lakh crore from banks; will govt investigate, asks Rahul Gandhi Details of the inquiry into the Pompeos, coming amid a cloud of accusations that critics say shows a pattern of abuse of taxpayer money, have emerged gradually since May, when congressional aides told journalists about it. The inquiry was one of at least two investigations that the inspector general, Steve A. Linick, was conducting into Pompeos actions at the department when President Donald Trump abruptly fired Linick in May, at the urging of Pompeo. Linick, known to be cautious and nonpartisan, had served as inspector general since 2013 and ran an office of hundreds that investigated fraud and waste at the State Department. Oneida Indian Nation and Colgate University The Nation and University have enjoyed a tremendously cooperative relationship throughout the years and we thank President Brian W. Casey and his team for working with us during this process. The Oneida Indian Nation and Colgate University today announced the imminent return of ancestral remains of at least six individuals. Bone fragments were found within the collection of the University's Longyear Museum of Anthropology, where they have been held after being recovered from archaeological sites decades ago. The repatriation follows a period of extensive research on the part of Colgate University to identify the remains as human and link them to the Nation. Officials at the University had recently discovered the remains while completing an updated inventory of the Museums archives and notified the Nation to set the process of repatriation in motion. We are grateful for the return of these remains, and truly appreciate Colgate University for coming forward with this discovery so that our ancestors may receive a proper re-interment at our burial grounds, said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter. The Nation and University have enjoyed a tremendously cooperative relationship throughout the years and we thank President Brian W. Casey and his team for working with us during this process. Being part of the repatriation of bone fragments belonging to the Oneida Indian Nation is a solemn honor for Colgate, said University President Brian W. Casey. The Longyear Museum of Anthropology has taken great pains to re-examine our collection and to act in accordance with national statutes governing the repatriation of remains, but this work is also part of our own ethical obligation to the Oneida people and to their ancestral lands. Colgate and the Oneida Indian Nation have a special long-time working relationship, Casey added. I know our scholars have learned much from that continued collaboration and from the work that led to this day. The remains were originally recovered by avocational archaeologists working with the New York State Archaeological Association Chenango Chapter, at various sites throughout ancestral Oneida homelands sometime during the twentieth century. One of the recovery sites, located near Poolville, NY, is believed to have been occupied by Oneida over several millennia until colonial times, with another village site dating back to approximately 1625 to 1640. Colgate University acquired the remains through various collections donated or purchased between 1959 and 2000; only recently discovering the items were not part of earlier repatriations made to the Nation in 1995 and 2003. With the assistance of a local bio archaeologist and forensic anthropologist, Jordan Kerber, Professor of Anthropology and Native American Studies and Curator of Archaeological Collections at the Museum, was able to identify ten human remains representing at least six individuals. The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act set forth guidelines for cooperation between museums and American Indian nations to allow for the repatriation of certain American Indian human remains, funerary objects and other sacred objects. Colgate University has operated in complete compliance of those guidelines to assist the Nation in reclaiming not only ancestral remains, but other archaeological dig finds as well. The Oneida Indian Nation and Colgate University have worked cooperatively for years in recognizing and preserving the Oneida ties to their ancestral homelands. In 1995, the Nation began working with Dr. Kerber and the University to assist with archaeological digs on Nation lands involving participants in the Nations summer youth program. Through the years, the digs have resulted in many archaeological objects being recovered, including pieces of pottery, trade beads, tools and projectile points dating back to the 1600s. The Universitys Native American Studies Program regularly involves the Oneida Indian Nation in events and presentations that explore not only American Indian history, but also modern day communities and issues as well. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the University to explore, teach and preserve our Oneida heritage, added Halbritter. It is imperative now, more than ever, that we work together for the benefit of the generations to come. The remains will be returned to Oneida Indian Nation officials at a later date when the Nation will hold a private reinternment ceremony at the Nations burial grounds for Oneida Members to attend. Korea is planning to send at least one government chartered flight to Iraq later this week to bring home about 300 nationals amid rapid spread of the virus in the Middle Eastern country, officials said Monday. The government has been in talks with Iraqi authorities to arrange details, including how many flights they will need to operate as well as quarantine procedures, a foreign ministry official said. The flight will be sent around Friday, the official said. The number of applicants seeking to board the flight rose to nearly 300 from 200 tallied late last week. They are mostly employees of large builders and their subcontractors involved in oil refinery facility projects in Karbala, southwest of Baghdad. "We're still taking applications and the number of those wishing to return could rise further," a ministry official said. The special flight will mark the seventh case that the government has chartered a plane to airlift its nationals stranded in virus-struck regions, after sending flights to China's Wuhan the initial epicenter of the pandemic Japan, Peru, Italy, Ethiopia and Iran. On Friday, the government announced the plan for the chartered flight to Iraq, citing a sharp increase in infection cases by a couple of thousand per day. Iraq's total caseload has surpassed 92,500, with 3,781 deaths. Upon their return, they will be required to isolate for two weeks at government-designated facilities and undergo virus tests. The decision also comes after South Korea reported a group infection of some 20 people who tested positive upon arriving from Iraq last week. In June, two South Korean workers in Iraq died of coronavirus symptoms or complications from the disease. There are 828 South Korean nationals living in Iraq. Of them, 499 are based in Karbala due to their work in the construction projects. (Yonhap) FDA evaluating a Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) to aid in the triage and diagnosis of COVID-19 South Carolina, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Eye Soft, an innovative IT-solutions and software development company, announced that it has received acknowledgment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its Pre-Submission package for its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI)-driven medical imaging software, BLUEDOCAITM, to assist with the medical diagnosis of diseases such as COVID-19. BLUEDOCAITM is a clinical decision support tool that uses AI-driven deep learning algorithms to assist radiologists and other healthcare professionals with fast and accurate diagnosis of diseases, such as COVID-19. BLUEDOCAITM has the capability to rapidly analyze chest X-rays to detect the presence of COVID-19 with >90% accuracy and may therefore help improve the efficiency and accuracy of radiology departments in the wake of the overwhelming workload caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.1 Blue Eye Soft Corp is also developing tools to support the medical diagnosis of other diseases such as pneumonia, pneumothorax, tuberculosis, cancer, and stroke which may have the potential to be used with a variety of medical imaging technologies across different hospital settings and locations. The pioneering technology behind BLUEDOCAITM is based on well-established medical image processing research of Russell C Hardie, PhD and Barath Narayanan, PhD and is currently licensed by Blue Eye Soft. In addition, Blue Eye Soft has announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security has approved the commodity license for BLUEDOCAITM, which will allow for its international export. The Blue Eye Soft team believes this is an important step forward for a company rooted in South Carolina to be able to export locally developed AI-powered diagnostic technology beyond the United States. Srikanth Kodeboyina, CEO of Blue Eye Soft said, Our team at Blue Eye Soft is looking forward to serving as a pivotal partner for radiology departments worldwide, helping them deliver precise and high-value patient care even in the challenging times of this ongoing pandemic. Story continues Following the commodity license of BLUEDOCAITM, Blue Eye Soft is paving their way into international markets. About AI in Medical Imaging There is a constant unmet need in radiology departments as imaging data continue to grow exponentially when compared with the number of available trained readers.2 AI-driven medical imaging tools have the potential to transform radiology departments in terms of enhanced productivity, increased diagnostic accuracy, more personalized treatment planning, and ultimately, improved clinical outcomes.2,3 The general principle behind AI-driven medical imaging tools is the ability to rapidly and accurately quantify and provide assessments based on the radiographic characteristics from images using deep-learning algorithms.2,3 About COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 rapidly spread worldwide soon after it was first reported by officials in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.4 BLUEDOCAITM and its logo are trademarks of Blue Eye Soft, Inc. Blue Eye Soft. Data on File. 2020. Hosny A, Parmar C, Quackenbush J, et al. Artificial intelligence in radiology. Nat Rev Cancer. 2018;18(8):500-510. Miller DD, Brown EW. How cognitive machines can augment medical imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2019;212(1):9-14. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Available at https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200423-sitrep-94-covid-19.pdf. Accessed July 13, 2020. __________________________________________ Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "potential," "may," "will," and similar expressions, or the negative of these words. Such forward-looking statements are based on facts and conditions as they exist at the time. Such statements are made with predictions as to future facts and conditions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding potential use in multiple disease conditions with different medical imaging techniques and technologies, as well as an improvement in the efficiency of radiology departments. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Readers of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Blue Eye Soft does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement relating to matters discussed in this press release, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Attachment Raghav Kappagantula, Project Manager Blue Eye Soft raghav@blueyesoft.com China will start to renovate 39,000 old urban residential areas this year, benefiting some 7 million households, according to guidelines released by the State Council Monday. The country will basically form the institutional framework and policy system for the renovation of old urban residential areas by 2022 and strive to finish the rebuilding of all communities that need to be renovated by the end of 2025, according to the guidelines. The renovation will focus on old residential areas built before the end of the year 2000. While the government will step up financial support for the projects, authorities should also mobilize social capital in the renovation and encourage financing via bond issuance, the guidelines said. The guidelines strictly forbid the use of the projects as financing vehicles for local governments so that no hidden local government debt will be added. The administrative approval process for the renovation projects will be streamlined, the guidelines said. China has vowed to strengthen the development of a new type of urbanization this year, with measures to support the installation of elevators in residential buildings and the development of meal, cleaning and other community services, according to this year's government work report. MEXICO CITY, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The work of startups done worldwide before the Covid-19 situation began is beginning to take shape, as explained by the entrepreneurial specialist Eduardo Graniello Perez. Although it is the technology-based companies that have maintained their operations regularly, such as Rappi, Uber, Postmates, among others, Graniello Perez highlights that there are many more startups that have stood out for their work and usefulness in recent months. "The way of living has changed a lot in recent months. Some entrepreneurs have known how to take advantage of the context to generate new solutions that facilitate the development of daily activities for those who had stayed at home, as for those required by to go out in a normal way", points out the specialist." "In Chile, Antu Energia & Smart Cargo has caught my attention, as these startups have decided to join forces to create a vaccination at home. They carry influenza vaccines or carry out Covid-19 tests, through an electric van. This startup is useful for older people who are highly vulnerable to contagion or who, due to their context, cannot travel to medical centers," explains Graniello Perez. However, the expert also highlights the work that entrepreneurs do in Mexico, with the objective of social responsibility, to help vulnerable populations due to the economic context and their slowdown. "There is a project called La Cana focused on creating job opportunities for women who are deprived of their liberty, through the implementation of workshops and programs that will provide professional development and facilitate their reintegration into society. With the sale of products that they weave in the different prisons that this startup attends, women can support their families even in this quarantine, "says Graniello Perez. "Another venture that I think is worth noting is that of Fruvii in Colombia. It is a mobile application through which vegetables and fruits are marketed mainly to customers in Medellin. This helps decrease the number of infections by preventing people from going to the supermarket, "he points out. "These startups, the resilience to endure a difficult time like the one that coronavirus has brought, and the vision with which entrepreneurs have managed to create new business models, ideas, services, or solutions that could become the enablers of the economy in the future", points out Graniello Perez. SOURCE Eduardo Graniello Perez KITCHENER Local therapists and counselling agencies say the pandemic is causing more clients to seek help for depression, anxiety, relationship issues and financial stress. When people call now, its more urgent. Particularly when it comes to couples, said Elma Plant, intake co-ordinator at the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre in Waterloo. People have been together much longer than they had previously anticipated. COVID has exposed a lot of issues, and people are at their breaking points, she said. The pandemic has been an overwhelming and isolating experience, said John Roche, clinical director of Transformation Counselling in Waterloo. The pandemic has been challenging, not only because it is causing more stress, but because its making it harder for people to get help, they said. Although Glebe and Transformation Counselling were able to pivot their services online within days, many clients find online therapy a challenge. Pamela Reano, a local therapist who has also used local therapy, says virtual counselling is more stressful. Virtual from home isnt the same, Reano said: there can be internet connection issues, worries of being overheard, privacy concerns, and the extra screen time can cause eye strain or headaches. Phone counselling is another option, but you cant see the therapists facial expressions, which Reano said is important for her when she feels vulnerable. Zoom may be a godsend for the work-from-home crowd but its no replacement for direct human contact, said Brad Wilton, a therapist at the Glebe. Reano said the challenges of online and phone therapy basically obliterated her caseload, though she expects more people to seek counselling when the dust has settled in the aftermath of the pandemic. Like their clients, therapists themselves have been affected by the pandemic, Roche said. This time we are all going through the same overwhelming thing. Therapists also worry that the federal and provincial funding for extra counselling may end too early and may not make counselling accessible to many who need it. The federal government has provided a variety of funding for counselling, but its not clear how long the funding will last. The province has announced up to $12 million in emergency funding for online and virtual mental health supports. Local therapists say that funding wont reach many people in the community, such as people who cant or wont use online therapy, or who struggle to afford therapy. Neta Gear, executive director of the Glebe, said some of the provincially funded counselling only offers a couple of free sessions, after which people need to pay. Thats a model that is inaccessible for low-income people. Much of the provincial funding is for online therapy, Gear said. How many homeless people are going to access virtual counselling? Gear asks. Many counselling centres have been strained, as they take on the overflow of hospitals or emergency rooms, Gear said. Others have been forced to close because of financial difficulties, said Gear, who is the executive director of the Distress and Crisis Centres of Ontario. Gear has seen distress and crisis centres close all over the province. Thats a real concern, she said, since many low-income people depend on these centres. If you have money, you can pay for services. If you dont, you go to a distress centre. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/07/13/agencies-helping-women-children-at-risk-of-violence-seeing-return-to-more-normal-levels.html Roche believes the government should subsidize psychotherapy for folks based on income, or fund psychotherapy for people up to a certain age. He sees it has a necessary investment. Mental illness costs us billions in health-care costs, welfare and disability payments, legal costs and lost work hours, he said. There may be new mental health challenges as the province moves into Stage 3 of its plan to open up businesses, therapists say. It may still be anxiety-provoking for people to cram into a room and to be physically distant, said Plant. Wilton hopes government leaders balance the message of caution about the pandemic with optimism to ease stress and anxiety levels. Were past the worst of it and were going to be OK. New Delhi, July 20 : A day after monsoon's first heavy shower in the capital wreaked havoc killing three and ripping open scenes of devastation as houses were washed away after crashing down in just four hours of rain, the India Meteorological Department sounded orange alert here for the next three days, predicting heavy rain at isolated places on Monday. This came a day after the capital city received spells of heavy monsoon showers, which threw traffic into disarray and led to the collapse of several shanties. Three people, including a child, died in rain-related incidents. IMD has four colour-coded warnings as per the intensity of any weather system -- green, yellow, orange and red. Orange alert is given to authorities to be prepared. The weather bureau has predicted, "Light to moderate rain and thundershowers accompanied with gusty winds, speed 30-50 kmph. Heavy rain at isolated places." There might be traffic congestion and water accumulation in low lying areas, the IMD added. According to data with the Delhi's Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, Safdarjung observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a rainfall of 2.2 mm, while Palam and Ayanagar recorded 2.7 mm and 23.1 mm rainfall since morning. Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD's regional forecasting centre told IANS the capital might witness moderate showers on Tuesday morning as well. According to the private weather agency Skymet, "There will be on and off monsoon showers in Delhi and surrounding regions. At some places, there might be heavy rainfall." Delhi's Regional Weather Forecasting Centre data showed that Safdarjung observatory recorded 124.9 mm rainfall from July 1 to July 20. There were seven rainy days this month. The observatory had recorded the all-time wettest July in 2003 when it recorded the rainfall of 632.2 mm. The all-time rain record for July in Delhi is 266.2 mm recorded on July 21, 1958. It recorded 93.3 mm and 153.6 mm till July 20 in 2019 and 2018, respectively. In June, 81.8 mm rainfall was recorded in Delhi, 25 per cent above normal than the long period average. There were 13 rainy days in June. The all-time record of total amount of rainfall for the month is 414.8 mm recorded in June 1936. The city government is closely monitoring the situation following waterlogging in parts of the city, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia saying that appropriate steps would be taken to cover the losses due to heavy rains. At the national level, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya recorded the highest rainfall of 327 mm, followed by Pasighat and Minicoy in Arunanchal Pradesh and Lakshadweep at 158 mm and 137 mm, respectively. The four-month Southwest monsoon had arrived in the country on June 1 in Kerala, covering other states and making an onset in Delhi on June 25. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The coronavirus infection has brought out catastrophe all over the world. Until now it has passed infection to more than 14 million people and killed over six lakh. India is the third worst hit nation, with the Covid-19 tally more than a million. Along with other nations, India as well is tied up in developing the vaccine for the disease which emanated from Wuhan city in China in 2019 and rapidly scattered around the globe. India being one of the biggest manufacturers of generic medicines and vaccines. Many Indian firms are engaged in developing vaccines for several disease for instance meningitis, polio, measles etc. Heres a look at Indian companies preparing a vaccine for Covid-19: 1) Bharat Biotech, Covaxin: The vaccine has been developed and fabricated in Hyderabed. Bharat Biotec began human trials of Covaxin last week. The firm has received green light to perform phase 1 and 2 clinical trial for its vaccine candidate. 2) Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca: The vaccine candidate is going through phase III clinical trials. The institute said it will begin human trials in India in August this year and is hoping that AstraZeneca vaccine will be available by the end of the year. 3) Zydus Cadila, ZyCoV-D: The company stated that it is looking to complete clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D in 7 months. The company had earlier started clinical trials with the first human dosing. 4) Panacea Biotec, Vaccine candidate: Still unnamed vaccine is being developed by this company. Panacea Biotec has set up a joint venture firm in Ireland with US-based Refana Inc for the purpose. It will manufacture over 500 million doses of coronavirus candidate vaccine. More than 40 million doses are expected to be at hand for delivery next year, company said. 5) Indian Immunologicals vaccine: It is a branch of National Dairy Development Board. Indian Immunologicals has inked an agreement with Australias Griffith University to develop a vaccine. 6) Biological E: The vaccine candidate being made by the pharma company is currently at pre-clinical trial. 7) Mynvax: The pharma company is working on a vaccine candidate which it hopes to develop in 18 months. It will initially start two dozen doses. It has petitioned Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) for Rs 15 crore grant. It is currently at pre-clinical trial. Also Read: Western Railways suffers loss of Rs 1,784 crores due to COVID-19 Srinagar : Authorities on Saturday lifted curfew from parts of the summer capital Jammu, where the curbs were imposed on Friday as a precutionary measure. The separatists plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar even as normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley for the 127th consecutive day. Curfew has been lifted in the five police station areas of the city where it was imposed on Friday as a precautionary measure, a police official said. The lifting of the restrictions led to an increased movement of people and transport in the city. Inter-district cabs were also plying on some routes connecting the other districts of the Valley with the summer capital.Some shops were also open in the areas in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city as well as in some of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir. However, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the rest of the Valley were shut due to the strike. They are expected to open later in the evening on Saturday, as the separatists have announced a 15-hour relaxation in the strike.As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley. With the San Francisco Public Library system's main library and its 27 branches closed since the city issued a shelter-in-place order in mid-March, its members have only had access to online services through its website. Now, the library is readying to open a pickup service called SFPL To Go that allows members to check out books again. We caught up with the man who leads the system, City Librarian Michael Lambert, to learn more about this service and ask what has been going on at the library during the pandemic. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE SFGATE: What has taken the library so long to offer pickup service? MICHAEL LAMBERT: We have over 900 staff and we had 41% of our workforce deployed as disaster service workers. Just to give you some scale of the magnitude a couple weeks ago, I saw a data point, as of July 1, 45% of the disaster workers in the city came from the San Francisco Public Library. I like to think our library staff has played a large role in helping San Francisco flatten the curve. Weve been working in hotels and helping provide shelter for the homeless population, staffing food banks and distributing food, also providing contact-tracing investigations. Now we're in a position to recall library staff from their Disaster Service Worker roles. We also have to secure approval of site specific health and safety plans from the Office of the City Administrator. We submitted a half dozen plans this past Friday for consideration. We are continuing to work on crafting the other plans for submission. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE SFGATE: Tell me about the librarys new SFPL To Go service. ML: It's our version of curbside pick-up that weve seen successfully rolled out by restaurants, retail and other libraries in the region. Our service model is a contact-free, front-door-type service where patrons can queue up outside our buildings to pick up their requested books at the library entrance. SFGATE: When and where will you offer SFPL To Go service? ML: We will begin with the main library and our pilot branch location, the Excelsior branch Llibrary. Hours of operation will be Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. for the Excelsior branch library and seven days a week for the main library, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sundays, noon-5:30 p.m. As staffing capacity permits, we aspire to reopen half of the library system, or 14 of 28 locations, for SFPL To Go. I dont have an exact opening date yet, but Im targeting early August for our initial SFPL To Go locations at the main library and Excelsior branch and striving to have additional neighborhood branches come back online later in August as staffing capacity permits. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE SFGATE: How many people do you expect to use the service? ML: Before the closure, the library saw roughly 6 million visitors a year, with approximately 1.5 million at the main and 4.5 million across our 27 neighborhood branches. With curtailed hours, public service limited to pick-up of requested items and fewer open locations, I anticipate several hundred visitors per day at the main and approaching a hundred patrons per day at a given SFPL To Go branch. SFGATE: What steps will the library take to protect staff implementing and members using the service? ML: The library will require patrons to wear masks and queue up outside our building in a physically distanced manner. Patrons will not be allowed to enter the building and instead they will approach the entrance where theyll be greeted by a library staff member behind a table with a sneeze guard, a glass barrier to protect library personnel. Library books and requested materials will be pre-checked out in advance and available for grab and go pickup in bags labeled with the patrons name. Library security and custodians will be at every site to ensure the operation runs smoothly and safely. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE SFGATE: How many staff members will you need to implement the first step? ML: The main library will require 30-plus staff because it will be a seven-day-a-week operation with enhanced services including inter-library loan and information services via the Telephone Information Program (TIP) and online reference service. Approximately seven library personnel per neighborhood branch a handful of public services staff plus one custodian, plus one security officer. SFGATE: The library is currently only offering services online. How are you addressing the digital divide as many members don't have Internet access? ML: Before the pandemic, the San Francisco Public Library was the largest free provider of high-speed broadband in the community. With our library locations closed to the public, weve been unable to provide access to our equipment, however the WiFi is still available for patrons to connect outside our neighborhood branches. Were still seeing over 4,000 sessions per day, which really demonstrates our communitys need for access: The library has also partnered with the Human Rights Commission to purchase 10,000 new childrens books that were delivered to the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center for distribution to child care providers and other community based organizations. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE SFGATE: What are you reading right now and what other books have you read during the pandemic? ML: I finished "The Body" by Bill Bryson. Im a big nonfiction buff. Its about the bodies systems and medical science history. I also just finished "White Rage" by Carol Anderson. I would give that book five stars. Its really a wonderful history of how we got to this point in our countrys history. I just started "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria" by Beverly Tatum. This is a book on the New York Times Best Seller list, Its a title from yesterday [published 1997] that examines social justice and helps us understand the dynamics in our country. 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 Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. 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. Yeoman Warders, more commonly known as Beefeaters, face redundancies for the first time in their long history. (PA Images) Beefeaters at the Tower of London are facing redundancies for the first time in their 500-year history. Cuts are being made to staffing levels at the Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) following a loss of revenue during the coronavirus lockdown. Its reported that two of the 37 Yeoman Warders, who are known as Beefeaters, have already taken voluntary redundancy. Last month an HRP spokesman confirmed a voluntary redundancy scheme would be put in place and warned a compulsory one could follow. HRP thinks this is the first time the Yeoman Warders, who guard the Crown Jewels, have been at risk of redundancy. Read more: Queen's Norfolk home, Sandringham House, reopens: How well do you know the royal residences? The Tower of London had to close its doors to tourists and the public. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez) HRP chief executive John Barnes said: Historic Royal Palaces is a self-funded charity. We depend on visitors for 80% of our income. The closure of our six sites for almost four months has dealt a devastating blow to our finances, which we expect to continue for the rest of the financial year and to be compounded by the slow recovery of international tourism. We have taken every possible measure to secure our financial position, but we need to do more to survive in the long term. We simply have no choice but to reduce our payroll costs. He added: We are heartbroken that it has come to this. Read more: Take a peek around Prince William and Kate's London home as Kensington Palace reopens Charles and Camilla visited the Tower of London in February, about a month before lockdown. (Reuters) He said he hoped Beefeaters would continue to be part of the Towers story in the years to come. The Tower of London usually welcomes 3 million visitors every year, but has reopened with capacity to take fewer than 1,000 a day. There are one-way routes and hand sanitising stations around the Tower, and those who want pictures with Beefeaters have to do so from two metres away. Read more: Queen's royal homes to reopen within weeks as staff braced for job cuts The Royal Collection Trust, which manages residences like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, is also facing a huge loss of revenue this year because of the lockdown. Some of the palaces will be able to reopen to visitors, but the trust has already confirmed a voluntary redundancy scheme, open to 650 staff. Hong Kong once seemed like a model for how to control the coronavirus. Schools were open. Restaurants and malls buzzed with crowds. Buses and trains operated as usual, with residents dutifully wearing face masks on board. But a new wave of infections in recent days has put the city on edge. Hospitals are now seeing more cases a day than they ever have during the pandemic. More important, health officials are unable to determine the origin of many of these cases, despite having a robust contact tracing system in place. The government reported 73 cases on Monday, one of the highest totals for a single day since the coronavirus emerged nearly seven months ago in mainland China. In short order, the virus has spread across the city, infecting clerical staff at a government-run eye clinic, residents at a senior center and cleaning workers at the airport. The situation is very serious, and there is no sign of it coming under control, Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, said on Sunday as she announced new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. Tourists from the United States will not be allowed to enter the Bahamas due to concerns over coronavirus. The Bahamas tourism website said international commercial flights and commercial vessels carrying passengers will not be allowed to enter the borders except for commercial flights from Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The tourists from those areas must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 10 days of their arrival. COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements for returning Bahamians, residents and visitors from abroad. pic.twitter.com/3RJdT8EEoe Dr Hubert Minnis (@minnis_dr) July 19, 2020 The ban begins Wednesday. The Bahamas has 153 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the ministry of health. The borders to the Bahamas were reopened July 1. Related Content: The broader rollout of new telecom networks, which happens every eight to 10 years, helps offset this global weakness but doesnt remove it. That means that its a dangerous bet to believe in wholesale resumption of demand, because macro-economic headwinds are likely to catch up with this short-term shot in the arm that tech has experienced. Credit: CC0 Public Domain In July, the University of California, San Francisco paid $1 million to hackers who stole data from the university's School of Medicine and threatened to publish it. Michigan State University and Columbia College Chicago were also recently attacked. This past January, Regis University in Denver paid a ransom to hackers. Are colleges and universities being specifically targeted by cyberattackers? We asked Joseph Murdock, cybersecurity expert and faculty in the Business School, for answers. What is Ransomware? "Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) that is designed to encrypt your data files," Murdock explains. "Once encrypted, it will then ask for a ransom to be paid in something hard to trace like Bitcoin or some other crypto-currency. If you pay the ransom, the attacker will typically send you the key to decrypt your files." The reason ransomware is on the rise is because it works. "It is estimated that in 2018, ransomware was an $8 billion industry for attackers," Murdock said. Hackers are not specifically targeting educational institutions. "In 2019, the education sector only attributed 5% of overall ransomware attacks, so it is a relatively small segment," Murdock explains. Government and manufacturing are the two top segments hacked by cyberattackers. The reality is that hackers are just going after large computer systems at organizations that can pay large ransomsuniversities included. Don't Click on Phishing Emails Of course, the more people use a system, the greater the chances are of successfully infiltrating it. "According to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 94% of malicious software enters an organization via email," Murdock said. Murdock points out there is a simple solution to help protect all organizations, including universities, from hacking. "Training your users to be able to spot malicious emails (phishing emails) and not respond to them or click on any links is very crucial," he said. With so many students, faculty, staff, and alumni relying on university email accounts, there are ample opportunities for hackers to infiltrate a university computer system. "Due to so many malicious attacks coming successfully via email, user awareness training has a huge impact on how secure an organization can be," Murdock said. For those who may have forgotten how to recognize phishing attacks, the Office of Information Technology has some valuable tips (see box below). COVID-19 Pandemic Increases Ransomware Unfortunately, the pandemic has turned into an opportunity for hackers. "Since the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic, an uptick in malicious emails has been seen with related subject lines," Murdock said. "People are hungry for information about the pandemic, so these emails may have a higher success rate than the typical phishing email we are all used to." The health crisis has also inadvertently created more opportunity for cyberattacks to be successful. "You have many workers that have had to transition to working from home, which has created a strain on IT departments to support these remote workers and their home computing devices, which may not be as secure as the equipment maintained by the organization," explains Murdock. More people working from home basically creates "an additional path of entry for attackers." Due to the pandemic and the increase in students, faculty, and staff working from home, universities will need to be more careful now than ever before. "If the trend of successful ransomware attacks on universities continues, I imagine the attacks will become more common as attackers will see they can exploit this segment successfully," Murdock said. Explore further Ransomware criminals are targeting US universities More information: 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report: 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report: enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/ It's well known that our sense of smell is closely linked with memory, which is why the aroma of sun cream can remind us of happy, hazy days on the beach, or even the slightest whiff of fish and chips can conjure childhood trips to the seaside. Sadly, with overseas holidays postponed for many of us, we may not be making as many memories this year, but if it's olfactory escapism you're after, there is another way. A few spritzes of perfume are all it takes to transport your mind to distant shores - and lift your mood - so why not treat yourself to a new bottle of fragrance? From cult favourites to recent hot launches, here are seven beautiful scents inspired by summer sojourns... 1. Jo Loves mango thai lime parfum, 70 for 50ml, Space NK If you're a fan of fragrances that smell good enough to eat, you'll go crazy for the latest concoction from Jo Loves, which is inspired by founder Jo Malone's travels in Thailand. Sweet and tangy at the same time, the combination of mango and kaffir lime with a dash of black pepper is truly scrumptious. 2. Nivea Sun eau de toilette, 25 for 30ml, Amazon Have you ever wished you could douse yourself in the distinctive aroma of sunscreen? Well, now you can, with this new eau de toilette, which captures the powdery warmth of the classic Nivea Sun scent. Fans of the fragrance are already declaring it 'summer in a bottle'. 3. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh eau de toilette, 69 for 75ml, Boots The softer, more summery sister of the original Marc Jacobs Daisy, Eau So Fresh feels like a stroll through an orchard in August, bringing together bucketloads of fruity notes (grapefruit, raspberry, lychee, plum), rounded out with rose and musk at the heart. 4. Shiseido Rising Sun eau de toilette, 52 for 100ml, Escentual Managing to be citrusy, creamy and coconutty all at the same time, Rising Sun is like a delicious scoop of gelato on a hot day, but the salty marine notes stop it from being overly gourmand. Designed so it can be worn in the sun without affecting your skin, it contains no photosensitive ingredients, so you can spritz away while you sunbathe. 5. No.01 eau de parfum, 75 for 30ml, Stories Perfumer Eliza Grace hit upon the idea for her first fragrance while on a trip to the French Riviera. Telling the story of 'sorrow transformed into beauty', this rich bouquet combines bergamot and orange blossom, with the warmth of sandalwood and amber. 6. Sol de Janeiro Sol Cheirosa '62 eau de parfum, 78 for 50ml, Cult Beauty Famous for the ultra-nourishing Bum Bum cream, Brazilian beauty brand Sol de Janeiro has created its first ever scent inspired by the 1962 bossa nova classic The Girl From Ipanema. Promising to transport you to the beaches of Rio, the golden eau de parfum boasts a delectable blend of almond, caramel, jasmine and sandalwood. 7. Dolce and Gabbana limited edition Light Blue Sun eau de toilette, 57 for 50ml, Debenhams Inspired by the Italian island of Capri, this fruity fragrance is bursting with tangy lemon, crisp green apple and the freshness of a sea breeze. Coconut water and heady white florals add a lush, tropical quality. The recent results of almost all banks show a decline in profit, or losses. This is even before the full impact of Covid-19 is captured. Many borrowers must have been affected adversely by the lockdown and it is likely that the non-performing assets may go up if the government does not announce any special restructuring scheme. Further the banks have been affected due to the drop in their non-interest income, resulting in muted top-line growth. But the good news is that the banks are able to raise fresh capital. Unfortunately, part of the new capital will be used ... Women who have sought asylum in the UK have been forced to go without food and sleep outside or on buses during the coronavirus crisis, a report has found. The study, carried out by a coalition of womens organisations, warned that the public health emergency has made asylum-seeking women more at risk of hunger and ill health. The coalition Sisters Not Strangers, which includes organisations working with refugee women around the UK, found that three-quarters of women seeking asylum went hungry during the Covid-19 crisis, including mothers who found it difficult to find food to give their children. A fifth of women polled were homeless, which meant they were either forced into precarious temporary living arrangements with acquaintances or were sleeping on the streets or on night buses. About a fifth said they were anxious about going to the NHS even if they fell ill with suspected coronavirus or a family member developed symptoms of the life-threatening illness. Approximately eight in 10 said their mental health had deteriorated in the wake of the pandemic because of being isolated and unable to access support services. Lo Lo*, an asylum-seeking woman who was homeless in London during the lockdown, said: I have serious health conditions that mean it would be particularly dangerous for me to catch the virus. For a week during lockdown, I slept on buses. I went from one side of London to the other because it was free to travel on the bus then. I didnt have any money for hand sanitiser or a face mask. It feels for me as a woman that life is one big cycle of abuse. Lo Lo said she came to the UK to seek safety but was instead forced into more exploitation spending many years homeless or being abused for work before managing to get any support. Recommended Woman says legal aid lawyer raped her after she was trafficked to UK This changed after meeting a solicitor who supported her to submit an asylum application based on the danger she suffered in her country of origin, as well as teaching her about trafficking and processes to apply for asylum, she said. The Home Office gave me accommodation, she added. I hoped that this would be a new chapter in my life, but it was no better. The accommodation was filthy and overcrowded. There were cockroaches and rats everywhere and we didnt have any hot water. I was in that accommodation for the start of this lockdown and I felt so unsafe there. She said that despite her serious health problems, which mean she is at risk of severe complications from Covid-19, it was impossible to self-isolate there. I was terrified because men kept coming into my room without permission, even while I was sleeping, Lo Lo said. I felt so stressed and my depression got worse. I had been submitting complaints about the accommodation for months, but the Home Office wouldnt listen to me. In the end, I felt too afraid to be there so I left. Recommended Hundreds of asylum seekers unable to access GPs or schools for months She said that after a week, the local authority placed her in a hotel which was housing homeless people, but the walls were mouldy and there were bed bugs. Because of my serious medical problems, I cant eat the food that they give us, she said. For the first two weeks, I had almost nothing to eat, until a charity gave me a supermarket voucher. Nothing is easy. Now I am here, it is hard for me to get to my medical appointments because the hotel is so far away from the hospital. I would like the government to respect us, let us be safe and treat us with dignity as human beings. The frontline service providers who wrote the report, which demands a drastic overhaul of the asylum process, had all helped women cooped up with abusive partners or trapped in exploitative situations during the lockdown. This included women who had been forced to do unpaid work to have some form of housing. Edna*, a domestic abuse victim who has been refused asylum, said: Being destitute during a pandemic is the worst feeling ever. It makes you feel like you are just a box and if someone wanted to kick you, they could; you are just an object, not a human with feelings. Its not easy relying on other people for food and shelter and it has caused me a lot of mental health issues. I have thoughts about harming myself. Its not been easy at all for me during the pandemic not being free, not being able to do what I want. Everything comes with a restriction. Loraine Mponela, chair of Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group, which was involved in drawing up the report, said the issues raised in the research are problems that asylum-seeking women are experiencing on a day-to-day basis". She said: Its not drama; its real life. We need to build solidarity to carry us through this crisis and also enable us to work together after the pandemic to create a more equal and safer society for women. The Sisters Not Strangers coalition, who spoke to 115 women currently living in England and Wales who have claimed asylum, includes organisations working with refugee women in eight different cities across the country. Natasha Walter, director of Women for Refugee Women, said: Previous research has established that almost all women who seek asylum in the UK are survivors of gender-based violence. Even before this crisis, we have seen how they are forced into poverty, and struggle to find safety. During the pandemic, they have too often been left without basic support, including food and shelter. It is now vital that we listen to these women and ensure that we build a fairer and more caring society. *Names have been changed to protect peoples identities Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - A 39-year-old Mauritian resident of Rose-Hill town, some 20 km south of the capital, Port Louis, was arrested on Monday by police on suspicion of being behind false reports about the COVID-19, which circulated on Facebook last week, police sources told PANA Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The maintenance backlog at Carlsbad Caverns National Park is close to $40 million, but it doesnt involve work on the elevators as it has in recent years. It instead is related to paving three miles of trail inside the cavern. Superintendent Doug Neighbor concedes that the project is expected to be costly. The parks needs make up almost a third of the $121 million backlog at New Mexicos national parks and monuments, according to the National Park Service. Were not the only ones with a very large price tag, Neighbor told the Journal, mentioning there were other parks in the region with a larger backlog. He calls the work the park needs very technical and says it would fit within the Great American Outdoors Act funding. The legislation, which is expected to pass the U.S. House and be signed by President Donald Trump this month, would provide $1.9 billion a year for five years to address deferred maintenance at national parks, monuments, refuges and other federal lands. This bill puts down a substantial payment toward the maintenance backlog facing our public lands and is the most significant commitment to maintaining our public lands ever made by Congress, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said during a virtual roundtable about the bill. For Carlsbad Caverns, the commitment would be welcome. Neighbor said the park intends to strip the trail of the current surface of asphalt and epoxy put in years ago. Those types of things probably shouldnt be in a cave because they can leach out with petroleum products and other things, he said. The surface would be replaced by concrete, which is similar to the composition of the limestone in the cave, Neighbor said. Conduits would also be laid down inside the trail with communication receivers placed for visitor safety and ranger communication. Neighbor said the park is looking at replacing about five miles of stainless steel handrails along the trail, as well as adding and replacing walls that collect lint from visitors clothing. The maintenance needs at White Sands National Park may seem modest by comparison. The park system listed deferred maintenance at a little more than $3 million in fiscal 2018, but park Superintendent Marie Sauter said the work is needed because more visitors are coming since it was upgraded to national park status in December. We felt we were on track to break records for visitation this year before the (COVID-19) pandemic, she said. She said renovation work is needed at the visitor center and restrooms at the park. Both date to the 1930s and are adobe buildings, which are typical classic construction here in New Mexico. Our restrooms were designed and built in the 1930s to function several decades out and meet the needs of visitation, Sauter said. But the restrooms were designed for tens of thousands of visitors per year, not the hundreds of thousands now visiting the park in southeastern New Mexico. Weve got a point where we are putting Band-Aids on the restroom facilities and are looking for opportunities to build new, modern, up-to-date restrooms and comfort stations that will meet the needs of quite expanded visitation, Sauter said. Drainage work at the visitor center would divert water away from the building. Work on the electrical system and roofing is planned. Were still processing the cost to do all of this work and renovation, including adding an upgraded IT system, communication system so we can add some great features for our visitors like wireless opportunities, Sauter said. The park isnt able to offer wireless service in the visitor center now because of the thick adobe walls, she said. Maintenance needs arent limited to the two national parks. El Malpais National Monuments temporary visitor center could be replaced with a permanent structure, said Kevin Dahl, senior program manager for the Southwestern region of the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocate for the park system. Archaeological sites at Bandelier and Chaco Canyon could receive much-needed stabilization and protection. The parks system listed the backlog for Chaco Culture National Historical Park at more than $18 million and Bandelier National Monument at more than $14 million. At Chaco Canyon, theres $5 million for paved roads, $3.6 million to stabilize and protect archaeological sites, $3 million for a building update, also a million dollars needed for the wastewater treatment plant, Dahl said. These are the places that need to be fixed up. Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Chaco, Gila Cliff Dwellings and Bandelier, Udall said. Expanding, restoring and maintaining our public lands can be a massive job creator. Muzaffarpur shelter home: Brajesh Thakur moves HC against jail for life for sexual assault India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, July 20: Brajesh Thakur, who was sentenced to life imprisonment till his last breath for sexually assaulting several girls in a shelter home in Bihars Muzaffarpur district, has approached the Delhi High Court challenging his conviction and jail term. The high court is likely to take up this week his appeal seeking to set aside trial courts January 20 judgment convicting him in the case and February 11 order sentencing him to life imprisonment till his last breath. Recommended action against erring govt servants in Bihar shelter home case: CBI A trial court here had sentenced Thakur to "rigorous imprisonment till remainder of his life" and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 32.20 lakh on him, saying he was the "kingpin" of a "meticulously planned" conspiracy and "displayed extreme perversity". Besides him, the trial court has also sent others to jail for life in the case. Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, who represented Thakur before the trial court, confirmed that the appeal has been filed on his behalf. Thakur, in the appeal, contended that the trial was conducted in a hurried manner by the special judge (POCSO), Saket, which was a flagrant violation of his right to a free and fair trial as guaranteed under the Constitution. He claimed that his applications and submissions were dismissed in a mechanical manner without due application of judicial mind with a view to somehow conclude the trial. Rajasthan crisis peaks: Ashok Gehlot calls Sachin Pilot 'worthless' | Oneindia News The appeal, filed through advocates Nishaank Mattoo, Anurag Andley and Shreed Krsna, claimed that the conviction judgement and sentencing order were passed by the trial court in a prejudiced and mechanical manner having been swayed by the gruesomeness of the allegations levelled against Thakur and the public perception. The appeal also raised the issue that potency of an accused is one of the foundational facts which the prosecution has to establish in a case related to rape and said neither the Bihar Police nor CBI had conducted the potency test of Thakur. The trial court has failed to appreciate that in a case relating to rape, the prosecution must first and foremost establish that an accused is potent and thereby capable of committing the alleged act The trial court has failed to appreciate that there is no presumption under law that a person who is more than 50 years of age and admittedly suffering from high blood sugar has to be potent. Without establishing the potency of the accused specially one who is more than 50 years of age the accused cannot be convicted of the offence of rape, it contended. Kanpur: 57 girls at children's shelter home test COVID-19 positive, 5 of them pregnant The Special Judge, (POCSO), Saket while convicting the appellant (Thakur) has relied upon legally inadmissible evidence and has assumed the role of a prosecution witness by giving possible explanations which have neither been stated by the prosecution witnesses nor have been recorded in evidence and have further not even been argued by the prosecution during the course of final arguments, it alleged. The appeal claimed that the trial courts verdict was illegal, incorrect, perverse and contrary to the evidence on record and hence liable to be set aside. The trial court on January 20, had convicted Brajesh Thakur, who once unsuccessfully contested assembly polls on Bihar People's Party (BPP) ticket, of several offences including aggravated penetrative sexual assault under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and offences of rape and gang rape under the Indian Penal code (IPC). Besides Brajesh Thakur, it had sentenced Dilip Verma, then Chairman of Child Welfare Committee; Child protection officer of District Child Protection Unit Ravi Roshan; member of Child Welfare Committee Vikas Kumar; Guddu Vijay; Kumar Tiwari; Guddu Patel; Kishan Kumar and Ramanuj Thakur to imprisonment for remainder of life in the case. It had also send three women -- Minu Devi, Kiran Kumari and Shaista Praveen -- to jail for life for abetment to rape. The trial court had sentenced Rama Shankar, Ashwani, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari and Hema Masih to 10 years in prison, and Indu Kumari to three years jail term. It had imposed varying fines on the convicts. It had also granted a compensation of Rs 5.50 lakh to three of the rape victims; Rs 6 lakh to one of the victims, Rs 9 lakh to another victim, Rs 40,000 each to two of the victims and Rs 25,000 to another victim. Former Bihar Social Welfare Minister and the then JD(U) leader Manju Verma had also faced flak when allegations surfaced that her husband had links with Brajesh Thakur. She resigned from her post on August 8, 2018. The case was transferred on February 7, 2019 from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the Supreme Court's directions. The matter had come to light on May 26, 2018 after Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted a report to the Bihar government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls in the shelter home for the first time. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 20:10:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- An explosion that rocked the Syrian-Turkish border a day earlier killed and wounded 73 people, a war monitor reported on Monday. Eight people were killed and more than 65 others wounded when a car bomb was detonated on Sunday near the Bab al-Salameh border crossing between Syria and Turkey in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The death toll could likely rise due to the number of critically wounded people, said the UK-based watchdog group. The targeted area is controlled by the Turkish forces and Turkey-backed rebels. The Observatory said the explosion comes days after the Turkish forces and allied Syrian opposition rebels launched a campaign against the Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells in areas controlled by Turkey in northern Syria. Enditem European Union leaders appeared to be nearing agreement on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-blighted economies on Monday, despite lingering tensions between them. After four days of squabbling during the blocs longest summit in two decades, they expressed cautious optimism that a deal was in sight over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion (1.6 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund. French president Emmanuel Macron said: There were extremely tense moments. And there will be more that no doubt will still be difficult. But on content, things have moved forward. What had been planned as a two-day summit was forced into two extra days by deep ideological differences among the 27 heads of state and government. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte defended the aim of a group of five wealthy northern nations the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Denmark to limit costs and impose strict reform guarantees on any rescue plan for needy nations. On Sunday night, after the talks hit rock-bottom, European Council president Charles Michel implored leaders to overcome their divisions and agree on the bailout. Unanimous agreement is required. Following discussions with various leaders, he later adjusted his proposals and said he was convinced an agreement was possible. The coronavirus has killed around 135,000 EU citizens and plunged its economy into an estimated contraction of 8.3 per cent this year. The blocs executive had proposed a 750bn coronavirus fund, partly based on common borrowing, to be sent as loans and grants to the countries hit hardest by the virus. That comes on top of the seven-year 1 trillion EU budget that leaders had been haggling over for months even before the pandemic. Recommended EU coronavirus recovery plan hanging in balance on third day of talks On Sunday, the leaders considered a proposal from the five northern nations for a coronavirus recovery fund with 350bn of grants and the same amount in loans. The five, nicknamed the frugals, have long opposed any grants at all. The latest compromise proposal stands at 390bn in grants. The bloc of five want strict controls on spending, while struggling southern nations such as Spain and Italy say those conditions should be kept to a minimum. The five have also been pushing for labour market and pension reforms to be linked to EU handouts and a brake enabling EU nations to monitor and, if necessary, halt projects supported by the recovery fund. A French diplomat said joint efforts from German chancellor Angela Merkel and Mr Macron kept hopes of a deal alive during the weekend. Without Franco-German agreement, the EU has never taken momentous steps. Additional reporting by agencies IRVINE, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopoff Realty Investments ("Shopoff"), a national manager of opportunistic and value-add real estate investments, announced today that its San Gorgonio Crossing industrial project will move forward, after a court ruling has now finalized and affirmed all previous project approvals. The announcement comes after the Riverside County Superior Court ruled to dismiss all previous challenges to the project. Located in the Cherry Valley area of Riverside County, the property consists of 244 acres, with Shopoff's secured entitlements allowing for a 1.8-million-square-foot logistics center a well-suited use given the property's close proximity to Interstate 10. "After receiving project approvals in October 2017, we are pleased to finally be able to move this fantastic project forward, helping to fill a void in this marketplace for large distribution warehouse buildings," said Shopoff Realty Investments President and Chief Executive Officer William Shopoff. "As the shift to online retail continues, further strengthened by the recent stay-at-home orders, the need for large scale warehouse buildings will only continue to grow across Southern California in the coming years." In October 2017, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the project, which was subsequently challenged by two groups who raised 39 claims against the project. The case was heard in the California Superior Court on February 7, 2019, and the judge ruled favorably for the project by upholding the project approvals and associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Out of the 39 claims by the project's opposition, the judge required Shopoff to further evaluate only two limited issues, which pertained to the incorporation of solar panels and analysis of transportation energy use. Brian Rupp, executive vice president of development at Shopoff Realty Investments added, "To properly address the two remaining project concerns, we prepared a supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR), which included additional technical studies that maximized the use of solar panels, and evaluated strategies for transportation energy use requirements. Based on the revised design, the buildings will offset 100% of their electric use with clean solar energy." The SEIR, including the additional technical studies, went back to Riverside County for review by County staff and ultimately received unanimous approval by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in May 2020. The project then went before Judge Ottolia at the Superior Court, with the Judge officially dismissing the case on July 7th, 2020, and ultimately affirming the project and previous approvals. Rupp added, "With the County's official approval secured, we believe this project will be very well-positioned to serve as a distribution center for cargo coming out of both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. The project also has great potential to benefit the surrounding community by creating thousands of jobs, and ultimately stimulating this local economy." About Shopoff Realty Investments Shopoff Realty Investments is an Irvine, California-based real estate firm with a 28-year history of value-add and opportunistic investing across the United States. The company primarily focuses on proactively generating appreciation through the repositioning of commercial income-producing properties and the entitlement of land assets. The 28-year history includes operating as Asset Recovery Fund, Eastbridge Partners and Shopoff Realty Investments (formerly known as The Shopoff Group). Performance has varied in this time frame, with certain offerings generating losses. For additional information, please visit www.shopoff.com or call (844) 4-SHOPOFF. Disclosures This is not an offering to buy or sell any securities. Such offer may only be made through the offerings memorandum to qualified purchasers. Any investment in Shopoff Realty Investments programs involves substantial risks and is suitable only for investors who have no need for liquidity and who can bear the loss of their entire investment. There is no assurance that any strategy will succeed to meet its investment objectives. The performance of this asset is not indicative of future results of other assets. Securities offered through Shopoff Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC, 2 Park Plaza, Suite 770, Irvine, CA 92614, (844) 4-SHOPOFF. Contact: Jill Swartz Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1389 [email protected] SOURCE Shopoff Realty Investments Related Links http://www.shopoff.com IndiGo, the largest airline in India, will shed 10 per cent of its workforce as the airline scrambles to control the impact of the pandemic. The airline, with more than a 50 per cent market share, is one of the largest job creators in the Indian aviation industry owing to its size. According to the latest data, which is till the end of FY19, the airline had 23,531 employees on its payroll. The affected employees of IndiGo will be paid a severance pay of up to three months, gratuity, bonus, and medical insurance. The long-term stability of our company requires us to ... American actress Amber Heard told Londons High Court that her ex-husband Johnny Depp had threatened to kill her, as she appeared on Monday as a witness against the Hollywood star in his libel action against a British tabloid newspaper. Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, publishers of the Sun newspaper, over a 2018 article which labelled him a wife beater and questioned his casting in the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them franchise. The London court has already heard two weeks of evidence, including five days of testimony from Depp himself, which has laid bare the couples volatile relationship and some shocking claims from both parties. Depp, 57, denies ever being violent with Heard or any other woman. He says Heard, 34, was abusive towards him. In a sworn statement to the court, released on Monday as she entered the witness box, Heard said the abuse she suffered at Depps hands was extreme. Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far, she said in the statement. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. Heard said the actor would obsess about her appearance and would call her a slut, fame-hungry and an attention whore if she wore certain outfits. The physical abuse included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. He threw things at me, especially glass bottles. she said. We're sorry, but we're unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have been removed, renamed, or deleted. You can try searching for the topic using the search button in the right hand corner above. A restaurant owner in New York burnt a table that Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein used to dine at. Zach Erdem, who owns 75 Main in Southampton, New York, said Table 1 which both men had dined at provided only bad energy. Im sick of the bad energy of this table, Mr Erdem told CNN. Every time I see it I think of that sicko [Epstein]. The restaurateur took an ax and a sledgehammer to the table, and then proceeded to burn it as people cheered Burn, Epstein, burn! When I thought about it, like Jeffrey Epstein used to sit at this table, all I could think was I need to burn this f****** table and make sure nothing is going to stain my restaurant, said Mr Erdem in an interview. I got my hammer and my fuel and I broke it, burned it, and threw it in the garbage. It felt so good actually. Now I dont have to think about these guys anymore. The 39-year-old said he also wanted to erase the names of the two men, who were both convicted with sex crimes against women, from his restaurants history. People who abuse women are not welcome here, Mr Erdem said. He told The New York Post that Epstein, who visited 75 Main more than once, had been an impatient customer who would demand the same table each time. Epstein also had the sexiest girls in the house, Mr Erdem told the Post. They had nice shoes, were in good shape, but they looked really young. I knew something wasnt right. Authorities said Epstein committed suicide in prison last year whilst awaiting trial on charges accusing him of sexually abusing young girls. Ex-Hollywood producer, Weinstein, was sentenced earlier this year to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. A 46-year-old Laredo man has been charged with using the personal information of deceased individuals in online loan scam, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. David Allen Parker made his initial appearance on Friday, at which time the indictment was unsealed. He will remain in custody pending a hearing set for July 24. A US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, on Monday conducted maritime drills with Indian warships in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), against the backdrop of the India-China border standoff in Ladakh, people familiar with developments said on Monday. The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships, said an official. The drills also came at a time when tensions have mounted over Chinas activities in South China Sea, where the US Navy just conducted a major exercise that involved two carrier strike groups. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is transiting through IOR. During the passage, #IndianNavy units undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with #USNavy. Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEXs with #JMSDF (Japan) and #FrenchNavy in recent past, the Indian Navy tweeted. The Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy is currently carrying out manoeuvres near Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the warships that took part in the exercise were from that fleet, said a second official. While operating together, the US and Indian naval forces conducted high-end exercises designed to maximize training and interoperability, including air defence, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. It said the Nimitz carrier strike groups operations were designed to provide security throughout the region while building partnerships with friends and allies. The 7th Fleet is the largest of the US Navys forward deployed fleets. Naval engagements such as these exercises improve the cooperation of US and Indian maritime forces and contribute to both sides ability to counter threats at sea, from piracy to violent extremism. These engagements also present opportunities to build upon the pre-existing strong relationship between the US and India and allow both countries to learn from each other, it added. The Nimitz carrier strike group, consisting of flagship USS Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson took part in the drills. India was represented by INS Rana, INS Sahyadri, INS Shivalik and INS Kamorta. It was a privilege to operate with the Indian Navy, said Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz carrier strike group. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is transiting through IOR. During the passage, #IndianNavy units undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with #USNavy. Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEXs with #JMSDF and #FrenchNavy in recent past.@USNavy@SpokespersonMoD @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/ntj5gFFNqC SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 20, 2020 The Indian Air Force has deployed half a squadron (eight to 10) of its Jaguar fighters at the Car Nicobar air base, in a show of strength amidst the tense confrontation between Indian and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, said a third official. The IAF has raised its guard along the northern border to deal with any military provocation by the Chinese forces and forward bases have been ordered to be on their highest state of alert. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are more than 1,200 km from mainland India. A significant volume of Chinas oil imports passes through Malacca Strait, which is south-east of these islands. The Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Indian Ocean from the Malacca Strait and is on its way to the Persian Gulf. Also read: From Ladakh to Japans Senkaku Islands, bully China is in an overdrive A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills. While the Malabar exercise with the US will be conducted later this year, it is always good to exercise with like-minded navies and exchange best practices whenever there is a chance, said naval affairs expert Captain DK Sharma (retd). The navy has been on an operational alert in the Indian Ocean where scores of warships are ready for any task in the aftermath of the border row. It has positioned warships along critical sea lanes of communications and choke points under its mission-based deployment and the vessels could be diverted for any mission. Indian warships are deployed from as far as the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait and northern Bay of Bengal to the southeast coast of Africa. The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships on the planet, is returning from an operational deployment in South China Sea. A carrier strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan was part of the US drills in South China Sea. The US deployment to South China Sea came after Chinas Peoples Liberation Army-Navy conducted drills in the contested waters, provoking a sharp reaction from neighbouring countries and Washington. The US Navy has said its operations in South China Sea are designed to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. The stage is also set for Australia to be part of the next Malabar naval exercise conducted by India with the US and Japan, as reported by Hindustan Times on July 17. The next edition of Malabar, already delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to be held by the end of the year. The formal invitation to Australia is expected to be extended after some time in view of delicate negotiations between India and China on disengagement and de-escalation to end their standoff along the LAC. China has also been wary of the Quadrilateral security dialogue or Quad that was revived in late 2017 by India, the US, Australia and Japan, and these suspicions have increased since the four countries upgraded the forum to the ministerial level last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PHILADELPHIA, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- McKean Defense Group, LLC announced today that Mr. Jeffery L. Cherry, founder and director of Conscious Venture Lab and managing partner of Conscious Venture Partners, LLC/Conscious Venture Fund has been elected to McKean's board of directors. Mr. Cherry is also the founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and managing partner of The Porter Group, LLC. Mr. Cherry's career spans more than 34 years in the federal market, and in working with both start-up and mid-size companies focused on growth and cultural change. Early in his career, Mr. Cherry created a successful 8a business that delivered engineering and information technology services to defense and civilian government clients. His most recent work has included the analysis of how companies can achieve competitive advantage and create societal impact by tending to the needs of a broad array of stakeholders (customers, employees, communities and shareholders). As a consultant on two books on these principles of "Conscious Capitalism," he has become a leading voice on the paradigm shift in business towards societal purpose as a path to company performance. These ideas are imbedded into the investment thesis of Conscious Venture Partners, the venture capital firm he founded in 2012. "As an employee-owned company, McKean is always seeking to expand our Board membership with candidates who deeply understand McKean's business and have mastered the unique stakeholder engagement required in this business model," said Joseph Carlini, Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McKean Defense. "Jeff clearly has both. His recent work on economic diversity is also attractive to us as we continue to work toward a more inclusive environment, both inside and external to McKean." McKean was a small business in the Navy engineering services market until 2010, but has consistently encouraged small and minority business relationships, and has always invested a portion of our profits in local communities near McKean offices. Mr. Cherry is a member of the Cornerstone Capital Global Advisory Council, a global sustainability investment advisory firm. He is the founding partner and member of the Board of Directors of the Laudato Si Challenge, a global initiative supported by the Vatican to create profitable, sustainable and innovative product and services for climate change and involuntary migration. He serves on the Board of Sponsors of the Loyola University Baltimore Sellinger School of Business and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Maryland Momentum Fund, the venture capital fund for the University System of Maryland. Mr. Cherry has a master's and bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of America. Additional Information: McKean Defense is an employee-owned Life Cycle Management, Engineering, Enterprise Transformation, and Program Management business headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. McKean Defense's engineers, developers, technical staff, programmers, analysts, and program managers identify and deploy new shipboard technologies, integrate information technology across shipboard platforms, and develop strategies to support the Warfighter. McKean Defense's employees create strategic solutions to help customers reach new levels of mission support and transform their organizations. SOURCE McKean Defense Group, LLC Related Links http://www.mckean-defense.com The following events are planned for the upcoming week throughout the region: Colin Mochrie, the star of the long-running Whose Line Is It, Anyway?, joins forces with master hypnotist Asad Mecci, for the return of their hit show HYPROV:... HEFEI -- Huang Fumei had to leave her money and valuable items at home due to the fast-rising water level of the Yangtze River, China's longest, which has been plagued by severe flooding. "There was only limited time allowed for transferring. A lot of people were evacuated in a rush," said Huang, who lives by the Yangtze in Sanzhou village of Susong county, East China's Anhui province. Some villagers sought help and accommodation with their relatives, while others, like Huang, have been relocated to local schools. Local authorities have organized rescue teams and boats to help villagers get back home and fetch necessary belongings. Huang said she had 20,000 yuan (around $2,860) in cash at home, but forgot to take it during the evacuation. "I was quite worried," she said, adding that the money was saved for the medical treatment of her sick father. Huang waited two hours before she embarked on a speed boat that would take her home, about 1 km away from the current river bank. Waters of the Yangtze breached the bank near her village on the evening of July 11. More than 1,900 villagers from her village and a neighboring one have been safely evacuated by the local government. "We can take six villagers each time. They need to put on life jackets before we go," said Huang Hong, vice captain of the Susong Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) team. "There is also a lifeguard on each boat in case someone falls into the water," said the 52-year-old local civil servant, who has permission from his office to participate in the flood-relief work at this time. BSR is a non-profit organization whose primary tasks are search-and-rescue, information screening, and medical assistance during natural disasters or epidemics. The rescue team has set up 31 branches around China. More than 30,000 volunteers from all walks of life nationwide have been registered and trained professionally. Private rescue teams, like BSR, could respond quickly to disasters since they come from local communities. Professional private rescue teams have been a reliable supplement for the government in this year's flood relief and rescue work. Waters reached the top of road lamps in the village. Huang Hong had to turn off the engine and start to row when the boat got too close to houses. Although Huang Fumei's house is on high ground, the first floor was flooded up to her calf. She opened the door and quickly located the money, but she was reluctant to leave her house when she saw the fridge was soaked in water. The BSR members helped her move the fridge to a higher place before they left for another house. "We are glad when villagers can retrieve their money. Their smiles are our best reward," said Chen Labao, captain of the Susong BSR team, also the owner of a clothing shop. Four boats have been arranged by BSR to help send villagers back home, while other boats have been patrolling in the waters around flooded villages. Heavy rain has affected over 2.8 million people in Anhui Province, with the water levels of the Yangtze River in the province staying above warning levels. A total of 543,000 residents have been evacuated as of Wednesday noon, according to the provincial disaster reduction and relief committee. "We also saved a dog yesterday. It was on top of a door lamp when we found it. It couldn't escape since it was chained to the lamp post," Huang Hong said. "The dog chased after us for a long distance after we brought it back to land, as if expressing thanks to us," Huang said. Some nightclubs in Spain have been shut following local coronavirus outbreaks (AP Photo) A Spanish tourist hotspot has shut down its nightclubs after a surge in coronavirus cases. The city of Gandia, near Valencia on the Costa Blanca, has closed its clubs following an outbreak, El Pais reported. The number of COVID-19 cases in the coastal city increased to 70 on Saturday, a rise of 21 from Friday. Regional health chief Ana Barcelo said most of the 20 outbreaks in the region are linked to nightclubs, bars, parties and young people. She said: We are enormously worried that more cases could continue appearing due to night-life activities. Nightclubs in Gandia must remain closed until at least August, authorities said, while bars must shut at 10pm. Separately, an end-of-school event on 10 July at a nightclub in Cordoba, in the southern region of Andalusia, has been blamed for a rise in infections. Meanwhile, the beaches of Barcelona were packed with people at the weekend even as the city was forced back into lockdown after a surge in coronavirus cases. The packed Barceloneta beach in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. (Reuters) Thousands of sun-seekers ignored pleas from the Catalan authorities to stay at home in one of Spains regions worst-hit from COVID-19. Access to beaches in Barcelona had to be closed on Saturday and Sunday after too many people took to the sand. Police patrolled Barceloneta beach and closed it off to new bathers on Sunday afternoon after it reached capacity. Long queues of people formed to gain access to the beach. People queue to enter a beach in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. (Reuters) Barcelona went back into lockdown on Saturday, with gatherings of more than 10 people banned. On Sunday, Catalonias regional health ministry reported 944 new cases over a 24-hour period, after recording more than 1,200 the previous day. About 4 million people were advised to only leave home for essential trips, but that did not stop the citys beaches from being overwhelmed. "Staying at home in the summer is stifling and stressful," said beachgoer Felipe, 24, who wore a face mask. Read more: Record number of coronavirus cases reported worldwide for second day in a row Story continues "I work five days a week and can't spend every day at home. My mental health comes first. Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in Europe by coronavirus and emerged from a national lockdown on 21 June. People enjoy the sunny weather at Barceloneta beach in Spain on Sunday. (Reuters) According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 260,000 cases in Spain and more than 28,000 deaths. Since national lockdown ended, there have been more than 180 outbreaks across Spain. The new lockdown measures in Barcelona mean bars and restaurants may remain open but must provide just 50% capacity and two metres between tables outside. Spanish health minister Salvador Illa urged Barcelona residents to follow the guidelines. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Unionised staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has indicated their intention to petition the National Media Commission (NMC) today, Monday, July 20, 2020, to intervene over plans by the government to drop three of its channels. The Union last Friday indicated their fear in a held durbar to protest the move by the government, saying that ceding three channels of GBC will render some workers jobless. Speaking to Accra-based Citi News, the Vice Chairman of the Union, Mark Agodoa, mentioned that the National Media Commission (NMC) must intervene as it is the constitutional mandate of NMC to get involved. Yes, we will petition. We will send a petition to the NMC because we want the NMC to intervene. It is their constitutional mandate to do that. We just want them to talk or maybe negotiate because the workers are resolute with their decision. Whatever the case is, there is a room for dialogue. Protest Meanwhile, the GBC staff upon the announcement to cede three channels has already served notice of their readiness to challenge moves to reduce the state broadcasters channels; asserting that the decision could collapse the company. Secretary of the GBC Union, Nutor Bibinii insisted that the GBC workers will continually protest the governments decision until the Minister of Communication rescinds the decision. We are humbly advising her [Minister of Communications]. She can take ten channels to herself but what belongs to the state, no political activist can come for it. If previous Ministers of Communication were taking one each, how many would have been left? We are saying no. It will not work and we shall challenge this decision at the peril of our lives. he insisted. Currently, GBC is said to be operating on the DSTV, GBC T1 and DTT transmission platforms. TV users who have access to these platforms are able to watch all of GBCs six channels on either platform. GBC had already written to the NMC to express its dissatisfaction over the matter in a bid to nullify the proposed move by government. Information Ministry clarifies The Minister of Information, Oppong Nkrumah, under whose Ministry the state broadcaster falls, had explained that the managers of the DTT platform want to reduce redundancy hence the directive to GBC. The decision of the government has received backlash from some individuals and groups, including the Minority side in Parliament saying it is unlawful. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Anti-mask activists gathered in Hyde Park to protest the mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops and supermarkets. Demonstrators at the event in London on Sunday were seen carrying signs that read no masks and I will not be masked, tested, tracked, in opposition to the UK governments coronavirus restrictions. One speaker at the event wore a g-string on her face in protest, while a man was pictured wearing a vest which said: Save human rights. No to 5G. No to vaccinations. The protest was set up by the group Keep Britain Free, which was founded by businessman and entrepreneur Simon Dolan. Mr Dolan lost a High Court bid earlier this month to overturn the governments lockdown for the pandemic. Face coverings will be made mandatory in shops from 24 July, with a fine of up to 100 for those who disobey the rule. Clare Wills-Harrison, one of the events organisers, told Sky News that the protesters were campaigning for the return of our rights and liberties. However, the groups opposition to the new rules on face coverings is not shared by the general public. A poll by Opinium published on Sunday in the Observer showed 71 per cent of adults in England supported the decision to make face coverings mandatory in shops, with just 13 per cent opposing the order. Cassie Sunshine wears a g-string on her face as she speaks at the Keep Britain Free protest (Getty Images) Professor Sir Ian Diamond, the UKs national statistician, told Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday that 61 per cent of the population had already been using face coverings in the last week. What we are showing is that week on week there is an increase in the number of people who are using face coverings, Sir Ian, the head of the Office for National Statistics, said. So last week the data would show that 61 per cent of the population had used a face mask in the last week and thats up from 50 per cent the week before. He added that face coverings were becoming the norm in many parts of society, especially in Scotland, where face coverings in shops were made mandatory earlier this month. A 12-year-old boy has been charged over a fatal road crash at Whyalla, in South Australia's mid-north, earlier this month. Police and emergency crews were called to Jubilee Park on July 8 after a Holden Commodore lost control and rolled in scrub. A 20-year-old Whyalla Stuart man, who had been a passenger in the car, sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he died on Sunday. A 12-year-old South Australian boy has been charged over a fatal crash which killed a 20-year-old man on July 8 (pictured) An 11-year-old boy, also a passenger, sustained multiple limb injuries and was taken to the Whyalla Hospital for treatment. The 12-year-old, who was driving the car, was treated for minor injuries and later that day arrested and charged with two counts of cause harm by dangerous driving. He was refused bail and is due to appear in the Youth Court in Adelaide on Wednesday where it's expected one charge will be upgraded to causing death by dangerous driving. The man's death takes the SA road toll for 2020 to 55, compared to 65 at the same time last year. English-born Canadian theologian and prolific, influential author J.I. Packer, whose classic evangelical title Knowing God has sold more than 1.2 million copies, died July 17, his publisher has announced. He was 93. Jeff Crosby, publisher for IVP, which released many of Packers 47 titles across decades, including Knowing God in 1973, praised him as a man who indeed, knew and loved God and helped others to do likewise. James Innell Packer, born in England in 1926, preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America, and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and as theological editor of the Study Bible version. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores, according to the publisher. Packer was also a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today, and wrote numerous articles published in journals such as Churchman, SouthWestern Journal, Reformation & Revival Journal, and Touchstone. In addition to Knowing God, his books include Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (1961), Keep in Step with the Spirit (1984), A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life(1994), and Weakness Is the Way (2013). Once named to Time magazines list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, Packer moved from his roots in the Church of England to become a founding theologian for the Anglican Church in North America in 2009 when the denomination broke from the Episcopal Church after it ratified a gay bishop The Winneba District Magistrate Court, presided over by Isaac Oheneba Kufuor, has granted GH5,000 bail with one surety each to two Nigerian nationals charged with kidnapping. Duru Favour, 26, artist, and Paul Okafor, 29, businessman, kidnapped 39 other Nigerians and trafficked them into the country and kept them at Gomoa Pomadze, near Winneba Junction. The victims, according to the police, were being used to commit crime, to wit cyber fraud. The two pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and use of trafficked persons and are expected in court again on July 23. Narrating the fact of the case, Chief Superintendent Samuel Okanta, officer in charge of the Winneba Police Command, said Charles Ikorohk, a Nigerian, was the complainant who arrived in Accra on January 22 to visit a friend by name Collins but could not reach him on his phone and got stranded as a result. The police officer said whilst at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Ikorohk met Uzo, also a Nigerian, who introduced him to his elder brother called Arisuezo, who offered to assist him to get a place to sleep until he found his friend (Collins). He said Arisuezo transported both his younger brother Uzo and Ikorohk to Winneba and kept them in a walled house at Gomoa Pomadze. Ikorohk, on the third day, could not see Uzo again, hence he tried to leave the house, but he was prevented and was locked up in a different room by Arisuezo, where he met seven other Nigerians, and he was fed once a day. Chief Supt Okanta said Ikorohk attempted to escape twice, but he was arrested and subjected to inhumane treatment. All this while, Arisuezo used them to perpetrate cybercrime, with the assistance of Favour and Okafor, who acted as supervisors. Chief Supt. Okanta said from January 26, Ikorohk could not step out of the house until Sunday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m., when he and others were asked to weed the compound. Ikorohk scaled the wall and sought refuge in a nearby house after the two accused persons went out with one of the victims to withdrew money from a nearby mobile money vendor. The occupants of the house later called the Effutu Municipal Joint Police and Military Patrol Team to go to the rescue of the complainant. The commander said a team of police personnel went to the house where Ikorohk was held captive for six months and forced open three single rooms where 38 others, all Nigerians, were rescued. Thirty-six laptops were retrieved from the house and during the rescue exercise, Favour and Okafor informed the police that the victims were locked up on the orders of their boss, Arisuezo, who is on the run. The police are doing everything possible to arrest Arisuezo, Chief Supt. Okanta added. ---GNA William has been accused of losing money to Harry's projects. (Getty Images) Prince William has been accused of losing 300,000 by making donations to his brother Harrys pet projects according to campaigners. William and Kates Royal Foundation awarded grants to Prince Harry so that he and his wife Meghan Markle could set up Sussex Royal, their royal arm before they stepped back from their senior royal roles. The foundation also gave a grant to Harry for Travalyst, his sustainable travel project, which is now a UK-based non-profit. The campaign group Republic, which wants to see an end to the monarchy, has reported the charities to the Charity Commission for investigation, claiming they have breached charity law. In a letter to the Commission, Graham Smith wrote: The Royal Foundation gave a grant of 145,000 to Sussex Royal and 144,901 to a non-charitable organisation (Travalyst). In both instances it appears the only rationale for the decision was the personal relationship between two patrons, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge. But the foundation has denied any wrongdoing and said the grants were awarded by the charitys board of trustees. A spokesman for the Royal Foundation said: The grants made to Sussex Royal were to support the charitable work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They were fully in line with governance requirements and were reported transparently. Travalyst is a project Harry has set up to promote sustainable tourism. (Getty Images) Read more: Prince William says UK can 'crack homelessness' by being 'a bit brave' A spokesperson who worked with Sussex Royal said: Grants made to the non-profit organisation Travalyst are for the ongoing development of projects that will support communities, wildlife, and the environment through sustainable travel and tourism. All grants have been made impartially and objectively, fully in line with governance requirements, and have been reported transparently in full accordance with regulations. Smith added: I find it difficult to believe that a charity making an independent and impartial decision would decide to make these payments. Story continues The Royal Foundation has lost almost 300,000 to Prince Harry's pet projects. Harry's own charity is now closing and he appears to be taking the charity's money with him. I can't see how that isn't a breach of charity law. The group has said the charities should be investigated for conflicts of interest, inappropriate use of funds and a lack of independence. A Charity Commission spokesman said: We have received a complaint on this issue. As with all concerns raised with us we will assess the information provided to determine whether or not there is a role for the Commission. We have not made any determination of wrongdoing. The donations came to light when the Royal Foundation filed financial documents, which also showed how the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex had decided to split the ongoing income from the memorial fund set up for their mother. Harry and Meghan, who are currently living in Los Angeles, have dissolved Sussex Royal ahead of the planned launch of their new non-profit, Archewell. The Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex with the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge during the first Royal Foundation Forum. (PA Images) Read more: Harry and Meghan close Sussex Royal charity ahead of big 2021 launch The royals were hoping to use Sussex Royal after stepping back from their role as senior members of the Royal Family, having built up a large following on their Instagram account. But as part of the agreement with the Queen, they agreed not to use the word royal in any future branding. The Royal Foundation was the charitable arm first for Princes William and Harry, then for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Harry, up until he and Meghan decided to split from them to set up their own foundation. William and Harrys uncle, Prince Andrew, had to repay 355,000 after his trust was found in breach of rules by paying one of its former trustees. Andrews charitable body allowed the former trustee to work as a director for a fee for three of its subsidiary companies in breach of rules. The Duke of Yorks household has paid back the money, and the trust was wound up with remaining funds being distributed among charities with similar aims. Arshad Khan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: IndiGo, India's largest and only cash-rich airline, is reducing its workforce by 10 per cent to offset the impact of COVID-19 on its revenue. With this, IndiGo becomes the first major carrier in the country to formally announce layoffs even as others have been reducing their headcount silently since late March. The fresh announcement also comes days after national carrier Air India approved a leave without pay (LWP) scheme for employees ranging from six months to two years and extendable up to five years. "It is clear that we will need to bid a painful adieu to 10 per cent of our workforce. It is for the first time in the history of IndiGo that we have undertaken such a painful measure. This is indeed a very unfortunate turn of events from the optimistic growth trajectory we had carved out for ourselves just six months ago; but this pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate our best-laid plans," IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said in a statement on Monday. A senior employee at IndiGo told The New Indian Express that the airline had already started rationalising its cabin crew and ground staff workforce since last few weeks. "Right now it is too early to say who all have been impacted. It won't be a surprise if many pilots and managerial-level workers are included in the 10 per cent bracket," he said. IndiGo has a little less than 24,000 employees and the new move is set to impact over 2300 workers. The carrier has already implemented salary cut across verticals to bring down its fixed cost. "IndiGo was one of the few airlines globally which paid full salaries for the month of March and April 2020, despite the disruption in business. Subsequently, we did have to undertake a number of measures such as pay cuts, leave without pay and various other costs; but unfortunately, these cost savings are clearly not enough to offset the decline in revenues, Dutta said. ALSO READ | Double trouble: Indigos seat booking option earns flak from public IndiGo also announced creating a "6E care package" for the impacted employees. They will receive at least three months gross salary and other benefits such as gratuity, leave encashment and longevity bonus (for cabin crew) among other things. Medical Insurance coverage for impacted employees will be extended until December 2020. This has been one of the toughest decisions that we have had to take and we are ensuring that the transition process for the impacted employees is carried out seamlessly, professionally; and with the utmost respect and compassion, Dutta's note added. On the existing condition of the industry, Dutta said aviation has been one of the sectors that has been impacted the hardest and even now, IndiGo is flying only a small percentage of its full fleet of 250 airplanes. India had resumed domestic operations at limited capacity in May, but owing to very fast spread of coronavirus, passengers are unwilling to board planes. Industry regulator DGCA data showed that traffic had plummeted by 83.5 percent year on year in June. Homegrown carriers are struggling to remain operational as the government so far has denied direct relief to the sector. Experts feel it will take many years for airlines to fly back at 2019 level. Losses for airlines is expected to swell as well. Ratings agency Crisil says Indian airlines are staring at a massive Rs 1.1-1.3 lakh crore revenue forgone over fiscals 2020 to 2022 due to pandemic. ALSO SEE: 25 years ago: Taiwan Strait Crisis between US and China Map of Taiwan Strait On July 21, 1995, the Peoples Republic of China conducted the first in a series of missile tests in the Taiwan Strait, just 60 kilometers north of the Pengjia Islet, setting into motion what would later be known as the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. The crisis reflected early fears within American ruling circles over the emergence of mainland China (Peoples Republic of China, or PRC) as a rival to US domination of the Asia-Pacific. Since 1972, Washington had formally adhered to the one China policy, which declared that Taiwan was part of a unitary Chinese state. It did so as part of its strategic recruitment of Maos Stalinist regime against the Soviet Union. Yet the US always maintained informal diplomatic and military ties with Taiwan, which had been controlled by the Chinese anti-Communists since their 1949 defeat in the Chinese Civil War. In May 1995, Lee Teng-hui became the first president of Taiwan to visit the US since the US broke off official relations with Taiwan in 1979 and recognized the Stalinist regime in Beijing. Lee accepted an invitation from Cornell University to deliver a speech on Taiwans Democratization Experience as an alumnus, but the ostensibly private trip had a clear political significance. Lee was welcomed at the airport by several Republican senators and a Democratic congressman. The Beijing regime regarded the visa issued to the ruler of Taiwan as a threat to the territorial integrity of China and canceled scheduled negotiations on arms sales and visits by several cultural and economic delegations. The official New China News Agency said, The issue of Taiwan is as explosive as a barrel of gunpowder. It is extremely dangerous to warm up, no matter whether the warming is done by the United States or by Lee Teng-hui. On July 7, 1995, the Xinhua News Agency announced that missile tests would be conducted by the Peoples Liberation Army, as a result of the USs policy on Taiwan. Further tests were conducted later in August and November of 1995, and by March of 1996, in the run-up to the Taiwan elections, the US government responded by staging the largest military display in the region since the Vietnam War. 50 years ago: Aswan High Dam completed in Egypt Aswan dam, as seen from space After a decade of construction, the Aswan High Dam was completed on July 21, 1970. The dam was an immense feat of engineering that would give Egypt both new electric power and the ability to regulate flooding in the Nile Valley. The latter was an issue that had confronted the region since the first known ancient Egyptian civilization. Egyptian agriculture, which is based primarily on the regular flooding of the Nile River into the surrounding farmland, had for millennia suffered in years when flooding was so great that it washed away crops, and other years when less flooding created droughts. The damming of the Nile gave Egyptians the ability to store large quantities of water that could be made available to farms as needed, solving this persistent ecological problem and greatly improving agricultural production. The dam also doubled as a huge generator of hydro-electric energy, making electricity available to many Egyptian villages for the first time. When it reached its peak output of 2.1 gigawatts, the Aswan Dam produced about half of the electric energy for all of Egypt. The construction of the Aswan Dam was highly political. In the mid 1950s, the nationalist Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser initially looked to the United States for support in providing the required funding and scientific support in building the dam. However, after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, sparking a war with Israel, which was backed by US allies the United Kingdom and France, the possibility of a US-Egypt partnership in building the dam evaporated. Nasser instead turned to the Soviet Union for aid and resources to build the dam. The USSR would provide over $1 billion dollars in funding for the Aswan Dam project, dwarfing the $270 million that the United States had previously proposed. The dam was designed by Soviet engineers at the Hydroproject Institute, with collaboration from Egyptian engineers headed by Osman Ahmed Osman, owner of the largest Arab contracting firm in the 1960s. The USSR also supplied the required heavy machinery to move the massive amounts of rock and clay used in the dam. The Soviet-Egyptian partnership frightened Washington, which began working to undermine Nassers government in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s. By the time the Aswan Dam was completed in 1970, Egypt had been locked in a protracted war of attrition with Israel, which was heavily supported by the US and other imperialist countries since its 1967 invasion of Egypt and its other Arab neighbors in the Six Day War. During the stalemate that followed, the USSR continued to back Nasser, providing Egypt with aircraft and radar allowing them to resist the advance of Israel across the Suez Canal. 75 years ago: Trial of Marshal Petain, leader of the Vichy regime, begins in France Petain, left, and Hitler meet on 24 October 1940. Joachim von Ribbentrop stands on the right On July 23, 1945, the trial of Marshal Philippe Petain, who had headed the extreme right-wing Vichy regime through most of World War II, began in France. Petain, whose government had collaborated with the Nazis and perpetrated its own crimes against the working class and French Jews, was charged with treason, as well as abhorring the Republic and plotting the restoration of monarchy. The 89-year-old had been taken into custody, after returning to France following its liberation by Resistance fighters and the Allied powers in September 1944. The trial was held in the context of the recent defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in Europe. It was conducted amid frenzied attempts by General Charles de Gaulle, who headed a provisional government, as well as the Stalinists and the Allies, to prevent the mass movement that had emerged against Stalinism from developing into a revolutionary struggle against the capitalist system. Petains Vichy regime had come to power in 1940. It had rapidly established the Milice, an armed militia that rounded up and murdered thousands of Resistance fighters. The government collaborated with Hitlers genocidal final solution and directly facilitated the mass killing of Jews throughout Europe. It attacked the democratic traditions of Frances 1789 revolution, replacing the egalitarian slogan of liberty, fraternity, equality with Work, Family, and Country. As part of the attempts to stabilize capitalism, Petains trial was an operation in political damage control, aimed at covering up the responsibility of the entire French ruling elite for the crimes of the collaborationist government. Petain, a decorated World War I general who had been involved in extreme right-wing politics through the 1930s, was handed power by the official parties and the ruling elite in 1940 as it ignominiously capitulated to Hitlers invasion. Opposition to his regime had come not from the political establishment, but from below, in the form of the mass resistance movement. De Gaulle revealingly complained that even Petains stage-managed trial had come too close to exposing the political criminality of the ruling class. Too often, the discussions took on the appearance of a partisan trial, sometimes even a settling of accounts, when the whole affair should have been treated only from the standpoint of national defense and independence, he stated. Petain reportedly adopted an attitude of silent contempt throughout the proceedings, after he had issued an opening statement declaring that the High Court had no right to try him. He would die in prison in 1951, after unsuccessful appeals for his release by prominent ruling class figures, including members of the British royal family and US President Harry Truman, who offered to provide the fascist war criminal political asylum in America. 100 years: Britain annexes East African Protectorate British East Africa, 1920 map On July 23, 1920, the British Empire annexed the East African Protectorate, which it had administered since 1895, and made it the Colony of Kenya, giving the British Crown more control over the area and conferring more legal rights to British settlers. The colony, which comprised most of what is now the modern state of Kenya, had about 9,000 European settlers, primarily from Britain, 23,000 Indians, and 2 million Africans from several ethnic groups, speaking Swahili, Kikuyu, Kamba, Luhya, Luo, Gusii, Meru, and NandiMarkweta. During World War I, Kenya had been the base for British and Belgian troops fighting the Germans, who had been centered in German East Africa, which had been comprised of parts of modern Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. The territory saw an influx of British settlers in the postwar years, who were given exclusive rights to farm the fertile central highlands, displacing indigenous farmers, primarily Kikuyu. The history of the Colony of Kenya, which continued until the independence of the modern state of Kenya in 1963, was one of imperialist brutality. One correspondent writing about the annexation in the London Observer in August 1920 remarked, Not only have murders of natives taken place all too frequently, not only have revolting cruelties been committed, but when the white delinquents are brought up for trial white juries or white judges inflict trivial penalties or rebellious public opinion forces a Governor revise a sentence. The year 1921 saw the formation of the African nationalist East African Association and the beginnings of the struggles of African peoples against British imperialism. This struggle would culminate in the Mau Mau uprising of 1952-1956, which the British would suppress by killing over 11,000 Kenyans, and through the widespread use of torture and the building of concentration camps for civilians. There is no official confirmation or reaction yet by Nigerias military authorities 48 hours after the massacre of some soldiers by bandits in an ambush in Katsina. No fewer than 23 soldiers were killed Saturday when they were ambushed by a gang of bandits in a remote village in Katsina state. According to security sources, the bandits opened fire on the soldiers who were on foot patrol in a forested part of the Jibia district in Katsina state. The bodies of 23 soldiers have been accounted for while some are still missing, the sources said. The massacre of Nigerian troops came same day that an improvised bomb exploded in a nearby village, killing at least seven persons and injuring another ten. The AFP reported that the bandits could be working in concert with members of the Islamic State of West Africa, underscoring the worsening state of security in the country. In May, the International Crisis Group, an NGO, warned that the armed gangs, known as bandits could be developing links with groups such as Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). In the past, the bandits, have been involved in cattle rustling and kidnappings only. Katsina State is President Muhammadu Buharis home state. Related Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 15:25:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, July 20 (Xinhua) -- In Foodom Robot Restaurant in south China's Foshan City, a line of robot chefs helped allay customers' fears of COVID-19 infection. After customers placed orders on their smartphones, the chefs were activated. With one arm performing stir-frying and another adding spices, a robot completed a home-style dish within minutes. A robot then delivered the sizzling dish to the dining table. No human waiters intervened in the process. The newfangled restaurant has proved popular among local foodies, even as lingering worries about coronavirus infections continued to impact the business of many restaurants and eateries. Xie Lixian, manager of the restaurant, said getting a seat is not easy these days and reservations are often necessary. During this year's May Day holiday, the restaurant received more than 10,000 customers, with its three-day revenue topping 530,000 yuan (about 75,730 U.S. dollars). The increasing demand for contactless service during the COVID-19 epidemic has boosted the application of restaurant robots, which are already helping China's labor-intensive catering industry tackle mounting labor costs and improve efficiency. "The epidemic is accelerating automation in the catering industry. For restaurants, robots are becoming a necessity, instead of icing on the cake," said Bi Yalei, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Robotics Association. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, a growing number of Chinese restaurants had begun to embrace robotics to save costs. A report released by the China Cuisine Association shows that in 2019, labor costs in the catering industry increased by 24.4 percent, overrunning other operating costs. In south China's tech hub Shenzhen, a restaurant owned by PUTIEN, a Singaporean restaurant brand, has lured in diners with its two automatic dish-deliverers. "Many customers come for our robots," said Lai Birong, manager of the restaurant. But while the machine waiters are welcomed as a novelty, Lai said they can be of real help. "The two robots can shoulder the workload of one human waiter, which can be a great help in peak dining hours." Zhang Tao, founder of Shenzhen-based robot producer PuduTech, said the company sold 5,000 sets of dish-delivering robots last year to restaurants and hotels, including hotpot heavyweight Haidilao, Intercontinental Hotel and Sheraton. The company's sales surged during the epidemic. "The epidemic has sped up the existing trend of restaurant automation. The robots have become an ideal choice of restaurateurs because on the one hand, they can reduce labor costs and food safety risks, and on the other, the technology has developed to the stage that it can be used in the catering industry," Zhang said. In Foodom, more sophisticated cooking tasks have already been delegated to robots, which can cook 200 varieties of Chinese dishes, including stir-fried vegetables, roasted meat and stews. A hamburger can be made in 20 seconds and ice cream in 40 seconds, Xie said. "Robots can now free human chefs from laborious tasks like cutting ingredients into threads or strips, and they can complete the tasks more efficiently," said Ma Huiliang, a longtime chef of Cantonese cuisine who has helped design robot-cooked dishes. Responding to fears of job losses caused by the restaurant robots, Bi said it is hardly possible to replace all humans in the long chain of catering, especially for Chinese restaurants that boast a vast variety of dishes, complicated procedures for processing ingredients and unstandardized cooking. "After all, dining in restaurants is a highly personalized form of consumption. I believe more robots will be used in the catering industry, but it will be kept to a reasonable level," Bi said. Enditem Two objects will fly by Earth this weekend, passing by safely despite suggestions that Nasa has warned they could pose a threat. The asteroids are classed as "potentially hazardous" by the space agency, but that is a relatively flexible definition that simply means they could cause problems at some point in the future. That has not stopped a number of stories reporting that Nasa has issued "warnings" about the dangers from the objects, or suggestions that the objects are flying at rather than past the Earth. In fact, the two objects known as 2016 DY30 and 2020 ME3 will be further away than the Moon, even at their closest point to Earth. After that, they will carry on our into the rest of our solar system, as they continue their journey around our neighbourhood. Recommended Neowise Comet seen over Stonehenge Because the objects could come relatively close to Earth as they continue their journey, they are given the designation near-Earth objects, and "Potentially Hazardous Asteroids" or PHAs. But it is important to note that the "potentially hazardous" part of that description is related to their journeys in the future, not this flyby, which will happen at a distance so safe that the objects will not be visible, let alone threatening. The bigger of the two objects is 2020ND, which is 170-metres across and so has been described as being roughly 150 per cent of the London Eye. While that would make it a relatively big object on the Earth, it is not notably large for an asteroid. It will come within roughly 0.034 AU, or about five million kilometres, of Earth. That is much further away than the Moon, which is an average of 500,000 kilometres away. Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Mystic Mountain, a pillar of gas and dust standing at three-light-years tall, bursting with jets of gas from fledgling stars buried within, was captured by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope in February 2010 Nasa/ESA/STScI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever selfie taken on an alien planet, captured by Nasa's Curiosity Rover in the early days of its mission to explore Mars in 2012 Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Death of a star: This image from Nasa's Chandra X-ray telescope shows the supernova of Tycho, a star in our Milky Way galaxy Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Arrokoth, the most distant object ever explored, pictured here on 1 January 2019 by a camera on Nasa's New Horizons spaceraft at a distance of 4.1 billion miles from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory in January 2012. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever image of a black hole, captured by the Event Horizon telescope, as part of a global collaboration involving Nasa, and released on 10 April 2019. The image reveals the black hole at the centre of Messier 87, a massive galaxy in the nearby Virgo galaxy cluster. This black hole resides about 54 million light-years from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Pluto, as pictured by Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft as it flew over the dwarf planet for the first time ever in July 2015 Nasa/APL/SwRI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures A coronal mass ejection as seen by the Chandra Observatory in 2019. This is the first time that Chandra has detected this phenomenon from a star other than the Sun Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks running downhill on the surface Mars were believed to be evidence of contemporary flowing water. It has since been suggested that they may instead be formed by flowing sand Nasa/JPL/University of Arizona Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Morning Aurora: Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station in October 2015 Nasa/Scott Kelly While it won't be possible to spot either of the asteroids, and they will not make any difference to the Earth in the foreseeable future, there is a new visitor to our skies that is both visible and important. Comet Neowise is on its way past Earth at the moment, and can be seen with the naked eye if it is timed right. Unlike the new asteroids, Nasa has extensively commented on Comet Neowise, with astronauts sharing images of the object and the space agency giving information on how it can best be seen. The Italian coastguard is struggling to free a sperm whale trapped in an illegal fishing net off the coast of the Aeolian Islands in Sicily. The whale, which has been named Fury in a nod to its efforts to free itself, was spotted struggling to escape the net on Saturday, and a team of divers and biologists has been working to liberate it since. The coastguard said the size of the sperm whale which are the largest of the toothed whales and have the biggest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth has made the rescue mission more challenging. The whales agitated state has also made it especially difficult to release it from the netting, but it is being continuously monitored by the coastguard. It is the second time in less than a month that rescuers have had to free a sperm whale caught in a fishing net. Biologist Monica Blasi told Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica: These damn fishing nets are doing a huge damage. I havent slept in 36 hours ... divers managed to take off some of the net but then it started to move and it became too dangerous. The Italian coastguard said it has clamped down on unauthorised fishing and has seized more than 100km of illegal fishing nets in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea since January. Additional reporting by Reuters Surveillance state China has now been accused of using a comprehensive grid management system to keep tabs on Uyghur religious, familial, social lives, conducting an overall genocide based on data gathered and collected in a machine-operated system, as charges of gross human rights abuses level against China. Over the years China has remodelled its tactics to wipe out the Uyghur community. In recent years, the Beijing government has begun using technology to conduct its own kind of genocide. By putting Xinjiang under a grid management system, China is now able to control every aspect of Uyghurs life religious, familial, cultural and social, the Foreign Policy reported. Under the grid management system, the cities and villages are split into squares of about 500 people wherein each square has a police station that closely monitors residents by regularly scanning their identification cards, faces, DNA samples, fingerprints and cell phones. These methods are supplemented by a machine-operated system known as the Integrated Joint Operations Platform. The system uses machine learning to collect personal data from video surveillance, smartphones and other private records to generate lists for detention. Over a million Han Chinese watchers have been installed in Uyghur households, rendering even intimate spaces subject to the governments eye, said Rayhan Asat and Yonah Diamond, the authors of the article in Foreign Policy. Also read: Canada to review security equipment deal worth $6.8 million with China Alos read: Anti-China sentiment intensifies: Japan extends help to Hong Kongers According to the Genocide Convention, genocide can be defined as specific acts against members of a group with the intent to destroy that group in whole or in part. These acts include (a) killing; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm; (c) deliberately inflicting conditions of life to bring about the groups physical destruction; (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and (e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. Ironically, China is a member of the Convention and yet continues to conduct genocide against its own ethnic community. Citing one of the examples of atrocities being done by the Chinese government, Rayhan Asat has recalled his brother Ekpar Asats torments. Ekpar was considered as a model Chinese citizen by the Communist Party for his community leadership as a bridge builder and positive force between ethnic minorities and the Xinjiang local government. However, Asat like other Uyghurs was also put in the concentration camps in 2016. He is held incommunicado and is reportedly serving a 15-year sentence on the trumped-up charge of inciting ethnic hatred. Not a single court document is available about his case, Rayhan said. Among the Uyghur community, the worst suffers are women. In 2017, the Xinjiang government started Special Campaign to Control Birth Control Violations, along with specific local directives and by 2019, the government aimed to have over 80 per cent of women of childbearing age to undergo forced intrauterine devices (IUDs) and sterilisation. The goal was to achieve zero birth control violation incidents. As part of the campaign, the government started hunting down the women of childbearing age and then forced them to undergo sterilisation to avoid being sent to an internment camp. The authors said, Between 2015 and 2018, population growth rates in the Uyghur heartland plummeted by 84 per cent. Conversely, official documents show that sterilization rates skyrocketed in Xinjiang while plunging throughout the rest of China, and the funding for these programs is only increasing. Between 2017 and 2018, in one district, the percentage of women who were infertile or widowed increased by 124 per cent and 117 per cent respectively. In 2018, 80 per cent of all IUD placements in China were performed in Xinjiang despite accounting for a mere 1.8 per cent of Chinas population. These IUDs can be removed only by state-approved surgery or else prison terms will follow. In Kashgar, only about 3 per cent of married women of childbearing age gave birth in 2019. The latest annual reports from some of these regions have begun omitting birth rate information altogether to conceal the scale of destruction. The government has shut down its entire online platform after these revelations. The scale and scope of these measures are clearly designed to halt Uyghur births, the authors added. While lauding the US for imposing Magnitsky sanctions on the Chinese officials involved in the surveillance system in Xinjiang, they urged the White House to declare the torture on Uyghur community as genocide. The authors opined that the move will encourage other countries in the effort to end the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang. Besides, it will convince the consumers to reject over 80 international brands, which profit off genocide. The determination will strengthen legal remedies for sanctioning companies that profit from modern slavery in their supply chains sourced in China and compel business entities to refrain from profiting from genocide and commit to ethical sourcing, the authors said. Also read: Covid-19 hits Xinjiang: China declares wartime situation after spike in cases For all the latest World News, download NewsX App A ctress Amber Heard told the High Court today she was terrified of the monster in her marriage to Johnny Depp as she fended off claims that her domestic abuse allegations are lies. The 34-year-old Aquaman star says she feared being killed by Depp during years of drug and drink fuelled abuse, claiming he threatened to carve her up or pay someone to assault her if she ever left him. Heard detailed her claims of violence in lengthy witness statements released today for the first time, accusing Depp of controlling her movements and harming her Hollywood career with his jealous behaviour. Giving evidence, Heard said Depp blamed the bouts of violence on the monster within him, which she said he called a sickness". Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 1 /105 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on the first day .Jeremy Selwyn Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on the first day PA Johnny Depp on the first day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN) AFP via Getty Images Amber Heard with her sister Whitney Heard on the first day Johnny Depp's libel case PA Johnny Depp wearing a face covering AFP via Getty Images) Johnny Depp (right) being cross-examined by Sasha Wass QC (left) before the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, at the High Court on 7 July PA Amber Heard waves as she arrives at the High Court on the second day PA Johnny Depp arrives on the second day of the hearing his libel case Reuters AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Johnny Depp (L) arrives on the third day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July Reuters Photo showing Amber Heard injury alleged to have been caused by Johnny Depp An image Heard said was taken after this incident, showing a bruise on her arm. Lines of cocaine on a table that were allegedly taken by actor Johnny Depp PA An image of Johnny Depp apparently passed out on the floor Amber Heard and Bianca Butti leave the Royal Courts of Justice on 9 July Getty Images Amber Heard (R) arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July AP Amber Heard arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp photo spilt ice cream photo referred to in court Amber Heard American actor Johnny Depp gestures to the media as he arrives at the High Court on 13 July AP Amber Heard's pet teacup Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA One of the pictures shown in court Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 14 July PA Johnny Depp with injuries allegedly sustained from Amber Heard during an incident in Los Angeles PA Amber Heard being questioned by Sasha Wass QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London on 20 July Elizabeth Cook/PA Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 20 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Monday where she is due to give evidence against former husband Johnny Depp on 20 July PA Amber Heard image which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court on 20 July PA Johnny Depp arrives at Royal Courts of Justice on 21 July Getty Images Amber Heard with a bruising on her face, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London during a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Amber Heard with a friend, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Johnny Depp leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Video deposition of Amber Heard in US proceedings, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court PA Johnny Depp with a cast on his hand PA Amber Heard leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July PA Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 22 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July Getty Images PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July Reuters Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July REUTERS Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July Getty Images Amber Heard with her girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP via Getty Images REUTERS Getty Images AFP via Getty Images SplashNews.com PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS SplashNews.com REUTERS I was in a relationship with two, she said. One was Johnny, I loved Johnny, I was not terrified of Johnny. I was terrified of the monster, almost a third party in the relationship that he had identified early on. Heard defended her decision to contact Depp after calling time on their marriage in 2016, stating: It was that - the monster - that I was terrified about. Heard is giving evidence in the third week of Depps libel trial against The Suns publisher News Group Newspapers, after a 2018 article by executive editor Dan Wootton called the star a wife beater. The actress says the allegations are true, and is supporting The Suns case that it was entitled to use the term. She said she met Depp when they were filming the Rum Diary in 2009, and having bonded over shared loves of poetry, blues music, art, and red wine, they started a relationship. It was like I was dating a king, with his level of fame and the way he lived, she said in her witness statement. I learned then that I had to suspend all expectations of normalcy, but I later came to understand how this protected him, isolated me and facilitated unacceptable behaviour. The lid was lifted off their marriage in May 2016, when Heard went to an LA court apparently sporting a bruised cheek to file for divorce and seek a restraining order. Depps lawyer, Eleanor Laws QC, suggested the mark said to have been inflicted by a flung telephone - had been done yourself with make-up, lighting, or whatever means. It wasnt an injury from Mr Depp. (Elizabeth Cook/PA ) / Elizabeth Cook/PA But Heard replied: I disagree wholeheartedly - I know what my face looked like, I know I had an injury. She added: Ive never changed my story and I havent made anything up. The case centres on 14 allegations of domestic violence against Depp. He denies them all and accuses Heard of orchestrating a #MeToo hoax against him. Heard says Depp, 57, referred to their romance as dead or alive in dark conversations, and she claims he was habitually jealous of co-stars including Channing Tatum, Kevin Costner, and Eddie Redmayne. She claims Depp nicknamed Leonardo DiCaprio pumpkin-head and suspected Heard was having an affair with the Titanic star following an audition, adding that he restricted the kind of films and scenes she was able to do. His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldnt do, she said. AP I found myself making concessions and turning down work. My salary went down every year I was with him because of all the work I was missing. Of the alleged violence, she said: The physical abuse included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. Describing alleged blows from Depp, Heard told the court: Johnny is quite a bit bigger than me. He wears those heavy rings on all his fingers and made a habit of doing so. When he grabbed me by the hair - which he did especially in the last year or year and a half of the marriage a lot - when that hand full of big heavy rings landed on your skull it makes quite an impact. Whether he intended that as a hit in itself or simply trying to grab my head, its still an impact. And she claimed the star had told her repeatedly: The only way out of this was death. Heard will resume her evidence tomorrow from 10am. The trial continues. Blackburn has overtaken Leicester to have the highest coronavirus infection rate in England, data today revealed. Figures show the borough of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire had a rate of 78.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 17. Leicester the first place in the UK to be hit by a local lockdown saw 72.6 cases per 100,000 people over the same period. Health officials in Blackburn introduced new measures last week to enforce social distancing after warning of a 'rising tide' of infections, centered mainly on the town's large Asian community. Leicester is itself still in lockdown. It comes as up to 250 mourners at a mosque in Blackburn have been forced to self-isolate after the imam tested positive for Covid-19. Muslim leaders have now closed the Jamia Ghosia mosque for a deep clean and urged those who attended a funeral on July 13 to quarantine themselves or undergo coronavirus tests. The borough of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire has a rate of 78.6 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 17. Leicester the first place in the UK to be hit by a local lockdown has a rate of 72.6 per 100,000 people over the same period The borough of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire has a rate of 79.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 17, according to the latest data from Public Health England (PHE). Pictured: a warning sign in Blackburn town centre Muslim leaders have urged those who attended the Jamia Ghosia mosque on July 13 in Blackburn to self isolate or undergo coronavirus tests. WHERE ARE THE 20 AREAS IN ENGLAND WITH THE HIGHEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? Blackburn with Darwen: 78.6 Leicester: 72.6 Rochdale: 46.8 Bradford: 40.4 Luton: 29.0 Kirklees: 28.5 Herefordshire: 23.9 Rotherham: 22.7 Sandwell: 22.0 Calderdale: 20.9 Wakefield: 20.0 Peterborough: 19.9 OIdham: 14.4 City of London: 14.2 Northamptonshire: 14.0 Bedford: 12.8 Manchester: 12,6 Barnsley: 12.2 Sheffield: 11.8 Leicestershire: 11.6 The Public Health England figures show many cases of coronavirus were diagnosed for every 100,000 people living in each local authority across the country between July 12 and 18. Authorities in bold are ones that have recorded a spike in infection rates in the past week. Advertisement The PHE figures show in Blackburn there were 117 cases in the seven days to July 18, at a rate of 78.6 cases per 100,000 people. In comparison, the rate was 63 in the previous seven days up to July 10 and as low as 20 at the end of June, when the UK's outbreak was still shrinking. Leicester had 258 new cases in the seven days to July 18, giving it a rate of 72.6 cases per 100,000 people. For reference, the rate was down on the previous week up to July 10, which had 429 cases and a previous infection rate of 120.8 cases per 100,000 people. Cases have also risen in Rochdale, Bradford and Luton the other three authorities making up the five worst-hit parts of England currently. Rochdale's weekly coronavirus infection rate now stands at 46.8, up 16 per cent in a week. Bradford's rate has risen 12 per cent to 40.4 and Luton's has jumped 22 per cent to 29.0. Professor Dominic Harrison, Blackburn with Darwen Council's director of public health, warned last week the area had two weeks to get the numbers down before lockdown measures are reversed. The Lancashire town brought in extra restrictions last Tuesday and said the borough of 148,000 people was facing a 'rising tide' of cases. He said data showed household 'clusters' of infections, suggesting one person was infecting others in the same household and this was mainly affecting the south Asian population. Blackburn with Darwen borough has an Asian population of about 28 per cent. Local Asian councillors told the PA news agency their community should not be stigmatised and said large families, sometimes looking after elderly relatives, living in small terraced houses was the reason for the elevated infection rates. The local council introduced new measures warning the public to reduce household visiting to one household plus two members from another household, to wear face masks in all public spaces and asked people not to hug or shake hands on greeting. The local authority also increased inspections on small corner shops and ramped up testing with mobile testing units and targeted testing sites. HOW HAS BLACKBURN'S COVID-19 OUTBREAK CHANGED IN THE PAST MONTH? NEW WEEKLY CASES PER 100,000 PEOPLE June 21: 32.9 June 28: 20.81 July 5: 24.17 July 12: 47.0 July 18: 78.6 Advertisement Infection rates are expected to rise as more testing is done, before they fall back again. Professor Harrison ruled out a Leicester-type total lockdown, but said if the figures for Blackburn do not turn around by July 27, then they will go through the lockdown lifting measures, reversing them one by one. It comes as up to 250 mourners at a mosque in Blackburn have been forced to self-isolate after the imam tested positive for Covid-19. Since July 4, a maximum of 30 people have been allowed at funerals, but an email seen by the BBC and sent to worshippers at Jamia Ghosia shows that hundreds attended the funeral prayer last week. Muslim leaders have now closed the mosque for a deep clean and urged those who attended on July 13 to self isolate or undergo coronavirus tests. The email sent to worshippers said: 'Furthermore the mosque is under investigation by the police and public health for exceeding the number of people allowed to participate in a funeral, which is 30, and for failing to comply with the law. 'There is a possibility that other attendees may also have been infected at the Janazza prayers.' A sign at the Jamia Ghosia mosque, in Blackburn Lancs, shows it is currently closed for a deep clean The imam of the mosque is understood to have tested positive for the virus and is currently recovering IS BRITAIN'S COVID-19 OUTBREAK GROWING AGAIN? Britain's coronavirus outbreak may be growing as figures today revealed the average number of daily cases has risen for the fourth day in a row for the first time since April. Department of Health bosses posted 580 more Covid-19 cases taking the rolling seven-day mean of infections to 628 after the rate dropped to a four-month low of 546 on July 8. Government statistics show the last time the average rose for at least four days in a row was on April 11, when the number of infections began to slow down before plummeting at the end of May and in June. But it takes patients weeks to die from Covid-19, on average, meaning officials can't rule out a blip in the figures or confirm the outbreak has worsened since 'Super Saturday' for at least another week. And hospital admissions another indicator tracking the crisis have yet to spike despite fears of an inevitable surge prompted by millions of people flocking to pubs to enjoy their freedom on July 4. Number 10's scientific advisory panel last week admitted the outbreak is shrinking at a slightly slower speed and separate official figures suggested up to 2,000 people were still getting infected each day in England alone. Despite the concerning data, just 11 lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths were recorded today. No new victims were recorded in several parts of England or the whole of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. For comparison, 27 deaths were recorded across the UK yesterday and just 11 were posted this time last week. But counts on Sundays and Mondays are always lower because of a recording lag at weekends. Government figures show the rolling average of daily deaths now stands at 69, having dropped into double figures on July 4. More than 1,000 Brits died each day during the darkest weeks of the crisis in April. Advertisement The imam is understood to have tested positive for the virus and is currently recovering. The news has sparked anger among locals who called the mosque's actions in allowing so many mourners to attend funeral prayers as 'selfish' and 'disgusting'. On Sunday an announcement made by the mosque said the building would be closed until further notice while a deep clean takes place. An email sent by the mosque urged those who attended the funeral to self-isolate for at least a week. The message read: 'Unfortunately our Imam who led the Janazah (funeral) prayer has been tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering from the virus. 'There is a possibility that other attendees may also have been infected at the Janazah prayers. 'It is our legal obligation to strongly advise you to isolate yourself for seven days, or attend your local COVID-19 testing station for COVID-test. 'Any future Janazah prayer will consist of 30 people only and all COVID-19 Janazah will NOT be allowed in the Mosque as we experienced this week, this must take place in the Blackburn Cemetery.' The news was met with backlash from locals who are now fearing an impending local lockdown. Posting on Facebook, Jo Pointon said: 'This has really angered me. 250 people. 'I attended my sisters funeral last week where only 12 people were allowed inside the church leaving several standing outside social distancing which was very upsetting. 'So 250 people ignore the risks that come from large gatherings, told to isolate. They will not isolate. They will go about their day as normal not giving a thought about anyone but themselves. 'Selfish and ignorant. My big question is how was this allowed?' Dave Edmondson added: 'How has a funeral with 250 attendees been allowed to happen. 'No wonder there are hotspots and why we're now still suffering with conditions imposed. 'I'm hoping a hefty fine will be issued for this.' In a post dated sometime in June, the mosque told worshippers that using the masjid as normal can 'amount to a death sentence'. The post, titled 'URGENT REQUEST: Coronavirus and the Masjid' said: 'During this troubling time, using the masjid as normal can amount to a death sentence for someone you associate with. 'While the government is anxious to give the appearance that everything is returning to pre-Covid-19 normality, the reality is that the virus is as widespread as when the Lockdown should have started.' The mosque has been contacted for a comment. Public Health Blackburn has also been contacted for a comment. FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced new limits on social gatherings and a travel advisory Monday as COVID-19 cases surged to new highs over the weekend. The Democratic governors announcement comes after a record-breaking number of nearly 1,000 cases were reported Sunday, capping off a week of elevated daily case counts. Kentucky reported 258 new cases and one death Monday, though the number is much lower because many of the states testing centres were closed Sunday, Beshear said. Weve just got to realize the stakes just got a lot harder and this war is going to be a lot longer than we had hoped, Beshear said during an afternoon pandemic briefing. He said he expected the newly reported case numbers to be higher than Mondays by the middle of the week. Under a new advisory announced Monday, Kentuckians who travel to nine hot spot states reporting positive testing rates equal or greater than 15% are now recommended to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine. Beshear also imposed a new restriction on social gatherings, reducing the limit from 50 to 10. He said the new rule doesnt apply to businesses or wedding venues. Beshear said case clusters have been traced to residents who have recently returned from vacations or attended large gatherings such as block parties or barbecues. As of Monday, Kentucky recorded a positive testing rate of about 4.5%, up 2 percentage points since late June, the governor said. The per cent positive testing rate is an indicator of the extent of the spread of the virus, according to the World Health Organization. If the positive is less than 5% for two weeks and testing is widespread, the virus is considered under control. All the indications are that we are in that accelerated phase, said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department of Public Health. Sunday was a wake-up call. The states included in Beshears travel advisory are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Mississippi. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness and be fatal. ___ Piper Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph, becoming NNW and increasing to 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Low 27F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. 50 buildings have been damaged from the recent shelling of the Azerbaijani side in Armenias Tavush province, 12 of which are already being restored, Governor of Tavush province Hayk Chobanyan said during todays briefing. At the moment we have 50 buildings which were damaged, 12 of which are already being restored. Maybe there will be changes in numbers at this period, because sometimes we find new homes which were also damaged, he said, adding that he cannot make a general assessment of the total costs required and will make an official statement after the final examinations. Since July 12th, Azerbaijan has launched a series of cross-border attacks against Armenias northern Tavush province. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Pubgoers in Carlisle are being urged to get tested for coronavirus after contact tracers established a link between cases. Drinkers who visited Lloyds Bar on Saturday July 11, The Museum on Monday July 13 or The Turf on July 9, 10 or 13 are advised to get tested as a precaution. Cumbria County Council is asking people to get a test even if they do not have symptoms if they visited the pubs on the specified dates. It comes after a 'small but concerning rise' in the number of Covid-19 infections in the area was reported earlier in the month. Drinkers who visited Lloyds Bar, The William Rufus, on Saturday July 11 are advised to take a coronavirus test Contract tracers have established links between six people who tested positive for the virus who visited the pubs and attended a house party. Coronavirus lockdown guidelines were relaxed earlier this month, with many businesses such as pubs reopening from July 4. A council spokesman said: 'Local contact tracers have established links between a group of people who visited the pubs as well as attending a local house party and who have since tested positive. 'A total of six people associated with this group have tested positive and their contacts are now being actively traced and provided with advice.' Punters who visited The Museum in Carlisle on Monday July 13 are advised to get tested as a precaution Cumbria's director of public health Colin Cox said: 'This was always the risk as lockdown restrictions eased. 'We now have a situation where the virus has been passing between people in the community and this is something we do not want. 'To keep our communities safe we need people to take this seriously and follow the guidance. 'People may think that six positive cases is not many, but once you start to map out who those six have been in contact with, then the number of potential contacts rapidly increases. Pubgoers who drank at The Turf in Carlisle on July 9, 10 or 13 are advised to get a coronavirus test even if they don't have symptoms 'To help us get on top of the situation we're asking people who were at these pubs to get tested, and if they are positive then to get in touch with the local Cumbria County Council Covid-19 call centre on 0800 783 1968 so they can ensure people get the advice they need and their contacts can be traced.' Earlier in July, residents were warned to keep following public health guidance after infection rates in Carlisle started to rise. In the week ending July 3, there were 18 new cases per 100,000 residents in Carlisle compared to 6 for the rate of new cases in England. The previous week ending June 26 there were 8 new cases per 100,000 residents in Carlisle. In a new development of importance in the ongoing political crisis in the state of Rajasthan, the SOG has served accused Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with a notice to explain his involvement in the alleged conspiracy to topple the duly-elected Congress government helmed by CM Ashok Gehlot. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, whose name has come up in the horse-trading allegations to de-stablise Ashok Gehlot- led government in Rajasthan, has been served a notice by the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police on Monday. He has been accused of horse-trading by the Congress, based off three leaked audio-clips that have gone viral. The Additional Director General of SOG, Rajasthan, Ashok Rathore, confirmed that a notice directing the Union Minister to explain his position against Congress chief whip Mahesh Sharmas charges has been served to him via his personal secretary on Monday. On served with a notice, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said I first want them to check the authenticity of the audio clips, with whose permission was it recorded? Who recorded it? First they should come out with authenticity. I've already said that my doors are always open for any kind of enquiry: Union Min Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to ANI https://t.co/YpmPpH0xKY ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2020 Shekhawat has been making news after Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a press conference on Friday revealed the existence of three leaked audio-tapes, claiming that they contain the BJP Union Minister discussing varied tactics to weaken the Gehlot government with rebel Congress MLA from Sardarshahar, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, and Sanjay Jain who is known to have close affiliations with top brass of political leaders. On the same day, pursuant to the complaints filed by Congress leader Mahesh Sharma, the SOG had taken quick note and expedited investigation by filing two FIRs against dissident Congress MLAs for colluding in the said-conspiracy. The basis of this action was found in the three leaked audiotapes, pushing the two MLAs under scrutiny of serious sections of the IPC, such as Section 120B and 124A. Also read: PMs strongman image is Indias biggest weakness: Rahul Gandhi Also read: Rajasthan HC resumes hearing on Sachin Pilot, 18 rebel MLAs plea Jain was arrested by the SOG the same night, and the new notice issued to the Union Minister is seen as a step in importance. Further, an eight-member team of the Crime Investigation Department, Crime Branch Jaipur has also been constituted under SP Vikas Sharma to conduct deep investigation in the matter. BJP, on the other hand, has accused the Ashok Gehlot camp of misusing public authority to tap private phone records and has asked it to clarify the source of the clips. Shekhawat stood on his ground of innocence challenging the Congress that he was ready for any investigation against the scathing accusations against his character in the capacity of a Union Minister. He also claimed that the voice as audible in the recording was very different than his. Notably, the political crisis in Rajasthan has been the tipping point giving a new dimension to the BJP-Congress rivalry in the state as Deputy CM Sachin Pilot was removed by the All Rajasthan Congress Committee on alleged indiscipline and actions against the party-line, as he exhibited a recusant tenor dividing the government into two different camps. The case has also acquired the Congress another talking point against the BJP at the Centre on its existent accusations against the party for horse-trading MLAs and uniformly acting to flip popularly mandated governments in one state after another. Also read: Rajasthan Rumble: Congress MLA alleges Vasundhara Rajes link For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Chemical reaction monitoring via zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR): A sequential hydrogenation reaction (A->B->C) is initiated inside a metal reactor inserted into a magnetically shielded enclosure. The NMR spectrum of the heterogeneous (gas/liquid) reaction is recorded with an atomic magnetometer positioned next to the reactor. Analysis of the spectra acquired during the course of the reaction reveals the changing concentrations of compounds B and C. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is employed in a wide range of applications. In chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is in standard use for the purposes of analysis, while in the medical field, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to see structures and metabolism in the body. Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz (HIM), working in collaboration with visiting researchers from Novosibirsk in Russia, have developed a new method of observing chemical reactions. For this purpose they use NMR spectroscopy, but with an unusual twist: There is no magnetic field. "This technique has two advantages. For a start, we are able to analyze samples in metal containers and, at the same time, we can examine more complex substances made up of different types of components," said Professor Dmitry Budker, head of the Mainz-based group. "We think our concept could be extremely useful when it comes to practical applications." As a chemical technique, NMR spectroscopy is used to analyze the composition of substances and to determine their structures. High-field NMR is frequently used, which allows the nondestructive examination of samples. However, this method cannot be used to observe chemical reactions in metal containers because the metal acts as a shield, preventing penetration of the relatively high frequencies. For this reason, NMR sample containers are typically made of glass, quartz, plastic, or ceramic. Furthermore, high-field NMR spectra of heterogeneous samples containing more than one component tend to be poor. There are more advanced concepts but these often have the drawback that they do not make in situ monitoring of reactions possible. Use of zero- to ultralow-field magnetic resonance proposed as a solution The team led by Professor Dmitry Budker has thus proposed the use of zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance, ZULF NMR for short, in order to circumvent the problems. In this case, due to the absence of a strong external magnetic field, a metal container will not have a screening effect. The research group used a titanium test tube and a conventional glass NMR test tube for comparison in their experiments. In each case, para-enriched hydrogen gas was bubbled into a liquid to initiate a reaction between its molecules and the hydrogen. The results showed that the reaction in the titanium tube could be readily monitored using ZULF NMR. It was possible to observe the kinetics of the ongoing reaction with high spectroscopic resolution while continually bubbling parahydrogen gas. "We anticipate that ZULF NMR will find application in the field of catalysis for operando and in situ reaction monitoring as well as in the study of chemical reaction mechanisms under realistic conditions," write the researchers in their article published in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Three researchers from the International Tomography Center in Novosibirsk were also involved in the project, namely Professor Igor V. Koptyug, a visiting scholar at HIM in Mainz, Dudari B. Burueva, a doctoral candidate of Koptyug who was also a visiting scholar and a joint first author of the now published study, and Dr. Kirill V. Kovtunov. "Sadly, our colleague Kirill Kovtunov passed away during the preparation of the manuscript for this publication. His contributions were very important to us," acknowledged Professor Dmitry Budker. Furthermore, a group of young scientists from HIM and JGU collaborated in the research project, namely joint first author Dr. James Eills, and Dr. John W. Blanchard, along with doctoral candidates Antoine Garcon and Roman Picazo Frutos. Connecticut health officials issued a warning on Monday, saying a state-run laboratory had delivered false-positive COVID-19 test results to dozens of patients, including many nursing home residents. The Connecticut Department of Public Health said it uncovered a flaw in a testing system at the state's Public Health Laboratory, which caused 90 people to receive false positive results between June 15 and July 17, according to a statement released Monday. Health officials said the results were from "a widely-used laboratory testing platform" that the state laboratory started using on June 15. The exact cause of the false-positive results is still under investigation, officials said. The patients, many of whom were nursing home residents, were notified through their respective healthcare facilities. The flaw has also been reported to the manufacturer and the federal Food and Drug Administration, the department said. MORE: Coronavirus updates: Florida has 53 hospitals with no ICU beds We have notified the healthcare facilities for everyone who received a false positive test result from our state laboratory, Acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford said on Monday. Accurate and timely testing for the novel coronavirus is one of the pillars supporting effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic." PHOTO: Health workers dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) handle a coronavirus test at a drive-thru testing station in Stamford, Connecticut. (John Moore/Getty Images) She also thanked her team at the state lab for their "quick action" and said adjustments had already been made to ensure the accuracy of future results from the testing platform. The department said it would still rely on the platform for tests, including those for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Going forward, all positive results will be further analyzed by multiple laboratory scientists, and if indicated, retested using another method, the department said. MORE: As cases surge and poll numbers drop, Trump to resume White House coronavirus briefings The news comes as states across the country struggle to keep up with testing demands amid a resurgence of infections. Last week, Rhode Island officials revealed that a private laboratory had delivered false-positive COVID-19 results to 113 patients. Those tests were taken between July 9 and July 14. Story continues Over 14.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.7 million diagnosed cases and at least 140,541 deaths. Dozens, many nursing home residents, receive false-positive COVID-19 results from public lab in Connecticut originally appeared on abcnews.go.com 3 1 of 3 COURTESY / COURTESY Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Zeke MacCormack, San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A Seguin physician accused of fatally shooting a couple outside his home in 2018 died Sunday after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Guadalupe County jail. Dr. Robert Fadal II, charged with murder in the killing of Anthony and Tiffany Strait, was found with a hand-made ligature around his neck, according to the Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office. Voicing concern over the recent Chinese military aggression against India, a bipartisan group of nine influential Congressmen have introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives, urging Beijing that it should work towards de-escalating the situation at the border through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not by force. The troops of India and China are locked in a standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated last month following the Galwan Valley clashes that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead. Read: LAC dispute a Chinese design to attack 56-inch strongman's image, Rahul attacks PM Modi Led by Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, other co-sponsors of the Congressional resolution are Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and lawmakers Frank Pallone, Tom Suozzi, Ted Yoho, George Holding, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Haley Stevens and Steve Chabot. In the months leading up to June 15, along the Line of Actual Control, the Chinese military reportedly amassed 5,000 soldiers; and is trying to redraw long-standing settled boundaries through the use of force and aggression, the Congressional resolution says. Noting that India and China have reached an agreement to de-escalate and disengage along the Line of Actual Control, the resolution says that on June 15, at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers were killed in skirmishes following a weeks-long standoff in Eastern Ladakh, which is the de facto border between the two countries. The Government of the People's Republic of China should work toward de-escalating the situation along the Line of Actual Control with India through existing diplomatic mechanisms and not through force, the Congressional resolution said. Also Read: India, China committed to objective of complete disengagement at LAC: Officials It is the sense of the Congress that there is significant concern about the continued military aggression by China along its border with India and in other parts of the world, including with Bhutan, in the South China Sea, and with the Senkaku Islands, as their aggressive posture toward Hong Kong and Taiwan. The resolution comes days after the House of Representatives Caucus on India and Indian-Americans in a letter to India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said that over the last few months, the Chinese authorities have been acting with impunity and have attempted to transgress on the LAC, which resulted in diplomatic discussions to implement a process for de-escalation along the LAC on July 6. It was led by Congressmen Holding and Brad Sherman and signed by seven other lawmakers. It is my hope that they scale back on their excessive weaponry and infrastructure at the Line of Actual Control and uphold both their longstanding and new founded agreements with India, said the lawmakers who offered their condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. Also Read: Govt says India-China mutual redeployment of troops on LAC should not be 'misrepresented' We are disappointed that China has been acting in contradiction to their agreements with India, in their attempt to change the status quo and challenge Indian troops at the border, the letter said. Last week, Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said US-India partnership, based on their shared commitment to democracy, is vital to uphold international law, international norms and the institutions that can peacefully and diplomatically resolve disputes and aggression. As India and China work to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), I remain deeply concerned by China's aggressive behaviour in territorial disputes, Menendez said. From the 2017 Doklam standoff, to the recent violence along the borders in Sikkim and Ladakh, to China's new claims to Bhutanese territory, Beijing has all too often sought to redraw the map of Asia without regard for its neighbours, he said. Top Republican Senator Marco Rubio also recently called on India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu to express his solidarity with the people of India as they firmly confront unwarranted and lawless armed aggression by the Communist Party of China. Also Read: PM Narendra Modi, EU leaders discuss China's aggression along LAC India has made it clear, they will not be bullied by Beijing, he said. Senator Tom Cotton too slammed China of its aggression against India. China has resumed its submarine intrusions in the Japanese contiguous zones and picked deadly fights with India at high altitude, he said. Just go around the horn. You started in India, where, high up in the Himalayas, China has essentially invaded India, an ally of ours. And they have killed 20 Indian soldiers, Cotton told Fox News in a recent interview. Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Allied Medical, a Gurugram-based family run company, has been manufacturing and distributing critical-care equipment like ventilators, anesthesia machines and defibrillators for close to 40 years. In March, after India was hit by COVID-19, there was a huge shortage of ventilators, a mechanical breathing device that can blow air and oxygen into the lungs. Ventilators are critical for those affected by lung failure -- one of the major complications suffered by patients with severe COVID-19. Estimates that time were India would need 1.1-2.2 lakh ventilators by mid-May. But only 19,398 were available in the country then. Subsequently, the government earmarked Rs 2,000 crore under the PM CARE Fund to procure some 60,000 ventilators from domestic manufacturers. Make-in-India exuberance Companies like Allied jumped into action, seeing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The government sanctioned 60,000 ventilators in March. In fact, the target was 1,00,000 and the first lot was 60,000. They (government) asked people how much you can supply, and released orders with a condition that it has to be supplied before June 30," said Aditya Kohli, Director, Sales and Marketing, Allied Medical. 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 Allied took an order for 350 ventilators, and delivered them well before deadline. The other, more ambitious new entrants such as Agva signed up to supply 10,000 ventilators, public sector undertaking BEL agreed to supply 30,000 and Andhra Pradeshs MedTech Zone (AMTZ) 13,500. The price of each supplier differs, but the average is around Rs 4-5 lakh. We have been in the business for 40 years, but we still did not have the courage to supply tens of thousands of ventilators overnight. It isn't something doable, given the level of quality control, Kohli said. Allied says it has ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 accreditations and its ventilators have European CE certification. Nevertheless, hopes of rising demand spurred the company to increase capacity -- from a few hundred ICU ventilators before March to 3,000 per month by June. In three months, India jumped from having a capacity of just 3,300 ventilators per annum to 4 lakh. An extraordinary feat, experts agreed. The auto industry, PSUs, defence laboratories, all joined hands to help ventilator manufacturers overcome supply issues of components and funding. Before COVID-19, ventilator makers were relying on imports of upto 80-90 percent components. It is now less than 50 percent for companies like Allied. For other companies, indigenisation is as high as 70-80 percent. The situation changes Then, the scenario changed. By mid-April, it was found that most patients would require only simple oxygen delivery through nose prongs, using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or BiPAP mode. Only a small percentage will need full-blown ventilators that provide invasive ventilation. Medical bodies recommended avoiding ventilators as much as possible for coronavirus patients. In hindsight, it would have been much cheaper. In March, people never knew how the disease is going to transpire, people thought ventilators are required, and then in April, people came to know that putting patients on ventilators is actually causing harm, said Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD). A BiPAP machine, which costs about Rs 40,000, would have been sufficient, Nath said. No takers With this, the government started asking manufacturers to update ventilators with new specifications, like asking for BiPAP mode and a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) with a flow rate of 100 percent. Costs went up further. Companies had already invested money and expanded capacity, anticipating demand. Kohli says his company is in a "fix" now. In fact, according to AiMeD data, AgVa had expanded its manufacturing capacity to 60,000 units per annum; Trivitron Healthcare, 60,000 units per annum; Skanray, 120,000 units per annum, and so on. We have surplus capacity, but we have nowhere to go," says Kohli. There has been an export ban since March, and the government is not giving new orders. They argue that we have already given orders for so many ventilators. At the same time, they are not allowing states to buy directly from us, he explains. The government is aware since April that there isn't such a big need for ventilators. They should have told manufacturers that they don't need them anymore. Many would have stopped investing in capacity expansion, says Nath of AiMeD. Now, they are not lifting stocks and cash flows are stuck. The government is not in a hurry. They should at least allow companies to export," he suggests. There is a good export market for ventilators, especially for ones with CE-certifications. If the government doesn't allow exports, even that potential would be gone, Kohli said. Meanwhile, sources told Moneycontrol that one of the leading manufacturers is contemplating filing a writ petition against the government for not opening up exports in the absence of further procurement orders. This is the first part of a three-part series . The second part will deal with how arbitrary changes to specifications led to delays and cost overruns. India's federal health ministry Monday morning said 681 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 40,425 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 27,497 and total cases to 1,118,043. This is the highest single day spike in terms of new COVID-19 cases in the country so far. "As on 8:00 a.m. (local time) Monday, 27,497 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," reads information released by the ministry. "The number of active cases in the country right now is 390,459," reads the information. Presently the country has entered Unlock 2.0 phase, though restrictions remain in full force inside the COVID-19 Containment Zones. As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise, human trials of a vaccine - COVAXIN, developed by "Bharat Biotech", started at a government-run hospital -- PGI Rohtak in northern state of Haryana on Friday. "Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well. There were no adverse effects," tweeted the state's health minister Anil Vij. Mumbai, July 20 : Salman Khan went off for a spin on a tractor at the farm, and shared his experience in an Instagram video. In the video, Salman, who has been staying at his Panvel farmhouse during the lockdown, can be seen ploughing the land on a tractor. "Farming," he captioned the clip that shows him wearing pink T-shirt. Fans found reasons enough to gush about their superstar. "You are great," a user commented. Another one wrote: "Inspiring, farmer Sallu." A few days ago, Salman had posted a picture from the field, paying respect to all farmers. On the work front, Salman will be seen in "Radhe", which marks his return with director Prabhudheva after the 2009 film "Wanted" and last year's "Dabangg 3". With Prime Minister Narendra Modis government contemplating more economic measures against China, the security agencies are identifying the communist country's companies, which have past or continuing links with the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and are operating in India. The companies so far identified for having links with the Chinese PLA include Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Tencent Holdings Limited, Huawei Technologies Company Limited, and SAIC Motor Corporation Limited. The list also includes the Xinxing Cathay International Group Company Limited, which has invested in the Xindia Steels Limited that has an iron ore pelletisation facility in Koppal district of Karnataka. Also read: Proud of India for standing up to Chinese aggression: US Senator A source in New Delhi said that the security agencies would assess if the continued operation of the companies linked with the Chinese PLA in India could pose any risk to national security. The move comes in the wake of Chinas belligerence along the disputed boundary with India. The Xinxing Cathay International Group Company Limited is integrated and recombined from the manufacturing system and its subordinate enterprises and institutions of the General Logistics Department of the Chinese PLA. Apart from investing in the plant at Koppal in Karnataka, it also has a ductile iron pipe manufacturing plant in Chhattisgarh. It is linked with Jihua Group Company Limited, which is the production base for military supplies to the Chinese PLA and the armed police force and the main purchase and processing base for the international military munitions market. The China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) in June 2018 announced a $ 46 million (Rs 320 crores) investment in a 200 MW solar photo-voltaic cell manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh. It is Chinas leading military electronics manufacturer and the United States barred exports from several subsidiaries of the company on national security grounds. Apart from being implicated by the US Department of Justice in several cases of illegal exports, some of the CETC employees have also been convicted for military espionage in America. The CETC is also accused of providing technology used for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu Inc are involved in developing Artificial Intelligence solutions in several domains as a part of the civil-military fusion programme of China. SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, a former vehicle servicing unit of the Chinese PLA, is the parent company of MG Motors, that sells a popular SUV MG Hector, in India. New Delhi earlier this month banned 59 apps linked to China, alleging that they were used in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. New Delhi of late decided to bar Chinas companies from participating in highway construction projects in India. The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL) of late cancelled tender inviting bids from companies for supply of equipment for upgrading its network to 4G a move, which is apparently aimed at keeping away Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation of China away from the project and stopping them from expanding footprints in the telecom sector of India. Featured stories Do the right thing: Mayor of Wellington urges Lorain County Fair Board to cancel 2020 fair (WEWS Channel 5) Ohio coronavirus cases rise by 1,110; 42 newly reported deaths: Sunday update (cleveland.com) Ohio Gov. 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Elizabeth Warren predict (cleveland.com) Owners of four Put-in-Bay bars, Clevelands Luchitas Mexican Restaurant among 12 Ohio liquor permit holders cited for coronavirus safety violations (cleveland.com) Ohios unemployment rate in June fell to 10.9% (cleveland.com) Heres what you need to know about outdoor visitation at Ohio nursing homes (WEWS Channel 5) Crime Getty Images Akron police arrest Canton man accused of fatally hitting Akron man, daughter with SUV (cleveland.com) 8-year-old hit by car in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood, police say (cleveland.com) Man arrested after bringing loaded gun to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, police say (cleveland.com) 44-year-old pedestrian fatally stuck by driver in Tallmadge (WOIO Channel 19) 63-year-old disabled woman shot in stairwell of Cleveland apartment complex, police say (cleveland.com) Car crashes into home in Clevelands Cortlett neighborhood and drives off, police say (cleveland.com) Summit County man arrested on child pornography charges (cleveland.com) Car crashes into home in Clevelands Cortlett neighborhood and drives off, police say (cleveland.com) Chardon police arrest suspect accused of shooting man multiple times outside a city bar (News-Herald) Cleveland / Cuyahoga County The Cleveland Clinic's surge hospital inside the Health Education Campus is being dismantled because a predicted surge in COVID-19 patients didn't happen. 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Mike DeWine and other Ohio political leaders remember the late civil rights pioneer John Lewis (cleveland.com) Joe Bidens presidential campaign names Toni Webb its Ohio state director (cleveland.com) Rep. Marcia Fudge calls for a Poverty Bill of Rights (cleveland.com) Never Trump groups look to flip Ohio for Joe Biden (cleveland.com) By Ayya Lmahamad For the period of 2003-2019, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan transferred $99.7 billion to the state budget, local media reported with the reference to Funds press service on July 20. Moreover, according to the statement in 2019, the state budget revenues amounted to AZN 24.2 million ($14.2M), of which AZN 11.4 million ($6.7M), or 46.9 percent, was transferred by SOFAZ. Transfers accounted for 46.5 percent of the state budget expenditures, or AZN 24.4 million ($14.3M). Furthermore, in the first half of 2020, the volume of transfers from SOFAZ to the state budget amounted to AZN 5.7 billion ($3.3bn). For this period, total budget expenditures of SOFAZ amounted to AZN 112.4 billion ($66.1bn) and transfers accounted for 88.9 percent of these expenditures. In 2003, the State Oil Fund started making transfers to the state budget of Azerbaijan. SOFAZ was established in December 1999 by the Presidential Decree and is a sovereign wealth fund of Azerbaijan, which accumulates and preserves the nation's oil and gas revenues for future generations. The fundamental mission of SOFAZ is to ensure intergenerational equality with regard to the country's oil wealth and to accumulate and safeguard the oil revenues for generations to come. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 19.07.2020 LISTEN The international community should appreciate Qatar for pointing the torchlight in international cooperation to fight and defeat the menace of terrorism wherever the evil gives expression across the world. Qatar is doing this while some governments squabble amongst each other, refusing to collaborate, and trying to demonise and misrepresent Qatar to the international public. What has the international community to say about the ongoing genocidal campaign in Yemen? International organizations, the media and activists have reported the situation in Yemen and how the indiscriminate bombings by powerful foreign governments have killed millions, including women, children and older people and millions more predicted to die, if a solution is not found now, to stop the conflict in Yemen. Who is standing by the way of peace in Yemen? There is nothing humane about a blockade. There is only the military and economic interest of the few, to punish a whole sovereign independent nation, for a disagreement in policies. It is all about showmanship at best, and bullying in reality. The Security Council members of the United Nations should be ashamed of their complacency in the illegal, unjust and criminal blockade against Qatar. The United Nations should be seen to value humanitarian and peaceful actions, and actively support all people taking such actions. Qatars heroic international humanitarian contribution to several countries affected by crisis, including famine, draught, flooding and now the Covid-19 virus pandemic is still fresh in the minds of good people. The blockade against Qatar is a conscientious and unscrupulous act of state terrorism, planned to effect regime change in Doha. Qatar in a dignified and heroic way has resisted these attacks since the Saudi Arabia led blockade in 2017 and does not bow to outside dictates in its domestic affairs. With the efforts of a God-fearing, conscious, educated, dignified and civilised people, Qatar has advanced technologically, and produces what she needs for the peace and happiness of all Qataris. Qatar exercises its legitimate right as a sovereign independent state- of self-determination and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Qatar defends and promotes the right of others, to live in peace, justice, friendship and freedom. What is clear here is that the people of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt are at variance with their leaders when it comes to peace and friendship with other countries. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) advocates peace and call upon the blockading countries to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and cease all hostile acts against Doha. With the benefit of hindsight, we republish the Emir of Qatars speech to the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2017 as a step, to prick the conscience of the international community. The international community should come out with strong voice to exert pressure to bear on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt to end their hostile acts against Qatar. HERE NOW IS EMIR OF QATARS 2017 SPEECH AT THE UNGA In the Name of God the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate! Honorable Audience, It pleases me to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajcak on assuming the tasks of President of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly, wishing him every success. I wish also to express my appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson for his valuable efforts in managing the affairs of the 71st Session of the General Assembly, and I take this opportunity to commend the efforts of His Excellency the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, to strengthen the role of the United Nations. Mr. President, Maintaining the regional and international peace and security is a priority in the State of Qatar's foreign policy, whose principles and objectives are based on the United Nations' charter and the rules of international legality which calls for constructive cooperation among States, mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs, good neighborliness, as well as promoting peaceful coexistence and pursuing peaceful means to settle disputes. The issue of settling of disputes by peaceful means is still being addressed as an episodic and non-binding proposal. Perhaps the time has come to impose dialogue and negotiation as a basis for resolving disputes through concluding an international convention on settling disputes between States by peaceful means. In this context, and after major events such as the Second World War, Rwanda and Burundi and the Balkans in the last century, the danger of the impunity of perpetrators of crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide has come back again to threaten humanity to become the rule rather than the exception, because the international legitimacy is subjected to political pressures, interests of the axes and dictations of force on the ground, in a warning that the law of force may supersede the force of law. In our view, the position of the major powers should not range between two extremes: the direct occupation to impose the will and policy on other countries, or standing idly in a spectator's position who refrain from doing anything vis-a-vis wars of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by a fascist despotic regime, or a continuous repression by an occupying country of people under occupation. Lately a feeling is spreading that peoples who are exposed to repression face their fate alone, as if the international arena is governed by the law of the jungle, and the countries under threat have to stand on their own through their alliances and relations, in the absence of a system to implement the provisions of international law, and the binding conventions and charters. Mr. President, We commend opting for the theme of this session: "Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet." In this context, I call upon the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the international community to assume their legal and moral responsibility to take the necessary measures to stop the violence against Rohingya minority, provide them with protection, repatriate the displaced to their homeland, prevent sectarian or ethnic discrimination against them, and ensure that they have their full legitimate rights as full-fledged citizens, and we in this regard urge all States to provide humanitarian assistance to them. Mr. President, Every time I stand here I speak in favor of the constructive international cooperation, just peace, and the rights of peoples under occupation, as well as those who are subjected to crimes against humanity and those who are under siege. This time I stand here, while my country and my people are subjected to a continuing and unjust blockade imposed since June 5th by neighboring countries. The blockade involves all aspects of life, including the intervention by these countries to rip off family ties. Qatar is currently managing successively its living, economy, development plans and its outreach to the outside world, with the availability of sea and air routes which these countries have no control over. The blockade was imposed abruptly and without warning, prompting the Qataris to consider it as a kind of treachery. It seems that those who planned and implemented it had envisaged that their move would cause a shocking and direct impact that will bring the State of Qatar to its knees and to capitulate to a total tutelage to be imposed on it. And what is worse, the blockade planners found it necessary to rely on fabricated quotes attributed to me and posted on the website of Qatar News Agency after hacking it. The mobilized and guided media of these countries was ready to launch an all-out campaign of incitement prepared in advance in which all values, morals and norms were breached, and the truth was infringed by a torrent of lies. Funds are still being spent unsparingly on the machine of faking and disseminating fabrications in the hope of fooling people by distorting the truth with lies. Despite the disclosure of the hacking and falsification of quotes of the Emir of a sovereign State, the blockading countries did not back down or apologize for lying, but rather intensified their campaign, in the hope that the blockade would cause a cumulative effect on the economy and the society of my country, after it failed to bring about any direct impact. The perpetrators of the hacking and the falsification of the quotes have committed an assault against a sovereign State. The crime was deliberately committed for political aims, and was followed by a list of political dictations which contravene sovereignty, and caused worldwide astonishment. This disgraceful act has once again raised international queries about digital security and the unruliness in cybercrime and electronic piracy. It also revealed the anxiety of a lot of public and official circles in the world over the absence of clear-cut international legislations and institutions to organize this dangerous and vital field and punish the perpetrators of transcontinental crimes. It is time now to take steps in this regard, and we are ready to put our potentials to serve a joint effort in this connection. The countries that imposed the unjust blockade on Qatar have intervened in the internal affairs of the State by putting pressure on its citizens through foodstuffs, medicine and ripping off consanguineous relations to force them to change their political affiliation to destabilize a sovereign country. Isn't this one of the definitions of terrorism? This illegal blockade was not confined to the economic aspect and the breach of the WTO Agreement, but it exceeded that to violate the human rights conventions by the arbitrary measures that have caused social, economic and religious harm to thousands of citizens and residents of the GCC countries, due to the violation of the basic human rights to work, education, freedom of movement and the right to dispose of private property. However, things did not stop at this point, but the blockading countries went beyond that to chase their own citizens and residents of their territory by imposing penalties of imprisonment and fines on them for the mere expression of their sympathy with Qatar, even if that was on the social media, in a precedent never seen before in the world, in violation of the human rights conventions and agreements that guarantee the right of everyone to freedom of opinion and expression of ideas. There are countries that permit themselves not only to attack a neighboring country to dictate its foreign and media policy, but also believe that their possession of funds qualify them to put pressure and blackmail other countries to participate in their aggression, while they are supposed to be held accountable internationally for what they have done. The countries that imposed the blockade on the State of Qatar interfere in the internal affairs of many countries, and accuse all those who oppose them domestically and abroad with terrorism. By doing so, they are inflicting damage on the war on terror, while at the same time opposing reform and supporting the tyrannical regimes in our region, where terrorists are initiated in their prisons. We were not alone to be taken by surprise by the imposition of the blockade, as many countries whose leaders have questioned its motives and reasons were also taken by surprise. The blockading countries have promised all those who asked them about the reasons of the blockade to provide them with evidence of their anti-Qatar absurd allegations and fabrications, which kept changing according to the identity of the addressee. Everyone is still waiting for evidence that did not and will not arrive, because it does not exist. In contrast, these allegations contradict a lot of evidence about Qatar's contribution to the fight against terrorism, which is recognized by the entire international community. The State of Qatar has fought terrorism - the whole international community bears witness to that - and it is still fighting it and will continue to do that. It stands in the camp of those who are fighting by security forces, and believes that it is necessary to fight it ideologically as well. It goes beyond that to participate in draining its sources through teaching seven million children around the world, so that they do not fall prey to ignorance and radical ideas. We have refused to yield to dictations by pressure and siege, and our people are not satisfied by less than that. At the same time we have taken an open attitude towards dialogue without dictation, and have expressed our readiness to resolve differences through compromises based on common undertakings. Resolving conflicts by peaceful means is actually one of the priorities of our foreign policy. From here, I renew the call for an unconditional dialogue based on mutual respect for sovereignty and I highly value the sincere and appreciated mediation that the State of Qatar has supported since the outbreak of the crisis, and which was initiated by my brother, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of the sisterly State of Kuwait. I also thank all the countries that have supported this mediation. Allow me, on this occasion and from this podium, to express my pride in my Qatari people, along with the multinational and multicultural residents in Qatar. The people have withstood the conditions of siege, and rejected the dictations with resolve and pride, and insisted on the independence of Qatar's sovereign decision, and strengthened its unity and solidarity, and maintained their refined manners and their progress despite the fierceness of the campaign against them and their country. I reiterate my thanks to the sisterly and friendly countries which recognize the significance of respecting the sovereignty of States and the rules of international law, for their appreciated stances which were, and still are, supportive of the Qatari people during this crisis. Mr. President, Terrorism and extremism are among the most serious challenges facing the world. Countering them require us all to carry out a concerted action against terrorist organizations and their extremist ideology in order to maintain security for humanity and stability for the world. The governments of the world have no choice but to cooperate in the security confrontation with terrorism, but halting the initiation of terrorism and extremism could be achieved by addressing its social, political and cultural root causes. We must also be careful not to make the fighting against terrorism an umbrella for reprisals or shelling of civilians. The fight against terrorism and extremism was and will continue to be our highest priority. This is affirmed by the effective participation of the State of Qatar in the regional and international efforts through the implementation of the measures included in the United Nations strategy adopted in 2006, and the implementation of all the Security Council resolutions and measures related to the fight against terrorism and its financing and through the participation in the International Alliance, regional organizations and bilateral relations with the United States and many countries of the world. The State of Qatar will continue its regional and international efforts in this regard and will develop them. While reaffirming our condemnation of all forms of extremism and terrorism, we reject tackling this phenomenon with double standards according to the identity of the perpetrators, or by linking it with any particular religion, race, civilization, culture or society. Mr. President, The issues of the Middle East continue to pose the greatest threat to international peace and security, due to the vital importance of this region to the world. Israel still stands in the way of achieving a lasting, just and comprehensive peace and rejects the Arab Peace initiative. The Israeli government continues its intransigent approach and strategy to create facts on the ground through expanding settlement construction in the occupied territories, Judaizing Jerusalem and restricting the performance of religious rituals in Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a serious provocative act, and continuing its blockade of the Gaza Strip. The international community must give high priority to the resumption of peace negotiations on the basis of ending the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories within a specified time frame and reaching a just, comprehensive and final settlement in accordance with the two-state solution agreed upon by the international community, based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace initiative. This will only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the basis of 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. I renew my appeal to the Palestinian brothers to complete national reconciliation and unify positions and word in confronting the dangers and challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the future of the Palestinian people. Mr. President, The international community remains unable to find a solution to the Syrian crisis despite its consequences and serious repercussions on the region and the world. Political efforts continue to falter due to the conflicting international and regional interests; this confliction is conducive to protect those against whom we are supposed to stand united. The international community relinquishes its legal and moral responsibilities, including the implementation of its decisions, in submission to the logic of force. What is required is to work seriously to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis in a way that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people for justice, dignity and freedom, and maintains the unity and sovereignty of Syria, in accordance with the Geneva (1) decisions. Qatar will spare no effort in providing support and assistance to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of our Syrian brothers and to implement our humanitarian pledges within the framework of the United Nations. The international community has given up the task of protecting the civilians. Would it also hesitate to hold war criminals accountable? Their impunity would have dire consequences on the situation in Syria and the region, which would affect the behavior of future dictatorships towards their peoples in the absence of any deterrent. On the Libyan issue, Libya's national consensus - which would preserve Libya's unity, sovereignty and social fabric, and restore its stability - could be achieved by means of combining domestic and international efforts. We must all intensify efforts and support the Government of national accord, which has been established with the support of United Nations, in its efforts to restore stability, counter terrorism and its grave consequences. The State of Qatar has supported international mediation efforts and will support them in the future to achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people. Concerning the brotherly Iraq, we do support the efforts of the Iraqi government in its endeavor to achieve security, stability and unity of the territory and people of Iraq. We commend its achievements in its fight against terrorism, and affirm the necessary support to it by the State of Qatar to complement these victories by realizing the Iraqi peoples aspirations to equality among its citizens and restore its role at the regional and international levels. Concerning Yemen, we affirm the importance of maintaining Yemen's unity, security and stability, and ending the state of infighting and war and adopting dialogue, political solution and national reconciliation as a basis for ending this crisis and implementing the Security Council resolution 2216. We call upon the international community to facilitate the access of humanitarian assistance to various Yemeni regions. The State of Qatar supports the efforts of the UN envoy to end this crisis and realize the aspirations of the brotherly Yemeni people in unity, security and stability. In order to achieve security and stability in the Gulf region, we renew the call that we have already launched from this podium, for conducting a constructive dialogue between the GCC countries and Iran on the basis of common interests, the principle of good neighborliness, respect for the sovereignty of States and non-interference in their internal affairs. Mr. President, Within the framework of the international efforts to tackle the humanitarian crises, the State of Qatar has continued to contribute to the growing humanitarian needs in the world. We have increased our financial contributions to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to enable the United Nations to implement UN programs and provide humanitarian relief to those in need worldwide. Today the State of Qatar ranks third on the list of major donors in 2017 to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We have continued to provide support to countries facing challenges to help them implement their development plans. It is worth mentioning here that the State of Qatar ranked first in the Arab world and 33rd in the world in the field of human development. This proves the effectiveness of our humanitarian and development policy. We look forward to achieving the goals of the United Nations Plan for Sustainable Development, which we have all committed to realize. In conclusion, we reiterate that the State of Qatar will spare no effort in working to strengthen the role and efforts of the United Nations to achieve what the international community seeks in regard to peace and security, and to promote Human rights and advance development. Qatar will remain as is always the case a safe haven for the oppressed, and will continue its mediation efforts to find just solutions in conflict zones. Thank you, May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you. Republished by the Shiekh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) Sender: Fatmata B. Bangura Acting Programme Coordinator The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) (CNN) - The World Health Organization supports the use of masks as part of a comprehensive strategy for COVID-19, but they cannot be used as a substitute for other public health measures, said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs technical lead for COVID-19. Van Kerkhove said WHO is hearing about changes in policies from many governments, who are applying mask use as part of their COVID-19 strategy, particularly in areas with active transmission or where physical distancing is not possible. We support the use of masks as one of the tools that can be put in place. However, it is not a substitute for other public health measure that also must be in place, Van Kerkhove said at a WHO briefing in Geneva on Monday. You cannot substitute the use of a mask for hand hygiene for cleaning your hands. You cannot substitute the use of a mask for physical distancing. You cannot substitute the use of the mask for testing, finding cases, for contact tracing, for quarantining cases. Everything has to be done as a part of a comprehensive approach, Van Kerkhove said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Masks are not a substitute for other public health measures, WHO official says" A 29-year-old driver from New Jersey was under the influence of drugs when he struck and killed a man mowing his lawn in a Rockland County, New York neighborhood last week, authorities said. Giovanni Bolano, 53, of Orangetown, was cutting his grass outside his home on Lester Drive on Wednesday when a southbound car veered off the road and hit him, police said in a statement. He died of his injuries. The driver, Jared S. DeVera, of Englewood, was arrested and took a blood test. He was later charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs, Orangetown police said. DeVera was taken to the Rockland County jail, where he was held on $100,000 bail. The residential street where the crash occurred is about two miles from the New Jersey border. Anyone with information is asked to call Orangetown police at 845-359-3700. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A dissident republican jailed for the murder of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll has won a legal battle to ensure access to online resources for his degree studies. Brendan McConville's High Court challenge ended following confirmation that he will be able to use computer facilities to complete an Open University course in criminology and psychology. His lawyer claimed it was a victory which ensures education rights for inmates held within the segregated regime at Maghaberry Prison. Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law said: "Today's outcome, now granting Mr McConville access to the internet, is the most significant step forward for prisoners rights in Roe House since the 2012 separation agreement." McConville, 49, from Craigavon, Co Armagh, is serving at least 25 years behind bars for the murder of Constable Carroll 10 years ago. A second man, 29-year-old John Paul Wootton, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, was handed a minimum 18-year term for his part in the assassination. Constable Carroll, 48, was the first police officer to be killed in Northern Ireland by paramilitaries after the formation of the PSNI. He was ambushed and shot dead by dissident republicans as he responded to a 999 call at Lismore Manor, Craigavon in March 2009. A circumstantial case involving DNA evidence helped to secure the murder convictions, including gun residue on a coat linked to McConville recovered from a car said to have been used by the killers. He is now in the final stages of a Bachelor of Science honours degree in criminology and psychology studies. Judicial Review proceedings were brought against the Prison Service for an alleged failure to provide access to the necessary internet resources. The court was told McConville is in segregation at Maghaberry for safety reasons. His legal team claimed it was irrational for the authorities to say the convicted killer can use the facilities by simply leaving the separate regime. Lawyers representing the Prison Service rejected assertions that he was treated differently or never offered use of the education suite, stressing it is located in a special unit open to all within the jail. But the challenge is to be withdrawn by consent, based on the terms of a final order issued by the court. The resolution involves prison chiefs agreeing to provide McConville appropriate access to computer-based Open University resources after Covid 19-related protective measures cease. Welcoming the settlement reached, Mr Booth added: "Our client has been completing a degree while in prison and is excelling in his field of study. "The right to education is a fundamental right for all prisoners and benefits not just the individuals concerned but all of society. "Roe Prisoners should not be treated differently." SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today launched a new initiative to use open source technologies to help public health authorities (PHAs) around the world combat COVID-19 and future epidemics. The new Linux Foundation Public Health (LFPH) initiative is launching with seven Premier members Cisco, doc.ai, Geometer, IBM, NearForm, Tencent, and VMware and two hosted exposure notifications projects, COVID Shield TM and COVID Green TM , which are currently being deployed in Canada, Ireland, and several U.S. states. LFPH will initially focus on exposure notification applications that use the Google Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) system and will be expanding to support all aspects of PHA's testing, tracing, and isolation activities. "To catalyze this open source development, Linux Foundation Public Health is building a global community of leading technology and consulting companies, public health authorities, epidemiologists and other public health specialists, privacy and security experts, and individual developers," said Dan Kohn, LFPH general manager. "While we're excited to launch with two very important open source projects, we think our convening function to enable collaboration to battle this pandemic may be our biggest impact." COVID Shield was developed by a volunteer team at Shopify and is in the process of being deployed in Canada. COVID Green was developed by a team at NearForm as part of the Irish Government's response to the pandemic. Since being deployed by Ireland's Health Services Executive two weeks ago, it has achieved extraordinarily high adoption of over 1/3rd of the country's adults. Both apps are available for other PHAs and their IT partners to use and customize and will soon be joined by other open source projects hosted by LFPH. Covid Watch, Kiel University of Applied Sciences, and US Digital Response have also joined as nonprofit associate members. "During this grave global crisis, I'm committed to having all parts of the Linux Foundation community support LFPH," said Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin. "Open source provides an architecture for global collaboration and that's what's needed to build, secure, and sustain critical components of our stressed public health infrastructure. The Linux Foundation has long enabled cross-industry collaboration in over a dozen verticals and Dan Kohn, who led the Cloud Native Computing Foundation to rapid growth that defined a multi-billion dollar industry, is an ideal choice to lead this effort." Particularly in the U.S., PHAs have suffered from decades of underinvestment and urgently need to scale their capabilities to engage with the entire public during the worst pandemic in a century. Many companies and individuals in the technology industry are eager to assist PHAs in meeting these challenges and LFPH provides a forum and toolset for them to engage in constructive ways. "We are pleased to contribute COVID Green, the open source code behind Ireland's COVID Tracker app, to LFPH," said Fran Thompson, Chief Information Officer of Ireland's Health Service Executive. "This app is a great demonstration of innovation within the Irish health sector combined with the IT capabilities of the Irish software industry. We're immensely proud of the work we've undertaken in partnership with NearForm in responding to the pandemic. We are looking forward to collaborating with other public health authorities around the world via LF Public Health to assist them in quickly replicating our approach while learning from their experiences." COVID Shield was developed by a volunteer team of more than 40 developers from Shopify, along with members of the Ontario and Canadian Digital Services. While not an official Shopify project, the efforts were supported by Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke. "We're very happy to host COVID Shield with LFPH and we welcome contributions from other developers to make it as easy as possible for PHAs to get started with exposure notifications," said Aaron Olson, COVID Shield volunteer. In addition to COVID Shield and COVID Green, an earlier cross-industry collaboration effort, the TCN Coalition, is merging into LFPH. The TCN Coalition is a global community of technologists supporting the development of privacy-preserving and cross-compatible exposure notification apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially founded to ensure cross-border interoperability and to reduce duplication of development efforts, the TCN Coalition has evolved to include supporting public health authorities in their engagements with app-building teams and IT providers. "The leadership and members of TCN are proud to join forces with the Linux Foundation to establish the new LFPH initiative," said Andreas Gebhard, Co-Founder and COO of TCN Coalition. TCN Coalition Executive Director Jenny Wanger added: "This is a logical next step for the work we've been doing since our inception. We look forward to an even wider collaboration to help navigate this fast-moving and essential endeavor." Wanger is now serving as the Head of the Implementer's Forum for LFPH, where she coordinates implementation teams around the world that are building COVID-19 tools, while publicly documenting best practices. Last week, LFPH gathered representatives from nearly every country building a GAEN app at its GAEN Symposium and will host similar events in the future as well as ongoing special interest groups focused on areas like user interface/user experience (UI/UX), localization, and security and privacy. LFPH has also developed a landscape (shown below) to allow tracking the open and closed source applications in the COVID-19 response ecosystem and the current status of application rollouts around the world. Information on participating in LFPH activities and/or joining as a member is at lfph.io . Quotes from Founding Premier Members: Cisco, Vijoy Pandey, VP, Emerging Technologies and Incubation: "Cisco is proud to be a founding Premier member of this initiative and to contribute to this global effort to develop open source software to help fight the biggest pandemic in a century, by enabling open technology for public health. As we have experienced at Cisco many times, technology and open source communities do some of their best work when they collaborate on such a socially relevant common cause." doc.ai, Walter De Brouwer, CEO: "We're proud to be a founding member of this consortium and contribute our deep experience in the digital health ecosystem to better improve open-source software that will help public health authorities around the world combat this and future epidemics. As a digital health company, we realize the critical need for privacy-first infrastructure to lead the way in mobile health development and will bring that focus to our work with the Linux Foundation Public Health community." IBM, Theodore Tanner, Global CTO and Chief Architect Watson Health: "To meet the global challenge of COVID-19, the world must quickly come together and collaborate in innovative ways while applying best practices from past experience. IBM's commitment to open source communities spans over two decades, and during this worldwide pandemic we see real value in working with public health authorities and the larger healthcare ecosystem as part of Linux Foundation Public Health. IBM has resources to share supercomputing power, code, and AI and we look forward to taking an active role working with leaders across the industry to solve the complex challenges ahead." NearForm, Cian O'Maidin, CEO: "We are thrilled to be a part of the Linux Foundation Public Health consortium in partnership with the Irish Government. As the fulfillment of a lifelong goal to improve the lives of people across the world, our partnership across nations will enable the creation of a new connective tissue for public health where we can work as one team globally to fight COVID." Tencent, Dr. Alexander Ng, Vice President, Tencent Public Health: "Tencent is very glad to be a founding member of LFPH. We hope to improve global public health by participating in open-source initiatives for public health. Tencent is looking forward to bringing more value to the global society. Through open-source cooperation, Tencent will continue to advocate technology for social good." VMware, Ajay Patel, senior vice president and general manager, Modern Applications Platform Business Unit: "VMware believes in the power of open source software and open ecosystems to deliver incredible software to solve today's challenges. The charter of the LFPH aligns with our values, our mission, and our purpose and we are proud to be a founding member of this effort. We believe LFPH will ultimately help us rally and contribute key work VMware has been doing to date for customers around the world ranging from: mobile apps to integrate state response and communication; managing PPE inventory; back-to-work attestation and beacon systems; digital and human contact tracing using GAEN and non-GAEN approaches; integrating testing systems and more." About Linux Foundation Public Health Linux Foundation Public Health (LFPH) uses open source software to help public health authorities (PHAs) around the world combat COVID-19 and future epidemics. LFPH projects include COVID Shield being deployed in Canada and COVID Green, which has been deployed in Ireland. As more projects are contributed, LFPH will expand its scope into software support for all phases of PHA's testing, tracing, and isolation activities. LFPH is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit lfph.io . The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact Chad Torbin Linux Foundation Public Health [email protected] +1-415-548-6536 SOURCE LF Public Health Related Links http://www.lfph.io The first Arab space mission to Mars blasted off from Japan on Monday on a mission to unravel the secrets of weather on the Red Planet. The unmanned probe named Al-Amal -- Arabic for Hope -- took off after several weather delays, marking the next step in the United Arab Emirates' ambitious space programme. Here are some facts and figures about the oil-rich nation's project, which draws inspiration from the Middle East's golden age of cultural and scientific achievements. - Outsize plans - The UAE, made up of seven emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and freewheeling Dubai, has nine functioning satellites in orbit with plans to launch another eight in coming years. In September, it sent the first Emirati into space -- Hazza al-Mansouri, who was part of a three-member crew. They blasted off on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station. But the UAE's ambitions go well beyond that, with a goal of building a human settlement on Mars by 2117. In the meantime, it plans to create a white-domed "Science City" in the deserts outside Dubai, to simulate Martian conditions and develop the technology needed to colonise the planet. Under a national space strategy launched last year, the UAE is also eyeing future mining projects beyond Earth and space tourism, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic. - Hope's journey - The next milestone was the launch of the "Hope" probe, which officials say is designed to inspire the region's youth and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs. The 1,350-kilogramme (2,970-pound) probe -- about the size of an SUV -- lifted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on Monday at 6:58 am local time (2158 GMT Sunday) after poor weather delayed initial plans. The probe successfully detached from the Japanese launch rocket about an hour after blast-off, with a UAE space official hailing the launch as an "important milestone for the UAE and the region." Unlike the other two Mars ventures scheduled for this year, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, the UAE's probe will not land on the Red Planet but orbit it for a whole Martian year -- 687 days. Hope will take seven months to travel the 493 million kilometres (307 million miles) to Mars, in time to mark the 50th anniversary of the emirates' union in 2021. Once in orbit, one loop will take 55 hours at an average speed of 121,000 kph, while contact with the UAE command and control centre will be limited to six to eight hours twice a week. - Study and inspire - Three instruments mounted on the probe will provide a picture of the Mars atmosphere throughout the Martian year. The first is an infrared spectrometer to measure the lower atmosphere and analyse the temperature structure. The second is a high-resolution imager that will provide information about ozone levels. And the third, an ultraviolet spectrometer, is set to measure oxygen and hydrogen levels from a distance of up to 43,000 kilometres from the surface. Understanding the atmospheres of other planets will allow for a better understanding of the Earth's climate, officials say. But the project is also designed to inspire a region too often beset by turmoil, and recall its heyday of scientific advances during the Middle Ages. "The UAE wanted to send a strong message to the Arab youth and to remind them of the past, that we used to be generators of knowledge," Omran Sharaf, the mission's project manager, told AFP. A group of economists and business leaders urged Congress on Monday to include healthcare price transparency in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. In a letter sent to President Trump and other GOP leadership, signatories including former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Forbes Media chairman and CEO Steve Forbes, former state treasurer of Ohio Ken Blackwell and Vanderbilt University economics professor Larry Van Horn expressed support for the Health Care PRICE Transparency Act, which would require hospitals and insurers to publish their cash prices and secret negotiated rates in an easily accessible place online. The letter says the bill, which was recently introduced by Senate Republicans, would force hospitals and insurers to disclose real prices. This is commonsense legislation that simply requires that the health care industry provide consumers and patients with the same information that every other industry provides. The authors cite a JAMA study estimating that fixing pricing problems could save Americans up to $90 billion a year and help minimize hundreds of billions of dollars in health care waste annually. Transparency is needed now more than ever with the global coronavirus pandemic that has inflicted abrupt hardships on many Americans, the letter says. By requiring hospitals to post real prices and insurers to disclose reimbursement rates before care is delivered, policymakers help patients better evaluate their options, employers design health benefits, and over time provide a substantial economic boost from a less costly health care system without any cost to taxpayers. The call for price transparency comes weeks after a federal court ruled in favor of President Trumps Executive Order on Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare. Health care price transparency, the group argues, is the best, most free market, and least administratively burdensome way to lower health care spending while improving quality and outcomes and the first step in fixing our broken and costly healthcare system. More from National Review Earlier this month, Gilead Sciences announced the price of remdesivir, a drug that shows some promise in treating COVID-19. But does it show enough promise to justify its price taganother $3,120 total for a course of treatment on private insurancegiven that taxpayers spent $99 million on its development? Clinical trials have shown that remdesivir shortens hospitalization times and severity of illness, shortening recovery times by as much as 47 percent in some groups of patients. But while it helps in milder cases, it isnt as effective in the sickest patients. Remdesivir is promising, but we dont know if it saves lives. Advertisement Researchers, public health groups, and patient advocacy groups worried that despite remdesivirs limited effectiveness, Gilead Sciences would demand an exorbitant price for the drug. In 2013, the company gained infamy (spurring a Senate investigation) for its high pricing of lifesaving hepatitis C medications, stopping many of the most vulnerable patients, particularly Medicaid recipients, from getting treatment at all. This concern about remdesivir worsened in May. When Gilead donated the first 11.5 million doses, it told its shareholders that, while access was important, it wanted to price remdesivir to make its production economically sustainable. Meanwhile, a report by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review indicated that Gilead could break even by pricing remdesivir at $50 for a five-day course of treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gileads pricing of $3,100 for those on private insurance puts remdesivirs cost in the upper middle of the expected range. While the price could have been worse, its still high for a drug that was taxpayer-funded and is of limited help for the sickest patients. Essentially, the American taxpayer is paying for remdesivir twiceonce via the original federal grants that supported the drugs development, and once again at the point of care. Part of the reason for remdesivirs price is probably the financial pressures Gilead is experiencing. Back in 2014 and 2015, Gileads hepatitis C drugs made it massive profits ($35 billion by 2015), but they were short-lived. Competition has driven its hepatitis C profits down at the same time scrutiny over its drug pricing besmirched Gileads reputation (and spurred a 2015 Senate investigation) and entangled the company in legal battles. Worse still, Gilead hasnt had another success like its hepatitis C drugs. Remdesivir was the product of a collaboration between Gilead and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, developed to solve a problem: diseases caused by RNA viruses, like Ebola, SARS, and MERS. Remdesivir itself was originally meant to treat Ebola but didnt work as well as the antibody therapies being tested at the same time. Gileads drugs for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have failed to perform in clinical trials. Remdesivirs one virtue, from a commercial standpoint, is that it was the first drug for COVID-19 to arrive on the market. More (and potentially better) drugs are coming, so Gilead needs to make its profits while it can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is only the most recent example of the much broader problems with prescription drug pricing. But coming in the middle of a pandemic, its particularly outrageous. At the core, the problem is that the private companies creating drugs like remdesivir have to think of their own bottom lines even as the world sufferseven if the brunt of the costs of those projects were shouldered by the very taxpayers who may then struggle to pay the costs of those same drugs. Advertisement Advertisement But there is a better way to encourage vital innovation during global emergencies. In World War II, penicillin was more precious than gold. It could only be produced in minuscule quantities, not nearly enough to meet the needs of a nation at war. Advertisement Advertisement To meet this need, the U.S. government launched an initiative to produce the precious substance, funding a group of governmental laboratories, universities, and pharmaceutical companies. The project was a roaring success. The drug had been literally priceless in 1940. In 1943, it cost $20 a dose (more than $300 today). In 1945, it cost $0.55 (equivalent to about $8.36 in 2020). Penicillin was an issue of drug production, rather than development, but like remdesivir, the federally funded and military-backed project was undertaken to solve a public health and security problem. But the partnership also found new strains of the Penicillium mold, and new methods of culturing it that vastly increased the yield of penicillin. The collaboration allowed industry, academic, and federal labs to share their methods and data, then leveraged the resources of multiple companies to scale up production. The War Production Board had paid for much of the manufacturing facilities needed, and the Defense Procurement Board promised participating companies a market for the finished product. Penicillin is a success story of public-private cooperation. And unlike modern public-private cooperation, its product became widely, cheaply available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before and during WWII, most government-funded research took place in government laboratories. Projects like penicillin increased cooperation among government, academia, and industry. By the 1980s, government funding for both academia and industry was common, and incentives like the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which allowed recipients of federal funding to hold patents on products of their funded research, sweetened the deal. The shift toward funding industry isnt necessarily a bad thing. The problems we currently face are more a result of a lack of political will to use laws we already have, to ensure access to these inventions. For example, Bayh-Doles detractors feared that the law would tilt the balance in favor of the patent holders, so they added a check on their power in the form of what are called march-in rights. If a patent holder fails to make an innovation appropriately available to the public on reasonable terms or fails to meet health and safety needs, a federal agency may march in and assign a license to ensure the inventions production. But these march-in rights have never been used, thanks to a combination of the bureaucratic difficulty of the process, a lack of funding transparency, and precedent set by the National Institutes of Health. But the NIH has essentially set an impossible standard for the use of the provision. Its previous decisions about march-in essentially require another company to be standing by, ready to produce the patented productbut any company doing so would be exposing itself to the risk of an intellectual property lawsuit brought by the patent holder, without any reassurance of NIHs protection. Still worse, in other agreements it has struck with the pharmaceutical industry during the COVID-19 crisis, the Trump administration has effectively waived its march-in rights. The existing arrangement the administration has come to with Gilead further undermines any possibility of invoking march-in, since the administration seems content to meet Gileads terms to purchase remdesivir. Advertisement Advertisement Another law that could increase access to drugs like remdesivir is Section 1498 of the U.S. Code. This law has been used extensively by the Department of Defense and, more importantly, was a common method to procure drugs for federal use in the 1950s and 1960s. It essentially allows the federal government to arrange to have a patented product manufactured without the patent holders permission, as long as it pays the patent holders royalties set by a court. Section 1498 could be a powerful tool to ensure that we have access to needed medications in an emergency, but it has not been used since the 1970s. The story of penicillin shows that its possible to make private-public partnerships work, particularly during emergencies, without granting companies enormous concessions. Even the Bayh-Dole Act makes provisions to restrain the power of the patent holder to hold the public hostage to its profits. The lesson from history is simple: If we are to pay private entities public money to develop drugs (a massively profitable endeavormost pharmaceutical profits do not go to research and development, but to buying up their own stock), we must hold them to their obligations under existing U.S. law. We must use the many legal tools at our disposal to make sure that the patients who need these drugs can get them. Otherwise, the taxpayer wont only pay for the development and value of a given drug, but to bolster flailing companies. During an emergency like COVID-19, we cant afford limits to public access. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Soligent, a leading solar equipment distributor is now partnering with Loanpal, the fastest-growing solar lender in the nation, to offer Loanpal Direct Pay through Solar Engine. The program empowers installers with long-term, flexible financing for solar projects on residential properties. The Soligent and Loanpal partnership reinforces Soligents purpose to give installers the best resources available with quality customer service and trusted brands. Soligent is excited to announce our partnership with Loanpal. The ability to offer direct pay financing solutions enables Soligents customers to maximize their working capital, helping to grow and sustain their business, says Ken Lima, Executive Vice President at Soligent. Soligents Solar Engine platform enables installers to focus on the growth of their business while providing financial solutions that help homeowners to save money by going solar. By offering the Loanpal Direct Pay Program through Solar Engine, solar businesses can increase their cash flow while presenting an attainable financing solution to homeowners across the country. Get started today at http://www.Solarengine.net About Soligent Distribution Soligent supplies over 5,000 solar installers with best-in-class panels, inverters, racking and balance of systems across the U.S. and over 45 countries. Founded in 1979, Soligent has been a pioneer in the solar industry for decades and continues to drive the market forward with innovative solutions ranging from materials management to project financing. With advanced training, a diversified product offering, and multi-site distribution centers across the U.S., Soligent is well-positioned as a responsive, flexible equipment partner. Learn more by visiting http://www.soligent.net. About Loanpal Loanpal is the world-positive lender delivering a financial technology platform focused on deploying clean energy solutions The company is committed to delivering a tech-enabled lending experience that is simple, fast and frictionless, resulting in instant approvals at the point of sale. Loanpal is deploying $200 million a month in solar loans and has transacted over $3.5 billion on its platform since its launch in 2018. Loanpals platform connects financial institutions to high-quality borrowers for energy solutions that make a positive impact on the plane. Loanpal is a proud partner of GivePower, a 5013c corporation, whose mission is to build and deploy solar-powered clean water and energy systems to communities in need around the world. To learn more about Loanpal, visit, follow and connect with us at http://www.loanpal.com, @loanpal, and Linkedin. The Iranian authorities have released about 36 thousand prisoners within the program to defeat COVID-19 in prisons, Tasnim reported referring to the head of the prisons organization Mehdi Haj-Mohammadi. Thus, since July 8, 36,283 people have been released. According to the latest data, over 276.2 thousand COVID-19 cases have been detected in Iran, of which about 14.4 thousand are fatal. Over 240 thousand people have already recovered. Deputy Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Hon Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum has disclosed that special arrangements have already been put in place for candidates who have contracted COVID-19. According to him, the arrangements will enable them to write their exams albeit, not immediately. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that nonetheless enough safety protocols especially social distancing have been activated to ensure the safety of the candidates whilst they write their exams. The government has these students at heart since they also happen to be the first batch of students from the free SHS policy of the government writing their WASSCE during this pandemic. "Invigilators and other stakeholders have been provided with enough PPEs to enable them carry out their duties in a safe environment," he added. He noted that the government has also taken care of the registration fees of these candidates and this happens to be the first in the history of this country. "In all, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Seven (313, 837) youngsters are sitting for this years examinations, courtesy the Free SHS policy that created an accessible, equitable and quality education for every Ghanaian of Senior High school-going age, no matter ones background." "So we wish the students well and will continue to monitor the situation until they are done with their exams," he added. Watch Video Below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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 cases of COVID-19 continue to spread throughout auto plants in the United States, endangering the health and lives of workers and their families. Workers at the Fiat Chrysler (FCA) Toledo Jeep Assembly complex in northwestern Ohio have told the WSWS that over 60 workers have tested positive for coronavirus, but management refuses to close the giant facility, which employs nearly 7,000 workers. Dozens of cases have been reported at the General Motors (GM) plants in Arlington, Texaswhich is located in the coronavirus hotspot of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplexand Wentzville, Missouri, near St. Louis. A Flint, Michigan assembly worker told the WSWS that there were at least seven confirmed cases. GM also refuses to close the plants, which produce highly profitable pickup trucks and SUVs. The deadly consequence of this policy is seen at the GM plant in Silao, Mexico, where at least six workers have died, according to reports from workers sent to the WSWS. At Teslas Fremont, California plant, more than 130 cases have been reported, and the company, which rushed to reopen on May 11 in defiance of county lockdown orders, admits that over 1,500 have been affected, i.e., infected or exposed to someone who was infected. A worker at auto parts manufacturer DENSO in Battle Creek, Michigan died of COVID-19 in the second week of July, and at least 17 workers at five plants across the state have tested positive. The auto corporations and the United Auto Workers union are working together to hide the real number of cases from workers in the plants, repeatedly lying that the auto plants are safe to work in and that workers who contract the coronavirus are guilty of not following safety guidelines outside of the plants. The UAW and auto corporations have stopped reporting the number of deaths from COVID-19 among workers in the auto plants since the premature restart of production at the Detroit-based automakers in mid-May. Under these conditions, autoworkers have begun to take matters into their own hands, forming rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the UAW, at two Detroit area Fiat Chrysler assembly plantsJefferson North (JNAP) and Sterling Heights (SHAP)and at the Toledo Assembly Complex. Last week, the safety committees issued a joint statement calling for the closure of plants where there are outbreaks and for all workers, including autoworkers, teachers, airline workers and others to build rank-and-file safety committees. Fearing that workers will halt production to protect themselves like JNAP and SHAP workers did in late June, FCA sent out a letter Friday claiming it was taking measures with the UAW to address workers concerns. This includes setting up an "in-plant COVID-19 Task Force," made up of a supervisor, a senior team leader and a UAW steward," that would relay workers' "questions and concerns" to senior management and the UAW leadership to "ensure issues are addressed and that none of your comments are being misinterpreted through the process." The letter claimed there were "no secret cases in the plant" but reiterated the company's position that it would not release details of confirmed cases, hypocritically claiming to be concerned with the privacy of infected workers. "When there is a confirmed or suspected case," the letter states, "management and union staff will meet with the teams to explain the situation and interview those who may have been in close contact. Employees who have been determined to be in close contact will be removed from the plant until medical determines final disposition. Based on the individual situation Level 1 or Level 2 cleaning will be completed after which the team will be informed." This is nothing but another ploy to keep information about the spread of infections in the plant by isolating small groups of workers and making sure they do not inform their coworkers. Emphazing this point, the letter instructs workers to address their concerns only to team leaders and management as this is the "fastest way to have your voice heard by the entire Leadership Team." A Toledo Jeep worker said the UAW was colluding with management to cover up the dangers of contracting the deadly disease in the plant. UAW Local 12 Vice President Brian Sims, he said, told us people are not getting COVID from Chrysler, that theyre getting it elsewhere and bringing it here. That is a lie. These people in the media may know about 40 positive cases, but there are more. These union reps are company men and company women. They are opportunists; they dont care about the members. All they care about is making deals with the boss. Its like a war against the invisible beast. They know its not safe but theyre trying to put the word out there that it is okay. We need to get the [COVID] test out there to everyone and test every day. That little questionnaire, thats not going to cut it, she said, referring to the form that is supposed to be used to stop symptomatic cases entering the plant. Anyone can say they are COVID-free, and theyre not, and they come to work and pass it to everyone. But they [FCA] dont want to do that because it would require a system, and change, and a lot of money. Another worker with over 30 years at the Toledo Jeep plant explained how the company and UAW are trying to silence workers who oppose unsafe conditions. If you raise any [concerns] at all, theyre going to give you three days [suspension], then 30, then youre out the door pretty much. Theyre punishing workers if you dont wear your mask or if you complain. Its happening everywhere. He described horrific scenes of workers passing out from the heat and not being given time to take off their masks and cool down. There was a guard, a young woman who just started, and just yesterday she passed out on the floor and was there for an hour and a half before medical came! Another man passed out on the line and they never shut the line off! They dragged him out and kept us working! Workers in the parts industry that supply the assembly plants described conditions that were just as bad or worse. A worker at Syncreon auto parts in Michigan said: They tried to fire me because I tried to quarantine, and they tried to make me come back three days early. They said if I didnt come in, I would get fired and lose my position and seniority. How am I supposed to work when I am still waiting on test results? I called my steward...but they didnt care about peoples health. Its all about money. They have one person doing two to three jobs per night. I used to do one route; now I do three every half hour on the hour, for ten hours straight. I havent gotten a raise. Now theyre using these cameras, that were supposed to be installed for safety, as big brother. Theyre using it to track peoples breaks. To the dismay of auto executives last week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer suggested that the auto plants in the state might have to be temporarily closed if COVID-19 cases did not slow down. On Thursday, Glenn Stevens, executive director of MICHauto, an economic development initiative of the Detroit Regional Chamber, wrote a letter to Whitmer saying, On behalf of Michigans automotive leaders, I urge you to resist the closure of our manufacturing facilities and allow these demonstrated safety protocols to continue working to keep our businesses open. The Detroit Regional Chamber is the local affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce, which is lobbying for businesses to be protected from any legal liabilities for sickening and killing workers. The UAW is no different in its insistence that the plants must remain open. Eric Welter, the president of UAW Local 598 at GM Flint Assembly, told the Detroit Free Press, We talk every day as GM and the UAW on keeping the workers safe and keeping the integrity of the practices in the plant safe Theres a lot of money involved, and the last thing the automakers want is to be shut down by the government. He continued, Theres a future at risk. There is market demand right now. People want our product and if we dont deliver that product, thats our job security. So, we have to push on, do it safely, but product demand is job security. In other words, the UAW will not let anything get in the way of production, including the corpses of workers. The auto companies have piled up billions of dollars in profits since the 2009 restructuring of GM and Chrysler. This money did not go to improve the wages, let alone the working conditions, of autoworkers, but for stock buybacks and executive pay. A portion was also handed to the UAW in the form of bribes and other payoffs in return for signing contracts that cut workers pay and increased their exploitation. The rank-and-file safety committees insist that workers must have the right to a livelihood and safety. The plants where outbreaks have taken place should be closed with full pay guaranteed to all affected workers. A temporary worker at the Flint Assembly plant told the WSWS: My opinion about building a rank-and-file-safety committee is that we really need one here. I know of seven positive cases just in the small area where I work, and the union claims they know nothing. There is zero contact tracing because if they test us, we have to be off work for 34 days until we get the results. They wouldn't have enough workers to keep the line going. They don't care about us. They just want trucks. Put simplywhat GM management, the UAW, and the government are trying to do is cover up the COVID-19 cases and play dumb. Like many workers, he explained that cases in the plants were only revealed when workers exchanged information on Facebook. Workers try to warn each other. He said that teachers should build rank-and-file safety committees too in order to fight the rush to reopen the schools. We are the ones who need to put everything in perspective. By reopening the schools because they want the plants running, the result will be a lot of orphans. And who will take care of them if their parents die? A father and stepmother who allegedly left a toddler to die in her cot are facing more child cruelty charges. Willow Dunn's body was found malnourished and decomposing in her bed at her home in Brisbane on May 25, her face partially eaten by rats. Her father, Mark James Dunn, 43, and his girlfriend Shannon Leigh White, 43, were charged with murder for allegedly letting her starve to death. Willow's father, Mark James Dunn, 43, and his girlfriend Shannon White, 43, were both charged with murder in the weeks after the four-year-old's death Two years later, Willow was allegedly found dead in her cot, malnourished and eaten by rats, and her father and his girlfriend White charged with leaving her to die The four-year-old, who had Down syndrome, was found with infected sores on her hips down to the bone and burns to her scalp. Dunn faced Brisbane Magistrates' Court on Monday with an additional charge of child cruelty, and White two child cruelty charges along with drug possession. The court heard it would take five months for a pathology report on Willow's body to be ready, and the brief of evidence six weeks. As such, their case was adjourned to October 12. White and Dunn will stay behind bars charged with murder under its 'reckless disregard for human life' definition. Police previously confirmed in court a post-mortem revealed Willow died of malnourishment and sustained neglect. White (pictured, centre) was last Wednesday arrested and later charged with murder. Dunn had been slapped with the same charge a week earlier White (pictured, centre) was led away from the station in handcuffs looking worse for wear and wearing thongs and shabby clothes Shannon White, 43, holds her toddler son, born August 2018, whom she shares with her boyfriend Mark Dunn Investigators are probing whether Willow was left to starve to death and if she was being denied medication for her condition. White, 43, moved from her home in Adelaide to start dating Dunn in early 2017, after his wife Naomi died days after giving birth to Willow in November 2015. She brought her son, now 12, and teenage daughter Taliah, but left behind four adult daughters who claim to not have spoken to their mother in two years. Dunn, 43, and White appeared to create a happy family-of-six along with Willow's big brother, 7, and added their own baby on August 30, 2018. They shared photos of Willow sitting in her high-chair, laughing in her pram, and wearing a t-shirt reading 'daddy's other chick' that White bought her. Willow's complex family ties include her seven-year-old brother, three half-siblings, six step-siblings, and six step-nieces and nephews Photo of Willow meeting her newborn half-brother - the child of White and Dunn - in September 2018 Willow (pictured, left), who had Down Syndrome, and her brother who is now seven (right) was sent to live with an aunt and uncle after her mother's death Another photo showed her on a walk with Taliah, 19, who sometimes fed and bathed the toddler. How and why Willow went from a happy and doted on toddler to allegedly neglected and starved until she died will be investigated as part of the case against them. Willow's tangled family web includes her seven-year-old brother, three half-siblings, six step-siblings, and six step-nieces and nephews. Since Dunn and White were arrested, the house in Cannon Hill appears to have been abandoned. Teddy bears, a train set and a child's pink play castle were just some of the toys which were left by the roadside outside the property. Mark and Naomi Dunn (pictured) married in 2014, less than a year before her death from complications after giving birth to Willow The rented house in the south-east Brisbane suburb of Cannon Hill now appears to be abandoned Children's items and rubbish bags are littered on the driveway, footpath and carport area of the house Dozens of strangers gathered weeks after Willow's death to mourn her at an emotional public memorial in Cannon Hill Park. Parents whose children also have Down syndrome released butterflies and blew bubbles in a symbolic gesture to honour her life. The event was organised by the city's T21 group - a support network for parents of children with Down Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21. Kathy Dillon, who organised the memorial, told Daily Mail Australia someone needed to give Willow a sendoff. Total strangers have come together to mourn the tragic loss of a little girl with Down syndrome (pictured, the memorial on Saturday) as her own family stands accused of her murder 'Every child deserves love and support. I am happy now she is with her mummy, safe as she should be,' she said. Celebrant Kellie Rainbow told the gathered crowds the toddler's death was a painful experience for so many people. 'The passing of Willow hurts so much because her life was short and her story incomplete,' she said. Homo Neanderthaliensis did not become extinct because of changes in climate. At least, this did not happen to the several Neanderthals groups that lived in the western Mediterranean 42,000 years ago. A research group of the University of Bologna came to this conclusion after a detailed paleoclimatic reconstruction of the last ice age through the analysis of stalagmites sampled from some caves in Apulia, Italy. The researchers focused on the Murge karst plateau in Apulia, where Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens coexisted for at least 3,000 years, from approximately 45,000 to 42,000 years ago. This study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Data extracted from the stalagmites showed that climate changes that happened during that time span were not particularly significant. "Our study shows that this area of Apulia appears as a 'climate niche' during the transition from Neanderthals to Homo Sapiens" explains Andrea Columbu, researcher and first author of this study. "It doesn't seem possible that significant climate changes happened during that period, at least not impactful enough to cause the extinction of Neanderthals in Apulia and, by the same token, in similar areas of the Mediterranean". THE CLIMATE CHANGE HYPOTHESIS The hypothesis that a changing climate was a factor in Neanderthals extinction (that happened, in Europe, nearly 42,000 years ago) found considerable support among the scientific community. According to this theory, during the last ice age, sharp and rapid changes in climate were a decisive factor in Neanderthals' extinction because of the increasingly cold and dry weather. We can find confirmation of these sharp changes in the analysis of ice cores from Greenland and from other paleoclimatic archives of continental Europe. However, when it comes to some Mediterranean areas where Neanderthals had lived since 100,000 years ago, the data tell a different story. The Western Mediterranean is rich in prehistorical findings and, until now, no one ever carried out a paleoclimatic reconstruction of these Neanderthals-occupied areas. THE IMPORTANCE OF STALAGMITES Where to find answers about the climate past of the Western Mediterranean? The research group of the University of Bologna turned to the Murge plateau in Apulia. "Apulia is key to our understanding of anthropological movements: we know that both Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens lived there approximately 45,000 years ago", says Andrea Columbu. "Very few other areas in the world saw both species co-existing in a relatively small space. This makes the Murge plateau the perfect place to study the climate and the bio-cultural grounds of the transition from Neanderthal to Sapiens". How is it possible to provide a climate reconstruction of such a remote period? Stalagmites have the answer. These rock formations rise from the floor of karst caves thanks to ceiling water drippings. "Stalagmites are excellent paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental archives", explains Jo De Waele, research coordinator and professor at the University of Bologna. "Since stalagmites form through rainwater dripping, they provide unquestionable evidence of the presence or absence of rain. Moreover, they are made of calcite, which contains carbon and oxygen isotopes. The latter provide precise information about how the soil was and how much it rained during the formation period of stalagmites. We can then cross these pieces of information with radiometric dating, that provide an extremely precise reconstruction of the phases of stalagmites' formation". A (RELATIVELY) STABLE CLIMATE The pace at which stalagmites formed is the first significant result of this study. Researchers found out that Apulian stalagmites showed a consistent pace of dripping in the last and previous ice ages. This means that no abrupt change in climate happened during the millennia under investigation. A draught would have been visible in the stalagmites. Among all the stalagmites that were analysed, one was particularly relevant. Researchers sampled this 50-cm long stalagmite in the Pozzo Cucu cave, in the Castellana Grotte area (Bari) and they carried out 27 high-precision datings and 2,700 analyses of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes. According to dating, this stalagmite formed between 106,000 and 27,000 years ago. This stalagmite represents the longest timeline of the last ice age in the western Mediterranean and in Europe. Moreover, this stalagmite did not show any trace of abrupt changes in climate that might have caused Neanderthals' extinction. "The analyses we carried out show little variation in rainfall between 50,000 and 27,000 years ago, the extent of this variation is not enough to cause alterations in the flora inhabiting the environment above the cave", says Jo De Waele. "Carbon isotopes show that the bio-productivity of the soil remained all in all consistent during this period that includes the 3,000 years-long coexistence between Sapiens and Neanderthals. This means that significant changes in flora and thus in climate did not happen". THE TECHNOLOGY HYPOTHESIS The results seem to show that the dramatic changes in the climate of the last ice age had a different impact on the Mediterranean area than in continental Europe and Greenland. This may rule out the hypothesis that climate changes are responsible for Neanderthals dying out. How do we explain their extinction after a few millennia of coexistence with Homo Sapiens? Stefano Benazzi, a palaeontologist at the University of Bologna and one of the authors of the paper, provides an answer to this question. "The results we obtained corroborate the hypothesis, put forward by many scholars, that the extinction of Neanderthals had to do with technology", says Benazzi. "According to this hypothesis, the Homo Sapiens hunted using a technology that was far more advanced than Neanderthals', and this represented a primary reason to Sapiens' supremacy over Neanderthals, that eventually became extinct after 3,000 years of co-existence". THE AUTHORS OF THE STUDY The study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution with the title "Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthal- modern human turnover in southern Italy". Representing the University of Bologna, we have Andrea Columbu, Veronica Chiarini and Jo De Waele from the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, and Stefano Benazzi from the Department of Cultural Heritage. Other scholars also participated in the study: from the University of Innsbruck (Austria) where the isotopic analyses were carried out, from Melbourne University (Australia) and Xi'an Jiaotong University (China), that carried out the radiometric dating. Grotte di Castellana, the Apulian Speleology Association and, for the major part, local speleology groups provided funding for this study. ### Natasha Phipps was trying to secure a deal for her client at the height of Canadas first COVID-19 outbreak. The Calgary-based real estate agent, specializing in investment properties, was working with a mortgage broker to move her deal forward as the pandemic kept on throwing up roadblocks. Appraisals were the major issue, she says, because in those early days appraisers couldnt even go into a property. Without the necessary data to work from, Phipps broker threw up their hands and told the client there was no way to get the deal done. Phipps was undeterred. She sent her client to another broker, one who had already stepped up for her during the pandemic. After pulling some strings and escalating the issue, the broker got the deal done. It was a challenge, Phipps said, but where one broker balked at the first sign of a challenge, another worked harder to serve the client better. Throughout the pandemic, Phipps says, brokers differentiated themselves in moments like these. Some stepped up to serve the client better, others walked away. Phipps says the brokers that came through in the most uncertain times have earned her trust and continued business. During the COVID-19 outbreak, brokers and realtors could take this time and use it in one of two ways, she says. One was to really spend the time to build relationships, focus on the relationships, and provide value to people. Those are the types of people I like to work with. JOHANNESBURG (AP) South Africa was poised Saturday to join the top five countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while breathtaking infection numbers around the world were a reminder that a return to normal life is still far from sight. The countrys 337,000 cases make up roughly half of all confirmed infections on the African continent and its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with fewer health care resources. South Africa was on track to join the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia as current trends show it will surpass Peru. The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they cannot comply with World Health Organization protocols on improved hygiene and social distancing, the foundation of former South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah, warned in a statement. The development comes a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000. Daily death tolls have been reaching new highs in several U.S. states and Indias infections are over 1 million. Experts believe the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations. COVID-19 UPDATES: Texas sees deadliest day since pandemic began The world on Saturday marked Mandela Day, remembering Nelson Mandela, South Africas first Black president another Nobel Peace Prize winner and his legacy of fighting inequality. The country, however, remains the worlds most unequal, and health officials have warned that the pandemic will lay that bare. South Africas new coronavirus epicenter, Gauteng province, hosts the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria and one-quarter of the countrys population, with many poor people living in crowded conditions in the middle of a frosty Southern Hemisphere winter. Mandelas message is more relevant than ever, WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti said, calling for equitable access to care. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, said COVID-19 has been likened to an X-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built, adding that developed countries have failed to deliver the support needed to help the developing world through these dangerous times. Confirmed virus cases worldwide have topped 14.1 million and deaths are nearing 600,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Infections are soaring in U.S. states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, fueled by the haphazard lifting of coronavirus lockdowns and the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks. In the U.S., teams of military medics have been deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by patients. The two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases a day and some of their highest death counts. The surge of infections means that millions of American children are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houstons surge of COVID-19 cases overwhelms contact tracing efforts In India, a surge of 34,884 new cases was reported as local governments continue to re-impose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country. In Iran, the president made the startling announcement that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Hassan Rouhani cited a new Health Ministry study that has not been made public. Iran has the Middle Easts worst outbreak with more than 270,000 confirmed cases. In Bangladesh, confirmed cases surpassed 200,000 but experts say the number is much higher as the country lacks adequate labs for testing. Most people in rural areas have stopped wearing masks and are thronging shopping centers ahead of the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha this month. Scientists, meanwhile, poured cold water on British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons hope that the country may return to normal by Christmas. A world where people can go to work normally, travel on the buses and trains, go on holiday without restrictions, meet friends, shake hands, hug each other and so on -- thats a long way off, unfortunately," without a vaccine, said epidemiologist John Edmunds, a member of the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Britain has registered more than 45,300 COVID-19 deaths, the highest toll in Europe. But the government said it will halt issuing daily updates to that toll while authorities investigate the way the statistics are compiled. Academics said England's tally includes anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and later died, meaning some may have died of other causes. Other areas in the U.K. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have cutoff dates. ___ Associated Press writers around the world contributed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:51:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported one new case of COVID-19 on Monday in managed isolation facilities, bringing the number of active cases in the country to 26, according to the Ministry of Health. It has now been 80 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, said in a ministry statement. Monday's case was a man in his 40s who arrived in the country last Wednesday from Mexico, flying via Los Angeles, it said. He tested positive following day 3 surveillance testing and has been transferred, along with his family, to a quarantine facility in Auckland. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand is now 1,204, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization, the statement said. One person was transferred from Auckland's quarantine facility to Middlemore Hospital on Sunday for an unrelated health condition. This person is in a stable condition, it said. "The patient was cared for in a separate room in the Emergency Department at Middlemore Hospital before being transferred to a separate room on one of the hospital wards," it added. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand was 22, according to the ministry. Enditem While malls have opened in most states from June 8 onwards, Maharashtra is yet to take a decision. On July 6, the state allowed hotels to reopen, with one-third operational capacity. Mall owners are now pinning hopes that this move to be extended to malls as well. The Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has urged the Maharashtra government to consider reopening malls. COVID-19 has hit malls and the retail industry severely. But how well are malls prepared for a reopening before Unlock 3.0? Unlock 3.0, after a long spell of national lockdown, is expected in the next few weeks. The Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has written to Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray urging him and the State Government to take concrete steps in the urgent opening of malls in the state. Maharashtra has more than 75 malls, with almost 50 percent spread across Mumbai MMR, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai Dombivli, etc. Similarly, Pune has more than 20 percent malls while the rest are spread across Amravati, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, etc. Though the SCAI has laid out Standard Operating Procedures, malls, on their own, are also taking additional precautions. Sanitising tunnels, unidirectional movement of customers and appointment-based visits are some of them. Customer safety is paramount to us and we have focussed SoPs around that. We believe that there will be good results, if customers find malls optimally hygienic, safe, and adhering to social-distancing norms, explains Amitabh Taneja, Chairman, SCAI. The SCAI has over 75 member-malls in Maharashtra, with more than 50 percent in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Of the remaining, 20 percent are in Pune and the rest are scattered across other cities. Thirty new memberships are currently on hold. To begin with, malls plan to start operations in phases with a days business not exceeding about 9-10 hours -- based on government guidelines. According to Rajendra Kalkar, President, West, The Phoenix Mills Ltd, We are working with partners for contactless payments. At a mall, payments take place mainly at the retailer end, at parking lots and at service booths. All of them are completely touch-free. Thats not all. We will be putting up barcodes of restaurant menus at various places inside the malls, so that customers can scan them as they move through the mall, book their orders and pick them up as they leave, he said. Sanitisation activities are now happening at an increased frequency as per a revised schedule. Mall owners have conducted multiple training sessions for all retail staff permanent as well as temporary. Sanitisation tunnels and unidirectional movement We have installed sanitising tunnels at various entrances for the customers and the staff, respectively, said Manoj K. Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Viviana Mall. These tunnels would spray an US Environment Protection Agency (EPA)-approved chemical as a fine mist below the shoulder level. The mall is also planning a unidirectional movement of customers with the help of floor markers and signage -- in common areas, and contactless billing in retail stores. Usage of alternate urinals and washbasins, and sensor-based taps and soap dispensers are the other measures. Only a certain number of customers, based on the size of individual retail stores, will be allowed in. Besides, children up to 10 years of age and senior citizens above 60 years will initially be asked to not visit the mall. Many other precautionary methods like touchless sanitiser dispensers, queueing up with social distancing at all stores, and UV-enabled baggage scanners are already in place. Aarogya Setu a must for entry Seating arrangements on food courts have been rearranged to maintain physical distancing. Most mall owners said visitors and staff must have Aarogya Setu App installed on their mobiles with location and blue tooth services should be always on and must display the green indicator. If the app is not installed, a QR-based download mechanism has been set up. Malls will also check body temperature and oxygen levels at entry points. Some malls are opening counters selling masks at entrance points. Restriction on number of customers Certain malls say they will introduce a norm whereby only a limited number of customers will be allowed to enter the stores based on the store size, keeping a distance of about 250 sq ft of carpet area per person. This area will be determined, keeping in mind the display racks, gondolas, billing counters, installations, changing rooms and storage space in mind. Since air-conditioning inside malls is an area of concern, some malls have installed UVGI (Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) AHU (Air Handling Unit) to keep coils and the air passing through them clean and disinfected, thereby blowing in air of breathable quality. Korum Mall in Thane has a system of appointment-based visits. It requires pre-registering with the mall, which helps them track footfall and maintain optimum number of customers at any given point of time. A contactless interface is in place for food and beverage partners like restaurants and food courts, where a customer can scan a QR code to avail offers and discounts, besides making payments. Pre-ordering food from food courts while shopping or watching a movie is also possible. We plan to have dedicated shopping hours for pregnant women and senior citizens, a Korum spokesperson said. Korum Mall has partnered with Jupiter Hospital for COVID-19 awareness sessions. SCAI Chairman Taneja sums it up. All social media platforms and media channels are being utilised to spread awareness around hygiene measures. Medical staff is also deputed to ensure safety to customers. Currently, malls are operational in major Metros and Tier-I cities. Cities which have opened malls include Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and small but populous cities such as Agartala, Bhopal, Siliguri, Raiganj, Indore, and, more recently, Cuttack, to name a few. The UK has signed agreements to buy 90 million doses of vaccines in development by drugmakers including Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Valneva SE. The government said it has secured access to three different vaccine candidates, and its setting up a program seeking 500,000 volunteers to participate in clinical trials. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Pfizer and BioNTech plan to supply 30 million doses of their vaccine candidate this year and next, the companies said in a separate statement. The companies plan to seek approval as early as October and could produce as many as 100 million doses by the end of this year. The UK described the order as that alliances first binding agreement with any government. The US has been supporting Pfizer and BioNTechs efforts through its $10 billion Operation Warp Speed research program. The vaccine uses a novel technology called mRNA. Valneva agreed to supply 60 million doses of a shot its developing. The UK previously struck a supply agreement for a vaccine being tested by AstraZeneca Plc with the University of Oxford. The UK also said Monday it ordered treatments containing antibodies that neutralize Covid-19 from AstraZeneca. Valneva, a French drugmaker, will supply a further 40 million doses if its vaccine is found to be safe, effective and suitable, the U.K. said. The company is producing the vaccine at a factory in Livingston, Scotland. Valneva said it expects the government to help fund clinical studies and its negotiating funding to expand the Livingston facility. Philadelphia residents should put their trash out a day later than usual this week as the city catches up on collecting garbage, the Streets Department said Sunday. Garbage has piled up on sidewalks during the coronavirus pandemic as sanitation workers call out sick in large numbers. Highways Division workers and staff from other departments helped pick up trash over the weekend, cutting down the collection delays from three to four days to one to two days, Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said Sunday. Still, residents should expect delays this week as collection crews prioritize trash not picked up from last week. The department asked residents to put their garbage out at least a day later than their regular schedule, but said some waste may be picked up one to two days late in some parts of the city. The Streets Department will also expand operating hours of its Sanitation Convenience centers, where residents can throw out their garbage without delays. Starting Monday, the centers will be open seven days a week. Residents must show proof of residency with either a drivers license or utility bill verifying their address. Center locations and hours can be found at PhiladelphiaStreets.com. The department said it will prioritize trash collection, so picking up recyclables could take longer. The department asked residents to not call 311 unless collection delays are at least four days behind. We understand the publics concern over delayed collections and thank them for their patience and cooperation as we work toward returning to a regular collection schedule during this pandemic, the department said in a statement. With trash piling up on sidewalks, the department temporarily instructed sanitation workers to throw recycled material in with regular trash and has forced some to work mandatory overtime shifts, the Inquirer has reported. The delays got so bad last week that City Councilmember Brian J. ONeill called on Mayor Jim Kenneys administration to hire private trash collectors. HOUSTON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CARBO Ceramics Inc. ("CARBO" or "the Company") announces that it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This marks the successful and expeditious completion of CARBO's financial restructuring process along with the implementation of the Company's Plan of Reorganization (the "Plan"), which was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division on June 18, 2020. CARBO has bolstered its balance sheet by significantly reducing its debt and certain lease liabilities, providing a solid foundation as the Company moves forward under the ownership of Wilks Brothers, LLC (the "Wilks Brothers"). "This successful financial restructuring positions the Company to navigate the ever-changing business environment from a place of strength while continuing to deliver value for our clients and partners," said Justin Wilks, Senior Vice President of the Wilks Brothers. "We look forward to maximizing CARBO's potential and unlocking opportunities for strategic growth." In connection with the emergence, Don Conkle has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of CARBO. Mr. Conkle joined the Company in 2012 as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and has 34 years of leadership and industry experience. "This is a pivotal milestone and the start of a promising new chapter for CARBO," said Don Conkle, Chief Executive Officer. "We began our restructuring process with the clear goal of strengthening our capital structure to best position CARBO to succeed in the future which we have accomplished. We are grateful to our employees, clients and vendors who supported us through this process and now set our eyes on future growth with a common goal across the organization to deliver uncompromising quality products and services for our clients." Pursuant to the Plan, CARBO has completed a debt-for-equity exchange with the Wilks Brothers. In connection with this transaction, the Company has converted the existing $15 million DIP facility into a $15 million exit facility. The Company's operating strategy will continue to be focused on providing products and services to the oil and gas and industrial markets, utilizing its primary strengths in material sciences, manufacturing expertise, technology solutions, and supported by an extremely talented workforce. Filings and additional information on the transaction consummated in connection with CARBO's emergence from bankruptcy can be found at http://dm.epiq11.com/Carbo . CARBO was advised in this matter by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Perella Weinberg Partners L.P. (together with its corporate advisory affiliates including Tudor Pickering Holt & Co.) and FTI Consulting, Inc. About CARBO CARBO is a global technology company that provides products and services to several markets, including oil and gas, industrial, agricultural, and environmental markets to enhance value for its clients. CARBO Oilfield Technologies - is a leading provider of market-leading technologies to create engineered production enhancements solutions that help E&P operators to design, build and optimize the frac - increasing well production and estimated ultimate recovery, and lower finding and development cost per barrel of oil equivalent. CARBO Industrial Technologies - is a leading provider of high-performance ceramic media and industrial technologies engineered to increase process efficiency, improve end-product quality and reduce operating cost. CARBO has world class manufacturing expertise. We bring new products to market faster to meet client demands. CARBO Environmental Technologies - is a leading provider of spill prevention and containment solutions that provide the highest level of protection for clients' assets and the environment in oil and gas and industrial applications. Our range of innovative products feature a proprietary polyurea coating technology that creates a seamless, impermeable, maintenance-free layer of protection. For more information, please visit www.carboceramics.com. Investor Relations Contact: Mark Thomas Director of Investor Relations 281-921-6400 SOURCE CARBO Ceramics Inc. Related Links http://www.carboceramics.com ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming percentage of Americans support the mandated use of masks, as more states decide to require them. Americans reject the argument that mandates are an infringement of personal freedom and share a huge concern of a second wave of the COVID-19 virus. When asked whether your state government should have the authority to require everyone to wear a mask in public, 56% supported such mandates and only 20% opposed. More than half of the states in the United States now require the use of masks. The results were similar when respondents were asked about whether local governments should have the right to order the use of masks 79% were in support and 19% opposed. Concern about a second wave of COVID-19 was very high, with 87% expressing concern, while only 12% indicated a lack of concern. The poll was conducted on behalf of The Hawthorn Group, a leading public affairs firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. "Our polling clearly shows that science and health concerns outweigh politics when it comes to wearing a mask," said John Ashford, Chairman and CEO of The Hawthorn Group. "As our state and local political leaders grapple with how to balance public safety with individual rights, they need to realize that voters have moved far beyond that voters recognize that we are in a serious health crisis and wearing masks are a vital step." As they go about their lives during the COVID-19 crisis, a large majority of respondents regard wearing a mask as a civic duty 79%, versus 19% who regard masks as a violation of personal liberty. Detailed poll results are available through this https://www.hawthorngroup.com/public-affairs/july-2020-americanpublic-omnibus-surve/ Based in Alexandria, Virginia, The Hawthorn Group is an international public affairs firm of senior corporate and political communications experts specializing in building grassroots and grasstops support for issues to achieve public policy objectives. With activities and projects in more than 33 states over the past two years alone, Hawthorn has built campaigns that engage and recruit both grassroots and opinion leader support on issues of broad public concern, including: energy and tax policy, infrastructure programs, business development and resource planning. Hawthorn finds and provides all appropriate means of persuasion, from industry coalitions to individual networking, from traditional advertising to community relations, from media relations to social media, blending all the available tools into the art of advocacy. For additional information contact: Suzanne Hammelman The Hawthorn Group, L.C. 703.299.4499 [email protected] SOURCE The Hawthorn Group, L.C. Related Links http://www.hawthorngroup.com You may think that a drug cartel is all Uzi-wielding thugs and quietly menacing chemists. But there are a lot of different skill sets needed to bring your favorite narcotics from farm to nose. Particularly guys who can think of clever yet inconspicuous tricks to sneak these illicit products through customs without anyone looking twice. Unfortunately, none of them are put to work in the shipping department. During a routine customs inspection, the Guardia di Finanza (Italy's money cops) noticed a shady package being shipped from Colombia through Malpensa Airport in Milan. Their suspicions were rewarded when they discovered that this shipment of Colombia's number two export, coffee, was being used to smuggle in its number one, cocaine, with over five hundred individual coffee beans each having been stuffed with a few grams of marching powder. Peru: Amidst the growing corona outbreak in the world, the death toll is increasing. Thousands of people are losing their lives due to this virus every day. The havoc of Corona has increased. The number of infected people has crossed 3 lakh 53 thousand, with 4090 new cases of corona infection reported in the South American country of Peru in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to the death of 189 people from this epidemic has crossed the figure of 13 thousand and has crossed 13, thousand. Peru's health department gave this information in its daily report on Sunday. So far more than 2 lakh 63 thousand samples have been corona tested in Peru. Out of which more than 3 lakh 53 thousand reports have come positive. So far, more than 2 lakh 41 thousand patients of Corona have been completely cured in Peru. At present, 12 thousand patients of Corona are admitted in the hospital. 1293 of which is said to be critical. The capital Lima and other metropolitan cities are most affected by the Corona infection. Peru is ranked 6th in the world in terms of the number of corona positives. Digvijay Singh came in support of Sharad Pawar on coronavirus and Ayodhya Four more DMK leaders turned Corona positive, total of 17 MLAs infected Uma Bharti lashes out at NCP supremo, says "Sharad Pawar's statement is against Lord Ram" Madrid, July 20 : Injury-plagued Real Madrid attacker Eden Hazard has admitted that this year is "the worst season of my career," although his side achieved great success by surpassing Barcelona after 10 straight wins to take the trophy in LaLiga. The 29-year-old playmaker has had to deal with several injuries since his sensational move from Chelsea. The Belgian talent had a fracture on his ankle last November and unfortunately broke his foot two months later on his return. He was out for three months after surgery, and came back when the Spanish league restarted in June after the suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency. Hazard played very little after the recovery for Real, and was injured again in the 1-0 victory over RCD Espanyol. He played an hour in the 2-1 win over Villarreal on Thursday that handed Real the title with a seven-point lead over Barca with one game left. "This year we won the title collectively. For me, at an individual level, I've had the worst season of my career for sure," Hazard said in an interview with France Info. "It was a bit of a strange season, with everything that happened. The next thing has to be the Champions League, even if it's going to be difficult, because we have to play at Manchester City and they have a very good team." The Spanish giants now face a difficult task of beating City on August 7 in their second leg of the Champions League last 16 stage. Real lost to City 2-1 at home in their first leg clash, and is reeling as City has two away goals. South Carolina is nearing 70,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as public health officials on Sunday said another 2,335 people tested positive for the illness. The state Department of Health and Environmental Control also reported 19 more deaths, bringing that total to 1,138. Figures reported Sunday include 526 new confirmed cases from Friday that DHEC received from a private laboratory Saturday. As hospital capacity continues to swell, DHEC in partnership with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation announced this week a joint order that gives nursing graduates temporary authorization to practice at health care facilities. The move could free up about 200 people, allowing them to join the 85,000 licensed nurses across South Carolina. More than 80 mobile testing clinics will be brought online in rural and underserved areas through Aug. 15, public health officials said. Statewide numbers Number of new cases reported: 2,335 Total number of cases in S.C.: 69,765 Number of new deaths reported: 19 Total number of deaths in S.C.: 1,138 Number of hospitalized patients: DHEC will not report hospital data for a few days, until the new reporting system is fully implemented. Percent of tests that were positive: 18.4 percent Total number of tests in S.C.: 626,970 Which areas are hardest hit? Charleston County led the state with 338 new cases announced Sunday, while Greenville reported 194 and York tallied 158. What's happening in the tri-county region? The tri-county area counted a total of 606 cases Sunday, including 120 from Berkeley County and 148 from Dorchester. Deaths Of the 19 patients who died, 16 were 65 years old or older, and three were 34 to 64 years old. They were from Anderson, Darlington, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Horry, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg and Sumter counties. What do experts say? As case numbers and deaths continue to rise around the state, officials continue to issue dire warnings on what will happen if the public does not adopt widespread precautions like mask wearing and social distancing. DHEC officials said they are working with their community partners to set up mobile testing clinics. As of Sunday, there were 83 such clinics scheduled through Aug. 15. In addition, there are 182 permanent testing sites around the state. For more information about where and how to get tested, go to scdhec.gov/covid19testing. Officials continue to urge basic precautions to slow the spread of the coronavirus: social distancing, wearing a mask in public, avoiding group gatherings, regularly washing hands and staying home when sick. The first national assessment of the damage wrought by the unprecedented summer bushfires on native animals finds there is likely to be a dramatic increase in the number of species facing extinction. A comprehensive study of the effects of fires between July last year and February this year found 21 threatened species including the long-footed potoroo and eastern bristlebird are among 70 animal types that had more than 30 per cent of their habitat burnt. This habitat loss puts them at a far greater risk of extinction, according to a peer-reviewed study from researchers at the University of Queensland and La Trobe University, and published in Nature, Ecology & Evolution on Tuesday. An eastern bristlebird rescued from bushfire danger east of Mallacoota. "Many of the species impacted by these fires were already declining in numbers because of drought, disease, habitat destruction and invasive species," said lead researcher Michelle Ward, a doctoral candidate at the University of Queenslands School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorisation, its first for the use of pooled testing in the country, on July 18, as the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases continued to rise, and with many states struggling to meet demand for testing. The 7-day average of new cases in the US, on July 18, according to the New York Times database, was around 66,000. Pooled testing isnt a new concept, and even in the current context of Covid-19, there has been talk of using it in India to boost testing capacity (Hindustan Times wrote about this in the early days of the pandemic here). Pooled testing is simply about pooling samples into lots, testing the lots and then testing individual samples in lots that test positive for the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes the coronavirus disease. India has been an early adopter of antigen testing, and the Indian Council of Medical Research has now asked states to aggressively use rapid antigen tests, HT reported late last week. It should consider pooled testing too, for this will increase testing capacity. India, as Ive said time and again in the column, should be testing a million people a day. It does around 300,000 a day on average currently. India registered 37,774 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, taking its total tally of infections to 1,076,479 (according to the Hindustan Times dashboard). Of this, 26,812 people have died and 677,565 have recovered resulting in 372,102 active cases. The number of new cases continues to rise (theres a new daily record almost every other day) and India is on course to add another million cases before August 15. Now, imagine daily cases not rising but beginning to come down, perhaps two weeks from now. Thats well within the realm of the possible. Last week, in a speech and then an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, said the disease could be controlled in four to eight weeks if we could get everyone to wear a mask right now, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Redfield cited research in the US on health care workers that showed that universal masking significantly reduced infections passed on by patients even in this high-risk group. Yet, despite universal masking rules that many US states have imposed, law enforcement agencies indicate that they probably will not be actively enforcing the rule. The general opinion seems to be that it is a little disproportionate to penalise someone for something as trivial as not wearing a mask (although, in current circumstances, a person not wearing a mask is probably as dangerous as one waving a gun). Yet, when things head south, the first thing administrators do the most recent case being Melbourne over the weekend is to make the wearing of masks mandatory. Masking and social distancing are the only guaranteed ways to prevent infections. There are a variety of reasons why people do not wear masks but all of them can be traced back to plain stupidity. There can be no medical reason for the majority of people not to wear a mask. Research has shown that wearing a mask (or actually multiple masks) does not affect oxygen intake in any way although the exhalation does cause glasses to mist up. If India continues on its current trajectory, it may well be seeing at least around 75,000 cases a day by the middle of August. The US is the only country to have seen those levels (it recorded a little less than 75,000 cases on July 17). Now, imagine a scenario where India isnt seeing 75,000 cases by August 15, but a much lower number. Universal masking can make that happen provided the federal government and the states get serious about enforcement. Can India and Indians, famed for the inability to maintain queues (or understand the concept of personal space) in good times do better than the US in bad times? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hospitals across the US are finding that they are short of doctors, and one reason may be the Trump administrations ban on work visas. With coronavirus cases still surging across much of the country, the change to immigration rules and its inconsistent implementation has led to a shortage of foreign medical residents, ProPublica reports. The 22 June proclamation by president Donald Trump stopped the issuance of work visas and meant that many foreign doctors are unable to travel to the US to begin their residencies. The immigration order included H1-B visas for highly-skilled workers which are often used by doctors that get a residency at a US medical facility, though most use a J-1 visa, not covered by the ban. Those on an H1-B visa usually have a higher level of qualifications having practised medicine in their home country. While the order waived the new rules for those providing medical care to Covid-19 patients, guidance on implementation from the state department and department of homeland security has been slow to filter through to consulates and embassies around the world. Until then many visa applications sit in an administrative hold and much needed qualified medical professionals have found themselves in limbo. ProPublicas investigation led many consulates to restart approvals for medical visas, but the lag time in approvals is already causing problems. A delay of just a couple of weeks before doctors arrive from abroad can create issues in adequate staffing of a hospital. As third-year residents move on, large gaps are opening up in hospital rotas and junior residents are having to cover many extra shifts and work longer hours. Exhaustion is common. This is raising fears about what might happen in the autumn if a second wave of the virus hits coinciding with flu season. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that in 2017 there were approximately 2,500 medical residents on H1-B visas. This number is thought to have fallen during the Trump administration. Each resident can be responsible for thousands of patients, and they are often concentrated in less prestigious hospitals. Complicating matters further is that those residents on H1-B visas currently in the US face uncertainty as to whether they would be allowed to return if they leave, for example for family reasons. The state department told ProPublica that it was working with the DHS and other partners in implementing procedures. Some consulates overseas remain closed due to local lockdown regulations. Visa approvals have now begun to work through the system and several doctors told the outlet that after receiving initial rejections their applications are moving forward. As of Monday afternoon, the US has 3.83 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 143,000 officially recorded deaths. New York The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that carried two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) late in May is set to depart the orbiting laboratory on August 1 and reach Earth on August 2, marking the end of the first crewed mission for the Elon Musk-led company. Making the announcement in a tweet, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that "weather will drive the actual date". The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 30, becoming the first crewed launch from the US after the government retired the space shuttle programme in 2011. This is also the first-ever crewed mission for SpaceX. "We're targeting an Aug. 1 departure of @SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour spacecraft from the @Space_Station to bring @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug home after their historic #LaunchAmerica mission. Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned," Bridenstine said in the tweet. Known as NASA's SpaceX Demo-2, the mission is an end-to-end test flight to validate the SpaceX crew transportation system, including launch, in-orbit, docking and landing operations. The Demo-2 mission is the final major test before NASA's Commercial Crew Programme certifies Crew Dragon for operational, long-duration missions to the space station. Supernanny star Jo Frost has said the new series of her show sees angry American families kicking her out of their homes. The British star, who shot to fame with the Channel 4 show back in 2004, appeared on ITV chat show Lorraine today (20 July) to discuss her new series. The new series of Supernanny, which airs on E4 on Monday night at 9pm, sees Frost helping American families struggling to discipline their children. Chatting to Christine Lampard, who was standing in for Lorraine Kelly, Frost told how some families took exception to the advice she provided. Jo Frost of Supernanny in January 2020 in Pasadena, California. (David Livingston/Getty Images) She said of the series: It was a journey with respect to travelling around America and helping these families because it wasnt always easy. Read more: Supernanny is back! Watch Jo Frost's return in the trailer I can think of several times I was actually kicked out of the house. They didnt want me there. They got very hostile and aggressive and asked me to leave. The truth can be very painful for a lot of families, yet it does set you free if you can surrender to the process. SUPERNANNY - "Jeans Family" on the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network. (Fred Fuhrmeister/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) Though Supernanny usually sees Frost helping parents struggling with younger children, this series will see her offering American families advice on how to handle older children. In an interview with American publication Good Housekeeping, she said of the new series: "My style is still very direct, and very caring. Read more: Jo Frost chats about the return of Supernanny "I nurture a family, and support them emotionally through the transition. That certainly hasn't changed, because it's worked for 30 years, being able to do that with family. Certainly, new challenges present the opportunity for me to look at different ways to help. That means different advice, different techniques, it means certainly different tools to go in that toolbox." Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV. As McConnell prepares to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledges it will not have full support. Already the White House is suggesting changes, Republicans are divided and broader disagreements with Democrats could derail the whole effort. It's a massive undertaking, hardly politically popular, but the alternative is worse. Experts predict an even more dire public health outlook for winter. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official, says the U.S. needs to "regroup." Lawmakers return Monday to Washington to try to pull the country back from the looming COVID-19 cliff. While the White House prefers to outsource much of the decision-making on virus testing and prevention to the states, the absence of a federal intervention has forced the House and Senate to try to draft another assistance package. "It's not going to magically disappear," said a somber Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers. With COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the pandemic's devastating cycle is happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses are shutting down, schools cannot fully reopen and jobs are disappearing, all while federal emergency aid expires. Without a successful federal plan to control the outbreak, Congress heads back to work with no endgame to the crisis in sight. It stands as the biggest economic rescue in U.S. history, the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill swiftly approved by Congress in the spring. And it's painfully clear now, as the pandemic worsens, it was only the start. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, already pushed through a more sweeping $3 trillion relief bill to bolster virus testing, keep aid flowing and set new health and workplace standards for reopening schools, shops and workplaces. She said recently she finds herself yearning for an earlier era of Republicans in the White House, saying tha despite differences, even with President Richard Nixon, who resigned facing impeachment, "At least we had a shared commitment to the governance of our country." The political stakes are high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now has more coronavirus infections and a higher death count than any other country. On Friday, two former Federal Reserve Board leaders urged Congress to do more. "Time is running out," Pelosi said. There were just a few hundred coronavirus cases when Congress first started focusing on emergency spending in early March. By the end of that month, as Congress passed a $2.2 trillion bill, cases soared past 100,000 and deaths climbed past 2,000. Today, the death toll stands at more than 139,000 in the U.S., with 3.6 million-plus confirmed cases. The virus that first tore into New York, California and America's big cities is now plaguing places large and small, urban and rural, burning through the South, West and beyond without restraint. Freezer cases that stored bodies outside New York hospitals are now on order in Arizona. The mobilization of military medical units to help overworked health care providers has shifted now to Texas. Lawmakers hardly wore facial masks when they voted in March as the Capitol was shutting down and sending them to the ranks of work-from-home Americans. Trump and his allies still rarely wear them. But at least 25 governors from states as diverse as Alabama to Oregon now have mask requirements. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this past week that if everyone wore a mask, iit could help "drive this epidemic to the ground." Just as the pandemic's ferocious cycle is starting again, the first round of aid is running out. A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits expires at the end of the month. So, too, does the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units. With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million -- usually its about 200,000 -- many households are facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage. Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remains at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade's Great Recession. Pelosi's bill, approved in May, includes $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funnels $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and sends $1 trillion to cash-strapped states that are pleading for federal dollars to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections. McConnell hit "pause" after passage of the last aid package as Republicans hoped the economy would rebound and stem the need for more assistance. He now acknowledges additional intervention is needed. His bill centers on a five-year liability shield to prevent what he calls an "epidemic of lawsuits" against businesses, schools and health care providers. The bill is expected to provide up to $75 billion for schools, another round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans and grants to child care providers. There is likely to be tax credits to help companies shoulder the cost of safely reopening shops, offices and other businesses. Unlike the other virus aid pacakges that passed almost unanimously, McConnell says this one will be more difficult to approve. In the two months since Pelosi's bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections. Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has sought the support of the ministry of humanitarian affairs in his determination to strenthen the states social inclusion programmes while battling insurgency. The governor was speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the minister, Sadiya Farouk, in her office in Abuja on Monday. The governor lamented the non-inclusion of Gombe among the frontline states when it comes to humanitarian support and interventions from the federal government for states affected by the insurgency. He also made a case for the expansion of the school feeding programme in Gombe to accommodate the rising enrollment figures as a result of the state of emergency he declared on education. He said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration is desirous to come up with measures to encourage small and medium scale businesses, especially in agriculture. He said these would mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the socio-economic activities of the people. Gombe, being at the center of the North-east subregion is experiencing the influx of people fleeing insurgency in the neighbouring states, thereby overstretching the states resources in the process, he said. Governor Yahaya commended the ministrys school feeding programme and its efforts to feed school children at home during the lockdown. Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) On the social investment programme of the ministry, the N-Power in particular, the governor pushed for special consideration for Gombe State in the ongoing recruitment process. He lamented that the state had only about 2,000 beneficiaries in the outgoing batches. Mr Yahaya also emphasised the need to expedite the roll out of the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme ( GEEP) in Gombe State in order to accelerate the economic recovery post-Covid. Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) He said Gombe is a commercial area with large numbers of businesses and traders that need to benefit from the intervention. The governor also sought for the inclusion of Gombe in the National Emergency Management Agencys agricultural intervention in the North-east. He assured of improved partnership between Gombe Emergency Management Agency and NEMA through capacity building in areas of disaster response and humanitarian intervention. Response In her response, the minister told the governor that her ministry will continue to prioritise Gombe State in its activities. She thanked Mr Yahaya for his support to the ministrys social intervention programmes such as Conditional Cash Transfer, N- Power, Government Enterprises Empowerment and Home Grown School Feeding, among others. She sought the governors continuous cooperation in implementing her ministrys mandate within the state. Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) Gombe governor seeks FGs support in war on insurgency (PHOTO CREDIT: Nasir Ayitogo) The minister also expressed appreciation to the Gombe government for its support to the ongoing rehabilitation and de-radicalisation of repentant insurgents at the Malam Sidi camp. She said the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) is planning to set up an operational office in Gombe and that more support is coming the way of Gombe through her ministry. The minister also disclosed that NEMA will be engaging Gombe SEMA and others to prevent and manage disasters, especially with early warning signals, seasonal rainfall prediction and annual flood outlook earlier released. CAIRO - Egypts parliament on Monday authorized the deployment of troops outside the country, a move that could escalate the spiraling war in Libya after the president threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in the oil-rich country. A troop deployment in Libya could bring Egypt and Turkey, close U.S. allies that support rival sides in the conflict, into direct confrontation. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called the strategic coastal city of Sirte a red line and warned that any attack on the city, which sits near Libyas main oil-export terminals and fields, would prompt Egypt to intervene to protect its western border. Turkish-backed forces allied with the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli, the capital, are mobilizing on the edges of Sirte and have vowed to retake the Mediterranean city, along with the inland Jufra airbase, from rival forces commanded by Khalifa Hifter and based in the east. After a closed-door session in Cairo, Egypts House of Representatives, which is packed with supporters of el-Sissi, approved plans to send troops to defend Egyptian national security in the strategic western direction against the actions of armed criminal militias and foreign terrorists. The size and nature of the military deployment was unclear. Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. Drawn by Hifters anti-Islamist stance, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other foreign powers have provided his forces with critical military assistance against western militias. Russia has also emerged as a key supporter of Hifter, sending hundreds of mercenaries through Wagner Group, a private military company. Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt in a broader regional struggle over political Islam, is the main patron of the Tripoli forces, which are also backed by the wealthy Gulf state Qatar. Egypt will spare no efforts to support the sister Libya ... to overcome the current critical crisis, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement after a meeting of the National Defence Council on Sunday that was chaired by el-Sissi. Egypt has been under pressure to act since the collapse this spring of Hifters 14-month campaign to oust the U.N.-supported government from the capital. Tripoli forces drove Hifters self-styled army from the capitals suburbs, several western towns and a key airbase. The string of victories provoked intense fears in Egypt, which sees a Turkish presence on its porous western border as a threat. Relations between the countries have steadily deteriorated since 2013, when el-Sissi led the military overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, an elected Islamist leader who enjoyed Turkeys support. Egypts state-run Al-Ahram daily reported on Sunday that the vote in parliament was intended to mandate el-Sissi to intervene militarily in Libya to help defend the western neighbour against Turkish aggression. Libyas east-based parliament, the sole elected body in the country, urged Egypt to send troops. Last week, el-Sissi hosted dozens of tribal leaders loyal to Hifter in Cairo, where he repeated that Egypt will not stand idle in the face of moves that pose a direct threat to security. But el-Sissi has also pushed hard in recent weeks for a cease-fire and political settlement. The Egyptian military, which has for years steered clear of overseas adventures and focused on fighting Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula, may be wary of deep involvement in Libyas chaotic conflict. The distinct possibility of direct conflict between Egypt and Turkey, a NATO member, presents a brand new headache for Washington, said Jalel Harchaoui, a research fellow specializing in Libyan affairs at the Clingendael Institute, an independent think-tank in the Netherlands. The U.S. has sent mixed signals to the rival sides over the course of the war. Although increasingly concerned about Moscows growing influence in Libya, Washington doesnt want to articulate a real, coherent Libya policy, Harchaoui said, leaving a void that has allowed Russia and Turkey to become major players. In a call on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the parliament vote, el-Sissi said Egypts aim is to prevent further deterioration of security in Libya, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesman. It said the two leaders agreed on maintaining a cease-fire and avoiding a military escalation in Libya. Stephanie Williams, acting head of the U.N. support mission in Libya, on Monday also pushed the warring sides and their foreign backers to pull back from the brink, to spare the 125,000 civilians who remain in harms way. Read next: Surety bonds a brief introductory guide Propeller was co-founded by Aaron Steffey, an independent agent with a niche in securing insurance for international companies trying to gain a foothold in Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia area. The firm was born from Steffeys relationship with Axe Group, a leading Australian technology business that helps organizations, insurers included, to automate and streamline processes. Steffey entered a joined venture with the firm to create Propeller, which he describes as an insurance automation company. We chose transactional surety first because its a really difficult problem to tackle, Steffey told Insurance Business. Agents have to deal with different bond forms for every municipality and every state; its high touch with lots of manual processes; its low commission; and the bonds are often mailed to customers when they actually need them really quickly. Agents offer surety mostly as an accommodation to their commercial clients. They dont typically market is because its high touch, its painful, and its low dollar value business. These bonds are often $100 to $300 in premium, and most people consider it to be a low return on investment to actually market it. These challenges have spawned a lot of direct dotcom writers. They havent automated anything; theyve just digitized it, so theyll accept a digital form and then theyll call the customer and try to write them a bond. But what may eventually happen is that these bond companies use their relationships to start selling more commercial insurance, which means agents could end up losing some accounts. By white labeling Propeller for agents, were giving them a way to bring the surety business back into their fold. Theyll get paid almost exactly what they would have been paid if they placed the bond through a carrier; there will be way less touches; and they will sell more of it. Essentially, were returning the relationship to the rightful owner, which is the insurance agent. Read more: Are we ready for a technology catastrophe? Agents who work with Propeller will be given a link that they can use in their email signature, on their website, on their social media channels or any other digital avenue. When a customer purchases a surety bond through that link, the agency will receive 25% commission without even having to touch the business. Behind the Propeller platform is a team of surety professionals who will handle everything from onboarding through support and billing. This team will be managed by Chris Kolger, who has joined Propeller as director of operations after more than a decade with Chubb, where he most recently served as assistant vice president of commercial surety. The Propeller platform can also serve as a lead generation tool, Steffey added. If people are buying surety bonds through a link on your agency website without you even knowing it, they could be potential customers on the commercial side as well. To help with this, were providing an SEO package for agents to help them really stand out in local searches online. Were reversing the entire philosophy of surety being a pain and were turning it into a real opportunity not only on the surety side, but also in cross-selling other products to those clients. Im a firm believer in the relationship piece of agents, and I truly believe this is an amazing opportunity for agents to build on that relationship. Recognizing that children pursue different interests based on their temperament, the Renaissance International School Saigon creates an environment to foster each childs passion. In fact, the school provides opportunities for it to flourish with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. For many parents, the first consideration in selecting a school is the quality of teaching and the skills and qualifications that their children will pick up during their time there. The Renaissance International School Saigon in District 7 has the best of both worlds. It offers the internationally renowned Cambridge IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) to students aged 14-18, the International Primary Curriculum and a developmentally appropriate international curriculum for Primary and early Secondary levels. Perhaps more importantly, it also gives younger learners opportunities to flourish with the EYFS curriculum. Children as young as two years old are introduced to the curriculum that encourages students to follow their own path as they learn by doing. It prepares students for what is to follow later in their academic and life journeys. There is evidence that the early approach is paying dividends. Typically, 95 percent of its IB students obtain the IB Diploma with scores well above the global average. Almost two-thirds of the graduates obtain a Bilingual Diploma, simultaneously a testament to the strength of the languages program at the school, and of the dedication and commitment of the students. More than 12 people, including six of a family, were injured in a clash between two groups over sowing in forest land in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, said police. Gajendra Singh Bundela, police station in-charge of Fatehgarh, said they had to open fire in the air to control about 300 members of both the groups. Police have booked 50 unidentified persons for creating ruckus and voluntarily causing hurt. Faruq Khan and his family members were sowing paddy crop on land located between Dobra and Beelkhera village of the district at around 9am when more than 250 unidentified people attacked them with sharp-edged weapons and started pelting stones. In reply, Khans family members also pelted stone, Bundela said. The stone-pelting continued for half-an-hour. Police reached the spot and opened fire at least four rounds in the air to disperse the mob. The accused belong to Beelkhera village and wanted to destroy the crop as they are trying to encroach upon this forest land, which I have taken on rent for farming, Khan said. The injured were admitted to the district hospital where the condition of two people is stated to be serious, said police. We are trying to identify the accused. We are also checking that who had allowed Khan to do farming on forest land, Rajesh Singh, Gunas superintendent of police, said. Marcel Somerville attends the Virgin TV BAFTA nominees' party at Mondrian London on April 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images) Love Island star Marcel Somerville has shared that he is set to become a first time father as his girlfriend Rebecca Vieira is expecting a baby. The former Blazin' Squad member told OK! Magazine that the pair found out weeks ago after attempting to conceive for the last few months. On how he first learnt of the happy news, he said: "I was in the studio with my headphones on and she tapped me on the shoulder. Read more: Love Islands Jack Fowler reveals he was temporarily paralysed "She had loads of pregnancy tests in her hand, just to make doubly sure. It was crazy! It's my first baby and I've been waiting a long time for this, so it's just mad." Rebecca Vieira and Marcel Somerville attending the European premiere of Disney's Mulan, held in Leicester Square, London. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images) Somerville, 34, went on to say the pair had sadly endured a miscarriage last year which they took time to heal from, but added that it had made them stronger. It comes after the reality show star was told by doctors he "nearly died" after being hospitalised with diabetic ketoacidosis last month. He told the publication: "It basically means the ketone [a chemical produced by the liver] levels in my body rose too high and turned my blood acidic. I was throwing up, felt light-headed. I lost weight, my face was sunken and you could see my bones." Somerville, who was unaware he had Type 1 diabetes, spent over a week in intensive care before recovering. Hes been with girlfriend Vieira for 14 months and was previously in a relationship with Gabby Allen after the pair coupled up on the third series of Love Island in 2017. Support AfricaFocus and independent bookstores! Make non-profit bookshop.org your first stop for buying books. See books recommended by AfricaFocus. AfricaFocus Bulletin Country-focused Bulletins July 20, 2020 September 12, 2019 South Africa: Xenophobia, Deep Roots, Todays Crisis In the early years after I got 'home,' it took me some time to figure out how to respond to the idea that Africa was a place that began beyond South Africa's borders. I was surprised to learn that the countries where I had lived -- the ones that had nurtured my soul in the long years of exile -- were actually no places at all in the minds of some of my compatriots. Though they thought themselves to be very different, it seemed to me that whites and blacks in South Africa were disappointingly similar when it came to their views on 'Africa.' This warped idea of Africa was at the heart of the idea of South Africa itself. Just as whiteness means nothing until it is contrasted with blackness as savagery, South African-ness relies heavily on the construction of Africa as a place of dysfunction, chaos and violence in order to define itself as functional, orderly, efficient and civilised. - Sisonke Msimang September 12, 2019 South Africa: Spotlight on Gender-based Violence Our nation is in mourning and pain. Over the past few days, our country has been deeply traumatised by acts of extreme violence perpetrated by men against women and children. These acts of violence have made us doubt the very foundation of our democratic society, our commitment to human rights and human dignity, to equality, to peace and to justice. Violence against women has become more than a national crisis. It is a crime against our common humanity. - President Cyril Ramaphosa, September 5, 2019 April 9, 2019 South Africa: Politicians Scapegoating Immigrants January 15, 2018 South Africa/USA: Inequality is Extreme and Still Rising December 11, 2017 Africa/Global: Paradise Papers, Plus June 6, 2017 South Africa: #Guptaleaks - Will Heads Roll? April 3, 2017 South Africa: Rising Outcry for Zuma to Go March 6, 2017 South Africa: Targeting Immigrants, Again January 23, 2017 South Africa: State Capture & Energy Policy September 7, 2016 South Africa: From #FeesMustFall to Budget Battles September 7, 2016 South Africa: Post "Post-Apartheid"? February 1, 2016 Africa/Global: Accounting Tricks with Coca-Cola October 6, 2015 South Africa/Global: Piketty says "Tax the Rich" June 30, 2015 South Africa: Marikana Perspectives, 2 June 30, 2015 South Africa: Marikana Perspectives, 1 April 22, 2015 South Africa: Saying No to Xenophobia March 30, 2015 South Africa: Energy Futures Contested October 30, 2014 South Africa: In Africa? Or Not? June 1, 2014 South Africa: Disappearing Diamond Revenue May 5, 2014 South Africa: Views from the Left January 21, 2014 South Africa: Renewables Rising, Coal Still King August 5, 2013 South Africa: The Marikana Syndrome Sep 6, 2012 South Africa: The Price of Platinum Sep 6, 2012 South Africa: The Marikana Era? Apr 4, 2012 Africa: BRICS Stepping Up on Global Health Jul 5, 2011 South Africa: Taking Leadership in AIDS Fight Oct 7, 2010 South Africa: Post-Apartheid Poverty & Inequality Oct 3, 2010 South Africa: Media Matters Aug 6, 2010 South Africa: Xenophobia & Civil Society May 31, 2010 South Africa: Israel/Apartheid Connections Mar 23, 2010 South Africa: Coal-Fired Denialism Dec 15, 2009 South Africa: 30+ New Books May 14, 2009 Africa: New Books 2009 May 20, 2008 South Africa: Migrants under Attack Apr 28, 2008 South Africa: Women, AIDS, and Violence, 2 Apr 28, 2008 South Africa: Women, AIDS, and Violence, 1 Nov 25, 2007 South Africa: & India & Brazil Oct 30, 2007 South Africa: RIP Lucky Dube Aug 14, 2007 South Africa: AIDS Action Relapse Dec 22, 2006 South Africa: Water for All? Feb 16, 2006 South Africa: New AIDS Statistics Jun 11, 2005 South Africa: AIDS Treatment Update Feb 22, 2005 South Africa: Mortality Statistics, AIDS Action Nov 29, 2004 South Africa: Poverty Debate Aug 19 2004 South Africa: Apartheid Reparations Update Aug 9, 2004 South Africa: AIDS Treatment Update Nov 23, 2003 South Africa: AIDS Treatment Green Light Recent Bulletins on Continent-Wide Issues November 23, 2021 November 2, 2021 October 15 , 2021 May 17, 2021 May 3, 2021 April 19, 2021 AfricaFocus Bulletin Archive by date | by place | by topic Africa Policy E-Journal (1995-2003) 2003-08-08 2003-05-09 2003-04-15 2003-03-24 2003-02-24 2002-11-12 2002-11-12 2001-11-06 2001-10-16 2001-06-19 2001-04-03 1999-12-12 1999-08-22 1998-11-05 1998-10-20 1998-09-15 1997-08-13 1996-11-17 1996-08-23 1996-06-13 1996-05-10 1996-05-07 1996-05-07 1995-11-24 1995-01-18 Iran on Monday executed a former translator convicted of spying for the US and Israel, including helping to locate a top Iranian general killed later by the Americans, the judiciary said. ADVERTISING The killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January brought decades-old arch enemies Iran and the United States to the brink of conflict. The judiciary's Mizan Online website said Mahmoud Mousavi Majd's death "sentence was carried out on Monday morning over the charge of espionage so that the case of his betrayal to his country will be closed forever". Read Full Story .... france24.com >>> : Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Russias PM dismisses Deputy Minister of Science detained on fraud allegations The press service of Moscow's Tverskoy District Court 14:05 20/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) Russias Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has relieved Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Marina Lukashevich detained in a fraud case of her post, according to the official website of legal information. On July 6, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow placed Lukashevich in detention until August 16. According to materials read in the court, the case concerns the operation of the Science Development Center, which received 5 state contracts worth over 40 million rubles ($555,000 at the current exchange rate) in 2017. Investigators believe that the company was founded for stealing the funds by Mikhail Popov, a science and education project realization department of the Federal Agency for Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Residing Abroad and International Humanitarian Co-Operation (Rossotrudnichestvo), who is also involved in the case. According to the investigation, Popov organized a tendering procedure to allow the Science Development Center win the tenders. Lukashevich was allegedly accepted the contracts. Under the concluded contracts, the company was to draft educational programs and conduct researches for the Science Ministry. Lukashevich pleads not guilty and believes an examination submitted to court was made by unskilled experts. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) (C) at a congressional hearing with Kevin K. McAleenan (not pictured), commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, in Washington on April 25, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Republicans Urge President to Sanction China-Linked Hackers Ranking Republican members from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee, and Financial Services Committee sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday urging him to sanction China-linked hackers who have conducted cyberattacks on the United States and its institutions. We write with significant concerns regarding the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) continued malicious cyber activity targeting the United States, Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), and Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), wrote. For many years, the PRC has perpetrated cyber-attacks on Americans, our financial institutions, and even the U.S. government itself. The lawmakers said the response by past Administrations to these attacks was always to be lenient in the hope that there would be greater economic and diplomatic cooperation between China and the United States. The theory was that this type of engagement would push China to adopt a more democratic political system. They said this approach has instead had the opposite effect and emboldened the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to increase cyberattacks that threaten U.S. security. By decades of not taking principled stands or enforcing violations of commitments, the United States has allowed the CCP to proceed down another path, which threatens the U.S. and global security, the letter states. The letter to the president comes a few weeks after the FBI warned organizations working on COVID-19 vaccines of their potential for being hacked by China. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a public service announcement today warning organizations researching COVID-19 of likely targeting and network compromise by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), the statement by the FBI said. Chinas efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nations response to COVID-19. This announcement is intended to raise awareness for research institutions and the American public and provide resources and guidance for those who may be targeted, the FBIs statement continued. Attorney General William Barr, in his remarks on July 16 on China, echoed the FBIs warning of the threat of cyberattacks from the CCP. To tilt the playing field to its advantage, Chinas communist government has perfected a wide array of predatory and often unlawful tactics: currency manipulation, tariffs, quotas, state-led strategic investments and acquisitions, theft and forced transfer of intellectual property, state subsidies, dumping, cyberattacks, and espionage, said Barr. Referring to the FBIs warning about the recent CCP cyberattacks, the GOP members urged the president to apply harsh sanctions on this type of activity. To date, Treasury has not sufficiently imposed such sanctions on PRC actors for cyber-attacks on Americans or those entities in the PRC that benefit from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, but we believe the time may be ripe for considering such action, the letter stated. These actions must have consequences. If we do not utilize our sanctions strategically in response to bad acts, our sanctions regime loses its deterrent effect, and we will only see these cyber-attacks from the PRC further escalate, the lawmakers wrote. The Republicans also asked the president to authorize a classified briefing for Congress to have the State and Treasury Departments update members about the recent cyberattacks carried out by CCP hackers, in order to apprise us of the scope, number, and success rate of these attacks, as well as any plans the Treasury Department has moving forward to target the PRC-linked hackers responsible. There are things that make great sense in theory but make no sense in the actual world in which we live. President Donald Trump's idea of eliminating (or modifying or who-knows-what-ing) the Social Security-Medicare payroll tax as part of an economic stimulus package is a classic example of something that makes no sense in the real world. In theory, eliminating or reducing payroll taxes is the quickest and cleanest way to stimulate the economy for people who have jobs. Suddenly, those people are taking home more money than they were. That's why payroll taxes have been cut before to stimulate the economy, and it seems to have worked. But in our current environment, it makes no sense to cut or eliminate the payroll tax - paid equally by employees and employers - to provide emergency assistance to people in need and boost the economy, which needs all the stimulus it can get. Let me show you why I say that. For starters, eliminating the payroll tax - which is leveled on employment income - wouldn't help the tens of millions of people who have lost their jobs since covid-19 upended the economy. It's sort of obvious, if you think about it. If you don't have a job, you're not paying payroll tax. So eliminating the payroll tax wouldn't put any more money in your pocket. And as a class, recently unemployed people are the ones most in need of a quick financial fix. That's especially true given the looming July 31 end for some of the benefits they've been getting under the Cares Act. Cutting or eliminating the payroll tax wouldn't help them in any way that I can see. Even if Congress decides to go along with what Trump proposes, once we get to see what it is, implementing a payroll tax cut more than halfway through the year would be incredibly messy. Let me explain. The payroll tax this year consists of 12.4% of an employee's first $137,700 of salary for Social Security, and 2.9% of all salary for Medicare. It's split evenly between employer and employee: 6.2% each for Social Security up to $137,700; 1.45% each on all salary for Medicare. If the year were just starting or just about to start, it would be relatively simple for employers to cut back or eliminate the payroll tax to put more money in employees' pockets. And possibly in their own pockets as well. But we're in the second half of July. Which means that employees who've managed to keep their jobs have been paying payroll tax for close to eight months. As have their employers. Are you going to have the Treasury send employees (and possibly employers) refunds of the Social Security and Medicare taxes they've paid so far this year? Good luck with making that work. Are you going to have employers cut checks to current employees and to former employees who've lost their jobs this year, and get the Treasury to reimburse employers for the cost? Good luck with that, too. And finally: the higher your salary, the more you and your employer pay in Social Security and Medicare taxes - and the more benefit you derive from reductions in those taxes. Should we cut taxes for the highly paid as part of an emergency stimulus package to help people in need? I don't think so. I don't know where Trump got his cut-the-payroll-tax idea, but he ought to send it back where it came from. Along with a tweet saying IT'S BEEN VETOED. Rajasthan CM also said Pilot has an 'innocent face and has a strong command on Hindi and English, with which he had impressed the media'. Jaipur: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday termed his former deputy Sachin Pilot as "nikamma" (worthless) and "nakara" (incompetent) and accused him of conspiring with the BJP for the past six months to topple the government in the state. "In the past seven years, you won't find anyone in the party who demanded the removal of Pilot as PCC president even though we knew he was useless, good for nothing and that he wasn't doing anything except making people fight among themselves," Gehlot said in Hindi. The chief minister said Pilot has a 'masoom' (innocent) face and has a strong command on Hindi and English, with which he impressed the media across the country. "The people of the state know his contribution. However, we never questioned him in the interest of the party," he said. Gehlot added, "He was conspiring for the past six months with BJP's support. Nobody believed me when I used to say that conspiracy is going on to topple the government. Nobody knew that a person with such an innocent face will do such a thing." He claimed that the MLAs in Pilot's faction are being held captive. "Our MLAs are staying without any restrictions but they have held their MLAs captive. They are calling us and crying over the phone while explaining their ordeal. Their mobile phones have been snatched. Some of them want to join us," Gehlot said. This comes even as Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on 14 July, sacked from the posts of Rajasthan deputy chief minister and state PCC president. Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi had sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chief's whip application for their disqualification. However, the disqualification notice was challenged by Sachin Pilot and MLAs from his faction in the Rajasthan High Court, which is hearing the matter. Oysters are such a mainstay of Louisiana cuisine that when President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited in 1937, Antoine's proudly served up a plate of them in the restaurant's signature Rockefeller style. But over the past two decades, the state's legendary bivalves have been getting battered. In hopes of reversing those trends, the agencies that oversee Louisiana's fisheries and its coastal restoration efforts are developing a long-term strategy to revive the state's once-legendary and recently beleaguered oyster fishery. The initial price tag is estimated at $132 million, which would include aid for private growers, expansion of state oyster seed beds and the development of freshwater-resistant oysters that could withstand the effects of proposed freshwater and sediment diversions. The plan was presented to the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries' Louisiana Oyster Task Force on July 7 and remains under review. It was endorsed by the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority eight days later. Department of Wildlife & Fisheries assistant secretary Patrick Banks, who oversaw the agency's oyster programs for 14 years, told the CPRA on Wednesday that the production of oysters on the state's public grounds in 2019 was 92% below the state's 20-year average, and had fallen by 6 percentage points from 2018 levels. The losses have been linked to three major environmental blows to oyster-growing areas: Storm surge physically ripped up thousands of acres of water bottoms used to grow oysters during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Gustav and Ike in 2008. In many locations, the saltwater pushed inland over wetlands also killed oysters. Oysters thrive in water with between 5 and 15 parts per thousand of salt, while Gulf of Mexico water is closer to 35 parts per thousand. In its effort to block oil from BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill from entering interior wetlands, state officials turned on existing freshwater diversions all along the Mississippi River, flooding oyster beds with freshwater that killed the mollusks. In the last decade, the Bonnet Carre Spillway has been opened six times, including five times in the past five years, inundating oyster beds with freshwater. The oyster recovery scheme is being rolled out even as the CPRA moves forward with plans to build the Mid-Breton and Mid-Barataria sediment diversions on both banks of the Mississippi River. Those will dramatically increase the freshwater entering wetland areas in certain months, including state-owned water bottoms leased by what used to be the most productive oyster growers in the nation. The state's public beds cover 1.7 million acres of water bottoms, and are largely used to produce seed oysters that are harvested by commercial oyster growers and moved to their leased water bottoms. The seed oysters are grown out over the next year, and then sold at market. According to national data, Louisiana's commercial landings represented 40% of the U.S. oyster harvest by weight and 35% by value in 2017. The private harvest areas seeing the greatest losses in recent years have been in St. Bernard Parish and the east bank of Plaquemines Parish, and are believed to be linked to the repeated opening of the Spillway, which funnels the river's freshwater into Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne and Breton Sound. Banks said "redesigning" existing oysters to become more tolerant of freshwater will become more important, both because of potential repeats of high-river years and the development of the state's sediment diversions. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "We need to increase the resiliency of the animal itself," he said. "This animal, as we all know, sits in one spot, cant move around and try to find the best space to grow." The proposed oyster management and rehabilitation strategic plan includes: An expanded use of cultch in traditional and innovative ways, and rehabilitating private oyster beds support oyster growth, at a cost of $37.6 million. Cultch is shell or rock on which seed oysters attach themselves. Development of a network of new spawning stock sanctuary areas that would be protected from harvest in an effort to make more oysters available over time: $13.8 million. Expansion of alternative oyster aquaculture methods, including the use of elevated cages to grow commercially sold oysters: $10 million. Identifying unproductive beds and not renewing their 15-year state leases, and establishing standards for leased water bottoms: $10 million. Banks said these proposals are likely to draw opposition from present lease-holders who are protective of their long-time holdings of state leases. They also were opposed by the oyster task force. Identifying and establishing new public oyster areas, which would take into account the effects of salinity changes caused by new diversions: $5 million. Research and development, including the development of oysters that could better survive freshwater inundation: $25 million. The list of projects also include two that have already drawn objections from CPRA officials: A $1.6 million "hydrologic restoration" of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet that would call for changes in the dam just south of Bayou la Loutre that blocks saltwater from moving north. In April, the St. Bernard Parish Council called for lowering the dam by as much as 15 feet to allow freshwater entering the parish's wetlands during spillway openings to move into Breton Sound, in an effort to protect oyster growers. At the time, CPRA officials said they opposed the idea, and pointed out that the state owns the dam and that it would take an act of Congress to change its design, since it was built as part of the deauthorization of the MR-GO as a federal navigation channel. The plan also calls for building a new, $24.3 million water control structure at Mardi Gras Pass, a crevasse of the Mississippi River bank at the Bohemia Spillway in Plaquemines Parish that allows freshwater into areas where oysters have traditionally been grown. The state has not supported past efforts by Plaquemines officials to fill in the crevasse, but might consider rebuilding the structure. Banks said the state already has $26 million that comes from the BP Deepwater Horizon settlements to cover damage by the spill to oysters. LDWF also has $16 million of its own money available for some of the projects. Banks said the best potential source for the remaining $90 million needed is through different parts of the BP settlement. The natural resource damage assessment program set aside $258 million for Louisiana for natural resource adaptive management; $105 million available for adaptive management region-wide, meaning all Gulf Coast states and the open water areas of the Gulf are eligible; $64 million for oyster restoration for the region. The state might also apply for a share of another $350 million set aside for open ocean adaptive management. Editor's note: This story was corrected on July 20 to clarify that the Louisiana Oyster Task Force has not yet adopted the draft oyster restoration plan. The task force at that meeting also opposed the plan's proposal to identify unproductive oyster beds and the non-renewal of some oyster leases. Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Email: mschleifstein@theadvocate.com. Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Twitter: MSchleifstein. Baby Seal Swims Up Seaside River, Charms N. Oregon Coast Visitors; Video Published 07/19/020 at 5:54 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Seaside, Oregon) The north Oregon coast hotspot of Seaside had one adorable critter wander through its downtown waterways early Sunday morning and charm the heck out of visitors. (All photos and video courtesy Seaside Aquarium's Tiffany Boothe). Seaside Aquariums Tiffany Boothe said a baby harbor seal swam its way up the Necanicum River and settled in the downtown area at the whimsical watercraft rental docks. There, it made a splash with people moving around the dockside stretches and delighting everyone with its antics. We had a special little visitor this morning down at Quatat Park, Boothe said. Worried that the little guy needed some help, people watching him swim around alerted the aquarium. We responded to the call and luckily the little guy is doing just fine. This is the time of year when little pups begin their journeys on their own. Heading up the estuary is not uncommon for them at this stage in their young life, but getting up this far is unique, Boothe said. The little one also seemed to make use of the goofy boats. The estuary is a great place for them to learn to hunt fish and crab and apparently catch a ride on a jet ski or a swan, she said. Special visitor wanted to catch a ride on a jet ski. We had a special little visitor this morning down at Quatat Park. Worried that the little guy needed some help, people watching him swim around alerted the aquarium. We responded to the call and luckily the little guy is doing just fine. This is the time of year when little pups begin their journeys on their own. The estuary is a great place for them to learn to hunt fish and crab and appartley catch a ride on a jet ski or a swan. Posted by Seaside Aquarium on Sunday, July 19, 2020 The baby harbor seal was not in any distress and needed no help. He didn't need any assistance from us, Boothe said. He was doing just fine on his own. We watched him show off and be cute for a while before heading off. The boat retails were not open yet so the only people around were up on the bridge. He was very alert and aware of everything going on. When people up on the bridge moved suddenly he would duck back into the water and go for a little swim. The whole incident had the word cute stamped all over it. Once the boat rentals opened up he went on his merry way, she said. Luckily for him there are plenty of perch in the estuary, which will help him keep his chubby little figure and a lot of places to haul out and rest (besides the back of the jet ski). Seaside isnt normally a place where you can spot wild seals, though the Seaside Aquarium has plenty you can see up close and feed. They do adorable, wacky tricks to coax food out of the public, and each one has its own schtick. There are other places along the Oregon coast where you can catch sight of the creatures in the wild just make sure you stay far away from the. Approaching them is illegal as well. Currently, you can spot plenty of seals and sea lions from a safe distance at Cape Arago and Shore Acres State Park on the south coast. According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), you can also see them in bays lounging on piers, tideflats, or sandbars, and these animals can be entertaining to watch. Other good locations for viewing include the South Jetty of the Columbia River, sandbars in Netarts Bay, near the mouth of the Siletz River in Lincoln City, Yaquina Bay between the jetties and along the bayfront, and even Oceansides Three Arch Rocks (though youll need binoculars). More photos at bottom. Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted That decision required some state of Illinois developments and easing up of restrictions, Hines said. As long as the patients were outside and kept a safe distance away from family members that may have carried the virus, we thought it was a good thing to try. SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; B3: BOVESPA: EMBR3) delivered a total of 17 jets in the second quarter of 2020, of which four were commercial aircraft and 13 were executive jets (nine light and four large). As of June 30, the firm order backlog totaled USD 15.4 billion. See details below: Deliveries by Segment 2Q20 2020 Commercial Aviation 4 9 EMBRAER 175 (E175) 2 5 EMBRAER 190-E2 (E190-E2) 2 3 EMBRAER 195-E2 (E190-E2) - 1 Executive Aviation 13 22 Phenom 100 2 2 Phenom 300 7 12 Light Jets 9 14 Legacy 650 1 1 Praetor 500 1 2 Praetor 600 2 5 Large Jets 4 8 TOTAL 17 31 In the second quarter of 2020, Embraer delivered fewer commercial and executive jets than in previous years in the second quarter, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic that is affecting the world. In the commercial aviation segment, Embraer delivered the 1,600th E-Jet, which was received by Helvetic Airways. In addition to receiving the commemorative aircraft, the Swiss airline also announced an upgrade of its firm order with Embraer, converting four of its E190-E2s in backlog to E195-E2s, the largest aircraft in the EJets-E2 family. Helvetic`s order is now for a total of eight E190-E2s, four E195-E2s, and with purchase rights for a further twelve EJets-E2. Also, Congo Airways converted its firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two aircraft. In the Defense & Security segment, Embraer delivered the third C-390 Millennium multi-mission medium airlifter to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Similar to the first two units delivered in 2019 and the additional 25 which will be delivered to the FAB, this third unit is prepared to perform aerial refueling missions, with the KC-390 Millennium designation. In the Executive Jets segment, Embraer announced the first delivery of its new, enhanced Phenom 300E to Texas law firm Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, P.C. Backlog - Commercial Aviation (June 30, 2020) Aircraft Type Firm Orders Options Deliveries Firm Order Backlog E170 191 - 191 - E175 798 291 639 159 E190 568 - 564 4 E195 172 - 172 - 190-E2 25 63 14 11 195-E2 148 47 8 140 Total 1,902 401 1,588 314 Note: Deliveries and firm order backlog include orders for the Defense segment placed by State-run airlines (Satena and TAME). Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer celebrates its 50th anniversary with businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. PRESS OFFICES: Headquarters (Brazil) Corporate Communications [email protected] Cell: +55 11 98890 7777 Tel.: +55 11 4873 7984 North America Alyssa Ten Eyck [email protected] Cell: +1 954 383 0460 Tel.: +1 954 359 3847 Europe, Middle East and Africa Guy Douglas [email protected] Cell: +31 (0)657120121 Tell: +31 (0)202158109 China Mirage Zhong [email protected] Cell: +86 185 1378 5180 Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988 Asia Pacific Nilma Missir-Boissac [email protected] Cell: +65 9012 8428 Tel.: +65 6305 9955 SOURCE Embraer S.A. The officials said that each vial of the injection was being sold at 30,000 instead of 4,500 Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch busted a racket selling Covid-19 immunity booster injections Remdesivir at exorbitant cost and arrested seven persons. Subsequent raids by the unit VII of crime branch also led to recovery of stockpiles of the life saving drug. The officials said that each vial of the injection was being sold at `30,000 instead of `4,500. The officials received information about the vials being sold illegally following which they got in touch with the accused and the exchange was decided to be done at Mulund. Decoys were sent at the spot after the tip off was verified. A team headed by officer Satish Taware apprehended two persons in possession of the vials. The accused were identified as Vikas Dube and Rahul Gada, who work with medical stores. They were in possession of the Remdesivir vial. The accused were questioned further that led to their accomplices and at least 13 more vials that were in their possession. They are being questioned on others in the racket. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been informed about the seizure, said an officer of unit VII of the crime branch. The other five accomplices were from Delfa Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturing unit in Ghatkopar and they were identified as Ritesh Thombre, Bhavesh Shah, Gurvinder Singh, Ashish Kanojiya and Sudhir Pujari. The officials are probing into sale of more of these vials by the accused illegally and are also looking for more accomplices of the seven. The police have filed a case against them as per sections of the Indian Penal Code under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (acts of common intention) and as per provisions of the Food and Drug Act and they will be produced before a court on Monday. F inancial campaigner Martin Lewis today blasted the Student Loans Companys new website, dubbing it demoralising, damaging and dangerous. The SLC moved its site from SLC.co.uk to Gov.uk and features tools to show students how much they owe. However Lewis argued the tools encourage students to pay off their debts faster, even though there is no financial benefit to doing so. Annual repayments are set at 9% of anything a former student earns over a certain threshold, which is currently 26,575 per year. Lewis, the founder of financial planning site Moneysavingexpert.com and the former head of the independent taskforce on student finance information, said: "The first thing university leavers see when they log in, in a large font, is the amount of debt they owe. This is demoralising, damaging and dangerous. "The only impact the amount of debt has is whether you clear it or not within the 30 years before it wipes. And its predicted the vast majority 83% of university leavers wont be earning enough that their repayments clear it in full. Theyll keep repaying it for the whole 30 years, like an additional tax so the debt amount for them is pretty irrelevant. "Yet this new site follows the old one in majoring on this scary, but often irrelevant, number. That makes many think they should overpay like a normal debt. Yet unless youre making huge overpayments, for most people overpaying does diddly squat youll still continue to repay 9% of everything over the threshold for 30 years. Overpaying is a total waste of money. Lewis said on Twitter that he plans to write to the Student Loan Company and the Minister for Universities - Michelle Donelan - asking them to take down the dangerous new quick repayment tool & to make substantial revisions to the irresponsible new website. SLCs deputy chief executive David Wallace told the Guardian the company had held two meetings with Moneysavingexpert as part of a consultation into the online revamp. He said: We think weve done a really good job here for customers, the feedback weve had was good. So we were really disappointed at the reaction from Moneysavingexpert. Were providing the balances that the customers have asked for, and it certainly hasnt put off any prospective students from taking out student funding for higher education. So we think we are doing the decent thing for customers by listening to them and responding. Like the rest of us, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has also been on lockdown when the coronavirus global pandemic hit the world. Because of her age, the monarch has to be isolated to make sure she is healthy amidst the health crisis. Since March 2020, the 94-year-old monarch has been isolated with her 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, who has long retired from his royal duties. While Her Majesty tries to work-from-home by holding virtual meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, she is likely to remain in quarantine until a vaccine is available to cure COVID-19. It is the first time the Queen has been out of the public eye for a long time, but she is said to be doing well, in vigorous health condition, and keeping in touch with the rest of the royal family members through video calls. While everyone knows that Queen Elizabeth II has also been using her quarantine time doing horseback riding, it's possible the monarch has kept herself busy and entertained by binge-watching some series on Netflix. Queen Elizabeth II's Netflix Obsession In 2017, a source revealed that Her Majesty is obsessing over a Netflix show that is somehow close to her heart. The insider said that Queen Elizabeth II enjoys watching the hit Netflix series "The Crown," which was inspired by her life as the longest-reigning Queen in history. The show also features other significant events and controversies within the royal family, and the Queen is said to enjoy watching retelling the younger version of herself. "She really liked it, although there were obviously some depictions of events that she found too heavily dramatized," the source told Express. The insider added that the Queen had already finished watching the show's first installment and reportedly influenced her younger son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, to watch the show. Now that Her Majesty has been on lockdown for four months with 22 other royal staff, was she able to finish the entire three seasons during her free time? Is she also looking forward to the show's 4th installment featuring Prince Charles' relationship with Princess Diana? Aside from "The Crown," Queen Elizabeth is also into "The Durrells," an ITV series set in the 1930s following a British family who moves to Corfu, Greece. Other Royals Hates "The Crown" While Queen Elizabeth II enjoys a depiction of the royal family, Prince Harry earlier expressed disgust over the show. In fact, he vowed to stop it before covering his side of the story. Speaking to "BBC Breakfast," royal biographer Angela Levin revealed that when she first met Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex immediately asked him about the royal-inspired show. "The first thing he said to me when he shook my hand was, 'Are you watching The Crown?' And I hadn't been at the time, I felt very embarrassed, and I got it, and he said, 'I'm going to make sure I stop it before they get to me,'" Levin said. Meanwhile, "The Crown" creators earlier announced that the show will run up to six seasons, but they clarified it will still not cover the current events happening within the Firm. READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Abdication: 3 Reasons Why The Queen Should NOT Leave The Throne The Department of Health has announced 23 new cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland with no further deaths over the weekend. The total number of positive cases in Northern Ireland, since testing began is now at 5,857. The death toll remains at 556. Read More It comes after the Alliance health spokeswoman Paula Bradshaw was forced to perform a swift u-turn after she revealed her family holiday plans on Monday morning. The South Belfast MLA, within hours of an appearance on the BBC Radio Ulster Nolan show, cancelled her plans to take her family to Italy at the weekend. She said she will not travel abroad "unless it is essential" or until the "guidance changes". Earlier she defended going on the trip to an all-inclusive hotel despite it being against current health advice. The Executive's coronavirus guidance is not to travel abroad unless it is essential. She cancelled her trip saying it was not essential, so therefore "not possible within the current guidance". "I love Italy, and look forward to travelling there again when it is safe to do so," she tweeted. She had insisted she was not breaking any laws or being disrespectful to anyone who was working to suppress the virus in Northern Ireland. Read More Her comments on The Nolan Show sparked anger from some callers, although others lined up to defend her. In a statement to the Belfast Telegraph, Paula Bradshaw added: Like many people, I have a holiday booked in my case to Italy. I should be clear when I said I would operate within the guidance, that obviously includes not travelling if the regulations and guidance at the time state I should not do so. That is currently the case. It is important everyone, particularly in representative roles, adheres both to the spirit and letter of that guidance. Read More Meanwhile, Arlene Foster has dismissed a suggestion on aligning Northern Ireland's quarantine rules with the Republic as a "red herring". And the UK Government has signed new deals which it says will provide more than 90 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines which are currently in development. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah threatened Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel with legal action on July 20 for hinting at links between the political turmoil in Rajasthan and the release of Farooq Abdullah from detention earlier this year. The National Conference party issued a release condemning Baghels false accusations, which was retweeted by Omar Abdullah. He said in the social media post that he is fed up with the false allegation linking Congress rebel Sachin Pilots motives with his fathers release. I am fed up of the downright malicious and false allegation that what Sachin Pilot is doing is somehow linked to my or my father's release from detention earlier this year. Enough is enough. Mr Bhupesh Baghel will be hearing from my lawyers. I am fed up of the downright malicious and false allegation that what Sachin Pilot is doing is somehow linked to my or my fathers release from detention earlier this year. Enough is enough. Mr @bhupeshbaghel will be hearing from my lawyers. Cc @RahulGandhi @INCIndia @rssurjewala https://t.co/Gojb7vN1V3 Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 20, 2020 Notably, Omar Abdullah was in detention for seven months before being released on March 24, days after his father Farooq Abdullah was released. They were among the many political leaders who were detained by the Centre in August 2019, after Article 370 was scrapped and Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status. In an interview with The Hindu , Baghel had linked Pilots rebellion with the release of Farooq Abdullah. He had said: As far as Sachin Pilot is concerned, not that I have been tracking the Rajasthan events so closely, but it does make one curious why Omar Abdullah was released. He and Mehbooba Muftiji were booked under the same Sections of the law, while she is still languishing, he is out. Is it because Mr Abdullah is the brother-in-law of Sachin Pilot? The Chhattisgarh CM was attempting to justify the Congress conviction that Pilot is working in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party to bring down the Rajasthan government. I remember Apple chief executive Tim Cook's voice rising in anger on the phone. It was 2016, just hours after the European Commission had ruled that Ireland had showed an unfair tax advantage to Apple. Cook's company had been ordered by Margrethe Vestager to pay 13bn in back taxes. "It's total political crap," he told me. "They just picked a number from I don't know where." The actual numbers are still debatable. But maybe he wasn't wrong about the political bit. The European General Court threw out Vestager's case. It demolished it, saying it was based on "erroneous" assumptions and wrong facts. The core case - that other companies were disadvantaged compared to Apple through our tax code - wasn't really there to make. So why did the Commission take it? We all know why. Europe's central political core despises Ireland's industrial set-up. To them, we're leeches. We're a small island that sucks prized industrial players away from where they should be - the mainland. With every new tech company that establishes itself in Ireland, our unemployment levels stabilise further at a low level. But theirs stay relatively high. Our growth goes up, theirs stays low. Who the hell do we think we are? How can they keep their world-class levels of infrastructure, health, education and paid leave if chancers like Ireland seduce the growth-engine US companies that should rightfully set up in France, Germany, Italy or Spain? How dare we? In Ireland, many pundits agree with much of this sentiment. Low tax is hurting living standards. It's enriching a few big companies. Worst of all, they're American companies. It's less usual for these critics to mention how Germany bends over backwards for the car industry. Or France for its chemicals, military and oil industries. And the way that Europe helped to load Ireland with crippling debt during the 2008 economic crash is often brushed over, too. No - we're the bad guys because we have a single low corporate tax rate that is working too well. The case isn't the end of it. The Commission looks set to consider a new (unprecedented) 'Article 116' move through by a qualified majority vote of member states. This would seek to equate 'low tax' with 'unfair competition'. Presumably Ireland would challenge this again. So yes, Cook was probably right. The 13bn tax case was at least partly political all along. On a purely tactical note, it's hard not to regard Ireland's position here as being vindicated. There were many who were outraged that Paschal Donohoe joined Apple's appeal. How dare he side with a giant multinational - and a lecherous global tax avoidance system - over the needs of better resources for Irish people? But if Ireland had let Apple go it alone, and if Apple had won anyway, the Government would have orchestrated the biggest lose-lose situation in decades of industrial strategic policy. Not only would there be no tax windfall anyway, but we would have diluted our purported reputation of being a country that consistently backs inward investors. (There's even still a chance that Vestager and the Commission will appeal one last time and win, meaning the best of all worlds for those who want to keep Ireland's pro-business brand intact but secretly hanker after some of those tax billions.) It looks like the European courts, when looking at the issue in a dispassionate way, have decided that political imposition shouldn't be dressed up as a legitimate competition issue. I'd like to add a personal note here. Given the tone of this column, it's fair to ask whether I have any background political convictions in these matters that might inform the reporting. I do, but maybe not the one you'd expect from the preceding paragraphs. I'm a European federalist. In fact, I'd confidently bet that I'm more radically pro-European than almost anyone reading this. Remember those guys in the 1990s who enthusiastically wanted a United States of Europe with a federally integrated system? That's me. And still is. Europe is, I believe, the world's beacon of civilisation and hope. Its principles and aspirations are the highest in the world. And it works way, way better the more integrated we get. Almost everyone benefits, especially economically. So this is a really interesting case to test the views of anyone in a similar frame of mind. In theory, what Vestager and the Commission are trying to do fits in with a federalist's idealised view of how to run an economic union. In the long term, it makes absolute sense to have common tax rates. But there's a massive caveat to that. If we have common tax rates, we should also surely have common federal standards of living. That means railways and hospitals in France can't be any better than those in Ireland. And if they are, we need a way to bring them into synchronicity. It means that if Paris, Amsterdam and Milan have built-in geographic or infrastructural advantages, Dublin, Lisbon and Helsinki need to have something of equivalent attraction that can give us a level playing field. You can't be a socialist with taxes but a ruthless capitalist with economic and social opportunity. Ironically, this has always been at the heart of the European project. Ireland has been a big beneficiary of it, from Albert's famous eight billion in the early 1990s (when we were still poor) to all of those blue 'with funding from' roadsigns that became a symbol of economic progress here. But the politics has become a lot more factional. Perhaps the Commission considers us now to be rich enough. Even if that's true, the Apple tax case suggests that overreaching into state aid rules may ultimately be dismissed as "political crap". Dixon faces tough call on data Nobody panic. Despite the Schrems judgment on Facebook, you can still email people, make Zoom calls and sign contracts through the cloud using Microsoft cloud services. At least you can for now. But watch out: that position may not indefinitely hold as is. What the European Court of Justice declared last week could be the beginning of a complete realignment in transatlantic data flows. It might mean that big firms such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft put more emphasis on European data centres. It might even be technically possible for these giants to try to contain all of the processing of EU citizens' data on those servers. But it seems like a very difficult task, in the short-term anyway, for a company like Facebook to neatly segregate everything geographically with firewalls between Europe and the US. (One solution might be to centre its data processing in Europe and interact with US data here, rather than some EU users' data going over there for processing.) But whatever Mark Zuckerberg or Sundar Pichai might be feeling, spare a thought for Helen Dixon. Hers is now the role of someone who has to tell half the internet whether or not they can interact with each other any more. And if so, under what new rules. This isn't a role that she or anyone in her office has ever relished. Despite what the loudest privacy campaigners say, this is a loaded geopolitical environment. Dixon's predecessor, Billy Hawkes, once told me that he didn't feel empowered to make such calls due to the extraordinary trade and political consequences they would have. But the European Court of Justice basically ordered Dixon to take the reins on it. Whatever Dixon's next steps, it will now look ridiculous if Ireland does not substantially increase the DPC's headcount and resources. That office has way too much on its plate for the budget it has. It's time to step things up. Infectious diseases consultant Dr Jack Lambert has said it was wise for the Government to publish a green list of countries to which travel was acceptable, but that there needed to be a long term plan because Covid-19 is going to continue for years. Dr Lambert told RTE radios Today with Sarah McInerney show that the current plans send mixed messages and that Ireland was part of the EU and shared a land border with the UK and people were coming into Ireland, whether we like it or not. Ireland was not an island in the same sense that New Zealand was and it could not be used as a comparison. We need to come up with a list of red and green travel zones. We need to come up with solutions from a safety stand point, a psychological stand point and an economic stand point. The goal was not elimination of the coronavirus, it was to manage it, he said. This might be a three year thing. Dr Lambert called for a plan containing sharp, precise details with a clear message. There were many reasons why people might need to travel and people needed to be educated on the dangers of Covid-19 at all levels, including house parties. He said he personally had chosen not to travel abroad this year. We all need to be part of a solution that makes sense and prevents further spread of the virus. The Government cannot mandate or legislate good behaviour which was why educating people on the dangers of missed cases was important, he said. On the same programme Dublin GP Maitiu O Tuathail, described the current situation as hugely confusing. The mixed message was completely wrong. Essential travel should be clearly defined and a mandatory two-week quarantine should be imposed. Dr O Tuathail said that GPs were seeing a slow but steady increase in patients with Covid-19 symptoms associated with overseas travel. The green list was due to be published today but has since been delayed. Cabinet was set to discuss the list on Monday and then the July stimulus package on Tuesday. However, Taoiseach Micheal Martin was kept at an EU leaders summit overnight, pushing back the government's timetable this week. Cabinet could agree a list of under 20 countries that have low rates of Covid-19 but the government is still insisting non-essential travel should be avoided. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that a large number of asymptomatic Covid-19 infected persons are hiding their illness which may give further rise to infection. In view of this, the state government will allow home isolation under certain provisions of laid out norms. The patients and their families will have to follow the home isolation protocol though the state government has an adequate number of beds in the COVID-19 hospitals. Here are the guidelines: * People should be made aware of the prevention from the Covid-19 infection. For this, an extensive publicity campaign should be run in which the print, electronic media, social media, banner, posters, hoardings and the public address system should be used. * Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed to make sure the use of masks and maintenance of social distancing is followed strictly. The Chief Minister said that better body immunity is extremely required for the prevention from COVID-19. * Directing to launch mass awareness programme for protection from COVID-19, he said that the people should be motivated to download 'Arogyasethu' and 'Ayush Kavach-COVID'. People may increase their body immunity by absorbing the knowledge given in the Apps. * He said that the door-to-door survey is a necessary process, found very useful in identifying the COVID-19 patients through medical screening. Asking to carry on with this, he said that the suspected ones should be subjected to Rapid Antigen COVID-19 testing. * He also directed to convene a meeting of the office-bearers of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Nursing Association at the district level in order to bring about improvement in the health services. * The Chief Minister directed the Health and Medical education departments to ensure an effective action to bring down the COVID-19 mortality rate to the minimum level. Contact tracings should be done at any cost to contain the infection. He also directed the health and medical education departments to send a special team of doctors to Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Basti, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Jhansi, Moradabad and Varanasi accompanied by the nodal officers of these districts. * He said that the COVID-19 hospitals should be equipped with all the facilities. The L-1 and L-2 hospitals should have facilities of oxygen 3 and ventilators while COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 hospitals should have separate ambulances. The CM said that special attention should be given to cleanliness and hygiene in the hospitals. The doctors should take regular rounds in the hospitals and the paramedics monitor the condition of the patients. He also directed to keep on training the medical personnel about protection from the infection. 00:59 The United Kingdom government on Monday suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong immediately and indefinitely, weeks after China imposed a controversial national security law on the former British colony that gave Beijing sweeping new powers over the Asian business hub. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the House of Commons that the new National Security Law had significantly changed key assumptions underpinning the extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong. He said the UK was particularly concerned about Articles 55 to 59 of the new security law, which gives mainland Chinese authorities the ability to assume jurisdiction over certain cases and try those cases in mainland Chinese courts. Raab also confirmed the government would extend its arms embargo -- which has been in place with China since 1989 -- to Hong Kong, stopping the UK exporting equipment, such as firearms, smoke grenades and shackles to the region. The controversial national security legislation, imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong on July 1, gives China sweeping new powers over the city. The UK handed Hong Kong back to China on July 1, 1997 but, as part of an agreement signed at the time, it enjoys some freedoms not seen in the Communist Party-ruled mainland. 'The National Security Law does not provide legal or judicial safeguards in such cases, and I am also concerned about the potential reach of the extra-territorial provisions. 'So I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely,' said Raab in his parliamentary statement. 'I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation,' he said. Highlighting considerable uncertainty about the way in which the new National Security Law will be enforced, the minister struck a cautionary note: The United Kingdom is watching. And the whole world is watching. The latest move follows the UK offering residency rights and a path to UK citizenship to around 3 million Hong Kongers in response to the law's imposition. Beijing has insisted it is committed to upholding international law, and has promised a 'resolute response' if the UK withdraws from extradition arrangements. The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is suspected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities can ask Hong Kong to hand them over to face justice -- and vice versa. The UK fears the arrangement -- which has been in place for more than 30 years -- could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier confirmed that the UK had 'concerns' over the new law, and it had to think about the rights of people in Hong Kong to participate in democratic processes. 'There is a balance here. I'm not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China,' he said. 'We've got to have a calibrated approach. We're going to be tough on some things, but we're going to continue to engage,' he said. -- PTI Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 19:24:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Screenshot of the tweet posted on July 20 by Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming. (Xinhua) "I do not want to see this tit-for-tat between China and the U.S. happen in China-UK relations," Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said. "I think the UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than to dance to the tune of Americans, like what happened to Huawei." LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Sunday warned that if the British government imposes sanctions on any individual in China over Hong Kong, China will make a "resolute response" to it. He made the remarks in an exclusive live interview on BBC's Andrew Marr Show, answering a question regarding China's reaction if the Magnitsky act is used to ban individual Chinese people from British territory and reports that the extradition treaty between Hong Kong and Britain is going to be torn up. "We never believe in unilateral sanction," Liu said. "We believe that the UN (United Nations) has the authority to impose sanctions." The senior diplomat said that the United States has sanctioned Chinese officials and China in turn sanctioned their senators and officials. "I do not want to see this tit-for-tat between China and the U.S. happen in China-UK relations," he said. "I think the UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than to dance to the tune of Americans, like what happened to Huawei." Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in south China's Hong Kong, July 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) Talking about Britain's recent drastic policy change regarding the Chinese tech giant, Liu called it "a very bad decision." "It's a dark day for China-UK relations ... you will miss the opportunity to be a leading country," he said. He stressed that there is no hard or solid evidence to say Huawei is a risk to Britain. China does not want to politicize the economy, Liu added. Campaigners who took the government to court over the state pension age rise are supremely confident ahead of their Court of Appeal hearing warning the pension overhaul has caused irreparable damage. Almost four million women were affected by the controversial pension age rise from 60 to 66 for women born after March 1950. BackTo60, a campaign group calling for women to be reimbursed for pension payments they have missed due to the changes, lost its landmark High Court battle after taking the government to court over the state pension age increase. The campaign group, which is represented by Michael Mansfield QC, a barrister who has been dubbed the king of human rights work, is appealing the ruling on Tuesday. Joanne Welch, founder of Backto60, told The Independent they are supremely confident the decision will be in favour of women hit by the state pension age rise. Recommended Women in 60s forced to work through lockdown due to pension age rise She said: We are in no doubt that 1950s women have suffered discrimination. It is outright misogyny. Why would 3.8 million women be told at the eleventh hour, with no notice, to go back to work for six years. We have been robbed of our pension. It is important because it is not only about 1950s women. It is about all women. We must stop other younger generations of women being treated like we have been treated. Women retiring at 60 has been woven into the fabric of society. When women hit by the state pension age rise started work, some of whom were as young as 16, they were told they would retire at 60. Many 1950s women have been literally scared witless to work on the frontline during the coronavirus crisis. Some of them without personal protective equipment (PPE) in caring jobs, as nurses, teachers, working in factories, retail, hospitality. They were scared because they knew over-60s were vulnerable to severe complications from coronavirus. After five years of waiting for her state pension, one woman said to me: The robbery of my state pension has created cumulative damages to all aspects of my life despite now being in receipt of it. No amount of compensation will ever make up for the imprisonment neglect and losses, I have suffered during an almost five year wait. Recommended Seven women explain why they want pension age dropped to 60 Ms Welch said the Court of Appeal was able to make their decision on the case, which will last for two days, on Wednesday but she could not be sure whether they would do so. The case involves Julie Delve and Karen Glynn, two women hit by the state pension age rise supported by BackTo60, who took the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to court back in 2019. The women argued the changes were discriminatory on the basis of both sex and age and said they were not given sufficient notice about the pension age rise, which was accelerated in 2010 and saw women reach parity with men, at 65, in 2018. Judges at the Royal Courts of Justice ruled on the side of the government rejecting the womens claims on all grounds. Julia Holland, an unemployed visual merchandiser who was pushed into severe destitution by the state pension age increasing, told The Independent she was hopeful the case would have a positive result. The 65-year-old, who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, said: I am very apprehensive but excited as I feel we will all get a positive outcome. It is important that Backto60 win this as it was a real injustice by the government, and if we dont put it right, it leaves the gateway to other rights being misused. Recommended Covid recovery will prompt huge hike in state pension payments I will lose faith in humanity and the government if we do not get our money back. I and many thousands of women will be left with nothing. No hope. No money. No life. Ms Holland previously said she has been forced to pick between eating or heating and cannot afford the bus fare to travel around due to the state pension age rising. My son died in his sleep, she said. Since then my life has been so hard financially, as well as mentally. Trying to handle things on my own, trying to support myself. So at 65, I still have some months to go before I can retire, but I have had enough. If I could have retired when I thought I could, life would have been a little easier, to say the least. I had no time to prepare for the robbery that took place. I am now going from one temp job to the next on a minimum wage. At the moment I am on universal credit. I cannot go out or use my gas as I cannot afford the cost. I live on bread and jam. I watch TV in the dark as I am frightened of having my electricity turned off, again. The United Nations has previously said women hit by the state pension age change are at increased risk of poverty, homelessness and financial hardship as a result. Recommended Surge in women claiming universal credit and out of work benefits Pamela Satchwell, who lost her home and was forced to sell jewellery her deceased husband bought her to afford food and electricity in the wake of the state pension age increase, told The Independent she was highly anxious about the court case. The 66-year-old, who lives just outside of Blackpool, said: I feel very stressed about the court case tomorrow. I am hoping the judges can see the desperate plight of 1950s women. The evidence is overwhelming against consecutive governments and its about time they did the right thing. The magic money tree is out, so they should use it to compensate us for a political decision which has ruined so many lives. Ms Satchwell, who previously worked as a civil servant and then as a teacher, said she was left with a mortgage and a great deal of debt after her husband died. She said: It was a case of heat or eat. I ended up going to the food bank. In the end, I couldnt pay the mortgage so the mortgage company made me sell my house. I even had to sell the bits of jewellery my husband bought me to buy food and electricity. Sometimes, Ive thought it would be easier if I wasnt here. Coronavirus has made life harder. I cant see an end to this. Im stuck in a flat. I have arthritis. I suffer from panic attacks and agoraphobia. I feel the four walls are holding me up. Im extremely stressed. Im not sleeping. Im frightened to go to the doctor as I dont want to get the virus. Im on antidepressant tablets and high blood pressure tablets. I have absolutely no confidence. Ms Satchwell said she will be absolutely elated if BackTo60 win the court case, but argued it was important not to forget that there are many women who are no longer alive who will never get their pension. We are fighting for them too, she added. Money can never make up for what we have lost in the past six years. Our homes. Our health. Our happiness. Many experts feel the concept of a national peak is nebulous, given that the growth in case numbers is dominated by a handful of states, reports Ruchika Chitravanshi IMAGE: Patients at CWG village COVID-19 Care Centre, near Akshardham in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo India is likely to see a wave of peaks in Covid-19 cases across the country instead of one single high, with the coronavirus spreading at a different pace in most states, experts said. While most epidemiologists have predicted a peak of infection in late July-August, many feel the concept of a national peak is nebulous. The three states -- Maharashtra, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu -- with highest case-counts are slowing down, but infections in eastern and southern states are surging. I do not see a national peak soon, but I see a wave of peaks cascading through the nation in the next two months. It simply depends on how we behave and how policies are implemented, Bhramar Mukherjee, professor of epidemiology, Michigan University, said. According to latest health ministry data, 86 per cent of the Covid-19 cases come from just 10 states, making for an uneven spread. Therefore, looking at Indiawide numbers make little sense, experts say, given that the growth in case numbers is dominated by a handful of states. Different states should have different progressions and they will not be in step with each other. This means that we should look at a really granular scale, of districts and sub-districts, and zones in cities, to understand the progression of the disease, Gautam Menon, professor of computational biology and theoretical physics, Ashoka University. India has crossed 1 million Covid infections, but since a large number of those infected are asymptomatic, it is difficult to estimate the number of true infections, especially without the sero survey data. This means, it is not possible to predict the total number of cases that India will witness in its first peak and consequently whether it will achieve any herd immunity by then. Our model indicates that there are 10 times more cases in India than reported. Even with that, we are very far from herd immunity, which means roughly 50-70 per cent need to be infected depending on reproduction value of 2 or 3, Mukherjee said. Epidemiologists say it is more likely that the number of daily cases, once they reach a peak, will decline slowly and there will be a number of spikes that accompany this decline. Whether this will resemble a clear second peak or a number of well-separated peaks following the first is unclear, Menon said. While it is difficult to avoid the peak, experts say it is possible to mute it and slow it down so that on a given day in a place there are more beds than patients. This would also mean that the peak would be pushed further in time. Unwritten rule of a pandemic is that a peak will happen and numbers will come down... Karnataka has estimated it could be October and then a second peak in January, said Satyanarayana Mysore, head of interventional pulmonology, Manipal hospitals and part of Karnatakas Covid task force. Mysore said even with the present numbers the situation was not manageable and getting timely help was a big challenge. Peak could be delayed up to October... By January-February, we should see a second peak and hopefully that will not happen, he said. Karnataka is among the states, which after drawing praise for keeping the spread of virus under check, has seen a sharp spike in cases. From over 16,000 cases on July 1, the state now has more than 55,000 cases. The state has the shortest doubling time of around nine days. As against this, Delhi, which saw a big surge in cases, has slowed its doubling time to 45 days as of July 18. As India opens up the lockdown, Cov-Ind study group of the Michigan University assumes a cautious and moderate return -- each with a different reproduction value -- to predict the future case load. According to its estimates, based on July 18 figures, India could see 1.5-1.7 million cases by August 8. We are in a painfully long crisis and we have to be vigilant and keep our guards up for a long time so that we can contain resurges, Mukherjee said. A recent mathematical modelling done by Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested that India could see up to 287,000 cases a day by 2021, if a cure or vaccine was not found. The health ministry, however, has said mathematical models do not take into account the efforts and interventions taken by governments and communities to contain the spread of virus. Boy racers flouted lockdown rules during a huge car meet in London last night that caused queues of traffic. Footage showed hundreds of people ignoring social distancing rules as they watched the meet outside the Showcase cinema, near the A13 in Barking, east London. The rally came just hours after a similar event in Manchester which witnesses compared to 'bonfire night' and a Formula 1 race due to the popping of cars. Footage shows a queue of cars at the roundabout outside the car park in Barking, east London, and people gathering and watching on the paths People stood on the roundabout outside the car park to watch the cars during the meet The clip shows a long queue of cars to get into the car park and groups of people gathering and watching at the edges of the road. Vehicles revving their engines can be heard in the background while other cars are seen parked up on the pavement leading up to the roundabout. People can also be seen riding quad bikes around the roundabout. The government's current coronavirus guidelines state that no more than 30 people should gather for community activities and events such as weddings and funerals. There was another event in Barking at the beginning of this month when hundreds of drivers gathered in car parks. A black car goes around the roundabout and can be seen with smoke coming off its back wheel as people stand by taking pictures and videos on their phones People line the pavements and watch cars doing burnouts and drifting around the roundabout in Barking Hundreds of people stand around the roundabout during the meet, ignoring social distancing rules The car park of the Showcase cinema on the outskirts of Barking is full of cars and people during the meet Drivers travelled in convoy to five different locations to admire each other's customised motors. The Met Police confirmed officers were alerted to the event at 9.45pm on Sunday night but made no arrests. Superintendent Ian Brown from the North East Command Unit, said: We are aware of this gathering and other similar events that have been held in recent weeks. We understand the concern from the local community and the road users in the area. We have also been speaking to local businesses in the area about this event and how we can work with them to prevent further disturbances. An appropriate policing plan is currently being drawn up to allow us to effectively respond to any further events that may be planned. To those intent on attending, I would urge you to refrain from turning up. If you engage in anti-social behaviour, we will take robust actions and this could result in your vehicle being seized. It came after an illegal car rally took place in Tameside, Greater Manchester, on Sunday which caused traffic jams on nearby motorways. Police were called to an industrial estate in the town of Denton after hundreds of people brought their cars to the location just outside the M60 motorway. Alarming footage from the Sunday event shows large rows of cars being lined up near the industrial estate, with several members of the public not wearing face masks nor conforming to any sort of social distancing. The surrounding area was full of people standing close together as they attended the car meet An illegal car meet took place at an industrial estate in Denton, Greater Manchester, with emergency services called to break up the event Hundreds of motorists attended the event in Tameside, which clearly abused social distancing advice put forward by the government The event gained a lot of attention on social media, including complaints from members of the public and the local MP for Denton Witnesses compared the event to 'bonfire night' and a Formula 1 race due to the popping of cars and Greater Manchester Police from the Tameside & South West force were called to the scene. A police helicopter was also needed as emergency services became concerned with the large meet. A statement from Greater Manchester Police said: 'Officers are currently dealing with an incident at Tameside Business Centre, Windmill Lane in Denton where there is an increased activity in vehicular traffic. Can we please ask that you avoid this and the surrounding area. Sadly this is putting a massive strain on our services at this time and it is causing a back log of traffic, however we hope we can quickly have things resolved with your help.' A resident living near the industrial estate said: 'The whole of Denton is gridlocked. It sounds like bonfire night with the cars popping.' Denton MP Andrew Gwynne displayed his disapproval for the car meet, tweeting: 'Completely irresponsible and Im informed the Police are on it. In fact as I type, the Police helicopter is overhead.' The car rally caused long traffic jams on the M60 motorway while the M66 and M66 routes were also affected by the illegal event. Those who attended the event did not conform to social distancing and many chose not to wear face masks despite coronavirus fears Cars line up at the industrial estate as the illegal car rally grew alarmingly in terms of numbers. It was compared to bonfire night and a Formula One race due to the popping of cars There were also reports on social media of dangerous driving around the Denton area, including drivers speeding up and down the hard shoulder of the M60. North West Motorway Police assured members of the public that patrols had been put in place in the relevant areas. 'M60, junction 24 both anticlockwise and clockwise we have heavy congestion - this is due to an apparent car meet off the motorway network. The car meet caused several traffic jams at junction 24 of the M60 while the M66 and M67 were also affected by the illegal meet-up 'It is however impacting around M60, M67, M66 - we are getting numerous re vehicles using the hard shoulder at speed, please take care.' North West Motorway Police then confirmed that the traffic had eased just before 6pm. Car enthusiasts from across the country took part in an all-day 'cruise' on earlier this month which began at 10am in Barking before motoring up the M25 to meet at a spot near Junction 30 and arriving at several locations in Harlow, Essex. The meeting then returned to Barking where pictures showed over two hundred revellers ignoring social distancing and flouting the government's limit of 30 people per gathering. Several police cars and two ambulances attended the gathering in Barking where noise complaints were made after cars sped their way through the McDonald's drive-through. The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment. False information circulated online over the weekend suggesting Gov. Tom Wolf might move some counties back into the red phase of his coronavirus reopening program, state officials told ABC27. The governors office has not publicly said it would move counties back into the most restrictive segment of its plan to reopen the states economy. ABC27 reported that it reached out to the governors office, which called articles speculating about a return to the red phase bad rumors and said it had no idea where this came from. Pennsylvania Department of Health press secretary Nate Wardle told ABC27 the rumors are blatantly false. If we have to use more restricting mitigation efforts than what are already in place they will be surgical and targeted to reduce the spread, Wardle said, according to ABC27. Like most states across the country, Pennsylvania has seen an uptick in reported cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in recent weeks. Six counties had positive test rates above five percent in the past week: Beaver (8.2 percent) Allegheny (7.5), York (6.1), Lebanon (6), Philadelphia (5.5) and Dauphin (5.1). Early this month, Lebanon became the final county to move into the green phase of Wolfs reopening plan, but the recent spike in cases has caused some to wonder about revamped restrictions. 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. Virtual production of A Midsummers Night Dream Jane Farnol returns to Brookfield Theatre with an adaptation of William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The play is edited and choreographed for current social distancing and digital constraints. Related: View the performace here. It may be viewed on the theatres YouTube channel. Danbury Comical Australian program to be held virtually Danbury Librarys Australian Adventure with Didgeridoo Down Under will be held live via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Participants will receive a link to the program via email upon completing registration. The program, suitable for families with children in grades K-5, is a comical, interactive, musical adventure featuring the otherworldly sounds of the didgeridoo. Hear spellbinding tales from Australian mythology, and some of Australias most famous critters. Free, but registration is required at DanburyLibrary.org or tsteneken@danburylibrary.org. Danbury Library to present Eating Smart workshop The Danbury Library will present the Eating Smart workshop, live via Zoom at 6 p.m. July 27. Participants will receive a link to the meeting via email once they have registered. UConn Extensions Heather Peracchio MS, RDN presents a live cooking demonstration. Learn how to make a quick, delicious and nutritious budget friendly meal. The program is free, but registration is required at DanburyLibrary.org or kmostacero@danburylibrary.org. New Milford Village Center for the Arts offers virtual camp The Village Center for the Arts is offering a virtual camp in a variety of mediums. They will include clay sculpture for students ages 9 to 16, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, ($375); and acrylic painting for students ages 9 to 18, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Aug. 3-7 ($375). For more information and RSVP, call 860-354-4318. New Milford Library offers virtual, in-person programs New Milford Public Library is offering various virtual programs for children in the coming days. This includes: Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress, with the Science Tellers, at 2 p.m. Tuesday; Imagine Your Story, Turtle Dance Music at 2 p.m., July 28; and Riverside Reptiles at 10 a.m., July 29. For more information and RSVP, email sford@biblio.org. The librarys Knit Wits will meet from 3:30-5:30 p.m. July 21 and 28 on the Village Green in front of the library, weather permitting. Attendees are asked to bring a mask, adhere to social distancing, and bring a blanket or chair, snack, current project and something to show and share. For more information, email jhyman@biblio.org. A Grab and Go (or Stay) Craft Program will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 23 and 30 on the Village Green. Craft bags and directions may be picked up at the library July 22 and 29 for those who prefer to do the craft at home. Attendees are asked to bring a mask, chair or blanket and adhere to social distancing. The July 23 craft is mosaic picture frames and the July 30 craft is painted Furoshiki gift bags. For more information and registration, email vfisher@biblio.org. Region Audubon virtual summer camp begins The Connecticut Audubon Society is offering five weeks of Virtual Summer Camp starting July 21. The online program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade will be led and designed by expert Audubon educators. Sessions will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with flexible options; register by the week or for individual specific days. Fees are $40/week or $15 per session. Weekly themes are: Week 1 Feathered Friends (July 21-23); Week 2 Wet and Wild Adventures (July 28-30); Week 3 Bioblitz (Aug. 4-6); Week 4 The Amazing World of Plants (Aug. 11-13); Week 5 Twilight Adventures (Aug. 18-20). For more information and to register, visit ct.audubon.org/virtual-summer-camp. Region Donation drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity NFCAR Donation Drive to benefit Housatonic Habitat for Humanity will be held from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at 15 Stony Hill Road, Bethel. Donations of small furniture, building supplies, mirrors, outdoor furniture, kitchen cabinets, windows, doors, lighting, tools, artwork and more are needed. All donations will be used in building affordable homes for qualified families in the greater Danbury area. Cant make this drive? Call the ReStore at 203-744-1340, ext. 103 or email donations@housatonichabitat.org to learn more about their donation policy and pick up. ReStore currently is scheduling for August. Region Litchfield Jazz Fest streaming live for free Litchfield Jazz Festival will stream live for free from the sound stages of Telefunken Elektroakustik in South Windsor from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Artist talks between sets will give the virtual audience a chance to chat with the stars. This years festival salutes Charlie Parker and Art Blakey. The 25th annual festival is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and Telefunken Elektroakustik. To live stream it, visit Litchfield Jazz Festivals Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/litchfieldjazzfestival/. For more information, visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com. Region Civil Air Patrol aids in food relief effort The Connecticut Wing of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has this month started transporting and delivering food to needy families during the coronavirus pandemic. Members from across the state, including some cadets from the area units like 399th Composite Squadron in Danbury, have volunteered. This effort is organized by the Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel. Fresh produce is donated by a farm in Roxbury. Some food provisions are supplied by local residents, but most are trucked in twice a month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from other donations. This mission is to continue throughout the summer months and entails multiple tasks several times a week. Every Monday, the volunteer crews pick up the produce in Roxbury to be delivered to the chuch for sorting and storage until its ready for distribution. The patrol has also taken popcorn to day campers at the YMCA in Brookfield. The food is picked up at the church and delivered to homes in Newtown and Bethel on Tuesdays and Brookfield and Danbury on Thurdays. Twice a month volunteers assist with unloading a USDA tractor trailer that arrives in Bethel filled with 1,500 boxes of donated provisions. Region Student experiments heading to space A team of five homeschool students from Bethel and Redding will send two science experiments into space. Ellie Hunter, David Hunter, Max Singleton, Madeleine Valentino and Mason Valentino won a global competition with Cubes in Space, an idoodlEdu inc. program in collaboration with NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility, NASA's Langley Research Center, and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The first experiment, The Effects of Space Radiation Upon the Energy Output of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, will fly above the stratosphere on a high altitude balloon scheduled to take off from New Mexico Aug. 28, 2020. Another panel will remain on earth to be analyzed as a control. The students theorize that dye-sensitized solar cells can be used to supply natural, non-toxic energy for space exploration and habitation. In order to prove the viability of their solar cells, they must determine whether the organic components will be degraded by cosmic radiation. Despite lockdown delays, the students continued to meet virtually. When restrictions were lifted, they met, masked and socially distanced, to finalize their experiment together. The team also has another experiment scheduled to launch on a NASA rocket from Wallops Island, Va. in 2021. Ridgefield Band to perform The CHIRPor Concerts Happening in Ridgefields Parksseason continues with Mike + Ruthy and their band, The Mammals, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at Ballard Park. Later in the summer, Susan Werner entertains Aug 18, and the Johnny Nicholas band plays Aug. 25. Advance registration is required for all concerts, and attendees must wear face masks. For the most up-to-date information, visit CHIRPs Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ChirpCT or call 203-431-6501. Ridgefield Comedy show goes virtual Comedian Christine OLeary and her advanced improv students from her classes at The Ridgefield Playhouse will perform via Zoom at Christine OLeary & Friends: Virtually LIVE! at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. OLeary will host from the Ridgefield Playhouse, while her team delivers comedy sets from home, to an online audience. Tickets, at $20, may purchased at https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/christine-oleary-friends/ or by calling 203-438-5795. At check out, attendees also have the opportunity to donate to The Leir Foundation Arts for Everyone program. Sherman Free yoga outside Robbyns Nest Education Center, Route 37 Sherman Commons, Suite 3, Sherman is hosting free adult and children yoga outside at 4 p.m. Tuesday with Kathleen; at 4 p.m. July 21 with Madeline; and at 4:30 p.m. July 21 with Samantha. For more information, visit www.Robbyns-nest.webs.com or call 860-354-0099. Washington Special summer horse parade to be held The Humane Organization Representing Suffering Equines will hold a special summer horse parade from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, at the 43 Wilbur Road farm. The farm will be set up for social distancing, and hand sanitizers and wipes will be available. The event is an opportunity for folks interested in adopting, leasing, sponsoring or volunteering, to meet many of the farms horses ages 6 to 29, from mini to draft, with many available for the advanced-beginner to experienced rider. The leading program is for people over 18 who ride regularly and want to find out what is involved in caring for a horse, while adoption is for the experienced horse owner looking for a lifetime companion. Sponsoring is an introductory option for those that would simply like to groom and hand walk a horse. For more information, visit www.horseofct.org. Washington Learn about Shepaug River history Gunn Historical Museum will present a two-part lecture about the Shepaug River via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Monday, The Story of a River: Contrasting History of the Shepaug. Also, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3, The Story of a River: Rallies to Save the Shepaug. Edwin Matthews, president of the Shepaug River Association, will lead the presentations that will include a slideshow with photos from the collection at the museum, followed by a discussion with the audience. Registration is required. To register, visit www.gunnmuseum.org. The study revealed how broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) services are evolving to match the demands from their younger audiences who have been at the forefront of viewers migration from linear TV. It found fundamentally that across Europe BVOD users were generally younger and more affluent than those of linear television, a dynamic which has contributed to an increase in digital-only commissions.Over the last year, commercial broadcasting revenue has been in decline across major Western European marketseven before the first impact of Covid-19 on the ad market was feltwhile digital ad funded content revenue has grown. Therefore, said Ampere, investment in online services is essential to ensure that commercially funded groups can offset the declines in broadcast revenue Ampere expects as a result of the ongoing online viewing transition.BVOD platforms were initially designed for TV catchup viewing, but in recent years broadcasters have been investing in technical enhancements and original content to beef up their services to attract a young demographic, observed Ampere Analysis senior analyst Lea Cunat. Although a degree of uncertainty remains regarding return to business and advertisers confidence, Amperes outlook for BVOD revenue growth is positive. We anticipate that the shift to digital marketing will be accelerated if the behaviours consumers have adopted during lockdown persist following the reopening of economies.The report revealed that the UK is Europes leading BVOD market, although the most popular service is BBC iPlayer which is ad-free. ITV Hub , All4 and My5 are the leading ad supported platforms in the local BVOD market with a heavy focus on catch-up, although Channel 4s platform All4 continues to promote a deep catalogue of boxsets. Meanwhile across the English Channel, 30% of France Televisions' upcoming shows are destined for VOD, with high-profile commissions for digital platform France.tv including Louis XXVIII, a sci-fi drama set in an alternate universe in which the French Revolution never happened. Statement from International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 on Iran delivering flight recorders Statement Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom, members of the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752, today issued the following statement: While we welcome the delivery of Flight PS752s recorders to Frances Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau, this is long overdue, and is only a step towards completing the safety investigation. July 20, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom, members of the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752, today issued the following statement: While we welcome the delivery of Flight PS752s recorders to Frances Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau, this is long overdue, and is only a step towards completing the safety investigation. We reiterate our demand for Iran to conduct a full, transparent, and independent flight safety investigation in accordance with international standards. The Coordination Group will continue working to ensure transparency, accountability and justice, including reparations, for the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy. Contacts Syrine Khoury Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Syrine.Khoury@international.gc.ca Media Relations Office Global Affairs Canada 343-203-7700 media@international.gc.ca Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP Like us on Facebook: Canadas foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada Getty Images En espanol | The out-of-pocket cost of life-sustaining insulin will be capped at $30 a month, and plans will be developed to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, under sweeping legislation New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has signed into law. The legislation also creates a drug affordability board that will review prescription drug cost information and make recommendations to the state. Another provision increases price transparency by requiring pharmaceutical companies to release information about the prices of some medications. "This critical prescription drug legislation is a major step forward to reduce drug costs for New Hampshire's 50-plus population, says Doug McNutt, AARP's New Hampshire associate state director for advocacy. We know that 22 percent of Granite Staters are rationing their drugs because of cost and that the average older American takes 4.5 prescription drugs. This bill will make an impact in controlling those costs." Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz has been admitted to hospital, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder, according to state media. The 84-year-old ruler, who has ruled the country since 2015, was undergoing medical checks in the capital, state news agency SPA said on Monday. No other details were given. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi postponed his scheduled visit to Riyadh following the hospitalisation of King Salman, the Saudi foreign minister said. In recognition of the importance of the visit and a desire to make it succeed, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq has decided to postpone the visit, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud wrote on Twitter. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Fans are left shocked after Kanye West revealed that he and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, considered having an abortion when she was pregnant with their first child, North West. After the rapper shared this personal revelation with the public, many took to social media to criticize him for making this statement, claiming that it could hurt his family dynamic and North in the long run. Kanye West and North West | Arnold Jerocki/GC Images Kanye West broke down in tears while talking about abortion On July 19, West held his first-ever presidential rally at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, South Carolina. Like all of his speeches before, the rapper did not mince words as he talked about various topics. At one point, he spoke tearfully against abortion, revealing that he and Kardashian West considered aborting their oldest daughter, North West, after they learned they were expecting. RELATED: Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests Daughter North West Just Turned 7 but Her Net Worth Is Insane In the bible it says thou shalt not kill, he began. I remember when my girlfriend [at the time] called me screaming and cryingAnd I just thought to myself, Please dont tell me I gave Kim Kardashian AIDS.' Then, she said, Im pregnant and I said, Yes.. she said No. She was crying [and] and for one month and two months and three months, we talked about her not having this child, he continued. However, Ye shared that a message from God and Kardashian West changed his mind, and they both decided they wanted to have the baby. I said, We are going to have this child. I know people who are 50 years old who dont have a child, the Selah rapper said, getting emotional. So even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didnt want to. She stood up, and she protected that child. West then opened up about his late mother, Donda West, and shared how she almost made that same choice when she was pregnant with him. My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There would have been no Kanye West, because my dad was too busy, he said before breaking down into tears. I almost killed my daughter. Fans are shocked by Kanye Wests personal revelation As you can expect, Wests unscripted speech left many shocked beyond words. While reports claim Kardashian West and her family are upset and alarmed after the rapper made this unexpected revelation, they actually werent the only ones who were taken back by his statement about North. After clips of his speech were posted online, many took to Twitter to slam the rapper for revealing to the public that he and Kardashian West almost aborted their now seven-year-old daughter. RELATED: Which Kardashian-West Child Is Most Similar To Kanye West? I cant believe Kanye west told the world he wanted to abort north some things you just keep to yourself mann, someone tweeted. Amid people criticizing West for his statement, others have expressed their concern for North, who they hope wont be significantly affected by the rappers comment later down the line. Kim Kardashian needs to protect her f*cking children. Do they know how damaging it will be when North West grows up and sees what Kanye said about her?! This is disturbing, one person wrote. Kanye nearly aborted North? He shouldnt have said that. Now shell see this in 10 years and question things, another Twitter user penned. So far, Kardashian West hasnt spoken out about her husbands first presidential rally, but shed previously showed support for his campaign on Twitter, retweeting his announcement and adding an American flag emoji. While insiders claim the reality stars maintained her support for West, fans now seem to think that the couples marriage is now hanging by a thread due to the rappers recent comments. RELATED: Fans Think Kim Kardashian West Is Going to Divorce Kanye West After Rambling Campaign Rally Deputy general director of Electricity of Vietnam, Vo Quang Lam, experienced the smart SSOC supervision system developed by SolarBK Establishing a solar module manufacturing site in Vietnam was the biggest decision for IREX so far. In 2012, when IREXs factory was built, the term solar energy was still considered a luxurious keyword in Vietnam. Despite the tremendous potential for solar energy development, no-one could predict the exact time when renewable energy will start booming in Vietnam. That being said, Vietnams solar energy industry in recent years has been mostly commercially developed. Not anyone would dare to selectively take risks like IREX, to invest systematically given the market at that time, when the scale of the industry was still a mystery. If IREX instead of investing in technology, human resources, and production rather chose a commercialised strategy, the company would have gone faster but not further. It is at this point that IREX asserted its reputation as one of the more prestigious solar factories, becoming a part of the value chain of major brands worldwide. That thinking led IREX to establish its own identity in comparison to its current rivals. Within five years, IREX has been developing globally while participating in many international trade events. In particular, the Vietnamese brand of solar cells has been present in demanding markets such as Europe and the United States. But to reach such an achievement, sacrifices are inevitable. By choosing to go the long road to a great destination, the challenges are also greater. IREX is still bravely weathering the storm as the company continues to pursue aspirations and demonstrates impressive milestones. In co-operation with Singaporean Luneng, IREX is establishing its factory for PV cells in Vietnam Developing a home-grown brand To this day, as solar energy slowly begins to boom in Vietnam, IREX is further professionalising itself from personal expertise to leadership, thereby building a solid system from employee to technology, to confidently compete with top-tier brands. In 2018, IREX built a high-tech solar module factory, with automation for all processes, minimising manufacturing errors, and bringing class-A solar modules to the market. By 2019, IREXs solar modules were certified and reinsured by MunichRe, the worlds largest insurance organisation. This was considered to be an important milestone which marked the confirmation of Vietnamese solar module quality. From here, more opportunities for IREX to partner with many large solar companies around the world to expand solar cells production have opened up. After eight months of due diligence, IREX has chosen Luneng as its strategic partner to jointly invest in the manufacturing of PV and solar modules across Vietnam. Luneng is one of the worlds leading corporations in PV cell technology, owning a modern production line and a factory with a total capacity of up to 2.5 gigawatts. Because of the production line and modern machinery, Luneng will be an investment and system design consultant for IREXs PV cell production line that comes with the technological superiority compared to the markets regular products. It is expected that after completion, this will be the second-largest PV cell and module manufacturing facility in Vietnam. Therein, Vietnamese engineers will be involved not only at the normal production stage but also in research, technological development, and production. A highlight for the world An IREX factory representative stated, After COVID-19, IREX received many invitations for partnerships and joint ventures from large corporations. Some of the worlds top 10 companies have contacted, but after careful consideration, IREX accepted Luneng as they aim to develop solar technology while respecting IREXs vision and brand for its solar cells on the market. Currently, IREX is providing rooftop solar PV arrays with more than 30 megawatt peak, distributed in the domestic market, which are highly appreciated. The company is trying to accomplish its goal of becoming one of the top-tier international solar companies. After the successful handling of the pandemic, Vietnam has become a highlight in the world. Foreign direct investment has begun to pour again into Vietnam, including into the clean energy industry. Therefore, the successful partnership between IREX and Luneng is considered a favourable start, marking the development of Vietnams clean energy industry in the future. Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the largest real estate developers in Bahrain, has begun work on the first mosque within its affordable housing project, Deerat Al Oyoun. The ground breaking ceremony was held in the presence of Shaikh Dr. Rashid bin Mohammed Al Hajeri, Sunni Endowments Council Chairman, and Abdulhakeem Yaqoob Alkhayatt, Chairman of Diyar Al Muharraq, and representatives from the Sunni Endowments Councils and Diyar Al Muharraq, along with consultants and engineers representing European Construction, the company initiating the construction of the mosque. Designed by Arab Architects with a unique architectural concept, the 1,217-sq-m mosque is set to become an important landmark to Deerat Al Oyoun serving over 600 worshippers, said the statement from Diyar Al Muharraq. Expected to complete in the first quarter of 2021, European Construction will ensure its operation at maximum efficiency with the commencing of construction work. Inspired by the authentic Islamic Arabic architecture, it constitutes a luxurious architectural monument with a dome decorated with motifs, it added. Lauding Diyar Al Muharraq for its work, Shaikh Dr Rashid bin Mohammed Al Hajeri, Sunni Endowments Council Chairman said: "The efforts taken by them in spreading the spirit of worship across the masterplan and encouraging residents of all projects to come together for the act of worship is commendable. Also I would like to congratulate the residents of Deerat Al Oyoun especially on this occasion." Diyar Al Muharraq Chairman Abdulhakeem Yaqoob AlKhayatt said: "We are pleased to announce the completion of the infrastructure for the construction of the mosque. The mosque construction cost was donated by a philanthropist." "We have high hopes and confidence in the efficiency of European Construction, which will work as the official contractor of this mosque, given its extensive experience in the kingdom, which is in line with our mission to professionally accomplish all projects both efficiently and effectively," he added. Diyar Al Muharraq is one of the largest integrated cities in Bahrain, offering a variety of housing solutions in a luxurious modern lifestyle. It maintains a uniquely balanced blend of residential, commercial, recreational, and healthcare facilities, creating a fully integrated and futuristic model city.-TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jul. 20 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Moldova amounted to $9.9 million over first four months of 2020 compared to $15.4 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee. Kazakhstans export to Moldova amounted to $6.3 million over the period from January through April 2020 compared to $12.6 million during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans import from Moldova amounted to $3.6 million over the reporting period compared to $2.8 million from January through April 2019. The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $28.1 million over the period from Jan. through Apr. 2020 which indicates a decrease from $28.8 million during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export amounted to $18.3 million during the reporting period of 2020 ($18.5 million in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $9.8 million ($10.3 million). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Almost 10 days after the encounter killing of dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey, his post-mortem report, released on Monday, states that the history-sheeter died due to shock and haemorrhage owing to ante-mortem firearm injuries. The criminal had also sustained three gunshots in a faceoff with cops and those bullet injuries were adequate to cause his death. Vikas, Dubey, who had been carrying a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his arrest, was the main accused of committing the gruesome massacre of eight policemen in Bikru village under Chaubeypur police station area in Kanpur on July 2/3. Dubey was killed on July 10 in an encounter with UP STF personnel when he allegedly tried to flee from their custody on way back to Kanpur from Ujjain where he was arrested from Mahakal temple on July 9. The post-mortem report suggests that there were ten injuries on the body of the criminal who had sustained three bullet shots. The first bullet struck his right side shoulder and two others at his chest on the left side. As per the autopsy report, there were injuries on the head, elbow, rib and stomach on the right side of his body. ALSO READ | Kanpur encounter case: Vikas Dubey's aides Jaykant Vajpayee, Prashant Shukla arrested by UP Police However, the report does not mention the distance from which the bullets were fired but suggests that that the gangster might have engaged in a scuffle with the STF men as the entry point of all the bullets is from the front. He might have believably sustained the other injuries while running and falling while trying to flee the spot. The report says Dubey died due to haemorrhage and shock due to ante-mortem firearm injuries. It also says that the injuries caused by bullets were enough to cause the death. Six cops were left injured during the ambush on the police party by Dubey and his henchmen on July 2/3. The cops of three police stations, led by DySP Devendra Kumar Mishra, had gone to nab gangster Vikas Dubey in connection with a case of attempt to murder lodged against him on July 1, 2020 on the basis of a complaint filed by one Rahul Mishra. Dubey had over 60 criminal cases pertaining to murder, loot, extortion, land grabbing and abduction had been pending against him. He had been flourishing due to his nexus with police and politicians. In the case related to the massacre of 8 policemen, including a DySP level officer, 21 persons have been named and around 60-70 unidentified persons have been mentioned as accused of the ambush. Of the 21 named persons, six including Vikas Dubey himself, have been killed in subsequent police action, while six others, including Shyamu Bajpayee, Jahan Yadav, Dayashankar Agnihotri, Guddan Trivedi, Suresh Tiwari and Shashikant have been arrested sent to jail. Moreover, busting the nexus of the gangster with cops, two police personnel -- Inspector Vinay Tiwari, former in-charge Chaubeypur police station and sub-inspector KK Sharma , beat in-charge, who played as the main informer to the criminal -- were also arrested and sent to jail. Meanwhile, a three member Special Investigation Team is probing the massacre of the police men on the fateful night, a judicial probe to be conducted by retired Justice Shashi Kant Agarwal, has also been ordered to inquire into the killings of six criminals, close aides of Dubey, in subsequent police action. Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: Following Congress allegations of misappropriation of funds in the procurement of Covid-19 equipment, the Karnataka Health Ministry on Monday released a white paper on the procurement process, expenditure and reasons for price differences, over five months. Health Minister B Sriramulu said he would quit from his post, if opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah can prove allegations of corruption. The Health Ministry said that the government was spending only Rs 10.61 crore for ventilators as against the allegation of Rs 18.20 crore expenditure. While the state is slated to receive 1,600 ventilators from the central government under the PM Cares Scheme free of cost, of which 640 have arrived, it has spent Rs 10.61 crore on 130 standard ventilators from the Mysuru-based company, Skanray, at Rs 5.60 lakh per piece. Of them, 80 have been delivered, while another 28 higher-specification ICU ventilators, whose prices vary from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 18.20 lakh, have been ordered at a cost of Rs 33 crore. In March, the sanitiser was priced at Rs 250 for 500 ml, as the demand was high and supply low. But now, it is just Rs 100. In April, we paid Rs 1,444 per PPE piece, and now we pay Rs 575 due to reduced prices and increased manufacturing. When the procurement began in the first week of March, Covid was a new disease and there was no production of any equipment like PPE and N95 masks in the state or country, said Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary. In March, N95 masks were sold at Rs 147 per piece and in April, it was sourced at Rs 126 per piece from a company in China. The price has further reduced to Rs 44 per piece now, the department said. Countering the Congress allegations of corruption in the tendering and procurement process, Dy CM Dr C N Ashwath Narayan let the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society clear the air. For initial procurements, we contacted our regular suppliers who come under our L1 category to buy sanitisers and drugs, said N Manjushree, Additional Director, KSDLWS. All details open to public, says Sriramulu We went by the list of companies that came from the GOI for PPE and N95 masks. In April and May, we received quotations locally and post-May, notices for tenders were published in newspapers and our website for each procurement, N Manjushree added. The Health Department claimed that Rs 79.35 crore has been spent on procuring PPE, while the Congress alleged an expenditure of Rs 150 crore has been made. Prices of PPE kits with four components, six components and 10 components vary. Orders were placed with companies recommended by the Centre. Now the cost of PPE kit is Rs 3,900, said Dr Ashwath Narayan. Orders were placed for 12,12,000 PPEs, of which 9,65,910 have been supplied. Rs 28.5 lakh has been spent on surgical gloves and Rs 2.65 crore on one lakh bottles of sanitisers of 500 ml each, while the rest has come in the form of CSR donations from sugar factories and distilleries, the department said. Just to keep his CM ambitions alive, Siddaramaiah is making baseless allegations. I have placed all details before the public. If anyone is able to prove any corruption allegations, I will quit this position immediately, said B Sriramulu, Health Minister. Most procurements have been made by the health department, but also by the BBMP, Social Welfare and Medical Education departments. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have called for concerted global action to halt the spread of a deadly pig disease, African Swine Fever (ASF). The agencies called on countries and development partners to join forces to fight the disease through the adoption of the new initiative for the Global Control of African Swine Fever (ASF), a report by FAO said. According to the report published on the FAO website on Monday, in recent years, ASF, which may cause up to 100 per cent mortality in pigs, has become a major crisis for the pork industry, causing massive losses in pig populations and generating drastic economic consequences. Pork is the most consumed meat in the world, representing 35.6 per cent of global meat consumption. Currently, ASF is affecting several countries of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe, and with no effective vaccine. The disease is not only impeding animal health and welfare but has detrimental impacts on the livelihoods of farmers, it said. In the report, the OIE Deputy Director-General for International Standards and Science, Matthew Stone, said: Today, 51 countries are affected by African swine fever. Amid the difficult situation posed by COVID-19, ASF continues to spread, intensifying the current health and socioeconomic crisis, he said. Many countries that are affected by ASF lack sufficient human, financial or technical resources to rapidly detect, respond and contain animal diseases, the report said. According to the report, the FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo, said In this globalised world, where diseases can spread rapidly across borders, timely sharing of latest scientific information, international collaboration and notification of ASF are needed to prevent the transboundary spread and minimize the impact. Coordinated actions as part of the global initiative should take place alongside maintaining transparency regarding reporting of animal diseases and investing in strong and resilient animal health systems, the report said. The report noted that on a global scale, the sustained spread of ASF poses a threat to food security, economic and rural development. The disease represents a barrier to the agricultural sector to reach its full potential, generate employment and alleviate poverty, and acts as a disincentive to investment in the pig sector. Global control of ASF will thus contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goals 1 No Poverty and 2 Zero Hunger, it said. It said building upon the experience of the long-standing collaboration between the OIE and FAO for the management of animal health-related risks, the joint Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) developed the global initiative with the aim of fostering national, regional and global partnerships to strengthen control measures and to minimise the impact of this complex and challenging diseases. Read also: The initiative for the global control of ASF aims to improve the capability of countries to control, prevent, respond and eradicate ASF using OIE international Standards and best practices that are based on the latest science. Establish an effective coordination and cooperation framework for the global control of ASF and Facilitate business continuity ensuring safe production and trade to protect food systems, it said. It further noted that the global initiative builds on previous regional efforts and follows recommendations of ASF experts from around the world with the aims to strengthen national veterinary services ability to manage risks through the development and implementation of ASF national control programmes, with public and private sectors working in partnership. Risk communication with the relevant stakeholders will be a crucial element to effectively address risk pathways and high- risk practices, it said. Highlights: Live webinar on Thursday, July 23rd at 11:00am ET to update shareholders on current operations, its growth strategy and upcoming milestones Updated Corporate Presentation available in the following days leading to the webinar on Company Website Upco's updated growth strategy to take on the changing telecom and financial industries landscape VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upco International Inc. (CSE: UPCO, Frankfurt: U06) ("Upco", the "Company") will be hosting a live webinar on Thursday, July 23rd at 11:00am ET (8:00am PT) to update investors on Upco's current operations, updated growth strategy and upcoming milestones. Management will be available to answer questions following the presentation on the webinar platform. You can register for the webinar, through the link provided below: Webinar Date: Thursday, July 23rd, 2020 Time: 11:00am ET Register (live event & recording): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5915885338156848399 To ask management a question during the live event, you will need to be logged into the GoToWebinar platform. Otherwise, you may submit your questions prior to the event via the registration link above or by emailing team@rbmilestone.com . This webinar will be recorded and posted on Upco's website following the presentation. Upco's updated July Corporate Presentation will available in the following days leading to the webinar on Company Website at www.upcointernational.com . Additionally, overall Company website will be fully updated with new content in the following days leading to the webinar. Upco's Updated Growth Strategy Upco's strategy around creating synergies between its wholesale telecom business and digital services is not new. However, the way in which the Company plans to execute on this moving forward is what the Upco team is looking forward to expressing in the live Webinar and showing to its shareholders through corporate updates. More specifically, the business model will be re-aligned into two discrete business units based on target sector: one for Wholesale Telecom (B2B) and one for Digital Services (B2C). Wholesale Telecom will be coordinated by Upco international but managed operationally by dedicated companies that will be encompassed in the Upco group of companies over time. Digital Services will be coordinated through the wholly owned US subsidiary, Upco Systems Inc., based in New York. This natural division will enhance business focus and activities in the two key areas, while also substantially extending Upco's focus on the European market. Consequently, while the Wholesale Telecom business unit will attack a very fragmented sub-market within the international Wholesale market, the Digital Services business unit will be particularly favored by this initial emphasis on the European market due to the more favorable regulation for its highly innovative UpcoPay product. The synergies between the B2B and B2C verticals will allow the Company to offer international long-distance calls through an internet connection using the Company's existing VoIP network with more than 250 active Tier 1, 2 and 3 global carriers that connect subscribers in roughly 170 countries. Upco's new business model will be based on building a Federated Business Platform for the Telco-digital industry. While such platforms are becoming the predominant business model in the digital era, their application to the Telco business is very limited worldwide, and substitute services are gaining momentum. Upco's model responds to an opportunity to leverage this approach and play a lead role in this new era in the Telco-digital industry. Therefore, Upco's strategy will invoke a four-phase approach as follows: 1) leverage core business capabilities and assets (Wholesale Telecom), 2) reinforce the core business by expanding into related areas (Voice and Data), 3) continue adding value to customers through extended offerings (OTT and UpcoPay), and 4) continued growth by leveraging a synergized product mix. Key elements of the plan are targeted for delivery over a three-year period by 2022. UpcoPay is an innovative, highly secure and convenient eWallet solution to make person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments. Users will be able to view multiple account balances, load funds, settle payments and initiate peer-to-peer and FX transfers instantly within the app without the need to create an account or input bank details. UpcoPay allows the anonymous transfer of money between Upco users and vendors that subscribe to the service, protecting individual privacy while being compliant with regulatory frameworks. UpcoPay will also be able to deliver substantially reduced transaction fees over conventional services provided by major existing payment networks, delivering significant savings to vendors and ultimately to consumers. Upco's Team Update Upco is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Juan Ramos Taboada as Upco's Head of its Wholesale Telecom business unit and Mr. Sebastiano Massimo Galantucci as Upco's Head of its Digital Services business unit. Prior to joining Upco, Mr. Ramos Taboada was the Vice President at KPN iBasis Latin America and Caribbean (based in Argentina). He has extensive experience playing lead roles in building successful mobile and telecom companies including iBasis, which grew to be one of the largest carriers of international voice traffic in the world. From 2011 to 2015 he was the COO of Business Telecommunications Systems (revenues approx. USD $350m), where he was responsible for global operations. He has also worked as a strategic advisor for SKYPE where he was instrumental in helping to develop its Latin American footprint. Effective immediately, Mr. Ramos will take on the roles of Member of the Board and Head of Wholesale Telecom at Upco International Inc. Mr. Galantucci joined Upco Systems in 2019 and, effective January 1, 2020, became the Executive Manager responsible for the Digital Services business unit at Upco, which includes UpcoPay and UpcoNet. He joins the Board with more than twenty years of diverse experience in the traditional telecom sector, and more recently in the digital arena. His broad experience in cross-cultural business management ranges from leading local teams to executive management positions. Prior to joining Upco, Mr. Galantucci was involved in building a Digital Enabler focusing on innovative telecom (OTT) and fintech solutions, with operations in London, Bahrain, Hong Kong and Manilla. His key areas of interest are M&A and business development. Effective immediately, Mr. Galantucci will take on the roles of Member of the Board and Head of Digital Services at Upco International Inc. Mr. Andrea Pagani, Chief Executive Officer of Upco International Inc., commented, "The extensive experience, knowledge and relationships that Mr. Ramos and Mr. Galantucci bring to Upco's core business will be instrumental in our growth plans moving forward. We welcome both to their new roles with much excitement and look forward to unlocking value for our shareholders." About Upco International Inc. Upco International Inc. (CSE: UPCO) is a Vancouver and New York City based telecom and digital services company founded in 2014 that provides price competitive, high-quality and privacy-protected telecom and communication payment social platform in niche markets globally. The Company operates primarily in the telecommunication industry as a global telecom carrier within the international VoIP (voice over IP) wholesale business with a current focus on wholesale international long-distance traffic termination (the Wholesale Telecom business unit or B2B vertical of the business). Complementary to the goals in its B2B segment, the Company targets to provide subscribers of partner global and local telecom companies reasonable pricing on high-quality on-network international calls, while still offering its users free texting, international airtime top-up capabilities (the ability to add talk-time/data to a user's pre-paid mobile phone plan), and other social media features present in most over-the-top applications around the world. The Company is also presently in the process of consolidating its wholesale business through the reorganization of its operations into Upco System Inc., while trying to develop its own customer base via its attractive rates and flexible calling plans offered through Upco-out in its Upco Mobile Messenger application (the Digital Services business unit or B2C vertical of the business), which will be marketed as "UpOne" soon. Additionally, the Company announced the development of UpcoPay to achieve its desired network effects among its customers in the short to medium term. Please visit www.upcointernational.com for further information. Company website will be fully updated with new content in the following days leading to the webinar. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrea Pagani, CEO Upco International Inc., Upco Systems Inc. Investor Contacts Upco International Inc. Andrea Pagani, CEO office@upcointernational.com +1 (212) 461 3676 RB Milestone Group LLC team@rbmilestone.com New York, NY & Stamford, CT Forward-Looking Statements Except for the statements of historical fact, the information contained herein is of a forward-looking nature. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by statements containing forward-looking information. Such factors include continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that statements containing forward-looking information 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 statements containing forward-looking information. Readers should review the risk factors set out in the Company's Filing Statement as filed on SEDAR. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday published her letter of recommendations for the governments COVID-19 response, which she sent to Malacanang earlier this month. Among the suggestions Robredo wrote in the 8-page document was the creation of online portals, which would allow the public to monitor data, including funds, loans, and donations for the governments campaign against the health crisis. Apart from transparent reporting, Robredo also listed several recommendations to help the transport sector, including the establishment of bike lanes as well as more sidewalks and crosswalks for pedestrians. She also suggested the creation of programs to help jeepney drivers and operators amid the pandemic. Presidential Spokerson Harry Roque, in an earlier interview with CNN Philippines, welcomed Robredos recommendations, but said that the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force has already implemented most of the suggestions in the letter. Melburnians have rushed into stores such as Spotlight and Lincraft to stock up on elastic, fabric and even sewing machines as the Victorian government's mandatory mask order prompts residents to have a go at making their own. On Sunday, the state government announced all residents of Melbourne and Mitchell Shire would be required to wear a face covering from 11.59pm on Wednesday when leaving their house, with people caught without them facing a $200 fine. The announcement resulted in a surge in demand for sellers of reusable face masks, with many online stores appearing out of stock on Monday morning. Long queues at Rathdowne Fabrics in Brunswick, as locals line up to purchase materials to make their own masks. Credit:Chris Hopkins In response, locals turned to DIY options. Dean Sunshine, owner of Brunswick-based textiles store Rathdowne Fabrics, had a line out the front of his store on Monday morning for the first time ever. "I've got 20 people out the front of my shop today. I have never seen that in my life," he said. U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Cotulla Station arrested several individuals on consecutive days who had boarded northbound freight trains north of Laredo. The first incident occurred on the morning of July 17, when agents observed several individuals on board a freight train that was traveling northbound near Cotulla, Texas. The agents contacted the rail service company and requested the train be stopped for inspection. The train came to a stop just north of Cotulla. Agents apprehended 13 individuals who were determined to be in the United States illegally from the country of Mexico. The second incident occurred the following morning on July 18, when agents observed several individuals on board another freight train that was traveling northbound near Cotulla. Again, the agents contacted the rail service company and requested the train be stopped for inspection. Once the train came to a full stop, agents encountered and detained 23 individuals who were in the United States illegally. While agents made these arrests, several others individuals jumped off the train and were observed running away. Several hours later, Cotulla agents received a report of a large group of people north of where the train had been inspected. Agents responded and apprehended 11 more individuals who were in the country illegally. Investigation revealed that they were the ones spotted running from the train earlier that morning. In all, 34 individuals from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala were arrested. This dangerous method of furthering illegal entry into the United States by illegal immigrants is strongly discouraged as it often results in serious injury or death. In recent days, Laredo Sector agents came to the aid of an individual who had severed part of his foot while attempting to board a moving freight train. The Laredo Sector Border Patrol continues to warn against the dangers of people crossing illegally into the United States through dangerous and hazardous means. Despite the ongoing global pandemic, U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Laredo Sector continue to stand at the ready to secure the nations borders, prevent the flow of illegal immigration, the exploitation by human smugglers and the spread of COVID-19. To report suspicious activity such as human and/or drug smuggling, download the USBP Laredo Sector App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994. Iran signed on Monday a US$1.3-billion deal with domestic companies to double the production capacity at the massive Azadegan oilfield, expecting the rise in production to boost its oil revenues by US$1 trillion, Iranian officials said at the signing ceremony. Irans Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDEC) has signed a contract with the local Petropars Group for the completion of the development of the South Azadegan oilfield, which the Islamic Republic shares with Iraq. At the Iranian field, production capacity is expected to more than double in 30 months, to 320,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 140,000 bpd currently and from just 45,000 bpd back in 2013, the oil ministrys news service Shana reported on Monday. The Iranian companies also signed a deal to build a 320,000-bpd central treatment export plant (CTEP) at Azadegan, the largest oil and gas processing unit in Iran, which is scheduled to be built within 30 months. According to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, improving the Azadegan oilfields recovery factor by 10 percent would boost the total production of the field by 2.7 billion barrels, which means Iran could get US$1 trillion in additional oil revenues in the future, Tehran Times reported. The deal for developing Azadegan is the second major oilfield contract for Iran and its domestic companies this month, after an agreement to boost production capacity at the Yaran field, another oilfield along the border between Iran and Iraq. The Yaran field, which is divided into a North and South part for its development, has estimated reserves of some 550 million barrels of crude. Iran has been hit hard by U.S. sanctions imposed on the country after President Donald Trump took office and pulled the U.S. out of the so-called Iranian nuclear deal. Irans oil exports, which had risen to more than 2.5 million bpd by April 2018, had since fallen to about 100,000 to 200,000 bpd, according to Reuters. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day, said Kenya Friend-Daniel, the companys national director of public relations. With this in mind, we made the decision several years ago to use only the Trader Joes name on our products moving forward. TDT | Manama Indian School Bahrain (ISB) has secured eight out of the 12 Island Topper positions in Class XII CBSE examinations, held in March of this year. ISB bagged the first and second overall awards as well as the first two awards in the science, commerce and humanities streams in Class XII among CBSE schools in the Kingdom. ISB topper Reelu Reji, who secured 98 per cent (490/500), has been adjudged the overall island topper this year. Keyur Ganesh Chaudhari, who scored 97.8 per cent (489/500) placed second in this category. Reelu Reji is also the topper in the science stream in the Kingdom, while Keyur Ganesh Chaudhari has placed second. In addition to these national level achievements, Reelu Reji is the subject topper in chemistry (100) and biotechnology (99), while Keyur Ganesh is the subject topper in physics (100) and computer science (99) at the school level. Nandini Rajesh Nair, who stood first in the commerce stream securing 97.2 per cent (486/500), has been adjudged the second topper in this stream on the island. Sherene Susan Santhosh (483/500) is placed third with 96.6 per cent among the CBSE schools in the Kingdom. In addition to these achievements at the national level, Nandini Rajesh Nair is the subject topper in economics (100) and business studies (98). Archisha Mario who stood first in Humanities stream scoring 486/500 (97.2pc) is eligible for the second Island topper awards in this stream in the Kingdom. Anjajna Suresh secured third position scoring 483/500(96.6pc) at the national level. Archisha Mario has the rare achievement of scoring 100 in English for the first time in the Indian School in Class XII. She is also the subject topper in home science (98) and sociology (98) in the school. Out of 675 students, 65.9 per cent got distinction and 92.7 per cent of students got first class, which is a landmark achievement. ISB wins second Island Topper Award for Class X ISB also performed exceptionally well in Class X, with school topper Nandana Subha Vinukumar scoring 98.6 per cent. She is placed second on the Island in overall performance in the exam. She topped the school with 98.6 per cent, scoring 493 out of 500, which is the highest-ever scored by a Class X student in the history of ISB. Against a total of 776 students who appeared for the exam, the school achieved a pass percentage of 100 per cent, including exactly 100 students scoring an A grade in all subjects and 172 students scoring above 90 per cent marks in aggregate. Speaking about this years CBSE results, ISB honourary chairman Prince S Natarajan said: On behalf of the entire ISB family, we congratulate all our students for their excellent performance and wish them a bright future ahead. We commend their sincere efforts and hard work. We are also grateful to our parents for their support and continual trust in us.Congratulating the students on their excellent performance, ISB honourary secretary Saji Antony commented: Our students have certainly put up a remarkable performance with their outstanding results. I congratulate them and the committed faculty of ISB who have been instrumental in establishing a high standard in academic excellence. Executive committee member-academics Mohammad Khursheed Alam and principal VR Palaniswamy also expressed their congratulations to the students, parents and staff. The number of passengers who were quarantined between May 8 and July 17 was 12,709 and 11,406 of them had gone home in the districts A scooter plies on an empty road during an intensive lockdown imposed to curb spread of covid19 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. PTI photo The intensive efforts taken by the government to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in the past three months had brought the infection rate under control, Minister for Tamil Culture K Pandiarajan said on Sunday when the total number of new cases shot to 4979 and deaths to 78. The second wave of Coronavirus infection was unlikely to happen in Tamil Nadu due to the strategies devised by the government, Pandiarajan said after inspecting Fever Camps in Tondaiaripet area in Chennai. Chennai was likely to turn into a green zone by July 31, after which there was no chance of the lockdown continuing, too, he told newsmen. However, infections continue to rise in the districts and three MLAs tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. They were Sengutuvan of Krishnagiri, Karthikeyan of Vellore and Gandhi of Ranipet. The districts that reported high figures were as follows: Coimbatore: 135, Dindigul 139, Kallakurichi 112, Kancheepuram 220, Kanyakumari 131, Madurai 206, Ramanathapuram 126, Theni 120, Thiruvallur 405, Thiruvannamalai 134, Thoothukudi 151, Tirunelveli 103, Tiruchy 138, Vellore 133 and Virudhunagar 265. Meanwhile, Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that many preventive steps were taken to stop the spread of the virus. All passengers who landed in Chennai from abroad were quarantined before being allowed to travel to their places. The number of passengers who were quarantined between May 8 and July 17 was 12,709 and 11,406 of them had gone home in the districts. The remaining 1,303 passengers were still in the hotels and would be allowed to go once their quarantine period was over, Prakash said, adding that of all the passengers, only 381 tested positive and all of them were treated for Covid-19. In Chennai quarantine of persons who test positive was managed by 3300 Focus volunteers, who ensure that people follow the norms and also help the isolated persons get food, provisions and other essentials. The volunteers had to see to it that if the brown sticker was put up on the doors, no one in the house should step out and if it is a green sticker only the person concerned should remain quarantined, he said. Violations of quarantine rules were duly reported to the authorities by the volunteers and action was taken against them, Prakash added. Sixteen years since a 60th wedding anniversary celebrated at Czestochowa, Poland (Part One) By Mark Wegierski Sixteen years ago, I had been invited to the celebration of a 60th wedding anniversary in Czestochowa, which was the first time that I saw the city, and its world-famous shrine of the Virgin Mary, with its Black Madonna icon. Indeed, on Saturday, July 10, 2004, during my three-month-long visit to Poland, I took a long trip by car with my female relative from Ciechocinek to Czestochowa, to reach the celebration of her grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary. Ciechocinek is a spa and resort town about 200 kilometers northwest of Warsaw. We set off early in the morning in her elegant Peugeot 206, along with her dog -- a purebred West Highland Terrier -- which had been purchased about a year earlier as a puppy from a leading kennel in Radom (a city in south-central Poland). It was a sunny and fairly hot day. We were travelling in a southwest direction, towards Lodz, the second-largest city in Poland. A superhighway system in Poland has yet to be built, which means that most driving takes place on two-lane highways, where passing slow-moving trucks or cars is itself fairly perilous, requiring superb driving skills. I still recall the approach to the environs of Lodz, with the distinct freshness of the early morning in the air, with the quaint-looking suburban tramcar line running alongside the highway, where we were practically the only traffic. It was the height of the summer -- everything seemed green and fresh. I had a great sense of satisfaction as we sped by one slow-moving tramcar. There were small groups of mostly young people waiting for the tram at widely spaced stops. Ah, the freedom of the road! We drove through downtown Lodz to reach the southern highway exit. The city had a large Jewish population before the Second World War. The Poles have been tremendously respectful of the citys Jewish heritage and remembrance of the Holocaust, for example, in the very solemn ceremonies memorializing the destruction of the Lodz Ghetto by the German occupation forces. There is also a very prestigious arts festival which has been running for several years in the city, The Dialogue of Four Cultures Polish, Jewish, German, and Russian. There had been a German presence in the city long before Hitler; while the city was under Imperial Russian rule from 1815 to 1914. Between 1815-1830, the main part of Russian-occupied Poland was known as the Congress Kingdom (after the Congress of Vienna of 1815 which had decided on the shape of Europe in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars). The Polish nickname for this area during that time and later was Kongresowka. Lodz is a city that sprang up as a result of the Industrial Revolution in the mid to late nineteenth century. Andrzej Wajdas famous film, Ziemia Obiecana (The Promised Land) (1975) (based on the novel by Wladyslaw Reymont) and also a close runner-up for the Best Foreign Film Oscar -- gives an atmospheric portrait of the ruthless capitalism of the late-nineteenth century, and of the relations between Poles, Jews, and Germans in the city. Nevertheless, by 1914, about half of the industries of all of the Tsarist Empire were located in what was informally called the Kongresowka. (It should be added here that Wladyslaw Reymont was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1924, for his monumental tetralogy, Chlopi (The Peasants), a poignant, superbly rendered work of agrarian sensibilities.) Especially after the crushing of the November Insurrection of 1830-1831, and the crushing of the January 1863 Insurrection, Imperial Russia endeavoured to forcibly turn the Poles into Russians. The very name of Poland was to be eradicated the area was to be called (what is rendered in English translation) as Vistula-land -- and Poles were ordered to call themselves Privislentsi. In all the state schools, universities, administrative apparatus, and public and commercial signage, Russian was the sole official language. Active Polish patriots faced heavy jail sentences and were frequently exiled to Siberia or other remote parts of the Russian Empire, or executed outright. Unlike the case of Russian exiles to Siberia, who were usually allowed to eventually return home, the Tsar gave specific orders that the Poles should never be permitted to return. Huge numbers of Poles were also conscripted into the Russian army, and few of them ever returned from the numerous wars fought by Imperial Russia, or from the garrison duty in godforsaken places. It was only as a result of the 1905 Revolution (when the Tsar was forced to create the Duma or Parliament), and the increasing conflicts with Imperial Germany, that some Poles began to hope that Imperial Russia might eventually liberalize itself. In this context, the Kongresowka was the most dynamic and progressive part of the Tsarist Empire. Lodz continued under Russian Partition until late 1914; it then passed briefly under the control of Imperial Germany but in 1918 an independent Poland was reborn after 123 years of Partition. (Partially based on the authors article that originally appeared in Chronicles (Rockford, IL) (December 2005), pp. 38-39.) To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. Home The parliamentary commission discussed the issue of drug-related crime this Monday morning. The Alternative Democratic Party (ADR) had demanded that the meeting take place to discuss the battle against drug-related crime in Luxembourg. According to ADR MP Fernand Kartheiser, the battle against drug-related crime is impaired by poor coordination between the respective ministries. He told RTL after the meeting that there a legislative loopholes in terms of immigration. He said it is an open secret that the drug problem in Luxembourg City is partly due to individuals coming to Luxembourg - at times illegally - from African countries. Kartheiser criticised that, as paradoxical as it may sound, it it not illegal to be in Luxembourg illegally. He explained that there is no punishment for individuals that knowingly stay in Luxembourg illegally. This loophole, he added, causes significant problems when it comes to sending these individuals back to their native countries. He argued that "it is a fact that the cooperation with several states and embassies does not work function properly," which can make it extremely challenging to "send back people." Kartheiser cited immigrants from "Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria or Nigeria" who reportedly enter Luxembourg without valid documents. He added: "It is a situation where [Luxembourg officials] work timidly with consular authorities to bring these people back to their countries. Jean Asselborn told us that there are occasionally people in Brussels who do not like to cooperate with us. There is no pressure at all. It is not acceptable that our ability to send back people depends on the good will of a consular employee in Brussels." Legislative loopholes Kartheiser also told RTL that the cooperation between Luxembourg's police and judicial system works well. At the same time, he argued that their hands are tied due to legislative loopholes. He argued that there is currently no deterrent that might reduce illegal immigration. "If they already knew that an illegal stay is punishable [under Luxembourg law], they might not even come here in the first place," he said. Kartheiser also criticised Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign Affairs, arguing that Jean Asselborn is too "passive" and that his politics facilitate illegal immigration. The MP stressed that the ADR will continue to tackle the issue during the next parliamentary period. He reiterated that the "political passivity" is unacceptable. The first solution will be to eliminate the legislative loopholes, and to repatriate the people in question, he said. Minister of Foreign Affairs reacts Jean Asselborn reacted to the accusations earlier this Monday. He told RTL that cooperation functions well in Luxembourg, explaining that police and immigration authorities work closely together. Asselborn also rejected the claim that there are legislative loopholes. He stressed the importance of differentiating between people who stay in Luxembourg legally as opposed to those who stay here illegally. If an individual is found to be an illegal immigrant, they can only be sent back to their native country if there is no question about their identity. There also needs to be an agreement between Luxembourg and the native country of the person in question, Asselborn said. He conceded that this can sometimes be problematic and largely depends on the diplomatic ties between countries. Asselborn explained that there are also people in Luxembourg's drug scene that have entered the country legally. This is for instance the case for individuals who were granted international protection status in another EU country and consequently received the right to spend up to three months in Luxembourg. If these individuals commit a crime in Luxembourg, Asselborn explained, they risk having their international protection status revoked. When asked by RTL, Asselborn argued that only a very small percentage of individuals who request international protection in Luxembourg are involved in drug-related crime. He also said that officials are currently considering "to maybe tighten the immigration law a little bit." A new theory explains how black holes grow as a function of galaxy mass and eventually quench star formation in their host galaxies. The images on this graph are of nearby galaxies at the present era taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, chosen to represent galaxy evolution. The graph shows how the evolution of small, dense galaxies differs from that of larger, more diffuse galaxies. The denser galaxies have larger black holes for their mass and therefore quench sooner, at a lower mass, whereas the more diffuse galaxies have smaller black holes for their mass and must grow more before quenching occurs. The change to a steeper slope marks the entry to the "green valley", where quenching strongly begins. The theory says that black holes start to grow faster at this point. Our Milky Way is at that critical point now, and its black hole is predicted to grow by another factor of three before full quenching. CREDIT Sandra Faber/Sofia Quiros/SDSS Astronomers studying galaxy evolution have long struggled to understand what causes star formation to shut down in massive galaxies. Although many theories have been proposed to explain this process, known as "quenching," there is still no consensus on a satisfactory model. Now, an international team led by Sandra Faber, professor emerita of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, has proposed a new model that successfully explains a wide range of observations about galaxy structure, supermassive black holes, and the quenching of star formation. The researchers presented their findings in a paper published July 1 in the Astrophysical Journal. The model supports one of the leading ideas about quenching which attributes it to black hole "feedback," the energy released into a galaxy and its surroundings from a central supermassive black hole as matter falls into the black hole and feeds its growth. This energetic feedback heats, ejects, or otherwise disrupts the galaxy's gas supply, preventing the infall of gas from the galaxy's halo to feed star formation. "The idea is that in star-forming galaxies, the central black hole is like a parasite that ultimately grows and kills the host," Faber explained. "That's been said before, but we haven't had clear rules to say when a black hole is big enough to shut down star formation in its host galaxy, and now we have quantitative rules that actually work to explain our observations." The basic idea involves the relationship between the mass of the stars in a galaxy (stellar mass), how spread out those stars are (the galaxy's radius), and the mass of the central black hole. For star-forming galaxies with a given stellar mass, the density of stars in the center of the galaxy correlates with the radius of the galaxy so that galaxies with bigger radii have lower central stellar densities. Assuming that the mass of the central black hole scales with the central stellar density, star-forming galaxies with larger radii (at a given stellar mass) will have lower black-hole masses. What that means, Faber explained, is that larger galaxies (those with larger radii for a given stellar mass) have to evolve further and build up a higher stellar mass before their central black holes can grow large enough to quench star formation. Thus, small-radius galaxies quench at lower masses than large-radius galaxies. "That is the new insight, that if galaxies with large radii have smaller black holes at a given stellar mass, and if black hole feedback is important for quenching, then large-radius galaxies have to evolve further," she said. "If you put together all these assumptions, amazingly, you can reproduce a large number of observed trends in the structural properties of galaxies." This explains, for example, why more massive quenched galaxies have higher central stellar densities, larger radii, and larger central black holes. Based on this model, the researchers concluded that quenching begins when the total energy emitted from the black hole is approximately four times the gravitational binding energy of the gas in the galactic halo. The binding energy refers to the gravitational force that holds the gas within the halo of dark matter enveloping the galaxy. Quenching is complete when the total energy emitted from the black hole is twenty times the binding energy of the gas in the galactic halo. Faber emphasized that the model does not yet explain in detail the physical mechanisms involved in the quenching of star formation. "The key physical processes that this simple theory evokes are not yet understood," she said. "The virtue of this, though, is that having simple rules for each step in the process challenges theorists to come up with physical mechanisms that explain each step." Astronomers are accustomed to thinking in terms of diagrams that plot the relations between different properties of galaxies and show how they change over time. These diagrams reveal the dramatic differences in structure between star-forming and quenched galaxies and the sharp boundaries between them. Because star formation emits a lot of light at the blue end of the color spectrum, astronomers refer to "blue" star-forming galaxies, "red" quiescent galaxies, and the "green valley" as the transition between them. Which stage a galaxy is in is revealed by its star formation rate. One of the study's conclusions is that the growth rate of black holes must change as galaxies evolve from one stage to the next. The observational evidence suggests that most of the black hole growth occurs in the green valley when galaxies are beginning to quench. "The black hole seems to be unleashed just as star formation slows down," Faber said. "This was a revelation, because it explains why black hole masses in star-forming galaxies follow one scaling law, while black holes in quenched galaxies follow another scaling law. That makes sense if black hole mass grows rapidly while in the green valley." Faber and her collaborators have been discussing these issues for many years. Since 2010, Faber has co-led a major Hubble Space Telescope galaxy survey program (CANDELS, the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey), which produced the data used in this study. In analyzing the CANDELS data, she has worked closely with a team led by Joel Primack, UCSC professor emeritus of physics, which developed the Bolshoi cosmological simulation of the evolution of the dark matter halos in which galaxies form. These halos provide the scaffolding on which the theory builds the early star-forming phase of galaxy evolution before quenching. The central ideas in the paper emerged from analyses of CANDELS data and first struck Faber about four years ago. "It suddenly leaped out at me, and I realized if we put all these things together--if galaxies had a simple trajectory in radius versus mass, and if black hole energy needs to overcome halo binding energy--it can explain all these slanted boundaries in the structural diagrams of galaxies," she said. At the time, Faber was making frequent trips to China, where she has been involved in research collaborations and other activities. She was a visiting professor at Shanghai Normal University, where she met first author Zhu Chen. Chen came to UC Santa Cruz in 2017 as a visiting researcher and began working with Faber to develop these ideas about galaxy quenching. "She is mathematically very good, better than me, and she did all of the calculations for this paper," Faber said. Faber also credited her longtime collaborator David Koo, UCSC professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics, for first focusing attention on the central densities of galaxies as a key to the growth of central black holes. Among the puzzles explained by this new model is a striking difference between our Milky Way galaxy and its very similar neighbor Andromeda. "The Milky Way and Andromeda have almost the same stellar mass, but Andromeda's black hole is almost 50 times bigger than the Milky Way's," Faber said. "The idea that black holes grow a lot in the green valley goes a long way toward explaining this mystery. The Milky Way is just entering the green valley and its black hole is still small, whereas Andromeda is just exiting so its black hole has grown much bigger, and it is also more quenched than the Milky Way." ### In addition to Faber, Chen, Koo, and Primack, the coauthors of the paper include researchers at some two dozen institutions in seven countries. This work was funded by grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Read the full article on Motorious Take that red pill and enjoy the game which comes with the car. Among ultra-luxury cars, the Rolls-Royce Wraith is a standout. Not only is it far more expensive than pretty much any rival, it has a reputation to be seriously envied. However, as anyone whos run a business knows, your worse enemy as a market leader is complacency. To keep things interesting and fresh, Rolls-Royce regularly releases over-the-top limited edition models. This latest one, called the Wraith Kryptos, gets its inspiration from The Matrix. Plus its literally hiding a puzzle for owners to solve. Photo credit: Rolls-Royce Thats right, the movie about taking the red pill and waking up to the fact humans are being controlled by machines in an elaborate world of complete simulation has acted as design fuel for an ultra-exclusive luxury car which probably costs more than your house. Truth really is stranger than fiction. Rolls-Royce uses fiber optics headliner in the Wraith Kryptos to create the effect of an in-motion data stream instead of the usually starry night motif. Thats just part of the fun, because theres a mystery wrapped in that headliner, almost like youre driving in an escape room. Photo credit: Rolls-Royce According to the automaker, a coded message is out in plain sight on the cars. Its all denoted by ciphers developed in absolute secrecy. Pretty interesting stuff. Just wait until the theories about the Illuminati controlling BMW Group pop up. This unique approach to vehicle design no doubt will keep interest in the Rolls-Royce Kryptos high for decades to come. Its quite the creative approach to marketing, we must admit. Photo credit: Rolls-Royce Nobody is getting their hands on the key to the hidden code, because the secret is kept in a safe kept in Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos office. The plot thickens. That means owners will have to look at clues all over their car. While the headliner with its Matrix-style pattern seems to be an obvious place to look for cues (plus its just cool to stare at), the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament is another. Around the base is what appears to be Morse code. Story continues Another potential clue: the paint. Flecks of blue-green have been designed to only show up in sunlight. Rolls-Royce also used glow-in-the dark stitching throughout the interior. Owners are going to be literally going through every stitch of their car. If someone thinks theyve cracked the code, they can submit their theory to Rolls-Royce through the Whisper app. Only verified vehicle owners have access. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By Diane Euston w ith contributing historian Tim Reidy When it comes to the topic of racial segregation in Kansas City, fingers can point to several groups or people for the problem that still exists today. It's much larger than one event or one person. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Brooklyn man was indicted Monday on murder and other charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend who was killed when he allegedly was drunk and crashed his car into a West Brighton home while she was on the vehicles hood. Jahfare Ford, 26, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in state Supreme Court, St. George, in connection with the March 14 incident that claimed the life of Tierra Eddy, 29. Eddy was killed two months after she and Ford had held a funeral service for their baby girl who died in the womb, the victims mother previously told the Advance. The deadly episode occurred around 11:50 p.m., said authorities. Ford and Eddy had been at a gathering and began arguing in front of a home on Dubois Avenue, according to police and the victims mother. Ford allegedly told officers that in the heat of the dispute, Eddy climbed onto the front of his vehicle, a 2020 Mitsubishi SUV. Me and my daughters mother got into an argument. She was on the windshield, trying to get into the car, Im trying to tell her to stop, a criminal complaint quotes Ford as saying. I couldnt see where I was going cause she was on the windshield and I crashed into this. The vehicle slammed into the front porch of a home on Egbert Avenue, said police. The indictment alleges Ford drove three-tenths of a mile in an intoxicated condition at a high rate of speed, while failing to maintain his lane with Eddy mounted on the hood of the SUV. When emergency crews arrived, they found the Mitsubishi buried under the porch, the complaint said. Eddy was lying nearby in a semi-conscious state, said the complaint. Eddy, a West Brighton resident, was pronounced dead at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton. A 14-count indictment charges Ford with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated, reckless endangerment and reckless driving. He remains free on $100,000 bond over prosecutors objection. Prosecutors asked that bail, originally set in March at $100,000, be raised to $250,000. Ford will be subject to electronic monitoring and house arrest while on bond. The case was adjourned to Friday for the defendant to be placed on electronic monitoring. Fords lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the case. The tragedy happened less than a year after Eddy, known affectionately as Tee-tee, graduated with a business degree from Berkeley College. Weeks before she died, the victim had celebrated her 29th birthday with friends and family in Manhattan. Eddy served five years in the U.S. Navy before signing on as a healthcare worker at a hospital on Staten Island. In one of the sharpest attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-China border standoff, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said the Chinese are attacking the premiers image as they understand that for him to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of Chhapan Inch (56-inch). He contended that if Modi allowed the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the Prime Minister will no longer be worth anything for India. Gandhi on Monday released the second of his series of short videos on the India-China face-off. Through the videos, he wants to share his thoughts on national issues. Also read: Has Modi government accepted Chinese occupation in Ladakh? asks Congress In his first video on Friday, Gandhi had said the troubled economy, foreign policy and neighbourhood prompted China to take an aggressive stand against India. Titled Chinas Strategic Game Plan, the second video of two-and-half-minutes focuses on how the Chinese have used the border issue to put pressure on Modi. And they (Chinese) are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing is that they are attacking his image. They understand that it in order for Mr Narendra Modi to be an effective politician, in order for Mr Narendra Modi to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of Chhapan Inch. And this the real idea the Chinese are attacking. They are basically telling Mr Narendra Modi that if you do not do what we say, we will destroy the idea of Mr Narendra Modi as a strong leader, Gandhi said. The former Congress president asked how Modi will react to the situation: Will he take them on? Will he take on the challenge and say absolutely not, Im the prime minister of India. I do not care about my image, Im going to take you on. Or will he succumb to them? He further said: It is simply not a border issue. The worry I have is that Chinese are sitting in our territory today. Chinese dont do anything without thinking about it strategically. In their mind they have mapped out the world and they are trying to shape the world. Thats the scale of what they are doing. He added, Thats what Gwadar is, that is what Belt and Road is. It is a restructuring of the planet. So when youre thinking about the Chinese you have to understand that that is the level at which they are thinking. Also read: Galwan braves get a pat on the back from Rajnath Singh in Ladakhs Lukung At the tactical level, Gandhi said, the Chinese are trying to improve their position. Whether it is Galwan, whether its Demchok or whether it is Pangong Lake, the idea is to position themselves, he said. Gandhi said the Chinese are disturbed by a key Indian highway in the area and want to make it redundant. And if they are thinking larger scale, they want to do something with Pakistan in Kashmir. So it is not simply a border issue. It is a border issue designed to put pressure on the prime minister of India. The Congress leader has repeatedly targeted Modi and his government over Chinese transgressions and said the prime minister isnt being transparent on the issue. The Congress has been demanding that status quo ante should be restored at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Chinese troops be pushed to their side. He alleged that Modi has succumbed to Chinas pressure and refuted claims that Chinese troops are occupying Indian territory in Ladakh. The worry I have so far is that the prime minister has succumbed. The worry I have is, the Chinese are sitting in our territory today and the prime minister has said publicly they are not, which to me tells me that he is worried about his image and defending his image, Gandhi said. And if he allows the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the Indian prime minister will no longer be worth anything for India, he said in his concluding remarks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Aviation Minister, Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda has debunked the allegation that the government has received a proposal for the private involvement in the management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL). The Navrongo Central Member of Parliament (MP) explained on JoyNews that the controversy going on at the Ghana Airport Company has to do with the executive approval to the Aviation Ministry to engage TAV-SUMMA. According to him, there has not been any official talks between the Aviation Ministry and the said company, TAV-SUMMA a Turkish corporation on the subject of privatising Ghana Airport Company Limited. He said the approval is to engage TAV to discuss whatever ideas they may have and for us to also share with them what we think may be in the best interest of the company and Ghana. He added that no such engagement or meeting has taken place and also rejected the standing of a work plan submitted by the Turkish company as being peddled by workers of Ghana Airport Company Limited. He however insisted that no official talks have been held of the issue and any submission made is void. Protests by GACL staff Meanwhile, staff of the Ghana Airports Company Limited have been protesting what they say is governments attempt to privatize the company. They claim government, through the Aviation Ministry intends to hand over the company to the Turkish investors and they cannot allow that to happen. During a demonstration on July 8, outside the premises of the company, the workers, clad in red attires and arm bands demanded that the plans be aborted. The Minister has since dismissed the claims that the company would be sold; adding that the potential partnership with TAV-SUMMA is to help achieve the governments vision of making Ghana the Aviation Hub within the West African Sub-Region. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sunita Williams on her time in space and the Mars mission India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, July 20: Sunita Williams holds the record of the longest space flight for a woman but as a child, the Indian American astronaut had never thought about voyaging into space ever. Williams, who has made 7 spacewalks and spent more than 321 days in space was addressing a webinar organised by the APJ Abdul Kalam Centre on "Our Place In Space", on Sunday evening. "I grew up in a family with dad who immigrated from India, and my mother who was an X-ray technician in a hospital, they met each other when he was going through residency. I came from a humble family, me, my brother, we all knew that we should work hard, I never envisioned to be an astronaut. As a child I liked swimming, I was an athlete and I liked animals and wanted to be a veterinary doctor," Williams said. The daughter of neuroanatomist Dr Deepak Pandya and his wife, Bonnie, of Massachusetts, Williams graduated from the US Naval Academy, became an engineer and a test pilot before being selected by NASA's Astronaut Candidate School in 1998. Williams is among the four astronauts picked by Nasa on Friday to train for a programme which will one day land an American on Mars. She will be flying to the International Space Station in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in the next few months. Nasa's unmanned Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which is provisionally slated for launch on July 30, could pave the way for a manned mission to the Red Planet subsequently, Indian-American astronaut, Sunita Williams, stated. "We should go to Mars. It is entirely a different place and it is important we plan how to sustain there. I am sure this will happen in our generation," she said. Watch the full interview here: She said that Nasa's Artemis mission, which aims to put a man and the first woman in the south pole region of the moon by 2024, will also help in planning a human mission to the Red Planet. "Nasa is working with oceanographic institutes, planning a flight to one of Jupiter's moons by sending a submarine to its ocean," she added. The role of this mission will be in the area of astrobiology. She said that the view of earth from space leaves one awestruck. "When I had my first glimpse I said vow, how peaceful, beautiful and incredible it is," she said emphasising that it gave sense of oneness. Williams also shared her experience in space as she enjoyed eating samosas and took with her the Bhagwad Gita and the Upanishad which her father had gifted her. "Working with our international partners drives cooperation and makes one think of just one world," Williams said. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News "Boundaries that divide countries disappear when scientists and astronauts work together to fuel scientific discovery on and off the planet", she added. A selection of Goya food products in a Los Angeles supermarket on July 11, 2020. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images) Umbrella Group for Business Owners Opposes Calls for Boycott of Goya Some pushed for a boycott after Goya's CEO praised President Donald Trump An umbrella group representing small business owners publicly rejected calls for the owners to boycott Goya Foods after Goyas CEO praised President Donald Trump. Today, we are sayingunconditionally, unequivocallythat Goya Foods will remain on our shelves and our community will continue to buy Goya products, Fernando Mateo, spokesman for the United Bodegas of America, said at a press conference in New York City on Sunday. There was never a question in our mindsin fact, when the idea was brought up, we got together and we laughed and we said, who could have come up with such a crazy and foolish idea, to boycott Goya foods. It will never happen, he added. Bodegas are small grocery stores; many of them exist in the city. The United Bodegas of America represents thousands of bodega owners. The groups president and board of directors attended the briefing and clapped in a show of support for Goya. Many bodega owners start businesses with little money but Goya still fills their shelves, according to Mateo. The message is very clear: Goya, we stand with you. Goya, we love you. And Goya, thanks for supporting us, he said. Goya employs over 5,000 people in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area, the group said in a separate statement. Lets NOT allow anyone to tell us what we can or cant buy, Mateo said. Division over Goya started last week, when Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue said America is fortunate to have a leader like Trump. President Donald Trump listens as Robert Unanue of Goya Foods speaks during a roundtable meeting with Hispanic leaders in the Cabinet Room in Washington on July 9, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) Unanue, who also worked with former first lady Michelle Obama, later rejected calls to apologize, referring to pressure from boycotts as oppression of speech. Trump and his daughter, White House adviser Ivanka Trump, addressed the issue in a series of tweets, saying they support Goya. The Radical Left smear machine backfired, people are buying like crazy! Trump said in one missive, adding that the company is doing GREAT. A number of officials and former officials joined calls for boycotting Goya, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Sharing a clip of Unanues praise of the president, she wrote on Twitter that she was searching online for how to make her own Adobo seasoning. Julian Castro, the former Democratic mayor of San Antonio and a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination before withdrawing from the race, added, Americans should think twice before buying their products. Press Release Nokia deploys Self-Organizing Network software for Telstra to boost automation across its mobile network and support 5G Nokias Self-Organizing Network (SON) software will boost automation of Telstras Australia-wide radio access networks (RAN), better supporting the evolution to 5G The SON software will help Telstra to minimize complexities from multi-technology and multi-layered networks 20 July 2020 Espoo, Finland Nokia has deployed its EdenNet Self-Organizing Network (SON) software for Telstra to help the Australian operator centralize and automate network operations and to support its move to 5G. Nokias EdenNet SON solution will automate Telstras radio access network (RAN) configuration management, improving network performance and efficiency to support the increased demands of 5G. Partnering with Nokia will allow Telstra to migrate legacy tools to an open, scalable and future-proof platform and increase automation. The agreement will see Telstra roll out Nokias SON solution on its multi-vendor, nationwide 3G, 4G and 5G RAN. It will be delivered across model, staging, and production environments. Nokias EdenNet SON is an open, 3GPP standards-based platform that enables mobile operators to efficiently realize the full potential of their existing networks, as well as drive transformation to 5G. As a centralized solution, the cognitive EdenNet SON platform eliminates complexities from multi-vendor, multi-technology and multi-layered networks. Nokias EdenNet SON has helped over 100 communications service providers globally to enhance their radio network reliability while improving efficiencies. Ashley Hunter, Network Engineering Executive, Telstra, said: Telstra is a world leader in adopting new radio and platform technologies, and Nokias EdenNet SON solution will help enable us to automate our network configuration and operations to improve cycle time, repeatability, reliability and cost. Nokias Open SON framework APIs hide the complexity of the underlying network, allowing Telstra to focus on automating the configuration of our network to help provide greater reliability, faster speeds and peace of mind for our customers. Vishal Singh, Senior Vice President, Nokia Software , said: As Telstra laid the groundwork for its 5G rollout, it was looking for an opportunity to enhance its network performance with new RAN technologies and software releases. Nokia was the obvious partner thanks to our EdenNet SON, which allows Telstra engineers to customize and automate network configurations in a cost effective and timely manner. Additional resources About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks. Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia. Media Inquiries Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com The debate about reopening schools seems to pit parents and their employers against teachers. But there is actually a solution that would let grown-ups go back to work, educate kids and keep everyone safe at the same time. More than 140,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, and there are growing outbreaks in many states. No other developed nation has sent children back to school with the virus at these levels. Data about transmission in classrooms is limited. Many teachers have health risks and are understandably afraid to return. The safest course would be for kindergartners through 12th graders to continue with online courses in the fall. But what about the millions of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds whose homes are not conducive to online learning and who rely on schools for meals? And what about parents who cannot work from home and watch over them? The Trump administration is pressing schools to provide full-time in-person classes. But schools cant open five days a week for all students while meeting the six-foot social distancing guidelines. Many are contemplating alternating in-class and online learning. How will such a system help parents, kids and businesses get back to a normal schedule a pressing need at a time when 51 million Americans are unemployed? The French state is ready to finance work to repair the 15th-century cathedral in the city of Nantes which was damaged in a fire last weekend, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday. "The state is ready to respond financially," Le Maire told BTM TV. French police cleared a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee of all suspicion on Sunday and released him after questioning the man about the fire at the cathedral. The fire engulfed the inside of the Gothic structure in flames on Saturday, destroying a grand organ, stained-glass windows and a painting. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. Search Keywords: Short link: This has so much franchise potential so I can't wait! Reply Thread Link Havent heard of the movie but Ill check it out Reply Thread Link Like most netflix movies, this could have been a lot better given a sliver of extra effort/a change in soundtrack supervisors. But it was still pretty enjoyable, I kind of wish it would have been a series instead Reply Thread Link Yea the music was...a choice Reply Parent Thread Link It all sounded the same. They could have done way better Reply Parent Thread Link whatever i loved the pop songs, it was fun lol. Reply Parent Thread Link It definitely would have benefited from being a series and having better music but I still loved it. Reply Parent Thread Link I would have loved this as a mini series. Reply Parent Thread Link The music very in your face and look this song matches the ambience of the scene. Especially the elevator and Frank Ocean scene. Im like ?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah, I wish it had been a series with more flashbacks Reply Parent Thread Expand Link A lot of people have raised this point, I hope they listen for the sequel(s) Reply Parent Thread Link it was an okay movie. mainly watched for my bae matthias. her storyline was interesting, though. i wonder why she's the bad guy? Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] the feeling of betrayal by Andy or something? Like her broken promise. Edited at 2020-07-20 04:26 pm (UTC) I imagine it's something to do with Reply Parent Thread Link That and going understandably insane. Reply Parent Thread Link !!! I completely forgot Matthias is in this, off to go watch immediately Reply Parent Thread Link I think in the comics she grew to really hate humanity after what they did and Andy's always been a protector of humanity so their motives clash Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Andy & Quynh. Played by the incredible Van Veronica Ngo #TheOldGuard pic.twitter.com/B1WjMdXAqh Charlize Theron (@CharlizeAfrica) July 12, 2020 Ooh, if there is a sequel, I hope Regina is apart of it. Movie night tonight!!! #TheOldGuard My girls @CharlizeAfrica & #KikiLayne kicking butt and taking names! With my girl @GPBmadeit at the helm. This is going to be sooo good! pic.twitter.com/hPEPJqZAru Regina King (@ReginaKing) July 12, 2020 I watched this yesterday and I liked it. I hope they get a sequel and we get more of Quynh.Ooh, if there is a sequel, I hope Regina is apart of it. Reply Thread Link i wish they will amp up the gayness in the sequel (i will manifest this) because i need more Joe and Nicky and i can also see sexual tension between Andy and Quynh lol Reply Parent Thread Link there is literally nothing on this earth that would not improve with the addition of Regina King. Reply Parent Thread Link Charlize can rock any color or cut hair. I'm jealous. Also, this movie was pretty good. Wish it was a series instead. Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] drowning and then coming back to life and then drowning again, repeatedly, for FIVE HUNDRED YEARS like her character does, made me feel soooooooooo uncomfortable. I don't necessarily have a huge fear of drowning, but yeah, no. Fuck that. The idea of Reply Thread Link A nightmare honestly. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah it really lived with me and I can't stop thinking about it since I watched it a week ago. Fucking horrifying. Reply Parent Thread Link same. I am not even 100% sure I liked the movie because that whole concept still freaks me out so much Reply Parent Thread Link same, and i do have a huge fear of drowning Reply Parent Thread Link Seems like hell. Terrible to think about and fathom. Reply Parent Thread Link yep, can't blame her for having a grudge Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Right? This is a case against immortality lbr Reply Parent Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] what exactly andy did to try and find her, because we didn't see any of that in the movie and it looked like she really had just given up. that pissed me off a bit tbh considering what quynh was going through that was definitely terrifying to me. I really wanted to know Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i was hoping someone would mention this cause just sitting and thinking on that moment just broke my brain and reallllly made me feel for their agony. i also thought it was unique and totally understandable if they set the world on fire lmao (i forget how to do the spoiler tag so they them for ambiguity !) Reply Parent Thread Link i was sooo relieved when she appeared at the end Reply Parent Thread Link i couldnt stop thinking about that for three whole days. i couldn't look a glass of water in the eye lol Reply Parent Thread Link When they say love is eternal, they're talking about Joe and Nicky. pic.twitter.com/QIx9hMgazR NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) July 11, 2020 These two. Hey Nicky, they got a TV. lol These two. Hey Nicky, they got a TV. lol Reply Thread Link This was so fucking beautiful Reply Parent Thread Link * Marwan waxing lyrical about how Joe/Nicky are like Achilles/Patroclus * Gina was going to have Marwan shave his head, but Luca insisted Marwan should have full hair like in the comics and persuaded them * This: One reason theyve been such a hit stems from the care Marwan Kenzari & Luca Marinelli devoted to the duo. For example, this moment when the lovers briefly touch heads to check in with one another after Joe is stabbed the actors came up with that! pic.twitter.com/7Ytg8SIdWk Netflix (@netflix) July 14, 2020 Marwan and Luca did so good in their roles. I know there's always a bit of sideeye about straight actors playing gay characters but they were really invested in the portrayals, which was adorable.* Marwan waxing lyrical about how Joe/Nicky are like Achilles/Patroclus* Gina was going to have Marwan shave his head, but Luca insisted Marwan should have full hair like in the comics and persuaded them* This: Reply Parent Thread Link I'm obsessed with these two rn. I've been reading fanfiction non-stop lmao. Reply Parent Thread Link I love them so much!! Reply Parent Thread Link i teared up when he said that, that was beautiful. Reply Parent Thread Link there are terrible choices in the script such as removing the tension and softening the whole premise during the intro, but i loved this so much i think we can all agree that charlize is the action star we needed yet overlooked. she constantly delivers tbh Reply Thread Link I really enjoyed the movie and the action sequences were amazing but something about the movie was flat. I dunno how to explain it. Reply Parent Thread Link the script is not good tbh too much exposition and faithful to the original material i don't think it has any confidence and trust in its audience because there are so much exposition in there like??? and the way they killed the premise of immortal beings during the intro? why would you do that as a set up? i enjoyed it a lot because i already love a lot of the actors. the directing is good and GPB always delivers (i loved her work ever since Love and Basketball). it's just that the script doesn't trust the audience and it needs editing Edited at 2020-07-20 05:40 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link MTE about Charlize Reply Parent Thread Link My mom and I were talking about just that, and how happy we were to see her really coming into these badass action roles as a woman in her 40s, since there are so many men out there (looking at you Liam Neeson), who play the action stars into their 70s. Proving to Hollywood to stop tossing women away at 30, cause they've still got decades of action roles left in them too. Reply Parent Thread Link I am still thinking about the Atomic Blonde stairwell fight scene years later. 8? 10? minutes nonstop. Unreal. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope it gets another movie or series or something. there is so much than can be done with this. Reply Thread Link YES THANK YOU as a Vietnamese-American, I love that VV is getting some good roles. It would be nice if she wasnt literally one of only two Vietnamese Hollywood actresses out there Reply Thread Link the script needed more work imo, the exposition was often really awkward, but hopefully they can fix that next time... it's a fun fantasy universe and it has lots of potential Reply Thread Link Greg Rucka adapted his own comic and wrote the script for this one, and as a fan of his work in comics this is the one time where I can say that he needs to trust someone with the material because the script is weak. Reply Parent Thread Link I really liked the actress in the few minutes she had at the beginning of The Last Jedi so seeing her in this was a joy and I cant wait for more. But they need to scrap these as films and give me actual seasons. 2 seasons and wrap up in a 2.5 hour film. Reply Thread Link i loved this movie so much and was more invested in it than in any blockbuster i have seen in the cinemas(when they were still a thing) in years. i need a franchise and multiple films immediately. start churning them out like they do Fast and Furious and Avengers movies please lol. Reply Thread Link Me too. I was also surprised at the fact that I actually liked all the characters. That rarely happens. Reply Parent Thread Link same! charlize was so amazing to watch those. those fight sequences *chef's kiss* Reply Parent Thread Link Last year, too, two Twitter employees were accused of abusing access to aid Saudi Arabias efforts to spy on dissidents abroad. Twitters on the spot. Can it fix its security flaws in the next four months? The American presidential election is slated for November 3. And it was last Tuesday that hackers pulled off a quick bitcoin scam on the platform, taking over the blue-check accounts of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, as well as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Uber and Apple, among others, to appeal for donations, promising to double the amount as part of a pretend-philanthropic effort. The fraudsters made off with a tidy sum of US $180,000. Is it Gru or the MSS? Were the hackers bribed to test the platform? The account of Jack Dorsey, Twitters chief executive, was compromised last year. Last year, too, two Twitter employees were accused of abusing access to aid Saudi Arabias efforts to spy on dissidents abroad. The relatively modest pickings from the con has raised suspicions of belligerent international cyber-activity the presumptive Democratic nominee, Biden, on Saturday warning China and Russia against interference; and western governments days prior accusing Kremlin of trying to pilfer coronavirus vaccine research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions. The methodology of the meddling could be similar to the Twitter fraud spreading of disinformation in order to influence voter turnout, for example, through fake news about a fresh coronavirus outbreak or a sudden closure of polling stations or it could be more insidious coming in the form of fake news intended to undermine public perception of the candidate in voter minds. If timed close enough to the polling day, it would leave the political party concerned with no time for defence or damage control. Then again, the adversaries could game the system infiltrate entire voting networks ransomware hackers could seek to lock up registration databases, a move that would disrupt both physical voting and voting through postal ballots; it is part of what Russia is accused of attempting during the 2016 US polls. In the 2019 elections in Ukraine, too, and in the EU parliamentary polls, it reportedly unleashed a series of spearphishing attacks on government bodies. In 2007, a series of cyber-attacks on the parliament, banks, ministries and telecom had paralysed Estonia coinciding with the nations disagreement with Russia over the relocation of a Soviet-era memorial. Is Cold War 2.0 building up? Or have the political left and right, alas, come together as one? NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force will induct its first batch of five Rafale fighter jets from France at the Ambala air base on July 29 if weather permits, an IAF spokesperson said on Monday. The IAFs air and ground crews have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly-advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest, said Wing Commander Indranil Nandi. A formal induction ceremony will take place next month, he added. The air force is inducting the fighters at a time of heightened military tensions with China. Hindustan Times on Monday reported that the IAF could deploy its new Rafale fighters in the Ladakh sector as part of Indias overarching plan to strengthen its military posture in the region, where Indian and Chinese forces were locked in a tense border confrontation for weeks before a protracted process of disengagement began and is still ongoing. India-specific enhancements on the jets include cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases. Acting on a special request by the IAF, France has accelerated the deliveries of Rafale fighters to India --- five jets are coming instead of four that were originally planned to be delivered in the first batch. Preparations are currently on to fly the jets to India with a stopover at Al Dhafra air base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates The French air force will refuel the Indian fighters using its Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft on their way to Al Dhafra from where aerial refueling support is expected to be provided by the IAFs Russian Ilyushin-78 refuellers. India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016 as an emergency purchase to arrest the worrying slide in the IAFs combat capabilities. The possible deployment of Rafale fighters in Ladakh could be discussed at the IAF commanders conference in New Delhi from July 22 to 24 where top air force brass is expected to focus on the ongoing border row with China, the IAFs preparedness and new purchases that have to be made fast. During the three-day conference, the discussions would take stock of the current operational scenario and deployments. The plan of action for operational capability enhancement of the IAF in the next decade will also be discussed, Nandi said. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria will chair the conference. IAF in the Next Decade is the theme of the conference. According to the original delivery schedule, the first 18 jets (including the four in the first batch) were to be delivered to the IAF by February 2021, with the rest expected in April-May 2022. Future deliveries will also be expedited. France handed over to India its first Rafale fighter during a ceremony attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart, Florence Parly, in Merignac on October 8 last year. Any capability in terms of air-to-air missiles and electronic warfare systems will be very critical in a future air engagement. And the Rafale brings that capability to the table for good measure, said Air Marshal KK Nohwar (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. ... SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress has criticized the state government of Telangana for not taking measures to solve the transport-related problems being faced by people. The Congress party demanded that the Telangana Government should take measures to resume the public transport system in the State, particularly in Hyderabad keeping in view the public problems. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin criticised that the State Government was not considering the problems being faced by people, especially the poor and middle class, due to closure of public transport in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. He said all RTC bus services and Hyderabad Metro Rail have remained closed since March 22 in view of lockdown due to Coronavirus. The closure of public transport was essential to prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, in view of changed circumstances when many other services have been restored as part of Unlock-I & II, the State Government should consider re-opening of public transport in a regulated and controlled form, he said in a media statement. Nizamuddin said that almost all commercial establishments have resumed their activities since July 1 while following the Covid-19 guidelines. But the employees working for those establishments were unable to travel to their offices or shops due to the closure of public transport. People owning a four-wheeler or two-wheeler can travel to their offices without any problem. Also read: Weak on facts and strong on mudslinging: Nadda slams Rahul Gandhi Also read: Gehlot sharpens attack on Pilot, calls him useless Those earning high salaries can also afford to hire a cab or auto-rickshaw. But there are lakhs of people in Hyderabad who neither own a vehicle nor can they afford hiring an auto-rickshaw or cab on a daily basis. Such people are unable to go out for work. Consequently, the absence of public transport has left lakhs of people jobless since lockdown, he pointed out. While it is true that people must stay at home to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from Covid-19 infection, this is also the reality that they might die of hunger if they dont come out for work. The State Government need to work out a solution wherein people should have access to affordable and safe public transport, he said. The Congress leader said when the State Government could permit inter-district bus services, it should also consider resuming the services of RTC buses and Metro Rail by imposing some conditions. He said that since the Coronavirus was still spreading, some rules could be framed by allowing only half or one-third seating capacity. He alleged that the State Government was not considering this proposal as it might incur some losses to the RTC and Metro Rail. He said if the State Government agrees to compensate for those losses for a month or so, lakhs of poor people would be able to earn their livelihood. He appealed to the government to consider resuming the RTC bus and Metro Rail services at the earliest. Also read: Amid Rajasthan crisis, Congress MLAs croon Hum Honge Kamyaab For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A forest official from Mysuru won several hearts when he decided to enter a 10-foot-deep dry well, to save a leopard. Needless to say, it is not an easy task, not to mention, dangerous. But for this official, the safety of the villagers was of utmost importance. TOI According to reports, the forest officer named Siddaraju, locked himself inside a cage with just a torch and his mobile phone, in order to rescue a leopard that was allegedly stuck inside a 100-foot dry well in HD Kote, Mysuru, in Karnataka. Despite the search effort, he could not find it. Also Read: Poaching For Profit - Man Poisons Leopard, Peels Off His Skin Just To Earn Some Extra Money Parveen Kaswan, IFS posted pictures of the rescue operations on Twitter saying, "He is Siddarju, RFO from Nagarhole. He entered 100ft dry well to rescue a leopard. By locking himself in a metal cage with a torch and his mobile phone in hand, entered a dry well to rescue a leopard. This is what commitment looks like. Proud of such green soldiers." He is Siddarju, RFO from Nagarhole. He entered 100ft dry well to rescue a leopard. By locking himself in a metal cage with a torch and his mobile phone in hand, entered a dry well to rescue a leopard. This is what commitment looks like. Proud of such green soldiers. pic.twitter.com/HBJokpdDOd Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 20, 2020 As per a report in The Times of India, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve director, D Mahesh Kumar, said that he had received complaints from locals about a leopard that had fallen into the well. That's courageous. But, entering 100ft deep narrow well with no oxygen supplying equipments could be life threatening. We have seen such cases in past where people have died in well due to lack of sufficient oxygen. Courage must be equipped with proper equipments. pic.twitter.com/lbHWfbFm6z The Rebellion (@The_Rebelllion_) July 20, 2020 Soon after the pictures went viral, many criticised the lack of proper equipment available to forest officials and rangers who are tasked with managing human-animal conflict. TOI Dr Mahesh Kumar told TOI, that the villagers have been requesting the gram panchayat to close the wells with a metal mesh, for years, but to no avail. There are three other open wells in the village and residents constantly fear accidents due to the same. After efforts to look for the Leopard failed, forest staffers returned to their work stations late at night, only to be called back again after some villagers spotted the big cat lurking in the dark. Also Read: Second Alleged 'Man Eater' Leopard Shot Dead In Uttarakhand In A Week, One More In The Hit-List Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andy Bruce (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Mon, July 20, 2020 15:30 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667d109e 2 World UK,Britain,Hong-Kong,UK-China,extradition,Hong-Kong-security-law,bilateral-spat,bilateral-tension Free Britain will on Monday suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in a further escalation of its dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony, newspapers reported. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who on Sunday accused China of "gross" human rights violations, will announce the suspension of the treaty in parliament, the Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers said, citing sources. Britain's Foreign Office declined to comment. Education Minister Gavin Williamson declined to comment on the reports ahead of Raab's statement, which is expected at around 1430 GMT, but he said Britain was always ready to speak out when it disagreed with Beijing. "We want to work with China and we always will want to work with China - it's an important player on the world stage. But we must always, and will always, speak out where we think they're doing things that are wrong," he told Sky News. Any move on extradition would be another nail in the coffin of what former Prime Minister David Cameron has cast as a "golden era" of ties with Communist Party rulers in the world's second-largest economy. But London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus outbreak. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei Technologies equipment to be purged completely from Britain's 5G network by the end of 2027. China has accused Britain of pandering to the United States. Britain says the new national security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an independent judiciary, that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world's biggest and most freewheeling financial hubs since 1997. Hong Kong and Beijing officials have said the law is vital to plug holes in national security defenses exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests. China has repeatedly told Western powers to stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs. Earlier on Sunday, China's ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction any of its officials, as some lawmakers in Johnson's Conservative Party have demanded. "If UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individual in China, China will certainly make a resolute response to it," Liu Xiaoming told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. "You've seen what happens in the United States - they sanction Chinese officials, we sanction their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat happen in... China-UK relations." Raab told the same program he would not be drawn on future additions to Britain's sanctions list but he denied that Britain would be too weak to challenge China through this channel. Representative Image India has recorded over 11.1 lakh cases of the novel coronavirus and 27,497 deaths, according to the Union Health Ministry's latest update. Of these, 3,90,459 are active cases while 7,00,086 have recovered. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of infections, followed by Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Globally, more than 1.44 crore infections and over 6.05 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are all the latest updates: COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show >> Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine showed an acceptable safety profile in a study released in Lancet, news agency Reuters reported. >> IndiGo said that it has decided to lay off 10 percent of its workforce due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. >> West Bengal has decided to impose a two-day lockdown every week to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in the state. This week, the state government said that the lockdown will be enforced on July 23 and July 25. >> Swedish life science company Enzymatica AB released the preliminary results of an in-vitro study that demonstrated that its mouth spray ColdZyme deactivates SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by 98.3 percent. >> India's debt-to-GDP to shoot up to 87.6 percent in FY21 in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, economists at State Bank of India said. >> Kerala said that it has made arrangements to treat around 50,000 COVID-19 patients at a time, doubling the first line treatment centres to 56 as it battles the third wave of the infections that has pushed the active cases to over 7,000 in the last over two months. >> Maharashtra minister Aslam Shaikh tested positive for the virus today. He is the fourth minister in Maharashtra cabinet to have been infected with the virus. Connecticut health officials say at least 90 people, many of them nursing home residents, were given false positive test results for COVID-19 after a flaw was discovered in one of the testing systems used by the state lab. The false positives were given to 90 of 144 people tested between June 15 and July 17 by the state lab, according to the state Department of Public Health. It was not immediately clear Monday afternoon how many other laboratories use the testing system that generated the false positive results. I dont want to jump to any conclusions about numbers, because that would not be appropriate, said Acting Commissioner Deidre Gifford when asked by reporters on Mondays teleconference. But we are talking to partner labs in the state of Connecticut. We want to understand the potential here. We also want to want to know if they had made similar discoveries and maybe had taken similar actions. Of the patients who received a false positive test result, 89 were residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities, Gifford said. The remaining patient was in an acute care facility, she said. The false positive tests included a woman living in the same room with her husband at Vernon Manor, a nursing home about 20 minutes northeast of Hartford. The wife tested positive, said Paul Liistro, CEO of Manchester and Vernon Manors, while her husband tested negative. That was the first indication something was wrong. We shook our heads like this is not happening, Liistro told Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday. He said the homes were notified on Sunday that five of their residents were among the 90 false positives uncovered by the state lab. First of all, our reaction was oh my god, because when we get a false positive we move them into a positive unit, Liistro said. He said the five residents at Vernon Manor tested positive at the same time, despite having no contact with anyone who was COVID-positive. The five residents were moved to a COVID-19 wing of Manchester Manor, another home owned by the company. All repeatedly tested negative for the disease, Liistro said. Four were eventually moved back to Vernon Manor, and the remaining resident is currently in an observation unit at Manchester Manor with a care plan to return to Vernon, he said. State laboratory personnel discovered the flaw Wednesday evening while studying data needed for pool testing, said Dr. Jafar Razeq, director of the lab. The strategy involves grouping test kits from multiple patients in a test to save on the reagents and man hours used when testing each kit individually. To validate the results of the pool tests, the lab needed to use specimens that previously tested positive using a system from Thermo Fisher Scientific, a national provider out of Waltham, Mass. But when the team began looking at the data for four test specimens used in that validation we realized that these specimens should not have been reported as positive, Razeq said. Thermo Fisher and the Food and Drug Administration were both notified of the false positive tests. Razeq said the FDA has issued tweaks to the testing programs procedure, and going forward any positive test result from the platform will be scrutinized and retested with another FDA-approved platform if necessary. A spokeswoman for Yale New Haven Health, one of the states partner labs, said they do use the same platform as the state laboratory along with five other testing systems. Despite having no issues, we are reviewing results from the past few weeks to be certain, said Dana Marnane, director of public relations and communications for Yale New Haven Health. Sema4, another partner lab, said they do not use the Thermo Fisher test system and said they have not recorded any false positives with DPH. Also unclear is how many of the nursing home and assisted living facility residents who received the false positive test results were moved into units containing sick residents and whether they were subsequently infected with the disease. She said many of the patients involved had received several tests so the one test result wouldnt necessarily have changed their clinical management. The Department of Public Health said it appears at least some of the residents were moved to COVID-19 units. All of the people affected by the tests will be retested, the agency said. Gifford said the departments facilities licensing and epidemiology divisions are working with the facilities to find out what happened to the patients who received the false positive tests. Asked about the false positive tests during Gov Ned Lamonts afternoon briefing, chief operating officer Josh Geballe said those DPH teams have been in contact with every clinician responsible for one of those individuals, including the facilities at which theyre housed. He claimed it was not yet known whether false positive nursing home residents were moved to COVID-positive units. During the same press conference, Dr. Albert Ko, a Yale University epidemiologist, said the Thermo Fisher test is widely used by commercial labs throughout the nation. I think this situation requires a special call out or shout out to the people at the state health laboratory, (to) Dr. Razeq and his group, because what they found is actually a systemic problem with Thermo Fisher, Ko said. So Connecticut here picking it up not only helps the issues of people in the nursing homes, but it also helps people all over the country who are using that test. Under federal and state health guidelines, nursing home residents who test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, are moved into separate cohorts or living areas to quarantine them from healthy residents. Gifford said the false positive results would apply to a minority of tests in the state, while acknowledging the importance of public trust in the test results. We are working to find out exactly what percentage would be potentially implicated by this system. However, particularly if an individual has symptoms, but anybody whos received a positive test, they should absolutely 100 percent assume that... positive result is correct until such time as theyre told by their provider of any change, Gifford said. Hello and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes. Last week, we established that summer is an ideal time to embrace simple cooking: Find fresh ingredients and let them shine. But we did not talk about cleanup. In fact, recipes never talk about cleanup. But a sink stacked with dishes and a countertop strewn with sullied pots, pans and bowls adds easily another 30 minutes to the stretch of the evening known as dinnertime. So here are four recipes that rely heavily on a sheet pan, an inexpensive piece of equipment that I wholeheartedly recommend you buy, plus a pasta recipe for those who you who are over sheet-pan cooking. (The pasta is still a one-pot affair.) You should also know that sheet pans can come out for breakfast, too, as with these pancakes by Jerrelle Guy. Im dearemily@nytimes.com and here for your thoughts, feelings, concerns. (Natural News) President Trumps calls for law and order, and for governors to crack down on the riots and looting in their cities, had spurred on more liberal media suggestions that he was heading a despotic regime; CNNs Jim Acosta even thought himself brave enough to ask Trump if America was still a democracy. Further pushing that insinuation on Sunday, ABC chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz appeared on Good Morning America claimed Trump wanted to bring combat troops to bear against peaceful protesters. (Article by Nicholas Fondacaro republished from NewsBusters.org) But while ABC was mischaracterizing Trumps use of active-duty military, they completely ignored the ambush of sheriffs deputies in Santa Cruz, California, where one was murdered and two more injured. Raddatzs false depiction of what Trump wanted was invited by co-anchor Dan Harris, who gawked at claims Trump was losing the cooperation of the Pentagon: As you know, the protests have created a lot of friction between the President and both current and former military officials. In fact, the Associated Press has a story this morning with the headline, White House and Pentagon tensions near breaking point. Youve covered the military for decades. Whats your take here? Of course, it was just cheap talk to gin up anxiety against the President. The active-duty military that were being staged just outside D.C. would have been used to aid with protecting the White House so local law enforcement could focus on stopping rioters and looters in the rest of the city. But that didnt stop Raddatz from fawning for the recent political comments of former military leaders against their President. Well, I think really this week was stunning. When you had Secretary Jim Mattis, General Jim Mattis come out with very harsh, very strong words directed right at the President. You had the former chairman of the joint chiefs, Mike Mullen. So, this seemed like a real inflection point as well, she gushed. Those men were clearly angry about what the President had done, and threatening to put active-duty combat troops on the street face-to-face not just National Guard, but bring in active-duty military, she declared. But while Raddatz was clutching her pearls, NBC anchor Willie Geist was on Sunday Today reporting on how Santa Cruz sheriffs deputies were ambushed when they responded to a call about a suspicious van. Some breaking news overnight near Santa Cruz, California, where a sheriffs deputy was killed and two other law enforcement officers were wounded in what investigators are calling an ambush, he reported. Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller had arrived at the scene when a man started shooting and throwing explosive devices at him and at other officers. Gutzwiller passed away at the hospital and the suspect will be charged with first-degree murder. Geist added: Sgt. Gutzwiller was 38 years old, married, a father to one, and with another child on the way. The Santa Cruz County sheriff said, today we lost a hero. ABCs priorities were on full display in this instance. The transcript is below, click expand to read: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:22:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AUCKLAND, New Zealand, July 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra Co-operative Group is looking forward to its business prospect in China as the company is to further its investment in the country, said its chief executive Miles Hurrell on Monday at the sixth China Business Summit in Auckland. Fonterra is ambitious on continued growth prospects for New Zealand dairy in the Chinese market, said Hurrell to a fully packed audience floor of 500 guests from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wu Xi to business leaders and entrepreneurs seeking New Zealand-China business opportunities. Hurrell confirmed that the company would continue to expand its presence on the ground in China by investing in a new research and development site in Shanghai as well as establishing a new application center in Wuhan next year. Expanding its business beyond Shanghai to regional cities such as Wuhan is key to Fonterra's strategy in China, said Hurrell. Despite the impact by COVID-19, New Zealand dairy export to China increased 25 percent in the first five months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, according to official data. With the Chinese economy getting back to normal, the outlook of its business, especially the ingredients part, is strong, said Hurrell. "No market is without risk but we've never been in better shape than we are today," he said. Enditem Explosion Hits Central Iranian Power Plant Few Weeks After Natanz Nuclear Site Blast Sputnik News Oleg Burunov. Sputnik International 08:38 GMT 19.07.2020(updated 14:00 GMT 19.07.2020) The blast occurred a few weeks after an explosion ripped through Iran's Natanz facility for enriching uranium, in an incident that was reportedly caused by a bomb. An explosion took place at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan Province on Sunday, the country's IRNA news agency reports. The news outlet cited Saeid Mohseni, chief executive of Esfahan Power Generation Co., as saying that the blast did not disrupt the plant's electricity supply to customers. "The damaged equipment is being repaired", he said, adding that the power station resumed operations about two hours after the explosion. The incident reportedly took place due to a technical problem at the plant and did not cause any casualties. This came after a blast occurred at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran in early July, with the country's Atomic Energy Organisation stating at the time that the facility "is operating as usual", since the reactor was not damaged in the explosion and there were no casualties following the incident. Tehran pledhed to announce "the main cause" of the explosion "at a proper time", warning that if it finds out "foreign elements" were behind the incident, they will face consequences. Earlier, The New York Times reported, citing an unnamed Middle East intelligence official, that the Natanz blast was caused by an "explosive device planted inside the facility". The report was followed by the Kuwaiti daily al-Jarida citing an unnamed "senior" source as saying that the explosion was Israel's work. The Natanz plant remains the Islamic Republic's primary uranium processing facility, where Tehran reportedly installed new cascades of advanced centrifuges in November 2019 in retaliation for Washington's earlier unilateral exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The incident followed an explosion ripping through the Parchin military complex located about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Iranian capital Tehran late last month, in what Iranian authorities said was the result of "leaking gas tanks". A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KAMPALA Most Ugandans want the 2021 General Election postponed, a new survey has shown. This survey, conducted in July delivers data on both public opinion and self-reported behaviour concerning key issues related to the impact of Covid-19 in Uganda, and the results show the public perceptions as in view of the disruptions created by the pandemic. The Electoral Commission has announced a revised roadmap that bars public rallies over coronavirus. The roadmap also gives the candidates less time to campaign, with presidential aspirants having less than two months to traverse the whole country ahead of the January/February elections. And according to a survey conducted by Whitehead Communications in the month of July, 52% of respondents believe that the next election should be postponed. Only 43% of respondents believe that the Government should hold the election as scheduled. 5% selected other and provided open-ended responses including: Dont know or dont care, Hold a normal, non-scientific election, Monitor the Covid-19 situation and decide later if elections are safe and Elections are illegitimate and therefore useless and a waste of resources 64% of respondents disapprove or strongly disapprove of a scientific election. On the whole, Ugandans do not favour the idea of a scientific election, as only 6% strongly approve of the plan, 10% approve, 12% neither approve nor disapprove / not sure, 20% disapprove and 44% strongly disapprove, the survey shows. Strong disapproval is more common in the area of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono (49%) than upcountry (34%). 9% do not understand what a scientific election means, and this does not vary significantly depending on demographics, the survey adds. The results of the survey come as opposition politicians continue to oppose the scientific roadmap. Predidential Aspirant, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde is among those that have expressed dissatisfaction about the proposed scientific campaignswondering why the EC was in a hurry to hold an election that he said is against the Constitution. Everyone seeing that this is a pandemic. If it was not so, you would not have cared to shift the conduct of the election. If the situation is not normal, something else needs to be done. The pandemic is the reason we cannot carry out fully-fledged elections. What are we now rushing for, he told journalists last month. Gen Tumukunde argued that even conducting a scientific election creates more problems than it solves. Essentially, you cant change the method of campaigning without changing the law. This is not a normal situation. If it was one, there would not be a need to conduct campaigns in such a manner. If it is an abnormal situation, the law says something about it, he said. FDC stalwart Dr. Kizza Besigye and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine have all dismissed the idea of the scientific election. Mr. Mr. Kyagulanyi insists he will hold open air rallies when the campaigns for 2021 general elections start despite the Electoral Commissions directive for candidates to use media due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus. What we are going for are the elections provided for within the law. We shall hold public rallies, talk to the people and move from district to another because there is no reason whatsoever for us to hold scientific elections,Bobi Wine told journalists last month. Section 21 (2) of the Presidential elections Act 2005 that talks about the time and manner of campaigns and candidate meetings programme stipulates: (2). Every candidate may hold individual public campaign meetings in any part of Uganda in accordance with any existing law. Whitehead Communications gathered 1,353 responses or 1,182 after data cleaning between the 6th and 15th of July, 2020, using a mixed methodology collecting results from a purposive sample both online and through phone calls. According to the pollster, the report is intended to serve as a resource to decision-makers and the general public by providing research-based insights to inform public discussion and policy in response to Covid-19. =================================== METHODOLOGY: This survey, conducted in July delivers data on both public opinion and self-reported behaviour concerning key issues related to the impact of Covid-19 in Uganda. Whitehead Communications gathered 1,353 responses or 1,182 after data cleaning between the 6th and 15th of July, 2020, using a mixed methodology collecting results from a purposive sample both online and through phone calls. This report is intended to serve as a resource to decision-makers and the general public by providing research-based insights to inform public discussion and policy in response to Covid-19. Related Taoiseach Micheal Martin and President Michael D. Higgins were among those to pay tribute to Cervical Check campaigner Ruth Morrissey following her death today. I was deeply saddened to learn of Ruth Morrisseys passing this afternoon," Mr Martin said. "Ruth was a brave, courageous woman who worked tirelessly for others and for future generations of women in this country. She was generous of spirit and had the interests of others at heart. I wish to extend my sympathies to her husband Paul, her daughter Libby, her family and friends. May she rest in peace. President Micheal D. Higgins too sent his condolences to Ruth Morrissey's friends and family: "So many people across Ireland will have learned with great sadness of the passing of Ruth Morrissey. "Ruth Morrisseys tremendous courage in an arduous campaign for truth and justice leaves a legacy of courage for all Irish people, and for those campaigning for womens right to healthcare in particular. "Sabina and I send our sincere condolences to her husband Paul, their daughter, her family and friends, and to all those who have shared Mrs Morrisseys journey." Tributes to Ms Morrissey from the world of politics, health and activism have poured in this afternoon. Earlier, Labour leader Alan Kelly spoke of his sadness at learning of Ms Morrissey's passing. Ruth Morrissey's fellow CervicalCheck campaigners Vicky Phelan, Stephen Teap and Lorraine Walsh also sought to honor her legacy today. Read More Ruth Morrissey was brave and kind to the end as she took on CervicalCheck battle In a tweet, Vicky Phelan wrote: Ruth was one of the strongest women I know, and also one of the most positive. "I never once saw her without a smile on her face and I saw her when she was very ill. Ruth was one of the strongest women I know, and also one of the most positive. I never once saw her without a smile on her face and I saw her when she was very ill. My thoughts today are with Ruth's husband, Paul and their beautiful daughter, Libby who Ruth adored. #RIPRuth Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) July 19, 2020 Strugglin to find the words to display my sadness at hearing this news this morning, #ruthmorrissey was a kind and gentle soul who I was honoured to know,always checking up on me and my boys even in the middle of her own battles,this world is at a loss without her,may she now RIP https://t.co/KjAmPxYN70 (@Stephenteap) July 19, 2020 In a statement released earlier this afternoon, Paul Morrissey, Ruth Morrissey's husband, spoke lovingly of his wife, and of all she accomplished as part of her CervicalCheck campaign. "Ruths life was a very happy one and none of the hardships of recent years robbed her of her good cheer and positive spirit. "She fought fiercely to stay alive for the family she adored. The example she set stands as an enduring inspiration of strength and determination that should help many others through difficult times in the future." The Lancet medical journal is expected to publish the phase 1 clinical trial data of Oxford and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine, formerly called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, today, July 20. In the first phase, the vaccine will be tested on 375 volunteers, of which 100 will be from AIIMS. The scientist leading the trial, Tom Wilkinson, said the results, if confirmed in larger studies, will make the new treatment a "game changer". "The clinical trials of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus are ending at the Burdenko hospital ..." A senior Bangladesh health ministry official said the country hoped to get priority in securing the vaccine should it prove effective in the trials. "These include Austria's Themis along with two others", Poonawalla said. Russian Federation could make 30 million doses of the said vaccine domestically in 2020, and 170 million overseas, with five countries expressing interest in producing the vaccine and others willing to produce it. Pune based Serum Institute of India has a tie-up to produce two-three million doses of this vaccine in our country to be used in low and middle-income countries, including India. Dr Savita Verma, the principal investigator of the project, appealed to healthy young persons to come forward and volunteer for the human trials of the Covid vaccine so that the trials could be completed on time. It is now at the pre-clinical trial level. Covaxin is being jointly developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). Indian Immunologicals has inked an agreement with Australia's Griffith University to develop a vaccine. "Several hundred" billionaires, executives and government officials took the experimental shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, a researcher familiar with the effort told the outlet. "Few volunteers have already registered for the trial". Members of Russia's business and political elite have allegedly been given access to an experimental vaccine against the novel coronavirus since April, according to a report on Sunday. Chinese company Sinovac Biotech and Oxford/AstraZeneca have entered into Phase-3 trial. No COVID-19 vaccine has yet been approved for commercial use. As states continue to wrestle with the question of students returning to school, Missouri governor Mike Parson placed himself at the center of the national discussion with comments made during a July 17 radio session. In an interview with KFTK (97.1 FM) talk show host Mike Cox, Parson expressed his distaste for government mask mandates and, among other things, his belief that children "get over" inevitably contracting COVID-19 when they return to school. These kids have got to get back to school, Parson said. Theyre at the lowest risk possible. And if they do get COVID-19, which they will and they will when they go to school theyre not going to the hospitals. Theyre not going to have to sit in doctors offices. Theyre going to go home and theyre going to get over it. Many were unsettled by Parson's comments, and took to social media to let it be known. Nicole Galloway, a Democratic candidate running for governor of Missouri, said their children should not be collateral damage. Twitter user buffa82 used an eye roll emoji to discuss his feelings toward what Parson had to say. Rabidbigdummy took the time to remind us of something our parents always have said, "ignorance is bliss." Fingerfly1 called for Parson to be removed from office immediately. SOUND OFF: Love it or hate it? Houston parents debate HISD's reopening plan for online learning This is just the most recent controversy for the Missouri governor, who stoked criticism last week for saying he would probably pardon Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protestors in June, if the married couple were convicted of unlawfully brandishing their weapons. PALAVER: This official wedding photograph of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip THE word hand-me-down has not featured in the royal wedding fashion rule book before, but it does now thanks to Princess Beatrice who up-cycled one of her grandmothers dresses for her down-sized wedding at Windsor. In raiding Grannys royal closet or her archives to be exact Beatrice achieved a romantic, modern bridal look full of sentimentality and an homage to vintage sustainability. Expand Close The Queen is wearing the same Peau De Soie taffeta dress by Norman Hartnell that was worn by Princess Beatrice at her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen is wearing the same Peau De Soie taffeta dress by Norman Hartnell that was worn by Princess Beatrice at her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday (PA) Wearing the reconfigured Norman Hartnell evening gown Queen Elizabeth last wore during the State Opening of Parliament in 1966 was a genius move by the 31-year-old princess who hasnt always enjoyed praise for her fashion choices. Read More Who can forget her much maligned toilet seat headpiece by Irish hat designer Philip Treacy which the then 22-year-old Beatrice wore to Kate and Williams royal wedding in 2011? It attracted a slew of criticism but the sassy princess turned the media circus on its head by auctioning it online and the 90,000 that was raised benefited two childrens charities. After juggling a cancelled wedding due to Covid-19 and controversy surrounding her father, Prince Andrew, Beatrice walked down the aisle in the diamante-encrusted ivory dress. The silk taffeta dress was first seen on the queen in December 1962 when she wore it to a performance of Lawrence of Arabia. Video of the Day The subtle drama in Hartnells very feminine gown with its accentuated waist was achieved with a geometric checked bodice with the pattern extending on to the full skirt. The dress was part of an exhibition of the queens dresses at Buckingham Palace in 2006. The transformation from archive piece to fairytale gown for a princess to marry the son of an Italian count saw the addition of one small change short puff sleeves in sheer organza. Expand Close Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi married in a private ceremony / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi married in a private ceremony The refit was achieved by a palace A team namely designer Stewart Parvin and royal dresser Angela Kelly whose outfits the queen wore during her state visit to Ireland in May 2011. A scouser with Irish roots, Angelas mother, Teresa Brady, taught her to sew and Kelly has become a key asset on the queens team. With its strong green credentials and family connections, Fridays vintage wedding look will undoubtedly elevate Princess Beatrice up the rankings of memorable royal wedding dresses. Kathy Sherry of Dirty Fabulous in Monaghan, which specialises in vintage bridal and occasion wear, said: Weve had a few customers who have come to us for bridal headpieces to match their grandmothers wedding dress and nearly everyone weve spoken to has needed to remove the arms as they are so narrow or do some alterations to make them fit better. Couturier Helen Cody, who often works with heritage fabrics, loves the emotional connection of mixing old and new lace to achieve a personal piece of history. She praises Princess Beatrice for "ticking all the boxes" and says her wedding dress from 1962 is proof that a couturier's work lasts. "I have clients coming in who tell me their daughters are now wearing dresses that I made for them. If you get to call yourself vintage, it means that they have lasted the test of time and that's probably the best thing you can ever do in fashion," said Helen. She cautions against doing DIY repair work and throwing a vintage piece into the wash or trying to spot clean stains that have accumulated over the years. The problem is all the component parts and everything will react differently in the wash so if you want to preserve a piece with lace, ideally send it to an expert, someone like me who can physically take it apart and rework it, said Helen. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers from Czech University of Life Sciences, Virginia Tech and Barry University has found evidence that suggests dogs may use Earth's magnetic field as a navigational aid. In their paper in the eLife Sciences initiative, the group describes their study of dog navigation and what they learned from it. Prior research has shown that dogs tend to orient themselves in a north-south position when urinatinga finding that suggests they may have the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field. In this new effort, the researchers conducted two experiments to further study magnetic field sensing in dogs and whether they use it for navigation. The two experiments were essentially the samethey both involved attaching GPS sensors to multiple dogs, taking them out into a natural environment and releasing to run about. In all cases, the dogs soon returned to the person who had released them. The only difference in the experiments was the number of dogs involvedin the first, it was just four, and in the second it was 27. In studying the routes the dogs took, both when heading out on an expedition and when returning, the researchers found they used one of two types of return. The first was called tracking, which meant a dog made its way back by following the same path it had taken outpresumably using its nose. The team called the other type of return scoutingbecause the dogs followed an unfamiliar path to get back to where they had begun their adventure. The researchers also found something elsefor a large percentage of the scouting returns, the dogs first engaged in an odd behavior. They ran north-south along a 20-meter length a few times before heading back to their starting pointdoing so appeared to help the dogs get their bearings, as those that did it were more efficient in their return. The researchers suggest the north-south running is evidence of the dogs using the magnetic field to orient themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, which in turn helps them find their way home. Further testing involved the owner hiding as the dog made its trek, testing wind direction and speed and noting the gender of the dog. No other factors made a difference in improving navigational efficiency, further supporting the idea that the dogs were able to use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. Explore further Researchers find dogs sensitive to small variations in Earth's magnetic field More information: Katerina Benediktova et al. Magnetic alignment enhances homing efficiency of hunting dogs, eLife (2020). Journal information: eLife Katerina Benediktova et al. Magnetic alignment enhances homing efficiency of hunting dogs,(2020). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.55080 2020 Science X Network Michael Hicksons wife is softly spoken and calm when she addresses the doctor on the phone. What do you mean? she says. Because hes paralysed with a brain injury he doesnt have a quality of life? Correct, says the unidentified doctor, who is speaking with her from St Davids Medical Centre in South Austin, Texas. Who gets to make that decision on somebodys quality of life? If they have a disability, that their quality of life is not good? Melissa presses him. Being able to live isnt improving the quality of life? The Greater Accra Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is demanding the immediate release of its Constituency Chairman and Organizer of the Ledzokuku constituency. According to the party, the two; Joseph Mensah and James Narh were detained at the Accra Regional Police Command after some military personnel allegedly ransacked the office of their parliamentary candidate, Benjamin Ayiku Narh. The party alleged that some armed military officers invaded the office of their parliamentary candidate at Teshie over suspicion that he was registering voters at the said office. Speaking at a news conference today, Monday, July 20, 2020, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC, Amos Blessing Amorse denied such allegations. The latest of such vicious display of State-sponsored attack on innocent citizens which has necessitated this press briefing, ladies and gentlemen, was an unwarranted, needless, jejune and superfluous invasion of a supermarket and filling station, Maxxon Supermarket and filling station, owned by our Parliamentary Candidate for Ledzokuku Constituency, Ben Ayiku Narh at Anumantu, Teshie Tsuibleoo on Sunday, July 19, 2020, at about 7:00 pm. For the uninitiated, Maxxon Supermarket and filling station, like any other filing station, is a public place where people from all walks of life are at liberty to drive or walk in to buy items of their choice. It is however important to point out that, the same building houses the private office of our candidate and incoming MP for Ledzokuku, Ben Ayiku. Needless to say, it is an open secret that strategic political meetings of the PC are held there. It is therefore not out of place to spot known political heads of the NDC there on any day. Amorse at the press conference explained that when the voter registration exercise began, their parliamentary candidate agreed to use his office as a collation centre where they will assemble, go over the number of voters registered in the constituency and key the inputs into a desktop computer at the office. On Sunday, July 19, the PC [parliamentary candidate] and Executives [of the NDC in the constituency] had arranged to meet some traditional leaders in his office in the evening. While the meeting was ongoing, our agents came to the office with print outs for day one of the third phase of the ongoing exercise. While at it, a four-member military patrol team from the Teshie Southern Command, armed to the teeth, led by one Captain Dominic N. Nakpaja together with other un-uniformed heavily built men stormed the office. The NDCs Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer noted that Captain Nakpaja and his men, together with the un-uniformed men, claimed they had picked intelligence that the NDC had set up a registration centre at Mr. Ayiku Narhs office and was registering people at night. The officers, together with the NPP hoodlums, obviously acting on the instructions of the failed MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, locked up our PC, traditional leaders and all those in the office and held them incommunicado. For a moment, the place was turned into a scene akin to invasion by armed robbers. The officers said they had instruction from the dreadful but unknown inaudible orders from above to search the office and seize the supposed registration machines. Mr. Amorse said despite the resistance, the military personnel led by Captain Nakpaja succeeded in confiscating the desktop computer and ECs print outs from the various registration centres for the first day of the third phase. He said the NDC Constituency Chairman and Organizer and some others followed up the issue at the Accra Central Police command where Captain Nakpaja claimed he had lodged an official complaint. Upon arrival at the Station, the police CID in charge said he had been instructed by the powers that be to detain the Constituency Chairman and Organizer for reasons or crime we are yet to be told, he said. Mr. Amorse said their parliamentary candidate and constituency had done no wrong to warrant such action from the security personnel. He also condemned the alleged invasion and demanded the release of the NDC executives. We demand that our Constituency Chairman, Organizer and any other person being detained in respect of this false and unintelligent allegation be released immediately. We do not expect anybody to ask us what we will do when they are not released. Whoever wants to know what we will do in the unlikely event they are not released should ready him or herself to witness what will happen thereof, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC, Amos Blessing Amorse said. citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 16:59:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Young Pioneers (CYP), a national organization for Chinese children, will hold its quinquennial congress from Thursday to Friday, the CYP announced Monday. More than 800 child and adult delegates will attend the CYP's eighth national congress, which will be held in the form of video conference, the CYP said in a statement. The young delegates are representatives of the young pioneers from the country's 56 ethnic groups and all prefecture-level regions in China, it said. The congress has been approved by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Founded and led by the CPC, the CYP is a national mass organization for Chinese children aged six to 14, most of whom are primary or secondary school students. Enditem Pelosi and Schumer: Say. These. Names. I dare you... By Mark Alexander There was an interesting turn of events in Washington, DC, recently, pivoting on the tragic death of a child. There were protests on the streets of southeast DC, but not in support of the Left's "Defund the Police" charade. That's because there is no "racist police" problem in DC or any other urban center. After an 11-year-old boy, Davon McNeal, was murdered at a "Stop the Violence" cookout, in what has become an all-too-familiar occurrence of children caught in the crossfire, somebody finally noticed. The black marchers and mourners burned and looted nothing. They were united in chants of "Kids' Lives Matter" and "No justice, no sleep," insisting that they wouldn't rest until the assailant was brought to justice. Some yelled the now-ubiquitous words, "What. Is. His. Name?" to the loud response, "Davon." Far from the dangerous and deadly "defund" protests, one mother said: "Police need more presence here. They need to step it up. They're sitting in their cars. Walk around. Where are all the police people on bicycles?" Davon's paternal grandfather, John Ayala, declared: "We see all these protests only when an officer hurts a black person. Where are the Black Lives Matter people when black people are hurting black people?" "Somebody knows something around here," yelled protesters. In this case, the black assailant has since been arrested, but most of this prolific random violence is difficult to solve. Likewise in New York, where violent crime and murder have increased almost 30% over last year, leftist Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to the murder of one-year-old Davell Gardner by saying, "This isn't something we can allow. It's not acceptable. It's not something we can ever look away from. It's something we have to address and stop. It's just horrifying. Every resource is going to be used to find this killer." Except the reason for the surge in murders and collateral fatalities like this child is the de Blasio administration's recent cut of $1 billion from the police budget, a shameless and dangerous bit of pandering to his radical "defund the police" constituents. Notably, this cut included disbanding the NYPD's most effective frontline defenders against criminal violence, the plainclothes Anti-Crime Unit. As Chief Terence Monahan noted, "The disbanding of anti-crime obviously has a huge effect. Those are our best cops out on the street, grabbing guns. So, there's a feeling that it's safe to carry a gun on the street." Of course, one of the most effective measures against those carrying weapons was former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's "stop and frisk" program, the practice of questioning those whom police believed may have been carrying weapons on the street. That practice helped drive down violent crime in New York over three decades. What hasn't changed is that 93% of suspects arrested for murder were black or Hispanic, and 88% of victims were black or Hispanic. It's no surprise that some of New York's black community leaders are rallying to protect the innocent in the wake of little Davell's murder. How? They're asking de Blasio to "reevaluate" the elimination of the Anti-Crime Unit. Meanwhile, de Blasio is busy with sophomoric stunts like painting "Black Lives Matter" in front of Trump Tower, located in one of the wealthiest and safest areas of Manhattan. How about a BLM painting in the South Bronx, Bill, where the message might actually do some good? For as long as I've been producing political analyses on racial issues, I have noted that the real "systemic racism" plaguing our nation is the plethora of socialist Democrat Party policy failures that grew out of Lyndon Johnson's so-called "Great Society" initiative of more than a half-century ago. Those policies have effectively institutionalized poverty in our nation's largest urban centers, which in turn has given rise to the ongoing epidemic of black-on-black violence an epidemic about which Democrats maintain a deafening silence, since it doesn't fit their mythical narrative. Democrat race-hustling politicians at the federal, state, and local levels, and their fawning Leftmedia sycophants, use their race-bait playbook to exploit every instance of racial injustice, real or perceived, to foment fear, division, and dependency among their most loyal constituency, black citizens. Their recurring race-bait political calculus is based on the 2014 "Ferguson Model," in which phony "Hands up, don't shoot" outrage was cynically stoked after a violently aggressive black man was justifiably shot by a white police officer. The consequences of recklessly using such tragedies as emotive political fodder to rally black constituents has been deadly for both those black constituents and law enforcement officers. The most recent fodder for all the Marxist "Black Lives Matter burning, looting, and murder was the completely unjustifiable death of George Floyd, a black suspect being detained by a white police officer in Minneapolis. How could such a thing happen in a leftist stronghold like Minneapolis? As I've noted before, the mayor, all but one (Green Party) member of the city council, the police chief, the county prosecutor, the state attorney general (radical leftist Keith Ellison), the governor, the U.S. House representative (radical leftist Ilhan Abdullahi Omar), and both U.S. senators are all Democrats. So what's really the problem in these Democrat-controlled urban centers? For one thing, continuous incitement of phony outrage. Recall that absurd virtue-signaling photo op by Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and their Democrat Party Black Caucus haters, who "took a knee" in the Capitol building in a cheap bit of pandering to placate black constituents. You know, that group photo when they wore Kente cloth shawls with a fabric pattern associated with the African Akan-Ashanti people, who supplied British and Dutch traders with slaves bound for plantations in the Western Hemisphere. (Oops!) In the wake of Floyd's death, in addition to the Democrats' kneeling nonsense, protesters across the nation united around a chant: "Say his name George Floyd. Say his name George Floyd." I can assure you that Joe Biden and his fellow leftists will make every effort to reframe the slaughter of innocents as "gun violence," a "gun problem" rather than a culture and policy problem, which will allow the Left to advance its assault on the Second Amendment. To that end, I note that after Donald Trump declared violence in Chicago was "worse than Afghanistan ... than any war zone that we're in, by a lot," Chicago's leftist mayor, Lori Lightfoot, blamed Trump, asserting "the root causes of the violence" are that "we have too many illegal guns on our street and that's a direct result of a failure of federal leadership." Yep, another masterful use of the Big lie: It's a "gun problem." Fact is, all of the violence in Chicago is committed by criminals who are already violating the multiple federal, state, and local laws for being in possession of a weapon. Note how Lightfoot said "illegal guns." Apparently, Lightfoot is not aware that criminals don't obey laws. Chicago, New York, and other urban centers have a leadership deficit problem, not a "gun problem." Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. 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. SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea has reported its smallest daily jump in local COVID-19 transmissions in two months as health authorities express cautious optimism that the outbreak is being brought under control. South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday still reported 26 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 22 that were tied to international arrivals. Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said during a virus briefing that the four local transmissions represented the first time that such infections came below 10 since May 19. He continued to plead for vigilance, encouraging people to avoid crowded places or even stay at home during the summer holiday period. Officials consider imported cases as a lesser threat than local transmissions because the country is mandating COVID-19 tests and enforcing two-week quarantines on all people arriving from abroad. ___ HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: Facing uncertain fal l, schools make flexible reopening plans Governments are reassessing their coronavirus responses, with the mayor of Los Angeles saying the city reopened too quickly and Hong Kong issuing tough new rules on face masks. How the coronavirus spread through an immigration facility Major companies are keeping employees in the dark on how prevalent the coronairus is in warehouses, stores and plants. That's led workers to sleuth out what's happening in their workplaces. Frances most worrisome virus hot spo t is on the northern coast of South America: French Guiana, a territory of about 300,000 people where poverty is rampant and health care is scarce. The Blue Jays wont play their home games in Toronto this year because Canadas government doesnt think its safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak ___ Story continues HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: MELBOURNE, Australia Australias hard-hit Victoria state recorded a third daily COVID-19 tally below a record 428 cases reported last week, but the state government leader said on Monday it was too early to tell what impact a second lockdown was having. Since 428 cases were reported on Friday, Victoria has recorded 217, 363 and 275 cases on consecutive days. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews expected to know on Wednesday what impact a lockdown on Australias second-largest city Melbourne and the neighoring semi-rural Mitchell Shire were having. The six-week lockdown will be two weeks old on Wednesday. It is a wicked enemy, it is unstable and until we bring some stability to this, I dont think well be able to talk about a trend, Andrews said. Im certainly much happier to be able to report a lower number than a high one. Victoria had conducted more than 1.3 million coronavirus tests among a population of 6.5 million, which represented one of the highest testing rates in the world, he said. Most students in the lockdown regions returned to online schooling at home after an extended vacation. A retired judge began an inquiry on Monday into breaches of hotel quarantine in Melbourne that have been blamed for most if not all the new virus spread. Australian citizens and permanent residents are required to self-isolate in hotels for 14 days when they return from overseas. ___ BEIJING Numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang continue to rise. Another 17 cases were reported on Monday, bringing the total in Chinas latest outbreak to at least 47. One of the 17 new cases reported on Monday was in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, the regional government said on its official microblog. The remainder were in the regional capital of Urumqi, where all other cases have been reported since the outbreak emerged earlier this month. Another five cases were brought from outside the country, according to the National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total at 4,634 among 83,682 cases, and 249 people remain in treatment. Another 158 people were being monitored in isolation for showing signs of having the virus or for testing positive without displaying symptoms. China had largely contained local transmission of the virus before the Urumqi outbreak and has taken swift action to bring it under control, cutting subway, bus and taxi service, closing some communities, imposing travel restrictions and ordering widespread testing. Beijing meanwhile, has gone 14 days without a case of local transmission and city authorities on Sunday said they were downgrading the emergency response level from two to three. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has seen a spike in cases, with more than 100 reported on Sunday. That has prompted the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city to reimpose measures including closing indoor entertainment venues and public libraries, and imposing additional quarantine measures on travelers arriving from seven countries where the risk of infection is considered especially high, including South Africa. ___ FRANKFORT, Ky. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear reported 979 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, a daily record that he said should be a wake-up call for the states citizens to abide by mask and social distancing restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. The Democratic governor announced the new cases, including 30 involving children 5 years old or younger, in a news release on Sunday. I have faith and I have trust in the people of Kentucky, Beshear said. But today and in the days ahead weve got to do a whole lot better. Were going to have to take some more action. Beshear said there were at least 23,161 coronavirus cases in Kentucky as of 4 p.m., including the new cases reported on Sunday. The states public health commissioner said efforts would be made to confirm the accuracy of the results with some of the laboratories that submitted them. We typically have limited reporting on Sunday which makes todays record-setting number of positives particularly alarming, said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department of Public Health. Beshear also reported three new deaths, raising the total to 670 Kentuckians lost to the virus. ___ LAS VEGAS -- Officials say Las Vegas-area hospitals are adding beds and staff to accommodate an increasing number of COVID-19 patients. The Clark County fire chief says hospital occupancy isnt high enough activate a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to use the Las Vegas Convention Center for up to 900 patients. But the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that hospitals in Clark County added 441 staffed beds as of Thursday, and the Nevada Hospital Association says another 49 have been added in other parts of the state. The intensive care unit at the states only public hospital was 95% occupied as of Wednesday, with about one in three of those patients diagnosed with COVID-19. State health officials report that 35,765 people have tested positive for the virus statewide and at least 647 have died. ___ PHOENIX Arizona health officials are reporting 31 more deaths from the coronavirus. State Department of Health Services data shows the statewide death toll due to COVID-19 is 2,761 as of Sunday. There have been more than 143,600 confirmed cases. Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-home orders and other restrictions in May and the state became a national hot spot for reported cases. In June, Ducey authorized local governments to impose mask requirements to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, and many have done so. ___ FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Normally, Potions in Motions catering company would be in high gear for summer weddings, graduations and corporate events, averaging 25 to 35 a week at their peak and serving 2,000 to 3,000 people. But this summer, with South Floridas three counties imposing various restrictions on group gatherings, theyre down to micro-events, averaging two to five a week with 8 to 15 people. Theyve had to cut most of their staff. At peak season, they have 65, but now are down to six. Were trying to just stay alive and keep as many people employed, the companys founder Jason Savino said. Theyre making so many restrictions by county. You cant even have a gathering of more than 10 people in your house. He understands the need to make changes to curb the spread of the virus, but worries about the economic impact. The dialing back scares me, he said. Theres no support coming from any government or anywhere that are accommodating these businesses that are being ordered to dial their business back. ___ LOS ANGELES -- Mayor Eric Garcetti conceded Sunday that Los Angeles eased COVID-19 restrictions too quickly and again warned that the city was on the brink of new shutdown orders as the coronavirus continues to surge in California. Appearing on CNN, Garcetti was asked about an LA Times editorial that criticized the rapid reopening of California which was followed by a spike in new COVID-19 cases. Garcetti said the decisions were made at the state and county levels, but said that LA officials wouldnt hesitate to implement new stay-at-home orders if the numbers dont turn around. California on Saturday reported its fourth-highest daily total of new confirmed cases. ___ BATON ROUGE, La. Louisiana officials said Sunday they have suspended an emergency rent assistance program to help those hurt by the COVID-19 economic slowdown because they were quickly overwhelmed with applicants. They said more than 40,000 people had begun the application process in less than four days. The Lousiana Housing Corportation had estimated it had enough money to help about 10,000 tenants, with money paid directly to landlords. The Corporation had set aside $24 million of federal money for the program and says it will try to find more money after the flood of applications. When the program was announced Thursday, housing advocates said it was a good start, but was far too little money, especially with the $600-per-week federal unemployment payments expiring at the end of the month. The response to our states emergency rental assistance program proves how significant the economic burden of COVID-19 is for our citizens, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. ___ HILLSDALE, Mich A small conservative college in southern Michigan has defied warnings from state public health officials during the coronavirus pandemic by hosting an in-person graduation ceremony. Hillsdale College held graduation Saturday evening, capping days of celebrations, according to The Detroit News. COVID obviously was a concern, said David Betz, whose son, Christian, graduated. For a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to come, it was well worth it. The college of about 1,500 students had expected more than 2,000 people at the event, though school officials declined to discuss actual attendance numbers. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel had called the gathering illegal at a time when with public gatherings are capped at 100 people. Health officials had said the event, drawing people to restaurants and hotels, put the HIllsdale city community of about 8,000 people at risk. School officials said graduation is an important milestone and safety precautions were taken, including wearing masks. The liberal arts college has connections to top Republicans. Vice President Mike Pence gave 2018s commencement address. Michigan has reported more than 73,000 confirmed COVID-19 with more than 6,100 deaths. ___ COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina has set another record for newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases in a single day. Sunday saw 2,335 people newly diagnosed with COVID-19, the South Carolina Deparment of Health and Environmental Control reported. South Carolina has reported 2,000 new cases three times since the virus was first detected in the state in March. All have been in the past eight days. The state has spent much of the past month in the top four in the nation for new COVID-19 cases when adjusted by population. Health officials also reported 19 new deaths Sunday, bringing the death toll to 1,138 people. But one key statistic has been missing from the public over the weekend. Health officials said they are unable to release how many people are hospitalized with COVID-19 because the state is following a federal request to change how it reports hospitalizations. South Carolina reported a daily record 1,593 people in the hospital with the virus Friday, the last day figures were available. ___ ROME The Italian region that includes Rome is warning citizens that local lockdowns might have to be ordered if there are more clusters of coronavirus infections. Lazio Region Health Commissioner Alessio DAmato said 17 new COVID-19 cases were registered on Sunday, 10 of them imported from other countries when foreign residents returned to Italy. Many of the Rome areas recent cases have been among returning workers from Bangladesh. I appeal for the use of masks, otherwise, well have to close down again with restrictive measures on citizens activities and movements outside of homes, DAmato said. We cant turn back and waste all the efforts done till now, DAmato pleaded in a Facebook post. Lazios increases were included in Italys 219 new cases, raising to 244,434, the number of confirmed infections since the outbreak began. Italys known death toll on Sunday stood at 35,045, with the confirmation of three more deaths. ___ SAN DIEGO -- Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego was the site of the first big outbreak at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements 221 detention centers. In interviews with The Associated Press, workers and detainees reveal shortcomings in how the private company that manages the center handled the disease: There was an early absence of facial coverings, and a lack of cleaning supplies. Symptomatic detainees were mixed with others. Some workers at the center quit; the Mexican consul general, responding to complaints from detainees, raised concerns about how the facility handled the outbreak. Other centers would follow with their own outbreaks, and a Homeland Security Department internal watchdog survey of 188 detention centers taken in mid-April echoed some of what The Associated Press found at Otay Mesa: 19% of facility directors said there werent enough standard surgical masks, 32% said there werent enough N95 respirator masks, and 37% felt there wasnt enough hand sanitizer for detainees. ___ VATICAN CITY Pope Francis is assuring his closeness to all those grappling with COVID-19 and its economic and social consequences. Speaking on Sunday from his studio window overlooking St. Peters Square, Francis said that the pandemic is showing no sign of stopping. He said he was thinking in particular about all those whose suffering in the pandemic is worsened by conflicts. Citing a recent U.N. Security Council resolution, he renewed his appeal for a worldwide, immediate cease-fire that he said will permit the peace and security indispensable to supplying the necessary humanitarian assistance. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkey has suspended flights to Iran and Afghanistan because of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkeys Transport Ministry said Sunday. In a brief statement, the ministry said the flights were halted as part of the Covid-19 process. Turkey previously shut down air travel with its neighbor Iran in February while Afghanistan suspended all flights in March. ___ NICOSIA, Cyprus Cyprus health minister says theres concern that coronavirus-infected migrants could be seeping through the ethnically divided island nations porous cease-fire line. Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Sunday pointed to a problem after a number of migrants who recently crossed from the breakaway north to seek asylum in the internationally recognized south have tested positive for the coronavirus. Ioannou said the government had ordered two months ago that all migrants undergo testing for the virus before they enter reception centers for processing. Reportedly at least eight Syrian migrants who crossed southward in the last week tested positive for the virus. ___ HONG KONG Hong Kong is tightening anti-coronavirus measures following a recent surge in cases. The wearing of masks will be mandatory in all public places and nonessential civil servants will again work from home. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam introduced the measures on Sunday, saying the situation in the Asian financial hub is really critical and that she sees no sign that its under control. Travelers flying to Hong Kong from areas where the risk of infection is considered particularly severe will have to show a negative coronavirus test before boarding their flight, undergo another test upon arrival and undergo a 14-day quarantine in a hotel. Previously, those arriving could quarantine themselves at home. The nations included in the new regulation were given as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa. Hong Kong had appeared to have largely contained the coronavirus, but new cases reported last week have brought the citys total to 1,777, including 12 deaths. China, which runs Hong Kong as a semi-autonomous region, has ordered all arrivals from Hong Kong to be quarantined for two weeks, sharply reducing the volume of cross-border traffic. ___ NEW DELHI A record 24-hour surge of 38,902 new cases has taken Indias coronavirus total to 1,077,618. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported 543 additional deaths for a total of 26,816. The number of people who have recovered continues to grow. The Health Ministry data shows 677,422 patients have been cured so far across the country, putting the recovery rate at 62.82%. Experts say India is likely to witness a series of peaks as the infection spread in rural areas. ___ ISLAMABAD Pakistani authorities reported 1,579 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest number in more than a month, as health officials plan to resume a much-awaited nationwide anti-polio campaign next week. Authorities conducted 22,559 tests in the past 24 hours. The additional cases bring to 263,500 the total number of confirmed infections, out of which 53,652 are active. Pakistan has reported 5,568 deaths. The improvement in infections coincides with Mondays three-day anti-polio drive that aims to reach 800,000 children. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the three countries where polio a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the polio virus is still endemic. ___ Johns Hopkins University says the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 600,000. The universitys 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. 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 Organization again reported a single-day record of new infections with 259,848. Australians act for peace Powerful movement in South Australia Adelaide has a strong history of the peace movement in Australia. (Photo: Avante Media) The most powerful mass movement demanding peace South Australia has known has developed in protest against American aggression in the Middle East. This included a mass demonstration on the steps of the State Parliament. A 50-strong deputation to Liberal members of Federal Parliament, factory petitions, and a unanimous decision by the Trades and Labor Council opposing aggression and calling on the ACTU and ALP to meet immediately to formulate a national fighting policy for the whole labour movement. Thursday afternoon fifty workers crowded into the rooms of Federal Members asking to see Liberal MHRs. In the contingent were twelve Islington Railway workers, including five members of the shop committee; a group of eight wharfies hurriedly organised from amongst unemployed men at the pay office; meatworkers, women and others. Senator Hannaford agreed to see one spokesman and later received five. This delegation was led by Mr Les Purkis, member of the Islington shop committee, Boilermakers shop steward and delegate from the shop committee to the SA Peace Committee. Mr Purkis reported that .the delegation expressed the view that intervention in the Middle East endangers peace and that the Menzies government must use its influence for withdrawal of US forces. The wharfies sought out Minister for Defence Sir Phillip McBride, and the group of eight put their views to him for an hour. Another group gained access to Mr Downer, Minister for Immigration, for over forty minutes. The deputations were concluded at the editorial office of the Advertiser newspaper, to protest against a vicious editorial which appeared in that mornings paper. All reported a courteous reception, and the general opinion was that the Liberals, while supporting Caseys statement, were gravely concerned at events. Crowd at Parliament House At 6 oclock on Friday night a body of workers, both industrial and professional, women, students, members of the Quaker organisation, and others gathered at Parliament House steps to protest against the US threat to peace. The pillars of Parliament supported slogans calling for peace and against intervention. Five speakers briefly called on citizens to take urgent measures to see that peaceful policies prevailed. The five included a professional man, a prominent figure in womens movement circles in Adelaide, two wharfies, and a young meat-worker. Police were present but did not attempt to break the meeting up until the fifth speaker had begun. They then ordered the speaker on, but in the face of cries of free speech from the crowd, which had swelled to about 250, the police agreed to the speaker continuing for two minutes. The crowd then moved on in an orderly fashion. Islington mens lead Islington workshops committee, at a meeting on Friday at lunch time, endorsed the action of Peace Committee representative Purkis in protesting to Liberal Members; called for an end to intervention, endorsed messages to Menzies and Dr Evatt, and decided to organise a works-wide petition. Among dozens of other protests were the following: A petition to the American Embassy signed by ninety meat-workers within a few hours of the American invasion of Lebanon on Wednesday. Telegrams to the Menzies Government and the American Embassy by the SA Peace Committee and a decision to organise a mass demonstration next Tuesday night at 5 oclock on the steps of Parliament House. Telegrams from the Boiler Shop at Islington Railway Workshops. Telegrams to Dr. Evatt and the Prime Minister from Ships Painters and Dockers at Port Adelaide. Every ship in Port Adelaide had sent a telegram to the Menzies Government by last Friday. Telegrams from a number of union executives included the Boiler makers, AEU and others. Telegrams from womens organisations, including the peace department of the Womens Christian Temperance Union, International League for Peace and Freedom, arid Union of Australian Women. Hundreds of posters and slogans, including a Stop War slogan on Government House wall. This article was originally publish in Tribune July, 1958. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) of Columbia University's Earth Institute, speaks during a press conference on the Deep Decarbonization Pathway Project (DDPP) interim report , at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 8, 2014. (Xinhua/Niu Xiaolei) The recovery of sales of autos and homes in China last month reflects that "middle-class and wealthy consumers have both sufficient money and enough confidence in the future to spend it." WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Several U.S. economists have been encouraged by the rebound of the Chinese economy, as recent data indicated that the Asian country is the first major economy to get out of the COVID-19-induced recession. "This is very encouraging news. The control of the epidemic made possible the recovery in the second quarter," Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economics professor at Columbia University, told Xinhua via email. "In our world today, good public health is the key to good economic outcomes." China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 percent year on year in the second quarter, following a 6.8 percent contraction in the first quarter, according to newly released data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), told Xinhua in a recent phone interview that 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. Retail sales, which are only slightly down in June compared with the same month last year, have done "extremely well" compared with other economies and "improved dramatically," the veteran China watcher noted. "I think we'll see further recovery in retail sales, which will contribute to the growth of the service sector," Lardy said. File photo of Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). (Photo credit: PIIE) Andy Rothman, an investment strategist at San Francisco-based investment firm Matthews Asia, wrote in a recent analysis that China's V-shaped economic recovery continued for a fourth consecutive month in June, led by strong domestic demand. The recovery of sales of autos and homes in China last month reflects that "middle-class and wealthy consumers have both sufficient money and enough confidence in the future to spend it," Rothman said. Noting that restaurant and bar sales in China were still down last month, Rothman said these businesses that require customers to gather in confined spaces are likely to take a long time to fully recover. Lardy told Xinhua that he thinks China's economic recovery will continue in the second half of the year, since the country has the COVID-19 under control. 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." The economist said he thinks China is going to grow by 2 to 3 percent this year, a more optimistic projection than that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which both forecast a growth rate of roughly 1.0 percent for China. File photo of Yukon Huang, a senior fellow with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. (Xinhua) Yukon Huang, a senior fellow with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, however, took a more cautious tone. "Recent data is encouraging and suggest that China is the first major economy to get out of the virus-induced recession but it is too soon to tell if the rebound has leveled off already or will accelerate," Huang told Xinhua via email. "The caution comes from modest growth in consumption since households are cautious and concerns about export prospects given possible virus setbacks in the U.S. and Europe," said Huang, who served as the World Bank's country director for China from 1997 to 2004. Lardy, meanwhile, highlighted China's resilience on the export side. "Several months ago, a lot of people were saying that the external sector was going to be a big drag on China's growth," he said. "But that clearly has not happened yet." Global trade is down 16 percent year-to-date, while China's exports in June rose 0.5 percent from a year earlier, Lardy said, noting that "it's an extremely strong performance" compared with the rest of the world. "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." Sachs, also a senior United Nations advisor, said China's economic recovery will help to lead a global recovery. China should join together with Japan, South Korea, and other countries that have suppressed the virus to support other countries, especially in Africa and Asia, to do the same, Sachs said. "That will speed the return to global sustainable development." JUBA, South Sudan, July 17, 2020 (Morning Star News) Radical Muslims in Sudan took to the streets on July 17 to protest the transitional governments adoption of amendments to decriminalize apostasy and repeal other Islamist laws. The apostasy law has been used for more than 30 years to persecute those who leave Islam. The governments adoption this week of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act also allows non-Muslims to drink alcohol and abolishes public flogging as a criminal punishment. We [will] drop all the laws violating the human rights in Sudan, Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari said. Since the government announced plans for amendments to Sudanese law late Saturday night (July 11), Muslims took to social media to criticize the moves, terming them anti-Islamic and calling for massive demonstrations. Some called for holy war against the government for scrapping sharia (Islamic law) provisions. Today (July 17) limited demonstrations took place in Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman to protest the amended laws. Sharia, sharia or we die, protestors shouted. Listen you, Hamdok, this is Khartoum not New York. Dozens of people reportedly gathered in the protests. Brandishing banners reading, No to secularism, they shouted, Gods laws shall not be replaced. Abadalla Hamdok was appointed prime minister by an 11-member sovereign council of six civilians and five military leaders last year after President Omar al-Bashir was deposed in April 2019. Hamdoks government has implemented several democratic initiatives. The apostasy law was used in 2014 to condemn to flogging and death the then-pregnant, Christian mother Meriam Yahi Ibrahim on false allegations of leaving Islam. She was released from prison on June 23, 2014, less than two months after Morning Star News broke the story of false charges of apostasy against her that set off a firestorm of international protests. Sudans amended laws also ban female genital mutilation and abolish its law requiring women to obtain permission from a male guardian to travel abroad with their children. While the full text of the legislation has not yet been made public, reports indicate that the apostasy law was replaced by an article that prohibits hate speech, a U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) statement reads. However, the status of Sudans blasphemy law remains unclear. USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava praised the amendments. We applaud the significant, historic steps Sudan is taking to safeguard the rights of women and girls and the freedom of religion or belief and urge, wide, immediate and effective implementation of these reforms, Bhargava said in a statement. We also urge Sudan to continue with necessary legislative reform, including repealing the countrys blasphemy law and ensuring that laws regulating hate speech comply with international human rights standards and do not impede freedom of religion or belief. Church leaders and other Christians termed the move as positive but said they were still waiting for the return of Christians assets confiscated under the prior Islamist regime. It is a good move, and I hope all will go well with these changes of laws, the Rev. Yahia Abdelrahim Nalu of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) told Morning Star News. Apostasy was introduced in Sudan in 1983 as part of the sharia imposed by Col. Gaafar al-Nimeiry during his rule from 1969 to 1985, leading to civil war between the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian and animist south. Following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, Bashir vowed to adopt a stricter version of sharia and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language. Church leaders said Sudanese authorities demolished or confiscated churches and limited Christian literature on the pretext that most Christians have left the country following South Sudans secession. In April 2013 the then-Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments announced that no new licenses would be granted for building new churches in Sudan, citing a decrease in the South Sudanese population. Sudan since 2012 had expelled foreign Christians and bulldozed church buildings. Besides raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, authorities threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who did not leave or cooperate with them in their effort to find other Christians. After Bashir was deposed, military leaders initially formed a military council to rule the country, but further demonstrations led them to accept a transitional government of civilians and military figures, with a predominantly civilian government to be democratically elected in three years. Christians were expected to have greater voice under the new administration. The new government that was sworn in on Sept. 8, 2019 led by Hamdok, an economist, is tasked with governing during a transition period of 39 months. It faces the challenges of rooting out longstanding corruption and an Islamist deep state rooted in Bashirs 30 years of power. In light of advances in religious freedom since Bashir was ousted in April, the U.S. State Department announced on Dec. 20, 2019 that Sudan had been removed from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom and was upgraded to a watch list. Sudan had been designated a CPC by the U.S. State Department since 1999. Sudan ranked 7th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Peter Hermes Furian BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 19 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: The European Union has been engaging with Turkmenistan, along with Azerbaijan, on negotiations for linking Turkmen gas supplies to the Southern gas corridor, the EU delegation to Turkmenistan told Trend. "The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Energy, signed between the EU and Turkmenistan in 2008, provides a framework for an information exchange on energy policies, the diversification of transit routes and the promotion of renewable and energy efficiency,-" said the delegation. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe. The launching ceremony of the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor was held in Baku on May 29, 2018, while opening ceremony of The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP)s Phase 0 was held on June 12, 2018 in the Turkish city of Eskisehir. TANAP-Europe connection was opened on Nov.30, 2019 in Ipsala, Edirne, Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan with its huge reserves could be one of the key countries to join the Southern Gas Corridor. More than 190 oil and gas fields have been discovered on the territory of Turkmenistan, and the hydrocarbon reserves of deep-water fields in the Caspian sea amount to 12 billion tons of oil and more than 6 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. VP for marketing and investment at Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR Elshad Nasirov said in 2019 that the Southern Gas Corridor can also transport gas from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Similar opinion was voiced by World Bank (WB) expert Alexander Huurdeman at the "Oil and gas of Turkmenistan-2019", the 24th international exhibition and conference, where he pointed out that with the formation of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) in 2020, gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Europe are becoming reality. The Southern Gas Corridor comprises the following four projects: (i) operation of Shah Deniz natural gas-condensate field ("SD1" project) and its full-field development ("SD2'" project), (ii) the operation of the South Caucasus Pipeline ("SCP" project) and its expansion ("SCPX" project), (iii) the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline ("TANAP" project) and (iv) the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline ("TAP" project) (SD2, SCPX, TANAP and TAP collectively, the "Projects"). The projects have an estimated investment cost of approximately $40 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Dhaka, July 20 : Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen has appealed to Spain to urge the international community to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar so that the country abides by its commitment for repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Momen expressed gratitude for the Spanish government's continued support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. Outgoing Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alvaro de Salas Gimenez de Azcarate said Spain will need seasonal workers for agriculture in summer season. Momen requested the outgoing envoy to consider employing seasonal workers from Bangladesh as they have expertise in agriculture sector. Reiterating Bangladesh's commitment to combat the devastating effects of climate change, Momen recalled the successful visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the COP25 in Madrid in December 2019. Momen envoy raised his government's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 and also apprised the ambassador of Bangladesh's timely and effective policies in this regard. The outgoing Spanish Ambassador paid a farewell courtesy call to Momen on Sunday afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh here. Mentioning the existing investment-friendly schemes of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh foreign minister called for more investments from Spain as well as sharing expertise, especially in energy and tourism sector with Bangladesh. Momen mentioned that Bangladesh has exported 6.5 million PPEs to USA as well as supplied medicines, such as remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine to many countries during the pandemic. Spain can rely on Bangladesh for PPE and other pharmaceutical products related to prevention and treatment of COVID-19, he said. Ahmedabad: People clashed with bank officials at several places, leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention in Gujarat where long queues continued outside bank branches across the state on Saturday. People complained of difficulties with several ATMs remaining closed, and banks exchanging the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes with coins and small denomination currency. "Nobody is accepting old currency notes, even hospitals are now refusing to do so because of which we are facing difficulty. Several ATMs still remain closed," said Ramesh Agarwal, who came to exchange his old notes at a bank. People also complained that they were given coins in exchange for old notes. "Officials said they have run out of new Rs 2000 notes and they only have coins for exchange," said Bipin Patel, who came to exchange his notes at one bank branch. "They have given me coins of Rs 4,000 which is very difficult to carry," he said. Rajesh Shah, a senior citizen, said lack of money has caused hardship in purchasing essential items such as milk, bread and vegetable. "We stood in queues for two days to get our old currency exchanged. We have Rs 3 lakh in bank account, but we are unable to purchase essential items. Modi should first have made proper arrangement for cash before declaring this," said Shah. At several places people clashed with bank officials leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention. At a bank branch at Shihori in Banaskantha district, police resorted to lathi-charge after people clashed with bank officials when they refused to dispense money. Similar incident was reported at a bank branch in Abdasa in Kutch when people clashed with bank officials. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita celebrated seven years of marriage and two weeks of being dads on Instagram Monday. The Modern Family actor shared a tender photo of his love holding their newborn son Beckett and wrote about how 'lucky' he was to have him in the caption. '7 years ago today I married you. Two weeks ago I got to see you become a dad,' Ferguson said. 'We are entering a whole new chapter and I couldnt be happier to be doing it with you. Their little family: Jesse Tyler Ferguson shared a sweet anniversary tribute to husband Justin Mikita on Monday, marking their first anniversary as dads 'Happy anniversary @justinmikita. Beckett is so lucky to have you and so am I.' Justin was the image of a doting dad as he bottle fed his baby boy while in a hospital bed. Another picture in the post was a cute throwback to Mikita in his childhood days. First timers: Jesse and Justin became first-time fathers last month Young at heart: Another picture in the post was a cute throwback to Mikita in his childhood days Jesse and Justin became first-time fathers in June. In a statement to People, a rep for the actor confirmed that the couple 'welcomed their little bundle of joy Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita on July 7, 2020. 'The new parents are overjoyed and excited for this new journey as a family-of-three,' concluded the statement. In June Ferguson fired back at an Instagram troll who took to the comment section to criticize the couple' choice of baby name. 'what a stupid name seriously lol,' wrote the commenter, which prompted Jesse to examining the hater's own Instagram page. '"If we could all just get along as one nation." -you four posts ago,' Jesse wrote, showing the commenter's inherent hypocrisy. 'Sending love to you sir from us and Beckett,' he added ironically. Criticism: Over the weekend, Ferguson fired back at an Instagram troll who took to the comment section to criticize the couple' choice of baby name Unfortunately, it was only one of many negative comments on the post, which were mixed in amongst well-wishers leaving congratulatory notes. Jesse announced his engagement to Justin in September of 2012, after dating for two years. The duo said their I do's in New York City on July 20, 2013 with Angels In America playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner officiating the wedding. After wrapping 11 seasons on his hit ABC sitcom, Jesse became the new host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in February. The central team led by joint secretary Lav Agarwal will hold meetings and provide necessary support to the health department officials The visit of the central team comes amid allegations of negligence and mishandling of COVID-19 situation by the state government. (PTI Photo) Patna: Amid rising corona cases a three-member central team reached Patna on Sunday to review the Bihar governments preparedness to deal with the crisis in the state. The central team led by joint secretary Lav Agarwal will hold meetings and provide necessary support and guidance to the state health department officials, sources said. The visit of the central team comes amid allegations of negligence and mishandling of COVID-19 situation by the state government being led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The team is also likely to visit other districts including Gaya to review the sudden rise in coronavirus cases. As per an assessment, the total number of COVID cases in the state has gone up to 24967. Patna with 3581 positive cases and 28 deaths has been the worst hit followed by Bhagalpur where 1532 cases have been reported and 16 persons have died due to the deadly virus. Other districts where the situation is grim are Siwan where 1094 cases and 6 deaths have been recorded, Muzaffarpur 1082 cases and 8 deaths and Gaya 768 cases and thirteen deaths. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had earlier blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not being able to handle the crisis properly and alleged that the government was hiding actual figures and misleading people of Bihar. He also lashed out at the state government for conducting low number of tests. Testing in Bihar is the lowest in the country. The government is also trying to hide actual COVID figures. The central team is being sent because cases are rising in Bihar. The state government should be more transparent in providing actual figures Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav said. Besides, people are also sharing videos and pictures on social media to show the apathy of doctors and medical staff towards Covid-19 patients in Bihar. Sources said that cases of negligence in government hospitals could be due to the lack of PPE kits and other safety gears. A senior doctor in Patna told this newspaper that, medical staff cant do anything because they dont have enough PPE kits and fear being infected with the virus. The ruling BJP however, feels that the opposition RJD has been raising the issue for political gains ahead of assembly elections which is due later this year. The opposition parties in Bihar have done nothing during COVID-19 period which is visible in their desperate attempt to tarnish the image of Nitish Kumar led NDA government. The opposition has resorted to propaganda by below the belt attack and presenting negative connotations. It is clear the collective effort of Union as well as the state government is ensuring the entire good and positive thing on ground zero. The Bihar government has taken up the challenge well, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said. Hollywood stars Robert Downey Jr and Tom Holland have joined their "Avengers: Endgame" co-star Chris Evans in sending sweet messages to a young boy who saved his sister from a dog attack. Six-year-old Bridger saved his four-year-old sister on July 9 by standing between her and a charging dog. According to Nicole Noel Walker, his aunt, the child received 90 stitches after getting bitten by the canine. After Walker reached out to the Avengers team through an Instagram post, Evans, in a video message, promised to send Bridger, an avid Avengers fan, "an authentic Captain America shield". Now the 'Iron-Man' star promised he will gift Bridger something "special" on his next birthday. "Bridger, you're a rockstar. I hear (Captain America) sent a shield your way. I'm gonna do one better, you call me on your next birthday. I got something special for you. By the way, that's a promise. A promise beats a shield," Downey Jr said. Holland, meanwhile, spoke to Bridger on a video call and invited him to come to the sets of the next "Spider-Man" film. "If you ever want to come to set and hang out, and see the Spider-Man suit up close, and hang out with us, you're always welcome. I want to say you are so brave, mate. We are all so proud of you, and your little sister is so lucky to have someone like you," he added. Other Marvel stars Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson, Hollywood star Anne Hathaway, "The Flash" series stars Grant Gustin and Robbie Amell also praised Bridger's bravery. (Newser) REI employees are accusing the sporting goods company of a lack of transparency surrounding workers who test positive for COVID-19. Among the most glaring examples, as recounted by the New York Times, is the case of an employee in Grand Rapids, Mich., who messaged fellow workers on July 6 to let them know he had tested positive for the coronavirus the week prior, but had been instructed by store management not to tell anyone or post about the diagnosis on social media. While the store did close July 3, the day after the test results came back positive, to investigate "potential" virus exposure, managers ultimately determined no one had been exposed, and reopened the store the following day. "Until the person had sent that group message, I didnt realize that so many people didnt know," says one employee who resigned, in part, over the incident. story continues below The uproar over that incident led to employees from other stores sharing similar stories about management not properly informing them about co-workers who had tested positive. In response, REI changed its guidelines (which initially only called for anyone who had been within six feet of the COVID-positive person for more than 15 minutes to be informed) so that managers can now notify the entire team if someone tests positive, and tell employees when the person worked at the store. The new guidelines also start tracing exposure earlier; REI was initially only tracing exposure within 48 hours of the test results, not the day the test was taken. "Some employees wanted transparency above what CDC guidelines and our policies directed, so we made that adjustment," says an REI rep. The company has not, however, addressed the claim that the Grand Rapids employee was instructed not to reveal his diagnosis. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on the 10th day of the hearing on the libel case against The Sun newspaper. (Getty Images) Amber Heard has admitted hitting Johnny Depp as she gave evidence in his libel trial, adding she threw things to escape him. Heard has begun the first of three days of evidence at the High Court in day 10 of a libel case by Depp against The Sun newspaper and its executive editor Dan Wooten over an article that referred to him as a "wife beater. During an extraordinary day of evidence, Heard confirmed she had been violent to Depp, but only in self-defence and that she was never violent to anyone outside of her relationship with the actor. During cross-examination on Monday, the actress was played a recording of a conversation, taken by Depp, in which he can be heard to say: Im not the one who throws pots and whatever the f*** else at me. Heard then replied: Thats different. Thats different thats irrelevant, thats a complete non sequitur. Just because Ive thrown pots and pans does not mean you cannot come and knock on my door. Depp can then appear to be heard saying: I watched you lie. Heard then replies: I didnt punch you but I was hitting you, It wasnt punching you, babe, youre not punched. Asked by Eleanor Laws, a lawyer for Depp, whether Heard was actually admitting to hitting him, Heard said that was correct, to which Laws asked: Was that an honest admission? Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court. (PA) The actress replied: It was honest at the time because thats what happened the night before. Laws also asked Heard if she ever got violent with Depp, to which the actress said: No, Johnny often put me in a situation where I was confronted with unimaginable frustrations and difficulties, often that were life-threatening to me. She added that she would try to defend myself when he got serious and when I thought my life was threatened, but I was never violent towards him. Heard said she threw things only to escape him, adding: Im not admitting throwing pots and pans, Im trying to keep Johnny on track in this argument or in this conversation. Story continues Depp denies 14 allegations of domestic violence that News Group Newspapers (NGN) is relying on for its defence. I was afraid he was going to kill me Heards evidence began with a bombshell witness statement on Monday morning in which she alleged she was afraid Depp was going to kill her. The actress claimed he threatened to kill her many times, especially later in their relationship. She also alleged the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was very good at manipulating people and would blame his actions on a self-created third party he called the monster. Heard alleged that at one point Depp grabbed her by the neck. (PA) She accused Depp of subjecting her to verbal and physical abuse including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking, as well as extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour. She alleged: Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. Three-day hostage situation Heard also described in the statement a three-day hostage situation with Depp where he allegedly went on a drug binge, attacked her, urinated in front of people and hid raw meat in a wardrobe. She said she went to visit him in Australia in March 2015 while he was filming Pirates Of The Caribbean and they were due to be alone for three days. Heard said she feared for her life and described it as the worst thing I have ever been through, describing it as like a three-day hostage situation. We were due to be there for three days on our own, but it was only when I arrived that I realised I was trapped in this remote place without any means to leave and that Johnny had already been using and had a bag of drugs, she said. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard pictured in 2015 at the premiere of The Danish Girl. (Getty) I was in a remote house, at least 20 minutes from help; where I could not leave; was trapped and isolated with a violent person suffering from manic depression, bipolar disorder and a pattern of repeated, drug-induced psychosis and violence, who was on a multiple-day drug and alcohol binge. Over the course of those three days, there were extreme acts of psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence. It is the worst thing I have ever been through. I was left with an injured lip and nose and cuts on my arms. Heard alleged that at one point Depp grabbed her by the neck, shoved her against the fridge and said he could crush her neck. He accused me of sleeping with DiCaprio Heard also claimed that Depp accused her of having affairs with fellow actors and branded her a sl*t. The actress alleged he would demand to read her scripts to know about romantic scenes in her films and had nicknames for all of her male co-stars that he considered a sexual threat. Heard claimed Depp was very jealous and would taunt her and obsess about who she had slept with and been out with before him. She said: He would insist every male actor was trying to sleep with me and/or that I had had an affair with them, that hed spoken to people and knew all about it. He accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum; even women co-stars like Kelly Garner. Heard pictured with Channing Tatum at the Magic Mike XXL European premiere in 2015. (AP) Heard with James Franco at the LA premiere of The Adderall Diaries in 2016. (AP) He also accused me of having affairs with stars I auditioned with, like Leonardo DiCaprio. He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was pumpkin-head, Channing Tatum was potato-head and Jim Turd Sturgess. Heard said Depp would get himself copies of the scripts she was looking at, without asking her, in order to review them for himself. Heard said that over time, she stopped wearing revealing dresses for red carpet events as it just wasnt worth the verbal and psychological abuse. He demeaned me any time I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a whore, sl*t, fame-hungry and an attention whore, but it got worse over time, she said. He started saying things like well Im going to have to watch you get raped and I hope you get railed by a bunch of f***ing fellas. Heard said Depp would also call her fat ass, and that sometimes she would respond by calling him old man or limp d**k. Read more: Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis no longer giving evidence in Depp libel claim Heard accused Depp of threatening to kill her 'many times', especially later in their relationship. (AP) On the witness stand, Heard was asked about allegations of an argument in January 2015 about a prenuptial agreement. There was an argument in a hotel room in Tokyo that resulted in Johnny kneeling on my back and hitting me on the back of the head, Heard told the court. Read more: Amber Heard made domestic violence claims to blackmail Johnny Depp, court hears But then Johnny was also accusing me of having an affair with a co-star and that is what led to the actual argument. She alleged: Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. Depp and Heard met when they starred opposite one another in The Rum Diary. Here the pair are pictured at the London premiere in 2011. (AP) He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. He would speak about it as if it was another person or personality and not him doing all these things. In the statement, Heard said she had never been with someone like him, and the early days of their relationship were the best times, adding he could be intensely affectionate, warm and charming, which she said she called the warm glow. When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking: the way he talked about our relationship being dead or alive and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship. She added: He could be very intense and dark. It was the polar opposite of the warm glow. After violent episodes, his team would try to convince me to stay with him or to come back, often telling me he was sorry and would get clean for me. I think I stayed not only because I had hope of him getting clean and things changing, but also because of the responsibility I felt, being told I was the one to motivate him and help him to get clean. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Depps Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Heards volatile relationship described by Depp as a crime scene waiting to happen. Depp and Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012, before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard is facing questioning over 14 allegations of domestic violence all denied by Depp that The Suns publisher News Group Newspapers relies on in defence of the April 2018 article. (AP) Heard alleged that 'some incidents were so severe' she was afraid Depp would 'kill her'. (AP) Heard obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Depp in LA shortly after the couple split in 2016 and later donated her $7m (5.5m) divorce settlement to charity. Depp is suing NGN and 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 that there was overwhelming evidence Depp assaulted Heard on a number of occasions and left her in fear for her life. NGN is defending the article as true, and says Depp was controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Depp is suing Heard in separate libel proceedings in the US over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which did not mention Depp by name but said the actress received the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out. A prominent journalist and a political party leader have been charged with "incitement to participate in public violence" in Zimbabwe. Journalist Hopewell Chin'ono and head of the Transform Zimbabwe party Jacob Ngarivhume were arrested in the country's capital Harare on Monday. Lawyers for the two men told Sky News that their detention forms part of a pattern of increasing state intimidation against critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration. Mr Chin'ono tried to live stream his arrest on Facebook as security agents entered his house and banged on his bedroom door. Over the past three months, the journalist has revealed the existence of controversial contracts linking senior members of the ruling ZANU-PF party with well-connected businessmen. His work led to the arrest and dismissal of the Zimbabwean health minister, Obadiah Moyo, who has been accused of "inappropriate conduct" for his role in a multi-million-pound medical equipment scandal. Mr Chin'ono's lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, told Sky News that security agents broke through a window in the journalist's house and detained him without producing a warrant. "He has been taken to the 'law and order' section of [Harare's] main police station and dumped there," she said. "Now they have to find something to charge him with. They always do it this way." Later, the well-known journalist was charged with inciting anti-government demonstrations planned for the end of the month, although it is his work on corruption in the ruling party that is thought to have angered officials. "Chin'ono has taken the bread out of the mouths of some important people in Zimbabwe ," said Ms Mtetwa. Mr Ngarivhume, who was also arrested, had run an internet campaign calling for nationwide anti-corruption protests on 31 July, using the hashtag #ZanuPFMustGo. Authorities said the proposed demonstrations breach lockdown regulations on public gatherings. Story continues Shortly after both men were arrested, government spokesman Nick Mangwana wrote on Twitter: "There is no profession which is above the law. Journalists are not above the law Anyone suspected to have committed a crime should be subjected to due process." The arrests have triggered anger and concern from the diplomatic community. Human rights and press freedom organisations have called for their immediate release. The British Embassy in Zimbabwe wrote on Twitter: "Following closely reports of the arrests of Hopewell Chin'ono & Jacob Ngarivhume today. Urge the authorities to follow the rule of law and uphold media freedoms and freedom of speech #ActiononReform." The European Union also said it was "concerned" about the arrests and called for the release of Mr Chin'ono. "Journalism is not a crime, but a crucial pillar of any democratic society & of the fight against corruption. Journalists and freedom of expression deserve protection," it said in a tweet. Teej is a celebration of the monsoons (saawan or shraavan) and all that accompanies it. It is the celebration of nature and its abundance during this period. With India being an agricultural country primarily, this festival serves an important role in the Hindu culture. Women around the country, celebrate this festival by welcoming the monsoon with singing and dancing, dressing up in brightly-coloured clothing, applying henna on their hands and sharing stories with their family and friends. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and her union with Lord Shiva. According to legend, Parvati had to go through 108 cycles of birth and rebirth, until Lord Shiva finally agreed to marry her. The Goddess Parvati is also known as Teej Mata and Hindu women around the world pray to her on this festival for the protection of their husbands and thank her for the abundant monsoon. ALSO READ: 5 Hartalika Teej special mehndi patterns to try Teej, which literally means third, falls on the third day of the month of Shraavan and on the third days of the waning and waxing of the moon (Shukla Paksha) in the month of Bhadrapada, in accordance with the Hindu lunar calendar. This year Teej is being celebrated on July 23 and will mark the day that women observe a full day fast for the well-being and health of their family. Though in all essence, the festival of Teej has the same significance for people all over the country, the mythology of how this day came to be celebrated is a matter of lore that has been passed down through generations. From Hariyali Teej in Punjab and Rajasthan, to Kajari Teej in the Uttar Pradesh and parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Hartalika Teej further south; each of these different celebrations have developed their own rituals through the course of time. ALSO READ: Ghewar sales unaffected: Foodies in Delhi-NCR cant stay away from this festive sweet Hariyali Teej gets its name from the abundance of greenery we see in nature after the rains. It is meant to symbolise the richness and contentment of a happily married life. Kajari Teej is also known as Boorhi Teej, and during this celebration women pray to Lord Shiva in the form of song, asking for a husband so that they can celebrate the occasion of Teej properly at their in-laws homes. Ghewar, coconut laddoos, sabudana kheer and aloo halwa are some of the sweets prepared and consumed during this festival. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter We acknowledge the efforts of the National Peace Council (NPC) in ensuring that political parties adhere to the contents of the anti-vigilantism rulebook as the clock ticks towards election 2020. We are especially excited that the NPC is on the verge of establishing a monitoring team that would keep a tab on the activities of the parties. There are no doubts about the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) being the dominant parties and their supporters and sometimes thugs responsible for the violence that sometimes rocks the boat of politics in the country. The ongoing registration exercise should be an important barometer of the health of political activities in the country. While the process has been generally peaceful, we would still implore the leadership of both the NPP and the NDC to pull the ropes on their 'bad boys' because Ghana has had enough of the troubles of Covid-19 and cannot add on the irresponsibility of party thugs. Both parties have been accused of engaging in acts of vigilantism and, therefore, responsible for the campaign season tension although the degree of involvement varies somewhat. We should grow past the violent days of local politics and move on towards a new political order in which the interest of Mother Ghana outweighs all others. The recent appending of the signature of the opposition NDC to the vigilante document we hope will herald a new beginning in how we manage our partisan differences. To the NPP which did so earlier, it is our hope that the party's leadership will walk its talk of peace and really disregard its 'bad boys' as the Covid-19 virtual campaign season heats up. The NDC too should have a new slate without the blemish of lawlessness and association with thugs or land guards. That should be confined to its history, no longer a feature of a new NDC. Let us witness a different election in which both parties would ensure decency in language and action on the political field. Any of the two main parties (NPP and NDC), which violates the terms of the vigilantism undertaking to which both have agreed to abide by, should be named and shamed. The security agencies, especially the Police Administration, should be allowed to do its work without interference from politicians at the helm. Appointees who flout the law should not only be made to face the full rigour of the law but also they must be exposed and humiliated. Ghana's peace and stability is paramount, for which reason nobody should be spared the rod when they compromise it. Stock photo of an ambulance. (Michael Gil via Wikimedia Commons) CBS New York Reporter Nina Kapur Dies Following Moped Crash CBS New York reporter Nina Kapur has died after a moped accident, according to the station. She was 26 years old. Kapur was injured during the incident before she was taken to a hospital in Manhattan, where she was later pronounced dead, the station said. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ninas family, CBS New York wrote, adding that she will be missed. Friends and colleagues paid tribute to her. Our hearts are broken. @CBSNewYork @ninakapur1 we will miss your smile, your warmth, your presence. Rest In Peace young lady, Chris Wragge of CBS New York wrote. Our hearts are broken. @CBSNewYork @ninakapur1 we will miss your smile, your warmth, your presence. Rest In Peace young lady. pic.twitter.com/b4rBhvHWGx Chris Wragge (@ChrisWragge) July 20, 2020 CBSs John Diaz added that Kapur was a true angel on earth, and now she is a real one in heaven. A former college classmate, Jane Hong, wrote of Kapur, This is the Nina Kapur I met in college: excellent at what she did while wearing a big smile on her face. She added: I remember telling her I couldnt wait to watch her on national news one day she deserved more. Praying for her family and loved ones. Journalist Zach Parnes described Kapur, a Pennsylvania native, as a shining light. She made countless sacrifices to make it to New York. Her work wont be forgotten, he added. Kapur joined CBS New York in June 2019 after working at New York Citys News 12. She previously attended Syracuse University. Other details about her death were not provided. New Hamburg The latest Grand River Conservation Authority report on flooding in New Hamburg lays out mitigation options to consider, but warns there is no quick fix. From an aerial view, the Nith River and the town of New Hamburg are utterly entangled. The downtown core is hugged by the river on almost every side. Accordingly, the town is notorious for flooding. GRCA has recorded major flooding events in New Hamburg in 1948, 1954, 1975, 2008, 2018 and this past January. A year ago the Grand River Conservation Authority commissioned a study to estimate the cost of flood damages to New Hamburg and to evaluate options to protect the town. The report warns no amount of preparation can guarantee against flooding: There will always be risk in the floodplain of New Hamburg. The report presents seven shortlisted flood mitigation options including combinations of widening the river channel, realigning, extending and raising dike walls, clearing vegetation on dike banks, replacing bridges to reduce their interference with water flow, and improving individual building resilience against flooding. New Hamburgs dike and channel infrastructure was constructed in the 1970s. Making changes to it will be expensive and require environmental assessments for any potential impact to downstream water levels. The studys options range in cost up to $28 million, with returns on investment ranging from five to 123 years. The report recommends starting with lower-cost actions like increasing flood resiliency of private buildings, including basement waterproofing, sealing low level windows and doors and installing backflow valves to ensure sewage does not flow in the wrong direction during a flood. The other short-term, low cost action is to clear the vegetation along the dike banks and continue maintenance. These actions could provide immediate mitigation. The Grand River Conservation Authoritys next steps include conducting a review of dike ownership and access in the area since the flooding infrastructure crosses Grand River Conservation Authority, township and private land. Other actions include facilitating further discussion with the township and sourcing funding opportunities to carry out the projects. The report can be viewed on the Grand River Conservation Authoritys general meeting agenda on page 107 here. (Natural News) The worlds top superpowers are in a battle to dominate the 5G landscape, which includes data collection, data security, and data control. Many technology and national security experts view Chinas largest technology company, Huawei, as a cybersecurity threat capable of infiltrating countries with surveillance equipment that can be used to the advantage of Chinas Communist Party. Huawei has participated in the surveillance and mass detention of the Uyghurs in China, helping Chinese authorities round up the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang re-education camps. US and Great Britain working to keep China out of its 5G infrastructure The Trump Administration is wary of what China is capable of if they continue to infiltrate countries with their surveillance equipment. No countrys data is safe if the communists get control over it. Right now, the United States and the United Kingdom are partnering up to develop new solutions for next generation wireless technology solutions that do not require dependence upon Chinas technology. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on July 16th to announce that the two countries are partnering to prevent the use of unsecure technology in its 5G networks. The Trump Administration convinced British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to purge the country of all equipment made by Chinese tech giant Huawei. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered that Huawei be banned from all 5G networks in Britain by the end of 2027, dumping all the non-core parts of its 5G network that were built by Huawei. In the meantime, British telecommunication companies will not be allowed to buy any equipment from Huawei. India has also made moves against China, and has banned 59 Chinese apps. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, We convinced many countries, many countriesI did this myself for the most partnot to use Huawei, because we think its an unsafe security risk, its a big security risk. The Secretary and Foreign Secretary agreed to work together to promote the development of additional trusted 5G solutions, said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. China looks to take control over data, to control populations The Chinese Communist Party seeks to gain power by covert infiltration and manipulation. One of the slyest, most effective ways to do so is to get control over a countrys data. China already abuses its own citizens by conducting intrusive surveillance on them, imposing social credit scores that judge a person based on their trustworthiness and behavior. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said Chinese Communist Party leaders are determined to control the future of 5G, and the U.S. must lead on the issue, not succumbing to Chinas manipulation and control tactics. McCaul strongly encourages all European and other countries to follow the UKs lead and remove Huawei from their 5G infrastructure immediately. China is already looking to retaliate and is threatening to sell off their British assets. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying accused the British government of discriminating against Huawei and vowed to take all necessary measures to counter the British government. As suspicion toward China rises, its big tech industry faces a global fallout. The race for 5G and data collection rages on as countries try to protect themselves from falling prey to the Orwellian abuses of Communist China. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Wired.co.uk A Donegal man whose dream coffee business began on the side of the road is looking forward to opening a second shop which will offer a unique experience for the Derry public. The Coronavirus pandemic has been tough on local businesses and news that Eason closed in Foyleside came as a blow to the city centre. There are however independent businesses who despite the current economic uncertainty are branching out and creating employment in the city. Much loved food truck and eatery Pyke N Pommes revealed on social media that it is about to take over a new unit at the old Primrose cafe on the Strand Road. An exciting new project, BRN, has also been announced at recently vacated premises on Bishop Street which will house a coffee bar, barista school, restaurant and cocktail bar with locally sourced beer and spirits. Daragh McCauley is the owner of 9ine Hostages Coffee Company which is based at the top of Waterloo Street. He will run the new venture with business partner Connor Allen who has been manager at Harrys Shack in Portstewart since it opened. 9ine Hostages started as a coffee van on the side of the road in Donegal before they opened the shop in Derry towards the end of 2019. My dream was always to open a coffee shop, Mr McCauley said. A refined menu at 9ine Hostages consists of grilled cheese toasties with a choice of good quality local meats and homemade ingredients as well as the best quality bread and baked goods. It was slow going at the beginning but the pandemic came as a blow as the business was beginning to gain some traction. With a one-way system in operation they were able to successfully reopen once permission was granted. Mr McCauley believes the quality of coffee sourced from Bailies Coffee Roasters is second to none The most important ingredient is the passion 9 Hostages has for all of their products, he added. Anyone using Bailies products in the North West of the country will now be trained at the new Bishop Street premises. BRN will offer coffee and food throughout the day and sit-down meals in the evening complemented by craft beers and cocktails. They intend to support local as much as possible through suppliers and employing staff from the North West. Ive been working in coffee now for about four and a half years, Im going to stay managing this shop but will work in BRN as well, Mr McCauley explained. Were going to try and create as many jobs as we possibly can. About 30 people across both businesses. The barista school will be opened upstairs on Bishop Street. Were hoping to open around August 14 and well know this week whether thats going to happen. Weve a lot of staff hired but are still looking for people with experience. Mr McCauley said he feels confident opening the new business in the current climate because the people of Derry have done a good job of looking after each other and businesses have been sensible. Derry has been really, really good so far and the way we will lay the shop out on Bishop Street it held about 95 people but well be dropping it to 60 and the tables will be spaced out without losing the atmosphere. It will be a cosy but modern shop and unless there was a complete lockdown again wed be very confident with the way we have it laid out that it will work. By Aisha Jabbarova Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has adopted a communique on Armenias recent military provocation at the Azerbaijan-Armenian border, the Foreign Ministrys press service reported on July 19. In the communique, the NAM Member States strongly condemns the recent armed attack by Armenian armed forces, with the use of artillery, against the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan along the international border between the two States. It has been stressed that this incident led to the escalation of tensions in the region and caused numerous casualties. The Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement reaffirms its support to the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. The NAM Member States extend their firm support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and express their solidarity with the Republic of Azerbaijan in the efforts aimed at restoration of its territorial integrity, the ministry said. Thus, the 120 Member States of the Non-Aligned Movement expressed their just position on the recent military provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the border between the two countries and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, based on norms and principles of the international law, the ministry concluded. 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. Twelve Azerbaijani servicemen and a civilian in Tovuzs Aghdam village were killed as a result of hostilities. ___ Follow us on Twiter @AzerNews The affidavit submitted by the Uttar Pradesh government in the Supreme Court in justification of the encounter killing of Vikas Dubey raises more questions than it answers. A close scrutiny of the affidavit filed by Director General of Police (DGP) Hitesh Chandra Awasthy points out several factors that flag concerns regarding policing in the state as well as obvious sloppiness of the state administration. How did Vikas Dubey have a valid Arms license despite 63 criminal cases? Even as Dubey was facing 63 criminal cases, for charges under murder, extortion, dacoity and kidnapping, the gangster and his henchmen still held valid Arms licenses, authorising them to carry guns. Dubeys license was not cancelled even though he had been sentenced to life imprisonment in one of the murder cases against him. Similarly, many of his associates too carried guns with valid licenses. It suggests grave lapses as to how Dubey was issued a license and he could legally carry a gun despite being a hardened criminal and a convict. If Dubey carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on him, how was he out? The affidavit maintained that Dubey was booked under the National Security Act since 2001. There was also a reward of Rs 5 lakh on him in connection with an FIR lodged in 2020 under charges of abducting a person with an intent to kill. But the DGP is silent as to how Dubey was not in jail despite having 63 cases on him in total, out of which three criminal cases were registered in 2020 itself. There are some recent videos of Dubey doing the rounds, including the one in which he can be seen attending the wedding of his nephew. One would wonder how a man carrying Rs 5 lakh as reward on his head, with three decades of criminal career, would so comfortably attend a wedding. Why did the police not seek cancellation of Dubeys bail in a 2020 FIR? In another case registered against Dubey in 2020, he was out on bail but there was no appeal made by the police to get his bail cancelled. This FIR by Kanpur police had invoked penal charges of abduction with intent to murder, apart from rioting and criminal intimidation. Even as the affidavit mentions Dubey as a history sheeter, the police chose not to even challenge bail to the Gang leader of D-124, who by that time had more than five dozen cases against him. Instead, the DGP has said that Dubey was under constant surveillance. How did Dubey get out on parole when he was serving life term in one case and stood charged in five dozen other cases? Grant of parole to Dubey also creates suspicion. Someone who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, apart from facing serious charges in over 60 other cases, was released on parole after a favourable report by the prison officials. The DGPs affidavit in the Supreme Court casually mentions that when Dubey massacred eight policemen on July 2, he was out on parole while undergoing life imprisonment in a case. There is nothing further disclosed as to how someone like Dubey with a long list of serious crimes could come out on parole. Were the state government, police actively pursuing over 60 criminal cases against Dubey? The affidavit lists out the 63 criminal cases in which Dubey was facing charges before he killed eight policemen on July 2. Out of this, there were seven murder cases -- oldest in 1992 and the latest in 2017. There were also nine cases of attempted murder. But the DGP has refrained from giving any details regarding these cases, such as the status of the investigations, trials or convictions. While the chart furnishes numbers of the cases, sections of the Indian Penal Code invoked, it fails to apprise the apex court of status of any of these cases so as to demonstrate if the state government was pursuing the prosecutions against him with appropriate seriousness. Why was such a hardened and dreaded history sheeter not handcuffed enroute? The affidavit also admits that Dubey was not handcuffed when he was being brought to Kanpur from Ujjain. On this aspect, the DGP does not give rationale behind not hand-cuffing a man who had a week ago brutally killed eight policemen. Instead, the response to this aspect merely states that there were 15 personnel and three vehicles to escort the accused to a court in Kanpur. The affidavit has mentioned that some of these aspects have been made subject matter of inquiry by the special investigation teams, which have senior officials of the state government and police as its members. But the real question for determination by the Supreme Court is whether these facts are evidence enough for having an independent inquiry by a team not associated with the dispensation in the state. All eyes will hence be on the top court on Monday. A pharmacist suffered years of abuse before her husband strangled her to death with a plastic bag to start a new life with his male lover, a review into her death has found. Jessica Patel, 34, was strangled by her husband Mitesh, 37, at their home in May 2018 in a premeditated attack so he could start a new life with his boyfriend in Australia. Mitesh Patel, who was also a pharmacist, spent five years planning her murder so he could use her frozen embryos to have a family with a lover he met on gay dating app Grindr. Patel had also planned to claim a 2m life insurance payout and tried to cover his tracks by staging a break-in and claiming an intruder must have murdered his wife. Jessica Patel, 34, was strangled by her husband Mitesh, 37, at their home in May 2018 in a premeditated attack so he could start a new life with his boyfriend in Australia. But his lies were exposed when the health app on his iPhone recorded frantic activity as he raced around the house after her death. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years after a jury took just two hours and 50 minutes to convict him of murder. A 74-page domestic homicide review into Jessica's death called for the murder to be classed as an 'honour killing'. The review suggested that the only way that Patel 'may have felt able to leave the marriage with honour' was by killing his wife. TIMELINE OF ABUSE: 2002/3 - Jessica attends university at De Montfort Leicester and has a short relationship with Patel July 2009 - The couple marry February 2010 - Jessica's grandfather is very ill and dies - Patel refuses to let her return home and stay with her family. Jessica discloses she was hit by Patel in a car July 2010 - Jessica graduates from Manchester University 2010/11 - Jessica works at a pharmacy in Bradford and disclosures to a colleague she suspects he is gay 2012 - Jessica tells her cousin of relationship problems while on holiday and of Patel spending a long time speaking to another man on the phone December 2012 - Jessica's sister finds an intimate text conversation between Patel and his lover 2013/14 - The couple move to Middlesbrough, Jessica is isolated from her family April 2015 - Jessica and Patel purchase the lease on a pharmacy. He lies about Jessica being pregnant with twins October 2015 - Jessica starts IVF treatment April 2016 - Jessica tells her GP she feels under pressure to conceive and is sent for cognitive therapy September 2016 - Jessica is prescribed medication for anxiety and depression by her GP 2017 - Pharmacy colleagues review CCTV and see Patel kissing and groping another male, they also uncover he is taking medication to lower his sperm count February 2018 - Jessica's sister tells of conversation where Jessica tells of how Patel put his hands around her neck March 2018 - Jessica's IVF is successful and three embryos are frozen May 14, 2018 - Jessica is found after being suffocated by Patel Advertisement And it found there were signs that Jessica was being domestically abused by her husband during their nine-year marriage. Her family listed a string of examples of domestic abuse and 'controlling and coercive behaviour' which were highlighted in the probe. The panel said that the individual examples on their own 'may not have seemed significant or alerted them of concerns'. But when put together, it would have shown that she was the victim of controlling behaviour and abuse. The report said Jessica had told her younger sister her husband 'hit her in the car' in arguments that he had stopped her from seeing more of her dying grandfather. It added that Jessica 'stopped speaking up about things' and 'appeared scared' when it came to committing to attending family events. Other Incidents included - Patel shouting at his wife in front of colleagues and customers at the pharmacy they ran together - Patel moving his wife to Middlesbrough from Halifax, West York., which her family said was to isolate her - Patel throwing a phone at her injuring her leg The report added: 'This became repetitive and destroyed Jessica's confidence.' Jessica's family told the probe how her husband was a 'compulsive liar' and made up how she was 'pregnant with twins'. The report said: 'This was untrue and Jessica was upset when she then had to tell the member of staff the truth. 'Mitesh thought it was funny and Jessica's family believe he was using her desire, to conceive and bear a child, against her as a way of exercising control.' The panel said that Jessica sought help from a GP for anxiety but there was 'no evidence' she was explicitly asked about domestic abuse. It added: 'Research suggests that women experiencing domestic abuse are more likely to experience a mental health problem, while women with mental health problems are more likely to be domestically abused. 'In cases of mental health problems, health professionals should always consider asking a direct question of the patient.' The panel's report said Jessica underwent fertility treatment as she desperately wanted to be a mother, but she did now know that her husband was taking drugs to stifle his sperm count. Three months before her murder, Jessica told her younger sister that her husband had put her hands around her neck and hurt her, the report said. The panel drew up seven recommendations to prevent future tragedies including training health care staff to better identify signs of domestic abuse. Jessica's heartbroken family paid tribute to her in the report, stating: 'Heaven has gained an angel but the world is at a loss for it. 'Jessica was a rarity: she was beautiful on the outside, and even more so on the inside. Mitesh Patel, who was also a pharmacist, spent five years planning Jessica's murder so he could use her frozen embryos to have a family with a lover he met on gay dating app Grindr 'She had a truly selfless soul and afforded everyone she met with a kindness and generosity that was second to none. 'As the first born in our family, she brought an immense amount of joy. 'She had this lovable smile which encapsulated her gentle nature and innocence, and would make our house feel like a home. 'She had her whole life ahead of her, a life in which she simply wished for true love, a family of her own and to live happily ever after. 'Above all, her greatest wish was to be a mother, to share the love she had in her heart and feel the same happiness she afforded to our family as a child. 'She deserved to have a wonderful life, but these wishes will now remain unfulfilled. 'We are extremely blessed to have had Jessica in our lives.' The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a 557-crore contract with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) on Monday for procurement of 1,512 mine plough (MP) for the Indian armys main battle tank T-90, according to an official statement. The decision is expected to boost the governments Make in India initiative. Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD), has today signed a Contract with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for procurement of 1,512 Mine Plough (MP) for Tank T-90 S/SK at an approximate cost of 557 crore. The contract has Buy and Make (Indian) categorisation with a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content in make portion of the contract, the statement said. Mine ploughs help tanks to clear minefields and minimize risks to men and machines. These mine ploughs will be fitted on T-90 tanks of Indian Armoured Corps which will facilitate individual mobility to tanks while negotiating mine fields. Mobility of Tank Fleet will enhance manifold, which in turn would extend the reach of Armoured Formation deep into enemy territory without becoming mine causality, it said. It also said the armys combat capability will be further enhanced once the exercise to make and fit the 1,512 mine ploughs is completed by 2027. The army recently deployed the Russian-origin T-90 main battle tanks in the Galwan Valley sector of Ladakh amid the face-off with Chinese troops. As the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases surges across the states in South and West, the debate on whether officials need to enforce face masks continues. During an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said he believed in the effectiveness of masks. However, he also said he would not support a nationwide mask order. He believed that the governors should be responsible for enforcing mandates in their area. The White House's insistence on leaving coronavirus restrictions at the local level has led to conflicting policies. Half of the U.S. states have issued the mandatory wearing of face masks. Other governors are holding out due to various protests where Americans say face coverings obstruct their freedom. The effectiveness of face masks has been widely contested. Initially, health officials warned against wearing face coverings. In recent weeks, medical experts said face masks are essential in protecting the economy and saving thousands of lives. Which states have required face masks? More than two dozen states have required its residents to wear face masks or cloth masks in public spaces, as reported by The New York Times. Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a statewide mask mandate that began Friday. He said the order came after data showed local masks orders reduced the number of cases reported daily. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson issued a state ordinance on Thursday despite saying he does not support a national mandate. During an interview with ABC program "This Week," the governor said he waited because masks were "unpopular" in his state. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said his state was "heading in the wrong direction." He also revealed plans for enforcing a mask order after health officials reported 1,679 newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday. Florida Representative Donna E. Shalala, a former health secretary, urged Governor Ron DeSantis to issue mask mandates and lockdowns. The order came after state officials reported more than 10,000 new cases for the fifth consecutive day. Which states don't have mask mandates? Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves refused to issue a statewide mask order amid the soaring numbers of cases and hospitalizations. During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," the Republican official said he preferred a "surgical approach." Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after she required masks and reverted the city's reopening. Kemp said her policies were "disastrous" and could threaten the livelihood of the citizens. Can face masks prevent another lockdown? According to Dr Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, face masks could aid in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. Face coverings, even those made of cloth, could prevent asymptomatic carriers from spreading the virus. It could also prevent a potential second lockdown. The U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said another wave of lockdowns would be more devastating than the first, the CNN reported. During the first round of shutdowns, more than 44 million people lost their jobs or filed for unemployment benefits. Many businesses also filed for bankruptcy. Want to read more? UN Chief: Only together can we fend off the common threat of COVID-19 IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 19, IRNA -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for Nelson Mandela International Day, 18 July 2020, said only together can we fend off the common threat of COVID and recover better. Guterres' message which was released on the occasion of 'Nelson Mandela International Day' was e-mailed to IRNA by the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran. The full text of his message reads: Each year, on Nelson's Mandela's birthday, we pay tribute to an extraordinary global advocate for equality, dignity, and solidarity. Madiba was a moral giant of the 20th century, whose timeless legacy continues to guide us today. The theme of Nelson Mandela International Day is "Take action, inspire change". It highlights the importance of working together, from governments to citizens, to build a peaceful, sustainable, and equitable world. We mark this day at a time when the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic endangers everyone, everywhere, and especially the most vulnerable. In the face of these challenges, world leaders need to recognize the vital importance of unity and solidarity. COVID-19 is exposing deep inequalities. We need to fight this pandemic of inequality through a new social contract for a new era. Only together can we fend off the common threat of COVID and recover better. As the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary in this fragile time, we reflect on the life and work of Nelson Mandela, who embodied the highest values of the United Nations and who took action and inspired change. Despite many years as a prisoner of conscience, Madiba retained his dignity and commitment to his ideals. Let his example propel any governments that keep such prisoners to release them. There should be no prisoners of conscience in the 21st century. Nelson Mandela reminded us that: "As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest." On this Mandela Day, let us recall that we can, and must, be part of the quest for a better future of dignity, opportunity, and prosperity for all people on a healthy planet. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LONDON, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hampshire County Council and PA Consulting-led Argenti Care Technology Partnership (Argenti), are launching the first-ever collaborative robots - or cobots - in the UK care sector. Working with Japanese robotics developer, Cyberdyne, on trialling and launching HAL Lumbar type cobots, the Local Authority and PA Consulting, the global transformation consultancy have been keen to explore how cobots could help with the physical demands faced by stretched care sector staff. Already in use in Japan, cobots are worn around the lower back and actively support carers in moving objects or supporting people. Using electrodes, cobots can also detect electrical signals between the wearer's brain and their muscles and convert this into motion. Councillor Liz Fairhurst, the County Council's Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "Through our partnership with PA Consulting, we are proud to be at the forefront of using technology in care to assist people to live as independently as possible. Our trial of cobots is all about our carers-kit which supports them and makes their job easier. "While we don't yet know the extent to which cobots will help transform the delivery of care, early results are very promising, and I am increasingly confident that we will see them play an important role in supporting our care workforce both now, and in the future." The County Council/PA trial of cobots began in February this year, and was quickly adapted in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with further investigation of how they could be used to help manage the challenges faced by care workers and informal carers who are supporting vulnerable people at this time. The use of a cobot has shown that care for a person with complex needs which may have previously required two carers working together, can, in some instances, be delivered effectively by a single individual. This not only alleviates some social distancing concerns but will also help to make the social care system more resilient. In Hampshire alone, it is estimated that an extra 6,000 people in caring jobs could be needed over the next five years. Steve Carefull, social care technology expert at PA Consulting, said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Hampshire County Council to help them use cobot technology to create a more positive human future for care. "Now, more than ever is the moment to embrace new technology. Our hope is that cobots could support care workers with the more physically demanding aspects of care, freeing carers up to focus on other aspects of human care or care for another vulnerable person." Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai, President and CEO of Cyberdyne, says: "It is exciting to trial our HAL Lumbar type cobot for the first time in the UK with Hampshire County Council. We're looking forward to uncovering the potential it has to improve the delivery of care for carers and those who need support." Notes to Editors For a short video, please click here. For relevant images please click here and here. For more information, contact: Rajmeena.Aujla@PACONSULTING.COM or 0207 881 3695 About Care Technology Care Technology refers to all technology solutions that reduce the risk of long-term harm for vulnerable individuals to improve their quality of life and provide reassurance to relatives and carers. Specifically, this will include wireless personal and environmental sensors to monitor those with care needs, enabling people to remain safe and independent inside and outside of their own home for longer. Immediate access to help when required 24 hours per day, ensures that should an untoward event occur, the right help can be provided immediately. Care technology is a continually developing sector but most of the effective equipment has existed for many years. Innovation and value in Care Technology is best achieved when the focus is on delivering service user outcomes not just on equipment. Working with individual service users and their carers achieves a sustainable improvement in their quality of life and the opportunity to remain independent in their own home for longer. About Argenti Care Technology Partnership (Argenti) With less money available for social care and more people than ever needing it, there's a growing realisation that technology can help fill the void. Argenti is an innovative, award-winning, technology-enabled care (TEC) partnership inaugurated between Hampshire County Council (HCC) and a consortium led by PA Consulting. This unique transformation programme, which attracts international attention, focuses on delivering better outcomes for vulnerable adults by 'mainstreaming' TEC. PA's transformation programme has resulted in a personalised TEC service for thousands of vulnerable people in Hampshire that 98% would recommend. The programme has realised net benefits of 9.8m over 5 years for HCC and subsequently 2.2m in 2 years in Barnet Council. About PA Consulting We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world. As strategies, technologies and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough use of technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results. An innovation and transformation consultancy, we are over 3,200 specialists in consumer, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government, health and life sciences, manufacturing, and transport. Our people are strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers and technologists. We operate globally from offices across the UK, US, Europe, and the Nordics. Bringing Ingenuity to Life. www.paconsulting.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF-XYdVF3MY LEVIS, QUE.The family of two Quebec sisters found dead after an Amber Alert bid farewell to the young girls in an emotional funeral ceremony Monday as the mystery surrounding the fate of their father persists. Norah and Romy Carpentier were described by their mother, Amelie Lemieux, as pure and gentle souls. Thank you for choosing me to be your mother, a privilege that was priceless, Lemieux said, reading from a letter she wrote to her two little girls. Even if I didnt have enough time by your side, I will continue to cherish, one by one, each memory, photo, video and continue to hear your soft voices call me maman, Lemieux said through tears. I love you madly. The girls were remembered fondly Romy, the clown who wanted to do it all and Norah, the ingenious artist who dreamed of being a video game designer. Each family member, beginning with Lemieux, put a rose in a vase near photos of the sisters a symbolic gesture as both girls had Rose as a middle name. The funeral in the girls hometown of Levis, Que., was limited to family due to COVID-19 concerns, but hundreds gathered in the complexs parking to watch the ceremony on giant screens. Afterwards, two doves were released into the afternoon sky. The bodies of Norah, 11, and Romy, 6, were found in the woods July 11 in St-Apollinaire, a suburb southwest of the provincial capital. Their father, Martin Carpentier, 44, who is suspected by police of abducting them, remains missing. Marie-Pierre Genois, a friend of Lemieuxs since high school, stood in the intense noon sun, waiting to give condolences. Its to support her, Genois said. Its a terrible ordeal, so its important for me to be here for her. Judith Gagnon also knew Lemieux and the girls. She said theyd spent time together during the Christmas holiday. There is no answer to all of this, Gagnon said outside the funeral complex. It is a tragedy that we will have to live through for years, that we will have in our hearts. Nearby, a man chimed in: I hope that justice will be done. Quebec provincial police suspended their ground search for Carpentier Saturday after a 10-day manhunt, but maintain they are determined to find him. Police say they believe Carpentier and his daughters were involved in a car crash on the evening of July 8 in St-Apollinaire, but nobody was inside the vehicle when responders reached the scene. Josee Masson, founder and executive director of a local organization dedicated to helping youth suffering through tragedy, presided over the funeral. The family posted a message on the funeral homes website thanking police, emergency responders and volunteers who searched for the sisters. To Norah and Romy, they wrote: We will always regret not having had more than the 11 and six springtimes you were present in our lives, but the memories and love you gave us will remain etched in us forever. Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, a well-known victims rights advocate in Quebec, said comforting the young girls mother brought back the pain he felt when his daughter, Julie, was killed in 2002. He lost his other daughter, Isabelle, in a car crash in 2005. Boisvenu said he came to the funeral to give the family hope. Despite being robbed of that which they hold most dear, they can find their way again, the senator said. I just wanted to tell them yes, its possible to rebuild themselves, its possible to have dreams, Boisvenu said. RELATED STORIES Canada Quebec mayor satisfied with search as police shift tactics in hunt for missing dad Gilles Lehouillier, mayor of Levis, said the city plans to install a plaque honouring the sisters in a park where locals had turned a gazebo into a makeshift memorial after their deaths. Meanwhile, a senior provincial police spokesman said Monday if Martin Carpentier is still alive, he has likely almost run out of resources. Police had intensified their search Thursday after stating the fugitive had taken items from a trailer within the search perimeter. But Chief Insp. Guy Lapointe said four days have passed since then, and investigators believe Carpentier is ill-equipped to ensure his basic needs for an extended period. If he is alive, police said, Carpentiers physical appearance has likely changed, and he may be weak, distressed and unable to make rational decisions. Lapointe said it would be extremely difficult for anyone to survive in a dense forest for so long, let alone when they are the subject of an intense manhunt. Deputy Premier Genevieve Guilbault also paid her respects to the family Monday. She told a news conference she has confidence in the provincial police investigation. There is still an investigation, steps that are being taken to find Martin Carpentier, Guilbault said. Read more about: TDT | Manama Five major cultural projects will be inaugurated by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) this year, it has emerged. This was revealed yesterday as His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received at Safriya Palace BACA president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, who updated HM the King on latest developments. Two of the projects are part of the Pearl Route, including a pedestrian bridge linking Bu Maher Fort and Halat Bu Maher which will serve Pearl Route visitors, and the restoration of Suq Al Qaysariyah. The Pearl Route, in Muharraq, is listed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It is set to be completed by 2021 in conjunction with Expo Dubai, which will enable its visitors to explore the rich history of the Kingdom. The other projects to be completed include the restoration of Al Fadhel Mosque lighthouse, inaugurating a textile factory in Bani Jamrah, and the soundand-light project at Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort in Riffa, which tells the history of the Al Khalifa family in Bahrain. HM the King praised the efforts of BACA in preserving the national heritage and the Kingdoms civilisational and cultural landmarks, as well as enriching the cultural and literary movement. HM the King wished BACAs president and staff constant success. Also during the meeting, Shaikha Mai dedicated to HM the King the Manufactured Culture artwork of Rashid Ahmed Al Arifi, who was among the winners this year in the Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition. The artwork reflects the importance of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a main hub for natural pearls. S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: The ongoing fourth phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, which aims to bring Indian nationals back from different countries, plans to bring 11,503 people to Karnataka. A total of 66 flights will facilitate this repatriation. While most of these flights will bring passengers to Bengaluru, some flights from Gulf nations will land at the Mangaluru airport. A vast chunk of these special flights will be run by Air India and Air India Express, with Go Air and IndiGo chipping in. As per the website of the Ministry of External Affairs, the fourth phase for Karnataka started on July 4 and will end on August 1. Majority of passengers will be from Gulf countries and 22 flights will be operated from there places. They will take off from Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, and Jeddah. There will be 10 trips from the United States, eight from the United Kingdom, one each from South Africa, Sweden, Japan, and Malaysia, two each from Singapore and Germany, and three from Canada. All the flights from US to Bengaluru will stop in New Delhi en route while those from UK will come via Mumbai or New Delhi. One-third of the 66 proposed flights are yet to arrive in Karnataka. This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change based on demand. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: The Hyderabad based poet and social activist Varavara Raos lawyer told the Bombay High Court on Monday that his client is almost on his deathbed. Rao is an accused in the Elgar Parished case and has been in prison since 2018. He had tested COVID-19 positive last week after he had been admitted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai. His medical papers state that he had hit the bed and suffered a head injury during his brief stay at JJ Hospital last week. He required a couple of stitches. His condition is very serious, Raos lawyer Sandeep Pasbola told the court. He suffers from several ailments, he is hallucinating and is delirious, Pasbola said, If Rao was to die, it should be in the presence of his family, the lawyer added. READ | Family seeks clarity on Varavara Rao's health condition; wants to be with him Rao, who had tested positive for Coronavirus, was moved to Nanavati Hospital early on Sunday from state-run St George Hospital. At St George, he was suspected to be suffering from dementia. Before his admission to St George, Rao had been brought to JJ from Taloja jail. Dr Ranjit Mankeshwar, in-charge dean of JJ, said Rao did not fall from the bed, as was alleged. "He went to reach out for a glass of water when his head hit the corner of the bed and sustained an injury. He was immediately attended to. There is nothing to hide here, we have clearly mentioned this in the transfer notes and the discharge summary," he said. The Bombay High Court sought the responses of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Maharashtra government on whether the family members of poet-activist can visit him from a reasonable distance in view of the 81-year-olds critical condition. A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and SP Tavade was hearing his writ petition that stated jail authorities did not conduct medical check-ups as suggested by the JJ hospital, and sought action against the errant officials. The bench also heard Raos appeal against special court rejecting his interim bail. The Court said that it would not pass orders on merits of the bail plea at this stage and sought responses from authorities. The court will hear the plea next on Thursday, July 23. Advocate Sudeep Pasbola referred to news reports and said that Raos condition was extremely critical. Pasbola said that Raos wife had filed an affidavit last week requesting permission to see him. If granted bail, his family members can take his care, Pasbola said. However, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh for NIA said that Rao was shifted to Nanavati Hospital, which has the best possible treatment facilities in Mumbai, and proper care was being taken as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines. A bench led by Justice Shinde said that while the court did not doubt bonafide of NIAs arguments, it directed the authorities to apprise it on the medical report of Rao keeping in view Raos existing conditions. The Arakan Army's insignia is seen on the uniform of a soldier at an undisclosed location in an undated photo. The rebel Arakan Army has set up civil administrations in parts of western Myanmars Rakhine state, collecting taxes and arresting illegal drug users making good on a pledge to provide governance to underpin the ethnic Rakhine autonomy the armed group has been fighting for. The predominantly Buddhist ethnic army has been at war with Myanmar forces in northern Rakhine state and in Paletwa township of neighboring Chin state for 19 months. It is the newest of many conflicts the national army has been waging with ethnic armies since the former Burma became independent from Britain in 1948. The AA set up shop in 2009 in Laiza, northern Myanmars Kachin state, and five years later declared its long-term intention of returning to its Rakhine homeland and establishing its own government in the state. In December 2019, AA leaders announced the formation of a Rakhine Peoples Authority to levy taxes on businesses to fund the army's operations and that of its political wing, the United League of Arakan, as well as to administer areas under its control in Rakhine state. The AA is estimated to have 9,000 fighters. At the time, AA spokesman Khine Thukha told RFA that the formation of the authority was legitimate because it would initiate a new form of government in a bid to reestablish the historic Arakan nation that existed centuries earlier. This body has an obvious revenue-generation function, but its creation is probably more important as a demonstration of the groups de facto authority and territorial control and assertion of its legitimacy, said a report on armed conflict and politics in Rakhine state issued in June by the International Crisis Group. Armed groups in other major conflicts in Myanmar over the decades have taken similar steps, the report said. Branded an illegal organization and terrorist group by the Myanmar government in March, the AA demanded on May 29 that all government administrative offices and the national military immediately leave northern Rakhine state. The new administrative body is centered in Mrauk-U town, the former capital of the once powerful maritime kingdom of Arakan on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal from the 15th to the late 18th century when it was invaded and annexed by the Burmese empire. Rakhine, a riverine land of 3.2 million people about the size of the Netherlands or the U.S. state of Maryland, is one of Myanmars poorest states. RFA was unable to determine how many people or what amount of territory is currently under AA administration in Rakhine, which has become largely off-limits to reporters. Contacts with the AA have become legally risky since it was declared a terrorist group in March. In a January 2019 interview with the online Irrawaddy news website, AA chief of staff Major General Tun Myat Naing said he wanted Rakhine to follow the example of other autonomous parts of Myanmar. We prefer [a confederation of states] like Wa state, which has a larger share of power in line with the constitution, he said, referring to the AAs ally, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which runs its affairs in part of Shan state. And we think it [a confederation] is more appropriate to the history of Rakhine state and the aspirations of the Arakanese people, he said. Ethnic Mro people displaced by a surge in fighting between the Arakan Army and government troops take refuge inside the compound of a Buddhist pagoda in Buthidaung township, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Jan. 25, 2019. Credit: AFP A welcome presence Despite the AAs practice of abducting civilians it believes are working with Myanmar forces, local residents have welcomed the ethnic armys presence and its handling of crimes that police ignore, as well as the arrests of drug users and criminals. Although openly expressing sympathy for the AA can get local people in trouble, some residents cited the ethnic army's arrest of 20 drug users in Mrauk-U on Dec. 15 and their transfer to a rehabilitation center as a welcome development. As I have seen, the police are no longer doing their jobs, said Buddhist abbot Ashin Nandar Thary. Nobody cares to report crimes to them anymore, so instead the AA is handling criminal cases. We dont see a working civil administration, he added. On the ground, there is only the AAs administration and martial law. We can almost say that the governments civil administration no longer exists. Myint Than, director general of the Myanmar government's General Administration Department in Naypyidaw, said last month that the situation in northern Rakhine was not lawless enough for the state to be placed under martial law. Political analyst Maung Maung Soe said the AAs efforts to establish its own administration are nothing new in multiethnic Myanmar, where several of the biggest ethnic armies run large territories beyond the control of the capital in Naypyidaw. It has occurred in other ethnic regions, he said, citing the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which formed its own civil administration in territory it controls in northern Shan state. The AA has just started forming the administration now, but it is still an underground administration, Maung Maung Soe said. If it can fully control an area, it will form an active administration. Tun Myat Naing, commander-in-chief of the Arakan Army, arrives for a welcome dinner commemorating the 30th anniversary of peace-building efforts in Wa state, in the border town of Pangsang, Myanmar's eastern Shan state, April 16, 2019. Credit: AFP Filling a void The AA's civil administrative activities have filled a void created by the resignations and detentions of local administrators by Myanmar forces in an increasingly chaotic Rakhine state. Dozens of ward and village administrators in Rakhines Myebon township resigned in early June out of fear of arbitrary arrest by the Myanmar military, following the recent detentions of three of their colleagues on terrorism charges. Scores of other administrators resigned in Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Mrauk-U, and Minbya townships submitted resignations in 2019, following the arrests of administrative officials amid the armed conflict. These actions and allegations against administrators cause losses for local civilians, said a village administrator in Minbya township who declined to be named out of fear for his safety. Local people are relying on administrators for leadership in the community, he added. If the administrators are not allowed to do their jobs, the people will suffer. Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun blamed the recent abductions of village administrators and civilians on the AA as part of the Arakan forces plans to replace civil administrations in the conflict zone. They have always said they are trying to replace the government administration with their own version, he told RFA. Then they murdered local ward administrators who defied their authority. They also murdered people they thought were government informers. They arrested and killed policemen who are the embodiment of law enforcement. In response to his comment, AA spokesman Khine Thukha said that government authorities are trying to maintain central government control by detaining those with suspected links to the Arakan force, resulting in civilian arrests and detentions on terrorism-related charges. Any country or race which resists or opposes [foreign] colonial rule would face this kind of oppression. It is not uncommon, he said. Kyaw Han, general secretary of United League of Arakan/Arakan Army, attends a meeting with the Myanmar government's peace negotiation group, the national military, and ethnic armed organizations in Naypyidaw, March 21, 2019. Credit: Associated Press Peace talks prospects dim An army campaign this month in the northern part of Rakhine prompted more than 3,000 civilians to join a tide of around 200,000 internally displaced persons living in living in Buddhist monasteries and crowded camps. The ongoing fighting in northern Rakhine, meanwhile, means that a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) with all the countrys armed ethnic groups will not be realized this year as Myanmars military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing intended according to a statement he made in 2018, analysts said. So far, only 10 of more than 20 ethnic armies have signed the peace pact with the national military since 2015, and the current government has not held any peace conferences since July 2018. A fourth summit, originally scheduled for late April 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 virus, will now be held in August despite the ongoing pandemic. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told RFA that the peace process is not progressing as the national army and the government expected. We are aiming to complete the NCA with all ethnic armed groups signing it in 2020, but, as you know, it takes two hands to clap, he said. Joining the NCA is entirely up to them [the ethnic armies]. Since 2018, the military has negotiated with non-NCA signatory armed groups, including the AA, KIA, Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) collectively known as the Northern Alliance to join the peace pact, but the talks have not gone well, and there were disagreements over meeting venues. The Myanmar military has announced unilateral cease-fires in regions where armed conflicts exist, except for northern Rakhine state. Likewise, the AA, TNLA, and MNDAA, which have not signed the NCA, extended a unilateral truce to Aug. 31. In early June, the trio invited Myanmar forces to begin peace talks, but the military rejected the proposal, and fighting has continued. The government, however, still stresses the importance of forging bilateral truces with NCA non-signatory groups. It is important to get bilateral cease-fire agreements with the armed groups in the northern and northeastern regions as well as in Rakhine state, said Presidents Office spokesman Zaw Htay at a June 19 press conference. The ongoing fighting needs to stop, he said. After the bilateral cease-fires, we will go on to negotiate with each group. Weve briefly agreed on the agenda. Myanmar political analyst Maung Maung Soe said that it will not be possible to achieve peace in 2020. It is now difficult to get an agreement with the Northern Alliance groups since the partial cease-fire does not include Rakhine state where the real conflicts are occurring, he said, adding that fighting also has taken place with some of the NCA signatories such as the Restoration Council of Shan State and the Karen National Union. Even after signing the NCA, there are no realistic agreements on mobilizing military troops, Maung Maung Soe said. These weaknesses have pushed away the goal for 2020. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Image Time Out Dear Diary: I moved to New York City from Toronto in 1984. One day while I was shopping at Macys, I lost track of the time. I wasnt wearing a watch and I didnt see a clock on the wall, so I worked my way through the crowd to the information counter. Excuse me, I asked politely, Do you happen to know the time? A short, middle-age man behind the counter looked at me blankly. Yes, he replied. That was it. After an awkward pause, I tried again. Can you tell me the time? His expression didnt change. Yes, he said flatly. Our eyes locked. What time is it? I demanded. 4:35. After that, I knew how to ask a question like a New Yorker. Brenda Nielson South Carolina surpassed its monthly COVID-19 testing goal for July, with more than 140,000 tests already performed, health officials said. From July 1 to July 16, testing centers recorded 143,336 tests, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Nearly 640,000 tests have been completed overall. DHEC has tried to expand testing across the state with 503 free testing events sponsored since May. On Monday, officials reported nearly 1,500 new cases of the virus, along with nine deaths. Statewide numbers Number of new cases reported: 1,445 Total number of cases in S.C.: 71,213 Number of new deaths reported: 9 Total number of deaths in S.C.: 1,147 Number of hospitalized patients: DHEC will not report hospital data for a few days, until the new reporting system is fully implemented. Percent of tests that were positive: 17.7 percent Total number of tests in S.C.: 638,194 Which areas are hardest hit? Charleston County led the state with 188 new cases announced on Monday, while Richland County reported 177 and Greenville County tallied 174. What's happening in the tri-county region? Along with the cases reported in Charleston County, Berkeley County reported 35 cases and Dorchester County logged 73. Deaths Of the nine patients who died, eight were older than 65 and resided in Charleston, Greenville, Hampton, Horry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. One patient was 35 to 64 years old and lived in Spartanburg County. A 58-year-old inmate at the Lieber Correctional Institution died Monday after contracting the coronavirus. He had several underlying medical conditions, the S.C. Department of Corrections said. Eight inmates across the department's system have died due to complications from COVID-19. What do experts say? As case numbers and deaths continue to rise around the state, officials continue to issue dire warnings on what will happen if the public does not adopt widespread precautions like mask wearing and social distancing. While Gov. Henry McMaster encourages the public to wear masks he has repeatedly declined to issue a statewide mandate. DHEC officials said they are working with their community partners to set up mobile testing clinics. As of Sunday, there were 83 such clinics scheduled through Aug. 15. In addition, there are 182 permanent testing sites around the state. For more information about where and how to get tested, go to scdhec.gov/covid19testing. Officials continue to urge basic precautions to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing, wearing a mask in public, avoiding group gatherings, regularly washing hands and staying home when sick, are the best practices. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 12:32:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The mayor of Portland in the U.S. northwestern state of Oregon renewed on Sunday his call for the federal troops to leave the restive city, accusing the troops of escalating the situation. There are "dozens if not hundreds of federal troops" in the city, and "their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism," Ted Wheeler was quoted by CNN as saying. "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave," he told CNN. Following the death of African American George Floyd in May, protests have swept the United States, and Portland has witnessed nightly demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism in the city. In June, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect monuments and statues from protests as well as combat criminal activities. In response, the Department of Homeland Security sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland to help the city restore order. "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal," Trump tweeted on Sunday. However, the role played by the federal troops stationed in the city was questioned and criticized by the mayor. "Based on recent actions by federal law enforcement officers, I am not comfortable having them in our space," the mayor tweeted. It's not the first time that the mayor has asked the federal troops to leave the city. "Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city," the mayor said at a press conference on Friday. Enditem By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijans national carrier Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) airlifted 197 citizens from Moscow to Baku by a charter flight on July 19, AZAL reported in its official Facebook page. Passengers with certificate of negative COVID-19 test result issued within 48 hours before departure were allowed to the flight. All passengers arriving by this flight undertake obligations for self-isolation for two weeks upon arrival. AZAL operates charter flights to return compatriots to the country in accordance with the plan defined by the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers. Azerbaijan has so far repatriated over 25,000 citizens from different countries over COVID-19 pandemic. The citizens have been repatriated from Moscow, Istanbul, Kyiv, Minsk, Iran, Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Riga (Latvia), Warsaw (Poland), Berlin (Germany) among others. Azerbaijan closed its borders with Russia over COVID-19 on March 18. Azerbaijan first introduced special quarantine regime on March 24 and the fourth stage of quarantine regime easing came into force May 31. However, the borders remain closed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) Multiple charges await embattled cargo delivery business J&T Express following a police investigation ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte over the alleged mishandling of delivery packages, the country's top cop said on Monday. Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa said authorities discovered multiple violations committed by the last-mile delivery firm, which found itself in hot water in June due to a viral video showing some of its personnel carelessly throwing parcels into delivery trucks. The same video showed workers inside a warehouse without face masks and shirts as they sorted parcels and tossed them into trucks, mostly catering to online shoppers at the height of the pandemic. J&T Express has apologized, saying sanctions have been given to workers involved. RELATED: J&T Express apologizes again after Dutertes shut down threat Gamboa said apart from this, a probe done by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) showed that J&T also violated labor laws which the PNP is now coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment, alongside violations of the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases. "True enough, we were able to successfully file separate cases in violation of RA (Republic Act) 11332 and that of (RA) 7394 or the Consumer Protection Act," Gamboa said during a press briefing. It was also discovered that J&T's hub in Muntinlupa was operating without a mayor's permit, with Gamboa saying that a closure order has since been served. "Our regional offices of the CIDG are also gathering evidence on their provincial hubs as there might also be violations," he added, with the probe covering possible breaches of local ordinances in terms of permits and also for violations of trade and labor regulations. Originally from Indonesia, J&T Express was set up in the country in 2018. It now works with big brands such as online shopping app Shopee. The company released a statement on Monday saying it appreciated the PNP-CIDG's "meticulous investigation to help us improve our service." "We are cooperative with the cease-and-desist order by the City Government of Muntinlupa. We are abiding by the laws and ordinances and we will only operate after receiving the Mayors permit for Muntinlupa hub," it said. In the same statement, J&T assured its customers that their parcels are well kept and secure, and the company would continue to move their items safely. Duterte earlier warned that he would shut down J&T Express if there will be violations found by government investigators. CNN Philippines has reached out to the company for comment. So far, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has coordinated with airlines to conduct over 60 flights repatriating nearly 16,000 Vietnamese citizens from about 50 countries and territories. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi From now to the end of August 2020, the aviation sector will continue working with diplomatic and military agencies to conduct 50 more flights to bring over 13,000 Vietnamese citizens home, according to head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang. So far, the CAAV has coordinated with airlines to conduct over 60 flights repatriating nearly 16,000 Vietnamese citizens from about 50 countries and territories, Thang told Sai Gon Giai phong newspaper. He added that the CAAV also collaborated with diplomatic missions to give permission to domestic and foreign airlines to use cargo flights to bring back 1,255 Vietnamese citizens stranded at international airports and transit points due to travel restrictions. Thang said with the domestic flight operations having returned to normal like in the period before the pandemic, the aviation sector has built plans on gradually resuming international commercial flights based on the COVID-19 situation in foreign markets. According to Thang, the plans were based on the principles of selecting destinations which have effectively controlled the pandemics spread in the community; keeping flight frequency at the minimum level to meet domestic quarantine capacity; and strictly adhering to epidemic control requirements of health authorities. Earlier, the Ministry of Transport had proposed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc allow the resumption of commercial flights between Vietnam and certain other countries in August. It suggested flights to priority areas, including Guangzhou (China), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Taiwan (China), Vientiane (Laos), and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) be reopened, with one flight per week for each. In line with these plans, each week will see between 2,500 and 3,000 passengers enter the country. UK foreign secretary expected to announce suspension of extradition treaty with Hong Kong due to national security law. The United Kingdom is expected to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong on Monday, in a further escalation of worsening ties with China over Beijings decision to impose a national security law on the territory, British newspapers reported. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will announce on Monday the suspension of the treaty in parliament, the Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers said, citing sources. Raab is due to speak in parliament at 14:30 GMT. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said changes would be announced later in the day to reflect concerns over the security law, but did not specify what those changes would be. Weve got to have a calibrated response and were going to be tough on some things, but also are going to continue to engage, Johnson told reporters. Earlier on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged Britain to stop going further down the wrong path. The United States, Australia, and Canada have already moved to suspend extradition treaties with the territory, while New Zealand is reviewing its options. The UK has been dismayed by the crackdown in Hong Kong after a year of sometimes violent protests, and is also concerned about the treatment of ethnic Uighur people in Chinas far western region of Xinjiang. On Sunday, Raab accused Beijing of gross, egregious human rights abuses in its deeply troubling treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang. The United Nations and rights groups say at least one million Uighurs have been detained in camps that China describes as vocational skills centres that are necessary to curb extremism. Raab told the BBC that reports of mass detention and forced sterilisation required international attention. We want a positive relationship [with China] but we cannot see behaviour like that and not call it out, the foreign secretary said. End of golden era The two countries differences over a host of issues are a far cry from the so-called golden era of ties once championed by former Prime Minister David Cameron. Last week, Johnson ordered Huawei Technologies equipment to be removed completely from Britains 5G network by the end of 2027. China has accused Britain of pandering to the US. On Sunday, Chinas ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction any of its officials, as some have demanded. MPs from the China Research Group have written to the Foreign Secretary, calling for the U.K. to suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/vpTf1Y5IBj China Research Group (@ChinaResearchGp) July 18, 2020 If UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individual in China, China will certainly make a resolute response to it, Liu Xiaoming told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. Youve seen what happens in the United States they sanction Chinese officials, we sanction their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat happen in China-UK relations. Raab told the same programme he would not be drawn on future additions to Britains sanctions list but he denied that Britain would be too weak to challenge China in such a way. Britain says the new national security law breaches agreements made before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, and that China is crushing the freedoms that were supposed to remain for at least 50 years. The California Horse Racing Board will allow Los Alamitos to continue racing after the track submitted a new equine and rider safety plan last week. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) The California Horse Racing Board is allowing Los Alamitos Race Course to continue racing at the conclusion of a 10-day probationary period after the track submitted a new equine and rider safety plan last week. In a special teleconference meeting Monday, the commissioners voted unanimously in favor of Los Alamitos plan. This was the first use of a new law that allows the CHRB to call an emergency meeting without the standard 10-day public notice period. The two meetings were prompted by a spike in horse fatalities at the track. There have been 10 horses who have died either racing or training since May 26, and 22 since the race meet began on Dec. 27. Los Alamitos went on probation on July 10, and the next night, Alltime Favorite was injured in a 350-yard race. Attempts were made to save the 2-year-old gelding and Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, a professor of surgery at Colorado States College of Veterinary Medicine, was brought in to consult. McIlwraith did not believe the right knee injury was repairable and the horse was euthanized last Monday. On July 12, Tacy, a 5-year-old mare, was pulled up on the backstretch and was transported off the course by van and later euthanized. Since then, Los Alamitos has instituted a pre-race review panel, which scratched five horses during the second weekend of racing. The original plan had the racing secretary as part of the panel, but that was changed to a designee of management before the meeting. Vice Chairman Oscar Gonzales pointed out the potential conflict in allowing the racing secretary, whose job it is to provide full racing fields, to rule over the eligibility of a horse to run. In addition to the review panel, Los Alamitos is adding a veterinarian to observe morning workouts, implementing a series of pre-race medication and eligibility requirements, and also giving the veterinarians the authority to order diagnostic imaging paid by the owner or trainer. The board thought the measures were enough to allow racing to continue. Commissioner Wendy Mitchell, who voted to suspend racing at the original meeting, voted to allow racing after hearing the plan. Story continues Were kind of humiliated by this whole thing, said Dr. Ed Allred, Los Alamitos owner. Things happen in clusters, [but] were going to do everything we possibility can to do things properly in the future. Some of our trainers are going to be upset by it, but theyll adjust to it. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals disagreed with the boards decision. The deaths wont stop as long as trainers think training means drugs and running through injury and as long as veterinarians go along with that, said Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA. The trainers with multiple medication violations have to go. A suspension would have provided time to make essential, substantial changes for the protection of the horses and to hold trainers accountable. Los Alamitos runs a mixed quarter horse and thoroughbred meeting at night Friday through Sunday 51 weeks a year. US President Donald Trump is considering an Indian American lawyer to head the Asia Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the White House said. If confirmed, Sue Ghosh Stricklett from Maryland would become Assistant Administrator of USAID (Bureau for Asia). Stricklett is an attorney in private practice with over 25 years of experience in national security law and foreign affairs, the White House said. The scope of her practice includes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, intellectual property licensing and technology transfer, US dual-use and defense trade control licensing, and sanctions law enforcement. She has served as an Asia policy advisor to three Presidential campaigns and several major Indo-American advocacy organisations, the White House said. Stricklett hails from Queens in New York and is a graduate of the State University of New York. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. TEHRAN, Iran, July. 20 Trend: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has urged for accelerating the clearance of priority goods from the customs, including raw materials needed for production and basic goods, Trend reports via Iranian president's official website. Relying on internal capabilities and operational solutions, the government and the country will pass through the difficult conditions caused by the US sanctions and maximum pressure, as well as the inevitable restrictions due to the spread of the coronavirus in the country, President Hasan Rouhani said at the meeting of the government's economic coordination headquarters. Clearance of goods in the shortest time along with transparency and strict implementation of instructions to boost supply of raw materials and basic goods are among the decisive decisions of the government, he said. Referring to the progress made for minimizing the clearance time of goods, Rouhani added that "Considering the large inventory of goods in the country's customs, speeding up the clearance of priority goods is an important step for the production process. HALFMOON - A Queens man was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs after police said he struck a state trooper's car that was pulled over on the Northway Monday. At approximately 1:41 p.m., state police said a trooper was conducting a traffic stop on I-87 southbound, just south of the Twin Bridges, when his patrol vehicle was struck from behind by a Penske truck. The troop car was then pushed forward into the vehicle the trooper had stopped. Every single new case of coronavirus within Victoria in recent weeks could be linked to the botched hotel quarantine program. The possibility the state's second deadly outbreak of COVID-19 could be the result of mistakes made while housing returned travellers will be investigated in a formal inquiry. The state government launched the investigation, headed by retired judge Jennifer Coate, after new COVID-19 cases in late May and early June were linked to infection control breaches by security guards at quarantine hotels. Senior assisting counsel Tony Neal QC on Monday suggested the failures of the mandatory isolation could be far more widespread than initially anticipated. 'Comments made by the chief health officer to the media have suggested that it may even be that every case of COVID-19 in Victoria in recent weeks could be sourced to the hotel quarantine program,' he said. Every single new case of coronavirus within Victoria in recent weeks could be linked to the botched hotel quarantine program The possibility that the state's second deadly outbreak of COVID-19 could be the result of mistakes made while housing returned travellers will be investigated in a formal inquiry. Pictured: A staff member inside a quarantine hotel 'Information already available to the inquiry suggests the possibility of a link between many of the cases of identified in the Victorian community in the past few weeks and persons who were quarantined under the hotel quarantine program.' Security staff contracted to monitor the quarantine program have been accused of breaking protocol among returned travellers. Early investigations suggest some security staff contracted the virus, only to take it home to their families and wider communities. As part of the inquiry, the decisions and communications between the government, hotel operators and private contractors will be examined. Various government departments and hotels have been ordered to make submissions to the inquiry by the end of July. That includes the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Department of Treasury and Finance, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria Police, Emergency Management Victoria and Ambulance Victoria. Security staff contracted to monitor the quarantine program in Victoria have been accused of breaking protocol among returned travellers. Pictured: A bus waiting to move guests who finished their mandatory quarantine in Sydney Medical workers and police are seen at a Government Commission tower in North Melbourne while it was under strict lockdown as the region battled a second outbreak of COVID-19 cases Two hotels with known large coronavirus outbreaks, Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza will also be required to provide information. Travelodge Melbourne, Park Royal Hotel Melbourne Airport, Holiday Inn Melbourne and Four Points Sheraton should all also expect to contribute to the inquiry. Security guards working were supplied by the government and were not employed by the hotels. The eight security companies of interest to the inquiry are Wilson Security, United Risk Management, Unified Security Group, Ultimate Protection Services, MSS security, Elite Protection Services, Australian Protection Group and Security Hub. Medical experts, hotel staff and returned travellers who stayed in quarantine are also predicted to be called to give evidence. Employers face significant penalties if they attempt to deter employees from giving evidence to the inquiry. 'I expect no less than full, frank and timely cooperation from all government entities and persons to enable me to do my job for the people of Victoria,' Justice Coate said. A COVID testing sign is seen on the fence of Government Commission tower in North Melbourne It is not yet clear if Premier Daniel Andrews, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos or Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton will be called to give evidence. Mr Andrews confirmed neither he nor any government minister had been approached to contribute to the inquiry thus far. 'I won't tell a former judge how to do her work. She will call whomever she thinks she needs to call. Anyone who is called should turn up,' Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday. 'What has gone on here is completely unacceptable to me - and unacceptable to all of us.' Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said Mr Andrews and responsible ministers should front the inquiry. 'When the government has made mistakes and people have died as a result, Victorians need answers. First of all to work out what went wrong and secondly to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again,' he said. Victoria recorded an additional 275 cases of COVID-19 and a woman in her 80s died in the 24 hours to Monday A sign in a resident's window is seen at a Government Commission tower in North Melbourne amid the lockdown Corrections Victoria now manages the hotel quarantine program. International flights have been diverted from the state until the situation is under control. Public hearings will be held from August 6 and a final report is due on September 25. It comes as Victoria recorded an additional 275 cases of COVID-19 and a woman in her 80s died in the 24 hours to Monday. Victoria's figure is less than Sunday's total of 363 and well below Friday's record of 428, giving hope the spread is decreasing during Melbourne's six-week lockdown. Premier Daniel Andrews said 147 Victorians are in hospital, including 31 fighting for their lives, and 26,588 tests had been conducted. Bake Off star Candice Brown has reportedly SPLIT from husband Liam Macauley. It's claimed the TV personality, 35, and the tree surgeon secretly split earlier this year, after less than two years of marriage. The report asserts that Liam has moved out of the pub - The Green Man in Eversholt, Milton Keynes - where the couple previously lived together, and back to Ampthill, Bedfordshire. OVER!?Bake Off star Candice Brown has reportedly SPLIT from husband Liam Macauley According to The Mirror, Candice Brown's representative said: 'I can confirm Candice and Liam separated earlier this year.' MailOnline has contacted Candice's representative's for comment. The Bake Off star first met Liam in the bar where he worked while studying for a degree, back in 2012. After five years of dating, the couple announced their engagement in October 2017, just over a year after she first appeared on Bake Off. Secretly separated? It's claimed that the TV personality, 35, and the tree surgeon secretly split earlier this year, after less than two years of marriage (Pictured: Candice on Friday in London) In September 2018, Candice exchanged nuptials with her longtime love at Chateau de Varennes in Burgundy, France. Candice revealed the happy news on Twitter, simply writing: 'Got married, didn't we?' She later wrote: 'The congratulations & love we have received is incredible! Thank you so much for all your kind words! 'I keep bursting into tears (of complete overwhelming happiness & joy) -to anyone posting negative comments- I hope one day you experience the love and happiness we have #wife.' Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Candice said of their relationship: 'We have always said we work better together than we do apart. Being able to say we are now husband and wife is such a lovely thing.' Already moved out? The report asserts that Liam has moved out of the pub - The Green Man in Eversholt, Milton Keynes - where the couple previously lived together The TV star revealed Liam popped the question where they shared their first date in Bedfordshire. She told Hello! at the time: 'I get emotional. Because it's been such an amazing year. I feel very lucky. I've had such incredible opportunities GBBO opened so many doors and to top it off he puts a ring on it. He reached into the glove compartment, got out the ring, got down on one knee and said, 'I love you, you are my world. Will you marry me?' Liam continued: 'So I proposed in a car park. But it really meant something to us. Candice just cried for five minutes before she could say, "Yes!"' Following her 2016 Bake Off victory, Candice and Liam sparked engagement rumours when she wore a show-stopping ring to the National Television Awards. Business Mogul: 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 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. 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 threw his support behind his wife's business venture, and her brother Ben and his girlfriend Sophie also got on board. She added: 'It's been a real family affair. A real baptism of fire but it's going to be amazing. I got it with my brother Ben, so his girlfriend Sophie is involved too.' Student face covering distribution To help reduce the spread of COVID-19 this fall, students should carry a face covering of their choice on campus at all times as they are required in all University of South Carolina buildings. As President Bob Caslen shared in his update to the campus community, there are a few exceptions to this policy for students. Students are not expected to wear face coverings in residence hall rooms and individual study rooms. Individuals are not expected to wear face coverings when eating in campus dining facilities. Students who have documented conditions that could be exacerbated by wearing face coverings should submit an application to become registered with the Student Disability Resource Center . Students who are registered will be allowed reasonable accommodations to help mitigate issues caused by face covering mandates. All individuals on campus in outdoor areas are expected to wear a face covering whenever physical distancing (six feet or more) is difficult or the risk of infection is high. All students will receive one university reusable face covering this fall to add to their personal collections. Face coverings will be available during Move-In, both on campus and at some private apartment communities in Columbia; before Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment; from academic colleges and schools; and at Student Health Services, Russell House University Union, Student Package and Mail Pick-Up, and the Carolina Card office during the first week of class. The campus bookstore and some vending machines will have face coverings for sale and students are encouraged to bring their own face coverings from home. Face coverings help reduce the transmission of the novel coronvirus that causes COVID-19. For additional information on the new face covering policy, please see the COVID-19 website. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about Queensland motorists lost more than $190 million to traffic cameras in a single year as a result of more than 950,000 individual infringements. The revenue figure for the 2018-19 financial year was revealed in a question on notice submitted to Parliament by opposition transport spokesman Steve Minnikin, showing revenue raised that year was $25 million higher than the year previous, and $60 million more than 2016-17. Queensland Police use a variety of speed cameras to manage traffic. Credit:Police Media Mr Minnikin asked for the full infringement and revenue data for the past three years from the state government's Camera Detected Offence Program, and the revenue from the state government's newer offence of using a mobile phone while driving, which now has a $1000 fine. The program uses mobile and fixed speed cameras, red light cameras, road safety camera trailers and point-to-point cameras. Washington, July 20 : The Mayor of Portland in the US state of Oregon has renewed his call asking federal troops to leave, accusing the latter of escalating tension in the city which has witnessed continued protests against police brutality. There are "dozens if not hundreds of federal troops" in the city, and "their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism", Xinhua news agency quoted Mayor Ted Wheeler as saying in a CNN interview on Sunday. "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave," he added. The death of George Floyd in May under police custody has sparked nationwide protests and Portland has witnessed continued nightly demonstrations since against police brutality and systemic racism in the city. In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect monuments and statues from protests as well as combat criminal activities. In response, the Department of Homeland Security sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland to help the city restore order. "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action," Trump tweeted on Sunday. "We must protect Federal property, and our people. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal." However, the role played by the federal troops stationed in the city was questioned and criticized by the Mayor. "Based on recent actions by federal law enforcement officers, I am not comfortable having them in our space," Wheeler tweeted. It's not the first time that the mayor has asked the federal troops to leave the city. "Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city," he said at a press conference on Friday. Meanwhile on Saturday, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of "unlawfully detaining" protesters and requested a restraining order to stop agents from the Department of Homeland Security, US Marshals Service, US Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service from making any more arrests in Portland. Oregon Governor Kate Brown has also accused federal agents of a "blatant abuse of power". This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. In the debate about whether the pandemic will permanently end office jobs, Bob Bergen has a compelling message about the enduring power of personal collaboration. Bergen is the voice behind Porky Pig and a zillion other animated movies, television shows and TV commercials. For voice actors like him, the pandemic shifted work that had already been mostly done at home into an entirely remote profession. Bergen told me he is grateful to have a job suited to our upended lives, but he cant wait to work with people again. I dont have to get on the freeway and drive from job to job so I can do more work. I dont have to wear pants if I dont want to. There are lots of pros to doing this, he said. But I do miss human interaction. Llangollen International Eisteddfod organisers reveals housing plans for overspill car park This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 20th, 2020 Organisers of the world famous music festival plan to build and sell seven homes on a former car park, located in an area of outstanding natural beauty and close to a World Heritage site. Plans have been submitted to Denbighshire council to build on land used as an overspill car park for the towns main International Eisteddfod Pavilion, off Abbey Road. The site is currently a field adjacent to the pavilion and located close to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. The design and access statement (DAS) classifies the area, which agents Fisher German say is no longer required by the festival, as a brownfield site and suitable for development. The scheme would fall outside of the local development boundary but Fisher German claims the area is suffering a shortfall in housing when compared against Denbighshire councils targets. The site also sits within an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) but the agent said the proposed density and nature of development will slot seamlessly into the existing pattern of development along Abbey Road. Within the planning documents Fisher German said: The development has much going for it. It is located in a highly accessible location within easy walking distance of the town centre. The development therefore represents a beneficial use for a brownfield site that might otherwise remain as vacant and visually harmful to the approach to the town centre. In sustainability terms, the development can only be described as scoring highly. The agents claim, although no developer has been identified yet, homes could start to be sold within 17 months of planning permission being granted. The layout and number of bedrooms has not been revealed but planning documents state the development will provide seven modestly sized family homes, which would be eminently suitable for local people wishing to upsize (young families) or for older people wishing to downsize. The first International Eisteddfod was held in in Llangollen 1947 and has become a staple Welsh cultural event with artists from around the globe clamouring to appear. It celebrated its 70th anniversary three years ago and in that time welcomed the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti twice once as a member of the Modena choir in 1955 and again as an international star in his own right 40 years later. Other notable appearances have included Kiri Te Kanawa, Jehudi Menuhin, Jose Carreras, Lesley Garrett, Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Dennis ONeil, James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Elaine Paige, Michael Ball, and Montserrat Caballe. Even Placido Domingos first ever UK appearance came at the 1968 International Eisteddfod. Llangollen International Music Festival has been approached for comment. By Jez Hemming Local Democracy Reporter Mary Kelly, 89, a longtime Standardbred horse owner/operator and a friend to many in the harness horse industry, passed away surrounded by her family, on July 9, 2020. In 1963, Kelly and her husband, Neil, bought a half interest in two Standardbred pacers, Bob Hardy and Kentucky Gal, from Wence and Doris McDonald, and Monterey Farm was born. In 1967, driver/trainer Gene Vallandingham joined forces with Mary and Neil, and their main business was claiming and racing. Neil was a pilot for United Air Lines, so Mary held down the farm while Neil was flying, doing the books, managing inoculations, swimming horses, and raising their three children. Five years later, in 1971, Monterey Farm set a record, winning 119 races in a single year. In 1973, Mary and Neil sold their farm in Elgin, Illinois and moved 79 head of horses to California. Mary worked tirelessly on the planning to transport 29 of them on a United Air Lines DC8 cargoliner. Mary and Neils Standardbred horses raced successfully for many years in California. They also ran a breeding farm, standing Peter Lobel, who was the top Standardbred stallion in California for many years, as well as Ray Charles and Sparking Speed. Mary and Neil wound down their racing barn in the 1990s, as the gambling moved to casinos and the California lottery. As the century closed, Monterey Farm was converted to row crop, which it still is today. Mary Kelly ran Monterey Farms racing business side-by-side with Neil for over 30 years. She was a style icon, always with a smile for everyone in the paddock and throughout the track. Mary will be missed by her many friends in the Standardbred racing world. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Mary Kelly. (USTA) New Delhi, July 20 : The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan's plea, challenging a trial court order granting the Crime Branch 60 more days for filing the charge sheet against her in connection with the February riots. A single judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait reserved the order after hearing all the parties at length, via video conferencing. During the hearing, Delhi government's senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi Police, stated that the investigators have "enough" material evidence to show that the extension of 90 days given by the court was correct in law. "Material speaks out loud that the extension is given rightly and in accordance with the law," he said. Mehra also opposed the contention of the petitioner's counsel that the extension was given out "without the application of mind" by the trial court. "The trial court had correctly applied its mind and this can be seen from the fact that extension of only 60 days was given and not the complete 90 days as prescribed under the law," he said. Ishrat Jahan, through her counsel - advocates Manu Sharma and Arjun, moved the high court against the trial court's June 15 order by which it had given an extension of two months to the Crime Branch to file a charge sheet in the case against her. "The same is against the democratic and fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. And the order deserves to be set aside on this ground alone. Speedy and fair investigation are fundamental tenets of the criminal justice system," the plea said. The plea also said that the order is based on surmises and conjectures and is against the settled principle of law. Ishrat Jahan also told the court that the said order is "erroneous, bad in law and wrong on facts." "It is pertinent to mention that none of the reasons for seeking extension of time for filing charge sheet or extension of detention for petitioner/accused Ishrat Jahan were meaningful or sufficient to satisfy the grant of extension of the same further failing onto the second limb of section 43(D)(2)(b) of UAPA which speaks about specific reasons that are to be stated for extension of the detention," the petition read. New Delhi, July 20 : Often pet parents are curious to know the blood line of the pup they bring home to understand its hereditary characteristics and psychological behaviour. The bloodline represents ancestral contributions which are passed down through the breeding process. A dog's personality is highly influenced by their family genetics. A perfectly bred pedigree goes back several generations and can give you exact information about the temperament, behaviour, characteristics etc. of the breed. Devanshi Shah, Founder, PetKonnect talks about five different breeds and how they get their characteristics from their ancestors: Boxers This breed was refined in Germany. It came into existence when man was looking for a perfect hunting partner. They thought of breeding such a breed which will have a strong physic and will be able to hunt the prey. This breed came into existence in the 1800's when Bullenbeisser was bred with an English bull dog. Bullenbeisser originated from the Mastiff family which were hunters back then. These breeds, could chase large preys like deer, wild boars etc. Their power and strength is impeccable. The boxers have a strong jaw grip to hold their prey. Their facial wrinkles prevent the excess blood from spraying into their eyes. It was a fast change from being a guard dog to a compassionate pet in households. Great Danes Great Danes are also called gentle giants or as the Apollo of dogs. Great Danes have been in existence since a long time and are a pure breed. Their characteristics specify that in spite of their giant stature they are recognised as one of the most sweet and affectionate breeds. They love to play with children and so make a perfect dog breed around kids. Danes can be easily trained due to their honest and compassionate nature and are also known to be good human protectors. German Shepherds They didn't just become popular; it was because of their inherit traits and nature. They are the most intelligent, devoted and versatile animals. This breed provides a foundation of a watch dog, protector and a companion. Given the name itself, this breed was bred originally in Germany. The Germans take great pride for this breeds existence and value. They make a good rescue squad. They are known majorly for their working ability. Pugs This breed came into existence a couple of decades ago and was originated in China. They are commonly also known as Carlin and Mops. The Pug is one of the most adored breed all over the world. There is no such difference in the breed from the ancestral period and the modern periods. The only difference is that nowadays, pugs have their ears cropped. They were believed to be from the Mastiff family but there is no connection between the two genetically or hereditary. This is the purest breed of all. Beagles They are descendants of the hunting hounds in England long before the Roman legions arrived in 55BC. These small and compact hounds were ancestors of the modern beagles. Their ancestors didn't have a formal name. They were used for hunting even though they were slow runners. Apart from being hunting animals they are also loyal, compassionate and happy-go-lucky which make them good pets for families. (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A leading professor of medicine has called president Donald Trump unteachable on the subject of masks and said that it indicates he is not competent to manage the response to the coronavirus pandemic. In an appearance on CNN, Dr Jonathan Reiner, professor at the George Washington School of Medicine & Health Sciences, responded to the presidents latest remarks regarding the wearing of masks. He is unteachable and I cant understand it. His failure to understand this simple public health measure, his reluctance to accept the advice of all of his public health experts, makes me wonder whether he is qualified now to manage this. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday the president offered contradicting views on whether people should wear face masks, saying that masks cause problems, too, and the people should be free not to wear them. Asked whether there would be any downside to a national mask mandate, Dr Reiner said that there would not be and the huge surge in Covid-19 cases being experienced by most of the country could be ended quicker. Framing his answer in terms the president would understand, he explained that a national mask mandate would mean more schools could reopen in more places in the autumn, and there might even be a return of professional sports. His poll numbers would go up because the virus would be tamped down in multiple parts of the country much quicker. There is no downside for him, said Dr Reiner. He concluded: This is not a sophisticated question where experts differ, there is no difference of opinion about this. The fact that the president of the United States cant get this straight raises serious doubts about his competence. On Monday morning, the Surgeon General Jerome Adams appeared on Fox News and begged viewers to wear masks. I'm pleading with your viewers. I'm begging you: Please understand we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering, he said. By Monday morning there were 3.77 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US, and over 140,000 officially confirmed deaths. Canada's Foreign Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne has promised to review $6.8 million worth of security equipment purchased from a Beijing-based high-tech company that has been found to have connections with the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party. As per Global News reports, Canada, this week, posted details that Beijing-based Nuctech, a company owned by the Chinese government and founded by the son of former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao, has been awarded a deal by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to install X-ray scanning equipment and software systems to provide security for 170 Canadian embassies, consulates and high commissions worldwide. Responding to questions from the media, the Foreign Minister on Friday promised in a statement to review "any possible issue relative to security or safety ... all appropriate actions (will be) taken to ensure the safety of our missions around the world." "We are currently looking into the offer with Nuctech company to provide some security screening equipment in our missions abroad," Champagne said in a statement. "Global Affairs has not purchased any equipment from Nuctech at this time." "In addition, I have today directed GAC officials to review our purchasing practices when it comes to security equipment and to continue reviewing the security of our missions around the world," the statement read further. The deal has been signed despite mounting concerns among some national security experts about Nuctech's growing access to sensitive facilities worldwide. Nuctech has been accused in the past of engaging in controversial business practices in Asia, Africa and Europe, including offering soft loans and illegal dumping. The New York Times has repeatedly reported on an alleged corruption case in Namibia involving Nuctech. According to Namibian prosecutors, in May 2008, three suspects allegedly received $12.8 million in kickbacks to help Nuctech secure a $55-million X-ray scanner contract, the Times reported. Critics of state-owned enterprises alleged that the Chinese government subsidises its companies to allow them to bid at lower prices than Western competitors. Meanwhile, in Europe, some analysts are complaining that Nuctech is making rapid inroads providing services to border security facilities due to China's state-backing, unfair practices, and potentially Beijing's influence over some European politicians. Carleton University professor Stephanie Carvin, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service official, said the Nuctech contract for Canadian embassies presents security concerns, but she believes China's "geo-economic" strategy is the bigger concern. "This is not Huawei. I am not as concerned as I would be with telecommunications," Carvin said. "The issue is the fact companies like Nuctech are inherently anti-competitive, they may in some cases be beneficiaries of stolen technologies, and they want to fundamentally take over and undermine western technologies," Carvin added. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics NEW YORK - Workers from the service industry, fast-food chains and the gig economy rallied with organized labour Monday to protest systemic racism and economic inequality, staging demonstrations across the U.S. and around the world seeking better treatment of Black Americans in the workplace. Organizers said at least 20,000 workers in 160 cities walked off the job, inspired by the racial reckoning that followed the deaths of several Black men and women at the hands of police. Visible support came largely in protests that drew people whose jobs in health care, transportation and construction do not allow them to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic. What the protesters are saying, that if we want to be concerned and we should be about police violence and people getting killed by the police ... we have to also be concerned about the people who are dying and being put into lethal situations through economic exploitation all over the country, said the Rev. William Barber II, co-chairman of the Poor Peoples Campaign, one of the organizations that partnered to support the strike. Barber told The Associated Press that Mondays turnout showed the importance of the issue to the people willing to come out during a pandemic to make their voices heard. Sadly, if theyre not in the streets, the political systems dont move, because when you just send an email or a tweet, they ignore it, he said. The Strike for Black Lives was organized or supported by more than 60 labour unions and social and racial justice organizations, which held a range of events in more than two dozen cities. Support swelled well beyond expectations, organizers said, although a precise participation tally was not available. Where work stoppages were not possible for a full day, participants picketed during a lunch break or dropped to a knee in memory of police brutality victims, including George Floyd, a Black man killed in Minneapolis police custody in late May. Dozens of janitors, security guards and health care workers observed a moment of silence in Denver to honour Floyd. In San Francisco, 1,500 janitors walked out and marched to City Hall. Fast-food cooks and cashiers in Los Angeles and nursing home workers in St. Paul, Minnesota, also went on strike, organizers said. At one McDonalds in Los Angeles, workers blocked the drive-thru for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, about how long prosecutors say a white police officer held his knee on Floyds neck as he pleaded for air. Jerome Gage, 28, was among a few dozen Lyft and Uber drivers who joined a car caravan in Los Angeles calling on companies to provide benefits like health insurance and paid sick leave to gig workers. Its basic stuff, and it creates a more profitable economic environment for everyone, not just the companies, Gage said. Glen Brown, a 48-year-old wheelchair agent at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said his job does not give him the option of social distancing. Brown and fellow workers called for a $15 minimum wage during an event in St. Paul, and he said workers were seizing our moment to seek change. We are front-line workers, (and) we are risking our lives, but were doing it at a wage that doesnt even match the risk, Brown said. In Manhattan, more than 150 union workers rallied outside Trump International Hotel to demand that the Senate and President Donald Trump adopt the HEROES Act, which provides protective equipment, essential pay and extended unemployment benefits to workers who cannot work from home. The House has already passed it. Elsewhere in New York City and in New Jersey and Connecticut, organizers said 6,000 workers at 85 nursing homes picketed, walked off the job or took other actions to highlight how predominantly Black and Hispanic workers and the residents they serve are at risk without proper protective gear during the pandemic. In Massachusetts, about 200 people, including health care workers, janitors and other essential employees, joined Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in front of the Statehouse in Boston. Were just being overworked and underpaid, and it makes you sometimes lose your compassion, said Toyai Anderson, 44, a nursing aide at Hartford Nursing and Rehab Center in Detroit. It makes me second-guess if I am sure this is my calling. Anderson makes $15.75 an hour after 13 years on the job. Nationally, the typical nursing aide makes $13.38, according to health care worker advocacy group PCI. One in 4 nursing home workers is Black. Hundreds of other workers at six Detroit nursing homes walked off the job, according to the Service Employees International Union. The workers are demanding higher wages and more safety equipment to keep them from catching and spreading the virus, as well as better health care benefits and paid sick leave. Participants nationwide broadly demanded action by corporations and the government to confront racism and inequality that limit mobility and career advancement for many Black and Hispanic workers, who make up a disproportionate number of those earning less than a living wage. The demands include allowing workers to unionize to negotiate better health care, sick leave and child care support. In South Korea, members of a transport workers union passed a resolution in support of the strike, raised their fists and chanted Black lives matter in Korean and No justice, no peace in English. In Brazil, McDonalds workers rallied outside the flagship restaurant in Sao Paolo. The two largest Brazilian labour federations, together representing more than 24 million workers, filed a complaint with a national prosecutor describing examples of structural racism at the company. McDonalds said it stands with Black communities worldwide. We believe Black lives matter, and it is our responsibility to continue to listen and learn and push for a more equitable and inclusive society, the Chicago-based company said in a statement. Justice Favor, 38, an organizer with the Laborers International Union Local 79, which represents 10,000 predominately Black and Hispanic construction workers in New York City, said he hopes that the strike motivates more white workers to acknowledge the existence of racism and discrimination in the workplace. There was a time when the Irish and Italians were a subjugated people, too, said Favor, who is Black. How would you feel if you werent able to fully assimilate into society? Once you have an open mind, you have to call out your coworkers who are doing wrong to others. ___ Associated Press reporters around the U.S. contributed to this report. ___ Morrison is a member of the APs race and ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. ___ A note on AP style on Black and white: https://apnews.com/afs:Content:9105661462 Companies of all sizes and sectors that are keen enhance their CSR strategic and policies can now apply for the H2-2020 cycle of the Dubai Chamber CSR Label. Businesses have until November 30, 2020 to apply to the Dubai Chamber CSR Label Advanced, Dubai Chamber CSR Label Standard and four specialised categories, namely Dubai Chamber CSR Label Workplace, Dubai Chamber CSR Label Marketplace, Dubai Chamber CSR Label Community and Dubai Chamber CSR Label Environment. The categories are designed for organisations that want to strengthen their expertise in specific areas of CSR that best fit their objectives. In an effort to support businesses dealing with the impact of Covid-19, Dubai Chamber is inviting companies to apply for one individual category free of charge. The Dubai Chamber CSR label enables companies to assess their CSR policies, processes and practices. Submissions are assessed by a panel of experts and all applicants receive a feedback report outlining their key strengths and areas for improvement which can be used to improve their CSR approach. Among the main benefits of applying for the label categories are detailed assessments of companies workplace social and environmental impacts, appraisal of CSR practices by industry experts, learning and developing tools for improving CSR programmers, and better recognition for CSR efforts. The Dubai Chamber CSR Labels serve as a diagnostic framework and a CSR management tool for the participating organisations to develop and improve their approach to CSR best practices, and assess their social and environmental impacts, explained Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber. He noted that since its launch in 2010, the Dubai Chamber CSR Label has grown in significance to become the highest level of recognition for the CSR efforts of businesses in the Middle East, adding that the framework for the Label is based on international standards, while ensuring local relevance. The Dubai Chamber CSR Label is managed by The Centre for Responsible Business, which was launched by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2004. The Centre encourages Dubai Chamber members to implement responsible business practices that contribute to enhancing the performance of their organisations and their competitive capabilities. -- Tradearabia News Service As I've plugged away in my home office -- and I'm blessed to have been able to do so -- it's clear to me that the global pandemic and our accompanying response has brought a whole new meaning to the idea of togetherness. But let's face it; money is a leading cause of stress in many households and families. While financial hardships can be difficult for anyone, the day-to-day financial grind can also take its toll on your friends, family and closest loved ones. Whether it's a financial crisis as the result of the pandemic, or just plain old daily financial operations here are some ideas for talking with your spouse, family, and friends about money matters. 1. Your Marriage When money is tight, it's easy to play the spousal blame game: "You talked me into this expensive house, and now look at the pickle we're in!" or "You were sure this retirement investment was a good thing, but now we'll have to work another 10 years!" Unfortunately, assigning blame won't solve your problem. You signed up for for better or worse so why not accept your financial mistakes and move forward to fix them -- together? A few ways to do that: Make financial dates. Commit to regular time together, without kids or the distraction of TV, so you can map out your personal financial recovery or a roadmap to achieve your future financial goals. Looking for an agenda item meeting number one? Do you have a monthly budget? If not, take out the yellow pad and pen to dinner, or if you're tech-savvy and have cleared the house of kids, sit down in front of the computer to tackle the task. Websites like Mint.com or even your bank's website may provide valuable assistance in developing and tracking your budget. Regardless of the topic, meet at least quarterly to focus on finances. Get outside help. If you're really locked into money struggles, an accredited financial planner or a marriage counselor who specializes in financial issues can help you sort out practical solutions and defuse intense emotion. Sometimes three is not a crowd! 2. Your Aging Parents If you haven't yet had "the talk" about your parents' money and their future, this is a good time to broach it. Start slow. Money can be touchy, so tackle other issues first. Ask your parents if they've thought about where they'd like to live if they're less independent in the future, or what their wishes are regarding burial or cremation. If a friend or other loved one of theirs dies, that's often a good time to bring up this sensitive topic. Over time, ease into questions about money. Or cut to the chase. If your parents are openly worried about their assets, help connect them with good resources. A financial planner, tax professional or elder-law attorney can help your parents evaluate their financial picture and perhaps ease their fears. 3. Your Kids Many children are aware that something unusual is happening or have friends whose parents are laid off. Since they already sense that something is up, be up-front with your children about any changes in your own family's finances. See this as a teachable moment. Don't keep the kids in the dark. While they shouldn't be involved in your financial decision-making, they can be involved in the effort to effectively manage your finances and should have an understanding that money doesn't grow on trees. It's never too early to start planting the seeds of prudent financial stewardship. If your kids someday face money challenges, they'll take strength from recalling how your family successfully tackled them together during a tough 2020. Let kids help. Call a family meeting and ask kids to suggest some ways to cut back so they'll feel like part of the team. Share the benefits of shopping with a list with your kids and let them check off items as they go in the cart at the store and let them see how you're not going astray of the list. Also, let tweens or teens manage a piece of their own spending, such as clothing. They quickly become careful spenders when it's their money they're using. 4. Your Free-Spending Friends Right now, in the shadow of the pandemic, frugal is cool. It's easier than ever to get out of unnecessary spending on activities with friends. If you still have a few clueless pals, it may be time for some straight talk. Decide how much you want to say. You don't have to bare your financial soul to your friends. However, you can simply say, We're tightening our belts right now. Instead of XYZ restaurant, how about a barbecue at our house? Your friends will understand that the cost is an issue, but you still want to see them. Axe the guilt. If financial difficulties or just a focus on achieving your financial goals results in a little different routine, it's not a bad thing and shouldn't carry a stigma. If your friends are truly that they will become accountability partners as opposed to roadblocks to your effort to stay on track. Get the Latest Financial Tips Whether you're trying to balance your budget, build up your credit, select a good life insurance program or are gearing up for a home purchase, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com and get the latest military benefit updates and tips delivered straight to your inbox. On Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Sunday, Oliver slammed President Trump for pushing baseless conspiracy theories. In the past, Trump has claimed that former president Barack Obama was born in Kenya, Hillary Clinton got millions of illegal votes in the 2016 election, in which she won the popular vote, and he flirted with the conspiracy that the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was murdered. Just last week, Trump retweeted a tweet from former game show host Chuck Woolery claiming that the coronavirus is just a big lie meant to hurt Trumps chances of re-election. The day after Woolerys tweet, his son tested positive for COVID-19, and after posting that it is indeed real, Woolerys Twitter account disappeared. Trump defended retweeting the conspiracy. I didnt make a comment, Trump told CBS Newss Catherine Herridge. I did. I reposted a tweet that a lot of people feel. But all I am doing is making a comment. Im just putting somebodys voice out there. There are many voices. There are many people that think we shouldnt do this kind of testing, because all we do, its a trap. He's been doing this throughout the pandemic, including just this week, when he retweeted a theory that the CDC and the media are lying about the virus to hurt his re-election chances, Oliver said after referring to Trump as one of the most prominent pushers of conspiracies on the planet. He added, I would argue he's not invested in any of the things he's spreading, he's only interested in amplifying whatever he thinks might benefit him. A 30-year-old COVID patient in Texas died recently after attending a COVID party, believing the coronavirus pandemic was a hoax. Just before dying, the patient reportedly looked up at their nurse and said, I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax, but its not. Thats just one case that highlights the danger of pushing such conspiracies, as Oliver pointed out. After playing a clip of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh talking about Trump pushing conspiracies, saying Trump is just pouring gasoline on a fire and hes having fun watching the flames, Oliver responded, Right now in particular, there is real harm in throwing gasoline on the fire because people are going to get burned, making those flames not quite as f***ing fun to watch. Because make no mistake here, people who have been convinced that COVID was overblown have sometimes paid a steep price. Story continues In an effort to get people to not believe everything they read on the internet, Oliver enlisted the help of Alex Trebek, Paul Rudd, Catherine OHara, Billy Porter and John Cena. Oliver played a mashup of the five of them urging people to think, and check trusted sources, before spreading conspiracy theories online. Their individual videos can be found at thetruetruetruth.com. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO. Watch this CNN reporter fight back tears recalling a hate crime shooting that orphaned a baby: For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. The bridge in Selma where Rep. John Lewis had his skull fractured by an Alabama State Trooper still bears the name of a Confederate general and KKK leader. But in the aftermath of the civil rights icons death on Friday, a group is looking to have the bridge renamed in Lewis honor. Nearly 500,000 people, as of Sunday evening, had signed a petition calling for the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to become the John Lewis Bridge. The bridge, which was opened in 1940, played an important role in American history as the setting of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965. On that day, protesters attempting to win voting rights for African-Americans in the South were attacked and brutally beaten by police at the bridge. Seventeen marchers were sent to the hospital, and Lewis was left with scars on his head that would last the rest of his life. The bridges namesake, Edmund Pettus, was both a former U.S. Senator and a former leader of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. As a fighter for the Confederacy and a supporter of slavery, many believe that his name should be wiped away from such a landmark in the struggle for racial equality. Edmund Pettus was a bitter racist, undeserving of the honor bestowed upon him, Michael Starr Hopkins, who created the John Lewis Bridge Project, said in a statement. As we wipe away this countrys long stain of bigotry, we must also wipe away the names of men like Edmund Pettus. Prominent voices who have endorsed the renaming effort include Ava DuVernay, who directed the critically acclaimed film Selma, and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who elaborated on his position in an interview with Meet The Press over the weekend. I think you ought to take a nice picture of that bridge with Pettus name on it, put it in a museum somewhere dedicated to the Confederacy, and then rename that bridge and repaint it, redecorate it: the John R. Lewis Bridge, he 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 to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms. 2020 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Delta Air Lines will require medical screenings for passengers who can't wear face masks due to health concerns - and even suggest they simply stay home. The latest policy change will accompany Delta's face mask mandate that ensures customers wear them on flights, during boarding and in waiting areas at airports. Delta appeared to be the first US based airline to implement pre-departure medical screenings in tandem with its coronavirus-era public health protocols. 'We encourage customers who are prevented from wearing a mask due to a health condition to reconsider travel,' the airline said in a statement. 'If they decide to travel, they will be welcome to fly upon completing a virtual consultation prior to departure at the airport to ensure everyones safety, because nothing is more important.' Delta Air Lines announced that it will require all passengers who cannot wear face coverings due to medical issues to undergo a pre-departure medical screening Delta's new policy comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention strengthened its call for Americans to don face coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic. '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,' said Director Robert Redfield in a statement. The new 'Clearance-to-Fly' virtual consultation will be done over the phone by the STAT-MD, a company that does ground-based medical support, and passengers will be connected to a medical professional. Delta Air Lines will use the results of the consultation to determine if passengers will take flight. Air travelers who do not have clearance from STAT-MD, or ignore the mask mandate, risk being barred from future flights with Delta. Making false claims about medical conditions or disabilities could also see passengers suspended. Delta Air Lines encouraged those who cannot wear face masks to reconsider their travel plans and stay home Several airlines, including Delta and Spirit, have required all passengers to wear face masks during flights to stop the coronavirus from spreading among travelers Delta officials asked that people scheduled for the Clearance-to-Fly screening arrive early to the airport to allow enough time for the process, which can take upwards of an hour. Those who are denied will receive a refund for their tickets. WJLA reports that travelers who would be considered exempt include: people who are physically unable to apply or remove their own face masks, children under age 8 who cannot maintain face masks without hurting personal safety, people with autism or other disabilities and those who use self-contained oxygen that would be compromised by a mask. Delta CEO Ed Bastian revealed in a memo that he had already 'banned some passengers' from future flights because they refused to wear masks, CNN Business reports. The protocol went into effect on Monday and will remain until the end of 2020. DailyMail.com has reached out to Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and others to learn if they have such health protocols in place. But several have similar mask mandates that were implemented as airports shuttered during the pandemic and air travel sputtered to a near-stop. United Airlines has a mask mandate and said those who do not wear one could be put on the restricted travel list. American Airlines asked all passengers - except those with children or disability - to wear face coverings during flights. Southwest, Spirit and United also require passengers to wear masks aboard flights. While individual companies have implemented rules, Bastian believes more regulations should be made by the Trump administration. Pictured: Airline passengers wearing face masks arrive and depart the D Concousre at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada 'We've had those discussions with the White House,' said Bastian. 'I feel strongly about it, but I'm not sure some of my peers and other airlines feel the same way. So as a practical matter, I'm not sure it's gonna happen.' President Trump's stance on face masks had wobbled repeatedly, but he was spotted wearing one for the first time in July - even though lockdown orders were imposed in March. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said at a June event hosted Politico that she was against a federal face mask mandate. She said decisions should be made by individual airlines and frontline workers who risk the most if the infection is spread. 'When the federal government gets involved, we tend to be much more heavy handed, we tend to be inflexible, and once we put a rule in place, it takes a long time to remove that rule if conditions change,' she said. The United States has surpassed more than three million confirmed infections and 143,000 deaths. Just last week. three people on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Upstate New York tested positive for the virus and started showing symptoms one day after their trip. Officials said 44 other passengers were on that flight and encouraged them to undergo coronavirus testing as soon as possible. In addition to its mask mandate and new pre-departure screening, Delta has barred the middle seat on planes from being used. Delta's chief customer experience officer Bill Lentsch said in a statement that 'reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people'. Research released on Monday also backed up that statement. Arnold Barnett, an award-winning professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management, shared his findings in a new research paper titled ' Covid-19 Risk Among Airline Passengers: Should the Middle Seat Stay Empty?' The data shows that barring the middle seat on airplanes may cut the risk of contracting COVID-19 by nearly half. Using publicly available statistics on social distancing and COVID-19 transmission, Barnett found that a person faces a one in 4,300 chance of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 while flying on a plane with every middle seat filled. Those odds fall to just one in 7,700 when flying on a plane where no middle seat tickets are booked, according to a report on Barnett's research in ZDnet. Footage of passengers being removed from flights over their refusal to wear a face mask has become more common as coverings become increasingly politicized. Over the weekend, it was revealed a 42-year-old fitness model from Kelowna, British Columbia claimed she was kicked off an Air Canada flight for not wearing a mask But she argued that she had a doctor's note that said face coverings, in her case, could cause panic attacks. Before that a disgruntled passenger was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight heading to Florida from New York City for refusing to wear a face mask. Footage of the tense exchange between the man and a Port Authority officer went viral on social media after people were outraged over the strict rules. In June, a Trump supporter who refused to wear a face covering during an American Airlines flight was removed by officials. After being refused on the flight, he condemned the incident as 'absolutely insane' and said 'we don't even have a choice anymore' in a video on social media. On social media, conservative activist Brandon Straka described the incident as 'absolutely insane' and said: 'We don't even have a choice anymore' (File image o fStraka on plane in MAGA cap) In a statement, American Airlines said: 'After he refused to comply with the instructions provided by the flight crew, our team members asked him to deplane. 'He deplaned and the flight departed the gate four minutes late at 12:34pm ET.' In a tweet following the incident, the man said: 'I was just removed from my flight for not wearing a mask. 1st time this has happened. Not a federal law. Although footage of Delta Air Lines passengers being removed from flights hasn't circulated, there were forced to pay a $50,000 fine in January for removing a three Muslims off of two separate flights because others complained they were 'nervous.' Addiction and recovery are cornerstones of our work, and alcohol is a prevalent addictive substance. We recognize that building sustainable relationships with students and faculty amplifies the message of alcohols negative effect.Dr. Monteic A. Sizer Executive Director Continuing an agreement to educate and bring awareness to issues impacting our communities, Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (NEDHSA) and the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) are addressing underage drinking, focusing on college campuses. To assist in this effort, Zeta chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon at ULM developed a series of images and data-driven content. This social media series, guided by NEDHSA, will emphasize the negative effects of alcohol on young adults. "Addiction and recovery are cornerstones of our work, and alcohol is a prevalent addictive substance," said Dr. Monteic A. Sizer, executive director of NEDHSA. "We recognize that building sustainable relationships with students and faculty amplifies the message of alcohols negative effect. Especially in todays climate of COVID-19, alcohol consumption can result in negative consequences one being community spread of COVID-19. The need for this series resulted from the 2019 Louisiana Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. It measured alcohol and drug usage, and attitudes and perceptions among college students at two and four-year institutions. It found that 76.2 percent of college students consumed alcohol in the past year, 53.2 percent of students under 21 consumed alcohol within 30 days of being surveyed and 28.6 percent of students reported binge drinking in the previous two weeks. "We cannot be blind to the reality of those in our communities, Sizer said. Proactively responding to what is occurring in our region is how we build a unified Northeast Louisiana, where individuals are thriving and reaching their full human potential." Northeast Delta and ULM will continue to collaborate in efforts to enhance the Northeast Louisiana community. To see the series of images, visit NEDHSAs or ULMs social media platforms. For more information, contact Scott King at (318) 362-4538 or E-mail Scott.King@LA.GOV. New Delhi: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is likely to announce Class 12 board results on Monday (July 20). The board will release the results on official website of PSEB, which is - pseb.ac.in. Alternative assessment scheme pattern used for PSEB 12th result: The PSEB 12th result has been evaluated on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme. Earlier, the Punjab government had announced the cancellation of the remaining examination of Class 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Henceforth, the Punjab Education Board decided to declare the PSEB 12th results on the basis of the best-performing subject formula, a pattern suggested by the Centre a few days ago. PSEB class 12 results: Where to check the scorecard: Once the Class 12 results are declared by the PSEB, students can check their scorecard on the official website pseb.ac.in. The website will also be accessible from mobile phones. PSEB class 12 results: How to check Step 1: Students are advised to visit the official website pseb.ac.in Step 2: Click on the result link on the homepage Step 3: Enter their required details like Roll No or date of birth. Step 4: Ensure that the details entered match the data provided with PSEB class 12 exam admit card. Step 5: Submit and view your result. Students are advised to download a copy of the result for future reference. Last year pass percentage: Last year, 86.41 per cent of students passed the PSEB 12th examination. The pass percentage among girls was 90.86 per cent. Three students were joint toppers. Sarvjot Singh Bansal from Ludhiana, Aman from Mukhtasar and Muskan Soni from Nakodar, had bagged the first position securing 98.89 per cent marks. PSEB Class 12th result delayed this year In 2019, the PSEB had declared the Class 12 results on May 11. This year the result has been delayed as the exams could not be held on time due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown. PSEB Class 12 marksheet and certificates: Students are advised to immediately download the result marksheet once released by the PSEB board. They are also advised to take a printout of the results for future reference. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the board results will only be made online. Rachael Jones is vying for the heart of a down to earth country bloke on the upcoming season of Australian reality show, Farmer Wants A Wife. But the 42-year-old journalist has one very recognisable ex - none other than Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves, 55. British-born Rachael had a three-week fling with Keanu when he was in Sydney, Australia, filming sequels to The Matrix in 2001. Famous ex: Rachael Jones (pictured) is vying for the heart of a down to earth country bloke on the upcoming season of Australian reality show, Farmer Wants A Wife. But the 42-year-old journalist has a very recognisable ex At the time, she was a backpacker, and was introduced to Keanu through a friend who knew his Matrix co-star, Laurence Fishburne, 58. She told The Daily Mail at the time: 'I wasn't planning to go out that night but a friend persuaded me. I threw on an old denim dress and didn't even have time to dry my hair or put on makeup. 'During the evening he just walked up to me and said: "Hi, I'm Keanu". What a man! She dated Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves, 55. Pictured in 2020 Fling: British-born Rachael had a three week fling with Keanu when he was in Sydney, Australia, filming sequels to The Matrix in 2001 (pictured) 'I blurted out: "Hi, I'm Rachael and I'm just going to the loo",' and immediately felt embarrassed at saying something so banal, but he just laughed.' 'I kept trying to include my friend in our conversation, but I soon realised he was keen to talk to me,' she continued. 'Of course, I knew who he was and there was a lot of chemistry between us. But I wasn't thinking this was my big chance to make a play for him. 'It simply seemed too far-fetched that anything might happen between us. It was amazing enough to think that I had even met him.' Wow! The pair met at a pub, through a friend, when the Hull-based radio presenter was backpacking in Sydney. They went back to her flat, where the superstar kissed her, before they spent the night together She told The Daily Mail at the time: 'It was then that he kissed me and I can remember thinking: 'My God, this can't be happening.' It was very tender and sweet between us'. Pictured in 2003 The pair went to Rachael's flat together, where the star kissed her. 'It was then that he kissed me and I can remember thinking: 'My God, this can't be happening.' It was very tender and sweet between us. 'Soon it was so late that I could hardly keep my eyes open, but instead of going back to his hotel, Keanu asked if he could stay the night and we both just fell into my bed.' She is quoted by Woman's Day as having said at the time: 'Is Keanu good in bed? Is the Pope a Catholic?' The pair were spotted together around Sydney at the time, with Keanu seen outside the Hull radio presenter's Bondi home, waiting 20 minutes for her to get ready. She is quoted by Woman's Day as having said at the time: 'Is Keanu good in bed? Is the Pope a Catholic?' They then took a motorbike ride to Sydney's hip Paddington, where they had dinner together. The fling lasted just three weeks before Rachael returned to Yorkshire, where she worked as a radio presenter, when her visa was up. 'The relationship I've had with Keanu sounds blissful,' she told The Daily Mail at the time. 'But the reality is it could never have been anything more than a fling. People like me just don't live that sort of life permanently. 'If only he had been a normal person, I think our relationship would have stood a chance, as there was something really special between us. But he lives in another world and it's not one I can join him in.' What a tale: The fling lasted just three weeks before Rachael returned to Yorkshire, where she worked as a radio presenter, when her visa was up. She has since returned to Sydney and works as a finance journalist. Pictured recently 'We left on good terms,' she added. 'Keanu said he'd stay in touch and told me he thought we'd had a great time together.' She also told Hello magazine of the affair the following year: 'Going out with Keanu was fun, but no big deal.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Rachael Jones and Keanu Reeves for comment. Rachael, who is now based in Sydney's Darlinghurst and works as a finance news journalist, will try to win the love of Farmer Nick on the upcoming season of Farmer Wants A Wife. Air Indias pilot association informed the national carriers management on Monday that changes in wage settlement would be illegal and such a situation has the potential to [flare up] to an unprecedented magnitude. This comes days after Air India approved a leave without pay (LWP) scheme for permanent employees for a period of six months to two years, extendable up to five years, Any unilateral change by Air India from agreed upon wage settlement would be illegal and will not be in the interest of our National Carrier at this crucial juncture. Such a situation has the potential to [falre up] to an unprecedented magnitude, the Indian Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA) wrote in a letter addressed to Air India chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal, a copy of which was reviewed by Hindustan Times. In the interest of the company and due to the Covid scenario, ICPA supports temporary austerity measures at all fronts, only if such a restructuring is done in true spirit of the Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Flying allowance and flying related allowances constitute 70% of our wages. These allowances remain unpaid since April 2020, the letter said. Furthermore, all the wages are being paid with constant delays. The proposal was verbally explained to us without any written true copy...the management cannot and should not unilaterally implement any restructured wage, it added. In a statement issued on Friday, the airline had said: Air India is in a very challenging financial situation and is taking recourse to several initiatives with a view to ensuring the continuance of its operations. It added, Air India has introduced the Leave Without Pay (LWP) Scheme on July 14, 2020. The scheme primarily enables employees to avail the benefits of proceeding on leave without pay on VOLUNTARY basis. The LWP scheme has been introduced for grant of leave without pay and allowances for permanent employees for a period of six months/two years, which is extendable up to 5 years. Air India had introduced a similar LWP scheme in September 1998, June 2009 and August 2009. Several hundred employees have in the past availed of LWP, the letter said. The pilots body said no negotiations had been held by the management with pilots. In the press conference by Honble Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri dated 16th July 2020, you had stated we are in negotiation with the pilots, which is far from reality. It was not a negotiation, but the diktat of MoCA which was conveyed to us. We would also like to place on record that the so-called negotiation was not harmonious in any aspect, the ICPA letter alleged. At a news conference on Thursday, Bansal had said the national carrier is working on four fronts to reduce costs by reducing debt, cutting on lease rentals, trimming staff costs and reducing operating costs. We are trying to increase the topline, and are trying to contain costs, Bansal said at a news conference along with civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri. We have cut down staff cost, we have laid off employees working with us post-retirement and we are in negotiations with pilots, cabin crew and other employee categories. Puri had said airlines across the world are implementing cost cutting measures. The cost cutting drive dovetails with a government plan to sell its stake in Air India amid increasing debt and mounting losses. The Centre started the process in January by releasing an information document for investors and offering access to financial and other data of Air India and its subsidiaries. The governments stake in Air India, its 100% stake in low-cost subsidiary Air India Express Ltd and 50% stake in ground handling unit Air India SATS Airport Services are on offer. An attempt to auction a majority stake almost two years ago failed to draw bids. The airlines accumulated debt is estimated to be more than Rs 69,000 crore. It posted a loss of Rs 8,556 crore in fiscal 2018-19, against a net loss of Rs 5,348 crore in the previous fiscal. When contacted by HT on Monday, an Air India spokesperson said: We wouldnt like to make any comment on these internal issues. The beleaguered Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan might call a brief Assembly session in the coming week to prove its majority if the Rajasthan high court gives a favourable verdict to former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and his supporting MLAs who have challenged their disqualification by Speaker C.P. Joshi. On Saturday, Mr Gehlot had met governor Kalraj Mishra with a list of 102 MLAs supporting his government. Congress leader Ajay Maken, who has been sent to Jaipur from Delhi to help tackle the situation, said in a press conference: The decision on when and how the floor test will happen has to be taken by the chief minister and the government. It is the CMs discretion to move forward when required, and if it is required. Sources, however, said the Assembly session may be held as early as this week after the court verdict. In the 200-member Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including Mr Pilot and the 18 MLA loyal to him, who have rebelled against the chief minister. Speaker C.P. Joshi had earlier sent disqualification notices to the rebel MLAs, after which they moved the high court. The next hearing in the matter will be held on Monday. The RLD, which has one MLA, is a Congress ally, while the ruling party also has the support of 10 of the 13 Independent MLAs. The government considers both CPI(M) MLAs as being on its side. The Bhartiya Tribal Party, which has two MLAs, has announced support to the Gehlot government on Sunday, and said it was now in a position to punch way above its weight despite its minuscule presence in the state Assembly. We have two MLAs in a House of 200, yet we are in the position of kingmakers, BTP president Maheshbhai C. Vasava said. The two MLAs supported the ruling Congress in the state in last months Rajya Sabha polls. But when the power tussle between Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot resurfaced recently, the BTP said it would remain neutral. Mr Vasava said the party is now extending support to Mr Gehlot after an assurance that its demands related to the development of tribal areas will be met. Sources said this might mean an expansion of the Gehlot Cabinet and accommodation of new faces. While the Congress central leadership has fully backed Mr Gehlot in the political feud with his former deputy, they have also made it clear to him to clear up the mess and accommodate more people. In Jaipur, meanwhile, the Congress demanded the resignation of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, saying he has no moral authority to stay in the Union Cabinet when he is heard on audio clips that indicate a BJP conspiracy to topple the Rajasthan government. Mr Gehlot rejected the BJPs dismissal of the clip in which the ministers voice is heard, telling a television channel that he is prepared to quit politics if it is later proved that the tape is fabricated. As speculation grew over the Gehlot government facing a floor test in the Assembly after the CMs meeting with the governor, the BJPs Gulab Chand Kataria, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said only a floor test can tell whether the government has a majority or not. Amid the face-off between the Gehlot and Pilot camps, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said it is now up to the rebel leader to fall into the BJPs illusory trap or return to the fold and discuss their differences with the family. He said senior party leaders had talked to him several times in recent days. In an interview to PTI, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh said he had tried to get in touch with Mr Pilot three or four times but the Rajasthan leader did not take the calls. Age is on your side. Ashok (Gehlot) may have offended you, but all such issues are best resolved amicably. Dont make the mistake that Scindia made, he advised, referring to Madhya Pradesh leader Jyotiraditya Scindia switching sides to join the BJP in March this year. One of the world's longest-running territorial disputes in the Caucasus mountains has resumed after 20 people died in fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan last week, the author Max Seddon writes in his article published in The Financial Times. The sudden escalation comes as both countries are struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic: Armenia, which has a population of just 3m, has recorded nearly 35,000 Covid-19 cases. Meanwhile, energy-rich Azerbaijans economy has taken a hit from falling oil prices, the author noted. Negotiations arent yielding any results. That raises the tensions on international border areas, so each side has been expecting the other to attack, Zaur Shiriyev, Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group said. There is no one capable of deterrence or restraint, said Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center, a think-tank in Yerevan. The real question is less about international mediation and much more about how far Armenia and Azerbaijan want to continue this escalation. Armenia now feels compelled to respond, and we are in a tit-for-tat situation that is spiralling out of control. As the author noted, "hope for reconciliation rose in 2018 after Armenias velvet revolution ousted longtime president Serzh Sargsyan, head of a Karabakh clan that had tightly controlled the country for years, and brought protest leader Nikol Pashinyan to power. Armenia and Azerbaijan launched direct communication channels to minimise shooting incidents at the front lines and declared early last year they would prepare the population for peace. Azerbaijans hopes that Mr Pashinyan, an ex-journalist with no ties to Nagorno-Karabakh, could fundamentally narrow the gap between the countries positions on the conflict may have been misplaced. Mr Pashinyan visited Nagorno-Karabakh a day after becoming prime minister and has returned several times since, including a trip for the inauguration of the enclaves new de facto president in May." All of those moves suggest that theres going to be no change in Armenian policy, which is received in Azerbaijan as the continued policy of annexation, said Laurence Broers, Caucasus programme director for Conciliation Resources. The longer the conflict goes on, the less likely it is that Azerbaijan is going to get minimal concessions or results, never mind the return of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. According to the author, Mr Pashinyans 'rhetoric is less bellicose than his predecessors.' "His wife, journalist Anna Hakobyan, launched a social media campaign to stop the fighting. But public tensions remain high in Azerbaijan after this weeks clashes claimed the life of Azerbaijani Major General Polad Hashimov, the highest-ranking officer to be killed in the conflict since the wars," he added. The author of the article added that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev fired his foreign minister, who, according to him, had been involved in some useless negotiations trying to provide access to officials of the World Health Organization to assist in the fight against the pandemic in Karabakh. What kind of negotiations over Covid can we be carrying out with an enemy country, and country at war with us? Its absurd, Mr Aliyev said. It means we are going to start co-operating with Armenia?! Dozens of women wearing yellow linked arms to form a protective "wall of moms" around Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday as the protesters clashed with federal law enforcement. Video from the scene showed crowds chanting Feds stay clear, moms are here!" and "Feds go home!" before protesters toppled a fence erected around the federal courthouse. Federal agents fired back with what appeared to be tear gas and flash bangs, the video showed. Hundreds of people had gathered for the demonstrations, blocking roads, Portland police said in a statement early Monday. They said dozens of others "tampered" with the courthouse fence. The crowd was very celebratory when the fence first came down, freelance journalist Garrison Davis told NBC News by phone after reporting from the rally. There was a lot of cheering. Once the fence was down, police said dozens of people carrying shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats and hockey sticks approached the doors of the courthouse before federal law enforcement dispersed the crowd shortly before midnight. Portland police said none of their officers were present, nor did they engage with the crowds or deploy gas. The Department of Homeland Security couldn't be immediately reached for comment about the involvement of federal agents in Sunday's events. In an earlier statement regarding Saturday's protests, the department described the demonstrators as "violent anarchists" who were "assaulting federal officers and damaging federal property." Portland has seen sustained protests following the killing of George Floyd, the Black man whose death in custody in Minneapolis triggered global demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, particularly after one protester was critically injured when an officer with the U.S. Marshals Service fired a less-lethal round at his head on July 11. Sunday's protests began with a rally by a group called Moms Against Police Brutality, said Davis, the freelance journalist. Some members of the group, who are self-described as the Wall of Moms on social media, had been out at protests the previous night as well. Story continues Some of the women were there because their children had been tear-gassed in earlier protests over recent weeks, Davis said. Theres definitely some parents and teens out there together, he said. The clashes on Sunday followed comments by the city's mayor blaming federal police for "escalating the situation." "Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism," Mayor Ted Wheeler said on CNN. "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave." Image: A man wearing a The dispute over the presence of the federal agencies is set to play out in the courts. On Friday, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. She alleged that federal law enforcement officers sent to Portland to suppress protests violated the Constitution by unlawfully detaining and arresting demonstrators without probable cause. In the lawsuit, Rosenblum has asked for a restraining order to prevent agents with Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Service from making any further arrests. President Donald Trump defended his administration in a tweet on Sunday saying the government is "trying to help Portland, not hurt it." He also blamed local leadership for having "lost control of the anarchists and agitators." DUBLIN, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap" or the "Company") (NYSE: AER) announced today the expiration and results of the previously announced offers to purchase for cash commenced by AerCap Global Aviation Trust ("AGAT," "we," "us" and "our"), a Delaware statutory trust and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, for its own account as successor to International Lease Finance Corporation ("ILFC"), or for its own account and on behalf of AerCap Ireland Capital Designated Activity Company ("AICDAC"), as applicable, for any and all of the notes listed in the table below (the "Notes"). The offers to purchase with respect to each series of Notes are being referred to herein as the "Offers" and each, an "Offer." Each Offer was made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase, dated July 13, 2020 (the "Offer to Purchase"), and its accompanying notice of guaranteed delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and, together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Tender Offer Documents"). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase. Title of Security Issuer(s) Security Identifiers Acceptance Priority Level Maturity Date Principal Amount Previously Outstanding Principal Amount Tendered(1) Principal Amount Accepted(1) Total Consideration(2) 8.250% Notes due 2020* AGAT (as successor to ILFC) CUSIP : 459745GF6 ISIN : US459745GF62 1 December 15, 2020 $1,000,000,000 $743,997,000 $743,997,000 $1,030.00 8.625% Notes due 2022* AGAT (as successor to ILFC) CUSIP : 459745GK5 ISIN : US459745GK57 2 January 15, 2022 $650,000,000 $367,396,000 $367,396,000 $1,087.50 4.625% Notes due 2021* AGAT (as successor to ILFC) CUSIP : 459745GQ2 ISIN : US459745GQ28 3 April 15, 2021 $499,075,000 $334,540,000 $334,540,000 $1,022.50 4.500% Notes due 2021* AGAT & AICDAC CUSIP : 00772BAF8 / 00772BAE1 / G01080AC7 ISIN : US00772BAF85 / US00772BAE11 / USG01080AC74 4 May 15, 2021 $1,100,000,000 $836,272,000 $0 $1,023.75 5.000% Notes 2021* AGAT & AICDAC CUSIP : 00772BAM3 ISIN : US00772BAM37 5 October 1, 2021 $800,000,000 $465,194,000 $0 $1,028.75 4.450% Notes due 2021* AGAT & AICDAC CUSIP : 00774MAH8 ISIN : US00774MAH88 6 December 16, 2021 $700,000,000 $341,793,000 $0 $1,023.75 * Admitted to trading on the Irish Stock Exchange plc, trading as Euronext Dublin ("Euronext Dublin"), including $95,000 in aggregate principal amount of unregistered 4.500% Notes due 2021, which, as a correction to the Tender Offer Documents, have been admitted to trading on Euronext Dublin. (1) The amounts include (i) $1,936,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 8.250% Notes due 2020, (ii) $1,673,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 8.625% Notes due 2022, (iii) $4,279,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.625% Notes due 2021, (iv) $0 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.500% Notes due 2021, (v) $2,430,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 5.000% Notes due 2021 and (vi) $1,603,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 4.450% Notes due 2021, in each case for which Holders have complied with certain procedures applicable to guaranteed delivery pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Such amounts remain subject to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Notes tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures are required to be tendered at or prior to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 21, 2020. (2) Per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes. Does not include accrued but unpaid interest, which will also be payable as provided in the Offer to Purchase. The Offers expired at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 17, 2020 (the "Expiration Date"). AGAT's obligation to accept Notes tendered in the Offers was subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including the Maximum Total Consideration Condition. The Maximum Total Consideration Condition has been satisfied with respect to Notes of all series with Acceptance Priority Levels (as set forth in the table above) of 2 and higher, with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 6 being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level. The aggregate Total Consideration payable for tendered Notes of the series with Acceptance Priority Level of 3 (together with the aggregate Total Consideration payable for Notes of each series with a higher Acceptance Priority Level) is greater than $1,250,000,000 (the "Cash Cap"). Therefore, the Maximum Total Consideration Condition has not been satisfied with respect to Notes of the series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 3 and lower. However, we have decided to waive the Maximum Total Consideration Condition only with respect to Notes of the series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 3. Accordingly, all Notes of all series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 3 and higher validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Date and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Withdrawal Date have been accepted for purchase. We have decided to terminate the Offers for Notes of all series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 4 and lower. Accordingly, all tendered Notes of all series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 4 or lower (including any Notes of those series tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures) will be promptly returned to the respective tendering Holders. $7,888,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes of all series with an Acceptance Priority Level of 3 or higher were tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Acceptance of such Notes remains subject to the valid delivery, at any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 21, 2020 (the "Guaranteed Delivery Date"), of such Notes and corresponding documentation, pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions under the Offer to Purchase. Holders of Notes that have been accepted for purchase will receive on July 20, 2020 (the "Settlement Date"), the applicable Total Consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes, as set forth in the table above, and accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date up to, but excluding, the Settlement Date, in cash. Interest will cease to accrue on the Settlement Date for all Notes accepted in the Offers, including those tendered through the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. All Notes that have been accepted for purchase will be retired and canceled and will no longer remain outstanding obligations of AerCap or any of its subsidiaries. Such Notes will also be delisted from Euronext Dublin with immediate effect. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as the Lead Dealer Managers, and Barclays Capital Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC served as Co-Dealer Managers, in connection with the Offers (collectively, the "Dealer Managers"). Questions regarding terms and conditions of the Offers should be directed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. by calling toll free at 800-558-3745 or collect at 212-723-6106, to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC by calling toll free at 800-820-1653 or collect at 212-538-5828 or to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC by calling toll free at 866-834-4666 or collect at 212-834-8553. Global Bondholder Services Corporation was appointed information agent (the "Information Agent") and tender agent (the "Tender Agent") in connection with the Offers. Questions or requests for assistance in connection with the Offers or for additional copies of the Tender Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation by calling toll free at 866-807-2200 or collect at 212-430-3774 or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offers. The Tender Offer Documents can be accessed at the Offer Website: http://www.gbsc-usa.com/aercap/. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase with respect to any Notes. Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase, or the electronic transmission thereof, constitutes an offer to sell or buy Notes, as applicable, in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation under applicable securities laws or otherwise. The distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and the Dealer Managers or any of their respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in any such jurisdiction, the Offers shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Managers or such affiliate (as the case may be) on behalf of AGAT in such jurisdiction. AGAT expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to extend, re-open, withdraw or terminate any Offer and to amend or waive any of the terms and conditions of any Offer in any manner, subject to applicable laws and the limitations provided for in the Offer to Purchase. About AerCap AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing with one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Los Angeles, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle and Toulouse. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE AerCap Holdings N.V. Related Links www.aercap.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:43:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A member of the Iraqi parliament predicted on Monday that the earlier decisions to ease restrictions by the health authorities could increase the number of daily new COVID-19 cases. Lawmaker Ghaiyb al-Omairi said in a press release that the latest decisions of the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety to reopen the airports, malls, and border crossings could raise the daily COVID-19 infections. Al-Omairi also expected that the committee "would reimpose some restrictions amid the rise in daily infections," while calling on citizens to strictly abide by the preventive measures. On July 16, the committee, headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, decided to reduce the hours of the partial curfew, except for the full curfew on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It also decided to completely lift the curfew after the Eid al-Adha holiday, which is expected to end in the early days of August according to the Islamic lunar calendar. The committee's decisions also included reopening the airports for the flights starting from July 23 and two crossing border points with the neighboring Iran and one with Kuwait for commercial exchange. Al-Omairi's comments came as the Health Ministry recorded 2,163 new COVID-19 cases during the day, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 94,693. A statement by the ministry also reported 88 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 3,869. It said that 2,308 people recovered during the day, raising the total recoveries to 62,836. The new cases were recorded after 16,498 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 809,522 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, the statement added. 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 BENSALEM, Pa., July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of shareholders of the following publicly-traded companies. Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in these class actions at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com . United States Oil Fund, LP (NYSE: USO ) Class Period: March 19, 2020 - April 28, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 18, 2020 Shareholders with $500,000 in losses or more are encouraged to contact the firm The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants stated that USO would achieve its investment objective by investing substantially all of its portfolio assets in the near month WTI futures contract. However, unbeknownst to investors, USO's purported investment objective and strategy was unfeasible due to market conditions in early 2020, including a "super contango" in which the futures prices for oil substantially exceeded the spot price because storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma approached capacity. Instead of revealing the known impacts and risks, USO held an offering of billions of dollars of USO shares in March 2020. PlayAGS, Inc. (NYSE: AGS ) Class Period: August 2, 2018 - August 7, 2019 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 24, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that PlayAGS was experiencing challenges in its business in Oklahoma; (2) that, as a result, the Companys recurring revenue would be negatively impacted; (3) that PlayAGS was experiencing challenges in its Interactive business segment, including delays in securing regulatory approvals and relevant licenses; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, PlayAGS was reasonably likely to record a goodwill impairment; and (5) that as a result, Defendants statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Story continues Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD ) Class Period: August 10, 2016 - April 29, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 24, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Brookdales financial performance was sustained by, among other things, the Companys purposeful understaffing of its senior living communities; (2) that the foregoing conduct subjected Brookdale to an increased risk of litigation and, once revealed, was foreseeably likely to have a material negative impact on the Companys financial results and reputation; (3) as a result, the Companys financial results were unsustainable; and (4) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Cheetah Mobile, Inc. (NYSE: CMCM ) Class Period: March 25, 2019 - February 20, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 25, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that certain of Cheetah Mobiles apps were not compliant with the terms of its agreements with Google; (2) that, as a result there was a reasonable likelihood that Google would terminate its advertising contracts with the Company; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Companys ability to attract new users would be adversely impacted; (4) that, as a result, the Companys revenue was reasonably likely to decline; and (5) that as a result, Defendants statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. To be a member of these class actions, you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about these class actions, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com , or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Elisa Donovan portrayed mean girl Amber in the classic comedy Clueless, which was released back in 1995. And the actress, now 49, made a rare appearance on Australian TV on Monday, speaking to The Morning Show about her memories of the iconic film. The star looked as youthful as ever as she shared behind-the-scenes secrets about the movie, which also starred Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd and Stacey Dash. Is that you, Amber? Clueless star Elisa Donovan made a rare appearance on Australian TV on Monday (right). Pictured left: Elisa as Amber in the classic '90s comedy When asked if anybody in particular had inspired her portrayal of spoiled rich girl Amber, Elisa said: 'I have to admit I pretty much based that character on some girls I knew from high school, who weren't very nice to me! 'As soon as I read [the script] I was like, "I know exactly who this person is.'" Elisa then recalled the famous debate scene between Amber and Alicia Silverstone's character, Cher, in which Amber dropped the now-famous 'Whatever!' catchphrase. Inspiration: 'As soon as I read the script I was like, I know exactly who this person is,' Elisa said of her character, a stereotypical Valley girl from Beverly Hills. Pictured in September 2017 'I think that was the first scene that we shot in the entire film. And it was certainly my first scene and it was the first day,' she said. Elisa added that Alicia had unintentionally mispronounced the word 'Haitians', but the mistake was kept in the film because the director, Amy Heckerling, loved it. 'That was not scripted; that was just something that she did,' Elisa said. 'And I remember looking at her in character like "of course" and I expected Amy to cut. Happy accident: Elisa said that Alicia Silverstone (right) had unintentionally mispronounced the word 'Haitians' during one scene, but the mistake was kept in the film because the director, Amy Heckerling, loved it 'Then Amy was like back there, "This is amazing, we're going to leave it in." That is definitely what I remember a lot.' Elisa said she knew at the time they were all working on a successful project, and remembers telling leading lady Alicia she was going to be a big star. She then spoke about her co-star Brittany Murphy's death in 2009. 'It's terribly sad. She was just one of these very magical kind of people': Elisa also spoke about her co-star Brittany Murphy's (centre) death in 2009. Pictured with Alicia and Stacey Dash 'It's terribly sad. She was just one of these very magical kind of people,' she said. 'She had such an energy about her that was really just young and creative. Kind of always like a humming bird is how I looked at her. She just was precious. It was terribly sad.' At the height of her fame in the '90s, Elisa also starred as Morgan Cavanaugh in Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, and as Ginger LaMonica in Beverly Hills, 90210. Teen dramas: At the height of her fame in the '90s, Elisa also starred as Morgan Cavanaugh in Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, and as Ginger LaMonica in Beverly Hills, 90210. Pictured in 2019 The actress has a memoir coming out next spring called Wake Me When You Leave, which was written after her father died of cancer. 'It is about how losing him to cancer affected my life and career, and how I kind of went through the grief and recovered,' she said. A film based on the book is also in development. A total of 2.25 lakh students who appeared for the Class 12 board exams across streams will be able to check their scores on the official website results.bseh.org.in and bseh.org.in HBSE 12th Result 2020 Date: The Board of Secondary Education, Haryana (BSEH), declared the results of the Class 12 exams today (Tuesday, 21 July) at a presser in the evening. Once the result is uploaded, a total of 2.25 lakh students who appeared for the board exams will be able to check their scores on the official website bseh.org.in. Click here for LATEST UPDATES on Haryana Board Class 10 result 2020 As has been observed earlier during state board results, there are chances of the official websites acting unresponsive or slow due to heavy traffic after the results are declared. In such a case, students need not fret as there are alternative ways to check the HBSE Class 12 results. Steps to check HBSE 12th Result 2020 via SMS: To receive results of Class 12 exams on your mobile phones, type a message in the given format: - RESULTHB12(space)ROLL NUMBER and send the text message to 56263. Steps to check HBSE 12th Result 2020 on app: Alternately, the results will also available at the official mobile app of the BSEH called 'Board of school education Haryana' The app is available for Android users only through Google Play Store. Steps to check HBSE 12th Result 2020 on official website: Step 1: Visit the official website - bseh.org.in and results.bseh.org.in Step 2: Click on the link that says 'Exam results' Step 3: Select 'Haryana 12th result 2020' from the drop-down menu Step 4: Enter your registration number, roll number Step 5: Hit on 'Submit' Step 6: Your HBSE 12th result will be displayed on screen Step 7: Download and take a print out for further reference To pass the Haryana Board Class 12 exams, students need to score at least 33 percent marks in each subject. Those who fail in two subjects will have to appear for the supplementary or compartmental exam. However, those who are unable to secure the minimum marks in more than two exams will be declared as failed. The leaders will reconvene on Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for the European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter late Saturday night. Brussels, July 19 (IANS) A special face-to-face summit of leaders of the European Union (EU) is set to extend into Sunday as they failed to reach a consensus on an ambitious recovery plan designed to lift the bloc out of the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The summit was supposed to run from Friday to Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency. The summit, the first face-to-face one since the outbreak of the pandemic, came at a critical moment as the bloc is seeking a consensus on the European Commission-proposed 750-billion-euro recovery plan. The next seven-year EU budget worth more than 1 trillion euros is another focus of the summit. In the debt-financed recovery plan, 500 billion euros will be paid as non-repayable grants to crisis-hit countries and 250 billion as loans. But the EU member states differed greatly in discussions on Friday. The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Austria, nicknamed the Frugal Four, opposed the non-repayable grants, and called for linking aid to reform plans, while Spain and Italy, the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, called for reaching the consensus as soon as possible. As the host of the summit, Michel proposed a compromise on Saturday, cutting the portion of the grants in the recovery fund to 450 billion euros from 500 billion and an "emergency brake" on disbursement would be added. Michel held eight-hour one-on-one discussions and then explored further solutions before asking all 27 leaders to dinner together. The positions were apparently still too far apart for an agreement. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday described the negotiations on the recovery fund as unexpectedly difficult. According to him, there were still many unresolved problems, and the ratio of grants and loans remained controversial. However, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that "things are moving in the right direction". The talks are complicated because the recovery fund is negotiated in a package with the bloc's next seven-year financial framework, which is largely based on contributions from the countries. In addition, Hungary and Poland refused to link the recovery grants to compliance with the rule of law in the future. --IANS ksk/ A predominantly rural economy like India should use its population in low density non-urban areas to prevent the spread of coronavirus and build a more manageable food security system to counter the pandemic triggered slowdown, says eminent American economist Richard Davis Wolff. Wolff, who believes climate change, inequality, racism, instability and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged to make the global economic crisis more acute and long-lasting, said India's anti-pandemic programmes should not just involve funding but also focus on constructing social distancing protocols for rural conditions. "In predominantly rural economies like India, lower (non-urban) population densities should be made to work against the viral (coronavirus) spread and likewise a stress on building up food security should be more manageable," Wolff, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst faculty, told PTI in an email interview. Elaborating, he said, India's anti-pandemic programmes should involve funding but also systemic assistance in two key areas -- to construct social distancing programmes and protocols for rural conditions and to prioritise the creation of growing, processing, and storing food across the country for a "secure food system". The economist was sceptical whether large emergency stimulus packages, including India's Rs 20 lakh crore that is equivalent to the 10 per cent of its GDP, would help sustain economically backward classes and "offset historically accumulated social deficiencies and exclusions". "In many countries, including India, mass poverty for a long time has undermined the health, housing, education, and related conditions of huge populations. They consequently suffer more than the average from both viral pandemics and economic crashes. "Even large emergency stimulus packages like that of India's package (10 per cent of its GDP) and the US's (considerably larger) cannot offset historically accumulated social deficiencies and exclusions. It would take both much more money and a willingness to undertake major structural changes if today's response to the crisis is to better protect societies from repeated crises in the future," Wolff said. In his view, governments re-employing workers who have lost their jobs in the private sector and re-training them to contain the pandemic, should be part of the roadmap for countries trying to stem the economic slide. "The logical response to this crisis would have been to keep all workers employed doing all that was necessary to contain the pandemic. This means, for example, governments rehiring those fired by private employers, massively training them to test entire populations, to take care of the sick, and to otherwise build what society needs (infrastructure, education, housing, etc) under pandemic conditions of social distancing, masks, gloves," he elaborated The 78-year-old and author, whose most recent book is "Understanding Socialism", predicted that the current global recession due to COVID-19 may go deeper than the ones earlier this century. "We need to remember that it is the third capitalist crash in this century. The first one was the 'dotcom crisis' in early 2000 and then the one triggered by widespread sub-prime mortgage default in the US in 2008. The crash was one of the worst in capitalism's history, second only to the crash of the 1930s. And now, in 2020 and we have a far deeper crash than in 2008," he said. Capitalism's periodic downturns (such as crashes, recessions, depressions, crises, business cycles and busts) occur on average every four-seven years, Wolff said, attributing each one to a different trigger that has the effect of distracting attention from the system's inherent instability. "It also distracts from other basic problems that global capitalism has never solved. Those have now exploded together converging on this capitalist downturn to make it extreme," he added. "The five converging crises of climate change, inequality, racism, instability and the ongoing viral pandemic persuade me that today's global crisis will cut deeper and last longer than most current predictions." According to him, small and medium businesses with limited resources are more vulnerable compared to larger corporations that will gain the most from bailouts and stimulus programmes. "As happens in most capitalist societies, the bigger the enterprise the greater its resources to cultivate political friends. The current crises find small and medium businesses more vulnerable and with fewer resources to enable survival than large corporations usually possess. "That is why, despite the World Economic Forum's and many governments' statements on the importance of maintaining and supporting small and medium enterprises and despite stimulus programmes aimed at them, the systemically unequal competition between big business and other businesses will dominate the situation. Thus the bailouts and stimulus programmes benefit large corporations at the expense of medium and small businesses everywhere," he elaborated. The post-pandemic world, the economist cautioned, has to face the need to not return to the pre-pandemic 'normal'. "Instead, major structural changes in national economies, world trade, and finance need to be decided and implemented. Chief among these is a much less unequal global distribution of wealth and income," he suggested. Wolff, also a visiting professor at New School University, NYC, held the US government responsible for not adopting the policy of re-employing workers leading to the massive unemployment, economic losses in that country. "This is not the policy adopted in the US where instead massive unemployment of tens of millions was allowed. That quarter of the labour force has suffered massive economic losses, is now agonised over whether their former jobs will be available and under what wages and conditions. Massive unemployment invites every employer to recoup losses by cutting wages, benefits, job security," Wolff said. "That has already gotten well underway across the US. The suffering is greatest for the poorest, exacerbating already extreme inequality and aggravating racist tendencies to socially explosive levels," he added. From LC-M CISD: Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD will conduct an immunization Clinic for LCM students who need their back-to-school vaccinations on July 29, 2020. Parents may come to either Mauriceville Middle School (19952 FM 1130) from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. or Little Cypress Junior High (6765 FM 1130) from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. For those currently insured with a private insurance, Medicaid or Chips there will be no out-of-pocket expense. Please bring your insurance card. For those without insurance there will be a $5 charge per immunization (18 years of age and younger). If you don't remember which injections your child needs, please call Director of Health Services, Kelly Meadows RN, BSN, at (409) 886-4245 ext. 5. Her e-address is kmeadows@lcmcisd.org. She can provide that information. This post may be updated. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Mumbai, July 20 : The digital team of Kangana Ranaut on Monday was engaged in a battle of cryptic tweets with Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker. The social media war seems to be an outcome of certain comments Kangana made in reference to Taapsee and Swara in a television interview. Taapsee tweeted to allege that "someone" is trying to use divide-and-rule policy in the film industry, without taking names. "Before that there is someone trying to use divide n rule policy in the film industry. Yes there are differences between ppl born with pedigree n the 'outsiders' but we aren't battling each other we are battling for a BETTER SYSTEM TO CO EXIST not by mud slinging n name calling!" Taapsee tweeted from her verified account on Monday. Taapsee's tweet comes in the wake of Kangana's interview given to a TV channel over the weekend, where she called Taapsee and Swara "B-grade actresses" and "needy outsiders". The tweet by Taapsee came as a response to a netizen's tweet that reads: "History would remember @taapsee and @ReallySwara as people who stood up against hate without being hateful. Two actors who could've easily stayed silent like most of their colleagues while their country was being divided by a dictator, but chose not to." On Monday, scriptwriter Kanika Dhillon tweeted from her verified account: "Attagirl! @taapsee ... N not to forget... as per recent articles in public domain-n I quote 'her last 5 releases made 352 cr' at box-office- stating her as d Most successful n highest grossing actress of hindi film industry last year!" Well take a bow! so proud o u!" "I guess that's what qualified me for B grade," came Taapsee's tongue-in-cheek response. Kangana's digital team, which goes by the name Team Kangana Ranaut on an unverified Twitter account, took a dig at both Taapsee and Kanika. "MissionM or Badla they are male dominated films, @taapsee never gave a solo hit in her whole life @KanikaDhillon n whole left ecosystem trying to cover up murder of SSR who complained about nepotism n Bullying shame on you all no one defended him but defending his murders now," tweeted Team Kangana Ranaut. Swara Bhasker, who was also referred to as "B grade" and "needy outsider" by Kangana in the interview, tweeted her comment, too. "Okay so while on topic.. full disclosure and confession. I am needy. I need respectful public interaction. I need rationality and logic in debate. I need sane, civil and decent public discourse. I need rule of law. and I need FACTS! What do you need? #NeedyOutsider," Swara tweeted from her verified account on Monday. Just a few minutes after Swara's tweet, Team Kangana Ranaut responded with this cryptic tweet from their unverified account: "Kangana pridicted this in her interview, vultures will be out for her blood, needy, greedy, liberals with price tags on them and struggling B grade failed actors whose ambitions r beyond their worth n talent are all out attacking a single woman who raised her voice against Mafia." Meanwhile, Sonakshi Sinha has reacted to an interview Taapsee Pannu gave to a leading daily. Sharing a screenshot of the interview, Sonakshi wrote on her verified Instagram account story: "Proud of you @taapsee. The dignity, maturity and integrity with which you have responded has my respect and I am sure of most others too. More power to you." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Black-owned businesses across the U.S. are seeing a sharp rise in demand due to the Black Lives Matter movement. For some of these companies, managing the sudden increase represents an unprecedented challenge. In June, more people opened accounts with the largest Black-owned bank in the country, Boston-based One United Bank, than in all of 2019, according to the company. For their "round-the-clock" work, some employees will be receiving cash bonuses, CEO Kevin Cohee says. Black Wall Street, an online directory for Black-owned businesses with 1.6 million users, experienced a jump in Web traffic so large it crashed the site in June, according to CEO Mandy Bowman. While Black-owned companies typically experience an uptick in business in the wake of increased activism, social media has helped accelerate that trend, according to Lisa Cook, a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University. Though scrambling to keep up with demand can be scary for business owners, it's also an enviable position to be in, as many minority-owned companies are struggling just to stay in business during the coronavirus pandemic. Research shows that the virus has had a disproportionately high impact on minority-owned companies. Waking Up Viral On June 3, a tweet listing the names of Black-owned candle companies went viral, generating more than 150,000 retweets. At the top of the list was Durham, North Carolina-based Bright Black Candles. The next day, husband-and-wife owners Tiffany Griffin and Dariel Heron woke up to a backlog of orders that required them to close their website to all new sales, aside from a set of mini-candles. Meeting that demand as a two-person company was virtually impossible, according to Griffin. "I listen to a million and one podcasts about scaling strategies," she says, "I haven't seen one that has a course in, 'You go viral, and now, here manage it.'" The couple turned to family members, who drove to Durham from Michigan and New York to help them balance 18-hour workdays while caring for their 2-year-old daughter. Griffin even gathered parents from her daughter's preschool to come over for a night of candle prep and childcare. She says the site will be closed for most sales until August--which Griffin says will help them pace themselves through the massive increase. Even startups in the early days of launching can get overwhelmed by a flood of interest on social media. Health in Her Hue, a digital platform that connects Black women with Black and culturally competent health care providers, launched the first version of its app on June 29. The next day, a tweet about the company went viral, and 14,000 people downloaded the app in four days. Now, the company is working to vet hundreds of doctors who have reached out to be added to the online list. Ashlee Wisdom, who founded the company in 2018, says she's had to delegate onboarding to other employees while leaning on her personal network of health care and finance experts to quickly determine which partnership offers best suit the company's goals. "I have a good community and team of people who have my back, which makes this a little less stressful," she says. On June 14, Efrem Yates, a franchise owner of the pizza restaurant Your Pie in Cary, North Carolina, found himself in a viral tweet about supporting Black-owned businesses. Soon, Your Pie saw an increase in business that required extra runs to suppliers and pausing new orders on delivery apps. For Yates, the combined impact of the pandemic, a reckoning on racial violence, and a business uptick led him to prioritize his mental health. One way he does this is by expressing empathy for employees who may feel overwhelmed processing current events, being generous with giving them time off, and being explicit about the company's values via speaking out about Black Lives Matter on Instagram. This makes Your Pie "a safe space to grieve the loss of Black life," he says. "We need to be able to get those emotions out." Shia LaBeouf was feeling blue during an early jogging session near his home. The 34-year-old actor was spotted Saturday morning rocking a blue Dokken T-shirt along with blue leggings for a run around his neighborhood in Pasadena, California. LaBeouf completed his sporty outfit with matching blue running shoes and white ankle socks. Morning exercise: Shia LaBeouf was feeling blue Saturday during an early jogging session near his home in Pasadena, California He had his dark hair slicked back and sported a thin layer of facial stubble. The Transformers star was in good spirits and smiled while enjoying his jog. LaBeouf can next be seen in the crime thriller The Tax Collector by director David Ayer, 52, who also co-produced the movie and wrote the screenplay. Ayer wrote the gritty 2001 crime drama Training Day and co-wrote the 2001 action film The Fast And The Furious that launched a media franchise and a series of seven sequels. Rocking shirt: The 34-year-old actor was spotted rocking a blue Dokken T-shirt along with blue leggings for a run around his neighborhood His directing credits include: Harsh Times [2005], Street Kings [2008], End Of Watch [2012], Suicide Squad [2016] and Bright [2017]. LaBeouf in The Tax Collector portrays Creeper, who is a tax collector for a crime lord named Wizard. Ayer earlier this month responded to backlash over the alleged 'brownface' casting of LaBeouf as a 'Cholo' gangster in the movie. Crime thriller: LaBeouf can next be seen playing Creeper in the crime thriller The Tax Collector by director David Ayer, 52, who also co-produced the movie and wrote the screenplay LA movie: Film director David Ayer earlier this month responded to backlash over the alleged 'brownface' casting of LaBeouf as a 'Cholo' gangster in the movie 'Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the 'hood,' Ayer explained in a Twitter post. 'This is a Jewish dude playing a white character. Also the only white dude in the movie,' the director added. He also commented on Twitter on the character's accent and said that Creeper 'grew up in the hood' and was a 'gangster', 'Cholo' and 'Southsider'. 'Shia studied a real homie like that to get it correct,' Ayer added. The Tax Collector is scheduled for release on August 7 by RLJE Films. When public swimming pools and beaches closed, the key to surviving a sweltering Chicago summer during the pandemic was simple for those who could afford it: Buy a pool. For the rest of us, the options are scarce and mostly illegal, like sneaking a swim in sometimes-dangerous waters where there are no lifeguards. And thats increasingly worrying safety experts, who say the risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago suffers through one of its hottest summers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 10:45:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member disinfects the corridor at a movie theater in Handan, north China's Hebei Province, July 19, 2020. (Photo by Hao Qunying/Xinhua) BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Monday that it received reports of 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Sunday, of which 17 were domestically transmitted. All domestically-transmitted cases were reported in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. No deaths related to the disease were reported Sunday, according to the commission. On Sunday, 24 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery, and one new suspected case was reported in Shanghai. As of Sunday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,682, including 249 patients who were still being treated, with five in severe condition. Altogether 78,799 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease, the commission said. Five new imported cases -- three in Sichuan Province as well as one in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shandong Province each -- were reported Sunday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,012. Of the cases, 1,929 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 83 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, 7,204 close contacts were still under medical observation after 465 people were discharged from medical observation Sunday. Also on Sunday, 13 new asymptomatic cases, including four from overseas, were reported on the mainland and one asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed one. The commission said 154 asymptomatic cases, including 87 from overseas, were still under medical observation. By Sunday, 1,885 confirmed cases including 12 deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 455 in Taiwan including seven deaths. A total of 1,294 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 440 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were given special treatment upon their arrival in Australia from the U.S. on Monday morning. The A-list couple, who flew from Tennessee to Sydney via private jet, were granted permission by the New South Wales Government to self-isolate at home instead of staying at a quarantine hotel for two weeks. Unlike the vast majority of travellers who must stay in state-approved hotels, Nicole, 53, and Keith, 52, were allowed to head straight to their $6.5million mansion in the Southern Highlands. Despite being granted this exception, the pair must still spend 14 days at home in accordance with Australia's coronavirus rules. No hotel quarantine for us! Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (pictured at the Golden Globes in January) were given special treatment upon their arrival in Australia from the U.S. on Monday The couple were joined on the flight by their two daughters, Sunday Rose, 12, and Faith Margaret, nine. According to the NSW Government website, people returning from overseas are only exempt from staying at a quarantine hotel if there are 'strong medical, health or compassionate grounds'. Set on a sprawling 45 hectares, Nicole and Keith's Southern Highlands estate boasts traditional sandstone verandahs, pressed metal ceilings, a grand carved cedar staircase and 10 original marble fireplaces. Isolating in luxury: Instead of two weeks of hotel quarantine, Nicole and Keith are staying at their Southern Highlands estate (pictured), which boasts traditional sandstone verandahs, pressed metal ceilings, a grand cedar staircase and 10 original marble fireplaces Home at last! Nicole and Keith were spotted wearing face masks as they climbed out of their private jet at Sydney Airport at the crack of dawn on Monday Since buying the property, Keith and Nicole have installed an 18-metre swimming pool, a gym and a full-sized tennis court. The home is also surrounded by large grass mounds to block out prying eyes. The couple's arrival Down Under comes after Nicole was given the green light to film her new TV series, Nine Perfect Strangers, in Australia. The production, based on the 2018 novel by Liane Moriarty, will reportedly inject $100million into the struggling local film industry by creating hundreds of jobs. Low-key entrance: The high-profile pair chartered their own private jet from their home in Nashville, Tennessee, instead of flying with the general public VIP arrival: A mask-wearing air steward helped the A-list couple down the air carrier staircase Strict COVID-19 restrictions are in place, according to local news reports, and production is based out of Nicole and Keith Urban's Southern Highlands home. Cast and crew members flying from overseas or interstate will be made to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days upon their arrival in NSW. Nicole and her fellow producers will also be responsible for paying all medical and security costs. Off they go! After touching down, Nicole and her family were whisked away in two vans for a health check before being brought back to the jet hanger Officials on standby: After touching down, Nicole and Keith were met at the airport by immigration and health officials, along with her security team from Unity Executive Services Thumbs up! The family greeted photographers through the darkened glass of their vans Strict exemptions: According to the NSW Government website, people returning from overseas are only exempt from staying at a quarantine hotel if there are 'strong medical, health or compassionate grounds' Bringing the big bucks: It comes after Nicole was given the green light to film her new TV series, Nine Perfect Strangers, in Australia. The project will reportedly inject $100million into the struggling local film industry. Pictured: Nicole and Keith's private jet The limited series is being produced by Nicole's production company, Blossom Films, alongside Big Little Lies collaborators Bruna Papandrea and David E. Kelley. Poll Should Nicole and Keith get special treatment? No. Everyone should be treated the same Yes. They're helping the local film industry Should Nicole and Keith get special treatment? No. Everyone should be treated the same 1976 votes Yes. They're helping the local film industry 444 votes Now share your opinion Nicole will also star in the show with the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, the Oscar winner said she was 'thrilled' to be able to inject new life into the local film industry. '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 series will tell the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character. Filming will begin on August 10 and will run for 19 weeks. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijans Jewish community has expressed solidarity with Baku over Armenian armed forces recent military provocation in the direction of Tovuz region on the Armenian- Azerbaijani state border, Azertag reported. In a letter addressed to President Ilham Aliyev, the Jewish communities said: Today every Azerbaijani citizen, regardless of nationality or religion, is in solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan and you, and all nations living in Azerbaijan are very proud of this. The international community must also see this strong unity of all nations of Azerbaijan and the idea of solidarity formed in our society under your wise leadership, the letter reads. We, thousands of Jewish communities in Azerbaijan, strongly condemn this provocation and demand that Armenia respond to the provocation committed against Azerbaijan and the outbreak of a new undeclared war. These days, the entire Jewish population of Azerbaijan, as well as the world Jewish community, is closely united around you and the people of Azerbaijan, and we are always ready to join the struggle to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan at your first request. Azerbaijan is our home, and Jews are always ready to fight for the fair resolution of this conflict, for peace and happiness in Azerbaijan, the letter says. The community strongly condemned the acts of aggression committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, stating that this is a serious obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the Armenian- Azerbaijani Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. Such aggression violates international law, the 1994 bilateral ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and contradict the legal documents adopted by the international organizations, resulting in a more than a dozen dead Azerbaijani soldiers, including high-ranking military personnel, the statement reads. Moreover, they called on international organizations, OSCE Minsk Group, to conduct a serious investigation to prevent the escalation of the current military operations in Tovuz and turn it into another war. To call for the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as stated in resolutions 853, 874 and 884. The letter was signed by deputy Anatoly Rafailov, head of the Community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan Melikh Yevdaev and head of the European Jewish Community of Azerbaijan Alexander Sharovsky. The cross-border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan started on July 12 with Armenia's firing artillery at Azerbaijan's positions in the direction of Tovuz region. Azerbaijani army lost 12 servicemen as a result of Armenian attacks. One civilian was killed as a result of artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hypertherm Associates manufacture one of Hypertherm's high-definition plasma systems in Hanover, New Hampshire. As a company owned by more than a thousand Associates working in New Hampshire, we fully believe that the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit go hand in hand and are advanced together in our community, especially now as we all face the challenges brought on by the current pandemic. Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, today announced its selection as a Business of the Decade winner by Business New Hampshire Magazine and the New Hampshire Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Hypertherm earned the top spot for the Manufacturing and Technology category joining organizations in eight other categories including Health Care, Financial Services and Insurance, Retail and Wholesale, and Tourism and Hospitality. Hypertherm was invited to apply by virtue of its selection as a Business of the Year during the preceding decade. Nearly 50 judges participated in scoring applications through two rounds of competition to determine the winners. Judges first narrowed the field to three companies in each category weighing each companys business success, contributions to the community, and industry leadership. A panel comprised of executives from the 2010 Business of the Decade winning companies then undertook the difficult task of selecting one winner in each category. In considering Hypertherm, judges were impressed by the respect Hypertherm has within the fabrication industry and its reputation for technological and manufacturing excellence. In addition, judges cited the breadth and depth of Hypertherms work in the community. From its Community Service Time program, charitable giving through the HOPE Foundation, and its Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Friendly Workplace programs to its workforce training and STEM program designed to create interest among school aged children in technology and engineering jobs in the Granite State. It is almost cliche how much I look to Hypertherm to share their practices around any number of topics. In recent years, they have presented their own work involving substance use disorder, workforce development practices, commuting policies and environmental stewardship, wrote Clay Adams, president and CEO of Mascoma Bank in his letter of recommendation for Hypertherm. At times it seems they are playing chess while the rest of us are still playing checkers. One could write an entire report on the impact Hypertherm has in its communities, the phenomenal growth the company has enjoyed, or their willingness to share in this success with their fellow Associate-owners. While I am sure there are many deserving businesses in New Hampshire, it is nearly impossible for me to imagine a more deserving business for this honor than Hypertherm. They are truly a world-class, triple-bottom-line business success story and an immeasurably important member of the Upper Valley and New Hampshire communities, wrote Tom Roberts, executive director of Vital Communities at the time letters were submitted. Hypertherm's success as a business is legendaryWhen other businesses in the Upper Valley and throughout New Hampshire are looking for best practices in almost any category, they look to Hypertherm. Hypertherm is humbled and honored by this recognition. It is beyond anything we expected, as we know the caliber of companies who call the Granite State home, said Evan Smith, Hypertherms CEO and president. As a company owned by more than a thousand Associates working in New Hampshire, we fully believe that the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit go hand in hand and are advanced together in our community, especially now as we all face the challenges brought on by the current pandemic. Hypertherm engineers and manufactures industrial cutting products used by companies around the world to build ships, airplanes and railcars, construct steel buildings, manufacture heavy equipment, and more. Its products include cutting systems, CNCs, and software trusted for performance and reliability that result in increased productivity and profitability for hundreds of thousands of businesses. Founded in 1968 and based in New Hampshire, Hypertherm is a 100 percent Associate-owned company, employing more than 1,800 Associates, with operations and partner representation worldwide. Learn more at http://www.hypertherm.com. DAWN, July 18 2020 Be prepared, Pakistan! Imran Khanas government is poised to inflict damage upon this countryas education system in a manner never seen before. Its so-called Single National Curriculum (SNC) hides systemic changes going far deeper than the ones conceived and executed by the extremist regime of Gen Ziaul Haq. Implementation is scheduled for 2021. At first glance a uniform national curriculum is hugely attractive. Some see it striking a lethal blow at the abominable education apartheid that has wracked Pakistan from day one. By the year, a widening gap has separated beneficiaries of elite private education from those crippled by bad public schooling. So what could be better than the rich child and the poor child studying the same subjects from the same books and being judged by the same standards? But this morally attractive idea has been hijacked, corrupted, mutilated and beaten out of shape by those near-sighted persons now holding Pakistanas future in their hands, and who, like their boss, kowtow to the madressah establishment. Prime Minister Khan was widely criticised in 2016-17 for making huge grants to madressahs of the late Maulana Samiul Haq, self-professed father of the Taliban who was murdered by an associate in mysterious circumstances. The SNC massively prioritises ideology over education quality and acquisition of basic skills. As yet only SNC plans for Class I-V are public. But the huge volume of religious material they contain beats all curriculums in Pakistanas history. A column-by-column comparison with two major madressah systems a Tanzeemul Madaris and Rabtaul Madaris a reveals a shocking fact. Ordinary schools will henceforth impose more rote learning than even these madressahs. Normal schoolteachers being under-equipped religiously, SNC calls for summoning an army of madressah-educated holy men a hafizas and qaris a as paid teachers inside schools. How this will affect the general ambiance and the safety of students is an open question. Article continues after ad The push for a uniform national curriculum idea derives from three flawed assumptions: First: It is false that quality differences between Pakistanas various education streams stem from pursuing different curricula. When teaching any secular subject such as geography, social studies or science, all streams have to cover the same topics. While details and emphases obviously differ, each must deal with exactly seven continents and water being H2O. Instead, learning differentials arise because students experience very different teaching methods and are evaluated using entirely different criteria. So, for example, a local examination board will typically ask a mathematics student to name the inventor of logarithms whereas an aOa-level student must actually use logarithms to solve some problem. The modern world expects students to reason their way through a question, not parrot facts. Second: It is false that a hefty dose of piety will somehow equalise students of Aitchison College and your run-of-the-mill neighbourhood school. The legendary Mahmood and Ayyaz prayed in the same suff (prayer line) and established a commonality without ending their master-slave relationship. Similarly, rich and poor schools will remain worlds apart unless equalised through school infrastructure, well-trained teachers, high quality textbooks and internet access. How the needed resources will be generated is anybodyas guess. Under the PTI, defence is the only sector seeing increases instead of cuts. Third: It is false that school systems belonging to the modern world can be brought onto the same page as madressahs. Modern education rests squarely upon critical thinking, and success/failure is determined in relation to problem solving and worldly knowledge. Madressah education goals are important but different. They seek a more religiously observant student and a better life after death. Understandably, critical thinking is unwelcome. While some madressahs now teach secular subjects like English, science and computers, this comes after much arm-twisting. Soon after 9/11, madressahs were spotlighted as terrorist breeding grounds. Musharrafas government, beholden as it was to America, ordered them to teach secular subjects. Most rejected this outright but others were successfully pressurised. However, madressahs teach secular and religious subjects identically; reasoning is sparse and authoritarianism dominates. While the new Class I-V SNC document also discusses secular subjects, much of this is pointless tinkering with the minutiae of teaching English, general knowledge, general science, mathematics and social studies. They are not accompanied by plausible plans for how the necessary intellectual or physical resources will be garnered and the plans implemented. Still bigger changes are around the corner. The Punjab government has made teaching of the Holy Quran compulsory at the college and university level. Without passing the required examination no student will be able to get a BA, BSc, BE, ME, MA, MSc, MPhil, PhD or medical degree. Even the Zia regime did not have such blanket requirements. To get a university teaching job in the 1980s, you had to name all the wives of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and recite some difficult religious passages such as Dua-i-Qunoot. Still, students could get degrees without that. That option is now closed. Starkly inferior to their counterparts in Iran, India and Bangladesh, Pakistani students perform poorly in all international science and mathematics competitions. Better achievers are invariably from the elite aOa-/aAa-level stream. More worrying is that most students are unable to express themselves coherently and grammatically in any language, whether Urdu or English. They have stopped reading books. Significantly, as yet the PTIas new education regime is mum on how it will advance its goal of closing a huge skill deficit. So poor is the present quality of technical and vocational institutes that private employers must totally retrain the graduates. Thatas why private-sector industrial growth is small and entire state enterprises, such as PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills, have collapsed. Pakistanas space programme flopped but Iran has just put a military satellite into orbit and India is well on the way to Mars. Empowered by the 18th Amendment, Pakistanas provinces should vigorously resist the regressive plan being thrust upon the nation by ideologues that have usurped power in Islamabad. Else Pakistan will end up as the laughing stock of South Asia, left behind even by Arab countries. Pakistanas greatest need a and its single greatest failure a is its tragic failure to impart essential life skills to its citizens. To move ahead, the priority should be to educate rather than score political points. The writer teaches physics in Lahore and Islamabad. Inked: A police officer is assisted after being injured during an attempt to detain a protester smearing paint on the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower in New York. Photo: Reuters President Donald Trump is refusing to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming White House election, recalling a similar threat he made weeks before the 2016 vote, as he scoffs at polls showing him lagging behind Democrat Joe Biden. Mr Trump says it's too early to make such an ironclad guarantee. "I have to see. Look... I have to see," he told moderator Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging interview on 'Fox News Sunday'. "No, I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no, and I didn't last time either." The Biden campaign responded: "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House." Mr Trump also hammered the Pentagon brass for favouring renaming bases that honour Confederate military leaders - a drive for change spurred by the national debate about race after George Floyd's death. "I don't care what the military says," Mr Trump said. The president described the nation's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, as a "little bit of an alarmist" about the coronavirus pandemic, and Mr Trump stuck to what he had said back in February - that the virus is "going to disappear". On Fox, he said, "I'll be right eventually." It is remarkable that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in the American democracy's electoral process. But for Mr Trump, it comes from his insurgent playbook of four years ago, when in the closing stages of his race against Hillary Clinton, he said he would not commit to honouring the election results if the Democrat won. Pressed during an October 2016 debate about whether he would abide by the voters' will, Mr Trump responded that he would "keep you in suspense". He has seen his presidential popularity erode over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and in the aftermath of nationwide protests centred on racial injustice that erupted after Mr Floyd's death in Minneapolis nearly two months ago. Mr Trump contends that a series of polls that show his popularity eroding and Mr Biden holding an advantage are faulty. He believes Republican voters are underrepresented in such surveys. "First of all, I'm not losing, because those are fake polls," Mr Trump said in the taped interview, which aired yesterday. "They were fake in 2016 and now they're even more fake. The polls were much worse in 2016." Mr Trump was frequently combative with Mr Wallace in defending his administration's response to the pandemic, weighing in on the Black Lives Matter movement and trying to portray Mr Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, as lacking the mental prowess to serve as president. Among the issues discussed was the push for wholesale changes in policing that has swept across the nation. Mr Trump said he could understand why Black Americans are upset about how police use force disproportionately against them. "Of course I do. Of course I do," the president said, adding his usual refrain that "whites are also killed, too". He said he was "not offended either by Black Lives Matter" but at the same time defended the Confederate flag, a symbol of the racism of the past, and said those who "proudly have their Confederate flags, they're not talking about racism". "They love their flag, it represents the south, they like the south. That's freedom of speech. And you know, the whole thing with 'cancel culture,' we can't cancel our whole history. We can't forget that the north and the south fought. "We have to remember that, otherwise we'll end up fighting again. You can't just cancel all," Mr Trump said. Mr Wallace challenged Mr Trump on some of his claims and called out the president at time, such as when Mr Trump falsely asserted that "Biden wants to defund the police". The former vice president has not joined with activists rallying behind that banner. "Yeah, we really do need to do it," Fauci replied, explaining again the federal government's role in making sure the virus did not explode across the country. Trump's willingness to go along was a concession that federal responsibility was crucial to defeating a virus that did not respect state boundaries. But even as the President was acknowledging the need for tough decisions, he and his aides would soon be looking to do the opposite: build a public case that the federal government had completed its job and unshackle the President from ownership of the response. The President and his top aides would openly disdain the scientific research into the disease and the advice of experts on how to contain it, seek to muzzle more authoritative voices like Dr Fauci even as it became clear that hopes for a rapid rebound in the economy and Trump's electoral prospects were failing to materialise. In April the White House began to muzzle Dr Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Credit:AP For scientific affirmation, they turned to Dr Birx, the sole public health professional in Meadows' group. A highly regarded infectious diseases expert, she was a constant source of upbeat news, walking the White House halls with charts emphasising that outbreaks were gradually easing. By mid-April, Trump had grown publicly impatient with the stay-at-home recommendations he had reluctantly endorsed. Weekly unemployment claims made clear the economy was collapsing, and polling was showing his campaign bleeding support. The issue was clear: How much longer do we keep this up? Birx was optimistic: mitigation was working, even as many outside experts were warning that the nation would remain at great risk if it let up on social distancing and moved prematurely to reopen. A sharp pivot soon followed, with consequences that continue to plague the US today. Days later, Birx and Fauci presented Trump with a plan for issuing guidelines to start reopening the country at the end of the month. Developed largely by Birx, the guidelines laid out broad, voluntary standards for states considering how fast to come out of the lockdown. In political terms, the document's message was that responsibility for dealing with the pandemic was shifting from Trump to the states. On April 16, he made the message to the governors explicit. "You're going to call your own shots," he said. So even as experts warned that the pandemic was far from under control, Trump went, in a matter of days, from proclaiming that he alone had the authority to decide when the economy would reopen to pushing that responsibility onto the states. The government issued detailed reopening guidelines, but almost immediately, Trump began criticising Democratic governors who did not "liberate" their states. Trump's bet that the crisis would fade away proved wrong. But an examination of the shift in April and its aftermath shows that the approach he embraced was more than a misjudgment. Instead, it was a deliberate strategy that he would stick to as evidence mounted that the virus would continue to infect and kill large numbers of Americans. Dr Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response co-ordinator, was increasingly important in steering the Trump response to the pandemic. Credit:AP Birx had assembled a team of analysts who fed her a constant stream of updated data, packaged in PowerPoint slides emailed to senior officials each day. But there were warnings that the models she studied might not be accurate, especially in predicting the course of the virus against a backdrop of evolving political, economic and social factors. Among the models Birx relied on most was one produced by researchers at the University of Washington. Birx declined to be interviewed. A task force official said she had only used the University of Washington's model in a limited way and that the White House used "real data, not modelled data, to understand the pandemic in the United States". But despite the outside warnings and evidence by early May that new infections remained higher than anticipated, the White House never fundamentally re-examined the course it had set in mid-April. Instead, Birx regularly delivered what the new team was hoping for. "All metros are stabilising," she would tell them, describing the virus as having hit its "peak" around mid-April. The slope was heading in the right direction. She endorsed the idea that the death counts and hospitalisation numbers could be inflated. US President Donald Trump during a news conference in the White House. Credit:Bloomberg The real-world consequences of Trump's abdication of responsibility rippled across the country. During a briefing on April 20, Trump mocked Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, a fellow Republican, for the state's inability to find enough testing. Birx displayed maps with dozens of dots indicating labs that could help. Loading But when Frances Phillips, the state's deputy health secretary, reached out to one of those dots a National Institutes of Health facility in Maryland she was told that they were suffering from the same shortages as state labs and were not in a position to help. "It was clear that we were on our own and we need to develop our own strategy, which is very unlike the kind of federal response in the past public health emergencies," Phillips recalled. By early June, it was clear that the White House had got it wrong. Digging into new data from Birx, they concluded the virus was in fact spreading with invisible ferocity during the weeks in May when states were opening up with Trump's encouragement and many were all but declaring victory. Loading With the benefit of hindsight, the head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Robert Redfield, acknowledged in a conversation with the Journal of the American Medical Association that administration officials severely underestimated infections in April and May. The number of new cases has now surged far higher than the previous peak of more than 36,000 a day in mid-April. On Thursday, there were more than 75,000 confirmed new cases, a record. Trump's disdain for testing continues to affect the country. By the middle of June, lines stretched for blocks in Phoenix and in Austin, Texas. And getting results could take a week to 10 days, officials in Texas said effectively inviting the virus to spread uncontrollably. It was a devastating situation, said Mayor Steve Adler of Austin, who watched as the COVID-19 cases at intensive care units at area hospitals jumped from three in mid-May to 185 by early July. Adler had a simple plea for the White House. In its newest draft, the MoIT would raise the foreign ownership limit in petrol and oil trading companies significantly The MoIT has submitted the draft decree which will replace Decree No.83/2014/ND-CP on petrol and oil trading. Accordingly, the highlight of the proposal is the authorisation for foreign investors to own up to 35 per cent stake in Vietnamese oil and petrol trading companies. Petrol and oil trading is a conditional business sector where domestic companies hold a dominant market share. The amended regulations in the upcoming decree will open more opportunities for foreign investors, said Tran Duy Dong, director of the Domestic Market Department under the MoIT. As of now, a number of foreign names are present in Vietnam, including JX Nippon Oil & Energy which owns an 8 per cent stake in Petrolimex and Idemisu Q8 (the joint venture between Kuwait International Petroleum and Idemitsu Kosan) which are the only foreign enterprises allowed to trade oil and petrol in Vietnam. Idemitsu Q8 opened its first petrol station in 2017 at Thang Long Industrial Park. So far, it has four stations, one less than its target for this year. Previously, Total Group from France had been trading in Vietnam since 1990 but under the franchise model only. A representative of a foreign-invested company which contributed capital to a joint venture exploiting oil in Vietnam, affirmed that difficulties in administrative procedures along with complex investment conditions are hampering foreign players in this sector. JX Nippon Oil & Energy previously showed interest in increasing its holding in Petrolimex to 20 per cent and Idemitsu Q8 also shared plans to expand its station system to other cities and provinces. In addition, PV Oil is also looking to raise its foreign ownership rate to 35 per cent. The amended decree is expected to help these enterprises realise their plans. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Mon, July 20, 2020 07:00 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667abe01 2 World UK,UK-China,Uighur,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free Britain on Sunday accused Beijing of "gross, egregious human rights abuses" over its "deeply troubling" treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in China's western Xinjiang region. Rights groups and experts estimate that more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities have been rounded up into a network of internment camps. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the reports of forced sterilizations and mass detentions in the predominantly Muslim region required international attention. "It is clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on... it is deeply, deeply troubling," he told the BBC. "The reports and the human aspects of it... are reminiscent of something we have not seen for a long, long time, and this is from a leading member of the international community that wants to be taken seriously. "We want a positive relationship [with China], but we cannot see behavior like that and not call it out," Raab added. His comments come as tensions between London and China are rising over a host of issues. Britain on Tuesday bowed to sustained pressure from Washington and ordered the phased removal of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from its 5G network despite warnings of retaliation from Beijing. The two sides have also clashed over Beijing's imposition of a controversial national security law in Hong Kong. 'Resolute response' The United States earlier this month slapped sanctions on senior Chinese officials, as it demanded an end to the "horrific" abuses against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang. Beijing swiftly responded with counter measures in one of the latest episodes in deteriorating US-China relations. Raab said he will update British lawmakers on Monday on the UK government's next steps regarding Beijing's draconian new law in Hong Kong. That will include announcing the outcome of a review of extradition arrangements with the former colonial territory. However, China's ambassador to London warned Sunday that it will make a "resolute response" if Britain follows the US in sanctioning Chinese officials for the alleged abuses. "We never believe in unilateral sanctions, we believe the UN [United Nations] has the authority to impose sanctions," Liu Xiaoming told the BBC. "If the UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individuals in China, China will certainly make resolute response to it." Liu said he did not want to see "tit-for-tat" diplomatic skirmishes between Britain and Beijing, as was happening with the US. "I think [the] UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than dance to the tune of the Americans like what happened to Huawei," he added. Close Donald Trump suggests he could reject 2020 election results As the coronavirus pandemic death toll grew to more than 140,000 people in the US, Donald Trump tweeted out a photo of himself wearing a mask and saying "many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me". The president said he would resume the White House's daily 5 pm EST briefings on coronavirus, which he has now taken to calling the "Invisible China Virus". As violence continued in Portland, meanwhile, Trump confirmed reports that his administration planned on sending "law enforcement" to major cities across the country. Two world wars, however, were described as "beautiful" during a Fox News interview as the president defended his resistance to renaming US military bases connected to Confederate generals. Trump's attacks on Joe Biden mental fitness during the interview didn't poll well with voters, while many viewers questioned the president's own performance during the heated sit-down with host Chris Wallace. Please allow the blog a moment to load Editors note: This guide will be regularly updated throughout the week to include newer events. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) This week, watch a selection of Japanese films, view paintings by a young artist, pay tribute to a dedicated human rights advocate, and watch online lectures from young writers. Japan Film Week 2020 The Japan Foundation, Manila is bringing its annual Japan Film Week online from July 22 to 26. The lineup is comprised of six notable films: The comedy film Bittersweet, which is an adaptation of Kobayashi Yumio's romance about a straight woman who doesn't like vegetables falling in love with a gay vegetarian. The stop motion animated film Chieri and Cherry, which is about the adventures of sixth grader Cherry and her stuffed toy Chiery. The documentary From All Corners," which profiles cardboard artist Shimazu Fuyuki who creates wallets from cardboard boxes discarded on the street or in front of stores. The dramas The Takatsu River, which is about the vanishing practice of "Kagura" Shinto music and dance, said to be the roots of Kabuki; Whats For Dinner, Mom? about a woman who rediscoves her familys Taiwanese heritage through old letters and a cookbook; and Hanas Miso Soup, which is the story of a womans fight against breast cancer and how she raises her child while the disease has relapsed. Screenings are limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the Japan Film Week Vimeo page. Latent Fictions by Carina Santos Carina Santos latest show features her evocative landscapes, which somewhat draws from her feelings of unease and anxieties. According to the exhibit notes, These [landscapes] are made-up places certain things she wants to arrive at but can never get to, impossibilities that are made even more real by the absurdities of the state of the world where she is, and everywhere else. The exhibit is on view until August 2, 2020 at the MO Space Gallery, 3rd floor, MOs Design Bldg, B2 9th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. The gallery is open daily except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Strictly no mask, no entry. Check the MO Space Facebook for more details. Cavite Young Writers Lectures The Cavite Young Writers Association has been hosting an online workshop for young writers for their third annual worksop. Writers such as Chuckberry Pascual, Nerisa Del Carmen Guevarra, Paul Castillo, and Charmaine Lasar have given lectures on the craft of writing fiction and poetry. This Saturday, July 25, writers Ralph Fonte and Maui Mangawang will be talking about revising and editing your work. Check the Facebook page of the Cavite Young Writers Association for more details. Salo-salo ng Pasasalamat: Alay kay Susan Quimpo An online tribute will be held to the activist and writer Susan F. Quimpo, who passed away on July 14, 2020 due to a prolonged illness. She is known as a dedicated advocate for human rights, a campaigner against historical revisionism, and for co-editing the book Subversive Lives: A Family Memoir of the Marcos Years with her brother Nathan. The book chronicles their familys struggle during the martial law years and was shortlisted for the National Book Award. The online tribute is on Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., hosted by the Martial Law Chronicles Facebook page. Check the event page for more information. The Phase-1 clinical trial of Indias first Covid-19 vaccine has begun in only two of the 12 designated centres, raising doubts on the availability of even the first phase data by August 15 the original rollout target date for public use as envisaged by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The delay is due to reasons ranging from non-receipt of the ethics committee approval at some hospitals to logistical challenges in shipping the vaccines to the testing centres after their evaluation at Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli. Follow latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here On 29 June, Bharat Biotech International Limited presented COVAXIN as Indias first vaccine candidate for Covid-19, developed in collaboration with ICMR and the National Institute of Virology, Pune. In a sharp advisory to the clinical trial sites, sent on 2 July, ICMRs director-general Dr. Balram Bhargava has asked for fast track (of) all approvals related to the initiation of the (vaccines) clinical trial and ensure that the subject enrollment is initiated no later than 7 July. On 17 July, Bharat Biotech announced the initiation of Covaxins phase-1 clinical trials across the country on 15 July. However, a DH probe revealed that the trials have not begun at most of the 12 medical institutions. Bharat Biotech sources too confirmed only two test sites AIIMS Patna and PGIMS Rohtak as have started the trials on 15 and 17 July, respectively. The state-run King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam is awaiting an approval letter from the government of Andhra Pradesh, while a private hospital Jeevan Rekha in Belagavi is waiting for the vaccines. Since it is Phase-1, our ethics committee of Andhra Medical College and KGH asked for the governments permission. So, I wrote to the state medical authorities, seeking guidelines and official permission. Once the letter comes, probably by Monday, we can start the trial process, Dr G Arjuna, superintendent of KGH told DH, adding that they are planning to recruit at-least 50 volunteers for Phase-1. There is an in-principle accord for the trails, but a formal letter would set everything in order, Dr. Arjuna says. ICMR officials stated the DG-ICMR letter to the trial site investigators as meant to cut unnecessary red tape, without bypassing any necessary process, and speed up recruitment of participants. Dr. K Manohar, director, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad had earlier told reporters that the phase-1 process began on 7 July. Dr Manohar did not explicitly answer when DH questioned if the trials have actually started at NIMS. Dr. Amit Bhate, director, Jeevan Rekha said that their trials are expected to begin next week. We are ready; we can proceed once we get the vaccines and instructions. I cannot reveal a date now, Dr. Bhate told DH on Sunday. Dr. Bhate said they are looking at a sample size of 150-200 for the trials. AIIMS New Delhis ethics committee reportedly gave its nod for trials on Saturday. ICMR officials said that in all, Covaxin tests would be conducted on 1125 volunteers - 375 in Phase-1 and 750 in Phase-2. Dr. Bhargavas letter had created a massive controversy since he stated COVAXIN (BBV152 Covid Vaccine) as envisaged to be launched for public health use by 15 August, after completion of all clinical trials. Following criticism from experts and opposition parties that the government was rushing through an elaborate and time taking vaccine testing process, the premier research body apparently eased on the Independence Day deadline. The indigenous vaccine development process has been sought to be insulated from slow file movement. The aim is to complete these phases at the earliest, so that population-based trials for efficacy could be initiated without delay, ICMR said in a later explanation. Our trials will be done following the best practices and rigor, and will be reviewed, as required, by a Data Safety Monitoring Board. The Drug Controller General of India had permitted Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials after Bharat Biotech submitted results from the preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response, the Hyderabad based firm said. Former congressman and retired Lt. Col. Allen West speaks during Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington on June 19, 2014. (Molly Riley/AP Photo) Former Rep. West Elected Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West, a former one-term U.S. congressman from Florida, has been elected as the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. West defeated James Dickey, who was running for a second full term, early on July 20 at the partys virtual convention. I am honored and privileged that Republicans of Texas have selected me to Chair their party and to be at the helm during this coming election cycle, West said in a statement. We need to focus on maintaining the conservative policies that made Texas strong and drive voter outreach across the state. West is planning to travel to south Texas over the weekend to meet with local leaders and officials and try to rally the base and gin up some Republican support, Luke Twombly, a spokesman for the retired Army lieutenant colonel, told The Epoch Times. Hes going to do a big push across the state to make the big tent bigger, he said. Dickey said in a statement: Thank you for the honor of serving as your Chair. Lets win in November. West served in the U.S. military for more than two decades before representing Florida as a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2013; he moved to Texas since losing his reelection bid. He was injured in a motorcycle crash in May but has recovered. President Donald Trump was among those congratulating West, telling him Great job! in a social media post. The Committee to Defend the President said in a statement that, West is the conservative champion that Texans desperately need to keep their state red for years to come. The vote for the chairmanship was one of several at the virtual convention; some were delayed and will be taken up at a second convention, per a vote at the meeting. The Texas Democrat Party issued a press release painting West as a partisan and referring to some of his past remarks. West is everything that is wrong with the Republican Party and brings to light their failures on building an inclusive, welcoming party that is deliberate and thoughtful in handling crisis situations, a party spokesman said in a statement. West invited Gilberto Hinojosa, the current chairman of the Democrat Party of Texas, to a debate. His campaign said the debate would educate the public on key policy differences between the parties. Vikas Dubey died because of haemorrhage and shock after he received injuries from a firearm, while trying to escape from the police earlier this month, according to the postmortem report of the gangster accused of killing eight policemen in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur. Dubey was killed in an encounter by the special task force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police on July 10 after he attempted to flee while being brought to Kanpur from Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain city. He was arrested on July 9 from outside the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain after being on the run since the July 3 attack on the police team out to nab him in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur. ANI reported that three bullets pierced through his body and that there were ten injuries citing the post-mortem report. The first bullet struck his right side shoulder and two others hit his chest on the left side, ANI said. The post-mortem report said there were injuries on the head, elbow, rib and stomach on the right side of his body. The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a one-member judicial commission to probe the encounter after opposition leaders claimed that the gangster was killed in a fake encounter to protect the identity of his political masters. The commission headed by retired justice SK Aggarwal has been given two months time to submit its report. Two of Dubeys aides, Jaykant Vajpayee and Prashant Shukla, were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in the Kanpur encounter. Vikas Dubey had called Vajpayee on July 1, following which two accused met him the next day and offered 2,00,000 and 25 revolvers. After the incident on July 3, they also helped him escape in three vehicles. However, due to police alertness, they decided to leave the vehicle on July 4, the police said in a press release, according to ANI. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against them under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), criminal law amendment act and arms act. (With agency inputs) MEXICO CITY - Mexicos president promised Sunday to combat chronic health problems and improve health care, as the countrys cases of COVID-19 continued to mount. The Health Department reported 5,311 more confirmed cases, for a total of 344,224, and 296 more COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 39,184. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Sunday in a message to the families of coronavirus victims that he would fight chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension that make people more likely to suffer severe cases of COVID-19. He pledged to do so by promoting physical education, training more medical personnel, and fighting junk food. Lopez Obrador said the government would provide scholarships to train 30,000 more specialized doctors. A trade group, the National Association of Softdrink Producers, issued a statement Sunday condemning what it called the stigmatizing of soft drinks, after Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell referred to them as bottled poison. Mexicans have one of the worlds highest per-capita consumption rates of soft drinks. Officials have said Mexicos high rates of obesity and diabetes have worsened the effects of the pandemic. The Rajasthan Congress has called a legislature party meeting on Tuesday, party sources said, amid an alleged plot to topple its government in the state. The meeting is expected to start at 11 am at the hotel on the city outskirts where Congress legislators in support of the Ashok Gehlot government are camping. The agenda of the meeting is not clear yet, the sources said. It will be the third meeting of the Legislature party in the last one week. A political turmoil is raging in the state apparently because of a tussle for power between dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Gehlot. Last week, Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled openly, defying a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings. He was then sacked as deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee chief. Will not join BJP, our fight to save Cong by effecting leadership change: Pilot camp MLA An MLA from Sachin Pilot's camp on Monday said the legislators supporting the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister will not join the Bharatiya Janata Party and their fight was to 'save the party' by effecting a leadership change in the Rajasthan government. Mukesh Bhakar, MLA from Ladnun, Nagaur, who was dropped as the state youth Congress chief last week, also appealed to the party high command that in order to save the Congress, they must act now and change the state leadership. Asked about the Congress' allegation that they were under BJP protection in Haryana, a state ruled by the saffron party, Bhakar said, "No one is in a BJP state, we are in Delhi." He, however, did not elaborate. Countering Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga's charge that Pilot had offered him money to join the BJP, Bhakar claimed that it was the Pilot supporters who were being lured for the last one and a half years with money, ministerial berths and contracts to cross over to the Gehlot camp. Bhakar claimed that he as well as other Pilot supporters were still getting offers from the Gehlot camp. "But, we have stood by our leader," Bhakar said. Asked if they could join hands with the BJP, he categorically denied any such plans and said, "We have not met any person from the BJP and neither anyone has contacted us." "We have said this earlier and our leader Sachin Pilot had also made it clear that we will not join the BJP and our fight is for a leadership change in our state," he said. These things are being said to tarnish the image of Pilot and his supporters, he said. Bhakar said he and many other MLAs have made all efforts to convey to the leadership in Delhi over the last year and a half that Pilot was being ignored, but their pleas went unheard. "We met Avinash Pande (AICC in-charge of the state), K C Venugopal (general secretary, organisation) Mukul Wasnik (general secretary) to convey our concerns repeatedly that Pilot was being ignored, but they did not listen," he told PTI. "Gehlot wants Pilot to go from this party and that is why he is making such abusive statements and allegations," the MLA said. Bhakar also alleged that the very people on whose hard work the government was formed are being now hounded. Last week, in an open revolt, Pilot and 18 other loyalist MLAs defied a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings. He was then sacked as deputy chief minister and PCC chief. The showdown came after the Rajasthan police's Special Operations Group launched a probe into alleged attempts at horse trading to topple the Gehlot government and issued a notice to Pilot to appear during the investigation. SOG had also given a notice to Gehlot. Later, the Rajasthan chief minister had alleged that Pilot was part of the conspiracy by the BJP, which denied these allegations and blamed the Gehlot-Pilot power tussle for the Congress' troubles in the state. Rajasthan High Court has begun hearing Sachin Pilots plea against disqualification notices served to him and 18 rebel MLAs by Speaker CP Joshi. Team Pilot has moved the court seeking an explanation as to why he and others should be disqualified from the party for expressing their dissent. The Rajasthan High Court has begun hearing Sachin Pilots plea against disqualification notices served to him and 18 rebel MLAs by Speaker CP Joshi, after failing to attend 2 CCP meetings. Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta are hearing the matter. Abhishek Manu Singhvi has argued that Pilots decision to knock courts door, before the speaker takes any decision, is immature. He argued that the petitioners have raised the same grounds that have been previously considered and rejected by Supreme Court. He added that giving up of membership can be inferred from ones conduct. Moreover, there is no fixed formula for speaker to decide. It is within the speakers domain how he/she decides to take an action. In last hearing, the court had instructed the latter to not take any action against Pilot until Tuesday. Moving the court proceedings further, Rajasthan HC is hearing senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvis side of the argument today, who is representing the speaker. Also Read: Indias Covid-19 tally crosses 11 lakh mark, fatality rate drops below 2.5% Also Read: West Bengal agitates over teenagers rape and murder, politics wrestles on As the political crisis in Rajasthan escalates, Congress has alleged that BJP indulged in horse-trading and there was a clear attempt to topple the government. In connection to which, some shocking tapes also got viral in which Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, BJP leader Sanjay Jain and Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma spoke about bribing MLAs. While Sanjay Jain has been arrested, a notice has been served to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The Home Ministry has also sought report on the issue of illegal phone tapping. Addressing the media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that BJP wants a CBI probe into the matter. The state government should answer if they indulged in phone tapping as the CM and their other leaders are claiming that the audio is authentic. Congress MLA Rajendra Guda, on the other hand, has said that one of the prime accused in the ongoing investigation -Sanjay Jain had asked him to meet former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Jain was asking Guda to join BJP. Also Read: Covid-19 vaccine race: Seven Indian Pharma companies up against global contenders For all the latest National News, download NewsX App As riots have recently threatened law enforcement officers ability to keep the peace and promote justice, it is more important than ever to ensure funding for the police. Police play an essential role in not only holding criminals accountable, but protecting our most vulnerable populations. Defunding the police for the sake of a few bad officers would have a disastrous effect. Bill Hagerty, a conservative candidate for U.S. Senate, is outraged by the current popular distrust of the police in America.Bill Hagerty is qualified and ready to serve our country in the Senate, and he plans to use his platform to keep Tennessee families safe by standing with law enforcement officers.As the only Trump-endorsed candidate for Tennessees Senate seat, he will work closely with the President to uphold the rule of law, stop ANTIFA and fight to secure appropriate funding and support for our law enforcement officers. Above all, Bill wishes to see justice prevail, and he condemns the actions of the Minneapolis officers who have been charged. In his words, the dismantling and defunding of law enforcement in America is not the solution. This will only lead to chaos, and as our Senator, Bill Hagerty will fight to protect the power and funding of our law enforcement officers.Bill understands that law enforcement officers serve a vital role in keeping us all safe, and he will always support appropriate funding for our police. I encourage Tennesseans to read more about his plans on his website - www.teamhagerty.com. When rioting threatens the safety of innocent citizens, Bill Hagerty will fight for the police as they work for the security of our communities.Charlie Hunt Missing Dublin teen Amy Fitzpatrick made it back to her Spanish home before she disappeared on New Year's Day 12 years ago, her friend who was the last known person to have seen her alive believes. And it was an interview she subsequently saw on the Late Late Show that convinced her that Amy did not come to harm on her way home, which has been the main line of inquiry in the investigation. Interview Amy had spent the night babysitting with her pal Ashley Rose in Riviera del Sol near Mijas Costa in Malaga before leaving at 10pm on January 1, 2008. Amy's mother Audrey Fitzpatrick, and stepfather Dave Mahon, believe she never made it home, but Ashley says that Audrey's Late Late Show interview in May that year has convinced her that Amy must have made it back to the house at some point that night. In the interview, Audrey shows Pat Kenny Amy's lightpink Nokia phone, and Ashley and her mother Debbie are adamant that Amy had that phone in her possession when she left their house. "It looks to me like Amy made it home. She had that phone in our house, and then her mother had it in the interview," she told the Herald from Spain. The Nokia handset was later reported to have been stolen in a burglary at Audrey Fitzpatrick's home. "Amy had no credit for the phone, but she used it to listen to music on it, and her friends' contact details were on it too," Ashley said. "I remember she used the phone to access her mother's number on New Year's Eve in our house and rang the number from our house," Ashley said. "It was later I saw a recording of the interview on the Late Late Show, and I thought 'Amy had it (the phone) when she left our house'. I've told the Guardia Civil here but nobody has followed it up or taken it seriously," she added. In the interview on the Late Late show on May 16, 2008, then hosted by Pat Kenny, Audrey explained it was January 3 that year when she realised Amy was missing because she knew she had been visiting Ashley, and Audrey thought she was still with her. "I leave the back door open because she always forgets her key," she told Pat Kenny. Mr Kenny then takes out the pink-faced Nokia and shows it to the camera and the audience. "She didn't have it with her?" he asked Audrey. "No, she forgot it, which is nothing unusual. That's why I say I leave the back door open because she always forgets her key as well," Audrey explained. "(The phone) was under her clothes on the bed," she said. Here in Ireland Amy's aunt Christine Kenny, the sister of Amy's father Christopher, has called on Spanish authorities to conduct a cold case review of Amy's disappearance, and for gardai and the Government to become involved and put more pressure on Spanish police to look again at the facts. "There were so many twists and turns in the case, but the truth is in there somewhere," said Christine. Amy Fitzpatrick's disappearance made headlines all over the world, and Audrey and Dave Mahon conducted high-profile media campaigns for information. There was speculation she had been abducted by people involved in a sordid sex ring. Prison There was also speculation that Dublin criminal Eric 'Lucky' Wilson was involved. He is currently in prison in Spain for shooting 24-year-old British criminal Daniel Smith to death in a packed bar. There was also speculation about a Scottish man who had befriended young girls in Amy's circle of friends. But nothing ever came of any of the avenues of investigation. Audrey and Dave Mahon eventually moved back to Dublin. Mahon is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of Amy's older brother Dean, who he stabbed during a row at their northside Dublin apartment in May 2013. Both Ashley and Christine believe Amy is dead. If they are right about the phone then did Amy make it back home that night before going out again? Audrey Fitzpatrick is adamant that Amy left the phone at home. "If Amy didn't have her phone Ashley would've had my number in her phone," she said. Asked about Ashley and her mother being convinced Amy had the phone, Audrey replied: "No. Absolutely positively not." "The phone was (later) robbed when we had a break in at the house in Spain. "As stupidly as women do, you leave everything in the top drawer that's of value, and I had actually stopped bringing it around with me because I was afraid I'd lose it, and it had all her photographs and texts on it," said Audrey. "I don't know how they can say she had the phone at the time because she had no credit on it," she added. "Would the Irish police and the Spanish police look into the German man who was implicated in relation to Madeleine McCann? "He drove a camper van, he could've been anywhere in Europe," said Audrey. "Where we lived and socialised was campervan heaven," she added. She said she has been told that Amy's disappearance is a Spanish police case and not an Irish one, but would argue that if British police can become involved in the Madeleine McCann case then the Irish authorities should be able to get involved. "The English police, the German police and the Portuguese police are all gathered around Madeleine McCann's case. "I haven't heard anything from the Spanish police and I've been told by the Irish police that they're not investigating it because it's a Spanish case. "But Amy is an Irish citizen at the end of the day," she said. "I feel amputated from the investigation now. It breaks my heart." Amy had been living in Spain for four years but had not settled in the country. She had been due to make a trip to Ireland on St Stephen's Day but it was postponed - and she was very upset about that. There were reports that she had been bullied in school in Spain. She and Dean had been brought there by Audrey and Dave Mahon on the understanding they were going on holidays, and it was only when they were there that the children were told Spain was to be their new home. "She wanted to come home from Spain, and stay with her dad," Christine said. Christine said the first she heard that Amy was missing was from a relative who had seen it on the Bebo social media site that preceded Facebook and Instagram. "She wasn't officially reported missing until the third of January," she said. "Within a day or so of Amy being reported missing we got flights and went over there," she added. "We just want to find her. She needs to be found. Amy deserves to be found," Christine explained. A new volcano warning system - which would have alerted people to the Whakaari/White Island eruption 16 hours before it happened - is ready to be made operational. The warning system, developed by a team of scientists at Auckland University, is thought to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. For the past decade, scientists have been monitoring seismic signals including vibrations in the earth - at Whakaari/White Island. Over the 10 years, there have been five eruptions, including the eruption last December which led to the deaths of 21 people. University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr David Dempsey is one of the researchers behind the new warning system. He says they've developed an algorithm which can pick up patterns in the seismic activity before the eruption happens. "In particular, there is a four-hour burst of seismic energy, that seems to occur hours or days before an eruption. "If you can pick that up in real time, then that then serves as the basis of an early warning system." The team compiled the data collected before December's eruption, and ran it through their system. "For last year's eruption, there was the four hour burst started about 17 hours before that eruption. "So the early warning system that we had developed, when it was shown that data, it issued an alert 16 hours beforehand." As far as he's aware, nothing like this is being used in the world. Volcanologist Professor Shane Cronin, who worked on the system, told RNZs Morning Report it would have almost certainly have made a difference at Whakaari/White Island. "Each time there's an alert there's something like an 8.5 per cent chance of eruption." The White Island Tour operators rescue people from the island, just after the December eruption. Photo: Michael Schade/Twitter. Warning system not 100 percent reliable Geoff Hopkins visited the volcanic island on 9 December , and was returning to Whakatane when the eruption happened. He says his expectations arriving on the island in the morning was that everything was being checked. "My experience at Whakaari was that we knew it was a highly monitored volcano, yet that gave you a false sense of security, because it felt like it was being monitored, yet none of that information at that current stage was able to predict that eruption." The warning system is not 100 per cent reliable - out of the five eruptions over the past 10 years at Whakaari, it would have picked up four. But even with that ratio, such a system would help tour operators make calls on whether to proceed or not. Whakatane Mayor Judy Turner wants tours to resume at Whakaari, but in a much more restricted way. "Depending on the level of seismic activity is whether you just stayed on the boat and sailed around, whether you could land on the island, but not go up to the crater, or whether on some occasions it may even be appropriate to go up to the crater as has been the norm." She says the new warning system would help reassure tourists and operators. Ruapehu and Tongariro next to be looked at Scientists are now looking to see whether the warning system will work for other high-risk volcanoes, such as Ruapehu, or Tongariro. Because it can be triggered without a subsequent eruption there will be times when tourism businesses will have to close unnecessarily - the scientists estimate for about a month a year on average. Ruapehu District Council destination manager Warren Furner says businesses will need to be convinced introducing it would be a plus not a minus. "The risk that that places on small to medium enterprises particularly, around Ruapehu, where a lot of tourism-support businesses are vulnerable, to even small impacts on their income. "So there's quite a lot of work to do in that space in terms of some of the consequences." The Auckland University researchers say they are now in talks with GNS Science to get the system operational. David says he hopes it could then be picked up around the world. Harry Lock/RNZ. The Enforcement Directorate is understood to have initiated a process to freeze over 60 bank accounts in the country on the request of the Brazilian government in connection with a money laundering case in that country, offiicials said on Monday. They said the agency has undertaken the action under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in pursuance of a mutual agreement between the two nations to combat financial crimes. The over 60 bank accounts are held by some individuals and businessmen based in the country, they said. The probe, they said, is ... CHICAGO A Chicago man whose relatives had not heard from him in nearly four decades has been reunited with family members, thanks to a nursing home administrator who turned to social media after the 77-year-old man entered the home with no known next of kin. Antonio Talavera reunited with his long-lost brother outside a nursing home in the Humboldt Park neighborhood two weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune reported. Antonio entered the Center Home for Hispanic Elderly in Chicago in June after being hospitalized from a fall and hampered by dementia. Nursing home records indicated Antonio had been living near 47th Street and Ashland Avenue with a friend and co-worker from a liquor store. The assistant administrator at the nursing home, Sonia Alonso, remembered a woman with the last name Talavera used to work at the home years ago. He contacted her through Facebook and found that Antonio had been separated from his family for nearly 40 years. They thought he was dead. According to his niece, Carmen Lebron-Talavera, Manuels daughter, the family does not know how or why Antonio got separated. After getting in contact with the woman through her social media, Alonso asked Antonio if he had a brother named Manuel. Is his nickname Neco? she asked, and immediately, with a look of recognition crossed his face, Antonio began to cry. Alonso set up a meeting; an emotional encounter for both Antonio and his brother, Manuel. Because his speech is limited, Antonio could not explain why he had lost touch. The family of 14 siblings had come to the Chicago area from Puerto Rico decades ago. The whole family was shocked, Lebron-Talavera said of finding Antonio. Were ecstatic about it. She said the hardest part was not being able to hug each other in precaution of the coronavirus. During a second meeting last week, Alonso wheeled Antonio outside to see his brother; both of them frequently breaking out into tears as other family members who came by began crying as well. Tio, no llore, his niece, Lebron-Talavera, said in Spanish, gently telling him not to cry. You dont have to worry, Alonso told Antonio Talavera. You have a family now. Youre not alone. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor RHDP executive director says incumbent president is the solution after death of chosen successor, PM Coulibaly. Ivory Coasts governing party says it has asked President Alassane Ouattara to seek a third term in the countrys upcoming elections following the death of his chosen successor earlier this month. A majority of our supporters have turned to President Alassane Ouattara. He is our solution, and I have explained this to him, the RHDP partys executive director, Adama Bictogo, told RFI radio on Monday. Ouattara, 78, had said he would step down and named his close ally, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, as the RHDP partys candidate for the October 31 ballot. The 61-year-old Coulibaly, who underwent heart surgery in 2012, became unwell during a weekly cabinet meeting on July 8. He was taken to hospital where he passed away. This left the RHDP without a candidate in the run-up to a crucial election that analysts say is expected to test stability in the worlds biggest cocoa producer. The vote is expected to be the most hotly contested since 2010, when Ouattara defeated incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to concede defeat. The months-long standoff, until Gbagbos arrest in April 2011, killed some 3,000 people and left lingering divisions. Ouattara won a landslide victory in 2015 to secure a second term. Coulibalys death created a political vacuum and raised fears of a scramble for power. Bictogo, the RHDP partys executive director, said Ouattaras candidacy would help avoid bitter succession battles. Why should we take the risk when we have this certainty, he said. If he [Ouattara] refuses, we then well look into it and make a decision. For now, I have no other candidate in mind, he said, adding that Ouattara would announce his decision in the next few days. Ouattara has previously said he would prefer to hand over power to a new generation, although he also says he has the right to run again under a new constitution adopted in 2016. The opposition disputes that he can run again, and a decision for him to stand risks uniting opponents against him. Former President Henri Konan Bedie, 86, has declared that he will run in the election. There has also been uncertainty about the political ambitions of Gbagbo. He has been acquitted of crimes against humanity charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) but has been unable to return home to Ivory Coast where he still has considerable support. Prosecutors at the ICC are appealing his acquittal. Colorado health officials are investigating an outbreak among Denver's homeless population of trench fever - a rare infection best known for afflicting soldiers in World War One. So far, health officials have detected four cases, with the last reported on Thursday. The rare disease, which got got its name after it was known to infect WWI soldiers in the trenches of Europe's Western Front, is typically transmitted by body lice. It is believed the infection is now affecting homeless people that have poor access to good hygiene. People with compromised immune systems also are at higher risk of infection. Colorado health officials are investigating an outbreak of a rare infection known as Trench fever among Denver's homeless population (file image) The rare disease got got its name after it was known to infect World War I soldiers (pictured), and is typically transmitted by body lice among people who have poor access to good hygiene After issuing an advisory on Thursday, health officials urged doctors to keep close eye for any new cases, Kaiser Health News reported. Previous outbreaks in recent years have occurred in homeless camps in San Francisco and Seattle. Trench fever is caused by a bacterium known as Bartonella quintana, which is related to the same disease that causes cat scratch fever. It is transmitted in the feces of body lice. Symptoms include relapsing fever, bone pain - especially in the shins, headaches, nausea, vomiting and malaise. Some of those infected can develop skin lesions or a life-threatening infection of their heart valves. The feces of body lice is what transmits trench fever, which causes relapsing fever, bone pain (especially in the shins), headaches, nausea, vomiting and malaise Trench fever Trench fever is a rare infection that is best known for having afflicted soldiers in World War I. It is caused by bacterium known as Bartonella quintana, which is related to the same disease that causes cat scratch fever. The infection is transmitted in the feces of body lice, which is why it was so prevalent in the trenches of WWI. It causes relapsing fever and bone pain, particularly in the shins. Other symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and malaise. Some of those infected can develop skin lesions or a life-threatening infection of their heart valves. The disease enters the body through breaks in the skin, as well as through the eyes and nose. It is usually treated with antibiotics and by the removal of body lice. Advertisement The disease enters the body through breaks in the skin, as well as through the eyes and nose. It is usually treated with antibiotics and by the removal of body lice. Health officials also warned that other cases of trench fever may also may have been overlooked, due to the attention being placed on the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials in the city are already battling the coronavirus, which has been confirmed in more than 40,000 cases in the state and blamed for more than 1,700 deaths. The economic hardships caused by the pandemic also may be exacerbating the spread of trench fever as more people are driven into homelessness. Dr. Michelle Barron, medical director of infection prevention and control at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, told Kaiser News that a trench fever diagnoses may be easy to miss. Doctors often treating other ailments with similar symptoms will prescribe antibiotics and not notice that a patient may have had the infection. The bacteria responsible also can take up to 21 days to grow in a lab culture. She said that two of the confirmed cases in Denver had grown just before their cultures were about to be discarded. Barron said she received a call last month from a lab after the third case was confirmed among homeless people in Denver. That prompted her into action. 'Two is always an outbreak, and then when we found a third OK, we clearly have something going on,' Barron said she remembered thinking at the time. She had not seen a case of the disease for at least two decades and alerted public health authorities, who went forward with their advisory as a fourth homeless person was reported infected on Thursday. All the cases were reported months apart. A Belfast nurse is heading up a new coronavirus isolation and treatment centre in the worlds largest refugee camp. Rachel Fletcher has been working in Coxs Bazar area of Bangladesh for months, helping with efforts to build the centre, secure PPE supplies and train staff to treat patients. Ms Fletcher is a part of Save The Childrens Emergency Health Unit, which is a team of international specialists who respond to deadly disease outbreaks across the globe. The former Belfast Trust nurse spent almost a year fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 and, more recently, was deployed to help those caught up in humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Coxs Bazar houses nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Burma. Families live in overcrowded conditions, making social distancing nearly impossible. There are only 18 intensive care beds in the entire Coxs Bazar district, which has a total population of more than three million people. Ms Fletcher, who is the manager of the newly opened treatment centre, travelled to Bangladesh with London nurse Rachael Cummings. Its been a race against time to get the centre ready, said Ms Fletcher. Conditions are tough. Were here to support local health teams and walk with them on this difficult journey, particularly when faced with the impossible decision of who gets a hospital bed and who doesnt, when resources are stretched. Expand Close Rachel Fletcher at work in Coxs Bazar (Catherine McGowan/Save the Children/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rachel Fletcher at work in Coxs Bazar (Catherine McGowan/Save the Children/PA) The Disasters Emergency Committee Coronavirus Appeal, which has raised more than 5 million since its launched last Tuesday, will be providing funding to support the battle against the virus in Coxs Bazar. Rachel Pounds, head of Save The Childrens emergency health unit, said: We just dont know how this virus will play out in a congested refugee camp where children are already more vulnerable to infectious diseases because they lack access to regular healthcare, vaccinations and adequate daily nutrition. This in turn makes them less able to fight off the virus if they get infected. One of the most important parts of our Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo was community engagement and awareness and this will be essential again for our Covid-19 response in Coxs Bazar. One of the best ways to slow transmission rates is to empower children and adults with the information they need to protect themselves and to understand how they can safeguard vulnerable family members from the virus. The international community must urgently step up to support the government of Bangladesh and ensure much needed funding is allocated for Rohingya refugees and the host communities of Coxs Bazar to protect them against the impact of Covid-19. Inaction could lead to a disastrous and preventable loss of life. The Government is matching donations made by the UK public to the Disaster Emergency Committee up to the first 5 million. International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: We are matching generous donations from the British people to the emergency appeal pound for pound, meaning your money will go twice as far in helping to protect millions of the worlds most vulnerable people from the deadly effects of coronavirus. Clean water and healthcare in refugee camps are essential in containing coronavirus in the developing world helping stop the spread of the pandemic and protecting the UK from further waves of infection. Harrison Ford spent his Sunday taking to the friendly skies in his private jet, along with wife Calista Flockhart and their 19-year-old son Liam. The 78-year-old actor was spotted walking off his private jet after landing in Hawthorne, California on Sunday afternoon. The Star Wars icon was joined by his wife of 10 years and Liam, who Flockhart adopted in 2001. Pilot Ford: Harrison Ford spent his Sunday taking to the friendly skies in his private jet, along with wife Calista Flockhart and their 19-year-old son Liam Ford was wearing a stylish light blue button-down dress shirt and dark blue jeans as he walked off his own private aircraft. He stayed safe by wearing a black face mask when he stepped outside of the aircraft, along with a pair of sunglasses. The Indiana Jones star completed his look with a pair of black boots, with a silver watch strapped to his left wrist. Harrison's look: Ford was wearing a stylish light blue button-down dress shirt and dark blue jeans as he walked off his own private aircraft Ford landed at the Hawthorne Airport, where he had a minor mishap back in April, after crossing a runway where another aircraft was landing. The actor had landed his plane and asked permission to cross a runway, but was told to 'hold short' because another aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings. Ford was yelled at by an irate air traffic controller, though he profusely apologized for his error, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launching an investigation into the incident. Liam's look: Ford's son Liam was seen wearing a grey t-shirt and shorts, while lugging a black backpack around his shoulder and carrying several other bags Ford's son Liam was seen wearing a grey t-shirt and shorts, while lugging a black backpack around his shoulder and carrying several other bags. The 19-year-old started his first year at Amherst College, a private liberal arts college in Massachusetts last fall. Both of his parents were spotted on campus last September when they were helping their son move in to his dorm. Campus: Both of his parents were spotted on campus last September when they were helping their son move in to his dorm Ford is coming off The Call of the Wild, which hit theaters in February before theaters across the country shut down due to COVID-19. The actor signed onto star in The Staircase back in November, his first TV series starring role in his illustrious career, according to Variety. The series is based on a documentary series of the same name, following the trial of author Michael Peterson, who claimed his wife died after falling down a staircase, though police believed he staged it to look like an accident. The prosecution in the trial of Nana Appiah Mensah, aka NAM 1 and two others has asked for more time to enable it to prepare the case and further advise the court on the matter. NAM1 is the Chief Executive Officer of defunct gold dealership firm, Menzgold and currently facing charges of defrauding by false pretense in court. The prosecutor was expected to have filed its new charges for Nana Appiah Mensah for the court to take his plea Monday, ]July 20, 2020]. However, at the hearing Monday morning, the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Sylvester Asare, told the Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Ms Ellen Asamoah, that the principal state attorney was working seriously to advise the court concerning the case and prayed for a long adjournment. He added that the prosecution would inform the court on its possible intention. We also ask that in the event that the adjournment is granted and advise is ready, we will issue a hearing notice to the accused persons to appear before the court to do the needful, ASP Asare stated. He further mentioned that the prosecution and the defence counsel had agreed to appear on September 31, 2020. However, in setting a date, the court adjourned the case to Monday, September 7, 2020. Accomplices The prosecution had accused Nana Mensah, his wife, Ms Rose Tetteh, and his sister, Ms Benedicta Mensah, of using Menzgold as a tool to defraud more than 16,000 people of GH1.68 billion. His wife and his sister are, however, at large. Facts The facts, as presented by ASP Asare, are that in October 2018, the police received complaint from about 16,000 people that Menzgold had convinced them to invest GH1.68 billion in a gold purchase scheme that yielded 10 per cent monthly interest. According to him, the complainants said their money were locked up and that they could not find Nana Mensah and the other principal officers of the company. The prosecutor said investigations revealed that Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult were incorporated as limited liability companies in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Menzgold, he said, obtained a licence from the Minerals Commission in August 2016 to purchase and export gold from small-scale miners, and that in order to successfully engage in the business, Nana Mensah founded Brew Marketing Consult to be a gold buying agent. ASP Asare said although Menzgold was licensed to purchase gold, it was not licensed by the Minerals Commission to trade in gold. Notwithstanding the lack of such a licence, he said, Menzgold went public after its incorporation and invited the public to deposit money for a fixed period with interest, on the pretext of gold purchasing. The prosecutor said further investigations revealed that the three accused persons were the directors and principal officers of Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult. Background NAM 1 was released from police custody on August 17, 2019 after meeting his revised bail conditions. Earlier, the court had varied the bail conditions to allow for five sureties to guarantee his bail without showing evidence of having properties worth the GH1 billion bail sum. The court, however, refused a request by counsel for Nana Appiah for a reduction in the bail sum from GH1 billion to GH20 million. Hitherto, the court had ordered, on July 26, 2019, that three of the five sureties should show justification, meaning they must show proof that they had properties or interests worth the GH1 billion bail sum. As part of the bail conditions, the Menzgold CEO was ordered to report himself to the Ghana Police Service every Wednesday. 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 Google is rumoured to launch its Apple AirDrop-like feature in August for the Android users. The AirDrop is a file-sharing feature that lets Apple users send and receive pictures, videos and other important files. Google was rumoured to come up with an AirDrop rival and seems like it is finally happening. Some reports have confirmed that Google is done testing the Nearby Share feature and might release it in the next month. As per a GSM Arena report, the AirDrop-like feature would be called the Nearby Share tool. It is currently available in the Beta version and it will run on Android 6 and newer. Earlier this month, after months of speculations and rumours, Google had confirmed that it is developing the Nearby Share feature. "We're currently conducting a beta test of a new Nearby Share feature that we plan to share more information on in the future. Our goal is to launch the feature with support for Android 6+ devices as well as other platforms," Google told Android Police confirming the same. The Nearby Share will let Android devices exchange files and folder similar to how Apple lets its devices iPhone, iPad, and Mac to exchange files and folders without any hassles. Developers have got their hands on the beta version of the feature and they have reported that in order to send or receive anything, you will have to first switch the Nearby toggle on. Users can then send pictures, videos, files and other folders simply by tapping the share button, Nearby Share will show you the list of users who have the nearby feature on in their Android devices. The new feature by Google will work pretty much like Shareit, the app that has been banned by the government in India. But with Nearby Share feature, users will get many controls like you can control whether you want to receive files from anyone in the vicinity or just by the contacts that have been added to your phones. Users do have the option of sending files to people who are not added to their contact list. However, if you don't wish to be discovered by just about anyone, you can make the changes using the toggle in the Quick Settings menu. However, in order to maintain security and privacy, a user will first need to accept whether he wants to receive files from a particular device. Only when the approval is granted, users can receive files from another device. This would help in barring unnecessary interactions with unknown contacts. It was once extinct in England and Scotland. But now the red kite is back with a vengeance as 10,000 take to our skies in the 'biggest species success story in British conservation history'. The majestic large birds of prey, which feed on crows, rodents and worms, were common scavengers in medieval London. Shakespeare called it a 'city of kites and crows' in his play Coriolanus. But the birds' fortunes declined in the face of persecution and egg thefts and by the 20th century they were extinct in the UK apart from a small population of dozens which clung on in Wales. The red kite is back with a vengeance as 10,000 take to our skies in the 'biggest species success story in British conservation history' (file image) It was not big or healthy enough to 'recolonise' the rest of Britain even once the species was officially protected. Thirty years ago, conservationists decided to return red kites to England and 13 were brought from Spain and released in the Chilterns in 1990. A similar scheme was launched in Scotland. By 1996, at least 37 pairs had bred in southern England. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds say there are now thousands of pairs across the UK. Experts estimate the overall total at 10,000 birds nearly a tenth of the world's red kite population.. The majestic large birds of prey, which feed on crows, rodents and worms, were common scavengers in medieval London Natural England worked with the RSPB, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and other groups on the reintroduction scheme. Jeff Knott, of the RSPB, said: 'In the 1980s, anyone wanting to see a red kite had to make a special pilgrimage to a handful of sites. 'Today it is a daily sight for millions of people. In a few short decades we have taken a species from the brink of extinction to the UK being home to almost 10 per cent of the entire world population. 'It might be the biggest species success story in UK conservation history.' Natural England chairman Tony Juniper said: 'Red kites are one of our most majestic birds of prey with a beautiful plumage, and are easily recognisable thanks to their soaring flight and mewing call. Persecuted to near-extinction, they have made a triumphant comeback in England over the past three decades. 'Thanks to this pioneering reintroduction programme in the Chilterns, increased legal protection and collaboration among partners, the red kite stands out as a true conservation success story.' Danny Heptinstall, of the JNCC, added: 'Thirty years ago, the reintroduction of a lost species was a radical act. Thanks to pioneering projects like the Chiltern red kites, it is now a standard tool in the nature conservation toolkit. In 1990, the UK had only a few dozen red kites, Thirty years later, there are over 10,000.' The red kite, with a wingspan of 5ft, can live up to 30 years. They are now again a common sight in London. In addition to UnitedHealthcares support in Arizona, the company has launched similar community initiatives and public-private collaborations nationwide focused on addressing social determinants of health. UnitedHealthcare has invested more than $500 million in affordable-housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and last year joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans. UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter. The Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, the nation's top decision-making body (L-R): Han Zheng, Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, and Zhao Leji meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2017. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Sanction the Leaders of the Chinese Communist PartyThen Work Downwards All members of the CCP are complicit in its crimes at home and abroad Commentary On July 16, William Barr gave the speech I have been waiting 25 years to hear. The U.S. attorney general flatly declared that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to overthrow the rules-based international system and to make the world safe for dictatorship. How the United States responds to this challenge will determine whether the United States and its liberal democratic allies will continue to shape their own destiny or whether the CCP and its autocratic tributaries will control the future. Using some of the toughest language ever used by any U.S. official, Barr described the Peoples Republic of Chinas attack on the United States as an economic blitzkriegan aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the worlds preeminent superpower. The PRCs predatory economic policies are succeeding. China overtook the United States in manufacturing output in 2010. The PRC is now the worlds arsenal of dictatorship. Our struggle with the CCP isnt limited to economics and trade, Barr went on to suggest, but threatens the very existence of the United States itself. The CCP has launched an orchestrated campaign, across all of its many tentacles in Chinese government and society, to exploit the openness of [U.S.] institutions in order to destroy them. He closed by reiterating the threat that the Chinese Communist Party poses not only to our way of life, but to our very lives and livelihoods, urging Americans to stand together in resisting the Chinese Communist Partys corrupt and dictatorial rule. The China threat that Barrs words outlined is one we have been living with for some decades now. But until Trump took office, few Americans of influenceout of fear, greed, or simple ignorancehad openly acknowledged it. Those of us who did, such as Peter Navarro, Gordon Chang, and myself, were generally dismissed as fear mongers. The fact is that the CCP is, and has always been, unutterably hostile to every aspect of American life. Its not just that theyve rejected the free market and democratic rule, but rather that theyre actively seeking to undermine and destroy it. We knowbecause they have said sothat theyre the sworn enemy of every aspect of the liberal democratic order, from human rights and civil society to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. But although Barr laid out, perhaps more clearly than any official up to now, the deadly threat that America faces, he was careful to identify our adversary as the Chinese Communist Party and not the people it oppresses: The CCP rules with an iron fist over one of the great ancient civilizations of the world. It seeks to leverage the immense power, productivity, and ingenuity of the Chinese people to overthrow the rules-based international system and to make the world safe for dictatorship. The attorney general even intimated that the day would come when the CCP no longer ruled China, telling Americans that they should reevaluate their relationship with China, so long as it continues to be ruled by the Communist Party. Working Toward Regime Change Now, I believe that the Red Dynasty that currently rules China will one day soon come to an end, and that the United States should be proactively working toward that end. Its not enough to talk in general terms about the promotion of human rights and democracy in China. We need robust programs, specifically directed at the weaknesses of the CCP, to bring about its demise. Working for regime change in China is, at the most basic level, a matter of simple reciprocity. If the policy of the CCP is to undermine and destroy the U.S. economy and its democratic institutionswhich, as Barr indicated, it clearly isthen our China policy ought to mirror that. It should be focused on the destruction of the CCP, along with the dissolution of the political and economic institutions through which it controls China and preys on its people. One of the most efficacious ways to accomplish this, in my view, is to impose sanctions on a widening number of CCP officials and their immediate family members, while encouraging our allies to do likewise. Denying visas to leading CCP officials and their families, while confiscating any assets they hold in the United States, is an appropriate punishment for the crimes they have committed against the Chinese people and the world. Such sanctions would also sow rancor and division within the ranks of the larger Party, as well as drive a wedge between the Party and the Chinese people, by exposing truly massive corruption. Its widely known that many members of the criminal enterprise known as the CCP engage in what might be called international money laundering. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of CCP officials have over the years moved some of their ill-gotten gains offshore as insurance against their own political downfall, or against the collapse of the CCP itself. China expert Jonathan Manthorpe estimates that some $1 trillion has been spirited out of China by Communist Party leaders and their hangers-on for the purpose of hiding their assets in stable overseas havens like Canada, the United States, Australia or Europe. I believe this number may well underestimate the real amount. These funds are accompanied by family members, who are tasked with watching over the familys overseas investments, and creating a safe haven for the officials themselves if its ever necessary for them to flee the country. I would venture to say that each and every one of the 25 members of the Politburo has a family member in the United States or another Western country. Even CCP General Secretary Xi Jinpings own daughter is a graduate of Harvard University, and is said by some to be pursuing a graduate degree there even now. The same is true of countless other CCP officials at every level of government. The former spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, had a child attending school in the United States while he was, on a daily basis, denouncing the United States. If the visas of these family members are revoked, and their assets confiscated, it will hit home in a way that few other U.S. actions would. The good news is that the sanctioning of CCP officials, in this case for egregious human rights violations against Xinjiang Uyghurs, has already begun. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in conjunction with the U.S. Treasury Department, announced on July 9 that Chen Quanguo, the Party secretary of Xinjiang, and two other CCP officials would no longer be welcome in the United States. A fourth official also faced sanctions. The sanctioning of Chen was especially significant since, as a member of the 25-man Politburo, hes one of the CCPs top leaders. The CCP retaliatedpredictablywith sanctions of its own against an identical number of Americans. This new gang of four are Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. (Curiously, theyre all Republicans. Not a single member of the Democratic Party is being sanctioned.) Chinas sanctions are merely symbolic, of course, since the gang of four have no interest in traveling to, much less investing in, China. Americas sanctions, on the other hand, have real bite, since some of the CCP officials sanctioned probably do have homes and bank accounts in the United States, along with family members to oversee them. The sanctioning of Politburo member Chen, in particular, must have shocked its 24 other members, who now understand that their assets in, and access to, the United States is no longer assured. Perhaps this explains why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, after sanctioning the gang of four, seemed so eager to suggest that the two sides had now reached closure. We dont plan any further sanctions, she said, sounding plaintive, and we hope the American side doesnt either. We have only begun to sanction, we should say in response. But I would counsel those making China policy not to waste everyones time by sanctioning low-level, or even mid-level, officials. The authors of the CCP virus pandemic and the authors of the Uyghur genocide are one and the same. And they arent the heads of Chinese companies like Huawei, or provincial-level officials in Xinjiang. Rather, they are the members of the Politburo and, most importantly, Xi himself. Power in China is concentrated in the hands of very few, and its those few who should first be sanctioned. So lets start with the Politburo and take away the assets that they and their family members have stashed overseas. What better way to illustrate to the Chinese people how the highest leaders of the CCP have pillaged their own country and people than by confiscatingin a highly public mannertheir ill-gotten holdings in the United States? What better way to illustrate that their corrupt, criminal behavior is unacceptable in the civilized world than by denying them visas to the United States? When we are done publicly humiliating the members of the Politburo, lets move on to the entire Central Committee and the National Peoples Congress, and from there to sanctioning each and every member of the CCP. These actions, if taken sequentially, would cause tremendous unrest within the ranks of the Party, as well as widen the already enormous gap between the Chinese people and their political masters. CCP leaders surely understand the danger that theyll face if the United States delegitimizes their rule in this way. Thats why, as soon as the idea of sanctioning CCP members began being discussed in U.S. policy circles, the Global Times responded in a panic with rhetoric about how the CCP was the heart and nervous system of Chinese society. Opposing all CCP members is undoubtedly opposing all Chinese people, it claimed. Another article in the CCP mouthpiece screamed that a US travel ban on CCP members would be paranoid. The CCP comes from the Chinese people, the authors wrote, and it cannot be alienated from the Chinese people. Oh yes, it can. The CCPs worst fear should be our policy. Steven W. Mosher is the president of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why Chinas Dream is the New Threat to World Order. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. From the town of Joinville in the south of Brazil, Gugelmin came from a wealthy family and began competing at the age of eight in a car which had previously been raced by his brother. He became a regular winner and then moved to karting at the age of 12 before switching to cars at the age of 17 in Brazilian Formula Fiat. In 1982 he moved to Europe to race in Formula Ford 1600, sharing a house in Egham, Surrey, with another rising star Ayrton Senna da Silva. By 1985, following in Senna's footsteps, Gugelmin had moved up to the British Formula 3 series, running with West Surrey Racing. He won three races and took the title at his first attempt with a consistent series of results. An attempt was then made to put Gugelmin into Team Lotus alongside Senna but that did not work out. Gugelmin and West Surrey moved to Formula 3000 with JPS sponsorship, but the programme was not a success At the end of 1987 Gugelmin moved on to join Ivan Capelli at the March Formula 1 team and he stayed with the marque through its transformation to Leyton House, posting an excellent third place at Rio de Janeiro in 1989. That marked the high point of his Grand Prix career although he remained with Leyton House until the end of 1991. After a disappointing 1992 season with Jordan-Yamaha, he headed off to America. He became an Indycar driver with Dick Simon Racing in 1993 and then alongside Michael Andretti at Chip Ganassi Racing in 1994. He then moved on the PacWest team and finally won a race at Vancouver in 1997. He continued to drive until end of the 2001 season when he moved over to working as a racing consultant. Since joining Edge Group, we have increased business 64% year over year (even after a brief COVID slowdown). The Edge Group is pleased to announce the addition of Electronic Alarm Distributors (EAD), Southwest Automated Security (SAS), SS&SI Dealer Network and SourceIT to their growing membership. We are thrilled to welcome these new distributor members into The Edge Group, each representing the best in class in their respective markets, said Ron Meyers, President and CEO of The Edge Group. These new additions strengthen the groups overall purchasing power, opening new doors for increased sales and supplier partnerships. The Edge Group, founded in 1990, is a distributor-owned buying and marketing group with strength, inventory, and sales equivalent to those of national distributors. Meyers, the founder of Edge, had previously owned an electronics distribution company and struggled to get the right products at competitive prices. It was this experience that inspired him to start a distributor-owned buying group to help independent distributors team up with leading manufacturers and compete more effectively. Today, the group has over 1,200 stocking locations throughout the U.S. and Canada with more than $1.2 billion in annual buying power. Distributor members benefit from a variety of support services including purchasing programs, cutting-edge marketing materials and digital tools. Each of the new distributors expressed their enthusiasm to work with Edge in growing their businesses and diversifying their brand offerings. Security Sales and Solutions Inc., better known as the SS&SI Dealer Network, joined the group in February and features a thriving network of more than 500 independent security providers in the U.S. Jake Voll, President of SS&SI Dealer Network, said, Edge Group has a great team! They go above and beyond to support member distributors and partner suppliers. Since joining Edge Group, we have increased business 64% year over year (even after a brief COVID slowdown). Edge Group is part of a multipronged strategy to sustained double digit growth. In a recent interview, Jeff Goodwin, President of Southwest Automated Security, Inc. said, We look forward to expanding our relationship with The Edge Group. Southwest Automated Security is the U.S. markets leading non-installing electronic security wholesale distributor. SAS supplies the highest quality security products and is known for providing consumers with top-class service. He added, Being part of The Edge Group allows us to partner with a number of quality manufacturers that will enhance the buying experience for our current customer base. When it comes to manufacturers, The Edge Group represents more than 200 supplier brands serving the datacom, security, low voltage, AV, electronic MRO, and electronic OEM industries. Suppliers join the program to tap into new revenue streams and grow their existing distributor business with no channel disruption. Edge also provides an efficient, cost-effective way to help suppliers manage middle market distribution. Founded in 1982, Electronic Alarm Distributors, Inc. has been known for providing quality and value in the electronics distribution sector for decades. They provide engineers and buyers from large to independent with the best service and support in the industry. We truly want to be the customers favorite distributor of electronic security equipment and in order to do that, needed to increase our brand options, Carri Wright, General Manager of Electronic Alarm Distributors commented. Edge will allow us to offer many preferred brands, and that is great, but there is much more that Edge will bring to our business. The most recent member to join The Edge Group, SourceIT, specializes in the distribution of megapixel IP products, providing integrators with the industrys best technical troubleshooting service and system design. As an industry-leading certified security products distributor, SourceIT has already formed lasting relationships with partners of all sizes. SourceIT joined The Edge Group to increase the breadth of our product lines and be able to penetrate new market segments with these new offerings, remarked Lawrence Leiker, Business Development at SourceIT. We feel these new partners will greatly increase our ability to grow and be successful. Earlier this year, The Edge Group announced the addition of preferred suppliers Hisense USA, Safe Zone, Southwire Company, and West Penn Wire as well as a partnership with Catalyst AV Distribution Network. Edge is continually growing by adding products and services that strengthen our partners position in their marketplaces, commented Meyers. Working with distributors and manufacturers for almost 30 years has enabled us to perfect our services so that we can exceed their business expectations. Whether it is identifying areas of opportunity, or implementing strategies for growth, Edge has a proven process to ensure your success. From the very beginning, our working relationship will be transparent. Youll know what to expect, who your key contacts are, and what we plan to deliver for you. Learn more about The Edge Group at http://www.edge-group.com. The outgoing chairman of Huawei's UK arm has said he chose to leave the Chinese firm when US sanctions hobbled the business. Lord Browne, the former boss of BP, said the decision to block Huawei from using American chips in its product 'increased the risk' and left it with 'very little new business growth'. Speaking out: Lord Browne defended Huawei, insisting it was 'wonderfully open' about its affairs But he also defended the telecoms company, insisting it was 'wonderfully open' about its affairs. 'When the facts change, so too do my opinions,' the 72-year-old told The Sunday Times. It comes after Browne and other British directors were criticised for being on the board of Huawei, which will be banned from involvement in the UK 5G network from 2027. China is using Uighur labor as part of the global supply chain for personal protective equipment in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Times reported on Sunday. The workers are assigned as part of a Chinese program to turn Muslim minorities in Xinjiang Province, mostly Uighurs and Kazakhs, into factory workers and indoctrinate them to become more obedient and loyal to the state. The program is considered by observers to employ forced labor, in an attempt to eradicate the workers ethnic and religious identity. Out of 51 companies in Xinjiang that currently produce medical equipment, primarily for domestic use, 17 participate in the labor program. Several other companies outside of Xinjiang that produce supplies for export also make use of Uighur labor. The Times traced one shipment of face masks that ended up in Georgia in the U.S. to a factory in Hubei Province. That factory uses a contingent of Uighur laborers who are required to learn Mandarin and pledge loyalty to the Chinese state. The Chinese embassy in the U.S. told the Times that the labor program helps local residents rise above poverty through employment and lead fulfilling lives. Over the past several years, China has developed a system of detention camps in which it holds roughly one million Uighur and other Muslim citizens of Xinjiang. Chinese authorities claim the camps are necessary to prevent terrorism, however widespread reports of human rights abuses, including torture, have emerged from the camps. China is also engaging in a campaign of forced sterilizations and family separation on the Uighur population of Xinjiang. The campaign of mass birth control has led to a sharp drop in the Uighur birth rate. More from National Review T odays Google Doodle honours the life and work of Turkish astrophysicist Professor Dilhan Eryurt. Born in 1926, Professor Eryurt went on to enjoy a distinguished career which saw her contribute to the Apollo 11 moon landing 51 years ago today. Following a lifetime of achievement in astrophysics and astronomy, she sadly passed away at the age of 85 in her native Turkey on September 13, 2012, due to a heart attack. Here's a look back at her life: Google Doodle art director Matt Cruickshank's favourite Doodles 1 /26 Google Doodle art director Matt Cruickshank's favourite Doodles The doodle marking the 155th anniversary of the London Underground Google The doodle celebrating the 255th anniversary of the British Museum Google The doodle marking India's Republic Day in 2013 Google The doodle marking the 160th anniversary of the first Indian passenger train Google The doodle marking Earth Day 2018 with Jane Goodall Google The doodle marking when the NASA Juno probe reached Jupiter The doodle marking when the NASA Juno probe reached Jupiter Google The doodle marking Hannah Glasse's 310th birthday, the creator of the Yorkshire Pudding Google The doodle celebrating Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak, who died in 2013 Google One of Matt Cruickshank's doodles, marking the 93rd birthday of Saul Bass, the American graphic designer and Oscar-winning film maker Google The doodle marking Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka's 120th birthday Google The doodle marking Shakespeare's 400th birthday, which also takes place on the same day as St George's Day Google The doodle celebrating the Japanese poet, Kobayashi Issa Google The doodle marking marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Louise Carson on her 107th birthday Google The doodle marking Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 91st birthday, Google The doodle marking Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's 95th anniversary Google An amalgamation of all the different Google Doodle gifs marking 100 years since the completion of the Trans-Siberian railway Google The background for the doodle game celebrating Doctor Who's 50th anniversary Google The doodle celebrating Doctor Who's 50th anniversary Google The doodle marking 155 years of the Pony Express - when horseback riders would deliver letters between California and Missouri Google Who was Dilhan Eryurt? Professor Eryurt was born in Izmir, western Turkey, on November 29, 1926. At an early age, her family moved from the city, situated on Turkeys Aegean coast, to Istanbul, the country's cultural and economic hub. The family relocated again shortly afterwards, trading Turkey's biggest city for its capital, Ankara. It was here where Professor Eryurt honed her gift for Mathematics, which she eventually went on to study at university, back in Istanbul. While studying at Istanbul University, Professor Eryurt developed an interest in Astronomy. This interest blossomed in the following years, and saw her help open an Astronomy Department at Ankara University, before getting her doctorate there in 1953 after spending time at the University of Michigan. Professor Eryurt later went on to move to Canada for two years with a scholarship from the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1959, before then heading for the United States, firstly to Indiana University, and after that to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Maryland. At the time, she was the only female astronomer working at the institution. Her work at the Goddard Institute included major breakthroughs in improving our understanding of the Sun. She learnt that the brightness of the star had had decreased during its 4.5 billion years lifespan, meaning it was warmer and brighter in the past. Her research proved pivotal in planning for space flights at the time. In acknowledgement of her contribution to the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, Professor Eryurt was awarded the Apollo Achievement Award. She later moved on to work at the California University, where she studied the formation and development of Main Sequence stars - a continuous band of stars that appear on plots of stellar colour versus brightness. Professor Eryurt continued her research until 1973, when she returned to Turkey permanently to take up a position at the Middle East Technical University, in Ankara. She had gone back temporarily five years earlier to organise the country's first National Astronomy Congress. A few years after returning home, Professor Eryurt was awarded the Tubitak Science Award in 1977. She eventually retired in 1993, drawing her illustrious career to a close. She sadly passed away 19 years later in Ankara on September 13, 2012, due to a heart attack. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 09:57:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Support for the Australian government has risen amid the coronavirus pandemic, a poll has found. According to the latest opinion poll from Newspoll, which was published by The Australian on Monday, the governing Coalition now leads the Opposition Labor Party 53-47 on a two-party preferred basis, up from 51-49 in June. It represents the government's biggest lead over Labor since July 2019 and marks a 10-point swing towards the Coalition since it trailed the Opposition 48-52 in the wake of the summer bushfire crisis. Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison's approval rating remains high as he prepares to accelerate Australia's economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis with a major economic statement to be handed down on Thursday. Morrison's approval rating was unchanged at 68 percent. The proportion of voters dissatisfied with his performance remained at 27 percent, resulting in a net satisfaction rating of positive 41 percent -- a 63-point turnaround from negative 22 in February. By comparison, Labor leader Anthony Albanese's satisfaction rating fell to 41 percent while his disapproval was unchanged at 40 percent. Almost 60 percent of voters chose Morrison as their preferred PM, more than twice as many as the 26 percent who chose Albanese. Fifteen percent of respondents were undecided. It marks another major turnaround for the PM who trailed Albanese as the preferred PM 38-43 in February. The Australian said that the poll was conducted between Wednesday and Saturday and surveyed 1,850 voters across capital cities and regional areas. Enditem Actor Amber Heard waves as she arrives at the High Court in London, Britain July 20, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Amber Heard has described a three-day hostage situation with Johnny Depp where he allegedly went on a drug binge, attacked her, urinated in front of people and hid raw meat in a wardrobe. She said she went to visit him in Australia in March 2015 while he was filming Pirates Of The Caribbean and they were due to be alone for three days. Ms Heard said she feared for her life and described it as the worst thing I have ever been through. In a witness statement filed as part of Mr Depps High Court libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence, Ms Heard said her ex-husband was making all kinds of nonsensical accusations about her as well as having strange, paranoid hallucinations. Expand Close Actor Johnny Depp gestures as he arrives at the High Court in London, Britain, July 20, 2020. REUTERS/John Sibley / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actor Johnny Depp gestures as he arrives at the High Court in London, Britain, July 20, 2020. REUTERS/John Sibley She said: The best way I can describe what happened in Australia is that it was like a three-day hostage situation. We were due to be there for three days on our own, but it was only when I arrived that I realised I was trapped in this remote place without any means to leave and that Johnny had already been using and had a bag of drugs. I was in a remote house, at least 20 minutes from help; where I could not leave; was trapped and isolated with a violent person suffering from manic depression, bipolar disorder and a pattern of repeated, drug-induced psychosis and violence, who was on a multiple-day drug and alcohol binge. Over the course of those three days, there were extreme acts of psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence. It is the worst thing I have ever been through. I was left with an injured lip and nose and cuts on my arms. Ms Heard alleged that at one point Mr Depp grabbed her by the neck, shoved her against the fridge and said he could crush her neck. She said there was broken glass everywhere, and alleged that he ripped off her nightgown so that she was naked. At some point he pulled me around by my neck and pushed me down against the bar, I was against the bar, naked, bent over backwards, my back against the marble. He was pressing so hard on my neck I couldnt breathe. I was trying to tell him that I couldnt breathe. Expand Close A courtroom sketch of actor Amber Heard giving testimony at the High Court in London, Britain July 20, 2020. Julia Quenzler via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A courtroom sketch of actor Amber Heard giving testimony at the High Court in London, Britain July 20, 2020. Julia Quenzler via REUTERS I remember thinking he was going to kill me in that moment, she said. The next day, she said she noticed that Mr Depps finger had been cut off, explaining in her statement: I didnt actually see the finger being cut off, but I was worried that it had happened the night before. I figured it might have happened when he was smashing the phone on the wall by the fridge. In her statement, Ms Heard goes on to say that security arrived and asked Mr Depp were his finger was. He went out the front door, though security tried to stop him. He took out his penis and they asked him what hes doing. He answered as if he was asleep: I need to take a f***ing piss, its my house. He peed just outside the front door; then he went back in and did it right in front of them, to nervous laughter. He said he was trying to write my name, peeing on the walls and carpet, walking through the house. Ms Heard said that Mr Depp was taken to hospital, and at some point that day she found the nightgown she had been wearing. There were pieces of it wrapped round something and I realised it was the steak I had planned to cook. He had ripped the gown into pieces and put raw meat in it. He had also gone around and painted on all my clothes in the closet. He had taken a lot out of them and put them in the tub and smeared paint on them. And he had hidden more bits of raw meat in places, like in the bedroom closet. It was really messed up, she said. The trial has previously heard that Mr Depp said his finger was severed after Ms Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. In July 2020, a warning to businesses has been posted by Chad McMahan, Mississippi state senator, telling the business owners that refusing to handle cash amidst the Covid-19 pandemic because of fears of transmitting the virus through surface contact was against the law. In his post, the senator forewarned those businesses, which refused to accept cash, Legal Tender, in Mississippi. The senator thanked someone named Scott for sending him an email. On the post, McMahan said that he has received numerous complaints of people, who tried to reach out to him, regarding the issue that was happening in the state. The senator was calling out for the residents of Mississippi to report to him companies, which will not accept their cash payments. Adding that once these companies will be named, they will be receiving calls from the senator's office, the Department of Revenue, and the office of the Attorney General. However, when viewed in the legal sense, the senator was incorrect about his claims, there was no existing federal law that requires all types of businesses in the US to receive coins or currency as payment for either services or goods, Snopes reported. The earmarking of currency or coins as "legal tender" does not imply that all salesmen, for all types of transactions, must accept those as a form of payment. Read also: Russian Hacking Groups Accused of Trying to Steal COVID-19 Vaccine Data In a nutshell, when a debt has been acquired by one party and it has been agreed by the both sides that the medium of exchange will be cash, then legal tender must be accepted to settle the debt. However, if there is no agreement, the trading party has the choice to choose whichever medium of exchange it wanted, which could be in dollars, food, precious gems,services, whiskey, and the likes. The selling party may also accept cash payment by way of alternative forms such as check, credit, or debit card and money order, rather than currency or coin itself. Several questions regarding the acceptability of legal tender were answered by the US Treasury on their website. One question posted on the website asked whether the United States currency was legal tender for all sorts of debts. The question also wanted to clarify if it is legal for some government agencies or businesses to say that they will only be accepting credit cards, money orders, or checks as payment and the rest will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. The question was answered by the agency, saying there was no existing federal law that mandated private businesses to accept coins or currency as payment for goods or services. And added that the private business has the freedom of developing their own policies when it comes to accepting or not cash as payment unless it is declared by a State Law. As noted on the answer provided by the agency, although there was no federal regulation requiring businesses to accept coins or currency as payment, the local statute may do so. Since 1978, Massachusetts has had such law, and in 2019 similar legislation has been enacted in New Jersey. Some cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco have disallowed stores from going cashless as well. Related article: Fact Check: Did Joe Biden Say Taxpayers will Fund Health Care of Illegal Immigrants? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This investigation is going to take some time due to the fact of the potential amount of people that need to be interviewed due to how large of a gathering it was, Jungles said. The people weve spoken to thus far have not been very cooperative, but we definitely have some leads to follow up on. Before he was Congressman John Lewis, he was Councilman John Lewis. Before he was Councilman John Lewis,magazine called him a living "saint." And before he was Saint John Lewis, he was civil rights leader John Lewis, whom his older civil rights colleague Andrew Young called "a spiritual warrior." The descriptors could go on and on. Lewis, who died on Friday, was constantly reinventing himself for the better, and he used whatever venue he found himself in the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a city council, Congress to fight for the downtrodden, the forgotten and the ones society had rendered invisible. He stirred up what he called "good trouble" on their behalf.In 1987, I was elected to the same Atlanta City Council that Lewis had served on until he was elected to Congress a year earlier. Lewis had joined the council in 1981 along with Andy Young, who went on to be elected mayor. Lewis' signature issues as a council member were ethics and neighborhood preservation. I admired his work fighting to prevent intrusive roads from dividing historic neighborhoods and opposing industrial developments that threatened the quality of life of white working-class neighborhoods like Cabbagetown, which is not far from Auburn Avenue where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home and his Ebenezer Baptist Church are located.Lewis and his road-activist allies saw to it that an intrusive road that would have snaked through the spine of historic Inman Park never got built as a major parkway. Yet the part of the road that did get built, long after Lewis had left the city council, today bears his name: the John Lewis Freedom Parkway. It leads to the presidential library of Jimmy Carter, for whom Lewis once worked heading up ACTION, the federal volunteer-coordination agency. And it runs past John Lewis Plaza, the home of a sculpture appropriately named The Bridge that was commissioned by his road-activist colleagues to honor his life's work.I first met Lewis as a college student in 1973 when I worked for his wife, Lillian, a librarian at Atlanta University. Later his son, John Miles, and one of my daughters became close friends, and we parents took turns chauffeuring our kids back and forth to birthday parties, roller-skating rinks and other social outings. I got to see John close-up as a dad, and he was great with his son and our children, always committed and present. When we would run into each other at an airport or a political event, before talking about any other topics, he would always ask how my daughters were doing. His typical response when asked about his son: "He's doing very well; he has a good job with benefits."In 1986, Lewis won a heated and heavily contested race for Congress against NAACP leader and state Sen. Julian Bond. Ironically, it is Bond's son, City Council member Michael Julian Bond, who has been leading a coalition of Black and white council members who want to honor Lewis and other legends of the civil rights movement with monuments and a peace park named for Rodney Cook Sr., a civic-minded white former city council member and state representative who died in 2013.The park is being constructed in Vine City, the Atlanta neighborhood where Dr. King moved shortly after his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In addition to Lewis, the park will honor civil rights leaders like Julian Bond, Coretta Scott King, the Rev. Joseph Boone, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mayor Maynard Jackson, and the Rev. C.T. Vivian , the 95-year-old civil rights giant who died earlier on the same day as Lewis.I am fortunate to have lived when many of these legends helped change our world for the better. Their passing is a bittersweet moment for me. Even though their lives were about much more than better governance, I am hoping their examples will become a moral imperative for public officials to want to govern better. I am hoping the meaning of their lives gets imprinted on our souls and reminds us of the words of Dr. King, the wise prophet who mentored Lewis, Vivian and so many others: "Life is not worth living until you have discovered something worth dying for."GoverningGoverning The iconic Westminster buildings, which have housed Parliament for centuries, had been under scrutiny for a while, because they are old and need repairs. This meant that parliamentarians would need to be accommodated elsewhere. However, this was not meant to happen till 2025. Now Covid has changed all that and I can tell you I feel I was very lucky to have listened to political speeches in the beautiful chambers within, and wandered in those elegant corridors with their gilded and vaulted ceilings, lovely restaurants and long terraces alongside the Thames. It was a high point for everyone who visited London to come to the mother of all parliaments. Everything within was polite, discreet and well-run. We all loved the pomp and ceremony, especially within the House of Lords. But now things may change drastically. In his ever-dramatic style, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Parliament may shift to York! This is because when the Conservatives won a lot of seats in the North of England, called Labours Red Wall, they promised to do more for the Northern economy. So Boris announced, at first, that the House of Lords may be moved to York, and then said both houses may be moved. There is outrage in London but also in York, which thinks MPs and Peers will create unwelcome traffic and higher house prices. Another choice is to find suitable buildings in the neighbourhood like the QE 2 Conference centre to accommodate members while the Palace is being repaired. Large and empty buildings are rare in London, but plans are being drawn up. However, there will be problems as Westminster has not only parliamentarians but also large numbers of workers, at all levels. Would they be happy to suddenly move to York hmm, sounds like another plan may need a re-think. The more liberal countries have an issue with masking up because they hate any kind of restrictions. The PM understands that and would have like to have run a fun economy, where everyone (including him) could do their own thing, even during Covid. His science advisers are beginning to go public disagreeing with him about relaxing restrictions. We have had a sharply falling curve of new infections and deaths but everyone fears a comeback if people start going back to old habits. The Cabinet is divided and advice changes depending on who is speaking Boris or Matt Hancock or Michael Gove. Rishi Sunak, now the most (if not the only) popular member of the Cabinet, was seen in a well-publicised poster serving a meal in a restaurant without a mask. But this was rapidly corrected and within days he was there shopping with a mask on. Michael Gove changed from no mask to mask in a single day. The good news is that the Oxford University groups vaccine experiment looks like it is on schedule for delivery. But the atmosphere is definitely going back to the days of the cold war and the original setting for Ian Flemings 007. The Russians tried to hack into the Oxford and Imperial College labs we are now told. Russia had a specialist agency called Cozy Bear allegedly to steal British results on Covid vaccine but they were thwarted. There are parallel efforts going on in America with a promising vaccine called Moderna. It may all take six months more but if we can get a vaccine that can tame Covid, it will be a money maker as well as a great saviour. But somehow I think the Chinese vaccine may not be so well received Ghalib may have been struck at the irony. The same friend who allegedly poisons you, also offers the cure The big news of the week has to be the quarrel with China. Six months ago, trade with China was welcome and Huawei was a star company for UK in the 5G era. Now all bets are off. Even so, the backbench Tories are unhappy the government cannot unwind the old agreement for five years. This is precisely the issue everywhere. A ban on Chinese companies can be announced but it takes longer to execute than imagined. The statue war continues. In Bristol, the Black Lives Matter demonstration brought down the statue of Edward Colston, a slave owner. Marc Quinn who has had his sculpture displayed in Trafalgar Square modelled a statue depicting one of the demonstrators Jen Reid and secretly installed it at his own expense. Before things get out of hand, the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, a Black British politician, had it taken down and plans to send the bill for it to Marc Quinn. He took the simple view that the question of whether and how to replace the statue was for the citizens of Bristol to decide. By Steve Holland and Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday said he would send law enforcement to more U.S. cities, as a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Oregon with unmarked cars and unidentified forces angered people across the country. Trump, a Republican, cited New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California, as places to send federal agents, noting the cities' mayors were "liberal Democrats." Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot frequently blasts Trump on Twitter. "We're sending law enforcement," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We cant let this happen to the cities." State and local leaders in Oregon, as well as members of Congress, have called for Trump to remove Department of Homeland Security secret police forces from Portland, Oregon, after videos showed unidentified federal personnel rounding up people and whisking them away in black minivans. "Not only do I believe he is breaking the law, but he is also endangering the lives of Portlanders," the city's mayor, Ted Wheeler, tweeted, having previously called the federal presence "political theater" in an election year. Trump, trailing in opinion polls behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, in June declared himself "president of law and order" and threatened to send the U.S. military into cities after sometimes violent protests and looting in the aftermath of African American George Floyd's death in police custody in Minneapolis. Federal agents last week began cracking down on Portland protests against police brutality and systemic racism, using tear gas to defend federal buildings and taking some activists into custody without explanation. "They grab a lot of people and jail the leaders. These are anarchists," Trump said of federal agents sent to the historically liberal city to quell often unruly protests. Story continues Despite a national outcry over the tactics, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on Monday said they would not back down and would not apologize. The state of Oregon and the American Civil Liberties Union have sued the Trump administration for unlawfully detaining Oregon residents, and some Republicans spoke out against its tactics on Monday. "There is no place for federal troops or unidentified federal agents rounding people up at will," tweeted U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. The Chicago Tribune reported that Homeland Security was making plans to deploy around 150 agents in the city this week where police defending a statue clashed with protesters on Friday. The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu and Lisa Lambert in Washington, additional reporting by Maria Caspani in New York, Deborah Bloom in Portland; Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) Anti-mask demonstrators marched in Calgary on Sunday, July 19, asking the city council not to mandate the wearing of face masks, according to local reports. The March to Unmask gathered in Olympic Plaza to stand in solidarity with marches being held across the country against mandatory masks, according to the groups Facebook page. A similar march was held outside the Alberta legislature in Edmonton, local media reported. Calgary City Council was scheduled on June 20 to begin discussions on whether masks should be mandatory on transit and some indoor areas where physical distancing measures cant be followed, according to local reports. This video shows demonstrators walking on Stephen Avenue in Calgary on Sunday afternoon. One protester is seen holding a sign that reads, Fear will fail. As of July 19, Alberta had reported 9,219 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Credit: Joe DAngelo via Storyful Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) has declared the MBOSE SSLC Result 2020on its official website mbose.in. Find direct links to the result and other alternative websites for the SSLC result. Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) has released the MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 on its official website mbose.in. Students may now head to the official website of the board and check their results. This year about 51,334 students wrote the MBOSE SSLC exams or MBOSE class 10 exams. Out of the total students who sat for the exams, about 28,412 were girls and 22,922 were boys. Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Meghalaya Board of School Education previously shared that this year it will not release the result offline. Entire result booklet will be available at mbose.in and students may download it from there. How to check MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 Online: Go the official website, mbose.in. Select the link that reads MBOSE SSLC Results 2020. Enter your login credentials that include your Board Roll Number and other details. Click on the Submit button. Your MBOSE SSLC Result 2020 will appear before you. Print/Download your MBOSE SSLC Result 2020. Alternative websites to check MBOSE SSLC Result 2020: As almost 51,334 students are going to check their results today, the website might crash. Hence, there are some other websites that can be referred to for the MBOSE SSLC or class 10 Result 2020. Those websites are listed below: www.meghalayaonline.in www.results.shiksha. www.megresults.nic.in. www.meghalaya.shiksha. Also read: Bank of Baroda Recruitment: Check vacancies, eligibility and other details Also read: UGC Guidelines 2020: Over 700 universities ready to conduct exams The result of HSSLC (Higher School Leaving Certificate) or class 12 was announced on July 11 by the Meghalaya Board of School Education. The number of students that appeared for the MBOSE HSSLC Exam 2020 was 30,000. Out of the total students of science stream, 72.24 per cent students cleared the exams. The pass percentage of Commerce stream was 77.28 per cent. The same for Arts stream students was recorded to be 74.34 per cent. 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 For Immediate Release Providence Resources P.l.c. Result of Annual General Meeting Dublin and London July 20 , 2020 - The Company is pleased to announce that, at its Annual General Meeting held earlier today, the Resolutions set out in the Notice of the Annual General Meeting dated June 2, 2020 were duly passed. The results of the Poll of the meeting are set out below. Ordinary Resolution 1 To receive and consider the Directors Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2019. Vote Type Voted Voted % % of Issued Share Capital Voted For 361,582,387 97.90% 45.30% Against 7,757,757 2.10% 45.30% Total Voted 369,340,144 100% 45.30% Votes Withheld 1,331 Ordinary Resolution 2 - To elect Mr. Alan Linn as a Director. Vote Type Voted Voted % % of Issued Share Capital Voted For 369,333,251 100.00% 45.30% Against 7,130 0.00% 45.30% Total Voted 369,340,381 100.00% 45.30% Votes Withheld 1,094 Ordinary Resolution 3 - To authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors. Vote Type Voted Voted % % of Issued Share Capital Voted For 369,335,401 100.00% 45.30% Against 3,352 0.00% 45.30% Total Voted 369,338,753 100.00% 45.30% Votes Withheld 2,722 Special Resolution 4 - To authorise the Directors to disapply statutory pre-emption rights. Vote Type Voted Voted % % of Issued Share Capital Voted For 369,310,931 100.00% 45.29% Against 4,516 0.00% 45.29% Total Voted 369,315,447 100.00% 45.29% Votes Withheld 26,028 ABOUT PROVIDENCE RESOURCES Providence Resources is an Irish based Oil & Gas Exploration Company with a portfolio of appraisal and exploration assets located offshore Ireland. Providence's shares are quoted on the AIM in London and Euronext Growth in Dublin. Further information on Providence can be found on www.providenceresources.com The first meeting of the working group overseeing the response to the landslide which occurred just outside of Drumkeeran, Co Leitrim on June 28 this year. The inter-agency working group, led by the Heritage Department, met this morning, Monday, July 20. The meeting was chaired by Malcolm Noonan, TD, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform. The meeting was attended by the Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Cllr Mary Bohan, and senior officials from Leitrim County Council as well as representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Minister Noonan and officials present viewed the landslide firsthand from the Dawn of Hope Bridge and from further up at source on Shass Mountain. In a statement issued by Leitrim County Council today, it was noted: "The meeting was updated on the present situation and all agencies present stated their commitment to finding a multi agency response to address the emergency situation, including the farmer and community needs and also to investigate solutions to the longer term stablisation challenges now evident. "After the meeting, Minister Noonan said that he was shocked when he viewed the damage firsthand on Monday, July 13 with Minister of State, Frank Feighan. "He resolved with the then Minister for Agriculture to quickly establish this committee and put together a multi-agency grouping to oversee the response to the emergency and to deal with its aftermath. He commended the local farmers and the wider community for their response in the face of this disaster and commended too the local authority officials for the reactions. "(Minister Noonan) said there was much work to be done and the committee would meet again in the very near future. In the meantime, it was pointed out that affected farmers should make contact with the Department of Agriculture." New Delhi: Paranormal expert Steve Huff has taken over the internet for his claims of having spoken to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's spirit. He has posted two videos supporting his claims. Sushant died by suicide on June 14 in Mumbai. Steve Huff said he made an attempt to speak to Sushant Singh Rajput's spirit after receiving several requests from his fans. It is for the first time he has allegedly spoken to an Indian celebrity. "Today I try my best to connect to the spirit of Sushant Singh Rajput after receiving thousands of requests to do so. First, I thank you all for requesting this as he came in strong and clear and bright someone with him to help make sure he got through," Steve Huff wrote while sharing the first video. The paranormal expert asks the alleged spirit to share a message for his fans and questions - "Are you in the light?", to which a voice is heard saying, "Tell Steve I am getting the light." In the second video, when Steve asks the alleged spirit if he wants to say something before they close the activity, a voice is heard saying, "Want some love". When Steve asks, "Sushant, can you tell me what happened before the night of your death," he gets an answer - "Big arguments with men". "Did someone murder you? Do you remember how you died?" is what Steve asks next and the voice says, "They brought nails." Watch the viral videos here: Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging in his apartment in Mumbai. He was said to be under stress and depression. An investigation is currently underway in his suicide case by the Mumbai Police, but fans have urged for a CBI probe citing foul play behind his sudden death. When Zee News quizzed Dr Nirav Anand, Paranormal Expert and Ph.D. in Healing Science, about Steve Huff's revelations, he said that the expert's claim is interesting and a breakthrough in the field. Steve Huff has researched over the subject for 10 years, but his claims cannot be 100% true, Dr Nirav Anand added. He explained further that science and technology has progressed a lot and modern techniques have been used by Steve Huff to interact with spirits. Yellowstone Cowboys and Dreamers Season 3 Episode 5 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Paramount Network Early in this weeks Yellowstone episode, Cowboys and Dreamers, Chief Thomas Rainwater drops by the Dutton Ranch to talk to John about the city-building plans of Providence Hospitality Group. Thomas suggests they both put aside their differences (for now, at least) and work together, because ultimately theyre fighting to preserve as much of the unspoiled natural beauty of Yellowstone as possible. John tacitly agrees, saying of their mutual PHG problem, It doesnt seem to be going away on its own, does it? To which I thought: Well, no. But why would it? Through the first four episodes of this season, John has done exactly nothing to stop any interlopers. Hes mostly heard other peoples suggestions, and then just kind of shrugged and let them do whatever. What was he expecting would happen? By the end of their conversation, John and the Chief have decided to unleash their two in-house chaos agents who I assume are Beth Dutton and Angela Blue Thunder. Big business needs to move fast to satisfy stockholders. Slow them down with shamelessly petty annoyances, and maybe theyll take their money elsewhere. Still Were halfway through this third Yellowstone season, and the series primary protagonists are just now getting around to formulating a coherent plan to take on their latest antagonists. And they dont actually do anything specific in this episode, beyond pontificating and musing, while occasionally nodding sagely. Beth, on the other hand, does do something this week. Shes been continuing her largely freelance efforts to annoy the piss out of Roarke Morris; and as this episode begins shes persistently working to tank Roarkes companys stock via a laborious process of short-selling. Frustrated that he now has to spend his days executing quick trades on his laptop rather than fishing and smirking, Roarke confronts Beth in a bar where shes already pretty soused, apparently getting back in touch with her hell-beast side. The two of them spar a bit about his fishing habit. (He claims fish dont feel pain; she gets him to admit that at the end of the day he doesnt care whether he hurts them or not.) They spar over her day-trading habits. (He accuses her of hurting him just for sport, not for a real purpose; then finally he gets her to promise to do the short-selling after hours so he can get back to fishing.) Finally, Roarke tries to reason with Beth, striking his most serious tone. He warns her that her dad will never know peace for as long as he stubbornly holds onto land so valuable. If John Dutton would just convert his property into money, hed leave a real legacy for his family. Beth agrees with Roarke but she says it doesnt matter, because her old man wont budge. Besides, she kind of enjoys making life miserable for cocky S.O.B.s like Roarke Morris. You are the trailer park, she growls. I am the tornado. The Roarke/Beth scenes are as always the best parts of Cowboys and Dreamers. But theres an unexpectedly close second in this episode: the scenes involving Kayces first days as Livestock Commissioner. The first big call Kayce gets on the job involves a rancher whose spread has been foreclosed on, and who has responded by shooting himself, right in front of his horses. Worried that the dead mans kids will be left with nothing, Kayce asks both the cop on the scene and his own father if he should rustle those horses and sell them at auction, before the bank can take them. Both men make it clear that they cant officially sanction this gambit but that theyd be awfully proud of him if he can pull it off. And so at long last we get an actual cattle drive on this big-time ranching drama. Kayce rallies the family and the Dutton hands to serve as his drovers, as he executes a plan he describes aptly to his father as, Fuck it. The posse chases the horses down to the Duttons property. The herd ends up netting $13,000, which Kayce gives to the widow for the funeral. She thanks him, but hisses, That coward can rot where he lays. (The widow, by the way, is played by the excellent veteran character actor Kathleen Wilhoite, whom its always a treat to see.) Thats all the stuff of a fun, old-fashioned western romp, made all the more poignant by the concluding reality check of a modest payout and an angry wife. (The title of this episode comes from the wifes lament. Shes spent her whole life attracted to cowboys and dreamers.) But theres a lot about this Yellowstone that falls flat too, aside from Johns increasingly annoying lack of urgency. For example, I dont quite know what to make of the opening, which flashes back to the origin of Beth and Jamies ongoing animosity. It seems that as a teenager, Beth got pregnant (by, unless my eyes deceived me, young Rip something which has been long presumed by Yellowstone fans). She asked Jamie for help; and to avoid embarrassing the family, he took her to a clinic at a nearby reservation, at a time when abortion services sometimes came with compulsory sterilization. He didnt let his sister know this; he just sent her in. This is, obviously, a terrible violation of trust. But its more than a little reductive to keep tying Beths behavior to past personal tragedies like her role in her mothers death, or her unwitting choice to be sterilized. The implication here seems to be that Beth has suffered due to severed ties to her womanhood: She lost her mother, and shell never be a mother. Thats certainly a take. To be fair, these kind of broad strokes are common in the work of Yellowstone creator and writer Taylor Sheridan. As Lloyd says to Monica this week, while talking about Tates inner strength, everyone hes ever known was either born a willow or born an oak. This the way it goes in Sheridan-land. People are who they are who theyre born to be. Even the complicated ones aint that complicated. Which is fine to a point. Yellowstone is part western and part melodrama, and both those genres tend to rely on a certain straightforwardness in their characterizations. But this can be a drag whenever characters like John keep predictably plodding ahead along the same paths, unchanging and from the perspective of the shows creator unchallenged. As charismatic as Kevin Costner is, theres frequently a John Dutton-sized hole at the center of Yellowstone. The Last Round-Up One Yellowstone element I never find tiresome is whenever some passing rando mouths off to Rip and then inevitably gets his ass handed to him. This week it happens when Rip and the boys notice some buffalo have roamed onto their land. They holler at the grizzled, pissy cowboys watching that herd, and when one of those cowboys tries to step to Rip, he gets straight-up socked. On a primal level, that punch is just so, so satisfying. We clearly havent seen the last of this storyline; but for this week at least it comes to a good end. Not so good of an end? This episodes actual end, which sees the ranch hands getting drunk and rowdy. Throughout, Teeter keeps openly sexually harassing Colby, who finally admits he might be kind of into it. I know this whole Colby/Teeter subplot is supposed to be funny shes inappropriate! hes shy! but so far, its playing way more creepy than cute. Statewide All information from the Iowa Department of Public Health, except where noted. Cases of coronavirus: 38,907 The total number of people who have ever tested positive for active novel coronavirus infection since testing began in March 2020. Average cases per day: 408 Percent change in cases over 14 days: 13.5%. National average: 37.2%. (Info: KFF.org) Rate of spread: 1.13 The average number of people who currently become infected by an infectious person. Over 1.0 means the virus will spread, and below 1.0 means it has stopped spreading. (Info: Rt.live) Deaths: 793 The total number of people whose deaths were attributable to the novel coronavirus since IDPH began tracking such deaths in March 2020. Average deaths per day: 3.6 Fatality rate: 2.0% National average: 3.8% The percentage of deaths out of the total number of infected. (Info: KFF.org) Recoveries: 27,950 As of June 30, IDPH now classifies anyone not hospitalized or deceased after 28 days to be recovered. Recovery rate: 71.8% Positive serology tests: 2,607 The number of people with no current infection who tested positive for antibodies of the novel coronavirus. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19: 221 (+7) Hospitalized in NE Iowa (RMCC Region 6): 40 (+3) Patients admitted in last 24 hours: 21 (+1) Last 24 hours in NE Iowa: 2 (-2) Hospitalized in intensive care units: 76 (+1) In ICU in NE Iowa: 15 (no change) Hospitalized on a ventilator: 30 On ventilator in NE Iowa: 3 Long-term care facility outbreaks: 16 facilities An outbreak is added when a facility has three or more residents test positive, and removed when no new cases appear. Deaths attributable to long-term care facility outbreaks: 421, 53% of total deaths (no change) National ranking in cases per capita: 17th (Info: KFF.org) National ranking in deaths per capita: 23rd (Info: KFF.org) Positive testing rate: 6.5% As of May 12, the World Health Organization recommends a positive testing rate of less than 5% or lower for at least 14 days to understand virus spread. Northeast Iowa Allamakee County: Cases: 139 Recoveries: 120 Deaths: 4 Currently infected: 19 Fatality rate: 2.9% Infection rate per capita: 1.8% Benton County: Cases: 93 Recoveries: 70 Deaths: 1 Currently infected: 22 Fatality rate: 1.1% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Black Hawk County: Cases: 2,699 Recoveries: 1,935 Deaths: 60 Currently infected: 704 Fatality rate: 2.3% Infection rate per capita: 2.5% Bremer County: Cases: 135 Recoveries: 79 Deaths: 7 Currently infected: 49 Fatality rate: 5.2% Infection rate per capita: 0.6% Buchanan County: Cases: 73 Recoveries: 42 Deaths: 1 Currently infected: 30 Fatality rate: 1.4% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Butler County: Cases: 82 Recoveries: 64 Deaths: 2 Currently infected: 16 Fatality rate: 2.5% Infection rate per capita: 0.6% Cerro Gordo County: Cases: 440 Recoveries: 105 Deaths: 13 Currently infected: 322 Fatality rate: 2.95% LTC facility outbreak: Good Shepherd Health Center (106 cases, 21 recovered) Infection rate per capita: 1.0% Chickasaw County: Cases: 40 Recoveries: 33 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 7 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Clayton County: Cases: 60 Recoveries: 45 Deaths: 3 Currently infected: 12 Fatality rate: 5.2% Infection rate per capita: 0.5% Delaware County: Cases: 66 Recoveries: 56 Deaths: 1 Currently infected: 9 Fatality rate: 1.5% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Dubuque County: Cases: 1,192 Recoveries: 470 Deaths: 23 Currently infected: 699 Fatality rate: 1.9% Infection rate per capita: 1.3% Fayette County: Cases: 65 Recoveries: 31 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 34 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Floyd County: Cases: 94 Recoveries: 66 Deaths: 2 Currently infected: 26 Fatality rate: 2.1% Infection rate per capita: 0.6% Franklin County: Cases: 135 Recoveries: 70 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 65 Fatality rate: 0% LTC facility outbreak: Sheffield Care Center added July 20 (7 cases, 0 recovered) Infection rate per capita: 1.3% Grundy County: Cases: 57 Recoveries: 31 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 26 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.5% Hardin County: Cases: 105 Recoveries: 55 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 50 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.6% Howard County: Cases: 42 Recoveries: 23 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 19 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.6% Marshall County: Cases: 1,187 Recoveries: 974 Deaths: 21 Currently infected: 193 Fatality rate: 1.7% Long-term care facility outbreak: Grandview Heights added July 7 (33 cases, 3 recovered) Infection rate per capita: 3.0% Mitchell County: Cases: 67 Recoveries: 43 Deaths: 0 Currently infected: 26 Fatality rate: 0% Infection rate per capita: 0.8% Tama County: Cases: 509 Recoveries: 417 Deaths: 29 Currently infected: 63 Fatality rate: 5.7% Infection rate per capita: 3.3% Winneshiek County: Cases: 57 Recoveries: 39 Deaths: 1 Currently infected: 17 Fatality rate: 1.8% Infection rate per capita: 0.4% Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, center, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 18, 2016. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying on General Slain by US TEHRAN, IranIran executed a man convicted of providing information to the United States and Israel about a prominent Revolutionary Guard general later killed by a U.S. drone strike, state TV reported on Monday. The report said the death sentence was carried out against Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, without elaborating. The countrys judiciary had said in June that Majd was linked to the CIA and the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, and alleged that Majd shared security information on the Guard and its expeditionary unit, called the Quds, or Jerusalem Force, which Qassem Soleimani commanded. Soleimani was killed in an American drone strike in Baghdad in January. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, and five others. Iran later retaliated for Soleimanis killing with a ballistic missile strike targeting U.S. forces in Iraq. That same night, the Guard accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner in Tehran, killing 176 people. Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan By The historic past of South India is best understood by listening to the stories that the inscriptions etched on temple walls narrate. They serve as the primary sources of information that help us recreate the past. History, accounting, taxation, politics, traditions, practices, beliefs, law and administration are some of the many topics that we learn from them. What surprises novices and the scholarly alike is the detailing that goes into composing the text of an inscriptionthe choice of words, accuracy and being as unambiguous as possible. Of all the dynasties that have ruled the southern part of India, the Cholas are undoubtedly the trendsetters in etching important public documents as inscriptions on temple walls. Their inscriptions are structured and detailed so well that sometimes even a fragmentary one conveys an impressive quantity of information. The first inscription in discussion is from the Kolaramma Temple situated in Kolar, Karnataka. Kolaramma is the presiding deity of the city. The architectural features of the temple are predominantly Chola with inscriptions ranging from the times of emperor Rajaraja Chola (circa 10th century CE). The shrine is dedicated to Mahishasuramardhini as Kolaramma. Sapta Matrukas, the group of seven goddesses, namely Brahmi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Varahi, Vaishnavi, Indrani and Chamunda, are also present in the sanctum sanctorum along with Ganesha and Veerabhadra. However, Kolar is referred to as Kuvalalam and Kolaramma as Pidari in the 12th century CE inscription of Chola ruler Kulothunga I. This inscription, which is in Tamil, simply details the endowment created to offer cooked food to the deities every day. But after the mandatory lines praising the king and his valour, it goes on to introduce Ambalavan Tiruppondaiyar alias Virashikamani Muvendavelar. He is the magistrate deputed to inspect the temple and verify the functioning of the endowments. After a customary evaluation of the temples affairs, he strikes a conversation with the priests and administrative authorities. Oh, wait, the inscription even refers to the venue of this official discussion! Apparently he met with the priests and officials at the mandapa enclosing the Pidari temple. The magistrate met the Kannadaga Pandita, the head of the mutt that administered the temple, the administration staff and the priests who conducted the rituals. As this is an official meeting, the conversation is documented in total. Muvendavelar enquires if the temple administration has started receiving revenue from villages that have been declared as offerings to the temple. As the members denied receiving any such revenue by them till that moment, Muvendavelar sets up a committee with two members (their name, official name, native and address are published in full) to get a detailed report about the deities enshrined in the temple and the suggested quantity and type of food to be offered to them every day. The list of deities documented in the inscription include Veerabhadra, Brahmi, Isvari, Vaishnavi, Indrani, Ganapati and Chamundesvari of the sanctum sanctorum, Kalabhairava Mahasasta, Suryadeva, Yogini and Yogesvara. The names of a few goddesses are missing as the inscription is worn out. The details of food to be offered are also marked individually for each deity. For example, Brahmi, thrice every day, had to be offered a fixed quantity of cooked rice, two dishes of vegetables, two areca nuts and four betel leaves. The list quite interestingly includes madya panam or intoxicating drinks to be offered to the Yogini and Yogeshwara exclusively. This long-running inscription should have had such details for each of the deities enshrined in the temple campus. One can certainly not fail to appreciate the meticulous documentation procedure, to make a note of every possible detail. Another classic example of how inscriptions help us reimagine rare events of the past is the Tamil poem inscribed on the walls of Sri Pundareekaksha Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai near Tiruchy. This inscription (in picture) describes the military expedition of the Chola country by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan in the year 1219 CE. The army uprooted every single pillar in the land of Cholas but left untouched a 16-pillared pavilion. It was that mandapam built in commemoration of the scholarship of Sangam Tamil poet Kadiyalur Rudhran Kannanar, famous for his classic anthology Pattinappalai. Though the said literature venerates Karikala Chola and his performance as an able ruler, the love and respect that the Pandya king had for Tamil and Tamil poets stopped him from razing this mandapam down. This significant incident is recorded only here in this inscription. Inscriptions inside that says how the Pandya rulers love for Tamil stopped him from razing a Chola pavilion built in honour of Sangam poet Kadiyalur Rudhran Kannanar These are just a couple of inscriptions from the several lakhs that are waiting to share pieces of information with us. The wealth of details embedded between the fading lines of historic records certainly leaves the reader with a sense of having peeped into the past. Next time you see an inscription, try and listen to its whisper. It, am sure, has a story to share. Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan Architect, serves on the govt-instituted panel for conservation of temples in TN (madhu.kalai0324@gmail.com) New economic modelling suggests over half a million Australians would be thrown into poverty if the JobSeeker dole payment returns to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of $40 a day. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will release a fiscal and economic update on Thursday, which will include a review of the JobSeeker payment and JobKeeper wage subsidy, both of which are legislated to end in September. JobKeeper, set up in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, helps businesses that have lost a certain amount of their revenue to keep staff by paying $1500 a fortnight to supplement wages bills. Post-September, the flat payment is likely to be dropped in favour of a tiered structure more in line with a worker's wage pre-coronavirus. As well, businesses which have access to the scheme after losing 30 per cent of revenue, or 50 per cent of yearly turnover of more than $1 billion, will face more frequent revenue reporting. New economic modelling suggests over half a million Australians would be thrown into poverty if the JobSeeker dole payment returns to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of $40 a day. Long queues pictured at Centrelink Darlinghust on March 23 In response to the coronavirus pandemic, and in the face of an anticipated sharp jump in unemployment, the government introduced the coronavirus supplement, which doubled the JobSeeker payment - formerly known as Newstart - to around $1100 a fortnight. The Australian Institute think tank said its modelling shows the supplement instantly lifted 425,000 people out of poverty. If the JobSeeker payment returns to its previous level, those people will be returned to poverty and the impact will be magnified given the unemployment rate has jumped to a 22-year high of 7.4 per cent and is set to go even higher. The institute estimates this would affect more than 650,000 Australians, including 120,000 children aged under 14. 'This will not only have serious negative social effects for decades to come, but makes terrible economic policy by effectively withdrawing much-needed stimulus,' institute executive director Ben Oquist said on Monday. 'Our research shows that even if the government removes the supplement but increases the old rate of JobSeeker by $75 per week, there will be a half a million person increase in poverty.' Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on July 6) will release a fiscal and economic update on Thursday, which will include a review of the JobSeeker payment and JobKeeper wage There have been widespread calls for some time for the dole payment to be increased from its pre-pandemic level, including from the Business Council of Australia, ACOSS, Deloitte Access Economics, the Reserve Bank, as well as from Labor and the Greens. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann did not rule out raising the payment once the supplement ends in September. 'We're making judgments on the most appropriate arrangements into the future,' he told Sky News on Sunday. Meanwhile, small to medium-sized businesses will be able to access government-guaranteed loans worth up to $1 million under a plan to drive investment. Raising the cap from $250,000 to $1 million could benefit up to 3.5 million companies as the focus of the scheme switches from working capital to investment loans. Loan tenures will be extended from three to five years under a program slated to run until June next year. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said businesses would be able to use the loans to buy machinery, purchase fit-outs or make other investments. Small to medium-sized businesses will be able to access government-guaranteed loans worth up to $1 million under a plan to drive investment. A member of the cleaning staff wipes down a table in the Mitchell Library Reading Room during the re-opening of the State Library of New South Wales on June 01, 2020 in Sydney 'If reflects the fact that small businesses are the backbone of our economy,' he told Sky News on Monday. 'They're going to be a key part of our recovery.' He said 15,500 businesses had been loaned $1.5 billion through the program, which is guaranteed 50-50 between the government and banks. 'We're giving them access to more money at lower rates and for longer periods,' Mr Frydenberg told the Nine Network. The measure is part of Thursday's 'mini-budget', which will outline the future of JobKeeper wage subsidies and other coronavirus support. Mr Frydenberg says the extensive document will look at the economic forecast for the coming years as Australia grapples with a pandemic-induced recession. Queen Letizia of Spain was the picture of understated elegance as she attended an engagement alongside King Felipe today. Letizia, 47, and Felipe VI, 52, were seen meeting Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa and the Abbott Octavi Vila as they visited the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet, north of Tarragona, today. The couple, who were not accompanied by their two daughters Princess Leonor, 14 and Princess Sofia, 13, both wore masks in line with social distancing rules following the pandemic. Scroll down for video Queen Letizia of Spain was the picture of understated elegance as she attended an engagement alongside King Felipe today Letizia looked chic as she matched her mask to her frock, a light cotton blue shirt dress which fell just above her ankles, and was cinched in at the waist by a belt. The royal teamed the look with a pair of white espadrilles, wearing her hair in a sleek ponytail. Meanwhile Felipe looked smart in a black suit and patterned tie, standing at a suitable distance as he met with the religious leader and his associates. The couple were seen exploring the picturesque monastery, as they continued their post-pandemic tour. Letizia, 47, and Felipe VI, 52, were seen meeting Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa and the Abbott Octavi Vila as they visited the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet, north of Tarragona, today The royals have undertaken several weeks of intense travel around the country in the wake of COVID-19, starting a tour of Spain on Monday 22 June. They started the tour in the Canary Islands before heading to Mallorca, Sevilla and Aragon. This week, they had three engagements after starting the week by attending the Mariano de Cavia, Luxa de Tena and Mingotie Awards gala in Madrid on Tuesday, which is organised by the Spanish national newspaper ABC. Queen Letizia is mother to Princesses Leonor, 15, and Sofia, 12, with husband King Felipe who ascended to the Spanish throne in 2014. Letizia looked chic as she matched her mask to her frock, a light cotton blue shirt dress which fell just above her ankles, and was cinched in at the waist by a belt Felipe looked smart in a black suit and patterned tie, standing at a suitable distance as he met with the religious leader and his associates The couple were seen exploring the picturesque monastery, as they continued their post-pandemic tour Letizia married King Felipe ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. The relationship began in November 2002 and in 2003, just months after she had been promoted to the position of anchor on the national news channel, she quit her job and days later the royal engagement was announced. The former newsreader is the granddaughter of a taxi driver and the eldest daughter of Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez, a journalist, and first wife Maria de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodriguez, a nurse and hospital union representative. She attended public high school and did a degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gained an MA in Audiovisual Journalism at the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism. King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son, now King Felipe VI. The couple, who were not accompanied by their two daughters Princess Leonor, 14 and Princess Sofia, 13, both wore masks in line with social distancing rules following the pandemic With 70 percent of its GDP linked to tourism, the COVID-19 wrecking ball has crashed hard into the Maldives economy. UNDPs latest Assessment on Livelihoods published this month revealed a precipitous fall in the number of tourists. As a result hotels are closing, service industries are shedding jobs, and the national budget is haemorrhaging money. The border closure and travel ban during the tourist season will have a dramatic impact on the industry, as well as a ripple effect on the countrys economy. Yet, if this health and economic crisis is addressed responsibly, tourism will recover. But there is an even greater threat that could shatter the tourist industry and the economy, from which it may not recover; global warming. While attention is focused on the coronavirus COVID-19, we must not forget the damage being wrought by climate change. Sea level records for the past 20 years show an increase of nearly four millimetres per year in the capital Male. According to the Ministry of Environment, sea level rise is projected to increase some 40-50 centimetres by 2100. This means beach erosion, flooding, increased groundwater salination of groundwater, and unpredictable weather that is already causing both floods and droughts. Because 80 percent of Maldivians living within 100 metres of the sea, the physical impact of these changes represents an existential threat. That threat is not visible, if you walk down to the harbour, on the island of Villingili, as families take to the beach, on weekends. The cool easterly breeze carries with it the laughter of children playing in the waves and sand. What is visible underwater is the damage caused by rising sea temperatures: the destruction of coral which supports marine life, seagrass beds, lagoons, and mangroves that form the coastal ecosystem of the Maldives. The reef, the seventh largest in the world, is rich in biodiversity and is home to rare and spectacular species. This coastal and marine environment supports the tourism and fishing industry, which are critical to the Maldives economy. Without much greater conservation efforts and funding to help protect it, it could well be lost. Small as it is, the Maldives contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The energy demands of an urban economy in the middle of the ocean keep growing to meet tourist desires and middle-class needs. Energy imports, especially in the electricity and transport sectors, make it more vulnerable to the fluctuations of international energy prices, which has led the government to consider sustainable sources, such as solar power. As consumer demands increase, so do the number of cargo ships and planes that bring in the goods to meet those demands. This has led to a rise in waste generated by residents, as well as the 1.7 million tourists that usually arrive every year. Alarmed by the bleak future, the Maldives parliament is planning to establish its first-ever Climate Act, which will set limits on pollution, and adopt measures to protect and help regenerate the environment. The country must make the switch to renewable energy, but government action alone will not be enough. The countrys private sector, especially tourism and its related sectors, must adhere to new standards. This will necessitate changes in consumption, and a transformation in the current business models from tourism to more emphasis on small businesses. As development hums in villages and town and the new urban centre of Hulumale, on the beach in Villingili, another group is trying to reverse the effects of global warming. Save the Beach, a civil society partner of UNDP, is trying to restore broken and bleached coral reefs. When we visited them a few months ago, they invited us to jump right in. As we snorkelled against the currents, we passed over a depressing expanse of broken and bleached reef. It ran grey, with nary a movement. Then as we got further, bursts of orange and purple appeared ahead. These new outcrops of emerging coral hung onto to metal nursery frames, laid down by the volunteers. Fish were darting in and out of the coral nurseries. The juxtaposition of mega-construction of an urban centre, and the volunteer-led regeneration of coral reefs, are symbolic of a range of necessary measures that will be needed to ensure a sustainable future, for the Maldives. Both are needed, and both must incorporate sustainability measures into the design and development that complement each other, accompanied by political commitment and funding, to renew the natural environment. The pandemic has illustrated that we can act collectively to combat a major crisis. So, whether we create a greener future will depend on our ability to act fast and make the necessary behavioural changes. Our underwater excursion revealed how vital oceans are to island economies, and to the planet. COVID-19 will come and go; it will have its impact and teach us some vital lessons; but it wont define the Maldives future. That future, of beaches lost, and bleached and broken reefs, versus a sea with an explosion of colours and marine life, will depend on the choices we make. This blog was originally published here. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, says the sudden death of Tolulope Arotile has caused a national mourning. ... A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, says the sudden death of Tolulope Arotile has caused a national mourning. He expressed sadness over the passing of the Nigerias first female combat pilot. In a statement on Sunday, Adegboruwa called it tragic, painful and gruesome. The inconsistent stories emerging from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has not helped to douse the suspicions, the SAN said. He noted that the least Nigerians expect is a proper investigation, followed with a Coroners Inquest, including an independent autopsy report. Adegboruwa stated that there is no point in rushing to bury her in the light emerging revelations. The legal practitioner further asked the NAF 10 questions about the incident. Who drove the car? Where did the accident happen? Where was Arotile going to? A reversing car means it had passed her, so was she trekking? Was she blindfolded not to see the reversing car to escape? Were her legs tied? He also quipped: What kind of medical treatment did she receive? In which hospital was she treated? Who called her out from her rest after a successful air combat on bandits? Why are there inconsistent statements from the NAF being released in bits and pieces? The senior lawyer urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct a full investigation into the death and suspend the burial plans until the conclusion of the investigations. Other Nigerians and groups are insisting on a thorough probe. UK will also extend its arms embargo to Hong Kong, stopping the export of equipments such as firearms, smoke grenades and shackles to the region. London: The UK government on Monday suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong immediately and indefinitely, weeks after China imposed a controversial national security law on the former British colony that gave Beijing sweeping new powers over the Asian business hub. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the House of Commons that the new National Security Law had significantly changed key assumptions underpinning the extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong. He said the UK was particularly concerned about Articles 55 to 59 of the new security law, which gives mainland Chinese authorities the ability to assume jurisdiction over certain cases and try those cases in mainland Chinese courts. Raab also confirmed the government would extend its arms embargo - which has been in place with China since 1989 - to Hong Kong, stopping the UK exporting equipment, such as firearms, smoke grenades and shackles to the region. The controversial national security legislation, imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong on 1 July, gives China sweeping new powers over the city. The UK handed Hong Kong back to China on 1 July, 1997 but, as part of an agreement signed at the time, it enjoys some freedoms not seen in the Communist Party-ruled mainland. "The National Security Law does not provide legal or judicial safeguards in such cases, and I am also concerned about the potential reach of the extra-territorial provisions. So I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely," said Raab in his parliamentary statement. "I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation," he said. Highlighting the considerable uncertainty about the way in which the new National Security Law will be enforced, the minister struck a cautionary note: "The United Kingdom is watching. And the whole world is watching." The latest move follows the UK offering residency rights and a path to UK citizenship to around 3 million Hong Kongers in response to the law's imposition. Beijing has insisted it is committed to upholding international law, and has promised a "resolute response" if the UK withdraws from extradition arrangements. The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is suspected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities can ask Hong Kong to hand them over to face justice - and vice versa. The UK fears the arrangement which has been in place for more than 30 years could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier confirmed that the UK had "concerns" over the new law, and it had to think about the rights of people in Hong Kong to participate in democratic processes. "There is a balance here. I'm not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China," he said. "We've got to have a calibrated approach. We're going to be tough on some things, but we're going to continue to engage," he said. Political and economic relations between the UK and China have become strained in recent months since the imposition of the new controversial law. Foreign Secretary Raab referred to a number of tensions during his speech in the Commons, including the recent decision by the UK government to ban Chinese firm Huawei from the country's 5G network. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour "strongly welcomed" the measures, saying they should lead to a "new era" in the two countries' relationship. "This must mark the start of a more strategic approach to China based on an ethical approach to foreign policy and an end to the naivety of the 'golden-era years'," the Indian-origin leader told MPs. The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said the government has taken delivery of adequate COVID-19 logistics to resume the national testing programme at full throttle. He said the programme suffered setbacks due to shortages of some logistics a few weeks back, but the situation had been rectified. The government has started taking delivery of laboratory equipment and supplies that are expected to increase the countrys COVID-19 testing capacity and address current hiccups in testing, he said. National strategy Speaking at a national COVID-19 briefing in Accra yesterday, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said contrary to speculations, the five-part national strategy of limiting importation, containing spread, adequate care for the sick, limiting socio-economic impact and ensuring local content had not changed and was being followed actively. He said although the country had recorded significant strides in the fight against the COVID-19, it was imperative for Ghanaians to continually abide by the safety protocols to curtail the spread of the virus. What we need to reiterate is that people should not take solace in improving numbers to be reckless. We need to maintain our vigilance, so that we can continue our proven track record, he said. Details of logistics Providing more details on the revamp on behalf of the National COVID-19 Testing Coordination Team, the Head of the Virology Department of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Professor William Ampofo, said the team had taken delivery of enough logistics to test between 100,000 and 300,000 samples through a period of three months. He said the initiative formed part of efforts to strengthen the PCR (direct detection of virus) testing capacity of the country at its 10 existing sites and later six identified additional sites. He said the supplies included swabs, KN 95 masks, examination gloves, autoclave bags, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits tubes and PCR machines. Security agencies Prof. Ampofo said the team, with the help of the security agencies, took delivery of the logistics on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport, which facilitated quick delivery to the laboratories in the network. Last week, I announced that we expected the deliveries and today I am glad to mention that we have received enough supplies and distributed to all 10 existing sites to enhance testing. We also had an emergency procurement of additional logistics through the Ghana Health Service (GHS), supported by the COVID-19 Trust Fund, and those also arrived last week. These are critical for Noguchi and the KCCR because they will help in clearing the backlog, he said. National Burden The Director General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the focus of the national response should be on the active cases and not the cumulative total. That, he said, was because the active cases, which currently stood at 4,058, represented the actual national burden and stakeholders needed to be concerned about how to help the active cases decline faster than it was currently doing by strictly adhering to the preventive protocols. He said out of the 774 treatment capacity, only 299 patients were in treatment centres nationwide; 387 were in isolation, while 3,372 were being managed from home in isolation. He said recovery had been very fast locally and occurring among particularly those between 20 and 39 years and people without underlying health conditions. He, however, cautioned that the high recovery rate was not an excuse for the public to relent in their adherence to the safety protocols because that could erase the strides made and escalate the national burden of active cases. Dr Kuma-Aboagye appealed to the public to continue in the right use of nose masks strictly in public, adhere to respiratory and hand hygiene, among all other preventive protocols. 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 Royal Bank of Scotland has told more than 50,000 staff to work from home until next year, in a blow to Boris Johnson's hopes of kick-starting the economy by getting people back into the office. The Natwest owner, which is one of the UK's biggest employers, informed staff in a memo they could work from home until 2021. The decision flies in the face of the Prime Minister's pleas for white-collar workers to return to the office. He last week urged employees to 'try to lead their lives more normally' amid fears that the economy is suffering because so many are working from home. The Royal Bank of Scotland has told more than 50,000 staff to work from home until next year The Natwest owner, which is one of the UK's biggest employers, informed staff in a memo they could work from home until 2021 The move by RBS to hold back its employees will be worrying for local businesses around its major headquarters in Edinburgh and on London's Bishopsgate, who benefit from the custom of thousands of bank workers every day. RBS has around 63,000 staff, and around 10,000 have been going into work throughout the pandemic. Mr Johnson said the Government's guidance on home working would change from August 1, so rather than telling staff to work from home where possible, the decision would be left with employers. But the Government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said he saw 'absolutely no reason' to change the advice to work from home. Meanwhile a survey revealed one in three office workers want to continue working from home after Covid. The study from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found 32 per cent are expecting to at least partially work from home even after lockdown. The survey also showed a strong demand from Brits for more flexible working, up from a tenth in 2019. Pablo Shah, a senior economist at the CEBR, told The Telegraph: 'This seismic shift, taking place in months rather than decades, will transform the worlds of property, transport, retail, leisure and, not least, fashion. Ten years ago, this would not have been possible.' The research further indicated between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of employees will be working from home on any one day in 2021. It comes as Boris Johnson altered guidance on Friday for home workers in an effort to get them back to offices and save Britain's High Streets which continue to be deserted despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. Commuters wearing face masks walk through the ticket barriers at Waterloo Station in London on June 15 Public debt will soar as the UK reels from the coronavirus crisis, according to the Office For Budget Responsibility's central scenario. By 2023-4 the liabilities will be around 660billion higher than forecast in March before the chaos hit - and that does not include an extra 50billion from the mini-Budget The OBR's downside scenario sees unemployment rising to more than four million next year - with a rate higher than seen in the 1980s Some of UK's largest firms will allow staff to work from home for months Some of Britain's largest employers say they will allow staff to work from home for months to come. In London, only one worker in eight has gone back. In the City, just 800 of Goldman Sachs' 6,000 London staff have returned. Fewer than 2,000 of the 12,000 at JP Morgan are back. The figures come from an analysis of mobile phone data in 67 cities by the Centre for Cities think-tank on behalf of the Times. The data suggests that Basildon in Essex has seen the highest proportion of staff go back, at 49 per cent, and Edinburgh the least at 12 per cent. Workers in the biggest cities are the least likely to have returned amid fears over the risk of long commutes on public transport. The figures correspond with official data showing that rail services were operating at only 16 per cent capacity. The roads are back to 86 per cent of normal levels. Fewer than one in six workers in cities have returned to the office fuelling fears over the survival of cafes, pubs and restaurants. But Mr Johnson's new guidance put him at odds with Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, who told MPs on Friday working remotely 'remains a perfectly good option'. He said many companies had found working from home had not been 'detrimental to productivity' and as a result there is no need to move away from the policy. The Foreign Secretary admitted on Sunday there will be more remote working even after the coronavirus threat has passed. But he stressed the country was in the middle of a 'severe economic downturn' and it would help if fewer people worked from home now that the virus is receding. However attitudes to returning to the office appear to be changing, the poll released at the weekend has suggested. It found 54 per cent believed it was worth the risk of travelling back to work to avoid an economic crash, the Sun on Sunday found. In an interview at the weekend, Mr Johnson said he wanted to avoid a second nationwide lockdown, comparing it to a 'nuclear deterrent'. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab admitted on Sunday there will be more remote working even after the coronavirus threat has passed Commuters wearing a face mask travel on TfL Victoria Line underground train carriages, heading towards central London, on June 15 He told the Sunday Telegraph he 'certainly' does not want another blanket shutdown and 'nor do I think we will be in that position again'. The new guidance states from August 1 employers can urge workers to come back to their office so long as it is Covid-secure. Mr Raab said on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: 'What we have said is from August 1, while we're carefully monitoring the virus, we do need to get the economy back firing on all cylinders as best we can. 'We know we're in the middle of a severe downturn. And so we're making sure, with employers, that they've got the Covid-secure workplaces in place and we've had great co-operation from business. 'And we're also saying to employers you've got this remote working facility, we know that's important. I think we'll all do a bit more remote working in the future. 'But we also trust employers to say, 'Actually, do you know what? We do need more people coming back to work'. And therefore we're giving them that discretion. I think that's right.' Some of Britain's largest employers say they will allow staff to work from home for months to come. In London, only one worker in eight has gone back. In the City, just 800 of Goldman Sachs' 6,000 London staff have returned. Fewer than 2,000 of the 12,000 at JP Morgan are back. The figures come from an analysis of mobile phone data in 67 cities by the Centre for Cities think-tank on behalf of the Times. The data suggests that Basildon in Essex has seen the highest proportion of staff go back, at 49 per cent, and Edinburgh the least at 12 per cent. Workers in the biggest cities are the least likely to have returned amid fears over the risk of long commutes on public transport. The figures correspond with official data showing that rail services were operating at only 16 per cent capacity. The roads are back to 86 per cent of normal levels. Andrew Carter, of Centre for Cities, said: 'Many office workers understandably will continue to work from home even as Covid-19 restrictions lift, and whilst this may well be the right decision for them as individuals, for the national economy the sum of these decisions will have a cost.' The decision has had an impact on London's iconic skyline as the future of new skyscrapers was thrown into doubt due to the work from home culture. Among the major buildings currently under construction in the capital are 1 Undershaft (highlighted red, left) and the Diamond (highlighted red, right) The 56-storey tower The Diamond (centre) is among the skyscrapers set to change the London skyline in the coming years, and it will be the City of London's third tallest building at 814ft Many companies are giving up or downsizing their offices as they change their working structure following the coronavirus lockdown. And there are fears huge developments still under construction in the City could be put on hold with developers concerned about opening empty. Some firms have already left their London offices while others are looking at 'workplace clubs' where they would use a building for a few days each month. It comes amid fears for the likes of gyms, sandwich shops and bars in city centre areas near offices, whose trade is likely to remain low in the coming months. Among the major buildings currently under construction in the capital are 1 Undershaft, the Diamond and the Bishopsgate Goodsyard towers. Deloitte's London crane survey estimates construction delays of up to six months, with 22 Bishopsgate in the City among those which could be pushed back. It said at the end of last month: 'While there will inevitably be delays in construction programmes, permanently stopping construction that is already underway is unlikely. 'There were ten schemes equating to 1.4million sq ft on the verge of commencing in mid-March which will undoubtedly be subject to review with on-site work delayed accordingly, whether that be a near-term postponement or a comprehensive rethink. 'We foresee very few developments being launched in the next six to nine months as decisions will be deferred until there is more stability in the market.' It is also becoming ever clearer the return to the office for some companies may not be the same as before. The Bishopsgate Goodsyard towers development is another that could have to be paused Cranes next to skyscrapers in the City of London today, as the capital remains eerily quiet Bishopsgate Financial Consulting is among the London-based firms downsizing, and has cut its annual costs by a quarter by giving up its head office in the City. Mike Hampson, of Tonbridge, Kent, who is chief executive of the firm which employs 65 staff, told the Guardian: 'We were planning to move offices. 'We'd given notice just before the lockdown came in. When we started working remotely, we realised we were working very effectively as we were.' It has bought desks, laptops, screens and printers for staff to create a home office, but kept a 'virtual office' in the City along with access to meeting rooms. Another company that has given up its City head office is Vantage Point Global, which trains graduates for banks and employs 45 people. Chief executive James Brincat told said: 'We are working perfectly well, almost better than before. People are happy they can cut out the commute.' The company is using a 'workplace club' which means it can have access to meeting rooms and lounges for some days of the month, greatly cutting costs. Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said in April the bank will not revert fully to its pre-January working habits when the pandemic is over. He added the 'notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past' and investment bankers could work instead from branches. In addition, Lloyd's of London expects just 20 per cent of it staff will return to its building, and Facebook said up to half could be working from home by 2030. Critics have already called on civil servants to lead by example and save Britain's high streets by getting back to the office. City centres are facing financial ruin after officer workers were told to continue working from home until next summer, despite the easing of lockdown. There are fears such a move could spell disaster for shops, bars and restaurants reliant on trade from commuters and office workers. This article will be updated throughout the week with coronavirus case counts and other need-to-know information about the pandemic in San Antonio. COVID-19 updates: Figures released by Metro Health showed 758 new cases and nine new deaths from the virus Saturday. The total number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 35,690. On the bright side, the trend toward fewer people with the virus in San Antonio hospitals continued with 1,047 hospitalized Saturday, down from 1,059 Friday. That makes six straight days the number has gone down. July 24 Case count rises: On Friday, 1,059 patients with COVID-19 were being cared for in San Antonio hospitals, down 15 from Thursday. Among them, 430 were in intensive care units, while 294 were on ventilators to help them breathe, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. San Antonio and Bexar County officials reported 299 new coronavirus cases and 15 more deaths. A total of 34,932 residents have tested positive for the virus since the first cases surfaced here in mid-March. The local death toll now stands at 313. July 23 Deaths continue to rise: The number of deaths due to the coronavirus increased by 15, as confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bexar County continue to soar, climbing Thursday by more than 1,000. The total number of people who have tested positive is now 34,633, up from 33,555 reported the day prior, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Thursday during the daily city-county briefing. The death toll rose to 298. Leaders in areas ravaged by COVID-19 beg for control: Leaders in hard-hit areas, such as Houston and Hildalgo County, again called on Gov. Greg Abbott to allow them to impose targeted, temporary lockdowns to slow their infection rates. Until we can get that positivity rate down to 5 percent or below, our contact tracing and testing is not going to be nearly as impactful, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, said in an interview with CNN. Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez also appeared on the network urging the governor to allow local lockdowns. Cortez ordered many county residents to shelter in place earlier this week, while acknowledging that it is unenforceable under restrictions currently in place by Abbott. If I can even simply get 10 percent of people to follow it, Im 10 percent better than I was today, because yesterday we had 49 people pass away and that is certainly not acceptable, he said. July 22 The coronavirus continued its unrelenting pace in Bexar County, with nine more deaths and 1,688 new cases reported Wednesday. Mayor Ron Nirenberg says increasing numbers indicate spike dates back to Fourth of July. Texas set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations on Tuesday, the same day the San Antonio area reported more than 200 infants have contracted the novel coronavirus since the pandemic broke out. The San Antonio Express-News reported 211 infants have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bexar County. City officials said the huge number of babies with the virus "is something that were keeping a close eye on and is something that were very worried about." None of the infants have died from the virus. July 21 Bexar County saw 12 more deaths of people with novel coronavirus and 551 new cases, officials said Tuesday, as the disease continued its unrelenting assault on the San Antonio region. Hundreds poured out along San Antonio streets Tuedsay to honor Bexar County Sheriffs Deputy Timothy De La Fuente, the first local law enforcement officer to die with COVID-19. De La Fuentes, a 27-year veteran of the sheriffs department, died at home April 30. He worked at the Bexar County jail, where the virus swept through in April, infecting many inmates and staff. July 20 Bexar County remains at a severe to critical risk level: New cases grew by 481 and five more deaths were reported Monday. The local death toll since the start of the pandemic now stands at 262. More than 31,300 people have tested positive for the virus in Bexar County during that same time. Metro Health and city leaders: The day before Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick resigned in June, her boss sent a scathing internal memo blasting Emerick as lacking the expertise needed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and creating a hostile work environment for health department employees. July 19 COVID-19 isnt going away:' Despite insistent appeals to wear masks and practice social distancing, the novel coronavirus maintained its grip on San Antonio as officials reported six more deaths and 2,202 new cases on Sunday. 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." No details on the infants conditions were released. TRACKING COVID-19: Maps and graphics show the spread of the virus through San Antonio and Texas. Representative image: Associated Press Professor Chris Whitty, Britains chief medical adviser, stood before an auditorium in a London museum two years ago cataloging deadly epidemics. From the Black Death of the 14th century to cholera in war-torn Yemen, it was a baleful history. But Whitty, who had spent most of his career fighting infectious diseases in Africa, was reassuring. Britain, he said, had a special protection. Being rich, he explained. Wealth massively hardens a society against epidemics, he argued, and quality of life food, housing, water and health care was more effective than any medicine at stopping the diseases that ravaged the developing world. Whittys confidence was hardly unique. As recently as February, when European health ministers met in Brussels to discuss the coronavirus emerging in China, they commended their own health systems and promised to send aid to poor and developing countries. 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 Responsibility is incumbent on us, not only for Italy and Europe, but also for the African continent, said Roberto Speranza, Italys health minister. The European Union should be ready for support, agreed Maggie De Block, Belgiums then health minister. Barely a month later, the continent was overwhelmed. Instead of merely providing aid to former colonies, Western Europe became an epicenter of the pandemic. Officials once boastful about their preparedness were frantically trying to secure protective gear and materials for tests, as death rates soared in Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Belgium. This was not supposed to happen. The expertise and resources of Western Europe were expected to provide the antidote to viral outbreaks flowing out of poorer regions. Many European leaders felt so secure after the last pandemic the 2009 swine flu that they scaled back stockpiles of equipment and faulted medical experts for overreacting. But that confidence would prove their undoing. Their pandemic plans were built on a litany of miscalculations and false assumptions. European leaders boasted of the superiority of their world-class health systems but had weakened them with a decade of cutbacks. When COVID-19 arrived, those systems were unable to test widely enough to see the peak coming or to guarantee the safety of health care workers after it hit. Accountability mechanisms proved toothless. Thousands of pages of national pandemic planning turned out to be little more than exercises in bureaucratic busy work. Officials in some countries barely consulted their plans; in other countries, leaders ignored warnings about how quickly a virus could spread. European Union checks of each countrys readiness had become rituals of self-congratulation. Mathematical models used to predict pandemic spreads and to shape government policy fed a false sense of security. National stockpiles of medical supplies were revealed to exist mostly on paper, consisting in large part of just in time contracts with manufacturers in China. European planners overlooked the risk that a pandemic, by its global nature, could disrupt those supply chains. National wealth was powerless against worldwide shortages. Belgium, by some measures, has the worlds highest death rate. Italys wealthiest region was shattered. Frances much-praised health system was reduced to relying on military helicopters to rescue patients from overcrowded hospitals. Britain, though, most embodies Europes miscalculations because of the countrys great pride in its expertise and readiness. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was so confident that Britains modelers could forecast the epidemic with precision, records and testimony show, that he delayed locking down the country for days or weeks after most of Europe. He waited until two weeks after British emergency rooms began to buckle under the strain. With the number of infections doubling every three days at the time, some scientists now say that locking down a week sooner might have saved 30,000 lives. Sir David King, a former British chief science officer, said, The word arrogance comes to mind, I am afraid. He added: What hubris. False Alarm Fear swept the continent. It was spring of 2009 and a new virus that became known as swine flu had infected hundreds and killed dozens in Mexico. European vacationers swarmed airports to get home. Experts recalled the flu pandemic of 1918, which killed as many as 50 million people around the world. European governments sprang into action. France asked the EU to cut off travel to Mexico and began buying doses of vaccine for everyone in the country. British hospitals enlisted retired health workers and distributed stockpiled masks, gloves and aprons. Every country in Europe had drawn up and rehearsed its own detailed pandemic plan, often running into the hundreds of pages. Britains plans read like the script of a horror movie, if written in the language of a bureaucrat. More than 1.3 million people could be hospitalized and 800,000 could die. Trying to contain the pandemic would be a waste of public health resources. These doomsday scenarios drew on a new subspecialty of epidemiology pioneered by British scientists: using abstruse mathematical models to project the path of a contagious disease. One early disciple, Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, had assumed a preeminence in British health policy. An epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock in Britain in 2001 was the first time policymakers relied on such modeling while addressing an outbreak. Over the objections of veterinarians, Fergusons work guided policymakers to preventively slaughter more than 6 million pigs, sheep and cattle. Later studies concluded most of the killing was needless. A review commissioned by the government urged that policymakers must not rely on the model to make a decision for them. Yet when swine flu emerged, British leaders again turned to Ferguson and the large modeling department he had built at Imperial College. He projected that swine flu, in a reasonable worst case, could kill nearly 70,000. But the modelers reasonable worst case was wildly off. Swine flu ended up killing fewer than 500 people in Britain, less than in a seasonal flu. Hollowing Out Some experts now say Europe learned the wrong lesson from the swine flu. It created some kind of complacency, said professor Steven Van Gucht, a virologist involved in the Belgian response. Oh, a pandemic again? We have a good health system. We can cope with this. It also coincided with Europes worst economic slump in decades. French legislators were furious at the cost of buying millions of doses of vaccines and faulted the government for needlessly stockpiling more than 1.7 billion protective masks. To cut costs, France, Britain and other governments shifted more of their stockpiles to just in time contracts. Health officials assumed that even in a crisis they could buy what they needed on the international market, typically from China, which manufactures more than half the worlds masks. By the start of 2020, Frances supply of masks had fallen by more than 90%, to just 150 million. On the surface, Europes defenses still looked robust. EU reviews of each countrys pandemic readiness seemed to provide oversight, but the process was misleading. National governments barred the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control from setting bench marks or pointing out deficiencies. So the agencys public remarks were almost unfailingly positive. Britain, Spain and Greece were lauded for their highly motivated experts, trusted expert organizations and confidence in the system. We couldnt say, You should have this, said Arthur Bosman, a former agency trainer. The advice and the assessment had to be phrased in an observation. Collapse On Jan. 28, British scientists raised an alarm. The expanding epidemic was setting off a global run on personal protective equipment, specifically on the face-covering mechanical hoods that provide the gold standard of safety. A decision to stock up any later could pose a risk in terms of availability, warned the governments respiratory virus advisory panel. It is unclear when Britain began in earnest to try to augment its supplies of protective equipment. But Matt Hancock, the health secretary, later acknowledged that by the time Britain began buying, the spike in global demand had made protective equipment precious and procurement a huge challenge. The Doctors Association UK, an advocacy group, later said it received more than 1,300 complaints from doctors at more than 260 hospitals about inadequate protective equipment. At least 300 British health workers eventually died after contracting COVID-19. In Belgium, a shortage of masks became so desperate that King Philippe personally brokered a donation from Chinese tech company Alibaba. European and global health officials had thoroughly reviewed Belgiums pandemic plan over the years. But when COVID-19 hit, Belgian officials did not even consult it. It has never been used, said Dr. Emmanuel Andre, who was drafted to help lead the countrys coronavirus response. In France, President Emmanuel Macron tacitly acknowledged the depletion of the governments stockpile at the beginning of March by requisitioning all the masks in the country. But he still insisted France was ready. We are not going to stop life in France, his spokeswoman assured radio listeners. Ten days later, Macron declared a state of war and ordered a strict lockdown. In Britain, Johnson told the public to stay confident and calm. But, the same day, Feb. 11, the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, or SAGE, privately concluded that the countrys diminished public health system was incapable of widespread COVID-19 testing, even by the end of the year. It is not possible, the groups minutes note. British scientists and officials nonetheless thought they knew better than other countries, like China and South Korea. Those countries were driving down the infection rate by imposing lockdowns. British science advisers thought such restrictions were shortsighted. Unless the restrictions were permanent, any reduction of the epidemic would be lost to a second peak, SAGE concluded, according to its minutes and three participants. Britain reported its first death from the virus on March 5. Across Europe, the number of confirmed cases was doubling every three days. Much of northern Italy was already locked down. Testifying that day before a parliamentary committee, Whitty, the chief medical adviser, was steady and comforting. Slightly hunched over a table in a small hearing room, he told lawmakers to place their trust in Britains modelers. They were the best in the world, he said. We will be able to model this out, as it starts to accelerate, with a fair degree of confidence. But doctors in British hospitals were already feeling rising pressure. Intensive care wards were pushed to more than double their capacity in Birmingham, London and elsewhere. It became clear that the pandemic plan wasnt going to cut it, said Jonathan Brotherton, chief operating officer of University Hospitals Birmingham, Englands largest health system. Reckoning Britain, Spain, Belgium, France and Italy have now reported some of the highest per capita death tolls in the world. More than 30,000 people have died in France, and Macron has admitted his government was unprepared. This moment, lets be honest, has revealed cracks, shortages, he said. After 44,000 coronavirus deaths in Britain, officials continue to defend their actions. The governments response allowed us to protect the vulnerable and ensured that the National Health Service was not overwhelmed even at the virus peak, a health department spokesman said. But Johnson has admitted that his government had responded sluggishly, like in that recurring bad dream when you are telling your feet to run and your feet wont move. Several scientific advisers have sought to distance themselves from his policies. Ferguson said in an interview that the decision not to intervene earlier was made by the government and health officials not the modelers. Other scientists say the intensive care reports in early March should have been reason enough to lock down without waiting for more testing or models. But there is another lesson to learn, said Andre, who spent years fighting epidemics in Africa before advising Belgium on the coronavirus. They keep on telling countries what they should do, very clearly. But all these experts, when it happens in your own countries? Theres nothing, he said. One lesson to learn is humility. c.2020 The New York Times Company Chennai: Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday criticised the governments claim demonetisation of higher value currency notes will be helpful in curtailing black money. He stressed that this move will only affect the common man. The senior Congress leader said people were facing difficulties in purchasing medicines, buying bus and train tickets and paying for auto-rickshaws because most of the notes in circulation were of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations. "They (government) say withdrawal of notes that are highly in circulation will not affect the common man. That is quite a funny statement," he said. "It is not a step to curb black money... The Centre's move will only affect the public and that is my view," he told reporters here. Watch video: Congress divided on demonetsation, Chidambram condemns but Janardan Dwivedi hails move Chidambaram said that in 2012, the Central Board of Direct Taxes had advised the Centre to avoid issuing Rs 2,000 currency notes, saying it would bring more harm to the public than benefit. "Ignoring it, the Centre has withdrawn Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes that are highly in circulation," he added. The former Union Minister further said that 86 per cent of the total value of currency notes in circulation was in the denomination of Rs 500 or Rs 1,000. Chidambaram said there were currency notes worth about Rs 17 lakh crore in circulation across the country, and according to the RBI, about Rs 400 crore of this was believed to be fake currency. Also Read: Govt had demonetised high-value currency in 1978 but it failed, says P Chidambaram "Just to destroy Rs 400-crore fake currencies, why the circulation of total Rs 17 lakh crore was needed to be blocked," he asked. On criticism by the BJP that Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi standing in a queue to exchange notes was just a 'photo opportunity', he said, "What can he do? How can a person live with a currency that is invalid? That is why he went to exchange Rs 4,000 (to the bank)." "I do not know whether the valid notes were exchanged in the houses of the respective ministers. For rest of the people, one has to visit the bank for exchange of notes," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Law firm Mintz has added a group of five practitioners to its Insurance and Reinsurance Practice. Deirdre G. Johnson, Paul W. Kalish, Suman Chakraborty and Ellen MacDonald Farrell joined as members, and Elaine Panagakos joined as special counsel. All five attorneys previously practiced at Squire Patton Boggs and will practice out of the firms Washington D.C. office, with the exception of Chakraborty, who is based in New York. Johnson is a litigator who focuses her practice on representing insurers, reinsurers and captive insurers in a spectrum of coverage disputes and handling domestic and international arbitration proceedings and litigation involving insurance and reinsurance matters. She represents companies in disputes concerning life reinsurance treaties and defends public corporations in class action lawsuits, securities litigation and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions. In the reinsurance/insurance litigation side of her practice, Johnson has experience with all types of coverage disputes, including those involving professional liability, life and health, variable annuity, general liability, surety, product liability, first-party property and environmental matters. She has represented numerous clients in disputes arising under policies on the Bermuda form. Her work also encompasses guiding clients through U.S.-based, Bermuda and London arbitration proceedings. Kalish is a litigator with more than 30 years of experience serving the insurance and financial services industries. He focuses his practice on insurance and reinsurance matters, frequently representing clients in coverage disputes involving tort and environmental claims, class actions related to claims handling practices, international arbitrations and liquidations. Since 2000, Kalish has also served as counsel for the Coalition for Litigation Justice Inc., a nonprofit established by property and casualty insurers to address abuses and inequities in mass tort litigation. He also advises insurers and captive insurers on new insurance products and policy language. Chakraborty is a litigator with decades of experience advocating for major insurers and reinsurers in high value arbitrations and in state and federal court litigation across the country. His disputes practice confronts a range of issues affecting clients in both the life and property and casualty industries. Farrell has more than 20 years of experience representing domestic and international clients in matters involving asbestos, environmental, financial lines, sexual assault and employment-related claims, as well as in claims against educational institutions. She advises clients on policy language, counsels clients on coverage issues and litigates complex insurance disputes. Finally, with more than 30 years of litigation experience, Panagakos works with insurers both to resolve coverage disputes as they arise and to apply the lessons learned from those experiences to reduce the likelihood and frequency of future disputes. She has represented and advised insurer clients in cases involving coverage for widely publicized, highly controversial allegations of misconduct by institutional policyholders and developed expertise in the emerging areas of insurance coverage law that such matters have generated. The arrival of this insurance group comes on the heels of Mintzs addition of litigator Courtney Rockett in New York last month and communications industry attorneys Scott Thompson and Daniel Reing to the firms Technology, Communications & Media (TechComm) practice in Washington, D.C. this month. Source: Mintz Visit the Big Re, Carrier Managements reinsurance hub, for complete reinsurance coverage. Launched during the week of what would have been the Reinsurance Rendez-Vous de Septembre, this special page aims to provide complete reinsurance coverage of, by and for reinsurance professionals and buyers including news, features, interviews, commentaries, whitepapers, videos, webinars and more. Topics Lawsuits Carriers New York Washington Reinsurance Pollution The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, says only Nigerians can determine when insurgency, terrorism and other security threats would be over in the country. Mr Buratai stated this on Monday when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja to give him updates on the national security situation. Groups like the Islamic States West Africa Province and Boko Haram have terrorised the northern parts of the country for more than ten years. Also, between 2019 and now, there has been a surge in kidnapping and banditry across the country. Although President Muhammadu Buhari had on different occasions claimed that the nation had defeated the Boko Haram insurgency, reports of rampant killings in many parts of the country have proved him wrong. On July 9, PREMIUM TIMES reported how 37 soldiers of the Nigeria Army Special Forces were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram members along Damboa-Maiduguri road. Buratais visit Two weeks ago, the army chief had launched a military operation codenamed, Operation Sahel Sanity, to tackle banditry and other crimes in the northwestern states of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger. Im here to brief Mr President on the task he gave me and I have accomplished one aspect of the task and to brief him on our operations, especially operations Sahel Sanity in the northwest and of course the ongoing operations in northeast and other security issues, that pertains to the Nigerian army actually. I briefed him on the efforts going on in the northwest, we have seized the initiative, he told journalists after the meeting. According to him, the security situation in the northwest is under control as against what it was two months ago. We are working very hard and the troops are doing very well and I commend them for the efforts they have put in so far. Unlike the series of killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and of course the threats to prevent the people from going to their farms and farm this season, this has been removed with the presence of the number of troops in the northwest and they are carrying out surveillance operations, patrol to ensure that no one is molested if you go outside the community to farm or harvest, the army chief said. Asked if the army has the capacity to deliver by the task of ending insecurity, he said the security of the country is a task for everyone. READ ALSO: You know the military task is very clear, to defend our country from external aggression, our territorial integrity and to come to the aid of the civil authority of which we are doing. So, it is the same task that we should end or curtail or bring to the barest minimum the issue of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and insurgency and we have been doing it for a long time. We are essentially supporting the police to ensure that our country is safe. He added that when banditry, terrorism and other security threats will end, depends on the people. If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria, they are not from foreign land. He noted that 99 per cent of the terrorists are Nigerians, likewise 100 per cent of the kidnappers. So its not just a military, security agencys task to end the insecurity in this country. Its only when it goes bad that we are called in, but everybody has the responsibility to handle that. Some of the insecurities are as old as history itself and it all depends on what you are doing to contain or defeat it at a particular time. Mr Buratai further stated that terrorism and insurgency may not come to an end but the important thing is that it is being contained. Speaking on the challenges being faced while containing insurgency, he said that the fact that there are setbacks in military operations does not mean an inability to handle it. Like I said, if we want it to end, the totality of the peoples effort must be put into it to see that insecurity in the country is reduced to the barest minimum. Some of Phillys biggest employers donate thousands to help fund the police, and protesters want it to end. And as schools are planning to reopen in the city, teachers are raising their own concerns over safety during a pandemic. Also, summer is really here. It could feel as hot as 110 degrees, but maybe you can keep cool by learning more about our unnamed creeks and streams. (Staying inside and hydrating should help, too.) Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) A little-known nonprofit raises private money to support the Philadelphia Police Department, and it has come under scrutiny during the national debate over policing and its funding. Some of Phillys biggest universities and companies, including Comcast and Wawa, have donated to the Philadelphia Police Foundation. The nonprofit raises thousands a year to pay for police equipment, training, and other initiatives. This support comes on top of the departments budget of more than $700 million. The Philadelphia School District released its guidelines for reopening this week, and around the region teachers are pushing back. Educators are voicing fears about their leaders ability to keep them safe if they have to teach in person. In a national poll, one in five teachers said they might not return to work in the fall. Sharahn Santana teaches in Philly. She says shed love to return to her classroom, but is terrified about a lack of resources and support as classrooms are retrofitted for a pandemic. I dont want the measure of my dedication and commitment to be how willing I am to risk my and my students lives, she said. As many as 95% of all the thousands of flowing fresh-water bodies in the country are nameless. Many of them are pretty small, but they still count. Even these smaller streams flow into bigger rivers such as the Schuylkill and Delaware, and those rivers flow into the ocean. If a tributary is nameless, water-quality experts say, its more likely to be a repository for litter or other pollutants. And that infects the entire water ecosystem. But theres some good news: No stream is too small to name, and you can even name one yourself. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly Hope these flowers bring some happiness to your Monday just as they did to me. Thanks for sharing, @tominphilly! Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out! Thats interesting Opinions 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 [the Philadelphia Housing Authority], and local lawmakers, have failed to protect some of Philadelphias most vulnerable. writes Morgan Basking, a D.C.-based reporter covering housing and homelessness, on how the Philadelphia Housing Authority is failing unhoused city residents. What were reading Your Daily Dose of | Camdens Rocky Jersey Joe Walcott is basically Camdens Rocky but he was a real person. Walcott was not only a famed boxer, but a sheriff, too. Hes a city legend, and a statue honoring him is on its way to being completed. County officials plan to install it in Wiggins Waterfront Park next year. "There is no doubt that this is one of the most challenging times in the history of the American theater," says Sheldon Epps. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Theaters, closed since March and waiting for a public health miracle, have started making announcements about future programming. Exact dates are still a guessing game, but titles are already being publicized. The choices in some instances are a little deflating. Broadway, in particular, seems willfully stuck in the past. Our Town and American Buffalo" are returning in starry revivals that have all the urgency of syndicated reruns, and a musical adaptation of the NBC backstage series "Smash" is in the works. (Surely, in some producer's office, the terms of a jukebox version of "The Brady Bunch" are being negotiated.) Whether our resident theaters those established nonprofit companies, such as Center Theatre Group, the Geffen Playhouse and Pasadena Playhouse will ignore the example of the Great White Way and strike out in bold new directions remains to be seen. But CTG's largest venue, the Ahmanson Theatre, which is set to reopen with Aaron Sorkin's version of "To Kill a Mockingbird," is padding its Broadway-heavy season with encore engagements of "Dear Evan Hansen," "Come From Away" and "Ain't Too Proud the Life and Times of the Temptations." A new and challenging post-pandemic world looms, but the old business plans haven't been discarded. As BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) theater makers are calling for profound structural change to deal with the institutional racism and widespread inequities in the American theater, the question of whether legacy cultural institutions will have the imagination, boldness and guts to reinvent themselves takes on increased urgency. The We See You, White American Theater movement has precipitated an overdue reckoning. Steps are being taken to make diversity more than a theme of grant applications. CTG just added Dave Harris' "Tambo & Bones" to its Kirk Douglas Theatre season, and Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play is already lined up for the Mark Taper Forums upcoming season. On Twitter, a chorus of praise resounded when Roundabout Theatre Company announced it was adding the seldom revived Trouble in Mind" by the pioneering African American playwright Alice Childress to its future Broadway roster. But much of the news so far has been old news. Artistic leaders, caught been a COVID rock and a hardcore cultural revolution, seem inclined to default to plans that were made before the world turned upside-down. Story continues For those wanting transformation, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. But will hardship economics allow for new possibilities from our most prominent venues or will it just be a matter of survival for the performing arts? Leaders, coping with budgetary black holes, have a ready excuse for playing it safe. But what if safety lights the path to obsolescence? Charles Dillingham, a veteran arts consultant and former managing director of Center Theatre Group who served as interim executive director of Pasadena Playhouse, has a wealth of experience helping nonprofit theaters navigate difficult waters. What makes this crisis unprecedented, he said, is the uncertainty. Not knowing precisely when theaters can reopen has stymied recovery plans. Large-scale businesses are finding themselves ill equipped to deal with the extent of the shutdown; cultural institutions, not surprisingly, are in rougher shape. Dillingham used the word "precarious" to describe the health of nonprofit theaters before the pandemic. "I would say they were all under-capitalized, and thats a big problem, he said. "Funding has now devolved to almost nothing but individuals of wealth. I think theaters were being buoyed by the Trump Wall Street and the Trump market. But now, who knows? As this pandemic stretches on, the stock market is likely to take another dive. The financial outlook for the field? "Cloudy," Dillingham replied in a stark deadpan. "Small craft warning." Given this forecast, is it reasonable to expect the established nonprofit theaters, burdened as they are with significant overhead, to lead the way? An ocean liner may be able to ride out a hurricane, but reversing course isn't so easy. Jon Lawrence Rivera, artistic director and co-founder of Playwrights Arena, a company dedicated to the nurturing of Los Angeles playwrights, isnt taking his cues from the larger venues. As a small company, we have never looked at any of the large theaters for leadership, he said. I think our programming priorities and financial capabilities are very different. So I tend to look at the innovative practices of my fellow BIPOC artistic leaders for guidance. He named Celebration Theatres Michael Shepperd, Chance Theaters Oanh Nguyen and Ophelia's Jump Productions' Beatrice Casagran as sources of inspiration. But he acknowledged that he finds this moment most interesting to witness through such younger leaders as Jonathan Munoz-Proulx and Elmira Rahim. Jessica Kubzansky, artistic director of Boston Court Pasadena, likewise isn't focused on the moves of the behemoths in town. She's encouraged by the way this forced suspension of operations has brought the Los Angeles theater community as a whole into closer contact. Theres a giant small-theater meeting that gets together weekly," she said. "Midsize and larger theaters are talking constantly. We at Boston Court are talking often to our neighbors at the Pasadena Playhouse and A Noise Within. Snehal Desai at East West Players and I are talking regularly. One of the weird COVID bonuses is that there is much richer communication among everyone than there has been in the past." To meet the unique challenges of this moment, she said, requires everyone to leave the security of their silos. Fresh thinking requires a commitment to openness. "Because the theater has to be on pause, it should be a time for reinvention, and we should all be trying to find inspiration from anywhere we can from a theater in Kansas to somebody doing something really innovative not in our field but which can be applied," she said. "It's an opportunity to break the box and examine the systemic underpinnings of what's happening in the American theater. We need to examine the pieces of our culture that are embedded in white supremacy and start to figure out how to break that system and make a better one." In their quest to root out systemic obstacles, theater leaders are now examining whether the expectation of agent representation of writers is a barrier to access. Another matter that has come under scrutiny is the tradition of allocating the smallest stage in a large theater complex for marginalized artists a practice that not only limits their audience but also asks them to do the same work as they would in the larger house for less pay. "The economic challenges and the demands for profound structural change to address racism and the inequities are not separable," Bill Rauch says. (Jenny Graham) For Bill Rauch, the inaugural artistic director of New Yorks Ronald O. Perelman Center for the Performing Arts who co-founded Cornerstone Theater Company and was the artistic director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the economic challenges and the demands for profound structural change to address racism and the inequities are not separable. Both are expressions of the profound inequity that has plagued the field for so long and both demand urgent relevance from our institutions. The biggest obstacle to progress, in his view, is "the fear of change." But the fact is, change is coming, he said. Overdue change is coming. To give in to the fear is an enormous, destructive waste of time. A self-proclaimed optimist, Rauch has enormous faith in the new generation of leaders of color who have taken the reins of their institutions, among them Long Wharf Theaters Jacob G. Padron, Woolly Mammoths Maria Manuela Goyanes, Perseverance Theatres Leslie Ishii, Baltimore Center Stages Stephanie Ybarra and Rauchs replacement at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Nataki Garrett. I really believe they have the imagination and the courage for the task ahead," Rauch said. "You need the right leadership team in place with a strong vision rooted in mission. And you need an unwavering commitment to equity. With that in place, any institution can transform. Sheldon Epps, former artistic director of Pasadena Playhouse, pulled off such a transformation. Speaking by phone, he recalled that when he first arrived at the Playhouse he would sit in the courtyard before a show and feel like he was "one of the few people under 60 and the only person of any color" in attendance. By the end of his tenure, some of the theater's biggest successes were productions of works by African American artists, cheered on by an audience that more closely resembled the diversity of Los Angeles. "There is no doubt that this is one of the most challenging times in the history of the American theater," Epps said. "But for me the wise way for an artistic leader to think of this is as an opportunity to re-create the American theater. We have been living with the model of resident theater companies established by people like Gordon Davidson, Zelda Fichandler and Nina Vance for more than 50 years. What we forget is that when those people started, they didnt have a model. They created a model, and I think we have the opportunity to do that now." Epps would like to see a complete restructuring: "It's a time for us to get rid of the schedules, the timing of productions that we were formerly stuck with, and it's an opportunity to get out of the building and to define places to make theater rather than do what we have always assumed, which is to make theater inside the buildings we run." Funding sources also need to be looked at more critically, and that includes long-term subscribers. When asked to identify a major obstacle to institutional change, Rivera said "theaters trying to serve their older patrons." (To make changes that really matter, you have to do them fearlessly, he added.) One such change might involve prioritizing community outreach over fundraising. As the subscription model has dwindled along with corporate and public support, galas for wealthy donors have gone into overdrive. Perhaps some of that institutional muscle could be redirected in a grassroots effort to expand the pool of theatergoers. More inclusive programming, in addition to being ethically right, has the potential to grow the audience base. Epps said that his argument for diversity was not only "emotional and aesthetic but also economic," based on the assumption that a more diverse audiences would come if work were being made for them and they were told about it. "Because we were doing that so early and before so many other theaters, I had no proof," he said. "But I certainly stood by that theory and fortunately it proved to be true very, very quickly, otherwise I probably would have been run out of town. I always said it was hard for the board to argue with success, because many of those shows with a built-in African American audience became some of the highest selling shows in the history of the theater. Did it shake up some of the longtime subscribers and audiences who had been coming to Pasadena Playhouse for years? Yes, absolutely. Most people loved the diversity. Those who did not and who were simply not interested in seeing those plays, I rather gratefully accepted that they were going to go away. We lost a few, but the loss was nowhere near the gain." Pasadena Playhouse went through a period of bankruptcy, but diversity has been a source of renewal for the theater. Cultivating local audiences with a passionate interest in plays isn't for the faint of heart. Few have been able to crack the code of attracting the younger demographic, which is inherently more diverse. But building a bigger tent while maintaining a high level of artistic quality, as producing artistic director Danny Feldman has managed since he took over Pasadena Playhouse, at least provides a fighting chance. (One of the biggest hits in the Playhouse's history was last year's modern take on "Little Shop of Horrors" with Mj Rodriguez.) The business of theater is still impossible, but the economic excuse for maintaining the status quo is a losing game. "In a time of change, I think any and every change can be approached more easily," Epps said. "There are no rules right now. There's a national call for American theaters to reflect what America is, and I think any theater that doesnt do that is doomed." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:30:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran is ready for dialogue with the regional states to settle differences, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Monday. The Islamic republic has always been ready for negotiations and cooperation with all regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Mousavi said in Baghdad during a Sunday visit to Iraq accompanying Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. "Iran always seeks stability, security and peace in the region," said Mousavi, adding that negotiations would be the only way for restoration of stability and security and even economic prosperity in the region. During the trip to Baghdad, Zarif held separate meetings with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as well as a number of other senior political officials. Zarif also urged for interaction among regional states and enhancement of comprehensive ties with the neighboring Iraq. Enditem New Delhi: Amidst rising cases of banking frauds, it is imperative that every customers should use optimum caution while doing transactions. However, despite taking precautions, sometimes these cybercriminals get hold of your account details and syphon off your hard earned money. The country's biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has tweeted a video on safe tips to protect customers from fraudulent transactions and the protection measures the customers can take in case they have been a victim of the same. SBI tweeted, Protect yourself from cyber-criminals by staying alert and informed. Heres what you can do to stay safe, SBI has tweeted. The SBI video said: Recently, everyone has witnessed a serious surge in cybercriminal activities. Not surprisingly. The financial services sector has always been a target for cybercrime. If you have received fraud calls, emails and textes requesting your personal details or requesting you to make urgent payment. If your bank account shows trasactions that you did not perform. If you have shared your personal information or account specific information with anyone. If you are a victim of these or other cybercrimes. You need to contact your local police authorities. Or report such cases on this link https://cybercrime.gov.in/. Do not ignore these instances. Report these cases immediately to make this world a safer place for all. As more people have limited their exposure from face-to-face or physical transaction to online transaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of being targeted by online fraudsters has also risen. The cyber criminals have become very active to exploit the vulnerability of customers in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Hence, customers must be extremely careful for carrying out each and every transaction. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly believes that Jeffrey Epstein's cause of death was not suicide but foul play. Earlier this month, the 58-year-old daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell was arrested by FBI at her $1 million luxury four-bedroom home in Bradford, New Hampshire. She has been charged with multiple federal crimes, including perjury, enticement of minors and sex trafficking. Ghislaine, who was the former lover of Epstein, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York after she was denied bail. Ghislaine Maxwell Fears That She Might End Up Like Jeffrey Epstein According to a report by The Sun, the socialite believes that Epstein has been murdered inside his prison cell, and she fears that she might end up just like him. "Everyone's view including Ghislaine's is Epstein was murdered. She received death threats before she was arrested," an anonymous friend who was in regular contact with Maxwell before her arrest told The Sun. To recall, Epstein was found dead on Aug. 10, 2019 inside his prison cell while awaiting trial on his sex trafficking charges. Based on the FBI's investigation, Epstein died after he committed suicide by hanging himself in his Manhattan cell. "[He] was found unresponsive in his cell in the Special Housing Unit from an apparent suicide," a statement from the justice department mentioned. "Mr. Epstein was transported... to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries, and subsequently pronounced dead." Ghislaine Maxwell Hired Security Over Death Threats As noted by The Sun's insider, Maxwell has been receiving death threats prior to her arrest, which prompted her to hire a team of ex-SAS guards that cost a staggering $188,000 (150,000.) With the help of his brother Kevin, the 58-year-old socialite recruited ex-British soldiers to protect her as she attempted to seek refuge in their family's New Hampshire property amid the threats over her life. Unfortunately, Maxwell believes that she cannot have the same protection, most especially now that she has been detained and is facing a year-long wait for her trial "Ghislaine lived in real fear something might happen to her, and with good reason. There were a lot of death threats and hostility. She sought help from former SAS professionals. The company did not provide personal protection people," a different source told the outlet. Meanwhile, during the onset of the investigation and the association of the disgraced royal Prince Andrew in the said scandal, Maxwell wrote a sworn affidavit with a London solicitor in November 2019 and explained her need to hire security. "As a result of the enormous publicity surrounding the criminal and civil lawsuits against Mr. Epstein and the false portrayal of me as an accomplice, I continue to receive death threats on a regular basis," she mentioned in the statement. Maxwell also pointed out that due to the "threats and the media frenzy," she was forced to "relocate to an undisclosed location for an unknown amount of time." This was days before the Duke of York's disastrous interview with BBC's "Newsnight," to which he was prompted to resign to his public duties as a royal. Meanwhile, as the case continues, the socialite faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. READ MORE: Meghan Markle's 'Sexual Awakening' -- Exposed! Rebelscum is a news and photo reference site for Star Wars toys and collectibles. We do not sell toys. Please support our site by shopping with one of our sponsors. North Korea Holds Large-Scale Military Meeting Addressing 'Potential Threat' Sputnik News 03:40 GMT 19.07.2020(updated 03:41 GMT 19.07.2020) SEOUL (Sputnik) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a large-scale meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, discussing "deterrence" measures, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The meeting was held on Saturday and was followed by a closed-door session. KCNA said that North Korea's military commission discussed strategic goals and readiness for mobilizing troops in view of the complex situation on the Korean peninsula. Key issues relating to "further bolstering a war deterrent of the country" and addressing a "potential military threat" were discussed, according to KCNA. Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Ri Pyong Chol attended the Saturday meeting, which also covered issues relating to military production. Kim Jong Un signed several orders after the meeting. At the end of last month, Kim Jong Un held a preliminary meeting of the Central Military Commission, during which he decided to postpone a plan of military operations against South Korea presented by the General Staff. Tensions in the region spiked after North Korea cut off communications with its southern neighbor and blew up the joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong on 16 June, in response to a long-time campaign of certain groups in South Korea that had been sending leaflets across the border from the South, criticizing the policies of Kim Jong Un. Later in June, North Korea's General Staff said that it was planning to redeploy troops to Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang joint tourist zone on the east coast, as well as restore guard posts in the demilitarized zone, which were removed after the inter-Korean summit in 2018. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is expected to announce Class 12 board results on Monday (July 20). The board will release the results on official website of PSEB, which is - pseb.ac.in. The PSEB 12th result has been evaluated on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme. Earlier, the Punjab government had announced the cancellation of the remaining examination of Class 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Henceforth, the Punjab Education Board decided to declare the PSEB 12th results on the basis of the best-performing subject formula, a pattern suggested by the Centre a few days ago. PSEB class 12 results: How to check Step 1: Students should first visit the official website pseb.ac.in Step 2: They should click on the result link on the homepage Step 3: Students should enter their required details Step 4: They should ensure that details entered match the information provided on their PSEB 12th admit card Step 5: Submit and view your result, and you should download a copy your result Last year, 86.41 per cent of students had passed the PSEB 12th examination. The pass percentage among girls was 90.86 per cent. Three students were joint toppers. Sarvjot Singh Bansal from Ludhiana, Aman from Mukhtasar, and Muskan Soni from Nakodar, had bagged the first position securing 98.89 per cent marks. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 18:42:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FREETOWN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the northern city of Makeni in Sierra Leone report that the death toll has increased to five in a protest by youths opposed to the relocation of the city's standby generator to the airport town of Lungi as of Monday morning. The victims died from gunshot wounds in the protest, which happened on July 8. The Police reported that 51 arrested male suspects, have been transferred to Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, and are now helping with the investigation. A curfew was earlier imposed over the weekend with the view to helping maintain order. "The Police and the Military are currently patrolling the township and its environs, thereby addressing all policing issues requiring their attention and intervention," the Police Media Unit reports. The Government of Sierra Leone in a press release has advised residents to stay calm and exercise restraints as the relocation of one of the standby generators will by no means affect their regular power supply. Enditem I suppose this hardly even needs saying but Fox News television host Laura Ingraham really is outrageous. On Friday in a message to her 3.5 million Twitter followers she wrote, Will Joe Biden do more to protect religious liberty than Donald Trump? Not a prayer. City of Toronto Bans Catholic Churches From Administering Holy Communion and then linked to an article by an obscure right-wing writer named Shane Trejo. Hed written, The city of Toronto has announced that they will be banning the sacrament of Holy Communion in Catholic Churches, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to attack religious liberty. He went on to discuss Canadas war on Christianity, which has seen pastors arrested for preaching the Gospel in public after being attacked by soulless LGBT degenerates. That ugly sentence was actually about the eventual arrest, after several warnings, of a high-profile anti-LGBTQ activist for the crime of disturbing the peace. A rabid unknown is one thing but Ingraham is another. As irresponsible and hyperbolic as she may be, the author and broadcaster has enormous influence in the U.S. and a sizable following in Canada. Her comments about Joe Biden come as no surprise but the truth is that hes likely far more rooted in his faith than the self-worshipping Donald Trump. On the issue of what happened in Canada, however, this is nothing more than a slice of total fabrication. Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, is perhaps a little more informed than a pair of far-right polemicists. In March in a sensitive and gentle letter he wrote: In view of the requirements of the Government of Ontario, during this medical emergency, I instruct that all public Masses be cancelled, both during the week and on the weekend. Churches will be available for individual private prayer. He continued, Perhaps this sacrifice will help us to cherish more profoundly the great gift of the Holy Eucharist and, While it is a painful moment in the life of the Church to take these extreme measures, we pray that they will aid in combating the pandemic that has affected so many in our own community and around the world. There had been prolonged consultation before the government acted, and mainstream churches and other religious bodies were in full agreement with the policy. It was, they agreed, an issue of caring for ones neighbour. Catholics have been back in churches receiving Communion for a month and there have even been criticisms that the governments decision to reopen churches in mid-June was too early. So much for a war on religion. Several other denominations have opted to remain closed until at least September All of this plays into the now familiar and hackneyed conservative abuse of religion, and Christianity in particular, to claim some sort of moral authority and to depict their opponents as the enemies of God. Its particularly repugnant at the moment because unlike Trump, his predecessor Barack Obama is someone of profound faith. I once interviewed a leading Christian thinker who told me that the then-president changed his incredibly busy schedule so as to be able to meet with her and discuss theology. Its difficult to imagine the incumbent doing such a thing. The political and religious right has managed to crystalize and distort Christianity into an obsessive concern for a handful of hot button issues: abortion, assisted dying, and homosexuality. None of which Jesus ever mentions. The subjects he does speak of repeatedly peace, equality, inclusion, forgiveness, the dangers of materialism, the errors of the powerful, the hypocrisy of the ostentatiously pious they tend to ignore. As a Christian this breaks my heart. Partly because it shames the truth that I hold to be sacred, but also because it creates such a deathly cartoon of what the Jesus movement should be. As such it leads people to be cynical or even angry about Christianity. So if anybody is waging a war on religion its the Christian right and their secular friends in the various conservative parties and media outlets that have so much influence. Theyve turned a revolutionary doctrine of grace and justice into a stale icon of complacency and reaction. There Laura, now go and tweet about that. Rev. Michael Coren is a Toronto-based writer and contributing columnist to the Star's Opinion section and iPolitics. Follow him on Twitter: is a Toronto-based writer and contributing columnist to the Star's Opinion section and iPolitics. Follow him on Twitter: @michaelcoren Read more about: UPDATE: Suspect in killing at home of federal judge found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound in N.Y., reports say A massive manhunt is underway for the gunman who fatally shot the 20-year-old son of a New Jersey federal judge and wounded her husband Sunday at the couples home. The suspect, a description of whom has not been released, is believed to have been dressed as a FedEx delivery driver as he arrived at the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas on Point of Woods Drive in North Brunswick around 5 p.m., law enforcement sources and officials told NJ Advance Media. Salas was in the basement at the time of the shooting and was not injured, sources said. U.S. District Judge Esther SalasStar-Ledger file photo Her son, Daniel Anderl, was killed, North Brunswick Mayor Francis Mac Womack said. The judges husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, 63, underwent surgery Sunday evening and is in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, according to Womack, who knows the family personally. Were shocked by this horrific and violent act, and @NewJerseyOAG and @NJSP offer our full investigative support to our federal partners, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a Tweet early Monday. We express our deepest sympathies to Judge Salas and her family, and to all who are grieving in the aftermath of this tragedy. Judge Salas, who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday night in a Tweet. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Salas was nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge in December 2010. She was confirmed by the Senate in June 2011. As US Attorney I had the joy to work w/Judge Esther Salas when she was a member of the Federal Public Defenders Office. Shes a great Judge and an extraordinary person. Mary Pat & I pray for her, her husband Mark and their dear son Daniel. What an unspeakable tragedy and loss. Governor Christie (@GovChristie) July 20, 2020 Our thoughts are with Judge Salas and her family during this unspeakably difficult time. We mourn the loss of her son and pray that her husband has a speedy and full recovery, said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex). We must come together as a community to put an end to senseless gun violence. No family deserves to suffer the loss and heartache the Salas family must now endure. An aspiring lawyer, Daniel Anderl was a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was the couples only child. Mark Anderl served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County before entering private practice. He met Salas when she was a second-year law school intern. I was literally getting fingerprinted when Mark came over to talk, she told NJ Monthly in a 2018 interview. Weve been inseparable since 1992. Defense attorney Mark Anderl in a file photo. Noah K. Murray for the Star Ledger Noah K. MurrayNoah K. Murray The FBI is the lead agency in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 973-792-3000, option 2. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. UPDATE: Suspect in fatal shooting at federal judges house IDd as anti-feminist lawyer with case before judge, reports say The son of a federal judge was killed and her husband was wounded when a gunman opened fire at their home in Middlesex County Sunday evening, setting off a massive investigation involving multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies. Mark Anderl, 63, a well-known criminal defense attorney and the husband of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and their son, Daniel, 20, were shot at about 5 p.m. at their home in North Brunswick. Salas, who sources say was in the basement of the home at the time, was not injured in the shooting. The gunman may have been dressed as a FedEx deliveryman, two law enforcement sources told NJ Advance Media. 18 North Brunswick Multiple Shooting Chief U.S. District Court Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press that the couples son was killed and Mark Anderl had been wounded in the shooting. North Brunswick Mayor Francis Mac Womack said the judges husband was in critical condition and underwent surgery and is now in stable condition. He confirmed the couples son had died. The FBI said they were searching for one suspect, and asked for help from the public. Mark Anderl in a file photo.Noah K. Murray Anderl served as an assistant prosecutor in Essex County before entering private practice. Their son was a student at Catholic University. He was planning on going to law school, said a friend, Joe Mauro. He had his whole future ahead... Judge Salas, who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic female to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison. Salas was nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge in December 2010. She was confirmed by the Senate in June 2011. She met her husband when he was an assistant prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutors Office and she was a second-year law school intern. I was literally getting fingerprinted when Mark came over to talk, she told NJ Monthly in a 2018 interview. Weve been inseparable since 1992. Salas worked nine years as an assistant federal public defender in Newark. She earned her bachelors and law degrees from Rutgers University. Gov. Phil Murphy said Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said he knows Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her for nomination to New Jerseys federal bench. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, he said. Anyone with information for investigators can call the FBI at 973-792-3000, option 2. Investigators at the shooting scene at Judge Esther Salas' home in North Brunswick Sunday, July 19, 2020.(Avalon Zoppo | NJ Advance Media) Editors note: The FBI updated the tip line number early Monday. - Reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this story. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. July 10 At 2:19 p.m., an Officer was dispatched to the West University Place Police Department lobby to speak with a complainant, in regards to their identity being stolen by unknown person(s). A report for identity theft was generated. At 6:29 p.m., Officers were dispatched to a business in the 5300 block of Kirby in regards to an employee who had been assaulted by a customer. The assailant left the scene and a warrant for the assailants arrest was drafted and submitted. July 11 At 2:04 p.m., an Officer was dispatched to the West University Place Police Department in regards to a package theft that already occurred. The victim stated via telephone that an unknown person(s) removed a package from their front porch. July 13 At 10:10 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West University Place Police Department about an identity theft case. The victim called and said someone used their personal information to buy a vehicle in Austin, Texas. At 10:42 a.m., an officer was flagged down in the 6500 block of Brompton in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred. It was discovered an unknown suspect(s) entered an unsecured vehicle and took items without consent. The incident occurred between 10 and 10:40 a.m. At 11:31 a.m., an Officer was dispatched to the PD for a public service in reference to a delayed report of a missing package. A report was generated and the complainant was provided with a case number. An officer contacted a victim of a forgery. The victim said a check he wrote to a company was altered and cashed under a different name. At 3:40 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 6300 block of Brompton for a found property case. The reportee said there was a bicycle and other items found on the property. July 15 At 3:29 a.m., an officer with the West University Place Police Department observed heavy damage to a light pole and landscaping in the 2700 block of Bissonnet. The damage appeared consistent with a vehicle accident and the driver did not provide the legally required information. An offense report for FSGI and a crash report were generated. At 11:25 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West University Place Police Department in regard to a report of identity theft. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the victim over the telephone, and discovered that an unknown person had utilized the victims identifying information to file for unemployment benefits. A report for identity theft was generated. UP Polls: Akhilesh Says Will Ask People of Azamgarh If I Contest; Hopes Aparna Yadav Takes SP Ideology to BJP HONG KONG, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883,NYSE: CEO, TSX: CNU) announced today that Luda 21-2/16-3 regional development regional has commenced production. Luda 21-2/16-3 regional development project is located in Liaodong Bay of Bohai Sea, about 39 kilometers north of Luda 10-1 oilfield and 90 kilometers northwest of Suizhong 36-1 onshore terminal. The average water depth of the regional development project is about 25 meters. The project has built 1 central platform, 3 wellhead platforms and 1 production adjective platform. A total of 69 development wells are planned. The project is expected to reach its peak production of approximately 25,600 barrels of crude oil per day in 2022. CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest of Luda 21-2/16-3 regional development project. Notes to Editors: More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com . *** *** *** *** This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expected future events, business prospectus or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the expectations and predictions of the Company depends on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition to differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, macro-political and economic factors, changes in the tax and fiscal regimes of the host countries in which we operate, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, the exploration and development activities, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, environmental responsibility and compliance requirements, foreign operations and cyber system attacks. For a description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see the documents the Company files from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 20-F filed in April of the latest fiscal year. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations. *** *** *** *** For further enquiries, please contact: Ms. Jing Liu Manager, Media & Public Relations CNOOC Limited Tel: +86-10-8452-3404 Fax: +86-10-8452-1441 E-mail: [email protected] Ms. Ada Leung Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia Tel: +852-2894-6225 Fax: +852-2576-1990 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE CNOOC Limited Related Links http://www.cnoocltd.com Poll Which beauty innovator is your favourite? Bumble Pret a Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pore-Tight Toner Diptyque Perfumed Bracelet Kiehls Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate Angela Caglia Vibrating Rose Quartz Sculpting Roller Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Which beauty innovator is your favourite? Bumble Pret a Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo 5 votes Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pore-Tight Toner 1 votes Diptyque Perfumed Bracelet 9 votes Kiehls Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate 3 votes Angela Caglia Vibrating Rose Quartz Sculpting Roller 1 votes Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray 6 votes Now share your opinion Beauty retailer Mecca has announced its six bestselling and innovative products in Australia for 2020. The brand's annual 'Beauty Election' sees the best newcomer products, the best overall, best moisturiser, mascara, foundation, body scrub and cleanser voted upon. But one of the most 'to-watch categories' according to Mecca is the 'Best Innovator: The Beauty Game Changer', a lineup of 'ground-breaking products that standout from the crowd for their next-level formulas, intuitive design or ability to make our lives easier'. 1. Bumble Pret a Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Bumble Post Workout Dry Shampoo This $48 multitasking dry shampoo helps to refresh sweaty hair, absorb any oil and eliminate odour, especially after a workout. 'This is no ordinary dry shampoo; it uses white bamboo extract and silica to help absorb oil and refresh sweaty hair plus it contains UV filters to help protect hair from the drying effects of the sun,' Mecca wrote on its website. 'This is my number one gym bag essential and has been a game-changer for solving my sweaty hair post workout. Plus, it leaves no white cast which is huge for me as I have dark hair,' Rumble's founding trainer Erika Hammond said of the product. This $48 multitasking dry shampoo helps to refresh sweaty hair, absorb any oil and eliminate odour, especially after a workout 2. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pore-Tight Toner Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pore-Tight Toner This ultra-gentle vegan, exfoliating watermelon infused toner ($54) leaves skin supple and bouncy after every application, the brand claims. It's enriched with non-irritating, effective acids that help to decongest skin and unclog pores, like hyaluronic acid, and cactus water delivers deep hydration and nourishes the skin. 'It is inspired by the Korean Aqua Peel Facial, which focuses on the division of exfoliating and hydrating to achieve instantly luminous, pillow-soft skin,' Mecca said. Co-founders of Glow Recipe Sarah Lee and Christine Chang urge customers to soak reusable cotton rounds in the toner and place them on all areas of the face, especially the places that need more pore refining like the forehead and nose. 'Let the pads sink into skin for up to 10 minutes and then rinse off to reveal a pore-less, hydrated glow,' they said. 'It is inspired by the Korean Aqua Peel Facial, which focuses on the division of exfoliating and hydrating to achieve instantly luminous, pillow-soft skin,' Mecca said 3. Diptyque Perfumed Bracelet Diptyque Perfumed Bracelet This $128 perfume-infused bracelet is fitted with a detachable clasp, that is easy to tie and untie. It can be lengthened or shortened to suit any occasion and smells like some of Diptyque's bestselling scents. Each designer bracelet holder comes with 30 bracelets, so you can pull out a new one and refresh your scent whenever the previous one begins to dull. 'Wear on your wrist or ankle, it can even be a choker, and the scent lasts a few days. It is amazing,' one reviewer said. 4. Kiehl's Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate Kiehl's Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Concentrate This $69 bottle from Kiehl's has only been available for a few months but already it's the talk of the town among skincare boffins. Uniquely formulated for skin prone to blemishes, visible redness and discomfort, this calming facial oil features 100 per cent naturally derived ingredients including cannabis sativa seed oil and green oregano oil. The soothing concentrate works to balance hydration and strengthen the skin's barrier. 'I was waking up with new breakouts every single day. I used this once and my active breakouts were dying down, no new spots were forming and the redness was gone. I cannot recommend this enough,' a loyal customer said. This $69 bottle from Kiehl's has only been available for a few months but already it's the talk of the town among skincare boffins 5. Angela Caglia Vibrating Rose Quartz Sculpting Roller Angela Caglia Vibrating Rose Quartz Sculpting Roller This is the latest product from celebrity facialist Angela Caglia's skincare range, but at $312 it doesn't come cheap. This sculpting roller utilises over 6,000 sonic vibrations per minute that help to tone, lift and sculpt the face. Suitable for all skin types, the device aids in improving skin elasticity, relieving facial muscle tension and reducing puffiness. For optimal results use morning and night for up to 10 minutes per session. This is the latest product from celebrity facialist Angela Caglia's skincare range, but at $312 it doesn't come cheap 6. Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray This $53 setting spray is a vegan, weightless microfine mist that refreshes skin while mattifying and setting your makeup in place for up to 16 hours. The breathable formula keeps makeup looking vibrant and shine-free without settling into any fine lines. The main difference between this spray and the original All Nighter Setting Spray is the inclusion of kaolin clay, which helps to absorb excess oil and control shine. 'I have got really oily skin and have struggled to find a really mattifying spray, but this one is the best. Keeps my makeup in place all day,' one woman wrote online. Chandigarh, July 9 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, here on Thursday, gave the nod for formation of a plasma bank to facilitate Covid plasma therapy, which is being carried out as an ICMR trial project in state's government hospitals. Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, July 20 : A day after the BSF seized 65 kg heroin just 200 metre from international border in the Gurdaspur sector, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday lauded it for showing exemplary valour and dedication to duty. On the Chief Minister's directive, Dera Baba Nanak SDM Gursimran Singh Dhillon handed over fruits and sweets to the personnel of BSF 10th Battalion deployed at Shikar Maachhian as a goodwill gesture. The Border Security Force early Sunday seized the contraband concealed in rubber tubes when these were floating downstream towards India from Pakistan. Ron Gillette, CEO, Continuum Global Solutions Continuum Global Solutions, a global customer care provider, today announced that Ronald Gillette has joined the Company as Chief Executive Officer. Gillette has three decades of experience leading global BPO and IT operations. We are delighted to have Ron join us to lead Continuum to new heights, said Darryl Smith, President, Global Portfolio Operations at Skyview Capital. Continuum has a long history of innovation and leadership in the customer care marketplace with long-standing clients around the world. Having successfully pivoted to a Work at Home (WAH) operation in the wake of COVID-19, Continuum is well positioned to meet client needs and ensure business continuity with a hybrid onsite and WAH service model. Ron is the ideal leader to capitalize on that momentum and the significant growth opportunities ahead. Gillette was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of WNS Global Services Pvt. Ltd., where he led operations, IT, sales, marketing, and capability creation and played a key role in growing WNS from 20,000 to 40,000 employees while doubling revenue and increasing profits by 50 percent, resulting in shareholder value growing from $1B to $2.9B. He also held leadership roles with Xerox Services Europe, Accenture, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and EDS Russia. I am incredibly excited to assume this new role and for the future of Continuum Global Solutions, said Gillette. We have an exceptionally talented team that has taken decisive actions to transform the business and innovate our service model to unlock future growth opportunities. The engine behind Continuums success is its people, who are recognized among the best trained and equipped customer service agents in the world. We will continue to invest in our people so they can focus on delivering the best possible service and value to our clients. Gillette is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from Marymount University. About Continuum Global Solutions Continuum Global Solutions, a Skyview Capital company, partners with top companies around the world to deliver customer care services through its global network of call centers. Our Fortune 500 clients rely on our vast expertise in customer care management to improve their customers experience. Continuum customer care and call center solutions leverage world class voice, chat, email and social technologies. More than 17,000 employees serve top-tier clients across multiple industry verticals. Additional information on Continuum and our services can be found at http://www.continuumgbl.com. BS Yediyurappa government has informed the Union HRD ministry that it will take a decision on reopening schools only after 1 September. The Karnataka government has refuted claims that schools are reopening on 1 September. It has clarified that what was said during the HRD ministry meeting on 15 July was an opinion and not the final decision. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Sunday said that schools would be reopened only after making the atmosphere safe for students, reported The New Indian Express. As per the report, during the video conference with Central officials on 15 July, representative of the state government and Union territories expressed views on reopening schools. Karnataka was among those states and Union territories in India which had given an estimated date of reopening to the ministry of Human resources and Development (MHRD). Kerala had proposed to open schools after 31 August, while Andhra Pradesh gave a tentative date of 5 September. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, however, remained undecided. However, Kumar, on Sunday, said, "The governments priority on education during the COVID-19 situation is not the same as usual. Before we reopen schools, we need to ensure the atmosphere is conducive for students. So far, we haven't decided on reopening schools. Students and their parents need not panic," reported Times of India. The report further quoted an education department official stating that Karnataka has submitted to MHRD that it will be able to take a decision on the opening of schools only after 1 September, depending on the situation in the state. A team of experts from Information Technology and Public Health sectors from India, the UK, US, Brazil and Colombia, who used predictive analysis to understand COVID-19 case data have stated that Karnataka will see 5.06 lakh cases and register 8,987 deaths contributing to close to 20 percent of the total confirmed cases in India, reported Bangalore Mirror. Meanwhile, in view of the rise in coronavirus cases in the state, the lockdown imposed on Karnataka's Kalaburagi district has been extended till the midnight of 27 July, reported LiveMint. As of Sunday there are 2,743 positive COVID-19 cases in the district, according to the state health department. The state had reported over sixty thousand cases of COVID-19 and has recorded a total of 1,331 deaths from the virus, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. The large multi-year contract between Infosys and Vanguard is worth $1.5 billion. The deal was announced by Infosys, the country's second largest software exporter, a day before its quarterly earnings last week. The contract with the US investment firm is also expected to span over 10 years and the deal value could further rise to more than $2 billion during the period, The Times of India reported citing unidentified sources. The deal is expected to be the largest that Infosys has ever signed, it suggested. In 2018, Infosys had entered into an agreement with Verizon whose worth got extended to $1 billion in 2019. The Indian IT major will assist Vanguard's recordkeeping business, including software platforms, administration, and associated processes.Vanguard is also an investor in Infosys. Following the deal announcement, Infosys shares saw a substantial surge last week. Shares of Infosys were trading at Rs 911.80, up 8.65 points, or 0.96 per cent on NSE at the time of reporting. Meanwhile, Infosys last week reported 11.5 per cent growth in consolidated net profit (after minority interest) at Rs 4,233 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2020, as against Rs 3,798 crore in the same period last year. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the profit fell 2 per cent from Rs 4,321 crore in the March quarter of FY20. The IT major surprised the market by giving full year constant currency revenue growth guidance amid coronavirus pandemic. Infosys has forecasted 0-2 per cent revenue growth in constant currency terms for the current financial year, while the operating margin is expected to remain in the range of 21-23 per cent.Also read: 2,426 firms 'looted' Rs 1.47 lakh crore from banks; will govt investigate, asks Rahul Gandhi Also read: Coronavirus crisis: E-comm firms start buying COVID-19 insurance cover for delivery staff Cloud insurance software firm Majesco said it has agreed to be acquired by Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm focused on the software and technology services sectors, in a transaction valuing the company at $594 million. Following the closing of the transaction, Majesco said it will operate as a privately-held company. Under the terms of the agreement, all Majesco shareholders will receive $13.10 in cash for each share of Majesco common stock, a price representing a premium of approximately 74% over Majescos average closing price during the 30-trading day period ended July 17, 2020. Upon completion of the transaction, Majesco expects to continue to operate under the leadership of CEO Adam Elster and the existing Majesco leadership team. Our decision was made with the best interests of our stockholders and we believe that the transaction will also benefit our 2,400+ employees and our more than 200 customers, said Elster. Elster said the added flexibility Majesco will have as a private company, combined with the benefit of Thoma Bravos knowledge and expertise, will allow it to more effectively focus on long-term investment and growth objectives, to the benefit of our employees, customers and partners. We see Majesco as a leader in helping its insurance customers get to the cloud faster, and modernize their internal and external facing systems, said A.J. Rohde, a partner at Thoma Bravo. Thoma Bravo has a series of funds with more than $45 billion in capital commitments. Its current portfolio includes JD Power, Riskconnect and iPipeline. The firm has offices in San Francisco and Chicago. New Jersey-based Majesco provides technology for property/casualty, life, annuity and group insurance companies. Founded in 1982, it has grown in part though acquisitions of tech firms including STG, Agile, Exaxe, InsPro and Cover-All. It reported $146.4. million in revenues for fiscal year 2020, a 3.6% increase over 2019. Net income came in at $9.7 million, up 45% over 2019. Its P/C insurance customer roster includes Chubb, Munich Re, Swiss Re, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Great American, Allstate and QBE. Majesco expects the merger to close on or before the end of 2020. The proposed merger is subject to the approval of Majesco shareholders and the approval of the shareholders of Majescos parent company, Majesco Limited. Majescos board of directors has unanimously approved the merger and recommends that shareholders approve the merger and Majesco Limiteds board of directors has unanimously approved the divestment of Majesco and recommended to its shareholder to approve the transaction. Nomura Securities International is acting as financial advisor to Majesco, and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton and Khaitan & Co. are acting as legal advisors to Majesco and Majesco Limited, respectively. Kirkland & Ellis is acting as legal advisor to Thoma Bravo. Topics Mergers SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. But Sullivans filing said that Raos opinion rushed to judgment, citing precedents stating that the government can dismiss a case only with the permission or leave of a trial court, and that appeals courts weigh in after lower judges rule, not before. Sullivan said the panel also improperly relied on arguments not raised before him and erroneously gave the government relief ordering him to approve the Justice Departments motion even though it was only Flynn who petitioned the appeals court. But up until his tweet Monday, Trump has taken a less full-throated approach. As multiple states experience a record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases, masks have been embraced by business leaders, politicians of both major parties and even Trump administration health officials. The tweet from Trump, appearing to endorse the use of face coverings in public, follows months of mixed messages on whether he believed they were an essential tool to help prevent transmission of the disease. "Many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump tweeted. "There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!" Trump's tweet refers to Covid-19 as the "Invisible China Virus" a name for the disease he has frequently been criticized for using and features a black-and-white photo of him wearing a mask. President Donald Trump offered his strongest endorsement yet for wearing face masks in public, tweeting Monday that it is a "Patriotic" action to take during the coronavirus pandemic . In a Fox News interview that aired Sunday, for instance, Trump said, "I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask everything disappears." The president was responding to remarks made by Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, who said that if "everybody" wore masks, the virus could be under control in a matter of weeks. "All of sudden everybody's got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too," Trump told Fox. But he added: "With that being said, I'm a believer in masks. I think masks are good." Trump has largely refused to wear a mask in public. He notes that it's not necessary for him as president, because nearly everyone in his proximity is tested for Covid-19 before they approach him. But he has declined to don a face covering in numerous public settings throughout the crisis, including at a Honeywell factory in Arizona that produces masks. When the CDC in early April changed its guidance to recommend using a face covering in public areas where social distancing was unfeasible, Trump made the announcement himself but while delivering the news, he said, "I don't think I'm going to be doing it." Trump's skepticism toward masks, as well as his broad refusal to wear one even as a symbolic gesture, have played a role in the issue dividing Americans along partisan lines, experts say. "Unfortunately, as with much of science and health, the issue became extraordinarily politicized [during the pandemic] and I think the president bears a lot of responsibility for that," said Michael Sparer, professor and chair of health policy and management at Columbia University, in an interview with CNBC on Monday before Trump's tweet. Only twice since the pandemic began has Trump been seen wearing a mask, and only once did he wear one in full view of the press. He openly wore a mask for the first time just this month, during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Before arriving there, Trump told reporters, "I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place." But it remained unclear at what time and place Trump considered masks appropriate. "I think his messaging has been extraordinarily inconsistent," Sparer said. The implicit message of Trump wearing a mask in a hospital and taking it off in other public settings, the professor said, is that deciding when and where to wear a mask is an individual choice. "We don't tell people they have the freedom of choice to wear a seat belt. We don't tell people they have the freedom of choice not to wear a motorcycle helmet," Sparer said. "There are certain public health actions that we take on behalf of the public." The Trump administration has been criticized for failing to show strong leadership by allowing states to disregard the federal government's social distancing recommendations and set their own rules on how to combat the pandemic. The administration has also repeatedly rebuffed pressure from Democrats and other groups to enact a national mask mandate. Masks were not always championed by public health officials. In March and April, when hospitals in hot-spot states faced dire shortages of personal protective equipment, experts pushed back on Trump's own suggestion that Americans use scarves to cover their faces in public. At that time, there was little empirical evidence to support the claim that cloth coverings could help slow the spread of the virus. But new information about asymptomatic transmission prompted the CDC and others to update their guidance shortly after. As of Monday, more than half of all U.S. states have put in place statewide mandates requiring people to wear masks. More than 140,000 people have died due to the coronavirus in the United States, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 3.8 million have been infected. Trump's tweet also came after his announcement that he would resume daily coronavirus briefings at the White House, as his approval rating for handling the crisis has plummeted, and he has lost significant ground in polls to Democratic rival Joe Biden. The next briefing will be held Tuesday around 5 p.m. ET, Trump and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. Commenting on Rajasthan Congress MLA, Giriraj Singh Malinga's allegation, Sachin Pilot said that he is saddened but not surprised to be at receiving end of such unsubstantiated, infuriating claims. Malinga asserted that Pilot offered him Rs 35 Crore to cross vote in Rajya Sabha polls. Commenting on Rajasthan Congress MLA, Giriraj Singh Malingas allegation, Sachin Pilot said that he is saddened but not surprised to be at receiving end of such unsubstantiated, infuriating claims. Malinga asserted that Pilot offered him Rs 35 Crore to cross vote in Rajya Sabha polls. The former deputy CM, Sachin Pilot, also said that this is simply done to defame him and to suppress valid concerns he raised as a member and MLA of Congress, against Rajasthan party leadership. This attempt further aims to malign him and attack his reliability. Also read: Congress demands to restart RTC buses, metro rail in Hyderabad Also read: Mitchell Santner calls IPL pinnacle of all T20 tournaments The narrative is being diverted to avoid talking about the main issue, Pilot added. To cross-vote in Rajya Sabha elections, Sachin Pilot, former Deputy CM, offered me Rs. 35 Crore, Girraj Singh Malinga, a congress MLA From Badi, Rajasthan claimed on Monday. Malinga said that he refused the offer. The incident took place in December and again prior to the Rajasthan Rajya Sabha elections at his home, Girraj added. Malinga represents the Bari constituency. He informed Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan CM, about the incident, said Singh. Malinga said that he, too, had offers but he declined. He had talked to Sachin Ji, who asked him to change sides but he refused by saying that this is not right, he will not do it for money. He further said that in BSP, one has to give money to get a ticket, while on the contrary in Congress and BJP, that is not the system. Sachin Pilot had said money is not an issue, you ask what you want and you will get. Malinga said that BJP had never reached out to him, and neither had he talked to them. He added that he has no hostility with Pilot but he is speaking the truth. On 12 July, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot declared revolt by claiming to have the support of more than 18 legislators. Since then Rajasthan jumped into a political crisis. Although, he couldnt prove the support of more than 18 legislators by the next day. Also read: Weak on facts and strong on mudslinging: Nadda slams Rahul Gandhi For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. 1. Reduced dose of prasugrel associated with reduced risk for bleeding in low-weight or elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1806 Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-4770 URL goes live when the embargo lifts A head-to-head comparison of two antiplatelet therapies found that a reduced dose of prasugrel was as effective and associated with a reduced risk for bleeding compared with a standard dose of tricagrelor for elderly or low-weight patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Findings from a randomized trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Two large randomized trials showed that prasugrel and ticagrelor are superior to clopidogrel and aspirin for older patients with ACS, but the dosing algorithm of prasugrel was adjusted after the initial trial because of safety concerns. However, the efficacy and safety of this adjusted treatment strategy have not been widely tested in large randomized trials. The ISAR-REACT 5 (Intracoronary Stenting and AntiThrombotic Regimen: Rapid Early Action for Coro-nary Treatment 5) trial showed that prasugrel was superior to ticagrelor in reducing the composite end point of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke without increasing the risk for major bleeding in patients with ACS who were managed invasively. In this secondary analysis, researchers from the Deutsches Herzzentrum Munchen (Technische Universitat Munchen) and German Center for Cardiovascular Research assessed efficacy and bleeding in nearly 4,000 elderly or underweight patients with ACS planned for invasive management at one of 23 medical centers who were randomly assigned to receive either a reduced dose of prasurgrel or a standard dose of ticagrelor. They found that the lower dose of prasugrel maintained anti-ischemic efficacy while protecting this patient population against the excess risk for bleeding. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To speak with the lead author, Adnan Kastrati, MD, can be reached through Lisa Pietrzyk at lisa.pietrzyk@tum.de or Christine Vollgraf at christine.vollgraf@dzhk.de. 2. Canada sees recent dramatic increase in off-label use of synthetic cannabinoids among older adults Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0598 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Use of synthetic cannabinoids has increased dramatically among Canadian older adults in recent years, with nearly all (92.8 percent) of prescriptions being written for off-label use. This is potentially concerning, as older adults may be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of these drugs, including psychomotor, cognitive, mental health, and cardiovascular complications. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Synthetic cannabinoids have been on the Canadian formulary for more than 20 years and are approved to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Providers may also choose to prescribe these drugs for off-label use to treat conditions such as chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. How much they are prescribed has not been widely known. Researchers from the University of Toronto studied linked health care databases in Ontario, Canada to describe yearly trends in synthetic cannabinoid prescriptions between 1997 and 2017, and the characteristics of persons to whom these drugs were dispensed in 2017. The data showed a 3.7-fold increase in use between 2012 and 2017. Persons prescribed the drugs were older adults with a median of 4 chronic conditions who were concurrently receiving a median of 7 drugs, including several other psychoactive medications. According to the study authors, these drugs are being prescribed with limited evidence for benefit and largely unknown harms. The authors suggest that increasing use may reflect a broader societal acceptance of cannabis, especially in jurisdictions, such as Canada, where recreational cannabis was recently legalized. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. The lead author, Nathan Stall, MD, can be reached directly at nathan.stall@mail.utoronto.ca. Also in this issue: Institutional Review Board Quality, Private Equity, and Promoting Ethical Human Subjects Research Holly Fernandez Lynch, JD, MBE, and Stephen Rosenfeld, MD, MBA Medicine and Public Issues Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1674 How Hospital Stays Resemble Enhanced Interrogation Kenneth J. Mishark, MD; Holly Geyer, MD; and Peter A. Ubel, MD Ideas and Opinions Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M19-3874 Point-of-Care Ultrasonography, Primary Care, and Prudence Michael Tanael, MD, USAF Ideas and Opinions Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1840 ### FILE PHOTO: Small bottles labeled with "Vaccine" stickers stand near a medical syringe in front of displayed "Coronavirus COVID-19" words in this illustration By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has signed deals to secure 90 million doses of two possible COVID-19 vaccines from an alliance of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, and French group Valneva, the business ministry said on Monday. Britain secured 30 million doses of the experimental BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, and a deal in principle for 60 million doses of the Valneva vaccine, with an option of 40 million more doses if it was proven to be safe, effective and suitable, the ministry said. With no working vaccine against COVID-19 yet developed, Britain now has three different types of vaccine under order and a total of 230 million doses potentially available. "This new partnership with some of the world's foremost pharmaceutical and vaccine companies will ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk," business minister Alok Sharma said. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deals follow a previously announced agreement with AstraZeneca for the firm to produce 100 million doses of its potential vaccine being developed in partnership with the University of Oxford. Britain said it was the first such deal which Pfizer and BioNTech had agreed for the supply of their vaccine, which is being tested in early to mid stage trials. The firms are aiming to make up to 100 million doses by the end of this year and potentially more than 1.2 billion doses by end of 2021, if the vaccine is successful. It uses the so-called messenger RNA approach, in contrast to the more traditional, inactivated whole virus vaccine being developed by Valneva. Valneva's potential vaccine is still in pre-clinical trials, and the company is aiming to move into clinical trials by the end of 2020. Britain also said on Monday it had secured treatments containing COVID-19-neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect people who can't be vaccinated. (Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Richard Pullin and Peter Graff) The City of Beaumont could build an entirely new water treatment plant and almost guarantee it wont be flooded by another event like Tropical Storm Harvey. Such a project may seem impossible without years of work and millions of taxpayer dollars. But a proposal to the City Council last week showed it could be completed in five years, spending $1 million in city dollars. Following the councils approval, city staff began moving forward with the first step to begin the project. Related: Pine street pipeline, pump station could be hedge against next Harvey Nearly all Beaumont residents present during the 2017 storm remember the week without water service inside city limits. Flood waters swamped the citys only pump station, exposing flaws in the citys ability to provide water to residents during an extreme emergency. For the past few years, city staff has been working on a $62.5 million plan to make the system more resilient, including constructing a second station to pull water from the Neches River and other infrastructure to support it. But Harvey mitigation grants available from the Texas General Land Office for projects in part to improve flood control and drainage among other infrastructure could make it possible for the city to address those concerns, as well as others present within the system, and pass less of that cost directly to the citys residents. Related: Riverfront part windfall may fund water system improvements Freese and Nichols, a company thats worked on water distribution within the city for decades, now is recommending the city build a new water treatment plant on the west side of town, Group Manager David Munn told the council during the proposal. The main focus today is the West side surface water treatment plant, he said. But really a lot of the discussion is going to be setting the stage for what is the long-term plan for the citys drinking supply. The new treatment plant ultimately would allow the city to take its groundwater plant offline, which would limit issues present when attempting to blend cleaned groundwater with river water. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox The expected placement for the new plant also would help alleviate issues with water pressure on the west side of town as well as ensure the city almost always has an adequate water supply. Currently, blending issues between the ground and river water means in hotter, drier months, city staff has to do extra work to make the groundwater usable. And ultimately, none of the three potential locations chosen for the plant were flooded by Harvey, therefore it would build resilience into a system that now has a single point of failure when drawing water from the Neches River. Currently, funding the project relies on the city being chosen for a GLO grant of about $99 million. That application isnt due until late October and its unclear if the citys application would be successful. Related: Reliving Harvey: Boil water notice lifted But Public Management Group President and CEO Patrick Wiltshire, who is working with the city to draft the grant application, believes the city has a good chance of being chosen. He said the project clearly would mitigate issues that could arise as the result of flooding and would impact a high percentage of the citys population both factors that make an application more competitive. This is, in my opinion, a very high scoring application with great potential, he told the council. If Beaumont is selected as a grant recipient, Munn said the city could begin preliminary design in 2021, bid the project in 2022 and have the new plant in service by 2025. Even if the city moves forward with the new treatment plant, it still will have to make some $2.5 million in improvements to the groundwater facility to keep it viable for the next five years. However, as its located near new growth in Hardin County, City Manager Kyle Hayes said he thinks its viable that the city could look into selling the facility to a municipality in Hardin County. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 21:17:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian police have arrested 15 suspects of a drug case and shot two of them dead, seizing 55 kg of methamphetamine in North Sumatra province's capital of Medan. "The police were forced to take strict measures against the two suspects as they threatened the safety of police officers," the North Sumatra Police's Chief Inspector General Martuani Sormin said in Medan on Monday. The 15 suspects came from two networks, Sormin said, adding that the first encompasses Aceh province, Medan and Riau province's capital of Pekanbaru, and the second covers Aceh, Medan and East Java province's capital of Surabaya. In addition to methamphetamine, officers also confiscated six cars, five motorcycles and 27 cellphones, he said. "All of them used fake identity cards and we will check the place where they made the cards," he added. The perpetrators shall be charged with articles on narcotics with a maximum punishment of death penalty. Enditem Kerala's second plasma bank has been set up at the Wayanad district hospital at nearby Mananthavady, close on the heels of a similar facility being launched at Manjeri in Malappuram. The District Medical Officer Dr R Renuka, who inaugurated the plasma bank on Sunday, said the convalescent plasma therapy has been found effective for treating the critical COVID-19 patients. Health authorities said the donors of plasma should have tested negative for the virus twice and the donation should be within 14-120 days of the final test result. The donor should be between 14-50 years of age, and be healthy with a minimum weight of 55 kgs. Seven people who had recovered from the infection had turned up at the hospital to donate their plasma Corr UD. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: Britain inks deals with Pfizer, BioNTech, Valneva Rajasthan crisis: Is your aim to become PM, Congress asks Pilot India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 20: Taking a dig at Sachin Pilot over his rebellion in Rajasthan, veteran Congress leader Margaret Alva on Sunday asked why the former deputy chief minister was in such a "hurry" and whether he was "aspiring" to become the prime minister by 45 years of age by joining the BJP. The former Union Minister also lashed out at Pilot over the timing of his rebellion and said when the entire country is fighting Covid-19 and China in the wake of the border standoff, he is seeking appointment as Rajasthan chief minister. "Congress formed a majority government in Rajasthan and Sachin Pilot became his (Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's) deputy. He got four important portfolios also, as well as the post of PCC (state Congress unit) chief," Alva told PTI Bhasha in an interview. Rajasthan crisis: Pilot still in touch with Priyanka Gandhi Pilot became an MP at 26, was a Union minister and later he became Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief followed by deputy chief minister, she said. "Where did you want to reach in such a hurry? Whether you wanted to become chief minister at 43 and prime minister at 45 by joining the BJP," the former Rajasthan governor asked of 42-year-old Pilot. Alva's remarks come amid the raging political firestorm in Rajasthan where Pilot declared open rebellion against the Gehlot government. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and state Congress chief last week. Though Pilot had asserted that he is not joining the BJP, the Congress has accused him of taking support from the saffron party in efforts to topple the Gehlot government. While criticising Pilot for his actions, Alva, however, pitched for giving voice to the young leadership in the party's decision-making process. She also said that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to form a new "young team" to instil "new approach and enthusiasm" in the grand old party. "About 50 per cent of our total population is below the age of 25 years. Young voters have different aspirations and approach. What is the average age of so-called decision-makers in the CWC (Congress Working Committee)? Barring four or five, rest are between 75 to 85. They are never allowing Rahul ji to come forward," Alva said. Raj HC tells Speaker not to act against Pilot, rebels until Tuesday The former Congress general secretary said this is not a "tussle" with state leadership. The young leadership in the party today feels "uncomfortable" as it wants to involved in the decision-making process, she said. "Allow Rahul ji to build his young team in Delhi. Then, the party will have a new approach and new enthusiasm. We need to bring these people in the decision-making process. The younger generation is in discomfort. They think, how long they will keep clapping sitting outside," Alva said. Hailing Gandhi's leadership as Congress chief, Alva said the party won elections in Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar but at a later stage, people's mandate was upended by the BJP. "They are doing the same in Rajasthan. The BJP is not getting popular mandate except in a few states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Assam. They didn't get it in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. They were defeated in Bihar but what happened later we all know. People of this country are watching such kind of politics," she said. On Gandhi stepping down from the post of president after the Lok Sabha polls, she said no one was happy in the party when he resigned as Congress chief. "We all wanted him to continue. When he resigned, the party's rank and file was not happy. It was not right of him to take all the blame on his own shoulder," Alva said. She said the leadership problem exists not only in Congress but also in regional parties. "Be it TDP or TRS or NCP under Sharad Pawar. No one is willing to vacate...see the CPM leadership in Kerala. What I mean to say is that there is a need in every party to relook at the leadership issue," Alva said. Alva, who is no longer in active politics, said if there are differences or any issues within the party, it should be addressed within party forums and senior leaders cannot leave every problem for interim party chief Sonia Gandhi to deal with. "There is a disciplinary committee, there is a working committee, there are general secretaries...what are they doing? What are these senior leaders doing? If you can't do it, leave. Give opportunity to the youth to come forward," she said. "There is a small group which has no mass base, but is taking decisions in every party," the veteran leader said. Asked whether it was the right time for the Congress to have a full-fledged president, Alva said no one was willing to take on the responsibility. "If someone wants, let him come forward...in fact no one is willing to take this responsibility," she said. Alva said she had suggested in the past that Congress should appoint three vice-presidents for North, South and North-East but her suggestions went unheard. "Give these responsibilities to the younger generation," she added. On the rebellion by Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh, Alva said every demand can't be met and such leaders have no commitment for the party and its ideology. She said Scindia was general secretary of the party and was offered the post of deputy chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, which he refused. Scindia after leaving Congress joined the BJP. Rajasthan Political Crisis: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat issued notice | Oneindia News "Congress is a big party. There are so many states. Everyone's demand can't be met," she said and added that during the times of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, no one had the courage to seek any "post" for himself or herself. "This is a new era. They are the new generation...There is no commitment for ideology. There is no commitment for problems in the party and for its solutions. Those joining the BJP, have no commitment for the ideology, they are joining it just for the greed and for the sake of power," she said. "But remember one thing, Congress can never be finished. It has a history of 150 years. During these times we won, we lost, we went to jails and we also enjoyed power, but there is none who can finish the Congress," Alva asserted. An agreement on enhancing cooperation in the field of vocational education and training and skills development was signed on Monday in Hanoi. New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews (left, first row) and Truong Anh Dung, general director of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (right, first row) sign the cooperation agreement. The agreement was signed between New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews and Truong Anh Dung, general director of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. It is a framework for sharing best practices in vocational training policy, qualification frameworks and industry engagement. Under the agreement, New Zealands Government to Government Know-How (G2G) will contribute to Vietnam workforce improvement effort by facilitating partnerships between New Zealands government agencies, vocational institutions and research institutes with the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training as well as other relevant agencies and institutions in Vietnam. Ambassador Wendy Matthews said: New Zealands Qualification Framework, established in 1992, was one of the first comprehensive qualifications frameworks in the world. We continue to ensure that the system incorporates improvements and innovations into order to make sure that our vocational training and qualification systems best respond to the needs of our evolving industries, she said. Our high-quality education system and expertise in vocational training make us well placed to deliver more joint initiatives focused on improving the quality of Vietnams vocational education system, so as to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the countrys workforce to meet global demands, said Ambassador Wendy Matthews. General Director Truong Anh Dung, said: Vietnams vocational education and training system has seen positive achievements over the last few years. General public and businesses perception on the importance of vocational training has been improved. There were more people choosing to study at vocational institutions, while graduates had higher chances of getting work job and a stable income. In the context of the digital economy, the knowledge-led economy, the 4th Industrial Revolution and international labour mobility trend, vocational training needs to speed up its renovation to improve training quality in order to meet the increasingly high demand for labour, he said. The year 2020 is an important year for New Zealand and Vietnam as the countries celebrate 45 years of friendship and diplomatic relations. People-to-people links, particularly in the area of education, have been the bedrock of the relationship, and these links will continue to flourish when safe travel between our countries resumes, he said. VNS International vocational training to be extended Vocational training schools in Vietnam will continue to use curricula transferred from Australia and Germany until the end of 2020 and 2025, respectively, following the technical vocational education and training (TVET) reform plan. Senior Actor Hulivana Gangadhar breathed his last on July 17 due to COVID-19. As per reports, he was under self-isolation after he showed mild symptoms while he was shooting for a daily soap titled Premaloka. He was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after complaining of severe respiratory problems, but succumbed to the deadly virus on Friday. Hulivana Gangadhar was featured in over 150 stage shows, several Kannada serials and more than 120 films. He was known for his impeccable acting chops in films like Neer Dose (2016), Shabdavedhi (2000), Appu (2002), and Grama Devathe (2001) among other films. Renowned filmmaker and director TN Seetharam condoled the shocking death of his friend with a long note on Facebook. He wrote, "The death of my friend and a wonderful actor Hulivana Gangadhar is painful. His performance as a lorry driver in Aaspota helped the play gain immense popularity. He was highly appreciated by George Fernandes. He played the role of a politician named Rajanandaswamy in my serial Muktha Muktha." The post further said, "He was part of 127 stage shows of mine, that eventually made us good friends. Later, he got involved in agriculture in his native, so we rarely got to meet each other. It's been nearly eight years since I saw him. The news of his demise has pained me." French Biriyani Director On Danish Sait: He Gave Me The Idea To Dust The Script, Set It In Bangalore KGF: Chapter 2 Producers Demand Hefty Amount For The Theatrical Rights Of Telugu Version? The GNA, backed by Turkish troops, Syrian mercenaries and Qatar, exists in Tripoli and controls Libyas western and northwestern areas The Government of National Accord's (GNA) interior minister Fathi Bashagha met Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar on Monday as the Libyan National Army (LNA) said Ankara "fears the implications" of its expected attack on the port city of Sirte and Al-Jufra in Libya. The meeting in Ankara between Bashagha and Akar came as the GNA is reportedly preparing to launch an attack against the two Libyan cities. Akar, according to Al-Arabiya, said support to the LNA and its leader Khalifa Haftar should stop. He claimed that Turkish actions in the eastern Mediterranean region are an "attempt to guarantee peace and stability," arguing it "will be a model for the world." Turkey signed an accord with the GNA last year to create an exclusive economic zone from Turkeys southern Mediterranean shore to Libyas northeast coast. Some of the areas involved are around Cyprus, and the latter accuses Turkey of searching for gas in its territorial waters. The LNA, allied to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR), controls Libyas oil-rich, eastern regions. Egypt, France, Russia and the United Arab Emirates back the LNA. The GNA, backed by Turkish troops, Syrian mercenaries and Qatar, exists in Tripoli and controls Libyas western and northwestern areas. According to a recent report by the US Defense Department, Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 Syrian mercenaries to Libya in January, February, and March 2020. Speaking to Sky News Arabia on Sunday, Brigadier-General Khaled Al-Mahgoub, an LNA leading commander, said Turkey "has fears about the implications of launching an attack on Sirte and Al-Jufra." "In their rooms of operations, the Turks are precisely examining the offensive, and they are afraid about its implications, for the war might get larger in scale and go beyond Sirte and Al-Jufra," Al-Mahgoub said, asserting that the LNA is ready to block any Turkish attack on both cities. "Erdogan was adviced to launch a quick and sweeping offensive to fulfil the Turkish objective as soon as possible. But this will not happen because the LNA troops, in addition to the Arab backing, are strongly deployed." The Turkish-backed militias are moving near Sirte as an attempt to inflate the Turkish military power, Al-Mahgoub said. In June, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on Libyan parties to respect the current lines and start negotiations. El-Sisi said that Sirte and Jufra are "considered a red line for Egyptian national security." He also said that Egypt has called for a comprehensive settlement in Libya that involves the elimination of terrorist militias and has participated in Libya-related international conferences. Search Keywords: Short link: There has been a three-fold increase in the recovery of heroin by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Punjab border this year as compared to the corresponding period last year. According to the BSFs statistics, around 328kg of heroin, apparently smuggled from Pakistan, has been seized till July 19 this year. Last year, the figure was around 100kg for the same period. Punjab Police officials opine that the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown and restrictions imposed on the unnecessary movement of people have cut the supply chain of heroin, increasing the drugs demand and prompting the Pakistani smugglers to push in more consignments into the Indian territory through various means. In the last four months of lockdown (March 23 to July 19), the BSF has seized 229kg heroin on the state border, which is 9kg more than the total seizures in the last year. In 2019, the BSF had seized total 227kg heroin. On March 23 this year, the Centre had enforced the nationwide lockdown. This years seizures include a 64-kg heroin haul from the Ravi river that flows along the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur district. The contraband was found in 60 packets concealed in long fabric cloth tubes and tied to a bunch of water hyacinth floating in the river on Sunday. A senior BSF official in Amritsar said, We have noticed the increased activities of anti-national elements across the border this year. But our force is capable of thwarting their all attempts. Our personnel are keeping 24x7 vigil along the border. A senior special task force (STF) official said, The supply chain of heroin has been disrupted by the strict lockdown in Punjab and due to this out-patient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres across Punjab have also witnessed a drastic increase in the admission of drug dependents for treatment. The BSFs recovery is apart from the drug haul by Punjab Police along the international border. On May 28 this year, the Tarn Taran police had seized around 8.50kg of heroin from across the barbed fence at Rattoke village on the India-Pakistan border. Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police Dhruv Dahiya had said the heroin was buried in an agriculture field across the barbed fence. After the recovery, the police had also arrested one Gurlal Singh of Rattoke village. Police had said Gurlal had been in contact with Pakistani smugglers for the supply of heroin. Similarly, on May 2, STF had recovered 9kg heroin with the arrest of three persons in two separate operations carried out near the India-Pakistan border. The STF had said the heroin, which was smuggled from across the border, was being cleared by the accused. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama and Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 20 2020 The House of Representatives has given the green light for the government to provide Rp 8.5 trillion (US$583 million) for pandemic-hit national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, in the form of a mandatory convertible bond (MCB). The MCB will require conversion of the said bond into stocks in accordance with the contractual conversion date. The MCB for the airline is expected to have a tenor of three years, with state-owned infrastructure financing company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) projected to act as a buyer for the bond and eventually a shareholder of the company. The legislature made the decision after a working meeting with State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir on Wednesday, citing the reason that Garuda could not receive state-capital injections (PMN) as it is a publicly listed company. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The white St Louis couple who pointed guns towards protesters last month were seen on the Trump campaigns latest virtual event. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who went viral when they appeared armed amid protests against racism and police violence, starred in a campaign programme. They were interviewed by Donald Trump Jr.s partner and former Fox News personality, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who introduced them as household names. I thought we were going to die, said Mark McCloskey about the St Louis Black Lives Matter protests. We have nothing to apologise for. We did nothing wrong, and were not going to back down. Video last month showed the husband and wife armed with an assault rifle and a pistol as protesters moved past their house. He told Guilfoyle in Friday's interview that the protesters had posed a threat to them, when they took-up arms. "I thought that within seconds we'd be overrun, they'd be in the house, they'd be setting fires, they'd be killing us," said Mr McCloskey. I knew we were on our own, and this was it, added Ms McCloskey. We were terrified. Those comments come despite demonstrators showing no apparent threat to the couple in video shared online. Still, Guilfoyle commended Ms McCloskey for "standing by your husband, holding a gun." St Louis County attorney Kimberley Gardner announced last week that an investigation had been launched into the couples actions. Recommended Joe Biden warns of potential Russian interference in the election We will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable, said the attorney. That was rebuked by Missouris Republican senator Josh Hawley, who called on Attorney General William Barr to investigate Ms Gardner in return. I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office to determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this familys constitutional right. The McCloskeys have not been charged by St Louis police. A recently adopted government resolution bans cars from entering the entirety of Budapests City Park, the head of the Budapest Development Centre said. David Vitezy said on Facebook that the citys public development council, of which Mayor Gergely Karacsony and the Prime Ministers chief of staff Gergely Gulyas are both members, had proposed closing the entire park to traffic. The main road from Heroes Square will be sealed off and parking will be banned in the entire park. Allatkert Avenue on one side of the park can still be used during peak periods, however. Parking spaces will be available in an underground parking garage built as part of the Liget Budapest project, and a P&R parking lot will be available at a nearby underground station, Vitezy said. MTI Photo: Sandor H. Szabo Not for distribution by US newswire or in United States NESS-ZIONA, Israel, July 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VAXIL BIO LTD. (Vaxil or the Company) (TSX VENTURE: VXL), an innovative immunotherapy biotech company specializing in cancer and infectious diseases, would like to provide an update on the following: COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Vaxil has commenced the in vivo (animal) study for our COVID-19 vaccine candidate, under the guidance of Dr. Hagin, Director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. The first animal injection was administered on July 14, 2020. This experiment which will evaluate the immune response to Vaxils COVID-19 vaccine candidate, will continue for several weeks after which we will evaluate the results and determine next steps. Over the past few weeks, the Company has been progressing within the framework of the collaboration agreement from April 2020 between the Company and The Medical Research, Infrastructure, and Health Services Fund of the Tel Aviv Medical Center (the Tel Aviv Medical Center) to advance the Companys research program to develop a potential signal peptide vaccine against COVID-19. The collaboration with Dr. Hagins team is progressing nicely, such that we were able to begin our animal study, having received all necessary approvals. Whilst we were not able to reproduce all data points from our initial work, we have sufficient data to begin our animal study, said David Goren, Vaxils Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and continued, Though our studies have been designed to reproduce the T-cell proliferation demonstrated in our earlier work, signal peptides are known to behave differently in the lab than in animals, and also in humans. The Company reiterates that it has sufficient funds to complete the collaboration work with the Tel Aviv Medical Center, and that it seeks to raise additional funds to pursue other innovative programs in oncology and infectious diseases. Story continues Private Placement The Company would like to clarify that the previously announced brokered private placement is for an aggregate of gross proceeds up to $3,000,000 (the Offering), subject to the Companys receipt of minimum gross proceeds of $2,000,000. The Offering is being led by M Partners Inc. as lead agent. The Offering remains in progress and the closing date has been extended and is expected to occur on or about July 30, 2020. Further details of the Offering are included in the Companys press release from May 26, 2020. Net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for continued pre-clinical research supporting development of the Companys pipeline including, oncology and infectious disease immunotherapies, as well as for general corporate purposes. The closing of the Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, approval by the TSX Venture Exchange of the Offering Mediation The Company also advises that it is entering into a mediation with a former officer of the Company in connection with a disagreement regarding compensation. ABOUT VAXIL Vaxil is an Israeli immunotherapy biotech company focused on its novel approach to targeting prominent cancer markers and infectious diseases. Its lead product ImMucin successfully completed a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in multiple myeloma for which it received orphan drug status from the FDA and EMA. The company aims to continue to develop ImMucin, a COVID-19 and a tuberculosis vaccine / treatment that has demonstrated promising preliminary results with further preclinical evaluation planned. Additional indications and mAb candidates are under evaluation as immuno-oncology and infectious disease treatments alone and in combination with other treatments. Vaxil exploits the unique properties of signal peptide domains on crucial proteins to develop targeted therapies against cancer targets and infectious disease pathogens. These signal peptide domains are identified by VaxHit, Vaxils proprietary bioinformatic approach. These signal pepdies induce a robust T- and B-cell response across wide and varied HLA subtypes, while acting as true, universal neoantigens. The peptide platform targets these cells by educating or specifically activating the immune system to recognize and attack the affected cells. In addition, Vaxils mAb platform directly recognizes the target protein expressed on malignant cells and recruits other elements of the immune system to lyse those cells. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that it has completed developing or will be successful in developing a COVID-19 (or SARS-CoV-2) vaccine at this time. 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. Disclaimer: The Company cautions that COVID-19 Vaccine Development is still under early stage research and development and is not making any express or implied claims that it has the ability to eliminate the COVID-19 virus at this time. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the results of exploration activities -- that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities described herein in the United States or elsewhere. These securities have not been, and will not be, registered in the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered or exempt therefrom. Hours before what is expected to be the 53rd straight night of protests in the city, the head of the Portland police union said the community has had enough. Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner, surrounded by 20 faith leaders, business owners, police officers and neighborhood residents, held a news conference in front of the unions offices in North Portland. On Saturday, protesters broke in and lit a fire inside. The building itself was covered with graffiti. The elected officials have condoned the destruction and chaos, said Turner. They have placed their political agenda ahead safety and welfare of the community. This must stop. Demonstrations in Portland began almost two months ago following the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in custody after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyds neck for over eight minutes. The police union has become a focal point for protesters, who see it as one of the power structures that prevents police reform. The union building, a symbol of that resistance, has been previously targeted by protestors. President Donald Trump recently deployed federal officers to Portland, where they met nightly protests with munitions and gas. This is no longer about George Floyd, racial equity, social justice reform or the evolution of policing, Turner said. This is about violence, rioting and destruction. Our city is under siege by rioters. His comments echo those from the Trump administration, which has focused on Portlands demonstration. Local and state leaders have vocally opposed the presence of federal officers in Portland, Oregons attorney general 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. At the press conference Pastor J.J.W. Matt Hennessee of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church issued a call for protestors to have moratorium on future demonstrations. We love you as Gods children, but we dont like what you are doing, he said. Tell us where to meet you so we can have a conversation about to work together for solutions. Take Portland off the front page of newspapers around the world because of violence. A Black woman listening to the press conference walked across North Lombard Avenue shouting, lies, lies, lies. This is all B.S., said Damesha Smith, 27. Its all talk. A police officer walked over to Smith, handed her his business card and asked if she wanted to talk. She refused it. What are you going to do? she asked. Its B.S. -- Tom Hallman Jr; thallman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8224; @thallmanjr Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Amid the political crisis in the state, the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government on July 20 said prior consent of the government will be "required to be taken on a case-to-case basis for investigation of any offence or class of offences under section 3 of Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 by Delhi Special Police Establishment." Section 3 of the DSPE Act states that the "Central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify the offences or classes of offences which are to be investigated by the Delhi Special Police Establishment." The development comes amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what it called "saga of illegalities and concocted lies." "These are serious questions that we want to ask the Congress high command and 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 said at a press conference. The Congress had 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 Centre had on July 18 sought a report from the Rajasthan Chief Secretary on allegations of phone tapping. 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 the state government. I live in Berkeley, a city with deep roots in progressive politics and social change movements. Berkeley prides itself on civically minded public schools the district thrives with adored teachers, well-oiled PTAs, extensive extracurricular programs and hefty financial giving committees. This status is both fortunate and tenuous for a public school district. Its why the recent decision by the superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District to start the year with a distance learning plan has deeper ramifications than any of us might think. As a parent with children in the district, I share and understand the concerns the district has about spreading the coronavirus among students, staff and the community. While the districts decision is a major inconvenience for us parents from juggling our working schedules, to worrying about the impact this will have on my childs academic, social and emotional education its not what keeps me up at night. What does keep me up at night are the much deeper, structural, systemic ramifications that are playing out, quietly and slowly across our community. Once the announcement was made, I began to see droves no exaggeration of Berkeley parents jumping from Berkeley Unified to the safer, better-resourced option: private schools. Unlike public schools, many local private schools are starting their school year on campus. This option allows families to go back to work. The scores of families who are leaving can either afford private education or are finding creative ways of dealing with the cost. Ive heard many of them argue that despite never having considered this option before, they now have no choice. The choice is indeed a punishing one, and we all feel we have been backed into a corner. But this drain of Berkeley families and resources will have lasting impacts on the school district, the quality of our childrens public school education, and society at large. Families fleeing to private schools are unlikely to come back the following year. Doing so will be too much disruption for their kids, who have experienced enough of it already. Unfortunately, this will leave a widening equity gap likely to grow along racial and socioeconomic lines and deepen the penetrating fissures that run deep across our community. It also will compound the reduced resources the district is likely to have as a result of the recession. It doesnt have to be this way. I urge Berkeley families to resist the drive to flee to private schools, and instead to pool our resources, creativity and problem-solving abilities to help ensure a safe learning environment for our children and all children across Berkeley. If the issue is a lack of sufficient space to hold classes while maintaining social distance, lets bring children together for outdoor learning and take over public spaces. We are blessed with good weather most of the year, and many outdoor schools make due entirely outside. We can too. If the issue is one of not enough teachers to teach smaller class sizes, lets get creative about how to fill the teacher quotients. Parents are already paying for their own cottage-industry teachers and tutors whose abilities could support Berkeley Unified staff. The school year could commence a month late to provide emergency training. If the issue is a lack of resources, the districts parent community and the employers who rely on these parents for the success of their businesses should step up and contribute. Berkeley Unified parents are already paying additional costs for outside support. It would be more efficient to combine resources than have each of us go it alone. Bay Area parents will have few good choices under this pandemic as long as our federal, state and local governments continue to under-invest in public education. Given this crisis, the federal government must especially open its checkbook to make up the difference between tax revenue losses and the increased costs schools are facing to ensure they can open safely. But since we face a lack of leadership, its up to us to make the right decisions for our own community. I urge Berkeley families considering private school to stay the course, and to use their voices and privileges to advocate for a public school district that supports all students. Many of us have joined marches and hung signs in our windows over these past months, signaling our support for equity and racial justice. Will we show up now, when it matters, to turn these principles into action? Berkeleys public schools are one of the Bay Areas most powerful forces for equity and justice. Lets fight for them. Jessica Brown is the executive director of a global philanthropic climate change program based in the Bay Area and a mother of two children. BARRY Authorities are looking for a Quincy man accused of leaving a hospital after wrecking a stolen car and then swiping another vehicle to get away from police. A Pike County sheriffs deputy was called about 7 a.m. Sunday to a wreck on Illinois Route 106. The driver of the car, identified by authorities as Levi C. Cain, 27, of Quincy, was taken to Illini Hospital for treatment. Orlando Bloom has described how devastated he feels over his dog going missing, saying that he feels powerless. Last week, Bloom revealed on Instagram that his beloved pet, Mighty, had gone missing. The actor shared several photographs of the dog and pleaded for people to be on the lookout for the poodle, who went missing near his and Katy Perrys home in Montecito, California. A few days later, Bloom emphasised the emotional toll of not knowing the whereabouts of his dog, who he adopted in 2017. The 43-year-old posted more pictures of Mighty, including one that shows him and the poodle sharing a cuddle on the set of his television series Carnival Row. I dont recall a time in my life where Ive been so broken wide open, Bloom wrote in the caption. The rawness I have felt over these past few days and sleepless nights at the idea of my little man being lost and scared, with me unable to do anything to protect him, is a waking nightmare. Bloom said that he feels powerless, saying that the way he feels may be like so many others who are losing loved ones or unable to see our loved ones because of the times. Cherish the moments we share with the ones we love because nothing is promised, the actor stated. Trust it and dont be afraid of love or the fear of losing love. Love is eternal. The Lord of the Rings star explained that the bond he shares with his dog demonstrates devotion in ways he has not truly understood until now. I am a devoted father and partner, still, there is a reason why they call them mans best friend, he wrote. I miss him. Send out a prayer for my little strong and Mighty boy to find his way back to his family. Perry, to whom Bloom is engaged and who is pregnant with their first child together, commented underneath the post writing: I love you. Actor Gwyneth Paltrow also shared a message of support, stating: Orly this is so heartbreaking. Im so sorry. Danish supermodel Helena Christensen expressed that she could relate to the pain Bloom feels, writing: I lost my pups for a few hours once and that was enough to tear me apart, while actor Justin Theroux added: Oh buddy. I feel that. Sending you love. Private sector mortgage financier HDFC Ltd (Housing Development Finance Corporation) has roped in record 19 merchant banks for its mega Rs 14,000 crore fundraising exercise to shore up its balance sheet. This has set a new record for India Inc as the appointment of this big a legion (of merchant banks) is the biggest ever taken on board by an Indian corporate for fundraising purposes in the equity capital markets. The 19 merchant banks shortlisted by HDFC Ltd are Axis Capital, BNP Paribas, Bofa Securities, Citi, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, HDFC Bank, HSBC Securities, ICICI Securities, IIFL Capital, Jefferies, JM Financial, JP Morgan, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Motilal Oswal, Morgan Stanley, SBI Capital, and UBS, sources in the know told Moneycontrol. Also Read: HDFC pays 7.25% interest to raise Rs 4,000 crore from ICICI Bank, Axis Bank Usually, large undertakings engage several merchant banks for big fundraising exercises as they are a complex affair, and may be undertaken in one or more tranches. Merchant banks are involved in myriad aspects of the transaction such as tapping marque investors, marketing the issue in India and overseas markets, compliance and coordination with several parties comprising regulators, and conducting due diligence and documentation amongst other functions. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) had, earlier this year, appointed a consortium of 14 merchant bankers for its Rs 53,000 crore rights issue, which was the country's biggest ever equity fund raise. The issue kicked off on March 20, 2020. More than 7,000 of suspect drugs and cash has been seized in Cork. Gardai seized 5,250 of suspected cocaine and 1,900 in cash. A two-judge bench of Rajasthan High Court on Monday resumed hearing on petitions filed by former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs challenging their disqualification notices from the state assembly speaker. Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and justice Prashant Gupta started hearing the case in Court No 1 as Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Speaker CP Joshi, resumed his arguments. Senior counsel Harish Salve and Mukul Rohtagi, representing Sachin Pilot and other MLAs, have completed their side of arguments. On Friday, the high court had directed that no action be taken against Pilot and the other rebel Congress MLAs until Tuesday and had deferred the hearing of their plea challenging the speakers disqualification notices. Speaker Joshi had on Friday assured the court that he would not act till 5.30pm on Tuesday on the notices issued to dissident legislators over their failure to attend two Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14. The MLAs had moved the court challenging the notice issued to them by Joshi on July 14 seeking an explanation on why they should not be disqualified from the assembly. They had told the court that ruling party legislators disagreement with the manner of functioning of the chief minister cannot be seen as indicating their intention to leave the party so as to trigger the anti-defection law. They said that criticising the party leadership is an exercise of freedom of speech and cannot be a ground to disqualify a lawmaker on the grounds of defection. The petitioners through their counsel contended that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session and that airing of grievances against party leadership cannot be construed as voluntarily giving up party membership under 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth schedule of the Constitution. The petition challenged the speakers notice, which was based on a complaint by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, that the MLAs should be disqualified from the Rajasthan assembly for defying the whip. Mahesh Joshi sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under Clause 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for disqualification of MLAs if they voluntarily give up the membership of the party which they represent in the House. Mahesh Joshi cited the absence of the dissident MLAs in two Congress legislature party meetings despite specific direction to attend them along with hostile and prejudicial conduct against the party, as an indication of the dissidents intention to leave the party. Sachin Pilot, the 42-year-old leader credited with leading the Congress successful 2018 assembly election campaign, has categorically ruled out joining the BJP, asserting that attempts to link him to the opposition party were a ploy to tar his image. If the rebel MLAs are disqualified, the majority mark in the 200-member assembly will come down, making it easier for chief minister Ashok Gehlot to win a floor test. The nonprofit workforce development program Year Up Charlotte will be holding a virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate its inaugural graduating class at 6:00 pm on July 23rd. The nonprofit workforce development program Year Up Charlotte will be holding a virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate its inaugural graduating class at 6:00 pm on July 23rd. At the start of the ceremony, Cathy Bessant, Bank of Americas Chief Operations and Technology Officer, will join Year Ups Founder and CEO Gerald Chertavian for a fireside chat to highlight Bank of Americas and Year Ups long-term partnership and to inspire, encourage and motivate Year Up Charlotte graduates in their path forward and as role models for others. Year Up is highly effective in attracting smart, motivated young people with diverse backgrounds who will be our leaders of the future, said Cathy. Our partnership provides these students an opportunity to learn with us through Year Up internships, and ultimately reach their full potential while pursuing a career in technology. Year Up Charlotte opened its doors to Charlotte students in August 2019 with generous support from Bank of America, the John M. Belk Endowment, and the Duke Endowment, and in partnership with Central Piedmont Community College and Leading on Opportunity, a nonprofit focused on improving economic mobility in Charlotte. Bank of America hosted 39 Year Up interns as part of the inaugural class. Through our partnership with Bank of America and through Cathys leadership in creating diverse pathways to opportunity and employment for young adults Year Up has continued to advance a more inclusive economy in Charlotte and across the U.S., said Chertavian. As we work to improve economic mobility and close the racial income gap, employers like Bank of America are helping us to ensure that young people of color receive the skills, support and experience necessary to secure meaningful careers in top industries. Year Up Charlotte provides talented and motivated young people with a semester of technical and professional skills training to prepare them for entry-level technology and customer-facing roles, followed by a semester-long, credit-bearing internship at a top company like Bank of America. In 2018, the federally-sponsored Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) evaluation of Year Up showed a 53% increase in initial earnings for young adults randomly assigned to Year Up compared with similar young adults in a control group. Nationwide, 90% of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing Year Up, with average starting salaries of $42,000/year. Trinity Simpson, one of the students graduating from Year Up Charlottes first class, will deliver the keynote speech. Simpson feared that if he stayed in his small town in North Carolina, he would be working a minimum wage job with no opportunity and become another statistic. He has just completed his Year Up internship at Bank of America in cyber security and has accepted an offer as an Operations Control Analyst at the bank. Bank of America has partnered with Year Up since 2006 in cities across the United States, providing Year Up internship opportunities for more than 1,400 students in areas such as Global Technology & Operations, Consumer & Small Business, Global Wealth & Investment Management and Global Strategy & Enterprise Platforms. Learn more about Year Up Charlotte by visiting us on Facebook and Twitter. If youd like to attend the Charlotte virtual graduation ceremony, please RSVP here. About Year Up Year Up is an award-winning, national 501(c)3 organization that enables motivated young adults to move from minimum wage to meaningful careers in just one year by providing the skills, experience, and support they need to reach their full potential. Through a one-year, intensive program, Year Up utilizes a high-expectations, high-support model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, coursework eligible for college credit, and corporate internships at more than 250 top companies. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to enable young adults with a viable path to economic self-sufficiency and meaningful careers. Year Up has served more than 30,000 young adults since its founding in 2000, and expects to serve 5,000 young adults this year. Year Up has presence in 27 U.S. cities, including Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington. Year Up has been voted one of the Best Non-Profits to Work For by The NonProfit Times. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Bank of America At Bank of America, were guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. Were delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. Its demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News). For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 20 July 2020: The Report Beard Oil Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Distribution Channel (Online, Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores), By Region, By Product (Organic, Conventional), And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025 The global beard oil market size is expected to reach USD 1.4 billion by 2025 registering a CAGR of 6.1%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Various cosmetics and beauty products manufacturers are investing in R&D to introduce advanced products, which is expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. In addition, fashion experts and celebrity endorsements play a crucial role in increasing the awareness about these products and influencing consumer buying patterns, thereby supporting the growth of the market. For instance, in February 2019, a Namibian model Wellem Kapenda in association with cosmetic brand Chrisla Essentials, launched new scented oil. This product is suitable all skin types, offers moisturizing capabilities, and includes various essential and carrier oils for healthy hair growth. Chrisla Essentials is available in company-owned stores and selected pharmacies. In February 2019, Wahl launched beard care products including oils to treat skin dryness, itchiness, irritation, and hair loss. These oils are formulated with proprietary combination of four essential oils, such as manuka, moringa, meadowfoam seed, and clove. These oils help maintain hydrate and healthy skin and facial hair. Access Research Report of Beard Oil Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/beard-oil-market Further key findings from the study suggest: Conventional beard oil type led the global market in 2018 accounting for a revenue share of USD 728.6 million and is projected to retain its leading position throughout the forecast years Online distribution channel segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.5% from 2019 to 2025 due to rising number of internet and smartphone users across the globe In addition, rising popularity of online retail platforms due to their various advantages, such as cashback offers, discounts on branded products, and doorstep delivery services, will boost the segment growth On the other hand, the convenience stores segment is estimated to lead the market accounting for more than 45% of the global revenue by 2025 Europe was the dominant regional beard oil market in 2018; however, Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR from 2019 to 2025 Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/beauty-and-personal-care Grand View Research has segmented the global beard oil market on the basis of product, distribution channel, and region: Beard Oil Product Outlook(Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Organic Conventional Beard Oil Distribution Channel Outlook(Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Hypermarkets & Supermarkets Convenience Store Online Beard Oil Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) North America Europe Asia Pacific Central & South America Middle East & Africa (MEA) Access Press Release of Beard Oil Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-beard-oil-market About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. For More Information:www.grandviewresearch.com Mumbai, July 20 : Actor Sidharth Malhotra is missing his shooting days, and his recent Instagram post is a proof of the fact. On Monday, Sidharth took to Instagram and posted a throwback image from the sets. In the picture, we see looking into a shooting camera. "Trying to see when things are going to get back to normal!#DaysOnTheSet #Throwback," he captioned the image. Amid the lockdown, Sidharth has been sharing a lot of posts on social media. From cooking prawns to reading book, Sidharth has managed to survive the lockdown days in the best possible way. On the work front, Sidharth will be seen in " Shershaah", which is based on the life of Param Vir Chakra recipient Vikram Batra. "Everyone knows about his heroic stories from newspapers and articles. When you meet people who have lived with him, his family or have known him personally, you feel an immense kind of pressure. First, you hope to do justice to his personal life and family. It's something that is very close to my heart. It's like a passion project," he said recently. Tokyo, July 20 : The Japanese government's upcoming campaign to revive domestic tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked controversy due to a recent resurgence in the number of confirmed cases in the country. Experts have said that the outbreak is likely to persist for a long time, and fighting the pandemic while promoting tourism recovery is bound to be difficult, Xinhua news agency reported. The recovery of Japan's tourism industry may be a long process, they added. Since the beginning of this year, the number of foreigners visiting Japan has dropped sharply due to the pandemic, and domestic travel has also stagnated. Accommodation, catering, transport and tourism-related retail and souvenir production are facing an extremely difficult condition, with related unemployment and bankruptcies rising rapidly. The number of foreign visitors to Japan fell 58.3 per cent in February and 93 per cent in March from a year earlier, according to the government's tourism bureau. The number of foreign visitors fell to 2,600 in June, down 99.9 per cent year-on-year. Japanese citizens also spent significantly less on domestic travel. According to the Japan Tourism Agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japanese people spent about 23.2 trillion yen ($216.7 billion) on domestic travel in 2019, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the country's tourism market. To help the tourism industry weather the storm by boosting domestic travel, the Japanese government plans to launch a domestic travel promotion campaign called "Go To Travel" starting July 22. The program subsidizes domestic travel in Japan, with the government providing up to half of the costs of travels. Each tourist can get a subsidy of up to 20,000 yen per day when going on a lodging trip, while a one-day round trip can be subsidized up to 10,000 yen. The specific forms include 35 per cent discounts on transportation and accommodation expenses, and 15 per cent discounts on catering, shopping, sightseeing and transportation expenses in tourist destinations by using coupons. However, the outbreak has recently rebounded in Japan, especially as the number of daily new infections in Tokyo. There were 662 new confirmed cases nationwide on Saturday, second only to the record high of 720 confirmed cases on April 11. In Tokyo, 290 new cases were confirmed on Saturday. Against the background, many have expressed deep concern against the nationwide tourism promotion campaign. They feared that the mass movement of people would lead to a wide spread of the coronavirus. A number of officials, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, have objected to the campaign. In the face of questions, the Japanese government was forced to adjust its plan and exclude Tokyo from the campaign. Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura has said that neither Tokyo residents nor people travelling to the capital would be allowed to take part in the promotion campaign. When insanity and evil rule the day, all bets are off about everything. And this just happened, as reported at Townhall (video here): Kentucky resident Elizabeth Linscott was planning to visit her mother in Michigan. Despite having no symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus, Linscott decided to get tested out of an abundance of caution. Her results turned up positive and she was told to self-quarantine at home. "My grandparents wanted to see me, too," Linscott told WILX-TV. "So, just to make sure if I tested negative, that they would be OK, that everything would be fine." WAVE-TV screen grab. Once the health department alerted her to her positive test results, they wanted Linscott to sign the Self-isolation and Controlled Movement Agreed Order, a document stating she would not leave her house without first asking the health district for permission. She refused to sign the documents. "My part was if I have to go to the ER, if I have to go to the hospital, I'm not going to wait to get the approval to go," she said, adding that she would take any necessary precautions to protect others. If she had to go to the hospital she would alert health care workers to her recent positive test results. Linscott, who's married and has a 9-month-old baby, agreed to contact the Health Department if she had to leave her house for any reason during the quarantine period. But she wasn't going to wait for permission to leave her house if something urgent arose. That wasn't good enough for the State of Kentucky, whose Democratic governor instituted what amounts to a house arrest policy a few months ago (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here). The sledgehammer power of the state came down on Linscott and her family when she was informed that her refusal to sign the document would result in escalation and police involvement. (Yes, this is in the United States, not China.) A few days later, the police showed up at her house with the documents, wanting her to sign them. And, once again, she agreed to self-quarantine but refused to sign the order for the same reasons she'd already given. And with that, Linscott, her husband, and their 9-month-old baby had ankle bracelets slapped on. If they moved more than 200 feet outside their house, the police would be alerted. "We didn't rob a store. We didn't steal something. We didn't hit and run. We didn't do anything wrong," Elizabeth Linscott said. Although she refused to sign the agreement, she said her and her husband never refused to self-quarantine. "That's exactly what the director of the Public Health Department told the judge, that I was refusing to self-quarantine because of this, and that's not the case at all," she told WILX-TV. "I never said that." The couple say they are in the process of hiring an attorney. All of that simply because a young woman wanted to protect her parents and grandparents should she have the coronavirus. Instead, the state overreached and subjected her, her husband, and their baby to punishment where there was no crime. Meanwhile, across the United States, fascists desecrate public and private property, set buildings ablaze, loot, assault people, attack the police, and commit murder, all with a free pass (and even blessings from leftist politicians). Every day we hear stories, each more outlandish than the day before. We search for sanity and find none. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 02:08:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Several U.S. economists have been encouraged by the rebound of the Chinese economy, as recent data indicated that the Asian country is the first major economy to get out of the COVID-19-induced recession. "This is very encouraging news. The control of the epidemic made possible the recovery in the second quarter," Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economics professor at Columbia University, told Xinhua via email. "In our world today, good public health is the key to good economic outcomes." China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 percent year on year in the second quarter, following a 6.8 percent contraction in the first quarter, according to newly released data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at Washington D.C.-based think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), told Xinhua in a recent phone interview that 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. Retail sales, which are only slightly down in June compared with the same month last year, have done "extremely well" compared with other economies and "improved dramatically," the veteran China watcher noted. "I think we'll see further recovery in retail sales, which will contribute to the growth of the service sector," Lardy said. Andy Rothman, an investment strategist at San Francisco-based investment firm Matthews Asia, wrote in a recent analysis that China's V-shaped economic recovery continued for a fourth consecutive month in June, led by strong domestic demand. The recovery of sales of autos and homes in China last month reflects that "middle-class and wealthy consumers have both sufficient money and enough confidence in the future to spend it," Rothman said. Noting that restaurant and bar sales in China were still down last month, Rothman said these businesses that require customers to gather in confined spaces are likely to take a long time to fully recover. Lardy told Xinhua that he thinks China's economic recovery will continue in the second half of the year, since the country has the COVID-19 under control. 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." The economist said he thinks China is going to grow by 2 to 3 percent this year, a more optimistic projection than that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which both forecast a growth rate of roughly 1.0 percent for China. Yukon Huang, a senior fellow with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, however, took a more cautious tone. "Recent data is encouraging and suggest that China is the first major economy to get out of the virus-induced recession but it is too soon to tell if the rebound has leveled off already or will accelerate," Huang told Xinhua via email. "The caution comes from modest growth in consumption since households are cautious and concerns about export prospects given possible virus setbacks in the U.S. and Europe," said Huang, who served as the World Bank's country director for China from 1997 to 2004. Lardy, meanwhile, highlighted China's resilience on the export side. "Several months ago, a lot of people were saying that the external sector was going to be a big drag on China's growth," he said. "But that clearly has not happened yet." Global trade is down 16 percent year-to-date, while China's exports in June rose 0.5 percent from a year earlier, Lardy said, noting that "it's an extremely strong performance" compared with the rest of the world. "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." Sachs, also a senior United Nations advisor, said China's economic recovery will help to lead a global recovery. China should join together with Japan, South Korea, and other countries that have suppressed the virus to support other countries, especially in Africa and Asia, to do the same, Sachs said. "That will speed the return to global sustainable development." Enditem An elderly couple was burnt to death in their sleep on suspicion of practising witchcraft while a witch doctor allegedly branded a womans face with hot iron and forced her to eat pigs excreta to cure her of an ailment in Odisha on Sunday, police said. In Nimapali village of Jajpur district, miscreants set fire to the house of an elderly couple - Shaila and Basanti - Balumuch late Sunday night when they were sleeping in their home. Villagers suspected the couple of practising witchcraft after about half a dozen people of Nimapali died due to different causes over the last two weeks. The couple was killed in the blaze. Tipu Buliuli, brother-in-law of Basanti said they were not on good terms with other villagers over some reasons. The villagers used to falsely accuse them of practicing witchcraft, said Buliuli. Jajpurs Superintendent of Police Charan Singh Meena said the circumstances under which the couple died are being ascertained. We have seized the burnt bodies of the couple and sent them to the hospital for postmortem. We are looking into the allegation of the couple being killed over suspicion of sorcery, he said. This is second such witchcraft-related murder in Jajpur district this month. A few days ago, a woman was also murdered on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. In another incident on Sunday, a woman was admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri with burn injuries on her face after a witchdoctor branded her face with hot iron to cast off an evil spirit. Lipika Orao, a resident of MV-6 village under Malkangiri block in the district had been sick for about a week following which locals suspected that she was possessed by an evil spirit. They called for a witch doctor who thrashed the woman, branded her face with hot iron and fed her pig excreta as part of the treatment. The womens condition turned serious after which they called an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker. ASHA worker Laxmi Munda who admitted the victim to the Malkangiri district headquarters hospital said Oraos condition was critical. She was already sick before the witch doctor applied his bizarre treatment. The feeding of excreta and beating has turned her health condition critical, said Munda. The witch doctor is said to be a relative of the woman. The witch doctor has been arrested, Malkangiris Superintendent of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One man was shot and killed Sunday outside a residence at North 72nd Street and Lathrop Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Officers were called to a shooting about 10:20 a.m. and located a man with gunshot wounds. [July 20, 2020] A New Tool to Make it Easier to Access Downtown Parking Lots Unveiling new mobile app features, first innovative partnership and launch of test phase MONTREAL, July 20, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Agence de mobilite durable (the "Agency") announces the implementation of a pilot project that aims to allow downtown visitors to take advantage of various existing parking lots offering and thus reduce the time to find a parking space. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the City of Montreal, as part of the redevelopment works of Sainte-Catherine Street. To better identify the overall downtown parking offering, the Agency is currently developing a new version of its mobile application, called P$ Montreal Centre-Ville for the purpose of the pilot project, to which is integrated a major novelty: several private parking lots in this area located near Sainte-Catherine Street will now be identified, geolocated on a map and will be easily accessible through the application. Therefore, with the aim of pooling the parking offer already available in private downtown parking lots, a first partnership was developed with Indigo Park Canada. Users will now be able to benefit from the same rates as parking on Sainte-Catherine Street West in several nearby indoor garages managed by Indigo; users will automatically benefit from the discounted fare for two hours, without any additional action on their part, simply by showing up in one of the participating parking lots part of this unique project. "This new tool will provide access to several downtown parking lots near Sainte- Catherine Street, at on-street parking rates for the first two hours, thanks to an innovative partnership with Indigo Park Canada and parking owners ", said Mr. Laurent Chevrot, General Manager of the Agency. "We want to provide an additional tool to facilitate urban mobility, reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gases associated with finding parking spaces, and support Sainte-Catherine Street and downtown Montreal's commercial activities." "With the creation of the Agence de mobilite durable at the beginning of the year, we wanted to stimulate technological advances and launch Montreal's mobility into the 21st century. Thanks to this application, access to the many downtown parking lots, which are often still largely unknown, will be greatly facilitated and offered at an affordable rate. I invite people to respond to the Agency's call," highlighted Mr. Eric Alan Caldwell, Head of Urban Planning, Mobility, and the Montreal Public Consultation Office on the City of Montreal's Executive Committee "For Montrealers and motorists in the region, this is a new and unprecedented offer to find easy and quick parking in the downtown area," enthusiastically shared Mr. Louis Jacob, Executive Vice-President for Indigo Park Canada. "Indigo has been facilitating mobility in Montreal for 30 years, so we are pleased to have entered into this partnership between the Agency, the City, Indigo and our parking owners. All parties have worked very hard to achieve this, to innovate, and to make life easier for citizens and merchants. We are ready to welcome a lot of people in our parking lots." This application will continue to offer the P$ Mobile Service app's similar basic features, which Montrealers are familiar with, in a renewed interface, and will add options to finding parking in downtown Montreal. Following the pilot project, these features will be integrated into the P$ Mobile Service app, which will be redeployed and available to all users in its upgraded version. The Agency partnered with Passport to create and power the application. What's New with P$ Montreal Centre-Ville Thanks to the new P$ Montreal Centre-Ville features, users will be able to: Connect with the same login information as P$ Mobile Service; View the Agency's, and its partners', parking offer, its location on a map and the applicable rates by sector; Plan their trips; RSVP and pay their parking in advance in a selection of participating lots/garages; Use the navigation tool to get to their destination; Take advantage of the on-street parking pricing in participating lots/garages. Open Invitation to Test the App In the coming days, the test phase will be launched, and it will be open to both current P$ Mobile Service users and all motorists and citizens who would like to test the beta app before its official launch. The Agency therefore invites all citizens who are interested in taking part in this experiment to register for the pilot project by visiting the following page: Pilot Project | P$ Montreal Centre-Ville About the Agence de mobilite durable A paramunicipal organization, the Agence de mobilite durable's mission is to ensure the management, regulatory enforcement, and innovative development of paid on-street and off-street parking throughout the city of Montreal. Through its leadership, it will contribute to improving customer experience, street sharing and public domain occupation by supporting actions that promote urban mobility. Since January 1, 2020, the Societe en commandite Stationnement de Montreal's activities, as well as those of the Service d'application reglementaire de stationnement (SARS), previously under the Service de police de la Ville de Montreal, have been transferred to the Agence de mobilite durable. SOURCE Agence de mobilite durable [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] My knee just wobbles about and if I dont use my two walking sticks, I will fall. Its very scary, she said. She, along with nearly four million people in England on the National Health Service, are on waiting lists for routine hospital treatments. Many patients like Ms. Fawcett are experiencing a deterioration in their health as hospitals operate at reduced capacity to accommodate coronavirus patients. Details: The waiting list may soar to 10 million people by the end of the year, according to the N.H.S. Confederation, which represents hospitals and other health care providers. The service rejects that estimate. Bigger picture: The coronavirus has sickened more people in Britain than in any other European country, with more than 45,000 dead and nearly 300,000 infected, although deaths have been on the decline recently. Pioneer School in Muranga has responded after a video was shared online showing a teacher smoking during a virtual class. According to unverified reports last week, a section of parents and at least two teachers claimed the Physics teacher identified as Peter Gitonga smoked in front in front of learners, who then recorded him and shared the clip with parents and a section of the school community. This prompted the Principal to assure parents that they were investigating the incident and would take appropriate disciplinary action against the teacher. However, the schools management has issued an update on the matter, defending the teacher. In a statement to parents, the schools administration explained that the teacher smoked thinking his video was off as he had already ended his lesson. Seeing that another teacher had already started the next lesson, the physics teacher decided to smoke, but mistakenly with his video on, said the school. They said the video was uploaded by a parent after the administration unsuccessfully pleaded with him not to. This was posted by a form 2 parent even after pleading with him not to, they said. They also noted that the teacher had never smoked in the school compound. Nevertheless, the administrators said they had taken disciplinary actions against the teacher, and asked parents to always inform them when such things occur to avoid tarnishing the schools name. The Trump administration is carrying out an extraordinary intervention in the city of Portland, Oregon, targeting demonstrators protesting against police killings for violent assault and what amounts to kidnapping by federal agents. Armed thugs of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal agencies have fired on crowds with CS tear gas, rubber bullets and sonic weapons that can do permanent physical damage. At least one protester has been severely injured by an impact munition fired by a federal marshal. Federal agents have driven up to groups of protesters, grabbed people and bundled them into unmarked vans, hauling them off to undisclosed locations for interrogation. Many of these agents have worn generic camouflage rather than uniforms which normally identify their names or agencies. One protester, who was seized by men in military fatigues and patches on their clothing saying only police, said he did not know whether they were actually police or ultraright extremists working with the police. It feels like fascism, he said. Portland is intended as a test case of the type of methods that Trump pledged to carry out on June 1, when he threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 against the mass protests over the police murder of George Floyd, and ordered thousands of federal agents and National Guard troops into the streets of Washington, D.C. Federal agents pepper spray and beat a protester in Portland. (Image Credit: Screenshot from video by Zane Sparling) The relatively small-scale protests in a few blocks of downtown Portland do not represent any significant threat to life or property, consisting mainly of spray-painting graffiti, setting off fireworks and defying local police orders to disperse. A few hundred people have gathered regularly each night for the past seven weeks to call for defunding local police and demand other reforms of the notoriously violent and repressive Portland Police Bureau. Trump deliberately seized on these protests, in a city and state controlled by the Democratic Party, in order to test out methods of brutal repression. Last week, he urged acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to intervene in Portland. Wolf visited the city on July 16 to oversee the provocative attacks and made statements denouncing violent anarchists, accusing local officials of fostering an environment that continues to breed this type of lawlessness. Federal agents were deployed to two federal buildings in the downtown area that are adjacent to the local courthouse, where the nightly protests have been focused. The spearhead of the federal attack is BORTAC, the SWAT-style force deployed by Customs and Border Protection, even though Portland is 400 miles from the nearest US border. Besides BORTAC, forces were provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the US Marshals Service, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Protective Service, which guards federal buildings. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in Oregon against the DHS and the Marshals Service for indiscriminately using tear gas, rubber bullets and acoustic weapons. An ACLU spokesman said, 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. The federal forces are not only violating the constitutional rights of local protesters, they are effectively usurping the authority of both local and state governments. Two senators and two congressmen from Oregon issued a letter calling the federal intervention unacceptable under our Constitution, saying that snatching people off the street with no apparent reason was an action more reflective of tactics of a government led by a dictator Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has filed a lawsuit, seeking a temporary restraining order against further arrests, while Governor Kate Brown called for the withdrawal of all federal forces from Portland. The citys mayor, Ted Wheeler, said Sunday, Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And its not helping the situation at all. Theyre not wanted here. As is clear from Wheelers comments, the Democrats main fear is that the intervention by the federal agents could blow up a situation which they would prefer to handle with local police repression. Wheeler, a multimillionaire, was being denounced as Tear Gas Ted until the federal officers were sent in to supplant the Portland cops as the main agents of repression in the city. According to federal district court Judge Marco Hernandez, commenting on a suit brought by one protest organization, there was evidence that officers have violated the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters, and that at least one protester, who was complying with Portland Police Bureau orders, was nonetheless subjected to rubber bullets, tear gas, and a flash-bang at close range. Trump aims to use the Portland situation as a template for similar actions in other cities. An internal Department of Homeland Security memorandum obtained by the New York Times cites the need to prepare for future encounters with protesters (and federal agents) in other cities. Both Trump and one of his top advisers, anti-immigrant fanatic Stephen Miller, made statements last week threatening federal intervention against an alleged breakdown of law and order in a number of Democratic-controlled cities, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, the three largest in the country. In a typically grandiose lie, Trump told Fox News Sunday that we could lose Portland if he did not move ahead with the federal intervention. It is no accident that Trump has chosen CBP and BORTAC as the pointmen for his assault. His call in June for military intervention against protesters failed, not because of opposition by the Democratsthere was nonebut because the Pentagon felt such an action was both politically unprepared and unduly risky, posing the danger of a massive political backlash against the military. But in the CBP, Trump has an agency with an openly fascistic culture, as demonstrated by reports of internal Facebook groups where thousands of CBP officers exchange racist and antidemocratic messages. Last week CBP had to fire four employees and suspend dozens of others for participating in these groups, mainly one called Im 1015, a code for aliens in custody, which had 9,000 members, including top officials. Trump has repeatedly sought to appeal for support among the police, local, state and federal, on the basis of racism, antiimmigrant chauvinism, and anticommunism. Last fall he traveled to Minneapolis to hold a rally where local cops turned out in force, and he delivered an antisocialist diatribe against what he called the radical left. Eight months later, Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin put Trumps precepts into practice, murdering George Floyd with a knee on his neck. With his administration in deepening political crisis, brought on by its gross negligence and willful malpractice in the coronavirus pandemic, the sudden increase in unemployment to Depression levels, and mass protests against police violence that followed the murder of George Floyd, Trump is increasingly driven to resort to the most desperate and antidemocratic measures. In his interview with Fox News Sunday, Trump again refused to say whether he would accept the results of the November 3 election, with polls showing a collapse in support both for the Republican Party and for himself personally. The resort to brutal force in Portland is a warning of the methods which Trump is preparing to maintain his grip on power and to strike back at his main enemy: the American working class. Kourtney Kardashian has been enjoying plenty of quality family time with her kids during quarantine. And the Poosh founder recently had the whole brood along this weekend for her latest family outing. She kept warm in a brown hoodie Sunday, as she was joined by ex Scott Disick during a day at the beach in Malibu with their three children. Family outing: Kourtney Kardashian kept warm in a brown hoodie Sunday, as she was joined by ex Scott Disick during a day at the beach in Malibu with their three children The 41-year-old put on a leggy display, finishing the look with a brown Fendi bucket hat and matching cat-eye sunglasses. She held her Pomeranians under her arms as she walked barefoot in the sand with the kids. Scott, 37, donned a blue retro printed short-sleeve shirt, which he paired with a pair of red swim trunks. He finished the look with a pair of brown sunglasses and a gold watch with some matching bracelets. Leggy display: The 41-year-old put on a leggy display, finishing the look with a brown Fendi bucket hat and matching cat-eye sunglasses Pups: She held her Pomeranians under her arms as she walked barefoot in the sand Family: Kourtney and Scott watched as their kids packed up the fluffy pooches in a basket Beach bum chic: Scott, 37, donned a blue retro printed short-sleeve shirt, which he paired with a pair of red swim trunks Stay gold: He finished the look with a pair of brown sunglasses and a gold watch with some matching bracelets Proud parents: Kourtney and Scott were together from 2006 to 2015, and they share sons Mason Dash, 10, Reign Aston, five, and Penelope Scotland, eight Parents: The exes have remained very close despite the official end of their relationship Kourtney and Scott were together from 2006 to 2015, and they share sons Mason Dash, 10, Reign Aston, five, and Penelope Scotland, eight. She took to her Instagram Story as she went for a swim Saturday with her friend Addison Rae, both of them fully clothed in their pajamas for the dip. The oldest Kardashian sibling floated on her back in a classic red striped set, as Addison donned a matching pair in blue, both of them soaking wet. She also enjoyed some tea and a slice of her Bomb A** Poosh Cake, from her company's collab with Little House Confections, complete with a seaside view. Pajama swim: She to her Instagram Story as she went for a swim Saturday with her friend Addison Rae, both of them fully clothed in their pajamas for the dip Soaking wet: The oldest Kardashian sibling floated on her back in a classic red striped set, as Addison donned a matching pair in blue, both of them soaking wet Sweet tooth: She also enjoyed some tea and a slice of her Bomb A** Poosh Cake, from her company's collab with Little House Confections, complete with a seaside view Book club: Kourtney later squeezed in some reading time, as she and friend Harry Hudson dived into self-help book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz Kourtney later squeezed in some reading time, as she and friend Harry Hudson dived into self-help book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. The mother-of-three previously shared a video of the gorgeous vista, as helicopters circled above, writing: 'Rise n' shine.' She, Addison and Harry have been celebrating their friend Phil Riportella's birthday, along with his fiance Simon Huck. The crew was spotted the night before, taking the birthday boy to dinner at popular sushi bar Nobu Malibu. By Ayya Lmahamad A large protest rally was held outside of the UN Headquarters in Geneva over recent military provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the Armenian- Azerbaijani state border, local media reported with reference to State Committee for Diaspora Affairs on July 20. The rally was organized by Swiss Coordination Council and Swiss Cultural Center of Azerbaijan on July 19. The speakers in the rally called on the UN to organize a mission to investigate provocations and attacks of Armenia, and to take measures against the occupying Armenia. Representatives of Turkish communities stressed once again their readiness to support Azerbaijan, as they have done so far. Moreover, the speakers expressed confidence that independent Azerbaijan, which is peaceful and respects the norms of international law and attaches great importance to human values, will liberate its territories from the Armenian occupation. Furthermore, daughter of Azerbaijans National Hero Riad Ahmedov, Fariza Ahmedova, speaking at the protest action, emphasized that as a result of aggression and occupation by Armenia, thousands of Azerbaijani children, like herself, lost their fathers in the early 90s. "The Armenian aggression has been going on for 30 years, which still deprives fathers of Azerbaijani children like me. Four resolutions adopted 28 years ago by the Security Council on the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian occupation are still not implemented. We, Azerbaijanis, call on such an influential organization as the UN to stop this arbitrariness, take decisive steps to stop the fact of aggression and such provocations, she stated. Similar protests against Armenias military provocation on the Azerbaijani- Armenian state border were held in various European countries such as The Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Lithuania, Germany etc, as well as in United Kingdom, U.S., Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Israel. The rallies are taking place following several days of gross ceasefire violations by Armenian armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz region. Participants of the protest actions, support Azerbaijani army, and called on international organizations to investigate provocations and attacks of Armenia, and reach the settlement of Azerbaijan- Armenian Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. It should be noted that, as a result of cross-border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, started on July 12 with Armenia's firing artillery at Azerbaijan's positions in the direction of Tovuz region, Azerbaijani army lost several officers and soldiers. One civilian was killed as a result of artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz chembid and the Coating Additives Business Line of Evonik announce their cooperation. The platforms have set themselves the goal of making processes and decisions for chemical companies more efficient and driving forward the digitization in the chemical industry. The basis for this are intelligent, modern technologies such as machine learning and business intelligence services. COATINO was launched by Evonik at the end of June. The digital assistant supports its users with technical expertise and information about suitable additives and formulations. The unique digital assistant was developed by Evonik specifically for the coatings industry. COATINO is designed to help experts from the paints, coatings, and inks sectors to save time and money in product research and development. Depending on the desired product properties and application, COATINO provides paint and coatings manufacturers with suitable additive solutions. chembid facilitates the purchase and sale of these special products based on market insights and product and supplier information. The SaaS platform provides access to global market data via the chembid search engine and an interactive dashboard. Market insights, such as current product demand, price developments, potential new customers, and in-depth product information, greatly simplifies and accelerates business decisions. This market information also represents genuine added value for manufacturers and buyers of coating products. The coating industry is of enormous importance for us. The demand for raw materials and additives used to produce paints and coatings is high. We are very pleased that the cooperation with Evonik Coating Additives will enable us to further strengthen our position in the coatings sector and, with the help of our data-driven services, make business decisions easier for companies of the coating industry, explains Christian Burger, Managing Director of chembid. A Kentucky couple were placed under house arrest and forced to wear ankle monitors after refusing to sign a self-quarantine order after testing positive for coronavirus. Elizabeth and Isaiah Linscott said authorities from the health department and sheriff's office showed up at their Radcliff, Kentucky, home Thursday because she declined to sign the order. The woman had voluntarily tested for COVID-19 before going to visit her parents out of state and found she was positive but without symptoms. She was told to sign a self-quarantine order that restricted the family to their home unless she first contacted the Hardin County Health Department, WBTV reported. Elizabeth said she declined to sign the order because it meant she would have to wait and contact officials before seeking urgent medical treatment if she became very sick with the deadly virus. Elizabeth and Isaiah Linscott of Radcliff, Kentucky, said they were placed on house arrest by authorities who showed up at their home Thursday because she declined to sign a COVID-19 self-quarantine order. Husband and wife are pictured from an in image posted on Instagram The couple not only landed under house arrest, but were forced to wear ankle bracelets by their local health officials 'My part was if I have to go to the ER, if I have to go to the hospital, I'm not going to wait to get the approval to go,' she said. A spokesperson from the Hardin County Health Department was not immediately available when DailyMail.com reached out for comment. Elizabeth recalled she had gotten herself tested for COVID-19 as a precaution before going to visit her parents and other family. 'My grandparents wanted to see me, too,' she said. 'So just to make sure if they tested negative, that they would be OK, everything would be fine.' The woman said that she was contacted by health officials after receiving a positive test result, which was when they asked her to sign the self-quarantine order. Elizabeth said she had gotten herself tested as a precaution before going to visit her parents and other family. Even though she declined to sign, Elizabeth told WBTV that she would still have followed the appropriate precautions if she had required medical treatment, including disclosing that she had tested positive. Her failure to sign the 'Self-isolation and Controlled Movement Agreed Order,' brought an unexpected visit from the Hardin County Sheriff's Office on Thursday. 'I open up the door and there's like eight different people,' said her husband Isaiah, who was home when authorities showed up, reported WAVE3. 'Five different cars and I'm like what the heck's going on? This guy's in a suit with a mask, it's the health department guy and he has three different papers for us. For me, her and my daughter.' Elizbeth Linscott's failure to sign a 'Self-isolation and Controlled Movement Agreed Order,' brough an unexpected visit from the Hardin County Sheriff's Office to her home on Thursday. 'I open up the door and there's like eight different people,' said her husband Isaiah (left) The ankle bracelets they now wear will alert authorities if the couple gets more than 200 feet from their home. 'We didn't rob a store, we didn't steal something, we didn't hit and run, we didn't do anything wrong,' Elizabeth Linscott told WAVE3. She added that her intentions were not to defy the self-quarantine. 'That's exactly what the Director of the Public Health Department told the judge, that I was refusing to self-quarantine because of this and that was not the case at all,' Linscott said. 'I never said that.' There have been more than 3.7 million cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 140,000 deaths. Kentucky, which is among states which reopened from mandated lockdowns, has had more than 23,000 cases and more than 670 deaths. As cases continue to rise across the country, Governor Andy Beshear announced Sunday that Kentucky had 979 new cases of COVID-19, which was the largest single-day increase in the pandemic for the state. * Coronavirus: leader of Shincheonji church questioned by South Korean prosecutors* Secretive sect was hotbed of Covid-19 infection during early phase of countrys outbreak* Lee Man-hee, 88, is accused of ordering church officials to hide followers identities, hampering contact tracing by health authoritiesPark Chan-kyongSouth China Morning PostJuly 18, 2020The head of a secretive South Korean church that was at the centre of the countrys initial coronavirus outbreak in February was questioned on Friday by state prosecutors over alleged obstruction of quarantine efforts and other irregularities.Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church , was interrogated at the Suwon District Prosecutors Office in Suwon, south of Seoul, for four hours before he was allowed to return home as he complained of chronic illness, according to Yonhap news agency.Lee, 88, is accused of ordering church officials to hide the identities of some followers, as well as information about where the churchs secretive indoctrination sessions took place, acts that hampered contact tracing by health authorities.He also allegedly ordered the destruction of evidence and embezzled church funds.This is the first time that the octogenarian religious leader has been questioned by judicial authorities in connection with the outbreak.The move followed the arrest of three other Shincheonji officials on charges of obstructing justice and destroying evidence.The trio are accused of handing in false documents to health authorities in February about the number of followers and venues for past gatherings when the Covid-19 outbreak began to spread quickly.Church officials have concealed the names of followers as many of them fear being shunned by relatives and colleagues if their affiliation with the secretive sect is revealed.The church, which boasts more than 100,000 followers, came under harsh criticism in the early phase of South Koreas epidemic as it became a hotbed for Covid-19. Thousands of followers at the Shincheonji branch in the southeastern city of Daegu were infected by the highly contagious virus.The churchs aggressive proselytising methods and secretive indoctrination sessions that take place in closed and crowded spaces have been largely blamed for spreading the virus rapidly.In an apparent bid to appease the public, the church this week announced that some 500 followers who had recovered from Covid-19 would donate their convalescent serum to help treat others.South Korea has successfully flattened the curve of the disease, reporting between 11 and 21 new daily cases over the past week and posting a total caseload of 13,672 on Friday.Jung Eun-kyeong, head of South Koreas Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, on Friday stressed the importance of face masks to ward off the virus.Last month, an infected person shared a taxi with three other people in the southern city of Gwangju for an hour but no transmission occurred as all the four people wore face masks, she said.At a church in Gyeonggi Province, an infected mother and her daughter attended three separate prayer sessions in a period of a week, where a total of 9,000 other followers took part.But no transmission occurred there either as the church made it a rule for all participants in religious gatherings to cover their faces. A Vietnam Airlines aircraft lands at San Francisco International Airport in the U.S., May 8, 2020. Photo courtesy of San Francisco International Airport. Vietnam Airlines will operate four flights from Hanoi to the U.S. in the coming weeks for Americans stranded in the country by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Two flights landing at the San Francisco International Airport will take off on July 26 and August 18, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam announced on its Facebook page. The other two flights will leave the Noi Bai International Airport for Houston on August 4 and for the Washington Dulles International Airport on August 10. The one-way ticket to all destinations will cost $1,000 per person. Those interested should register by Wednesday noon for the July 26 flight and next Monday noon for the August flights, the embassy said. It was not known whether the flights would bring back Vietnamese citizens stuck in the U.S. Nearly 2,000 Vietnamese nationals stranded in the U.S., the worlds biggest Covid-19 hotspot now with nearly 3.9 million infections and 143,289 deaths, have been repatriated so far. As of June 10, only nine Americans had been repatriated from Vietnam on two special Vietnam Airlines flights, according to the U.S. State Department. Vietnam suspended all international flights on March 25 as a Covid-19 containment measure and thousands of foreigners are reportedly stuck in the country. Boris Johnson signalled he would be tough with China as the Government prepared to change extradition arrangements with Hong Kong. Further measures will be set out on Monday in response to Chinas imposition of a tough new national security law on Hong Kong amid growing tensions with Beijing. The Prime Minister confirmed there would be changes in extradition arrangements but promised a balanced approach to relations with Beijing rather than a knee-jerk anti-Chinese policy. The UK is expected to follow the example of the US, Canada and Australia and suspend an extradition treaty with Hong Kong because of the impact of the security law on the territory. The move risks further infuriating Beijing which was already smarting over the Governments decision last week to exclude the tech giant Huawei from the UKs 5G network reversing a decision in January allowing it a limited role. The Prime Minister said: There is a balance here. Im not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China. But we do have serious concerns. Those included the treatment of the Uighur minority and alleged human rights abuses as well as the situation in Hong Kong. Mr Johnson said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would set out how we are going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about whats happening with the security law in Hong Kong. But the Prime Minister said he would not completely abandon our policy of engagement with China. You have got to have a calibrated response and we are going to be tough on some things but also going to continue to engage. Mr Raab has accused the communist regime of committing gross, egregious human rights abuses against the countrys Uighur population in the north-western Xinjiang province. Story continues The criticism was furthered by the chair of the defence select committee, Tobias Ellwood, who said Britain has been duped over the last couple of decades by China. He told BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour programme: I really want to see a reset of our entire foreign policy, bearing in mind that we are sliding towards a cold war, we cant do this on our own, we need to work with our allies. We turned a blind eye to what was going on with the Uighur population, we turned a blind eye to the uneven trade situation whereby Chinese companies could operate quite liberally within the UK and elsewhere but our companies couldnt operate within China and now I think its time to say enough is enough. The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, said Beijing was still evaluating its response to the Huawei ruling. There were reports at the weekend that the Chinese social media company TikTok had broken off talks to open a global headquarters in Britain. The firm faces being banned in the US over security concerns but its head of public policy for Europe, Theo Bertram, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme it was completely false to suggest the Chinese state had access to users information. In a combative BBC interview on Sunday, Mr Liu denounced Britain for dancing to the tune of the US and accused Western countries of trying to foment a new cold war with China. He also rejected the allegations of widespread abuses against the mainly-Muslim Uighur people, accusing so-called Western intelligence of making repeated false allegations against China. He suggested video footage, said to be from Xinjiang, showing men, kneeling and blindfolded waiting to be led onto trains by police officers was fake. Meanwhile, China is expected to be high on the agenda this week when US secretary of state Mike Pompeo travels to London for talks with senior British figures. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is flying to London for talks with senior figures (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Pompeo flies out on Monday ahead of meetings expected on Tuesday with Boris Johnson and Mr Raab, as well as MPs pressing the Government to take a harder line on China. The US has warmly welcomed the Governments U-turn on Huawei, which followed intensive lobby by the Trump administration. Ministers said they had little choice after the intelligence services warned they could no longer be sure Huawei products were secure after the US imposed fresh sanctions on the company. Reports from Nigerias north-western state of Kaduna say gunmen have shot dead at least 18 people and injured more than 30 others at a wedding party. The attack happened on Sunday night in the village of Kukun-Daji in the Kaura area of Kaduna. Community leader Jonathan Asake told the BBC that the gunmen opened fire on the party-goers as they danced to loud music in an open compound during the wedding celebrations. He said 15 people died on the spot, then three others died while receiving treatment in a hospital. The bride and groom escaped unhurt. The gunmen fled immediately after the raid. Police spokesperson for Kaduna state Muhammad Jalinge confirmed the deadly attack but could not give any casualty figures saying that they were still gathering information. He told the BBC that no arrests have been made. Its not yet clear who was behind the attack, but criminal gangs on bikes have been attacking communities in several states in north-west Nigeria, killing or kidnapping people for ransom as well as stealing livestock. On Saturday, at least 16 military personnel including three senior officers were reportedly killed as troops advanced on a notorious camp for criminal gangs inside a forest in neighbouring Katsina state. More than 8,000 people have been killed there over the last decade. Military operations and the offer of an amnesty have failed to stop the violence. (Photo : Lizzi Capri's Official YouTube Channel) Love it or hate it, influencer marketing is still used by brands to drive awareness. Despite reports that sponsored posts on Instagram related to influencer content dropped from February's 35% to April's 4% social media influencer Lizzy Capri is still thriving. She now shares her tips on how to improve your social media presence to help you and your business grow through social media. Capri, the cofounder of Team RAR, leverages her brand's likeness to help the non-profit: The Thirst Project. This organization delivers clean drinking water to impoverished communities and countries around the globe. She said she has been working with the non-profit organization for quite some time now. "I've loved being able to use my platform to shine a light on the incredible work they do every day to better the lives of people around the world," Capri said. When did she start gathering followers? Capri has accumulated nearly seven million followers on social media and over a billion views across her social media platforms in two years through ingenuity and intellect. Team RAR YouTube channel got its silver play button in January 2020. Her success has attracted and created partnerships with LEGO and Elmer's, where they have tapped into her viral content creation ability. Capri studied at Carnegie Mellon University and worked as a technical writer at LinkedIn before becoming a full-time YouTuber. She started assisting another producer on a YouTube channel to stay artistic. When that channel 's popularity increased, Capri continued to collaborate with Carter Sharer on the original content. By creating unthinkable scenarios such as riding in a real-life tank, she draws viewers. According to a Forbes report, Capri played with the videos to discover how the YouTube algorithm worked and how videos went viral. She pledged that she would quit her day job once they hit 100,000 followers and concentrate on creating a brand. Capri is attributing various outsourcing tasks such as video editing to let her and the Team stay focused on the brand's vision. She said they had to create a business, so her Team needed to treat it like a business. "[It] was difficult to create the framework for the back end and find out where my energies are best spent," Capri pointed out. ALSO READ: [WATCH] Twitch Streamer Alinity Breaks Down Following Internet Trolling; Ninja Apologizes Tips on how to grow a social media presence Capri shares her top three advice to grow a social presence despite continually changing social media algorithms and the emergence of new platforms such as TikTok. Be consistent with the material that you share Consistency shows confidence and increases impressions. Team RAR produces between two and three videos each week. Work smarter, not harder But with the saturation of social media, the saturation data points can be used to help you stand out by making trial and error posts. Build off what works for your company Start creating the brand identity around the popular posts as you begin to evaluate the data and find out what styles and styles of posts are getting the most interaction. Capri said she wanted to inspire her young followers to use theirs whenever they see an issue in the world. "It is our generation that will hopefully solve some of these issues," she said. ALSO READ: Twitch Drama Over Charity Streams: Ninja Claps Back at Alinity and Brings Up Cat Abuse Allegations 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Roomkey failed because it didn't sell rooms. The major decline in global travel in 2001 created the perfect storm that allowed the Online Travel Agencies to grow from virtually unknown to the giant presence they have in hospitality today. By the time Roomkey was launched in 2012, hotels were going gangbusters and the OTAs had secured a gigantic share of the B2C market. The OTAs were already implementing emerging technology to improve their customer experience online and had shown a willingness to reinvest all their excess margin in marketing to acquire new customers for the future. Roomkey's model of lower costs by spending less meant few consumers ever laid eyes on their inventory despite it probably being the best value for the few who did, so it failed. Today could be different. Like the rest of the industry, the OTAs are struggling right now. Even before COVID, they were acknowledging that they had extended themselves too far. And like all major crisis, there will be a period of innovation that follows. The question is: What will it be? With a well-designed, disruptive approach, a hotel owned OTA could work today. Here are a few thoughts: Focus on strengths. Surely, a group of hotels must be able to secure inventory and organize it to be efficiently sold better than a third party. By eliminating most of the massive marketing and infrastructure expenditures, plus one set of shareholders from the transaction, they should be able to offer very attractive net rates, to then be marketed by someone else. Democratize the innovation portion. It cannot be ignored that if the major brands could out-market the OTAs, they would have already done so. Eventually, someone is going to figure out a way to sell rooms than doesn't also mean making Google rich. By efficiently distributing the best affiliate rates, this marketplace would ensure that the upcoming customer-facing innovation has an attractive way to connect to supply and give existing OTA affiliate marketers something to consider as well. Take a leadership role in the next normal. Now is the time to step up, before something less desirable fills the void. The return of travel and a healthy hospitality industry is obviously in everyone's collective best interest. Much of the world's hotel inventory does not have the benefit of brand distribution and standards, and without an alternative, has only been rendered more beholden to the OTAs. A Fordham University student is threatening to sue the university after it placed him on disciplinary probation for Instagram posts commemorating the Tiananmen Square Massacre and memorializing a black retired police officer killed during a riot in St. Louis, Mo., last month. Fordham found that rising senior Austin Tongs posts violated its policies on bias and/or hate crimes and threats/intimidation. The probation restricts his access to campus, forcing him to finish his degree online, and bars him from participating in extracurricular activities. The university also ordered Tong to complete implicit bias training and to write a letter of apology. On June 3, Tong posted a photo of David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired police captain who was fatally shot by a looter while trying to defend a friendas pawnshop from theft during a riot a day earlier.A Zac Efron has been lying low in Byron Bay during the COVID-19 pandemic. And the Hollywood actor revealed on Monday that his extended stay in Australia wasn't related to any film or television role. 'He is not there for work,' a spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph, confirming that he was in the country solely for personal reasons. Scroll down for video The mystery deepens: Zac Efron has confirmed he is NOT in Australia for work - as rumours swirl he's settling Down Under for good It has been reported that Zac has been quietly living in Byron Bay for 'months', with sources suggesting he moved there to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. The 32-year-old, who hit the big time after starring in Disney's 2006 hit High School Musical, was spotted earlier this month at the Byron Bay General Store cafe. In photos obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, Zac hugged a brunette waitress and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek goodbye. There is nothing romantic going on between them, however, because Zac is believed to be in a long-term relationship with actress Halston Sage, 26. Laying low: Zac has been quietly living in Byron Bay for 'months', with sources suggesting he moved there to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Pictured in Sydney Spotted: The 32-year-old, who hit the big time after starring in Disney's 2006 hit High School Musical, was keeping a low-profile earlier this month at the Byron Bay General Store cafe The actor previously hinting at his plans to leave Hollywood in his new docu-series for Netflix, Down to Earth. In the fourth episode, the Baywatch star confesses he has 'gotta get out of Hollywood', adding that he is 'done' with that lifestyle because it is 'not conducive' to a 'long, happy, mentally-sound life'. Although Zac joked that he isn't planning to flee Hollywood for good, just yet, his decision to escape Los Angeles in favor of Australia during the coronavirus pandemic suggests he may well be exploring relocating there temporarily. 'I've gotta get out of Hollywood': The actor previously hinting at his plans to leave Hollywood in his new docu-series for Netflix, Down to Earth Interestingly, Australian heartthrob Chris Hemsworth also cited similar reasons when he moved his family to Byron Bay in 2016. 'I love what I do as an actor, but when you are surrounded by it constantly, it becomes a bit suffocating,' he said at the time. 'We were living shoulder to shoulder in the suburbs and thought thats not how we want our kids to grow up. Moving to a kind of farm setup back here on the coast in Australia has been the best thing.' Chris, 36, Spanish wife Elsa Pataky, 44, and their three children live in a $20 million mega-mansion in Byron Bay's hinterland. T20 World Cup postponed, as expected The ICC has finally announced it will indeed postpone the T20 World Cup in Australia. It was due to be held from 18 October - 15 November, however back in May Cricket Australia had told the ICC it considered it would be basically impossible to stage a closed-door event requiring quarantine for 16 international teams and their coaching and support staff. ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: We have undertaken a comprehensive and complex contingency planning exercise and through this process, our number one priority has been to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in the sport. The decision to postpone the ICC Mens T20 World Cup was taken after careful consideration of all of the options available to us and gives us the best possible opportunity of delivering two safe and successful T20 World Cups for fans around the world. Our Members now have the clarity they need around event windows to enable them to reschedule lost bilateral and domestic cricket. Moving the Mens Cricket World Cup to a later window is a critical element of this and gives us a better chance of maintaining the integrity of the qualification process. This additional time will be used to reschedule games that might be lost because of the pandemic ensuring qualification can be decided on the field of play. Throughout this process we have worked closely with our key stakeholders including governments, Members, broadcasters, partners and medical experts to enable us to reach a collective decision for the good of the game and our fans. I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment to a safe return to cricket. The results for Meghalaya secondary school leaving certificate (SSLC) class 10 examination will be announced by Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (MBOSE) today, July 20. Once declared, the students can check result on the council's official website mbose.in. Meghalaya's Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui informed about the result announcement on July 18 in his Twitter handle. Students can check their score by entering the roll number and other login credentials at mbose.in. Nearly, 50,000 students have registered for the class 10th exam this year who will be getting their result today. Here's how to check MBOSE SSLC Result 2020: Step 1: Visit the official websites mbose.in or megresults.nic.in. Step 2: Click on the MBOSE SSLC Results 2020 link Step 3: Key in your roll number and other required information and submit Step 4: Your MBOSE class 10 Result 2020 will be displayed on screen Step 5: Download and take its print out for future reference. Meanwhile the results this year will neither be displayed at the MBOSE Office, Tura/Shillong nor at the examination centres due to threat of COVID-19 in the state. In 2019 SSLC exam, a total of 76.56 per cent students passed with boys outperforming girls with a pass percentage of 77.94 per cent. A total of 72.24 per cent students cleared the HSSLC exam this year. KEY HIGHLIGHTS DPIIT proposes to freeze changes to Defence Procurement Policy for 4-5 years to provide confidence to industry for making long-term investment decisions Comprehensive package of financial and non-financial incentives to boost the domestic industry and make it more attractive to foreign investors Increasing period of performance for offsets to 10-12 years to allow enough time for building necessary capabilities and ensuring effective technology transfer is also on the table Defence industry accounts for about 12% of government expenditure. In 2018-19, spending on India's defence sector was nearly $63 billion of which capital expenditure accounted for about 34% In a major push to local defence industry, the government plans to offer a host of incentives to the sector including capex and R&D subsidy, tax exemptions, cheaper finance and one-stop shop for clearances. The steps are also aimed at making defence manufacturing in India more attractive to foreign investors. The proposals are part of the draft industrial policy, promising to give much-needed shot in the arm to the manufacturing sector. With the need for strengthening the defence sector amplified in the wake of border tensions with China, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has suggested a freeze in changes to the Defence Procurement Policy for 4-5 years to provide confidence to the industry for making long-term investment decisions. DPIIT has observed that Defence Procurement Policy went through 6 revisions between 2005 and 2017 - underlining lack of long-term stability in regulations. The country's defence industry accounts for about 12% of government expenditure. In 2018-19, spending on India's defence sector was nearly $63 billion, of which capital expenditure accounted for about 34%. During this period, total production by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) amounted to about $ 8 billion, and India accounted for 15% of global arms imports. The government recently increased foreign direct investment (FDI) limit from 49% to 74% through automatic route to push 'Make-in-India' in defence sector. The new industrial policy stresses on development of large platforms and complex systems which are currently imported, apart from focussing on futuristic technology. It calls for inducting indigenous systems and limiting dependence on foreign sources to components and systems where no indigenous options are available. "The Ministry of Defence can increase the share of spending on defence R&D and involve the private sector in related efforts. This could be done through open competitive bidding and involving the industry and academia as partners to DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)," the draft policy says. BusinessToday.In has seen DPIIT's strategy paper on reforming industrial growth in India. The department has sought comments from industry stakeholders on the policy and held a meeting last Friday to consult various representatives. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Given the death toll from COVID-19 and the continuing public outcry over police brutality in the United States, it may have gone largely unnoticed that on June 11, President Trump issued an executive order targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Hague-based war crimes tribunal that the United States has refused to join. The order, which has prompted harsh condemnation from the international justice community and other concerned stakeholders, comes on the heels of a recent ruling by the ICC authorizing an impartial investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged to have been committed by the various parties to the conflict in Afghanistan. The order seeks to impose economic and U.S. travel sanctions on any foreign person directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute personnel of the U.S. or our allies without prior consent of their respective governments. In announcing the sanctions, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo accused the ICC of being highly politicized and a kangaroo court. He said that the ICC would have done well to do the right thing and kill the investigation. Given that Pompeo was a director of the CIA when that agency is reported to have been complicit in the commission of war crimes committed by Afghan operatives, his views may perhaps come as no surprise. Bolton Threatens International Criminal Court With Sanctions if It Keeps Probing Alleged U.S. War Crimes As the sole surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials, I believe a few words are in order about what the ICC is and what it is not. Contrary to the current administrations anti-ICC rhetoric, the court is neither unaccountable nor anti-American. It is a treaty-based organization whose statute has been ratified by 123 countries, including 27 of our 28 NATO allies. "The judges bench at the Nuremberg trials, 1946" Public DomaIn Significant safeguards and limitations have been built into the ICCs operating structure to assure that it does not become some sort of supra-national court run amok. Its judges and its prosecutor are elected for fixed terms by a governing assembly representing each of the courts 123 member states, and they, along with the deputy prosecutor, the registrar and the deputy registrar, may all be removed from office for improper conduct. Story continues It may hear cases related only to four specific crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. Its jurisdiction is generally limited to crimes committed by the nationals or on the territory of the states that have signed up to the court or that have voluntarily agreed to its jurisdiction. It has no enforcement arm of its own and must, therefore, rely on the cooperation of policing personnel from countries around the world to enforce its arrest warrants. Without such support, the ICC is relatively powerless. The ICC recognizes the primacy of the national courts of all nations, including the United States. Its operating statute provides that countries which are willing and able to prosecute their own citizens may do so in their own domestic courts and that such rights supersede the jurisdiction of the ICC. It is only where national courts fail in their obligation to genuinely and impartially investigate their own nationals that the ICC may move forward in exercising its jurisdiction. It is a court of last resort designed to assure that otherwise voiceless victims of atrocity crimes may ultimately have their day in court, whether it be before national courts or before the ICC itself if necessary. Nations that uphold the law in their own courts need have no fear of ICC investigations. Having said this, countries with a record of pardoning war criminals who have been duly convicted by their own military courts of crimes as serious as the murder of unarmed detainees should be aware that such a pattern of conduct does little to enhance a countrys reputation for genuinely upholding the rule of law. At Nuremberg, the United States and its allies tried Nazi leaders who dragged their nation into war to the tune of Deutschland Uber Alles. They considered themselves a law unto themselves, and it was their undoing. The Nuremberg Trials were intended not as victors justice, but to help establish a rule of law to deter future international crimes, regardless of who the perpetrators might be. This point was clearly articulated by the American chief of counsel at the International Military Tribunal, Robert Jackson who, standing at the podium in Courtroom 600 in Nuremberg, emphasized that while this law is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose it must condemn aggression by any other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment. It is true that the ICC has had its share of start-up woes, as did our own Supreme Court during its earliest decades. It is a relatively young institution that relies on the cooperation of countries around the world to bring perpetrators to justice. It is a challenging task, as not all countries make the cooperative effort that they should. But it is much too early to suggest that we should throw out the baby with the bathwater by condemning or by threatening the ICC. To do so is to repudiate Nuremberg and the rule of law for which so many around the world have sacrificed. There was a time when the United States was looked upon as a bastion of leadership and of hope. As a nation, we produced statesmen such as Elihu Root, who served as a U.S. attorney, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, U.S. senator, and the founding president of the American Society of International Law. In 1913 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to establish an international court. Though he studied elsewhere, there has long been a special room at Harvard honoring him. It was established in 1939, shortly before I arrived there as a law student. Above the doorway are words that inspired me then and inspire me still: Make us effective and useful for the advancement of the cause of Peace and Justice and Liberty in the World. Attacking the International Criminal Court for simply doing its job is most assuredly not the way to do that. Friday was International Criminal Justice Day, a day on which the world recognizes both the passage on July 17, 1998 of the Rome Statute treaty that established the ICC as well as the hard-fought achievements and ongoing efforts at the ICC and elsewhere to secure justice for victims of the worlds gravest crimes. Having reflected on the importance of international criminal justice, we Americans today have some serious soul-searching to do and questions to answer. The rule of law is at peril, and so is our credibility and standing in the world. On behalf of the countless victims of atrocity crimes around the world who look to the United States for moral leadership and to the ICC for help in the fight against impunity, I respectfully urge President Trump to reconsider the matter and to rescind his recent executive order and its sanctions. Benjamin B. Ferencz, Harvard Law School class of 1943, was the Chief Prosecutor of the Einsatzgruppen case at the American-led subsequent proceedings at Nuremberg and has been a lifelong advocate for the establishment of a permanent international criminal court. He is now over 100 years old and wishes to thank his son, Donald, for assistance in preparing this appeal. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Crime scene tape surrounds the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, Monday, July 20, 2020, in North Brunswick, N.J. A gunman posing as a delivery person shot and killed Salas 20-year-old son and wounded her husband Sunday evening at their New Jersey home before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) A self-described anti-feminist lawyer found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound is being investigated as the possible gunman in the shooting of a US federal judges family, officials said. Roy Den Hollander, who received media attention including appearances on Fox News and Comedy Central for lawsuits challenging perceived infringements of mens rights, was found dead on Monday in Sullivan County, New York, the officials said. A day earlier, a gunman posing as a FedEx delivery man went to the home of US District Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick, New Jersey, and started shooting, wounding her husband, defence lawyer Mark Anderl, and killing her son, Daniel Anderl. Judge Salas was in another part of the house and was unharmed, said the officials. Expand Close The scene of the attack in North Brunswick (Mark Lennihan/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene of the attack in North Brunswick (Mark Lennihan/AP) Den Hollander had a gender-equity lawsuit, filed in 2015, that was being heard by Judge Salas involving a young woman who wanted to register for the military draft. He also mentioned the judge in writings posted online, deriding her as a ladder climber who traded on her Hispanic heritage to get ahead. A package addressed to Judge Salas was found with Den Hollanders body, the officials said. He also wrote of posing as a FedEx delivery man to speak with a young girl, the same tactic the gunman apparently used at the door to the judges family home. Den Hollander was best known for unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of ladies night promotions at bars and nightclubs. His litigation, and willingness to appear on TV, earned him spots on The Colbert Report and MSNBC. Daniel Anderl had been shortly due to head back to the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. University president John Garvey wrote on Twitter: I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderls tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey. Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks. He turned 20 last week. I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to NJs federal bench. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. https://t.co/bUko4WLNJW Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) July 20, 2020 Judge Salas, seated in Newark, New Jersey, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011. Before that, she served as a magistrate in New Jersey after working as an assistant public defender for several years. Born in California to a Cuban immigrant mother and Mexican father, she spent most of her childhood in Union City, New Jersey. After helping her family escape a devastating house fire, she acted as her mothers translator and advocate, foreshadowing her career in law as she argued her familys case to welfare officials, according to a 2018 magazine profile. In the profile, she spoke of her son possibly following his parents into the legal profession. Hes been arguing with us since he could talk practising his advocacy skills, Judge Salas told New Jersey Monthly. I dont want to dissuade him, but I was pulling for a doctor. We give our full support to Federal Court Judge Esther Salas and her husband at this most-trying time. This is an unconscionable tragedy. If you have any information that can help law enforcement, please call the @FBINewark office at 1-800-792-3000, and press Option 2. pic.twitter.com/BTpZrleL0q Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 20, 2020 Just last week, she had been appointed to hear an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor high-risk customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her highest profile case in recent years was the financial fraud case involving Real Housewives Of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, whom Judge Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion. She staggered their sentences so one of them could be available to take care of their four children. In 2017, she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark murders, ruling the mans intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. She later sentenced him to 45 years in prison. New Jersey senator Bob Menendez, who backed Judge Salass nomination to the federal bench, said in a statement: My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy called the shooting a senseless act and said: This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isnt done. We are delighted to announce the completion of Athenes $500 million equity investment in our US business, commented Prudential group chief executive Mike Wells. The transaction has increased its risk-based capital cover ratio and is a significant step in meeting our strategic objectives for the business. Read more: Prudential Plc secures two-fold agreement with Athene Prudentials US business consists of Michigan-headquartered annuity provider Jackson National Life Insurance Company and Illinois-based global institutional asset manager PPM America Inc. Athenes investment in Jackson further strengthens our capital position, said Jackson chair and CEO Michael Falcon, as we deliver on our long-term strategic objectives. We look forward to working with Athene as an important investor and remain committed to helping American savers achieve financial freedom for life. Prudential demerged from its UK and European savings and investments unit in 2019, and is now actively looking at ways to make its US business independent. Currently the group calls itself an Asia-led portfolio of businesses focused on structural growth markets. "The citizens are the mayor" as Mayor Park Won-soon would repeatedly remark during his countless speeches domestic and abroad, and I feel it greatly sums up his servitude as the Mayor of Seoul for his third and last term which lasted almost a decade. As the longest serving Mayor of Seoul, he was definitely not your average, anachronistic Mayor. By Andrew Yongwoo Lim (photos tentative) "The citizens are the mayor" as late Mayor Park Won-soon would repeatedly remark during his countless speeches, domestic and abroad, and I feel it greatly sums up his servitude as the mayor of Seoul for his third and last term which lasted almost a decade. As the longest serving mayor of Seoul, he was definitely not your average, anachronistic mayor. It was his engagement with the citizens that truly stood him out. In every opportunity he would get, whether it be conferences or his numerous outings, he would engage with the citizens, leaning in and listen to every word that the citizens have to say, carefully articulating his responses, and would utilize these everyday lessons to lay the foundations of his citizen-centric policies. As a man ahead of his times, he was able to fuse administrative policies with high-tech ICT solutions. I can fully recall his moments especially during the numerous mayoral and high-profile delegations that visited his office, from Los Angeles to Guangdong. With his energetic tone of voice, he showcased one of his crown projects, the Digital Mayors' Office, another one of his innovative tools that allows the displaying of over thousands of real-time datasets at a fingertip within a user-friendly, state-of-the-art screen in his office, resulting in data and evidence-based policy decisions. Data was the key, he often remarked, and sought out the streamlining of all available data across multiple departments into one neat compatible database. Yet above all, it was the pinnacle of his garland of servitude: With access to data, "The Citizens are the Mayor." Another one of his citizen-centric policies was the revamping of space in the basement of City Hall as a Seoul Citizens' Center. He provided access to those who sought it most, from weddings, exhibitions to just a place for citizens to hang out and share ideas and exchange knowledge. He would sometimes make impromptu visits, making sure to have the citizens' voices heard on a personal level. "The citizens need a place to congregate and to share their ideas," he would remark. Indeed, the citizens are the mayor. As the fourth industrial revolution started to take shape, he took another initiative in compartmentalizing the paradigm of citizen-centricity and bridging the digital divide. Hence, he initiated the creation of the Seoul Digital Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to "construct a digital Seoul for the happiness of the citizens." Many of its programs focused on bridging the digital divide, from education and training programs for the citizens to facilitating the creation of jobs in the digital sector through the fostering of ICT start-ups and SMEs. It also advanced a program to instill a sense of authority for the citizens by having a citizen-led evaluating committee. Citizen-centric indeed, as "the citizens are the mayor." Park has dedicated his life to public service and for the enhancement of key democratic principles, especially during times when such notions were unheard of, starting from serving as a public prosecutor to a human rights lawyer, taking on high-profile and trend-setting cases. As one of the demonstrators during the so-called Democracy Movement during the Park Chung-hee era, he has sowed the seeds of the democratic movement in Korea and witnessed the fruits of his own labor in having the seeds blossom into a fully-functioning democracy today. But what truly set his life apart was his engagement with the citizens. He acted as a chaperon of sorts, a messenger to the citizens, a truly accessible mayor to the public. My experience with the late mayor had implications so profound in my life that I too became a champion of citizen-led policies and to give it my all in making Seoul a better place to live. It was his policies and work that allowed me to engage in sharing and exporting Seoul's key ICT and smart city projects to the world, from Kampala to Tashkent, thus helping resolve urban problems as well as to create jobs here in Korea. Thus, with his initiative, the Seoul Smart City Export Consortium was born, of which I was proudly part. It was this call to action, the conviction to resolve urban challenges through citizen-centric policies and Seoul-led technology that allowed me to be awarded the Seoul Honorary Citizen, bestowed upon those who showed extraordinary commitment to the betterment of Seoul, personally awarded by the mayor himself. (refer to subtitle of picture "and this inspires me to work even harder") "The citizens are the mayor!" As Park would often say to me. He emphasized the participation of the citizens and championed key aspects of a true democracy, from transparency, accountability, civic participation to the freedom of speech. We shall continue your work in serving the public, to ensure that the citizens continue to remain as the mayor. You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. The writer is research and innovation attache of the Government of Quebec in Seoul. A grieving mother has been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers who have taken it upon themselves to visit her young son's grave. Hannah Robertson visited Khaya's grave whenever she could after he died at the age of 22 in November 2018. The 43-year-old made the 1,630 kilometre journey from her home in northern New South Wales to Melbourne's Parkville Cemetery where her firstborn is buried every few months until COVID halted non-essential travel and slammed state borders shut. Heartbroken to be separated from her boy, she posted in a parenting group on Facebook asking anyone who lives in the area to stop by for just a few minutes and send a mother's love on her behalf. Ms Robertson was 'astounded' to receive over 1,000 responses from women promising to walk through the cemetery as part of their government-mandated daily exercise. Scroll down for video Hannah Robertson dances with her son Khaya in October 2018, six weeks before his untimely death 'I would love so very much for you to visit briefly and let him know his mum loves him,' Ms Robertson wrote in the caption of a heartwarming photo of her and Khaya dancing at a wedding just six weeks before his untimely death. 'It is a ritual I know, as I feel him everywhere, but at the moment it is one I would so love to be able to do.' Ms Robertson told Daily Mail Australia she's been inundated with messages from people who have gone to pay their respects and leave flowers for her son. 'I'll go on the weekend, he is just beautiful, you should be so proud. Thank you for sharing with other women the nurturing responsibility for our youth,' one woman said. Ms Robertson (pictured with Khaya in 2018) regularly made the 1,630km journey from her home in northern New South Wales to Melbourne where her boy is buried until COVID halted non-essential travel and slammed state borders shut A comment from a caring Melburnian who promised to visit Khaya on Ms Robertson's behalf Ms Robertson said she was overwhelmed with the kindness and compassion of people who offered to stop by, like this woman who vowed to do so at the weekend Comments flooded in from thousands of people, all eager to rally around the grieving mother in these extraordinary times A second who lives nearby and runs past the cemetery everyday said: 'Let me know where he is and I'll go tomorrow morning.' Others said they were 'so sorry' for Ms Robertson's loss and would be 'honoured' to visit on her behalf. She said knowing that Khaya is looked after is all she needs to stay strong until the outbreak is over and she can visit again. 'Half a dozen go on their exercise route, and another half a dozen who live further away have promised to visit when restrictions are lifted,' she said. 'I've been very emotional and I posted in the group on a whim. It's all been quite a beautiful surprise. I just wanted someone to go and share my love in person.' But while the outpouring of support was unexpected, Ms Robertson said she shouldn't have been shocked because of the kind of person Khaya was in his short life. 'He was larger than life. For people to celebrate him like this after he's gone is no huge surprise,' she said. And it's not the first time the family have been humbled by the power of social media. Ms Robertson said Khaya (centre at Falls Festival in Byron Bay) was 'larger than life' Last year, Khaya's partner Jasmine tagged Ms Robertson in an Instagram post promoting Zoe Foster-Blake's book 'Break-Up Boss', which advises readers how to cope with the heartbreak of romantic loss. A few days later, the two women received giant gift boxes packed with products from Go-To, Foster-Blake's cosmetics line. 'She had obviously gone onto Jasmine's page, then seen mine, and just decided to send us that,' Ms Robertson said. 'We've really received incredible support through social media, people have just been incredible.' Politicians from the South-East and South-West within the All Progressives Congress(APC) are presently closing ranks in anticipation of power returning back to the Southern part of Nigeria at the end of President Buhari's tenure. This can be seen with the Sunday afternoon visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to the residence of the Chief Whip of the Senate Dr. Orji Kalu. The visit being the second in 2 weeks has raised speculations within the All Progressives Congress of a possible alignment by politicians from the two geo-political zones towards presenting a common front ahead of the 2023 Presidential elections. Though details of the meeting are still sketchy but feelings within the party suggests that an alliance between the national leader of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu will put paid to the ambition of any other power bloc within the APC ahead of the 2023 elections. The Aso Villa residence of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has continued to witness a beehive of activities since his release from prison. Various politicians across-party divide from different parts of the country have taken turns to pay him a solidarity visit since his return. The increasing visits, the first of such to any politician in Nigeria's recent political history has set tongues wagging as to what is all about. It is believed that the Senator is nursing a presidential ambition for 2023, a speculation he has repeatedly denied. The Senator has repeatedly refused to speak to the press in various public functions insisting he is still having a sober reflection on events of the past months. Kerala reported 794 new Covid-19 cases on Monday taking the total number of patients to 13,274 even as local transmission continues unabated in the state. The state capital Thiruvananthapuram, which is under lockdown for more than two weeks, bore the maximum brunt with 182 fresh cases. With one more death, the toll has gone up to 45 in the state. Among those infected are 15 health workers and four policemen, said state health minister K K Shailaja adding it was a big concern that frontline workers are getting infected in large numbers. She asked health officials to take immediate measures to avoid infection of frontline workers. Capital city Thiruvananthapuram and many parts of the district are under lockdown for the last two weeks and it will continue till July 28. Similarly triple lockdown is in force in coastal areas of the district after a massive spurt in Covid-19 cases. Despite strict measures numbers are going up steadily and community transmission has already been reported in two fishing hamlets of the district. Of the 13,724 cases, active cases are 7,611 and recovered patients amount to 5,618. Among the active cases worst-hit Thiruvananthapuram district has the highest number of 2,006 cases. Earlier, imported cases were higher but slowly local cases came up in large numbers giving enough hint of a secondary transmission in the state. The recent surge was expected. We have special Covid-19 hospitals in each of the districts. We will increase their numbers and beds as cases go up. Besides this we have 28 first line treatment centres also, she said adding the state is ready to face the situation. The states second plasma bank will come up in Wayanad in north Kerala. The first plasma bank was opened in Malappuram district last week. The Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Aboagye DaCosta has lauded the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh for his initiative to campaign against stigmatization of persons living or recovered from Coronavirus. He described his move as extremely impressive and a major step for a healing process. I would want to thank the Minister for that bold step. His campaign will go a long way to save lives, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. Dr. Aboagye DaCosta however called on Ghanaian celebrities and church leaders to help government in the fight against the virus by emulating Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh campaign against stigmatization. NAPO Leads A Campaign Against Covid-19 Stigmatization The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh recently called for an end to the stigmatization of people who have recovered from Covid-19. In a Facebook post featuring images of some of his staff who contracted the disease and have since recovered, the Minister called for a fight not only against the disease but the negative stereotypes around it. Those who survive it have a story to tell, and it is not a pretty one. We must not make it worse for them by stigmatizing and then ostracizing them, he declared. Posing alongside his recovered team members in customized polo shirts with the inscription I HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY COVID-19. I HAVE SURVIVED IT AND FULLY RECOVERED, Dr. Prempeh expressed his pride in them and declared, Thank God we beat it. Today, we say No to Stigmatization. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The country on Monday morning registered the highest single-day jump of 40,425 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing its tally of total infected people to 11,18,043 while the death toll rose to 27497, as per the official figures. A total of 681 fatalities were reported in 24 hours. On the day the country recorded yet another record high in number of cases, a group of epidemiologists batted for opening educational institutions and encouraging healthy individuals to attend offices in person, rather than working from home, once the COVID-19 curve stabilises. In a statement issued on Monday, four senior doctors, including a working and a retired community medicine specialist at AIIMS, Delhi said that while the opening of schools and colleges, at present, seems like a bizarre idea that will only put the future of the country at risk, there could be a silver lining. "If schools and colleges go back to functioning in full swing, keeping in mind distancing and sanitisation norms, there is a possibility that sooner or later, everyone will get exposed," said Dr Sanjay K Rai, professor, Centre of community medicine, AIIMS, Delhi. "Children have fresh immunity, and they can be major contributors to us achieving herd immunity. The process is quite complex, though - careful interpretation and increase in testing are vital for it to be successful," he added. ALSO READ | Virus immunity not long lasting as COVID-19 may become endemic: Study Dr Amitav Banerjee, a professor of community medicine at the Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune, said, "If we choose to open schools and colleges once the curve stabilises, there are very strong chances that we will be able to achieve herd immunity." "Children and young adults have a fresh immunity, which makes them better prepared to fight infections. It has a multiplier effect - if we develop it, we can protect many people," he too stressed, adding that 24 districts in the USA did not have a single child fatality. Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare underlined that despite surging fresh coronavirus cases, the country's case fatality rate due to the infection is progressively falling and is currently at 2.46 -- one of the lowest in the world. ALSO READ | Let's get real, this is not a normal recession! Overall, 7,00,086 people have now recovered from COVID-19 while the number of active cases stand at 3,90,459. "Effective clinical management of the moderate and severe cases through a well-executed Standard of Care protocol has ensured a high rate of recovery among the COVID-19 patients," the ministry said. The Centre is hand-holding and supporting the state governments in collectively combating COVID, it also underlined. ALSO SEE: Amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday (July 20) said that Ram temple is a matter of faith and his party does not do politics on this issue. Raut asserted that Shiv Sena has always worked to remove hurdles in the way of construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya. He added that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray went to Ayoydha even when he was not the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and he also went to the holy land after taking oath as the chief minister. Raut noted that no one needs invitation from anyone to visit Ayodhya. It is learnt that PM Modi would remain in Ayodhya from 11 Am till 1:10 PM on August 5. Sources added that the prayers and other rituals related to 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony of Ram temple will begin at 8 AM on August 5. Sources told Zee Media that 250 guests will attend the 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony. Sources added that important saints of Ayodhya and all senior people associated with Ram temple movement will attend the 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony. It is learnt that some senior office bearers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad will also be invited by Shri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to attend the ceremony. Some senior Union ministers and ministers of Uttar Pradesh will also be present during the 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony which will be attended only by a limited number of people due to coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Nearly two years after Mely Corado was killed in a police shootout at the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake where she worked, protesters on Sunday marched through the neighborhood in her memory while calling on the LAPD to be held accountable for her death. Her family led hundreds from the Northeast station of the LAPD -- where her father Albert had gone to identify her body with photos -- to the Trader Joe's where police in pursuit of an armed suspect fired inside and one of their bullets struck her. Along the way, marchers stopped in the middle of main thoroughfares in Atwater Village and Silver Lake, many of them holding sunflowers, Corado's favorite flower. Were in Silver Lake. Taking a knee for #MelyCorado by Hyperion. Were just minutes from the TJs where she was killed by a police bullet pic.twitter.com/vFASJEqfeC Josie Huang (@josie_huang) July 19, 2020 As the march got under way shortly after 3 p.m., Albert Corado faced the LAPD station, and shouted, "You guys killed my daughter! You're going to burn for it!" The Corado family has sued the city for negligence in Mely's death in the shootout on July 21, 2018, and expects the case to go to trial next year. LAPD officers that day had been pursuing an armed motorist named Gene Evin Atkins, who had allegedly attacked his grandmother and girlfriend. The chase ended up in Silver Lake, where Atkins shot at officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans in their patrol car. Mourners left flowers at a memorial for Melyda Corado days after she was killed in a July 21, 2018 shootout between police and a gunman at the Silver Lake where she worked. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) When Atkins crashed his car, he ran into the Trader Joe's on Hyperion Ave. and exchanged fire with police. One of the officer's bullets hit Corado who died at the store. Atkins held hostages for nearly four hours before he surrendered. Once the marchers arrived at the store, Corado's older brother, also named Albert, told protesters that it's been hard for the family to get answers about her death. Two days after the shooting, LAPD Chief Michel Moore admitted Corado had been killed by an officer's bullet. But Moore put a security hold on Mely's autopsy, so the family didn't know any details for a year, and only after they went to court. "We knew Mely was dead, but we didn't know how long it took her to die, we didn't know where she was shot," the younger Albert Corado said. The Los Angeles Police Commission last year ruled that the officers had acted within department policy. Protesters gather across the street from the LAPD's Northeast station prior to marching to the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake where Mely Corado was killed by LAPD in a shootout in 2018. (Josie Huang/LAist) The Corado family had invited Mayor Eric Garcetti to Sunday's event, but the mayor did not attend and had also been absent from Mely's funeral, her brother noted. "He insulted my father, who was at the lowest point of his life," Corado said. Non-family members who spoke included Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-LA, and Nithya Raman, who is running against incumbent councilmember David Ryu for Council District 4, where the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake is located. BLM-LA co-founder Melina Abdullah says: Hell yeah, it was the polices fault...policing is a murderous f**king system. pic.twitter.com/FMwTzRGhWq Josie Huang (@josie_huang) July 19, 2020 The younger Albert Corado, who is active in efforts to defund and abolish the police, has worked on Raman's campaign. He said he regretted letting Ryu speak at an event marking the one-year anniversary of his sister's death because the councilmember had accepted money from the Los Angeles police union. Ryu returned the money last month amid criticism. The Corado family said it wants the two LAPD officers involved in the Trader Joe's shooting to be charged with her death. Currently, Atkins is facing charges in Corado's death even though he did not fire the bullet that killed her. The family said it also wants to keep Mely's name alive and to dismantle the current leadership helming Los Angeles -- Garcetti, Moore, and Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Mely Corado's niece, Leila Mendoza, said she will never be able to hug her aunt again because of the LAPD. Leila Mendoza, Melys niece, has strong words for LAPD, Mayor Garcetti and Chief Moore. I will never fully heal because of the LAPD and them being selfish and only worrying about themselves... pic.twitter.com/mQUwY6HO1n Josie Huang (@josie_huang) July 20, 2020 "Who will we call when the police are the murderers?" Mendoza said, to encouraging applause from the crowd. Afterward, protesters waved their sunflowers for a photo with Mely Corado's family, then placed them along the side of the Trader Joe's. The store closed for the protest, then stayed closed for the rest of the day. More photos from today: The crowd waves sunflowers behind Mely Corado's family. (From l. to r.): Brothers Albert Corado and Michael Mendoza, niece Leila Mendoza and father Albert Corado. (Josie Huang/LAist) Protesters gather at Trader Joe's in Silver Lake to remember Mely Corado, who was killed there in 2018 by LAPD gunfire. July 19, 2020. (Josie Huang/LAist) Protesters on Sunday rested flowers on the side of the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake in honor of Mely Corado. (Josie Huang/LAist) Protesters gather at the LAPD's Northeast station prior to marching to the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake where Mely Corado was killed by LAPD in a shootout in 2018. (Josie Huang/LAist) Hundreds of protesters marched for Mely Corado, many bearing signs advocating for defunding or abolition of police. (Josie Huang/LAist) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The volume of steel export from Turkey to Uzbekistan massively dropped by 49.71 percent from January through June 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, having stood at $15 million, Turkeys Trade Ministry told Trend. In June 2020, Turkeys steel export to Uzbekistan declined by 7.06 percent compared to June 2019 and amounted to $2.8 million. In the first six months of this year, the steel export from Turkey to world markets decreased by 16.6 percent compared to the same period of last year, amounting to $5.9 billion. Turkeys steel export accounted for 8 percent of the country's total exports during this period. In June 2020, Turkey exported the steel in the amount of $1.1 billion to international markets, which is 28.6 percent more compared to the same month of 2019. In this month, the countrys steel export accounted for 8.4 percent of its total exports. From June 2019 through June 2020, Turkey exported the steel worth over $12.6 billion abroad. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu A missing Labrador was discovered an estimated 57 miles away at its family's previous home in a different state. Cleo, aged four, went missing from his home in Olathe, Kansas only to turn up eight days later at the family's old house in Lawson, missouri, which they had moved out of two years prior. The Missouri home's new owners were surprised to find Cleo on their doorstep and believed he looked too well-cared for to be a stray. A missing Labrador was discovered an estimated 57 miles away at its family's previous home in a different state 'My wife and I had just gotten home from work,' new owner Colton Michael told CNN. 'Cleo was laying on the front porch at the front door, just laying there, waiting for somebody it seemed like.' Mr Michael had Cleo scanned for a microchip and was shocked to discover the family's last name was the same as the previous owners. He went on social media and found that the family had posted about their missing Labrador one week prior. Mr Michael had Cleo scanned for a microchip and was shocked to discover the family's last name was the same as the previous owners 'I told him that we found his dog, but once I told him where we were, he was kind of speechless,' Mr Michael said. Door to door, Cleo would have travelled an estimated 57 miles from Kansas to Missouri, and would have most likely had to cross a bridge with heavy traffic. The wayward Labrador has since been reunited with his relieved owners. 'It's the most bizarre story. Really, she's everything to us and to my mother,' the dog's owner said. - Lawyer Makau Mutua claimed he had been approached by one of Deputy President William Ruto's campaign team members - He said the Ruto campaigner asked him to join their team to make the deputy president in 2022 - Senator Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed Mutua's claims saying they will ask him to give the name of the person who approached him for him to be rewarded - Mutua responded asking Murkomen to accept the fact that he was not ready to work with the DP Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen has been trading barbs with US-based lawyer Makau Mutua after the later claimed he had been approached by one of Deputy President William Ruto's foot soldiers asking him to join his campaign team. Mutua had shared one of his opinion articles on Twitter that was published in the Sunday Nation in response to the request from the unnamed top official in DP Ruto's campaign team. READ ALSO: Ruto spends weekend with workers at Sugoi farm, eats githeri: "The maize isn't fully cooked" Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen addressing members of the public during a past event. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Uhuru drives himself through Nairobi CBD, makes brief stopover to greet excited Kenyans "Several weeks ago, I was bamboozled when a top commander in Deputy President William Ruto's campaign locomotive begged me to work with them to get the man from Sugoi to State House in 2022," read the article by Mutua. The lawyer went ahead giving his reasons for not supporting the DP and among other reasons were the graft accusations against the man from Sugoi village and that Ruto was an anti-reformist who has "always been on the wrong side of history." Mutua claimed the DP was trying to capture the civil societies like the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) as his allies to push his 2022 agenda. In a response to Mutua's post, Senator Murkomen commented saying when the DP becomes president in 2022, they would ask Mutua to give the name of the unnamed foot soldier who asked him to join Ruto's political camp. US-based lawyer Makau Mutua has been a serious critique of President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration. Photo: Makau Mutua Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Papa Shirandula: Body of late actor leaves Nairobi for Busia ahead of burial on Monday "When DP becomes president we shall request you to name the said commander in the hustler's army and to be bestowed the highest honour for showing true spirit of nationhood in his/her willingness to seek for support from Kenyans of all walks of life. That's the spirit," said Murkomen. In return, Mutua told off Murkomen asking him to stop talking "like a spurned lover" and accept his decision that he was not ready to work with the DP. "No need to respond like a spurned lover @kipmurkomen.Take it like a man, and accept the logic and finality of my decision. Learn to accept rejection and the sovereign will of others. If you do, you might begin to internalise the tenets of democracy," said Mutua. However, Murkomen was not ready to let the matter to rest. He told Mutua his decision was not final and that given he had changed his mind and recognised Uhuru Kenyatta as the president then "there is nothing cast in stone." READ ALSO: COVID 19: Watu wengine 603 wamegunduliwa kuwa na virusi nchini Murkomen said the same way he was talking negatively about the DP is the same way he had talked negatively about Uhuru before an alleged handshake between him and the president happened. In his response, Mutua asked the former Senate majority leader to produce any evidence to support his claims that he had changed his views on Mr. Kenyatta. "Show me evidence that I changed my mind on Mr Kenyatta. Stop lying. I thought you were a good Christian. Advice if this is how you react when you are rejected, then your candidate may never see the halls of State House," said Mutua. The academician who is a serious critique of Jubilee administration had maintained he would not recognise President Uhuru Kenyatta as head of state saying he was an illegitimate president. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan participated in the regular session of the EEC Council through video-conference. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Deputy PM of Armenia, during the session a range of issues related to the development of the Eurasian integration were discussed. Mher Grigoryan informed the members of the EEC Council and the Board Chairman about the incident of banning the sales of Armenian products at Moscows Food city market, emphasizing that such incidents are inadmissible and urged the partners to analyze the situation in detail. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan 07/20/2020 Photo (c) South_agency - Getty Images Researchers at Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab have discovered a vulnerability in many popular fast chargers. The Chinese technology firm warns that hackers have found a way to remotely manipulate the charging process of smartphones -- not to steal data, but to achieve destruction of the physical world through digital means. The hack, dubbed BadPower, can destroy a users smartphone or even potentially set it on fire. The research team said the attack involves corrupting the firmware in a charging device in such a way that prevents it from agreeing on a set voltage. This creates the potential to overload a device with more voltage than it can handle. Tencent says all products with BadPower problems can be attacked by special hardware, and a considerable number of them can also be attacked by ordinary terminals such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops that support the fast charging protocol. Tencent identified 234 rapid chargers on the market and tested 35 of them. Of those 35 charging devices, at least 18 had BadPower problems, said Tencent, which released a video demonstrating how the manipulation could be carried out in its report. The team said the vulnerability could be fixed if affected manufacturers released the appropriate firmware. Tencent has reported the issue to the China National Vulnerability Database (CNVD) and said it will discuss mitigation techniques with manufacturers. Tencents suggestions to fix the problem include hardening firmware to prevent unauthorized modifications and adding overload protection to charged devices. While the vulnerability exists, the researchers advised users not to plug basic 5v devices into fast chargers with a USB to USB-C cable and to be wary of loaning your phone charger or power bank to others. The Bond-Pro Enterprise Next Gen Surety platform will help our business respond to agents, brokers and clients faster Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, the commercial insurance arm of the Swiss Re Group, has selected Bond-Pro, a provider of Surety and Specialty Insurance software products, to automate their North America Surety operations and deliver a better customer experience. Bond-Pro's Enterprise Next Gen surety platform will allow Swiss Re Corporate Solutions to automate and manage the entire life cycle of its US and Canada Surety offering, which includes Contract and Commercial lines of business. The platform automates underwriting, rating, scoring and workflow, and includes a comprehensive bond forms library. 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Frederick Duguay, President & CEO of Bond-Pro said, We are extremely pleased that another one of the worlds leading carriers has chosen to implement our Next Generation Surety solution. This is a solid testament to the broad industry acceptance of our platform and further recognition of Bond-Pro as the de facto Surety technology standard. About Bond-Pro Bond-Pro, Inc. is the developer and publisher of Bond-Pro Enterprise Next Gen, the leading Surety automation and management software utilized by hundreds of agencies and dozens of Surety carriers worldwide. It drives greater premiums, improves underwriting efficiency, reduces costs, and mitigates risk. Bond-Pros enterprise products and services enable Surety professionals to fully computerize and effectively manage the entire Surety life cycle including, Accounts, Jobs, Bonds and Claims. For more information, please call (813) 413-7576 or visit https://www.bond-pro.com. #SuretyTech #SuretySuccess #HighlyConfigurable #RelevantForms #NoTripleEntry #DigitalTransformation Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 14:47:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China will start to renovate 39,000 old urban residential areas this year, benefiting some 7 million households, according to guidelines released by the State Council Monday. The country will basically form the institutional framework and policy system for the renovation of old urban residential areas by 2022 and strive to finish the rebuilding of all communities that need to be renovated by the end of 2025, according to the guidelines. The renovation will focus on old residential areas built before the end of the year 2000. While the government will step up financial support for the projects, authorities should also mobilize social capital in the renovation and encourage financing via bond issuance, the guidelines said. The guidelines strictly forbid the use of the projects as financing vehicles for local governments so that no hidden local government debt will be added. The administrative approval process for the renovation projects will be streamlined, the guidelines said. China has vowed to strengthen the development of a new type of urbanization this year, with measures to support the installation of elevators in residential buildings and the development of meal, cleaning and other community services, according to this year's government work report. Enditem N Korea's Kim chairs key military meeting on 'war deterrent' Iran Press TV Sunday, 19 July 2020 7:49 AM North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a meeting of the ruling party's Central Military Commission (CMC) to review key issues concerning the country's defense power and "war deterrent." Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday that two meetings had been held on Saturday with CMC Vice-Chairman Ri Pyong Chol, members of the CMC and commanding officers of the armed forces, during which Kim discussed "the key issues of further bolstering a war deterrent of the country." First, at an enlarged meeting of the Seventh Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), Kim led discussions on ways to promote the education and guidance of commanders and army officials. An organizational matter was tabled at the meeting on dismissing or appointing commanding officers of major posts at institutions related to the armed forces, the KCNA reported. This image, released by the KCNA, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presiding over a high-level military meeting in Pyongyang on July 18, 2020. After the enlarged meeting, there was a closed-door meeting of senior officials and military commanders, who examined "the strategic mission of the major units for coping with the military situation in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula and the potential military threat," the report added. Kim signed orders to execute "major key munitions production plan indices" and other measures approved at the meetings, KCNA reported. KCNA said the measures that had been approved at the meetings were a "historic decision" that would guarantee the future of the country's self-reliance ideology "with reliable military muscle." North Korea's hardening of stance comes amid reports Pyongyang has dismissed the possibility of fresh talks with the US on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Since 2006, Washington has imposed rounds of unilateral sanctions and spearheaded international sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, which the North views as deterrent against military threats. Kim has met with US President Donald Trump three times since 2018, but the talks have hit a deadlock as Washington refused to ease the sanctions on the North. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi Arabias King Salman has been admitted to the hospital over an inflamed gallbladder, the royal court said Monday, further fueling speculation about the aging monarchs health. King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh administered "some medical tests due to cholecystitis, read a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. No further information about the 84-year-old king's condition was given. Salman, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, has ruled Saudi Arabia since January 2015 following the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah. With the kings health said to be in decline, his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has taken on an increasingly greater role in day-to-day affairs. Often called MBS, the 34-year-old heir to the throne and de facto ruler has sought to portray himself on the world stage as a modernizer. While MBS has granted women more rights and introduced various reforms, his ruthless and continued crackdown on critics, including an unprecedented purge of Saudi elites and arrests of female activists, has undercut the reputation he so carefully cultivated. Both MBS and the king were scheduled to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Monday. The new Iraqi leaders trip to the kingdom has been postponed, the Saudi foreign minister tweeted. "In recognition of the importance of the visit and a desire to make it succeed, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq has decided to postpone the visit," wrote Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will distribute $684 million to 86 New York hospitals this week to bolster institutions in coronavirus "hot spots." After Illinois, New York hospitals will receive the most funding of any state from the $10 billion national distribution of the "Provider Relief Fund," although the Empire State is not presently seeing a spike in new cases like states across the south. "New York and its hospitals have been amongst the hardest hit in the nation, and with this funding going out, the continuing frontline fight being waged by our health care system and its incredible workforce will receive the hot spot dollars they need, and so very much deserve, to keep saving lives, said U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer. Albany Medical Center Hospital will receive $5.6 million from the pool of funds, St. Peter's Hospital will receive $3 million, and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital will receive $2.6 million, according to Schumer's office. HHS is handing out the funds based on the number of coronavirus patients hospitals treated from Jan. 1 to June 10. So although the state has held its number of daily new cases relatively steady over the past month, New York hospitals will receive more funds than facilities in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Nevada, where positivity rates have increased dramatically in recent weeks, according to data from the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. "Since this distribution of funding for 'hot spots' does not take into account the latest spike in cases and hospitalizations in some parts of the country, we look forward to working with the administration to ensure that additional relief will be distributed to hot spots and all hospitals," American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack said in a statement. Hospitals with over 161 admissions for COVID-19 from January to early June will get this hot spot money $50,000 per eligible admission, HHS said. The top priority for HHSs administration of the Provider Relief Fund has been getting support as quickly as possible to providers who have been hit hard by COVID-19, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Because weve carefully targeted support, we can make payments to areas most in need as the pandemic evolves, like we are doing with this round of funds. Multiple pieces of coronavirus legislation awarded HHS a total of $175 billion to give to hospitals and health care providers in March and April. But as of late June, the administration still had not delivered $72 billion of the funds, a U.S. Senate committee investigation found. In May, 90 New York hospitals received $5 billion in hot spot funding from HHS half of the $10 billion the agency was distributing at the time. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve low-income patients also received millions in other payments. But hospital revenues have been slashed by months of cancellations of elective procedures as well as new costs associated with purchasing in-demand personal protective equipment and treating acute coronavirus patients. Albany Med experienced an operating loss of approximately $50 million since the start of the pandemic, said Matt Markham, the center's vice president of communications. It has not furloughed or laid off any employees to date, but predicts it will take a year to 18 months to fully recover. Albany Medical Center had 325 coronavirus inpatient admissions through June 10. "Albany Med is grateful for the support we have received from our elected leaders and their recognition of our mission," Albany Med President and CEO Dennis P. McKenna said. " ... The ability to reinvest in that mission strengthens our commitment to our patients, students, and workforce our most valuable asset. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. In late June, Trinity Health, the parent company of St. Peters Health Partners, imposed furloughs and schedule reductions to employees as a result of the pandemic; job cuts are also expected. Trinity Health oversees 92 hospitals and 106 continuing care locations in 22 states, including St. Peters, which itself oversees four hospital campuses in Albany and Troy and employs roughly 12,000 people in the Capital Region. Trinity Health President and CEO Mike Slubowski wrote in an email that the organization is projecting a $2 billion less in operating revenue for the next fiscal year compared to previous levels. A spokesperson for St. Peter's did not respond to questions about furloughs or layoffs, but said the federal assistance helped them buy PPE and cover other costs. "What we need is a Medicare reimbursement rate in the Capital Region that is fair and on par with the rest of the nation," a spokesperson for St. Peter's said. "Right now, hospitals in the Capital Region have received just 86 cents on the dollar in reimbursement for labor associated with providing care to Medicare patients. In comparison, hospitals in Western Massachusetts receive $1.23 for every dollar spent. Righting this wrong would bring the hospitals in our area an additional $110 million-plus in revenue each year." A change to the region's Medicare Wage Index was included in the House's most recent coronavirus package, the Heroes Act. The Senate is now negotiating their own legislation to respond to the pandemic; it's unclear whether that provision will achieve final passage. Nationally, more than 260 hospitals have temporarily furloughed or permanently laid off health care workers due to the COVID-19 crisis since March 20, a U.S. Senate investigation found. The American Hospital Association estimates a total financial impact of more than $200 billion in losses for hospitals and health systems over a four-month period due to the pandemic, an average of more than $50 billion per month. This article contains previous reporting from Bethany Bump. Many royals do not have day jobs. Rather, much of their work includes patronizing charity organizations and raising awareness for different causes. However, Prince Harry and Prince William recently found themselves in hot water after they were accused of misusing charity money. Read on below to find out what happened and why critics have allegedly brought them to a charity watchdogs attention. Prince Harry has been trying to set up his own charity foundation RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markles New Charity Subtly Hints That Archie Might Be An Only Child Before Prince Harry married Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2018, he had been a part of the Royal Foundation along with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. However, in 2019, Harry and Meghan went off to start their own charity foundation called Sussex Royal. With Sussex Royal, Harry and Meghan managed to unveil one charity program called Travalyst, which has been registered as a limited company. However, things became up in the air again in early 2020 when Harry and Meghan decided to step down as senior members of the royal family. As a result, they are now banned from using their Sussex Royal brand, and the couple had to establish a new charitable organization. In March, it was revealed Harry and Meghan will launch an organization called Archewell to replace Sussex Royal. Why critics say Prince Harry and Prince William misused over $300,000 Prince Harry and Prince William | Samir Hussein/WireImage With the different charity projects that have been established over the past two years, money has changed hands often. This has led critics to call out Harry and William for allegedly misusing a large sum of money. When Harry and Meghan left the Royal Foundation, they were given money for their new charity projects, as reported by Newsweek. According to Republic, an anti-monarchy group, the Royal Foundation gave a grant of 145,000 ($183,000) to Sussex Royal and 144,901 ($183,057) to a non-charitable organization (Travalyst). Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, pointed out the transfer of money between these entities could be considered a breach of charity law since they came about because of the personal relationship between Harry and William. This has led the brothers to be referred to a charity watchdog, Newsweek wrote. Maybe Im missing something here, but I find it difficult to believe that a charity making an independent and impartial decision would decide to make these payments, Smith noted. The Royal Foundation has lost almost 300,000 to Prince Harrys pet projects. Harrys own charity is now closing and he appears to be taking the charitys money with him. I cant see how that isnt a breach of charity law. He also added: Whatever the legal position this looks unethical and underhand. People donate money to a charity expecting it to be used to fund the charitys objectives, not to be given away to support a patrons other projects. What plans does Prince Harry have in place for Travalyst? RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Cant Seem to Stop Catching Flak Over Their Environmental Decisions As reported by Express.co.uk, Harry and Meghan are focusing their charity work on supporting efforts for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. It seems Archewell and other personal charity projects are being put on hold. There has also not been much news about what Harry might have planned for Travalyst, which is not registered as a charity in the UK. Last year, Harry revealed the program will partner with huge players in the tourism industry, such as Booking.com, Visa, and TripAdvisor, to promote more eco-friendly travels. First lady Melania Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on July 7, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) First Lady Delivers Lunch to Firefighters, Families in Washington WASHINGTONThe White House delivered lunch and possibly some reassurance to people in the nations capital who could use a helping of both. First lady Melania Trump made some of the deliveries herself in her first public appearances in a protective mask. Mrs. Trump had been making regular visits to schools, hospitals and other venues to promote her youth welfare initiative, Be Best. But after the pandemic forced classrooms to close and hospitals to bar visitors, it appears she turned to the White House kitchens for inspiration. The first lady showed up unannounced to visit with Washington firefighters and emergency medical services personnel last week. She brought White House-prepared boxed lunches, tote bags, reusable masks, and hand sanitizer, her office said. She also met with police officers. The courtesy call came as President Donald Trump has made it clear that he stands with police and other law enforcement amid the nationwide calls for racial justice and changes to policing sparked by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. She echoed her husbands message, saying in a written statement afterward: The president and I will continue to support our dedicated firefighters, police members, EMS personnel and other critical first responders who put their lives at risk each day in order to keep our neighborhoods safe. A week earlier, the first lady slipped out of the White House on a surprise visit to deliver lunches, tote bags, and other unspecified items to The Mary Elizabeth House, her office said. The center provides comprehensive family support to single mothers and their children. Video shared on her Twitter and Facebook accounts show the first lady in a yard at The Mary Elizabeth House and speaking through a face mask with women, some holding young children. Shes also seen handing out lunch boxes stamped with Be Best, and tote bags. In May, the first lady sent White House executive chef Cris Comerford, pastry chef Susie Morrison and other staff to deliver 150 boxed meals of chicken macaroni and cheese and broccoli florets to patients and staff at Childrens Inn at the National Institutes of Health. She has spent every Valentines Day since 2018 doing arts and crafts with children who stay at the inn while they receive medical treatment. In an accompanying letter addressed to her dear friends at the inn, Trump said the meals were a token of my sincere gratitude for your tireless work. The lunch boxes were delivered cold, but with perfect reheating instructions, Javin Smith, the program operations manager at Childrens Inn, said in an email through a spokesperson. By Darlene Superville Against that background, various measures have been introduced to help companies rebound, maintain jobs, and halt income reductions, but much still remains to be done. Over 30 million jobs affected According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), 30.8 million Vietnamese workers were hit by the coronavirus in the first half of 2020, including those losing jobs, working alternate days, or having their working hours and income reduced. Those with income cuts accounted for the largest part at 57.3% of affected workers. Workers in the services sector suffered the most, followed by industry-construction and farming. The April-June quarter saw the number of people with jobs down 2.4% from the first three months and down 2.6 million from the same period last year, which the GSO has said is the biggest decline in the past decade. The statistical agency added that the ratio of workers who were unable to work at their full potential also increased by 1.5 times compared with the previous year, especially among workers below 34. The average monthly income also fell in the second quarter, the first time in the past five years, but the decrease was not considerable as one third of the working population are in the farming sector, which has been minimally affected by the virus. According to the National Centre for Job Services, the number of applications for unemployment benefits in the second quarter surged by 24% compared with the same quarter in 2019. Vietnams jobless rate in the first half of 2020 was 2.73%, up 0.57 percentage point from the same period in 2019 but still lower than the global average. Business registration also remains no different from the job situation in the first six months of 2020, with newly established enterprises, registered capital and expected number of hirings down by 7.3%, 22% and 21.8%, respectively. Signs of rebound began to appear in May after social distancing measures were lifted, and many businesses have resumed their operation. Data showed the number of new businesses in May and June returned to growth across 17 sectors and those resuming activities in the first six months of 2020 rose by 16.4%. Long-term support package needed Many countries around the world are still struggling to contain the coronavirus with possible risks of a second wave, which will definitely continue to affect jobs and incomes of Vietnamese workers. Economists have stated that the first half of 2020 was not yet the peak of job losses because enterprises were still fulfilling orders from last year. Labour-intensive sectors are expected to suffer a serious blow in the third quarter as there have been no orders for manufacturing in the final months of the year, and workers jobs and incomes will largely rely on the resilience of their enterprises. In order to support business recovery, the GSO suggested accelerating the implementation of the governments VND62 trillion (US$2.67 billion) package while ensuring that it is correctly targeted and effectively spent. GSO Deputy Director Pham Quang Vinh said that as of June 2020, the disbursement rate was just a little over 18%, especially disbursement for household businesses and workers who have lost their jobs. At the same time, it is necessary to effectively implement business support policies so as to boost economic recovery, especially in such sectors as manufacturing, wholesale and retail, transport, accommodation and eatery services. As the coronavirus is still gripping many countries around the world and the number of workers unable to work at their full capacity is rising, the government needs to introduce policies to encourage workers to enhance their skills in order to meet the new requirements of employers in the post-coronavirus period. Support is also needed to help employers retrain their employees and adopt innovations. At the same time, enterprises and workers need to recognise the requirements of the economy in a new situation and take necessary changes accordingly. Since Vietnamese enterprises are still weak, especially small and medium-sized ones, economists have warned that in addition to measures to deal with the effects of the coronavirus, it is necessary to introduce special policies to boost business restructuring in terms of inputs, investment and labour in order to increase the economys overall resilience. Support packages should be a long-term plan, not only for 2020 but also for one or two subsequent years. Currently the government is commissioning the formulation of a general plan to stimulate the economy in the long run, with various policy tools to boost growth and address the difficulties facing enterprises and the people. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday the next round of virus relief will center on getting children returning to schools and workers back into jobs. Mnuchin, who likely will have a key role in negotiating a new stimulus bill with Democrats, spoke at a White House meeting with President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hammer out the Republican plan amid firm opposition from Democrats, who say the GOP is tilting aid toward businesses instead of people struggling with the expanding pandemic. "The focus is kids and jobs," Mnuchin told reporters without giving many details. Along with money still untapped from earlier rounds of stimulus, Republicans are "starting with another trillion dollars. We think that will make a big impact." House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who also was at the meeting, told reporters at the Capitol that the initial Republican proposal would include cutting the payroll tax. That's been a central demand of Trump, even though some in his party have been cool to the idea and Democrats are opposed. It also will include another round of direct stimulus payments to individuals, he said. The Republican plan to be drafted this week is already facing opposition from Democrats, whose votes will be needed to get any stimulus legislation through Congress. McConnell's support for shielding companies that reopen against coronavirus-related lawsuits could "grant legal immunity to negligent corporations, nursing homes or others," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter to Democrats sent just before the White House meeting. Schumer said Democrats must stick together, as they did when the last relief package passed in March. "It was our unity against a partisan, Republican first draft that allowed for significant improvements to be made," Schumer wrote. "I hope we will not have to repeat that process. But we will stand together again if we must. While there is a big gulf between Republicans and Democrats, who want a $3.5 trillion package, there also are some divisions within the GOP. Trump has been demanding a payroll tax cut as part of the package, something that GOP lawmakers haven't embraced. The president reiterated on Monday that cutting or suspending the payroll tax -- which funds Social Security and Medicare -- is "very important" as an incentive for companies to hire back laid-off workers. The tax is paid by both employers and employees. Another potential hurdle is that Mnuchin was balking over the weekend at a $25 billion initiative favored by Senate Republicans to help states with coronavirus testing and contact tracing, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. McConnell has said he would begin negotiations with Democrats for a final measure once the Republican plan is complete. Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will meet with GOP senators at their weekly luncheon on Tuesday and will begin reaching out to Democrats. The liability limits that McConnell is advancing will be a contentious issue between the two parties. A draft of his plan would give federal courts, rather than state ones, jurisdiction over liability claims arising from coronavirus infections, according to a summary of the proposal. Republicans also have so far not agreed on any additional aid for state and local governments, and are opposing Democratic proposals to keep supplemental payments for unemployment insurance at the $600 additional amount that was in the stimulus package passed in March. That extra support expires this month. Mnuchin said the unemployment-insurance program needed a "technical fix." McCarthy said the $600 supplemental payments were a disincentive to work because some people got more in unemployment benefits than they were making at their jobs. He said there are ways to make sure the benefits aren't more than a worker's wages. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - As coronavirus cases skyrocket, daily life is looking very different in the Sunshine State, where many popular beaches are shuttered, residents and tourists can be fined for not wearing masks, and bars across the state arent allowed to pour liquor to toast the carefree days of summer. The state Department of Health on Sunday reported 12,478 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 87 more deaths. Overall, there have been nearly 350,047 cases, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths. Florida recently closed bars again because customers werent wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Miami-Dade County again recently prohibited restaurants from having indoor seating and Broward County, home to Fort Lauderdale, announced a two-week curfew Friday that bans most people from being outside from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and an order limiting private gatherings, indoor or outdoor, to no more than 10 people. Its a near guarantee its going to get worse unless we do something very dramatic to flatten the curve because were heading into flu season, said Dr. Dena Grayson, an infectious disease researcher and former Florida Democratic congressional candidate. The coronavirus has tapped out intensive care units of some hospitals around the state, and hospitalizations continue to rise, though not quite as steeply as on some days during the past week. As of Sunday, there were more than 9,290 hospitalizations, compared with more than 9,100 on Saturday. Hospitals in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville have reported recent surges and a critical shortage of the antiviral remdesivir. Critics have complained that Gov. Ron DeSantis has not mandated a statewide mask ordinance as cases rise. The Republican governor has repeatedly said policies in hard-hit South Florida might not make sense in the Panhandle, where the infection rate is lower. Fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio even acknowledged the need for a unified, nonpartisan message. One area where I think we all could have improved on is to sort of come up with a concise message that everyone is putting out there as opposed to some of the conflicting messages. And I think everyone has shared blame in that, he told CBS4s Facing South Florida this weekend. Instead, weve seen a lot of these things turned into sort of a partisan fight or a political statement about whether youre going to wear a mask or not wear a mask and that sort of thing. The criticism has increased as the states hardest hit areas are ramping up restrictions, doubling down on mask use and instituting curfews to help reduce the spread. The Miami-Dade County Commission recently approved an emergency order that gives code and fire inspectors authority to issue tickets of up to $100 for individuals and $500 for businesses that dont comply with restrictions. Yet, Walt Disney World reopened its Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks on Wednesday. Disneys Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened last weekend. Both Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando opened last month. This summer looks completely different for Dena Drost and her 7- and 5-year-old daughters. Normally, shed be at work and theyd be at summer camp. But the 33-year-old marketing director for a restaurant brand has been out of works for more than three months. Her company says shell have a job to return to as soon as they can safely reopen. But shes fearful what that might look like as Floridas cases continue to rise. The mall and other spots around her home in Wellington are open, but Drost rarely takes them out, saying we are at home trying to leave as little possible. Shes relieved that the girls only complain once a week about all the changes the virus has meant for school, camp and their social interactions. She said she feels anxiety on a daily basis and fears she wont be able to protect her children from the virus. I feel angry that DeSantis only cares about Trump and is wilfully ignorant when it comes to the virus, she said. I think theres no excuse for 5,000 dead Floridians. Normally, Potions in Motions catering and event company would be in high gear with summer weddings, graduations and corporate events, averaging 25 to 35 a week at their peak and serving 2,000 to 3,000 people. But this summer, with South Floridas three counties imposing various restrictions on group gatherings, theyre down to micro-events, averaging two to five a week with 8 to 15 people. Theyve had to cut most of their staff. At peak season, they have 65, but are now down to six. Were trying to just stay alive and keep as many people employed, the companys founder Jason Savino said. Theyre making so many restrictions by county. You cant even have a gathering of more than 10 people in your house. He understands the need to make changes to curb the spread of the virus, but worries about the economic impact. The dialing back scares me, he said. Theres no support coming from any government or anywhere that are accommodating these businesses that are being ordered to dial their business back. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak SALEM, Ore. Heather Griggs presses a phone to her ear in a makeshift office in the small brick courthouse that once served as a jail in rural Pendleton, a place best known for its annual rodeo. Her assured tone masks her exhaustion when she tells the person on the other end that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Its a call she has made thousands of times since March, but lately there has been a heightened sense of urgency. The coronavirus has torn through the small Oregon community where farmers grow crops such as potatoes, onions and grains. In Umatilla County, where Pendleton is located, the rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 is about 16%. Thats a measure of how widespread the disease is in the community, and the World Health Organization recommends it stay below 5%. In the county with a population of 77,000, the virus has infected more than a thousand people and killed nine, overwhelming its limited resources and employees. Im tired, said Griggs, whos working as a contact tracer. The pandemic sweeping through major U.S. cities is now wreaking havoc on rural communities, with some recording the nations most new confirmed cases per capita in the past two weeks. The virus is infecting thousands of often impoverished rural residents every day, swamping struggling health care systems and piling responsibility on government workers who often perform multiple jobs they never signed up for. Officials attribute much of the spread in rural America to outbreaks in workplaces, living facilities and social gatherings. Food processing plants and farms, where people typically work in cramped quarters, have proven to be hot spots. Umatilla County has Oregons highest number of confirmed infections per capita, sometimes reporting a figure this month above that of Multnomah County, which is 10 times larger and includes Portland. The surge in Umatilla and most of Oregons rural counties is driving the states rise in confirmed cases. In response to the pandemic, Umatilla County divided virus-related tasks among the 30-person public health department. For Griggs, that meant her role supervising the agencys maternal-child section turned into contact tracing and investigating. She spends her days asking people with positive test results about those they interacted with and then calling to warn those people. We are a small county, so I dont think there is a single person here at public health who hasnt been involved in some way, said Griggs, who works with eight other contact tracers. Other rural counties also are seeing virus cases soar. Forested Hot Spring County in Arkansas leads the nation in the number of confirmed new cases per capita in the past two weeks, according to data compiled by The Associated Press. Also near the top of the list are even more remote places, such as Scurry and Crockett counties in Texas. The Scurry County judge announced last week that 169 inmates and 11 employees at the prison there had tested positive for COVID-19. In Crockett County, whose population density is less than two people per square mile, 71 people have tested positive. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Officials recognize that rural case numbers are low compared with city totals, but even a slight increase can push a small community over the edge. Weve discovered we are getting really overwhelmed by the rapid numbers in the rise we are seeing now, Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock said. We really need help. The county has received guidance, contact tracers, case investigators and equipment from the state, but Murdock says more help might be necessary. Officials need housing alternatives for people who have COVID-19 or are living with multiple families and field teams to serve at-risk residents and distribute federal aid to poor families, he said. The fact that many rural jobs can not be done from home has exacerbated the viruss impact, Murdock said. Officials have noted cases where people continued to work despite having minor coronavirus symptoms, which led to outbreaks. They are forced to go to work in order to survive. They dont have benefits. You cant telecommute on a production line, he said. Of Oregons 23 rural counties, 12 have reported workplace outbreaks at farms or meat and seafood processing plants. Umatilla County has reported six workplace outbreaks since mid-June. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. To confront the surge in cases, rural governments are rearranging and shuffling responsibilities for workers already juggling multiple roles. Lt. Melissa Ross updates journalists about drug busts and fatal crashes as the public information officer for the Morrow County sheriff in eastern Oregon. She also oversees the records and civil department. Adding to her duties, shes now the spokeswoman for the countys Emergency Management Team, which gives updates on case numbers and other virus-related information. Thats what happens when you live in small rural America I guess, Ross said. Those communities are relying on already limited medical systems. Lake County, where southern Oregon meets California and Nevada, has just one hospital. The next one is 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. To serve its 7,000 residents, the county took the unusual step of asking the Lake Health District to not only run the hospital but also oversee its health department during the pandemic. We think that works better on coordinating care for our entire population, district CEO Charles Tveit said. Thats why we got involved. Murdock of Umatilla County said that while rural areas have fewer resources than major cities, they have the same responsibility to keep people safe. Out here, we are kind of used to being on our own, he said. But this is bigger than us. ___ Sara Cline is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The U.N. secretary-general made a sweeping call Saturday to end global inequalities that sparked this year's massive anti-racism protests and have been further exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, warning the world was at "breaking point". "Covid-19 has been likened to an X-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built," Antonio Guterres said as he delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. "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." 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 U.N. chief's address marked what would have been the birthday of former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mandela. South Africa, the world's most unequal country a quarter-century after the end of the racist system of apartheid, is quickly becoming one of the world's hardest-hit nations in the pandemic and now makes up roughly half of Africa's confirmed coronavirus cases. Already its public hospitals are nearly overwhelmed. The speech by the U.N. 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 and other inequalities involving race, gender, class and place of birth. These, he said, are seen in the world's fragmented response to the pandemic as governments, businesses and even individuals are accused of hoarding badly needed testing, medical and other supplies for themselves. The legacy of colonialism still reverberates, Guterres added, and it shows in global power relations. Developing countries, and especially African nations, are under-represented at the levels of power including at financial institutions like the World Bank and political ones like the U.N. Security Council, whose five most powerful members the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China date from the 1940s when the world body was created. Inequality starts at the top: in global institutions. Addressing inequality must start by reforming them, Guterres said, offering some solutions. A new generation of social protection is needed, including universal health coverage and perhaps maybe even 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 USD 3 trillion a year, he said. And in the face of enormous shifts due to 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 G-20, the world's 20 major economic powers, is clearly not enough. And he noted, without naming names, that leadership and power are not always aligned. Let's 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." The U.N. chief called for a new model of global governance with inclusive and equal participation. We see the beginnings of a new movement, he said, adding it's time to right the wrongs of the past. Also read: Wearing face masks may get coronavirus in US under control in four to eight weeks: CDC chief Subramanian Swamy To Assist Kangana Ranaut With Her Legal Rights He tweeted, "Kangana Ranaut's office has contacted Ishkaran. Ishkaran and I will meet soon to discuss how to assist her with her legal rights if and when the meeting with the Mumbai Police takes place. I am told she is among top three in Hindi cinema stardom. But on guts she gets top marks." Advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari Says It's "Absolutely Essential" To Safeguard Kangana's Interests From The Bollywood Ecosystem "Absolutely the courage displayed by @KanganaTeam is exemplary & it's absolutely essential to safeguard her interests from the Bollywood ecosystem!," read his tweet. Subramanian Swamy Had Earlier Explained Why Kangana Should Have A Lawyer By Her Side While speaking with Republic TV, Subramanian Swamy had said, "Since the investigation began, the police is summoning many people, but I was a bit surprised to see that they summoned Kangana to the police station to question her. Now, the person is always entitled to a lawyer, so I made sure that she does not feel alone in the police station given the fact the '3 Khan Musketeers' are on the rampage and are making all kinds of attempts to overpower people." He further added, "Therefore, you needed a lawyer who is committed to the cause. I do not think of anyone better than Ishkaran Singh Bhandari. I have not spoken to him about it yet but if she wants a lawyer at all, she would welcome Ishkaran. I can offer legal assistance to her because she is bold and courageous and she has given an interview to your channel too. She has placed her record with great clarity. She needs to be legally protected and to make sure no unfairness is meted out to her, I think she should have a lawyer by her side." Meanwhile, Subramanian Swamy Recently Penned A Letter To PM Narendra Modi In his letter, Swamy alleged that many big names from Bollywood with the help of dons from Dubai are trying to cover up Sushant Singh Rajput's death as 'voluntary suicide'. He also pressed for a CBI probe into the matter. Perth, Australia, July 20, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Cardinal Resources Limited (ASX:CDV) (HAM:C3L) (OTCMKTS:CRDNF) (TOR:CDV) is very pleased to advise that its Namdini Mining Licence has officially received Sovereign Parliamentary Ratification in Ghana. HIGHLIGHTS - Parliamentary Ratification of the Mining License paves the way for secure and solid project development - The 63 km2 Mining Licence is granted for an initial term of 15 years and is renewable - The recently Expanded Mining Licence allows for further financial optimisation by repositioning infrastructure such as tailings storage facilities, stockpiles and waste dumps - Exploration potential enhanced within the expanded area along the Namdini shear to the south Cardinal's Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director, Archie Koimtsidis stated: "It is most pleasing to have the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission of Ghana support our Mining Licence which has led to the Sovereign Ratification of our Mining Licence by the Parliament of Ghana. This Ratification and the recent issuing of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Permit along with our Water Extraction Permit and Relocation Action Plan Approval, places the Namdini Gold Project into an extremely secure and solid position for development." "The Company would also like to acknowledge the Local Community, Traditional Council, Local and National Governments for their admirable support of the Namdini Gold Project." Namdini Mining Licence A Large-Scale Mining Licence covering the Namdini Mining Licence was granted to Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited ("Cardinal Namdini"), by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources under the Ghanaian Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) in 2017. Cardinal Namdini is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Resources Limited. The Large-Scale Mining Licence originally covered 19km2 in the Dakoto area of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region of Ghana and has now been expanded to an area of 63 km2; the maximum allowable (Figure 1*). The expanded Large-Scale Mining Licence has been granted for an initial period of 15 years commencing in 2020 and is renewable (Figure 1). Expansion of the Large-Scale Mining Licence will allow Cardinal to improve and derisk mine and infrastructure design and optimise financial outcomes as the Company continues to progress the FEED programme. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/47R61886 About Cardinal Resources Ltd: Cardinal Resources Ltd (ASX:CDV) (TSE:CDV) (OTCMKTS:CRDNF) is a West African gold exploration and development Company that holds interests in tenements within Ghana, West Africa. The Company is focused on the development of the Namdini Project with a gold Ore Reserve of 5.1Moz (0.4 Moz Proved and 4.7 Moz Probable) and a soon to be completed Feasibility Study. Exploration programmes are also underway at the Company's Bolgatanga (Northern Ghana) and Subranum (Southern Ghana) Projects. Cardinal confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in its announcement of the Ore Reserve of 3 April 2019. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning this estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. Contact: Archie Koimtsidis CEO / MD Cardinal Resources Limited P: +61-8-6558-0573 Alec Rowlands IR / Corp Dev Cardinal Resources Limited P: +1-647-256-1922 Andrew Rowell Cannings Purple E: arowell@canningspurple.com.au P: +61-400-466-226 Peta Baldwin Cannings Purple E: pbaldwin@canningspurple.com.au P: +61-455-081-008 Source: Cardinal Resources Ltd Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. Whats happening President Trump has issued a number of controversial pardons during his time in office, but none sparked the level of criticism as his decision late last week to commute the sentence of his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone. The commutation allowed Stone to avoid a 40-month prison sentence after he was convicted for lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing Robert Muellers investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign. The move was well within the scope of the pardon powers granted to the president in the Constitution, but it was still met with harsh criticism. Stones connection to the investigation directed at the president represents unprecedented, historic corruption, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for legislation that would prevent presidents from using their pardon power to protect themselves from criminal prosecution. Trump isnt the first president to court controversy with his pardons. Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, for the Watergate scandal. Jimmy Carter granted clemency to people who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War. George H.W. Bush cleared Reagan-era officials in the Iran-Contra scandal. Bill Clinton even pardoned his own half-brother. Why theres debate To some legal experts, Trump using pardon power to reward political allies and alleged co-conspirators is the continuation of a trend that has seen the authority drift further and further away from the intentions of the Founding Fathers. Pardons were designed to be a way for the executive branch to balance against abuses by the judiciary. Today, its more often used to undermine legitimate prosecutions, critics say. This shift has occurred at the same time as the main remedy for pardon abuses impeachment has proven to be an insufficient deterrent. In order to curb abuses, some argue, the pardon power must be revised to limit its scope. The most common suggestion is for presidents to be barred from pardoning anyone who is directly connected to an impeachment investigation. Others have argued for including Congress in pardon decisions, either by giving it more oversight or by shifting the entire process to the legislative branch. Either change would likely require a Constitutional amendment, though some legal scholars argue that some limits could be imposed by the judicial branch. Story continues Opponents of the idea say limiting the pardon power in response to a small number of high-profile cases would ultimately prevent presidents from using it in the way it was intended. As the countrys views on criminal justice evolve, pardons can be used to correct the mistakes of the past. Barack Obama issued nearly 2,000 clemency orders during his presidency, mostly to people convicted of nonviolent minor offenses. Advocates for ending mass incarceration say the pardon power is a critical tool in reducing the size of Americas prison population. Whats next Pelosis proposed legislation is unlikely to gain any traction in the Republican-led Senate and would likely be challenged on Constitutional grounds if it did pass through Congress. Stones commutation has increased speculation that Trump may issue pardons to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort. It has also renewed debate among legal experts over what might happen if Trump attempts to pardon himself before leaving office. Perspectives Supporters Presidents shouldnt be able to pardon witnesses to their own alleged crimes It is reasonable, then, to find the presidential pardon of witnesses in an impeachment proceeding automatically invalid. Otherwise, exercise of the pardon power seriously threatens the effective use of the impeachment power as a constitutional check. Martin H. Redish, New York Times Trumps use of pardons is a threat to American democracy When President Donald Trump commuted Roger Stones sentence of 40 months in prison for lying to Congress and tampering with a witness, he crossed into new territory dangerous to the republic. Our only choice is to amend the Constitution and restrict the use of this power to its original purposes. Christopher F. Droney, Hartford Courant The pardon power should be shifted to Congress I propose a simple constitutional reform that would preserve the federal governments ability to pardon but would take it out of the hands of the president. Daniel Carpenter, Washington Monthly Impeachment isnt a strong enough deterrent to stop pardon abuses The impeachment power has proved to be a paper tiger when it comes to the presidency. ... So now a president willing to abuse the pardon power has little to fear from Congress. Keith E. Whittington, Lawfare The courts could prevent corrupt pardons without a constitutional amendment There is a strong argument, rooted in the Constitutions text, history, values, and structure, that in addition to banning the prevention or undoing of an impeachment, [the impeachment clause] also bans a president from using the pardon and reprieve power to commute the sentences of people directly associated with any impeachment charges against him. Corey Brettschneider and Jeffrey K. Tulis, Atlantic A presidential self-pardon could create a true constitutional crisis Would a presidential self-pardon be lawful? The short answer is we dont know for sure, because no president has ever tried it. The Constitution itself does not specify either way and there is no statute or case law on the issue. But you can already see the battle lines forming. Elie Honig, CNN Skeptics Overreacting to Trumps pardons would only hurt people who deserve freedom Retributionism the raw instinct that tells us we want to hurt someone who has done wrong rarely leads us to a good place, and flies in the face of the spiritual beliefs of most Americans. [A few of Trumps allies] staying home is not the worst thing in the world, especially compared to the decades of racial injustice and bad policy that filled our prisons, problems that clemency can help address. Mark Osler, The Appeal Pardons are needed to end mass incarceration Both the crisis of mass incarceration and the racially disparate administration of criminal law demand all the tools that can be mustered to correct them, including pardoning. Pardons like those of low-level drug offenders help to accomplish the enlightenment goal of ameliorating criminal law. Bernadette Meyler, The Hill The existing checks on pardon power are enough The Constitutions pardon power is not an unlimited, unaccountable power. The more you abuse it to nullify the rule of law for your own cronies, the more such misconduct can serve as the basis for post-presidential prosecutions or another round of impeachment. Just Security Pardons can be fixed by creating a fairer decision-making process The pardon power is important. There will always be mistakes and excesses in the criminal-justice system. But the powers exercise ought to reflect equitable deliberation. If, say, too many people are in federal prison for committing low-level drug crimes, presidents should establish procedures to review everyone with a claim who is serving time for these offenses. Editorial, Washington Post Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com. Read more 360s Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images Frugal northern nations had disagreed with southern EU members on proportion of grants to repayable loans. European leaders are making progress after three days of haggling over a plan to revive economies throttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned the discussions could still fall apart. EU summit chairman Charles Michel urged the 27 European Union leaders to achieve mission impossible and reach an agreement. Michel reminded the leaders that more than 600,000 people have died as a result of the coronavirus around the world, and it was up to them to stand together in the face of an unprecedented crisis. My hope is that we reach an agreement and that the headline tomorrow is that the EU has accomplished mission impossible, the European Council President said at their third dinner in a row at the Brussels conference centre on Sunday. That is my heartfelt wish after three days of non-stop work. The leaders are at odds over how to carve up a vast recovery fund designed to help haul Europe out of its deepest recession since World War II, and what strings to attach for countries it would benefit. The meeting was adjourned on Monday until 4pm (14:00 GMT). After the adjournment was announced, both Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Rutte said progress was being made at the talks. Tough negotiations have just come to an end, and we can be very satisfied with todays result. We will continue in the afternoon, said Kurz. Rutte said talks had been close to failing, but that Michel was now working on a new EU compromise proposal. We are not there yet; things can still fall apart. But it looks a bit more hopeful than at the times where I thought last night that it was over, Rutte told reporters in Brussels. Diplomats had said the leaders might abandon the summit and try again for an agreement next month if talks failed. On the table is a 1.8-trillion-euro ($2.06-trillion) package for the EUs next long-term budget and recovery fund. The 750 billion euros ($856bn) proposed for the recovery fund would be raised on behalf of all EU countries on capital markets by the EUs executive European Commission, which would be a historic step towards greater integration. Money from the fund would then be funnelled mostly to hard-hit Mediterranean rim countries. Better ambitious than hurried European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said it would be better for the leaders to agree on an ambitious aid package than to have a quick deal at any cost. Ideally, the leaders agreement should be ambitious in terms of size and composition of the package even if it takes a bit more time, she told Reuters news agency. Lagardes comments suggested she was relaxed about the possibility of an adverse reaction on financial markets if the summit fails, especially as the ECB has a war chest of more than 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) to buy up government debt. News of the EU impasse had little impact on the euro in early Asian trade, with analysts saying markets remained hopeful of an agreement. I think expectations were that we werent going to get a deal at this meeting anyway, but we needed enough in it to give us a belief that there was one coming in August or September, said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone brokerage in Melbourne, Australia. North vs south A group of frugal wealthy north European states pushed during the summit for a smaller recovery fund and sought to limit how payouts are split between grants and repayable loans. On Sunday evening, another attempt at reaching a compromise failed. A deal envisaging 400 billion euros ($457bn) in grants down from a proposed 500 billion euros ($571bn) was rejected by the north, which said it saw 350 billion euros ($400bn) as the maximum. There were also differences over a proposed new rule-of-law mechanism that could freeze funding to countries flouting democratic principles. Hungary, backed by Poland, threatened to veto the package if its disbursement was made dependent on meeting conditions on upholding the rule of law. For some, the summit was a critical moment for nearly 70 years of European integration, and failure to agree could unnerve financial markets and fuel doubts about the blocs viability. The tense talks, though still shorter than an EU summit in the French city of Nice 20 years ago, underscored the gulf between the EUs north and south. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte accused the Netherlands and its allies Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Finland of blackmail. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Ruttes position reflects political realities in his country, where voters resent that the Netherlands is, proportionately, among the largest net contributors to the EU budget. He and his conservative VVD party face a strong challenge from far-right eurosceptic parties in elections next March. Phuket Immigration confirms no fee for letter confirming address PHUKET: Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Col Nareuwat Putthawiro today (July 20) confirmed that the letter from Immigration confirming a foreigners registered address, specifically required for a foreigner to be issued or to renew a drivers licence, is free to obtain. immigration By The Phuket News Monday 20 July 2020, 03:32PM The full list of fees charged by Immigration posted in the upstairs office (click to enlarge). Photo: Phuket Immigration Office) The full list of fees charged by Immigration posted in the upstairs office (click to enlarge). Photo: Phuket Immigration Office) The list of contact numbers for high-ranking officers at Phuket Immigration open for receiving complaints. Photo: Phuket Immigration Office The confirmation follows complaints that foreigners were being asked to pay B300 for the letter. There is no fee for this written confirmation. It is free, Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Col Nareuwat Putthawiro confirmed to The Phuket News in a brief conversation by phone today. Col Nareuwat then asked for Lt Col Worapol Panpetch, who holds the position of Inspector at Phuket Immigration, to explain further. The letter is needed for foreigners to be able to renew their drivers licence. It is free. There is no fee of B300, Lt Col Worapol repeated. This is not the first time that we have received this kind of complaint. Last year, I also received a complaint that Phuket Town Immigration was asking for B300 for a letter confirming a foreigners address. I have not heard more complaints about this until now, he added. I will again remind all officers that this letter is free, he said. There is no need to fill out any form to request this letter. Just come to the office and tell the officers here this is what you need, Lt Col Worapol explained. Lt Col Worapol also confirmed that a full list of fees charged by Immigration is not posted downstairs at the main Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town. Some of the usual fees charged are posted in English on notices at the downstairs office, but not all them. The fee for this letter is obviously not listed because it is free. he noted. However, a large notice listing all the fees charged by Immigration is posted in the upstairs office, Lt Col Worapol explained. A second copy of this notice is expected to arrive in the next two to three days, and that be posted downstairs, he said. Lt Col Worapol urged any foreigners who would like to file complaints to call him directly at 086-1069848. Alternatively, foreigners can report complaints to Phuket Immigration Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Udom Thongchin at 081-9784645, or or directly to Phuket Immigration Chief Col Narong Chanapaikul himself at 086-3454545. All these contact numbers for reporting complaints are posted on a large notice beside the downstairs main door, Lt Col Worapong noted. A policeman has been hailed a hero after he jumped out of a 13th floor window in order to catch a suspected paedophile in Kazakhstan. Bakytzhan Bakirov, 36, and partner Meyir Nesipbay were called to an apartment in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to reports that a man had broken in and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. When the pair arrived, suspect Citizen Sh ran and jumped out of the window - with Bakirov following close behind him. Bakirov said it only occurred to him later that Sh might have been trying to kill himself rather than be arrested. Bakytzhan Bakirov, 36 (left), jumped out of a 13th floor window while chasing a suspected paedophile - after he and partner Meyir Nesipbay (right) were called to investigate Fortunately for the officer, there was a balcony just two storeys below which he and Sh landed on. Despite suffering a broken foot, Bakirov managed to hold on to Sh until backup arrived, and has now been honoured with a bravery medal. Sh is also accused of stealing 13,000 from the girl's house and 'terrorising' her four-year-old brother. If convicted, Sh will undergo chemical castration under Kazakhstan's tough laws. 'There was only one thought in my head - to catch him and I didn't think about anything else,' said Bakirov. 'I jumped out before realising it, but there was no fear. I had no idea there was a terrace two floors below. 'You don't think about anything - the main thing is to catch the criminal, so I jumped after him. Fortunately for Bakirov there was a balcony two storeys below the apartment, which he landed on along with the suspect (pictured, the city of Almaty, where the incident took place) 'What if the suspect wanted to commit suicide in order not to go to jail? And I, without hesitation, jumped after him. 'Yes, our work is fraught with great risks every day but such moments are very sobering.' He and colleague Meyir Nesipbay had been sent to a 13th floor flat where it was known the suspected child sex attacker was hiding. The suspect ran through the flat and jumped from an open window. Bakirov - who has two daughters and six sons - said it was the thought of protecting the children that motivated him. After three operations on this foot 'doctors told me I will still be able to chase criminals'. He was awarded a bravery medal by police chiefs, as was his colleague who rushed to his aid. MONTREALQuebecs mandatory face-covering measure for indoor public places has largely been followed since it came into effect Saturday, but there has been some opposition to the COVID-19-related order from those who dont want to wear one. On Saturday, Quebec became the first province in Canada to bring about such a rule, which applies to people aged 12 and older. Some cities have similar rules in place on their territory. Assessment of the first day of compulsory wearing of the mask in closed public places: the vast majority of Quebecers respected the instructions, Premier Francois Legault tweeted Sunday. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and public health authorities urging people to don a face-covering amid concerns about a second wave of the virus, several antimask protests took place across the province. Those included a march Saturday in St-Georges, in the Beauce region south of Quebec City, and several dozen people gathered in front of Legaults Montreal office on Sunday. Videos have circulated online of people being ejected from stores after refusing to wear a mask, including one widely shared incident in Montreal where police officers physically tackled and removed a man from a Tim Hortons restaurant in the citys east-end about on Saturday afternoon. The man was charged with obstructing police work and released on a promise to appear. Insp. Andre Durocher declined to go into specifics, but said it appeared to be an isolated incident involving someone who wanted to make a statement. The case we saw yesterday was one, but there were many situations that didnt go that far, Durocher said. One thing to keep in mind when our officers are asked to intervene regarding these cases, the initial intervention is always one of awareness to try to get people to follow common sense. For now, businesses are 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. Business groups have called on the government to shift those fines to consumers unwilling to abide by the rules. Some of them protested in downtown Montreal on Sunday. Antonio Pietroniro, 65, said there wasnt a chance hed wear a face covering and didnt think they were necessary. Absolutely not. Id rather stay home, he said. If it served a purpose, Id be wearing one if it was really protecting against something. Alexandre Barriere, 29, called the measure excessive. I find it really excessive to tell a human being to deprive himself of his oxygen as much as possible when he must be free, Barriere said. Meanwhile, Quebec continued to see a rise in the number of infections, reporting 166 confirmed cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 57,466. The province also added one death for a total of 5,655 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of hospitalizations and intensive care cases both went up by three today, after several days of declines in both categories. Read more about: Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has described the video of the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta ... Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has described the video of the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Kemebradikumo Pondei where he fainted during his appearance before the House of Representatives Committee as fake. Pondei slumped while being grilled by members of the committee led by Thomas Ereyitomi over alleged financial mismanagement of the NDDC. The acting MD was noticed to have fainted while one of the committee members was talking, which eventually disrupted the sitting as efforts were made to revive him. Reacting, Omokri said that the drama displayed by Pondei shows that President Buharis administration is corrupt. According to him, from the video making the rounds, Pondei raised his hand at some point. The former presidential Spokesman mocking Pundei, said his drama looked like he was auditioning for Big Brother Naija, BBNaija. Omokri on his Twitter page wrote: Did the MD of the NDDC really faint? I doubt it. Watch as he used his hand to hold the guy trying to resuscitate him. Someone who fainted doesnt do that. Maybe the NDDC MD was auditioning for #BBNaija? Im a long-distance runner. I have seen people faint. No one faints and then puts up his hand to stop the person resuscitating him. Tolulope Arotile: HURIWA faults NAF's explanation on pilots death, insists on autopsy NEWS:Tolulope Arotile: HURIWA faults NAF's explanation on pilots death, insists on autopsy Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Monday stuck to her decision to not to turn up at the Assembly to deliver the customary address to mark the start of a session, on the grounds that the budget was not sent to her for approval. The House had been convened to meet at 9.30 am today with the Lt Governor's customary address before the presentation of the budget. Arrangements had been put in place, including the deploying of personnel to accord a customary guard of Honour to her. Bedi had already informed Chief Minister V Narayanasamy last night the reasons for her decision not to present her customary address. The session, however, commenced 15 minutes behind schedule at 9.45 am with the Speaker V P Sivakolundhu reading out a couplet from the Thirukkural. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister K Lakshminarayan rose to move a resolution requesting the Speaker to keep in abeyance the address of the Lt Governor scheduled for today. Ruling Congress legislator T Jayamoorthy seconded the motion. The Speaker announced that the Lt Governor's address had been kept in abeyance. He said the session was convened in keeping with the rules governing the business and procedure. The Speaker further said the Lt Governor's address was now kept in abeyance and the House would resume its sitting at 12.05 pm and the Chief Minister would present the budget for the fiscal 2020-'21. He said any delay in bringing in the budget in the current COVID-19 situation would only affect people at large and hence it was decided that the budget would be presented today itself. AIADMK legislator A Anbalagan said his call attention motion on pandemic situation should be taken up while the BJP legislators said it would not be proper to go ahead with the session without the customary address by the Lt Governor. The Chief Minister had in a letter to Bedi on Sunday night pointed out that the annual financial statement had been duly recommended by the Administrator (Lt Governor) and approved by the President. "There is therefore no infirmity of any rule or law in this regard. Hence the approval of the Administrator for placing the Annual financial statement before the Assembly (as was maintained by Lt governor in her letter to the Chief Minister) did not arise and will be redundant. This practice is being followed in this Union Territory for many decades," he had said. In her letter, Bedi had stated that she had not received the budget and it had no approval which is a 'serious omission' on the part of the government. Narayanasamy, on his part, told the Lt Governor that there was no omission committed by the Assembly secretariat or by the government as alleged by Bedi. He had also pointed out that "when the entire nation is fighting against COVID-19 it is time to stand united..." "Already it had been 20 days since the lapse of vote on Account 2020-2021. Any further delay would only affect the administration in its fight against the pandemic and ultimately the people of Puducherry would suffer. "I believe your good self would appreciate the facts and deliver your speech as scheduled and uphold the values of Constitution of India and spirit of democracy," he had said. Bedi, in a reply to the Chief Minister today, said the budget is presented to the Assembly "after the government firms up its proposed expenditure for the year. Without firming up the demand for grants, the question of presenting budget does not arise. Therefore only after getting approval under the Union Territories Act 1963 budget can be presented." "You are therefore requested to kindly send the file without further delay for laying Annual Financial statement and demand for grants before the Assembly, for me to accord a considered approval and to give a fresh date for presenting the budget as well as for the inaugural address," she wrote. The Lt Governor and the Narayanaswamy-led government in the union territory have been at loggerheads since Bedi assumed office in 2016 over various issues. Surveying the calamitous landscape wrought by the tiny coronavirus, Tom Frieden, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conceded a grim reality: This is here to stay, in all likelihood, until we have a vaccine, and a vaccine could be a year or two away. And thats the optimistic scenario. Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organizations Health Emergencies Programme, described the possibility of developing a reliable vaccine anytime soon as a moon shot. This does not bode well, as I badly need a haircut. It does not bode well for my barber either, one of the millions of people now out of work. Aside from the moon shot, or viable treatment options, the only shot at returning to some semblance of normal requires corralling our way to herd immunity. The risk is well rehearsed: viral exposure, widespread contagion, infection, disease, and more death. By the time we arrive, businesses will have been decimated and churches shuttered. Millions more jobs will have evaporated, poverty and indebtedness will have soared. Emotional devastation litters the route: depression, brokenness, terror, and grief. Some say it feels like the end of the world. For Christians, the end of the world is the end of all hope because, for Christians, hope ends with its fulfillment. Jesus returns in glory to make all things new (Rev. 21:5)so much so that the word hope never even appears in Revelation. Biblical hope is not especially optimistic but rather is the fruit of suffering, perseverance, and character (Rom. 5:34). Author Marilynne Robinson describes biblical hope as constantly and intensely vulnerable. G.K. Chesterton added, It is only when everything is hopeless that [Christian] hope begins to be a strength at all. . . . it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable. Paul assures us that hope cannot disappoint because its anchored in love, and love never fails (Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 13:8). Still, perseverance requires patience, and patience is a virtue nobody has time for. Huddled in our houses, waiting for a vaccine, we wonder how long we can endure. In Revelation 6, martyrs who died for their faith huddle in heaven and wonder how long. As we wait for the end, Peter reminds us how, with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and any slowness on Gods part is not really slow. What feels like forever is actually God being patient with usnot wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:89). Throughout the Bible, trouble and hardshippandemics and problemsall shatter illusions of human power and control. All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory, and all are justified freely by Gods grace (Rom. 3:2324). God has the power. God has the control. The coronavirus has proven an equalizer. It infects righteous and unrighteous alike. But theres viral inequity, too. The aged, the poor, the marginalized, and the already sick suffer and die disproportionately compared to the wealthy, the strong, and the privileged. This was the reason for the heavenly martyrs plea. Having suffered injustice on earth, they demanded to know how long till God would ride out in judgment and avenge [their] blood (Rev. 6:10). In response, the martyrs are all given white robes and told to hold their horses, so to speak. Because our hearts and hurts so easily deceive us, Scripture continually cautions against throwing stones or passing judgment, lest ye be judged. To wait in hope for the Lord, our help and our shield (Ps. 33:20), starkly counters empty optimism or wishful thinking. To wait in hope for the Lord aims at a future so sure we can live as if its already happened. We are new creations now (2 Cor. 5:17). In Christ, the future breaks into the present, pulling and empowering us forward to persevere with a purpose. Virtue begets virtue, and thus endurance produces character. As harbingers of new creation, we can provide foretastes of glory intentionally when we love our neighbors and enemies, when we forgive those who wrong us, when we care for the poor and the sick among us, when we speak truth and make peace and do right. As I wait for my haircut, my barber waits for a paycheck. Its the same for so many who servefrom housecleaners, restaurant workers, warehouse stockers, and delivery drivers to health care providers and doctors. I did what I could for my out-of-work barber: I contributed to a salary fund for him, even as my hair grows to my shoulders. Its a small offering given all Ive received. But its a sure sign of the sure hope we hold to as we wait on Jesus to return. Daniel Harrell is editor in chief of Christianity Today. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. OAK PARK, IL Under an emergency travel guidance, travelers entering or residents returning to Oak Park from states with high numbers of coronavirus cases (rates) are being told to quarantine for 14 days since their last visit to the recently identified high-risk states, according to a village news release. Oak Park Public Health Director Mike Charley issued the emergency guidance Friday along with Cook County Health Department guidance, consistent with Chicagos July 2 order, the village said, in the news release. Officials added that while public health guidelines are recommendations "not enforced by legal action," they are strongly encouraged by officials working to stop the current increase in cases of the coronavirus. The local emergency guideline applies to those who've visited states (listed below) that have "greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents per day, over a 7-day rolling average." However, exceptions are in place for essential workers traveling for work and other specific circumstances, officials added. The guidance comes as parts of the country see an increase in the number of new cases, despite Oak Park and surrounding communities in the county and across the state have recently seen "steep declines" in new case numbers, hospitalizes and deaths. We have come a long way in Oak Park, and the same can be said of other communities in Cook County, Charley said, in the news release. We understand people may want to travel this summer, but we are asking residents to remain vigilant so we can avoid having to close places in our community that only recently reopened. Travelers from the following states, including Oak Park residents returning from these states, will be directed to quarantine upon arrival: Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Florida Georgia Idaho Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Nevada South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Iowa Oklahoma An updated list will be posted on the CCDPH website every Tuesday afternoon. The site also includes links answers to frequently asked questions, all of which also apply to Oak Park's guidance. Story continues Illinois Coronavirus Update July 20: 161,575 Cases, 7,295 Deaths; Don't miss updates about precautions in the Oak Park-River Forest area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters As of July 17, there were 384 confirmed cases among Oak Park residents since March 18, with the 14-day rolling average for new cases in Oak Park reported as two cases per day, "which is down from a high of more than five cases per day in mid-April," the news release said. The overall decline in our 14-day rolling average has been an encouraging sign, but that can change, as we have seen in neighboring states, Charley said, in the news release. Prevention is the best medicine. We ask everyone to avoid travel to the most affected areas. If you must travel, quarantine for 14 days to protect others and help us stop the spread of COVID-19. >> Read more about the villages emergency travel guidance. For more information related to Oak Parks response to the coronavirus pandemic, visit oak-park.us/covid19, email health@oak-park.us or call 708-358-5480. This article originally appeared on the Oak Park-River Forest Patch Ta-Nehisi Coates: Ingratitude on steroids By Greg Strange As the Marxist zombie mob goes about the business of trying to destroy America and its history with lies about ongoing systemic racism and everything else, it might be a good time to examine one of its poet laureates, Ta-Nehisi Coates. As soon as you see this, shall we say, unusual name, you know what youre in for: a never-ending grievance based on race; never-ending accusations of white supremacy; a never-ending sob story about the pain of his black body; never-ending intimations of his supposed moral superiority which automatically comes from his supposed victimhood. And on and on. This is the guy who once wrote about 9/11 emergency responders: They were not human to me. Black, white, or whatever, they were menaces of nature . . . the fire, the comet, the storm, which could with no justification shatter my body. Shatter your body? They shattered their own bodies attempting to save others. But Ta-Nehisi cant appreciate that because the sum total of his being boils down to nothing more than his endless and insatiable grievances based on his blackness and his perceived mistreatment. In fact, when you read his books and articles it seems as if the complaints will never end, or at least not until the sun literally burns itself out and the solar system is plunged into . . . blackness, beautiful blackness. Or, alternatively, until theres no white people left on Planet Earth. But in a recent interview, when asked what he thought about current events in the country (chaos, anarchy, riots, looting, assault, murder), Ta-Nehisi grudgingly admitted that he now actually has some hope and believes that some progress is finally being made. Well, of course he does! Because the important work of destroying America over imaginary systemic racism is finally gathering steam! By the way, whats up with this name, Ta-Nehisi? According to various sources, it is derived from an ancient Egyptian language name for Nubia (African region corresponding with present-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan), which loosely means land of the black or black-skinned or dark-skinned or something of that nature. Suffice it to say, having this name is all about declaring the inherent greatness of having black skin, and, of course, rejecting a white name. One of Coates books, Between the World and Me, was published in 2015 and has been praised to the heavens. Written in the form of a letter to his son, Samori, the title comes from a 1935 Richard Wright poem of the same name about a black man who discovers the site of a lynching and is incapacitated by fear. That was in 1935, a very long time ago, but reading Coates you would think it was yesterday afternoon. Appropriating the poetic style of earlier and greater black writers, the book is basically a sanctimonious harangue about an incurably racist America that still seeks every opportunity to marginalize or crush black bodies. (You know, like the 9/11 responders who selflessly rushed into the burning buildings.) It is totally mired in paranoiac unreality and dismissive of the gargantuan societal changes of the last half century that resulted in a two-term black president. Naturally, Ta-Nehisi is in favor of reparations being paid to American blacks for slavery as if all the trillions already spent on government programs for them since the 1960s didnt count. And as if additional money wouldn't go down the same rat hole. Speaking of slavery . . . Im just reading an article here in Wikipedia about slavery and it says: Slavery in the region of the Sudan has a long history, beginning in the ancient Nubian and ancient Egyptian times and continuing up to the present. Wait a minute . . . Ancient Nubian? But thats what Ta-Nehisi is named after, from which we can only deduce that Nubia must have been a wondrous place for blacks before white devils showed up and started abducting and shattering black bodies. Turns out, though, that black bodies were being abducted and shattered by various local yokels thousands of years before any white folks showed up. And whats this about continuing up to the present? Well, thats about Arabs in the northern districts enslaving blacks in the south all in the beautiful land of Nubia, all in the here and now. So, while here in America slavery was extirpated 157 years ago (Emancipation Proclamation and a bloody civil war), over in Nubia it just continues right on, even in the absence of white supremacy. Will wonders never cease! Nonetheless, according to the Nubian-named Ta-Nehisi, White America is a syndicate arrayed to protect its exclusive power to dominate and control our bodies. So how come that evil white syndicate never lifts a finger to stop Ta-Nehisi from doing anything he wants, including his endless racist vilification of white people? What kind of white supremacists are these? And the answer, of course, is, for all intents and purposes, there arent any white supremacists, that is. Its all a pathetic delusion, albeit one that has the power to literally destroy the country. Can we just get real here? Where else but in America would a hack like Ta-Nehisi be able to make such a handsome living from the very people he slanders ceaselessly? The guy wouldnt know white supremacy if it walked up and bit him on the ass. Thats because hes never experienced it. He wasnt even born when white supremacy was an actual thing. Those bad times were endured by people much greater than him and because of their courage and their accomplishments, he has an unimaginably cushy life. Furthermore, by insisting that white supremacy still permeates the country, he denigrates the suffering they endured and the risks they took by acting as if none of what they did really made much of a difference. How insulting to them! White supremacy? Are you kidding me? This country, and Western civilization in general, has just about reached the point where white people dont even seem interested in their own self-preservation, let alone their supremacy. Since the recent riots, white people have literally groveled at the feet of black thugs, begging forgiveness for their whiteness! Every corporation in the land has been pushing the supposed wonders of diversity for decades and is in total solidarity with fighting systemic racism, even though it no longer exists. Every institution in the country is controlled by people who fully buy into everything Ta-Nehisi and his ilk say. Every university of any consequence now vilifies white /Western culture, often describing whiteness itself as toxic. What more do you want, Ta-Nehisi? Could you possibly be satisfied with anything less than the disappearance of all white people? But be careful what you wish for because what do you suppose would replace Eurocentric, white-centric Western civilization? Heres a hint: tribalism, violence, anarchy, poverty, all of which constitute the default setting for the human race. Ta-Nehisi is apparently not smart enough to understand that Western civilization has been, by leaps and bounds, the most successful at assuaging that otherwise default setting. Thats the reason why the traffic between Third World countries of color and the West is all one-way. There aint nobody trying to go to Nubia. Ta-Nehisi himself wouldnt be caught dead there. But in the twisted world of the angry, race-obsessed left, day is night, up is down and Ta-Nehisi is brilliant! Actually, if Ta-Nehisi had any concept of reality at all, heres a small sample of what he would have written to his son in Between the World and Me: Because of the intransigent, self-destructive, gangsta rap-inspired ghetto culture of fatherless homes, crime, drugs and violence, you would be wise to stay out of black urban neighborhoods as much as possible. Even Jesse Jackson had to give it up when he admitted that there is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps . . . then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved. Thats because he knew that since the overwhelming success of the civil rights movement and the subsequent vilification of all forms of white supremacy, he had far more to fear from his black brothers than he did most white people. And indeed, Department of Justice statistics provide the evidence of what Jackson intuitively understood. Most violence against blacks is committed by other blacks and when it comes to interracial violence, black-on-white violence is roughly 25 times more prevalent than white-on-black, making the latter insignificant. And so, Samori, my son, it is terribly sad for me to have to tell you that when it comes to the physical safety of your black body, you would be far safer living among whites than among your own kind. But instead, he wrote a bunch of delusional, self-pitying garbage, likely poisoning the mind of his own son. Heres a message for Ta-Nehisi. Because you were born in America post-civil rights, you are among the luckiest black people to have ever lived. Youre welcome, you ungrateful bastard. Greg Strange can be reached at gpstrange30341@yahoo.com. (c) 2020 Greg Strange. Home Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Some Republican governors have been holding regular conference calls to complain about President Donald Trump and swap ideas about how to cope with coronavirus outbreaks in their states, The New York Times reported. In recent months, several Republican lawmakers have broken with the president to back restrictions as the coronavirus spreads through the US. Trump has downplayed the significance of rising infection rates across the country and refused to unequivocally back simple preventive measures such as wearing a mask. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump, flanked by Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, on May 19. A group of Republican governors has had secret conference calls to share advice about dealing with coronavirus outbreaks sweeping through their states and vent about President Donald Trump's response to the crisis, The New York Times reported on Sunday. The GOP governors have for months held the calls, "usually at night and without staff present," The Times reported, citing two party strategists familiar with the conversations. The report described the calls as "a sort of safe space where the governors can ask their counterparts for advice, discuss best practices and, if the mood strikes them, vent about the administration and the president's erratic leadership." Related video: Republicans have themselves to thank for socialism In recent weeks, cracks have appeared among Republican governors in their support for Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis as the rate of infections has climbed in historically Republican states in the South and the West. Some GOP lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the president's biggest supporters have publicly broken with Trump to unequivocally back measures such as wearing masks to control the spread of the virus. Trump has expressed support for wearing masks but has refused to wear one in public for months. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he said he would not order Americans to wear masks. Story continues And Lindsey Graham, the influential Republican senator from South Carolina, was among those who expressed support for Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House's coronavirus task force, after the White House sought to undermine him by circulating a list of what it said were incorrect statements he had told reporters. The White House has since backed away from the attacks on Fauci. Read the original article on Business Insider The commission was created at the insistence of congressional Democrats during negotiations that led to approval of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act stimulus package earlier this year. The new report comes as Congress begins negotiations over another round of stimulus, which Democrats say must include more money for states and local governments. President Donald Trump met with top Republican lawmakers on Monday to iron out differences over a GOP-only proposal. TUNIS - Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune has announced in a televised interview a new Algerian-Tunisian initiative to find a dialogue-based solution for the Libyan crisis. He noted that Algeria ''will not impose its initiative if the UN and the Security Council do not accept it'' and noted that ''Algeria's advantage is that it is equally distant from the parties to the conflict in Libya''. The Algerian president criticised Egypt for trying to rely on Libyan tribes to justify any military intervention in Libya and decried to this end the ''attempts to get Libyan tribes involved in the armed conflict in the past 24 hours''. Tebboune expressed concern that Libya might end up ''another Somalia''. A 14-year-old black boy was shot by a Louisiana deputy as he allegedly lay unarmed on the ground complying with officers but officials didn't tell his mother and didn't report the incident until more three months later. On March 20 Tremall McGee was riding in a car with friends in Westwego, unaware that the vehicle was stolen, when deputies pulled the car over and the teens fled on foot. Several deputies caught up with McGee and he stopped and complied with their orders to lie on the ground. But as he was on the ground McGee, who was unarmed, said he felt a gunshot hit his back near his left shoulder. However, Jefferson Parish authorities didnt disclose the officer-involved shooting until late June after a local outlet reported on it amid George Floyd protests decrying police brutality. Now the sheriff's office is facing scrutiny for its checkered past and use of excessive force against people of color. Scroll down for video On March 20 14-year-old Tre'mall McGee was shot in the shoulder by a deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He had been with friends riding in a car, unaware it was stolen, that was pulled over by police. Officials with the department didn't report the incident until more than three months later McGee said he was lying on the ground trying to comply with officers when 'Next thing you know, I got shot.' His scar in his left shoulder pictured above For months mother Tiffany McGee has been seeking answers. She wants to know who shot her son, who else was at the scene, and if there will be any accountability. She says: 'Im fighting just to get you to be accountable for what you did. Just take responsibility. That's all I want you to do' The day of the shooting Tre'mall's frantic mother Tiffany McGee said she got a phone call saying he had been shot and was at the hospital. Once there a doctor told her Tremall was alive but she could not see her son. 'No one said anything. No one spoke up to say an officer shot my child,' McGee said to NBC News. Sheriff Joe Lopinto has also remained tightlipped about the incident, saying the states child privacy laws prevent his office from commenting on cases involving juveniles. In the Jefferson Parish Sheriff Offices initial report on the incident, deputies described the pursuit of a stolen car and the search for teens riding in it, but it failed to document the deputy-involved shooting and the fact that a minor was taken to a hospital. To this day Tiffany McGee still does not know the name of the deputy who shot her son, the identities of other officers at the scene, why no one told her what happened that night and most importantly if anyone will be held accountable. 'Im fighting just to get you to be accountable for what you did. Just take responsibility. That's all I want you to do,' she said. Sheriff Joe Lopinto (above) has remained tightlipped about the incident, saying the states child privacy laws prevent his office from commenting on cases involving juveniles Tremall has his own questions hes demanding answers to after healing from his shoulder injury. 'Whyd you shoot me, sir? Whats the point,' Tre'mall, who has no criminal record, said Tremall has his own questions hes demanding answers to after healing from his shoulder injury. 'Whyd you shoot me, sir? Whats the point,' Tre'mall, who has no criminal record, said. Speaking on the incident when cops pulled over the vehicle, 'Everybody started running. So I ran'. He and a friend hopped a fence into a backyard of a small home and his friend hid under a shed. Tremall tried to crawl under the shed when officers arrived. He remembers a deputy telling him to stop moving as he was on the ground and another to put his hands on his head. When he complied, 'Next thing you know, I got shot.' The gunshot wound cut through his left shoulder blade and armpit and through his left bicep, as per medical records and photos of his injuries. He feared hed lose his arm. Tiffany McGee only found out he was shot by a deputy when she traced his phone to the Westwego Police Department using the locator app Life360. There McGee asked an officer what happened to her son and she was told a Jefferson Parish deputy fired the gun that killed him. The next day she picked him up from the juvenile lock up and asked 'Who shot you?' 'He said, "It was the police."' A view of Tre'mall McGee's gunshot wound discharge instructions from the University Medical Center in New Orleans above It was a moment of despair for McGee. 'I hate those moments of feeling helpless with my children,' she said. 'Im supposed to be their superwoman.' Tre'mall's shooting came amid the coronavirus pandemic and the day after he was released Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a stay-at-home order. Tremalls shooting has sparked outrage in the parish, especially as George Floyd protests decrying police brutality unfold across the country. Critics of the sheriffs office say it lacks transparency, as embodied in Tremalls case, especially when it comes to excessive force against black residents. 'I thought we had honestly. This 14-year-old boy that they kept hidden, its very telling,' Gaylor Spiller, the head of the parishs NAACP chapter said. While states typically bar officials from naming children arrested and charged with nonviolent crimes, law enforcement across the state routinely share details of cases without naming them. This is also practiced in other states including New York, California and Ohio. Furthermore, the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs office is one of the states best and largest resourced offices boasting its own crime lab, helicopter and BearCat armored tanks used in protests but theyve refused to adopt bodycameras. Use of force by the sheriffs office has been a concern in the majority-white parish for its checkered history. At least 12 men and boys have died during an arrest or pursuit by the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office since 2015. All were black or Latino and three were under the age of 18, as per NBC. Now the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department is facing heat for their checkered history and use of aggressive force against communities of color. At least 12 men and boys have died during an arrest or pursuit by the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office since 2015. All were black or Latino and three were under the age of 18. A deputy with the department is poked in the face by protesters on June 16 during a protest against police brutality Tre'mall pictured walking with his mom Tiffany. His prosecution is on hold and his lawyers say the district attorney is taking another look at the charges For months McGee made calls trying to piece together what happened and who shot her child, but found no answers or cooperation with the department. Months later Tremall was charged with 'resisting by flight'. 'Before, you all didnt know nothing about the shooting. Now you guys want to try to charge him?' McGee said, incredulous with the charge. In a press conference on June 23 Sheriff Lopinto touched on Tremalls case after an article about it came out in Youth Today. He admitted an email should have gone out and all deputy-involved shootings would be announced going forward. 'Theres nothing that was hidden. It wasnt something that was on my mind back then,' he said, adding he didnt know if media had reported on the story or not. He said his office is investigating the incident. For Tremall its not clear what comes next for him in the legal system. His prosecution is on hold and his lawyers say the district attorney is taking another look at the charges. His mother says fragments of the bullet shot into his arm are still lodged in his body. THE GOAL: Develop a mobile health app that will monitor the symptoms of COVID-19 patients who are isolating at home, use that information to predict whether a patients condition will worsen and alert a health-care provider should that patient require medical care. THE TEAM: A group of physicians, clinician-scientists and computer scientists; the principal investigators are based at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University Health Network (UHN) and the University of Toronto. THE TIMELINE: The study, which received funding in June from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the non-profit PSI Foundation, is ready to recruit patients to collect data to test-drive the technology. The team hopes to wrap up the research by summer 2021. In mid-March, after COVID-19 shut down much of the country, Dr. Andrea Gershon was among a group of researchers who reluctantly halted their trial of an innovative health app for patients with a debilitating lung condition. The trial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, was the result of five years of research to create a way for physicians to remotely monitor peoples symptoms and intervene should their condition worsen. But the arrival of COVID-19 meant Gershon and her colleagues could no longer safely recruit patients. One week later, during a remote meeting, the team realized they had both the technology and expertise to pivot from COPD to COVID. Not only could their app likely help physicians monitor COVID-19 patients, the vast majority of whom are told to recover at home, but it might also reassure patients worried about having the virus. In some ways it was so obvious that, after all our previous efforts, we could now help with COVID, said Gershon, a respirologist at Sunnybrook and a scientist at the hospitals research institute. With encouragement from infectious disease colleagues at Sunnybrook, the team began to rework their previous project into a health app for COVID-19. At first, they struggled to get funding for their new app, which they called COVIDFree@Home. Undaunted, they continued to work on it in their spare time, volunteering their efforts. Now, with two sources of funding, the team is ready to recruit patients who test positive for COVID-19 to the 12-month clinical study. Here, Gershon and two other members of the team describe COVIDFree@Home, their hopes for the app and how its impact may go beyond the global pandemic. How does COVIDFree@Home work? Patients with COVID-19 who are recruited to the research project will be provided with a smartphone, a smart watch, a thermometer and an oximeter a device that clips on a fingertip to monitor blood oxygen levels. The app, downloaded to the phone, requires patients to input their temperature and blood oxygen levels twice a day. As well, they check off any symptoms they might be feeling, such as headache, cough and shortness of breath, and rate them as new, same, worse or better. The smart watch will continuously monitor a patients activity, heart rate, blood pressure and other health indicators, uploading all the data to a remote dashboard that can be monitored by a physician. This is all passive, so patients dont have to do anything, said Gershon. Were mindful that patients are feeling unwell and we dont want to ask too much of them. Once a day, a patient is required to do a set of breathing exercises and read a paragraph and record it into the smartphone. This is to pick up any shortness of breath a patient might be experiencing, an early sign their disease is getting bad. How could COVIDFree@Home potentially help patients and physicians? Patients enrolled in the study will be paired with physicians who will monitor their symptoms from a remote dashboard. The app also allows physicians and patients to easily communicate by text message or phone. A big part of being at home with COVID is that people are very anxious, said Eyal de Lara, a professor of computer science at the University of Toronto and one of the principal investigators for the app. This can help reassure someone they are doing well. Gershon said the app could also help doctors, who may have many COVID-19 cases at a time, keep better track of their patients conditions, easing their workload. But the main goal of COVIDFree@Home is to have an app that predicts when a patient will become severely ill, not just send an alert when their condition declines. To do this, the researchers will collect health data from hundreds of patients with COVID-19 and use machine learning and predictive modelling to find out which combination of signals will pinpoint which patients end up in hospital, said Gershon. An alert will be sent to the dashboard that a patient is not doing well, and someone on the health-care team will give that person a call, she said. We know that difficulty finishing a sentence is a sign their disease could be worsening. Our goal is that our app will send an alert a day before that happens, that our sensors will pick up those things. In addition, Gershon said, the database of health information from COVID-19 patients will help the research team, along with other scientists, better understand how the disease progresses in patients who have mild to moderate symptoms and are isolating at home. What are some potential limitations of this project; what obstacles do you predict? Now that cases of COVID-19 are declining in Ontario, an immediate hurdle will be recruiting enough patients for the study, said Gershon, noting patients can opt to join the study if they are being cared for through Sunnybrook or UHN. The team aims to recruit about 800 patients. Luckily, cases are declining but that does mean our timeline might get stretched out. Gershon also knows the first trial of the app will have a limited patient population just those whose care is being monitored by a hospital and will only be tested on one type of smartphone and smart watch system. It might not be able to thoroughly tease out how symptoms differ between men and women and those with underlying health conditions. On the technology side, de Lara said any limitations will only become apparent once patients are enrolled and using the app. We built what we think will be useful, but we wont really know until we start to follow people. What is most exciting to you about the potential of COVIDFree@Home? For Daniyal Liaqat, a post-doctoral fellow in computer science at the University of Toronto, using his skills during the pandemic to help worried COVID-19 patients is as important as collecting data that could inform how other diseases are remotely monitored in the future. Its exciting to get new data, and its also an interesting test of our initial hypothesis that our technology will be generalizable to other conditions, he said. Now we have this opportunity to see how it works in this scenario and help another group of patients. While other research teams in Canada and elsewhere are developing health apps to remotely monitor patients for medical conditions, including COVID-19, Gershon said their group is, to the best of their knowledge, among the few to have the smart watch component to continuously monitor patients with the goal of predicting a decline in illness. But, she added, with the rapid pace of global coronavirus research, other groups may well be working on a similar app. If thats the case, the group would be interested in collaborating, she said. Gershon and Dr. Robert Wu, a general internist at UHN and principal investigator on the team, believe the app and the research behind it could be tailored to other infectious diseases and respiratory conditions, or even to monitor a patients mental health. But right now, the team hopes COVIDFree@Home will help a small group of patients in the coming months and provide answers to who is most likely to be among the roughly 20 per cent to develop a severe form of the illness. We want to make sure people with COVID-19 who develop severe disease while recovering at home get help before they become critically ill, Gershon said. We can get patients to hospital earlier or escalate their outpatient care earlier. The vast majority of COVID patients are isolating at home; we need more tools to help them. COVID: Front-line thinkers is part of a regular series highlighting COVID-19 research in Canada. Ill never forget the day I tried a taste of masala chai. Previously Id experienced our Western versions of chai tea lattes with a mediocre level of appreciation, but acknowledged that the popularity of the drink was a rounding success for the tea industry. Then I tried it made in the authentic way. It was a flavour revelation, and I can never, ever go back. One detail to get right from the start is that the word chai means tea in Hindi, a fact unbeknownst to many chai tea loving North Americans who are literally ordering tea tea at cafes. Masala chai is the correct term, as masala translates to spice mix, the term to describe this type of spice-driven tea blend. The blend is the most variant Ive ever encountered. In India, depending which region youre in, even so far as to which home you are visiting, the blend will change. In general however, a masala chai will always have tea, spices, milk and be sweetened. Its the method, rather than the recipe, that makes it shine. It begins unconventionally; theres no kettle needed to make this tea. Its all made in a pot on the stove, beginning with water. The creative side begins when choosing the blend of spices. Spices in general range from sweet spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom (both staples in a traditional masala chai) and warming ones such as ginger and black pepper (warming because they physically warm your throat). Star anise and clove are common as well, but the options can range throughout your spice cabinet. The most important thing is to use whole spices (ie. cardamom pods, fresh ginger, peppercorns, etc.). Like anything, its important to use the freshest and best quality ingredients you can. Grinding up the spices should be done using a mortar and pestle (using a heavy, clean stone on a cutting board works as well) in order to control how rough you want the pieces. This is added to the water and then boiled. Theres something about this process. Its the time it takes, the connected feeling of hand crushing the ingredients, that heightens the experience. The tea itself should be a strong black tea such as Assam or Ceylon in order to stand up to all the aromatics. Many English breakfast blends are from these regions, so you may already have it at home. Cutting open a few tea bags and adding the straight tea to the pot is completely above board, in theory the stronger and more robust the leaves the better. Milk with a sufficient fat content should be added and then the sweetening agent. Masala chai is sweeter than you may think (yet still wildly less sweet than the lattes from cafes). Jaggery is a form of sugar cane thats traditionally used in India, but your favourite sweet addition works here such as sugar, honey or even our national pride, maple syrup. The point is to simmer all of the ingredients for 15 minutes, uncovered. The drink is intended to evaporate and thicken to a beautiful, silky texture. Its then strained to leave the solids behind directly into a mug. Being a tea lover Im also a mug fanatic. Its got to the point where my bestie and I have agreed to keep tabs on each other to limit our mug purchases, as both of our kitchen cabinets are on the brink of collapse. With masala chai, theres two main vessels that are traditional for sipping. The first is a tall glass, similar to one you would have water or juice in. However I lean towards kulhars, small clay pots used by chai wallahs (tea vendors) in India. To me it perfectly suits the beverage as it hones back to the mortar and pestle, and functionally the earthenware base of the cup maintains that warm temperature. Theres many local pottery places in Niagara, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Shed Pottery. Johann and Ryan lovingly make their mugs with such care that it truly does make for a heightened drinking experience. I firmly believe your drink should always look as good as it tastes, and something strikes a chord when you create a handmade tea and serve it in a handmade mug. Regarding temperatures, this drink is also excellent when chilled so its something you can strain and put in the fridge for serving on ice later. And the variations continue from there. In some northwestern areas of India fresh mint is added. In the region of Kashmir green tea is used and in Bhopal theres a pinch of salt. The most visually stunning example Ive seen is Pink Noon Chai which is, yes, a pink coloured tea made with green tea, anise, cardamom, milk and a touch of baking soda and salt. Considering the amount of variations, surprisingly masala chai is a relatively new drink in India. Spice-driven beverages existed for thousands of years but it wasnt until the British Raj when the British discovered tea growing in India (and therefore werent bound to the monopoly that China had over tea). In a way you could say the chai was then added to the masala. Furthermore in the 20th century the British-owned India Tea Association promoted mandatory tea breaks for workers and the addictive qualities of tea slowly made their way throughout the country. It truly is a beverage that tastes completely different when made from scratch. Its extremely customizable and doesnt require any complicated tools. Many of my students from India tell me stories of their home recipe and when we talk they often have this warm glow on their face, as if they can almost taste that flavour of home. Its a beautiful thing, how flavour invokes memory. I sip gratefully, reminding myself that in this case the slow and steady method really does make for a better cup. KI Kristina Inman is a professor of food and beverage in the school of hospitality, tourism and sport at Niagara College and is a certified CAPS sommelier and TAC tea sommelier Read more about: Experts Say Americans' Commitment to Masks Could Get Virus Under Control in Two Months Many states are now enforcing mandatory mask orders to combat rising coronavirus cases across the nation. Mounting evidence suggests masks significantly reduce the transmission of the virus, and experts from the CDC say good mask wearing could mean improvement in two months. The CDC, World Health Organization and U.S. government officials say wearing masks is one of the best ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The United States could get the coronavirus under control in one to two months if every American wore a mask, top officials at the CDC said, according to one news article. The time is now, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said during an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Associations Dr. Howard Bauchner. I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control. Not all states have issued mandatory mask-wearing, and many that are seeing case surges are leaving that choice up to local cities and counties. One recent New York Times article provides readers with an interactive map to see where people are wearing masksand where they are not. The accompanying map shows the odds of whether, if you encountered five people in a given area, all of them would be wearing masks. In some parts of America, you see nearly everyone wearing a mask. In other parts, there are almost no masks in sight. While most cities have employees wearing masks in restaurants and retail stores, many other areas of the country do not require their workers to wear masks. The reasons for these differences are many, but the rifts in behavior have to do with political climates and where case counts are flaring up. Beyond the political climate and case count in each area, though, there is another factor that encourages or discourages mask-wearing: peer actions. Persuasion matters, and friends and family follow suit with what their close friends and family do. Portland Police Association president Daryl Turner slammed elected officials at a press conference on Sunday, a day after the unions offices were set on fire amid continuing riots in the city. Since the death of George Floyd, an African American man killed during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers, Portland has seen 50 days of protests and riots. Federal law enforcement officers have deployed to the city over the past several weeks, clashing with protesters. Turner alleged that Oregon officials have allowed the violence to continue unabated. The elected officials have condoned the destruction and chaos, Turner said on Sunday, standing with 20 faith and business leaders from Portland. They have placed their political agenda ahead [of the] safety and welfare of the community. This must stop. Turner continued, This is no longer about George Floyd, racial equity, social justice reform or the evolution of policing.This is about violence, rioting and destruction. Our city is under siege by rioters. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler on Friday accused the Trump administration of fanning the violence by ordering federal law enforcement to crack down on the riots and protests. 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 in an online press conference with Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. I think we would have seen the end of this nightly engagement by now. Lovell indicated that federal officers and local police were not coordinating with each other. 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. More from National Review The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic clearly display a class character. The disease particularly affects workers who do not have the opportunity to remain at home and maintain social distancing. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by WIdO, the research institute of AOK, the largest German health insurer. The study documents who bore the heaviest burden of the pandemic during the lockdown: the nurses and caregivers in the clinics and retirement homes, the workers in the meat industry and millions employed in other sectors. The particular sections of the work force that continued going to work during the pandemic appear to be more strongly affected by COVID-19, said Helmut Schroder, deputy director of the institute, at the July 8 presentation of the WIdO study. Particularly hard-hit were professions requiring contact with other people, as well as professions in meat processing or warehousing. The study analyzed medical data from 11.6 million workers covered by AOK during the lockdown, which in Germany lasted from mid-March to mid-May. During this period, caregivers were most strongly affected by the coronavirus. In the elderly care field, 1.28 percent of all employees contracted COVID-19. Among nurses, the figure was 1.24 percent. Almost one in a hundred first responders fell ill with the disease. By contrast, professions that were completely halted during the lockdown, such as gastronomy or cosmetics, as well as IT or administrative professions that could be carried out from a home office, were five times less strongly affected by the coronavirus. In university teaching and research, the rate was up to ten times lower than for caregivers, namely 0.11 percent or 110 people in 100,000. Because the study period ended in May, a large portion of teachers still belonged to one of the less affected professional groups. Unfortunately, the figures from the study do not specifically tabulate workers in the metal, steel and electronics sectors, such as the auto and supplier industries. Nor are supermarket cashiers, parcel service providers, airport ground personnel, Amazon workers and employees in transportation specifically accounted for. The study likewise gives no indication how many of its subjects lost their lives to COVID-19. From March to May, around 10,500 AOK-insured workers became so ill from COVID-19 as to require hospitalizationthat is almost one in a thousand, or 91 per 100,000. The rate was again high among nurses, with 157 out of 100,000 suffering a severe case. In all, around 55,000 of the workers insured by AOK had medically certified cases of COVID-19. That is just under one in 200 (474 per 100,000, or nearly 0.5 percent). The rates were strikingly high among young workers: in the age group of those up to 20 years old, 0.7 percent of AOK-insured workers took sick leave with COVID-19. Older workers, however, suffered more severe cases of the disease. The rate of hospital admission among AOK-insured workers over 60 was almost twice the average (168 per 100,000). Although the study excluded retirees, this demonstrates that the health of senior workers is subject to elevated risks even during their professional lives. Indirectly, the study shows that those workers earning the least carry the greatest risk from the coronavirus pandemic. Workers in the meat industry were hit the hardest. Among them, 173 per 100,000 were hospitalized for COVID-19. Moreover, these statistics were generated before the massive outbreak at the Tonnies meatpacking plant in Gutersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It remains to be seen whether differences in occupational groups becomes more pronounced due to outbreaks at individual companies, commented WIdO deputy director Schroder. This is without doubt a reference to mass outbreaks like the one at Tonnies, where in June 1,553 employees tested positive for COVID-19, five of whom are still in intensive care and only surviving by means of artificial respiration. It remains unclear how many of these workers will survive and how many other meat industry workers will suffer the medical repercussions of COVID-19 for years to come. In Rheda-Wiedenbruck, also in North Rhine-Westphalia, business leaders are working with local politicians to restart production as quickly as possible. The Higher Administrative Court in Munster on Thursday decided to lift lockdown restrictions on the two most affected districts. Since Thursday, technicians at Tonnies are likewise back on the job. Full production is scheduled to restart July 17. By then, new hygienic protocols are to be developed. The responsible district administrator, Sven-Georg Adenauer (Christian Democratic Union, CDU), grandson of the first postwar Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, assured the public that constructive talks were taking place with the company management. Meanwhile, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (Social Democratic Party, SPD) claims it his intention to clarify the contracts and temporary employment practice in the meat industry. Heil made the assurance on the broadcaster RND that the government was working at full steam and would not be stopped by lobby interests. With regard to the recently assumed German European Union (EU) Council Presidency, Heil went so far as to promise an appropriate minimum wage and good basic security across Europe. Heils SPD colleague Sigmar Gabriel recently made clear what this means. From March to the end of May 2020, Gabriel was hired by Clemens Tonnies as a highly paid consultant at the aforementioned meat processing plant. As recently as his tenure as Federal Minister of Economics and SPD Chairman, Gabriel had harshly criticized the contracts at Tonnies, describing them as a shame for Germany. Inge Bultschnieder, founder of Werkvertrag, is an eyewitness to the unspeakable living and working conditions for Eastern European contract workers at this company. In a short phone call with the World Socialist Web Site, Ms. Bultschnieder described Gabriel as the disappointment of a lifetime. Gabriel had personally visited her five years ago when he was still the Federal Minister of Economics. He was here, she reported to the research magazine Panorama. And he was super-interested and asked very specific questions. She believed that this would be the breakthrough for the contract workers. Instead, Gabriel was reined in by Clemens Tonnies almost immediately. After speaking with the billionaire meat baron, on February 3, 2015, Gabriel posted the following obsequious sentence on Facebook: It is fascinating to see how quickly this company has grown. And it is good that Tonnies is setting standards in the positive sense in an industry that has always had to deal with black sheep. It is no surprise that Tonnies was then personally consulted and involved in the 2015 government decision on a voluntary commitment to comply with labor standards in the German meat industry. With this long-standing, trusted collaboration, Gabriels latest consultancy contract with Tonnies in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic is just the icing on the cake. Heils promise will hardly end the exploitation of these workers. There are still 12-plus-hour shifts, the butchers and meat packers still do hard work in frigid temperatures. Their low-wage contracts are further diminished by excessive deductions for accommodation and transportation, while their housing is entirely substandard, and any reasonable health care is lacking. The pandemic has not created these abuses, which have been rampant in the meat industry for decades, but only disclosed them. New coronavirus outbreaks have barely been reported by the media. A developing hotspot is feared in the district neighboring the Tonnies plant: the Westphal meat company had to shut down its cutting and slaughterhouse in Herzebrock-Clarholz last week because a worker had contracted COVID-19. So far, he and two roommates, who also work at Westphal, have tested positive. Not far away is Gottingen, where there have already been mass eruptions of COVID-19 in the Iduna apartment complex and in another high-rise. The nearby Friedland refugee transit camp has also been affected for over a week. At the end of June, 62 people were tested positive in the camp, 52 so-called late repatriates who came to Germany from Kazakhstan, seven employees of the facility and three asylum seekers. The camp, which traditionally accommodates immigrants from Russia and Kazakhstan, houses 123 asylum seekers, in addition to 191 late repatriates. The daily figures from RKI, the German government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, do not come close to expressing the social dimension of the pandemic. Not only do they avoid giving a breakdown of the professional groups and social classes concerned. They are also undoubtedly underestimates, as there is still no systematic testing. This was most recently demonstrated by the situation at a Catholic kindergarten in Friedrichshafen, in southern Germany. There, the director closed the facility on July 6, because so many children were sick. More than 40 children showed coronavirus symptoms. However, the authorities saw no need to have all 67 children and their educators tested for COVID-19, giving as a reason that especially in children, various factors could lead to a generally perceived accumulation of respiratory symptoms. Google has launched a hieroglyphics translator that uses AI to decipher images of Ancient Egyptian script. The new tool, called Fabricius, uses machine learning to give experts a fast way to decode hieroglyphics by uploading their files. But the tool is available to non-experts as a fun and interactive way to learn about and write in the ancient language. Anyone can type in messages and be provided with an instant hieroglyphic equivalent to share on social media. Users can also draw their own best attempt at an ancient hieroglyphic and see if Googles machine learning technology can identify it from its database of hieroglyphs. The tool aims to help bring people closer to ancient Egyptian heritage and culture and highlight the importance of the preserving hieroglyphics as a language. Google says that the easiest way to understand hieroglyphics is to imagine that they are the ancient Egyptian equivalent of emojis. Scroll down for video The new tool, dubbed Fabricius, uses machine learning to give experts a fast way to decode hieroglyphics by uploading their files Fabricius is the first digital tool that uses machine learning to give experts a fast way to decode hieroglyphics and everyone else an easy way to learn about and write the ancient language WHAT ARE HIEROGLYPHICS? Hieroglyphics is a writing system that employs characters in the form of pictures. Those individual signs, called hieroglyphs, may be read either as pictures, as symbols for pictures, or as symbols for sounds. The word hieroglyph literally means 'sacred carvings'. Hieroglyphics are an original form of writing out of which all other forms have evolved. Advertisement So far, experts had to dig manually through books upon books to translate and decipher the ancient language a process that has remained virtually unchanged for over a century, said Chance Coughenour, program manager at Google Arts & Culture in a blog post. Fabricius includes the first digital tool - that is also being released as open source to support further developments in the study of ancient languages - that decodes Egyptian hieroglyphs built on machine learning. In the past, a team of data scientists and a lot of code would have been required to make sense of a hieroglyphic, Coughenour said. But Fabricius uses Google Cloud's AutoML technology, AutoML Vision, to allow developers to easily train a machine to recognise all kinds of objects. The online tool for mobile and desktop is divided into three sections called Learn, Play and Work. Users can Learn about the language of ancient Egypt by following a short educational introduction in six steps that become increasingly difficult. The first step lets the user trace hieroglyphics with their cursor as accurately as possible for the machine learning to identify. The new Google Arts & Culture tool Fabricius lets anyone interactively discover the hieroglyphic language by means of three dedicated gateways - Learn, Play and Work Learn takes the user through six interactive steps to introduce you to Egyptian hieroglyphs. This first step allows users to trace a hieroglyph well enough for the machine learning to identify Each drawing is instantly compared to more than 800 different hieroglyphic symbols using Googles machine learning platform. Learn's other interactive tasks include having to draw hieroglyphics from memory and restore badly damaged hieroglyphics well enough for the machine learning to be able to identify them. Secondly, Play allows users to translate their own words and messages into hieroglyphics ready to be shared with your friends and family. Play provides an easy way to write messages in Egyptian hieroglyphics to share with friends Google says the rough translations provided by 'Play' are not academically correct but just for fun Users can type anything in a text box including emojis and Google returns a set of hieroglyphics that provide the most accurate translation of that message. They can then share the hieroglyphic translation via email and through social media channels such as Twitter and WhatsApp. Google says the rough translations provided by 'Play' are not academically correct but just for fun. Lastly, Work for academics is a desktop-only workbench that assists researchers with the translation of hieroglyphics. The of tools uses Cloud ML the tech giant's cloud platform that run machine learning training jobs and predictions to support experts in their work of deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Work is a desktop-only set of tools using Cloud ML to support experts in their workflow of deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs Google says that Work requires an in-depth understanding of the translation process for hieroglyphs. Mobile web browsers do not support Work, because they dont meet the required dimensions. Fabricius, available on a dedicated webpage, is also being released as open source to support further developments in the study of ancient languages. Available in English and Arabic, Fabricius is named after the father of epigraphy, the study of ancient inscriptions. Google created the tool in collaboration with the Australian Center for Egyptology at Macquarie University in Australia, production company Psycle Interactive and video game firm Ubisoft, as well as Egyptologists globally. Google Cloud's AutoML technology, AutoML Vision, was used to create a machine learning model that is able to make sense of what a hieroglyph is. In the past you would need a team of data scientists, a lot of code and 'plenty of time' to do so, Google said Fabricius coincides with the anniversary of the discovery of the Rosetta stone, in July 1799, which enabled experts to learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stone contained fragments of passages written in three different scripts Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian demotic. Because the inscriptions say the same thing in three different scripts and scholars could read Ancient Greek, the Rosetta Stone became a valuable key to deciphering hieroglyphs. The black slab was discovered by French soldiers near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles east of Alexandria in Egypt. Held in an immigration centre in Broadmeadows for nearly six years, Tamil refugee Nirma Murugamoorthy kept going with the help of cooking and sharing meals. When he was released from detention in 2015, Mr Murugamoorthy turned his passion for cooking into a job one that allowed him to share food and stories about his past and the home he was forced to flee. Tamil Feasts chefs Nirma Murugamoorthy (left) and Niro Vithyasekar at CERES. Credit:Justin McManus Now, Tamil Feasts, the Brunswick restaurant operation inspired by his and other asylum seekers passion for cooking Sri Lankan food in detention, has become a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Tamil Feasts was run by a team of refugees and volunteers, and offered a unique communal dining experience each table was adorned with positive quotes written on chalkboards. Syracuse, N.Y. -- A man in his 80s with underlying health conditions died from Covid-19 during the past 24 hours, the latest Onondaga County resident to die from the novel coronavirus, officials said Sunday night. Onondaga County now puts the death total at 192 from Covid-19. County official also reported 22 new cases of Covid-19 since Saturday, bringing the total coronavirus cases to 3,158 since March. Since Saturday, Onondaga County officials said they have received back 1,105 tests. The 22 positive cases represents 1.99 percent of all cases received within the last 24 hours. Of the 22 new cases since Saturday, seven were attributed to community spread; five occurred in households with previous infections; one is from a senior living or group home facility; four were blamed on travel from outside the area (Maryland, California, North Carolina and Virginia); and five are from an unknown origin. Of the seven community transmissions, county officials said they only know the source of two cases. Theyre still trying to track down the other five. Onondaga County health officials are currently monitoring 326 active cases, down seven from the day before. So far, 2,645 people have recovered -- 28 more than the day before. Although 42 people remain hospitalized, thats down one from the day before, county officials said. We know that at least 18 of these patients are ready to return to a nursing home, leaving our actual number of those currently needing treatment for COVID at around 25, according to a news release from the county executives office. Six people, however, remain in critical condition. 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 Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations keep falling, 13 more people die NY schools reopening: We read 145 pages of rules on masks and woodwinds so you dont have to Cuomos new booze rules: What bars can and cant do (and do chips count as food?) First Covid-19 vaccine tested in US poised for final testing Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reacts as he makes a statement on Hong Kong's national security legislation in London, Britain, on July 1, 2020. (Hannah McKay/Reuters) UK Poised to Suspend Hong Kong Extradition Treaty: The Times LONDONBritain will on Monday suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in a further escalation of its dispute with China over the introduction of a security law in the former colony, The Times reported. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who on Sunday accused China of gross human rights violations, will announce the suspension of the treaty in parliament, the Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers said, citing sources. Britains foreign office declined to comment. Such a move would be another nail in the coffin of what former Prime Minister David Cameron has cast as a golden era of ties with the worlds second largest economy. But London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the novel coronavirus outbreak. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei Technologies equipment to be purged completely from Britains 5G network by the end of 2027. China has accused Britain of pandering to the United States. Earlier on Sunday, Chinas ambassador to Britain warned of a tough response if London attempted to sanction any of its officials, as some lawmakers in Johnsons Conservative Party have demanded. If UK government goes that far to impose sanctions on any individual in China, China will certainly make a resolute response to it, Liu Xiaoming told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show. Youve seen what happens in the United Statesthey sanction Chinese officials, we sanction their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat happen in China-UK relations. Raab told the same programme he would not be drawn on future additions to Britains sanctions list but he denied that Britain would be too weak to challenge China through this channel. Britain says the new national security law breaches agreements made before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, and that China is crushing the freedoms that have helped make Hong Kong one of the worlds biggest financial hubs. Hong Kong and Beijing officials have said the law is necessary for national security in light of the ongoing mass protests in the former British colony. Hidden cameras caught Rome cemetery workers involved in macabre scam. A police investigation is underway after Rome cemetery workers were filmed dismembering bodies buried at Prima Porta graveyard as part of a scam that purported to offer relatives of the deceased a cheap alternative to cremation, reports Roman newspaper Il Messaggero. The investigation centres around 15 people, among them employees of AMA Roma and local funeral directors, who colluded in the macabre scam and now face charges of fraud, corruption and the desecration of human remains, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The scam involved offering an "economic" alternative to cremation when relatives of the deceased were required to choose whether to renew the concession for the burial place in the cemetery wall niche - required after 30 years - or to have their relation buried elsewhere or cremated. However, instead of being cremated, the bodies were dissected, in broad daylight, before being buried in an anonymous shared grave, while the families were given terracotta pots allegedly containing "other types of dust" - not the ashes of their loved ones - reports Italian newspaper Il Giornale. Investigators have reportedly discovered 10 such cases at the cemetery, on Via Flaminia, although they have not ruled out the possibility of uncovering more, according to Il Messaggero. AMA has stated that the employees in question were suspended as soon as the investigation came to light, in May, with the municipal company adding that it will continue to "offer maximum collaboration to investigators." To serve as a mayor from Turkey's pro-Kurdish political party these days is to fear arrest at any moment and govern in circumstances that hover between stifling and absurd, said Ayhan Bilgen, one of the few who has kept his office during an unrelenting government purge. His party's mayoral candidates captured 65 Turkish municipalities when local elections were held in March 2019. During a subsequent crackdown by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the authorities have effectively taken over all but 10 of the municipalities, while detaining at least 20 mayors. Turkey's clampdown on opposition parties, civil society groups and dissidents intensified after a failed coup in 2016. But the removal of so many elected mayors - representing the will of millions of voters - has been a singularly stark illustration of the dangers facing the country's democracy, according to human rights groups, analysts and members of the People's Democratic Party, or HDP, which promotes Kurdish rights to cultural expression and greater autonomy. The targeting of municipalities held by the party is becoming a feature of Turkey's politics, rather than an aberration. In 2016, the authorities also removed elected HDP mayors en masse. As a result, elected officials have been left in an anxious limbo. "Every night when we go to bed, we think of the possibility that we might be taken in the morning," said Bilgen, who is mayor of Kars, in eastern Turkey. "We all carry the concern that it might happen at any moment. But we have not received any signal that it will happen. This is very risky situation for a state of law." The government's pursuit of the Kurdish mayors is largely tactical. The HDP has long been a political nuisance for Erdogan, able to peel away voters who had formed a part of his base, analysts said. Erdogan's anti-HDP rhetoric sharpened after he made an alliance with an ultranationalist party, but even that partnership had not stopped the president's popularity from slipping, said Gonul Tol, the director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "He's in big trouble. He has nowhere else to turn," she said, referring to the crackdown on the mayors. Turkish officials deny their actions against the HDP are political and say they are simply a matter of law. The officials have regularly accused members of the party, which remains legal, of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a banned militant group that has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. Kurds make up roughly a fifth of Turkey's population but still struggle for recognition in a nation that privileges Turkish ethnicity. Last week, another HDP mayor lost her position, according to state media. Police on July 13 detained the mayor, Betul Yasar, on charges that included membership in a terrorist organization, a reference to the PKK, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. By the next day, her office, in the eastern Agri province, had been placed under the supervision of an acting mayor appointed by the central government. As the mayors vanish, those who remain in office speak together frequently, sharing tips and black humor to get through their days, said Bilgen, in a video interview from Kars. "Of course, we joke with one another, wondering whose turn is next," he said. "There is constantly pressure on us." As a province-level mayor, Bilgen is perhaps the most prominent HDP mayor still in office. He hails from Sarikamis, a town surrounded by pine forests about 30 miles from the city of Kars, the provincial capital. After attending university in Ankara, he served in a variety of posts with Mazlumder, an Islamic human rights organization, including as its chairman. He wrote columns for several newspapers and served as a member of parliament, as well as a spokesman, for the HDP. He is not Kurdish but rather a member of the Turkmen ethnic minority, he said. In 2017, he spent more than six months in jail on charges of belonging to the PKK. "Right now, there are eight cases against me. And none of these are regarding the municipality. Meaning, none of these have to do with work I have done as a mayor. They are regarding a tweet I posted five years ago, or a press statement I partook in," he said. "These are things that make it difficult," he said, adding that he faced considerable challenges as a mayor in Kars even without the threat of prosecution. The province, in northeastern Turkey bordering Armenia, is heavily dependent on construction, tourism and agriculture and has suffered because of an economic downturn in Turkey that worsened after the coronavirus pandemic. When Bilgen took office, youth unemployment hovered near 30%, he said. Adding to those difficulties was what he said was "constant" government pressure that included investigations and audits, "as if we are engaging in criminal activity," he said. The pressure also came from pro-government media, which in the last few months had accused him of diverting public funds to families of PKK militants - referring, he said, to an initiative aimed at channeling charitable donations to low-income families who were suffering during the coronavirus pandemic. An article in April in the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper accusing him of helping militants declared: "The terrorism file of HDP's Kars Mayor Ayhan Bilgen is thick." Before Bilgen and the other mayors were elected last year, Erdogan had issued a warning to the HDP, suggesting its candidates would not be allowed to serve. "If you send the resources given to municipalities by the state to Kandil or use them in terrorism, then immediately, instantly, without waiting, we will appoint our trustees again," he said in February 2019, referring to the PKK's headquarters in the mountains of Iraq. When the election was held the next month, it delivered stunning setbacks for Erdogan's party, which lost mayoral contests in some of Turkey's largest cities. Most unnerving for Erdogan were the losses of Istanbul and Ankara, to candidates from the Republican People's Party, or CHP, the country's largest opposition party. By August, the government had indicted three mayors from the HDP who had won landslide victories over candidates from Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, or AKP. The mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van were replaced with state officials. Some of the newly elected HDP mayors - including Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli, the mayor of Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's majority-Kurdish southeast region - had promised to investigate the financial dealings of ruling-party members who had previously held the posts. By February, 32 HDP mayors had been removed from their office, according to a report by Human Rights Watch that month. The group, citing an examination of 18 court cases, said the mayors' detentions relied on "vague and generalized allegations against the mayors by witnesses, some secret, and on details of their political activities and social media postings, which fail to establish reasonable suspicion of criminal activity that would justify detention." In Turkey's big cities, the election and its aftermath highlighted the extent to which "mayors have become the real threat to Erdogan," said Tol of the Middle East Institute. The main challengers came from the CHP, including some who have distinguished themselves with their response to the coronavirus pandemic, she said. But the story in Turkey's Kurdish-majority areas is different. There, the stillborn elections have reinforced feelings of marginalization. "The government's replacement of elected HDP mayors with appointed trustees has fundamentally altered the nature of local government in this region at the expense of voters' rights and interests," Nicholas Danforth, a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, wrote in a recent briefing about the election results. Recent polls have indicated "that Kurdish young people feel more distant, and don't feel like they are part of Turkey anymore," Tol said. "Kurdish youth avoid talking about politics with Turkish friends." Bilgen fretted that the sense of estrangement made it harder for the party to compete for support with the militants. "People who give their votes to the HDP, who are mostly Kurdish voters, who are constantly being pushed and being othered, don't feel like they are part of the collective future of this country." Asian gypsy moths feed on a wide range of important plants and trees. White pine blister rust can kill young trees in only a couple of years. But it's not always easy to detect the presence of these destructive species just by looking at spots and bumps on a tree, or on the exterior of a cargo ship. Now a new rapid DNA detection method developed at the University of British Columbia can identify these pests and pathogens in less than two hours, without using complicated processes or chemicals - a substantial time savings compared to the several days it currently takes to send samples to a lab for testing. "Sometimes, a spot is just a spot," explains forestry professor Richard Hamelin, who designed the system with collaborators from UBC, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. "Other times, it's a deadly fungus or an exotic bug that has hitched a ride on a shipping container and has the potential to decimate local parks, forests and farms. So you want to know as soon as possible what you're looking at, so that you can collect more samples to assess the extent of the invasion or begin to formulate a plan of action." Hamelin's research focuses on using genomics to design better detection and monitoring methods for invasive pests and pathogens that threaten forests. For almost 25 years, he's been looking for a fast, accurate, inexpensive DNA test that can be performed even in places, like forests, without fast Internet or steady power supply. He may have found it. The method, demonstrated in a preview last year for forestry policymakers in Ottawa, is straightforward. Tiny samples like parts of leaves or branches, or insect parts like wings and antennae, are dropped into a tube and popped into a small, battery-powered device (the Franklin thermo cycler, made by Philadelphia-based Biomeme). The device checks to see if these DNA fragments match the genomic material of the target species and generates a signal that can be visualized on a paired smartphone. "With this system, we can tell with nearly 100 per cent accuracy if it is a match or not, if we're looking at a threatening invasive species or one that's benign," said Hamelin. "We can analyze up to nine samples from the same or different species at a time, and it's all lightweight enough--the thermocycler weighs only 1.3 kilos--to fit into your backpack with room to spare." The method relies on PCR testing, the method that is currently also the gold standard for COVID-19. PCR testing effectively analyzes even tiny amounts of DNA by amplifying (through applying heating and cooling cycles) a portion of the genetic material to a level where it can be detected. Hamelin's research was supported by Genome Canada, Genome BC and Genome Quebec and published in PLOS One. The UBC team, including lead author Arnaud Capron, tested this approach on species such as the Asian gypsy moth, white pine blister rust and sudden oak death pathogen, which are listed among the most destructive invasive pests worldwide. "Our forestry, agriculture and horticulture are vital industries contributing billions of dollars to Canada's economy so it's essential that we protect them from their enemies," added Hamelin. "With early detection and steady surveillance, we can ensure that potential problems are nipped, so to speak, in the bud." ### Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lpkp3k0zcd961lu/AADdiTn3Vh-4TrTcsXs3nuIUa?dl=0 Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, a presidential staffer, under President Akufo-Addos administration who has fully recovered from COVID-19 has called on all Ghanaians to stop the stigma against those who have recovered from COVID-19 infection. Mr. Tagoe in a Facebook post on Saturday, July 18, 2020 said: A couple of weeks ago, I tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. By Gods will and grace, I have survived and have fully recovered . It is unimaginable what one has to go through for the 14 days living with COVID. He stressed that, I am sharing my journey with you with the hope that you will find it informative enough to help curb the spread. We have the power to slow and stop this virus. Whilst we are at it, let us say no to COVID stigmatization. He has therefore taken to social media to step up the campaign against stigmatization of people with the virus. Below is his full post: A couple of weeks ago, I tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. By Gods will and grace, I have survived and have fully recovered . It is unimaginable what one has to go through for the 14 days living with COVID. I am sharing my journey with you with the hope that you will find it informative enough to help curb the spread. We have the power to slow and stop this virus. Whilst we are at it, let us say no to COVID stigmatization. If the virus did not end my and livelihood, the stigma from members of community should not . My name is Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe and I say NO to stigmatization. #SayNoToStigmatization Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Last week, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi offered his explanation on why the Chinese decided to be aggressive at the border at this juncture. Among other reasons, he attributed this to the failure of the Narendra Modi governments foreign policy, in particular, when it comes to the neighbourhood. External affairs minister S Jaishankar countered Mr Gandhi and on the neighbourhood, listed out Indias engagement with smaller countries, the development assistance being offered, and landmark deals. Between the political black-and-white worldview where Mr Gandhi sees a failure in Indias handling of the neighbourhood, and Mr Jaishankar sees success lies a complex truth. India is more invested in the neighbourhood than it has been, but it has also become more challenging for New Delhi to secure its interests in the region. This is due to two factors. The first reason is the increased presence of China. Beijing has decided to engage with political parties, official institutions, media, businesses, and societies in South Asia with the objective of increasing its control, and eroding Indian influence. India has historic advantages of connectivity, people-to-people linkages, and cultural convergence. But it lacks the resources, single-minded determination, and is often caught between conflicting objectives and ad-hoc policymaking, which makes meeting the China challenge more difficult. The second reason is the nature of democratic contestation in the neighbourhood. Given Indias size and role in the domestic politics of Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, there is a nationalist constituency in each of these countries that earns political advantage by being seen as adversarial to India. These domestic constituencies then become a natural, receptive partner for China. These twin challenges affect the policy matrix in Delhi. The government has sought to break out of this challenge by taking a firm position against hostile governments and encouraging friendly parties which have come to power (Maldives), working with supposedly antagonistic partners to neutralise their hostility (KP Oli in Nepal, the Rajapaksas in Sri Lanka), or backing its allies (the Awami League in Bangladesh). But these methods are not foolproof, and have thrown mixed results, and will be a challenge for New Delhi. As the neighbourhood gets more complex, Indias government and Opposition should develop a bipartisan approach. Mr Gandhi and Mr Jaishankar should go offline, and have a chat about these complexities. NBU should limit use of securities by banks to stimulate lending NBU head The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) should restrict the use of securities by banks in order to stimulate lending to the real sector of the economy, NBU Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko has said. "On the one hand, it is necessary to intensify efforts to reduce problem loans in the banking system and improve the quality of the banks' loan portfolios. On the other hand, to limit the use of long-term securities that the banks buy through free liquidity instead of lending to enterprises," he said during the press briefing. The macroeconomic stability of the financial sector remains a priority for the NBU, he said. "Today, our efforts with you should focus on supporting the Ukrainian economy ... We, as the NBU, must create together the necessary conditions for the development of lending," Shevchenko added. He also noted that the NBU will continue to support the implementation of the main directions of the State Banks Strategy. "The further implementation of the strategy will enhance competition, which, against the background of the NBU's monetary policy, will help reduce the cost of loans for businesses and the population," Shevchenko said. Amber Heard gave evidence on Monday for the first time on day nine of her ex-husband Johnny Depp's libel case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. (AP) Amber Heard took the witness stand for the first time on Monday in what was an explosive day of revelations in week three of her ex-husband Johnny Depps libel case against The Sun newspaper. The actress, 34, alleged that Depp, 56, threatened to kill her many times, subjected her to a three-day hostage situation in Australia, accused her of having affairs with multiple co-stars and branded her a sl*t. Depp is suing The Sun and its executive editor Dan Wooten for defamation over a 2018 article that referred to him as a "wife beater. Heard was present throughout the trial at the Royal Courts of Justice as Depp gave evidence last week over five days. Depp denies 14 allegations of domestic violence that News Group Newspapers (NGN) is relying on for its defence. Depp threatened to kill me many times Heard alleged she was afraid Depp was going to kill her many times, especially later in their relationship. The actress said: Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship. She added: He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called the monster. The court has so far heard nine days of evidence about Depps Hollywood lifestyle, his use of drink and drugs and his attitudes towards women, as well as his and Heards volatile relationship described by Depp as a crime scene waiting to happen. Depp and Heard met on the 2011 film The Rum Diary and began living together in 2012, before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Depp in Los Angeles shortly after the couple split in 2016 and later donated her $7 million (5.5 million) divorce settlement to charity. Depp attacked Heard in three-day hostage situation Depp and Heard appear in a videotaped apology to the Australian government in 2016, after failing to declare Heard's dogs. (AP) In her statement, Heard described a three-day hostage situation with Depp during which he allegedly went on a drug binge, attacked her and ripped a night gown into pieces before putting raw meat in it. Story continues Heard claimed that during a visit to Australia in 2015 while he was shooting Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, they alone together for three days, a period she described as the worst thing I have ever been through. In a witness statement, Heard said her ex-husband was making all kinds of nonsensical accusations about her as well as having strange, paranoid hallucinations. Depp arrives at the High Court in London on the ninth day of the explosive trial. (AP) She said: The best way I can describe what happened in Australia is that it was like a three-day hostage situation. We were due to be there for three days on our own, but it was only when I arrived that I realised I was trapped in this remote place without any means to leave and that Johnny had already been using and had a bag of drugs. I was in a remote house, at least 20 minutes from help, where I could not leave, was trapped and isolated with a violent person suffering from manic depression, bipolar disorder and a pattern of repeated, drug-induced psychosis and violence, who was on a multiple-day drug and alcohol binge. Read more: Amber Heard made domestic violence claims to blackmail Johnny Depp, court hears Over the course of those three days, there were extreme acts of psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence. It is the worst thing I have ever been through. I was left with an injured lip and nose and cuts on my arms. Heard alleged that at one point Depp grabbed her by the neck, shoved her against the fridge and said he could crush her neck. The court heard last week that it was this night that Depp alleges Heard threw a vodka bottle at him, severing his finger. Heard denies Depps claims and said on Monday that she didnt actually see the finger being cut off. Depp threatened to carve up Heards face Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor Dan Wootton. (AP) Multiple examples of the couples tumultuous relationship have been given during the hearing. On Monday, Heard claimed that Depp had a violent and dark way of speaking, even alleging that he threatened to carve up her face. Read more: Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis no longer giving evidence in Depp libel claim The way he talked about our relationship being dead or alive and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship, the way he would describe what he wanted to do to me if I left him or hurt him. For example, carving my face up so no one else would want me. His language towards others who he didnt like or was threatened by, detailing how he wanted to have someone tortured or how cheap and easy it would be to have someone knocked off... [was violent]. He could be very intense and dark. A court artist sketch of Heard being questioned by Sasha Wass QC as she gives evidence. (PA) Heard claimed Depp made all kinds of demeaning and derogatory comments about actresses and about her wanting to work as an actress. He demeaned me anytime I tried to wear anything that could be seen as sexy, calling me a whore, slut, fame-hungry and an attention whore, but it got worse over time, she said. He started saying things like, Well, Im going to have to watch you get raped and I hope you get railed by a bunch of f***ing fellas. Sometimes he used racial epithets about the men I would be or deserved to be assaulted by. Heard admits to hitting Depp in secretly recorded tape Depp secretly recorded a two-hour row with Heard during which she called him a big f***ing baby and admitted starting a physical fight with him, the court heard. The couple were heard arguing over whether she punched him and an angry Heard said: I did not punch you, I did not deck you, I hit you. But you're fine, I did not hurt you. Depp repeatedly insisted she had a closed fist and his former wife saud: That's the difference between me and you. You're a f***ing baby. You are such a baby. Grow the f*** up Johnny. Depp accused Heard of sleeping with co-stars Depp accused Heard of having affairs with stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, who he nicknamed pumpkin-head, the court heard. Depp accused Amber Heard of having affairs with multiple co-stars, including James Franco. Heard and Franco are here pictured together in 2015. (AP) Heard said she had to justify to Depp why she accepted film roles and said the situation would be much worse if the parts included sex scenes or kissing. She alleged that Depp would taunt her and had nicknames for all of her male co-stars that he considered a sexual threat. She said: He would insist every male actor was trying to sleep with me and/or that I had had an affair with them, that hed spoken to people and knew all about it. He would try and catch me out by taking my phone or telling me someone had told him I was having an affair and act as if he had information proving it when I really hadnt. Alicia Vikander, Eddie Redmayne and Heard at The Danish Girl Premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. (AP) He accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum, even women co-stars like Kelly Garner. He also accused me of having affairs with stars I auditioned with, like Leonardo DiCaprio. He would taunt me about it especially when he was drunk or high and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was pumpkin-head, Channing Tatum was potato-head and Jim Turd Sturgess. The Bahamas is closing its borders to travelers from the United States due to concerns over the coronavirus. The move comes just three weeks after the country reopened its borders to visitors from other countries, including Americans. International commercial flights and commercial vessels [cruise lines] carrying passengers will not be permitted to enter our borders, except for commercial flights from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, a statement on the Bahamas tourism website says. Online retailers and food-tech firms have started offering insurance covers and income protection plans for their staff, delivery partners, and supply chain associates as the coronavirus cases escalate in the country. Flipkart, Amazon Zomato, Swiggy, and BigBasket are among the firms that have purchased insurance covers ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh for the delivery person, including freelance staff. Sanjay Datta, chief of claims, underwriting and reinsurance at ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd said the premium for all-inclusive health insurance products that cover other health risks was between Rs 3,000-4,000 depending on the tenure (3.5 months to 6.5 months or 9.5 months). Datta added that the size of the employees' medical insurance business (taken by companies) has been Rs 7,000-8,000 crore, which would further grow at 30-40 per cent. According to Mint, Flipkart has bought fresh insurance policies for all its 1.2 lakh supply chain employees and delivery partners. Flipkart senior vice-president Amitesh Jha told the daily that the company has covered all its employees under a medical and accident cover of up to Rs 3 lakh, and delivery partners up to Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, Flipkart has offered a term-life cover of Rs 3 lakh for contract employees and a minimum term cover of Rs 25 lakh for full-time employees. Jha claimed that Flipkart has also provided a coronavirus lump sum of up to Rs 50,000 for those staff members who test COVID positive. "Our employees are also covered under Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)," Jha added. Flipkart's rival Amazon India has also said all its workforce was covered for medical insurance under the ESIC. The company has also launched a $25-million Amazon Relief Fund, which can be utilised by individuals who are part of Amazon's Delivery Service Partner Programme. Following the suit, online food aggregators Zomato and Swiggy are also offering COVID insurance to all their delivery workforce and executives. Zomato's on-roll employees are covered for COVID-19 under the plan that is designed in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. The company claimed to provide accidental and medical insurance to its delivery partners through its Delivery Partner Insurance Plan in partnership with Acko General Insurance Ltd. Swiggy explained that it was providing options to employees to personalise their medical policy as per their health profile. Also, Swiggy's active delivery partners and their family members are covered under an income protection plan, which provides them assured income for up to 14 days if they are hospitalised with the disease. Online grocery supermarket BigBasket too has been offering coronavirus insurance policies for all its frontline workforce and other staff. Tanuja Tewari, vice president human resources, Bigbasket said the company will decide on extending insurance after assessing how the situation evolves over a year. Also read: Insurers report good response to Corona Kavach health insurance policy Also read: I-T dept disposes 7,116 cases under first phase of faceless assessment system The statement made by Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov contains no novelty and does not require an obligatory official response, the Office of the President of Ukraine has said. "Everyone has the right to make any statements in the modern media landscape. However, this fact is certainly not the reason for searching some secret meanings. Therefore, persistent attempts of some media to attach importance to a private message of the head of a constituent entity of the federation of the neighboring country are quite surprising," the president's office said in a commentary upon request of Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. The statement of the head of Chechnya refers to some kind of inter-state relations, which are in the hands of only the incumbent heads of the two states. "And there is certainly no sense in commenting on or discussing any private messages," the president's office said. Earlier, Kadyrov addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and called on him to "decide on his position and confirm his apologies" for an offensive video [about Kadyrov] demonstrated by the Kvartal 95 studio several years ago. Kadyrov also called on Zelensky to "build good neighborly relations" with Russia. The shape of volcanoes and their craters provide critical information on their formation and eruptive history. Techniques applied to photographs -- photogrammetry -- show promise and utility in correlating shape change to volcanic background and eruption activity. Changes in volcano shape -- morphology -- that occur with major eruptions are quantifiable, but background volcanic activity, manifesting as small volume explosions and crater wall collapse, can also cause changes in morphology and are not well quantified. A team of Penn State researchers studied Telica Volcano, a persistently active volcano in western Nicaragua, to both observe and quantify small-scale intra-crater change associated with background and eruptive activity. Geologists consider Telica 'persistently' active because of its high levels of seismicity and volcanic degassing, and it erupts on less than 10-year time periods. The team used direct observations of the crater, photographic observations from 1994 to 2017 and photogrammetric techniques on photos collected between 2011 and 2017 to analyze changes at Telica in the context of summit crater formation and eruptive processes. They used structure-from-motion (SfM), a photogrammetric technique, to construct 3D models from 2D images. They also used point cloud differencing, a method used to measure change between photo sampling periods, to compare the 3D models, providing a quantitative measure of change in crater morphology. They reported their results in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. "Photos of the crater were taken as part of a multi-disciplinary study to investigate Telica's persistent activity," said Cassie Hanagan, lead author on the study. "Images were collected from our collaborators to make observations of the crater's features such as the location and number of fumaroles or regions of volcanic degassing in the crater. For time periods that had enough photos, SfM was used to create 3D models of the crater. We could then compare the 3D models between time periods to quantify change." Using the SfM-derived 3D models and point cloud differencing allowed the team to quantify how the crater changed through time. "We could see the changes by visually looking at the photos, but by employing SfM, we could quantify how much change had occurred at Telica," said Peter La Femina, associate professor of geosciences in Penn State's Department of Geosciences. "This is one of the first studies to look at changes in crater morphology associated with background and eruptive activity over a relatively long time span, almost a 10-year time period." Telica's morphological changes were then compared to the timing of eruptive activity to investigate the processes leading to crater formation and eruption. Volcanoes erupt when pressure builds beyond a breaking point. At Telica, two mechanisms for triggering eruptions have been hypothesized. These are widespread mineralization within the underground hydrothermal system that seals the system and surficial blocking of the vent by landslides and rock fall from the crater walls. Both mechanisms could lead to increases in pressure and then eruption, according to the researchers. "One question was whether or not covering the vents on the crater floor could cause pressure build up, and if that would cause an explosive release of this pressure if the vent were sufficiently sealed," said Hanagan. Comparing the point cloud differencing results and the photographic observations indicated that vent infill by mass wasting from the crater walls was not likely a primary mechanism for sealing of the volcanic system prior to eruption. "We found that material from the crater walls does fall on the crater floor, filling the eruptive vent," said La Femina. "But at the same time, we still see active fumaroles, which are vents in the crater walls where high temperature gases and steam are emitted. The fumaroles remained active even though the talus from the crater walls covered the vents. This suggests that at least the deeper magma-hydrothermal system is not directly sealed by landslides." The researchers further note that crater wall material collapse is spatially correlated to where degassing is concentrated, and that small eruptions blow out this fallen material from the crater floor. They suggest these changes sustain a crater shape similar to other summit craters that formed by collapse into an evacuated magma chamber. "What we found is that during the explosions, Telica is throwing out a lot of the material that came from the crater walls," said La Femina. "In the absence of magmatic eruptions, the crater is forming through this background process of crater wall collapse, and the regions of fumarole activity collapse preferentially." ### The team collaborated with Mel Rogers, assistant research professor at the University of South Florida. Hanagan, now a graduate student at the University of Arizona, completed this research as part of her Schreyer Honors College honors thesis and Department of Geosciences senior thesis. The National Science Foundation and NASA PA Space Grant WISER program fellowship partially funded this research. "Abdul has been extremely successful in assembling a team of high performing Business Bankers who are focused on building deposit and lending opportunities for the Bank," said Chris Brockett, President and Director of MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. "During my time working with Abdul, I saw his passion for moving MainStreet Bank forward, and I am excited to see that passion put to use on a broader scale throughout the Bank." "Working with Chris and Jeff to build our branch-lite Bank has been an incredible journey," said Abdul Hersiburane, President of MainStreet Bank. "I am grateful for the creativity that they have afforded as we put together our high performing teams. I am excited to continue this vision as we grow the Bank with our Business Bankers, Commercial Lenders, and the Payments team." Mr. Hersiburane (58) brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He started his banking career in 1984 in Somalia and moved to the United States in 1995. Abdul worked as a Senior Financial Specialist and Financial Advisor with First Union Bank/Wachovia Bank from 1996 to 2006. Abdul joined MainStreet Bank in 2007 as a Business Banker and with his drive and enthusiasm became the head of Business Banking in 2015. Abdul has an MBA in Finance from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and a bachelor's degree in Commerce and Accounting from Polytechnic University in Mogadishu. "Over the past 13 years, Abdul has demonstrated a strong passion for our clients and customers," said Jeff W. Dick, Chairman and CEO of MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. and MainStreet Bank. "Abdul's leadership skills and infectious enthusiasm contributes not only to the success of the Bank but also to our clients' success." About MainStreet Bank: MainStreet Bank operates seven branches in Herndon, Fairfax, Fairfax City, McLean, Leesburg, Clarendon and Washington, D.C. In addition, MainStreet Bank has 55,000 free ATMs and a fully integrated online and mobile banking solution. The Bank is not restricted by a conventional branching system, as it can offer business customers the ability to Put Our Bank in Your Office. With robust and easy-to-use online business banking technology, MainStreet has "put our bank" in over 1,000 businesses in the metropolitan area. MainStreet Bank has a full complement of payment system services for third party payment providers with nationally known market leaders on-staff ready to help payment providers create a solution perfect for their needs. MainStreet Bank has a robust line of business and professional lending products, including government contracting lines of credit, commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, and commercial real estate. MainStreet also works with the SBA to offer 7A and 504 lending solutions. From sophisticated cash management to enhanced mobile banking and instant-issue Debit Cards, MainStreet Bank is always looking for ways to improve its customer experience. MainStreet Bank was the first community bank in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to offer a full online business banking solution. MainStreet Bank was also the first bank headquartered in the Commonwealth of Virginia to offer CDARS a solution that provides multi-million-dollar FDIC insurance. Further information on the Bank can be obtained by visiting its website at mstreetbank.com. This release contains forward-looking statements, including our expectations with respect to future events that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "expect," "plan," "project," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pursuant," "target," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations include: fluctuation in market rates of interest and loan and deposit pricing, adverse changes in the overall national economy as well as adverse economic conditions in our specific market areas, maintenance and development of well-established and valued client relationships and referral source relationships, and acquisition or loss of key production personnel. Contact: Brian Baker (571) 375-1358 SOURCE MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. Related Links https://www.mstreetbank.com CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday criticized the United States response to the coronavirus, saying that other nations have been exemplars of how to keep deaths from the disease low. "I'm trying to figure out what kind of disaster that our country has had that's ever been as bad as this that's been self-inflicted," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." The "Mad Money" host pointed to how the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak has transpired in countries such as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan all of which have fewer than one coronavirus death per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. He also referenced Vietnam, which has had no recorded deaths linked to Covid-19. The U.S., by contrast, has 42.95 deaths per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins, and leads the world in overall confirmed cases with nearly 3.8 million and total fatalities of more than 140,500 people. "Those are big, big countries, and they're faring so much better," Cramer said, contending their adoption of face masks and development of contact tracing programs have been key reasons for containing the virus. "They're also disciplined and we're unruly. This may go down as us being, I'd say, a lesser-developed country versus those countries." America's efforts to institute contact tracing systems have been a particular disappointment, Cramer said, describing them as "out of the picture in our country." Contact tracing involves figuring out who an infected person has been in close proximity to and then getting in touch with those people in order for them to take proper precautions. Public health experts say it's an important strategy to prevent infections from growing into large-scale outbreaks. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told CNBC last month that coronavirus contact tracing in the U.S. was "not going well." Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. have been rising in recent weeks after the reopening of local economies and the relaxation of earlier mitigation efforts. Deaths in certain parts of the country also have been ticking upward, although experts say an increased understanding of how to treat the virus in addition to younger people becoming infected should mean mortality rates do not reach levels from earlier in the pandemic. State governors and other U.S. leaders in Washington, such as Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have been intensifying their calls for Americans to wear masks as a way to help slow transmission of the virus. Some states have adopted mandatory policies. "I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control," Redfield said last week. President Donald Trump has been mask-averse. However, Trump wore a mask during a public visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11, after long-resisting bipartisan calls to lead by example that masks are important to reducing Covid-19 transmission. During a May visit to a Ford plant in Michigan, the president was seen on the factory floor without a mask despite state law and company policy requiring it. Ford issued a statement saying Trump wore a mask during a private meeting at the plant but later took it off. In a Fox News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he does not think the U.S. needs a national mask mandate. "No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don't believe in that," Trump said, before questioning why some experts had advised against the general public wearing masks earlier in the pandemic. "All of sudden everybody's got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too," Trump said, without providing specifics on the problems he believes masks cause. "With that being said, I'm a believer in masks. I think masks are good." THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned Gas Networks Ireland to up its performance after scores of complaints of odours from its Limerick site. The regulator has placed the old gasworks site in OCurry Street on a watchlist for failing to meet the necessary environmental standards. Its anticipated there will be further sanction. It comes as a local businessman says hes had to take the unprecedented step of closing his furniture store on the advice of his doctor, amid health concerns regarding on going at the gasworks site. "I've been told by doctors to leave immediately. That the toxins in my blood are very high, and my blood pressure is through the roof. I could have detrimental health issues if I do not take a long break from here. I'll monitor my health, head to the west of Ireland and see if I improve and I can re-open," claimed Derrick Amrein who runs the Chisel and Oak furniture store. As part of a multi-million euro project, Gas Networks Ireland is carrying out soil stabilisation at the three-acre site in a bid to make it ready for commercial development. But locals have complained of the spray of "deodoriser" and pollutants and the "terrible smells." For its part, Gas Networks Ireland says disturbance of the soil can give rise to some odour from the coal tar. But they said 90% of the soil at the site has been remediated over the last year. They said air quality and odour levels are constantly monitored. Despite this, Mr Amrein has closed his showroom, which was set to provide employment for disadvantaged youngsters, as well as working with the Men's Shed movement. Another local businessman, car mechanic, Carlos De Scheemaeker says dust from the site has gathered on vehicles in his yard, while resident Fiona Lysaght says shes seriously concerned. She says shes had a variety of health issues since the works started, adding: Its been such a serious strain on the community and should never have been allowed to get to this stage. Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell met with locals on Friday and has pledged to take their concerns further. Mr Amrein has placed a banner overhead his premises - which only opened 12 months ago - stating he's been forced to close due to the alleged "toxins in the air" from the cleaning of the neighbouring land. Asked when he hopes to re-open, he said: "I don't know. I've no control on it. It depends how my health is." "At the moment, I'm drained every day. I have no energy, I'm feeling physically sick. My skin is very itchy all the time. I have headaches and I'm getting physically sick every day," he added. Local residents have criticised Gas Networks Ireland for not consulting with them. Today, a campaign of opposition on social media begins. Mr Amrein added: "All my neighbours are complaining bitterly about this. They are saying they can't work from home. They were saying they cannot enjoy outdoor space, they must leave the area because of the smell. A lot of people are citing sickness." He added: "The lack of communication. It's unbelievable. You ask them when they are finishing. They told us in February they'd finish in March. Now it's almost August, and there is no end date. This could go on-and on. It should never have happened here. The tar should have been cleaned off site, not on site, where there is a huge population. It's like communicating with a brick wall. We just want transparency. Does Gas Networks Ireland know this is toxic? If they do, is that not a problem?" McDonalds cooks and cashiers in Los Angeles and nursing home workers in St. Paul were also striking, the group said. In Manhattan, more than 150 union workers rallied outside Trump International Hotel to demand the Senate and President Donald Trump adopt the HEROES Act, which provides protective equipment, essential pay and extended unemployment benefits to workers who cannot work from home. It has already been passed by the House. Experts at Taxback.com have warned that it is not yet known how many workers in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme will face a tax bill at the end of the year, but those who do will see their tax credits cut next year and possibly the year after. Such was the response of the Minister for Finance to a Dail question put to him last week, whereby he was asked for the estimated number of taxpayers in receipt of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme who will have an additional tax, USC and/or PRSI liability as a result at the end of 2020, and the average amount liable. The Minister was also asked for "the number of taxpayers on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who are projected to have an additional tax, USC and/or PRSI liability at the end of 2020 as a result of receiving same, and the average amount liable." Experts at Taxback.com say that although the reduction in tax credits, which will equate to a reduction in take-home pay, had been eluded to in recent weeks, this was the first confirmation they had seen of the intended approach. The tax refund specialists say the Ministers comments now give some clarity to concerned workers as to how any underpayment of tax will be resolved. Based on this update, Taxback.com ran an analysis which shows the likely impact of a reduction in tax credits over a period of 12 or 24 months, on salaries from 21,000 to 115,000 to meet any liability arising from the receipt of the COVID Pandemic Unemployment Payment or the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. Speaking of the update, Consumer Tax Manager at Taxback.com, Marian Ryan said, "The employers and individuals that we have spoken with are, understandably, becoming increasingly concerned about how much extra tax will have to be paid and how it will be collected. There may be some solace in the confirmation that it will effectively be collected in increments over time perhaps 1 or 2 years. But while the term reducing tax credits might not mean anything to people, its important that workers understand that it will ultimately mean a reduction in weekly or monthly take home pay during that period." Taxback.com say that although the Ministers response suggests a persons unused tax credits could substantially reduce or eliminate any tax liability that may arise, this is unlikely to be the case for most workers. The tax experts say anyone whose total 2020 employment income and TWSS/PUP is under 16,500 will have no PAYE liability and a tiny USC liability (between 0.5% and 2% of the TWSS/PUP Payment). But anyone with earnings above that will have to repay the tax. Someone on a salary of 38,000 for example, could face a liability of anywhere from 796 - 1972 and Taxback.com say its unlikely that unused credits would make much of a dent in this. The Minister points in particular to the use of medical expense tax relief entitlements to reduce this tax bill. Taxback.com agree that medical expense relief is underutilised in this country, and are calling on more people to get what they are owed in that regard. That said however, relief on medical expenses is 20% so to clear an underpayment of say 1,300, a person would need to have 6,500 in medical bills. In general, Taxback.com say a person might only spend an average of 200-250 per year on doctor visits and possibly some medicine. Source: www.businessworld.ie This article originally appeared in Zocalo Public Square. A few hours after I learned my dad had died, my stepmom called me on speaker to ask if we wanted a postmortem COVID-19 test. I was pacing my living room in Los Angeles, wishing more than anything that I could get on a plane, but knowing that this would do nothing but risk more death. My stepmom was in a room full of nurses and administrators at my dads memory care facility in Boston, and they were pushing her hard not to ask for a test, even though he had died from what they called respiratory distress. Advertisement It was late March, early in the pandemic, and tests were scarce across the United States. But there had been an outbreak on his floor. One patient had died already. The medical and scientific community still knew little about the disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I liked his caretakers. Theyd called him Dr. Kurt and showered him with song and touch, even though his Alzheimers disease had advanced to a phase where he couldnt say anything but yes, no, and stop it, much less know what kind of doctorate he held. But our relationship with the facility had gone to hell when the pandemic hit. Theyd failed to tell me and my family that wed been exposed when we visited. Theyd waited several days after the first staff member was diagnosed to email families. Theyd ignored my attempts to find tests and protective personal equipment for my father and other patients. Advertisement Advertisement So, against their wishes, I demanded a posthumous test. Over the next few days, my family and I were told a lot of things. Massachusetts said it was our legal duty to get him a test, both to track the outbreak and to protect the other people at his facility. The Boston Public Health Commission said that under no circumstance could he get a test because there were not enough, and living people needed the tests more than him. We even received notification that he was turned down for hospice because a week earlier, hed been too healthy. Advertisement But simmering underneath almost every conversation was a sentiment I heard out loud from one man at the Boston Public Health Commission. With all due respect, he said, hes passed either way. Advertisement It still mattered, I thought but didnt say. My dad, by many accounts a scholarly giant in the fields of developmental psychology and education, had lived his life devoted to scientific ways of thinking, so much so that he thought quoting research studies at me would persuade me to behave as a teen. To him, a lack of structured curiosity would not just lead to moral and scientific ruin; it was also a sign of disrespect. So during all of the bureaucratic conversations I had after his death, I could hear his voice, being the scientist that he was, insisting on learning the why and the how. Advertisement Advertisement Though I knew he was a successful academic, I knew little about the specifics of his research until I heard his colleagues speak at his retirement colloquium, after his Alzheimers disease had made it too late for him to discuss it. Thankfully, about a year before he died, I had the chance to excavate his basement office in my childhood home just outside Cambridge. It was a place he had forbidden me from entering as a kid, but now, it was mine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I breathed in mold and papers that had spent decades wallowing in his colleagues cigarette smoke. Dozens of boxes filled with typewritten and dot-matrix paper were balanced awkwardly around the room. Maybe here I could get some answers about who he was. We werent estranged, but he was the kind of dad who, when we had a disagreement, would tell me, Thats typical for someone your ageeven when I was 7. This approach to fatherhood, coupled with the disaster that is modern masculinity and a fight when I was 15 over my parents custody agreement, had made us near-strangers who also loved each other more than anything. I cant think of a single time as an adult, pre-Alzheimers, when we both acted authentically in a room together. Advertisement I was fascinated by his professional legacy. He consulted with everyone from Pope John Paul II to Sesame Street to the Chinese government. His colleagues at the Harvard Ed School, where he taught for 27 years, told me his research had improved the lives of thousands, if not millions, of students and educators. He did this in part by creating dynamic skill theory, which argued that human development was a complex and dynamic interaction between culture, context, and child. Advertisement This was and is a revolutionary idea because it implies that we are all complex individuals with different trajectories. Many other theoretical frameworks are built around the normal person, focus on teaching to the mean or average student, and can sometimes lead to punishment, neglect, or other less-than-ideal results for people who develop in ways we dont understand. He urged, instead, innovation and a respect for complexity. One of his mantras was Explain variation. Dont explain it away. Advertisement Advertisement He also co-created the journal Mind, Brain, and Education and its entire field of study, bringing together educators, psychologists, neuroscientists, and othersa tough sell in the rather siloed corridors of academia at the time. After speaking with his students, I learned that one of his core beliefs was that children, educators, and scientists of all kinds are important to understanding development, no matter how different their perspectives. And he fiercely believed that we could all change the world if we respected each other and worked together. One of the first things I found in the basement were his Frodi journals. When my dad was in graduate school in developmental psychology, his professor encouraged each of his students to get a rhesus monkey, raise it, and take notes to better understand its development. My dad was the only one in his class to do so. When he found one, he named it Frodo, then renamed it Frodi when he realized she was a girl, and moved her into his tiny Cambridge apartment in May 1966. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the year or so he lived with Frodi, he filled two notebooks with handwritten notes. Many revolve around my dads quest to make her stop peeing on him in the shower. At one point, he took her through Grand Central Station during rush hour, and, not surprisingly, she made more noise than he wished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what is most intriguing about these notes is the tone. Two things have been salient, especially about her recent behavior to strangers. She has reacted especially warmly to a few stranger girls or women, but has begun to show threat gestures to some other strangers, especially when they poke at her. Advertisement The language and content are absurd. Does anyone like to be poked? Is it not obvious to him that Frodi might be taking cues from his body language, rather than reacting to the gender of human strangers? How could he pretend to write in the language of an impartial scientific observer when he is so clearly a part of what is happening? How could he be so bad at listening? Advertisement I chuckled and put them aside. Fine, I thought. He was only 23. But then, in the next box over, I found something more disturbing: a black, 11-inch-by-13-inch three-ring binder from when he was in his late 30s. I looked inside. My name was everywhere. These notes were just like the ones hed taken on Frodi, but they were all about me. Whats more, hed convinced my mom, another psychologist who had once been a student of his, to take notes, too. The first page I read held notes on an experiment: He picked up a pacifier and kept it always just out of my reach, to see if I moved my hand to grab it. Then he repeated it with my stuffed Woodstock. He changed the position eight times. By his account, I continued to try to grasp it, he wrote, but the grasp continued to be awkward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The notes have the same frigid, judgmental tone as the journals about Frodi. I pass and fail. Im awkward or successful. In the most disturbing of these experiments, my parents repeatedly sat me in front of a mirror and tried to get me to pass something called the rouge test, which measures self-awareness by putting rouge on a kids nose and testing whether they touch their own nose or the mirror. At first, they just wanted me to sit there, to get me used to it, starting at about six months. Then, a couple months in, they started the tests. Advertisement I resisted this experiment more than any of the others, but they kept making me stare at myself, no matter how much I cried. The number of attempts each time, over a period of seven months, is put in terms of N: N=8. N=12. N=3. It was never clear what counted as a full attempt. I can only guess that each attempt meant they persisted until I cried so loud they had to stop. Advertisement Finding these made me wonder if he ever thought of me as a person, or if he thought of me only as a test subject. They made me wonder if he knew how to love. Advertisement But then, under the folder, I found hundreds of pages of my childhood drawings. Then I found another box full of my art. Then another. The art was uninspired, of course, even for a kid my age. Red and orange and green and blue blobs. When I got slightly older, a blobby stick figure, or a blobby house, or a blobby sun. I was not a gifted artist. Still, each one of them was marked with my name and the date, as if they were intended for a future research project. Advertisement Or was it because he cared about me? Maybe, I thought, it was both. On my fathers death certificate, the doctors listed four primary causes of death: probable aspiration, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), Alzheimers disease, and adult failure to thrive. Adult failure to thrive is a common cause of death for Alzheimers patients, because there is no good scientific way to say that everything kind of stopped working. Reading these four words, I recognized the same language hed used in his notes on Frodi and me: cold, judgmentaland morbidly funny. This is the nature of so much of the language of medicine and science. It is used, I assume, in service to objectivity, but it makes scientists and doctors seem more obtuse than objective. Sciences fundamental impulse, we hope, is to better humanity, but it often forgets that the way it answers our most important questions matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My dad took notes on me because he was curious, and because he believed that the best way to love me was to study me. This also meant, to our detriment as father and son, that his love sometimes looked like whatever brand of science he was using at the time. And if my recent experiences with the medical, scientific, and government communities during his death are any indication, the oblivious way of approaching science that he used all those years ago is alive and thriving today. We never got the test. COVID-19 was hitting Boston hard, the mortuary needed the space, so we had to bury him before we could get his doctor to return our calls. Last summer, I spent a month reading through everything my father ever wrote. I could see an evolution in his work over the last 40 years, an evolution I missed until it was too late to ask him about it. I could see this shift most clearly in an address he gave to the Swedish Parliament in 2011. Advertisement In the talk, he completely loses control of his handswhich he does when hes excitedwhile talking about dyslexia. People with dyslexia look at the world differently, he says, not better or worse than anyone else. He points out that astronomers with dyslexia are far better at finding black holes, and that thinking about dyslexia without judgment has transformed what is possible for children with dyslexia. He had long ago evolved beyond the young man who had framed Frodis actions, and mine, in terms of passing and failing. If we view subjects as humans, he had learned over the decades, if we take off the veneer of coldness and judgment at the heart of much scientific thought, we will soon find ourselves getting better answers. Advertisement Advertisement And it was his dual focus, late in life, on both humanity and finding answers that makes me think he would have been livid at the way his death was handled. It wasnt just that knowing whether he had COVID-19 would have been kind to his family and to his caretakers, though that would have been foremost on his mind. It was also that his case might have helped scientists learn something. If he were alive and well today, if he were watching millions sick or dead of a new illness while our political and medical institutions crumble around us, I like to think the advice hed give us is this: It is time to fight fiercely for a warm and broadminded approach to science and medicine, for a humble understanding of humans as complex, varied, and dynamic creatures. This is true for moral reasons, but it is also true for practical reasons. The best way to be kind is to be curious, and the best way to be curious is to be kind. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. The apex court also said it was 'appalled' that the gangster got bail despite so many cases against him. The Uttar Pradesh government before the Supreme Court has agreed to rework a committee to investigate the death of gangster Vikas Dubey on Monday. The Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider adding a former apex court judge and a retired police officer in the inquiry committee which is probing the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey, reports PTI. The apex court also said it was "appalled" that the gangster got bail despite so many cases against him. "It is a failure of the entire system that a man with so many cases against him was allowed out on bail," said Chief Justice of India SA Bobde. A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India, on Monday heard a batch of pleas seeking CBI or NIA monitored probe into the 10 July encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey by the UP Police. During the hearing, the apex court stated that it understands the big difference between Vikas Dubeys killing and the Hyderabad rape-murder encounter, reports LiveLaw. The bench hearing a batch of pleas on Monday told the Uttar Pradesh government that they have to uphold rule of law. "You as a state have to uphold the rule of law. It requires arrests, trial, and sentencing. It is your duty to do so," the top court told the state government, reports Bar & Bench. The top court was also hearing a plea filed by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) which highlighted how encounters have increased in the state of Uttar Pradesh since 2018. Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh appearing for PUCL told the court, There have been statements by ministers who favoured encounters." The court asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for the state government to look also into this aspect as well. The bench noted, What is at stake is not one incident in Uttar Pradesh but the whole system. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of Uttar Pradesh government, agreed to the courts suggestion of adding new members to the inquiry committee. Mehta sought some time to take instruction and get back to the court on the issue. The bench also said it cannot spare a sitting top court judge to become a part of the inquiry committee. Appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Police, senior advocate Harish Salve said that it will produce draft notification with regard to changes as suggested in the inquiry panel by 22 July (Wednesday). Last week, the UP government in a filed affidavit to the Supreme Court had said that the police party escorting gangster Vikas Dubey from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Kanpur had to "fire back in self-defence" as he tried to escape and was killed. Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on 3 July. Dubey was killed in an encounter on the morning of 10 July when a police vehicle carrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape from the spot in the Bhauti area, the police had said. Prior to Dubey's encounter, five of his alleged associates were killed in separate encounters. With inputs from PTI The historic flooding disaster that unfolded after the collapse of multiple dams nearly two months ago in Midland, Michiganfrom which the community and neighboring areas still have not recoveredhas exposed the reality of capitalisms super-exploitation of immigrants. A recent report published by NPR detailed the cruel treatment of migrant workers employed to clean-up a part of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland. One hundred workers employed by a local franchise of Servpro, a disaster recovery company with operations covering the United States, were bussed to Midland in May from across the country to assist with the clean-up. When COVID-19 infections began appearing among the workers, Servpro quickly transported workers out of Michigan via van, scattering the now-infected workers amongst different worksites in other states. Workers told NPR they were not given any personal protective equipment (PPE), no thermometers for temperature checks, and seemingly no procedure had been established to keep them safe from the virus. The workers temporary living quarters took the form of cramped hotel rooms, with upwards of five workers per room, living without any protection in the same tight space. There were cracks in the safety protocols We would start working without masks, and then the supervisors would say, Were going to go look for masks, when we were already working inside, Bellliz Gonzales, an asylum seeker from Venezuela, told NPR. We were treated worse than animals They didnt care about our well-being and our lives; they didnt care that we are in the middle of a pandemic. At least 19 migrant workers, nearly 20 percent of the total work force, were confirmed to have caught the virus while on the job. The company hid these conditions from the MidMichigan Health medical system until the positive tests arose. During the clean-up, Servpro told MidMichigan that workers were checked daily for temperature and symptoms and that workers with symptoms or fevers were not allowed to work. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, responded to the infectionsspawned out of the dangerous and unregulated work environmentby claiming the workers were at fault for bringing the virus into Michigan. Servpros local franchise has not been held responsible for putting these workers lives at risk as of this articles writing. Neither is the company likely to incur any criminal charges or fines. Contracts and subcontracts within the recovery industry create a legal barrier protecting Servpro and other companies in the industry from liability when workers suffer injuries, similar to the construction industry. Multiple industries, from meat processing to agriculture, utilize migrant workers as expendable sources of vulnerable labor, working them into the ground for little pay. The pandemic has exacerbated these conditions, with reports from around the country indicating that employers generally are not providing meaningful protection against COVID-19 for this section of the working class. In effect, this has transformed the super exploitative migrant-labor oriented industries into hotbeds for exposure to COVID-19 infection. In farm work, tens of thousands of migrant workers are brought into the Midwestern agriculture regions of the United States, from Texas and Florida, in cramped vehicles from early spring through the fall every year. In an interview with Rapid Growth Media, attorney Ben OHearn of the Michigan advocacy group Migrant Legal Aid stated that 49,135 migrant and seasonal farmworkers resided in Michigan in 2013 alone. This number increases to 94,167 when accounting for workers who bring their family members as well. Upon reaching a worksite, these legally vulnerable migrant workers face crowded and unsafe conditions in the fields as well as shared living, eating, and bathing quarters. OHearn noted that while the geographic isolation of migrant workers in these camps lowers initial infection rates, one infection can quickly spread. He also explained that few employers have provided PPE for workers or practiced social distancing. During the initial state lockdowns in response to the pandemic, government guidelines labeled farmworkers as essential workers, meaning the yearly movement of migrant workers continued unmitigated. Their continued movement around the country creates legal hurdles for migrant workers who need to file the proper paperwork to remain under legal working status, assuming they were already under such a status. These legal difficulties immediately affect the ability of workers to seek out assistance due to the fear of government retaliation. Undocumented workers also do not have access to unemployment benefits and other forms of government aid. For those that do have documents, employers can label them as seasonal workers, which makes it more difficult to access unemployment benefits, according to OHearn. This deeply exploitative situation facing migrant workers in Michigan is part of a national and international assault on the working class. According to a report by Wisconsin Public Radio, migrant farmworkers only make $15,000-$17,000 each year under normal conditions. The Trump administration has allowed for these poverty wages to be cut even lower during the pandemic. Their impoverished conditions have resulted in migrant workers ranking higher in rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and environmental cancers. Sun and heat exposure in the fields is the leading cause of death in the industry, killing hundreds each year. Low wages, back-breaking labor, horrid living conditions, and lack of adequate medical care leaves migrant farmworkers with a life expectancy of 49 years under normal working conditions without the threat of COVID-19. Massive outbreaks have hit migrant workers hard during the pandemic, with numerous reports outlining the risks across the US and internationally. In late June, the WSWS reported on the growing reports of infections among migrant seafood and farmworkers. The reports detailed rising cases at a Tennessee farm where all 200 workers were infected; 500 cases arose among farmworkers in Yakima County, Washington, the home of the nations largest fruit crop. Another 1,000 cases were confirmed in the Immokalee region of southern Florida, known for its tomato harvests, and clustered outbreaks among three Louisiana crawfish farms, totaling 100 cases. A series of reports emerged in early July detailing oppressive conditions of farmworkers in Michigan, where migrant workers in particular face infection outbreaks. Maroa Farms in Coldwater, Michigan, saw at least 57 workers infected, most of them migrant workers. Additionally, Oceana and Lapeer counties recorded 183 and 33 infections among farmworkers, respectively. The latter 33 infections were solely among migrant workers, spread across three farms. Internationally, a range of reports has documented the spread of COVID-19 among migrant workers in the Middle East, Ireland, Canada, and countries on every continent. The spread of COVID-19 among migrant farmworkers in Canada has sparked protests among workers in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. In Ontario alone, 1,800 cases arose among Mexican and Caribbean migrant workers due to the lacking protections against the virus. A report by CTV News in early June specified that of the 800 cases in Ontario, 162 originated in one farm, expressing the scale of danger related to the spread in isolated camps. The Irish Times recently reported that documented cases among migrant workers in meatpacking plants in Ireland alone is now at more than 1,050 workers. The plants involved generally lack any PPE or safety protocols for protecting workers against the virus, similar to farms in the US and Canada. The report also notes that the low paid work in the plants has resulted in many workers sharing rental units, resulting in a higher chance of infection among workers, similar to the shared agricultural camp living spaces in the US and Canada. A recent CNBC report detailed the exploitation of migrant labor in the oil-rich fields of the United Arab Emirates, where workers reportedly have dwindling or no access to food and water and increased exposure to infection. Most workers are not getting paid for their work. Pakistani migrant workers, who make up 20 percent of the UAEs population, are being laid off in the tens of thousands. Just like in other parts of the world, migrant workers face extremely unsanitary and crowded living conditions. The CNBC report also notes that foreign taxi drivers in Dubai did not receive pay during the countrys COVID-19 lockdown. When drivers protested, their employers threatened to end their visas. The International Labor Organization (ILO) recently published a report on the conditions facing migrant workers globally. Migrant workers are often first to be laid-off but last to gain access to testing or treatment in line with nationals. They are often excluded from national COVID-19 policy responses, such as wage subsidies, unemployment benefits or social security and social protection measures. Where access to COVID-19 testing or medical treatment is available, they may not come forward due to fear of detention or deportation, especially those in an irregular status. The report also notes that migrant workers currently make up 4.7 percent of the global workforce, with over 164 million workers. Travel restrictions and loss of work may have potentially catastrophic consequences for significant portions of this population, particularly with no protection. The ILO projects that loss of income [will result] in a collapse in money sent home by migrant workers, with remittances expected to decrease by almost USD $110bn this year. Saif Ali Khan has proved to be a success in the film industry with some of his films like Parineeta, Salaam Namaste, and Hum Tum. He has also earned praises for his portrayal of some characters in Bollywood films that werent main-stream. His films such as Race, Love Aaj Kal, and Cocktail were a few other commercial successes that were largely loved by the audience and were box-office blockbusters. But then some films proved that he made some wrong career choices in selecting films. So, here is a list of flop Saif Ali Khan films that the audience didnt like at all- Ek Hasina Thi The movie stars Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar in the lead roles. The plot of the movie revolves around a businessman and how Urmila Matondkar falls for him. He then later framed her for his underworld crimes, and then she is sent to prison where she plans her sweet revenge. Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji in the lead role and revolves around a unique plot that wasnt liked by the audience. But, the films storyline was unique and kids loved it. The storyline of the film revolves around how a rich businessman accidentally killed a couple and then was given the responsibility of their children. The movie showcases the problems kids had while adjusting with their parents' killer and how they took revenge from him. Being Cyrus Saif Ali khan was praised for his performance by critics but the audience watch the film and it didnt do well on the box-office. Baazaar A lot of us dont really remember when this movie came into the theatres. Saif is playing the role of a successful Gujarati trader. And then things go south when a small-town stock trader comes to work with him and hits a rough patch. Kaalakaandi Saif Ali Khan played the role of a teetotaller in the movie who is suffering from stomach cancer and has only a month to live. So, he decides to live life to the fullest and does things that he has never done before. Humshakals No one knows the real reason behind changing his Script into a reality. The movie is about the story of two men who end up in a mental hospital due to their uncles foul play. As soon as the doctor is convinced of their sanity, she releases their look-alikes from the hospital. A Melbourne teens quick-thinking to snap a photo might just help police track down the man accused of sexually assaulting her. The girl, 17, was opposite Frankston Station, in Melbournes southeast, on June 29 about 11.40am when she was allegedly approached by a man. She was seated on a bench when police allege the man sexually assaulted her. Police have provided CCTV of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the alleged incident. Source: Victoria Police The man walked away on foot towards Beach Street but not before the quick-thinking victim managed to take a photograph of the man, police said. Detectives have released an image and CCTV footage of the man in the hope someone will be able to identify him. Police said the man they would like to speak with appears to be caucasian with short, spiky, dark hair and aged between 25 and 40-years-old. Police wish to speak with this man. Source: Victoria Police At the time, he was wearing jeans and a blue T-shirt with New York motif on the front, police said. His fingernails were painted, and he was wearing distinctive mustard coloured shoes. They have also released a photo of a man they believe can help with their enquiries. Anyone who recognises the man is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online. 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. Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump advised unemployed Americans last week to find something new rather than trying to cling to the careers they had before the coronavirus struck. That is proving easier said than done. Though the chaos of the pandemic has churned up some new kinds of work gigs ranging from Zoom fashion adviser to face mask sewer to virtual recess coordinator for the most part, the crisis has recast existing jobs or renewed demand for familiar ones more than it has spawned wholly new kinds of work. Even in California, where Silicon Valley and Hollywood have long spun off unfamiliar job titles and different ways of working, finding new work has required creativity and scrappiness. Sophie Geddie spent almost a decade working for Apple before she took her database and project management skills freelance. She began selling her services on Upwork, a Santa Clara online marketplace for freelancers, before the pandemic recast what her clients, like a San Francisco shoulder surgeon, were asking of her. Geddie helped the medical practice move to telehealth, modifying its systems to schedule online visits and follow-ups with the doctor and allowing the practice to see more patients than it had before. They had approximately 270 visits a month before the pandemic, Geddie said. Now that patients can get video-chat appointments, they could increase the number of monthly visits to 400, she added. The closure of Bay Area schools and offices in mid-March meant Brandon Elsner had to rethink his job at Oakland nonprofit Playworks. He used to design recess activities for schools, sometimes bringing in workers from companies to do team-building exercises with the kids. Now he designs play-at-home sessions for kids, and for his corporate partners, hes come up with a new offering: adult recess. Household-object scavenger hunts, a game called Animal Kingdom where co-workers guess which species a noise belongs to, and improv sessions break up the monotony of team calls, he said. I think everyone is looking to connect with their co-workers, he said. It is rare for a wholly new job type to be created, according to Daniel Zhao, senior economist at workplace-reviews website Glassdoor. But demand is shooting up for some positions related to the pandemic, said Julia Pollak, a labor economist at jobs search engine ZipRecruiter. Interior designers have to figure out how to space out desks in workplaces. Contractors who might have set up kitchens before are now installing Plexiglas in stores. Public health departments had contact tracers before, but many more infection trackers are now needed. Security guards double as temperature takers. Workers who were hemming jeans are now sewing face masks. Many open jobs are ones that existed before, but the tasks are different, Pollak said. With more of our lives and purchases moving online, demand for data collection and analytics roles is increasing, according to Jane Oates, president of the nonprofit WorkingNation and a former Department of Labor official. The biggest question mark in everybodys head right now is consumer behavior, Oates said. Thats where data analytics comes in. The trend toward digital work may not have been created by the pandemic, but the economic shock caused by the virus is accelerating the shift. According to Glassdoor data, postings for information-technology specialists shot up 33% from early March into May. Google, which also offers jobs-listing searches, estimates that nearly 2 out of every 3 jobs created since 2010 requires at least a medium level of digital literacy. The Mountain View company recently announced that it is funding a career certificate and training program focused on jobs in data analytics, project management and user experience design. It plans to provide 100,000 need-based scholarships to complete a career certificate. Not all jobs can be done at home. Some frontline work has been boosted by the shelter-in-place restrictions on businesses, and other public-facing jobs transformed. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Postings for grocery store managers jumped more than 600% on Glassdoor from March to May. Openings for warehouse managers on the site climbed almost 150%, and demand for forklift operators increased 73% during the same period to accommodate the increase in online orders. Many restaurants have closed, and with table service limited if not prohibited, the work that remains in them is different now. David Hanna manages San Franciscos oldest restaurant, the Tadich Grill. Before, he oversaw the dining room and kitchen, chatting with customers and staff. Now he is part bartender and to-go order filler, when hes not working with the owners on building a reservation system a first in the restaurant's 170-year history for whenever they can serve diners in person again. Everything has totally changed, said Anthony Strong, the chef and owner at Prairie, a Mission District restaurant that has turned cooks and servers into grocery baggers and delivery workers. Strong said turning his restaurant into a general store that also offers meal kits has allowed him to keep about half his staff, albeit in new roles. I pretty much am a grocery buyer now, he said. Managers still interact with customers, but now instead of talking wine table-side, were putting things in bags, he added. With no end in sight to the pandemic, Strong said, he worries about the future and hopes he can hold on to his staff if sales hold steady. I thought making a decent margin was tough in restaurants, he said. Grocery is even tougher. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice The construction of the Border Propaganda Information Cluster commenced in 2009 on an area of 16,000m2 and concluded in October 2013. The cluster located at Sa Vi Cape is the first point of the S-shape map of Vietnam and includes a square, a main project complex and a service area. Sa Vi Border Propaganda Information Cluster has become a magnet for tourists thanks to its modern recreational services, magnificent view and symbolic meaning. The ASEAN Sustainable Urban Tourism Products award is a noble award of ASEAN contributing to honouring and developing the brands of businesses and high-quality tourism products and services in the region. The Border Propaganda Information Cluster at Sa Vi Cape was announced as the winner of the ASEAN award at the 2020 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2020) held in Brunei from January 12 16, 2020. This past weekend, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and had a meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The head of state and the Supreme Patriarch touched upon the military operations that Azerbaijan recently unleashed on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border (in Tavush Province) and the Azerbaijani Armed Forces shelling of peaceful settlements. They said what was important and symbolic was the fact that the clergymen of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church in Armenia and the Diaspora have supported and continue to support Armenia and strengthen and encourage the soldiers with their prayers. The President and Supreme Patriarch also talked about the major issues in national and church life and the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora relations. President Sarkissian expressed gratitude to the Catholicos of All Armenians for the support programs that the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church is carrying out during the coronavirus pandemic. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is offering a reminder that the application period deadline is Wednesday, July 22 for the 2020 Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Big Game Quota Hunts, the regular elk, youth elk, and WMA youth. Entries must be submitted before midnight (CDT) July 22. The WMA hunting instruction sheet lists locations and dates for each of the quota hunts along with drawing rules and regulations. Instruction sheets can be obtained and applications made for the hunts at any TWRA license agent, TWRA regional office or online at www.gooutdoorstennessee.com . Mailed applications will not be processed into the drawing system. There is no fee for current Annual Sportsman License holders, Lifetime Sportsman License holders, or seniors possessing a Type 167 Annual Senior Citizen Sportsman License. For all other applicants, there is a non-refundable $12 permit fee for each drawing entered. There is a $1 agent fee for applications made at a license agent. When applying at a license agent, hunters must remain at the location while the application is processed to verify the information is correct on the receipt. For applications made on the internet, there is a $2 internet usage fee. If entering multiple quota hunts, a person must pay the permit and agent fee(s) for each quota hunt application submitted. The WMA (elk hunts excluded) priority point system gives a priority point for each year a hunter participates (this year a maximum of 13 points) without being successfully drawn for a hunt. Applicants drawn for a hunt last year will start over with a priority of zero. After all the drawings are conducted, leftover permits will be sold on-line, on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 8 a.m. (CDT), on Aug. 26. The states 12th gun elk hunt will be held Oct. 10-16 with seven individuals selected to participate. Six of the participants will be selected through a computer drawing conducted by the TWRA. The seventh participant will be the recipient of a permit that is donated to a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which is the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation. That permit will be issued in a raffle for the third year. Additionally, this will be the fourth year for an archery only hunt with seven permits. Elk archery hunt dates are Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Victorians trapped in COVID-19 hotspots are converging on chemists to stock up on masks before they become compulsory. On Monday, some chemists in Melbourne's west were already beginning to run short of supplies, with at least one chemist in the hotspot of Wyndham depleted entirely. While stocks are expected to be quickly replenished, Victorians are being urged to consider making their own reusable masks. Face masks in the COVID hotspot of Wyndham vary in price from suburb to suburb. At Manor Lakes, in Wyndham Vale, people could pick up a mask for a little under $3 Across the road from the Werribee Pacific shopping centre, people could pick up two masks for $10, which can be worn for about eight hours before they need replacing In Werribee, a 10 pack of masks will set you about about $40 and stocks were getting low on Monday Victoria has become the first Australian state to enforce mandatory mask wearing in public. From Thursday, all residents of the states lockdown regions will be required to wear a face covering whenever they leave their home. Residents in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire sprung without a mask in public risk a $200 fine. Victoria recorded 275 new coronavirus cases on Monday - 247 of which are under investigation with 28 linked to known outbreaks. It comes as children resume school after a three week break, with most having to return to home schooling. Victoria's education minister James Merlino said while the majority of students would stay home, masks would be provided to students who needed to go to school. The government has pledged 1.2 million single use masks, which are expected to be distributed to government schools in Melbourne metro and Mitchell Shire over the coming days. Catholic and independent schools will also be sent masks. A further order for 1.37 million reusable masks has been made to help the Department of Education get through the immediate crisis. What A Mask Costs Living In A COVID Hotspot Advance Pharmacy Hoppers Crossing: 10 for $15 or face shields $4.99 each Wyndham Discount Chemist: $10 for two Kn95 masks offering 8 hour wear time Priceline Werribee Pacific: $20 for 10 pack Chemist Warehouse: 50 pack for $49 or 10 for $13 Direct Chemist Warehouse, Werribee : $40 a 10 pack Manor Lakes Pharmacy Select: $2.95 single mask or $29.50 for 10 Advertisement Down on the streets, confused Melburnians have bombarded their local chemists with questions. A Department of Health and Human Services web page continues to display out-of-date and incorrect information. While Mr Merlino on Monday said students attending school could wear bandannas or scarves to school, the DHHS website maintains the garments do not offer the same kind of protection as proper face masks. In the municipality of Wyndham, in Melbourne's west, residents appear to have largely accepted the directive to wear masks in public. The area has become a breeding ground for the virus, with active cases continuing to climb into the 300s over the weekend. Those daring to hit the shops in Hoppers Crossing, Werribee and Wyndham Vale on Monday were mostly wearing masks. Many had hit the shops simply to buy the disposable items. Prices varied from chemist to chemist, with shoppers in Hoppers Crossing paying anywhere up to $5 a mask. A chemist worker told Daily Mail Australia people had flocked to the shop over the weekend to buy the masks. Information on the DHHS website tells Victorians that scarves and bandanas are probably not good options as a mask, yet the health minister said children can wear them to school A shopper in Werribee where supplies of masks range in price depending where you pick them up At Werribee Pacific shopping centre, people can get a 10 pack of masks for $20 One chemist had completely run out of its 10 for $15 masks and only had $5 face shields left. Chemist Warehouse appeared to offer the best bang for buck, selling a 50 pack of masks for $49. On Werribee's main strip, a 10 pack of masks cost $40. In Wyndham Vale, where shoppers could be seen out in their fluffy slippers and face masks, single masks were selling for about $3 a pop. One crafty grand mother told Daily Mail Australia she was making masks for her adult children out of old undies she found in a drawer. She planned to make her 45-year old son a mask out of his Spider-Man jocks, which he had handed over for her to darn years earlier. Further north, fabric store Spotlight in Springvale had almost run out of sewing machines as residents prepared to make their own garments. But some Melburnians are still refusing to wear a mask, claiming it infringes their civil liberties. 'They would have to take me to court and I still wouldn't pay the fine,' one man told the Today show on Monday. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) has warned people will be fined if they venture out to shops without a mask come Thursday Victoria's COVID-19 tally continues to worry authorities and Victorians trapped within the state Conflicting information on mask wearing remained on DHHS websites on Monday People hit the streets of Melbourne in masks on Sunday. On Monday, the message appeared to have got through in coronavirus hotspots in Melbourne's west It appeared to be an unpopular sentiment among those daring to hit the streets of Melbourne's COVID hotspots on Monday. 'You could put some people's brains in a dog and the dog would still bark,' one Hoppers Crossing resident said of the stance against masks. Others complained about the impact the disposable masks were having on the environment. 'These things have become the new disposable coffee cups,' an older chap told Daily Mail Australia. 'They're all over the place. People are pigs.' Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Iconic Italian fashion house partners with Centric Software to merge innovative technology with traditional craftsmanship CAMPBELL, Calif., July 20, 2020 Salvatore Ferragamo, the prestigious Italian fashion and luxury goods brand, has gone live with Centric Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. Founded in 1927, Salvatore Ferragamo is one of the world's leaders in the luxury industry. The Group is active in the creation, production and sale of shoes, leather goods, apparel, silk products and other accessories, along with women's and men's fragrances. The Group's product offering also includes eyewear and watches, manufactured by licensees. The uniqueness and exclusivity of its creations, along with the perfect blend of style, creativity and innovation enriched by the quality and superior craftsmanship of the 'Made in Italy' tradition, have always been the hallmarks of the Group's products. Seeking to bring a modern touch to the tradition of craftsmanship, Salvatore Ferragamo launched a business initiative called Innovation and Tradition, Together. As part of this strategy, they decided to invest in a PLM solution. Our main objectives were to obtain the greatest possible visibility into product development, to streamline the design and manufacturing processes in alignment with modern best practices and to establish a platform that allows teams to collaborate, says James Ferragamo, Brand, Product and Communication Director at Salvatore Ferragamo. Salvatore Ferragamo is a family-like company where creativity is of the essence as was our need to improve productivity. We started a PLM selection to identify a powerful, out-of-the-box solution that would give our teams time to focus on creativity and customers, rather than administration tasks and data entry for multiple systems. The digital platform enables our teams to keep up with very challenging timelines and is part of Salvatore Ferragamos journey towards innovation, blending handcrafted tradition and digitalization. We are delighted to announce that Salvatore Ferragamo is live with Centric Softwares PLM solution, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. Salvatore Ferragamo is an iconic brand that encapsulates the essence of Italian fashion. We are honored to be able to drive their digital transformation initiatives and support their continued success in the future. Request a Demo Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. (www.ferragamo.com) Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. is the parent Company of the Salvatore Ferragamo Group, one of the world's leaders in the luxury industry and whose origins date back to 1927. The Group is active in the creation, production and sale of shoes, leather goods, apparel, silk products and other accessories, along with women's and men's fragrances. The Group's product offer also includes eyewear and watches, manufactured by licensees. The uniqueness and exclusivity of our creations, along with the perfect blend of style, creativity and innovation enriched by the quality and superior craftsmanship of the 'Made in Italy' tradition, have always been the hallmarks of the Group's products. With approximately 4,000 employees and a network of 652 mono-brand stores as of 31 March 2020, the Ferragamo Group operates in Italy and worldwide through companies that allow it to be a leader in the European, American and Asian markets. Centric Software (www.centricsoftware.com) From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Digital Transformation Platform for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor, consumer goods and home decor. Centrics flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric SMB provides innovative PLM technology and key industry learnings for emerging brands. Centric Visual Innovation Platform (VIP) offers a new fully visual and digital experience for collaboration and decision-making and includes the Centric Buying Board to transform internal buying sessions and maximize retail value and the Centric Concept Board for driving creativity and evolving product concepts. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, boost product innovation and reduce costs. Centric Software is majority-owned by Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and PLM solutions. Centric Software has received multiple industry awards and recognition, including being named by Red Herring to its Top 100 Global list in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Centric also received various excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016 and 2018. Centric Software is a registered trademark of Centric Software Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. (end) Media Contacts: Centric Software Americas: Jennifer Forsythe, jforsythe@centricsoftware.com Europe: Kristen Salaun Batby, ksalaun-batby@centricsoftware.com Asia: Lily Dong, lily.dong@centricsoftware.com Jointly held by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)s Nghe An chapter and the Peoples Committee of Nghe An Province, the event was among the activities marking the 73rd anniversary of the Vietnam Wounded and Fallen Soldiers Day. The event saw the presence of President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man along with Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice Chairman of the VBSs Executive Council, among others. The requiem was an occasion to express the Vietnamese tradition of when drinking water, remember its source and the deep gratitude toward heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for national freedom and the happiness of the people. Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu said that during the two Laos resistance wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, Vietnamese soldiers participating in international missions in Laos always stood side by side with Laos to fight against the enemy while consolidating unions and building the Lao nation. Vietnamese soldiers considered Laos as their second home and received affection from the Lao people, he noted. The Vietnam Lao Martyrs Cemetery is the largest cemetery of Vietnamese martyrs who participated in the fights in Laos and laid down their lives in the neighbouring country. The cemetery preserves the graves of more than 11,000 Vietnamese soldiers, volunteers and military experts who gave their lives in Laos. Many private enterprises said they want to invest in building renewable energy infrastructure, but Viet Nam still lacks mechanisms to encourage private enterprises to participate in this activity. A solar power project with a total capacity of 450MW in Ninh Thuan Province. Photo sggp.org.vn Nguyen Tam Tien, general director of the Trung Nam Group, the first and only enterprise so far allowed to invest in national grid transmission infrastructure, highly appreciated the Politburos Resolution No 55-NQ/TW on Viet Nams strategic orientations for national energy development through 2030 because it encourages private enterprises to invest in building renewable energy infrastructure. In addition, Tien told the Voice of Viet Nam (VoV) that according to the resolution, Viet Nam would eliminate monopolies and barriers for the private sector joining the energy sector, including in the electricity transmission stage. However, Tien said private enterprises need to have specific regulations for investment in power transmission infrastructure. He has also proposed that Viet Nam should have a pricing mechanism for power businesses to take bank loans because the banks need those businesses to ensure power consumption while the electricity transmission system is not available to connect from the alternative power projects to the national power grid. "The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) must have this pricing mechanism," Tien said. Pham Dinh Thang, general director of the Asia Industrial Technology Joint Stock Company, one of the leading companies manufacturing equipment for electrical systems in Viet Nam, said that Vietnamese enterprises can apply new technology for producing electric equipment, however, core equipment is still produced by leading brands in the world. The domestic support industry has not been able to meet the needs of industrial production, especially for the electricity industry, he said. "The Government needs to support domestic manufacturing enterprises in this industry, such as mechanisms for capital mobilisation and tax," Thang said. Le Duy Hai, director of the Corporate Banking Division, Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade, said that in the past two years, renewable energy emerged as a key investment channel for the bank. It also is expected to continue attracting investment in the near future. However, when conducting evaluation and investment research, the bank realised that some renewable energy projects in Viet Nam are still risky. The infrastructure, including electric lines and transformer stations, is not synchronised, so many projects fail to generate their full capacity on the national electricity grid, he said. The electricity industry and the authorities need to have more specific and long-term mechanisms to encourage the private sector to invest in renewable energy projects. To encourage private investment in transmission infrastructure, Nguyen Tuan Anh, deputy director of the MoITs Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, said the ministry is amending the Electricity Law to clearly separate the investment scopes for private enterprises. The amendment of the Electricity Law also promotes the development of the electricity market. The Public Private Partnership (PPP Law) effective from 2021 is also a legal framework to allow private investors to invest in power production and transmission projects, he said. According to Resolution 55, by 2030, total power generation capacity is expected to increase to 125-130GW and electricity output is estimated to rise to 550-600 billion KWh. Share of renewable energy sources in total primary energy production will be increased to 15-20 per cent by 2030 and 25-30 per cent by 2045. The resolution sets the goal to turn Viet Nam into one of the four ASEAN countries with the highest power supply reliability and one of three ASEAN countries with best electricity access index. VNS Solar power plants accelerate connection to grid to enjoy incentive Many solar power plants have managed to get hooked to the power grid early to enjoy the high electricity prices, thus overloading the grid. Advertisement Hundreds of migrants boats intercepted in the English Channel are being stored at a warehouse complex in Dover as the latest figures show that more than 2,800 people have reached the UK this year. Previously it was not clear what happened to the vessels, but MailOnline can now reveal they are being stored on an industrial estate in the Whitfield area of the Kent port town. The boats are stacked three high and in multiple rows and vary from fibreglass rowing boats to high tech large ribs used by unscrupulous gangs who exploit migrants' desire to come to the UK. Long after having served their purpose in bringing people across the Channel, the boats, some of which cost thousands of pounds, lay discarded, deflated and damaged. It is unclear exactly what happens to the boats after they have been discarded and whether they are sold, repaired or taken straight to landfill. The Home Office has so far not provided any information on how they are finally disposed of. This year so far 2,800 migrants have reached the UK, with 125 migrant boats in nine boats making it to the British waters on Friday and a record 180 arriving last Sunday. The recent increase in numbers is thought to be down to the clear, calm conditions in the past few weeks. It comes as Home Secretary Priti Patel has warned that illegal Chanel crossings 'cannot go on,' as she struck a deal with France to crack down on migrants arriving in the UK. Speaking this last week, Ms Patel said: 'I have been in France today seeing first-hand the significant work undertaken on that side of the Channel to address the unacceptably high levels of small boats, alongside the efforts of Border Force and the National Crime Agency in the UK. Hundreds of boats can be seen at the storage facility in Dover, Kent. Thousands of migrants have made the perilous journey to cross the Channel this year A number of engines from the various vessels can be seen on wooden pallets near the facility in Kent The boats, stacked on top of each other at the facility in Kent. Thousands of migrants have attempted the crossing this year 'But despite all of the action taken by law enforcement to date - intercepting the boats, making arrests, returning people to France and putting the criminals responsible behind bars - the numbers continue to increase. 'This simply cannot be allowed to go on. 'Today, I have signed an agreement with the French to create a joint intelligence cell which will crack down on the gangs behind this vile people smuggling operation and impressed on my French counterpart the need to stop these illegal crossings for the benefit of both our countries. 'This is the start of a new operational approach with the newly appointed French Interior Minister.' A Home Office source said: 'Priti is incredibly unhappy with the number of small boats making this journey and impressed on the French the need to stop these illegal crossings for the benefit of both countries.' It comes after it was revealed a desperate migrant stole a pedalo from a French beach and tried to cross The Channel into England on a day when 180 people tried to make the journey. Hundreds of the vessels are stacked up at the warehouse facility and are used by migrants and also by gangs who exploit their desire to come to the UK One of the boats used by migrants to cross the channel is perched on top of wooden slats in at the facility in Dover, Kent The boats vary dramatically in terms of quality and size. In this image an old fishing boat is perched on top of a large green dingy A battered engine lays on top of a vessel used by migrants to get to the UK. Thousands have made the perilous trip so far this year The large facility houses a number of migrant boats along with other unrelated vehicles in Dover, Kent A large dinghy placed on wooden pallets at the storage facility in Dover, Kent. The hundreds of boats pictured there today have been used by migrants for crossing the Channel Battered boats and dinghies used for the dangerous trip across the Channel are pictured here at the facility in Dover, Kent On Sunday, July 12, Border Force officials, together with HM Coastguard and the RNLI, stopped 180 people in 15 vessels trying to make their way to the English coast. Warm weather saw people smugglers take advantage of calm waters, on the same day Ms Patel travelled to Calais to discuss the illegal crossings with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. A source told The Sun: 'Many migrants see it as a "now or never" moment before the UK government cracks down on crossings. 'They fear there will be a major push to curb the attempts and see July as their best opportunity.' Two other migrants tried to make the crossing in a canoe, while the source told The Sun the pedalo thief 'wouldn't have stood a chance,' if he had tried to cross during stormy weather. Last month, 702 refugees reached the UK on small boats - after 741 landed in May. There were migrant crossings on 16 days of last month - including eight days in a row from June 14. June also saw a single-day record of 166 asylum seekers reach the UK in eight boats. It comes despite Home Secretary Priti Patel repeatedly vowing to stamp out small boat crossings since she took up her post last year. Hundreds of boats can be seen at the storage facility in Dover, Kent. Thousands of migrants have made the perilous journey to cross the Channel this year Hundreds of different types of vessel can be seen at the facility in Dover, Kent. It is thought that a spate of recent crossings is due to the warm weather and the recent dismantling of a camp near Calais by French authorities The storage facility in Dover, Kent, shows hundreds of boats stacked up from after migrants have crossed the English Channel A large number of the vessels seen in this image are dinghies, with a small yellow boat that could only fit a few people perched on the end A deflated dinghy alongside a number of boat engines that have been used by migrants in recent crossings in the Channel A crushed dinghy sits alongside others at the facility in Dover, Kent. The recent crossings are thought to be due to the recent good weather and clearing out of a migrant camp by authorities in France A battered dinghy at the storage facility in Dover, Kent, that was used by migrants getting to British waters And the life-risking Channel crossings from France have continued even after the Government pumped millions of pounds into security measures to tackle them. The most recent crossings follow reports that French authorities have dismantled a migrant camp near Calais, resulting in more than 500 people being moved on. Clare Moseley, founder of humanitarian charity Care4Calais, last week said: 'These continual evictions increase health risks - destroying possessions removes people's ability to keep warm and dry, sleep properly or cook for themselves. 'The effect on their mental health is equally stark, causing depression, self-harm and suicide. 'Evictions are pointless and simply don't work. This approach has been followed for 10 years with no perceivable impact. 'It was claimed that the demolition of the large Calais jungle in October 2016 would stop people coming to Calais to cross the Channel, but it did not.' Instead, Ms Moseley said the eviction was a 'direct response' to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel's calls for action following recent Channel crossings. The Victorian Liberals are preparing to fight the state Labor government on its Belt and Road deal with China all the way to the next election after internal opposition research showed the agreement was deeply unpopular in key Labor-held marginal seats. Liberal leader Michael OBrien will make the controversial deal an election issue, buoyed by the results of a mass robo-poll of nearly 7000 voters in seven Labor-held seats last month. Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien takes on Premier Daniel Andrews in Parliament in June. Credit:Jason South The research has bolstered the Liberal's belief that the Belt and Road policy, which spurred widespread criticism of Premier Daniel Andrews, is a major liability for Labor and a turn-off for voters in key eastern suburbs electorates that the Liberals must recapture in the 2022 if they are to have any chance of victory. The Andrews government has signed two agreements with China, the most recent one in October 2019, to get involved with the communist nations global Belt and Road program - a signature policy of President Xi Jinping. Washington: President Donald Trump and his top aides decided to shift primary responsibility for the coronavirus response to the states during a critical period of weeks in mid-April, eagerly seizing on overly optimistic predictions that the pandemic was fading so the president could reopen the economy and focus on his reelection. Despite warnings from state officials and other public health experts, Trump stuck to a deliberate strategy by pushing responsibility onto the states almost immediately after introducing reopening guidelines. Then he undermined these guidelines by urging Democratic governors to "liberate" their states from those very restrictions. Protesters and supporters of President Donald Trump stand outside Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Sunday, July 19, 2020, as Trump's motorcade departs. Credit:AP Photo/Patrick Semansky A New York Times investigation interviewed more than two dozen senior administration officials, state and local health officials, as well as reviewing emails and documents, to find that this period in mid-April set the United States on a course to a new surge, logging more than 65,000 new cases of the virus each day. Here are some of the key findings: Analyze this. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images David Shor got famous by getting fired. In late May, amid widespread protests over George Floyds murder, the 28-year-old data scientist tweeted out a study that found nonviolent demonstrations were more effective than riots at pushing public opinion and voter behavior leftward in 1968. Many Twitter users and (reportedly) some of Shors colleagues and clients at the data firm Civis Analytics found this post insensitive. A day later, Shor publicly apologized for his tweet. Two weeks after that, hed lost his job as Civiss head of political data science and become a byword for the excesses of so-called cancel culture. (Shor has not discussed his firing publicly due to a nondisclosure agreement, and the details of his termination remain undisclosed). But before Shors improbable transformation into a cause celebre, he was among the most influential data gurus in Democratic politics a whiz kid who, at age 20, served as the 2012 Obama campaigns in-house Nate Silver, authoring the forecasting model that the White House used to determine where the race really stood. And before that, he was a college Marxist. This idiosyncratic combination of ideological background, employment experience, and expertise has lent Shor a unique perspective on American politics. He is a self-avowed socialist who insists that big-dollar donors pull the Democratic Party left. He is an adherent of Leninist vanguardism and the median voter theorem. And in the three years Ive known him, I dont think Ive found a single question about U.S. politics that he could not answer with reference to at least three peer-reviewed studies. Shor is still consulting in Democratic politics, but he is no longer working for a firm that restricts his freedom to publicly opine. Intelligencer recently spoke with him about how the Democratic Party really operates, why the coming decade could be a great one for the American right, how protests shape public opinion, what the left gets wrong about electoral politics, and whether Donald Trump will be reelected, among other things. What is it like to have your name become shorthand for a culture war controversy? I cannot comment on any of the stuff around all of that. All right. That line of questioning is canceled. Sorry! I feel silenced, but its okay. Lets start here then: What are the biggest revisions youve made to your conception of how electoral politics works since you first took a job on the Obama campaign? I think going into politics, I overestimated the importance of the personal ideology of people who worked in campaigns for making decisions which was part of a broader phenomenon of overestimating the extent to which people were making decisions. In 2012, I would see progressive blogs* publish stories like, The White House is doing a Climate Week. This must be because they have polling showing that climate is a vulnerability for Republicans. And once you know the people who are in that office, you realize that actually no; they were just at an awkward office meeting and were like, Oh man, what are we going to do this week? Well, we could do climate. Theres very little long-term, strategic planning happening anywhere in the party because no one has an incentive to do it. So, campaigns actions, while not random, are more random than I realized. Ive also fallen toward a consultant theory of change or like, a process theory of change. So a lot of people on the left would say that the Hillary Clinton campaign largely ignored economic issues, and doubled down on social issues, because of the neoliberal ideology of the people who worked for her, and the fact that campaigning on progressive economic policy would threaten the material interests of her donors. But thats not what happened. The actual mechanical reason was that the Clinton campaign hired pollsters to test a bunch of different messages, and for boring mechanical reasons, working-class people with low levels of social trust were much less likely to answer those phone polls than college-educated professionals. And as a result, all of this cosmopolitan, socially liberal messaging did really well in their phone polls, even though it ultimately cost her a lot of votes. But the problem was mechanical, and less about the vulgar Marxist interests of all of the actors involved. A tasteful Marxist (or whatever the opposite of a vulgar one is) might counter that class biases were implicated in that mechanical error that cosmopolitan, upper-middle-class pollsters and operatives eagerness to see their worldview affirmed led them to ignore the possibility that their surveys suffered from a systematic sampling error. Thats exactly right. Campaigns do want to win. But the people who work in campaigns tend to be highly ideologically motivated and thus, super-prone to convincing themselves to do things that are strategically dumb. Nothing that I tell people or that my team [at Civis] told people is actually that smart. You know, wed do all this math, and some of its pretty cool, but at a high level, what were saying is: You should put your money in cheap media markets in close states close to the election, and you should talk about popular issues, and not talk about unpopular issues. And wed use machine learning to operationalize that at scale. The right strategies for politics arent actually unclear. But a lot of people on the Clinton campaign tricked themselves into the idea that they didnt have to placate the social views of racist white people. What is the definition of racist in this context? Ah, right. People yell at me on Twitter about this. So working-class white people have an enormous amount of political power and theyre trending towards the Republican Party. It would be really ideologically convenient if the reason theyre doing that was because Democrats embraced neoliberalism. But its pretty clear that that isnt true. I think that winning back these voters is important. So if I was running for office, I would definitely say that the reason these voters turned against us is because Democrats failed to embrace economic populism. I think thats sound political messaging. But in terms of what actually drove it, the numbers are pretty clear. Its like theoretically possible to imagine a voter who voted for Democrats their whole life and then voted for Trump out of frustration with Obamacare or trade or whatever. And Im sure that tons of those voters exist, but theyre not representative. When you take the results of the 2012 and 2016 elections, and model changes in Democratic vote share, you see the biggest individual-level predictor for vote switching was education; college-educated people swung toward Democrats and non-college-educated people swung toward Republicans. But, if you ask a battery of racial resentment questions stuff like, Do you think that there are a lot of white people who are having trouble finding a job because nonwhite people are getting them instead? or, Do you think that white people dont have enough influence in how this country is run? and then control for the propensity to answer those questions in a racially resentful way, education ceases to be the relevant variable: Non-college-educated white people with low levels of racial resentment trended towards us in 2016, and college-educated white people with high levels of racial resentments turned against us. You can say, Oh, you know, the way that political scientists measure racial resentment is a class marker because college-educated people know that theyre not supposed to say politically incorrect things. But when you look at Trumps support in the Republican primary, it correlated pretty highly with, uh racially charged Google search words. So you had this politician who campaigned on an anti-immigrant and antipolitical correctness platform. And then he won the votes of a large group of swing voters, and vote switching was highly correlated with various individual level measures of racial resentment and, on a geographic level, was correlated with racist search terms. At some point, you have to be like, oh, actually, these people were motivated by racism. Its just an important fact of the world. I think people take the wrong conclusions from it. The fight I saw on Twitter after the 2016 election was one group of people saying the Obama-to-Trump voters are racist and irredeemable, and thats why we need to focus on the suburbs. And then you had leftists saying, Actually these working-class white people were betrayed by decades of neoliberalism and we just need to embrace socialism and win them back, we cant trust people in the suburbs. And I think the real synthesis of these views is that Obama-to-Trump voters are motivated by racism. But theyre really electorally important, and so we have to figure out some way to get them to vote for us. How should Democrats do that? So theres a big constellation of issues. The single biggest way that highly educated people who follow politics closely are different from everyone else is that we have much more ideological coherence in our views. If you decided to create a survey scorecard, where on every single issue choice, guns, unions, health care, etc. you gave people one point for choosing the more liberal of two policy options, and then had 1,000 Americans fill it out, you would find that Democratic elected officials are to the left of 90 to 95 percent of people. And the reason is that while voters may have more left-wing views than Joe Biden on a few issues, they dont have the same consistency across their views. There are like tons of pro-life people who want higher taxes, etc. Theres a paper by the political scientist David Broockman that made this point really famous that moderate voters dont have moderate views, just ideologically inconsistent ones. Some people responded to media coverage of that paper by saying, Oh, people are just answering these surveys randomly, issues dont matter. But thats not actually what the paper showed. In a separate section, they tested the relevance of issues by presenting voters with hypothetical candidate matchups heres a politician running on this position, and another politician running on the opposite and they found that issue congruence was actually very important for predicting who people voted for. So this suggests theres a big mass of voters who agree with us on some issues, and disagree with us on others. And whenever we talk about a given issue, that increases the extent to which voters will cast their ballots on the basis of that issue. Mitt Romney and Donald Trump agreed on basically every issue, as did Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And yet, a bunch of people changed their votes. And the reason that happened was because the salience of various issues changed. Both sides talked a lot more about immigration, and because of that, correlation between preferences on immigration and which candidate people voted for went up. In 2012, both sides talked about health care. In 2016, they didnt. And so the correlation between views on health care and which candidate people voted for went down. So this means that every time you open your mouth, you have this complex optimization problem where what you say gains you some voters and loses you other voters. But this is actually cool because campaigns have a lot of control over what issues they talk about. Non-college-educated whites, on average, have very conservative views on immigration, and generally conservative racial attitudes. But they have center-left views on economics; they support universal health care and minimum-wage increases. So I think Democrats need to talk about the issues they are with us on, and try really hard not to talk about the issues where we disagree. Which, in practice, means not talking about immigration. It sounds like youre saying that public opinion is a fixed entity, which campaigns have little power to reshape. I think many progressives dispute that notion. In their view, the social views of racist white people arent a given. Right-wing media has fed the public a story that pits their interests against those of immigrants. But if Democrats offer a counter-narrative about how corporate interests use ethnic divisions to divide and conquer working people, maybe they can change what is and is not popular. Why is that view wrong? Its worth being precise about mechanisms. Its true that political parties have enormous control over the views of their partisans. Theres like 20 percent of the electorate that trusts Democratic elites tremendously. And they will turn their views on a dime if the party tells them to. So this is how you can get Abolish ICE to go from a 10 percent issue to a 30 percent issue. If youre an ideological activist, thats a powerful force. If you convince strong partisans to adopt your view, then when the party comes to power, strong partisans will ultimately make up that administration and then you can make policy progress. The problem is that swing voters dont trust either party. So if you get Democrats to embrace Abolish ICE, that wont get moderate-ish, racist white people to support it; it will just turn them into Republicans. So thats the trade-off. When you embrace unpopular things, you become more unpopular with marginal voters, but also get a fairly large segment of the public to change its views. And the latter can sometimes produce long-term change. But its a hard trade-off. And I dont think anyone ever says something like, I think it was a good trade for us to lose the presidency because we raised the salience of this issue. Thats not generally what people want. They dont want to make an unpopular issue go from 7 percent to 30 percent support. They want something like what happened with gay marriage or marijuana legalization, where you take an issue that is 30 percent and then it goes to 70 percent. And if you look at the history of those things, its kind of clear that campaigns didnt do that. If you look at long-term trends in support for gay marriage, it began linearly increasing, year over year, starting in the late 1980s. But then, right when the issue increased in salience during the 2004 campaign, it suddenly became partisan, and support declined. After it stopped being a campaign issue, support returned to trend. Graphic: Gallup Campaigns just cant effect those kinds of long-term changes. They can direct information to partisans who trust them, and they can curry favor with marginal voters by signaling agreement with them on issues. But there isnt much space for changing marginal voters minds. How do you square this analysis with the events of the past few weeks, in which the salience of racially discriminatory policing increased in tandem with Joe Bidens lead over Donald Trump? Obviously there are a lot of other variables. But we have seen a surge in support for the Black Lives Matter movement and police reform. Weve seen Biden boasting a bigger advantage over Trump on the question of which candidate can best handle race relations and all while progressive activists have been associating the left with the exceptionally unpopular concept of defunding the police. Yeah. Im not going to pretend that I would have predicted that this is how it was going to shake out. But I do think its actually consistent with what weve been discussing. One way to think about electoral salience and the effects of raising the salience of given issues, is to look at which party voters trust on a given issue, not just what their stated policy preference is. So if you do a poll on universal background checks for guns, youll find that theyre super-popular. But then, politicians who run on background checks often lose. In the same way, if you poll comprehensive immigration reform, its super-popular, even among Republicans. But then Republicans can run on anti-immigrant platforms and win. So how do you square that circle? One way is to remember that these polls give us a very limited informational environment. You just throw people a sentence-length idea, which theyve often never heard of before, and then people react to it. So it tells you how people will respond to a policy at first brush without any partisan context. But ultimately, when people hear from both sides, theyre gonna revert to some kind of partisan baseline. But theres not a nihilism there; its not just that Democratic-leaning voters will adopt the Democratic position or Republican-leaning ones will automatically adopt the Republican one. Persuadable voters trust the parties on different issues. And theres a pretty basic pattern both here and in other countries in which voters view center-left parties as empathetic. Center-left parties care about the environment, lowering poverty, improving race relations. And then, you know, center-right parties are seen as more serious, or more like the stern dad figure or something. They do better on getting the economy going or lowering unemployment or taxes or crime or immigration. If you look at how this breaks down in the U.S. Gallup did something on this in 2017, and Im sure the numbers havent changed that much since then you see that same basic story. But theres an interesting twist. One thing that Democrats consistently get rated highly on is improving race relations. And this points to the complexities of racial resentment. The way that racially charged issues generally get brought up in the U.S. is in the context of crime, which is a very Republican-loaded issue (in terms of which party the median voter trusts on it). Or it comes up in terms of immigration, which is itself a Republican-loaded issue. So even if voters acknowledge the massive systemic inequities that exist in the U.S., discussion of them normally happens in a context where conservatives can posit a trade-off with safety, or all these other things people trust Republicans on. Whats powerful about nonviolent protest and particularly nonviolent protest that incurs a disproportionate response from the police is that it can shift the conversation, in a really visceral way, into the part of this issue space that benefits Democrats and the center left. Which is the pursuit of equality, social justice, fairness these Democratic-loaded concepts without the trade-off of crime or public safety. So I think it is really consistent with a pretty broad, cross-sectional body of evidence (a piece of which I obviously tweeted at some point) that nonviolent protest is politically advantageous, both in terms of changing public opinion on discrete issues and electing parties sympathetic to the lefts concerns. As for the abolish the police stuff, I think the important thing there is that basically no mainstream elected officials embraced it. Most persuadable voters get their news from the networks nightly news broadcasts and CNN. And if you look at how they covered things, the abolish the police concept didnt get nearly as much play as it did on Twitter and elite discourse. And to the extent that it was covered, that coverage featured prominent left politicians loudly denouncing it. And I think thats a success story for everyone involved. Activists were able to dramatically shift the terms of debate around not just racial justice issues, but police justice in a way thats basically the Second Great Awokening. But because Democratic politicians kept chasing the median voter, we got to have our cake and eat it too. We got to have public opinion shift in our direction on the issues without paying an electoral price. To play insurrectionists advocate: The protests werent entirely nonviolent. And one could argue that, had there not been rioting in Minneapolis, there would have been less media attention and thus, fewer nonviolent protests. So how do we know that the nonviolent protests were the source of the movements political efficacy? And why didnt the violence at the fringes of those protests activate the publics concerns about crime? I want to caution against turning this into physics. Theres only so much we can understand about the dynamics of these events. But if you wanted to be purely utilitarian, and set aside the morality concerns, I think you can tell a story about how the initial wave of violence triggered media coverage, or got the police or security forces really primed to use violence against nonviolent protesters, and without that happening, it wouldnt have exploded as much as it did. Its hard to know. I cant really evaluate that counterfactual. But theres always a mix of violent and nonviolent protest; or, theres always some violence that occurs at nonviolent protests. And its not a situation where a drop of violence spoils everything and turns everybody into fascists. The research isnt consistent with that. Its more about the proportions. Because the mechanism here is that when violence is happening, people become afraid. They fear for their safety, and then they crave order. And order is a winning issue for conservatives here and everywhere around the world. The basic political argument since the French Revolution has been the left saying, Lets make things more fair, and the right saying, If we do that, it will lead to chaos and threaten your family. But when you have nonviolent protests that goad security forces into using excessive force against unarmed people preferably while people are watching then order gets discredited, and people experience this visceral sense of unfairness. And you can change public opinion. And if you look at the [George Floyd] protests, there was some violence in the first two or three days. But then that largely subsided, and was followed by very high-profile incidents of the state using violence against innocent people. And, you know, the real inflection point in our polling was the Lafayette Park incident, when Trump used tear gas on innocent people. Thats when support for Biden shot up and its been pretty steady since then. In describing the Democrats troubles with non-college-educated white voters earlier, you put a lot of emphasis on discrete decisions that the Hillary Clinton campaign made. But, in my understanding, the 2016 election just accelerated a preexisting trend: In both the United States and Western Europe, non-college-educated voters have been drifting right for decades. Doesnt that suggest that something larger than any given campaigns messaging choices is at work here? Thats a great point. I used to spend a lot of time trying to figure out, you know, Where did things go wrong? You see Matt Stoller and Ryan Grim do this, where you try to pinpoint the moment in time when Democratic elites decided to turn their backs on the working class and embrace neoliberalism. Maybe it was the Watergate babies. Maybe it was the failure to repeal Taft-Hartley. Maybe it was Bill Clinton in 1992. But then you read about other countries and you see that the same story is happening everywhere. It happened in England with Tony Blair. It happened in Germany with Gerhard Schroder. The thing that really got me was reading about the history of PASOK, the Social Democratic Party in Greece. And youre reading about an election in the 1990s where its like, the right-wing New Democracy party made gains with working-class voters, and you realize there are broader forces at work here. So why is this happening? The story that makes the most sense to me goes like this: In the postwar era, college-educated professionals were maybe 4 percent of the electorate. Which meant that basically no voters had remotely cosmopolitan values. But the flip side of this is that this educated 4 percent still ran the world. Both parties at this point were run by this highly educated, cosmopolitan minority that held a bunch of values that undergirded the postwar consensus, around democracy and rule of law, and all these things. Obviously, these people were more right wing on a bunch of social issues than their contemporary counterparts, but during that era, both parties were run by just about the most cosmopolitan segments of society. And there were also really strong gatekeepers. This small group of highly educated people not only controlled the commanding heights of both the left and the right, but also controlled the media. There were only a small number of TV stations in other countries, those stations were even run by the government. And both sides knew it wasnt electorally advantageous to campaign on cosmopolitan values. So, as a result, campaigns centered around this cosmopolitan elites internal disagreements over economic issues. But over the past 60 years, college graduates have gone from being 4 percent of the electorate to being more like 35. Now, its actually possible for the first time ever in human history for political parties to openly embrace cosmopolitan values and win elections; certainly primary and municipal elections, maybe even national elections if you dont push things too far or if you have a recession at your back. And so Democratic elites started campaigning on the things theyd always wanted to, but which had previously been too toxic. And so did center-left parties internationally. What is your understanding of why theres such a profound divide between college-educated and non-college-educated people on these so-called cosmopolitan issues? Education is highly correlated with openness to new experiences; basically, theres this divide where some people react positively to novel things and others react less positively. And theres evidence that this relationship is causal. In Europe, when countries raised their mandatory schooling age from 16 to 18, the first generation of students who remained in school longer had substantially more liberal views on immigration than their immediate predecessors. And then, college-educated people are also more willing to try strange foods or travel abroad. So it really seems like education makes people more open to new experiences. But politically, this manifests on immigration. And its ironclad. You can look at polling from the 1940s on whether America should take in Jewish refugees, and college-educated people wanted to and non-college-educated people didnt. Its true cross-nationally like, working-class South Africans oppose taking in refugees from Zimbabwe, while college-educated South Africans support taking them in. Other research has shown that messaging centered around the potential for cooperation and positive-sum change really appeals to educated people, while messaging that emphasizes zero-sum conflict resonates much more with non-college-educated people. Arguably, this is because college-educated professionals live really blessed lives filled with mutually beneficial exchange, while negative-sum conflicts play a very big part of working-class peoples lives, in ways that richer people are sheltered from. But it manifests in a lot of ways and leads to divergent political attitudes. Weve been talking a lot about the education split among white voters. But the polling results you just referenced from South Africa suggest that education-based splits on cosmopolitanism manifest across racial and ethnic lines. Are Democrats losing ground with nonwhite, non-college-educated voters? Yeah. Black voters trended Republican in 2016. Hispanic voters also trended right in battleground states. In 2018, I think its absolutely clear that, relative to the rest of the country, nonwhite voters trended Republican. In Florida, Democratic senator Bill Nelson did 2 or 3 points better than Clinton among white voters but lost because he did considerably worse than her among Black and Hispanic voters. Were seeing this in 2020 polling, too. I think theres a lot of denial about this fact. I dont think there are obvious answers as to why this is happening. But non-college-educated white voters and non-college-educated nonwhite voters have a lot in common with each other culturally. So as the salience of cultural issues with strong education-based splits increases whether its gender politics or authoritarianism or immigration it would make sense that wed see some convergence between non-college-educated voters across racial lines. American politics used to be very idiosyncratic, because we have this historical legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and all of these things that dont have clear foreign analogues. But the world is slowly changing not changing in ways that make racism go away or not matter but in ways that erode some of the underpinnings of race-based voting. So if you look at Black voters trending against us, its not uniform. Its specifically young, secular Black voters who are voting more Republican than their demographic used to. And the ostensible reason for this is the weakening of the Black church, which had, for historical reasons, occupied a really central place in Black society and helped anchor African-Americans in the Democratic Party. Among Black voters, one of the biggest predictors for voting Republican is not attending church. So I think you can tell this story about how the America-centric aspects of our politics are starting to decay, and were converging on the dynamics that you see in Europe, where nonwhite voters are more left wing than white voters, but where they vote for the left by like 65 to 35 percent, rather than the 90-10 split you see with African-Americans. To be clear, if that happens, it would take a long time. But if I had to guess, Id say young African-Americans might trend 4 or 5 percent against us in relative terms. But theyre a small percent of the Black electorate. These are slow-moving trends. Are all of the trends youve studied unfavorable for Democrats? If the party is losing young African-Americans and non-college-educated whites, is it making compensatory gains? What is the outlook for the party over the coming decade? Ill start with the good news. The fear I had after 2016 was that Romney-Clinton voters were going to snap back to being Republicans, but Obama-Trump voters wouldnt snap back to being Democrats. And that hasnt happened weve retained Clintons gains. We see this in 2020 polling. We saw it in 2018, with Democrats making big gains with these voters in the Senate, House, and state-level elections. And those dont just reflect discrepancies in which college-educated professionals decided to turnout for a midterm? Some of it was. But roughly 75 percent was people changing their minds. So college-educated professionals have basically become Democrats. These voters arent optimal for winning the Electoral College. But they have other assets as a demographic. Theres this sense in left-wing politics that rich people have disproportionate political influence and power. Well, weve never had an industrialized society where the richest and most powerful people were as liberal as they are now in the U.S. You know, controlling for education, very rich people still lean Republican. But were at a point now where, if you look at Stanford Law School, the ratio of students in the college Democrats to students in the college Republicans is something like 20-to-1. Harvard students have always been Democratic-leaning, but only like three or four percent of them voted for Donald Trump. So there is now this host of incredibly powerful institutions whether its corporate boardrooms or professional organizations which are now substantially more liberal than theyve ever been. And this is reflected not just in how they vote but in their ideological preferences. If you look at small donors which, to be clear, are still mostly rich people Democrats got around 54 percent of small donors in 2012. In 2018, we got 76 percent. People like to chalk that up to ActBlue or technology or whatever. But 2018 was also the first year where super-PACs, as a spending group, gave more to Democrats than Republicans. So these constituencies that previously did a lot to uphold conservative power are now liberal. I dont know what all of the consequences of that are. But Democrats are now better funded than they were. And the media is nicer to us. Theres a lot of downstream consequences. Many on the left are wary of the Democratic Partys growing dependence on wealthy voters and donors. But youve argued that the partys donor class actually pulls it to the left, as big-dollar Democratic donors are more progressive even on economic issues than the median Democratic voter. Im skeptical of that claim. After all, so much regulation and legislation never crosses ordinary Americans radar. It seems implausible to me that, during negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Obama administration fought to export Americas generous patent protections on pharmaceuticals to the developing world, or to expand the reach of the Investor State Dispute Settlement process, because they felt compelled to placate swing voters. Similarly, its hard for me to believe that the primary reason why Democrats did not significantly expand collective-bargaining rights under Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama was voter hostility to labor-law reform rather than the unified opposition of business interests to such a policy. So why couldnt it be the case that, when it comes to policy, a minority of big-dollar donors who are highly motivated and reactionary on discrete issues pull the party to the right, even as wealthier Democrats give more ideologically consistent responses to survey questions? It depends on what level of government youre talking about. When youre talking about state legislatures, thats all really low-salience stuff. And the reality is that state parties have to do some ethically questionable things to keep the lights on because small-dollar donors generally dont donate to their campaigns. So in state and local politics, corporate money is absolutely a big driver. But the rise of small-dollar donors has really changed federal politics. And again to be clear small-dollar donors are mostly affluent people. Most of these donors are giving hundreds of dollars. But the thing people dont realize is, at this point, thats most of the money. Most of the money in Democratic politics now comes from ideologically motivated small donors and very liberal millionaires and billionaires like George Soros. Theres corporate money, but its not the biggest pool anymore. This produces some counterintuitive dynamics where, like in West Virginia, there arent a lot of affluent liberals, and so there isnt a lot of small-dollar donations, and so Joe Manchin is a little bit more beholden to corporations. Its true that, if you are a representative in a swing district, you have a strong incentive to raise lots of money. But I think those incentives mostly pull candidates left, for the simple reason that the way that you get a lot of small-dollar donations is to stand up and yell at Trump or do whatever makes very liberal dentists and doctors excited. Obviously, that doesnt mean calling for socialism. But these liberal professionals do tend to be pretty economically left wing. David Broockman showed in a recent paper and Ive seen this in internal data that people who give money to Democrats are more economically left wing than Democrats overall. And the more money people give, the more economically left wing they are. These are obviously the non-transactional donors. But people underestimate the extent to which the non-transactional money is now all of the money. This wasnt true ten years ago. So then you get to the question: Why do so many moderate Democrats vote for center-right policies that dont even poll well? Why did Heidi Heitkamp vote to deregulate banks in 2018, when the median voter in North Dakota doesnt want looser regulations on banks? But the thing is, while that median voter doesnt want to deregulate banks, that voter doesnt want a senator who is bad for business in North Dakota. And so if the North Dakota business community signals that it doesnt like Heidi Heitkamp, thats really bad for Heidi Heitkamp, because business has a lot of cultural power. I think thats a very straightforward, almost Marxist view of power: Rich people have disproportionate cultural influence. So business does pull the party right. But it does so more through the mechanism of using its cultural power to influence public opinion, not through donations to campaigns. So, in your view, the reason that Democrats arent more left wing on economic issues isnt because theyre bought off, but because the median voter is bought off, in the sense of responding to cues from corporate interests? Yeah. One thing Ive learned from working in Democratic politics for eight years is that the idea that the limiting factor on what moves policy to the left in this country is the personal decisions of individual Democrats is kind of crazy. Democratic politicians, relative to the country, are very left wing. But campaigns really want to win. In my career, I have seen circumstances where polling has said to do one thing, and then we didnt do it for ideological reasons. But every single one of those times, we ignored the polling from the left. Like, if Joe Biden wanted to just follow the polls, he should support the Hyde Amendment (which prohibits federal funding for abortion services). The Hyde Amendment polls extremely well. But the people who work on his campaign oppose the Hyde Amendment. So Joe Biden opposes the Hyde Amendment. Like, if you look at the Obama administration, the first time they resorted to procedural radicalism was to make recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board. They didnt do that to win votes; a lot of labors agenda repealing right-to-work laws, establishing sectoral bargaining is unpopular. But Democrats do pro-labor policies because the people who work on Democratic campaigns, and who run for office as Democrats, are generally very liberal people. Leftists just dont understand how small of a minority we are. One personal anecdote: Shortly after Civis did a poll showing that a federal job guarantee is actually a very popular idea, one of my colleagues took a call from a big Democratic super-PAC. And they said, You know, we saw the job guarantee polling from Civis and my colleague was about to throw me under the bus (you know, Oh, it was just those crazy socialists in Chicago) but the super-PAC just thought it was cool. And then there was a long discussion about how to incorporate public job creation into messaging. So I think people underestimate Democrats openness to left-wing policies that wont cost them elections. And there are a lot of radical, left-wing policies that are genuinely very popular. Codetermination is popular. A job guarantee is popular. Large minimum-wage increases are popular and could literally end market poverty. All these things will engender opposition from capital. But if you focus on the popular things, and manage to build positive earned media around those things, then you can convince Democrats to do them. So we should be asking ourselves, What is the maximally radical thing that can get past Joe Manchin. And thats like a really depressing optimization problem. And its one that most leftists dont even want to approach, but they should. Theres a wide spectrum of possibilities for what could happen the next time Democrats take power, and if we dont come in with clear thinking and realistic demands, we could end up getting rolled. Do you think the coronavirus crisis has expanded the realm of realistic demands? I think a really underrated political consequence of coronavirus has been a large increase in Democrats odds of taking the Senate. A year ago, I thought it was possible but a long shot. Now, its something that has a very reasonable chance of happening. And I think thats partly because a lot of Senate Republicans have put themselves in the position of opposing very popular things. The coronavirus has really increased the salience of health care, which is a Democratic-loaded issue. But its also made opposing things like paid leave incredibly toxic. And weve seen Republican incumbents do that again and again. I think Republican Senate incumbents are being blamed for a lot of whats happening in ways that arent fully appreciated by the media. So thats the most direct way that coronavirus is expanding the realm of the possible. Sorry, so you were saying about positive trends for Democrats? Yeah. So the other positive thing is that age polarization has also gone up. Its not just that every new generation is more Democratic. Something much weirder has happened. People who were 18 years old in 2012 have swung about 12 points toward Democrats, while people who were 65 years old in that year have since swung like eight points toward Republicans. Right now, thats a bad trade. Old people vote more than young people. But the age gap has gotten so large that cycle-to-cycle demographic changes are actually worth something now. On the Obama campaign in 2012, I calculated that demographic change between 2008 and 2012 holding everything else constant would gain Democrats like 0.3 points. Now, I think that number is probably two-to-three times higher. Young white people are now very liberal. And thats going to be important. The bad news is, over the next ten years, our institutions structural biases against Democrats are going to become very large. People say this a lot, but I dont think they truly appreciate how bad things are. The Electoral College bias is now such that realistically we have to win by 3.5 to 4 percent in order to win presidential elections. Trump is historically unpopular, so this year we can maybe pull that off. But for the past 30 years or so, most presidential elections have been pretty close. So the fact that we need to win by four points is going to decrease the amount of time we hold the presidency. People like to say things like, Oh, but the Sun Belt will trend towards us I think if you actually go and simulate things, barring some large realignment, the Electoral College bias is probably going to hold steady over the next decade. So you dont think Texas could become a 51 percent Democratic state by 2030? If education-based polarization reaches a point where Texas becomes the tipping-point state, then that means that Michigan and Minnesota and Maine and Wisconsin are all gone. Right now, were in a place where there are a bunch of working-class states that are two points more Republican than the country. And that sucks, but we can live with it. If those states become five points more Republican than the country, then it becomes harder. Im not saying it will be like this forever. But for the next two cycles, the baseline case is fairly bad. The Senate is even worse. And much worse than people realize. The Senate has always been, on paper, biased against Democrats. It overrepresents states that are rural and white, and mechanically, that gives a structural advantage to Republicans. For 50 years or so, the tipping-point state in the Senate has been about one percentage point more Republican than the country as a whole. And that advantage did go up in 2016, because white rural voters trended against us (it went up to 3 percent). But the problem isnt just about that increase in the long-term structural bias. If it were, I wouldnt be so despondent about the future. The real problem is that the Senates bias used to not matter much, because the correlation between how people voted for president and how they voted for Senate used to be much lower. As recently as 2006, if you looked among Democratic incumbents, there was literally zero correlation between how states voted on the Senate level and how they voted on the presidential level. That year, Ben Nelson in Nebraska actually did better than Bob Menendez in New Jersey. So 14 years ago, the correlation was roughly zero. And now, its roughly 90 percent. Thats the core of the problem. There used to be a lot of randomness down ballot, and there also used to be very strong incumbency advantages. In 2004, being an incumbent was worth about 11 points of vote share. Now its about three points. And with an incumbency advantage that low and correlation with presidential vote that high its just not possible for Democrats to win in all these states that used to be the backbone of our Senate majorities. We won an open race in North Dakota in 2012. Its true that the bias is getting higher, and that thats made things worse. But 90 percent of the story is that ticket-splitting used to be common and now its rare. And thats not a Trump thing. Ticket-splitting was declining in the Bush era, and accelerated under Obama. And that trend line probably isnt going to change. Why not? The reason people arent splitting their tickets anymore is probably because the internet exists now and people are better informed than they used to be. There was this broadband rollout study where they looked at the fact that different places got broadband at different times. And what they saw was that when broadband reached a given congressional district, ticket-splitting declined and ideological polarization went up. Right now because we already have a lot of these incumbents in red states, and because we were lucky enough to have a big wave when many of them were on the ballot in 2018 we have a decent chance of winning the Senate in 2020. But if you just project out the trends if you fit a regression on 2018 polling and apply it forward if we have a neutral national environment in 2024 (i.e., a 2016-style environment), were going to be down to 43 Senate seats. Its really quite bleak. The Senate was always a really fucked-up anti-majoritarian institution. But it was okay because people in Nebraska used to vote randomly. But now they have the internet, and they know that Democrats are liberal. So what should Democrats do? Abolish the internet? Or add states? Everything we can. Obviously, D.C. and Puerto Rican statehood are great. But we should really strongly consider adding more than two states. Ive been trying to push the U.S. Virgin Islands, for example home to largely nonwhite, marginalized people who dont have representation. Weve actually done polling on this. And even with pro and con arguments provided, it polls really well. People have really weird, incoherent views on representation. When you tell people, There are 50,000 people in American Samoa and they dont have a senator to stand up for their interests. Do you think they should get a senator? even when you tell them that Republicans say this proposal is an absurd Democratic power grab still a very large minority of Trump supporters say yes. In our polls, majorities are onboard with adding three or four or five states. People think its fair. One fun thing is, Virgin Islands statehood actually polls much better than D.C. statehood. D.C. statehood is actually the least popular of any of the statehood proposals weve polled. What probability would you assign to Donald Trump winning reelection? I think one big lesson of 2018 was that Trumps coalition held up. Obviously, we did better as the party out of power. But if you look at how we did in places like Maine or Wisconsin or Michigan, it looked more like 2016 than 2012. Donald Trump still has a giant structural advantage in the Electoral College. So, in 2016, we got 51.1 percent of the two-party vote share (of the share of votes that went to Democrats and Republicans). And if we had gotten 51.6 percent of that, we would have had about a 50 percent chance of winning an Electoral College majority. We probably needed to get to 52 percent in order to have a high chance of winning the presidency. For most of the last six months, in public polls, Biden was at 52 or so. Now, were at like 54. So, the question is just: Are things going to go down? Im not gonna speculate about whether the coronavirus will get better or whether it will get worse. I think you can tell plausible stories in either direction. But if you go back and look at polling this far out, and then do a regression where you predict Election Day as a function of polling, generally, when candidates are this far ahead, things tend to revert toward a mean. And unfortunately, in this case, the historical mean were regressing to isnt 50 percent; incumbents have historically averaged 51 percent of the vote. So things are likely to tighten. And, of course, polling was wrong in 2016. And actually, on a state level, the polling was wrong by a similar margin in places like West Virginia or Ohio or Michigan or Montana in 2018. So after we get through the conventions, and partisans activate on both sides, theres a substantial chance that well find ourselves in a close election. And everybody should treat it that way. Personally, I remember that in 2016, around September, we gave Hillary an 85 percent chance of winning. And this led to situations where you had Democratic organizations, our clients at Civis, wanting to take money out of Pennsylvania and put it in other places. I think one person literally asked me, What if we try to maximize 370 electoral votes instead of 270. I think theres going to be a real instinct for us to take the election for granted, and start to do dumb, hubristic things like spending millions of dollars on our victory stage, which is something that Hillary Clinton did. So we should all have the discipline to continue investing in tipping-point states and appealing to the median voter. Because this is an incredibly important year. This is our last chance to win a trifecta for a very long time. And if we dont win the presidency, things could get very dark. So everything we do matters a lot. *In an earlier version of this interview, Shor attributed a blog post about climate week to Daily Kos Elections (DKE). He was referencing something he remembered reading eight years ago extemporaneously, and misidentified the outlet that published the (alleged) blog. DKE published no such post. Cosmetics company Lush, known for its bath products and naked packaging, opened a second Oregon location on July 2 at in Bridgeport Village in Tigard, Oregon. Currently, the store is only open for contact-less pickup. Customers can shop from the location by either shopping online and picking up in store or standing outside of the store while communicating with a worker inside. Danya Kaslin, manager of the location, said while the company hopes to open the store to customers in August, there is not a set date for when customers can walk through their doors. The biggest restriction is that people arent allowed in right now, Kaslin said. Although customers cannot physically hold the products before they purchase them, staff have developed ways for customers to still get a taste of the in-store shopping experience, Kaslin said. One of the ways they have come up with is using test strips. The employee working will rub a test strip on whatever product the customer is interested in, set it on the table in front of the store and walk away. This allows the customer to smell the product without violating social distancing rules. The items currently offered at the location include soaps, lip balms, lotions, hair products and bath bombs. Another one of their more well-known products is the naked shampoo bar, which is a part of the companys focus on creating eco-friendly products. No packaging is the best packaging, Kaslin said. Theres no waste, she said. Theres nothing that you have to throw away at the end of your usage. Every little decision counts, Kaslin said, and by supporting environmentally conscious brands like Lush people are supporting a more environmentally friendly future. Maybe there wont ever be shampoo in bottles in the future, Kaslin said. One can only wish. -- Madison Smalstig l msmalstig@oregonian.com l @madi_smals l Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories Meghan McCain from The View follows politics closely. The conservative co-host has had multiple heated debates with her fellow panelists over the past week. There is nothing that McCain doesnt speak on and raises her voice when she knows its necessary. The Republican pundit has been critical about Kanye Wests alleged presidential hopes and reacted after the rapper had a meltdown during a rally. Meghan McCain and Kanye West | Heidi Gutman/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images / Allen Berezovsky/WireImage Kanye West holds his first rally West seems to be serious about running for office in 2020 and held an event in South Carolina that doubled as his birthday celebration. One of the moments that went viral from the rally was when he had a meltdown acknowledging he had asked Kim Kardashian to have an abortion. My mom saved my life. My dad wanted to abort me, West said according to NY Post. I almost killed my daughter. I love my daughter. God wants us to create. The rapper had a bulletproof vest throughout the event and said that everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars. He also took a dig at Harriet Tubman who is known in history as the underground railroad hero. Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slave, she just had the slaves go work for other white people, West alleged. As reports from Wests rally came up, McCain tweeted in reaction to what she was seeing. Kanye West needs serious help, not media coverage, The View co-host tweeted. Kanye West needs serious help, not media coverage. Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 20, 2020 RELATED: The View: Meghan McCain Unexpectedly Gone, Whoopi Goldberg Explains Why Meghan McCain fans support her tweet After McCain tweeted out her opinion, fans poured in replying with their own reactions echoing what the political analyst said. I agree with you but just think, he said nothing crazier than what Trump has said and thats the leader of your party, a fan replied. Its no secret that he has mental health issues and his treatment has been successful, a viewer added. That being said disqualifies him from ever becoming a presidential contender. This is common knowledge, why would his family lead him to believe otherwise? I completely agree, a Twitter user said. Im surprised his family allowed him to make a fool of himself. Surely, they dont think that he is presidential material. Its all a publicity stunt. I smell his next hit song. He absolutely does need help but thats on the people around him, not the media, another fan commented. If the circumstances were to turn just right, he could be part of swinging the election. Hes in this, the media has no choice but to report on it. RELATED: The View: Meghan McCain Slams Haters Calling to Fire Her on Maternity Leave Not the first time Meghan McCain calls out the media It was on the 4th of July that West tweeted his intentions to run for the presidential seat in 2020. The news took everyone by surprise and it set off fireworks across the nation. 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, the rapper tweeted. 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 McCain later tweeted that the media would have not taken the announcement seriously if it were have been a woman. There is no woman on planet Earth, celebrity or private who could behave has unhinged and erratic as Kanye has the past few years [and] be taken seriously as a presidential candidate, she tweeted. Women are punished for raising our voices on TV, let alone saying things like, slavery was a choice. There is no woman on planet earth, celebrity or private who could behave as unhinged and erratic as Kanye has the past few years & be taken seriously as a presidential candidate. Women are punished for raising our voices on tv, let alone saying things like "slavery was a choice". Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 5, 2020 When Forbes published an interview with West, McCain tweeted out once again calling the media to stop giving him attention. Stop giving this attention and covering it, McCain said in a now-deleted tweet. This is LITERALLY how we all got Trump in the first place. And who the hell exactly wants a Vice President who doesnt consume the news? The View airs weekday mornings at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. CT/PT on ABC. RELATED: The View Fans Are Elated For Shows Return, Not For Meghan McCain "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. UK-based solidarity committee 'Bramsh', brought out hundreds of supporters, victims protesting against Pakistan's killing of people in Balochistan, institutionalised rapes against Baloch women causing it immense humiliation and pressing the need for accountability. A massive protest was organised by Bramsh solidarity committee against the killings of Baloch women in Balochistan at the hands of death squads and Pakistani paramilitary forces in Balochistan province of Pakistan on Sunday. The protesters raised slogans against the ever-increasing human rights violations in Balochistan and against the Harnai incident where Pakistan army killed the family of Qaisar Chalgarri including, his 9 years old daughter Naz Bibi. Hakeem Baloch, President of Baloch National Movement UK Zone, said, Baloch community in the United Kingdom strongly condemn Pakistan military action in Balochistan and its death squads. Abdullah Baloch Leader of Balochistan Raji Zrumbesh Said, Pakistan unleashed its death squads to create havoc and terror in Balochistan. They want to frighten the whole Baloch community by killing innocent Baloch women and attacking houses so people feel insecure. Also read: No in-person rallies, says Trump after defiance on masks as Covid cases rise in US Also read: Huge embarrassment for Pak: Baloch activists hold anti-Pak protests in Germany A large number of political activists, intellectuals, women and children in Balochistan province are victims of enforced disappearances by the security agencies. Many of them are languishing in detention centres whereas mutilated bodies of some of these abducted Baloch are found in isolated places. A large number of Baloch, who have taken asylum in Europe and other parts of the world, continue to hold protests to raise the support of the international community and pressurize Pakistan and its security agencies to stop human rights violations in Balochistan. Also read: Intolerant Pak exposed, 4 held for Buddha statue vandalism For all the latest World News, download NewsX App (Nikkei Asian Review) Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Friday unveiled the first group of Japanese companies to subsidize for shifting manufacturing out of China to Southeast Asia or Japan. Eighty-seven companies or groups will receive a total of 70 billion yen ($653 million) to move production lines, in a bid to reduce Japans reliance on its large neighbor and build resilient supply chains. Thirty of these will shift production to Southeast Asia, including Hoya, which produces hard-drive parts and will move to Vietnam and Laos. Sumitomo Rubber Industries will make nitrile rubber gloves in Malaysia, while Shin-Etsu Chemical will shift production of rare-earth magnets to Vietnam. The other 57 projects will head to Japan. Household goods maker Iris Ohyama currently produces face masks at Chinese plants in the port city of Dalian, Liaoning province, and Suzhou, west of Shanghai, with nonwoven fabric and other main materials procured from Chinese companies. With the help of subsidies, the company will begin producing face masks at its Kakuda factory in its home base in Miyagi prefecture in northern Japan. All material will be prepared locally, independent of overseas suppliers. Hygiene-products maker Saraya, whose offerings include alcohol-based sanitizer, also qualifies for the subsidy. Eligible companies include producers of aviation parts, auto parts, fertilizer, medicine and paper products, with the roster incorporating such big names as Sharp, Shionogi, Terumo and Kaneka. The government earmarked 220 billion yen in the fiscal 2020 supplementary budget to create a subsidy program to encourage companies to move plants to Japan. Of that amount, 23.5 billion yen was set aside to promote the diversification of production sites from China to Southeast Asia. Early in the coronavirus outbreak, Japan experienced a severe challenge in sourcing such items as masks, many of which come from China. This article was originally published by Nikkei Asian Review Contact editor Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) By Steven L. Shields On June 10, 1926, Crown Prince Euimin (birth name Yi Eun) was officially elevated to the throne of Joseon following the funeral of his older brother, King Sunjong. From 1910 until he died in 1926, Sunjong was referred to as King Yi of Changdeok Palace. Euimin became King Yi II. He was officially His Majesty King Yi of Changdeok Palace, according to Japanese imperial pronouncements, public understanding, other contemporary accounts and with full consent of the Joseon Royal Court. He was the last reigning monarch of Joseon and the 28th head of the royal family. Some argue that after 1910 the King of Joseon did not really "rule," and thus, the "dynasty" ended. Most lists of the monarchs also stop in 1910 with King Sunjong on the throne and the Japanese in power. These arguments are historically and factually incorrect. Article 3 of the 1910 annexation treaty is definite in ensuring that Joseon would retain the king, stating, "His Majesty the Emperor of Japan will accord to their Majesties the Emperor and ex-Emperor and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Korea and their consorts and heirs such titles, dignity, and honor as are appropriate to their respective ranks, and sufficient annual grants will be made for the maintenance of such titles, dignity, and honor." In December 1907, Yi Eun (then known as Imperial Prince Yeong) was taken to?Japan by the Japanese Imperial Resident-General in Joseon, Ito Hirobumi. He was only 11 years old. The official reason was for "education." But the prince was a hostage whom the Japanese intended to use as a pawn in their plan to obliterate Korean identity. While in Japan, the prince was sent to the Imperial Military Academy and later rose through the ranks of officers. He was compelled to marry a Japanese princess,?Nashimotonomiya Masako (in Korean, Yi Bangja). In the official annals of King Sunjong, volume 17, for the date of April 26, 1926 (19th year of Sunjong's reign), a final note records the death of Sunjong, and the accession of the Crown Prince to the throne. In part, it states, "We received the imperial edict that HRH Prince Eun is now His Majesty King Yi of Changdeok Palace." His Majesty King Yi visited Korea often during the next two decades, well into the years of World War II. Newspapers published here often referred to his visits with bold headlines, "His Majesty King Yi makes a tour of the southern provinces," "His Majesty King Yi has been made a major in the army," or a colonel, or a general, "His Majesty King Yi conducts Royal inspection of Joseon army." Dozens of such explicit references show that the people of Korea, and the Japanese Imperial government, fully recognized Yi Eun as the "reigning" king. In 1945, with the defeat of the Japanese, Korea still had a legitimate king, Yi Eun. The royal family still maintained their official residence in Changdeok Palace with Dowager Queen Yun (widow of King Sunjong) occupying Naksonjae with a small retinue of court advisers and palace servants. The other princely sons of Emperor Gojong lived in their detached palaces in Seoul. Until 1948 the royal house of Yi maintained its vast properties throughout the country. They only needed the return to Seoul of their king, Yi Eun, who regrettably was trapped in Japan, unable to return. In writing the constitution for the new Republic of Korea (promulgated July 17, 1948), Rhee Syngman and his American supporters explicitly abolished the monarchy. The constitution stripped the royal family of all inheritances, titles, properties and income. This action was unlike what MacArthur did with the Japanese emperor, whom he allowed to remain as the reigning monarch. The new government in Korea expelled all the sons of Emperor Gojong from their palaces and ordered Queen Yun to vacate Naksonjae. Oddly, the 1919 provisional charter of the Korean government in exile (in Shanghai, China) explicitly confirmed the legitimacy of the Joseon Yi royal family. Reduced to the status of private citizens in Japan, Yi Eun and his family continued to live in Tokyo following Japan's defeat, unwelcome in their homeland. Soon after taking power, President Park Chung-hee invited the Korean royal family to return home and permitted them to live in Naksonjae at Changdeok Palace. The return to Naksonjae included Queen Yun, former king Yi Eun and his wife Masako, son Yi Gu and his wife Julia, and Princess Dokhye, the youngest child of Emperor Gojong. Tragically, a few months before their scheduled return Yi Eun suffered a severe stroke. He spent much of his time at a hospital in Seoul until he died in 1970. Yi Eun's posthumous title was Yeongchinwang. He is buried at the royal tombs in Namyangju, east of Seoul. His royal spirit tablet was officially installed, with elaborate royal ceremonies, in Jongmyo, the Royal Memorial Shrine. The Royal Asiatic Society Korea has worked diligently for 120 years to research, analyze and publish Korea's rich history and cultural heritage. Regular lectures are open to the public as are excursions to interesting and relevant sites. Visit for updates and current information. Steven L. Shields, a retired cleric, serves as a vice president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea (www.raskb.com) and is a columnist for The Korea Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 17:24:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 68,898 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,521 new cases on Monday. The DOH said that the number of recoveries further rose to 23,072 after 607 more patients have survived the disease, and the death toll also increased to 1,835 after four more deaths. Metro Manila continued to record the highest number of infections, with 1,237 new cases reported on Monday. Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag on Monday said 19 of the 343 prisoners who tested positive for COVID-19 in New Bilibid Prison have succumbed to the disease. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday reminded the jail authorities to strictly implement the health protocols such as health screening and contact tracing to prevent the spread of the virus. She stressed the need to isolate inmates that are in critical condition to prevent further transmission, especially in crowded jail facilities. The DOH attributed the increase in cases to community transmission in areas with poor compliance of minimum health standards and an increase of testings. The decrease in case fatality rate is attributed to the "overall improvement in healthcare system particularly patient management," the DOH added. Enditem Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, was nominated to replace the late Congressman John Lewis on the ballot in November. As the U.S. mourns the loss of the late civil rights icon who died at the age of 80 on Friday after battling pancreatic cancer, Democrats acted swiftly to select a candidate for his seat representing the state's 5th Congressional District. The state Democratic Party's Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly for Williams after reviewing five candidates recommended by the party's nominating committee out of a pool of 131 applicants. Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms were among the Democrats who selected the finalists considered by the party's Executive Committee on Monday afternoon. Applicants had until 6:30 p.m. Sunday to apply. PHOTO: Congressman John Lewis is photographed in his offices in the Canon House office building on March 17, 2009, in Washington, D.C. (Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images, FILE) The five candidates who were recommended to the DPG Executive Committee for consideration were former President of Morehouse College Robert Franklin, state Rep. Park Cannon, Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens, Georgia NAACP State President James "Major" Woodall and Williams. MORE: House holds emotional moment of silence to honor John Lewis Williams, who is also a member of the DPG Executive Committee, stepped down from her role as chairwoman and abstained from the voting process during the nomination hearing to avoid a conflict of interest. Justin Holsomback, DPG secretary, stepped in as the temporary acting chairman while Williams was considered. PHOTO: In this Oct. 24, 2019 file photo, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., prepares to pay his respects to Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who lies in state during a memorial service at the U.S. Capitol Hill in Washington. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via AP, Pool, File) Williams will face Republican Angela Stanton-King, an author and television personality in the November election for the 5th Congressional District. The congressional seat will remain empty until Gov. Brian Kemp calls a special election to fill the remainder of Lewis' term. Georgia Dems nominate state party chairwoman for John Lewis' congressional seat originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Credit: CC0 Public Domain After years of pledges to close the racial gap, Facebook is still struggling to hire, promote and retain Black employees at a critical moment in corporate America's reckoning with systemic inequities. From 2013 to 2018, the company failed to meaningfully increase the number of employees from underrepresented groups in its U.S. workforce, a USA TODAY analysis shows. As its U.S. employee base grew more than sixfold to 27,705, Facebook's ranks grew by fewer than 1,000 Black people, according to the EEO-1 reports the company files each year with the federal government. Black employees' share of the company's workforce during that period of rapid expansion rose to 3.7% from 1%. They did not fare better in the C-suite. In 2013, Facebook had zero Black executives. In 2018, the most recent data available, it had 32, 3% of all executives. In that same time frame, the number of Facebook executives increased more than sixfold, according to the 2018 EEO-1 report, the most recent data available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook has missed out on a wealth of talent among Black and Hispanic women, each of whom account for less than 1% of executives. In all, Facebook employs 485 Black women in the U.S.1.75% of its workforceand 714 Hispanic womenless than 2.6% of its workforce. Maxine Williams, Facebook's chief diversity officer, told USA TODAY that Facebook is slowly addressing disparities. Nearly 4% of the company's current workforce is Black and 6.3% is Hispanic, according to Facebook's diversity report released Wednesday. The numbers are a slight increase from 2019, when 3.8% of the workforce was Black and 5.2% was Hispanic. According to the report, 3.4% of senior leaders are Black, up from 3.1%, and 4.3% are Hispanic, up from 3.5%. Since 2014, the share of Black employees in technical roles has increased only slightly to 1.7% from 1.5% and Hispanic employees to 4.3% from 3.5%. "Since 2018, things have improved but they are nowhere near stellar," Williams said. Civil rights audit pushes Facebook to do more, better Released last week, a civil rights audit of Facebook hailed some of the company's diversity efforts as innovative. "We are trying to deal with issues which are deeply embedded and persistent in society, bias inequity etc. Doing the same thing that everyone has done hasn't gotten society much further, hasn't gotten corporate America much further," Williams said. But the audit also raised new questions about the company's lack of progress on diversity and inclusion. Concern among underrepresented minorities inside the company remains high from their lack of representation in senior management to technical roles, according to the audit commissioned by Facebook under pressure from civil rights groups and some members of Congress. These employees question the fairness of the performance evaluation process and want more information on attrition rates. And, in a company where their ranks are so thin, they feel isolated and without a say in how Facebook's policies and products affect their communities. Scrutiny of hiring and retention practices in the tech world has intensified since massive protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody has brought racial justice to the forefront of the national conversation, leading to a wave of corporate statements in support of communities of color, including from Facebook. "For some, these expressions of solidarity ring hollow from companies whose workforce and leadership fail to reflect the diversity of this country or whose work environments feel far from welcoming or inclusive to underrepresented groups," the Facebook civil rights auditors wrote. "The civil rights community hopes that these company commitments to doing 'better' or 'more' start with actual, concrete progress to further instill principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in corporate America and Silicon Valley." Complaints of racial discrimination The audit's findings echo an outpouring of first-hand accounts of racial discrimination on blogs and social media, which have drawn the public's attention to the lonesome and sometimes painful experience of being Black at Facebook. A November post from current and former Facebook employees, "Facebook Empowers Racism Against Its Employees of Color," portrayed the company culture as rife with racist and discriminatory behavior against African Americans and Hispanics. Facebook apologized, but the same group reported that, though they received some support, several managers were openly hostile and on the app Blind, Facebook employees posted racist memes. One year earlier, a former Facebook manager, Mark Luckie, accused Facebook of having a "Black people problem." Earlier this month, a Black manager and two job applicants who were rejected by Facebook filed a complaint, alleging that the company is biased against Black people in hiring, performance evaluations, promotions and pay. A 2017 study from the Kapor Center for Social Impact and Harris Poll found that toxic workplaceswhere harassment, stereotyping and bullying occurare driving away women and people of color. Not only does the exodus undercut tech companies' efforts to boost diversity, it's costing an estimated $16 billion a year, the study estimated. Williams, who now reports directly to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's second highest ranking executive, says the behavior described by employees was "awful." "Unfairness, inconsistency, microaggressions, all of the things that would make somebody feel like this isn't for me, and that is the last thing you want anyone to feel," she said. Facebook has made a number of recent changes to address the issues employees raised, including improvements to its performance system, new ways to report discrimination and microaggressions and increased accountability of senior leaders, Williams said. In April, Facebook added more firepower to its diversity team when it named Sandra Altine as vice president of workforce diversity and inclusion. "How do you get to more fairness? How do you get to more equity? We're very focused on that," Williams said. "Building systems or forging functions where you standardize more. It's very much unsexy stuff but it's the stuff that starts to reduce the variability in people's experiences. We are still a place where people of color will come here and say, 'This is the best place I have ever worked.' And then there are many people who say, not just people of color, it isn't. How do you close that gap? I think the behavior needs to be more consistent everywhere." The tech industry's race problem These problems are not isolated to Facebook. Tech's race problem was thrust into the national conversation in 2014 when companies from Google to Apple disclosed for the first time how few women and people of color they employ. The companies vowed to make their workforce less homogeneous. The paucity of underrepresented minorities in an industry increasingly dominating the U.S. economy has drawn sharp scrutiny from company shareholders and Washington lawmakers. Yet hundreds of millions, if not billions, in diversity spending later, very little has changed. Analyses by USA TODAY and others show major tech companies employ far fewer women and underrepresented minorities than other industries, even in Silicon Valley. According to the most recent U.S. government data released in 2016, Black Americans make up 3% of employees in the top 75 tech firms in Silicon Valley, while they hold 24% of the jobs in non-tech firms. Black women are also represented at much higher rates in other industries consistent with their proportion of the overall U.S. workforce. And it's not just in technical roles. Minorities at Google and other major tech companies are also sharply underrepresented in non-technical jobs such as sales and administration, with African Americans faring noticeably worse than Hispanics, a USA TODAY investigation in 2014 revealed. Facebook signals it's serious about closing racial gap Facebook has made recent moves to signal its seriousness in addressing the racial gap that dates back to the founding of the company. By 2024, it pledged to have 50% of its workforce come from underrepresented communities (women or people who are Black, Hispanic Native American or Pacific Islander or people with two or more). Currently 45.3% of its workforce comes from underrepresented communities, Facebook said, but did not provide a breakdown. As part of this goal, Facebook says it wants to double the number of Black and Hispanic employees in the U.S. Facebook said it is also committing to increasing the representation of people of color in leadership positions in the U.S. by 30%, including a 30% increase in the representation of Black people by 2025. In addition, two Black women, Peggy Alford and Tracey Travis, now sit on the board of directors. A third Black board member, Kenneth Chenault, stepped down after disagreements over political advertising and how Facebook moderates discourse on its platform, the Wall Street Journal reported in March. George Floyd intensifies scrutiny The diversity report comes at a sensitive time for Facebook. When CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to leave up a post from Donald Trump in which the president called protesters thugsand warned "When the looting starts, the shooting starts"a firestorm erupted inside the company. Internal message boards spilled over with outrage from employees, quickly reaching crisis levels, with Facebook employees staging a virtual "walkout." A coalition of corporations and civil rights leaders quickly formed to force Facebook to publicly reckon with the role it plays in perpetuating systemic racism. Hundreds of companies, including top brands Unilever, Ford and Pfizer, pulled advertising from Facebook this month to protest the role the company plays in spreading racial hatred, white supremacy and violent threats. Civil rights groups trace the lack of diversity inside the company directly to how content moderation decisions are made, including racially motivated hate speech against the Black community. Complaints that the social media giant disproportionately stifles Black users' speech while failing to protect them from harassment have raged for years. If anything, Black users say harassment has gotten worse as nationwide protests following Floyd's death draw renewed attention to historic racial inequities. Black people in private groups dedicated to discussing racial justice and police brutality report being swarmed by organized networks of white supremacists, who use racial slurs and tell them to go back to Africa. A network of Facebook groups with more than 1 million members, created to protest coronavirus stay-at-home orders, are also targeting Black Lives Matter, using slurs to refer to Black people and protesters, the Associated Press reported last week. The persistent lack of representation of African Americans and Hispanics in the Facebook workforce does not surprise Rashad Robinson, president of online racial justice organization Color of Change. "Year after year when the issue has to do with race, Facebook expects us to believe they are working hard and care deeply," Robinson told USA TODAY, "even though time after time they fail to deliver." Explore further Apple expands coding partnership with Black schools as tech firms grapple with lack of diversity (c)2020 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. At least 16 persons, including a police officer, were feared killed by unknown gunmen during an attack on Kaura LGA, Kaduna State on Sunday, residents have said. The Kaduna police spokesperson, Muhammad Jalinge, told PREMIUM TIMES the attack occurred at Kukum Daji community. He, however, said the police are yet to ascertain the actual number of casualties. However, residents said Sabon Gari Manchok, also in Kaura council area was also attacked by the gunmen who reportedly killed about 16 people and left many others injured. A resident said the attackers stormed their communities on motorcycles around 10:30 p.m., shooting sporadically during a wedding event. Meanwhile, the states commissioner for internal security, Samuel Aruwan, told BBC Hausa Monday afternoon that the attack was a crime against humanity. READ ALSO: He, also, could not confirm the number of casualties. He said the government is in touch with Kaura local government officials and other stakeholders with a view to forestalling the incessant attacks and killings. The state, including Zamfara, despite security presence, has witnessed unabating bloodletting by bandits and criminal groups which has heft hundreds dead in recent years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 23:41:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Monday he will convene a crisis meeting on Friday to review the surge in COVID-19 infections across the country. Kenya's State House spokesperson Kanze Dena said the fifth extraordinary session of the national and county governments coordinating summit will assess the counties' state of preparedness within the wider national response to the pandemic and evaluate Kenya's overall national response and capacity. "The session has been convened following a surge of COVID-19 infections across our nation, with the disease having now manifested in 44 of our 47 counties," Dena said in a statement issued in Nairobi. She said the meeting will consider the evolution of the disease and the medical models on how COVID-19 may propagate within the country over the months of August and September. "His Excellency calls on all Kenyans to continue applying the simple but yet most effective individual and collective measures that are our nation's best weapon against COVID-19," said Dena. According to Dena, Kenyatta called on Kenyans to continue correctly wearing facemasks while in public spaces, apply correct face and hand hygiene at all times, and cooperate with the physical and social distancing guidelines and protocols. The move came as the Ministry of Health on Monday announced 418 more new COVID-19 cases, raising Kenya's tally to 13,771. Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Health said 494 more patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country so far to 5,616. Four patients had succumbed to the deadly virus, raising the death toll to 238. The cumulative number of samples tested in Kenya stood at 246,361, said Aman. Aman said the country's two populous counties, Nairobi and Mombasa, continue to have the highest infection rate in the country and this should be enough evidence for Kenyans to adhere to the COVID-19 social distancing measures and curfew regulations. He noted that virus community transmission has taken root in most counties with only three out of the 47 yet to report any cases. Aman confirmed that 526 healthcare workers have so far been infected since the outbreak of the disease. Meanwhile, The Nairobi Hospital (TNH) has entered into a strategic partnership with the United Nations Office Nairobi (UNON) to increase its COVID-19 care capacity. The two sides on Monday commissioned the construction of the 150-bed facility at the hospital. It will have a top range of medical facilities including ICU beds, HDU beds, and an operation theatre, laboratory as well as radiology diagnostics. Raychelle Omamo, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs said the facility will be able to cater to Kenyans as well as the over 20,000 UN staff based in Kenya, Africa and beyond. UNON Director General Zainab Hawa Bangura said the organization is set to complete the facility within two months. Bangura further said that the construction of the facility in Nairobi demonstrates Kenya's leadership in medical professionalism in the region. "The agreement to build this treatment facility in Kenya underscores the United Nations' faith in Kenya's human resource as well as expertise. It is also a reflection of Nairobi's role as a key peace-keeping humanitarian and development hub for Africa," she added. The Nairobi Hospital CEO Allan Pamba assured members of the public that the COVID-19 treatment facility will be open to all Kenyans, and not restricted to the United Nations and diplomatic personnel and their families only. Enditem After priests of Ayodhya said Prime Minister Narendra Modi may lay the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple on August 5, sources told News18 that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is also likely to attend the ceremony. Invitations have also been sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Nitish Kumar is among other chief ministers on the list. In all, around 300 people are likely to be sent an invitation. Priests in Ayodhya have prepared an elaborate plan for the ceremony with three-day Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, beginning on August 3. This will be followed by Ramacharya 'puja' on August 4 and the 'bhumi pujan' on August 5, which will be held around 12:15pm. This will be Modi's first visit to Ayodhya and the Ram temple area. The prime minister had announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust on February 5. Five silver bricks will also be set inside the sanctum sanctorum during the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony. The first will be laid by PM Modi. The five bricks are believed to symbolise the five planets as per the Hindu mythology. The design and the architecture of the temple is the same as the one proposed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) the design will follow Vishnu temple's Nagara style while the 'garbha griha' will be octagonal. However, as compared to the earlier model, the length, breadth and height have been increased. Additionally, there will be five domes instead of the three that were previously envisioned. The total area of the temple will be between 76,000 to 84,000 square ft. Earlier, it was estimated to be around 38,000 square ft. A decision to extend an invitation to Maharashtra Cheif Minister Uddhav Thackeray was taken given Shiv Sena's three-decade-long association with the Ram Temple movement. Notably, Uddhav's father Balasaheb Thackeray was named in the demolition case, but his name was removed after his death. In March this year, Thackeray visited Ayodhya and announced an aid of Rs 1 crore for the construction of Ram Temple while stressing that his party, the Shiv Sena, is committed to Hindutva even though it has broken ties with the BJP. The presidency has released the statement below saying President Muhammadu Buhari was in charge of his government contrary to reports. In a Sunday statement by Mr Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the presidency described such statements as baseless. The fact that these baseless and appallingly mischievous attacks can freely be aired is itself evidence of the right to freedom of expression prevailing in the country today, Mr Shehu said in the statement. Mr Shehu also appeared on Channels Televisions Sunday politics where he reiterated his stance. He argued that some wrongdoings that are detected within the present government are always addressed without causing national embarrassment. There is no disorganisation in the Buhari government. His manner of doing things should be clear to Nigerians President Buhari is not a micro-manager, he said. Read the Sunday statement released by Mr Shehu below. STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT BUHARIS CRITICS SHOULD APPRECIATE DUE PROCESS The Presidency wishes to respond to a number of opinion articles and a stringent newspaper editorial this Sunday, which outrageously said President Muhammadu Buhari was not in control of his administration. As many detractors have done lately, these influencers, celebrated columnists and editorial comments do no more than endorse the oppositions utterly wrong and fallacious position that the President is not in charge of his government. Sometimes, we are forced to wonder whether some writers are mindful of the implication of words for the strategic and territorial interests of the nation. An entrenched culture of dissent in our country is not something that anyone, not least a Buhari Presidency wants to stamp down. The fact that these baseless and appallingly mischievous attacks can freely be aired is itself evidence of the right to freedom of expression prevailing in the country today. Whether it is Ibrahim Magu, Godswill Akpabio, NDDC, NSITF and the others, Nigerians are bound to hold differing opinions, write letters, opinion columns, editorials and even stage lawful protests. What is sometimes worrisome is that several of these comments, disguised as objective criticisms are merely speaking the language of the opposition-the people who ruined the country during their 16 years of corruption on an industrial scale. These detractors pick up isolated issues like the ones in the EFCC, NDDC, and incidents of crime and corruption which have been with the country for years, and without any serious effort to uncover them, paint them a phenomena orchestrated and happening because President Buharis administration has decided to pursue cases of suspected wrongdoing in the anti-corruption agency, pension funds, NDDC and other government agencies. But the government was the first to point out the obvious embarrassment that potential acts of wrongdoing by the EFCC leadership would cause the administration. The question to ask is: did they expect the President to draw a curtain over these suspected scandals by not ordering audits and investigations? And for them to turn around to accuse him of a cover up? To do a cover up and not order audits and investigations as the President did would amount to a historic betrayal of the mandate and the faith placed in him by the Nigerian people. President Buharis integrity, uprightness and probity are intact and well known. Let us remind these so-called editorial writers that ECOWAS, Africa Union and the international community at large recognized President Buhari as Champion of the Anti-Corruption fight in Africa. Nigerians are convinced that he is honest. They voted for him as President against the background of corruption, public policy paralysis and growing menace of terrorists threatening to take over a sizable portion of the nations territory. In his five years in office, there is not a single charge of corruption against his person. As the leader of the country, President Buhari fully understands and bears the full weight of the solemn oaths he swore to defend the nations constitution, its citizens and territory. Disinformation is not a viable option for opposition. The Buhari government has done nothing to warrant these criticisms. Under our laws, you are innocent until proven guilty: Investigation, trial then conviction. Not the other way round. To carry out investigations before condemnation or conviction should not be misconstrued as a weakness or a vacuum in leadership. The war against corruption is today at historic crossroads. This is the time all Nigerians should stand together to roll it back. President Buhari is determined not to be diverted by unfounded attacks, neither would he compromise the sacred mandate of Nigerians. He is determined to get justice for Nigerians on all these corruption cases being pursued. Advertisements Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) July 19, 2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 11:32:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Black Sea Fleet has begun to track the U.S. guided-missile destroyer Porter, which entered the Black Sea on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The Black Sea Fleet's forces have begun to track USS Porter (an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer), which entered the Black Sea at 19:45 local time (1645 GMT) on July 19," it said. The U.S. 6th Fleet said earlier in the day that USS Porter was headed to the Black Sea to participate in Sea Breeze-2020 drills with Ukraine. The drills to be held from Monday to Sunday are expected to involve some 2,000 servicemen, 27 ships and 19 planes from nine countries, namely Bulgaria, Georgia, Spain, Norway, Romania, the United States, Turkey, France, and Ukraine, according to TASS news agency. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Mon, July 20, 2020 08:50 548 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40667b5231 2 SE Asia US-China,US-China-tension,US-China-Hong-Kong-tension,South-China-Sea,territorial-disputes,bilateral-spat,bilateral-tension Free China's embassy in Myanmar on Sunday accused the United States of outrageously smearing the country and driving a wedge with its Southeast Asian neighbors over the contested South China Sea and Hong Kong, as tensions mount between the superpowers. Responding to US claims Beijing was undermining the sovereignty of its neighbors, the Chinese embassy said US agencies abroad were doing "disgusting things" to contain China and had showed a "selfish, hypocritical, contemptible, and ugly face". The United States last week hardened its position on the South China Sea, saying it would back countries in the region that challenge Beijings claim to about 90% of the strategic waterway. In a statement on Saturday, the US embassy in Yangon called China's actions in the South China Sea and Hong Kong, where Beijing has imposed tough new national security laws, part of a "larger pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors". The US statement drew parallels between China's actions in the South China Sea and Hong Kong with large-scale Chinese investments projects in Myanmar that the United States warned could become debt-traps, along with trafficking of women from Myanmar to China as brides, and the inflow of drugs from China into Myanmar. This is how modern sovereignty is often lost - not through dramatic, overt action, but through a cascade of smaller ones that lead to its slow erosion over time," the US embassy said. In its rebuke, China said the statement showed a "sour grapes" attitude by the United States towards "flourishing China-Myanmar relations" and was "another farce on a global tour by the US authorities to shift the attention on domestic problems and seek selfish political gains". The US should first look in the mirror to see whether it still looks like a major country now, it said. The Chinese embassy in Yangon did not answer phone calls seeking further comment. The US embassy was not immediately available for comment. Myanmar has increasingly become a battleground for influence between the two countries since relations between the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the West became strained over its treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority. Author and historian Thant Myint-U told Reuters in an email although the country was of negligible economic value to the rivals, its strategic importance as a bridge between mainland China and the Bay of Bengal was hard to ignore. "Myanmars instincts since independence in 1948 are to try to be friends with everyone, but it's not clear that's going to remain possible, in this coming period of increasingly febrile superpower rivalry," he said. "The sheer weight of China's giant industrial revolution next door is already transforming Myanmar; if multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects are added to the mix, the border between the two countries will become increasingly difficult to see," he said. "It's important to remember that Myanmar was one of the few countries in the world where the last Cold War led to proxy armed fighting which in turn led to military dictatorship and decades of self-imposed isolation." Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-20 16:54:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo of the Tai Chi patterned crop field in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo provided to Xinhua) HOHHOT, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The World Record Certification Agency (WRCA) has recognized a Tai Chi patterned crop field in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the world's "largest crop field Tai Chi pattern." The Tai Chi pattern is composed of wheat and rapeseed flowers, with a diameter of 1,301.13 meters and a total area of about 1.33 million square meters. This landscape was created by Shiwei Farm in its manor on the right bank of the Ergune River, the Sino-Russian border river. The manor is a complex project of agriculture, culture and tourism. In recent years, Shiwei Farm has been developing eco-tourism with the local ecological environment and folk culture. Tian Yimin, an official of Shiwei Farm, said the certification of "the largest crop field Tai Chi pattern" will help increase the farm's popularity and turn it into a well-known tourist attraction. Rapper Kanye West holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston, S.C., on July 19, 2020. (Randall Hill/Reuters) Kanye West Misses Deadline to Get on South Carolina Presidential Ballot Rapper Kanye West missed the deadline to get onto South Carolinas presidential ballot, a state official confirmed on Monday. Kanye West did not submit a petition before the 12 p.m. deadline, Chris Whitmire, a spokesman for the South Carolina State Election Commission, told The Epoch Times in an email. State law prohibits write-in votes for president. Wests only option to get on the ballot is to seek a nomination from one of the 10 certified political parties in South Carolina. Those include the Alliance Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party. Parties have until Sept. 8 to certify their candidates. West, 43, couldnt be reached for comment. He does not have a campaign website. The rapper held his first rally on Sunday in North Charleston. People record on their phones as Kanye West makes his first presidential campaign appearance in North Charleston, S.C., on July 19, 2020. (Lauren Petracca Ipetracca/The Post And Courier via AP) Speaking for about two hours, West spoke about his Christian faith, his decision to move to rural Wyoming, and his ideas about gun violence. West broke into tears at one point while discussing how his father wanted to abort him. My mom saved my life. There would have been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy, he said. West put forward a proposal that would give each pregnant woman $50,000 a year if they have their child. He also accused the Democratic Party of not supporting black people. And the most racist thing thats ever been said out loud is the idea that if Kanye West runs for president, Im going to split the black votes, he said. West previously called for both Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and President Donald Trump to drop out of the race. West said he would run as the nominee for the Birthday Party, a new party he was forming with businessman Elon Musk. West qualified to appear on Oklahomas presidential ballot. The rapper and business moguls running mate is Michelle Tidball, a preacher in Wyoming, where West bought a ranch. Most filing deadlines for presidential ballots have passed, but West was hoping the rules might be more flexible because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland detained former head of the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine Sawomir Nowak on suspicion of corruption and activities within an organised crime group. "The officers of the Regional Office of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau in Gdansk have detained three persons suspected of corruption and operating within an organised crime group," reads the statement of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland. As noted, Sawomir N. former Member of Polish Parliament, former Minister of Transport and former head of the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), Dariusz Z. former commander of GROM Military Unit no. 2305, and Jacek P. a businessman from Gdansk are among the detainees. The detainees will be brought to the Prosecutors Office, where they will be presented with charges. The investigation concerns suspicion of both corruption and operating within an organised crime group, the statement reads. The investigation is conducted jointly by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, District Prosecutors Office in Warsaw, Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office in Kyiv and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. In 2011-2013, Sawomir Nowak headed the Ministry of Transport of Poland. From October 19, 2016 to October 1, 2019, Nowak was the Acting Head of the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine. In October 2016, he received Ukrainian citizenship. ol